Arts Briefs: Felt self-portraits in Greenfield, traditional Jewish music in New Salem, and more

Advocates urge supplemental funding for Massachusetts SNAP caseworkers

Food security advocates are calling for supplemental funding for the Department of Transitional Assistance following Gov. Maura Healey's signing of a state budget that allocates $122 million, a level critics argue is insufficient to meet the needs of residents facing food insecurity.

Deerfield and Greenfield boards of health discuss banning sale of kratom

The Greenfield and Deerfield boards of health are considering local measures to ban the sale of kratom products due to the substance's potential for addiction and its opioid-like effects.

Greenfield discussing gender affirmation ordinance

Greenfield city councilors are considering two new ordinances to protect the rights of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, and to require elected officials to review and attest to the accuracy of their property record cards.

Gill chosen for farmland protection pilot program

Gill has been selected to pilot a model for creating "Farmland Protection Plans" to help document and preserve farmland, with the goal of providing templates for protection plans statewide.

UMass Amherst lands $2.1M to expand life sciences research tools

The University of Massachusetts is receiving over $2.1 million in grants from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to acquire an advanced optical tweezers system and micro-patterning equipment, which will enable researchers to develop new drugs and technologies for a variety of diseases.