| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Companion Corner: Beans at Berkshire Humane SocietyBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
03:01PM / Thursday, January 29, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and playful puppy looking for his new family. iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. Beans is a terrier and American pitbull mix and came to the shelter with his littermates early December. Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Beans. "There were four of these puppies in the litter. Each puppy looked very unique, different colors, different face shapes. They were all very, very unique puppies," she said. Beans is a very active puppy and is always playing. He is still learning many things but will also cuddle you
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Downtown Pittsfield Parking Restrictions In Effect For Snow Removal| 01:28PM / Thursday, January 29, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In order to effectively remove snow from the city's downtown, the City of Pittsfield will be implementing a parking restriction from 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, until 6:00 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 30. During this time, on-street parking will be prohibited on North Street between Park Square and Wahconah Street in the southbound lane. This will allow the city to continue snow removal operations that began last evening. Residents in and around downtown Pittsfield are encouraged to use the McKay Street parking garage for parking, which will be open to the public free of charge during this timeframe. All other existing and signed parking 0 Comments
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1Berkshire Selected as Participant in Regional Skills-First Ecosystem Initiative| 10:34AM / Thursday, January 29, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 1Berkshire was selected by Jobs for the Future (JFF) as a funded participant in their Inquiry into Building Regional Skills-First Ecosystems initiative. This initiative will use community-informed insights and ideas to lay the foundation for support for regional, skills-based economies, stated a press release. As one of only 12 regionally based organizations participating nationwide, 1Berkshire will partner with JFF and local stakeholders across the Berkshires to examine the conditions, opportunities, and challenges involved in advancing skills-based talent management practices. 1Berkshire's specific focus in this initiative is 0 Comments
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Create an Ad: Jiminy Peak Mountain ResortBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifth-grade students at Conte Community School captured the magic of Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort's winter season, bringing the snowy wonderland to life as part of our Junior Marketers Create an Ad series. The mountain resort in Hancock offers everything needed to create unforgettable winter memories — from ski and snowboard lessons to a restaurant, coffee house, ski and snowboard rentals and repairs, and an on-site shop for winter-sport essentials, including coats, gloves, hand warmers, helmets, and so much more. For those who want to immerse themselves, Jiminy Peak has lodging, including Crane Lodge, named after on of its 0 Comments
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Utilities Back Off Plans to Charge Interest on Deferred Payments| 05:34PM / Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | |
BOSTON — Major utilities have agreed to waive interest charges on Gov. Maura Healey's call for a reduction of gas and electric bills. Healey plans to use $180 million to cut electricity bills by 25 percent and gas bills by 10 percent for residential customers in February and March. The governor pledged the reduction in her State of the Commonwealth speech last month as a way to provide relief to consumers during this frigid winter. The funds will cover only 15 percent of the electricity bills, with utilities voluntarily deferring another 10 percent, which they can recover starting in April. But then they planned to charge customers interest on the deferred payments 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Again Requests Redacted PHS ReportBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:39PM / Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council has again asked the School Committee for a redacted version of the 2025 Pittsfield High School investigative report.
This time, it is sent to an almost-all-new panel that largely expressed a need for increased transparency around the report during last year's election.
On Tuesday, Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi and Ward 7 Councilor Katherine Moody's petition urging the School Committee release the report with needed redactions was approved. School Committee member Ciara Batory has submitted the same request for Wednesday's meeting.
Five past and present PHS staff members were investigated for alleged
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Part II: Matching Vocational Programs to Workforce NeedsBy John Townes, Special to iBerkshires
02:36PM / Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | |
 In Massachusetts, Career Technical Education Chapter 74 programs are based on a framework of employment preparation. In addition to the core academic curricula required of all high school graduates, Chapter 74 programs include specific skills and career training in a variety of industries and specific jobs, ranging from agriculture to manufacturing to computer graphics to health care, among others. The guidelines for Chapter 74 programs include immersive learning time, co-operative education in partnership with local employers, and opportunities to earn high-value industry credentials, such as professional certifications and adjacent 0 Comments
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Berkshire County High School Bowling Hall of Fame foundedCommunity submission,
12:30PM / Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | |
 The Berkshire County high school bowling community is proud to announce the inaugural class of the Berkshire County High School Bowling Hall of Fame, honoring former student-athletes whose achievements and contributions have had a lasting impact on high school bowling throughout the county. The first Hall of Fame class represents multiple schools and more than a decade of excellence in Berkshire County high school bowling. Inductees, listed in order of their graduating class, are: Mat Bak (Class of 2009) – McCann High School Jason Duryea (Class of 2010) – Monument Mountain High School Brianna Amidon (Class of 2011) – Pittsfield High School Jasmine Kern (Class 0 Comments
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Berkshire United Way Welcomes New Director of Development | 11:07AM / Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire United Way (BUW) welcomes Jennifer Baril as the new Director of Development. "This opportunity feels like a natural and meaningful next step. I've always been drawn to work that centers people, partnerships, and real-world solutions, and this has been BUW's way of being for the past century," said Baril. "I'm energized to help strengthen partnerships, grow community investment, and advance this important work, and I'm looking forward to learning, listening, and building alongside an incredible community." Baril has over 25 years of fundraising experience designing and implementing 0 Comments
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Dalton Pushes for Capital Funding in Charter ContractBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:32AM / Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Cable Advisory Commission presented its pressing needs for local cable access to a Charter Communications representative, with hopes they will be included in the cable company's draft license. The town's attorney on the issue, William Solomon, advocated for negotiating on the biggest issues first, specifically capital funding, but noted that there has been an impasse for other towns for which he has negotiated contracts. "Nowadays, I think they're telling people they don't give any capital," Solomon said before the presentation portion of the meeting. The commission presented its 13-page cable ascertainment to Nancy 0 Comments
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Part I: Berkshire Vocational Schools Prepare Students for Challenging CareersBy John Townes, Special to iBerkshires
05:31PM / Tuesday, January 27, 2026 | |
 As the job market and economy have become increasingly complex and challenging, the role of vocational education — also known today as Career and Technical Education (CTE) — has become more prominent. In Massachusetts, the administration of Gov. Maura Healey has made improving and expanding CTE one of its priorities in wider integrated education reforms that encompass all facets of secondary education, including CTE and academic studies. Modern CTE is based on the traditional role of vocational education, which is to prepare students to graduate directly into well-paid jobs that do not require a college degree. In addition to the core academic 0 Comments
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Lanesborough Receives Complaints Over ZBA MeetingBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
03:34PM / Tuesday, January 27, 2026 | |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — An argumentative Zoning Board of Appeals meeting has prompted complaints to the town. The meeting resulted in the denial of Lanesborough Local Country Store's appeal over whether the signage on its vintage pickup truck is a zoning violation. The nearly 40-minute discussion navigated the intention of the sign bylaw and whether the display on the truck was a violation, with short bursts of yelling in between. The meeting was not recorded by the board or by LCATV and the town requested iBerkshires share its recording to provide the Select Board additional context surrounding the few complaints. It is not 0 Comments
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