Latest News
Orange department heads voice frustration over potential 15% budget cuts
New members needed for Athol boards
Nonprofits agree they are worse off under Trump
UMass researchers discover rare rabbit ticks in Maine that carry new strain of bacteria
Sportsman’s Corner: Fawn facts
PHOTO: Millers River reaches red line in Winchendon
Transhealth, others condemn federal report urging therapy as brazen, unscientific attack on trans youth
Area students inducted to Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at MWCC
North Quabbin Notes, May 6
‘Devastating’: Cuts to public broadcasting will be felt here
Federal funding cuts announced earlier this month to National Public Radio and The Public Broadcasting Service would have serious implications for public media viewers and listeners in western Massachusetts, experts in the region say.
Athol board approves agreements with cannabis companies
ATHOL – Host community agreements (HCA) for three cannabis businesses in Athol were renewed by the Selectboard at its meeting on May 6.
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Editors Picks
‘We’ve lost a good one’: Donald R. Dwight remembered as passionate advocate for local journalism
Athol bridge closed several hours for repairs Tuesday evening
A ‘monumental’ journey: Nearly 200 people become American citizens at naturalization ceremony at UMass Amherst
Override for library, schools passes at Winchendon Town Election
Sports
HS Roundup: Pioneer baseball takes down back-to-back Div. 3 champion Oakmont, 7-3
The Pioneer baseball team continues to pass each test it takes.
Bulletin board: Greenfield Adult Recreation Singles Tennis League seeking players
Baseball: Greenfield's Conner Bergeron allows just one hit as Wave take down Turners Falls, 11-1, in five innings
Weekend Roundup: Four Rivers ultimate triumphs at annual Invitational
Victory Lap with Jessica Lapachinski: Breaking the silence
Opinion
My Turn: My why for our Y
Last year I joined Franklin County’s Y. Over the last few years, my wife Lee and I have donated to the Y, and this year I am a volunteer for the annual campaign. I want to share my why for our Y.
My Turn: No better time to ‘think globally, act locally’
My Turn: A stroke of good luck
Columnist Daniel Cantor Yalowitz: Why we can’t give up on DEI
Elizabeth Lareau Whitcomb: Violence affects us all, knows no party lines
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, April 16 – April 26, 2025
10:45 a.m. - Report of a party going through a company’s mail. Made contact with the male party who stated he was checking for his own mail. Male party was located in his Mercedes in the back of the building. Party left the property shortly after.
Athol Police Logs, March 1 – March 17, 2025
Athol Police Logs: Feb. 6 – Feb. 27, 2025
Athol Police Logs Jan. 16 to Feb. 2, 2025
Orange Police Logs: Dec. 31, 2024 to Jan. 10, 2025
e-Edition
Arts & Life
Make America cake again: How to bake an Election Cake
Food can be a tangible link to history. When we taste a recipe from the past, we experience that past in a specific, often delicious, way.
Block and roll: Roller Derby, the ‘sport for misfits,’ finds a home in the Valley
The pipes, the pipes are calling: Orange man services organs throughout New England, beyond
Writer’s work lives on, thanks to creative friends: Stray Dog Collective preserves Hilary Sloin’s short stories, essays
Get Growing with Mickey Rathbun: A blooming ribbon leads the eye: Landscape architect planted 1,500 daffodils in Amherst’s Orchard ArboretumObituaries
Janet R. Bartlett
Janet R. (Day) Bartlett ORANGE, MA - Janet R. (Day) Bartlett, 92, died Monday evening, May 5, 2025, at Athol Hospital, just three days before her 93rd birthday. Born in Athol on May 8, 1932, she was the daughter of Herbert W. and Eva M.... remainder of obit for Janet R. Bartlett
Kenton F. Tharp
ORANGE, MA - Kenton Franklin Tharp, age 76, died May 6 at his home in Orange, MA. He was born in Grant, Nebraska to Charles and Gladys (Kent) Tharp. He worked with his father to custom bale hay and with his mother and sisters in the fam... remainder of obit for Kenton F. Tharp
Leslie J. Osborne
West Springfield, MA - Leslie J. Osborne, fondly known as "Lee" to her friends and family, passed away on April 27, 2025. Born in Gardner, MA, USA on July 14, 1942 She was a woman of faith, belonging to St. Johns Church in Athol. Le... remainder of obit for Leslie J. Osborne
Richard D. Ray Jr.
Richard D. Ray, Jr. New Salem, MA - Richard Daniel Ray, Jr., 61 of New Salem passed away on May 2nd, 2025 at U Mass following a massive stroke after years of declining health and most recently lung cancer, with his daughter spending his ... remainder of obit for Richard D. Ray Jr.
