CHESHIRE, Mass. — Four people were taken to the hospital and a section of Route 8 was closed after a three-car accident at the Lanesborough Road intersection.

According to police, a 2009 Nissan Frontier driven by Earl Kahill, 72, of Hampton, N.Y. failed to stop at the end of Lanesborough Road and continued into the highway, colliding with a 2007 Toyota Yaris driven by Christopher Plankey, 33, of Adams.

The Frontier then spun off the road and hit a parked car in Joanie's parking lot.

Police said Kahill was unable to see the stop sign because of the heavy fog.

Unusually warm temperatures caused heavy fog throughout the region as the evening progressed.

Four of the five people in the Yaris suffered injuries and were transported to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. Police said the injuries were not life-threatening.

The Yaris was totaled and the Frontier had a broken axle, which could lead to it being deemed totaled as well.

The accident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. and traffic was rerouted over Farnam's Road and over Lanesborough Road. Adams, Action and County ambulance services responded to the scene; Lanesborough Police worked the detour at Farnam's Road.

The road was reopened shortly after 9 p.m.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Police on late Monday afternoon were at the scene of a single-car accident on Syndicate Road.

Officers at the scene said no one was injured in the incident, in which the car with New York license plates apparently slid off the storm-slickened road and downhill toward the Hoosic River.

A tow truck from Ron's Auto Repair on Main Street pulled the car back onto the road. The road was closed for fewer than 15 minutes.

CHESHIRE, Mass. — A police investigation led to the arrest on Thursday morning of an employee of the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District.

Supervisor of Special Services Kurt M. Garivaltis, 45, is being charged with possession of a Class B substance, Percocet. He is to be arraigned on Wednesday, Jan. 30, in Northern Berkshire District Court.

Superintendent Kristen Gordon confirmed on Friday that an employee was arrested after an ongoing investigation led authorities to do a car search in the school's parking lot and a search of the employee's office at about 7:45 a.m. on Thursday.

"At about 9 a.m., the authorities informed me they were going to make an arrest at that time and we put the school in a soft lockdown," said Gordon, who estimated the lockdown lasted about 11 minutes and was done to shield the children from seeing someone they knew in handcuffs.

She said at no time was anyone in any danger and the investigation had nothing to do with firearms or anything related to that.

"The authorities were extremely respectful of the fact this was an elementary school," she said, adding that the individual "is not working at the moment."

The arrest was made by the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit after executing a search warrant. According to a report filed in court by Trooper Daren W. Snyder, detectives discovered Percocet during the search "for which [Garivaltis] did not have a prescription."

Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Tuesday, January 22.

Raymond Brito, 20, of Bronx, N.Y. pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery.

He was sentenced to two years at the Berkshire County House of Correction, which will be served on and after a sentence he is currently serving in New York.

The incidents occurred at a residential school in New Marlborough between January 1, 2010 and March 6, 2010. Two counts of rape of a child with force were dismissed by the state.

Denzel Moody, 19, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on two counts of drug violation in a park zone and single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of ecstasy.

He was ordered to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction on $2,000 bail. The charges stem from a motor vehicle stop in Pittsfield on Jan. 10.

Eyzaiya Moody, 29, of Pittsfield had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf on single counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute - his second offense - drug violation in a school zone, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a public employee, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license - his second offense - negligent operation of a motor vehicle and failure to stop for a police officer.

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 a motor vehicle chase in Pittsfield on Jan. 4.

Donald Thomas, 53, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to violate drug laws, to wit: distribution of cocaine.

He was placed on six months probation. The charges stem from an incident in Pittsfield on May 5, 2011. A single count of possession of cocaine was dismissed by the state.
 
Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Wednesday, January 23.

Steven Signor Jr., 26, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws, to wit: possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws, to wit: possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws, to wit: possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

He was placed on one year probation. Signor conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute drugs in Pittsfield on February 23, 2011. Single counts of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and drug violation in a school zone were dismissed by the state.

Brian Podavini, 42, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws, to wit: distribution of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

He was sentenced to two to three years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction. Podavini conspired with others to sell cocaine in Pittsfield on April 3, 2012 and was in possession of the drug on the same date.

Cases heard before Judge Daniel Ford on Thursday, January 24.

James Kerr, 23, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty on two counts of breaking and entering in the daytime, two counts of malicious destruction of personal property over $250, two counts of larceny in a building, three counts of intimidation of a witness, and single counts of receiving stolen property over $250 and common and notorious thief.

The charges stem from a series of house breaks in Richmond, Dalton and Pittsfield between October 21, 2010 and January 30, 2012. The intimidation charges stem from incidents in Pittsfield between May 18, 2012 and May 25, 2012.

Kerr was sentenced to concurrent two years at the Berkshire County House of Correction for the breaking and entering, malicious destruction, larceny and receiving stolen property charges. He was given a one year sentenced at the Berkshire County House of Correction on the intimidation charges, which will be served after the other sentence. He was placed on two years probation on he common and notorious thief charge.

Richard Rathbun, 43, of Pittsfield pleaded guilty to single counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and assault and battery.

He was sentenced to six months at the Berkshire County House of Correction. Rathbun assaulted a man who is now 50-years-old in Pittsfield on March 25, 1995. A single count of burglary was dismissed by the state.

Robert Smith, 35, of Dalton was found guilty of five counts of rape and abuse of a child, no force, three counts of rape and abuse of a child aggravated by an age difference, two counts of dissemination of obscene matter to a minor and a single count of inducing a minor to engage in sexual intercourse.

He was sentenced to concurrent 25 to 40 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction. The incidents involved a girl who is now 17-years-old and a boy who is now 14-years-old and occurred in Richmond between January 1, 2004 and June 10, 2010.

	Firefighters were at a home on Main Road on Thursday night for reports of smoke in a floor.

STAMFORD, Vt. — Firefighters were at the scene of a reported structure fire on Main Road on Thursday evening.

The call came in around 8:40 of a possible fire in the floor of 1085 Main Road, near a woodstove. The floor was reportedly smoking.

With temperatures hovering around 10 degrees, firefighters stationed around the house while some entered with equipment. Smoke could be seen through the open front door, where firefighters appeared to be cutting through the floor.

Update: Fire Chief Paul Ethier emailed us the particulars Friday morning.

The call came in as a structure fire.

"The couple that lived at the home came home and found their house filled with smoke," said Ethier. "When we arrived on scene, we found fire burning through the floor structure below the woodstove in the living room. We knocked that down pretty quickly with one handline."

Ethier said the fire was contained to the area of origin but the home did sustain some minor structural damage. In addition, some electrical wires in the area were also damaged and will have to be replaced.

Firefighters removed two pets from the home; no one was injured.

"Our firefighters did a great job and were able to keep damage to a minimum," said the fire chief. "We initally called for mutual aid from Readsboro and Clarksburg, however, once we were able to get on scene and knock down the fire, firefighters from Readsboro were canceled."

Clarksburg firefighters stayed on the scene with their airtruck and refilled the SCBA bottles. The North Adams Ambulance Service was also on scene.