Nirvani Williams
ReporterNirvani Williams covers socioeconomic disparities for New England Public Media, joining the news team in June 2021 through Report for America.
Prior to this, Williams was the associate editor of Seema, an online publication dedicated to spreading more stories about women in the Indian diaspora, and has written a variety of articles, including a story about a Bangladeshi American cybersecurity expert and her tips for protecting phone data while protesting. Williams interned at WABC-TV’s “Eyewitness News,” WSHU public radio, and La Voce di New York, a news site in Italian and English.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Stony Brook University, where she was the executive editor of the student-run culture magazine, The Stony Brook Press.
She can be reached at nirvani_williams [at] nepm.org.
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Some fifth graders at Milton Bradley Elementary in Springfield, Massachusetts, put their computer science skills to the test by bringing to life mythological creatures they learned about in class. The students spent three months researching a creature and used block coding to make their designs move.
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State officials say about 50,000 Massachusetts residents became newly eligible for ConnectorCare health insurance, a low-income program that just expanded its income limits.
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A synagogue that shares its space with the BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity in Northampton received a bomb threat in November. In response, a pastor and local artists surprised congregants this week with an art installation promoting messages of peace.
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An editorial recently published in the Springfield based newspaper, African-American Point of View, sparked backlash from leaders in the Black community like Bishop Talbert Swan ll, head of the Springfield NAACP.
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A law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses in Massachusetts launched in July, but many are struggling to access RMV applications and resources. Staff at western Massachusetts nonprofits have been working overtime to help these immigrants.
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A literary journal called The Common based at Amherst College is highlighting the experiences of migrant farmworkers in its latest issue.
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Chicopee Mayor John Vieau is being challenged by City Councilor Delmarina López in the mayoral race. Vieu is running for a third two-year term. López is the first woman of color on the council and said she wants to see Chicopee’s diversity reflected in its leadership.
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Holyoke police chief asks residents to report gunfire, hours later police investigate shooting deathShotSpotter technology is used in more than 150 cities across the country, including locally in Boston, Worcester, Holyoke and Springfield. The company says it has an accuracy rate of 97% and a false positive rate of 0.5%.
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'When I make Haitian food, I feel home': Chef who fled Haiti cooks rich cuisine at Greenfield pop-upA Mexican restaurant in Greenfield, Massachusetts, is trying something new. Once a week, it's only serving Haitian food made by a chef who recently migrated to the U.S.
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The vigil held at Our Lady of Sacred Heart church in Springfield drew a crowd of city residents including Mayor Domenic Sarno and Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood.