In the News

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal toured the West Parish Treatment Center and Cobble Mountain Reservoir with Springfield Water and Sewer Executive Director Josh Schimmel and commissioners Daniel Rodriguez and Matthew Donnellan on Oct. 21 to mark “Imagine a Day Without Water,” a national day of advocacy and education about the value of water. Also on the tour was Blandford Town Administrator… Read more »

Members of Congress from New England are calling on President Joe Biden to aid families facing high home heating costs this winter by releasing stockpiles from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. In a letter to Biden dated Wednesday, House Energy and Commerce Committee members Reps. Lori Trahan of Westford and Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, and others, said the U.S. Energy… Read more »

Mount Holyoke College is launching a free program for western Massachusetts educators designed to address a crisis growing in classrooms throughout the country — teacher burnout. In working with schools and school districts around the region as well as the country, the college has heard time and again from teachers and administrators that they are struggling with a shortage of teachers… Read more »

Gov. Charlie Baker announced at an Aug. 23 press conference at Union Station his administration will prepare the necessary applications for federal aid for east-west rail in the remaining months of his tenure in office. “We will do the best job we possibly can in making the case,” he said, adding, “I actually think we are very well positioned.” He said, “While my time here is short, I… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly want to open a visa program that allows skilled Australians to work in the United States to include people from Ireland   Neal and Kelly introduced their legislation Tuesday. Neal is chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee that has jurisdiction over trade… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly want to open a visa program that allows skilled Australians to work in the United States to include people from Ireland   Neal and Kelly introduced their legislation Tuesday. Neal is chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee that has jurisdiction over trade… Read more »

A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and Congressman Mike Kelly will add Ireland to the E3 non-immigrant visa program. Since 2005, the E3 program has provided 10,500 visas to skilled Australians each year under the U.S.-Australia trade agreement. The program has proven to be… Read more »

Federal and state officials point to the long-discussed East-West Rail project in Massachusetts as part of the effort to expand passenger rail use in America. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is pledging to go “real hard” during his remaining months in office to put the East-West Passenger Rail project in line to receive funds from the federal infrastructure law. “Our goal is to… Read more »

Federal and state officials agreed Tuesday that Springfield can play an important role in the revitalization of passenger rail service in America, and Governor Charlie Baker pledged to use his remaining time in office to put the long-discussed East-West Rail expansion project in position to benefit from the new federal infrastructure law. “When I was growing up in Springfield,… Read more »

Governor Charlie Baker, state transportation leaders, and Congressman Richard Neal were on a train ride from Boston’s South Station to Union Station in Springfield Tuesday. Baker and Neal discussed what's needed to improve rail travel with Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner. Neal grew up in Springfield and said it's his goal to make the city what it used to be known as, the… Read more »