North Adams Man Involved in Shooting Last Year Sentenced to Prison

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A North Adams man charged with brandishing a firearm outside a local bar last year has been sentenced to a dozen years in prison.
 
Keith Larrabee, 27, of East Quincy Street, pleaded guilty on Monday in Berkshire Superior Court to counts of drug trafficking, drug possession, illegal possession of ammunition and firearms and assault and battery related to three incidents in North Adams. 
 
Larrabee was one of several people involved in an altercation at Key West Lounged that ended with two people being shot in a nearby apartment building on Feb. 19, 2022. Another man, Paul Starbird, 19, was indicted at the same time as Larrabee.
 
He assaulted a patron of the lounge and pointed a gun at another individual. Larrabee did not possess a Firearm Identification Card making his possession of the firearm illegal. Another incident occurred at Northern Berkshire District Court in March last year when he threatened an assistant district attorney in open court. At the time the threat was made, the assistant district attorney was arraigning Larrabee for the Key West Lounge incident.
 
The first incident stemmed from a search warrant executed by the North Adams Police Department on Sept. 25, 2020. Police seized packets of heroin and crack cocaine, both ready for distribution, ammunition and a shotgun. 
 
Judge Francis Flannery sentenced Larrabee to concurrent sentences to all three incidents.
 
On the first offense: 10 to 12 years each in prison for trafficking heroin, for illegal possession of a shotgun and for illegally having it during a felony; eight to 10 years in prison for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; and two years in jail for illegal possession of ammunition.
 
On the second offense: 2 1/2 years in jail on assault and battery and four to five years each in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon, a firearm. 
 
On the third offense: three to five years in prison for intimidation of a prosecutor. 

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Brown Street Bridge Reopens in North Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

Mayor Jennifer Macksey is the first to drive across the bridge, closed since early 2023.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayor Jennifer Macksey led a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Dec. 15, marking the official reopening of the Brown Street Bridge.
 
"We are very excited despite the cold weather," Macksey said before the ribbon-cutting. "… We are chipping away at these projects, but this is long overdue."
 
The bridge had been closed to all vehicle traffic since March 2023 after being deemed structurally deficient by the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The 26-foot steel structure, built in 1952, was flagged after its superstructure rating fell to 3.
 
The reopening follows a temporary repair project designed to safely restore access while the city and state determine a long-term plan. The temporary repair contract was awarded to J.H. Maxymillian at a cost of $349,920.
 
Funding for the project included $75,000 from state Chapter 90 road funds, with the balance was covered by state flood money the city had been previously awarded following a severe storm in July several years ago.
 
The mayor emphasized the critical need to reopen the span, particularly for public safety. 
 
"The perception behind that was we have flooding on West Main Street and River Street, we have to use this bridge," she said. "We are very excited to have it open. Not only to alleviate traffic problems down at the intersection of Big Y and the intersection of City Hall, but to help our friends at emergency management with the ambulance."
 
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