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By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Before local and school celebrities took time out of their day to read stories to classes at Wildwood School this week, two sixth graders reflected on the power of dreaming and the importance of self expression.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Members of the Amherst Pelham Education Association remain divided over whether to offer support to Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman in the face of an ongoing investigation, led by the Regional and Union 26 school committees, into accusations of mismanagement and abusive behavior in the central office.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A consignment store to serve college campuses, offering inexpensive clothes and low-priced household items, was an idea hatched by students in a University of Massachusetts classroom.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Construction on a new track and field at Amherst Regional High School, at a cost of $4.11 million, should begin in late June.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — WinterFest Amherst, being called eight days of frosty fun, is beginning with cold-weather games and activities at Mill River Recreation Area and the Mill District in North Amherst on Saturday afternoon.

Given his actions, there can be no doubt that Donald Trump is bent on increasing the power and authority of the president well beyond the limits set by the Constitution. Virtually no Republican office-holder is courageous enough to resist this usurpation of power, despite their oath to “support and defend” the Constitution.

In a recent article, John Hornik, a former chair of the Amherst Housing Trust, incorrectly asserted that the university “has severely restricted housing for families on campus while only providing a small boost in graduate student housing” [“Nonprofit developers say cost, siting chief barriers to affordable housing in Valley,”Gazette, Jan. 29]. While housing availability and affordability are undeniably challenges that must be addressed, both locally and statewide, UMass Amherst is working to provide concrete solutions.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — New sprinkler and fire alarm systems, upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and accessibility enhancements are among $2.8 million in improvements planned for the Bangs Community Center — upgrades that fall short of addressing calls from members of the Council on Aging and senior residents to improve Senior Center facilities and immediately provide more space for activities.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Families of students at Amherst Regional Middle School are being notified about an antisemitic incident that occurred Monday when a student gave a Nazi salute during class — the latest in a series of incidents that have occurred at area schools in recent years.

By RUDY PERKINS

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Unless state aid increases, other sources of funding are found or member towns can contribute more, a fiscal year 2026 budget that eliminates around 17 positions may be the best-case scenario for the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools, according to information presented at a “Four Towns Meeting” Saturday.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A significant majority of elementary school teachers, paraprofessionals and clerical staff are disavowing a recent statement, released by the executive board for the Amherst-Pelham Education Association, offering support to Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman in the face of allegations made by 12 administrators whose identities have not been made public.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Revised regulations on the sale of tobacco products in Amherst drafted by the Board of Health, including restricting oral nicotine pouches to adults-only tobacco stores, is winning both praise and criticism from the public, with advocates for curtailing access to tobacco calling for the town to bolster the rules by adopting a nicotine-free generation measure.

By DARCY DUMONT

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — An Amherst man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston on Wednesday to distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Massachusetts.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Organizers of the “Cambodians in Amherst: A History of the Khmer Community” exhibit in 2024 at the Strong House are earning the Amherst Historical Society’s annual Arthur F. Kinney Conch Shell award.

By KEVIN A. YOUNG

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A $2.5 million donation from Amherst College will support the Amherst and regional schools, the town’s emergency services, and infrastructure work downtown over the next three years, as well as one of two municipal building projects the town is undertaking.

By DOMENIC POLI

AMHERST — As a teenager, Skye Wellington frequented Kelly’s restaurant, a nearly 30-year mainstay of a College Street business plaza until closing near the end of 2022.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Amherst is facing a much larger than anticipated increase in health insurance costs for fiscal year 2026, with a projected jump of almost 20%, at the top range allowed for the town’s insurer, the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association.