Forums to provide first look at preliminary candidates in Northampton

Judge mulls bail for Northampton man accused of possessing child sexual abuse material

NORTHAMPTON —  After a bail hearing Monday afternoon, Hampshire Superior Court Judge Charles Groce III is considering whether to set bail for the Northampton man who spent six years on the lam in Ecuador after being charged with possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Northampton Police began investigating Jude Demeis, 55, in 2019 after he allegedly […]

Guest columnist Michael Fenton: My record speaks for itself

I write in response to the Aug. 30 guest column by my opponent, the incumbent on the Governor’s Council from District 8.  My name is Michael Fenton and I am a partner at a law firm with offices in Northampton, an adjunct professor, and an eight-term city councilor from Springfield. I am running for Governor’s […]

Seven area towns to get $1M in state energy-efficiency grants

Seven Hampshire and Franklin county towns will receive a combined roughly $1 million in state Green Communities grants to fund energy-efficiency projects, including new heat pumps, windows and an electric vehicle. The grants, part of $8 million distributed statewide, will go toward projects in Plainfield, Goshen, Easthampton, Amherst, Leverett, Sunderland and Deerfield. Plainfield will use $96,368 for a new heat pump at Town Hall and energy-efficient windows at the library and police station. The heat pump will replace an aging oil furnace, said Planning Board Chair Peter Lapointe, who added that the total cost of the pump will be in the […]

Smoking materials blamed for two weekend fires in Amherst

AMHERST — Careless disposal of cigarettes is being blamed for causing a small porch fire at a Main Street home Friday night, as well as a fire that damaged a North Amherst restaurant and market and forced it to close Saturday afternoon, according to the Amherst Fire Department. The initial fire at 702 Main St., […]

Hadley board considers merging collector and treasurer roles

HADLEY — The Select Board is examining whether to merge the collector and treasurer’s offices at Town Hall, as officials look to hire a person to provide support for both departments. While no decisions are imminent for the future of the two offices, the Select Board at a late August meeting agreed to advertise for a full-time assistant treasurer and collector. The discussion of the possible changes is prompted by the recent retirement of Linda Sanderson, who was treasurer for more than 10 years and finance director for 2½ years, the anticipated retirement of Susan Glowatsky, who plans to step down […]