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It's opening day for The Big E and while anticipation is in the air, there is growing tension over how you’ll actually get to the gate. The fair's CEO said he's is extremely skeptical of the new road layout and questions why the state would cut lanes for one of the biggest events in the country. The state has put Memorial Avenue on a “road diet”, cutting one lane each direction to make room for bike paths. 

The Big E opens today....but it was a we ago today that marked 25 years since the tragedies of 9/11. Now a massive piece of history set to debut at the Big E today, the "9/11 Never Forget" mobile museum. It’s an 83-foot trailer that transforms into a tribute to the heroes we lost and the families still being supported to this day. 

Thousands of Blue Cross Blue Shield employees across Massachusetts took part in the company’s 16th annual Service Day yesterday, swapping their desks for community volunteer projects. A team of local employees spent the day assisting with revitalization projects at the Greater Holyoke YMCA.

Maybe you know someone who might like to pick up this extra work...Springfield is looking for more than 100 snowplow contractors for the upcoming winter season and is offering financial incentives for those who sign up early. Base hourly rates have increased by 10 to 20 percent from last year, and performance bonuses are available

A $2.6 million project has begun to restore the historic Old First Church in Downtown Springfield. Stabilization work has begun on the interior and exterior of the building. Built in 1819 at Court Square, the landmark stands as the oldest building in the city’s downtown area.

Applications are now open in Springfield for the Community Choice Power Supply Program, an initiative that offers stable electricity rates for those living in Springfield. It's an alternative to standard Eversource rates, and savings are an average of $17 a month

Springfield Public Schools has proposed some schedule changes in the aftermath of the cyber attack. They're proposing two additional full school days before Christmas, on the 18th and 21st, and January 4th and 5th as full days after the New Year. Those 4 days would make up for the days students missed during the attack. They're hoping to save days on the back end of the school year, in anticipation of snow

Big changes are coming to Holyoke’s K-Mart Plaza as the long-abandoned building will soon see new business. The plans are to bring a Walmart Supercenter to the site. After six years of sitting lifeless, neighbors are excited the property will be used again. The timeline for when the construction would be completed is still unclear.

A cyber security expert is warning Springfield teachers and faculty to watch for a second wave of attacks. This would come in the form of the hackers selling their social security numbers on the dark web, to criminals who want to use them for identity theft. Attacks could also be emails or texts that look like they’re from the school district or a credit monitoring service but are actually traps, and recommended staff freeze their credit right away

In light of National Recovery Month, Valor Peer Recovery Center in Springfield is celebrating hope and community for individuals on the road to recovery from addiction and substance use. The center on Worthing Street provides resources including health insurance guidance, housing support, recovery coaching and treatment programs, to 1200-1500 people every month

Enfield's neighborhood watch community just celebrated 204 years or protecting the Enfield community. Founded in 1823, the organization predates the Enfield Police Department by 80 years. Originally formed to organize local citizens to chase horse thieves, society members believe the group is the oldest neighborhood watch organization in the United States.

If you’re trying to figure out how you’re getting to the The Big E, which starts tomorrow, here’s another option for you. The PVTA is making it easier and cheaper to get to the fair, providing a free shuttle straight to the fairgrounds. The Big E Express will run from Bay 14 at Union Station in downtown Springfield, directly to gate one at The Big E, from 1pm to 9pm on weekdays, and 10am to 10pm on weekends

Yesterday afternoon the FBI confirmed to Springfield Public Schools that strict district data had been breached. Originally, officials thought data was just blocked. The breached information could include social security numbers for staff, though that is not confirmed. It is not common practice for the district to include student social security information in student data files. Free credit monitoring services will be available to all district personnel

On a positive note, more air conditioning is coming to Springfield schools. Freedman Elementary is one of the schools getting an A/C upgrade in addition to Glickman, Glenwood, and Dorman elementary schools. On extremely hot days in the past, the district has had to issue early dismissals to keep kids healthy and safe. According to Mayor Sarno, 30 of the 71 schools in the district were without A/C when they began this intitiative, and now only a handful remain

Springield did give an update to where things are at with the attack...Essential services, including phone lines, student bus routes and medical information, have been restored. Students and teachers continue to have limited access to school-issued laptops as recovery efforts continue. Mayor Sarno previously said the city would not negotiate with cyber attackers and that school funds would remain with the district.

