Good morning, Springfield.

Forest Park Zoo hosted its Spooky Safari event on Saturday, offering a trick-or-treat trail, crafts, scavenger hunt and animal encounters for families—a final chance to visit before the zoo closed for the season.

Preregistration was required, with tickets at $23 for adults, $8 for children, and $9 for seniors.

Jewish Family Service welcomed Lindsay Rowe as its new Development manager; she brings nonprofit and community experience from Congregation B’nai Israel and an MBA background, and her role is expected to enhance local outreach efforts.

Smith & Wesson bought Savage Arms for $160M in a stock and cash deal that creates the nation’s largest firearms manufacturer.

The company plans to install 20 new computer-controlled machines at its Springfield plant on Roosevelt Avenue by year-end.

St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church is hosting its 49th annual Armenian Food Festival on Saturday, Oct.

24 from noon to 7 p.m. at 135 Goodwin St. in Indian Orchard—organizers say the event celebrates heritage and community through recipes passed down for generations.

Springfield Symphony Chamber Players will perform the SSCP Flute Quartet at 52 Sumner at 3 p.m. on Nov.

15. Flutist Ellen Redman leads a quartet with violinist Marsha Harbison, violist Ronald Gorevic & cellist Boris Kogan in an intimate chamber music event.

Massachusetts breweries made headlines this month as Worcester’s Wormtown Brewery won gold for its Summer Ale at the Great American Beer Festival, beating 34 entries and strengthening local craft beer’s reputation, while local favorites Droppin’ Cones + Garageland offer fresh hoppy profiles amid a trend of more closings than openings.

Yesterday, volunteers from MGM Springfield and Winterberry Landscaping cleared overgrown vegetation at Brunton Elementary to address a longstanding safety concern, paving the way for an outdoor learning space for reading, lunches, and group activities.

Principal Tom Mazza said the project was supported by a $10,000 grant.

The first $500K prize was claimed in the new $5 scratch ticket game, $500,000 Color Blast Bingo, when a ticket was sold at Page Convenience in Springfield.

The game debuted on Aug. 11 with three prizes & now two remain available.

Federal changes and staffing shortages have reduced SNAP benefits in Springfield by 17.65% since June 2025, affecting thousands and costing local grocers nearly $1.89 million annually.

This week, the Legislature is considering a $28 million proposal to hire 200 new case workers (to improve access).

Stratum Dermatology in Springfield now offers image-guided superficial radiation therapy — a non-surgical option for early non-melanoma skin cancer that avoids cutting and scarring.

The clinic expects patients to complete 20 short sessions with cure rates reaching 99% when detected early.

Western Mass girls volleyball rankings released on Wednesday, Oct.

21 show Longmeadow remains the top team heading into the postseason — they secured sweeping wins over Amherst and Baystate Academy while Springfield Central bolstered their record with three wins. Future playoff matchups will test their strong performances.