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The Top Viewed Stories at This Week in Worcester in 2025
WORCESTER – On the last day of 2025, we look back at a year where the list of local news stories seemed endless. Many of the hottest topics this year, like immigration and the U.S. Department of Justice pattern or practice investigation of the Worcester Police Department, had long life cycles and led to ongoing reporting throughout the year.
As we look forward to 2026, here is a last look back at 2025 and the top 10 individual news articles viewed by visitors to the This Week in Worcester (TWIW) website in 2025.
Thank you for your support of our work.
1. Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
Published on Nov. 17, TWIW contributor John Keough wrote of a plan which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to target Spanish-speaking churches across the country during the holiday season. Raids on churches took place in Charlotte, New Orleans, Chicago, and other locations.
2. Man Dead After Fall from Upper Floor of Worcester Courthouse
On Monday, Oct. 6, a man jumped from the fourth floor of the Worcester District and Superior Courthouse, falling to his death.
It was later revealed theat years ago, the man had previously jumped from an upper floor of the courthouse,throiugh the atrium.
3. Auburn Police Officer Arrested by Massachusetts State Police
In April, Massachusetts State Police Detectives arrested several men, including Auburn Police Officer Dominick Boschetto, after an online sting. The charges filed against Boschetto included sexual conduct for a fee and enticing a child under 16 for sex.
4. Three Women Slashed with Box Cutter at Bar in Worcester
Three women, including two 20 -year -olds and another 21 years old, sustained significant injuries after an altercation at a bar on Pleasant Street in Worcester. All three received wounds from the use of box cutters.
This piece has images of the wounds the woman received. Viewer discretion is advised.
5. One Seized by Federal ICE Agents, Two Arrested by WPD
Federal agents arrested a woman on Eureka Street on May 8, leading to a significant crowd, mostly women, gathering at the scene. Worcester Police officers arrested the woman’s daughter, a minor, but those charges were later dropped. Ashley Spring, of Worcester, was also arrested and charged with a felony, which was later dropped. She still faces misdemeanor charges.
A Worcester officer charged City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj days after the incident. Both Haxhiaj and Spring face a trial in separate cases, scheduled for February.
6. Federal Govt. Cancels Over $1 Million in Central Mass. Leases
Just over six weeks after the inauguration of President Donald Trump for his second term, an analysis by the Worcester Business Journal found that the federal government had cancelled leases for properties it rented in central Massachusetts that combined for an annual rent of $1.34 million.
7. Worcester Woman to Voters: Reject Candidates that Protected Alleged Child Rapist
A Worcester woman, Heather Prunier, who reported in 1997 that the principal of Belmont Street School, John Monfredo, sexually abused her between 1991 and 1994, when she was between nine and 12 years old, appears in a video in October urging Worcester voters to reject the candidates that helped protect him. Monfredo went on to serve as a member of the Worcester School Committee.
8. Who Wasn’t Protesting in Worcester Tells the Story
A column by John Keough discusses the lack of diversity he saw in the crowd at the “No Kings” rally in Worcester in April.
At a subsequent rally, the crowd appeared to represent far more diversity.
9. Records Show New Details of Monfredo Sex Crimes Investigation
In early November, the Worcester Police Department released 23 pages of documents related to the allegations against John Monfredo. The department released the records to Heather Prunier, the survivor of Monfredo’s alleged crimes, who provided those records to This Week in Worcester. This piece covered what information those documents revealed, some of which appears to be in dispute with Monfredo’s long-held position that he was never alone with Prunier.
10. $3.4 Million in Federal Food Assistance to Mass. Cancelled
On March 31, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) received notice from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Northeast Regional Office that the federal government cancelled the allocation of $3.4 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to Massachusetts.
By the end of April, the Trump Administration cut a total of $12.2 million in funding for food served in schools and the $3.4 million above, which supported food banks.
Worcester Nonprofit Offering Free Winter Meals Every Monday
WORCESTER – A local nonprofit organization, RICEMA, offers free meals every Monday from 3 PM to 5 PM at its location at 75 Webster St.
