Friday, August 17, 2007

North Adams Man Falls To His Death.

North Adams police say a 66-year-old Ashland Street man was pronounced dead at North Adams Regional Hospital early Wednesday morning after falling out of an apartment window. Walter Susee died after falling from the second story of the Ashland Street Apartments. He was discovered around 3:30 in the morning and transported to the hospital. Police said it was an unattended death with no witnesses and so far, does not appear to be suspicious. Susee's death remains under investigation by the Cheshire barracks of the Massachusetts State Police.

Two Arrested After A Break-In At The Former Photec Mill

A North Bennington, Vermont man and a Troy, New York woman were arrested in Williamstown on Wednesday night after a break-in at the former Photec Mill site on Cole Avenue. Williamstown Police received a call reporting suspicious activity at the former Photec site just before midnight Wednesday. The caller reported hearing the sound of crashing metal and witnessed one or more people on the roof of the building with flashlights. When police arrived on the scene they surrounded and then entered the building. Arrested were 35 year old Jason Welch of North Bennington and 45 year old Joanne Becker of Troy. A third suspect managed to elude capture. As it turned out, the trio was removing valuable copper wire and scrap metal from the building.

Williamstown Planning Board Ok's Housing Development

The Williamstown Planning Board has approved a plan that will divide a Northwest Hill property into five parcels under different ownership…thus eliminating a controversial 8-lot housing development. The original plan of the Buxton Group generated some neighborhood unrest and environmental issues that eventually led to a lawsuit filed by a Northwest Hill resident. Under the agreement, nearly 66 acres of land valued at an estimated $1.3 million dollars, will be divided into five parcels.

For Eighth Straight Year, Princeton Tops U.S. News Rankings

Princeton holds the top spot in the latest
U.S. News & World Report college rankings.
It's the eighth straight year the private, New Jersey
school has either tied or held the top slot outright.
Just like last year, Princeton was followed by Harvard at
number 2 and Yale at number 3 in the controversial rankings.
The top 5 are rounded out by Stanford, Cal Tech and the
University of Pennsylvania.
MIT comes in at number 7.
Williams and Amherst were the highest-ranked liberal arts
colleges.
The rankings in the magazine's annual "America's Best
Colleges" guide are facing particularly vocal complaints this
year from a group of colleges and educators working to develop an
alternative to the system.
The biggest single variable -- and the most controversial
-- is a reputation assessment by peer institutions.

State Jobless Rate Up In July, Despite Jobs Gain

The unemployment rate for Massachusetts rose
to 5.1 percent in July, up from 4.9 percent the previous month.
The increase came as the size of the state's labor force
fell by 2,000 people, despite a general upward trend over the
past year.
Based on a survey of employers, the state says it added
4,200 new jobs in July. But a separate survey of households found
an increase in the number of people in the labor force without
jobs.
The jobless rate in Massachusetts is one-half percentage
point higher than the national unemployment rate, which rose to
4.6 percent in July.

Owner Of Wendy's Franchises Indicted

The former operator of 13 western Massachusetts Wendy's restaurants, including the Wendy's on Holmes Road in Pittsfield, has been indicted by a Hampden County grand jury for issuing bad checks and failing to pay his workers. Attorney General Martha Coakley's office says Robert Burda of Dublin, Ohio, and his Chicopee-based company is charged with 10 counts of failing to pay wages. The restaurants from Pittsfield to Palmer closed abruptly on July 20th.

Dalton PD Asking Public's Help In Vandalism Case

Dalton police are asking the public for help in solving a rash of vandalism incidents. Police Chief John Bartels Jr. said the latest incidents happened overnight Wednesday when flower baskets on the Main Street Bridge by Depot Street and playground equipment at Greenridge Park on South Street were damaged. Police are asking anyone with any information to please call them.

Another Arrest In Pittsfield Break-Ins

Pittsfield police have made another arrest in connection with a series of home break-ins this summer. 26-year-old Kazuo Smith of Hancock was recently arrested and had in his possession a stolen IBM computer that was taken during a July 20th break-in on Burbank Street. Three others have also been arrested and charged with the break-in's

BBBS Receives Some Needed Grant Money

Big Brothers Big/Sisters of Berkshire County is getting some much needed funding from the Massachusetts Service Alliance. Big Brothers/Big Sisters Director, Kim Blair, says that the organization has received a grant totaling close to $18-thousand dollars to be used for its mentoring programming. This is the first time that the agency has received mentoring funding from the state. The Massachusetts Service Alliance is a private non-profit organization that serves as the state commission on Community Service and Volunteerism.

The BRTA Goes Hybrid

Berkshire Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board members will get a chance to climb aboard the latest edition to the BRTA fleet tFriday morning. After their 10:00 meeting, the advisory board will take an environmentally clean and quite ride aboard the BRTA's new full sized Gillig Hybrid diesel-electric bus, which is slated to enter regular fixed route service shortly. They'll take a short trip from the Intermodal Transportation Center and will get a first hand look at the new style bus shelter that was recently installed at the corner of Dewey Avenue and Linden Street in Pittsfield. The new style shelters are scheduled to be installed throughout Berkshire County, including sites at the Prime Outlets in Lee, Dick's Sporting Goods off of Merrill Road in Pittsfield and Toy Works on Route 8.

Pittsfield Man Sentenced On Drug Related Charges

A 22-year-old Pittsfield man pleaded guilty recently in Berkshire Superior Court to several drug related charges. Terance Moore of Dewey Avenue, entered guilty pleas to single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a fire arm without a firearm identification card and other charges. All charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at Moore's home in December of last year. Moore was ordered to serve one year of a two year sentence on the cocaine charge and a concurrent one year sentence on another charge. He was also placed on two years probation. The firearms charges were dismissed at the request of the Commonwealth.

Adams Man Faces Drunk Driving Charges.

33 year old Michael McGuire of 4 Beech Street in Adams was placed on a thousand dollars cash bail Wednesday after pleading not guilty to drunken driving charges in Northern Berkshire District Court. McGuire was arrested on August 14th after being involved in a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Summer and Cherry Streets. Police said McGuire had fled the scene of the accident but was captured a short time later. McGuire was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and possession of a Class E substance.

