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By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

TURNERS FALLS — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a draft decision approving a water quality certification for FirstLight Hydro Generating Co., marking the latest required step in FirstLight’s relicensing process through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

By EMILEE KLEIN, ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL and DOMENIC POLI

Supporting K-12 public education, confronting climate change, and protecting health care and reproductive care are among the priorities this year for the legislative delegation representing Franklin County.

By CHRIS LARABEE

BOSTON — New legislation filed by state Rep. Natalie Blais seeks the development of minimum statewide quality standards for private wells, as well as the expansion of a financial assistance program for residents trying to remediate wells contaminated by so-called “forever chemicals,” or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Though Gov. Maura Healey maintains that she is not raising taxes, the budget she rolled out Wednesday could apply existing taxes to some purchases, or decrease how much residents are able to write off on their tax returns.

By CHRIS LARABEE

With help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), businesses across Franklin County will use grant money to increase their capacity and expand the local food supply chain.

By COLIN A. YOUNG

Gov. Maura Healey announced a plan Tuesday to pump at least $2.5 billion into facilities at the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges by the middle of the 2030s.

ORANGE — The Honey Farms convenience store and gas station at 167 Daniel Shays Highway in Orange recently sold a $1 million scratch ticket and will receive a $10,000 bonus for it, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery.

By SAM DORAN

BOSTON — With the state’s family shelter system under pressure from mounting costs and violent on-site incidents, Gov. Maura Healey is recommending statutory changes to the decades-old Right to Shelter Law, asking House and Senate leadership to fold the reforms into a supplemental budget.

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

ASHFIELD — The deteriorating bridge over Bear River on Beldingville Road has been approved for replacement by the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT), meaning the project will now enter the design phase.

By COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON — Drawing from Massachusetts history while also peeking into the future, Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday night took stock of the state’s strengths and challenges in a speech that focused more on following through on past work than on announcing new initiatives.

By JANE KAUFMAN

It looks so benign.

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

COLRAIN — One student was transported to the hospital for a minor injury after a school bus struck a bridge on Foundry Village Road over the North River on Tuesday.

By SYDNEY TOPF

Rosa Hernandez-O’Neil was surrounded by early educators growing up. Her mother ran a child care center in their home and her sisters all worked in the field. So, at 16 years old, Hernandez-O’Neil decided she wanted to join the family business as a teacher’s assistant.

By CHRIS LARABEE

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) is seeking information about weather-related losses in 2023 and 2024 from farmers across the state as it prepares to report damages to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which will split up $220 million in relief funding among eight states.

By JAMES BUCKSER

As the cost of living rises, some families will have trouble paying to keep their homes warm this winter. One option they may not have considered is the Home Energy Assistance Program.

By MICHAEL P. NORTON

BOSTON — Drought conditions are no longer considered “critical” in the Pioneer Valley and two other regions of Massachusetts, following designation adjustments made in the wake of what state officials described as “several weeks of snow and rain.”

By ALISON KUZNITZ and SAM DORAN

BOSTON — The three-day countdown for Beacon Hill lawmakers to comply with Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s probe of the Legislature started Monday afternoon, DiZoglio said, with her office now requesting specific records from the House and Senate.Meantime,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

NORTHFIELD — The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has invited the Pioneer Valley Regional School District into its eligibility program for building a new school, the first major step in what could be a years-long process.The MSBA’s board...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Fresh off winning another term leading the Massachusetts Senate, President Karen Spilka quickly set her sights on a combination of new and old priorities, including one that will have significant interest in the Pioneer Valley — reexamining...

By AUSTIN CHEN

Massachusetts has long been at the forefront of providing and protecting access to reproductive health care. Its role in doing so — in a national context — will likely increase once President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.Throughout...