Early voting runs through Oct. 30 at Worcester Public Library

Worcester voters can cast ballots early for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, state election at the Worcester Public Library Main Branch, 3 Salem Square, through Friday, Oct. 30.

Any registered Worcester voter can use the library site, regardless of ward or precinct, according to the Worcester Election Commission. The library serves as the city’s only early voting location this fall.

Remaining early voting hours

The library site opens at 9 a.m. every day, including weekends, and stays open until 7 p.m. on three of the remaining evenings.

• Wednesday, Oct. 21: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 22: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 23: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 24: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 25: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 26: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 27: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 28: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 29: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 30: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The city posts a printable early voting schedule along with a Spanish-language version.

Deadlines to know

Residents who have not registered have until Saturday, Oct. 24, to register online or update an address through the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office.

Voters who prefer to vote from home must apply for a mail-in ballot by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. The same deadline applies to absentee ballot requests. Voters can submit applications online or bring them to the Election Commission office at City Hall, 455 Main St., Room 208.

Where to drop off a ballot

Voters can return completed mail-in ballots to drop boxes at City Hall, at the Main Street entrance and at the first-floor entrance facing Worcester Common, or at any of the city’s 10 fire stations. The library also hosts a drop box during early voting hours.

Ballots left in a drop box must arrive by the close of polls at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Mailed ballots count if postmarked by Election Day and arriving within three days after the election. Voters can follow a ballot’s progress with the state’s ballot tracking tool.

Voting on Election Day

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Election Day voters must go to their assigned polling place, which residents can find through the city’s polling place lookup.

The Nov. 3 ballot includes nine binding statewide questions, the most Massachusetts voters have ever faced, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Information for Voters guide. Voters can preview their ballot before heading to the library or the polls.

Residents with questions can reach the Election Commission at 508-799-1134 or elections@worcesterma.gov.

Ex-ambulance owner to pay $1M over MassHealth billing claims

Two former ambulance companies billed MassHealth for emergency and advanced care their crews did not provide, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell alleged Monday, Oct. 19, as she announced a $1 million recovery from their former parent company, Transformative Healthcare LLC.

Transformative, a Newton-based medical transportation company, owned Fallon Ambulance Service and Lifeline Ambulance Services until 2022. The settlement announced by the attorney general’s office also resolves allegations that Transformative failed to protect the personal information of 750,116 Massachusetts residents exposed in a 2023 data breach.

Transformative will pay the $1 million over five years under a settlement agreement and a proposed consent judgment the state and the company filed the same day in Suffolk Superior Court. Under the consent judgment, Transformative and Fallon do not admit liability.

“Healthcare companies have a responsibility to protect the sensitive patient data they are entrusted with and to bill MassHealth only for the services they provide,” Campbell said. “My office will continue to hold companies accountable when they defraud MassHealth and put residents’ personal information at risk.”

Billing allegations

The attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud Division alleges that Fallon and Lifeline “upcoded” claims, billing MassHealth for higher levels of service than they delivered. The companies allegedly charged emergency rates for nonemergency trips and billed for Advanced Life Support when a patient’s situation did not meet the regulatory criteria for that service.

The office also alleges the companies submitted claims that lacked the medical necessity documentation MassHealth regulations require. MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program, assisted with the investigation.

Data breach

Fallon detected suspicious activity on its network April 21, 2023, and later confirmed that an unauthorized party had accessed personal information starting Feb. 17, 2023, according to the consent judgment. The company reported the breach to the state Dec. 29, 2023. The attorney general’s office said the breach occurred during an archiving process. Transformative had sold its ambulance operations in 2022, according to the consent judgment.

The exposed records belonged to both patients and employees. They may have included names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license and state ID numbers, medical and insurance information, and Social Security numbers.

Transformative notified 911,757 people nationwide, including 20,486 Maine residents, according to a breach notice filed with the Maine attorney general. The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack, SecurityWeek reported.

