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Stephanie Scoville helped pitch the Westfield State softball team to a MASCAC regular season title on Saturday, throwing a complete game, striking out nine and scattering six hits as the Owls beat Bridgewater State, 4-2. The win sealed Westfield’s...

SHELBURNE — What could have been a devastating blow to a local farm was averted Sunday night due to quick reporting and a quick response from area firefighters. The Shelburne Fire and Police departments responded to a fire at Gould farm’s dairy barn...

By DOMENIC POLI

ERVING — Employee compensation and real estate transactions are expected to be the most discussed topics at Annual Town Meeting on Wednesday, according to Town Administrator Bryan Smith.Articles regarding private property are clumped at the end of the...

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

BOSTON — Western Massachusetts school committee members and educational leaders took to the State House Monday morning to advocate for policy changes and increased funding for the region’s school districts. At the Massachusetts Association of School...

By EVELINE MACDOUGALL

Steve McConley credits his wife, Doreen, for his interest in growing plants. Doreen brought solid gardening skills to their union, and Steve appreciates her encouragement. The McConleys have a garden at their Bernardston home, and now Steve shares...

Some suggest that pickleball is a fad but I believe it is here to stay. After all, some reports indicate that 36 million people played pickleball last year compared to around 24 million tennis players. Parks departments are inundated with requests to...

By TANISHA BHAT

Franklin County representatives got about half of what they asked for in amendments to the House version of the fiscal year 2025 state budget.After two separate votes, 11 of the 21 amendments proposed by Franklin County representatives were adopted by...

By CHRIS LARABEE

SUNDERLAND — With no contested races, there were no surprises in Sunderland’s annual town election on Saturday, as everyone on the ballot was elected to their positions.Of the 2,493 registered voters, 301, or roughly 12.1% of voters, cast their...

By DIANE BRONCACCIO

COLRAIN — Both a Selectboard seat and the town moderator position are contested as voters head to the polls on Tuesday, May 7, from noon to 7 p.m. in Town Hall.Katie Korby and Howard Phelps are vying for a three-year Selectboard term to fill a vacancy...

By DIANE BRONCACCIO

ASHFIELD — Longtime Moderator Stewart “Buz” Eisenberg handily defeated opponent Evan Barth by a vote of 164 to 31 during Saturday’s town election.The race for a one-term term as moderator was the only contest on the ballot. Voters also supported a...

By LIESEL NYGARD

BUCKLAND — Roughly 70 voters passed all 28 articles at Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, most notably adopting a new bylaw to better regulate short-term rentals and approving budget requests totaling nearly $5.88 million for fiscal year 2025. The...

By DIANE BRONCACCIO

ASHFIELD — When Bill Ryan moved to town 25 years ago, an old-timer told him, “In Ashfield, we only have two seasons: winter and the Fourth of July.”“In my first year here, we had 120 inches of snow,” Ryan mused. “Not now.”On Saturday, Ryan was among...

By AALIANNA MARIETTA

MONTAGUE — Residents backed monetary requests for the airport, ongoing litigation with FirstLight Hydro Generating Co., and design work for library repairs or reconstruction at Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting, while also discussing whether the school...

By JAMES PENTLAND

In the wake of the Justice Department’s proposal to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug, dispensary owners say the change would help their business, especially on taxes.“The immediate impact would be for the government to treat us like other...

By VIRGINIA RAY

SHELBURNE FALLS — The Bridge of Flowers, closed at the end of the 2023 season for needed repair work, will reopen on the day of the annual plant sale, Saturday, May 11. The bridge was not expected to open this season, but a regional dearth of bidders...

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

GREENFIELD — Community Legal Aid, a nonprofit that offers free civil legal support to elderly and low-income residents in western and central Massachusetts, has expanded its Disability Benefits Project into Franklin County, a change that coincides...

By DIANE BRONCACCIO

SHELBURNE — Will Shelburne buy its 101 streetlights from Eversource, replacing the sodium-vapor lights with low-wattage LEDs that would cut the town’s utility bills and energy use?Annual Town Meeting voters will decide on Tuesday, May 7. They will...

By CHRIS LARABEE

CONWAY — With bids coming in too high and a potential change in the scope of work, the Selectboard has voted to reject all of the bids for the public safety building addition project, but will likely try again to move the project forward. The board...

By CHRIS LARABEE

WHATELY — With contract negotiations complete, the community’s newest town administrator will be returning to the Pioneer Valley in June.Swampscott Assistant Town Administrator and Easthampton native Peter Kane will take the reins in Whately on June...

Leading 4-3 after three innings, the Franklin Tech softball team took control in the final four frames on Friday against Hopkins Academy. The Eagles scored three in the fourth and tacked a run on in the sixth while Hannah Gilbert shut the Golden Hawks...