LENOX â The townâs Police Department could be in a position to add a 10th full-time officer in the coming year â the first expansion in over 25 years.
The Finance Committee voiced support recently for a proposed 10 percent increase in the departmentâs budget for fiscal 2022. The additional $122,000 would help pay for another officer, in part to help handle an upsurge in criminal activity within the north end commercial district, where a few low-cost motels are located on the east side of Pittsfield Road (Route 7/20).
The new officer would free up more time for Officer Tyler Bosworth, the departmentâs investigator, to handle cumbersome cases, said Police Chief Stephen OâBrien.
LEE â Craig DeSantis plans to lead the townâs Police Department by example.
DeSantis, lead sergeant for the department, unanimously was appointed full-time chief Tuesday night by the Lee Select Board. He succeeds his mentor and longtime friend, Jeff Roosa, who stepped down from the position six months ago.
Roosa officially retired Jan. 15, after a 24-year career in law enforcement, the last seven as Leeâs top cop. Roosa is terminally ill, battling Lou Gehrigâs disease.
âJeff is absolutely a mentor and close friend. I know him to be a true leader,â DeSantis told The Eagle on Wednesday. âAs chief, [Jeff] was extremely dedicated and always in the fight to improve things. My intent is to follow his example.â
Friday Night Chimney Fire In Lanesborough
The Lanesborough Fire Department and Police reported a chimney fire, at 18 Rosenburg on Friday night.
According to a story reported on by WWLP/22 News Springfield, fire units from Lanesborough and Hancock had to face frigid temperatures to contain the fire.
Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the fire with water and entered the house where they called for a vent as they suppressed the fire inside.
The majority of the fire had been put out around 10:00 p.m.
The Lanesborough Police reported that the residents inside the house exited out of it safely.
The Hancock Volunteer Fire Department, Cheshire Fire Department, and the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office also helped at the time of the incident.
We ve officially passed the one-year marker of the first confirmed coronavirus case in the U.S. We as a country and global community have now been on this strange and scary journey for over a year. It s wild to even think about what we have all been through, let alone the true heroes of this past year, our frontline medical workers.
In honor of everything that the front-line workers at Berkshire Medical Center have done Thursday, Feb 11, the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office would like to recognize the many staff members at BMC, who are truly heroes in this pandemic. They have planned a recognition convoy routed around the general area of the BMC campus in downtown Pittsfield.