Virtual Meeting on Baby Bonds Program Findings

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A study on establishing a "baby bonds" program will be released on Monday during a virtual event beginning at noon. 
 
State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg convened a Baby Bonds Task Force earlier this year to explore the creation of the bonds in Massachusetts.
 
The release of the findings is open to the public; register here.
 
Baby bonds is a term used to describe trust funds set up by governments intended to build assets for low-to-moderate income residents and narrow the racial wealth gap. These trust funds are established at birth and grow until recipients reach adulthood. Account holders can then access their funds for asset-building activities such as post-secondary education, homebuying, or investing in a business.
 
Berkshire United Way Community Impact Director Katherine von Haefen served on the task force
 
"Berkshire United Way works to ensure economic stability for our most vulnerable families, and this program will help provide a financial foundation for the youngest members of these families," said von Haefen in a statement.
 
The task force will release its findings report detailing its recommendations on establishing an at-birth baby bonds program and provide an overview of its findings. Goldberg will offer opening remarks before panelists dive into the highlights of the findings report.
 
The Baby Bonds Task Force is a diverse cross-sector collaboration with members who have work, research, or volunteer experience in racial wealth equity, child welfare, public policy, community engagement, and asset-building initiatives. The task force also serves as an instrument to engage with impacted communities to allow community participation in the design of the program.

 


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Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
 
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
 
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country. 
 
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
 
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported. 
 
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said. 
 
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals. 
 
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