— The City of Fitchburg Common Council passed a vehicle registration fee on April 8 The fee would require all registered vehicles in the city to pay an additional $40 to state renewal and Dane County registration fees Fox 47 caught up with a Fitchburg who isn't in agreement of the tax right now a lot of people are getting laid off." "It's for working class it's not working out for us." said Kaitlyn a Fitchburg resident The city said the fee is projected to make a million dollars in revenue In a statement on the city's website Julia Arata Fratta said "I understand the burden any new fee places on our residents." However ensuring the financial sustainability of our city is critical The city also said the funds allocated will be for transportation related purposes "Restoring a few of the roads and whatnot restoring anything they can to make the community a lot safer But I'm pretty sure they're already getting that money through somewhere else And people that are working in need to use the money to just keep living * Free bus transportation open to Clark students This show features 75 black-and-white photographs you’ll have an opportunity to engage with Prof DiRado through an interactive gallery talk and to explore the other offerings at FAM Free bus transportation and museum admission are available to members of the Clark community – Clark IDs will be checked before boarding the bus and again at the museum entrance Participants should meet at Atwood Hall (185 Woodland Street) at 11:45am so the bus can depart Clark promptly at noon We will arrive back on campus by approximately 4:30pm that day Want to drive your own car? Register for free museum admission by contacting HigginsInstitute@clarku.edu If you have mobility needs or require special assistance, please contact HigginsInstitute@clarku.edu or call (508) 793-7479 This trip is sponsored by the Alice Coonley Higgins Institute for Arts and Humanities the Department of Visual and Performing Arts Please join us in extending sincere thanks to the Fitchburg Art Museum and director Nick Capasso for their continued generosity to the Clark community Come study at a small research university with a strong liberal arts core Still curious? Request more information Website accessibilityNondiscrimination policy Details: cache-fra-eddf8230145-FRA 1746509674 2473508830 Details: cache-fra-eddf8230145-FRA 1746509690 2473693908 FITCHBURG — When Nick Capasso arrived at the Fitchburg Art Museum more than a decade ago the abandoned school opposite the museum served as a stark reminder of the challenges facing this once-prosperous mill town on the banks of the Nashua River The city’s downtown had been hollowed out as the paper and other industries departed Median household incomes had fallen well below state levels attended by generations of area schoolchildren was receptive when developer Marc Dohan approached him with an idea to convert the school and two other buildings into affordable housing for artists “The last thing I wanted was three boarded-up buildings across the street from the art museum,” said Capasso whose museum played a supportive role in the project developers have completed renovations to the erstwhile school which began leasing 68 units of artist-preferred affordable housing in March where one-bedrooms start at less than $1,200 and roughly 70 percent of the units are deemed affordable is a critical piece in Fitchburg’s broader bid to leverage arts and culture to revitalize the Gateway City “We decided to build on our unique strengths and try to stimulate the local creative economy,” Capasso said “which in turn would help to stimulate investment in the city and that’s exactly what’s been happening.” That’s not to say Fitchburg, population 41,000, is bustling. Downtown has plenty of empty storefronts. One of the city’s two breweries closed in 2023, and its unemployment rate, at 6 percent is 2 points higher than the rest of the state But there are also signs of new life: An art gallery and restaurant incubator have all opened on Main Street in the past few years and there are several new cafes and restaurants The Fitchburg Cultural Alliance began offering affordable downtown studio space in 2022 and an arts and culture group is opening a performance and Fitchburg State University is working to redevelop a property that includes a 1,600-seat theater and a suite of adjoining storefronts is that developers have become more interested in downtown residential and commercial projects “There’s a lot more opportunity to develop housing in Fitchburg than in some other more built-out areas,” Squailia said “We’re trying to incentivize conversion to housing in our upper stories in downtown.” City leaders are calling the new artist-preferred housing development an important “proof of concept.” Roughly 1,000 people have expressed interest in leasing an apartment in the new development which consists mainly of one- to three-bedroom units Dohan pointed out several artist-specific amenities: The old auditorium has been reimagined as a shared workspace and in addition to a sound-isolated room for rehearsals or recording there are common spaces for meetings or talks “It’s hard to figure out how the space will be used until the artists move in,” said Dohan a retiree and watercolorist from Leominster She said she was excited about the auditorium and the prospect of living in a community of artists “It just makes you want to do art,” said Pelnar who added she was a little apprehensive about living in Fitchburg Capasso said FAM plans to work with tenants adding that the museum could offer portfolio reviews “We’re committed to having a dialogue with the community,” he said “It just depends on what they want and what they need.” The project has faced plenty of obstacles over the past decades including a fire that destroyed a portion of the building’s roof and a variety of city leaders met each month to strategize how Fitchburg could reenergize its economy “They’ve been really instrumental to helping us advance this vision,” said Dohan He added that members have supported each others’ projects testifying at City Council meetings and presenting a unified message when outside funders came to visit The approach has helped Fitchburg attract significant outside investments geared toward economic redevelopment and sustainable cultural infrastructure who administers a grant known as Creative Cities said the funding has supported a variety of projects including an annual music festival and start-up costs for an art gallery is preparing to open a new events and performance space in an old nightclub on Main Street “There’s a lot more openness to change,” said Craig who’s also preparing for a local art week in April some residents remain pessimistic about the city which can make it difficult for new ventures to get off the ground “It’s hard to escape some of the negativity,” said Craig noting that some good businesses have failed to make it “How do you expect to continue to get nice things when you don’t treat the new thing that you just got nicely?” which originally planned to renovate the theater with an eye toward presenting shows The region’s needs and economic landscape have shifted and the school is now exploring plans that would address the city’s needs for market-rate housing who became the university’s president last year described the school’s future as “inseparable” from its namesake city “That’s why we’re investing in projects that reflect real regional needs — from creative spaces to housing — while partnering with civic leaders and cultural institutions to imagine what’s possible,” she said in a statement the city’s executive director of community development and planning pointed out some of the area’s new cultural features has been converted to a more pedestrian-friendly two-way road and developers have renovated a smattering of older buildings creating ground-floor commercial space with housing above The city is seeking to establish a cultural district and there is a series of frames to display public art along a walkway that leads to a small outdoor stage Work will also begin soon on a pedestrian bridge connecting downtown with a rail trail that links Fitchburg to Leominster there are plenty of properties that could use some love including a stretch of storefronts where tenants have used fabric to block out the windows The city is also working to redevelop the old courthouse a stately Neo-Gothic building just off the central strip “What I would love to see is a boutique hotel,” said Murphy who earlier that day had recalled going to Boston when she was younger with no real plan for the weekend “Just go hang out — there’s always something to do,” she’d said “I want people to think about Fitchburg in that way.” Malcolm Gay can be reached at malcolm.gay@globe.com. Follow him @malcolmgay. Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Delivery Issues Feedback News Tips Help & FAQs Staff List Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Internship Program Co-op Program Do Not Sell My Personal Information known for decades as the “paper city,” is seeing its last paper plant closing for good “It’s an end of an era,” Mayor Samantha Squailia said “Maybe they will be able to sell it to another organization It has long been an industrial-manufacturing use and we loved to see that continue.” an industrial packaging products and services company known as the Newark Group for years announced it will close its mill at 100 Newark Way The Ohio-based company is laying off 71 workers Greif will close a production plant in Austell "Decisions like these are extremely difficult because of the impact it has on our colleagues and their families as well as the larger community," Greif President and CEO Ole Rosgaard said in a news release "We are grateful to our colleagues in Austell and Fitchburg for their contributions to the company and are committed to helping them navigate next steps by providing severance benefits and outplacement assistance." The Greif facility in Fitchburg makes containerboard a paperboard used to make corrugated boxes and other packaging materials It is made from a combination of paper pulp The combination of high operating costs and the need for significant capital investment were the determining factors in the decision to close the Fitchburg mill the 600,000-square-foot plant off Princeton Road was targeted for an extensive recycling and de-inking operation in the mid-1990s but that project fizzled amid a sagging market and a squabble between the owner and main contractor stalled in its bid to revive old papermaking machines and the property went to auction the Newark Group claimed the plant and its idle equipment for $15 million The company spent $100 million on equipment and building improvements at the West Fitchburg site Although Fitchburg wa once a thriving paper mill community Squailia said she doesn’t think the paper industry is what it used to be “We built that west wastewater treatment facility because of the current and anticipated needs of the paper industry after the west wastewater treatment plant was built all the paper facilities started to close,” Squailia said we’re dealing with a lot of the aftermath of the changing manufacturing that’s happening in the United States.” An unhealthy bobcat was rescued from a Dane County road over the weekend The Fitchburg Police Department said it was dispatched around 