Athol Select Board approves Lord Pond Plaza name change

New tracker shows progress toward housing production goal in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has added 34,561 homes in 2025, representing 15.6% of the state's goal of adding 222,000 housing units between 2025 and 2035, according to a new statewide housing production tracker.

Nurses call for safety measures after statewide survey highlights increasing reports of workplace violence

One in four nurses in Massachusetts report feeling unsafe at work, with 74% of nurses in community hospitals saying workplace violence is a serious problem, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association is supporting a bill to require health care workers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence.

Judge orders owner of 465 Main St. to pay $50,000 fine for code violations

ATHOL – Judge Timothy Sullivan of the state’s Housing Court Central Division has given the owner of 465 Main St. until Oct. 1 to pay the town of Athol $50,000 for failing to address various code violations at the property. The judge handed down his decision following a hearing on June 17 which property owner […]

Royalston Selectboard to interview police chief finalists

Royalston's search for a new chief of police has been restarted after the sudden resignation of Templeton Police Sgt. Steve Flis, who was appointed in March. The Selectboard will interview the two recommended finalists, whose names have not yet been announced, on Thursday. The interviews are scheduled for 5 p.m. at Town Hall, followed by an executive session to discuss the candidates at 6 p.m.

My Turn: The right not to bake — Heat as a failure of justice

Every morning I watch the same thing happen. The sun rises over our home in western Massachusetts and begins pouring energy onto the solar panels we installed more than a decade ago. For 14 hours they quietly produce enough electricity to run our air conditioning, appliances, computers, lights, and much of our household. On the […]