Here is today's local news for Monday, Dec. 4:

The Metropolitan Opera has suspended James Levine, its revered conductor and former music director. The move came Sunday after three men came forward with accusations that Levine had sexually abused them decades ago when they were teenagers. The New York Times is reporting that Met general manager, Peter Gelb, announced that the company was suspending its four-decade relationship with the 74 year old Levine, after learning from The Times on Sunday about the accounts of the three men, who described a series of similar sexual encounters beginning in the late 1960s. Levine, of course, has a long history with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood in Lenox. He was named music director of the BSO in the 2004–2005 season and left in September of 2011 after the Orchestra's Tanglewood season that year.

NORTH ADAMS CITY COUNCIL APPROVES CONTRACTS FOR POLICE AND FIRE UNIONS

The North Adams City Council has approved three-year contracts with its police and fire unions. The Berkshire Eagle reports that the contracts will provide members of the Fire Department's union with a one- percent annual cost of living adjustment dating to July 1st, then 1 percent on each January 1st during the contract. The police union negotiated a 2 percent cost of living adjustment on July 1st of each contract year. The deals were approved last Tuesday and will cover the city's 21 union police officers and 20 union firefighters.

SPECTRUM GOING ALL-DIGITAL IN SIX SOUTH BERKSHIRE TOWNS

Spectrum cable TV service is going 100 percent digital beginning Tuesday in six South County towns. The Berkshire Eagle reports that customers will need a digital receiver for any TV not connected to a cable box. The move has drawn harsh criticism from the head of the Five Town Cable Advisory Committee, which represents Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Sheffield and Stockbridge. The main complaint being that the upgrade was a corporate scheme to increase revenue by using encryption to hold customers hostage. The issue comes up for discussion December 12th, when Spectrum/Charter officials will be available for public comment at the Five Town Cable Advisory Committee's quarterly open meeting at Great Barrington Town Hall.

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