PITTSFIELD, Mass —?Berkshire Community College (BCC) reports that its Practical Nursing (PN) students had a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) licensure exam in the 2023 calendar year, while Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students had a 91.43 percent pass rate for first-time test takers.
All 17 PN students passed, and 64 out of 70 ADN students passed.
NCLEX uses computerized adaptive testing (CAT) technology to deliver the exam, ensuring a valid and reliable measurement of nursing competence. The passing standard for the NCLEX is the cut point at which the minimum ability is determined to require safe and effective practice nursing at the entry level.
"Our nursing students continue to maintain impressively high pass rates, which are consistently on par or higher than the average pass rates statewide," said Lori Moon, BCC Dean of Nursing. "It's a competitive program, and our students work hard. I'm very proud of their accomplishments."
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Peru Selectman Pays $3K Penalty for Conflict of Interest
PERU, Mass. — A Select Board member has been fined $3,000 for helping create a paid town job he intended to apply for, and then worked in.
Edward Munch has paid a $3,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by participating in creating the paid maintenance position he intended to apply for and then working in the new job while still on the Select Board. The State Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which Munch admitted to the violations, paid the civil penalty, and waived his right to a public hearing.
During a December 2024 Select Board meeting, Munch asserted the need for a maintenance person at Town Hall. The need for the position was discussed at the following meeting and Munch said he would like to apply for it. During subsequent Select Board meetings, Munch continued to participate in discussions relating to the position, including its job description, schedule, and pay rate. The Select Board ultimately approved the position, with Munch abstaining from the vote.
After the maintenance position was publicly posted in the summer of 2025, Munch applied for it. He and another candidate were interviewed by the two other Select Board members, who subsequently voted to appoint Munch to the position.
Munch worked in the position, which remained under the supervision of the Select Board, until March 2026, when he left the position after being notified the State Ethics Commission was investigating the matter. He earned just over $3,000 in the position.
The conflict of interest law prohibits municipal employees from participating in their official capacity in matters in which they have a reasonably foreseeable financial interest. Although Munch abstained from voting on the maintenance position, he violated this prohibition each time he discussed the position substantively as a Select Board member. Munch also violated the law's prohibitions against municipal board members serving in positions appointed by and under the supervision of their own board and its prohibition against municipal employees holding a financial interest in a contract made by the municipality.
"When an elected public official encourages and takes part in government actions they know will create an economic opportunity for themself, the public has cause to ask whether those actions served the official's personal financial interest rather than the public interest," said State Ethics Commission Executive Director David A. Wilson. "Not engaging in such self-serving conduct is essential if elected officials are to build and maintain public confidence in the integrity of their public service and avoid the serious negative consequences of violating the conflict of interest law."
Over the course of several meetings, officials have said both the police and fire departments have outgrown their current spaces, prompting discussions about whether a combined public safety complex could offer a feasible long-term solution.
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Council chambers saw another charter objection on Tuesday following a lengthy conversation about renaming and merging the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. click for more
The room was alive with people eating, laughing, taking photos in a photo booth and watching snippets from PCTV's past archived programs throughout the decades curated by Operations Manager Dave Cachet. click for more
On Thursday, board members, supporters, and beneficiaries gathered at the Country Club of Pittsfield to mark the nonprofit's yearly fundraising campaign.
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