The state under new Gov. Charlie Baker is reviewing best practices for dealing with the homeless issue, according to a state agency spokesman.

SPRINGFIELD — A state agency spokesman said Wednesday that moving homeless families from motels to congregate housing "is a standard practice" inherited by the new administration under Gov. Charlie Baker.

"This administration continues to believe that homelessness is a human tragedy, and that diverting homeless families to motels is the most disruptive way of addressing this tragedy," said Paul McMorrow, a spokesman for the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno on Wednesday criticized an effort involving the state and local nonprofit agencies, who have been moving homeless families from area hotels to apartments in Springfield. Sarno said the city is aware of at least 175 families being relocated to Springfield, with the majority in the lower Belmont Avenue area in the lower Forest Park area.

Everyone in Massachusetts deserves to live in "stability, safety and dignity," McMorrow said.

"Moving families from motels to congregate housing is a standard practice this administration inherited, and we look forward to the opportunity to review best practices going forward. We also recognize that moving families from motels to shared housing is just one step on the path to long-term, sustainable housing."

Currently, there are 263 families in the state shelter system in Springfield, McMorrow said.

That figure encompasses motels, congregate housing, co-shelter sites that are staffed around the clock seven days a week, and scattered site (stand alone) units that house one family per unit, McMorrow said.

"More than half the families in that figure are from Springfield," McMorrow said. " More than 70 percent are from the region."

A pair of Americans on Wednesday completed what had long been considered the world's most difficult rock climb, using only their hands and feet to conquer a 3,000-foot vertical wall on El Capitan, the forbidding granite pedestal in Yosemite National Park that has beckoned adventurers for more than half a century.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. -- A pair of Americans on Wednesday completed what had long been considered the world's most difficult rock climb, using only their hands and feet to ascend a 3,000-foot vertical wall on El Capitan, the forbidding granite pedestal in Yosemite National Park that has beckoned adventurers for more than half a century.

Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson became the first to free-climb the rock formation's Dawn Wall, a feat that many had considered impossible. They used ropes and safety harnesses to catch them in case of a fall, but relied entirely on their own strength and dexterity to ascend by grasping cracks as thin as razor blades and as small as dimes.

The effort took 19 days, as the two dealt with constant falls and injuries. But their success completes a yearslong dream that bordered on obsession for the men.

Caldwell finished the climb first Wednesday afternoon. Jorgeson caught up minutes later. The two embraced before Jorgeson pumped his arms in the air and clapped his hands above his head. They then sat down for a few minutes, gathered their gear, changed their clothes and hiked to the summit.

The trek up the world's largest granite monolith began Dec. 27. Caldwell and Jorgeson lived on the wall itself. They ate and slept in tents fastened to the rock thousands of feet above the ground and battled painful cuts to their fingertips much of the way.

Free-climbers do not pull themselves up with cables or use chisels to carve out handholds. Instead, they climb inch by inch, wedging their fingertips and feet into tiny crevices or gripping sharp, thin projections of rock. In photographs, the two appeared at times like Spider-Man, with arms and legs splayed across the pale rock that has been described as smooth as a bedroom wall.

Both men needed to take rest days to wait for their skin to heal. They used tape and even superglue to help with the process. At one point, Caldwell set an alarm to wake him every few hours to apply a special lotion to his throbbing hands.

They also took physical punishment when their grip would slip, pitching them into long, swinging falls that left them bouncing off the rock face. The tumbles, which they called "taking a whipper," ended in startling jolts from their safety ropes.

Caldwell and Jorgeson had help from a team of supporters who brought food and supplies and shot video of the adventure.

The 36-year-old Caldwell and 30-year-old Jorgeson ate canned peaches and occasionally sipped whiskey. They watched their urine evaporate into thin, dry air and handed toilet sacks, called "wag bags," to helpers who disposed of them.

There are about 100 routes up the rock known among climbers as "El Cap," and many have made it to the top, the first in 1958. Even the Dawn Wall had been scaled. Warren Harding and Dean Caldwell (no relation to Tommy) made it up in 1970, using climbing ropes and countless rivets over 27 days.

No one, however, had ever made it to the 3,000-foot summit in one continuous free-climb -- until now.

"He doesn't understand the magnitude of the accomplishment and the excitement generated," said Mike Caldwell, Tommy's father, who along with another 200 people gathered at the meadow below broke into cheer when the men reached the top.

The pioneering ascent comes as a result of five years of training and failed attempts for both Caldwell and Jorgeson. They only got about a third of the way up in 2010 when they were turned back by storms. A year later, Jorgeson fell and broke an ankle in another attempt. Since then, each has spent time on the big, blank rock practicing and mapping out strategy.

