Your access to this service has been limited If you think you have been blocked in error contact the owner of this site for assistance If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send" You will then receive an email that helps you regain access Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 5 million WordPress sites The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence Click here to learn more: Documentation 6 May 2025 9:09:50 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website When you have experienced the loss of a loved one you can trust Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home to guide you through the process of honoring their life At Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home we pride ourselves on serving families in Oregon Millbury and the surrounding areas with dignity Our staff is experienced in a variety of funeral services and can help you celebrate your loved one no matter your religion professional and compassionate services to help lighten your burden and support you through the difficult times that follow the loss of a loved one We're honored to assist you in your time of need and would like to assure you that we'll do everything in our power to make your experience a meaningful and memorable one family-oriented environment with traditional architecture and tasteful interior decor Our facilities accommodate all types of funerals and memorials large and small meet with one of our experienced professionals and see for yourself why we take such pride in our beautiful and unique accommodations We're proud to do our part in honoring our country's veterans and giving back to those whose sacrifice and patriotism define our great nation Our duty is to provide you and your family with professional and dignified assistance during your time of need and to support you in honoring your loved one for their dedication and selfless service Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home - Oregon Chapel Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home Millbury Chapel Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home | (419) 698-4301 | empfh@sbcglobal.net440 South Coy Road Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home | (419) 836-2150 | empfh@sbcglobal.net1111 Woodville Road © Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral HomeFuneral Home Website Design By Frazer Consultants & TA Your browser may not work with certain site. Upgrade now. (Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the name of Wayne Wunschel's son.) MILLBURY — The state fire marshal is investigating a fire on Fink Road in which responders found a resident of the home dead at the scene The fire at 3 Fink Road was in the evening of April 17 “There was one fatality associated with that incident involving a man in his 60s,” said Jake Wark spokesman for the Office of the State Fire Marshal “The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of his death.”  Assessor records show that Wayne Wunschel owns the property “I don’t even know where to begin,” Karen Wunschel said in an interview with the Telegram & Gazette April 23 “I was in South Carolina visiting our son.”  Fire crews began battling the blaze around 11 p.m and continued to do so in the early morning The roof and floor collapsed due to the intensity of the fire; the home is a loss Michael Woodbury, the stepson of the deceased, posted a GoFundMe account after the blaze 2025 tragedy struck in the most unimaginable way Karen Wunschel lost everything when her home caught fire including her significant other,” the GoFundMe post states no belongings and a heart full of grief.”  the fundraiser is raising money to help cover her "immediate needs,” including clothing food and the “process of rebuilding her life.”  Civil rights attorneys have filed a federal complaint on behalf of a Black family against the Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School alleging that the school ignored vile racist attacks against two sisters and instead vilified them Lawyers for Civil Rights is representing the mother Melody and Kamora who say they have been abused by students and unprotected by the school district The sisters said they had racial slurs and threats hurled at them incessantly during the 2023-2024 year They said they’ve heard schoolmates call them “monkey” and “N-word” and have been made fun of for their appearance The lawsuit alleges that school officials did nothing to make the sisters feel safe or to hold any of their schoolmates accountable for the abuse The school’s student population is about 5% Black the younger sister was suspended three times during the school year once for simply putting her hair up in a ponytail told GBH News “instead of the school protecting the sisters against this racial harassment what the school did was they relied on racist and harmful stereotypes about black girls.” The complaint alleges that rather than being protected the sisters were often suspended or accused of lying or being aggressors filed with the federal Department of Education is asking for an investigation of the school and the district “to address some of these larger issues about racial bullying and also a disparate discipline that our clients experienced.” The complaint alleges that the school failed to notify the parents of white students of their discriminatory and abusive behavior while the Black sisters Millbury Schools Superintendent Greg Myers said in a statement that he could not comment on the specific allegations because of student privacy issues but “I can say that we take such allegations very seriously and address them in accordance with our Title VI procedures.” Myers added “We welcome a comprehensive review of our practices and procedures to ensure that our schools are respectful and supportive of all students Our goal is to cultivate a community where every student is valued and has the opportunity to thrive We look forward to working with the Office of Civil Rights to resolve each of these allegations.” Your essential daily newsletter delivering trusted news