News
Mission with a vision: Granby Lions Club completes free eye screenings on some 400 children in two-town region
By EMILEE KLEIN
Luka Azeuedo, who is just under 2 years old, squirms in the arms Alphabet Soup Childcare Center emplyee Casey Rougeau while she positions him to look into a small black machine playing bird sounds and flashing blue, green and red dots.“Can you find...
Amherst parents worry about dual language program’s future at Fort River
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Families with children enrolled in Caminantes, the dual language program at Fort River School, are raising concerns about whether Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman will support its continuation, after she identified a series of issues with...
Black Amherst churches separated a century ago bridging divide with worship service
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — On Sunday afternoon, for the first time in well over 100 years, Amherst’s two African American churches will join in a Service of Worship and Fellowship.Starting at 4 p.m. at Hope Community Church, 16 Gaylord St., the congregations of...
Frontier Regional School Committee backs existing homeschooler policy for extracurricular activities
By CHRIS LARABEE
SOUTH DEERFIELD — After hearing from more than a dozen speakers earlier this month, as well as submitted written comments, Frontier Regional School’s policy regarding homeschooler participation in extracurricular activities will remain the...
Amherst College leasing Hastings building, new build downtown for students
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — An Amherst developer’s intent to turn a five-story mixed-use building under construction into housing exclusively for 63 Amherst College students is raising concerns for some observers.While the Planning Board at its Oct. 16 meeting approved...
Amherst council adopts tougher nuisance property bylaw
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Municipal building inspectors and town police officers will soon have a mechanism for ensuring problem properties that affect the quality of life in Amherst neighborhoods, such as residences holding frequent loud parties with underage...
Committee on board with Amherst Regional school merger proposal
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — The idea of moving seventh and eighth graders to Amherst Regional High School, potentially turning the Amherst Regional Middle School building into an innovation center, is being greeted with cautious optimism by members of the Regional...
Leena’s Place in Belchertown faces state alcohol violation for allegedly serving 22 shots of liquor to underage employees
By EMILEE KLEIN
BELCHERTOWN — A Belchertown restaurant is facing charges for allegedly serving 22 shots of liquor to three underage employees over a six-hour period in early August, one of whom got into a car crash while driving under the influence in Ludlow a short...
Amherst Regional board backs ending MCAS requirement for graduation
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — A referendum question on the state’s November election ballot seeking to eliminate the requirement that public high school students pass the MCAS test to graduate is being endorsed by the Amherst Regional School Committee.The committee voted...
UMass geothermal power project alarms residents
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Drilling of geothermal wells in Lot 31 off Governors Drive is set to begin next month at the University of Massachusetts, a project that will allow two large classroom buildings under construction to be powered by renewable energy when they...
Around Amherst: Chamber picks honorees for annual A+ Awards
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Several individuals in Amherst and the region, including a longtime educator at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment and a former executive director of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, are being recognized as part of the...
Belchertown police chief appeals gun license ruling
By EMILEE KLEIN
BELCHERTOWN — Police Chief Kevin Pacunas is appealing an Eastern Hampshire District Court judge’s ruling that reversed his decision to deny a resident’s application for a gun license.In his appeal to Hampshire Superior Court, filed Sept. 23, Pacunas...
Shutesbury town administrator offered job in Sunderland
By CHRIS LARABEE
SUNDERLAND — After four consecutive interviews with finalists for the vacant town administrator position, the Select Board has settled on Shutesbury Town Administrator Rebecca Torres.In a unanimous vote, the Sunderland Select Board voted to put...
Amherst Cinema workers press for salary bump
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Employees with the Amherst Cinema Workers United are pushing for salary changes to the existing contract with management of the nonprofit cinema so that the 13 members of the front-of-house staff, who oversee the box office and concessions...
Virtual event Tuesday to launch Hands Across the Hills book
By SCOTT MERZBACH
LEVERETT — A seven-year effort to bring together progressives in western Massachusetts and more conservative residents of rural eastern Kentucky, for conversations and sometimes intense dialogues about their political and cultural differences, is...
Deerfield Town Meeting voters OK $3.8M for 1888 Building while St. James Church draws discussion
By CHRIS LARABEE
DEERFIELD — With $3.8 million in Community Preservation Act money approved, the 1888 Building rehabilitation project can move forward.While the big-ticket project was approved with no discussion, it was a housekeeping article regarding the St. James...
Granby voters to consider new leash laws, property tax work off program at special TM on Monday
By EMILEE KLEIN
GRANBY — A special Town Meeting next week will give residents a chance to approve a property tax work-off program for seniors and veterans and adopt a new animal control bylaw with stricter leash laws.Voters will discuss the six-article warrant...
State reports 100% negative results for bird flu in dairy herds
By MARA MELLITS
Earlier this year, a nationwide outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in cows caused panic for dairy farmers everywhere. Now, Massachusetts has become the only state to test all of its dairy herds, from 95 farms, and achieve 100% negative...
UMass Medical School professor co-recipient of Nobel Prize
By EMMA ROTH-WELLS
HARTLAND, Vt. — Born in Hanover, New Hampshire, and raised on a family farm in Hartland, Vermont, University of Massachusetts Medical School professor Victor Ambros said his early life prepared him for life as a scientist.“Farmers are...
‘A beautiful time of the year’: New state foliage map helps residents, tourists make autumn plans
By ADA DENENFELD KELLY
As peak fall foliage season arrives, experts predict a season as brilliant as ever.“The fall in New England is notoriously beautiful, and we have no reason to doubt that we’re going to have another beautiful fall foliage display this October,” says...