Drew Herzig News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

  Wynn's appointment to the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission was announced last week by Gov. Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey.   "The fact that I'm a Western Mass police chief is something that's been greatly talked about in the last several days," he said. "I don't think anybody expected that the governor's appointed chief would be from this far west."   The independent agency with appointees from the governor and attorney general was established by Chapter 253 of the Acts of 2020 signed by the governor in December 2020. It is part of the police ...

First lifted in 2016, then reimposed in 2017, a ban impeding transgender people from serving in the U.S. military was reversed again Monday, by President Joe Biden. This time, members of the local LGBTQ+ community hope the ban is gone for good. Moreover, some hope the early actions of the Biden administration will grow into a prolonged commitment to LGBTQ+ issues, including preventing discrimination and improving access to basic needs. Quote “We figured it would be a 10-year fight at least. Some people didn’t think they’d see it in their lifetime.” — Landon Marchant, ...

PITTSFIELD — The city’s Police Advisory and Review Board made official Wednesday its support for the state’s policing reform law. The board — it serves to advise Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn, to review complaints against the department after internal investigations are complete and to make policy recommendations — voted in favor of endorsing the police reform law, with the understanding that members would release a more detailed statement on the issue after their next meeting. Retired Judge Alfred Barbalunga was the sole review board member to vote “noâ�...

GREAT BARRINGTON Still clutched by a pandemic in a nation bruised by endless political fights and violence, Berkshire County residents appear to be gearing up for a quiet and safe inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. Most local action groups haven’t organized any plans for celebration or demonstration for Jan. 20. In North Adams, Pittsfield and Great Barrington, municipal permits for protests or gatherings have not been pulled. “It’s too risky, given the level of violence we have seen lately,” said Drew Herzig, of political advocacy group Indivisible Pittsfield. â€...