Non-credible bomb threat at PMS
PUTNAM — Last week, a Putnam Middle School student’s email account was compromised, and a bomb threat was sent out in a foreign language through the school system’s network, according to Police Chief Christopher Ferace.
The message was automatically translated into English through the system’s settings.
The Putnam Police Department, working closely with Putnam School System personnel, determined that the threat was non-credible.
No Putnam student was involved, and the threat did not originate locally.
This incident is being reviewed in connection with a series of similar school-related threats recently reported in the region. The Putnam Police Department continues to coordinate with local, state, and federal law-enforcement partners as part of this ongoing investigation, Ferace said.
The Public Police Department increased its presence in the area of the public schools throughout the day as a precautionary measure.
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Briefly
$35,000+ Raised
PUTNAM — The annual Day Kimball Health Bartender fund-rasier teams collected a record-breaking $35,647.08.
Joins Bank
JEWETT CITY — Sunil Pallan has joined Jewett City Savings Bank as vice president Commercial Credit manager. Pallan has 40 years of extensive experience leading credit functions, underwriting, portfolio management, and regulatory compliance practices. His wealth of knowledge in the field extends not only across the United States but also to Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and South Asia. A graduate of Strathmore College School of Accountancy in Nairobi, Kenya, Pallan is an accounting major and a Certified Public Accountant designation CPA(K).
Funding Help
OXFORD, Mass. — bankHometown celebrated its success of its Funding Their Futures program, a community-driven initiative that supports local education while helping to strengthen the communities it serves. In 2025, the program raised more than $20,000, benefiting 16 local schools, school systems, and educational foundations. Local donations went to: Brooklyn Public Schools, Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation Inc., the Putnam School District, Thompson Public Schools, Webster Public Schools, and the Woodstock Education Foundation. Also: Athol-Royalston Regional School District, Auburn Public Schools, Leominster Public Schools, Millbury Public Schools, the Nashoba Regional School District, Oxford Public Schools, Quinsigamond Elementary School, Sutton Public Schools, the Tantasqua Regional School District, the Vernon Hill School.
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Softball Preview
Sampson now at the helm of Centaurs softball team
For the third time in three years, the Woodstock Academy softball program will have a new head coach.
But Mike Sampson is a known quantity to many of the Centaurs.
“The four seniors, Kaylee Ziarko, Campbell Favreau, , Maci Corradi and Ellary Sampson have all played for me since they were U-12’s with the Connecticut Renegades, based out of Woodstock. So, they have played the last five years in summer ball and before that, I coached them in Little League so they have been with me for a while,” Sampson said.
Sampson takes over for former Woodstock Academy player Hannah Burgess who guided the team to an 8-13 finish in her first and only year as head coach.
Ellary Sampson probably knows him better than most as he is the catcher’s father.
“I’m really happy. My Dad has coached me my whole life so I might as well end my Woodstock career with him,” the senior said with a smile.
“I’ve been playing for him for as long as I can remember,” Favreau added. “It’s going to be awesome. We’re going to have great chemistry.”
Ellary Sampson will be important for a couple of reasons for the Centaurs.
She led the team in hitting a year ago with a .516 batting average including three homers and 21 runs batted in.
But Ellary Sampson may play a larger role in the field.
She is a senior catcher and Woodstock will need that stability behind the plate as the Centaurs top two pitchers, Grace Delsanto, who finished with a 5-9 record in the circle, and Kaya Nichols (2-4) have both graduated.
“She has handled the staff since she was a sophomore and we’re going to put more on her shoulders this year in terms of calling the pitches and calling the game. We will see how she does with that but she does have a lot of experience back there. I think we’re in good hands,” Mike Sampson said.
Ziarko, who pitched in only three games for the Centaurs last year, but pitched well in the summer for the Renegades will be the No. 1 hurler. She will be backed up by freshman Janelle Elliott, junior Julia Tellier and sophomore Faith Sortwell.
“I have been catching for Kaylee my whole life and she is amazing and we do have a junior, sophomore and some freshmen who can pitch. I think it’s tremendous that the freshmen can keep up us seniors because we’re going to need them,” Ellary Sampson added.
Another freshman, Olivia Rasmussen, will likely start at first base with Favreau and Ella Chitmanotham playing either second or third and Corradi between them at short.
Corradi (.312, 9 RBIs last year) will be counted upon for offense as will Favreau (.290, 9 RBIs), Ziarko and Chitmanotham (.283).
“I really like the returners we have in the field,” Mike Sampson said. “Maci is an excellent shortstop, Ella and Campbell both have good gloves and Olivia has looked good at first in the preseason. The outfield is a bit of a question mark.”
Sophomores Sortwell and Carolina Ethier and junior Tasha Oatley will all likely see time as could Elliott and another freshman, Lillian Dumond.
“I think this is a growing program so we just want to do the best we can, focusing on one game at a time. We just want to work together because we have a lot of new girls in the field,” Favreau said.
Mike Sampson would be happy with a return trip to the state tournament.
“That’s a realistic goal, to get to that eight-win mark. Hopefully, we can compete in Division II of the (ECC). I’m optimistic. I think we have a good team. I love this freshman class. I think it has a lot of talent and they’re going to step right in and play some big innings,” the first-year Woodstock Academy coach said.
The Centaurs will open with a morning game as they host Rockville in a non-league contest scheduled for Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
captions:
Softball seniors
(Left to right) Campbell Favreau, Kaylee Ziarko, Ellary Sampson and Maci Corradi will be the four senior leaders for the Woodstock Academy softball team this season.
Mike Sampson takes over as head coach of the Woodstock Academy softball team this season.
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: Woodstock Academy softball players got ready for a chilly preseason game on Saturday against Griswold inside the Alumni Fieldhouse.
Photos by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy.
PSA baseball team has successful trip to South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is the epicenter of the Grand Strand- a 60-mile stretch of beaches. If runs were measured in beach miles, the Putnam Science Academy baseball team would nearly cover the Strand.
The team scored a total of 54 runs in South Carolina to open the 2026 season, averaging 9 runs a game, returning home with a 6-0 record. The offensive explosion was by design, according to Justin DeJesus. “Everybody was on the go, nobody was taking bad takes. We were ready to swing and it worked out for us.” The strong showing by the team has instilled great confidence up and down the roster, according to DeJesus. “We played great out there and I feel like that started a good season for us,” said DeJesus.
The pitching staff was outstanding, to say the least. Jacob Mondo threw 5 perfect innings, with 6 strikeouts, for the Mustangs in the 13-0 win against West Greene High School last Thursday. Andres Jurado followed that up by stifling the Jefferson-Morgan offense in 4 innings of work. Jurado gave up 0 runs and struck out 6 in his outing. In Game 1 against West Greene High School, an 18-2 Putnam Science Academy win, Omar Rodriguez kept the pristine pitching performances going with a 4-inning, 10-strikeout performance. During the six-games the Mustangs played Jayson Serrano learned the team is only scratching the surface of what it can become throughout the season. “We have a really good team overall. We worked a lot together, there’s definitely a lot of chemistry. There’s so much more we could do better as a team. But, so far, for the first 6 games it looks great,” Serrano said. The key to driving this success forward, according to Serrano, is to not underestimate the opponents ahead for the Mustangs. As well as the basics, “to play hard every game. If we have the chance to mercy every team that we play, we’ll try our best to accomplish that goal.”
By Ben Heacox
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