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By CHRIS LARABEE

With bodies of water receding and brush fires throughout the state, it was clearly a dry fall for the Pioneer Valley and new data analysis confirms the season was historically dry for western Massachusetts.Preliminary National Weather Service data...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — With a fist raised in the air, state Sen. Jo Comerford and dozens of advocates and business leaders, as well as state and local officials, rallied in support of the Northern Tier Passenger Rail Monday morning at the John W. Olver Transit...

By CHRIS LARABEE

ROYALSTON — In a nation so bitterly divided over its politics, there’s perhaps no town more evenly divided than Royalston, in which election results Tuesday evening showed President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in a dead tie,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

What started as a small tour of orchards around the region has grown into a celebration of the apple, as CiderDays celebrates 30 years of fermentation.From North Adams to Northampton to Phillipston, as well as numerous Franklin County stops in...

By CHRIS LARABEE

A big change will be coming to families who take advantage of the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP).Beginning in December, all families using HIP benefits, regardless of their household size, will see their monthly incentives reduced to $20, which is,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — On Election Day, voters will have the opportunity to determine the future of high school graduation requirements in Massachusetts with a vote on Question 2.The measure, which has been spearheaded by the Massachusetts Teachers Association,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

Voters from around Franklin County and the North Quabbin will hit the polls in droves on Election Day, Nov. 5, but for those who want to avoid the crowds, every community in the region is offering early voting hours, with the earliest opportunity for...

By CHRIS LARABEE

WARWICK – In just a few weeks, the hum of a new school bus will be on the roads of Warwick.That bus, though, is not just any yellow school bus – it will be a blue Kia EV9 Wind adorned with the Warwick Community School & District’s logo, perhaps the...

By CHRIS LARABEE

With National Recovery Month coming to a close, local agencies and community organizations gathered Thursday to discuss how access to naloxone is one of the keys to addressing the opioid crisis.In a virtual discussion hosted by the Opioid Task Force...

By CHRIS LARABEE

WHATELY — The Whately Diner and Shelburne Falls’ Iron Bridge will soon return to the silver screen — alongside the debut of other Franklin County locations — as a local director prepares to begin filming his first feature-length...

By CHRIS LARABEE

ORANGE – Getting on and off a plane might sound like an odd piece of police training, but it can make quite a difference when you’re a dog.On Monday morning, K-9s and their handlers gathered at the Orange Municipal Airport for the second day of a...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — As the Oct. 12 deadline for public comment on the Northern Tier Passenger Rail study approaches, communities around Franklin County are sending letters of support to the state for what some officials say could be a “game-changer” for the...

By CHRIS LARABEE

SUNDERLAND – Two local farms opened their doors to Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer Monday morning as she heard farmers explain the challenges brought on by climate change, as well as opportunities for future investments in the industry.The state’s...

By CHRIS LARABEE

AMHERST — With 30 years of work in the valley and around the world, the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding is welcoming people from around the region to celebrate three decades of community-based work.To highlight the nonprofit’s work, the Karuna Center...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — For decades, it was assumed the federally endangered shortnose sturgeon did not live upstream of the Turners Falls dam on the Connecticut River, although two confirmed sightings in 2017 and 2022 raised some compelling evidence.New...

By CHRIS LARABEE

SOUTH DEERFIELD — After a horse burial raised neighborhood concerns on Kelleher Drive this summer, town officials were unable to take any direct action to address the matter, as Deerfield lacks bylaws regarding the burial of farm animals.The burial...

By CHRIS LARABEE

With an emphasis on connection across partner organizations and challenges facing the environment, the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game on Friday released a five-year strategic plan to guide the agency’s work through 2030.Entitled...

By CHRIS LARABEE

ATHOL — A reimagining of the Lord Pond Plaza, several floodplain management and numerous other climate-resiliency projects are slated to begin as millions of dollars in Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program grants head to Franklin County...

By CHRIS LARABEE

WESTFIELD — Franklin and Hampshire county residents got a first-hand opportunity to see the presumptive Democratic nominee for president over the weekend as Vice President Kamala Harris landed in western Massachusetts on Saturday for a fundraising...

By CHRIS LARABEE

WENDELL — After a 3,000-mile journey east, a World War II memorial honoring 36 Wendell veterans has finally returned home.In a ceremony Wednesday afternoon, town officials, residents and veterans gathered as Wendell unveiled the recently refurbished...

By CHRIS LARABEE

After a frantic emergency response to save animals and equipment on July 10, 2023, David Fisher and Maggie Toran assessed their farm field as memories of Hurricane Irene came flooding back.At their horse-powered, community-supported agriculture (CSA)...