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Update: MCLA Campus Police Arrest Student After Active Shooter Threat Alert Issued

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MCLA Campus Police arrested an 18-year-old MCLA resident student believed to be connected to an early active shooter threat.
 
According to a notification sent out by the MCLA Campus Police Department, student Joseph Caso was arrested on a felony charge of Threats of Deadly Weapon and Disruption of School or Public Building and a misdemeanor charge of Disorderly Conduct Monday.
 
A message was sent to the campus community via the RAVE Alert system around 12:50 am Monday Morning. The message warned students and others on campus that there was an active shooter threat on campus and asked everyone to shelter in place.
 
"The alert was sent out of an abundance of caution due to threats made on social media targeting the MCLA residence halls," MCLA Police Department stated in a social media post.
 
The Campus Police responded to where the call originated in Berkshire Towers and within a short period of time the Campus Police were interviewing a person of interest. Once it was determined that there were no actionable threats to our campus community, at approximately 1:25 A.M. the shelter in place alert was lifted.
 
Caso was released on bail and was due in Northern Berkshire District Court on Monday morning at 8:30 A.M.
 
As a result of these charges, the student has been placed on an interim suspension and is banned from campus until further notice. The campus CIRT (Critical Incident Response Team) has a debrief meeting scheduled for later this morning.
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MCLA Campus Police issued an "Active Shooter Threat" message early Monday morning.
 
The message was sent to MCLA community members via text and stated that there was an "Active Shooter Threat." Students were asked to shelter in place until further notice.
 
A few hours later the shelter in place notice was lifted. Campus police reported that there was no active threat on campus at the time.
 
The North Adams Police Department then reported on their Facebook page around 7 A.M. that there never was an actual active shooter on campus and the individual believed  to be involved in the threat had been arrested.
 
The incident is under investigation by the MCLA Campus Police.

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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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