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By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — As the town faces a combined $90 million or more in spending needed to rebuild, improve and extend the dike and levee system that provides protection from Connecticut River flooding, state and federal officials are pledging to support the town in identifying the best approach to take in the face of a changing climate.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes is seeking a new public-private partnership that could bring to the University of Massachusetts campus affordable, mixed-use housing for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as possible options for non-students — an initiative that could reduce the pressure on the area’s housing stock.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — University of Massachusetts officials acted reasonably and prudently in breaking up pro-Gaza encampments on campus last spring, but different enforcement tactics might have cut down on the number of arrests, as well as reduced the fraying of trust between students, faculty and staff and the UMass administration, according to an independent review released this month.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A week after the release of an anonymous letter highly critical of Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman’s management of the central office, the executive board for the union representing teachers, paraprofessionals and clerical staff released a statement last Friday supporting Herman and applauding her efforts to bring transparency and financial stability to the Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional schools.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Restricting the sale of oral nicotine pouches to adults-only tobacco stores, increasing the minimum price of cigars to be consistent with state regulations, and not allowing a tobacco retailer to move within 1,000 feet of an existing business selling tobacco are among changes being considered for the town’s rules related to sale of tobacco and vape products.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Senior citizens active with the Council on Aging are renewing appeals for town assistance to modernize and improve the Bangs Community Center.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — A former farm stand and ice cream parlor at 10 Rocky Hill Road, with 1.4 acres of farmland and a parking lot to accommodate 15 vehicles, was sold for $179,000 at a foreclosure auction Thursday morning.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Both Shutesbury and Hadley are being recognized as Digital Inclusion Trailblazers by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance for their efforts to close the digital divide for residents by providing access to affordable, high-speed internet and digital skills training.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

LEVERETT — A project featuring events and dialogues bringing together western Massachusetts progressives and residents with more conservative views from eastern Kentucky, gaining both national and international attention over the course of seven years, is being chronicled in a new book.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Hampshire College President Ed Wingenbach is stepping down from leadership at the end of June to become president of the American College of Greece, completing six years at the helm of the Amherst campus during a transitional phase for the college amid financial uncertainty.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Charles R. “Chuck” Longsworth, a Hampshire College founder and the institution’s first employee and second president, who died Jan. 8 at 95 in Concord, is being remembered for his pioneering work in higher education.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A dozen administrators in the Amherst and Amherst-Pelham Regional schools are accusing Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman of threats of physical harm, creating a hostile work environment and allowing sexual and workplace harassment since she took the helm of the district last July.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Up to 24 staff positions would be eliminated at the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools, including four teachers and three paraprofessionals at both the middle and high schools, based on a possible deficit of $1 million or more in the schools’ $37.7 million fiscal year 2026 budget.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HADLEY — While Hadley has several shopping centers and malls on its commercial corridor, for nearly 20 years the town has prohibited construction of any new retail store exceeding 75,000 square feet.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — The Town Council is not ready to endorse proposals brought forward last fall to build a $30 million fire station for South Amherst at the former Hickory Ridge golf course, and to have new Department of Public Works buildings constructed at multiple sites for a cost of $35 million.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Lynn Griesemer, the only president the Town Council has had since it was first organized in 2018, will remain in the position for another year, pledging to continue to be present for the public and municipal staff and to improve communication with the community.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A 30-year member of the Amherst police force and two firefighters with extensive experience are taking on new leadership roles at the town’s public safety departments.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A new owner for a 30-acre farm in North Amherst center continues to be sought, as a nearly 20-year relationship between the managers of Simple Gifts Farm and the board that oversees the North Amherst Community Farm winds down.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A deficit in the revolving fund that covers costs associated with the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools’ athletics program could be addressed by eliminating certain sports, according to school leaders, even as the Regional School Committee is likely to be asked to make a $175,000 transfer to the account before the end of June.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Rebuilding Amherst Regional High School’s track and its interior field, both in poor condition and identified as priorities for replacement in a town study released more than six years ago, should be underway by late June, shortly after the school year ends.