Sheriff Stephen Haskell is requiring deputies to wear black trousers, a tan shirt, black boots and a black ball cap, saying the change is for safety and uniformity.

PINEDALE, Wyo. -- The new sheriff of a Wyoming county has banned his deputies from wearing cowboy hats and cowboy boots, a change that led one longtime deputy to retire rather than give up his Western attire.

Sublette County Sheriff Stephen Haskell imposed the new dress code in the western Wyoming county that includes Pinedale, which True West magazine recently named a true Western town.

Haskell is requiring deputies to wear black trousers, a tan shirt, black boots and a black ball cap, saying the change is for safety and uniformity.

"I'm very much for the Western way of life and the look. And that's the way I dress," Haskell told the Casper Star-Tribune. "However, for a professional outfit ... I like everybody to look the same. We are one team unified in one purpose. That is to do our job."

Haskell, 53, who has worked in law enforcement for three years, also argues that cowboy boots are slippery on ice and cowboy hats can blow away in Wyoming's blustery wind.

The change led Deputy Gene Bryson to retire last Friday after 28 years with the department and about 40 years total in law enforcement. His uniform included a brown cowboy hat, brown cowboy boots and a leather vest in the summer or a wool vest in the winter.

The uniform change is "kind of the reason why I retired," Bryson told the newspaper. "I am not going to change. I've been here for 40-odd years in the sheriff's office, and I'm not going to go out and buy combat boots and throw my vest and hat away and say, 'This is the new me.' "

Bryson was born and raised on a ranch in Montana and has worked on ranches in Colorado and Wyoming. He went into law enforcement in 1974.

"And I've had a cowboy hat on since 19 -- I don't know," Bryson said. "That's what looks good to me in the sheriff's department. It's Western. It's Wyoming."

Schools in Enfield and Somers, Conn., will be closed Tuesday.

Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut school districts still digging out from Winter Storm Linus are announcing plans to delay openings on Tuesday.

The following list will be updated as we receive information.

Closed

• Enfield, Connecticut
• Somers, Connecticut

Two-hour delay

• Agawam
• Amherst-Pelham Regional
• Belchertown
• Easthampton
• East Longmeadow
• Ellington, Connecticut
• First Lutheran Christian School, Holyoke
• Franklin County Tech
• Frontier Regional / Union 38
• Gateway Regional
• Gill-Montague Regional
• Granby, Mass.
• Greenfield
• Hadley
• Hampshire Regional
• Hatfield
• Ludlow
• Monson
• Mohawk Trail
• Palmer
• Pathfinder Vocational Technical High School
• Pioneer Valley
• Pioneer Valley Chinese
• Quaboag Regional
• South Hadley
• Southwick-Tolland-Granville
• Tantasqua / Union 61
• Union 38
• Ware, St. Mary's
• Westfield
• Willie Ross

90-minute delay

• Suffield, Connecticut
• Windsor Locks, Connecticut

Colleges

• Greenfield Community College: Open at 10 a.m.

 

Lawyers for former House Speaker Sal DiMasi filed a motion asking the federal court to change the sentence in DiMasi's conspiracy conviction, citing an "ineffective assistance of counsel."

A digest of news stories from around New England.

Masslive will report on the meeting live in the comments section.

CHICOPEE - The City Council will be asked Tuesday night to authorize a $12.5 million bond to start a massive sewer and storm drain separation project in Chicopee Center.

Faced with an Environmental Protection Agency mandate to stop dumping raw sewage into the Connecticut and Chicopee rivers, the city has been separating sewers and storm drain pipes for a number of years. The project has also solved some of the continual problems with sewage backing up into homes and businesses.

It has already spent more than $100 million and is expected to spend another $100 million before it is complete.

The project in Chicopee Center is expected to be the most complex because of the age of the neighborhood. Already Department of Public Works employees have been trying to map the locations of sewer pipes, some of which they have found to be running under buildings and shared between two or more buildings.

Also tied to the project is a request for $400,000 for design of the project.

The City Council will meet at 7:15 p.m. tonight in City Hall. There are 50 items on the agenda.

Masslive will report on the meeting live in the comments section starting at 7:15 p.m.

The class covers a variety of subjects including safety and behavior.

CHICOPEE - The Parks Department is offering a babysitting class for teens and pre-teens who are interested in making a little extra money. The class, for students 11 and older, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Feb. 19 at the Parks and Recreation office on Front Street.

The cost is $65 for residents and $70 for non residents.

The class covers a wide variety of topics including playtime, behavior management, phone skills, common do & don'ts, bathing, feeding, changing diapers, fire safety, CPR review, and first aid.

Class space is limited and all participants must pre-register for the class by signing up at in person at the Parks Department. For more information contact the Parks Department at 594-3481.