On this try, as the world watched and followed on Facebook and Twitter, Jorgeson was stalled by a lower section that took 11 attempts over the course of seven days.

"As disappointing as this is, I'm learning new levels of patience, perseverance and desire," Jorgeson posted online. "I'm not giving up. I will rest. I will try again. I will succeed."

Caldwell, of Estes Park, Colorado, is no stranger to El Cap. He has free-climbed 11 different routes and was the first to make such ascents of the Dihedral Wall and West Buttress. He was the third to free-climb the Nose on El Cap. He also made his way up a challenging El Capitan route in fewer than 24 hours -- becoming only the second person to do so -- only months after accidentally severing his left index finger with a table saw in 2001.

Jorgeson, of Santa Rosa, California, has an impressive list of climbs in the U.S., Europe and South Africa. He works as a climbing instructor and co-founded an advocacy group for the climbers.

Still, the difficulty of the climb wasn't a surprise.

John Long, the first person to climb up El Capitan in one day in 1975, said recently of Caldwell and Jorgeson's free-climb that it was almost "inconceivable that anyone could do something that continuously difficult."

___

Scott Smith of the Associated Press wrote this report.

At one point, the Dow Jones industrial average shed nearly 350 points, although it ultimately closed down only 187 points.

By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK — A dismal report on retail spending in the U.S. and signs of slowing global growth drove stocks lower and sent yields on government bonds plunging as investors sought safety.

U.S. stocks fell from the start of trading on a report that consumers pulled back on spending last month and on a slump in European markets. At one point, the Dow Jones industrial average shed nearly 350 points.

Investors dumped some key commodities on fears global growth is stalling, pushing the price of copper to a five-year low, and they piled into German, British and U.S. government bonds. The yield on the 30-year U.S. Treasury fell to its lowest on record.

"We haven't seen volatility like this for years," said John Canally, investment strategist for LPL Financial. "People are more worried."

The Commerce Department reported that retail sales fell 0.9 percent in December, the biggest decline since January last year. The drop was a surprise to many investors because it showed consumers are still reluctant to spend despite lower gas prices and a pickup in hiring.

"There was a perception that the economy was improving, but that has gotten called into question," said Peter Tuz, a portfolio manager at Chase Investment Counsel, which manages $400 million in assets. "The savings from lower gas prices hasn't translated into higher consumer spending yet."

A report from the World Bank late Tuesday also weighed on markets. The bank lowered its forecast for global growth this year to 3 percent from 3.4 percent. It blamed sluggish economies in Europe and Japan and a slowdown in China.

The price of copper, a metal used in construction and manufacturing, fell 14 cents, or 5.2 percent, to close at $2.51 a pound following the World Bank's downgrade.

Investors buying up 10-year Treasury notes sent its yield, a benchmark for home loans and corporate borrowing, to 1.85 percent, its lowest since May 2013. The yield on the 30-year bond dropped below 2.4 percent for the first time.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 11.76 points, 0.6 percent, to 2,011.27 The S&P 500 is heading for its third straight week of losses.

The Nasdaq composite fell 22.18 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,639.32 And the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 186.59 points, or 1.1 percent, to 17,427.09.

Stocks are swinging more this year as investors become anxious. The Dow index was down as much as 348.78 points in the early afternoon, before gaining back much of its losses. On Tuesday, the difference between the Dow's high and low was more than 400 points.

Investors will turn their attention next to more corporate earnings reports. A handful of big companies are expected to report Thursday, including giant money manager BlackRock, energy company Schlumberger and Intel Corp., the world's largest chip maker.

Overall, companies in the S&P 500 are expected to report a modest 4.5 percent increase in fourth-quarter earnings per share compared with a year ago, according to S&P Capital IQ.

Among stocks making big moves:

• The drop in commodities pushed mining giant Freeport-McMoRan down $2.30, or 11 percent, to $18.74.


• JPMorgan Chase fell $2.03, or 3.5 percent, to $56.81 after reporting a 7 percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings. The bank was hit by more legal costs and a decline in trading revenue.


• GameStop jumped nearly 11 percent, the biggest gain in the S&P 500, after its CEO reported strong sales in gaming software sales during the holiday shopping season. The stock rose $3.44 to $36.21.

The price of oil surged, despite a large increase in U.S. oil stockpiles, on a weaker dollar and traders' expectations that oil had fallen too far recently. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $2.59 to close at $48.48 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $2.10 to close at $48.69 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

1. Wholesale gasoline rose 8.2 cents to close at $1.351 a gallon.
2. Heating oil rose 2.2 cents to close at $1.655 a gallon.
3. Natural gas rose 29 cents to close at $3.233 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold edged up 10 cents to $1,234.50 an ounce and silver fell 17 cents to $16.99 a pound.

