FEMA Awards Funds to Massachusetts for COVID School Testing Costs

08:00AM / Saturday, February 10, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $64 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for the cost of contracting to provide testing services in public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $64,144,440 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services for the cost of contracting to provide testing at schools and in public buildings in surrounding communities between February 2021 and June 2022.

The contractor provided services which included operations and logistics of pooled testing, training, software, and technical assistance to school personnel.

The contractor also provided transportation for a total of 907,829 COVID-19 test specimens from approximately 2,400 public schools across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to the laboratory for analysis.

"FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation's ongoing recovery."

FEMA's Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $2.7 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.

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Pittsfield Subcommittee Considers E-Bike Safety

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
03:49PM / Monday, October 19, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Some city councilors want to explore ways to encourage safe e-bike use.

The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee earlier this month discussed the request by Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso and Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn to increase enforcement of bicycle and e-bike use on Pittsfield streets, install signage in high-traffic areas, and launch an educational program for kids.

Amuso has gotten reports of kids going 15 to 20 miles per hour on the sidewalk with motorized bikes while people are trying to back out of their driveways, and fears someone might get hurt.

She said if they could start with some of the basics such as riding with traffic in bike lanes and operators under 16 wearing helmets, it would address most of the calls.

"Do I think we need to put ten police on trying to find e-bikes throughout the city? I don't. But there are enough calls that I'm getting, and other councilors are getting, that we have to say, ‘Okay, what can we do?' And we have a lot of bike lanes in Pittsfield, and the e-bikes and all bikes should be in the bike lanes, not on the sidewalk,” she said.

The petition was tabled so that the Department of Public Works can study it and gather further information.

In Massachusetts, an e-bike with a top speed of 20 miles per hour and a motor of 750 watts or less is classified as a traditional bicycle. State law defines two e-bike classes:

A Class 1 electric bicycle is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.