North Adams Council to Decide Conte Borrowing

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The mayor on Tuesday will ask the City Council to approve a borrowing order of $29.7 million for the reconstruction of Conte Middle School.

The currently closed school has been selected by the School Building Committee and approved by the state School Building Authority to be renovated to serve pupils in Kindergarten through Grade 7.

The state requires the borrowing in full; the city will recieve 80 percent reimburseument of the cost, or about $23.2 million from the statee. The city's cost is expected to be $6.5 million.

A number of council members have spoken in support of the school project, including Councilor Keith Bona who also sits on the School Building Committee.

Mayor Richard Alcombright said in a communication to the council that he is confident the city will be able to absorb the new debt.

The council has been trying for several years to reduce visitors from disrupting the proceedings, including banning one for six months for holding signs and making comments.

The mayor has also nominated City Clerk Marilyn Gomeau for reappointment. Gomeau has been city clerk for nine years.

North Adams Police Block Houghton Street for Crisis Intervention

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:32AM / Thursday, June 11, 2026

Houghton was blocked off between North and School streets, frustrating neighbors trying to get home. 

Update: Early this morning, the Police Department posted that the situation "has been resolved" and the road reopened. Officers may still be in the area to complete their investigation.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The upper section of Houghton Street was blocked off for hours on Wednesday night as authorities sought to deal with an individual reportedly having a mental health issue. 

 

In a Facebook post, police described it as a "critical incident" unfolding in the area and alerted people to avoid the upper Houghton "and allow first responders the space they need to safely manage the situation."

 

It started at about 9 p.m., said Police Chief Mark Bailey, speaking at about 12:30 a.m. He said no neighbors were evacuated and that mediators had been conversing with the individual. He declined to go into detail. 

 

He said further information would be provided either through him or through the mayor's office later in the morning. 

 

Members of the Berkshire County Special Response Team, including officers from Lenox and Pittsfield, were staged along the top of Brooklyn Street and Houghton was closed between School Street and North Street. 

 

Two ambulances were staged at the intersection with Brooklyn and Houghton, though one left before midnight. State Police stepped in to help patrol the city. 

 

Drones could be seen hovering over; Bailey said, "everything in the sky is ours at this time."