BCC to Offer CDL Training Sessions

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PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will offer Class A and Class B Commercial Driver's License (CDL) training sessions next month.  
 
Class A CDL training will be held Saturdays and Sundays, March 21 – May 24 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Training includes a total of 160 hours of classroom, field and on-the-road instruction. The first five Saturday trainings will be held at Berkshire Community College, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, and the first five Sunday trainings will be held at United Tractor Trailer School, located at 50 Holyoke Street, Holyoke. The remaining five Saturday and Sunday trainings will be held at United Tractor Trailer School. 
 
The cost for the course is $7,070. Grant scholarships are available for those who qualify. A self-pay option is also available to those not covered through scholarship funding. 
 
Class B CDL training will be held Monday – Friday, March 23 – 27, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Training includes a total of 40 hours of classroom, field and on-the-road instruction. Classroom instruction will be held at Berkshire Community College, located at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, and driving instruction will be held at the former Berkshire Mall, located at 123 Old State Road in Lanesborough. 
 
The cost for the course is $3,675. Grant scholarships are available for those who qualify. A self-pay option is also available to those not covered through scholarship funding. 
 
Learn more and register at www.berkshirecc.edu/cdl. Applicants must be Massachusetts residents ages 18 or older. Students must have their learner's permit and a Department of Transportation (DOT) physical prior to the class start date. 

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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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