Columbia Gas Partnering with Massachusetts Communities

Columbia Gas Partnering with Massachusetts Communities

By Mark Kempic I knew it was an incredibly challenging time for the community when I arrived in Massachusetts last fall to assist with the recovery efforts following September’s gas event in the Merrimack Valley. What immediately struck me the most in the face of tremendous adversity was the graciousness with which those in the […]

New Syringe Collection Program in Lowell is Ready to Respond

New Syringe Collection Program in Lowell is Ready to Respond

  Lowell, MA – The City of Lowell’s Syringe Collection Program, housed under the Substance Abuse and Prevention Division within the Lowell Health Department, began on April 19th, 2019. The Syringe Collection Program was created as a means to educate the community on the importance of safe and proper sharps storage and disposal, and to […]

Audit Calls for Enhanced Oversight of Child Sex Abuse Allegations in the Commonwealth

Audit Calls for Enhanced Oversight of Child Sex Abuse Allegations in the Commonwealth

BOSTON — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump today released an audit of the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) that recommends the agency seek more information relative to the incidence of child sexual abuse from the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The audit, which examined and found no failures in certain aspects of OCA’s administration of […]

Former Essex Tech Superintendent-Director Daniel O’Connell Fined $23K  for Violating Conflict of Interest Law

Former Essex Tech Superintendent-Director Daniel O’Connell Fined $23K  for Violating Conflict of Interest Law

O’Connell repeatedly used his public position to benefit himself and his son Daniel O’Connell, the former Superintendent-Director of the North Shore Technical High School and Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School districts, has admitted that he violated the conflict of interest law on multiple occasions by using his official position and public resources to […]

Trifecta for Lucky Lakeville Couple Winning

DORCHESTER, MA (May 13, 2019) – Janet Pflaumer-Phillips of Lakeville and her husband Kevin have something new in common – they are each $1 million Massachusetts State Lottery instant ticket prize winners.  In Kevin’s case, he’s won two $1 million prizes.  Janet won her $1,000,000 cash prize (less tax withholdings) on the new “Diamond Millions” $30 instant […]

Free Speech Does Not Stop at the School House Doors – VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (5-19)

Free Speech Does Not Stop at the School House Doors – VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL (5-19)

For too long, public education officials in this country have been bullying students in the classroom with impunity, preaching their political opinions as fact, and punishing students who do not comport with their approved political views. Nowhere is this more true than in the Andover Schools. In November of 2006, The Valley Patriot covered in […]

State Police, Lawrence Police, Essex Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest 26 in Zero Tolerance Operation

State Police, Lawrence Police, Essex Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest 26 in Zero Tolerance Operation

The Massachusetts State Police, Lawrence Police Department, and Essex County Sheriff’s Department Friday night conducted a Zero Tolerance Initiative in Lawrence that resulted in 26 arrests. Units made 26 arrests, one for trafficking in a Class A narcotic and another for possession of a Class B narcotic. The male charged with trafficking was found in […]

Medicare “Buy-In” Proposals Are Another Path Towards Single-Payer Health Care

Medicare “Buy-In” Proposals Are Another Path Towards Single-Payer Health Care

By: Kevin St. James – April, 2019 As we welcome the 2020 presidential contenders to New Hampshire we need to get to know and scrutinize their policy proposals. Early on, Medicare for All became a battle cry for many of the candidates, until it got so many bad headlines that some of the candidates have […]

NECC Administrator Receives National Award

NECC Administrator Receives National Award

Nancy Julin, Northern Essex Community College’s assistant dean of health professions and director of iHealth programs, received the Idahlynn Karre Exemplary Leadership Award during the Chair Academy’s 28th Annual International Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Julin, of Leominster, who has worked at Northern Essex for 15 years, will retire in May. “Nancy Julin was instrumental […]

Tom Duggan’s Notebook (April, 2019)

Tom Duggan’s Notebook (April, 2019)

NOW THAT WAS A BASH!!! Each year the Valley Patriot celebrates our anniversary with a charity BASH scholarship and award night. This year we raised and gave away almost $10,000 in scholarships to local students, raised money for Veterans Northeast Outreach in Haverhill, and were able to give out 8 different awards to community heroes. […]

A Special Gathering of 3 Sisters

A Special Gathering of 3 Sisters

By: Joe D’Amore – April, 2019 My wife and I recently treated three relatives to a birthday celebration for one of them. Two of them are in their 80s, and one of them is soon to be 90. They’re sisters. They grew up in the Great Depression, under circumstances that exceed most understandable, modern measures […]