Gardner News

Sky Babineau, 25, of 159 Baker St., Gardner, sentenced to 1 year to 1 year and a day in Framingham state prison after pleading guilty to statutory rape of a child.

From left, Elaine T. Fluet, president and CEO of GVNA HealthCare in Gardner, and Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong at the "Our Time to Shine" Innovations Showcase and Star Awards of Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts in Boston.

The Leominster Housing Authority is being used as a model agency in a reform bill after a public-housing scandal in Chelsea, but Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed his own reform legislation to boldly change the public-housing sector and create six super regions around the state.

The summer reading theme for the Bay State has been announced, the programs have been planned and North Central Massachusetts librarians are fairly certain their patrons will dig it.

Wendy Cantin, 33, of 111 Whitney St., Gardner, was sentenced to 1 year to 1-1/2 years in Framingham state prison after pleading guilty to 13 counts of conspiracy to violate a drug law.

Illicit drug use, alcohol abuse and unemployment all play a role in Gardner's high suicide rate, but steps are being taken to try to deal with the problem.

With the turn of two screws Wednesday, a home at Veteran Homestead Inc. was marked to acknowledge a local veterans organization that helped them give those displaced by military service a home.

Timothy Adams, 24, was charged with home invasion in May in Gardner, Mass., but only after resident Michael Salame slammed him into the floor.

A 28-year-old Fitchburg man was arrested after he allegedly slapped his pregnant 15-year-old girlfriend in the face, according to court documents.

Whether they came to Mount Wachusett Community College to accelerate the pace of their education or to get back on track after a problematic high-school experience, this year's 51 graduates of the Pathways Early College Innovation School and the Gateway to College program have this in common: They each reached a milestone.

A first-time homebuyer education course will be offered beginning with an orientation session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 12 at the Greater Gardner Community Development Corp., 246 Central St. Classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. June 18-20 at the CDC.

As soon as he received official notice Tuesday afternoon that the City Council had rescinded an order seeking money for contamination cleanup, Mayor Mark P. Hawke issued a veto of the vote.

May 27 Jack Christakos, 30, of 20R Edson St. in Lowell was arrested on an outstanding warrant for driving on a suspended license, not wearing a seatbelt while driving and driving an uninspected vehicle.

Heywood Hospital's Departments of Nutrition Services and Diabetes Education, in coordination with Cardiac Rehabilitation, will offer a demonstration on how to cook nutritious, quick and easy recipes for the summer season from 3 to 4:30 p.m. June 13 in Dining Room A on the hospital campus, 242 Green St.

Families and friends showed their pride and support for the newest graduates of the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in a ceremony honoring the students' accomplishments.

Firefighters put out a two-alarm fire apparently started by a lightning strike at a wood product factory at 134 Chelsea St.

A one-car accident in the area of Route 68 at Pitcherville Road has closed traffic in the area.

The number of Gateway Cities in Massachusetts would expand by more than a third under a Senate budget proposal scheduled for debate this week.

John J. Peters, 50, 159 Baker St., Gardner, was sentenced to three concurrent terms of 3 years to 3 years and a day in Walpole state prison after pleading guilty to breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony, larceny of a vehicle and breaking into a depository.

Students and staff at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School recently joined efforts with the SHINE Initiative to help raise awareness about the stigma of mental illness.