Latest News
Northampton council OKs about half of $600K midyear request to bring back some school positions
Fighting back at fear: Immigrant defenders’ briefing shares knowledge, resolve
Columnist Bill Newman: Battling Trump’s war on truth
Decade of work in Deerfield bears fruit with solar agreements, generating $6M for town
Answering a need: Now in its 8th year in the public schools, Granby To Go provides families with extra food, other support
Override possible for Hadley’s ‘bare bones’ budget
Around Amherst: UMass doctor earns legislative Black Excellence Award
Guest columnist Mariel E. Addis: What I don’t understand
Report sheds light on cannabis trends: More than $8B in sales, with prices down and potency up
Students answer firefighting call: All-college volunteers staff Engine Co. 3, a 70-year Amherst tradition
AMHERST — Whenever an emergency call is placed, the person facing a crisis places their confidence in that whoever arrives will be a trained professional — capable, skilled and courageous. The image of a firefighter — tough, strong, and always willing to put themselves on the line — is a common ideal in the public’s consciousness. In Amherst, these firefighters may even be local full-time college students.
South Hadley schools latest county district facing funding woes; 20 student-facing positions slated for elimination
SOUTH HADLEY — Danielle Kelly has offered supplemental reading instruction for almost 500 South Hadley students since starting at the district in 2006, preventing 95% of students from needing special education reading supports and boosting literacy rates.
Most Read
Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Amherst for 45 years ID’d for closure
Closure looms this summer for Fish & Wildlife Services HQ in Hadley; 36 probationary workers already fired
54-unit apartment complex in works near former St. John Cantius Church in Northampton
UMass cites policy in ordering Pride flag at campus transit center taken down
Fired Granby veteran suffers through Trump’s speech, equates experience to ‘Jerry Springer Show’
Chester woman buys $2M lottery ticket at King St. Cumby’s in Northampton
Editors Picks
A Look Back, March 7
She’s every woman: Meet the western Mass chapter of the International Order of Mrs. Ropers
Arts Briefs: Magical opera at UMass, ‘Hedwig’ filmmaker at Mount Holyoke, and more
What is possible when you get to the root?: The peer-run Wildflower Alliance redefines mental health care
Sports
UMass basketball: Minutewomen eliminated by Saint Louis in Atlantic 10 second round, 67-57
The UMass women’s basketball team went one-and-done in its final Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament after falling to Saint Louis, 67-57, Thursday night at the Henrico Sports Event Center in Glen Allen, Virginia.
UMass hockey: Huge weekend pair with Maine on tap to close Minutemen’s regular season
Women’s basketball: Smith, Amherst could set up all-Pioneer Valley NCAA tourney showdown
High schools: Top-seeded Williston cruises past St. Paul’s, into NEPSAC Class A semis (PHOTOS)
“Instilling an expectation of success:” How Greg Carvel became UMass hockey program’s all time winningest coachOpinion
George Anderson: More to the utility bill story
I read the Feb.24 story regarding the state DPU proudly proclaiming a 5% reduction in Eversource gas bills starting in March. I have to say I was quite underwhelmed by the amount of the reduction.
Deb Friedman: Mass deportation is Trump's gift to for-profit detention center contractors
Guest columnist Michael Carolan: A distant cousin helped run off Redcoats on eve of Revolution
Guest columnist Elly Vaughan: Indigenous land stewardship can safeguard food webs in the 413
Guest columnist Joseph Blumenthal: What’s U.S. word worth with Trump shredding contracts?
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
Making News in Business, March 7
NORTHAMPTON — The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce has hired Nia Stimage-Norwood as a program assistant and promoted Jack Brown to marketing director.
Food is in their DNA: New Holyoke restaurant Casa del Pollo offers African American soul food and Latin cuisines 
Clothing retailer J. Crew eyes summer opening at Mountain Farms Mall in Hadley 
Collective Copies renovating Florence store into new headquarters, will close Amherst location 
Business of video games: Digital Development Management has found success helping game developers find larger audience e-Edition
Arts & Life
‘On Golden Pond,’ directed by a therapist: Easthampton Theater Company will stage play about complex relationships later this month
In the play “On Golden Pond,” three generations of a family reconnect at a summer home in Maine, exposing complicated relationships and vulnerabilities. Easthampton Theater Company’s upcoming production of the show runs the weekends of March 15-16 and March 21-23 at Williston Theater.
Speaking of Nature: Opportunity taken: Omnivorous scavengers eat just about anything during the tough months of winter
Climb every mountain: Valley photographer’s new book chronicles transformative Appalachian Trail thru-hike
Aging With Adventure: The challenge of caring
Valley Bounty: Makes sense, saves cents: Local CSA programs advantageous for farms and consumersObituaries
Claudette Piekarski
Easthampton, MA - Born on July 19,1948 in Berlin, NH. She was the daughter of Simone and Emile Deschene. Claudette quit school in the 7th grade and went to work in a laundry facility with her mother. By the age of 18 she had married the... remainder of obit for Claudette Piekarski
Carole Skubiszewski
Florence, MA - Carole (Pothier) Skubiszewski passed away on February 22, 2025 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Born on February 4, 1943 in Northampton to Frances and Stacia (Popiolek) Pothier. Carole attended Northampton schools. She spen... remainder of obit for Carole Skubiszewski
Lawrence Birkholz
Amherst, MA - Lawrence C. Birkholz, 86, passed away peacefully at the Fisher House on February 27, 2025. He was surrounded by family and excellent hospice caregivers. Larry was born in 1938 in Minnesota and raised on a family farm, own... remainder of obit for Lawrence Birkholz
Betty Jean Grayson
NORTHAMPTON, MA - Betty Jean Grayson, 66, of West Street in Northampton passed away on Feb. 11, 2025. She lived in Boston and worked as a certified nursing assistant. She moved to Northampton in 2006, and attended Holyoke Community Coll... remainder of obit for Betty Jean Grayson
