Massachusetts
See Where Massachusetts Ranks On Best Children's Health Care List
MASSACHUSETTS — Massachusetts ranks No. 1 in the country for children’s health care, according to a study by personal finance website WalletHub.
WalletHub noted that around 95 percent of children have health insurance.
“The bad news is that the high coverage rate hasn’t translated to lower health costs for parents, and the average amount workers pay toward employer-sponsored family coverage is over $6,500 per year,” WalletHub wrote.
Cost isn’t the only important factor in children’s health care. Other major contributors include the quality of the health care system and environmental factors like access to healthy food and fluoridated water.
The WalletHub study looked at 33 key indicators of cost, quality, and access to children’s health care.
Here’s a closer look at Massachusetts’ rankings:
- Kids’ health and access to health care: No. 3
- Kids’ nutrition, physical activity, and obesity: No. 2
- Kids’ oral health: No. 19
- Percentage of uninsured children: No. 1
- Infant death rate: No. 3
- Percentage of children with recent medical and dental checkup: tied for No. 1
Read the full study at WalletHub.
The Bay State frequently ranks at the top of health care ranking lists. Newsweek recently ranked 15 Massachusetts hospitals among the best in the world. Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, both in Boston, were in the top 10.
Last year, Boston Children’s Hospital and Mass General Children’s Hospital were both ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the country.
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.”
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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