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Rockland man suffers severe burns starting fire at Weymouth adult store, police say

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Jon Fernald, 44, had severe burns and was taken to South Shore Hospital before being transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

WEYMOUTH, Mass. — A Rockland man is under arrest in hospital on suspicion of starting a three-alarm fire at an adult store that also hit homes and other businesses in Weymouth.

firepromo.jpg 
Officers responding to the Saturday morning fire said a witness reported seeing a man start the fire and directed police to the suspect who was fleeing the scene.

Police arrested Jon Fernald, 44, a short distance away. He had severe burns and was taken to South Shore Hospital before being transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Fernald was charged with arson of a dwelling. It was not immediately clear if he has legal representation.

Tenants at the apartment got out safely and firefighters were not injured.

Authorities did not release additional information, including what could have motivated the suspect.


Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to headline Connecticut Republican Party awards dinner

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Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is starring at the Connecticut Republican Party’s 36th annual Prescott Bush Awards Dinner.

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is starring at the Connecticut Republican Party’s 36th annual Prescott Bush Awards Dinner.

Bush is among a crowded field of prospective 2016 presidential candidates. He is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the event scheduled for Thursday at the Stamford Hilton Hotel.

Bush is the grandson of the late Prescott Bush Sr. of Greenwich, a former U.S. senator from Connecticut.

Tickets to the dinner cost $250 per person, while tickets to the photo reception cost $2,500 per person.

Two-time U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon is expected to receive this year’s Prescott Bush Award. GOP Chairman Jerry Labriola called McMahon, the former CEO of WWE, ‘‘a tireless advocate for Republicans.’’

Vermont State Police charge New York woman for allegedly using baby to smuggle drugs into jail

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An unmarried couple is facing charges after police in Vermont say Michelle Doaner, 25, used the baby she has with 26-year-old inmate Gregory Munukka to smuggle drugs into prison for him.

RUTLAND, Vt. — An unmarried couple is facing charges after police in Vermont say Michelle Doaner, 25, used the baby she has with 26-year-old inmate Gregory Munukka, to smuggle drugs into prison for him.

Michelle DoanerMichelle Doaner

Vermont State Police say Doaner, a Whitehall, N.Y. resident, was contacted by Munukka who asked to bring him the prescription drug Buprenorphine, which is described as a semi-synthetic drug used to treat chronic pain in people not addicted to opiates, and as a treatment for those who are addicted. Police say Doaner hid the drug on the baby and Munukka retrieved it during a March 31 visit at the Marble Valley Correctional Facility.

A post-visit search of Munukka allegedly revealed he was in possession of the drug, and charges were leveled against both adults.

Munukka was charged with narcotics possession while Doaner is facing child cruelty and drug charges. Police also said Child Protective Services in New York have been notified.

It is unclear whether Munukka has an opiate addiction which led to his initial alleged request. Both parents are scheduled to answer their respective charges at a May court appearance.


Baystate Medical Center in Springfield reports patient infected with measles; 300 others potentially exposed

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Baystate Medical Center in Springfield announced Saturday that a patient has showed up at the hospital with a case of the measles.

An update to this story was posted at 5:20 p.m.


Baystate Medical Center in Springfield announced Saturday that a patient has showed up at the hospital with a confirmed case of the measles.

"The safety of our patients and visitors is our absolute highest priority. Measles is a contagious illness, and people without immunity who were in proximity to the patient at Baystate Medical Center’s main campus on April 2nd or April 3rd may be at risk for developing measles," the hospital said in a statement. "Baystate has been working to identify and contact all individuals who, due to their proximity to the patient in a limited number of areas within the hospital before the measles diagnosis was made and protective steps were taken, may be at elevated risk for exposure to measles."

Because the suspected diagnosis of measles was made quickly after the patient was initially seen, Baystate officials believe the group of people potentially exposed to measles at the hospital is limited to about 300 individuals. The hospital is now working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the primary care physicians of the approximately 300 people who may have come in contact with the infected person to notify them personally and determine appropriate care plans.

People with the potential for exposure are being asked to be watchful for symptoms of measles, and should call their healthcare provider, if they develop symptoms, before visiting a healthcare facility where they may infect others.


This is a developing story and additional information will be posted online as it becomes available.

Measles Public Health Fact Sheet


Springfield police investigate numerous reported shootings

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Police were kept busy by numerous gunfire incidents reported late Saturday through early Sunday, including five shooting victims linked to a shootout outside a downtown nightclub and a shooting in the parking lot of Baystate Medical Center.

SPRINGFIELD — The 1:58 a.m. Sunday shooting on Worthington Street that sent four people to the hospital kept Springfield police busy overnight, but their work was compounded by shootings reported across the city throughout the early morning hours.