3 p.m Saturday after someone reported a bobcat sitting in the middle of the road near Commerce Park Drive and Cottonwood Driv The area is about six miles from downtown Madison and is surrounded by an industrial park The Military Ridge State Trail is about a block away Fitchburg police said the cat was "being unsafe and stubborn" in the road and the caller who reported it said the animal "looked unwell." Wisconsin WildCare a DeForest-based wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization Bobcats are generally between 20 and 30 pounds, the DNR says They have light brown fur with spots and a short tail with black bands on the top sightings have increased in the central and southern portions of the state More: Smith: When it comes to wildcats in Wisconsin, bobcats are king Details: cache-fra-eddf8230145-FRA 1746509718 2474018954 Kevin Price had an "ability to light up a room with his infectious laugh beautiful smile and how he loved unconditionally," according to his obituary A drawing and photo of Kevin Price sit atop a coffee table in the apartment of Price's former boyfriend Price died after he was shot by Fitchburg police in August Kevin Price's apartment building is cordoned off with police tape after Fitchburg police shot him in August The Cap Times reconstructed the shooting scene using police body worn camera footage drawings of the scene and state investigation records Kevin Price was hiding in a bedroom closet when Fitchburg police officers entered the bedroom and confronted him SOURCE: National Alliance on Mental Illness Wisconsin Three people who study and train police say Fitchburg officers made errors leading up to the shooting of Kevin Price Price told the operator that he and another person had no-contact orders Fitchburg police arrived at Price’s apartment minutes later officer Peter Johnston shot him three times Price died three days later at SSM Health St Following an investigation by state authorities, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne declined to file criminal charges against the Fitchburg officer who shot Price. Ozanne said the use of deadly force was permitted by law The Cap Times reviewed hundreds of pages of public records watched 40 minutes of body worn camera footage and interviewed three people who study and train police These specialists all said the Fitchburg officers missed opportunities for de-escalation prior to shooting Price Two University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers who study use of force in policing reviewed the police body camera footage and the facts of the case at the Cap Times’ request Both said Fitchburg officers mistakenly created a dangerous situation by confronting Price rather than trying to calm the situation a clinical associate professor at the university’s law school who studies police practices The Cap Times also asked John Wallschlaeger a former police officer who for decades has trained law enforcement officers in crisis intervention practices Wallschlaeger agreed Fitchburg officers could have implemented crisis intervention methods “Instead of yelling at him with command talk they could have just had a conversation,” Wallschlaeger said “It might have made a difference for everyone there.”  leaders of the Fitchburg Police Department declined requests to discuss the response by officers to Price’s 911 call The spokesperson said officers involved in the case have returned to work amid an ongoing internal investigation “The scope of the (internal) assessment includes a review of the incident applicable policy and the adequacy of training and equipment utilized,” agency spokesperson Edward Hartwick said in a statement to the Cap Times training and/or equipment recommendations.”  Fitchburg Mayor Julia Arata-Fratta said she was unsure when the police department’s internal review would be completed and declined to answer questions about the response by officers the leader of an organization representing thousands of Wisconsin police officers saying officers have to make difficult split-second decisions For years, calls for police reform have rippled throughout Dane County in the wake of deadly police encounters Price’s death has raised fresh questions about police training practices and law enforcement’s role in crisis calls more law enforcement officers are taking crisis intervention training through the National Alliance on Mental Illness Wisconsin which offers the only state-funded training of its type The organization trained nearly 500 police officers last year a quarter of its sworn staff have this voluntary training Among those untrained officers is the one who shot Price “The police are not equipped to deal with a situation like this,” said Ion Meyn an associate professor at the UW Law School who studies police use of force “We're dealing with an endemic kind of approach to people who are in serious emotional distress.”  But before a Dane County 911 operator could get details about what happened The operator tried calling Price back without success Fitchburg officers arrived at Price and DeLuna’s apartment on Whispering Pines Way in the Highlands of Seminole neighborhood Michael O’Dell and Clint Dretske knocked on the apartment door the three officers decided to leave and check back in an hour a neighbor informed him that she was “really scared” from a fight she witnessed between Price and DeLuna earlier that morning which Dretske watched and later described as “intense” to state investigators The neighbor also told Dretske she saw Price and DeLuna go back inside their apartment and their car was still in the parking lot Because Dretske suspected Price and DeLuna were home he asked Johnston and O’Dell to come back to the apartment When Johnston and O’Dell returned to Whispering Pines Way O’Dell noticed some window blinds had been closed Officers obtained Price’s name from police records affiliated with his phone number they learned Price and DeLuna had no-contact orders from a domestic dispute seven months prior the neighbor’s observations and the closed blinds the officers decided to force entry into the apartment Dretske told state investigators it was necessary for officers to enter the apartment to check on Price and DeLuna’s welfare under their duties to be a “community caretaker.”  