Sarah Heinonen

SPRINGFIELD — State Rep. Bud Williams organized a panel discussion on addiction and gun violence hosted by the Bay Area Neighborhood Council. A group of ab

AGAWAM — The arts come to Agawam this August. The nonprofit Agawam Artists and Artisans have staged an exhibit titled “Art Vibes” at Cooper’s Commons. The organization will also unveil the New England Mosaic, an annual community-sourced art piece that funds scholarships.

SPRINGFIELD — While many children hula hooped and played with flying discs and drop four games near the splash pad at Forest Park, Daniel Beauchamp was hard at work. He hopped onto a specially equipped stationary bicycle and began pedaling. That movement powered the motor of a blender, turning fresh fruits and a little bit of lemon juice into a slushy puree.

SPRINGFIELD — The steps of Symphony Hall were lined with American flags as firefighters, police and emergency responders milled around in their dress uniforms. Above them, an enormous Puerto Rican flag flew, held aloft by two Springfield Fire Department ladder trucks. Inside, small Puerto Rican flags were handed out to the rows of people who came to watch Miguel “Mike” Rivera be sworn in as Springfield’s first Latino fire commissioner.

SPRINGFIELD — Get ready for vibrant colors, lively music and dancing in the street as the Springfield Caribbean Carnival & Parade returns on Saturday, Aug. 15.

AGAWAM — The Agawam City Council unanimously approved the first reading of a moratorium on data centers, the computer server farms that supportive data-intensive technology, such as artificial intelligence.

SPRINGFIELD — Thirty-six people who have not had a stable place to call home will soon move into an apartment of their own in a new building owned and operated by Clinical & Support Options, Inc.

SPRINGFIELD — Standing on the porch of a newly built three-bedroom house on Highland Street, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno turned the handle on a bingo cage, sending the green and white balls inside clattering as it spun. Opening the cage door, he fished out a ball at random, cracked it open and read the slip of paper inside.

SPRINGFIELD — Ahead of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the Springfield Museums will host the fourth annual Latino Arts Festival in partnership with Mi Museo Committee. The festival, on Friday, Aug. 28, is free and open to the public.

SPRINGFIELD — Passing through Forest Park on Aug. 12, debris had been cleaned from the roads, but forestry crews were hard at work, stacking downed branche