Area Briefs: Northampton health officials make national presentation

Northampton man, 21, killed in Burts Pit Road motorcycle crash identified by DA’s office

NORTHAMPTON — Daemon Ackerman, 21, of Northampton, has been identified as the motorcyclist killed Sunday night when he veered off Burts Pit Road and crashed into a cluster of trees, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. According to Ackerman’s obituary, he was known as the “life of the party” by his many family and […]

A Dunkin' Donuts car fire and hay truck blaze hit Northampton

NORTHAMPTON — Firefighters responded to two vehicle fires in the city this week: a car that caught fire in the drive-through of the Dunkin’ on Damon Road on Monday, and a pickup truck loaded with hay that caught fire off Hockanum Road in the Meadows on Wednesday. On Monday, as Northampton Fire Rescue crews were […]

State previews new graduation framework at meeting in Williamsburg

BOSTON — School districts could soon be required to make new coursework and postsecondary planning available as Massachusetts reimagines high school graduation requirements, but some education overseers bristled Tuesday over the timetable for change and other logistical hurdles. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff previewed regulatory proposals for a new graduation framework, including two […]

Question 3: Should Massachusetts eliminate party-specific primaries?

Massachusetts voters will consider replacing the current party-specific primary system with a single non-partisan primary via ballot Question 3 on Nov. 3, a measure supported by some former governors and unions but opposed by many local Democratic and Republican organizations.

Fighting for Fort Hill: Hundreds take to streets to protest Smith College's closure of childcare center

NORTHAMPTON — An estimated 250 people, ranging in age from toddlers to seniors, marched from Pulaski Park to Seelye Lawn Wednesday afternoon to protest Smith College’s decision to close its Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill. Fort Hill parents and staff members received a notice on Monday, Oct. 19, informing them that the […]