Registration is open for the spring 2026 Emergency Medical Technician Basic program offered at Westfield State University. Classes will be held primarily on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Jan. 21 to May 4, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. The program also includes some additional Saturday morning classes. More information on these dates can be found on the website.
Successful completion of an EMT Basic program and the subsequent state and national exams is also a pre-requisite for the paramedic program which begins at Westfield State every September.
The cost to register for this EMT Basic program is $1,125 which includes the required clinical, equipment and practical exam fees. For more information on course pre-requisites or to register online, visit www.westfield.ma.edu/emt.
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The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission celebrated the graduation of the second cohort of the Quantum Training Academy, a pioneering program preparing Western Massachusetts students for careers in the quantum computing industry.
The ceremony, held at the UMass Center in downtown Springfield, honored students as young as ninth grade who successfully completed an intensive curriculum combining quantum computing fundamentals with early college coursework.
The Quantum Training Academy is a collaborative initiative funded by the Innovation Institute at MassTech and developed in partnership with Springfield Technical Community College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, New North Citizens’ Council, the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership and industry leaders including QuEra Computing.
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Westfield Bank has donated $3,000 to Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts to provide young people with the tools, training, and real-world experiences they need to develop financial literacy, explore careers, and build brighter futures.
Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts serves numerous students each year through programs that teach personal finance, entrepreneurship and work readiness.
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Bikes Fight Cancer, a nonprofit organization which hosts a bike charity ride each June, presented Cancer Connection with a $45,000 donation.
Meghan and Johnny Morin, co-founders and directors of Bikes Fight Cancer, came to Cancer Connection to present the check to the organization’s staff and board members.
The third annual Bikes Fight Cancer ride took place on June 14, with more than 600 cyclists riding a route beginning and ending at Treehouse Brewery in South Deerfield. In three years of hosting this event, Bikes Fight Cancer has doubled revenue each year, raising more than $550,000 in total for cancer care and research. This year’s event raised more than $260,000, which Bikes Fight Cancer distributes among a small group of local nonprofits that provide cancer research, care and patient services.
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The Northampton Arts Council announces that Greenfield Savings Bank has signed on as an Organization Sponsor for the 2026 season, supporting a full year of arts programming, community festivals, youth events, grantmaking, and public art initiatives across Northampton.
The arts and cultural programs include major events like First Night Northampton, the annual New Year’s Eve celebration; Silver Chord Bowl, the region’s premier collegiate a cappella showcase; Four Sundays, a winter festival of performance and community; KidsBestFest & Northampton Youth Cinema Festival, two free film festivals for children and teens; Transformance (formerly Transperformance), Northampton’s end-of-summer musical tradition; and The Bow Bow Bash, the Arts Council’s major fundraiser for the J. Scott Brandon (JSB) Fund, showcasing top high school bands at the Iron Horse in downtown Northampton.
