Aller allegedly sold stolen goods to Hannoush Jewelers in Northampton

NORTHAMPTON — A housecleaner denied stealing jewelry from three homes in Northampton and Easthampton at her arraignment on larceny charges Friday in Northampton District Court.

Cassandra M. Aller, 22, of 93 Adams Road in Haydenville, was arraigned on three counts of larceny. She was released on her own recognizance and ordered to return to court Oct. 7 for a pretrial conference.

Police say Aller, while working for Out of This World Cleaning in Hadley, stole jewelry from customers and sold it to Hannoush Jewelers at 227 Main St. in Northampton.

On April 30, police from Northampton and Easthampton recovered jewelry from Hannoush that Aller allegedly sold them. The store had paid Aller $938 for the pieces that were seized, police say.

The store manager told police Aller had sold jewelry to Hannoush twice in April, as well as on six prior occasions. The store manager said Aller had claimed her "husband flipped houses," and that the jewelry was found inside one of the houses, according to police reports.

Hannoush had photographed four rings Aller sold in March, two of which were later identified as belonging to one of the victims, according to police. The rings were no longer in the store when police visited to recover the stolen jewelry.

The Easthampton victim, a regular customer at Hannoush, had recognized and identified her own jewelry on display at the store, according to police.

A criminal complaint was issued against Aller in August. The owner of Out of This World Cleaning cooperated with the investigation, police say.

Under questioning, Aller also admitted to stealing $400 as a teenager in 2008, according to court documents. The money disappeared on a day Aller was accompanying her mother, also a housekeeper, on a job. The crime had remained unsolved with the mother as a suspect. The victim of that crime declined to press charges.

Aller also admitted to stealing a gift card from a home in Florence, according to court documents.

Employers added just 142,000 jobs last month, well below the 212,000 average of the previous 12 months.

WASHINGTON -- A surprising drop in hiring and in the number of people seeking work in August sent a reminder that the U.S. economic recovery is still prone to temporary slowdowns.

Employers added just 142,000 jobs last month, well below the 212,000 average of the previous 12 months. The unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent. But that was because more people without jobs stopped looking for one and were no longer counted as unemployed.

Analysts took Friday's Labor Department report in stride. They noted that other gauges of the economy -- from manufacturing and construction to auto sales -- remain solid. Layoffs have dwindled, too. Analysts also noted that month-to-month volatility in hiring is common even in a healthy economy.

But the dip in hiring also suggests that, though the Great Recession officially ended more than five years ago, the economy has yet to shed some of its lingering weaknesses. Held back by sluggish pay growth, for example, consumers continue to spend cautiously.

Most economists foresee an economy that's poised to make further strides, punctuated at times by modest setbacks.

The figures "will inevitably spark speculation that the US recovery is somehow coming off the rails again," said Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics. "However, we're not too concerned by what is probably just an isolated blip."

The report showed the smallest job gains in eight months. The weaker-than-expected numbers make it unlikely that the Federal Reserve will speed up its timetable for raising interest rates. Most analysts expect the first rate hike around mid-2015.

The Dow Jones industrial average initially fell, but stocks returned to positive territory by Friday afternoon. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dropped to 2.43 percent from 2.45 percent late Thursday. That suggests that some investors sought the safety of bonds and foresee no Fed rate increase anytime soon.

At least two temporary factors weighed on hiring in August, government officials said. A strike at Market Basket, a grocery chain in the Northeast, contributed to an unusually large drop of 17,000 jobs at food and beverage stores. That strike has since been resolved, which could lead to a rebound in hiring this month.

Officials also noted that the number of auto-manufacturing jobs fell 4,600 in August after a surge of nearly 13,000 in July. Auto jobs can be volatile during summer because carmakers often temporarily close factories in July to retool them for new models. That didn't happen this year, which boosted July's auto job numbers and held down August's usual rebound.

Yet auto sales were strong in August, and last month's job losses in that sector are unlikely to be repeated, analysts said.

The overall jobs slowdown "certainly hasn't been confirmed by any of the other indicators that we've seen," said Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab. "It did smack of an outlier."

August's job figures tend to be unusually volatile and are typically revised later as government statisticians adjust for unusual seasonal factors such as the reopening of school and the Labor Day holiday, said Patrick O'Keefe, director of economic research at the accounting and consulting firm CohnReznick.

The biggest drops in hiring last month occurred in retail, which shed 8,400 jobs after gaining 21,000 in July, and in manufacturing, where employment was flat after a gain of 28,000 in July. Transportation and warehousing added just 1,200 jobs after gaining a robust 19,100 in July.

There were some brighter spots. Higher-paying fields, including accounting, engineering and management, posted solid job gains. And the number of people working part time who want full-time work fell more than 200,000 to 7.3 million. That was down from 7.9 million a year ago, though still far above healthy levels.

A broader measure of unemployment, which includes workers who have given up looking for jobs and the part-timers who want full-time work, dipped to 12 percent from 12.2 percent in July. That's the lowest level since 2008, though far above the pre-recession figure of 8.8 percent.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen has said such figures show the job market hasn't regained full health. And until those figures are closer to levels typical of a strong economy, pay growth likely won't pick up.

