Toys are being distributed to families this week so children will have toys to open on Christmas morning.

SPRINGFIELD — From $1 to $1,000 every donation is welcome as it brings Toy for Joy closer to it's goal this year.

This past week families in need visited Salvation Army locations in Springfield, Westfield, Greenfield and Holyoke to obtain free gifts for their children to open on Christmas Day.

"We saw a great need this year," said Danielle LaTille, social services director for the Salvation Army which sponsors Toy for Joy along with The Republican.

While donations continue to come in $101,345 is still needed to reach this year's $150,000 goal.

Here are today's donors:

>With thanks for the blessings in 2014 from Ed and Terrie G --$50
>Merry Christmas Mom and Dad from Jan-Marie--$50
>Anonymous--$100
>In memory of George and Eleri Tsitsirides--$150
>In loving memory of a little angel named Destiny, God bless--$20
>In memory of Edward and Lillian Noonan and in honor of work colleagues--$150
>In honor of Zoe, Max and Luna Hemingway--$30
>JR --$50
>Merry Christmas from Lauren, Lee, Andrew, Kaitlyn and Loretta--$50
>Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas to the children--$25
>In memory of Margare and Roy Smith, love Margaret, Linda and Bette--$50
>In honor of the innocence of childhood--$25
>Anonymous--$50
>Don't you ever change from R and M--$100
>RJW--$10
>For the love of all children, Merry Christmas from the office employees at Guardair Corp.--$150
>In honor of Western Mass Hospital employees and retirees --$25
>In memory of deceased Babinski family members from Gail and Albert--$25
>In memory of Agnes Brueno/Platt and Nancy Bean/Morrissey, love Albert and Gail--$25
>In memory of Abigail Maciorowski and Hazel Affenito, love Gail and Albert--$25
>Blessings for Evelyn, Cameron, Colin, Ethan, Sarah and Chad, love grandparents Bean--$50
>In memory of members of the Sugrue and Johnson families--$25
>With gratitude for Chloe, Andrew, Wyatt, Doug, Duncan and Marshall --$25
>Merry Christmas from Alexa, Evan, Ben and Julia--$200
>Anonymous--$20
>Merry Christmas Nono and Nana, we love you--$50
>In memory of Bill and Izzy Gilmore and Lillian White, love Patty--$20
>In memory of our beloved grandfather Joseph Misiaszek from Kristin, Mike, Holly and Levi--$25
>Martha--$20
>Thank you St. Jude, CPO--$20
>In memory of ESH, DBH, DEH, DLB and W and W--$10
>Merry Christmas from Glenn and Sandra--$25
>Merry Christmas Matt, Alyssa and Nico, love Noni and Grandpa--$5
>In memory of deceased members of Mezzetti and DiLullo family and Moe Malanson--$5
>In memory of Mary Shean, Dolly and Hugo--$5
>In memory of Barbara and John Welch, Hugo and Dolly Mezzetti --$5
>In loving memory of our parents John and Josephine Szumny from their children--$25
>In loving memory of our daughter Jill Stefanik, with love from Mom and Dad--$25
>Dr. Paist, Pathfinder, a gift for children at Christmas--$135
>Thank you Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Jude for prayers answered, S and R--$15
>Merry Christmas from Bob and Sue--$100
>In honor of Kylie, Taryn, Tanner and Tessa--$20
>God bless--$10
>In loving memory of Gail and Mike, love Jack, Joe, Joy and Jim--$25
>Connecticut Valley Artesian Well Co., Inc.--$200
>With thanks for the blessings in 2014 from Ed and Terrie G --$50
>Merry Christmas Mom and Dad from Jan-Marie--$50
>Anonymous--$100
>In memory of George and Eleri Tsitsirides--$150
>In loving memory of a little angel named Destiny, God bless--$20
>In memory of Edward and Lillian Noonan and in honor of work colleagues--$150
>In honor of Zoe, Max and Luna Hemingway--$30
>JR --$50
>Merry Christmas from Lauren, Lee, Andrew, Kaitlyn and Loretta--$50
>Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas to the children--$25
>In memory of Margare and Roy Smith, love Margaret, Linda and Bette--$50
>In honor of the innocence of childhood--$25
>Anonymous--$50
>Don't you ever change from R and M--$100
>RJW--$10
>For the love of all children, Merry Christmas from the office employees at Guardair Corp.--$150
>In honor of Western Mass Hospital employees and retirees--$25
>In memory of deceased Babinski family members from Gail and Albert--$25
>In memory of Agnes Brueno/Platt and Nancy Bean/Morrissey, love Albert and Gail--$25
>In memory of Abigail Maciorowski and Hazel Affenito, love Gail and Albert--$25
>Blessings for Evelyn, Cameron, Colin, Ethan, Sarah and Chad, love grandparents Bean--$50
>In memory of members of the Sugrue and Johnson families --$25
>With gratitude for Chloe, Andrew, Wyatt, Doug, Duncan and Marshall --$25
>Merry Christmas from Alexa, Evan, Ben and Julia--$200
>Anonymous--$20
>Merry Christmas Nono and Nana, we love you --$50
>In memory of Bill and Izzy Gilmore and Lillian White, love Patty--$20
>In memory of our beloved grandfather Joseph Misiaszek from Kristin, Mike, Holly and >Levi--$25
>Martha--$20
>Thank you St. Jude, CPO--$20
>In memory of ESH, DBH, DEH, DLB and W and W--$10
>Merry Christmas from Glenn and Sandra--$25
>Merry Christmas Matt, Alyssa and Nico, love Noni and Grandpa--$5
>In memory of deceased members of Mezzetti and DiLullo family and Moe Malanson--$5
>In memory of Mary Shean, Dolly and Hugo--$5
>In memory of Barbara and John Welch, Hugo and Dolly Mezzetti --$5
>In loving memory of our parents John and Josephine Szumny from their children--$25
>In loving memory of our daughter Jill Stefanik, with love from Mom and Dad--$25
>Dr Paist, Pathfinder, a gift for children at Christmas--$135
>Thank you Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Jude for prayers answered, S and R--$15
>Merry Christmas from Bob and Sue--$100
>In honor of Kylie, Taryn, Tanner and Tessa--$20
>God bless--$10
>In loving memory of Gail and Mike, love Jack, Joe, Joy and Jim--$25
>Connecticut Valley Artesian Well Co., Inc.--$200
>Sullivan, Keating & Moran Insurance Agency of Springfield, Inc.--$250

