A Springfield man considered a Level 3 sex offender was arrested in Holyoke Friday morning following a police chase that spanned across several city lines.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Northampton man builds igloo 'speakeasy' in front yard, serves patrons in polar bear costume [Laura Newberry] Photo gallery above

2) Federal judge reduces Springfield drug defendant to tears: Look your mother in the eye and apologize! [Stephanie Barry]

3) Eric Daniels, of Springfield, arrested following police chase that started in Longmeadow, ended in Holyoke [Michelle Williams]

4) Holyoke police officer Sean Shattuck on leave, city official confirms; wouldn't say if related to police academy suit [Stephanie Barry]

5) Not an everyday thing: Springfield police respond to 4 ShotSpotter activations within 15-minute span [Conor Berry]

The prosecutor said Daniels has an extensive criminal record, with convictions for gun, drug and sex crimes.

SPRINGFIELD - A judge has set bail at $1,000 for a personal trainer and Level 3 sex offender charged with leading police on a chase through Longmeadow and Springfield before being arrested after crashing into a snow bank in Holyoke.

Eric Daniels, 33, of Hancock Street, Springfield pleaded innocent to failng to stop for a police officer, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, driving with a suspended license, speeding and other charges during his arraignment Friday in Springfield District Court.

In requesting bail, Assistant District Attorney Karen McCarthy said police pursued Daniels through Longmeadow, Springfield and Holyoke, with speeds reaching 115 to 120 mph on Interstate 91, the prosecutor said.

Daniels has an extensive criminal record, with convictions for gun, drug and sex crimes, the prosecutor said. He is classified as a level 3 sex offender and was convicted in 2000 of raping and abusing of a child, state records show.

The action began about 7:30 a.m. Friday when Longmeadow police attempted pull over the defendant's Cadillac Escalade after receiving 911 calls about a woman jumping or being pushed from the vehicle. But Daniels fled, driving down the middle of Longmeadow Street and onto Interstate 91 before exiting in Springfield's South End and crashing into the Buckeye Brothers News Tobacco & Candy Co., at 974 Main St., police said.

"He was driving at 50 miles per hour in heavy traffic," McCarthy said.

Returning to the highway, Daniels headed north to Holyoke, getting off at Exit 15 by the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside. After crashing into a snow bank on Tokeneke Road, near Maurice A. Donahue Elementary School, Daniels fled on foot and was captured
by local and state police, the prosecutor said.

McCarthy asked for $1,000 cash bail, citing the defendant's criminal record and failure to appear for multiple court hearings.

But defense lawyer Kevin Riddell objected, asking the judge to release his client on $1,000 personal surety instead.

A Springfield native and graduate of the High School of Commerce, Daniels works as a personal trainer and lives with his mother. Since 2006, the defendant has not missed a court date and "has every intention of appearing for this case," the defense lawyer said.

But Daniels has been held without bail in more recent cases, giving him no opportunity to skip court, McCarthy said.

Judge William Rota imposed $1,000 cash bail and scheduled a pretrial hearing for April 28.

Meanwhile, the woman passenger who triggered the 911 calls suffered only minor injuries after jumping or being pushed from the vehicle, Longmeadow.police said.

She refused to cooperated with investigators or discuss her relationship with Daniels, according to police, who are trying to determine if she was taken against her will.

As a level 3 sex offender, Daniels is considered a moderate to high risk to commit a new offense, according to the state Sex Offender Registry Board.

Bob Grubb, an extreme athlete from Florida, went skateboarding across the ice chunks Thursday.

They say it doesn't snow on Cape Cod.

But anyone who has watched the Weather Channel knows that parts of Cape Cod have had more snow, at times, than parts of Western Massachusetts this winter.

Another thing they "say" is that salt water doesn't freeze. But anyone who has been to the North Pole, or hung around Cape Cod Bay this winter, knows that chunks of ice only need cold weather to form.

Cylus Kellereher, 7, of Portsmouth, N.H., runs along the top of large chunks of sea ice left on Wellfleet Harbor Beach at low tide, Thursday, in Wellfleet. Cylus came to see the rare Cape Cod ice chunks with his grandparents.Stephan Savoia / Associated Press

So what do hardy Cape Codders do when icebergs form? Why they line up along the shore to watch them.

But if you are Brian Grubb, 34, of Orlando, Fla, you skateboard across them -- or, as USA Today says, you "wakeskate" across them.

Grubb, an athlete sponsored by Red Bull, wasn't sure what to expect when he arrived at the Cape this week. But he waited for the tide to come in and "put some water around that ice that was floating up by the beach" in Wellfleet.

"We knew we had to jump on it before the ice got any smaller up there. I think we timed it pretty well," Grubb was quoted by the newspaper as saying that he only had a limited time to go wakeskating because the ice was melting.

