Sisters of Providence President Kathleen Popko discusses a affordable elder housing project to the West Springfield Town CouncilPhoto credit: West Springfield Media WEST SPRINGFIELD — During its April 22 meeting the West Springfield Town Council approved a $400,000 Community Preservation Act fund allocation for Hillside Phase Three Affordable Housing The project was requested by the Sisters of Providence who in 2018 received $750,000 in Community Preservation Act funding from West Springfield to help build 36 affordable housing units for senior citizens on its 27-acre campus on Riverdale Street The original proposed allocation for Phase 3 of the project was $1 million but Town Council member Jamie Smith explained after extensive meetings back and forth about the request the budget subcommittee made a motion to decrease the original allocation request from $1 million to $400,000 Sisters of Providence President Kathleen Popko was at the meeting to present and discuss the project The proposal includes 24 units of affordable elder housing and Popko discussed the development and transformation of the former Brightside for Families and Children site in which this project will take place at 2112 Riverdale St CPC funds will be used to support the development of this 8,000-square-foot The new building will be three stories of 24 independent rental units and each unit will be designed to meet the state standards for elder housing “The facility is designed to be service enriched and by that the persons who are residents there will be able to apply to be part of the Pace program if they chose or are eligible or we will have service enrichment probably working with local agencies that will provide service as needed.” Hillside Residence was originally completed in September 2019 and the target population was elders over 62 years of age and at risk of being put in a nursing home They also had to meet eligibility criteria for the Pace program and housing standards for subsidized rent.The first resident was Mercy Hospital’s Mercy Life Pace program which is a program for the all-inclusive care of elders It occupies the first floor of the building Popko explained that the original plan was to move right on to Phase 3 and build a second model that was broader and less so restrictive in terms of eligibility but supply change issues and everything else happened in the period so it wasn’t until 2023 that we began to assess the development of that phase three project.” Phase 3 will help add to this continuum of care which Popko said “is a model that we have been working toward because we had this entire campus dedicated to the care of elders and we feel that this is an extraordinary project and will enhance and bring to the completion of the project for a range of services for elders.” If a resident ages out or needs additional care Popko said they may move on to the original Hillside Residence where there is more support.Popko said “We saw that growing demand and we wanted then and we made a decision to transform the whole campus from care of children to care of elders.” I would like to receive emails from The Reminder A screenshot of a conversation believed to be between a West Springfield teacher and a former student .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Stephanie Barry | sbarry@repub.comSPRINGFIELD — At 17 she told a trusted teacher at Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative that she just wanted a father Hers had died in the waters of the Connecticut River in 2013 according to records filed in Springfield District Court until the tenor of the relationship changed in her senior year at the West Springfield trade school has been charged with two counts of annoying or accosting a member of the opposite sex after two former students came forward to the the West Springfield police The Republican has interviewed both of the alleged victims but will not identify them to protect their privacy now a freshman at Western New England University said the comfort that Strout offered to “treat her like a daughter” quickly took a turn telling me he had permission from the school and one time he brought me through a car wash and asked me to take my clothes off,” she said during an interview with The Republican according to a police report obtained by The Republican and interviews with the 19-year-old After she went to school administrators and was encouraged to leave the matter alone she began poring through yearbooks to contact other female students to determine whether they had similar experiences with Strout “I cannot believe I was the first one he did this to “I just didn’t want to be silent and have this happen to anyone else.” shared that she had unsettling exchanges with Strout on social media apps after she and her family relocated Until I blocked him,” the woman said during an interview on Thursday including a shot of Strout’s nude torso and face while he was in the shower Your (sic) the only student I’ve ever wanted to see naked fyi,” he wrote according to the exchange provided from the second woman Like I was very much underage in ur (sic) class .. I know and I never said anything when you where (sic) my student,” Strout responded according to the messages shared with the newspaper The messages