The attorney general’s office alleges Transformative failed to keep a written information security program, which state data security regulations and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act require. Such a plan identifies foreseeable security risks and sets up regular reviews of existing safeguards, including employee training.

The consent judgment accounts for $500,000 of the total. Transformative and Fallon must pay $50,000 within 30 days after the judgment takes effect, followed by five annual payments of $90,000. The companies must also destroy the personal and health information they hold within 45 days after the judgment takes effect or after any legally required retention period ends, whichever comes later. They may not sell that data. The judgment takes effect once a Superior Court justice approves it.

Coastal Medical Transportation Systems, a Hyannis company, bought the Fallon and Lifeline ambulance operations in December 2022. The deal extended Coastal’s service area into Central Massachusetts, according to the company’s announcement at the time.

Prior ambulance cases

The case follows other state actions against the ambulance industry. In January, the attorney general’s office reached a $515,000 settlement with Comstar LLC, a Rowley-based ambulance billing vendor, over a March 2022 data breach. In August 2025, the office announced a $6 million settlement with two Weymouth-based ambulance companies over similar MassHealth billing allegations.

Residents can report suspected MassHealth fraud through the attorney general’s office website.

Mass. troopers issue 1,900+ citations in 3-day crackdown

Massachusetts state troopers issued more than 1,900 citations and stopped 3,714 vehicles during Operation Wicked Safe, a three-day crackdown on dangerous driving from Tuesday, Oct. 13, through Thursday, Oct. 15.

State Police released the results Monday, Oct. 19. Troopers wrote 1,110 speeding citations, 418 citations under the state’s hands-free law, 253 move-over law citations and 130 seat belt citations. They also made 16 arrests for operating under the influence, or OUI.

The State Police Air Wing supported troopers on the ground. Department officials said the operation doubled enforcement activity in Massachusetts compared with the same period a year ago.

The state’s hands-free law bars drivers from holding or using a phone or other electronic device unless it is in hands-free mode. A first offense carries a $100 fine. Drivers pay $250 for a second offense and $500 for a third, along with a required distracted driving course.

The move-over law requires drivers to slow down and, when possible, change lanes as they approach a stopped emergency, highway maintenance or recovery vehicle with flashing lights.

Troopers with the department’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section inspected 577 trucks and other commercial vehicles and found 1,307 serious violations. Those included drivers operating with suspended licenses or without a commercial driver’s license, falsified logbooks, operators missing required ignition interlock devices, controlled substances in a commercial vehicle and brakes out of adjustment. The unit made three arrests and issued $72,230 in fines.

“Our Troopers see firsthand the risks created by excessive speed, distraction, impairment and reckless behavior,” State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble said in a statement. “While this operation focused on select dates, the State Police will continue to hold dangerous drivers accountable every day of the year.”

Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon said the operation reflects the department’s approach to roadway safety, which pairs enforcement with public education.

Troopers concentrated on Interstates 84, 90, 91, 93, 95 and 395, Route 146 and other priority roads. State police in Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont ran their own patrols during the same window. Police across all six states made 36 OUI arrests, according to Massachusetts State Police.

State Police Lt. Col. Brendhan Shugrue announced Operation Wicked Safe Thursday, Oct. 8, at the department’s Weston barracks. Officials scheduled the crackdown for October, when fall tourism and school schedules add traffic and changing weather affects road conditions.

In October 2025, State Police responded to more than 4,000 crash-related calls, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation recorded 38 fatal crashes, the most of any month that year.

Worcester council to consider resolution opposing marijuana repeal question

The Worcester City Council will take up a resolution Tuesday, Oct. 20, urging residents to vote no on Question 8, the statewide ballot measure that would end recreational marijuana sales in Massachusetts.

Mayor Joe Petty introduced the resolution, which, should it pass, puts the council on record against the question and voices support for “a responsible and well-regulated adult-use cannabis marketplace.”