North Adams Man Gets Jail Time For Selling Fake Drugs And A Stun Gun.

Selling drugs is one thing but selling fake drugs and a stun gun is another. That's what got 30-year-old Dean Williams of North Adams in hot water with the law recently. Williams was arrested on after allegedly selling fake cocaine to undercover police in June and a stun gun to an undercover state trooper in March. Northern Berkshire District Court Judge Michael Ripps sentenced Williams to six month in the Berkshire County House of Correction.

BIG DIG-REPORT
Federal report cites plates on Zakim Bridge

A new federal report on the Big Dig
raises concerns about warped steel anchor plates on the Leonard
Zakim Bridge in Boston.
A U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general
report asked state officials to take a closer look at the safety
risk posed by anchor plates which connect the bridge's cables to
its steel girders.
Six warped plates were found on the bridge.
Federal officials said the anchor plates posed a higher
safety risk than state officials found in their stem-to-stern
safety review of the Big Dig last November.
Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen says
they've already addressed the concerns cited in the report.
Federal officials also called for additional testing to
assess the effects of high-temperature fires on Big Dig tunnels,
saying a "high-temperature" fire could cause ceiling panel
anchors to fail.

AG TAGS
New license plates will support state's farmers

The latest specialty license plate being
issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles will raise money to
support the state's farmers.
The "Ag Tag" license plate features a black and white cow's
face surrounded by apples, geraniums, corn and cranberries.
It was designed by Susan Bergeron, a graphic designer from
Brimfield.
Production of the plates will begin once 1,500 Ag Tags are
sold within two years of the kick-off.
Similar to other specialty plates, they'll cost $40 on top
of the regular registration fees.
The Agricultural Trust Fund will receive $28 for each plate
sold, with the rest going to production costs.
The state already has 16 specialty plates, which benefit a
variety of causes, including cancer research, animal welfare and
youth hockey.

HOLOCAUST TRIAL
Judge orders deportation of Mass. man accused of Nazi
involvement

An immigration judge orders the deportation
of a 91-year-old retired factory worker from Sutton for helping
Nazi Germany kill Jews in Poland.
The judge said Vladas Zajanckauskas must be removed to his
native Lithuania because he was a member of a notorious
Nazi-trained unit that aided in the brutal killings in the ghetto
in Poland.
Federal prosecutors says the deportation order comes more
than two years after a federal judge in Boston revoked
Zajanckauskas' U.S. citizenship.
Zajanckauskas denied he was in Warsaw at the time and said
his involvement with the Nazis was limited to working the bar at
one of their camps in Poland.
But Justice Department prosecutors say he was recruited as
a guard in a unit called the "Trawniki men" that was deployed by
the SS to help the Nazis capture and kill Jews.

ROACH-UMASS
UMass community remembers jazz drummer Max Roach

The jazz world knows him as an
innovator of style, but to those affiliated with the University
of Massachusetts, Max Roach was a teacher and friend.
The bebop drummer died Thursday in New York after a long
illness. He was 83.
Roach came to the UMass-Amherst campus in 1972, and was
affiliated with the school in the mid-1990s.
His longtime friend Fred Tillis, who founded the UMass jazz
program two years before Roach arrived, says Roach came to UMass
at a time when jazz musicians were having a tough time getting
recorded.
Tom Reney, another friend who hosts a jazz
program at the public radio station based on the UMass campus,
calls Roach the most influential drummer in jazz and "one of
those players whose name and music raises the goose flesh."

VERMONT STATE NEWS

SEVERE WEATHER
Trees, power lines felled by fast-moving storms

Some severe weather that moved
through Vermont last night has left power companies and many
homeowners to clean up Friday.
More than six thousand homes and businesses served by
Central Vermont Public Service were without power at one point
after storms packing high winds, rain and hail ripped through
Grand Isle, Lamoille, Franklin and Chittenden counties late
Thursday afternoon.
One tree fell across Interstate 89, blocking a southbound
lane, and at least two cars elsewhere were hit with falling
trees.
Hardest hit were the towns of Milton, Georgia and Fairfax
and parts of Cambridge, Fletcher, Westford and Underhill.
At one point, 30 roads were closed due to damage.

BODY FOUND
No word yet if Lake Champlain floater is missing sailor

Still no word yet on whether a man's
body found was found floating in Lake Champlain is that of a
missing sailor from Stowe.
The body of the middle-aged white male was spotted by three
passers-by in Burlington, at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, but
police aren't releasing the ID yet, pending notification of next
of kin.
Burlington Police Sergeant Paul Glynn says the clothing on
the body resembled that worn by a Stowe man who disappeared
earlier this month in Shelburne Bay after jumping out of a boat
to retrieve a piece of equipment that had fallen into the water.

GOVERNOR AGENDA
Governor to seek opinions for legislative session across
the state

Governor Jim Douglas is hitting the
road, and he wants to hear from you.
Douglas announced what he's calling his "Set the Agenda
Tour" Thursday at a Williston restaurant, saying he wants to
hear about the day-to-day challenges confronting Vermont's
families and small businesses.
He says he plans to meet Vermonters at coffee hours,
round-table discussions and brown bag lunches with small business
owners and casual conversations at the state's county fairs.
He's also asking Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie to reach
out to senior citizens in their homes to learn their concerns.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Gaye Symington, a Democrat, says
she's glad Vermont's Republican governor wants to learn the
opinions of Vermonters but says she'd like lawmakers to attend
the sessions.

SANDERS-BORDER
Sanders wants Homeland Security Secretary to see for
himself

See for yourself.
That's the message from U-S Senator Bernie Sanders, who's
inviting Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to Vermont
to see for himself the backups at the Canadian border caused by
new security rules.
Sanders says he wants Chertoff to put an end to what
Sanders calls an "absolutely unacceptable situation."
Sanders has been meeting with people who live near the
border and he's hearing their stories of how what used to be a
two-minute trip to Canada can take an hour or longer.
In his letter, Sanders says the borders must be secure, but
the country also needs to ensure procedures allow for timely and
efficient customs and immigration checks.
Sanders says he's been told the border delays are hurting
Vermont businesses.

