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Obituaries today: Louis Majka served in Battle of the Bulge; worked at Holyoke Post Office

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Obituaries from The Republican.

 
040315-louis-majka.jpgLouis Majka 

Louis J. Majka, 96, of Holland and formerly of Holyoke, passed away on Monday. He was born in Southbridge. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, was in the 11th Armored Division, 22nd Tank Battalion "Thunderbolts" and served in the Battle of the Bulge. He was a mail carrier and a clerk at the Holyoke Post Office before his retirement after 20 years of service. He was a talented drummer who played in many local polka and dance bands. He was a parishioner of the former Mater Dolorosa Church and the Immaculate Conception Church in Holyoke.

To view all obituaries from The Republican:
» Click here


Good Friday Way of the Cross processions held by two Springfield churches

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The Christ Church Cathedral parish started their procession from their church at 37 Chestnut St.

SPRINGFIELD — Good Friday Way of the Cross processions were held by two separate city churches Friday.

The Christ Church Cathedral parish started their procession from their church at 37 Chestnut St., proceeded up State Street to Springfield Technical Community College, and then back down Worthington Street.

As the group walked they stopped at various locations to hear from the Very Rev. James Munroe, as well as Rev. Dr. Douglas J. Fisher, Episcopal Bishop. Each stop ended with a prayer by the group.

Blessed Sacrament parish on Waverly Street in the North End also held their annual Good Friday procession which started in their parking lot and continued down Main Street to Jefferson Avenue and back down Dwight Street.


Holyoke police: 27-year-old shooting victim sustained 'significant injuries'

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"He's got some significant injuries," Holyoke Police Lt. James Albert said of the 27-year-old victim, who was shot multiple times and remained at Baystate Medical Center late Friday afternoon.

Updates story posted at 2:58 p.m. Friday, April 3.


HOLYOKE — Police continue to investigate a Friday afternoon shooting that seriously wounded a city man.

"He's got some significant injuries," Holyoke Police Lt. James Albert said of the 27-year-old victim, who was shot multiple times and remained at Baystate Medical Center late Friday afternoon.

The shooting was reported shortly after 1 p.m. at 200 Oak St., the block that runs between Essex and Appleton streets. The victim was shot in the alleyway behind Oak Street, according to CBS 3 Springfield, media partner of MassLive / The Republican.

When asked if the man's injuries were non-life-threatening, Albert said it was too early to tell, noting that the victim was seriously wounded.

As of 5 p.m., investigators were still collecting evidence and trying to establish a motive for the shooting. Area residents and witnesses interviewed by authorities haven't been helpful.

"We're getting the typical no one knows anything," Albert said.

Police didn't release the name of the victim, who lives on Oak Street and "knows the area," Albert said.

The area where the shooting occurred is a known drug hot spot, according to police.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.


Parents of Virginia boy, 5, found dead in septic tank, charged with reglect, abuse: video

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Paul Thomas and Ashley White, of Dublin, Virginia, were charged with two counts of abuse and neglect of children.

The parents of a 5-year-old boy who was found dead last week in a septic tank in Virginia were charged with abuse and neglect, authorities said yesterday.

Noah Thomas mug 2015.jpgNoah Thomas 
Paul Thomas, 32, and Ashley White, 30, of Dublin, Virginia, were charged with two counts each of abuse and neglect of children, USA Today reported, citing the Pulaski County Sheriff's office.

Their son, Noah, was found dead March 26, five days after he was reported missing.

Authorities said a 6-month-old girl, Abigail, was removed from the parents' care, too.

"It came to a point where the evidence that we had we felt was sufficient to arrest them for probable cause for the charges for which they were arrested," said Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Fleenor, who has been gathering evidence since Noah's body was discovered.

Reportedly, the boy was watching cartoons around 8 a.m. the day he was reported missing when his mother went to take a nap with Abigail. When she awoke about 10:35 a.m., Noah was missing, authorities have said.

According to the Roanoke Times, Thomas and White were arraigned via teleconference Friday.

The Times reported that they were arraigned via video at the Wytheville Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court because Pulaski County court was not in session on Friday.

The couple objected when Judge Bradley Dalton alerted the couple that several reporters were present for their arraignment.

"This is the saddest thing that's ever happened to me in my life," the newspaper quoted White as saying. "I don't feel people should be able to enjoy it over dinner."

"I don't want my life to be their news story," Thomas said.

Thomas was charged under a section of the law that relates to "reckless disregard for human life." His charges, considered felonies, carry a minimum of a one-year prison sentence and a maximum of five years each.

White was charged under two different sections of the law. She was was also charged with "reckless disregard for human life." But she was also charged with a section section that involves serious injuries to a child that were received under an adult's care. Those charges are punishable by no less than two years and no more than 10 years.

Those injuries, as defined by state code include: "disfigurement, a fracture, a severe burn or laceration, mutilation, maiming, forced ingestion of dangerous substances, or life threatening internal injuries," the Times reported.

The hearing Friday lasted about five minutes, WDBJ-TV, CBS7 in Roanoke reported. White was granted an extension to figure out of she was going to hire a lawyer or accept a public defender. Thomas said he was planning to hire a lawyer.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, bail was not set Friday with the Pulaski County courthouse being closed.

A preliminary hearing was set for Aug. 12 in Pulaski County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

After the boy's body was found last week, the sheriff's office urged people not to jump to any conclusions.


Blood moon lunar eclipse 2015: 5 things to know before watching

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There's a total eclipse of the moon Saturday -- and it's an unusually short one.

Don't blink. There's a total eclipse of the moon Saturday -- and it's an unusually short one.

If there are clear skies, the 31/2-hour spectacle is visible from start to finish from the western U.S. and Canada where it occurs before dawn. Skygazers in the Midwest and East Coast only get part of the lunar show. (Timeanddate.com posts times for viewing locations around the country.)

The eclipse can also be seen in its entirety Saturday night from eastern Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Europe and Africa are shut out.

Things to know about the celestial attraction:

Lunar EclipseThis Oct. 8, 2014, file photo, shows the "blood moon," created by the full moon passing into the shadow of the earth during a total lunar eclipse, as seen from Monterey Park, Calif.  

1. HOW LONG IS THE TOTAL ECLIPSE? NASA calculates the total eclipse -- the moment when Earth's shadow completely blocks the moon -- at only five minutes. Using a different model, the U.S. Naval Observatory put it at about 12 minutes. In either case, it's the shortest lunar eclipse of the century.

On the west coast of North America, the total eclipse -- what astronomers call totality -- begins shortly before 5 a.m. PDT.

2. WHY SO BRIEF?  In this case, the moon skims the upper part of Earth's shadow. If the moon passes through the middle of the shadow, the eclipse lasts longer.

3. WHY A "BLOOD MOON" DURING THE ECLIPSE?  "Blood moon" refers to its orange or red appearance -- the result of sunlight scattering off Earth's atmosphere. Whether the moon appears dark red, copper, bronze or another shade depends on several factors including the amount of volcanic ash in the atmosphere.

"That's what makes lunar eclipses so interesting," said Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington.

4. WHEN IS THE NEXT TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE? The next full eclipse of the moon occurs on Sept. 28 and will be visible across the U.S. and Canada, as well as western Europe and Africa. Totality will last a little over an hour.

5. IS SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO WATCH? Unlike solar eclipses which require eye protection, you only need clear skies to view a lunar eclipse. A pair of binoculars or backyard telescope will enhance your view, but they're not necessary.

"Get a comfortable chair ... and just look up," said Mitzi Adams, an astronomer at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

Boston police save wannabe cop from knife-wielding attacker outside Jamaica Plain convenience store

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Roxbury resident Edward Hurtado had a Smith & Wesson folding knife when he squared off with another man outside a convenience store in Jamaica Plain early Friday morning. He was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

BOSTON — A police officer quickly defused a potentially deadly situation when he apprehended a man with a knife who was about to fight another man who identified himself as an undercover cop.

The officer saw the pair outside the Tedeschi convenience store at 684 Centre St. in Jamaica Plain around 2:24 a.m. Friday. The men were standing in the middle of the street, squaring off against one another and ready to fight, police said.

As the officer approached, one of the men, later identified as Edward Hurtado of Roxbury, immediately placed his hands on his head. The officer performed a pat frisk of Hurtado and recovered a Smith & Wesson folding knife.

The altercation started inside the convenience store after the other man approached Hurtado, identified himself as an undercover police officer, and stated, "You blew my cover," police said. The man isn't a police officer and authorities don't know "why he was motivated to identify himself as such," police said.

After the man identified himself as a cop, Hurtado followed him outside the store, threw a soda at him, then brandished a knife in a threatening manner, police said. The officer arrived and intervened before the confrontation escalated, police said.

Hurtado was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. He's expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court.


MAP showing area where police apprehended man with knife:


 

Kinder Morgan denies surveying land for pipeline against owner's will

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Kinder Morgan is merely "profiling the public roadway to determine where the road easement is," a spokesman said.

PLAINFIELD - A Plainfield man claims contractors for the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. surveyed his land against his will, but a spokesman for parent company Kinder Morgan says the company is merely "profiling the public roadway to determine where the road easement is."

Mike Paulsen lives on Windsor Avenue, a rural stretch of road reached from West Street in West Cummington. His property is along the proposed route of the Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline.

Paulsen said he came home Thursday to find stakes and flags on his property anywhere from eight to 17 feet from the edge of the roadway. Paulsen earlier had filed a form specifically denying Kinder Morgan the right to enter his property for surveying purposes.

Land owners are permitted to deny Kinder Morgan and its agents the right to survey their property. The company must petition the Department of Public Utilities if it wishes to survey against an owner's will. No such petitions have been filed to date for properties along the Northeast Energy Direct route, according to DPU dockets.

Kinder Morgan spokesman Richard Wheatley said Friday the company has not surveyed any private property in Plainfield, but is taking steps to delineate the town-owned road easement for any future work.

"We're looking at the topography of the road surface. No private property has been surveyed," Wheatley said.

Plans filed with federal regulators show the high-pressure gas line would be laid alongside a power line that is near Paulsen's land and home.

Kinder Morgan's preferred route shows the pipeline largely co-located with existing utility lines. That doesn't mean there will be no new land disruption. If the pipeline is built, those rights-of-way would be broadened, filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission show.

Kinder Morgan will need a certificate of public convenience from the commission to build the pipeline. If the certificate is granted, the company will have the power of eminent domain to take private property.

Plainfield is one of more than a dozen Massachusetts towns that have explicitly denied the company the right to survey land that is owned by the town. Reached Friday, selectman Judy Feeley said she is not sure if that prohibition applies to roadway easements, which are broader than the roads themselves.

Feeley said she had heard from another landowner who claimed surveying sticks and flags that appeared on her land fell well within private property, and outside the bounds of any road easement. Feeley said she would consult with other town officials to get a better sense of what is going on.

The 36-inch Tennessee Gas Co. pipeline would carry up to 2.2 billion cubic feet of gas daily from wellheads in Pennsylvania to markets in the Northeast. The pipeline plan has met with stiff resistance from environmental groups in New York,  Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

While opposition has been vocal and prominent, the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and ISO New England, the entity which manages the region's power grid, support the project. Local gas distribution companies have announced a moratorium on new natural gas hookups in the area, saying existing pipes are at capacity.

Opponents counter that increasing the availability of liquefied natural gas in New England would ease the crunch and lower utility bills without requiring any new pipeline capacity.

In western Massachusetts, sixty-four miles of pipeline would cross the towns of Hancock, Lanesborough, Cheshire, Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Windsor, Plainfield, Conway, Ashfield, Shelburne, Deerfield, Montague, Erving, Warwick and Northfield before entering southern New Hampshire on its way east.