As the Boston Globe explained, he used the large chunks of ice as makeshift ramps, hitting them at high speeds as he was pulled along by a boat.

"It was super fun," he was quoted by the Globe as saying. "It was a bit of a last-minute type of trip, but it was killer, and there was good weather."

He said he had never seen anything like the icebergs that have attracted people from all over the area to the bay beaches.

So on Thursday, he spent nearly five hours wakeskating around Wellfleet's beaches.

"A lot of people thought we were crazy," Grubb said.

"It was a crazy kind of phenomenon, that's why we had to go out and ride this," he said. "I'm glad we made it happen."

It's not every year that Cape Codders see ice on Cape Cod Bay, and while it may be somewhat unusual, it happen every now and then.

What makes this year unusual, according to former abc40/Fox6 meteorologist Eric Fisher, who now works for WBZ-TV in Boston is the extraordinary amount of ice that have formed it the bay. The ice came after a historic winter of heavy snow in the region, he notes.

All the ice has attracted crowds of people to Wellfleet, disrupting fisheries and damaging docks, the Globe reports.

"I'm thinking it's time to change my title to 'new tour director for iceberg sightings,' " Bob Prescott, sanctuary director at the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, told the Globe.

Technically, the ice chunks are not icebergs, as the latter comes from glaciers. But they sure are a spectacle to look at. They form out in the middle of the bay, and then wash up on shore during high tide. When the tide recedes, the chunks remains.

"Everyone has been locked inside for so long, and they're looking for any excuse to get out," Prescott said. "It's beautiful down there."

With all the salt sea air and water around, and the warming temperatures heading this way, if you haven't seen them yet, they may be gone by the time you get to the Cape.

So you'll just have to watch the videos, above and below.

Sunday's meeting takes place from 1-3 p.m. in the Central Library Community Room at the Springfield Public Library, 220 State St. in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Politically active Western Mass. residents who are fed up with the two major political parties will come together this weekend as the United Independent Party holds an organizational meeting in Springfield.

On Sunday, United Independent Party Chair Evan Falchuk will host a meeting to discuss the party's plans, and to answer questions of any community members interested in learning more and potentially enrolling.

"We will discuss the party's short and long-term goals, and how we all can continue to build this political movement," said Taylor DiSantis, a regional director for the UIP. "This is meant to be both an informative and a collaborative meeting, so please bring your ideas and thoughts - we will love to hear them."

When Falchuk topped the three percent threshold in November's gubernatorial election, he succeed in officially establishing the new party, which he describes as socially liberal and fiscally responsible. One way to maintain the party's official status is to enroll at least one percent of the electorate in the party, and based on Massachusetts voter registration information, that figures out to be around 43,000 people. Falchuk is aiming to enroll 50,000 new party members by the end of the year.

"We are trying to build something sustainable and give people a choice. There were so many reasons to go out and vote this year but 2 million people didn't bother," Falchuk said shortly after the November election. "We want to convince people that they can make a difference and they are not alone in feeling ignored and neglected by their elected officials."

Sunday's meeting takes place from 1-3 p.m. in the Central Library Community Room at the Springfield Public Library, 220 State St. in Springfield.

For more information or to RSVP, contact DiSantis via email at tdisantis@unitedindependent.org or by calling (781) 812-7875.

Adam Lanza killed his mother at their Newtown home before carrying out the school shooting and committing suicide as police arrived.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) -- The families of nine people killed in the Newtown elementary school shooting have filed lawsuits against the estate of the gunman's mother.

The lawsuits contend Nancy Lanza failed to properly secure her legally owned Bushmaster AR-15 rifle, which her troubled adult son, Adam Lanza, used to kill 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012, the Connecticut Post reported Friday.

Adam Lanza killed his mother at their Newtown home before carrying out the school shooting and committing suicide as police arrived.

The lawsuits seek to collect on Nancy Lanza's homeowner's insurance. Bridgeport lawyer Josh Koskoff, representing eight of the families suing, said homeowner's insurance applies when a person is injured as a result of an unsecured firearm in a home being accessed by a third party.

"With this many claimants, the money ends up being a symbolic gesture, but it serves as an important reminder that people who keep firearms in the home must be scrupulous about securing their weapons," Koskoff said in a statement, adding that the policy is estimated to be worth between $1 million and $1.5 million.

Eight of the lawsuits were filed in Superior Court in Bridgeport. One was filed in Danbury.

Attorney John Majewski, who represents Nancy Lanza's estate, is seeking to have all the cases consolidated into one. He didn't immediately return a message seeking comment Friday.

A judge has set a status conference on the eight lawsuits in Bridgeport Superior Court for April 9.