The resolution argues that repeal would put industry jobs at risk and cut off tax revenue that Worcester and other host communities collect from licensed businesses. It contends that demand for marijuana would remain after repeal, pushing sales to an illegal market that skips product testing and age checks. The document describes the council’s position as a preference for a regulated market and states that it does not endorse marijuana use.

Worcester has collected $8.54 million in local cannabis excise revenue since legalization, including $1.89 million last year, according to the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed the campaign against Question 8.

What Question 8 would do

Massachusetts voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, when nearly 54% backed Question 4. Question 8 would repeal the laws that allow licensed retail sales of marijuana for adult use, with the change taking effect Jan. 1, 2028.

Under the measure, adults 21 and older could still possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, including no more than 5 grams of concentrate, and give that amount to another adult, according to a Boston.com breakdown of the proposed law. Adults caught with 1 to 2 ounces would face a $100 civil fine and forfeit the marijuana.

People under 21 found with up to 2 ounces would pay a $100 fine, complete a drug awareness program and perform community service. Their parents or guardians would also receive notice.

The measure would end home cultivation, which current law allows at up to six plants per adult. Licensed recreational businesses could apply to become medical marijuana dispensaries, and the Cannabis Control Commission, which has its headquarters in Worcester, would regulate only the medical market.

Licensed adult-use businesses recorded $1.65 billion in sales in 2025, according to the commission, and the industry generated $289 million in state tax revenue in fiscal 2025. About 18,000 people work in the industry.

What a yes or no vote means

A yes vote would ban the licensed, taxed retail sale of recreational marijuana and change the penalties for possession, according to the official ballot summary from Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office. Passage would make Massachusetts the first state to repeal recreational marijuana.

A no vote would leave state marijuana law unchanged. Licensed retail sales and home growing would continue under current rules.

Who supports and opposes the question

The Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts leads the yes campaign. Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action, a Virginia-based group, supplies most of its money and has contributed nearly $3.5 million, according to WBUR.

Coalition spokesperson Wendy Wakeman said in a statement that the initiative lets voters decide whether the state “should reverse the commercialization of recreational marijuana.” Supporters also cite a Mass General Brigham study that found a nearly fourfold increase in cannabis-related disorders among adolescents receiving emergency psychiatric care.

The Committee to Protect Cannabis Regulation leads the opposition and has raised $2.3 million. Gov. Maura Healey said she would vote no, and her Republican challenger, Michael Minogue, has said it is “too late to repeal” legalization.

Recent polling

Public polls show Question 8 trailing by wide margins. A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll released in late September found 71% of respondents planned to vote no and 24% planned to vote yes.

A MassINC Polling Group survey for CommonWealth Beacon of 800 likely voters, conducted Sept. 14-22, put the no side at 61% and the yes side at 27%, with 11% undecided.

An August poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and WCVB found 55% of registered voters opposed or leaned against the measure, while 33% supported it.

The state election falls on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early in-person voting began Saturday, Oct. 17, and runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Residents must register by Saturday, Oct. 24, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office.

Worcester County police departments receive $939,751 in state road safety grants

Police departments in 41 Worcester County communities will share $939,751 in federal traffic safety money that the Healey-Driscoll administration announced Friday, Oct. 16, as part of a $13 million statewide package.

The Worcester Police Department received $59,649, the largest award in the county. Fitchburg ($42,640), Milford ($38,510), Shrewsbury ($35,036) and Holden ($34,767) round out the county’s top five.

Of the county’s 60 cities and towns, 41 appear on the award list. Royalston received $7,991 and Princeton $8,621, the two smallest awards in the county.

The county awards come from the Municipal Road Safety Grant Program, which the state Office of Grants and Research runs with money from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Statewide, the program delivered about $5.56 million to 191 police departments, and Worcester County departments took in roughly 17% of that total.

Departments can spend the money on traffic enforcement, pedestrian and bicyclist safety patrols, equipment, officer training and public education, according to the state’s announcement. The program ties award limits to population. Under the grant guidelines, departments in communities with more than 40,000 residents could request up to $65,000, while towns with fewer than 12,000 residents could seek up to $25,000.

Three county departments also won money through the State Traffic Safety Information System Improvements Grant Program. Fitchburg received $47,613, Lunenburg $19,538 and Millville $3,930. The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office picked up $65,750 through a separate program for state agencies.

“These investments will give police departments the enforcement tools, training, technology and resources they need to prevent crashes before they happen, address dangerous driving and ultimately save lives,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement.

“Safe roads are a shared responsibility, and communities need the right resources to address the challenges they see every day,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said.

Kevin Stanton, executive director of the Office of Grants and Research, said the agency hears regularly from communities about the effect of the grants.

“We’re proud to provide local communities, nonprofits, and state partners the resources necessary to make Massachusetts roads safer for everyone,” Stanton said.

Jonathan Gulliver, MassDOT’s undersecretary and state highway administrator, said the grants support the state’s goal of eliminating traffic deaths and severe injuries, pairing police enforcement with road design and education work.

The statewide package also includes $6.43 million for state agencies, led by $4.78 million for the Massachusetts State Police. Another $767,878 will go toward traffic records and crash data work, and four nonprofit groups will share $246,009 through the Community Traffic Safety Grant Program, which the state launched in 2024.

The Office of Grants and Research also gave 2,833 car seats and booster seats to 86 hospitals and organizations that serve families in need. Each participating organization must keep a certified child passenger safety technician on staff to perform car seat checks.

Massachusetts recorded 354 traffic deaths in 2025, down slightly from 363 in 2024, according to MassDOT’s 2026 Highway Safety Improvement Program implementation plan, which lists the 2025 count as a draft figure. The plan puts the state’s five-year rolling average at 381.6 deaths, the highest figure in data it tracks back to 2017.

The municipal grant period begins on or about Nov. 1 and ends Sept. 15, 2027, according to program guidelines.

Worcester County awards

Awards outside Worcester County

Worcester councilor seeks community forum on Amazon drones

The Worcester City Council will consider an order Tuesday, Oct. 20, asking City Manager Eric D. Batista to arrange a community forum with Amazon on its planned Prime Air drone delivery service.

Councilor-at-Large Gary Rosen filed the order, which appears on the Oct. 20 City Council agenda. It asks Batista to set up the forum “as soon as possible” so Amazon representatives can give residents and business owners details about the program, which would launch drones from Amazon’s Westborough distribution center into portions of Worcester. The order calls for holding the forum in the part of the city the drones would serve.

A second Rosen order on the agenda seeks a city solicitor’s report on zoning changes covering drone launch sites.

Amazon’s plan

Amazon wants to build a 6,800-square-foot drone delivery center in the parking lot of its facility at 64 Otis St. in Westborough, the Community Advocate reported Aug. 23.

A service map Amazon showed at a Sept. 15 Westborough Planning Board hearing covers a 7.5-mile radius that includes parts of Worcester, MassLive reported. Amazon described the map as pending analysis. Neither the company nor the city has said which Worcester neighborhoods fall inside it.

Tareq Wafaie, an Amazon economic development policy manager, said at a Sept. 23 community meeting that flights could begin as soon as late October, the Telegram & Gazette reported. A residents’ zoning appeal later pushed the expected start to at least early November, according to the Boston Globe. The Westborough Zoning Board of Appeals hears that appeal Nov. 2. Westborough voters take up a proposed drone bylaw at a Special Town Meeting on Monday, Oct. 19.

Amazon has held a Federal Aviation Administration air carrier certificate for drone delivery since 2020. As of Oct. 18, the FAA’s drone environmental review page listed no assessment specific to Westborough or Worcester. A nationwide FAA review signed July 28 lets qualifying sites skip a local assessment, and Massachusetts joined 14 other states in suing the FAA over that review Sept. 28.

