| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Switching to OpenGov for Permitting SoftwareBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:09AM / Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to move on from its "clunky" permitting software in the new fiscal year, switching to OpenGov instead.
On Thursday, the Finance Subcommittee supported a $199,269 free cash appropriation for the conversion to a new online permitting software. Chief Information Officer Kevin Zawistowski explained that Permit Eyes, the current governmental software, is no longer meeting Pittsfield's needs.
The nearly $200,000 appropriation is for the software license and implementation. Going forward, the annual cost for OpenGov will be about $83,000; about $66,000 for the next fiscal year, not including building
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Pittsfield Co-op Plans Move to West Street| 06:07PM / Monday, February 23, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Cooperative Bank announced on Monday that it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire a leasehold interest in 99 West St. and will move it corporate headquarters there. Bank officials said this represents an important milestone in Co-op Bank's continued growth and long-term commitment to the Berkshire County community. Following the completion of the acquisition, Co-op Bank plans to undertake renovations to modernize and enhance the West Street facility. The new headquarters, expected to be occupied this year, will provide space to support future growth, collaboration, and expanded services while maintaining the 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council to See Borrow Request for Water Treatment UpgradesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:59PM / Monday, February 23, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to complete upgrades to the Cleveland and Ashley Water Treatment Plants by 2033.
On the agenda is a request to borrow up to $15 million for upgrades to the city's two water treatment plants, the Cleveland and Ashley Water Treatment Plants. This would fund the final design and permitting for Phases 1-3, phase 1 of interim updates, allowances, and contingency.
The total water treatment plant program is estimated to be $165 million over the next 8 years, with $150 million for long-term construction and $15 million for near-term needs "to keep the plants operational and
advance the program through design and
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Berkshire County Urged to Stay Home During Monday Nor'EasterBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:41PM / Monday, February 23, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Students and non-emergency municipal workers are home on Monday as the region is deals with another Nor'easter.
Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales estimated that there was about 8 inches of accumulation around 10:45 a.m., and another two or three inches are expected. All of the main routes are covered by contractors and in-house staff, with support from the water division.
"Wind is critical right now," Morales said. "That's the biggest problem we have ahead of us is wind driven conditions that may be difficult for people to drive on the road."
The city has 19 contractors. There are still
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Pittsfield Trash and Recycling Collection On A One-Day Delay| 10:18AM / Monday, February 23, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Be advised that due to pending inclement weather, trash and recycling collection is canceled for Monday, Feb. 23. Collection will be on a one-day delay for the week. For example, Monday routes will now be serviced on Tuesday; Tuesday routes will be serviced on Wednesday; Wednesday routes will be serviced on Thursday; Thursday routes will be serviced on Friday; and Friday routes will be serviced on Saturday. 0 Comments
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East Street Reconstruction Starting This SpringBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
06:19AM / Monday, February 23, 2026 | |
Improvements include grass medians, shared-use paths and sidewalks and a turning lane. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — East Street is planned to get more bumpy as construction looms for the street's redevelopment project. The state Department of Transportation project will widen the corridor from the intersection of East and Lyman Street to the intersection of East and Merrill Road, including landscaping and pedestrian amenities. It aims to improve safety, accessibility, and aesthetics with minimum environmental impacts. The $10 million project began with underground utility work that took longer than anticipated because of unexpected road bumps, such as an unknown abandoned sewer
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Pittsfield Parks OKs Annual Events, Hears Wahconah Park IdeaBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:11PM / Sunday, February 22, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Parks Commission signed off on some annual city events on Tuesday.
Commissioners approved the 80th annual Eggstravaganza Egg Scramble, the Westside Legends' 6th annual Easter egg hunt, and another lineup of Eagles Band concerts in the park. The Eagles Community Band is in its 90th year.
Pittsfield's 80th egg hunt will be held at The Common on Saturday, April 4 (rain date April 11) from 10 to noon. The free event is open to children ages 2-11 and will feature a balloon artist, a face painter, the Easter bunny, and, of course, plastic eggs filled with small prizes.
The Westside Easter Egg Hunt, organized by the Westside
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Local Attorney Launches Bid for Berkshire County Register of ProbateBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:21PM / Sunday, February 22, 2026 | |
Ken Ferris has been 35 years of legal experience, including cases in probate court. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Longtime local attorney Ken Ferris has announced his candidacy for Berkshire County register of probate.
The Register of Probate's office for the Berkshire Probate and Family Court manages administrative functions for cases, often involving significant and life-changing situations. Ferris wants to ensure that the office is accessible, professional, and efficient, while serving the public with fairness and dignity.
Ferris became a lawyer decades ago to help people, he said, and feels that he can improve the Register of Probate's office to benefit the
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Within The Berkshires, A Founder's Ecosystem By Lani Willmar , Guest Column
01:07PM / Sunday, February 22, 2026 | |
For Ross Bloom, being a founder of a climate-tech startup is not just business: It's personal. I met Ross during the Berkshire Innovation Center Stage 2 Accelerator in 2024. As an entrepreneur in the climate space myself, I was intrigued to learn more about what made his EV company stand out from the others. Additionally, I was also curious about how an entrepreneur from the Boston area found their way to the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield. What was his connection to the area? What opportunities did he see? In short, what was he doing here? Ross was sincere about all of this. That quality felt fitting for doing business in the Berkshires: a 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Backs Community Media Funding LegislationBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:35PM / Saturday, February 21, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council is backing state legislation that updates the funding model for community media, including Pittsfield Community Television, to account for declining cable revenues.
Last week, the City Council supported House Bill H.91 and Senate Bill S.2556, "An Act to Modernize Funding for Community Media Programming." The legislation aims to support public, educational, and governmental access to media centers as more people cut the cord from cable and switch to streaming services.
Councilor at Large Peter White, who petitioned for his fellow councilors' support of the bills, thought that was "pretty easy for us to look
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Pittsfield Police Used Surveillance Footage to Trace Path of Fatal Hit & RunBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
07:32AM / Saturday, February 21, 2026 | |
William Gross, charged in the hit-and-run, was identified by chasing down leads on his car. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police used a combination of on-scene investigation and community surveillance footage to find a suspect in the hit-and-run that killed 69-year-old William Colbert last week.
William Gross, 65, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Wednesday for negligent motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene on Feb. 10. He was arrested Monday after police investigators narrowed down the type of car seen on video at the accident scene.
District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said it was "pretty incredible" that the case was solved in less than
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Friday Front Porch Feature: A Move-in Ready House By Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
05:19PM / Friday, February 20, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Are you looking for a family home in a nice neighborhood? Then this might just be the home for you. Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 149 Kittredge Road. This four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath raised ranch was built in 1970 and is 2,140 square feet on a third of an acre. It is listed for $465,000 with Lammachia Realty. The main floor includes a kitchen, a living room and dining room, and three bedrooms, including the master. The fully furnished basement has the fourth bedroom, a half-bath, and another living room with a fireplace and a sliding glass door
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