Rep. McGovern Joins Protest Against Iran War at City Hall

Congressman Jim McGovern was one of dozens of residents to rally at Worcester City Hall on Tuesday, April 8, as part of an emergency protest organized by Indivisible Worcester to oppose potential U.S. military escalation in Iran and call for urgent congressional intervention.

“I know my office has been inundated with phone calls about this issue like never before,” Rep. McGovern told the crowd. “If this cabinet had a half an ounce of integrity they would invoke the 25th Amendment and take the nuclear code away from this psychopathic lunatic before he hurts any more innocent people.”

Rep. McGovern was one of a number of lawmakers who condemned comments by the president made Tuesday morning on Truth Social, which read:

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”

On WBUR’s Morning Edition, McGovern heavily criticized the statement and accused the president of “saying things that make him sound like a madman.”

In support of the Congressman’s criticism, several local residents organized the rally on Tuesday to demand de-escalation, raise alarm over the president’s rhetoric, and pressure Congress to assert its authority over war powers.

During the rally, McGovern also urged immediate congressional action regarding the war in Iran, calling on lawmakers to return to Washington and address the situation directly.

“I’ve called on the speaker of the House to call Congress back in session,” said McGovern. “We should be back in Washington. We should be debating this, and we should vote to cut off all funds for this war.”

Corry Root, a board member of Indivisible Worcester and one of the event’s organizers, explained the urgency behind the gathering.

“We organized this because the shameful leader of our country has threatened genocide in Iran and that all the people need to understand what an existential crisis that is,” Root said. “We need to come together and be organized and ready to face this moment.”

President Trump has since announced a two-week ceasefire for military action in the region.

An additional protest at Worcester City Hall takes place Wednesday, April 8, at 6 PM. This event is part of a national day of action organized locally by Worcester Indivisible, Massachusetts Peace Action, and others.

Learn How State Education Funding will Effect Worcester This Year

WORCESTER – The Worcester Education Justice Alliance (WEJA) will host a forum on Thursday, April 9, on the state education budget with the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget). The forum takes place at Claremont Academy, at 15 Claremont St., starting at 6 PM. Attendees are requested to RSVP. Childcare and dinner will be provided.

The forum, “State Funding & Worcester Schools: What You Need to Know,” will discuss the education funding landscape  in Massachusetts this year and its effects on Worcester.

Anthony Clough, a policy analyst at MassBudget, will participate in the forum.

MassBudget is a public policy research and advocacy organization advancing equitable policy solutions that create an inclusive, thriving Commonwealth.

WEJA is a coalition of students, parents, educators, school staff, and community members, standing together to mobilize for greater racial and social justice in our Worcester Public School System.

Water Filtration Maintenance to Impact Service to Worcester Residents

WORCESTER – The City of Worcester asks residents to conserve water and avoid activities that use large amounts of water, like washing laundry or dishes, for three four-hour blocks in April.

The water filtration plant that services Worcester will undergo maintenance during the following time periods:

• April 9, from 12 AM to 4 AM
• April 16, from 12 AM to 4 AM
• April 23, from 12 AM to 4 AM

The city says the maintenance work will improve the functionality and reliability of the water filtration plant.

During each maintenance period, residents may experience reduced water pressure or no water service at all. The system should return to normal by 4 PM on all three scheduled days.

Those who require critical access to water or use large amounts of water should plan for these maintenance periods.

UMass Chan Ranks 1st in Massachusetts for Primary Care Education

WORCESTER – UMass Chan Medical School ranked first in Massachusetts for primary care education and second for research, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Grad School Rankings.

UMass Chan ranked ahead of the medical schools at Tufts, Boston University, and Harvard for primary care education and behind only Tufts for research.

U.S. News ranked both UMass Chan and Tufts as tier two schools for both primary care education and research nationwide. Only 16 schools received tier one designation in both the primary care education and research categories.

The Umass Chan Doctor of Nursing Practice program ranked 29th among 154 programs, while its PhD program ranked 55th among 159 doctoral programs in the biological sciences.

This year,  61 students, or 35 percent of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine’s graduating class, matched into residencies in primary care and related specialties. Those specialties include internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics.