Police Capt. Harry Kastrinakis said the city's ShotSpotter gunfire detection system activated nearly a dozen times between 10 p.m. Saturday and 5 a.m. Sunday. Evidence of gunfire was found in three cases, including an incident in which a car was raked by bullets, according to police.

Two reports came nearly simultaneously late Saturday night. ShotSpotter activated twice at about 11:55 p.m., including a single gunshot reading on Mill Street along the border of the Six Corners and South End neighborhoods and a five-shot reading on Murray Hill Avenue in the city's Lower Liberty Heights section.

Kastrinakis said officers found spent shell casings at each location, but no apparent damage or gunshot victims.

At 2:53 a.m. Sunday, a car was shot up outside 574 Armory St. in the Hungry Hill section of Liberty Heights. Responding officers found seven shell casings scattered on the road, and the nearby vehicle had been hit nearly as many times.

Other ShotSpotter alerts included:

  • Gunfire on Manhattan Street in the city's Old Hill section.
  • Two rounds detected in the Hollywood area of the South End.
  • Eight rounds detected near 1461 South Branch Parkway in Sixteen Acres
  • And an unknown number of shots reported in the Westbrook Drive and Parker Street areas of Sixteen Acres.

No physical evidence of shootings was found in connection with any of those alerts.

Obituaries today: Richard Rocca worked for East Longmeadow schools, Springfield Municipal Hospital, Print Shop in West Springfield

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Obituaries from The Republican.

 
040614-richard-rocca.jpgRichard Rocca 

Richard Thomas Rocca, 64, of Springfield, passed away on Tuesday. He was a disabled veteran who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was a longtime member of the Elks and the Italian American Club, as well as a lifetime member of the Springfield VFW and the Vietnam Veterans of America. He retired from the East Longmeadow School System. Previously he worked at Springfield Municipal Hospital and at the Print Shop in West Springfield. His hobbies included model railroading, bowling, oil painting and playing the drums. He enjoyed outdoor activities such as fishing, golfing, bird watching and camping.

To view all obituaries from The Republican:
» Click here

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno to hold 'public safety' news conference at site of downtown club shooting that injured 4 people

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The press conference will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the corner of Worthington Street and East Columbus Ave., the scene of an early Sunday morning shooting that injured four people.

SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Domenic Sarno and Springfield Police Commissioner William Fitchet will hold an afternoon "public safety" press conference at the site of Sunday morning's downtown shooting with multiple injuries.

The 1 p.m. event will be held at the corner of Worthington Street and East Columbus Avenue, where four people were wounded in a hail of gunfire that erupted just before 2 a.m. outside Lux Nightclub, 90 Worthington St.

Details of the incident, one of the worst large-scale shootings in several months, are still emerging, but police believe that up to 20 shots may have been fired by members of rival groups as patrons were letting out of the club for the night.

The shooting victims were brought to Baystate Medical Center's emergency room for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Some were shot in the torso, but most were hit in the arms or legs, police Capt. Harry Kastrinakis said.

Several police police units were stationed near the emergency room entrance as a precaution. Despite the heavy police presence, a man was shot in the hospital's parking lot, although authorities are unsure if the incident was linked to the downtown shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355.

Late Sunday morning, Jim Leydon, the mayor's spokesman, released a one-paragraph statement on the shooting:

"Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Police Commissioner William Fitchet will be addressing public safety concerns that occurred in the vicinity of the intersection of East Columbus Avenue and Worthington Street."

The last city shooting with multiple victims happened about 4½ months ago. On Nov. 21, two people were injured and one was killed in a shooting in a parking lot behind 955 Worthington St., near the corner of Worthington and Armory streets.

Uxbridge teen set for Junior Olympics in precision rifle event

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Uxbridge resident Tyler Lefebvre will be aiming for greatness at the 2014 Junior Olympics. The Nipmuc Regional High School junior will be representing Massachusetts in the competition's precision rifle event in Colorado Springs, Colo., in April.


MIKE GLEASON
The Milford Daily News


UXBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Uxbridge resident Tyler Lefebvre will be aiming for greatness at the 2014 Junior Olympics.

The Nipmuc Regional High School junior will be representing Massachusetts in the competition's precision rifle event in Colorado Springs, Colo., in April.

Tyler said he first got into the sport a couple of years ago.

"A friend from Boy Scouts was shooting at a club when I was a freshman in high school," he said. "He invited me along, and I really enjoyed it — I quickly became one of the better shooters in the club."

He said his coach asked him to participate in a competitive match, and things grew from there.

