News
Smith students occupy admin building, demand divestment from weapons manufacturers
By JAMES PENTLAND
NORTHAMPTON — Hundreds of students occupied Smith College’s administration building on Wednesday, demanding that the college divest from military contractors and weapons manufacturers they say are aiding in the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.The...
A Look Back, March 29
50 Years Ago ■For the first time in 40 years, Bay State is to have a package store. Robert and Frieda Jones, proprietors of the Smith’s Variety Store, have opened up a section for the sale of wine and beer. The building housing the enterprise is...
Taking a stand by sitting-in: Smith College students continue to occupy College Hall
By JAMES PENTLAND
NORTHAMPTON — Dozens of Smith College students entered the second day of a sit-in Thursday to pressure the college to divest from companies supplying armaments for Israel’s Gaza offensive. “The numbers are solid,” said Ruby Masters, an organizer with...
Northampton’s climate action chief resigns after 6 months, city names interim leader
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL
NORTHAMPTON — A little more than year since the creation of the department and less than six months since appointing its first director, Northampton’s Climate Action and Project Administration (CAPA) has already appointed a new interim director in a...
DCR sees booking surge at state campgrounds
By DOMENIC POLI
It seems people from all over are anxious for warmer weather to arrive as bookings at the three state camping locations in Hampshire and Franklin counties are filling up fast, mirroring a trend at state-run campsites throughout Massachusetts.The state...
Call for Gaza cease-fire advances in Easthampton, council to take up measure April 3
By JAMES PENTLAND
EASTHAMPTON — Urged by dozens of residents for a second time this month to “step up” and move a Gaza cease-fire resolution on to the full City Council for a vote, the council’s Rules Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to do just that.Following...
‘Sport court’ eyed for Amherst recreational sites
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — A dedicated outdoor fitness space could be added to the town’s recreational sites through support from a national initiative that would provide grant money to cover most costs of its installation.The Amherst Recreation Commission recently...
Deerfield woman gets probation in stabbing case
By DOMENIC POLI
GREENFIELD — A Deerfield woman was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation after admitting in Franklin County Superior Court to stabbing the 82-year-old husband of a woman she was caring for as a personal care attendant last year.Kady J....
It’s official: Belchertown’s request to create town manager position OK’d by state
By Emilee Klein
BELCHERTOWN — After nearly a year of waiting, Belchertown finally has a town manager.On March 8, Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation to create the first-ever town manager, replacing the long-used town administrator form of government. The change,...
Area briefs: Northampton Dems annual meeting; Easter at the malls; Trailblazers of Color conference at MHC
Northampton Dems to hold annual meeting NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Democratic City Committee will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, April 6, at 3:30 p.m. at Elks Lodge #997, 17 Spring St. in Florence.The agenda includes the election of officers,...
Gun law negotiators close House-Senate talks
By Sam Drysdale
BOSTON — Lawmakers tasked with negotiating details of a major firearms bill left their work open to the public last week — a move that broke from opaque traditions on Beacon Hill. A week later, those negotiators moved to close their meetings to the...
A Look Back, March 28
50 Years Ago ■Four young people from Northampton High School will be participating this weekend in two concerts in Hyannis, sponsored by the Massachusetts Music Educators’ Association. The four are: Lauress Wilkins, David Laband, Claire Murphy and...
A faster spinning Earth may cause timekeepers to subtract a second from world clocks
By SETH BORENSTEIN
Earth’s changing spin is threatening to toy with our sense of time, clocks and computerized society in an unprecedented way — but only for a second.For the first time in history, world timekeepers may have to consider subtracting a second from our...
Area briefs: S. Hadley to old commemoration for Vietnam vets; Holyoke receivership meetings; and more
S. Hadley to hold Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony SOUTH HADLEY — The town’s annual National Vietnam War Veterans Day Commemoration at the South Hadley Public Library will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 with light refreshments for...
Champions of change: NHS Student Union advocates for students before administrators, School Committee
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL
NORTHAMPTON — When Giselle Ohm was in middle school, she enjoyed reading stories about the adventures and exploits of high school student councils, and she aspired to be on one someday. But when she began the transition to Northampton High School, Ohm...
DiZoglio, legislators clash over audit proposal
By Chris Lisinski
BOSTON — Did anyone really expect Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s pitch to lawmakers about why she should be able to audit them to be dull?A cart overflowing with stacks of old books, no-holds-barred warnings about government overreach, and personal feuds...
Three candidates in running for Amherst superintendent
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Three educators, two who work in Massachusetts and the other in the Virgin Islands, are finalists to become the next superintendent for the Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional schools.The Superintendent Search Committee on Tuesday...
Hadley schools avoid ‘fiscal cliff,’ maintain level services next year
By SCOTT MERZBACH
HADLEY — Even as several school districts across the region anticipate reducing staffing levels before next school year as they face a so-called fiscal cliff, school officials in Hadley are maintaining the current level of services and teaching...
Valley Art Supplies finds right mix by adding bar to longtime Easthampton business
By EMILEE KLEIN
EASTHAMPTON — Unlike most bar logs, the pages of the small black book found on the homemade bartop at Valley Art Supplies are filled with doodles and scribbles: a cat Statue of Liberty, a skull cocktail glass and platypus gyroscope lily...
Groundbreaking: Amherst officials mark start of $97.5M elementary school
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — As she got to the podium to speak to the more than 50 people gathered at the ceremonial groundbreaking for Amherst’s new elementary school, resident and Democratic state Rep. Mindy Domb said she had goosebumps that a project to replace the...