
Fare questions: Local school meals face healthy criticism
NORTHAMPTON — It’s been a year since the Universal Free School Meals Act passed in Massachusetts, making lunch and breakfast free across the state for K-12 students.

Soft sculptures rise: High school students bring designs of kindergartners alive through ‘stuffie’ arts collaboration
AMHERST — Entirely knit with black yarn surrounding a foam interior, an enderman, the tall, thin blob seen in the Minecraft video game, is being turned into a three-dimensional form inside a classroom at Amherst Regional High School.
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Sports

Div. 4 girls basketball: South Hadley relying on youth in second straight Final Four run
SOUTH HADLEY — Paul Dubuc met with his senior captains – Ava Asselin, Caitlin Dean, CC Gurek and Maddie Soderbaum – prior to the start of the season back in late November. The South Hadley girls basketball head coach and his Tigers were coming off the program’s first-ever state championship appearance, where they lost to Cathedral in the Division 4 title game.
Opinion

Guest columnists Allen Davis and Tom Weiner: This is how we fight — Turn the House blue





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

Compassionate barbers: Easthampton shop Hero Barber is growing thanks to its inclusive atmosphere
EASTHAMPTON — What started out as a men’s gifts and grooming shop in Northampton has become a bustling barbershop in Easthampton that prides itself on its inclusive practices and atmosphere.


Arts & Life

The Oxbow over time: New book, ‘The Oxbow Since Thomas Cole,’ examines how the area has and hasn’t changed in the last 200 years
The Oxbow, an area in Northampton created by a branch of the Connecticut River, has seen plenty of changes since artist Thomas Cole made it the focus of a well-known 1836 painting. A new book by Northampton author Jonathan Moldover, “The Oxbow Since Thomas Cole” seeks to shed light on its history and evolution throughout the centuries.
Obituaries

Kathleen Bergeron, 60, passed away on February 20, 2025, in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Born on March 26, 1964, in Springfield, Massachusetts, Kathleen known to many as Kathy grew up with a kind and compassionate spirit that she car... remainder of obit for Kathleen M. Bergeron

Florence, MA - Dr. Kenneth Sereno Pompilli died peacefully on March 11 at home surrounded by his loving family after a courageous 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Kenneth was born on May 16, 1942 in New Haven, Connecticut to Ser... remainder of obit for Dr. Kenneth Sereno Pompilli

Westfield, MA - Kristopher Blackwood Johnson, 48, died March 4, 2025 from cardiac arrest at Baystate Medical Center. He was born in Northampton on February 13, 1977 to Robert Johnson and Linda Longtin and grew up in Florence, MA. Kris g... remainder of obit for Kristopher Johnson

Agawam, MA - Wendy Butler Walsh, 80, of Agawam, recently of Northampton, and formerly of Madison, CT, peacefully passed away on February 22, 2025, surrounded by family. Wendy was born at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton on Septe... remainder of obit for Wendy Walsh