BERKSHIRE COUNTY

Coverage of Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

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In Hundreds Of Public Comments, Berkshire Residents Push Back Against PCB Disposal Site

By • Oct 23, 2020
A lawn sign in Lee, Massachusetts, designed by Reed Anderson of Great Barrington, calls for no local dumps for PCB waste from General Electric.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has posted 585 pages of public comments on a proposed plan to clean up toxic waste from the Housatonic River and dispose some it in Lee, Massachusetts.

Could The Presidential Election Affect The Housatonic Cleanup?

By • Oct 19, 2020
A sign near the Housatonic River in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 2009 after a GE/EPA cleanup.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

Last month the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wrapped up a public comment period on its controversial plan to remove toxic PCBs from the Housatonic River. The agency said it hopes to issue its final plan by the end of the year.

That would be before any possible change at the White House.

Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Distances Itself From 'Great Barrington Declaration'

By • Oct 19, 2020
Great Barrington Town Hall in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
John Phelan / Creative Commons / commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Town_Hall,_Great_Barrington_MA.jpg

The town of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, has made it known it disapproves of a declaration that bears its name.

As COVID-19 Concerns Grow, An 'Unworkable' Solution Proposed

By • Oct 16, 2020
An ice cream shop in summer 2020 at Look Park in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Sam Hudzik / NEPM

Concern is growing in parts of New England about the potential for another spike in COVID-19 cases.

'Herd Immunity' Great Barrington Declaration On COVID-19 Sparks Controversy

By • Oct 15, 2020
A location in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, used by the think tank American Institute for Economic Research.
genericface / Creative Commons / flickr.com/photos/genericface

Great Barrington, Massachusetts, recently played host to a meeting that’s causing controversy in the scientific community and caught the attention of the White House.

Police Union Local: Officers In Williamstown, Mass., Face 'Hostile Environment'

By • Oct 8, 2020
Williamstown, Massachusetts Police Department
Facebook / Williamstown Police Department

A Williamstown, Massachusetts, police union is criticizing the town's select board for not standing up for the department.

Turning To Town Meetings To Overturn Approval Of PCB Dump In Berkshire County

By • Oct 1, 2020
Janice Castegnaro Braim wants residents of Lee, Massachusetts, to have the chance to vote on a plan to build a PCB dump in the town.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

The Environmental Protection Agency’s controversial plan to build a PCB disposal site in Berkshire County is the subject of several proposals on the Town Meeting agenda in Lee, Massachusetts, on Thursday night.

Removing A Dam To Reunite A Pittsfield, Mass., Neighborhood With A River

By • Sep 29, 2020
The West Branch of the Housatonic River on Mill Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, after an old dam was removed in the spring of 2020.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

Over the past two decades more than 60 dams have been torn down in Massachusetts with the goal of restoring river habitats and improving safety. One came down this year on the West Branch of the Housatonic River with yet another – more neighborhood-focused goal.

Berkshire County DA Releases Prosecutorial Police Watch List

By Walter Wuthmann • Sep 28, 2020

Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington earlier this week became the latest Massachusetts DA to publicly release a list of police officers her office tracks whose past conduct may raise questions about their credibility in court.

Harrington sent her office’s newly compiled list to staff in a memo Friday evening, and provided it to WBUR in response to a public records request.

The list contained the names of eight officers, from four different departments.

Tired Of Cramped Quarters During Pandemic, City Dwellers Move To Western Massachusetts

By • Sep 23, 2020
Dana Nestor and Nina Fernandes at their new Northampton, Massachusetts, house.
Karen Brown / NEPR

Home buying and selling slowed down in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but realtors in western Massachusetts say the market has picked up. 

EPA Says Extending Comment Period On Housatonic Cleanup Is 'Not Warranted'

By • Sep 21, 2020
A consumption advisory posted on the Housatonic River, in a file photo.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has turned down requests to give the public more time to comment on the agency's proposed cleanup of the Housatonic River.

Pittsfield Environmentalist Barbara Cianfarini Posthumously Receives EPA Award

By • Sep 18, 2020
Barbara Cianfarini in October 2014 near a stretch of the Housatonic River in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, that she helped get cleaned up.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s New England office announced this week awards for people who have worked to protect the environment. Three received lifetime achievement awards, including the late Barbara Cianfarini, who for decades fought to clean up PCBs in the Berkshires.

Western Mass. Restaurants Grapple With Staying Open, Impending Cold

By • Sep 15, 2020
Diners enjoy outdoor dining with service on the patio at Johnny's Bar and Grille in South Hadley, Massachusetts, in June.
Don Treeger / The Republican / Masslive.com/photos

Some chambers of commerce across western Massachusetts said they've seen some restaurant closures due to the pandemic. And there's concern about what fall and winter might bring.

For City And Town Clerks, Mass. State Primary Was A Hectic Dry Run For November

By Nancy Eve Cohen • Sep 10, 2020
A socially-distanced polling place in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, on the primary election September 1, 2020.
Sam Hudzik / NEPM

The recent primary election demanded a lot of city and town clerks across Massachusetts — not only on the election day, but the days, weeks and even months preceding it.

Berkshire Eagle To Cut Two Days Of Print Edition

By • Sep 4, 2020
The Berkshire Eagle Building in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Joseph / Creative Commons/https://flic.kr/p/ovf3tn

In October, The Berkshire Eagle will eliminate its Monday and Sunday hard copy papers. 

Results: Contested Primaries in Western Mass.

By NEPM Newsroom • Sep 1, 2020
At a polling place in Williamsburg, Mass., every other voting stall was taped off to ensure social distancing.
Sam Hudzik / NEPM

The polls are closed in the 2020 Massachusetts state primary. This campaign season has brought serious challenges to a sitting U.S. senator and the chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. There are also contested primaries in a handful of state legislative districts in Hampden County.

