New project to separate Holyoke sewage overflow into Connecticut River
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia will announce a new project to separate the city's sewage system.
It would fix an issue that several cities and towns in our area have, the overflow of untreated sewage water into the Connecticut River when it rains. City leaders will hold a news conference Monday morning to discuss the project.
Over 6 million gallons of Holyoke wastewater discharged into Connecticut River
They say it's being funded by millions of dollars in both state and federal environmental grants.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mass. education secretary addresses graduation policy changes in Holyoke
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – Earning a high school diploma in Massachusetts looks a lot different now. This comes in response to ballot question number 2, part of November 5th's state election. Healey calls for Job Corps reopening Patrick Tutwiler, The Massachusetts Secretary of Education, was in Holyoke on Thursday. He heard out the concerns from educators and parents on the new graduation requirements. The graduating classes of 2026 and 2027 will be required to complete specific courses to receive a diploma. 'What we're doing now is taking the input, researching to understand how we want to shift and sort of reform the high school experience, and in the form of graduation requirements,' Tutwiler states. Students are still required to take the MCAS exam. However, their scores will not be used as a requirement to graduate. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Business Journals
5 hours ago
- Business Journals
How tariffs are impacting communications between brands and buyers
NBC recently reported that up to 75% of S&P 500 companies anticipate being impacted by tariffs, as indicated in their earnings. Some brands, such as Walmart, have cautioned consumers to expect price increases, sparking a public back-and-forth with President Donald Trump. This has many brands asking: Is it wise to discuss the cost of business and our response to tariffs, or should we stay silent and hope to fly under the radar? Although brands may not always have an obligation to be fully transparent with their buyers, they still need to nurture customer loyalty. Proactive, honest communication goes a long way in building strong relationships, but today, communication strategies also need to be weighed against potential backlash. Clear, transparent and empathetic messaging can help buyers — both B2C and B2B — understand the necessity behind price changes and preserve brand loyalty. To communicate changes due to tariffs with clarity and care while mitigating potential pushback, consider these best practices. 1. Explain the 'why' in simple terms Buyers often lack knowledge about the origin of a product's components and their impact on the final cost. Communicate in simple terms, avoiding financial jargon, to educate buyers without overwhelming them and make the reasoning easier to understand. 2. Emphasize efforts made to avoid price changes If your brand has taken steps to minimize price impacts — such as negotiating with suppliers, absorbing costs, or improving efficiency — be sure to communicate these efforts. It's essential to note that price increases were your company's last resort to maintain the business, not its first. 3. Show empathy and appreciation Even when price increases are justified, customers are likely to still feel frustrated. Acknowledge this reality and express gratitude for their continued support of your brand. Offer incentives such as limited-time promotions, loyalty rewards or subscription discounts. These actions may provide value that outweighs any small price increases, and the gesture shows that you value the customer relationship more than just the transaction. 4. Personalize the message based on the channel The tone and format of communication should align with the platform and audience. Blogs or emails can provide greater detail and context, while social media posts can be brief, empathetic and encourage dialogue. If getting customer feedback before implementing price changes is an option, this can also inform your communications across multiple channels. 5. Focus on quality and value, not just price products. Tariffs could force some brands to produce lower-quality products while maintaining the same price, but buyers need to understand if these changes reduce the product lifespan, warranty or other factors. If environmental impacts are hallmarks of your brand, be sure to include them in your messaging, as 80% of consumers are willing to pay a higher cost for sustainable goods. 6. Maintain open channels for feedback customers to share comments and questions on select communication channels. This open dialogue can provide valuable insights into how customers perceive pricing, the risk of customer attrition, and other key factors. Apply these learnings to determine the best channel and language moving forward to help safeguard relationships. 7. Avoid politicizing the tariff issue To protect your brand from backlash, avoid laying blame or naming names. Political, economic and regulatory changes are part of everyday business. Focus business changes within that lens and refrain from creating division among your customers and other stakeholders. 8. Have a crisis response plan Some brands' actions or responses to tariffs have landed them squarely in the sights (and on the social media channels) of government leaders. Changing course or backing down on an issue can be as problematic as standing your ground. It's essential to have a crisis communications partner on standby to help monitor buyer behaviors and conversations and to help guide you through critical issues. Brands that are approaching the complexity of the tariff issue with transparency and empathy are more likely to maintain long-term trust with their customers. During times of disruption, focus on the quality and value of your products, develop clear and effective communication, and be prepared for any backlash. If you'd like to learn more about navigating economic uncertainty with effective communications strategies, connect with us. Padilla is a full-service agency that transforms brands and organizations through strategically creative communications. Our work across a range of industry sectors is consistently recognized by the PRWeek Awards, PRovoke IN2 SABRE Awards and PRSA Anvil Awards, among others. Padilla operates in seven cities in the U.S. through its family of brands, which includes SHIFT (performance communications), FoodMinds (food and nutrition affairs) and Joe Smith (brand strategy). As an AVENIR GLOBAL company and a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, the agency provides services to clients through 115 offices worldwide. Transform with purpose at Amy Fisher is a senior vice president of technology at Padilla, a communications agency that helps brands and organizations transform by inspiring people and driving action.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump and Epstein: the history of their messy friendship