and can't miss programs from Boston and beyond Details: cache-fra-eddf8230025-FRA 1746522615 734273445 Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Danny was known for his meticulous attention to detail and his ability to bring projects to life He approached every job with professionalism and a deep knowledge of the construction trade earning the respect and admiration of colleagues and clients alike Danny was not defined solely by his career; he was a loving husband to Doreen M (Bandilla) Lizotte and a cherished family man and the outdoors reflected his vibrant spirit and zest for life often immersing himself in videos and discussions about the past Those who had the pleasure of his company knew him to be a math wizard effortlessly solving problems and sharing his enthusiasm for numbers and fiancée Kellie; his granddaughter His legacy continues through the love of his family who will carry forward the lessons and values he imparted He was also predeceased by his brothers John as well as his sisters Donna May Castonguay and Cynthia Patenaude Danny's profound love for family and friends created a vibrant tapestry of life that those around him were fortunate to experience He will be deeply missed but lovingly remembered for his kindness The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the compassionate nurses and doctors of 7 ICU and 3 East at UMass Memorial Medical Center and exceptional care provided comfort to Danny and his family during his final days A Celebration of Life for Danny will be held on Saturday In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Millbury Fire Department Relief Association Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors 6 May 2025 9:10:19 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); MILLBURY — Another Central Massachusetts community has voted to resist the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority zoning law a Millbury Special Town Meeting voted down an article that would have amended the town's zoning bylaw and zoning map to bring it into compliance with state law The article needed a simple majority for approval While some officials said the vote was a means to be in compliance with the law and retain access to state grant funding residents at the meeting said they feared the zoning law could alter the character of the town and would relinquish the town's zoning to the state "The state has us voting on this today because we have to vote to give up our rights," Steve Stearns requires 177 cities and towns to have at least one zoning district of "reasonable size" that allows multifamily housing by right located within a half-mile from a transit hub if possible Millbury is deemed an "MBTA-adjacent" community that is covered by the law The Town of Holden has also resisted the state law. In December, a Superior Court judge approved Holden's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance and two individuals over the town's decision not to comply Milton residents voted to reject an MBTA Communities Act zoning plan adopted by Town Meeting in a February special election Attorney General Andrea Campbell is seeking to force Milton to comply in a case before the Supreme Judicial Court Rockport residents filed a federal lawsuit against the town over its decision to comply with the plan Holden and Milton have been deemed not currently in compliance 82 communities in the state have adopted zoning laws to come into compliance with 33 having been reviewed and approved by the state A recording of the Special Town Meeting was viewed by a reporter Monday Select Board Chairman Scott Despres encouraged residents to listen to speakers and take notes; he estimated over 200 people were in attendance Despres said future Millbury residents would have to live with the decision of residents in attendance Saturday Despres acknowledged that there was a lot of "guesswork" about the impacts of the proposed zoning plan but he was not sure where the town "draws the line" with the development of large apartment projects and said he would be voting against the plan said the state requirement does not mandate the town to build more housing but just to create the zoning changes to allow new housing construction by right The town presented a multifamily housing overlay district in the downtown area which would go over the existing business and residential districts to make it more flexible for the town The proposed district was 61.5 acres with a total unit capacity of 777 dwelling units The maximum height would have been three stories and 40 feet Parking requirements would have been one space per studio and one-bedroom apartment and two spaces for units with two or more bedrooms Developments with 10 or more units would also have been required to make 10% of units affordable under inclusionary zoning Planning Board Clerk Bruce DeVault said the Planning Board gave a 3-2 recommendation in favor of the zoning plan DeVault said it was unlikely that the area would see new development with the zoning plan because much of it is already occupied and state grants can be more important to small towns than residents may think His comments were met with boos from the crowd a Millbury resident who last year submitted a successful petition for the town to impose an 18-month moratorium on any future multifamily developments said the zoning plan before the Town Meeting had changed after the Planning Board previously made a recommendation He said situations could arise like in Cambridge where a 16-bedroom apartment building could be reconfigured for 50 bedrooms A developer in town was already trying to buy up downtown properties to develop more The denial of state grants is being used as a "scare tactic," Stearns said Another speaker called "universal zoning" a net negative for small towns She said the state's issue was not one of unit numbers "We move to our small towns for a reason and there will be no small towns if someone doesn't preserve them," she said The Town of Southborough narrowly voted to adopt the law Sept 30 at a Special Town Meeting The City of Worcester is in compliance with the MBTA Communities law 6 May 2025 9:10:26 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); MILLBURY — A family lost its home at 90 MacArthur Drive in a Friday afternoon fire Firefighters battled the large fire on the shores of Dorothy Pond starting around 5:15 p.m High winds played a big part in the spreading of the fire The rubble remained on the property on Monday A GoFundMe page set up for the family living at the home had raised more than $13,700 as of Monday afternoon This is the latest in a series of stories about city and town payrolls in Worcester County MILLBURY ― Police employees led the town's list of earners for fiscal year 2024 with Police Chief Brian Lewos at the top of the list for gross earnings Lewos earned a total $240,732.35 in fiscal year 2024 followed by three other members of the Police Department: officer Daniel Daly ($220,976.83) Superintendent of Schools Gregory Myers was fifth with gross earnings of $197,543.30 followed by school Business Manager Richard Bedard Jr. 17 were Police Department employees and seven worked for Millbury Public Schools the town paid $30.8 million in employee salaries for fiscal year 2024 up 3.2% from $29.9 million the previous fiscal year Here are the 25 highest gross earners for fiscal year based on information provided by the town: MILLBURY ― A member of the Millbury School Committee has resigned following a social media post that disparaged President-elect Donald Trump and Trump voters Sarah Murray resigned from the committee Saturday according to Millbury Superintendent Gregory Myers "In the days following the 2024 presidential election personal posts were made by a member of the Committee," Myers said in a statement to the Telegram "These posts do not represent the opinions or views of the Committee or the School District The Millbury School Committee is committed to representing all stakeholders in the Millbury community and holds itself and the leadership of the District to that standard." Millbury School Committee Chair Jennifer Nietupski deferred comment to Myers Murray did not respond to request for comment According to a report by the Boston Herald, Murray had shared an Instagram post from New Yorker Cartoons which quoted an excerpt from a 2008 piece by humor writer David Sedaris on undecided voters: "The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and eventually 'Can I interest you in the chicken?' she asks 'Or would you prefer the platter of (expletive) with bits of broken glass in it?' To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked." Murray wrote: "Thank goodness we have a piece of (expletive) covered in broken glass instead of a well qualified The post was later shared on the X account "LibsofTikTok," a far-right account that has 3.7 million followers Some residents in a Millbury social media group called the post attributed to Murray "hateful" and "intolerant," while others called for her resignation saying she should not be "allowed to teach children." Early Wednesday morning, Murray was listed as a School Committee member on the Town of Millbury's website, but not on the Millbury Public Schools website Murray was appointed to the School Committee in August 2023 following the resignation of Nicholas Lazzaro during a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee According to unofficial results reported by the Associated Press compared to 3,871 (48.5%) for Vice President Kamala Harris Joe Biden had carried the town in the 2020 presidential election by 51.1% to 38.2% margin MILLBURY ― An investigation is underway after two rounds of .22-caliber ammunition were discovered near a disc golf station in the playground of the Raymond E Shaw Elementary School in Millbury on Friday along with the Worcester Police Department and Massachusetts State Police Bomb squad responded to the school with police canines around 11:10 a.m "The interior and exterior of the building were searched with nothing else located that could be considered suspicious," Millbury police wrote on social media adding "at no time was there any evidence of firearms or any threats made to any of the Millbury Public schools." Additional resources and officers were also put in place at Elmwood Street School and Millbury High School Authorities are asking anyone with any information to contact the Millbury Police Department MILLBURY — With one out in the seventh inning of a tie ballgame and the go-ahead runner on second base Tantasqua Regional coach Jon Leroux called on Mark Kenton to pinch hit 175-pound freshman — who doesn’t turn 15 until July — had been used in that capacity but it was unquestionably the biggest moment of his young varsity career Live spring high school schedule, results, line scores and recaps Kenton took a ball from Millbury freshman Ryan Nikiforow to open his at-bat before fouling off two pitches to fall behind in the count His mindset at that point was to fend off offerings he didn’t like in search of a fastball he gave me the same exact thing,” Kenton said Kenton belted the ball past the outstretched glove of diving shortstop Nolan Orzechowski into left for an opposite-field single to drive in classmate Jack Nichols (single sacrifice bunt to second by senior Anthony Alarie) with the go-ahead run seeing the run score,” Kenton said while cradling the Tantasqua MVP championship belt in his right hand But have to give some shout-out to Miles Blake a senior in his third year as the staff ace struck out the side on 12 pitches to close out a 2-1 win for the Warriors in this Southern Worcester County League jewel of a game on a sunny and warm April 22 afternoon The Warriors moved to 6-2 (3-1) with their most impressive win to date it was another close game that didn’t go their way 2-0 — those two heavyweights entered the week 14-1 — and count a 5-4 decision over Uxbridge among their quality wins and that was the difference,” Woolies coach Ron Silvestri said Blake and Nikiforow are at different stages in their high school careers but they were on the same plane during this April vacation showdown allowed four