Image from the Air Wing prior to the suspect's surrender.
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — State Police shut down a section of the Massachusetts Turnpike on Wednesday in pursuit of a car allegedly stolen by an Illinois man.
The chase started at about 7:30 and ended with suspect is in custody as of 9:20 a.m.
Authorities tweeted out updates after closing the westbound lane and then the eastbound lane near Exit 3 around 8:30. Images from the State Police Air Wing showed numerous cruisers surrounding a vehicle. Negotiators were being brought in but the suspect exited the car and surrendered.
According a release, Kevin Oldaker, 48, of Poplar Grove, Ill., is being held on numerous charges, including a warrant for a sexual assault in Illinois. State Police expect to update this information later Wednesday.
A trooper assigned to the Charlton barracks located a vehicle at about 7:24 a.m. at the westbound Charlton Service Plaza that had been reported stolen out of Biddeford, Maine. The trooper located the man sleeping the back seat and said the man refused to unlock the doors of the sport utility vehicle, a 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor. The man began moving around inside the vehicle and said he could not find his keys. He then suddenly turned the ignition on and drove away westbound on the MassPike with the trooper in pursuit, according to authorities.
The suspect refused to stop and utilized crossovers to evade cruisers in Chicopee and again in Ludlow. He exited the turnpike in Ludlow, then re-entered the highway continuing west.
The suspect eventually hit a tire-deflation device deployed by troopers, causing a flat tire. The pursuit continued until the suspect stopped in Stockbridge, approximately three miles from the New York line. He again refused to exit the vehicle and a brief standoff ensued. He eventually surrendered and was taken into custody shortly after 9 a.m.
Oldaker is wanted on two extraditable warrants, one out of Maine issued last week charging him with violent stalking and one out of Illinois from February 2014 charging him with home invasion and sex assault.
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Simon's Rock Awarded Freedom to Read Grant
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Bard College at Simon's Rock was awarded a Freedom to Read Grant by the Newburger Schwartz Family Foundation.
The grant was awarded to support the Alumni Library and Bard Queer Leadership Project in building a more robust collection of queer scholarship, starting a Queer Book Club, and hosting Drag Story Time events in partnership with Drag Story Hour of the Berkshires.
According to a press release:
In response to current educational threats with book bans affecting schools and libraries across the country and further proposed legislation against LGBTQ+ people's access to basic rights and education, Simon's Rock is actively seeking to create inclusive and equitable spaces for queer individuals.
The Bard Queer Leadership Project and Alumni Library will utilize the grant funding to expand the library's current collection of queer books in order to fully enable the longevity of the Queer Book Club and the Bard Queer Leadership Project. The Queer Book Club will be an intergenerational space, open to local middle school students through rainbow seniors and will partner with local community organizations, to discuss queer books and learn about LGBTQ+ issues and experiences. Bard Queer Leadership Project students will eventually help lead this initiative as part of their leadership project training.
The Queer Book Club will host their first meeting on April 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the Alumni Library, with following meetings on April 27 and May 11. This semester, the selected books are "Obie is Man Enough" and "He/She/They," both by Schuyler Bailar, inspirational speaker and first openly transgender NCAA Division swimmer, who was a guest speaker in the inaugural Queer Leaders Vision Forum in fall 2023 at Simon's Rock. Schuyler Bailar will return to campus for a book signing and pool party at the Kilpatrick Athletic Center on April 19 at 7:00 p.m. Participants in the Queer Book Club will receive a free copy of either book of their choice.
The first Drag Story Time will be on Saturday, March 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Simon's Rock Alumni Library and is open to all LGBTQ+ affirming individuals. The event is in partnership with Drag Story Hour of the Berkshires with local drag queens JV and Poppy DaBubbly. The second Drag Story Time will be Saturday, April 27 with drag queen Poppy DaBubbly and drag king Sativo Green.
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