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Massachusetts abortion expansion takes effect, removing all gestational limits

Massachusetts has joined nine other states plus Washington, D.C., without gestational limits on abortion, after Gov. Maura Healey shielded a new state law from an anti-abortion referendum petition that could have prevented it from taking effect. Healey signed an emergency preamble Friday that put the law into effect immediately and protects it from suspension, preventing […]

A monumental undertaking: On Veterans Day, one man’s mission to preserve the graves of veterans and Swift River Valley residents

Gene Theroux, president of Friends of Quabbin, has spent the last seven years refurbishing and cleaning monuments at the historic Quabbin Park Cemetery to honor the residents of the former Swift River Valley.

‘A force to be reckoned with’: Veterans Day guest speaker speaks to contributions by women to the American military

ATHOL – Nearly 80 veterans and family members, Athol residents, and town officials attended Wednesday’s Veterans Day ceremonies in Memorial Hall at Athol Town Hall. Master of ceremonies Scott Hume, president of the Athol Veterans Council, welcomed the audience and read the poem “Remember the Veterans,” written by the late Athol native and World War […]

The invasive spotted lanternfly has infested half the cities and towns in Massachusetts

The invasive spotted lanternfly has infested more than half the cities and towns in Massachusetts, according to data gathered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. The sap-sucking insect native to parts of China and Vietnam arrived in Massachusetts in late 2020, and its population has grown exponentially since. MDAR found four new infestations in […]

Climate chief departs, warning against pitting green against affordable

BOSTON — Melissa Hoffer, the nation’s first Cabinet-level climate chief, used her final day in the Healey administration to deliver a message to Massachusetts environmental advocates: The transition to a cleaner economy cannot succeed politically unless people understand that climate action and affordability go hand in hand. Speaking Monday during a virtual farewell address hosted […]