Cyber Attack Brings Down AlertWorcester, Notifications Across the US

WORCESTER – The City of Worcester announced that its automated emergency notification system, AlertWorcester, is unavailable.

The third-party system CodeRED by Crisis24, formerly OnSolve CodeRED, experienced a cyberattack. Crisis24 says the attack forced the company to decommission the legacy CodeRED environment, disrupting usage by organizations across the country. The company is rebuilding its system on new infrastructure from the ground up.

That system will use data backups from March 31, 2025, so some user accounts will not be present.

The attack not only damaged the company’s system, but also successfully stole data from the platform. According to bleepingcomputer.com, the data stolen includes names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and passwords used for CodeRED user profiles.

Those who used the same password for AlertWorcester as other products should change those passwords.

According to Infosecurity Magazine, the company says there is no indications that the stolen information appears online at this time.

INCRansom, a hacker group that uses ransomware attacks, claimed responsibility for the breach. Ransome negotiations between the group and the company failed.

Infosecurity Magazine also reports that the group has begun selling samples of what it claims is stolen data.

Champion Worcester Cowboys Hold Fundraiser for Nationals Nov. 30th

The Worcester Cowboys 12U Team won the New England Regional Division 2 Championship, capping off a 12-0 season with a 26-6 performance against the Dorchester Eagles, a Boston-area powerhouse.

Both teams came prepared for the cold in New London, CT, and played tough defense in the first half. At the break, the score was 6-6.

After halftime, coach Todd Sivert’s team came out fired up on offense and defense. QB Ben Sivert led the team with 2 touchdown passes, including one to star receiver Christian Montique. Montique also had a momentum-shifting interception for a touchdown. Like many of the players, he plays in all facets of the game.

Izel Suarez had another interception and continues his stalwart defensive season.

As the game wore on, the offensive line led to large lanes for the quarterback and running backs to keep the pace and momentum on the side of the Cowboys. The Cowboys’ power game won in the end.

The team now moves on to represent New England as the Division 2 Champions, and travel to Naples, Florida, from Dec. 7 to Dec. 13th.

Team administrator Valerie Casagranda told This Week in Worcester that the team is currently holding a fundraiser to help support their trip to Nationals. Community members can attend the send-off event at 2 Chef’s, located at 317 West Boylston St. in Worcester, this Sunday, Nov. 30th at 2 PM. Attendees can make donations, take part in raffles, and show their support for the team as they prepare to represent New England on the national stage.

For those unable to attend in person, donations can also be made online through the team’s Snap Campaign.

Old Grumbly Fan’s Week 12 Patriots Preview vs. the Bengals

In Week 11, the Patriots rolled over and outclassed the Jets. It was not as close as the final score of 27-14.

Coach Vrabel has the team beating everyone the are supposed to. At 9-2, they share the best record in football with the Broncos who hold the one seed with a conference tiebreaker. The culture of losing football that had snuck in the last two years has been ceremoniously dismissed and sent on its way. Whether that leads to playoff success remains to be seen.

Drake Maye had a ho-hum 281 and a touchdown. The best sign was allowing only a single sack. Hopefully, the coaches are working with him on running into rushes, and getting the young offensive line into better situations. Moving forward, Reps are a good thing.

Josh McDaniels, who has suffered greatly here at Old Grumbly’s column, continued his dominance over the Jets as offensive coordinator for the Patriots. He is now 26-2 lifetime over three stints across three eras of the team.

Criticism aside, his offense generally pounds bad teams.

The defense did its job. The Jets had two scoring drives and 7 that ended with nothing. Justin Fields threw for a whopping 116 yards. Like I said earlier, this game was not close.

Stefon Diggs, who went 9 for 105, continued his dominance in extending drives with 6 first downs. He also celebrated the birth of his son with Cardi B this week. His locker room leadership is now what he’s known for, and his season of 59 catches, 659 yards and 3 touchdowns puts him on pace for another 1,000 yard season. He remains a great pickup for the Pats.

