Brown's forming of an exploratory committee allows him to begin raising money and hiring staffers for a run, which New Hampshire Republican Party officials told the Associated Press may kick off as early as Friday.

Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown took a significant step toward making a New Hampshire Senate run a reality this week as he is reportedly looking for staffers and forming an official exploratory committee.

Brown, who served as the Republican U.S. senator from Massachusetts from 2010-2012, moved to his second home in Rye, N.H. earlier this year and ever since has been hinting that he would challenge U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the democratic incumbent. But this week, as the deadline for filing his papers grows closer, Brown seems to be moving to make the potential run a real one.

Brown's forming of an exploratory committee allows him to begin raising money and hiring staffers for a run, which New Hampshire Republican Party officials told the Associated Press may kick off as early as Friday.

"He's been reaching out to opinion leaders, to grassroots activists, getting a sense of, 'Would you be supporting a Scott Brown campaign,'" said former New Hampshire Rep. Frank Guinta, who is running again for Congress and was included in Brown's outreach efforts, to the AP. "That, to me, says he's serious. But I think only Scott Brown knows if Scott Brown is going to run."

A Suffolk University/Boston Herald poll released in early March showed Brown trailing the incumbent by 13 points, 39-52 percent, while only one in three voters say they have a favorable opinion of the former Massachusetts legislator.

The poll of 800 likely voters was conducted between Feb. 27 and March 5 revealed Shaheen, a former governor of New Hampshire, also holds a lead over the other four potential Republican challengers who are ex-state Sen. Jim Rubens, ex-U.S. Sen. Bob Smith, conservative activist Karen Testerman and perennial candidate Andy Martin.

But among likely GOP primary voters, Brown polled higher than his potential competitors, with 33 percent saying he would be their candidate of choice to take on Shaheen. But with 46 percent of likely Republican primary voters saying they are still undecided, the GOP nomination could go to any of the candidates.

Since he lost his U.S. Senate seat to Democrat Elizabeth Warren in 2012, his political followers and foes have speculated over whether he would run for office in Massachusetts, New Hampshire or even seek the presidency, as he spent time in 2013 and this year "testing the waters" in Iowa. But the latest reported moves seem to indicate Brown is ready to make his next political move in the Granite State.

The new University of Massachusetts Center at Springfield welcome center will open March 31 with the official opening of the satellite center planned for September.

AMHERST — The new University of Massachusetts Center at Springfield welcome center will open March 31 with the official opening of the satellite center in September.

The announcement came from Lynn Griesemer, co-director of start-up for the center and associate vice president of economic development and executive director, UMass Donahue Institute.

She presented an overview of the center during the UMass faculty senate meeting Thursday. Class schedules will be available when the center opens and the welcome center will be open from to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In November, Gov. Deval L. Patrick, along with University of Massachusetts President Robert L. Caret and others, announced the creation of the satellite center in 27,000 square feet of space at Tower Square. 
If successful, UMass could expand into an adjacent building offering 25,000 square feet of additional space.

The initial program offerings here include education, management, nursing and the University without Walls program.

The program will be a collaboration with Holyoke Community and Springfield Technical community colleges and the Massachusetts Center Advanced Design Manufacturing and will focus on industry sectors needs such as Cybersecurity, information technology land advanced manufacturing.

“UMass Amherst is already deeply involved in Springfield,” she said. “This is not something new.” But she said the building is allowing the campus to pull it “together where we can properly support and provide greater opportunity for students on our campus as well.”

This is the new logo for the UMassCenter at Springfield.Submitted  

“The goal is to provide greater access to education and training opportunities that will help advance the economic vitality of the Greater Springfield region,” she said.

Linda Lewandowski, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Nursing, said the center will also allow the “program to meet the needs of the region” and provide face-to-face classroom time to augment its online classes.

She is hoping the space will help the department address the nursing needs of the region. The new space will provide a home visiting simulation center classroom and a telehealth training center “which would be the first of its kind nationally,” she said. “We are little bit cramped. (The space) allows us to have a lot of exciting opportunities.”

The space will also allow the university to offer more health education credits, she said. The hotels in the area will provide “flexibility for some nationally focused conferences.”

Students will not be able to obtain degrees from the campus center, Griesemer said, just as students don’t obtain degrees from UMassonline. Also she said, the center will not hire its own faculty but instead draw on UMass faculty from the five-campus system.

The UMass system is contributing $750,000 and in-kind contributions to open the center and future funding will not come from the individual campuses. She said they are looking at other areas for continued funding.

After the presentation she said she sees the campus presence helping area businesses as well. They will use local businesses to cater and will not serve food on site. Instead students and faculty will rely on the neighboring community.

To develop the space, she said they are using the Springfield-based Dietz & Company Architects and Barr & Barr Builders, which has a Springfield office, and is buying furniture from the West Springfield Lexington Group.

On Thursday, Malaysian authorities expanded their search westward toward India, saying the aircraft with 239 people aboard may have flown for several hours after its last contact with the ground shortly after takeoff early Saturday from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- An oil slick on the sea. A purported wrong turn to the west seen on military radar. Questionable satellite photos. Passengers boarding with stolen passports.

After six days, what seemed like potential clues to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 have all led nowhere.

"This situation is unprecedented. MH370 went completely silent over the open ocean," said acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. "This is a crisis situation. It is a very complex operation, and it is not obviously easy. We are devoting all our energies to the task at hand."

On Thursday, Malaysian authorities expanded their search westward toward India, saying the aircraft with 239 people aboard may have flown for several hours after its last contact with the ground shortly after takeoff early Saturday from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing.

