Harte’s Home in Auburn closing, auctioning showroom furniture Thursday

Harte’s Home Furniture and Mattress Store, the Auburn shop that former Rotmans employees opened in 2023, is closing, and its showroom inventory goes up for auction online Thursday, Oct. 29.

The store at 771 Washington St. on Route 20 announced the closing in a statement on its website.

“Our building has been sold and we will be closing very quickly,” the statement said. The store described the new owner as a company that runs its own furniture store.

Harte’s Home said it will fill all existing orders and make deliveries on their scheduled dates. A store employee told TheStreet that Tuesday, Oct. 27, would be the last day of operation.

How the auction works

Holbrook-based Paul E. Saperstein Co. will run the online-only sale, which starts at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, according to the auctioneer’s listing. Bidders can view the catalog and register on BidSpotter.

The listing includes living room sets, sofas, recliners, dining and bedroom furniture, chandeliers, lamps, rugs, decor and store fixtures. Everything sells as is, and the auctioneer describes the items as showroom displays.

Shoppers can inspect items at the store Wednesday, Oct. 28, from noon to 6 p.m.

Buyers must remove their own purchases during these pickup hours:

• Friday, Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The auctioneer may resell items that buyers do not collect or arrange to collect within 24 hours of those windows. BidSpotter lists independent movers for hire.

Purchases carry an 18% buyer’s premium, which drops 3 percentage points for cash or bank check payments. The 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax applies to the total, premium included. Buyers who pay by credit card do so at the store and must show ID.

A Rotmans successor

Heidi Richardson, the store’s president, led a group of former Rotmans staff that opened Harte’s Home in late 2023, Furniture Today reported at the time. Rotmans, which Murray and Ida Rotman founded in Worcester in 1956, had closed before Harte’s Home opened.

In its closing statement, Harte’s Home thanked customers, “whether old friends from Rotmans or the new friends we made here in Auburn.”

Image credit: Google

Wrong-way detection flags 215+ drivers on Mass. highways since June

Wrong-way detection systems that MassDOT began installing in June have spotted more than 215 drivers entering highways the wrong way, and about 140 of them corrected course, state officials said Monday, Oct. 26.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has installed 86 detection systems and deployed 12 portable detection and warning trailers under the state’s $75 million wrong-way driving prevention initiative. Crews have also upgraded signs and pavement markings at 85% of highway ramps statewide.

The Healey-Driscoll administration and the Legislature funded the program, which now targets more than 800 high-risk locations. Officials cited more than 500 locations when Gov. Maura Healey launched the effort June 17.

“Wrong-way driving crashes can have devastating consequences for families, and we’re doing everything we can to take action to prevent these tragedies before they happen,” Healey said.

How the systems work

MassDOT crews retrofitted existing signalized intersections and highway camera systems with the new technology. When a vehicle moves the wrong way on an off-ramp, the system sends real-time alerts to transportation officials and police. Illuminated signs with flashing lights warn the driver at the same time.

A MassDOT deployment map dated Monday, Oct. 19, shows a cluster of fully operational systems in and around Worcester. The map also marks candidate sites across Worcester County.

“This system will position Massachusetts as a nationwide leader in wrong way prevention and detection and will help keep our roads safe for everyone,” said Phillip Eng, interim transportation secretary and MBTA general manager.

More systems on the way

MassDOT expects to bring about 40 more detection systems online by the end of 2026 and aims to have 300 running by the end of 2027. The agency also plans to test new detection tools at ramps without traffic signals and use the data it collects to plan ramp redesigns where drivers often get confused.

State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble pointed to the death of Trooper Kevin Trainor, who died this year while trying to stop a wrong-way driver.

“Our Troopers frequently respond to these dangerous situations, putting their lives at risk to ensure public safety,” Noble said.

A persistent danger

Wrong-way crashes have killed 51 people in 37 fatal crashes on Massachusetts roads since 2021, according to MassDOT’s wrong-way driving program data. The state recorded at least 40 wrong-way crashes in each of the last five years, with a peak of 52 in 2024.