Neighbors raise objections

“I do not support bringing Amazon Prime Air to Westborough,” Westborough Select Board member Shelby Marshall said at an Oct. 1 meeting, acccording to the Community Advocate.

Shrewsbury Town Manager Kevin Mizikar told his Select Board on Aug. 12 that the town cannot control flight altitude or delivery corridors. On Oct. 13, the Shrewsbury Select Board voted unanimously to send Amazon a letter asking it to halt its plans. The letter seeks an in-person public hearing and published flight paths, among other demands.

In Hopkinton, Select Board member Matthew Kizner called the plan “a wildly hostile act” by Westborough at an Oct. 6 meeting, and the board voted unanimously to organize opposition, the Hopkinton Independent reported.

State Sen. Michael Moore and state Reps. Kate Donaghue and Hannah Kane asked Amazon in a Sept. 28 letter to pause the project. On Oct. 14, U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren joined U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern and Lori Trahan in asking the FAA and Amazon for a Westborough-specific environmental review with public comment.

Rosen told MassLive on Oct. 5 that he is “presently opposed” to the service.

What the order would do

An adopted order would send Batista a request. The city charter directs the council to deal with city administration through the manager, so the order would not require him to hold a forum. It also cannot compel Amazon to attend.

The council adopted an earlier Rosen order Oct. 6 asking Batista for a report on whether Worcester has authority to control or prevent the drones. The city had not released that report.

The council meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at City Hall.

Lawmakers seek state task force, moratorium

Sixteen state legislators from Central Massachusetts and MetroWest asked Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell to form a task force that would review state rules for commercial drone delivery, in a letter dated Monday, Oct. 19.

The lawmakers also asked the state to stop any state agency from accepting or processing a certificate application from a commercial drone delivery operator until the review and any rule changes are complete. The letter does not name a specific agency. It lists the Massachusetts Department of Transportation as a copy recipient.

Moore, Kane and Donaghue signed the letter, along with state Sens. Robyn Kennedy, James Eldridge, Ryan Fattman and Peter Durant. State Reps. Meghan Kilcoyne, James Arena-DeRosa, James O’Day, David Muradian Jr., Carmine Gentile, Daniel Donahue, Joseph McKenna, Paul Frost and David LeBoeuf also signed.

The letter lists Worcester among 15 cities and towns that Amazon’s Westborough service could reach in whole or in part. It says constituents have raised concerns “related to noise, flight routes and frequency, operating hours, safety, privacy, drone cybersecurity, impacts on property values, and environmental impacts.”

The legislators acknowledged that Congress and the FAA control the nation’s airspace. They cited FAA guidance that states “have a valid interest in choosing where aircraft may operate on the ground,” and urged the state to plan takeoff and landing sites in advance. Converting existing ground distribution centers into drone hubs “deprives the state of any form of comprehensive planning or say” over where those sites go, the letter says.

The letter also says current zoning law “does not properly account for the interests of our local communities” in the delivery range outside the host town. It notes that DoorDash recently received its own FAA certification for drone delivery and says other companies “will follow Amazon’s lead.”

Amazon’s response

Amazon has not publicly addressed the Worcester forum request.

“Community and customer feedback helps to shape how we operate,” Amazon spokesperson Lindsay Hamilton told the Boston Globe on Oct. 14. At the Sept. 23 meeting, Wafaie said he had heard residents’ opposition “loud and clear.”

Editor’s note: After the initial publication of this piece, the section related to the letter by state lawmakers was added.

Image Courtesy of Amazon

State wins $130 million for Springfield rail hub tied to Worcester line

Massachusetts will receive $130 million in federal money to rebuild rail lines and signals around Springfield Union Station, a project state officials call groundwork for future West-East Rail service between Boston and Albany, New York.

Gov. Maura Healey, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Reps. Richard Neal and Jim McGovern announced the award Friday, Oct. 16, in Springfield. The Federal Railroad Administration awarded the grant to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation through its Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI).

The money will pay for the Springfield Hub Modernization Project, a phase of the larger Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project. The work will upgrade track and signals to ease a bottleneck and cut conflicts between freight and passenger trains.

State officials said the upgrades will improve on-time performance for Amtrak’s Vermonter and Valley Flyer trains and open room for added passenger service. The Springfield area also holds West Springfield Yard, a major freight facility.

Markey said the latest award brings federal investment in West-East Rail to more than $280 million. MassDOT previously won $36.8 million to design the Springfield track project and $1.75 million for early engineering and environmental work there.

What it means for Worcester

The first new service in the state’s West-East Rail plans runs through Worcester. Amtrak’s planned Inland Route service would run two daily round trips between Boston and New Haven, Connecticut, with stops in Framingham, Worcester and Springfield.

Those trains depend on a separate $108 million CRISI grant the state won in September 2023 for track work on the CSX-owned line between Worcester and Springfield. With matching money from MassDOT and Amtrak, that project totals about $135 million. MassDOT signed its federal grant agreement Jan. 15, 2025.

MassDOT lists these components in or near Worcester County:

• 2.4 miles of new double track west of Worcester
• 3.7 miles of double track west of East Brookfield
• a 1.6-mile siding in North Grafton, plus a 600-foot connecting track to the Grafton & Upton Railroad yard, to cut the time freight trains spend stopped on the main line
• positive train control, a collision-prevention system, on the MBTA-operated Worcester Line
• replacement of the old cab signal system between Worcester and Schodack, New York, with trackside signals
• track speed upgrades between Worcester and Springfield

The state’s 2023 grant application said the work would raise the top authorized speed on the 53-mile Worcester-to-Springfield segment to 80 mph and reduce delays along 44 miles of single track. The application also said the improvements would shorten travel times for Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited, which connects Boston with Pittsfield and Albany.

MassDOT’s project timeline calls for construction to begin in 2027. The Oct. 16 announcement set 2030 as the start date for the two daily Inland Route round trips.

How the Springfield and Worcester projects connect

Inland Route trains leaving Worcester will continue to Springfield before heading south into Connecticut. MassDOT said in 2023 that its Springfield planning work complements the Worcester-to-Springfield track improvements, and that both support any future Boston-Albany passenger service.

The state also described the Worcester-to-Springfield upgrades as a necessary first step toward more frequent, faster trains on the full corridor to Albany. MassDOT won $3.5 million in August 2025 through the FRA’s Corridor Identification and Development Program to write a service development plan for that route. The plan will judge whether Boston-Albany service can work, recommend capital projects and set an operating plan.

Today, the MBTA’s Framingham/Worcester Line provides frequent commuter rail service between Worcester and Boston. CSX owns the line west of Worcester and serves as host railroad for the Inland Route work.

McGovern, whose district includes Worcester, said finishing West-East Rail would leave Massachusetts “better connected from Boston to Worcester to Springfield and beyond.”

Neal credited the 2021 federal infrastructure law, which he helped shape as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, for the federal rail money Massachusetts has received in the five years since its passage.

The Springfield and Inland Route projects fall under Compass Rail, MassDOT’s plan for intercity passenger rail across the state. Residents can sign up for project updates on the Compass Rail website.

Image credit:By Benjamin Turon – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Top candy by state: What Massachusetts craves before Halloween

Swedish Fish led Massachusetts candy searches for a second straight year, while Jolly Rancher took over the top spot as Halloween season neared, according to a new Innerbody Research analysis of Google search data.

Swedish Fish drew the most Massachusetts searches over the past 12 months. During a three-week window from Aug. 29 to Sept. 18, which Innerbody used to measure the run-up to Halloween, Jolly Rancher moved to No. 1 in the state. Nationally, Jolly Rancher ranked 13th over the same stretch.

The health research website ranked 34 popular candies by search interest in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Swedish Fish finishes 16th nationally for the full year.

