Fort River School demo raises air quality concerns in Amherst

Amherst schools grapple with transportation woes

AMHERST — Some extremely long bus routes, a continuing shortage in drivers and making pick-ups at homes within walking distance of the elementary schools are among the reasons some students are arriving late for classes. As the school year gets underway, Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman informed the Amherst School Committee last week that transportation has […]

A legacy of service: Southampton American Legion Post 168 celebrates 100th anniversary

SOUTHAMPTON — Over the past century, members of American Legion Post 168 have impacted every corner of the community, whether organizing events, providing scholarships to students, or doing work behind the scenes to serve Southampton. This year marks the post’s 100th anniversary and despite many changes and challenges, Commander of Post 168 Mark Nichols says […]

Jones Library expansion delayed by two months in Amherst

AMHERST — Change orders related to work on the expanded and renovated Jones Library is pushing back substantial completion of the $46.1 million project by nearly two months, with the public reopening of the 43 Amity St. building likely around July 1, 2027. The delay for when a certificate of occupancy would be issued was […]

Retired astronaut urges voters to protect democracy at UMass

AMHERST — Five seconds after Columbia Space Shuttle STS-93 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center, Catherine “Cady” Coleman felt her stomach lurch. The retired NASA astronaut heard her commander Eileen Collins announce that an electrical short took out two engine controls. A hydrogen leak in the main engine also slowed the shuttle’s velocity, throwing […]

Judge weighs appeal on motocross event in Westhampton

WESTHAMPTON — Aaron Bauer has filed an appeal against the town of Westhampton in Hampshire Superior Court for rejecting his proposal to host a one-day motocross race event in town. Bauer, of Southampton, filed the appeal in court earlier this year, after his permit proposal to host the race on land he owns in the […]