On June 1, rumors of an alleged homicide in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, spread across Berkshire County social media. More information emerged the next day when the Berkshire County district attorney’s office confirmed that local contractor Cole Bushnell had been arraigned on a murder charge, and detailed a grisly crime scene at his home where a body had been recovered. The victim, Michael Moore of Winstead, Connecticut, was his longtime friend and occasional business partner. On June 17, Christian Murray of The Lakeville Journal published a deep dive into the situation aimed at dispelling misinformation and expanding beyond official press releases. As he told WAMC Berkshire Bureau Chief Josh Landes, the investigation into what happened in Ashley Falls that June day faced opposition from the very start.

Albany County will close soon on the purchase of five buildings at The College of Saint Rose after Land Authority approves sale.