Latest news with #Healey-DriscollAdministration
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Amherst awarded state grant to protect drinking water supply
AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – The Town of Amherst has secured a $218,820 state grant aimed at safeguarding its drinking water supply through the acquisition of critical watershed land in neighboring Pelham. The funding is part of a larger initiative by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, which recently announced over $1 million in grants to support drinking water protection efforts in five Massachusetts municipalities. The grants are distributed through the Drinking Water Supply Protection (DWSP) Grant Program, administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Amherst plans to use its share of the funding to acquire more than 50 acres of wooded land in Pelham, adjacent to existing Watershed Protection Land managed by the town. The targeted area lies within Zone A, a high-priority surface water protection zone that contributes directly to the Pelham Reservoir System, which supplies roughly one-third of Amherst's public drinking water. Elizabeth Willson, Environmental Scientist for the Amherst Department of Public Works, emphasized the significance of the acquisition. 'We're very excited to receive this DWSP state grant, which will help us add an important piece of the puzzle to our protection of the Pelham Reservoir system watershed,' she said. Town Manager Paul Bockelman also praised the grant as a vital investment in the community's future. 'I thank the State and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for this grant, which is a critical step forward in protecting our community's most valuable resource—our drinking water,' he said. 'By securing this land, we are proactively ensuring the safety, quality, and sustainability of our water supply for generations to come.' The DWSP grant program, established in 2004, enables municipalities, water departments, and fire districts to purchase land or secure conservation easements for the express purpose of drinking water protection. Properties acquired under the program are permanently protected under Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution, ensuring the land remains dedicated to conservation and water resource protection. The grant to Amherst reinforces the town's long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable infrastructure as it continues 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.
Boston Globe
16-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Mass. jobless rate climbs again amid lackluster hiring
Massachusetts employers added 7,700 jobs last month. The gain was led by three sectors: trade, transportation, and utilities; construction; and education and health services. That followed an increase of 2,800 jobs in March, which was revised lower from 4,400 jobs. Advertisement Even with last month's improvement, local hiring has lagged behind the country overall. Over the past year, Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Massachusetts nonfarm payrolls. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Larry Edelman The combination of more residents looking for work — the ranks of job-hunters increased by 7,800 last month — and lackluster job creation is pushing up the unemployment rate. The mismatch could worsen if President Trump's tariff war slows economic growth or triggers a recession. 'As Massachusetts' labor market continues to grow, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is focused on connecting jobseekers to training opportunities that will drive employment and connecting employers to skilled talent looking for their next career move,' Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones said in a statement. Advertisement The administration this week said it would allocate $6.8 million to train and hire more than 1,100 workers in health care, life sciences, technology, construction, and other industries statewide, and $22 million to hire over 6,500 youth and young adults for summer and year-round employment. Larry Edelman can be reached at
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor Healey announces Executive Branch hiring freeze amid economic uncertainty
Governor Maura Healey announced Wednesday that a hiring freeze will be implemented across the Executive Branch in response to growing economic uncertainty and a tightening budget outlook for Fiscal Year 2026. The hiring freeze, which will take effect May 27, is a proactive measure by the Healey-Driscoll Administration aimed at managing state spending ahead of the new fiscal year. 'The people of Massachusetts expect us to protect and maximize their tax dollars, and that's exactly what we're doing,' said Governor Healey. 'Tariffs and funding cuts from Washington are causing so much economic damage and instability. We are taking this step to prepare for more uncertain economic times, protect taxpayer dollars, and move our state forward while ensuring funding will be available for the vital services people need,' Healey added. The hiring controls will apply to all Executive Branch agencies and departments. During the freeze, no new employees may be hired, and there will be no formal waiver process. 'Challenging fiscal times require tough choices at all levels of government. I know this firsthand from my time as a mayor and now Lieutenant Governor,' said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. 'It's also important to be prepared when you see clouds gathering. Our administration deeply appreciates the work our public employees perform on a daily basis, and while we don't take this step lightly, we believe it's necessary to ensure we can all continue that critical work moving forward.' According to the administration, hiring restrictions are just one of several tools being deployed to preserve state investments in essential services and safety net programs. The administration plans to reassess the policy once the FY26 General Appropriations Act is signed and implementation is underway. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eversource plans heft monthly charge for customers who opt out of smart meter
