Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) unveiled the creative wrap of the ‘The Loop’ on Monday. Beginning August 24, with the opening of the new MGM resort, the new public transportation service will link downtown tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and arts and culture destinations.

The Loop will connect a number of Springfield landmarks, including Union Station, the Springfield Armory, Springfield Museums, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and MGM Springfield.

“Springfield is on the rise, and tourism is a vital component to its revitalization,” said Alex Dixon, general manager of MGM Springfield. “The Loop will be a welcome boost to area businesses, allowing us to package the whole area as a consolidated travel destination rather than just one individual attraction.”

The Loop will also make stops at the MassMutual Center, Holiday Inn Express, the Sheraton, Hampton Inn, and La Quinta Inn & Suites. It will run Wednesdays through Sundays from Union Station, beginning at 10 a.m., until 10 p.m., and complete a full circuit in 60 minutes during the day and 40 minutes in the evening

Daily News

PHILADELPHIA — Comcast today announced it has now connected more than six million low-income Americans to the Internet through its Internet Essentials program, the largest and most comprehensive broadband-adoption program for low-income families in the U.S.

The company connected more than 2 million people in the past year alone, which is the largest annual increase in the program’s history.

The company also announced it will significantly expand eligibility — for the 11th time in seven years — to low-income veterans, nearly 1 million of whom live within the Comcast footprint.

According to the United States Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey, less than 70% of low-income veterans have Internet access, and about 60% own a computer.

“This program has had an enormous impact on millions of families and children who now have high-speed Internet at home, many for the first time in their lives,” said David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. “We’re excited to extend that same opportunity to more than 1 million, low-income veterans. Veterans have stood up for our country; now it’s time for us to stand up for them by providing access to life-changing digital tools and resources.”

Since 2011, Comcast has invested more than half a billion dollars to support digital literacy training and awareness, reaching more than 8.5 million low-income Americans. In addition, the company has sold more than 85,000 heavily subsidized computers.

Comcast attributes some of the recent growth of Internet Essentials to its easy-to-use mobile application, which now accounts for more than a third of all enrollments. In addition, the company today released a new seven-year progress report. It contains detailed information about customer demographics and insights, as well as a history of the program’s evolution and key milestones. The company has also redesigned its Internet Essentials Learning Center with new content from Common Sense Media and ConnectSafely.orgThe site now includes a variety of free videos, tools, and resources that can help individuals learn vital Internet safety and digital skills.

U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, who were recently named as ambassadors and spokespeople for the company’s corporate values initiatives, will join Cohen on a multi-city tour to visit local communities and raise awareness about the Internet Essentials program.  Both were instrumental in Team USA’s defeat of Canada for the gold in the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, and are passionate advocates for gender equity.

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Dakin Humane Society announced it is participating in the WWLP-22News annual Clear the Shelters pet adoption drive on August 18. 

On that day, Dakin will offer reduced pet-adoption fees on small animals and select adult cats to help local families adopt a new pet. Since 2015, NBC and Telemundo stations’ nationwide Clear the Shelters campaign has resulted in more than 150,000 pet adoptions.

“Clear the Shelters is a terrific program that raises awareness about the importance of pet adoption,” according to Dakin’s Executive Director Carmine DiCenso. “It’s also the mission of shelters like Dakin every day of the year. We always strive to find homes for all types of pets. The changing face of adoption brings us more animals with complex needs, and we find ways to put them on the path to successful adoptions.”

Small animals at Dakin include rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, mice, rats and birds, based on availability. A full, up-to-the-minute listing of adoptable animals is available at https://www.dakinhumane.org/adopt-a-pet.html#!/. Dakin’s Springfield Adoption & Education Center will be open 12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. that day, while its Leverett Adoption Center will be open 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.dakinhumane.org.

 

Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Big Y Pharmacy and Wellness Centers, along with all Big Y Supermarkets, are now carrying the Deterra® Drug Deactivation System at all stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Deterra Drug Deactivation System is a drug-disposal pouch which allows people to easily and effectively dispose of unused or expired medications, even opioid painkillers, at home.

Anyone can use a Deterra pouch to deactivate drugs including pills, liquids, and patches. Simply add the recommended amount of unused medicines in the pouch, fill the pouch half-way with warm water, wait 30 seconds, seal the pouch and gently shake and dispose of in normal trash. Each Deterra pouch contains activated carbon, which firmly bonds to pharmaceuticals rendering them inert and unavailable for abuse. The Deterra pouch is the only environmentally sound, in-home drug disposal system that permanently deactivates drugs.

Big Y hopes to help combat the opioid crisis by stocking these deactivation kits in all of their stores to provide their customers with a safe and reliable way to keep unused medications from being diverted to abuse.

“At Big Y, we share everyone’s concern about the opioid crisis in our communities,” said Steve Nordstrom, Big Y Pharmacy and Wellness Center director of pharmacy. “By bringing these easy to use and highly effective Deterra Drug Deactivation pouches to all of our stores, we hope to empower our customers to prevent drug abuse by getting rid of their unused or unneeded medications, especially opioids.”

Currently, the pouches are on sale for the special introductory price of $3.99 for each pouch which has the capacity to deactivate up to 45 pills or six ounces of liquid or six patches.