Koskoff's law firm also is suing the maker and sellers of the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle on behalf of families of the school shooting victims. The wrongful-death and negligence lawsuit says the rifle should not have been sold for civilian use because of its overwhelming firepower.

Bushmaster, which on its website has a warning against improper or careless handling of its firearms, hasn't filed a response to the lawsuit in federal court but has indicated it intends to file a motion to dismiss it.

Newtown officials bought the Lanzas' home from Nancy Lanza's estate for $1 and voted in January to tear it down.

The ongoing Boston Marathon bombing trial, a scolding from a federal judge and a lawsuit against a local engine manufacturer made headlines in U.S. District Court this week.

These are some of the stories that made headlines in U.S. District Court last week:

The Boston Marathon bombing trial continues

Federal judge allows Toyota subsidiary to freeze bank account of Scuderi Group

Federal judge reduces drug defendant to tears, demands that he apologize to his mother

Holyoke Police Officer Sean Shattuck placed on unpaid leave after being named in federal lawsuit against Western Massachusetts Police Academy

Sex offender's immediate freedoms may hinge on warehouse job prospect at Six Flags New England

Prosecutors: fired Lee Police Chief Joseph Buffis attempted cover-up of thievery

Police responding to reports of a stabbing at Club Symmetry Vine found the man inside with a stab wound to his chest.

HARTFORD, Conn. - A 24-year-old Springfield man was pronounced dead after being stabbed in the chest at a nightclub on Union Place around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the Hartford Courant.

Police responding to reports of a stabbing at Club Symmetry Vine found the man inside with a stab wound to his chest.

EMS described the injury as life-threatening and rushed the victim to St. Francis Hospital for surgery. The object used in the stabbing is unknown and no witnesses have been located, police told the newspaper.

The man's identity has not yet been disclosed and there have been no arrests.

Robert Wilson III was killed March 5 at a GameStop store in north Philadelphia. He had stopped for a security check and to buy a game for his son.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Mourners packed a sports arena for the funeral of a Philadelphia police officer fatally shot while trying to stop a video game store robbery.

Thousands of officers in blue dress uniforms stood silently as Officer Robert Wilson III's family entered the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday. A large sketch at the arena's entrance of the 8-year department veteran was covered in mourners' signatures.

Wilson was killed March 5 at a GameStop store in north Philadelphia. He had stopped for a security check and to buy a game for his son.

Police say the 30-year-old father of two was getting the game to reward his son for good grades and for his 10th birthday, which was Monday.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey called the actions of Officer Robert Wilson III the greatest act of bravery he's seen in 46 years.

Ramsey said Saturday the slain officer will also receive the department's medal of honor and a posthumous promotion to sergeant.

Wilson is the city's 10th police officer killed in the line of duty in the last 9 years. Two brothers have been charged with murder in his death.

Sirois told the news station that the building's sprinkler system averted what could have amounted to millions of dollars in damage.

AGAWAM - A fire broke out Saturday morning at the Department of Public Works building on Suffield Street.

Agawam Fire Chief Alan Sirois told WGGB that one of the trucks caught fire, but firefighters extinguished the blaze within 15 minutes. Sirois said damage to the building at 1000 Suffield Street was minimal.

The truck was a total loss, he added. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but the building will be open on Monday morning.

Sirois told the news station that the building's sprinkler system averted what could have amounted to millions of dollars in damage.

14 people working at an American Red Cross call center in Western Massachusetts are expected to lose their jobs as the non-profit closes a downtown call center.

SPRINGFIELD — Fourteen people working at an American Red Cross call center in Western Massachusetts are expected to lose their jobs in the coming months.

According to WWLP 22 News, the area's NBC affiliate, the Red Cross told the station that the Emergency Communication Services call center in Springfield and another in San Diego, California would be closing.

As a result, a total of 38 people, including the 14 in Springfield, are expected to be out of work when the call centers close in May.

The Emergency Communication Services centers specifically help connect military families in crisis with soldiers serving around the country and the world.

The service runs 24-7 and guarantees to deliver word of death or serious illness as well as the birth of a child or grandchild.

Red Cross officials told WWLP that other call centers would absorb the services and no disruptions to service would be experienced by military families.

Edward Leroy Arthur, 39, is considered homeless, but police say he registered as living somewhere in the area of Straw Avenue in Florence.

NORTHAMPTON — The police are notifying the public that a homeless level 3 sex offender is living in the Florence section of the city.

Edward Leroy Arthur

Edward Leroy Arthur, 39, is considered homeless, but police say he registered as living somewhere in the area of Straw Avenue in Florence. Arthur has a 1991 conviction for indecent assault and battery on child under 14.

His secondary address provided to the department is 491 Bridge Rd., apt. #513. That address is also considered the Meadowbrook Apartments.

Arthur is not wanted by police and he has registered with Northampton authorities as required by law. The department notifies the public when a level 3 sex offender, the designation given to those considered most likely to re-offend, moves or renews registration.

Northampton currently has 15 Level 3 offenders and 48 Level 2 offenders, the second-highest-risk category, living or working in the city, according to the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board.

Protesters staged a die-in at the Hadley Whole Foods and targeted two other establishments on Saturday to raise awareness about the treatment of animals raised for slaughter. Watch video

Protesters staged a die-in at the Hadley Whole Foods and targeted two other establishments on Saturday to raise awareness about the treatment of animals raised for slaughter.

The group, Direct Action Everywhere, marched into the Whole Foods store on Route 9 and blocked off the meat department with red tape bearing the word "danger."

Protesters then, one-by-one, spoke from an animal's perspective before falling to the floor, signifying the creature's death at the hands of a supplier.

Two weeks ago, the same group protested in the egg department of Whole Foods to demonstrate against what they said were inhumane conditions found in one of the company's suppliers in Northern California.

Direct Action Everywhere protesters across the country are targeting Whole Foods and Chipotle, companies which have boasted a better-than-average treatment of animals raised for byproduct or slaughter, because in their eyes there is no humane way to kill a living animal. There are protests scheduled in 65 cities this month alone, according to the group.

"Deep down, we know that animals feel pain and joy as we do," said protester Emilia Tamayo. "We understand that in the most important ways, all animals are equal. But Whole Foods is capitalizing on this public sentiment by twisting it on its head: selling meat as 'happy' and 'humane' when it's really the tortured body of an animal who wanted to live."

Whole Foods previously rebuked the protesters' claims, arguing that the group's stated goal of "full animal liberation" is more about an extremist agenda than ensuring animals are treated humanely.

"Whole Foods Market caters to the dietary choices of all shoppers--vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike, and we take a leadership position in helping improve our entire food supply, especially when it comes to farm animal welfare," said Heather W. McCready, Whole Foods public relations manager for the New England region in a statement. "These activists are not fighting for animal welfare, but rather for an end to animal consumption altogether."

In addition to the protest at the Hadley Whole Foods, the group also targeted the Chipotle restaurant in Enfield, Connecticut and the Whole Foods store in Glastonbury.

Direct Action Everywhere representatives say they plan to hold local days of action at least once a month, and that people in the Pioneer Valley will continue to see them and hear their message throughout 2015.

Police said David Cordova attacked the girlfriend in a rage after hearing someone might expose their sexual relationship.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, police waited for weeks to arrest a 38-year-old man after he was accused of permanently blinding his underage girlfriend in one eye by gouging it out with a pair of pliers.

Police have not said why they did not arrest David Cordova, of Albuquerque after police were called about the Feb. 16 attack. They instead waited until Thursday to nab him as part of a bungled undercover sting operation involving alleged gang drug sales, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

Police said he attacked the 15-year-old girlfriend with pliers after hearing someone might expose their sexual relationship.

Cordova faces firearm and failure-to-comply charges in connection with the drug sting. He also was charged with bodily harm, sexual penetration of a minor, and other charges for the alleged assault of the girl.

According to The Associated Press, the victim told investigators that she met Cordova in September 2014 through Catherine Bigley, the mother of one of her friends, according to the criminal complaint.

He became angry during the girlfriend's visit to his home Feb. 16 because he heard someone had threatened to call authorities about them, authorities said. As she left, he followed her in a truck, stopped her, and made her get into his vehicle at gunpoint.

He grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the dashboard, authorities said, and she kicked him in the nose. After that, she said, he pulled out the set of pliers and thrust it into her eye. She told authorities she felt "her eye go into the back of her head," KOB-TV reports.

Cordova called Bigley to take the girl to the hospital. Investigator said they had to wait a week to interview the victim because of heavy medication.

An arrest warrant was issued. But police held off, instead setting up a sting Thursday using Bigley in which she agreed to buy heroin and methamphetamine from Cordova.

The sting turned potentially deadly when Cordova pointed a gun at Bigley because he thought her daughter had gone to police, the Journal reported.

The mother ran to an undercover officer's car, and Cordova began chasing them. Another officer managed to stop Cordova and his vehicle and arrested him. He was booked into a Bernalillo County jail.

It was not yet known Saturday if Cordova had an attorney, AP reported.

Experts say the 54-foor Spitfire, built in 1976 and sunk in 1777 may be in danger from invasive mussels.

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- When it was built late in 1776 the gunboat Spitfire wasn't meant to be the pride of the American fleet. It was built to fight and fight it did, helping slow down the larger British fleet that sailed south out of Canada onto Lake Champlain as part of an effort to crush the colonial rebellion.

