| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Column: What the Shutdown Means for Berkshire County ResidentsBy Deborah Leonczyk, Guest Column
10:37AM / Friday, October 31, 2025 | |
 Across Berkshire County, the federal government shutdown is creating growing concern among residents who depend on essential programs for food, heat, and stability. While the impact may seem distant to some, it is being felt acutely by low-income families, seniors, and individuals who are already struggling with high costs of living. This is not a political issue. It is a human one. When federal funding stops, the programs that keep households fed, warm, and stable are thrown into uncertainty. Energy assistance is one of the most urgent concerns. In a rural county with long, cold winters and an aging housing stock, fuel assistance through the Low Income Home 0 Comments
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Co-op Bank Announces Leadership Promotions| 10:02AM / Friday, October 31, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Cooperative Bank (Co-op Bank) announced the promotions of Dana Robb and Ray E. Smith to Senior Vice President positions. Dana Robb has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Retail Banking & Operations, bringing more than two decades of experience in the financial services industry. He is a graduate of the 2016 Berkshire Leadership Program. He is also a 2024 graduate of the New England School of Banking. He also is involved with the Dalton Community Recreation Center and serves on the board for Girls Inc. Ray Smith has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications. A lifelong Berkshire resident, Smith 0 Comments
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BHS Announces Final Traffic Plans for Medical Arts Complex| 07:39AM / Friday, October 31, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) has announced that the final plans are in place for opening of a new entry and exit for its Medical Arts Complex (MAC) and the city's plans for reopening North Street in front of Berkshire Medical Center. The new MAC lot entry and exit, which provides access from the new city rotary and the main BMC driveway, will open to traffic on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. This will allow patients to access the MAC parking lot from the rotary through the BMC driveway. Entry and exit will continue from Charles Street, as well. The city has announced that on the same date, Monday, Nov. 3, the section of North Street in front of BMC will be reopened
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Pittsfield Licensing Board Puts Heat on Chili'sBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:07AM / Friday, October 31, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In January, the Licensing Board will decide if it should start the six-month timer for Chili's to sell its liquor license before it is revoked.
The restaurant closed abruptly in August 2024 and has been looking for a buyer for over a year. Representatives have come before the board a few times with reports that there are interested parties, but no sale.
"The reason that we keep asking you the same old questions, and now it's well over a year after the place closed, is that under state law, if a licensee is not operating, then we have to turn up the heat to see if either the license can be transferred to somebody that will operate,
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Flying Cloud STEAM Challenge Night Brings Science to SchoolchildrenBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
06:11PM / Thursday, October 30, 2025 | |
Boyd BioMedical shows how different materials appear at 100x magnification. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Children and their families were able to learn from a range of science experiments last week night from Flying Clouds annual STEAM Challenge Night. Flying Cloud, an organization that offers programs in the arts and science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) to schools and children in the area, brought together about 20 organizations at the Berkshire Innovation Center to demonstrate science-based projects. "We believe in creative expression, as well as being an integral piece of learning science. And so we call it our STEAM Challenge. And then all the people that we get
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The Retired Investor: The Never-Ending Story of Rising Beef PricesBy Bill Schmick,
04:45PM / Thursday, October 30, 2025 | |
Beef is no longer a grocery staple. It is becoming a luxury commodity, priced out of most consumers' everyday budgets. The average price of ground beef is now $6.30 per pound. Steaks are averaging $12.22 per pound. Ranchers want to keep it that way, but the president begs to differ. In total, beef prices are hitting record highs as the U.S. cattle herd falls to its smallest size since 1951. From around 140 million head of cattle in the U.S. back in the '70s, the herd has dropped to 94 million head. Recently, even Donald Trump had to admit that beef prices are out of control. "The only price we have that's high is beef — we'll get that down," the 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Community Mourns Death of Taconic StudentBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
11:03AM / Thursday, October 30, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The school district and city are mourning the loss of a 17-year-old Taconic High School student who was found fatally shot on Sunday.
It has been widely reported that the victim was Brodie Slonski, 17, who was in Taconic's metal fabrication program. The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office has not identified the victim, saying it was because he was a juvenile.
Crisis counselors were available in the school to provide support for students and staff.
"We are heartbroken by the recent loss of one of our students and extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and all who are grieving. We know this loss deeply affects many
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Berkshire County Regional Employment Board Awarded State Grant| 10:38AM / Thursday, October 30, 2025 | |
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced more than $8.5 million in career-connected learning grants to support school districts and workforce partners in expanding high-quality career pathways and work-based learning opportunities for students across Massachusetts. In Berkshire County, the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board was awarded a $334,438 Connected Activities Grant. Funding will expand work-based learning immersion experiences, strengthen partnerships with local employers, and build a regional system of support for high schools to connect students with career experiences. "Every student deserves the 0 Comments
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Berkshire Natural Resources Council Awarded Conservation Partnership Grant | 08:04AM / Thursday, October 30, 2025 | |
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced over $12 million in grants for projects in 40 communities across Massachusetts that will help protect open space, build parks and give more people access to the outdoors. The funding will support projects like creating new walking trails, protecting forests and wetlands, building neighborhood parks and preserving land near rivers and lakes that provide drinking water. In Berkshire County, Berkshire Natural Resources Council was awarded $288,500 for the Depot Brook Corridor Project. The project is within a half mile of the Appalachian Trail and is a focal area of the Resilient and Connected Network. 0 Comments
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Dalton Police Station Consultant to Create 'Fictitious' RenderingBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:19AM / Thursday, October 30, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Public Safety Advisory Committee members are conflicted on how to proceed with the proposed public safety facility project. With a presentation deadline looming and constraints from Select Board members, committee members struggled to agree on a path forward. After an hour-long discussion on Oct. 16, members of the members reached a compromise. They agreed to have their consultant, Brian Humes of Jacunski Humes Architects LLC based in Berlin, Conn., create a rendering of both a one-story and a two-story station on a "fictitious" parcel that resembles the lot next to the Senior Center. Residents need to know the 0 Comments
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Book and Record Store Opens in PittsfieldBy Breanna Steele, iBerkshires Staff
12:51PM / Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | |
Laurie and Emma Lenski saw a need for a bookstore downtown. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new bookstore has filled a hole in the downtown area. Indie Readery and Records held its grand opening on Thursday with a ribbon-cutting at its location at 314 North St. Partners and now co-owners Emma and Laurie Lenski decided to open the bookstore after seeing a need for one in the area. It also offers records and gifts. "I mean, there was totally a void on North Street for a bookstore. Like, you know, there's a lot in South County, some in North County, and then Barnes and Noble, which is almost impossible to get to. And so, yeah, we saw a need in the community. We were like, let's do
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Letter: Dan, McNeice for School Committee and Hathaway for City CouncilLetter to the Editor,
12:00PM / Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | |
 To the Editor:
The challenges Pittsfield faces must be dealt with care and an understanding of the nuances, rather than soundbites. This election I am supporting Dan Elias and Heather McNeice for School Committee, and Sara Hathaway for city councilor at large.
Having served with Elias during my time on the School Committee, he has shown his ability to understand all sides of an issue and understand the nuances that come with serving on the committee. Having served on the committee for 30 years, he brings great experience of what has worked and not worked for the district as well as much knowledge of the collective bargaining process. While some may say that we need a completely new
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