hits — all singles — and didn’t walk a batter while racking up 13 strikeouts The hard-throwing lefty faced 27 batters and threw 102 pitches over seven innings “I’m just going out and trying to provide for the team,” said Blake “Kind of be a wall and help them to continue to keep getting at-bats “I’ve got eight guys in the field besides me Nikiforow scattered six hits — also all singles — and didn’t issue a walk as well while fanning 10 and picking off a runner in a complete-game effort 185-pound righty complemented his fastball with effective off-speed pitches and liked how he hit his spots he displayed the composure of an upperclassman usually once I get on the mound they just go away or I can just deal with them,” Nikiforow said “Staying calm out there is so huge in the game to help me execute what I need to do and do my job.” The Woolies took a 1-0 lead with one out in the third when junior Jimmer Donnelly dropped a single into right and raced to third when two Tantasqua outfielders collided due to miscommunication He came home one batter later when senior Bryson McCarthy reached on an infield error The Warriors tied it in the fourth when senior Lucas MacNevin singled with one out stole second and came home with two outs on an infield error That kid (Nikiforow) is going to be something special very good and hard to beat the next couple of years “I thought our kids did just enough to get the win Miles is a bulldog and can go win those games at any point So having him against a kid like that was the difference.” —Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com (This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.) MILLBURY — A small brush fire that was believed to have originated in an encampment left one woman dead Saturday night the Worcester County District Attorney's office identified the victim as Maryann Audette a GoFundMe fundraiser was set up to help pay for funeral expenses which ultimately led her to experience homelessness Maryann was loved dearly by her family and friends who remember her for her kindness and the times she brought joy into their lives," the page read The following comes from a news release from the Department of Fire Services: a Massachusetts State Police trooper responded to a brush fire in the area of the Blackstone River Bikeway near state Route 146 in Millbury The trooper notified the Millbury Fire Department and police The office of the chief medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death the state was under a red flag warning that any outdoor fire could spread quickly and be difficult to extinguish The site of the encampment is just south of border between Worcester and Millbury is south of the Worcester Walmart at Tobias Boland Way yellow tape surrounded the site of the fire Inside the yellow tape was shopping carts full of personal items including clothes Trash bags were also visible within the area closed off by yellow tape Drug paraphernalia could be seen on a table outside the yellow tape a homeless advocacy group started by homeless people to support homeless substance users and advocate for them in the community Olney said in an email that she could not "stress enough" that homeless people should not camp alone In addition, Olney called for a sanctioned encampment in the city to establish some stability for homeless people. Olney has previously petitioned the City Council to allow such an encampment Brush fires have been an issue across the state over the last week On Wednesday, fire crews from many Central Massachusetts communities battled an intense brush fire that covered five acres in a wooded area in Holden near the Paxton town line The Sutton Fire Department also dealt with a brush fire that came near a house in a wooded area off Whitins Road Details: cache-fra-eddf8230025-FRA 1746522664 734894515 Three Massachusetts municipalities may have come to the end of the road in their resistance to the MBTA Communities Act with the decision affirming the constitutionality of the law that was handed down by the Supreme Judicial Court Wednesday The court ruled that the MBTA Communities Act which requires municipalities that are host to mass transit options rezone land where the construction of multifamily housing units can be built by right Residents in Millbury voted last year not to rezone any portion of their community to allow for denser concentration of housing Town Manager Peter Lukes said last February that the community should be able to make its own zoning decisions A suit filed against Holden in 2023 by the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance and two individuals over compliance with the law was dismissed in December 2023 as the judge ruled that the town’s decision not to comply with the law did not cause direct harm to the plaintiffs The suit was filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights and Brown Rudnick LLP “Today’s ruling is a great victory for communities of color and low-income communities,” said Jacob Love senior staff attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights Community officials there contend the Mattapan Trolley is not an extension of the MBTA Red Line nor a part of the rapid transit MBTA system and therefore Milton should not be included in the act as a rapid transit community While Attorney General Andrea Campbell has filed suit against Milton to force compliance with the MBTA Communities Act the municipalities in Worcester County were not included in that suit Healey Wednesday reacted to the ruling as a “win” for the state “This ruling affirms we were right,” Healey said of the act She noted that more than 100 of the 177 designated as MBTA communities those hosting stations or those that are adjacent to host municipalities have already complied and identified tracts to rezone And thousands of new housing units are already in the pipeline While the court affirmed the constitutionality of the act it found the state had failed to adequately file notices and impact statements that were required by law The state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities will address that failure in the coming days Healey promised to promulgate emergency regulations “As our brief to the (Supreme Judicial Court) outlined Massachusetts is mired in an affordable housing crisis which disproportionately harms communities of color,” said Love “Exclusionary zoning policies that inhibit multifamily housing production suppress the commonwealth’s housing supply and ensure that low-income residents and people of color have few affordable options Today’s ruling will help break down those barriers.” said his community is fortunate that it will now have additional time to comply with the law “The ruling gives the municipality the ability to choose an area for rezoning,” Moore said the legislator noted that 80% of the dwellings in the targeted area are already considered multifamily homes Select Board chair Scott Despres said municipal leadership has been meeting to find an alternate location from the one supplied by the state when it enacted the measure “The vote was not a vote against the MBTA Act,” said Despres He characterized the vote as a reluctance to rezone a specific tract “Our message to the state is to not sue us The municipality wants to redraw the map and present it to voters at the next meeting in May While leadership has been seeking an alternate tract Despres pointed out that even if the municipality does find a different area to rezone there is no guarantee voters in the community would be amenable to that option either Healey said the state will do “what it needs to do to ensure the continuation of that law.” In a prepared statement released after the court decision “This decision is a major victory for our efforts to increase housing across the state and lower costs The MBTA Communities Law is already a success story 116 communities have said yes to housing and 3,000 new homes are in the pipeline and those numbers are going to continue to grow.” Healey promised to work with Milton and all MBTA communities to help them understand how all of Massachusetts including their own communities The state is committed to finding ways for the municipalities to meet their unique housing needs we are going to make housing more affordable for all of the people who keep our communities strong — our teachers Destiny Fausta got used to working with her hands he's kind of a jack-of-all-trades," Fausta said "We'd go do landscaping jobs on the weekend I'm the oldest of three kids so I think I was the cheapest hire." From putting up drywall to reconstructing front lawns When she got older and it became time for her to pick a career she naturally gravitated to a career in construction she had few people in the industry that looked like her "I already had a lot of knowledge in an area so I figured I would just go to college and try and learn more about that area," Fausta said "I realized that when my parents started pushing me to become a nurse I always wondered why I was always pictured as being a lawyer or a nurse Fausta would graduate from Framingham High School in 2019 she attended Quinsigamond Community College and then later transferred to Fitchburg State graduating in 2024 with a degree on construction management Only 14% of all construction workers are women, according to a 2022 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Less than 1% of construction workers are Black women making Fausta stand out on any construction site that she steps foot on March 2 to 8 has been designated as Women in Construction Week by the National Association of Women in Construction "When you drive around and look at construction sites you really don't see a lot of women of color but I want it to become common," Fausta said "I think people will wonder if I have enough knowledge or if I'm capable of doing the work I make it my prime goal to show people that I have the drive to make it work." was hired by BOND Building and Construction a major construction company based in Medford Fausta had spent the previous year working as an intern for BOND where she was involved in several projects including working on renovations at Surprenant Hall at QCC Fausta described her job as working with all facets of the construction process to make sure projects are running smoothly making sure everyone can get the information if they need it Processing is very important in the construction industry organization and being knowledgeable about things like when deliveries are coming just being like a second brain for the superintendent or the project manager," Fausta said president of BOND Building and Construction pointed to Fausta as a model hire that the company is looking to make as it expands its horizons in its workforce the construction history had to look beyond the traditional routes for the next generation of construction professionals "We've taken it a step further and expanded our reach to go to a program like Fitchburg State not always the traditional construction schools," Hayes said we got Destiny from Fitchburg and she worked with us as an intern over the summer and really enjoyed herself She worked full time while being a student and to me that is a home run because it really speaks to the passion of the student." Hayes said that what Fausta brings to the table passion and a willingness to learn and grow in the industry is far more important than what degree or background she has "The folks that you can get in who are really passionate about the business and smart and show the propensity to succeed we want to bring them into the industry and have them become BOND employees from the start," Hayes said "We are confident in our ability to coach and train the technical skills needed to succeed in this business What is a lot harder to train is the personality Those are the types of people we are looking to hire." Hayes said that incorporating diversity in the workforce has not always been easy While Fausta has been successful working for BOND Hayes pointed out it takes buy-in from everyone in the company to help new employees succeed we have had folks leave because they haven't been supported," Hayes