Wage gains have been sluggish since the recession ended in 2009, and consumers have remained cautious. In August, average hourly pay rose 6 cents to $24.53, 2.1 percent higher than a year ago but barely ahead of the overall 2 percent inflation rate.

That could be weighing on consumers' willingness to spend and slowing the economy. Consumer spending dipped in July, the first decline since January.

Still, more jobs ultimately help propel economic growth.

Consider Louise Smith, 30, who began a permanent job at an information technology outsourcing firm in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, in June. She had worked there on a temporary basis since the year began.

She credits the temp job for giving her a chance to prove herself to the company, NT Connections. Now that her job as a help-desk supervisor is permanent, she's seeking an apartment and planning to move out of her parents' home, where she's lived for the past year.

Economists note that such moves typically lead to purchases of furniture, appliances and electronic gear that can stimulate growth.

"I am now able to support myself, whereas before I was worried about how I was going to be able to make ends meet," Smith said.

Most economists still expect a healthy annual growth rate of about 3 percent in the second half of this year. That would mark a sharp improvement from the 1.1 percent pace in the first half.

The latest poll by the Boston Globe finds Maura Healey gaining significant support among likely voters.

HOLYOKE – Democratic attorney general candidate Maura Healey greeted supporters at The White Rose on Friday night as part of her statewide push to gain votes in Tuesday's primary.

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse embraced Healey as she arrived at the bookstore on High Street. Then, the candidate worked the room for more than half an hour, shaking hands and listening to the concerns of likely voters.

Healey is facing former state senator Warren Tolman for the Democratic nomination on Sept. 9. The winner will take on Republican John Miller in the general election.

"I wasn't part of the Beacon Hill establishment and I knew, getting in, that the Beacon Hill establishment wasn't going to be with me," she told a crowd of dozens, which frequently interrupted her with cheers and applause. "But I believed in my heart that it's the job of the attorney general to be the people's lawyer, to be the people's advocate."

She drew a distinction between herself and Tolman, calling her campaign a grassroots effort that surprised observers and analysts with its success, and describing Tolman as a Boston political insider who benefits from his connections.

"The guy I'm running against thinks he's running for governor," said Healey, vaguely criticizing Tolman for positions and statements that she believes are beyond the reach of the attorney general's office.

She listed her successes working for Attorney General Martha Coakley, who is not seeking re-election and is, instead, running for governor. Healey promised to reform the criminal justice system and drop the number of gun, domestic and sex crimes in Massachusetts.

"Criminal justice reform is a civil rights issue to me," she said, promising alternatives to incarceration and a path to reintegration for freed inmates.

She said she supports, in principle, Tolman's pet issue of smart-gun technology to reduce violence, but criticized it as being impractical and unattainable in the short term.

"I want to fight for fairness, justice and equality under the law," she said. "Housing, jobs, a good environment, education, health care, the basics."

View full sizeDemocratic attorney general candidate Maura Healey listens as Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse introduces her to supporters at The White Rose bookstore on Sept. 5, 2014.Brian Steele | MassLive.com 

A voter asked Healey about the Probation Department scandal that led to several convictions on charges related to improper hiring.

"You have people, it appears, who didn't get there by merit. They got there because they were somebody's friend or cousin," said Healey. "Any whiff of corruption like that is corrosive to the system."

"I worry about the consequences for those probationers," she added.

One man said he was a teacher, but that lack of support for the education system among Democrats created circumstances that caused him to be fired. He swore not to vote in this election.

Healey responded by pointing to the state constitution, saying it enshrines education as a basic human right. She swore to uphold that.

The latest poll by the Boston Globe finds Healey gaining significant support among likely voters. She now leads Tolman 42 percent to 27 percent, but there is still a huge pool of undecided voters.

She dodged a question from MassLive.com about her post-election plans if Tolman comes out on top or if she loses to Miller in the general election.

"I don't plan to lose [but] I'm fighting hard every day," she said. "I know there are a lot of undecideds, and that's why I'm working my tail off trying to get the word out."

On Saturday, Healey will march in Worcester's Pride Parade, play basketball with supporters in Dartmouth and meet-and-greet voters in Somerville.

BOSTON — Opponents of proposed expansion of the state's deposit law have already pumped more than $5.4 million into a campaign to defeat the question on the November ballot. Nearly all the money — $5 million — came from the Washington-based American Beverage Association, a trade association representing the non-alcoholic beverage industry. The ballot question would expand the current law...

BOSTON — Opponents of proposed expansion of the state's deposit law have already pumped more than $5.4 million into a campaign to defeat the question on the November ballot.

Nearly all the money — $5 million — came from the Washington-based American Beverage Association, a trade association representing the non-alcoholic beverage industry.

The ballot question would expand the current law to include bottled water and other non-carbonated beverages not included in the original law. It is Question 2 on the ballot.

Supporters of the question have raised about $293,000. The bulk of that has come from the Massachusetts Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club and other environmental groups say updating the decades-old law will reduce litter and encourage recycling.

