'Every last mile': Northampton resident, former NYPD lieutenant to ride 343 miles to honor 9/11 firefighters

Easthampton divestment debate draws packed, tense crowd before council refers it to committee

EASTHAMPTON — The City Council chamber was packed with tension Wednesday night as councilors stopped short of committing to pull $454,000 in city investments from companies tied to the Israel-Hamas war after hearing two hours of testimony for and against the idea. The meeting opened discussion of a resolution put forth by a group called […]

Guest columnist Jim Palermo: The empathy deficit in a digital age

There is always another book to read, or another point of view to be considered. That is why even people way smarter than me have little about which they can be certain: Our lives are guided by our beliefs, which in my case seem always to be in a state of flux. In other words, […]

Smith College grad Gloria Steinem, a potent voice of US feminism and co-founder of Ms. Magazine, dies at 92

NEW YORK — Gloria Steinem, the celebrated author and activist who became one of the most visible symbols and potent voices of the U.S. women’s movement and a fierce advocate for feminist causes for over six decades, has died. She was 92. With her trademark streaked hair parted down the middle and large aviator glasses, […]

Mill District welcomes Salt Flower, new Amherst flower shop and gift store

AMHERST — A table in the studio workroom is covered with empty glassware and vases as numerous flowers, such as asters, snapdragons and amaranth, are being conditioned in water, waiting to be turned into arrangements for an upcoming wedding. In time, Laura Mae Pfeffer will unpack the flowers, strip leaves from them and prepare the […]

Planners review proposal to turn old Friendly's in Hadley into Citizens Bank

HADLEY — A Citizens Bank branch will be coming to a former restaurant building on Route 9, close to the Amherst town line. The Planning Board Tuesday began reviewing plans for the reuse of the old Friendly’s Restaurant at 455 Russell St., which opened in the 1970s and closed in 2025. The company handling the […]