This Google map shows the power line between Route 9 in Cummington and Route 116 in Plainfield alongside which the proposed pipeline would travel:

Look Restaurant in Northampton to close

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Proprietor Mike Cronin said the Look could reopen under a new owner.

NORTHAMPTON — The Look Restaurant on Route 9 in the Leeds neighborhood will close its doors for good on Saturday, at least under its current owner.

Owner Mike Cronin of Williamsburg told the Daily Hampshire Gazette it's been hard over the last few years to run the restaurant and work his second job as a chef at Smith College. He also said cited rising food and utility costs.

Cronin said he's recently had some health concerns, and with the stress of running a restaurant, it's time to move on. Around a half-dozen people have expressed interest in buying the 410 N. Main St. restaurant and reopening it, Cronin told the Gazette.

According to the Gazette, the restaurant was built in the 1950s, and was renamed the Look Restaurant in 1961 by then-owner Alan Sylvester. He operated the eatery with business partner Leo Duvall until 1992. That's when Cronin, the former son-in-law of Sylvester, bought the business.

Expect a line out the door Saturday as customers show up to pay their tribute to the Look, a longtime institution for breakfast and lunch. Doors will close for good at 3 p.m.



Massachusetts tax revenues up $132 million in first quarter of year, state says

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Facing a midyear budget gap estimated at $765 million earlier this year, lawmakers passed a corporate tax amnesty program, which they expected would raise $18 million as businesses avoid fines on back-taxes.

BOSTON - Tax revenue collections were up $132 million over benchmarks through March, the Department of Revenue announced Friday afternoon, as state officials took a respite from planning for an estimated $1.8 billion deficit in the fiscal 2016 budget.

Massachusetts State Seal .jpg 
Facing a midyear budget gap estimated at $765 million earlier this year, lawmakers passed a corporate tax amnesty program, which they expected would raise $18 million as businesses avoid fines on back-taxes.

The amnesty program, which runs March 16 through May 15, is so far under performing. Through the end of the month, DOR received $163,000 from 281 participants, which is only a fraction of the $3.6 million estimate for amnesty collections in March.

The month's tax collections indicate a strong economy that might have performed better if not for the harsh winter, according to revenue officials.

Income tax withholding accounted for $1 billion in March, up $1 million over the benchmark.

Revenue Commissioner Mark Nunnelly said the income tax figures indicate "economic stability and continued improvement."

Total collections in the month of March were down because of tax refunds that had been delayed in February, according to DOR, which predicted "more refund catch-up" in April. The $414 million in March sales tax revenues were $6 million below benchmark. Year-to-date sales tax collections are $62 million below benchmark.

"Sales and use tax revenue is lagging, undoubtedly due to weather-related sales losses," Nunnelly said in a prepare statement.

North American Alpaca Show in full swing on the grounds of the Big E

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The fourteenth edition of the North American Alpaca Show ends Saturday, April 4. Watch video

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Would you like to insult an alpaca? Call it a llama.

People confuse them all the time, but a llama is about twice the size of an alpaca. Llamas have traditionally been used to herd sheep (or even alpacas), while the alpaca is raised for its soft and luxurious fiber.

Hundreds of alpacas and their owners have descended upon the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield this week for the fourteenth edition of the North American Alpaca Show. Ending Saturday, April 4, the show brings in thousands of dollars to alpaca-related charities.

Wandering through the Mallory building at the Big E, guests can see stall after stall filled with alpacas, each animal's face loaded with character. Listen carefully and you will hear the "humming" sound the animal makes when they are content. Most owners are fine if you want to touch, but it's always common courtesy to ask first.

Show organizer Kevin O'Leary calls this "one of the most highly competitive shows in the country".

When asked why someone would want to own an alpaca, O'Leary praises their fleece as being 3-5 times warmer than sheep's wool while being as soft as cashmere. As for feeding one, he says a single hay bale can last 10-30 days depending on the time of year. He goes on to say the animals are "earth friendly", meaning they have soft pads for feet that won't do damage to the ground.

If having your own supply of alpaca fiber is something you might like to experience, the alpaca owners at the show would love to give you some tips.


Springfield murder suspect and brother held without bail after police raid Nursery Street apartment

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Eight court officers were stationed in the courtroom and six in the hallway as Rios was led, handcuffed and shackled, into the courtroom.

Updates a story posted Friday, April 3 at 2 p.m.


SPRINGFIELD — One of two brothers arrested during a police raid Thursday night pleaded not guilty to a murder charge Friday in the fatal shooting of a teenager last week.

Judge Matthew Shea ordered Lee Manuel Rios, 22, of 196 Nursery St., held without bail in the killing of 18-year old Kenneth Lopez – the city's eighth homicide in 2015.

Lopez's body was found around noon on March 25 in the yard of a house at Dwight and Calhoun streets in the North End. Police said he was shot sometime overnight.

No motive for the killing was given during Rios' brief arraignment in Springfield District Court, and records in the case were sealed for at least seven days.

Eight court officers were stationed in the courtroom and six in the hallway as Rios was led, handcuffed and shackled, into the courtroom.

Defense lawyer Mary Anne Stamm did not object to the prosecution's request to hold Rios without bail, but reserved the right to seek his release at a later date.

In addition to the murder charge, Rios pleaded not guilty to armed robbery with a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

He also denied seven gun and drug charges from Thursday night's raid, conducted by a Springfield police tactical response unit at the Sullivan Apartments complex a short distance from the Edward P. Boland Elementary School.

His older brother, Nelson Rios, 23, was held for a dangerousness hearing next week on a pending sexual assault case from March 22.

In addition, Nelson Rios pleaded not guilty to seven gun and drug charges from the raid – possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a high-capacity firearm, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card, improper storage of a firearm and improper storage of a high-capacity firearm with a minor present.

On those charges, his bail was set at $100,000.

Two other defendants – Maria Torres, 25, of 196 Nursery St., and Natalia Rivera, 21, of 79 Orchard St. – pleaded not guilty to the same charges. Bail was set at $20,000 for both women.

During the raid at 196 Nursery St., detectives found two handguns, 16 grams of cocaine packaged for sale, an undisclosed amount of marijuana packaged for sale, as well as drug paraphernalia, digital scales and packaging materials, Springfield police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said.

One of the guns was found inside a child's room, he said.

After Lee Manuel Rios emerged as a suspect in Lopez's murder, police obtained warrants for his arrest and to search his Nursery Street apartment.

At the prosecutor's request, Shea impounded the arrest report, the search warrant application and other documents in the case until at least April 9.


UMass officials talking to Dalai Lama about speaking on campus

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UMass will have more information soon about a potential Dalai Lama visit.

AMHERST - University of Massachusetts officials are hoping to bring His Holiness the Dalai Lama to campus during the next academic year.

Spokesman Edward F. Blaguszewski said the university hopes to provide more details soon. He does not know when the Tibetan spiritual leader might speak.

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to be in The United States in July, according to the Dalai Lama's website. He will be celebrating his 80th birthday at the Global Compassion Summit at the Honda Center in Anaheim and the Bren Events Center at the University of California Irvine Campus.

According to his schedule there are no other trips to the United States planned.

 Last October, he spoke at the Boston Marriott Copley Place hotel at a symposium organized by the Mind and Life Institute and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.  

He spoke at Smith College in Northampton in May of 2007, an appearance that was the result of a longtime collaboration between the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in India and the Five College Tibetan Studies Program here.

 The program sends Smith and Hampshire college students to the school in India and offers scholarships at the two local colleges to Tibetan students.

At Smith he spoke to a crowd of about 5,000.

Drug defendants in U.S. District Court in Springfield daily case studies in broader heroin abuse epidemic

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Jimmie Oliver was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Friday for heroin distribution.

SPRINGFIELD - The public conversation about the heroin epidemic continues to play out in U.S. District Court as drug defendants cycle through, with defense lawyers decrying the breakdown of social institutions and prosecutors highlighting the degradation of the same institutions by drug abuse.

Jimmie Oliver was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Friday for heroin distribution. A prosecutor previously described the defendant, 29, of Holyoke as a "one man crime wave" but his criminal history was not nearly as extensive as most defendants who make it to federal court. However, he was an admitted member of the La Familia street gang who was groomed as a child by family members who had long-standing ties to the gang, according to his lawyer.

Oliver was charged in federal court while he had charges pending in state court for illegal firearms crimes. Oliver has a case in Hampden Superior Court still pending. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse wrote in a pre-sentencing memo that Western Massachusetts is "awash in heroin" and that street-level dealers such as Oliver feed the crisis.

"The defendant sold a total of 94 bags of heroin in this case in exchange for $400, a price of $4.25 per bag. As little as one bag of heroin can result in a heroin overdose death. These 94 bags would feed the crippling heroin addiction of many individuals," Newhouse wrote. "The plentiful supply of cheap heroin has caused an epidemic of
heroin addiction, injury and even death."

The government asked that U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni sentence Oliver to nearly triple his federal sentencing guidelines of 10 to 16 months in prison.

Defense lawyer Kevin Murphy argued that Oliver is an example of scores of young men in Holyoke and other urban centers bred for nothing but prison by substandard parenting, school systems and social services.

"He sought gang membership as a substitute for parental guidance ... He's a product of a system here that's failed miserably," Murphy told Mastroianni.

Murphy also argued that long prison sentences have done nothing to quell the assembly line of low-level drug dealers who push heroin onto the streets.

Mastroianni has made it his recent practice to engage defendants during sentencing proceedings on their thoughts about their futures and past behaviors, receiving similar answers of repentance and optimism. The judge quizzed Oliver about whether he thought about the impact his individual drug sales may have had on users who may have overdosed with his help.

Oliver responded that the end user often doesn't factor in on a moral level while selling drugs on the street. He said he had made choices to financially support his family.

"Desperation doesn't give you the right mind. I wasn't thinking like a man; I was thinking like a child," Oliver said.

Mastroianni handed down his sentence, two months higher than the upper end of Oliver's guidelines, plus a six-month community confinement term and orders to earn his GED and enroll in job training.

"This is your opportunity to start a life that you can be proud of, that your family can be proud of," Mastroianni said. "I'm looking at your family behind you and I'm not sure they're too proud of you."

Cop caught on video ranting at New York Uber driver apologizes, to TV station, at least: videos

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Patrick Cherry, a detective with the department made his statement shortly after being interviewed by a civilian complaint review board.

A New York City police officer seen on video berating an Uber driver earlier this week issued an apology, to a local TV station, at least.

Patrick Cherry, a detective with the department made his statement shortly after being interviewed by a civilian complaint review board, according to the New York Daily News.

"People shouldn't be treated that way. I let my emotions get the better of me and I was angry," Cherry told WNBC-TV, Channel 4 in New York.

"My intention was to be courteous and then we got into an argument."

Cherry said his tirade, seen millions of times since it was uploaded to YouTube Monday, is not how he normally conducts himself.

"I apologize. I sincerely apologize," he told WNBC.

"That's not who I am, that's not who I've been and that's not how I conducted myself as an officer in New York City," he said.

Cherry's apology came after he was stripped of his badge and gun and transferred out of the FBI's joint terrorism task force.

New York Police Commissioner William Bratton, a native of Boston who served as the Hub's police commissioner in 1992 and 1993, blasted Cherry after the video went viral, saying, "No good cop can watch that without a wince."

Cherry told New York's NBC affiliate, that the video misses what prompted the confrontation. He said the driver pulled up fast behind him as he was trying to park his unmarked patrol car on a West Village Street. Cherry said the driver was honking and gesturing at him.

In the video, Cherry is seen yelling at the driver, identified as Humayun Chaudhry by the Daily News saying, "How long have you been in this country?

"Stop it with your mouth. Stop it with your 'For what sir, for what sir.' Stop it with that bulls-t, and realize the three vehicle and traffic laws you committed," Cherry was quoted by the New York Post as screaming in the video.
"I don't know what f-king planet you think you're on right now. Now sit in your f-king car and stay there," he shouts before slamming the door.

Cherry said he turned his emergency lights on to "clarify the problem." But he said Chaudhry refused to turn over his license and registration, and that's when he lost his temper.

"When I walked up, I was uptight. I wanted to know what the problem was," Cherry was quoted by WNBC as saying. "I felt his driving actions were discourteous and impolite and when he stopped he said, 'I'm not going to give you anything."'

But the man who filmed the episode, questioned Cherry's apology.

"I question part of detective Cherry's interpretation of the incident in his recent apology," Sanjay Seth, the passenger who filmed the incident from the back seat, tweeted.
"CCRB needs to sort out the facts," Seth said, referring to the civilian complaint review board.

The head of the detectives union, meanwhile, criticized the disciplinary action carried out against Cherry, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"This is neither Ferguson, nor Staten Island, but it is receiving equal attention," Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association said in reference to the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases in which the men died after police attempted to arrest them.

Palladino called the incident a "verbal discourtesy" and Cherry's punishment "unprecedented," according to the Journal.

The 31/2 minute video caught the detective using profanity and making apparently prejudiced comments to the cab driver.

Below is Seth's video. Warning, foul language:

 

Hadley fire damages house

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A early morning fire damages a Hadley house


An update to this story was posted at 4:35 p.m. Saturday here.
HADLEYHadley firefighters battled a fire in a vacant house on East Street, next to the police and fire complex.

WGGB TV-40 reports that the 2 a.m. fire was noticed by a police officer and reported to the volunteer fire department.

The fire caused heavy damage to the deck and garage of the home, but fire fighters were able to prevent damage to the house.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.


Shortest lunar eclipse of the century dazzles skywatchers before dawn (photos)

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The moment when the moon was completely obscured by Earth's shadow lasted several minutes, making it the shortest lunar eclipse of the century.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The total eclipse of the moon lasted only a short time, but it still dazzled.

Early risers in the western U.S. and Canada should have been able to catch a glimpse before dawn Saturday. The moment when the moon was completely obscured by Earth's shadow lasted several minutes, making it the shortest lunar eclipse of the century.

Some skygazers complained that clouds prevented them from seeing any of the 3 1/2-hour lunar show.

People in eastern Australia, New Zealand and Japan viewed the eclipse at night.

The total eclipse was unusually brief because the moon passed through the upper part of Earth's shadow. Longer eclipses occur when the moon passes through the middle of the shadow.

The next total lunar eclipse occurs in September.

Second Connecticut corrections officer charged with alleged sex assault of female inmate

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Gillette posted $15,000 bail and was released after being charged with second-degree sexual assault.

NIANTIC, Conn. - A 43-year-old male prison guard at the York Correctional Institution has been charged criminally for having sex with a female inmate.

NBC Connecticut and other media outlets report that Matt Gillette, of Groton, Conn., turned himself in to state police on Friday and was charged with second-degree sexual assault. He posted $15,000 bail and was released after pleading not guilty.

Fellow corrections officer Jeff Bromley was charged in February with second-degree sexual assault for an alleged illegal sexual relationship with a prisoner.

An arrest warrant for Bromley stated that a 28-year-old inmate made sexual assault allegations against three correctional officers.

According to WTNH news, the alleged victim told police detectives she had sexual contact with three corrections officers between August and October in 2014. She told investigators Bromley would bring her sushi, ice cream and chocolate-covered cranberries, then began to flirt with her and ultimately asked to take nude pictures of the inmate.

"The sexual incidents occurred in the basement and laundry room of the Davis Building at York C.I," the news station quoted from a police report in February.

Week in Review: Top Western Mass. police & fire news

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The most read Western Massachusetts police and fire stories for the week of March 27- April 3.

