MILLIS — A $1 million kiln was destroyed Friday morning in a fire at a Main Street manufacturing plant, according to Fire Chief Richard Barrett The fire was reported at 6:50 a.m. at the former CollT Manufacturing plant firefighters found a heavy fire inside a commercial kiln was being used to dry wood that would later be used to make furniture “The kiln was so large and everything was so compact in it we had a hard time getting in and getting to the fire,” Barrett told the Daily News Managers for the entity could not be reached for comment The rest of the building sustained smoke damage “We were able to contain the fire to the kiln,” he said Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime (WJAR) — Three families were displaced from their home after a large house fire in Millis Friday night firefighters responded to a home on Ridge Street for reports of smoke in the home Crews determined there was a fire in the kitchen all seven residents and their pets escaped safely The Red Cross was on scene to help with temporary housing An Elite Eight appearance was the end of the road for the Gardner High girls basketball team 10 Wildcats met their match in the Division 4 Round of 8 game as they fell to second-seeded Millis Reflections of the season were anything but sad as the team will be able to look back on history "The last time that we had league champs was in 2005 that was my dad's graduating year," said senior Emma McNamara "He was telling me how in 10 years from now if I walk in the gym that we'll be able to see that on the banner and relive how great it was." Everything coming togetherGardner had a unique feature within its starting five All five girls had been playing in their starting positions for three years under the leadership of head coach Francis Phillips Olivia Powers and Krista Bettez and junior Alli Fitzsimmons were a group that led the Wildcats to 21 straight victories with their only two losses being the season opener and finale This kind of dominance was credited to the athletes' closeness that after three years was at its peak this winter "I think specifically this season we all connected a lot more with each other," Fitzsimmons said when to pass when someone's open and I think that helped us a lot for this season." Vazquez and Bettez have been evident leaders for Gardner the past several seasons but what really leveled up the Wildcats' game this year were the bigger contributions of Powers and McNamara The duo began to add more points and rebounds creating a solid forward-center connection that added to the poise and speed of the guards More: 'I have been swimming my whole life:' Dedication has big payoff for Narragansett senior Although Gardner will graduate four of its five starters the underclassmen have been preparing to step up all season The first two players off Gardner's bench are a pair of eighth graders who found a role on a veteran team Kendall Gamache and Addy Boudreau add speed and aggression that will help them go far in their next four seasons More: 'Thank you for making me play:' Narragansett seniors leave impact on basketball program "Getting to learn and go against (the upperclassmen) it just showed them that competitive level that we expect at practice every day and it's great learning for them and they played some meaningful minutes," Phillips said The lasting single word to describe their season is "unforgettable," as said by Vazquez you develop a lot of relationships and connections," Phillips said "We wanted to win a league title this year we wanted to make a run and we knew this was the year to do it and so just to kind of see that come to fruition at the end is really special." MILLIS — Four residents were displaced and a home was condemned after a fire just after midnight Tuesday at a Village Street apartment building, authorities said No one was injured in the 12:15 a.m. fire at 351 Village St., according to a press release from the Millis Fire Department Fire Chief Rick Barrett said firefighters encountered some obstacles in fighting the fire — the hydrant closest to the home was broken and an overnight temperature of 7 degrees caused a lot of icing and we had enough water on the trucks to extinguish the fire," he said 'People gravitate to her': Rare genetic disorder doesn't keep Millis woman from helping Police Dept. The town dispatch center received a 911 call reporting the fire in the two-family home as the fire was running in the chimney from the basement all the way through the roof All four residents and a dog had escaped by the time firefighters arrived Barrett said the town's Building Department has condemned the home because the fire affected the building's structural integrity He estimated there to be $250,000 worth of damage The 95-year-old home is owned by Khalsa Dalip Singh and Narinjian Kaur The four residents are being assisted by the American Red Cross The cause of the fire appears to be a failure in the chimney flue pipe Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com MILLIS -- Ella Maher proved herself with one shot The Millis girls basketball team held a one-point lead over Wahconah in Tuesday’s Division 4 Round of 16 powered through two Warrior defenders and sank a layup through contact at the 4-minute mark I knew the vibe started to change,” Maher said and the energy was flowing through the gym.” It sparked a 14-0 run to close the game, and Maher scored nine of those points. Millis prevailed 53-39 - beating the Warriors in the same round for the second year in a row - to advance to the quarterfinals for the third year in a row and seventh consecutive tournament followed her layup with a corner 3 right in front of her bench then pump faked and drove to the basket for a layup off the glass She closed with a dive to the basket finishing a play where all five Millis players touched the ball “She got so many good looks that she didn’t make int he first half and she had a tough defensive assignment,” Millis coach Dave Fallon said She always thinks she can hit the next shot.” it also held Wahconah (14-8) off the scoreboard for the game’s final 5:34 after Brooke Harrington made 1-of-2 free throws to tie the game at 39 “A lot of times these games are really won on defense beaus everyone’s nervous,” Fallon said “The better defensive team is gonna figure out a way to win.” 