"I did pretty well for my first match," he said. "At that point, I had played lacrosse for seven years, but I stopped. With this sport, you can train year-round."

Lefebvre's talent with the rifle has brought him across the country; he has taken part in matches in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado and West Virginia, among others. He will also shoot at the national championships this June in Fort Benning, Ga.

Joseph Lefebvre, Tyler's father, said there were many intricacies of the sport he hadn't considered before his son began competing.

"It's not just, 'show up, pick up the rifle and shoot,'" he said. "There's a whole suit, made of canvas and other materials, that gives them a stable platform.

"They operate under very strict guidelines — (at the Junior Olympics) there's an entire day set aside for equipment checks," he added.

Joseph said he was proud of his son's accomplishments.

"To make it to this point... while finishing his Eagle Scout rank and maintaining honors grades — Bonnie (his mother) and I are really proud," he said.

Tyler said his goal is to shoot for a college team, expressing interest in such schools as Ohio State University, Murray State, North Carolina State and Jacksonville.


West Boylston man relishes sports painting career with the Red Sox

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On October 30, 2013, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series at Fenway Park since 1918 and Mark Waitkus was there to record the historical moment, first with his camera and then in a painting.

By LYNNE KLAFT
Telegram & Gazette

WORCESTER - On October 30, 2013, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series at Fenway Park since 1918 and Mark Waitkus was there to record the historical moment, first with his camera and then in a painting.

He has been with the Red Sox since 2002 as the team's official in-house artist and has witnessed two other World Series championships, but thinks that last year's victory over the St. Louis Cardinals the sweetest.

"I capture moments of Red Sox history, and that day one of the guys tipped me off about where the fireworks would be set off, and then it happened, the guys were running out on the field. History was happening right there in front of me. It's been 95 years since they won it at Fenway," said Waitkus.

The 2014 season for the Red Sox begins Monday in Baltimore, but Opening Day at Fenway Park on April 4 is going to be a very special day for fans and Waitkus. He will be there to record the raising of the 2013 World Championship banner and it will be included in a book he is compiling of moments during that championship year.

Waitkus grew up in Sterling and has been a Red Sox fan as long as he can remember. He played baseball for his high school team, and the family is related to Eddie Waitkus, a first baseman from Boston who played in the National and American leagues.

But art has been Waitkus' first and enduring passion. He started drawing at age 5, took all the art classes he could during high school and traveled to Worcester to study with Alex Gazonas, a well-known local commercial artist and teacher.

"My art connection with sports? I was inspired by Sports Illustrated. I couldn't wait for the next issue to come out. Sports and architecture, old ballparks, historic buildings in New England, that's what I love to paint now," said Waitkus.

He worked for an ad agency in Boston for a few years and decided in 1996 to go out on his own. Worcester's Chuck Steedmen gave Waitkus his first break.

"He asked me to do a painting of Ted Williams in 2002 for the memorial service they held at Fenway Park. The park was opened to fans, former players came out. They put flowers on the red seat that marks his longest home run up in the bleachers," said Waitkus, who did a painting of that famous seat that is still the only red seat in what is now called the lower bleachers.

Since 2002, Waitkus has been to almost all of the American League baseball stadiums, has painted Fenway Park covered in snow, captured the January 2010 Winter Classic game at the park with the Boston Bruins playing against the Philadelphia Flyers on an outdoor rink, and the 2009 Boston Marathon. He did a painting of Mariano Rivera, which the Red Sox gave to the Yankee pitcher before his last game in Boston last year, the Bruins coming into the park in 2011 with the Stanley Cup, the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park, and, in his spare time, he did a painting for the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame for its 75th anniversary, two paintings for the Worcester Bravehearts and a painting of Derek Jeter that will be given to the Yankee shortstop during his last game at Fenway this year.

He gets up at 4 in the morning, every morning, at his West Boylston home to work on his paintings.

Edward Turner, fellow artist and owner of the Art and Frame Emporium of Westboro, has a special corner for Waitkus' paintings.

"He has a lot of fans. When he does signings, they come early and stand in line," said Turner.

Waitkus says he likes the competition of sports and with other professional sports artists.

"If you have the passion, it can take you wherever you want to go. It's a dream to have the access at the park. The people I have met there, it's like a home away from home," he said.

About 100 arrested, 44 hospitalized after party turns to street brawl in Southern California

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The violence broke out in the densely populated beachside community of Isla Vista around 9:30 p.m. Saturday during the annual spring break party known as Deltopia, officials said.

ISLA VISTA, Calif. (AP) — About 100 people were arrested and at least 44 people were taken to the hospital during a weekend college party in Southern California that devolved into a street brawl, authorities said.

