Telegram & Gazette
CLIPS OF THE PAST
SHREWSBURY – Storing old photographs in a vintage briefcase, 21-year-old Antonio Campaniello has begun to parse through decades of his family’s history. As the smiling faces age and new generations enter the photos, the backdrop remains the business...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Parting salute
FRANKLIN – The law enforcement community came out in force to honor one of its own, Stephen LaPorta, his life cut short as he came to the aid of a motorist on an icy highway. The Uxbridge police officer was laid to rest Thursday, Jan. 15, after a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Long arm of the paw: Meet Sheruff Barkley
WORCESTER – The newest officer in the Worcester Police Department walked confidently into Tatnuck Magnet School, dressed in his uniform and moved swiftly down the main hallway of the building. Then he stopped to lick himself. Sheruff Barkley – yes,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Flu surge strains Worcester hospitals
WORCESTER – The numbers don’t lie. Flu cases are significantly on the rise in Worcester and nationally, signs that it’s shaping up to be a particularly bad season. Dr. Robert Zavoski believes that’s the case. He’s the chief clinical officer at Family...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Solemn procession
UXBRIDGE – A large procession with the body of fallen Uxbridge Police Officer Stephen LaPorta made the hourlong trip from the chief medical examiner’s office in Westfield to the Uxbridge police station on Friday, Jan. 9. Dozens of police motorcycles...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Uxbridge officer dies in Route 146 crash
UXBRIDGE – A 43-year-old Uxbridge police officer was killed early Wednesday, July 7, in a crash that occurred while he was assisting a motorist on an icy stretch of Route 146. The officer was assisting a motorist shortly after 12:30 a.m. when the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
City residents finally see action on power
In less than a week, some city residents could have reliable electricity, something they've lacked since the day after Thanksgiving, a stretch of more than five weeks. National Grid expects to have fixed the issue by Saturday, Jan. 10, according to a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
In with the new
WORCESTER – After taking the oath of office Friday, Jan. 2, for a historic eighth term as Worcester mayor, Joseph M. Petty listed issues including homelessness and affordable housing as those he will continue addressing over the next two years. “As I...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Venezuelan leader seized, Trump says
The United States seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in an overnight military operation on Jan. 3, President Donald Trump said, as explosions rocked Caracas and targets across the country. The United States “successfully carried out...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Nursing vacancies dip
While nurses and hospital leaders say it’s a positive that there’s been a recent decline in nursing vacancies, they also say there’s still work to do. New data from the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA) show that one in every 10...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
AI to review Medicare claims in pilot program
A new Medicare program that uses artificial intelligence to review medical claims is set to launch in six states. Critics worry it will lead to patients being denied necessary care and more red tape for providers. The controversial new six-year pilot...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How to protect your teeth from decay
Between Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies and holiday cookies, the end of the year is often packed with opportunities to consume sugar. But what happens in your mouth during those first minutes and hours after eating those sweets? While you’re likely...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
‘He’s in here. We feel him’
SHREWSBURY – During the holidays, amid a winning Patriots season, in a year when Mark Wahlberg filmed a movie scene at her beloved greasy spoon, Christina Gonzalez can’t help reflecting on her time at Brody’s Diner, her time with original owner and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A century saluted
WORCESTER – A mostly quiet city on the day after Christmas saw a bustle of activity around Grafton Distributors to celebrate the 100th birthday of World War II veteran Richard Peters Sr. Located at 635 Grafton St., the convenience store that’s been...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Get a moment’
Photographers at the Telegram & Gazette hustle throughout Central Massachusetts in search of images that tell a story. For each assignment, from breaking news to sports, the goal is to “get a moment,” as the photographers say about their quest. Here’s...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Pride built in Worcester
WORCESTER – Worcester Technical High School had a problem: The bathrooms at the school were being frequently vandalized, many aspects such as the soap dispensers or plumbing didn’t work correctly, and students felt uncomfortable due to privacy...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Court presence
WORCESTER – Bob Cousy played most of his home games for Holy Cross at the Boston Garden, but his legendary presence has always permeated the Hart Center Arena at the Luth Athletic Complex. Outside the building is a bronze statue of Cousy, on the wall...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Photo becomes symbol of deadly Hong Kong fire
HONG KONG – It was a clear autumn afternoon with blue skies and a cool breeze as Wong set off to pick up his granddaughter from school. The 71-year-old retiree and his wife took turns making the walk to school from their apartment complex in Hong...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
CRISIS POINT
SPENCER – The level of ambulance service residents will receive next year is being weighed in Spencer, where the town’s 66-year-old nonprofit service is set to shutter next summer. At issue is whether the town should adopt the Spencer Rescue and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
High-gear vision
CLINTON – In its heyday, Jenney Gas Station at High and Water streets was the epitome of service with a smile, with attendants sporting matching bow ties and service caps. Now, the spot is an eyesore, vacant for years. Recognizing that the property...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TOO RICH FOR CITY’S BLOOD?
