WGBY will distribute books to children at the MassMutual Center this evening.

Below is a list of announcements regarding resources and tornado relief efforts we've received in the newsroom so far on Friday, June 10.

If you know of a resource that should be added to this list -- or to the map at the bottom of this post -- please post a comment or email online@repub.com.

The United Way is coordinating volunteer efforts. Call 2-1-1 for information.

Call ahead before heading out to a donation center, to make sure that location is still accepting donations. And, avoid scams: check the Better Business Bureau charity guide before donating.

EVENTS / ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 10

Book distribution at MassMutual Center
WGBY and the Latino Youth Media Institute / Project TOLD will be distributing books at the MassMutual Center’s shelter on Friday starting at 5:30pm to children affected by the tornado.

Food Bank to hold Friday food distribution
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts will hold a food distribution for tornado victims Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Revival Time Church, 132 Florence Street, Springfield. They're currently seeking donations of toiletries to distribute, too. Find contact information at their website.

West Springfield Church of Christ to hold Saturday distribution
From Minister Gareth D. Flanary:

On Saturday, June 11 at 11:00 AM, the West Springfield Church of Christ, 61 Upper Church Street, West Springfield, MA 01089 will be distributing relief supplies to those affected by the tornado.

The supplies include – non-perishable food boxes for a family of four… infant care boxes… personal care boxes… cleaning supplies… outdoor clean-up supplies…sheets… pillows… etc.

Call 736-1006 for more information… or to leave a message.

Volunteers needed for tornado cleanup at Wilbraham Children's Museum
The Wilbraham Children’s Museum, located at 678 Main Street, is looking for volunteers with chainsaws to help clear trees and branches from their playground Saturday at 10 a.m. Read Suzanne McLaughlin's article here.

Holyoke to host June 14 collection
Holyoke will hold a city-wide collection of items for tornado victims in the City Hall parking lot on June 14, 2011, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Items collected will be donated to the Friends of the Homeless Resource Center located on Worthington Street in Springfield. Items requested include: Paper cups; Paper plates; Napkins; Paper towels; Tissues; Toilet paper; Copy paper; New socks; New T-shirts; New underwear; Flip Flops

Non-perishable food items will also be accepted and delivered to temporary shelters in Springfield. Suggested items are: Canned pasta with pull-tab tops; Bottled juices; Canned fruit with pull-tab tops; Gatorade/Sports Drinks; Powdered drink mixes; Granola Bars; Coffee; Sugar; Non-dairy creamer; Baby Formula

Monetary donations also be accepted. For more information, contact the Mayor’s office at 322-5510 or the City Solicitor’s office at 322-5580.

"Monson Unites" shirts available starting Tuesday
Posted by Laura Sauriol to the Monson Tornado Watch 2011 Facebook page: OFFICIAL "MONSON UNITES" T-Shirts Will be available for $20 starting Tuesday at Monson Savings Bank and at The First Church of Monson!

ONGOING RESOURCES / REQUESTS

Mass.gov launches tornado recovery resource page
Mass.gov's tornado recovery page includes information on storm assistance centers, rebuilding resources, consumer information, and how to help.

Catholic Charities establishes donation center
Donation center established at St. Francis Chapel, 254 Bridge St., Springfield, open Tuesday and Thursday, through July 7, also by appointment, call (413) 733-9298; needs include lamps, dishes, flatware, cups, glassware, small kitchen appliances, pots and pans, linens, blankets, towels, toiletries for adults and children, spring and summer clothing, including undergarments and sleepwear, all sizes, diapers, baby food, formula, non-perishable food supplies; also accepting volunteers and funds to assist displaced victims and aid other agencies like Red Cross and Salvation Army; more information available online, www.diospringfield.org or email inquiries to tornadorelief@diospringfield.org.

Holyoke Mall accepting donations on behalf of Springfield Rescue Mission
People may donate the following items at the customer service center, located on the lower level near Sears:

• Non-perishable food / beverages: Bottled Water, Ice Tea Mix, Lemonade Mix, Bread, Peanut Butter, Jelly / Jam, Sugar


• Paper / other kitchen goods: Sandwich baggies, plates, cups, napkins, paper towels, plastic flatware


• Clean-up needs: Work gloves, Kitchen gloves (powderless), Heavy duty kitchen bags (40-45 gallon size), Hand sanitizer packets or wipes, Sunblock, Bug spray


• Clothing: New underwear (men, women and children), New Socks (men, women and children), New t-shirts (men size large and XL). Note: The Rescue Mission is in "desperate need" of women's new underwear and new socks. 


• Toiletries: Toothbrushes / toothpaste, soap and body wash, deodorant, lip balm, shampoo / conditioner, brushes / combs, tissues, hand / body lotion, baby power, disposable razors, shaving cream.


• Gift cards for gas and food: Gift cards will be accepted to distribute to those living in crisis and to assist the Mission.

Council of Churches of Greater Springfield lists donation / distribution sites
The Council of Churches of Greater Springfield has set up a tornado relief page listing donation and distribution sites. Basilica of the Holy Apostles at 339 State Street in Springfield is accepting large furniture items, food, clothing and other large donations, and a "show room' will be set up at the church to facilitate pick-up.

Salvation Army offers vouchers for clothing purchases
Today, the Salvation Army will be distributing vouchers that tornado victims may use to purchase clothing at Salvation Army retail stores, said Maj. Linda Perks. Victims may claim vouchers at 170 Pearl Street from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Perks said the Salvation Army is accepting clothing donations at 327 Liberty Street. Donations of food, toiletries and water may be made at 170 Pearl Street.

Center for Human Development seeks donations
From Chris Yurko, communications director:

CHD’s Diversion, Shelter & Housing program is collecting household items, furniture, canned foods, dry goods, and other items that will be distributed to individuals and families displaced by the June 1 tornado in the West Springfield, Springfield, Wilbraham, and Monson areas. Items needed in new or “like new” condition:

Kitchen supplies (silverware, plates, bowls, cups, etc), towels (large and small) canned foods, dry goods, bedding (sheets, comforters, pillows), bed frames (twin and full), mattresses (new), pots & pans, lamps, flash lights/batteries, toiletries (toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene, etc.), cleaning supplies (paper towels, disinfectant, sponges, mops, brooms, etc.)

Please deliver to CHD PACE School, 69 Capital Drive, West Springfield, MA, or contact: Rose Evans at (413) 737-2679 (office), (413) 519-5468 (cell), revans@chd.org (email) or Jane Banks at (413) 737-2679 (office), (413) 575-7402 (cell), jbanks@chd.org (email).

