US Capitol Police officers salute as procession carries the body of William "Billy" Evans, an 18-year-veteran of USCP who was killed in a vehicle attack at the US Capitol on Friday afternoon.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The police officer killed outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday grew up in North Adams and was a 1998 graduate of Drury High School.
Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans was one of two officers struck when a man rammed his car into them around 1 p.m. He then crashed the small sedan into a barrier on the north side of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., got out and lunged at officers with a knife and was shot and killed. Evans was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The other officer's name and condition have not yet been released.
Congress was not in session and the building and grounds were locked down for about two hours.
A procession of police and emergency vehicles escorted the Evan's body from the hospital and President Biden ordered flags be lowered to half staff.
"Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the U.S. Capitol grounds, which killed Officer William Evans of the U.S. Capitol Police, and left a fellow officer fighting for his life," the president said in a statement. "We send our heartfelt condolences to Officer Evans' family, and everyone grieving his loss. We know what a difficult time this has been for the Capitol, everyone who works there, and those who protect it."
Evans earned a degree in criminal justice from Western New England College in 2002. He had been a member of the Capitol Police for 18 years, beginning on March 7, 2003. He also had been a member Capitol Division's First Responder's Unit.
He was reportedly the sixth member of the Capitol Police force to die in the line of duty. The barriers and fences around the Capitol were in response to the insurrection on Jan. 6 that killed Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and injured nearly 140 others. Two other officers took their own lives in the days following the riot.
"This has been an extremely difficult time for U.S. Capitol Police after the events of Jan. 6 and now the events that have occurred here today," The force's acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said. "So I ask you to keep the U.S. Capitol Police family in your thoughts and prayers."
The suspect was identified as Noah Green, 25, of Norfolk, Va., said to be a follower of the Nation of Islam.
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NBSU OKs Administrator Contracts
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Northern Berkshire School Union Committee approved three-year contracts for two administrators and made plans for the departure of a third.
The committee at its Thursday meeting, held virtually, voted the contracts for Assistant Superintendent Tara Barnes and Director of Information Technology Josh Arico.
Business Administrator Lisa Blackmer gave her 90-day notice two weeks ago with final date of March 14. Her two-year contract was approved in December 2023.
Both Arico and Barnes were applauded for their work and given everything they requested.
Barnes will receive a 3 percent raise in each of the next three years, have her transportation stipend rolled into her salary, a longevity clause and allowed up to four days for remote work for family reasons.
She noted she has brought in nearly $1 million in competitive grants and manages the federal entitlement grants. Superintendent John Franzoni supported her requests, which they had discussed prior to the meeting.
"One of our goals was to go to each school each week, and I think that she does fulfill that," he said. "So the request about the remote work really, she does do it as needed, but it doesn't impact her schedule to make sure she's at all the schools, each week, and really, she goes above and beyond."
Jesse Saylor of TSKP Studio, the school project designer, said the conductivity of the soils were comparable or better than three recent school completed in Connecticut.
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