but no overall control2 May 2025SummaryReform UK win most seats on Worcestershire County Council The party pledges to cut waste in the authority Tory council leader Simon Geraghty loses his seat We're wrapping up our live coverage of the Worcestershire County Council election - thanks for following along with additional reporting from James Pearson There'll be more analysis this evening and in the coming days on BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester and BBC Midlands Today And you can find coverage of results from around the country here Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBig change for Worcestershirepublished at 16:26 British Summer Time 2 May16:26 BST 2 MayJames PearsonPolitical reporter Worcestershire's Conservatives have lost control of its county council with Tory leader Simon Geraghty one of dozens to lose their seats Reform UK have delivered a seismic shock to the county's political scene With 27 seats they are now the largest party on the council Reform's success is a sign many voters in Worcestershire want change and are now looking outside Labour and the Conservatives All eyes are on whether Reform can now form an administration During the campaign Reform kept its key priorities relatively simple: an audit of the county council's finances to cut waste and ensure value for money and a pledge to put any "spare" money into roads While some of its councillors are former Tories many are making their first entry into local politics While this freshness may have been part of the party's appeal it may mean it takes them time to get to grips with running a local authority Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFormer leader remaining stoicpublished at 16:23 British Summer Time 2 May16:23 BST 2 MayJames PearsonPolitical reporter who has been ousted as Conservative leader of the council tells me it's a "difficult day" for him personally and the party across Worcestershire and the country he thinks now is the time to "reflect and rebuild" "There will be another set of elections in just a few years' time," he says Citing infrastructure successes in the form of Worcestershire Parkway Geraghty says the Tories leave the council in "good shape" for the new administration "I've been incredibly proud to lead the county council over the last 9 years," he adds Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThe pressure is on Reform - Labour MPpublished at 16:02 British Summer Time 2 May16:02 BST 2 MayAt the Guildhall in Worcester the city's Labour MP Tom Collins is trying to look on the bright side The party lost one seat - meaning they now have just two on the county council - but Collins suggests the result is a reflection of people being fed up with the Tories "The electorate have made it very clear that they want the Conservatives out of the county," he tells me He thinks people are frustrated with the pace of change since Labour came into government last July "I think there is an aspect of protest here to say: 'We want to see change we want to see it fast - go faster.'" "We've had some very simple answers proposed to very complex problems," he says "And now it's for them to demonstrate what they can actually do when they're given the opportunity." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWhat happened in Wychavon?published at 15:44 British Summer Time 2 May15:44 BST 2 MayAlistair BinneyReporter Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBadenoch defiant in face of drastic lossespublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 2 May15:39 BST 2 MayReform's progress in Worcestershire has been mirrored across the country Tory leader Kemi Badenoch says she's determined to win back the public's trust and the seats her party has lost "These were always going to be a very difficult set of elections coming off the high of 2021 and our historic defeat last year - and so it’s proving," she writes on X "The renewal of our party has only just begun and I’m determined to win back the trust of the public and the seats we’ve lost Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingConservatives decimated in Worcesterpublished at 15:19 British Summer Time 2 May15:19 BST 2 MayJames PearsonPolitical reporter All the results are in for the Worcester city area where the Conservatives have been wiped out The Greens have the enjoyed the most success having exceeded their expectations and won three but they'll be by far the largest party Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMore on those numberspublished at 15:06 British Summer Time 2 May15:06 BST 2 MayJames PearsonPolitical reporter No party has overall control of Worcestershire County Council after the Tories lost control of the local authority for the first time in 20 years who are now the largest party on the county council The Conservatives have been left with just 12 seats Tory Leader Simon Geraghty lost his seat to Greens Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingNo overall controlpublished at 15:01 British Summer Time 2 May15:01 BST 2 MayBreakingWe now know no party will have overall control in Worcestershire can't reach the 29 needed to take an overall majority of the 57 seats Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingA nail-biter for the Greenspublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 2 May14:47 BST 2 MayAlistair BinneyReporter There was a dramatic moment in Wychavon - where there was a dead heat for the Littletons seat Hannah Robson of the Greens and Reform's Liz Williams each got 889 votes meaning their names had to be drawn at random to see who won meaning she takes the seat from the Tories She acknowledges it's not the ideal way to decide a vote but says "that's what we have to work with" "[It was] really terrifying," she tells me "I thank the universe for letting my ballot paper come out the box." She adds there was a lovely moment afterwards when she was hugged by Conservative and Labour campaigners Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingGood day for Greens in Worcesterpublished at 14:37 British Summer Time 2 May14:37 BST 2 MayJames PearsonPolitical reporter The Greens have won three seats in Worcester who took Riverside from Conservative council leader Simon Geraghty says the party is "snowballing" - thanks to people being "disheartened" by the two main parties "They want actual change in Worcester and they haven't seen that," she tells me adding that is also the likely reason for the gains made by Reform Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFirst Worcestershire win for Labourpublished at 14:24 British Summer Time 2 May14:24 BST 2 MayGavin KermackReporter Labour have retained their Worcester seat of Rainbow Hill & Fort Royal - their first win of the day Former mayor Jabba Riaz takes over from Lynn Denham Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingResignationpublished at 14:13 British Summer Time 2 May14:13 BST 2 MayJames PearsonPolitical reporter He went on to argue the party’s decline started when David Cameron became its leader criticising the former prime minister for his “liberal socialism” and his decision to hold the EU Referendum The resignation letter finished by pondering whether one Boris Johnson could be persuaded to return: “then maybe “I wonder if Nigel Farage would be available for the post of quartermaster.” Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTory defector Alan Amos wins for Reformpublished at 13:59 British Summer Time 2 May13:59 BST 2 MayGavin KermackReporter Another Conservative defector has kept hold of his seat who ditched the Tories for Reform earlier this year remains the councillor for Bedwardine in Worcester after winning the lion's share of the vote He walked away with 1,182 votes - compared to 678 for Labour's Matt Lamb Nigel Farage will be cracking open the champagne - Reform are winning seats up and down the country and speculation is mounting they could take control of Worcestershire County Council They've already won in neighbouring Staffordshire County Council today Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform riding highpublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 2 May13:48 BST 2 MayTom EdwardsReporter The results are coming in thick and fast now the Tories have managed to hold onto just two of the 10 county seats in the district Worcestershire County Council’s deputy leader Marcus Hart retained his seat by just 76 votes for the Conservatives but elsewhere West Mercia’s Tory Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion failed to get elected Former Conservative councillor Bill Hopkins has held onto his seat of St Chads - and says he's "absolutely delighted" He's predicting the party will take overall control of the county council "The Conservatives didn't live up to expectations," he says on why he left the party and we are the only party that can deliver change." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLeader loses seatpublished at 13:37 British Summer Time 2 May13:37 BST 2 MayBreakingJames PearsonPolitical reporter Worcestershire County Council leader Simon Geraghty has lost his seat to the Greens Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform out in frontpublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 2 May13:33 BST 2 MayJames PearsonPolitical reporter Reform have taken an early lead in Worcestershire So far they have won 13 seats on the county council their first ever electoral success in the county That compares to just 4 for the Conservatives It’s looking highly likely the Tories will lose control of the authority Here at Worcester’s Guildhall there’s an expectation council leader Simon Geraghty will lose his seat to the Greens Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHuddleston: Tories are still the main opposition to Labourpublished at 13:21 British Summer Time 2 May13:21 BST 2 MayIt's been a good morning nationally for Reform - winning the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election by just six votes The party also won the Greater Lincolnshire mayoral race Leader Nigel Farage calls the results a "very, very big moment" for his party - going so far as to claim Reform has “supplanted the Tories as the main opposition” co-chairman of the Conservative Party and MP for Droitwich and Evesham He points out that the Tories still have 121 MPs to Reform’s five and will "most likely" still have more than 4,000 seats in local government after this election "That is not a credible comment from Mr Farage," he says that the Tories aren't in the best position it does look like we have lost Conservative councillors.” Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDeputy leader holds onto his seatpublished at 13:10 British Summer Time 2 May13:10 BST 2 MayTom EdwardsReporter Deputy leader of the county council and leader of Wyre Forest District Council Marcus Hart has been re-elected to the Chaddesley Ward - and says he can breathe a sigh of relief But he acknowledges the difficulties the Tories face in these elections "[Voters] are sending a message to the Labour government," he tells me haven't emerged from the general election defeat of last year." Conservative votes have "collapsed" "Reform are clearly the protest party "They're taking votes from the Labour and they're coming straight through the middle." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTories hold on to seat in Wychavonpublished at 12:57 British Summer Time 2 May12:57 BST 2 MayBreakingAlistair BinneyReporter Conservative Linda Robinson has held onto her Upton Snodsbury seat It's been a dreary Monday in Central Massachusetts and things aren't looking too much better tonight The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for all of Worcester County from 8 p.m Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut are also under a flood watch are expected to move into the area later Monday night Up to 2½ inches of additional rain are expected to fall through Tuesday evening and some localized areas could see up to 4 inches of rain The National Weather Service says runoff may result in flooding of rivers Rainy conditions are expected to continue through Wednesday High temperatures will be in the 60s until Friday when they are expected to drop into the 50s what finally breaks an old homicide case that has languished unsolved in police files for years is a whispered phone call an incognito voicemail or a well-directed email coupled with the diligence of a group of detectives assigned to a special squad tasked with reviewing unresolved murders to finally determine “who done it.” that one piece may be all we need to tighten up a case,” said Sgt assigned to the unresolved homicide squad assembled by the Worcester Police Department The detectives are facing a big task: 81 cases and another 10 cases in which police have not located a corpse Those 10 are listed as missing persons cases but the circumstances surrounding the reported disappearances have led detectives to conclude that someone is dead and you see something that’s not right,” Stone said “We hope to get through the barrier on the older cases,” said Magarian He’s worked for the department for 31 years 20 of them assigned to the detective bureau The city’s older cases can be more challenging or witnesses could have relocated or died in the interim adding every lead is followed in both new cases and old He finds that people come forward with information years later for many reasons Constraints around speaking to police may have been lifted for a witness; an inmate serving a prison sentence on another matter is finally motivated to provide information to police “If a witness was in their 20s when they saw something may have been intimidated by street rules,” Magarian said that 20-year-old witness may have matured and may no longer be connected to the people involved in the incident “Maybe they feel more comfortable coming forward,” Magarian said Magarian has interviewed a number of people in connection with cases a decade old The proliferation of cameras throughout the world has put eyes everywhere — on city streets for traffic purposes incorporated into doorbells and on cellphones in people’s pockets Worcester police officials have already highlighted two of the cases detectives are reviewing, posting details on the official Worcester Police Department Facebook page in April the department posted that detectives would take a fresh look at the stabbing death of William Smith Smith was caught up in a large altercation involving about 100 people at a convenience store on Ashland Street the night of Sept He was stabbed during the fight and was being carried from the area by a friend when they were spotted by a police officer who called for an ambulance Officials posted about a second case on April 18 Detectives are taking a fresh look at the death of Eddie Wheeler who was shot the morning after Christmas in 1998 Wheeler was with a group of friends at a club on Harding Street when they scuffled with another group at the club Police responded and found Wheeler had been shot in the altercation Department officials opted to create the special squad added in response to the public’s growing interest in solving cold cases Police hope that area residents will respond favorably to their renewed efforts This is not the department’s first foray into reviewing unsolved homicides. Two recently retired detectives kept tabs on the information in the files. Now the files are being monitored by fresh eyes. The department also maintains a published list of unsolved cases on its official city website The 10 cases where remains were not found are listed as “missing endangered person.” The city’s unsolved cases have also been explored in the podcast Unsolved Worcester especially the areas where incidents occurred or victims were found The podcasts also offer synopses of the crime as well as news reports and other information pertinent to the cases The police team is also working closely with Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. “We have to be careful of which details we release knowing what they have done and waiting for the hammer to fall.” The city’s detective bureau has about 35 officers assigned in four teams the investigation is picked up by the sergeant working that shift “The 1951 case is still active,” said Stone adding that investigators may have nowhere to go without new leads knock on doors and reinterview the people involved Magarian remembers the day the department got a tip that weapons used in a homicide had been dropped in the city’s sewer system Police had the Department of Public Works pull the sewers on Grand Street to look for the weapons the homicide was a decade old when detectives were tipped off to the possible location of the weapon but the department checked out the information it was 15 degrees out and the wind was cold,” Magarian said adding that when police receive information “I call everybody back; anyone who leaves me a message The officers are determined to bring closure to the families that have suffered the loss of a loved one regardless of who the victim is — Black “for families who have been mourning a lost loved one for years This piece is the second part of a series that examines the response to the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) pattern and practice investigation report on the City of Worcester some of the biggest factors within the Worcester Police Department that led to the need for the investigation and the near total inaction of the controlling majority of the Worcester City Council and administration officials to initiate real reforms The first piece in the series, Worcester, MA: Gaslight City, USA, Part 1 looks at the perspective of city government in response to the announcement of the DOJ investigation and discusses the manipulative aspects and lack of transparency The second piece in this series, A Cult of Silence in Gaslight City, Worcester MA discusses how restrictions put on the Human Rights Committee the silencing of a city councilor by his colleagues and the denial of a citizen petition by the city solicitor have acted to control the narrative the city government wants to promote This piece will look at three cases that have led to controversy related to the Worcester Police Department disciplinary measures administered to the officers involved These cases will by reviewed through a lens wrongful incarceration When presenting estimates of wrongfully incarcerated individuals in the United States which range from 2 percent to up to 10 percent depending on the study and its methods the scale of documented exonerations is massive The National Registry on Exonerations has documented 4,132 exonerations since 1989 with an average of 8.7 years lost to incarceration by each exoneree Those individuals lost 35,875 years in prison before later the overturning of the convictions against them 143 faced the death penalty before exoneration the National Registry of Exonerations documents 110 exonerations since 1989 an average of 12.1 years lost per individual Six of those cases included a false confession while 63 cases included official misconduct Mistaken identity affected 24 cases and false or misleading forensic evidence affected 21 cases The deprivation of liberty by incarceration is the most solemn responsibility government has If defining crime by the violation of the rights of an individual rather than as defined by the government wrongful incarceration is the most insidious crime committed after those which take lives In the incidents a law enforcement officer investigates they play a critical role in determining the government’s narrative during prosecution Those who provide false information on incident reports or submit false or manipulated evidence can substantially affect the prosecution of a case A law enforcement officer making a mistake in a high-stress situation like using more force than the situation required consideration of the scenarios in which an individual officer made that decision is important When an law enforcement officer provides false evidence or testimony they undertake a premeditated act to attempt to secure a wrongful incarceration Describing such an attempt as an attempt to manipulate the government into seeking the approval of a jury to kidnap an individual using the power of law According to the U.S. Department of Justice defines it a crime when “a person acting under color of any law to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States,” as a crime punishable by up to life in prison or the death penalty “depending upon the circumstances of the crime if any.” Prosecution under this law is extremely rare A law enforcement officer who engages in such behavior should never again operate under the color of law Most of us on the outside of the thin blue line would face charges for similar behavior Beyond eliminating the police powers of an individual who provided false information the municipality should engage in a broad review of that law enforcement officer’s past cases to determine if similar behavior in other cases went undiscovered and contributed to any wrongful conviction or incarceration these individuals face an investigation by the Bureau of Professional Standards Those investigations often end with little discipline or no discipline at all The law enforcement officer is soon back on the street encouraged to do it again with the confidence that their department will protect them that message resonated through the department for many years and contributes to a breakdown in discipline and culture rot The city administration and city council say nothing as the city pays out lawsuit settlements one after another Those most likely to voice their dedication to public safety are those most likely to say nothing they can’t talk about it due to ongoing litigation The way the city has behaved in the case highlighted below makes it difficult to arrive at any other than they just don’t care Their status as government insiders ensures it won’t happen to them or anyone they care about This Week in Worcester has reported on this case extensively and will continue to do so This will not be an exhaustive review of the case but will focus on the city’s actions during it The actions of the city show a frightening indifference to the consequences of the abuse of power A Massachusetts jury convicted Natale Cosenza in 2002 on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and armed burglary The conviction relied heavily on the victim’s identification of Cosenza in a photo array administered by officers in Worcester Cosenza received a sentence of 12 to 20 years in state prison after Cosenza served nearly 16 years in state prison citing an error during the 2002 trial when the judge prohibited testimony from an expert on eyewitness identification evidence Cosenza’s attorney intended Penrod to testify about the factors that contributed to what the defense claimed was a suggestive identification procedure the Massachusetts Supreme Court established the Study Group on Eyewitness Evidence In the report and recommendations to the justice released in 2013 the study group wrote that it “benefitted enormously from the opportunity to hear from and discuss scientific evidence concerning eyewitness identification with Professor Steven D Penrod,” the individual prohibited from testifying in Cosenza’s trial a judge ruled that a suggestive lineup procedure resulted in the identification of Cosenza and prohibited it from evidence in the new trial Cosenza filed civil lawsuits against the both the state of Massachusetts and the City of Worcester in 2018 The state quickly settled the case for the maximum allowed by state