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The June 2 Williamsburg Town Meeting left me stupefied and heartbroken. What started as a routine exercise out of Norman Rockwell painting quickly turned to chaos. It is clear that the vitriol of national politics has landed in our friendly town. The vote on Article 27 — a measure to allow the town to negotiate agreements for easements for a bike path — had all the makings of a culture war issue. There were social media posts full of misinformation. An otherwise upbeat meeting quickly turned into screaming matches when the issue came up for discussion. It was shameful, and we owe one another better.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A regular presence at Amherst Town Hall for 20 years, Town Clerk Susan Audette recently retired after more than four years overseeing town elections and vital records.

By Grace Chai

EASTHAMPTON — Cultural Chaos: the unique alliterative name hints at a festival chock-full of art, music and fun — and that’s exactly what’s coming to downtown this weekend.

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Public construction projects costing over $1 million would be required to use apprentices, under a bill that union supporters say will guarantee the future of the state’s trade workforce.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

In response to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s decision to give FirstLight Hydro Generating Co. a water quality certification for its operations in Turners Falls and Northfield, two environmental advocacy nonprofits have joined others in the Pioneer Valley in filing an appeal with MassDEP’s Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution.

By CHRIS LARABEE

More funding for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) may be on the way in fiscal year 2026, as Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed budget, along with those put forward by the Senate and House of Representatives, all request more money than the current budget year.

By EMILEE KLEIN

BELCHERTOWN — Kaia Couture had not even considered entering the 44th annual Congressional Art Competition until Belchertown art teacher Elizabeth Teixeira suggested her realistic painting of marbles had enough intricate detail in its reflections, light and shadow to contend with the thousands of submissions from the First Congressional District.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

About $1 million in funding has been included for regional organizations, school districts and first responders across Hampshire County and the city of Holyoke by members of the Massachusetts State Senate representing the region in the chamber’s version of next year’s budget.

By CAROLYN BROWN

Earlier this year, three Massachusetts artists were chosen to create six wheatpaste murals total to decorate the town of Montague, a public art project funded by a $15,000 grant. The most local of the three – graphic designer and illustrator Sophie Foulkes – recently installed her murals at Montague Town Hall and 20 Masonic St. in Montague.

The street fair Cultural Chaos, one of Easthampton’s biggest annual events, will return this year on Saturday, June 14, from 12 to 5 p.m. on Cottage Street in Easthampton.

By ATTORNEY GENERAL ANDREA JOY CAMPBELL

Over the past few weeks, our office has heard growing concern about immigration enforcement happening across Massachusetts. Families are being separated. Parents are being arrested in front of their kids. People are being pulled out of their cars in broad daylight. Even ICE admits that many of those arrested have not committed any crime.

By BRUCE COLDHAM

Many North Amherst residents are grieving the loss of our local community farmers — Simple Gifts. As folks drive by the farm, they may wonder what happened and what’s going on now. There is activity which you can see from Pine Street, as a local Hadley farmer is growing organic squash this summer. But the farm store and former-CSA pick up remain closed. The Simple Gifts organic vegetable farm, which worked in partnership with the land trust, the North Amherst Community Farm for 18 years, is no longer in business.

Testimony I submitted to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary, June 3, 2025 in support of H.2052/S.1178: An Act to Reduce Mass Incarceration. Twenty-five years ago, when I began the Real Cost of Prisons Project, I naively thought if people understood the real costs of mass incarceration to people imprisoned, their loved ones and their communities and the hundreds of millions of dollars we pay yearly to keep people caged, they would see that this state-run, outrageously costly system harms, not helps, everyone involved.

A good-sized group of people attended the informational session on Mount Holyoke College’s proposed Geothermal Hub/Energy Center/Power Plant, held June 5 at Gamble Auditorium, though the college did not appear to engage in widespread publicity. Citizens from the community used other methods to alert the public to this meeting. Except for one speaker, all attendees who either ventured to the microphone or spoke from their seats, praised the concept of geothermal energy, and requested that MHC relocate its Energy Center elsewhere on their vast campus. Speaker after speaker raised the following concerns: noise from this “electric power plant” with air handlers outside the building and on the roof would disturb abutters, neighbors, and patrons of nearby restaurants; air pollution from the gasoline still compacted into the soil beneath the site, which had long ago been a gasoline station, would damage the health of abutters and neighbors.

By Staff Report

HADLEY — The New England Public Media Asparagus Festival will not reschedule its event this year after weather forced organizers to cancel the popular event last Saturday.

By EMILEE KLEIN

GRANBY — After five months of weighing more expensive and expansive options to turn the West Street Building into town offices and a new Council on Aging, residents at Monday’s special Town Meeting returned to a $5.6 million project to move all town offices under one roof in part of the old elementary school building.

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — The town’s zoning bylaw is clear: a special permit is required for any use that creates noise perceptible more than 200 feet from the property line.

By CHRIS LARABEE

SOUTH DEERFIELD — For many Bikes Fight Cancer cyclists, they are riding in honor of friends or family members who have battled the disease that has touched the lives of so many people.

Are you ready for the ultimate experience? If the answer is yes, plan on joining the Summer Ultimate League of Amherst (SULA) for another exciting summer of ultimate frisbee. SULA, which started in 1995, is celebrating its 30th season and has another year of fun in store over the next couple of months.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

EASTHAMPTON — Recalling an incident in the city’s public schools in which a Jewish child was targeted with Nazi salutes and taunts and opted to remove the Star of David on his person out of fear for his well-being, a former Easthampton city councilor told a legislative panel that the strategy school officials used in response was to “delay, deflect, deny and delegitimize.”