By: Senator Katy Ives – Jan. 2016 There have been a number of important legislative developments toward tackling public records reform. This month’s column is an opportunity to describe the status of public records legislation in the effort to produce meaningful public records reform this session. At the onset, Senator Jason Lewis filed S.1676, which […]
“We’ve turned a corner,” said Rep. Jim Lyons, “but we still have a long, long way to go.” Reflecting on the first half of the 2015-2016 legislative sessions, State Representative Jim Lyons (R-Andover) noted that it was a productive year marked by many legislative accomplishments, although vital challenges remain to be addressed. “From the beginning,” […]
By: Tom Duggan, 1-12-15 Massachusetts State Lottery Director Michael Sweeney told the Valley Patriot Tuesday morning that the Powerball jackpot has been adjusted to $1.5B, the largest lottery payout in world history. “It’s really a big win for the state,” Sweeney said. The Powerball jackpot hasn’t been hit in 19 successive drawings. The last time someone […]
By: Dr. Padmanabhan – December, 2015 In November’s Valley Patriot, I laid out the reason underlying the false government narrative that prescribing pain medicine to patients is the cause of the increasing number of overdose deaths. I was encouraged that finally after 2 years of drum-beating the false government narrative and concealing the massive impact […]
By: Dr. Frank MacMillan – December, 2015 As a college student in the mid 1980s, I studied and received my bachelor degree in economics prior to attending medical school. Also In the mid 1980s, I took note that one component of the new wave in health care was insurance paid prescription drug coverage. As a […]
JUST ONE MAN’S OPINION On September 14, 2015 the Tomasellis went before the Salisbury Board of Selectmen/Sewer Commissioners and asked them to instruct attorneys for the town to tell the courts, that the Tomasellis were not responsible to pay for this sewer betterment. They did not own the property in 1982 when the assessment was […]
By: Senator Kathleen Ives Dec. 2015 The Massachusetts Senate recently completed the first year of a two-year legislative session by sending to the governor’s desk legislation for increased penalties for trafficking fentanyl, and five bills related to veterans. To further address the health crisis of opiate abuse in the Commonwealth, the legislature passed House Bill […]
By: Linda Dean Campbell – Dec. 2015 Before Thanksgiving, the Massachusetts House passed two important pieces of legislation. One of these bills will make significant changes to our antiquated public records law. The other will lift the cap on solar energy production to take advantage of existing solar projects and expiring federal tax credits. Both […]
Voted to approve two variance applications knowing that it was likely he would perform demolition and excavation work if the variances were approved The State Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which Thomas Snell, a member of the West Bridgewater Zoning Board of Appeals, admitted to violating the state’s conflict of interest laws, […]
BOSTON—The clinical director of a home nursing agency was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with her role in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud Medicare. Janie Troisi, 66, of Revere, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to three months in prison and three years of supervised […]
Braintree-based Daniel J. Quirk Inc. and Quincy Auto Auction Inc. made a $60,000 payment to the state’s general fund to resolve issues concerning prohibited contributions to several candidates, according to a disposition agreement between The Massachusetts Office of Campaign Finance (OCPF) and the businesses. The two affiliated auto dealership companies, owned by Daniel Quirk, […]
By Christine Morabito – December 2015 What we have is a problem of energy inequality. In terms of energy costs, Massachusetts residents pay the highest prices in the nation – three to four times as much per kilowatt hour for electricity. We are so accustomed to paying this exorbitant amount, that we rarely question it. The […]
By: Tom Duggan – Dec. 2015 Serving more than 1,500 meals per month and having room to shelter only 50 people per night, the Daybreak Homeless Shelter in Lawrence is in severe need of additional funding as well as a new facility. According to Psychological Center CEO, Carina Pappalardo, the Daybreak Shelter serves 1,600 homeless […]
Healthy Eating for Successful Living program funds mark first Harvard Pilgrim Foundation grant to support new focus on healthy aging LAWRENCE – Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation today announced it has awarded $49,187 to Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and the Healthy Living Center of Excellence in Lawrence, Mass. This is the Foundation’s first […]
By: Tom Duggan – Dec. 11, 2015 The recall efforts against Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera was dealt a critical blow Friday as recall supporters fell 655 signatures short of the 5,645 required to trigger a special election to throw Rivera out of office. This is only one of two recall efforts to unseat Rivera. Both recalls are being […]