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Centers for Disease Control advisory on possible Enterovirus D68 link to muscle weakness

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CDC investigating whether EV-D68 is contributing factor.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a health advisory to doctors, laboratories and hospitals, about a cluster of nine pediatric patients, in Colorado, being treated for muscle weakness, with a possible link to the respiratory illness, that, since August, has spread to nearly ever state.

The official CDC health advisory posted, on its network Sept. 26, states that "cerebrospinal fluid testing to date has been negative for West Nile virus and enteroviruses, including poliovirus." However, throat and nasal specimens "were positive for rhinovirus/enterovirus in six out of eight patients that were tested," and of "the six positive specimens, four were typed as EV-D68."

"The purpose of this HAN (Health Alert Network) Advisory is to provide awareness of this neurologic syndrome under investigation with the aim of determining if children with similar clinical and radiographic findings are being cared for in other geographic areas," the advisory reads.

It adds: "The United States is currently experiencing a nationwide outbreak of EV-D68 associated with severe respiratory disease. The possible linkage of this cluster of neurologic disease to this large EV-D68 outbreak is part of the current investigation."

This week, Enterovirus D68 was confirmed to be circulating in Massachusetts, with eight confirmed cases treated at Baystate Children's Hospital, and at least one confirmed in the Boston area. The current outbreak of this strain of enterovirus was first diagnosed, in the Midwest, and has primarily sent children, many with such underlying conditions, as asthma, to hospital emergency rooms for treatment of respiratory problems.

The CDC has confirmed a total of 277 cases, in 40 states, and the District of Columbia, of respiratory illness, caused by EV-D68. Hundreds of people have been treated with suspected cases, and doctors, including those in Massachusetts, have said treatment has been for viral infections of the respiratory tract. Such seasonal infections are not uncommon this time of year, though EV-D68, for unknown reasons, has caused particularly severe breathing problems, for some children, and landed them, in hospital and on ventilators. The death of a 4-year-old, in New Jersey, on Sept. 25, is being investigated, by the CDC, as possibly caused by EV-D68.

However, questions of the role of Enterovirus D68, in cases of muscle weakness and paralysis, in children, have been raised in previous years, in California, where it has been found in such children's spinal fluid. Doctors have theorized that, if there is a link, these children were infected with a large amount of the virus, or had immune systems less able to fight the virus, even with supportive treatment.

There is no vaccine for the virus, or specific anti-viral therapy. Continuous oxygen, IV-fluids, and asthma medications are among the treatments given. Most individuals infected do not require hospital treatment. Anyone can get the virus, though adults usually have immunity from previous exposure. Symptoms include cough, sneezing, rash, and muscle aches. The virus spreads through saliva, mucus and stool. Parents are advised to use proper hygiene, and to seek medical treatment if their child starts to wheeze and have visible difficulty breathing.

Enteroviruses are from a large family of viruses, responsible for a range of infections.


Missing woman found dead in Provincetown pond

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Police have not said if foul play is suspected.

PROVINCETOWN – State Police have found the body of a missing woman in Blackwater Pond Saturday morning.

Her death is now being investigated by the District Attorney for the Cape and Islands and the state police units attached to it. Police did not say if foul play is suspected in her death.

The woman, whose name has not been released, was reported missing shortly before 2 p.m. Friday. Troopers from the State Police Barracks in Yarmouth and a Sergeant from the Headquarters in Middleboro responded immediately to the area to assist in the search, according to police officials.

The Cape Cod Times is reporting the woman is 64 and from Barnstable. Her car was found abandoned in the Beech Forest parking lot and some of her belongings were found on the trail which leads to Blackwater Pond.

Troopers from the State Police Special Emergency Response Team, Dive Team and Dog teams were called out and dispatched to the area to assist in the search. The body of the woman discovered just after 9 a.m. Saturday.

UMass students and alumni celebrate Homecoming Day

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The Students and Alumni at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst had beautiful weather for the celebration of their first Homecoming Day in three years. The celebrations started with hordes of traffic followed by a parade lead by the Minuteman Marching band through downtown Amherst. The parking lots around McGuirk Stadium were filled to capacity with tailgate parties of student...

The Students and Alumni at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst had beautiful weather for the celebration of their first Homecoming Day in three years. The celebrations started with hordes of traffic followed by a parade lead by the Minuteman Marching band through downtown Amherst. The parking lots around McGuirk Stadium were filled to capacity with tailgate parties of student and Alumni alike and the smell of charcoal smoke mixed with hamburgers and hotdogs wafted through the crowds.

Iran-6 power nuclear talks turn into mostly Iran-US show

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Washington insists that the Iran-six power negotiations are alive and well. But with a deadline to a deal only eight weeks away, the U.S. is increasingly reshaping the talks it joined five years ago into a series of bilateral meetings with Iran as the two nations with the greatest stakes race to seal a deal -- and strengthen ties broken more than three decades ago.

UNITED NATIONS -- First there were three nations negotiating with Tehran over its nuclear program. Then six. And now, mostly one -- the United States.

Washington insists that the Iran-six power negotiations are alive and well. But with a deadline to a deal only eight weeks away, the U.S. is increasingly reshaping the talks it joined five years ago into a series of bilateral meetings with Iran as the two nations with the greatest stakes race to seal a deal -- and strengthen ties broken more than three decades ago.

