logo
Pittsfield schools end hold-in-passing after online threat, no danger found

Pittsfield schools end hold-in-passing after online threat, no danger found

Yahoo12-03-2025
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – An investigation is taking place after an online threat was made to two high schools in Pittsfield.
Dirt bike rider arrested in Pittsfield for allegedly driving recklessly, evading police
Pittsfield Public Schools states that an online threat was made towards Taconic High School and Pittsfield High School Tuesday night. The Pittsfield Police Department was alerted and an investigation began.
It was determined that the online social media post in question depicted an Orbeez gun, which is a type of toy gel blaster. Police have determined at this time that there is no current threat to the school community. Hold-in-passing procedures have been lifted at both schools, which will allow normal movement throughout the building to continue.
An extra officer will be at both schools in addition to the School Resource Officer during the school day. Officer Winston with the Pittsfield Police Department will also be at the schools to help staff with students who may be feeling high levels of anxiety.
'We remain deeply appreciative of our students and staff for their ongoing vigilance and commitment to maintaining a safe school environment. Their quick actions and willingness to report concerns immediately to a school staff member or the Pittsfield Police Department play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our entire school community. By staying alert and proactive, our students and staff help foster a culture of awareness and responsibility, reinforcing the importance of open communication and collective safety efforts. We encourage everyone to continue reporting any suspicious activity or concerns without hesitation, as every report contributes to maintaining a secure and supportive learning environment for all,' said Joseph Curtis, Superintendent of the Pittsfield Public Schools.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

On This Day, July 26: Truman orders desegregation of military
On This Day, July 26: Truman orders desegregation of military

Yahoo

time7 days ago

  • Yahoo

On This Day, July 26: Truman orders desegregation of military

July 26 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1775, Congress establishes the U.S. postal system. In 1847, Liberia became a republic and Africa's first sovereign, Black-ruled democratic nation. In 1908, the FBI was born as the Bureau of Investigation, or BOI, when a group of newly hired investigators reported to the Justice Department. The special unit officially became the FBI in 1935. In 1931, swarms of grasshoppers decimated millions of acres of crops throughout the southwestern United States. In 1941, Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur was named commander of U.S. forces in the Philippines. In 1945, voters ousted Winston Churchill as prime minister of Britain after five years in the position. His Conservative Party would be voted back into power in 1951, and he would regain his position. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman ordered desegregation of the U.S. military. In 1956, Egypt created a crisis by nationalizing the British- and French-owned Suez Canal. In 1984, serial killer Ed Gein, the inspiration for the movie Psycho, dies of cancer. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act, prohibiting discrimination against the disabled in employment, public accommodations, in telecommunications, and on public or private buses or trains. In 1992, under pressure, Iraq agreed to allow U.N. inspectors to look for documentation on weapons of mass destruction. In 2005, the Discovery lifted off from Cape Canaveral in the first shuttle launch since the 2003 Columbia tragedy. In 2010, the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, said the site decided to post more than 75,000 secret U.S. Afghan war documents on the Internet to give a more complete picture of the conflict. The White House said the deed had "a potential to be very harmful." In 2018, Facebook had the worst single day of trading in history, losing some $110 billion. In 2023, soldiers in Niger said they removed President Mohamed Bazoum from office in a coup of the democratically elected government. Brigade Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani put himself in charge of the military junta. In 2024, Canadian diva Celine Dion delivered a stirring rendition of Edith Piaf's French anthem, "Hymn to Love," at the Eiffel Tower, providing a show-stopping finale to the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. It was her first public singing appearance since 2020 due to her battle with a rare neurological disease.

Two educators charged with manslaughter in Western Mass. 12-year-old's 2024 drowning death
Two educators charged with manslaughter in Western Mass. 12-year-old's 2024 drowning death

Yahoo

time26-06-2025

  • Yahoo

Two educators charged with manslaughter in Western Mass. 12-year-old's 2024 drowning death

Two people have been charged in the death of a 12-year-old Pittsfield Public Schools student who drowned during a field trip last summer, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday. EarlGiver Essien, who primarily went by 'Giver,' died on July 17, 2024, during an outing at Beartown State Forest in Great Barrington that was part of a summer learning program at her middle school, the district attorney's office said. The Herberg Middle School student would've turned 13 later that month, according to her obituary. Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy Shugrue is set to share information about the suspects and allegations in the case Thursday morning during a press conference. But according to The Berkshire Eagle, the two people charged in the case are Linda Whitacre and Meghan Braley — both of whom helped run the school summer program Giver was attending when she died. On Wednesday, a Berkshire County grand jury indicted Whitacre, 68, and Braley, 30, on one count each of manslaughter, reckless endangerment of a child and permitting injury to a child, according to court records. Neither woman had a lawyer listed with Berkshire County Superior Court as of Wednesday evening, and their arraignments had not been scheduled. Both Whitacre and Braley helped run the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program — the program Giver was attending when she drowned — at Pittsfield Public Schools last summer. The federally funded program aims to increase learning time for students after school and over the summer. Whitacre was the district coordinator for the learning program, the Eagle reported. She is currently listed as its interim grant coordinator on Pittsfield Public Schools' website. Braley was the program's site supervisor, according to her LinkedIn profile. She was also a seventh-grade English teacher at Herberg Middle School for three years before Giver's death, but left this position before the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. Pittsfield Superintendent Joseph Curtis didn't return a request for comment on the indictments Wednesday evening. After Giver's death, witnesses connected to the case alleged that the program's leaders did not do swim tests with the students to assess their skill level — even though state law required them to do so, the Eagle reported. Christian's Law mandates that all municipal and recreational programs and licensed camps determine the swimming ability of all underage campers before they are allowed to swim. It also requires that summer programs and camps provide life jackets and other flotation devices to all children who swim poorly or not at all. The Massachusetts Legislature passed the law in 2012 — five years after a 4-year-old Sturbridge boy drowned while swimming without a life jacket during a town summer camp program. The law, which was named after the boy, was adopted in the hope of preventing future children who struggle with swimming from drowning. Witnesses say there was a lifeguard on duty while the students swam during the field trip last summer, the Eagle reported. No adults realized that Giver was missing until after the students got out of the water to change and a head count was conducted. It is not clear how long Giver was underwater before she was brought to shore, the Eagle reported. CPR was performed in an unsuccessful attempt to revive her. Harvard researcher accused of trying to smuggle frog embryos into the U.S. indicted FBI continues to track down plutonium allegedly sold by Hadley man Medford man accused of manufacturing pills for 'high-level drug trafficking scheme' Brockton man ID'd after fatal shooting outside Dedham BJ's Mass. teen's death in N.H. shooting ruled a homicide; investigation ongoing Read the original article on MassLive.

Hunter Biden sued for over $50K in unpaid legal bills, including his Delaware gun case
Hunter Biden sued for over $50K in unpaid legal bills, including his Delaware gun case

New York Post

time24-06-2025

  • New York Post

Hunter Biden sued for over $50K in unpaid legal bills, including his Delaware gun case

Hunter Biden owes the law firm that represented him in federal investigations, including his Delaware gun case, 'substantially in excess of $50,000,' according to a lawsuit filed against the former first son on Monday. 'This is breach of contract action against Mr. Biden for unpaid legal fees,' reads the complaint against Hunter filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by Winston & Strawn LLP. The lawsuit notes that Hunter, 55, hired Winston & Strawn 'to represent him in several complex matters, including criminal trial in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware,' and that the firm provided him 'with extensive legal services in those matters which generated a substantial amount of fees.' Hunter has defied 'repeated requests for payment,' according to the lawsuit. Getty Images Winston & Strawn claims Hunter has dodged the firm's 'repeated' efforts to collect those fees. 'Although a portion of those fees have been paid, Mr. Biden presently owes [Winston & Strawn] substantially in excess of $50,000 in fees and interest that are due and payable,' the complaint stated. 'Despite repeated requests for payment, Mr. Biden has failed to pay the amounts he owes. 'This action is brought to enforce [Winston and Strawn's] contract rights against Mr. Biden through judgment for the amount due, and lien on all Mr. Biden's assets.' The lawsuit includes a copy of the 'engagement contract' Hunter signed on Dec. 23, 2022, for Winston & Strawn to represent him 'with respect to any congressional oversight and investigation events in which you are involved, help your coordinate the work of other attorneys, advisors, related parties on pending issues and communications strategy, and assist in the investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and US Attorney for the District of Delaware.' Abbe Lowell, Hunter's attorney who has since left Winston & Strawn, notes that his 'current hourly rate is $1,510' and that billing rates for other attorneys and legal assistants at the firm, who may work on his cases, range from $230 to $1,945 an hour. Lowell did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. Winston & Strawn claims it 'incurred substantial financial damages' after Hunter Biden allegedly violated his engagement contract. REUTERS Winston & Strawn said it 'devoted substantial resources to defend' Hunter in the matters related to his engagement contract, 'resulting in substantial legal fees.' 'While some of Mr. Biden's bills were paid between March 2023 and October 2024, a substantial amount remains due and owing,' the firm stated. 'Mr. Biden never objected to any of W&S's invoices for the legal services rendered to him. 'As of April 30, 2025, the outstanding amount due, when factoring in invoiced amounts and interest, is substantially in excess of $50,000.' The firm said it 'incurred substantial financial damages' because of Hunter's alleged 'breach of the Engagement Contract.' An initial hearing in the case is slated for Sept. 19. Winston and Strawn declined to comment on the lawsuit. During the congressional impeachment inquiry into former President Joe Biden, Hunter's so-called 'sugar brother,' Kevin Morri,s told investigators last year he has been paying 'various attorneys' on behalf of the ex-president's son. In May 2024, less than a month before Hunter would stand trial in Delaware in the felony gun case, Morris reportedly told associates that he was 'completely tapped out' amid mounting legal bills. Hunter, who has raked in nearly $1.5 million selling abstract artwork, was convicted of three felonies in the Delaware gun case and later pleaded guilty to all charges in a California tax evasion case. He was pardoned by his father in December, just weeks before President Biden left office.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store