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Collection for Athol food pantry this Saturday
ATHOL – As the North Central Massachusetts Association of Realtors plans a food drive this Saturday, the local food pantry is seeing supplies getting tighter.

Athol board reviews budget, warrant articles
ATHOL – At its meeting Tuesday night, the Selectboard reviewed the draft warrant for the June 9 Annual Town Meeting, which will include the proposed $26.4 million FY26 budget.
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Sports

HS Roundup: Pioneer baseball moves to 11-0 following 6-4 win over Frontier (PHOTOS)
SOUTH DEERFIELD — Make it 11 wins in a row to open the season for the Pioneer baseball team.


Opinion

Ed Gregory: Industry away
I do believe emperor Donald Trump failed to factor in a couple of significant dynamics into his delusion of having sizeable industry return to the good ‘ole U.S. of A. I give you robotics and unions. Heavy manufacturing in our technical world incorporates industrial robots to do jobs that a great deal of humans once performed, and, new jobs are being roboticized daily. For those areas that may require people, unions will most likely be a component in the workplace.





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, March 1 – March 17, 2025
12:40 a.m. - Party over 911 stating he believes his wife has an infection in her mouth and is in a lot of pain. When reporting party was advised dispatch would be sending an ambulance, he declined.




Arts & Life

Speaking of Nature: Climbing out on a limb: The Hartford fern is not your typical fern
Last week I started telling the story of a particular expedition into the woods and I ended up writing a column on the basics of fern biology. I covered the evolution of ferns, their place in the general evolution of terrestrial plants, and the curious nature of their reproductive cycle. To put it plainly, things got away from me and I didn’t notice until it was too late. The beauty of time, however, is the fact that there is always next week. So, without further adieu, I transport you back to a morning in early April…
Obituaries

Gardner, MA - Mary Ellen Mack, born on January 21, 1930, in Gardner, MA, was a lifelong resident of her beloved hometown of Gardner. She dedicated her life to the service of others, working as a clerical worker for Health and Human Ser... remainder of obit for Mary E. Mack

Athol, MA - Blanche L. Sheffield, born on October 20, 1934, in Athol, Massachusetts, and graduated Athol High School in 1953. She was a beacon of warmth and love, infusing every room with her infectious joy and hearty laughter. We sadly... remainder of obit for Blanche L. Sheffield

Athol, MA - Judith (Landry) Caouette 82, loving wife and mother, passed away at home in the arms of her family on April 22, 2025 after a courageous two year battle with cancer. Judith was born in Fitchburg, MA on July 13, 1942 the daug... remainder of obit for Judith J. Caouette

Olivia, MN - Janice Jansen January 28, 1948 April 15, 2025 Janice Jansen, age 77, of Olivia, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on April 15, 2025. Janice was born on January 28, 1948, in Winchendon, Massachusetts, to the late ... remainder of obit for Janice Jansen