The public's agenda: meetings in area communities

Amherst

TODAY: Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall

WEDNESDAY: Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall

THURSDAY: Community Preservation Act Committee, 7 p.m., Town Room Town Hall; Finance Committee, 7 p.m., site to be announced

FRIDAY: Joint Capital Planning Committee, 8:30 a.m., Town Room, Town Hall

Belchertown

Strong earthquake rattles Japan

Strong earthquake rattles Japan

TOKYO (AP) - A strong magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit off the eastern coast of Japan on Sunday, rattling buildings across a broad swath of the country, including the crowded capital.

There were no reports of casualties, with only light damage to structures near the epicenter, according to local officials.

Longtime Belchertown Selectman Michael Reardon stepping down

BELCHERTOWN - Michael Reardon, a four term member of the Board of Selectmen here, announced he was stepping down from his position last week, creating an opening on the board he has served on for the last 12 years and clearing the field of an incumbent in what promises to be a hotly contested Board of Selectmen's race later this year.

Mortgage plan aids 16% of borrowers

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration's mortgage relief plan has helped only about 16 percent of borrowers who signed up since its launch last year, while hundreds of thousands of homeowners remain in limbo.

Stocks end mixed after mixed reports

NEW YORK - Mixed economic reports held the stock market to only modest moves Friday but gains for the week were strong.

Uneven figures on retail sales and consumer confidence gave investors little new insight into the economy.

Chinese zoo blamed for death of 11 Siberian tigers

BEIJING - Eleven rare Siberian tigers have died at a wildlife park in a startling case that activists say hints at unsavory practices among some zoos and animal farms in China: They are overbreeding endangered animals in the hopes of making illicit profit on their carcasses.

Dems seek agreement, quick vote on health care

WASHINGTON (AP) - Under White House pressure to act swiftly, House and Senate Democratic leaders reached for agreement Friday on President Barack Obama's health care bill, sweetened suddenly by fresh billions for student aid and a sense that breakthroughs are at hand.