Massachusetts
Devastating News for Massachusetts-Based Yankee Candle
Massachusetts-based Yankee Candle Company, Inc. is snuffing out dozens of jobs in the Bay State. As we reported in January 2023, Newell Brands, Yankee Candle’s parent company, announced it was restructuring. As part of that restructuring, Newall is eliminating nearly 100 positions.
A state filing says Yankee Candle is closing its South Deerfield, Massachusetts distribution center and offices on September 9, 2024. Boston.com reported the company’s facility at 27 Yankee Candle Way “will remain open, but will now serve as an auxiliary warehouse for Yankee Candle and other Newall Brand products.”
Newall Brands also owns Graco, Rubbermaid and Sharpie.
MassLive reported Newall Brands has filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notification with the Commonwealth announcing the layoffs.
A statement issued by Newall Brands said, “There are no changes to our other Yankee Candle operations in Western Massachusetts.”
Barry Richard/Townsquare Media
The statement continued, “Yankee was founded in the area, and we are committed to maintaining a strong local presence with our flagship Yankee Candle Village store and various research, manufacturing, distribution, and office facilities.”
As reported last year, Newall Brands announced plans to lay off 13 percent of its global workforce as part of its restructuring.
Yankee Candle was founded over 50 years ago in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. The main factory and candle retail store opened in 1983. Newall Brands acquired Yankee Candle in 2016.
The company opened a new research and development lab near its corporate offices in South Deerfield in 2019.
Yankee Candle plans its annual Halloween product launch in August.
Insanely Luxurious Leverett Home Once Owned By Yankee Candle Founder
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Get Rustic in This Second Luxury Leverett Property Owned By Yankee Candle Founder
If Michael Kittredge’s main Leverett home was too much property, maybe his second home in town is more your style.
Nestled just a short .25 mile walk from the main 60-acre compound, this 10-acre “rustic” getaway house comes with a fresh water stream to sit by, private orchard for seasonal fruit picking and all the furniture you see inside.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Massachusetts
Driver charged in Plymouth hit-and-run
Authorities said a driver is facing charges after a hit-and-run crash left a pedestrian badly hurt this weekend in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday on Court Street. Police said the driver briefly stopped before fleeing the scene.
The victim was airlifted to a Boston hospital with critical injuries. Plymouth police said Monday that the patient is in stable condition and faces a long road to recovery.
The driver, identified as Francis Kelly of Plymouth, is charged with negligent operation and leaving the scene of a crash causing personal injury.
“We would like to sincerely thank the public for the tips provided and for sharing surveillance footage that proved critical to this investigation,” Plymouth Police Capt. Marc Higgins said in a statement. “Incidents like this underscore the strength of community cooperation in supporting victims and ensuring accountability.”
Massachusetts
White Christmas chances rise in western Massachusetts
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – There is a chance for snow leading up to Christmas.
In western Massachusetts, the chances for a white Christmas go up the farther north you are or the closer you are to the Berkshires. In Springfield, the chance for at least one inch of snow on Christmas Day is around 40 to 50 percent.
In Pittsfield, the chances are over 75 percent. In the extreme northwest corner of Massachusetts, near North Adams, the historical chance for a white Christmas is over 90 percent. So, it definitely helps your chances for snow if you’re in one of the higher-elevation areas.
How much snow is expected Tuesday
Light snow will begin on Tuesday around sunrise and continue on and off for much of the day until the evening. A minor accumulation is expected in the Pioneer Valley with a few inches in the hills and Berkshires. Slick roads and sidewalks are possible, especially if not treated. High temperatures will be in the low to mid-30s.
What’s the chance of a white Christmas in western Mass?
As of right now, the chances for a white Christmas this year are definitely higher than in the past few years, with some snow on Tuesday. Of course, the best chance for the snow to stick around until Christmas Day without melting will be back in the Berkshires.
December 25 2025 12:00 am
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day both look dry and comfortable.
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
Three Mass. residents arrested in undercover operation targeting child sex trafficking
Police arrested three Massachusetts residents in Framingham on Thursday after they tried to arrange payment for sex with a child while unknowingly communicating with undercover officers, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Framingham resident Joseph Norton, Sherborn resident Eric Gurvis and Milford resident Surya Chandra Ravi Kumar Eda were each arraigned in Framingham District Court on Friday, according to court records. All three pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted child rape, enticement of a child under 16 and paying for sexual conduct with a child.
The arrests were the result of an undercover operation by the State Police High Risk Victims Unit and Framingham police, State Police said in a press release. The operation was meant to address an increase in demand for commercial sex with children locally.
Gurvis is due back in court for a probable cause hearing on Jan. 12, 2026, according to court records. Norton’s next court date is a probable cause hearing scheduled for Jan. 30, 2026. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for Eda for Feb. 25, 2026.
No further information has been released.
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