Cummington Fairruns through Sunday

CUMMINGTON — The 156th annual Cummington Fair kicks off Thursday and continues through Sunday at the Cummington Fairgrounds, at 97 Fairgrounds Road.

Gates for the four-day fair, organized by the Hillside Agricultural Society, will open on Thursday and Friday at 4 p.m., and at 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $15 for adults 16-64; $12 for seniors and veterans or active military members; $7 for youth; and children under 10 are free.

The fair will feature live music, showings of animals such as rabbits and sheep, horse and ox pulls and demolition derbies.

Friday’s theme is “Children’s Night, Cruise Night;” Saturday is “Agriculture Day and Demo Night;” and Sunday is “Old Fashion Day.”

New this year is a merchandise booth that will offer T-shirts, sweatshirts, sunglasses, blankets, coffee mugs and more. The booth is located in the 4H building.

For a schedule of events and more information, visit cummingtonfair.com.

PVTA launches real-time arrival information 

SPRINGFIELD — Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) riders will now benefit from improvements to their public transit experience. More accurate real-time passenger information is now available to PVTA riders on both official agency sources and third-party mobile applications.

“We are excited for this opportunity to enhance the real-time arrival information we provide our passengers,” said Brandy Pelletier, PVTA’s spokesperson. “This improvement to real-time information will make our transit system easier to use and improve the information our passengers rely on.”

PVTA has worked with transit data platform provider Swiftly Inc. to deploy modern technology for connecting with passengers. Swiftly’s platform relies on cloud-native technology and proprietary algorithms to improve passenger information accuracy by up to 50%.

Anyone can now access up-to-date bus arrival and location information for PVTA by calling or texting 413-339-3117 and providing the PVTA Bus Stop ID number located at the bottom of the bus stop sign. Enhanced real-time information is also from third-party mobile applications like Transit, Google Maps, or Apple Maps.

Velis to negotiate compromise substance use disorder bill

BOSTON — State Sen. John C. Velis, D-Westfield, has been appointed by Senate President Karen Spilka to the Conference Committee tasked with negotiating a final compromise substance use disorder bill. Velis is the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery.

With different versions of the legislation being passed by both the Senate and the House, the differences between the bills need to be reconciled before a final version can be approved and sent to the governor’s desk.

Irish language classes offered

The Irish Cultural Center of Western New England and Elms College are offering Irish language classes this fall. Classes are open to everyone, from beginner to advanced learning levels.

Classes begin in early September. The beginners Irish I class and mid-level Irish II class will be taught remotely via Zoom. The Intermediate/Advanced Practice class will be taught in-person at Elms College in Chicopee.

Registrations must be received by Sept. 4. The cost is $200-$225 per semester. ICC Patrons receive a $50 discount. Enrollment is through the Elms College Registrar – call 413-265-2314 or see class schedules and download a registration form at our website: www.IrishCenterwne.org.

The ICC and Elms College are pleased to welcome the program’s fifteenth consecutive Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant, Édith de Faoite. A Kerry native and graduate of Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh (UCC), Édith will serve as a cultural ambassador to the Elms, ICC, and broader community. Édith will teach the Advanced class.