The organization also stocks meals at the Woo Fridge locations on Mondays. Woo Fridges are located at 695 Southbridge St. and 44 Portland St.
RICEMA describes itself as a group of passionate educators dedicated to bringing cultural art to the community. Its adult education program includes English or Vietnamese as a second language and citizenship/naturalization classes. It also hosts a community garden program, a lion dance team, and other cultural programming.
Old Grumbly Fan’s Week 17 Patriots Preview vs. the Jets
Late on a Sunday night Drake Maye led his first big-time comeback against a reeling Baltimore Ravens team. The Patriots won 28-24 to extend their road record to 7-0.
This was the first time Coach Vrabel had to deal with a disappointing loss late in the season in his first year at the helm in New England. Losing to the Bills did not end the season, but if you listen to local sports radio and read the comments online, the negative nellies, who are way Grumblier than me, it seemed like the Bills loss was the end of the world.
Vrabel’s team made the right plays at the right time, and did not let an 11-point deficit early in the fourth keep them from fighting back. This is a great sign for a young team in its first year under a new coach. The Pats also clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2021. They are close to clinching the division, and with a little help are still in the race for the first seed.
Josh McDaniels had a good plan again, especially getting Stefon Diggs involved heavily. Diggs is clearly an emotional leader for the offense, and they respond to him when he is fully invested. Throw him the damn ball! 9 for 138 is a good, good thing for a young QB.
Drake Maye had his first 300-yard game, and it was a big one. He went 31 for 44 with 380 yards and two touchdowns to go along with an interception.
The Ravens’ Derrick Henry ate the defense up on the ground, not an unknown thing for him over the years. The Patriots benefited from a curious decision not to use him in the 4th quarter. The Pats defense forced two fumbles, including a key one on Zach Flowers that really ended the game. The defense continues to suffer with little to no pass-rush consistency, which could be a big issue in the playoffs.
Old Grumbly Fan Predictions
The Patriots are 12-3 and have a shot to clinch the division title against the Jets. The could also achieve their third 8-0 road record in team history. In 2007 and 2016, the Pats had 8-0 records on the road and went to the Super Bowl. The Jets are seemingly more focused on the fan kicking a field goal for charity than their team. The ownership continues to be one of the worst in pro sports. While it is good for the Pats, how can it be good for the league to have this team be a continual laughingstock?
Even with a bunch of injuries, I think the Pats roll big in this game, going in favored by two touchdowns. I think they go up big and coast.
Pats 45 – Jets 10
Exclusive: DOJ AI Tools Lead Epstein Files Redactions
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) heavily uses artificial intelligence tools in its operations, including for transcription and in the redaction of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
According to multiple assistant U.S. Attorneys across multiple districts, the DOJ searched nearly all the Epstein-related documents using the Veritone aiWare suite of services coupled with the DOJ’s internally developed Intelligent Records Consolidation Tool. The DOJ developed the internal tool in concert with the Savan Group.
According to DOJ attorneys familiar with their development and use, both tools show high levels of failure when faced with large amounts of documents.
The Trump administration has gone all in on the use of AI-tools, as many of the larger companies have attached themselves to Trump administration priorities. On page three of the DOJ document announcing the Veritone usage plan, one paragraph raises questions about the accuracy of the tool.
“The level of human oversight needed varies by use case. For example, if a user were bulk transcribing phone calls for the purpose of searching for responsive content by keywords or phrases, there would be little to no human oversight required to correct the AI transcription results since the accuracy of each individual word is not as important as identifying the right phone call recordings to review.” (emphasis added)
Previous administrations assigned teams of attorneys to review documents related to high-profile cases like the Epstein files. Using the tool for transcription raises concerns about errors leading to unjustified investigations and warrants.
Dozens of attorneys who are normally dealing with trial preparation, deposition management, and other investigation focused areas are scouring the AI-powered redactions for errors. In one Epstein-related case, the information redacted in released documents could be revealed.
