Here are today's headlines:

Easthampton Community Center's Robin Bialecki named Person of the Year; Smith College student Lilly Fellows bestowed with Young Community Leader Award

NORTHAMPTON - A dedication to making sure area residents are fed, clothed and supported in myriad ways is earning Robin Bialecki the Person of the Year award for 2022."I'm just incredibly honored. It really is amazing," said Bialecki, executive director of the Easthampton Community Center, who was...

Judge denies new trial for Northampton man who tried to kill his daughter with caustic chemical

NORTHAMPTON - Christopher Conley, the city man convicted in 2020 of trying to kill his daughter by injecting her medical device with a caustic chemical, was denied a new trial in a ruling this week by a Hampshire Superior Court judge.Appellate attorneys for Conley argued that his trial lawyers were...

Drug defendants splitting $14M in state lab scandal settlement

Roughly 31,000 defendants who had criminal convictions vacated in the wake of a massive state drug lab scandal are poised to split about $14 million in settlement payments under a new agreement between their lawyers and Attorney General Maura Healey.Healey's team and attorneys representing defendant...

'We can overcome, grow': Belchertown grads reflect on class bonds

BELCHERTOWN - Under dark clouds that, as if out of respect for the day, failed to open up, the Class of 2022 graduated into a bright future on Thursday.Members of the 148-student graduating class of Belchertown High School sat in the bleachers of the track at the school, facing a big crowd full of...

All-State Track: South Hadley's Jonas Clarke wins 200-meter title, eyes 100 state record (PHOTOS)

WESTFIELD - If Thursday was the appetizer for Saturday's main event, Jonas Clarke could be making history.The South Hadley senior put together an impressive 200-meter dash on Day 1 of the MIAA All-State Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Westfield State University. Seeded third in the field,...

Around and About with Richard McCarthy: Miracle on ice: The little pond that could

By RICHARD MCCARTHYFor the GazetteThere is a little pond on Old Farm Road in Amherst, about four-tenths of a mile from Old Farm's intersection with Route 9. It is marked by an official printed sign that says "Gull Pond/Town of Amherst/Conservation Area." There is also a homemade wooden sign beside...

Man charged in Southampton 'car cranking case,' arrested again in Worcester County

NORTHAMPTON - A man accused of trying to disable a young woman's car in Southampton more than six months ago faces new charges after a string of similar incidents were reported in central and eastern Massachusetts in recent weeks.Alexander Yee, 37, of Winchendon, was out on $10,000 bail and wearing...

H.S. Softball: Amherst coach Emma Mendoker has alma mater on the road back

For several years after longtime head coach Kacey Schmitt retired after the 2016 season, the Amherst softball program was unmoored. Replacement coaches came and went each year as the consistency and development that had flourished under Schmitt for so long was gone in what felt like the blink of an...