Montana ski town roiled by white supremacist ‘troll army’

By MATT VOLZ

The email to a group that promotes diversity in northwestern Montana warned that white supremacists would encircle the advocacy organization’s office and end with someone “swinging by a rope from the nearest lamp post.”“Those days are not far off...

Pepin/Center kids give back with snowmen

By CAITLIN ASHWORTH

EASTHAMPTON – Kindergartners and first-graders got a surprise visit from the Pepin/Center Elementary Schools’ mascot, Eli the eagle, who came to thank students for raising a total of $701.74 for the Easthampton Community Center. “Guess how much money...

Select Board race heats up between neighbors

By JACK SUNTRUP

HATFIELD — Select Board meetings can stretch deep into the night. They can be dull.But every once in a while, there’s a flash of drama, some simmering issue that needs to be addressed. Things can get tense, and then awkward, if only for a few...

State strives to be green leader in the uncertain era of Trump

By Michael Sol Warren

Massachusetts has led the nation in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and embracing renewable energy for years – a tradition continued in Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration. Now, however, the election of Donald Trump and his attitude about less...

Russian military plane crashes into Black Sea

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian plane carrying 92 people to an air base in Syria crashed Sunday into the Black Sea minutes after taking off from the city of Sochi, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. There appeared to be no survivors, and those on board included...

Business briefs: UMass food specialist gets grant

Greenfield Savings promotes threeGREENFIELD – Kelly Gagnon has been promoted to trust officer in the Trust and Investment Management Group at Greenfield Savings Bank. Gagnon joined the bank in 2010, and has worked in the financial services industry...

Hanukkah celebrators light up winter night with Chinese food

By EMILY CUTTS

NORTHAMPTON – The sounds of laughing and singing filled the halls of Congregation B’nai Israel Saturday night as hundreds gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah.Traditionally, Jews across the world light candles to commemorate the festival of...

A healing home in Northampton: Property owner Jordi Herold offers free apartment for a year to refugees

By AMANDA DRANE

NORTHAMPTON — City property owner and founder of the Iron Horse Jordi Herold said his decision to donate one of his rental units to incoming refugees spawned from a New Year’s resolution.Each year during Hanukkah, Herold said his family takes time to...

Amherst church turns down $200,000 in CPA money

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Representatives of the First Congregational Church are turning down $200,000 in Community Preservation Act money that would have paid more than half the cost of installing a fire sprinkler system in its building at 165 Main St.Instead, the...

Activist lawyer offers allies ways to help undocumented immigrants

By STEPHANIE MURRAY

AMHERST — Many immigration resources are underutilized in the United States, according to immigration attorney Lauren Burke. And she is on a mission to change that.Burke, a 2002 graduate of Amherst Regional High School, spoke Thursday night about how...

Amherst, Easthampton join calls for slowdown on legal marijuana

By SCOTT MERZBACH and CAITLIN ASHWORTH

Officials and residents across the Valley are taking steps to gain control of the way the legalization of marijuana plays out in their communities.Prompted by the possibility that the new law could increase public safety calls and create numerous...

Mirroring Putin, Trump calls for nuclear weapons boost

By JULIE PACE

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly called for the United States to “greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability” until the rest of the world “comes to its senses” regarding nuclear weapons.His comments on Twitter...

New law should ease Canada-US travel

By WILSON RING

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A new law that will make it easier for people to travel between Canada and the United States will be good for Vermont and other states, even some far from the border, officials said Thursday.U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont was at...

Trump taps Spicer as press secretary

By LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump named Sean Spicer as his new press secretary, tapping a seasoned Republican operative as the public face of the new White House.Spicer, a top Republican National Committee strategist who brought a measure of...

Youth-led pushup challenge concludes at Frontier Regional

By ANDY CASTILLO

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Frontier Regional School ninth-grader Nick Jarvis breezed through 22 straight pushups, then stood up as the school’s gymnasium erupted into cheers from fellow students.Around Jarvis, more than a hundred other students also counted...

Arrest of black man in church fire stirs debates

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS

JACKSON, Miss. — The arrest of a black man on a charge of burning a black Mississippi church that was spray-painted with the words “Vote Trump” has sparked bickering online and consternation in the community surrounding the church.Andrew McClinton,...

Williston Northampton School lands Easthampton a new rescue boat

By CAITLIN ASHWORTH

EASTHAMPTON — The Williston Northampton School has donated a new rescue boat to the city of Easthampton, a gift that was officially accepted at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.A 14-foot inflatable Defender with a 25-horsepower outboard motor will...

Inquiry says Snowden in contact with Russia’s spy agencies

By EILEEN SULLIVAN and RICHARD LARDNER

WASHINGTON — Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden remains in contact with Russian intelligence services, according to a bipartisan congressional report released at a time when Russia is considered a top national security...

Clinton wins popular vote by nearly 2.9 million

By LISA LERER

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than President-elect Donald Trump, giving her the largest popular vote margin of any losing presidential candidate.Certified results in all 50 states and the District of Columbia show...

Lawyer: Wahlberg movie unfair to bomber’s widow

By MICHELLE R. SMITH and DENISE LAVOIE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A lawyer for Katherine Russell, widow of one of the Boston Marathon bombers, says the new film “Patriots Day” is unfair because it suggests she knew something was up before the attack and then didn’t cooperate with the investigation...