law this is the only compensation Cosenza has received a 16-year-old Worcester teen discovered her infant son dead in his crib The girl repeatedly declared she did not kill her child The interrogators eventually got a confession from the teen they told her that her confession would ensure her trial took place in juvenile court She eventually repeated what the two officers told her to repeat determines the circumstances around charges After over two years incarcerated awaiting trial a judge ruled the confession inadmissible as evidence in the trial The medical examiner’s report ruled the cause of death inconclusive Duing the pre-trial phase of the civil lawsuit filed by the teen against the City of Worcester the city motioned the court to include the teen’s attorney as part of the defendants The city wanted her attorney to pay part of the settlement saying the attorney took too long to secure the teen’s release after the coerced confession The judge mocked the city in open court for its absurd attempt The city settled the case for $2.1 million in 2011 After prosecutors dropped the criminal charges against the teen then-Chief of Police Gary Gemme voiced unwavering support for the two officers involved and took to Twitter to criticize the judge Gemme continued in his role as chief of police until 2014 Gemme promoted Pageau to the Bureau of Professional Standards (BOPS) the unit the police department claims is an internal investigation unit When then-City Manager Mike O’Brien chose not to fire Gemme the city council should have relaced him with someone who would The city has a long track record of excusing the inexcusable at the police department When Cosenza filed his civil lawsuit in 2018 the department assigned the BOPS unit to investigate the handling of the case by the two officers says that the methods used by Hazelhurst and Doherty including in the photo array identification of Cosenza by the victim followed the standards of the time which the investigation took place Common sense and nearly every ethical standard under the sun would dictate that in an internal investigation inside the police department they would never assign a BOPS investigator to investigate their former partner Especially the same pair whose behavior cost taxpayers $2.1 million Take a giant wild guess which BOPS investigator received the assignment to investigate the conduct of Hazelhurst and Doherty in the Cosenza case Despite this investigation defying every rule of impartiality and any resemblance of even caring about ethics the position of the city government is the same as Pageau’s conclusion in the BOPS report: Hazelhurst and Doherty did nothing wrong the city motioned to have itself removed as a defendant from the case leaving Hazelhurst and Doherty as the only defendants The judge also ruled that Hazelhurst and Doherty were not shielded by qualified immunity the jury found Hazelhurst concealed and fabricated evidence and Doherty conspired with him to do so Both Pageau and Doherty have since retired Hazelhurst remains a city employee with the Worcester Police Department This leaves Cosenza with no where to collect from for his 16 years of incarceration Cosenza appealed the decision to remove the city as a defendant Court of Appeals for the First Circuit agreed with the trial judge that the city did not have a policy of not training officers on photo arrays or a policy of fabricating or manipulating evidence it appears the argument is that the city didn’t teach them to do the things the jury found they did leaving $8 million hanging on the heads of these two officers Hazelhurst and Doherty fired the law firm hired by the city Cosenza reached a settlement with Hazelhurst and Doherty but court records show the settlement didn’t include compensation the city manager discussed the Cosenza case with city councilors in an executive (private) session That typically only happens when the city nears a settlement of some sort There are some educated guesses on how the case changed but we won’t know until an agreement makes its way to court While city officials should protect the monetary interests of the city it should do so by removing bad actors from its police force not dragging their victims through years of litigation and torturing all over again For a city that centers equity in much of its public relations I’m not sure how people with such a lack of a sense of justice can understand what equity seeks to achieve the city continues to adopt the conclusion of the internal investigation at the Worcester Police Department conducted by a former part of one of those investigated In a city with leadership interested in protecting residents from the harms of abuse of power one could reasonably expect an exhaustive review of all available evidence by city government or for the city to seek an expert independent analysis No reasonable person should dispute that any individual operating under the color of law who would provide false or manipulated evidence is a clear and present danger to the public if allowed to continue Who in Worcester’s city government has the responsibility to conduct this review The political convenience of a BOPS report ranks far higher on their list of priorities than public safety How many city residents have been the subject investigations by police officers the city knows have a track record of lies and manipulation How many of those were without the financial means to hire a private attorney and took a plea deal How many of those individuals served time behind bars Their indifference will allow it to happen again Follow us on The016.com very unhappy with the circumstances that it had to happen under,” Tracy said prior to the Worcester Red Sox game Saturday Thrilled that he’s (going to be) a Red Sox but very disappointed (with) what happened to Triston Casas was injured Friday while running down the first base line during the second inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park the Red Sox placed their starting first baseman on the 10-day injured list with a left patellar tendon rupture Toro has played in 28 games for Triple-A Worcester this season The 28-year-old switch-hitter batted .310 (31 for 100) with 7 doubles 2 triples and 2 home runs while making 18 starts at third base 3 as the designated hitter and 2 at second base for the WooSox so he’s been fine anywhere we put him,” Tracy said “And he’s certainly been fine in the batter’s box.”  “He knows his way around the bag,” Tracy added “He played a ton of (first base) in spring training he played a heck of a lot more at first base in spring than he did third just because of how thin we were there So he was getting a lot of reps over there.”  Selected by the Houston Astros in the fifth round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft Milwaukee Brewers (2023) and Oakland Athletics (2024) Toro has made 134 career starts at third base Tracy said the decision to send Toro to Boston made sense for the Red Sox following the injury to Casas “Romy (Gonzalez is) there and hits right-handed and is probably going to get a run to play that’s Alex (Cora) and (Craig Breslow’s) decision But (Toro) definitely gives them a left-handed option And he’s been one of our best hitters this year so (he gives a) very professional at-bat.”  Gonzalez joins veteran Rob Refsynder and recent WooSox rehabber Connor Wong as the only other real options for first base time in Boston — other than Toro — as the Red Sox lack depth at the position Tracy has platooned a handful of players at first base during his team’s first 30 games Nick Sogard and Toro have seen time at first “We obviously have been running a ton of guys over at first base,” said Tracy, who ruled out adding veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal to the mix “You might see Vaughn (Grissom) get more reps over there You’ll definitely see him get a chance to go over there at least twice a week but I don’t think the cast of characters will change.”  