Mold Found in Wahconah High Auditorium

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:30AM / Monday, August 26, 2024Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School District is investigating what has caused penicillium, a type of mold, to grow on the walls of Wahconah Regional High School's auditorium.

The district filed a claim with its insurance company and anticipated the mold would be completely remediated by the weekend. However, the auditorium will remain closed until the investigation into why the mold grew is complete, Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said.

The mold was discovered by a staff member the week before and reported by the school's Principal Aaron Robb.

The mold was "in different places" in the auditorium, but anyone would have to have been "pretty observant" to see it," said Blake-Davis. "It's not something that, if you just walked in, you would see right away."

The school closed off that section of the building and shut down the auditorium's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to contain the mold, she said.

"Right now, we're confident that it's a safe building. We're not sending anyone into that room. We're confident we can get to the bottom of it," she continued.

"Nobody really has a solid why. I think most likely there are a number of reasons why."

Testing has been done throughout the building to ensure the mold has not spread to other areas. It appears not to have but there will be continued testing, the superintendent said.

Penicillium is a common household mold often found in cheesemaking and as the basis for penicillin. The district is coordinating with the project owner's manager of the school project to find the root cause of the mold growth.

They are examining several things that could have contributed to the growth, including the HVAC system, the siding used in the auditorium, the room's humidity, and other factors.

School Committee member Ellen Lattizzori asked whether there is a risk to students with an allergy to penicillin since the mold is found in that antibiotic.

Blake-Davis said there should not be a risk to students because the area has been restricted, and testing shows it has been contained in the auditorium.

However, parents and families have been notified of the mold, and continued testing will be done in multiple areas of the building.

Tags: mold,

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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