The shift began in 2009 when the U.S. thawed its 30-year freeze on talking to Tehran -- in place since the Iranian revolution and siege of the American Embassy -- and joined other nations at the nuclear negotiating table.

It gathered steam with a series of secret U.S.-Iran nuclear meetings starting in 2012, and culminated with a 15-minute telephone conversation last year between the President Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani, Iran's newly elected president.

U.S. officials now regularly exchange phone calls and emails with their Iranian counterparts. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have met several times on the nuclear issue since last year, the latest during the current round of negotiations that ended Friday.

As those contacts grow, the two sides have begun discussing other issues.

A senior U.S. official said that every U.S.-Iran meeting during the current session has included conversation about the whereabouts of former FBI Agent Robert Levinson, journalist Jason Rezaian and other Americans missing or detained in Iran. The common threat posed by the Islamic State group of militants also was discussed, said the official, who declined to go into details and demanded anonymity in line with State Department custom.

Such developments hold the promise of expanded dialogue and slowly mending U.S.-Iranian ties, should the nuclear talks result in a deal by the Nov. 24 target date.

Former U.S. negotiator Gary Samore says that even when limited to the nuclear issue, the growing Iran-U.S negotiating axis is "an extremely good thing," because it streamlines the talks between the two main players, allowing them to advance more quickly.

Not all feel that way, according to three Western diplomats who demanded anonymity because the information is confidential. They said some delegation members from Western nations feel they have been sidelined as the U.S. role grows.

But Samore, who moved to Harvard's Belfer Center think tank last year but remains briefed on the progress of the talks, says that -- while America has taken the lead, "it's not true that the United States is hiding things from its allies. There are consultations back and forth."

The senior U.S. official acknowledged that "at times, Iran wants to sit down with us ... because we hold the lion's share of sanctions." At the same time, the official insisted teams from all nations involved in the talks were fully in the loop, meeting directly for extensive discussions with Tehran's negotiators and among themselves.

Asked if America had hijacked the talks, EU spokesman Michael Mann said they continue to be led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. Formally at least, she and others remain in the game.

With the latest round held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, foreign ministers of Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany met Iran's Zarif on the nuclear issue. Ashton, who was appointed to coordinate the talks, presided over one full meeting of the six nations plus Iran. She also met three times with Zarif and another three times with Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry over the eight-day round.

But Samore points to past nuclear talks between North Korea and six other nations in arguing for the strong U.S. role in the Iran negotiations.

Those, he says were done bilaterally between Washington and Pyongyang and presented to the other countries for ratification. He says multinational negotiations "are far too clumsy."

Samore agrees that the slowly opening diplomatic door has a chance of leading to slow U.S.-Iran reconciliation and ultimately even cooperation on issues such as a common front on countering IS. But he warns against undue expectations should the negotiations fail.

"Washington would be eager to continue talking," he says. "But I wouldn't be surprised if Iran decided to boycott and ban any further bilateral meetings."

Hinge nightclub bid to procure full liquor license opposed by Hamp Condo's Jeff Dwyer

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NORTHAMPTON — The manager of a condominium building located near Hinge nightclub at 48 Main Street has taken a public stand against the venue's bid to procure a full restaurant liquor license, saying staff and patrons create a noise problem which would only be made worse by hard alcohol.  At a License Commission hearing Tuesday, Jeff Dwyer, manager of Hamp Condos...

NORTHAMPTON — The manager of a condominium building located near Hinge nightclub at 48 Main Street has taken a public stand against the venue's bid to procure a full restaurant liquor license, saying staff and patrons create a noise problem which would only be made worse by hard alcohol. 

At a License Commission hearing Tuesday, Jeff Dwyer, manager of Hamp Condos at 24-34 Pleasant St., also questioned why he was not notified, as an abutter, of Hinge's intent to seek the license, as his building is separated from the back door of the nightclub — which currently has a food menu and serves beer and wine — by only a narrow alleyway.

Commissioners told Dwyer he wasn't notified of the hearing because he's not an actual abutter. The true abutter is the the City of Northampton, which owns the alleyway and adjacent back parking lot, said commissioners William Rosen and Elaine Reall.

Reall said the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission sets the rules for public hearings, that an applicant for a license must inform abutters, and that abutting properties are those which actually touch each other.

"Sending notice to a parking lot is silly," said Dwyer. "The ABCC would disagree," responded Reall. "Did Hinge fulfill their abutter notice to me?" pressed Dwyer. "Technically, yes," answered Reall.

Dwyer told commissioners Hinge creates an early-morning noise problem for residents of his building. The north wall of Hamp Condos, a two-story brick building with five retail and six residential units, is located about 12 feet away from the back door of Hinge.

Dwyer said the noise is particularly bad between 2 and 3 a.m., when bands "load out" at the club's back door. He said nightclub staff, musicians, and patrons gather in the alley to smoke, socialize loudly, and "who knows what else."

"Noise just ricochets down that alley," Dwyer told the License Commission. "It's a sound tunnel. I get phone calls."

Hinge, which offers live music and DJ dancing, is one of seven establishments vying for a for a rare, available full-pour restaurant alcohol license soon to be awarded by the city. The licensed was seized from businessman Eric Suher in May.

Because of a state quota system, there's a cap on the number of liquor licenses in Northampton; as a result, they are generally bought and sold on the private market. Recently, licenses have changed hands for $150,000 and $200,000.  In contrast, a city-issued license would require a $25 application fee, $200 to the ABCC, and a one-time $10,000 payment to convert the seasonal license to year-round status.  All licensees pay yearly renewal fees to the city, as well.

