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| News and events in Pittsfield, Mass.
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CBRSD Aims to Improve Town Meeting Attendance By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
02:35PM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — As town meeting season approaches, the Central Berkshire Regional School District aims to lower a barrier to residential participation caused by the lack of child care. District Assistant Superintendent Michael Henault informed the School Committee last week that the district plans to offer child care at Kittredge, Beckett-Washington and Wahconah High schools on voting nights, provided by a combination of National Honor Society students and staff volunteers. "We're organizing that right now … we're going to make it work, make it happen. A survey will go out to see the interest, but we're going to try to take away that 0 Comments
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BCC Nursing Programs Integrate Mental Health First Aid Certification| 08:13AM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) has added Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification as a mandatory component for all students in their final semester of the associate degree in nursing and practical nursing programs. The requirement, based on the curriculum provided by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, aims to equip graduating nursing students with the skills to identify and respond to individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. Data from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention indicates an average of 130 daily deaths by suicide in the U.S. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly one in 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Health Board Wants Feedback on Tobacco BanBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:24AM / Thursday, April 17, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Board of Health will hear from the community before adding Nicotine-Free Generation guidelines into the tobacco ordinance.
Earlier this month, the panel reviewed a draft update for Pittsfield's tobacco regulations, including a provision that "No retailer or person shall sell or provide a tobacco product to a person born on or after January 1, 2005."
No vote was taken, and discussion is set to pick up at the next meeting. "This is going to be a process that we're going to be involving everyone in and being respectful of everyone's opinions or facts that they have to share with us," Director of Public Health Andy Cambi
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Dalton Finance Approves Amended Police BudgetBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
04:38PM / Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — The Finance Committee approved an amended version of the Police Department budget. The amended budget of $1,664,924 is $14,564 less than what was originally requested. This is still an increase of $129,668 increase from this year. The budget is made up of $191,338 in expenses and $1,473,586 in salaries. The department initially proposed a budget of $1,679,488, a $144,232 or 9.39 percent, increase mainly caused by salary increases. Police Chief Deanna Strout emphasized that the increases within the budget are mostly contractual. Finance Committee chair William Drosehn said if "we all kind of tightened our belts 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Man Charged in Woodlawn Avenue Stabbing| 04:23PM / Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man was arrested and charged for a Wednesday morning stabbing that seriously injured another man.
Just before 3 a.m., police responded to a reported stabbing at a multi-family building on Woodlawn Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found a 60-year-old man had sustained at least one stab wound and he was taken to Berkshire Medical Center.
"Although he sustained a serious injury, the victim is expected to survive," police reported around 3:15 p.m.
A suspect was identified as a result of the ensuing investigation, and later that morning, Pittsfield resident Jason Wright, 40, was arrested and charged with armed assault with intent to murder, assault
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Registration Open for Benefit Soccer Tournament in PittsfieldCommunity submission,
10:27AM / Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Pittsfield High boys soccer program will hold a 7-on-7 tournament in May to support the family of a teammate who recently received a heart transplant. The AJ's Beating Heart 7V7 Tournament will benefit A.J. Riello, a ninth-grader at PHS who underwent succesful surgery earlier this month. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, at Heberg Middle School. The cost to enter is $5 per player. The tournament is for teams of eight to 12 players of all ages. The format is seven versus seven with a goalie. Teams must have matching shirts, but pinnies will be available for teams without jerseys. To 0 Comments
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Berkshire Art Association Honors College Student Artists in 2025 Fellowship Show| 08:06AM / Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Art Association (BAA) is recognizing student artists in its 2025 College Fellowship Show. The exhibition, featuring 40 artworks by 16 students, is on display at the Lichtenstein Center of the Arts from Friday, April 4, to Friday, April 28, 2025. The participating students, majoring in visual arts at colleges within Berkshire County or those with Berkshire County residency studying elsewhere, were selected by a panel of artists representing various disciplines. The 2025 BAA Fellowship recipients are: Matthew Brinton, Sergio Demo, Maxwell Fyfe, Jean-Charles Innocent, and Max Sweeney from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; Julianna 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Council Tables DCF Background Check OrdinanceBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:21PM / Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council decided that a policy to require clearance from the Department of Children and Families for city employees needs more time.
At last Tuesday's meeting, an ordinance requiring a background check with DCF for all new hires who have contact with minors was tabled.
Ward 2 Councilor Brittany Noto, who is an attorney, believes this is an "extreme overreach of privacy" and will have a disparate impact on otherwise qualified applicants who come from low socioeconomic status, people of color, survivors of domestic violence, and single parents.
"We want more qualified applicants in the city pool who have diverse backgrounds, not
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Ten Arrested in Berkshire County Child Exploitation Sting| 03:13PM / Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, MASS — Ten have been arrested on charges related to child exploitation following a two-week operation in Berkshire County. The Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, and the Berkshire County Law Enforcement Task Force conducted the operation. According to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, the operation involved law enforcement officers posing as 14 and 15-year-old girls on various online platforms. The individuals allegedly communicated with these online personas and traveled to pre-arranged locations within Berkshire County, intending to exchange money for sexual activity with individuals under
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Letter: What's Happening With Dalton's Finances?Letter to the Editor,
02:00PM / Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | |
 To the Editor:
What's the problem? We are approaching our tax levy limit. As a result of rapid increases in spending over the last four years, Dalton's buffer before we reach our tax levy limit has dropped from $1,200,000 to $772,000 in 2023, which is OK, and likely to be approximately $140,000 in 2026, which is very concerning. If it gets to $0, the town of Dalton will have to cut services and reduce spending in many ways.
What is the levy limit? Proposition 2.5, which is part of Massachusetts law, says that the maximum amount a town can tax its residents (the levy limit) is 2.5 percent of the total assessed overall value of the homes in Dalton plus new growth. New growth in
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PHS Principal Stepping Down at School Year's EndBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:21PM / Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield High School Principal Maggie Harrington-Esko will step down at the end of the year after nearly 20 years in the building.
"I feel that it is important to let you know that this is a decision that I have come to on my own," she wrote to the school community on Monday evening.
Harrington-Esko is the second administrator to resign after the school became embroiled in a staffing scandal in December. Earlier this year, Superintendent Joseph Curtis announced that he would step down from his position effective June 30.
"This is not an easy decision because PHS is a place I love deeply," she wrote.
"For the past 18 years, this
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Community Invited to Participate in Burbank Park Clean-Up| 10:21AM / Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and the City of Pittsfield are organizing a community clean-up event at Burbank Park on Saturday, April 19, from 9:30 AM to noon. The event is in recognition of Earth Day. A complimentary lunch will be provided to participants after the clean-up. Burbank Park, situated along the shore of Onota Lake, has experienced issues with illegal dumping and litter. The purpose of the clean-up is to remove trash from designated areas within the park to restore its condition and protect local wildlife. Volunteers should meet at the Onota Lake Boat Launch, located at 309 Lakeway Drive, at 9:30 AM. Participants 0 Comments
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