Old Grumbly Fan Predictions

9-2 puts the Patriots in command of the AFC East with 6 games to go. Buffalo lost this week to drop to 7-4. Anything can happen, but it looks more and more like there will be home playoff football in Foxboro this season. The Pats get to play the Cincinnati Bengals this week, who come into this game at 3-7, needing to run the table to have a shot at the playoffs. Joe Flacco has filled in admirably in his 18th season while covering for the oft-injured Joe Burrow. Burrow igot in a full practice, but may remain on the sideline.

The Bengals are without Ja’Marr Chase (and so is my fantasy team), who is one of the best receivers in all of football. Chase got himself suspended in a spitting incident last week with Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey.  The Bengals have other weapons, but Chase is a big piece in being able to keep up with teams scoring big against their defense.

The Bengals defense is just flat-out bad. They have allowed 334 points, the most in the NFL. The second-worst in points allowed, the Washington Commanders, have allowed 296 in one more game than the Bengals.

The Patriots are tied for 5th with the Detroit Lions at 292 points scored. This should be a relatively easy game, but weird things happen. I still expect the Pats to roll. Flacco will get a couple of drives, probably with Tee Higgins involved, but in the end they just don’t have the firepower to keep up.

Pats 37 – Bengals 18

Worcester Cowboys 12 and Under Team Dominates 41-0 in Playoff Opener

The Worcester Cowboys 12 and under team dominated 41-0 last Saturday at the Joseph R. Mewhiney Field. Head Coach Tom Sivert’s team came out of the gate swinging on a brisk cool day in Westborough.

The fans cheered as the team went down the field on the first drive and scored in three plays. They went up 13-0 before the Merrimack Valley Spartans mounted a drive down close to the goal. The Cowboys responded with an interception return of close to 50 yards and rolled from there.

Christian Montique highlighted the team’s victory with a spectacular one-handed catch by to put the Cowboys up 28-0 just before halftime.

This game was the New England Regional semifinal. This Sunday, the Cowboys play the Dorchester Eagles in the New England Regional Championship at New London High School, 20 Chester St, New London, CT.

Game time is at 1pm. You can get tickets here: Worcester Cowboys Tickets.

If the Cowboys win this game, they move on to the National Championship in Florida. The Cowboys are raising funds for the trip to Florida now. Find more information on the Worcester Cowboys Facebook page, the Worcester Cowboys Instagram or the team’s website. This Week in Worcester will keep you up to date as the team moves on!

Worcester City Council Escalates its Contempt for Residents

The Worcester City Council continued its assault on resident participation in city government, prohibiting 13 individuals waiting to comment on items on the city council agenda via phone or internet on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

City Council rules provide for 30 minutes of comments from the public at the opening of every meeting. Until this two-year session of the city council, which ends at the end of this calendar year, Mayor Joe Petty allowed all residents waiting to speak to do so.

Some councilors called for Petty to follow the rules more closely during this council session. In response, Petty has raised motions to suspend the rules to allow all those waiting to speak to do so. Each of those votes passed, allowing all residents waiting to speak to do so. That changed on Tuesday night.

When Petty called for the vote to suspend the rules and continue allowing residents to speak on Tuesday, Russell, Bergman, and Councilor Donna Colorio voted against allowing the remaining residents to speak. Suspending the rules requires eight votes. The vote was 7-3.

Russell did not run for reelection to represent District 3. Colorio’s bid for reelection as a councilor at-large fell short. Both of their tenures end at the end of the year. Preliminary results of the election show Bergman with a 23-vote lead over Jermoh Kamara for the sixth councilor at-large seat. A recount of the results began on Thursday, Nov. 20.

The crackdown on resident participation in city government began in October 2024, in response to a resident petition with 1,500 co-signers. That resolution sought a resolution of the city council, which called for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, release of hostages on all sides, resumption of humanitarian aid, and the federal government to follow federal laws.

From the time the city council meeting ended on Oct. 8, 2024, to the deadline for resident petition submissions for the next meeting on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 4:15 PM, the city council wholly changed its interpretation of its rules without a vote of its members to change the rules, and without previous notice. Those changes led to denying the resident petitioners access for their petition on the Gaza War to be heard.

