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The group worked on the new home during the Martin Luther King Day of Service.
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BCC President Ellen Kennedy.
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Dean Todd.
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State Sen. Adam Hinds.
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Chris Newhard and Alex Agliliga
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Benjamin Gips.

Dozens Help Central Berkshire Habitat For Humanity On MLK Day of Service

By Dawn GiftosCentral Berkshire Habitat For Humanity
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The volunteers handled an array of duties while working at 5 Hall Place.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More than 25 volunteers came out in the early morning hours Monday to help Habitat for Humanity get a new home ready for a local family.
 
Ellen Kennedy, president of Berkshire Community College, arrived at the 5 Hall Place home with more than a dozen students and area residents to help clean and prep walls, floors and ceilings for painting and move building materials in the back yard to make way for Spring cleanup.
 
Later in the morning, the newest state Sen. Adam Hinds joined the effort and took on cleaning duty, simultaneously answering questions on the minds of volunteers.
 
Three Williams College students who are interning at Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity during the month of January with a program through the career center, gave up their day off to volunteer and painted closets and cleaned. Benjamin Gips, who grew up volunteering, was wearing his "Day on, not a day off" Day of Service t-shirt, wanted to do something productive and make a positive impact.  
 
Alejandra Patlan, is studying psychology and interested in a career in a nonprofit, while Chrisleine Temple is concentrating on public interest law are both dedicated to serving others. 
 
Chris Newhard and Alex Agliliga came from the Albany area to volunteer with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity because of lack of hands-on community service opportunities in New York State.
 
Roslyn Broch, Interim Coordinator of Service-Learning at Berkshire Community College brought high energy enthusiasm to the day's project indicating the group would be interested in coming back to the building site which will continue construction in the coming months. CBHFH is also now accepting applications for another family to become homeowners.
 
The efforts were part of the Martin Luther King Day of Service, in which dozens of residents throughout the county volunteered to help the community.
 
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program is looking for people who have the desire and commitment to becoming homeowners. For more information, call Libby Boissy, AmeriCorps National Family Services Coordinator at (413) 442-3181 or stop by the office at 314 Columbus Avenue.
 
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization that builds strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. Founded in 1992, Central Berkshire Habitat is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
 
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
 
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country. 
 
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
 
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported. 
 
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said. 
 
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals. 
 
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