Luis Prosper told police he patted Jaliyah Silva on the back after she made "gargling noises."

This updates a story posted at 10:04 a.m. Wednesday, May 14.

Updated at 5:54 p.m. Wednesday, May 14 to correct the reference to "nearly three years" between the child's death and the release of the medical examiner's diagnosis.

HOLYOKE -- Deanne Morrissette was taking a shower on the night of Aug. 7, 2011 when she heard screaming.

On Tuesday, police arrested the man who was her boyfriend at the time and charged him with murdering her 19-month-old daughter, Jaliyah Silva, in what police said was a case of shaken baby syndrome.

Luis J. Prosper, 27, was charged with murder, assault and battery with intent to do serious bodily harm, and abuse and neglect of a child between the ages of 0 and 18, said Capt. Denise M. Duguay of the Holyoke Police Criminal Investigation Bureau.

Court documents list only the charge of murder. Prosper denied a single charge of murder Wednesday in Holyoke District Court where Judge Phillip A. Beattie ordered him held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail. A pre-trial hearing is June 17. Prosper's lawyer is Alan Black.

Within the past two weeks, the state medical examiner's office contacted the office of Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni. Holyoke police then were advised by Assistant District Attorney Jane Mulqueen that the medical examiner's final diagnosis was that Jaliyah Silva's death was caused by "shaking injuries of the head and neck," according to documents obtained at Holyoke District Court.

It was unclear why it took nearly three years for the diagnosis of Jaliyah Silva's death to be made public. A representative of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner couldn't be reached for comment and Mastroianni's office didn't immediately return a call from The Republican and MassLive.com.

According to a narrative in court documents by Holyoke Police Officer John F. Sevigne Jr., Morrissette said at the time that she had spent the afternoon of Aug. 7, 2011 swimming at a local pond with her two children, Luis Prosper and several friends. They returned to her home at 93 Jackson St., third floor right, at about 6 p.m., Sevigne's narrative said.

While in the shower, she heard screaming and opened the shower curtain to see Luis Prosper holding Jaliyah in his arms. The child wasn't moving. Morrissette tried to revive the child with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and told Prosper to call 911, Sevigne's narrative said.

In his statement to police, Prosper said that while Morrissette was in the shower, he heard Jaliyah make "gargling" noises. He gave her a sippy cup both times. The second time, the noise was more "profound," Sevigne's narrative said.

"Thinking she was choking, he picked her up and patted her on the back. He then related Jaliyah began 'changing colors and going limp,'" Sevigne's narrative said.

Prosper patted Jaliyah on the back and "red nasty stuff" was coming from her mouth. He took the baby into the bathroom because Morrissette knew CPR, Sevigne's narrative said.

Jaliyah was eating normally and otherwise active earlier that day, according to Morrissette, Prosper and another witness, Sevigne's narrative said.

State police arrested Prosper in Springfield between 6:30 and 7 p.m. Tuesday, officials said.

Shaken baby syndrome is head trauma from forcefully shaking an infant or toddler that destroys a child's brain cells and prevents his or her brain from getting enough oxygen, according to the Mayor Clinic.

Prosper's address appears to be a matter of uncertainty. Court documents show his address to be 175 Maple St., Apt. 3R, in Holyoke. But Duguay said Prosper was arrested at 175 Maple St. in Springfield. Holyoke Board of Assessor records online show no listing for a 175 Maple St. here.

Reporter George Graham and Assistant Online Editor Greg Saulmon contributed to this story.

John Cremens, who worked under Probation Commissioner John O'Brien, said O'Brien made political hires. But Cremens did not raise the issue with O'Brien's boss or with others involved in the hiring process.

BOSTON - John Cremens, the number two official at the Massachusetts Probation Department under Commissioner John O'Brien, thought qualified candidates were getting passed over for jobs, but did not report it to O'Brien's superior or to an independent counsel investigating the Probation Department, Cremens testified Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

Cremens said he voluntarily met with independent counsel Paul Ware, who was investigating hiring practices at the probation department, and told him he would be "shocked" if O'Brien were doing something wrong.

Cremens testified Wednesday his statement was false. Asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak why he said it, Cremens said, "It may have been protection of people involved in what was going on at the time. ... I didn't know exactly where (Ware) was going or what he was looking for."

Cremens also said he was protecting himself. "I didn't know whether I might be involved in something. A lot of stuff transpired at probation," he said.

Cremens, who has been granted immunity from criminal prosecution in exchange for his testimony, testified on behalf of the government at the trial of O'Brien and his deputies, Elizabeth Tavares and William Burke. The three are no longer employed by the probation department.

O'Brien, Tavares and Burke are charged with mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and racketeering. Prosecutors charge that they hired Probation Department employees based on political connections, not merit, then lied on hiring forms certifying that the hires were done properly.

Cremens testified that he had lunchtime conversations with top probation department officials, and sometimes they touched on hiring.

"On occasion, they'd come in and say I had to get two people on the list, three people on the list, four people on the list," Cremens said, referring to lists of job candidates who were passed on for further consideration.

Cremens, who is now retired but was the department's first deputy commissioner under O'Brien, testified that more senior job candidates were getting passed over in favor of candidates with less work experience. He saw O'Brien give names of favored candidates to Tavares to give to Deputy Commissioner Francis Wall, who was conducting interviews.

Cremens had one or two conversations with O'Brien about hiring. "Generally, he would cut you off when you discussed that and say he had to control the hiring," Cremens said. "He had to take care of the Legislature and other people that were looking for jobs."

