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By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — In both Hadley and Northampton, as well in as other communities throughout the Connecticut River Valley, Black women were among those enslaved by the region’s European settlers in the 1600s and by those living in Massachusetts until slavery...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Town officials are undertaking a plan to ensure the remaining $3.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds yet to be spent are not lost during a change in presidential administrations in Washington, D.C., and possible punitive actions...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — Putting a standing seam sheet metal roof or synthetic slate on the roof of the Hadley Public Library, or making significant modifications of the roof’s perimeter to allow better venting, could address problems in the four-year-old building,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — On a recommendation from the Board of Assessors, the Select Board adopted a single tax rate for fiscal year 2025 of $13.25 per $1,000 valuation this month, an approximately 4.3% decrease from FY24.Sticking with past practices, the Select...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — New school traffic zones for both the Amherst Regional Middle and High schools are being established by the Town Council.At the middle school, 20 mph signs will installed be on the south side of Chestnut Street and the east side of High...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

A prominent shopping plaza’s Newton-based owner is pledging to preserve the Big Y Supermarket, CVS Pharmacy, Dunkin’ and other assorted businesses, even if the property is included in a new overlay district aimed at encouraging more residential...

By CHRIS LARABEE

SOUTH DEERFIELD — After a national search, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) has found a new executive director right here in the Pioneer Valley. The agency has chosen Jennifer Core, a Warwick resident and farmer with a background...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

SHUTESBURY — Residents who pushed to get a new wetlands protection bylaw into place in Shutesbury are asking the Conservation Commission to adopt an updated associated set of regulations to ensure the bylaw can be enforced.“No regulations means we are...

By CAROLYN BROWN

The album “Free to Be… You and Me,” released by Marlo Thomas in 1972, inspired a generation to think beyond gender stereotypes. Now, the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst is celebrating the “Free to Be...” project’s lasting legacy and impact in a new...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Sixth-graders at the town’s three elementary schools will relocate to a standalone Sixth Grade Academy in the fall of 2026, a move that will come at the same time as the opening of a new elementary school and a townwide redistricting for...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Two Hampshire County organizations that provide support for individuals struggling with homelessness during the cold winter months are receiving a combined $1.25 million from the state to expand services.The recipients, Craig’s Doors of Amherst and...

By RUSS VERNON-JONES

Many of us are wondering how we can be most effective in blocking authoritarianism from completely taking over the United States now that Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are about to assume political power. This is not an easy question, but it’s...

RFK Jr.’s plans for eliminating both vaccinations and fluoride in drinking water are dangerous and radical ideas that will make the American population, especially our children, less healthy and will cause catastrophic medical problems. The vaccines...

As a UMass alum, longtime basketball fan, and human being, I am appalled by the behavior of the UMass basketball coach, Frank Martin. His screaming in the face of his players in front of an arena full of fans is nothing less than abuse, not to mention...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman is being provided a 3% boost in his annual salary, pushing it above $200,000, in recognition of his high performance in his annual evaluation.Town Council on Dec. 16y voted 11-0, with one member absent and...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

NORTHAMPTON — Even many in Donald Trump’s circle are unsure whether the president-elect intends to follow through on his often expansive, and some would say, hyperbolic rhetoric — the kind of exaggerated speech that heralded a “big, beautiful wall”...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Over the past 15 years, five mixed-use buildings, each rising to five stories, have been constructed in downtown Amherst, developments that have significantly affected the look and feel of the town’s commercial center.After a 40-year or so...

By CHRIS LARABEE

From 1952 to 2008, children in Deerfield had an opportunity to write letters to Santa Claus and, after some time, a letter from the big man himself would be sent back to the child.Now, decades later after many of the letters were likely forgotten, a...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

NORTHAMPTON — Hampshire County Sheriff Patrick J. Cahillane will be following state law and the Massachusetts Constitution by not responding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers based solely on people’s immigration status.In a recent...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — An average homeowner will have a higher-than-usual $272 increase in property taxes next year, due in part to the costs for renovating the locker rooms at Hopkins Academy.The Select Board approved a series of recommendations from the Board of...