Two more Fitchburg officers were called in to help: Lisa Heitman and Jean Pierre Contreras told investigators he assigned each person a role Heitman and Contreras would be an “arrest team,” charged with taking anyone into custody and Dretske would make the announcements that officers were coming inside Johnston assigned himself to use lethal force — his 9mm Glock — if needed Dretske knocked on the door and shouted to Price “We need to check your welfare,” Dretske continued After no response from Price or DeLuna and multiple warnings all five Fitchburg officers entered the apartment the officers found rooms cluttered with boxes Dretske later called it a “hoarding situation.”  As officers moved through the apartment’s living room DeLuna came out of a room down a hallway with his hands in the air Dretske and Contreras continued searching the apartment for Price Heitman and O’Dell radioed to the officers that Price was hiding in a bedroom closet and had a knife O’Dell came back inside as Contreras and Dretske checked a bathroom and one of the bedrooms for Price “I need you to come out with your hands up.”  Johnston checked the apartment’s second bedroom The room was littered with piles of clothing and boxes blocking a clear path for officers to enter the room Johnston went in anyway and stood on the bed Johnston said Price needed to call out to officers O’Dell held a flashlight and the foam baton launcher Dretske and Contreras stood in the doorway stand up with your hands raised,” Johnston said Clothes hanging in the closet started to move Then Johnston asked Price if he had a knife Price stood up as officers yelled for him to drop the knife Price then began to move toward Johnston and O’Dell trying to climb over the piles of clothing and boxes meant to be a stunning use of force rather than a lethal method Officers Johnston and Dretske dragged Price out of the apartment and began administering medical support Price said he couldn’t breathe and felt like he was being strangled In a letter accompanying the public release of the investigation state Department of Justice officials acknowledged Price’s death was a result of Johnston shooting him The moment Fitchburg officers entered the cluttered bedroom is where they went wrong Gross and Meyn separately told the Cap Times “They've made a tactical error,” Gross said “Because what they have done is they have put themselves in a position where they cannot retreat safely.”  Gross said he wonders why officers went into the bedroom at all rather than standing outside and trying to talk to Price “The officers have turned (Price) having a knife into a threat to them by placing themselves in harm's way by going into the room and pointing a gun,” Gross said Once officers removed DeLuna from the apartment they had also withdrawn any threat that Price potentially presented to others “Kevin would have been much safer if officers had left at that point,” Meyn said “And I think that's a pretty damning — if they're there to serve and protect.”  Meyn said officers should have reevaluated why they were in the apartment in the first place: to help Price DeLuna told the Cap Times that Price had struggled with mental health and substance use DeLuna said Price was “out of it” that morning and he had never seen Price in that state before DeLuna said Price had been up all night smoking methamphetamine before their morning argument the former officer who now trains law enforcement in crisis intervention methods said a key part of de-escalation is slowing down to assess the situation He trains officers how to approach and help people who are experiencing mental health crises or emotional distress Fitchburg officers should have paused and interviewed DeLuna to gauge how urgently they needed to find Price DeLuna told the Cap Times that Fitchburg officers didn’t interview him beyond asking where Price was and if Price was armed Officers also could have tried talking with Price rather than issuing commands “They could have tried to engage in discussion from outside the (bedroom) doorway and tried to get to know him,” Wallschlaeger said the executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association represented the Fitchburg officers during the state’s investigation of the shooting Palmer disagreed that Fitchburg officers made any tactical errors in responding to Price’s 911 call “Had officers decided to wait and set up a perimeter — if Mr Price had been in need of medical care or something because of the altercation that (officers) didn’t know anything about — I think we’d be having a critical conversation but in a different way,” Palmer said “That’s the challenge that officers anywhere face is having to make those split-second decisions,” he continued Johnston told state investigators he shot Price because he feared for his life He said trying to exit the bedroom would have brought him closer to Price he recalled sitting outside the apartment and hearing officers tell Price to drop the knife Then he saw officers carrying Price out of the apartment by his arms and legs “It looked like he was an animal being taken to slaughter,” DeLuna said