Berkshire Organizations Awarded SafteyWorks Grants

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BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration launched the SafetyWorks Initiative, including grant funding and free technical consultation for employers to improve safety in the workplace.
 
In Berkshire County,  Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, 18 Degrees and Berkshire County Head Start Child Development Program were awarded grants. 
 
As part of SafetyWorks, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) announced $800,000 in grants to train an estimated 13,832 workers at 160 organizations across Massachusetts. The grants, administered by the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), aim to enhance workplace safety through training, education, and other preventative measures. SafetyWorks also features free technical consultation offered by the Department of Labor Standards for public and private sector employers.
 
"Well-trained workers are the foundation to safe workplaces," said Governor Maura Healey. "These grants are an example of our administration’s commitment to helping businesses educate thousands of workers in promoting safe work conditions."
 
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art was awarded $5,000 to train 180 employees, 18 Degrees was awarded $6,433 to train 120 employees and Berkshire County Head Start Child Development Program was awarded $3,715 to train 46 employees.
 
The 160 grant recipients include municipalities, minority- and women-owned businesses, veterans-owned businesses, small business, and employers across industries such as manufacturing, construction, and more. This funding is made available through DIA annually. Since 1988, DIA has funded approximately $24 million to Massachusetts-based employers, helping approximately 324,000 workers and 1,693 employers throughout Massachusetts.
 
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Lee: 3 Miles of Route 20 Being Repaved Next Year

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LEE, Mass. — Beginning next year, the state will repave three miles of Route 20 and reinforce two bridges, one over the Massachusetts Turnpike. 

Last week, the state Department of Transportation held a virtual design public hearing for the project. In addition to milling and resurfacing of the route, bridge structures L-05-024 (over Greenwater Brook) and L-05-052 (over I-90) will see maintenance repairs. 

"We just wanted to thank MassDOT for doing this project. We're very supportive of having the road redone and appreciate the work on it," Town Administrator Christopher Brittain said. 

"The town of Lee is looking forward to having the road repaved." 

Construction will begin in the spring of 2027.  

Traffic will be maintained with short-term flagging operations, and steel plates will conceal deck patching over Greenwater Brook. There will be staged construction on the bridge over the highway, with a single alternating travel lane controlled by a temporary signal. 

The project is estimated to cost $6.8 million, 90 percent from the federal government and 10 percent from the state; it is in the FY26 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. 

The hearing included public information on activities and rights-of-way needs for tree trimming, new utility poles, grading, drainage swales, and a driveway apron along the project corridor, items identified during the late design phases. 

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