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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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Pittsfield Affordable Housing Initiatives Shine Light, Hope

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Housing Secretary Edward Augustus cuts the ribbon at The First on Thursday with housing officials and Mayor Peter Marchetti, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The holidays are here and several community members are celebrating it with the opening of two affordable housing initiatives. 
 
"This is a day to celebrate," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said during the ribbon-cutting on Thursday. 
 
The celebration was for nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. 
 
The apartments will be leased out by Hearthway, with ServiceNet as a partner. 
 
Prior to the ribbon-cutting, public officials and community resource personnel were able to tour the two new permanent supported housing projects — West Housatonic Apartments and The First Street Apartments and Housing Resource Center
 
The First Street location has nine studio apartments that are about 300 square feet and has a large community center. The West Housatonic Street location will have 28 studio units that range between 300 to 350 square feet. All units can be adapted to be ADA accessible. 
 
The West Housatonic location is still under construction with the hope to have it completed by the middle of January, said Chris Wilett, Hearthway development associate.
 
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