FRANKLIN COUNTY

Coverage of Franklin County, Massachusetts.

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Tired Of Cramped Quarters During Pandemic, City Dwellers Move To Western Massachusetts

By • Sep 23, 2020
Dana Nestor and Nina Fernandes at their new Northampton, Massachusetts, house.
Karen Brown / NEPR

Home buying and selling slowed down in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but realtors in western Massachusetts say the market has picked up. 

'Low-Risk' Districts Respond To Push From State Of Massachusetts For In-Person Classes

By • Sep 23, 2020
Mohawk Trail Regional School in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPR

Some western Massachusetts school districts — in areas deemed by the state to be "low-risk" for COVID-19 — are responding to a push to return to in-person learning.

Opioid Task Force Offers Online Training On Reversing Overdoses

By • Sep 22, 2020
AJAY SURESH / CREATIVE COMMONS / FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/AJAY_SURESH

A western Massachusetts group focused on opioid abuse is offering this week the first in a series of online trainings on administering an opioid overdose reversal drug.

A Dramatically Different Three County Fair Concludes In Northampton, Mass.

By • Sep 7, 2020
Joanna Jaracz of Cummington, Massachusetts, after winning a blue ribbon for showmanship on September 7, 2020.
Alden Bourne / NEPR

Because of COVID-19, this year's Three County Fair was far different than in past years. There was no demolition derby, carnival rides, games — or the public. The fair was limited to arts and crafts exhibits and youth livestock competitions.

Results: Contested Primaries in Western Mass.

By NEPM Newsroom • Sep 1, 2020
At a polling place in Williamsburg, Mass., every other voting stall was taped off to ensure social distancing.
Sam Hudzik / NEPM

The polls are closed in the 2020 Massachusetts state primary. This campaign season has brought serious challenges to a sitting U.S. senator and the chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. There are also contested primaries in a handful of state legislative districts in Hampden County.

'Different Dynamics' Expected On Mass. Primary As Mail-In, Early Voting Shifts Norms

By • Aug 31, 2020
A ballot drop box in Shelburne, Massachusetts.
Carrie Healy / NEPM

The 2020 Massachusetts primary on Sept. 1 will whittle down the candidates and offer a major test to the state's mail-in voting system.

For many cities and towns, Tuesday's primary is the first voting in a new coronavirus world. 

2020 Voter Guide: Contested Primaries In Western Mass.

By NEPM Newsroom • Aug 26, 2020
Terry Yusteo (center) places ballots between Abigail Stone (left) and Adeline Rogers, so they can check in early and mail-in ballots to be counted on Tuesday, September 1, in Northampton, Mass.
Carol Lollis / Daily Hampshire Gazette / gazettenet.com/photos

Updated Aug. 30 

Voters across western Massachusetts will have an opportunity to vote on September 1 in the state primary  — if they haven't already taken advantage of early voting or the expanded mail-in option.

One Massachusetts Town's Reaction To The End Of World War II, 'Separated From The World'

By Tinky Weisblat • Aug 12, 2020
A crowd of people on V-J Day, August 14, 1945, in New York City's Times Square as Japan formally surrendered to the Allies in World War II.
Dick DeMarsico / World-Telegram / U.S. Library of Congress

Two million revelers gathered in downtown Manhattan on the evening of V-J Day, 75 years ago this week. They filled Times Square — waving flags, dancing, and shrieking with joy.

In Pandemic, Music Clubs Among The First To Close And Last To Reopen — If They Can

By • Aug 11, 2020
The Mtali Banda Oneness Project was the opening band at the Makaya McCraven concert at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke on June 4, 2019.
Ed Cohen / MassLive / masslive.com/photosMassMass

It’s been five months since live music venues and DJ clubs shut their doors to dancing crowds, and in Massachusetts they won’t be able to open in full until a COVID-19 vaccine or a proven treatment is available. If they make it that long.

Parents Are Considering 'Homeschool Pods' For Fall, But Some Educators Warn Of Inequities

By • Jul 30, 2020
Schoolwork.
Jimmie / Creative Commons / flickr.com/photos/jimmiehomeschoolmom

As school districts in Massachusetts submit their fall proposals to the state, many parents are coming up with their own contingency plans. 