were sent under the handle “TikTok Dad,” which also aligned with the torso shot the 21-year-old alleged victim shared who pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month said his client plans to fight the charges and it will play out in court,” said Boston attorney Kenneth H The defense attorney also confirmed Strout no longer works at the school A call placed to the school was not returned on Thursday The younger alleged victim told West Springfield Police Detective Nicole Hebert that she felt she had been manipulated by Strout “She said she just wanted a dad,” Hebert wrote and that Strout said if the girl lived with him “he wouldn’t be able to control himself,” according to the report The police report adds that Strout asked her to “send him pics” after she turned 18 and she conceded to send one photo but not nude He said he found her “sexually attractive” after she turned 18 last year Certain staff rallied around Strout when he was placed on a three-week suspension Springfield District Court Judge Danielle Williams released Strout on his own recognizance but ordered him to have no contact with the victims plus a mandate for him to stay away from children under 16 without supervision Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInWEST SPRINGFIELD MA (WGGB/WSHM) - One person was seriously injured in a major crash in West Springfield Thursday afternoon                 Police told us a vehicle went off the highway and into the trees Crews had to extricate the driver from the vehicle and they were taken to an area hospital with serious injuries                Traffic was delayed in the area as crews worked to clear the scene Western Mass News will continue to follow this story and will have more information as it becomes available 1/39West Springfield High School girls varsity lacrosse at Belchertown 05/02/2025.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Meadow Barrow | MBarrow@masslive.comBELCHERTOWN ― The West Springfield girls lacrosse team is heating up at just the right time— looking every bit like a postseason contender The Terriers lit up the scoreboard in Friday’s blowout win over Belchertown (0-10) erupting for a season-high 22 goals to lock in their eighth victory of the year With six regular season games remaining and the playoffs on the horizon West Springfield is building serious momentum — fueled by one of Western Massachusetts’s most dominant players Four-year varsity starter and Super 7 selection Audrey Canata has been the heartbeat of the team once again leading the way in scoring and setting the tone in every phase of the game The Central Connecticut State University commit delivered another standout performance Friday She’s now posted at least five points in six straight games West Springfield improved to 8-3 on the season with all three losses coming against regional powerhouses East Longmeadow (twice) and Longmeadow the Terriers have shown they can respond under pressure and beat top-tier competition They picked up a statement 12-9 win over Grafton, the No. 9 team in Division II After a hard-fought loss to East Longmeadow earlier this week — where Canata tallied four goals and one assist — she once again led the bounce-back effort finishing with four goals and two assists against Grafton “I think that was a big confidence booster because it dropped them and it pulled us up,” Canata said “So I think we’re playing really confident right now That confidence and team chemistry were on full display Friday, as the Terriers entered the game ranked No. 15 in Division II in the latest MIAA statewide rankings “They’ve been playing together for a long time so I think that’s the biggest thing,” West Springfield coach Joe Canata said so we’re starting to pick up the pace with that and I think we’re doing a lot better with that the Terriers wasted no time asserting control They won the first draw and Canata found Darby Poe (2 goals setting the tone for what became a relentless first-quarter surge Belchertown briefly responded behind Lia Pikul (4 goals) who scored back-to-back goals to tie the game 2-2 But that’s when the Terriers flipped the switch West Springfield answered with an 8-0 run to close the quarter dominating possession off the draw and piling up goals in rapid succession Canata factored into several of them—scoring and drawing defenders — while Ainsley Kearney (3 goals 2 assist) and Poe each added to their point totals in the surge but this season she’s embraced the role of primary scorer — powered by experience and to be able to see her progression freshman year dominating to then senior year being even more dominant it’s been incredible to progress with her as well,” Kearney said of Canata and you can always trust her to put the ball in the back of the net.” with the Terriers keeping their foot on the gas and adding six more goals while holding Belchertown scoreless The Terriers’ offense continued to spread the wealth 1 assist) and Riley Freeman (3 goals) joining the scoring surge Though Pikul managed to stop the bleeding with two more goals in the third Freeman tallied her second and third goals of the day while Jillian Keaugh scored on a free position shot to help the Terriers close out a 19-4 lead through three 11 West Springfield players notched at least one goal “Our depth is incredible this year,” Kearney said “We can trust any attackers on the offensive side to score any midfielders to get back and play some awesome defense and our defense has been huge in supporting us as well It’s been phenomenal to have so many people a part of scoring with Belchertown’s Kenzie LePage notching a pair of goals and Paige Dias converting on a free position But West Springfield had long since slammed the door closing things out with three more tallies to seal the 22-7 win West Springfield faces a high-stakes road test tomorrow against No 21 Whitman-Hanson in a key Division II showdown while Belchertown will look to notch its first win of the season in a matchup with Hampshire Regional MA (WGGB/WSHM) – West Springfield Police have located a person who had been previously reported missing They said that 16 year-old Lizzy Houghton left her West Springfield home around 7 p.m Wednesday and had reportedly not returned home or returned calls to her phone Investigators believed that the phone may have been off Police added that Houghton may have gotten into a black Toyota Corolla with a man with whom she had been texting Several locations in Chicopee and Springfield West Springfield Police noted that Houghton had been found and she was safe They thanked the public for their assistance by Ryan Feyre | Apr 23, 2025 | Hampden County, Local News, West Springfield WEST SPRINGFIELD — The town of West Springfield will bolster its fire prevention and safety education thanks to grant awards from the state the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $3.2 million in fire safety grants that support firefighter gear and fire safety education for children and seniors “Massachusetts firefighters do much more than fight fires — they’re our first line of defense in any emergency,” said Gov “These grants will help firefighters protect themselves from injury and illness rescue people in danger and keep our most vulnerable residents safe from fires and other hazards at home We are proud to be able to support these vital first responders who never hesitate to answer a call for help.” The town of West Springfield secured approximately $9,200 for fire equipment $5,700 from the state’s Student Awareness of Fire Education program and $2,400 from the Senior SAFE program Since the inception of the SAFE grant in 1995 the number of Massachusetts children who die in fires has dropped to historically low levels according to the state; from two dozen or more per year to zero for nearly three consecutive years Healey’s office said that $1.1 million was awarded to 204 local fire departments across the commonwealth through the SAFE grant the SAFE grants have delivered life-saving lessons to Massachusetts’ kids and teens through our local firefighters,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy “This is just one of the powerful local-state partnerships that make Massachusetts one of the safest places in the nation to live Bartone said the SAFE program focuses on educating students about fire risks and prevention strategies by “providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe.” “The department partners closely with local schools to deliver age-appropriate lessons on fire safety safe decisions at home and in the community,” Bartone said The Senior SAFE program allows the West Springfield Fire Department to partner with the Senior Center on fire prevention education and resources to help seniors reduce hazards in their homes and live more safely Nearly $485,000 comes from the Senior SAFE grant to support these efforts across the state “These grant funds allow us to continue building strong proactive fire prevention programs for both our students and seniors,” Bartone said “I’d like to thank State Fire Marshal Jon Davine for his continued support of this important initiative and I also want to recognize Firefighter Brina Fondi and Lieutenant Tony Spear for their dedication and hard work in making these programs a success here in West Springfield.” Agawam also received grants through the SAFE and Senior SAFE programs According to a press release sent to Reminder Publishing the town secured over $4,500 for equipment $5,700 in SAFE money and $2,400 in Senior SAFE grants The Agawam Fire Department did not respond to a request for additional comments about the money Aniya Holbrook and Mahamad Holbrook look at playing-card people in the “Springtime in Wonderland” room.Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen cardboard and tissue paper: in the hands of children children eagerly ran around the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club showing their creations to family members at the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club Art Exhibit “Club kids” learned about the styles of famous artists and made paintings to emulate those styles Others contributed their creativity to themed rooms including “Springtime in Wonderland” and “Under the Sea.” BROCKTON — Three construction workers — including two from Brockton — were struck and killed Friday, March 28, while repairing damaged guardrails on I-91 North in West Springfield, according to the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office is now facing three counts of manslaughter and one count