Berkshire County DA candidate Judith Knight to talk with voters at Bushnell-Sage Library
Sheffield — Berkshire County District Attorney candidate Judith Knight will meet voters Saturday, Aug. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Bushnell-Sage Library. The event will include time for voter questions and one-on-one conversations. Light refreshments will be served.
In her introductory comments, Knight will share why she feels she is the most qualified candidate as well as her platform, which, she feels, offers voters the best opportunity for safer communities; a stronger focus on the worst criminals, domestic violence and victim-based crime; use of rehabilitation and alternative sentencing where appropriate; and her plans to work with communities to prevent crime, especially among youth.
Knight is one of three candidates in the Democratic primary for DA; the winner will be decided Tuesday, Sept. 4, and will most likely become the next Berkshire County DA. Knight has over 30 years of legal experience, including as an assistant district attorney, a private defender, a certified mediator and an attorney in private practice as well as private sector management experience.
The event is free and open to all. For more information, contact (413) 248-1172.
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Powis seeks appointment at Columbia County coroner
Kinderhook, N.Y. — Bernadette Powis, RN, FNP, NPP, has announced her campaign to fill the vacant coroner position in Columbia County.
The Columbia County coroner position became vacant when Dr. Andrea Coleman, elected to the position last year, returned to full-time employment as a forensic pathologist. Powis is seeking the interim appointment from the Columbia County Board of Supervisors to fill the vacancy for the remainder of this year. The vote for the interim appointment will be held Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Columbia County Board of Supervisors meeting. Regardless of whether she obtains the interim appointment, Powis will run in the November election as the Democratic candidate to fill the remainder of the term.
Coleman has endorsed Powis, saying, “I strongly endorse Bernadette Powis to fill my former position. Her medical training, skills, and experience will be critical in communicating with and supporting grieving survivors and will make her a great coroner.” The Columbia County Democratic Committee unanimously endorsed Powis at its July 26 meeting and Sarah Sterling, minority leader of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, has also endorsed her.
Powis is licensed as a family nurse practitioner, psychiatric nurse practitioner, and registered nurse with over 35 years of experience. She holds a master’s degree from Pace University and a post-master’s certificate from SUNY Stony Brook.
She is a longtime resident of Kinderhook, serving as a trustee of the Kinderhook Memorial Library, a volunteer in the local Summer Lunch Program, and a member of the Columbia/Greene Addiction Coalition and the Columbia County Safe at Home committee.
Coroners in Columbia County are elected officials with the legal authority to make inquiry into unnatural deaths within the county as prescribed by law. There are three coroner positions in Columbia County, one of which is currently vacant due to Coleman’s resignation.