VERIZON SALE
Public Service Board to hold hearings on proposed Verizon
sale

A controversial plan to sell
Verizon's telephone land lines will go before the public next
month.
The state Public Service Board is planning two weeks of
hearings next month on FairPoint Communication's bid to buy
Verizon telephone land lines in Vermont.
The three-member quasi-judicial body will likely question
representatives of the two media companies as well as other
interested parties.
FairPoint Vice President Walter Leach says he will tell the
board how the company would bring new jobs and enhance broadband
Internet capabilities in Vermont.
FairPoint is trying to buy the 325,000 land lines in
Vermont as well as Verizon operations in New Hampshire and Maine.
To go through, the $2.72 billion sale must be approved by
utility regulators in all three states.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

A Pittsfield Man Sentenced On Drug Related Charges

A Pittsfield man pleaded guilty Tuesday in Berkshire Superior Court to several drug related charges. Twenty year old Terance Moore of Dewey Avenue entered guilty pleas to single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a fire arm without a firearm identification card, and possession of Marijuana with intent to distribute. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at Moore's home in December of last year. Moore was ordered to serve one year of a two year sentence on the cocaine charge and a concurrent one year sentence on the marijuana charge. He was also placed on two years probation. The firearms charges were dismissed at the request of the Commonwealth.

Windmill Operational At Jiminy Peak

A Massachusetts ski resort is the first in North America to own and operate its own windmill and its right here in the Berkshires. A ceremony was scheduled to be held at the top of Jiminy Peak Wednesday to officially dedicate the 378-foot-high, 1.5 megawatt wind turbine, built at a cost of nearly $4 million dollars. Officials say the windmill will not only power the ski resort, but also generate enough electricity to power about 1,200 homes in the Berkshires.

Park Square Project Ok'd By Planning Commission

The Park Square project in downtown Pittsfield that would eliminate the need to travel around Park Square to continue south, has been on hold for the past few years for any number of reasons, but now, it appears that the project may actually become a reality. The Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization has approved the $1.7 million dollar project that would link South Street directly to North Street and eliminate the troublesome traffic circle. The project is expected to begin in the spring. Several Road projects in South Berkshire have also been given the green-light. Projects given the go-ahead include a 3 Million dollar rehab of the Main Road in Tyringham and monies for the replacement of a bridge located over Gilders Brook in Egremont. An additional project gaining consideration is a reconstruction of Route 183 in Lenox.

A Hudson New York Bridge A Danger To Drivers?

With the recent bridge collapse in Minneapolis, officials in every state have their eyes wide open to potential bridge problems. Bridges all over the nation are getting top to bottom inspections. That's why this is a bit disturbing. -- A report in this morning's edition of the Hudson New York Register-Star shows pictures of the underside of a New York State over-pass bridge along Route 102, which travels from Canaan into Massachusetts. What is depicted in the photos are rusty metal C-clamps in place, apparently fastening pieces of metal to the support beams under the bridge. The question is why has that been over-looked? The public information officer in New York says that that particular bridge is considered a "shared responsibility" between the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York Thruway Authority. So far no one is taking responsibility. A message left by the Hudson newspaper to the Thruway Authority has not been returned.

NATIONAL GUARD
Patrick names new head of Massachusetts National Guard

Governor Deval Patrick taps a new head of the
Massachusetts National Guard.
Brigadier General Joseph Carter will serve as the guard's
next adjutant general. Carter is currently assistant adjutant
general and also chief of the MBTA police.
He's the first black appointed to the post in the
Massachusetts Guard's 370-year history.
Carter will serve as Patrick's senior military adviser and
command more than 6,000 army and air guard soldiers.
The primary mission of the Massachusetts National Guard is
to protect the citizens of the state in times of natural disaster
and civil emergency, but they also support military missions.
Currently there are more than 1,658 members of the
Massachusetts National Guard deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan,
Kosovo and other areas.
Carter assumes command on September 21.

UMASS CHANCELLOR
Former Clark Atlanta president picked to head UMass-Amherst

Interim UMass Amherst chancellor Thomas Cole
pledges to be more than just a caretaker, but to move the
flagship campus forward at "an accelerated pace."
The former president of Clark Atlanta University was
unanimously approved Wednesday by UMass trustees.
He takes over for John Lombardi, who's leaving to become
president of Louisiana State University.
Cole says faculty appointments will be made and
construction and facilities projects will continue under his
tenure, which is expected to last about a year.
The 26,000 student campus is currently in the midst of two
major building projects, with a third planned for the near
future.
Cole will be paid about $350,000.
Trustees have established a 24-person search committee that
will conduct a national search for a permanent chancellor.
Cole will not be among the candidates.

BRIDGE REPAIRS
Canal and drawbridge reopen in Gloucester

The Coast Guard reopens the
Blynman Canal in Gloucester to boat traffic.
The waterway was closed last week after a drawbridge was
locked down following the discovery that the eastern seawall had
become dangerously unstable.
The Massachusetts Highway Department was able to complete
temporary repairs to the structure ahead of schedule, allowing
boat traffic to safely resume.
The drawbridge began operating again Wednesday afternoon.
The canal connects Gloucester Harbor to the Annisquam
River.
During the closure, boats were forced to detour around Cape
Ann.
The structural problems were found in a granite-block
seawall that supports the bridge tender's house.
The tender activates the mechanism to control the bridge.

WILDLIFE WORRIES
Coyotes, beavers need their space, advocates say

Wildlife advocates say there are better ways
to deal with coyotes and beavers than to expand hunting and
trapping in Massachusetts.
A group of biologists and officials from the Massachusetts
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals spoke Wednesday
at a Statehouse event promoting alternatives to hunting and
trapping.
They denounced new regulations allowing homeowners to hire
"problem animal control" agents to kill coyotes on their
property.
The state's Fisheries and Wildlife Board recently expanded
the coyote hunting season by five weeks -- from the Saturday
after Columbus Day through March 8.
There are an estimated 10,000 coyotes in Massachusetts.
Fisheries and Wildlife board chairman George Darey defends
the new regulations, saying Massachusetts is "very conservative"
compared to northern New England states that have no regulations
at all.

