North Adams Public Schools, Public Safety to Conduct Emergency Drill

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — North Adams Public Schools, in partnership with the North Adams Departments of Public Safety and North Adams Ambulance, will conduct a daylong, multi-agency emergency coordination drill on Thursday, June 26, 2025. 
 
This full-scale training event will take place at Drury High School and is part of ongoing planning and collaboration between several agencies following a tabletop planning exercise held in early May.
 
This drill is focused on inter-agency coordination and logistical response following an active safety incident, not on the immediate response.
 
It is a key opportunity for agencies to rehearse the real-world coordination that must occur following a significant emergency.
 
The drill is designed to help all participating agencies enhance preparedness, communication, and coordination in the event of an emergency. 
 
These efforts will support all those involved in responding to safety incidents across the community.
 
Questions or concerns may be directed to the Public Safety Business Manager, Meghan DeLuca, at (413) 662-3101 or mdeluca@northadams-ma.gov or North Adams Police Chief Mark Bailey at (413) 664-4945 or chiefbailey@northadams-ma.gov.

Tags: emergency drill,   NAPS,   public safety,   

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Companion Corner: Ellie at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There is a spicy orange tabby looking for her new home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. 

Ellie is a 5-year-old domestic shorthair who has been at the shelter for about a month. Kennel assistant Claire Morin introduced us to her.

"The family's living situation was changing, and so they surrendered her on that day," she said.

Like a typical orange, Ellie can have a "spicy" side to her and may hiss or growl. But she is also in a shelter setting which can cause more stress.

"Ellie is a very sassy girl. She's been a little bit challenging to handle here because she hates all cats, so ideally she would want to be in a single-cat home," Morin said. "When we get her out, she enjoys being out, but she starts to smell the other cats that are here, and she becomes very antagonistic. The cats are antagonistic toward her as well, but overall she's a very sweet girl." 

While Ellie is not a fan of other cats, and since she is in a room with other cats, it can be hard to show off how great she can be without the stress.

Ellie is big on food and likes her wet treats. She also likes being brushed with a toothbrush.

"Ellie loves wet food, which she is devouring right now because it's lunchtime. She loves catnip. She loves being brushed with this giant toothbrush-like brush, and she loves treats," she said.

She can be in a home with older children who can understand her boundaries.

"Ellie would do beautifully if she was the only cat in the house. It would take her a few minutes to warm up with whoever adopts her."

She would also do best as the only one getting attention on her terms and to be respectful of her boundaries. But once out of the shelter setting she may find herself more comfortable and more loving with one-on-one attention. 

"We think she would do fantastic in a home where she was the only one getting the attention. She'd be much more comfortable on her own terms."

If you think Ellie could be your companion, be sure to fill out the form on the shelter's website and email or drop it off to No Paws Left Behind on Hodges Cross Road.

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