Most of those crashes happen between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., and MassDOT estimates roughly 80% of wrong-way drivers were impaired. The agency also warns drivers against relying on GPS alone, citing several incidents tied to drivers misreading GPS directions or to a lag between a GPS prompt and the correct turn.

MassDOT advises drivers who realize they are headed the wrong way to pull over immediately and turn around only when it is safe. Drivers can call 911 if they need police help turning around. Anyone who spots a wrong-way driver should also pull over and call 911.

State halts admissions at RegalCare at Worcester after resident wanders off

State inspectors have barred RegalCare at Worcester from admitting new residents after a resident with dementia walked out of a locked unit and turned up hours later at a restaurant miles away.

The state Department of Public Health issued an “immediate jeopardy” finding against the Oriol Drive nursing home Oct. 14, The Boston Globe reported. The designation means inspectors found conditions that put residents at risk of serious injury or death. The facility cannot take new admissions until conditions improve.

Staff did not realize the resident had left the unit, according to the Globe. Worcester police found the resident at a restaurant and took the person to a hospital.

The Worcester finding came one day after DPH moved to revoke every Massachusetts nursing home license held by RegalCare owner Eliyahu “Eli” Mirlis. In an Oct. 13 notice of intended agency action, the department found Mirlis “not suitable or responsible” to run a long-term care facility in the state.

DPH cited New Jersey’s revocation of Mirlis’ nursing home administrator license, which the department said he misrepresented, along with substandard care at RegalCare’s Massachusetts homes. The department also pointed to a $1 million settlement with federal and state prosecutors in which Mirlis admitted to billing Medicare and MassHealth for medically unreasonable and unnecessary services.

RegalCare runs 12 nursing homes in Massachusetts, including RegalCare at Blackstone Valley in Whitinsville. About 1,300 people live in those facilities, according to DPH. The homes remain open, and the state has not asked residents to move.

DPH has placed monitors in every RegalCare facility and said they visit more often where quality concerns run highest. State inspectors conducted about 90 inspections at the chain’s Massachusetts homes over the past three years, producing four immediate jeopardy findings, the department said.

Mirlis has 30 days from the notice to request a hearing before the state Division of Administrative Law Appeals, and RegalCare has said it plans to appeal. If the state prevails, Mirlis would be barred from operating nursing homes in Massachusetts for 10 years. He did not respond to the Globe’s latest requests for comment.

The state also plans to let the license for RegalCare at Lowell expire Oct. 31, the Globe reported. Officials have not said who will run that facility, which houses about 60 residents, after that date.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, DPH blocked Sweetwater Care, a California chain, from permanently taking over 11 nursing homes formerly run by Next Step Healthcare. Those homes house about 1,000 residents. Regulators cited Sweetwater’s record of safety violations and poor care in other states, including a $15 million settlement with the California attorney general in July over allegations of understaffing.

Before this month, DPH had not denied a nursing home license application or pulled an operator’s license in at least seven years, according to the Globe. Both actions followed a Globe Spotlight Team investigation published Sept. 28 that detailed declining care at RegalCare homes and state approval of out-of-state buyers.

New state regulations give DPH broader authority to review an operator’s quality record in other states, civil litigation history and the records of owners and management companies, according to the department.

Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein said in a statement to the Globe that the department is strengthening its oversight of the long-term care industry and holding operators accountable for the care residents receive.

Paul Lanzikos, a co-founder of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts and a former state secretary of elder affairs, called the state’s recent moves encouraging but said the work must continue past the current crisis.

“It needs to be sustained,” Lanzikos said.

Families with questions can call the DPH Nursing Home Action Call Center at 617-468-2189 or toll-free at 833-305-2070, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. DPH has also posted guidance for RegalCare residents and families online.

Auburn police seek public’s help finding missing 15-year-old James Tucci

The Auburn Police Department is asking the public for help finding James Tucci, a 15-year-old who went missing Sunday, Oct. 25.

According to a police flyer, Tucci’s last confirmed sighting came around 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, in Auburn. His last contact with anyone came around 2 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

Family members reported him missing, according to a Newport Dispatch report citing Auburn police.

Police describe Tucci as about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He wore all black, including a hoodie and pants, and carried a light orange backpack, the Dispatch reported.

He may be riding a black Xathaquia e-bike. Tucci frequents Worcester and Northbridge, police said, according to the Dispatch.

Anyone with information should call Auburn detectives at 508-832-7777. Tipsters can also send a text or email to textatip@auburnmasspolice.org and may remain anonymous.

Free community college drives 43% enrollment jump in Massachusetts

Enrollment at Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges has grown 43.5% since fall 2022, adding about 27,000 students, according to preliminary figures from the state Department of Higher Education.

Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Senate President Karen Spilka visited MassBay Community College in Framingham on Monday, Oct. 26, to credit the state’s free community college program for the growth. The three toured nursing classrooms and health sciences labs before meeting with students and college leaders.

The department’s fall 2026 enrollment estimates, presented to the Board of Higher Education on Tuesday, Oct. 20, put community college enrollment at 89,464 students, up 3.9% from last fall. That increase follows an 11.4% jump in fall 2025, when headcount reached 86,321.

“We made community college free because everyone in Massachusetts deserves the opportunity to get a great education and a good-paying job without taking on crushing debt. And it’s working,” Healey said.

MassBay has grown 59% since free community college began and enrolled a record 5,555 students this fall, according to the governor’s office. About half of the college’s students, use the program.

The state first eliminated tuition and fees for residents 25 and older in 2023. Healey and the Legislature extended free community college to residents of all ages the following year.

The program covers the full cost of tuition and fees. Eligible students can also receive help paying for books and supplies.

Growth at Quinsigamond

The state’s announcements did not include fall 2026 figures for individual colleges other than MassBay. Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester reported nearly 9,000 students in fall 2025, its highest enrollment since 2012. QCC President Luis Pedraja said enrollment hovered around 6,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under QCC’s eligibility rules, Massachusetts residents who have not earned a bachelor’s degree or more than one associate degree can attend without paying tuition or fees. Students must enroll in at least six credits per semester in an approved program and complete the FAFSA or MASFA.

More students staying enrolled

The department’s data also shows more students returning and earning credits on schedule. The share of community college students who come back for a second fall semester rose to 62.2%, and 40.3% now complete credits on time.

The number of community college students receiving federal Pell Grants grew from about 22,000 in 2023 to 38,000 in 2025, according to the governor’s office.

The department’s report also flagged graduation rates as an area needing improvement. The six-year completion rate at community colleges stands at 34.4%, with lower rates among Black and Hispanic or Latino students.

“These enrollment gains are exactly what we hoped to achieve when we removed the burden of paying for community college,” said Spilka, D-Ashland.

Undergraduate enrollment across Massachusetts public colleges and universities rose 2.2% this fall to nearly 176,000 students, the fourth consecutive year of growth. The nine state universities posted their first increase since 2013, while University of Massachusetts undergraduate enrollment dipped 0.6%.

Juan-Carlos Giraldo, a MassBay student who returned to college after age 25, said tuition-free classes will allow him to earn an associate degree in international business. He plans to graduate in December and has been accepted to UMass Boston, where he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in international relations.

Worcester man, 63, charged with raping child in Milford church basement

Milford police have charged a 63-year-old Worcester man with raping a child under 14 in the basement of the victim’s family church in Milford, according to a Milford Police Department statement released Monday, Oct. 26.

Raul Feliciano faces charges of rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. He posted $15,000 bail Friday, Oct. 23, and will face arraignment this week, police said.

