Stories from surrounding communities, closest first.
Highlands Current · Terryville, CT
Nearby: Terryville, CTIt is with profound sadness that the family of Patricia Anne Byron of Cold Spring, New York, announces her passing on Nov. 1, 2026, at the age of 80. Pat was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on Sept. 8, 1946, to Emmett Byron and Eleanor “Nell” Byron. She grew up in Terryville, Connecticut, and Providence. Patricia was a beloved mother and grandmother whose intense intellect, sharp wit and compassion touched the lives of so many, near and far. She was, simply put, brilliant, having learned to read the newspaper at the age of 3, sitting on her grandfather’s lap. Pat was a voracious reader throughout her life, generally consuming a book every day or two. She also was an editor for authors and nonprofits throughout her life. In Cold Spring, she loved visiting Butterfield Library, and when the walk became too far for her in later years, she appreciated their weekly deliveries of new material for her to enjoy.
Lakeville Journal · Torrington, CT
Nearby: Torrington, CTThe following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. North Canaan DUI A 21-year-old driver was charged with driving under the influence after a single-vehicle crash on Casey Hill Road early Nov. 3, state police said. Troopers responding to an automatic crash notification found that Samuel Green had been driving north near the intersection with Route 44 when his Ford F-150 struck a Frontier utility pole, left the road and came to rest atop a dirt mound, police said. Green, the vehicle’s sole occupant, had no reported injuries. He is scheduled to appear Nov. 13 in Torrington Superior Court. North Canaan possession of a controlled substance Police arrested a Torrington man in North Canaan on Nov. 8 for alleged possession of a controlled substance after a routine traffic stop investigating an equipment violation.
The Berkshire Edge · West Springfield, MA
Nearby: West Springfield, MALend Me a Tenor Majestic Theater in West Springfield, Mass. Written by Ken Ludwig Directed by Myka Plunkett “Ridi, Pagliaccio” Eight talented actors make up the cast of this farcical comedy. On a set designed by Daniel David Rist, with six doors defining two rooms in a very blue Cleveland hotel suite, the company play out the story of a single night at the Opera House, where a visiting celebrity is singing the title role in “Pagliacci.” Through a series of errors, the singer is presumed dead and must be replaced at the last minute. Comedy ensues. Director Myka Plunkett has pulled out the stops and has added a sense of reality to this show that makes it all the funnier. Doors slam, but not as often as in other productions; mistakes in judgement rule; women emote and men react. The production is as funny as it needs to be, and the company gives us enough joy to make the experience very worthwhile. In fact, this is a better production than any I have seen in recent years.
Daily Hampshire Gazette · Chicopee, MA
Nearby: Chicopee, MAROBERT SAMUEL BAZLUKE WILLIAMSBURG, MA – Robert Samuel Bazluke, 71, of Williamsburg, passed away unexpectedly at home Monday.Bob was born in Chicopee to the late Jane (Kuziak) Bazluke and the late Robert S. Bazluke. He spent his early years as a child in Chicopee and the family moved to Haydenville when Bob was 9 years old. Bob attended the Williamsburg and Hampshire Regional School Systems.He held many jobs over the years, most notably the Hazen Paper Company, PKC Plumbing, USA Recycling, and most recently Valley Recycling. Bob enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, boating, cornhole, cards, bowling, and golf. Also, Lois and Bob loved going to tag sales.Bob was an avid hunter and he had two deer that were officially recognized by the NortheastBig Buck Club, which qualified him to make it into the record book. He also was a longtime member of the Williamsburg Rod and Gun Club and the Beaver Brook Golf Course.
Lakeville Journal · Litchfield, CT
Nearby: Litchfield, CTThe gallery is really meant to create a very intimate relationship with the artist and the story behind their work. —Jennifer TerzianOn a recent crisp, fall afternoon in Litchfield, Jennifer Terzian welcomed a steady stream of collectors, artists, and art-world insiders into her jewel box of an art space on South Street, just off the town’s manicured historic Green. The occasion was an opening for Jenny Kemp, an artist noted for balancing fluidity and structure in her abstractions through repetition, variation, and gradual shifts in hue. Hers is exactly the kind of tactile, process-driven work Terzian champions at a subterranean space that feels less like a commercial art gallery and more like stumbling into an impeccably edited sanctuary of contemporary thought. “I don’t really consider myself a traditional gallerist,” explained Terzian, a Southern California native who moved to Connecticut in 2008.