Graduates of the class of 2026 are the first class to complete all four years of the school’s Vista curriculum, which UMass Chan introduced in 2022. The curriculum includes a health system science pillar, biomedical and clinical science pillars, and incorporates health equity, diversity and inclusion, population and community health, and patient and provider wellness into students’ studies.

See the full rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

Worcester Dual Language School Expands to 8th Grade

WORCESTER – Worcester Public Schools announced on Monday, April 6, that the Worcester Dual Language Magnet School will expand to serve students in grades seven and eight, starting at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.

The school currently serves students from preschool through grade six.

“The addition of grades 7 and 8 at Worcester Dual Language Magnet School is an important step toward scaling a model that works,” said Brian E. Allen, WPS Superintendent. “We are not just embracing, but elevating this approach to ensure more students have the opportunity to graduate with multilingual and multicultural skills.”

Students at Worcester Dual Language Magnet School learn in two languages, English and Spanish. Students from across Worcester receive admission to the school through a lottery system. Those admitted to the school include both native English and native Spanish speakers.

The school operates within a framework considered optimal for multilingual education, as it treats each student’s primary language as an asset for further development, not a barrier. Research shows that both native English and native Spanish-speaking students in dual-language programs meet or exceed the academic performance of their peers.

Woodlands Academy, at 93 Woodland St., also offers a dual language program for K-6 students. Admissions at Woodland are residential-based.

Registration for the preschool and kindergarten admissions lottery at the Worcester Dual Language Magnet School is open through May 1. Enrollment forms are available online.

Worcester Man Sentenced to Life in State Prison for 2022 Home Invasion

WORCESTER – A local man received a sentence of life in prison on Friday, April 3, after being found guilty of several charges related to a home invasion in Fitchburg in 2022.

A jury convicted Concepcion Rodriguez, 39, of Worcester, of:

• Two counts of armed assault with intent to murder;
• Use of a firearm while committing a felony;
• Two counts of larceny under $1,200;
• Possession of a firearm outside his home or work; and
• Possession of ammunition without an FID card.

Rodriguez met the standards of a habitual offender based on prior convictions.

He also faced one charge of possession of a loaded firearm, was dismissed.

According to the office of Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early Jr., in March 2022, Rodriguez entered an apartment in Fitchburg in search of an individual who did not reside at that location. He discharged his weapon while in the apartment and stole items before fleeing the scene.

The apartment occupant was present at the time of the incident, but remained uninjured.

Worcester Schools Host Second District Realignment Forum April 15

WORCESTER – Worcester Public Schools (WPS) announced it will hold a public meeting on its School Boundary and Quadrant Alignment Project on Wednesday, April 15, from 5 PM to 6 PM at Doherty Memorial High School, at 299 Highland St.

The forum will share information and gather feedback from parents, caregivers, and community members to inform the project. Representatives from the non-profit data analysis firm Dillinger Research and Applied Data will facilitate the forum.

WPS is considering adjusting school boundaries and related systems for assigning students to schools based on their residential address and improve educational experiences of students.

The Worcester School Committee set the School Boundary and Quadrant Alignment project as a district improvement goal for the 2025-26 school year, with a plan completed by June 2027 for implementation in the 2027-28 school year.

The goals stated by WPS for the project are:

• Reduce the student population in schools that are over capacity
• Increase the student population at schools that are under-enrolled
• Ensure school programming aligns with each school’s building capacity, along with student and community needs
• Improve school feeder patterns
• Improve citywide/magnet school designations to best reflect the needs of the community

See more information about the phases of the project and its timeline.

WPS will share potential scenarios for the project with the school committee in June.

This forum is the second on the alignment project. WPS held the first meeting on March 23 at South High School.

WPS will also hold a virtual meeting on the project on May 5. Details about this meeting are not yet available.

Worcester Public Schools released this short video about the School Boundary and Quadrant Alignment Project.

Mass. Part of 21 State Coalition Suing Trump Admin. for Air Pollution Rollbacks

BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell joined a coalition of 21 states and three local governments in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, March 21, against the Trump administration’s repeal of a Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule.

