Berkshire Green Drinks: A New Vision For Protecting The Environment

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) staff members will share updates from their work in 2025 at the December Berkshire Green Drinks event on Tuesday, Dec. 16. 
 
This free hybrid event will take place online via Zoom and in person at BEAT's Environmental Leadership and Education Center, 20 Chapel St, Pittsfield, MA. 
 
The in-person social gathering will begin around 5:15 PM; the presentation and Zoom meeting will start at 6:00 PM.
 
Executive Director Brittany Ebeling will share BEAT's new vision statement, developed collectively by BEAT staff, and will introduce new Deputy Director Melanie McCarthy. 
 
No Fracked Gas in Mass Program Director Rose Wessel will provide updates on pipeline expansions and climate legislation. Chelsey Simmons, Drake Reed, and Andrew Ferrara will review the progress made in the past year on campaigns centered on stewardship, education and outreach, and watchdogging, including invasive plant removal, the annual Biodiversity Day, air quality monitoring, stopping the practice of non-native fish stocking, and more. 
 
BEAT staff will also share their plans for working upcoming in the new year as they continue to celebrate the legacy of recently retired Founding Executive Director Jane Winn by working with the Berkshire community and beyond to protect the environment for wildlife in support of the natural world that sustains us all.
 

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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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