Grissom is currently hitting .287 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 108 at-bats in Triple A who was acquired by the Red Sox when they traded Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves in 2023 has played four games and 27 innings at first base for the WooSox this season and then there’s been some different plays that have found (Grissom) where he gets kind of caught in between But there’s been plenty of games where he looks very very comfortable around the bag receiving the throws “So we just got to keep (getting him reps) out over there.”  Sogard is on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster and provides another option at first base for Boston a 27-year-old utilityman who spent two stints in Boston last year has played three games at first base this season with Worcester With the idea of moving players — like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer — to first base a former catcher and first baseman in the minor leagues See how: Red Sox top prospect Roman Anthony dispels first base rumors, continues torrid start at the plate we can do that and afford to make a mistake here and there and help them grow “(But) there's a lot to that position that people just think Toro finds himself in Boston helping the Red Sox fill the void at first base As for what the rest of 2025 holds for the Red Sox at that position —Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com Department of Justice will no longer monitor the Worcester Public Schools' progress in educating English-language learners the Worcester Public Schools were notified on April 30 that the Justice Department would cease monitoring the district's English as a second language programming because the district has "substantially complied with its obligations” outlined in a 2016 legal agreement which was an update to an agreement originally signed in 2009 The district agreed to monitoring by the federal government after it had failed to meet a number of metric standards for English-language learners the district had to institute new programming while filing rigorous reports to the federal government More: District close to agreement on ELLs "After a thorough review of the District’s most recent annual reports and supplementary documentation we have concluded that the District has substantially complied with its obligations under the Agreement.” The Worcester Public Schools noted that the district has seen a substantial increase in the percentage of students who are proficient enough to graduate from designation as English-language learners 10.9% of the student body was classified as "former English learners," up from 9.4% in 2021-22 middle school students rose from 4.9% former English learners to 8.4% "The Worcester Public Schools has demonstrated that it has strong systems in place to ensure we are effectively providing English as a Second Language instruction for our scholars,” Superintendent Rachel Monárrez stated “Systems have been enhanced over the past three years specifically to not only provide required instructional services but to monitor them in a systematic and timely manner I express my deep thanks to the many educators and administrators who have worked tirelessly to ensure our scholars are getting the education for which they are entitled." reading and writing in more than one language is an asset to be celebrated,” Monárrez stated “When children move on from English learner status they have access to more opportunities and courses while possessing the gift of multilingualism community and future workforce advancement.” The Worcester School Committee voted Thursday to appoint Deputy Superintendent Brian Allen to be the next superintendent of the Worcester Public Schools who also currently serves as the school district’s chief financial officer and chief operations officer is a Worcester native and has worked for the city for 32 years including the last 27 years as a school administrator The school committee voted 8-1 to appoint Allen to the top role Allen and the committee will need to negotiate his contract before he officially takes the position July 1 “As someone who grew up here and has spent my entire career in Worcester I will lead the district forward through our continued commitment to our values outlined in the strategic plan,” Allen said in the statement “I care deeply about the outcomes of our students and will take a collaborative approach to continue our shared success.” Allen will take the helm on July 1 and replace Dr. Rachel Monárrez, who announced in April that she will resign in June after serving as superintendent for three years Monárrez will return to her home state of California to serve as superintendent of the Orange Unified School District Monárrez praised the selection of Allen as her replacement calling him a “phenomenal leader with a strong track record of success.” he expanded his highly effective work in finance and operations into broader strategic planning that brings oversight into all aspects of the district,” she said in the statement and knowledge of the district is unmatched and I am fully confident he will carry forward the district’s current positive trajectory.” Worcester Mayor and School Committee Chair Joseph Petty who made the motion at Thursday’s meeting to vote on appointing Allen as superintendent said he believed in promoting internally for the district’s next leader “If we really believe in the work the superintendent has done we need someone who has been involved in shaping the school district for the past three years,” he said in the statement “In my opinion that person would be Deputy Superintendent Brian Allen.” Allen currently oversees the school district’s finance Monárrez promoted Allen to deputy superintendent in 2022 Allen has chaired the school district’s Strategic Planning Committee and developed the district’s first Equity Based Budget Process A graduate of South High Community School in Worcester Allen began working for the city in 1994 as a budget analyst He later joined Worcester Vocational High School as business manager and became assistant business manager for the school district Allen was promoted to business manager for Worcester Public Schools in 2002 and chief financial and operations officer in 2009 Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Delivery Issues Feedback News Tips Help & FAQs Staff List Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Internship Program Co-op Program Do Not Sell My Personal Information community and dignitaries honored the life of Molly McGovern Bernard's Catholic Church of Our Lady of Providence Parish on May 3 that “losing a child is cruel But there was an overriding sense in the stories shared by McGovern funny and had developed a vast network of friends that spanned the globe “She was bright and beautiful,” said McGovern choking back tears from the church lectern Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey in attendance “Molly made the world a better place and she made us better Molly died April 23 while visiting family friends in Assisi She contracted a rare form of cancer in 2019 was in treatment through a clinical trial at New York Presbyterian Hospital and set to graduate this month from Northeastern University where she studied political science and international affairs Molly never let her illness stop her from living life on her terms citing her decision to study abroad last semester at Bond University in Queensland Lisa McGovern shared her daughter’s lifelong love of water Molly luxuriated in water and was known to take long showers and baths She watched many television shows and movies with water themes her favorite being “Aquamarine,” about a teenage mermaid that it rained May 2 when a line of well-wishers extended for many blocks at St Bernard’s Church to pay their