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County Stars Shine on Championship Saturday

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Three Berkshire County high school basketball teams claimed Western Massachusetts crowns on Championship Saturday.
 
And one area high school wrestler earned a title of his own at the Division 3 State Championships.
 
Six area basketball teams made it to the final game of the six divisions – three boys and three girls – where county schools are classified in Western Mass.
 
In Class B boys, both the Pittsfield Generals and Monument Mountain Spartans made it to the tournament finale in a rematch of last year’s final. This time around, Monument Mountain came out on top at the Boys and Girls Club.
 
In Class C boys, Drury reached its final only to fall to Granby in overtime on Saturday.
 
The county took home two girls basketball regional titles.
 
Class B Pittsfield edged South Hadley in a back-and-forth battle at Holyoke Community College, where the Lenox girls fell to Renaissance in Class C.
 
And the reigning State Champion Hoosac Valley girls added another Western Mass Class D Championship plaque to the trophy case in Cheshire.
 
No team titles from the D3 wrestling meet, but Taconic wrestler West Dews was victorious as one of three Berkshire County wrestlers to reach a title bout in his weight class.
 
Taconic's hockey team competed Saturday in the finals of the Class B Western Mass tournament, falling to Agawam.
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Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis. 

Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report. 

During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report. 

"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions.  As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday. 

"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements." 

He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report. 

"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote. 

Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.

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