Representatives from the seven competing venues made presentations to the city's License Commission Monday and Tuesday; the winner is expected to be drawn at random Tues. Oct. 4 after any unqualified applicants are eliminated from the pool. A list of five criteria for applicants is posted on the city's website.

Hinge is co-owned by Brian Assaunt and Aaron Kater, partners since August in Healthy Karma LLC. Assaunt is manager-of-record for the venue's wine and beer license, but told commissioners Tuesday he plans to transfer the business — and full responsibility for the alcohol —to the 28-year-old Kater. Assaunt's name is on the current application for a full-alcohol license, even as Kater of 57 Buffam Rd. in Pelham introduced himself to commissioners as the "new owner of Hinge."

The three-story brick building housing Hinge at 48 Main St. is owned by Tushar Mody of Elmwood Park, New Jersey, records show.

Dwyer, during Tuesday's public comment session, argued that the venue should be disqualified from consideration, saying there are residential condos and apartments on all sides of the venue. "The place started out as a raw foods restaurant and somehow morphed into a nightclub," he said. He also said there have been "incidents on Main Street" involving police and Hinge patrons.

Dwyer said giving a full liquor license to Hinge would mean a quick transition from "glasses of beer and wine to jello and tequila shots."

Rosen came to the defense of Hinge, saying no matter what type of alcohol is served, the bar's owners must maintain an orderly premise and comply with the law. "The responsibilities are the same, no matter what type of alcohol is served," he said.

Assaunt agreed, asking Dwyer "What's the difference if someone has two shots or five beers?" Assaunt charged that Dwyer unfairly blames all late-night problems in the back alley on him, saying "Jeff insists every cigarette butt back there is from Hinge."

Assaunt acknowledged that the venue has had problems with noise and problematic guests in the past, but that those problems have been solved by keeping the back door and windows closed and instituting a dress code. Hinge would get rid of DJ nights under Kater's management, promised Assaunt. "Live music attracts a very different crowd," he said.

Dwyer said Assaunt has been unavailable to take phone calls and deal with problems at the bar, because he spends most of his time on Cape Cod. Kater, recognized to speak by the commission, promised to be an on-site manager.

During Kater's initial presentation (see Youtube video below), he outlined a vision that included a complete renovation, moving the elevator in the three-story venue, creating new bathrooms, doubling the size of the stage, installing a state-of-the-art sound system, and sound-proofing the building, all for about $65,000.

Dwyer accused Assaunt of "selling out to a new young man," and opined that Kater's estimate of $65,000 to renovate the space is unrealistically low.

Kater said he wished he were able to prove himself to Dwyer. He said he would be on the premises, would not let the back door open when bands are playing, and have musicians load in and out on Main Street at the building's front door, instead of out back in the shared parking lot.

Kater said it's good marketing and "creates buzz" when people see a band pull up on Main Street.

Establishments vying for the license are Treydon's Bar and Grill, proposed for the former Kathy's Diner at 6 Strong Ave.; Bistro Les Gras at 25 West St.; Sierra Grille at 41A Strong St.; Hinge nightclub at 48 Main St.; Ibiza Tapas at 7 Strong Ave.; Local Burger at 16 Main St.; and Sylvester's Restaurant at 111 Pleasant St.

Hinge has been the only venue of the seven to draw negative comment from a member of the public. The public hearing and formal comment period, which began last Monday, remains open, said Rosen. The commission meets again Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Chicopee City Council appoints Westfield solicitor to planning board

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Joshua Clark asked to withdraw his name from consideration saying he did not feel he had the experience to serve.

CHICOPEE - The City Council has appointed Westfield first city solicitor Brian J. Pearly to the planning board for a five-year term.

It also accepted the request by Joshua Clark, who asked to withdraw his name to be appointed to the board. In a letter to the board, Clark said he felt his lack of experience pushed him to withdraw but he said he would like to serve the city in another way.

The City Council approved Pearly’s appointment 13-0.

City Councilor James K. Tilloston called Pearly an excellent candidate who has experience in planning. Previously Pearly served as a program manager for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

He will fill a seat that has been vacant for some time.

Pilot uninjured after landing plane in Vermont field

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The fabric roof of the plane tore from the mounting making the plane difficult to control.

BASIN HARBOR, VT – The pilot of a small, privately-owned plane was forced to make an emergency landing Saturday after he started having problems controlling the aircraft.

Neither the pilot, Roger Teese, 73, of Charlotte, Vermont, nor his wife who was a passenger, were injured in the emergency landing that happened at about 2:15 p.m., said Vermont State Police Sgt. Stephen McNamara.

Teese had fueled his plane at the Middlebury Airport and was flying to the Basin Harbor Airport in Ferribsurgh, Vermont, which is west of Montpelier. He landed in a field near the Basin Harbor Airport, McNamara said.

Teese told police he was nearing the airport when the fabric roof over the top of the windshield on his 1958 Piper fixed wing prop plane became unsecured and was torn from the mounting. The damage made it difficult for him to control the plane.

Other than the torn fabric on the roof, the plane was undamaged. The incident remains under investigation by the Vermont State Police, McNamara said.

Hot air balloon lands on Interstate 91 in Whately

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Eventually the balloon was deflated and transported by vehicle.