The violence broke out in the densely populated beachside community of Isla Vista around 9:30 p.m. Saturday during the annual spring break party known as Deltopia, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said.

The Ventura County Star reported that things escalated after a University of California, Santa Barbara police officer was hit in the head with a backpack filled with large bottles of alcohol.

Authorities said some members of the crowd of 15,000 then began throwing rocks, bricks and bottles at officers, lighting fires and damaging law enforcement vehicles.

At least five more officers were injured, including one officer who was hit in the face with a brick and two others who were hit in the hand with bottles, sheriff's deputies said. Authorities reported using tear gas and foam projectiles to disperse the crowd.

The situation had stabilized by Sunday morning after sheriffs received backup support from multiple agencies in neighboring Ventura County.

Isla Vista borders the university and is known for partying. The half-mile area has roughly 23,000 residents, of which 60 percent are students.

Angry families want GM prosecuted for defects

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The families of those who died in General Motors cars with defective ignition switches want prosecutors to go after GM insiders responsible for letting the problems fester for more than a decade — and perhaps for covering them up.

WASHINGTON — The families of those who died in General Motors cars with defective ignition switches want prosecutors to go after GM insiders responsible for letting the problems fester for more than a decade — and perhaps for covering them up.

"The only way the public is going to be protected from this negligence by companies is if there will ultimately be prison sentences," said Leo Ruddy of Scranton, Pa., whose 21-year-old daughter Kelly was killed in 2010 when her Chevrolet Cobalt veered inexplicably off the highway and crashed.

Family members attended hearings in Washington last week that stoked those sentiments. Lawmakers confronted GM CEO Mary Barra with what they said was evidence that, in 2006, a company employee intentionally tried to conceal the switch problem. And the head of the nation's auto safety watchdog said GM withheld critical information that connected the failing switch to air bags that didn't deploy in a crash.

"I don't see this as anything but criminal," said Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, a former state prosecutor.

However, even if an employee or employees did conceal information, it's uncertain whether they would be charged with a crime. Legal experts say it's easier to prove wrongdoing by a corporation than by individuals. The internal documents that can be used to build a case against the company might be inadmissible as evidence against individuals. And it can be hard to prove that individuals knowingly made false statements.

The Justice Department didn't bring charges against any individuals last month when it closed a yearslong investigation of Toyota.

GM has acknowledged that in 2004 and 2005, engineers submitted proposals to fix the switches in Cobalts, Saturn Ions and other small cars, but the fixes were never implemented. GM says upper management only became aware of the problem last year. A recall of the small cars, now up to 2.6 million vehicles, began in February.

On Wednesday, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., accused one GM employee of a cover-up. Ray DeGiorgio, the lead switch engineer on the Cobalt, said in a deposition last year for a lawsuit against GM that he never approved a change to the ignition switch. But McCaskill produced a document from GM's switch supplier that showed DeGiorgio signed off on a replacement, but with the same part number. Failing to change a part number makes the part harder to track.

Appearing Sunday on ABC's "This Week," McCaskill said, "There is no reason to keep the same part number unless you're trying to hide the fact that you've got a defective switch out there that in fact ended up killing a number of people on our highways."

Paul Rothstein, a Georgetown University law professor, wouldn't speak specifically about DeGiorgio, but said someone "caught in a lie" could be more vulnerable to individual prosecution.

Barra called the failure to change the part number "unacceptable." She said the company has not yet fired any employees in connection with the recall. But she said if inappropriate decisions were made, GM will take action, including firing those involved.

"If you can go to jail for insider trading and things like that, which is just making money, if you do something that caused a loss of life ... (the penalty) should be more than just a few dollars," said Ken Rimer, whose stepdaughter died in a 2006 accident after a faulty switch prevented air bags from deploying.

But Matt Axelrod, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice in Washington, said prosecutors face a higher burden to prove criminal wrongdoing. "The forum before a congressional committee is different than the forum before a jury," he said.

The Justice Department hasn't confirmed that it's investigating General Motors, but a person familiar with the case said the probe is underway. The person didn't want to be identified because the investigation is private.

Two weeks ago, the Justice Department socked Toyota with a $1.2 billion penalty over its recall of millions of vehicles for unintended acceleration. But no individuals were charged, even though prosecutors discovered that some managers sought to conceal problems with gas pedals in certain cars.

Proving individual guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is much harder than prosecuting a company based on the collective knowledge of all its employees. "To charge an individual, you have to show that one individual acted illegally by himself," Axelrod said.

For now, many of the families are simply seeking more information about the fatal crashes.