said "I think the biggest thing we have done is culturally turn the corner on diversity and women in construction but we make sure we are getting people like Destiny aligned on supportive teams because it is all about that first experience." never had the opportunity to get the kind of robust educational background that she herself has received Fausta said one day she would like to help her father who she said to this day is her main inspiration "We have the dream of one day going back to Haiti and build our own homes Since I have that knowledge now to help him with his dream "I think it would be great to have my own all-women construction team or a family-owned business." This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time 6 May 2025 9:11:37 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 6 May 2025 9:11:44 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); (This story was updated to add new information.) MILLBURY ― An infestation of the invasive spotted lanternfly has been detected in Millbury The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources confirmed the infestation after receiving reports of sightings from residents Department of Agriculture will monitor the situation through the fall and winter to determine the extent of the infestation so the exact location of the infestation hasn't been established but it's likely in the northern part of town within a half a mile of the Massachusetts Turnpike according to a spokesman at the state Department of Agricultural Resources A "fluid situation" is how Millbury Town Manager Karyn Clark described the scene in an email to the Telegram & Gazette Clark noted state investigators were in Millbury last week and confirmed the infestation Monday Spotted lanternflies can devastate plants and crops, and anyone who sees one is encouraged to report it immediately to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources at massnrc.org/pests/slf Millbury posted guidance online and through social media for residents and businesses The sap-sucking species from Asia was first detected in the U.S Adults die in the winter after laying tiny eggs that are hard to spot and destroy rectangular and about an inch and a half long Young lanternflies don’t have wings and are red In February 2023, Worcester had the largest infestation of the spotted lanternfly in Massachusetts A state environmental biologist said Worcester’s infestation was linked to its large number of tree of heaven Fitchburg is where the first breeding population of spotted lanternflies in Massachusetts was discovered Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram MILLBURY — Trusha Vilvar is worried about her daughters Thirteen-year-old Melody Dabney was happy and outgoing but now wears a hood at school because she's afraid other students will make fun of her hair and skin color and doesn’t want to talk to anyone at school It’s hit them hard," said Vilvar on Friday one day after she and her daughters filed a federal civil rights complaint against the Millbury Public Schools and Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School Department of Education Office of Civil Rights and claims the teenagers were subjected to repeated racial harassment by white students during the 2023-2024 school year because they are Black The actions were reported to school officials but nothing was done while white students who perpetrated the bullying were not disciplined The complaint demands federal officials investigate and enforce compliance with civil rights laws Millbury schools taking allegations seriouslyMillbury Schools Superintendent Gregory Myers responded to an interview request with an email that said he can’t comment on the allegations because of the confidentiality of student records "I can say that we take such allegations very seriously and address them in accordance with our Title VI procedures." Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires federally funded institutions to protect students from discrimination based on race Myers noted in his email that the Millbury schools foster a sense of belonging and welcome a comprehensive review of the district's practices and procedures by federal officials “Our goal is to cultivate a community where every student is valued and has the opportunity to thrive We look forward to working with the Office of Civil Rights to resolve each of these allegations." “Black as F***" and “monkey” that escalated into threats of violence against the sisters Vilvar said her daughters have been racially harassed by students since the family moved to Millbury three years ago a district where 5.2% of students are Black Kamora was written up by a librarian after she tore up a note from a white student and dropped the pieces on the floor The note included the words “N***** pass" that were not included in the librarian's report The report remains in Kamora's student file maintained by the district despite her mother's request to have it removed “Can I say n***er if one of my parents is Black?” The school determined there wasn't enough evidence to support a Title VI violation Vilvar's appeal to school officials was denied as other Black and brown students were targeted with insults Fed up with little support from the school students confronted those making the slurs Police were called in to escort white students to buses at the end of the school day School staff were also assigned to buses to ensure students made it home safe including an assistant principal on Melody’s bus the assistant principal saw Melody tie her hair into a ponytail as she got off the bus and thought it was a sign of aggression against a white student More suspensionsKamora was suspended for 20 days after she hit a student who sent a threatening Snapchat message to her sister the school went into lockdown and the student responsible for the Snapchat wasn't punished There is racial disparity when it comes to student suspensions in Millbury there was a higher rate of suspension for Black (12%) and Hispanic/Latino (7.4%) students compared to white students (3.6%) Lawyer