While the city council cannot mandate any action in the Middle East, a resolution of the council expresses the will of the elected representative body of the city and signals the municipality’s position to federal representation.

Those petitioners attended the city council meeting on Oct. 15, 2024, where Petty ruled they may not speak to the item prevented from appearing on the agenda. In response, the petitioners engaged in protest chants, preventing the council from conducting other business.

After receiving a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts, which suggested the city council engaged in viewpoint discrimination, the council allowed the petition to be heard on Jan. 7. The ACLU based part of its determination on an item brought by Bergman, which the council voted to approve in October 2023, which condemned the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.

The ACLU also noted that former city solicitor David Moore wrote to the council that it had a long history of taking up petitions and resolutions on issues outside of its direct control.

Since that time, the city solicitor or city clerk has prohibited petitions from residents on matters outside of the areas of parking, crosswalks, speed humps, and similar areas. Sources inside City Hall tell This Week in Worcester that this is at the direct instruction of Petty.

As This Week in Worcester previously reported in September, rejections of resident petitions increased 715 percent from the beginning of 2025 through August 12, when compared to a previous report provided to the city council.

In 1849, Worcester incorporated as a city after previously operating as a town. Starting from the first meeting of the Worcester City Council, it accepted resident petitions. In 1950, when the city changed its governing system to the city manager model, the subjects on which the council would accept resident petitions expanded to a wide variety of policy-related areas.

That changed with the 2024 to 2025 council, which defied 175 years of history and precedent to destroy the tradition of resident participation in city government.

The reality of the situation related to the Gaza petition is quite simple. Petty’s six-member majority on the council holds a range of pro-Israeli positions. The Israeli campaign of collective punishment carried out during the two-year war drove that support among Americans to its lowest point in decades. Their traditionally safe position became controversial. They tried to dodge the question and being forced to put their views on the record, which most Americans no longer share, according to some polling,

The broader attack on resident participation appears similarly related. The city council majority fears taking votes on tough issues. That leads to paralysis in the council, and an unwillingness to act.

Statements by Petty and Bergman during the election debates highlighted this. When moderators asked Bergman about the accomplishments of the council during this term, he mentioned accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Petty also gave a similar answer.

The ordinance for ADUs remained in effect a very short time, before the state house passed statewide authorization. The city had to rewrite much of the ordinance, as the state went well beyond the weak ordinance passed by the councilors.

This paralysis is no more evident than in relation to the U.S. Department of Justice pattern and practice investigation of the Worcester Police Department. Over 11 months have passed since the release of the report. The council has taken no substantive action. Enough members of this council have stated they would not vote for any oversight of the police department. The next council won’t be any better.

We saw the motivation for this total lack of willingness to protect residents of the city during the last weeks of the campaign, with police union officials campaigning for candidates who will allow the lawlessness to continue.

Petty now takes the position that Rule 2 of the council rules allows councilors to put any item they want on the agenda. However, the rule doesn’t say that.

The rule lists many rights of councilors within the council, but the relevant portion says:

Every member of the city council shall possess and may exercise on an equal basis with every other member all such rights, duties and responsibilities as are vested in the office of city councilor by the city charter and the constitutions and laws of the commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States of America. Every member of the city council shall have the right: a) To place items on the city council calendar of agenda items as proposed orders and proposed resolutions;”

Nowhere in the rules does it indicate that councilors are exempt from Rule 11:

“Rule 11. Regarding Propriety of Items

No petition, paper, order, communication or report of any description which deals with personalities, or with matters not within the general supervision 7 and/or relating to city government, or does not specifically state the business to be discussed, shall be placed on any city council agenda by the city clerk. The city clerk, with the assistance of the city solicitor, shall determine when an item is not appropriate for placement on the city council agenda.”

The mayor and his majority coalition are using the rules as a weapon, changing their meaning as convenient for them. It is dishonest and undemocratic.

At the time the petition on the war in Gaza was heard, in January 2025, the mayor said that the council “made a mistake” in taking up Bergman’s resolution in opposition to the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel. Now, his position is that councilors can put anything they want on the agenda, while he actively shuts out all resident petitions unless related to traffic and parking issues.