A Louisiana mother whose 3- and 4-year old children died in a house fire Monday while she was reportedly having her hair styled has been charged with negligent homicide. USA Today reported that the bodies of Tashae Thompson Johnson, 4, and Clifton Thompson Johnson, 3, were found in their two-bedroom home in Bastrop, La. Ciarra Johnson, their mother, reportedly told investigators she...

A Louisiana mother whose 3- and 4-year old children died in a house fire Monday while she was reportedly having her hair styled has been charged with negligent homicide.

USA Today reported that the bodies of Tashae Thompson Johnson, 4, and Clifton Thompson Johnson, 3, were found in their two-bedroom home in Bastrop, La.

Ciarra Johnson, their mother, reportedly told investigators she had made arrangements with a family member to watch her children while she was having her hair done, state Fire Marshal Deputy Chief Brant Thompson said.

"Our investigation determined that she made no such arrangements," Thompson told the newspaper. "That's what is so disturbing to us. There were family members around she could have called, but she just didn't bother."

The Bastrop Daily Enterprise reported that a call came into the Bastrop Fire Station around 3:30 p.m. Monday.

Fire Chief Eric Montgomery told the newspaper an investigation conducted by the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's office indicated that the fire likely originated in a small space heater that was located in a front of the house.

Montgomery said that residents who lived in a trailer right behind the house were alerted about the blaze, but that they could not reach the Johnsons' wood framed house. Witnesses reportedly said that they weren't aware that the front home was occupied.

Thompson told the News-Star of Monroe, La., that Johnson, 21, told investigators she left her children in the house about 1:30 p.m. to get her hair done at a residential address.

Johnson reportedly verified that a space heater was on when she left the house and said a second heater located was in the bedroom. Thompson told the newspaper that investigators found matches and candles throughout the house, and that the blaze might have been started by a combustible object being placed too near the heater or having been dropped on the floor.

The Shreveport Times reported that authorities obtained a warrant for Johnson's arrest. She was taken Wednesday to Brentwood Psychiatric Hospital in Shreveport after she threatened to hurt herself, the MyArkLaMis.com website reported.

Thompson told the Times that Johnson was found her locked inside a car at the scene. As of Wednesday afternoon, she was scheduled to be booked into the Morehouse Parish jail, with no bond.

"Needless to say, this is a tragic event that has affected the entire community," Thompson told the News-Star.

A kitchen fire at a multifamily home at 174-176 Centre St. displaced about 15 residents, said Dennis Leger, executive aide to Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

SPRINGFIELD — Firefighters quickly extinguished a house fire in Indian Orchard that left more than a dozen people in the cold on Wednesday.

There were no reported injuries in the 5:03 p.m. blaze at 174-176 Centre St., a fourplex home located between Oak and Pinevale streets, according to Dennis G. Leger, executive aide to Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph A. Conant.

Springfield firefighters respond to a kitchen fire at a duplex at 174 Centre St., in the Indian Orchard neighborhood on Wednesday evening.DAVE ROBACK 

Leger said the stovetop fire began in a first-floor kitchen, causing about $45,000 in damage and temporarily displacing about 15 residents. Red Cross officials were assisting the residents, he said.

Firefighters managed to quickly contain the fire before it spread.

The Restore will be open to the public on a four-day per week schedule.

WESTFIELD - The City Council's License Committee Wednesday night endorsed the issuance of a junk dealer permit to Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity which plans a 'Restore' store operation here.

Councilors Christopher M. Crean, Brian R. Hoose and Dan Allie will present their endorsement to the full City Council Thursday night.

Jeffrey J. LaValley, spokesman for the habitat group, told the License Committee Wednesday that the business venture will "be a good tenant and good neighbors."

Restore, a trademark owned by Habitat for Humanity, is a building materials type store that provides used and surplus furniture, plumbing, lighting, carpeting, appliances at discounted prices. All materials are donated to Habitat for resale in its Restore operations.

There are 800 Restore operations across the country, LaValley said.

Hoose requested that Habitat for Humanity provide adequate signage that will direct shoppers to the proper location of the store since the entrance is not located in the front of the building at 310 East Main St. The building is a former home improvement discount store.

A junk permit is required to sell any used materials under city zoning codes. Habitat for Humanity must also secure permits through the Planning Board of Conservation Commission.