The candy traces its roots to Sweden. Confectioner Malaco developed the fish shape for the North American market in the late 1950s.

Massachusetts shows less overall appetite for candy than most of the country. The state ranks 39th of 51 in total candy search interest. Innerbody found that coastal states clustered near the bottom of the list, with Hawaii in last place.

Sour Patch Kids leads nationally

Across the U.S., Sour Patch Kids drew the most search interest over the past year. Skittles, Snickers, Starburst and Twix round out the top five.

Utah ranks as the most candy-interested state, climbing from fifth place in 2025. Nebraska, last year’s leader, slipped to second. Midwestern states claim five of the top 10 spots.

Fruity and sour candies continue to gain ground on chocolate. Non-chocolate candy grew to 40.9% of U.S. confectionery sales in 2025, up from about one-third in 2015, according to the National Confectioners Association. The trade group reported record confectionery sales of $55 billion last year.

Halloween reshuffles the list

National searches shifted during the late-summer window as well. Candy corn jumped from eighth to second, trailing only Sour Patch Kids, and led in four states. M&M’s climbed from 19th to 11th.

Halloween falls on Saturday, Oct. 31, this year.

New England picks vary

Massachusetts’ neighbors spread their full-year favorites across the candy aisle. Connecticut favors Sour Patch Kids, and New Hampshire leans toward York peppermint patties. Tootsie Roll leads in Maine.

Rhode Island and Vermont both chose 3 Musketeers, which tops seven states, more than any other candy in the study.

Innerbody built its rankings from Google Trends data and national search volumes, weighting each candy by total searches. The results track online interest, which can differ from what shoppers buy at the register.

*Innerbody’s text says Reese’s and Hershey’s Kisses tied for the top spot in Pennsylvania over the full year; its map shows Reese’s.

Source: Innerbody Research analysis of Google Trends data. Full-year data covers Sept. 19, 2025, to Sept. 18, 2026. Halloween trend data covers Aug. 29 to Sept. 18, 2026.

Image courtesy of Innerbody

Worcester vice detectives arrest 2 men, seize 110 grams of fentanyl

Worcester vice detectives arrested two men Wednesday, Oct. 14, near Pleasant and Merrick streets after watching what police described as a street-level drug deal.

According to the Worcester Police Department, detectives set up surveillance in the area after receiving complaints about open-air drug dealing.

During the surveillance, detectives allege they saw Zachary Bailey, 38, and Darryl Ekeh, 37, take part in a suspected drug transaction, police said. The release did not list hometowns for either man.

Detectives stopped Bailey after the exchange and allegedly found several bags of crack cocaine and fentanyl on him, according to police.

When other detectives approached Ekeh, he ran off at a full sprint, police said. Detectives caught up with him as he tried to climb a large fence on Merrick Street and took him into custody.

Inside a cross-shoulder bag Ekeh carried, detectives allegedly found about 110 grams of purple fentanyl and 18 grams of crack cocaine, both packaged for sale, police said. Ekeh also had $2,882 in cash.

Police charged Ekeh with trafficking 100 to 199 grams of fentanyl, a Class A substance, and trafficking 18 to 36 grams of cocaine. He also faces one count of distributing cocaine and one count of distributing fentanyl.

Bailey faces charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, police said.

The law presumes both men innocent unless a court finds them guilty.

Possible penalties under Massachusetts law

The ranges below come from Chapter 94C of the Massachusetts General Laws and apply to a first offense. A judge sets any actual sentence after a conviction.

Darryl Ekeh

• Trafficking fentanyl, 100 to 199 grams: 8 to 30 years in state prison, with an 8-year mandatory minimum. A judge may add a fine of $10,000 to $100,000 on top of the prison term (Chapter 94C, Section 32E).
• Trafficking cocaine, 18 to 36 grams: 2 to 15 years in state prison, with a 2-year mandatory minimum. A judge may add a fine of $2,500 to $25,000 on top of the prison term (Section 32E).
• Distribution of cocaine: Up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2.5 years in a house of correction, a fine of up to $10,000, or a combination of prison and fine (Section 32A).
• Distribution of fentanyl: Up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2.5 years in a house of correction, a fine of $1,000 to $10,000, or both (Section 32).