Monetary donations and / or gift cards to any local Springfield area business that carries listed items will also be accepted and used to assist tornado victims. Please send monetary donations and/or gift cards to: CHD Development Office, 332 Birnie Ave. Springfield, MA 01107.

Uno restaurants, Taste of the Valley donating to tornado relief efforts
Through June 10, all Uno Chicago Grill restaurants in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island will donate 10% of their profits to the Pioneer Valley Red Cross.

West Springfield's Taste of the Valley event, which runs today (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) through Sunday will be donating 100% of its proceeds to local tornado relief efforts.

Rocky's Ace Hardware stores to hold fundraiser on Tuesday, June 14
From a press release:

On Tuesday June 14th10% of all product sales at Massachusetts Rocky’s Ace Hardware Stores will be donated to assist Western Massachusetts Tornado Victims. Please help make a difference in the lives of those affected! Cash donations will also be accepted.

FEMA, MEMA offer new ways to donate and volunteer
From MEMA public information officer Peter Judge:

Those wishing to make monetary donations to assist the most impacted individuals can contribute to the Massachusetts Statewide Disaster Relief Fund. This effort, hosted by the United Way of Tri-County can be found online at www.unitedwaytri-county.org/disaster. These funds will then be distributed in the form of grants to meet the needs of individuals and families through long-term recovery groups recognized by the Massachusetts Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MAVOAD).
Members of the public interested in volunteering their time/skills or wishing to donate products/ equipment are encouraged to do so by using the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Donation’s Management System at http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/FEMA/.

Springfield seeks landlords with vacant housing units
From the mayor's office:

In an effort to help the victims of the tornado, Attorney Lisa DeSousa from the City’s Law Department – Housing Division, is urgently requesting any landlords who have available rental units to contact the Office of Housing at (413) 787-6500 or email Lizzie Malave at lmalave@springfieldcityhall.com.

Relief fund established for Monson
The Monson Arts Council reports that a relief fund for Monson has been established at Monson Savings Bank. Checks can be made out to: Make check out to Monson Savings Bank, Monson Tornado Relief, 146 Main St., Monson, MA 01057.

The Arts Council also notes: "Donations and volunteers can help at First Church, 5 Main St; Glendale Methodist Church, Main St; or St Patrick church. All clothing is being taking in at St Patrick's, The First Church and Glendale are providing hot/cold food and drinks. They both have non-perishable items for the tornado victims."

And, debris pick-up information from Kathleen Conley Norbut, Emergency Management Director:

The Board of Selectmen has contracted with Ash Britt Environmental to begin debris collection and removal from the storm beginning on Tuesday, June 7, 2011.

Regular trash pick-up resumes June 6, 2011.

Residents are asked to separate disaster debris and place vegetative debris only in piles at the curb in the public right-of-way, not on private property and NOT IN THE STREET.

Stimulations Learning Center in Monson distributing toys, school supplies and more
Stimulations Learning Center has been collecting and distributing toys, books, outdoor equipment, school and art supplies, baby items, games, puzzles and other items for children and families. Pick-up times are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.

The center is also seeking donations of large boxes, masking tape and storage space.

Phone: 413 267-4716 and 413 267-0558

Open Pantry offers food and clothing
From the website of the United Way, a list of resources offered by Open Pantry Community Services [main phone: (413) 737-5354]:

• Emergency Food Pantry: Our emergency food pantry is open Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and Friday from 9:00AM-3:00PM. We are waiving the intake process for all tornado survivors. Special boxes will be prepared with ready to eat foods and toiletry items. We are located at 2460 Main Street, Springfield.


• People's Center: The People's Center provides free clothing to those in need. We are open Monday through Friday 10:00AM-2:00PM. On Tuesday June 7, the People's Center will be open only to those affected by the tornado. In addition we will distributing ready to eat food and hygiene products out of 287 State Street (3rd Floor) from 9:00AM-5:00PM.


• Loaves and Fishes Kitchen: We provide two meals a day at 12:00PM and 5:00PM. We are at Christ Church Cathedral Monday through Friday, South Congregational on Saturday and Sunday at Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist.

Red Cross seeks translators
From the website of the Pioneer Valley Chapter: The American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter currently has a need for specialized translators -- if you are trained in the following: Napalese, Arabic, Burmese, Russian or Spanish -- please report to the Pioneer Valley Chapter at 506 Cottage St., Springfield and ask for Paula W.

Donations to the Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter may be sent to 506 Cottage St., Springfield, 01104. Phone (413) 737-4306. Donations also can be made online at http://www.redcrosscwm.org/.

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society offers temporary pet care
Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, located at 171 Union Street in Springfield, is offering temporary care for pets owned by residents displaced by the tornado. Dakin will house and provide care for pets for 5 days. Phone: (413) 781-4000.

Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center offers services for stray animals, search and rescue
Residents can contact the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center for "field services" (search and rescue) involving animals, or if they find stray cats and dogs. The center is located at 627 Cottage Street. Phone: (413) 781-1484.

Friendship Baptist Church in Brimfield offers relief for tornado victims
Brimfield's Friendship Baptist Church, located at 9 East Brimfield / Holland Road, is coordinating chainsaw crews to help residents clear downed trees and limbs from their property. To schedule a crew, call (860) 961-0513. Crews are currently operating between Sturbridge and Monson, Pastor Steve Nurger said Monday morning. Nurger said the church also has showers and laundry facilities available to stricken residents. And while the church is not an official meal site, Nurger said, "We always have food."

Clothing, household items available at Hitchock Academy in Brimfield
Sharon Palmer, assistant director of Brimfield's Hitchcock Academy reports this morning that the school's clothing drive was an overwhelming success. Items are now available for pick-up by residents affected by the tornado. The school is located at 2 Brookfield Road, and pick-up hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

"Even more amazing than the force of the storms is the generosity, concern, and good nature of so many people in the area who contributed their time and efforts to help others," Palmer said in a press release. The clothing / item drive is now closed to further donations. "We now have more than enough donations and literally cannot handle more," Palmer said.

Springfield releases emergency information sheet

Springfield Emergency Sheet

The map below includes shelter locations, agencies accepting donations, storm assistance centers and other resources.

Map Key:

• Red line: Street closed.
• Blue line: Road open, but police advise motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area.
• Green marker: Shelter location
• Pink marker: Donations accepted
• Pink marker with dot: Information resource + donations accepted.
• Yellow marker: Food / donation distribution point.
• Turquoise marker: Information and links to other resources.
• Purple marker: State Storm Assistance Center.

View Western Massachusetts tornadoes: Resources, damage and road closures in a larger map

June 8, 2011 - Tornado aftermath aerials - Staff photo by John Suchocki - Aerial tour of the tornado swath from Westfield Ma. to Southbridge Ma. - Homes off Echo Hill and Wildwood Lane and Tinkham Rd..in Wilbraham Ma. with tornado damage .