DeLuna said he still has questions about the police response that day said there was no indication that Price was going to hurt anyone “The bottom line is that the police used force they shouldn’t have,” Foutris said Foutris said the family hasn’t filed a legal claim against the city of Fitchburg but nothing is decided. Some past lawsuits against Dane County law enforcement agencies over fatal police shootings have led to multimillion-dollar settlements described learning about his friend’s death as a sinking feeling Chamberlain said the reality of losing Price hit him the following day like a flood “He did not deserve this,” Chamberlain said “I think regardless of the things he was going through Gross said how Fitchburg police responded underscores how police departments nationwide are trained so officers perceive almost everything as a threat “They lack the tools necessary to deal with people who are in a mental health crisis,” he said One of these tools is called Crisis Intervention Team training said officers learn about different types of mental illnesses and how people experiencing a crisis might respond to law enforcement officers work to identify when people might be in crisis “We know if we invest a little bit of time in slowing the (police) interaction down We'll probably make a better call resolution,” Wallschlaeger said hadn’t received Crisis Intervention Team training according to training records reviewed by state investigators Johnston has 14 years of experience with the Fitchburg Police Department the Fitchburg Police Department spokesperson said 13 of the department’s 51 sworn staff members have taken NAMI Wisconsin’s training It is Wisconsin’s only state-funded crisis intervention training Meyn cautioned against overstating the effects of Crisis Intervention Team training While the training might change some police interactions it is unlikely to override hundreds of hours of standard police training Meyn said officers should have mental health professionals or social workers accompany them on 911 calls where someone is in behavioral distress These professionals would be trained to see a situation through the eyes of someone struggling with their mental health Fitchburg officers are required to receive annual training in de-escalation tactics according to the department’s use of force policy officers are also encouraged to de-escalate situations by summoning additional resources formulating a plan and attempting verbal persuasion the 720-hour police training academy curriculum does devote a block of instruction to crisis intervention or de-escalation according to Wisconsin Department of Justice spokesperson Riley Vetterkind The state agency establishes law enforcement training requirements and standards But any additional training in de-escalation or crisis intervention beyond academy education is up to local police departments There is neither a statewide requirement for officers to take the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team training offered by NAMI Wisconsin nor are there any crisis intervention continuing education requirements Palmer said the Wisconsin Professional Police Association would support a uniform standard for de-escalation training to have better consistency statewide have access to that kind of training and the same level and degree of training Unlike Madison and Sun Prairie, Fitchburg doesn’t use a mental health response team known as Community Alternative Response Emergency Services paramedics and Journey Mental Health Center workers respond to behavioral health emergencies Fitchburg applied last year to be a part of a CARES program expansion, Hartwick said. However, the Dane County Board of Supervisors voted to award the expansion to Sun Prairie in October Price grew up in Racine, graduated from Racine Lutheran High School in 2014 and received a full academic scholarship to UW-Madison. Price’s obituary also says he was known for “his kindhearted nature his ability to light up a room with his infectious laugh beautiful smile and how he loved unconditionally.”  DeLuna called Price a loving and caring person who would go out of his way to help anyone Chamberlain said Price was very sweet and creative They watched the show “Parks and Recreation” and played video games together comfortable … and that’s what I miss about Kevin,” Chamberlain said DeLuna said the Fitchburg Police Department should issue some form of disciplinary action against the officers who responded to Price’s 911 call provide better training for officers and adopt a behavioral health team similar to the one in Madison Chamberlain said Wisconsin lawmakers should require additional police training provide mental health support for officers and fund domestic violence prevention partnerships with law enforcement “Justice looks like a really wide variety of things not just one thing or another,” Chamberlain said “The more changes that can be made because of what happened to Kevin Danielle DuClos is an investigative reporter for the Cap Times. Danielle focuses on holding government and private-sector officials accountable to the public. In her work, she often relies on public records and whistleblowers. Email story ideas and tips to Danielle at dduclos@captimes.com or call (608) 886-9166 Please consider supporting Danielle’s work by becoming a Cap Times member or sponsor Sustaining local journalism in Madison depends on readers like you Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device (This story has been updated with additional information.) FITCHBURG — A sudden reversal in federal funding has some Worcester County school districts looking at unexpected bills for projects that have already begun According