West County Notebook: Oct. 5, 2026

Northfield Selectboard weighs future of Old Wendell Road

The Northfield Selectboard discussed the possibility of discontinuing maintenance for a section of Old Wendell Road during a discussion with Highway Superintendent Tom Walker.

From Global to Local: Coral reefs: 'rainforests of the sea'

No longer can we conceive of the climate crisis as an issue solely of higher temperatures and extreme storms, without also centering on the cascade of its fatal effects on vital ecosystems. First, among these may be the death of ancient, magnificent coral reefs and the vast marine life dependent on them, causing severe human […]

Keeping Score with Chip Ainsworth: Welcome to the club, George

Good morning! This afternoon at the French King Restaurant in Erving, George Francis Bush will be feted for his longevity and ability to remain relevant. Acting as his own press agent, he’s kept track of how many times he’s mentioned in this column which was 56 the last time he called to kid me about it. He won me an award, Travels with George, about a trip to Foxboro 20 years ago when he talked nonstop from Fourth Street to Gillette Stadium. A few months later he paid me to drive his car from the Days Inn parking lot at Bradley […]

On the Run with John Stifler: Strange and unusual obstacles

My first taste of autumn in New England came when I was four years old. My family lived for a year in Williamstown. I went to pre-school and saw my first Amherst-Williams football game. A good start. My second was 14 years later, when I came to Amherst College and joined the freshman cross-country team. […]

UMass football: Eastern Michigan sinks Minutemen in front of sellout crowd, 38-14

AMHERST — Through four games of the season, opposing defenses had few answers to slow down UMass quarterback Pop Watson. With each week, his decision-making seemed to improve, backed by his 74.0% completion clip and a single interception to his name. Rather than stop the man himself, Eastern Michigan arrived at Amherst in front of […]