I looked through the minutes of each Worcester City Council agenda since 2006. During this time, items related to national or international issues were rare. When placed on the council agenda, they almost always came by way of a city councilor.

Residents are not the problem.

Oct. 9, 2007: Request City Auditor and the Worcester Retirement System to divest the retirement system of any investment in the Sudan. (Perotto, Smith, Palmieri, Rushton) Motion Perotto – Request to add the entire Council as authors to the Order Motion Haller – Further, request that the letters of support from Congressman McGovern and State Senators Augustus and Chandler be entered as part of the Council’s official record. Motion Lukes to amend by adding – because of the genocide occurring in that country. Mayor Lukes suspended the rules to allow the following speakers at the request of Councilor Haller: Joseph O’Brien, Worcester resident Sudanese Worcester resident Michael Benedetti, Worcester resident Order adopted, as amended on a roll call vote of 10 Yeas and 0 Nays (Toomey absent)

Oct. 28, 2008: Gordon Davis on behalf of Worcester PeaceWorks request the City Council of the City of Worcester to go on record in favor of immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of US military from Iraq which would result in a relief of the tax burden placed on the City’s Veterans Affairs Office (placed on file)

Sept. 27, 2016: Motion Lukes – Suspension of Rules – Request City Council vote to oppose the transfer of the internet control by the United States and request our congressional delegation including Congressman James McGovern oppose the U .S. transfer of the internet control to the United Nations. Further , request City Council request our congressional delegation notify the other members of congress of our opposition as a City to the transfer, and do so by email. Councilor Toomey moved to amend the order to read as follows: Request City Council provide the City’s congressional delegation with a letter stating that they support the opposition of the U.S. transfer of internet control to the United Nations . Order adopted as amended.

Sept. 25, 2018: RESOLUTION of Mayor Joseph M. Petty – That the Worcester City Council urges Congress to pass legislation that preserves the ability of all current TPS holders to continue living and working legally in the United States; and further, urges President Trump and his administration to preserve the DACA program and urges members of Congress, including our own Senators and Representatives, to take bipartisan action to pass legislation that provides DACA recipients the promised citizenship they deserve and end the uncertainty they face. We urge that the legislation be passed without any additional conditions, whether it be additional funding for border security or measures that would heighten the risk of deportation of other immigrant groups; and FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Worcester City Council encourages Congress to pass asylum laws that make it clear that gender-based violence is not a private issue, but a public health and human rights concern for the international community that impact the health, safety and wellbeing of all residents in our country and those seeking refuge from such persecution abroad; and further, encourages Congress to seek and consider a solution that grants permanent status and a pathway to citizenship to the broadest group of immigrants possible, including undocumented immigrants without DACA and TPS. (Tabled Under Privilege – Lukes September 12, 2018)

• Councilor Lukes opposed the ruling of the Chairperson, stating her belief the Item violated Rule 11 of the City Council.
• Resolution adopted on a roll call vote of 10 Yeas and 1 Nay (Nay – Lukes)

April 30, 2019: Mayor Petty recognized members from the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts , including the federation’s Executive Director Steven Schimmel, who read a statement in regards to the tragic shooting at Chabad of Poway outside of San Diego, which took one life. Mayor Petty also recognized Rabbi Levi Liberow of the Central Massachusetts Torah Center, Rabbi Aviva Fellman of Congregation Beth Israel and Rabbi Yakov Blotner of Shaarai Torah West Synagogue , who made statements and lead the Invocation.

