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ELA-20260219

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FEBRUARY 19, 2026 | FREE

IN THIS

EDITION EAST LONGMEADOW

School Committee moves ahead to next budgeting steps The East Longmeadow School Committee voted to formalize step one of its fiscal year 2027 budget at its meeting on Feb. 9.

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LONGMEADOW

LACCF to celebreate America 250 throughout the year To celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday, the Longmeadow Adult Community Center Fund is sponsoring a year long lecture and event series, focused on bringing people together through learning, reflection and community engagement.

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Town revokes liquor license from A’s Smoke Shop By Peter Tuohy

ptuohy@thereminder.com

EAST LONGMEADOW — After a disciplinary hearing during its Feb. 10 meeting, the East Longmeadow Town Council voted unanimously to revoke the off-premises retail beer and malt beverage license of A’s Smoke Shop after going through over 70 pages of evidence. Town Council President Connor O’Shea said that the allegations include the sale of alcohol to minors and the unlawful sale of individually packaged pills, suspected to be prescription medication. The council found these not to be isolated incidents, but occurred in the context of repeated compliance concerns involving age-restricted sales demonstrating a pattern of inadequate internal controls, insufficient supervision of staff and a failure to take corrective action after prior warnings. Police Chief Mark Williams addressed concerns heard and observed regarding A’s Smoke Shop and allegations of alcohol sales to minors. Williams said Detective Anthony Dieni received information about an investigation into the shop. “Around the spring time of 2025, Detective Dieni was made

aware of an ongoing criminal investigation involving A’s Smoke Shop involving both state and federal agencies,” Williams said. “Earlier in the school year, [East Longmeadow High School] Resource Officer Michael Healey started hearing rumors of A’s selling alcohol to underage students. SRO Healey spoke with multiple students and school personnel about these concerns, and some students admitted to being able to purchase alcohol at A’s without showing an ID at all.” Williams also said some students admitted to buying smoking paraphernalia prohibited to minors. On Oct. 31, 2025, the Longmeadow Police Department located a case of alcohol in a vehicle being driven by a teenager during a traffic stop, who claimed he had purchased it at A’s. He added that in December 2025, a parent had come into William’s office and showed an alcoholic beverage he had just taken from his teenage daughter. “He told me she had purchased it at A’s and that she and other kids were regularly buying alcohol from there,” Williams said. “He expressed frustration over the seeming lack of enforcement efforts, which I completely understood, but had my reasoning. I’ll

A’s Smoke Shop Owner Ali Sher gives testimony to the East Longmeadow Town Council during a Feb. 10 meeting. Photo credit: ELCAT01028

make clear those decisions were solely mine on the steps that we took at that time and didn’t take.” Williams said he spoke with Town Manager Tom Christensen about the concerns around the holiday period and in January, he was made aware of a warning letter sent by O’Shea to A’s. By that point, there were officers working with the Alcoholic Beverages Control Committee for surveillance operations. Customers going in and out were observed, but

nobody seemingly underage was spotted on that night. Other incidents include multiple responses to overdoses outside of A’s as well as a physical fight outside the building. Other claims about marijuana sales at the shop could not be verified. Williams said his request for the hearing was made because of the search warrant on Jan. 28, See LICENSE on page 4

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