By: Santiago Reyes Cruz, Jr. – Dec. 2021 What’s next for Lawrence? Election season is finally over. Former City Councilor Brian DePena has officially been sworn in as the new Mayor of Lawrence and will serve until 2026. DePena is a local Dominican businessman who has a clear strategy as to how he’ll improve the […]
A neglected chapter of World War II has been recalled in Old Orchard Beach with the donation and prominent display of a flag honoring the memory of a U.S. Merchant Marine from Massachusetts. As a boy growing up in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Old Orchard Beach resident Dave Twomey lived upstairs from his uncle and […]
By: State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – Dec. 2021 After months of public input, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a major $3.82 billion funding bill to address the most pressing challenges of our COVID-19 recovery. This bill prioritizes individuals and businesses that were most impacted by the pandemic and invests in areas of immediate […]
12-22 While conservatives and Republicans in Massachusetts have been rightfully angry with Governor Charlie Baker over the years, their celebration of his departure from governor’s race next year is very short sighted. Yes, Baker initially campaigned for governor as a fiscal conservative and a social moderate, and then abandoned all of those principals once he […]
Lawrence, Haverhill Area Raids Net Over 10 kilograms of cocaine and $200K cash seized during investigation BOSTON – Twenty-one individuals have been charged in connection with a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine, fentanyl and other controlled substances with activity that spanned across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and Puerto Rico. According to the charging […]
BOSTON – A Dominican national recently residing in Lawrence pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to her role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy. Michel Saredi-Munoz Morta, 21, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge […]
PDF of the December, 2021 Valley Patriot
Administration Has Not Issued Financial Report on the Fund Since June BOSTON – State Senator Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) is calling on the Baker Administration to provide greater transparency around the Commonwealth’s unemployment insurance trust fund. In a letter dated December 3rd, DiZoglio and fellow legislators called on the Baker Administration to produce a financial report on […]
After the release of the U.S. Decennial Census, Massachusetts is mandated by the United States Constitution and Federal Voting Rights Act to change its House, Senate, Governor’s Council and Congressional district boundaries to accommodate shifts in population and provide equal representation to its citizens. Census data show that Massachusetts’ population growth over the last decade […]
By: Senator Diana DiZoglio – Nov. 2021 Hello Valley Patriot Readers, While we have made important strides in recent years to help Massachusetts veterans – such as exempting members of the military in active duty from the automobile excise tax and expanding services and opportunities for veterans and their families through the Valor Act – […]
By: Brian Genest – Nov. 2021 Leadership and change begin at the top. In Dracut, you don’t have to look any further than the town manager for proof. In just 18 months, Ann Vandal has made a tremendous difference for our town. As reflected in the strong scores she was given by a majority of […]
By: State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – Nov. 2021 It is time to get serious about mental health services for our students. Even for years before the pandemic, we saw a concerning rise in stress, anxiety, and depression among young people. COVID-19 only made things worse. Last year, many Massachusetts emergency rooms saw 4 times […]
Convicted felon sold at least nine guns, ammunition, bulletproof vest and drugs to a cooperating witness BOSTON – A member of the Trinitarios street gang pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with trafficking firearms, ammunition, cocaine and crack cocaine in the Greater Lawrence area. Jose Omar Hernandez-Aragones, 24, a Dominican national […]
In a spirited back and forth with Valley Patriot publisher, Tom Duggan, on the Paying Attention! Podcast, Methuen Mayor Neil Perry said, unequivocally, that Critical Race Theory is not being taught in the Methuen Schools. The topic came up after a Methuen third grade teacher was called out on social media for signing a […]
By: John Cuddy – Nov. 2021 WESTPORT, MA -I met Pam Melanson and her father Rene “Cap” Parent at the Wheelhouse Diner in Quincy, Massachusetts on a beautiful Saturday morning. Pam, who hails from Westport, MA, served our Nation in the US Navy Reserves for over fifteen years. She was called up on active duty […]