Senate OKs records access bill as November ballot fight looms

Orange Selectboard moving forward with interviews for town manager

The Orange Selectboard has scheduled sessions in August to interview four finalists for the town's first town manager position following the recent adoption of a new town charter.

Narragansett Regional School District budget passes by 10-vote margin

Voters narrowly approved a $26.9 million Narragansett Regional School District budget by a 10-vote margin on Monday. Despite the passage of the $27 million spending plan, the district faces significant staff cuts and reductions in classroom supplies. The decision followed heated debate regarding town assessments and potential impacts on municipal services.

Single-payer health bill hits milestone after 30 years

A legislative committee has ruled favorably on a Medicare for All bill for the first time in the measure’s 30-year history in Massachusetts, marking a major milestone for the state’s single-payer healthcare movement. About a week before the current legislative session ended on Friday, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing advanced a redrafted version […]

From floods to funding: Massachusetts farmers receiving disaster aid three years later

Massachusetts farmers will soon be able to apply for $42 million in federal disaster relief funding following the announcement of a $220 million New England block grant designed to help small and midsize farms recover from recent crop losses and infrastructure damage.

District outreach efforts drive down chronic absenteeism in Athol-Royalston

The Athol-Royalston Regional School District reduced its chronic absenteeism rate from 26.9% to 21.3% between fiscal years 2025 and 2026. Superintendent Matthew Ehrenworth attributed this success to consistent weekly monitoring and targeted community outreach. To support families, the district's Family and Community Center provides resources like gas cards and transportation assistance to remove barriers to regular school attendance.