DELAHUNT-CLEMENCY
Delahunt seeks clemency for Mass. Marine convicted of Iraq
murder

Congressman William Delahunt wants
clemency for a Marine from Plymouth who is facing 15 years in
military prison for the murder of an Iraqi civilian.
Delahunt has sent a letter to the Marine general handling
the case seeking clemency for Lawrence Hutchins the Third, who
was demoted to private from sergeant after his conviction.
The South Shore congressman says it is a question of
fairness since Hutchins is the only member of his squad to be
convicted of murder in the case.
Seven Marine squad members and a Navy corpsman were
initially charged with murder and kidnapping. Five cut deals with
prosecutors and received sentences ranging from one to eight
years in prison.
Hutchins is the only one of the eight who remains in
prison.

MILLIONAIRE SHOT
Closing arguments set in trial of former M-I-T professor

Closing arguments are set for Thursday
in the trial of a former MIT professor and millionaire accused of
staging his own shooting.
John Donovan told police he had been shot by two masked
strangers in the parking lot of his Cambridge business in
December 2005.
Five months later, prosecutors charged him with filing a
false police report. They said Donovan staged his own shooting,
then falsely accused his oldest son of hiring the killers to gain
the upper hand in a legal battle with his five adult children.
During the trial, James Donovan testified that his father
threatened his family several times during the battle for a
multimillion-dollar family fortune.
James Donovan says his father called him a "demon," told
him he should be careful because he had young kids and a lot to
lose, and allegedly warned: "I will ruin you."

AG TAGS
New license plates will support state's farmers

Specialty license plates that support
charities, boost youth sports and protect the environment are
already available from the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Add to that a plate to support the state's farmers.
State officials will unveil a new "Ag Tag" license plate
Thursday, sales of which will benefit farmers through programs
financed by an Agricultural Trust Fund.
The new plate will be unveiled at the Brookline Farmers'
Market.
The state already has 16 specialty plates, which benefit a
variety of causes, including cancer research, animal welfare and
youth hockey.

EATING GLASS
Man pleads guilty in glass-eating scheme

A man pleads guilty in federal court to
intentionally eating glass in restaurants for insurance money.
Ronald Evano and his wife, Mary Evano, filed fraudulent
insurance claims worth more than $200,000 and left a trail of
unpaid medical bills worth more than $100,000 between 1997 and
2005.
Prosecutors say they were treated at hospitals for
intentional glass ingestion at least a dozen times.
Mary Evano is still being sought.
Ronald Evano pleaded guilty to conspiracy, mail fraud, wire
fraud, identity theft, making false statements on health care
matters and Social Security fraud.
Prosecutors dropped four counts of identity fraud and
health care fraud in the plea agreement.

ANIMAL CRUELTY
New Bedford man charged in strange case of animal cruelty

A New Bedford man is facing
charges in a bizarre case of animal cruelty.
New Bedford police say a woman was walking with her pit
bull Tuesday on Mill Street when her estranged boyfriend pulled
up to her in his truck, jumped out, and struck the dog in the
head with a metal pipe.
Thirty-five-year old Brentwood Knowles fled the scene, but
was arrested a short time later and charged with cruelty to
animals.
Authorities say the dog was on a leash and properly
licensed.
The pit bull was taken to a local veterinary clinic and is
expected to recover.
Lieutenant Jeffery Silva says Knowles was arraigned in New
Bedford District Court Wednesday and released on personal
recognizance.

VERMONT STATE NEWS

ST. ALBANS SHOOTING
Police still don't know what prompted St. Albans shooting

St. Albans police say they still
don't know what caused a shooting on a city street earlier this
week.
The suspect in the shooting, 22-year-old Matthew Martel,
pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon.
Martel turned himself in to police Tuesday night. He was
released after posting $10,000 bail.
Martel is charged with shooting 20-year-old Jonathan Bushee
of Berkshire after a verbal altercation in downtown St. Albans at
about 3:15 Tuesday morning.
Bushee and others with him say they didn't know Martel
before meeting him on the street.
Bushee was not seriously wounded.

WENNBERG RESIGNS
Environmental Commissioner Wennberg resigns

Vermont Commissioner of Environmental
Commissioner Jeff Wennberg says it's been a priviledge for him to
serve with the 300 men and women whose job it is to preserve,
protect and enhance Vermont's natural resources.
Wennberg announced Wednesday he would be leaving his post
at the end of the month.
Natural Resources Secretary George Crombie says Wennberg is
resigning to seek opportunities outside of state government.
Deputy Environmental Conservation Commissioner Justin
Johnson will assume Wennberg's duties until a permanent
replacement can be found.

STATE HOSPITAL
Some good, some bad: Feds issue second report on State
Hospital

The U.S. Department of Justice says
the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury is making improvements,
but more needs to be done.
The inspectors keeping tabs on the hospital as part of a
monitoring program stemming from a critical 2005 report, issued
their own report Wednesday.
The state was applauded for making progress in treatment
planning, protecting patients from harm, incident management and
quality improvement.
But the state must still improve in the areas of
rehabilitation assessments, patient participation in discharges
and psychological rehabilitation services.
The report was written by two physicians who visited the
hospital in June.
They will be back in October for another inspection.

BRIDGE SENSORS
Little sensors, big ideas: Vt biz develops solar-powered
sensors

A Williston company is playing a
bigger role in helping determine if bridges are safe.
MicroStrain is experimenting with wireless sensing
technology that could play a bigger role as transit agencies step
up efforts to assess the condition of bridges in the aftermath of
the August 1 bridge collapse in Minneapolis.
It's a wireless, solar-powered sensor system that can
provide data on strain, seismic activity and vibrations on
bridges. It eliminates the need for manually replacing batteries
once the sensors are installed in hard-to-access places.
The sensors are already in place on a bridge in Greece and
on an Interstate 95 bridge in New London, Connecticut. The data
is transmitted to computers via wireless connections.

POLICE SUED
Bellows Falls bar owner files federal suit over arrest

A Bellows Falls bar owner who
says police retaliated against him for publicly criticizing them
has filed a federal lawsuit against the village, local police and
the Vermont State Police.
Wayne Ryan, owner of Nick's, says his constitutional rights
were violated and that police purposely subjected him to a "perp
walk" so photographs could be taken while he was in custody.
Ryan, who was checking IDs at the door, wouldn't let an
undercover police officer into the bar because he didn't show any
ID. An officer who did show ID was admitted.
Ryan was then charged with impeding a police officer.
The charges against Ryan were dismissed.

PLANT FUNGUS
Wet conditions create conditions for plant fungus

Wet conditions across Vermont this
summer have helped create conditions that allow a fungus called
"ergot" to develop in some grains and grasses.
And officials say if the plant is allowed to go to seed and
animals eat the seeds, they can get sick.
University of Vermont Extension Service Agronomist Heather
Darby says that ingesting the fungus can cause swelling in an
animal's extremities.
But she says animals should recover if they stop eating the
affected feed and they haven't eaten too much.
And farmers who cut their hay or turn livestock into
pastures before grasses go to seed shouldn't have a problem.
The problem is more common in the Midwest than in New
England.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Adams/Cheshire School Board Requests State Funding.

The Adams Cheshire Regional School District Board has voted to request millions of dollars in state funding for the repair and renovation of Adams Memorial Middle School. The Adams school was selected over Cheshire Elementary School, after Superintendent Al Skrocki found out that money could only be requested for one of the two schools, even though both schools are in bad need of repair. The School Building Authority says it has been inundated with requests for funding. As it stands now, the school board will have to come up with a new proposal for just Adams Memorial School. The kicker here is that there is no guarantee that the school will be chosen to receive the money.

Matell Recalls Chinese-Made Toys

Toy-manufacturing giant Mattel, has issued recalls for about 9 million Chinese-made toys that contain magnets that can be swallowed by children or could have lead paint. The recalls includes 7.3 million play sets, including Polly Pocket dolls and Batman action figures, and 253-thousand die cast cars that contain lead paint. The action was announced on the company's Web site and at a news conference by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. No injuries have been reported with any of the products involved in the new recall. However, several injuries had been reported in an earlier Polly Pocket recall last November. A visit to toy stores in the Berkshires Tuesday saw bare shelves where such Mattel toys had once been displayed.

September Is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

The month of September is Prostrate Cancer Awareness Month and the Reach Community Health Foundation and North Adams Regional Hospital will sponsor free health screenings for men and women on Saturday September 15th from 9am to noon. The free screenings are open to men and women age 18 and older who are uninsured or whose health insurance does not cover preventive health screenings. There is no proof of income or citizenship requirements for participants.

Paraprofessionals Rally For A Fair Contract

Berkshire Hills Education Association paraprofessionals will rally for a fair contract on Friday in Great Barrington. The paraprofessionals are now going into their third year without a salary increase, because they do not have a contract. President of the paraprofessional unit, Nina Carr, says that their salaries, which start at $8.50 per hour, are significantly lower than salaries paid to paraprofessionals throughout the region - including those in Lee, Lenox and the Southern Berkshire Regional School District. The Friday rally will be held from 3 to 5 pm at Great Barrington Park, which is located at the intersections of routes 7 and 41. An additional rally will be held the following Friday, August 24th.

Park Square Project Ok'd By Planning Commission.

The Park Square project in downtown Pittsfield that would eliminate the annoying traffic circle, has been on hold for the past few of years for various reasons, but now, it appears that the project may actually happen. The Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization has OK'd the $1.7 million dollar Park Square project that would link South Street directly to North Street and eliminate the troublesome traffic circle that is the sight of many accidents each year. The project is expected to begin in the spring.

It Could Cost More To Drive On The Masspike Next Year.

It may cost more than expected this January for drivers who use the Massachusetts Turnpike. Turnpike bonds floated eight to ten years ago assumed toll increases in 2002 and 2008. The 2008 hikes were initially anticipated at another 25 cents for the tolls on the Turnpike's Boston end and another 50 cents for the tunnels. But officials say Big Dig costs could force those anticipated increases even higher. For western Massachusetts residents, tolls would continue to be FREE from the New York state line to exit 6.

Western Mass Municipalities Share In Recycling Reimbursement Money

Seventy eight communities in Western Massachusetts are sharing in approximately $1.5 Million dollars from Waste Management Recycle America in fiscal year 2007. The money was reimbursed to the communities for delivering more than 44 thousand tons of recyclable materials to the Springfield Materials Recycling Facility, which is ran by Waste Management Recycle America. Several Berkshire communities are sharing in the money based on how much material was sent to the recycling facility. Communities are paid a flat rate of $15.67 per ton in addition to a revenue share when markets are good. Among communities receiving reimbursement in the Berkshires: Great Barrington recorded 77 recycling tonnage and received more than $29-hundred dollars. Pittsfield recorded over 12-hundred-33 tons and has received over $47-thousand dollars.

CASINO GAMBLING
Cape Cod tribe acquiring more land for possible casino

A Cape Cod tribe that wants to
open a casino resort in Massachusetts is buying more land in
Middleborough.
The Mashpee Wampanoag are picking up an option to buy
another 205 acres in the town. The tribe and its financial
backers already own 125 acres outright in the community and have
options on another 201 acres.
Middleborough residents approved a contract with the tribe
last month that would pay the town $11 million a year, as well as
250 million dollars for infrastructure improvements.
Tribal spokeswoman Amy Lambiaso says the more recent land
deal is expected to be their final in Middleborough.
The Legislature still needs to approve expanded gambling in
Massachusetts before a full-scale casino can be built.

UMASS CHANCELLOR
Former Clark Atlanta president named temporary head of
UMass-Amherst

A former president of Clark
Atlanta University will take over the UMass-Amherst campus for
the next year.
Trustees are expected to pick Thomas Cole as interim
chancellor for the UMass system's flagship campus at a meeting
scheduled for Wednesday.
Trustee chairman Steve Tocco says he's impressed with
Cole's background, and says he's the right choice to help the
Amherst campus boost its fundraising, continue its building
projects and bolster its faculty.
Cole takes over for John Lombardi, who is leaving UMass at
odds with the administration over plans to restructure the
five-campus university system.
Lombardi will take over as president of Louisiana StateUniversity next month.

FUGITIVE ROUNDUP
Weeklong roundup targets dozens of fugitives

A weeklong roundup involving state and
federal law enforcement officials takes 73 violent fugitives off
the streets of Massachusetts.
The U.S Marshals Service says Operation Falcon picked up
people wanted for crimes ranging from kidnapping, armed assault
with intent to murder, sex offenses and witness intimidation.
The effort stretched from August 6-11 and involved the U.S
Marshals office in Boston, state and local law enforcement and
various other federal agencies.
In addition to the arrests -- handguns, knives, drugs and
cash were seized and 111 warrants were cleared.
In one case, a fugitive jumped from the third floor of an
apartment building in Roxbury as law enforcement officials
entered the house.
Keon Simmons -- who was originally charged with assault and
battery on a police officer -- was eventually picked up three
days later.

HOSPITAL INCENTIVES
Under new plan, hospitals to get cash for improving quality

Hospitals that improve their quality and
shrink the state's racial and ethnic health care gap are eligible
for cash rewards under the state's new "pay for performance"
program.
Incentives will be based on achievement or improvement in
five key health care areas, including high-volume or high-risk
procedures and processes.
Those areas include maternity and newborn care, pediatric
asthma care, community acquired pneumonia, surgical infection
prevention, and health disparities prevention.
Twenty million dollars has been has been set aside for
incentive payments in the first year of the program.
For each category, the program establishes a baseline
threshold and a best practice benchmark. Hospitals must meet the
minimum threshold to get any incentive payment.

RECALLS
Recalled: frozen turkey products

A Revere food company is recalling
nearly 13,000 pounds of frozen turkey products because they may
contain nonfat milk, which was not declared on the label.
The recall by Ian's Natural Foods involves 8-ounce boxes of
Ian's Popcorn Turkey Corn Dogs, Crispy Batter Dipped Turkey Dogs
with the establishment number P-19011 and a packaging date of
07099, 07114, 07120 or 07173.
The product was sent to distribution centers in several
states. New England states involved are Connecticut,
Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Additional information can be obtained by calling the
company at 978-989-0601.

VERMONT STATE NEWS

ST. ALBANS SHOOTING
Police search for early morning shooter

The 20-year-old Berkshire man shot
on the streets of St. Albans says he's lucky to be alive.
Police are continuing to search for the man who shot
Jonathan Bushee just after 3:15 a.m. Tuesday.
Police say they're searching for a white male 18 to
20-years old, between five feet eight and five feet 10 inches
tall with a slender build and short, spiked blond hair. He was
last seen wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and blue jeans.
Bushee was shot in the left thigh. He was treated at the
Northwestern Vermont Medical Center in St. Albans and then
released.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call
St. Albans police at 802 524 2166.
Bushee says he didn't know he'd been hit until he got to
the hospital.

FIRED PROSECUTORS
Leahy urges White House cooperation on fired prosecutor
investigations

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy is
calling on the White House to cooperate in congressional probes
into the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.
The Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
has written a letter to President Bush suggesting that Bush,
Leahy and Republican Senator Arlen Specter sit down to work out
their differences on the matter.
Leahy has subpoenaed Rove and is seeking e-mails that Leahy
says indicate that Rove played a role in the firings.
Leahy says he's concerned about political interference in
the federal law enforcement system.
Leahy spoke in Montpelier Tuesday, a day after deputy
White House Chief of State Karl Rove announced his resignation.

TRANSPORTATION REPAIRS
Symington says gas tax one option for fixing roads, bridges

House Speaker Gaye Symington says
the state's roads and bridges are in a "state of crisis" and says
the Legislature needs to focus on ways to pay for their repairs.
But she is denying Republican allegations that she is
considering increasing the gas tax to pay for the work.
House Minority Leader Steve Adams says any increase in the
gas tax would hurt low-to-moderate income Vermonters already
struggling with high gas prices and other rising costs.
He supports a Vermont Agency of Transportation proposal to
use existing state revenue to fix or replace some of the old
infrastructure.
Symington and other Democrats say increasing the gas tax is
just one of the options that should be considered.

UVM STUDENTS
UVM to have record number of undergraduates

The University of Vermont is on
target to meet President Dan Fogel's long-term strategy to
increase the size of the student body.
A total of 2,450 incoming undergraduate students are
expected on campus later this month, up 12 percent from the
record high last year.
That means the school will have a total of 9,450
undergraduates and 1,360 graduate students, both of which are all
time highs.
Fogel wants to increase the student population to 11,400 by
2012.

EMERGENCY AID
FEMA allocates almost $3.6 million for Vt. disaster aid

The Federal Emergency Management
Agency is prepared to spend $3.6 to help Vermont communities
recover from damage and destruction caused by severe storms and
flooding in April.
There are 218 reconstruction projects under way in Vermont
and so far 204 of those projects will receive federal help. The
other projects are still being reviewed.
Heavy rain and snow in the storms of April 15-21 caused
considerable utility and road damage.
On May 4, the president declared a major disaster, in the
Vermont counties of Bennington, Caledonia, Essex, Orange,
Rutland, Windham and Windsor. On June 4, Lamoille County was
added to the list.
The FEMA grants cover 75 percent of the cost of approved
repair, reconstruction and mitigation projects.

LATIN MASS
Catholic bishop to say mass in Latin

Vermont Catholics will be able to
hear a mass in Latin Wednesday for the first time in more than 30
years.
Bishop Salvatore Matano will say the mass at 7 p.m. at the
Saint Joseph Co-Cathedral in Burlington.
Last month Pope Benedict XVI made it easier for local
dioceses across the world to give masses in Latin should they so
choose.
Some Catholics believe the Latin service is more sacred
than in local languages.
While the old Latin Mass was never abolished, its use
became restricted after the New Mass was introduced in 1970.
Local bishops had to authorize it, and many did not -
either because they did not want to or thought there was not the
demand, or because they did not have priests who knew how to
celebrate it.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

North Adams Package Store Site Of Million Dollar Ticket Sale

A North Adams package store can now claim they've sold a million dollar winning lottery ticket. The Berkshire Eagle is reporting that the winning ticket was sold at West's Package Store Friday night to a man identified as Patrick Alvarez, a former employee of the store but the lottery commission has not confirmed that just yet. If Alvarez is the winner, he'll have to make the trip to the state's lottery headquarters in Braintree and claim his prize.
The winning ticket was a Red Sox scratch ticket.

Fall Foliage Parade Organizers Looking For Floats

The organizers of the North Adams Fall Foliage Parade are looking for a few good floats. In fact, they're looking for quite a few for the parade which will take place on Sunday September 30th. The theme of this year's parade is "Transportation…Then and Now", and that should inspire float builders with some interesting ideas. Rod Bunt, Fall Foliage Parade Committee Director, said it takes time and skill to building a winning float. Besides, awards for various floats range from $200 dollars for the Directors Award to Harry S. Orr Award of $400 dollars. The Fall Foliage Parade Committee is still looking for donations to help them reach their goal of $50,000.

High School Musical Sold Out

The Barrington Stage Company's Youth Theatre production of Disney's High School Musical at the First Congregational Church in Pittsfield has been sold out. There are simply NO tickets left. But there is one more chance for you to catch the hit musical of the summer in the Berkshires. Barrington Stage Company officials said that Disney's High School Musical will move to their main stage on Union Street for one performance only on Monday August 20th at 7pm. It will be your last chance to see the 20-member cast perform the popular musical on any stage.

For Sale: City-Owned Duplex On South John Street.

The City of Pittsfield is selling a newly renovated city-owned duplex at 36 South John Street. Asking price: at least $150-thousand dollars. It would be a good income property and affordable housing for an income eligible family. So says Mayor James Ruberto during a recent ribbon cutting at the duplex. The property was abandoned for some time then purchased by the City in 2004 and renovated for $250-thousand dollars provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Block Grant money. Several open houses will be held including one tomorrow from 6:30 to 8:30 tomorrow evening at 36 South John Street.

Nurses Stage Informational Picket In Front Of BMC

About 40 nurses held signs and marched in front of Berkshire Medical Center Monday afternoon in what the union described as an "informational picketing" session. The nurses have been in contract negotiations with hospital officials for four months and have been unable to agree on several key points….including retiree health insurance benefits. The current contract expires on September 30th. Hospital operations were not disrupted by the picketing.

Handicapped Parking Abuse

Those of you who use handicapped parking spaces and are not handicapped are in for a surprise. You may get a $500 dollar fine. In Boston, police are cracking down on handicapped parking abuse and the same thing is happening in the Berkshires. Recently, a woman was fined $500 dollars for sitting in a handicapped parking space in a North Adams grocery store parking lot after she told police she was waiting for the person for whom the handicapped parking card had been issued. The woman left the car and came out alone and with no shopping bags, she was issued the $500 dollar fine.

AUTO INSURANCE
Lawmakers skeptical of Patrick's planned auto insurance
overhaul

Governor Patrick's plan to open the state's
auto insurance industry to more competition is coming under
fierce scrutiny on Beacon Hill.
Members of a special Senate panel say they're worried the
proposal doesn't include enough protections to guard against
discrimination by companies offering insurance.
New Bedford State Senator Mark Montigny says before opening
up the market to more competition, the state needs to do more to
block companies from discriminating against groups of drivers.
The law already bans companies from using race or gender as
a factor in determining insurance rates.
But state Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes hasn't ruled
out allowing insurers to use other socio-economic factors, like
occupation or income, to set rates.
Massachusetts is the only state where state regulators, not
the market, set car insurance rates.

IBM-MASS.
IBM to consolidate operations at software center in
Littleton

IBM says it's opening the state's
largest software campus.
The technology giant plans to consolidate most of its
Massachusetts operations near Interstate 495 at sites in
Littleton and Westford.
Armonk, New York-based IBM says the site will bring
together 3,400 of IBM's top technical talent in Massachusetts
when the campus opens next year. Workers will be spread across
four buildings in Littleton and Westford that are less than three
miles apart.
IBM has nearly 5,000 employees in the state, working at
eight different sites. About two-thirds of those workers focus on
the software piece of IBM's business.
Once the transition to the I-495 campus is complete, IBM
will have Massachusetts offices in Littleton, Westford, Cambridge
and Waltham.

ROMNEY-CALIFORNIA
Romney seeks to carve out lead as GOP's top candidate in
Calif.

Mitt Romney claims his weekend
victory in Iowa's Republican Party Straw Poll will help position
him as the GOP's top presidential candidate.
During a campaign stop in Fresno, California Monday, the
former governor says he wants to springboard from support in the
early states to the rest of the country.
He leads in state polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, but
trails in national surveys.
Romney's support for the Iraq war and fiscal conservatism
appeared to play well in California's San Joaquin Valley.
It's a region where GOP contenders Senator John McCain of
Arizona and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani have also
sought early endorsements and cash infusions this year.
Romney was also scheduled to appear in San Diego, where
he'll tour the U.S.-Mexico border with a union of border patrol
agents.

ROMNEY-WEALTH
Romney wealth as high as $250 million; vast holdings
revealed

A financial disclosure report shows that
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is worth as much as
250 million dollars.
The former venture capitalist's wealth is spread throughout
a dizzying array of investments that include banks, large
investment management firms, foreign export credit corporations
and real estate.
Romney reported the details of his wealth in a personal
financial disclosure report filed with the Federal Election
Commission and the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
Presidential candidates had been required to file such
disclosures by May 15, but Romney asked for two 45-day extensions
to obtain detailed values of his and his wife's blind trusts.
The report offers the most detailed public look yet at the
finances of the former Massachusetts governor.

