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Colrain, MA

Police & Fire
'This Was An Avoidable Crash': Driver Admits To Fatal Charlemont Motorcycle Wreck 'This Was An Avoidable Crash': Driver Admits To Fatal Charlemont Motorcycle Wreck
Melissa Repka Admits To Crash That Killed Gregory Herzig A 39-year-old Berkshire County woman admitted to causing a 2023 crash that killed a Franklin County motorcyclist, authorities said on Tuesday, July 30.  Melissa Repka, of North Adams, pleaded guilty to motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation on Tuesday, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. A judge sentenced her to two-and-a-half years in prison, though she will only spend nine months behind bars. The remainder was suspended, as she serves two years of probation, the prosecutor said.  Repka was driving her 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee east on Rout…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Poachers Hunted Fox, Deer From Truck In Western Mass; May Be Behind Similar Kills: Police Poachers Hunted Fox, Deer From Truck In Western Mass; May Be Behind Similar Kills: Police
Poachers Hunted Fox, Deer From Truck In Western Mass; May Be Behind Similar Kills: Police Two brothers were arrested in Franklin County over the weekend after police said they had illegally killed a fox and deer from their truck.  Ira B. Doull, 46, of Worthington, and Seth O Doull, 51, of Colrain, were arrested and charged with: Hunting from a vehicle; Carrying a loaded shotgun/rifle in a vehicle Hunting deer with a rifle Discharging a firearm near a highway Improper storage of a firearm Hunting at night Hunting out of season  Massachusetts State Police said they were called to a home on Shelburne Line Road in Colrain just after 6 p.m. to reports that a deer had …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Killing Motorcyclist In Western Mass Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Killing Motorcyclist In Western Mass
Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Killing Motorcyclist In Western Mass A Berkshire County woman told a court on Tuesday, Aug. 22, that she was not at fault in the death of a 66-year-old Colrain motorcyclist she had a wreck with earlier this year, authorities said.  Melissa C. Repka, 38, is charged with vehicle homicide by negligent operation and failure to yield the right of way in connection with the crash that killed Greg Herzig, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. A judge ordered Repka not to drive a vehicle for the duration of the trial.  Police said Repka had pulled her rented Jeep Grand Cherokee to the side of Route 2 in…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass Motorcyclist, 66, Killed In Crash On Route 2 In Charlemont: Police Western Mass Motorcyclist, 66, Killed In Crash On Route 2 In Charlemont: Police
Western Mass Motorcyclist, 66, Killed In Crash On Route 2 In Charlemont: Police A 66-year-old man has died after his motorcycle collided with another vehicle in Western Massachusetts this week, according to authorities.  Gregory Herzig, of Colrain, was killed in the crash that happened on Route 2 in Charlemont around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, Massachusetts State Police report. Initial investigation suggested that a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, going east, pulled over to the side of the road before making a U-turn when a Harley Davidson struck the SUV. The operator of the motorcycle, later identified as Herzig, was taken to Baystate Franklin Medical Center where…

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by David Cifarelli
News
GoFundMe Created For Family Of Western Massachusetts Man Killed Repairing Downed Power Line GoFundMe Created For Family Of Western Massachusetts Man Killed Repairing Downed Power Line
GoFundMe Created For Family Of Western Massachusetts Man Killed Repairing Downed Power Line Friends of a 41-year-old Colrain man killed while working to repair powerlines during a windstorm in Vermont have started a GoFundMe for his family.  Lucas Donahue, who worked as a lineman for Green Mountain Power, died on Dec. 1 while working to restore power to homes and businesses in Halifax, Vermont, after wind toppled a tree on Reed Hill Road, the Vermont State Police said. He died at the scene. The Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating his death, which is standard practice, reports said.  The GoFundMe for his wife of 18 years and two chi…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
One Trapped After Crash In Western Mass One Trapped After Crash In Western Mass
One Trapped After Crash In Western Mass A driver in Western Massachusetts was put in a precarious position after getting trapped inside the vehicle following a reported multi-vehicle crash, police said. First responders in Colrain were dispatched to a stretch of Sadoga Road in Heath shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 7, where there was a reported rollover with at least one person trapped. According to the Colrain Firefighter’s Association, the driver had to be helped out of the vehicle and was treated by paramedics at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries. No injuries were reported. It is unclear what caused the cras…

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by Zak Failla
News
Strong Gusty Winds Down Tree Limbs, Cause Scattered Power Outages In Western Mass Strong Gusty Winds Down Tree Limbs, Cause Scattered Power Outages In Western Mass
Strong Gusty Winds Down Tree Limbs, Cause Scattered Power Outages In Western Mass Hundreds of Massachusetts residents are now without power as wind gusts topping 50 mph whip through the region. A High Wind Warning is in effect until 4 p.m. Monday, March 29. As of around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, utility crews from Eversource were still working to repair dozens of outages that were impacting 2,766 of the company’s 220,386 customers in Western Massachusetts. An additional 71 customers were impacted in Central and Eastern Massachusetts, according to the company. The hardest-hit area was Becket, which reported 1,473 outages, impacting more than 75 percent of the company’…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
IDs Released For Man, Woman Found Dead In Western Mass River IDs Released For Man, Woman Found Dead In Western Mass River
IDs Released For Man, Woman Found Dead In Western Mass River The identities have been released for the man and woman who were found dead near a Jeep that was submerged in a river over the weekend. Joshua Eastman, age 36, and Laura Wood, age 39, both of Franklin County, were found dead in Colrain near a Jeep that had entered the river by the convergence of the east branch of the North River and Foundry Village Brook on Saturday, March 20, the Northwestern District Attorney said. Original story - Man, Woman Found Dead In Jeep Submerged In Franklin County River A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office said that no foul play is suspected a…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man, Woman Found Dead In Jeep Submerged In Western Mass River Man, Woman Found Dead In Jeep Submerged In Western Mass River
Man, Woman Found Dead In Jeep Submerged In Western Mass River Two Western Massachusetts residents were found dead in a Jeep that was submerged in the Colrain River, authorities announced. Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan said that on Saturday, March 20, the man and woman in their 30s were found by police in Franklin County in the water near the convergence of the east branch of the North River and Foundry Village Brook in Colrain. The bodies were located near a Jeep that had entered the water. Sullivan said that no foul play is suspected, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is investigating to determine the causes of d…

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by Zak Failla