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Great Barrington, MA

Obituaries
Teen Who Drowned In Western Mass Pond ID'd; Community Rallies Around Family Teen Who Drowned In Western Mass Pond ID'd; Community Rallies Around Family
Teen Who Drowned In Western Mass Pond ID'd; Community Rallies Around Family The 14-year-old girl who drowned in a pond in Berkshire County last week was remembered as a smart, caring, and intelligent person with a promising future.  Earl Giver Essien was found unresponsive at Benedict Pond at Beartown State Forest in Great Barrington just before 2 p.m. on July 17. Police and witnesses pulled her from the water to perform CPR before paramedics rushed her to Fairview Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead.  Pittsfield Schools Superintendent Joseph Curtis said the rising eighth-grader at Herberg Middle School's "bright light shone brillia…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Who Raped 2 Children At Great Barrington Treatment Center Sentenced To Up To 12 Years: DA Man Who Raped 2 Children At Great Barrington Treatment Center Sentenced To Up To 12 Years: DA
Man Who Raped 2 Children At Great Barrington Treatment Center Sentenced To Up To 12 Years: DA A 44-year-old Berkshire County man who admitted to 23 charges including raping two 15-year-old girls was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison this week, authorities said.  Douglas Agyeh, of Pittsfield, was a former staffer at the Brookside School in Great Barrington, a treatment center for girls with behavioral or psychological issues.  Agyeh worked at the residential school for several weeks in 2021. He was responsible for monitoring the girls' behavior and protecting them as they slept. However, he took advantage of this authority, court records show.  One of his vic…

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by Josh Lanier
Real Estate
$7M 'Fixer-Upper' In Western Mass With Indoor Pool Is Secluded Sanctuary $7M 'Fixer-Upper' In Western Mass With Indoor Pool Is Secluded Sanctuary
$7M 'Fixer-Upper' In Western Mass With Indoor Pool Is Secluded Sanctuary If you've got $6.9 million to spend, a natural inclination for solitude, and a working knowledge of 1920s architecture, then there is a place for you in Berkshire County.  A five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home in New Marlborough with nearly 6,000 feet of square space comes with 330 acres of land, an indoor pool, and a few problems, the Zillow listing says. The home built in 1920 consists of multiple buildings — the Tudor style residence with an indoor pool, shingled barn, Dutch colonial multi-family dwelling, a guest house, and several smaller sheds, and a workshop.  The residen…

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by Josh Lanier
Schools
'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns 'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns
'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns Multiple Massachusetts schools have been forced into lockdowns because of fake gun and bomb threats, otherwise known as "swatting" incidents, over the past four days.  "Swatting" is defined as "the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address," according to Oxford Language.  These incidents have seen an uptick across the Commonwealth in the wake of the deadly shooting at the Michigan State University on Monday, Feb. 13 in which three students perished. T…

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by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
Great Barrington Man Received Child Porn, Featuring Kids Under 12, Feds Say Great Barrington Man Received Child Porn, Featuring Kids Under 12, Feds Say
Great Barrington Man Received Child Porn, Featuring Kids Under 12, Feds Say A grand jury this week indicted a 54-year-old Great Barrington on charges of allegedly receiving child porn featuring children younger than 12, authorities said.  James J. Keough is charged with one count of receipt of child porn and one count of possession of the offending material after police arrested him earlier this month, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Investigators said Keough knowingly received child pornography between Dec. 5, 2021, and March 16, 2022, and he had that material featuring pre-pubescent children on March 18.  Keough faces as much as 40 years …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass EMS Crews Rescue Fellow Firefighter Pinned Under Dump Truck Western Mass EMS Crews Rescue Fellow Firefighter Pinned Under Dump Truck
Western Mass EMS Crews Rescue Fellow Firefighter Pinned Under Dump Truck A group of firefighters from Western Massachusetts are being hailed for their quick efforts in saving a fellow firefighter who was trapped under a dump truck earlier this week.  Great Barrington firefighters to a report of a person underneath an overturned vehicle on Burning Tree Road in around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6, the department said. Upon arrival, crews found a man in his 50s pinned under the cab of a large dump truck that was on its side.  As paramedics worked to stabilize the victim, the truck was lifted within 10 minutes and the victim was freed, the department said.  He w…

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by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
Western Massachusetts Teenager Facing Arson Charges For Vacant School Fire Western Massachusetts Teenager Facing Arson Charges For Vacant School Fire
Western Massachusetts Teenager Facing Arson Charges For Vacant School Fire A teenager is facing arson-related charges in connection with a fire that occurred at a vacant school in Great Barrington, State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said in a release.  The teenager was charged in connection with a fire that occurred at the second floor of Searles School, located at 79 Bridge Street, just after 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 19, Ostroskey said.  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 20, 2022 Searles School Structure Fire At approximately 5:00 pm yesterday evening (June 19th)... Posted by Great Barrington Fire Department on Monday, June 20, 2022 Upon arrival, crews encountered sm…

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by David Cifarelli