'Opened my eyes': A position switch helped Sarah Poland blossom into a DCL co-MVP for LS girls basketball Millis also leaned on experience with senior point guard Lindsey Grattan She scored 11 points and steadied Millis’ offense against Wahconah’s half court trap “She knows how the game works and knows what she has to do in order to win,” Maher said “She brings that knowledge to everyone else when we’re playing She controls the court in such a great way.” That’s necessary for a Millis team with three new starters from last year’s Final Four trip and several underclassmen in the rotation Freshman Caroline Connors led Millis with 17 points Better than balloons: Caden Sullivan's latest 20-point outburst nets 1,000th point and Sweet 16 win for Franklin “From the beginning of the season we proved to ourselves and everyone else that just because we’re young doesn’t mean we can’t be the best versions of ourselves,” Grattan said Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk behind the woods behind the Millis baseball field One sideline bleeds into residents' backyards A woodpile serves as a pylon in the back corner of an end zone They one lightly rusted goal post has stood for decades Millis' two equipment lockers hold everything from blocking sleds to cones barrels and shuttle markers of varying ages Counting the handful of injured player doing sit ups there are often more players on the field than watching "We just make the best out of what we have," Millis sophomore quarterback Jack Carter said Carter is a prime example. He entered the season as a 6-foot-4 receiving threat. Then Millis quarterback Owen Caulfield went down with an injury in Week 2. Millis moved Carter behind center "Kids are willing to play anywhere and do anything that they can to get on the field and help us win," Millis coach Bob Martellio said Above the crowd: Which MetroWest & Milford football teams have the most success in the state tournament? He practiced on the same fields with the same goalpost but the players on the field possess the same grit you understand you're not coming off the field," Martellio said "If you end up having to come off the field people know that you didn't do what was proper to make sure that you did everything you could for the team to win." That almost always means playing both ways Sometimes it means filling in new positions in practice or on the fly during games "Depending on which side of the ball they're on they understand what needs to be done," Martellio said "They know what we want as a coaching staff." Millis lifts weight several times a week and continues its conditioning efforts even into October Its players have stayed on the field and performed while some of its opponents sat on the bench or battled cramps Obviously you're going to be tired," Millis sophomore Liam Kraby said High school football headquarters: Complete coverage for 2024 The three wins Millis has racked up in the first three games of 2024 matches its total from last season already The group on the field hasn't changed much Freshmen and sophomores that were losing tight games in 2023 are now juniors and sophomores executing in key moments "The experience allows us as coaching staff to do more They didn't want to go 3-8 last year," Martellio said Managing the adversity of last season and finishing with two wins in their final two games allowed the team to move past the injuries and position changes early in 2024 "A lot of stuff that has happened that we weren't really expecting and we just had to take it head on and embrace every moment," Carter said Millis certainly wasn't expecting to be atop the Division 8 power rankings when they came out The coaching staff addressed it once with the team and has tried to move forward because it's going to fluctuate week to week," Martellio said "If you can't get into the dance come week nine it doesn't matter what you were in week three." That narrow focus zeroes in on the week's opponent tweaking small aspects of the offense or defense without deviating from what's made the team successful Millis ran for more than 200 yards last week against Blackstone-Millville The team has allowed exactly seven points in each of its first three games Recap: Week 3 high school football schedule and results from MetroWest and greater Milford They need to rely on each other and communicate "It builds that camaraderie and brings people closer," Kraby said FRAMINGHAM — The Middlesex District Attorney's Office has identified the Millis man who was killed last week in a single-car crash on Beacon Street the cause of the crash that killed 66-year-old Frank Lucas remains under investigation The crash occurred about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24, Framingham police said prevously Police said Lucas was driving on Beacon Street when he drove his car off the road and into a utility pole Lucas was transported to UMass-Memorial Medical Center in Worcester Earlier: Police probe crash on Framingham's Beacon Street that killed Millis man The crash is being investigated by the Framingham Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and the Middlesex District Attorney's Office Millis 42Tigers heading back to the Division 4 state final Kate Phillips secures an offensive rebound for the Tigers after a Millis miss Kate Phillips pulled down an offensive rebound