The person is in a specially prepared area within the hospital while testing is underway.

Officials at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston are treating a patient who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus, according to WCVB-TV, NewsCenter5 in Needham.

In a memo to staff posted on the hospital's website, five hospital officials said that the hospital is currently evaluating a patient.

Here is the text of its message:

"At 2 p.m. today while undergoing routine monitoring by the Boston Public Health Commission, an individual, determined to be a person under investigation for Ebola virus disease, was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital for evaluation. As you know, the MGH has spent the past several months preparing in the event we should have a patient with suspected Ebola come to the hospital. The individual is now in a specially prepared area within the hospital. Diagnostic testing is under way. Again, a diagnosis of Ebola has not been confirmed.

"As always, our focus is the health and safety of our patients, their families and our staff members. We want to reassure you that the hospital is safe. Even though it is unconfirmed that the individual has the Ebola virus, we are taking the actions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a precaution. We will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available."

The statement was signed by Jeanette Ives Erickson, senior vice president for patient care and four other officials.

Dr. Paul D. Biddinger, the hospital's chief of emergency preparedness, told the Boston Globe recently that the hospital has invested roughly $1 million in equipment, renovations, and staff training to prepare for an Ebola case.

The Ebola outbreak has killed more than 5,600 people worldwide, according to the Globe. The vast majority of cases have occurred in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. There have been four cases diagnosed in the United States.

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A National Weather Service winter weather advisory is in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.

SPRINGFIELD — A winter weather advisory is in effect for Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, as well as northern sections of Worcester and Middlesex counties, according to the National Weather Service.

The advisory, in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday, warns of possible snow, sleet and freezing rain, which could affect the morning commute in the Springfield, Amherst and Northampton areas. Light snow is expected to change over to sleet and rain during the overnight hours, making for a sloppy driving conditions.

"This isn't a major storm, but it only takes a small amount of ice to cause travel issues," says Nick Morganelli, meteorologist with CBS 3 Springfield, media partner of MassLive / The Republican.

The second half of the work week is expected to be dry with seasonal temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s, according to Morganelli.

Part of the application process for the federal funds has a "public participation" component, Fenton said.

SPRINGFIELD - City Council President Michael Fenton has scheduled a special council meeting to discuss and inform the public on the National Disaster Resistance Competition, a $1 billion fresh pool of federal money for disaster-stricken areas.

The council will meet with the city's Department of Public Works at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the initiative's potential for Springfield. The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the competitive program in September. City officials were quick to announce they would be among the applicants for funds.

Springfield is one of 67 applicants across the country, Fenton said.

The money is being made available to assist in ongoing recovery efforts and prepare for future natural disasters. Several of the city's neighborhoods were destroyed by the 2011 tornadoes, in particular; pockets of the city and its institutions are still recovering. The uncertain future of Cathedral High School, destroyed by the twisters, has created a new public controversy and mobilized supporters.

Part of the application process for the federal funds has a "public participation" component, Fenton said. Though all general council meetings are open to the public, he specifically encouraged the public to attend this Monday's meeting.

"The council will play a lead role in the public outreach portion of the city's application. Monday's meeting is our first step towards bolstering our application to HUD by providing councilors in each of the eight wards with an outreach assignment," Fenton said in a statement.

Clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders will share case histories with the goal of developing better tools for practitioners to use in the diagnosis and treatment of patients at risk for gun violence.

Dr. Ronald I. Gross, chief of the Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.Baystate Health photo 

Since 1960, more than 1.3 million Americans have died in firearm suicides, homicides and unintentional injuries. In 2010 alone, more than 31,000 Americans died by gunfire.

Add to those statistics the number of people who have been injured in gun violence, and the severity of the problem is clearer.

"Nobody is not at risk for gun violence; nobody is immune from interpersonal violence – gun violence or other violence," said Dr. Ronald I. Gross, chief of the Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

He will lead a roundtable discussion Saturday at "Caring for the Patient at Risk for Gun Violence: Medical, Legal, Ethical Issues," the first Continuing Medical Education-accredited conference on gun violence. It will take place at The Conference Center at Waltham Woods in Waltham.

Among the roundtable participants will be two medical professionals from Baystate Medical Center: Dr. Kevin Moriarty, chief of pediatric surgery; and Ida Konderwicz, a registered nurse, pediatric trauma coordinator and adult and pediatric injury prevention coordinator.

"The populations most aware of the effects of gun violence are those affected by gun violence and those who take care of those affected," Gross said. "That would be us," the medical professionals.

Because patients entrust their doctors with their lives, they often tell doctors what they won't tell other people. "The basis of the relationship between a doctor and patient is trust," Gross said. "They can tell us if they feel threatened at home or work and don't know what to do about it."

Public health research has shown that firearms violence is directly related to firearms availability and density. And, according to the conference brochure, direct medical costs for gunshot wounds total more than $6 million a day.

