McCandless Staying as DuBois Middle School Principal

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Jake McCandless previously served as superintendent in Mount Greylock, Pittsfield, and Lee.
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Jake McCandless, who left his post as superintendent of Mount Greylock Regional School District last spring, will continue as a middle school principal in the Berkshire Hills Regional School District
 
Superintendent Peter Dillon told the School Committee on Jan. 16 that McCandless, principal of W.E.B. Du Bois Middle School, has extended his contract for an additional three years. 
 
McCandless began his role in July 2024, succeeding Miles Wheat, who was hired as principal at Chatham (N.Y.) High School
 
With more than 30 years of experience in education, McCandless also previously served as superintendent in Pittsfield and Lee, where he was also a principal, as well as an assistant principal and teacher in Virginia.
 
Superintendent Dillon shared his praise.
 
"It's great to have a steady hand on the tiller," he said. "I'm so impressed with the relationships Jake has built, the time he's taken to listen, and his capacity to support sustained growth in the building. We're very lucky to have Jake as our principal and to extend his time on our team."
 
McCandless expressed his gratitude.
 
"I am very honored and very grateful for this gift of getting to serve long-term as the principal of a truly remarkable school in a truly remarkable district," he said. "Being an educator in the Berkshires for the past 22 years has been a joy, and being able to continue to serve with a focus on middle-level students and the professionals dedicated to caring for and educating them is a tremendous privilege."
 

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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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