Joann Fabric in Pittsfield Targeted for Closure

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
12:52PM / Thursday, February 13, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Joann Fabric and Crafts store on Dalton Avenue is among some 500 set to close.

Joann Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year to restructure and filed again last month. On Wednesday, the bankruptcy filings noted that liquidation should start immediately.

Pittsfield was among the 19 Massachusetts stores identified for closure, as well as the store in the Hampshire Mall in Hadley. Two Vermont stores are closing along with several in New York's Capital District.

Overall, 53 stores out of 800 are slated to be shuttered. Joann is the only large scale material retailer in the area. Walmart eliminated its bolt fabrics a few years ago and Michaels offers a smaller selection. There are also several quilt shops in the region but they tend not to have the variety of fabrics offered by Joann.

Alvarez & Marsal North America LLC, the restructuring consultant, stated that there was no interest by bidders on a subset of stores and that "it is in the best interest of the Debtors' estates to immediately commence Store Closing Sales at this subset of

stores."

The upcoming Presidents Day holiday weekend was identified as "a significant opportunity to meet or beat the Debtors' revenue projections from store closing

sales."

The closings are expected to take two to three months.

Tags: store closings,

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Trial Scheduled for North Adams Woman Accused of Killing Grandmother

Staff reportsiBerkshires
04:59PM / Monday, October 05, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A 2027 trial date is scheduled for a woman accused of killing her grandmother in North Adams four years ago.

A jury trial for Kelsie Cote is set for May 24, 2027, in Berkshire Superior Court.

Cote, 30, is alleged to have killed 74-year-old Doris A. Cote, who was found dead with sharp and blunt force injuries in her Church Street, North Adams, home on Nov. 1, 2022.

Cote has pleaded not guilty to five felony charges: murder, armed assault to murder a person age 60 or older, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon of a person age 60 or older, and one count of withholding evidence from official proceedings.

Hearings for evidence suppression will be held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

A conference to review the case's status was held on Sept. 28. Assistant District Attorney Marianne Shelvey, representing the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office, filed a motion to impound certain documents, which was allowed by Judge Maureen Hogan.

Cote is represented by attorney Kevin Joseph Reddington, who is also the defense lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, a Duxbury woman accused of killing her three children in 2023. Cote's case has reportedly been delayed because of the seven-week Clancy trial in Plymouth County, which ended in a mistrial on Sept. 4.

The Berkshire Eagle reported that Reddington told the court he seeks to suppress Cote's statements because he argues she was not read her Miranda rights, and that he will file motions to suppress evidence found during the execution of a search warrant, arguing that the police did not have probable cause.

Allegations include:

On or about Oct. 26 and on Nov. 1, Cote allegedly altered, destroyed, mutilated, or concealed a record, document, or other object or attempted to do so to impair the record, document, or object's integrity for use in an official proceeding.

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