"Gun violence is a public health issue; that's nothing new," Gross said. "Violence is a public health issue; gun violence is like other diseased processes that threaten our life."

He said gun violence has become so commonplace that many people seem immune to it whether they view it on a television program or on the news.

"Gun violence is a threat to all of us," Gross continued. "It affects our society, most often those at the young end of the spectrum, and takes the lives of those with promise and the chance to be productive."

But the violence cannot be looked at solely in terms of deaths. "How many hundreds of thousands have been wounded, paralyzed, crippled and are now out of the mainstream because of (gun) injuries?" the doctor asked, noting too the number of people who are victims because a loved one or family member has been the victim of gun violence.

At the conference, clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders will share case histories with the goal of developing better tools for practitioners to use in the diagnosis and treatment of patients at risk for gun violence.

Gross hopes to cull from the discussions ways to try to eliminate gun violence from society.

Asked if that is possible, he said the "Pollyanna side" of him says it is while the cynical side says that it is human nature to do violence to others.

"We need to have an attitude check in our society and look at violence for what it is and not glorify it," he said. "We need to teach our kids that violence is not acceptable no matter who perpetrates it."

Participants in the conference will learn about explaining the impact of gun violence on individuals and communities both from the clinical and public health perspectives, recognizing the symptoms and/or histories that might indicate high risk for gun violence, discussing gun violence with patients without compromising ethical or legal constraints and describing relevant resources for understanding and/or implementing referrals for additional treatment and/or legal interventions.

Gross hopes the conference will be a wake-up call to medical professionals "that we have reached a crossroads" at which gun violence is either going to get worse or be reduced. "We need to start not with the weapon but with the people holding it," he said.

Boston officials are lukewarm to President Obama's push in the aftermath of the Ferguson riots to provide local police departments nationwide with $263 million in funding for 50,000 body cameras that would record their interactions with the public.

Boston officials are lukewarm to President Obama's push in the aftermath of the Ferguson riots to provide local police departments nationwide with $263 million in funding for 50,000 body cameras that would record their interactions with the public.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh told The Boston Globe that while he is not against the usage of body cameras by police he thinks it is a distraction from broader problems facing communities and police departments.

"We have to have a lot more discussion around race and racial issues. It's not one that people want to have and people would rather forget about, but we're not going to forget about it in Boston. I made a commitment to have that conversation, and we're going to have it," said Walsh to the Globe.

Walsh met with Obama on Monday at the White House for a day-long series of meetings that addressed civil rights and police issues.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, like Walsh, is not against the use of police body cameras, but he has concerns about how it will alter the relationship police officers currently have with the public.

"I fear that a lot of people, and the dialogue we have going, a lot of people might not want to have that interaction with us if they knew they're on camera or they're being recorded," said Evans during an interview with the Boston Herald.
Officials from the Boston-based Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers and the Boston Police Superior Officers Union expressed similar concerns.

The issue of police officers and cameras has been a contentious issue in Boston in the past. In 2007 Simon Glik was arrested while filming three Boston police officers arresting a man in public. Glik challenged his arrest in court and won in a landmark court case that affirmed the right of individuals to record public officials, including police officers, in public.

Donna Becker, a 19-year-old resident of 2013 High St., Three Rivers, was the apparent ringleader of a heroin operation responsible for the weekly distribution of more than 2,000 bags of the drug, according to Palmer police.

PALMER — Raids at separate Three Rivers addresses resulted in eight arrests and shut down a drug ring responsible for the weekly distribution of more than 2,000 bags of heroin, according to Palmer police.

The suspects, all but one of whom were from Hampden County, were arraigned on various drug charges in Palmer District Court on Monday. Bail and plea information wasn't immediately available.

The raids were conducted on the evening of Nov. 28 at 2011 High St. and 2013 High St., Detective Sgt. Christopher Burns said. Police obtained search warrants for both apartments after a long-term investigation revealed large quantities of heroin were being sold from 19-year-old Donna J. Becker's apartment at 2013 High St., according to Burns.

Officers seized $1,000 cash, 130 bags of heroin and quantities of mushrooms, marijuana and pills from Becker's apartment, Burns said. Becker was charged with heroin and marijuana distribution and possession of class B and C drugs.

Charged with "being present where heroin is kept" were:

• An unidentified 17-year-old juvenile who lives at 60 North St., Three Rivers.
• Sarah Greuling, 19, of 44 Brimfield Road, Monson.
• Daniel Greuling, 19, of 2011 High St., Three Rivers.
• Austin Brallier, 19, of 44 Brimfield Road, Monson.
• Trevor Eliason, 24, of 147 Beacon Drive, Palmer.
• Robert John Roy, 27, of 2019 High St., Three Rivers.
• Kristopher P. Laine, 36, of 33 Mechanic St., Warren (Worcester County).

Police said Roy was also charged with carrying a dangerous weapon – authorities did not specify what sort of weapon – and possession of suboxone, a medication for treating heroin and opiate addiction that's also used as a recreational drug.