to the state, the U.S. Department of Education notified all states that the federal Education Stabilization Fund liquidation period would be ending, effective immediately. The Educational Stabilization Fund is a federal fund created in March 2020 that provided emergency relief funding to schools across the country Districts could use the funds to provide for a wide range of projects including school renovations school security enhancements and other uses districts had until March 2026 to spend all of the funds they had received that totaled nearly $270 billion across the country the Trump administration announced Friday that the period to spend that funding was abruptly ending leaving districts that still have spending left potentially footing the bill approximately $106 million in Education Stabilization Fund funding is still budgeted for Massachusetts districts Fitchburg Public Schools has the third-most in the state with just over $6.5 million in funds earmarked for upcoming projects Fitchburg Superintendent Jonathan Thompson said that the district has $5.5 million budgeted for HVAC systems upgrades and $1 million in indoor-air quality improvements at Memorial Middle School and the South Street Early Learning Center "These critical projects were developed in direct response to COVID-19 to improve ventilation and air quality for our youngest learners," Thompson said "The City and Fitchburg Public Schools have spent over three years advancing these improvements — conducting studies rebidding projects due to a lack of available contractors and finally awarding the bids The unit ventilators have already been ordered and installation is scheduled to take place during the upcoming summer break as the work requires full building access." Thompson said currently the state has communicated with the district that reimbursement for the projects from the state is the tentative plan going forward "Despite this sudden and damaging decision from the federal level the State of Massachusetts has noted they will continue to operate on a reimbursement basis for these funds while assessing next steps The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has been in direct contact with impacted superintendents and the governor's office is working closely with the attorney general’s office to monitor the situation," Thompson said Healey called the Trump administration's actions "illegal" in a statement “At a time when students are still struggling to recover from the pandemic we need to be doing everything we can to address learning loss and the youth mental health crisis President Trump suddenly ripped away more than $100 million in funding that is supposed to go right to Massachusetts students and schools,” Healey said.“This action is jeopardizing mental health care and math tutoring for our students as well as projects that are already underway to enhance school security and ensure that the air in our school buildings is clean Massachusetts has been making important progress helping students recover from the pandemic but President Trump is trying to take us backwards." called the cuts irresponsible and shortsighted "The Trump administration’s unnecessary cuts to federal education funding for Fitchburg and Dracut are irresponsible and shortsighted,” Trahan mentioning other communities in her district and I’ll continue fighting to make sure our school districts get the federal investments they need to provide the best education possible.” Other Worcester County districts with large sums of the funding budgeted for projects are Leominster with $1.8 million in funding and Worcester with $1.45 million in funding Worcester Public Schools Spokesperson Dan O'Brien said that the district is still evaluating what impact the decision to end the funding early will have on the district Springfield Public Schools has by far the largest remaining amount of the funding with $43.7 million still remaining in the district's budget Details: cache-fra-eddf8230145-FRA 1746509732 2474174785 Details: cache-fra-eddf8230145-FRA 1746509740 2474273274 WORCESTER — A Worcester man previously facing a murder charge in connection with a fatal shooting at a Fitchburg poker game in 2023 pleaded guilty Thursday to the lesser charge of manslaughter tendered the plea after a judge agreed that the circumstances surrounding the shooting warranted it “It certainly is a difficult case on both sides,” Worcester Superior Court Judge James Gavin Reardon Jr home invasion and illegal firearm possession following a fatal shooting of 62-year-old Michael Parks on July 28 lawyers said mitigating factors supported a manslaughter plea While Collins and Martin entered a home at 278 Marshall St illegally to confront Parks at a poker game Parks — who had a prior homicide conviction — shot Martin first “It’s a very tragic situation,” Reardon said with strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the legal argument Reardon said he intends to sentence Collins to nine to 11 years in prison on his guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter; however sentencing was delayed until March 21 for procedural reasons who lawyers Thursday said had no criminal record appeared affected by a blistering victim impact statement read by the wife of Parks Details behind dispute not shared in courtFamily members who came to support Collins declined to comment after the plea that he believed alcohol played a role in what happened Assistant District Attorney Lina Pashou said in court Thursday that the evidence in the case suggested that Collins shot Parks following an argument earlier in the day between Martin and Parks regarding a set of keys The exact nature of the dispute was unclear Pashou