Originally, Ruddy thought the power steering motor failed on his daughter's 2005 Cobalt, causing her to crash while returning home from visiting friends in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., late at night. The Cobalt was recalled in 2010 to replace faulty power steering motors. But now he thinks the ignition switch could have shut off the engine, knocking out power steering and brakes and causing her to lose control of the car.

GM took the car's event data recorder, and only recently returned it after the family contacted a Pennsylvania senator for help. The contents are now being analyzed, and the family will be looking to see the position of the ignition switch, Ruddy said.

Ruddy says the family is considering a lawsuit against GM but has yet to file one. A family friend who is an attorney is advising them on their next steps.

Rimer and his wife have already filed a lawsuit against GM. He's worried that GM might be legally protected from lawsuits arising from decisions it made before its 2009 bankruptcy.

"No money will ever bring my wife's daughter back," he said. But "unless there's a consequence for them doing something wrong, what's going to stop them from doing something wrong again?"

Lawmakers mulling $1B upgrade to Boston Convention and Exhibition center

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Supporters of the measure say the facility that opened in 1997 isn't big enough to attract many large-scale national and international conventions.

081213 massachusetts statehouse from right.jpgState lawmakers are considering a proposed $1.1B expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition center.

BOSTON (AP) --€” State lawmakers are considering a proposed $1.1 billion expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition center in South Boston.

Supporters of the measure say the facility that opened in 1997 isn't big enough to attract many large-scale national and international conventions. They say expanding the convention center and adding hotel rooms would generate new jobs and other economic benefits for the region.

The House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets has scheduled a hearing for Thursday to discuss financing for the project.

Current plans call for no new taxes of fees. Instead, proceeds from the state's current hotel occupancy tax would be used to support bonds issued for construction.

The Pioneer Institute has warned the convention center expansion could divert capital funds from other state projects.


Malaysia Flight 370: Ships race to investigate signals in Indian Ocean

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Searchers hunting for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet raced toward a patch of the southern Indian Ocean to determine whether a few brief sounds picked up by underwater equipment came from the plane's black boxes, whose battery-powered pingers are on the verge of dying out.

PERTH, Australia (AP) -- Searchers hunting for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet raced toward a patch of the southern Indian Ocean on Sunday to determine whether a few brief sounds picked up by underwater equipment came from the plane's black boxes, whose battery-powered pingers are on the verge of dying out.

Ships scouring a remote stretch of water for the plane that vanished nearly a month ago detected three separate sounds over three days. A Chinese ship picked up an electronic pulsing signal on Friday and again on Saturday, and an Australian ship carrying sophisticated deep-sea acoustic equipment detected a signal in a different area on Sunday, the head of the multinational search said.

The two black boxes contain flight data and cockpit voice recordings that could solve one of the most baffling mysteries in modern aviation: who or what caused Flight 370 to veer radically off course and vanish March 8 while traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 239 people on board.

But there were questions about whether any of the sounds were the breakthrough that searchers are desperately seeking or just another dead end in a hunt seemingly full of them, with experts expressing doubt that the equipment aboard the Chinese ship was capable of picking up signals from the black boxes.

"This is an important and encouraging lead, but one which I urge you to treat carefully," retired Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who is coordinating the search, told reporters in Perth.

He warned that the sounds were "fleeting, fleeting acoustic events," not the more extended transmissions that would be expected.

"We are dealing with very deep water. We are dealing with an environment where sometimes you can get false indications," Houston said. "There are lots of noises in the ocean, and sometimes the acoustic equipment can rebound, echo if you like."

Searchers are racing against time to find the voice and data recorders. The devices emit "pings" so they can be more easily found, but the batteries last only about a month.

China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Saturday that the patrol vessel Haixun 01 detected a "pulse signal" Friday at 37.5 kilohertz -- the same frequency used by the airliner's black boxes.

Malaysia PlaneIn this image taken from video, a member of a Chinese search team uses an instrument to detect electronic pulses while searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, on board the patrol vessel Haixun 01, in the search area in the southern Indian Ocean, Saturday, April 5, 2014. (AP Photo/CCTV via AP Video)

Houston confirmed the report and said the Haixun 01 detected a signal again on Saturday within 2 kilometers (1.4 miles) of the original signal, for 90 seconds. He said China also reported seeing floating white objects in the area.

The British navy ship HMS Echo, which is fitted with sophisticated sound-locating equipment, arrived in the area to join the search, Britain reported.

The Australian navy's Ocean Shield, which is carrying high-tech sound detectors from the U.S. Navy, will also head there, but will first investigate the sound it picked up in its current region, about 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers) away, Houston said.

Australian military aircraft are also being sent into the Haixun 01's area to investigate, he said.

