Man Charged in Pittsfield Fire That Killed Cat

Staff Reports 10:07PM / Tuesday, July 22, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A 23-year-old man has been charged for an early morning structure fire that killed a family cat.

Around 3:10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 22, police and firefighters responded to a two-family residence on Fourth Street for a reported structure fire.

Hunter Barrett was arrested and charged with arson later that day.

"All occupants of the building were able to safely exit the building," police wrote around 8:30 p.m.

"Unfortunately, a family cat perished in the blaze."

The street number was not disclosed.

As a result of the ensuing investigation, Barrett was arrested and charged with arson of a dwelling. He is expected to be arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Wednesday, July 23.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the police, Fire Department, and the State Police Fire Investigation Team.

Tags: structure fire,

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Teacher of the Month: Nickole Halvorsen

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:21PM / Monday, August 31, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For many students, kindergarten is their first experience in a school setting and the beginning of ongoing growth and change throughout their lives.

Kindergarten teacher Nickole Halvorsen strives to instill in her students the foundational academic and social-emotional skills they need to succeed not only in her classroom, but throughout their educational journey and beyond.

It is this dedication, along with the fun, safe and welcoming environment that students describe her as cultivating, that has earned her the iBerkshires.com Teacher of the Month designation.

The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, features distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here.

The end of the year was bittersweet for Halvorsen and her students as they said goodbye to Morningside Community School, which closed its doors for the final time in May.

"Now at the end of the year, it gets sad and a little more emotional, especially this year because this is our last year at Morningside," she said during her interview in May.

So, really focusing on coming in, being here, being present [and] consistent for them matters the most for me, and they make me want to be here. I want to have fun with them. I want to enjoy every last bit we can of being in the school building."

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