news, local

Health care's new wave: Shift from treating sickness to ensuring health

Chad Cain — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

NORTHAMPTON - When Cooley Dickinson Hospital and its physicians group inked a deal last fall with Blue Cross Blue Shield to launch a new way of paying for medical care, it joined the vanguard of a movement that many believe will reshape health care in America.

• In one patient's home: Powering a new self-reliance

'No Child' left behind: Feds allow state to set rules for school progress

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

Area school leaders welcomed the announcement Thursday that Massachusetts is among 10 states the U.S. Department of Education freed from some of the stricter requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The change gives them needed leeway and sets more meaningful targets for student progress, they said.

• Waiver details

College changes tune on popular preschool

smerzbach — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

If the directors of the Little Red Schoolhouse program can come up with a plan to offer a full-day early childhood education program, the pre-school, based on the Amherst College campus for 75 years, may continue to receive financial support from the college.

Southampton Congregational Church seeks to address diversity with exhibit

Rebecca Everett — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

An exhibit at the Southampton Congregational Church opens today as part of the congregation's year-plus process of deciding whether to become an "open and affirming" church.

Three candidates in race to run registry of deeds

Ben Storrow — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

NORTHAMPTON - Three candidates are now in the race to become Hampshire County's next register of deeds. The contest will mark the first open race in more than two decades for the $90,000-a-year job of overseeing the county's land transactions.

Amherst man denies drug trafficking charges

Charliesdad — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

NORTHAMPTON - An Amherst man was arraigned in Hampshire Superior Court Thursday on charges of cocaine trafficking and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Keon P. Jules, 29, of 23 Rolling Green Apartments, Amherst, pleaded not guilty to those charges before Judge Mary-Lou Rup.

Area police news

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

Home, vehicle breaks probed in Amherst

AMHERST - Police are investigating break-ins to an Amherst home and two vehicles Wednesday night.

The first incident was reported at 8:45 p.m., when a Woodside Avenue resident told police a television set was stolen from his apartment. Detective Richard MacLean said there were no signs of forced entry.