June 16, 2020: That the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby declare that racism is a public health emergency and worthy of treatment, assessment and financial investment in order to eradicate negative health impacts. Further , that the City Council of the City of Worcester implore the City Manager concurrently do the same. ( King , Rose , Rivera, Wally ) Mayor Petty read the item and recognized Councilor King, who moved to amend the item : Further , be it resolved that the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby: 1) Assert that racism is a public health crisis affecting persons in these United States; 2) Promote equity efforts aimed at dismantling understanding, and addressing racism in all its forms while concurrently acknowledging that system racism affects the delivery of human and social services, economic development and public safety; 3) Pledge to enact relevant policies that improve health in Black communities , and supports local, state , regional and federal initiatives that advance efforts to dismantle systemic racism; 4) Support community efforts to amplify issues of racism and engage actively and authentically with communities of color wherever they live; 5) Commit to continue to further its work to solidify and further alliances and partnerships with other organizations that are confronting racism and encourage other local, state , regional and national entities to recognize racism as a public health crisis; 6) To always promote and support policies that prioritize the health of all people, especially people of color and will identify clear goals and objectives , including periodic reports to the City Council, to assess progress and capitalize on opportunities to further advance racial equity. Further , be it resolved that the City Council of the City of Worcester will address racism and public health disparities due to racial inequities. We as a City call upon the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the Senate President and the Attorney General to join with us to declare racism as a public health crisis and to enact equity in all policies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mayor Petty moved for a roll call vote to adopt the item as amended. Resolution adopted as amended on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays

Dec. 15, 2020: That the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby call upon Congressman James P. McGovern to co -sponsor the Puerto Rico Self -Determination Act of 2020 (H.R. 8113). Further , that the City Council of the City of Worcester call upon United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, the Massachusetts Federal delegation , and all of Congress to support the passage of H .R. 8113. ( Rivera , Rose , King , Petty, Wally ) Mayor Petty read the item and recognized Councilor Rivera, Councilor King and Councilor Rose , who all spoke concerning the item. Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell and Councilor Rosen, who both moved to add their names as sponsors of the item. Mayor Petty moved for a roll call vote to adopt the item. Order adopted on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays.

March 8, 2022: RESOLUTION of Councilor Sean M. Rose – That the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby call upon our federal leaders and our nation to make nuclear disarmament the centerpiece of our national security policy and join the global effort to prevent nuclear war, as outlined in the Back from the Brink campaign, by: 1) Renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first; 2) Establishing a system of checks and balances ensuring that the President of the United States no longer has the sole and unchecked authority to launch nuclear weapons; 3) Taking US nuclear weapons off hair- trigger alert; 4) Cancelling the plan to replace the entire United States nuclear arsenal with next -generation nuclear weapons; and 5) Actively pursuing a verifiable and multilateral agreement among nuclear -armed states to eliminate nuclear arsenals. Further, that the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby support the United Nations’ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and calls upon the United States federal government to join the treaty. Further , that the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby authorize the passage of this resolution be considered by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN ) for the ICAN Save Cities Campaign , joining cities from around the world in formally supporting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. (Tabled Under Privilege – Rose February 15, 2022 and Tabled Under Privilege – Petty March 1, 2022) Resolution adopted on a roll call vote of 6 Yeas and 0 Nays (Yeas – Haxhiaj, King, Nguyen, Rivera, Rose, Petty) (Bergman, Colorio, Mero -Carlson, Toomey abstained, Russell present).

July 19, 2022: That the City Council of the City of Worcester does affirm its stance for full abortion rights and reproductive equity for all,  in opposition to the United States Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and does hereby urge state and federal elected  officials to codify abortion rights and other reproductive rights. (Nguyen, Russell, Rose) Resolution adopted on a roll call vote of 7 Yeas and 3 Nays (Yeas – Haxhiaj, King, Nguyen, Rivera, Rose, Russell, Petty) (Nays – Colorio, Mero-Carlson, Toomey) (Bergman abstained)

Oct 25, 2022: Mary Sacksteder request City Council adopt the attached Resolution relative to recognizing the legitimacy of the duly and democratically elected officials of the city’s jurisdiction, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States of  America, regardless of personal preference. (Resolution adopted on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays)

March 21, 2023: Motion Mero -Carlson – Suspension of Rules – That the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby support the passage of the “Healthy Foundations for Homeless Veterans Act ,” H .R. 645, and calls upon the United States federal government to pass said legislation. Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Mero -Carlson, who introduced the item . Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King, who spoke concerning the item. Mayor Petty moved to adopt the item. Resolution adopted.