The 54-foot Spitfire sank a day after the critical Oct. 11 Battle of Valcour Island, settling into deep water where it went unseen for more than 200 years.

Now the historian who led the search that found the Spitfire nearly two decades ago is developing a management plan for the future of the boat that today sits on the lake bottom, its mast upright and its bow cannon pointing straight ahead, just as it was when it was abandoned by its crew.

"This is not a sexy boat," said Art Cohn, the emeritus director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum who is now writing a management plan for the Spitfire that he will submit to the U.S. Navy. "It was relatively small, flat-bottomed and quickly built, but that's not its value."

"The principal value, in my opinion, is it connects us to 1776 and the formative years of this country," he said.

For years, the bottom -- Cohn won't say exactly where the Spitfire rests or how far down -- has been thought of as the safest place for the Spitfire, thanks to the protection of the cold, deep water above it. Now the fear is of a looming threat from the invasive species quagga mussels, which could destroy the wreck. They haven't arrived yet in Lake Champlain, but experts fear it's only a matter of time.

Cohn's plan will include recommendations for the future of the Spitfire, including possibly leaving it where it is or raising it, preserving it and then displaying it in a museum. He hasn't chosen a course yet, but his worry over the mussels is clear.

"Our concern over the length of this study has really been elevated based on what we're learning about the implications of the mussel invasion. That information is sobering and a concern," Cohn said. "As we move toward final recommendations our goal is to try to develop a strategy so that this shipwreck survives for future generations."

The 50-man Spitfire was part of a small fleet that was assembled in the late summer of 1776 by Benedict Arnold before he turned traitor. The fleet was built at Skenesborough -- now Whitehall, New York -- to counter the larger British fleet being built on the Richelieu River in Quebec.

The British commanders intended to sail down the lake as part of a broader campaign to split New England from the rest of the fledgling United States of America and end the rebellion. Arnold anchored his fleet on the western side of Valcour Island, just south of Plattsburgh, New York, forcing the larger British force to attack him in the narrow confines between the island and the shore.

By all accounts the battle was a British victory. In the dark of night after a day of heavy fighting, Arnold famously slipped his remaining fleet through the British lines and retreated south. It was during that retreat that the Spitfire, leaking badly, was abandoned and sank, not to be seen again until 1997.

Even though the British won the day, the battle delayed their advance down the lake until 1777, giving the Americans much-needed time to prepare for the assault, ultimately leading to the American victory at Saratoga. That battle led to French recognition of the new country, key to the eventual defeat of the British.

Paul Taylor, a spokesman for the Navy's Naval History and Heritage Command, said the organization was looking forward to receiving Cohn's management proposal.

The usual preference is to leave vessels, especially in cold, fresh water, on the bottom where they will be preserved. Taylor said he was unaware of the mussel threat, but the Navy agrees with the need to protect its historic resources.

"We take preserving the history of our Navy very seriously," Taylor said. "The history of the Navy is the history of the nation."

Obama's standup routine drew laughs from the audience at the Gridiron's 130th gathering.

President Barack Obama drew plenty of laughs Saturday night with jokes poking fun at Republicans as well as himself during a lively Gridiron Club and Foundation annual dinner in Washington, D.C.

Some of his chosen topics managed to do both.

The graying chief executive admitted getting crankier as he gets older.

"Next week I'm signing an executive order to get off my lawn," Obama joked.

In addition, Obama said, he's having trouble now with his morning brew. "Coffee really disagrees with me these days," he said, "which is why John Boehner just invited coffee to address the joint House."

Obama's standup routine drew laughs from more than 650 journalists, lawmakers, administration officials and others at the Gridiron's 130th gathering. At this traditional event, Washington gather annually for an evening of joke-telling and charity fundraising.

With the president providing the one-liners on behalf of his administration, Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Democrat Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe represented their parties in the wisecracks.

Walker is consider a contender for the Republican nomination for president; McAuliffe is a former Democratic Party chairman and a longtime ally of Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Here are 10 of the best jokes by Obama and others at the dinner, based on ones often repeated in media coverage of Saturday's event.

1. Obama noted that Walker remarked recently that he couldn't say whether Obama was a Christian. The president said his religion taught forgiveness and cracked, "So, Gov. Walker, salaam alaikum."

2. The president said he used to think he was technologically sophisticated until learning that Hillary Clinton kept her own email server at home. "Hillary has a server in her house!" he exclaimed. "I didn't even know you could have one of those. I am so far behind."

3. McAuliffe joined others in needling the presidential ambitions of Hillary Clinton. "If Hillary decides not to run ... I decided not to finish that joke," he said.

4. The Virginia governor also joked, "Are any of the Secret Service sober enough to drive me home?" That was a reference to recent reports that drunken Secret Service agents crashed a vehicle into a White House barricade.

5. Obama said he generally likes Boehner, and he noted talk of unhappy House Republicans planning a coup -- "or as Bill O'Reilly calls it, 'reporting from the war zone.'"

6. "I want to acknowledge the leader of the House Republicans, as soon as I figure out who that is." Obama said.

7. McAuliffe also got in on bashing the Fox News Channel talk host and allegations he exaggerated his war reporting. "Bill O'Reilly tried to be here, but he was pinned down by enemy fire." McAuliffe said, adding that suspended NBC News anchor Brian Williams was supposed to be O'Reilly's ride to the event.

8. Obama took aim at Walker, although he made fun, too, of his own changing views on some issues. "(Walker) punted on the question of evolution, which I do think is a problem," Obama said. "I absolutely believe in the theory of evolution -- when it comes to gay marriage."

9. On former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's claim that Obama doesn't "love America," Obama joked: "If I did not love America, I wouldn't have moved here from Kenya."

10. Walker got in his own digs. "I believe that the president of the United States loves America and every American -- except Rudy Giuliani."

The Gridiron Club and Foundation, founded in 1885, has drawn every president after Grover Cleveland to its annual dinner at least once. Obama made his third appearance, having attended in 2011 and 2013.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A new York Man was sentenced to prison after more than $6,000 in cocaine he tried to flush down the toilet was found by a plumber.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

The Berkshire Eagle reported that Tareem Jackson, 27, was entered a guilty plea to charges of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws in Berkshire Superior Court Friday.

Jackson was arrested March 17, 2014 when police raided a Liberty Street home where Jackson was staying. Investigators made the arrest after a confidential informant made several undercover buys of cocaine at the house. When police entered the house they found Jackson in the bathroom, and the toilet had just been flushed. Police contacted a the city's plumbing inspector and he traced the sewage system in the building. Eventually a packet containing 132 bags of crack cocaine worth about $6,600 was found.

As part of the plea agreement, Jackson was found guilty of the two charges, while a charge of trafficking in cocaine was dropped. He will serve his sentence at the state prison at Cedar Junction.

A former charter school teacher was found guilty of enticing a 14-year-old boy into having a sexual relationship with her.

WORCESTER— A 28-year-old health and sex education teacher was sentenced to serve 2-and-a-half years in state prison after she entered guilty pleas to charges of rape of a child and enticing.

Rachelle Gendron Facebook Photo

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported that Rachelle Gendron of Fitchburg, was sentenced in Worcester Superior Court Friday.

Gendron was accused of enticing a 14-year-old student to come to her house where they engaged in sex beginning in October of 2012. Investigators found a number of sexually charged texts and photographs of his teacher in various states of undress on the boy's cellphone.

Gendron was working as a part-time teacher at the North Central Essential Charter School at the time of the relationship. She told the court that the relationship started when she tried to counsel the boy. She said he told her he was alone and had no one he could trust.

Judge Janet Kenton-Walker ordered Gendron to complete sex offender counseling, undergo mental health evaluation and complete any required treatment as part of her probation. She is to have no contact with the victim or unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16 years old, and wear a GPS monitoring device.

As part of the plea agreement worked out between the defense and prosecution, the original charge of rape of a child aggravated by age was reduced to rape of a child. Four additional counts of rape of a child aggravated by age were dropped. Each of the dropped charges carries a 10-year sentence.

The projects Devlin has contributed his time and talents to led to the award, which is named after an early pioneer of preservation in Springfield and one of the Preservation Trust's early presidents.

SPRINGFIELD — A local architect who is active in efforts to preserve the city's storied history is being honored by the group which leads the charge.

The Springfield Preservation Trust awarded the Donald E. Campion Award for Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation to William Devlin, based on his work over the past 30 years.

"His work includes new homes that fit into historic neighborhoods and re-adapted houses and fire stations for new uses," the group said of Devlin in a statement. "He has consulted often on issues relating to design and preservation and has served on the Springfield Historical Commission."

Devlin was also the architect responsible for plans and oversight of the work which saved the run-down former Springfield Female Seminary at 77 Maple St. That three-story brick building was built in 1832 by Simon Sanborn, and is considered the oldest school house still standing in the city.

It is located in the Lower Maple Local Historic District and before the preservation trust purchased it in 2009, demolition was its likely fate. In December, DevelopSpringfield purchased the building from the group for $35,000, announcing it would be rehabilitated into professional office space along with the historic Ansel Phelps house next door.

The projects Devlin has contributed his time and talents to led to the award, which is named after an early pioneer of preservation in Springfield and one of the Preservation Trust's early presidents.

