Declaration of Independence reading held in Athol

Slew of Good Neighbor Day events look to build 'more connected communities'

Various organizations throughout Franklin County are scheduled to host a series of community events, including festivals, potlucks and screenings, to celebrate Good Neighbor Day and Good Neighbor Week starting Sept. 24.

Athol Orange Rotary Club will deliver refurbished fire truck to Ayutla, Mexico

ATHOL – An effort begun two years ago by the Athol Orange Rotary Club to assist a village hit by fire by supplying it with a refurbished fire truck will culminate next week, when Rotarians and residents will present the vehicle to the people of Ayutla in Jalisco, Mexico. Rotary President Bill Kessler, who is […]

Franklin County groups secure nearly $1.47M for racial justice and digital equity

The Franklin County Community Development Corporation and the United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region received grants totaling nearly $1.47 million to fund initiatives addressing institutional racism in population health and digital equity for aging residents.

My Turn: Navigating an unsettling time

Like many my age, I rarely sleep through the entire night. Finding myself wide awake at 3 a.m., I might grab my phone and knock off the daily Wordle and Spelling Bee on the New York Times website. The other night, however, I made the mistake of first perusing the headlines. They were hardly the […]

Healey eyes winter energy relief as affordability bill remains stalled

BOSTON — Without signals that legislative negotiators are close to agreement on a long-debated energy affordability bill and as some Bay State households get ready to turn the heat back on, Gov. Maura Healey said that her administration is discussing “relief we can provide to people” heading into fall and winter. Energy policy negotiations have […]