Latest news with #BudWilliams
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Springfield to honor Malcom X's legacy and impact with new mural
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A new mural will be unveiled in the city of Springfield this weekend. Springfield Pride Parade Committee expands Pride festivities to support the youth The mural will honor the late Malcolm X, and will be unveiled at the mosque that the civil rights leader himself opened on Oak Street in the year 1958. This mural is part of an ongoing effort from city organizers to honor and celebrate the impact that black leaders have had in their community. The event will begin on Saturday, June 7th, at noon and will be hosted by Representative Bud Williams and Muralist Richard Johnson. 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Should you still keep the heat on? It's the law for some Mass. residents
Should you keep the heat on in May? The weather doesn't dictate when the heat turns off for some renters in Massachusetts. Instead, some landlords are required to keep the heat going — even if the weather outside is 80 degrees. For many apartments without window units, especially apartments in Western and Central Massachusetts, landlords have to switch between running heat or air conditioning for the entire building. When to change over to A/C is based on a specific date. 'If you're living in a large building or even a semi-large building with an HVAC system, it's not always easy to switch between cooling and heat,' Ethan Masscoop, a clinical instructor in environmental health at Boston University, told GBH. Heating season is finally coming to an end though. The final day to keep the heat on in Massachusetts is May 31. Although, the local boards of health can decide to change the date of heating season, instead ending on May 15. Heat will then turn back on starting Sept. 15. 'That means officially we have three months of spring, summer, and fall in Massachusetts,' Mass Landlords, a non-profit for owners and managers of Massachusetts residential real estate, states on its website. 'The rest is legally considered the dead of winter!' Prior to April 2023, heating season lasted until June 15, meaning landlords couldn't turn on air conditioning until then. Mass Landlords said they worked to change the date 'in response to climate change.' Representative Bud Williams previously told Western Mass. News he hopes one day every tenant will have their own A/C unit. 'I understand the frustration,' Williams told the news outlet. 'When you're in those apartments and it gets to 90 and you're there, doesn't matter if it's for one day or two days and you have to live through it and bear through, it's almost unbearable.' Mass. State Lottery winner: $100K prize claimed in $2 game; one grand prize remains Legendary rock guitarist, Grammy-winning producer dies at 77 Man officials say fired stolen gun outside Boston hospital to face charges Mass. weather: Rain, thunderstorms return after sunny day Wednesday 2 lost hikers found in Mass. using cell phone tracking software Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Western Mass. lawmakers and mothers fight for support for survivors of homicide victims
BOSTON (WWLP) – A western Massachusetts lawmaker is pushing for a bill focused on the backlog of unsolved homicides in Massachusetts, and he held an event elevating the voices of survivors of homicide victims. Over the past 20 years, over half of all homicides in Massachusetts have remained unsolved. Representative Bud Williams is spearheading the campaign to reduce the unsolved homicide backlog by creating a task force under the attorney general's office. This task force will seek to create a petition process to reopen cases, form a statewide, centralized tip line, and create a searchable public database of these unsolved crimes. At Monday's 'Survivors on the Hill' event, Williams noted that black homicide victims' cases are twice as likely to remain unsolved as their white counterparts. 'That's embarrassing,' said Williams. 'This system should work for everyone. Each and every one of us.' Many survivors of homicide victims at the event were mothers from Springfield, as the city has one of the highest homicide rates in the state. One mother spoke to the emotional turmoil that comes with an unsolved case. 'If I can't have my son back, I at least want it to be solved. I don't want no one else's family to have to go through this,' said Relonda Ballard, a Springfield mother who lost her son David to gun violence on Union Street in 2021. Advocates are also working towards paid leave in the aftermath of homicide for the victims' family members and enhanced survivor rights. This bill will be eligible to pass through the end of this legislative session in 2026, but advocates and lawmakers alike say it is crucial to get the task force up and running as soon as possible. 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.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Springfield kicks off Black Maternal Health Week with 3rd annual celebration at City Hall
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Massachusetts state and local officials filled city hall with deep emotions as they talked about their connection to supporting Black mothers, birthing people and families. If they don't say something, they told 22News, it doesn't help anyone. They're hoping others do the same. This year, communities across the U.S are Healing Legacies: Strengthening Black Maternal Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy. That's the 2025 theme for celebrating Black Maternal Health Week. 'It is such a critical time, especially in our country right now, where we all need to collectively come together to advocate for the most vulnerable in our communities,' said Shenell Ford, Springfield Mayoral Aid. Studies show that black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues compared to white women. Therefore Massachusetts officials are applying their voices. 'We looked at 10 years of public testimonies from black and brown women and folks in the healthcare industry and found out one of the real sticking points was midwives. In Massachusetts not like many other states, you had to be a licensed nurse in order to be a midwife. We worked on that eight to ten years, we finally got the policy changed, 'Rep. Bud Williams, (d) 11th Hampden. The 2024 maternal health bill allowed midwives to get trained through midwifery schools and apprenticeships. It also expanded access to more birth centers, doula services, and an established Board of Registration in Midwifery. Right now, 2 new initiatives are in the works: Breastfeeding Beyond The Call and Divine Nourishment. Those are to support first responders and black breastfeeding. But advocates said the movement shouldn't stop there. 'Continue to use your voice, It starts at home,' said Ford. The next upcoming event is Expanding Maternal Health Access. That will be on April 14th at Educare in Springfield. You must register by calling the mayor's office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