With half the city Hispanic, a councilors wants to make government more accessible such as having City Council meetings in Spanish.

HOLYOKE -- Hands off the schools.

Government in Spanish.

Invasive species = bad.

Follow along Tuesday (Feb. 3) as the City Council trudges through an eclectic agenda at 7 p.m. at City Hall with live coverage posted in the comments section under this story.

The council will also receive the resignation letter of City Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra, consider making appointments to the board of directors of the now-closed Holyoke Geriatric Authority and discuss a tax incentive for Marcotte Ford's expansion.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain will ask the City Council to adopt a resolution opposing state take over of the public schools.

Mitchell D. Chester, commissioner of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), has said he has been "tremendously concerned about the lack of progress for years" in Holyoke in terms of students' abilities to read English and do math.

The state has already taken over Morgan School here because of chronically poor academic abililties shown by students.

The prospect of a complete state seizure of the Holyoke public schools could be decided next month, officials said, with Chester saying such a step -- putting the whole system in receivership -- is an option.

Jourdain's resolution embraces local control of the schools.

"While we would appreciate any feedback and additional educational and financial resources the state can further provide us, a potential takeover by the state of the entire school system is wholly premature and inappropriate," the resolution reads in part.

Ward 4 Councilor Jossie M. Valentin has proposed two orders intended to make government more accessible than it is now. This city of about 40,000 is roughly half Hispanic and many speak only Spanish, she said.

One order would have the city consider how to make the city website more accessible to Spanish-speakers. The website now has a Translate button visitors can click that converts text on pages into Spanish, Valentin said, but the translation is often incorrect.

Mayor Alex B. Morse praised the idea and said he was willing to work on it with Valentin.

"Good idea. (I'm) 0pen to thoughts and suggestions and our team can work with her and others to devise a plan that accomplishes those goals," Morse said in a text message.

The other order would have officials consider how to get City Council meetings translated into Spanish.

"It's not about favoring one community over another, it's about trying to have fairness and justice for everyone," Valentin said.

For example, residents who speak only Spanish or little English attended meetings in City Council Chambers in the fall about the dilapidated Essex House, a vacant former hotel on High Street now demolished. They wanted to speak on the matter but were unable to without translation and, Valentin said, because City Council Chambers is hardly seen as welcoming to some people.

"That's the reality," Valentin said.

Jourdain said he was willing to listen to options on how to achieve those goals. But he said he felt the city has already taken steps, with the existing translation button on the website and public speak out periods before council meetings.

"We invite anybody to come in. Everybody's welcome at the table," Jourdain said.

Ward 7 Councilor Gordon P. Alexander wants the council to adopt an ordinance banning the introduction, propagation or distribution of state-listed invasive species and develop a plan to eliminate such species on public and private lands here.

The goal is to protect the city Alexander described as an "ecologically diverse city with multiple at risk ecological niches."

An invasive species is a plant or animal that is not native to an area, has a tendency to spread and can cause damage to the environment, the economy and even human health, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center. That's a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Alexander said an example of an invasive species is the Japanese knotweed, a plant believed to have been introduced into the United States in the late 1800's. It spreads quickly, is poisonous and pushes out native plants, according to a study on the website of the National Invasive Species Information Center.

Another example is the asian bittersweet, "a vigorously growing vine" that smothers native vegetation, according to studies online.

Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), who is coordinating the effort, said the goal of the Commonwealth Conversations tour is to listen to the people of Massachusetts, without any particular bill or policy in mind.

BOSTON - Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, are kicking off an eight-stop listening tour of the state on Wednesday in Western Massachusetts.

Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, who is coordinating the effort, said the goal of the Commonwealth Conversations tour is to listen to the people of Massachusetts, without any particular bill or policy in mind. "We shouldn't be directing the conversation. We should be creating an opportunity for people to talk and for us to listen," Rodrigues said.

As MassLive.com previously reported, the tour will kick off with a town hall forum at the Berkshire South Regional Community Center, a tour of the Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center, a tour of Hoppe Technologies in Chicopee and a town hall forum at Holyoke Community College.

It will continue with visits to eight regions of the state, between now and March 11. The day-long visits are being coordinated by the senators representing each region. Rosenberg and Tarr have committed to attending each one, and senators from around the state are invited to attend to learn about the concerns of residents of each region. There will be a public forum in each community, which will be live-streamed or recorded.

"The success of this will be measured two years from now at the end of the legislative session when we look back and see if we created, drafted and passed public policy as a result of the listening tour," Rodrigues said.

Tarr said the tour will allow residents to get "a sense of the bipartisanship we have in the Senate chamber."

