Adam Frenier

The Eagleton School–a Great Barrington, Mass., school for boys and young men with emotional disabilities, will be closing April 15th. Five staffers are facing criminal charges in connection with alleged physical abuse of students. State education officials say they have revoked Eagleton’s operating licenses, and most of the 75 students have been placed elsewhere.

In January, law enforcement, including local police and the FBI, executed a search warrant at Eagleton, which led to the criminal charges and sanctions against the school. Since then, the Massachusetts officials says Eagleton failed to comply with certain conditions placed upon them. An attorney for Eagleton has not responded to requests for comment at this time.

A slide of how MGM hopes to replicate the facade of the former Howard Street YWCA at its casino site in Springfield.

MGM wants to replicate the facade of the former Howard Street YWCA, demolishing the building in place of a cul-du-sac. The historical commission deadlocked on the plan with a tie vote, and then at MGM’s request, reconsidered the decision. That too failed with 3 in favor and 3 against. Prior to the second vote, City Solicitor Ed Pikula advised the board that any delay in the casino project could cost the city money–advice that was summarily rejected by commission Chair Ralph Slate.

“The the fact that we’ve been doing this now for several years and there have been delays that have not been our fault, I can’t see how we could possibly be jeopardizing it and how that could be used to strongarm us to say ‘you need to vote for this or else the city is going to lose money,” Slate says.

The fate of the Howard Street property now falls to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

Eagleton School’s Residential Care Licenses Revoked

Great Barrington School Will Close This Month School Officials Say

Historical Board, MGM Compromise On 3 Properties, Disagree On 4th