It’s quite clear that folks from different walks of life enjoy visiting and moving to Massachusetts. If you’re looking for a top state to raise a family, Massachusetts checks that box. If you are looking for a state with a sound education, Massachusetts checks that box. If you are looking for a state that has areas of beautiful mountains and wide open spaces along with the downtown hustle and bustle spotlighting live music, art, and high-tech jobs, Massachusetts checks those boxes as well.

Where are the Most Adorable Places to Live in Massachusetts? 

If you’re thinking of moving to Massachusetts but are looking for some of the most affordable towns and cities to live in (and who isn’t), you’ve come to the right place. Houzeo.com recently released a study analyzing the 7 Cheapest Places to Live in Massachusetts in 2024  According to the site, the analysis weighed several factors, including median household income, median home value, population, unemployment rate, and poverty rate.  Below are the top three most affordable places to live in Massachusetts according to Houzeo.com.

The City of Pittsfield comes in at the number three position

• Cost of Living Compared to National Average: 4.1%
• Median Home Price: $280,035
• Median Rent: $1,454
• Known For: The Colonial Theater

Houzeo Says:

With rental costs below the national average, Pittsfield stands as one of the most affordable cities to live in Massachusetts. The house rent price is between $700 – $2,400.

The City of Springfield comes in at the number two position

• Cost of Living Compared to National Average: 3.8%
• Median Home Price: $260,848
• Median Rent: $1,600
• Known For: Springfield Armory National Historic Site

Houzeo Says:

Springfield is one of the most budget-friendly rental destinations in Massachusetts with an average home rent ranging from $905 – $5,000. It also offers affordable healthcare which is 8.7% lower than the national average.

The City of North Adams takes the top spot in the site’s study.

• Cost of Living Compared to National Average: 4.1%
• Median Home Price: $228,540
• Median Rent: $1,400
• Known For: Natural Bridge State Park

Houzeo Says:

North Adams is an affordable place to live in Massachusetts. Its median house rent ranges from $850 – $1,690. It also offers very affordable transportation which is 27.4% lower than the national average.

You can review the remaining areas that made the list by going here.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts house and senate reached a deal on the latest firearm law reforms this week.

A bill now in the hands of Governor Healey is set to tackle untraceable ghost guns, firearms in public places like schools and governmenet buildings and remove guns from anyone considered a threat.

State officials are reacting from both sides of the aisle, State Representative Kelly Pease telling 22News in a statement, “Although the gun bill addresses kit/ghost guns, which is a good thing. The bill goes too far, by restricting legal gun owners. Every gun crime that happens has a law to prosecute the offender. There is no need to have new laws, except for ghost guns.”

Other officials shared that those accessing firearms without proper identification are that ones at the root of the issue.

“We hear over and over again that more and more of gun violence typically in some of the urban areas are seeing an uptick in glock switches which turns a semi-automatic into a fully-automatic and ghost guns to make so you can’t trace a crime and they have really serious problems, said State Senator John Velis.

An extensive process is required to access a firearm legally in Massachusetts. You must be 18 years of age or 14-17 years old with parental consent. Every person is required to take a firearm permit course followed by a federal and state background check.

Kendall Knapik, Owner of Pioneer Valley Arms discussed the extensive process, “Once you submit the federal background the government will notify us to proceed, deny or delay with your firearm purchase. If you get a proceed, we then move on to the state section which is then basically registering your firearm with the state of Massachusetts and connecting it to your LTC number so the state now knows that you own that gun and you’re responsible for that serial number.”

The entire process can take anywhere from two to three months for first time gun buyers.

With the bill now at Governor Healy’s desk, officials hope it will tackle the one’s taking the loopholes within the law and instill accountability.

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — A Massachusetts-based company that specializes in buying a specific type of oil seed from farmers now faces a $15,000 civil penalty in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission imposed the punishment against Yield10 Bioscience Inc. of Woburn, MA, after an evidentiary hearing on Friday. Yield10 was notified of the complaint and the proceeding but wasn’t represented.

The commission found that Yield10 had failed to provide notification that the company was no longer in compliance with financial conditions required for South Dakota-licensed grain buyers and didn’t provide information within five days that was requested by the commission’s staff.

Each set of violations carried a maximum civil penalty of $20,000, for a possible total amount of $40,000. Commission chair Kristie Fiegen proposed $15,000.

“Our goal at the PUC is to make sure our producers are protected, and we want answers right away,” Fiegen said. “Producers were not impacted, but they could have been.”

Commissioner Chris Nelson asked why she chose $15,000. “I don’t think we should do the maximum, because no one was hurt,” Fiegen explained.

Nelson said he could have gone higher. Fiegen encouraged him to suggest more.

The third commissioner, Gary Hanson, however said he would have suggested $5,000 on each violation for a total of $10,000.

“So it sounds like a sweet spot,” Hanson said about the $15,000.

The commission voted 3-0 for that amount.

Fiegen and Nelson recognized the staff for its work.

“These are not easy,” Nelson said. “You shouldn’t had to have to go through all the work on this.”

During the hearing, grain-warehouse division manager Cody Chambliss presented information about the staff’s interactions with Yield10, including their exchanges of emails and correspondence.

Chambliss said the company buys camelina, an oil seed that is rarely grown in South Dakota. He said the company claimed it never purchased camelina from South Dakota producers.

A news release issued by Yield10 on Wednesday night said the company’s assets were being purchased by the seed technologies platform of Nufarm Limited, an Australia-based company.

Nelson said the commission asked the Legislature for the two statutes in 2013 after “the Anderson Seed fiasco” in 2012 that saw a sunflower buyer go bankrupt.

Chambliss said the statutes had been used to levy a civil penalty once since then. That matter involved H&I Grain in 2017. When asked for his recommendation, Chambliss said a minimum of $5,000 for each of the two violations and upward to $10,000 for each.

“We’re fortunate here there weren’t any producer losses,” Chambliss said. He said it’s “very rare” that a company can suffer a financial loss and not have losses incurred by producers.