Lawmakers have toured the state before to get residents' opinions on specific policies - for example, gun legislation. But this will be the first tour done without a specific topic in mind. "We're directly involving the public in a way I think is unprecedented," Tarr said.

Rosenberg, who was just elected Senate president in January, has pledged to increase transparency in the Senate. Rosenberg said the listening tour is meant to send a message about government transparency. "The government belongs to the people," Rosenberg said. "If the people engage, the legislature and the governor will hear. It's our responsibility to provide opportunities for the people to engage."

Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe has said the future of the Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center, one of the stops on Wednesday's tour, is in jeopardy because the center is being displaced by the planned MGM casino and Ashe's office cannot afford to pay relocation costs. Rosenberg said he did not know until Tuesday that the program's location is in jeopardy. "We're going to have to learn more and work with the sheriff to try to address the problem," Rosenberg said.

According to People magazine, Jenner will be documenting his transition in a television series later this year.

Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner, who won a decathalon gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal is in the process of transitioning from a man to a woman, various news organizations are reporting.

The New York Daily News reported today that Jenner's mother, Esther told Radaronline.com she is very proud of him.

"Right now I am more proud of him for what he's allowing himself to do," she told Radaronline.com. "I am more proud of him now than when he stood on that podium and put the gold medal around his neck. He deserves all the respect."

Esther Jenner admitted, however, that she was not aware of his inner struggle until recently.

"I just learned about" his transition, the Daily News quoted her as saying. "Bruce filled me in, and we had a very long, long, long talk about it."

Jenner's mother said that her son will be an inspiration to many women who have felt themselves trapped inside men's bodies.

"I have never been more proud of Bruce for who he is, himself as a father, as an Olympian, a wonderful public speaker," she said. "He instills enthusiasm in people. He's gifted."

Two years ago, Bruce Jenner confirmed that he and his wife, Kris, had separated in 2012, after 22 years together.

Kris Jenner told the Associated Press at the time that there was no animosity between them. They were both known at the time for the TV show, "Keeping up with the Kardashians" seen on the E! network.

Kris Jenner, 59, and Bruce Jenner, 65, married in April 1991, less than a year after getting fixed up on a blind date.

At the time, Bruce had already been married twice before and had four children.

A person that People magazine identified as a source close to the family, said that his family is very accepting of what he's doing.

"He is finally happy and his family is accepting of what he's doing," People quoted the source as saying. "He's in such a great space. That's why it's the perfect time to do something like this."

According to another family friend, Jenner will be documenting his transition in a television series later this year.

"It will air when he is ready to be open about his transition," the source told People. "But he's acting more and more confident and seems very happy."

The magazine talked about Jenner's "much documented physical appearance," noting that his hair is longer and that he has been photographed with manicured nails and wearing makeup. These changes, People says, led to a lot of speculation. But the source told the magazine that Jenner's decision to change slowly was made in order to give his family time to adapt.

His family, includes children Cassandra, 34 and Burt, 36 who he had with his former wife Chrystie Crownover. He also has two sons Brandon, 33 and Brody, 31 who he had with wife Linda Thompson, and daughters Kendall, 19 and Kylie, 17, who he had with Kris Jenner, according to the magazine.

MassLive's sister website, Syracuse.com, reported Tuesday that Jenner will discuss his transition with Diane Sawyer on ABC News.

Last month, a picture of Jenner was Photoshopped to make him look more feminine for the cover of In Touch Weekly that is doing a story called Jenner's "Life as a Woman," Syracuse.com pointed out.

US Weekly reported that Jenner agreed to be interviewed by Sawyer because of her history of supporting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

The transition is also expected to be addressed on upcoming episodes of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," according to Syracuse.com.

"I think everyone goes through things in life, and I think that story and what Bruce is going through, I think he'll share whenever the time is right," Kim Kardashian told Entertainment Tonight. "I feel like that's his journey to talk about."

In all, the ninth "National Day of Johns Arrests" resulted in the arrests of 570 men.

CHICAGO -- A sting operation led by an Illinois sheriff, who once went after websites that allowed ads for prostitution, ended on Super Bowl Sunday with the arrests of hundreds of men around the United States who did not realize the online ads they were responding to had been posted by police.

View full sizeIllinois' Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.File 

Among the police departments to participate was the one in Phoenix, just a few miles from where the Super Bowl was played -- and where authorities say officers arrested 22 so-called johns as well as several women who told police they'd been trafficked to the area in the days leading up to the big football game. The day after the game, Phoenix officers announced they'd arrested former Hall of Fame lineman Warren Sapp on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute, though Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's office said the arrest was not a result of the sting.

Dart said the sting was successful because investigators used the same technology the sex trade has increasingly relied on.

"It used to be we'd stake out corners, make arrests there, get license plates (of pimps) so we could track them," he said Tuesday. "But now with the Internet, they can set up dates with computers at different sites, transfer money, use cash cards and aliases, so it is much harder to connect the woman to the guy she's working for."

This year's operation -- the ninth one since Dart launched it four years ago -- was the largest yet. It lasted about two weeks before ending the day of the Super Bowl and involved 37 law enforcement agencies in 17 states.

Dart said the sting was successful because investigators used the same technology the sex trade has increasingly relied on.

The sheriff sued Craigslist in 2009 for running what he called the "largest source of prostitution in America." The site vowed to drop its erotic services section and monitor future adult ads, and a judge threw the lawsuit out.

The 570 arrests from the latest sting bring the total arrests the operation has netted since the first one in 2011 to more than 2,900. The operation also resulted in 23 suspects being charged with pimping, sex trafficking or promoting prostitution. A news release from Dart's office said 68 women and juveniles who were victims of human trafficking were "rescued."

The johns paid more than $340,000 in fines and police seized 18 weapons while making the arrests, the release said.

Sisters of St. Joseph, in Selma, cared for Lewis on Bloody Sunday.

CHICOPEE - U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, an icon of the Civil Rights movement, has been named commencement speaker for Elms College's 2015 graduation exercises at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield on May 16.

Lewis, who was treated by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Selma, Alabama, for injuries sustained during the famous Bloody Sunday attack there, will speak at the 84th commencement of the college founded by a different congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

"We are honored to have Rep. Lewis as our commencement speaker this year," said Elms' President Mary Reap. "His message of peaceful protest in pursuit of social justice is a powerful message for our diverse group of graduates, many of whom represent the first generation of college graduates in their families. The connection between Rep. Lewis and the Sisters of St. Joseph also makes him a particularly appropriate speaker."

U.S. Rep. John LewisASSOCIATED PRESS FILE 

The announcement of Lewis as speaker, at a college founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, highlights the role women religious played in breaking down racial barriers in this country. When Lewis and others were brutally attacked on the March 7, 1965, march from Selma to Montgomery while supporting the right of African Americans to vote, they were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, a Catholic hospital staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The nursing and social work ministry of these sisters is traced back to a congregation in Rochester, N.Y., but the origin of the order for all the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States is in Le Puy, in Velay, France.

Members of the Rochester congregation had worked in Selma since the 1940s when a Catholic priest with the Edmundite order bought the Good Samaritan Hospital for African Americans in segregated Selma and asked the sisters to staff it, according to the research of Barbra Mann Wall, author of the manuscript, "Catholic Sister Nurses in Selma, Alabama, 1940-1972."

As a result of their work, the sisters, who also established Alabama's first School of Practical Nursing, faced much racial hostility as white women, including guns pointed at them, but remained devoted to their primary ministry of caring for and educating, African Americans.

The 54-mile walk on March 7, led by Lewis, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and Hosea Williams, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, had just begun along U.S. Route 80 when the 600 marchers were attacked near the Edmund Pettus Bridge by Alabama state troopers and others using tear gas, clubs and whips, and were trampled by horses. Injuries included lacerations, fractures and head injuries. Some 100 people were treated at Good Samaritan, with more than a dozen people admitted to the only hospital in Selma that would treat African Americans at the time.

The event became known as Bloody Sunday. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was among the visitors to the hospital, and many of those who came to show support were housed in the sisters' convent.

Lewis, who suffered a skull fracture, testified a week later at a federal hearing where a judge ruled that the demonstrators had a constitutional right to march, and some 3,000 did on March 21 under the protection of a federalized National Guard. The event was considered a turning point in the passage of the Voting Right Act of 1965. It is the focus of the newly released movie "Selma."

Lewis, who was arrested, beaten and seriously injured dozens of times as a civil rights protester, was elected to Congress in November 1986 and has served since then as U.S. representative of Georgia's Fifth Congressional District. He was a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in August 1963.

Lewis attended a Springfield Democratic campaign rally for now U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in her 2012 race against Republican Scott Brown,

Elms College 2014 speaker was Sister Helen Prejean, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and author of "Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty." Elms President Reap is a member of Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Westfield's election season will officially begin in April when nomination papers become available.

WESTFIELD - It was a clear message of 'cooperation' offered by City Council President Brian P. Sullivan Tuesday as he formally announced his candidacy for mayor in the fall city elections.

And, it was a packed house at the Tavern Restaurant to hear Sullivan, surrounded by family and supporters, announce that he will try to succeed Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, who announced Jan. 1 that he will not seek a fourth two-year term as mayor. Michael L. Roeder, who lost to Knapik in 2013, has announced his intention to run for mayor also but he has not yet made it official.

