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Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans was killed in an attack at U.S. Capitol on Friday.

Capitol Police Officer Killed Friday Was Drury Grad

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The police officer killed outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday grew up in North Adams and was a 1998 graduate of Drury High School.
 
Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans was one of two officers struck when a man rammed his car into them around 1 p.m. He then crashed the small sedan into a barrier on the north side of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., got out and lunged at officers with a knife and was shot and killed. Evans was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The other officer's name and condition have not yet been released.
 
Congress was not in session and the building and grounds were locked down for about two hours.
 
A procession of police and emergency vehicles escorted the Evan's body from the hospital and President Biden ordered flags be lowered to half staff. 
 
"Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the U.S. Capitol grounds, which killed Officer William Evans of the U.S. Capitol Police, and left a fellow officer fighting for his life," the president said in a statement. "We send our heartfelt condolences to Officer Evans' family, and everyone grieving his loss. We know what a difficult time this has been for the Capitol, everyone who works there, and those who protect it."
 
Evans earned a degree in criminal justice from Western New England College in 2002. He had been a member of the Capitol Police for 18 years, beginning on March 7, 2003. He also had been a member Capitol Division's First Responder's Unit. 
 
He was reportedly the sixth member of the Capitol Police force to die in the line of duty. The barriers and fences around the Capitol were in response to the insurrection on Jan. 6 that killed Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and injured nearly 140 others. Two other officers took their own lives in the days following the riot.
 
"This has been an extremely difficult time for U.S. Capitol Police after the events of Jan. 6 and now the events that have occurred here today," The force's acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said. "So I ask you to keep the U.S. Capitol Police family in your thoughts and prayers."
 
The suspect was identified as Noah Green, 25, of Norfolk, Va., said to be a follower of the Nation of Islam.
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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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