Worcester loses 11,166 SNAP recipients as advocates push for more state caseworkers

The number of Worcester residents receiving SNAP food benefits fell by 11,166 between July 2025 and August 2026, a 21.4% drop, according to state Department of Transitional Assistance caseload reports.

The city had 52,146 active SNAP clients in July 2025 and 40,980 in August 2026, the reports show. Project Bread, a statewide anti-hunger nonprofit, highlighted the decline as it presses the state to hire more DTA caseworkers.

Statewide, the DTA data show about 204,000 fewer active SNAP clients over the same period. Project Bread estimates that 70,000 children have lost benefits since Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025. The federal law tightened SNAP eligibility and added paperwork for recipients and for DTA, the state agency that runs the program.

Project Bread said Massachusetts ranks sixth for its drop in SNAP participation among the 28 states that track the figure.

Need remains high. A record 40% of Massachusetts households experienced food insecurity in 2025, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham’s annual food access report.

Calls go unanswered

Advocates say residents struggle to reach the agency by phone. A class-action lawsuit the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute filed Sept. 21 in Suffolk Superior Court alleges the DTA assistance line automatically disconnected 74% to 81% of incoming calls during the first six months of 2026. The suit accuses DTA of unlawfully ending or reducing benefits for residents who could not reach a caseworker.

“If you need help from the state government, you deserve to have your calls answered,” said Erin McAleer, president and CEO of Project Bread. “No one should have to fight this hard to get help affording food, especially when they know they’re eligible.”

DTA spokesperson Cecille Avila told reporters the agency hired 76 frontline caseworkers in January and 42 more in recent months. The department has blamed federal changes for the enrollment losses.

Budget fight on Beacon Hill

Gov. Maura Healey last month filed a $2.24 billion supplemental budget that includes $26.6 million for DTA caseworkers. Her office said the money would let the state keep 78 employees hired this year and add 10 more.

Project Bread puts the need at about 200 additional caseworkers. The group and its Make Hunger History Coalition want lawmakers to add $56 million for the agency.

The fiscal 2027 state budget set caseworker funding at $122 million, nearly $21 million less than expected fiscal 2026 spending, according to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

Demand at Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline reflects the strain. From April through September, the hotline took 6,237 SNAP-related calls, 60% of all its calls.

The losses also reach grocery stores, farms and other retailers that accept SNAP. Each $1 in new SNAP benefits raises gross domestic product by about $1.54 during a slow economy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

“The bottom line is, people are in crisis, and there are funds available to help them,” McAleer said. “It is Massachusetts’ responsibility to make sure they can feed their families.”

Where to get help

Worcester residents who lost SNAP or need help buying food can call the FoodSource Hotline at 800-645-8333 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Counselors assist callers in more than 180 languages and serve callers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In 2025, hotline staff completed 3,779 SNAP prescreenings and 510 SNAP applications by phone. Project Bread’s help page lists more food resources.

Massachusetts leads nation in lottery spending again

Massachusetts residents spent an average of $904 per person on lottery tickets in 2024, the most of any state, according to a new LendingTree analysis of lottery spending.

Bay State players spent about $6.46 billion on the lottery that year. Virginia ranked a distant second at $630 per person, putting Massachusetts 43.5% ahead of the next-highest state. Rhode Island placed third at $567.

The Massachusetts average slipped from $915 in 2023. Per-person spending fell in 28 states in 2024 and rose in 16, a reversal from 2023, when spending climbed in 43 states.

Prize payouts

Massachusetts players got a large share of their money back. Prizes equaled 70% of lottery spending in the state, the fourth-highest payout rate among the 45 states with lotteries. Virginia led at 75.9%, while South Dakota paid out 19.8%.

National picture

Americans spent $110.4 billion on lottery tickets in 2024, up from $109 billion in 2023. Per-person spending reached $323, a 4.5% increase from $309 in 2022.

Average per-person winnings hit $215 nationally. LendingTree cautioned that a few massive jackpots pull that average upward, so the typical player wins far less.

The rankings split along geographic lines. The 10 highest-spending states all sit east of the Mississippi River, while the 10 lowest-spending states lie to the west. North Dakota residents spent the least, at $51 per person. Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah have no state lottery.

Where the money goes

Massachusetts State Lottery profits fund unrestricted local aid to the state’s cities and towns. The lottery reported an estimated $1.045 billion in net profit for fiscal 2026, which ended June 30, marking the sixth straight year that profits topped $1 billion.

