A federal appeals court has ruled that former Acting-Governor Jane Swift may not be protected from paying damages to a member of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.
The ruling from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacates an earlier decision from a United States district judge that Swift had qualified immunity against monetary damages in a lawsuit filed by former Turnpike Authority member Christy Mihos.
In his lawsuit, Mihos claimed that swift violated his 1st amendment rights when she fired him from the board after he and fellow board member Jordan Levy voted to postpone a planned toll hike.
Swift, who lives in Williamstown, says she fired the 2 men because the vote was fiscally irresponsible and damaged the Turnpike's financial stability.
A spokesman for Attorney General Tom Reilly, whose office represented Swift, declined to comment on the ruling.
This report was compiled by WUHN/WUPE Radio, Pittsfield
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant
Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building.
"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu.
A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building.
White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.
He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns.
Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot.
A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use.
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