Taconic Grad Gittens Racks Up More Honors at MCLA

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— MCLA senior guard and Taconic High School graduate Quentin Gittens has been named the MASCAC Player of the Week for the third time in four weeks.
 
Gittens averaged 30.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, four assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks in a 2-0 week for the Trailblazers.
 
He Posted a double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds, adding six assists, two blocks, and a steal in a 73-72 road victory at Salem State, where he sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds to secure the win. And he followed that up with a career-high 36-point performance in a 67-59 at Framingham State, adding five rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal, leading the Trailblazers to the conference win.
 
Gittens and the Trailblazers are back in action on Saturday when they welcome Worcester State for a MASCAC matchup with Lancers. The tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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Peace Officer Standards Commission Strips Former Pittsfield Cop of Certification

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A former Pittsfield Police officer was one of five statewide who recently had their licenses revoked by the  POST Commission. 

Last week, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission voted to strip five former officers of their licenses to work in law enforcement, including former PPD officer William Straub

The commission had determined that these workers were unfit to carry a badge and gun in Massachusetts; so far, 92 state police officers have been decertified by the commission. 

Records indicate that Straub faced charges tied to a 2024 incident, but details are redacted.  On Oct. 31, 2024, the POST Commission suspended Straub's law enforcement certification, and he resigned from PPD in April. 

"According to Pittsfield District Court records, Straub pleaded guilty in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery tied to a 2024 incident," MassLive wrote on Monday. 

"Three other charges, including drunk driving and carrying a firearm while intoxicated, were continued without a finding. While that resolution allows the charges to be dismissed after a period of time if Straub abides by certain conditions, the commission treats them as a criminal conviction."

According to records, he was certified as a police officer in July of 2021, and recertified in July 2024.  

"The Respondent's appointing agency, the Pittsfield Police Department ("PPD"), submitted a final report to the Commission finding that the Respondent had engaged in criminal conduct and conduct unbecoming [of] an officer," the Aug. 20 final decision to decertify reads. 

"The Respondent resigned from PPD on April 9, 2026, prior to the imposition of any discipline." 

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