Firefighters knocked down a blaze at a home on Columbus Avenue.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire Tuesday afternoon at 237 Columbus Ave.

The fire in the two-story home was reported at 1:18 p.m. The occupant and two cats and two small dogs escaped the building.

Heavy black smoke was pouring from the upper floors of the home; flames could be seen shooting from back of the building.

"As they pulled out of headquarters, they had a large column of fire and smoke coming right up in front of them," said Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski.

He said the first deputy on the scene requested a second alarm; the 19 firefighters on duty responded and off-duty ones were called in to cover the station.

The building incurred heavy damage and is likely to be condemned. The fire started on the east side and quickly spread into the attic.

"The siding on this building is an old asphalt-shingle siding that we commonly refer to as 'gasoline siding' and it really propogates a fire very quickly," said Czerwinski. "It was that siding that created a lot of fire and a lot of smoke."

The building, which dates to 1850, is a single-family home that at some point had been renovated into three apartments, according to city records, but was restored to a single-family again.

The fire chief recalled there had been some spot fires in the building eight or 10 years ago and it was a vacant single-family at that time. "I didn't realize somebody was in here trying to rehabilitate it," he said.

Czerwinski expected crews to be on the scene the rest of the afternoon as the cause of the blaze is investigated. The American Red Cross also provided one adult who was displaced by the fire with shelter, food, clothing and a comfort kit and provided food and drinks to the first responders. The Red Cross will follow up with the affected individual in the coming days.

"We have crews right now that are working in the attic trying to make sure that's out," he said. "You can see the light smoke, that's probably a deep-seated fire in there it will take a little while to get through there."

The property is owned by Columbus Avenue Realty Trust, according to documents on file with the Middle Berkshire Registrar of Deeds.

Columbus Avenue was closed to traffic between Robbins Avenue and Francis Avenue as firefighters deployed equipment. 

	Firefighters quickly snuffed a fire reported in  a kitchen at Jepson Road on Thursday morning.

STAMFORD, Vt. — A fire at 316 Jepson Road on Thursday morning left a home with extensive heat and smoke damage.

Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Thursday, April 11.

Gerald Gaetani, 63, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on 12 counts of illegal possession of a large capacity feeding device, three counts of improper storage of a large capacity firearm, two counts illegal possession of an assault weapon, two counts of illegal ownership of a firearm and single counts of possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number and improper storage of a firearm.

He was released on $10,000 cash or $100,000 surety bail. The charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at his home on March 3, 2013.

Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Tuesday, April 16.

Keith Otto, 53, of Hinsdale had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on six counts of knowingly possessing visual material of a child depicted in sexual conduct and a single count of dissemination of visual material of a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct.

He was released on personal recognizance. The incidents allegedly occurred in Hinsdale between November 9, 2012 and January 24, 2013.

John Jones, 36, of Ashley Falls had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of larceny - ongoing and continuing offense - and making false entries into corporate books.

He was released on personal recognizance. Jones allegedly took approximately $65,000 while employed at Kenver Limited in Egremont between November 1, 2010 and February 11, 2012.

David Jones Jr., 30, of Adams pleaded guilty to 19 counts of breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony, 15 counts of larceny from a building, two counts of receiving stolen property over $250 and single counts of larceny over $250, attempt to commit a crime - to wit: breaking and entering in the daytime, and receiving stolen property under $250.

He was sentenced to four to seven years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction on the breaking and entering charge. He was given concurrent time on the other charges.

The charges stem from a series of house breaks in Adams, Cheshire, Florida, North Adams, Savoy and Williamstown between April 1, 2011 and September 1, 2011.

Nine counts of malicious destruction of personal property over $250 were dismissed by the state.

Arthur Jones III, 43, of Weymouth had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of assault and battery on a person age 60 or older and single counts of kidnapping, unarmed robbery and larceny under $250.

He was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $25,000 cash or $250,000 surety bail.

The charges stem from an incident in New Ashford involving a 60 year old man on March 19, 2013 and March 20, 2013.

Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Thursday, April 18.

Raymond Yetz, 59, of Pittsfield had a not guilty plea entered on his behalf on a single count of failing to register as a sex offender - his second offense.

He was released on $5,000 cash or $50,000 surety bail. Yetz allegedly failed to register as a sex offender in Pittsfield between December 1, 2012 and January 8, 2013.

Anthony Green, 27, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

He was sentenced to serve nine months at the Berkshire County House of Correction and will begin serving his sentence on May 17.

The charge stems from the execution of a search warrant at 466 Fenn Street in Pittsfield on September 26, 2012.

FLORIDA, Mass. — The driver of a tractor-trailer that flipped over on Dead Man's Curve last Wednesday is facing multiple charges and the loss of his commercial driver's license.

Clement Leslie, 51, of Vineland, N.J., is still at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, where he is expected to undergo another surgery on Thursday.

State Trooper David McKearney of the Cheshire Barracks said Wednesday that he had served Leslie at the hospital with charges of operating to endanger, failure to stay within marked lanes and speeding.

"We believe he was reading a magazine while he was driving," he said. McKearney said Leslie told him that he took the turn too fast.

The accident is still under investigation.

The accident occurred at about 4:40 p.m. on April 11 and closed the state highway between Whitcomb Hill Road and Charlement until 2 the following morning. The load of lime Leslie was hauling was dumped across the steep incline above the Cold River when the truck crashed onto the guardrails. It took more than an hour to extricate Leslie from his crushed cab.  

McKearney, who has a background in federal and state trucking regulations, said Leslie was also in violation of the commercial vehicle enforcement section of federal truck laws. Some were mechanical issues with the truck that "were not contributory to the accident," said McKearney.

"The most important violation is the 14-hour rule," he said. Drivers by law are not allowed to drive beyond the 14th-hour of coming on duty, which for Clement was 2:30 p.m. "He should not have been on the road."

Leslie also failed to take a Breathalyzer within eight hours or a drug test within 32 hours of the accident, as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Leslie was driving for Paladino Farms of Rosenhayn, N.J. McKearney said they would move to immediately suspend his CDL license out of New Jersey.  

"We're going to do every thing we can to keep him from driving again," said the trooper.

 

READSBORO, Vt. — Two North Adams, Mass., men are facing multiple charges after leading state police on a seven-mile high-speed chase in a stolen car early Tuesday morning and crashing at the intersection of Routes 8 and 100.

Shawn M. Tripodes and Matthew R. Rodriques, both 18, were taken to North Adams Regional Hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

The pursuit began with the report of a stolen vehicle, a 2003 Subaru Forester that was later found abandoned later Tuesday morning on Pike Road in Whitingham.

The owner of the vehicle said he saw someone taking the Forester from his Merrifield Road home in Whitingham and heading toward Route 100 at about 1:46 a.m.

Sgt. Jeffrey Trudeau of the Brattleboro barracks was checking Merrifield Road when he spotted what he believed to be a suspicious vehicle, a 2008 Toyota Camry, with Massachusetts plates flipping on its headlights and quickly exiting a driveway. The trooper attempted to pull the car over at about 2:08 a.m.

The vehicle failed to stop and rapidly accelerated southbound on Route 100 toward the town of Readsboro, according to police, and was observed crossing the yellow centerline and traveling at a very high rate of speed.

The Camry led state police through Readsboro toward Stamford and state border. Massachusetts State Police and North Adams Police were notified of the motor vehicle pursuit and direction of travel. Massachusetts State Police responded back that they had taken a report of a stolen Toyota Camry from the town of Florida, Mass.

The Toyota Camry reached speeds in excess of 100 mph as it approached Heartwellville, where it failed to make the sharp corner at the highway junction. It skidded off the roadway and collided with several trees.  

The operator, who was later identified as Tripodes, fled from the vehicle, said police, and a short foot pursuit ensued before he was apprehended. Rodriques was located still in the passenger seat. Neither were wearing seat belts; vehicle is considered a total loss.

Readsboro and Stamford fire departments and North Adams Ambulance responded to the scene to assist. Heartwellville Towing removed the vehicle from the scene.

The Camry was confirmed to be stolen. State police also located a variety of gift cards, credit cards, a Vermont identification card and empty wallets inside the vehicle. Some items were tracked back to a residence on Route 100 in Stamford. The victim was unaware that the items and cash had been stolen during the night from her unlocked vehicle.  

Several other stolen credit cards located are tied to a theft investigation in the town of Adams, Mass.  State police also discovered that the residence that the Toyota Camry had originally fled from on Merrifield Road had been entered. The homeowners, who were home that night, discovered at 6 a.m. that suspects had allegedly entered their attached garage and ransacked their vehicle.

This case is still under investigation.  

Tripodes was processed for operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs and he submitted to a blood test. He was issued a citation to appear at Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division, to answer to the charges of operating under the influence of drugs, attempting to elude a police officer, grossly negligent operation, and possession of stolen property.

Rodriques was issued a citation to appear in court to answer to the charge of possession of stolen property.