Three brand new rides and attractions are coming to the Big E as well as one ride returning after a decade away. Alpine Bobs is the name of the returning ride, that features a circular track, with a portion running in reverse. The Big E is set to kick off this Friday

Maybe you saw the fire trucks responding to a hazmat call yesterday at Smithfield Packaged Meats on Carando Drive. A 5-gallon pail of ether and acid began fuming around 6:30 in the morning. No one was injured and emergency services say there was no hazard to the local community.

Heavy rainfall continuing to trigger combined sewage overflows into the Connecticut River has led to calls for action in Agawam, where people are raising concerns over environmental pollution and declining quality of life. Although several cities and towns along the river report they are working on solutions, people are noticing declining riverfront conditions

Performance Foodservice in Springfield was officially designated as a Purple Heart Business yesterday afternoon, becoming the first company in western Massachusetts to receive the award. The food supplier received was recognized for its dedication to supporting military families and veterans.

A cornhole tournament in Westfield raised money for this year’s Special Olympics over the weekend. For the last five years, the event has brought people together to support the Hampshire Eagles, as they prepare to compete in the Special Olympics. Over $3,200 was raised this past weekend

Baystate health has launched a new weapon detection program. The new technology scans people as they walk in without slowing down the flow of foot traffic. The rollout began yesterday morning at Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer and the system now heads to the emergency department at Baystate Medical Center for a test run as part of a two-phase plan.

Over 130 kids are learning life skills at the West Springfield Boys & Girls club. As part of National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day yesterday, the got hands-on cooking experience and learned kitchen safety basics. It was designed to spark an early interest in cooking and equip youth with practical meal prep skills they can use at home.

Pioneer Valley Regional School District is taking a big step to cut screen time for students, and we'll see if any other schools in Western MA or Northern CT follow suit. Starting January 2027, the district will remove student laptops and tablets from preschool through second grade classrooms while also working to reduce device use in grades 3-12.

Springfield Public Schools are set to reopen today after a nine-day shutdown caused by a cyberattack. Teachers returned to classrooms Friday to prepare a tech-free classroom for students. Counselors are expected to be available for any student or faculty member. The district’s information technology crews are still working to restore systems

This weekend was a been a busy one so far in Springfield. Of course the Puerto Rican Parade was yesterday despite the rain. And on Saturday the Ride to Remember hosted its biggest year yet. The 75-mile charity ride got started as a tribute ride to fallen Springfield Police officer Kevin Ambrose, and has grown from 150 riders to 500. This year’s ride was in honor of those who responded during 9/11

Milling and paving on Sumner Avenue is expected to impact traffic for at least a week. Starting today Sumner will be slimmed to one lane in each direction. The project is a part of Springfield’s ‘X’ intersection reconstruction project, which will improve traffic signals and widen sidewalks.

Springfield wasn't the only city celebrating it's Puerto Rican culture yesterday, Holyoke wasn't phased by the rain either. The parade was delayed by one hour but started at noon on Park Street. Thousands of people showed up to march and watch in rain gear. The parade ended at Bushnell Park, where everyone came together for a big festival

The City of Holyoke is working alongside Holyoke Public Schools, to secure their cyber liability insurance coverage through the City’s insurance program. Amidst the cyber fallout in Springfield, Holyoke has been working to strengthen their technology and security systems. Officials said they’ll continue assessing all risks and make all necessary investments to keep the city and their schools safe.

While the Patriots didn't get off to a great start, the Umass Minutemen football team is on a roll. To open the season, the ended a 16-game losing streak, and then this past weekend they won again, winning back-to-back games for the first time since 2023. The coolest part? They are being led by former Central High star William Pop Watson, He began his college career at Virgina Tech before coming home to Umass this fall

40 years is a long time, and after 40 years, all 13 locations of Smithland Pet & Garden Center will close. The company originally known as myAgway and Dave’s Soda and Pet City said this decision was difficult but necessary. They have locations in both western Massachusetts and across Connecticut, but there's no public timetable for the closure