Lightning hit a corner of the home at about 7 p.m.

The Republican | Mike Beswick6/9/11 Deerfield - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - A tree and power lines were hit by lightning by 63 River Road. The storm dropped many trees and lines in the area.This line was still live on River Rd.

EAST LONGMEADOW -- Town firefighters responded to 17 calls in less than three hours during Thursday night's storm, including a house fire at 34 Linden Ave. caused by a lightning strike.

Residents were not home at the time of the fire, returning only to Linden Avenue as firefighters were finishing at the scene, Fire Chief Richard J. Brady said. No one was hurt. The residents expressed only relief that they'd taken their dogs with them for the day instead of leaving the animals at home.

"The dogs would have died without a doubt," Brady said.

Lightning hit a corner of the home at about 7 p.m. and traveled, probably through the downspout and plumbing, to the basement where it started the fire that fire filled the Cape-style home with smoke.

Neighbors noticed smoke coming from the eaves and called 911, Brady said.

Other calls involved trees on homes and wires down. Reports of wires down over an occupied car proved not to be true, Brady said. It was a television cable line under a a car.

Chestnut Street was still closed Friday morning. Brady said that lightning also struck an electrical substation in town, knocking out power to 1,200 customers.

Federal prosecutor Anthony Fuller said DiMasi violated his duty of providing honest services to the people of Massachusetts and in so doing, violated federal law.

File photo by Greg Saulmon / The RepublicanFormer Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi arrives at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse accompanied by his wife, Debbie DiMasi, earlier this month.

BOSTON – Closing arguments are under way in the corruption trial of former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and two associates.

Federal prosecutor Anthony Fuller told jurors on Friday not to “abandon their common sense” as they review the evidence.

Fuller says DiMasi violated his duty of providing honest services to the people of Massachusetts and in so doing, violated federal law.

DiMasi, Richard McDonough and Richard Vitale are charged with scheming to use DiMasi’s power as speaker to steer two state contracts worth a combined $17.5 million to the software firm Cognos in exchange for payments, with DiMasi pocketing $65,000.

Defense lawyers claim payments to DiMasi were referral fees and those to McDonough and Vitale legitimate lobbyist or consulting fees. They will present their closing arguments later in the day.

More details coming on MassLive and in The Republican.

A pretrial conference for former Chicopee HIgh School math teacher Donald Cushing was moved to next month.

File photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanChicopee High School teacher Donald Cushing is seen during his arraignment in Chicopee District Court last month on rape and other sex charges.

CHICOPEE - Donald Cushing, the 59-year-old special education teacher accused of having sex with one of his teen students, remained held on $150,000 bail on Friday.

A pretrial hearing for Cushing, a Chicopee High School math teacher who was promptly suspended after a student came forward and disclosed she and Cushing allegedly had sex multiple times in a closet at the school, was continued until July 6.

Cushing was charged with statutory rape and sending obscene material to a minor in connection with sending photos of his genitalia to the girl via a cell phone, according to investigators. The student told police she and Cushing engaged in a sexual relationship after exchanging cell phone numbers and ultimately intimate text messages in April and May.

Cushing was questioned by police in late May and removed from the classroom the same day, with vows from Mayor Michael D. Bissonette to strip Cushing of his teaching credentials forever.

The Berkshire Avenue dealership was able to reopen this winter after heavy snowfall caused its roof to collapse.

File photo / The RepublicanThibodeau family members gather at their Tibby's Harley-Davidson shop on Berkshire Aveenue in February to celebrate the store's 55th anniversary and its the 25th annual Chilli Day. They added the extra "l" to chili because of the cold outside. Jean Thibodeau, right, stirs her Chain Gang chili. With her at left is her son and store owner Jason Thibodeau.

SPRINGFIELD - Tibby's Harley-Davidson, the Berkshire Avenue motorcycle shop that survived a roof collapse in a heavy snowstorm this winter, has announced that it will be closing its doors at the end of this month.

"It's the end of an era," the store says on its website. "We extend our deepest thanks to our loyal customers for the many years we have had. We welcome you to please visit within the next few weeks so that we may personally wish each other well."

Owner's Jason and Jean Thibodeau told Chicopee-based WWLP-TV, 22 News that the store opened in 1956 and sold its first bike in February, a 1956 Indian Fire Arrow that sold for $445 with $1.20 in sales tax.

"Three generations of the Thibodeau family have been employed at the dealership. Catherine Thibodeau told 22News Tibby's has eleven employees."

On Feb. 2, a 100-foot section of roof at Tibby’s collapsed at about 3 p.m.

"No one was injured and no motorcycles were damaged, said company spokeswoman Cathy Thibodeau, told Patrick Johnson, a staff reporter for MassLive.com and The Republican. The roof fell into the second floor but the second floor did not collapse on the first floor."

Thibodeau, who was on the first floor underneath the part that collapsed said she heard a loud noise followed by “a lot of dust and everything fell off the walls.”

She said she was grateful no one was hurt and thanked the fire department for arriving on scene so quickly.

Veteran riders at Tibby's, told cbs3springfield last month that people need to be more aware on the road and ride under control.

"It was new, it was exhilarating, but they need to slow down," rider Barry Smith said when commenting about the number of motorcycle accidents in Western Massachusetts.

But bikers also warn four-wheel drivers to be aware of where bikes are on the road how vulnerable the riders are, the station reported.

The store is offering 25 percent off in-stock purchases of aftermarket parts, and 25% off
in-stock licensed clothing and gifts, until its last day on June 30, according to its website.

WGBY visited the Island Pond Road area of Springfield yesterday for an update on the recovery and building process after the tornado on June 1.

06/07/11 Springfield- Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray These apartments at 428 Eastern Avenue are destroyed by damage from last weeks tornado.

Tornado Aftermath from WGBY on Vimeo.

WGBY visited the Island Pond Road area of Springfield yesterday for an update on the recovery and building process after the tornado on June 1.

Resident Alexandra Basile said the neighborhood is committed to rebuilding and credited volunteer efforts for cleanup progress thus far.

New Jersey native and American Red Cross volunteer Al Binaghi has responded to other natural disasters, but never a tornado. "It's devastation. It's unbelievable, it's brutal. I've never seen anything like it."

Four people were killed when the EF3 tornado touched down in Westfield and traveled 39 miles through West Springfield, Springfield and Wilbraham. Aerial photos taken one week later show destruction and clean up.

Connecting Point airs weeknights at 7:30 on WGBY

To pay for the work, which actually began a few weeks ago, the city borrowed $2.3 million and used $800,000 in state and federal grants.

The Republican | File photoCommunity Field.

HOLYOKE - Play areas and a place for dogs to run around will replace a park that has become known more for crime than recreation, officials said Friday at the ground breaking for a $3.1 million renovation of Community Field.

Renovations to the park off Cherry Street and beside Interstate 91 will include drainage improvements, lighting, a video security system, an ice skating path, walking paths, warming shelter, pavilion, picnic areas and a water spray, officials said.

"All of these things are going to be exciting for the city of Holyoke and its residents," Mayor Elaine A. Pluta said, before officials pushed shovels into a ceremonial mound of dirt.

To pay for the work, which actually began a few weeks ago, the city borrowed $2.3 million and used $800,000 in state and federal grants, said William D. Fuqua, superintendent of the Department of Public Works.

The work will take about a year, though officials hope the skating area is ready for the winter of 2012, said Teresa M. Shepard, Parks and Recreation Department director.

Ward 6 City Councilor Todd A. McGee has been pushing for the renovation for four years.

Among the officials McGree praised on the project was former Mayor Michael J. Sullivan.

In recent years, McGee said, Community Field became known for drugs, prostitution and street gangs.

"Well, that's not what we want here. That park belongs to all of us," McGee said.

McGee also said among those who deserve credit for getting Community Field to the point of renovation were Peter R. Leclerc, of the Parks and Recreation Department, and Shepard.

Also attending were state Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, state Rep. Michael F. Kane, D-Holyoke, provisional Fire Chief William P. Moran, acting Police Chief Frederick J. Seklecki, other city department heads and city councilors.

Moran was among those with fond memories of Community Field before it disrepair and crime took over. Moran said he met his wife Kathleen Moran of 23 years at Community Field when they were teen-agers. They have been together 31 years, he said.

"I met her down at the swing-set. I asked her to go to a concert," Moran said.

The emails released Friday were first requested during the 2008 White House race by citizens and news organizations, including The Associated Press.

Associated PressIn this May 31, 2011 file photo, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin walks to the door of Trump Tower for a scheduled meeting with Donald Trump in New York. Thousands of Palin's emails from her first two years as governor are being released by the state of Alaska, a disclosure that has taken on national prominence as she flirts with a run for the presidency.

JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska officials on Friday released thousands of pages of Sarah Palin's emails from her first 21 months as governor, giving a fresh glimpse at the time when she rose to national prominence and became the GOP vice presidential nominee.

Reporters and photographers crowded into a small office to pick up the six boxes of emails — 24,199 pages and weighing 100 pounds. Some carried boxes down the stairs and others, wheeling them on dollies, scrambled to be the first ones to reach elevators.

Within minutes of the release, Palin tweeted a link to the webpage for "The Undefeated," a documentary about her rise and time as governor.

Tim Crawford, the treasurer of her political action committee, Sarah PAC, said in a statement that everyone should read the emails. "The thousands upon thousands of emails released today show a very engaged Governor Sarah Palin being the CEO of her state," he said.

"The emails detail a Governor hard at work," he said.

Palin resigned partway through her first term, in July 2009. Requests also have been made for Palin's final 10 months in office. State officials haven't begun reviewing those records. Sharon Leighow, the spokeswoman for Gov. Sean Parnell, said she doubted the release of those emails would come soon.

The emails released Friday were first requested during the 2008 White House race by citizens and news organizations, including The Associated Press, as they vetted a nominee whose political experience included less than one term as governor and a term as mayor of the small town of Wasilla.

The nearly three-year delay has been attributed largely to the sheer volume of the release and the flood of requests.

Alaska is releasing the thousands of emails in paper form only in Alaska's capital city, accessible by only air or water. Reporters from several news organizations arrived in Juneau and made various plans to disseminate the emails to the public.

Palin told Fox News Sunday that she was unfazed by the release of emails, saying there are no more rocks that could be turned over about her life or time as governor. But she also said "a lot of those emails obviously weren't meant for public consumption" and that she expected people might seek to take some of the messages "out of context."

There may not be any surprises to Palin in the emails, however.

Once the state reviewed the records, it gave Palin's attorneys an opportunity to see if they had any privacy concerns with what was being released. No emails were withheld or redacted as a result of that, said Linda Perez, Parnell's administrative director in charge of coordinating the release.

The voluminous nature of the release, the isolation of Juneau and the limited bandwidth in the city of 30,000 people has forced media outlets to come up with creative ways to transmit the information.

The Washington Post is looking for "100 organized and diligent readers" to work with reporters to "analyze, contextualize, and research the e-mails." The New York Times is employing a similar system.

Mother Jones, ProPublica and msnbc.com are working with Crivella West Inc., to create a searchable database of the emails.

The Associated Press also plans to scan the paper copies to make searchable files available to its members and clients. The state said it was not practical to provide electronic versions of the emails.

It's not clear yet whether the pages being released will contain any major revelations. They will cover the period from the time she took office in December 2006 to her ascension to vice presidential nominee in September 2008.

Prior records requests have shed light on the Palin administration's efforts to advance a natural gas pipeline project and the role played by Palin's husband in state business.

The email release adds another dimension to the vetting of Palin that began in 2008 and comes as she has become a prominent national political figure, attracting large crowds during a recent bus tour across the Northeast.

The emails were sent and received by Palin's personal and state email accounts, and the ones being released were deemed state business related.

She and top aides were known to communicate using private email accounts. Perez said Palin gave the state a CD with emails from her Yahoo account, and other employees were asked to review their private accounts for emails related to state business and to send those to their state accounts.

Another 2,275 pages are being withheld for reasons including attorney-client, work product or executive privilege; an additional 140 pages were deemed to be "non-records," or unrelated to state business.

Some emails may have been previously reviewed in other, earlier public records requests, such as in the Troopergate investigation, in which Palin was accused of putting pressure on public safety officials to fire her brother-in-law, an Alaska State Trooper who was going through a bitter divorce from Palin's sister.

Clive Thomas, a long-time Palin observer who's writing a book on Alaska politics, said he's not sure what the emails will contain — or whether their contents will affect people's perceptions of Palin.

"I guess most people, I think, who don't like Sarah Palin are hoping there's something in there that will deliver the final sort of blow to her (politically)," he said. As for Palin's supporters, he said he doesn't think their opinion of her will be changed regardless of what comes out.

New Hope Pentecostal Church reopens after tornado.

Mark M. MurrayRev. Bruce Shaw in front of the New Hope Pentecostal Church at 364 Central Street in Springfield. The church, damaged by the tornado is reopening this Sunday, June 12.

Located at 364 Central Street in Springfield, the church was in the direct path of the tornado that hit the area on June 1 and suffered severe damage.

Parishioners will return to the church for service on Sunday at 11:40 a.m., the first time they have been able to since the storm hit.

Last Sunday, services were held in the Marriott Hotel in downtown Springfield. “I feel blessed. It is always good to worship in one’s own church,” said the Rev. Bruce Shaw, pastor.

Shaw, who met this week with architects to determine if the building was structurally sound, said no one was in the church when the tornado struck. He said that the church’s “roof needs to be repaired” as well as “the ceiling in the sanctuary, and the foyer.” Shaw, who said he had offers from other churches to use their sanctuaries to hold services, has been “working with contractors and insurance adjusters to appraise the damage.”

Despite the damage and displacement of his church and congregation, Shaw said that the damage of the tornado has not shaken or challenged his faith. “If anything, my faith has increased. Hearing how worse the tornado could’ve been and the minimal loss of life, I know that God is still in control and HE’s gonna take us through,” said Shaw, who participated in the healing and prayer service on June 8 in the aftermath of the storm at Christ Church Cathedral.

That evening he told those assembled, “God, we stand before your stunned,” adding “but you have stood with us in the past and carried us through hardship.”

Other area churches damaged in the June 1 tornado include the Unitarian Universalist Parish and The First Church of Monson, both in Monson, the Victory Temple Church of God in Christ in West Springfield and Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ in Springfield.

The National Weather Service has said there were three separate tornadoes that struck June 1, killing 4 people and damaging some 400 homes in 18 communities in Western Massachusetts.

The most severe one was an EF-3 that carved a half-mile-wide path for 39 miles from Westfield to Charlton. An EF-1 with speeds of 90 mph touched down in Wilbraham. It was 200 yards wide and traveled 3.6 miles. Another EF-1 touched down in North Brimfield. It was 100 yards wide and traveled 1.3 miles.

Recordings of 911 calls to the West Springfield dispatch center captured dramatic moments after the tornado hit the city.

Associated Press photoWilliam McDonald, of Monson, rides on roller skates past a destroyed home, in Monson Wednesday. Click on the link, above left, for a report from the Boston Globe on how much it is expected to cost to clean up tornado debris.

• Lawmakers, unions slam Massachusetts. Gov. Deval Patrick for giving 3 percent pay raise to managers [BostonHerald.com]


• Removal of tornado debris may cost tens of millions of dollars [BostonGlobe.com]


• Recording of 911 calls from West Springfield capture dramatic moments after tornado hit (audio, video) [cbs3springfield.com]


• Power could be out for days following thunderstorms in Connecticut (video) [HartfordCourant.com]



 

• Former Bush adviser Karl Rove says mass resignations give Newt Gingrich chance to test his mettle [BostonGlobe.com]


• Jury begins deliberations in former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's second corruption trial [ChicagoTribune.com]


• Car of missing couple found in Vermont [BurlingtonFreePress.com]


• 3 men charged with stealing doughnuts, no cash from Dunkin Donuts on Cape Cod [CapeCodOnline.com]


• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


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NCCJ will present its Annual Human Relations Award on June 14

Submitted PhotoDr. Saleem Bajwa, president of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts

Submitted PhotoThomas R. Burton, chief executive officer and president of Hampden Bancorp.

Submitted PhotoAtty. Hyman G. Darling, partner with Bacon Wilson, P.C.

Michael S. GordonJames O'S. Morton, former president and chief executive officers of the YMCA of Greater Springfield.

Submitted PhotoRosaline Abraham, youth community organizer.

The National Conference for Community and Justice of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, Inc., founded in 1927 as the National Conference of Christians and Jews, will present its Annual Human Relations Award on June 14 to Dr. Saleem Bajwa, president of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts, Thomas R. Burton, chief executive officer and president of Hampden Bancorp, Atty. Hyman G. Darling, partner with Bacon Wilson, P.C., and James O’S. Morton, former president and chief executive officers of the YMCA of Greater Springfield.

The presentation at Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 7 p.m.

The 2011 Youth Award will be presented to Rosaline Abraham, youth community organizer.

Abraham, a 2006 alum of the conference’s ANYTOWN program and a counselor with the program, recently graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst with a bachelor of arts degree in women’s gender and sexuality studies. For several years, she has been an organizer for V-DAY, a global movement to stop violence against women.

The conference honors individuals who have been active in humanitarian concerns such as combating prejudice, ethnic discrimination, and racial bigotry in the community and workplace and have demonstrated their commitment to fostering social justice and cooperation among all races, religions, cultures and abilities.

Bajwa, a physician board certified in internal and pulmonary medicine, practice in Holyoke, and is affiliated with the Holyoke Medical Center. He is a founding member of the Islamic Society. For the past 18 years, he has been the executive director of the Islamic Council of New England, an umbrella organization of Islamic centers and societies of New England, actively hosting inter-faith programs to build alliances and learn from one another. In addition, for more than a decade, Bajwa has served on the Interfaith Council of Western Massachusetts.

Prior to joining the bank, Burton was managing partner of the Springfield office of KPMG Peat Marwick, a position he held for over five years. At KPMG, he also served as an associate SEC reviewing partner and engagement partner for 25 financial institution clients in Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut, ranging in size from $100 million to more $4 billion.

His current and past community activities include chairman of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Western New England College, director and chairman of the Audit Committee of Bankers’ Bank Northeast, director and member of the Investment Committee of the Savings Bank Retirement Association of Massachusetts, audit committee member of BayState Medical Systems, corporator of the Springfield Museums and treasurer of Kent Memorial Library.

Darling is chairman of Bacon Wilson’s estate planning and elder law department. He is also one of just about 100 Special Needs attorneys in the country who were invited to join the Special Needs Alliance, and he has achieved the distinction of Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation.

Morton graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1977, with an undergraduate degree in sociology, and from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston in 1981. He practiced law for 18 years. As a practicing attorney for 18 years , he fought against police brutality and the death penalty and in favor of ward representation and small business development for minorities and women.

He left the practice of law in 1999 and became a social studies-law teacher and track coach at the High School of Commerce from 1999 to 2004. He later was asked to administer the Massachusetts Career Development Institute (MDCI), an adult education and vocational training institute. He became head of the YMCA of Greater Springfield in 2007, leaving there to head the YMCA of Metropolitan Hartford in 2010.

Andrea C. Kandel, executive director of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts region for the conference, said in a release, “We are extremely proud of the dedication and civic engagement shown by this year’s honorees in promoting understanding and respect among all people. Each award recipient has shown tremendous leadership in our community and has worked tirelessly to help promote an inclusive society for all.”

Chairperson of the event is Atty. Jeffrey Fialky with Bacon Wilson.

Stephen A. Davis and John H. Davis of the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation are co-chairs. Tickets to the event are $150 and are available by calling (860) 683-1039.

