Tristan Smith

1 month ago | masslive.com | Tristan Smith

Steven Woodward believed his future only held two options: “Either a cell or a casket.” He made poor decisions, got involved with the wrong people and walked down a dangerous path that landed him behind bars on his 18th birthday. But Woodward said he wasn’t born destined for crime. That life, he explained, was “programmed” into him since he was a child running around Springfield’s Forest Park neighborhood. “There’s kids over here — 15, 16, 13 years old — selling drugs, toting guns,” Woodward said.

2 months ago | masslive.com | Tristan Smith

President Donald Trump said he aims to "make America's showers great again."

2 months ago | masslive.com | Tristan Smith

Spring has arrived, yet frost and occasional snow showers are disrupting or postponing many people’s plans for seasonal gardening. “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” published a frost map to show when frost is expected to stop nationwide. People can enter their zip code into the Almanac’s Frost Date Calculator to see when the frost is expected to end this spring and start up again in the fall. In the Connecticut River Valley, frost is expected to leave around May 3.

2 months ago | masslive.com | Tristan Smith

An internal memo sent to the Social Security Administration told staffers that millions of beneficiaries are receiving error messages claiming they’re “not receiving payments.”According to the SSA staff email, obtained by The Washington Post, the error message was sent to a large part of the 7.4 million people enrolled in the Supplemental Security Income — a monthly benefit that benefits adults and children in poverty.

2 months ago | masslive.com | Tristan Smith

A global luxury fashion giant agreed to strut and purchase its rival for over $1 billion. Prada has agreed to purchase rival luxury brand Versace from Capri Holdings for $1.38 billion Thursday morning, according to a company press release. The deal was reportedly stuck in limbo and on the verge of collapse due to the market spontaneity caused by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Versace has operated at a loss with the recent decline in demand for luxury fashion.