WORCESTER – Courtney Cormier is a 42year-old Worcester native who feels the city has abandoned its roots. “We were a manufacturing city, we were a community, and we’re not that now,” said Cormier. “I’ve never seen the city like this.” One of the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Brown shooting suspect found dead
PROVIDENCE, RI – Though the suspect connected to the deadly Brown University attack and the fatal shooting of an MIT professor was found dead in New Hampshire, the questions and fallout have only begun. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Snips and quips
WORCESTER – Ken Jordan can trace his six-decade career as a barber to a single coin flip. The tale of the 86-year-old’s decision to quit school and pick up a pair of clippers unfolds like all of his stories – with the mention of old friends,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
End nears for climate research hub
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world’s leading climate research labs. Trump officials have...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Shifting to high?
Marijuana lounges, places where you can light up a joint in a cozy environment, could be coming to a neighborhood near you. It’s possible after the state’s Cannabis Control Commission unanimously approved social consumption licenses on Dec. 11 that...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Person held in Brown University shooting
PROVIDENCE, RI – Authorities in Providence, Rhode Island, confirmed that police have a person of interest in custody after at least two students were killed and nine others were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University. “The people of Providence...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Diagnosis: Frustration
Dr. Frank Domino feels doctors are being intimidated. The pressure, he said, is coming from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the largest health insurer in the state. Domino has a family practice in Shrewsbury. Since 2022 he has received...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Shiny new Apple computer store opens in Millbury
MILLBURY – Deb Graham had already made up her mind that the cold would not bother her on Friday, Dec. 12. Rain, snow, or sleet, it wouldn’t matter – she had to be one of the first few customers stepping through the glass doors stenciled with the Apple...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Spotlight shines on Tower Hill display
BOYLSTON – The spotlight is a little brighter at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill. The noted venue has been named the Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights display in the country by USA TODAY Co., the owner of the Telegram & Gazette. See
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Astounding results’
GRAFTON – Haley was a little nervous during her doctor’s appointment. She shivered and cowered, but her mood quickly improved. Haley had a leg amputated nearly a year ago after a diagnosis of an aggressive bone cancer called osteosarcoma and she was...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Christmas spirit of giving
WORCESTER – Thousands of gifts, from bracelet kits to basketballs, are bound for children of Central Massachusetts through the T&G Santa Fund. On Monday, Dec. 8, the United Way of Central Massachusetts, a T&G partner in the effort, took delivery of a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Water main breaks bring floods, sinkhole, detours
WORCESTER —– A water main break on Cohasset Street in the early morning hours of Monday, Dec. 8, flooded the road and caused a sinkhole to form, nearly swallowing a car, according to police. Officers were dispatched to the area of 43 Cohasset St....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
West Boylston falls in 4th straight title bid
FOXBOROUGH – The West Boylston High School football team, playing in the familiar confines of Gillette Stadium, came up short in its Super Bowl tilt with Randolph on Saturday, Dec. 6, losing 21-0. The Lions had won three straight state championships,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘We’re both national champions!’