of leaving the scene of personal injury and death The three victims were identified by officials as Igor Costa “We are devastated by this sudden, tragic loss,” Almeida’s family wrote on a GoFundMe page set up for their family and his loss is tragic and unfair,” they wrote Almeida and Bohorquez were repairing a guardrail near the entrance of an exit ramp on I-91 in West Springfield at approximately 12:50 a.m Friday when a vehicle heading northbound plowed into them Massachusetts State Police troopers and West Springfield Police captured Griffith in West Springfield a few hours later in Springfield District Court and is being held on $1 million cash bail His next court appearance is scheduled for April 2 WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield teen Thu Zar Win has shown that she knows what it takes to be a leader and a mentor and has been named the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year first became involved with the Boys & Girls Club in the summer of 2023 through one of the organization’s Workforce Readiness programs The program trains young people in mentorship and gives them work experience Win spends afternoons mentoring the children and running activities “We provide a space for the children just to be kids,” she said of the Boys & Girls Club I was spending time with the kids,” While she didn’t grow up as a “club kid,” Win said club experience director and safety coordinator explained that leadership at the various branches of the Boys & Girls Club nominate individuals for the Youth of the Year program Win was one of five candidates From the West Springfield club who were interviewed by a panel that included Boys & Girls Club board members and Mayor Will Reichelt “I think [Win] stuck out due to her academic dedication and her experience mentoring,” Friedman said pointing out that Win got to know the other candidates for Youth of the Year and consistently cheered them on and encouraged them who plans to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall to pursue a degree in engineering will compete in the statewide Youth of the Year competition at Gillette Stadium on May 13 The winner there will compete regionally and potentially at the national level Being named Youth of the Year makes the winners eligible for scholarship opportunities Friedman also said it “looks great” on a resume Some of the children come to me about something they’re dealing with at home or at school and it’s made our bond stronger.” A teacher once told her to “be the adult I needed as a kid,” she said "I think winning the lottery would be better odds than us finding a dog that we weren't looking for," said the West Springfield Fire Department For three years now, winning state championships or finishing second — all by close margins — has been the norm for the West Springfield Spartans boys’ indoor track-and-field team This winter, the Spartans won the Virginia High School League Class 6 state crown by one of the smallest lead possible: a half-point West Springfield scored 57.5 points in Virginia Beach to finish first on March 11 “So many things fell in place to go our way for us to win You couldn’t script it that way,” West Springfield coach Chris Pellegrini told FFXnow “To win by just a half-point is a pretty incredible experience.” The state crown was West Springfield’s second in three years and fourth in program history The Spartans won in 2023 by 3 points over Thomas Dale and were last season’s runner-up by 8.5 points behind Western Branch Leading the Spartans at this year’s state meet were two winning relays and a victory by Michael Murray in the pole vault with a leap of 15 feet The 4×400 relay won in 3:20.76 to clinch the victory The 4×800 relay was first in 7:52.98 and the 4×200 relay placed seventh Gavin Smith and anchor Nicholas Bailey made up the 4×400 The 4×200 consisted of Mark-Anthony Whyte West Springfield distance runner Pritchard was seeded last but finished second in the 1,600 and sprinter White was third in the 55 dash Dean seventh in the 1,600 and Nicholas Spada tied for eighth in the pole vault we didn’t think that half-point would be important but it sure turned out to be,” Pellegrini said Spada was hit with his own pole on his first unsuccessful attempt to clear 12-6 That left an upper front tooth chipped and his face bloody but hung in there and cleared 12-6 on his third [and final] try,” Pellegrini said The state title was the last of three postseason championships won by the Spartans during the 2024-2025 indoor campaign West Springfield previously won Patriot District and Occoquan Region crowns admitting that he “barely had us scoring 50.” “Every one of our kids who competed scored We weren’t counting on that to happen Pritchard and Dean helped West Springfield win the Liberty District championship The Spartans went on to finish second in the region Leading the South Lakes boys at the indoor track state meet was Finn Middleton with a victory in the 55 hurdles (7.36) and a fifth in the 300 and thirds by Blake Jackson in the long and triple jumps George Hood eighth in the 1,000 and Isaac Yudkovsky ninth in the 1,600 The South Lakes Seahawks came in third in the 4×400 and 4×800 relays and fifth in the 4×200 South County finished first in the 4×200 relay in 1:26.82