Mass RMV Special License Plate Lottery for 250th Anniversary Plate Still Open

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BOSTON — The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) announced that it is still accepting applications in a special lottery until 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 17, for low number license plates celebrating the country's 250th anniversary. 
 
With only a month to go, applicants can learn more about application rules at Mass.Gov/MA250Plate, and, while there is no cost to apply for the lottery, there are costs should an applicant be selected during the lottery. Approximately 30,000 Massachusetts residents have entered the lottery so far. 
 
For lottery winners, all specialty plates carry a biennial $40.00 special plate fee, along with a registration fee of $60.00 if applicable. The initial registration fee may vary depending upon the applicant's current plate expiration date and the expiration date of the winning plate number. Rules related to the low plate number lottery and eligibility requirements are available here.  
 
The special low plate lottery is a partnership between the RMV and the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission. A drawing is planned for May 7, and residents will be able to watch the event online via the RMV website. Following the event, results will be available on the RMV website. In addition, lottery plate applicants will be sent a notification from the RMV to the email address they provided in their lottery entry.  
 
The "Massachusetts 250 Years of Independence" plate is emblematic red, white, and blue and is now the most popular specialty plate in the Commonwealth with more than 57,000 issued in just over nine months. The plate features a blue background, with the year "1776" surrounded by 13 stars and the phrase "250 Years of Independence" at the bottom. There are 1000 plates available through the lottery, numbered from 1-999 and including the symbolic sequence of 1776.  
 
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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive. 

On Friday evening, the Pittsfield Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Dr. in about an hour. 

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.  

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children.  The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation.  One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue. 

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 ½ story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out. 

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release. 

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