A U.S. official on Thursday said the plane was sending signals to a satellite for four hours after the aircraft went missing, an indication that it was still flying. The jet had enough fuel to reach deep into the Indian Ocean.

That led searchers to believe the plane could have flown more than 1,000 miles beyond its last confirmed sighting on radar, the official said.

The official said the plane wasn't transmitting data to the satellite, but sending out a signal to establish contact. Boeing offers a satellite service that can receive a stream of data during flight on how the aircraft is functioning.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly, said Malaysia Airlines didn't subscribe to that service, but the system was automatically pinging the satellite anyway.

Asked if it were possible that the plane kept flying for several hours, Hishammuddin said: "Of course. We can't rule anything out. This is why we have extended the search. We are expanding our search into the Andaman Sea." The sea is northwest of the Malay Peninsula.

He said Malaysia was asking for radar data from India and other neighboring countries to see if they can trace it flying northwest. India says its navy, air force and coast guard will search for the plane in the south Andaman Sea.

"Because of new information, we may be part of an effort to open a new search area in the Indian Ocean," White House spokesman Jay Carney said, declining to offer additional details about that information or the new area.

The U.S. Navy 7th Fleet said it is moving one of its ships, the USS Kidd, into the Strait of Malacca, west of Malaysia.

The international search is methodically sweeping the ocean on both sides of Malaysia. The total area being covered is about 35,800 square miles (92,600 square kilometers) -- about the size of Portugal.

Another part of the hunt is in the South China Sea, where the aircraft was seen on civilian radar flying northeast before vanishing without any indication of technical problems. A similar-sized search is also being conducted in the Strait of Malacca because of military radar sightings that might indicate the plane turned in that direction after its last contact, passing over the Malay Peninsula.

In the latest disappointment, search planes failed to find any debris from the Boeing 777 after they were sent Thursday to an area of the South China Sea off the southern tip of Vietnam where satellite images published on a Chinese government website reportedly showed three suspected floating objects.

"There is nothing. We went there. There is nothing," Hishammuddin said.

Compounding the frustration, he later said the Chinese Embassy had notified the government the images were released by mistake and did not show any debris from the missing flight.

More than two-thirds of those on Flight MH370 were from China, which has shown impatience with the absence of any results. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday in Beijing he would like to see better coordination among countries in the search.

The passengers' "families and friends are burning with anxiety. The Chinese government and Chinese people are all deeply concerned about their safety," he said at the close of the annual session of the country's legislature. "As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we will not stop searching for the plane."

He said China had eight ships and 10 satellites searching for the plane.

Malaysia has been criticized for its handling of the search, in part because it took several days to fully explain why it couldn't say whether the plane had turned back. Officials say they are not hiding anything and are searching areas where the plane is most likely to be, while trying to establish its actual location.

Besides the Chinese satellite photos and the so-far fruitless search based on the possible sighting on military radar, there have been other developments in the aviation mystery that have failed to lead to finding the plane or the cause of its disappearance:

-- Oil slicks seen Saturday were found to have nothing to do with the jetliner.

-- A yellow object spotted by a search plane turned out to be ordinary sea trash.

-- Officials initially said four or five passengers checked in for the flight but did not board, fueling speculation about terrorism. Officials later said some people with reservations never checked in and were simply replaced by standby passengers, and no baggage was removed.

-- Officials said two men, later identified as Iranians, boarded the plane with stolen passports. It was later reported that they were unlikely to be linked to terrorist groups.

Investigators have not ruled out any possible cause for the plane's disappearance.

Experts say a massive failure knocking out electrical systems, while unlikely, could explain why the transponders were not working. Another possibility is that the pilot, or a passenger, likely one with some technical knowledge, switched off the transponders in the hope of flying undetected.

"There is no real precedent for a situation like this. The plane just vanished," Hishammuddin said.

Experts say that if the plane crashed into the ocean, some debris should be floating even if most of the jet is submerged. Past experience shows that finding the wreckage can take weeks or even longer, especially if the location of the plane is in doubt.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Board of Directors has designated another $16.5 million for the renovation of Springfield.

This is a continuation of the Union Station story posted earlier Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, commented Thursday after the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Board of Directors designated another $16.5 million for the renovation of Springfield's Union Station.

Neal is a longtime champion of the project going back to his days as a City Council member. He had the city take ownership of the property when he served as mayor.

"Well I'm pleased obviously, it's part of the momentum that we are seeing," Neal said from Washington. "I have felt for a long period of time that New Haven and Hartford and Albany and Baltimore and Washington have all done magnificent work with their Union stations."

He said the first phase will include renovation of the once-grand and still expansive waiting room or grand concourse.

"I think this Union Station remains emotionally gripping for a big segment of the population," he said."It's really going to be a landmark again."

And he predicted it will be a well-used amenity. The federal government has already funded track improvements running north and south from Connecticut through Springfield to Holyoke.

Johnson, whose address in court records is Vernon, Vermont, was prepared to plead guilty to the crime which happened in Holyoke. He was free on bail until Wednesday.

The Republican / File photo 

SPRINGFIELD - Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey Wednesday ordered Patrick Johnson, 51, of Vernon, Vt., held in jail after a blood alcohol test indicated the man was too drunk to enter a plea on his drunk driving charge.

The judge ordered the Probation Department to do a blood alcohol test on Johnson when the defendant said he had drunk 6 ounces of vodka at 5 a.m.

After the results came back as .28, more than three times the legal limit, Carey ordered Johnson be held in jail and come back to plead guilty to operating under the influence - third offense - on March 18.

Johnson was prepared to plead guilty to the crime which happened in Holyoke. He was free on bail until Wednesday.