for the Tigers then hit the go-ahead free throw Millis' Lindsey Grattan just picked up her fourth foul with 1:55 left Cara Dean just crossed up Millis and pulled up from DEEP to tie the game for the Tigers She's scored eight straight points for Millis and is up to 16 in the game Kate Phillips sinks two free throws for the Tigers Lindsey Grattan hits two free throws to put Millis ahead Lucy Miller ties the game for Millis wth a free throw 5:49 left 3QMillis switching to more of a zone in the second half Grace Higgins finishes through contact then sinks the free trow to make it a one-point game for Millis 7 minutes left 3QLindsey Grattan hits two free throws and brings Millis within a point Millis 21Caroline Connors makes a free throw to cut the Millis deficit to 3 then the Tigers can't answer at the buzzer Lucy Miller makes two free throws to make it a two-possession game Cara Dean banked in a 3 to push the Tigers' lead to double digits Tigers hit back to back 3s to push the lead out before a Lucy Miller jumper stopped the run Lucy Miller makes two free throws for Millis A Millis travel gives SH an opportunity to extend its lead Kate Philllips has six points for the Tigers Lindsey Grattan and Caroline Connors lead Millis with four Grattan found Connors for a layup at the buzzer to cut Millis' deficit to a possession 2:12 left 1QLindsey Grattan taking mattters into her own hands to get to the rack for Millis Tigers like to press on a make and run whenever possible Lindsey Grattan just made a wild layup behind her head to put Millis up before the Tigers responded South Hadley in transition has been a weapon 6:28 left 1QBoth teams pressing and active on defense Someone's going back to the state championship game Millis last made it in Division 5 in 2023 while South Hadley is aiming for a return trip They'll face off for the chance to reach the final in the Division 4 state semifinals at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Worcester State Whoever wins will take on the winner of the second game in the doubleheader between No 1 and two-time defending state champion Cathedral and No The championship game is scheduled for 2 p.m Millis (16-7) emerged from the rough and tumble Tri-Valley League led by senior guard Lindsey Grattan The team relies on its press and a tight-knit group of athletes to make the game chaotic Freshman Caroline Connors has emerged as a reliable scorer in the tournament for a team that runs young Millis has three state championships in its history but last won in 2015 South Hadley (21-3) has won eight of its last nine games Cara Dean leads the Tigers scoring 11.3 points per game but South Hadley has three players with at least 200 points MILLIS - Whispers about Jack Carter started when he was in fifth grade Adams knew the program had something in Carter “A lot of times when you get a kid his age that rises that fast He wants everyone else to be great,” Adams said “He wants to be part of bringing the school to the next level Carter was good enough to play varsity as an eighth grader. MIAA rules relegated him to JV which helped ease the transition to varsity he was ready to play with us as an eighth grader “Everyone knew he was going to be a great basketball player.” He debuted with the fanfare of a 20-point game Millis’ seniors shepherded him along and ensured the TVL didn’t chew him up Carter averaged 14 points per game along with eight rebounds and two blocks per contest “I was definitely nervous coming out as a freshman not as strong as the older kids,” Carter said “I had people in practice last year that could push me every day and that helped me grow as a player at the ripe old age of 15 and as a sophomore Carter scored 18 points and added two offense-altering blocks in a 81-44 win over No 40 Smith Vocational in the opening round of the Division 4 playoffs Who's next?: 2025 winter MIAA state tournament MetroWest and Milford schedule and results “All year long people don’t want to come into the paint because they know that he’s gonna swat them he was a paint presence all year long,”  Adams said He’s not even jumping half the time and guys are kicking it out because they know he’s there Opponents need to be aware of Carter on both sides of the floor He nearly converted a thunderous alley-oop on one of Millis’ first possessions and kept possessions alive on the offensive glass The 6-foot-4 sophomore is more than a low block behemoth His 3-point shot is developing consistency Carter regularly make smooth outlet passes in transition and hits open shooters in the half court it makes us a much better team when everybody buys in.” He will look for his own shot when Millis needs it or is up against high-level competition 'Fuel to be better': Franklin's Caden Sullivan wants to surpass father's basketball legacy “Last year coming in I knew it wasn’t my team,” Carter said He recognizes his place in the team and what he wants to accomplish “To have that talent and be the way that he is it’s really something special,” Adams said HULL - Nothing could stop the Pirates with the wind in their sails 3 Tahanto in the state semifinals at 5 p.m “We just challenged the girls at halftime and said This is where we don't lose very often,” Hull coach Stew Bell said Hull (15-2-4) faced a one-goal deficit at halftime after a sluggish start it emboldened the Pirates rather than dismayed it motivates us more,” Hull sophomore Libby Harper said Freshman Gianna Thorne steered the ship in the right direction in the 55th minute She found a clear lane near the top of the 18-yard box and shifted the ball to her left foot before lofting a shot over the Millis keeper and past her outstretched hand “She's had a few near misses this season.” That goal left no doubt and opened the door for more Harper put Hull ahead with 20 minutes remaining from a challenging angle