Berkshire Benchmarks Releases State of the County Update

Print Story | Email Story
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. 

Tags: BRPC,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Suspect in Circular Avenue Shooting Arraigned

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

William Harrison is being held without bail for 120 days. 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A suspect is being held without bail after being arraigned on charges related to last month's shooting at Circular Avenue and Division Street. 
 
The prosecution alleges that Willie Harrison, 26, shot Yandel Osorio on Aug. 18 inside a multifamily building in broad daylight when there were a number of people in the general area.
 
Harrison appeared in Pittsfield District Court on Wednesday; he was taken into custody on Tuesday after arriving at court on another matter. He was charged with: 
  • Assault and battery by discharging a firearm
  • Discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building         
  • Possession of a firearm without a FID card
  • Possession of ammunition without a FID card
Given the circumstances and Harrison's prior criminal history, prosecutors argued that no less restrictive conditions would adequately ensure public safety and asked that he be held without bail for 120 days, which was granted by Judge Rebecca Michaels.
 
"The commonwealth would assert that there are no less restrictive means to assure not only the safety of the victim in this case, but also to assure the safety of the civilians, individuals inside the home, or any other individuals at this point, the investigation continues to be ongoing," said First Assistant District Attorney Marianne Shelvey.
 
"Given the facts concerned in this case, the fact that the shootout occurred in broad daylight when there were individuals present, this could have been a much more significant circumstance." 
 
At the arraignment, Harrison was represented by attorney William Barry, who asked that his client be released with GPS monitoring and no curfew. 
 
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories