The officer was identified as James Dunn, a 12-year veteran who Chief James Neiswanger described as 'an officer in good standing.' Watch video

This is an update of a story originally posted at 1:27 p.m. Friday.

HOLYOKE - Just before a Holyoke police officer fired a round into a stopped vehicle Thursday night at South Bridge and Hamilton streets, officers had been warned the occupants of the vehicle might be armed gang members and suspects in a home invasion robbery that occurred moments earlier on South Canal Street, according to police.

No weapons were found, no one in the car was charged in connection with the home invasion at 563 South Canal St., and a passenger in the SUV told the press that no one in the vehicle has any involvement in a street gang.

The one shot did not hit anyone in the vehicle, but it lodged in the metal frame between the door and the windshield, said Police Chief James Neiswanger in a statement released to the press Friday afternoon.

Neiswanger identified the officer involved as James Dunn, and described him as “a 12-year veteran in good standing with the Holyoke Police Department.”

Dunn has been placed on temporary leave and his weapon, a .45-caliber Glock handgun, confiscated, Neiswanger said. Both steps are customary under such circumstances.

He also said the Massachusetts State Police Ballistics Division has been contacted to investigate damage to the vehicle.

Prior to stopping the vehicle, police received information that a green Ford Expedition had just been driven from the scene of an attempted home invasion where armed men tried to force their way inside a residence at 563 South Canal St. Officers were alerted that there might be weapons inside the vehicle and that the occupants were members of the La Familia street gang, Neiswanger said.

Holyoke police are continuing to investigate the incident, he said. They are also continuing to investigate if it is connected to the home invasion as well as to another felony that occurred hours earlier at the same location, Neiswanger said. He did not elaborate.

The driver of the SUV, Luis A. Gomez, 24, of 169 Maple St., was arrested at the scene but he was charged only with driving a motor vehicle without a license.

According to arrest report filed by police with Holyoke District Court, Gomez’s license expired on April 14 and had not been renewed.

A passenger in the vehicle, Carlos Maldonado, 25, of 5 Adams St., was handcuffed at the scene as a precaution, according to police reports, but he was not charged.

Gomez was arraigned Friday morning in Holyoke District Court. He denied the charge of driving with a suspended license.

“I do have a license. It just expired on my birthday last month,” he told Judge Philip Beattie.

He was ordered released on his own recognizance and told to return to court for a hearing on July 10. Gomez told the court he intended to go to the Registry of Motor Vehicles after court to renew his license.

 
He declined comment when approached by a reporter as he left court.

Maldonado, speaking to The Republican early Friday outside the police station, said “They shot at me for no reason. There were like 16 cops surrounding us.”

He said he and Gomez were headed to the liquor store when police surrounded their vehicle at South Bridge and Hamilton streets.

He denied that he or Gomez are members of La Familia or any other street gang.

The arrest report, obtained by The Republican from Holyoke District Court, sheds little light on the shooting itself. The report, authored by officer James J. Parnell, notes that police had boxed the SUV in at South Bridge and Hamilton.

Parnell writes that because of the warning police had received, “officers approached the vehicle with service weapons drawn.”

Parnell wrote that he and another officer, Matthew Welch approached from the rear, while Dunn approached from the front passenger side, and a fourth officer Samuel Delvalle approached from the front driver side.

Map of locations involved in incident.

All Parnell writes of the shooting is to say “I heard one shot fired from the direction of the vehicle.”

The report describes the police response to the attempted home invasion, the search for the green SUV, and ultimately Gomez and Moldonado being stopped by police.

When officers responding to South Canal Street reported a green SUV left the scene, a member of the state police Community Action Team contacted Holyoke police to give a description and license plate for the vehicle.

A short time later, police learned that the SUV was parked behind the Lafayette Club on South Bridge Street.

Parnell writes he went to investigate and ended up following, while radioing in his position, a vehicle traveling south towards Hamilton Street.

Police boxed the vehicle in and forced it to stop just after it turned from South Bridge on to Hamilton Street, he said.

The initial description of the two armed men involved in the attempted home invasion were of a Hispanic man with a mole on his face, and a heavy-set Hispanic man who was said to be armed.

Gomez, according to his arrest report, is listed as 5 feet 6 inches and 165 pounds. His arrest report also notes in the box for scars, birthmarks and tattoos that he has a La Familia tattoo.

The arrest report also notes the Maldonado has a mole on the left side of his face, and that police at the station took photographs of him as part of their investigation.

Holyoke police arrest report for Luis Gomez. uploaded by Patrick Johnson

Republican reporters George Graham and Mike Plaisance contributed to this report.

A trend of popular jobs among the eighth grade student body included stop motion animation, library services, interior design, and emergency medical response.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Over 100 students in Grade 8 at the West Springfield Middle School Friday were able to learn about 30 or more different career paths including auto repair, social work, engineering and television production, as part of the school’s annual Career Day.

Thomas J. McNulty, principal, said the eighth grade Career Day has been a staple of the Middle School since it opened 16 years ago in 1998.

“It’s a program that is designed to give kids an opportunity to meet local professionals, in terms of what they do and how they got there,” he said.

Overall, responses from students were generally enthusiastic, as many were able to ask a plethora of questions from the majority of speakers as they made their way around the school cafeteria and into limited seating rooms where guest professionals were able to show off their trade.

Joe Groth, a chef at the Springfield Country Club, demonstrated how to make an elegantly cooked steak with the right amount of spices and cooking to a group of 25 students in the Cooking Room.

There was also Richard Stromski, a cartoonist who has illustrations in national magazines and children's books and on network television.

He presented to the students in the Art Room, drawing an original cartoon within a matter of minutes, and said that rejection of an artist’s work is very common and emphasized that to be successful you have to stand out among the crowd.

A trend of popular jobs among the eighth grade student body included stop motion animation, library services, interior design, and emergency medical response.

“There’s a few kids who, will be honest and admit it, that they don’t like to read,” said Rhoda Crowell, youth services librarian at the West Springfield Public Library. “But, that’s okay, that’s just because they haven’t found the right book.”

Brina Fondi, who represented the West Springfield EMT/ Fire Department, brought in a stretcher and a firefighter suit, which students crowded together to see.

Several colleges such as Westfield State University, Elms College, Holyoke Community College, and Springfield College had representatives present who gave students advice and knowledge about their possible educational paths after high school.

Abel Santos, 22, was pronounced dead at Wing Memorial Hospital following the accident.

PALMER - A 22-year-old Warren man was killed Friday afternoon when he crashed a three-wheeled all-terrain vehicle in an area behind the Crossroads restaurant on Park Street, officials said.

Abel Santos was pronounced dead at Wing Memorial Hospital following the accident, said Amy Maher, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Environmental Police.

The accident happened shortly before 1 p.m. 

Maher said the accident occurred on private property but the Environmental Police are called in to investigate any accident involving ATVs or any other kind of off-highway vehicle.

She said Santos was not wearing a helmet.

WWLP TV 22 is reporting that Santos crashed into a large metal trash bin.

The accident remains under investigation, she said.

The history of the cemetery ranges from the 1700’s at the front and younger headstones, dating back to the 1800’s, at the back, she said.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The historic Park Street Cemetery, with gravestones dating as far back as 1780, will begin its second phase of restoration after the Community Preservation Committee voted Tuesday to grant the project $26,100 in Community Preservation Act funds.

Paul H. Boudo, chairman of the committee, said the first phase began shortly after the 2011 tornado, which destroyed a significant amount of property in West Springfield and other communities including Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson and Brimfield.

The first phase of the project was a split request, which totals to $28,700, he said. A professional tree service was paid $8,900 to trim trees damaged by the tornado.

The second half of that split request during the first phase was $19,800 to restore headstones which had been damaged because of the tornado, he said.

“That storm came through there and tore the heck out of all the trees,” he said. “A lot of them fell down and broke the (grave) stones.”

The second phase’s funds of $26,100 will be used primarily for the further restoration of historic gravestones at Park Street, he said.

Ta Mara Conde, owner of Historic Gravestone Services, said she oversaw the first phase and will be involved with the second.

During the first phase there were many headstones, often made from either sandstone or marble, which were heavily damaged, she stated.

“So, the sandstones, there were some that were broken, there were some that were just leaning and knocked over,” she said. “We straightened up some of the sandstone pieces and then we actually re-attached some that were broken and reset those.”

Nearly 30 headstones have been completed thus far, she said. Some of these include large monuments and obelisks that needed restoration.

“Those, we took them all apart, we dug out a foundation, put in a nice mix of sand, gravel, and dirt, packed that really good, reset the bottom piece level and then we mortar them back together,” she said.

The history of the cemetery ranges from the 1700’s at the front and younger headstones, dating back to the 1800’s, at the back, she said.

Revolutionary War veterans and part of the Day family, related to Josiah Day, whose home is now the oldest salt-brick home in America at 70 Parks St., make up a piece of the history at the historic West Springfield cemetery.

Russell D. Johnston, superintendent of schools, said high school students will continue to take the MCAS until the graduating class of 2018, if PARCC is put into place.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test may be a thing of the past for students in grades 3-8 if the School Committee votes this summer to use Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers (PARCC) exam instead.

Russell D. Johnston, superintendent of schools, said high school students will continue to take the MCAS test until the graduating Class of 2018, even if PARCC is put into place.

“One of the reasons why we would want to choose PARCC is that the students who are participating in PARCC will have a head start on experiencing the next generation of assessment systems aligned with common course standards,” he said.

PARCC is online and computer-based, while MCAS follows the more traditional pencil and paper model, he said. PARCC is also designed to put an emphasis on critical thinking and analysis.

“The (PARCC) questions, for example, in literacy are going to be literary analysis than what they have to do on the MCAS,” he said. “So, they have to read a poem and a fiction piece on the same topic.”

An example he gave of the PARCC test was a literary analysis of Icarus from Greek mythology, with both a prose and poem section related to the myth. Students would be asked to draw parallels on the topic based on the theme of the two pieces, he said.

School Committee members also voiced concerns regarding stress on students related to standardized testing with this potential change.

“Our students won’t be double-tested,” he said. “In some districts this year, students will take MCAS and the PARCC pilot test. Here in West Springfield, we said ‘If a school was chosen for the PARCC pilot assessment, the students will not also do MCAS.”

The city is seeking additional space and long-range savings by buying a building rather than continue to lease a building for the School Department's food service program.

SPRINGFIELD – The city, seeking to purchase a warehouse building for the School Department’s food service program, has received four proposed sites ranging in price from $815,000 to over $1.5 million.

The four competing proposals were received by Friday’s deadline and were referred to a review committee.

The city has been leasing space for the school food service program, but is looking to buy a building this summer for long-range savings and greater space, officials said.

The submitted proposals were as follows:

50 Warehouse St., NAI Plotkin, $815,000;

377 Cottage St., R.J. Greeley Co., Inc., $1,050,000;

109 Cadwell Drive, Addrienne Realty, $1,100,000, and

400 Cadwell Drive, Colebrook Realty Services Inc., $1,550,000.

The Warehouse Street site, offered at the lowest price, has 30,000 square feet of space in a one-story, metal framed building, according to the proposal. It is located on 2.6 acres of land.

The highest price at 400 Cadwell Drive, has 48,400 square feet of space in a one-story building located on approximately 5.3 acres of land.

The building at 109 Cadwell Driver has 30,000 square feet of space and is on 3.65 acres of land.

The building at 377 Cottage St. has about 29,690 square feet of space located on 1.90 acres.

Patrick Roach, chief financial officer for the school system, said last month that the food service program has grown significantly, and was in need of a new site. The current primary building being leased on Cadwell Drive has just 4,000 to 6,000 square feet of space, forcing the city to also rent storage and freezer space, he said.

The city was paying approximately $215,000 a year for its current lease and other food service costs, Roach said.

The city had attempted to sell the row houses at 174 and 176 Maple St., on at least two prior occasions without success.

SPRINGFIELD – A new effort by the city to sell two historic row houses on Maple Street has triggered two bids for each site, neither exceeding $5,000.

DevelopSpringfield, an organization dedicated to local revitalization efforts, has offered to pay $1,000 each for the tax-foreclosed properties at 174 and 176 Maple St. The houses were built in 1874, and are part of six high Victorian Gothic row houses on the corridor, according to the city.

A second developer, Anthony Comforte of Agawam, offered to pay $5,000 for each property, but was missing city-required documents including a development plan, according to the city’s summary of bids.

The city had also attempted to sell both buildings at least two prior times, including last year, but was unsuccessful.

The new proposals have been referred to a review committee. Any sale of the buildings needs approval from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council.

The city is offering any chosen developer up to $100,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant assistance for each building, officials said. Last year, the city offered up to $75,000 in grant assistance as an incentive for each site.

A. John “Jay” Minkarah, president and chief executive officer of DevelopSpringfield, said the offered price of $1,000 for each property is due to the substantial investment needed to renovate and preserve the buildings.

DevelopSpringfield plans to convert each building into three market-rate apartments. In addition, it will restore each building exterior “as closely as possible” to the appearance shown in a 1939 photograph, as sought by the city, Minkarah said..

DevelopSpringfield is a public-private partnership dedicated to improving properties and neighborhoods around the city, according to its mission.

“Certainly, we have a strong interest in seeing that these properties are rehabilitated in a historically appropriate matter,” Minkarah said.

DevelopSpringfield is also renovating the Ansel Phelps House at 83 Maple St. as part of its revitalization efforts in Springfield.

The city can choose to reject or accept the bids, regardless of price, according to the specifications.

The federal grant funds being offered for the redevelopment 174 and 176 Maple St., are interest-free forgivable loans, forgiven in stages as occupancy occurs and is maintained for a five-year period.

City officials have stated that financial incentives offered for the redevelopment are justified given the importance of preserving the row houses along the Maple Street corridor.

The city had approved the sale of 174 Maple St. to a New York investor last year, for $10,000, but he subsequently withdrew the offer.

Chalue was also found guilty on counts of kidnapping and intimidation of a witness in connection with the killings.

SPRINGFIELD — A Hampden County Superior Court jury on Friday convicted David Chalue of first-degree murder in the August, 2011 slayings of David Glasser, Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell.

Chalue was also found guilty on three counts each of kidnapping and intimidation of a witness in connection with the killings.

The jury deliberated for two hours Monday and all day Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon, jurors indicated they had verdicts in the case.

But, the jury was sent to continue deliberations Thursday because after guilty verdicts were read in court, Chalue's defense attorney requested that jurors be individually polled about the verdicts. At that point, the first juror asked said she did not agree with the verdicts.

Jurors were again individually polled after the verdicts were read Friday. The juror who yesterday said she didn't agree with the verdicts today said she agreed with the verdicts.

Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder scheduled Chalue's sentencing for 2 p.m. Monday, May 19. There is a mandatory minimum sentence for first-degree murder of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

A Hampden Superior Court jury in February found Adam Lee Hall guilty of multiple charges, including the first-degree murders of the three victims. He is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

After the verdict Berkshire County District Attorney David F. Capeless, speaking with the press, praised the jury for its hard work, saying, "They're a wonderful group of people and I thank them very much."

He said he wants to thank the investigators and everyone who worked on the case and pledged to see the effort to get justice for the victims and their families through with the trial of Caius Veiovis.

Veiovis, the third co-defendant, is scheduled for trial in early September.

A group of Chalue's family members, including his mother and brother, were in the courtroom as they have been throughout the trial.

Chadwell's family members and friends were at Hall's trial. Carol Chadwell Smith, his sister, said then they would not take time off from work for the other two trials. She said it was most important for her to be here for Hall's trial since he was the ringleader.

Chadwell's long-time partner died the weekend before this trial started.

In August 2011, weeks before he was to testify against Hall, Glasser and his roommate, Frampton, and their friend Chadwell, all of Pittsfield, disappeared. Their dismembered bodies were found in Becket 10 days later.

Hall, 36, of Peru; Chalue, 46, of North Adams, and Veiovis, 32, of Pittsfield, kidnapped the three victims from Frampton's Pittsfield home sometime in the early hours of Aug. 28, 2011, and fatally shot them, according to prosecutors.

The cases, which are being heard separately, were moved to Hampden Superior Court by Kinder after defense lawyers said extensive publicity in Berkshire County would prevent a fair jury from being selected.

Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald says the woman fell from the fourth floor and landed on the roof of the elevator, which was stopped on the second floor. It happened late Friday after the Detroit Tigers beat the Red Sox.

This is an update to a story originally posted at 1:26 a.m.

BOSTON (AP) -- Police and state inspectors are examining whether one or both doors of an elevator at Boston's Fenway Park opened before a woman plunged two stories down an elevator shaft after a game, officials said Saturday.

The 22-year-old woman fell from the fourth floor and landed on the roof of the elevator, which was stopped on the second floor. It happened late Friday after the Red Sox lost to the Detroit Tigers, said Steve MacDonald, a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department.

Power to the elevator was shut off, and firefighters climbed through the elevator's emergency hatch to reach the woman, who was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, MacDonald said.

"Everyone worked together to get her out as soon as possible," he said.

MacDonald said the woman was unconscious at the scene with injuries that appeared serious. A hospital spokesman said no information would be released about the woman's condition.

Terrel Harris, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, told WBZ that the elevator had been taken out of service and would not be used again until inspectors conduct a full investigation.

“It is a tough world out there is you are gender non-conforming, working class, and black,” Laverne Cox said during her commencement address.

AMHERST – Laverne Cox, the popular actress, reality television star, TV producer, and transgender activist -- who was born male -- spoke about the potpourri of challenges she faced during her multi-faceted personal, professional, emotional and intellectual transformation at Hampshire College’s Saturday graduation ceremony.

Cox’ compelling personal story struck a deep chord with the graduating seniors, now at a signal crossroad in their own lives, and showered her with applause.

“It is a tough world out there if you are gender non-conforming, working class, and black,” Cox said during her commencement address.

She recounted her first public coming out that involved entering a beauty pageant – when Cox, with a strong feminine identity, still bodily male. It was at New York City’s Pyramid Club, in Manhattan’s East Village.

“I wore a swimsuit for the first time; I wore breasts for the first time,” Cox said. “For the first time, I embraced” the feminine body and spirit and mind.

Cox told the class of 2014 for that talent show she sang the Latin texted Franz Shubert classic Ave Maria -- which contains the prayer: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus….”

She said the road to her success has been arduous, long, sometimes violent – when people have assaulted her – and that the self-realization continues.

“Service is a huge part of how I try to live my life,” Cox said. “But I can’t do it all. I am going to do it imperfectly . . . I say a prayer to god, please” provide the strength and courage.

The television star shared her gratitude for the famous acting coach Susan Batson. In particular, how Batson helped channel and focus her creativity.

Batson said, “I was great, but ‘who is your truth?’”

Cox then said: “I have to constantly slow down – Laverne, what do you really want – and how do want to be truth, about what I feel, about what I want in the world.”

She said public service has become an important and meaningful part of her life, in the ongoing struggle to tamp down and eliminate discrimination and to foster equality and justice.

Authorities are investigating the death of a 38-year-old woman whose body was found in her Brockton apartment.

BROCKTON, Mass. (AP) -- Authorities are investigating the death of a 38-year-old woman whose body was found in her Brockton apartment.

The Plymouth district attorney on Saturday identified the woman as Florence Beaulieu, a mother of four.

Neighbors said one of the children came home and discovered the body Friday afternoon.

District Attorney Timothy Cruz said in a statement that there would be an autopsy to determine how the woman died.

Cruz said police were called to the home after a 911 call, but no further details were released. If Beaulieu's death is ruled a homicide, it would be the fifth murder in as many weeks in Brockton.

Five fourth-graders from each of the city's 30-plus elementary schools were gifted gleaming new, red Huffy bikes and helmets after a celebration at the Hall, where they were treated to basketball clinics, full access to the facility and lunch.

SPRINGFIELD - More than 160 academic stand-outs in the Springfield School System got a surprise on wheels at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame of Saturday.

Five fourth-graders from each of the city's 30-plus elementary schools were gifted with gleaming new, red Huffy bikes and helmets after a celebration at the Hall, where they were treated to basketball clinics, full access to the facility and lunch. But the real surprised was unveiled at noon.

Joy en masse in downtown Springfield. The bikes had been unloaded from a U-Haul truck just before 11 and set out with their sponsors in front of the Hall.

"I have another bike, but the tires are flat," said Samantha Bouchard, a fourth-grader at Forest Park elementary school, who stood in a sea of children next to new bikes, with cameras flashing and proud parents at their sides.

The $11,000 event, plus $13,000 in donations was made possible by Barnum Financial Group, its Foundation for Life initiative, and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno's office.

"It was so easy. I didn't even have to twist any arms," said Denise Jordan, Sarno's chief of staff.

Foundation for Life organizer Kristy Brown said the Springfield bicycle giveaway was the agency's largest ever, with an outpouring of support from local churches, corporations, city departments and individuals that put the foundation's financial support over the top.

"There has been an incredible amount of support for this event," Brown said. "It's the first year we branched out and got the community involved."

Houston Woodard, 9, a fourth-grader at Brightwood Elementary School, was one of the five chosen at his school for his grades. Mom Damaris Morales and step-father Jaime Serrano said their son scored among the highest in his class for MCAS and hits the books regularly while maintaining his love for basketball.

"We tell him: no books, no basketball," Serrano said.

Woodard said he was stunned to find a new bike when the group was herded outside the Hall to receive their prizes.

"I was surprised. I think I'm going to ride it to school on Monday," Woodard said.

Sarno himself was on-hand, and held his arm out to show he had goosebumps.

"Some of these kids have never had bikes. Some of them have never been down here," he said.

Katharine Chaney-Jones, Foundation for Life Board Member said: “The mission of the Foundation for life is to improve the quality of life for the people and families we serve through actions that promote change and deepen connections within our community. Through the Bikes for Kids program. We give children the freedom to explore their communities while helping them to stay active and promoting a healthy lifestyle.”

The College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee has awarded 466 diplomas at its 83d commencement, and granted an honorary degree to Sister Helen Prejean, a Louisiana native whose ministry involves working against the death penalty and providing solace to inmates on death row and to the families of murder victims.

SPRINGFIELD -- The College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee has awarded 466 diplomas at its 83d commencement, and granted an honorary degree to Sister Helen Prejean, a Louisiana native whose ministry involves working against the death penalty and providing solace to inmates on death row and to the families of murder victims.

Elms College is a four-year co-educational Catholic college founded in 1928 by the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Social Sciences Division Chair John H. Lambdin served as marshal, bearing the mace at Saturday's ceremony at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Faculty formed two facing rows as the Class of 2014 entered the arena to the strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" played by student pianist Cara DeTour.

All stood as graduating senior Chelsea Ann Markham sang "America the Beautiful," and listened as Director of Campus Ministries Carol Allen asked students to remain true to the college's core values of excellence, faith, community and justice.

The Rev. Paul Stelzer, who celebrated Friday's Baccalaureate Mass with Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell, offered greetings from the Board of Trustees and invoked the college's motto -- Viam Veritatis Elegi -- which means "I have chosen the way of truth."

Sister Maxine Schneider, President of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, said Elms was founded 86 years ago as a place of excellence and warm relationships. She expressed pride in what the institution has become, saying that until the 1970s, sisters who taught classes by day were the college's housekeepers and switchboard operators by night.

Valedictorian Edward Vincent Innarelli was this year's recipient of the Founder's Cross. The Ludlow resident maintained a 3.99 grade point average as a biology major with a minor in biological ethics. He volunteers with homeless children whose mothers are victims of domestic violence, said Lambdin, and is applying to graduate school to become a physician's assistant.

Innarelli, in addressing his classmates, spoke about getting a parking ticket during his first hour of attending college, and said parking is a lot like learning. "Not all good parking spots are close to your destination," said Innarelli. "If you can find parking at Elms, you can accomplish anything."

Alumna Linda K. C. Mansfield was awarded the Via Veritatas medal for exemplifying the best values of Catholic culture. In her development role at Paralyzed Veterans of America, Mansfield increased revenue from $8 million to $47 million, said Lambdin. Mansfield is a former board chairwoman who guided the college through a challenging time, Lambdin added.

Anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean, author of the best-selling book "Dead Man Walking," delivered the keynote address, telling three stories from her own life.

Prejean told of how actress Susan Sarandon persuaded her husband Tim Robbins to produce the film Dead Man Walking after reading her book, and how that brought the difficult issue of capital punishment into the limelight. Prejean then spoke about her work in the 1980's with death row inmate Patrick Sonnier. She said she made a mistake by failing to reach out to the families of Sonnier's murder victims. Finally, Prejean spoke of her own "awakening by fire" in 1981, when she committed herself to a life of working with the poor.

Prejean left the graduates with these words:

"As you go out in the world to be nurses, to be social workers ... may you have the gospel of Jesus in your heart that we are all connected; that we are all one, including with our mother earth ... God bless you, and may you be filled with fire."

Prejean talked of witnessing seven executions in her ministry with the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans. She said she's working on a new book called "River of Fire."

Of those graduating, 375 received bachelor's degrees, 91 were awarded master's degrees, and six earned certificates of advanced study. Elms offers a range of professional degrees rooted in the liberal arts, including nursing, education, social work, business administration, theology, and autism spectrum disorders.

Elms prides itself on educating "reflective, principled and creative learners, who are rooted in faith, educated in mind, compassionate in heart, responsive to civc and social obligations, and capable of adjusting to change without compromising principle."

Spirits were high and hopeful about the future Saturday as 837 Western New England University students graduated, with most walking the stage at the Alumni Healthful Living Center on campus in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Spirits were high and hopeful about the future Saturday as 542 Western New England University students graduated, with most walking the stage at the Alumni Healthful Living Center on campus in Springfield.

Carol Haskell, a marketing major from East Longmeadow, was chosen to deliver the student address. She challenged her fellow graduates to take what they've learned in college and use it to make the world a better place.

"Today marks the beginning of our journey toward a better world," Haskell said. "We are sharing this ceremony because we've all learned from each other, grown from each other and become better people because of each other."

Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the president of the board and co-founder of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston, named after her late husband, delivered the commencement address and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

"Class of 2014, congratulations on this great day. You did it!" Kennedy said to wild applause.

Kennedy told the story of her late husband proposing universal health care with attempts dating back to the 1970s. She talked of the repeated failures to pass such legislation and told the students that despite years of not seeing it go forward, the eventual passage of the Affordable Care Act, even after her husband's death, made all his work for such a plan worthwhile.

"Forty years, nine presidents, one unwavering vision. Get involved. Find your passion and never give up," Kennedy said. "Keep going because you can not effect change from the sidelines, whether it is from a soup kitchen, a uniform or the United States Senate. Find your passion and follow your heart."

Of the more than 800 who make up the university's class of 2014, 541 were undergraduates. According to the university, the top five fields of study for undergraduates were:

• Psychology
  
• Accounting
  
• Mechanical Engineering
  
• Criminal Justice
  
• Sport Management

The undergraduate students represent 16 different states as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the university.

The Western New England University School of Law Commencement took place earlier in the day at Symphony Hall in downtown Springfield. There, 121 students graduated as the honorable Andrew J. McDonald, associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, delivered the commencement address and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

The university said that the law school graduates represent 17 different states as well as Ontario, Canada.

The Longmeadow chapter of UNICO, which held its annual blood drive Saturday at the Longmeadow Shops Shopping Center, was doing what they do best - lending their time to help serve local residents in their time of need.

LONGMEADOW - The Longmeadow chapter of UNICO, which held its annual blood drive Saturday at the Longmeadow Shops Shopping Center, was doing what they do best - lending their time to help serve local residents in their time of need.

"This is our sixth year. The first two years, we held it at the Bay Path College, and every year after that it’s been held here," said Ronald Mascaro, vice president of the Longmeadow chapter. "It’s a charitable organization, basically... we all give a little bit. If everyone gave a little bit in life, that’d make the world a better place."

Last year, the blood drive had 53 participants, 47 of which were able to give blood. They were hoping to beat that total this year.

UNICO is the "largest Italian-American service organization" in the United States, dating back to 1922. The Longmeadow chapter was founded in 2001, and counts approximately 32 members among its ranks.

The UNICO branch members were out in the parking lot with a hot grill, soda and snacks until 2:30 p.m., taking care of anyone who wanted to donate blood.

A New Hampshire man was arrested on Friday for trafficking heroin following a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in Vermont.

ROCKINGHAM, Vt. — A New Hampshire man was arrested on Friday for trafficking heroin following a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in Vermont.

According to state police there, a red 2002 Dodge Neon was pulled over on I-91 around 9:30 p.m. for allegedly driving erratically. Troopers say a subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 123 bags of heroin.

The driver, 29-year-old Zachary Poulin of Kensington, N.H., was charged with trafficking heroin and taken into custody. He was held at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, Vt. in lieu of $2,500 bail and scheduled a date to answer the charge in Windham County Superior Criminal Court.

Police believe Derrick Shattuck was with another man who got away prior to officers arriving on the scene.

LONGMEADOW — A Chicopee man is facing charges in Longmeadow after he was allegedly caught breaking into vehicles early Saturday morning.

Derrick Shattuck, 20, of Chicopee Longmeadow Police Department booking photo

According to Longmeadow police, a Silver Birch road resident called 911 around 1:15 a.m. to report two men dressed in black prowling around their property. A short time later, a Captain Road resident reported that his car had been broken into.

Police officers responded to the area and reported finding a man later identified as 20-year-old Chicopee resident Derrick Shattuck with gloves and a flashlight, in a parked car on Viscount Road. Police say inside the car were several items Shattuck allegedly couldn't explain, including a TV, golf club set, laptop computer and GPS system.

Police say a subsequent investigation revealed the items all came from unlocked cars in Longmeadow which were later reported burglarized. Shattuck was charged with six counts of breaking an entering a motor vehicle at night and felony receiving stolen property worth more than $250.

Police believe Shattuck was with two others who got away prior to officers arriving on the scene. Anyone with information about the other unidentified suspects can call the Longmeadow Police Department at (413) 567-3311.

At the graduate commencement, 600 master’s degrees, five certificates of advanced graduate study, nine doctor of philosophy degrees, and 30 doctoral of physical therapy degrees were awarded.

Springfield College hosted its 2014 graduate commencement ceremony on Saturday inside Blake Arena on the College’s main campus.

A leader in the field of medicine, Dr. G. Richard Olds, the son of Springfield College's eighth president Glenn A. Olds, delivered the commencement address to graduating students.

Olds' speech was part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s commencement speech at Springfield College in 1964. The College recognized this historic moment with a series of special events honoring Glenn A. Olds and King during the 2013-14 academic year.

"Dr. Mary-Beth Cooper, members of the faculty, members of the graduating class of this great institution of learning, ladies and gentlemen; I need not to pause to say how very delighted I am to be here this afternoon,” said Olds, who quoted the opening of Martin Luther King Jr.’s commencement address at Springfield College from June 14, 1964.

"This coming June, it will be 50 years since Dr. King addressed the Springfield graduates, but America of the 1960s was a different place," Olds said. "It was an America that still had white-only lunch counters, black and white seats on the bus, and segregated bathrooms and water fountains.

"To the Class of 2014, I would point out that the future will often place many obstacles in your way. The road will not always be easy. You will need to find the inner strength to overcome those obstacles and be guided by your own moral compass. The social issues of 2014 are different than those of 1964, but they are no less daunting. Fight for what you believe in with your whole body, mind, and spirit. Let the spirit of Springfield College guide your future as it did my father.”

During his speech, Olds explained the many obstacles that occurred leading up to King’s commencement address at the college, including pressure from the FBI and members of the Springfield College Board of Trustees to rescind the invite to have him speak.

Backlash that went as far as to have a potential financial contributor withdraw a donation of one million dollars to the College due to King’s planned visit. To further complicate the process, King was arrested in St. Augustine, Fla. just three days prior to his scheduled visit to Springfield College for ordering food at a white-only restaurant.

It was at this time that Glenn threatened the judge that he would broadcast King’s remarks from the local jail if King was not released, a demonstration of Glenn’s strong leadership and determination to have King deliver his commencement address to Springfield College students.

"On the desk in my office, I keep a framed black and white 5x7 photograph of the platform party from the 1964 Springfield College Commencement including Dr. King and Dr. Glenn A. Olds," Olds said. "Throughout my career, I have had to face many difficult and even a few impossible tasks and decisions. I have always garnered encouragement from that photograph and the courageous events that it symbolizes."

Following Old’s address, Springfield College awarded the Humanics Achievement Award to former Associate Protestant Chaplain Gregory Dyson. The Springfield College Humanics Achievement Award recognizes an individual or group who has exhibited courage in the face of adversity, demonstrated leadership in service to others, advanced diversity and inclusion, served as a champion for the oppressed, furthered education in spirit, mind, and body, or contributed significantly to the understanding of the universe.

Dyson served at Springfield College from 2005 through 2012. During his tenure, he participated with City of Springfield leaders and the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance in Project Homeless Connect to help build bridges between homeless individuals and homeless assisting agencies. Dyson’s commitment to help the homeless population included his role as co-leader of the Monday Night Run, a program designed by students who wanted to reach out to homeless individuals during the cold months of the year.

Convening the ceremony was the chair of the Springfield College Board of Trustees, Doug Coupe, who introduced the 13th president of Springfield College, Mary-Beth Cooper.

"Class of 2014, today you join something big – bigger than all of us – you become a Springfield College graduate,” said Cooper, who participated in her first graduate commencement ceremony as president of the college. "Wherever you go, whatever career you choose to pursue, I wish the very best for each of you. Continue to wear your Springfield College colors proudly and come back to visit whenever you are able. Please stay in contact with us, we are always interested in your progress."

The student speaker was Springfield College School of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies student, Cora Rowland, who received a master’s of education degree.

At the graduate commencement, 600 master’s degrees, five certificates of advanced graduate study, nine doctor of philosophy degrees, and 30 doctoral of physical therapy degrees were awarded. At the undergraduate commencement on Sunday at the MassMutual Center starting at 9:30 a.m., 944 bachelor’s degrees will be awarded for a two-day total of 1588 degrees.

A look at the debate and some of the facts about genetically modified foods:

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Genetically modified foods have been around for years, but most people in the United States have no idea if they are eating them.

The Food and Drug Administration says such foods don't need to be labeled, so some states are moving forward on their own.

Vermont recently became state the first to require labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Bills and ballot initiatives are pending in many more.

What about the rest of the country? And does labeling matter?

There's much confusion about genetically modified foods and their safety.

Opponents, who at times have protested in the streets, say consumers have the right to know whether their food contains GMOs. The food industry and companies that genetically engineer seeds have pushed back against the labeling laws, saying GMOs are safe and labels would be misleading.

A look at the debate and some of the facts about genetically modified foods:

GMOs are hard for the average consumer to grasp. You can't touch or feel a GMO.

Genetically modified foods are plants or animals that have had genes copied from other plants or animals inserted into their DNA.

It's not a new idea.

Humans have been tinkering with genes for centuries through selective breeding. Think dogs bred to be more docile pets, cattle bred to be beefier or tomatoes bred to be sweeter. Turkeys were bred to have bigger breasts — better for Thanksgiving dinner.

What's different about genetically modified or engineered foods is that the manipulation is done in a lab. Engineers don't need to wait for nature to produce a desired gene. They speed up the process by transferring a gene from one plant or animal to another.

What are the desired traits? Most of the nation's corn and soybeans are genetically engineered to resist pests and herbicides. A papaya in Hawaii is modified to resist a virus. The FDA is considering an application from a Massachusetts company to approve a genetically engineered salmon that would grow faster than traditional salmon.

Most of the genetically modified corn and soybeans are used in cattle feed or are made into ingredients such as corn oil, corn starch, high fructose corn syrup or soybean oil.

Even in some of those products, the manufacturing process eventually may remove some of the modified genes.

A few fruits and vegetables are engineered — the Hawaiian papaya and some squash and zucchini, for example. Only a small amount of sweet corn, the corn we eat, is genetically modified.

But there's no genetically modified meat or fish, like the fast-growing salmon, currently in the market for human consumption. The FDA has yet to approve any.

The vast majority of scientific research has found genetically engineered foods to be generally safe.

An Italian scientist's review of 10 years of research, published in 2013, concluded that the scientific research conducted so far has not detected "any significant hazard directly connected with the use of GM crops."

One French research team raised safety questions. But their much-criticized 2012 study linking genetically modified corn to rat tumors was retracted in 2013 by the scientific publisher, who cited weak evidence supporting the conclusions.

Even the food police say they are safe.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a well-known critic of food companies and artificial and unhealthy ingredients in foods, has not opposed genetically modified foods, on the basis that there's no evidence they are harmful.

Though what we are eating now appears safe, the main concerns for the future would be new genetically engineered foods, from the United States or abroad, that somehow become allergenic or toxic through the engineering process.

The FDA says the foods they have evaluated to this point have not been any more likely to cause an allergic or toxic reaction than foods from traditionally bred plants.

The FDA is not required to approve genetically engineered crops for consumption. But most companies will go through a voluntary safety review process with FDA before they put them on the market.

There are clear benefits for the agricultural industry.

For example, crops that are engineered to ward off pests or to tolerate herbicides. Also, companies such as Monsanto that produce modified seeds say their technologies will be needed to feed a rising world population as they engineer crops to adapt to certain climates and terrains.

So far, most modified foods have been grown to resist chemicals, pests or disease. But advocates envision engineering crops to make them more nutritious as well. Food animals have been engineered to be bred to be free of diseases, be cleaner in their environments or grow more efficiently, though none has yet been approved in the United States.

There is an escalating political fight between labeling advocates and the food industry. In the absence of a federal labeling standard, GMO opponents have gone to the states to try to get a patchwork of labeling laws approved. That could eventually force a national standard.

Ballot measures in California and Washington state failed, but the legislative effort prevailed in Vermont. Maine and Connecticut have passed laws requiring labels, but they don't take effect unless other states follow suit. The food industry has said it will challenge the Vermont law in court.

The state efforts aren't slowing down. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are 85 pending GMO labeling bills in 29 states.

In Congress, the food industry is pushing a House bill that would head off efforts to enact mandatory labeling of genetically modified ingredients by proposing new voluntary labels nationwide — an attempted end run around the state-by-state laws.

Currently, the FDA says labeling of genetically modified foods isn't needed because the nutritional content is the same as non-GMO varieties.

Consumers increasingly are interested in what is in their food, including GMOs.

Labeling proponents say it's about transparency, not technology. They say there is precedent, like orange juice labels that say whether the juice is from concentrate.

David Ropeik, the author of the book "How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don't Always Match the Facts," says he thinks the food industry should endorse labeling so it can move past the debate.

"By supporting labeling, companies would say, 'There's no risk, we have nothing to hide,'" he says.

Gary Kiehne said during a Republican primary debate that "99 percent of (mass shootings) have been by Democrats pulling their guns out and shooting people."

FLORENCE, Ariz. -- A Republican businessman running for Arizona's 1st Congressional District said Saturday that most mass shootings in the U.S. are committed by Democrats.

Gary Kiehne, GOP congressional candidate from Arizona.Courtesy of Gary Kiehne for Congress 

Gary Kiehne made the remarks at a Republican primary debate in Florence, The Arizona Daily Star reports.

Kiehne, a Springerville rancher, told the 60-member audience that "99 percent of (mass shootings) have been by Democrats pulling their guns out and shooting people."

State Rep. Adam Kwasman, also a candidate and was there, said he supports gun rights. House Speaker Andy Tobin, who is also running, did not attend.

The debate was put on by the Pinal County Republican Committee.

The Aug. 26 primary election will decide who faces incumbent U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democrat. The mostly rural district is the state's largest district by area.