Sullivan 51, said he was "overwhelmed" by the number of people who turned out for his formal announcement. "I am 100 percent committed, 100 percent enthusiastic and 100 percent real in my wanting to be the next mayor of the city of Westfield," he announced.

"Westfield needs someone who can sit and listen and I can do that," the candidate said.

"I want to build bridges between City Hall and the School Department, I want to build the (science lab) addition at Westfield High School, I want to build a bridge between City Hall and our Gas and Electric Department to work together on such things as high speed internet. I want to build a bridge between the Mayor's office and the City Council. I want to bring the City Council to the mayor's office. I want a strong sense of cooperation with all branches of Westfield government," Sullivan said.

Sullivan's partner Sonia Brockney said "Brian has proven himself to be a wonderful leader already in this city."

Sullivan's brother former seven-term Mayor Richard K. Sullivan Jr. said of his brother "Brian is his own person with the real ability to bring people together. He wears Westfield on his sleeve."

Brian Sullivan has tapped former Westfield Business Improvement District director Lisa G. McMahon to be his campaign manager.

"Brian is the right leader with the right experience at the right time to be our next mayor," McMahon said. "I have had a seat at so many tables in this city and watched Brian grow into a well rounded city leader who is so respectful to everyone. He can do a great job as mayor."

Westfield's election season will not officially begin until April 6. That is when nomination papers for the various elected offices in the city will be made available by City Clerk Karen M. Fanion.

Oil surged 7 percent on hopes that a seven-month collapse in prices that had rattled financial markets was ending

NEW YORK -- A jump in oil prices helped push U.S. stocks indexes sharply higher for a second day on Tuesday, erasing much of their losses from the start of the year.

U.S. benchmark oil surged 7 percent on hopes that a seven-month collapse in prices that had rattled financial markets was ending. All 10 industry sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index rose, led a 2.8 percent gain in energy shares.

Stocks climbed from the start following a rally in European markets on signs that Greece's new government won't press for a write-off of the country's bailout loans. The benchmark stock index in Athens jumped 11 percent.

U.S. investors were also encouraged by a surge in auto sales last month.

The S&P 500 index climbed 29.18 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,050.03. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 305.36 points, or 1.8 percent, to 17,666.40. The Nasdaq rose 51.05 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,727.74.

Investors are hoping that oil prices have found a floor after falling as much as 60 percent from their recent peak last June. Prices have risen 19 percent in four days as producers have canceled exploration projects and cut the number of rigs drilling for oil.

"Prices were due for a bounce," said Matthew Kaufler, a portfolio manager at Federated Investors. Kaufler suspects producers will have idle more rigs before prices stabilize. "There's a lot of hope that it's the bottom, but these things aren't really obvious."

On Wednesday, the Energy Department releases its closely-followed weekly report on U.S. oil supplies.

The stock market got off to a bad start this year. The S&P 500 sank 3 percent in January, its worst monthly performance in a year. With Tuesday's gains, the index is now down just 0.4 percent so far in 2015.

Automakers were among the big winners as investors responded to reports of strong vehicle sales last month. Ford rose 38 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $15.65. General Motors climbed 87 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $33.98.

Overall, vehicle sales rose 14 percent to 1.15 million last month, according to Autodata Corp. It was the best January in nine years.

The main indexes in France and Britain each rose more than 1 percent after a report that Greece's finance minister had suggested in a meeting Monday in London that its debt be replaced with bonds that would be repaid only if Greece's economy grows. He also suggested using interest-only bonds.

Among other stocks making big moves:

• Office supply chain Staples jumped $1.87, or 11 percent, to $19.01 following a report in the Wall Street Journal that the company is in advanced talks to combine with Office Depot. Office Depot leapt $1.65, or 22 percent, to $9.28.
• AutoNation rose $3.83, or 6.5 percent, to $63.17 after the country's largest chain of car dealerships reported income that beat Wall Street's estimates.
• The New York Times rose 7.6 percent and Gannett gained 5.7 percent after the media companies each reported quarterly earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations. The New York Times rose 97 cents to $13.73. Gannett rose $1.81 to $33.32.

The euro was little changed at $1.1505. The dollar fell 0.2 percent to 117.27 yen.

U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.79 percent from 1.67 percent. Gold fell $16.60 to $1,260.30 an ounce, silver rose seven cents to $17.32 an ounce and copper rose nine cents to $2.58 a pound.

In other oil futures trading in New York:

1. Wholesale gasoline rose 5.67 cents to $1.601 a gallon
2. Heating oil jumped 8.9 cents to $1.847 a gallon
3. Natural gas gained 7.4 cents to $2.754 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Fred Baker, 51, of Southampton, and Scott Paterson, 44, of Manchester, Connecticut, both former officials at Berkshire Power Co.'s Agawam plant, are accused of tampering with environmental monitoring equipment at the Moylan Avenue facility.

SPRINGFIELD — A pair of former power plant officials have accepted a plea agreement in a case involving alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act, according to a lawyer representing one of the men.

Attorney John C. Pucci, who is defending Fred Baker, 51, of Southampton, the former operations and maintenance manager of Berkshire Power Co.'s plant in Agawam, confirmed a plea deal for his client and Scott Paterson, 44, a former instrument and control technician at the Moylan Lane facility. Pucci is not representing Paterson, a resident of Manchester, Connecticut.

Details of the agreement were not expected to be made public until the next court date, which has yet to be scheduled.

Meanwhile, Baker and Paterson were both formally charged Tuesday with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act for allegedly tampering with the power plant's environmental monitoring equipment, a violation of federal law. Pucci agrees that adjustments were made to the equipment, but emission levels from the facility did not exceed the annual permit limit, he said.

A statement released Tuesday by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, whose office is prosecuting the case, "overstates and misstates settled facts on a number of issues," Pucci said, adding that pollutant levels fell within permitted limits.

Ortiz claims otherwise. From 2008 until 2011, she said, Baker, Paterson and others tampered with the plant's "continuous emissions monitoring system," which samples, measures and records the concentration of regulated pollutants, to save money, delay repairs and to avoid reporting to federal and state regulators that the plant, at times, was releasing pollutants in excess of regulatory limits.

"Berkshire Power Plant's managers and a compliance worker deliberately sought to deceive regulators about the release of air pollutants and, fittingly, now face criminal prosecution for that conduct," Ortiz said in prepared remarks.

Tyler Amon, special agent in charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division in Boston, said management and staff at the power plant "institutionalized a deliberate scheme to evade compliance with the Clean Air Act."

State Attorney General Maura Healey's Environmental Crimes Strike Force, the Massachusetts Environmental Police, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection assisted with the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Sara Miron Bloom, a member of Ortiz's Economic Crimes Unit, and Daniel Licata, an assistant attorney general in Healey's office.

A commuter train slammed into a sport utility vehicle stuck on the tracks Tuesday evening, killing 6 people, mostly on the train, and injuring at least 12 others, authorities said.

VALHALLA, N.Y. -- A packed commuter train slammed into a sport utility vehicle stuck on the tracks and erupted into flames Tuesday night, killing six people, injuring at least a dozen and sending hundreds of passengers scrambling for safety, authorities said.

The northbound Metro-North Railroad train struck a Jeep Cherokee at a crossing in Valhalla, about 20 miles north of New York City, railroad spokesman Aaron Donovan said. Killed were the SUV's driver and five people aboard the train, he said, making this crash the railroad's deadliest.

The railroad crossing gates had come down on top of the SUV, which was stopped on the tracks, the spokesman said. The driver got out to look at the rear of the vehicle, then she got back in and drove forward and was struck, he said.

The train shoved the SUV about 10 train car lengths. Smoke poured out of the scorched front rail car, its windows blackened.

Witnesses said they saw the flames shooting from where the crash occurred, in a wooded area near a cemetery.

Ryan Cottrell, assistant director at a nearby rock climbing gym, said he had been looking out a window because of an earlier, unrelated car accident and saw the train hit the car, pushing it along.

"The flames erupted pretty quickly," he said.

Passengers described a bump and said they smelled gasoline from the vehicle.

More than 750 passengers likely were aboard the train, including Justin Kaback, commuting home to Danbury, Connecticut.

"I was trapped. You know there was people in front of me and behind me, and I was trapped in the middle of a car and it was getting very hot," he told ABC News. "All the air was turned off so there was no circulation so it was definitely scary especially when people are walking by on the outside and they said, 'The train's on fire. There's a fire.'"

Passenger Stacey Eisner, who was at the rear of the train, told NBC News that she felt the train "jerk" and then a conductor walked through the train explaining what had happened. She said her train car was evacuated about 10 minutes later using ladders to get people out.

The other rail passengers were moved to the rear of the train, which had left Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan about 45 minutes earlier.

Passengers got off from the rear. About 400 of them were taken to the rock climbing gym for shelter. Buses were heading there to pick them up and take them to their destinations.

Metro-North is the nation's second-busiest railroad, after the Long Island Rail Road. It was formed in 1983 and serves about 280,000 riders a day in New York and Connecticut. Service on its Harlem Line was suspended between Pleasantville and North White Plains after the crash.

Metro-North has been criticized severely for accidents over the last couple of years. Late last year, the National Transportation Safety Board issued rulings on five accidents that occurred in New York and Connecticut in 2013 and 2014, repeatedly finding fault with the railroad while also noting that conditions have improved.

Among the accidents was a Dec. 1, 2013, derailment that killed four people, the railroad's first passenger fatalities, in the Bronx. The NTSB said the engineer had fallen asleep at the controls because he had a severe, undiagnosed case of sleep apnea.

Last March, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a stinging report on Metro-North, saying the railroad let safety concerns slip while pushing to keep trains on time. Railroad executives pledged to make safety their top priority.

___

Kiley Armstrong of the Associated Press wrote this report.

AMMAN, Jordan -- Jordan executed two al-Qaida prisoners before dawn Wednesday, a government spokesman said, just hours after Islamic State militants released a video purportedly showing a captured Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage. Jordan confirmed the pilot's death and vowed a swift and lethal response. Government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani identified the two prisoners executed by hanging early...

AMMAN, Jordan -- Jordan executed two al-Qaida prisoners before dawn Wednesday, a government spokesman said, just hours after Islamic State militants released a video purportedly showing a captured Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage.

Jordan confirmed the pilot's death and vowed a swift and lethal response.

Government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani identified the two prisoners executed by hanging early Wednesday as Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad al-Karbouly.

Over the past week, Jordan had offered to trade al-Rishawi, a failed suicide bomber, for the pilot, Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, but froze any swap after saying it had received no proof that the pilot was still alive.

Al-Rishawi had been sentenced to death after her 2005 role in a triple hotel bombing in Amman that killed 60 people. Al-Karbouly was sent to death row in 2008 for plotting terror attacks on Jordanians in Iraq.

The killing of the pilot outraged Jordanians and drew worldwide condemnation, including from President Barack Obama and the U.N. Security Council.

Lucy, a black Labrador retriever puppy, ran out onto the ice after spotting some swans. Next thing she knew, she was in the icy water and couldn't get out. Arlington firefighters rescued her.

ARLINGTON — Lucy, a black Labrador retriever puppy, broke away from her owners and ran out onto the partially frozen Mystic River after spotting some swans Tuesday afternoon.

Next thing the pup knew, she was in icy water and couldn't get out. A pair of Arlington firefighters fished her from the river, and the adventurous dog turned out to be no worse for wear, according to authorities.

Police said a woman and her daughters were walking along the river with Lucy, who spotted the swans and bolted out onto the ice after them. The ice gave way and Lucy got an unexpected dip in the Mystic.

That set in motion a call to the Massachusetts State Police Barracks in Medford, which received a 4:35 p.m. report of a dog in the river near the Mystic Valley Parkway and Medford Street.

The Arlington Fire Department was then alerted, with firefighters Chris Gibbons and Joseph Andrade quickly donning their "warm suits" and heading for the river. Gibbons made contact with Lucy about 30 feet from shore, but he fell through the ice while struggling to retrieve her.

With assistance from Andrade, both firefighters managed to bring her safely back to shore. She received a clean bill of health from Arlington EMS and was reunited with her human family, according to police.

The measure passed 729-168, far exceeding the two-thirds majority needed.

LONGMEADOW -- Voters at a special Town Meeting Tuesday night overwhelmingly approved a zoning change to allow for the expansion of the Longmeadow Shops, a 78,000 square-foot retail plaza on Bliss Road and Williams Street.

The proposal to change the zoning of an adjacent 1.8 acre parcel from residential to business zoning passed with 792 in favor and 168 opposed, easily surpassing the two-thirds majority needed.

Grove Properties, which owns the Longmeadow Shops, plans to add 21,000 new square feet of retail space to the 52-year-old plaza. The addition would contain a new, enlarged CVS with a drive-through, two additional retail shops, 139 new parking spaces, another entrance, and a reconfiguration of the existing parking lot to eliminate "dead ends."

Planning Board Chairman Bruce Colton said independent experts will be hired to study traffic and parking as part of the upcoming site and design review process.

Architect Mark Wittmer, presenting for Grove Properties, said expanding and reconfiguring the plaza will allow for better traffic flow, improved conditions for pedestrians, tax revenue for the town, and a larger and more convenient pharmacy.

Grove Properties principal Steve Walker told reporters his group has been in discussions with a number of potential tenants for the new retail space.

The zoning change came recommended by the Planning Board, which has already met with Grove Properties a number of times. The town's Select Board, however, had previously voted 3-2 against recommending the change, citing concerns with traffic and parking.

The same measure narrowly failed on Nov. 18, when 280 votes were counted in favor to 142 against. Complaints about the way votes were counted led to the scheduling of a second special Town Meeting.

Edward Dones, 26, of Springfield,was behind the wheel of a 2012 tractor-trailer when he lost control of the big rig shortly before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on I-89 in Montpelier and struck three other vehicles, including a police cruiser.

