North County Notebook: July 7, 2026

My Turn: Every day at the Dawg

I have been thinking a lot about loneliness lately, mostly because the CDC keeps calling it an epidemic. They say one out of every three seniors struggles with loneliness, and that chronic isolation increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, stroke, depression, and early death. It is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. When I read that, I felt a little shock of recognition. Not because I feel lonely all the time, but because I can see how easily it could happen. It does not arrive with a dramatic moment. It creeps in quietly when routines shrink and days […]

Greenfield data center moratorium to continue as proposed ordinance rather than zoning amendment

The Greenfield Planning Board has suggested that the City Council implement a one-year moratorium on data centers ordinance, rather than going through the lengthy process of amending the zoning code twice, allowing the Planning Board to focus on crafting a final zoning amendment.

Ownership change pending for Food City stores in three states

Food City grocery stores in New England, including the Turners Falls location, are being sold to Shiv Holdings Corporation.

Stories from western Franklin County during the Revolutionary War era

During the American Revolution, towns in western Franklin County, such as Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Rowe and Shelburne, played active roles in the war effort.

Fit to Play with Jim Johnson: Wellness is too expensive

Ever since the U.S. Surgeon General announced in 1976 that half of all illness is behavioral, wellness became for sale. Today, 50 years later, reports indicate that Americans spend about $2 trillion a year on wellness, approximately 33% of the entire world’s global expense. By all accounts, this practice will continue and increase. The cost […]