Woman injured in head-on crash dies
One killed, two injured in Mississippi Co. crash By Region 8 Newsdesk | April 3, 2021 at 1:28 PM CDT - Updated April 5 at 1:39 PM
WILSON, Ark. (KAIT) - A woman injured in a head-on crash Friday has died of her injuries.
Arkansas State Police reported the crash happened around 1:20 p.m. April 2 on Highway 61 north of Wilson.
Joshua Northcutt, 21, of Joiner was southbound when his 2004 GMC crossed the center line and struck head-on a 2001 Dodge driven by 55-year-old Donald Davenport of Joiner.
Davenport was killed in the crash. His passenger, 77-year-old Ruby Green of Joiner, was taken to a Memphis hospital where she died on Saturday, April 3.
Hampden County retirement board hosts ‘chaotic’ phone meeting over audit findings; heckler asks, ‘$400 . to stay at your own house?’
Updated Mar 03, 2021;
The Hampden County Regional Retirement Board came under heavy fire from municipal leaders and members during its first public meeting since the release of a brutal state audit questioning a range of apparent financial missteps.
The telephonic meeting was solely focused on the 17-page audit conducted by the state public employees retirement commission, which oversees more than 100 regional and municipal retirement boards. Five board members including Chairman Richard M. Theroux fielded questions from town leaders and members in addition to an anonymous heckler who seemed laser-focused on mocking Theroux.
When MGM Resorts International first laid its chips on the table about building a Springfield casino, surrounding communities sought funding to mitigate its impact. While some were approved to eventually be allocated such funds, Hampden’s Select Board members at the time walked away empty-handed or so they thought. More than four years later, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reached out to the town’s Select Board and asked what the community had planned for its $100,000 worth of mitigation funds, said Select Board Chair Donald Davenport. “Apparently, they neglected to notify us,” said Davenport. The community mitigation funds may be used to compensate for impact costs related to the casino, like public safety operational costs, transportation planning or transportation construction costs.
Hampden may use casino mitigation funds to address traffic concerns
Updated Jan 27, 2021;
HAMPDEN When MGM Resorts International first laid its chips on the table about building a Springfield casino, surrounding communities sought funding to mitigate its impact. While some were approved to eventually be allocated such funds, Hampden’s Select Board members at the time walked away empty-handed or so they thought.
More than four years later, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reached out to the town’s Select Board and asked what the community had planned for its $100,000 worth of mitigation funds, said Select Board Chair Donald Davenport.
“Apparently, they neglected to notify us,” said Davenport.
Retired Longmeadow police chief appointed interim head of Hampden force
Updated Jan 08, 2021;
HAMPDEN Retired Longmeadow Police Chief Richard A. Marchese has been named interim police chief in Hampden.
Marchese, a director of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, was appointed by the Select Board at the Thursday, Jan. 7 meeting via Zoom. He will serve until Thursday, April 1, or until a permanent police chief is selected and sworn in.
Marchese assumes the helm from longtime Hampden Police Chief Jeff Farnsworth, who recently resigned to take on a new role at the state Executive Office of Public Safety. Farnsworth has been with the department for more than three decades. He will stay on to help Marchese transition into the interim role until his last day, Saturday, Jan. 16.