A Look Back, June 21

Northampton City Briefing: City to hire new Central Services boss; Fireworks set for Saturday at Look Back; Ordinance review forum coming up

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has appointed Katie Deppen, the city’s current superintendent of engineering in the Department of Public Works, as the next Central Services director.

‘Generational damage’: The fallout of cutting climate science research

By EMILEE KLEIN

AMHERST — Local scientists warn that the proposed federal cuts to the United States Geological Survey’s Ecosystem Mission Area — a federal research program that studies the country’s natural resources — outlined in the White House’s fiscal year 2026 budget could not only degrade national ecosystems, but the industries and people that rely on them.

Safe Passage cited in suit seeking to force Trump administration to lift restrictions on federal funding for grants

By SAMUEL GELINAS

NORTHAMPTON — Safe Passage is just one of many organizations that rely on federal funding caught between a rock and a hard place — between going through a funding desert, or risking being penalized for misuse of federal funds.

UMass climate scientists reeling as Trump administration slashes funding for research

By EMILEE KLEIN

AMHERST — Graduate student Josie Pilchik’s career plans dissolved with just one email.

Rare corpse flower in bloom at Smith College, but not for long

By CAROLYN BROWN

NORTHAMPTON — The Smith College Botanic Garden is celebrating a rare and short-lived event: its corpse flower is blooming — but only for the weekend, most likely.

Vandals set fire to pride flags at Thornes; reward for anyone who can identify young men caught on video

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Thornes Marketplace is offering a $250 gift card to anybody who can identify several young men who set fire to pride flags hanging from the department store’s awning on Thursday.

Amherst superintendent sets timeline for elementary school restructuring

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A timeline is being proposed so that all families with elementary-age students will know by the end of 2025 which school their children will be attending the following fall.

All water users to see rate hike, despite objections from farmers

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — All homes, businesses and farms using municipal water will be paying significantly higher rates after the Select Board this week agreed to adjustments aimed at generating enough money to cover the cost of water department operations and to build up reserves.

Around Amherst: Outdoor swim season in full swing

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Outdoor swim season is underway in Amherst, with the full-size pool at Mill River Recreation Area opening in early June and both War Memorial Pool and the wading pool at Mill River scheduled to be ready for swimmers this week.

Study to determine feasibility of connecting Deerfield, Whately industrial parks

By CHRIS LARABEE

SOUTH DEERFIELD — The few hundred feet of undeveloped land between Industrial Drive West in Deerfield and Fairview Way in Whately, which separates the two communities’ industrial parks, was once jokingly referred to as the “DMZ,” or demilitarized zone, by Whately’s former police chief in 1995.

A Look Back, June 20

Old clothes, new stories: Couple crafts sustainable fashion as latest artists to use A.P.E. Gallery’s Arc program

By SAMUEL GELINAS

NORTHAMPTON — What’s the difference between nostalgia and recycling the past? It’s probably a question best answered by college sweethearts Justin Landry and Haley Kean.

Local trans advocates in wake of Supreme Court decision: ‘We will not back down’

By EMILEE KLEIN

NORTHAMPTON — In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Wednesday to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, locally-based Transhealth is sending a clear message to its patients and the community: health and community services for trans individuals in the commonwealth will persist as long as trans people exist.

Twin celebrations: Amherst to launch inaugural Pride event on Sunday, PrideFest returns to Holyoke on Saturday

By Grace Chai

This weekend, two Pride celebrations are set to happen in the region in Amherst and Holyoke.

Déjà vu: Northampton City Council fails to pass budget for second straight year

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — In a repeat of last year’s outcome, the City Council on Wednesday failed to approve Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra’s budget for next fiscal year, owing in large part to the council president’s legal inability to cast the deciding vote.

Planting for the planet: Northampton High’s Environmental Club plants pollinator garden outside school

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — In a small patch of land between Northampton High School and the Hope Northampton church, members of the school’s Environmental Club are hard at work planting several native species of fauna such as the swamp milkweed, the blue-stemmed goldenrod and the clustered mountain mint.

Residents petition Amherst to help curb ICE actions in town

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Amherst residents are petitioning the Town Council to push back on Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions that might lead to immigrants being held against their will and possibly being deported from the United States.

Decision looms in Worthington on how to plug $120K gap for next fiscal year

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WORTHINGTON — In the words of Select Board Chair Charlie Rose, annual Town Meeting this month went “surprisingly well,” despite a looming deficit that may require a Proposition 2½ override request in the near future.