WHATELY – A hot air balloon landed on Interstate 91 Sunday evening, after the pilot was having unknown mechanical problems.

The balloon landed at about 6:30 p.m. in the breakdown lane near Exit 23 on 91 northbound near the Routes 5 and 10 overpass, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Matthew Greaney said.

“There were very minor traffic issues,” he said. “The pilot was able to get the aircraft onto the side of the road.”

Eventually the balloon was deflated, folded up and transported off the highway by a vehicle, he said.

Greaney was unsure where the hot air balloon had launched or where it was heading.


Help wanted: Free lawyers for immigrant children

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Immigrants can have counsel in immigration courts, but lawyers are not guaranteed or provided at government expense. Having an attorney can make a big difference: While almost half of children with attorneys were allowed to remain in the country, only 10 percent of those without representation were allowed to stay, according to an analysis of cases through June by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

LOS ANGELES -- Most of the nearly 60,000 Central American children who have arrived on the U.S.-Mexico border in the last year still don't have lawyers to represent them in immigration court, and advocates are scrambling to train volunteer attorneys to help cope with the massive caseload.

With the number of unaccompanied immigrant children more than doubling this past fiscal year, the need for attorneys has surged, and it has been exacerbated by the immigration courts' decision to fast-track children's cases, holding initial hearings within a few weeks instead of months.

Immigrants can have counsel in immigration courts, but lawyers are not guaranteed or provided at government expense. Having an attorney can make a big difference: While almost half of children with attorneys were allowed to remain in the country, only 10 percent of those without representation were allowed to stay, according to an analysis of cases through June by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

Efforts are underway from White Plains, New York, to New Orleans to train attorneys at private law firms on the country's byzantine immigration laws and how to work with traumatized, Spanish-speaking children, many of whom are fleeing violence -- a far cry from the corporate clients most deal with on a daily basis.

"We're doing pretty well on finding willing lawyers. We've got to get them trained, we've got to get them matched to that child," said Reid Trautz, director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association's practice and professionalism center. "It just takes time."

Last month, Vice President Joe Biden urged lawyers to increase efforts to take on the children's cases. Since then, the cities of San Francisco and New York have each announced plans to allocate roughly $2 million to help provide more lawyers for unaccompanied minors. California has appropriated $3 million toward the effort.

About 800 immigration lawyers have signed up to volunteer on the cases, the immigration lawyers association said.

So have many other attorneys without any background in immigration law. They are being trained and paired with experienced immigration practitioners, who serve as mentors.

"We've had tax lawyers do this, corporate lawyers, real estate -- anybody can do it," said Ricardo Martinez-Cid, president of the Cuban American Bar Association, which started a program earlier this year to represent unaccompanied children in Miami.

Immigrant advocates say the efforts are working, but not as quickly as desired. Nonprofit organizations have been boosting staff, but there aren't enough experienced immigration lawyers to take on the cases or to mentor volunteers. Nor is there enough long-term funding for cases that can take more than a year to resolve, they said.

"It is very much a triage situation, and it is very, very frustrating because you know when someone calls and you turn them away, it is very unlikely they'll find counsel," said Judy London, directing attorney of the immigrants' rights project at Los Angeles-based Public Counsel.

Some children will apply for green cards under a federal program for abused and abandoned children, while others who came fleeing violence in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala are seeking asylum.

One of the biggest challenges for volunteer lawyers is getting clients to open up about their lives when they have been beaten, raped or seen friends and family killed.

Three of the 30 children whose cases are being handled by Public Counsel have a history of suicide attempts or risk of suicide, London said. Most children are not going to feel comfortable walking into a fancy law firm and would probably run from the building, she said, unless an attorney meets the child outside and walks jointly through the door.

Jack Ross, an attorney in Southern California, said he met with a 16-year-old client four times before he told his full story. The boy, who arrived in the country two years ago, fled years of violence from his father and a police department that refused to protect him, he said.

"It's some of the most compelling legal work you can do, because the stakes are so high," said Ross, who represents hospitals and care providers in negligence claims and contract disputes. "You become so emotionally invested in the client, their well-being is really at the forefront of everything, and that doesn't happen a lot in law."

Before the recent influx of unaccompanied children, only about half were represented, said Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defense, a nonprofit that pairs volunteer lawyers with children. She could not say how many children now have lawyers, but said certainly fewer than before.

Advocates have sued to demand the government provide the children with attorneys at the government's expense. The lawsuit is pending before a judge in Seattle.

They say children with representation are more likely to attend their court hearings.

This week, the Homeland Security Department acknowledged that tens of thousands of young families caught on the border failed to meet with federal immigration agents as instructed. A spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said she could not say whether they attended court hearings on their cases.

At a recent immigration court hearing in Los Angeles, most of the 19 children whose cases were scheduled showed up. Seven had attorneys. Others were accompanied by a relative, as the judge reviewed their names and ages.

Their guardians were given a handout with a list of low-cost legal service providers and told to return in December with a lawyer.

Hillary Clinton's likely candidacy stirs anguish, hope among religious conservatives at summit

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The prospect of another Clinton White House stirred anguish at the Voters Value Summit this weekend.

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Rodham Clinton is the one figure uniting religious conservatives frustrated by a leaderless Republican Party that's divided over foreign policy, immigration and social issues.

The prospect of another Clinton White House stirred anguish at the Voters Value Summit this weekend where hundreds of conservative activists debated the GOP's future and warned that the acknowledged but unannounced 2016 Democratic front-runner would cement what they see as President Barack Obama's attack on religious freedom.