near the football sideline fading away to her right She looped the shot high and looped it to the bottom left corner “When you take a shot and it doesn't end up going where you want it Familiarity breeds contempt: Simon Hart and DS boys soccer refuse to lose in Div. 3 Elite 8 against rival Holliston It produced a dagger when Harper netted her second from range off through ball with the keeper out putting the game to bed with 5:32 remaining “We always talk about stay on the front foot and so we kept being aggressive,” Bell said Making it a habit: Defending state champion Natick girls soccer team is again off to the Final 4 Millis played the aggressor in the first half 7 seed that turned over half its roster from last season’s quarterfinalist was first to nearly every ball and took the lead in the 22nd minute Lindsey Grattan pounced on a loose ball after the Pirates keeper couldn’t secure a free kick and calmly slotted it on the ground “A lot of these players were asked to do a lot I had three starters injured for the majority of the season so almost every player on the team was asked to do more than they were originally expected,” Millis coach Steve Bigelow said Millis also hit the post and sent a close range effort over the bar that could have changed the complexion of the game and we knew we wanted to come out immediately and play a super strong 20-30 minutes We wanted to score the first half and then try to move things around and contain them the rest of the way,” Bigelow said Then things caught up to us a little bit in the second half.” Details: cache-fra-eddf8230150-FRA 1746535850 1462059178 — A loved one of a person who went missing several years ago has renewed hope after learning that human remains were found Monday Millis's half-sister Cindy LaNore hasn't given up hope that he will be found one day 'My Christmas wish is that we find Steve today,'" LaNore said "Not having closure is just something that I can't get over until I can actually put him to rest." LaNore has her scrapbook full of moments frozen in time of her brother when he was much younger 'I know Stevie's with you.' So that gives me comfort." Cindy believes Steve was killed after getting involved with a bad group of people I didn't get involved with that side of Steve," LaNore added The news of human remains found in a wooded area near Rothbury Monday has given her a sliver of hope "Never will a day go by that I won't miss him "Having a loved one missing is probably one of the .. worst possible things that can happen because you don't know." "Every time I go to the grocery stores or I go through town I put them up at [the] grocery store," LaNore said Millis's sister knows the answer of whose remains found in Rothbury will be made public soon "I believe it's that of Kevin that disappeared in this area," LaNore said but at least a family is going to get closure No arrests have ever been made in this case FOX 17 reached out to the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office who headed up the investigation six years ago into Millis’s disappearance Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube WATERPORT – Theda Jane Toms Powley Millis passed away peacefully with family at her side on January 30 and was the only child of Neil and Irene (Fisk) Toms Theda grew up in Lyndonville and cherished the many hours spent with her family and the friends made during her childhood years and moved to Fruit Avenue where she was his helpmate in running the family dairy farm Fran and Theda enjoyed 40 years of marriage until his passing in 1987 Theda answered a personal calling to become a nurse at age 53 Upon graduating as an LPN from the BOCES program she was immediately hired as a medications nurse at Orchard Manor Nursing Home in Medina She was devoted to caring for her patients and truly loved her job Her work at Orchard Manor also brought a new acquaintance into her life and she found a second chance at love with Roger A and Theda and Roger delighted in being part of each other’s family and circle of friends She supported his work as an apple farmer and Town of Carlton Supervisor They traveled often and enjoyed 22 years of marriage until Roger’s passing in 2016 first active at the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church and finally Carlton United Methodist Church including the Eastern Star and Daughters of the American Revolution She served as Secretary-Treasurer and Director for West Ridgeway Cemetery played organ for sing-alongs at Orchard Manor and enjoyed participating in Busy Buddies and Johnson Creek Seniors These activities and the people she met along the way brought much joy and fulfillment to her life Theda was predeceased by her son Ted Powley and granddaughters Pamela DeFazio LaPrairie and Kayla Babus and Patrice (Christopher) Birner of Middleport Marilyn Powley and Barbara Powley; as well as grandchildren Erika Babus and Nicole (Dan) McKee; 18 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren with another on the way The family she gained through Roger includes LuAnn (Tim) Tierney and Patti (Brian) Maney and their children and grandchildren She enjoyed relationships with her cousins Randy Smythe and Jeff (Linda) Smythe plus her nephews and their families Theda was especially blessed to receive a pen pal when she was in 6th grade and continued a close relationship with Margaret Smith of Bishop Briggs Please join her family in remembering a life well-lived with visitation at Bogan Tuttle Funeral Interment will take place at West Ridgeway Cemetery at a later date in the spring but please consider a donation to the Lyndonville Area Foundation in honor of her lifelong connection to her hometown in lieu of flowers Please mail to Lyndonville Area Foundation Please light a candle or share a memory of Theda at www.bogantuttlefunerals.com A proud