Suspect Arraigned in Fatal Stockbridge Hit & Run

Print Story | Email Story
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — A West Stockbridge woman has been charged in the hit-and-run that killed Franklin Ripley on Saturday. 
 
Samantha C. Paige, 36, was arrested Tuesday morning and arraigned in Southern Berkshire District Court.
 
Defendant was charged with leaving scene of personal injury, resulting in death. Judge John P. McKenna set bail at $7,500. However, Paige is being held without the right to bail for a probation warrant issued by Central Berkshire District Court on an unrelated case.
 
Ripley, 72, of Stockbridge was apparently riding his electric scooter along Route 102 on Saturday morning when he was struck. He was found lying by the side of the road shortly before 7 a.m. and pronounced dead at the scene. 
 
The case is under investigation by the Stockbridge Police Department with assistance from the State Police and Berkshire District Attorney's Office. Additional charges may follow.

Tags: fatal,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Neal, Markey Reflect on U.S. Political Climate

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LEE, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and U.S Sen. Edward Markey shared the reflections on the nation's political climate during separate swings through the Berkshires this week. 

"I watched the whole thing and I've known Tim Walz for a long time and I thought that the debate showed the vigor of where we find ourselves," Neal said at Lee Town Hall after bringing news of a $1 million earmark for Lee's proposed public safety building. This was one day after the vice presidential debate.

"And I thought it was pretty interesting."

On Monday night, Democratic nominee Tim Walz and Republican nominee James David "JD" Vance debated at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. The 90-minute program included foreign policy, reproductive rights, immigration, and more.

Neal observed that the candidates spent the evening talking about the respective presidential candidate of the other party. He did not identify a winner in this debate, which was not the case for the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in September.

"So in terms of outcome, I think media have a tendency to try to declare winners and losers and I thought last night, I don't think moves the needle much one way or another," the Springfield Democrat said.

"The presidential debate was entirely different. I thought even Republicans said they thought that the vice president won the debate."

"I think both candidates made the pitch for their presidential candidates very well," said Markey at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art on Thursday. "However, it's going to come down to Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and I'm very confident that the energy level on the Democratic side is so high that we're going to get out the vote. It's a very small percentage of all voters who are undecided right now across the country, it's only going to come down to seven states altogether.
 
Massachusetts and California have already decided, the Democrat said, and so has in Texas and Mississippi. "So we're down to just seven states."
 
Most of the last presidential elections have come down to the general election as ties, he said, so it will matter who gets out the vote. He was heading to Pennsylvania on Friday to speak to Democrats.

Neal was asked about his thoughts on immigration and if the Democratic Party's stance has drifted to the right over the past few years.

"I don't think I would say that it's drifted right," he said. "I think it's drifted to a reality. I think and have professed for a long period of time, you need a process."

He said the problem is you need to know who is in the country and how they arrive.

View Full Story

More South Berkshire Stories