DOJ attorneys also told This Week in Worcester that DOJ leadership exerts disproportionate energy on attempting to identify leaks of information.
One Asstistant U.S. Attorney said:
“The level of energy that {Attorney General} Pam{ela Bondi} puts into searching out leaks, and identifying enemies compared to accurate legal work is hard to watch. At many senior staff meetings, high-level cases that are out of the media spotlight are being understaffed. These are corporate scams, murders, human trafficking, and even espionage cases that are not being taken seriously by her inner circle. These tools are not ready for prime time, and this case is too big for them to fail like this. Morale is at an all-time low.”
The DOJ has subjected attorneys working with the Epstein files to polygraph tests. It has also searched the personal devices of attorneys in offices suspected of providing information to This Week in Worcester related to reporting on a Department of Homeland Security plan to raid churches.
Former State Senator Pleads Guilty to Federal Obstruction Charge
FITCHBURG – A local man and former state senator convicted in September 2024 for fraudulent collection of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and tax charges pleaded guilty to additional charges on Friday, Dec. 19.
Dean Tran, 50, of Fitchburg, pleaded guilty to single charges of Obstruction of Justice and Making False Statements in September 2024. He is serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison.
A federal grand jury indicted both Tran and his sister, Tiyet Martin, in June 2024, for the most recent charges.
According to federal prosecutors, while investigating the prior charges, federal agents questioned Tran at his home while executing of a search warrant. During questioning, agents asked him about a letter he submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) to get benefits reinstated that were suspended.
Prosecutors say that during that interview, Tran made false statements to federal agents, including that Martin authored the letter. Tran revised the letter before sending it to DUA. He also said that Martin signed the letter when he signed her name to it.
The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
Council Unsure if City Auditor can Audit, Year-End Review
This Week in Worcester Podcast on:
- Can the City Auditor audit? Worcester City Council needs a legal opinion.
- Our year-end countdown of the top stories of the year and the top articles on TWIW
Old Grumbly Fan’s Week 16 Patriots Preview vs. the Ravens
After a bye week, the Patriots came out firing on all cylinders versus the Bills in the first half, only to see a resurgent Josh Allen lead the Bills on 5 straight touchdown drives to seal the 35-31 comeback win for the Bills. The Patriots are 11-3 and the Bills 10-4 with three games to go.
Coach Vrabel’s team had a strong start to the game, scoring touchdowns on 3 of four drives, going up 21-0, while holding the Bills to three straight punts to open the game. A 15-yard penalty on a 38-yard Ray Davis kickoff return gave the Bills great field position on their second possession of the second quarter. The Bills scored to cut the lead to 21-7, and the Patriots answered with a field goal before the half to go into the locker room up 24-7. It was all Bills in the second half.
Drake Maye had a good first half, with two rushing touchdowns, and a 9 for 11 start to the game. In the second half, Maye was 5-12 with a pick, and three key sacks. He had a spectacular block for TreVeyon Henderson’s 65-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter, but that was the last gasp of the Patriots offense for the day. The Bills came up big on defense, and despite some tough calls, the Pats QB just was not on target in the second half.
Josh McDaniels had a game plan that exploited the Bills’ terrible run defense. The Pats ran for 246 yards, and all four touchdowns came on the ground, with two from Maye and two from Henderson. Henderson continues to show elite speed with a 52-yard run to go along with the late 65-yarder. His Rookie of the Year campaign is heating up.
The defense got Josh Allen’d for five straight drives. Allen’s ability to extend plays, and make spectacular finishes out of nothing was on full display in the second half. For the first time all year, a quarterback truly picked the Patriots apart despite not having huge yardage numbers. The Bills got amazing field position from Ray Davis, who had 161 yards on kick returns and made the Patriots pay for it time and again.
The Pats pass rush continues to be the constant flaw in this year’s team. While they got to Allen twice, he consistently kept the rush that got near him at bay in the second half with timely throws and key runs to pick up first downs.
