Southbridge News

The Registry of Motor Vehicles office on West Main Street, which underwent extensive renovations two years ago, will close due to budget cuts, the registry announced yesterday.

Controversy definitely brought out the voters for Tuesday's annual town election.

On Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7, Route 131/Main Street in Southbridge will be closed to through traffic between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. between Walnut and Coombs streets.

The prospect of getting stimulus funding for the industrial access road may be hanging by a thread because of the ongoing wetlands appeal and court case.

Citing a high cost structure, 3M will close its Southbridge manufacturing plant by the end of March, and about 200 people will be phased out of their jobs, company officials said.

Nick Ramos of TNT Fireworks shows off one of the many different sizes of prepackaged firework sets, that tempt Massachusetts residents from its location less than a mile into Connecticut, where some personal pyrotechnics are legal.

In this economic climate, there are not a lot of cities and towns in Massachusetts boasting good financial health.

The recipes in Russ Cohen's book may not be the easiest to prepare in a survival situation, but will certainly impress your friends at your next outdoor barbecue.

What does it cost to keep a community healthy? Is $8,000 enough to keep a whole community free of health risks? Is $13,000? With nearly $70 million cut from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health budget, municipal health departments across the commonwealth are having to ask themselves just that.

With everyone from big business to the small homeowner feeling the pinch of the weakened economy, many communities across the commonwealth have had to scrap their annual Independence Day celebrations due to budgetary constraints.

The recipes in Russ Cohen's book may not be the easiest to prepare in a survival situation, but will certainly impress your friends at your next outdoor barbecue.

What does it cost to keep a community healthy? Is $8,000 enough to keep a whole community free of health risks? Is $13,000? With nearly $70 million cut from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health budget, municipal health departments across the commonwealth are having to ask themselves just that.

To the almost-new Southern Worcester County Community Development Corp., this region is "a blank palette" in terms of what can be done to improve things.

Nowhere is the democratic process more colorful than Brimfield. Two hours into Tuesday night's continuation of the May 18 Annual Town Meeting, only two articles had been decided on due to points of order, clarifications, substitute motions and general confusion over the meeting process.

There is a lot of work to be done, but members of the Sturbridge Lakes Advisory Committee have a clear path laid out before them.

After four debates and candidate forums, 15 written profiles, almost as many video blurbs on cable, countless letters and Soundoffs, voters will finally get to decide on Tuesday.

To the almost-new Southern Worcester County Community Development Corp., this region is "a blank palette" in terms of what can be done to improve things.

Above, cattle munch on grain at Auburn's Hillcrest Farm. Below, a customer at Hillcrest's flower section browses among the blooms.

Despite the economy, East Brookfield's annual Fourth of July celebration will be held in two weeks, again capped off with a fireworks display.

Dozens of people turned out Monday to have their say in the first of what likely will be several public forums on the school building project.