| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Resident Given OK to Distribute DoughnutsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Monday, February 02, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council has clarified that a charitable resident can continue distributing cider and doughnuts to people, as long as parking regulations are followed.
"So it is my understanding now, throughout this meeting, that there is no longer any threat of fine for feeding the homeless," Ward 7 Councilor Moody said to Robert Ball, who has distributed sweets and hot beverages around the city for months.
A couple of weeks ago, Ball told News10 that he ran into issues with the city about his charitable food distributions. Moody saw the story and filed a request that the city stand down on penalties against good Samaritans feeding unhoused community 0 Comments
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Saturday Night Fire in Pittsfield Turns FatalStaff Reports ,
10:29AM / Monday, February 02, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Saturday night structure fire turned fatal when the sole occupant was pronounced dead at Berkshire Medical Center. The Fire Department responded to 7 Virginia Ave. just after 11:20 on Saturday night following a report of a fire. On arrival, firefighters observed flames coming from the first floor of the small one-story Cape and immediately made entry to attack the fire and search for occupants. They located the sole resident, a woman in her 70s, and rescued her. Action Ambulance transported her to BMC. According to the State Fire Marshal's Office, the woman later passed away. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine 0 Comments
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Two Pittsfield Habitat for Humanity Homes Open for Tours| 07:57AM / Monday, February 02, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity is inviting the public to tour two newly built, affordable homes at 21 and 23 Murphy Place during upcoming open houses in February. Located on a dead-end street just off Upper North Street heading towards Pontoosuc Lake, these three-bedroom, one-bath condominiums offer an opportunity for income-qualified buyers to achieve homeownership. The homes will be sold to families earning between 50 percent and 65 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). For Pittsfield, current income eligibility ranges by household size are approximately: Family of 2: $49,150 – $63,895 Family of 3: $55,300 – 0 Comments
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Lenox Looks to Add Parking with Street ChangesBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
05:53AM / Monday, February 02, 2026 | |
 LENOX, Mass. — The Select Board is moving forward with a proposal to increase parking on two downtown streets by making them one-way. On Wednesday night, Department of Public Works Superintendent William "Billy" Gop showed a proposal of Church and Franklin Streets that would add 26 new parking spots and change them to both streets to one-ways. The proposal comes after the town was looking for a way to add more parking after losing a major parking lot last year. "We had a lot of chatter over the past year about purchasing two parcels in the downtown core, and the presumption was that the town wanted to at least use one of them in order to allow 0 Comments
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Dalton Library Holds Adult Reading Challenge By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:16AM / Monday, February 02, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The library is making book enthusiasts nostalgic thanks to its adult reading challenge that encourages people to expand their horizons in the literature world. Many may remember, from their school years, being challenged to read for a chance to win a pizza or, for this writer, a school trip to the cinema to watch their book come alive on screen. The Dalton Free Public Library has reawakened that experience for its patrons 18 and older until March 27 at 1 p.m. Visit the library to get your game board and after reading a book let library staff know to get your raffle ticket or track your progress online. Readers can 0 Comments
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Wahconah Park Skating Rink Under ConstructionBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
01:44PM / Sunday, February 01, 2026 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The outdoor ice skating rink in front of Wahconah Park is taking shape, and the city plans to open it early next week.
If you pass by the historic park this weekend, you will notice a pop-up ice skating rink under construction on the property between Hudpucker's Pub and Grill and Thrive Diner. City officials hope for a soft launch early next week and have secured state funds for programmatic expenses and skate rentals.
Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath on Friday said it will take several days to build the ice. The community will be notified through a social media post and a press release.
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Dalton Board to Discuss Storage Container Bylaw By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:42PM / Sunday, February 01, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Planning Board will be reviewing a proposed bylaw that would require a special permit for storage containers in a residential zone. The board briefly discussed the proposed bylaw that is in the very early stages. More in-depth discussions will take place during future meetings. During the development of proposed bylaws, the board holds public hearings to gather input from the community. Then it goes to town meeting for a vote. "There's currently a number of storage containers in town which are not permitted. This would basically require getting a permit and restrict the time that the container could be kept," 0 Comments
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Department of Higher Education Announces New Board Members| 11:49AM / Sunday, February 01, 2026 | |
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) announced two new voting members today. These members fill roles representing the state university segment and students on the 13-member Board. Dr. Lisa B. Battaglino is now representing Massachusetts' state university segment, which includes nine public universities. Battaglino is Dean Emeritus of the College of Education and Health Sciences at Bridgewater State University (BSU) and currently serves as Vice Chairperson on the BSU Board of Trustees. Prior to her role as dean, Battaglino spent 20 years as a special education professor and chairperson of the Special Education and Communication Disorders Department
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DPU-Approved Municipal Aggregation Plans Save Electric Customers Money | 07:43AM / Sunday, February 01, 2026 | |
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has made headway in approving Municipal Aggregation Plans (Plans), leading to millions of savings for enrolled customers. Since the DPU issued guidelines in July 2024, the agency has approved 47 Plans, 35 of which have entered into contracts with suppliers. This incredible effort demonstrates the ways in which the DPU has streamlined its processes and improved regulatory efficiency to provide real-time savings for customers. "Municipal aggregation is a critical energy affordability tool," said Chair Jeremy
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Pittsfield School Committee Requests Redacted PHS ReportBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:30PM / Saturday, January 31, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee and City Council have requested a redacted report of the Pittsfield High School investigation that concluded last spring.
On Wednesday, the committee approved member Ciara Batory's request to release the PHS investigative report with proper redactions by Feb. 18. The previous day, City Council members made the same request, but left the deadline up to the School Committee. Five past and present PHS staff members were investigated for alleged misconduct, and allegations were found to be "unsupported," according to executive summaries released by the former committee.
"The fact that the City Council
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Dalton Planning Board Proposes Earth-Removal Bylaw AmendmentsBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:39PM / Saturday, January 31, 2026 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Planning Board will review a proposed amendment to the earth-removal bylaw at a future meeting that will include provisions for dealing with dust and debris. At the end of its nearly three-hour meeting last week, during which the board voted to continue the Berkshire Concrete public hearing, the board briefly looked over the proposed changes. However, in-depth discussions were postponed to future meetings. The proposal substantially amends the earth-removal zoning bylaw, specifically the requirement section, to make the language more detailed and to add a stipulation requiring a dust mitigation plan and a reclamation plan. It 0 Comments
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State's One Stop for Growth Open for Applications | 11:41AM / Saturday, January 31, 2026 | |
BOSTON — The Community One Stop for Growth application portal has opened for submissions for fiscal 2027. The portal is overseen by the Executive Office of Economic Development and provides a streamlined process for municipalities and organizations to apply for 14 state economic development grant programs. One Stop grant programs are administered by EOED, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, and the quasi-public agency MassDevelopment. Programs in the One Stop offer direct funding and support to housing and economic development projects related to community activation and placemaking, planning and zoning, site preparation, building
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