LaValley comments Wednesday to the License Committee reiterated the position of Habitat as presented to the full City Council Jan. 5 during public hearing on the request. At that meeting Jason Tsitso, chairman of the Restore planning Committee, told councilors the business will accept donations on site and then resell them to the public.

Tsitso said Restore will accept donations of surplus building and home improvement materials. He said a dumpster will be at the site to provide proper disposal of any unwanted donations.

According to LaValley a grand opening for Restore is being planned for April 17.

The incidents took place at Smok'in Deals, located at the corner of Boston and Wrentham roads.

An updated version of this story is now available on MassLive.

The apparent armed robbery took place at about 8:08 p.m. at Smok'In Deals at 1285 Boston Road. The store is located at the corner of Boston and Wrentham roads and sells beer, lottery tickets, cigarettes, tobacco products, and other items.

Sgt. Daniel J. Reigner confirmed that a woman was shot in the buttocks and that another person was stabbed, but he had yet to receive any updates on the incident. Reigner said he didn't know what relation, if any, the victims had to the smoke shop.

Multiple armed suspects remained at large as of late Wednesday night.

MAP showing approximate location of shooting and stabbing on Boston Road:

Electricity costs are expected to increase next year.

WILBRAHAM - The Finance Committee on Thursday began its review of proposed fiscal 2016 department budgets.

The first budget which the Finance Committee reviewed was the proposed fiscal 2016 budget for the Wilbraham Public Library presented by Library Director Karen Demers.

Finance Committee Chairman Dan Miles said the budget is up more than 2 percent in the expense items. Miles said Interim Town Manager Thomas Sullivan recommended that expense items be kept a 2 percent increase or under.

Demers said the reason expenses for the library are going up more than 2 percent is an expected increase in the budget for electricity from $16,000 to $20,640, due to an anticipated electricity increase of 29 percent.

The other large increase is in the budget for books and periodicals from $108,000 to $113,000.

Demers said that to receive $15,000 from the state for the library budget, the local appropriation for materials must increase by $5,000.

Demers said the library is going to LED lighting in the Brooks Room which should save on electricity costs.

Demers said the library is open 6 or 7 days per week, including three evenings a week. The library is open 52 hours per week, she said.

The total library budget being requested for next year is $699,000, The library budget approved for this year was $662,830.

Demers said there were approximately 80,000 visits to the library in 2014, with an average of 34 people per hour.

Sunday afternoon hours have proven to be very popular, she said. One Sunday afternoon between 1 and 2 p.m., 79 people visited the library, Demers said.

Demers said there has been a slight decrease in print circulation, but circulation of electronic books has increased by 37 percent. There has been a 21 percent increase in patrons who borrow electronic books, she said.

Police said they were looking for multiple armed, masked suspects.

Updates story published at 8:55 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14.

The apparent armed robbery took place at about 8:08 p.m. at Smok'In Deals at 1285 Boston Road. The store is located at the corner of Boston and Wrentham roads and sells beer, lottery tickets, cigarettes, tobacco products, and other items.

Sgt. Daniel J. Reigner confirmed that a woman was shot in the buttocks and that another person was stabbed, but he had yet to receive any updates on the incident. Reigner said he didn't know what relation, if any, the victims had to the smoke shop.

The suspects were initially described as four to five armed, masked men, who were possibly in their teens or early 20s and fled in an unknown direction. The number of suspects was later reduced to two to three men, according to CBS 3 Springfield, media partner of MassLive / The Republican.

"The (store's) owner stated they all had handguns," a responding officer relayed over his police radio.

Lt. Brian Keenan, who was among the first officers to respond to the call, requested an ambulance for the female gunshot victim. About 2 minutes later, he asked for a second ambulance for a stabbing victim.

A police K-9 unit reportedly recovered an "article" in the vicinity of the crime scene, but authorities did not reveal what the item was or how it was related to the incident.

Employees at a pizza shop immediately east of Smok'In Deals said they were unaware a shooting had taken place until police told them.

Meanwhile, in an apparently unrelated incident, a stabbing victim showed up at Baystate Medical Center for emergency treatment shortly after 8:30 p.m. Officers responded to the hospital to investigate, but additional case information was unavailable.

MAP showing approximate location of shooting and stabbing on Boston Road:

Kent County Circuit Judge Paul Sullivan sentenced 35-year-old Abigail Simon on Wednesday.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A tutor at a Grand Rapids Catholic school has received an eight- to 25-year prison sentence for having sex with a 15-year-old boy she was teaching.

Kent County Circuit Judge Paul Sullivan sentenced 35-year-old Abigail Simon on Wednesday. A jury on Nov. 26 convicted her of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The Grand Rapids Press posted a video of Simon telling the judge she's "lost" and "broken" and asking him to let her "go home as soon as possible."