The department’s Family Services Unit opened the investigation Wednesday, Sept. 9. The child, who was under 14 at the time, told detectives that the suspect lured the child into the basement of the family’s church, where the assault took place, according to police. The department did not name the church.

Family Services detectives obtained a warrant for Feliciano’s arrest at about 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Worcester police took him into custody at about 1:15 p.m. that day and turned him over to Milford police for booking.

“To violate a child is among the most heinous of crimes. Doing so in place of worship only further cements the depravity of this assault,” Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino said in the statement.

The statement also credited detectives and officers from the Milford and Worcester police departments, along with the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, for bringing Feliciano into custody.

Under state law, rape and abuse of a child under 16 carries a maximum sentence of life in state prison. A conviction for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 carries up to 10 years in state prison or up to 2½ years in a house of correction.

The police statement notes that all suspects remain innocent until proven guilty in court.

Survivors of sexual assault can find help through the state’s list of statewide resources or the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.

Former Worcester County jail officer accused of smuggling Suboxone to inmate

A former Worcester County jail officer pleaded not guilty Friday, Oct. 16, to charges that he took $1,500 to carry Suboxone strips into the jail and hand them to an inmate.

Nevin D. Robles, 32, faces charges of conspiring to violate drug law, possession of a Class B substance and delivering drugs to a prisoner, according to Clinton District Court records. A judge released him on $1,000 cash bail, and he is due back in court Dec. 17.

Robles also faces a charge of improperly storing his gun. Sheriff’s investigators found his registered Glock 19 loaded in his unlocked car while executing a search warrant in the drug investigation, the office said.

Robles had worked for the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office since 2018. The office placed him on leave Sept. 13, and he resigned the next day, Superintendent Jason Rives said. His lawyer declined to comment.

Detective John Sables wrote in court documents that security video from about 5:47 a.m. Aug. 31 shows Robles “discreetly” passing an item in a jail hallway to inmate Juan Centeno-Natal. Centeno-Natal, 48, was delivering meals at the time, The Boston Globe reported.

Sables wrote that an interview with a “reliable source” turned up a blue rubber glove holding 25 Suboxone strips, which he tied to Centeno-Natal.

After waiving his Miranda rights, Robles told investigators he agreed to bring in drugs after the inmate asked him repeatedly, Sables wrote. Robles said he met a man, Mark Domenici, in Worcester’s Webster Square to pick up a “package.”

Robles first said he did not know what the package held, then said it was “probably subs,” shorthand for Suboxone, according to the detective. Robles said he carried it into the jail in the back pocket of his uniform pants.

Robles told Sables he expected $1,500 for the delivery, with Domenici collecting the same amount.

Rives said his office learned of the alleged smuggling weeks after it happened and confirmed it through video surveillance.

“After conducting a thorough investigation that included video and electronic surveillance, we believe [Robles] … betrayed the trust of his community and the Sheriff’s Office by introducing an illicit substance (Suboxone) into our facility,” Rives said in a statement.

Domenici, 50, faces charges of possession of a Class B drug with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug law. His arraignment is set for Nov. 3. Investigators sought a warrant for his arrest in September after they could not locate him, according to the Globe.

Centeno-Natal faced internal sanctions, the sheriff’s office said. He has not been charged.

Suboxone combines buprenorphine and naloxone and treats opioid dependence, according to its federal drug label. Rives told the Telegram & Gazette that the drug carries “high illicit market value” behind bars because users seek its drowsy effects and its protection against fatal overdose.

WCVB-TV reported in 2016 that a single strip could sell for up to $100 inside a jail. A New Hampshire prison official put the figure as high as $400 in 2019.

Rives said jails face a constant challenge keeping contraband out and that the Worcester County facility “remains vigilant in identifying potential threats and taking swift action to protect the safety and security of our facility.”

Image courtesy of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office/ Facebook

Worcester 911 chief Charles Goodwin on leave after OUI arrest

Worcester’s emergency communications commissioner, Charles Goodwin, is on administrative leave after state police arrested him on a drunken driving charge Friday, Oct. 23, while he drove a city-issued cruiser.

City spokesperson Tom Matthews confirmed the arrest and Goodwin’s leave Monday, Oct. 26, according to the Telegram & Gazette. Matthews said city officials learned of the arrest that evening and immediately placed Goodwin on leave. A deputy from the department will fill in during his absence.

“The municipality is investigating the matter and has no further comment at this time,” the city said in a statement.

Goodwin pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment the same day in Westborough District Court, and a judge released him on personal recognizance. He faces charges of operating under the influence, a marked lanes violation, possessing an open container of alcohol and following too closely.

State police received a tip about a truck swerving on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Westborough before they located the vehicle around 1 p.m., according to court documents cited by the Telegram & Gazette. Trooper Jared Layman wrote in his report that Goodwin nearly struck a guardrail as he pulled over.

Goodwin told the trooper he was “currently working” and headed to Worcester from Springfield, according to the report. Layman wrote that he smelled alcohol and that Goodwin’s speech sounded slurred and labored. Goodwin failed two field sobriety tests before the trooper arrested him.

Layman found eight small liquor bottles, commonly called nips, in the cruiser. Four of them were empty, he wrote. Goodwin did not have his firearm with him.

Goodwin’s attorney, Fernando Figueroa, could not immediately be reached for comment, the newspaper reported. Goodwin did not immediately respond to the Telegram & Gazette’s request for comment.

Goodwin has led the department since July 2021. He earned $155,798 in gross pay in 2025, according to city payroll records.

The department answers the city’s 911 and 311 calls from the Worcester Regional Emergency Communication Center on Coppage Drive and leads Worcester’s emergency management program. The city’s website still lists Goodwin as commissioner.

Healey sets 60% school breakfast goal; Worcester schools averaged 37.6%

Gov. Maura Healey launched a statewide challenge Friday, Oct. 23, that asks Massachusetts schools to get at least 60% of students eating breakfast at school each day.

Worcester Public Schools has ground to make up. The district averaged 37.6% daily breakfast participation in March 2025, compared with 65% for lunch, according to school-by-school meal participation figures the Eos Foundation calculated from attendance data districts report to the state. Eos is one of three nonprofits partnering with the state on the challenge.

Statewide, an average of 291,792 students ate school breakfast each day in fall 2025, while 588,654 ate school lunch, the governor’s office said in announcing the Strengthening School Breakfast Challenge.

The challenge encourages schools to serve breakfast at main entrances and give students a second chance to eat later in the morning. The state also wants schools to promote those options to families. On the menu side, Healey asked schools to add more locally grown food and scratch cooking, with menus shaped by student feedback.

“We made school meals free for every student in Massachusetts because no child should have to worry about being hungry in the classroom,” Healey said.

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said many students still skip the meal. “We know that students learn better when they start the day with a nutritious breakfast, but too many kids are still missing out on this important meal,” she said.

Wide gaps across Worcester schools

Breakfast rates varied sharply among Worcester schools in the Eos data. Greendale Head Start reported 83.4% participation, and Belmont Street Community School reported 63.1%. At West Tatnuck School and Flagg Street School, about 8% of students ate breakfast.

Participation at the city’s four comprehensive high schools ranged from 17.8% at Doherty Memorial and Burncoat Senior High to 23% at South High Community School.

Eos estimated that if every Worcester school reached 80% breakfast participation, 10,934 more students would eat breakfast each day, and the district would draw about $5.6 million more in meal reimbursements.

Worcester Public Schools offers breakfast and lunch at no cost to every student through the federal Community Eligibility Provision, according to the district.

What state law requires

Under Chapter 69, Section 1C of the Massachusetts General Laws, every school that serves lunch through the National School Lunch Program must also serve breakfast at no charge. Schools where at least 60% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals must offer breakfast after the instructional day begins.

