WFCR Local News Podcasts

PodcastDirectory / TV and Film / Public Broadcasting
PodcastDirectory / Regions / /

Primary Format : Public Broadcasting Language : Unknown Also Listed as: City : Unknown State/Province : Unknown User Tags: User Votes: RSS Feed Website People found this Podcast Searching for: View this Podcast on a Google Map. Podcast iTunes Link Text Only listing of WFCR Local News Podcasts Methings.com listings of WFCR Local News Podcasts If you like this podcast, you might also like:

Preliminary Elections Underway in Springfield, Holyoke It's Election Day in Springfield and Holyoke -- preliminary election day, that is. Residents will cast their ballots for city councilors and narrow down the race for mayor in each city. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Preliminary Elections Underway in Springfield, Holyoke It's Election Day in Springfield and Holyoke -- preliminary election day, that is. Residents will cast their ballots for city councilors and narrow down the race for mayor in each city. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Hires Redevelopment Firm Springfield officials announced today the choice of a firm to prepare a master plan for the areas that were destroyed by the June 1st tornadoes. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield's River Inn Condemned A condemned inn in Springfield is turning its remaining residents out onto the street, and city officials and police are scrambling to find them a place to live. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Vermont Teenager Still Missing, Search Continues After almost two weeks without word from a Vermont teenager who went missing the day before Tropical Storm Irene, his friends and family from the Brattleboro area are ramping up the search. New England Public Radio's Jill Kaufman reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Morning Edition Extra for Sept. 16, 2011 Voices in the news from the week of 9/16/11-- Jill Kaufman talks to local producer Larry Hott about the new PBS documentary on the war of 1812 and takes a closer look at Massachusetts' proposed casino bill. Commentator Mira Bartok takes a walk near the Quabbin Reservoir and 'Extreme Makeover Home Edition' visits Springfield. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Grocery Stores Eliminate Self-Checkout Machines The state-of-the-art, self-checkout-machines at Big Y supermarkets in Massachusetts and Connecticut will soon be extinct. They haven't been popular with customers, and they're costing the grocery chain time and money. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Tax Cut In The Works Massachusetts lawmakers are starting a new conversation about lowering the state's income tax rate. New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Ct. River Health Advisory Lifted As of today [Tuesday] a sewage treatment plant in Greenfield Massachusetts that was badly damaged in tropical storm Irene is a hundred percent back online, and state officials are preparing are lifting a health advisory that had been posted for the length of the the Connecticut River in the state. New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Hurricanes Bring Back Mosquitos Aside from flooding, heavy rainfall has caused an overwhelming resurgence of mosquitos in Western New England. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Baye Trial Delayed, SJC Reviews Confession Murder defendant and accused arsonist Anthony Baye will stay behind bars for several more months before trial -- now that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has agreed to hear a pre-trial appeal by the defense team. Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Triple Homicide in Pittsfield Three men were arraigned in Pittsfield Monday after being charged with the murders of three other men, whose remains were found over the weekend in the Berkshires. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Amherst Drug Lab Closing A group of western Massachusetts lawmakers is banding together to stop the planned closure of a drug analysis laboratory at UMass-Amherst. New England Public Radio's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Debates begin for Springfield Mayoral Candidates Springfield's race for mayor is heating up, as the three candidates hold lively debates around the city. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Delegation - Including Sen. Brown -- Opposing GOP Move on FEMA House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says new funding for disaster assistance to victims of Hurricane Irene should be offset by cuts elsewhere in the federal budget. As New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports, that's not sitting well with members of the Massachusetts delegation -- including Cantor's fellow-Republican, Senator Scott Brown. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Sewage Spills into Rivers Post-Hurricane Receding flood waters aren't necessarily diminishing problems for Western New England residents. Pollution - in the form of debris and sewage - is flowing into local rivers. And as New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports, the amounts are high--sewage is flowing into the Deerfield River from the Greenfield wastewater treatment plant at a rate of about 3 million gallons a day. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Floods Cause Major Damage to Western Massachusetts Farms Farmers across Western Massachusetts are discovering widespread damage to crops and farm land in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. One farm in Deerfield was especially hard hit. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | CT River Still Rising Northampton, Mass -- which borders the Connecticut River -- got less rain and wind from Tropical Storm Irene than predicted. But rivers further west and north that DID flood are now emptying into the Connecticut. And that's making some property owners nervous. Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Shelburne Falls Cleans Up After Irene Western Massachusetts residents are starting to pick up the mess Tropical Storm Irene left behind. New England Public Radio's Andy Locke has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Insurance Agents Face Barrage of Claims A year of blizzards, tornadoes, a small earthquake and the remnants of Hurricane Irene has left insurance agents in Western Massachusetts swamped with claims. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Shelter Set Up in Preparation for Hurricane Irene While Hurricane Irene's forecasted arrival has changed to early Sunday morning, Springfield city officials are setting up a shelter and urging residents to stay indoors. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | State and Local Officials Brace for Hurricane Irene Barely three months after the tornadoes -- and a few days after an earthquake -- Western Massachusetts is bracing for Hurricane Irene to blow through. Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno says noon on Saturday is the deadline for all outdoor events to end, and people to stock up on groceries, water, batteries and candles. As New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports, municipal officials throughout the region are scrambling to prepare. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Emergency Officials Brace for Irene's Arrival Massachusetts emergency officials are bracing for Hurricane Irene, as the storm appears to be on track to hit the Bay State on Sunday. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New Casino Bill Could Benefit Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Massachusetts lawmakers unveiled a casino gambling bill earlier this week that would give a boost to the Mashpee Wampanoag Native American tribe. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum reports from Boston. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Nurses Picket Hospital in Northampton, MA Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association who are employed at Cooley Dickinson gathered outside the hospital in Northampton on Wednesday, to draw attention to ongoing contract negotiations. New England Public Radio's Sarah Fitzgibbons has the story. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Legislators Release New Casino Gambling Bill After months of closed door negotiations with Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, legislative leaders have released a new casino gambling bill. Many lawmakers predict this time, it will pass. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Plans to Crack Down on Youth Violence Springfield mayor Dominic Sarno has detailed plans to crack down on youth violence in troubled city neighborhoods, as part of his new public safety task force. New England Public Radio's Sarah Fitzgibbons has the details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Health Officials Tracking West Nile Virus in Massachusetts State public health officials are watching the movement of mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus -- including some positive samples in central and western Massachusetts. New England Public Radio's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Westover Air Reserve Base Prepares for Hurricane Irene Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts is working with federal emergency management officials to prepare the state for the arrival of Hurricane Irene. New England Public Radio's Andy Locke reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | State Audit Reveals Misspending at Mental Health Center The state auditor in Massachusetts released a report Thursday detailing the misuse of more than $1 million in public funds by a nonprofit mental health center serving families in Massachusetts and Connecticut. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Western New England Power Companies Prepare for Hurricane Irene The National Weather Service expects Hurricane Irene to hit the Northeast on Sunday. In western New England, power companies are already preparing for large-scale outages. New England Public Radio's Andy Locke reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Monson Businesses Reopen after Tornado-Related Repairs Downtown Monson, Massachusetts is slowly recovering from the June 1st tornadoes that crippled the small town. Businesses are coming back to life and two reopened Tuesday, with encouragement from the state's Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Lowes Closes Stores as Housing Industry Continues to Struggle The big box chain Lowe's Home Improvement announced the closure of seven stores last week, including one in Meriden, Connecticut. The closures came without any prior notice, and as New England Public Radio's Andy Locke reports, there may be more to come. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Study: Western Massachusetts Behind in Economic Recovery A study published by the Donahue Institute at UMass finds that, while the state's economic recovery is ahead of the national average, not all regions of the Commonwealth are experiencing it. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New Ocean Current Detected Massachusetts researchers are part of an international team describing a new ocean current that could affect our understanding of climate change. New England Public Radio's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Schools Plan to Reopen after Tornadoes School will soon be back in session, though the towns most affected by the June 1st tornadoes in Western Massachusetts will have to accommodate students differently this fall. But all are reporting they will start on time. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Berkshire Town Uses Landfill for Green Energy The Town of Adams, Massachusetts has entered into a contract to allow a solar array to be built on the town's closed landfill. It is one of the first projects of its type in the Commonwealth. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A Bakery Sells Shares to Finance Down Time Community supported agriculture farm shares -- or CSA's -- have been growing in popularity in recent years. A CSA is where customers invest in the farm, then reap their dividend in locally grown produce. But in Northampton, Massachusetts, one bakery is using the same model to get through a rough financial patch. New England Public Radio's Sarah Fitzgibbons has the details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Gambling Plans Around the Region Legislative leaders in Massachusetts are putting the finishing touches on a sweeping casino bill, but not without hearing from various quarters. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Deaths in MA Group Homes Raise Concerns Two recent deaths are raising questions about plans in Massachusetts to close down state-run facilities for people with developmental disabilities. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Reduction for MA AIDS/HIV Prevention Less federal funding for AIDS and HIV prevention programs will be coming to Massachusetts, among other states. New England Public Radio's Jill Kaufman reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Week in Preview on Beacon Hill, August 15, 2011 This week in Massachusetts state politics, officials consider new consumer protections for cell phone and cable customers, and parole board chairman Josh Wall is in the hot seat after a dropoff in the number of prisoners granted parole. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Emerald Ash Borer Threatens Western Massachusetts The Asian long-horned beetle has been killing trees in parts of New England -- including eastern and central Massachusetts -- for several years. Now, state officials are warning another invasive beetle could soon threaten forests in western Massachusetts, as well. New England Public Radio's Andy Locke reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Library of Congress Display Visits Pittsfield As part of Pittsfield, Massachusetts 250th Anniversary Celebration, a Library of Congress traveling exhibit is visiting the city this week. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Realtors Lose Confidence in Housing Market A survey conducted by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors says its members felt less confident about the real estate market in July compared to the same time last year. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Trees to be Replanted in Springfield's Court Square Massachusetts' Secretary of the Commonwealth, William Galvin, appeared in Springfield's Court Square Wednesday to present a plan to re-create the historic area's landscape. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Health Insurance Rates Go Down Here's a headline you don't hear too often - "health insurance rates go down." But, for one Western Massachusetts insurer, it's true. New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts' Lieutenant Governor Pays Visit to Springfield Massachusetts' lieutenant governor visited Springfield Tuesday to survey ongoing repair and recovery efforts, two-and-a-half months after tornadoes hit Central and Western Massachusetts. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Superintendent Resigns The superintendent of the Springfield public schools has announced his resignation, not long after he was criticized for how he spent a $30,000 signing bonus. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Deed Register Claims His Office is Owed $2 Million A Western Massachusetts register of deeds claims his office is owed nearly Two Million Dollars. The money is allegedly owed by a mortgage registry service. The fees are related to the transactions that may not have been legally recorded. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Organic Farming Group Meets in Amherst Fourteen hundred attendees with an interest in organic are expected to attend the 37th Annual Northeast Organic Farming Association's Summer Conference on the University of Massachusetts campus this weekend. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Expedited Partner Therapy Used in MA to Treat Rapid Spread of Chlamydia Massachusetts public health officials have announced a new approach to battling the most commonly sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. Jill Kaufman reports Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Brown Visits Amherst Massachusetts Republican Senator Scott Brown came to Amherst on Wednesday. The stop was a part of a recent statewide tour to promote job creation. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Unionized Verizon Employees Continue Strike From Massachusetts to Virginia, 45-thousand unionized employees of telecommunications giant Verizon remain on strike. The workers walked out of contract negotiations on Sunday after the two parties failed to reach an agreement on proposed cuts to employee benefits. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Egg Producer Scales Back One of the area's largest commercial producers of eggs is scaling back operations. Citing tougher safety measures from the US Food and Drug Administration, Diemand Farm in Wendell, Massachusetts has announced it will no longer distribute eggs on a wholesale basis. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Brewers Stung by Ruling Brewers of craft beer in Massachusetts are concerned a recent ruling could have a negative impact on their industry, or even put them out of business. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | "Rebuild Western Massachusetts" Seeks to Provide Tornado Assistance, With An Energy Efficient Twist Massachusetts' top environmental official was in Monson on Thursday to announce more than eight-million dollars worth of loans and grants to help tornado-damaged communities become more energy efficient. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Hospitals Defend Medicare Changes Massachusetts hospitals are defending themselves in the face of new federal rules that will result in more money for the Baystate -- at the expense of other states. Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Anti-Semitic Pamphlets Distributed in Ashfield Police in Ashfield, Massachusetts are investigating the distribution of anti-Semitic pamphlets to local residents. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Lawmakers Propose Tax Breaks for Natural Disaster Victims A bi-partisan group of Massachusetts Congressional Members wants victims of natural disasters to get a significant tax break. They are proposing a new law which could give further assistance to Western and Central Massachusetts Residents whose wallets took a hit when the June First tornadoes swept through. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Regulators Disallow Utility Expenses for 2008 Storm Regulators have cut by nearly half a rate increase requested by a central Massachusetts gas and electric utility that was roundly criticized for its response to an ice storm in 2008. New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Asks for Public Input on Post-Tornado Rebuilding Plan The committee charged with rebuilding tornado-ravaged sections of Springfield is going on a so-called "listening tour" of the city this month. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Decision Awaits New England Members of Congress on Debt Ceiling Compromise With votes likely Monday in both houses of Congress on the U.S. debt ceiling compromise, Representatives and Senators from across New England are deciding how they will vote. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Students Research Tornados and Other Weather UMass-Amherst undergraduates showed off their summer research Friday -- including several projects that could help predict tornados and other weather patterns. Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Deadline for Tornado-Related Federal Assistance Approaches The deadline is approaching for residents affected by the June 1 tornadoes in Central and Western Massachusetts to apply for federal assistance. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Congressional Delegation Speaks Out on Debt Ceiling Crisis As Tuesday's deadline for Congress to raise the Nation's debt ceiling grows closer, members of Massachusetts' Congressional delegation are voicing their opinions on the matter. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UMass Fraternity Suspended Following Incident A University of Massachusetts fraternity has been suspended by its national organization. The suspension stems from an incident at the Delta Upsilon house last spring that left a University student seriously injured. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Attorney General Reaches Another Settlement with a Pharmacy Chain Rite Aid is the latest pharmacy chain to reach a settlement with Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley over alleged overcharges for prescrption drugs. Coakley has been investigating the prices pharmacies charge for prescription drugs provided under the Workers Compensation Insurance System. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Construction Begins on Broadband Network in Central, Western Mass Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick spent Tuesday in a small town in the Berkshires, where construction has begun on a major broadband expansion project that will deliver high speed Internet to rural communities. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Western Massachusetts Home Sales Fall in June Single-family home sales in Western Massachusetts fell 42-percent in June compared to a year ago. Statewide, home sales fell more than 23-percent, making it the worst June in the housing market in 20 years. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Teen Pregnancy Rates Out with Mixed Results The annual teen pregnancy statistics that came out this week contained both good news and bad news for Western Massachusetts. Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Forms Panel to Examine Health Effects of Wind Turbines Officials in Massachusetts are in the process of convening a panel to examine potential health effects from wind turbines. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mandatory Paid Sick Days Again an Issue in Massachusetts A proposed law scheduled to come before the Massachusetts Legislature later this year would make it mandatory for employers to allow full-time workers to earn paid sick days. With Connecticut becoming the first state to pass similar legislation, supporters feel the time is right for Massachusetts to follow suit. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Announces Plan to Build 105 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Twenty-five cities and towns across Massachusetts will soon be installing electric vehicle charging stations, according to state energy officials. New England Public Radio's Andy Locke reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tufts Restaurant Study Shows Caloric Discrepancies A study this week from Tufts University outside Boston analyzed the calories stated on some chain restaurant menus, and found discrepancies. Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tornado Rehab Goes On Despite Heat Repairing homes and lives after Springfield's recent tornado may have gotten stickier with the current heat wave, but the work continues. Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Sounds of Summer We want to know what summer sounds like to you. It could be the sound of crickets and cicadas, of motorcycles at night on a dark road, the rhythmic spray of a sprinkler, or ice clinking in a drink. Maybe it's the sound of relief - walking into the cool air of the mall. Capture your bit of the season and then send them to Morning Edition Extra. We'll ll take mp3s of one minute or less. Send them to mex@wfcr.org Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Bay State Health Cuts 354 Jobs The largest health care system in western Massachusetts is announcing the elimination of 354 jobs. New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Possible Cause Found in Train Derailments Amherst, Massachusetts officials are investigating the cause of two recent freight train derailments, on a stretch of track that's also used by Amtrak's daily Vermonter service. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Two Men Found Not Guilty on Wiretapping and Resisting Arrest In Connection with Incident at Jail Two men from an anti-government group that stage provocative efforts to document police activity have been cleared by a Greenfield, Massachusetts jury of wiretapping and resisting arrest. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Opts Out of Secure Communities Springfield's city council has voted to become the first city in Massachusetts to officially opt-out of the federal secure communities program -- a move that advocates say is both symbolic and practical. Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Passes First Vote of Foreclosure Measure The Springfield, Massachusetts city council passed a preliminary vote last night on an ordinance designed to slow down the foreclosure process and put more requirements on lenders. Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Vermont Yankee Responds to Adverse Ruling A federal judge in Vermont has ruled that the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant should not stay open while a lawsuit about its long-term future plays out. New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Judge Rules Against Vermont Yankee A federal judge in Vermont has ruled that the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant should not stay open while a lawsuit about its long-term future plays out. New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Rebuilding Efforts Vary Across Springfield When a top federal housing official met with Springfield community leaders Thursday, one person voiced a concern that's been mentioned on the streets of the city a lot lately: that post-tornado reconstruction is moving faster in the city's higher-income neighborhoods. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue explains explains why. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | LOCAL COMMUNITIES RECEIVE LIBRARY GRANTS Four Western Massachusetts communities are a step closer to building new libraries after the state Board of Library Commissioners awarded grants for construction projects. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Post-Tornado Housing Discrimination Issues Raised to Feds A top federal housing official toured Springfield Thursday and met with local community leaders to talk about housing discrimination victims of the June 1st tornados may face. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Appoints Tornado Damage Rebuilding Committee Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announced Wednesday his committee to plan the reconstruction of all sections of the city affected by the June 1st tornadoes. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Gun Violence Takes Three More Lives in Springfield Springfield has lost three lives, including two teenagers, to gun violence, in the past week. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | 14 Charged in Franklin County Jail Riot More details are emerging about last week's riot at Franklin County Jail and House of Correction in Greenfield, Massachusetts. New England Public Radio's Jill Kaufman reports: Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Motorcyclists in Fray with Massachusetts State Police Massachusetts State Police are on the lookout for a half dozen motorcyclists -- including two who could face charges of assault on a police officer and reckless endangerment following an incident on Interstate 91 in Longmeadow Sunday night. New England Public Radio's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Smith Economist to help Irish economy An economist at Smith College in Northampton, MA has been appointed to a new fiscal advisory board for Ireland. She's the only U.S. resident on the council, which provides oversight of the government's fiscal decisions. Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Study: Some Rural Hospitals Have Worse Outcomes A new study by the Harvard School of Public Health finds some rural hospitals are more likely to have poorer health outcomes than other hospitals. New England Public Radio's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Probation Officers Sue State of MA The union representing thousands of Massachusetts probation officers has filed a federal lawsuit over the corrupt hiring process at the probation department. The suit alleges the department's former commissioner and top aides broke the law by awarding promotions based on political connections, not qualifications. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum has more from Boston. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Blue Cross Blue Shield Rebate's CEO's Severance The state's largest insurer plans to rebate millions of dollars to its ratepayers to offset the cost of a controversial severance package to former chief executive Cleve Killingsworth. Attorney General Martha Coakley disclosed the decision by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts yesterday following an investigation by her office. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | 65th Anniversary of World War Two Crash Veterans' groups in western Massachusetts are holding a memorial service tomorrow to commemorate the 65th anniversary of a plane crash in Holyoke at the site of the accident on Mount Tom. The crash killed 24 servicemen returning from World War Two on July 6th, 1946. New England Public Radio's Andy Locke reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Knitting for a Cause Knitters will be gathering in North Adams, Massachusetts this evening for a unique kind of protest. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier has the details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Norman Rockwell Painting Heads to White House An iconic painting from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA is hanging right next to President Obama's oval office -- where it is on loan through October. New England Public Radio's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Farmers Across New England Come Together Farmers across New England have come together seeking a stronger voice on Capital Hill. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | South Hadley's Switches to "Pay as You Go" South Hadley has become the latest Massachusetts community to institute a "pay as you go" trash disposal fee method. New England Public Radio's Adam Frenier reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Bullying Commission says Data Gathering Critical to Enforcing Law The Massachusetts Commission on Bullying Prevention has released its first report. New England Public Radio's Jill Kaufman has the story. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Business Confidence Index Drops A new survey of business and industry in Massachusetts indicates employers are concerned about the sluggish economic recovery. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | James "Whitey" Bulger to be Back in Court Reputed mobster Whitey Bulger is due back in federal court Wednesday in Boston. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Week in Preview on Beacon Hill, July 5, 2011 This week in Massachusetts politics, Governor Deval Patrick reviews the state budget, lawmakers await the outcome of deficit reduction talks in Congress and the Governor's Council is set to convene with more of Patrick's court picks up for confirmation votes. New England Public Radio's Sarah Birnbaum reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Mayor Lashes Out at City Council's Budget Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno is sharply criticizing the city council's budget - which includes cuts to various services. But in their budget the councilors approved a pay raise for themselves. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mater Dolorosa Parishioners Start Vigil The Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church in Holyoke, MA was supposed to close today. But a group of parishioners have refused to leave. WFCR' Jill Kaufman reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Conference Examines Data on Latinos in Springfield The Gaston Institute at UMass-Boston has embarked on a project to analyze the growing populations of Latinos in the state, starting with the city of Springfield. At a conference there Thursday, New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports the data shows there's no longer a "Latino section" in any city. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tornado Shelters Close Almost exactly a month after tornados struck Central and Western Massachusetts, shelters housing displaced residents are closing. And as New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports, most people -- though not all -- have a place to go. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Noho Video Store Closes, Collection Stays Local The last video store in Northampton, Massachusetts is closing, but the community has rallied to keep the film collection local. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | City Recruits at Mass Mutual, Westfield State for City Rebuilding Efforts The City of Springfield has welcomed two new members to its development team to aid in recovery efforts. Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company and Westfield State University have each offered a top employee free of charge to the city. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Unions Sign Deals with Two Rivaling Casino Proposals in Western Mass Developers of two separate casinos proposed in Western Massachusetts have announced deals with labor unions to build their projects. This, even though there's been no legislative movement on Beacon Hill to expand gambling operations in the state. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue Reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Search and Rescue, for a Fee? A Democratic state representative from Western Massachusetts has filed a bill that would allow municipal and state government officials to charge an individual for an emergency rescue if the person's own reckless behavior puts him or her in harm's way. New England Public Radio's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Bees, Bats, and Flies all included in Federal Focus on Pollinators Federal Fish and Wildlife officials in Hadley, MA, and around the country, are trying to draw attention this week to a variety of plant pollinators. New England Public Radio's Jill Kaufman explains. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Disaster Recovery Centers Serve More than 1200 Local Residents The Federal Emergency Management Agency has now opened nine Disaster Recovery Centers in Springfield, Monson and other tornado-ravaged communities in Massachusetts. So far, they've received a total of 1250 applications for financial assistance. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Making Seat Belts Mandatory Seat belt advocates want Massachusetts to pass a law that would allow police to cite any motorist who's unbelted. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Summer Corps Jobs Available Massachusetts state officials announced a new summer program designed to keep inner-city middle school students engaged in learning activities. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | FEMA Opens Disaster Recovery Centers in Tornado Towns The Disaster Recovery Centers set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Springfield and other tornado-ravaged communities in Massachusetts are seeing mixed demand for their services. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | NRC Safety Review Looks at Emergency Back Up Systems The Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant is among the facilities reviewed in a Nuclear Regulatory Commission safety report, in response to lessons learned from Japan's nuclear crisis. WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, the plant is passing initial reviews, although Federal regulators say changes in protocols for "severe accident guidelines" may be on the way. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tamik Kirkland Arraigned in Springfield A Massachusetts man who escaped from prison in April and allegedly went on a shooting rampage, killing one resident and injuring two police officers in Springfield, was arraigned in Springfield Friday morning. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Disaster Declaration Releases Unlimited Funds to Tornado Victims President Obama's disaster declaration for the tornado-ravaged towns in Massachusetts frees up funds to cover 75 percent of storm-related costs. Now homeowners, renters, businesses and local government offices in both Hampden and Worcester counties must apply for assistance and await federal inspections. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | State Still Seeks Housing for Those Still in Shelters Massachusetts' Secretary of Housing and Economic Development made another trip to the western part of the state Wednesday to tour tornado-ravaged Monson and speak to the Chamber of Commerce in Springfield. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | President Declares Major Disaster for Tornado-Wracked Areas President Obama has formally declared a major disaster for the Massachusetts communities that were torn apart by the June 1st tornadoes. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Obama Visits Puerto Rico, May Have to Confront Issue of Political Status On Tuesday President Barack Obama makes an official visit to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans living on and off the island -- including Western Massachusetts -- have very strong opinions about an upcoming vote that could determine whether the island continues as a territory, becomes a state - or even its own nation. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Food Banks Mobilize in Springfield Donations of food, clothing, toiletries and other supplies are pouring in for victims of last week's tornadoes in Western and Central Massachusetts. Organizations in charge of distribution are working around the clock to be sure the items get to those who need them most. WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Pets and Owners Reunite After Tornado The Springfield city pound is helping to reunite pets who got lost after the tornado with their owners by posting photos of found pets on its website and seeking missing animals. WFCR's Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Red Rose and Other South End Businesses Reopen One of Springfield's most famous restaurants, one that was in the heart of the tornado's path, has reopened for business one week after it was struck by the whirlwind. Red Rose pizzeria suffered damage to its windows and exhaust system, but quickly made repairs and is now making pizza. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | The Science Behind "Sleeping On It" We've all heard the advice -- before an important decision -- to 'sleep on it.' A team of researchers at Umass-Amherst now believe they've got scientific evidence to back that up. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Arson Trial Likely to Include Outside Jury Prosecutors and defense lawyers agree that the Northampton man accused of setting more than a dozen fires and killing two city residents some 18 months ago should be tried by jurors from a different county. WFCRs Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Congressman Neal Assesses Tornado Damage - - Federal Distaster Declaration Likely Last week's tornadoes swept through the heart of Massachusetts' Second Congressional District -- represented by Congressman Richard Neal. Neal has visited every affected community and he spoke with WFCR's Fred Bever about what he's seen. Neal says he expects that a presidential declaration of disaster will soon come -- but he's telling local and state officials - be sure to document carefully all of the work and damage. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Air Quality Concerns in Downtown Springfield After last Wednesday's tornadoes swept through western and central Massachusetts the majority of Springfield's South End remains blocked off from car and pedestrian traffic. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, some are worrying about air quality in the area. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Schools Struggle to Make End-of-Year Plans After Tornado Some schools in Springfield and other Western Massachusetts towns were so severely damaged in Wednesday's tornado that they will not reopen until at least the fall. School officials are scrambling to figure out how to finish the school year. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield's Downtown Businesses Carry On Business owners in Springfield's downtown are trying to regroup after Wednesday's tornado. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Brimfield Tries to Recover As the line of yesterday's tornadoes and extreme weather knifed Eastwards from West Springfield all the way to Sturbridge Massachusetts, the hamlet of Brimfield took a direct hit. WBUR's David Boeri reports on the aftermath. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Begins Tornado Recovery Efforts Springfield is in a state of controlled chaos as local residents and city, state and federal officials survey the damage wrought by the first of at least three tornadoes to sweep through the area yesterday. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Kerry, Patrick Assess Tornado Damage in Western Mass Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and Governor Deval Patrick arrived in Springfield last night to meet with city officials and get glimpses of the destruction from the evening's tornado. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Kerry, Patrick Assess Tornado Damage in Western Mass Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and Governor Deval Patrick arrived in Springfield last night to meet with city officials and get glimpses of the destruction from the evening's tornado. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tornado Devastates Springfield, Region Emergency response efforts continue in Springfield, where a tornado devastated the downtown area yesterday evening before crossing the Connecticut River into West Springfield. It was one of a series of apparent tornados and other extreme wether that crashed through Western and Central Massachusetts over the course of five hours. The devastation prompted Governor Deval Patrick to declare a statewide state of emergency and the federal emergency management agency to dispatch crews to the are ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Redistricting Committee Holds Public Hearings in Massachusetts Massachusetts' Special Joint Committee on Redistricting is touring the state for public hearings on redrawing the state's political map, and the necessity of eliminating one of the Commonwealth's ten Congressional districts. The next hearing takes place Tuesday in Greenfield. As WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports, Western Massachusetts could be the area to lose a Congressional seat. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | WFCR Host Bob Paquette: A Remembrance The staff of WFCR and WNNZ is heartbroken by the death of our longtime friend and colleague Bob Paquette -- WFCR's Morning Edition host and Senior News Producer. Bob died unexpectedly over the weekend at the age of 55 - apparently from a heart attack. Beyond the station, memories of Bob are pouring out from the many people in the community whose lives he touched. Reporter Karen Brown has this remembrance. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | WFCR Host Bob Paquette Dies It is with great sadness that we report the loss of one of our own. Veteran senior producer and long time host of Morning Edition - Bob Paquette - died over the weekend. WFCR's Helen Barrington has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Veterans Give a Reminder on Memorial Day Many towns in the region held Memorial Day events over the weekend, and still more events take place Monday. As WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, veterans say the message of the holiday sometimes gets lost in the mix. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | ESPN Reporter Reaches Resolution in Domestic Assault Charges ESPN Senior Reporter and Western Massachusetts resident Howard Bryant signed an agreement in Greenfield District Court Friday that could lead to a dismissal of charges that he publicly assaulted his wife in February. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mixed Signals For The Bay State Economy Massachusetts' economy continues to recover faster than the nation's, thanks to the strength of the state's education, health care and technology sectors. That's the conclusion of a report from Mass Benchmarks, a journal on the state economy published by the UMass Donahue Institute. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass. Joins Vermont in Nuclear Dispute The State of Massachusetts will join in the defense of Vermont's right to stop the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant from operating after next year. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Governor Bands Bald Eagle Chicks Several Massachusetts officials, including Governor Deval Patrick, were at the Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown Tuesday to help put leg bands on bald eagle chicks. WFCR Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield City Council Revokes Biomass Plant Permit The Springfield City Council has thrown off course plans for a 35-megawatt biomass energy plant in the city. The council voted 10-2 Monday night to revoke the local permit for the plant, proposed for a commercial and residential district near Interstate 291. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UMass Chancellor Could Be Forced Out Sunday's Boston Globe reports that a committee evaluating the performance of UMass Amherst Chancellor Robert Holub says his contract should not be renewed when it ends in July. WFCR's Fred Bever has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Vintage Grand Prix Postponed The City of Springfield has decided to postpone until next year plans for a vintage car racing event, which aims to be the first urban auto race in Massachusetts in decades. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts House, Senate Pass Probation Reform Legislation Both branches of the Massachusetts legislature have now passed reforms designed to make the state's probation department more accountable. A report commissioned by the supreme judicial court in November found abuses in the probation department's hiring and promotion processes. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Holyoke Time Capsule Earlier this week, a group of teen mothers opened a time capsule that was hidden a hundred years ago by a suffragette and writer named Elizabeth Towne. She put it in the brick wall of a building that now houses the Care Center -- where the young moms take classes... and publish a poetry journal called Nautilus, based on Elizabeth Towne's original work. WFCR's Karen Brown produced this audio postcard. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | News Roundup and a Closer Look at Health Care Proposal from MA Governor Voices in the news this week (5/16/11) and MA State Senator Richard Moore from Uxbridge on Governor Patrick's health care bill - creating a global payment structure. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Prison Break May Have Been Aided by Contracted Employee The man who escaped from a minimum-security prison in Shirley, Massachusetts in April may have been helped by a cell phone lent to him by an employee of a state prison contractor. The prisoner has been accused of killing a man, wounding two police officers and injuring another person in Springfield after his escape. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Alimony Law Changes Proposed by W. Mass Senator New legislation in Massachusetts could dramatically change existing laws governing alimony payments. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, for the first time, specific guidelines could be set on the amount and duration of payments to former spouses. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Data Breach May Affect Unemployment Assistance Applicants in Mass The Massachusetts Office of Labor and Workforce Development is reporting that a computer virus infiltrated offices that serve unemployed claimants, career center customers, and employers. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Thousands of Fish are on Their Way Up River It started several weeks later than usual but the annual migration of fish up the Connecticut River is underway. As WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, high water levels and cold temperatures slowed the journey down a bit. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Businesses Speak Out Against Biomass After gathering signatures of support from small business owners in Springfield, an anti-biomass group is urging the city council to revoke a special permit granted to Palmer Renewable Energy to construct a biomass incinerator. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Language Ordinance Up For Final Vote in Springfield Springfield's City Council takes a second vote tonight (May 16th) on a Language Access ordinance. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Storefronts Spruced with Public-Private Grants In an effort to boost economic development in the city of Springfield, a nonprofit has teamed with the city to give out grants to small businesses to improve their storefronts. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Alleged Northampton Arsonist Confesses Without Lawyer Present In a videotaped interrogation screened in a Northampton court room today an accused arsonist implicitly acknowledges setting a fire that killed two people just after Christmas 2009. But Anthony Baye is also seen requesting a lawyer if he is being accused of arson - yet the interrogation continues without a lawyer present. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Murder Suspect Receives Death Threats in Hospital The Massachusetts Department of Correction has suspended two employees because they may have made death threat calls to a murder suspect staying at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Income Disparity Found in Celiac Diagnoses Medical researchers from Massachusetts have found a striking connection between income levels and diagnosis rates of Celiac disease. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Legislator Proposes a Political "Do Not Call" List A Massachusetts State Representative has proposed a "Do Not Call" list for pre-recorded political messages. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Higher Ed Central Data Base Proposed A Massachusetts State Senator has proposed creation of a central data base to help students in public higher education determine which of their credits can transfer to another school. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Doctor Access Still Lacking in MA The Massachusetts Medical Society -- which represents doctors -- is releasing its annual survey Monday on access to physicians. As WFCR's Karen Brown reports, the numbers are not getting any better. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Makes Big Land Purchase The state of Massachusetts has purchased more than 840 acres of undeveloped land in the town of Tolland, just south of the Berkshire county line. WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New Study on Salt and Blood Pressure A new study suggests that eating salt may not be a danger to people who do not have high blood pressure, but that conclusion is raising concerns among local cardiac specialists. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | More Teens Sentenced in Prince Bullying Case Two more Massachusetts teenagers accused of harassing Phoebe Prince -- a 15-year-old classmate who later hanged herself -- struck plea deals in court resulting in sentences of probation and community service. The case that drew international attention to the issue of bullying is now drawing to a close. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Lawmakers Mull Income Tax Changes The Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Revenue holds a hearing May 5th to consider some 60 proposed tax-related bills. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports a heavy turnout is expected from supporters of one measure that would raise income taxes, while also raising the standard personal exemption. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Biomass Proposal Could Cost Energy Developers Millions The administration of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is proposing regulations that could mean a significant loss of money for several biomass power plants in New England - and be a damper on financial plans for several more plants proposed for western Massachusetts. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | White Powder Sent to Government Offices in Mass Massachusetts authorities are investigating several incidents of white powder discovered in mail at government office buildings Tuesday, but they say initial tests have found nothing dangerous. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Electric Car "Plug-In Stations" Appear in W. Mass Most drivers are very familiar with gas stations but where do drivers of electric cars "fill up" on electricity? In Western Massachusetts, three electric vehicle charging stations have sprung up and they're offering electricity free of charge. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Unionizing Child Care Workers Family child care workers in Massachusetts are pushing for a law that would allow them to unionize. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Kerry Committee Views Post -bin-Laden Afghan Policy Senator John Kerry says Osama bin Laden's death raises the stakes for the United States in the war in Afghanistan. The Massachusetts Democrat and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said at a committee hearing today that the U.S. can't simply pack up and leave Afghanistan. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Lawmakers React to Osama Bin Laden's Death Massachusetts lawmakers are reacting to the news of Osama Bin Laden's death, collectively praising U.S. armed forces and President Barack Obama for efforts to find and kill the terrorist leader. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Legislators Seek Boost of State Funds for Community Preservation Act A bill that would boost state support to Massachusetts cities and towns that participate in the Community Preservation Act is moving through the Legislature again this year. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Proposal to Limit Boys on Field Hockey Fields Field hockey in New England conjures images of healthy young women in kilts chasing a ball with wooden sticks. But in some towns, field hockey has become a co-ed sport. Now, some of the sports' organizers are hoping to limit the number of men on the field. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Economy Fares Better than the Nation's for the First Quarter of 2011 Massachusetts' economy grew at a rate that was more than double the national increase for the first three months of the year. That's according to Mass Benchmarks, the journal of the Massachusetts Economy published by the UMass Donahue Institute in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Westover Air Reserve Base Welcomes Hispanic Students More than 150 Hispanic high school students from throughout Central and Western Massachusetts toured Westover Air Reserve Base in Massachusetts on Wednesday. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Most W. MA House Lawmakers Support Limiting Public Worker Union Bargaining There are strong reactions to last night's vote by the Massachusetts House to let cities and towns change health insurance plans of their workers, with limited input from municipal employee unions. WFCR's Fred Bever reports... And to see a roll call of the vote, go to http://www.mass.gov/legis/journal/RollCallPdfs/187/00051.pdf?Session=187&RollCall=00051 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Reacting to House Public Defender Proposal Among the controversial provisions in the Massachusetts house budget....is a revision of the state's public defender system. While it's not as wide-reaching an overhaul as Governor Deval Patrick proposed, private lawyers who defend the poor are still concerned. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Foreclosure Lull Likely Temporary Although a recent survey found that foreclosure rates in Massachusetts are down, Western Massachusetts housing experts say it's likely only a temporary lull. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | VT Gov. Shumlin on His Single Payer Health Plan Yesterday the Vermont Senate gave initial approval to what supporters say will be a landmark effort to enact a so-called single-payer health care system for the state. The house has already weighed in on the proposal and Gov. Peter Shumlin says he expects to sign the bill this year. It's been his major policy priority, and he spoke about it recently with WFCR's Fred Bever. Shumlin says growth in health care costs is the country's biggest single impediment to economic health. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Proposal Would Include Pets in Restraining Orders A proposed amendment to the Massachusetts House Ways and Means budget proposal would allow judges to include pets in restraining orders. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Auto Race In Question A three day vintage car racing event is planned for Springfield's streets this summer. But there may be a hitch -- state law bars it. City officials are scheduled to consider Monday night whether to seek an exemption from the law. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Entergy Reaction Entergy Corporation took out full page ads in several Vermont newspapers this week, appealing to readers to see its side. The company is suing the state of Vermont, to keep Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant open. As WFCR's Catherine Hannula reports, some energy experts think the corporation has quite a fight on its hands. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Fiscally Conservative Group Praises Massachusetts House Budget Proposal As members of the Massachusetts House prepare to debate a budget for the 2012 fiscal year, lawmakers are getting some priase from a group that has often leveled sharp criticism of tax and spending increases pushed on Beacon Hill. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Health Care Pracitioners Continue the Immunization Campaign It's National Infant Immunization week, and as some families opt of out getting shots, health care providers say they can't stress enough the importance of vaccines. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Gov. Patrick Visits Rebuilt Springfield Church Friday evening, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick visited the Springfield site where, a few hours after Barack Obama was elected president, three white men set fire to a largely African-American church that was under construction. Those men now stand convicted of federal civil rights charges, and new church is rising. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass Treasurer Promotes Small Business Banking Initiative Massachusetts banks have cash to lend, they're just waiting for more qualified buyers, says State Treasurer Steven Grossman. He's been traveling the state to promote a small business banking initiative and Thursday stopped in Springfield. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Hatfield, MA, One of Four Towns to Pilot New Solar Energy Program The town of Hatfield, Massachusetts, will pilot a new business model to encourage use of solar photovoltaic technology. Jill Kaufman reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Budget Cuts Hit Workers Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno is asking the city's 1,500 union and non-union city employees to take a wage freeze and a dozen furlough days to save the city $5.4 million dollars. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | The Latest on Minimum-Wage Workers in Massachusetts The number of Massachusetts workers paid below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour fell by 30 percent last year. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Another Casino Gambling Hearing Draws Near Casino gambling, perhaps the most contentious issue before Massachusetts lawmakers last year, is slowly moving toward center stage again. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A New Name for Western New England College Western New England College is changing its name to Western New England University. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | VT Yankee Owners Sue State The owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant are taking the state of Vermont to court. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that, depending on the outcome of the case, the plant could shut down next year - or stay in service for another twenty years. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Fire closes Brattleboro downtown A fire raged through an historic apartment complex in Brattleboro Vermont Sunday night, displacing residents and businesses and leading authorities to close downtown Brattleboro streets. WFCR's Ben Axelson reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Mayor Race Boasts Three Candidates With three anticipated candidates, Springfield's upcoming mayoral election may require a primary. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, there haven't been this many candidates since 2001. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Mayor Race Boasts 3 Candidates With three anticipated candidates, Springfield's upcoming mayoral election may require a primary. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, there haven't been this many candidates since 2001. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Post Office in Leverett, Massachusetts May Close Struggling with a massive debt caused in part by a drop in mail volume, the U.S. Postal Service is considering closing some post offices in rural communities. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports one such community is the western Massachusetts town of Leverett. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jury Finds Church Arson Defendent Guilty on All Counts A jury this afternoon handed down guilty verdicts against 26-year-old Michael Jacques, for his role in the burning of a predominantly African-American church in Springfield just hours after Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. Prosecutors charged that Jacques, who is white, was motivated by racism when he committed the arson. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Vermont, Wisconsin Governors Face Off on Union Rights Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin was on Capitol Hill today, joined by Wisconsin Governor Dan Walker for a hearing on state budgets. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that the governors hold very different views on how to solve state budget crises. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jury Deadlocked in Church Arson Trial In its second day of deliberations in federal court in Springfield on Wednesday, a jury declared itself deadlocked on two of the three charges against 26-year-old Michael Jacques, the white Springfield man accused of participating in the burning of a predominantly African-American church in his neighborhood just hours after Barack Obama was elected president. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Kerry Backs Online Privacy Bill Massachusetts Senator John Kerry joined Arizona Senator John McCain today to call for a new online consumer privacy bill. Some consumer groups are cheering, but others say it falls far short of what's needed to combat digital age dangers. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New Cancer Research Center Money from a local cancer walk-a-thon has been dedicated to a new cancer research center in Western Massachusetts. The center will focus on local populations and connections between obesity and cancer. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Closing Arguments in Jacques Trial Closing arguments took place Monday in the trial of a white Springfield man accused of participating in the burning of a predominantly African-American church in his neighborhood the night after Barack Obama was elected president. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Members of Congress Mull Budget Agreement Congress is now facing a vote on the budget agreement reached late Friday night that averted a government shutdown. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports a Massachusetts Congressmen is concerned the measure cuts spending for people who need assistance the most. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Members Named to Massachusetts Food Policy Council Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has named five members to a new 15-member state Food Policy Council. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass AG Cracks Down on Cyber Cafe Gambling Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is taking aim at a sort of cyber gambling den she says is illegal. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, Coakley says the establishments claim to sell internet service or phone cards, but an investigation found what they really offer is illegal electronic gambling. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Breast Milk May Detect Cancer Risk Preliminary findings by a Umass-Amherst researcher suggest breast milk may contain information on whether a woman has a higher risk for breast cancer. WFCR's Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | School Bus Behavior The issue of unruly behavior by students on school buses will be brought before the Springfield School Committee tomorrow (Thursday). School bus drivers are complaining that they are being harassed by students and getting little, if any, support from school administrators. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Hampden DA Drops Some Charges in Police Brutality Case The Hampden County District Attorney announced Wednesday that he is dropping some charges related to a 2009 police brutality case in Springfield. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Study Compares Municipal Workers Health Coverage with Private-Sector Employees A new report from the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation says health insurance plans for city and town workers cost 37 percent more than similar plans for employees of private companies. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jacques Trial Continues with Friend's Testimony The trial for a man charged with burning down a predominately African-American church in Springfield the night Barack Obama was elected president continues, now in its third week. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, one of the defendant's friends took the witness stand Tuesday. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Gas Prices Could Have an Impact on Meals on Wheels The rising cost of gas is having an impact on the way many people use their vehicles. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports it could also mean a reduction in the number of days hot meals are delivered to the homes of some area senior citizens. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Union Station Update A plan to redevelop the historic but long-dormant Union Station in Springfield has received a boost. City officials announced today (Monday) that a design firm and project manager for the bus and rail hub have been selected. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A Big Solar Project Proposed for a Small Town Commercial-scale solar power proposals are popping up across western Massachusetts. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports plans are now in the works for what could be the biggest solar project in the state. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Inspector General Finds MA Health System Over-Paying for Services, Out-of-State Residents A new report from the Massachusetts Inspector Generals details at least $30 million in over-spending by the state's Health Safety Net program, some of it on non-residents, and some for bogus claims. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Local Newspaper Weighs in on NYT Web Charges The New York Times has started charging a fee to its most frequent online readers. That's a smart move, says the editor of a New England newspaper that already charges for online content. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Maple Syrup Producers Try Out Bacteria-Thwarting Device It's a busy season for maple syrup producers. And the season's success may depend, as usual, on the weather. But WFCR's Catherine Hannula reports that there is hope that a thirty-five cent plastic device will give production a big boost. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Federal Housing Grants Aim for Family Self Sufficiency The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded more than $50 million nation wide to help low income families living in public housing connect to education opportunities and job training. As WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, Connecticut received almost $850,000, Massachusetts received more than $2 million. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jacques Confession Plays in Trial The videotaped confession from the white man charged with the burning of a predominately African-American Springfield church the night Barack Obama was elected president played in court Friday. as WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, the confession was part of a grueling 6-and-a-half-hour police interrogation. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Charter School Study Maintains Charters Perform Better Than Traditional Schools A new study says charter schools in Massachusetts perform better than non charters. The study comes just weeks after 16 new charters were approved. WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A New Public Defender System for Massachusetts? According to long-held constitutional precedent, criminal defendants are entitled to a lawyer -- and if they can't afford one, the state must pay. In Massachusetts, most of those court-appointed lawyers work in private practice, and bill the government for their time. Now, Governor Deval Patrick thinks it would cheaper to hire full-time public defenders instead. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jacques Trial Continues with Details of Police Sting The trial of a man charged with the burning of a predominately African-American Springfield church the night before Barack Obama was elected president continued Thursday, with defense and prosecution attorneys combing through transcripts from a police sting operation that led to arrests. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Program to Promote Healthy Eating Among SNAP Recipients Launched in Massachusetts Hampden County, Massachusetts will be the test case for a new federal initiative that will give food stamp beneficiaries a financial incentive to eat healthy. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass State Colleges Demand more Math from Applicants Four years of high school math will soon be an admissions requirement at Massachusetts state colleges and universities. The state's Board of Higher Education approved the new standard on Tuesday. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Pills Stockpiled Near the Region's Nuclear Plants The damaged nuclear reactors in Japan have caused a run on potassium iodide pills in California. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports communities near the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant stockpile the pills as a precaution. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Stepping Up Efforts to Combat Medicare Fraud Efforts to thwart Medicare fraud are getting a boost. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Belchertown Marine Honored by Cape Veterans For Peace The Cape Cod Chapter of Veterans for Peace has re-named itself after a Belchertown, Massachusetts Marine. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Vermont Yankee Scrutinized for Discharge Permit, Fuel Storage A discharge permit for the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant technically expired in 2006. But as WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports, that's about to change. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Holyoke Asks Public for Input on Police Chief Search The city of Holyoke is trying to maintain a transparent search for a new police chief, and inviting public comment after some controversy late last year. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Another Step Toward Expanded High Speed Internet A federal agency has given a major go-ahead to a project that would expand high speed Internet access to under-served communities across Western and Central Massachusetts. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | In the Wake of Japan, Vermont Lawmakers Rail Against Vermont Yankee Permit Lawmakers from Vermont continue to raise safety and other concerns to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which voted to renew the license for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant just a day before the massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield's Cathedral High Rebrands Itself Cathedral High School in Springfield has announced a new president and with her a new vision for its future. Officials say the 128-year-old Catholic parochial school aims to become a top tier prep school that would rival others in New England. WCFR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Ludlow Mills Finds New Owner An historic complex in Ludlow, Massachusetts may soon be the site of the largest industrial redevelopment initiative in New England. The Westmass Area Development Corporation has secured $13 million to expand commercial and residential use of the Ludlow Mills. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Area Colleges Seek to Promote Women Leaders Mount Holyoke and Smith are among five women's colleges working with the U.S. State Department on an effort to increase the participation of women around the world in public service and political leadership. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | US Nuclear Plants Face Inquiry as Japan's Crisis Unfolds Japan's crippled nuclear reactors are causing more scrutiny of nuclear plants across the United States. As WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, last week's earth quake and tsunami came just as Vermont Yankee received a renewed license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to operate for 20 more years. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Brown Leads In Poll, Voters Unfamiliar With Most Potential Rivals A new poll finds more than half of Massachusetts votres have a favorable opinion of Republican U-S Senator Scott Brown. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass. Supreme Court Holds Hearing on Parking Ticket Appeals Parking tickets may be the lowliest of civil violations, but a dispute over a ticket handed out by the city of Northampton, Massachusetts is making its way to the state's highest court. WFCR's Anne Mostue explains. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Western New England Lawmakers Weigh In On Libya [WED ME] This region's U.S. representatives and senators are struggling -- to varying degrees - to formulate their positions on whether U.S. military intervention in Libya's internal conflict is warranted. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Supermarket Shortage across Massachusetts A new Massachusetts study confirms what public health officials have been saying for a long time -- many low-income neighborhoods are lacking in supermarkets that sell fresh fruits and vegetables. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Wmass Libraries Protest E-Book Policy Western Massachusetts libraries will be joining a national protest against Harper Collins Book Publishing, which just announced it would be changing its library policy for e-books. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | An Effort at UMass to Help People with Diabetes Monitor Their Blood Pressure Two-thirds of Americans with diabetes also have high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to strokes or heart attacks. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that a UMass-Amherst Professor is helping to create technology that would let people with diabetes monitor their blood pressure at home and alerting a nurse if there's a problem. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Proposal on Beacon Hill Would Give Restaurant Customers a Tax Holiday Massachusetts shoppers have enjoyed a sales tax-free weekend for several years. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports legislation has been proposed to give restaurants a piece of the pie. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Veterans Group Launches Writng Project at UMass-Amherst An effort to help veterans write about their experiences in the military is getting underway at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Northampton Mayor Will Not Seek Reelection After 12 years in office, Northampton, Massachusetts Mayor Mary Clare Higgins announced Friday that she will not seek a seventh term. WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | U.S. Declares Eastern Cougar Extinct The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has officially declared extinct a sub-species of the mountain lion that once roamed the eastern U.S. and Canada. The declaration comes despite reports by some in this area who say they have sighted the eastern cougar. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Named Leader in Dam Removals, River Restoration Massachusetts removed five river dams last year, putting it at the top of a list of states ranked based on their care for rivers and healthy ecosystems. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Connecticut Lawmakers Consider a Ban of BPA in Paper Products Connecticut lawmakers are considering banning the use of a chemical in thermal paper, the kind of paper often used for cash register and ATM receipts. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tax Days Delayed U.S. taxpayers are getting a few extra days to file federal returns with the IRS this year. And in Massachusetts, tax filers will get yet another day to file - their state forms, at least. WFCR's Anne Mostue explains. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Broadband Builder Selected High-speed, broadband Internet will soon cover Western Massachusetts more fully, as the state's Broadband Institute has announced the name of a company willing to manage and maintain a new 1,300 mile, $71.6 million network. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UMass-Amherst Researchers Travel to Washington for Green Energy Summit A team of UMass-Amherst researchers is in Washington, D.C. this week for a summit on clean, green energy technology. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | This Winter's Heavy Snow May Help the Maple Sugaring Season As this year's maple sugaring season gets underway, those in the business of gathering sap from trees will have a deep snowpack to wade through. But WFCR's Bob Paquette reports the snow may provide a benefit. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Winter Weather Brings Flooding Concerns Snow, rain and sleet are prompting warnings about flooding in Western New England. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | "Innovation Schools" Clear First Hurdle Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has announced local approval for 27 "Innovation Schools," and about half would be located in the western part of the state. as WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, Innovation Schools are alternatives to traditional public and charter schools and attempt to address the needs of students who are struggling in traditional school environments. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Honoring Ireland The chief justice of Massachusetts' highest court was honored in his hometown of Springfield today [Wednesday]. Dozens of people - mostly seniors from the neighborhood where Roderick Ireland grew up - came out to celebrate his elevation to the Supreme Judicial Court. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Grands Prix Springfield's automotive heritage will be celebrated this summer as the city hosts its first vintage sports car race. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports on what organizers hope will become an annual event. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Children Re-Admitted to Hospital After Poor Coordination A new study led by Boston researchers finds that children with chronic conditions often go back and forth to the hospital unnecessarily because of poor communication and instructions after they're discharged. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UMass-Worcester Secures Grant to Help With Purchase of Health Insurance The University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester has received a 35 million dollar federal grant to help make it easier for Americans to shop for health insurance. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Legislature to Consider Expansion or Repeal of the Bottle Bill Massachusetts lawmakers will again consider an expansion of the state's bottle bill this year. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports a repeal of the law has also been proposed. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | DeLeo Addresses Slots in W. Mass Massachusetts Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo was in Holyoke Friday to speak to an audience eager to hear news about expanded gambling legislation. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | State Commission Hears Testimony on Bullying Law The Massachusetts Commission on Bullying Prevention was in Springfield Thursday to hear testimony on the recent anti-bullying law. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Physicians' Group Expresses Concern over Governor Patrick's Plan to Curb Health Care Costs Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has proposed legislation that he says will slow the rising cost of health care by encouraging a shift away from the current fee-for-service model of payment. But physicians say it might not work so well in Western Massachusetts. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Church Closing Update The Springfield Diocese says it is seeking clarification of a decision by a Vatican body that reverses the closure of three Roman Catholic churches in Adams and Chicopee,Massachusetts. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Church Closing Appeal Three Roman Catholic churches in western Massachusetts that was closed two years ago by the local diocese will be re-opened by Vatican order. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports that includes one in Adams where disappointed parishioners have held an extended vigil that continues even today. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UMass Financial Aid The University of Massachusetts made more than 130 million dollars in financial aid available to its students this academic year. The announcement by U-Mass President Jack Wilson comes at a time when the university is warning of coming hikes in tuition and fees. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | CT Secretary of State Proposes New Election Laws Connecticut's new Secretary of State unveiled on Monday four pieces of legislation she says will make needed reforms to the state's election system. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UMass Researchers Helped Develop Computer Contestant on Jeopardy! It will literally be "man versus machine" when the television quiz show "Jeopardy!" presents a 3-day contest featuring two of its all-time winners taking on a computer designed by IBM. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports on the UMass-Amherst connection to this contest. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Patrick, Neal Address Springfield Chamber of Commercet Lawmakers say business in the Pioneer Valley is improving, but not as quickly as most would hope. That was the message from Governor Deval Patrick and Democratic Congressman Richard Neal to about 200 members of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield. On Friday the organization held its annual gathering in Agawam. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Schools Readjust Calendars in Reaction to Snowstorms Months after the snow and ice have melted, parents, students and teachers in Western New England will still feel the effects of these ongoing winter storms. Schools are now scrambling to figure out how to make up for days lost to snow. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Patrick, Neal Address Springfield Chamber of Commerce Lawmakers say business in the Pioneer Valley is improving, but not as quickly as most would hope. That was the message from Governor Deval Patrick and Democratic Congressman Richard Neal to about 200 members of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield. On Friday the organization held its annual gathering in Agawam. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Preparations for Prince Trial Continue Trial dates are nearing for six former South Hadley, Massachusetts high school students prosecutors say relentlessly bullied a fellow student who committed suicide last year. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports on the latest court action. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mt. Tom Power Draws Activist Suit An environmental law group is ready to sue the owners of a coal-fired power plant located near Mt. Tom in Holyoke, Massachusetts. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Further Study of Casino Gambling Debated Pro and anti-casino forces in Massachusetts are tussling over just how much the issue should be studied before lawmakers decide whether to move forward with expanded gambling. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Belchertown Veteran to be Honored The Cape Cod Chapter of Veterans for Peace says it is renaming itself in honor of a Belchertown, Massachusetts Marine, to bring attention to the problem of suicides among war veterans. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Du Bois's Writing Prompts UMass/Church Collaboration A Springfield church is announcing a partnership with the W.E.B. Du Bois Center at UMass Amherst in an effort to promote the writing of the Massachusetts-born civil rights leader. St. John's congregational church says it's imperative that younger generations are aware of Du Bois' teachings. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Sarno-State Of The City Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno delivered his State of the City Address today (Monday). He described the city as strong and steadily improving on various fronts from financial health and education to public safety. WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Focus Western New England -Composite Focus: Western New England features newsmakers and notable thinkers from around the region, and listeners' comments help shape the timely conversations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Brattleboro Retreat Responds to Increased Demand Vermont's largest not-for-profit psychiatric hospital, Brattleboro Retreat, saw admissions jump by a record high OF 23 percent in 2010. In response, it plans to expand in the next year. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Snow and Business Not Such a Good Mix Constant snow and cancellations are causing problems for all sorts of businesses in the region. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Too Much Snow for Municipalities With all the snow that's fallen this winter, disposing of it is getting to be a problem. Some officials want to get permission to dump the "white stuff" into nearby rivers and bodies of water. WFCR's Sarah Birnbaum has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UV Machine Helps Fight Infection A Western Massachusetts Hospital is touting a new technology that officials say will reduce deadly hospital based infections. WFCR's Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | State Lowers Proposed WMECo Rate Increase The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has responded to a request from Western Massachusetts Electric Company to increase electricity rates for its more than 210-thousand customers, but not by as much as the company had wanted. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Palmer Social Security Office Update The Social Security Administration says it will resume a program in Palmer, Massachusetts that had agency representatives meeting face-to-face with area residents, though on a much more limited basis. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A Big Boost for Cultural Groups in Pittsfield Cultural groups in Pittsfield, Massachusetts have received a financial boost as they prepare to help the city celebrate its 250th birthday. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Impressions versus Reality -- Urban School Districts in Massachusetts A survey of registered voters in eleven Massachusetts cities shows residents have a better impression of their school systems than testing data suggests. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A Major UConn Donor Wants His Money Back A donor to the University of Connecticut football program wants 3 million dollars back from the school. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports that in the world of high-end fundraising, it is best to get donation agreements in writing. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Economic Growth Slows in Massachusetts Economic growth in the Bay State slowed "significantly" in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to a report from the University of Massachusetts. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Challenger Enters Holyoke Mayor's Race There will be a race for Mayor in Holyoke, Massachusetts this fall. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports a college student is challenging incumbent Elaine Pluta. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mobile Solar Charger Pops Up On Hampshire Campus A trailer-sized, mobile solar charger is going to be rolling around the campus of Hampshire College. It was designed and constructed by sixteen students, with a goal of creating something with a bit more power -- and pizazz -- than your average solar station. WFCR's Sara Cintron-Schultz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Slick Roads Cause Delays and Accidents Moderate snowfall coated most of New England this morning, causing major backups and accidents on area roadways, including the regional artery, Interstate 91. A tractor-trailer skidded off the Massachusetts Turnpike this morning near the Ludlow exit, backing up traffic for miles as state police assisted. As Anne Mostue reports, officials continue to urge commuters to drive slowly. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Lawmakers' Suggestions for Raising Revenue Massachusetts is facing a budget deficit of as much as two billion dollars in the coming fiscal year. As Governor Deval Patrick submits his budget proposal to the State Legislature, two Democratic lawmakers have suggested ways to raise revenue. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Kerry and Patrick Launch Navy Contract in Pittsfield Massachusetts Senator John Kerry joined Governor Deval Patrick in Pittsfield Monday to promote a defense contract that will bring as many as 500 jobs to a General Dynamics plant in the city. Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tax Booklets - Instructions Not Included A group representing Massachusetts senior citizens is concerned about a significant change in state income tax booklets this year -- instructions are not included. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Berkshire County Chamber of Commerce Cuts Ties with National Group The Berkshire County Chamber of Commerce is the latest local chamber to drop its membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Defense and Prosecution Prep for Northampton Arson Trial The trial for accused arsonist Anthony Baye, who faces two murder and multiple arson charges in connection with 15 fires set in 2009 in Northampton, is moving forward. Court appearances this week by Baye and the District Attorney's special prosecutor means a trial date could soon be set. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA-VT Battle Over Biomass A biomass energy plant proposed for southern Vermont - near the Massachusetts line, is causing some cross-border tensions. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Tops State Foreclosure Rate Springfield, Massachusetts has earned the dubious distinction of having the state's highest number of foreclosed properties in 2010 -- but legal experts say a recent court decision could help slow the rate down. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Water Main Breaks in Downtown Springfield A ruptured water main shut off water to several major buildings in downtown Springfield Thursday morning. As Anne Mostue reports, City Hall and Symphony Hall were closed. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Northampton Arson Trial May Begin Soon Accused arsonist Anthony Baye, who faces two murder and multiple arson charges in connection with 15 fires set in 2009 in Northampton, may appear in court today. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Members of Congress Want Probe of Disability Benefit Several members of Congress, including two from Massachusetts, are calling for an investigation into a federal disability program. The lawmakers want to know if the program is giving parents an incentive to put their children on psychiatric drugs. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Local Businesses Brave Weather 0n snowy days, local merchants have to weigh the safety of getting employees to work, the number of shoppers out, and the likelihood of profit. WFCR's Karen Brown talked with some shopkeepers in Northampton, Massachusetts who opted to stay open today. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | The Mount The Lenox, Massachusetts estate of 20th century author Edith Wharton has received a $300,000 gift from an anonymous donor. As WFCR's Kari Njiiri, reports the gift is the latest bit of good news for the 50-acre property known as The Mount, which has been struggling to stay open. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Police Investigate Belchertown Storage-Facility Bomb Materials Cache Massachusetts State Police are looking for the owner of a cache of ammunition, powder, potential bomb-making supplies and related literature found in Belchertown Massachusetts. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A New Year, a New Budget Process Begins The budget process for the fiscal year that begins July first, fiscal year 2012, is getting underway in Massachusetts. As WFCR's Bob Paquette reports, no one thinks it's going to be a happy exercise. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfiedl High School Students Talk with MA Governor about Increasing Number of Violent Incidents Among their Peers Springfield high school students met with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrck today to talk about youth violence. WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, Patrick wants solutions to the growing problem to be a big part of his second term. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | W. Springfield Co. Succeeds With Ultra-Efficient Engine Major auto manufacturers are expected this year to pick up a new engine technology that's being pioneered in West Springfield. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Using an Old Law to Bring in New Technology A public cooperative is using a 100 year old law to bring broadband to homes and businesses in rural Western Massachusetts towns. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | State Auditor Report Says Massachusetts Schools are not Tracking Anti-Hazing Law Massachusetts Auditor Joseph DeNucci's office has issued a report that says state education officials are not doing enough to ensure local school districts are complying with the state's anti-hazing laws. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Cuts Loom for Programs for Seniors and the Developmentally Disabled To counter rising costs in MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program, the Patrick Administration is preparing to make a cut of 15 million dollars in other programs that serve the elderly and developmentally disabled. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Coffee Shop Manager Arrested The manager of a Springfield coffee shop owned by a controversial religious figure was arrested today. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jury Deliberates in Fleury Trial Closing arguments were heard Thursday in the manslaughter trial of former Pelham, Massachusetts police chief Edward Fleury. Fleury organized a 2008 machine gun shooting event where an 8-year old boy accidentally shot himself and later died. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts in the Heart of the Snow Storm The snow storm that has descended on the region is likely to be with us for much of the day. In Massachusetts, the governor has requested that non-essential state and private sector workers stay home. Peter Judge is public information officer for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. He told WFCR's Helen Barrington the storm is on track with 12 to 18 inches expected in the central and western parts of the state, and while the snow is light and fluffy, there are still challenges. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Prosecution Calls Last Witness in Fleury Trial The prosecution called a reluctant witness to the stand in the sixth day of the manslaughter trial of former Pelham, Massachusetts police chief Edward Fleury. Fleury organized a 2008 machine gun shooting event where an 8-year old boy accidentally shot himself and later died. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Palmer Social Security Office closes Officials in Palmer, Massachusetts say they want to reverse a decision by the Social Security Administration to drop a program that made it easier for residents to meet agency representatives face-to-face. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports the recent shootings in Arizona played a role in the decision. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Funding Sought for Low-Income Adult Dental Care Two Massachusetts lawmakers want 20 million dollars added to the next state budget for adult dental care provided under the MassHealth program. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Connecticut Group Seeks Adult Mentors A Connecticut organization says it is trying to recruit more mentors for thousands of children. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tension Mounts in Fleury Trial The prosecution continued calling witnesses to the stand Monday in the manslaughter trial of former Pelham, Massachusetts police chief Edward Fleury. Fleury organized a 2008 machine gun shooting event where an 8-year old boy accidentally shot himself and later died. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Neal/Brown shooting Reax Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal says he's hoping for a speedy recovery for Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and that his thoughts and prayers are with her family and all those who were killed and injured in this weekend's shooting in Tucson. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Unions Disdain Energy Deal As regulators in three states -- Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire -- consider the proposed merger of Northeast Utilities and N-Star, three national labor unions are expressing concerns about the proposal. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | An Effort to Curb Smoking on Hospital Grounds The Massachusetts Hospital Association hopes to encourage more of its member facilities to go completely smoke-free. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Rockwell Museum Collection Available Online The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts has unveiled an effort to put the museum's entire collection online, so it may be viewed anywhere at anytime. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Lawmakers Eager to Renew Casino Debate After vetoing a casino gambling proposal at the end of the last session, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick says there are other priorities to address before renewing the debate. But several lawmakers are already getting behind a new casino bill, and say the proposal will begin to address the state's budget woes. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Region's Deer Herd Healthy Wildlife officials around the region say deer populations are healthy this year. As WFCR's Fred Bever reports, data taken at Massachusetts weigh stations during the hunting season that ended New Year's Eve show that the herd is stable or growing for the second year in a row. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Bald Eagle Population Robust and Growing Bald Eagles are flying the skies of Massachusetts in numbers not seen for decades. That's the finding of an annual eagle count that took place around the state today. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Teenage Boy, State Policeman Testify in Fleury Trial Two new witnesses took the stand Friday in the manslaughter trial of former Pelham, Massachusetts police chief Edward Fleury, who organized a machine gun shooting event where an 8-year-old boy accidentally shot himself and later died. The teenage boy who helped the boy handle the gun testified, along with a state police gun specialist. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Boy's Father Testifies, Jury Sees Video in Machine-Gun Show Fatality The manslaughter trial continued today for former Pelham, Massachusetts Police Chief Edward Fleury. Fleury organized a 2008 machine gun shooting event where an 8-year-old boy fatally shot himself. The boy's father took the witness stand and jurors watched his own footage of his son's accidental death. Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Temperature Changes New England experienced one of the warmest years on record in 2010. That's according to data compiled by the National Weather Service. WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Training Funds Available for Green Careers Federal stimulus money is available to help unemployed residents of Western Massachusetts train for a career in renewable energy and energy efficiency. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Ruling on Church Building Handed Down A federal district court judge in Springfield, Massachusetts has denied a request by the Roman Catholic Diocese to stop the city from enacting a historic district around its former church. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | David Sullivan Takes Over as Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan is the new Massachusetts Northwestern District Attorney. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports Sullivan says it is a new era for the D.A.'s office. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Congressman Richard Neal's Pointers for Democratic Minority To Be Effective Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal was sworn into to his twelfth term in Congress Wednesday. The Springfield Democrat has been in the minority before, and he told WFCR News Director Fred Bever he's learned a few things about how to push an agenda from a position of numerical weakness. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Hampden DA Sworn In Hampden County's new district attorney was sworn into office Wednesday morning for a 4-year term. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | CT. Legislative Vacancies Connecticut State Senator Thomas Gaffey officially submitted his resignation today (Wednesday), the same day Governor Dan Malloy and members of the General Assembly were sworn into office. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports Gaffey's resignation brings to eight the number of elected lawmakers who did not take their oath of office. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Fleury Trial Begins Opening arguments took place Tuesday in the manslaughter trial of a former Massachusetts police chief who organized a 2008 gun show where a boy fatally shot himself. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Opening Arguments in Edward Fleury trial - Prosecution Listen here for unedited audio of outgoing Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett's opening arguments in the manslaughter trial of former Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury. Fleury promoted and organized a 2008 gun show in Westfield, MA where an 8-year-old boy fatally shot himself. (Attorney Rosemary Scapachio is Fleury's defense lawyer.) Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Opening Arguments in Edward Fleury Trial - Defense Listen here for unedited audio of Defense Attorney Rosemary Scapichio's opening arguments in the manslaughter trial of former Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury. Fleury promoted and organized a 2008 gun show in Westfield, MA where an 8-year-old boy fatally shot himself. (Outgoing Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett is prosecuting the case.) Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jury Appointed in Fleury Trial A jury was chosen Monday in the trial of a former Pelham, Massachusetts police chief who was charged in the death of an 8-year-old boy at a gun show. WFCR's Anne Mostue was at the Hampden Superior Court and has this report. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Merger of Utilities to be Subject of Hearing Massachusetts' Department of Public Utilities holds a hearing in Boston on January 5th on the proposed merger of Northeast Utilities and N-Star. WFCR's Bob Paquette has a preview. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | State to Study Ware School's Successes The Massachusetts Department of Education plans to study the success of a Ware elementary school that is one of only 15 schools in the state to have narrowed achievement gaps for low income students. Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Drafts 4-year City Plan The city of Springfield has released a 4-year draft plan to improve the overall quality of life in the city, focusing on public safety, education, economic development, healthy neighborhoods and the city's budget. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, the mayor is asking for public input on the draft. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Legislation Seeks Data on Animal Trapping With just days before the Massachusetts Legislature's session ends, the State Senate has passed a measure that seeks to end a dispute with the House over whether more oversight is needed for permits for trapping beavers and other wildlife. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Budget Season Brings New Concerns About Homelessness With the new year here, another state budget season is on the horizon. Advocates for affordable housing are urging Massachusetts lawmakers and the Patrick Administration to make what they call "strategic investments" in rental assistance, public housing and homelessness prevent. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A Renewed Effort to Bring Film Production to Western Massachusetts Massachusetts saw a slump in film production in 2010 -- down by about half from the year before. But as WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, the Berkshire Film and Media Commission is trying to lure industry producers back to the state and specifically to this region. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Air Quality Alert for New Year's Eve Air pollution in Massachusetts has risen to unhealthy levels according to the state Environmental Protection Agency. The agency cautions Western Massachusetts and Connecticut residents who have mild to severe medical conditions to limit outdoor activity this New Year's Eve. WFCR's Sara Cintron-Schultz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New Solar Energy Generators will Help Easthampton, MA Save $100,000 a Year Easthampton, Massachusetts' budget will benefit from a partnership with private sector energy developers. And as WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, the initial construction of the municipal solar panels won't cost the city a penny. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Heads Rolling on Beacon Hill This has been a week of cleaning house of top officials in Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's administration. WFCR's Helen Barrington has the details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Connecticut Restaurant Icon to Close A venerable Hartford area restaurant will be serving its last meal on New Year's Eve. The owners of Parma say after more than three decades of serving customers in Glatonbury, they are ready to retire and close the Italian eatery. WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass Health Officials Seek Budget Input Officials from the Massachusetts Office of Health and Human Services held a public hearing in Northampton Wednesday to take comments on its budget. Testimony ranged from services for children and families to care for veterans, the elderly and the disabled. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Efforts Underway to Save the Upper Bondsville Dam The fate of a dam that straddles the Swift River from Belchertown to Palmer, Massachusetts may be decided in the next few months. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Applications for Veterans Services Up in Springfield In the city of Springfield, the number of veterans' benefits applications is on the rise. WFCR's Helen Barrington reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Holyoke Vacant Properties The city of Holyoke, Massachusetts is encouraging residents to report vacant properties to the Health Department. According to the city's Health Director, Daniel Bresnahan, these properties have become a serious problem, more than in other parts of the state. He spoke with WFCR's Helen Barrington. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Problem of Abandoned Properties in Holyoke The city of Holyoke, Massachusetts is encouraging residents to report vacant properties to the health department. WFCR's Helen Barrington has the details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Northampton Fires First Anniversary This evening at 6, a vigil is being held in Lampron Park in Northampton, Massachusetts to remember the victims of a rash of arson fires in the city that took place exactly a year ago. WFCR's Helen Barrington has the story. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Energy Project Propels Northampton to Green Future A large energy efficiency project in Northampton, Massachusetts is underway thanks to a contract with a Burlington based energy services company. the contract has already begun to propel Northampton into a greener future, impacting just about every aspect of city living. WFCR's Sara Cintron-Schultz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Hampden DA To Join Law Firm District Attorney William Bennett, who represents Hampden County in Massachusetts, announced Tuesday that he will join a Springfield law firm when he leaves office next month. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Supreme Court Ruling Affects Shovelers A decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court earlier this year could be put to use in this week's blizzard. In July, the court ruled that property owners now can be held liable for injuries linked to any snow and ice on their property - including sidewalks. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Berkshire Bakery Makes "Bon Appetit's" Top 10 A bakery in Western Massachusetts is on "Bon Appetit" magazine's list of "The Top 10 Best Bread Bakeries in America." WFCR's Helen Barrington has the story. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Governor Patrick -- Massachusetts Will Not "Lose Clout" on Capitol Hill After Redistricting Governor Deval Patrick says Massachusetts should not be hurt by the loss of one Congressional seat in the 2012 election. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Berkshire Wind Project Sells Bonds, Prepares to Power-Up The Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative has issued nearly 65 million dollars in tax-exempt bonds for a ten-turbine wind project on Brodie Mountain in the town of Hancock. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Non-Profit May Meet Goal to Purchase Farm A small non-profit in Northampton, Massachusetts has raised almost enough money to purchase an historic farm for agriculture and education. WFCR's Peter Moskowitz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Teachers' Union Pushes for New Evaluation System The Massachusetts Teachers Association, a union representing more than 100,000 public educators across the state, is pushing the state government to reform its current system for evaluating teachers. WFCR's Peter Moskowitz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Hospital Lawsuits Against Massachusetts Dismissed A Superior Court Judge has dismissed lawsuits filed by seven Massachusetts hospitals that had alleged they were shortchanged by the state's 2006 health care law. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Immigrant Advocates Decry State Plans to Join "Secure Communities" Immigrant rights advocates are protesting a move by Governor Deval Patrick's administration to join "Secure Communities", a federal program that checks the immigration status of people when they are arrested. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | More Money For the LIHEAP Program More federal money is coming through the pipeline for heating assistance for low-income households. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA November Housing Sales The median price of single-family homes in Massachusetts continues to rise, even though the number of sales is falling. That's according to the latest figures from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and the Warren Group, which tracks trends in the housing market. WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Make Charitable Donations with Caution Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's office says much of the money raised for charities by professionals stays with the for-profit companies raising the money. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports on a non-profit alternative to contribute to those in need in your community. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass Attorney General, Verizon Reach Settlement Verizon will make significant improvements to its infrastructure and land-line network in Western Massachusetts, under a settlement with state Attorney General Martha Coakley. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Census Not Good News for Massachusetts The release of new census data - based on population counts from 2010 - is bad news for several north eastern states, including Massachusetts. Census Bureau officials say the state is among ten to lose at least one US House seat. WFCR's Helen Barrington has the details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Falcons New Ownership The Springfield Falcons will remain in the city under new ownership. The American Hockey League team announced today [Tuesday] it has new owners who are pledging to keep professional hockey in "town." WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | 18 More "Green Communities" in Massachusetts Eighteen Massachusetts cities and towns, including Gardner, Hatfield, New Salem and Williamstown, have been designated "Green Communities" by the Patrick Administration. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New Regulations Concern Boards of Health Western Massachusetts area Boards of Health and officials involved in solid waste disposal are concerned over changes made in state regulations regarding landfills and transfer stations. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Roderick Ireland Sworn in as MA Chief Justice Massachusetts has its first Black chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. Governor Deval Patrick swore in Roderick L. Ireland at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston. WFCR's Helen Barrington has the story. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Arctic Ice Loss & Mammals Nearly two dozen marine mammals could be facing extinction due to the loss of the Arctic ice sheet and the genetic changes that are likely to occur as a result. That's according a U-Mass geneticist, who has co-authored an article in the journal "Nature." WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Be Wary of Restocking Fees Massachusetts consumers buying electronic products and furniture should beware of restocking fees retailers may charge if the products are returned after the holidays. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Smith College Art Museum Participates in National Protest The Museum of Art at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts has joined a national protest over art censorship. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jury Selection Begins in Edward Fleury Trial A Massachusetts judge ruled Friday that video and some audio tape of an 8-year-old boy shooting himself with a submachine gun will be played during the murder trial of former Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury. Fleury is on trial for involuntary manslaughter after organizing a gun show at which the Connecticut boy suffered fatal wounds. WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Western New England Lawmakers Unite Against Tax Package Congressional lawmakers from this region were unanimous in their opposition to the tax package that President Obama intended to sign into law Friday afternoon. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Fleury Trial Again Postponed The trial was once again postponed for a former Pelham, Massachusetts police chief charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of an 8-year-old boy at a gun show. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Municipal Revenues, Spending Flat in Fiscal 2010 A new report says this was one of the toughest budget years for Massachusetts cities and towns in decades. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | ISO New England Releases Wind Energy Report A new report analyzing how the addition of large amounts of wind power could affect the operation of the regional power system was released Wednesday. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, while wind is a very small portion of today's energy mix in New England, the region has an abundance of wind energy potential. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Human Service Union Vote More than 5-hundred workers at a Springfield-based human service agency are joining a union, following what officials are calling the largest union vote of its kind in Massachusetts history. WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Berkshires Towns to Oppose Toxic Dumps Several towns in the Massachusetts Berkshires are considering joint action to oppose the potential creation of hazardous waste dumps for toxins dredged from the Housatonic River. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | WNEC Pharmacy School Opens Western New England College in Springfield today (Tuesday) officially opened a new 40 million dollar Center for the Sciences and Pharmacy. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports on what officials are calling the most ambitious building project in the school's 91-year history. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Pittsfield Eyes Navy Contract New hope has been given to a ship building project that could generate 500 jobs at the General Dynamics Plant in Pittsfield. WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Manufacturers Sue Over Cape Wind Contract A trade group for Massachusetts manufacturers is asking the state's Supreme Judicial Court to strike down a contract for electricity from the Cape Wind energy project. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. (NOTE: In a statement issued after this story was first broadcast, a spokesman for the state's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said, quote, "We fully expect the department's actions to be upheld." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Museum Fire An early morning fire at the Springfield Museums today (Monday) sent one firefighter to the hospital and partially damaged an historic building in the museum complex. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Demolition Continues Springfield Revitalization Demolition began today on twin buildings on Main Street in Springfield as part of the city's South End Revitalization effort. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, the city hopes the cleared space will improve public safety and enhance Main Street. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Scientists Seek Hot Rocks Under New England So-called green energy sources like wind, solar, and biofuels have all become familiar here in the 21st Century. And while some forms of geothermal energy -- from magma layers under the Hawaiin Islands, for instance, are familiar too -- that can seem pretty exotic back east. Yet some scientists are checking out the untapped potential of "hot rocks" found underfoot here. WFCR's Sara Cintron-Schultz recently joined the hunt. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Distracted Driving Simulator Goes on the Road A UMass Amherst lab that's been using driving simulators to demonstrate the hazards of distracted driving is going on the road. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Knapik Named to Probation Restructuring Committee A Western Massachusetts lawmaker will play a key role in beacon Hill's response to a scandal in the state probation department. Senator Michael Knapik of Westfield says lawmakers will have to work to earn back the public's trust.WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield's Postal Center Focus of Study For the third time in five years, the U.S. Postal Service is studying the mail processing and distribution center in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield. The center handles mail for all of Western Massachusetts. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Focus Western New England December, 8th 2010 The Muslim American experience in western New England. Nine years after the World Trade Center attacks moderate Muslim Americans from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Amherst, Massachusetts are feeling the ripple effects of events from lower Manhattan to Yemen. Host Jill Kaufman talks with a mosque official, a civil rights expert, Muslim college students, and listeners, on the Muslim American experience in western New England. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | RSV Alert Local health professionals are putting out a warning of an under-reported but highly contagious virus that they say is prevalent around the holiday and winter season. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Electric Transmission Line Upgrade is in the Works A major electric transmission line upgrade straddling Massachusetts and Connecticut is underway. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Tax Cuts Response Some New England lawmakers are among a growing list of Democratic congressmen who are criticizing President Obama's proposed deal with Republican leaders to extend the Bush-era tax cuts and unemployment insurance benefits. WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UMass Board of Trustees Chair Resigns The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees lost their leader today. Board Chairman Robert Manning resigned unexpectedly, not long after Governor Deval Patrick weighed in on the search for a new system president. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Amid Massachusetts' Recession, Jobs Commission Has Yet to Meet A special jobs commission ordered by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and the State Legislature almost two years ago has never met. Critics say the state has missed an opportunity to help fight the recession. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Speaker DeLeo Comments On Probation Probe The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court announced on Tuesday the appointment of a task force to review hiring and promotion practices within the entire judicial branch of state government. This, in the wake of a scandal at the probation department. Last night House Speaker Robert DeLeo attended a fundraiser in Holyoke and WFCR's Anne Mostue asked him about the Legislature's role in reforming the system. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Pittsfield Company to Provide Money to Buy Wood Stoves for Western Mass. Residents, in Deal with EPA Hundreds of western Massachusetts residents could get a thousand dollars each toward purchase of new wood stoves or other low-polluting heaters. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that's the deal federal regulators have struck with a Pittsfield printing company that had been in violation of air quality rules. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Fleury Trial Jury selection began today (Tuesday) in Springfield in the trial of a former Massachusetts police chief charged in the shooting death of an eight-year old boy at a Westfield gun show two years ago. The selection followed a judge's ruling on whether a videotape of the shooting would be allowed in the trial. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Northampton Activist Emma Kaplan - Remembrance A longtime political activist and former Smith Librarian died last weekend at her home in Northampton, MA. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Relief Agency Seeks Relief A string of local emergencies in the past few months has led the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross to make an appeal for donations. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA-Recycling Award Springfield, Massachusetts is being recognized for a new recycling program launched a year ago. Mass Recycle, a statewide advocacy organization, has awarded the city a certificate of excellence for its Single Stream program that has nearly doubled the amount of recyclable material collected weekly. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Medicare Changes Outlined with Deadline Dec. 31 Medicare beneficiaries have until December 31st to make changes to their Medicare coverage. Some plans are being canceled or are changing substantially. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports on state and federal efforts to spread the word about those changes to Western Massachusetts and beyond. More information on Medicare enrollment can be found online at www.medicare.gov or through the hotline: 1-800-MEDICARE. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA House Speaker May Take up New Casino Bill Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo has signaled he is ready to take up a new casino bill in the next legislative session. WFCR's Fred Bever reports one novel proposal would allow temporary state ownership of slot machine parlors, to give the Commonwealth some quick wealth. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Easing the Backlog in Massachusetts Courts Lawyers are giving their time to help reduce backlogs in Western Massachusetts courtrooms. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Electric Power Upgrade to Begin Soon A major electric transmission line upgrade straddling Massachusetts and Connecticut is about to begin. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Hearings on New Charter Schools Draw Support Public hearings are being held across Massachusetts to allow residents to comment on 23 newly proposed charter schools. They were this week in Springfield, and last night in Holyoke. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, there are three new schools proposed in those towns. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Strong Reactions to MassHealth Dental Benefit Cuts Cuts to the Massachusetts Medicaid program have resulted in fewer dental benefits for enrolled adults. Today public health advocates met with Democratic State Representative John Scibak to discuss current legislation that would restore some previous benefits. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Scott Brown Could Hold Onto Seat, According to Poll Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, a Republican, is in good position to hold onto the seat he won in a special election in January after the death of Senator Edward Kennedy. That's according to a new poll. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Buoniconti Bids Farewell to MA Legislature West Springfield democratic senator Stephen Buoniconti delivered his farewell speech at the State House yesterday, as he prepares to leave office after a decade in the Massachusetts legislature. WFCR's Helen Barrington reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Unemployment Benefits May End for Millions Extended unemployment benefits are ending for an estimated two million Americans. Unless Congress changes its mind, benefits that had been extended up to 99 weeks will end this month, just as the holidays arrive. Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown joined fellow Republicans in blocking a benefit extension. Brown then offered a new plan to continue benefits. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Zebra Mussel Legislation A western Massachusetts lawmaker is hoping to get a measure passed to control zebra mussels before next year's boating season. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Ireland SJC Nomination The hearing over Judge Roderick Ireland's nomination to lead Massachusetts highest court has begun. The Governor's Council today (Wednesday) took up the nomination of the Springfield native who, if confirmed, will become the first African-American to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Dream Act Promoted in Ad Campaign National labor and immigrant rights groups are organizing a last effort to pass federal legislation that would give undocumented students a path to citizenship. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, the ads are targeting New England's Republican senators, including Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Former Westfield Mayor to Head Massachusetts Department of Energy Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick is tapping a Western Massachusetts resident to be his top environmental official. WFCR's Ben Axelson reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Putting Early Rumors To Rest, Olver Says He Will Run in 2012 (Neal Too) Less than a month after the most recent election, a prominent Western Massachusetts politician is already looking ahead to the next election. As WFCR's Fred Bever reports, Democratic Congressman John Olver plans to run again -- in 2012. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Holyoke Mayor Releases Search Committee Names After a dispute over secrecy, the mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, Elaine Pluta, is releasing the names of a committee designated to help find a new police chief. Pluta had initially proposed to keep the names secret - as her predecessor did in the search, a decade ago, that resulted in the hiring of outgoing chief Anthony Scott. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Students' High Dropout Rate Predicted Earlier this week, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released statistics predicting the risk of students dropping out of high school. The risk was calculated based on 8th grade MCAS standardized test results, attendance rates, and age. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, news is good for suburban children, but more than half of Springfield and Holyoke 8th graders have been labeled at risk of dropping out of high school. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | School Bullying Plan A bullying prevention and intervention plan is before the Springfield School Committee this week. The committee is holding a public hearing at Central High School this evening (Monday) on how to implement the policy before voting on it later this week. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Gas Prices Stable in Western New England The price of gasoline is holding steady across Western New England, according to the latest weekly AAA survey. WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Probation, Patronage and Aftermath A patronage scandal in the Massachusetts probation and parole system has already cost Ludlow representative Thomas Petrolati his position in Beacon Hill leadership, and it appears the department is headed for a major shakeup. Now some lawmakers say the episode could be a catalyst for change in other state agencies too. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Local Economic Indicators While Black Friday gave an economic shot in the arm to large retailers in New England, independent businesses - especially in smaller towns - have a harder time predicting the season. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | U-S Senate Bill Addresses Food Safety The U-S Senate is set to take up a measure that seeks to make the food we eat safer. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Christmas Tree Season is Here It is Christmas tree season and Massachusetts agriculture officials are encouraging people to buy local, fresh trees. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Kevin McNicholas Remembered The WFCR newsroom lost one of its own this week. Boston Statehouse reporter Kevin McNicholas died on Thanksgiving Day after a short battle with an aggressive form of cancer. WFCR's Karen Brown has this remembrance. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Black Friday Shoppers Swarm Holyoke Mall Shoppers were out in full force to chase deals today, Black Friday. At the Holyoke Mall, several stores opened earlier than ever before. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Foreclosure Partnership Formed in Springfield An organization representing faith communities is joining a credit counseling group to combat the foreclosure crisis in Springfield. WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | People Still Eating Out on Thanksgiving Not everyone is spending Thanksgiving in the kitchen. Area restaurants are showing a slight increase in reservations for the traditional meal. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | NE High Speed Rail Plans Continue The Obama administration's plans for a national high-speed rail network may be stalled by the newly elected anti-spending conservatives on Capitol Hill, but plans to upgrade and build rail in Western New England continue to chug ahead. As WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports, a faster, more frequent line from New Haven, Connecticut to St. Albans, Vermont could appear by 2015. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Unemployment Drops in Western Mass Massachusetts labor officials say the unemployment rate dropped in October in 18 of the state's 22 labor market areas. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports the accompanying job gains were seen in several areas, including Worcester and Springfield. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Foster Care Lawsuit Both sides in a lawsuit about foster care in Massachusetts are awaiting a judge's ruling on whether to dismiss the case. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Home Sales Down Again In MA October Home sales in Massachusetts in October sunk to the lowest level in three decades. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that industry observers attribute that to the expiration of a federal housing tax credit - but note that prices, at least, are stabilizing. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Fallout From the Ware Report Massachusetts lawmakers are contending with the fallout from a scandal in the state's Probation Department that could involve many of their own. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | JFK Remembrance 47 years ago today(Monday) President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. About one hundred people assembled at Springfield's Forest Park for the annual memorial service held every year since Kennedy's death. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Incinerator Moves Forward A wood-burning energy plant proposed for Springfield will not be subject to a full-fledged environmental review, the state's top regulator has ruled. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Conflicting Predictions on Holiday Shopping Two recent surveys offer conflicting predictions for Massachusetts retailers this holiday season. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Study Examines Why Some Infected With HIV Do Not Get AIDS Some Western Massachusetts residents are part of a study that looks at why some people who get infected with the HIV virus are able to fight it without medication and never get AIDS. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Residents Willing to Pay More for Electricity from Renewables Most Massachusetts residents are willing to pay more for electricity produced from renewable resources. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that's the conclusion of a survery released from what might seem a surprising source, a free market think tank. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Biomass Developers Like New EPA Rules New guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on controlling greenhouse gas emissions are drawing criticism from opponents of proposed biomass plants in Massachusetts-- and giving hope to developers. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Marks National Adoption Day More than ten thousand children are in the Massachusetts foster care system. On National Adoption Day, about 200 were adopted across the state. WFCR's Bob Paquette attended one ceremony in Hadley. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mason Square Library Set to Re-Open Springfield library officials say they plan to re-open the former Mason Square library branch in about two months time, after taking full possession of the building this week and ending a seven year long controversy. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Report Shows Fraud in Probation Dept. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has released a startling private report that exposes years of hiring fraud in the state's Probation Department. The court is demanding immediate removal of the agency's commissioner and wants prosecutors to consider criminal investigations. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Click here for full report by independent counsel Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Upbeat Economic News in Massachusetts After two straight months of losses, Massachusetts added 10,000 jobs in October and the state's unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, its lowest in 18 months. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Committee Takes up Police Brutality Complaints of alleged police brutality in Springfield may warrant investigation by a stronger review board. That's the issue being taken up by a special committee established by the Springfield City Council. It will hold the first of a series of public hearings today. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Rep. Neal May be in Line for Chairmanship The ethics investigation of New York congressman Charles Rangel could spell opportunity for Richard Neal, the long-serving congressman from Western Massachusetts. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Early Literacy Program Funded in Springfield An early literacy initiative in Springfield has received a major grant to continue its efforts to encourage parents to develop their children's communication and literacy skills even as early as when they are in utero. WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Western Massachusetts Lags in Economic Recovery The regional economy will continue to advance over the next two or three years - with Massachusetts leading the way. That's according to a new report presented Wednesday at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. But as WFCR's Ben Axelson reports, the news is not quite as rosy for western Massachusetts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Western Massachusetts Lags in Economic Recovery The regional economy will continue to advance over the next two or three years - with Massachusetts leading the way. That's according to a new report presented Wednesday at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. But as WFCR's Ben Axelson reports, the news is not quite as rosy for western Massachusetts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Concerns Over Stepped-Up Airport Searches Civil rights groups are voicing concern over new, intensive screening practices at airports, arguing they violate the Constitutional rights to privacy and protection against unreasonable searches. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Two Snapshots of Hunger in the Region The U-S Department of Agriculture has released its annual survey on "food security". WFCR's Bob Paquette reports while New England residents are less likely to go hungry than the nation as a whole, the story may be different in Western Massachusetts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | School Library Project A student at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, who started a school library in her native Gambia as part of a class project, is being recognized tomorrow (Wednesday) at a Global Citizenship Diplomacy summit in Washington D-C. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Holyoke's CanalWalk Seeks Input Holyoke city planners are unfurling phase 2 of the city's promenade -- called Canalwalk. The plan will go on display Nov. 17 for public comment. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Setting Fires To Help Prevent Them Fire fighters in the region are marking the start of a federally funded program to provide free smoke detectors and fire safety inspections. Today, fire officials from Amherst and Belchertown, Massachusetts demonstrated the importance of sprinkler systems and smoke detectors to some college students... by setting fire to fake dorm rooms. WFCR's Peter Moskowitz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Wind Siting Bill Stalls After more than a dozen failed attempts, the Massachusetts Senate did not try on Monday to enact a land based wind energy siting reform bill. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Green Rainbow Party Meets in Worcester The Massachusetts Green Rainbow Party is holding its state convention at Clark University in Worcester on Sunday. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | ACLU Watching School Anti-Bullying Plans Massachusetts school districts are facing a December 31st deadline for filing comprehensive bullying prevention and intervention plans with the state. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that a civil rights group will be watching closely. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Norquist Debates Tax Cuts Anti-tax hawk Grover Norquist was in Springfield today to debate an economics professor from UMass Amherst. The topic: the George W. Bush tax cuts, which are set to expire January 1st. WFCR's Anne Mostue was at the afternoon debate at Western New England College School of Law. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Advocates Give Foster Care a New Look Several dozen social workers and child advocates gathered today in Holyoke Massachusetts for what they call a "revisioning" of foster care in the state. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Home Heating Help and Congress' Agenda Agencies that help low-income residents with their energy bills are waiting to see if the lame-duck Congress increases funding for home heating assistance this winter. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Casino Gambling Debate on Hold With the election over and formal sessions for the Massachusetts Legislature finished for the year, it appears debate over casino gambling will be on hold until next year. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Municipal Officials Briefed on MA Budget Municipal officials in Massachusetts met on Beacon Hill Tuesday to hear news of the state's finances. WFCR's Helen Barrington has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Week Ahead, November 15, 2010 Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is heading back to work this week after a vacation in California and the state legislature will continue to hold informal sessions to conduct minor business. And as WFCR's Fred Bever reports, there are several noteworthy public events coming up in the western part of the state. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Homeless Shelter Renovated Springfield city officials and state leaders gathered to celebrate the completion of a building and renovation project at the largest homeless shelter in Western Massachusetts on Friday. Now, the homeless can find more than just a meal and a bed. They can also conduct job searches and obtain health care. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass. Lags Neighbors for Number of Women in Statehouse There will be fewer women in the Massachusetts legislature next year. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that places the Bay State state far behind neighboring Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont for the proportion of women in their respective statehouses. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Veterans Day Parade Draws Hundreds The annual Veterans Day Parade in Springfield united dozens of active duty service men and women with elderly veterans. As WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports, the celebration also honored military families and support organizations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A Possible Bottle Bill Ballot Question Frustrated advocates of a measure to expand Massachusetts' bottle bill say they are prepared to take the issue directly to voters in 2012 if the Legislature doesn't act next year. WFCR's Bob Paquette has details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Armor Prep With the N-B-A season now underway, its 16 official minor league teams opened training camps this week. Among them, the Springfield Armor, the D-League's newest franchise. WFCR's Kari Njiiri met today [Wednesday] with team members at the Basketball Hall of Fame, where he spoke to players hoping to make it to the next level. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Baby Safe Haven Law Supporters Press for Expansion to 9-1-1 Responders Advocates who pressed for a baby safe haven law in Massachusetts six years ago now want that law expanded. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Jumping Spider Tracker A professor at UMass-Amherst has won a $410,000 Federal grant to develop an electronic monitor to track how spiders process visual information though their multiple sets of eyes. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New Guns for Springfield Police The Springfield Police Department today [Tuesday] received hundreds of brand new weapons from the Smith & Wesson company, which is based in the city. The company took back the department's older models and gave it 580 new .40 caliber M&P pistols. As Anne Mostue reports, it was touted as a means of upgrading police weaponry without using taxpayer dollars. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Business Confidence Surges Confidence in the Massachusetts and national economy surged among Bay State businesses in October. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Congress to Debate Bush Tax Cuts [HOLD HOLD am/ fb] The Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire January 1st, unless Congress decides otherwise and takes action. Newly elected Republicans are pushing to extend the cuts, while Democrats are generally opposing an extension of breaks to those in the highest income brackets. As WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports, Western New England's Democratic Congressmen are facing a looming debate. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Biomass Plant Update The proposed construction of a Biomass energy plant in Springfield is back on the City Council's table this evening (Monday). WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Source of New Radiation Leak Found at VT Yankee The owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant say they have found the cause of a radiation leak that led to a plant shutdown last night. WFCR's Fred Bever reports they expect the problem to be fixed within a day. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Study: Infant Sleep Apnea has Genetic Link A new study from Umass Medical School in Worcester suggests that sleep apnea in premature infants can be inherited. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Vermont Yankee For Sale The owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant say they're trying to sell it. Parent company Entergy Corp. made the announcement Thursday. WFCR'S Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Focus Western New England and Congressman Richard Neal Examine the Election WFCR's Fred Bever sat down with Congressman Richard Neal for an hour-long program the day after the election. They were joined by pollsters, pundits and journalists in a look at the significance of the results - and why Massachusetts wasn't swamped by the Republican tide. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Reaction to Justice Roderick Ireland's Nomination to Chief Justice Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has nominated Roderick Ireland, a Springfield native, to be the next chief justice of the state's Supreme Judicial Court. If confirmed, he would be the first African-American to lead the state's highest court. He would succeed Margaret Marshall, who is stepping down to spend time with her ailing husband. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports Ireland's nomination now goes to the Governor's Council. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Single Payer Advocates Cheer MA election Advocates for a single payer health system in Massachusetts are cheering the results of their ballot question -- although it's unlikely to lead to any changes in the near future. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Voters Say "Yes" to Alcohol Tax Repeal Massachusetts voters opted to repeal the state tax on alcohol sales yesterday by a slim margin. While liquor vendors celebrate, supporters of the tax worry about the future of substance abuse programs. WFCR's Ben Axelson reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Congressman Olver Wins Another Term Congressman John Olver was re-elected to represent Massachusetts' 1st Congressional District on Tuesday night. He bested Republican challenger William Gunn. WFCR's Sara Cintron-Schultz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Berkshire County Election Results While nationwide elections were seen as a referendum on the effectiveness of the Democratic party, in Berkshire County, Massachusetts - as in much of the state -- voters held fast to their historic voting pattern - electing three Democrats to serve on Beacon Hill. Carrie Saldo reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Hampden County DA Race Election Results Tuesday night independent candidate for Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni defeated Democratic candidate and State Senator Stephen Buoniconti. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, it's been 20 years since Hampden County has elected a new district attorney. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Election vox pop Massachusetts election officials say voters are out in droves today. WFCR's Kari Njiiri stopped by one polling station in Springfield this morning. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mt. Tom Power to be Fined The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing fines against a coal-fired power plant in Holyoke, Massachusetts. WFCR's Fred Bever reports excess silt and mud was discharged into the Connecticut River during installation of state-of-the-art pollution controls on the plant's smokestacks. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Former Head of Apollo Lunar Module Program Has Died An Amherst, Massachusetts resident who headed the Apollo Lunar Module Program has died. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springnfield Election Turnout A near-record number of Massachusetts voters could go to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday ). Secretary of State William Galvin is predicting that as many as 2-point-4 million voters, or 57 percent of those registered in the Baystate, will cast ballots. He says that would rival the highest turnout for a non-presidential election in 1990. But WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports that not all elections officials are as confidant of such a turnout. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Northampton Board Votes to Demolish Dam Northampton, Massachusetts officials are considering how to go about tearing down a dam in the Leeds section of the city. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Beacon Hill Week in Preview, November 1, 2010 There is just one more day until Election Day, the day when WFCR's Kevin McNicholas says Massachusetts voters will determine how much the state's political landscape will change: Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts Farm Energy Program Tours Pioneer Valley Farms Massachusetts farmers are taking advantage of federal and state funding to improve energy efficiency and conservation. The Massachusetts Farm Energy Program tour takes groups to Pioneer Valley farms where renewable energy projects are underway. WFCR's Ben Axelson reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Grant Allows Seniors to Find Jobs Springfield officials announced Friday the city had won a $1 million federal grant to help seniors find jobs. As WFCR's Anne Mostue reports, the program provides job training and placement for hundreds of local people over the age of 55. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Some States Vote Early, Others Not Making the Shift In many states, election day has already arrived. Early voting by mail or at designated polling stations is an effort to increase voter turnout. But as WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, early voting options vary, and in some cases don't exist in western New England. In Massachusetts and Connecticut, November 2nd is the only official voting day. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Vt. Yankee A Step Closer to New Federal License The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission moved a step closer today to a final decision on the re-licensing of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Patrick Makes Last Campaign Stop in Chicopee With just 5 days left until Election Day, Massachusetts Democratic Governor Deval Patrick continues to give attention to voters in western Massachusetts. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Labor Ruling A Springfield company accused of intimidating workers over a union vote must allow a new election. That's according to a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board, which overturned last June's election results at Mental Health Association, Incorporated. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Question 1 News Conference Next Tuesday, Massachusetts voters will have the chance to repeal a 2009 law which for the first time applied the state's sales tax to the purchase of alcoholic beverages sold in stores. That choice will be Question Number 1 on the ballot. Wednesday, a group of lawmakers held a news conference to plead with the public to leave the law the way it is for the sake of those who need treatment for substance abuse. WFCR's Kevin McNicholas has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Springfield Zoo to Stay The City of Springfield today (Wednesday) renewed a 25-year lease on the Forest Park Zoo. The zoo, which has existed in some form for almost a century, now houses a wide range of mammals, birds and reptiles in modern spaces. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Legal Duel in Vermont A legal battle is underway between Vermont's Attorney General and the Republican Governor's Association. Sara Cintron-Schultz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | $120 Million More for New Haven to Springfield Rail The federal government today released more than 121 million dollars for major rail line improvements between New Haven and Springfield. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass. Governor Candidates Debate in Chicopee The four candidates for Massachusetts Governor met at the Chicopee studios of WLLP Channel 22 for an hour-long debate. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Drug Companies Pay Fees to Local Doctors A new national investigation shows that Western Massachusetts doctors accepted about half a million dollars in fees from pharmaceutical companies since 2009. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Web Based Curriculum "Talk to Me" Teaches Engineering in Middle School A new web-based project designed by Springfield area educators aims to encourage middle school students' enthusiasm for engineering. WFCR's Ben Axelson reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Green Enery Connections Conference The green economy was front and center today (Wednesday) at the Mass-Mutual Center in Springfield. The 3rd annual clean energy connections conference and fair brought together private industry, non-profit agencies and students to learn about the latest developments. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Feds Rap CT Regulators Over Anthem Rate Hikes A top federal health official is joining a growing chorus of criticism of Connecticut regulators who approved health insurance rate hikes of up to 47 percent proposed by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Area Educators Struggle with Nut Allergies Nut allergies among students appear to be on the rise in the region's schools. WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports that educators in Franklin County Massachusetts are trying some new approaches to the problem. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | County Group Prepares to Sell Electricity A county group in Western Massachusetts is taking steps to sell electricity to small businesses and homeowners in the region. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports: Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Feds Rap CT Regulators Over Anthem Rate Hikes A top federal health official is joining a growing chorus of criticism of Connecticut regulators who approved health insurance rate hikes of up to 47 percent proposed by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Two Western Mass Men Charged with Attempted Insider Trading A Western Massachusetts man and his nephew have been charged with conspiring to commit insider trading. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Cahill, in Springfield, Defends Campaign Independent candidate for Massachusetts Governor Tim Cahill was in Springfield today to talk with local businesses and the press, just as a new poll shows him with 10 percent support from bay state voters. It's the first poll out since Cahill, who is the state treasurer, sued former staffers for alleged collusion with operatives working on behalf of Republican candidate Charles Baker....and he says no matter the numbers, he's staying in the race. WFCR's Anne Mostue reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Gov. Deval Patrick Pulls Away in W. Mass Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick may be solidifying his lead in what has been considered one of the closest political contests in the nation - and he appears to be pulling away among Western Massachusetts voters. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Will Wal-Mart Local Produce Plan Benefit Area Farmers? Retail colossus Wal-Mart - now a grocery giant too - announced today it would ramp up efforts to sell produce from local producers. WFCR's Fred Bever reports that could give a boost to this region's already robust local-produce movement. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | ACEEE Scorecard Ranks Massachusetts Number 2 Massachusetts ranks number two among the states in a national report on energy efficiency. WFCR's Ben Axelson reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA-Economic Recovery A new report says the great recession has come to an end in Massachusetts. But the state's recovery remains fragile, unbalanced and all-too vulnerable to the national economy's ups and downs. WFCR's Kari Njiiri has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | GE To Propose Housatonic Cleanup The General Electric company is submitting a revised plan today for cleanup of the PCB-laden Housatonic River between Pittsfield and Lenox Massachusetts. WFCR's Fred Bever reports it's the latest step in what will be a very long restoration. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | GE To Propose Housatonic Cleanup The General Electric company has submitted a revised plan for cleanup of the PCB-laden Housatonic river between Pittsfield and Lenox Massachusetts. WFCR's Fred Bever reports the company says the best alternative is.. to avoid any dredging or soil removal. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Meth Lab Suspected in Northampton Police in Northampton, Massachusetts -- along with state and federal officials -- are investigating what they suspect is an illegal drug manufacturing laboratory -- a few blocks from the city's downtown and an elementary school. WFCR's Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Holyoke, Springfield get $5M teen pregnancy award A community coalition in Springfield and Holyoke will receive five million dollars over five years to develop programs to reduce teen pregnancy -- it's one of only 9 federal grants awarded nationwide for community-based intervention. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Columbus Day Weekend Foliage Outlook New England is traditionally a major destination for visitors looking to see spectacular fall foliage. This Columbus Day holiday weekend, state tourism officials say they expect the foliage will bring out more visitors to the region this year than last. WFCR's Ben Axelson reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | 350.org Acts Against Climate Change A growing environmental movement is making its second annual bid to bring public attention to climate change. WFCR's Fred Bever reports on 350.org in this region. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Connecticut Prisons to Amend Library Policy An Enfield State Senator says Connecticut's Department of Correction is revising its prison library policy, in the wake of an Associated Press investigation that found inmates had unrestricted access to works depicting graphic violence. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Health Tax Credit Lauded Many conservative candidates for the upcoming elections are promising to repeal the federal healthcare law - prompting some of its supporters to underscore its benefits. This week, one consumer advocacy group released a study on how much people will save when healthcare tax credits go into effect in 2014. WFCR'S Karen Brown has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Senators Block Supplemental Budget The 5 Republican members of the Massachusetts Senate have asked Governor Deval Patrick for a report outlining the full extent of deficiencies in the state's current operating budget. They say the Senate should not vote on a $420 million supplemental budget until the information is provided. The Senate was forced to postpone consideration of the supplemental budget during Tuesday's session after Republican Senator Richard Ross objected to taking it up. WFCR's Kevin McNicholas reports from Bo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | W MA Communities Get "Green" Designation Seven Western Massachusetts communities have been designated as "Green Communities" for their efforts to undertake clean energy initiatives. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports the designation means the towns and cities will get help financing projects that cut energy use and green house gas emissions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | An Hour with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick Incumbent Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick appeared on Focus Western New England on WFCR and WNNZ, interviewed by WFCR News Director Fred Bever and taking caller questions. He says he would not propose any tax hikes in the next fiscal year, and he addressed energy and the environment, jobs and the economy, and education. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | AN HOUR WITH TIM CAHILL, INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR Independent candidate Tim Cahill sat down in WFCR's Peggy and David Starr Broadcast Center for an hour-long Focus Western New England interview and call-in about his candidacy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | A Medicaid Cash Infusion for Some Massachusetts Hospitals Some Massachusetts hospitals are in line to receive millions of dollars from Washington, to compensate them for the care of Medicaid patients. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports: Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA AG Coakley in Western MA Western Massachusetts Electric Company's proposed rate increase brought state Attorney General Martha Coakley to Lee, Massachusetts on Monday. She toured one of the few remaining paper plants in the Berkshires and listened as owners of the company explained the impact an electricity rate increase would have on their business. Carrie Saldo reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | September Tax Revenue Exceeds Estimate in MA The amount of tax revenue the State of Massachusetts took in during September exceeded the official estimate by almost $200 million. That news came Monday from the State Department of Revenue. WFCR's Kevin McNicholas reports from the State House. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | UMass Researcher Proposes New Cancer Treatment A cancer researcher at UMass Amherst says he may have found a strategy to eliminate more tumors with fewer side effects. WFCR's Karen Brown reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Feds Release $50 Million for Vermonter Route Upgrades The Federal Transportation Agency last week released $50 million to upgrade rails lines between the Massachusetts border and northern Vermont. WFCR's Fred Bever reports it's a down payment on the eventual improvement of some 500 miles of track between New Haven and Montreal. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Largest Credit Unions Need Federal Bailout The takeover of a Connecticut-based wholesale credit union by federal regulators late last month may be the latest signal that the financial crisis that hit commercial banks is catching up to the credit union system. WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Charter School Applicants Move on to Round Two Massachusetts' education officials have trimmed a list of proposed charter schools from 42 to 25. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Beacon Hill Week in Preview, October 4, 2010 Another informal session of the Massachusetts House will get underway at 10 this morning. WFCR's Kevin McNicholas reports there is an important item on the calendar. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Computer Worm Alert For U-S Nuclear Plants A sophisticated computer worm called Stuxnet has disrupted operations at Iran's first nuclear power plant. The country's official news agency says there was no serious damage to the plant, but nuclear plant officials in the U-S, including Vermont Yankee, have been warned about the worm. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | $714 Million WMECO Project Approved Massachusetts regulators are giving the go-ahead to a $714 million electricity transmission project straddling two states in the Springfield area . WFCR's Fred Bever reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | MA Supplemental Budget May be Moving Massachusetts is one step closer to being able to spend hundreds of millions of federal stimulus dollars that Congress approved in August. Wednesday morning the House gave initial approval to a $420 million supplemental budget bill that should eliminate the need to make additional cuts in human services programs. WFCR's Kevin McNicholas reports from Boston. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | James McKenna Launches MA AG Campaign James McKenna has formally launched his campaign for Massachusetts Attorney General. He made the announcement at three events across the state on Wednesday, including one in Holyoke. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Cracks Show Along Bridge of Flowers Cracks are surfacing along the underside of the Bridge of Flowers - a tourist magnet in Shelburne falls, Massachusetts. But, as WFCR's Sara Cintron-Schultz reports, a preservation committee is determined to avoid a shut down. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Pet Food Pantries See Greater Need The down economy has not only affected people....but also animals. As WFCR's Karen Brown reports, area shelters are seeing a jump in the number of hungry animals....and owners who can't afford to feed them. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Supplemental Budget Stalls in MA Legislature Members of the Massachusetts House met for several hours Tuesday in an informal session, but took no action on a $443 million supplemental budget. Governor Deval Patrick says the measure must be passed soon if the state is to avoid laying off state troopers and cutting human services programs. WFCR's Kevin McNicholas has more. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | South Hadley Resident Claims Civil Rights Violation The suicide of South Hadley, Massachusetts high school student Pheobe Prince, who Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel says was bullied by fellow students in the weeks preceding her death -- continues to make waves in the small town, nine months later. A resident of South Hadley, and an outspoken critic of school officials filed a civil rights law suit against school and police officials in Massachusetts federal district court today. WFCR's Peter Moskowitz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Massachusetts' Agriculture's "Seal of Approval" Massachusetts officials have unveiled a new "Seal of Commonwealth Quality". The label will help consumers identify agricultural and seafood products that are produced, harvested and processed in the Bay State. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Western Mass Food Bank Seeks to Maintain Relationship with North Adams Pantry A three-year old paperwork error, only recently discovered, has officials at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts rushing to maintain a partnership with a food pantry in North Adams. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Congressman Neal Lauches Re-election Bid Springfield Congressman Richard Neal has formally launched his re-election campaign for an eleventh term representing Massachusetts' second congressional district. WFCR's Kari Njiiri reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Holyoke's New Transportation Hub Opens A long awaited transportation center in Holyoke, MA, opened today. As WFCR'S Jill Kaufman reports, it's more than just a bus stop. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Mass. Residents Split on Sales Tax Question A new poll finds Massachusetts voters evenly split on a ballot proposal to cut the State's sales tax by more than half. WFCR's Peter Moskowitz reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New Science Center Planned at MCLA in North Adams The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams is making preliminary plans for the first new academic building on that campus in 35 years. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Asian Longhorned Beetle Quarantine Area Expands Massachusetts and federal officials have increased the regulated area in Worcester County following the discovery of more trees infested with the Asian Longhorned Beetle. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Beacon Hill Week in Preview, September 27, 2010 A new law for Massachusetts drivers takes effect this week. WFCR's Kevin McNicholas has more on that and other details of the week ahead. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Old Prescription Drugs Collected with Help from DEA Got unwanted prescription drugs? Thousands of drop off sites around the U.S. will be set up Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. As WFCR's Jill Kaufman reports, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is behind the effort, and officials in the region are taking advantage of their sponsorship. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Magnet Schools Assistance Program Gives Springfield a Leg Up Massachusetts legislators have succeeded in securing substantial federal funds for Springfield public schools from the Magnet Schools Assistance Program. WFCR's Ben Axelson reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Study Gauges Impact of Ballot Question 3 A fiscal watchdog group says if voters support a ballot question to reduce Massachusetts' sales tax from six and a quarter to three percent, a wide array of state programs will see cuts of almost thirty percent. WFCR's Bob Paquette reports. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Reservists Return to Westover Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts is welcoming back about one hundred air force reservists this week. As WFCR's Peter Moskowitz reports, the Reservists served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | New health insurance rules go into effect this week Six months after a national health reform was passed, several new pr