RECEIVED:$2,475
TOTAL TO DATE: $48,655
STILL NEEDED: $101,345

The program, which will provide toys and gifts to families in need in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties, has a fund-raising goal of $150,000 by Christmas Eve.

Hasbro's association with Toy for Joy began three years ago when it united its Giving Tree effort with the campaign. Its employees are among the volunteers who help the Salvation Army register families and distribute the toys; the international toymaker is also a major donor of the gifts which are distributed.

For more information, call the Springfield citadel of the Salvation Army, (413) 733-7581.

The Springfield citadel will accept new, unopened toys as donations; they can be brought to 170 Pearl St. on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. through Dec. 23.

To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield 01102.

Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon at The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. until Dec. 24.

After visiting the home and interviewing the couple, Allenberg filed a child abuse complaint against them on Oct. 31 with the Department of Children and Families.

SPRINGFIELD - A West Springfield man facing animal abuse charges pleaded guilty in 2012 to assaulting a child in the same house where his dog allegedly suffered broken bones and a traumatic head injury in recent weeks.

Jason Nieves, 31, of 39 Burford Ave., was sentenced to four years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of assault and battery on a child in Hampden Superior Court.

The plea, made on April 18, 2012, came after prosecutors dropped two counts of assault and battery on a child with substantial injury filed against Nieves in 2011.

During his sentencing, Nieves was given credit for serving 279 days while awaiting trial on the 2011 charges, court records show.

Nieves and Jacquelyn Hadley, 26, are scheduled for arraignment Monday in Springfield District Court on felony animal abuse charges. An 11-year-old is also charged in the case.

The West Springfield couple was identified Thursday by Hampden District Attorney James Orenstein, who did not disclose the relationship between suspects to protect the juvenile's identity.

The charges were filed after Max, a 5-month-old pit bull suffering from multiple broken bones and head trauma, was dropped off at the Dakin Animal Shelter on Oct. 30 by Nieves and a friend, who both pretended the dog was a stray.

