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Superintendent Aaron Dean stands with principal Erin Beaulac.
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The former CT Plunkett School was renamed Hoosac Valley Elementary School.
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Hoosac Valley Elementary Unveils New Sign

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The school community gathered Friday morning on the school's front lawn.

ADAMS, Mass. — On Friday morning the Hoosac Valley Elementary School community gathered on the school's lawn to welcome the school's first sign.

Nearly seven years ago, Cheshire Elementary School and CT Plunkett Elementary School joined together to become Hoosac Valley Elementary School. After the closing of Cheshire Elementary School, the school district voted to rename CT Plunkett as Hoosac Valley Elementary School. 

"At HVES, we share the importance of identity and belonging in every classroom as part of our Responsive Classroom approach," Principal Erin Beaulac said in a statement Friday. "Every student is called by their name and everyone is a part of our community. With that being said, we felt it was very important for our school's exterior to match our school's interior. There hasn't been a sign of the school's name on the outside of the building. This morning, all of that changed."


 

 

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Adams Man Gets 20 Years for Child Sex Assault

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An Adams man has been sentenced to 15 to 20 years in state prison for sexually assaulting a child. 
 
Michael Hiser, 39, was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on June 11 of single counts of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and indecent exposure; two counts of posing or exhibiting a child in the nude, and three counts of photographing an unsuspecting nude child.
 
He was sentenced on Tuesday to prison for the aggravated indecent assault, with further sentencing of eight to 10 years for the indecent assault, four to five for the photographing and 2 1/2 for indecent exposure, all to be served concurrently. Hiser was also sentenced to five years probation on the posing or exhibiting charge, with conditions not to contact or go near the victim and no unsupervised contact with minors. He will have to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board and take sex offender treatment. 
 
Investigators found that from approximately 2020 to 2022, Hiser would sneak into the victim's room at night to inappropriately photogram and touch them inappropriately. Additionally, he would follow the victim around the house and photograph them with inappropriate intent. An additional incident involved the defendant acting in a sexual manner in the presence of the minor and the investigators found multiple explicit images of the victim on Hiser's phone.
 
"Cases of child abuse and child sexual abuse shake the foundation of our community," said Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue. "Today justice has been served on behalf of a child who survived unimaginable abuse. While the guilty verdict and lengthy sentence do not take away any of the horrific crimes the defendant committed, I hope today provides an opportunity for both the child and their family to move forward."
 
Chief of the Child Abuse Unit Andrew Giarolo represented the commonwealth and Associate Director of Victim Witness Advocates Kristen Rapkowicz served as the victim witness advocate on behalf of the DA's Office. The Adams Police Department with assistance from a Williamstown Police Department's Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force digital evidence unit officer led the investigation.
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