As Census Workers Go Door-To-Door, Many In Western Mass. Have Already Answered

By • Jul 27, 2020
The 2020 U.S. Census form.
Ɱ / Creative Commons

Census workers are expected to start going door-to-door in western Massachusetts to collect information this week. But an official with the U.S. Census said it’s already had a strong response from households in the region.

Complaint Alleges Springfield Bishop Covered Up Clergy Abuse

By • Jul 15, 2020
Mitchell Rozanski during a press conference introducing him as archbishop of St. Louis.
screenshot / Archdiocese of St. Louis

An advocate for clergy sexual abuse survivors said he's filed a complaint against the Springfield Roman Catholic bishop, accusing Mitchell Rozanski of trying to cover up allegations against priests.

Effort Launched To Rename Turners Falls

By • Jul 3, 2020
Turners Falls, Massachusetts.
File Photo / Daily Hampshire Gazette / gazettenet.com

Some residents of Turners Falls, Massachusetts, want to change the name of their village to one they consider more respectful.

Turners Falls was named after Captain William Turner, thought to have led a 17th century battle that killed more than 100 members of the Nipmuc Nation tribe.

Nursing Homes Account For More Than Half Of Total COVID-19 Deaths In Massachusetts

By • May 29, 2020
Leavitt Family Jewish Home in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, reported 66 deaths so far from the coronavirus.
The Republican / masslive.com/photos

More than half the people who have died from COVID-19 in Massachusetts caught the virus in nursing homes, according to new data from the state. 

'We Can Do Better': Springfield Diocese Forms New Panel On Sexual Abuse

By • May 27, 2020

The Springfield Roman Catholic Diocese is forming a new panel tasked with looking at how the church deals with clergy sexual abuse.

Reporter Pens Tribute To Local Journalism Rooted In Franklin County, Massachusetts

By • May 26, 2020
Inside The Recorder office in Greenfield, Massachusetts, in 2017.
Recorder Staff/Andy Castillo. Recorder Staff / The Recorder / recorder.com

Richie Davis has more than four decades of stories behind him reporting for The Recorder newspaper in Franklin County, Massachusetts. He's now retired and has a new book out, a compilation of newspaper stories called "Inner Landscapes: True Tales From Extraordinary Lives."

Theater In A Pandemic: Comedy Set On A Plane Is Tailor-Made For An Online Experience

By • May 8, 2020
In the play "This Is Your Captain," an airplane wing catches fire and elicits strong feelings among the passengers. It's being rehearsed and performed online.
ruifo / Creative Commons / flickr.com/photos/ruimc

Actors and directors are finding ways to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic by producing theater online. Among the plays in rehearsal in western Massachusetts is a 10-minute piece, "This Is Your Captain."

When Your Remote Classroom Is Your Car: How Some Rural Students Without Broadband Are Connecting

By Carrie Jung • May 8, 2020

Even though school is closed, on a given day there are about a dozen cars lined up in the parking lot of Sanderson Academy in Ashfield with people using the school’s WiFi.

Natalie Szewczyk is one of them. The 18-year-old has turned her Toyota Corolla into a mobile work station.

“I stay in my driver’s seat. I push my seat all the way back,” she explained. “And then I prop my Chromebook on the steering wheel with my work on the passenger seat.”

Her sister, who is in 10th grade, usually takes the back seat.

Catholic Diocese, Western Mass. District Attorneys Reach Deal On Sexual Abuse Reporting

By • May 6, 2020
Saint Michael's is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. It is the city's oldest Catholic church.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPR

The Springfield Roman Catholic Diocese and three western Massachusetts prosecutors have reached a deal on how the church will report sexual abuse allegations.

Western Massachusetts Ramps Up COVID-19 Testing, But It's Still Not Widely Available

By • Apr 27, 2020
A health care worker places a cotton swab into a vile after taking a sample from someone being tested for COVID-19 last month at a drive-through testing area at Somerville Hospital.
Jesse Costa / WBUR

Western Massachusetts health care providers say they have much better access to COVID-19 testing than a month ago, but ideally, they would like even more.

