Kmart Closing in Great Barrington; Marshalls Eyed for Location

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Kmart department store, No. 9146, the only one left in Berkshire County, is slated to close by the end of the year. 
 
The BerkshireEdge reports that a Marshalls will take over Kmart's 24,000-square-foot location in the Barrington Plaza, owned by Kimco Realty. The department store's size was tiny compared to newer Big and Super Kmarts, Walmart Supercenters and Targets that often run between 90,000 and 190,000 square feet. 
 
Walmart's planning a 190,000 square foot super center in Pittsfield, similar in size to the one it opened several years ago in North Adams.
 
The Business Insider reported Monday that Sears Holdings Corp. will close another 64 stores in 28 states. This follows July's reports that some 80 Kmarts and Sears would close across the country. Kmart's locations have dropped from 1,300 stores in 2012 to 870 today. 
 
There were Kmarts at one point in North Adams and Pittsfield but both have been closed for years. There's still a Kmart on Kocher Drive in Bennington, Vt.
 
The 117-year-old company, formed as Kresge Corp. at the turn of the last century, has been struggling over the past decade. It bought Sears in 2005 for $11 billion just three years after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy; last week, it reported a drop in cash and equivalents of nearly 80 percent in the last year. Moody's questioned the future viability of the chain.

Tags: chain store,   store closings,   

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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