HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

Students at South Hadley High School begin the semester Thursday — online and two weeks late.

Two western Massachusetts hospitals said they are experiencing staffing issues. This comes as they've seen a rise in COVID-19 cases in recent months.

The head of the Three County Fair in Northampton, Massachusetts, said he expects the organization to be fined by the city health department because some visitors did not follow mask rules.

Employees of the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts, rallied Thursday against outsourcing of local newspaper jobs.

While the numbers of COVID-19 patients are creeping up, western Massachusetts hospitals have not yet had to limit elective care.

Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin said action needs to be taken to grow the population of the western part of the state. He made his comments Wednesday during a visit to Springfield.

Many western Massachusetts colleges and universities are requiring students be vaccinated against COVID-19 when they return to campus, but they are offering exemptions.

New figures from the U.S. Census show the four counties of western Massachusetts ranked at the bottom in the state for percentage population growth over the past 10 years.

The CDC says Hampshire County has a "moderate" level of COVID-19 transmission — the lowest among Massachusetts counties. Still, starting Wednesday, a mask mandate returns in the county seat of Northampton.

A new grant provided to UMass Amherst seeks to assist people of color and low-income students get jobs in the offshore wind industry.

A federal moratorium on evictions came to an end this weekend, but housing advocates in Massachusetts say help and millions of dollars in rental assistance are available.

The state auditor concluded that a western Massachusetts educational collaborative failed to ensure some teachers who worked for it were properly licensed.

State lawmakers from the western part of Massachusetts disagrees with Governor Charlie Baker's veto of funding requested for regional bus systems — like the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority.

The numbers remain low compared to earlier in the pandemic, but local public health officials are expressing concern about upticks in COVID-19 cases in two of New England's largest cities.

The town of Amherst, Massachusetts, is creating a committee to make reparations for those harmed by anti-Black racism. 

Now free of government-mandated COVID-19 restrictions, most movie theaters in New England have reopened in full. But after months of streaming movies and selling tickets in a limited capacity, several area arthouse cinemas are choosing to stay half-empty.

Updated 3:46 p.m.

The owner of several entertainment venues in Northampton and Holyoke, Massachusetts, has been hit with $100,000 in fines and restitution after the Massachusetts Attorney General's office found the rights of about 30 workers were violated.

Updated at 4:09 p.m. 

The Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts, has expanded a list of clergy and lay employees credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor while serving in the diocese. Some of the findings date back decades, as the diocese has expanded its criteria for disclosure.

Most COVID-19 restrictions in Massachusetts were rescinded by Governor Charlie Baker effective Saturday, but some people aren't taking their masks off.

The Northampton, Massachusetts, City Council will consider a resolution Thursday night in support of workers at the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority wants to begin new bus service connecting Amherst, Massachusetts, to Worcester. It would stop in seven towns in between.