Critics say it will hurt small businesses by forcing them to handle an increase in bottle returns.

A commercial aircraft chartered by the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan for a flight to the Persian Gulf city of Dubai was re-routed to Iran on Friday, apparently because of a mix-up over its flight plan, U.S. officials said.

WASHINGTON -- A commercial aircraft chartered by the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan for a flight to the Persian Gulf city of Dubai was re-routed to Iran on Friday, apparently because of a mix-up over its flight plan, U.S. officials said.

The plane was allowed to depart after spending several hours on the ground in southern Iran. The State Department later confirmed that it had landed in Dubai.

"We appreciate the efforts of all parties to help the passengers get safely to their destination," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement. She described the problem as a "bureaucratic issue" with the plane's flight plan.

The plane was flying from Bagram airfield north of Kabul to Dubai. The normal flight path goes through Iranian airspace.

Iranians radioed the plane's crew to say they did not have the proper paperwork and to return to Bagram, a U.S. official said. The pilots said they did not have enough fuel to return so the Iranian authorities told them to land in Iran.

The plane landed at Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, a second U.S. official said. The officials were not authorized to be named and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A witness called police to report seeing a dye pack explode as a suspicious man in shorts ran by.

STURBRIDGE - A suspect in a Friday afternoon bank robbery in Sturbridge was apprehended roughly 25 minutes later in Auburn, and now police suspect the man of committing similar robberies in recent months in Greenfield, Palmer and Worcester.

The suspect, John Coughlin, 50, of 28 Burnham St., Enfield, was being held on a charge of unarmed robbery Friday night in connection with the bank robbery of Savers Bank, 55 Main St., Sturbridge.

According to Sturbridge Police Lt. Earl Dessert, police were called to the bank just before 1 p.m. by an alarm triggered from within the bank. At the same time, bank employees called 911 to report the robbery, he said.

Bank employees told police that a suspect, described as a heavy, white man in a plaid shirt and shorts, handed a note to a teller and demanded cash. No weapon was shown.

The suspect left the bank and was last seen running toward Fiske Hill Road, Dessert said. Moments later, the police received more 911 calls from people reporting a suspicious man running in that area. One witness reported seeing a dye pack explode as the man ran by, and another reported seeing the man hop into a car and speed off, he said.

The description of the suspect and the vehicle was broadcast as a regional look-out for police in surrounding towns, and at about 1:20 p.m., police in Auburn stopped a car matching the description along Southbridge Street in that town, roughly 13 miles away from the bank.
Coughlin was turned over to Stockbridge police. He was being held at the Stockbridge police station without bail pending his arraignment Monday.

Dessert said Coughlin is also a suspect in robberies in Palmer and Greenfield, and another in Worcester.

Messages were left with Greenfield police.

Det. Sgt. Christopher Burns of Palmer Police said he has been in contact with Sturbridge police all day.

"That is definitely our guy. No doubt about it," he said.

Palmer police will likely file charges against him in connection with the June 25 robbery in the next few days, he said.

In the Palmer robbery, a 40-year-old white man, described as heavy and stocky, and wearing a plaid shirt, shorts and a baseball cap, robbed the Country Bank for Savings, 1485 North St. just before 1 p.m. The man handed the teller a note but did not show a weapon.

In the Aug. 8 Greenfield robbery, a 40-to-50 year-old, heavy white man in shorts, a baseball cap and a plaid shirt robbed People’s United Bank on Federal Street. No weapon was shown and he passed the teller a note, according to police.

The Worcester robbery on April 24 at Santander Bank, according to police, involved a heavy white man wearing a dark jacket who handed the teller a note demanding cash.

Gwen Stefani, after a three-year childbearing and child-raising break, returned to New York Fashion Week on Friday, rolling out modern tribal looks that had models frolicking on a platform surrounded by a gritty urban video installation from longtime collaborator Sophie Muller.

NEW YORK -- Gwen Stefani, after a three-year childbearing and child-raising break, returned to New York Fashion Week on Friday, rolling out modern tribal looks that had models frolicking on a platform surrounded by a gritty urban video installation from longtime collaborator Sophie Muller.

In bright pink trousers from her L.A.M.B. brand, Stefani told reporters before the show that her three boys are slightly older now and able to deal with her return to the fashion life.

And they didn't cry, she said, when she called home while preparing for her New York presentation, her first since 2011.

She described the batik prints in bright pink, earthy horizontal lines of color in another print and pops of orange her "New Nomad" collection for spring. A circular design was used in light breezy long dresses in blue and gray.

Stefani also debuted new shoes and bags, including a pair of heels with luminescent strap detailing.

The No Doubt singer described her new dresses and trousers as a mashup of tribal and graphic prints meet the Orange County girl, with a Jamaican vibe thrown in.

Stefani launched L.A.M.B. in 2003 and now heads a global business.

How the Springfield Police Department gets information through its text-a-tip program.

