Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport gets $2.6 million federal grant for drainage
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, brought news of a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport on Monday. The airport will use the money to improve drainage at Barnes, according to information provided by Neal’s office. “The regional airport in Westfield is increasingly playing a larger and more…
State: Environmental Impact Report needed for Tennessee Gas Pipeline projects in Agawam and Longmeadow
Tennessee Gas Pipeline must prepare an Environmental Impact Report for its natural gas expansion projects in Agawam and Longmeadow, the Baker administration has ruled. Tennessee, a Kinder Morgan subsidiary, hopes to increase horsepower at its Agawam compressor station, build a new, 12-inch two-mile pipeline loop in Agawam, and construct a “West Longmeadow Meter Station,” a…
Freedom Credit Union merges with West Springfield Federal Credit Union
Freedom Credit Union of Springfield announced Monday it is merging with the much smaller West Springfield Federal Credit Union. West Springfield Federal Credit Union will conduct business as Freedom Credit Union, according to the release. The new Freedom Credit Union will have 11 branches — including the current West Springfield Credit Union Branch at 58 Union St. — and…
Easthampton’s Naresh Patel closes on Whiskerz Pub purchase; ‘Eagles Sports Bar’ on tap
The Cottage Street bar long known as “Whiskerz Pub” is no more, and its replacement — “Eagles Sports Bar” — opened on Tuesday. The bar is apparently named after the Easthampton High School sports teams, which are known as the “Eagles” and deploy maroon-and-white colors, the same as those displayed on the bar sign. Businessman…
Dexter Johnson’s Primary Assignment is to Whip the Springfield Y into Shape – BusinessWest
Last fall, while Dexter Johnson was making up his mind to take the job being offered him — president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Springfield — a few friends and relatives had a simple five-word question for him: ‘Are you sure about this?” He was — and is. But he acknowledged then and…
Bay Path University’s Online Liberal Studies Program Earns Accolades
The American Women’s College at Bay Path University has been helping women complete their bachelor’s degrees at twice the rate of the national average since its inception in 2013, thanks to its digitally enhanced learning model, SOUL (Social Online Universal Learning). This innovative approach to education has placed its bachelor of arts degree in liberal…
MGM Springfield grand opening draws thousands — how many thousands?
An MGM Springfield spokesman said Friday that more than 10,000 people entered the casino campus in the first hours after its grand opening, but a full day total was not available. By late afternoon, there was a “steady stream of people coming and going,” said Saverio Mancini, a spokesman for MGM Springfield. “It was a…
MGM Springfield has Connecticut gamblers riding the rails: CTrail and Hartford Line busy
When the 11:47 a.m. Hartford Line train pulled into Springfield’s Union Station, most of the 75 or so passengers getting off had one question: “How do I get to the casino?” And even though The Loop downtown bus service wouldn’t start for another hour – after the traffic on Main Street cleared – the arriving…
The Loop, free bus service connecting downtown Springfield attractions, debuts with MGM the destination for most riders
The Loop debuted Friday afternoon, and while the free bus service connects several downtown attractions, its inaugural run was all about the grand opening of the MGM Springfield resort casino. Shirley Grahan, of Northampton, waited for that first run of The Loop at Union Station, about a mile away from MGM Springfield. She and the two…
Bay Path Named Among Fastest-Growing Colleges in Master’s Institution Category
The Chronicle of Higher Education has recognized Bay Path University in its Almanac of Higher Education 2018-19 as one of the fastest-growing colleges in the U.S., currently ranked 13th in the category of private nonprofit master’s institutions, with a 118.1% growth rate over a 10-year period (2006-16). Bay Path was the only institution of higher…
Pre-opening VIP party underway as MGM Springfield poised to launch $960 million casino resort
Glitzy slot machines, expectations and the chatter of thousands of suited and gowned guests filled the gaming floor Thursday as the “MGM Springfield VIP preview party” got underway. Local officials like Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, the face of the seven-year pitch behind the project, and representatives of international giant MGM attended the celebration before the Friday…
With Sears set to close, Holyoke Mall promises ‘several new stores and attractions’
While the Sears store at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside is set to close this fall, mall management says there are new tenants on the way. “We will have several new stores and attractions that we will be announcing in the coming months,” marketing director Lisa Wray said in an email Thursday. “Hopefully, (Sears employees) will find…