Latest News
Showdown looms over Northampton school budget
Winds whip Goshen brush fire caused by illegal burning
Williamsburg’s ‘tired’ town office building on Main Street getting needed spruce up
Amherst School Committee OK’s budget with no classroom layoffs, but spending plan is $500K more than town recommends
Area briefs: Honoring Vietnam War vets on Saturday; Transhealth accepting new pediatric patients; Events for child abuse awareness month; Holyoke Sikh flag-raising
Legislation inspired by a Leverett family allows school bus monitoring systems
Guest columnist Donald Joralemon: First, they came for the idea of the common good
Around Amherst: Youth authors Clare, Black kicking off ‘Conversations’ series
Putting themselves on the line: Activists say nonviolent protests focus attention, inspire others, drive change
Valley residents have been witnessing growing numbers of their neighbors standing out in the rain, wind and cold toting colorful signs and passionate messages.
USDA yanks $4.3M in aid to state food banks
NORTHAMPTON — A decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to terminate a $3.4 million allocation to Massachusetts for purchase of 121,830 cases of food items, including eggs, chicken, milk, fruit, pasta, beans and salmon for food banks across the state is being criticized by representatives of food security organizations and the Healey-Driscoll administration.
Most Read
Northampton Housing Authority boss placed on leave
Area briefs: Easthampton woman wins lottery; Magic for Maddie 3v3 tourney; Free screening of ‘Recovery City’; Home & Garden Show kicks off Thursday
NCAA Div. 1 Men’s Ice Hockey: UMass to face Minnesota in regional match-up on Thursday
Area property deed transfers, March 28
WMass legislative delegation urges Healey to speed up judge nominations
Feedback mixed for 3-building, 140 housing units near Atkins Corner in Amherst
Editors Picks
Fire ravages Lincoln Street home in Holyoke
Photo: Budding artists to sell wares at UMass show
Arts Briefs: Opportunities for local creatives, All Hamptons Read, Jewish Film Fest, and more
Historic speech echoes two centuries later: ‘A Light Under the Dome’ recalls the first American woman to speak to a legislative body
Sports
UMass Men’s Basketball: Three Minutemen enter transfer portal
AMHERST — Well, it didn’t take long for Division 1 men’s basketball players to take advantage of the transfer portal opening on Monday. As of Friday morning, there are already more than 1,000 total D1 men’s players in the portal. Some of them are still playing in the NCAA Tournament right now. Three of them have departed from UMass.
NCAA Div. 1 Men’s Ice Hockey: UMass stuns Minnesota 5-4 in OT, advances to regional final 
High Schools: Hopkins softball opens season with 10-0 win over Granby (PHOTOS)
UMass football notebook: New offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian speaks with media for first time, Minutemen players participate in pro day
NCAA Div. 3 Women’s Ice Hockey: Mammoths set sights on national titleOpinion
Marc Warner: Mayoral competence? Look at results
While the writers of the March 21 letter, “Mayor Sciarra, a competent, compassionate leader,” list several examples of what they see as the Northampton mayor’s compassion, they’re pretty thin on their basis for declaring her competence. The one item they raise of any possible relevance here — she’s “a whiz at budgets and spreadsheets” — is an awfully low bar for someone at the top of the organizational chart for a $137 million per year operation. A better measure of mayoral competence is to look at results.
Rosemary Seifert-Graf: We must protect IMLS
Bob Gardner: In defense of Hatfield Housing Board member
Douglas Amy: Undocumented immigrants' contributions
Robin Jaffin: Silence is not an option
Your Daily Puzzles
An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."
A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.
Chess but with chaos: Every day is a unique, wacky board.
Word search but as a strategy game. Clearing the board feels really good.
Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
Business
Consumer Corner with Anita Wilson: Spam texts a growing threat to consumers
Have you gotten a text message saying you owe money for unpaid tolls?
Spreading the Mexican spice: After five years in Florence, Masa Mexicano spreads its wings with second location in Belchertown
Area property deed transfers, March 28
Making News in Business, March 28
State pilot program puts restaurant takeout meals on food aid menus around regione-Edition
Arts & Life
‘His notes will linger forever’: Remembering Young@Heart accordionist and Springfield College professor Chris Haynes
Chris Haynes, longtime accordionist for the Young@Heart Chorus and associate professor emeritus of music at Springfield College, died on Wednesday, March 12.
Valley Bounty: And on that farm she had a bit of everything: Little Brook Farm in Sunderland is a labor of love for farmer Kristen Whittle
Women’s history told through clothing: Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club to host ‘Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore’ author, April 9
‘A woman who should be remembered’: New play about the life of Frances Perkins, the brains behind FDR’s New Deal, April 5 and 11
Declutter your mind, with some help: Local author offers 201 prompts of ‘Fierce Encouragement’ to aspiring writersObituaries
Dawn Susanne Gavin
Brewster, MA - Susanne (McPeck) Gavin, also known as "Auntie Sue," to those who knew her, passed away in Hospice care in Brewster, Massachusetts, at the age of 89. A native of Boston, she was born to John and Thelma (Shaw) McPeck. Susan... remainder of obit for Dawn Susanne Gavin
Barbara Anne Murnane
Barbara Anne "Barb" Murnane Leeds, MA - Barbara Anne "Barb" Murnane died peacefully in her sleep at Linda Manor in the early morning hours of March 24, 2025. She was 97. Born on July 25, 1927 in Somerville, MA to John D. and Jessie Polle... remainder of obit for Barbara Anne Murnane
Eugenia W. Herbert
Eugenia W. ("Fi") Herbert South Hadley, MA - EUGENIA W. HERBERT, Historian of Africa and South Asia Eugenia "Fi" Herbert died peacefully on March 10, 2025, surrounded by her family and friends. Fi was 95. Following her graduation from ... remainder of obit for Eugenia W. Herbert
Ruth M. Dresser
Ruth M. (Mollison) Dresser GOSHEN, MA - Ruth Eleanor (Mollison) Dresser, 97, passed away Friday, March 21, 2025, at home. She was born on August 20, 1927, in Goshen on the family farm, the daughter of John Stewart Mollison and Emeline To... remainder of obit for Ruth M. Dresser
