Sandy McKnight Songwriters Fund Songwriter Series

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LEE, Mass. — The Sandy McKnight Songwriters Fund will launch its new bi-monthly Songwriter Series on Friday, Jan. 3, at Appetito, located at 54 Main Street in Lee, Massachusetts. 
 
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and features a performance by North Adams singer-songwriter Jordan Franklin, followed by an open mic session for original songwriters.
 
The series, which takes place on the first and third Fridays of each month, honors the legacy of Sandy McKnight, a local singer-songwriter who passed away in May 2024.
 
According to a press release:
 
Jordan Franklin of North Adams is known his finger-style acoustic guitar playing, which he learned at age 13 from his dad, whom he credits as "the best guitar player I know."  Inspired by his dad’s open tuning and artists like Nick Drake, the singer/songwriter draws from personal experience to create songs which are soothing and ethereal, almost other-worldly.
 
The Songwriter Series aims to create a welcoming space for both seasoned and emerging songwriters to showcase their work, reflecting McKnight's lifelong dedication to fostering musical talent and community.
 
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Connecticut Man Killed in Otis Tractor-Trailer Crash

OTIS, Mass. — Thursday's collision between two tractor-trailers on Route 8 killed one of the drivers. 
 
Antonio Luis Marcucci, 32 of Waterbury, Conn., was northbound at about 9 a.m. Thursday when he apparently lost control of the truck and veered into the southbound lanes, colliding head-on with a southbound tractor trailer, according to police. 
 
According to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, police dispatched to 1322 South Main Road found the truck with Connecticut plates in the northbound lane and a truck bearing Oklahoma plates lodged in a snowback on south side. 
 
The officer began rendering aid to the northbound driver, identified as Marcucci. He was pinned inside the cab of his truck. He was extracated and transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield by Otis EMS, where he was pronounced dead.
 
The driver of the Oklahoma tractor trailer in the southbound lane did not receive serious injuries.
 
Early investigation, including dash camera footage captured by one of the tractor trailers, shows the Oklahoma tractor trailer was traveling in the southbound lane and the Connecticut tractor trailer was traveling in the northbound lane, according to the DA's Office. The Connecticut tractor trailer lost control veering off the other side of the road ultimately ending on the southbound lane. Shortly after the two tractor trailers collided in a head on collision.
 
The investigation remains ongoing.
 
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