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By GREG VINE

ATHOL – “What’s the purpose of having meters on Main Street?”That question, short and to the point, was posed to representatives of Athol’s Parking Benefits District Oversight Committee by Selectboard Vice Chair Brian Dodge at the board’s Dec. 17 ...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WASHINGTON — The roller coaster ride last week over a down-to-the-wire congressional spending bill ended on a high note for U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, who expressed victory that some $220 million in federal money will soon be in the hands of New England...

By COLIN A. YOUNG and SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — At the midway point of her term in office, Gov. Maura Healey said last week she’s comfortable with what she’s gotten done and is more focused on implementing what she sees as “transformational” accomplishments than on pondering her next...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL — Details of a host community agreement between Athol and Hometown Harvest, LLC, were finalized by the Selectboard on Dec. 17.Hometown Harvest is a retail marijuana establishment with plans to set up shop at 243 Main St., once occupied by Elev8...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden has been in the giving spirit. In the past month, he went out of his way and against his word by pardoning his son Hunter, followed by an announcement that he would be pardoning a list of 39 others, and granting...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON – A new coalition of organizations is threatening to file a lawsuit in January to try to force the Legislature to comply with a new voter law giving the state auditor the authority to investigate the House and Senate.The Mass. Fiscal Alliance,...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

Backed by a federal grant, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) is in the process of developing its own Road Safety Action Plan to serve as a guide for future traffic safety investments.To inform the plan’s creation, officials with...

By GREG VINE

PHILLIPSTON – With the deadline for Community Preservation Act funding applications less than a month away, only one party has expressed interest.According to Community Preservation Committee Chair Peter Travisano, the Congregational Church is seeking...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON – U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, joined by a cohort of Massachusetts health leaders, declared Tuesday he will vote against confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, saying Americans need a leader...

By COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON – Attorney General Andrea Campbell plans to stay on the sidelines in the donnybrook between Auditor Diana DiZoglio and the Legislature, at least until the two sides wind up in a “legal dispute” if DiZoglio seeks to exercise her new auditing...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON – Tobacco and nicotine products would eventually become banned in Massachusetts, under a regulatory trajectory that a trio of lawmakers hope will become law next session.Sen. Jason Lewis and Reps. Tommy Vitolo and Kate Lipper-Garabedian...

By SAM DRYSDALE

After voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots to eliminate the requirement that high school students pass the MCAS exam in order to receive a diploma, the question of whether the state will pursue a new statewide standard in the exams’ place – and...

By ADA DENENFELD KELLY

ATHOL — Adams Farm Slaughterhouse was recently awarded a Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) in the interest of lowering consumer costs and improving food security.Maintenance Manager Clare Barnes explained that Adams Farm received a grant of...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – Town Manager Shaun Suhoski told Tuesday’s meeting of the Finance and Warrant Advisory Committee that Athol has been notified that the state intends to resurface Main Street [Route 2A] from the South Main Street Bridge to Athol High School.He...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — Bay Staters should conserve water and avoid burning anything outdoors amid an “unprecedented” wildfire season that likely will not abate until significant rain — or seasonal frost — arrives, state and local fire officials said this...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

Massachusetts should slash its reliance on hotels and motels used as shelters, invest in rental assistance and rehousing support, offer more tailored resources for homeless families, and more clearly communicate policies, according to a draft report...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

Days after Massachusetts voters embraced Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s mission to audit the Legislature, the Methuen Democrat formally notified top Beacon Hill leaders that her office is reviving its recent probe and seeking missing information.DiZoglio,...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

In her first public remarks since Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential election, Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday said she will support a peaceful transfer of power and acknowledged that voters across Massachusetts and the country have...

By MAX BOWEN

Following a 2-1 victory over challenger Jeffrey Raymond, state Rep. Susannah Whipps (I-Athol) said she is “humbled” by the strong response from the 2nd Franklin District.Whipps, who won a sixth term in office, said via email that she was elated to see...

By SAM DRYSDALEand ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON – Massachusetts students will no longer have to pass the MCAS exam to earn a diploma here.Question 2, which advanced with a hard push by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, prevailed in Tuesday’s election. The measure was favored by 59% of...