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By DOMENIC POLI

NEW SALEM — The new year means a new beginning and a new town coordinator for New Salem.

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — With the help of $40,749 from a Colorado-based foundation supporting older adults and their caregivers, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments will begin to implement two of its regional priorities in its Age- and Dementia-Friendly...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WASHINGTON — The recent roller coaster ride over a down-to-the-wire congressional spending bill ended on a high note for U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, who expressed victory that some $220 million in federal money will soon be in the hands of New England...

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

WARWICK — In a speedy, 17-minute meeting on Monday night, voters approved all seven articles on the Town Meeting agenda, including amending the zoning bylaws regarding accessory dwelling units (ADUs), allocating free cash for the installation of solar...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

GREENFIELD — Backed by a federal grant, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) is in the process of developing its own Road Safety Action Plan to serve as a guide for future traffic safety investments.To inform the plan’s creation,...

By SAM DRYSDALEand ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON – Massachusetts students will no longer have to pass the MCAS exam to earn a diploma here.Question 2, which advanced with a hard push by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, prevailed in Tuesday’s election. The measure was favored by 59% of...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

At their first meeting last week, members of a new state panel tasked with combating the scourge of antisemitism in Massachusetts outlined priority issues, as well as the vitriol they have personally experienced over the past year.The commission,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

Restoration of Elmer’s Store in Ashfield, roadwork around the region and downtown management services in three towns around Franklin County are on the way thanks to more than $10.3 million in grants coming to Franklin County and the North Quabbin,...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

Towns across Franklin County have signaled their support for the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) to apply for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) grant in...

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

ASHFIELD— A new solar array may be coming to the wastewater treatment plant on Conway Road. The Ashfield Selectboard has given the Energy Committee the go ahead to begin designing an array to fit the town’s needs with Solect Energy, a solar company...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN and MADISON SCHOFIELD

Thanks to funding from the Massachusetts Office of Environmental Justice and Equity, Franklin County organizations will receive 21 of the total 213 air quality sensors being distributed statewide to help protect public health and fill in gaps in local...

By COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON — Shannon O’Brien plans to appeal her firing as the chairperson of the Cannabis Control Commission directly to the Supreme Judicial Court, her lawyer said Tuesday, and one of her former CCC colleagues will take over as acting chair in the...

By BOB KATZEN

Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from recent sessions.$650,000 for microloans to businesses (H 4800)House 155-2, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $650,000 (reducing funding from $1.5 million to $850,000) for loans...

By ADA DENENFELD KELLY

NORTHFIELD — A Contract Review and Negotiation Committee has been created following recent contention over Town Administrator Andrea Llamas’ contract negotiations.Selectboard Chair Bernard Boudreau and member Heath Cummings will represent the board...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Advocates of a new state law that adds a third gender option on vital records and other state documents are applauding changes that went into effect in July, saying that the new rules are vital for non-binary and gender-nonconforming people to be able...

By ADA DENENFELD KELLY

At 17 years old, Quinn Mass is markedly younger than his colleagues on the Greenfield Human Rights Commission.Mass learned about the position from his father, and despite only being 16 at the time, sent in a letter of interest and was appointed to the...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — A reimagining of the Lord Pond Plaza, several floodplain management efforts and numerous other climate-resiliency projects are slated to begin as millions of dollars in Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program grants head to...

By DOMENIC POLI

Scant internet access, inadequate public transportation and other barriers could pose additional problems for Franklin County residents during an emergency, according to a recent report published by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.The...

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — Selectboard members gave their blessing this week to spending $2,850 to refurbish the floors in the first-floor meeting room and the mailroom at Town Hall.Brianne Bruso, administrative assistant to Town Administrator Matthew Fortier,...

By CLARENCE FANTO

PITTSFIELD — Vice President and likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will attend a campaign fundraiser in Pittsfield on Saturday.She’s the headliner at a star-studded event featuring author-historian Heather Cox Richardson and musical...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

The shock waves from the shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday have continued to reverberate across the country, including in western Massachusetts.Local politicians reacted to the shooting, which resulted in the death of an...