Radio Worcester’s Talk of the Commonwealth

Worcester District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj is vowing to continue serving her constituents while fighting charges stemming from her involvement in a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Eureka Street earlier this year.

The conversation covers several topics related to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, including the redesign of Mill Street, the city's commitment to Vision Zero and making the city more walkable, the development around the Worcester Red Sox stadium, and the city's efforts to address homelessness.

The Rundown, Tom Marino, thisweekinworcester.com, and Mark Henderson, the016.com, look at the stories everyone is talking about. Both express surprise that the charges against District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj stemming from the protest against the ICE action on Eureka St. had not been dropped.

Mill St. is back as a topic in Worcester. The street has a long history as a throughfare for speeding and accidents. City Councilor Moe Bergman is questioning how much of an impact the redesign of the street has had on safety. Many residents have expressed their unhappiness with the city's redesign and that has led to questions of what future street configurations will look like.

There is ongoing debate around the city's "Vision Zero" plan to make Mill Street safer for pedestrians and cyclists, with some residents disputing the city's data on reduced accidents and speeding. City Manager Eric Batista stops by the Talk of the Commonwealth to set things straight. He is clear the city is committed to making streets safer

Mark Henderson, the016.com, and Tom Marino, thisweekinworcester.com, join Hank and Ben is looking at the biggest stories of the week.A lot of discussion in Worcester right now over petitions coming before the city council and if they should go through a councilor or not. 

Congressman Jim McGovern says Trump and his allies have been pushing conspiracy theories for years when it comes to Jeffery Epstein and that has come back to bite them.He is also highly critical of the Big, Beautiful Bill and argues that it provides unnecessary tax cuts for the wealthy while cutting important social programs like Medicaid and SNAP.

In a wide-ranging interview, Worcester Mayor Joe Petty discusses the proposed changes to the petition process, housing priorities, and the city's future cultural programming—including hopes for the return of the Latin American Festival.

The popular kids character "Bluey" will make an appearance Sunday during the WooSox game at Polar Park. Dr. Charles Steinberg also tells us that the WooSox want to do what they can to make a hotel or office building a reality next to the park. 

State Senator Michael Moore runs down the money flowing back to Central MA from the state budget.