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Jones Library Consultant Amps Up the Vitriol
Few would attempt to assail the integrity and commitment to justice of former federal prosecutor and onetime President of the Jones Library Board of Trustees, Sarah McKee. McKee, an occasional contributor to the Amherst Indy, has served as general counsel to INTERPOL and has sat on the board of the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending. A 2009 Washington Post story recounts how she discovered a long-forgotten book which she returned to the Arlington (VA) Central Library along with a check for $25 and a note of apology for the book being 30 years overdue. McKee is also a vocal opponent of the Jones Library demolition-renovation-expansion project.
Study: Afghan fathers of 1st-born daughters more likely to support gender equality
AMHERST — Afghan fathers of first-born daughters are among the most committed to women’s rights as a national priority, researchers from UMass Amherst’s Human Security Lab recently published a study. Regarding the statement, “I believe achieving human rights for women is among the top priorities for the...
UMass Amherst engineers working to make steel construction industry more sustainable
Environmental experts say the construction industry accounts for more than one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are now trying to make the industry more sustainable. Kara Peterman, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at UMass, said emissions are released at every stage of...
Kamala Harris to appear at Cape fundraiser as talks continue about Biden's future
BOSTON - The Republican National Convention is over and voters are now looking to Chicago, where Democrats are preparing to nominate their presidential candidate. But who will it be?Galvin: Unite behind Biden or risk chaos"Chaos is not a formula for victory, it is not," said Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, who is among several Massachusetts delegates prepared to nominate President Joe Biden on the convention floor. But the rest of the party isn't as certain, questioning Biden's ability to lead. "At this point you're talking about changing the candidate field at a very late point."Democrats nationwide, including here in...
DCR awards nearly $90,000 in funding to rural and volunteer fire departments
RUTLAND, Mass. — Nearly 40 communities will receive federal funding to help with volunteer fire assistance. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation announced the nearly $90,000 in funding at the Rutland Fire Department Friday. The grant money was given to municipalities with nonprofit rural, call or volunteer fire...
Mass. RMV Bans Mini Japanese Cars, Leaving Owners In Bind
HUDSON, N.H. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Cars in the United States have been growing by the year, while it seems like Boston's roads shrink by the day. For a time, a handful of Massachusetts drivers had an outside-the-box solution: importing tiny Japanese cars that sip gas and can squeeze into the smallest imaginable parking space. But the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles has put the kibosh on that.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley Introduces Bill To Protect Prison Workers And Inmates From Environmental Hazards
A new bill from Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) targets environmental hazards that are harming prison workers and inmates. The Environmental Health in Prisons Act would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons to implement an independent advisory board responsible for conducting research on environmental threats, including information on air, water quality as well as mold presence, contagious diseases or dangerously low or high temperatures.
State sees mixed impacts from CrowdStrike outage
While a global technology outage snarled air travel and brought some businesses to a halt Friday morning, the effect on Massachusetts state government was more muted and limited to things like Registry of Motor Vehicles customer service appointments, courtroom operations, and MBTA bus or train arrival time data.
Almost 2 in 3 Massachusetts Democrats, left-leaning voters want Biden to step aside: Poll
A majority of Massachusetts Democrats or left-leaning voters say they want President Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, according to a new survey. The Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll, released Friday, found 64 percent of Democratic or left-leaning voters in the historically progressive state say they want a different candidate to be the top of…
Food, friends, music and beer: Food Truck Fridays is the place to be in Easthampton this summer
Going out with friends can be challenging when clashing tastes in food make it impossible to choose a restaurant. But for Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton, the solution to this predicament is simple, and it comes rolling in on four wheels. Behind the towering mill building on Pleasant Street that...
Update: Prepare for strong thunderstorms in Berkshire County early Saturday evening
An updated report from the National Weather Service was issued on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. for strong thunderstorms until 4:45 p.m. for Berkshire County. Residents can anticipate wind gusts of up to 40 mph. "At 4:09 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm over Falls Village, or 16 miles northwest...
Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - The Dragon Boat Festival wrapped up at the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club in Springfield, where hundreds came out to show their support and have some fun in the water. By land, by sea, by Connecticut River, this weekend’s competition already made records just hours into its...
MassMutual Foundation awards $100,000 to Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services
SPRINGFIELD — The MassMutual Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services in Springfield to support the agency’s emergency food pantry. The foundation made the announcement Friday. “We are stronger when we come together as a community, “said Dennis Duquette, head of MassMutual...
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