Mirian Albert with Lawyers for Civil Rights represents Vilvar and her daughters in the civil rights complaint and believes Millbury's past and present shows a pattern of racial intolerance in town “It's definitely a systemic issue,” said Albert “The school has a legal and moral duty to protect students Albert pointed out that racial animus against students of color is statewide Lawyers for Civil Rights filed civil rights complaints against the Brookline schools and the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional school district The complaint against Millbury demands the Department of Education cite the district for violating civil rights laws require the district to enact polices to end racial disparities and establish a zero-tolerance policy for racial bullying and harassment It also calls for the family to be reimbursed for the cost of the daughter's counseling “I want to make sure the (school) administration is held accountable,” said Vilvar Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More - Millbury celebrated the dedication of its new fire department headquarters on Sunday Town leaders were on hand for a ribbon cutting to mark the grand opening of the new state-of-the-art facility It replaces an older facility on the same street The station includes various staff rooms and technology to meet the safety needs of firefighters “I can remember 46 years ago when Station 2 was being built,” said Chief Steven Kosiba “I never thought I would see another station built before my time to retire It was a pleasure to be involved with this project witnessing three times a day the blasting to get us to where we are today.” The new headquarters took roughly a year and a half to build at a cost of $18 million Town leaders said the headquarters will meet the needs of the Millbury community for decades to come “Government needs regular people to run for office,” Frigon said It has been a steep learning curve leading up to her name on the Republican primary ballot “I realize I knew nothing about how the process works “I’m realizing it takes money and time to run.” Frigon said she chose to run because she believes her district needs a fresh face in office one that exemplifies the conservative values she hopes to bring to the position has been in office since she was 9 years old More: Rep. Paul Frost rises to challenge from rival in state primary Frost of Auburn was elected in 1996 and has been serving in the Legislature in 1997 for 27 years “Residents need someone whose values align with theirs,” Frigon said She complained of stagnation in the seat and lack of transparency and honesty “There is no advancement of conservative values.” But the disrespect she felt when addressing her local school officials as she tried to express her views regarding the mask mandate and push for exclusions prompted her to run for office “It brought to light the condition of public schools the bullying and that parents are not allowed at the table.” rents a portion of the house where she grew up from her parents and is thankful that her boys are in close proximity of their grandparents Now “just a mom,” Frigon worked briefly as a court reporter before her first pregnancy attended graphic design classes at Quinsigamond Community College and has worked at “millions of jobs.” If her bid is successful Frigon would earn a base salary of $70,537 “I have been in recovery for 17 years,” Frigon said A portion of her journey was highlighted in a 2015 Boston Globe article about babies who are born addicted “I have done outreach work for other women in recovery especially women in recovery during pregnancy.” social and emotional welfare prompted her to remove her children from the Millbury public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic The candidate also banded together with three other families to file a law suit against the district other regional schools and the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education supervisors and even the state’s education commissioner as a means to counteract the mandate and collect $24 million in damages While the suit has been modified in the court and many of the defendants dismissed it is ongoing with two scheduled conference hearings Tuesday and September 3 with Judge Michael Ricciuti when the suit was filed demanding an injunction against the face mask mandate,” said Ilya Feoktistov the clients want compensation for the harm suffered by the children caused by the masks.” He said the suit was trimmed down to the core question of whether face masks are medical devices and whether manually placing the masks onto children and adjusting them constitutes assault Feoktistov said the suit only presses the claims of the parents whose children suffer from disabilities including autism spectrum disorders and other neurodivergent conditions gag reflex disorders and other medical issues Claims made for children who do not suffer from disabilities were dismissed Frigon’s sons have not returned to the Millbury public schools She is homeschooling her 17-year-old son and has placed her two younger boys Her children have medical conditions that make it difficult for them to wear masks While her primary concern is with the lack of transparency and access in the state’s school systems she is also concerned with some of the legislation signed by Gov particularly the new gun laws and measures dealing with bodily autonomy but she doesn’t talk about people losing their careers their livelihoods because they didn’t want to take an injection or wear a mask,” Frigon said Mask mandates and vaccination requirements were enacted by former Gov Charlie Baker in answer to the COVID-19 pandemic The public health emergency was terminated during the Baker administration in June 2021 “I feel as if people with conservative values are screaming for someone to listen to them and act in their name,” Frigon said has stepped outside the bounds of its responsibilities She cited the recent curfew enacted in Oxford as a response to the Eastern equine encephalitis case that involves an elderly Oxford man hospitalized