School of Hilltown humans helps raise 250 baby salmon named Bob

A school of baby fish got a good start this spring thanks to fourth-graders of another school, Berkshire Trail Regional Elementary in Cummington.

Worthington-Gateway separation will take time

WORTHINGTON - Worthington faces a lengthy and uncertain bureaucratic process as it prepares to withdraw from Gateway Regional School District, town personnel and other officials connected with the effort say.

Probe into Worthington arson focuses on two men in black truck

WORTHINGTON - Investigators say they are looking for two men in a black pick-up truck in connection with a fire at a 24 Old Post Road home Tuesday that has been officially ruled arson. The men were seen outside the home when the blaze broke out.

Quilters' raffle, supper to benefit Worthington fire victims

Every piece of fabric in a quilt tells a story. For Northampton resident Anne Deggendorf, it is a treasured piece of Provencal fabric that evokes the time she lived in southern France or a rich purple fabric printed with the gold, curved leaves of a gingko tree.

Fire marshal continues investigation of suspicious blaze in Worthington

WORTHINGTON - A home badly damaged Monday by what fire officials say was arson is owned by an area real estate investor who has been flipping residential properties in the Valley for years. The mid-19th-century home that burned at 24 Old Post Road had been extensively renovated by owner Dominic Kirschner II, but has been vacant since at least last year when the property went on the market in July for $189,900. Kirchner is trustee of the Blissful Realty Trust of East Longmeadow, which is the entity that owns the property. He said he was planning to visit the fire-ravaged home late Tuesday afternoon after learning of the blaze.

• Fire in Worthington believed arson

Worthington Town Meeting OKs $3.4 million budget

WORTHINGTON - Voters at Worthington's Town Meeting Saturday approved a total of 28 of 29 articles on the warrant, including a $3.378 million budget that will expand town services, fund a new position and increase hours for some personnel.

The budget represents a 3.5 percent increase over last year's spending figure.

Fire that damages vacant house in Worthington believed arson

WORTHINGTON - An afternoon fire at a house on Old Post Road was set, according to Fire Chief Richard Granger. Firefighters from Worthington, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Windsor and Hinsdale responded to the fire at 24 Old Post Road around 3:45 p.m. On arrival, they found the front facade of the house intact but flames shooting through the back of the structure. The home had been vacant for over two years and was in the process of being renovated.