GREENFIELD — A Franklin County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant recently received a Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association award for displaying exceptional courage, determination and dedication during an attempted rescue effort earlier this year.
Ben Goody was one of three people to be named a Deputy Sheriff of the Year during the 2025 Law Enforcement & Corrections Awards Ceremony at the State House on Nov. 13. Of the 17 total award recipients, Goody was the only one working in Franklin County.
“A couple weeks ago, the sheriff contacted me and just asked me to come in. And I actually didn’t even know I had been nominated for this award,” Goody recalled. “I was surprised and thankful. It really made me feel recognized. I was like, ‘Wow, they’re recognizing the work I put in.’ And that’s a good feeling, when you’re recognized.”
The 34-year-old was nominated by interim Sheriff Lori Streeter, who made her decision based on Goody’s actions on the day that 65-year-old Westfield resident Matthew Nedorostek died after falling into a sand-filled silo at a Chicopee Concrete Service worksite off Cleveland Street on Jan. 24.
“Obviously, we didn’t know the extent of what was happening then,” Goody recalled, noting that initial reports indicated Nedorostek had just slipped below the surface of the sand and might still be near the top of the silo. “We were trying to dig the sand out.”
Streeter praised Goody’s work at the scene with Greenfield Police Officer Patrick Merrigan.
“The day of the unfortunate incident — he wasn’t actually even assigned to that, he just responded — and [he] and Officer Merrigan literally were doing everything they [could], jumping in, trying to, obviously, rescue this individual,” Streeter said. “It’s just an unfortunate thing. They did an amazing job.”
The nearly eight-hour rescue and recovery effort involved more than 50 police and firefighters from across the county.
Goody was hired as a corrections officer 11 years ago and Streeter said he quickly moved up the ranks. Goody also runs the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit and handles Reno, a German shepherd born in Slovakia in 2021.
“[Goody] has taken the position to a new level,” Streeter said. “He’s done an amazing job.”
In advance of the awards ceremony, members of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association vote on the nominations submitted for the 10 award categories.
“It is a privilege to celebrate the remarkable contributions of law enforcement and corrections professionals who go above and beyond in service to others,” Hampshire County Sheriff Patrick Cahillane, president of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, said in a statement. “Their courage, innovation and leadership make our correctional facilities and communities stronger and safer every day.”