Simon acknowledges having sex with the Catholic Central High School student she was tutoring in 2013 but says he physically mentally intimidated her.

Prosecutors say she sent 1,000 text messages declaring her love for the boy to him and her friends.

The teen says he was a virgin before meeting Simon.

Two men, at least one of whom was armed with a small, black handgun, robbed The School Store at 1089 State St. The store straddling the Bay and Upper Hill neighborhoods sells school uniforms and other items.

SPRINGFIELD — Police were investigating an armed robbery reported just before 6 p.m. Wednesday at a State Street business.

Two men, at least one of whom was armed with a small, black handgun, robbed The School Store at 1089 State St., according to police reports. The store straddling the Bay and Upper Hill neighborhoods sells school uniforms and other items.

Springfield Police Sgt. Daniel J. Reigner said he didn't have much information about the incident, which remains under investigation.

Initial reports indicated the suspects made off with about $200 cash and were last seen heading down Dresden Street.

Officers could be seen interviewing a man inside the store, which is located near the eastern edge of AIC's campus in Upper Hill.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at 413-787-6355.

MAP showing approximate location of armed robbery:

State officials have approved more than $31.2 million in grants to help fund the repair or replacement of boilers, doors, windows and roofs in school districts from Springfield to Cape Cod.

BOSTON — State officials have approved more than $31.2 million in grants to help fix or replace boilers, doors, roofs and windows in school districts from Springfield to Cape Cod.

State Treasurer Steven Grossman, chairman of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, and Jack McCarthy, MSBA's executive director, on Wednesday announced funding for 14 commonwealth school districts through the so-called Accelerated Repair Program.

Grossman said the program allows the state to make much-needed repairs to more schools in less time.

"Besides improving the learning environment for our children, the program also makes our schools more energy efficient and generates significant cost savings," he said. "It's a win-win for everyone."

The Accelerated Repair Program provides funding to improve schools that are otherwise structurally, functionally and educationally sound, according to state officials.

In Springfield, a combined $2.8 million will help with door and window improvements at John F. Kennedy Middle School and Kensington International School.

Greenfield's Green River Elementary School will get nearly $1.6 million for door, roof and window work, while Northampton's Leeds Elementary School and R.K. Finn Ryan Road Elementary School will receive over $930,000 to help defray the $1.7 million cost of roof work at both schools.

In Brockton, three city schools will receive more than $7.6 million for roof and boiler work estimated to cost about $10.3 million.

Farther south, the Falmouth School District on Cape Cod will get about $1.4 million for window and door work at Lawrence Middle School.

For a complete listing of all school districts slated to benefit from the Accelerated Repair program, log on to MSBA's website at massschoolbuildings.org.

Caesars says in a statement Thursday that its casinos will continue to operate and it expects to get court approval to continuing paying its suppliers.

LAS VEGAS -- A cash-strapped division of casino giant Caesars Entertainment Corp. said early Thursday that it filed for bankruptcy protection in Chicago, hoping the court agrees to its plan to get out from under $18.4 billion of debt.

The division Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. owns and operates most of Caesars' 50 properties worldwide. Caesars CEO Gary Loveman said in a statement to announce the filing that its casino-hotels would remain open and continue to host meetings and events, assuring customers that their loyalty points would still accrue and the company's lineup of on-stage entertainers would keep performing according to their schedules. Company officials say they intend to continue paying its suppliers in full.

"I am very confident in the future prospects of our enterprise, which will combine an improved capital structure with a network of profitable properties," Loveman said in the statement.

The bankruptcy filing doesn't apply to parent company Caesars Entertainment Corp. and affiliated companies Caesars Growth Partners and Caesars Entertainment Resort Properties.

About 36,000 people are employed at Caesars Entertainment Operating Co.'s 38 casino-hotels, including Bally's and Caesars in Atlantic City and the iconic Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.

The filing from Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. in a Chicago bankruptcy court came as no surprise. Caesars has been negotiating with creditors and lenders for months on a reorganization plan that would turn the division into a real estate investment trust -- one to own properties and the other to lease properties -- promising creditors cash or new debt.

Not everyone is on board, though, including three junior creditor hedge funds owed $41 million who contend the plan isn't fair. In a bid to get more favorable terms, they filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition in Delaware's federal court on Monday.

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co.'s own filing Thursday could set off a "sideshow" of jurisdictional wrangling to decide where the case would be heard, Delaware or Illinois, said University of Michigan law professor John Pottow.

Caesars' lawyers have noted the division doesn't own or manage any casino-hotels in Delaware.

