Posts by DIFDESIGN
Massachusetts Announces Extension of Administrative Tax Relief for Businesses
Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Senate President Karen Spilka, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo announced an extension of administrative tax-relief measures for local businesses that have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, especially in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. This includes the extension of the deferral of regular sales tax, meals tax,…
Read MoreCiting COVID-19 pandemic, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno seeks to waive 2021 liquor license fees
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has asked the License Commission to waive 2021 liquor license fees for local restaurants, bars and clubs due to the business shutdowns and partial shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “Simply put, this is the right thing to do,” Sarno said in a statement. “Many of these establishments are opened only…
Read MoreOperating at reduced capacity, MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park saw year-over-year decrease in gaming revenue in first full month since COVID-19 shutdowns
The state’s three casinos recorded about $71 million in gross gaming revenue in August — a year-over-year decrease of 17.4% in the first full month of operations following a nearly four-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to data released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park…
Read MoreWestfield State University Among Top Public Universities in U.S. News Rankings
Westfield State University (WSU) is again one of Massachusetts’ top public universities among its peers, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2021 list. The rankings underscore the university’s commitment to accessibility, affordability, and intentional outcomes. In this year’s release, Westfield State is ranked 90th among 170 institutions in “Regional Universities – North.”…
Read MoreAmazon hiring includes Holyoke distribution center jobs
Amazon announced it’s hiring to fill 33,000 corporate and technology jobs nationwide, including a dozen at its distribution center in Holyoke, according to a company spokesman. In addition, Amazon is looking to hire 100,000 new full and part-time jobs across their operations network including more than 650jobs available in its Massachusetts locations. The mega-retailer already…
Read MoreElms College Climbs U.S. News List of ‘Top Performers on Social Mobility’
Elms College improved its ranking by 30 spots on U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 list of “Top Performers on Social Mobility” in the northern U.S. region. The list ranks schools for enrolling and graduating large proportions of students who have received federal Pell Grants. Elms College improved its ranking dramatically, moving to seventh among…
Read MoreCOVID-19 spread linked to dining at restaurants, CDC says
In a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control Friday, health officials suggest a connection between the spread of COVID-19 and going to bars and restaurants. Researchers contacted over 800 adults who agreed to participate in the study conducted in July. Of the 802 adults, 332 reported symptoms at the time of testing…
Read MoreFollowing business criticism, Northampton will undo temporary Main Street redesign
Following heavy criticism from downtown business owners, Mayor David Narkewicz said Friday that the city will remove the temporary experiment to redesign a stretch of Main Street known as the Northampton Shared Streets and Spaces project. Read the source article at masslive.com
Read MoreRobert Johnson Takes the Helm at WNEU
At least once, and perhaps twice, Robert Johnson strongly considered removing himself from the mix as a search committee narrowed the field of candidates to succeed Anthony Caprio as president of Western New England University (WNEU) in Springfield. It was early spring, and the COVID-19 pandemic was presenting every institution of higher learning, including UMass-Dartmouth,…
Read MoreSpringfield Positions Itself to Bounce Back from COVID-19
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno noted that his city is certainly well-versed in dealing with natural and man-made disasters — everything from the tornado in June 2011 to the natural-gas explosion a year and a half later. “Battle-tested” was the phrase he used to describe a community that has been though a lot over the past…
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