| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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@theMarket: Jobs Trump Inflation in the Fed's CalculationsBy Bill Schmick,
01:29PM / Friday, December 12, 2025 | |
Faced with the choice, the Fed considers unemployment a greater threat to the economy than higher inflation. It is why they lowered interest rates again by one quarter point to close out the year. Stocks rallied on the news on Wednesday afternoon but fell back on Thursday and Friday. At least the major averages did, but what went on under the hood spoke volumes about how investors are interpreting the news. Commodity stocks of all kinds were up and outperforming, as were precious metals. Silver was the standout this week, outpacing gold, platinum, and palladium. The equal-weighted S&P 500, which allocates the same weight to each stock in the index, outperformed the 0 Comments
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Weekend Outlook: Holiday FestivitiesBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
12:05PM / Friday, December 12, 2025 | |
 Check out the events happening around the county this weekend including holiday themed parties, and some Christmas tree lightings. Find all the craft fairs and bazaars happening here. Editor's Pick: Multiple Days Cascade School Supplies Tag Sale 1 Brown St, North Adams Wednesday-Saturday, Dec. 10 to 13 Get school and office supplies, many of which range from $1 and up. Admission is a non-perishable food item to support the local food pantry or $2 at the door. Children admitted free. All food donations go towards the L. Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry. More information here. Tinseliner Scenic Christmas Train 3 Hoosac St., Adams Dec, 0 Comments
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No Drought Conditions In Berkshire County | 11:51AM / Friday, December 12, 2025 | |
 BOSTON — Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper declared the Western Region has returned to Normal Conditions. Drought levels remain unchanged throughout the rest of the Commonwealth with the Cape Cod and Islands Regions, and Millers Basin at a Level 2–Significant Drought; the Northeast, Central and Connecticut River Valley Regions at a Level 1–Mild Drought; and the Southeast Region at Normal Conditions. Drought is a look back on conditions over a period of time. Despite some improvements, drought conditions have continued in most of Massachusetts. During November, Massachusetts received 0 Comments
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Berkshire Organizations Awarded SafteyWorks Grants| 07:26AM / Friday, December 12, 2025 | |
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration launched the SafetyWorks Initiative, including grant funding and free technical consultation for employers to improve safety in the workplace. In Berkshire County, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, 18 Degrees and Berkshire County Head Start Child Development Program were awarded grants. As part of SafetyWorks, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) announced $800,000 in grants to train an estimated 13,832 workers at 160 organizations across Massachusetts. The grants, administered by the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), aim to enhance workplace safety through training, 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Middle Schools to Restructure Next Fall By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:05AM / Friday, December 12, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city's middle schools will restructure next fall to give all students equitable access to education and take fifth grade out of the early elementary level.
Over nearly two hours on Wednesday, the School Committee and district officials mulled the decision to move forward with an upper elementary and junior high school model in September 2026. Committee members were ready to move the project forward, while Mayor Peter Marchetti wanted to extend the decision to February or March.
"I don't support waiting until March to make another decision about this, because then we're just kicking the can down the road, and everyone's in a
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Wagon Wheel Inn Fire Still Under InvestigationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:15PM / Thursday, December 11, 2025 | |
 LENOX, Mass. — The Friday morning fire that gutted the Wagon Wheel Inn is still under investigation, and several people who were living at the motel have moved to another one.
The Fire Department received a report of the blaze around 6:15 a.m. on Friday, and it took hours to bring it under control, with numerous county fire companies responding. The Route 7 highway between Holmes Road and the Lenox shopping plaza was also closed, and traffic was rerouted.
On Wednesday, Fire Chief Robert Casucci said no cause has been determined at this time, and investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office and the property's insurance company are still working on
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The Retired Investor: Drinking on DeclineBy Bill Schmick,
04:55PM / Thursday, December 11, 2025 | |
Whether you know it or not, Americans are drinking less. This year, the percentage of Americans who say they drink alcohol has fallen to a record low. But don't kid yourself, 54 percent of Americans said they still do drink booze, according to a recent Gallup poll, which has been tracking U.S. drinking since 1939. I can hear Bill Wilson, the father of Alcoholics Anonymous, cheering from his grave. The trend of easing off the booze has been in place for several years among some segments of society. Health-care concerns are reportedly spooking the population. It used to be that "one or two drinks a day" was OK. I'm sure the liquor companies lobbied hard for that 0 Comments
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Fire Dept. Orders Berkshire Mall Owners to Secure PropertyBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:56AM / Thursday, December 11, 2025 | |
 LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Fire Department has reinstated a 2022 order to secure the Berkshire Mall, giving owner JMJ Holdings 14 days to respond.
On Monday, Fire Chief Jeff DeChaine discussed current and past orders on the mall property with the Select Board. Failed fire-suppression systems triggered a court order to repair or secure the building years ago, but it was attached to the previous owner and didn't transfer over when JMJ purchased the mall in 2023, the chief said.
The property saw repairs after the sale, but is now seen as a liability, and the town wants it secured or demolished to prevent further break-ins and trespassing. Several videos have been posted
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Dalton Consultant to Assess Police StationBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:29AM / Thursday, December 11, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Discussions over the proposed public safety facility continue to prove contentious as officials debate next steps. During several meetings, Police Chief Deanna Strout has emphasized how the condition of the station, located in Town Hall, has been deteriorating for the last 28 years. It was determined early on by the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee that the basement of Town Hall is not a viable long-term location after reviewing documentation and touring the facility and other local police stations. During its Tuesday meeting, the committee decided to have its consultant, Brian Humes of Jacunski Humes Architects LLC in 0 Comments
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Lanesborough Woman's Bravery Key to Solving 40-Year-Old MurderBy Tammy Daniels , iBerkshires Staff
02:59PM / Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | |
David A. Morrison BENNINGTON, Vt. — A former Lanesborough, Mass., woman's bravery was the key to solving a 40-year-old Vermont murder mystery. David A. Morrison, 65, pleaded guilty Tuesday in District Court in Pittsfield, Mass., to the kidnapping of Laura Sheridan in 1981 and, in Bennington Criminal Division Court, to the murder of 32-year-old Sarah Hunter of Manchester in 1986. He was sentenced to up to four years on the kidnapping charge and life without parole on the murder charge, both to be served in Vermont and concurrent with a 20-to-life sentence he was serving in California. Morrison waived his right to appeal. Sheridan, who 0 Comments
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Pittsfied Councilors See Dalton Ave. 'Walk Audit' for Safety ImprovementsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:11PM / Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A walk audit done on Dalton Avenue over the summer has made recommendations for a safer corridor. The City Council's public works subcommittee will review the Pittsfield Community Design Center's report on an area where a fatal vehicle-pedestrian crash occurred over the summer. It makes five recommendations to deter speeding and improve pedestrian facilities on the well-traveled, quarter-mile stretch.
There have been more than 90 reported crashes on the lower section of Dalton Avenue since 2020, 19 causing injury, and the June 20 fatality at the corner of Dartmouth Street that is still under investigation.
"The crash that killed
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Reading and Tea at Arrowhead| 10:45AM / Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society (BCHS) welcomes author Kevin O'Hara to Herman Melville's historic home on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 pm for a special afternoon benefitting BCHS restoration, education, and preservation programs. The afternoon begins in Melville's study—where he wrote Moby-Dick inspired by his view of Mount Greylock—where O'Hara will read selections from his writing. Following the reading, guests can interact with the author while enjoying tea, hot toddies and an array of sweets. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by using the BOOK NOW button at berkshirehistory.org and selecting the events 0 Comments
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