Cathy Reece, director of law firm Fennemore Craig's bankruptcy practice, pointed out that Enron filed for bankruptcy in New York, rather than in its home state of Texas, and the court agreed. It's up to the company as long as it can prove a connection to the area, she said.

Several casino-hotels owned and managed by Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. are in the Midwest including two in Illinois, Harrah's Joliet and Harrah's Metropolis, and the Horseshoe Hammond casino in Indiana near Chicago, the company explained in a filing with the judge in Delaware.

Haverhill resident Noelle Learned-Jemiolo was killed as she walked north in the left travel lane of Route 1 in Peabody on Wednesday.

PEABODY — A 33-year-old woman was struck and killed by a motorist as she walked north along Route 1 in Peabody early Wednesday morning, according to Massachusetts State Police officials at Framingham headquarters.

Troopers from the Danvers Barracks responded to a 12:18 a.m. report of a car-vs-pedestrian crash on Route 1 in front of Red's Tavern.

A 2012 Honda CRV was northbound when it hit Noelle Learned-Jemiolo as she walked in the left travel lane, according to Trooper Gary Sacco, who handled the initial investigation. The Haverhill woman was taken to Lahey Medical Center where she was subsequently pronounced dead, police said.

The CRV driver, 51-year-old Brendan Kennedy of Ipswich, was uninjured and no charges had been filed as of late Wednesday afternoon.

The incident remains under investigation by the State Police Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Section and the Crime Scene Services Section. Peabody police and fire personnel and Mass DOT officials also assisted at the scene.

The raid came amid an international hunt for possible accomplices to attackers who killed 17 people in France last week/

By RAF CASERT
and FRANK AUGSTEIN

VERVIERS, Belgium - Belgian security forces killed two terror suspects with links to Syria in a fierce shootout in the eastern city of Verviers on Thursday and arrested another, foiling a major and imminent attack against police buildings, authorities said.

The raid came amid an international hunt for possible accomplices to attackers who killed 17 people in France last week before being shot dead by police. Those attacks, by men claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group in Syria and al-Qaida in Yemen, have raised fears around Europe of more attacks.

Belgian federal magistrate Eric Van der Sypt said in Brussels that there was no link at this stage between the Paris attacks and the Belgian operation, which he said is the result of an investigation that has been underway for a few weeks.

The suspects immediately opened fire on police when they closed in on them near the city's train station, he said. There was an intense firefight for several minutes on an upper level of a building in Verviers where the raid took place, which appears to be residential.

"These were extremely well-armed men" with automatic weapons, Van der Sypt said. Police buildings were the target of an attack expected within hours or days, he said.

"We still expect a number of arrests," he said. No police were wounded or killed in the firefight, which occurred at the height of rush hour in a crowded neighborhood. Verviers, a former industrial town with about 56,000 residents including a large immigrant community, is about 125 kilometers (80 miles) southeast of the capital, Brussels.

The magistrate said more anti-terrorist raids were underway in the Brussels region, adding that Belgium's terror alert level was raised to its second-highest level. The operation was part of an investigation into extremists returning from Syria, authorities said.

Witnesses speaking on Belgium's RTBF radio described a series of explosions followed by rapid fire at the center of Verviers, near a bakery and in the neighborhood of the train station. Video posted online of what appeared to be the raid showed a dark view of a building amid blasts, gunshots and sirens, and a fire with smoke billowing up.

Earlier Thursday, Belgian authorities said they are looking into possible links between a man they arrested in the southern city of Charleroi for illegal trade in weapons and Amedy Coulibaly, who prosecutors say killed four people in a Paris kosher market last week.

The man arrested in Belgium "claims that he wanted to buy a car from the wife of Coulibaly," Van der Sypt said. "At this moment this is the only link between what happened in Paris." Van der Sypt said that "of course, naturally" we are continuing the investigation.

At first, the man came to police himself claiming there had been contact with Coulibaly's common law wife regarding the car, but he was arrested following a search on his premises when enough indications of illegal weapons trade were found.

A Belgian connection figured in a 2010 French criminal investigation into a foiled terrorist plot in which Coulibaly was one of the convicted co-conspirators. The plotters included a Brussels area contact who was supposed to furnish both weapons and ammunition, according to French judicial documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Several countries are now involved in the hunt for possible accomplices to Coulibaly and the two other gunmen in the French attacks.

In Spain, authorities said Coulibaly drove his common-law wife from France to Madrid on Dec. 31 and was with her until she took a Jan. 2 flight to Istanbul.

Spain's National Court said in a statement it was investigating what Coulibaly did in the country's capital with his wife, Hayat Boumeddiene, and a third person who wasn't identified but is suspected of helping Boumeddiene get from Turkey to Syria.

France is on edge since last week's attacks, which began Jan. 7 at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The paper, repeatedly threatened for its caricatures of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, buried several of its slain staff members Thursday even as it reprinted another weekly issue with Muhammad on its cover.

Defense officials said Thursday that France was under an unprecedented cyber assault with 19,000 cyberattacks launched after the country's bloodiest terrorist attacks in decades, frustrating authorities as they try to thwart repeat violence.

Around 120,000 security forces are deployed to prevent future attacks.

Calling it an unprecedented surge, Adm. Arnaud Coustilliere, head of cyberdefense for the French military, said about 19,000 French websites had faced cyberattacks in recent days, some carried out by well-known Islamic hacker groups.

The attacks, mostly relatively minor denial-of-service attacks, hit sites as varied as military regiments to pizza shops but none appeared to have caused serious damage, he said. Military authorities launched round-the-clock surveillance to protect the government sites still coming under attack.

Two of the Paris terror attackers claimed allegiances to al-Qaida in Yemen and a third to the Islamic State group.

The terror attacks in Paris occurred in an atmosphere of rising anti-Semitism in France and have prompted scattered retaliatory violence against Muslims, and Muslim sites around France. Justice officials have also been cracking down by arresting dozens of people who allegedly glorified terrorism, or made racist or anti-Semitic remarks.

French President Francois Hollande insisted Thursday that any anti-Muslim or anti-Semitic acts must be "severely punished." He said France's millions of Muslims should be protected and respected, "just as they themselves should respect the nation" and its strictly secular values.

Raf Casert reported from Brussels. John-Thor Dahlburg, Greg Keller, Jamey Keaten, Angela Charlton, Sylvie Corbet, Lori Hinnant, Matthew Lee and Nicolas Vaux-Montagny in Paris, Nicole Winfield on the papal plane, Jorge Sainz in Madrid, contributed to this report.

The university also celebrated Wellen Davison Lab in December. The late Professor Davison taught mechanical engineering for nearly 40 years.

SPRINGFIELD - Western New England University has completed a two-year $12.8 million renovation of Sleith Hall, home to WNE's College of Engineering.

The project was completed by general contractors Fontaine Brothers of Springfield. Work included new labs, studio classrooms, offices, new facilities for doctoral students and a new Biomedical Engineering Suite.

Western New England University has invested $60 million in major improvements to academic buildings in the last three years, according to a release.

President Anthony S. Caprio said:

“Our success would not be possible were it not for the generosity of the many benefactors to this project. In fact, over the last two years, 403 donors gave $2.6 million in support of the College of Engineering, its students, and this endeavor.”

The college also celebrated the new Wellen Davison Lab in December. The late Professor Davison taught mechanical engineering for nearly 40 years.

The handbook came out two years after James Naismith invented basketball/

How much would you pay for an authentic 1893 copy of "Basketball Handbook,'' autographed by the man who invented the sport two years earlier?

The rare artifact that was signed by James Naismith is among many valuable items being auctioned online by Lelands.com. Vintage Sports 2014 Catalog Auction. The auction will close Friday (Jan. 16) at 9 am.

As of Thursday at 7 pm., the handbook had received 12 bids and listed a bid price of $5,706.23.

In 1891, Naismith invented basketball at what is now Springfield College. He died at 78 in 1939, but lived long enough to attend the sport's Olympic debut in the Berlin Games of 1936.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame carries his name. It has been located in Springfield, the sport's birthplace, at three separate location since its opening in 1968.

In 2010, another piece of Naismith memorabilia was auctioned for $4.3 million. The original written copy of the inventor's 13 rules, called the "Magna Carta of basketball,'' was sold at Sotheby's in New York to Kansas University alumnus David Booth.

The price doubled the bid expected before the auction, and was believed to be the highest price ever for a single bit of sports memorabilia. It was sold by Ian Naismith, a grandson of the inventor who died in March of 2012.

In his final years, Ian Naismith toured the country with memorabilia and biographical data about his grandfather. Some James Naismith artifacts have been displayed at the Hall of Fame over the years, including the original rules, but few authentic Naismith items are known to exist.

The Lelands.com online auction listed a treasure trove of sports collectibles. Among them were 150 items related to the career of legendary racehorse Seabiscuit, the personal collections of Baseball Hall of Famers Lou Brock and Bob Gibson, and Shoeless Joe Jackson's personal scrapbooks kept by the baseball superstar of the pre-1920 era.

A cap worn by Ted Williams in the 1955 All-Star Game, and a Red Sox 1916 spring training poster featuring Babe Ruth, are among other auction items.