When a plea is taken judges ask if the defendant has had drugs or alcohol within the last 24 hours. Defense lawyer Marissa Elkins told Carey that Johnson wanted him to know he had a drink at 5 a.m.

"Mr. Johnson, simply put, is an alcoholic," Elkins said. She said throughout the time she has known him he has struggled with alcohol abuse.

Elkins said Johnson told her given the amount he drinks on a regular basis, he feels he understands what's going on and is clear-headed enough to plead guilty.

Johnson, she said, is "as clear-headed as I have known him to be. Quite frankly it would be quite difficult to get him in here and do a plea where he hasn't had a drink in the last 24 hours."

That was when Carey asked Johnson what he had to drink, and hearing 6 ounces of vodka at 5 a.m., ordered the blood alcohol test.

The Child Welfare League of America, has made a preliminary series of recommendations including increasing staffing; upgrading technology; enhancing background checks for foster families; providing earlier medical examinations for foster children; and increasing efforts to reduce runaways.

BOSTON - An independent agency hired to review the practices of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families has made a preliminary series of recommendations including increasing staffing; upgrading technology; enhancing background checks for foster families; providing earlier medical examinations for foster children; and increasing efforts to reduce runaways.

Secretary of Health and Human Services John Polanowicz said the state has already started implementing some of the recommendations of the Child Welfare League of America, including adding staff and buying new technology. “We were very clear with them that if they were to identify anything as a part of their process, we didn’t want to wait until there was a progress report or a final report, particularly if it was something that would have a direct impact on the safety of the children,” Polanowicz said.

The department has come under scrutiny after a 5-year-old Fitchburg boy, Jeremiah Oliver, went missing and was presumed dead, even though DCF was supposed to be monitoring his case. Three DCF employees were fired for mishandling the case and others were disciplined.

The report released Thursday did not specifically address the Oliver case, which the Child Welfare League is still investigating. Rather, it provided general recommendations as an interim “progress report” to address concerns about the agency that were raised by the Oliver case and by recent media reports.

Linda Spears, vice president of policy and public affairs for the Child Welfare League, said the report was a way to bring to people’s attention recommendations that had immediate safety implications for kids.

A final report is expected in May.

Regarding staffing, the report says additional personnel were needed in DCF’s North Central Office, which oversaw Oliver’s case. “The caseload numbers, and therefore the workload, was growing daily, making it extremely difficult for staff to complete their required tasks,” the report wrote. It said the state should complete a full assessment of staffing needs.

Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration already acknowledged that the department is not well-staffed. Polanowicz said DCF has hired 90 social workers since January, and Patrick’s proposed 2015 budget would fund another 177 positions. The department is moving toward a goal, previously agreed upon with the union representing DCF workers, of 15 cases for each social worker. The current caseload is 18 to one, according to Polanowicz. The department is also adding new regional managers for DCF offices – positions that were eliminated when offices were consolidated during prior budget cuts.

Regarding technology, the report recommends that social workers get handheld devices that give workers immediate contact with supervisors and emergency personnel, allow them to document visits in real time and let them upload photos of children to a central system. Currently, staff use personal cell phones in the field, with some available laptops.

Polanowicz said by next week, the department will have 60 tablets available for on-call social workers as part of a pilot program.

The new technology and staff is being paid for by a $2.8 million appropriation in a supplemental budget that just passed the legislature. Patrick asked for an additional $9.2 million in his 2015 budget proposal, beyond this year’s appropriation, for added staff and technology.

One issue that was publicized in the wake of the Oliver case is the fact that, according to news reports, more than 500 foster parents of children under DCF supervision have prior criminal convictions. DCF has said many of those guardians are relatives of the children and most of the crimes occurred years ago.

Currently, the state conducts background checks on all members of a household that takes in a foster child and considers various factors - the nature of a crime, circumstances, and the amount of time that passed since the crime occurred - before deciding whether to grant a waiver to allow someone with a criminal conviction to take in a child.

The Child Welfare League recommended further study of guidelines and the development of additional standards for approving homes. It also said there should be heightened case monitoring, home visitation, supervision, or case oversight for placements that have been approved through the waiver process.

Spears said the League wants the state to take a more “holistic” look at each case. “What did this caregiver bring to the table, what aren’t they bringing to table and how does it relate to a particular kid,” Spears said. “Not looking in isolation at a criminal record, but asking questions, does this family have the ability to keep the kid safe, the ability to meet the developmental needs of this child, to deal with emotional challenges a child may be facing?”

Polanowicz said quarterly reviews of children in these homes will be implemented.

The report recommends reducing the amount of time after which a child entering DCF care must receive a medical exam, from seven days to 72 hours.

It also recommends considering training for staff on reducing runways and implementing policies to assess a child’s vulnerability to exploitation. This includes taking a photo of every child who enters custody. The Boston Globe previously reported that on any given day, hundreds of children in the Massachusetts welfare system, mostly teenagers, may be missing.

The department has made some leadership changes, adding a new deputy chief of staff, chief operating officer and deputy general counsel. Some politicians have called on DCF Commissioner Olga Roche to resign. But the report recommends against that. “Experience has shown that in many instances the lack of consistent leadership, and the challenges of leadership transition may further compromise the challenges facing the agency,” the report writes.

Spears said the solution to problems like the department’s “are rarely as simple as having a new director,” and the state should focus on policy changes before deciding whether to change leadership.

Jason Stephany, a spokesman for the union representing DCF workers, SEIU Local 509, said social workers already identified some of the problems in the report. “This is a pretty clear statement that formalizes the real need for immediate action at the Department of Children and Families,” Stephany said. “Whether we’re talking about the sky-high caseloads that are at crisis levels, we’re talking about antiquated technology, we’re talking about directives and policies that need a comprehensive review, these are issues that front line social workers have raised for many years.”

