Amherst

A retired Massachusetts State Police captain has been arrested on child pornography charges, the state attorney general’s office announced Friday. Francis Hart, 60, of Amherst, was arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. He was released on bail and is due back in court on Oct. 22….

A Massachusetts town has approved creating a fund to pay reparations to Black residents. The Amherst Town Council on Monday voted 12-1 in favor of setting up the fund and requiring a two-thirds vote of the council to authorize any spending from it, The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. Town Manager Paul Bockelman said establishing the fund means the town can…

Beloved children’s book author Eric Carle has died, according to statements from his family and publishing company. He was 91. Carle was the author of more than 70 books, including “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” a classic of children’s literature. It features his signature style of bright, almost collage-like images and a simple story. A message posted online from his family,…

A house in Amherst, New Hampshire, was reduced to rubble after an explosion that sparked a fire.

A house exploded in Amherst, New Hampshire leaving one person injured on Friday.

One person was hurt in a house explosion on Clark Avenue in Amherst, New Hampshire Friday near Baboosic Lake.

A house exploded Friday morning in Amherst, New Hampshire, leaving it completely destroyed. Fire crews responded shortly before 9:30 a.m. to the home on Clark Avenue. “I was just out here working on the deck and I just heard a big explosion,” said witness Stephen Smith. “Out of nowhere, it was just a big explosion. It blew out the front…

Amherst is among hundreds of communities and organizations across the country seeking to provide reparations to Black people. The efforts, some of which have been underway for years, have gained momentum in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

Nichols College is threatening to shut down the campus in Dudley after a party nearby.

Police and college safety officers in Dudley, Massachusetts broke up a large off-campus party near Nichols College Saturday night, prompting worries about the spread of COVID-19.  Dudley Police Chief Steven Wojnar said there were “between 50 and 100 kids” at the party, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported Wednesday. Police discovered the gathering when they accompanied the fire department as…

The town of Amherst will keep in place capacity limits and a business curfew, both of which were set to loosen on Monday, as part of efforts to contain a COVID-19 outbreak at its flagship University of Massachusetts campus. The Amherst Board of Health extended the 25% capacity ceiling and the 9:30 p.m. closing time for many industries indefinitely in…

A New Hampshire man is facing federal charges for allegedly threatening to kill six members of Congress last month if they did not “get behind Donald Trump.” Ryder Winegar, 33, of Amherst, was arrested on Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. He was scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge on...

College students’ return to Boston has long prompted fears of coronavirus spikes. Reports of parties at schools in the region have left some city leaders are questioning whether students will follow rules.

Two people were killed Tuesday night after their vehicle crossed into the wrong lane and collided with a minivan in Amherst, Massachusetts. According to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, the two men — one in his 40s and the other in his 20s — were traveling in a Datsun 280ZX in the area of 916 West Street around 7:42 p.m….

Firefighters who will go to work at 13 departments across Massachusetts are scheduled to graduate from the state firefighting academy this week. State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Director David Evans will present certificates of completion to members of the graduating class on Friday morning at the Department of Fire Services facility in Springfield. The graduates represent…

For the second year in a row, the St. John’s Prep Eagles are Massachusetts Division 1 Super Bowl champions.

Six municipalities across Massachusetts celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day on Monday. According to The Boston Globe, those municipalites were Amherst, Northampton, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville and Great Barrington.

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst is moving ahead with a $200 million project to replace two aging student apartment complexes with more modern units.

Police in Amherst say they inadvertently published Social Security numbers and other private information tied to more than 20 people on the department’s website. MassLive.com reports that an online log of police calls in July included the addresses, birthdays and Social Security numbers for 26 people. It included some who requested help from police and some who were arrested.

University of Massachusetts trustees have voted to raise tuition at the system’s four undergraduate campuses by 2.5% for the academic year that starts in the fall. The trustees in a statement Friday said holding the hike to the rate of inflation would boost in-state undergraduate tuition by an average of $359 per student per year.