Berkshire Benchmarks Releases State of the County Update

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Benchmarks data team recently released a State of the County Update for 2023. 
 
This brief report builds on the Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County Report published in May 2022 and highlights notable changes in regional indicators over the past year. The berkshirebenchmarks.org website has also been updated to reflect the most current available data. 
 
The purpose of the Benchmarks initiative and report is to highlight the region's successes and challenges.
 
The 2022 Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County report provided a comprehensive overview of our region's performance across eight sectors: Economy, Education, Environment, Government, Health, Housing, Social Environment, and Transportation.  
 
In the future, the Berkshire Benchmarks team will continue to monitor these and other indicators to aid with the regional understanding of changes in these sectors and whether the work happening throughout the region is having the intended impact. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks is a collaborative initiative managed through Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). Our sources are publicly available data, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey, various Massachusetts data sets, and periodic surveys of Berkshire County residents. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks aims to work with the community to understand priorities and help inform the region on how we are doing and if we are improving. Berkshire Benchmarks enhances the region's access to quality data and analysis. 

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Police Suspect No Foul Play on DOA at Wahconah Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Police Department suspects no foul play in the death of an individual found on Wahconah Park's property on Monday. 

Police Lt. Cheryl Callahan confirmed that a person was dead on arrival when police were called to 105 Wahconah St. around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, July 6. 

"The party was identified, and there is no foul play. The medical examiner's office did accept the body," she reported on Tuesday when contacted by iBerkshires. 

Police were unable to specify where on the property the body was found and did not identify the person. Behind the ballpark and parking lot is a park and swampy area. 

If evidence pointing to foul play were discovered, that information would come from the detective bureau, Callahan said. 

This is not the first time a deceased person has been found on the property. 

Three years ago, human remains were found near the swampy area behind the park by a city employee who was cutting brush. The remains were later identified as 43-year-old Luis Lopez-Lopez. 

The Wahconah Park grandstand is currently being demolished following its condemnation in 2022, and the site is not currently in active use while the city plans for a $15 million rebuild. 

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