BOSTON – Today, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released her tenure’s first annual fraud report. The fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) annual report summarizes BSI’s work to help make government work better by investigating, under the law, fraud, abuse, and illegal acts involving public assistance benefits throughout the Commonwealth. This year, […]
1-12-24 NEWBURY — Police Chief Patricia Fisher reports that the Byfield man identified Friday as the person who drowned in the Parker River, David Harwood, had been the subject of an active arrest warrant but that Newbury police officials had had no contact with Harwood and were not actively pursuing him, nor were police aware […]
Blanchette used Fire Department position to secure business for his private detector company 1-11-24 Former Lawrence Fire Department Fire Prevention Inspector David Blanchette will pay a $65,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law multiple times by using his official position to secure business for his private smoke and carbon monoxide detector maintenance […]
Threats caused evacuation at Harvard and the controlled detonation of a hoax device BOSTON – A Manchester, N.H., man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for a series of extortionate bomb threats against Harvard University. The extortionate threats caused the evacuation of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza and surrounding academic buildings, and the controlled […]
January, 2024 It used to be that if an elected official said or did something blatantly racist – regardless of party affiliation – the leaders of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts would denounce them so viciously and so relentlessly that the offender would resign in disgrace and be completely unemployable. Now, they elect them to […]
PDF of the January, 2024 Valley Patriot
1-6-24 With a major snow storm predicted to hit the Merrimack Valley this weekend, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena has established warming centers this weekend. In case of fire or flood the City of Lawrence will have two (2) warming centers for the residents only: • South Lawrence East School 165 Crawford St. […]
By: John Cuddy – 12-23 Born and raised in South Lawrence, Joseph Cuddy attended St. Patrick’s Grammar School and graduated from Central Catholic High School in the Class of 1952. Joe played basketball, hockey and football and ran track. After graduation, he enlisted in the US Army. As the middle of 5 brothers, Joe’s brother, […]
THE ADVENTURES OF KANE 12-23 Kane learned the following information from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence • Nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. • 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experienced some form of physical violence by a partner. • 1 […]
By: Estela Reyes ~ 10-23 I want to start this month’s column with a big ‘Thank You’! Thank you for reading into and engaging with the work of your elected officials. It is a joy of this job to hear constituents’ advocacy and carry their voices to the State policy-making level. I am thankful to […]
By: Brian Genest – 12-23 As we get ready to usher in a new year, here’s a look at some of the highlights and happenings from 2023 in Dracut. * The Dracut Scholarship Foundation’s annual telethon raised more than $162,000. Since it began, the scholarship foundation has awarded nearly $2 million in scholarships to 1,700 […]
Lenny Mirra ~ 12-23 Back in 2022 I had the honor of representing Massachusetts on an Immigration Task Force for the National Conference of State Legislators where I joined state legislators from across the country to find ways to fix our broken immigration system. What I remember most is that after just a few zoom […]
Massachusetts State Senator Pavel Payano December, 2023 In a historic move, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed the Act Relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Costs, and Transparency, commonly known as the PACT Act 3.0, on November 15, 2023. This bipartisan legislation is a crucial step in urgently needed reforms to address the rising costs of prescription […]
Updated 12-20-23 Lawrence District A Councilor-Elect, Fidelina Santiago was indicted on the charges of Illegal Voting or Attempt to Vote (4 counts), Conspiracy to Vote or Attempt to Vote Illegally (4 counts), Unlawful Interference with Voter (4 counts), and Obstruction of Voting (4 counts). Indictments were also returned for Jennifer Lopez on the charges of […]
METHUEN — CEO Matthew Page-Shelton and Police Chief Scott McNamara are pleased to announce that Front Line and the Methuen Police Department will receive a two-year, $400,000 grant to fund the addition of a clinical co-response clinician with the Methuen Police Department, as well as the creation of a civilian Community Response Team. The addition […]