Franklin County Technical School grads encouraged to find their purpose
TURNERS FALLS — On a warm and partly sunny Thursday evening at Franklin County Technical School graduation, Superintendent Richard Martin reminded the Class of 2025 when they kayaked on a pond that formed on the lawn of the school on a cold and icy New England morning.
Hawlemont Regional offers agricultural lessons through HAY program
CHARLEMONT – The curriculum at Hawlemont Regional School has all the basics one might expect math, English, arts and music – and, beginning a decade ago, more unique ones, like taking care of sheep and growing plants in the greenhouse.
Sports
HS Roundup: Mason Lehtomaki tosses no-hitter to lead Franklin Tech baseball past Salem Academy, 3-0
TURNERS FALLS — What a few days it has been for Franklin Tech’s Mason Lehtomaki.
Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Weiss, Team USA make history in Sweden
Opinion
Robert Dickerman: Ask the Pope
Thomas Aquinas College invited the president of The Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, to speak at its 2025 commencement on May 24. Roberts is the “architect of Project 2025.” I believe that Roberts’ values, and the objectives of his Project 2025, are antithetical to those of the Catholic Church. I think the college is a good school with a challenging curriculum. The students that I’ve met have been polite, respectful, and inquisitive. I hope that Kevin Roberts’ invitation was an aberration, and not an indication of a shift in policy. I suspect that some students — and the pope — might agree.
David Graves: George Floyd
Laurie Rhoades: The price tag
Constance Pike: Protests about budget cuts, president’s policies

Your Daily Puzzles
An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."
A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.
Chess but with chaos: Every day is a unique, wacky board.
Word search but as a strategy game. Clearing the board feels really good.
Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
Business
Small businesses air complaints to Mass. lawmakers
Restaurant owners scrambling to turn profits amid rising food, labor and energy costs again turned to the Legislature Tuesday for some reprieve as they lobby to pass credit card surcharges onto their customers.
Real Estate Transactions, May 30, 2025
Market Basket board alleges CEO in work stoppage plot
Rising costs push small businesses to closure as they demand sweeping reforms from legislators
Orange Farmers Market back at Butterfield Park
Arts & Life
Fabric of history: PVMA painting included in the Met’s ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’ exhibition
As the national art and celebrity worlds coalesced at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Met Gala in early May, the exhibition coinciding with the event at the nation’s most-visited museum also featured several local ties.
Obituaries
Adam William Cicia
Adam Cicia Boston, MA - Adam William Cicia July 17, 1981 May 4, 2025 Adam William Cicia passed away on May 4, 2025, at the age of 43. Born on July 17, 1981, Adam spent the last several years living in Boston. He is deeply missed ... remainder of obit for Adam William Cicia
John James Masson Jr.
John James "Jack" Masson Jr. Conway, MA - John James "Jack" Masson Jr. died peacefully at home on May 7th, with his wife Barbara at his side. Jack was born February 1, 1933, in the Bronx, New York, the son of John Masson Sr. and Ruth (Ma... remainder of obit for John James Masson Jr.
Neena L. Burrington
Heath, MA - Neena L. Burrington, 70 died April 22,2025 at Greenfield Rehabilitation and Nursing Center while on New England Hospice surrounded by family. She was born on October 19,1954 in Greenfield, MA, to Paul Burrington and Nancy (C... remainder of obit for Neena L. Burrington
John H. Lapointe
Sarasota, FL - July 30, 1954 - May 25, 2025 John H. Lapointe 70, was born in Greenfield, MA where he attended Greenfield High School and played on local sports teams. In 1970, he relocated to Sarasota, FL with his family. John graduate... remainder of obit for John H. Lapointe

Div. 6 Track: Mahar’s Mitchell Krasco, Frontier’s Ben Cachiguango capture state titles
Shutesbury police chief placed on administrative leave until June 30
Greenfield man gets prison term for armed robbery in Northampton
Advocates discuss legislative remedies amid growing housing instability
Historic properties survey nears finish line in Erving
Town Meeting to vote on $2.2M budget in Leyden
Idaho woman arrested on charges in 2023 Orange fraud case
Guest columnist John Carney: Massachusetts needs its own Medical Aid in Dying legislation
New Salem Town Meeting to vote on 5% budget increase
Health coverage losses in Mass. may be even steeper
Buckland incumbents seek new terms in town election
Stoneleigh-Burnham School graduates ‘thrived’ says class speaker
Frustrated over pay, attorneys will stop taking public cases
MIAA tourneys: Frontier boys volleyball advances to Round of 32 following 3-0 sweep over Lynn Vocational
Div. 5 softball: Mohawk Trail slugs past Boston Collegiate Charter, 23-1, in state tourney prelim (PHOTOS)
UMass hockey: Minutemen add high-scoring RIT transfer Matthew Wilde
Todd Damon: Not everyone is on edge, can do without invasive leftist activism
Profiling ‘The Raider’: New book by UMass history professor Stephen Platt explores the life of a celebrated but unconventional Marine
Valley Bounty: A growing Good Bunch: Shelburne Falls farm remains optimistic for the future
Skills to last a lifetime: Growing A Bunch Farm in Ashfield offers two fiber arts and textile summer camps
Orange Historical Society celebrates 130th anniversary: Its 13-decade rise to great age has not been entirely easy