Attorney Judith Knight Running for Berkshire District Attorney

01:23PM / Friday, May 25, 2018Print Story | Email Story

LEE, Mass. — Criminal defense attorney Judith Knight has formally announced her candidacy for Berkshire district attorney.

Knight, a former assistant district attorney, has more than 30 years of experience in the criminal justice system prosecuting cases and defending individuals charged with crimes.

She is an advocate of criminal justice reform promoting alternative sentencing for first-time non-violent offenders by imposing a stint of community service, restorative justice, or inpatient treatment for addicts instead of incarceration. Knight wants to end the school to prison pipeline and is committed to fighting the opioid crisis at all levels.

"The DA of any community has to make tough decisions every day. Having tried numerous criminal cases on both sides of the criminal justice system, I have the depth and experience to make good, sound decisions that will keep our community safe and moving forward," Knight said in a statement. "I will enforce the law to keep dangerous criminals behind bars and I will create a comprehensive community outreach task force whose sole purpose is to stop the revolving door at the jail for low-level drug-related and non-violent crimes."

Knight said she is committed to increasing racial diversity in the district attorney’s office. She intends to raise awareness on racial bias and will require every staff person at the DA's office to be trained on implicit racial bias.

"This is how change starts," Knight said. "In order to prevent further racial profiling and discrimination for communities of color, individuals at every level of the criminal justice system must educated about these issues."

She said she has seen firsthand that people who are marginalized in society suffer unfairly in the criminal justice system.

Knight plans to be all-inclusive working with low-income populations, the elderly, LGBTQIA, women and children who are victims of domestic abuse and sex trafficking. She will be the District Attorney that changes the way the community experiences the criminal justice system; people will know that they are being treated fairly."

For more information: www.electJudithknight.com and Facebook: Judith Knight for Berkshire District Attorney

Tags: Democratic Party, district attorney, election 2018, primary,

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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