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By STELLA TANNENBAUM

Slowly but surely — and not without opposition — age-old efforts to change images of Native Americans that many view as offensive have gained new momentum across Massachusetts, sparking conversations about history, representation and what it means to...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

After filing legal challenges in several other states to bar Donald Trump from ballot eligibility in this year’s primaries, a Massachusetts-incorporated advocacy group with local ties has now done so in its home state.Free Speech for People, a...

By MADDIE FABIAN

On any given weekday morning, upward of 40 people fill the Holyoke Community College gymnasium to partake in the sport that has become a favorite pastime for those looking to socialize and for people of all ages and abilities looking for a little...

By Colin A. Young

BOSTON — Utility regulators want to hear from Massachusetts residents who grapple each month to make choices between paying utility bills and covering other essential costs.The Department of Public Utilities on Thursday launched an official “inquiry”...

By COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON — A pair of reports made public this week illustrate the variety of efforts that are underway to position Massachusetts to live up to its legal requirement to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.In addition to a minimum 50%...

By JAIMEE FRANCIS

Heat pumps, which use electricity rather than directly burning fossil fuel, are a key piece of Massachusetts’ goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But the state has hit only 1% of its installation target, in large part because...

By MADDIE FABIAN

EASTHAMPTON — On the ground floor of Eastworks, a converted old mill that now houses artists, writers and nonprofits, a different type of tenant can be found — one where its customers practice “ollies” and “grinds,” “pop shove-its” and “kickflips.”...

By MADDIE FABIAN

EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton School Committee turned a new leaf on Tuesday as members were sworn into office for a new term, with those serving for the next two years looking to put behind them a tumultuous year in which two of its members quit...

By CLARA CHO

At the young age of 15, Rick Dyer’s addiction to drugs and drinking began.Going through over 40 bags of heroin a day at one point, he experienced homelessness and incarceration, both common among people struggling with substance abuse. But what was...

By Colin A. Young

BOSTON — A judge has cleared the way for Treasurer Deborah Goldberg to hold a hearing on the potential termination of Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien, but the scheduling of that meeting is now tied to an open investigation that...

By MADDIE FABIAN

Editor’s note: This is the fourth and final article from the Western Mass. Solar Forum series. The first three forums took place in September, and another series of forums is in the works for this spring. AMHERST — Most experts agree solar energy is...

By DON STEWART

As an inquisitive boy growing up in Amsterdam, he kept a menagerie of snails and toads and other small woodland fauna in his room, populating the glass terrariums he’d filled with mosses and ferns.Influenced by one uncle, an architect, and two others...

By Bob Katzen

THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the percentage of times local representatives voted with their party’s leadership in the 2023 session through Dec. 22. The...

By EMILY THURLOW

A woman dressed in pajamas walks into a Cottage Street bar and challenges a random stranger to an arm-wrestling match.The circumstances sound like the set-up of a joke. It’s not.The woman is Rose Lynch of Easthampton, and over the next few weeks...

By MADDIE FABIAN

Ask almost any conservationist about an Endangered Species Act (ESA) success story and they will tell you about the bald eagle.“Growing up, I would have never seen a bald eagle in western Massachusetts,” said Jeff Collins, senior director of...

By EDEN MOR

Opponents of using the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test as a high school graduation requirement suggest there are better ways to measure student achievement should voters get an opportunity remove the requirement in November 2024.In...

By LINDSAY SHACHNOW

Walking into Industrious’ coworking space on Dartmouth Street in Boston, guests find themselves in a common area complete with a cafe and front desk. The sound of hushed chatter and keyboard clicking fills the room.Visiting one of Industrious’ other...

By CHRIS LISINSKI and SAM DRYSDALE

HOLYOKE — At Holyoke Community College this fall, 3,706 students are enrolled and receiving credits for classes they are taking. That’s a 4.4% increase over the 3,550 students at the college in the fall of 2022.The jump in enrollment mirrors what is...

By COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON — A Superior Court judge ruled Friday that Treasurer Deborah Goldberg can go ahead with the meeting that could lead to the firing of suspended Cannabis Control Commission Chairwoman Shannon O’Brien and also cautioned the parties that “political...

By Bob Katzen

THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the percentage of times local senators voted with their party’s leadership in the 2023 session through December 15. Beacon...