respects to the family “There was an incredible rainbow (that day) I know that was Molly,” said Lisa McGovern Irreverent and funny and a passionate fan of the Boston Bruins were some of the descriptions Patrick used to describe his sister while making a point to express his gratitude for the years he had with his sister He visited her in Australia and said Molly awoke at 5 a.m and took a two-hour bus ride so she could meet him at the airport She showed him around her college campus and they explored the island of Tasmania off the coast of Australia with Molly making friends with everyone she connected with along the way “She made everything a party that everyone wanted to be a part of,” said Patrick Jonathan Slavinskas met Molly was in a hospital room at UMass Memorial Health after she was diagnosed with cancer and recalled getting a phone call from Molly at 1:30 a.m when she told him she had been drinking with friends "A girl at her age should never have to ask that question," said Slavinskas."Her life was shortened McGovern shared stories from the lectern that drove home that point She never wanted to acknowledge odd numbers toasting twice at parties and pressing the electronic lock on her car eight times "We do that now," said McGovern rather incredulously of the eight clicks to lock the car McGovern recalled Molly as a child who wanted to go to the center of the earth after reading Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth." So McGovern did his homework found a cave in West Virginia and had trepidation about the moment when they arrived and saw how small the cave was 'Let's do this.' Her sense of adventure made life so much better." and McGovern said his daughter was a big fan of Hillary Clinton McGovern shared a light-hearted moment when Molly met President Barack Obama during his years in the White House she turned to her father and said Hillary would be a better president even when she received her cancer diagnosis and barely had enough energy to leave the house Outside the church as the line grew longer to enter the service several people spoke of Molly's wonderful life that ended much too soon and she brought out the best in people," said a man who declined to give his name He wore a Boston Bruins pin on his sport coat lapel and said he was Molly's neighbor when she lived in Washington They must be watching the Bruins together." Lopez of Worcester said she has known the McGovern family for more than 30 years adding her thoughts while she waited in line It's absolutely tragic just to be so young." bowls filled with colored sea glass were stationed near the exits so guests could take one as a reminder of Molly’s love of the ocean Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram WORCESTER — Habitat for Humanity hit a solid double to end the week — a groundbreaking ceremony at a vacant lot at 33 Ripley St and dedication ceremony for a new home on 38 Aetna St At the afternoon groundbreaking ceremony on May 1 chief executive officer for Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester said the day was more than the start of a construction project adding that it's also about months of navigating planning and engineering that lead up to this point “The city has been working hard to identify parcels like this that nonprofits like Habitat can purchase and build on and build lots and build homes into neighborhoods where there has been vacant parcels for a long time,” she said And all of that happens before we can get to this point where we are today when we can actually the work of building a home.” Hoak said Habitat for Humanity is working on six homes in various stages in Worcester County “It’s an opportunity for a family to have a safe and affordable place to live to integrate within the community and to provide an opportunity for their children and for generations after that to build equity and roots here within the city.” The Habitat for Humanity folks left the groundbreaking to welcome a new family over the threshold of their new home during a dedication ceremony with a dandelion-filled grass field (on 33 Ripley St.) and that’s where it ends (on 38 Aetna St.) with a beautiful home and a beautiful family ready to move into it,” Hoak said While it was a happy day for a new family about to move into their new home and a field where a new home will eventually stand Hoak confessed that building affordable housing is harder than ever before due to programs that served as “lifelines for nonprofits” having their funding reduced Hoak made a pledge that Habitat for Humanity will keep funding these parcels keep on building new homes and look for more opportunities to give more families a place to call home the city’s chief development officer; Luis A District 4 city councilor; and Julie Davenport “Affordable housing is needed,” Petty said “This will change the neighborhood and make the make the neighborhood better and stronger it was a totally different scene altogether Instead of a hill with dandelions in a field of grass there was a new home for a family with a lot of hopes and dreams to enter Chong Lor was all smiles and happy tears at the dedication ceremony for her new home which she was going to start moving in to the next day Lor said she and her two children have lived in two different shelters in the past and never knew if she would ever have an opportunity to own a home for herself and her children So I made it a mission to make sure they would never see another shelter again,” Lor said “I thought it was going to take longer than this to own a home but I’ve reached my goal.” Hoak also had a few words to say at the dedication ceremony for the new home on Aetna Street “From the grassy fields we were in a half-hour ago to this lovely home filled with pride this is the journey that we have now taken 62 times,” Hoak said “Every single time that we get to this step I’m just as excited and just as proud and full of joy and hope and just as emotional.” construction site supervisor for the home on Aetna Street Dunn and Davenport also spoke at the home dedication ceremony senior minister at Trinity Church in Northborough blessed the properties at Ripley and Aetna streets WORCESTER ― The latest apartment complex in the city is taking shape on Madison Street The frame of the Residences at Madison has filled the landscape in recent weeks It is being built on a long-vacant parcel near the old Boys Club and David Burwick Furniture buildings The project is being developed by Watertown-based SMC Management Corp It will be six stories high with 102 market rate apartment units Bozzuto Construction completed the steel structure while the framing subcontractor laid out the walls for the second floor of the six-story mixed-use building at the corner of Beacon Street Construction on the parcel started January 2024 and it is slated for completion in February 2026 The Residences on Madison will include a community center a yoga studio and an elevated courtyard patio the proposal also features two ground-floor commercial spaces and a parking garage The lot is across from the former Registry of Motor Vehicles at 611 Main St SMC Management Corporation has another project in the area, Residences at Table Talk Square an apartment complex on a portion of the former Table Talk Pies factory property at Green and Washington streets At the meeting, Allen Fletcher, a key player in the development of the Worcester Public Market, said he was glad to see the parcel being developed and would like to see commercial activity extended along Madison Street. again won the Bedwardine seat - this time for Reform WorcesterPublished3 May 2025Reform UK members in Worcestershire are promising to cut spending and end what they call "woke politics" despite not having overall control of the county council after Thursday's elections The party is now the biggest on the authority with 27 seats - two shy of an overall