WIESEL ACCOSTED
Man apologizes to Holocaust scholar Wiesel over alleged
attack

A man charged with dragging Holocaust
scholar Elie Wiesel from a hotel elevator apologizes in court to
the Nobel laureate.
Eric Hunt previously pleaded not guilty to charges that
included attempted kidnapping, elder abuse and hate crimes.
The apology came in the midst of a hearing to determine
whether Hunt, who originally pleaded not guilty by reason of
insanity but later changed his plea, should stand trial.
Hunt raised a shaking hand and spoke up suddenly from his
seat next to his lawyer.
He told Wiesel he was sorry for scaring him and sorry he
experienced the Holocaust.
Wiesel did not respond but went on to describe the February
incident in which he says Hunt grabbed him from the elevator and
demanded that the professor come to his room for an interview.
Wiesel said he feared he was being kidnapped.

COLLEGE STUDENT FEE
Councilor wants college students to pay $99 fee to city

If a Worcester politician has his
way, college students in the city will have to pay for more than
tuition, room and board and books.
Councilor-at-large Gary Rosen is proposing a $99 fee that
would be charged to all non-Worcester residents who attend
schools of higher education in the city.
Rosen says there are more than 20,000 college students in
Worcester, and the money raised by the fee could help pay for the
municipal services that students use on a daily basis.
Rosen points out that colleges and universities are
nonprofit institutions which pay no property taxes to the city.
The proposal is expected to be heard by the city council
tonigh

VERMONT STATE NEWS

GRANT INVESTIGATION
State auditor investigating bioterrorism grants to Health
Department

Vermont Health Commissioner Sharon
Moffatt says her department has a lot to learn from a state audit
of the way some bioterrorism grants are managed.
The state auditor is looking at how the Health Department
managed three bioterrorism grants totaling almost $630,000 to
help hospitals prepare to deal with biological attacks.
The report is nearing completion, but Deputy Auditor George
Thabault wouldn't say what prompted the investigation, what was
being focused on or what conclusions would be drawn.
Thabault says that since 2004 the Vermont Health Department
has received $5.7 million in grants as part of the National
Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program.

TROOPER-GUN FIRE
Police say backfire caused gunfire probe on Interstate 89

The Vermont State Police say a
backfiring vehicle and not a gunshot was the noise heard by a
trooper assisting a disabled motorist on Interstate 89.
Police closed the roadway for about 45 minutes Sunday night
to search for a possible gunman.
But a witness told police Tuesday he was following a black
vehicle as he passed the trooper and the motorist when he heard
the sound and saw sparks coming from the other vehicle's tail
pipe.
Police combed a quarter-mile section of I-89 near mile
marker 113 after Trooper Matthew Hill reported he heard a gun
shot.
The witness told police he thought shots had been fired
until he saw the sparks under the car in front of him.

VACCINE UPDATES
Health Department wants to update school vaccine rules

The Vermont Department of Health
wants to update the list of immunizations students are required
to have before starting school.
If approved, the proposed changes would be effective with
the school year starting in 2008, and would affect all students
entering Kindergarten through college.
One change would require that all students have two doses
of chickenpox vaccine or sign a form stating they have had the
disease.
Another would require students in grades 7 through 12 to
have a booster dose of a new vaccine that protects against
tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.
A new requirement would mandate that that first year
college students living in a dormitory be vaccinated against
meningitis.
The public has until September 14th to comment.

GOLF CLUB HEIST
Man charged in July burglary of Williston Golf Club

A man suspected in nine burglaries in
Chittenden and Grand Isle counties is facing charges he
burglarized the Williston Golf Club where more than $10,000 was
taken.
Thirty-year-old Joseph D. Heim of Essex is charged with
burglary and violating the conditions of release.
Williston Police Sergeant Bart Chamberlain says that in a
July 11 break-in, more than $10,000 in cash was stolen from a
safe.
Chamberlain says police searched Heim's home on Thursday
and found evidence linking him to the golf course burglary.
Heim was in custody when he was arrested on the latest
charges.

BARRE FIRE
Unattended dehydrator blamed for Barre fire

Barre firefighter say a home fire was
caused by a beef dehydrator that was left unattended in a South
Main Street home.
The fire was reported just before 10 a.m. Monday.
Deputy Fire Chief Russell Ashe says emergency personnel
were quickly able to put out a fire that was reported by a
passing motorist.
Smoke and water damage was largely contained to the second
floor office of the home.
One firefighter was treated for minor smoke inhalation.

BALL BEARS
Vermonter, fighting for NFL job, makes key catch in Bears
win

Orange, Vermont, native David Ball is
catching on with the Chicago Bears.
The graduate of Spaulding High School in Barre and the
University of New Hampshire, had a key preseason catch Saturday
as the Bears beat the Houston Texans 20-19.
While at U-N-H, Ball caught a record 58 touchdown
receptions, breaking the N-C-A-A Division one record that had
been held by retired NFL star Jerry Rice. Ball, who signed with
the Bears as a free agent, caught a 20-yard pass for a first down
on the game-winning drive.
But he may have some more catching to do: Ball says he's
one of 11 wide receivers competing for seven or eight roster
spots.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Monday Look At Gasoline Prices

It's another Monday and time for the Berkshire News Network to take a look at gasoline prices around the Berkshires. The lowest prices for a gallon of regular gasoline in the City of Pittsfield over the weekend was $2.78 with the highest being $2.94. According to GasBuddy.com, the lowest price for gallon of regular gasoline Sunday in North Adams was $2.75. The highest price reported was $2.83….eleven cents lower then the highest price in Pittsfield. Log onto www.gasbuddy.com and report the price of gasoline in your community.

BRTA Offering Student Passes

The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority will begin selling student bus passes for the upcoming school year on Wednesday August 15th. The student pass program is open to all students through grade 12 and provides unlimited access to the BRTA fixed route system for $66 dollars per season. The school year is divided into three seasons…fall, winter and spring. Passes can be purchased at BRTA headquarters at One Columbus Avenue in Pittsfield.

BCC Associate Degree Nursing Program Receives Re-Accreditation.

The Berkshire Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program has received an 8-year re-accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission for achievement of quality and excellence in nursing education. Accreditation is a voluntary process for recognizing nursing programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality. The BCC nursing program was founded in 1967 and has since graduated more the 14-hundred nurses.

Tax-Free Weekend Draws Crowds At Some Stores