Sixteen BCC Students Receive Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship

Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass — Sixteen Berkshire Community College science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors have been awarded a 2017-18 Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship totaling $49,000.

The BCC students who have received this scholarship award are: Shawna Axenroth, Brianna Christman, Jonathan Daly, Tara DiNicola, Ivan Fernandez, Kyle Gallup, Mohammad Jadallah, Theresa Kelly, Jessica Levy, Alaina MacDonald, Shawn Paunchai-Green, Zachary Reynolds, Kimberly Sawyer-Wheeler, Andrew Turnbough, Jessica Zamboni and Gavin Ziegler.

The Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship was created by the Massachusetts Legislature to support economic growth and development. The purpose is to encourage degree completion in high demand disciplines that will help address the workforce needs of the commonwealth by providing scholarship assistance to support the educational costs of students pursuing such programs of study.

The 2017–2018 application for the Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship was open to community college students across the commonwealth who are pursuing a STEM degrees.

 


Tags: BCC,   

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.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories