ADAMS, Mass. — Police are hoping the public can help identify the "grinch" who robbed a Howland Avenue gas station at knifepoint early Thursday morning. 

 

Patrol officers assigned to the midnight shift responded to the Mobil Gas Station at approximately 12:15 a.m. Thursday for what was reported as a masked individual who had brandished a large knife and demanded cash and cigarettes from the store clerk.

 

The person fled on foot prior to police arrival with an undisclosed small amount of U.S. currency and a pack of cigarettes.

 

Surveillance photos provided by the convenience store show a person in jeans, sneakers and an oversized gray hooded sweat shirt entering the store. The suspect has blue scarf or other material over their nose and mouth and is carrying what appears to be a long blade or cook's knife. 

 

Police are requesting assistance in an attempt to identify the person and is also looking for any home surveillance footage from Howland Avenue north of Butler Street toward North Adams as well Old Columbia Street. Anyone with with information can contact police at 413-743-1212.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two men who pleaded guilty in domestic assault cases last week were given the maximum jail sentences 2 1/2 years at the Berkshire County House of Correction.

 

Steven Signor, 32, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty in Central Berkshire District Court to two counts of assault and battery on a household member, two counts of violating an abuse prevention order, and single counts of assault and battery on a pregnant woman, resisting arrest, intimidation of a witness, breaking and entering, and vandalism.

 

Judge Mark Pasquariello sentenced Signor serve 2 1/2 years, the maximum allowable sentence for a single charge in District Court.

 

The charges relate to four separate incidents over the last year and a half. The Berkshire district attorney's office cited Signor's repeated behavior and disregard for court orders in asking for the maximum sentence. The defense argued for a one year sentence.

 

Jonathan Therrien, 30, of Adams pleaded guilty in Northern Berkshire District Court to assault and battery on a household member and violation of an abuse prevention order. The charges relate to an incident on Nov. 1 in Adams.

 

The DA's office requested the full 2 1/2-year sentence, noting a lengthy record of similar convictions in other states. The defense asked for one year. Judge Paul Vrabel sentenced Therrien to the full sentence.

 

"We obtained these guilty pleas thanks to comprehensive investigations by the Pittsfield and Adams police departments and are examples of how my office is working with law enforcement to prioritize violent crime. Berkshire County has the highest domestic violence rates in the state. These statistics represent real families who are living in violent homes," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said in a statement. "We are making every effort to prevent tragedy both to the individuals who are suffering from abuse, to local law enforcement who face risk every time they respond to domestic violence incidents, and to the public at large who face increased risk of gun violence from domestic abusers."

Police responded to a call about a domestic assault and battery in progress at a Commercial Street residence around noon Sunday. According to a press release from the Adams Police Department, upon arrival, police found a woman who had escaped from the house. She advised the officers that there was an armed man inside the home with her two children.

 

"She stated that he was armed with a firearm and threatened to shoot responding officers," the release stated.

 

Officers led the woman to safety and called the state police for backup, as well as the North Adams Police Department and the Berkshire County Special Response Team.

 

While backup was en route, Adams Police made contact with the man in the house via telephone. He agreed to surrender. He exited the home and was arrested without incident.

 

"The firearm was located and secured, and the children were located and were also deemed to be safe," according to the release.

 

The man was transported to the Adams Police Department. He was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail and will await arraignment at Northern Berkshire District Court to face multiple charges from this incident.

ADAMS, Mass. — The Fire Department quickly snuffed out a dryer fire before it extended into a Summit Avenue home Thursday afternoon.

 

Firefighters responded a little after 1 p.m. to a  single-family home at 13 Summit Ave. for a fire that was called in as a dryer fire and possible structure fire. 

 

Fire Chief John Pansecchi said department was out on another call when the Summit Avenue report came in. He said the assistant chief was first on the scene. 

 

"We showed up, there was smoke coming out of the back door and we thought it was in the structure," he said. "Manpower was an issue to start with. I was doing double duty as command and operating the truck and running supplies but we got inside quick and knocked the hell out of it."

 

Pansecchi said Cheshire and Clarksburg were alerted along with North Adams Fire Department. He said because they were able to control the fire so quickly they called off Clarksburg, which had been requested to cover the fire station. North Adams was on scene with its Engine 2 and Cheshire ended up covering the fire station. 

 

Adams Ambulance was also on scene.

 

Pansecchi said the washer and dryer were total losses. Both were both charred and on the front lawn. He said other than that, the homeowner is just looking at some smoke and water damage.

 

He said dryer fires always have the potential to become overwhelming fast.

 

"This was seconds away from being the whole structure," he said. "Everyone did a good job and we appreciate the mutual aid."

 

The trucks started packing up a little after 1:30 p.m.