MeVa Transit Offers Free Veteran Transportation to Bedford V.A.

MeVa Transit Offers Free Veteran Transportation to Bedford V.A.

11-29-24 Haverhill, MA — Local veterans seeking care at the VA Bedford Healthcare System will soon have access to a free door to door ride service with the launch of the new MeVa Transit VA Bedford mediMeVa. Last Thursday, the MeVa Transit Advisory Board unanimously approved the new mediMeVa service to the VA Bedford Healthcare […]

Melvin Antonio Perez Medina of Lawrence Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison For Concealing More Than 2 Kilos of Fentanyl Inside Cereal Box

Melvin Antonio Perez Medina of Lawrence Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison For Concealing More Than 2 Kilos of Fentanyl Inside Cereal Box

BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Melvin Antonio Perez Medina, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 64 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Perez Medina […]

State Auditor DiZoglio Finds $12M+ in Public Benefit Fraud in FY23

State Auditor DiZoglio Finds $12M+ in Public Benefit Fraud in FY23

  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, […]

Bay Staters Deserve Opportunities To Build a Better Financial Future

Bay Staters Deserve Opportunities To Build a Better Financial Future

By: State Rep. Francisco Paulino ~ 12-23 Whether you grew up in Lawrence, Methuen, Revere, Winthrop, Brighton, or Boston, every community in the Commonwealth values kitchen-table issues; an honest day’s work, safe streets, affordable homes, good schools, access to quality and affordable healthcare, and the ability to earn a good living and save for the […]

Massachusetts Democrats Must Walk the Walk on Homelessness ~ VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (12-23)

Massachusetts Democrats Must Walk the Walk on Homelessness ~ VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (12-23)

12-23 Right now, there are tens of thousands of American citizens in Massachusetts who are homeless, jobless, hungry, and in desperate need of help. This is a human tragedy, and it is 100% the fault of the Massachusetts Democrat Party. Why blame democrats? Well, democrats control every single constitutional office from governor to state treasurer. […]

Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan Bestowed Overcoming Obstacles Award

Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan Bestowed Overcoming Obstacles Award

By: Santiago Reyes Cruz, Jr. Fresh out of the hospital from a life-threatening illness, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan was presented with one of the most prestigious awards in the Merrimack Valley last month, the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center’s Overcoming Obstacles Award Most people may know that Tom is a homeless advocate; he feeds them, […]

Commitment to Growth and Remembrance in Methuen and Lawrence

Commitment to Growth and Remembrance in Methuen and Lawrence

By: State Rep. Francisco Paulino Dear Residents of Methuen and Lawrence, It is with a heart full of pride that I recount a recent moment of honor and duty. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Methuen’s finest—Ryan Campbell, Adam Marino, Kyle Sheehy, and Liam Sheehy—at their graduation in Stow, Massachusetts, I witnessed the embodiment of courage […]

State Senator Payano ~ Raising the Bar on Education

State Senator Payano ~ Raising the Bar on Education

The Crucial Need to Increase the Dropout Age State Senator Pavel Payano – Nov. 2023 As a State Senator, my commitment to improving education in Massachusetts is unwavering. Senate bill 341, “An Act Relative to Dropout Prevention and Student Recovery,” a pivotal piece of legislation, which I sponsored, aims at reshaping the educational landscape for […]

Reforms Sorely Needed at the Sex Offender Registry Board ~ IN YOUR CORNER with AUDITOR DIZOGLIO

Reforms Sorely Needed at the Sex Offender Registry Board ~ IN YOUR CORNER with AUDITOR DIZOGLIO

By: Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio – Nov. 2023 Hello Valley Patriot readers, Serving as Massachusetts State Auditor doesn’t just mean reviewing finances. A big part of my role, as I often speak about with folks across the state, is reviewing the performance and efficacy of the Commonwealth’s agencies and entities. A great example of […]

Secretary of State Confirms Ballots Went Uncounted in Rowley ~ PAYING ATTENTION! with TOM DUGGAN

Secretary of State Confirms Ballots Went Uncounted in Rowley ~ PAYING ATTENTION! with TOM DUGGAN

  Nov. 2023 Emails obtained by The Valley Patriot reveal that a number of voters in Rowley had their ballots discarded and uncounted in last November’s election where Kristin Kassner (D-Hamilton) won the 2nd Essex State Representative seat by one vote over Lenny Mirra (R-Georgetown). Minutes taken during the recount in that race reveal that […]

Psychological Center Honors 7 People, Raises $50K for Community Programs

Psychological Center Honors 7 People, Raises $50K for Community Programs

  LAWRENCE — Last month, the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center, Inc., hosted approximately 200 people at their 5th-annual Overcoming Obstacles Gala at Salvatore’s Italian Restaurant in Lawrence. I first want to thank Michael Agricola and Phillip Wood, (owners of Salvatore’s) for donating their food and space for this event. The gala raised approximately $50,000 to […]

Historic Compromise: Legislature Approves Comprehensive Tax Relief Package

Historic Compromise: Legislature Approves Comprehensive Tax Relief Package

By: State Senator Pavel Payano 10-23 In a landmark achievement of bipartisan cooperation, the Massachusetts Legislature has reached a historic compromise on a comprehensive tax relief package, and I am proud to have cast my vote in favor of it. This extraordinary effort was a true compromise between Democrats and Republicans and between the Senate and […]