noted that Parks and Martin lived in the same apartment complex at 5 Wallace Road Pashou alleged Collins and Martin showed up to a poker game Parks was attending uninvited and that Martin threatened Parks with a gun Witnesses at the poker game said a physical altercation ensued leading to Martin being removed from the home Pashou alleged that Martin handed his gun to Collins and then reentered the apartment and approached Parks again Parks took out a firearm and shot Martin in the leg Collins then used the firearm Martin had given him to shoot Parks once in the chest Collins would be allowed to introduce evidence that Parks had a prior homicide conviction as a mitigating factor The circumstances surrounding the conviction were not immediately clear nor did Levine; family for Parks did not wish to comment In addition to pleading guilty to manslaughter armed assault in a dwelling and carrying a firearm without a license He is expected to receive sentences shorter than the manslaughter sentence on those charges Levine confirmed after the hearing that sentencing was postponed because Collins had left personal property at the jail that he wished to retrieve before being moved to another facility following sentencing Parks was recalled by family in his obituary as a beloved husband father and grandfather who was a member of the Tunnel Workers Local 88 for more than 25 years Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A Fitchburg Police Department officer will not face charges in the deadly August shooting of a 28-year-old man the Dane County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday On the morning of August 12 just before 8 a.m. the Dane County District Attorney’s office recounted how someone called 911 saying someone tried to break his neck and he saw someone who he had a no contact order with and someone answered but didn’t say anything Three Fitchburg officers showed up to the area They reported a neighbor told them a couple was fighting inside an apartment on the 800 block of Whispering Pines Way Call logs show officers force the apartment door open at 9 a.m Once inside the home, officers spoke to someone who told them a man, identified has Kevin Price, had a knife DA reports officers asked Price to come out and they asked him if he had a knife and officers reportedly asked him to drop it Price allegedly opened the folding knife and went to exit the closet Police said they repeatedly asked Price to drop the knife and when he didn’t The report indicates Price was hit multiple times in the chest before he fell back Officers then carried him out of the home and attempted life saving EMS measures Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said evidence at the scene surveillance and body camera footage are all consistent with each other “A knife is a dangerous weapon and poses a grave danger of great bodily harm and/or death to an individual,” he said “A person who is armed with a knife who does not follow directions to drop the weapon and stop as directed by police may pose a threat of great bodily harm and/or death to officers.” Price’s family told WMTV 15 Investigates on Monday that they reviewed the body camera footage, calling it “sad and disturbing.” Police Chief Morales with the Fitchburg Police Department released a statement on Tuesday regarding the investigation Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne publicly provided his review and decision of the investigation into the officer-involved death of Kevin Price that occurred after an incident on August 12 I appreciate his thorough review of this investigation We recognize that this incident and investigation have had an impact on our community We know his family continues to grieve and I offer them my condolences for the loss they feel I can also tell you this incident takes a significant toll on the sergeant involved as the use of deadly force is a decision no officer takes lightly We further recognize that today's announcement does not bring closure to the incident and that questions may remain this incident was independently investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation have recently been posted on their website The Fitchburg Police Department continues to assess this incident and is reviewing the investigative files from the Wisconsin Department of Justice as part of standard practice Following today's decision from the District Attorney we anticipate Sergeant Johnston's return to regular duty status soon We appreciate the work of the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and our community’s patience during this time Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app she's been capturing visions in her own photography and traditional film as well as with digital cameras A communications media major at Fitchburg State University Welch has already built a varied resume that includes evaluation assistant at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston; marketing and communications intern for Community Health Connections and working with the Boston Calling music festival a gig she landed while still in high school with myriad duties from event promotions to guest services and more It's well-matched to her passion for photographing musicians and bands Welch has served as assistant technician at the photo lab and served as promotions director and founding member of the Fitchburg State Crafters Club Welch recently talked about her journey in photography and graphic arts in which rapid changes in digital media present both challenges and possibilities Please tell me how you got involved in photography I've been taking pictures since I was a kid My first memory of taking pictures was in the