WTBR Programs Win National Awards

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two local programs produced on Pittsfield Community Radio, 89.7 WTBR-FM won Hometown Media Awards in a national contest conducted by the Alliance for Community Media.
 
"On Patrol with the PPD," produced by the Pittsfield Police Department, and "Wheeling the Pathways of Life," produced by Brian Fitzpatrick, were chosen out of nearly one thousand submissions as best in their categories.
 
The Hometown Media Awards is the Foundation of the ACM's yearly awards program. It is established to honor and promote community media, community radio, and local cable programs that are distributed on Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) access cable television channels.  Proceeds go to the ACM Foundation which is exclusively used for facilitating, preserving, and promoting education in community media.
 
"On Patrol with the PPD" won in the category of "Government Profile Community Radio."   The program, hosted by Chief Michael Wynn and Captain. Gary Traversa features the latest news from Pittsfield's Police Department - whether they're introducing their staff, sharing a new initiative, or telling a story that "you just can't make up."
 
"The Pittsfield Police Department is honored to be recognized by the Alliance for Community Media for our show, On Patrol with the PPD. While the show was created to train our personnel in the use of radio technology during an emergency, it has become much more than that," said Pittsfield Police Chief and host Mike Wynn.  "As an additional medium for us to communicate with our residents, the show has become an integral part of our communications strategy. Sharing stories about our department and introducing our listeners to our guests has been incredibly beneficial."
 
"Wheeling the Pathways of Life" was chosen as the best "Underserved Voices Community Radio."  The show is a snapshot of the day-to-day experiences of a disabled individual as they navigate the pathways of the world. Host Brian Fitzpatrick hopes to shed light on and open eyes to new perspectives on the lives of those with disabilities.
 
"I am very honored that the show, was recognized for a national award for excellence in the category of Underserved on Radio," said Fitzpatrick.  "This was something I was not expecting but I am very appreciative of, I don't do it for me I do it for other people."
 
All award-winning programs will be presented during the annual Hometown Media Awards Ceremony. The ceremony will be held in Chicago on Wednesday, June 29 at 7:30 pm.

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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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