Williamstown Denies Most Harassment, Racist Allegations In Police Officer's Complaint

By • Sep 1, 2020
Williamstown, Massachusetts Police Department
Facebook / Williamstown Police Department

Williamstown, Massachusetts, officials have released their response to a complaint filed by a police officer last year with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. The complaint alleged sexual harassment, racist behavior and retaliation.

'Different Dynamics' Expected On Mass. Primary As Mail-In, Early Voting Shifts Norms

By • Aug 31, 2020
A ballot drop box in Shelburne, Massachusetts.
Carrie Healy / NEPM

The 2020 Massachusetts primary on Sept. 1 will whittle down the candidates and offer a major test to the state's mail-in voting system.

For many cities and towns, Tuesday's primary is the first voting in a new coronavirus world. 

2020 Voter Guide: Contested Primaries In Western Mass.

By NEPM Newsroom • Aug 26, 2020
Terry Yusteo (center) places ballots between Abigail Stone (left) and Adeline Rogers, so they can check in early and mail-in ballots to be counted on Tuesday, September 1, in Northampton, Mass.
Carol Lollis / Daily Hampshire Gazette / gazettenet.com/photos

Updated Aug. 30 

Voters across western Massachusetts will have an opportunity to vote on September 1 in the state primary  — if they haven't already taken advantage of early voting or the expanded mail-in option.

Public Can Weigh In On Toxic Waste Cleanup Plan In The Berkshires Until Mid-September

By Nancy Eve Cohen • Aug 25, 2020
A fish advisory next to a path leading to a fishing spot on the Housatonic River, in a file photo.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is inviting the public to comment on its revised plan to cleanup PCBs from the Housatonic River. The plan calls for a toxic waste disposal site in Lee, Massachusetts.

Williamstown, Mass., Police Sergeant Files Civil Rights Lawsuit

By • Aug 20, 2020
Williamstown, Massachusetts Police Department
Facebook / Williamstown Police Department

A Williamstown, Massachusetts, police officer has filed a $500,000 civil rights employment lawsuit in federal court against the town, its chief of police and town manager. 

Yo La Tengo Plays, At A Safe Distance, For Fans At Mass MoCA

By Andrea Shea • Aug 19, 2020

With performance venues shuttered and summer music festivals cancelled fans are lamenting the loss of the communal experience known as the concert. But socially-distanced performances are cropping up at drive-ins, in parks, and at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

The indie band Yo La Tengo traveled from New York to North Adams to play two shows on August 7 and 8 in the museum’s courtyard. We were curious to see what the experience would be like.

Former Pittsfield Mayor Remembered As Key Player In GE, EPA Agreement

By • Aug 14, 2020
Pittsfield City Hall.
Kenneth C. Zirkel / Creative Commons

Gerald Doyle, Jr., who was mayor of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, from 1998 to 2002, has died at 62. He was a key player in talks between General Electric and the government to clean up toxic waste left behind by the company.

Deadline To Apply For Victim Compensation Too Short For Some Child Sex Abuse Survivors

By • Aug 13, 2020
Billboards in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, in 2019 sought victims of child sexual abuse.
Heather Bellow / The Berkshire Eagle / berkshireeagle.com

For decades, Massachusetts, along with other states, have provided funds to victims of violent crimes to pay for things like counseling, medical care and lost wages. But advocates for victims of childhood sexual abuse have argued the state’s deadline for filing a funding application hurts those victims.

Mary Owens Lindenschmid, 91, Was A Talented Gardener And One-Time Pentagon Employee

By • Aug 5, 2020
Mary Owens Lindenschmid with her grandchildren in the late 1990s. From left, Kenneth Mick III, Mary Mick and Karl Mick.
Courtesy Kenneth Mick-Evans

More than 900 western Massachusetts residents have now died of the coronavirus. Among them is Mary Owens Lindenschmid, who was 91 when she died of complications from COVID-19. 

As Census Workers Go Door-To-Door, Many In Western Mass. Have Already Answered

By • Jul 27, 2020
The 2020 U.S. Census form.
Ɱ / Creative Commons

Census workers are expected to start going door-to-door in western Massachusetts to collect information this week. But an official with the U.S. Census said it’s already had a strong response from households in the region.

Initiative Launched To Assist Immigrant-Owned Businesses In Berkshire County

By • Jul 22, 2020
Downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 2019.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPR

Two groups in Berkshire County — one focused on helping immigrants, the other on economic development — are launching a project to support immigrant-owned or operated businesses. 

Complaint Alleges Springfield Bishop Covered Up Clergy Abuse

By • Jul 15, 2020
Mitchell Rozanski during a press conference introducing him as archbishop of St. Louis.
screenshot / Archdiocese of St. Louis

An advocate for clergy sexual abuse survivors said he's filed a complaint against the Springfield Roman Catholic bishop, accusing Mitchell Rozanski of trying to cover up allegations against priests.

EPA Invites Public To Weigh In On Proposed Changes To Housatonic River Cleanup

By • Jul 10, 2020
A fish advisory next to a path leading to a fishing spot on the Housatonic River, in a file photo.
Nancy Eve Cohen / NEPM

The EPA is proposing changes to its toxic waste cleanup plan for the Housatonic River, and is asking the public to submit comments starting Tuesday. The public comment period ends August 28.

Massachusetts Art Museums Are Reopening. Here's What You Can Expect

By Andrea Shea • Jul 8, 2020

Museums around Massachusetts are gearing up for their reopenings after being shuttered since mid-March. Announcements have been rolling in since Gov. Charlie Baker gave Phase 3 the green light last week. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston announced Wednesday that it will unlock its doors first to members on July 14 and 15, then to the public on July 16.

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