Third Pittsfield Man Found Guilty in Carnevale Shooting

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Berkshire Superior Court jury found one man guilty Friday but acquitted another in the shooting of Nicholas Carnevale of Cheshire in 2018.
 
Luis Delvalle-Rodriguez, 27, of Pittsfield was found guilty of armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed kidnapping with serious bodily injury, two counts of armed kidnapping, two counts of assault and battery, and malicious damage to a motor vehicle.
 
The verdict came Friday after a three-week trial during which evidence was presented that showed Delvalle-Rodriguez, 27, shot Carnevale on Aug. 21, 2018, at a party at the Ashley Reservoir on October Mountain.
 
Judge Maureen Hogan scheduled sentencing for Wednesday.
 
The jury acquitted Christopher Frazier, 22, of Pittsfield of the same charges. Delvalle-Rodriguez was the shooter and Frazier was charged as part of a joint-venture with others for the attack.
 
Delvalle-Rodriguez and Frazier are two of four accused of participating in the attack of then 19-year-old Carnevale, of Cheshire, which included pulling him from a vehicle, assaulting him, and then shooting him in the head.
 
After a two-week trial, a Berkshire Superior Court jury in March found Kevin Nieves, 22, of Pittsfield and Daquan Douglas, 28, also of Pittsfield, guilty for their roles in the shooting.
 
Carnevale survived but suffered severe head injuries and has had a number of major surgeries.
 
"I thank the jurors for their careful deliberation, the State Police for an exhaustive investigation, and the trial team for supporting the victims and for skillfully presenting the evidence that ultimately resulted in these convictions," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said. "I am relieved for the Carnevale family, who endured a court process that was significantly extended due to the COVID-19 court shutdowns with grace and continue to support Nick's recovery. I hope these just convictions support Nick in his healing from the pain these defendants inflicted upon him."

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Pittsfield School Committee OKs $82M Budget, $1.5M Cuts

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The school budget is less grim than the original proposal but still requires more than $1.5 million in cuts.

On Thursday, the School Committee approved an $82.8 million spending plan for fiscal year 2025, including a city appropriation of $80.4 million and $2.4 million in Chapter 70 funds.

The cuts made to balance the budget include about 50 staff reductions — some due to the sunsetting of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.

"The final version does not answer all needs. It will be unacceptable to some or to many but I must say that tonight's final proposal is very different than where we started when we believed we would have a $3,600,000 reduction. I want to assure everyone that every effort has been made to minimize the impact on both students, families, and staff members while also ensuring that our district has the necessary resources to progress forward," Superintendent Joseph Curtis said.

"Nevertheless, there are incredibly passionate, dedicated staff members who will not be with us next year. This pains me as I've been a part of this organization for now 30 years so I want to assure everyone that our team, this has weighed very heavily in our hearts, this entire process. This is not a group of people that is looking at a spreadsheet saying ‘Well that can go and this can go’ and take that lightly."

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Kristen Behnke and other officials worked with the state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education to rectify an error in the Chapter 70 funding formula, recognized 11 more low-income students in the district, and added an additional $2.4 million to the FY25 budget.

Curtis commented that when he first saw the governor’s FY25 budget, he was "rather stunned."

"The extraordinary circumstances we face this budget season by the conclusion of the substantial ESSER federal grant and a significant reduction in Chapter 70 allotment caused challenges for this team and our school principals and our educators and our staff that have been nothing short of all-consuming," he said.

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