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Pittsfield and Stockbridge firefighters search Silver Lake in boats for a person who went missing and was last reported going into the lake. Searchers have been at the Pittsfield lake most of the day.
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A helicopter circles the lake, located off East Street.
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Personnel from a number of city departments and surrounding communities were working the search. Silver Lake Boulevard was closed off.

First-Responders Search for Missing Person at Silver Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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Mayor Linda Tyer is updated on the search Tuesday afternoon. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police and multiple other first-responder units have been searching Silver Lake for a missing person for the majority of the day.

The police got a report around noon on Tuesday that there may be a person in the lake and set up a command center on location within the hour.  

Cpt. Gary Traversa said police have evidence to support that this may have been the person's last location.

"We're still looking. Obviously, this is a combination of missing persons, response to a family concern, so, no, we don't have anything concrete," he said late Tuesday afternoon.

"We are doing this by the numbers, utilizing the additional resources that we have at our disposal, and they've been kind of building off once we exhaust one avenue or we've gotten to a certain point be bring in another resource."

Search and rescue boats could be seen in the water as well as a helicopter circling the area.

Silver Lake Boulevard is blocked off for the search, which is being conducted by personnel from the Police and Fire Departments, the Berkshire Dive Team, Berkshire County Sheriff's Office, the Hinsdale Rehab Unit, and Stockbridge Fire Department, with an ambulance on standby.


Traversa said the first responders will be there until the agencies say that there is nothing else they can do. The person reportedly went missing within the last 24 hours.

Mayor Linda Tyer was at the scene later in the afternoon. The police said she wanted to come down and provide any support she could for the agencies there.

Earlier in the afternoon, a despondent individual was atop the bridge that goes over Fourth Street threatening to jump off. Responders, including a clinician, were able to talk the person off the bridge and transport them to the crisis department.

The incident was resolved by around 2:15 p.m.

During this time, that area of Fourth street was blocked off.

 


Tags: missing persons,   search,   

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Rutledge Defense Seeks Dismissal of Rape Charges Over Statute of Limitations

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Superior Court courtroom was filled on Thursday as proceedings resumed on the high-profile case against former Miss Hall's School teacher Matthew Rutledge, with the court hearing arguments on his motion to dismiss.
 
 
On Thursday, Rutledge, represented by attorney Ryan Schiff, appeared before Judge Michael Callahan to seek dismissal of all three counts, arguing that prosecutors were attempting to circumvent the statute of limitations and had failed to disclose what Schiff characterized as "highly exculpatory evidence."
 
More than 100 attendees filled the pews, some wearing orange carnations to show solidarity with the accusers, Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon. 
 
As Rutledge attempted to leave the courtroom following Judge Callahan's departure, several attendees voiced their outrage, shouting "Shame," "You can't hide behind the bad law," and "We know what you did."  
 
Judge Callahan re-entered the courtroom to condemn these outbursts and directed court officers to record their names and bar them from attending future proceedings on this case.
 
The nearly hour-long hearing centered on competing interpretations of the language and legislative intent behind Massachusetts' statute of limitations, particularly whether Rutledge's temporary absences from the state could extend the time prosecutors have to bring charges.
 
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