Obituaries from The Republican.

Frances P. Dutille 

EAST LONGMEADOW - Frances (Perrin) Dutille, 79, passed away at Baystate Medical Center on Monday. Born on March 22, 1935 in Lowell, she was the daughter of the late Peter and Sabina (Kimborowicz) Perrin. She received her bachelor's degree from Keene State College. She was a fourth-grade teacher at the Mountain View School in East Longmeadow before she became manager of the gift shop at the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Hampden. She was an active volunteer in her community and her church, St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, where she was on the Parish Council. She had a strong passion for cooking and gardening. Her greatest love, however, was her family.

Coca-Cola, General Motors and Apple were among the companies that posted positive gains.

By STEVE ROTHWELL

NEW YORK -- A mix of positive earnings and corporate news boosted stocks on Tuesday. Signs that Greece might be willing to broker a deal with its creditors also gave the market a lift.

Coca-Cola rose after the company reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit. General Motors gained after an activist investor said he would seek a seat on the company's board and push for a stock buyback. Apple passed another milestone, becoming the first U.S. company to be valued at more than $700 billion.

Stock investors have had a bumpy ride since the start of the year.

The market slumped in January as the ongoing drop in oil prices hit energy stocks and amid worries about the prospects for global growth. Stocks have bounced back in February as energy stocks rose from their lows and on signs that the U.S. economy is maintaining its recovery. On Tuesday, stocks logged a solid gain even after a big drop in oil prices pushed the energy sector lower.

"The economic data is coming in OK, and when you delve into the big picture of the earnings reports, they're not bad," said Robert Pavlik, Chief Investment Strategist at Boston Private Wealth. "People want to be in the market when it starts to go back up."

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 21.85 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,068.59. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 139.55 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,868.76. The Nasdaq composite rose 61.63 points, or 1.3 percent, to 4,787.64.

Investors were encouraged by signs that a deal could be reached between Greece and its lenders. The nation's new prime minister voiced confidence Monday that a compromise can be reached at high-stakes meetings in coming days.

Greece's stocks and bonds have taken a drubbing this year after the radical left-led government renewed a pledge to seek debt forgiveness and dubbed the country's rescue package, with its conditions of strict austerity, a "toxic fantasy."

"There's a growing sense that the two sides in the negotiations may be moving toward some compromise," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial.

Energy stocks took a hit on Tuesday after the International Energy Agency said that the recent rebound in oil prices "will be comparatively limited in scope." Analysts at Citigroup said the upturn would likely to prove short-lived and predicted that rising inventory costs could push the price as low as $20 a barrel.

Oil dropped more than 5 percent, erasing three days of gains. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $2.84 to close at $50.02 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.91 to close at $56.43 in London.

Among individual stocks, Coca-Cola was one of the day's winners after reporting a better-than-expected quarterly profit. The company trimmed costs and fetched higher prices for its drinks in North America.

The world's biggest beverage maker has been struggling to boost global sales amid tepid growth overseas and a shift away from soda back at home. The company's stock rose $1.17, or 2.8 percent, to $42.40.

Apple said it would spend $850 million on a massive solar energy project that will generate enough power for the computer giant's new office campus and its other California operations. First Solar, which is building the facility, jumped $2.21, or 5 percent, to $48.54. Apple's own stock rose $2.30, or 2 percent, to $122.02. With the gain, Apple's market value rose to $710 billion.

General Motors rose after Harry Wilson, a former hedge fund manager and one-time member of the Obama administration's task force that helped to restructure GM and Chrysler in 2009, said he'll seek a seat on GM's board at the automaker's annual meeting this summer and will push for an $8 billion stock buyback to take place next year. Wilson is acting with the backing of a variety of hedge funds.

GM rose $1.52, or 4.2 percent, to $37.52.

U.S. government bond prices were little changed. The yield on the benchmark Treasury note was flat at 1.98 percent.

The dollar strengthened to 119.43 yen from 118.58 yen Monday. The euro declined to $1.1313 from $1.1330.

In metals trading, gold fell $9.30 to $1,232.20 an ounce, silver fell 20 cents to $16.87 an ounce and copper fell three cents to $2.55 a pound.

In other energy futures trading on the NYMEX:

1. Wholesale gasoline fell 2.6 cents to close at $1.552 a gallon.
2. Heating oil fell 4 cents to close at $1.833 a gallon.
3. Natural gas rose 8 cents to close at $2.677 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The 10 communities are Brookline, Belmont, Cambridge, Concord, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Newton, Somerville, South Boston, and Winchester.

By GINTAUTAS DUMCIUS

Ten Massachusetts communities, including two Boston neighborhoods, saw big double-digit gains in home values in the last nine years.

According to a new top 10 list compiled by the Warren Group, which publishes Banker and Tradesman, the 10 communities are Brookline, Belmont, Cambridge, Concord, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Newton, Somerville, South Boston, and Winchester.

Forty-six communities are back above the peak prices they had before the economic crash, the group added.

Cambridge outperformed the rest of the Warren Group's top 10 list, reporting median prices for a single-family home hitting $1.2 million in 2014, up from $667,500 in 2005. That comes out to a 79.8 percent increase in the median price.

The Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, which shares a border with Brookline, was the runner-up, seeing prices rise to $700,000 in 2014 from $498,000 in 2005, a 40.6 percent increase.

