North Quabbin Notebook: July 6, 2026

Apple season off to sweet start for first ever Massachusetts Apple Month

With apple season off to a fruitful start for Franklin County farmers, Gov. Maura Healey has declared September “Massachusetts Apple Month.” “September really is prime apple-picking season,” said Ben Clark of Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield, adding that between September and Indigenous People’s Day is the best time to bring a basket to an orchard. […]

Sen. Comerford encourages local action at Fisher Hill School discussion

ORANGE – State Sen. Jo Comerford visited Fisher Hill School Thursday to discuss the legislative and budget processes and provide an overview of her priorities for the next session of the Legislature. Comerford, D-Northampton, who represents the Hampshire, Franklin, and Worcester district, is running unopposed for a fifth term, but told the Athol Daily News […]

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.

Heywood Healthcare responds to data incident

GARDNER – Following an unauthorized access of its systems last October, Heywood Healthcare has determined that personal information had been viewed. According to an announcement issued earlier this month, Heywood Healthcare notified the individuals effected by this via mail in the months that followed the incident. On Oct. 12, 2025, Heywood detected suspicious activity on […]

Former WMass aide to Gov. Healey appears in court for drug trafficking case

BOSTON — The disgraced former aide to Gov. Maura Healey facing drug charges for allegedly running a cocaine trafficking ring out of the governor’s western Massachusetts office appeared in Hampden Superior Court Wednesday for a pretrial hearing. LaMar Cook, who was serving as Healey’s western Massachusetts deputy director when he was arrested in October after […]