majority a former Conservative councillor who defected to Reform earlier this year retained his Bedwardine seat in Worcester and said his party was capitalising on the failures of Labour and the Tories "They want a government that listens to them on all this nonsense wokeism and all this diversity nonsense "People want a government that's going to listen to ordinary people." Local councils do not have control over nationwide immigration policy, but Reform's leader Nigel Farage has said his party will "resist central government plonking hundreds of these young men in these counties that we now run". What might Reform do with its newly-won power? Farage hails 'unprecedented' Reform win after beating Tories and Labour at local elections Amos - who is being touted in some quarters as the next leader of the council - said one of the first orders of business was to take control of the authority's finances. "We want to audit the council's books," he said. "We're going to cut out all the unnecessary expenditure on programmes and things that nobody wants just to please powerful minority groups." Tony Travers, professor of public policy at the London School of Economics, told the BBC there have been 15 years of cuts to local council budgets and warned it would be "very, very hard to find substantial savings in this part of the public sector". Amos also promised Reform's success was "not a one-off". "The objective is to replace the Tories," he said. "They're finished, they've got no new ideas. "And now, they've got their comeuppance." Image caption, The former deputy leader of the council, Conservative Marcus Hart, held onto his seat - but only just The council's Conservative former deputy leader, Marcus Hart, held on to his Chaddesley seat in Wyre Forest but the Reform candidate for his ward was not far behind. Speaking before the full extent of Reform's gains had become apparent, Hart said he was confident the Conservatives would bounce back because of the "cyclical" nature of politics. However he conceded people were expressing their dissatisfaction with both the Tories and Labour. "Reform are clearly the protest party," he said. "What's clear from [Friday] is the Labour vote has collapsed and so has the Conservative vote, to a large extent. "Reform are taking votes from Labour and votes from the Conservatives and they're coming straight through the middle." Image caption, The Greens' Tor Pingree said the election results showed voters were desperate for change The Green Party's Tor Pingree, who won Riverside from Tory council leader Simon Geraghty, agreed voters were looking for answers elsewhere. But she said that had also worked to the benefit of her party, which increased its seats on the council from three to eight. "They don't really want to vote Labour any more, they don't want to vote Conservative," said Pingree. "They haven't seen it from the two main parties, so they are putting their votes elsewhere." Image caption, Richard Udall said Labour needed to get better at listening to people's concerns Representing St John's in Worcester, Richard Udall is now one of just two Labour councillors in Worcestershire. He said he was grateful to be re-elected but acknowledged the "tidal wave of discontent" shown by the election results. He said it was time for Labour to "listen a little bit more, and condemn a little less", citing immigration as a key issue on which people want more concrete answers. "I think we need to understand what people are saying," he explained. "Not necessarily condemn them for their views, but to understand them and understand where they're coming from and respond to them in a way which is potentially more positive." Tell us which stories we should cover in Hereford & Worcester Contact formContact formFollow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, X, external and Instagram, external Three takeaways from county council elections Reform makes big gains in Worcestershire Farage hails 'unprecedented' Reform win after beating Tories and Labour at local elections What might Reform do with its newly-won power Local elections 2025 in maps and charts Related internet linksWorcestershire County Council Serious injuries in early-hours A-road crash Teen suffers life-threatening injuries after motorbike and car burst into flames May still be hope after town with no banks' latest rejection New home planned for rural agricultural land Information about BBC links to other news sitesTop storiesWinter fuel cuts were factor at elections, says minister Germany's Merz falls short of majority in vote for chancellor Conclave: How Vatican keeps its papal vote secret Experience the VE Day flypast from inside a Red Arrows cockpit in 360 video Deliveroo deal shows UK still can't hang on to big firms Americans used to be steadfast in their support for Israel. Those days are gone Attenborough at 99 delivers 'greatest message he's ever told' 'I'm an NHS dentist who took on 4,000 new patients - now I can't afford to keep them' What Canada's Mark Carney can expect when he meets Trump Royal Watch: Get the latest royal stories and analysis with Sean Coughlan’s weekly newsletter The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived Louis Theroux visits the West Bank to meet Israeli settlers WORCESTER — Now lush with blooms, children laughing and ducks quacking underneath the Myra Kraft Bridge, it is difficult to imagine this plot of land as a mere pasture and dump site instead of the historic Elm Park While many believe Elm to be the country's first public park it is a common mistake due to the sign hanging at the entrance reading: "This section of Elm Park containing 27 acres deeded to the City of Worcester March 17 and March 20 by Levi Lincoln and John Hammond was the first purchase of land for a public park in the United States." Work first began in 1873 with a number of ponds built to act as natural drainage for the area foliage was planted and walking paths laid Walking through the trails more than 150 years later A group of juniors and seniors from Worcester Technical High School had begun work on the Iron Bridge Morgan Blundell said the group had been there a few times to replace rotted wooden beams and replace decaying parts of the bridge spent their summers and have fond memories of the ice cream truck "This was my park every summer," said Cordelia Anokye with a chuckle "I went to Elm Park (Community School) and I was here every summer More: Laurel: Elm Park, then and now Laurel: Worcester's Elm Park, then and now or the Common as it was known at that time circuses and in 1888 a steam yacht was placed in Lincoln Pond as an exhibit of sorts At the turn of the century, Worcester too felt the need for change, so the city hired the Olmsted Brothers who had previously been the lead landscaping architects of both Central Park in New York and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville The Olmsted Brothers helped Worcester acquire Newton Hill In the 1970s the park was once again the focus of the city as they took on another refurbishment in the same style of the Olmsted Brothers the park was named a National Historic Landmark and listed in the National Historic Register of Historic Places "It's kind of crazy to see the before and after," said classmate Gissell Cabrera adding she too used to come here as a kid and remembers the wood chips over the modern rubber ground like you'd have to wait in a line to get a swing," Anokye said adding the equipment has also changed quite a bit 2-year-old Lucy is being pushed by mom Shannen Avila who is due with another bundle of joy in late July "We like to come here when it's warmer," Avila said while giving the toddler another push Lucy let out a loud "whoooo hooo" as she continued to swing back and forth the circuses and carnivals have been replaced by a thriving and diverse community "There is so much free space here," Blundell said adding