Increased exterior lighting also is a deterrent, police said.

LUDLOW - The Police Department reminds the public to keep all vehicles locked when left unattended. Valuable items should be secured from the plain view of thieves.

Increased exterior lighting also is an effective deterrent to theft.

Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity should report it to the Ludlow Police Department at 583-8305.

Police said they have had 50 car-breaks reported since Christmas.

Usually, police have three to five car breaks in an average month, Police Sgt. Michael Brennan said.

He said many of the cars that have been broken into have been unlocked, although in one case a car window was broken.

If people notice a break, they should notify police immediately, Brennan said.

Areas where breaks have been reported include the 900 block of West Street, the 300 block of East Street, and Winsor,Maple, Goddu, Bristol and Haviland Streets, Marian Circle, Gamache Drive and Rogers Avenue.

There has been a trend in the past two years to reduce the number of homeless in hotels and increase the number of homeless in shared apartments, according to a Massachusetts spokesman.

This updates a story regarding Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno seeking numbers from the state regarding homeless families in shared apartments and congregate housing in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — A state agency spokesman said Thursday that there are currently 302 homeless families in state-funded shared apartments and congregate housing in Springfield, but that the number does not reflect a sudden spike.

The information and comments from Paul McMorrow, a spokesman for the state Department of Housing and Economic Development, follow comments by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno that the city is being "dumped on" and overburdened by an influx of homeless families from hotels.

"More than half are (homeless families) from the city of Springfield," McMorrow said. "More than 70 percent are from the Springfield region."

McMorrow, however, did not have information available on Thursday regarding how the current number of homeless families compares to the number of families a year ago. That information will be provided Friday, as requested by The Republican / MassLive, he said.

He did say the number of families in Springfield does reflect an increase, and corresponds to a decrease in homeless living in motels.

Co-shelter apartments refer to apartments that are generally shared by two homeless families, with each family sharing common space, but having at least one separate bedroom, local and state officials said.

Sarno, through his director of housing, Geraldine McCafferty, asked for the number of homeless families in co-shelters and congregate housing, based on the city's belief that the state is in the process of relocating more than 175 families from area hotels to city apartments.

The 302 families refers to those families in congregate and co-shelter units and those in "scattered site" housing across the city, McMorrow said. It does not include 32 families listed as living in Springfield motels.

The city wants numbers and addresses as it seeks to inspect the apartments for code violations, McCafferty said in a letter to the state.

McMorrow said the state does not publicize addresses in part for the security of the families.

"In the past two years, there are more families in shelter and fewer families in motels, partly due to an expansion of shelter capacity," McMorow said.

On Wednesday, the state listed 263 families in the state-funded shelter system in Springfield, but the number failed to include numbers from one of the local agencies, McMorrow said.

When asked if there would be more than 302 families in the shelter system in Springfield, McMorrow said he did not immediately know if some of the local agencies have apartment vacancies to fill.

A jury convicted Sheila Kearns of four felony counts on Thursday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A former substitute teacher who showed a movie featuring graphic sex and violence to a high school class has been convicted of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

A jury convicted Sheila Kearns of four felony counts on Thursday. The convictions carry possible jail sentences, but Kearns, 58, is expected to get probation when she's sentenced in March.

Kearns showed the film, "The ABCs of Death," during five periods of a Spanish class at East High School in Columbus in April 2013, prosecutors said. The movie consists of 26 chapters, each depicting some form of grisly death and representing a letter of the alphabet, such as "E is for Exterminate," ''O is for Orgasm" and "T is for Toilet."

Kearns contended she didn't watch the movie beforehand or while showing it and was unaware of its content, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Her attorney said she never would have knowingly showed it.

But a student testified at Kearns' trial the teacher did watch the 129-minute movie. The student said the movie was "disturbing" and said students in the class went "crazy" while watching it.

An assistant principal who saw the DVD movie playing in the classroom confiscated it.

Prosecutor Kacey Chappelear said the movie's title should have tipped off Kearns that she should check it out before showing it to her students, who ranged in age from 14 to 18.

Detective Lolita Perryman testified Kearns seemed unconcerned when the movie's content was described to her.

Perryman said she talked with Kearns about the movie chapter "L is for Libido," about a sex contest whose winner is killed by a chain saw.

"She told me," Perryman said, "'Those kids see worse than that at home.'"

Jurors watched the movie, which rates 4.7 out of 10 stars on the IMDb website, on Tuesday. After court on Thursday, the jury foreman told the newspaper it wasn't proved Kearns was aware of the movie's content the first time she showed it but she would have known by the second, third, fourth and fifth showings.