Latest News



Athol’s River Rat parade to be lead by ‘sister city’ ensemble
ATHOL – An ensemble of musicians from across “the pond” will be leading the annual River Rat promenade down Main Street this year.

New Franklin Tech building or repairs being explored
TURNERS FALLS — A feasibility study is underway through the Massachusetts School Building Authority to explore the possibility of building a new Franklin County Technical School or renovating its existing building.
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Sports

FINAL FOUR BOUND! Smith College takes down Gustavus Adolphus for third straight NCAA Div. 3 Final Four berth
A 22-point game from Ally Landau helped the Smith College basketball team advance past Gustavus Adolphus, 61-50, in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division 3 women’s tournament on Saturday.

Opinion

Columnist Daniel Cantor Yalowitz: Finding wisdom in middle school
Becoming a responsible adult is a decades-long, uneven, challenging process. It takes human beings longer than any other living being to emerge into a state of independence and autonomy. Most people spend at least 10 to 20 years in school, learning the skills, knowledge and values that will serve us and our families and communities in good stead, hopefully for the betterment of our world.





Your Daily Puzzles

An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."

A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.

Chess but with chaos: Every day is a unique, wacky board.

Word search but as a strategy game. Clearing the board feels really good.

Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
Police Logs

Athol Police Logs: Feb. 6 – Feb. 27, 2025
12:13 p.m. - Spoke with a female party who was shoveling snow into the roadway. She was advised to stop. She stated she “wasn’t worried about it” and “didn’t care.”




Arts & Life

A piece of history comes home: Silver pitcher returns to Franklin County Fairgrounds after 150 years
The Franklin County Fair Museum’s chilly confines are filled with posters, brochures, ribbons and other pieces celebrating the history of the cherished event that started as a cattle show 177 years ago. But in December the museum added to its collection a first of its kind – an antique silver pitcher that made its way home from England, having been bestowed upon one of the Fairgrounds’ founding fathers on Jan. 3, 1863.

Obituaries

Stamford, CT - James Philip Clucus, known to most as Jim and to his family and friends as "G," passed away peacefully on March 6, 2025, at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, CT. Born on January 2, 1951, in Athol, MA, Jim was the cherished s... remainder of obit for James Philip Clucus

Athol, MA - Clairette Summers, born October 9, 1941, was a woman of ceaseless compassion and unparalleled resilience. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, and later making her home in Athol, Massachusetts, she cast a luminous light on every life ... remainder of obit for Clairette Sumers

ORANGE, MA - Charles W. LeBell, 83, of Horton Road, died peacefully at home on Sunday, March 2, 2025 following an illness, surrounded by loved ones. Born in Gardner on July 26, 1941, he was the son of the late William C. and Beatric... remainder of obit for Charles W. LeBell

Ruth A. (Butterfield) Robinson PETERSHAM, MA - Ruth A. (Butterfield) Robinson passed away peacefully with family by her side on Monday March 3, 2025, at the age of 97. She was born on May 17, 1927, in Northbridge, MA to Vance L. and Doris ... remainder of obit for Ruth A. Robinson