The dog was treated at the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, where he is recovering from injuries and is being offered for adoption.

An investigation by the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found the puppy, described as sweet and friendly, never received veterinary care or pain medication, despite suffering chronic, escalating violence at the hands of the 11-year-old.

The child not only acknowledged hitting the dog, sometimes with a shovel, but showed pleasure in recounting the abuse, according to a report by MSPCA investigator Christine Allenberg.

Hadley said she tried to prevent the 11-year-old from abusing the dog, two other children and two cats living in the home, Allenberg wrote in the report.

As the abuse escalated, it caused tension between Hadley, who claimed she loved the dog and treated him like a member of the family, and Nieves, who feared that reporting it would cause trouble for the 11-year-old, the investigator wrote.

In the end, the couple decided to turn Max in as a stray because they could not afford his medical bills, according to the MSPCA report.

After visiting the home and interviewing the couple, Allenberg filed a child abuse complaint against them on Oct. 31 with the Department of Children and Families, saying the 11-year-old was left alone with the younger children.

Because child abuse investigations are confidential, information on the status of the case is not available.

In the 2011 and 2012 cases, prosecutors consulted medical authorities about the source of injuries suffered by a child in the care of Nieves and Hadley. Nieves attributed the 2011 injuries to falls from a couch and indoor swing.

The ice path will be open more hours than normal during school vacation.

HOLYOKE -- Seasonal ice skating hours return Saturday (Dec. 20) to the 300-foot outdoor path at Community Field off Cherry Street.

Skaters can enjoy public ice skating Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m., as well as earlier hours on Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m., said Peter Leclerc, recreation supervisor of the city Parks and Recreation Department.

The cost is $2 a person and skates can be rented for $3. Public skating is staffed and has bathrooms, lockers and a warming house, he said.

Special hours will be in place during school vacation from Dec. 26 to Jan. 6 with skating available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., he said.

Aside from school vacation, skaters also can use the ice path Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.for free but no city staff are on duty and skate rentals, lockers and warming house are unavailable, he said.

For information visit holyoke.org or call (413) 322-5620.

Sylvester Cooper, 24, and Ervin Tisdale, 19, both of 245 Whiting Farms Road, each pleaded innocent to three charges.

SPRINGFIELD — Two Holyoke men on Friday in Hampden Superior Court denied charges related to an assault on another man in Holyoke on Oct. 19.

Sylvester Cooper, 24, and Ervin Tisdale, 19, both of 245 Whiting Farms Road, each pleaded not guilty to three charges.

The charges are assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury (brass knuckles); assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife or other cutting instrument); and assault and battery causing serious bodily injury.

Bail was set by Judge Tina S. Page at $25,000 cash or $250,000 surety for Cooper; bail for Tisdale was $5,000 cash or $50,000 surety.

Cooper is represented by Anthony C. Bonavita, and Tisdale is represented by Jennifer E. Cox in the case prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick S. Sabbs.

The renovations and expansion of the environmental center is aimed at restoring and preserving the building, and making it more energy efficient

SPRINGFIELD - The city has extended the deadline for bids for an estimated $3 million renovation-expansion project at the Clifford A. Phaneuf Environmental Center at Forest Park, with all bids now due by Jan. 15.

The bids were initially due on Friday, but the one-month extension was decided due to multiple factors including the complexity of the project, multiple sub bids received, questions raised by potential bidders, and revisions and addenda, said Theo Theocles, the city's deputy procurement officer.

"For something that has been in development as long as it has been, we really don't want to fumble at the goal line," Theocles said.

The bids will be opened at 2 p.m., on Jan. 15, at the Office of Procurement at City Hall. The deadline for sub bids is extended to Jan. 8, also at the Office of Procurement, and questions will be accepted until Dec. 31, also an extension of time, according to the bid guidelines.

Peter Garvey, the city's director of capital asset construction, said the delay in accepting bids will not delay plans for renovations to begin in mid-March.

Garvey said it made sense to give bidders more time to submit their proposals, particularly with the complexity of the project, the busy holiday season, questions and clarifications that were made, and the adjustments made by the city.

The environmental center is a log-constructed building that has housed the Environmental Center of Our Schools (ECOS program since 1970, helping to educate thousands of Springfield students.

The building, constructed in the 1930s, served as the old skatehouse at Porter Lake.

The complexity of the planned renovation-expansion project includes that there are some alternates being advertised, involving additional work, that might be done depending on the dollar amounts of the bids submitted and whether or not the additional renovations can be afforded, Theocles said.

According to the city's architect, Stephen Jablonski, the renovation project will preserve and enhance the center, restoring and protecting its historic features, adding a multitude of energy conservation measures, and expanding its academic and public uses.

The city plans to finance the project using a portion of $25 million in federal disaster aid, received as compensation for damaged to the city related to the tornado of 2011. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved uses of the funds on a case-by-case basis, whether or not the uses were directly related to the tornado.

A $5,000 reward is being offered as authorities in Connecticut probe the shooting death of a federally protected bald eagle.

A $5,000 reward is being offered as authorities in Connecticut probe the shooting death of a federally protected bald eagle.

According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Environmental Conservation Police, a citizen called to report finding a dead bald eagle on Great Meadow Road near the Connecticut River on Dec. 13. The eagle's body was shipped to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Oregon and a preliminary examination determined that the eagle died of injuries caused by a gun shot.

Bald eagles are protected under federal law and on the state level. If prosecuted federally, a person convicted of the felony could be fined up to $250,000 and be sentenced to serve to years in prison.

The case in Rocky Hill is being jointly investigated by the state conservation police and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for killing the eagle.

Anyone with information is asked to call Connecticut investigators at 860-424-3333 or 1-800-842-4357 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents at 860-871-8348.

An inmate who escaped from a minimum security facility in Manchester, New Hampshire was arrested in Vermont on Friday.

BRATTLEBORO, Vermont — An inmate who escaped from a minimum security facility in Manchester, New Hampshire was arrested in Vermont on Friday.

According to Vermont State Police, they were contacted by their counterparts from the Keene barracks in the Granite State, who reported that 47-year-old David Allen Ward had escaped from the Calumet Transitional House located in Manchester, N.H. on Monday.

Ward was serving a 4-8 year sentence for reckless conduct, but was eligible for parole in May 2015. An investigation developed information that Ward may be at a home in Vernon.

The joint investigation also solicited assistance from the U.S. Marshall's Service and together, the agencies descended on a home on Rondeau Way in Vernon where Ward was found outside.

Police say Ward was found in possession of a hand gun stolen from Swanzey, N.H. on Thursday. In addition to fugitive from justice charges leveled against Ward, he will face charges relating the stolen pistol, according to police.

He was taken into custody and held at the Southern State Correctional Facility in lieu of $100,000 cash bail with arraignment set for Monday morning in Windham County Superior Court.

Judge William W. Teahan Jr., served 20 years as a judge in Springfield District Court prior to his retirement in 2008.

William W. Teahan Jr.Lindquist Funeral Home, Yarmouth, ME 

CUMBERLAND FORESIDE, ME - Retired Springfield District Court Judge William W. Teahan Jr., 72, formerly of Longmeadow, died Dec. 6, at Maine Medical Center in Portland after a brief illness.

Teahan had retired as a Springfield District Court judge in April of 2008, after 20 years on the bench..

Teahan was appointed as a District Court judge in 1988 by former Gov. Michael Dukakis and became the Regional Administrative Judge of the District Court of Western Massachusetts and was also vice-chairman of the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct, according to his obituary from the Lindquist Funeral Home in Yarmouth, Maine.

Prior to serving as a judge, Teahan was a local lawyer, an assistant district attorney in Hampden County, and later chief assistant district attorney.

Teahan was born on Nov. 12, 1942, in Holyoke. At the time of his death, Teahan lived in Cumberland Foreside with his wife, Mary Disbro (Chum) Teahan.

His survivors include his wife, and their children: William W. Teahan, III, of Denver, Colorado; and Kate Teahan Whipple (with her husband Steve Whipple) of Yarmouth, Maine; and grandchildren Sam Whipple and Elizabeth Whipple.

Teahan is also survived by four siblings, Mary Eileen Conner, Vincent L. Teahan, Marcella Teahan Hovancsek and Harry M. Teahan.

"Law, as important as it was to him, occupied only a small part of Bill's attention," according to his obituary. "Much more important to him was life with Chum, their children, Bill and Kate, and the grandchildren - this life was one of love and frequent quiet joy in 49 years of marriage."

The obituary also noted that a death notices published by the Hampden County Bar Association "fittingly reported the passing of a "friend and beloved colleague.'"

In accordance with his wishes, there was no funeral.

Those who wish to share condolences, memories and tributes with his family can visit: www.lindquistfuneralhome.com.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Peter Wanczyk 

Peter M. Wanczyk Sr., 60, of Hadley, passed away on Wednesday. Born in Northampton, he graduated from Hopkins Academy and Springfield Technical Community College. He was a self-employed co-owner and operator in his family business, Wanczyk Evergreen Nursery. He was an accomplished trumpet player. At 14, he performed with Rick Wroblewski's Polka Jacks and the Eddie Forman Orchestra. In the 1970s he started his own band, The Jolly Polkateers. His passion for music was only surpassed by the love for his family. He loved planning large family gatherings and traditional family events.

An electrical fire in a multi-family home in the city's pine Point neighborhood Saturday afternoon displaced residents from the entire building since firefighters couldn't reach a landlord.

SPRINGFIELD — An electrical fire in a multi-family home in the city's pine Point neighborhood Saturday afternoon displaced residents from the entire building since firefighters couldn't reach a landlord.

According to Springfield Fire Department spokesman Dennis Leger, the 911 call came at 2:08 p.m.and upon arrival, firefighters discovered an electrical fire burning in the ceiling of apartment 2D of 75 Bay Meadow Road.

Since fire crews couldn't reach a property manager to shut power to the specific unit, they had to cut power to the entire building, forcing tenants of all four apartments and a cat to find another place to stay for the night.

Leger said no injuries were reported in the incident, but the apartment sustained around $25,000 in damages.

The Springfield Police Department's Learn to Skate program welcomed Santa Claus on Saturday, as jolly old Saint Nick helped the children around the ice and gave out presents.

SPRINGFIELD — The ice at Forest Park's Cyr Arena was teeming with kids zipping around with plastic crates or PVC frames that resembled walkers for the elderly to help them stay vertical as they skated. You wouldn't want to be the one sprawled on the ice when Santa came skating along to say hi.

Besides the assisting hardware, there were plenty of cops on the ice to lend a helping hand. Springfield Police Capt. Cheryl Claprood says about 12 were on hand for the annual Christmas party for the department's Learn to Skate Program.

Running for 10 years, the program offers free skating time and skate rentals for kids.

Today was extra special due to the arrival of Santa Claus who proved to be a very skilled skater. He was seen helping youngsters glide across the ice, often skating backwards. The junior skaters also got a special gift from Santa.

Captain Claprood says it's a "good time for the cops and the kids" and she wants people to know that the free program runs Saturdays through Jan. 3. All children need to bring to be eligible to participate is a helmet of any sort that fits.

An armed man walked up to two New York Police Department officers sitting inside a patrol car and opened fire Saturday afternoon, shooting both of them fatally before running into a nearby subway station and committing suicide, police said.

NEW YORK (AP) -- An armed man walked up to two New York Police Department officers sitting inside a patrol car and opened fire Saturday afternoon, shooting both of them fatally before running into a nearby subway station and committing suicide, police said.

The shooting took place in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Both officers were rushed to Woodhull hospital, where one was pronounced dead, police said. The second officer was later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to a senior city official and a law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the shooting. They were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Authorities say the suspect fatally shot himself inside the station. His motive wasn't immediately clear.

A news conference with police officials and Mayor Bill de Blasio is scheduled for 7 p.m.

A block from the shooting site, a line of about eight police officers stood with a German shepherd blocking the taped-off street. Streets were blocked even to pedestrians for blocks around.

Derrick Thompson, who lives nearby, said the shooting happened across from the Tompkins Houses public housing development.

"I was watching TV, and then I heard the helicopters," Thompson said. "I walked out, and all of a sudden -- this."

The shooting comes at a tense time. Police in New York are being criticized for their tactics following the chokehold death of Eric Garner, who was stopped by police on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. Amateur video captured an officer wrapping his arm around Garner's neck and wrestling him to the ground. Garner was heard gasping, "I can't breathe" before he loses consciousness and later dies.

The president of the police officers union, Patrick Lynch, and de Blasio have been locked in a public battle over treatment of officers following the grand jury's decision. Just days ago, Lynch suggested police officers sign a petition that demanded the mayor not attend their funerals should they die on the job.

The last shooting death of an NYPD officer came in December 2011, when 22-year veteran Peter Figoski responded to a report of a break-in at a Brooklyn apartment. He was shot in the face and killed by one of the suspects hiding in a side room when officers arrived. The triggerman, Lamont Pride, was convicted of murder and sentenced in 2013 to 45 years to life in prison.

An Enfield man was killed Saturday afternoon following a head-on crash with an ambulance on Route 190 in Somers, Connecticut.

SOMERS, Connecticut — An Enfield man was killed Saturday afternoon following a head-on crash with an ambulance on Route 190 in Somers, Connecticut not far from the Massachusetts border.

This, according to numerous reports from Connecticut-based media, including the NBC affiliate which cites police as saying the victim, whose identity is yet to be released, was declared dead on the scene following the 2:30 p.m. crash.

The accident happened on Route 190, which remained closed early Saturday evening. The ambulance was not responding to an emergency call at the time, and neither the driver or another medic on board were injured, according to CBS-affiliate WFSB.

Police say it is still unclear what preceded the car going head-on with the ambulance, but that the investigation is ongoing.

A chimney fire at a two-story colonel home in the city's Forest Park neighborhood Saturday afternoon left the living room a mess and the homeowner waiting to file an insurance claim.

SPRINGFIELD — A chimney fire at a two-story colonial home in the city's Forest Park neighborhood Saturday afternoon left the living room a mess and the homeowner waiting to file an insurance claim.

According to Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Fire Department, around 4:10 p.m. a 911 call reported the chimney was on fire at 37 Chesterfield Ave. which is off of South Branch Parkway. As crews arrived, they worked to put out the fire before it spread beyond the brick enclosure to the rest of the home.

They were successful, but when the fire was out, the living room of the home was a mess from the process. Leger said that the homeowner was puzzled about how his fireplace could have caught the chimney on fire as he says it was all cleaned a couple months ago.

Leger said the fire caused extensive damage to the clay lining within the chimney and that it will no doubt need to be rebuilt. The total damage was estimated between $10,000-$15,000 and no injuries were reported. The family living in the home was not displaced by the incident.

New property tax rates will appear on tax bills being mailed later this month and due Feb. 1

WESTFIELD - In addition to using a portion of free cash to reduce the impact of property taxes last week, the City Council also approved additional free cash to help balance the city's current operating budget.

The council approved Mayor Daniel M. Knapik's request to use nearly $1.3 million in free cash to offset property taxes. That resulted in a new tax rate of $18.54 per $1,000 valuation on residential parcels and $34.69 per $1,000 valuation on commercial and industrial properties.

The council also approved mayoral requests to use free cash allotments for fire overtime, police vehicles and preservation of municipal records.

The council approved $100,000 from free cash plus another $136,000 from Community Preservation Act funding to finance a project to preserve both current and future municipal records in the City Clerk's office.

Another $100,000 in free cash went to the Police Department for the pruchase of new SUV cruisers, three of them.

Free cash amounting to $67,500 went to the Fire Department to help reduce an overtime defecit which has been created primarily from the lack of a Civil Service listing of available persons to appoint to the department. Fire Chief Mary Regan said the department is short eight firefighters. She said the state's Civil Service system if "broken" and the list of potential firefighter candidates has been frozen since September.

Available free cash has been certified by the state's Department of Revenue at $6.2 million before last week's council approved appropriations.

The new property tax rate will cost the average homeowner of a house valued at $225,000 about $81 more in taxes this year. The business owner of a company valued at $535,000 will see his or her taxes increase by about $455 this year.

The new rates will appear on property tax bills being mailed later this month and due Feb. 1.

Brian Sullivan has been a member of the City Council since 1998.

WESTFIELD - Veteran City Councilor Brian P. Sullivan is expected to be elected City Council president when the full council meets to reorganize Jan. 5.

If elected, Sullivan will be president for an eighth one-year term during his City Council tenure. That will tie a record held by the late Charles W. Medeiros who also served eight one-year terms as president during his 32 years on the council.

Sullivan has been a member of the City Council since 1998 and previously served as council president in 2001, 2002, 20095, 2006, 2008 2010 and 2013.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said Sunday "I have had a great working relationship with brian for over 13 years. I look forward to working with him for the benefit of our citizens during 2015."

City Councilor Brent B. Bean II served as president during 2014.

Brian Sullivan is the brother of former city councilor and Mayor Richard K. Sullivan Jr. who currently serves as chief of staff to Gov. Deval Patrick and will become CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council next month.

Another brother, Kevin J. Sullivan is a member of the Westfield School Committee.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the shooting occurred at around 3 a.m. in the Tampa Bay-area city and that a suspect has been taken into custody.

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. -- Florida authorities say a police officer was shot and killed in Tarpon Springs early Sunday.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the shooting occurred at around 3 a.m. in the Tampa Bay-area city and that a suspect has been taken into custody.

Authorities say the suspect fled the scene of the shooting in a vehicle and crashed into a pole and another vehicle. He was then apprehended by police at that location.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said the officer was a member of the Tarpon Springs Police Department, though no names have been released.

A news conference is to be held later today, the statement said.

Minutes before a wanted poster for Ismaaiyl Brinsley arrived in the NYPD's Real Time Crime Center, he ambushed two officers in their patrol car in broad daylight, fatally shooting them before killing himself inside a subway station.

NEW YORK -- The warning came just moments too late: A man who had shot his ex-girlfriend a few hours earlier had traveled to New York City and vowed online to shoot two "pigs" in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner.

Minutes before a wanted poster for Ismaaiyl Brinsley arrived in the NYPD's Real Time Crime Center, he ambushed two officers in their patrol car in broad daylight, fatally shooting them before killing himself inside a subway station.

Brinsley, 28, wrote on an Instagram account before Saturday's shootings: "I'm putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let's take 2 of theirs," two city officials with direct knowledge of the case confirmed for The Associated Press. He used the hashtags Shootthepolice RIPErivGardner (sic) RIPMikeBrown -- references to the two police-involved deaths of blacks that have sparked racially charged protests across the country.

The officials, a senior city official and a law enforcement official, were not authorized to speak publicly on the topic and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Police said Brinsley approached the passenger window of a marked police car and opened fire, striking Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in the head. Brinsley was black; the officers were Asian and Hispanic, police said. The officers were on special patrol doing crime reduction work in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.

"They were, quite simply, assassinated -- targeted for their uniform," said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, who looked pale and shaken at a hospital news conference.

The sudden and extraordinary violence stunned the city, prompted a response from a vacationing President Barack Obama and escalated weeks of simmering ill will between police and their critics following grand jury decisions not to indict officers in the deaths of Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Missouri. The New York police union head declared there's "blood on the hands" of protesters and the city's mayor.

Brinsley took off running after the shooting. Officers chased him down to a nearby subway station, where he shot himself in the head as a subway train door full of people closed. A silver handgun was recovered at the scene, Bratton said.

"This may be my final post," Brinsley wrote in the post that included an image of a silver handgun. The post had more than 200 likes but also had many others admonishing his statements.

Bratton said the suspect made very serious "anti-police" statements online but did not get into specifics of the posts.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said Garner's family has no connection to the suspect and denounced the violence.

"We have stressed at every rally and march that anyone engaged in any violence is an enemy to the pursuit of justice for Eric Garner and Michael Brown," he said.

Brown's family condemned the shooting in a statement posted online by their attorney.

"We reject any kind of violence directed toward members of law enforcement. It cannot be tolerated. We must work together to bring peace to our communities," the family said.

Garner, who was black, died after he was taken down by a white officer during an arrest on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes. The 18-year-old Brown, who was black, was fatally shot by a white officer. He was unarmed.

Most of the protests have been peaceful, particularly in New York. Bratton said police were investigating whether Brinsley had attended any rallies or demonstrations and why he had chosen to kill the officers.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the killings of Ramos and Liu strike at the heart of the city.

"Our city is in mourning. Our hearts are heavy," said de Blasio, who spoke softly with moist eyes. "It is an attack on all of us."

