Fair 42°
Police & Fire
Alleged Kidnapper Shot Victim While Trying To Restrain Them In Western Mass Basement: DA Alleged Kidnapper Shot Victim While Trying To Restrain Them In Western Mass Basement: DA
No Bail For Nicholas Lighten Who Faces 10 Major Felonies A Berkshire County man is accused of attempting to kill a man he had kidnapped on Thursday evening, May 9, authorities said.  Nicholas Lighten, 35, of Dalton, faces 10 major felonies from the alleged violent attack, the Berkshire County District Attorney said. He is being held without bond pending a dangerousness hearing. If he is given bail, it will be set at $500,000, the prosecutor said.  Police were sent to Lighten's home at 43 Housatonic Street in Dalton on Thursday after his alleged victim drove himself to Berkshire Medical Center and explained that he had been kidnappe…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
2 Guilty of Trafficking 100 Lbs of Pot In Massive Grow Operation Uncovered In Western Mass 2 Guilty of Trafficking 100 Lbs of Pot In Massive Grow Operation Uncovered In Western Mass
Yebin Mai and Dem Wu Guilty Of Trafficking 100 Pounds Of Pot Police and prosecutors unearthed a $3 million marijuana grow operation in a small town in Berkshire County, and now two men are going to prison, authorities said. And it was all thanks to a busted electric box and two quick-thinking linemen.  Yebin Mai, 32, and Dem Wu, 52, both of Staten Island, New York, were both convicted by a jury of trafficking more than 100 pounds of marijuana, the Berkshire County District Attorney said on Tuesday, May 7. Mai was also found guilty of witness intimidation.  The men were arrested on July 30, 2020, after repairmen from Eversource Electric…

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by Josh Lanier
News
35-Year-Old ID'd As Victim Of Greenfield Slaying 35-Year-Old ID'd As Victim Of Greenfield Slaying
35-Year-Old ID'd As Victim Of Greenfield Slaying A 35-year-old Berkshire County man has been identified as the body found dead inside a home in Greenfield on Monday, April 22, authorities announced.  Christopher Hairston, lastly of Pittsfield, was found inside the apartment on Chapman Street after neighbors called police to report a disgusting smell coming from inside, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. It's unclear how long he had been dead before he was located.  Original Report: Mass Man Accused Of Murder Arrested At New York Airport Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, who used to live at that apartment, was arrest…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Western Mass Man Drove Child Across State Lines For Sex: Feds Western Mass Man Drove Child Across State Lines For Sex: Feds
Paul Newton-Irelan Accused Of Driving Minor For Sex: Feds A 50-year-old Berkshire County man is accused of driving a minor to have sex, authorities said.  Paul Newton-Irelan is charged with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Newton-Irelan allegedly drove the minor to New York and Massachusetts on Nov. 26, 2023, as part of a scheme for sex, authorities said. He told police he thought the girl was 18, but she was 11 years old, reports said.  According to federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted followed …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Missing Mass Woman's Body Found On Remote New York Trail After Weeks Of Searching Missing Mass Woman's Body Found On Remote New York Trail After Weeks Of Searching
Body Of Fae Morgana Barbone Found On Taconic Crest Trail The weekslong search for a 40-year-old woman who went missing near a remote hiking trail in Massachusetts near the border with New York ended earlier this week after hikers found her body on a trail in New York. She had been missing for nearly a month  Fae Morgana Barbone, age 40, was reported missing from Williamstown, Massachusetts, on Thursday, March 7.  She was last seen in Maine, where she had an “interaction” with a police officer, according to Williamstown Police. Sightings of the woman have also been reported in North Adams and the Carolinas. Police said the grizzly …