Players won an estimated $4.379 billion in prizes during that fiscal year, according to the lottery, which reported a record payout rate of 74.19%. The state figure covers a later period and uses different accounting than the LendingTree study, so the two payout rates do not match.

The lottery launched online sales Monday, July 27. State officials direct profit from online play to early education and child care programs, while traditional lottery profit continues to flow to municipalities.

How the study worked

LendingTree drew on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 Annual Survey of State Government Finances and 2024 population estimates. Because the Census ticket sales figures exclude retailer commissions, analysts added an assumed 5.5% commission to estimate total spending.

Celeste Ng, two other authors to headline Worcester library fundraiser Nov. 5

Bestselling novelist Celeste Ng will join authors Annabel Monaghan and Jennifer Givhan at the Worcester Public Library Foundation’s annual Celebrate Our Library! fundraiser Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Main Library, 3 Salem Square.

The event runs from 5:45 to 9 p.m. and includes cocktails, food from Simply Delicious Catering, an author panel and a fund-a-need auction. The Worcester Public Library Foundation calls the evening its signature fundraiser, and proceeds support resources and services at the Worcester Public Library.

The foundation will also present the 2026 Dr. Richard E. Greene Founders Award to Lisa Kirby Gibbs for her longtime support of the library. The foundation gives the award each year to a person or organization that has shown dedication to its mission.

Meet the authors

Celeste Ng wrote the bestselling novels “Everything I Never Told You,” “Little Fires Everywhere” and “Our Missing Hearts.” She grew up in Pittsburgh and Shaker Heights, Ohio, graduated from Harvard University and earned a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan. Her honors include the Pushcart Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Annabel Monaghan, a New York Times bestselling author, writes romance novels, including “Nora Goes Off Script,” “Same Time Next Summer,” “Summer Romance,” “It’s a Love Story” and “Dolly All the Time.” Her books have landed on reading lists from Good Morning America’s Book Club and the “Today” show’s best summer reads. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Duke University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Monaghan now splits her time between Connecticut and Florida.

Jennifer Givhan, a Mexican American and Indigenous poet and novelist from the Southwest, has published five full-length poetry collections and the novels “River Woman, River Demon,” “Jubilee,” “Trinity Sight” and “Salt Bones.” She received poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and PEN/Rosenthal Emerging Voices. Givhan lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Stephanie Pasha, who serves as president of the Worcester Public Library Board of Directors and of the Worcester Animal Rescue League, will moderate the panel. Pasha received the American Library Association Trustee Citation this year.

Tickets

Tickets cost $175 per person and include cocktails, food, the author program and a book by one of the featured authors. Buy tickets through the foundation’s online registration page, email execdir@wplfoundation.org or call 508-799-1656.

Worcester relaunches Recycles Right, will skip contaminated bins starting Nov. 9

Worcester will stop collecting curbside recycling bins that hold unaccepted items citywide starting the week of Nov. 9, as the city relaunches its Worcester Recycles Right campaign.

The campaign targets rising contamination in bins at residential buildings with one to six units. Those are the only properties the city serves with recycling pickup; owners of buildings with seven or more units hire their own haulers, according to the city’s recycling page.

The city first developed the campaign in 2022. It pairs curbside audits and targeted education with enforcement carried out alongside Casella Waste Systems Inc., the city’s recycling hauler. Worcester first began leaving contaminated bins at the curb Oct. 1, 2022, according to a city announcement at the time.

“Every resident should have clear information about what goes in the bin, whether they’ve lived here for decades or moved in last week,” said John Odell, the city’s chief sustainability officer.

New residents arrive in Worcester constantly, often without knowing local recycling rules, so the outreach needs to continue in more than one language, the city said. Cleaner recycling also holds more value for reuse.

How the rollout works

• October and November: City staff and volunteers will check bins in neighborhoods with high contamination and hand out bilingual warning tags and door hangers.
• About one week later: Staff will return to the same routes and place “Oops” stickers on contaminated bins, which crews will leave at the curb.
• Week of Nov. 9: Enforcement expands citywide.
• Spring: Staff will prepare mailings for residents to reinforce the rules.

The city plans to promote the campaign on social media and its website, and it will review the results to guide future changes.

What goes in the bin

Worcester uses zero-sort recycling, so residents can mix accepted materials in one bin. Accepted items include paper, cardboard, glass food and beverage containers, plastic bottles and tubs with their lids, metal cans and clean aluminum foil. Containers should go in empty and clean.

