Connect with us

Northeast

Democratic town furious over migrant shelter opening in neighborhood

Published

on

Democratic town furious over migrant shelter opening in neighborhood

Join Fox News for access to this content

You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading.

Please enter a valid email address.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

Having trouble? Click here.

Residents in a New England town are fuming that they have not been consulted on plans to convert a former state prison into a tax-payer-funded migrant shelter for hundreds of people. 

The state is refurbishing Norfolk, Massachusetts’ Bay State Correctional Center, a former minimum-security dorm-like facility, to accommodate migrants and homeless individuals who are currently holed up at Boston’s Logan International Airport and are on the waitlist for an emergency shelter program. The facility is located on the grounds of Massachusetts Correctional Institution (MCI), a medium-security prison. 

Advertisement

Norfolk has a population of about 11,500 and voted heavily in favor of President Joe Biden in 2020. 

The governor’s office tells Fox News Digital it expects the shelter to be operational next month as a “temporary safety-net site for families experiencing homelessness.” Families who will stay at the site will be subject to the 30-day engagement requirements and a monthly recertification process to demonstrate they are taking action toward getting work permits, jobs and housing.

MIGRANT CHILDREN IN MASSACHUSETTS LIVED AMONG SEX PREDATORS AS DEM GOVERNOR CLAIMED SHELTERS ‘VETTED’: REPORT

Residents and local officials expressed frustration over the sudden news that the state is opening an emergency shelter for migrant families at the former Bay State Correctional Center, pictured. (Google Earth)

But at a tense special Select Board meeting on Wednesday, about 300 residents gathered to raise alarm over the new facility opening in their town and blasted the state for keeping them in the dark about it.

Advertisement

Residents said they want answers about the impact on schools, police and emergency services, pointing out that municipal budgets are already stretched thin.

“Let’s face it, we don’t want it here. We don’t,” resident John Semas said, according to GBH.

“And, it doesn’t make us bad people, it doesn’t make me not compassionate, it doesn’t make me a bad father.” Semas was among a small group of people donning shirts and placards that read “Save Norfolk: No Shelter,” the publication reports.  

He blasted Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, who had left for a climate change conference at the Vatican instead of engaging with her electorate. 

Healey last summer declared a state of emergency over the surge of migrants into the state and the Bay State has struggled to get a grip on the crisis. The state has previously said that it is obliged to cater to the migrants because of its 1983 sanctuary city law which was passed to deal with the relatively small number of homeless families and pregnant women, although critics have said the law does not apply to migrants who are not U.S. citizens.

Advertisement

In the 2020 presidential election, 4,100 Norfolk residents voted for President Biden compared to 2,570 who voted for former President Trump. Massachusetts is a deep blue state with its nine Congress members and two senators being Democrats. 

HAITIAN MIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPE OF 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL ENTERED CONTROVERSIAL PAROLE PROGRAM: SOURCES

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey was criticized for leaving for a climate change conference at the Vatican instead of engaging with locals.  (Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Select Board Chair Jim Lehan said he initially learned about the shelter plans via social media and was angry that the town did not receive prior notice.

“It’s their building [the state’s] and they don’t need our permission to use it, but it would have been nice to partner at the front end to understand what their plans were,” Lehan said, according to GBH.

Advertisement

It is unclear how many migrants will be sent to the facility, which was decommissioned in 2015. 

The state’s emergency assistance director, Scott Rice, says that the facility remains in good condition and has the space to accommodate around 140 families.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Rice said families there will have access to showers and bathrooms on each floor. The facility also has a cafeteria, a gymnasium, a large common room and offices that will be used for case management and administrative activities. 

Rice added that play areas for children will be set up along with classroom spaces for adults to learn English and get job training. 

The site will be staffed 24/7 by a contracted service provider and families will be provided with transportation on and off site. The razor wire on the fence surrounding the facility will be removed, and the gates will remain open, so families will be free to exit and return as needed, the governor’s office says. 

Advertisement

It is unclear how much the entire operation will cost the taxpayer. 

Healey’s office says that the administration will hold a community meeting prior to its opening in order to answer questions and connect with community members who want to provide sports, arts and music programming for the children in shelters.

The administration says it has already met with local officials including the Norfolk legislative delegation, the Town Administrator, members of the Select Board, as well as the fire and police chiefs. 

The state is refurbishing the Bay State Correctional Center, a former minimum-security dorm-like facility in the town of Norfolk, to accommodate migrants who are currently holed up at Logan Airport.  (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

At Wednesday’s meeting, resident Lauren Vives said the shelter could bring a financial burden to the town, which only has two elementary schools, one ambulance, a small police and fire department and no grocery store.

Advertisement

“The proposition to increase our town’s population by 4% overnight is preposterous,” Vivas said, according to GBH. She said that the plan shows “a lack of respect” for the town.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Not everyone was against the shelter. Resident Lucy Bullock-Sieger said it was a good idea to help the migrants and said Norfolk is not a town of fear.