"Never forget she will be Barack Obama's third and fourth term as president of the United States," Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, an unsuccessful GOP presidential candidate in 2012, said Friday night.

She was among the high-profile Republicans, including past and prospective White House contenders, at the annual conference attended by some of the most prominent social conservatives and hosted by the Family Research Council, well known for its opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.

This year's gathering expanded its focus to religious freedom -- or the persecution of Christians and their values at home and abroad. It was a message that GOP officials hope will help unify a fractured party and appeal to new voters ahead of November's elections and the next presidential contest.

But it was Clinton's name that was as much a rallying cry as the theme of religious liberty.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a prospective presidential candidate, challenged Clinton to "spend a day debating" the Denver nuns who run nursing homes for the poor, called the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged, and have challenged the Obama health law's requirement that some religious-affiliated organizations provide insurance that includes birth control.



Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a once and perhaps future contender, described Clinton as "tenacious."

"She's got all the skills and would be an incredibly formidable candidate," Huckabee told reporters, suggesting that Clinton is politically vulnerable. "She's got to go out and defend Barack Obama and her record in the first four years she was secretary of state."

Clinton would be the overwhelming favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination, while the GOP's field is large and lacks a clear front-runner. Two GOP establishment favorites, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, were not invited to the conference.

As he did last year, Cruz won the summit's symbolic presidential preference straw poll with 25 percent of the vote, followed by conservative firebrand Ben Carson and Huckabee. Clinton earned one vote among more than 900 cast, although Family Research Council president Tony Perkins joked that even Mickey Mouse would have gotten a vote if listed on the ballot.

He said religious liberty "slipped as a priority" under Clinton's leadership at the State Department as she pursued a liberal agenda "in complete contrast to what values voters care about."

"She's going to have a more difficult time this go around than she did last time," Perkins said.

A CNN poll this summer found that four different would-be Republican candidates earned between 10 percent and 15 percent of support from self-identified conservatives: Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Cruz and Huckabee. The same poll found that 73 percent of conservatives said Clinton doesn't generally agree with them on issues they care about.

"I think the hype will be, 'Let's elect the first woman president,'" said Tina Henold, who was at the summit and has home-schooled her three children in Toledo, Ohio, for 24 years. "We need to get away from hype and get more substance."

Like many others at the gathering, Henold said Clinton's history and her handling of the 2012 attack on the U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, in which four Americans were killed, would hurt her chances.

Republicans contend that Obama and Clinton, as secretary of state, misled the public about the nature of the attack and could have saved lives if they had quickly mobilized the U.S. military.

"Mrs. Clinton, you're not going to get a free ride on this," said Gary Bauer, founder of the Campaign for Working Families and a presidential candidate in 2000. "You can't implement the policies and then run as if you were opposed to the policies. We're going to call you out."

Democrats have branded a special House panel investigating Benghazi as a right-wing effort to harm a potential Clinton presidential campaign. They reject notions that U.S. forces were ordered to "stand down" during the attack or that Clinton played a direct role in security decisions.

Lillian Kjellman, a freshman at Liberty University who attended the conference, said there was too much controversy surrounding Clinton and questioned whether she could to present a fresh message to the public after more than two decades in the public eye.

"I don't think she could win," she said.

Police: 15 hurt in Miami nightclub shooting, including 11-year-old girl

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At least three of those hurt were transferred to a pediatric unit.

MIAMI (AP) -- Fifteen people have been wounded in a shooting that sent terrified patrons scrambling from a Miami nightclub early Sunday, police said, adding the youngest victim is 11 years old.

When Miami police and rescue crews arrived at a club called The Spot around 1 a.m., they said they found chaos among the large throng of adults and teenagers gathered there. Rescuers found wounded people inside and outside the club, reporting some were too hurt to flee. At least one person was reported in critical condition but the extent of the other injuries wasn't immediately known.

Some people were running, "people were screaming, people were saying they were shot," Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll told The Associated Press.

One male was found unresponsive and not breathing when emergency responders arrived. Five girls between 11 and 17 years old also suffered gunshot wounds, Carroll said.

Details were sparse in the hours after the shooting as investigators were seeking to piece together what happened.

"The investigators are still interviewing witnesses. They're going from hospital to hospital," police spokeswoman Frederica Burden told AP.

She said it was not immediately clear who or how many fired weapons and what prompted the gunfire.

"What was very surprising to the responders was that these were kids that were out at 1 o'clock in the morning in a club and this type of violence took place where a bunch of kids were gathering ... it's very disturbing to see that," Carroll said.

At least three of those hurt were transferred to a pediatric unit.

A spokeswoman for Jackson Memorial Hospital said she did not have permission from the victims to release their conditions.

Authorities said they are investigating what type of club The Spot is and why so many underage children were there.

"Was it a private party, was it open to the public, that's what we're trying to figure out," said Officer Burden.

Fire Rescue officials will also follow up with the venue to determine whether it's a teen club, whether it's licensed as a club for regular gatherings or whether this was an informal event, Carroll said.

A phone number for the club was out of service.

Candidate for governor Martha Coakley visits Big E, discusses Springfield debate

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The Big E ends its 17-day run today.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley paid a visit to the Big E on its final day Sunday.

Coakley said she loves meeting with vendors and the many people who make the Big E a success every year.