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A state trooper had to jump over a highway guardrail Tuesday morning to avoid being hit by a jackknifing tractor-trailer driven by a 26-year-old man from Western Massachusetts, according to Vermont State Police officials, who continue to investigate. No citations had been issued as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Police said Springfield resident Edward Dones was driving a 2012 Peterbilt tractor-trailer when he lost control of the big rig shortly before 10:30 a.m., plowing into a police cruiser and two other vehicles in the northbound lane of Interstate 89 in Montpelier.

Detective Sgt. Mark Potter, of the Middlesex barracks, said speed and slippery road conditions appeared to play a role in the crash. The tractor-trailer was expected to undergo an inspection by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles as part of the probe, police said.

Dones' truck was heavily damaged after crashing into the unmarked Vermont State Police cruiser and the other cars, all of which also sustained extensive damage, police said. Drivers of those vehicles were uninjured, but Dones was taken to Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin after complaining of back pain, police said.

The cruiser was being operated by Trooper Daryl Cremo, who was assisting another trooper with traffic control at a crash scene near Exit 8 in Montpelier. All of the emergency lights had been activated on Cremo's cruiser, which was parked in the breakdown lane, as the trooper placed flares along the highway to warn drivers to slow down.

That's when Cremo saw a tractor-trailer approaching "at a high rate of speed," police said. The driver of the big rig, later identified as Dones, "subsequently lost control of his vehicle," which began to jackknife and careen directly toward Cremo, police said. With no time to spare, Cremo jumped over the guardrail on the east side of the highway moments before Done's vehicle slammed into Cremo's 2009 Chevy Impala cruiser, police said.

After hitting the cruiser, police said, Dones rear-ended a 2014 Honda CRV, struck the guardrail on the east side of the highway, then hit a 2011 Toyota. The Toyota became pinned between the the truck's trailer and the guardrail on the west side of the highway, police said.

"Ultimately the truck came to a position of uncontrolled rest against the guardrail on the west side of the interstate in the passing lane," police said.

I-89 was closed for a couple of hours as crews cleaned up the crash scene. All of the damaged vehicles had to be removed from crash scene by tow trucks.

Berlin police and firefighters and Montpelier firefighters and EMS officials responded to the incident, as did members of the Vermont DMV and Agency of Transportation.

"It's a pretty substantial amount," said Michael Mason, Hadley's new incoming police chief, commenting on the 51, mostly weather-related accidents that town police and firefighters responded to in January.

HADLEY — The Route 9 corridor in Hadley is among the busiest in Western Massachusetts, with numerous restaurants, shopping centers and big box stores dotting the road linking Northampton to Amherst.

But a blast of wintry weather has made the already-congested road and its many surrounding side streets a magnet for crashes, keeping public safety officials hopping from accident scene to accident scene. Last month, Hadley police and firefighters responded to more than four dozen motor vehicle accidents, including eight crashes during Winter Storm Juno alone, making January one of the busiest months in recent memory.

Despite numerous weather warnings posted on the department's Facebook page, urging drivers to slow down and avoid certain snow- and ice-covered roads, the crashes kept on coming. By month's end, public safety officials had responded to more than 50 accidents, ranging from rollover crashes to multiple incidents involving vehicles that slid off roadways due to slick conditions.

"It's a pretty substantial amount," said Michael Mason, Hadley's new incoming police chief, who's slated to take over the busy department next month.

Even in good weather, Hadley police and firefighters must contend with a high number of crashes, particularly along Route 9, according to Mason. But January's snowy weather contributed to the "vast majority" of accidents, he said.

Stop & Shop removed from sale select lots of Joseph's bread products which may contain soy, an allergen that is not listed on the ingredient label, following a recall by Middle East Bakery Inc.

QUINCY — Stop & Shop removed from sale select lots of Joseph's bread products which may contain soy, an allergen that is not listed on the ingredient label, following a recall by Middle East Bakery Inc.

The product is safe to consume for individuals who do not suffer from a soy allergy, the supermarket chain said Wednesday in a news release.

The recalled products are:

• Joseph's Mini Whole Wheat Pita, 8 oz., UPC 074117000413, with a sell by date of February 5, 2015 printed on the plastic tab closure
• Joseph's Mini White Pita, 8 oz., UPC 074117000420, with a sell by date of February 5, 2015 printed on the plastic tab closure
• Joseph's Square White Lavash, 14 oz., UPC 074117000697, with a sell by date of February 17, 2015 printed on the front panel of the package

Stop & Shop has received no reports of illnesses to date.

Consumers looking for additional information on the recall may call Middle East Bakery in Lawrence at 978-688-2221. In addition, customers may call Stop & Shop Customer Service at 1-800-767-7772 for more information. Customers can also visit the Stop & Shop website at www.stopandshop.com.