1+ day, 2+ hour ago   (742+ words) BOSTON — As lawmakers weigh reforms to the ballot question process, the state’s top election official called it a “safety valve for democracy,” and said “you might change some of the procedures, but you shouldn’t change the concept.” The House passed…...

3+ day, 19+ hour ago   (781+ words) I’m driving to New York on Friday. When my good friend said he was having his birthday party on Sept. 11, my reaction was, “You’re having a party on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks?” After all these years, the anxiety…...

3+ day, 23+ hour ago   (463+ words) EASTHAMPTON — Rates under the city’s new electricity program will take effect next month, offering a cheaper option that uses more renewable energy for residents and businesses compared to Eversource. Aggregation programs such as Easthampton’s have become a common option for…...

5+ day, 19+ min ago   (865+ words) BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order Tuesday subjecting proposed data center projects to local approval before developers can move on to state permitting, representing her administration’s latest crackdown on the facilities after halting tax breaks earlier this summer....

5+ day, 17+ hour ago   (505+ words) NORTHAMPTON — A Hampshire Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the city’s resolution to divest from companies linked to human rights violations in Israel and Palestine on Tuesday, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the case. The National…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (887+ words) SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal took a significant step closer to a 20th term on Capitol Hill Tuesday after beating challenger Jeromie Whalen, a teacher who will head back to the classroom at Northampton High School, in the Democratic primary. In…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (1148+ words) Promising to “fix” Massachusetts, Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike Minogue will spend the next nine weeks trying to convince voters that he can serve them better than Gov. Maura Healey has for almost four years. “The good news is it’s going…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (756+ words) U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts secured the Democratic nomination in his bid for a third term in office Tuesday, fighting off a challenger who argued that it was time for a generational change. Markey, 80, defeated U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, 47, in the…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (360+ words) CHESTERFIELD — After the state announced new measures for the building of large-scale solar arrays set to take full effect on Oct. 1, the Planning Board is set to establish local rules for battery energy storage systems, also known as BESS. With…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (553+ words) HADLEY — The Select Board is examining whether to merge the collector and treasurer’s offices at Town Hall, as officials look to hire a person to provide support for both departments. While no decisions are imminent for the future of the…...