Worcester City Council Leans into Less Resident Access, Contradictions on Drones

Council Leans Into Less Access

After a dominant political victory by Mayor Joe Petty to serve his eighth term, his majority leaned into some fears of the minority by restricting access to public comment in the first city council meeting after the election.

Mayor Petty himself motioned to suspend the rules and add thirty minutes to the period for public access, 13 people were waiting in the Zoom waiting room. Suspending the rules requires 8 votes of the available eleven. With Councilor Thu Ngyuen still not attending to vote on council matters, the measure failed despite 7 voting for the suspension of the rules, with Councilors Moe Bergman, Donna Colorio and George Russell voting against.

Councilor Bergman has placed many items on the agenda this city council session aimed at limiting the time residents can speak, what petitions they can file, and who can come to the council to speak. In his rationale for voting against the measure he said, “I will be opposing this, only because, my sense is that we are getting a lot of the same repeat comments on one particular item, and from a number of people out of the Worcester area.”

The person who spoke immediately before Councilor Bergman’s remarks, Eric Stratton, a Worcester resident, spoke about drones and the city’s investment in police technology. Many people came to speak about Councilor King’s item 14m on regulating rodeos in the City of Worcester. There is no way to know what the 13 people were going to speak about. The legacy of this session of Worcester’s City Council will be both strife and suppression of speech.

Haxhiaj Stands Up for Firefighters Again Despite Endorsement Flip

Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, fresh off of her recent loss in the District Five race, which has been partially attributed to the firefighter’s union pulling their endorsement after a member driven petition, decided to fight for more firefighter requested policy including both more jobs and in-school fire safety training for Worcester Public School students.

City Manager Batista Forgets What He Said Two Meetings Ago

The council voted to request a report on drone technology from the city manager by a 6-4 vote. During the city council meeting on Sept. 30, City Manager Eric Batista said:

“There are different types of drones out there in the market. The ones that we are talking about here, and the reason I know a little bit about it, is because the chief (Chief of Police Paul Sacuier) and I have talked about it because he went to a conference, and this is something that is happening across the nation, that people are exploring. These drones would be dispatched directly, from a dispatch center, they would be dispatced, the drone is like in a box on the top of the roof, opens up, the drone goes up, goes directly to the site, utilizing AI, utilzing any information that they provide. There’s not somebody directly that’s managing it. The drones that we have right now requires somebody to be trained to operate that actual drone.”

At the council meeting last night, City Manager Batista had a different take:

“This was something that was presented at a conference, and this was something that we came to understand in this order as well. The chief expressed some ideas and thoughts about what he had seen at the conference, and that’s the extent of the conversation that I had. There was no discussion of implementation, budgeting, anything of that nature; it was a discussion like any kind that I have with any kind of staff member that they come back and discuss their learning and findings. That was the extent of my conversation with him (Chief of Police Paul Saucier). I know there has been some discussion in the committee related to this, but there is nothing right now concrete that has been put forward or even a proposal or anything.”

“What I know of this technology, is that it is a technology that is somewhat of a box, that it is on the roof of a building, and that drone can be dispatched for the purposes of responding to a call and having some surveillance that can inform the police department or any public safety officials in terms of what is happening in that location, so that they know how better to deploy their staffing and better serve that community based on what is happening. Now, there will be people that will have to see this footage in real time as it is happening, as that is being dispatched, but that’s the extent of my knowledge on what they do. Some people have claimed that they can potentially use AI to do this, but again that is not something that I know.”

Apparently, he knew and then did not know. I think the city council should take a long look at the inconsistency on technology that has such wide-ranging implications. This Week in Worcester has reported previously that there is no current American city that has AI deployed drones.. Further, as illuminated in the city manager’s new position, there is no city that currently has transparency on the costs of this technology. Chula Vista, California, had a line item in 2022 for $1.5 million dollars, far from Councilor Bergman;s estimate in the September 30 meeting of $30,000.

Cleary the votes are already there for the council to push through unproven, unaccountable and expensive technology. The new incoming council is expanding the votes for something they all have no idea about.

