News

Vermont police say 33 people were taken into custody in the Springfield and Ludlow area as part of the latest in a continuing series of counter drug operations in the state.

Officials in Springfield Massachusetts have announced a plan to increase the police presence downtown.

   There will be high visibility walking and bike patrols both in the daytime and evening with flexible deployments based on events and crime data.  Commissioner William Fitchet said there will also be targeted traffic enforcement, prostitution stings and spot checks of bars and restaurants for liquor license violations.

The 36th annual Mayor’s Cup Festival and Regatta is set to take sail in Plattsburgh July 11-14. While the highlight is a sailboat regatta, this year, sponsors are helping raise money for a special community project.

Deals have been reached between Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders on siting new casinos and creating tax free zones at college campuses. But a bill on abortion rights was struggling, and reform measures appear dead for the session. 

The agreement on casinos would allow four resort style gambling centers; one in the Capital Region, one in the Southern Tier, and possibly two in the Catskills, if voters approve the change to the state’s constitution in the fall.     

A state-funded wellness initiative in the Northern Berkshires is holding a community discussion on addressing the region’s nutritional challenges.

The North Berkshire chapter of Mass In Motion, a state-funded program that encourages health-conscious lifestyles through exercise, nutrition, and community involvement, is holding a community-wide event that will focus on connecting residents to fresh and healthy food.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives has voted to restore funding to a program designed to assist at-risk youth in finding summer employment that is facing cutbacks.

I suppose it’s low hanging fruit to write a column criticizing NBA refs. That’s like criticizing the IRS or the DMV. Calling an NBA game correctly is as easy as catching a Cheetah with a bicycle; it’s just not possible. Not with the unbridled speed and athleticism— all inconceivable when the game was created. Today’s professional basketball is lightning fast, fiercely physical, and hard to assess in slow motion, much less full speed. So, just getting most calls right is a herculean task. It’s like keeping most of the kindergarten class quiet during story time.

In his first news interview about Indian Point’s license renewals since he took over in his new role earlier this year, William Mohl spoke with WAMC’s Allison Dunne about how he’s trying to putting more of a public face on the process.

The city of Springfield Massachusetts has entered into a three -year partnership with a utility company to dramatically reduce energy use. 

   In a first of its kind agreement in western Massachusetts  the city of Springfield will work in partnership with Western Massachusetts Electric Company toward a goal of reducing the city’s energy consumption by 12 percent over the next three years.

   Mayor Domenic Sarno signed the partnership agreement Wednesday with David McHale, the CAO for Northeast Utilities, the parent company of WMECo.

It's Pets & Vets on this edition of Vox Pop with Dr. Ron Scharf of the Animal Hospital of Niskayuna, New York. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.