Acouple hours after Boylston’s Lindsey Brown and her Northwestern University field hockey team beat Princeton to capture the NCAA Division 1 championship, she saw the text on her phone from good friend Hannah Murray of Worcester. h “We’re both national...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Remembering the fallen
WORCESTER – A ceremony was held to remember the six firefighters who lost their lives in the massive blaze at the Worcester Cold Storage & Warehouse on the night of Dec. 3, 1999. The gathering at the Franklin Street Fire Station marked 26 years since...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Saint-Gobain unveils new headquarters
WORCESTER – Saint-Gobain will be ringing in the new year with a fresh headquarters building for their headquarters for their abrasives business following a 15-month project that used mostly products that the company manufactures. The company’s...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Season’s first snow
The weather has been the talk of the town, as it always is when the season’s first storm makes a visit. Central Massachusetts took the forecast to heart, with many schools closing for the day and the roads being relatively clear. For adults,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Worcester readies for snow’s debut
WORCESTER – The city is gearing up for its first winter storm of the season, which could deliver up to 8 inches of snow Tuesday, Dec. 2 into Wednesday morning, Dec. 3, according to the National Weather Service. Residents can expect to see snow...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lighting up the season
With Thanksgiving and Black Friday out of the way, the Christmas theme has taken over. And it’s not just coffee concoctions we’re talking about. Homeowners have been decking the outside of their houses with holiday lights, eager to get a jump on the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
& Of loss memory
WORCESTER – Every day, often in the morning, Lois Wolobah makes the drive to Hope Cemetery to talk to her son. h She usually crosses the gates about 7:30, the time he would have been in school, had the unthinkable not happened. h Harris Wolobah would...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Food Bank CEO retires
SHREWSBURY – One of the measures of someone’s true impact is what their work colleagues say about them. In the case of Jean McMurray at the Worcester County Food Bank, the reviews are glowing. “She’s done so much. She’s definitely going to be missed...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Firefighters honored
WORCESTER – Fire departments from Worcester, Fitchburg, Marlborough, Dudley and Shrewsbury were well represented among the 170 firefighters who were honored at the 36th annual Firefighter of the Year Awards at Mechanics Hall. Doug Meehan, WCVB-TV...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Going rate’ for gifts, tips going down, study says
What insights can gifts, tips and teeth give us? While traditional indicators of the state of the economy may be things such as the monthly consumer price index, interest rates or gas prices, a financial services company has another suggestion: looking...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Recount results stand
WORCESTER – Days of recounting every single ballot cast at the Nov. 4 election ended with one dull snap of City Clerk Nikolin Vangjeli’s stamp around 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 23 inside the North High School gym. The results saw the council race lineup...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Welcome homes
WORCESTER – It was a day for lace and tulle, fancy dresses, sparkly glitter shoes and golden slippers, a day for well-pressed, snazzy suits, bow ties and fresh fade haircuts at the Worcester County Courthouse on Friday, Nov. 21, as families from across...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Just breathtaking’
Nature lover Eric Alper traveled to Iceland in May with the hopes of fulfilling a lifelong dream to see the northern lights. But because of the season and weather conditions, the attempt proved unsuccessful. “We just had really bad luck,” Alper...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Personal sacrifices
WORCESTER – The two men sitting at one of the veterans’ tables at the annual pancake breakfast hosted by Veterans Inc. in Worcester to commemorate the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, joked about their attendance, declaring their...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Salutes in stone and steel
Honoring Massachusetts residents who have served in the U.S. military never ceases to be a labor of love. Sometimes it’s a family mourning the loss of a loved one that galvanizes the community and creates a memorial that shines in their honor....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A salute to service
As Veterans Day nears, programs honoring those brave men and women who served our country in the Armed Forces have been occurring at area senior centers, including the Worcester and Northborough senior centers. Veterans Day is celebrated on Nov. 11...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘WE NEVER FORGET’
NWORCESTER – ot only is the Police Department’s Unresolved Homicide Unit on duty, the unit is diligently working to bring to justice suspected murderers who have evaded arrest for years. h Patricia Santos was 36 when she disappeared on May 19, 2009....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Away from ‘the cliff ’
WORCESTER – Kimberly Fernandez Garcia hit a rough patch. She’s a single m–other who had lost her job after an injury and didn’t know how she was going to pay her bills. Garcia needed help, and she got it from an experimental guaranteed basic income...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Underground history
PRINCETON – For many metal detectorists, the allure of literal buried treasure keeps shovels hitting the ground, but for Rutland native Mason Burke, it’s not the monetary value that calls to him. It’s the priceless history waiting to be...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Petty wins 8th term
WORCESTER – Incumbent Joseph M. Petty has won a historic eighth term as mayor. According to unofficial results from the Nov. 4 municipal election, Petty received 13,753 votes, or 54.6% of the total, compared with 8,489, or 33.7%, for his closest...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Voice of the people
WORCESTER – Bundled-up people from all walks of life converging together on a blustery day. It’s Election Day in the city. Poll workers at the dozens of voting sites throughout the city saw voters soon after the doors opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