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by Josh Lanier
Real Estate
New England Estate Built In 1780 Hits Market For $4.85M New England Estate Built In 1780 Hits Market For $4.85M
Berkshire County Estate Built In 1780 Hits Market For $4.85M Horse lovers or those looking for a historic home in picturesque New England will find that and more in a home/compound for sale for $4.85 million. Located in Western Massachusetts, in the Berkshire County town of Richmond, the 1776 home is on 27 acres. According to Zillow, it includes not only the home but also a "premiere" full-service equestrian facility, including indoor and outdoor rings. The stables and riding area.  Zillow The compound features a home with seven bedrooms, seven-and-a-half baths, three cottages, a barn for events, five paddocks, a 6000-square-foot heated aren…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
'An Incredible Run': Western Mass Restaurant Closing After Nearly 50 Years 'An Incredible Run': Western Mass Restaurant Closing After Nearly 50 Years
The Old Mill In Egremont Closing After 46 Years A popular restaurant in Western Massachusetts will hold its final dinner service after nearly 50 years in business. Berkshire County staple The Old Mill, located in Egremont at 53 Main Street, will permanently close in early June 2024, owner Terry Moore announced on its website. “In early June, after 46 glorious years, the Old Mill will close its doors. We have had an incredible run and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the extremely dedicated staff that has worked alongside me all these years,” he said. Moore went on to thank the “countless wonderful guests” who have supported the restau…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
2 Hospitalized Following Head-On Collision In Berkshire County 2 Hospitalized Following Head-On Collision In Berkshire County
2 Hospitalized Following Head-On Collision In Berkshire County A 28-year-old and 72-year-old man were rushed to the hospital Sunday afternoon, March 24, after they collided in a Berkshire County crash, authorities said.  Police were called to Dan Fox Drive near the Bousquet Ski Area just before 12:45 p.m. to a head-on crash between a 2004 Chevy TrailBlazer and a 2023 Kia Telluride, Pittsfield police said.  An initial investigation found that 28-year-old Alec Vincent, formerly of Lenox, who was behind the wheel of the truck, crossed the center line while driving east and crashed into 72-year-old Columbia County, NY resident Edward Greenberg, o…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Car Belonging To Woman Missing For Weeks Found Abandoned In Remote Area Of Berkshire County Car Belonging To Woman Missing For Weeks Found Abandoned In Remote Area Of Berkshire County
Car Belonging To Woman Missing For Weeks Found Abandoned In Remote Area Of Berkshire County Police are searching an area of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, near the border with New York after the car of a woman who has been missing for weeks was found abandoned near a remote hiking trail.  Fae Morgana Barbone has been missing since March 7. She was last seen on March 9 in Maine, where she had an "interaction" with a police officer, Williamstown police said. There have been unconfirmed sightings of her in North Adams.  But when her car was found abandoned in a remote area on Berlin Road in Williamstown on Tuesday, March 19, that sparked a new intense round of s…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
'With Deep Regret' Popular Restaurant In Western Mass Closing After 50 Years In Business 'With Deep Regret' Popular Restaurant In Western Mass Closing After 50 Years In Business
'With Deep Regret' Popular Restaurant In Western Mass Closing After 50 Years In Business A popular Western Massachusetts restaurant serving Chinese/Polynesian fusion is set to close after more than 50 years in business. Berkshire County eatery Luau Hale Restaurant – located in Lenox at 365 Pittsfield Road – will serve its last customer on Saturday, March 30. “It is with deep regret that I have to announce the closing of the Luau. It has been our honor and privilege to be a part of this community for decades,” the owners said on Facebook. “Watching generations of Berkshire locals sharing food, drink, laughs and life with us. From holidays and weddings to birthdays and funera…

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by Michael Mashburn
Real Estate
Elegant 95-Year-Old Cottage On 40-Acre Property In Western Mass Hits Market For $5.5M Elegant 95-Year-Old Cottage On 40-Acre Property In Western Mass Hits Market For $5.5M
Elegant 95-Year-Old Cottage On 40-Acre Property In Western Mass Hits Market For $5.5M Those looking to combine early 20th-century grandeur with more modern sensibilities will want to check out a $5.5 million cottage now on sale in Berkshire County.   The 10-bedroom and 8-bath cottage, located in Berkshire County at 101 and 107 Yokun Ave. in Lenox, is now on sale for $5.5 million, according to its Zillow listing.  The residence, built in 1929, has been restored for modern life yet retains its original configuration. The 11,748-square-foot property includes a smaller mid-century modern residence at 95 Yokun Ave.  The main house's design is a great example …

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Friends Remember Western Mass Man After Remains Found At Cemetery Friends Remember Western Mass Man After Remains Found At Cemetery
Friends Remember Western Mass Man After Remains Found At Cemetery Authorities announced they had identified the remains found near a cemetery in Berkshire County as a 47-year-old area native. Friends said he was a kind and loving person.  Sascha Cameron's body was found by a dog walker 20 feet from Mahaiwe Cemetery in Great Barrington on February 23, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, March 8. An autopsy was performed to identify the remains.   Cameron leaves behind a son, according to his Facebook posts.  Cameron said in social media posts that he is a native of Great Barrington. People who knew him said he was a good f…

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by Josh Lanier