Asked why he thought O'Brien had to take care of the Legislature, Cremens said, "Our funding and the funding we needed for programs and initiatives we wanted came from the Legislature and the Senate, and we had to consider them when we were doing hiring."

However, Cremens did not mention any concerns to Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert Mulligan, who was in charge of the trial court system. Cremens testified that for three years, he attended monthly briefings with Mulligan either with O'Brien or in place of O'Brien.

Mulligan had authority to approve the job candidates O'Brien chose. On two or three occasions, Cremens said Mulligan – who had a tense relationship with O'Brien – questioned the applicants O'Brien recommended. "He'd say that as far as he was concerned, the most qualified candidate hadn't gotten the job," Cremens said. Cremens responded, "I told him, 'chief I'm not handling the hiring.'"

Cremens also did not speak to Tavares or Wall about the hiring process, even though he said he knew they were taking names from O'Brien. Defense Attorney Bradford Bailey, who represents Tavares, said Cremens was friendly with Wall and was Wall's supervisor. "You never spoke to him about this did you?" Bailey said. Cremens said no.

Cremens was also Tavares' direct supervisor, when Tavares was the second deputy commissioner. "You never told her not to do that did you?" Bailey asked. Cremens again said no, adding that Tavares "was taking direction from the commissioner."

Cremens said, under cross-examination by O'Brien's attorney Stylianus Sinnis, in his experience doing hiring with O'Brien and Tavares for chief probation officer positions, he never disagreed with O'Brien and Tavares' selections and never felt O'Brien influenced him.

He acknowledged that when Mulligan voiced his opinion on the most qualified candidate, Mulligan had never interviewed any candidates personally.

Attorney John Amabile, who represents Burke, argued that under state law, O'Brien had authority to sit on interview panels or designate someone to represent him. "Therefore it was perfectly appropriate and legal and necessary for him to communicate his views to the interviewers," Amabile said.

One legislator who frequently recommended employees to the probation department was Rep. Thomas Petrolati, a Ludlow Democrat. Probation Department attorney Edward McDermott testified Tuesday to the close relationship between Petrolati and probation officials.

Cremens, like McDermott, said he had attended Petrolati's fundraisers. The first time, O'Brien asked him to go. He then attended another two or three times, giving $100 in cash to Wall to buy his ticket.

It was not immediately clear why neither McDermott's nor Cremens' donations show up in campaign finance reports posted online by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. Any donation above $50 made to a candidate since 2002 should be itemized.

As with previous witnesses, defense attorneys pointed out that Cremens stood to benefit by testifying for prosecutors, by being granted immunity.

Friends and colleagues are mourning the death of Lee Mannillo, 41, who died from medical complications a day after giving birth to twin boys.

Do you have news or a news tip to submit to MassLive.com for consideration? Send an email to online@repub.com.

The Springfield police memorial lists 18 names, dating back to 1675, off those killed in the line of duty while protecting the city.

SPRINGFIELD – In a solemn ceremony in front of police headquarters on Pearl Street, members of the Springfield Police Department paid tribute to officers who have given their lives while protecting the city.

Eighteen names are listed on the fallen officers memorial in front of the police station. It is a list that begins with name of Constable Thomas Miller who was killed in an Indian attack in 1675 and ends with the name of officer Kevin Ambrose, who was shot to death responding to a domestic dispute on June 4, 2012.

The ceremony began with roll call for the officers serving on the 4 p.m. to midnight shift, and concluded with a roll call of the names on the memorial.

“This memorial is a lasting reminder of all that we owe them,” said Doris Beauregard-Shecrallah, widow of fallen officer Alain Beauregard, shot to death with his partner Michael Schiavina in November 1985.

“As we move forward, let us pledge to keep them in our hearts and to lead our lives with the same courage, commitment, values and self-sacrifice as they led theirs,” she said.
“Let us hope that no other names are added to this monument.”

Beauregard-Shecrallah, who has work with the group Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), a support group for the families of fallen officers, said each of the names represents not only the sacrifice of the fallen officer, but years of loss and hardship by their families.

“Law enforcement is not just a job but a calling that involves the entire family,”
she said.

And not all sacrifices by those in law enforcement up being etched on a stone but still leave an impact.

“Many of you have suffered injuries in the line of duty…Some of the injuries are not only to your body but your emotional health and even soul. We honor your sacrifice as well and hope for a speedy recovery,” she said.

Commissioner William J. Fitchet said the service is not intended simply to remember a list of names etched in granite.

Rather, he said, “it is to remember the people, the flesh and blood that these names represent. We are here to day to honor them and to reaffirm our commitment to each other.”

The memorial is a tribute to “ordinary people who responded to critical incidents in extraordinary fashion,” Fitchet said. “This ceremony is fleeting in terms of time, but the sacrifices they made were eternal.”

Mayor Domenic Sarno paid tribute to the fallen and to those who have served and continue to serve as police officers.

Police are all that stand between decent, law-abiding people, and the lawless elements of society, he said.
“We should always remember and never forget, we must honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

The ceremony is conducted each May in front of the station in conjunction with National Police Week.

Lt. Norman Charest and officer Joseph Gentile laid a wreath at the memorial, while the Holyoke Caledonian Pipe Band played “Amazing Grace.”

Following a moment of silence, the Springfield Police honor guard fired a traditional three-volley salute, and a bugler performed “Taps.”

Melissa Sierra sang the national anthem, and students with the St. Michael’s Academy Choir performed a medley of patriot songs including “A Grand Old Flag,” “God Bless America,” and “America the Beautiful.”

Obituaries from The Republican.

