Worcester Schools Opening Delayed 2 Hours on Monday, Feb,. 9

WORCESTER – Worcester Public Schools announced schools in the district will open after a two-hour delay on Monday, Feb. 9.

The National Weather Service announced a cold weather advisory on Sunday, Feb. 8, that began at 7 PM and ends at 10 AM on Monday. Teh advisory warned of dangerously cold wind chills as lo2 as 20 degrees below zero.

Schools will have no part-day head start or preschool. Offices are open during regular hours.

Schools in the Worcester Public Schools will open on a two-hour delay on Monday, February 9, due to extreme cold.

There will be no part-day (AM & PM) Head Start or preschool. Full-day Head Start and preschool are on a two-hour delay.

Offices will be open normal hours. pic.twitter.com/ijse6dWQCb

— Worcester Public Schools (@worcesterpublic) February 9, 2026

Old Grumbly Fan’s Super Bowl Preview

Your New England Patriots are the first 9-0 road team in NFL history. Pretty cool! With a 10-7 victory in miserable, snowy Denver, the Patriots did something no team has ever done, and in returning to the Super Bowl for the 12th time, advanced the franchise’s championship record.

• 12 AFC Championships (most all time)
• 16 AFC Championship appearances (tied with Pittsburgh who is 8-8 in their 18)
• 9-0 road record.

Twelve teams have now gone undefeated on the road to the Super Bowl since the merger in 1970. Of the 12, ten advanced to the Super Bowl and five have won.

The Denver game was ugly, but the Patriots did what they needed to do in miserable conditions.

In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, your traditional media channels have to fill time, so everyone picks a side and digs in on that position.

The vast majority of national media have picked the Seattle Seahawks to win, with the team favored by 4 and 1/2 points. That spread has stayed steady. Let’s jump into our Old Grumbly breakdown, and make a fair and accurate pick.

Old Grumbly Super Bowl Predictions

The biggest criticism of the Patriots all year has been their schedule, and in the playoffs, the criticism has fallen on Drake Maye.

Let’s start with the schedule.

Comparing teams across divisions is basically useless. The Seahawks clearly played in a tougher division than the Patriots. The Rams and the 49ers made the playoffs, and while Arizona was a 3 win team to match the Jets in the AFC East, the Dolphins played terribly almost all season, and two of their 7 wins came against the Jets. Buffalo was the only tough team in the AFC East, and the Patriots split with them. Let’s look at common opponents.

Both teams played the Houston Texans (12-5), Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), Carolina Panthers (8-9), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9), Atlanta Falcons (8-9), New Orleans Saints (6-11), Tennessee Titans (3-14). Both went 6-1 against these teams. Seattle lost to Tampa in Week 5 and the Patriots lost to Pittsburgh in Week 3.

The Seahawks played these games in the regular season, and the Patriots played one playoff game against Houston. There is little to gain here because many of these games were earlier in the season. The Seahawks outscored the Patriots 33.0 to 27.4 in these games. The Patriots held their opponents to 17.7 versus 18.6. Basically, a wash.

You can look at the aggregate winning percentages, and you can compare those, but two of the teams who faced worse overall winning percentages were the 1999 Rams (Greatest Show on Turf) and the 1972 Dolphins (the last undefeated team). Those teams are historic Super Bowl champions, and no one remembers they played soft schedules.

In the end, it comes down to matchups. In the matchups, we find some interesting things.

Quarterbacks: Sam Darnold vs. Drake Maye

Darnold is in his eighth season in the NFL. While this year was not his best statistically (last year in Minnesota was by far) it is the farthest he has ever gone in the playoffs.

This year Darnold went for 4048 yards, a 99.1. rating and a 25/14 touchdown to interception ratio. In the playoffs he is 470, 122.4, 4/0 in 2 games. Seattle has been 9-0 in their last 9 games including the playoffs, and has met all tests with Darnold at the helm. Many of the games Seattle has been up comfortably and their defense is at its most stingy when in the lead.

