Because the agenda wasn’t posted for the BPW’s April 25 meeting, when hefty water and sewer rate hikes were adopted, the board was ordered to take a “re-vote” last night. This time, more than two dozen residents – most of them from Ward 6 – showed up to cry foul. By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – Last night, for [...]

A Northampton District Court Judge Again Denies Bail For Suspect Ryan Daniel Welch, While Prosecutor Says Welch Made an Earlier Knife Threat on Jessica Ann Pripstein’s Life, Telling Her that Police Would Never Take Him Alive. By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – Accused murderer Ryan Daniel Welch of Easthampton was again ordered held without bail today [...]

The state’s highest court heard oral arguments last Nov. 9, and their ruling on admissibility of the 9-hour police interrogation could make or break the high-profile arson and murder case against suspect Anthony Baye. The defense says the cops went too far, lied about the law and made false promises of leniency to force a [...]

A police search of the alleged killer’s apartment yielded bottles of prescription drugs for anxiety and depression, one of which – Gabapentin – the FDA warned would increase the risk of suicide or violent deaths. Suboxone, used to treat narcotics addiction, was also found. By DAVID REID EASTHAMPTON – Five returned search warrants in the murder case [...]

The former owner of TJ’s Sports Bar agrees to pay $42,000 in cash as part of a guilty plea that brings probation, avoids jail time and lets him keep his Bridge Street home. By DAVID REID   NORTHAMPTON – John Smith, arrested last October for having 30 pounds of marijuana in his home here, has [...]

Financial woes at some area golf courses result from a weak economy, last year’s late-summer rains and a late-October blizzard. By DAVID REID HOLYOKE – Music mogul and businessman Eric Suher, of Holyoke, bought the Holyoke Country Club on Thursday, paying $850,000 for the 112-acre parcel at 2 Country Club Road, according to records of [...]

Police allege that Northampton High School graduate Thadius Romanowski held up the Florence Savings Bank here on Friday. His name has appeared in police reports since 2003 for receiving stolen property, forging a check and possession of a hypodermic needle. By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – Acting on tips about an unmasked bank robber who held up [...]

State Police detectives assigned to the DA’s office are investigating the bomb threat, which could being the perpetrator up to 20 years in state prison and a $50,000 fine. By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – A letter delivered to the Northampton District Court claimed a bomb was in the building, and it forced an evacuation of the [...]

With some city revenues falling short and free cash at an histsorically low level, the mayor tells department heads to tighten their belts. Until further notice,there will be  no spending over $250 and no new hiring without an OK from Room One. By DAVID REID NORTHAMPTON – Mayor David Narkewicz today sent a “spending advisory” memo [...]

Lawyer Alan Seewald’s request to withdraw from a lawsuit against the city and the BID has been delayed by a judge until at least Feb. 15. Now, after expressing displeasure with what he sees as Seewald’s backroom negotiations with the mayor over a job offer, one of his clients has asked the Board of Bar [...]

Before the package (measuring 20 inches by 14 inches by 10 inches) was delivered to Smith, Trooper Andrews sought a search warrant from a Northampton District Court Clerk-Magistrate. In that search warrant application, Andrews made his case, documenting that Smith did indeed live at that address, and describing how the package of pot was found. [...]

Although the city’s computer chief says neither she nor her computer consultants have ID’ed the exact cause of the problem, the corrupted files are deleted and massive amounts of data have been transferred to a secure server. Several departments, meanwhile, are still trying to figure out what data they lost over three days last week.   [...]

Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup says there’s no reason to stop lawyer Alan Seewald from dropping the BID lawsuit against the city to take the city solicitor’s job. But the judge said Seewald can’t make the move yet, describing the timing of his emergency motion as “unfortunate and problematic.” Below, Northampton Media provides you with [...]

Alan Seewald wants to be the new mayor’s top lawyer, but first he needs to drop a group of high-profile clients who are locked in a legal battle with the city. Alan Scheinman and Eric Suher don’t trust Seewald to keep their secrets, and are trying to block his going to work for their arch [...]

Debates on Saturday night and Sunday morning will highlight the disparate views of the top six Republican Party candidates for president. Below, we provide links to several on-line sources of information to examine the candidates and their sources of money, and to view some of their TV ads. By DAVID REID NEW HAMPSHIRE—The 2012 presidential primary [...]