The 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MAATS) rule creates national standards for limiting emissions of toxic air pollutants from power plants fueled by coal and oil. The rule regulates mercury, arsenic, lead and other toxic metals. It also regulates acid gases like hydrogen chloride and formaldehyde.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated the standards in 2024 in consideration of new technological developments.

In February 2026, the Trump administration rolled back those updated standards.

Mercury and other pollutants primarily harm those living near power plants, but emissions can travel long distances. Mercury, a neurotoxin, poses significant dangers for pregnant individuals and children who consume fish contaminated with mercury. A pregnant person who consumes mercury exposes their child as well, which can lead to lifelong development issues and neurological disorders.

Power plant emissions of mercury are a major contributor to the contamination of waterways. Over 200 bodies of water in Massachusetts are designated as impaired by mercury contamination.

The lawsuit argues that the rollback of the rule is unlawful, as the EPA has not provided a reasoned basis for the change. It also claims the EPA failed to adequately consider developments in practices, processes, and control technologies in its attempt to revert to outdated standards.

“Massachusetts residents deserve to live, work and play in safe environments, free from exposure to highly toxic pollutants like mercury, and the federal government has a responsibility to regulate these pollutants and protect our communities,” said Campbell. “The Trump Administration must stop ignoring the science and start prioritizing public health by immediately reinstating these critical standards that keep us safe.”

The other attorneys general joining the suit are from Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The City of Chicago, the City of New York, and Harris County, Texas, also joined the lawsuit.

Two Men Banned from Fundraising after Deceiving Donors to Veterans

BOSTON – A Massachusetts Superior Court judge permanently banned two men from collecting charitable donations in the state.

In January 2023, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell filed a civil complaint that alleged Sean Murphy, who managed Political Petitioning of MA LLC (PPMA), and Rikkile Brown, the owner of the company, used deceptive tactics to collect donations they said would support veterans in violation of state law.

The complaint alleged that PPMA recruited and hired veterans to collect signatures for a petition they said supported homeless veterans. Instead, Murphy and PPMA directed the hired veterans to collect cash donations. The workers told donors that their contributions would benefit charities that support veterans.

When some donors questioned where their donations went, Murphy and Brown formed Help Homeless Vets, Inc. (HHV), a charitable organization.

The complaint alleged that of thousands of dollars collected, about $343 went to legitimate charities supporting veterans.

In March 2023, a judge granted Campbell’s motion for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the two men from collecting donations. The litigation continued until the court’s decision.

Campbell announced the decision on Monday, March 30.

The court order permanently bans both Murphy and Brown from soliciting and collecting charitable donations and orders the men to dissolve both PPMA and HHV.

New England Governors Pledge to Explore New Nuclear Energy

BOSTON – The governors of all six New England states issued a joint statement on Tuesday, March 31, committing to explore advanced nuclear energy technologies and continuing to support the region’s existing nuclear facilities.

The statement, signed by Governor Maura Healey, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Maine Governor Janet Mills, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, and Vermont Governor Phil Scott, directs state energy agencies to take two steps:

1. Explore opportunities to ensure existing nuclear generation facilities continue to operate in a safe, affordable, and reliable ways.
2. To take steps to explore deployment of advanced nuclear generation in states and communities willing to host nuclear facilities.

The statement says exploring new deployments includes considering innovative financing structures, federal funding and financial support opportunities, public-private partnerships, and regulatory designs for advanced nuclear energy

Priorities of the governors include ensuring local voices shape decision-making, including community-led approaches to explore responsible locations for new nuclear development.

ISO New England expects New England electrical consumption to increase by over 40 percent in the next 20 years, with peak winter demand doubling by 2045, according to Healey’s office.

“New England has a long tradition of collaborating on regional energy matters,” said the governors’ statement. “We are committed to safeguarding our collective energy future through advancement of a diverse energy strategy that includes nuclear power, a pillar of New England’s electric system.”

Massachusetts has also launched a partnership with UMass Lowell to develop advanced nuclear and fusion energy roadmap expected to be published this summer.