Nearly a year out of the UFC octagon did not affect Bridgewater's Joe Lauzon during his lightweight bout with up-and-comer Michael Chiesa. Lauzon won in the second round by technical knockout after cutting open the area around Chiesa's left eye with a knee to the head.

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. -- Nearly a year out of the UFC octagon did not affect Bridgewater's Joe Lauzon during his lightweight bout with up-and-comer Michael Chiesa. Lauzon won in the second round by technical knockout after cutting open the area around Chiesa's left eye with a knee to the head.

Referee Herb Dean called a stop to the fight at its 2:14 mark after an on-site physician looked at Chiesa's cut.

With his win at UFC Fight Night 50, Lauzon improves to a 24-10 lifetime record, while Chiesa suffers his second career loss and drops to 11-2.

The fight, which was widely expected to be a three-round grappling battle royale that would end on the ground, was largely a mixed affair of stand-up and ground action.

Lauzon had a very early takedown of Chiesa when he caught a kick and turned it against him. The two grappled on the ground before Chiesa managed to shake him off and bounce back up. The two exchanged middling blows through the first round's midway point before returning to the ground. Lauzon pounded away at Chiesa while mounted on his back before Chiesa managed to escape once again.

When Chiesa bounced up, he displayed his height and reach advantage over Lauzon as he got the better of him during an intense exchange of kicks and punches that closed out the first round.

The second round opened with the pair flying around the octagon, attempting to take each other to the ground. After a handful of successful takedowns, the two went to the edge of the octagon and exchanged another series of kicks and punches that drove the Foxwoods Casino crowd to its feet.

It was during a clinch at the second round's midway point that Lauzon delivered the knee to the head that cut Chiesa's forehead open.

While Lauzon remains an outsider looking in at a title shot, he managed to keep his chances alive by beating the "Ultimate Fighter: Live" champion.

"It's been a really, really rough 10 months, but everything is better now," Lauzon said, referencing his newborn son Joey's battle with cancer.

Lauzon's son Joey was born in January with a cancerous tumor in his back that had the potential to give him permanent spinal problems. Doctors started chemotherapy immediately, and Lauzon stepped away from the UFC world to help his wife and son through the ordeal.

"My son is doing great, and I came away with a great win tonight, so I'm happy," he said. "It was really important to get this victory tonight, because I think everyone was counting me out because of everything that happened with my son."

Lauzon, a fighter known for finish fights, said that he was pleased with the result he earned after the fight. Lauzon's last three fights all went to decision.

"I'll be back in the gym midweek," he said. "I'm healthy, I had a good camp and I want to stay busy. It's been almost nine months since my last fight, so I'd like to fight again before the end of the year. I'm hoping for bonus 13. I think I just beat BJ [Penn] for the most finishes in the lightweight division, and I want to beat Anderson Silva for all time bonuses."

Chiesa noted after the fight that he doesn't think he actually lost the fight and that he wants a rematch with Lauzon soon.

"Joe won tonight, but he didn't beat me,' Chiesa said. "My plan was to make this a dogfight, and never, in any moment of the fight, was I broke."

The accident occurred on Route 202 near the McLean reservoir.

Conor Berry | cberry@repub.com 

HOLYOKE - Police are on the scene of a two-car, head-on collision on Route 202 near Apremont Highway that as closed the roadway to traffic.

The accident, which happened just after 10 p.m., on a curving section of Route 202 near the McLean Reservoir.

Multiple police, fire trucks and ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

CBS 3 Springfield, media partner for The Republican and Masslive, reports that three people were transported to the hospital. The injuries were believed to be not life-threatening.

The road, which runs between Holyoke and Westfield, is closed off in both directions.

This is a developing story and more information will be posted as it is known.

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, who became a national political sensation by filibustering her state's tough new restrictions on abortion, discloses in her upcoming memoir that she had an abortion in the 1990s after discovering that the fetus had a severe brain abnormality.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, who became a national political sensation by filibustering her state's tough new restrictions on abortion, discloses in her upcoming memoir that she had an abortion in the 1990s after discovering that the fetus had a severe brain abnormality.

In "Forgetting to be Afraid," Davis also writes about ending an earlier ectopic pregnancy, in which an embryo implants outside the uterus. Davis says she considered revealing the terminated pregnancies during her nearly 13-hour speech on the floor of the Texas Senate last summer -- but decided against it, saying "such an unexpected and dramatically personal confession would overshadow the events of the day."

The Associated Press purchased an early copy of the book, which goes on sale Tuesday.

Both pregnancies happened before Davis, a state senator from Fort Worth, began her political career and after she was already a mother to two young girls. Davis catapulted to national Democratic stardom after her filibuster temporarily delayed passed of sweeping new abortion restrictions. She's now running for governor against Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is heavily favored to replace Republican Gov. Rick Perry next year.

The second pregnancy happened in 1996. Davis writes that during her second trimester she took a blood test that could determine chromosomal or neural defects, which doctors first told her didn't warrant concern. But a later exam revealed that the brain of the fetus had developed in complete separation on the right and left sides, Davis says. She sought opinions from multiple doctors, who told her the baby would be deaf, blind and in a permanent vegetative state if she survived delivery, she writes.

