The ad claimed many of the jobs associated with the project would be outsourced, putting in question the estimate of 600 to 1,000 jobs, and said it would make Massachusetts’ energy costs – which are already double those in North Carolina and Texas – even less competitive with those states. The ad opens by saying Bay State businesses can’t afford Cape Wind and closes saying the project “does not make sense.”

Honorees will be Steven G. Richter, president and CEO of Microtest Labs in Agawam, and Michael F. Kane, former state representative and now director of government relations for Columbia Gas of Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD - Stephen Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Thursday praised Mayor Domenic Sarno for doing “an incredible job” of assuring competition for a proposed casino in Springfield.

Crosby spoke Thursday before a meeting of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said Thursday he will meet Tuesday with representatives of a developer that has a purchase and sale agreement for 18 acres that the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department owns at 222 Whiting Farms Road.

“(Duffy) has always risen to the occasion on the Springfield Fire Department and we are very excited to introduce it today,” said Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

Duffy declined to elaborate on how much money he may earn from his invention. “It’s not about money for me, it’s about helping to save the lives of people who save lives for a living,” he said.

The Quick Step is manufactured right here in Springfield at Jesko Tool & Knife on Front Street in Indian Orchard.

Massachusetts has experienced rapid growth in its solar-energy sector in recent years. The total capacity generated by solar energy in Massachusetts has doubled in the last two years, reaching 105 megawatts (enough to power more than 15,000 homes) in 2012, a figure that is forecasted to quadruple by 2020.
Massachusetts’ renewable-energy sector now employs more than 64,000 people statewide (including nearly 10,000 in Western Mass.) and is projected to grow 15% per year. Massachusetts is now considered to be one of the best states in the country for solar development, a phenomenon driven largely by the state ...

Wing Memorial Hospital held its centennial rededication ceremony Wednesday, marking 100 years of service to Palmer and the surrounding towns.  “Once again, Wing has made history,” Dr. Charles E. Cavagnaro III, Wing’s president and chief executive officer, told the crowd..  Wing, the town’s largest employer, has come a long way since its beginnings as a hospital run out of a home on North Main Street, now the site of Country Bank. A $12 million expansion of the emergency department recently was announced, and that project is expected to be completed in two years. Fundraising for the project has ...

Springfield schools Superintendent and city native Daniel J. Warwick has a lot to be proud of as he prepares to celebrate his first year on the job next month.  In addition to hiring the Education Innovation Laboratory at Harvard to help spearhead the turnaround at the city’s underperforming schools, he’s developed a five-year strategic plan that aims to dramatically improve student achievement.

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is still seeking volunteers to participate in a water quality monitoring project on the Connecticut River for three monitoring sites.  The sites are the Pioneer Valley Yacht Club, Longmeadow, Pynchon Point, Agawam and Brunelles Marina, South Hadley.  The Connecticut River will be monitored on a weekly basis between the last week of May to the first week of October.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said in a letter to supporters:

"We have all been fortunate over the past six years to have benefited from the extraordinary service of our Lieutenant Governor, Tim Murray. Tim announced today that he will be leaving our office to become the new CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, and they are very lucky to have him. Tim has played a central role in moving our agenda forward since our very first day in office. His portfolio is vast, and his footprint on our Commonwealth is immense. He has been a tireless advocate on ...