In the 40 years the non-profit Springfield Preservation Trust has been in existence, the Donald E. Campion Award has been given out just 12 times, according to the group. Devlin was given the award at the group's annual meeting, where officers were elected for the coming year, including President Donald Courtemanche; Vice President Robert Louder; Treasurer Gayle White; and Clerk Joann Cardell.

CHIA, the Center for Health Information and Analysis, was set up as an independent agency in 2012. Baker wants to bring it under state government control, a move that worries some advocates who fear it will undermine the agency's independence from political influence.

BOSTON - A proposal by Gov. Charlie Baker to move an independent health care information agency into the Executive Office of Health and Human Services is worrying some advocates who fear that the move will compromise the agency's independence.

CHIA, the Center for Health Information and Analysis, was set up as an independent agency by a 2012 health care cost containment law to provide health care data and analytics to the state.

Amy Whitcomb Slemmer, executive director of the advocacy group Health Care for All, which worked closely with former governor Deval Patrick's administration, said she worries that moving the agency into state government "might lend an air of politics to data that's incredibly important for our understanding of how our health care system is operating."

"Health Care for All wants to see CHIA continue as an independent body and source of robust data to tell us how we're doing as a state," Whitcomb Slemmer said.

CHIA collects and analyzes data related to health care spending, provider and payer costs, measures of quality, and other health care metrics that are used to help the state formulate health care policy and bring more transparency to Massachusetts health care. It is funded primarily through a tax paid by health insurers and hospitals.

Before 2012, the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, which was part of state government, fulfilled many of these functions. The health care cost containment law, Chapter 224, took much of the division's work and moved it to CHIA. Baker now wants to move it back, through a proposal included in his fiscal year 2016 budget.

Rhonda Mann, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said in a statement, "The critical data compilation and analysis of the Massachusetts health care system that the Center for Health Information and Analysis provides will be invaluable to the administration's health care policy and planning efforts to improve the quality and affordability of care in the Commonwealth."

Former state senator Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge, one of the authors of the 2012 law, said the reason the work was moved out of state government was "because we didn't want the statistics or studies they would do to be considered or viewed as a political document."

"We wanted them to be as independent as they possibly could," Moore said.

Moore said Baker's proposal could lead to a perception among doctors, hospitals, insurers or the public that the administration is coloring CHIA's information. "It's important if we're going get to cost containment and save money in the health care system, we have to base it not on whoever's governor or what their philosophy might be. We have to base it on facts," Moore said. "An independent agency is far more likely to be trusted."

CHIA declined to take an explicit stance on the move. CHIA spokesman Andrew Jackmauh reiterated CHIA's charge to provide impartial data and analysis on Massachusetts' health care system. "CHIA's value rests in its ability to report objectively on indicators like the annual target for growth in health care spending, introduced under Chapter 224. We look forward to engaging the Legislature throughout the budget process to ensure that CHIA remains appropriately positioned to continue meeting the goals of Chapter 224," Jackmauh said.

There have been concerns about CHIA previously. For example, the Massachusetts Hospital Association has complained about the high fees CHIA charges.

Tim Gens, executive vice president of the Massachusetts Hospital Association, said he thinks there needs to be a rethinking of the fee structure, since CHIA is paid for by hospitals and insurers but has adopted a broader public policy mission that serves government and the market. He thinks there is a need for accountability at CHIA regarding the work it does and its budget - something that could be improved with state oversight.

However, Gens said there is value in having an independent agency because it makes CHIA's work more credible.

Gens said the association has not yet taking a position on the move, but it will look to "balance the credibility that comes from having independence with the benefit that comes from having accountability."

Josh Archambault, director of health care policy for the conservative-leaning Pioneer Institute, said there have been concerns that CHIA does not have a board. The institute has questioned why CHIA released some reports late. CHIA's spending grew from $19 million in 2013 to $26 million in 2014, according to its annual reports.

"There are questions about how much money is being spent, whether people are getting a return on investment for that money," Archambault said.

Archambault has not taken a position on moving the agency, but he thinks the conversation is worth having. "It has started a conversation about the agency, and I think that can be beneficial regardless of whether the agency ends up being moved or not," Archambault said.

Insurers also are ambivalent about the move. Jenna McPhee, a spokeswoman for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Massachusetts' largest insurer, pointed out that there are 11 agencies within state government that oversee or regulate the health care market. "We applaud the Governor for taking a look at how to ensure that the oversight is aligned, efficient and effective as possible," McPhee said in an email. "Governor Baker is very familiar with the inner workings of the health care industry/system, and we think it's appropriate that the new administration is taking a fresh look at the oversight structure. We defer to the administration and the Legislature on the best model."