In Kuala Lumpur, families of passengers aboard the missing plane attended a prayer service Sunday that also drew thousands of Malaysian supporters.

"This is not a prayer for the dead, because we have not found bodies. This is a prayer for blessings and that the plane will be found," said Liow Tiong Lai, president of the government coalition party that organized the two-hour session.

Two Chinese women were in tears and hugged by their caregivers after the rally. Several people wore T-shirts that read "Pray for MH370." Two-thirds of Flight 370's passengers were Chinese.

The crew of the Chinese ship reportedly picked up the signals using a hand-held sonar device called a hydrophone dangled over the side of a small boat -- something experts said was technically possible but extremely unlikely. The equipment aboard the British and Australian ships is dragged slowly behind each vessel over long distances and is considered far more sophisticated.

Footage on China's state-run CCTV showed crew members poking into the water a device shaped like a large soup can attached to a pole. It was connected by cords to electronic equipment in a padded suitcase.

"If the Chinese have discovered this, they have found a new way of finding a needle in a haystack," said aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas, editor in chief of AirlineRatings.com. "Because this is amazing. And if it proves to be correct, it's an extraordinarily lucky break."

There are many clicks, buzzes and other sounds in the ocean from animals, but the 37.5 kHz pulse was selected for underwater locator beacons because there is nothing else in the sea that naturally makes that sound, said William Waldock, an expert on search and rescue who teaches accident investigation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona.

But after weeks of false alarms, officials were careful Sunday not to overplay the development.

"We are hopeful but by no means certain," Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said. He added: "This is the most difficult search in human history. We need to be very careful about coming to hard and fast conclusions too soon."

A senior Malaysian government official said Sunday that investigators have determined that Flight 370 skirted Indonesian airspace as it flew to the southern Indian Ocean.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said Indonesian authorities confirmed that the plane did not show up on their military radar. The plane could have deliberately flown around Indonesian airspace to avoid detection, or may have coincidentally traveled out of radar range, he said.

Houston, the search coordinator, said there had been a correction to satellite data that investigators have been using to calculate the plane's flight path. As a result, starting on Monday, the southern section of the current search zone will be given higher priority than the northern part.

The signals detected by the Chinese ship were in the southern section, Houston said.

Up to 12 military and civilian planes and 13 ships took part in the search Sunday of three areas totaling about 216,000 square kilometers (83,400 square miles). The areas are about 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) northwest of the Australian coastal city of Perth.

Springfield fires damage 3 kitchens, injure one resident

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Two of the fires were caused by unattended cooking.

SPRINGFIELD — Three separate kitchen fires Sunday morning sent one person to the hospital for smoke inhalation and displaced a mother and her child from their home.

Two of the fires were caused by unattended cooking while the third is under investigation but not considered suspicious, said Dennis G. Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph A. Conant.

One person was taken to Mercy Medical Center to be treated for smoke inhalation following a cooking fire that happened at about 7:20 a.m. at 42 Rest Way in the Boston Road Mobile Home Park, Leger said.

That fire was caused by unattended cooking and the home received about $5,000 in damage. A total of four people were home at the time but no one else was injured, he said.

A mother and her child were displaced from their 86 School St. home after a kitchen fire caused between $5,000 and $10,000 in damage. They are being assisted by the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The fire was mostly extinguished by sprinklers installed in the apartment when the Fire Department arrived but the large amount of water forced the electrical power to be turned off because of possible damage to the system. That fire, which was reported at about 10:20 a.m., was also caused by unattended cooking, Leger said.

A third kitchen fire at 32 Haumont Terrace was reported at about 11:50 a.m. and caused between $5,000 and $10,000 in damage. Residents were allowed to remain in the home and the cause of that fire is under investigation, Leger said.

Owner of Lux Nightclub to Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno: 'Get to know me;' proprietor says mayor too quick to blame clubs for street violence

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Sherwood Jarrett, the owner of Lux Nightclub, says his entertainment venue is being singled out for censure by city leaders, who should be doing more to stop shootings, not crack down on businesses that are creating jobs.

SPRINGFIELD — "Get to know me," said Sherwood Jarrett, owner of Lux Nightclub, the Worthington Street establishment at the center of the city's latest controversy about downtown clubs and the types of patrons they attract.

On Sunday afternoon, Jarrett, of Bloomfield, Conn., stood on the sidewalk outside the nightclub he took over about eight months ago. The blood-stained sidewalk and medical waste left behind by first responders were reminders of the violence that took place just hours earlier outside his business.

But Jarrett says it's becoming all too easy for city leaders to blame nightclubs, not the perpetrators of crimes, for the city's late-night problems.

"The mayor should reach out to club owners to find out what's going on," Jarrett said of Domenic Sarno, who only minutes earlier had wrapped up an impromptu press conference outside Jarrett's club without the courtesy of a phone call.

Jarrett says he's never met Sarno, who used the shooting outside Jarrett's club as an opportunity to renew his pledge to crack down on late-night entertainment establishments that fail to prevent violence associated with their businesses.

Sarno pointed out that the gunfire erupted just outside Lux, the only club open at the time of the shooting along an otherwise quiet stretch of lower Worthington Street near the corner of East Columbus Avenue.

A clearly frustrated Sarno was joined by outgoing police Commissioner William Fitchet and incoming Commissioner John Barbieri. The mayor predicted what the owners of Lux will say when they're summoned to appear before the city License Commission.

"It's not us. It's not us. It's not us," Sarno said, striking a tone of sarcastic resignation.

The mayor says he's the arbiter when it comes to granting late-night entertainment licenses in the city, and businesses that fail to comply with the guidelines will be given the heave-ho.

"We're going to run you out of town," Sarno said, adding that the city will continue to "weed out the bad apples."

Jarrett says blaming a particular business for the actions of people on the streets is myopic – not to mention arbitrary, capricious, unfair and just a bad way of conducting business if city officials want to spur growth and create jobs in Springfield.

"I'm creating jobs," said Jarrett, noting that he has about 15 people on his payroll. "We want Springfield to be safe."

Jarrett says his venue isn't merely a hip-hop club, but rather a multipurpose entertainment venue that's even held popular painting nights, gatherings that typically involve patrons sipping wine and other beverages while trying their hand at art.

Police say one of Sunday's five city shooting victims was shot and wounded outside Lux, while another was shot in the parking lot of Baystate Medical Center. Those shootings and three others are all connected, said Fitchet, adding that authorities are still unsure where the other three were shot. The victims are not cooperating with police.

A musical act scheduled to perform at Lux drew a large crowd, and the club didn't have enough security to handle the situation, according to Sarno. When that performer canceled his show, the crowd grew angry and gunfire erupted outside the club.

Jarrett says that's not exactly how things played out, adding that he was told shots were fired from the parking garage near the club.

"We have video showing just how the event went down, and we're submitting that to the Police Department," he said. "It has nothing to do with the nightclub at all."

Jarrett commended police officers for their quick response, and says he's helping detectives with their investigation. But he feels he's being unfairly targeted for censure by the mayor.

"Our customers got caught in the crossfire," Jarrett said. "We could focus on why these things are happening and the people that are out here."

Social media promotions indicated Lil Durk, a Chicago rap artist, was scheduled to perform Saturday night at Lux Nightclub, but Jarrett declined to confirm if the rapper's show went on as planned.


Northwestern DA plans conferences to help businesses deal with domestic violence

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The conferences are intended to help business owners and others who may deal with an employee who is either a domestic violence victim or offender.

DEERFIELD, Mass. — Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan will offer two conferences to help employers protect their business and employees from domestic violence.

davesullivanNorthwestern DA Dave Sullivan. 
The conferences are intended to help business owners, supervisors, human resource officers, security and union stewards who may deal with an employee who is either a domestic violence victim or offender.

Speakers will include Courtney Cahill, chief of the domestic violence unit of the Bristol County District Attorney's Office. Kate Van Cort French, manager of Orchard Equipment and Supply, will talk about her experience as an employer of a domestic violence homicide victim.

The first conference is set for Wednesday at Chandler's Restaurant at Yankee Candle in South Deerfield. The second conference will be on May 7 at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Northampton.

Philadelphia boy, 2, kills older sister using gun of mother's boyfriend, police say

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The 2-year-old pointed the loaded, cocked gun in the direction of his sister and the gun discharged, according to investigators.

PHILADELPHIA -- A 2-year-old boy apparently shot and killed his 11-year-old sister while they and their siblings played with a gun inside a Philadelphia home, police said Sunday.

Jamara Stevens was fatally shot Saturday morning with a gun that police believe was brought into the home by the mother's boyfriend a few hours earlier.

The mother was home with her four children in a master bedroom, Lt. John Walker said. Police say the shooting occurred when she left the room at about 10 a.m. to use the bathroom.

The 2-year-old pointed the loaded, cocked gun in the direction of his sister and the gun discharged, according to investigators.

The fatal bullet struck Jamara's shoulder and then traveled to her chest. Jamara was rushed to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, but died about a half-hour later, police said.

The girl's mother was at the hospital, Walker said.

"She was distraught," Walker said.

Police believe the mother's boyfriend had brought the gun to the house and stashed it on top of a refrigerator. It's not immediately clear who brought it to the bedroom.

