Happening Around the County

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. announced Thursday, Oct. 4 that his office has received two federal grants totaling $860,000 to investigate opioid overdose deaths as homicides and to divert those suffering from Substance Use Disorder into treatment. The Bureau of Justice Assistance approved the grant applications in late September. “These grants will allow […]

Having more people — everyday citizens and employees of local gathering spots — equipped with Narcan could reduce fatalities, she said. “People with a substance abuse issue look just like everyone else, and often it is invisible,” she said. “So if someone does overdose, the more people there to assist the better.” Christensen, whose position […]

The $360,000 balance in the Worcester DA’s grant will create a similar effort; it will pay for a new study through Fitchburg State University to track overdose deaths, nonfatal overdoses, and crime; that data will be used to create a map of local opioid activity. The mapping will initially cover Fitchburg, but could expand to […]

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. announced Thursday that his office has been awarded $860,000 in federal grants that will help divert substance abusers into treatment programs if they are arrested and pay for a new study through Fitchburg State University that will map opioid use in the region. Early, who made the announcement […]