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By STEVE PFARRER

Not long after 20 years of war finally ended in Vietnam in 1975, another wave of horrendous violence erupted just to the west.The Khmer Rouge, the Communist party of Cambodia, seized control of the country and began a brutal “reeducation” campaign...

By JAMES PENTLAND

EASTHAMPTON — Hampshire County’s longtime emergency service workers were recognized and roasted and medical teams were honored for life-saving efforts over the past year at the recent annual EMS awards dinner.Receiving 50-year service plaques and...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Strong Avenue in downtown will once again be pedestrian traffic-only beginning on Wednesday, marking the return of the “Summer on Strong” season in the city. The closing of the street to vehicle traffic is meant to encourage outdoor...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Continued worries about single-family homes being turned into student rentals in Amherst is prompting a Planning Board member to draft a letter to University of Massachusetts Chancellor Javier Reyes appealing for creation of a committee,...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HATFIELD — A $14.52 million fiscal year 2025 operating budget for town and school services and an additional $1.4 million to cover the costs of wastewater treatment plant upgrades were approved by voters at this week’s annual Town Meeting, along with...

By JAMES PENTLAND

CHESTERFIELD — Town Meeting voters approved budgets and a slate of spending articles Monday, but split over the two petition articles on the ballot, Town Clerk Sandra Wickland reported.By a 42-35 margin, voters decided against making the Cemetery...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Weeks of debate over the Northampton school budget neared a conclusion Thursday night after Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra unveiled a nearly $137 million fiscal 2025 budget to the City Council that calls for an 8.5% increase in the city’s...

By ALEXA LEWIS

EASTHAMPTON — Local and state housing advocates, legislators and state agency leaders meeting with seniors earlier this week addressed the acute lack of housing in Massachusetts — especially affordable and accessible housing needed by seniors —...

By EMILEE KLEIN

SOUTH HADLEY — The principal and assistant principal at Michael E. Smith Middle School will both not return for next school year.According to an email sent to the guardians of Michael E. Smith students on April 30, Assitant Principal Anne...

By Emilee Klein

BELCHERTOWN — Two new names running for the two open Select Board seats will appear on the ballot in an election with no contested races on Monday.With current members Peg Louraine and Ron Aponte stepping away from the Select Board, Nina Miner and...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Town Council is likely to determine the scope of renovations to the Amherst Regional High School track and its interior field after the Regional School Committee this week deferred the final decision on the project to Amherst’s elected...

By JAMES PENTLAND

CHESTERFIELD — Highlighting the work of Hilltown Community Development Corp., Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll came to Chesterfield on Thursday to announce a $300,000 award that allows the agency to leverage up to the same amount from donors to support the full...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — One-on-one attention for a resident with hoarding issues was recently offered by members of the Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service department to illustrate the focus they can bring for someone experiencing a crisis.“We can...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

LEVERETT — A Walk for Peace in Gaza, bringing participants from Leverett Town Hall to the New England Peace Pagoda, takes place Saturday, an event that organizers view as a way to stand with those experiencing loss and grief.Sponsored by the Village...

By Alexa Lewis

SOUTHAMPTON — Standing against the gleaming red backdrop of Engine 3, Richard Fasoli was sworn in as the Southampton Fire Department’s new fire chief in a brief ceremony on Wednesday. “I couldn’t do it without all of your help,” Fasoli said to those...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Ticket holders for the Iron Horse Music Hall’s grand opening Wednesday night will be able to order a drink from the venue’s newly-designed bar after the nonprofit worked through state bureaucracy to obtain a liquor license just hours...

By Alexa Lewis

EASTHAMPTON — When David Volante posted a photo to his blog of a custom jacket he was working on in 2012, he wasn’t expecting it to go viral.The interest in his design made him realize that people wanted what he was selling, and he could sell even...

By JAMES PENTLAND

CHESTERFIELD — Being home-schooled for much of her secondary school career gives Priya McSweeney some measure of choice over how she spends her time.Still, that alone doesn’t fully account for the 16-year-old’s expertise in the field of arboriculture,...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

HADLEY – Hopkins Academy shortstop Chace Earle had been counting down the days until May 14.First of all, it’s his birthday. But it also served as the opening day of play at the Golden Hawks’ brand-new baseball field.“I’ve been waiting months to play...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — The Iron Horse Music Hall begins its long-anticipated opening of concerts and shows on Wednesday, although its owners are still anxiously awaiting approval from the state on when it may serve alcoholic beverages at its venue.Despite...

By EMILEE KLEIN

BELCHERTOWN — Residents formalized the position of town manager in town bylaws, adopted a zoning bylaw for stand-alone battery storage systems and endorsed a roughly $61.6 million budget for fiscal year 2025 at Monday’s Town Meeting — though some...