Caving to withering criticism from the media, the City Council and residents, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has released preliminary data from his police complaints board. The Community Police Hearing Board is required under Sarno’s 2010 executive order to file annual reports, but has failed to
Another year come and gone in the City of Homes, complete with a mayoral election. While the race itself maintained an inevitable air throughout, it nevertheless revealed much about the state of Springfield. From economic interest from the Promised Land to increasing drama with MGM,
This post is the first in a series on Springfield mayoral candidates ahead of the September 8 preliminary. SPRINGFIELD—Salvatore Circosta and the man he seeks to replace as mayor, Domenic Sarno, have a lot in common. Both are Italian, the same generation of each’s family
SPRINGFIELD—In a lavish ceremony last year featuring city vehicles festooned with flags and all the pomp and circumstance the City of Homes can muster, Springfield swore in John Barbieri as its top cop. Some observers likened it to a coronation, and Barbieri, possessing a humble mien, probably would have
UPDATED 4/2/15 3:53PM: To reflect confirmation from Bewsee and new comments from her. Papers were only available yesterday, but it seems a major political cycle is underway in Springfield with word that another potential candidate has dipped a toe into the mayoral pool. Arise for
SPRINGFIELD—With the latest election cycle concluded, eyes are beginning to turn to 2015. While it is too early to know exactly what to expect from next year’s elections, the City Council appears set to reelect Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton as its president for another
To many political insiders in and around Springfield, the top cop is the second most important position in the city after the mayor. In a large (by New England standards) minority-majority city of 150,000, which, to many, has seen its revival bedeviled by both the
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post is a version of the May 19 story published immediately after the budget press conference, updated with subsequent reporting. The original post has been archived and is accessible here. SPRINGFIELD—Less gloomy than usual, the annual release of the municipal budget by Mayor
SPRINGFIELD—Despite the best efforts of the its finest inertia, the City Council finally agreed to dip its toe into social media while tackling a budget that was more complex than it appeared. A slew of financial measures ahead of the new fiscal year and a
UPDATED 9:19PM: For response from Arise and news of McFarlin’s retirement and to reflect a correction. Barbieri is the third, not the second Police Commissioner of Springfield. SPRINGFIELD—Backing off from the conventional wisdom, Mayor Domenic Sarno announced the appointment of Deputy Police Chief John Barbieri