Lamb Handed Life Sentence

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Pittsfield - A former Becket resident was found guilty of second degree murder in the 2005 death of 21-year-old Brandon LaBonte after nine hours of jury deliberation. Berkshire Superior Court Judge John Agostini ordered Damien J. Lamb, 24, whose last address was Davenport, Iowa, to a life sentence at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Cedar Junction on the murder charge. Jurors deliberated for a two-day span before coming to a verdict. Jurors found Lamb guilty on one count of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon [a shod foot], one count of assault and battery, and one count of assault and battery to collect a loan. Agostini sentenced Lamb to concurrent three-to four year state prison sentences, to be served on and after the life sentence, on the assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and the assault and battery to collect a loan charges. The assault and battery charge was filed. LaBonte, of Pittsfield, was killed in Becket on Feb. 16, 2005. Lamb assaulted LaBonte on Feb.6, 2005, before killing him on Feb. 16.
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Dalton Finance Makes Reserve Fund Transfers

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Finance Committee made two reserve fund transfers last Wednesday night. 
 
The reserve fund balance is currently $60,000. This is the first reserve fund transfer the town has made this fiscal year, committee clerk Karen Schmidt said. 
 
A transfer to the vocational education tuition account for $16,000 was approved. The original appropriation was $605,020 and the present balance is $4,527. 
 
It had been previously demonstrated that setting the budget for this account can be challenging due to the uncertainty about how many students will choose to attend vocational education programs.
 
The vocational education account was reduced by $90,000 during a September special town meeting; however, a spot opened up at a vocational program, so a student decided to transfer after the start of the second quarter. 
 
A transfer for the employee fringe benefits account was approved for $10,000. The original appropriation was $64,180. 
 
The present balance is $4,412.77 and is not sufficient to cover the vacation payouts and sick buy backs of the six employees who left this year. 
 
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