Worcester EMS Union Warns of UMass Medical Staffing Levels

WORCESSTER – A local union representing EMS professionals issued a statement on Monday, Nov. 17, warning of worsening staffing issues at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Over 100 International Association of EMTs and Paramedics (IAEP) Local 95 members working as EMS professionals at UMass warned that workers’ ability to provide adequate prehospital care may be compromised by the staffing shortages. They say they have reported to hospital management scenarios that include just one ALS ambulance available for emergency calls in Worcester.

Workers said they began expressing their concerns when management began focussing on the new in-patient North Pavilion Facility. The facility opened in January.

The medical center and the local 95 are negotiating an agreement related to the new facility and its impact on the EMS workforce. Part of those negotiations includes maintaining appropriate emergency coverage.

IAEP National Director Phil Petit said that if management cannot resolve the concerns raised, “then we have no choice but to cease the work that is currently being done by our paramedics at the North Pavilion.”

Image Courtesy of Facebook/ Worcester EMS Local 95

See the Neighborhood Meetings This Week in Worcester

WORCESTER – The Worcester Police Department is encouraging residents to attend their neighborhood watch meetings to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in their neighborhoods and to share any concerns or questions they may have. Representatives from the city also regularly attend these neighborhood meetings.

There are over 50 Neighborhood Watch Groups in Worcester. Meetings are held regularly — often once a month in various locations in the city.

Contact the Worcester Police Department’s Neighborhood Response Team at (508) 799-8664 for more information.

Here are the neighborhood meetings this week in Worcester.

Wednesday, Nov. 19

• Indian Lake Neighborhood Meeting, Worcester Business Center, 67 Millbrook St. – 6 PM
• Brown Square Neighborhood Meeting, 639 Franklin St. – 7 PM

Thursday. Nov. 20

• Mill St Area Neighborhood Meeting, Stearns Tavern, 72 Coes St. – 6 PM
• Union Hill Neighborhood Crime Watch Meeting, Worcester Academy Capozzoli Athletic Center, 121 Providence St. – 6 PM

Wednesday, Nov. 26

• Quinsigamond Village Crime Watch, Journey Church, 46 Greenwood St. – 6 PM

Ex-Assumption Student Sentenced to Federal Prison for Cyber Extortion

WORCESTER – A former student at Assumption University students will serve a federal prison sentence for hacking  into the computer networks of two companies and extorting them for ransom.

U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman sentenced Matthew Lane, 20, of Sterling, to four years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $25,000, restitution of $14,075,540.58 and forfeiture.

Lane pleaded guilty to cyber extortion conspiracy, cyber extortion, unauthorized access to protected computers and aggravated identity theft in June 2025.

The sentencing took place on Oct. 14. The office of U.S. Attorney Leah Foley announced the sentencing on Thursday, Nov. 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.

According to federal prosecutors, between April and May 2024, Lane agreed with others to extort $200,000 from a telecommunications company by threatening to leak customer data previously stolen from the company’s network.

Prosecutors also say that between August and December 2024, Lane used stolen login information to access the network of a software and cloud storage company that primarily serves the education industry. After accessing that company’s network, they say Lane transferred personal information of students and teachers to a server he leased in Ukraine.

Similar to the first company, the software company and others later received threats that the names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical information, residential addresses, parent and guardian information, passwords, and other data of 60 million students and 10 million teacher would leak if the company did not pay $2.85 million in Bitcoin.

Gardner Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder for 2017 Homicide

WORCESTER – Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early Jr.’s office announced that a jury found a local man guilty of murder in connection with a death in Gardner in 2017.

A Worcester County Superior Court jury returned a guilty verdict of first-degree murder in the trial of Matthew Vanier, 40, of Gardner.

Gardner Police discovered the body of Randy Vaillancourt, 56, of Garder, inside his home on Dec. 7, 2017. The medical examiner determined the death a homicide and the cause of death blunt-force trauma. Investigators found some items missing from the home.

Vanier faced arraignment in Gardner District Court on Dec. 21, 2017. A Worcester County Grand Jury indicted him on Feb. 21, 2018.

The judge scheduled sentencing for Dec. 2. The first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.