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LEVERETT — As Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions take place across Massachusetts, with some happening in the region, a panel discussion is being held at the Mount Toby Friends Meetinghouse, 194 Long Plain Road (Route 63) Monday night.

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — The town’s search for a developer to create affordable senior housing on the former St. James Church property will continue.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — The city on Thursday closed a portion of the sidewalk in its central downtown after engineering consultants found that the section posed “an immediate risk of collapse.”

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Ever since moving to Florence 18 years ago, JoJo Howlett has had only one choice for where she fills her car with gas — the Citgo gas station in the village’s center, owned by Bob Gougeon and his family.

By EMILEE KLEIN

SOUTH HADLEY — Mount Holyoke College will indefinitely pause construction of its geothermal pump hub — the heart of its $180 million effort to build a carbon-neutral heating and cooling system — due to uncertainties with potential tariffs and economic downturn.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A union representing teachers, paraprofessionals and clerical staff in the Amherst-Pelham public schools is renewing a call for action, first delivered to the Amherst Regional School Committee more than a year ago, that includes a 10-point plan for addressing racism against Black employees.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has called for a public debate between her and the other two mayoral candidates in this year’s municipal election, proposing multiple public forums to be held before preliminary elections in September.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

HOLYOKE — Artist Michael Karmody knows a hard truth about concrete — that it is often associated with sidewalks and jails, not attractive things.

By OLIN ROSE-BARDAWIL

Two weeks ago marked 600 days since the war in Gaza began. Six hundred days and nearly 100,000 casualties later, many have woken up to the clear immorality of Israel’s assault on Gaza. However, there are still many Americans who cling to a few talking points that allow them to justify the brutality — talking points which, over 600 days in, seem just as tired and trite as the war itself.

By GERRY SHATTUCK

On Monday, June 2, at the Williamsburg annual Town Meeting, Article 27: South Main Street Shared Use Path Easements, failed to pass by the required two thirds majority vote. This came as welcome news to South Main Street residents and abutters. The article was written extremely broadly; it specified neither dollar amounts nor spending limits, and it would have granted the Select Board sweeping authority to “acquire … by eminent domain, permanent and temporary easements, on and off South Main Street” as part of a project to build a shared use path through the neighborhood. It authorized the board to “raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, and/or borrow a sum of money to fund the foregoing project and any and all costs incidental or related thereto …”

The June 2 Williamsburg Town Meeting left me stupefied and heartbroken. What started as a routine exercise out of Norman Rockwell painting quickly turned to chaos. It is clear that the vitriol of national politics has landed in our friendly town. The vote on Article 27 — a measure to allow the town to negotiate agreements for easements for a bike path — had all the makings of a culture war issue. There were social media posts full of misinformation. An otherwise upbeat meeting quickly turned into screaming matches when the issue came up for discussion. It was shameful, and we owe one another better.

It was predicted that there would be a falling out of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. What wasn’t imagined or hypothesized was the extent and viciousness of the war. Almost simultaneous to this feud, but not as prominently reported, is the vicious attack Trump has made upon Leonard Leo. Leo, the architect and leader of the Federalist Society influenced and aided Trump in filling the Supreme Court with hand-picked conservative judges who have enabled and empowered Trump in his quest for exclusive power and riches. But the justices may have a greater allegiance to Leo and their tenure will surpass Trump’s presidential term. This battle will be by surrogates of Leo in the Supreme Court and members of Congress, who fear being challenged by candidates subsidized by Musk. Trump may have met his match finally and may succumb to this attack upon his agenda, his competence and his hold upon the three branches of government. Fending off Musk and Leo may be the greatest onslaught Trump has ever experienced and may be end of the Trumpian era.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A regular presence at Amherst Town Hall for 20 years, Town Clerk Susan Audette recently retired after more than four years overseeing town elections and vital records.

By Grace Chai

EASTHAMPTON — Cultural Chaos: the unique alliterative name hints at a festival chock-full of art, music and fun — and that’s exactly what’s coming to downtown this weekend.

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Public construction projects costing over $1 million would be required to use apprentices, under a bill that union supporters say will guarantee the future of the state’s trade workforce.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

In response to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s decision to give FirstLight Hydro Generating Co. a water quality certification for its operations in Turners Falls and Northfield, two environmental advocacy nonprofits have joined others in the Pioneer Valley in filing an appeal with MassDEP’s Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution.

By CHRIS LARABEE

More funding for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) may be on the way in fiscal year 2026, as Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed budget, along with those put forward by the Senate and House of Representatives, all request more money than the current budget year.

By EMILEE KLEIN

BELCHERTOWN — Kaia Couture had not even considered entering the 44th annual Congressional Art Competition until Belchertown art teacher Elizabeth Teixeira suggested her realistic painting of marbles had enough intricate detail in its reflections, light and shadow to contend with the thousands of submissions from the First Congressional District.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

About $1 million in funding has been included for regional organizations, school districts and first responders across Hampshire County and the city of Holyoke by members of the Massachusetts State Senate representing the region in the chamber’s version of next year’s budget.

By CAROLYN BROWN

Earlier this year, three Massachusetts artists were chosen to create six wheatpaste murals total to decorate the town of Montague, a public art project funded by a $15,000 grant. The most local of the three – graphic designer and illustrator Sophie Foulkes – recently installed her murals at Montague Town Hall and 20 Masonic St. in Montague.