After a long, cold winter that resulted in sky-high energy bills for many Massachusetts residents, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced it is filing a comprehensive energy bill that will save ratepayers $10 billion over 10 years. Governor Maura Healey announced The Energy Affordability, Independence & Innovation Act at a press conference held at Leominster's Veterans Services building. The Governor said key reforms include eliminating and reducing certain electrical bill charges, furthering accountability for utilities on billing and reducing barriers to 'cutting edge nuclear technologies.' What's that charge for? We're breaking down your utility bills At the same time, Eversource announced it will begin rolling out Smart Meters this summer. Those meters will replace induction devices, which measure electricity use by the speed of a metal wheel that responds to differences in amperage. Induction meters have been in use for more than 130 years and are still considered a cheap and effective way to monitor energy consumption. One drawback to the meters: they have to be physically read. The new Smart Meters will use Wi-Fi to remotely transmit energy usage information in real time. Other advantages include the automatic relay of outage information and more accurate billing. Massachusetts is late to the game with Smart Meters, with many states adopting their use in recent years. 'All across the country people have already rolled out these meters and people are really enjoying them and understanding they can help them save money on their electric bills,' said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper. 'I think people will really be able to save money on their bills by being able to have better control over their electric use and when they use it.' But critics of Smart Meters warn that with their reliance on Wi-Fi, the devices are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats that could result in the stealing of an enormous amount of personal data. And the roll-out is costly. Eversource, which services nearly 1.5 million Massachusetts electric customers, plans to recoup cost of installing the SmartMeters over a period of about six years. Customers have already begun paying for the new technology, in fact, at a rate of about $1.75 a month. That amount could rise as the replacement program gets underway — but a source tells Boston 25 News the charges will remain below $5 a month. Customers who don't want the remote technology can opt out. But manual reading will cost $34 a month, Eversource said — and the utility will charge a one-time service fee of $42. 'All across the country we're using these devices without any problems,' said Tepper. 'And to the extent that there are any issues we're going to address them.' Dave Keating of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) said issues are inevitable because Eversource is not using licensed electricians to install the Smart Meters. 'A lot of these homes are old and the meter sockets worn,' Keating said. 'If you just pop them out, there's a very good chance of them breaking, sparking, arcing.' Keating said that could result in a fire. But Eversource tells Boston 25 News that because no wires are involved in the installation of the Smart Meters, licensed electricians are not needed. However, the company said it will employ licensed electricians in the event technicians run into situations in which wires are involved. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Westfield DPW gets state grant
WESTFIELD — The city's DPW was one of 67 municipalities across the state that was recently awarded a state grant to fund its sewer asset management project as part of the city's ongoing effort to maintain its clean and safe drinking water. 'This will help us with compiling all the assets of the sewer department and tracking things like the maintenance of the wastewater department's equipment,' said DPW Interim Director Francis Cain about the $78,483 state grant. The city requested 130,805 to fund the entire project from the State's Revolving Fund, which provided the grant. He said the city will cover the remaining $25,320 with a combination cash or in-kind services. That tracking, Cain said, involves creating an inventory of every hard asset of the city's sewer and wastewater divisions. And that includes everything from manhole covers to computer systems and equipment at the city's wastewater treatment plant to sewer lines. Every single piece of the city's wastewater infrastructure has a maintenance schedule and with tens of thousands of pieces of it, there is simply no way to track it all without having an asset management plan, Cain said. And that includes the city's 6.1 million gallon per day wastewater facility, 17 sewage pumping facilities, and the Williams Riding Way Flood Control Pump Station that protects the city's water quality and prevents pollution by treating the waste of the city's more than 8,000 wastewater customers that averages 150,000 gallons of sewage each day. In fact, he said, one of the recommendations included in a recent assessment of DPW operations by an outside consultant was to have the department's database administrator to be 'reclassified to Asset Management Administrator to more accurately reflect the leadership capacity responsibilities and duties related to each division's operations plans and preventive maintenance activities required for asset management serving the whole department,' according to the report. The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced the grants earlier this week 'Our administration is committed to delivering support for our communities to make sure Massachusetts continues to have the cleanest drinking water in the country,' said Gov. Maura Healey said. 'These funds help cities and towns upgrade wastewater and drinking water infrastructure at an affordable cost, while ensuring residents across the state have access to safe and clean water.' This year, the Clean Water SRF provides $885.8 million in financing for clean water projects across Massachusetts. Approximately $480 million will finance 26 new construction projects and $377 million will be allocated towards financing 10 previously approved multi-year projects. Additionally, $3 million has been allocated to the emergency set-aside account, $5 million will be directed to the Community Septic Management Program to remediate failed septic systems in participating communities, and $15 million has been set-aside to finance planning and PFAS design projects.
