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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Pittsfield Police Make Arrest in Weekend Stabbing

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police have arrested a suspect in a stabbing that occurred near Pearl and Eagle streets over the weekend.
 
David Smith, 65, of Pittsfield has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault & battery with intent to commit murder.
 
The incident occurred on Saturday, Sept. 19, at about 1:26 p.m. Upon arrival, officers located a woman suffering from a severe abdominal injury. First aid was immediately rendered on scene, and the victim was transported to Berkshire Medical Center by County Ambulance.
 
The investigation included witness interviews, evidence collection, and the review of neighborhood surveillance footage, which police said identified the suspect as Smith. He was subsequently located in the area of North Street and placed him into custody without incident. 
 
The Pittsfield Police Department said it thanks "vigilant community members" who spoke with responding officers, as well as the staff at Pittsfield Public Schools and the YMCA for their assistance in resolving the incident quickly and safely.
 
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