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By CHRIS LISINSKI

Representatives went five for five on approval of animal safety and treatment bills Thursday, mounting a late-session push for greater dog kennel oversight and a ban on the use of certain exotic mammals in traveling shows.The House approved the bills,...

By Colin A. Young

BOSTON — Without a single Republican vote, the Massachusetts House and Senate sent the governor a massive overhaul of the state’s gun laws late last week, crossing one of the most significant items off of the Legislature’s rest-of-July to-do list.The...

By GREG VINE

PHILLIPSTON – July 18 was supposed to be the final day for Phillipston Administrative Assistant Melanie Jackson, who had submitted her resignation.Instead, she will remain in the role, but with the new title of chief administrative officerSelectboard...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

The shock waves from the shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday have continued to reverberate across the country, including in western Massachusetts.Local politicians reacted to the shooting, which resulted in the death of an...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Lawmakers from both parties signaled Tuesday they share a government watchdog’s concerns about upheaval at the Cannabis Control Commission, but Democrats who wield decision-making power stopped short of indicating what kind of response they might...

By SAIJEL KISHAN

President Joe Biden’s trio of legislative packages designed to revive U.S. manufacturing prowess is already helping regions from upstate New York to West Virginia. To the frustration of its local development agency, one that’s getting left behind is a...

By GREG VINE

PHILLIPSTON – Phillipston Det. Sgt. Sean Sawicki has been chosen to assume the role of police chief while the Selectboard continues deliberations on four applicants for the position interviewed Thursday.The Selectboard spent more than six hours...

By SAM FERLAND

ORANGE — After receiving a letter in March advising them of a complaint alleging special treatment of Mission Covenant Church, Selectboard members, in collaboration with the assessors, have decided to bill the church $13,723.54 for taxes.Americans...

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — An organization dedicated to guaranteeing political distance between religious institutions and the government has not heard from town officials nearly three months after informing them of a complaint alleging special treatment of Mission...

By GREG VINE

PETERSHAM – Voters at Monday’s Annual Town Meeting determined that the required 10% quorum to conduct business was just a bit too stringent.Residents who showed up for the 7 p.m. start time ended up on their cell phones, reaching out to friends,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD – In celebration of Bay State Bike Month and in anticipation of a new Franklin County Regional Bike Plan, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) welcomed cyclists to the John W. Olver Transit Center for breakfast Tuesday...

By GREG VINE

ROYALSTON – A last-minute addition has been made to the warrant for Royalston’s Annual Town Meeting seeking $700,000 through a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion. The new article, authored by the town’s Building Committee, would pay for improvements to...

By GREG VINE

ROYALSTON – The Selectboard Tuesday night closed the warrant for the upcoming Annual Town Meeting and have recommended passage of all 30 articles. The town’s Finance Advisory Committee will decide which articles it will support at its meeting tonight...

By GREG VINE

PHILLIPSTON – Earl Sweat, a member of the Board of Assessors, has thrown his hat into the ring for a one-year term on the Selectboard.He joins fellow resident Nicole Gough in the contest to serve out the remaining year of former board member Dan...

By CHRIS LISINSKI, COLIN A. YOUNG, MICHAEL P. NORTON

BOSTON – The House voted 117-36 and the Senate 29-9 to approve a supplemental budget steering $251 million more into the family shelter system and calling for new limits on how long families may stay in shelters.The agreement announced Wednesday...

By Allison Kuznitz

BOSTON — With an array of more than 50 state financial aid programs available to college students, public higher education officials are embarking on an effort to simplify those offerings by 2026.The Department of Higher Education plans to evaluate...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – After a year’s absence, Lee Chauvette wants to re-enter the world of local politics, which he has been a part of for many years.Chauvette, who previously served 20 years on the ARRSD School Committee and nine years on the Selectboard, is...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — Over more than three hours of discussion about a proposal to stop using MCAS exam scores as a high school graduation requirement, lawmakers kept returning to one specific question: If the ballot measure were passed, how would Massachusetts...

By BELLA LEVAVI

GREENFIELD — The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) is asking the public to complete an online survey with an interactive mapping component to provide information for a new Franklin County Bike Plan.By updating the bike plan for the...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

Filling in some blanks on her economic development plans, Gov. Maura Healey said Thursday she wants to reauthorize the life sciences initiative at $1 billion for the next decade, and launch a separate $1 billion, 10-year climate tech initiative that...