News
New owners look to build on Thomas Memorial Golf & Country Club’s strengths
By GRACE LEE
TURNERS FALLS — Members of the Snow family have added another golf course to their portfolio and have already begun work on cosmetic improvements.Kyle and Kelly Snow, along with Kyle’s parents Edward Snow Jr. and Kerrilynn Snow, bought the Thomas...
LaunchSpace’s ReMake Festival returning for second year in Orange
ORANGE — LaunchSpace will hold its second annual ReMake Festival on Saturday to share ways to leverage makerspaces that provide space and equipment to repair, reuse and upcycle everyday items.The free event, scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m., is packed with...
Gun buyback event collects 195 unwanted firearms
The two-county gun buyback event held by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office on April 13 collected 195 unwanted firearms, one of which was an antique that was subsequently donated to the Springfield Armory.The event was held at the Greenfield...
Quabbin region studied for MWRA expansion
By SAM DRYSDALE
As House Democrats eye the expansion of its public drinking water service area, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is considering whether the communities where that water comes from should finally get to reap the benefits of the...
Prices up, sales down in early spring housing market
By COLIN A. YOUNG
The signs of spring are all around: the days are getting warmer, baseball is back and Massachusetts home prices are setting records as demand continues to outpace the inventory of houses for sale.The real estate analysts at The Warren Group reported...
Real Estate Transactions: April 19, 2024
ATHOL 124 Cottage St. $422,000. B: Raul A. Luzardo. S: Richard Holdings LLC. 804 Cottage St. $380,000. B: Choctaw American Insurance Inc. S: Cal-Mek Enterprises Inc. 88 Drury Ave. $250,000. B: Kurtis D. Plourde and Olivia Plourde. S: John J....
Business Briefs: April 19, 2024
Tractor Supply Co. hosting two events GREENFIELD — Tractor Supply Co. at 72 Newton St. will host a backyard poultry event and a Plant-a-Seed event, both on Saturday, April 20.The backyard poultry event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., providing...
County cleanups on tap for Earth Day
By DOMENIC POLI
Residents across Franklin County plan to get their hands dirty in celebration of Earth Day, with various cleanup events on the horizon.In Colrain, residents can roll up their sleeves and pick up roadside litter as part of “Spruce Up Colrain.” There is...
Fire scorches garage on Homestead Avenue in Greenfield
By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
GREENFIELD — No one was injured after a garage at 42 Homestead Ave. caught fire Wednesday afternoon.Firefighters could be seen hosing down the detached garage at approximately 1 p.m. as smoke poured out of it. According to Fire Chief Robert Strahan,...
Deerfield residents petitioning to fix ‘dangerous’ intersection
By CHRIS LARABEE
DEERFIELD — With 12 crashes between 2021 and 2023 and likely an even greater number of close calls at the intersection of Routes 5 and 10, North Main Street and Mill Village Road, two residents have launched a petition asking the state Department of...
New national campaign targets online exploitation of children
By ALISON KUZNITZ
BOSTON — A new national public awareness campaign aims to enlist more people, including kids and big tech companies, to crack down on online child sexual exploitation and abuse, crimes that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security say are reaching...
PHOTO: Double eagle
West County Notebook: April 18, 2024
‘Black Voices’ initiative features poetry, music event ASHFIELD — The First Congregational Church will present poet Kétu Oladuwa and singer/songwriter Bert Marshall on Saturday, April 20, from 2 to 4 p.m. as part of its “Black Voices: Listening to Our...
One Greenfield home invasion defendant up for bail, other three held
By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
GREENFIELD — Only one of the four defendants facing charges for allegedly breaking into a home on West Street on April 4 and assaulting the property owner is eligible for immediate bail following a detention hearing in Greenfield District Court on...
South County Notebook: April 18, 2024
Last day to register to vote in Deerfield is April 19; Conway and Whately deadline on the horizon While the deadline to register to vote in Sunderland’s annual town election has passed, there is still time to register to vote in the three other...
AT&T’s proposed cell tower extension moving forward in South Deerfield
By CHRIS LARABEE
SOUTH DEERFIELD — AT&T’s plans to extend the cell tower behind the South Deerfield Fire District can proceed following recent approval from the Deerfield Zoning Board of Appeals.The project previously received approval from the Planning Board to raise...
Montague, Gill and Erving Notebook: April 18, 2024
Concert planned at Unnameable Books TURNERS FALLS — Unnameable Books at 66 Avenue A will host a double-bill of local and touring singer-songwriters, Ramon & Jessica and Mare Berger, on Saturday, May 4, from 7 to 9 p.m.Opening the show will be...
Cleary Jewelers plans to retain shop at former Wilson’s building until 2029
By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
GREENFIELD — More than a year after she was told her business would need to vacate its storefront in the former Wilson’s Department Store, Cleary Jewelers owner Kerry Semaski said she plans to keep her shop at its current location until July 2029...
Two local school advocates tapped to lead state’s new Small and Rural Schools Committee
By CHRIS LARABEE
As rural schools and their challenges continue to become a more prominent topic at the state level, two local champions of Franklin County’s schools have been tapped to serve as co-chairs of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees’ (MASC)...
PHOTOS: Blended learning