During a visit to the Coburn elementary school in West Springfield, he noted that centers have been set up in Springfield, Monson and Southbridge.

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The RepublicanMassachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick addresses tornado victims Friday during a visit to the Philip G. Coburn Elementary School in West Springfield.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Deval Patrick repeatedly urged victims of last week's tornado to use regional recovery centers in the area in seeking help during a visit to the Philip G. Coburn Elementary School Friday.

“There are fabulous people there and they would run through a brick wall if that is what it takes,” Patrick said during a 50-minute stint of listening to the victims of the June 1 tornado, many of them immigrants who are refugees from counties like Iraq and the former Soviet Union.

The state has sent up centers in Springfield, Southbridge and Monson.

The governor told the gathering of about 150 victims and children that the Springfield center is at 95 Liberty St. It can help with such things as finding emergency housing, getting cash assistance, helping file insurance claims and helping out businesses that have been damaged, he told the gathering.

Aides from the Springfield center will come to the homeless shelter set up at the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds Monday to offer assistance and will stay there until 6 p.m. for the benefit of people who have jobs, the governor said.

Patrick also asked tornado victims to cooperate with teams that have been sent door to door to assess damage, saying that that will help the state make its case to the federal government for disaster assistance. Reimbursement for up to 75 percent of cleanup costs may be available.

The governor spent most of his time at the school listening to victims tell heartbreaking tales of loss.

“I didn’t come to make a speech today. I came to listen to your stories,” the governor said.

Most of the victims had limited English and spoke through translators. Forty-two-year-old Lutfi Azizov, who is of Turkish extraction and immigrated here five years ago from the former Soviet Union, was one of the victims who talked.

Azizov asked for help for all tornado victims as his wife, Mayra, cried beside him. Patrick rubbed the woman’s left shoulder to comfort her.

“Thank you for telling the story of your neighborhood,” the governor said.

Azizov’s interpreter, Natalya Belaya, said, “They lost everything, but they are very happy everyone is alive....He wants to see smiles on the faces of all kids.” The family has three children.

“When you consider the extent of the damages the extent of the loss of life was incredibly limited,” Patrick said.

School Superintendent Russell D. Johnston welcomed the governor to the meeting. He noted many of the children in the Merrick neighborhood, where most of the damage was done by the tornado, attend Coburn.

Johnston also pointed out the gymnasium in which the governor conducted his visit was one of the two shelters the city first set up for victims. Monday consolidated the shelter at Coburn and West Springfield Middle School into space at the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds.

Mayor Edward J. Gibson praised the governor for coming to West Springfield to hear directly from the victims.

“I think this was very helpful today,” the mayor said.

Army U.S. National Guard Spec. Shannon McPhee received the U.S. Army Commendation Medal on the steps of Springfield City Hall.

SPRINGFIELD - A soldier in the U.S. Army National Guard was lauded for saving two lives after she helped a pregnant woman choking on food at the city's tornado shelter in the days following the storm.

Though they haven't spoken since, Spec. Shannon McPhee, one of a dozen military police who remain in the city, performed the Heimlich maneuver on the woman at the MassMutual Center, where she had sought shelter, last week.

After she received the U.S. Army Commendation Medal on the steps of City Hall on Friday afternoon, McPhee, a member of the 747th Military Police Company from Ware, said she noticed a commotion one evening following the twister and saw a pregnant woman signaling the universal sign for choking, with both hands crossed over her neck.

McPhee dislodged the food that was stuck and saved the woman's life, witnesses said. It was unknown how far along the pregnant woman was, but city officials said she is still expecting and remains in the tornado shelter.

"This is why I joined the guard," McPhee said after the ceremony, adding that it was her first time administering the Heimlich and that she served a term in Iraq earlier this year. "Not only do you get to protect lives overseas but right at home as well."

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said the National Guard has been a critical component in keeping order in the city in the wake of the 39-mile tornado that tore through the region on June 1.

State Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, who has fashioned herself as a shepherd of sorts for the shelter, said McPhee should be applauded.

"You saved not only one life but two lives," Rivera said.

Ebbets wants to take better stock of the Fine Arts Center before he offers an opinion about its needs, but said one of his goals will be to increase its visibility.

John E. Ebbets

NORTHAMPTON – United Way of Hampshire County CEO John E. Ebbets is leaving that post after four years to bring his fund-raising talents to the University of Massachusetts Fine Arts Center.

Ebbets will start his new job as the center’s Director of Development on July 25, just weeks after United Way's current fund-raising campaign comes to a close. He said Friday that it will fall slightly short of its $1.25 million goal but will still grow from last year.

Ebbets came to United Way of Hampshire County during a time of transition. His predecessor, Lewis S. Stess, resigned in 2006 amid some discontent about how the agency was distributing its money. Stess had shifted focus to the national United Way model that emphasized achieving the broadest possible impact on the community.

Ebbets said he managed to stabilize the donor base and better define decision-making during his tenure. Under his stewardship, United Way expanded the number of agencies it serves and increased the total amount of its spending.

“He brought change in a much more participatory way,” said Christine F. Shirtcliff, the chairwoman of the United Way of Hampshire County’s board of directors. “Things are very stable. I don’t think the campaign will skip a beat.”

Ebbets said he wasn’t looking for a change but applied for the UMass job when the opportunity came up.

“I loved my work here,” he said. “In four years we did a lot of stuff.”

Ebbets wants to take better stock of the Fine Arts Center before he offers an opinion about its needs, but said one of his goals will be to increase its visibility.

“It’s a great asset to the Valley, but it’s undiscovered by a lot of people,” he said.

Shirtcliff said she has yet to appoint a committee to search for Ebbets’ replacement, but anticipates one will be identified soon.

“We’re not going to rush into a hire,” she said.

John E. Ebbets

Arrested were Jonathan Martinez, 20, of 873 Worthington St., Joel Quinones, 27, of 101 Mulberry St., and William A. Martinez, 20, of 19 St. James Ave.

Springfield police photoFrom left to right: Jonathan Martinez, William Martinez, Joel Quinones

SPRINGFIELD – Narcotics officers arrested three men and seized two illegal handguns, more than a pound of marijuana and $5,000 cash during an arrest Wednesday on Belle Street, police said.

Narcotics officers under the command of Lt. Martin Ambrose interrupted a drug deal on the fire escape of an apartment building at 91 Belle Street, a dead-end street off Cass Street that runs parallel to Interstate 291 in the city’s Metro Center area, said police Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

Arrested were Jonathan Martinez, 20, of 873 Worthington St., Joel Quinones, 27, of 101 Mulberry St., and William A. Martinez, 20, of 19 St. James Ave.,

Officers moved in after they spotted Quinones and William Martinez make an exchange with Jonathan Martinez.

