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SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield charter school recently received a helping hand in the everlasting battle against cybercriminals and bad actors. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of Excellence received a $35,000 state grant to replace its cybersecurity hardware....

Local principal writes children’s book to celebrate school community

Jul 2, 2026 | Hampden County, Local News, Springfield

Local principal writes children’s book to celebrate school community

SPRINGFIELD — Danielle Delgado is so grateful to be the principal of Brightwood Elementary School that she wrote a children’s book to celebrate it.

Sarah Heinonen

sheinonen@thereminder.com | + posts

Sounds of Springfield instruments bring musical experience

Jul 1, 2026 | Hampden County, Local News, Springfield

Sounds of Springfield instruments bring musical experience

SPRINGFIELD — Tucked into a corner of Tower Square Park are six large-scale harmonic instruments. Far from being labeled “do not touch,” people are urged to experiment with the massive instruments, dubbed the “Sounds of Springfield.”

Sarah Heinonen

sheinonen@thereminder.com | + posts

MLK Charter School of Excellence receives state cybersecurity grant

Local principal writes children’s book to celebrate school community

SPRINGFIELD — Danielle Delgado is so grateful to be the principal of Brightwood Elementary School that she wrote a children’s book to celebrate it.

Sounds of Springfield instruments bring musical experience

Southwick Recreation Center needs volunteers for The National

SOUTHWICK — When the annual Southwick National comes to town on July 11, it brings more than just the best professional motocross riders in the world; it also brings crowds of people with cars and trucks that need parking, which the Southwick Recreation Center has and uses for its largest and only fundraiser each year.

Huntington Summer Music series kicks off with picnic

HUNTINGTON — The 2026 Huntington Summer Music Series in the Gazebo at Route 20 and 112 will kick off on July 9 from 5:30-8 p.m. with entertainment by Sam Chevalier and Ray Dolat of Acoustic Thunder, who will play favorites from many genres.

Southwick Select Board member proposes original purchasing system

SOUTHWICK — Select Board member Joseph Deedy received pushback from fellow member Russ Anderson after proposing that the town’s department heads submit a purchase order for every purchase, no matter how small.

EMS memorial convoy honors ‘unsung heroes of public safety’

SPRINGFIELD — Sirens could be heard echoing off the buildings in downtown Springfield on June 29, announcing the arrival of six ambulances and emergency medical services vehicles.

DC Station offering workshop on financing and leasing of EVs

NORTHAMPTON — Ten months after opening DC Station on 5 Fulton Ave., owner Bruce Volz wants people to know that the EV hub is not only a place for charging, but also education.

Westfield City Council nixes request to fund assistant fire chief

WESTFIELD — Although an outside firm recommended that the city hire an assistant fire chief and the chief requested funding for the position, the Westfield City Council still voted unanimously against it, though for different reasons.

Annual Mt. Caramel Society Italian Festa returns July 31

ENFIELD — Enfield’s Our Lady of Mt. Caramel Society is pulling out all the stops for its 100th annual Italian Festa, which takes place July 31 to Aug. 2.

Tina Lesniak

ENFIELD — What began as a desire to give back to the community has resulted in a lasting improvement to one of Enfield’s most-used recycling and donation resources.

Sarah Heinonen

Worthy Brewfest draws crowds to sample beer, cider at The Landing

SPRINGFIELD — Music, food, sun and beer — lots of it — brought hundreds of people out to The Landing on June 27 for the Worthy Brewfest.

Amy Porter

Wyben Fourth of July organizers announce lineup, marshals

WESTFIELD — The theme for Wyben’s Fourth of July parade is “Let’s ALL celebrate USA’s 250th Anniversary.”

Peter Tuohy

DiFranco family retires from coaching East Longmeadow High School baseball

EAST LONGMEADOW — A 20-year family baseball legacy at East Longmeadow High School has ended as head coach Craig DiFranco, his brother, Kyle DiFranco, and their father, Mark DiFranco, hang up the cleats and close out their time as Spartans baseball coaches.

Cliff Clark

Westfield’s ‘Pay-As-You-Throw’ trash program start date pushed back

WESTFIELD — Citing logistics challenges, the Board of Health recently pushed back the start of its “Pay-As-You-Throw” program from July 1 to Sept. 1.

Sarah Heinonen

Western Mass. lacking is programs to help victims of trafficking

Not every childhood is the same. From the age of 3 until she was 13 years old, Talia, who did not want her last name used for privacy reasons, was trafficked for sex in the Baltimore area.

