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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
Douglas Agyeh Pleads Guilty To 23 Felonies After Fleeing US 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
News
$1M Lottery Jackpot: Great Barrington Man Collects Major Payday $1M Lottery Jackpot: Great Barrington Man Collects Major Payday
Great Barrington's Richard Swiater Wins $1M In Mass Lottery A Berkshire County man said he still hasn't decided how he'll spend his newfound fortune after winning $1 million in the Massachusetts State Lottery. He's still getting over the shock of it all.  Richard Swiater, of Great Barrington, won the seven-figure payday playing "$4,000,000 Monopoly Doubler” $10 scratch-off ticket.  Swiater chose to take the lump sum payment of $650,000 (before taxes) rather than the annuity.  He bought the ticket at Silk’s Variety store at 107 Main St. in Sheffield. The store will get a $10,000 bonus for the sale. 

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by Josh Lanier
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
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
News
Western Mass Man Indicted For Sexual Exploitation Of Children Western Mass Man Indicted For Sexual Exploitation Of Children
Western Mass Man Indicted For Sexual Exploitation Of Children A registered sex offender from Western Massachusetts is facing new charges for allegedly sexually exploiting children, federal authorities announced. Brian Hohman, age 57, of Sandisfield in Berkshire County was indicted this week on multiple counts of child sexual exploitation offenses, according to acting US Attorney Nathaniel Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. Specifically, Hohman was charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of commission of a felony offense involving a minor when …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread COVID-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread
Covid-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread More communities in Western Massachusetts are in the COVID-19 “red zone,” while nearly two dozen more have also seen an uptick in cases and have been placed into “yellow zones.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 health report on Thursday, April 8, highlighting the areas of the state that have seen an increase in new cases in relation to the area's population. Under the state’s new criteria, the Department of Public Health is taking population size into account when determining which are deemed “high-risk,” “medium-risk,” or “low-risk.” In the latest…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread COVID-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread
Covid-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread More communities in Western Massachusetts are in the COVID-19 “red zone,” while nearly two dozen more have also seen an uptick in cases and have been placed into “yellow zones.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 health report on Thursday, April 1, highlighting the areas of the state that have seen an increase in new cases in relation to the area's population. Under the state’s new criteria, the Department of Public Health is taking population size into account when determining which are deemed “high-risk,” “medium-risk,” or “low-risk.” In the latest…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Rescued After Car Crashes Into Lake In Western Mass Man Rescued After Car Crashes Into Lake In Western Mass
Man Rescued After Car Crashes Into Lake In Western Mass All hands were on deck to help rescue a man whose vehicle crashed into a lake in Western Massachusetts. Berkshire County first responders in Great Barrington from the police and fire Departments, and Southern Berkshire Ambulance were dispatched to Lake Mansfield shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, where there was a report of a car submerged in the water. Officials said that fire personnel arrived at the scene and found a sedan floating approximately 15 feet in the lake with a single elderly man inside the car, behind the wheel. At the time first responders arrived, the car was …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
These Massachusetts Communities Among Best Places To Live, Brand-New Rankings Reveal These Massachusetts Communities Among Best Places To Live, Brand-New Rankings Reveal
These Massachusetts Communities Among Best Places To Live, Brand-New Rankings Reveal A new poll appears to suggest Massachusetts residents should move East. All the best places to live in the state are in or around Boston, according to Niche’s 2021 Best Places to Live survey. The ranked list features 486 Massachusetts cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Overall, the best places to live in Massachusetts, according to Niche are Brookline, The Port, Cambridgeport, and East Cambridge neighborhoods in Cambridge, and Peabody. If you aren’t in Boston, the best place to live outside of the metro region is Pelham, a little hamlet of 1,280 people over by Amherst. Pelham was ranked the…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Local Vaccine Appointments At Major Pharmacies, Grocers All Booked By 9 a.m. COVID-19: Local Vaccine Appointments At Major Pharmacies, Grocers All Booked By 9 a.m.
Covid-19: Local Vaccine Appointments At Major Pharmacies, Grocers All Booked By 9 a.m. CVS has expanded locations where people can get a COVID-19 vaccine, but as of 8:50 a.m. on Monday, March 8, appointments for the first doses were all taken. The expansion means that COVID-19 vaccines are available at more than 100 CVS pharmacies in Massachusetts including those in Worcester, West Springfield, Southwick, Sturbridge, Northampton, Leominster, Lanesborough, Holyoke, Greenfield, and Great Barrington. CVS was able to expand vaccination services due to the recent U.S. Federal Drug Administration’s emergency approval of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, which incre…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Most-Populated Berkshire Communities At Low-Risk For Infection, Town Rates, Trends COVID-19: Most-Populated Berkshire Communities At Low-Risk For Infection, Town Rates, Trends
Covid-19: Most-Populated Berkshire Communities At Low-Risk For Infection, Town Rates, Trends Keeping with the trend of declining COVID-19 infections, four of the Berkshires most populated communities are in the state’s “gray” or “green” zones - meaning they are at the lowest risk for virus infection. The Berkshires have no “red” communities, which pose the highest risk of infection, according to the most recent state data. On Thursday, March 4, Massachusetts unveiled its latest weekly update on COVID-19 incidents by the municipality. Gray and green communities in the Berkshires are: Pittsfield, 7.5, new incidents reported per 100,000 people, Williamstown, 10 Great Barrington,…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Pioneer Valley, Berkshires Pharmacies Rarely Administering Vaccine COVID-19: Pioneer Valley, Berkshires Pharmacies Rarely Administering Vaccine
Covid-19: Pioneer Valley, Berkshires Pharmacies Rarely Administering Vaccine Outside of hospitals, CVS and Walgreens are by far the largest distributors of COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts, but the national pharmacy chains have not provided many doses to people in the Pioneer Valley or the Berkshires. According to vaccine appointment schedules maintained by pharmacies at CVS, Walgreens, Stop and Shop, and Big Y, as of Tuesday, Feb. 9, none of the commercial pharmacies - except for the Big Y in East Longmeadow - were distributing the vaccine or were otherwise able to book a vaccination appointment anytime this month in Western Massachusetts. (Vaccination clinics at …

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by Kristin Palpini
Weather
Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA
Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA When this Nor’easter is over, some communities in Central and Western Massachusetts are expected to be covered in more than 1 foot of snow. A Winter Storm Warning by the National Weather Service is in effect until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Heavy snow is expected with total snow accumulations of 7 to 15 inches and winds gusting as high as 45 mph. The communities that are expected to see the most snow are across the Worcester Hills and the east slopes of the Berkshires. The following are forecast snowfall totals including the smallest amount predicted, the most likely amount to fall…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Advocates Win More Vaccines, New Vaccination Sites For Central, Western MA COVID-19: Advocates Win More Vaccines, New Vaccination Sites For Central, Western MA
Covid-19: Advocates Win More Vaccines, New Vaccination Sites For Central, Western MA In a turn of events, Central and Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires will be receiving thousands of more COVID-19 vaccine doses - and establishing more vaccination sites -  than previously scheduled. On Thursday, Jan. 28, Sen. Jo Comerford and Rep. Mindy Domb said in a joint statement that Western Massachusetts would be receiving 3,000 additional COVID-19 vaccines per week starting Feb. 1. In a Jan. 21 report of vaccination distribution, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health doled out COVID-19 vaccines to counties in the following amounts: Worcester - 69,825 Hampden - 34…

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by Kristin Palpini
Lifestyle
Here Are 5 Places To Get Pizza In The Berkshires Here Are 5 Places To Get Pizza In The Berkshires
Here Are 5 Places To Get Pizza In The Berkshires There's never been a better time than now to enjoy some tasty takeout. With COVID-19 restrictions keeping many of us home, knowing where to get the best, delivery and pick-up meals is important. Below are some of the top-reviewed pizzerias in the Berkshires according to local Yelp critics.  As a point of order, this list keeps the focus tight on pizzerias to the exclusion of restaurants where pizza is secondary. So, even though people online raved about Berkshire Mountain Bakery's take-and-bake pizzas - and even though they do have a pizza cafe in Pittsfield - the restaurant was not e…

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by Kristin Palpini