Sarah Heinonen

EAST LONGMEADOW — While many farmers markets have popped up in the Greater Springfield area, East Longmeadow has lacked a bustling spot for the purchase of local produce, baked goods and more. Steven Graham, owner of The Depot at Graham Central Station, an ice cream shop and small cafe in the town center, is hoping to change that.

LONGMEADOW — High school students around the country are preparing as prom season approaches, but not everyone looks forward to their prom. For members of the LGBTQ+ community, there can be anxiety and apprehension around being their authentic self at such a momentous occasion. One high school student is trying to create a solution.

EAST LONGMEADOW — Ask someone in their 40s or older what buying music was like when they were teenagers, and they will likely describe going to a record store to comb through bins of vinyl records, CDs or cassette tapes. The advent of MP3s and streaming music services made this experience far from the norm in today’s market, but in the past decade, vinyl has made a comeback, and with it, record stores.

LONGMEADOW — Melissa Cybulski had always heard the rumor that Longmeadow was once home to the legendary American folkloric hero Johnny Appleseed.

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield City Council recently approved the use of $900,000 from the city’s free cash account to cover a legal settlement with the estate of Madelyn Linsenmeir, a woman who died while in custody in 2018.

LONGMEADOW — Longmeadow Artist Stuart Warshaw only has to visit the town’s Adult Center to see the fruits of his work this month as an exhibit of his cartoons and drawings is on display throughout April.

PALMER — Each April, people take to the streets, rivers and fields to pitch in to clean up their patch of the planet. On April 20, the town of Palmer will host its annual townwide Earth Day Cleanup event.

In the world of business, especially small business, chambers of commerce are a valuable tool. At their core, chambers are an association of businesses that promote and protect their members’ interests.

WILBRAHAM — Wilbraham is moving another step closer to a town-owned high-speed internet system. The Broadband Advisory Committee sent out a request for quotes to design a fiber optic network throughout the town.

MONSON — Monson residents and people from surrounding communities are invited to learn what the area has to offer in fitness, healthy lifestyles and general well-being at the Monson Wellness Fair.