Homicide detectives are investigating and will forward information to the district attorney's office, police said. No charges have been filed.

The name of Jamara's mother could not immediately be confirmed Sunday evening.


Two Vermont troopers recovering after shooting; suspect in custody

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The two troopers were responding to an emergency call from a woman who said someone had entered her home and shot her husband.

LEICESTER, Vt. – Two Vermont State Police troopers were injured after a suspect in another shooting opened fire on them early Sunday morning.

The troopers’ wounds were not life threatening. They were brought to Porter Hospital for treatment, according to a statement released by the Vermont State Police.

The two troopers, who were working officers from the Brandon Police Department, had responding to a emergency call from a woman who said a man came into her home and shot her husband. The man, who was shot in the head, is now listed in stable condition at Fletcher Medical Center.

Information led troopers to a house across the street from the victims. Attempts to make contact with the resident by phone and in person failed. After police set a perimeter around the house, the occupant shot at the troopers, striking both in the head with shotgun pellets, according to the statement.

Both troopers were able to move to a safe area and were transported by fellow officers to the hospital. One has been treated and released and the second was transferred to a second hospital for more treatment.

Eventually a Vermont State Police Hostage Negotiation Team member was able to convince the suspect to leave his house. Timothy Foley, 47, was then arrested without further incident, according to police.

Detectives from the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation are continuing to investigate both shootings. The Addison County State's Attorney responded and is working closely with detectives and charges against Foley are forthcoming, the statement said.

At this time, the names of the male victim and troopers are being withheld, police said.

Leicester is located about 20 miles north of Rutland. It has a population of about 1,000 people.

Massachusetts State Police put out a statement saying their thoughts and prayers are with the Vermont troopers who were injured.

Hampden shed burns down with fuel tank inside

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The fuel tank did not ignite.

HAMPDEN – A shed with a storage tank carrying diesel fuel burned to the ground Sunday afternoon on Wilbraham Road.

When firefighters arrived at the fire at about 3:30 p.m. they found the shed at 321 Wilbraham Road mostly engulfed in flames. The owner warned them inside was a tank of diesel fuel, Police Officer Thomas Yvon said.

“It did not ignite. We closed down the roads and cleared everyone in the area as a precaution,” he said.

Yvon did not have an estimate of the damage caused. The fire is being investigated by the Hampden Fire Department.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno blames gangbangers, businesses that attract them for city shootings that injured 5

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Investigators believe the shooting incidents that injured five people early Sunday morning are related, Springfield police Commissioner William Fitchet said.

SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Domenic Sarno blamed gangbangers and the businesses that lure them to the city for Sunday morning's gun violence that left five people with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Police initially indicated there were four shooting victims outside Lux Nightclub and one outside Baystate Medical Center, but now say they can only link two of the five shooting victims to those locations.

Authorities believe the incidents are connected, though they are continuing to investigate where the other three victims were shot, according to police Commissioner William Fitchet, who joined Sarno at a Sunday afternoon news conference in front of Lux Nightclub, 90 Worthington St.

"We believe that all of the shootings are related," Fitchet said.

Police say the victims have been uncooperative and that no criminal charges have been filed.

"This was gang-related and they are not cooperating," Sarno said, faulting gang members and the businesses that attract them for spoiling the fabric of the city.

Sarno renewed his pledge to crack down on city establishments that draw unruly crowds and encourage "negative activities," adding that Lux Nightclub's owners will be summoned for a License Commission hearing as soon as possible.

People who "act like rabid animals" should be treated the same way, said Sarno, who also blamed parents for allowing their children to roam city streets with reckless abandon.

"Take care of your goddamned kids," he said, clearly frustrated that Springfield's negatives, such as headline-grabbing shootings with multiple victims, tend to undercut the positives.

The mayor cited numerous downtown eating and drinking establishments, from Theodore's restaurant to Adolfo's Ristorante to the Student Prince Cafe & The Fort Dining Room, as the types of businesses with staying power that don't attract negative elements.

Fitchet and Sarno were joined by incoming police Commissioner John Barbieri, who officially replaces Fitchet June 1, department spokesman Sgt. John Delaney, and one of the detectives working the case.

Meanwhile, the owner of Lux Nightclub says he's tried to run a safe, respectable and diversified establishment since he bought the business about eight months ago. Sherwood Jarrett says he followed proper protocol by hiring two police officers to work a security detail at the club on the night of the shooting, which occurred outside the business at about 1:58 a.m. Sunday.

"The default response is to blame the nightclub," Jarrett said, urging the mayor to reach out to businesses that hire locals and help stimulate the city's economy.

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