Neal touts record, Milleron pitches change in heated 1st Congressional District debate

Question 6: Pioneer Valley land trusts back Massachusetts ballot measure to fund conservation

Massachusetts has pledged to conserve 40% of its natural lands and waters by 2050. On Election Day, voters will decide whether to designate a portion of sales taxes to fund this cause. Question 6 would allocate revenue from sales tax on sporting goods, recreational vehicles and golf courses into a “Nature for All Fund” to […]

A discovery two centuries in the making: Smith College lab finds tiny organism living inside amoeba shells, a scientific first

NORTHAMPTON — A Smith College lab has discovered a microscopic protist species living inside the shells of amoebas, a phenomenon researchers say has never been recorded in 200 years of study. Arcellinida, or shelled amoebas, live in freshwater and wetlands across the globe. These predator organisms were first discovered in the 1880s, but their fossils […]

Typical Amherst homeowner could see property tax bill rise by over $500

AMHERST — A typical Amherst homeowner could see property tax bills increase by more than $500 this year, though the exact impact from the new tax rate won’t be known until it is certified in early November. At a tax classification hearing Monday, the Town Council approved a recommendation from Assessor Kimberly Mew and Town […]

Ralliers demand frontier AI freeze at Beacon Hill rally

BOSTON — Alongside dozens of people calling on government to “freeze” frontier AI, the president of the state’s largest teachers union told a crowd Tuesday that “our schools are not feeding troughs for AI investors.” Massachusetts Teachers Association President Matt Bach spoke about AI in education while flanked by students on the steps of the State House during a demonstration — one of more than 45 walkouts across the country in 31 states, including 10 campuses in Boston, according to organizers. “As education workers, we must employ the figurative hammer of our solidarity and our imagination to secure dignity, autonomy, academic freedom […]

Leverett Select Board backs cultural district application, opposes MWRA Quabbin water request

LEVERETT — The Select Board is endorsing designation of a local cultural district for Leverett, even with some questions remaining about how it will work in practice and possible costs to the town. The board also voted to oppose a request from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to withdraw an additional 20 million gallons of […]