Letter: Adam Hinds Embraces The Details

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To the Editor:

I have lived in the Berkshires for 20 years. I was born and raised here, and while I attend Brandeis University during the school months, my Berkshire pride never falters.

This Sept. 8, I am driving from school to cast a vote for Adam Hinds for state Senate because I know who he is, and I believe that he is uniquely qualified to represent our entire community in Boston, alongside the rest of our tireless Berkshire delegation.

As a young person with a love for the place where I grew up, I think often on the question of what our region needs to cement a bright future. The Berkshires have incredible beauty and even better people. But for what we have in character, we lack in many critical services. That is why this election is so important.


Since meeting Adam at a community gathering three years ago, I have gotten to know him not only as a selfless individual with a passion for our community but as a friend. When I heard that he was running for State Senate, I knew I wanted to help his campaign. Since then, I have worked many hours to support his candidacy and have learned some things.

When confronted with an issue, Adam does not simply say what sounds best; he does his homework. Adam consults experts locally, conducts research, and considers the unique features of our district. A good example of this is that he will not simply declare: “we need broadband” and leave it at that. He describes, in detail, the ways by which high-speed Internet can be most effectively brought to each town, and what he can do as Senator to make that happen more easily. Adam does not sweat the small stuff; he embraces it. That is a quality we both need and deserve from our elected officials.

No matter who it is for, I ask you to vote on Sept. 8. But if I am to make a recommendation, I ask for you to vote for the detail-oriented, kind, and extraordinarily qualified community member who will set out a bright path for our future: Adam Hinds.
 

Jacob Edelman
Monterey, Mass.

 

 


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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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