Lexington and South Boston came in third and fourth, experiencing 34.8 percent and 33.3 percent increases, respectively. In Lexington, the price rose to $950,000 in 2014, while increasing to $545,000 in South Boston, an enclave that witnessed a 44 percent increase in sales along with the growth in price.

Brookline came in at fifth place, with the median price in 2014 reaching $1.48 million from $1.1 million in 2005, a 32.6 percent increase.

Six of the top 10 communities had a 2014 median home price of $899,000 or higher, according to the Warren Group.

"Statewide, the median home price in Massachusetts peaked in 2005 at $355,000. Since then, we have seen 46 communities rebound from the crash in real estate prices and record an increase in the median selling price of homes," Timothy Warren Jr., the Warren Group's CEO, said in a statement. "Proximity to good jobs seems to be the common thread among the top communities. Location matters in real estate, and here we see these key communities adding even more in terms of their home values."

The rest of the top 10, in order, has Somerville (27.2 percent increase), Concord (26.1 percent), Belmont (24.9 percent), Newton (23.8 percent) and Winchester (23 percent). Like South Boston, Lexington, Brookline and Concord saw sales increase with prices.

But others saw decreases in median prices. Athol, in Worcester County, saw the biggest decrease at 36.1 percent, falling to $115,000 in 2014 from $179,900 in 2005.

The communities making up the rest of the list of large median price decreases are Fitchburg (32.23 percent), Southbridge (30.43 percent), Warren (30.23 percent), Orange (29.95 percent), Gardner (29.22 percent), Winchendon (28.04 percent), Barre (27.66 percent), Randolph (27.14 percent) and New Bedford (27.11 percent).

"The extreme decline in median prices in these communities is unfortunate and indicative of the underlying factors occurring in each of these communities," Warren said. "In order for prices to rebound, an economic revitalization in these areas needs to occur. With low-cost housing abundant, these communities should be able to attract business relocations and start-ups."

Chris Gabrieli, chairman of the board and CEO of the nonprofit Empower Schools Inc., said the partnership with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Schools, the Springfield School Department and the Springfield teachers union &#811 said there is no one way to turn around a school, stressing that the plans developed at each of the Level 4 middle schools will be individualized.

SPRINGFIELD — The new empowerment zone formed to save Springfield's eight failing middle schools wants to split Van Sickle school into two and set up a seventh grade math tutoring program during the April vacation to help about 300 students prepare for the MCAS exam.

During its inaugural meeting, the seven-member board of the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership, a collaboration of Empower Schools Inc, the School Department, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the teachers union, adopted a plan that would bring in new leadership teams at the John F. Kennedy Middle School and the Van Sickle Middle School.

The other six schools in the zone – M. Marcus Kiley, John J. Duggan, Forest Park, Chestnut Accelerated Middle School North, Chestnut Accelerated Middle School South and Chestnut Accelerated Middle School Talented and Gifted – will keep current principals and staff in place as the school leadership teams follow turnaround strategies adopted by Empower Schools and the school department.

All six have of those schools have already established leadership teams to implement a number of turnaround strategies that focus on existing best practices in Springfield classrooms, giving educators the power to make decisions about school curriculum and other matters and adopting high expectations of both teachers and students.

Superintendent Daniel J. Warwick, one of the members of the board, said during the two-hour-plus meeting at the Chestnut School library that he has confidence that principals and staff at the those schools "have the capacity to move those schools forward" in an effort to achieve a rapid turnaround.

There are approximately 4,500 students in the eight middle schools. The Empowerment Zone Partnership's recommendations would begin taking effect in the 2015-16 school calendar year.

In the meantime, the board approved a plan to create a math academy – aimed at seventh graders – over the April vacation. It would be the group's first major intervention.

Under the plan, about 300 students, identified as the lowest performers in the district, will be attend classes taught by teachers who have applied to provide the instruction.

Chris Gabrieli, chairman of the board and CEO of the nonprofit Empower Schools Inc., said there is no one way to turn around a school, stressing that the plans developed at each of the Level 4 (underperforming) middle schools will be individualized.

For example, in an effort to accelerate improvements at Kennedy, the empowerment zone will launch a "fresh-start" school at the Kennedy campus with the help of the non-profit Massachusetts Preparatory Network with prior experience in turning around schools with low-income, minority populations.

Van Sickle, the largest of the middle schools, would be divided into two new middle schools that would share space at the Van Sickle building, much the way the three Chestnut schools operate at its Plainfield Street facility.

Operational plans for the schools' turnaround are expected to be adopted by mid-April.

Warwick called the new empowerment zone – the first of its kind in the state – exciting and challenging, saying that he is eager to get started.

It took months of negotiations to create the first-of-its-kind model to supervise the turnaround at the eight schools where students score in the lowest 20 percent in the state on the MCAS test.

The empowerment board operates similarly to the former state-appointed Springfield Finance Control Board, which helped lead the city out of fiscal troubles. Gabrieli served as chairman of the board in its last year of operation.

Empower Schools, Inc. has had success in turning around schools in Lawrence and Salem. But this is the organizations first attempt to turnaround a group of schools

NBC says it is suspending Brian Williams as "Nightly News" anchor and managing editor for six months without pay for misleading the public about his experiences covering the Iraq War.

NEW YORK -- NBC announced Tuesday that it is suspending Brian Williams as "Nightly News" anchor and managing editor for six months without pay for misleading the public about his experiences covering the Iraq War.

NBC chief executive Steve Burke said Williams' actions were inexcusable and jeopardized the trust he has built up with viewers during his decade as the network's lead anchor. But he said Williams deserved a second chance.

Williams apologized last week for saying he was in a helicopter that was hit by a grenade while covering the Iraq War in 2003. Instead, another helicopter flying ahead of his was hit, and some veterans involved in the mission called him out on it. The swift public reaction had put NBC News on a crisis footing.

NBC News President Deborah Turness said in a memo that Williams "misrepresented" events that occurred while he was covering the war.

"It then became clear that on other occasions Brian had done the same while telling that story in other venues," Turness said. "This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian's position."

Turness said Lester Holt would continue to substitute for Williams as anchor.

While NBC News avoids a backlash from Williams' supporters, the action jeopardizes the network's competitive position. "Nightly News" has been atop the ratings dating back to Tom Brokaw's time in the anchor chair more than a decade ago. But ABC's "World News Tonight," with new anchor David Muir, has been gaining in second place, and Scott Pelley has built a newscast that appeals to traditionalists at CBS.

Besides veterans angered by Williams' false story, his initial apology made him a target of online ridicule with his claim that he misremembered key details. Internet memes jokingly placed Williams at the scene of other events including the Last Supper or the first walk on the moon.

"The penalty is tough, which it should be," said Bill Wheatley, a longtime NBC News executive who now teaches journalism at Columbia University. "When he comes back on the air, it will be up to Brian to demonstrate to his viewers and colleagues that he deserves their trust. I believe that if he works hard and focuses on his journalism, they'll forgive him."

Williams received some key support in the last 24 hours. Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly, frequently a critic of NBC News, suggested on Jimmy Kimmel's show that Williams should keep his job unless more stories come out. Columnist David Brooks in The New York Times suggested there was a need for forgiveness in instances of wrongdoing.

Jon Stewart, of "The Daily Show," who has hosted Williams as a guest 22 times, criticized Williams for vanity. But he had sharper words for media outlets going after Williams.

"I am happy," Stewart said. "Finally, someone is being held to account for misleading America about the Iraq War."

Similar uncharted territory for NBC News and Williams is how they handle his return in six months -- does he simply come back to work or does he offer a detailed interview on NBC or with another, impartial source?

"Can Brian Williams come back? Maybe," said Jeff Greenfield, former CNN and CBS News reporter and commentator.

What will be interesting for Williams is how he spends the six months, whether he does volunteer work, helps veterans' groups and seeks professional help for a tendency to embellish stories, he said. Whatever he does, it will be watched closely.

Williams recently signed a contract extension to coincide with last year's 10th anniversary as anchor. His suspension will cost him several million dollars.

Even with the suspension, Turness said the network's probe into Williams' statements is continuing.

Shortly after it happened during a reporting trip to Iraq in 2003, Williams explained on NBC that one of a group of helicopters he had been flying with had been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. When he appeared with David Letterman a decade later, the story changed to his helicopter had been hit, which Williams now admits is false. It wasn't until he told the story on "Nightly News" last month and veterans who had been there complained that the embellishment emerged.

In Israel in 2006, Williams explained to his news viewers that he'd been on an Israeli helicopter and saw a trail of smoke and dust where Hezbollah rockets had landed in the Israeli countryside, and he described seeing rockets being launched 6 miles from his location.

The story became more dramatic when he appeared on "The Daily Show" a month later.

"Here's a view of rockets I have never seen, passing underneath us, 1,500 feet beneath us," Williams said. "And we've got the gunner doors on this thing, and I'm saying to the general, some four-star, 'It wouldn't take much for them to adjust the aim and try to do a ring toss right through our open doors, would it?'"

An Israeli army official who traveled with Williams that day, Jacob Dallal, on Tuesday called the anchor's account "generally reasonable." He said it was fair to assume rockets flew beneath their helicopter.
___

AP Television Writer David Bauder wrote this report.

The money will come from the free cash account.

CHICOPEE - The City Council approved a request to purchase new design and drafting software after learning the existing programs used by the engineering department dates to 2004.

The existing software, which is used to draft highway and infrastructure-related construction projects, is no longer supported and the city frequently cannot communicate with other engineers because it is so old, Steven Frederick, the city engineer, said.

The new software is also needed as the city begins to map all of its systems through a Geographic Information System.

The Council passed the request for $27,000 for the new software in an 11-0 vote with little debate or concern. The money will come from the free cash account, which is the budget surplus left over from the previous year.

"Eleven-year-old software doesn't do us any good," Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

Police said the 11-year-old took the infant upstairs, and when she returned, the infant was bleeding and her head was badly swollen.

By MARK GILLISPIE

CLEVELAND - An 11-year-old suburban girl charged with murder in the beating death of a 2-month-old who was staying overnight with her and her mother expressed no remorse over the infant's death, police in Ohio said.

Zuri Whitehead 

The 11-year-old, her mother and the baby girl, Zuri Whitehead, were on a couch downstairs when the mother fell asleep at about 3 a.m. Friday, Wickliffe police Chief Randy Ice said at a news conference Monday. The mother was awakened less than an hour later by her daughter, who was holding the badly injured infant. Ice said the 11-year-old took the infant upstairs. When she returned downstairs, the infant was bleeding and her head was badly swollen, he said.

The 11-year-old's mother immediately called 911, Ice said. Zuri was flown to a children's trauma center in Cleveland, where she died.

Ice said the girl did not show any remorse. "I'm not sure she appreciated the gravity of what she did," he said.

Juvenile Judge Karen Lawson entered a not guilty plea for the girl at a detention hearing on Monday and ordered that she undergo a competency hearing.

The police chief said the mother of the 11-year-old and Zuri's mother, Trina Whitehead, have known each other for five or six years but aren't related. Trina Whitehead has three other children and had the girl's mother keep Zuri, of Cleveland, overnight to give her a breather.

The Associated Press is not naming the 11-year-old girl or her mother because of her age.

Neither Ice nor a Lake County juvenile court official could recall a murder suspect being that young. Court administrator Chris Simon said 13 is the youngest age that children are typically detained at the county's juvenile detention center, where the girl is being held.

The girl cannot be tried as an adult. A child must be at least 14 years old in Ohio to be turned over to adult court. An 11-year-old can, however, be sentenced to a state Department of Youth Services facility until age 21.

FBI crime statistics show there were 20 children age 12 and under in the U.S. who were accused of murder during 2012, the most recent year for which statistics were available.

The middle school the girl attends had called police about the girl on one occasion for a non-violent incident, Ice said. The girl and her mother have been questioned.

The girl's public defender declined to comment on Monday.

Ice is considering counseling for the officers who responded to the scene.

"We're having a hard time getting (our) heads around this," he said. "You don't see stuff like this."

The AG decision reprimanding the board, for failing to provide meeting minutes, and not responding to a request for them in a timely manner, is dated Jan. 29. It was in response to a complaint filed by Geri Brockway

SOUTH HADLEY - For a second time in less than five months, the Attorney General's office has ruled that South Hadley Electric Light Department's board of commissioners violated the state's open meeting law.

And records released as a result of that investigation show the board, which met behind closed doors on June 25 - "to discuss personnel Issues," according to the agenda - debated other matters out of public view - unrelated to personnel. One of the items was the controversial building of a new, $10 million facility, on residentially-zoned land off of Old Lyman Road

At Tuesday's SHELD board meeting, the commissioners provided copies of the AG's most recent determination that the organization violated the open meeting law.

The decision reprimanding the board for failing to provide meeting minutes and not responding to a request for them in a timely manner, is dated Jan. 29. It was issued in response to a complaint filed by Geri Brockway.

The attorney general's office had previously ruled in September that the SHELD board's June 25 agenda lacked sufficient detail on why they were meeting behind closed doors. And thereby prevented the public from being able to determine whether the closed meeting comported with the open meeting law.

"We find that the board violated the open meeting law by not responding to a request for executive session minutes within 10 days. Additionally, we find that it was improper for the Board to rely on the open meeting law as a basis for withholding portions of these minutes once produced, because the board did not follow the proper procedures for entering into executive session on June 25, 2014," Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Sclarsic wrote.

His Jan. 29 letter was addressed to Mark A. Beauregard, a lawyer the SHELD manager Wayne Doerpholz has contracted to perform legal work for the agency.

"We order that the board release to the public the redacted portions of those minutes," Sclarsic wrote to Beauregard.

A redacted version of those executive session minutes, from the June meeting, was released by then-SHELD Commission Chair Cheryl Nickl on Nov. 4.

They state that commissioner Christine Archambault "again brought up the issue of the manager's refusal to allow her to record the muncipal light board meetings."

The minutes state that "Mr. Doerpholz brought up the subject of a meeting with Reinhardt Associates to provide for the board input into the new facility. However, he was told by Mrs. Archambault that this subject was not the purpose of the executive session."

Minutes from the closed-door June meeting also show that commissioner Jeff Lebrecque stated that SHELD "has never hidden its intent to construct a new facility" at Old Lyman Road

"Chair Nickl added that this issue has been fully vetted and that any objections to the new facility should take place at the Planning Board hearing, as that was the venue for public input," the minutes continue. "Mrs. Achambault responded to Mrs. Nickl that the issue of where the department builds a facility should receive public input before it moves towards hiring an architect. Mrs. Nickl states that the Department has already hired an architect at that to delay any longer is not necessary. ..."

Decision on South Hadley Opening Meeting Law Complaint

John Lewis, director of the Zoo in Forest Park, said the death of the monkey was a "fluke accident."

SPRINGFIELD - Two area companies made significant donations of equipment to the Zoo in Forest Park this week, aimed at improving the safety of exotic animals following the January deaths of two small monkeys.

The donations were made after news surfaced last week that the exotic monkeys died after their shed's heating system shut off during the overnight hours, unbeknownst to zoo officials until the following morning.

A standby generator, complete with installation, is being donated by Chris Robare, owner of Alternative Generator in Southwick, said Meghan Rothschild, a board member of the Forest Park Zoological Society, which operates the zoo. The generator will automatically turn on if the heat goes out, whereas a current generator has to be turned on manually, she said.

In addition, Northeast Securities Solutions Inc., of West Springfield, donated a low-temperature monitoring system, including installation, that will activate if the heat shuts off

"We are very excited, so appreciative," Rothschild said of the two donations. "The community has been so supportive."

The corporate donations were unsolicited, she said. Further details of the security equipment and their use was not immediately available, pending a formal announcement of the donations expected Wednesday.

In related news, Zoo Director John Lewis said Tuesday that the monkey deaths were a "fluke accident," and being addressed with the community's help.

Lewis was making his first public comments on the deaths, having been out of state last week for his daughter's wedding when the news of the deaths were learned by Park Department officials and The Republican and Masslive.

"It was a tragic mistake," Lewis said. "An accident happened. It was just a pure electrical surge somewhere, somehow."

The private, nonprofit Forest Park Zoological Society operates the zoo at Forest Park under a long-term lease with the city, paying the city $1 a year. The zoo is closed during the winter months but the animals continue to be housed there, taken care of by staff and volunteers.

Lewis is a city employee who is assigned to oversee the zoo operations. His annual salary is $52,879, described as being on long-time loan to the zoo.

Lewis said that community financial support for the zoo is critically needed and appreciated.

"To get the support from the community and the public will help get precautions in place," Lewis said.

Operating the zoo "is not an easy task," he said.

Lewis, asked if it is appropriate to have exotic animals in a New England zoo with very cold weather, said "we have the fundamentals" to take care of the animals, and that the loss of the heat in that shed was a "fluke accident, and it just wasn't noted" until the following morning.

Rothschild said the temperature in the shed never dipped below 60 degrees, but that it was too cold for the exotic monkeys, coupled with both monkeys being senior in age.

Children must turn 5 by Oct. 1 to attend kindergarten in September.

CHICOPEE - Staff at all city elementary schools will be registering young children for kindergarten from March 16 through March 19.

Registration will be held at each child's neighborhood school during school hours from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There will also be an evening registration at all schools from 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 19.

Children must turn 5 by Oct. 1, 2015 to be eligible for kindergarten in September.

Parents should bring their child's birth certificate, medical records which show proof of immunizations and two current proofs of residency such as a lease, tax bill or recent utility bill. School nurses will be available to verify immunizations and answer questions about medical information.

Parents should call staff at their neighborhood school if they have any questions. Those who are unaware of which school their child will attend should call the attendance office at 594-3584 or 594-3522.

Maggie Mae, a 43-foot yacht, was being towed to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for the upcoming 2015 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show when it got stuck in a 6-foot-high snowbank at Summer and Lincoln streets.

BOSTON — By now, Boston residents must feel like they're encased in a city of ice. And all they can do is wait for the annual spring warmup to help thaw out the Hub, which has been walloped by consecutive, crippling snowstorms over the past couple of weeks.

But not to worry: The 43-foot yacht that beached at the corner of Lincoln and Summer streets on Wednesday afternoon wasn't there for the Great Flood that's expected once the Great Meltdown finally occurs.

Rather, the boat was a casualty of the snow that has turned Boston, Massachusetts, into Boston, Alaska, in recent weeks. The vessel was being towed on a flatbed trailer when it got wedged in a snowbank as high as a 6-foot-tall man.

"It's not stuck anymore," said Tony Fazio, a spokesman for Himmelrich PR, the group handling press for next week's boat show at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Fazio explained that the drama began around 1:30 p.m., when the boat-vs-snowbank showdown caused traffic problems and turned some heads. Quite a few heads, actually. This being the digital age, images of Maggie Mae, as the yacht is known, quickly found their way onto Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites.

"It blocked traffic for a little while," Fazio said, noting that the scene was all clear by late afternoon.

Maggie Mae is among the roughly 800 watercraft currently being loaded into the convention center for the 2015 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show, which runs from Feb. 14-22.

Unfortunately for boat show organizers, the show's move-in period coincides with the worst winter weather Boston has experienced in years.

HERE'S JUST ONE of many images of "the boat" that dominated social media chatter in Boston earlier today ...

This is just icing on the cake. 40 foot boat blocking traffic in downtown Boston. pic.twitter.com/ueRqKGh244

— Jim Colman (@jcolman22) February 11, 2015

One of the silver linings from the recent storms that have buried Boston in upwards of six fee of snow is a reduction in crime.

BOSTON -- One of the silver linings from the recent storms that have buried Boston in upwards of six feet of snow is a sharp reduction in crime.

Crime, already down by 29 percent for the year, has dropped an additional five percent since Winter Storm Juno blasted the region with two feet of snow at the end of January.

"I hope it snows every day," joked Boston Police Commissioner William Evans at a press conference on Monday.

Evans said crime levels have dropped across the board compared to this time last year.

Boston experienced a bloody start to 2014 when 10 people were murdered in the first 40 days of the year, but 2015 has started on a more peaceful note with just three murders in the course of the same time frame, a 70 percent decline.

"I like to think it is the snow, but our officers and men and women are doing a great job out there. We were trending in this direction, but this weather has helped us," said Evans on Tuesday.

Rapes, robberies, burglary, larceny and vehicle thefts in 2015 are all down by at least 30 percent compared to 2014.

While Asher already was sentenced to 18 months in jail after being convicted by a jury in 2012, setting aside his conviction could prompt a new trial and impact Asher's employment status with the department.

BOSTON - While the prosecution of former Springfield police officer Jeffrey Asher focused on a chaotic, violent clash between Asher and motorist Melvin Jones III, the former patrolman's appeal of his criminal conviction will be decided largely on academics.

Asher, convicted of assault and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a 2009 traffic stop during which he beat Jones with a metal flashlight, has appealed that verdict to the state Supreme Judicial Court. Seven justices last week heard 30 minutes of arguments from Asher's appellate lawyer and Assistant Hampden District Attorney Elizabeth Dunphy Farris.

While Asher already was sentenced to 18 months in jail after being convicted by a jury in 2012, setting aside his conviction could prompt a new trial and impact Asher's employment status with the department. He was allowed to retire, but lost his pension in the wake of the criminal conviction. That could be restored in the absence of a conviction.

Asher is appealing the conviction on the grounds that Chicopee District Judge Maura Walsh erred when reversing her own decision to deliver a specific jury instruction as the panel readied to begin its deliberations. Asher's lawyer has argued his client was entitled to a so-called "police privilege" instruction flagging the right for an officer to employ "deadly force with deadly force" while arresting a suspect considered to be dangerous.

Dunphy Farris has countered that the instruction would have been inappropriate given that Asher's trial lawyer never argued Jones was resisting arrest.

Jones was a passenger in a car police pulled over on Rifle Street because its muffler was dragging as it drove. Officers ordered Jones out of the car; he attempted to wheel away and ran for about 15 seconds until a group of officers subdued him on the hood of a police cruiser, according to testimony.

Asher's lawyer, Andrew J. Gambaccini, said another officer yelled: "'He's got my f***ing gun! Smash him!'" which led Asher to believe he was protecting himself and his fellow officers by wielding the flashlight.

Justices peppered the lawyers with questions and observations throughout their arguments.

"He did not have a weapon; never had it in his hand; there's no evidence that he did," Judge Barbara Lenk interjected during Gambaccini's presentation.

"What is important, your honor, is what was officer Asher's perception .. We're not dealing with 20/20 hindsight; we're dealing with an officer who had to make a split second decision. He thought the next sounds he would hear would be gunshots," he argued.

A grand jury rejected allegations that Jones resisted arrest or went for any of the officers' weapons. Drug possession charges against him were later dropped, though Jones picked up fresh charges all on his own including shoplifting, domestic assault and drug trafficking. The last earned Jones a conviction and he was sentenced to three to five years in prison. In the meantime, however, Jones won a $575,000 civil settlement from the city over the Asher assault.

The incident was caught on amateur video and the confrontation exploded into the public eye, sparking renewed debate over local police relations with people of color. The officers involved in the arrest were white while Jones is black.

Dunphy Farrris argued that - even if Asher initially believed Jones had grabbed an officer's gun - that assumption was dispelled once they had him prone on the hood of the car.

"That's the context of the initial six blows; it is not the context of the other 20 blows," Dunphy Farris told the panel.

She contended the police privilege instruction would have confused the jury's deliberations and the judge acted properly.

At any rate, it is not the high court's intent to reconsider the trial evidence. It will mull over the jury instruction issue to decide whether Asher deserves a new trial.

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni said he is reasonably confident the commonwealth is on steady footing in terms of the conviction. He declined to signal whether he will seek a new trial in the event the verdict is set aside.

"We will cross that bridge if and when we come to it," Gulluni said during an interview on Wednesday. "We're pretty confident we're on solid legal ground."

The judges took the matter under advisement.

MGM Springfield is trying to reach a compromise with the Springfield Historical Commission over the use of four buildings in the city's South End.

Some city councilors wanted a vote, up or down, on the proposed digital billboards.timothy-allen

SPRINGFIELD - Lamar Central Outdoor LLC on Wednesday formally withdrew its request for two digital billboards along Interstate 91, as allowed by the City Council, but with the ability to reapply at a later date.

The council voted to allow the withdrawal "without prejudice," meaning Lamar can resubmit the applications at any time, with the need for new public hearings.

Some councilors objected to the withdrawal, saying the billboard issue should be settled, either approved or rejected, after multiple meetings and discussions.

Lamar was proposing digital (electronic) billboards at two locations -- 6 Liberty St., and the south side of Clinton Street - planned to replace traditional (static) billboards in those areas.

"I believe when people come before us they need to be fully prepared to finish what they are doing," Councilor Timothy J. Allen said, among councilors objecting to withdrawal. Allen said Lamar was not ready, and could always return with other proposed sites.

Councilor Kateri Walsh, among councilors voting to allow withdrawal, said the council has been supportive of business, and should try to maintain a "business friendly" atmosphere.

Officials of Lamar have stated they will resubmit the applications once they have time to speak further with councilors and garner support for the billboards.

Valerie Barsom, a lawyer for Lamar, said the digital billboards and locations raised so many questions that additional time is needed by Lamar to present councilors with all the information needed to make an "informed decision."

The permit request for the Clinton Street billboard was heard by the council on Nov. 24, followed by multiple subcommittee meetings.

The vote was 8 to 3 to allow Lamar to withdraw that permit request, with Councilors Kenneth Shea, Melvin Edwards and Allen voting against withdrawal.

The permit request for the 6 Liberty St., was to be heard Wednesday, but Lamar was allowed to withdraw without need for a roll call vote.

The Liberty Street billboard was also proposed in 2013, but was withdrawn at that time also.

Allen said the questions raised included if the billboards complied with local zoning laws, such as their distance from other billboards. In addition, there were questions raised about the amount of tax revenue that would be raised by the billboards.