Republicans have pointed to DCF to say there should be greater accountability by state government. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, said, “The report confirms the need for responsible caseloads, more modern technology and better medical screening protocols, and woven through all of these issues is greater accountability at all levels.”

Tarr specifically pointed to the need to address the policy of granting waivers for children to be placed in homes with convicted criminals. “There is a clear contrast between the situation we have today and the system we need to have, which bans some placements outright and puts in place monitoring and accountability to protect the children in others,” Tarr said.

Obituaries from The Republican.

George Labun 

George Labun, 92, passed away on Tuesday. Born in Barnesboro, Pa., and raised in Anson, Maine, he was a 1941 graduate of Madison (Maine) High School and a 1951 graduate of the University of Maine at Orono. He served during World War II as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He worked at Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Conn., the Springfield Armory and Federal Highway Administration, from which he retired in 1972. After his retirement, he worked at the family business, Edward's Drug Store in Agawam, until 1986. He was a charter member of the Polish American Club in Feeding Hills, where he was voted Man of the Year in 2001.

Supporters of the legislation, designed to expand access to federally subsidized child care and improve its quality, say such care is a vital means to allow parents of modest means to stay in the workforce.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate has passed legislation to require child care providers who care for children from low-income families through a government voucher program to undergo criminal background checks, know first aid and CPR and get other training.

The bipartisan legislation, which passed by a 96-2 vote, would also require annual state inspections of child care centers. At issue is the $5 billion-plus spent annually to help provide care to 1.6 million children, many of whom are in single-parent households. The tally was originally announced as 97-1 with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, as the only "no" vote. But Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., later obtained permission to change his vote to "no."

Supporters of the legislation, designed to expand access to federally subsidized child care and improve its quality, say such care is a vital means to allow parents of modest means to stay in the workforce.

"For working families who live below the poverty line, the cost of childcare can eat up more than 30 percent of their monthly income," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. "For single parents, if you have only one income, it is an even bigger burden."

The bill would require providers to meet a range of health and safety standards, including first aid, CPR and prevention of child abuse and sudden infant death syndrome. The bill also would require annual inspections of licensed programs and require that day-care centers be inspected before they are opened. Nine states, including California, Massachusetts and Minnesota, do not require annual inspections.

The program sends block grants to states to help them provide vouchers to help low-income parents pay for child care. Costs have risen sharply since the program was consolidated under the 1996 welfare reform law.

The low-profile measure came to the Senate floor after the chamber has experienced much partisanship and rancor in recent years and has gotten away from routine floor debates and an open legislative process in which lawmakers are free to offer amendments. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said that "smaller bills like this one ... generate good feelings on both sides of the aisle. They show younger members that we really can legislate; they haven't seen too much of that because there hasn't been too much. And it helps break down the mistrust."

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said other bipartisan candidates for floor action include legislation backed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lee, to ease federal mandatory minimum sentence laws for non-violent drug offenses and legislation by Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to boost energy efficiency.

Thursday's measure would add flexibility so that smaller fluctuations in income don't disqualify parents from receiving subsidies and makes it easier for homeless families to qualify even though they may have lost access to some required documents. It is also aimed at making sure day care workers are trained in CPR, fire prevention, and sanitation practices and ways to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. It also encourages better nutrition practices and more exercise at child care centers.

The measure now goes to the House, where Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said "I look forward to a productive discussion as we work to find common ground and complete the reauthorization of this important program."

Rodriguez was tracked to Eager, Ariz., a town of about 4,500 people near the New Mexico border.

BELCHERTOWN – Orlando Rodriguez, a suspect wanted for attempted murder in Belchertown is in custody in Arizona after Belchertown police tracked him there through a number on found on his cell phone, police said.

Rodriguez has been wanted by police since he allegedly assaulted a woman with a knife on Feb. 28. His car was found dumped in Springfield on May 4.

According to Belchertown police, police were searched a cell phone he had used and found a number that traced back to a residence in Eagar, Ariz., a town of about 4,500 people. Belchertown police on Tuesday contacted Eagar police who were able to determine that Rodriguez was staying at that address.

With the assistance of the Apache County Sheriff’s Department, Eager police obtained a search warrant for the home and found Rodriguez. He was taken into custody as a fugitive from justice. He is being held without bail at the Apache County Jail in St. Johns, Ariz.

Belchertown police are making arrangments for him to be returned to Massachusetts where he will be charged with Mayhem, Assault to Murder, Assault and Battery, Aggravated Assault and Battery, Intimidate witness, and Assault with a Dangerous weapon: knife.

Eagar, Ariz., is located on the New Mexico border and is located midway between Phoenix and Albuquerque, N.M.

UMass Amherst has had problems with large-scale crowd disturbances the last several years and must find new approaches to ending the problem, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said

AMHERST — The University of Massachusetts at Amherst announced Thursday it has hired former Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis to conduct a review of how the campus and town of Amherst respond to large crowds and to propose how things could be done differently.

The move comes five days after the "Blarney Blowout" riot, where a crowd of 4,000 people, many of whom had been drinking heavily, squared off against police, resulting in more than 70 people being arrested or summonsed to appear in court, the tying up of Amherst police and emergency services for most of the day, and causing an almost incalculable damage to the university’s reputation.

UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said the move to approach Davis was in the works almost immediately after he began hearing reports from the scene of the blowout on Saturday. But, he said, the need for a review extends beyond recent events.

