Amherst fire, vocational school enrollment, Mercy Medical Center concerns

By Monte Belmonte,

Published November 14, 2025 at 10:41 AM EST

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This week's panel for The Rundown with Carrie Saldo includes Bridgette Davis, assistant professor at UMass Amherst School of Public Policy; Greg Sukiennik, News Editor for The Berkshire Eagle; and Larry Parnass, executive editor for the Springfield Republican.

Ayu Suryawan / NEPM

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Friday November 7, 2025, a three alarm blaze in Amherst, Massachusetts, destroyed an apartment building housing more than 200 people. An unoccupied building under construction collapsed. No injuries were reported. The fire was still being suppressed 24 hours later.

Amherst Fire Department / facebook

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After a blaze caused the partial collapse and tear-down of an apartment complex in Amherst, Massachusetts , the remains still smoking, on November 9, 2025.

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Friday November 7, 2025, a three alarm blaze in Amherst, Massachusetts, destroyed an apartment building housing more than 200 people, most of them college students. An unoccupied building under construction collapsed. No injuries were reported. The fire was still being suppressed 24 hours later.

Whatley Fire Department / facebook

A tragic fire at an off-campus housing complex serving UMass Amherst students leaves hundreds displaced and a community in shock. We discuss the latest in the story and how the public is responding.

A boom in enrollment at vocational and technical schools nationwide makes an impact at school districts across western Massachusetts.

And, an eagerly-awaited project in Springfield's north end to build a new community center falls apart, leaving questions for many. We unpack the details.

Plus, Mercy Medical Center’s soon suspension of maternity care causes concerns about jobs and the future of the Springfield hospital.

We’re running down all of that and more with this week’s panel, Bridgette Davis, assistant professor at UMass Amherst School of Public Policy; Greg Sukiennik, news editor for The Berkshire Eagle; and Larry Parnass, executive editor for the Springfield Republican.