Middlefield News

AT 615 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL 6 MILES WEST OF MIDDLEFIELD...OR ABOUT 23 MILES SOUTH OF NORTH ADAMS...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

By ALEX PESHKOV apeshkov@repub.com HUNTINGTON - The Gateway Regional School District is looking for parents to give input on the process of consolidation or closing Blandford, Chester and R. H. Conwell elementary schools.

An early-morning fire gutted a sugar house on Rida Road, near the town's border with Cummington.

First, Rowe complained about phone service. And then the Berkshire County town of Hancock, the Hampshire County town of Middlefield, and most recently, Shutesbury.

The State Department of Public Utilities has opened an investigation into the electric utilities response to restore power following the December 12th ice storm.

Last month's ice storm had a devastating effect on the hill towns of Hampden and Hampshire counties.

A winter storm pounded New England with pouring rain, sleet and ice, knocking out power to roughly 350,000 customers in Massachusetts, closing schools and roads and prompting Gov.

This is an update of a report posted at 9:50 p.m. By DAVID BERGENGREN and ELIZABETH ROMAN Staff writers Thousands of Western Mass.

An ice storm in western and central parts of Massachusetts has caused widespread power outages and forced road closures across the largely rural regions of the state.