Hopkinton Fire Chief Bill Miller on Tuesday announced that the Easter morning house fire at 69 Hayward Street has claimed a second victim. Judith MacNeill died Monday night, Miller said. She had been hospitalized since being evacuated from the home. Her husband, Don...
Jerry Spar
Investigators: House fire that claimed veteran’s life appears accidental
Sunday morning's two-alarm fire that caused the death of a man and a dog and sent a woman to the hospital "does not appear suspicious," according to a statement from the State Fire Marshal's Office. "The joint investigation by the Hopkinton Fire Department and State...
Select Board roundup: As PFAS remediation costs soar, questions about origins swirl
The town’s efforts to eliminate PFAS from the water supply continue to get more expensive, while questions about where the chemicals originated continue to surface without any concrete answers. At the 2022 Annual Town Meeting, voters approved $600,000 for the...
Independent Thoughts: Health Department trains residents on OD rescues
The Hopkinton Health Department is sponsoring a monthly program at the Hopkinton Public Library to train individuals on the use of Narcan, a medication that can help an individual recover from an overdose of opioids. The training takes place on the second Tuesday of...
‘Shining Moment’ for Hopkinton’s Hicks as basketball manager goes viral at Final Four
When the University of Miami's basketball team reached the NCAA tournament's Final Four in Houston this weekend, Hopkinton's Jason Hicks was just happy to be along for the ride. The team's head student manager, Hicks often could be seen at the end of the bench...
Farrell makes NHL debut as Canadiens play in Philadelphia
Two days after agreeing to a contract with the Montreal Canadiens, Hopkinton's Sean Farrell made his NHL debut Tuesday night in Philadelphia against the Flyers. Despite not having practiced with the team, the left winger jumped in on the second line and played just...
Select Board roundup: Altaeros TIF on hold; Southborough supports water connection
At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, Town Manager Norman Khumalo recommended that the board remove the Town Meeting article related to a proposed tax increment financing (TIF) agreement with Altaeros Energies, which the board did. According to Khumalo, the company —...
Farrell to join NHL’s Canadiens after agreeing to contract
Hopkinton's Sean Farrell agreed to a three-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens and will join the NHL team on its upcoming road trip to Buffalo and Philadelphia, the team announced Sunday. The 21-year-old Farrell, a fourth-round selection in the 2020 NHL draft,...
Hearing for Hillers Pizza owner Sismanis postponed to May 24
At a pretrial hearing on Wednesday morning in Framingham District Court, the attorney for Hillers Pizza owner Petros “Peter” Sismanis was granted a postponement for discovery — meaning the defense is requesting to see evidence from the prosecution and have time to...
Independent Thoughts: K of C aims to alleviate food insecurity issues; HHS student to curate exhibit at HCA
The Knights of Columbus Bishop Rice Council 4822, which represents Hopkinton and Ashland, once again is organizing its Food for Families Food Drive, which runs through March 26. Last year’s event raised $2,350 and “literally a ton of food and supplies,” shared council...
Select Board supports IMA with Southborough to address water supply; DPW gives update on dirty water
The Select Board at its meeting Tuesday voted to support an intermunicipal agreement with Southborough to purchase water for Hopkinton. While the water comes from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Hopkinton would purchase the water directly from...
HHS boys hockey routs Walpole, advances to state title game
When asked about Pavit Mehra at the start of the season, Hopkinton High School boys hockey coach Scott Hayes stated, “We are expecting him to put the puck in the net all season.” It’s fair to say Mehra has lived up to his coach’s expectations. On Sunday night at...
HHS boys hockey edges Norwood to advance to state semifinals
Pavit Mehra broke a 3-3 tie with 1:20 remaining and the Hopkinton High School boys hockey team skated away with a 5-3 victory over Norwood in a thrilling Division 2 state quarterfinal game on Wednesday night at New England Sports Center in Marlborough. Mehra, the...
Independent Thoughts: Fundraiser to benefit earthquake survivors
When multiple earthquakes rattled Turkey and Syria last month, causing more than 50,000 deaths and about $85 billion in damages, it hit home for a number of Hopkinton residents who have connections to the Western Asian nations. Evanya Mathur, president of Hopkinton...
Select Board roundup: Proposed gun club amendment sparks debate; alarms raised about budget
During a public information session about the five proposed general bylaw amendments at Tuesday's Select Board meeting, questions were raised about an amendment seeking to ban gun clubs from shooting outside. A citizens’ petition proposed that gun clubs move indoors...
Independent Thoughts: Harriet the heifer gives birth; Phipps receives military honor
Harriet is a heifer no more. As it turns out, the cow who made news last year after escaping from a slaughterhouse was pregnant as she lived life on the run up and down Ash Street. No one was more surprised than the Varner family, who took in Harriet in late November...
Divided Select Board decides against moving forward with RECC
A divided Select Board at its Tuesday meeting decided not to sign an intermunicipal agreement to form a regional emergency communication center with Southborough, Westborough and Grafton. The vote was 3-2 against the RECC, with those in opposition stating much more...
Select Board roundup: HHS car parade OK’d for final year
A divided Select Board on Tuesday agreed to approve a graduation car parade for Hopkinton High School’s Class of 2023, but with the understanding that this will be the final year for the event. A vote simply to approve the parade failed, 3-2, leading to a second...
Select Board struggles with RECC decision, considers Town Meeting vote
With one week remaining before the Select Board is to take a formal position on whether or not to sign an inter-municipal agreement with three neighboring towns to form a regional emergency dispatch center, local emergency personnel continued to push the board to...
Independent Thoughts: Community Covenant Church closes doors after 115 years
Forty-seven years after relocating to Hopkinton from Milford, and 115 years since its founding, Community Covenant Church held its final service on Dec. 11. Plagued by declining attendance and an unsuccessful merger with a regional organization, the church at the...