Herberg Wins Berkshire Robotics Challenge

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Pine Cobble School competes in the annual Berkshire Robotics Challenge.

LENOX, Mass. – The Herberg Hurricanes of Herberg Middle School defeated the Trouble By Design Team from Egremont Elementary School, 126-103, in the finals to win the championship of “Nature’s Fury,” the 15th annual Berkshire Robotics Challenge, held Saturday, March 29, at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School.

The competition involved student teams from throughout the county, using programmable robots built from LEGO kits to complete a variety of missions involving hypothetical scenarios related to natural disasters.

The event, which involved 31 Berkshire County teams comprising more than 250 students ages 8 to 14, was sponsored by Berkshire Applied Technology Council and Berkshire Community College, with major underwriting support from SABIC.
Wendy Stebbins and and Ellen Lantz were coaches for the Hurricanes (sponsored by Herberg Middle School), which featured team members Adam Shepardson, Andrew Callahan, Chenyang Lin, Jacob Soldato, Dinari Murdaugh, Brian Lavinio and Hunter Street.

Matt Kerwood and Tom Simon were the coaches for Trouble By Design (sponsored by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems), which featured team members Kate Kerwood, Eli English, Nathan Gillman, Mackenzi Ressler, and Marcos Heisecke.

Other award winners were:
Semifinalist: Nexus Builders (Berkshire Christian School)
Semifinalist: Squishy Kyle Optics (Pine Cobble School)
Sportsmanship & Team Spirit: Thunderbolts (Undermountain Elementary)
Best Mechanical Design: WES Legoheads I (Williamstown Elementary School)


Most Innovative Design: Montessori Megabots (Montessori School of the Berkshires)
Best Programming: Trouble By Design (Egremont Elementary School)
Comeback Kids: Robo Warriors (Neighborhood Team)
Rookie Team of the Year: Robo Warriors (Neighborhood Team)
Best Research Project: DALEK (Lee Elementary School)

Judges, inspectors and referees for the event were Jon Friedman, Dave Owen, Greg Owen, Richard Peters, Peter Bell, John Bracci  and Bob Vaughan.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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