Lucas Willard

Massachusetts Insurance Regulators have denied a proposal that would have raised state workers’ compensation rates nearly 19%. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

Workers’ compensation insurance is paid out by employers to employees in case of job related accidents. The money covers services including medical care and rehabilitation.

In order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of North Adams, Massachusetts must make over 300 repairs and upgrades to its municipal structures. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard has more…

Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick has released all five members of the state transportation board. The board will be restructured in September, but the move is sparking some controversy. WAMC’s Lucas Willard filed a report…

The unemployment rate in New England climbed in July but remains below the national average.

The New England office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday the jobless rate in the six-state region was 7.1 percent last month, up from 6.8 percent in June.

Rhode Island's 10.8 percent unemployment rate is the highest in New England and the second highest in the U.S.

By contrast, Vermont's rate of 5 percent is the lowest in the region and the fifth lowest in the country.

The national jobless rate in July was 8.3 percent.

Connecticut House Speaker Chris Donovan is withdrawing as a third party candidate for the state’s 5th Congressional District.

After losing the Democratic primary on Aug. 14 to former state Rep. Elizabeth Esty, Donovan could have remained in the race because he was cross-endorsed by the Connecticut Working Families Party.

Researchers are claiming that it’s possible to save important native New England fish species if certain upgrades and removal of existing infrastructure can be made. WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more…

Ecologists from UMass Amherst and Stony Brook University in New York are saying that although the survival of some species of river herring in New England is threatened, work can be done to restore the small fish to healthy populations.

The five-campus University of Massachusetts system generated $35 million during the 2011 fiscal year from the commercialization of its academic research, putting the school 14th nationally. WAMC’s Lucas Willard reports…

A report from the Association of University Technology Managers found that UMass signed 25 licenses, created one startup company, and filed 50 patent applications. UMass was sixth overall among public institutions and second behind only the Massachusetts Institute of Technology among Bay State schools.

A 22-year-old Pittsfield man already facing charges of raping children and forcing them to pose nude for him is facing additional charges of possession of child pornography. WAMC’s Lucas Willard reports…

The Berkshire Eagle reports that Robert Labarre, who was living in a tent in the woods before his arrest, was arraigned on Tuesday in Berkshire Superior Court on 14 charges, including two counts of rape of a child with force.

According to the latest numbers, the Massachusetts real estate market is showing the largest number of single-family home sales in years, with 13 straight months of year-over-year growth. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

The Warren Group, a market-data research organization based in Boston, says that July of 2012 was the best July for home sales since 2005. Cory Hopkins, Editorial Director for the Warren Group, says that over the same time last year, the state-wide average for both single-family and condo sales, is showing a marked improvement.

A new Quinnipiac University Poll shows Republican Linda McMahon has a slight lead over Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy in Connecticut's U.S. Senate race. WAMC’s Lucas Willard reports…

The survey, released Tuesday, shows 49 percent of likely voters back the former wrestling executive, while 46 percent support Murphy.