"I could feel her little body tremble violently, as if someone were applying an electric shock to her, and I knew then what I needed to do," Davis writes. "She was suffering."

She goes on to say that an "indescribable blackness followed" the pregnancy and that the loss left her forever changed.

The ectopic pregnancy happened in 1994, and terminating it was considered medically necessary, Davis writes. Such pregnancies generally aren't considered viable, meaning the fetus can't survive, and they can endanger the mother's life. But Davis writes that in Texas, it's "technically considered an abortion, and doctors have to report it as such."

Davis' filibuster in June 2013 set off a chaotic scene in the Texas Capitol that extended past midnight. Thousands of people watched it online, with President Barack Obama at one point tweeting, "Something special is happening in Austin tonight."

In the book, Davis recalls reading testimony during the filibuster about a woman who had had an abortion after learning her daughter would be born with a terminal illness. She says the story could have been hers and writes about her hands shaking and wiping tears from her eyes.

Davis' filibuster only temporarily delayed the restrictions, which passed overwhelmingly when Perry called a special legislative session. The measure requires doctors who perform abortion to obtain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and mandates that clinics upgrade its facilities to hospital-level operating standards. A federal judge in Austin last month blocked a portion of the law that would have left Texas with only seven abortion facilities statewide.

Anti-abortion groups, including those that have attacked Davis' candidacy, expressed sympathy for the tough choice Davis confronted with the second terminated pregnancy but said they hoped all decisions end in choosing to continue a pregnancy.

"That's an incredibly difficult position for anyone to find themselves in. While our heart goes out for the decision she had to make, again, still the value of life is precious," Texans Right to Life spokeswoman Melissa Conway said Friday night.

Abbott spokesman Matt Hirsch did not return messages seeking comment.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood and the daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards praised Davis' "unwavering courage"

"We are grateful to her for sharing her story and shining a light on a subject that is too often hidden in the shadows of shame and stigma by people like Greg Abbott and his allies," Richards said.

Agawam firefighters battled a 3-alarm fire in a Springfield St.commercial complex.

Lt. James Lancour said firefighters were able to contain fire within the building to the basement of the Partners Restaurant.

The cause of the blaze is considered "undetermined" and remains under investigation by the Agawam Fire Department fire investigator and the Massachusetts Fire Marshal's Office.

Spraks fly from a shorting high voltage transformer attached to a untility pole at 458 Springfield St. Dave Canton,Republican 

A high-voltage transformer at the base of a utility pole in front of 458 Springfield Street began spraying sparks and arcing as it violently shorted. At the same time firefighters searched inside the nearby Partners Restaurant and other businesses within the complex for flames.

According to witnesses, fire units responded to 458 Springfield Street shortly after 10:30 p.m. after patrons at the Headquarters Bar and Grill, located within the commercial complex, called 911 to report smoke in the building. The bar was then evacuated.

Smoke appeared to billow from the east side of the building from Partners Restaurant. Firefighters made their way into the restaurant and began searching for the source of the smoke. No flames were seen from the outside of the building as firefighters made their way into the basement, and into other businesses within the complex.

Shortly after the search began, the transformer in front of the building began to arc and throw sparks. The arcing escalated until the utility pole ignited and flames covered the lower six feet of the wood pole.

A Western Mass. Electric Company technician was dispatched to the scene to cut power to the transformer.

Fire units from West Springfield, Westfield and Longmeadow responded to aid Agawam units. All mutual aid was released from the scene by 1 a.m.

Agawam firefighter remain on the scene of the fire, and additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

Police arrested three alleged drug buyers and three alleged drug sellers in a targeted operation.

Edward Fisher 

Sgt, John Delaney, aid to Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri, said detectives set up surreillance on an apparent drug sales operation at 24 Adams Street Friday morning. Police watched as three customers allegedly bought drugs on the front lawn of the house. All three were arrested not far from the scene. Once they had evidence in hand, detectives closed in on the sellers, arrested two men and a female juvenile, and seized 50 bags of heroin and $587 in cash.

Geovanny Hernandez-Soto

Arrested with Hernandez-Soto was 28-year-old Edward Fisher of 24 Adams St, and a 17-year-old juvenile. Fisher and Hernandez-Soto will be arraigned in Springfield District Court Monday.

Delaney identified the three alleged buyers of drugs as 31-year-old Nicholas Baskowski of Springfield, Brendan J. Kennedy, 39, of 4 Oak St. in Monson and 29-year-old Jacob Kohler, of 41 Daniel St. in Springfield. All three will be arraigned in Springfield District Court on Monday.

A woman apparently set herself ablaze Saturday morning in a suicide attempt.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said police and firefighters responded to a 1 a.m. 911 call of a fire, and found the badly burned woman on a grassy area in front of 29 Glendell Terrace. She suffered second and third-degree burns over 95 percent of her body, Leger said.

A gasoline can and a lighter were found at the scene.

Fire investigators attached to the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad made a preliminary determination of attempted suicide by self-immolation.

