Haverhill Police/ATF Joint Task Force Arrest 19, Seize Weapons, Drugs in Raid on Tuesday

Haverhill Police/ATF Joint Task Force Arrest 19, Seize Weapons, Drugs in Raid on Tuesday

A total of 15 firearms were seized yesterday in Haverhill, including sawed off shot guns, assault rifles, and handguns, as well as a large quantity of illegal narcotics ranging from heroin, Oxycodone pills, marijuana, and cocaine. Haverhill Police with the assistance of the ATF, DEA, and MA State Police arrested 19 people on warrants Tuesday, resulting […]

ELECTION RESULTS, Lawrence Council Candidate Loses by One Vote, Will Ask for Recount

ELECTION RESULTS, Lawrence Council Candidate Loses by One Vote, Will Ask for Recount

By: Tom Duggan – 9.22.15 With only 9% of registered voters in Lawrence participating in the city’s preliminary elections, at least one candidate has found himself one vote shy of being nominated for city council. Rich Russell, a Viet Nam veteran and activist at council meetings, placed seventh in an eight way race, being eliminated […]

Lawrence Mayor Gets TRO Halting Recall Petition – Council President Illegally Forced Petitions to be Issues

Lawrence Mayor Gets TRO Halting Recall Petition – Council President Illegally Forced Petitions to be Issues

JUDGES ORDER DOC091715-09172015142844 A Lawrence Superior Court Judge has put a halt to the recall petition against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera Tuesday, issuing a temporary restraining order on the collection of signatures against the mayor until his challenge to the initial 100 signatures can be heard by the Lawrence Board of  Registrars. A recall affidavit was submitted […]

Political Campaign Season Begins in Lawrence

Political Campaign Season Begins in Lawrence

By: Kathy Runge – August 2015 We’re starting campaign season and I’m already preparing myself for the onslaught of robo-calls and junk mail we’ll be receiving in a couple of months. Please don’t vote for candidates that spend thousands of dollars trying to impress you. The more money a local candidate receives in donations, the […]

Four of Six School Committee Seats Go Empty on September Primary Ballot, Few Run for City Council

Four of Six School Committee Seats Go Empty on September Primary Ballot, Few Run for City Council

WHO’S IN AND WHO’S OUT IN CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE RACES Candidates wishing to have their names appear on the September ballot for municipal elections had until close of business on Tuesday to turn in the required number of signatures. The Lawrence City Council is made up of nine members. Six members of the […]

Will Lawrence Treat Illegals Better Than People From Lowell?

Will Lawrence Treat Illegals Better Than People From Lowell?

By: Kathy Runge, July, 2015 The City Council, led by Council President Maldonado, a.k.a. Lawrence’s Ambassador to the UN, has been busy in the last month. The FY16 budget got approved with Maldonado providing the only dissenting vote. He proposed a series of potential cuts and argued for them while acting as president of the […]

The Pulse Tom Duggan fills in for John MacDonald. Guest: Senator L’Italien

The Pulse Tom Duggan fills in for John MacDonald. Guest: Senator L’Italien

The Pulse with John MacDonald and Tom Duggan.  LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD HERE  Tonight, Tom Duggan filed in for John. IN the first half of the show he interviewed State Senator Barbara L’Italien about the increase in local aid and the grants that have been approved for Lawrence and surrounding communities. In the second hour Tom […]

Kathy’s Lawrence Notebook – Myra Ortiz, Charlie Boddy and Nagging Questions

Kathy’s Lawrence Notebook – Myra Ortiz, Charlie Boddy and Nagging Questions

By: Kathy Runge – June, 2015 Myra Ortiz, Candidate for District A Councilor I recently spoke with Myra Ortiz, who will be running against incumbent Sandy Almonte. Myra has made Lawrence her home for 15 years and currently represents District A on the School Committee. Although the school system is under receivership, Ms. Ortiz has […]

City Councilors Behaving Badly

City Councilors Behaving Badly

By Kathy Runge – April, 2015 Council meetings in February and March were a train wreck, but everyone got their vacations in. Councilor Maldonado opened the meeting of March 3 by saying that he hoped meetings would be regular now and they wouldn’t get snowed out anymore, as if that’s the reason their meetings haven’t […]

Lawrence Councilor Files Open Meeting Law Violation Complaint Against Council, Neighborhood Carnival Runs Afoul of Law

Lawrence Councilor Files Open Meeting Law Violation Complaint Against Council, Neighborhood Carnival Runs Afoul of Law

Lawrence City Councilor Marc Laplante (District F) has filed an Opening Meeting Law complaint to the City Clerk claiming that the city council approved the use of the South Lawrence Common (O’Connell Park) for a carnival without giving proper notice to city residents.   The Lawrence City Council has held several illegal meetings without notifying the […]

Lawrence Council Puts off Vote vs. Mayor Rivera, Admits They Routinely Violate Open Meeting Law

Lawrence Council Puts off Vote vs. Mayor Rivera, Admits They Routinely Violate Open Meeting Law

NO CONFIDENCE It was a night of dysfunction and shocking revelations Tuesday night as the Lawrence City Council was set to take a vote of “No Confidence” in Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera only  one year into his four year term. The council, mostly made up of holdovers from the Lantigua administration and loyal to the former […]

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL ~ Lantigua Still Controls the Lawrence City Council (Jan. 2015)

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL ~ Lantigua Still Controls the Lawrence City Council (Jan. 2015)

With all of the problems facing the City of Lawrence, the city council is focusing their efforts on protecting political hacks in city hall and attacking Mayor Dan Rivera. Last month, the council considered a vote of “no confidence” in Mayor Rivera claiming he is playing politics with his firing of Lantigua appointees. The narrative […]