‘For the love of music’: Florence Community Band set to hold first-ever multigenerational concert

By SAMUEL GELINAS

NORTHAMPTON — The Florence Community Band has put on many concerts in its nearly quarter-century of existence, but the longtime group of volunteer musicians is about to embark on a first as it prepares for this spring’s annual concert.

South Hadley ready for next round of Buttery Brook improvements

By EMILEE KLEIN

SOUTH HADLEY — The town will break ground next week on a second round of renovations for Buttery Brook Park that will further expand recreational offerings with the addition of more pickleball courts, a disc golf course and a band shell, among other items.

Photo: Ladder precision

Amherst council likes proposed U-Drive overlay, vote set for April 7

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A half-mile section of University Drive could become ripe for both mixed-use developments and apartment-style housing as the Town Council nears adopting a long-awaited zoning change.

UMass Chancellor Reyes outlines changes amid financial uncertainty under Trump administration

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — More stringent oversight of spending on salaries, capital projects and various non-personnel expenditures at the University of Massachusetts, and both reducing graduate admissions in some departments and notifying some prospective graduate students that they will not be able to study in Amherst, are underway, according to a letter sent to the campus from UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes.

Hopeful buyers emerge for Magic Wings butterfly conservatory in South Deerfield

By CHRIS LARABEE

SOUTH DEERFIELD — One of the prospective owners of Magic Wings often thinks back to fond memories of celebrating a life milestone at the nearly quarter-century-old butterfly conservatory and gardens on Routes 5 and 10.

Area briefs: Mount Holyoke’s Trailblazers of Color conference; Holyoke Library to host annual mini golf and games; Westfield State launches paramedic program

SOOUTH HADLEY — Mount Holyoke College’s 11th annual Trailblazers of Color Leadership Conference will be held Saturday, April 5, with keynote speaker Susana Morris, ’02.

A Look Back, March 29

The Selectmen of Northampton will receive proposals until the 1st of April next for the support of the poor — also, for taking care of the meeting house and town hall for the year ensuing.

Ready to roll on roads: Amherst priority list tees up $4.55M to rebuild some of town’s worst stretches

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — “Rough road” signs along West Bay Road, at the edge of the Hampshire College campus near the Eric Carle Museum, warn drivers about the worsening condition of the travel lanes, which feature broken pavement, ruts and cracks, and an endless series of potholes that have been patched, repatched and patched again.

Showdown looms over Northampton school budget

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Comments made by school officials, parents and Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra during a public hearing Thursday on the school budget for the next fiscal year indicate the city will face another tense showdown this spring over prospective staff cuts.

USDA yanks $3.4M in aid to state food banks

By SCOTT MERZBACH

NORTHAMPTON — A decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to terminate a $3.4 million allocation to Massachusetts for purchase of 121,830 cases of food items, including eggs, chicken, milk, fruit, pasta, beans and salmon for food banks across the state is being criticized by representatives of food security organizations and the Healey-Driscoll administration.

Putting themselves on the line: Activists say nonviolent protests focus attention, inspire others, drive change

By ALEXA LEWIS

Valley residents have been witnessing growing numbers of their neighbors standing out in the rain, wind and cold toting colorful signs and passionate messages.

Winds whip Goshen brush fire caused by illegal burning

By SAMUEL GELINAS

GOSHEN — Winds of 20 mph fanned a brush fire that spread across 4 acres Friday that was ignited after illegal burning by the property’s owners.

Williamsburg’s ‘tired’ town office building on Main Street getting needed spruce up

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WILLIAMSBURG — The snooze button has been repeatedly pressed on repairs to the town’s offices over the years — but the building is finally waking up.

Amherst School Committee OK’s budget with no classroom layoffs, but spending plan is $500K more than town recommends

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — All current staff who work directly with students at Amherst’s three elementary schools, including teachers and paraeducators, would be preserved in a $28.59 million fiscal year 2026 budget being recommended by the School Committee.

Area briefs: Honoring Vietnam War vets on Saturday; Transhealth accepting new pediatric patients; Events for child abuse awareness month; Holyoke Sikh flag-raising

NORTHAMPTON — For the first time since May 2024 Transhealth is accepting new pediatric patients age 17 and under for primary care and specialty care.

Legislation inspired by a Leverett family allows school bus monitoring systems

By MITCHELL FINK

LEVERETT — Two years after a Leverett family released videos of motorists whizzing past their children’s stopped school bus, the Legislature has passed a bill allowing video monitoring to catch violators.

Around Amherst: Youth authors Clare, Black kicking off ‘Conversations’ series

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Three sedimentation basins directly upstream from the reservoir at Atkins Reservoir, located in Shutesbury, will be dredged in the fall of 2026.

A Look Back, March 28

Fire ravages Lincoln Street home in Holyoke

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

HOLYOKE — More than four firetrucks were on scene in Holyoke to respond to a blaze that broke out at a Lincoln Street house on Thursday afternoon.