Massachusetts
90-day notices going out to families in Mass. emergency shelters
BOSTON (WPRI) — A nine-month cap on families entering Massachusetts’ emergency shelter system will soon go into effect, after the state reported an influx in migrants over the last year.
On Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey announced 90-day notices will start going out to families in the shelter system in July. The administration plans to limit the number of notices to 150 families a week.
Massachusetts is the only state in the country that has a right to shelter law, which was established in the 1980s to offer shelter to families and pregnant women.
But over the last year, the Healey administration said it has seen an increase in migrants, many from Haiti who are fleeing violence. Hotels, airports, and even a prison have all been identified as temporary housing for migrants entering the state.
In the fall of 2023, Healey announced a cap on the number of families in the emergency shelter system, at 7,500.
Still, families remained on the waiting list, leading to a push for a cap that reached the State House. In April the General Assembly passed a nine-month limit on families in the shelter system.
On Wednesday, the Healey administration laid out the the policy affecting all families within the emergency shelter system, about half of whom are homeless Massachusetts families, according to the governor’s office.
“This policy is a responsible measure to address the capacity and fiscal constraints of our state’s emergency assistance system,” Healey wrote in a statement Wednesday.
Families will be able to apply for up to two 90-day extensions, which can be granted for reasons ranging from having a baby to being in a job-training program. People can also apply for a hardship waiver.
Wednesday’s announcement also gave insight into how many migrants have received work authorizations, a challenge Healey has repeatedly called on the federal government to address.
According to the press release, 3,716 immigrants have applied for work authorizations since November and “it is expected the vast majority have been approved.”
The administration also announced progress in helping people exit the shelter system. According to data provided by the state, the number of families leaving Massachusetts went from 168 in November to 331 in May.
The nine-month policy is expected to remain in effect until the number of families in the shelter system gets below 7,500.
Kate Wilkinson (kwilkinson@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
Massachusetts
Man arrested after injuring Massachusetts State trooper, K-9 in wrong-way crash in Chicopee
A man has been arrested after injuring a Massachusetts State trooper and a K-9 in a wrong-way crash in Chicopee Saturday morning.
It happened around 4 a.m. on Interstate-91. State Police said they received a report that someone was driving very fast heading south on the north side of I-91. Officers began a “rolling roadblock” in the area “with emergency lights activated, in an effort to safely stop the vehicle and protect other motorists.”
The driver swerved and struck the rear driver’s side of a K-9 cruiser. He then hit another car head-on, according to state police.
The trooper and his K-9 were taken to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the car that was hit head-on also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at a hospital.
“I want to commend the bravery and quick actions of our Troopers, whose efforts to stop this wrong-way driver likely prevented further injuries and potentially saved lives,” State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said in a statement. “These incidents demonstrate the risks our Troopers and all of law enforcement face every day on our roadways. The Massachusetts State Police remain committed to enforcing impaired driving laws and holding accountable those whose dangerous decisions put lives at risk.”
The driver, identified as 28-year-old Jose Santiago from Holyoke, Masaschusetts had minor injuries. He has been charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and other charges.
Chicopee, Massachusetts, is around five miles from Springfield and 90 miles from Boston.
An Acushnet man and a New Bedford woman are dead, and two others are injured after a crash in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, that left Route 6 completely impassable for a period of time Friday evening.
Police from Dartmouth and Westport responded just after 7:30 p.m. to 911 calls about a crash on Route 6 near the Dartmouth/Westport line, and arrived to find two vehicles were involved, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said.
A blue Toyota Camry sustained catastrophic damage in the collision, officials said. The male driver, identified as 34-year-old Tristan Bedient, and his female passenger, 51-year-old Kate Aldrich, were taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead shortly after.
Two people in the SAAB suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials added.
Route 6 was closed westbound at Route 177 and eastbound at Highland Avenue. Police warned drivers to avoid the area, seek alternate routes, and expect significant traffic delays.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by Dartmouth police, Westport police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the district attorney’s office. Further information was not immediately available.
GLENS FALLS, NY (WRGB) — A Massachusetts man is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he robbed two banks in separate states and tried to evade investigators by switching license plates—before evidence gathered in New York’s Capital Region helped lead authorities to him.
Joseph Sawyer is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from St. Mary’s Bank in New Hampshire and a Chase Bank in New Jersey last month. In both robberies, prosecutors say Sawyer fled in a Honda Odyssey minivan.
Prosecutors say the minivan originally had Massachusetts license plates, but Sawyer swapped them out with stolen New Jersey plates in an attempt to cover his tracks.
After the second robbery, highway cameras in Albany County captured the minivan as it tried to flee the tri-state area, prosecutors said. The FBI later tracked the vehicle to a motel near Glens Falls, where Sawyer was staying.
Prosecutors also say Sawyer’s own family helped identify him through surveillance photos, linking him to the robberies.
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