member of LION Publishers – supporting local FRAMINGHAM — A Millis man has died after a single-car crash at midday Sunday on Beacon Street, according to police The cause of the crash is not yet known, police spokeswoman Lt. Rachel Mickens told the Daily News on Monday The identity of the victim was not released. No one from the Middlesex District Attorney's Office could be reached on Monday for comment whom she described as being a man in his 60s was driving on Beacon Street at about 12:30 p.m he drove off the road and crashed into a utility pole The man was transported to UMass-Memorial Medical Center in Worcester The crash is being investigated by the Framingham Police Department the Massachusetts State Police and the Middlesex District Attorney's Office He hit a game-winning 3 and scored 12 points in a 54-53 win over Westwood Jack Carter added 20 points and 17 rebounds as Millis rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter Sean Ryan hit a 3 to send the game to overtime They each drained a clutch 3 in the Rangers' 79-77 quadruple overtime win over Groton-Dunstable Desrosier scored a team-high 22 points and sent the game to overtime Carpenter had four 3s and hit a buzzer-beater in the third overtime Westborough's Justin McCafferty scored 19 points She racked up 18 points and 15 rebounds in a 51-32 win over Blackstone-Millville Anna Fafard contributed 12 points for the Blue Raiders (9-3 The hunted: No. 1 in D5 right now, Hopedale girls basketball aiming to be there at the end again including 22 in the first half of a 79-55 win over Main South Justice Cesar added 16 points for the Broncos (4-7 She put up 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven steals in a 37-18 win over Main South for the Broncos (7-1, 4-0 Colonial) Dover-Sherborn 43: Theo Allan scored 14 points and Ryan Frigiani had 10 for the Raiders (4-8 Ashland 22: Haven Miele led the Mustangs (7-5 Bellingham 41: Owen Vaughn scored 10 points for the Panthers (3-7 Norton 50: James Marcinowski had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Hillers (8-3 Hopkinton's Tony Ahlstrom-Hall added 13 points with four assists Patrice Petit Frere scored 11 and Ryland August had 10 points Assabet Valley 54: Felipe Assuncao and Anthony Baum each scored 11 points for Assabet (8-3 Blackstone Valley Tech 46: Bryton Buckley put up 15 points for the Beavers (3-10 Blackstone-Millville 40: Nate Rutkowski scored 17 points for the Blue Raiders (10-1 Douglas and Robbie Manning added 12 points each 'This program is everything': Patrick Madden scores 1,000th point for — and because of — Hopedale boys basketball Maynard 50: Andrew Karaban scored 21 points for the Hawks (6-5 Canton 40: Caden Sullivan scored 24 points to keep the Panthers (13-0) undefeated Check in: Vote for the Daily News Fans Midseason Boys Basketball Player of the Year Canton 32: Lauryn DiGiorgio and Lena Malymina each put up 14 points for the Panthers (9-3) 'Everyone has the same goal': Franklin girls basketball off to a top-10 start Wayland 31: Sarah Powers scored 12 points with five rebounds three steals and two blocks for the Warriors Tri-County 42: Neila Schweitzer posted a double-double with 13 points and 18 rebounds for the Cougars (6-3 Tri-County's Kerin Connolly scored 15 points Millis 38: Lucy Miller scored 15 points for Millis (8-4) Monty Tech 41: Julia Magill led the Beavers (6-5 Concord-Carlisle 43: Brooke Adams scored 15 points with eight rebounds for the Titans (7-5) Marlborough 23: Emma Reynolds led the Panthers (3-7) with eight points Westborough 23: Sloane Bresnahan's 10 points paced the Rangers (2-7 Maynard 44: Kristina Bruce put up 14 points and Madeline Haher scored 11 for the Hawks (7-3 FRAMINGHAM 51, Lincoln-Sudbury 39 No limits: Olivia Melanson 'doesn't waste a second' improving to help Medway girls basketball POLL: Cast your vote for the MetroWest/Milford Daily News mid-season boys hockey player of the year Worcester 78: Sasha Kristie won the 200 freestyle for the Eagles AMSA's Kiaralys Rodrigues was second in diving At least three MetroWest school districts were affected by a nationwide data breach linked to the school software company PowerSchool Millis and Hopkinton were among the Massachusetts school districts affected by the data breach which could have compromised school district information including personal information about teachers and students In an email sent to parents, Wellesley Superintendent of Schools David Lussier and Director of Educational Technology Adam Steiner said they would investigate the breach officials from PowerSchool stated that the information breach was part of a targeted attack where a compromised credential in PowerSchool’s customer support portal was used to find and download a large amount of data from schools nationwide," the Wellesley email reads "The information accessed pertains to students PowerSchool learned of the attack when the perpetrator informed the company of the breach and asked for payment to destroy the data "PowerSchool officials said they paid the perpetrator an undisclosed amount of money in exchange for video evidence that the data was deleted," Lussier and Steinber wrote "PowerSchool officials stated that they believe there are no additional copies of the data and that the data will not be shared with the public." Wellesley Public Schools said it will compile a list of information included in the breach No banking or credit information is collected by PowerSchool PowerSchool confirmed the breach but said it is not experiencing any disruptions California-based company became aware of a "potential cybersecurity incident" in late December any operational disruption and continues to provide services as normal to our customers," the company's statement reads we immediately engaged our cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized a cross-functional response team including senior leadership and third-party cybersecurity experts." The statement continued: "PowerSchool is committed to protecting the security and integrity of our applications We take our responsibility to protect student data privacy and act responsibly as data processors extremely seriously PowerSchool is committed to providing affected customers and educators with the resources and support they may need as we work through this together.” According to its website, PowerSchool is a provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education, connecting the central office to the classroom to the home. It was acquired in October by Boston-based Bain Capital in a $5.6 billion deal The soccer landscape at Millis shifted dramatically Thursday New coaches will take over both the boys and girls programs, Millis athletic director Derek Phinney announced Reg Wilcox is the new boys head coach after previously serving as a varsity assistant for the past six years under previous coach Jason O'Brien left the program in the spring for a job in Douglas substitutions and designing practice plans as an active assistant "When the opportunity I felt I was ready to take on that next step," Wilcox said "I enjoy working with the high school players contributing to their success and education on and off the field." He will take over at a unique time for the program Millis will not field a varsity team this fall Phinney confirmed in an email to the Daily News due to low numbers and the competition level in the Tri-Valley League Millis' roster will be largely composed of underclassmen and middle schoolers so the team will play a JV schedule and reset 'We saved the program': How Bellingham softball skipping a varsity season saved it "The future is bright for Millis boys soccer We have a lot of seventh- and eighth-graders coming up through the program that have a lot of great talent and we have some underclassmen that can contribute a great deal,” Wilcox said “We’re making sure the level of play they compete against is appropriate so they can keep developing their skills." Millis constricted to a JV-only program once before more than a decade ago and bounced back "The biggest goals are to be competitive with the games we’re playing and ensure we advance people’s skillset and build the program back to compete at the varsity level as soon as is feasible," Wilcox said Millis went 2-15-2 last season but qualified for the Division 5 state tournament due to its power ranking Familiar face Steve Bigelow will head girls teamSteve Bigelow described himself as a "Millis sports superfan." He has taught English at the school for the past 13 years and will take over the girls soccer program this fall "I’m incredibly passionate and enthusiastic in the classroom and that’s the same attitude I will take to the soccer program,” Bigelow said “Millis needs coaches that have that positivity that overwhelming enthusiasm and dedication His most recent coaching experience comes at the youth level in Holliston Bigelow led Holliston's Boston Area Youth Soccer (BAYS) team to the Division 1A President's Cup final He coached a girls select team in Holliston for the past three years and was a high school baseball and boys soccer coach more than a decade ago in the Boston Public School System I know every single kid in the building and just about every single name on the interest list," Bigelow said "I’ve had them in class and if I haven’t had them in class He shares teaching and coaching philosophies with former Millis coach Olivia Zitoli relentlessness and a civic responsibility to be good representatives and people in the classroom and community "I know all of these players as students," Bigelow said "I’m looking forward to getting to know them in a completely different realm as athletes." Punching up: Millis girls soccer shows it can hang with state's best in narrow loss to Hopkinton Millis advanced to the Division 5 quarterfinals last fall and finished with an 8-11-2 record. The program has captured three state championships (2018, 2017, 2009) It’s one of the smallest schools in the state by far the smallest in the TVL,” Bigelow said “To compete with the other schools in the TVL we need to be physically or fitness wise as good or better We need to be as prepared or more prepared.” DOVER – The drive not only put away the game Dover-Sherborn's quick-answering 61-yard march midway through the fourth quarter handed the Raiders a 25-14 victory Thursday night and sent visiting Millis to its first loss of the season but we stuck together and played hard and it was about the next play,” Mariano said “We just stayed together and it went our way.”   because we’re on fire – we got them on their heels a little bit,” Millis coach Bob Martellio said of the decisive drive “But they were able to take the ball and drive down on us a little bit.”  In the Tri-Valley League Small opener for both teams Millis (4-1) trailed 17-0 at halftime and showed little life on offense On the first possession of the second half the Mohawks faced a third-and-13 and the game appeared to be heading in a lopsided direction The Raiders (2-3) quickly erased any chances to a completed comeback “It feels great,” Mariano said of becoming the first team to defeat the Mohawks It felt awesome to bring them to our home turf and take the home win.”  D-S built its lead thanks to an early Mariano touchdown reception, a safety and Sullivan’s scrambling TD toss to Richards with 30 seconds remaining in the half Another Ronan-to-Ronan pass on the conversion put the Raiders up 17-0 But Millis made it a game thanks to Carter’s long passes “We told the kids this was a second-half game; we told them that at halftime much better in the second half,” Martellio said when the Mohawks won 31-6 on the way to their second consecutive Super Bowl title now look ahead to next Friday’s game at Norton for a chance to even up their record “We’ve got good team chemistry,” Mariano said “We just have to keep practicing hard and show up next week 100%.”  Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com Southside High School will have a new face spearheading its football program for the 2025 season. Southside has hired William “AJ” Millis as its next head coach “It is with great pride and excitement that I step into the role of head football coach at Southside High School I have dedicated my career to developing athletes and raising the standard at every stop along the way,” Willis said in a statement “From the moment I learned about this opportunity I knew this program had incredible potential and I am honored to lead these student-athletes into a new era of success.” stepped down from the position in November after four seasons played football at Charleston Southern University He previously spent five seasons as Berea’s defensive coordinator and seven years on the coaching staff at Blacksburg MORE: National Signing Day: Westside pair leads way among Upstate's top unsigned football players Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal Please email her at KEJackson@gannett.com and follow her on X WORCESTER - Three South Hadley defenders collapsed around Millis point guard Lindsey Grattan as she approached the paint The senior dribbled through two and created an open passing lane to freshman Caroline Connors above the break 13 of them in the second half to help Millis (16-8) keep pace Neither team built more than a two-possession lead after halftime Grattan tied the game at 33 with a layup with 7 minutes 23 seconds left and made two free throws at 4:13 to give her team a 37-35 lead "We just let Lindsey do Lindsey most of the time," Millis coach Dave Fallon said They used an 11-4 run in the second quarter to lead by double digits 24-14 with 2:40 to halftime on a Cara Dean 3 Millis narrowed it to just three by halftime "As a team we knew what we had to do to fight back," Grattan said "We didn't want our season to end like that Back again: Fraknlin returns to D1 state final with win over Central Catholic He's the man: Madden's layup with 3.6 seconds remaining lifts Hopedale boys basketball into state final "She's one of the most dynamic players that I've coached She's a coach's dream in terms of how much better she makes everyone around her," Fallon said "I can't tell you how easy she makes the game for everyone else It will then be up to the younger players to continue the program's legacy and try to push it further "It just keeps getting better," Grattan said This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page South Hadley's Cara Dean (12) attempts to pass Carver's Sarah Stairs during the MIAA Division 4 state quarterfinal game last week in South Hadley South Hadley's Kate Phillips (24) attempts to rebound the ball during the PVIAC Class B tournament semifinal game against Springfield International last month in South Hadley The Final Four is set in the MIAA girls basketball Division 4 state tournament 2 Millis in the semifinals on Wednesday at Worcester State University The Tigers (21-3) moved on after toppling No Friday on their home court in a Round of 8 victory thanks to their rugged defense and a 21-point performance from sophomore Kate Phillips “This is our third time to the semifinals in the last four years,” South Hadley head coach Paul Dubuc said after the win against Carver The other time we got beat was [during] the Round of 8 and every time we’ve gotten beat is by the team that won the state championship The Tigers are the defending state runners-up after falling to Cathedral in the championship game in 2024 which also served as their best season in program history South Hadley is one win away from tying its highest-total ever (which also came last season) but will have its hands full going against a perennial power in Millis (16-7) in the semifinal The Mohawks also return to the Final Four this year (they lost to Cathedral in the 2024 semifs) but do so with a new-look roster Millis worked in three new starters to this year’s lineup including a couple of talented freshmen in Ella Maher and Caroline Connors “We’re going to prepare like any other game,” Phillips said of the Tigers’ mindset facing Millis “We’re going to be ready and we’re going to be focused South Hadley will gladly take another stellar outing from Phillips in the battle with the Mohawks will look to get Cara Dean involved in the offense as often as possible  The second-year starters have been consistent all season and highlight a well-rounded Tigers squad on both sides of the ball “I think we have great chemistry,” Phillips said “We’ve known each other since we’ve been playing youth basketball for St Pat’s [CYO] so I think that’s why we all connect so well and why we’re able to play so well together Caitlin Dean and Maddie Soderbaum play important minutes for South Hadley and will look to extend their high-school careers one more game Freshman Olivia Athas has also carved out a nice role as a regular contributor with the Tigers Wednesday’s contest will feature two sturdy defenses as neither team has surrendered more than 65 points in a game this season “A lot of times these games are really won on defense because everyone’s nervous,” Millis head coach Dave Fallon said in a recent article in The MetroWest Daily News after the Mohawks’ 53-39 win over Wacohnah in the Round of 16 4 Bourne making it through the other side of the bracket the top four seeds have held in Division 4 South Hadley hopes last year’s experience gives them the edge this time around “This is gonna help us in the future,” Dubuc said after the state final loss last year “It’s not gonna help us right now or in a week and a half but come the Monday after Thanksgiving this is gonna help us a lot 5 Monument Mountain will follow as the second game of a doubleheader at Worcester State at 7 p.m you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users MILLIS — A local bakehouse and café ranks in the top 10 of best gluten-free bakeries in the country Twist Bakery & Café was ranked in the top 10 best gluten-free bakeries, according to 10Best, a USA TODAY Network website highlighting the best of the best in various travel and lifestyle categories it's quite an accomplishment," said Twist owner Kathryn Ernst in a phone interview "The competition gets stronger and stronger as more bakeries are coming into the space We're really proud of the work of the team." 