One of our readers in Great Barrington reports that a motorist slammed into two houses and trees on East Street on Sunday afternoon.

According to report, the driver, a young woman, lost control of her sport utility vehicle while southbound toward the intersection of Cottage and East streets. She ran into the south side of one house and into the yard, hitting two trees and then into the west side of another house.

Police and fire responded to a call at 3:30 p.m. for a car into a house at 68 East St. On arrival, Great Barrington Fire Chief Harry Jennings reported a SUV had hit two houses and damaged one tree.

No one was reportedly injured and the name of the driver was not immediately released. Police are investigating the accident.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A husband and wife who pleaded guilty to embezzlement and false entry into corporate books were sentenced this morning in Berkshire Superior Court.

According to the office of Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless, George Vogel, 60, and Vivian A. Gagnon-Vogel, 49, of 16 Comanche Drive, North Adams, pleaded guilty to one count each of embezzlement and false entry to corporate books on January 15.

The couple took some $1.5 million from their employer, O'Connell Oil at the North Adams Convenience Plus, between Dec. 1, 2003 and Nov. 2, 2007.

Judge Peter Velis sentenced Vogel to a concurrent sentence of three to five years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction. Velis sentenced Gagnon-Vogel to five to six years at the same prison on the false entry charge, and ordered her to serve a concurrent four to five-year sentence on the embezzlement charge.

The North Adams convenience store was managed by Vogel and Gagnon-Vogel was the bookkeeper in the company’s North Adams office. Police said she was taking up to $1,000 in cash a day to support a drug addiction and overstating credit card receipts to balance the books.

Update, May 26, 2010:  A third person, Theresa M. Hosier, 50, of West Shaft Road was sentenced Wednesday, May 26, in Berkshire Superior Court after pleading guilty to single counts of embezzlement and and false entry into corporate books.

Judge John A. Agostini placed her on probation for trhee years and ordered her to perform 500 hours of community service. The investigation was conducted by members of the North Adams Police Department.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A North Adams woman pleaded guilty Friday morning in Berkshire Superior Court to several charges related to the circumstances regarding the killing of Daniel Walters two years ago.

Constance Pratt, 46, Walter's mother, pleaded guilty to single counts of attempt to commit a crime (larceny from a person) and furnishing misleading information to a police officer.

Pratt, also known as Constance Winnie, was placed on two years probation by Judge John A. Agostini on the condition that she remain drug and alcohol free and undergo testing to determine that as well as counseling during the probationary period.

On the night of Aug. 20, 2008, Pratt drove Walters to the home of Tina Senecal in the Wheel Estates Mobile Home Park so that Walters could steal cocaine from Ronnel Garmie, who was living there. During the attempted heist, Walters was stabbed and killed by Garmie. After the altercation, Pratt provided false information to police.

Garmie was not indicted in the slaying but his drug ring was broken up and a number of people were charged with various drug violations.

The investigation was conducted by state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office who were aided by members of the North Adams Police Department.
 

Updated on May 14 at 3:17 p.m.:

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Two local men were arrested Thursday night and are facing felony charges in connection to recent break-ins and copper theft at the Blackinton Mill.

Sam Malinowski, 22, of North Adams, and Dylan Forde, 24, of the town of Florida, were arraigned Friday morning at Northern Berkshire District Court and both were charged with counts of breaking and entering, destruction of property (of a value over $250) and malicious larceny (of a value over $250). According to Commissioner of Public Safety E. John Morocco,  "quite a large amount of copper" was stolen from the mill over the last several days.

"It looked like they maybe had been taking pieces out for some time," Morocco said.

David Moresi, building manager of the Blackinton Mill, said the stolen goods included copper plumbing, electrical wire pipes and feeder cables. He estimated the scrap value taken was in the vicinity of $3,000, while the cost of damages is "anywhere between $65,000 to $80,000."

"We'll be looking to get full prosecution to the fullest extent of the law," Moresi said. "This band of thieves had been hitting [the mill] since last weekend, and they just kept going back. They set up shop like it was their job."

According to police reports, North Adams police stopped the suspects, who were passengers in a 2001 Chevy Cavalier, on Thursday night at approximately 8 p.m. in the Big Y parking lot.

"The North Adams Police was phenomenal on this," Moresi said. "You don't often catch copper thieves."

On Friday afternoon, Sgt. James Burdick said the break-ins were "still under investigation."

May 13: NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — State police and several K-9 units responded to "suspicious activity" late Thursday afternoon at the Blackinton Mill, located on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Ashton Avenue.

"[Police] thought somebody was inside, that someone had broken in," North Adams Police Sgt. James Foley said Thursday night. "They ended up searching the building and didn't end up locating anybody."

According to police reports, North Adams police first arrived at the scene at 2 p.m., and was soon followed by three more units.

By 3:30 p.m., two North Adams cruisers, Pittsfield K-9 and state police K-9 vehicles were parked on the east entrance of the mill, according to eye-witness accounts. A Williamstown K-9 unit was located on the west end, while two more North Adams cruisers were outside the north perimeter on Massachusetts Avenue.

Foley confirmed that "infrared heat sensors" were used in an attempt to find the alleged suspect. He said there are "several people of interest" who police suspect broke into the mill, but he couldn't reveal their identities.

According to the police report, the scene was cleared at 4:52 p.m.

The mill was recently sold to two New York developers with plans to turn it into a commercial and residential development.

Chief Craig Pedercini takes pictures of the scene. Below, the tree that was struck is close to the house.

The renovated attic space of the home, owned by Robert Crosky, was gutted by flames as firefighters battled the blaze for an hour and a half in a downpour before getting it under control.

"We made a couple of advances but we were pushed back," said Fire Chief Craig Pedercini early Saturday afternoon, as he stood next a pile of personal items and sopping insulation in the back yard. "We had to take a defensive mode and hit it heavy from the outside."

The difficulty in accessing the third floor was compounded by the home's configuration; lots of hose had to be hauled up stairs and down hallways. On the third try, firefighters were able to get into the area and contain the blaze.

"The guys did a great job — from here, from Pownal, from Clarksburg — as far as I'm concerned," said Pedercini.

The Clarksburg and Pownal, Vt., fire departments were called in for mutual aid, a standard practice for structure fires. The Stamford, Vt., Fire Department covered the Clarksburg station.

The big cracking boom over Williamstown could be heard from Pownal to Clarksburg, waking many from slumber at about 3 a.m.

It woke Pedercini out of a sound sleep. He said all he could think was "I hope that didn't hit anything." But minutes later, the reports came in of a fire at the corner of John and Manning streets, a dense neighborhood. By the time firefighters arrived, flames were coming through the roof.

Crosky was home alone; his wife and two children were out of town. Pedercini said Crosky told him he was wakened by the boom and went into the hallway and saw ceiling plaster on the floor and flames peeking through a hole in the ceiling. He immediately called 911.

Pedercini didn't want to speculate on the cost of the damage, other than to say it would be significant. The third floor's two bedrooms and a bathroom were destroyed, large sections of roof are gone and the downstairs was heavily damaged.

"There was a tremendous amount of water damage and some smoke damage," said Pedercini. "It's going to be a total renovation."

The 80-foot pine outside the front door was scarred by the lightning but didn't appear otherwise damaged, although Pedericini said he's suggested the homeowner have it checked. The family's pet dog and bird also survived the blaze.

Crosky was busy with an insurance adjuster and figuring out what he and his family were going to do next. "I have to find where we're going to live for now."

In August 2008, a bolt of lightning hit the hay barn at Bonnie Lea Farm, burning it to the ground; two horses had been killed lightning there in 2005. A month before that, a strike barely missed a home on Pine Cobble Road, taking out the backyard swing set instead.

"It's devastating. We leave but the homeowner still has to deal with this," said Pedercini. "But you know, the communities ... just come together and offer their assistance."