Daniel Greuling was additionally charged with possession of hashish, police said. Greuling discussed his arrest on Facebook and denied being a "dope head," among other things.

"I am not a dope head. I smoke weed, work hard, and I'm a good person. ... There's a new charge called 'heroin being kept.' Sounds bad, but it actually means that you were in a place where 'heroin was being kept,' " Greuling said in a Nov. 30 Facebook post.

Conor Berry | cberry@repub.com 

Michael Rodriguez, 30, was arrested Monday in Connecticut.

SPRINGFIELD — Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of a Bridgeport, Connecticut man for the 2009 murder of National Guardsman Julian Cartie.

Michael RodriguezSpringfield Police Department

Michael Rodriguez, 30, a former Holyoke resident, was arrested Monday in Bridgeport in a joint effort between the Springfield Police Department, the Federal Marshall's Office in Springfield and Connecticut and the Bridgeport Police Department.

Cartie, of New Britain, was 25 when he was gunned down shortly after 2:00 a.m. on Feb. 22, 2009, near the corner of State and Main streets in Springfield.

"The case has constantly been worked on by Detectives assigned to the case over the years," Sgt. John M. Delaney wrote in a statement to the media Wednesday.

Rodriguez is expected to be arraigned in Springfield District Court after waiving extradition. He could be brought to Massachusetts as early as Friday, Delaney said.

Of the investigation that led to Rodriguez's arrest, Delaney said Detectives Anthony Pioggia and Kevin Lee received a "Text-a-Tip" about the murder and then "[...]followed lead after lead."

"Commissioner John Barbieri praised the hard work of his detectives," Delaney wrote.

Delaney called Cartie a "remarkable young man", adding: "He truly was an innocent victim and his life was tragically cut short by this senseless act of violence."

November tax collections were strong enough to trip the trigger requiring the state income tax rate to drop to 5.15 percent from 5.2 percent on Jan. 1, 2015.

By MICHAEL NORTON

BOSTON — November tax collections were strong enough to trip the trigger requiring the state income tax rate to drop to 5.15 percent from 5.2 percent on Jan. 1, 2015.

The Department of Revenue on Wednesday reported collecting $1.59 billion in taxes in November, a 1.5 percent increase over last November.

Tax collections missed the monthly benchmark by $9 million and are trailing the fiscal 2015 benchmark by just over $40 million.

Gov. Deval Patrick last month cited the income tax cut, worth $70 million this fiscal year, as well as underperforming non-tax revenues and the challenge of paying for a job creation law passed last summer as reasons for opening up the $36.5 billion budget and making spending cuts.

Patrick slashed $198 million in spending unilaterally and asked lawmakers to pass other spending cuts. Legislative leaders have not taken action on his proposal, while taking a dim view of his call to reduce local aid to cities and towns by more than $25 million.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Brian Dempsey told the News Service Wednesday that he hopes to advance a budget-balancing bill through the House during December's lightly attended informal sessions and before Governor-elect Charles Baker takes office in January. Dempsey said he is actively examining a corporate tax amnesty program recommended by House Minority Leader Brad Jones and is still reviewing Patrick's plan for spending cuts at state departments.

Massachusetts voters in 2000 passed an initiative petition calling for a 5 percent income tax rate. Rate reduction efforts were frozen in 2002, when a set of triggers was adopted to guide further rate cuts.

Over the first five months of fiscal 2015, tax collections are up 2.7 percent over the same period in fiscal 2014. The state budget signed by Patrick in July calls for a 5.6 percent increase in spending.

Revenue Commissioner Amy Pitter reported Wednesday that tax refunds in November were greater than expected while sales, corporate and business tax collections were lower than expected. Withholding collections were strong, revenue officials said, and individual estimated tax payments were better than expected.

A two-month tax amnesty program that allowed delinquent taxpayers to pay up without paying penalties ended on October 31, and revenue officials are preliminarily estimating $57 million in payments made in connection with that program.

Reacting to the income tax cut, the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center noted Patrick's recent spending cuts to school transportation, job training, health care, and "other investments that support and strengthen our people and our economy." Center officials said the income tax reduction was a reason for the spending reductions.

"While our Commonwealth could be making investments to expand opportunity for all of our children and improve lives in our communities, this automatic tax cut will primarily benefit the wealthy and it will likely force cuts in education, transportation, and other investments in our people and our economy," MassBudget President Noah Berger said in a statement.

Brown has been the city planner for 24 years.

CHICOPEE - Before she became the city planner, Catherine L. Brown oversaw a colony of genetically obese mice, once picked out bad potato pieces in a clam chowder factory and washed dishes for the Marine National Guard.

After 24 years as city planner, Brown, 66, retired this week from the job she has held for the longest period in her life. Her decision to leave created a plethora of praise for the work she has done for the city.

"I am sad to see Kate go because she was a tremendous asset to the city," Mayor Richard J. Kos said. "She brought much institutional knowledge to the table and had a great working rapport with everyone. She will be missed."