Plastic bags and film top the list of banned items because they tangle in sorting equipment. Crews will also skip bins holding Styrofoam, wax-coated paper, hoses or wires, plastic cutlery, paper towels, baking dishes such as Pyrex, or medical waste such as gloves and masks. They will also leave behind any recycling packed inside a plastic bag.

Empty pizza boxes are fine, grease spots included. Residents unsure about an item can search the Recycle Smart Recyclopedia.

If your bin gets skipped

Residents can pull out the unaccepted items and set the bin out the following week, or bring the accepted materials to the Residential Drop-Off Center at 1065 Millbury St.

The city stopped handing out recycling bins Sept. 21 because of limited supply. Residents who need a new bin can use any durable, open-top, weatherproof container that holds 35 gallons or less and carries a clear “Recycling” label.

Collection schedules and the full list of accepted items are available at worcesterma.gov/recycling.

QCC, Mount Wachusett share $204K in state job training grants

Quinsigamond Community College and Mount Wachusett Community College will share $204,537 in state grants to train unemployed and underemployed adults as medical assistants and paraeducators.

Gov. Maura Healey announced the awards Tuesday, Oct. 20, as part of $1.5 million in Training Resources and Internships Network grants, known as TRAIN, for all 15 Massachusetts community colleges. The state expects the money to reach more than 500 adults seeking jobs in health care, advanced manufacturing, information technology, education and transportation.

QCC in Worcester will receive $113,313 for medical assistant training, the larger of the two Worcester County awards. Mount Wachusett, based in Gardner, will receive $91,224 for paraeducator training.

QCC runs its noncredit job training through the Center for Workforce Development and Continuing Education at 25 Federal St. in Worcester. The college has used earlier TRAIN rounds for similar work, including $105,000 for medical administrative and clinical assistant training in fiscal 2022, according to the state Department of Higher Education.

Mount Wachusett’s Workforce Access and Education program already offers paraprofessional educator training, which prepares students for entry-level jobs in schools and the paraprofessional certification exam. The college holds information sessions for applicants, who may enroll in only one of its grant-funded programs at a time.

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll joined Education Secretary Steve Zrike, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones and Interim Commissioner of Higher Education José Luis Santos at MassBay Community College in Framingham for the announcement, which coincided with Massachusetts STEM Week.

“These grants will help more than 500 adults gain the skills they need to get good-paying jobs while helping Massachusetts employers find the talented workers they need to grow,” Healey said.

State Rep. Kate Donaghue, D-Westborough, whose 19th Worcester District includes Southborough and parts of Westborough, Northborough and Framingham, pointed to her own training as a clinical laboratory scientist and her career in software engineering.

“I understand the value of combining education with hands-on experience,” Donaghue said in a statement. She said she was pleased to see the state invest in internship opportunities.

The Department of Higher Education launched TRAIN in fiscal 2016 for long-term unemployed adults and later opened it to underemployed workers and adults entering the workforce for the first time. Colleges build their programs around regional job demand, and employers help shape the curriculum and host internships, according to the department.

The grants follow a jump in community college enrollment. Massachusetts made community college tuition- and fee-free through MassReconnect and MassEducate, and enrollment rose 38.5% between fall 2022 and fall 2025, according to the governor’s office.

Other TRAIN grant awards

• Berkshire Community College: $67,458 for commercial driver’s license training
• Bristol Community College: $53,146 for applied data analytics training
• Bunker Hill Community College: $105,052 for dental assisting, EKG technician and phlebotomy training
• Cape Cod Community College: $54,740 for addiction recovery and medical interpreter training
• Greenfield Community College: $97,459 for certified nursing assistant and phlebotomy training
• Holyoke Community College: $111,287 for paraeducator training
• Massasoit Community College: $81,869 for EKG technician and phlebotomy training
• MassBay Community College: $131,250 for certified nursing assistant and behavioral health technician training
• Middlesex Community College: $93,855 for advanced manufacturing and phlebotomy training
• Northern Essex Community College: $136,142 for certified nursing assistant and pharmacy technician training
• North Shore Community College: $100,002 for certified nursing assistant, medical interpreting and information technology training
• Roxbury Community College: $131,042 for automated system building training
• Springfield Technical Community College: $131,250 for certified nursing assistant training

(1/3) Worcester Recycles Right is back! Starting the week of Nov. 9, bins with items that don’t belong in them won’t be collected citywide. https://t.co/68FBh3LTiL

— City of Worcester (@TweetWorcester) October 21, 2026

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