SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – A Massachusetts man seriously injured after being attacked by a grizzly bear at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

According to Teton Police, crews responded to the area of Signal Mountain Summit Road.

When they got there they began to administer emergency medical care to the 35-year-old man.

He was air lifted to a local hospital where he is in stable condition and is expected to be okay.

Initial reports suggest that two grizzly bears surprise attacked the man with only one of them making contact.

Copyright 2024. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.

Perhaps this Summer, you’re hoping to make your way out on the water. There are plenty of bodies of water in and around Massachusetts that could make their own case for a title such as the ‘Most Beautiful Lake’ in the state. It’s definitely one of the benefits of living in the Bay State. So, where exactly is this most beautiful lake, and what makes it so special that it gets to hold such a title?

The popular publication ‘Insider’ published the list of the ‘Most Beautiful Lakes in Every State‘. The publication described this particular lake in Massachusetts as, “Largely surrounded by year-round homes and summer cottages, the lake offers swimming as well as a launch for boats.” That description really doesn’t narrow it down for any lake throughout Massachusetts. It turn out that the most beautiful lake in Massachusetts is Lake Mattawa.

The lake is located in Orange, MA, which is in Franklin County. As someone who has lived in the Bay State for a little more than a year now, I wouldn’t have guessed that the town name where the most beautiful lake is would be Orange. The town also happens to be the spot of where the first automobile factory in the U.S. was.

The lake is on 118 acres and has a maximum depth of 43 feet, with an average depth of 17 feet. Lake Mattawa is typically stocked each Spring and Fall with both rainbow and brown trout. The lake also happens to have quite the reputation for producing trophy trout. Not only is the lake used for some boating and fishing, but families also enjoy the beach as well.

The Summer season is about to unofficially kickoff with this upcoming Memorial Day Weekend. Now you have an idea for what to do since the warmer temps are finally here in 2024. That way you can experience the most beautiful lake in Massachusetts.

BOSTON (AP) — A plan to create tuition-free, universal community college for all Massachusetts residents was up for discussion Tuesday as the state Senate launched debate on its proposed $57.9 billion budget for the new fiscal year.

Supporters, including Democratic Senate President Karen Spilka, say the plan dubbed MassEducate is aimed at increasing the state’s workforce while expanding opportunities for students across the state.

The proposal would set aside $75.5 million in new spending to cover tuition and fees, and offer a stipend of up to $1,200 for books, supplies, and other costs to students who make 125% or less of the median income in the state.

The Senate plan included in its Fiscal Year 2025 budget would continue to invest in programs created in the current-year budget, including $18 million in free nursing programs at community colleges and $24 million in free community college for residents over 25.

“We are investing in talent that is right here at home, and opening the workforce floodgates to employers who are starved for graduates, so Massachusetts keeps the competitive edge that we pride ourselves in,” Spilka said in statement when she unveiled the plan earlier this month.

Students would be eligible for the free tuition and fees and the stipend this coming fall semester if the proposal is included in the state’s final budget plan.

That’s far from certain.

The Massachusetts House, which has already approved its version of the state budget, did not include the proposal. Senate leaders will have to negotiate with the Democrat-led House to try to get the plan in the final version of the spending plan they ultimately send to Democratic Gov. Maura Healey.

The 15 community colleges in Massachusetts serve more than 90,000 students, about 70% of of whom attend school part-time, juggling work and family commitments.

Nearly half receive federal Pell grants. Those students, already eligible for a book stipend through state financial aid, would also be eligible for a stipend for books, supplies, and costs of attendance under the Senate plan for a combined $2,400 stipend per year.

Critics warn that the cost of the Senate’s community college plan could be hard to sustain.

“There is nothing as expensive as making something free. The cost will inevitably balloon and the taxpayers will forever be obligated to pay for this irresponsible decision,” said Paul Diego Craney, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

The Senate budget debate comes as state officials said the voter-approved “millionaire’s tax” – which imposes a 4% surtax on the portion of an individual’s annual income that exceeds $1 million — has already generated more than $1.8 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year with three months left to go, more than estimates.

The money is intended for transportation and education initiatives.

Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy said in a written statement that the additional tax revenues is a vindication for the coalition of groups, including the MTA, that pushed for the measure.

“These funds are vitally needed so school districts can hire and retain the necessary staff to meet the needs of students and provide public educators, in pre-K through higher ed, with fair wages and modern working conditions, including access to paid family leave,” they said in a statement.