Mass. Town Spending $20K In COVID Relief Money On TMNT Manhole Covers

A Massachusetts town is spending $20,000 in funds from a COVID-19 relief program to give some of its manhole covers a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles makeover.

The Western Mass. city of Northampton is providing the funds to the Northampton Vibrance Committee to design and create four manhole covers based on the TMNT series. Northampton received $4 million from the COVID stimulus initiative called the American Rescue Plan, according to local news affiliate WCVB.

Why is this happening in Northampton? That's where Mirage Studios, the original creators of the TMNT comic book series, called home for a period of time.

The manhole covers will be featured on Northampton's Main Street, and will presumably be themed around the four famous turtles--Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.

The Northampton Vibrancy Project is a government project that aims to revitalize Northampton's downtown business community after the pandemic negatively impacted local businesses.

2022's TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is the latest TMNT video game. A new TMNT animated movie, Mutant Mayhem, is in production and set for release this year from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.