New Haven Independent · New Haven, CT
Nearby: New Haven, CTThe following letter was submitted to the Board of Education on Monday by Dani McTiernan Huge, a student representative on the city’s school board and a junior at Wilbur Cross High School. The letter addresses the district’s response to Hillhouse Assistant Principal Daniel Bonet’s alleged sexual assault of a student during school hours. Dear New Haven Public Schools Board of Education Members, It has been almost five months since Jane Doe, a student at Hillhouse High School, was reportedly sexually assaulted by Hillhouse Assistant Principal Daniel Bonet in his office during school hours. She was brave enough to report this to Hillhouse staff who are mandatory reporters. They then honored their obligation by reporting this up, where it reached Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Hillhouse principal, and New Haven police. You would think that after this report, the Hillhouse assistant principal would not be allowed access to Hillhouse’s building or its students.
New Haven Independent · New Haven, CT
Nearby: New Haven, CTRent rises are unprecedented. Regulating short-term rentals can help slow the climb and keep our neighbors in their homes. (Opinion) I grew up in a small town where community meant showing up on a neighbor’s porch with a warm meal when life got hard. When I moved to New Haven, a city of neighborhoods, I was relieved to find that exact same spirit in a bigger city. When I was in need, my neighbors dropped everything to make sure I was not alone. Having neighbors who were deeply rooted on our street is what truly made me feel at home — and protecting those rooted communities is why I serve as alder for Ward 8. This is my chosen home. Since the pandemic, there has been a fundamental switch in how we value our living spaces. Since 2020, rents in New Haven have risen 53 percent, from roughly $1,290 to nearly $2,000 a month, according to Zillow’s Observed Rent Index. We no longer just sleep in our homes; our work, our lives, and our entertainment happen inside them.
New Haven Independent · New Haven, CT
Nearby: New Haven, CTThe New Haven Police Department (NHPD) is transitioning to exclusively using pistols equipped with red-dot optics, under a general order approved by the Board of Police Commissioners at their monthly meeting on Tuesday. The new general order — which replaces the last firearms general order passed in 2016 — comes several months after the department purchased and began issuing new Glock 45 pistols to officers. Once the newly approved general order is signed by Police Chief David Zannelli, it will officially make the new firearm — equipped with a pistol-mounted optics — standard for all full-time personnel. “The policy is reflecting the new equipment and some small changes, but the substance of it is the same,” NHPD spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart wrote in an email, comparing the 2026 and 2016 policies. “It’s analogous to the department switching from Dodge Chargers to Durangos.
Amherst Bulletin · New Haven, CT
Nearby: New Haven, CTAMHERST/NORTHAMPTON — Dr. Katherine Atkinson has left the Amherst and Northampton family practice she ran for more than two decades, a year and a half after selling it to keep it out of bankruptcy. “I would never leave my patients on short notice if I had any option,” Atkinson said in a phone interview with the Gazette. “I didn’t have options, and I’m devastated. I miss my patients and my practice.” Atkinson announced her departure in an Oct. 15 Facebook post. She declined to say why she left, noting that paperwork she signed when she sold the business bars her from discussing it in detail. She said retirement was not the reason. “If I was retiring, I would have done it with plenty of notice and tried to make sure that patients had everything they needed to,” Atkinson said. Public business records list Dr. Piyush Gupta as owner of Atkinson Family Practice, as well as CEO of healthcare company Sevi Health based in New Haven, Connecticut.
Daily Hampshire Gazette · South Hadley, MA
Nearby: South Hadley, MASOUTH HADLEY – The PVIAC Class B Championship football game stood still in the third quarter. The field was quiet as medical personnel tended to South Hadley linebacker Joe Quatacker, who lay motionless at the 10-yard line after tackling Springfield International Charter School running back Ashton Chambers. Quatacker came around and gave his teammates a motivational jester before leaving in an ambulance. South Hadley then made all the noise down the stretch to pull away and win the championship, 22-0, on a rainy Thursday night. “It feels great. We (just) played Lee and Rockland – two tough losses. It feels great to win again, being the Western Mass. Championship,” South Hadley senior Lincoln Belsky said. “We get a plaque in our school, and it feels awesome being able to walk past it every day and see that.” The Tigers rallied for Quatacker. “He went down and went unconscious. It’s an injury you don’t see happen a lot, especially in high school sports,” Belsky said.
Daily Hampshire Gazette · South Hadley, MA
Nearby: South Hadley, MASOUTH HADLEY — Town Meeting voters this week rejected a proposal to install cameras on school bus stop arms to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped buses, with many residents citing concerns about surveillance and data breaches. The article failed 70-24, with two abstentions. In January 2025, Gov. Maura Healey signed a law allowing cameras mounted on school bus stop arms to record vehicles that illegally pass buses. Municipalities that adopt the law can contract with a third-party company that uses artificial intelligence to review footage and issue citations. Student safety at bus stops is a concern across the region, including in South Hadley. Police Chief Jennifer Gundersen previously told the Gazette that with six or seven buses carrying children each day, one violation per bus per day over a 180-day school year would total 1,080 to 1,260 violations.
