Here are today's headlines:

AMHERST - A $5 million gift to Hampshire College, the second of that amount received by the college since November 2020, will support the continued reinvention and transformation of the school's curriculum.Announced Tuesday, the unrestricted donation honors renowned filmmaker Ken Burns, an alumnus...

Lesser to run for lieutenant governor

NORTHAMPTON - State Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, has thrown his hat into the ring for lieutenant governor.In an emailed statement to supporters, he said he wants to fight to make Massachusetts more affordable, asserting that it's "one of the most unequal places in the country.""It's just too expe...

Petitioners lack signatures to force Amherst Town Council to revisit parking zone vote

AMHERST - Petitioners aiming to force the Town Council to revisit its vote that approved a parking facility overlay district appear to have fallen short in their quest.Despite gathering signatures and submitting the sheets to the town clerk's office by 4:30 p.m. Monday, those attempting to use the...

New Holyoke councilor Israel Rivera ends contention by quitting school job

HOLYOKE - The lead-up to Monday's meeting of the Holyoke City Council was filled with dramatic moments, including councilors and members of the public yelling at one another during several recent council meetings.But when the council's 13 members sat down for their first meeting Monday, the expectat...

2021 Gazette Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Avery Klingensmith, Belchertown

Odds are if you drove through Belchertown this past summer early in the morning, you might have seen a lone figure on the soccer field, running drills and firing balls into the back of an empty net. If you know anything about Belchertown soccer, it's not difficult to guess who it was – senior Avery...

Guest Columnist David Gottsegen: Pediatrician: The dangers of COVID for children are real

As a pediatrician who has cared for countless children with COVID-19 for the last two years, I agree with the title of John Montanari's letter in the Dec. 30 Gazette, that "COVID is driving us crazy," and that the tone of discussion about vaccines and mask mandates could be dialed down a notch.But...

Guest columnist David King: Perplexed by climate column

I am sure I wasn't the only reader who was perplexed at the recent column in the Gazette, "Another viewpoint on climate change," Bob Couch, Dec. 29. In it, the author cites a couple of authors who question the extent to which climate change exists, or is responsible for phenomena such as historicall...

Girls basketball: Northampton jumps out to big lead against Brattleboro Union and pulls away

NORTHAMPTON – What do you call a run that lasts an entire quarter?The Northampton girls basketball team scored the game's first 20 points Tuesday against Brattleboro Union and never looked back in a 56-25 home win.The Blue Devils' press, which they'd refined over their eight-day break without a game...