When approving paying Brown for unused sick time, City Councilors noted that Brown rarely missed a day and was known for her dedication that often left her working late into the evening.

Councilor John L. Vieau said his first involvement with the city was serving on the Planning Board and he thanked Brown for her patience and for teaching her so much about planning and Chicopee.

Frederick Krampits, also a city councilor, talked about Brown's integrity and humility and said she was always helpful and polite to residents.

"I really try to make it easy for people. I like to try and solve problems for people," Brown said.

Brown said she decided to leave after her 90-year-old mother had some health problems. While she recovered, family members realized she could no longer live at home alone so Brown decided she would move to Oceanside, California and stay with her.

"I love my job. This is a great community to work in," she said.

She said she has enjoyed working with the many department heads and will miss working with Kos, who also served as mayor for seven years mainly in the 1990s.

Brown grew up in a military family which moved frequently. After she graduated high school she continued moving around working in restaurants, factories and other places. She jokes about some of the stranger jobs she has held.

About 10 years after graduating high school, she went back to school at the University of Georgia and majored in geography. Later she received her master's degree at the University of Tennessee also in geography and international business.

She began studying for her doctorate degree at the University of Georgia, where she worked as a program coordinator and the manager of the obese mice. She didn't finish that degree, opting to leave instead for a job.

Brown said she randomly ended up in Chicopee, coming to take a job as the development manager in the Planning Department. She was later promoted to city planner.

"Chicopee is my home. I've lived here longer than any other place," she said.

Brown said she has always been interested in history which morphed into an interest in genealogy. As she started researching her family, she learned some of them settled in this area. She is distantly related to the Bellamy and Chapin families, which are prominent in Chicopee and Elizur Holyoke, the namesake of Mount Holyoke.

While sad to leave Chicopee, Brown said he is also looking forward to being closer to her family and starting a new life.

She said she plans to work part-time but unlikely in planning. She said she would like to maybe work with animals again or possibly in a library.

Following fresh footprints in the newly fallen snow New Hampshire police were able to find and arrest a man suspected of robbing a convenience store today.

A digest of news stories from around New England.

WHDH-TV, 7News, Boston

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

The parade is set for Dec. 14.

LUDLOW - For the fourth year in a row, the Toys for Tots Christmas parade will make its way through town.

The parade will be Dec. 14, starting at 1:15 p.m. at the Ludlow Fire Department on Chapin Street.

In conjunction with the United States Marine Corp, Santa and his horse drawn team will be making their way through town, collecting new, unwrapped toys for the 'Toys for Tots' program.

The Police Department will help to coordinate the parade which is sponsored by the Ludlow Rotary Club and Mainely Drafts Horse & Carriage, said Chip Harrington, a member of the Rotary Club.

"More people come every year," Harrington said.

Carmina Fernandes, a town selectman, said the great thing about the parade is to see "kids so excited every year about giving gifts."

Santa will be led in a horse-drawn wagon, said Keith Ouellette, owner of Mainely Drafts Horse & Carriage.

New, unwrapped toys will be collected at every stop.

Santa's parade route will be as follows:

First stop, Ludlow Fire Department at 1:15 p.m., then right onto Chapin Street to Chapin Street School at approximately 1:50 p.m., right back onto Chapin Street, then left onto Holyoke Street to stop at Rick Wrona's Garage at approximately 2:10 p.m.

Then, continue onto Holyoke Street, take left onto Cady Street to stop at Pop N Kork store at approximately 2:30 p.m., then left onto Cady Street, right onto Fuller Street, left onto West Avenue, left onto Center Street, right onto Warsaw Avenue to stop at Christ the King Church at about 2:50 p.m.

Then left onto Warsaw Avenue, right onto Sewall Street, left on Howard Street, right on Oak Street, left on Walnut Street to stop at St. Elizabeth's Church back parking lot at approximately 3:10 p.m..

Then, left onto Walnut Street, left on Oak Street, right on Hubbard Street, left on Sewall Street, right on Winsor Street, left on Chestnut Street to stop at Ludlow Senior Center at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Then, right on East Street, left onto Chapin Street to the final stop at the Ludlow Town Hall rear parking lot at approximately 4:15 p.m.

There will be caroling at the Town Hall and Santa will light the Christmas Tree at Town Hall, Harrington said. The Rotary Club provides hot chocolate donated by Dunkin Donuts, he added.

In case of inclement weather, all toys will be collected at the Town Hall at 3 p.m.

New managing partner Andy Yee said he's still tinkering with the menu.. Lamb shanks are coming back.

SPRINGFIELD - Oom-Pah music, the smell of beer and bratwurst and a sense of optimism filled the air on Fort Street Wednesday night as The Student Prince Cafe and The Fort Dining Room hosted its grand reopening with Gov.-elect Charlie Baker in attendance to help the new owners cut a ceremonial string of German sausage links.

Baker said jokingly that he preferred the beer to the food. "It's a secret," he said.
"But I know a lot more about what is available to drink in there than I know about what is available to eat in there."

Baker also express gratitude that The Fort's collection of thousands of beer steins will remain on display.

"I've been a fan of this place for a long time," he said.

The 79-year-old Fort/Student Prince, long known as the place where Springfield residents met for lunch, to do business  and to celebrate their holidays, nearly closed this summer after the  Scherff family that had run it since the 1940s could no longer sustain the financial losses and declining business and looked to retire. They would have closed The Fort.

But The Fort only closed temporarily.

Businessman Peter Picknelly, chairman and CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines,  stepped forward as a buyer, enlisting partners Andy Yee of the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee and other restaurants and father-and-son business consultants Michael K. Vann and Kevin B. Vann. Yee and his family, who already have seven other local restaurants, are serving as managing partners.

Yee and Picknelly lead a team which  completed a  $750,000  renovation of The Fort. They squeezed what  is normally a six-month project into just six weeks in order to get the restaurant back open for the holidays.

"Welcome back to The Fort," Picknelly told the crowd.

He thanked the Scherff family. Rudi Scherff, who attended Wednesday's festivities in lederhosen.

"Thank you for entrusting us to continue your legacy," he said.

Ruidi Scherff  continues on as a maître d'hôtel and "face of The Fort." All told about half the old staff returned.

Springfield Mayor Domeic j.Sarno said The Fort's resurgence is a symbol  representing a lot of the good things happening in Springfield. He spoke of the casino project and CNR Changchun's plans to build MBTA subway cars here.

"The Fort is back and better days are ahead for the City of Springfield," Sarno said.

Downtown property owner Evan Plotkin said losing the Fort would have been a blow to the city's pride and to its business district.

"It would have been a black hole," Plotkin said. "It would have been another place in Downtown Springfield where something used to be. We are a nostalgia people. But the good old days are now. The good days are in our future."

The Fort opened for business a week ago, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It's been busy ever since and Andy Yee said he's booked up into January.

It's been a learning process, Yee said. The new owners eliminated some dishes from the menu in order to add more salads and lighter fare. He's since been asked to reconsider by longtime patrons.

"The lamb shanks are coming back," he said, and the rye bread. "I heard enough about the rye bread."

Longtime patron Mark Boardman returned for the grand opening.

"It's like seeing family. It is the people that make a place," he said. "But Peter and Andy have done a great job making the place great for the people."

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 33 point to close about 17,912.

By MATTHEW CRAFT
and STEVE ROTHWELL

NEW YORK — A batch of good news on the economy Wednesday pushed the stock market to new highs.

Payroll processer ADP said that U.S. companies added 208,000 jobs in November, the third straight month that hiring has topped 200,000. A separate report showed that service sector activity climbed close to an eight-month high in November.

The reports were an encouraging sign before the government's monthly jobs survey is published on Friday.

"There is nothing more important than employment data," said Russell Price, senior economist at Ameriprise Financial. "More income fuels more consumer spending over time."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 7.78 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,074.33. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 33.07 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,912.62. The Nasdaq composite climbed 18.66 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,774.47.

After rebounding from a slump in mid-October, stocks have been gradually moving higher on optimism that the U.S. economy will continue to improve next year. Investors are also hopeful that actions by central banks outside of the U.S. will help bolster global growth.

Economists forecast that the U.S. government will say employers added 225,000 jobs in November and that the unemployment rate slipped to 5.7 percent from 5.8 percent, according the financial data provider FactSet.

"The biggest, most important economic statistic in the world looks like it will continue its winning streak if this morning's ADP employment report is to be believed," Christopher Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, wrote in a note to clients. "Things are better than you think."

On Wednesday, stocks also got a lift from the energy sector as the price of oil showed signs of stabilizing. The sector rose for a third straight day, as drilling companies and other businesses that provide services to the oil and gas industry gained.

Cimarex Energy, an oil and gas exploration company, was among the biggest gainers in the S&P 500. Its stock surged $5.27, or 5.1 percent, to $108.17.

The energy sector has pared its loss for the year to 7.4 percent after this week's gains. The industry group is the only one of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 to be down for the year.

In energy trading, the price of U.S. benchmark crude rose 50 cents to $67.38 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 62 cents to close at $69.92 on the ICE Futures exchange in London. That's the lowest close for Brent since May of 2010.

Among individual stocks, Abercrombie & Fitch surged after the clothing store for teens reported that its quarterly profit topped analysts' estimates, even though sales slumped. Abercrombie gained 97 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $28.81.

In government bond trading, prices for U.S. government bonds edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note declined to 2.28 from 2.29 percent on Tuesday.

Prices of precious metals were mixed. Gold rose $9.30 to settle at $1,208.70 an ounce, while silver slipped 4 cents to $16.41 an ounce. Copper dipped 2 cents to $2.87 a pound.

In currency trading, the dollar rose against the Japanese yen, to 119.83 yen from 119.22 yen. The U.S. currency also gained against the euro, pushing the euro down to $1.231.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX:

1. Wholesale gasoline fell 0.5 cents to close at $1.807 a gallon
2. Heating oil fell 2.1 cents to close at $2.133 a gallon.
3. Natural gas fell 6.9 cents to close at $3.805 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Baker met with officials of University of Massachusetts at Amherst Wednesday.

The surprise gift was presented to Springfield High School of Science and Technology bandleader Gary Bernice by Big Y president and chief operating officer Charles D'Amour during a live segment of CBS 3 weather broadcast by meterologist Nick Morganelli. CBS 3 has been running a public service announcement in support of the drive.

SPRINGFIELD — With a $5,000 donation from Big Y on Wednesday, funding for the the film project about the successes of 500-member strong Sci-Tech band edged within easy striking distance of its $35,000 goal, which must be met by a Dec. 9 deadline.

The surprise gift was presented to Springfield High School of Science and Technology bandleader Gary Bernice by Big Y president and chief operating officer Charles D'Amour during a live segment of CBS 3 weather broadcast by meterologist Nick Morganelli. CBS 3 has been running a public service announcement in support of the drive.

The announcement was greeted with cheers, drums and trumpet flares from the 100 student musicians packed into the band room in the basement of the high school. The group is one-fifth of the number of students who are all preparing for a full-band performance at its signature event, the Winterfest concert scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 11 at Chestnut Middle School.

During the live TV spot, bandleader Bernice gave full credit to the students for their accomplishments and hard work, noting that 99 percent of the students had never picked up an instrument before they joined the Sci-Tech band.

"This is a student centered program," Bernice said, adding that it is the student musicians who teach one another. "They are taught by one another, that's what's special about this band," he said.

Students interviewed said the band is a home away from home. "It's like one big happy family rooting for you," one student said, adding that fact is what makes students stay in the band.

Larry Hott, of Florentine Films in Florence, has been filming the band since the beginning of the school year in August leading up to the winter concert to tell a story that he believes can be replicated throughout the country.

The experience of students who join Bernice's band, drawn from 1,500 students at one of Springfield's underperforming schools, has been transformative, with band members averaging a 95 percent graduation rate, Hott said.

Hott plans to market the 20-25 minute documentary film to educators. "If Springfield can do it others can too," he said.

Hott and his wife and business partner Diane Garey were inspired to make the film about the Sci-Tech band when they heard them play at a fundraising concert at the Academy of Music in Northampton .

The total cost of the project is estimated at $85,000, and the fund drive is being done in stages, with the first one being $35,000.

If the online Kickstarter campaign reaches its goal by its 3:45 p.m. Dec. 9 deadline, the drive may be extended to help raise the $85,000 to complete the filming.

Those who wish to donate on line may do so by logging on to kickstarter.com and then typing Sci-Tech band. Donations are tax-deductible.

In addition to the Kickstarter drive, supporters of the band and the film can make donations through the private, nonprofit Springfield School Volunteers by sending a check made out to the organization.

The address is Springfield School Volunteers, 1550 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103.

The film project got its start with $15,000 from anonymous contributors, who donated the seed money to the Springfield School Volunteers.

The popular soft-drink maker has launched a product it calls filtered milk - a brand of high-protein, low-fat milk named Fairlife.

Coca-Cola's got milk.

The popular soft-drink maker has launched a product it calls filtered milk - a brand of high-protein, low-fat milk named Fairlife.

But it is its use of apparently naked pin-up girls, covered only in milk in a test advertising campaign that got lots of people talking. And because of controversy concerning these ads, it no longer plans to use them in national campaigns, according to eonline.com.

"Fairlife released a series of ads that featured naked women posing as pin-up girls with nothing but—wait for it—milk covering their naughty parts," according to eonline's report. "One even had a woman standing on the scale. Yeeeeah, that didn't sit well with people. "In fact, Twitter users deemed the ads as 'sexist.'"

When Fairlife caught wind of the controversy, it said on its website that the ads were actually part of a test launch that ended in June, and will not be used for its national campaign.

The ads are by London photographer Jaroslay Wieczorkiewicz, and feature women clothed in dripping milk, according to the Los Angeles Times. One model is made to look like Marilyn Monroe's famous pose from the "Seven Year Itch." Another sticks her rear end out while she stands on top of a scale. And the slogans "Drink what she's wearing" and "Milk looks good on you," accompany the models.

According to the Daily Mail in London, many people tweeted their disdain for the test ad campaign.

'In case you missed: ads for Coke's new milk brand show nude women, covered in milk, being weighed. #everydaysexism, one Twitter user, Dan Barker posted.

'Sexist rubbish (trash) throwback advertising from Coca-Cola for milk...keep the 70s in the 70s," other poster, Rebel Girl UK tweeted.

"As if the images themselves weren’t insulting enough, these captions enhance the sexist undertones of a message supposedly intended to focus on health and nutrition," Ylva Johannesson wrote in another English newspaper, The Independent. Her article was headlined, "Do we really need pinup girls to sell us drinks?"

And Fairlife's ultimate reaction?

"In June, we concluded two test markets in Denver and Minneapolis," Fairlife says on its website. "The test markets allowed fairlife to learn what was working and what we needed to improve for the upcoming national launch. So you’ll see all new packaging and new advertising once we launch. The “pin-ups” advertising may have been eye-catching, but we’re taking a totally new approach… that campaign was retired in June and we’re super excited about what’s to come…"

According Coca-Cola's promotional materials Fairlife contains 50 percent more protein, 20 percent more calcium and half the sugar of regular milk sold in most supermarkets.

So apparently these ads, which barely saw the light of day, are now a thing of the past.

Mankind's journey to Mars takes a step forward on Thursday when NASA launches the first flight test of the Orion spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Mankind's journey to Mars takes a step forward on Thursday when NASA launches the first flight test of the Orion spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Nov. 24, 2014 - With access doors at Space Launch Complex 37 opened, the Orion and Delta IV Heavy stack is visible in its entirety inside the Mobile Service Tower where the vehicle is undergoing launch preparations. NASA's Orion spacecraft is designed to take astronauts to deep-space destination such as an asteroid and Mars. (NASA photo/Kim Shiflett) 

Dubbed Orion Exploration Flight Test-1, the unmanned test flight is scheduled to launch tomorrow morning, Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7:05 Eastern Standard Time, just after sunrise, from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral. Orion will fly atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, the largest rocket currently available to NASA.

Thursday's launch will test many of the systems aboard the Orion ship that NASA eventually plans to use to bring humans back into the space exploration business. If plans hold, astronauts aboard Orion spacecraft will visit an asteroid around 2025 and make the long-imagined trip to Mars in the 2030s.

That trip to Mars begins with Thursday's historic initial test flight.

If you're not in the Titusville-Cocoa Beach area of Florida to witness the launch first-hand, you'll have a prime viewing spot right from wherever you are right now, using whichever Internet-connected device you prefer – NASA will have live stream coverage of the Orion launch and test flight beginning at 4:30 a.m. EST, and it's embedded at the top of this article. NASA also will air coverage on NASA TV, available on most cable and satellite lineups.

While NASA doesn't have the type of goal President John F. Kennedy set for it in 1961 – "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth" before the end of the 1960s – the plans for Orion, as The Republican / MassLive astronomy columnist Patrick Rowan observed, remind us of that exciting time. In addition to the Orion spacecraft that astronauts will fly, NASA also is developing the new Space Launch System that, according to the space agency, is "more powerful than any rocket ever built" and "will be capable of sending humans to deep space destinations such as an asteroid and eventually Mars."

To keep up with all the latest Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 information and social media, here are some resources about the Orion program:

NASA's Orion homepage »

Orion on Facebook »

Orion on Twitter »

Orion on Flicker »

 

Under Republican Governors William Weld and Paul Cellucci, Baker worked on the issue of homelessness with a heavy focus on developing individualized plans for families being housed in hotels under emergency status.

HOLYOKE — During a visit to the Paper City on Wednesday, Governor-elect Charlie Baker reaffirmed his commitment to ending the state's practice of housing homeless families in hotels across the commonwealth.

The location of Baker's statement was no coincidence as reporters asked about the issue considering Holyoke, with more than 180 families currently living in its hotels, is considered ground zero for the controversial practice.

Under Republican Govs. William Weld and Paul Cellucci, Baker worked on the issue of homelessness with a heavy focus on developing individualized plans for families being housed in hotels under emergency status. He said Wednesday that he would be emulating elements of what worked then when he takes office.

"When we took office in 1991, there were about 1,200 families living in hotels and motels around the commonwealth," Baker said. "We pursued a pretty aggressive case management program to help the families find transitional and permanent housing and usually, back in the communities they came from where most of their support systems were. It took us about 18 months, but we got the number down to zero. We'll be pursuing a similar style approach come January and its certainly one of my objectives to work to remove the stigma and the problem."

Baker's plan, as pitched before him winning the election, focuses on short- and longer-term goals to ensure people currently in the system don't simply get placed out in the cold as a means to end the program. He says the creation of assessment teams to meet with the affected families to develop personalized plans is key to getting them the help they need and finding a solution that isn't as expensive for the taxpayers.

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, who has been critical of the practice of housing homeless in hotels considering its impact on the city's tourist draw and its public safety and education systems, said he was pleased to hear Baker's reiterating what he heard him saying as a candidate on the campaign trail.

"I've been really impressed with what I've seen from Governor-elect Baker since he won the election," Morse said, following a closed-door meeting between he, Baker and Holyoke department heads. "We have the most homeless families being housed in the commonwealth and the practice is a disservice to them and the city."

State Rep. Aaron Vega, a Holyoke Democrat, said he was also hopeful that the incoming Republican governor would be making good on his campaign pledge to end the practice, although he is concerned about just how it's done.

