Athol housing project gets state funds for asbestos work

Former WMass aide to Gov. Healey appears in court for drug trafficking case

BOSTON — The disgraced former aide to Gov. Maura Healey facing drug charges for allegedly running a cocaine trafficking ring out of the governor’s western Massachusetts office appeared in Hampden Superior Court Wednesday for a pretrial hearing. LaMar Cook, who was serving as Healey’s western Massachusetts deputy director when he was arrested in October after […]

Sportsman's Corner: Hunting season is here

In this space it was previously noted that a number of hunting seasons were starting in September with the Early Goose Season kicking things off on the first day of the month and closing today. The black bear season opened Sept. 7 and runs through Dec. 12. Check the regs if you are interested in […]

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 off its trajectory into orbit. Before panic had a chance to settle in, Coleman’s training took over. “My first thought was, we know how to do that,” Coleman told the audience at the UMass Amherst Old Chapel. “We just did that, really, last week in the […]

Family Wellness Court marks 10th anniversary in Greenfield

Dozens of court officials and Family Wellness Court graduates gathered at the Franklin County Justice Center on Tuesday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the rehabilitative program designed to support families affected by parental substance use disorder.

Early fall marks busy season for stinging insects, experts advise

Experts warn that stinging insect populations increase in early fall and advise taking preventive measures to distinguish between bees and more aggressive wasps to avoid painful encounters.