with the virus The illness is transmitted through mosquito bites. While there is some contradiction about the survivability rate, a recently updated Rutgers University fact sheet about the virus found that about half of those infected with the illness die There is no cure for EEE and physicians generally prescribe medications to relieve symptoms The fact sheet indicated that children and the elderly are more likely to develop symptoms The illness commonly begins with low fever Recovery is possible but individuals that do recover usually sustain brain damage Government should offer support to the population dictating measures and overreaching its responsibility 6 May 2025 9:12:11 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 6 May 2025 9:12:26 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); MILLBURY — Following the resignation of a member of the Millbury School Committee over a social media post that disparaged President-elect Donald Trump and his voters the Millbury School Committee said at its Wednesday night meeting that the post did not reflect the committee's views School Committee Chair Jennifer Nietupski read a prepared statement at the beginning of the meeting personal posts were made by a member of the School Committee These posts do not represent the opinions or views of the committee," the statement read "The Millbury School Committee is committed to representing all the stakeholders in Millbury and it holds itself and the leadership of the district to that standard." According to a report by the Boston Herald, Murray had shared an Instagram post from New Yorker Cartoons Murray's post quickly spread in the community and to outside accounts The committee's vacancy will be filled by a joint appointment of the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee Letters of interest can be submitted to the Town Clerk by Nov Nietupski said the committee hopes to make the appointment in early December ahead of the start of the budget process a mother of three in Millbury schools who identified as a conservative addressed the School Committee during public comment And though I'm deeply disappointed with the comments of Mrs as a voting conservative I'm actually more concerned with the other committee members and the superintendent not swiftly denouncing the comments that were made to diffuse the situation," Frigon said "To thank her for her service is insulting." Saying that Millbury schools and the School Committee are big on concepts related to diversity Frigon said Murray's comments were an example of aggression and bias and hoped the committee would welcome a diversity of thought in filling the vacancy The School Committee normally requires residents to request to speak to items on the meeting agenda five days in advance but Nietupski allowed Frigon to speak on Murray's comments Frigon, who ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary against state Rep said in an interview with the Telegram & Gazette that she became more involved in Millbury school issues around 2021 after she and others felt there was a shift in the curriculum following the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Shaw Elementary School was sparsely attended but Frigon said more people who wanted to attend were not aware there had been a venue change who said she helped circulate Murray's posts from a private account after others sent them to her said she was not surprised to hear about them from a committee member saying conservative candidates have been overlooked to fill prior vacancies and some conservatives have not felt listened to She said she was frustrated to hear some defenses of Murray's personal character "I have no judgment on her as a person; I have judgment on her as a representative of our school," Frigon said She said she believes the town government has a liberal bias and said most Millbury voters chose Trump this year 6 May 2025 9:12:39 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); Eversource is selling its subsidiary that provides water to five Massachusetts towns to a newly created quasi-public water authority in Connecticut a move the utility says will improve its finances and allow it to focus on its core electricity and natural gas businesses The Bridgeport-based Aquarion Water Co. has about 11,500 Massachusetts customers in Dover, Millbury, Oxford, Plymouth and Sheffield, as well as in eight communities in New Hampshire and about 60 municipalities in Connecticut Eversource announced Monday that it has an agreement to sell the company which it purchased for $1.675 billion in 2017 which will operate alongside the New Haven-area's South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority including $1.6 billion in cash and $800 million worth of debt to be settled The deal must be approved by the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission "This transaction reinforces our commitment to our core electric and natural gas operations as the largest regulated utility in New England allowing us to optimize our portfolio and strengthening our balance sheet while reinvesting capital to benefit our customers," Eversource President and CEO Joe Nolan said in a statement "We will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders across our service territories in Connecticut Massachusetts and New Hampshire to deliver cost-effective solutions that ensure safe reliable electric and natural gas service for our customers." Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to about 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts including approximately 1.47 million electric customers in 140 communities here and 639,000 gas customers in 117 communities Eversource announced its intention to sell Aquarion about 11 months after the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority rejected a request that could have hiked rates by 27% over three years and instead ordered a decrease of Aquarion's revenue requirements by approximately 0.99%, CTinsider.com reported 6 May 2025 9:12:50 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());.