Scores of officers in uniform lined up three rows deep at the hospital driveway. The line stretched into the street. Officers raised their hands in a silent salute as two ambulances bore away the slain officers' bodies. The mayor ordered flags at half-staff.

In a statement Saturday night, Attorney General Eric Holder condemned the shooting deaths as senseless and "an unspeakable act of barbarism." Obama, vacationing in Hawaii, issued a statement saying he unconditionally condemns the slayings.

"The officers who serve and protect our communities risk their own safety for ours every single day -- and they deserve our respect and gratitude every single day," Obama said. "Tonight, I ask people to reject violence and words that harm, and turn to words that heal -- prayer, patient dialogue, and sympathy for the friends and family of the fallen."

The tragedy ended a bizarre route for Brinsley that began in Maryland early Saturday. He went to the home of a former girlfriend in a Baltimore suburb and shot and wounded her. Police there said they noticed Brinsley posting from the woman's Instagram account threats to kill New York officers.

Baltimore-area officials sent a warning to New York City police, who received it moments too late, Bratton said.

But the posts were apparently online for hours, though it's not clear if anyone reported them. Bratton called on New Yorkers to alert authorities of any threats to police they see -- even if they don't seem real. "That information must get into the hands of the police officers," he said.

Brinsley had a history of arrests in Georgia for robbery, disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon. Bratton said his last-known address was in Georgia, but he had some ties to Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, the department grieved the sudden and violent loss of the officers.

"Both officers paid the ultimate sacrifice today while protecting the communities they serve," Bratton said Saturday night.

Ramos was married with a 13-year-old son and had another in college, police and a friend said. He had been on the job since 2012 and was a school safety officer. Liu had been on the job for seven years and got married two months ago.

Rosie Orengo, a friend of Ramos, said he was heavily involved in their church and encouraged others in their marriages.

"He was an amazing man. He was the best father and husband and friend," she said. "Our peace is knowing that he's OK, and we'll see him in heaven."

De Blasio and the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, Patrick Lynch, have been locked in a public battle over treatment of officers following the grand jury's decision in the Garner case. Just days ago, Lynch suggested police officers sign a petition that demanded the mayor not attend their funerals should they die on the job. On Saturday, some officers turned their backs on de Blasio as he walked into the hospital.

"That blood on the hands starts at the steps of City Hall, in the office of the mayor," Lynch said. "After the funerals, those responsible will be called on the carpet and held accountable."

De Blasio was scheduled to attend Mass with Cardinal Timothy Dolan at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday.

The last shooting death of a New York City officer came in December 2011, when 22-year veteran Peter Figoski was shot in the face while responding to a report of a break-in at a Brooklyn apartment. The triggerman, Lamont Pride, was convicted of murder and sentenced in 2013 to 45 years to life in prison.

Online court records show that 28-eight-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley was indicted on a robbery charge in Clark County in June 2009.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The man accused of ambushing and shooting to death two New York City police officers before killing himself had charges in southwest Ohio in 2009.

Online court records show that 28-eight-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley was indicted on a robbery charge in Clark County in June 2009. The charge was dismissed several days before Brinsley was scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 3, 2009.

The Springfield News Sun reports that Brinsley's address was initially listed as "at large" but was later changed to Union City, Georgia. Brinsley's attorney in the Ohio case could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

Police say Brinsley on Saturday approached the passenger window of a marked New York City police car and opened fire. He then went into a subway station and killed himself.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that police have arrested 23-year-old Marco Antonio Parilla Jr. on suspicion of first-degree murder.

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. -- Florida authorities say a police officer was shot and killed in Tarpon Springs early Sunday.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that police have arrested 23-year-old Marco Antonio Parilla Jr. on suspicion of first-degree murder.

The Tarpon Springs Police Department identified the fallen officer as 45-year-old Charles Kondek, a 17-year veteran of the local police department. Originally from New York, Kondek had previously served on the New York City Police Department for more than five years, authorities said.

Authorities say Kondek responded to a call for service shortly after 2 a.m. Police said the suspect shot at the officer and then fled the scene in a vehicle and crashed into a pole and another vehicle. He was then apprehended by police at that location.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that Kondek was the father of five children.

A news conference is to be held later today.