SPRINGFIELD — Dakin Humane Society has brought 20 beagle puppies to its Springfield facility as part of the removal of approximately 4,000 beagles housed at an Envigo RMS LLC facility in Cumberland, Virginia that bred dogs to be sold to laboratories for animal experimentation.
According to a Dakin press release, the beagle transfer plan comes as a result of a lawsuit filed against Envigo RMS LLC by the Department of Justice in May, alleging Animal Welfare Act violations. Federal inspections have resulted in dozens of violations, including findings that some dogs were “euthanized” without first receiving anesthesia, that dogs received inadequate veterinary care and insufficient food, and that they lived in unsanitary conditions.
More than 300 people have filed an application to adopt one of the puppies at Dakin, and the organization is no longer taking names for adoption of the beagles.
“Summer is our busiest season when our in-house animal population really spikes,” Dakin’s Director of Operations Karina King noted in the press release, “but it’s imperative for us to be able to step up and help our partner shelters, and in this case, the Humane Society of the United States, when they have so many animals that need help.”
SPRINGFIELD — Sam Skura has been named president of Baystate Medical Center and senior vice president of hospital operations for Baystate Health, effective Sept. 12.
A Baystate Health press release states Skura most recently served as chief operating officer reporting to the president at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School’s teaching hospital. He previously was senior vice president of ambulatory and clinical services and chief administrative officer at the same hospital.
Prior to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Skura was vice president of clinical operations at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center; held administrative roles at Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge; was administrative director for Steward Health Care (formerly Caritas Christi Health Care System) in Boston; and held managerial roles at Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Partners Healthcare in Boston and Fallon Healthcare System in Worcester. According to the release, Skura holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, a master’s degree in public health from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Brandeis University.
WESTFIELD — Seven members of the local Civil Air Patrol squadron — including two Franklin County residents — spent July 22 visiting with women and men of the 104th Fighter Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard, and learning about its F-15C fighter jets at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield.
The visit was part of a routine public affairs effort by the 104th Fighter Wing to share its story with the public, according to a Civil Air Patrol press release. The day also served to inspire youth toward aerospace careers through its cadet program.
Five Civil Air Patrol squadrons from across the state were represented at the event.
The program started with an introductory briefing by Capt. Cole “Hannibal” Skinner, one of the 104th Fighter Wing’s pilots, the release states. It included a visit to one of the hangers for an up-close look at one of the F-15s and a chance to ask questions of the aircraft’s crew chief, Technical Sgt. Jared Piubeni. Participants also visited the flight line to observe six of the 64-foot fighters taxi and take off on their training mission.
Civil Air Patrol is the civilian, volunteer auxiliary of the United States Air Force, and one of its main missions is to encourage and foster civil aviation in community aerospace education programs. The Brig. Gen. Arthur J. Pierce Civil Air Patrol Squadron is one of two units in western Massachusetts. It meets weekly in Amherst and uses the Orange Municipal Airport to train for its emergency services role.
Four Franklin County students have been named to the Dean’s List at Endicott College in Beverly for the spring semester.
They are: engineering major Nathan Mousseau, son of Stacey Mousseau and Gabriel Mousseau of Bernardston; nursing major Sydney Unaitis, daughter of Dana Unaitis and Christin Unaitis of Greenfield; nursing major Abigail Zeoli, daughter of Aimee Smith-Zeoli and Michael Zeoli of Sunderland; and nursing major Dominique Whitney, daughter of Michelle Kennedy-Whitney of Whately.
To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must obtain a minimum grade point average of 3.5, receive no letter grade below C, have no withdrawal grades and be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits for the semester.
AMHERST — Below is a list of Franklin County and North Quabbin students who were named to the Dean’s List at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the spring semester.
To qualify, an undergraduate student must receive a 3.5 grade point average or better on a four-point scale.
Rosalie Andrea Kinsey and Noah Finnegan Walls.
Timmothy Bovino, Danielle Dustin Swan and James Gardner Teele.
Isaac Nathaniel Blodgett, Kayleigh Marie Jackman and Daniel Dongwoo Kang.
Reagan Elizabeth DuPree and Emilia Seaver.
Nicholas J. Gray.
Abigail C. Antes.
Lynette Rose Lavigne.
John Colby Putala.
Kate Elizabeth Sprankle.
George John Balis, Aidan James Belanger, Lily Jo Bix-Daw, Jaida Irene Buchanan, Kasia Maria Dobosz, Deyan George Dragicevich, Nikola Dragicevich, Alison Berit Janssen, Grace Kasper, Valerie Kasper, Emily Elizabeth Menard, Camilla Novo, Nicolas Picariello, Milou Rigollaud, Kayleigh Rosanna Van De Mark, Adrian Joseph Wilson and Amelia Jane Worden.
Rebecca Elizabeth Hilyard, Karta Kaur Khalsa Jr., Amanda Melo-Nieves, Hannah Louise Muszynski, Elizaveta Leonidovna Pobezinskaya, Gaelan Peace Schildbach and Margaret Elizabeth Walsh.
Josy Lyn Hunter and Haylie Oleathia Prevett.
Paige Comtois, Gray Davidson Carroll and Emily Marie Laus.
Sophia Lily Apteker, Connor Andrew McCarthy, Austin Douglas Paine and Matthew Joseph McKay Turner.
Timothy William Chappuis, Lily Mariposa Harris-Hendry, Kiana Rochelle McGraw and Alexander Joseph Wahlstrom.
Colin Matthew Boyle, Astrid Elizabeth Conrod, Elizabeth A. Cross, Roger Alan Dirth and Aria L. Flematti.
Dylan Michael Hatch and Nathan Michael Legare.
Abigail Marie Bennett.
Liam Robert Clancy and Jordan Sierra Rice.
Jackson Robert Hicks, Liam Carl Johnson and Matthew Elliot Taylor.
Grace Olivia Lee, Hunter Frederick Lovelace, Austin Joseph Paczkowski, Benjamin Rehorka and Dylan Francis Walter.
Mitchell Kenneth Carson, Natalie Elaine Denkiewicz, Emma Louise Hagan, Ryan Michael Huit, Adrienne Marie Josephs, Ethan J. Lafleur, Alexander Felton Miller, Sophia Stilla and Grace K. Wesoloski.
Halle Maureen Beeltje, Kyle Mark Bouvier, Kiersten Olivia Callery, Andy Chapolini, Robert Campbell Crowley, Brielle Nicole Curley, Cassandra L. D’Agostino, Victoria Laura Donescu, Vasili Eliopoulos, Adrian William Gleasure, Raychel Christine Gomes, Yachen Gong, Carter Alan Gudell, Claire Marie Harrison, Nicholas Chase Harvell, Nishant Jain, Padma Priya Koppula, Justin Edward Lippert, Gina Marie Magin, Selimar Alexandra Malave-Tomei, Deanna Marie Martin, Declan Joseph McMahon, Emily Elaine Merritt, Alejandra Abigail Molina Morales, Nevaeh Noury, Julia D. Oktay, Hanna Elizabeth Popov, Amber Rachele, Nimesha Ratnatunge, Dahlia Riddington, Gilbeom Seo, Kaitlyn Victoria Silva, Andrew Richard Sullivan, Kirsten Anistasia Szala-Krotkov, Justin Alexander Taylor, David Paul Thibodeau, Eric Gerald Trueswell, Jiawen Zhang and Robert Andrew Zina.
Emma Brooks, Bailey Brian Lenarczyk, Jessica Lynne Matheson, Mireya Janet Ortiz and Sean William Sturmer.
Marley Bernard and Thor Penfield Mead.
Kelsey Raskevitz Jarvis.