Josh Landes

6 days ago | wamc.org | Josh Landes

Voters in the Southern Berkshire County community of around 5,800 briskly and cheerfully dispensed with all 17 items on the agenda in about an hour at the middle and high school. “I'm very pleased with the results of the town meeting," Town Administrator Chris Brittain told WAMC. "We really appreciate the support of the public. We tried to put together a really responsible budget this year.

1 week ago | wamc.org | Josh Landes

The gathering at Wahconah Regional High School that started Monday had to continue for a second night after four emotional and at times tense hours of debate and voting only managed to address 19 of 31 warrant articles. On night two, a smaller assemblage of residents approved measures including a proposal to create a five-year capital planning committee, as well as a plan to petition the Commonwealth for Dalton to establish a recall mechanism for elected officials.

1 week ago | wamc.org | Josh Landes

In March, Berkshire County was rocked by a series of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. At least a dozen residents were detained amid President Trump’s crackdown on the immigrant community. As reported by WAMC, activists have closely monitored the agency’s quiet but ongoing presence in the region in the weeks since. This morning, that silence was shattered by a raid in the heart of Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

1 week ago | wamc.org | Josh Landes

After four hours at Wahconah Regional High School, only 19 of the warrant's 31 articles had been addressed Monday. In a rare move, community members voted to separate the police department budget from the town’s full operating budget. While the $10.9 million remainder was accepted, the almost $1.7 million police budget failed.

1 week ago | wamc.org | Josh Landes

Inside Monument Mountain Regional High School, residents approved a fiscal year 2026 budget of around $16.7 million. “We've done a really fantastic job keeping the increase really modest, only $313,000 over last year, and this in a climate of ever-increasing costs. Electricity, insurance, etc., are all going up, and yet, we're presenting to you a town budget that's under a 2% increase," said Director of Planning & Community Development Chris Rembold.