Digital billboards allow for rotating advertisements and public service announcements, officials said.

Some opponents including resident Russell Seelig, have challenged the location of the two billboards as not conforming to zoning laws, and also said they would be a distraction to drivers near the intersection Interstate 91 and 291.

Lamar officials say the billboards fully complied with zoning laws and would create no hazard to motorists.

Councilor Justin Hurst said the Planning Department and New North Citizens Council have supported the proposed digital billboards.

The embattled MBTA is expected to run on a limited schedule on Thursday as the public transit agency continues to recover from the devastating effects of three massive winter storms.

BOSTON -- The embattled MBTA is expected to run on a limited schedule on Thursday as the public transit agency continues to recover from the devastating effects of three massive winter storms.

Commuters who rely on the MBTA should prepare themselves for lengthy delays as the system is struggling with equipment failures and damage to its infrastructure.

Replacement shuttle buses will run on the Braintree side of the Red Line until Sunday. Outgoing MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott said she could not guarantee that the Red Line will be fully operational on Monday.

The Orange Line's problems between the Wellington and Oak Grove stations are expected to continue on Thursday. Only one track is fully functional, forcing the MBTA to operate one train on the southbound side to shuttle passengers back and forth. The service has seen frequent bus replacement service in recent days.

The Blue and Green Lines are expected to see their now regular delays and problems as they operate with a reduced number of cars. Bus service will be subject to weather- and traffic-related delays.

A reduced ferry service is planned for Thursday between Hingham and Rowes Wharf.

The MBTA is advising riders to take the commuter rail whenever possible, even though it is operating at just 70 percent and experienced umpteen delays and cancellations on Wednesday.

Check here for the latest updates.

The Powerball jackpot for the Wednesday, February 11, 2015 drawing has hit $500 million – that's half of a billion dollars – making it the third-largest jackpot in the game's history.

The Powerball jackpot for the Wednesday, February 11, 2015 drawing has hit $500 million – that's half of a billion dollars – making it the third-largest jackpot in the game's history.

The cash option for the top prize in the multi-state lottery is now estimated at $337.8 million before taxes.

It's not too late to play. In Massachusetts, tickets for tonight's drawing can be purchased at lottery agents until 9:45 p.m. A Powerball ticket costs $2; for another $1, you can add the Power Play option, which gives players the chance to multiply their non-jackpot prize by as much as five times.

Tonight's drawing will be held at 10:59 p.m. EST in Tallahassee, Florida. The Powerball website shows drawings live every Wednesday and Saturday.

Powerball is available in every state except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah, and is also played in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Powerball jackpot was last hit on November 29, 2014, and it's been building for 20 drawings with no jackpot winner.

A key change to the casino ethics ordinance was approved -- prohibiting casino jobs for local politicians for three years, rather than five years as first proposed.

SPRINGFIELD - The City Council took another step Wednesday toward approving an ordinance that, if finalized, will prohibit councilors and the mayor from taking any Springfield casino job for three years after they leave elective office.

The council gave second-step approval, of three steps needed, to pass the ordinance. In addition, the council approved a key revision to the ordinance - supporting the three-year ban on casino jobs, rather than the original proposal for a five-year ban.

MGM Springfield plans to begin construction of an $800 million casino in the spring in the South End-downtown area.

Council President Michael Fenton, who sponsored the so-called casino ethics ordinance, has stated the purpose is to hold elected officials "to the highest ethical standard in connection with the planned casino."

Fenton voted against the change of the ban to three years on Wednesday, still favoring the longer ban. However, he supported second-step passage with that change made.

The council's General Government Committee recommended the three-year ban, with supporters saying that five years seemed too long.

The ordinance also states that "major policymakers," including city department heads and city employees who directly report to them (and make over $60,000 a year) cannot take Springfield casino jobs for two years after they leave city jobs.

Some councilors have said that while there is no specific penalty in the ordinance for any violation, they are confident that MGM will not hire in contradiction to the city's will, and would be under continued oversight of the city and state.

A sea of boats will fill the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center from Feb. 14-22.

BOSTON — With snow on the brain and Arctic temperatures on the horizon, it's kind of hard to imagine floating on a cabin cruiser with a fishing rod and cold drink in hand.

Or is it ...

With meteorological summer just 110 days away, organizers of the 2015 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show hope to get people's minds off winter, if only temporarily. Hundreds of new boats and watercraft, fishing equipment, and the latest gadgets and gear will be available to buy or browse on Saturday, Feb. 14, through Sunday, Feb. 22, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St.

Organizers boast that this year's boat show, the largest in the region, will feature appearances by Captain Dave Carraro of "Wicked Tuna" fame, the National Geographic Channel show chronicling the real-life exploits of Gloucester fishermen who hunt for bluefin tuna and giant cod.

"With the passion for recreational boating continuing to grow across the U.S. and in New England, we're thrilled to expand the Progressive Insurance New England BoatShow by 20 percent and provide area boaters and families an ideal destination to relish in the boating lifestyle with more boats to shop and more fun for all ages," the show's manager, Joe O'Neal, said in a press statement.

The show will feature over 800 boats – luxury motor yachts, sport fishers, performance boats, personal watercrafts, and dozens of sailboats and sailing yachts – and more than 100 free seminars on boating education and safety topics, clinics on boat maintenance, and even advanced courses for experienced boaters.