'Bittersweet day' as Look Restaurant in Leeds serves its final breakfast

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Staffers said they would miss their customers, many of whom they've come to know well.

NORTHAMPTON -- "It's a bittersweet day," said Denise Schoen, whose brother, Mike Cronin, is closing down the iconic Look Restaurant, which has held down the Route 9 curve in Leeds for more than 50 years.

Saturday was the Look's last day in operation under Cronin, who announced Friday he would close the restaurant while looking for a new owner.

Schoen and her family -- Ali, David, and husband Craig -- were found sitting at a booth during breakfast. "We used to come here on the holidays," said Ali Schoen. "He would close the place down. It was nice. It was a family thing."

While Cronin kept a low profile Saturday ("He's having a hard day," said a restaurant staffer), Schoen placed part of the blame on the recent winter's soaring electricity costs. "It's not easy," she said.

The restaurant, built in the 1950s, was named the Look Restaurant in 1961 by Alan Sylvester, who ran the place with Leo Duvall until 1992. That's when Cronin, the former son-in-law of Sylvester, bought the business.

Customers waited in line mid-morning for a booth or a place at the counter.

"I've been coming here for thirty years, ever since Alan and Leo owned it," said Rich Egan, while chatting with his friend Steve Malinoski of Florence, who was sitting at the counter with his eggs, sunnyside up.

"They know what I'm going to order before I even sit down," said Malinoski. "I've been coming here for years; my dad used to send me here to pick up lunch." Malinoski's father owned the former Mal's Driving Range in Leeds, just up the road on Route 9. "Then it was the place for some of us to stop for breakfast before golfing at the Northampton Country Club."

Lucille Bartus of Chesterfield said the Look has been a place "where you can come in by yourself, and always find people you know. It'll be hard to find a new place to go." Her husband Joe said he and Lucille would always meet his brother-in-law at the Look after attending church on Sunday.

Lauren Guilmette and Kyle Jackson said they had recently moved to Chesterfield, and discovered the Look. "It's a big place for people from the hilltowns," said Guilmette. "The food is amazing. We found out on Facebook yesterday the place is closing. It's sad. This place is the best."

Dana Gillette and her children were finishing up what appeared to be a mountainous breakfast. "I've been coming here since I was born," said Mary Elias-Gillette, 12. Her brother Eli, 9, said his favorite menu item was the Double Up.

"That's two pancakes, two bacon, two sausage, two toast, two eggs and homefries," said the growing boy, adding that he needed no help finishing the entire breakfast by himself.

Staffers were upbeat, friendly, and putting a brave face on a tough situation.

"I'm doing OK," head cook Jeremy Timmins told a customer. "Although I've had better days."

Waitress Amy Garigan said she would miss the people as much as she would miss her job. "We love our customers," she said, while delivering platters of eggs and pancakes to folks sitting at the counter. "We're going to miss them."

Holyoke Spring Celebration and Easter egg hunt draws hundreds to Heritage State Park

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They came bearing baskets and left with candy and prizes. But it was what happened in the middle that brought them out on a cold blustery day. Four separate Easter egg hunts, each age appropriate, allowed kids from toddler to 12 years old to race onto a field at Heritage State Park in Holyoke and grab as many colorful plastic...

They came bearing baskets and left with candy and prizes. But it was what happened in the middle that brought them out on a cold blustery day.

Four separate Easter egg hunts, each age appropriate, allowed kids from toddler to 12 years old to race onto a field at Heritage State Park in Holyoke and grab as many colorful plastic eggs as they could. With parents restricted from entering the area, kids were on their own to gather treasure.

 
From the tentative steps of the toddlers to the feeding frenzy of the under six group, the kids had a ball. Each egg opened to reveal either a piece of candy or a coupon to be exchanged for a prize.

Inside the park's Visitors' Center, face painters kept busy and craft tables offered Easter themed projects. Outside, the Easter Bunny offered high fives and candy to little treasure hunters.

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