Those schools may choose their own approach, such as breakfast in the classroom or grab-and-go service. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education notifies schools each year if the after-the-bell rule applies to them.

The challenge advances recommendations from Healey’s Anti-Hunger Task Force.

Help for schools

The Eos Foundation offers grants of up to $20,000 per school, plus technical assistance, to launch or expand Breakfast in the Classroom programs. The foundation aims for those programs to reach at least 80% of students each morning.

Project Bread provides free technical assistance and outreach materials to school meal providers. New England Dairy offers breakfast recipes and promotion toolkits along with funding opportunities.

In Salem, where Healey announced the challenge, one elementary school raised breakfast participation from 42% to 90% after moving breakfast into classrooms, Salem Superintendent Tommy Welch said in a statement.

The fiscal 2027 state budget Healey signed includes $338 million for anti-hunger and nutrition programs, according to her office.

Health Connector opens 2027 enrollment; Dec. 23 deadline for Jan. 1 coverage

Worcester-area residents who buy health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector can now shop for 2027 plans and have until Dec. 23 to sign up for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2027.

Open enrollment began Friday, Oct. 23, and runs through Jan. 23, 2027. People who enroll after Dec. 23 but by the final deadline will have coverage starting Feb. 1, 2027, according to the governor’s office.

Gov. Maura Healey launched the enrollment period at an event in Roxbury, where she announced the state will spend $620 million on the ConnectorCare program in 2027. The money aims to hold down premiums after federal enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act expired at the end of 2025. Healey blamed President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans for letting the credits lapse.

“So whether you’re signing up for the first time or renewing your coverage, check out the Health Connector, explore your options and see what financial assistance is available,” Healey said. “We’re here to help you get covered at a price you can afford.”

Massachusetts added $250 million to ConnectorCare last year, bringing its 2026 total to $600 million. The administration called the 2027 commitment the largest state investment of its kind in the country. The governor’s office said the money, drawn from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund, will keep premium increases small or nonexistent for about 279,000 ConnectorCare members. ConnectorCare plans carry lower co-pays and no deductibles.

Changes for 2027

Fallon Health will stop offering Health Connector plans in parts of Worcester County next year, along with several other counties, according to the Health Connector’s 2027 updates page. Members whose Fallon plan disappears will move automatically into the lowest-cost plan at the same level in their area unless they choose a different one.

New federal rules taking effect Jan. 1, 2027, also narrow who qualifies for financial help. Lawfully present immigrants may still buy plans, but federal tax credits and ConnectorCare will go only to lawful permanent residents and two smaller groups: Cuban and Haitian entrants and Compact of Free Association migrants. Refugees and people with Temporary Protected Status are among those who will lose the subsidies. The Health Connector estimates about 35,000 current enrollees may lose help paying for coverage.

Federal law also removed the cap on how much excess tax credit enrollees must repay at tax time, starting with 2026 taxes. The Health Connector urges members to update household and income details whenever they change and will host a free webinar on tax credit changes Wednesday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1 p.m.

“Whether enrolling for the first time or reviewing an existing plan, we are here to help residents make informed decisions about their coverage,” said Audrey Morse Gasteier, executive director of the Health Connector.

Where to get help in Worcester

The Health Connector has closed its walk-in centers and now directs residents to Navigators, trained enrollment helpers who work at 50 locations statewide and offer free assistance in 29 languages. The city’s Health and Human Services Department lists these local options:

• Family Health Center of Worcester, 26 Queen St., 508-860-7700. Accepts walk-ins six days a week.
• Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, 605 Lincoln St., 508-595-0726. Appointments required.
• Worcester RISE for Health, 18 Chestnut St., 774-417-1756. Focuses on recently arrived refugees and immigrants and accepts walk-ins four days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• UMass Memorial Health financial counseling, 508-334-9300.

Residents can also search online for a Navigator near them. To compare plans and enroll, visit MAhealthconnector.org or call 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. TTY users can dial 711.