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By SCOTT MERZBACH

SHUTESBURY — Even though located at the edge of the Quabbin Reservoir that provides drinking water for millions of residents in and around Boston, Shutesbury has no municipal water supply and has spent almost $700,000 to address contamination from PFAS, or forever chemicals, in private wells.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

NORTHAMPTON — A water purification startup business that has been operating from the University of Massachusetts campus in Amherst will be moving into a nearly 30,000-square-foot building in the Northampton Industrial Park, the next step in the evolution of Elateq Inc.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Amherst officials are notifying the community about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in which two individuals were taken into custody, in separate incidents, Wednesday between 7 and 8 a.m.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Buried on the grounds of Fort River School in 1994 to mark the 20th anniversary of the school’s opening, a time capsule is being uncovered Sunday afternoon, 11 years after the original scheduled date to dig it up.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — Two canoes circling Lake Warner in North Hadley on a mild and sunny Wednesday morning provided a chance for those on board to paddle the 70-acre pond and appreciate the sights and sounds of the area, from fish swimming through the water to birds flying overhead, and even a large snake briefly coming onto the lawn next to the boat launch.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Amherst should aim to have 700 to 900 new housing units constructed by 2030 to confront an existing demand that is pricing many families out of town and limiting what is available for student tenants, according to contents of a final draft housing production plan.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — Two finalists remain in the running to become Hadley’s next town administrator, though after three hours of interviews Tuesday the Select Board appeared far from making a decision on whether either candidate would be offered the job.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — An historic school building in town center that has been vacant for a decade could be rehabilitated into micro apartments, office space or classrooms and art studios at a cost of less than $10 million, according to a report presented to the Select Board last week.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Eight staff positions across Amherst’s three elementary schools would be lost if a $28.32 million budget, a 5% increase over this year’s $26.97 million budget, is adopted by the Town Council, according to school officials.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

EASTHAMPTON — In early 1969, Easthampton residents Cpl. Donald M. Ashton Jr. and Chief Warrant Officer George F. Lapan were killed in action while serving in the Army during the Vietnam War.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — Site plans for a 55-and-over residential development on a 45-acre parcel between North Maple Street and Rocky Hill Road, expected to feature around 50 single-family homes, are expected to be filed with the Planning Board sometime this fall.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Affordable homeownership opportunities for a handful of families near Amherst center is a vision for the nonprofit Amherst Community Land Trust in acquiring an Amity Street property.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

SHUTESBURY — Prioritizing purchase of zero-emission vehicles, supporting municipal decarbonization by 2050 and opting into the state’s specialized energy code, while enhancing the existing safe community bylaw and adopting a town spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, are among articles voters will decide at annual Town Meeting Saturday.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — A senior planner in Amherst, Williamsburg’s town administrator and the director of the Leominster Public Library are finalists for the Hadley town administrator position, with Select Board interviews scheduled for Tuesday.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

NORTHAMPTON — Service, sacrifice, the commitment of veterans and active military service members from across Massachusetts and support from their families should always be recognized, says retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — MCAS English language arts assessments showing seven in 10 Amherst Regional High School 10th graders are meeting or exceeding expectations and a more than 50% drop in behavioral referrals at Pelham Elementary School are among signs of progress being made under the district’s state-mandated Student Opportunity Act Plan.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Being enacted for the first time during construction of the new elementary school, Amherst’s Percent for Art program will continue to bring in around $250,000 for a public art installation, after members of the Town Council rejected cutting this spending, citing the importance of promoting public art in the face of hostility from the White House.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — CRESS Connections, a new program of the Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service, is bringing together the unarmed public safety professionals with local youths to build more meaningful relationships.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — A sewer backup that caused wastewater to enter a Hadley apartment building on Greenleaves Drive Wednesday morning temporarily displaced more than 30 residents, and likely will force most first-floor tenants to seek other living arrangements for several days.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HATFIELD — Luke Longstreeth, a lifelong resident who runs a Hadley landscaping and property management business and offered to bring the perspective of a younger generation to town politics, narrowly earned a seat on the Select Board over incumbent Diana Szynal, who was completing a second six-year stint on the board, according to unofficial town election results Tuesday night.