Maye is in his second season in the NFL. He finished second to Matthew Stafford in the MVP race 24-23 and received national recognition for taking a leap toward elite QB status.

This year Maye went for 4394 yards, a 113.5 rating, and a 31/8 touchdown to interception ratio. In the playoffs, he is 533, 84.0 and 4/2. He has also rushed for a touchdown and fumbled 6 times, losing 3 while the team went 3-0.

In the regular season, Maye was by far the focal point for the Patriots’ offense. Darnold has never been the focal point in his career, although he has been sometimes spectacular the last two years.

If you look at both quarterbacks as being first-year players in a new offense, it sets the scene much better.

Darnold is on his 7th offensive coordinator in 8 years (more if you count mid-season changes), and his 5th team. His tenure with the Jets was not his fault as that dumpster fire of a franchise hasn’t been able to nurture quarterbacks for almost 60 years. Darnold was a high pick because of his great college career, and it makes a lot of sense that good coaching has gotten more from his immense talent.

Maye was a stud since high school and highly recruited in multiple sports. He is a superior athlete at the QB spot, who has also never experienced a Super Bowl run. His coordinator Josh McDaniels, fresh off an assistant coach of the year award, has been to 10 Super Bowls now, 7 as the OC. Maye has faced three elite defenses in a row, and the higher speeds and intensity of the playoffs have led to him speeding things up and making mistakes we didn’t see this year.

That said, it isn’t as if we haven’t seen it before. Last year, under harder coaching circumstances, Maye had struggles with ball security and consistency. Facing NFL defenses for the first time, he needed time to find his way.

More than any other figure in this year’s Super Bowl, I think Maye benefits most from the 2 weeks of preparation. There is a shot at bigger numbers in this game for Maye than Darnold, but the offensive line will be a big factor.

Edge – Patriots

Coaching: Mike Macdonald vs. Mike Vrabel

Macdonald was born in Boston, but grew up mostly in Georgia. His coaching life began at Georgia, and he ended up with the Baltimore Ravens for years, with 1 stop in Michigan. He has been the head coach of Seattle for 2 years now, going 24-10 in the regular season. This is his third playoff game, having won his first two this year. Strong secondary play and run defense have marked his defenses in Baltimore and Seattle.

Vrabel is in his seventh season as a head coach, with a record of  54-45 with the Titans, including 2-3 in the playoffs. This year he is 14-3 in his first year with the Patriots and 3-0 so far in the playoffs.

Vrabel’s head coaching career has featured with strong running teams and straightforward hard-tackling defenses. This year, with an elite QB, his team has shown downfield aggression with Maye leading the NFL in most long-play categories.

Vrabel’s teams, including this one, have been stingy with turnovers. He makes you beat his team.

Vrabel also played outside linebacker for 14 years in the NFL, including 8 years with New England. He was a consistent factor on 3 Patriots Super Bowl teams during the first Brady-Belichick cycle. He also was a consistent red zone threat as a tight end, with 12 catches for 12 touchdowns, one of the cooler stats in the NFL.

Both coaches are in their first Super Bowl as head coach, with Vrabel having the most experience as a player.

Edge- Patriots

Noise

This Super Bowl run has been like no other with the dismissal of the Patriots defense. They have played lights out against three offenses that had issues, but holding three playoff teams to combined 26 points is pretty impressive.

Seattle dispatched the 49ers in their first game 41-6 and then held on for their second win of the season against their division rival Rams in the NFC title game 31-27. The Rams’ Matthew Stafford moved the ball up and down the field on Seattle’s defense, but Darnold and company proved too much on the offensive side of the ball. The Rams defense just was not a top-five like Seattle and New England.

Most of the talk has been directed at Maye’s struggles and Seattle being some kind of steamroller. While Seattle had the biggest differential in points this year with +191, the Patriots were 3rd with +170. The Seahawks were only +19 on the next team in the NFC (the Rams) while the Patriots were +32 (Jacksonville).