John G. Hansen 

WESTFIELD - John G. Hansen, 64 of this city, passed away on Saturday at 2014 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Born in Jamaica, N.Y., he was the son of the late John L. and Dorothy (Johnson) Hansen. He was a 1968 graduate of Southwick High School and was an Emerald shield winner. He was a self-employed mason contractor for over 26 years. He also owned The Tumble Inn and Ovids Restaurant. He was a member and past president of the Southwick Rotary Club.

The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking damages and back pay for the employee.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The U.S. Department of Labor has sued the owner of Crown Furniture on Riverdale Street in West Springfield alleging that he fired an employee who filed a safety complaint with OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

But that owner, Donald Pottern, said the employee's work was slipping. Pottern said Wednesday he was getting complaints about how the employee was driving the Crown Furniture truck and and badmouthing the company to customers as he delivered their orders.

"I can't believe they are making a federal case out of this," Pottern said. "What a waste of time. The truth is simple. I fired him. I had plenty of reason to."

In a news release issued Wednesday, the Department of Labor said it has filed a federal case in U.S. District Court in Springfield stating Pottern retaliated against the employee. The government is seeking payment of more than $20,000 in lost wages to the unnamed employee, plus interest, as well as payment of compensatory and/or punitive damages and posting of a nondiscrimination notice at the workplace.

"Employees have a right to file a complaint with OSHA without fear of discharge or other forms of retaliation from their employer," said Robert Hooper, OSHA's acting regional administrator for New England, in that news release. "Such retaliation can coerce workers into silence, preventing them from reporting or raising concerns about conditions that could injure, sicken or kill them."

Pottern said that he tried to work with the employee and help him improve his workplace performance.

"I was getting calls," Pottern said. "There were just too many problems."

In its news release, the Department of Labor said the employee complained in 2011 about health hazards in the basement of the store including asbestos, mold and rodents.

Pottern said in an interview Wednesday that when he got the notice from OSHA he called the employee in and asked him if he was the one who made the complaint. The employee said no, that he had not. Pottern, citing ongoing trouble with the employee's performance, dismissed him.

Pottern said he did not contest the employee's unemployment claim.

The Department of Labor said the employee later filed a whistle-blower complaint with the agency, a complaint that the Department of Labor investigated and found to be with merit.

Pottern said the Department of Labor has contacted him to negotiate a settlement in the case. But he he doesn't see where he did anything wrong.

He said Crown Furniture is a small business with fewer than 10 employees that has been around for 50 years, more than 30 of those years with Pottern as owner. The furniture business is tough with a lot of competition.

He said he doesn't appreciate spending time on this matter. It would be better spent building the business.

"We have been working hard to keep going after the downturn," he said.

The infamous South Boston dive bar that an Irish Boston gangster once roamed has been recreated in quirky Cambridge square.

CAMBRIDGE — The infamous South Boston dive bar that an Irish Boston gangster once roamed has been recreated in a quirky Cambridge square.

Triple O's, the bar where James "Whitey" Bulger spent countless hours running his gang during his heyday at the top of the Boston underworld, has reappeared for the next two weeks on the outskirts of Inman Square.

The facade and interior of the Polish American Club in Cambridge will stand in for the now defunct Irish dive bar in the new Bulger biopic "Black Mass" starring Johnny Depp.

Workers were busy moving equipment into the building on Wednesday.

Here's photos from the inside of the recreated "Triple O's" in Inman Square pic.twitter.com/pXctgntoKm

— Garrett Quinn (@GarrettQuinn) May 14, 2014

Gossip writer Megan Johnson obtained exclusive photos of Depp in makeup as the convicted gangster.

And here's Meg 'Blind Item' Johnson (@megansarahj) with the exclusive pics of Depp as Whitey http://t.co/A4laljoOrr pic.twitter.com/CRdJIRusFI

— Garrett Quinn (@GarrettQuinn) May 14, 2014

Bulger was sentenced to life in prison last August on multiple racketeering counts.

If the proposal becomes law, state funding for the five-campus UMass system will have increased by $100 million over two years.

This story follows a lengthy report on the Senate budget: Massachusetts Senate releases $36.25 billion budget proposal for 2015, 4.83 percent increase

AMHERST - University of Massachusetts President Robert L. Caret praised Wednesday the state Senate's  $36.25 billion budget for fiscal year 2015 saying it could, if passed, mean a  second straight freeze in tuition and fee increases.

The Senate budget would spend 4.83 percent more than in fiscal year 2014 and would spend slightly less money than the budgets proposed by Gov. Deval L. Patrick and passed by the House. A final budget deal approved by all three is  now in the works.

Caret, in a news release, said the Senate budget "sends a strong message of support for the University of Massachusetts" and would allow UMass to "continue to move forward in the critical areas of quality and affordability."

From Caret's statement:

"I want to thank Senate President Therese Murray, Senate Majority Leader Stanley Rosenberg and Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Stephen Brewer for the funding increase contained in this budget and also for their support for UMass and recognition of the proposition that a high-quality public university changes lives and builds a better future for our Commonwealth," President Caret said.

Rosenberg, D-Amherst, represents a district that includes the flagship campus and is home to many university employees and students.

Under the Senate budget, Caret said the UMass system would receive $519 million in state funding during the fiscal year that begins on July 1. That funding could mean a second freeze in tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduates under Caret's 50-50 plan.

If the Senate budget becomes law, state funding for the five-campus UMass system will have increased by $100 million over two years.

Caret called it one of the largest increases realized by any public university in the nation.

