| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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@theMarket: Investors Await Direction, As Stocks ChurnBy Bill Schmick,
01:40PM / Friday, February 20, 2026 | |
It was an uneventful week, at least until Friday. Growth remains firm, but inflation remains a concern. The data gave few clues, while geopolitics kept markets in check. And then, on Friday morning, the Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs. The response was somewhat muted, although foreign equities did spike higher. Most investors, and I suspect the administration, were expecting that outcome. It is why the president's staff has been working on a Plan B for months now. Tariffs will continue, for sure, but levying them will now take longer since Congress must approve. As for markets overall, call it what you will — consolidation, range-bound, volatile — 0 Comments
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National Caregivers Day, Feb. 20: Honoring the Quiet Work That Holds Families TogetherBy Deborah Leonczyk, Guest Column
11:15AM / Friday, February 20, 2026 | |
Caregiving often begins with small acts that feel natural and uncomplicated. A family member helps with groceries, drives a parent to appointments, or checks in more often. Nothing about it feels like a burden. It feels like love. It feels like responsibility. It feels like what any decent person would do. Yet over time, what begins as a few simple tasks becomes a level of financial pressure that no one anticipates. This matters because too often, poverty is framed as a personal failure. In reality, for many Berkshire caregivers, hardship grows directly out of compassion. What they carry is a moral calling, not a moral flaw. The first hardship is time. Medical 0 Comments
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Dalton Fire Makes Quick Work of Gasoline FireBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
06:26PM / Thursday, February 19, 2026 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — Firefighters made quick work of a fire that started in a garage on Main Street on Thursday at about 4:30 p.m. Fire Chief Chris Cachat said the occupant was working on some motorcycles and "gasoline spilled, and there was a space heater that ignited." It was going to be ruled as accidental, he said. All the occupants were accounted for and one cat was rescued. He said there should be no problem with the occupants getting back into the house once the electrical inspector clears the "The crews did a great job," the chief said, adding the late afternoon provided for more hands. "Perfect time of day to 0 Comments
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Demonstrators Demand Home Depot Condemn ICE Activity By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:33PM / Thursday, February 19, 2026 | |
A counter-demonstrator showed up with megaphone and a T-shirt that read 'Don't Attack, Don't Resist, Don't Get Shot.' PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Community members want Home Depot's leadership to take a stand against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids around their stores.
On Monday, Presidents Day, dozens of people approached the big-box chain in Berkshire Crossing with "ICE out" signs, chanting "Love not hate makes America great." They took a lap through the aisles and bought symbolic items such as ice scrapers, which they would later return.
Bob Van Olst, of Indivisible Berkshires, said Home Depot's 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: What Is Gunboat Diplomacy Without Boats?By Bill Schmick,
04:02PM / Thursday, February 19, 2026 | |
In December 2025, the president unveiled plans to revamp the Navy. He announced the construction of two new battleships, each costing between $10 billion and $15 billion. It's a start, but still only a drop in the bucket for reviving American shipbuilding. Why is that important? First off, in commercial terms, almost 80 percent of global trade by weight is transported by ships. If you also consider the capabilities of our armed forces, you understand that nearly 90 percent of their supplies, equipment, fuel, ammo, and food are delivered by ships. In addition, if we encounter a national emergency, the Navy will depend on commercial shipyards to build warships and support ships, as 0 Comments
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Companion Corner: Tyty at the Berkshire Humane SocietyBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
03:05PM / Thursday, February 19, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a lovable dog waiting to find his perfect family at the Berkshire Humane Society. iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. Tyty is a 7-year-old pit bull terrier mix that has been at the shelter for about a month. Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Tyty. "He is such a love, very cuddly. He doesn't know what a stranger is, because everybody is his friend, every single person he's met, he just immediately is drawn to," she said. Tyty is on medication for seizures and will need someone who will keep up on his
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Berkshire Community College Names Presidential Finalists Staff Reports ,
11:05AM / Thursday, February 19, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state's first community college has narrowed down the field to replace retiring President Ellen Kennedy. Presidential Search Committee has recommended four finalists who will be participating in on-campus interviews and forums in the coming weeks. The finalists, "identified ... from a strong initial pool of applicants," according to a college statement, are Hara Charlier, president of Central Lakes College in Minnesota; Nicole Esposito, chief executive officer of Manchester Community College in New Hampshire; Karen Hynick, acting provost for Connecticut State Community College; and Albert Lewis Jr., chief of staff / 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Sees BRTA's Proposed Route ChangesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:18PM / Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority's new administrator outlined proposed route realignments to the City Council last week for fiscal year 2027.
The plan, which is open to public feedback, would eliminate a few routes and create a new route to address driver shortages. Administrator Kathleen Lambert said reliability is the only thing BRTA has, and it hasn't been as reliable as it should or could be.
"As you know, one of the things that we do is we strive to be on time, provide the service that we say we're providing to our customers, and make that guarantee so that they can get that ride to work, or to the doctor's
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Suspect Arraigned in 'Horrific' Dragging Case By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:56PM / Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | |
District Attorney TimothyShugrue says the community has been 'really upset' by this case. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Hancock man has been charged in last week's gruesome dragging that killed 69-year-old William Colbert. William Gross, 65, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Wednesday for negligent motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene. He was arrested Monday after police investigators narrowed down the type of car seen on video at the accident scene. Police say Colbert had fallen in the road at the Francis Avenue and Linden Street intersection on Feb. 10 before he was struck and dragged nearly four miles. His 0 Comments
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Dalton Power Program Could Save Ratepayers MoneyBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
10:46AM / Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The harsh winter conditions have resulted in the need for electric companies to increase their prices and the town's energy program is no different. Since 2015, the town has had an electric program in an effort to stabilize and make energy costs more affordable. According to a town press release, through June 2025, residents and small businesses have saved more than $1.7 million in electricity costs compared to Eversource Basic Service. In November, the town signed a 34-month contract with a new supplier, First Point Power. The original agreement factored in a cost that was four times ISO New England's initial 0 Comments
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Healey Announces Housing Development Supports at Former Pittsfield BankBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:29PM / Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | |
Gov. Maura Healey poses with the bank's old safe. The building is being refurbished for housing by Allegrone Companies. The project is being supported by a commercial tax credit and a $1.8M MassWorks grant for infrastructure improvements. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Gov. Maura Healey stood in the former Berkshire County Savings Bank on Tuesday to announce housing initiatives that are expected to bring more than 1,300 units online.
"People come here from all over the world. We want them to stay here, and we want kids who grew up here to be able to afford to stay here, but the problem is that for decades, we just weren't building enough housing to keep up with
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Dalton Select Board to Hold Q&A Session on DCTV By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
11:27AM / Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Time and again residents have asked for more transparency from town government and now, thanks to a new series on Dalton Community Television, they will have just that. At a recent Select Board meeting, Chair Robert Bishop pitched that the town hold question-and-answer sessions to be filmed by the public broadcasting channel. The item, at the time not on the agenda so could not be discussed, was approved last Monday. "A lot of times on social media or wherever, even by word of mouth, things don't always come out the way they should do, and people get confused," Bishop said. "I would welcome any kind 0 Comments
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