'Checked a lot of boxes': Twist Bakery & Cafe opens second location in Burlington Ernst said Twist's full-fledged bakery and café set it apart from other gluten-free bakeries offering gluten-free pies and sides for Thanksgiving where they may not get a lot of opportunities for ease of use," she said Bakery was opened to address need for better gluten-free foodsThe bakery which prides itself on addressing the "big nine" allergens — milk soybeans and sesame — opened its first location in 2011 at 30 Milliston Road in Millis Ernst said she opened Twist in order to address a need for better gluten-free foods A second Twist Bakery & Café opened in 2019 at 62 Second Ave. in Burlington, across from a Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority train station. That's within the town's 3rd Ave. neighborhood entertainment and dining development that includes luxury apartments Need a break? Play the Daily USA TODAY Crossword. Twist was previously named USA Today's Best Gluten-Free Bakery in a nationwide competition in 2018 It's the only Massachusetts business on both the 2018 and this year's list the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office posted a “Flashback Friday” tribute to Sheriff Marion Millis “His tenure represents a part of our department’s journey in law enforcement highlighting the foundations that continue to guide our dedication to public service and community engagement today,” the post read in part his time leading NHCSO was not without controversy he was subpoenaed by the House Committee on Un-American Activities as part of its investigation into the Ku Klux Klan Millis was questioned for hours about why he and six of his deputies had joined the Klan Goodwin – who had become ‘grand klaliff,’ essentially the vice-president of the state Klan Millis claimed it was so that his office could keep an eye on local activity committee members appeared skeptical of some of Millis’ answers In addition to being immortalized in the congressional record, the story made the New York Times which had already cast doubt on Millis’s leadership and reported on the strength of the Klan’s activity in New Hanover County when a staff member posted the “Flashback Friday” post they were unaware of Millis’ complicated history a commenter pointed out that it omitted some of that backstory The Sheriff’s Office then decided to take the post down NHCSO’s most recent “Flashback Friday” post is from September 1990 when children got a chance to meet the Sheriff’s Office’s robot at the Independence Mall The robot does not appear to have been affiliated with the Klan or other hate groups Millis Testimony by Ben Schachtman on Scribd Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Allen was an avid member of the Boy Scouts He graduated from Lansdowne-Aldan High School He then attended college at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Administration in August 1964 He minored in Aircraft Maintenance Curriculum Allen helped put himself through college as a private flight instructor or “by getting paid to have other people try to kill him” as his wife at the University of Illinois in 1964 through their unknown matchmaker Allen joined the United States Air Force as a Weapons Controller and served in California at Norton AFB he joined the Air Force Reserve and served as a Liaison Officer to the US Air Force Academy ending his service as a Captain Allen began working at United Air Lines in Minnesota in their reservations department He later transferred to Chicago O’Hare and worked in Food Services In the early 1980’s he and his family transferred to Denver At Denver’s Stapleton International Airport training emergency procedures to United’s flight attendants.  He later earned his master’s degree in Aeronautical Science with distinction from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical in December 2001 he achieved his lifelong dream of being on the flight deck as a flight engineer on the Boeing 727 This later paved the way to First Officer on 737’s He spent his final years with United as a pilot until he retired in 2000 due to FAA mandated retirement rules; without which he would still be flying today Allen enjoyed volunteering at Denver Dumb Friends League and occasionally adding a few more pets to the Millis home a charity dedicated to helping homebound folks in need of food Allen was a dedicated father and grandfather who was known for his sense of humor He is fondly remembered for his infectious smile and will be greatly missed by all who knew him their children William “Bill” (Nikki) Millis Sally (Reynaldo) Villasana and Holly (David) Sprague George Millis; Samantha “Sami” Villasana Alexander “Alex” Villasana; Amanda (Sprague) (Kasen) Perreault and William “Will” Sprague Donations in Allen’s memory can be made to either Quilts of Valor or the Denver Dumb Friends League; Denver Dumb Friends League  Please use the following link to view the Funeral Service via livestream: Millis Funeral Service 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 but South Hadley has three players with at least 200 points.