MassDOT Extends Deadline for 'Name A Snowplow' Contest

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BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing an extended deadline for the third annual "Name a Snowplow" contest for students in Massachusetts.  
 
The contest seeks to solicit names for 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service for the upcoming 2024/2025 winter season. Submissions will now be received through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to help recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during the winter season.  Winning names will be announced on Friday, Dec. 20.
 
Applications for the contest are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, and can be submitted by using an online portal:  https://www.mass.gov/forms/name-a-snowplow-contest-submission. The contest winners will be invited to participate in a scheduled snowplow unveiling event. 
 
A selection panel composed of MassDOT employees will choose two school classroom winners that are located within each of the six Highway Division districts.  The winning submissions will be evaluated based on two grade-level categories: 1) kindergarten through fourth grade; and 2) fifth grade through eighth grade.  
 
During the second annual snowplow naming contest last winter, the winning names were: Flower Plower, Edward Blizzardhands, Glacier Gobbler, Polar Pathmaker, Snow B Wan Kenobi, The Snolar Express, Sleetwood Mac, Snow Place Like Home, Snow-hemian Rhapsody, The Mayplower, Snow Monstah, Fast and Flurryous.  These names, which were placed on the sides of plow trucks a year ago, remain on those vehicles. 

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Pittsfield Man Pleads Guilty to 2025 Assault, Firearm Charges

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man is facing up to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple assault and firearm charges from last year. 

The Berkshire District Attorney's Office has reported that on Thursday, Oct. 15, Jarvis L. Chadwell Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to 10 charges and was sentenced to 7 to 9 years in state prison following an incident on Oct. 18, 2025.

Police say that he fired a gun multiple times in a vehicle over an argument, striking the car and nearby home.  

"This incident was not just alarming because there was gun violence, but also because it occurred in such close proximity to a school. I will not waver on my stance towards gun violence in our community — gun violence must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said. 

"While I am committed to supporting those who need our help with recovery options and courts of hope, we must also protect our children and communities from the threat of violence that can claim lives in an instant. I commend the Pittsfield Police for their response and dedication to quickly solving this crime."

This occurred near Morningside Community School, which was retired at the end of the last academic year. 

Charges: 

  • armed assault with intent to murder
  • attempted assault & battery by discharging a firearm
  • witness intimidation
  • malicious destruction of property
  • resisting arrest
  • assault and battery on a police officer
  • illegal possession of a firearm
  • illegal possession of a large capacity feeding device
  • possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card 
  • possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony

Probation conditions include a mental health evaluation and aftercare; sign any releases required by probation; and refrain from abuse of the named victim, including threats of violence.

Pittsfield Police responded to a ShotSpotter activation at 65 Cherry St. just before 1 a.m. on that day in 2025. Upon arrival, police say witnesses confirmed hearing a gunshot and observing a man fleeing the area.

"While outside the 65 Cherry Street residence, officers observed a vehicle parked near the neighboring residence with a bullet hole in the windshield and an additional bullet hole in the side of 67 Cherry Street. Based on witness descriptions at the scene, law enforcement was able to quickly locate the Defendant within 30 minutes of the incident," a press release from the DA reads. 

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