Stefon Diggs had another quiet game with 3 catches for 26 yards on only four targets after his huge game earlier this year against the Bills in Buffalo. I think that the Patriots offense will go as far as it can with Diggs in a primary position. Let’s hope the coaches agree and get him the ball more.
Old Grumbly Fan Predictions
The Patriots are 11-3 with their destiny in their hands. If they beat the struggling Ravens on Sunday Night Football, they clinch their first playoff game since Mac Jones’ rookie season. If they win out, they are the division champs as well. With the Dolphins and the Jets to end the year, this Ravens game is a must-win.
Lamar Jackson has struggled with injuries all year, and Baltimore has never quite found its stride. They beat the Bengals badly last week, 24-0, and are just behind the Steelers in the AFC North. The Ravens need this game just as much as the Patriots, and maybe more with their playoff lives on the line. The NFL flexed this game into prime-time, which shows you just how far the Patriots have come from their back to back 4-13 seasons.
Maye has not had many bad games to come back from this year, but here we are. All the elements are there for a big time game, with big time implications. The Ravens are favored at home and the Patriots defense is still riddled with key injuries. I see a shootout down in the Charm City. I think Maye bounces back and has a big game under those SNF lights.
Pats 38 – Ravens 35
Extreme Views of Worcester Council Moderates, Audit of BOPS, Student Discipline Details
This Week in Worcester Podcast, Dec. 14, on:
- Recent piece on extreme views of Worcester council moderates
- Councilor asks for audit of BOPS records
- Details of student discipline and staff assaults at Worcester Schools
Support these Verified Fundraisers for Brown Univ. Students
PROVIDENCE – Investigators discovered the body of the man officials say carried out the shooting at Brown University on Saturday, Dec. 13, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, in a storage unit in New Hampshire. While speculation on a motive will continue, the hooting , will start moving out of the news cycle.
The pain of the families of the two killed in the shooting, Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, will continue. Of the nine other students injured in the shooting, three were released from a hospital and six are in stable condition, according to the Providence Journal. They face recovery from physical and psychological wounds.
The online crowdsourcing website GoFundMe verified five fundraising efforts on its platform as authentic efforts to support the families of the deceased, survivors, and other Brown University students.
Samira Umurzokova launched a fundraiser in memory of her brother MukhammadAziz, who died in the shooting. She writes that the funds raised will support funeral expenses, with any funds remaining donated to charity. At the time of publication, that effort had received over $500,000 in contributions.
Another donation page supports the recover of Jacob Spears, an 18-year-old computer science major at Brown. According to the donation page, Spears sustained a gunshot wound to the stomach while taking his final exam for an economics class. Despite his injuries, the page says he ran outside despite his injuries where he received aid. At the time of publication, that effort had received over $93,000.
According to the donation page supporting the recovery of Matthew Wang, the freshman sustained two gunshot wounds, including one to his lung. While he is in stable condition, the page says he will require ongoing treatment. At the time of publication, that effort had received over $28,000.
A fourth fundraiser seeks to support the medical and funeral expenses of those affected by the shooting. At the time of publication, that effort had received over $86,000, and donations to it were paused.
The final verified fundraiser, started by recent Brown graduate Autumn Wong, is raising funds to help Brown students get home as they face challenges and costs related to changes to flights and bookings.
Find all of these fundraisers, which the company verifies as authentic with all donations protected, on the GoFundMe Brown University shooting relief page.
Sobriety Checkpoint in Worcester County Dec. 11 to Dec. 12
WORCESTER – The Massachusetts State Police announced there will be a sobriety checkpoint in Worcester County from Saturday, Dec. 20, to Sunday, Dec. 21.
Police are required to announce the dates and county which sobriety checkpoints will appear. The checkpoint will appear on a public way within Worcester County.
According to the state police, the purpose of sobriety checkpoints is “to further educate the motoring public and strengthen the public’s awareness to the need of detecting and removing motorists who operate under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs from our roadways.”
A grant from the Office of Grants and Research, a division of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety, funded the operation.