The Eileen Barrett Women’s Cancer Support Group has announced upcoming dates for November and December. The Group will meet on Thursday, November 8 and Thursday, December 13. The Support Group will meet in Clark House on the campus of North Adams Regional Hospital from 4:30 – 6:45 pm.
The November 8 meeting will feature Bernice Williams who will talk about music and movement. December will feature crafter Teresa Roberts, who will work with the group on a craft project.
There will be a refreshment break with healthy snacks and beverages before the second hour of “Conversations for Caring and Sharing†begins. This support group session is offered to any woman in active treatment for cancer. The support group meets in a confidential setting, facilitated by a professional therapist.
Women who are interested in attending the Support Group are encouraged to call Program Manager Polly Macpherson at 413-664-5170. Space is limited, early registration is encouraged.
REACH for Breast Health is a comprehensive breast health program serving the women of north Berkshire County. Polly Macpherson is a Certified Breast Health Navigator and serves as Program Manager. The Eileen Barrett Fund supports the Group. It is also supported in part by a grant from the Susan G. Komen Foundation Inc. and individual gifts and contributions.
The REACH Community Health Foundation is a non-profit subsidiary of Northern Berkshire Healthcare. Its mission is to improve the health and wellness of the Northern Berkshire community through education, outreach, programming and advocacy in collaboration with community members and organizations.
For more information on the REACH for Breast Health Program or the REACH Community Health Foundation, please call 413-664-5170.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Armed North Adams Man Arrested Following Domestic Standoff
Staff Reports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Matthew Parker, a 44-year-old North Adams man, is set to face multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons charges in Northern Berkshire District Court on Friday morning following an hours-long, armed standoff at a Houghton Street home.
The defendant is being arraigned for:
Domestic Assault and Battery
Assault with the Intent to Murder (3 counts)
Carrying a Firearm While Under the Influence of Alcohol (3 counts)
Possession of a hi-capacity firearm (4 counts)
Improper Storage of a hi-capacity firearm (2 counts)
Improper Storage of a firearm (6 counts)
According to a report, on June 10, at approximately 8:42 p.m., officers responded to 365 Houghton St. following a report of a domestic assault and battery. The caller said she and her husband had been involved in a physical altercation.
She said her husband was intoxicated, making suicidal statements about shooting himself, and had access to both a shotgun and a pistol.
Upon arrival, officers made contact with both the caller and Parker. During the encounter, Parker threatened to shoot officers before retreating into the home and refusing to exit.
Officers believed that Parker was armed.
To ensure public safety, police established a perimeter around the home and requested assistance from the Berkshire County Special Response Team (SRT) and North Adams Police crisis negotiators. The Brien Center was also contacted and promptly provided an emergency mental health clinician to assist with the incident.
Special Response Team personnel deployed drones to monitor the residence and provide aerial illumination. During the operation, officers saw Parker exit the house carrying a rifle. He pointed it at the drones, stated a report. Parker subsequently pointed the rifle toward several officers positioned behind their cruisers. After officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, Parker returned inside the residence.
Trained crisis negotiators maintained communication with Parker for several hours in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation. At approximately 2 a.m., Parker ceased communication with negotiators.
Drone operators later observed Parker unconscious in a recliner on the first floor of the residence, with a rifle and shotgun on the floor nearby.
Members of the Berkshire County SRT then executed a coordinated operation. Diversionary devices were deployed through a window while an entry team simultaneously entered the home, secured the firearms, and took the defendant into custody.
A search warrant was executed after Parker was in custody. North Adams Police seized four shotguns, six rifles, two handguns, and thousands or rounds of ammunition from the home.
During the operation, one SRT member sustained a minor injury related to a less-lethal bean bag deployment. Parker also sustained non-life threatening injuries during the arrest and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center for medical evaluation.
"We thank the community for its patience and cooperation throughout this incident, particularly residents in the affected area who complied with temporary shelter-in-place requests," Police Chief Mark Bailey said. "The North Adams Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the agencies that provided mutual aid and assisted by handling calls for service during this incident. We are especially grateful to the Berkshire County Special Response Team for its professional and decisive response, the Brien Center for the rapid deployment of a mental health clinician, and our crisis negotiators whose efforts helped maintain dialogue and contributed significantly to the safe resolution of this incident."
On Friday, June 12, Matthew Parker will be arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court for an incident that occurred on Wednesday evening, June 10, into the early morning of Thursday, June 11. click for more
The upper section of Houghton Street was blocked off for hours on Wednesday night as authorities sought to deal with an individual reportedly having a mental health issue.
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