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By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

MONTAGUE — Tari Thomas, former superintendent of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional and Union 73 school districts, has been tapped for the interim superintendent position at the Gill-Montague Regional School District, pending successful contract negotiations and reference checks.

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — Who better to give a graduation pep talk than a former NFL cheerleader?

By DOMENIC POLI

WENDELL — The struggle to finalize a Ralph C. Mahar Regional School budget for fiscal year 2026 has spilled into Wendell, where Orange residents and school officials spoke at a Selectboard meeting to advocate for what they want the budget to reflect.

By CHRIS LARABEE

With its regional agreement sent off to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a technical review, the Six Town Regionalization Planning Board is expecting to bring its new school district proposal to voters in the fall.

By ALEXA LEWIS

The Trump administration has eliminated roughly $1 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to the state Department of Public Health intended specifically to address asthma in western Massachusetts, according to Gov. Maura Healey’s office. This termination comes shortly after the American Lung Association reported a decline in air quality across the state and region.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

GREENFIELD — In the 28 years since the Franklin Regional Council of Governments’ (FRCOG) charter was first created, no amendments have been made.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

SPRINGFIELD — Bishop William Byrne not only introduced the Diocese of Springfield’s new executive director for its Catholic Charities Agency this week but also laid out the evolution that the agency will see now that protection of immigrants is no longer part of its agenda in the wake of federal cuts.

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — A peer review for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter’s proposed location off Plain Road East has found no “fatal flaws” that would pose a risk to public health or safety, according to the engineer, but there are some details regarding traffic and noise that need to be addressed.

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — Community and nonprofit leaders convened at the Franklin Regional Council of Governments’ offices this week to share an update on advocacy efforts for some of the most vulnerable populations: children and caregivers.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

GILL — The Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority is applying for $900,000 that would be used to preserve or rehabilitate homes in Gill and New Salem to meet building and sanitary codes, and to improve accessibility.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

SPRINGFIELD — The Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts committed this month to a three-year, $200,000-a-year partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN) to strengthen and enhance security measures at congregations, schools and organizations throughout the region.

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — The Friends of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter will come before Deerfield’s regulatory boards in the coming weeks, as the nonprofit seeks to construct an 8,000-square-foot shelter on a 13.4-acre parcel of land off Plain Road East.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN and EMILEE KLEIN

With two cases of bird flu having been confirmed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, local health officials are issuing advisories and at least one Franklin County farm is taking measures to protect its poultry.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

Ten exemplary students from across Franklin County and North Quabbin region were recognized Thursday night during the Franklin County Area Superintendents’ Association’s annual awards dinner at Franklin County Technical School.These students received...

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 ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

Advocates from the National Coalition to Liberate Methadone discussed the stigma associated with methadone treatment and recommended ways to expand it during a virtual event hosted by the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin...

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

GREENFIELD — Gov. Maura Healey joined local and state officials outside the Franklin Regional Transit Authority’s (FRTA) offices Thursday afternoon to celebrate her administration’s $30 million earmark to fund year-round, fare-free transportation...

By CHRIS LARABEE, MADISON SCHOFIELD, ANTHONY CAMMALLERI, ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN and DOMENIC POLI

The MCAS scores for 2024 have been released, showing that approximately 30.1% of Franklin County and North Quabbin students met or exceeded expectations, 48.5% partially met expectations and 21.5% did not meet expectations in the math and English...

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE – Trying to please a snobby, cynical restaurant critic might seem like a daunting task. But how about 1,200 growing children?That’s the daily reality for Katrina Bressani, the new food service director for the Ralph C. Mahar Regional and Union...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN and MADISON SCHOFIELD

Thanks to funding from the Massachusetts Office of Environmental Justice and Equity, Franklin County organizations will receive 21 of the total 213 air quality sensors being distributed statewide to help protect public health and fill in gaps in local...

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...