The university has had problems with large-scale, out-of-control crowds several times over the past several years, to the point where disruptions like what happened Saturday are practically becoming regular occurrences, he said. Clearly something has to be done, Subbaswamy said.

“We don’t think the cycle of education-preparation-enforcement is working,” he said. “Clearly for the last six or seven events, it didn’t seem to have any effect. We have to consider other directions.”

Heading into the Blarney Blowout weekend, UMass sent sternly worded notices both to students and to their parents that warned of stiff consequences for any student found violating the campus student code of conduct.

“Clearly it was not enough,” Subbaswamy said.

UMass-Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said the campus needs to devise better strategies for preventing crowd violence.The Republican file photo 

Subbaswamy said Davis, a 37-year police officer and police commissioner from 2006 through last year, was his “first and only choice” to conduct the review.

“If he said no, we would have had to keep looking. Fortunately he said yes,” Subbaswamy said.

Davis said he was eager to take the job from the moment he got a call from the chancellor.

“In my career with the Boston police, I learned a lot about crowd control over the last decade,” he said.

He said he is familiar but not an expert on what has been happening at UMass. He said he has been paying attention to news reports about rioting there since around 2003.

“When you are in the business I was in, you pay attention,” he said.

He said he has spoken with Amherst Police Chief Scott Livingston and UMass Police Chief John K. Horvath, and each reported being eager to be involved.

“Everyone is interested in getting together and getting all the facts on the table,” Davis said.

In the days following the blowout, some have accused the police of over-reacting and using heavy handed tactics that only exacerbated the hostility in the crowd.

More than 100 students on Wednesday marched on the UMass administration building to protest police brutality. Also, Robert Caret, president of the five-campus UMass system, faulted the police, saying that in videos he saw, there appeared to be “unprovoked overreaction” by police.

Former Boston police commissioner Edward Davis said he expects his review to be done in about 60 days.AP file photo 

Davis said it would be premature to say what happened with the Blarney Blowout to cause it to turn bad so quickly.

He said he is not interested in pointing fingers or placing blame on the actions of the crowd on anyone. His review, he said, is not a fault-finding mission as much as he is devising new approaches to preventing similar problems in the future.

“It’s about going forward,” he said.

In addition to hiring Davis, Subbaswamy announced the campus would be taking other actions, including:

• Working with leaders in student government to develop a task force of students, faculty and staff to develop policies and practices to discourage unruly behavior and change the culture of campus.
• Consulting experts in the psychology of crowd behavior to develop improved crowd management strategies.
• Examine expanding the UMatter at UMass bystander intervention program to also discourage bad behavior by others at large social gatherings.
• Consider broadening the campus social norms campaign, largely focused on binge drinking, to address perceptions of other troublesome behavior.

Caret said in a prepared statement that he was in favor of the review and with hiring Davis to conduct it. “We need to look for answers anytime public order and public safety appear to be at state,” he said.

Although no one would ever confuse Amherst for Boston, Davis said many techniques used in crowd control are applicable anywhere.

“In some ways, the same practices apply to any crowd scenario. We want to take a look at what works in different cities,” he said.

Boston certainly has more police officers available to work a crowd than Amherst does, he said, but more police on the ground does not by itself guarantee no violence.

Working with him on the review will be Mark Delaney, retired colonel and head of the Massachusetts State Police, and Christine M. Cole, the executive director for the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management at Harvard University. Cole was formerly the Springfield Police director of technology and information under former Commissioner Edward Flynn.

Since stepping down as Boston Police commissioner, Davis is a fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He is also a private security analyst who heads Dynamic Ideas Security.

He said he expects the work to be completed and report back to Subbaswamy within 60 days after finalizing the contract with UMass.

Subbaswamy said the review will cost about $150,000. Considering the potential damage the blowout could inflict on recruitment, fund-raising and even state funding, Subbaswamy said if the study leads to practices that prevent future scenarios, then it will be “money well spent.”

With GOP candidates challenging Democrats in a number of races this election season, Massachusetts Republicans are hopeful about their chances, but not dismissive of their challenges.

HOLYOKE — With GOP candidates challenging Democrats in a number of races this election season, Massachusetts Republicans are hopeful about their chances, but not dismissive of the challenges which they face.

 

At a rally in Holyoke on Thursday, about 50 Republican activists gathered while offering their thoughts about the elections and what they are up against following the sweeping losses of 2012.

Republican Malden City Councilor Dave D'Arcangelo knows he is up against the odds taking on Secretary of State William Galvin, but he says he's been fighting tough battles his whole life.

"I've been legally blind since birth so I know all about fighting challenges," D'Arcangelo said. "And now I'm running against a 20-year incumbent. That's a challenge too. But I think the voters right now have a sense that the government is not representing their best interests, and that provides an opportunity. And everywhere we go from Plymouth to Boston to Holyoke, I feel the energy. I think this is going to be a good year for Republicans."

Winchester resident John Miller, the Republican who jumped in the attorney general's race on Thursday, said he feels the time is right to take the office in a different direction and that the people are behind such a notion.

"The attorney general's office is not a place to stretch the law, not a place to bend the law, but rather a place to apply it fairly for all the people in the commonwealth," he said. "My approach is not to worry about what others will say about me. I fully intend to be the next attorney general."

Massachusetts Republican Party Chair Kirsten Hughes, who took over the GOP State Committee in 2013, was also at the Holyoke event Thursday. Unlike many of her predecessors, Hughes has refocused the state party's efforts on supporting Republicans running in municipal elections and fostering the development of a bench of Republican candidates for elections down the road.

She knows her party will never be as big as the Massachusetts Democratic Party, or have the amount of ground troops it does, so she is aiming to work smarter than the competition.

"It is definitely tough to go up against the entrenched Democratic machine here but we are up for the challenge, said Hughes, a lawyer by trade who is also a member of the Quincy City Council. "We don't have labor unions to go out and knock on doors. So we are relying on our members to talk to their friends and neighbors about what it is we stand for. Have the conversations they typically wouldn't have. And the result is changing perceptions one person at a time. It is hand-to-hand combat on the local level everyday."

Hughes approach to rebuilding the Mass. GOP has been focused on winning elections from the bottom of the ticket up. And she said although hopes are very high for 2014, considering the "fantastic candidates," the party has running, even this year is about keeping an eye to the future.

"We are always working to build that bench of candidates these days and this year is no exception," she said. "There is a lot of excitement out there and it will show at our convention."

On March 22, approximately 2,000 Republican delegates from across Massachusetts will attend their convention, set to take place at the Harry Agganis Arena in Boston. In addition to honoring a number of prominent Republicans from across the state, it will allow Constitutional Office candidates to present themselves to the Republican base with the hopes of mobilizing a movement of supporters that will translate to a victory on election day.

The Massachusetts Republican Party, much like its national counterpart, has experienced a divide in recent years as to where its traditionally conservative stance on a number of social issues should rank when it comes to messaging and its platform. In Massachusetts, which leans liberal despite more than 51 percent of registered voters choosing not to belong to either major party, the state party recently voted to include language in the party platform opposing abortion and gay marriage.

The platform added portions to a section on values. On abortion, it reads, “We affirm the inherent dignity and sanctity of human life. We believe that every instance of abortion is tragic. We advocate policies that will assist a woman during a crisis pregnancy.”

The portion on gay marriage reads, “We believe the institution of traditional marriage strengthens our society. There should be no infringement on the rights of the people of Massachusetts to vote on ballot initiatives.” (This is an apparent reference to ballot initiative attempts to overturn gay marriage.)

The language passed by a 52-16 vote of the State Committee in late February.

But despite a platform that may divide the party internally, could 2014 be the year that the voters decide to put some Republicans back in positions of power on Beacon Hill?

Republican candidate for treasurer Mike Heffernan thinks so, and he attributes that potential for victory to the background of the candidates running.

"We have a great slate of fiscally conservative business people running across the state. With such a business approach to policy, I believe we can better help the less fortunate than the current Democratic administration," Heffernan said. "This state has a rich history of Republicans serving. Now it's up to us to deliver our message to the people."

The proposed Ludlow bylaw for medical marijuana facilities must be approved at town meeting.

LUDLOW — The Planning Board on Thursday approved a proposed amendment to town zoning bylaws permitting a medical marijuana treatment center / dispensary.

The recommended bylaw will be forwarded to the Board of Selectmen for inclusion on the May town meeting warrant.

The town had approved a moratorium on medical marijuana facilities that will expire on May 14. Town Planner Douglas Stefancik said the purpose of the moratorium was to give the community time to develop a regulation permitting the facilities.

According to the proposed amendment to the zoning bylaws, a medical marijuana treatment center / dispensary would be allowed in Ludlow following site plan approval and a special permit from the Planning Board. A facility would be allowed in Industrial A and Industrial C districts.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has awarded 20 licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries, including two in Western Massachusetts – in Holyoke and Northampton. The state was allowed to issue up to 35 medical marijuana licenses across the state in the first year. Each county must have at least one dispensary, but not more than five.

Police Chief Paul Madera, who helped design Ludlow's proposed bylaw, said the town needs to have something in place.

"The smaller communities could face this as well," the chief said. He said that Ludlow, with its location off the Massachusetts Turnpike and near Springfield and other communities, could see an application at some point.

"This is a simple bylaw," Madera said. "It's a good way to go."

Planning Board Chairman Raymond Phoenix said he was concerned it was a double standard to try to "hide away the facilities in an industrial zone" because medical marijuana is now legal.

Planning Board member Christopher Coelho said a facility would have to be located in an industrial zone because according to the state law the dispensary and the production facility must be combined.

Martha Coakley's office said the brief, filed in Worcester District Court, argues that anti-discrimination laws should apply to religious institutions.

A lawsuit that claims the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester refused to sell a Northbridge mansion to a gay couple who wanted to host weddings at the property has received the support of the Massachusetts Attorney General.

Martha Coakley's office said it filed a brief Thursday in Worcester District Court, arguing that anti-discrimination laws should apply to religious institutions.

“Our laws provide important protections for religious organizations and people of faith,” Coakley said in a statement. “These laws also strike a balance between religious freedoms and the rights of individuals to be free from discrimination. In this case, we believe that this family was unfairly discriminated against by the Diocese when it refused to sell them property based on their sexual orientation.”

The case was filed in 2012 by James Fairbanks and Alain Beret, a married couple from Sutton. The pair were looking for a venue in which to run an inn and host weddings, and wanted to buy the historic Oakhurst mansion in Northbridge, according to a Boston Globe story on the lawsuit.

The property was owned by House of Affirmation, Inc., an affiliate of the Worcester Diocese. After the diocese accepted an initial offer for the 26 acre property, the deal fell apart during negotiations, according to the lawsuit.

Then, a representative for the church inadvertently forwarded an email from the diocese, intended for its realtor. “Because of the potentiality of gay marriages there we are not interested in going forward with these buyers,” the email said.

The email instructed the realtor only to tell Fairbanks and Beret “the Diocese is making new plans for the property. You find the language.”

In court filings, the diocese argues that it is not bound by Massachusetts' anti-discrimination laws, "based on certain legal exemptions and constitutional protections."

The extent to which religious institutions are protected from discrimination laws has been the subject of debate in a number of high-profile instances recently.

In February, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a controversial bill that would have allowed businesses in that state to assert their religious beliefs to deny service to gay people.

And, in a case now before the Supreme Court, a group of Roman Catholic nuns are challenging a federal mandate that they pay for health insurance plans that provide birth control.

Oral arguments in the Northbridge case are scheduled for April 22 in Worcester District Court.

Martha Coakley brief in support of Northbridge gay discrimination lawsuit

Skunks generally don't act peculiar without a good reason, and high on the list of reasons is rabies.

Reports out of West Hartford have the police there on the lookout for an unknown woman who last week brought a wild skunk to local veterinary office, dropped it off and then left without leaving her name.

The skunk turned out to be rabid, and now officials are seeking the woman out of concern that she may have been exposed to the disease, which can be fatal to people.

According to WFSB Eyewitness News in Hartford, the woman had apparently spotted the skunk acting peculiar last week.

She picked it up, wrapped it in a blanket and brought it to Veterinary Specialists on North Main Street in West Hartford. After dropping it off, she left without giving her name or contacts to anyone at the officer.

In all, about a dozen people were exposed to the skunk, including the woman.

Skunks generally don’t act peculiar without a good reason, and high on the list of reasons is rabies.

“The skunk was tested for rabies and has been confirmed as positive for rabies,” West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District Director of Health Steven Huleatt told the West Hartford Patch

“It is strongly recommended the individual be seen by a physician immediately to determine any potential for exposure to rabies and for to begin any treatment that may be required,” he said.

West Hartford police say the woman is not in any legal trouble but they do want her to come forward to be checked out.
Video from WFSB Eyewitness News
CBS 3 Springfield - WSHM

Lt. Stephen Estes of the West Hartford Police pointed out to Eyewitness News what sounds like sound advice for any occasion involving skunks.

"You don't take a wild animal, which normally is extremely afraid of humans, wrap it up in a towel and bring it into a building," Estes said. "It exhibited signs that it wasn't well…It allowed a human to actually pick it up and it didn't spray, it didn't bite."

The only description of the woman is that she was approximately 50 years old and had blond hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call the West Hartford Police Department at 860-523-5203.

Rabies is commonly spread to people through bites from wild animals including raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease within days of the first signs of symptoms.

Armed with squirt bottles filled with colorful paint, students at Springfield's Gerena Community School who excelled in the latest MCAS test were given the chance to shower Principal Diane Gagnon and Assistant Principals Cynthia Escribano and Siobhan Conz with paint. Building on last year's event where pies were thrown, this year was certainly more colorful and messy. Students at the...

Armed with squirt bottles filled with colorful paint, students at Springfield's Gerena Community School who excelled in the latest MCAS test were given the chance to shower Principal Diane Gagnon and Assistant Principals Cynthia Escribano and Siobhan Conz with paint.

Building on last year's event where pies were thrown, this year was certainly more colorful and messy.

Students at the school have reason to celebrate. Science scores were up 12 percentage points and math were up 4. Last year the state elevated the school from level 4 to level 3.

Fifth grader Fajr Muhammed commented that students are proud of what they have accomplished and they see that hard work can pay off in a fun way.  

Inspectors from various city departments cited the house at 75 Earl St., Springfield for violations including being an illegal rooming house, and the owner has agreed to relocate tenants.

SPRINGFIELD – Several city departments joined forces to shut down an alleged illegal rooming house in Forest Park this week, with the owner agreeing to relocate 10 adult tenants, according to the city.

The Code Enforcement Housing Division, aided by a team of inspectors and police, condemned the second-floor and the partial third-floor areas of the house at 75 Earl St., on Thursday, and ordered those floors vacated, said David Cotter, the division’s deputy director.

The code violations included being an illegal rooming house, defective or missing smoke detectors, blocked egresses, overcrowded units, illegal locks on bedroom doors, and temporary wiring and trip hazards, according to the inspection report.

“It’s not only dangerous to the occupants, it’s unhealthy for them also, and it puts in danger the first responders of the city of Springfield, including police and fire,” Cotter said of the conditions found in a Wednesday inspection.

Ten to 12 adult tenants were believed to be living in second-floor and third-floor rooms, and sharing a kitchen and bathroom, Cotter said. Under state sanitary code and local zoning ordinance, an owner can rent to up to three people who are unrelated.

The owners are listed as a Felix and Mercedes Tejada. They were not immediately available for comment on Friday. The first floor is occupied, Cotter said.

Two of nine people found in the house were arrested: one for a felony warrant and the other on a drug possession charge, Cotter said.

After the inspection, the upper floors were posted as condemned and the case was referred to the Western Housing Court.

“We are hoping it will come to a quick resolution of the people being relocated by the owner," Cotter said.

The owner must bring the house into compliance, and the building will be re-inspected, Cotter said.

The inspection was triggered by a telephone call to the city’s 3-1-1 service.

Cotter said that based on the information received, he decided to launch a joint inspection that involved the police, fire, housing and code enforcement departments including electrical, plumbing and zoning inspectors.

Most reserves continue onto the full-time ranks when positions become available.

HOLYOKE -- Twelves new reserve police officers will be sworn into duty at 4 p.m. Monday at the Police Station at 138 Appleton St. by Mayor Alex B. Morse and Police Chief James M. Neiswanger.

The new officers are Jose L. Millan, Jr., Anthony S. Diliberto, Robert W. Tobin, Mark J. Gubala, Melissa M. Rex, Kevin Kleszczynski, Robert J. Lubold, Brian Vazquez, Sean T. Noonan, Jessica Scheinost, David H. Seidel and Robert J. Shaw, said police Lt. James Albert, of the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

Reserves are essentially part-time officers. They get the same training as full-time officers, and while paid a lower hourly rate, they can fill in for periods that lets the city avoid having to pay overtime costs, City Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra said.

The police reserve line item in the current Police Department budget is $60,000, though Neiswanger requested $100,000. The police budget began the fiscal year on July 1 at $11.6 million.

The city hires full-time officers in part from the list of reserves if any are available. Reserves are certified to carry weapons and to administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The chief deploys reserves as needed to help the regular patrol force, Albert said.

"Most reserves continue on to the regular full-time ranks," Albert said.

The city is authorized to have 24 reserve officers by state Civil Service rules. These officers are regularly scheduled to work on the second and third watches, that is, late-afternoon to evening and overnight, to supplement staffing and replace officers who are on vacation or otherwise unavailable, according to the Police Department website.

"Reserve officers provide a valuable service to the citizens of Holyoke," the website said.

The city also has the auxiliary police under the direction of chief Ronald A. Dietrich. Those officers are volunteers who wear uniforms, which they pay for themselves, are under the jurisdiction of the Police Department and help police with crowd and traffic control, searches related to crimes and in other ways.

Auxiliary officers don't have arrest powers, though they do carry service weapons while on duty.

Police used the GPS signal from the boy's cellphone to locate him in the woods.

KILLINGTON, Vt - State Police were able to find a 16-year-old Watertown, Conn. boy who got lost while skiing at Killington Ski Resort Friday afternoon and ended up three miles away from the slopes, police said.

The boy, Matthew Stewart, skied out of bounds Friday afternoon and became lost in the woods, according to police.

He first called his father on his cellphone, and the father alerted police who started a search.

At about 3:15 p.m., police received a 911 call from Stewart, and police were able to use the GPS signal from his cellphone to hone in on his location.

With the help of the Killington Ski Patrol, Stewart came out of the woods at about 7 p.m., some 3 miles away from the slopes on Wheelerville Road in Mendon, police said.

He was not injured.

According to the Associated Press, there were 15 separate incidents at Killington last year in which 49 people got lost and had to be rescued. This year Killington opened a new natural area within the boundaries of the resort in hopes people seeking back country skiing could find it within the boundaries of the resort.

Dellarosa was originally charge with trafficking in up to 100 grams of cocaine but pleaded to the reduced charge.

NORTHAMPTON – A local man was sentenced to two years in jail Friday after pleading guilty to cocaine charges in Hampshire Superior Court.

Luis Dellarosa, 38, of 260 Main St., admitted to trafficking in 18-36 grams of cocaine and conspiring to violate controlled substance laws.

According to prosecutor Jeremy Bucci, when police entered Dellarosa’s apartment on July 22 of last year, the defendant was locked in his bedroom with the mother of his child. Asked by police if he had drugs on the premises, Dellarosa directed them to his dresser, Bucci said. There they found some 60 grams of cocaine along with materials to weigh and package the drug.

Dellarosa was originally charged with trafficking in up to 100 grams of cocaine but pleaded to the reduced charge. Defense lawyer John Drake told Judge Jeffrey Kinder that his client wants to return to his job as a barber and perhaps enter the music field after he serves his sentence.

“He’s ready to be a law-abiding citizen,” Drake said.

Officials with Mandalay Bay parent company MGM Resorts International does not contest the findings of the complaint.

By HANNAH DREIER, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Mandalay Bay Resort plans to pay a half-million-dollar fine after employees at the upscale Las Vegas Strip lounge provided prostitutes and drugs to undercover officers.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a proposed settlement with the casino this week. It's awaiting approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Authorities say undercover officers bought cocaine, ecstasy and other drugs from employees of the House of Blues Foundation Room over the summer of 2012. Officials say employees also connected officers with four prostitutes and a private room for sex. The sting caught 10 employees and five non-employees engaging in this kind of illegal activity.

Two have been arrested, according to Gaming Control Board Enforcement Chief Karl Bennison, and more arrests may be in the works. The arrests were delayed to avoid disruption to the operation.

"You're trying to see how far up the management chain things are being directed," Bennison said.

Officials with Mandalay Bay parent company MGM Resorts International do not contest the findings of the complaint. The company said the employees involved in the activities have been fired, and the lounge has increased its training procedures to prevent future misconduct.

"While these activities took place outside our knowledge, we acknowledge our responsibility, as landlords, to monitor all nightclub and ultra-lounge operators at our resorts. The intolerable activities discovered by investigators are obviously completely contrary to the type of luxury resort our company strives to run," the company said in a statement. "House of Blues has increased its compliance and training procedures and reemphasized its zero tolerance for inappropriate conduct."

Mandalay Bay will also pay $17,000 to reimburse investigative expenses.

The Foundation Room is a chic restaurant and club on the 43rd floor of Mandalay Bay, which is on the Las Vegas Strip.

The complaint says that the investigation was initiated after an undercover officer bought cocaine from a person later determined to be a Foundation Room host. The officer asked the host if he could use the drug at the club and was told he could, if he was careful.

Most of the transactions that occurred during the sting took place in public areas in the casino.

State gambling regulators partnered with local police to conduct a similar sting in 2012 at the Palms Casino Resort west of the Las Vegas Strip. In that case, nightclub employees accepted payments to supply prostitutes, cocaine and pain pills

Last spring, gambling regulators sent a letter to all casinos warning them to curb illegal activity at clubs and pool parties.

"It's a constant issue and concern, Bennison said.