Community In Massachusetts Pours One Out For Popular Local 'Can Man Joe' Community In Massachusetts Pours One Out For Popular Local 'Can Man Joe'
Community In Massachusetts Pours One Out For Popular Local 'Can Man Joe' Joseph Bottis, better known as “Can Man Joe," had a big reputation in his community in Worcester County.  The 39-year-old from Webster spent his days collecting cans and talking with the local community, according to his obituary.   "Joe loved Webster very much," his brother Jacob Luckhart said in a GoFundMe campaign. "Even while he was homeless, he did his part to care for and clean up the community."  Joe also struggled with bipolar depression and "fell into trouble from time to time," Luckhart said. Unfortunately, Joe was found dead outside the Webster Commons P…
Authorities ID Man Found Dead Outside Central Mass Shopping Plaza Authorities ID Man Found Dead Outside Central Mass Shopping Plaza
Authorities ID Man Found Dead Outside Central Mass Shopping Plaza Authorities have identified the man found dead outside a shopping plaza in Webster as 39-year-old Joseph Bottis, according to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office Bottis was found at the Webster Commons Plaza around 2:45 a.m. on Friday, June 17, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police closed a significant area per the investigation including several businesses Planet Fitness, Big Lots, Aubochon Hardware, The Salvation Army, Papa Gino's, and Rent A Center. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was said to be conducting an …
Death Investigation Underway In Central Mass (DETAILS) Death Investigation Underway In Central Mass (DETAILS)
Death Investigation Underway In Central Mass (Details) Multiple police departments are investigating after a body was found in at a shopping plaza in Webster, authorities said. The investigation was launched after the body of a man, believed to be in his 30s, was found at the Webster Commons Plaza around 2:45 a.m. on Friday, June 17, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police closed a significant area per the investigation including several businesses Planet Fitness, Big Lots, Aubochon Hardware, The Salvation Army, Papa Gino's, and Rent A Center. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner …
How Much Snow Did You Get? A Look At Totals Throughout Region How Much Snow Did You Get? A Look At Totals Throughout Region
How Much Snow Did You Get? A Look At Totals Throughout Region Much of the region saw the first significant snowfall of the season from a fast-moving winter storm that swept through the region overnight Thursday, Jan. 6 into Friday, Jan. 7. Here are some totals from the National Weather Service and other reports. If you don't see your hometown, leave the total by posting a comment below. New York New York City Central Park, 5.5 inches Nassau County East Williston, 8 inches Elmont, 6.6 inches Jericho, 7.1 inches Massapequa, 7 inches Syosset, 8.3 inches Suffolk County Islip Airport, 5.6 inches Manorville, 6 i…
Local Meal-Delivery Service Dad's Keto Kitchen Gets Rave Reviews For Flavorful, Healthy Food Local Meal-Delivery Service Dad's Keto Kitchen Gets Rave Reviews For Flavorful, Healthy Food
Local Meal-Delivery Service Dad's Keto Kitchen Gets Rave Reviews For Flavorful, Healthy Food A home-based “keto bakery” has moved into a professional kitchen and started a meal and baked goods delivery service specializing in healthy foods that fall within the scope of a high-protein, low-sugar diet — in fact, it is 100 percent sugar-free. Dad’s Keto Kitchen in Oxford is a delivery-only service for Southern Worcester County that is similar to other meal-box subscription plans. The menu is based on the “ketogenic” diet which seeks to reduce inflammation and unnecessary weight gain through proper food selection. The menu is high-protein and low-carb with no gluten and reduced sugar.…
Man With History Of Assaulting Police Arrested On 16 Charges - Including A&B On An Officer Man With History Of Assaulting Police Arrested On 16 Charges - Including A&B On An Officer
Man With History Of Assaulting Police Arrested On 16 Charges - Including A&B On An Officer A 34-year-old man with a history of fighting police officers was recently arrested on 16 charges after allegedly stealing a snowblower, ramming a van into a snowbank, hiding from the police, and attempting to steal a cop’s weapon. The scuffle between officer and suspect took place on Saturday, March 6, as police attempted to break up an alleged burglary. On Saturday around 6:15 p.m. police officers were dispatched to the Goldthwaite Road area in Worcester for a report of two men attempting to steal a snowblower from an apartment building’s shed, police said. When they arrived on the scene…