Resting his hand on Jeffrey Epstein's shoulder, Donald Trump smiled as he posed for a photograph with his old friend in Palm Beach in 1997. At the time, the pair, who moved in the same wealthy social circles and bonded over their love of beautiful women, had been friends for years. Eleven years later, Epstein was a convicted paedophile. Eleven years after that, he killed himself while in prison awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. Ever since Epstein's crimes first came to light, the internet has been filled with conspiracy theories about Mr Trump's relationship with the sex offender. Now Elon Musk's bombshell accusation that Mr Trump is named in the Epstein files has put the president's old relationship with the paedophile under renewed scrutiny. Mr Trump is yet to comment on the allegation. Mr Trump and Epstein's friendship stretched back decades. The two wealthy businessmen would fly from New York to Palm Beach together. They would party at Mar-a-Lago Club and dine together at Epstein's Manhattan mansion. 'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy', Mr Trump told New York magazine in 2002. 'He's a lot of fun to be with,' Mr Trump said. 'It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,' he added. In a clip from the NBC archives of the two men at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in 1992 they can be seen pointing out women on the dance floor. Credit: NBC That year, Mr Trump is said to have hosted a 'calendar girl' competition, which George Houraney, a Florida-based businessman, had organised at Mr Trump's request. Mr Houraney said he arranged for 28 girls to fly in, but later discovered the only other attendees would be Mr Trump and Epstein. 'I said, 'Donald, this is supposed to be a party with VIPs. You're telling me it's you and Epstein?'', he told the New York Times. Epstein also attended an event at Mar-a-Lago in 2000 with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for grooming teenage girls to be abused by Epstein. Mr Trump and Epstein's relationship took a turn, however. They are said to have become rivals in 2004, each going up against each other to buy up Palm Beach properties, but the reason for their falling out is not fully understood. After Epstein's arrest, Mr Trump distanced himself from the sex offender. 'I was not a fan,' he told reporters in July 2019. 'I had a falling out with him a long time ago.' On Maxwell's arrest in 2020, his words were warmer. 'I haven't really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly,' he said at the time. 'I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is,' he added. In 2022 Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison after she was found guilty of sex trafficking. She was accused of conspiring with Epstein to set up a scheme to lure young girls into sexual relationships with Epstein from 1994 to 2004 in New York, Florida, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands. But despite distancing himself from the sex offender, Mr Trump's name came up at Maxwell's 2021 trial, when a woman testifying under the pseudonym Jane said Epstein took her to meet Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort when she was 14. She did not allege any improper behaviour from Mr Trump. Mr Trump insisted he had never been on Epstein's plane or private island, but flight logs released during the trial suggested the US president flew on the plane seven times. According to the logs, on at least one of the trips between New York and Florida, Mr Trump was accompanied by his former wife Marla Maples and their daughter Tiffany. Another log listed his son Eric as a passenger. Other notable passengers on Epstein's plane included former President Bill Clinton, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Prince Andrew and actor Kevin Spacey. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an Epstein victim who killed herself last month, claimed she was working at Mar-a-Lago as a locker room attendant when she was 'recruited' by Maxwell. There were no new revelations about Mr Trump's relationship with Epstein in the files released by the Biden administration. But last year Stacey Williams, a former Sports Illustrated model who dated Epstein, told The Guardian the financier had taken her to Mr Trump's Fifth Avenue penthouse in 1993 and encouraged Mr Trump to grope her in a 'twisted game'. Mr Trump denied the allegations. Weeks later Michael Wolff released tapes of Epstein describing himself as 'Donald's closest friend for 10 years'. Mr Wolff, who has written several books about Mr Trump, said the recordings were from 2017 when he was having a discussion about writing Epstein's biography. Karoline Leavitt, who was the Trump campaign national press secretary, accused Mr Wolff of 'outlandish false smears' and engaging in 'blatant election interference on behalf of Kamala Harris'. Mr Musk's bombshell claim was part of a spectacular war of words between the world's most powerful men, with the president claiming the Tesla boss has 'Trump derangement syndrome', and Mr Musk insisting Mr Trump only won the election because of him. Earlier in the day Mr Trump told reporters during a sit-down with Friedrich Merz, Germany's new chancellor: 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore.' In February, Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, pledged to release all of the information the government holds on Epstein, which have come to be known as the Epstein files. She invited a select group of pro-Maga influencers to the White House where they were handed binders containing what she said was 'Phase One' of the full document release. However, the 200-page document contained only phone-book contacts and flight logs, most of which have been available since 2015. No date has been set for releasing the remaining files. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.