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By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — As someone who takes care of and cleans buildings on the University of Massachusetts campus, Sun Chong’s workload doubles when her colleagues call out sick or leave university employment.“They don’t hire people, so then we have to cover each...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – The Board of Planning and Community Development has granted a special permit to Hometown Harvest LLC to open a retail marijuana establishment at 243 Main St., the former home of Elev8 Cannabis.Nicholas Obolensky, one of Hometown Harvest’s...

By Mike RocheAlthough Massachusetts deer hunting seasons begin with archery hunting in early October and ends with the primitive firearms season that is held the last couple of weeks of December, it is the two-week shotgun season that most people...

By SAM DRYSDALE

Following two years of significantly increased funding for public higher education resulting in a tripling of state-offered financial aid and making community colleges free, the Board of Higher Education wants to keep its foot on the gas next year for...

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office’s Substance Opportunity Treatment Program [S.T.O.P.] has been awarded the title of Program of the Year by the Massachusetts Sheriff Association.S.T.O.P. was recognized at the 2024 Law Enforcement & Corrections...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – Renovations to turn the former Riverbend and Bigelow schools into mixed-income/senior housing are slated to begin in early 2025.Representatives of Fitchburg-based NewVue Communities met with the Selectboard Tuesday night to provide an update...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – At its meeting Tuesday night, the Selectboard discussed doing away with the blanket overnight parking ban which has been implemented every winter over the past decade.According to Chair Stephen Raymond, on March 5, 2013, the Selectboard voted...

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — The water tower proposed for the Orange Industrial Park is a go, after voters at Monday’s Special Town Meeting opted to accept land from Seaman Paper and to accept or take land from Power Fund Partners for its construction.Seaman Paper,...

PETERSHAM – On Tuesday, Nov. 26, students gathered with head teacher Cheryl Calcari to discuss the Thanksgiving holiday, while teachers Pam Manjourea and Lynn Scott finished preparing platters that the students had started of sliced vegetables, cheese...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Running consistent passenger rail service for 140 miles through northern Massachusetts communities to connect North Adams and Boston could attract hundreds of riders per day, but would also require hundreds of millions of dollars in up-front capital...

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 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 COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON – Facing softening non-surtax revenue collections, spending demands inflated by pandemic-era initiatives and a mountain of uncertainty about the direction of key federal policies, state budget managers and economic analysts agreed Monday that...

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

Changing Lives Though Literature, an alternative sentencing option that offers those on probation reduced sentences upon completion of a 10-week literature program, is inspiring many of its graduates to pursue higher education.The program aims to...

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE – There were no injuries resulting from a fire caused by the ignition of combustible materials near a pellet stove’s flue pipe early Sunday morning, the town’s fire chief said.James Young said his department was dispatched to a reported...

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

Gov. Maura Healey signed the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0) bill in late November on the coattails of a $4 billion economic development bond bill. Now roughly four years in the making, local health officials say...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON – The Governor’s Council on Wednesday certified the results of Massachusetts’s electors for the U.S. offices of president, vice president, and U.S. senator and representative.All 50 states had to certify their votes in the federal election and...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – Between releasing its annual “Birds and Nature of the North Quabbin 2025” calendar and preparing for the yearly bird count, the Athol Bird & Nature Club has had a busy December.The cover of the calendar features a striking image of a barred...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL — Multiple convenience store owners showed up for a public hearing Tuesday afternoon to express their opposition to a ban on the sale of nicotine pouches.New tobacco regulations under consideration by the town’s Board of Health would prohibit...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — The head of the state’s K-12 education board expects the state will be sued for failing to assure there’s adequate and equitable learning taking place in schools, after voters overwhelmingly supported a new law this November that got rid of...