Poll Finds $250M Loss For Mass. Cultural Businesses In Pandemic's 1st Month

By • Apr 17, 2020
Art hangs in a window at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Paul Franz / Greenfield Recorder / recorder.com

A new survey indicates Massachusetts cultural businesses have lost more than $250,000,000 in revenue since mid-March. 

Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Top 30,000 In Massachusetts

By • Apr 16, 2020
A N95 respirator mask.
Robin Lubbock / WBUR

Massachusetts has more than 30,000 confirmed COVID-19 infections as of Thursday, one of the highest state totals in the country, as Gov. Charlie Baker said the peak demand on hospitals is approaching fast.

MIT Researcher Projects New COVID-19 Cases Have Peaked In 3 Western Mass. Counties

By • Apr 16, 2020
The COVID-19 drive-through testing station at Lawrence General Hospital.
Robbin Lubbock / WBUR

A researcher at MIT projects three counties in western Massachusetts have seen the peak in daily new cases of the novel coronavirus, while a fourth will see the top in about a week.

Organic Farms And A Food Bank Partner To Feed Thousands In Western Mass.

By Andrea Shea • Apr 14, 2020

As the coronavirus continues to ravage links in the supply chain, food banks across the state are struggling to feed hungry families while keeping staff and volunteers safe. But a new partnership between the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and local farmers promises to increase access to fresh, organic produce at a time when it’s needed most.

Fear About Coronavirus Is Pushing Up Demand For Home Births

By • Apr 8, 2020
Falasha Paul of Springfield, Massachusetts, after the home birth of her daughter in January 2020.
Submitted / Jharna Harvey-Ahmei

COVID-19 is upending many aspects of life, including the beginning of it.

A Possible Unintended Consequence Of COVID-19: More Volunteer Firefighters On Hand

By • Mar 30, 2020
Firefighter gear on a table at a volunteer fair in Georgia, as a local volunteer firefighter explains the job.
Airman 1st Class Ceaira Tinsley / U.S. Air Force

For a number of years, small communities across Massachusetts have been struggling to staff their volunteer fire departments. But amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are signs that's changing in Franklin County.

Layoffs And Other Cuts At Local Papers As Advertising Plunges During Crisis

By • Mar 25, 2020
The Daily Hampshire Gazette is based in Northampton, Mass.
File photo / Daily Hampshire Gazette / gazettenet.com

The COVID-19 outbreak is taking its toll on some newspapers in New England. Already-sagging advertising revenues have dipped even more. That’s led to layoffs and other cuts.

'Steep Learning Curve' For Addiction Recovery Programs Amid Social Distancing

By • Mar 25, 2020
The RECOVER Project on Federal Street in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Paul Franz / The Recorder / recorder.com

A lot of recovery programs happen in person — meetings for people who are trying to overcome addictions of all kinds. That sort of in-person interaction is now limited by social distancing guidelines meant to control the spread of the new coronavirus. 

With Dining Rooms Shut, Takeout Keeps Some Mass. Restaurants Open — For Now

By • Mar 18, 2020
Sarah Devine, along with her father and brother, is behind the counter at their restaurant, Brad's Place, in Greenfield, Massachusetts, Tuesday, March 18, 2020, was the first day of no tableside service because of the coronavirus.
Jill Kaufman / NEPR

As the effort to stem the coronavirus pandemic continues, many waitstaff, cooks and bartenders in Massachusetts lost their jobs almost overnight this week, as Governor Charlie Baker ordered restaurants to close their dining rooms.

Some are shutting down completely, but others are trying to survive through takeout and delivery.

New Massachusetts Law Leading To Repeat Voter Registrations

By • Feb 11, 2020
A voting sign.
Keith Ivey / Creative Commons / flickr.com/photos/kcivey

The voter registration deadline for the March 3rd Massachusetts presidential primary is this Wednesday. And a new state law is causing some people to be registered more than once. 

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