News

Construction is set to begin on the first major gambling facility in Massachusetts. On Friday, Penn National Gaming held a groundbreaking ceremony for a $225 million slots parlor at the Plainridge harness race track in Plainville.

Plainridge Park Casino is slated to open next spring.

Penn National was awarded the state's only slots parlor license last month by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

A state lawmaker reviewing the selection of operators of medical marijuana dispensaries says the state agency overseeing the process should reconsider some highly-rated proposals that were not approved for provisional licenses.

Chittenden County Transportation Authority Board of Commissioners say they want the bus drivers' union to reconsider an offer for binding arbitration to avoid a strike.

A controversial Schenectady County annual music festival has been called off this year. But some fans said they saw it coming.

For more than a decade, thousands of electronic music fans have flocked to Camp Bisco, held for the past seven years at the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, located in the Town of Duanesburg, New York — including Joe Marchitto of Burnt Hills, who first attended in 2011, and returned for two more festivals.

Marchitto said his favorite part of the festival is the extensive list of musicians who have played each year.

Juliette Kayyem, a Democratic candidate for Massachusetts governor, was in Pittsfield Friday, making the latest stop on her Gateway Cities’ tour.

The stop marked Kayyem’s ninth visit to the 26 communities designated as Gateway Cities, meaning they have a population greater than 35,000 with median household incomes and higher education achievement rates below the state average. Kayyem says as governor, she can take steps to encourage economic development in these communities.

The New York Senate for the first time includes Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan for public campaign financing in its budget resolution.  The sparsely worded proposal has left supporters and opponents trying to sort through the political tea leaves.

The Mayor of Johnstown, New York is exploring the possibility of expanding public transportation in the Fulton County region. 

Johnstown Mayor Michael Julius said he has expressed his interest in expanding public transportation through the city with Gloversville Mayor Dalton King.

“I’m just having preliminary discussions, just casual talking with the mayor, just to find out what it would cost us to reinitiate the bus service, and that’s the extent of it at this point,” said Julius.

Meteorologist Garett Argianas delivers the evening weather forecast for Friday, March 14, 2014. 

The Federal Railroad Administration Friday released a report on its safety assessment of Metro-North following the railroad’s four accidents in 2013, including the fatal derailment in December in the Bronx. The FRA report is called Operation Deep Dive.

FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo says the report contains three major findings:

“A clear, overemphasis on on time performance to the detriment of safety, combined with an ineffective safety department and poor safety culture, and ineffective and inadequate training, Szabo says.

This weekend brings classical, jazz, honkytonk, Yiddish, noise-rock, and a whole lot more to the greater Berkshire region.