Southwick Recreation Center needs volunteers for The National

By Cliff Clark | Jul 1, 2026

Huntington Summer Music series kicks off with picnic

By Amy Porter | Jul 1, 2026

Southwick Select Board member proposes original purchasing system

By Cliff Clark | Jul 1, 2026

EMS memorial convoy honors ‘unsung heroes of public safety’

By Sarah Heinonen | Jul 1, 2026

SPRINGFIELD — Sirens could be heard echoing off the buildings in downtown Springfield on June 29, announcing the arrival of six ambulances and emergency medical services vehicles.

DC Station offering workshop on financing and leasing of EVs

By Trent Levakis | Jul 1, 2026

NORTHAMPTON — Ten months after opening DC Station on 5 Fulton Ave., owner Bruce Volz wants people to know that the EV hub is not only a place for charging, but also education.

Southwick Recreation Center needs volunteers for The National

By Cliff Clark | Jul 1, 2026

Panel discussion to follow autobiographical play about clergy abuse

By Sarah Heinonen | Jul 1, 2026

NORTHAMPTON — This July, Easthampton resident Jay Sefton will stage a production of his one-person show “Unreconciled” at the Academy of Music in Northampton.

Huntington Summer Music series kicks off with picnic

By Amy Porter | Jul 1, 2026

Southwick Select Board member proposes original purchasing system

By Cliff Clark | Jul 1, 2026

EMS memorial convoy honors ‘unsung heroes of public safety’

By Sarah Heinonen | Jul 1, 2026

SPRINGFIELD — Sirens could be heard echoing off the buildings in downtown Springfield on June 29, announcing the arrival of six ambulances and emergency medical services vehicles.

DC Station offering workshop on financing and leasing of EVs

By Trent Levakis | Jul 1, 2026

NORTHAMPTON — Ten months after opening DC Station on 5 Fulton Ave., owner Bruce Volz wants people to know that the EV hub is not only a place for charging, but also education.

Hampton Ponds Association to celebrate July 4

Longmeadow Select Board sets date for fall Special Town Meeting

Cooling centers open to combat heat wave

Chicopee City Council approves $283.5 million budget for FY27

Trent Levakis

Northampton Arts Council announces that 15 projects will receive ArtsEZ micro-grants

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Arts Council has announced the recipients of its latest round of ArtsEZ micro-grants.

Tyler Garnet

OneHolyoke hosts event to focus on innovations in public safety

HOLYOKE — Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Mayor Joshua Garcia, First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Fitzgerald, and Ed Caisse were a few of the many who joined the community for OneHolyoke CDC’s second annual “Building & Sustaining Livable Communities” event on June 29.

Amy Porter

Westfield council cuts mayor’s budget by $1.5 million

WESTFIELD — During a special budget reconciliation meeting on June 17, the City Council voted in favor of almost all of the Finance Committee’s recommendations to reduce Mayor Michael McCabe’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget by more than $1.5 million,

Tyler Garnet

Shaw, Cote honored for military service and ongoing work in the community

CHICOPEE — Holly Cote and Stephanie Shaw were recognized on June 26 as nominees for the Deborah Sampson award, which honors women veterans with exceptional leadership and continued service.

Cliff Clark

Former Powder Mill School principal named superintendent

SOUTHWICK — Erin Fahey-Carrier, the regional school district’s current director of curriculum and former Powder Mill School principal, has been chosen by the School Committee to become the new superintendent.

Chris Maza

State to reimburse Westfield, Southwick for snow, ice removal

WESTFIELD — Because many of the commonwealth’s municipalities incurred some of the largest cost ever to remove ice and snow from their roads, Westfield and Southwick were included in an $80 million allocation included in the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget to offset the cost.

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Sarah Heinonen

Panel discussion to follow autobiographical play about clergy abuse

NORTHAMPTON — This July, Easthampton resident Jay Sefton will stage a production of his one-person show “Unreconciled” at the Academy of Music in Northampton.

Trent Levakis

Thunder in the Valley returns with fireworks, music festival

EASTHAMPTON — In celebration of the Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary of America, the Thunder in the Valley concert and fireworks festival returns to Easthampton to provide the community with its biggest celebration yet.

Peter Tuohy

‘La Casita Experience’ to transform MassMutual Center

SPRINGFIELD — The MassMutual Center will soon host one big celebration of community, blending music and dance, live performances, DJ sets and interactive visuals to represent the high energy nightlife experience rooted in Puerto Rican culture.

Trent Levakis

Paradise City Arts Festival returns for 31st year later this month

NORTHAMPTON — The nation’s premier destination for lovers of the handmade and high-end is once again gracing the region over Memorial Day weekend.

Trent Levakis

New theater group introduces itself with first production

EASTHAMPTON — In an effort to bring fresh, queer and gender diverse stories to the local theater scene, a new theater group, Why’s It Gotta Be?, has formed here in Western Massachusetts.