| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Pittsfield Council Sets Special Meeting Amid PHS Staff ScandalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
11:28AM / Monday, December 23, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council will vote on a statement in solitary with the School Committee amid Pittsfield High School's staff scandal.
Over the last week and a half, three PHS staff members were put on administrative leave for allegations of misconduct — one of them under federal arrest for drug charges. A special City Council meeting has been called on Monday at 6 p.m. to support, or not support, the School Committee’s request for an independent, third-party investigation.
A petition put forward by Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso, Ward 2 Councilor Brittany Noto, Councilor at Large Alisa Costa, and Ward 6 Councilor Dina
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Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest Opens for Submissions| 04:00PM / Sunday, December 22, 2024 | |
BOSTON — Students in Massachusetts have the chance to showcase their artistic talents and deepen their understanding of nature through the MassWildlife's Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) art contest. Open to students from kindergarten through grade 12, the competition invites young artists to create original artwork featuring ducks, geese, or swans in their natural wetland habitats. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2025. The JDS contest blends art and science, encouraging participants to explore waterfowl conservation and the importance of wetlands while expressing their knowledge creatively. The program includes a curriculum designed to support educators in teaching about
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Pittsfield Firefighters Battle Early Morning Blaze in Extreme ColdiBerkshires.com Staff,
10:19AM / Sunday, December 22, 2024 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. – No injuries were reported after firefighters extinguished a fire in a two-story detached barn and garage at 566 South St. early Sunday morning. The Pittsfield Fire Department just after 2 a.m. responded to reports of a building “fully involved” with the blaze. “All personnel battled the blaze under extreme cold conditions with the main body of fire being brought under control within an hour,” according to a news release from the department. The two-alarm fire brought all on-duty personnel to the scene, where they remained until about 6 a.m. to extinguish all remaining hot spots. Hinsdale Fire Department was asked 0 Comments
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Berkshire Public Health Nurses Launches Newsletter| 10:12AM / Sunday, December 22, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Public Health Nurses Collaborative is announced the launch of a new quarterly newsletter "Public Health Pulse." This newsletter will provide regular updates on reminders from public health nurses including ways to protect your health including during the height of the winter season, events such as wellness and vaccination clinics, information on public health initiatives and more. View current and archived editions by visiting the city’s website at: https://www.cityofpittsfield.org/departments/health_and_inspections/newsletters.php To sign up to receive the quarterly newsletter directly in your inbox, visit 0 Comments
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BRTA Announces New Pilot Pittsfield Paratransit Evening Service| 08:09AM / Sunday, December 22, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) received funding from Massachusetts Department of Transportation for pilot evening Paratransit service through June 30, 2025. This pilot evening service is for BRTA Paratransit customers travelling to or from: Adams, North Adams, Williamstown, Cheshire, Lanesborough, New Ashford, Pittsfield, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington, Monday – Saturday, 7 PM-10 PM. The launch date was Dec 18, 2024. This project aims to enhance and expand the ability for eligible BRTA Paratransit customers, that require an accessible vehicle for travel in the evenings to 0 Comments
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Holiday Hours: Christmas & New Year's| 01:02PM / Saturday, December 21, 2024 | |
You once could be fined for celebrating Christmas in Massachusetts. (Massachusetts State Library) Businesses, schools and government offices will be taking breaks next week as the nation celebrates Christmas and New Year's. Christmas falls on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, and New Year's Day on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.
Christmas is now a state holiday but it wasn't always. The General Court under the control of the Puritans outlawed the holiday in 1659.
There was too much eating, drinking, wassailing and other festiveness for the colony's righteous rulers. Even after the ban was lifted, Christmas was treated as a regular day until its popularization during the
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MassWildlife: Avoid Decorating With Invasive Plants| 11:28AM / Saturday, December 21, 2024 | |
During the holiday season, many people use plants to decorate their homes or businesses. If you wish to use plants in your decorations, be sure to select native species such as native pines, spruces, hemlock, American holly, mountain laurel, fir, or winterberry holly. Avoid exotic, invasive plants like Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora). These plants may have attractive berries, but they can cause severe damage to native plants, shrubs, and trees. Invasive plants can spread quickly in open fields, forests, wetlands, meadows, and backyards, crowding out native plants that provide valuable wildlife habitat. Oriental bittersweet can even 6 Comments
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@theMarket: Fed Backs Away from More Interest Rate CutsBy Bill Schmick,
10:45AM / Saturday, December 21, 2024 | |
The Federal Open Market Committee cut interest rates again on Wednesday and reduced the number of interest rate cuts next year. That decision dismayed investors and triggered a run for the exits in the stock market. Will this government Grinch decision ruin the chances of a Santa Claus rally? Wall Street labeled the central bank move a "hawkish cut." Prior to the meeting, most investors were expecting that the Fed would pause after this month's rate cut of 25 basis points. Given that events unfolded as expected, why did the Dow lose over 1,000 points in two hours? Inflation is the short answer. You may recall in last week's column I commented that stock 0 Comments
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NTIA Approves $14.1M to Boost Statewide Digital Equity| 08:02AM / Saturday, December 21, 2024 | |
WESTBOROUGH, Mass. - The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) formally approved $14.1 million to fund digital equity programming proposed by Massachusetts' Executive Office of Economic Development. Through NTIA's Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, this funding will support the launch of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI)'s Launchpad program and the expansion of MBI's Municipal Digital Equity Planning and Implementation programs. MBI's Launchpad program will receive $9.44 million to support digital equity efforts at a wide range of organizations serving vulnerable populations, including smaller community-based 0 Comments
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Big Lots to Close Pittsfield Store| 05:05PM / Friday, December 20, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two major chains are closing storefronts in the Berkshires in the coming year. Big Lots announced on Thursday it would liquidate its assets after a purchase agreement with a competitor fell through. "We all have worked extremely hard and have taken every step to complete a going concern sale," Bruce Thorn, Big Lots' president and CEO, said in the announcement. "While we remain hopeful that we can close an alternative going concern transaction, in order to protect the value of the Big Lots estate, we have made the difficult decision to begin the GOB process." The closeout retailer moved into the former Price Rite 0 Comments
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McCann and Taconic Awarded CTI Grants Staff Reports ,
04:51PM / Friday, December 20, 2024 | |
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $525,482 in Career Technical Initiative (CTI) implementation grants awarded to two organizations in the Berkshires to train 80 individuals for careers in high-demand occupations within the trades, construction, and manufacturing sectors in the region. In North Adams, McCann Technical School was awarded $344,871 to provide training to 60 participants for Automotive Technician, Advanced Manufacturing, and Welding positions. They will partner with T&M Auto Sales Inc., Berkshire Bridge & Iron Co. Inc., Haddad GMC, Haddad Subaru, Bedard Brothers Auto Sales Inc., Lenco Armored Vehicles, TOG Manufacturing, 0 Comments
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The Retired Investor: Trump's 21st Century MercantilismBy Bill Schmick,
03:32PM / Friday, December 20, 2024 | |
Jan. 20 is just around the corner. It is Day One in the tariff wars that our next president is intent on launching. The corporate world is trying to dissuade him from that course of action, with no success. It is an economic fact that the cost of tariffs is passed on to the consumer. If tariffs are high enough, some imported products simply cease to be available, which can cause supply chain interruptions. At some point, buyers balk at paying higher prices. When that happens, tariff costs hit business profit margins directly. Everyone loses. In the last column, I explained why Donald Trump is adamant that tariffs are the only way to turn around the trade 0 Comments
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