ADAMS, Mass. — Police are asking the public for help in finding a thief who made off with a safe from Chick's Lunch last month.

The burglary occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 23, after the Columbia Street bar had closed. Owner Dennis Knapp discovered the break-in at about 10 a.m. when he went to open up.

Video from security cameras show the thief coming from the back of the building, around into the kitchen area and behind the horseshoe bar. He is wearing a two-tone jacket, lighter on top, and a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes, and is carrying some type of strapped bag. He looks away and down from the cameras

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ADAMS, Mass. — An early morning blaze damaged a home on Old Columbia Street on Sunday morning.

According to a release from the Fire Department, Richard R. Speed was awakened by smoke in his 399 Old Columbia St. home and called 911 at 3:28 a.m. to report a possible chimney fire.

Responding crews from the Adams Alert Hose Company found smoke showing from the gable vents of the attic and an active fire in the wall and ceiling adjacent to a woodstove chimney.

Firefighters were able to knock down the fire and damage was contained to the first-floor wall and ceiling. All units were clear of the scene by 6:09 a.m. Assistant Chief Edward Capeless stated that there were no

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Allen Harris, president of Berkshire Money Management, is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the recent cruel and sadistic treatment of a cat in the vicinity of Howland Avenue in Adams.

The young cat, named Cleo, was found left to die in a makeshift setup to hang the animal. Luckily, a passerby heard the choking cat, called 911, and saved its life.

"This is a heinous crime. I recognize that without some additional incentive the perpetrator or perpetrators may not be brought to justice," said Harris in a statement. "I implore anyone who knows

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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

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BOSTON — An Adams woman and former credit union employee was convicted on Jan. 17 of embezzling nearly $160,000 and making false entries into the books of the credit union.

Patricia Piscioneri, 67, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to a 30-count indictment charging her with embezzlement of funds by a credit union employee and false entries.

She faces up to 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.

While employed as the manager of the former Adams Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union (AMEFCU) between 2001 and 2005, Piscioneri embezzled credit union funds by creating fraudulent loan

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