UNSTOPPABLE
With the support of his walker and his brother’s hand wrapped around his shoulder, Deric Alicea stood on the Blackstone Valley Tech football field the afternoon of Nov. 1. h For the second straight BVT home game, Deric, who was born with cerebral...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Doherty shines bright
WORCESTER – The halls and classrooms of the new Doherty Memorial High School have been busy since the start of the school year. The broken-in feel has arrived at the new football field with the first Friday Night Football clash, with the Highlanders...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Sunday, Nov. 2, the 306th day of 2025. There are 59 days left in the year. On this date in: 1889: North Dakota became the 39th state and South Dakota the 40th. 1920: Choosing Election Day to make a splash, the Pittsburgh’s Westinghouse...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Bad Bunny 101
WORCESTER – A Clark University professor gave the skinny on Bad Bunny and the controversy of him being picked as the halftime headliner for the upcoming Super Bowl LX. “He is a contradictory figure, for sure, and these contradictions make him...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Candy forecast:
Have no fear: The forecast calls for the rain to mostly subside by the time the ghosts, goblins and would-be Drake Mayes ring the bell. Temperatures will be chilly and the wind might kick up, but the rain is expected to be in hiding by the evening of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Local SNAP recipients dread loss of benefits
WORCESTER — Forty-two million Americans won’t receive federal food assistance funds starting Nov. 1 if the government shutdown isn’t resolved by then, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That total includes more than a million...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SNAP pause a concern
Some community leaders are concerned that the Trump administration will cut off federal dollars starting Saturday, Nov. 1, to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps millions of low-income Americans pay their food bills including...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Billions of dollars on the line in Mass. travel plaza dispute
CHARLTON – Cars and trucks moved in and out of spaces in the parking lot of the Charlton travel plaza on the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike like clockwork. It was busy, even for a random Tuesday at noon. It is the busiest travel plaza on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Faces across history
WORCESTER – The women, living and passed, have all left an indelible mark on the city. Worcester native Albina Osipowich began swimming at the Boys Club before she went on to win Olympic gold in Amsterdam in 1928. Bethany Veney, born into slavery in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Signs of the times
Artist Kat Hastings with some of her political signs at the Boylston Public Library Oct. 17. The exhibit also features books selected by the librarians to complement the topic she showcased: liberty and the art of mass protest. WORCESTER — After her...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
EARS IN THE SKY
WORCESTER — A year ago, a Halloween event in Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s robotics department inspired a development that could end up saving lives. Nitin Sanket, assistant professor of robotics engineering, said that last year around Halloween,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Women’s rights event marks its 175th year
WORCESTER — On the second day of Worcester’s celebration of the 175th anniversary of the first National Women’s Rights Convention, state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell received two standing ovations as she celebrated progress made by women and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Deal to die for
WORCESTER – If you need to transport a body and are looking for a chicer alternative to the body bag, you might be in luck. After sitting in longtime collector Petunia Jade’s living room for 20 years, a 7-foot-long weaved body basket is on the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Sacred nuisance for Shrewsbury pond
SHREWSBURY – Something sacred is happening. Indian water lotus, also known as sacred lotus, is in Flint Pond, just south of Route 20 in Shrewsbury. They look like lily pads, but much bigger because they can grow several feet wide. The ones in Flint...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
STILL AT LARGE
Two years later, the whereabouts of Aaron Pennington remain a mystery. Since the quiet morning hours of Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, when a gunshot shattered the Cherry Street silence and left one woman dead and four children without a mother, Pennington,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘No Kings’ zone
A massive crowd of thousands gathered the afternoon of Oct. 18 in Institute Park for the “No Kings” rally, one of several across Worcester County and thousands across the U.S. For complete coverage, visit telegram.com.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Le BIGbird
Kevin the turkey struts onto a neighbor’s driveway in Sterling. A wild turkey fluffs himself up at its usual spot on Muddy Pond Road in Sterling. STERLING – Tucking into Thanksgiving dinner, humans may think they’ve ascended to the top of the pecking...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Trump seeking charges for more foes
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton on Oct. 16 became the third high-profile Trump critic to be criminally charged after the president repeatedly attacked him publicly. All three maintain their innocence...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
4 ‘real-life heroes’
WORCESTER – Four Worcester police officers received statewide awards for valor Oct. 15, for their roles in arresting a mentally ill man who shot at them during a lengthy standoff as well as pursuing a homicidal man who fired shots and tried carjacking...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Boo’s who
ABOVE: A West Boylston Youth Soccer scarecrow is among many decorating the West Boylston Town Common Oct. 14. Don’t be afraid. Scarecrows have made a ghostly arrival at the West Boylston Town Common. Residents and organizations came up with a range of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Club turns into hub
WORCESTER — A chain-link fence wraps around the building, while workers in hard hats step in and out of an opening near the main entrance along Ionic Avenue. A makeshift arrow pointing toward the interior leads passersby between two columns, from...
Read Full Story (Page 1)