July, 2019 In the process of posting breaking news on The Valley Patriot Facebook and Twitter pages we often encounter reader comments that evoke serious emotion, discussion, and debate. Earlier this month, we posted a story of the Lawrence Fire Dept. searching for a reported overdose victim off Manchester Street. First responders searched for the […]
REPORT: Four Councilors Benefited from Police Contract Vote The state Inspector General’s Office (IG) is an independent state agency that conducts investigations of government agencies and makes recommendations when wrongdoing is found. The IG investigated the process of the City of Methuen’s superior officer’s contract approval that has long been the subject of dispute. The […]
SUPERIOR OFFICERS LETTER TO THE CITY The Methuen Police Superior Officer’s Union is taking the city to court over the illegal activity on the city’s part in passing their contract and changing the terms of the contract in what they believe is an violation of the Wage Act. Last night the Methuen City Council agreed […]
By: John Cuddy – Jan. 2019 Dracut’s Robert Belleau is one of the many US Military Veterans in the Merrimack Valley of French Canadian heritage. He joined the new US Air Force, (formed out of the US Army Air Corps shortly after World War II) partly out of patriotism, and partly, (his words) to avoid […]
By: Marlene Bistany – Dec.2018 METHUEN – This is a story that should never need writing. It’s a story about apathy, irresponsibility, and disrespect. It’s a story about the bitter treatment of animals and the inadequate systems that fail in its due diligence to the community. But most of all, it’s a story about a pure […]
By: Brian Denest – Dec. 2018 What a year it’s been in Dracut! Here’s a look back at 2018 with some heart-felt holiday wishes for the coming year… For Dracut voters, I wish town elections would focus on the important issues. Our town keeps living up to its naughty reputation for the putrid […]
By: Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – Dec. 2018 Governor Baker recently signed into law a bill filed by Senator Harriette Chandler and myself that will enhance non-partisan civics education in our public schools. This legislation exposes students to the founding documents of our country, the fundamentals of our legal system, the roles and responsibilities of […]
State Representative Frank A. Moran (D—Lawrence, Andover, Methuen) today announced that a state grant program the representative filed in this year’s state budget has resulted in over three quarters of a million dollars in increased funding to hire more police officers in the City of Lawrence. This year was the sixth that Representative Moran has filed this […]
By: Robin Desmet – Dec. 2018 Who wouldn’t want to wake up on Christmas morning to find that Santa had gotten them a fluffy kitten as a Christmas gift? As appealing as this may sound to many of you, it actually may not be the best idea. The holidays are a special time of year, […]
By: Ken Willette – Dec. 2018 When I review Left-leaning social media memes and comments, I almost always have one of two reactions:–that either the people circulating these social media bombs watched Star Wars or V for Vendetta far too many times. Or that they are woefully ignorant of American history. Maybe, a little bit […]
BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in an opioid trafficking conspiracy involving the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone across Massachusetts and Florida. Jesus Gonzalez, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 100 months in prison and four years of […]
SALEM – A Lawrence man has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to state prison for trafficking fentanyl, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. Luis Baez, age 25, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in Essex Superior Court to two counts of Trafficking Fentanyl. After the plea was entered, Judge Timothy Q. Feeley sentenced Baez to three years to […]
Last month, the state legislature approved giving Lawrence another $1.5M for … get this … improvements to the “rail trail”. For those who don’t know what the “rail trail” is, check this out. Your local and state officials have been spending millions of your tax dollars every year to create pretty walking areas along dead […]
A large scale joint state and federal investigation has resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals in connection with a major heroin and fentanyl trafficking operation that brought large quantities of the lethal drugs into Lawrence, Lowell, Haverhill, and Peabody. Friday’s arrests are the result of an extensive investigation involving Attorney General Healey’s Enterprise, […]