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24-year-old Man Dies In Florida Snowmobiling Accident

Staff Reports
FLORIDA, Mass. — A 24-year-old man died in a snowmobiling accident Saturday evening.
 
The District Attorney's Office said Camron Howland lost control of the vehicle just before 7 p.m. Saturday evening and struck a tree on Monroe Road in Florida. 
 
The circumstances surrounding the accident are still under investigation.
 
State Police Cheshire Barracks, Massachusetts State Police Berkshire Detective Unit, Florida Fire Department and EMS, North Adams Police Department, State Police Crime Scene Services, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded and are investigating the incident.
     

Sweet Brook Farm Barn, Sugar House Destroyed in Fire

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — After a day spent battling downed wires and tree limbs as a result of Monday's high winds, emergency officials spent Monday evening battling a fire that broke out at Sweet Brook Farm.

The farm, located at 580 Oblong Road in South Williamstown, grows vegetables, produces maple syrup and breeds stock and fiber-quality alpacas. It is owned and operated by the Phelps family.

Firefighters from Williamstown, North Adams, Hancock, New Ashford and Pownal, Vt., responded to the fire, which broke out between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Clarksburg also sent a tanker. Stamford, Vt., covered the Williamstown station during the blaze.

No one was injured in the blaze, which totaled the farm's barn and sugar house. Officials on the scene were concerned that the high winds would blow the fire into the farm's residence, about 50 feet away from the barn, so they doused the home, successfully preventing it from igniting.

Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini reports that to his knowledge all the animals in the structure escaped. Sweet Brook Farm posted on its Facebook page that the animals are all OK, as well.

     

Suspected Pittsfield Arsonist Arraigned

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man accused of setting fires in four places in September was arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court on Tuesday.
 
Phillip Jordan is facing four counts of burning a dwelling house. He was ordered by Judge John Agostini to be held without bail. Jordan is being represented by Attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo.
 
The charges originated from fires allegedly intentionally set on September 22, 2018. That evening there were four fires started - the largest at Jordan's home on Appleton Avenue. The other firsts were reported on Fort Hill Avenue, Ridge Avenue, and then on Brown Street. 
 
No one was injured in any of the blazes. Police later identified Jordan as a suspect but he had fled the area. He was arrested at the Canadian border by U.S. Customers and Border Patrol agents at the Highgate Port of Entry in Vermont two days later without incident. 
 
Jordan was charged in Vermont on a fugitive from justice charge and was later extradited back to Massachusetts. The 59-year old is now being held pending a dangerousness hearing.
     

Superior Court Briefs: Feb. 13

Staff Reports
Cases heard on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
 
Isaiah Calderon, 22, of Holyoke was arraigned on charges of illegal possession of a firearm - his second offense - illegal possession of heroin with intent to distribute, armed career felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
 
The charges stem from a traffic stop in Pittsfield on November 10, 2018. Calderon was ordered to be held on $10,000 bail.
 
Kacey Caprari, 38, of North Adams was arraigned on charges of heroin, trafficking in cocaine, illegal possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, improper storage of a firearm, and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card.
 
Caprari was arrested on January 18, 2019, when officers were executing a search warrant on her home. She was ordered to be held on $15,000 bail.
     

Bomb Threat Forces Evacuation Of Spectrum Health In Pittsfield

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A bomb threat forced the evacuation of Spectrum Health on Merrill Road Thursday morning.
 
Police say an individual called the facility at 10:10 a.m. saying there was a bomb in the building was would explode 10 minutes later.
 
Police, fire, and paramedics responded and performed a search of the building.
 
"We received a call for a bomb threat at this establishment today. Upon arrival staff already had everybody evacuated from the building. At that time, staff, Pittsfield Police Department, and the Pittsfield Fire Department did a thorough search of the premise and did not locate any device," Lt. Thomas Dawley said.
 
Approximately 25 to 30 people were temporarily forced out of the building at the time. First responders staged on Laurel Street and at about 10:40 were let back into the building after the search was completed. 
 
"We are trying to locate where the call originated from. At this time we don't know where it came from but we do have investigators on it," Dawley said.
     
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