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Arrests Made in Williamstown Hit-and-Run

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williamstown Police on Friday afternoon announced the arrest of two residents in connection with a Feb. 9 incident on North Hoosac Road.

Sally J. Gould, 71, and John T. Gould, 69, of White Oaks Road were arrested at the Police Station following an incident that left Cheryl J. Leclaire, 54, of White Oaks Road, hospitalized.

Police Sgt. Scott McGowan and State Trooper Ryan Dickinson made the arrests.

Sally J. Gould was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and misleading, impeding and obstructing a police investigation. John T. Gould was charged with misleading, impeding and obstructing a police investigation.

On the evening of Feb. 9, Leclaire was found injured in the road by a motorist at about 6:30 p.m. At the time, police characterized the incident as a possible hit-and-run.

On Friday, McGowan reported that Leclaire remains in critical condition at Berkshire Medical Center.


Tags: arrests,   hit & run,   police investigation,   

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Williamstown Board of Health Looks to Regulate Nitrous Oxide Sales

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Board of Health last week agreed to look into drafting a local ordinance that would regulate the sale of nitrous oxide.
 
Resident Danielle Luchi raised the issue, telling the board she recently learned a local retailer was selling large containers of the compound, which has legitimate medical and culinary uses but also is used as a recreational drug.
 
The nitrous oxide (N2O) canisters are widely marketed as "whippets," a reference to the compound's use in creating whipped cream. Also called "laughing gas" for its medical use for pain relief and sedation, N2O is also used recreationally — and illegally — to achieve feelings of euphoria and relaxation, sometimes with tragic consequences.
 
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association earlier this year found that, "from 2010 to 2023, there was a total of 1,240 deaths attributable to nitrous oxide poisoning among people aged 15 to 74 years in the U.S."
 
"Nitrous oxide is a drug," Luchi told the board at its Tuesday morning meeting. "Kids are getting high from it. They're dying in their cars."
 
To combat the issue, the city of Northampton passed an ordinance that went into effect in June of this year.
 
"Under the new policy … the sale of [nitrous oxide] is prohibited in all retail establishments in Northampton, with the exception of licensed kitchen supply stores and medical supply stores," according to Northampton's website. "The regulation also limits sales to individuals 21 years of age and older and requires businesses to verify age using a valid government-issued photo ID."
 
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