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By CHRIS LARABEE

In 1994, a new movement began to grow out of the Pioneer Valley, Berkshires and Hudson Valley, as a group of organic farmers banded together to form a cooperative educational program for farm apprentices.That year marked the birth of the Collaborative...

By CHRIS LARABEE

During the afternoon of Monday, April 8, folks around the Pioneer Valley and throughout the U.S. will be treated to one of the solar system’s most extraordinary events.At approximately 3:28 p.m., the moon will overtake the sun and our celestial...

By CHRIS LARABEE

Editor’s note: The following is a collection of Pioneer Valley events where the public can observe and celebrate the April 8 solar eclipse. Know of an event that isn’t listed? Feel free to send details to news@recorder.com. Monday’s solar eclipse will...

By CHRIS LARABEE

As the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) study of the Northern Tier Passenger Rail project continues, officials and consultants Thursday night collected more feedback and laid out some of its potential funding streams in the final...

By CHRIS LARABEE

With two new members on its board of directors, the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding is looking to continue its international work, while also expanding on its mission right here in the valley.In recent weeks, the international and domestic...

By CHRIS LARABEE

Farming is already a tough field to make one’s living. Throw in three consecutive years of extreme weather and personal burnout and you’ve got a recipe for what is shaping up to another difficult year for valley farmers, as they prepare their fields...

By CHRIS LARABEE

SPRINGFIELD — More than 2,400 current and former Yankee Candle employees are eligible to split $1.2 million from a class action lawsuit brought forward by an employee alleging the company failed to pay workers for “thousands of hours of work” due to...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD – At the Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ fiscal year 2025 state budget hearing, held Friday at Greenfield Community College, the focus was on statewide education and local aid.At the regional level, though, legislators, school officials...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — With a $125,000 grant from the National Council on Aging, LifePath is looking to help folks in Franklin and Hampshire counties, as well as the North Quabbin region, get past the complex forms and eligibility requirements for numerous...

By CHRIS LARABEE

As money from the nationwide opioid settlement continues to be disbursed to Franklin County towns, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), in partnership with local boards of health, is inviting residents to share their input on how this...

By CHRIS LARABEE

Seven towns around Franklin County are re-examining their town accountant positions due to a change in policies with the current software system contracted through the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG).For nearly 20 years, FRCOG has...

By CHRIS LARABEE

A trend of warm years further cemented itself in 2023, as Massachusetts experienced, on average, its warmest year on record, according to new data from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.The average temperature around Massachusetts for the year...

By CHRIS LARABEE

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Newell Brands, the parent company of Yankee Candle, is planning to close its distribution facility in South Deerfield by the end of 2024.In a statement, a spokesperson for Newell Brands said the company is focusing on consolidating...

By CHRIS LARABEE

ORANGE — A 76-year-old Princeton man died Thursday morning after the truck he was driving veered off Tully Road and crashed into a tree, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.The crash, which occurred near the intersection with...

By CHRIS LARABEE

With towns across Massachusetts suffering millions of dollars worth of damages due to torrential rainstorms throughout the summer, local legislators Rep. Natalie Blais and Sen. Jo Comerford have introduced legislation that could take some of the...

By CHRIS LARABEE

SOUTH DEERFIELD — With farmers facing two of the most challenging summers in recent memory, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) is launching a fundraising campaign that will expand access to local produce and prepare farmers for a...

By CHRIS LARABEE

VERNON, Vt. — With the reactor building serving as one of the final structures standing, the decommissioning of the former Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant has been progressing steadily with a potential finish date four years ahead of its 2030...

By CHRIS LARABEE

In Conway, fire engines need to be retrofitted and parked bumper to bumper to fit into the garage. Ashfield’s police chief has a single office space in the basement and an emergency exit she can’t use. And in Royalston, the town cannot move to bigger...

By CHRIS LARABEE

SUNDERLAND — A question is posed in the corn at Warner Farm: In the age of artificial intelligence, what makes us human?Thinking.The one-word answer carved in the 8-acre cornfield serves as the centerpiece of Mike’s Maze 2023 theme, as people are...

By CHRIS LARABEE

COLRAIN — With a federal farm bill on the horizon, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern set out on his 13th annual farm tour Tuesday to get a sense of what Franklin and Hampshire county farmers need to continue bringing food to tables across the state.Following a...

By CHRIS LARABEE

ATHOL — No injuries were reported in Athol’s second fire in two days, but a Main Street house has been deemed a “total loss” following a Tuesday morning blaze.The Athol Fire Department was dispatched to 1756 Main St. at 8:37 a.m. for a reported...