House passes bill overhauling cannabis laws, CCC
Vacant former school in South Amherst could become anchor for housing development
Marijuana product manufacturing proposal rejected at Whately Town Meeting
Highway chief: work zone ‘crisis’ demands blue lights solution
One voyage ends, another begins for Amherst Regional High School’s 190 graduates
Northampton council postpones vote on $145M budget for two weeks, hopes to avoid delays that plagued body last year
MIAA softball: Offense erupts as No. 1 Hampshire rolls into Div. 4 Final Four via 10-1 win over Frontier (PHOTOS)
WESTHAMPTON – The No. 1 Hampshire Regional softball team’s senior duo of CC Thayer and Teagan Charles combined for five of the Raiders’ nine hits in their 10-1 win over No. 8 Frontier Regional in the MIAA Division 4 state tournament Round of 8 on Sunday afternoon.
Smith Academy celebrates its virtuous, close-knit Class of 2025
HATFIELD — “Drive safely, drive slowly, and support public works.”
Most Read
Sneak peek: Cooley Dickinson shows off progress on hospital’s new Emergency Department
Filling the soft-serve void: Sips and Scoops Cafe now open in Easthampton
‘Small-town’ roots will carry Hampshire Regional High School’s 103 graduates far
Guest columnist Adin Maynard: Our town at a crossroads: Why Williamsburg should embrace its outdoor future
Easthampton High School’s Class of 2025 survive, show up
Spreading the love of cycling: NHS teacher taking group of students on four-day, 125-mile bike trek
Editors Picks
A Look Back, June 7
Area briefs: Neal to headline ‘Building & Sustaining Livable Communities’ event; Comic show to benefit Tides for Reproductive Freedom; Father’s Day concert for the children of Gaza
Arts Briefs: Jazz doc and plein air paintings in Northampton, photo workshops in Easthampton, and more
Holyoke hosts inaugural Paper Festival: Crafts, exhibitions, tours, contests and more in the ‘Paper City’ this Saturday
Sports
MIAA girls tennis: Amherst swept by Hingham in Div. 2 quarterfinals
The Amherst girls tennis team’s breakthrough season finally reached its conclusion on Sunday.
Amherst girls’ 4x400 relay team cruises to title at MIAA Meet of Champions
UMass hockey: Minutemen announced 3 incoming recruits including Longmeadow’s Coleson Hanrahan
NECBL: Valley Blue Sox have solid mix of local, national talent as 2025 season gets underway
MIAA Tennis: Katie Gromacki, Amherst girls travel to No. 4 Hingham in D2 quarterfinalsOpinion
Mary Hall: The deployment of brutalism
There has been, since Ivan the Terrible, in Russia a philosophy of brutalism. Its justification might be understood in terms of two approaches to taking a band-aid off of a wound: A slow removal produces somewhat less pain over a longer period of time than follows from ripping it off quickly. In this way, I imagine state-sponsored brutality is not supposed to be about being cruel per se, and there may be a certain reasoning around it. While Russians are targeting civilians in Ukraine to hurt or kill, the theory would go that this is to hasten an end to the war, after which survivors will go on to have many children.
Guest columnist Larry Cervelli: Massachusetts must lead on Medicare for All
Guest columnist Rob Okun: Every day should be ‘No Kings Day’
Guest columnist Rev. Mark Seifried: Time to protect the most vulnerable among us
Sarah Coogan: The purpose of a system is what it does
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
Filling the soft-serve void: Sips and Scoops Cafe now open in Easthampton
EASTHAMPTON — Where community members may have seen an empty storefront, Trista Nadolski saw opportunity. The result was the city’s newest ice cream spot, which is already bustling as residents seek some cold treats to beat the rising heat.
Area property deed transfers, June 6
Making news in business, June 6
Rising costs push small businesses to closure as they demand sweeping reforms from legislators
UMass startup to open in Northampton Industrial Park
e-Edition
Arts & Life
‘Is Alice in you?’: Teens reimagine ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in ‘genre-bending’ show next weekend in Northampton
Lewis Carol’s story of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is more than 150 years old, but a group of local teen performers is reimagining it with a modern twist.
Dine downtown: Amherst Restaurant Week is June 8-12
Valley Bounty: New farm with an old-fashioned feel: Moody Family Farm in Bernardston opens their farm stand this month
Good art for good deeds: Belchertown Trash Gala next weekend will showcase three newly commissioned transfer station murals
Speaking of Nature: Ghosts in the treetops: Getting to know the great crested flycatcherObituaries
James Renfrew Dodge
Worthington, MA - James Renfrew Dodge of Worthington, MA, passed away peacefully on April 19th, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer from Agent Orange at the age of 78. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, neighbor, and friend... remainder of obit for James Renfrew Dodge
Betty J. Jones
Leeds, MA - Betty J. (Roberge) Jones, 84, of Leeds, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and sister, passed away at home surrounded by her loved ones on Tuesday June 3, 2025. She was born on May 4, 1941, in Northa... remainder of obit for Betty J. Jones
Donald B. George Jr.
Amherst, MA - Donald B. George, Jr., 92, a gentle, kind soul passed peacefully at the Fisher Home in Amherst, on May 3, 2025. Born in New London, CT on October 12, 1932, Don grew up in Springfield, MA. He graduated from Springfield Tech in ... remainder of obit for Donald B. George Jr.
Nancy Merritt
Hatfield, MA - Nancy Elizabeth Merritt passed away in her sleep on the morning of June 2nd, 2025. Nancy was a life-long and dedicated resident to Pioneer Valley. She graduated from high school in Williamsburg and attended Northampton Co... remainder of obit for Nancy Merritt
