School Mask Requirement Extended to Feb. 28

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BOSTON — The requirement for face coverings in public schools has been extended through Feb. 28.
 
The requirement for masking had initially been approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education last August to expire on Oct. 1; that was extended to Nov. 1 and then again to Jan. 15. 
 
DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley on Monday alerted school districts that that masking would continue to at least Feb. 28 and possibly beyond that, pending changes in pandemic guidelines. 
 
"The mask requirement remains an important measure to keep students safe in school at this time," the extension announcement stated. 
 
Schools that meet the 80 percent vaccination threshold may discontinue masking for those who are vaccinated. Those unvaccinated must continue wearing face coverings. 
 
Only a few schools have reached that benchmark and some have continued to require universal masking rather than police the unvaccinated. 
 
About 75 percent of the population is vaccinated and about 75 percent of those eligible for the vaccine in Berkshire County have been inoculated. The highest rates of vaccination appear to be among staff and faculty but student inoculations have been lagging. 
 
But the Boston Globe found that broad disparities in vaccination rates for children ages 5 to 11, who were eligible for the vaccine in October. Some of the lowest vaccination rates are in poorer communities and the higher rates in more affluent areas. 
 
In the Berkshires, Williamstown reported the highest rate of vaccination in that age group at 83.5 percent. But only 9.8 percent of the town of Florida's 51 children were inoculated and 24 percent of Egremont's. 
 
Pittsfield had a rate of 44.3 percent and North Adams (and Clarksburg) 48.5 percent. Great Barrington and West Stockbridge were both more than 70 percent but Adams about 37 percent. 
 
Boston's rate was about 36 percent compared with surrounding towns like Newton (88.7 percent), Weston (92.5 percent), Arlington (102.5 percent), and Needham (97.3 percent).

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Armed North Adams Man Arrested Following Domestic Standoff

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Matthew Parker, a 44-year-old North Adams man, is set to face multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons charges in Northern Berkshire District Court on Friday morning following an hours-long, armed standoff at a Houghton Street home.

The defendant is being arraigned for:

  • Domestic Assault and Battery
  • Assault with the Intent to Murder (3 counts)
  • Carrying a Firearm While Under the Influence of Alcohol (3 counts)
  • Possession of a hi-capacity firearm (4 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a hi-capacity firearm (2 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a firearm (6 counts)

According to a report, on June 10, at approximately 8:42 p.m., officers responded to 365 Houghton St. following a report of a domestic assault and battery. The caller said she and her husband had been involved in a physical altercation.

She said her husband was intoxicated, making suicidal statements about shooting himself, and had access to both a shotgun and a pistol.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with both the caller and Parker. During the encounter, Parker threatened to shoot officers before retreating into the home and refusing to exit.

Officers believed that Parker was armed.

To ensure public safety, police established a perimeter around the home and requested assistance from the Berkshire County Special Response Team (SRT) and North Adams Police crisis negotiators. The Brien Center was also contacted and promptly provided an emergency mental health clinician to assist with the incident.

Special Response Team personnel deployed drones to monitor the residence and provide aerial illumination. During the operation, officers saw Parker exit the house carrying a rifle. He pointed it at the drones, stated a report. Parker subsequently pointed the rifle toward several officers positioned behind their cruisers. After officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, Parker returned inside the residence.

Trained crisis negotiators maintained communication with Parker for several hours in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation. At approximately 2 a.m., Parker ceased communication with negotiators.

Drone operators later observed Parker unconscious in a recliner on the first floor of the residence, with a rifle and shotgun on the floor nearby.

Members of the Berkshire County SRT then executed a coordinated operation. Diversionary devices were deployed through a window while an entry team simultaneously entered the home, secured the firearms, and took the defendant into custody.

A search warrant was executed after Parker was in custody. North Adams Police seized four shotguns, six rifles, two handguns, and thousands or rounds of ammunition from the home.

During the operation, one SRT member sustained a minor injury related to a less-lethal bean bag deployment. Parker also sustained non-life threatening injuries during the arrest and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center for medical evaluation.

"We thank the community for its patience and cooperation throughout this incident, particularly residents in the affected area who complied with temporary shelter-in-place requests," Police Chief Mark Bailey said.  "The North Adams Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the agencies that provided mutual aid and assisted by handling calls for service during this incident. We are especially grateful to the Berkshire County Special Response Team for its professional and decisive response, the Brien Center for the rapid deployment of a mental health clinician, and our crisis negotiators whose efforts helped maintain dialogue and contributed significantly to the safe resolution of this incident."

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