The woman was initially transported to the Baystate Medical Center by ambulance, but was later transferred to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

An open can on beer on Main Street led to the discovery of 300+ packets of heroin and an arrest.

Republican file photo 

SPRINGFIELD – A man stopped by police Friday afternoon on Main Street for drinking a beer in public, a violation of the city’s open container ordinance, soon found himself in much deeper trouble when police found him in possession 326 packets of heroin, police said.

Wilfredo BurgosSpringfield police photo 

Police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said the man, Wilfredo Burgos, 36, of 91 Longhill St., was initially charged with violation of the open container ordinance.

Another charge of possession of heroin with intent to distribute was added when police found a stash of drugs in his car, Delaney said.

Delaney said officers Daniel Murdock and Vincent Finn spotted Burgos sitting in his car near the Paramount on Main Street drinking a beer. As he saw the officers approach, Burgos attempted to hide the 24-ounce can of Corona at his feet, he said.

He was placed under arrest for an open container violation. When he was searched as he was placed in custody, he was found to have $1,045 in his pockets.

When police searched the car, prior to it being towed, they found the heroin. The packets were marked “Bugatti,” which Delaney said is the name of a brand that police have been finding on the streets lately.

Burgos is being held at the Springfield police station until his arraignment in Springfield District Court on Monday, Delaney said.

With just days until the Democratic primary, Democratic attorney general hopeful Warren Tolman landed the support of the Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association, as well as the Coalition for Social Justice.

With just days until the Democratic primary, Democratic attorney general hopeful Warren Tolman landed the support of the Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association, as well as the Coalition for Social Justice.

According to its website, the Mass. Retirees group represents the interests of more than 62,000 retired public employees from across Massachusetts by lobbying on Beacon Hill.

"Warren Tolman has a good history with our members. They can count on him to stand up for their rights for a decent cost-of-living (COLA) and affordable healthcare benefits during a time when it was in vogue to simply cut," said Frank Valeri, association president, in a statement. "Warren's focus has always been on helping people. His priorities are shared by our members."

Coalition for Social Justice Executive Director Deb Fastino said that the group's determination that Tolman would best advocate for progressive social change in low income communities contributed to the endorsement.

"Warren Tolman is a proven leader fighting for working families and will be a proactive Attorney General improving the office's outreach, protecting fair wages, and standing up for every resident of the Commonwealth," Fastino said. "The Coalition for Social Justice is proud to endorse Warren Tolman to be the next Attorney General."

Tolman and his in-party competitor Maura Healey have been hitting the campaign trail hard in the final days of the race. On Friday, Tolman started his day in Chicopee kicking off a statewide swing with a stop that included appearances by his supporters, Hampden County Clerk of Courts Laura Gentile, former state Sen. Linda Melconian and Springfield City Councilor Zaida Luna.

Healey also had several Western Mass. campaign stops o Friday, including an early evening visit to The White Rose bookstore in Holyoke, where she answered questions from the public on a variety of topics defining the race to become the next top prosecutor in Massachusetts.

Tolman and Healey have been engaged in what has become arguably the most intense primary battle of the election season in Massachusetts. A Boston Globe poll released on Friday showed Healey leading over Tolman, 42 percent to 27 percent, but with a whopping 27 percent saying they are still undecided, it is safe to say either candidate could emerge victorious on Tuesday.

The winner of the primary will take on Republican John Miller in the race to succeed Martha Coakley as the next attorney general. Coakley has opted to run for governor of Massachusetts instead of seeking re-election.

The National Weather Service in Taunton indicated that its Doppler radar at 4:20 p.m. detected a thunderstorm slowly moving over Northeastern Franklin County and Northwestern Worcester county capable of producing a tornado.

An update to this story was posted at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Update: 5:30 p.m.The National Weather Service has cancelled the tornado warnings but with caution, as the severe thunderstorm warning as described below, remains in effect until 9 p.m.

Update: 4:48 p.m.The National Weather Service says there has been no confirmation of a tornado, but extended the tornado warning to the east, including central Middlesex County and western Essex County in Massachusetts and Southeastern Hillsbourough County in New Hampshire until 5:15 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect for much of New England, but residents in parts of Franklin and Worcester counties in Massachusetts are under a tornado warning as of late Saturday afternoon.

The National Weather Service in Taunton indicated that its Doppler radar at 4:20 p.m. detected a thunderstorm slowly moving over Northeastern Franklin County and Northwestern Worcester county capable of producing a tornado.

Specifically, the towns of Orange, Gardner, Athol, Winchendon, Templeton, Westminster, Ashburnham, Northfield, Erving, Phillipston, Royalston and Warwick were all under the tornado warning until 5 p.m.

An EF-0 tornado ripped a two-mile path of destruction through Worcester just days ago, as a similar line of thunder storms moved through the area. Photos of the destruction left behind can be seen at the top of this page.

Until 9 p.m., citizens in the surrounding ares in Massachusetts as well as all other New England states should be prepared for a potentially severe storm system moving through the area and bringing with it torrential rain and damaging winds. In Massachusetts, the National Weather Service storm watch is in place for Berkshire County, Hampshire County, Hampden County, Worcester County, Middlesex County, Essex County, Bristol County, Norfolk County, Plymouth County and Suffolk County.

The storm watch also extends to several counties in other states, including Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, and New Hampshire.

"Once the front presses through, any leftover showers will end by midnight, with clouds decreasing late overnight as well," said Mike Skurko, a meteorologist with CBS-3 Springfield. "A cooler, drier air mass will also be settling in, dropping the humidity levels and setting us up for an excellent, comfortable finish to the weekend."

The Somali militants unanimously selected Ahmad Umar, also known as Abu Ubaidah, at a meeting in an undisclosed location in Somalia, said rebel commander Abu Mohammed.

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Somalia's Islamic extremist rebels, al-Shabab, named a new leader Saturday after confirming the killing of their previous leader by a U.S. airstrike, a commander of the group said.

The Somali militants unanimously selected Ahmad Umar, also known as Abu Ubaidah, at a meeting in an undisclosed location in Somalia, said rebel commander Abu Mohammed.

Al-Shabab also stated that it remains aligned with al-Qaida, according to the Site Intelligence Group, that monitors statements by Islamic militant groups.

There had been speculation that al-Shabab would be shaken by a power struggle over the selection of a new leader and that perhaps the Somali rebels would change alliance and become allied to the Islamic State group.

The Somali group had to appoint a new leader following the death of Ahmed Abdi Godane who was killed with two other officials by a U.S. airstrike Monday. The attack took place 105 miles (170 kilometers) south of Mogadishu, where al-Shabab trains its fighters.

"Avenging the death of our scholars and leader is a binding obligation on our shoulders that we will never relinquish nor forget no matter how long it takes," said the al-Shabab statement, according to Site.

President Barack Obama confirmed Friday that Godane was killed by the U.S. airstrike. The U.S. State Department declared al-Shabab a terrorist organization in February 2008.

Godane was also known as Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr and was the spiritual leader of the al-Qaida-linked group. The U.S. had offered a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to his arrest. Godane had publicly claimed al-Shabab was responsible for last year's deadly Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya, that left 67 people dead one year ago.

Somalia's government said Friday night that it has credible intelligence al-Shabab is planning attacks in retaliation for Godane's death.

In a televised speech, Gen. Khalif Ahmed Ereg, Somalia's national security minister, said possible targets include medical and educational institutions. Ereg said the government is vigilant and its armed forces are prepared to prevent such attacks.

The killing of Godane was a "delightful victory," said Ereg. He called on militants still fighting for al-Shabab to surrender to get a "brighter" life from the government.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta Saturday thanked the U.S. for killing Godane, saying his death provides "a small measure of closure" for victims of the Westgate Mall attack. Kenyatta's nephew and his fiance died in that attack, a year ago this month.

Godane, who used a number of other aliases, led the planning and was responsible for the perpetration of the attack on Westgate, Kenyatta said.

"We owe the United States, and its soldiers, our heartfelt thanks for bringing an end to Godane's career of death and destruction; and finally allowing us to begin our healing," he said.

"His death is a stark reminder that those who live by the sword shall perish by the sword," Kenyatta said.

Al-Shabab has vowed to revenge the presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia. Kenyan troops went into Somalia in October 2011 to fight al-Shabab, which is blamed for cross-border attacks and kidnappings of westerners on Kenyan soil.

Kenya later became part of the African Union force that is bolstering Somalia's weak U.N.-backed government against al-Shabab's insurgency.

The U.S. State Department declared al-Shabab a terrorist organization in February 2008.

State police are asking the public for help finding a teen who hasn't been seen since Aug. 31, and may be traveling with three males somewhere in the Northeast U.S.

ST. JOHNSBURY, Vermont — A teen girl who disappeared nearly a week ago in rural Vermont was found safe three states away on Friday.

Tari Turnbaugh, a 17-year-old girl from St. Johnsbury, Vermont was last seen on Aug. 31 and was reported to be traveling with three unidentified males and potentially traveling to either Boston, Mass. or Yonkers, N.Y.

View full sizeTari TurnbaughRobert Rizzuto | rrizzuto@repub.com

Troopers in Vermont reported that Turnbaugh was last seen by a friend around 3 p.m. on Sunday. And although it was believed she left home on her own accord, the length of time that had transpired since she contacted family contributed to the growing concern for her well being.

State police said late Friday night that Turnbaugh had "turned herself into the Middlesex Police Department in Sayerville, New Jersey." She was reportedly reunited with family and safe, according to police.

Troopers offered no additional information relating to Turnbaugh's disappearance or resurfacing in New Jersey.

Rescue crews searching off Jamaica's coast on Saturday said they could no longer see debris spotted earlier, stymieing efforts to solve the mystery surrounding a small plane carrying a prominent upstate New York couple that went on a ghostly 1,700-mile journey after the pilot was apparently incapacitated.

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Rescue crews searching off Jamaica's coast on Saturday said they could no longer see debris spotted earlier, stymieing efforts to solve the mystery surrounding a small plane carrying a prominent upstate New York couple that went on a ghostly 1,700-mile journey after the pilot was apparently incapacitated.

Jamaican officials said that possible wreckage from the single-engine turboprop Socata TBM700 was sighted Friday evening by a military aircraft flying off the island's northeast coast, drifting roughly 24 miles (38 kilometers) off the coastal town of Port Antonio.

The island's military said in a statement that Jamaican and U.S. officials felt the sighting was "consistent with that of a high-impact debris field."

But on Saturday Jamaica Coast Guard Commander Antonette Wemyss-Gorman said that the pieces of floating debris could no longer be seen.

"We would have to assume it may have sunk," she said.

The area where the private French-made plane went down has depths of up to 2,000 meters (more than 6,500 feet), according to Leroy Lindsay, director general of Jamaica's civil aviation authority.

Lindsay said that French authorities have volunteered to provide help to bring wreckage up from the ocean depths when it is found.

The plane was carrying Rochester real estate developer Laurence Glazer and his entrepreneur wife, Jane -- both experienced pilots. On Friday, U.S. fighter pilots were launched to shadow the unresponsive aircraft observed the pilot slumped over and its windows frosting over. Officials say the plane slammed into the sea when it ran out of fuel at least 14 miles (22 kilometers) off Jamaica's northeast coastline.

In a Friday statement, the Coast Guard 7th District command center in Miami said three people were reportedly on board the plane. A 154-foot (47-meter) U.S. Coast Guard cutter and a helicopter crew are aiding in the Saturday search off Jamaica.

Son Rick Glazer said he could not confirm his parents were killed, adding that "we know so little."

But public officials offered their condolences for a prominent couple described as a linchpin in efforts to rejuvenate an upstate New York city stung by the decline of corporate giants Kodak, Bausch & Lomb and Xerox.

Laurence Glazer co-founded Buckingham Properties and served as chief executive and managing partner, working alongside two sons. Overall, the company owns more than 60 properties in the Rochester area and in central Florida.

His friend Harold Samoff said Saturday that he and Glazer got started in the real estate business in 1970 with a small apartment building, then went on to acquire and revitalize more and bigger properties on the inner-city periphery, reasoning that "just like blight can spread, improvement can spread, also."

Glazer went on to more complex projects, such as converting former industrial properties into loft apartments and turning a shuttered hospital into offices. More recently, he bought Xerox Corp.'s Rochester tower -- the city's tallest -- and Bausch & Lomb's building.

Jane Glazer started QCI Direct, which produces two national retail catalogs selling household and other products. It made Rochester's Top 100 list of fastest growing privately held companies last year, according to its website.

"It's beyond tragic here. We're reeling," Rochester Downtown Development Corp. President Heidi Zimmer-Meyer said, calling the couple "people who just cannot be replaced."

Their single-engine plane took off at 8:45 a.m. Friday from the Greater Rochester International Airport in New York en route to Naples, Florida. Air traffic controllers were last able to contact the pilot at 10 a.m., the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

On a recording made by LiveATC, a website that monitors and posts air traffic control audio recordings, the pilot is heard saying, "We need to descend down to about (18,000 feet). We have an indication that's not correct in the plane." A controller replied, "Stand by."

After a pause, the controller told the pilot to fly at 25,000 feet (7,620 meters). "We need to get lower," the pilot responded. "Working on that," the controller said.

Controllers then cleared the plane to descend to 20,000 feet (6,096 meters), a command which the pilot acknowledged. A couple minutes later, a controller radioed the plane by its tail number: "900 Kilo November, if you hear this transmission, ident" -- identify yourself. There was no response.

At 10:40 a.m., two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from a National Guard base in South Carolina to investigate, according to a statement by the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Those jets handed off monitoring duties around 11:30 a.m. to two F-15 fighters from Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida.

The U.S. fighter jets followed the plane until it reached Cuban airspace, when they peeled off, said Preston Schlachter, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command & US Northern Command.

On a LiveATC recording, the fighter pilots can be heard discussing the Socata pilot's condition.

"I can see his chest rising and falling right before I left," one said.

"It was the first time we could see that he was actually breathing. It may be a deal where, depending on how fast they meet them, he may regain consciousness once the aircraft starts descending for fuel ..." the fighter pilot said.

The pilot was speculating that the Socata pilot was suffering from hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, but Schlachter said the Air Force doesn't know for certain that was the case.

Cases of pilots becoming unresponsive while their planes wander the sky are unusual, with probably not much more than a handful of such incidents over the last decade, said aviation safety expert John Goglia. They sometimes occur when a pilot becomes incapacitated by a heart attack or stroke, but more often the problem is insufficient cabin pressurization that causes the pilot to pass out, he said.

In 1999, the pilots of a Learjet carrying professional golfer Payne Stewart from Orlando, Florida, to Texas became unresponsive. The plane took a turn and wandered to South Dakota before running out of fuel and crashing into a field west of Aberdeen. Stewart and five others on board were killed. An NTSB investigation blamed the accident on depressurization.