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By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

HOLYOKE — Last week, the city’s acting mayor fired a police officer who earlier this year posted a viral video on social media alleging corruption and racism within the Holyoke Police Department.In March, Rafael Roca, who had been a Holyoke police...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

NORTHAMPTON — The city has hired an “implementation director” to begin the process of creating a department that is meant to provide an alternative, civilian response to situations currently handled by police officers.Mayor David Narkewicz announced...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

HOLYOKE — Fifteen officers in the Holyoke Police Department were paid more than 500 hours of overtime in fiscal year 2020, including four of the department’s five highest-paid officers, who earned hourly overtime rates ranging from $94 to $109 an...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

NORTHAMPTON — A marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facility located in Monson and owned by cannabis giant Holistic Industries experienced a widespread mold infestation earlier this year, according to documents reviewed by the Gazette.An...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

HOLYOKE — The Paper City continues to draw attention from cannabis companies embracing the city’s new status as “Rolling Paper City.” Earlier this month, Colebrook Realty Services announced that the national cannabis grower and retailer Green Thumb...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

SOUTH HADLEY — The town’s police chief has signed a new three-year contract that will keep her in South Hadley until the beginning of 2024.Police Chief Jennifer Gundersen signed the new contract on July 30, and it will go into effect on Jan. 4, 2022,...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

HOLYOKE — One of Holyoke’s own has become the next leader of the city’s public schoolsOn Wednesday, the state’s education commissioner appointed Anthony Soto as the receiver-superintendent of Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) — a role he had held on an...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

HOLYOKE — The consolidation of Catholic churches in the region continued on Tuesday when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield announced that it was merging three parishes in Holyoke.Our Lady of Guadalupe parish and Immaculate Conception parish...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

SOUTH HADLEY — Ever since she was a child, Katie Callaway has been visiting Lithia Springs Reservoir.“This place means a lot to a lot of South Hadley people,” she said, remembering how she used to hike into the wooded area to hang out with friends as...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

CHICOPEE — Dozens of school staff members, parents, students and others marched Wednesday in front of the Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School to protest officials’ decision not to renew the contracts of more than half the school’s...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

HOLYOKE — As Police Chief Manny Febo prepares for retirement late next month, the city has signed a contract with his successor.On Tuesday, the City Council received a copy of the three-year contract that then mayor Alex Morse signed in January with...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

HOLYOKE — As a freshman at Holyoke Catholic High School in 1974, three-sport athlete Fran O’Connell was already a big name on campus. In a city zealous about its sports, O’Connell had already been promoted to the varsity football and basketball teams....

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

NORTHAMPTON — Smith College knew two decades ago that a faculty member had been accused of sexually abusing a minor, but chose not to act on those allegations, allowing him to teach at the college until recently.On Wednesday morning, the Roman...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

SOUTH HADLEY — Andrew Yee, the prominent local restaurateur and businessman, whose contributions to the Valley’s hospitality scene were far-reaching, has died at 59.In an announcement on social media, Yee’s business, Bean Restaurant Group, said Yee...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

NORTHAMPTON — A Westfield man accused of killing his 20-year-old girlfriend in their apartment in 2019 was arraigned Thursday on three new charges after allegedly attempting to arrange for the killing of a witness and the prosecutor in his case while...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

NORTHAMPTON — The state is canceling a controversial roundabout project on North King and Hatfield streets amid opposition over the project’s impact on an archaeological site where evidence of an ancient indigenous village was discovered.In an...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

EASTHAMPTON — The state’s highest court has ruled to uphold the first-degree murder conviction of an Easthampton man who killed his girlfriend in 2012.The Supreme Judicial Court, or SJC, on Friday denied the request of Ryan Welch — convicted in 2014...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

NORTHAMPTON — The phones were buzzing on a recent weekday morning at Highway Auto Salvage, where employees answered questions about car parts in English and Spanish.An expansive sign hanging on the back wall of the small sales office listed the wares...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

MONSON — The roar of ventilation fans filled a massive, brightly lit grow room on Friday as Matt Iarussi walked down a narrow path, pungent plants with names like Tropicanna Haze and Limefire Skunk surrounding him.“Consistency is the key,” Iarussi...

By DUSTY CHRISTENSEN

HOLYOKE — The creation of a 16-bedroom drug treatment group home continues to move forward at 11 Yale St., where the first resident will move in next week, amid continued opposition from some residents. The Springfield nonprofit Mental Health...