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By EMILEE KLEIN

NORHTAMPTON — When he arrived to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2019, Juan Luis said he felt “reborn.”

NORTHAMPTON — Bob Cahillane’s lifelong ties to the United States Navy, including a recently-wrapped 15-year stint as the area’s Blue and Gold Officer, may never have happened were it not for the “pissing match” he got into with his dad, the late “Big” Jim Cahillane, then mayor of Northampton.

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.

By GRACE CHAI

NORTHAMPTON — A majority of one of the largest remaining unprotected farms in the city is now conserved for agriculture and wildlife habitat, thanks to a unique conservation effort that taps into federal funding.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Less than week before the City Council is expected to vote on the city’s fiscal 2026 budget, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has secured an additional $217,000 for the school district, with funds planned to be used to restore two high school teacher positions as well as an elementary school gardening program.

By LILY REAVIS

Thousands of western Massachusetts residents rallied in the streets on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies, joining the nationwide “No Kings” movement against actions they called authoritarian. Many in attendance pointed to the administration’s recent immigration raids and Trump’s federalization of the military against protesters as key drivers for their attendance.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

HOLYOKE — Artist Michael Karmody knows a hard truth about concrete — that it is often associated with sidewalks and jails, not attractive things.

By ALEXA LEWIS

NORTHAMPTON — A new lottery system slated to change vocational school admissions for the 2026-2027 school year has goals of creating a more equal process for students vying for these schools’ highly sought-after seats. But some administrators worry that a random lottery will do away with the standards of hard work associated with admission to a vocational high school, without solving the real problem.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — School districts across the Pioneer Valley made their case for more support to rural and western school districts, appealing directly before Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler during a visit he made to Northampton High School on Tuesday.

By ALEXA LEWIS

NORTHAMPTON — At the River Valley Co-op negotiation table, tensions have been mounting between management and union representatives as the deadline to sign a new contract draws nearer.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — A controversial plan for a multistory apartment building across from the former St. John Cantius Church won Planning Board approval Thursday evening, despite stiff opposition from residents who vowed to appeal the decision and retain counsel.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has officially debuted her $145 million fiscal year 2026 budget for the city, continuing to defend her plan for the school district while warning of possible instability from federal cuts.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Inside the oldest room in the Hampshire County Courthouse, law professor Rory Little told a group of high school students gathered inside that the first step to understanding the U.S. Constitution was a single, 13-letter phrase: “E Pluribus Unum.”

By ELISE LINSCOTT

NORTHAMPTON — Hampshire Pride 2025 was a day of celebration in Northampton — and, according to director and founder Clay Pearson, a time to be “proud, unapologetic” and “united in our demand for justice, dignity, and liberty for all” in the wake of recent political attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.

By ALEXA LEWIS

EASTHAMPTON — Under the watchful eye of Michelle Prindle, 10-year-old Carya Verson worked on perfecting a short song on the piano on a Monday afternoon. She began by playing a lilting melody with her right hand before moving onto some deeper notes with her left. When she combined the two, music filled the small room to the brim.

By ALEXA LEWIS

NORTHAMPTON — In a recent survey, Smith College found that 82% of its student athletes feel disconnected from their “Pioneers” moniker. Now, the school is searching for a new mascot for the community to rally behind.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

SPRINGFIELD — As she stood among more than 100 people gathered outside the offices of U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren in downtown Springfield on Thursday, Kathy Laprade said she’s got her “fingers crossed” that the Trump administration won’t gut Social Security.

By ELLA ADAMS

BOSTON — Students warned lawmakers Tuesday of funding deficits and unpredictability, faculty layoffs and slashed electives at regional and rural schools, piling on to heightened calls to “crack open” the state’s Chapter 70 and rural aid funding formula.

By ALEXA LEWIS

NORTHAMPTON — With the closure of Ten Thousand Villages in Northampton this month, longtime employee and beloved community member Jane Hertz, 88, doesn’t plan to simply give up the community connections and meaningful work she found through the store.

By EMILEE KLEIN

BELCHERTOWN — Before chef Saul Ayala cooked in decorated Italian restaurants and high-end bars in Boston, Dallas and New York City, he learned about working in a kitchen from his cousin Roberto Saravia, owner of Masa Mexicano in Florence.

By ALEXA LEWIS

Northampton and Westhampton have been awarded Green Communities competitive grants that they plan to put toward enhancing the energy efficiency of school buildings.