Jonathan Martinez was stopped and found in possession of a loaded semi-automatic handgun and an ounce of marijuana.

He was charged with possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card, resisting arrest and assault and battery with a police officer. He was also issued a citation for possession of marijuana.

When Quinones and Martinez were stopped, they were found with a backpack containing a handgun, a pound of marijuana and $5,000.

Quinones and William Martinez were each charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card, and breaking and entering while armed.

To escape police, they kicked in the door of a 4th floor apartment, Delaney said.

At their arraignments on Thursday in Springfield District Court, all three denied the charges against them.

Each was ordered held on $25,000 bail. Quinones and William Martinez are each due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on June 27. Jonathan Martinez is due in court on June 20 for a parole-violation hearing.

Jonathan Martinez and William Martinez are not related, Delaney said.

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Court officers helped people trapped in cars by trees after the tornado.

SPRINGFIELD – Beginning Thursday, about 50 prosecutors, state police and other district attorney staffers were on the move, but it wasn’t a new crime-fighting effort.

The landlord for the tornado-damaged office building at 55 State St. across from the Hall of Justice decided it wasn’t possible to get the building in tolerable condition quickly.

From Monday until Thursday, members of Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni’s Appeals Division, community safety and outreach division, finance division, along with the State Police officers assigned to Mastroianni’s office, toiled in over-90 degree heat in a suffocating third floor sauna .

Pieces of the ceiling in the rooms occupied by the state police unit hung down. Some windows were boarded. In some offices there were files set out to dry.

On Thursday, the move from 55 State St. began, to temporary headquarters on the 18th floor of Tower Square.

The District Attorney and his staff who have offices at 50 State St. in the Hall of Justice will remain in their offices there.

The Hall of Justice fared much better than the 55 State St. building.
As Mastroianni ducked behind a door jamb in his office in the Hall of Justice, the large glass window blew in, sending glass all over. Glass windows blew in the adjoining conference room and in another court office on the fourth floor.

“When I heard it coming in I wasn’t going to make it out the door so I just went behind a door jamb. I knew something was going to blow,” he said.

And when the glass settled, then came the news that Assistant District Attorney Jill O’Connor had been seriously injured as she walked to her car on Union Street.

Mastroianni said O’Connor is recovering now. District attorney’s office staff are honoring her family’s wishes to let her rest, he said.

“Let’s not flood her with people and overwhelm her and stress her when what she really needs is rest. We check on her progress every day,” he said.

She is foremost in the thoughts of court staff, prosecutors and defense lawyers, if the talk in the courthouse is any measure.

There were two homes lost by District Attorney staff members, and others had automobile and property damage. A fund has been set up for people in the office affected by the tornado.

Michele Dunn, an employee of the Juvenile Court Clerk’s Office, suffered deep wounds to both legs and her arm and back when walking to her car. Tina Walker, a victim/witness advocate in the district attorney’s Domestic Violence Intervention Unit, wrapped her jacket around one of Dunn’s legs and her sweater around the other as tourniquets to reduce the bleeding.

Kenneth M. O’Connor Jr., chief court officer at the Hall of Justice, said he was in his courthouse office when he saw debris swirling around outside.

He got on the building’s paging system and, “I started yelling, ‘Do not leave the building, there’s a tornado outside.’

“Some of my court officers and associate court officers were already outside. I went out and joined them and immediately began to assist where we could,” O’Connor said.

Some court officers tried to keep traffic flowing.

Some went over to help people get tree limbs and trees off their cars so they could get out of the cars.

Court staff, a judge and some members of the public were put in the basement cafeteria until there were no more weather warnings about 7 p.m., he said.

“I tell you the court officers and associate court officers did an excellent job,” O’Connor said. “They went far beyond their call of duty for sure. I’m very proud of them. “

Crews of probationers from Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties were on hand the morning after the storm to help clear around the courthouse, said David Skocik, community service statewide supervisor. That included 253 community service participants putting in 1,012 hours to help in cleanup in Springfield and Monson.

The probationers had been referred either by district and superior courts or as sanctioned by the Office of Community Corrections.

The drop was blamed on investor fears that the global economic recovery may have stalled.

Associated Press photoA Belarusian woman sells dill under a street bridge to earn money in Minsk, Belarus, Friday. Belarus has asked the International Monetary Fund for a loan of up to $8 billion to stabilize its plummeting economy, as it struggles to manage the country's most severe financial crisis since the Soviet collapse.

NEW YORK – Fears that the global economic recovery has stalled pushed the Dow Jones industrial average below 12,000 for the first time since March and drove the stock market lower for the sixth straight week.

Friday’s drop extended the longest weekly losing streak for stocks since the fall of 2002.

Weak economic news has dampened hopes for a steady recovery, sending stocks down. Traders worry that weaker hiring, sluggish industrial output, and a moribund housing market are reversing a bull market that has lifted the Dow 20 percent over the past year.

If the indexes continue their slide for another week, it would be the first time in 10 years that the market suffered a seven-week stretch of losses. The last such stretch began in May 2001 as the dot-com bubble deflated.

The Dow fell 172.45 points, or 1.4 percent, to close Friday at 11,951.91. The S&P 500 index fell 18.02, or 1.4 percent, to 1,270.98. The Nasdaq dropped 41, or 1.5 percent, to 2,643.733.

The Nasdaq is now down slightly for the year, as is the Russell 2000 index of small company stocks. The Dow is still up 3.2 percent for 2011 and the S&P 1.1 percent.

Some investors said the recent pullback may not last.

Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank, said strong corporate earnings and widespread economic growth, however slow, should lead to more gains in the coming months. “Anyone selling shares today has to be pricing in a recession,” he said. Most economists expect slow growth but not a recession.

Shares had bounced back Thursday, breaking six straight days of losses, after U.S. exports unexpectedly hit a record in April. By Friday morning, those gains had evaporated. The losses were widespread, with declines across all 10 of the S&P 500’s industry groups.

Ablin suggested that Friday’s losses were partially driven by the Federal Reserve’s unloading of millions in risky mortgage bonds onto the market. As big banks buy those securities, they dump assets such as stocks and high-yield corporate bonds.

Karyn Cavanaugh, vice president and market strategist with ING Investment Management, advised investors to stick out the market’s recent turbulence.

“The market doesn’t go up indefinitely; it’s not a straight line and it does get choppy at times,” she said. Cavanaugh said seven straight quarters of stronger-than-expected corporate earnings are a clear signal that the bull market will continue.

Aside from a promising report on higher exports Thursday, investors had little reason to cheer this week. Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. and other big banks led stocks lower Monday amid expectations that banks would have to set aside more cash to cover potential losses.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave a speech Tuesday in which he said the economy’s greatest troubles – high oil prices and supply chain disruptions from Japan – would soon pass. Bernanke offered no hint of further help from the Fed and the stock market dropped as he spoke. The next day, stocks slipped again after a Federal Reserve report showed the economy slowed in New York, Chicago and other major metropolitan areas.

Asian markets were mixed Friday. A smaller than anticipated Chinese trade surplus in May and a bigger than expected decline in British industrial production in April led to fears that growth is also slowing overseas, not just in the U.S. Economists say Beijing’s efforts to temper rapid growth by curbing lending and investing could cool its economy too quickly. Weakness in China could hurt the global commodities trade if it cuts into demand for oil, iron ore and other industrial inputs for which China is a key customer.

The euro fell below its recent highs on signs that European policymakers have reached an impasse over how to handle Greece’s drawn-out debt crisis.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell as investors put money into low-risk investments. The yield fell to 2.97 percent Friday afternoon, after trading above 3 percent Thursday as the stock market rallied. Bond yields fall and their prices rise when demand for them increases.

In corporate news, shares of solar chip maker MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. fell 3.5 percent after an analyst downgraded the stock, saying prices for solar wafers are falling rapidly because of overproduction in China.

Goodyear Tire fell 6.6 percent, the most in the S&P 500, after the company agreed to sell its Asian wire business to South Korea’s Hyosung Corp. for $50 million. Analysts with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. said they expect “significantly weaker” demand for replacement tires.

Four stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated trading volume was 3.9 billion shares.

Kirkland was shot six times by police and has been recuperating from the injuries in an unspecified Department of Corrections facility.

Tamik Kirkland

SPRINGFIELD – Tamik J. Kirkland, accused of killing one man, injuring another and shooting at police – will be arraigned Thursday in Hampden Superior Court.

Although the crimes happened April 30, Kirkland, a prison escapee, was shot six times by police and has been recuperating from the injuries in an unspecified Department of Corrections facility.

Kirkland, 24, faces the murder charge for the fatal shooting of Sheldon Innocent of Wilbraham. Innocent was one of two men who were shot at Bill Brown’s House of Beauty at 945 State St.

Law enforcement officials have said Innocent was a blameless bystander.

In addition to the murder charge Kirkland was indicted Thursday by a Hampden Superior Court grand jury of three counts of home invasion; three counts of armed assault with intent to murder (with victims listed as city Police Officer Raul Gonzalez, State Trooper Stephen Gregorczyk and barbershop owner Darryl King); and two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon (victims Gonzalez and Gregorczyk).

Also, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury (victim King); two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm (as a second offender); two counts of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm; and one count each of possession of a large capacity firearm and possession of a large capacity feeding device.

Gonzalez and Gregorczyk survived the close-range shooting because both were wearing bulletproof vests, police have said. They were treated at Baystate Medical Center.

Trevin T. Smith will also be arraigned Thursday in Hampden Superior Court.

He was indicted Thursday for accessory before the fact of murder, accessory after the fact of murder, and two counts of reckless endangerment of a child.

A police report in Smith’s file said he told his girlfriend to go to a Burr Street address and open the trunk of her car. She had her 12-year-old daughter and a 6-month-old child she was baby-sitting in the back seat when she found herself in the middle of a gun battle between Kirkland and law enforcement officers.

Smith, 30, of 79 Penrose St., pleaded innocent at his arraignment in May in District Court to accessory after the fact of murder.

Kirkland is accused of opening fire as he leapt from trunk of the Smith’s girlfriend’s car. Police said that was when officers shot back.

Kirkland had escaped from a minimum security state prison in Shirley on April 24.

It appears King, the barbershop owner who was shot and wounded, may have been known to Kirkland. In a report that requested a warrant be issued for Smith’s arrest King, told investigators he “had seen the shooter on a prior occasion.”

A preliminary investigation showed Kirkland fled the prison in Shirley a day after his mother was injured in a shooting on Ringgold Street.

Tamik Kirkland and Trevin Smith Indictments

Fathers & Sons has agreed to donate a percentage of the sales of tornado-damaged vehicles at its Memorial Avenue Volkswagen and Kia dealership.

Photo by Byron Smith / Boston HeraldJuan Guerrero consoles his daughter, Ibone, 15, in their hospital room at Baystate Medical Center last week, a day after Angelica Guerrero was killed in a tornado trying to shield Ibone.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – A scholarship fund to help Fabiola and Ibone Guerrero, who lost their mother, Angelica F. Guerrero, in the June 1 tornado, is being spearheaded by a Union Street businessman.

Angelica Guerrero, 39, saved the life of 15-year-old Ibone by shielding her in a bathtub during the tornado, which caused their Merrick neighborhood apartment house to collapse around them.

Eighteen-year-old Fabiola, who just finished her first year at Holyoke Community College, was not at home when the twister hit.

Victor E. Thomas Jr., who owns Ruggers Rugby and Soccer Supply, has started The Angelica Guerrero Memorial Scholarship Fund through the Holyoke Community College Foundation. Contributions may be sent to the HCC Foundation at 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040.

"I feel very blessed that my store was spared and my employees were safe,” Thomas said of his business at 121 Union St.

Although he did not know the family, who lived at 667 Union St, Thomas said he feels a civic duty to help out.

“It is a touching story. You can’t help but feel those two girls could take this as a gift from their mother and be inspired by it or this could really damage them,” Thomas said.

Fathers & Sons will also donate a percentage of the proceeds from its sales this month of cars damaged by the tornado at its Memorial Avenue Volkswagen and Kia dealerships. Vehicles have sustained dents, dings and scratches because of the tornado, according to Fathers & Sons president Damon S. Cartelli.

See photos trace the path of the twister as it tore through Monson, Brimfield, Sturbridge and Southbridge.

Earlier today, The Republican staff photographer John Suchocki posted the first part of a two-part photo gallery of aerial images of the damage and clean-up one week after an EF3 tornado left a 39-mile scar across Springfield and nearby cities and towns in Western and Central Massachusetts on June 1.

Now, Suchocki has posted Part 2 of the gallery, showing the devastating destruction in neighborhoods and other areas of Monson, Brimfield, Sturbridge and Southbridge.

In Part 1 of the gallery, photos from the same trip show damage and clean-up in the cities and towns first hit by the tornado: Westfield, West Springfield, Springfield and Wilbraham.
» View "Massachusetts tornadoes aerial photos: Path of the tornado one week later (part 1)"

You can compare many of the images in the new galleries to the same scenes in Suchocki's photo gallery of aerial shots taken one day after the tornado.
» View "Tornado destruction aerials"