"I'm excited to be here at the Big E," she said. "Having grown up in northern Berkshire County I know what an important role this plays. I was just talking to the (Eastern States Exposition) president and we have a 100 year anniversary coming up in two years. What a great opportunity to showcase the great history of not just Massachusetts but all six states and being able to plan for smart farming and making sure we grow our economy," she said.

Coakley will be in Springfield tomorrow for a debate at CityStage. She said she hopes people will be able to see the differences between her and her Republican opponent Charlie Baker.

"I want people to contrast the two visions that I and my Republican opponent have for Massachusetts," she said. " Mine is one that focuses on a regional economic development plan that will allow for our academic and political and non-profit and business leaders to grow, particularly around Springfield, the kind of economy that works for us," she said.

Coakley said when elected she hopes to focus on early education, earned sick time, and make sure women have access to good healthcare.

Coakley got a tour of the Massachusetts House from building manager Mary Jordan who told her about the great things happening in agriculture and business throughout the state.

Coakley met with several vendors including a stop at Thorndike Mills braided rugs in Palmer. She also stopped to chat with the Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association.

All five gubernatorial candidates will debate in Springfield at 7 p.m. tomorrow night.

Ferguson police officer shot; cops deny link to Michael Brown shooting protests

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Authorities searched Sunday for two men suspected of shooting and wounding a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, the St. Louis suburb where there have been angry protests since a white officer fatally shot an unarmed 18-year-old black man last month.

FERGUSON, Missouri -- Authorities searched Sunday for two men suspected of shooting and wounding a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, the St. Louis suburb where there have been angry protests since a white officer fatally shot an unarmed 18-year-old black man last month.

Although there were two separate protests about the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown happening around the time the officer was shot Saturday night, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said he didn't think they were related in any way to the attack on the officer.

The men fled when the officer approached them at around 9 p.m. because the community center they were standing outside of was closed, Belmar said at a news conference early Sunday. When the officer gave chase, one of the men turned and shot him in the arm, he said.

Belmar said the officer is expected to survive, but he didn't identify the officer or give further details about his condition. He said the officer returned fire, but that police have no indication that either suspect was shot.

The shooting comes amid simmering tension between many community members and the police in Ferguson, where two-thirds of the residents are black, but only three of the city's 53 police officers are African-American. The shooting of Brown and police response to the protests stoked a national discourse about police tactics and race

At around midnight Saturday, about two dozen officers stood near a group of about 100 protesters who mingled on a street corner, occasionally shouting, "No justice, no peace." By Sunday afternoon, the streets of Ferguson were quiet, with no visible signs of police or protesters.

Police had closed part of a nearby street as helicopters and officers from several law enforcement agencies canvassed the area in search of the two suspects.

Earlier Saturday, Brown's parents told The Associated Press that they were unmoved by a videotaped apology released days earlier by Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson, whose attempt to march with protesters Thursday sparked a clash that led to several arrests.

When asked whether Jackson should be fired, Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, said he should be. Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., said rather than an apology, they would like Darren Wilson, the officer who shot their son, to be arrested.

A county grand jury is weighing whether to indict Wilson in Brown's shooting.

The Justice Department, which is investigating whether Brown's civil rights were violated, is conducting a broader probe into the Ferguson police department. On Friday, it urged Jackson to ban his officers from wearing bracelets supporting Wilson while on duty and from covering up their name plates with black tape.

Ferguson residents complained about the bracelets, which are black with "I am Darren Wilson" in white lettering, at a meeting with federal officials a few days ago.

Also early Sunday, not far from Ferguson, an off-duty St. Louis city police officer was injured on Interstate 70 when three suspects fired shots into his personal vehicle, a police spokeswoman said.

Schron Jackson said the officer, who has nearly 20 years of experience, was being treated at a hospital for a minor injury to his arm from broken glass. She said there is no reason to believe the two shootings were related.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon expressed sympathy for the injured officers in a conference call Sunday from Afghanistan with reporters from Missouri. He described the violence as "a challenge for everyone."

US misjudged Iraqi army, militants' threat, Obama says in '60 Minutes' interview

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Obama said in an interview airing Sunday that he agrees with intelligence leaders who believe the United States not only underestimated the threat of militants seeking to form the Islamic State group but also overestimated the ability and will of the Iraqi army to fight.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama acknowledged that U.S. intelligence agencies underestimated the threat from Islamic State militants and overestimated the ability and will of Iraq's army to fight.

Questioning Obama's strategy to destroy the group, House Speaker John Boehner said the U.S. may have "no choice" but to send in American troops if the mix of U.S.-led airstrikes and a ground campaign reliant on Iraqi forces, Kurdish fighters and soon-to-be trained Syrian rebels fails to achieve that goal.

Boehner, in an interview broadcast Sunday, did agree with the White House that Obama had the power to order airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, but said he believes Congress should consider a resolution authorizing the use of force for this specific mission.

Boehner, R-Ohio, said he would bring lawmakers back to Washington -- they are not set to return until after the Nov. 4 election -- if Obama were to seek such a resolution.

Obama described the U.S. intelligence assessments in response to a question during a CBS "60 Minutes" interview that was airing Sunday night. He was asked about how Islamic State fighters had come to control so much territory in Syria and Iraq and whether it was a surprise to him.

The president said that during the Iraq war, U.S. military forces with the help of Iraq's Sunni tribes were able to quash al-Qaida fighters, who went "back underground."

"During the chaos of the Syrian civil war, where essentially you have huge swaths of the country that are completely ungoverned, they were able to reconstitute themselves and take advantage of that chaos," Obama said, according to an excerpt release before the show aired.

He noted that his director of national intelligence, James Clapper, has acknowledged that the U.S. "underestimated what had been taking place in Syria." Obama also said it was "absolutely true" that the U.S. overestimated the ability and will of the Iraqi army.

The Obama administration has cited its intelligence weaknesses before.

At an August news conference, he said "there is no doubt" that the Islamic State group's advance "has been more rapid than the intelligence estimates" suggested it would be.

U.S. intelligence agencies, he said, did not have "a full appreciation of the degree to which the Iraqi security forces, when they're far away from Baghdad, did not have the incentive or the capacity to hold ground against an aggressive adversary."

At an intelligence conference this month, National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers expressed regret that his agency had not been "a little stronger" in tracking the Islamic State's shift "from an insurgency to an organization that was now focused on holding ground, territory, the mechanism of governance."

Obama called Syria ground zero for jihadis around the world, and said military force was necessary to shrink their capacity, cut off financing and eliminate the flow of foreign fighters.

He had been less adamant about the threat in the past. In an interview published early this year by The New Yorker, Obama appeared to minimize the Islamic State group militants by comparing it to a junior varsity basketball team. The White House at the time said he was speaking about a different threat posed by a range of extremists across the world.

The White House pushed back against Boehner's comments on ABC's "This Week" about the potential need for American ground troops to confront the militants.

Asked whether he would recommend sending in Americans if no one else was able to step up, Boehner said, "We have no choice. These are barbarians. They intend to kill us. And if we don't destroy them first, we're going to pay the price."

But Obama's deputy national security adviser, Tony Blinken, said the country would not see a repeat of the Iraq war.

"Hundreds of thousands of Americans on the ground in the Middle East getting bogged down, that's exactly what al-Qaida wants," Blinken said. "That's not what we're going to do."

Hartford police investigating city's 11th homicide this year after man shot dead in North End

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Authorities have yet to release the identity of the victim, who was pronounced dead at the shooting scene near the corner of Albany Avenue and Garden Street.

HARTFORD — Police are investigating Hartford's 11th homicide of the year after a man was gunned down in the city's North End early Sunday.

The fatal shooting follows a Sept. 12 killing in the city's Frog Hollow neighborhood.

Sunday's homicide happened about 1 a.m. near a gas station/convenience store at the corner of Albany Avenue and Garden Street, according to news reports.

Police have yet to release a motive for the crime or the identity of the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information about the fatal shooting is asked to call the Hartford Police Department at (860) 757-4089.

Although Connecticut's capital typically finishes the year with more murders than Springfield, the City of Homes has recorded a dozen homicides this year so far, outpacing Hartford's homicide rate.


Material from the Associated Press, the Hartford Courant and WFSB.com was used in this report.


MAP showing approximate location of Hartford homicide No. 11:



Vermont authorities investigating animal cruelty case involving horse killed by arrow

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The horse died after suffering a severe wound to its hind quarters from an arrow, Vermont State Police Sgt. Andrew Jensen said.

BARTON, Vt. — Authorities are investigating an animal-cruelty case involving a horse that was fatally shot by an arrow in the Orleans County town of Barton.

At some point late Friday night into early Saturday morning, someone "either mistakenly or purposefully" shot Patricia Russell's horse with an arrow,said Vermont State Police Sgt. Andrew W. Jensen, patrol commander at the Derby barracks.

The 64-year-old Barton woman called State Police after she found one of her horses dead in the pasture next to her Hollow Road home. The animal sustained a "severe wound on its hind quarters," Jensen said.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Vermont State Police barracks in Derby (802) 334-8881.

Nusra Front leader warns of revenge for U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria

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The leader of al-Qaida's Syria affiliate vowed Sunday that his group would "use all possible means" to fight back against airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition and warned that the conflict would reach Western countries joining the alliance.

BEIRUT -- The leader of al-Qaida's Syria affiliate vowed Sunday that his group would "use all possible means" to fight back against airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition and warned that the conflict would reach Western countries joining the alliance.

The U.S. views the affiliate, known as the Nusra Front, as a terrorist group, but Syrian rebels have long seen it as a potent ally against both the Islamic State extremist group -- which is the main target of the coalition -- and Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces.

Syrian rebels, activists and analysts have warned that targeting the Nusra Front will inject more chaos into the Syrian conflict and indirectly help Assad by striking one of his main adversaries. The U.S. insists it wants Assad to step down, but is not targeting his forces, which are best placed to benefit from the airstrikes.

In a 25-minute audio recording, Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani portrayed the U.S.-led coalition as a "Crusader alliance" against Sunni Muslims and vowed to fight back.

"We will use all that we have to defend the people of Syria...from the Crusader alliance," al-Golani said. "And we will use all possible means to achieve this end," he said, without offering more details.

He went on to warn Western countries against taking part in the alliance in words that echoed those of the late founder of al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden.

"This is what will cause the battle to be transported to the hearts of your own homes; because Muslims will not stand idly by and watch Muslims be bombed and killed in their countries, while you are safe on your countries. The price of war will not be paid by your leaders alone. You will pay the biggest price," he said.

The recording appeared genuine and corresponded with Associated Press reporting.