Last year, the the state agreed to fund 50 percent of the UMass budget which in turn allowed for a freeze in tuition and fees. In recent years, the state contribution has been at about 45 percent. 

The university will not set tuition and fees for academic year 2014-2015 until the UMass Board of Trustees meets on June 18 at UMass Dartmouth.

Voting Saturday is from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Minnechaug Regional High School.

WILBRAHAM - Races on Saturday’s town election ballot are for selectman, two seats on the School Committee, Housing Authority and two library trustee seats.

For selectman, four candidates are running for a three-year term. They are Susan Bunnell, a 20-year member of the Finance Committee who has been chair for the past seven years, Will Caruana, chairman of the town’s Broadband Committee, Mary McCarthy, endorsed by the Republican Town Committee and Stephen Bacon, a systems technical consultant for MassMutual.

For two seats on the School Committee there are three candidates, incumbents D. John McCarthy and Peter Salerno and challenger Patricia Gordon, a retired science teacher at Minnechaug Regional High School who said that if elected she will work against implementation of federal Common Core standards.

For Housing Authority, Jason Burkins, a Democratic Caucus nominee, is seeking a three-year term. He is being challenged by Republican Caucus nominee Michael Dane.

For two library trustee seats there are three candidates – Republican Caucus nominees Linda F. Moriarty, a candidate for reelection, and William R. Dane and Democratic Caucus nominee Gloria C. Russell.

Voting Saturday is from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Voters in all precincts will be voting at Minnechaug Regional High School. The entrance is in the back of the school near the superintendent’s office.

The Gaming Commission Chairman has come under questioning for his association with a party involved with the Wynn casino project.

SPRINGFIELD — While in Springfield for a Massachusetts Gaming Commission public hearing Wednesday afternoon, Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said he will continue to serve out his seven-year term.

Just last week Crosby recused himself from all further involvement in the issuance of the gaming license for eastern Massachusetts citing the increasing number of questions about his impartiality due to his ties to one of the parties involved in the Wynn casino project in Everett and his appearance at the opening day of race season at Suffolk Downs last weekend.

Further questions were raised about his impartiality after Crosby revealed that Gov. Deval Patrick contacted him to encourage him to delay the decision on Boston's community status by one week.

"In retrospect I wish I hadn't gone to the opening day celebration. I still think it was a really minor matter," he said.

Crosby said residents can be confidant that the commissioners, including himself, will offer fair and impartial decisions.

"I have a long history people can look at and more importantly people will be seeing the process. This is a very transparent process," he said.

Crosby said the other commissioners will handle the eastern Massachusetts project while he will continue to focus on the many other goals set by the commission.

"We have a really ambitious research agenda which people don't know about," he said. "Including looking at what happens when the commission leaves. What happens to people and to communities when you introduce casinos."

Crosby said the the commission is on track to make a decision about MGM's license on June 13.

"I'm sorry that this stuff has happened that has distracted from the Commission's work I want very much to have people feel confidant in this process," he said. " I think people will see that we will ultimately do what we said we would do, which is to have a fair, transparent and participatory process that the public will have confidence in."

NORTHAMPTON -- A Florence man has been ordered to stay alcohol-free and refrain from abuse after admitting to sufficient facts to warrant a guilty finding on two assault and battery charges. A third charge of assault and battery was dismissed upon the request of the Northwestern District Attorney's office. 27-year-old Stephen R. Duffy of 86 Beacon St. appeared in Northampton...

NORTHAMPTON -- A Florence man has been ordered to stay alcohol-free and refrain from abuse after admitting to sufficient facts to warrant a guilty finding on two assault and battery charges.

A third charge of assault and battery was dismissed upon the request of the Northwestern District Attorney's office.

27-year-old Stephen R. Duffy of 86 Beacon St. appeared in Northampton District Court Tuesday, with Judge W. Michael Goggins presiding.

The two charges against Duffy were continued without a finding for one year. If he complies with the terms of his probation, the charges will be dismissed.

On April 5 around 2:15 a.m., Northampton police responded to a disturbance at 14 Winslow Ave. There they found Duffy, another man, and two women, one of whom is in a dating relationship with Duffy, according to police.

While Duffy's girlfriend was uncooperative and wouldn't answer questions, according to police, the other female victim described how Duffy had pulled the girlfriend from a car by her hair, grabbed her by the arms, and put a hand around her throat. The second female victim said Duffy pushed her to the ground when she tried to intervene, according to a police report.

The male victim said he also tried to intervene, leading to a physical altercation with Duffy. The male victim sustained lacerations and abrasions, but declined medical care, police said.

Duffy's girlfriend presented with both old bruising and new red marks on her arms, declined medical care, and insisted that Duffy "is a good guy," according to police.

Duffy told police the four had been drinking downtown earlier in the evening. He was treated at the scene for a cut on his left hand.

Duffy has a history with police and the court system.

In Jan. 2011, Duffy was arrested in Northampton for operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and a marked lanes violation. That case was continued without a finding, and Duffy lost his license for 45 days.

In September 2013, Northampton police arrested Duffy on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence, second offense, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. A jury found Duffy not guilty of the OUI charge, but guilty of negligent operation. He paid $450 in fines and assessments.

In the September case, Duffy's girlfriend was in the passenger seat, and attempted to persuade police that a strong odor of alcohol they detected was coming from her person and not his, according to court records.

Under an admission to sufficient facts, a defendant does not explicitly admit guilt, but admits there is enough evidence for a conviction. In a continuance without a finding, the court agrees to drop charges after a set period of time if the defendant successfully complies with court-ordered conditions.

The Boston City Council voted down a bill on Wednesday that would have placed a ban on a controversial form bio science research in Boston.

BOSTON -- The Boston City Council voted down a bill on Wednesday that would have placed a ban on a controversial form of bio science research in Boston.

The council voted 8-5 in its regular session against adopting an ordinance that would have banned what is known as Level 4 bio science research from occurring at Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory.

The laboratory, located in a neighborhood commonly known as the South End or Lower Roxbury, has been highly contested for over a decade by community residents.

Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson said he was displeased not only with the result of the vote but also the inability of the vote to have been more public. Jackson said he wished there was more notice of the vote so South End and Lower Roxbury community members could have attended the vote to voice their opinions.

"Lower Roxbury and the South End are not being heard. The overwhelming voice of a powerful university is overrunning the community," said Jackson.

Councilors opposed to the lab project expressed frustration at the sudden vote on the bill.

Jackson said the neighborhood has become a dumping ground for less desirable services like a recently approved methadone clinic and medical marijuana dispensary.

"It's unjust, it's unfair to have all of these kinds of services in this specific neighborhood," said Jackson.

University and lab officials have maintained for years that the lab is safe and that there is no need to worry about the experiments it conducts. Level 4 labs are banned in Cambridge, a bio sciences hub.

At-Large City Councilor Ayanna Pressley said that people opposed to the lab like herself are not anti-science as some have charged, likening the construction of the lab to that of the once planned East Boston Casino. Pressley, like Jackson, said that a structure like the lab needs more community input.

"We have completely undermined and diluted the voice of a community that for 11 years has said 'no'," said Pressley.

Opponents are currently fighting the planned lab in court.

If the state fails to do so, the teachers association delegates agreed that the teachers union would fund an independent research study on the adequacy of state funding with the possibility of taking legal action if the study shows the funds to be inadequate.

SPRINGFIELD – The Massachusetts Teachers Association has renewed its push for a review of the adequacy of the state Chapter 70 funding for struggling and underperforming schools across the Bay State.

During its annual meeting May 9 and 10 in Boston, union delegates approved a “new business item,” submitted by Springfield Education Association President Timothy Collins, calling on the state Legislature to create a foundation budget study commission to reassess the amount of state funding awarded to struggling school districts.

If the state fails to do so, the teachers association delegates agreed that the teachers union would fund an independent research study on the adequacy of state funding with the possibility of taking legal action if the study shows the funds to be inadequate.

The last time, such a baseline funding study was undertaken was in 1993 after the Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of the teachers union lawsuit calling Chapter 70 funds inadequate, Collins said.

In 1993, Collins said 60 to 65 percent of city students were classified as poor. In 2013, the number has jumped to 80 percent, he said.

“The bottom line,” Collins said, “is that we don’t have the resources to meet the needs of Level 4 schools.

“Conditions in Gateway City schools has worsened since ’93,” Collins said, with more immigrant children and more in need of special education. ”Fifteen of the 20 poorest schools in the commonwealth are in Springfield," Collins said.

The SEA president said so-called School Improvement Grants - ranging between $300,000 to $350,000 - to help underperforming school is Springfield, are no longer available, noting that the schools receiving the grants for new programs and services have experienced turnarounds.

The Springfield School Department has submitted a $446 million budget for fiscal year 2015. State Chapter 70 funds, which account for the largest share of the budget, experienced a hike of less than 1 percent.

In effect, approval of the teachers “business item,” sets the agenda for the MTA, Collins said.

In a separate move –one that has been on the agenda for several years now - the Massachusetts Teachers Association is also lobbying the Legislature for increased Chapter 70 funds.

John Bills, now 52, attended a celebratory dinner and made clear it was time for him to be paid by Redflex for delivering the contract, a 28-page complaint says.

CHICAGO -- Federal authorities Wednesday arrested a retired Chicago official who managed one of the nation's largest red-light camera programs, accusing him of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, an Arizona condominium and other gifts to steer $124 million in city contracts to Phoenix-based Redflex Traffic Systems Inc.

After allegedly fixing a key commission vote to secure an initial $25 million deal, John Bills, now 52, attended a celebratory dinner and made clear it was time for him to be paid by Redflex for delivering the contract, a 28-page complaint says.

Chicago awarded that contract to Redflex in 2003 and signed others later for the city's first red-light enforcement program, which uses cameras to automatically record and ticket drivers who ran red lights. After 32 years with the city, Bills retired in 2011 as managing deputy commissioner of the city's transportation department.

The latest accusation of bribery is just another page in a long, ignominious history for Chicago and Illinois. Multiple Chicago city council members have been convicted of corruption, and the state's previous two governors -- one Democrat and one Republican -- were also convicted on corruption-related charges.

At an initial hearing in Chicago Wednesday, Bills was led in by marshals in handcuffs. But after asking if he understood he was charged with one count of bribery, the U.S. magistrate judge agreed to release him pending trial. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

Outside court, defense attorney Nishay Sanan said his client never took bribes from anyone. He said Redflex faced legal troubles elsewhere and was trying to make Bills "the scapegoat."

"They are trying to cover themselves," he said.

The complaint says the money that went to Bills may have originated with Redflex, but it does not accuse the company of wrongdoing. In a statement released by company spokeswoman Jody Ryan, Redflex pointed the finger at previous employees, saying it has drawn "a line between our past and today's Redflex."

The complaint portrays Bills as walking his contact through how the payoffs could be made. The unnamed contact -- who made a salary, bonuses and commissions from Redflex -- withdrew around $650,000 between 2006 and 2011. The withdrawals corresponded to pricey purchases by Bills, including for a Mercedes-Benz, the complaint says.

During the process of selecting a company for the initial contract, the complaint describes how Bills tossed Redflex photographs that came out badly while showing mainly port test shots for the other company vying for the contract.

In a filing to regulators in Australia, Redflex, which is owned by an Australian company, said it examined allegations that the company's payments to a Redflex consultant in Chicago had been passed to an unnamed city official who ran the city's red-light camera program and that the company had paid for the official's vacation expenses. The city official was not identified.

The company's first examination of the allegations concluded they were without merit, the regulatory filing said.

But another examination found the allegations had merit, saying the arrangement between the Chicago official, consultant and Redflex will likely be considered a bribe by authorities.

A former sales executive of Redflex who was fired by the company said in a court filing as part of a lawsuit in Phoenix that the company gave bribes and gifts to government officials in dozens of municipalities in 13 states: California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia.

Proponents and opponents of a casino in Springfield spoke for about two hours during a public hearing held at the MassMutual Center.

SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts Gaming Commission held its final host community meeting regarding the proposed MGM Resorts International casino in downtown Springfield Wednesday.

The two-hour public hearing, held at the MassMutual Center, included comments from several residents as well as members of anti-casino groups.

While the commission initially said it would only listen to comments regarding the arbitration decisions for West Springfield and Longmeadow, Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said he would allow people who did not get a chance to speak at the first public meeting to make a statement.

There were several residents present who spoke in favor of the project.

Vera O'Connor, a 50 year resident of the city, said it seems most people complaining about the project do not even live in the city.

" I would say the people who are most opposed to a casino in Springfield do not live in Springfield. They work in Springfield, get their paycheck and then scurry off to the suburbs," she said. "They do not want a casino, but yet they want the benefits. They have their hands out."

Several people said they felt it was unfair that Longmeadow and West Springfield had their surrounding community agreements decided by an arbitrator.

Agawam representative Richard Theroux, who helped draft the town's agreement, said while the town was not completely happy with what they got after seeing Longmeadow and West Springfield's offer, they felt MGM treated them fairly.

Agawam's agreement calls for $125,000 up front to pay for legal fees and any other fees associated with an impact study and annual payments of $150,000 a year for 15 years for a total of $2.5 million.

"Mike Mathis assured me that no community will be left behind," he said. "What that says to me is that MGM is not only going to care about Springfield but also those who are around it."

John Simpson of Springfield reads a statement in front of the Mass Gaming Commission during a meeting at the MassMutual Center on Wednesday afternoon. Dave Roback/ The Republican 

Nathan Bech, a NoCasino West Springfield representative, said while he understands that people want economic improvements, casinos are not the way to go.

"Casinos are failing in Atlantic City and in Connecticut," Bech said.

"I appreciate the sentiment that people want to see economic improvement, but where casinos go they suck the life out of small businesses," he said. "People drive to casino, spend all their money there and do not spend money in local businesses."

MGM President Michael Mathis, who was present at the meeting, said he is ready for the commission's June 13 licensing determination.

"The completion of our public hearing in Springfield is another important milestone in the licensing process. We want to thank the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and everyone who participated with their comments and attendance. The transparency and level of public involvement throughout this whole process has been extraordinary," he said. "We are proud that the strength of our proposal has been tested and welcomed by this region. Now we are focused on the final stages of the licensing process."

John Simpson of Springfield reads a statement in front of the Mass Gaming Commission during a meeting at the MassMutual Center on Wednesday afternoon. Dave Roback/ The Republican 

During a break in the hearing Crosby addressed reporters about his decision to recuse himself from the eastern Massachusetts licensing process after his impartiality was questioned last week.

"In retrospect I wish I hadn't gone to the opening day celebration(at Suffolk Downs). I still think it was a really minor matter," he said.

Crosby said residents can be confidant that the commissioners, including himself, will offer fair and impartial decisions.

"I have a long history people can look at and more importantly people will be seeing the process. This is a very transparent process," he said.

Crosby confirmed that the commission is on track to issue a determination for the MGM license by June 13.

The Senate budget emphasizes spending on social services, including substance abuse and mental health treatment.

BOSTON - The Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Wednesday released its proposal for a $36.25 billion budget for fiscal year 2015, which would spend slightly less money than the budgets proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick and passed by the House.

The Senate budget would spend 4.83 percent more than in fiscal year 2014.

"We think that's modest spending based on modest revenue growth," said Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Stephen Brewer, a Barre Democrat, in an interview at his State House office.

This is the third major step in the budget process. Patrick, a Democrat, released his proposal for a $36.4 billion budget in January. The Massachusetts House then passed its version, which clocked in at $36.3 billion.

The total amounts are similar because the state first predicts the amount of revenue it will taken in in fiscal year 2015 – in this case anticipated growth of 4.9 percent. But each body has different priorities.

The Senate chose to focus on investments in social services including substance abuse and mental health treatment, in addition to education, housing and child welfare.

The Senate, like the House and governor, is also putting an extra $163 million into the state's pension fund so the fund can be fully funded by 2036, four years earlier than anticipated.

Social Services

Both Patrick and the House added money to increase staffing and reduce caseloads at the troubled Department of Children and Families. The department has come under scrutiny, and its commissioner Olga Roche resigned, after apparent mismanagement in two cases in which children under DCF supervision died.

The Senate is proposing a $40 million increase to DCF's budget over last year. That money allows for increased staffing and new technology that will improve communication between social workers in the field and supervisors. Brewer said the funding may not get the department to the ideal level of caseloads, which the department and social workers' union have agreed is 15 cases per social worker. "But we are working into that direction," Brewer said.

The budget also adds $4 million for a home visiting program that provides services to at-risk families before they enter DCF.

Homelessness has been a major issue in Western Massachusetts, which has seen large numbers of homeless families housed in hotels. The Senate budget includes $70 million for a rental voucher program, a $12.5 million increase over last year, which would allow the state to subsidize housing for 1,000 additional families. The total program would have 6,660 vouchers, up from 3,700 in 2013.

"Will it solve today all of the housing needs in our society? The answer is no," Brewer said. "But over the last two years, what this Senate has done is increase capacity by 20 percent. It is an expensive endeavor."

The problem of substance abuse has received attention recently due to a spate of opioid overdoses. The Senate this week passed a bill aimed at combating opioid addiction. The Senate budget would spend $18.5 million in new funding targeting substance abuse, including prevention and education, intervention and access to treatment. This includes $10 million for a trust fund that provides access to substance abuse services, which will let the state serve another 10,000 patients. It includes additional funding to expand a pilot program involving Narcan, a drug that can combat heroin overdoses, and to improve drug testing in the court system.

Another major investment in the Senate budget is in mental health. The budget would add $10 million to the Department of Mental Health for 100 new community mental health placements. It would maintain 45 long-term mental health beds at Taunton State Hospital, which Patrick has tried for two years to close. It would open 52 new beds at Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, a new $300 million mental health hospital that has not had funding to open two of its wings.

"It was not wise to have this modern, state-of-the-art mental health facility and not fill every bed that was necessary," Brewer said.

The Senate, along with the House and governor, also included more than $200 million for the implementation of "Chapter 257," a law passed in 2008 that brought reimbursement rates for human services organizations in line with market rates. The law but has only been funded gradually.

Education

The House and Senate agreed in March to increase local government aid and education aid to cities and towns by $125 million. That includes $100 million that Patrick had proposed for education aid and another $25 million in unrestricted local government aid above what Patrick proposed.

The Senate also fully funds the "special education circuit breaker" with $260.4 million, money for local communities to educate special needs students.

The Senate budget provides $259 million for early education, which includes a $17.5 million jump in funding that would expand capacity to 3,000 new low-income children.

Particularly important to the Berkshires, the budget spends $70.3 million on regional school transportation. Decades ago, the state promised to fully fund regional school districts' transportation costs, but funding never materialized. In fiscal year 2013, the state paid 60 percent of the costs; in 2015, under the Senate proposal, the state would pay 90 percent.

"It was a promise made a long time ago," Brewer said. "We told communities....if you regionalize your school systems, you'll have bigger labs, libraries, athletic teams...we'll pay for the transportation. But we didn't."

The University of Massachusetts system would get $518.8 million, enough to prevent tuition and fee increases for the coming school year.

The budget includes $12 million for summer jobs for at-risk youth, targeted at low-income cities such as Springfield.

In other areas, the budget funds a new class of 150 state police troopers and increases by 5 percent funding for outreach and homeless shelters for veterans. It continues to fund the transportation financing plan that was passed last year, allocating $327 million more in state funding for transportation than the state paid in fiscal year 2013.

Taxes and revenues

Patrick included new taxes in his budget, including taxes on candy and soda and an expansion of the state bottle bill. The House and Senate did not include any new taxes.

The Senate budget includes $250 million in one-time revenues, including $140 million from the state's rainy day fund, as well as money from other sources such as gambling licenses.

The governor had proposed taking $175 million from the rainy day fund. Brewer said the Senate's proposal uses less one-time money than any budget in the last decade.

The senators can now file amendments. They plan to debate the budget beginning May 21. Once the Senate passes a budget, it will go to a committee of conference where House and Senate negotiators iron out their differences. The legislature must vote on a budget and have Patrick sign it by July 1, when the next fiscal year begins.

This will be the final budget of Patrick's administration, since his term as governor ends this year. Unlike last year, when there was a legislative battle over transportation funding and new taxes, Patrick is not pushing any major new initiatives.

This will be Brewer's final budget – his fourth as chairman of Senate Ways and Means and his 12^th on the committee. Asked how he felt about it being the final one before he retires, Brewer said, "I haven't really thought about it. I've been really busy."

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, called the committee's budget "an important starting point." The budget proposal, he said, "invests in important priorities such as special education, substance abuse, child welfare, and public safety." 

"In addition the committee has made laudable strides in the proposal to reduce its dependence on the stabilization fund and increasing taxes," Tarr said. "Today's action by the committee is an important starting point, and in the days ahead we must work vigorously to secure initiatives to grow jobs, reform state government, and find savings and efficiencies to complete the effort."

Heffernan said Thursday that although he never specifically planned on running for elected office, there came a point where he felt he should offer the skills and talents developed over the course of a career in the private sector to solve problems for the public.

SPRINGFIELD — As Republican candidate for treasurer Mike Heffernan released a new video introducing himself to the voters on Thursday, he spent the day in Western Massachusetts campaigning and raising cash.

Heffernan, the co-founder of tech start-up Mobiquity, said Thursday that although he never specifically planned on running for elected office, there came a point where he felt he should offer the skills and talents developed over the course of a career in the private sector to solve problems for the public.

"When you look at the numbers in this state- the level of debt, you can't help but want to jump in and help out by doing something," Heffernan said during an interview at The Republican newspaper offices. "We have a seriously underfunded pension system and despite having some of the best schools in the country, we have a hug achievement gap. These are the things that led me into the race."

Heffernan is the sole Republican in a field of several Democrats and one Green-Rainbow Party candidate running for the seat currently held by Democrat Steve Grossman, who is running for governor. In a video produced by the team of former GOP operatives Will Ritter and Tim O’Toole through their Poolhouse media company, Heffernan's personal story is told.

The three-minute video portrays Heffernan's middle class upbringing, the importance of his wife Peggy and their three children, and highlights his priorities of making better investments as treasurer to increase the funding available for the commonwealth's schools.

"I am running for Treasurer to use my 30 years of experience in the financial sector to better protect your tax dollars, secure the pension system, increase local aid for our cities and towns and invest in education," Heffernan said. "Massachusetts residents deserve a government focused on solutions by leaders with experience in the real world, not another Beacon Hill politician looking to advance a political career with sound bites."

Heffernan says his experiences as an entrepreneur and financial advisor are a perfect match for the job of treasurer, considering that office holder can invest in public education through the Massachusetts School Building Authority and through the local aid generated by the Mass State Lottery.

"Our schools, our teachers and our first responders have suffered through budget cuts and layoffs due to deep reductions in local aid inflicted by the current leadership on Beacon Hill. That has to change," Heffernan said. "At the same time Beacon Hill has increased state spending by over $6 billion. The taxpayers of the Commonwealth are literally paying more and getting less."

Heffernan said that based on the people he's spoken with on the campaign trail, the independent majority of voters in the state are more concerned with electing someone with real-world experience rather than a politician running with an eye toward a higher office.

"I think with 30 years of private sector experience that voters whether they're Republicans, Democrats or independents will look at my background and experience and know that I am very well-suited for the treasurer's role here in Massachusetts," Heffernan says in the video. "Our goals are simple and straightforward. Create jobs and lower your tax burden, let's restore local aid, let's secure our pension system, let's continue to invest in education."

Gov. Deval Patrick on Thursday signed into law a bill restricting the shackling of female inmates while they’re pregnant or during childbirth.

By GINTAUTAS DUMCIUS

BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick on Thursday signed into law a bill restricting the shackling of female inmates while they’re pregnant or during childbirth.

“It blows my mind that I have to sign a law for that,” Patrick said after the bill-signing.

Rep. Kay Khan, D-Newton, who has repeatedly filed versions of the bill since 2001, said she had heard of a pregnant inmate shackled last week at Boston Medical Center.

“It’s been a long time coming,” she said of the bill.

Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, who pushed the bill in the Senate, called the practice “outrageous” and the legislation a “big step forward.”

“As a kid, I used to watch a lot of the old medieval movies, and literally that’s what I would picture in my mind, some of the old dungeons, when I’d hear about women being shackled,” she said.

Spilka and Khan, along with 10 other House and Senate legislators, joined Patrick for the bill signing, while advocates from the Massachusetts Anti-Shackling Coalition sat in the audience.

“Now the challenge is to ensure that it is implemented as intended so that no woman in labor is shackled at any time: not in the corrections facility, not during transport, and not in the hospital,” said Megan Amundson, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. “If this campaign did anything, I hope it opened the eyes of corrections officials so that they realize that shackling a pregnant woman puts her health and her pregnancy at risk. And that is unacceptable.”

The bill (S 2063) says a pregnant inmate, during the second or third trimester, or while recuperating after delivering a baby, can be transported to and from visits to medical providers and court proceedings in a vehicle with seatbelts and may only be restrained through handcuffs in front. An inmate in labor – “as determined by a licensed health care professional” – cannot be placed in restraints. Patrick signed 90-day emergency regulations in February as a stop-gap measure to restrict the practice. Nineteen other states also restrict the practice.

Obituaries from The Republican.

George A. Runquist 

EAST LONGMEADOW - George Albin Runquist, 88, passed away Feb 2. He was born in Springfield on March 4, 1925 to Esther and Nils Runquist. He grew up in Springfield, attending Technical High School and the University of Massachusetts. Right out of high school, he served in the Pacific Theater of World War II and attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. He flew as a navigator in B-25s in New Guinea and the Philippines. After the war, he attended UMass and the University of Stockholm, Sweden. After receiving his degree in economics, he traveled throughout Europe and the United States. At the age of 29 he met the love of his life, Joan Ferrero. They were married in 1955 and raised four children in East Longmeadow. George was a master plumber in the Springfield area. He owned his own plumbing business, Runquist Plumbing, for decades. He was active in his community and his church; organizations included the Junior Chamber of Commerce, YMCA Indian Guides, and Paddle Club of Springfield. At Bethesda Lutheran Church in Springfield and then at St. Paul Lutheran Church in East Longmeadow, he participated in church functions and renovation projects.

Worcester police arrested a man after he allegedly broke into a car Wednesday night.

Police responded to the area of 193 Pleasant St. shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday when they received a report of a man attempting to steal a car, the Worcester Police Department said in a press release. When they arrived at the parking lot, they found a man sitting in the driver's seat of a 2010 Volkswagen Passat while the alarm was going off.

"The male, identified as David Bell, 30 years old of 36 Shelby Street, Worcester, observed the officers approaching and attempted to flee. Mr. Bell was secured and placed under arrest," said the Worcester Police Department.

According to police, the glove box was open and contents were thrown about inside the vehicle. Witnesses at the scene told police they had observed Bell enter the vehicle and saw him going through the vehicle.

Bell became verbally abusive towards the officers while he was being questioned, according to police. He was charged with breaking and entering into a motor vehicle in the nighttime with the intent to commit a felony.