Lucas Willard

The owners of a western Massachusetts bean sprout farm are in trouble again for allegedly allowing their workers to live in substandard homes.

Twenty-two workers and their families were forced to find new homes last week after state and local health officials condemned and closed farm camps in Whately and Deerfield.

The state Public Health Department has sued Sidney Chang, Rose C. Chang and Tso-Cheng Chang of the Chang Family Trust for failing to meet sanitary and housing code.

The Governor of Massachusetts has again asked the federal government for $21 million in fisheries disaster assistance to help the region's struggling fishing fleet. Patrick was denied the same request in 2010, but renewed it last year, along with data he said showed the hardship fishermen face under new fishing rules.

He has sent a new letter this week to the U.S. Commerce Department, citing new forecasts by regulators of steep cuts in the catch limit for various bottom-dwelling groundfish in 2013.

Businesses are reporting huge jumps in sales from Massachusetts’ sales tax holiday over the weekend. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

A few weeks ago, the weekend of August 11th and 12th was approved for a waiver on the state’s 6.25% sales tax, and, according to the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, was very successful.

President Jon Hurst says that Association members are reporting big increases in sales.

Massachusetts Democrats are trying to tie Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown to Mitt Romney's hand-picked running mate, conservative Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan.  Lucas Willard has more…

Democrats are banking that Ryan's budget proposals, including his plans to transform Medicare into a voucher system and re-shape the nation's tax system, could undermine support for Brown and other Massachusetts Republicans, including congressional hopeful Richard Tisei.

The Massachusetts Republican Party has filed a series of public information requests to investigate the state’s mailings of voter registration forms to welfare recipients – a move the GOP claims is politically motivated. WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more…

The Massachusetts Republican Party says that when the state settled in a lawsuit, brought on by a political advocacy group, it was part of an insider move to strengthen support for Democratic Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren. Tim Buckley of the Mass GOP…

Owners of a mobile home park in Williamstown, Massachusetts that was heavily damaged in Tropical Storm Irene last year have agreed to drop a lawsuit against the town. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard has more…

According to Williamstown Town Manager Peter Fohlin, the owners of the Spruces Mobile Home Park Morgan Management have dropped a Motion of Injunctive Relief against the town.

A new report released by the Massachusetts Medical Society shows that rural areas of the Commonwealth, including parts of Western Massachusetts, are lagging behind in patient access to care. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

Great Barrington and Richmond are two of the latest cities and towns in Massachusetts to be designated Green Communities by Governor Deval Patrick’s administration. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard attended the designation event and filed a report…

The Green Communities program recognizes cities and towns that promote renewable energy and have cut their energy use by 20% over five years. In this latest round of designations, 17 new cities and towns are eligible for 2.75 million in competitive state grants to fund local green energy projects.

Massachusetts shoppers will be able to purchase certain items free of sales tax this upcoming weekend, as Gov. Deval Patrick has given final approval to economic development legislation.

The bill that Patrick signed into law on Tuesday aims to spur economic development and job creation in the state. It also includes the provision for a two-day sales tax holiday Aug. 11-12 for certain purchases under $2,500.

Officials from Connecticut and the City of Hartford say gun-involved murders in the capital city are down 42 percent and nonfatal shootings have dropped 29 percent since an anti-gun violence task force was formed just over a year ago. WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more…

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra, acting Police Chief James Rovella and state prosecutors announced the results of the Shooting Task Force's first year of work on Tuesday. The group includes police officers from Hartford and surrounding towns, state police, prosecutors, prison officials and parole officials.