2017-2018 Legislative Session: Expanding Land Conservation

2017-2018 Legislative Session: Expanding Land Conservation

By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives – Nov, 2016 Leading up to the beginning of a new formal legislative session in January, I’m focusing in on which bills will be priorities for me to file, re-file and co-sponsor. My column over these next months will be focused on a number of those bills. This month’s column […]

Newburyport Company Celebrates Employees Who Graduated from Workplace English Program

Newburyport Company Celebrates Employees Who Graduated from Workplace English Program

Cesiah Albarran of Lawrence came to this country in 2013 from Puerto Rico with a recently earned bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and limited English skills.  With the help of family members, she quickly landed a job with Bradford & Bigelow (B&B), a $31M specialty printing company with 140 employees […]

Strengthening Public Health and Safety ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH KATY IVES

Strengthening Public Health and Safety  ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH KATY IVES

By: State Senator Katy Ives – Oct. 2016 On July 31, the formal legislative session technically ended, meaning that between August and January, no formal voting on major bills takes place. In the months leading up to the beginning of a new formal session in January, I’m focusing in on what bills are priorities for […]

Tarr Named Legislator of the Year Honored for Police Support

Tarr Named Legislator of the Year Honored for Police Support

Boston- State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) was named a Legislator of the Year on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 by the New England Police Benevolent Association (NEPBA) for his work on a wide range of criminal justice issues, ranging from effectively penalizing repeat violent offenders, to addressing the ongoing opiate abuse crisis facing Massachusetts. […]

High Court Ruling Is A Win for Electricity Ratepayers ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

High Court Ruling Is A Win for Electricity Ratepayers ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

By: State Senator Kathleen Ives – Sept, 2016 In August, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court made an important ruling, determining it to be unlawful for electric distribution companies to pass along to ratepayers the costs associated with the construction of new, privately-owned natural gas pipelines, through what some have referred to as a “pipeline tax.” […]

Republicans Spar Over Building New Facility, Bed Space

Republicans Spar Over Building New Facility, Bed Space

“This is not a time to build new prisons unless they are completely dilapidated and inhumane, then absolutely, but we don’t build new prisons because we are not managing our population.” ~ Anne Manning Martin “I think we manage our population just fine.” ~ Corrections Lt. & candidate for Sheriff Jeff Gallo   Candidates for […]

Robito, O’Reilly Attack Chief Coppinger on Pension, Crime in Lynn

Robito, O’Reilly Attack Chief Coppinger on Pension, Crime in Lynn

At the debate for the Democratic candidates in August, Jerry Flynn, Executive Director of the New England Police Benevolent Association, asked the candidates if they would take their pension and the sheriff’s salary if they are elected. Prior to this exchange below, candidate Paul Russell said that he would do the job for free as […]

GOP Candidates for Sheriff Tackle Issue of Homeless Inmates

GOP Candidates for Sheriff Tackle Issue of Homeless Inmates

THE ELECTION IS THURSDAY, SEPT. 8th The Valley Patriot in conjunction with the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center’s Carina Pappalardo, hosted a debate for the Republican candidates for Essex County Sheriff. The event was held at the American Legion on Broadway in Methuen and was covered by both the Methuen and Salisbury cable access channels. The […]

2016 Essex County Sheriff Republican Candidate Debate

2016 Essex County Sheriff Republican Candidate Debate

Four of the five Republican primary candidates for Essex County Sheriff debated at the American Legion on Broadway in Methuen. They are: Anne Manning-Martin, Jeff Gallo, Craig Lane, and Jim Jajuga, Jr. Moderating the debate were Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan and Executive Director of the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center, Carina Pappalardo.) CLICK PHOTO TO […]

VIDEO: Essex County Sheriff Democratic Candidate Debate in North Andover

VIDEO: Essex County Sheriff Democratic Candidate Debate in North Andover

  The Valley Patriot newspaper hosted a debate for the Democratic Candidates for Essex County Sheriff at North Andover High School on Thursday, August 18, 2016. The candidates are: Michael Marks, Paul Russell, Jerry Robito, Kevin Coppinger, and Ed O’Reilly.  The debate moderators were: Tom Duggan, Valley Patriot Publisher, Christine Morabito and Jerry Flynn. The […]

Closing the Loopholes on Drunk Driving Laws ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR KATY IVES

Closing the Loopholes on Drunk Driving Laws  ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR KATY IVES

By: State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives August, 2018 In July, the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to promote the use of ignition interlock devices by OUI offenders, which test a driver’s blood-alcohol content before starting a car. Mothers Against Drunk Driving and AAA Northeast have endorsed the use of the devices as an effective means to […]

Senator Tarr to Make “Kill List” Writers Subject to Criminal Penalties

Senator Tarr to Make “Kill List” Writers Subject to Criminal Penalties

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) today announced his intention to file legislation creating the crime of using the Internet and other communication channels to propagate so-called ‘kill lists’. The Tarr bill creates penalties for anyone who attempts to induce, tempt, command, or entice another person to take action in a conspiracy to commit a […]

Veteran Employment and Housing Security ~ IN YOUR CORNER with SENATOR IVES

Veteran Employment and Housing Security ~ IN YOUR CORNER with SENATOR IVES

The Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved omnibus veterans’ legislation in June known as the Veterans H.O.M.E. Act. State Senator Katy Ives – July, 2016 Senate Bill 2325, “An Act Relative to Housing, Operations, Military Service, and Enrichment,” seeks to improve housing and employment opportunities for military veterans and their families. The bill allows municipalities to offer […]

Kinder Morgan Pipeline Suspension is Victory for Merrimack Valley – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

Kinder Morgan Pipeline Suspension is Victory for Merrimack Valley – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

By: State Senator Katy Ives May, 2016 Kinder Morgan, a Houston, Texas-based energy infrastructure company, submitted its first letter related to their Northeast Energy Direct Project (NED Project) to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on September 15, 2014. It detailed a plan to construct 177 miles of new pipeline from Wright, New York to […]