Latest News
UMass lacrosse: Minutewomen ousted by Princeton in NCAA tourney opener, 19-10
Northampton school union votes for work-to-rule over stalled contract talks
Community Action could see significant service loss under Trump cuts
‘Blessing from heaven’: A day after the election of first pope from US, local Catholics react with joy, tears
South Hadley TM to consider welcoming community ordinance, lower speed limits, 1st historic district
Chesterfield TM to consider $5.1M budget that boosts employee salaries
Columnist Bill Newman: A stroke of good luck
Granby to convene for 1st of two TM’s on Monday
Rekindling White Rose resistance: Rally draws some 100 to steps of Northampton City Hall
NORTHAMPTON — Strong rains fell down on City Hall on Friday, but that didn’t stop around 100 protesters from gathering around its steps. In fact, the somber weather made for a fitting analogy for John Paradis, who helped organize the rally.
Mother’s Day extra eventful on the diamond for Hampshire Regional softball super-mom Becky Dubay
WESTHAMPTON — Becky Dubay could never pack lunches for her four daughters without hearing some sort of complaint. Whether it was her oldest daughter, Josie, her twins, Raegan and Ryanne, or her youngest, Kalin, each of them would always let their mom know if something about their lunch wasn’t right before she shipped them off to elementary school.
Most Read
National Endowment for the Arts strips grants from Restless Books, Amherst Cinema
Northampton florist sends message to robbers: ‘Karma is coming’
Congestion concerns raised over plans for drive-thru coffee shop at Mountain Farms Mall in Hadley
Amherst contractor eyes move to Hatfield; planners also hear plans for new day care for dogs
Smith Bears: College chooses new mascot to replace Pioneers
Mother’s Day extra eventful on the diamond for Hampshire Regional softball super-mom Becky Dubay
Editors Picks
A Look Back, May 10
‘Space is the place’: Sun Ra Arkestra plays the Academy of Music, May 18
Arts Briefs: ‘Aladdin’ ballet, choral works by teenagers, and more
‘So much pride when people ask where I’m from’: ‘Hacks’ creator, Lucia Aniello, reflects on western Mass upbringing
Sports
MIAA power ranking updates for Hampshire County teams
The MIAA released its most recent power rankings of the 2025 spring season on Friday morning, and several Hampshire County teams are slotted pretty high in their respective sports/divisions. The Hampshire Regional softball team is the lone local squad to earn a No. 1 ranking, as the Raiders check in as the top seed in Division 4 after appearing at No. 2 in the previous edition.
HS Roundup: Josh Misiaszek blasts walk-off, 3-run home run to give Belchertown baseball eighth straight win
HS Notebook: Amherst girls track could have program’s ‘best team ever’
UMass women's lacrosse gears up for Princeton in NCAA Tournament
HS Roundup: Amherst track sweeps rival Northampton (PHOTOS)
Opinion
Rachael Cowan: Medicaid HCBS needs your support
Most of us will become disabled at some point in our lives. Whether through accident, illness, or simply old age, we will all join the largest minority in the U.S. For decades, institutionalization was standard for people with disabilities. Conditions were commonly squalid, overcrowded, and abusive.When the deinstitutionalization movement gained momentum in the 1960s and 70s, we developed support systems to help people with disabilities live on their own.
Alanna Hoyer-Leitzel: South Hadley Welcoming Community
Columnist Olin Rose-Bardawil: Conversations about Christianity in time of discord
Guest columnist Rob Okun: The hopeful math for saving democracy
Mary H. Hall: Questions of myth and fact
Your Daily Puzzles
An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."
A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.
Chess but with chaos: Every day is a unique, wacky board.
Word search but as a strategy game. Clearing the board feels really good.
Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
Business
Making News in Business, May 9
BELMONT — Mariellen Morris of Easthampton has been appointed executive director of The LSP Association (LSPA), a nonprofit volunteer-based organization representing licensed site professionals and related practitioners including attorneys, laboratory personnel and contractors, involved with hazardous waste site cleanup in Massachusetts.
Area property deed transfers, May 9
Smithland Pet & Garden Center shutting down all 13 stores, including in Northampton and Hadley
Valley Bounty: Wild Life Flowers building community for people and pollinators
Area property deed transfers, May 2
e-Edition
Arts & Life
Block and roll: Roller Derby, the ‘sport for misfits,’ finds a home in the Valley
The floor of Interskate 91 South is often filled with young skaters teetering around the track, but the athletes on it now are sure on their skates, focused and ready to battle. Two jammers sit poised, their bodies coiled in anticipation; in front of them, two bunches of blockers gaze at them intently, trying to determine the best strategy for locking them down. For a second, there’s quiet. Then a sharp whistle slices through it and the two skaters explode forward, trying to duck and weave between a mass of bodies to escape the pack and rack up points for their team. Their teammates and fans yell and cheer from the sidelines, their voices echoing around the rink, but skater Lilith of the Valley (government name: Lisa Andras) doesn’t hear any of it.
Get Growing with Mickey Rathbun: A blooming ribbon leads the eye: Landscape architect planted 1,500 daffodils in Amherst’s Orchard Arboretum
‘Here, Now’: Moroccan artist Younes Rahmoun holds first North American exhibition at Smith College Museum of Art
Speaking of Nature: Motivated mother mink
Sew cool: Quilting is more than ‘grandma’s little hobby’ at biennial Hands Across the Valley Quilt Guild show, May 3 and 4Obituaries
Priscilla Blier
Amherst, MA - Priscilla Marie (Violette) Blier died peacefully in her sleep on April 6, 2025. She was 95. Born on September 8, 1929, in rural Keegan, Maine, to Severin and Marguerite (Martin) Violette, she was the youngest of nine surv... remainder of obit for Priscilla Blier
James E. Newton
Easthampton, MA - James E. Newton, age 73, died on May 4, 2025 at home surrounded by his family. In December Jim was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease that had no cure or treatment. His loving family provided him care at h... remainder of obit for James E. Newton
Paul Thomas Hartwell
May 29, 1949 ~ March 9, 2025 Amherst, MA - Paul Thomas Hartwell, of Amherst, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025. Born in Methuen, Massachusetts, to Everett Hartwell and Teresa Judge Hartwell, Paul spent most of his ... remainder of obit for Paul Thomas Hartwell
Jean Hartwell Pelkey
Jean Pelkey April 25, 1936 ~ April 10, 2025 Northampton, MA - Jean Hartwell Pelkey passed away peacefully on April 10, 2025, surrounded by her family. Born on April 25, 1936, to Teresa and Everett Hartwell, Jean led a life of kindness, quie... remainder of obit for Jean Hartwell Pelkey