The AFC has been viewed as down this year compared to the NFC, but outside of the NFC West (where the Seahawks play) the rest of the NFC wasn’t exactly dominant this year. Carolina made the playoffs at 8-9 and Green Bay at 9-7-1.

Sports talk shows have to make their show interesting, and it seems that the go-to take has been to underrate the Patriots.

Edge – Patriots

Offensive Line

There is no doubt here. Seattle has a more cohesive line that has been mostly healthy, and the Patriots have two rookies on the left side.

Edge – Seattle

Defense

Statistically Seattle was the best defense for points against all year. The Patriots were fourth. The Patriots were never blown out the entire season, all three losses were by a single possession. 7, 7 and 4 points. Seattle lost by 4, 3 and 2 points.

The most points the Patriots gave up this year was 35 to the Bills, and that was the only time they allowed 30+ points. Seattle gave up 37 and 38 in a win against the Rams and a 3 point loss to Tampa Bay. Those were the only times this year they gave up 30+ points.

Edge- Even

Special Teams

The Patriots have the best punt returner in football in Marcus Jones, and a rookie kicker in Andy Borregales who has made 96.4 percent of his kicks all year.

Both teams have had 3 special teams return TDs.

Edge – Even

This game may come down to one or two key plays late. Josh McDaniels has to be the X-factor here, with his 10 years of preparing for this game. All things considered, this level of experience is going to come out on the field. Further, both Milton Williams and Mack Hollins have championship experience with the Eagles, and the culture stands out to me. Look for Stef Diggs to have a big game, and Hunter Henry to reappear.

All things lead back to Foxborough, it is what it is.

Old Grumbly Prediction

Patriots 27 – Seattle 17

MVP – Drake Maye

1st Touchdown Scorer – Mack Hollins

Worcester Renames School Through Patriots’ Super Bowl Appearance

WORCESTER – Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Brian Allen issued a declaration which temporarily renames May Street Elementary Schoo, at 265 May St., through the appearance of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.

Allen signed the declaration on Thursday, Feb. 5, during a district-wide meeting of school principals and presented Maye Street Schol Principal Luke Robert with a ceremonial declaration.

“This is an exciting time for our students, staff, and school communities as the Patriots return to the Super Bowl,” said Superintendent Allen. “For years, we watched Tom Brady and the team play at the highest level, and now our kids in Worcester can see Drake Maye and this year’s team doing the same. Moments like these can really inspire our students to dream big and work hard.”

The temporary name change to Maye Street School refers to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, currently in his second season with the team. He is from North Carolina and played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Maye’s performance in just his second year in the NFL has been a critical part of the Patriots returning to the championship game. Maye finished second in the vote for the league’s MVP award,  just one vote behind Matthew Stafford, the quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams.

The name change expires at the end of the game on Sunday.

“We often use sports analogies to emphasize the importance of teamwork, attitude, effort and respect, in addition to the studying it takes to reach the NFL following college and the work it takes to learn the playbook and execute the plan. This is a fun way to tap into that energy here in our own school community,” said Maye Street School Principal Luke Robert.

The Patriots seek their seventh Super Bowl victory in their 12th appearance on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. NBC will broadcast the game, with kickoff scheduled at 6:30 PM.

NY Man Charged with Stealing $325,000 Seafood Shipment in Worcester

BOSTON – Federal prosecutors announced charges against a New York man for allegedly stealing three truckloads of cargo through fraudulent bookings, including one in Worcester.

Romoy Forbes, 31, a Jamaican national living in Deer Park, N.Y., faces charges of interstate transportation of stolen goods and a related conspiracy charge.

According to federal prosecutors, a co-conspirator, whom the Department of Justice did not name in its announcement, hacked into the email of three separate freight carriers and presented himself as an employee of each company. He used that false identity to contract with three separate shippers for the transport of goods.

Forbes then allegedly arrived at the location to pick up the goods, posing as the carrier for the company contracted to transport the goods which his co-conspirator executed.