The United States and five Arab allies launched an air campaign against Islamic State fighters in Syria on Tuesday with the aim of ultimately crushing the extremist group, which has created a proto-state spanning the Syria-Iraq border. The U.S. has been carrying out airstrikes against the group in neighboring Iraq since August.

Some of the initial strikes targeted the Nusra Front, hitting several of its facilities and killing dozens of its fighters. Washington said it was trying to take out an al-Qaida cell known as the Khorasan Group that was actively plotting attacks against Americans and Western interests.

Syrian rebels have expressed anger at the coalition airstrikes, both because they have targeted the Nusra Front -- which they see as an ally -- and because they are not hitting pro-government forces, which are the best placed to benefit from any rolling back of the Islamic State group. The Nusra Front's ultimate goal is to impose Islamic law in Syria. But unlike the Islamic State group, it has fought alongside other rebel groups, seeing the overthrow of Assad as its first priority.

Al-Golani warned the airstrikes would weaken the rebels.

"Those of our men who were targeted in the shelling... the effect of their loss will be witnessed by the entire conflict, not just on the (Nusra) Front alone."

The Nusra Front leader also warned other rebel groups not to coordinate with the U.S.-led alliance. Washington has promised to arm and train more Syrian rebels to help fight the Islamic State group.

The al-Golani speech came hours after the group's spokesman warned that Muslims would attack countries taking part in the coalition air raids.

The Islamic State group -- an al-Qaida breakaway faction rejected by the global terror network -- controls a vast tract of land stretching from the Turkish border in northern Syria to the western outskirts of Baghdad, where it has declared a self-styled caliphate ruled by its brutal version of Islamic law. Its aggressive push across Iraq over the summer spurred the U.S. to form a coalition against the group.

On Sunday, explosions lit the sky for two hours in the northern Syrian town of Tel Abyad as airstrikes, likely by the coalition, targeted a refinery operated by the militant group, said an eyewitness and activists.

"Our building was shaking and we saw fire, some 60 meters (65 yards) high, coming from the refinery," said Turkish businessman Mehmet Ozer, who lives in the nearby Turkish border town of Akcakale.

The Turkish news agency Dogan said the strikes targeted an oil refinery and the local headquarters of the Islamic State group. U.S. Central Command, which is overseeing the air campaign, did not immediately comment on the strikes.

The U.S.-led coalition has been targeting Islamic State-held oil installations across Syria, aiming to cripple the group's finances. The group is believed to earn some $3 million a day from selling smuggled oil on the black market as well as kidnapping and extortion.

The coalition includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan. Several European countries also are contributing to U.S. efforts to strike the Islamic State group in Iraq, including France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Britain.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 19 civilians have been killed so far in coalition strikes in Syria. Most recently, six oil workers in the far northeast province of Hassakeh were killed overnight, said the Observatory, which obtains information from a network of activists on the ground.

Overall, some 190,000 people have been killed in Syria's three-year conflict, and nearly one-half of the country's pre-war population of 23 million people has been displaced.

Jennifer Lopez, her children and Leah Remini hit in minor car crash

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Los Angeles county Sheriff's Sgt. Philip Brooks says Remini was driving Lopez's SUV at about 8 p.m. Saturday and stopped at a traffic light near the 22700 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

MALIBU, Calif. -- Authorities say an SUV carrying actress Leah Remini and singer Jennifer Lopez and her two kids, was rear-ended by a suspected drunken driver who then fled the scene.

Los Angeles county Sheriff's Sgt. Philip Brooks says Remini was driving Lopez's SUV at about 8 p.m. Saturday and stopped at a traffic light near the 22700 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Their vehicle was rear-ended by a pickup truck. No one was injured.

The drivers got out of their vehicles to assess the minor damage and were about to exchange information when the man got into his truck and drove off.

Deputies stopped him a short distance away. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of drunken driving and hit and run.

Brooks didn't have the man's name. TMZ first reported the crash.

Photos: The Big E ended Sunday with another great run with unique foods, top-notch entertainment and good family fun

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WEST SPRINGFIELD - The 2014 run of The Big E ended on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the Eastern States Exposition. Teen group, Emblem 3 is the season's last musical act scheduled to perform at the xfinity Arena. The show is free with admission to the fair.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The 2014 run of The Big E ended on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the Eastern States Exposition.

Teen group, Emblem 3 is the season's last musical act scheduled to perform at the xfinity Arena. The show is free with admission to the fair.

Caius Veiovis trial and guilty verdict: What People are Tweeting

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Caius Veiovis was convicted of three counts of murder Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – After six days of deliberations a Hampden Superior Court jury Friday found Caius Veiovis guilty of first-degree murder in the 2011 killings of three Pittsfield men.

The conviction for killing and dismembering David Glasser, Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. He was also convicted of three counts of kidnapping and three counts of intimidation of a witness.

Veiovis, 34, of Pittsfield, was the third man to be convicted in the deaths of the three men. In earlier trials Adam Lee Hall, 37, of Peru and David Chalue, 47, of North Adams were convicted of murder and are serving life in prison. All three co-defendants were tried separately.

The trial for Veiovis began Sept. 5 and the closing arguments were held Sept. 19.

After the verdicts were read, Veiovis yelled at members of the jury as they were led from the courtroom: "I'll see you all in hell, remember that, every f[..]ing one of you. I'll see you all in hell."

This is what some people Tweeted about the trial and verdict.

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