fifth grade but I really got more into it in the past 10 years .. like a Kodak little yellow and red and black one you are buying a camera and paying for the film to be developed .. I got a point-and-shoot camera for Christmas where you put a canister of 35-millimeter film in the back I have a propoer SLR (single lens reflex) camera or digital single-lens reflex most professional photographers use or they each have their own merits and limitations you don't have the colors to bring your pictures to life Do you have subject matter you are partial to as a photographer?Yeah I love photographing concerts or music in any way I've recently shot one of my friends' single's cover for a song that they've released I also enjoy doing other street photography I'm interested in anything about femininity You've had different job situations. What were things you learned that were helpful, and not necessarily related to photography?When you say, I particularly think of Boston Calling. I started working with them while in high school we were responsible for posting to social media handing out fliers to people outside the events They had posted to Twitter that they were hiring people who had this thing he would always say to us Use them in that proportion." I always remembered that: listen more than you talk as well as in my day-to-day job.You're at Fitchburg State now What are some things you are doing in the college community?I am in the communications media program my concentrations are graphic design and photography I only switched to that in the past couple years as my major They were only kind of hobbies until I realized that this needs to be my career so it's definitely intense.I'm in a computer graphic design class but they have a lot of very interesting alumni and I've made lots of good friends who I work with as well What do you see as an ideal career path to pursue?I'm hoping to become some kind of graphic designer Hoping to help musicians and performing artists in some kind of capacity I don't necessarily want to be in a corporate setting I hope to truly be in the creative setting I hope some day to be an artistic director What kind of challenges do you see?With the magazine industry Not as many people are picking up a newspaper it's about translating my skills into that world instead of having AI take my job away from me what you see as the challenges with AI as we know it today?To me I wish AI was capable of doing things less human instead of taking artistic jobs that are natural for humans to do I wish we had more capacity to create art as humans (Welch does not use AI in her work.) To me Having to generate an original idea of your art not just copying everything that is on the internet It's not going to do the whole job for you Livv Welch welcomes follows on Instagram @film.by.livv. FITCHBURG — A local developer is planning to turn the vacant YMCA building at 533 Main St into 17 apartments and one commercial space which sits as retail on the first floor and office space on the second and third floors The Tocci Group proposes to convert the unused office space on the second and third floors to 14 residential units three residential units facing Elm and Fox streets are proposed with the front half of the basement and first floor facing Main Street being commercial the building will have 17 residential units and one commercial space Mayor Samantha Squailia endorsed the renovation project on her Facebook page “Downtown Fitchburg is seeing an incredible snowball effect of investment.. and 533 Main Street brings us hope that brighter days are soon ahead,” Squailia said has seen its share of struggles — changing hands seven times over the last 30 years with new owners promising more than they delivered.” Although she doesn’t mention Watch Us Grow who has submitted the necessary paperwork for the project “The building has finally changed hands to a new owner who’s committed to improving our downtown.. “We are talking a full-scale transformation within the steel structure “There’s also a triangle etched with “Body and Spirit,” reflecting its YMCA past,” she said one section of that triangle remains blank — perhaps symbolizing the future still waiting to be written….The past is part of our story... She also states that the owner pledges to pay off $158,000 in unpaid taxes The YMCA moved out in the 1950s and Shawmut took over in the 1970s Construction work will involve reconfiguring all floors about 24,708 square feet with an estimated 4,500 square feet of commercial space “There will be a healthy mix of one- and two- bedroom apartments,” Tocci said in the letter of intent “This change of use will allow us to provide new housing units in the downtown area at affordable prices and at the same time reconfigure the office — vacant for multiple years — into 17 apartment units.” Windows facing Main Street are going to be restored to their original wood/brown color and the storefront will be completely replaced with new glass and doors consistent with the historic nature of the building and Main Street The owner has recognized that parking is required for more than six residential units in the business district Tocci said he has consulted with the treasurer's office and will be guiding the building residents through the permitting process for local permitted parking options within a few hundred feet of 533 Main St. either behind the building or at the Putnam Street Garage Tocci also said he fully recognized that the parking spots at the front and side of the building are for the use of patrons of commercial spaces along Main and Fox streets and will ensure that building residents understand they are unauthorized to park in these specific parking spots.