On June 25, Forbes allegedly loaded a shipment of pallets of blueberries in Winslow Junction, NJ, contracted for shipping to a customer in Illinois. Instead, according to federal prosecutors, Forbes allegedly delivered the blueberries to a contact listed in his phone as “my customer for everything.”

On July 15, Forbes allegedly arrived at a warehouse in Worcester and loaded 33,750 pounds of frozen snow crab, worth $325,000, and contracted for shipping to Jacksonville, FL. Instead, he delivered that shipment to a grocery store in Queens, NY.

On July 25, Forbes allegedly loaded a shipment of cologne, worth $433,830, in Ronkonkama, NY, contracted for delivery in Los Angeles, CA. Forbes allegedly delivered the cologne to the same contact as the blueberries in June.

Forbes also took images and video of the freight that was found by investigators.

The charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit that offense carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Editor’s note: The information provided in this report is based on events as described by the U.S. Department of Justice. The claims within are allegations that may be challenged by the accused in court.

Worcester Couple Sentenced to 18 Years for Sex Trafficking

WORCESTER – A local married couple received a sentence of 18 years in prison on Jan. 23, after a jury found the pair guilty of sex trafficking in September.

The office of U.S. District Attorney of the District of Massachusetts Leah Foley announced the sentencing on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Kiersten Soto, 32, and Moises Soto, 33, both of Worcester, received a guilty verdict on single counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. The jury also found Kiersten Soto guilty of a single count of traveling or using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activities,

According to federal prosecutors, the Sotos used a website to advertise an individual as a commercial sex worker. From February to May 2022, they used force, fraud and coercion to traffic the victim for commercial sex in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Law enforcement arrested the couple in December 2022.

Prosecutors also said that Kiersten Soto often threatened violence against the victim, abandonment and involuntary commitment to a facility. Moises Soto used extreme physical violence, including beatings, assaults with wooden dowel rods and choking if the victim failed to make enough money.

A video found on the phone of one of the Sotos showed them cornering the victim in their home, threatening her, berating her, and calling her a snitch. The victim suffered agonizing drug withdrawal at the time of the recorded incident, according to prosecutors.

Along with 18 years in prison, the Sotos also face five years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and restitution to the victim of $138,000.

Worcester City Manager Amends Policy on Interaction with ICE

WORCESTER – City Manager Eric Batista issued an executive order on Wednesday, Feb. 4, that amends the order he issued in May related to the city’s response to and interaction with federal immigration enforcement.

“The City of Worcester is watching the horrific events play out across the country as ICE continues to wreak havoc on communities with no regard for humanity, and I want to reaffirm the policy in place for how our municipality is to interact with federal agents,” said City Manager Eric D. Batista. The City of Worcester celebrates and welcomes all of its residents, including our vibrant immigration population, and will stand united to ensure we remain a welcoming and inclusive city for all.”

The amended executive order includes four new provisions to its police, which are effective immediately.

• The municipality prohibits use of its property, including open space, parking lots, garages, parks, or buildings, including the interior or exterior areas of any parcel upon which a building is located, for staging and prepping of federal civil immigration enforcement actions. Prohibited uses include but are not limited to assembling, mobilizing, or deploying vehicles, equipment, materials, or personnel for the purpose of carrying out federal civil immigration enforcement operations.
• The municipality shall not enter into any 287(g) agreements.
• When responding to calls related to ICE activity, the WPD shall take reasonable steps to verify that the individuals on scene are federal agents and gather relevant information.
• Any footage captured on WPD body-worn cameras of federal agents engaged in a civil immigration enforcement shall be made publicly available.

