Mayor Perry Attacks State Officials, City Council, Abandons Pledge to “Represent Everyone” The Massachusetts Office of Administration and Finance (A&F) is an arm of the governor’s office. Part of their job is to oversee the state’s COVID-19 funding and grants given to local communities. Last Month Methuen Mayor Neil Perry was notified by A&F […]
Defendant sold drugs to undercover agent on five separate occasions BOSTON – A Methuen man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to selling a fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl mixture to an undercover agent on five occasions. Andi Guerrero-Lara, a/k/a “Manny Sierra,” 24, pleaded guilty to a seven count superseding indictment charging him with […]
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 […]
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: 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 […]
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 […]
11/19/21 The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission blasted City of Methuen officials for the handling of promotions in the fire department and passing over female Firefighter Tracy Blanchette, for a captain’s promotion calling the city’s actions “intolerable” and “extraordinary”. SEE FULL DECISION HERE Civil Service Commissioner Cynthia A. Ittleman admonished every level of Methuen city government in the “flawed […]
Oct. 2021 Hello Valley Patriot Readers, The state Division of Professional Licensure (DPL) licenses and regulates more than 580,000 individuals, businesses, and schools to engage in over 150 trades and professions in Massachusetts, from plumbers and electricians to psychologists and optometrists. Its mission is supposed to be to protect the public through the establishment of […]
By: Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – Oct. 2021 At a recent public hearing about how to spend $4.8 billion in federal dollars coming to the Commonwealth, the need to address combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in the Merrimack River came up again and again. It’s been a rainy summer, causing millions of gallons of sewage to […]
11/2/21 The question of whether or not Methuen should allow marijuana growing facilities to locate within the city was rejected by voters 2,266 to 1,681. Every single incumbent official was reelected. Only two races were challenged. Mayor Perry ran unopposed, as did East District Councilors Steve Saba and Eunice Zeigler. Central District Councilors Joel Faretra […]
Hero veteran Michael Downs has thrown his hat into the race for city council in Methuen’s West End. With both incumbents seeking reelection for a second term, Downs would have to unseat one of them on November 2nd to take a seat on the Methuen City Council. Downs is a former principal in the […]
Hello Valley Patriot Readers, This past February, the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. settled a lawsuit brought by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and 46 other state Attorneys General after admitting to their role in helping pharmaceutical companies, including Purdue Pharma, bolster the sale of opioids like Oxycontin to increase profits. The settlement, which saw […]
By:Rep. Linda Dean Campbell This summer, our Commonwealth experienced the rainiest July on record in at least a century. The climate report recently released by the United Nations predicts that average precipitation in our region will continue to increase as climate change worsens. In the Merrimack Valley, we know all too well what more […]
9-24-21 BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 in federal court in Boston for conspiring to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and misusing a Social Security number. Bladimir Sanchez Soto, 29, formerly of Methuen, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 30 months in […]