Granby News

U.S. Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, 1st Battalion 5th Marines occupy an abandoned, mud-walled farm compound in the Nawa district of Afghanistan's Helmand province on Friday.

U.S. Marine Sgt. Joshua J. Bouchard was seriously injured while traveling in a convoy with four other men Tuesday, his mother said.

By PATRICK JOHNSON pjohnson@repub.com PALMER - The state Firefighting Academy on Thursday awarded diplomas to 31 call and volunteer firefighters from 16 Western Massachusetts communities during a ceremony at Palmer High School.

Voters on Monday night defeated a Proposition 2½ override that would have paid $900,000 for design and feasibility studies to build an educational-community library complex which would include the high school and East Meadow School.

Western Massachusetts concern over the possible closing of the Springfield Shrinera s hospital has triggered emergency fund raisers all over the Pioneer Valley.

For those who knew Army 1st Sgt. Kevin A. Dupont, there is some solace knowing he died doing what he loved.

Gerald and Marguerite Bombardier, of Granby, pose for a Fathers Day photo with three of their four son.

Town Meeting Monday passed all the articles left from its initial session last month, including a $16.6 million budget for the coming fiscal year.

SORRY, BERKELEY, Montreal, Washington, D.C., and Boston: You just lost out, in that order, to Amherst as the top college town in North America, according to Katherine Cohen, founder and CEO of IvyWise and ApplyWise.com . This is no big revelation to those of us who live here.

* A 21-year-old Holyoke male and a 21-year-old Amherst male will be summoned to court, each on a charge of possessing marijuana, following a traffic stop on State Street June 8 at 12:34 a.m., police said.

Loren Coleman on June 7th, 2009 Hannah Pratt, a senior at Windham Christian Academy, uses a broom to sweep away debris from one of the discovered dinosaur footprints.

By BUFFY SPENCER bspencer@repub.com SPRINGFIELD - One of three men nabbed leaving the U.S. post office in Holyoke in 2007 with an Express Mail package containing four kilograms of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico must serve a mandatory 15 years in state prison.

Tradition prevailed on Thursday night in Holyoke where 72 Holyoke Catholic High School seniors received their diplomas during the school's 46th Annual Conferring of Diplomas at Saint Jerome Church.

By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE sconstantine@repub.com GRANBY - Property owners tied to South Hadley's sewer system can expect to see increases of between 16 and 25 percent as a result of a selectmen's recent decision.

A suspended Granby High School teacher pleaded guilty in federal court this afternoon to downloading child pornography on his home computer.

The price of freedom is visible at the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery.

By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE sconstantine@repub.com GRANBY - Despite a projected freeze in state aid to education, School Superintendent Patricia A. Stevens has come up with a proposed fiscal year 2010 School Department budget with an increase of 1 percent without laying off any employees.

Democratic Party activist Mark L. Bail won a three-year term on the Selectboard Monday, defeating his two opponents by a wide margin, with low turnout.

Belchertown has one new member of the Board of Selectmen. Political newcomer, retired West Springfield High School teacher Kenneth Elstein was the top vote-getter in a 3-way race for two seats on the Belchertown board.

By DAN RING dring@repub.com BOSTON - Citing the crumbling condition of certain police headquarters in Western Massachusetts, U.S. Sen.