Porter Phelps museum in Hadley among 26 national recipients of preservation grants

The bones of history: Amherst History Museum renovations expose centuries-old craftmanship

AMHERST — On the main floor of the Simeon Strong House, long, thick pieces of rough-cut wood, many of which date back to the home’s 1750s construction, rest on short pillars made from both large and small stones. Exposed after removing the wide-plank flooring and subflooring during renovations to stabilize the Amherst History Museum’s longtime […]

Amherst Halloween weekend: 70 treated for intoxication, 49 arrested or summoned

AMHERST — Amherst Fire Department paramedics, aided by crews on four ambulances brought in from other agencies, treated 70 intoxicated people over Halloween weekend. Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren said the department anticipated a busy weekend and increased staffing Thursday and Friday nights. On Saturday, it brought in significantly more help, including hiring ambulances from other […]

Granby police investigate vehicle crash on Batchelor Street

GRANBY — Batchelor Street closed for four hours on Sunday after a vehicle left the road and struck nearby trees, according to Granby police. The Granby police and fire departments, supported by state police officers, responded to 300 Amherst St. at 5:46 p.m. after receiving a call about a vehicle crash. A preliminary investigation found […]

Guest columnist Richard Szlosek: Court-martialed by Coolidge

The 1920s featured many famous trials such as Sacco/Vanzetti in Massachusetts and the Scopes trial in Tennessee. But none of them caught the public’s attention or influenced governmental policy as did the court-martial of Billy Mitchell. Mitchell came from a wealthy Wisconsin family and enjoyed many privileges. He was a flamboyant personality who owned horses, […]

Fit to Play with Jim Johnson: More is not better

When is enough, enough? Somehow, we seem to think that if something is good, more is better. Do you really need the never-ending pasta bowl, the 1,000-calorie burger, so big you can’t even put your mouth around? We need food to live but disproportionate eating results in obesity. Exercise is good for you but is […]