Zachary Bailey

• Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl: Up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2.5 years in a house of correction, a fine of $1,000 to $10,000, or both (Section 32).
• Possession with intent to distribute cocaine: Up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2.5 years in a house of correction, a fine of up to $10,000, or a combination of prison and fine (Section 32A).

Penalties for the distribution and intent-to-distribute charges climb for anyone with a prior drug-distribution conviction, including a 3.5-year mandatory minimum for a repeat Class A offense.

Editor’s note: The information provided in this report is based on recent events as described by the police. The claims within are allegations by police, which may be challenged by the accused in court.

State fire board approves annual checks for recalled sprinkler heads

Massachusetts property owners must check sprinkler systems every year for recalled sprinkler heads under new rules that a Fall River fire captain proposed after the deadly 2025 Gabriel House fire.

The Massachusetts Board of Fire Prevention Regulations voted Thursday, Oct. 15, to add the requirements to the next edition of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code, which state officials expect early next year. Gov. Maura Healey announced the board’s approval the same day in Stow.

The fire at Gabriel House, an assisted living residence in Fall River, killed 10 people and forced more than 50 other residents to evacuate. Fall River Fire Capt. Joshua Hetzler brought the sprinkler proposal forward after the fire.

Under the updated code, sprinkler systems must undergo an annual check to identify any recalled sprinkler heads. Property owners who find recalled equipment must notify their local fire department and replace it promptly. Local fire departments may require additional fire protection measures until owners replace the recalled heads.

“The Gabriel House fire was a heartbreaking tragedy that devastated families and the Fall River community. We owe it to those families to do everything we can to prevent something like this from happening again,” Healey said.

She thanked the Fall River firefighters who brought the recommendations to the board.

State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, who sits on the board and voted for the sprinkler provisions, said the people affected by the fire remain on officials’ minds.

“The Gabriel House residents and their families have not left our thoughts in the 15 months since that tragic night in 2025,” Davine said. “Nothing can fill the void left by their loved ones, but I hope this makes clear to them that we are committed to saving other families from enduring the same heartbreak.”

“Strong fire prevention standards are essential to protecting lives and keeping our communities safe,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina K. Kwon, who credited the Fall River Fire Department for the recommendation.

Local lawmakers also praised the vote. State Sen. Michael J. Rodrigues, D-Westport, singled out Hetzler for advocating for the rules.

“These changes will ultimately lead to saving lives and protecting our residents,” Rodrigues said.

State Rep. Carole Fiola said the regulations “will address gaps that were made evident in the horrific Gabriel House fire.”

Other Fire Code changes

The board approved several other updates at the same meeting. One bans welding, grinding and other hot work when winds exceed 15 mph and requires workers to renew hot work safety training every three years.

Other changes consolidate permitting and certification requirements and bring the state code closer to national standards while keeping protections specific to Massachusetts.

Earlier steps after the fire

The vote follows earlier actions the Healey administration took after Gabriel House. Healey convened the Assisted Living Residences Commission, which brought together families, firefighters, first responders, advocates and providers to look for ways to improve safety and oversight.

In July, the administration finalized regulations that require annual fire inspections and more frequent fire drills at assisted living residences statewide. The administration also posts compliance reports online and is developing disclosure rules to help families choose care for relatives.

The board dedicated the upcoming code edition to Deputy Chief Thomas J. Ferraro of the Billerica Fire Department and the state Department of Fire Services. Ferraro died of occupational cancer in 2025 after nearly 40 years in the fire service.

Massachusetts created the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations to write a statewide fire code after the 1942 Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston killed 492 people. The governor appoints its members, who represent the fire service, technical specialties, inspection officials and the public.