Valley Bounty: Cultivating a healthy landscape: Livestock plays a vital role in restoring the pastures at Birch Brook Farm in Heath

Columnist Judy Wagner: Vote to help clean house

Over only four days during a quick trip to Maine in mid-August, the change began. Subtly, almost cautiously, a few trees tested their fall colors, especially some birches and black cherries with small yellow leaves. A few sumacs flared trial red leaves, or hinted at the coming season with a reddening of their plumes. Grasses […]

Colrain Central to host 5K fundraiser for fifth and sixth grade

Colrain Central School will host its first Foundry 5K and Fun Run since 2019 on Sept. 26 to fund a fifth and sixth grade class trip to Cape Cod.

Superintendent search resumes for Gill-Montague Regional School District

MONTAGUE — After the first search for a new superintendent for the Gill-Montague Regional School District failed, a second attempt is underway with continued support of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). The Gill-Montague School Committee met Sept. 16 to go over and revise a school district brochure and a job description to release, […]

Franklin Hampshire unemployment rate drops to 3.8% amid shrinking labor force

The Franklin Hampshire region's unemployment rate fell to 3.8% in June 2026, even as experts noted a shrinking labor force driven by an aging population and housing shortages.

The joy of cherry tomatoes

If I had to pick only one piece of summer produce to eat, it might be the cherry tomato. Cherry tomatoes are irresistible. Eating them is like eating candy. Actually, it’s better than eating candy. I like candy as much as the next person; I definitely have a sweet tooth. Nevertheless, after two or (heaven […]