Latest News
North Quabbin Notes, June 10
Feds pull $87M grant from Sublime Systems for low-carbon cement plant in Holyoke
Health insurers seek steep rate increases
House passes bill overhauling cannabis laws, CCC
Sportsman’s Corner: Small world, big water
Franklin County Pride parade, festival returns Saturday in Greenfield
Petersham voters approve Town Election date change
Athol Police Detective Sergeant receives Grazis Award
ATHOL – This year’s Margaret Grazis Employee of the Year Award was presented to Athol Police Det. Sgt. Douglas Kaczmarczyk for his hard work and dedication to the department.
Senate budget includes more than $1M in local earmarks for western Mass
BOSTON — The state Senate’s approved fiscal year 2026 budget could bring more than $1 million in earmarks to western Massachusetts.
Most Read
Municipal vehicles, tax plans on agenda for Athol Town Meeting
Council labels UMass ‘hostile campus’ for Muslim, Palestinian students over handling of 2024 encampment
Detours planned in Athol for road work
Storms hamper Silver Lake event in Athol
Water testimony touches on private wells, aging infrastructure
Modern relevance of Pride’s protest movement origins emphasized at Greenfield’s 8th annual festival, parade
Editors Picks
Athol High School marks 150th Commencement with a hopeful message
Vigneau to retire as CEO of Franklin County YMCA
Idaho woman arrested on charges in 2023 Orange fraud case
Orange Sewer Commission votes to increase rates
Sports
Tavo Vincent-Warner closes Frontier volleyball career by eclipsing 2,000 career assists
The Frontier boys volleyball team is still in its infancy, though coach Sean MacDonald noted a milestone reached in the team’s season finale will take a long time to break.
Semifinal Preview: Pioneer baseball, Turners and Greenfield softball one win away from state title games
Track & Field: Greenfield’s Jack Laurie, Frontier’s Julian Adams, Mohawk Trail’s Zephyr Jetzon win events during Day 1 of MSTCA West Heptathlon/Decathlon
Bulletin Board: Freedom Credit Union takes down Pipione’s in GGSL contest
Greenfield Post 81 set to open its 2025 American Legion season
Opinion
My Turn: Invisible connections of the natural world
Cruelty, unabashed and relentless, is part of our inescapable reality these days. We exist in a media-dominated environment and many of us have become addicted to witnessing the horror and chaos of humans bludgeoning each other with either weapons of war or words.
Guest columnist Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell: Know your rights when it comes to ICE
My Turn: EMS in Crisis
My Turn: One big, beastly bill
My Turn: On the Writ of Habeas Corpus
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
Speaking of Nature: The pressures of parenthood: Bird dads, like human dads, deserve a happy Father’s Day
June is upon us and we are all set to celebrate Father’s Day this coming weekend. If we have any luck at all the weather will be cooperative, but the pattern has been pretty dismal so far; 12 consecutive rainy weekends according to my brother. It has been a rough spring for outdoor activities, but that is seen strictly through the human lens. Our wild neighbors have a schedule to keep and the game is on rain or shine.
Simple and scrumptious: Welsh Rabbit is neither rabbit nor Welsh, but it’s supreme comfort food
A star is born: Greenfield teen lands starring role first time acting in independent feature film
Pride Day on the River returns: Annual event welcomes LGBTQ nature lovers and allies to kayak, raft and celebrate, June 21
‘The perfect local event’: Coop Concert Series kicks off season of weekly concerts in Energy ParkObituaries
Joseph Goodbrake
Baldwinville, MA - Joseph Goodbrake, 46, of Baldwinville, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Heywood Hospital, Gardner, from his battle with cancer. Born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on August 2, 1978, he was the son o... remainder of obit for Joseph Goodbrake
Donna L. Cole
Donna L. (Sturtevant) Cole ORANGE, MA - Donna L. (Sturtevant) Cole, 80 , of Tully Road, died on Wednesday evening, June 4, 2025 at Boston Medical Center Brighton with family at her side. Born in Gardner on February 28, 1945, she was the... remainder of obit for Donna L. Cole
Molly T. Aitken
Athol, MA - Molly Bennett Aitken Strouse entered eternal peace on Tuesday morning, June 3, surrounded by her loving family. Born on July 25, 1943, Molly was the daughter of Mervin Dreux Bennett and Valre Vasilas. Molly was raised in Hol... remainder of obit for Molly T. Aitken
Christine Musante
Christine (Baker) Musante New Ringgold, PA - Christine (Baker) Musante, 81, of New Ringgold, PA died May 25, 2025. She was the wife of John L. Musante. She was born May 20, 1944 in Glen Ridge, NJ. She was the daughter of the late Albert... remainder of obit for Christine Musante
