Massachusetts
UConn Final Four run could trigger a $50M furniture giveaway for Massachusetts-based Jordan’s Furniture
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More than four decades ago, Eliot Tatelman worked with his father at a New England furniture store. He likely never expected that, years later, a bold bet tied to the 2007 World Series run by the Boston Red Sox would land him on a championship float alongside the franchise’s biggest stars.
As the parade wound through Boston’s streets, some attendees held signs that said “Thanks for the free furniture,” a nod to the retailer’s promotion.
Now, Tatelman’s Jordan’s Furniture is revisiting the idea with a similar promotion, betting on how far UConn’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will advance in this year’s NCAA Division I tournaments.
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Braylon Mullins (24) of the UConn Huskies celebrates after shooting the game-winning 3-point basket during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena March 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The retailer promised refunds totaling up to roughly $50 million if both Huskies teams reach — and then lose — their respective national title games. Eligible furniture must have been purchased from Jordan’s Furniture between Jan. 20 and March 1, according to the company’s website.
2026 NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS REVEALED
Tatelman served as the furniture retailer’s CEO, but the family-run business’s day-to-day operations continue to be overseen by his children.
The UConn women’s team faces South Carolina Friday at 7 p.m. ET in Phoenix, while the men’s team meets Illinois Saturday in Indianapolis.
The UConn Huskies are awarded the Fort Worth Regional trophy after their win against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Dickies Arena March 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Chris Jones/Imagn Images)
“We have insurance,” Tatelman told USA Today Sports. “We want them to win.”
There are two Jordan’s Furniture locations in Storrs, Connecticut.
Braylon Mullins (24) celebrates with Jayden Ross (23) and Malachi Smith (0) of the UConn Huskies after Mullins shot the game-winning 3-point basket during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena March 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Tatelman reflected on the Red Sox promotion, recalling the bold offer that helped define the campaign.
“We said, ‘Come into Jordan’s and buy a sofa, a bed, a mattress, a dining room table,’” he said. “And if the Red Sox win the World Series, it’ll all be free.’”
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The Red Sox’s four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series ended up costing the furniture company roughly $35 million. Tatelman said he “bought insurance for it.”
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22News coverage from January 13th is shown in the video player above.
LYME, Conn. (WWLP) – A body found in the Connecticut River has been identified as a missing man from Holyoke.
A news release by the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection states that at approximately 12:23 p.m. on May 9th, a body was found by a vessel on the Connecticut River between Lyme and Chester by members of the Chester Fire Department.
After review of the records of those reported missing, the State Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified the individual as 63-year-old Donald Plasse of Holyoke. The search for Plasse began on January 13th when the South Hadley Fire Department received a report of a person in the Connecticut River.
When crews arrived, they could see a man clinging to the ice approximately 150 yards from the shore. A rescue was attempted, but the victim went under the water before he could be reached by emergency crews. Rescue efforts were impacted by the river current and ice conditions.
Local News Headlines
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Download the 22News Plus app on your TV to watch live-streaming newscasts and video on demand.
MONSON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) has overseen the complete removal of the 170-year-old Church Manufacturing Dam in Monson.
The project, which has resulted in a free-flowing Chicopee Brook, is now in its planting and ecological restoration phase.
This effort represents one of the region’s most significant river-restoration milestones this year. The ongoing work aims to improve flood resilience, water quality and wildlife habitat in the area. It also reduces long-term public safety risks while strengthening climate resilience for the community.
Following the completion of construction, residents can now observe a restored, free-flowing Chicopee Brook. This is where the 170-year-old dam had stood for generations, allowing the brook to run unimpeded.
The area that once comprised the dam’s impoundment, covering 14 acres, is actively transitioning. This space is becoming new wetlands and native habitat, fostering a more natural ecosystem.
Beyond ecological benefits, the dam removal project addresses critical community concerns. It reduces long-term public safety risks and strengthens the overall climate resilience of the Monson area.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.
Local News Headlines
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Download the 22News Plus app on your TV to watch live-streaming newscasts and video on demand.
Massachusetts
It’s not just white sharks: Massachusetts shark researchers ‘closely monitoring’ another shark species this season
This is just jaw-some.
Another shark species has the attention of local white shark researchers, who will be “closely monitoring” an additional apex predator this season as beachgoers return to the water.
Dusky sharks — which were spotted attacking seals off Nantucket in the past — have also been seen off Orleans’ Nauset Beach, where great white sharks are frequently spotted during the summer and fall.
Local white shark researchers previously had not observed dusky sharks preying on seals off Massachusetts, but now it seems like the shark species is making a comeback in these northern waters.
“It’s something we’re going to be keeping track of this year,” said Megan Winton, senior scientist with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. “We’re definitely going to be closely monitoring them.
“Some people might say, ‘Oh great, now we have another shark species we have to worry about at the beach,’ but the public safety messaging stays the same,” Winton added. “The same ‘Shark Smart’ behaviors still apply.”
To the untrained eye, dusky sharks can look like big white sharks.
They are large-bodied, about 8- to 10-feet long, typically grey with dusky margins on the fins. While a white shark’s fin is triangular, a dusky shark’s fin slopes and curves.
Dusky sharks are not as beefy as white sharks, and their tail movements are more snake-like.
Dusky sharks are potentially dangerous to beachgoers due to their large size and occurrence in shallow coastal waters, though they have been implicated in few interactions with humans, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
“The same messaging goes with a second shark species feeding on seals: You don’t want to be swimming with shark food,” Winton said. “That means seals and big schools of fish.
“Also, we’ve learned that white sharks spend a lot of time in shallow water hunting for seals, so be aware of your depth when visiting our beaches,” she added. “Always pay attention to the lifeguards, and don’t swim or surf alone. Anytime you’re going into a wild environment and you know large predators are around, pay attention and be smart about it.”
Researchers put real-time shark receivers off the Cape, so lifeguards get instant updates if a tagged white shark is nearby. The lifeguards will then order everyone out of the water for some time.
Also, beachgoers are urged to report shark sightings to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app. The app helps raise awareness of the presence of white sharks off the coast. The app sightings are fed by researchers, safety officials, and users who upload photos for confirmation.
Last week, the first confirmed white shark report of the season was off Martha’s Vineyard when a shark fatally bit a seal.
This is the typical time of year when great whites return to the Cape and Islands to hunt for seals.
Winton over the winter was off South Carolina, where she helped tag seven white sharks. One of those sharks recently pinged off Maryland.
“Some are making their way north already as the water temperatures tick up,” Winton said.
Over the weekend, a porbeagle shark beached itself and died in Rhode Island’s Point Judith Pond.
“The species itself isn’t that surprising as they love colder water and unlike many other sharks that have yet to arrive, this shark was likely getting ready to follow the colder water north as our waters slowly warm,” the Atlantic Shark Institute posted.
The shark was apparently first found wedged in rocks by the breakwater at Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee, but then the shark freed itself and started swimming in circles. The porbeagle then swam into Point Judith Pond and eventually died.
“Thanks to everyone who reached out to us over 24 hours to provide information and video on this shark along with Greg Skomal at MADMF and John Chisholm from New England Aquarium,” the Atlantic Shark Institute wrote. “Both aided our executive director in reviewing all the video and photos to identify this shark.”
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