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Superintendent Jake McCandless, seen at Pittsfield High's graduation ceremonies this past spring, says he will stay in the district to see his third child graduate from the schools.

McCandless Staying on as Pittsfield Superintendent of Schools

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The local radio is reporting that Superintendent Jason "Jake" McCandless will be staying in Pittsfield. 
 
Mayor Linda Tyer, while appearing on Live 95.9's "Slater and Marjo in the Morning" on Friday, said the superintendent isn't leaving the area. 
 
McCandless last week had confirmed that he was a finalist for the superintendent's position of the Silver Lake Regional School District in Kingston, just north of Plymouth. He told iBerkshires that "It simply feels in my gut like it is a good time to make a change." 
 
He had also indicated to The Berkshire Eagle that he had applied for other openings as well. Several postings were listed on the Massachusetts Association of School Committees at that time, including Silver Lake. 
 
McCandless said if not selected he and his family will re-evaluate their options. He said remaining in Pittsfield is not out of the question.
 
"If this opportunity does not work out, our family will evaluate our options and see," he said last week. "Staying here and continuing to serve is an excellent scenario, so we will see."
 
He'd been offered a six-year contract with the Pittsfield Public Schools two years into his first contract. 
 
The superintendent told Live 95.9 that he had interviewed for three posts and spent a great deal of time reflecting and speaking with people, especially his family.
 
"In the end, in spite of visiting three wonderful places, we decided that the Berkshires is home, Pittsfield is home and this is where I need and want to be right now," he told the radio station. "I feel very fortunate to serve here and and look forward to seeing our third child graduate from the Pittsfield Public Schools, and to keep working in a remarkable community."

Tags: Pittsfield Public Schools,   superintendent,   

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Two Men Found Guilty of Marijuana Trafficking

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Monday, May 6, Yebin Mai, 32 of Staten Island, NY and Dem Wu, age 52 of Staten Island, NY, were found guilty by jury of their peers in Berkshire Superior Court.
 
Yebin Mai was found guilty of two charges: Marijuana Trafficking in 100 pounds or more but less than 2,000 pounds and Witness Intimidation. Dem Wu was found guilty of Marijuana Trafficking in 100 pounds or more but less than 2,000 pounds.
 
According to a report, on July 30, 2020, State Police responded to a request for assistance from the Eversource Electric Company. The emergency dispatcher stated that two Eversource linemen were attempting to fix an electrical problem when they had a confrontation with individuals at 72 Jackson Road, Savoy. The residence belonged to Bin Huang after he purchased it in 2017 for $200,000 cash.
 
When state troopers arrived, the linemen stated that they responded to a report from a resident at 72 Jackson Road, Savoy claiming that power was fluctuating. When the linemen arrived at the house, they observed severely damaged wires and insulators leading from the roadside poles to the residence. When the Eversource linemen approached the house a man came out to meet them. The man, later identified as Yebin Mai, spoke limited English; therefore, communication between the Eversource linemen and resident became difficult. The linemen tried to explain that they would need to turn the power off to conduct a safety check of the electric meter and surrounding electrical connections. Mai became agitated. He handed the linemen an envelope filled with money later determined to be $600. The linemen attempted to return the envelope multiple times, but Mai would not take it. The linemen decided to leave the property. They called the police and waited for them to arrive, stated a report.
 
A trooper and Eversource supervisor arrived on the road at the end of 72 Jackson Road's driveway. A short time later, Mai drove down the driveway and attempted to leave in a pick-up truck with New York plates. There were two other passengers in the truck, including Dem Wu.
 
The trooper instructed Mai to stop and turn off the truck which he obeyed. All the individuals returned to the residence so the linemen could complete their inspection.
 
In a police report, the following items were observed at and around the house:
  • 4 separate electrical meters in poorly constructed boxes on the side of the house
  • Some melted wires and metal around the meter boxes (believed to be due to an excessive amount of energy being drawn through the wires)
  • Evidence of a small fire around one of the meter boxes
  • A smell of fresh grown marijuana (which grew once power was cut to the house and fans in the residence stopped running)
  • The sound of multiple fans inside the residence with no visible air ventilation system on the outside of the house
  • Windows with curtains drawn and boarded shut
  • A backyard covered in debris from a renovation, green planning pots, and large florescent light fixtures
  • Ring door cameras
  • A small path in the woods that ended in a pile of used potting soil and roots and stalks of freshly harvested marijuana plants

Additionally, Eversource reported that the monthly electric bill for 72 Jackson Road was approximately $10,000 per month, much higher than the average homeowner's bill.

The individuals on the property were questioned and ultimately allowed to leave. On July 31, 2020, Massachusetts State Police, including the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the District Attorney's Office, and a member of the DEA arrived at 72 Jackson Road to execute a search warrant. 
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