Patricia LeBoeuf reports in The Berkshire Eagle that Pittsfield is getting refugees from Syria and Iraq. Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts received approval last week to resettle up to 50 refugees in the Pittsfield area. Sometime in the spring the first refugees will arrive, said Maxine Stein, president and CEO of Jewish Family Service. "[This is] an amazing opportunity for Pittsfield to once again became a welcoming community for refugees," Stein said. Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer is welcoming the refugees, in a statement: "I believe strongly, both personally and professionally, in our obligation to respond to this humanitarian crisis. And, I am committed to ensuring that the citizens of Pittsfield have ample opportunity to learn more about this endeavor and to providing a welcoming environment to those from Syria who we may someday call friend and neighbor." The non-profit group says 1,734 refugees from around the world came to the state last year. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.