Latest news with #Herberg
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
Two Pittsfield educators charged with involuntary manslaughter in drowning of 12-year-old at summer program
A student at Herberg Middle School in Pittsfield, Essien went to Beartown State Forest in Great Barrington on July 17 as part of the school's 21st Century learning program, prosecutors said. Towards the end of the day trip, she was taken with other students to swim in Benedict Pond. Advertisement Organizers initially planned for two small groups to enter the water separately. But because the trip was running behind schedule, all 35 children on the trip were allowed to swim at the same time, at approximately 12:45 p.m., prosecutors said. Prosecutors said at least three children told Braley, the program's onsite supervisor, that Essien was unable to swim and had gone under the water. Those warnings were allegedly dismissed, and Essien was not identified as missing until around 1:40 p.m., after students had left the water and got on the bus to leave. Staff then began searching the dressing rooms and bathrooms, prosecutors said, and called Essien's father to see if she had returned to Pittsfield. At roughly 1:45 p.m., emergency responders arrived after receiving a 911 call from a concerned bystander, rather than summer program staff, according to Julia Sabourin, a spokesperson for the district attorney's office. Advertisement Essien's body was pulled from the water just before 2 p.m., prosecutors said. Investigators found that various lapses in supervision and safety protocols contributed to the girl's death , prosecutors said. Namely, program staff never administered swim tests to the children, as required by state law, and did not keep track of which students were in the water, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said only 25 students were expected to be on the trip, according to a state forest permit, and only 15 were expected to be in the water at any given time. But Braley allegedly allowed all 35 students in the water at once — a number that would have required an extra lifeguard on duty, prosecutors said. Whitacre, as program coordinator, did not provide staff with orientation plans to ensure the safety of children swimming at the pond, prosecutors said. Six adult chaperones were present on the trip, Sabourin said, along with three student interns and one student lifeguard. In a statement, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue said that Whitacre and Braley neglected their 'profound duty of care' and that 'their actions, or rather lack thereof, caused' Essien's death. 'Parents entrust summer programs with their children under the belief that these experiences will be safe and enriching,' Shugrue said. 'That trust carries immense responsibility. In this case, a series of preventable and reckless oversights directly contributed to the unintentional death of a child.' Braley worked as a middle school English teacher at Herberg from August 2021 to June 2024, according to her Advertisement Braley did not return to the district for the latest school year, Sabourin said. She did not cooperate with law enforcement during the investigation, Sabourin said. An attorney listed for Braley could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Her arraignment is scheduled for August, prosecutors said. It's not clear whether Whitacre is still employed by the Pittsfield public schools. As of Thursday, she was listed as interim coordinator for the 21st Century program on the district's Her arraignment has not yet been scheduled, and no attorney is listed in her case, according to court records. She could not immediately be reached for comment. Essien had moved to the Berkshires from Ghana months before her death, At the time of her death, she was 'just days shy' of her 13th birthday, Sabourin said. The superintendent of the Pittsfield school district, Joseph Curtis did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Iowa Speedway let farmers ride in style with WHO Great Tractor Ride
Jun. 20—Behind the grandstands of the Iowa Speedway were nearly 400 tractors gathered for the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride, and each one of them told a story. Parked near the back of the second fleet was a bright red Farmall H tractor with two brothers wrangling over who gets to sit in the seat. The older brother towered over the younger brother, who sat on the edge trying to stretch his legs to reach the pedal. Great-grandfather Wesley Herberg watched from the next tractor over. Wesley Herberg's great-grandsons — Lane Witte and Kyle Witte — horse around on the 1942 Farmall H tractor before the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride on June 16 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. Underneath the shadow from Herberg's cap was a slight grin, the kind farmers don't voluntarily show when a camera is pointed at them. Seeing his great-grandkids horsing around on the tractor that has been in his family for as long as he has been alive was a profoundly existential experience. Even more so after he won the Corncob Trophy, an award given to entrants with the most generations of family members participating in the tractor ride. Herberg rode along with his son-in-law and grandson in tractors this past Monday. His daughter and great-grandsons also tagged along for the festivities. "We had four generations there," the 82-year-old said. "The tractor that my grandson has I gave to him because my dad bought that tractor new in 1942. Before he died, he said, 'You want that H?' I said ya. 'I'll sell it to ya for $100.' OK ... My dad, I and my grandson are the only three that's ever owned that tractor." Wesley Herberg, 82, of Clinton, Minn., wins the Corncob Trophy from the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride for having multiple generations participate in the ride. Herberg, of Clinton, Minn., said he was born the same year his dad bought the tractor, which means they're the same age. Over the years, Herberg and the family have repainted the tractor and given it new sets of tires when it needed them. He was proud to see it displayed alongside the hundreds of other tractors at the racetrack. "I've done the ride three times," he said. "My son-in-law, my daughter, my grandson and his wife were just so appreciative. We had been planning this since the last ride. They've all got jobs so they had to ask for their vacation ... They were very appreciative and had a lot of fun. They said it was worth it." Almost 400 tractors participated in the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride on June 16 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. The WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride split tractors into about seven groups for three days of rides. The first-day route was 80 miles and took them through Mingo, Baxter and Laurel; the second day was 67 miles and had stops in Sully, Pella and Reasnor; the third day was 50 miles and took tractors to Grinnell. It was a tight schedule, but it a great experience, Herberg said. Almost 400 tractors participated in the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride on June 16 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. "It was great meeting these other people and seeing the way they got their tractors fixed up," he said. "I talked to a guy from Pennsylvania. There was another from California. They come from all over. Those guys are professionals and they have everything they need with them. Us tractor riders are kind of a different breed." Almost 400 tractors participated in the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride on June 16 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton.
