2 Berkshire Healthcare Staffers Receive Scholarships

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Valerie Boua
Shaun Kennedy
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two staff members from Berkshire Healthcare have been awarded scholarships through the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation, which for more than 25 years has supported long-term care employees with their career goals.
 
Valerie Boua from Mount Greylock Extended Care Facility in Pittsfield and Shaun Kennedy from Hillcrest Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Pittsfield have both been awarded scholarships.
 
This year's class of 51 award recipients, most of whom are seeking nursing degrees, will use their scholarships to further their professional development within the long-term care profession. The Foundation Scholars represent a broad cross section of employees and facilities across Massachusetts and were selected from nearly 400 applicants for this year's program, 25 percent more than in 2012.
 
"The scholarships provide a real boost to staff, helping them to complete the education required to reach their professional and personal goals," said Mass Senior Care Foundation Executive Director Carolyn Blanks. "Many of our Scholars have been promoted multiple times, steadily progressing from Certified Nursing Assistant to Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse and beyond."
 
The Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation, the education and research arm of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, has awarded nearly $2.5 million in scholarships since it began supporting long-term care workers in 1985. The Foundation scholarship program is one of several program components that Mass Senior Care has initiated to promote and support lifelong educational and professional development.
 
"Berkshire Healthcare is proud to have such motivated and talented staff members working at our communities," said William Jones, president of Berkshire Healthcare Systems. "We applaud our scholarship winners and thank the Mass Senior Care Foundation for its support of professional growth in the field of long-term care."
 
For more information about Berkshire Healthcare, visit www.berkshirehealthcare.org.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
 
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
 
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country. 
 
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
 
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported. 
 
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said. 
 
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals. 
 
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