The show even features a Boating Skills Virtual Trainer, which allows users to practice a wide variety of boat handling and safety procedures, including docking, pivot turns, emergency stops and more, and all without getting wet.

Admission is $15 for adults and free for kids 15 and under. For advance tickets and other show information, go online at NewEnglandBoatShow.com. Group discount tickets can be purchased by contacting Mary Steen at 617-472-1442, or by emailing her at msteen@nmma.org.

More information is available on Twitter at @NEBoatShow.

In a stroke of serendipity, the show received some advance buzz on social media after a yacht en route to the show got stuck in a snowbank in downtown Boston on Wednesday afternoon.

Our exhibitors aren't afraid of a little snow! New Wave Yachts got creative setting up for #NEBoatShow starting Sat! pic.twitter.com/lvLzzZmxjx

— NewEnglandBoatShow (@NEBoatShow) February 11, 2015

The meeting on how to "reuse" the former coal-burning plant drew about 60 people to the Senior Center.

Updated at 9:28 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2015 to include comments from Carri Hulet of Consensus Building Institute, Kevin Hively of Ninigret Partners and Richard Purcell of Holyoke, as well as information about coal ash on the site and the website where a preliminary report will be posted in a few weeks.

HOLYOKE -- The owner of a coal-burning plant on Route 5 that closed last year has yet to decide what to do with the 128-acre site, a representative said Wednesday (Feb. 11) at a meeting about the property.

"We're still kind of going through our own individual process, trying to decide what is the best step," said John P. Shue, vice president of operations in New England for GDF SUEZ Energy North America.

The company hopes to make a decision on what to with the site this year, he said.

"We're still evaluating that," he said.

Shue's were the first public comments in recent memory at a public gathering from the owner about the fate of the Mount Tom Power Station.

John P. Shue, vice president of operations for New England of GDF SUEZ Energy North America, at meeting in Holyoke Wednesday (Feb. 11) about closed Mount Tom Power Station.The company owns the former coal-burning plant on Route 5. Behind Shue facing camera is plant manager Howie Person.(MIKE PLAISANCE / THE REPUBLICAN) 

The comments came in the second of what have been called "reuse" meetings to discuss what is next for the site, including clean-up of potential contaminants that have entered the soil from years of operation of the plant on Route 5 north beside the Connecticut River.

About 60 people attended the meeting at the Senior Center, 291 Pine St.

The meetings -- the first was Dec. 3 -- are organized by the city, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, a state agency, and Ninigret Partners, an economic development consultant from Providence, Rhode Island.

GDF SUEZ Energy North America closed the plant in December. It had operated only off and on for several years as the economics of burning coal to create energy clashed with the cheaper alternative of natural gas, officials said. The closing cost 28 employees their jobs.

Among suggestions from people at the meeting about the site:

--Whatever goes there should have no negative impact.

--The public should have access to the waterfront.

--The site should include pedestrian walkways and a bikepath.

--The next use should include union jobs.

--The site's existing electrical switchyard should be used. A switchyard is where electricity is changed from one voltage to another, according to online sources.

As at the first meeting, consultants said a decision about the site probably is years away. Such meetings are intended to help people think about what they want for the site by providing details about the location and suggesting ideas, said Carri Hulet, senior associate with Consensus Building Institute of Cambridge.

"We want to acknowledge that there aren't any answers yet," Hulet said.

A preliminary report with consultants' findings and answers to questions posed by people at meetings will be posted online in a few weeks, Ninigret Partners President Kevin Hively said.

The report will be posted on masscec.com/reuse, said Matt Kakley, spokesman for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

Consultants from Tighe & Bond engineers discussed the features of the site. Among challenges to whatever a developer might want to build on the site are existence of rare species such as sturgeon in the Connecticut River, bald eagles and dragon flies, said Briony Angus, project manager with TIghe & Bond in Westfield.

The site also is in a 100-year flood plain. A flood plain is an area of land prone to floods generally consisting of a flat area with areas of higher elevation on both sides, according to a list of definitions handed out at the meeting.

Rare species and flood plain areas aren't necessarily obstacles to development as options can be negotiated with state regulatory agencies, consultants said.

But, said Jonathan Banks of Holyoke, "That seems to be a 'fatal flaw' if you want to build in a 100-year flood plain."

It would be a challenge, but development can occur such as by building a structure on a higher level and subject to dealing with state regulatory agencies, consultants said.

Such "regulatory issues" are not deal-breakers when it comes to development, Angus said.

"All it does is add to the upfront development costs," Hively said.

Anne Wibiralske of Pelham and Mimi Panitch, Holyoke Planning Board chairwoman, were among those who asked about the presence on the site of heaps of coal ash, the residue of coal burning.

Angus said 25 acres of the site consist of coal-ash "landfills," areas in which the coal ash is covered by soil and vegetation.

Shue sat at a table with plant manager Howie Person, former control room engineer Dave Sparko and former plant mechanic Clancy Kaye.

Richard Purcell of Holyoke stood and thanked the plant representatives from attending the meeting.

"And what do you think about it? That's the question I have," Purcell said.

That's when Shue said the company hadn't decided what to do with the site but hopes to this year.

An issue for city government will be whether the next occupant of the former coal-plant site is a taxpayer. The city will be losing the $615,131 that the plant paid in taxes each year, and uses like a bike path and green space don't generate tax revenue.