Montague and Erving Notebook: Sept. 9, 2026

Judge denies defense's bid to independently examine Hotel UMass murder suspect’s phone

A judge in Hampshire County Superior Court denied a defense attorney's motion to allow an independent examination of murder suspect Jeffrey MacDonald's cellphone, ruling that the existing search warrant remained valid despite claims of potential inaccuracy.

Speaking of Nature: An unbeatable record — this time it’s serious

Today’s story starts on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 29. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning, but every fiber of my being thought that it was quite reasonable for me to sleep late. However, the habit of waking up at dawn has become so ingrained in me that logic and reason had no say in the fact that I was awake. The real question was, should I go back to sleep. To answer that question I turned on BirdCast. In the darkness of my bedroom, looking at my phone with only one half-opened eye, the BirdCast map indicated that during the […]

On the Run with John Stifler: From the village green…

Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease, Seats of my youth, when every sport could please, How often have I loitered o’er thy green, Where humble happiness endeared each scene! Readers of 18th century English poetry may recognize those lines from Oliver Goldsmith’s poem “The Deserted Village.” If words like “o’er” and “bowers” don’t suit […]

UMass football: Focus moves to Sacred Heart

AMHERST — After sending shockwaves through the college football landscape with a stunning upset of Rutgers, the UMass football team directs its full attention to the home opener against FCS opponent Sacred Heart on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Some things have changed on campus with classes starting and thousands of students arriving on campus. The […]

'Down to a science': Labor Day barbecue goes off without a hitch

WHATELY — Strolling through the Whately Congregational Church’s parking lot around noon on Monday brought to life the unmistakable aroma of boiled corn. But this was just a hint of what was going on inside. Parishioners once again rolled up their sleeves on Labor Day to dole out purchased meals of a barbecued half-chicken, fresh […]