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Tropical Storm Bringing Heavy Rain to Berkshires

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A tropical storm heading north up the Atlantic coast could bring more rain to the Berkshires over the weekend. 
 
Dubbed "Fay," the storm began as a tropical depression off the coast of North Carolina midweek and formed late Thursday. 
 
According to Accuweather, the storm has sustained winds of 60 mph and could bring 2 to 4 inches of rain over Western Mass and Southern Vermont from late Friday through Saturday morning. 
 
"Fay will make landfall along the New Jersey coast during Friday afternoon," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Lead Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. "Fay will be a mostly heavy rain producer but could still bring wind gusts of 50-60 mph along coastal areas of eastern Long Island and over southern coastal areas of New England."
 
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has issued a flash flood watch through noon on Saturday.
 
"While there is still some uncertainty regarding Fay’s exact track and the timing and placement of heaviest rainfall, confidence is increasing that high rainfall rates will present the potential for local flash flooding," according to NWS' latest weather briefing. "The eastern slopes of the Catskills and Helderbergs may receive some of the highest rainfall amounts."
 
NWS is predicting less rain for the Berkshires at this point, possibly 1 to 1.5 inches, with heavier rain to the south and east.
 
There is the potential for high winds so anything outdoors should be secured and residents should be aware of hazards such as downed trees limbs and wires. 
 
Accuweather reports that the storm is not expected to strengthen into a hurricane because of its proximity to the coast. 

Tags: bad weather,   rain,   storm,   

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Clarksburg Gets 3 Years of Free Cash Certified

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials have heaved a sigh of relief with the state's certification of free cash for the first time in more than three years.
 
The town's parade of employees through its financial offices the past few years put it behind on closing out its fiscal years between 2021 and 2023. A new treasurer and two part-time accountants have been working the past year in closing the books and filing with the state.
 
The result is the town will have $571,000 in free cash on hand as it begins budget deliberations. However, town meeting last year voted that any free cash be used to replenish the stabilization account
 
Some $231,000 in stabilization was used last year to reduce the tax rate — draining the account. The town's had minimal reserves for the past nine months.
 
Chairman Robert Norcross said he didn't want residents to think the town was suddenly flush with cash. 
 
"We have to keep in mind that we have no money in the stabilization fund and we now have a free cash, so we have now got to replenish that account," he said. "So it's not like we have this money to spend ... most of it will go into the stabilization fund." 
 
The account's been hit several times over the past few fiscal years in place of free cash, which has normally been used for capital spending, to offset the budget and to refill stabilization. Free cash was last used in fiscal 2020.
 
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