"I am pleased we are all on the same page as far as wanting to end the practice. How we get there is another question and that is something we will have to work out in the new year," Vega said. "The key point Governor-elect Baker brought up is the importance of keeping people in their own communities and not shuttling them around the state. Through that you aren't helping the families and you aren't building community."

In Holyoke, problems involving homeless tenants living at the Holyoke Hotel, formerly the Holiday Inn, have pressed public safety resources. The city's school system is also strained by the influx of children in its schools, thanks to the practice. As a result, Holyoke Public Schools officials were asked this week to help craft a report to be presented to Baker courtesy of the state auditor's office on Jan. 15.

The practice of housing homeless families in hotels and motels is also expensive. The cost to the state is around $80 per room, each night, and since 2009, taxpayers have spent nearly $56 million to place homeless people in hotels in Western Massachusetts alone.

Approximately 1,800 cars, or 4.5x the volume "minor" streets are designed to handle, have been traveling Quinnhetuk each day.

LONGMEADOW - The Select Board took action to slow down traffic on Quinnehtuk Road earlier this week, but stopped short of fulfilling a traffic safety Committee recommendation to temporarily close the street, which in recent days has served as a conduit for 4.5 times more cars than it is designed to handle. 

Two to 3 temporary speed humps will be installed on the road, per the wording of the motion put forward by board member Mark Gold, and Town Manager Stephen Crane is empowered to install other "traffic calming systems," such as making traffic on the street one-way or increasing signage, as well.

The town's traffic safety committee recommended that the road be closed temporarily, which would allow the resulting altered traffic flow to be reviewed and analyzed, after considering options to slow the flood of traffic that included the sort of measures endorsed by the Select Board Monday.

"When we first presented this, we went through all of these things. Our town engineer... (our) civil engineer, our DPW director, who is responsible for the plowing of the streets, our police chief... went through all of these things, and our recommendation based on our knowledge of all this stuff, was clear," said Crane, as the board deliberated. "I'm not sure I still fully understand yet what the objection is to closing the street other than precedent. ... I'd rather go through the policy process and study it further, then take a half-measure that's going to be worse, not better."

However, board members chose not to follow this analysis, fearing the possibility of setting an unwelcome precedent.

"The concern is that there's no opportunity to identify something other than closure will work, if your first step is closure," Gold said. "I think that closing a road, we will have a parade of people in here asking that their road be closed, and it gets very, very difficult to stop people from closing roads after you agree to close any main road... I'd love to see us develop a policy... but I think even then, you know, we have 3 or 4 hundred roads in town, we'll end up with 3 or 4 hundred evaluations against that policy."

A motion to close the temporarily close the road was brought forward by Select Board member Alex Grant, but was defeated 2-3, with Gold, chair Richard Foster and board member Paul Santaniello against. A subsequent measure to install the traffic calming measures was then passed 3-2, with Foster and board member Marie Angelides against.

Foster said he would like more data on the impact of traffic calming measures short of closing the road, and thus voted against both motions.

Quinnehtuk Road is often employed as a "cut-through" street, as it allows motorists to bypass the intersection of Wolf Swamp Road and Frank Smith Road.

This has led to a remarkable amount of traffic flowing down the road, to the dismay of residents.

Per the town bylaws, "minor" streets, such as Quinnehtuk, are built to service 400 cars each day. According to statistics compiled by the Traffic Committee, however, approximately 1,800 cars, or 4.5 times the volume "minor" streets are designed to handle, have been traveling Quinnehtuk each day. 

On Oct. 21, the board directed Crane to employ the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, who put together an analysis of the situation that was reviewed Monday.

The power to close a road permanently lies with the town Planning Board. The Traffic Commission's recommended that the road be closed for a limited period of time, however, which meant that the issue fell within the purview of the Select Board.

Not only will the contest winner be announced, but police also will reveal the name chosen for the city's newest four-legged crimefighter, according to Sgt. John Delaney, the department's public information officer and supervisor of the K-9 unit.

SPRINGFIELD — The winner of a Springfield Police Department contest to name the city's new K-9 dog will be announced on Friday, Dec. 5, at Warner School in the Boston Road neighborhood.

Fifth-grade students took part in an essay contest to name Springfield's newest four-legged crimefighter. The winner of the contest and the dog's name will be announced during a 1:30 p.m. assembly in the school's gymnasium. Warner is located at 493 Parker St.

Sgt. John Delaney, the department's public information officer and supervisor of the K-9 unit, said students were asked to explain why they chose a particular name.

"The K-9 officers read all the choices and essays and, after going over many great names, they picked a winning student," he said.

The winner gets a plaque from the K-9 unit and all contest participants get a photograph of the new police dog, according to Delaney.

Police Commissioner John Barbieri and K-9 team members will be on hand for the event, which will feature food donated by Big Y supermarkets.

Conor Berry | cberry@repub.com