But Jim Kessler, general counsel at Health New England, a Springfield-based insurer, said while he recognizes that there would be a benefit to having CHIA work more closely with Medicaid, which needs good data analysis, he believes it would be best for CHIA to remain independent. "We would be concerned if CHIA ever became subjugated to the needs or the goals of a specific part of the state government and couldn't be able to serve the whole commonwealth, because there's a lot of needs for good, independent data," Kessler said.

State Sen. James Welch, D-West Springfield, chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, said he has heard from some people who have concerns about removing CHIA's independence and from others who feel they have not been heard by CHIA.

Welch said he is neutral so far on the move. But he said he relies on CHIA's data as a legislator, and he has concerns about its independence. "If that agency's brought under the administration, certainly it would be hard to consider it as an independent agency at that point," Welch said.

The city initially filed a complaint against CHD in Housing Court, claiming it found code violations in a Belmont Avenue building and conditions that constituted an illegal rooming house. CHD has appealed to state board, and denied the claims.

SPRINGFIELD — A dispute between the city and the Center for Human Development regarding homeless housing in lower Forest Park, has spread from the halls of Housing Court to an appeal before a state board that oversees the building code.

Specifically, CHD, a nonprofit agency that provides shared (co-shelter) apartments for the homeless, has filed an appeal with the state Board of Building Regulations and Standards, challenging the city's claim that CHD changed the use of an apartment building in violation of the state building code. The 11-member board has oversight powers and expertise on the state building code.

The city, in legal filings, states that it inspected the building, found multiple families living together in apartments, and filed a complaint in Housing Court regarding code violations and accusing CHD of operating an illegal rooming house.

CHD appealed to the state board.

The city specifically alleges that CHD illegally changed the use of the property from multi-family housing to "Hotel, Motel and/or Boarding House" use without a needed building permit.

"The city believes the building commissioner acted appropriately in interpreting the building code, and the building commissioner is charged with enforcing the building code for the purpose of ensuring the health, safety and welfare of the occupants and the public at large," Associate City Solicitor Lisa DeSousa said Friday.

According to the city's filing with the state board, conditions found in the building, as described in filed documents, "are such as may endanger or materially impair the health or well-being of residents of the area surrounding the subject property."

In addition, the city claims that the alleged change of use to a motel or boarding house would trigger the need for an automatic sprinkler system. While CHD has stated that such a requirement would be disruptive, the city states "that minimum disruption would seem to pale when compared with the increased safety to all occupants and the fire related risks that occupants are exposed to in their current circumstances."

CHD states that if the state board rules that there was a change in occupancy or use, it should granted a variance from the sprinkler system requirement.

In addition, CHD states that that within specific occupancy classifications (such as multi-family), "there can be many different types of actual activities that can take place," citing a preamble in the International Existing Building Code.

"In the situation at hand, there has been no change of occupancy because there has been no change in the purpose of level of activity within the building," the appeal states.

The city, in claiming there has been an illegal change of use, states that CHD is listed as the tenant in the lease agreement, and that CHD will provide "occupants" that will "turnover" in a manner to be "managed by the tenant."

"Whether it is a transient boarding house, or a congregate living facility, the use has changed and the units must be brought up to code," the city states.

CHD, in its appeal, states it provides 24-hour, on-site staffing to homeless families, and provides services that include "helping clients navigate other assistance programs, finding work or education opportunities, and generally doing whatever is necessary to move families out of the co-shelter units into more stable and permanent housing."

The co-sheltering also helps the families with "valuable peer support," as they live with families also experiencing similar problems and learning from them, the appeal states.

The state board's duties include interpretation of the building code. Both the city and CHD have agreed to delay the Housing Court action pending a hearing before the state board and its ruling.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has been sharply critical of CHD for housing dozens of homeless families in the lower Belmont Avenue area, saying it is harmful the neighborhood, the city, and to the residents.

CHD has defended its homeless housing policies, saying it is assisting homeless families on the path to permanent housing, and that co-sheltering is not a burden on the city.

The city claims that four families were found in each of the inspected apartments of the one cited building. CHD said that it no longer has more than two homeless families in any Springfield apartment, and each family has its own bedroom, sharing other space.

The city, in saying there was an illegal "change of use" of the building on Belmont Avenue, adds that several defenses in the CHD appeal are "unverified, false and irrelevant 'factual' assertions."

For example, the 24-hour staffing claim is "factually inaccurate, misleading and irrelevant to the issues before this board, and should be struck," the city claims in its response to the board. The city says there are 50 CHD apartments spread in 12 buildings, and claims that CHD does not have on-site staff at each.

Felicity Hardee, a lawyer for CHD, said the city's motion to strike several issues from the appeal will be opposed "at the appropriate juncture as determined by the board."

The city's filing includes affidavits from City Housing Director Geraldine McCafferty and Code Enforcement Commissioner Steven Desilets.