COVID-19: Two 'Red' Central Mass Cities At High Risk, Town-By-Town Trends, Rates COVID-19: Two 'Red' Central Mass Cities At High Risk, Town-By-Town Trends, Rates
Covid-19: Two 'Red' Central Mass Cities At High Risk, Town-By-Town Trends, Rates Keeping with the trend of declining COVID-19 infections, Central Massachusetts has only 2 “red” communities - cities and towns with the highest risk of virus transmission. On Thursday, March 4, Massachusetts unveiled its latest weekly update on COVID-19 incidents by the municipality. Red communities in Central Massachusetts for the week of March 4 are: Blackstone, 26.1 new incidents per 100,000 people, And Clinton, 29,9. Both communities experienced increases in COVID-19 incidents, according to state data. Statewide, the average daily incident rate was 21.3 new cases per 100,000 people…
Webster Cafe Earns Praise For Fresh Menu And Home-Like Vibe Webster Cafe Earns Praise For Fresh Menu And Home-Like Vibe
Webster Cafe Earns Praise For Fresh Menu And Home-Like Vibe At the corner of East Main and Prospect streets, in a little brick building, The Rose Room Cafe is brewing up some serious praise from the community. The Rose Room opened in 2019 and specializes in locally-sourced breakfast, lunch, and baked goods a well as coffee, craft sodas, tonics, and teas. The restaurant is the fulfillment of a longstanding dream of the owners, Bill and Jess Sabine. The duo has 30 years of experience in the foodservice industry. It’s only been open for a few years, but The Rose Room has already attracted a plethora of dedicated diners who keep coming back for the f…
COVID-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates COVID-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates
Covid-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates Two local school districts experienced COVID-19 flare-ups over the last week, according to the most recent state data. On Thursday, Jan. 28, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released how many COVID-19 incidents were reported by students and staff from Jan. 21-27. Most of the Central and Western Massachusetts, as well as the Berkshires, had school districts where no COVID-19 incidents were reported that week. However, Shrewsbury and Hampden-Wilbraham school districts each reported 12-15 students and faculty that had become il…
COVID-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map COVID-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map
Covid-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map A new map of where you can get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Massachusetts shows 20 locations in Central and Western Massachusetts. If you’re eligible to get a vaccine, Mass.gov has created an interactive map of vaccination sites you can use to learn more about the facilities and how to book appointments.  It appears that most people live within 10-12 miles of a vaccination center, but for the more far-flung communities, including North Adams and Sutton, the trek could be 20 miles or more. The closest vaccination center to Williamstown, which is located in the most northwest…
Behind The Data: Meet The Local People Who Died From COVID-19 Behind The Data: Meet The Local People Who Died From COVID-19
Behind The Data: Meet The Local People Who Died From Covid-19 COVID-19 reporting can focus on numbers and trends, but there are local people behind those data points - including the cofounder of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts, a marine who fought at Okinawa, and a lifelong newsman. The following is a closer look at the victims behind the numbers - the local people who lost their lives too early to COVID-19 in January 2021. As COVID-19 surges across Massachusetts and the vaccine slowly rolls out, virus-related deaths persist. As of Tuesday, Jan. 19, about 13,700 people in Massachusetts had died since the start of the pandemic in winter 2…
Small Town's Crack Down On New Year's Drunk Driving Leads To 3 Arrests Small Town's Crack Down On New Year's Drunk Driving Leads To 3 Arrests
Small Town's Crack Down On New Year's Drunk Driving Leads To 3 Arrests Police in a small Central Massachusetts town cracked down on drunk or drugged driving on New Year’s making 3 OUI arrests between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. In a town of 11,000 people, Dudley Police responded to three reports of “erratic operation” on New Year’s Eve/Day.  The first was on Dec. 31, at around 11 a.m., police went to Oxford Avenue where they saw a vehicle allegedly driving on the wrong side of Chase Avenue, police said. Police conducted a traffic stop and then arrested the driver Kerri Larson, 47, of Webster, on the charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of li…