Dolly Parton, music star, actor and beloved figure who spanned generations, dies at 80

Cummington Fair returns for 157th year

CUMMINGTON — The Cummington Fair, a 157-year-old mid-summer tradition, returns Aug. 27-30 with four days of agricultural exhibits, livestock shows, tractor and horse pulls, live entertainment, midway rides and family activities. The fair opens at 4 p.m. Thursday and runs through Sunday evening at 97 Fairgrounds Road. The fair has added three acres of parking […]

The Cummington Fair is 'in their blood': Volunteers are the lifeline of longtime event that kicks off Thursday

CUMMINGTON — The Cummington Fair, a long-standing agricultural tradition dating to 1869, is like a centuries-old clock: It takes a slew of gears to keep it running, and its arrival signals to many in the Hilltowns that summer is drawing to a close. From board president Albert Judd to longtime volunteer Larry Mason to the […]

Sports Briefs: Easthampton fencing coach receives national award

Paul Sise, who owns and operates the Pioneer Valley Fencing Academy in Easthampton, was one of two recipients of the Award of Merit For Outstanding Achievement in the Coaching and Teaching of Fencing by the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association, this past weekend. Sise is a certified Fencing Master and also coaches the sport at Amherst […]

Investigation finds Amherst school restraints followed state law, but families still have concerns

AMHERST — Despite concerns about inappropriate use of restraints and seclusions at Fort River and Wildwood schools, all 98 occasions for their use since the start of the 2024 school year were proper for deescalating concerning behaviors, according to a recently completed investigatory report. With the Special Education Parent Advisory Council bringing forward worries about […]

Easthampton to update tattoo shop regulations after sexual assault complaint

EASTHAMPTON — After a resident reported an anonymous sexual assault complaint against a tattoo shop employee, the city is working with artists to bolster local protections for clients and employees of body art establishments. The complaint was made anonymously over the phone to the Health Department, according to Director of Public Health Ryan Griffin, who said in an email to the Gazette that the shop where the incident allegedly occurred took prompt and appropriate action to address the complaint. Griffin said the owners of the establishment spoke with him shortly after the incident “on their own initiative,” informing him that the licensed […]