she's been to a few of the city's events in the park "A splash pad would be nice," the trio of girls agreed T&G engagement editor Sarah Barnacle is getting to know Central Mass. by exploring some of the best places to go and things to do in Worcester County. If you have an idea or suggestion, please email sbarnacle@gannett.com WORCESTER ― Open wide: The city is getting two new Korean fried chicken locations The License Commission on May 1 greenlit business licenses for Cluck & Crispy Chicken to open at 118 Cambridge St. and Bonchon Chicken to open at 81 Gold Star Blvd This will be the second location for Cluck & Crispy Chicken. Owner Ivan Guan of Shrewsbury opened the restaurant's first location at 145 Front St. in July 2024 an international franchise founded in South Korea and based in Dallas already has a handful of locations in the Boston area Local franchise owner Jason Vuong also owns Worcester Gong cha Vuong told the Telegram & Gazette he hopes to open the Worcester Bonchon location sometime this summer He said Korean fried chicken is double-fried and flavored with hand-brushed sauces Bonchon will be located in the same building where a Tropical Smoothie Cafe opened late last year That building was the longtime home of the Worcester Girl Scouts Center, which moved to 1 Century Drive A Chase Bank branch does business in the same building Fried chicken has been a recurring theme when it comes to recent business openings in the city This year, a second city location for Chick-fil-A was approved at 99 Stafford St. In October, Dave's Hot Chicken a casual chain known for its Nashville-style hot chicken tenders and sandwiches opened at the Trolley Yard between Grove Street and Park Avenue I served 12 years on the Worcester School Committee and I can say with confidence that the most important thing a member of the committee does is select the man or woman who will lead the school system the committee can really make a positive difference in the lives of the young people in its care The current superintendent just announced that she will be leaving Worcester on July 1 and heading back home to California she took the job in Worcester to burnish her résumé and now she’s collecting her plaques and memorabilia and going back to the land of wildfires and mudslides Superintendent Rachel Monárrez wasn’t here very long She took the job in 2022 and most likely started looking for the exit about two years after she started Now she has one foot out the door and the School Committee had to figure out what to do next Not the right choiceBoy, that was quick! After the current superintendent announced she was leaving, it only took the committee a couple of weeks to hire a new superintendent to lead the system for the next three years Brian Allen has spent nearly 30 years in the Worcester system working in operations and finance Allen clearly knows the system’s finances and buildings But what does he know about what’s going on in the classroom Allen starts his new job at a monumental disadvantage He doesn’t know what it’s like to deal with unruly students or what it’s like to keep the attention of 30 students who are trying to use their cellphones in class He doesn’t know what it’s like to teach a student who struggles to learn English or a student who is neurodivergent Allen also has no formal training teacher training of any kind Beyond Allen’s lack of experience with anything related to teaching he is the victim of a rigged process that gave teachers other staff and the public almost no time to weigh in And rather than appoint Allen on an interim basis and allow him to prove that he was the right choice while gaining public support the committee ignored its obligation to the people who elected them Judging from the remarks made by members of the committee it appears that Allen’s greatest asset is that he will blindly follow the path laid out by the current superintendent None of the teachers that I talk to think that’s a good idea Based on my experience and on the many conversations that I’ve had with teachers who stand in front of a classroom every day The first challenge is to make schools safe teachers tell me that students can get away with almost anything This isn’t a minor problem and it isn’t confined to one or two schools This is a systemwide problem that has been getting out of hand for years it has gotten worse over the past few years to the point where some teachers are retiring early or leaving to find jobs in other systems The School Committee is right to try and reduce student suspensions But sweeping dangerous behavior under the rug for the sake of better statistics has a devastating effect on in-class learning The second challenge is to hold students accountable starting with getting students to actually show up at school More than a few teachers have told me that the attendance requirements have been ignored — again in service to better statistical outcomes like graduation Worcester is allowing students to pass to the next grade or graduate without coming close to the minimum attendance requirements Of course there are always exceptions to every rule But there are attendance requirements for a reason Passing a student who earned a numerical grade in the single digits helps no one — certainly not the student There are a number of ways to help a student who is failing But passing requires at least some minimum effort on their part The third challenge is to remove the distraction of cellphones from schools Almost everyone agrees that allowing students to use cellphones during the school day and requiring teachers to police their use is a terrible idea — everyone except members of the School Committee Take the phones away and let teachers teach The fourth challenge is to engage school principals and assistant principals in what’s happening in the school building Every administrator should be out in the hallways between classes and in the cafeteria during lunch periods Engaging with students helps them understand what their building needs And when they see something that they don’t like Hiding in an office behind windows covered by newspapers is a cop-out Worcester doesn’t need more culture/climate specialists or whatever they call the folks they have roaming around Worcester needs senior leadership in the corridors engaging with students the committee needs a superintendent who understands that the priority is to put teachers in front of classrooms and not to pad the budget with unnecessary administrative positions Worcester has far too many administrators and their support staff and not enough teachers in classrooms In responding to the announcement she was leaving Mayor Joe Petty said that the current superintendent brought the school system to another level If Brian Allen follows the path laid out by the current superintendent Email Raymond V. Mariano at rmariano.telegram@gmail.com He served four terms as mayor of Worcester and previously served on the City Council and School Committee He grew up in Great Brook Valley and holds degrees from Worcester State College and Clark University He was most recently executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority His endorsements do not necessarily reflect the position of the Telegram & Gazette Worcester police issue traffic warning ahead of Molly McGovern funeralWorcester Telegram & GazetteWORCESTER – Police are asking motorists to avoid the area of St Bernard's Catholic Church of Our Lady of Providence Parish on Lincoln Street on May 2 and 3 is the site of calling hours and a funeral Mass for Molly McGovern Molly McGovern, 23, died April 23 while visiting family friends in Assisi She had been battling a rare cancer since her diagnosis in 2019 Obituary Molly McGovern The services will be streamed live. Arrangements are being handled by Athy Memorial Home in Worcester Worcester police issued a traffic alert for the hours of the arrangements.