Prohibiting federal agents from using municipal property is a tactic used in other cities.cities. Providence Mayor Breatt Smiley issued a similar orderl on Jan. 20

The executive order Batista issued in May established the following policies:

• Municipal employees and WPD officers shall not inquire about immigration status nor shall immigration status impact the treatment of a resident, victim, suspect, arrestee, 911 caller, or another member of the public with whom a municipal employee has contact.
• WPD shall not initiate investigations or take law enforcement action solely on the basis of immigration status, including without limitation, the initiation of a stop, an apprehension, or arrest. No person will be arrested or held by the WPD solely on the basis of a federal civil immigration detainer, including extending the length of detention by any amount of time once an individual is released from local custody, or before being transferred to court or admitted to bail.
• WPD will not assist any agency for matters solely based on civil federal immigration enforcement.
• Municipal employees will not allow ICE agents access to records, information, or non-public areas of municipal buildings for the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws.
• Employees must report ICE agents at any municipal building.

Milbury Officer Wounded, Suspect Dead in Shooting in Spencer

SPENCER – The office of Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early Jr. says that Massachusetts State Police detectives are investigating multiple shootings that left a Millbury Police officer wounded and a suspect dead.

At around 5 PM, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, Spencer police responded to 20 Main St. in response to a 911 call. Upon arriving at the scene, officers located an individual who appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound. That person received transport to UMass Medical Center.

Spencer officers located a man who matched the description of the suspect in that shooting near West Main Street in Spencer. When officers approached the man, later identified as Patrick Madison, 35, he produced a firearm. Shots were fired.

Madison fled into a nearby Family Dollar store

Spencer officers evacuated the store and surrounding businesses and requested support from state police. State police responded with the  Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (CEMLEC) negotiator, SWAT Unit, Drone Unit, K-9 Unit, and the State Police Air Wing Unit.

CEMLEC SWAT officers entered the store and located Madison in a closed bathroom. An exchange of gunfire led to the Millbury officer’s injuries and the death of Madison.

The injured officer is reportedly in stable condition. Early’s office did not release his name or additional information about him.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office at (508) 453-7536.

Mass. AG Sues Holden, 8 Other Municipalities

BOISTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced she filed a lawsuit in state court on Thursday, Jan. 29, against Holden, Dracut, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Marblehead, Middleton, Tewksbury, Wilmington, and Winthrop for noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Law.

Of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, the law applies to 177 municipalities. The eight named in the lawsuit are the last out of compliance with the law.

The law requires these municipalities to have a zoning ordinance or by-law that provides for at least 1 district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right.

The law, signed by then-Governor Baker in 2021, aims to address the housing shortage across the state.

MBTA Communities includes those municipalities that host MBTA service or abut a city that hosts MBTA service. Other locations have been added as an MBTA Community under additional state law.

The law aims to encourage multi-family development near public transit, making travel to jobs, schools, shops, and other locations more accessible.

Campbell’s lawsuit seeks a court order for these last eight communities to comply.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the law in January 2025, deciding that all MBTA Communities must comply with it.

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.

Monday, Feb. 2

• Green Island Neighborhood Meeting, 42 Quinsigamond Ave. – 6 PM

Thursday, Feb. 5

• Lincoln Village Neighborhood Meeting, Victoria Building, 116 Country Club Blvd – 4 PM
• Webster Square Neighborhood Meeting, Our Lady of Angels Church, 1222 Main St. – 7 PM

Former State Senator Sentenced to Additional Federal Prison Time

BOSTON -A federal judge sentenced former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran, of Fitchburg, to additional prison time on Friday, Jan. 30. The sentence will add one month to Tran’s current sentence.

Tran is currently serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison for charges related to the fraudulent collection of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits and omitting consulting and rental income from his tax returns from 2020 to 2022. A federal jury convicted him on those charges in September 2024.

In December 2025, Tran pleaded guilty to single counts of both obstruction of justice and making a false statement.

U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV sentenced Tran to 12 months in prison, with 11 months to run concurrently with his current sentence. Tran will also subject to 18 months of supervised release, all of which runs concurrently with his current sentence.

Tran served as the state senator of the Worcester and Middlesex senate district from 2017 to 2021. That district includes Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Berlin, Bolton, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Sterling, Townsend, and Clinton.