Second Chance vaccine clinic in Athol rescheduled
ATHOL – The Second Chance Animal Services’ Community Vaccine Clinic in Athol originally scheduled for Saturday, July 18, has been rescheduled and moved to a new location to accommodate more pets.
The clinic will be held on Saturday, Aug. 22, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Athol Public Library, 568 Main St., Athol, in the back parking lot. The clinic is open to cats and dogs from any community.
The clinic will continue to offer:
• $5 rabies vaccines
• Free distemper/Parvo combo vaccines
• $19 Leptospirosis vaccines
• $22 microchips
Advance registration is encouraged, as space is limited. Walk-ins will be permitted as time allows. Pet owners can register online at https://www.secondchanceanimals.org/scasconnect-north-brookfield/
This Community Vaccine Clinic is made possible in part by Petco Love, the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, and the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation.
Photos needed for Athol Bird and Nature Club calendar
ATHOL – The Athol Bird and Nature Club (ABNC) is putting together the 2027 club calendar. In the past many have submitted photos for consideration and the most difficult part of the project is having enough images to review that are appropriate for each month. The club usually has many for May through August, but not as many for the early spring, winter and fall months. Furthermore, the club typically has many bird and mammal images, but not so many plant, insect, reptile, amphibian, or other nature-related subjects.
A variety of photos from as many photographers makes the calendar more interesting. Try to include a variety of subjects, not just birds (but don’t forget the birds). There is one main requirement – the photo must be taken in the North Quabbin area.
The club has need of images for the main month’s subject, and smaller images for the blank cells in the date part. Landscape-oriented images are required. Images in focus and not heavily cropped are best. Please send the images, or maybe a link to the images, by Aug. 15, to info@atholbirdclub.org.
Annabelle Crossman named to Salve Regina Dean’s List
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND – Annabelle Crossman of Phillipston was named to the Dean’s List during the spring 2026 academic semester at Salve Regina University. To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must earn a semester grade point average of 3.6 for full-time students completing at least 12 graded credits, or a semester grade point average of 3.8 for part-time students completing at least six credits.
Mount Wachusett awarded $100,000 grant for behavioral health apprenticeship
GARDNER – Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) has been awarded a $100,000 Behavioral Health Apprenticeship Degree Program Grant from Accelerate The Future’s Behavioral Health Workforce Institute to develop an apprenticeship pathway that will prepare students for careers in behavioral health while helping address the growing workforce shortage across Massachusetts.
The two-year grant will support the planning and development of a Behavioral Health Apprenticeship Degree Program, with the first student cohort expected to begin in fall 2027. The program will combine classroom instruction with paid, employer-based learning experiences and structured mentorship, creating a flexible “learn-and-earn” pathway that prepares students for careers in behavioral health while meeting regional workforce needs.
“This grant represents an important investment in both our students and the future of behavioral healthcare in North Central Massachusetts,” said MWCC President James Vander Hooven. “By partnering with employers to create meaningful learn-and-earn opportunities, we will help students gain the education, skills, and experience needed to enter this essential profession while helping meet a critical workforce need.”
Building on MWCC’s established Human Services certificate and associate degree programs, the new apprenticeship pathway will align academic coursework with employer needs and hands-on workplace training. Students will benefit from flexible course formats, including online, hybrid, evening, and accelerated options, as well as clear transfer pathways to bachelor’s degree programs in fields such as social work, psychology, and human services.