News
Coffee pros: Price squeeze a grind
By DOMENIC POLI
Don’t talk to the American people until they’ve had their coffee.
Leyden, Phillipston honored for top-notch annual reports
By MADISON SCHOFIELD
Two Franklin county and North Quabbin towns have received awards from the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) for their annual town reports. Leyden and Phillipston earned second and third place, respectively, for their 2023 reports.
Athol Royalston Middle School Honor Roll Term 2
Fifth Grade Gold Honor Roll – Olivia Bishop, Kyla Godette, Nehomi Morales Rodas, Luis Ortiz, Brady Smart, Myles Smith, Aubrey Sumner, Laurence Watson and Tyler While.
Western Mass legislators pan study of ways towns could tap Quabbin water
By SCOTT MERZBACH
PELHAM — A preliminary report showing how the 12 communities in the Quabbin Reservoir watershed might be able to get potable water from the resource falls short of a comprehensive study being sought by legislators representing the Quabbin region.
Healey to seek reelection in 2026
By SAM DRYSDALE
BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey intends to run for reelection in 2026, she said Friday.
Vote to disband Lake Mattawa Docks Subcommittee prompts controversy in Orange
By DOMENIC POLI
ORANGE — Tempers flared at Town Hall on Wednesday and the woman serving as the Selectboard’s vice chair walked out of a meeting for the second time in almost two years.
Healey eyes ‘housing abundance’ in statewide plan
By SAM DRYSDALE
The astronomical cost of housing for Massachusetts households across the income spectrum and a bleak outlook for the new units needed over the next decade underscore the focus of the Healey administration’s new housing plan for the next five years – more production.
Jeffrey Parker named new Athol fire chief
By GREG VINE
ATHOL – Following a career in the Fire Department that has lasted 30 years, Jeffrey Parker has been named its new chief.
Disaster relief fund, championed by local legislators, grows to $15M in FY26 budget proposal
By CHRIS LARABEE
BOSTON — When flooding devastated the Pioneer Valley in summer 2023, it took an extraordinary partnership between the state, nonprofits and private individuals to quickly bring millions of dollars in aid to those affected.
Funding request for Athol High School feasibility study questioned
By GREG VINE
ATHOL – The Capital Program Committee met Wednesday, Feb. 5, to discuss the Athol Royalston Regional School District’s proposal for the two towns to fund a feasibility study for a new high school.
PHOTO: Chilling by the river
Clare Higgins retiring as Community Action Pioneer Valley executive director
By MADISON SCHOFIELD
GREENFIELD — After 14 years at the helm of Community Action Pioneer Valley, Executive Director Clare Higgins is retiring this summer.
Area schools draft policies on responding to ICE agents
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN and CHRIS LARABEE
While there have been no Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents reported at schools in the region, district administrators around the county are laying out how schools will respond if ICE agents approach them.
Warwick receives Leading by Example Award for green energy efforts
By CHRIS LARABEE
WARWICK — Thanks to the work of a dedicated team of volunteers over the last 17 years, Warwick residents were able to slash town energy use and pave a path forward for green energy, even in a town of just under 800 residents.
Legislative push renewed to raise farmworkers’ pay to state minimum
By EMILEE KLEIN
SPRINGFIELD — Most Massachusetts farmworkers whose hard work puts food on the dinner tables for Massachusetts families have difficulty affording the produce they pick and process.
Cause of death deemed homicide in case of NH woman found in Warwick
By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
WARWICK — The cause of death for Justina Steffy, the 31-year-old woman whose remains were found in Warwick in October, has been deemed homicide.
Sportsman’s Corner: Fun on the ice
By Mike Roche
Ed board inches toward vocational school reforms
By SAM DRYSDALE
Any selective criteria used to admit students to vocational technical schools must be actually essential to the success of the school, per new regulations the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is drafting for their board’s review in February.
Erving officers, CSO clinician commended for suicide prevention at French King Bridge
By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN
ERVING — Three Erving police officers and a mental health clinician with Clinical & Support Options (CSO) have been formally commended for their lifesaving actions in two different incidents involving suicidal individuals at the French King Bridge.
Isaac Mass forms exploratory committee for Franklin County sheriff campaign
By DOMENIC POLI
A local attorney and business owner has launched an exploratory committee to evaluate a potential run for Franklin County sheriff.
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.