Here are today's headlines:

Subdued, but still a celebration: First Night features livestream events, fireworks and raising of New Year's globe

NORTHAMPTON - As the omicron variant has driven the amount of confirmed cases of coronavirus upward of 1 million, First Night Northampton once again celebrated the transition into a new year virtually.Originally, First Night, now in its 37th year, was slated to include more than 60 live events at a...

'We accomplished so much': Town's first Town Council deemed by many a success, others are critical

AMHERST - Formed after voters put an end to representative Town Meeting, the three-year inaugural Town Council recently concluded its work by adopting zoning changes that could bring a second parking garage to downtown and require that mixed-use buildings have a minimum amount of commercial space.In...

Northampton's COVID cases soar

NORTHAMPTON - The city recorded an average of 22 cases of COVID-19 per day and totaled 311 cases in the two weeks prior to Dec. 28, according to the latest data released by the Health Department on Thursday.Also on Thursday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported another record-break...

Hampshire Hope: Ruling jeopardizes landmark opioid settlement

Patrick Radden Keefe's searing expose on the opioid overdose death epidemic, "Empire of Pain The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty," is a feat of investigative journalism I found nearly impossible to put down. Keefe describes, toward the end of his 560-page book, the leadership role our own Stat...

PHOTOS: Frontier, Hampshire and Northampton race at Roots Athletic Center

WESTFIELD - Northampton sophomore Theodore King-Pollet stuck his tongue out and threw up the "hang loose" sign with both hands as he crossed the Roots Athletic Center finish line.He and teammate Jude Mourad teamed with two West Springfield runners to complete a 4x800-meter relay in 9 minutes, 46.41...

Guest Column Gene Stamell: Medicare wellness checkup

Last month, I had my annual Medicare wellness check-up. As some readers know, once you reach 65, you no longer have a physical exam; you have a Medical wellness checkup. It's like they're purposely rubbing salt into the wound - do I really need reminding that I'm an old man? Having a "physical" soun...

Sounds Local: Looking back and forward on the local music scene

It's time to bid farewell to 2021, a roller coaster ride of a year if there ever was one! And as we inch our way toward 2022 all I can say is tighten your seatbelts because this ride shows no sign of slowing down. Just when it seemed that life was getting back to normal, the omicron variant arrived...

Champions in a pandemic: UMass hockey, Hopkins Academy baseball and Easthampton High soccer capture major titles in 2021

As we moved through another year where the pandemic continued to wreak havoc on all aspects of life in Hampshire County, there were, at least, a few moments in the sports world where fans had reason to cheer in 2021.Perhaps the most memorable came in April, when the UMass men's hockey team won the...