“I can’t imagine being the mom of young children and trying to find a better life,” she said, according to GBH.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Healey’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pittsburg, PA

Plum Borough parents charged with supplying alcohol for underage drinking party

Published

on

Plum Borough parents charged with supplying alcohol for underage drinking party



Two parents are facing charges after police say more than 60 teenagers were drinking at a large party in their Plum Borough home.

According to court paperwork, Ian and Corrine Dryburgh have been charged with endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, and furnishing liquor to minors stemming from the incident that happened at a home in Plum Borough late last month.

Police said that officers went to the home after receiving a tip about a large party involving high school aged children.

Advertisement

When officers arrived at the home, they found numerous teenagers, empty beer cans and empty seltzer cans, and multiple bottles of vodka.

The parents told police that a birthday party for their 17-year-old daughter got out of hand and that some kids has been kicked out, but more came and they didn’t know what to do.

According to the criminal complaint, officers said they had been called to the home two previous times for similar reasons. 

Police said a total of 66 underage kids were at the home.

Court records show that both parents have been cited via summons and preliminary hearings are scheduled for mid-April. 

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Connecticut

Connecticut to receive $154 million for rural health

Published

on

Connecticut to receive 4 million for rural health


Connecticut is set to receive more than $154 million aimed at improving health care in rural communities.

The funding comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program, according to a community announcement.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services will lead the initiative, partnering with other state agencies to implement projects across four core areas: population health outcomes, workforce, data and technology, and care transformation and stability, according to the announcement.

Advertisement

The program will include several innovative projects, such as a mobile clinic pilot with four primary care and four dental vans, a health workforce pipeline through the Area Health Education Center and UConn Health Center, and community health navigators.

“Rural Connecticut has unique challenges, and its residents deserve the same access to high-quality care and support as anyone who lives anywhere else,” Lamont said. “This investment allows us to tackle those challenges head-on – from expanding mental health services and building a stronger health care workforce to modernizing our technology infrastructure and connecting residents to the services they need. This is about making sure every corner of Connecticut has the opportunity to thrive.”

The program was developed through extensive public engagement, including more than 250 written comments, meetings with health care providers, local government officials and community organizations, as well as in-person and virtual listening sessions held across the state, according to the announcement.

Andrea Barton Reeves, commissioner of the state Department of Social Services, highlighted the program’s long-term vision.

Advertisement

“This program reflects our commitment to building systems that work for rural residents over the long term,” she said in the release. “We are excited and grateful to CMS for this opportunity to make sure that our investments are coordinated, impactful, and built to last.”

The program aims to bring health care closer to rural residents while supporting the workforce that provides care, said Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health.

“Every person in rural Connecticut deserves good health care close to home, and the people who provide that care deserve real support too,” Juthani said. “This funding helps us bring care to where people are and build the healthcare workforce our communities need. When we invest in both, we give everyone a better chance at staying healthy.”

Additional information about the Rural Health Transformation Program, including opportunities for public engagement, will be made available as implementation proceeds.

For more information, visit the Connecticut Department of Social Services website at ct.gov/dss.

Advertisement

This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.



Source link

Continue Reading

Maine

Rangeley Heritage Trust creates Friends of Western Maine Dark Sky

Published

on

Rangeley Heritage Trust creates Friends of Western Maine Dark Sky


The ‘Friends of Western Maine Dark Sky’ group meets March 3 at the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust office in Rangeley. They discussed the formation of the group as well as the process for designating the town as a dark sky community. (Quentin Blais/Staff Writer)

Looking up at the night sky in northern and rural Maine, it is a sight to behold, almost unique in today’s lit-up world. The Rangeley region is one of the last areas in the Northeast largely untouched by light pollution.

It is also a draw for many tourists and stargazers who come to the region for the clear view of the night sky.

A new group called Friends of the Western Maine Dark Sky hopes that by limiting the amount of light pollution, those views will be preserved for generations to come.

Advertisement

The group gathered at the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust on March 3 to talk about ways to educate the community on the importance of dark skies to the region.

One of their primary efforts is to try to designate Rangeley as an official Dark Sky community.

The designation will require a few steps. First, an application will be submitted to DarkSky International expressing an interest. Then, the town of Rangeley will need to adopt a new lighting ordinance at the June town meeting.

A new state law taking effect in October will require publicly funded outdoor lighting across the state to be dimmed at night to protect wildlife and dark skies. This includes using warm, yellow-toned bulbs, dimming or turning off nonessential lights and shielding lights so they don’t shine upward into the sky.

The town ordinance would create guidelines similar to the state laws on the kinds of lights used in town, as well as restrict some signs, such as LED message boards. Existing boards would be allowed to remain in place.

Advertisement

“The fact that the existing signage is grandfathered in perhaps bodes well for getting an approval of the town meeting,” said Linda Dexter, Dark Sky community certification coordinator at the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, who is leading the effort. “It’s going to impact businesses in the town … right out of the gate, folks will tend to not vote for it.”

Even if an ordinance passes, change would likely be slow. Most of the group’s efforts will be on community education, such as informing seasonal residents to turn off the lights at their camps while they are gone for the winter. Also, the application may not be approved for up to six months after it is submitted, Dexter said.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending