The meeting will be reported on live in the comments section.

CHICOPEE - The City Council is expected to vote tonight on a request by the owners of Westover Building Supply to change the zoning of the vacant one-acre parcel of land on Telegraph Avenue from residential to business.

The change has been requested so the business could build a large garage and storage facility on the property next door to its business. Residents have been protesting the idea, calling it spot zoning and airing fears the business could expand.

The City Council has twice put off voting on the issue for different reasons. A total of 10 of the 13 councilors will have to vote yes for the zone change to pass.

The City Council has a full agenda Tuesday night with a total of 51 different issues to be discussed. The meeting starts at 7:15 p.m. in the City Council chambers.

Other items on the agenda including a number of spending requests from the Department of Public Works and a total of $6,000 in requests to purchase equipment and furniture for the new senior center.

Likely to be controversial is a proposed ordinance that would give the City Council naming rights to all city buildings. There has been some dispute between the City Council and the School Committee over which body has the right to name the old Chicopee High School as it is being converted into a middle school. The School Committee has argued it has a policy written on the naming of buildings and past practice gives it the right to name schools.

Masslive will report on the meeting live in the comments section of this story.

A psychiatrist that treated Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's father for post traumatic stress disorder and a variety of other ailments testified on Tuesday that he prescribed him a hefty cocktail of drugs over the course of his treatment.

BOSTON -- A psychiatrist that treated Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's father for post traumatic stress disorder and a variety of other ailments testified on Tuesday that he prescribed him a hefty cocktail of drugs over the course of his treatment.

Alexander Niss testified that Anzor Tsarnaev's life experiences as a boxer, an ethnic Chechen and his experience in the Russia-Chechnya conflict caused him great distress.

Anzor was in such rough shape that he was unable to work and even struggled with light.

Niss said that during his approximate two years of treatment Anzor struggled with anxiety, flashbacks, panic attacks, hallucinations,and paranoia. He often would himself transported back to the old times where he saw "vivid" images of chaos.

The defense has hinted in the past during the trial that Anzor's medical problems left Dzhokhar without a true father figure, opening the door for his brother Tamerlan to play that role. An expert on Chechnya, Princeton University professor Michael Reynolds, testified on Tuesday about the cultural roles that family figures played in the absence of a patriarch.

Additional witnesses on Tuesday include a former wrestling teammate and a wrestling coach at Cambridge Rindge and Latin.

The defense is expected to continue presenting evidence tomorrow with testimony from additional medical experts.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted on April 8 on all 30 counts stemming from the Boston Marathon bombing trial, the Watertown shootout, and the murder of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier. He could be sentenced to death.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 142 points to 17,928.

By MATTHEW CRAFT

NEW YORK -- A combination of concerns knocked the U.S. stock market lower Tuesday, snapping a two-day run.

Crude oil climbed above $60 a barrel for the first time this year, raising expectations for rising inflation and interest rates. Greece's government remained in a standoff with its European creditors as a debt payment looms next week.

"There are some jitters," said Bill Stone, chief investment officer at PNC Asset Management Group. "Greece is definitely part of it. The other part is oil prices going up. That implies more inflation."

Major indexes wavered at the outset of trading, drifted lower throughout the morning, then spent the afternoon slowly ceding ground.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 25.03 points, or 1.2 percent, to 2,089.46. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 142.20 points, or 0.8 percent, to 17,928.20, while the Nasdaq composite fell 77.60 points, or 1.6 percent, to 4,939.33.

The price of oil jumped $1.47 to close at $60.40 a barrel, the first time crude has traded that high since early December, following reports that a Libyan oil terminal had closed. Brent crude rose $1.07 to $67.52 in London.

An impasse in talks between Greece and its lenders raised concerns about the country's ability to handle an upcoming debt payment. Greece will have to scrounge for cash to make a payment of 750 million euros (the equivalent of $840 million) to the International Monetary Fund due on May 12.

Among companies turning in results on Tuesday, Kellogg reported that its quarterly earnings slumped 44 percent as a rising U.S. dollar took a bite out of sales. The maker of Frosted Flakes and Pop Tarts fell 95 cents, or 1 percent, to $63.18.

Walt Disney's stock hit an all-time high after it delivered quarterly results that beat Wall Street's estimates, thanks, in part, to rising revenue from its Walt Disney World Resort and other theme parks. Last weekend, its "Avengers: Age of Ultron" had the second-biggest domestic opening behind the first "Avengers." Disney's stock gave up its early gain and ended the day slightly lower, down 22 cents at $110.81.

The first-quarter earnings season has given investors little to celebrate, said Tim Dreiling, a senior portfolio manager at a division of U.S. Bank Wealth Management. Roughly seven out of every 10 companies in the S&P 500 have reported results that beat analysts' estimates for quarterly profit, according to S&P Capital IQ. Yet more than half have fallen short of revenue targets. "That's what is concerning," Dreiling said.

Major markets in Europe slumped. France's CAC-40 sank 2.1 percent, while Germany's DAX fell 2.5 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 0.8 percent. European government bond prices also fell, shooting government borrowing costs up.

The Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China had its worst day in months, losing 4.1 percent, in turn dragging down Hong Kong's Hang Seng 1.3 percent. Markets in Japan, South Korea and Thailand were shut for holidays.

Back in the U.S., government bond prices fell, nudging the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 2.18 percent from 2.15 percent the day before.

In commodities trading, gold rose $6.40 to end at $1,193.20 an ounce, while silver picked up 14 cents to $16.58 an ounce. Copper added 1 cent to $2.94 a pound.

In other trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

1. Wholesale gasoline rose 2.9 cents to close at $2.063 a gallon.
2. Heating oil rose 3.6 cents to close at $2.015 a gallon.
3. Natural gas fell 4.1 cents to close at $2.780 per 1,000 cubic feet.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the assault on a Texas cartoon contest that featured images of the Prophet Muhammad, but experts say ISIS has a history of asserting involvement in attacks in which it had no operational role.

PHOENIX (AP) -- The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for the assault on a Texas cartoon contest that featured images of the Prophet Muhammad, but counterterrorism experts said IS has a history of asserting involvement in attacks in which it had no operational role.

That suggests the two gunmen could have carried out their own lone wolf-style strike before they were shot and killed at the scene of Sunday's shooting in the Dallas suburb of Garland.

Federal officials identified the pair as Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, both Americans who lived in Phoenix. Federal authorities had been scrutinizing Simpson's social media presence recently but had no indication he was plotting an attack, said one federal official familiar with the investigation.

Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said a Twitter account linked to Simpson included images of Anwar Awlaki, a radical cleric killed in a CIA drone strike in Yemen.

Among the hashtags used by the account was "#texasattack." And one of the final tweets was: "May Allah accept us as mujahideen," or holy warriors.

"Was he on the radar? Sure he was," McCaul said from Turkey, where he was leading a congressional delegation.

The evidence does not indicate the attack was directed by the Islamic State group, "but rather inspired by them," said McCaul, who was briefed on the investigation by federal law enforcement officials. "This is the textbook case of what we're most concerned about."

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said U.S. officials are working to counter terrorist efforts to use social media to radicalize individuals in the United States.

IS recently urged those in the United States, Europe and Australia who cannot safely travel to fight in Syria and Iraq to carry out jihad in the countries where they live. An audio statement on the extremist group's Al Bayan radio station called the men "two soldiers of the caliphate."

The shooting appeared to be another example of a "do-it-yourself" jihadist whose plots are often hard for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to stop, said Mitchell Silber, executive managing director for K2 Intelligence and former director of intelligence analysis for the New York City police department.

"It's very tough to detect in advance, which means we are and will continue to be susceptible to lone actors who don't give us much warning to thwart them," he said.

The cartoon contest had been expected to draw outrage from the Muslim community. According to mainstream Islamic tradition, any physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad -- even a respectful one -- is considered blasphemous, and drawings similar to those featured at the Texas event have sparked violence around the world.

The 31-year-old Simpson and 34-year-old Soofi were wearing body armor, and one of the men shot a security officer in the leg before a single Garland police officer fired on the two gunmen. After his initial shots, nearby SWAT officers also fired, authorities said.

The security officer was treated at a hospital and released.

Simpson was arrested in 2010 after being the focus of a four-year terror investigation. But despite amassing more than 1,500 hours of recorded conversations, including Simpson's discussions about fighting nonbelievers for Allah and plans to link up with "brothers" in Somalia, the government prosecuted him on only one minor charge -- lying to a federal agent. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $600 in fines and court fees.

The men were described as amicable and quiet and were sometimes seen feeding stray cats outside their apartment complex.

Simpson had worshipped at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix for about a decade, but he quit showing up over the past two or three months, the president of the mosque told The Associated Press.

The center's president, Usama Shami, said Simpson would play basketball with mosque members and was involved with the community. Soofi owned a nearby pizza business and would stop in to pray occasionally, he said.

"They didn't show any signs of radicalization," Shami said.

Sharon Soofi, the mother of Soofi, told The Dallas Morning News that her son may have somehow snapped.

"The hard thing is to comprehend is why he would do this and leave an 8-year-old son behind," said his mother, who now lives in a small town southwest of Houston.

In a statement released late Monday by Phoenix law firm Osborn Maledon, Simpson's family said it is "struggling to understand" what happened.

"We are sure many people in this country are curious to know if we had any idea of Elton's plans," the statement said. "To that we say, without question, we did not."

Terrorism expert Ben Venzke, who has been tracking terrorist groups for two decades, said jihadists have shifted their tactics to include not only major targets -- like al-Qaida's attack on the World Trade Center -- but also small ones that are more easily accessible.

In December, for instance, Man Monis, an Iranian-born, self-styled cleric with a long criminal history, took 18 people hostage inside a Sydney cafe, forced them to hold up a flag bearing the Islamic declaration of faith and demanded he be delivered a flag of the Islamic State group. Monis and two hostages were killed.

Oscar Hernandez Jr. had pleaded guilty to charges including gun conspiracy and lying to a grand jury.

By PHILIP MARCELO

BOSTON -- A man who shipped guns to former New England Patriots player and convicted killer Aaron Hernandez was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison.

Oscar Hernandez Jr. 

In a January plea deal, he admitted shipping several guns from Florida to Aaron Hernandez in Massachusetts months before the then-star tight end killed Boston resident Odin Lloyd in 2013.

Oscar Hernandez, who did not supply the murder weapon used in Lloyd's killing, will receive credit for roughly one year already served in prison.

In court Tuesday, the 24-year-old Orlando resident apologized for his actions and promised to find a job so he can provide for his family when he's released.

"There is no question that I deserve my punishment," he said. "I made a bad choice, and I have learned from that bad choice."

Hernandez's public defender Charles McGinty had sought a sentence of one year and one day. Prosecutors had sought a harsher punishment of two years and eight months that could serve as a deterrent to illegal gun sales.

"He's no different than a street gun dealer looking for a profit," said Glenn MacKinlay, an assistant U.S. attorney. "People like Oscar Hernandez are part of the problem of illegal guns ending up in the hands of people who use them."

McGinty pushed back at that argument, saying his client was not selling guns "willy-nilly" but to a celebrity who he expected would use them responsibly. He also noted that Oscar Hernandez was a first-time offender.

"This conduct was singular," McGinty said. "The chance of him engaging in this kind of conduct again is slim to none."

U.S. District Court Judge William Young, in sentencing Oscar Hernandez, said shipping illegal guns is among the most severe crimes the federal court deals with. He said Hernandez had only compounded that crime by lying and encouraging others to lie under oath about it.

In a related development, Aaron Hernandez's lawyers are due back in court May 21 to face two more murder charges.

But Hernandez, who is already serving life in prison without parole, is not expected at the pretrial hearing in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which are related to a 2012 shooting in Boston.

Prosecutors say Hernandez killed Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado after he felt the men disrespected him at a nightclub.

The hearing will be the first court proceeding in the case since Hernandez was tried, convicted and sentenced last month in Lloyd's murder.

Robert Gentile, of Manchester, is accused of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition and selling a loaded gun to a convicted murderer.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A reputed mobster accused by the FBI of being linked to long-sought paintings stolen from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 has pleaded not guilty to weapons charges.

Robert Gentile, of Manchester, is accused of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition and selling a loaded gun to a convicted murderer. The Hartford Courant reported that he entered his plea in federal court Tuesday.

A federal judge denied bail to the 79-year-old Gentile.

Prosecutors said last month that Gentile told an undercover FBI agent he had access to two paintings and could negotiate their sale for $500,000 each.

Gentile's lawyer says the FBI believes his client has not been forthcoming with everything he knows about the heist and has set him up for arrests twice in the last three years.

Under the agreement, which was signed on Monday, the state will have until June 30, 2017 to fully update all of the rates. But human service workers will be getting raises during that time.

BOSTON - A coalition of social service providers has settled a lawsuit with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services over reimbursement rates for human service workers.

Under the agreement, which was signed on Monday, the state will have until June 30, 2017 to fully update all of the rates, with some portion of the rates being updated each year. But human service workers will be getting raises during that time.

"I think this settlement will be widely heralded by our provider community as an important victory not only for the community-based organizations that will be affected by it, but more importantly for the clients and the consumers who will undoubtedly receive a different level of services than they have before," said Michael Weekes, president and CEO of the Providers' Council, an umbrella organization representing human service providers.

Weekes said the extra money will help reduce turnover in the industry and help human service agencies compete for better workers, since workers will be better compensated. It will also help organizations strengthen their financial positions and improve programs and facilities.

The settlement sets different timelines and raises for different groups of providers, depending on whether their rates have been recalculated previously or not, and whether those rates have been updated. For example, those whose rates were never reset and do not have a new contract in place by June 30, 2015, will get a 3.75 percent raises in fiscal year 2016, which begins July 1. Providers will get another 3.75 percent raise the next year if their rates have not been set by then.

Rates are supposed to be updated every two years. Providers whose updates are more than two years overdue will get a retroactive, lump sum payment of 1.9 percent of their 2015 contract. Those whose rates are less than two years overdue will get a retroactive payment of 0.45 percent of their 2015 contract.

Weekes said there is no way to determine a bottom line cost until all the rates are recalculated - a process that generally takes into account the cost of services, inflation and other factors.

Gov. Charlie Baker, in his 2016 budget, has proposed setting aside $30 million to resolve the litigation and adjust the rates.

The settlement must still be approved by a judge.

The Providers' Council wrote in an email to its members, "This is our best and strongest chance in nearly 30 years of uphill battles to get the state to fully set and fund these rates."

Weekes stressed that the settlement does not require the state to purchase any services. "What this agreement says is if you are going to buy those services, you have to pay a fair rate to do that," Weekes said.

The coalition sued the state this summer. The organizations argued that the administration of former governor Deval Patrick failed to fully implement a 2008 law that set a new formula for reimbursing workers who work with people who are homeless, elderly, have substance abuse problems, have disabilities, are at-risk youth or are otherwise vulnerable. The Patrick administration had updated the rates for some workers, but not others.

In January, a Suffolk County Superior Court judge ruled that the state had failed to properly set the rates. The ruling ordered the state to go forward with the proper rate setting process by the beginning of fiscal year 2016, which begins in July.

Baker, during his campaign, pledged to fully fund the law. The Baker administration, which took office in January, has been negotiating with the human service providers since then on a timeline to update the rates and on what payments would be made when.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Amy Hough 

Amy Lee Hough, 35, of Holyoke, passed away on Friday. She was educated through the Holyoke schools, and then went on to work most of her life as a vet tech. She started at a young age at Holyoke Animal Hospital in Holyoke, then worked at Angel Memorial in Springfield and most recently at Southwick Animal Hospital in Southwick. She was known as a kindhearted animal lover who was full of life with a deep love for family and friends. She found happiness in music and shopping, but found the most of her joy in spending time with her boys camping at Camp Overflow in Otis.

"The reasons for the difference in care between a tobacco addict and an opiate addict is stigma and money. Petty reasons to lose a life," Gloucester Police Chief Leondard Campanello said.

GLOUCESTER — In a sweeping policy change on how the Gloucester Police Department will handle certain drug crimes, Chief Leonard Campanello says addicts who surrender their illegal drugs and ask for help will be offered treatment options instead of handcuffs.

Campanello, who made the announcement during a weekend forum in Gloucester, is expected to travel to Washington, D.C., next week to meet with members of the state's congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Seth W. Moulton, D-Salem, and the state's two Democratic senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.

At a citywide forum Saturday, Campanello announced major changes in how police in this small Essex County city will handle the opioid and drug epidemic gripping Massachusetts and the rest of the country.

"We are poised to make revolutionary changes in the way we treat this disease," he told residents at the forum.

Any addict who walks into the Gloucester Police Department with drugs and the remainder of their drug equipment – needles, pipes or other paraphernalia – and asks for help will not be criminally charged, Campanello said. Instead, they will be steered into a treatment program to help them detox and recover.

"We will assign them an 'angel' who will be their guide through the process," Campanello said. "Not in hours or days, but on the spot."

Former Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke raised eyebrows back in 1988 when he called for ''a measured and carefully implemented program of drug decriminalization,'' similar to the repeal of Prohibition, arguing that drug prohibition increases crime and doesn't prevent addiction.

But Schmoke faced opposition not only from the Reagan White House, with its "Just Say No" to drugs campaign – a slogan created and championed by First Lady Nancy Reagan – but also from his own Democratic Party. At the time, New York Mayor Ed Koch called Schmoke ''a brilliant spokesman for a bad idea."

However, Campanello's reality-based treatment argument may gain more traction than Schmoke's equally real, but arguably more controversial legalization argument.

Campanello says he already has support from the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center (the Lahey Clinic) and its affiliate, Gloucester's Addison Gilbert Hospital, which have agreed to fast track addicts by assessing their needs so proper care can be administered quickly.

Gloucester police officials have entered into an agreement with Conley's Drug Store and are working with a CVS store to allow anyone access to Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of a heroin overdose. The goal is to make the anti-overdose medication available without a prescription at little to no cost, according to Campanello.

MASSLIVE / FILE PHOTO 

"The police department will pay the cost of nasal Narcan for those without insurance," he said. "We will pay for it with money seized from drug dealers during investigations. We will save lives with the money from the pockets of those who would take them."

Campanello says Gloucester's mayor, City Council, and local state lawmakers support his planned trip to Washington, where he intends to lobby the federal government to increase the amount of money sent to local communities from illicit drug seizures. That money could be earmarked for drug recovery and prevention services, he said.

"I will bring what Gloucester is accomplishing and challenge them to change at the federal level how we receive aid, support and assistance," Campanello said.

"I will bring the idea of how far Gloucester is willing to go to fight this disease and will ask them to hold federal agencies, insurance companies and businesses accountable for building a support system that can eradicate opiate addiction and provide long term, sustainable support to reduce recidivism," he said.

In the meantime, Campanello has posted Gloucester's proposed game-changer treatment plan to Facebook, where the idea has already been "liked" and "shared" thousands of times.

"I am asking for your help. 'Like' this post, send it to everyone you can think of, and ask them to do the same," Campanello wrote on the department's Facebook page. "Speak your comments. Create strength in numbers. I will bring it with me to show how many voters are concerned about this issue."

Campanello, who spent seven years as a plainclothes narcotics detective, said "lives are literally at stake."

"I've never arrested a tobacco addict, nor have I ever seen one turned down for help when they develop lung cancer, whether or not they have insurance," he said. "The reasons for the difference in care between a tobacco addict and an opiate addict is stigma and money. Petty reasons to lose a life."

UMass President Robert Caret told lawmakers on Tuesday that he doubts university leadership would be willing to increase the system's 8 percent debt limit.

By MATT MURPHY

BOSTON - The building boom across all five University of Massachusetts campuses over the past decade could be coming to an end, according to the outgoing president, as the university approaches its debt limit and will be forced to slow down building growth unless the state assumes some of its debt.

UMass President Robert Caret told lawmakers on Tuesday that he doubts university leadership or the board of trustees would be willing to increase the system's 8 percent debt limit, nor would he be willing to recommend such a change and risk the university's bond rating.

Caret also said that the university is in the very early stages of working with the Boston 2024 Olympic bid organizers to explore the development of up to 16,000 housing units at the site of the former Bayside Expo Center.

"We have made no promises," Caret said. "My opinion is it would have to be public-private. They would have to build it and it would have to be modular." He said financing has not been discussed, but projected UMass Boston may have a future need for about 4,000 of the housing units at student dorms.

The university's march toward its debt ceiling, which requires about $200 million in annual debt service payments, means new academic buildings, housing and sports facilities could be put on hold unless the Legislature were to authorize the state to assume some of the system's building debt.

"We are getting to the point where we can't incur much more debt," Caret told members of the House Bonding Committee. "We will be in a period where we slow down what we can do."

Rep. Michelle DuBois, a newly elected Brockton Democrat, called the ideas of increasing the debt limit or seeing the state assume UMass debt "out there," and Rep. David Vieira, a Falmouth Republican, told Caret he would like to see more public-private development partnerships to foster growth on the campuses.

The House Bonding Committee, chaired by New Bedford Democrat Antonio Cabral, held a higher education oversight hearing on Tuesday during which Caret made what could be his last appearance at a committee hearing before he leaves in July to take over the University of Maryland system.

The incoming UMass president, UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan, met privately for 30 minutes with Gov. Charlie Baker and Education Secretary Jim Peyser before taking questions about the future of UMass, including his vision for development.

Asked about the state assuming some of UMass's debt, Meehan said, "I always thought that was a good idea, but I think there are economic realities to it. I will say that the building boom that UMass has undertaken has been done with a partnership with the Commonwealth and also borrowing on the various campuses."

Meehan said UMass has taken advantage of the lowest interest rates in 30 years and low construction costs to make improvements across the system in order to maintain its edge with other institutions competing for students.

"It was an opportunity where the university had to take advantage and build now otherwise we couldn't be competitive. You can't be a technological institute and have all your buildings be 40 years old, so I think the investments that have been made are significant investments and worthwhile investments but I think at this point we need to step back," Meehan said.

Meehan also said he saw opportunity for partnerships with Olympics organizers, but agreed with Caret that UMass would not likely be in a position to put up its own money for new facilities, such as an Olympic Village or other athlete housing.

"I think it's something that all of the campuses could potentially be involved in because the athletes come three weeks in advance, so I think the University of Massachusetts is willing to work with the folks involved with the Olympics and be as helpful as we can but we want to make sure something is mutually beneficial."

Both Meehan and Caret mentioned the backlog of deferred maintenance on all the campuses, which are home to an aging network of academic buildings and dormitories. Caret pegged the total at $3 billion in deferred maintenance, and said the trustees were considering ramping up spending from its current $200 million a year level to "eliminate it quickly."

UMass holds more than $8 billion in capital assets with over 300 buildings spanning 27 million square feet of space across five campuses, Caret said, but 70 percent of the inventory is more than 30 years old.

At UMass Dartmouth, Caret noted that the entire campus was built at the same time and needs a complete renovation.

"You're dealing with campuses that are quite old," Caret said.

Caret told Rep. Vieira that UMass has spent the past three years developing a pilot program to use public-private partnerships to develop buildings that can generate their own revenue, such as dorms, and the university is working with the Baker administration to navigate state procurement laws.

In Lowell, Meehan used a public-private model to get a new dormitory built and the university makes lease payments to developers and rents the rooms to students. The dormitory project required special legislation.

Cabral sounded a note of caution about developing new dormitories, citing the positive impact on private housing stocks that colleges such as Northeastern University have had by expanding their academic presence in struggling urban neighborhoods in Boston. He said communities around UMass Dartmouth could benefit from similar renewal with the right push from UMass.

"When I hear of new residential buildings being built, I'm not necessarily the first person out there waving the flag," Cabral said.

Despite Moody's adjusted its credit outlook for the UMass Building Authority from stable to negative, but the authority's bond rating has held at AA2 and Caret said he's confident the university can maintain that bond rating under its capital plan.

The outgoing president did, however, suggest it may soon be time for the Legislature to consider a new higher education bond bill. Caret said UMass has borrowed about $500 million of the $1 billion authorized in the last statewide bond bill, and will have totally spent its authorizing within five years.

The borrowing has helped finance a new life sciences lab in Amherst to support science, technology, engineering and math programs, an integrated science facility in Boston that opened last fall, the renovation of the Carney Library on the Dartmouth campus and a new emerging technology center in Lowell.

"In next few years, we will need a new higher ed bond reauthorization," Caret said. "We believe together working with the state we can figure out a way to continue the capital needs of the campuses."

The mayor said the actions of the four men in helping at the accident show the great stories that Holyoke produces.

Updated at 9:58 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, 2015 to include photo of Joanne Dumas.

HOLYOKE -- Four men were honored at City Hall Tuesday (May 5) for rescuing Joanne Dumas from an accident April 18 that flipped her car in the air on Cabot Street and shattered a shoulder and broke an ankle.

"I can't thank them enough. There's nothing really that I can put into words that I can say to thank them," said Dumas, 61, of Holyoke.

Micheal Westbrook, 41, Jimmy Oliver, 60, Jose Ruiz, 43, and Cleveland Borden, 35 were given proclamations by state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke, Mayor Alex B. Morse and the City Council during the council meeting for their efforts in helping Dumas out of her car and carrying her to safety.

"It's absolutely my pleasure to welcome the four of you," said Ward 4 Councilor Jossie M. Valentin, and to Dumas, "We wish her a speedy recovery."

The accident occurred on a Saturday afternoon as Dumas drove her 2013 Ford Escape on Cabot Street. Another car struck hers at Elm Street. Her car spun and was jolted into the air, said Dumas, who sat in a wheelchair at City Council Chambers.

"It sounded like a jet engine hit my car. The nurses were surprised that I remember everything. I remember the windows cracking. I remember the air bags (deploying). Some sort of gas was leaking," Dumas said.

Joanne Dumas of Holyoke at Holyoke City Hall Tuesday (May 5).(MIKE PLAISANCE / THE REPUBLICAN) 

Dumas, who attended the meeting with husband Harold Dumas, said the accident crushed her right shoulder and cracked her left ankle, and she also suffered whiplash. She works at the Advantage Staffing Associates Inc. temp-agency in West Springfield, she said.

Of the four men, some worked in the area and others lived there, Valentin said.

"But regardless of the reason, they were all able to be there," she said.

Morse said the actions of Westbrook, Oliver, Ruiz and Borden show the great stories that come out of Holyoke.

"These kinds of actions, I think, just resonate so much," Vega said.

Voters elected four fresh faces to the Board of Selectmen and Hamsphire Regional School Committee.

SOUTHAMPTON -- Voters ousted two incumbents and elected four fresh faces to the Board of Selectmen and Hampshire Regional School Committee in Monday's annual town election.

Newcomers Charles J. Kaniecki and Shannon Cutler defeated longtime Selectman David McDougall in a three-way race for two seats, reports the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Kaniecki received 305 votes, Cutler 302 votes, and McDougall trailed with 256 votes.

Incumbent Joseph Moynahan narrowly lost a three-way race for two seats on the regional school board to newcomers Margaret Larson and Tammy Walunas. Larson received 311 votes, Walunas 296 votes, and Moynahan 279 votes. The Hampshire Regional School District serves the five towns of Chesterfield, Goshen, Southampton, Westhampton and Williamsburg.

In the only other contested race, Jeffrey M. Dugas soundly beat Charles D. Kaniecki for a three-year seat on the Board of Health, 301-175. Charles D. Kaniecki is the son of Select Board member Charles J. Kaniecki.

Just under 12 percent of the town's 4,339 registered voters came out to the polls, with 512 ballots cast, the Gazette reports. The elected positions are for three-year terms.

The five selectmen, who serve three-year overlapping terms, are now Kaniecki and Cutler, Elizabeth Moulton, Jacqueline Sears, and John Martin.

In related news, Southampton's annual Town Meeting is set for Tuesday, May 19, at 7 p.m. at the Norris Elementary School.

Sackaroff was perhaps best known locally for his starring role in Curry's TV commercials, which usually involved Sackaroff and a co-worker dressing up in costumes and playing various famous characters.

CHICOPEE — Howard Sackaroff, executive manager of Chicopee-based Curry Honda and Nissan, has died, according to a message posted on Curry's Facebook page on Tuesday.

Sackaroff, a New York City native who grew up in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, was not only a savvy car salesman and manager but also the public face of the Curry brand in Western Massachusetts, where he regularly starred in spoof commercials that made both Sackaroff, with his undeniable New York accent, and the brand he was promoting instantly recognizable.

"We are so proud to have called Howard a friend as well as a trusted and respected colleague," the Curry company said on Facebook. "We have learned much from Howard, and we navigated many challenges and successes together."

Company officials offered their thoughts and prayers to Sackaroff's family, especially his two sons and grandchildren.

Raised in a middle class Brooklyn neighborhood, Sackaroff was "a bright student" who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, but turned down medical school for an opportunity in the auto industry, according to an online profile. "Cars just seemed to be in my blood since I was a toddler," he said.

His first job was as an auto technician, the first of many positions he held in the industry before purchasing and operating Kinney Chevrolet in Brooklyn. The company went on to become one of the largest suppliers of taxi cabs in New York City, the profile states.

Sackaroff later purchased Sansone Auto Group in New Jersey, where he was awarded "General Manager of the Year" three times in four years. That got the attention of the United Automotive Group (later known as Penske Automotive Group), which offered him a chance to run its Chevrolet store in Danbury, Connecticut, closer to his home in the Fairfield County town.

When UAG sold the store back to General Motors Co., Sackaroff went to work for the Curry Group and opened Curry Honda in Chicopee in 1998. In 2005, he went on to run Danbury Dogde, Hyundai and Isuzu, until returning to the Curry Group in 2009. As of December 2010, Howard had been executive manager of Curry Nissan and Honda.

Below are some of Sackaroff's more memorable Curry TV commercials, co-starring fellow Curry employee, Maria Vidot-Brown:

The crash happened around 8 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Granby and Hadley Village roads, according to Western Mass News, media partner of MassLive / The Republican.

SOUTH HADLEY — Massachusetts State Police were investigating a three-vehicle collision with injuries on Granby Road (Route 202) in South Hadley on Tuesday night.

The crash happened at about 8 p.m. near the intersection of Granby and Hadley Village roads, according to Western Mass News, media partner of MassLive / The Republican.

There was no immediate word on how many people were involved in the crash and the extent of their injuries. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

One lane was closed as authorities investigated and cleanup crews began the process of removing wreckage from the roadway.

The incident triggered large police responses to Kensington Avenue, the scene of the crime, and to Rupert Street, where the stolen car was recovered.

SPRINGFIELD — Police were investigating a shooting and the gunpoint robbery of a car in the city's Forest Park neighborhood early Wednesday morning.

Police responded to a 12:10 a.m. ShotSpotter activation indicating six rounds in the area of 157 Kensington Ave., where a white Hyundai Sonata was stolen after gunfire rang out, according to preliminary police reports. There were no apparent injuries in the incident.

The Sonata was recovered a short while later on Rupert Street, several blocks from Kensington Avenue., where a heavy police presence remained on scene investigating until shortly before 1 a.m.

Police searched the Sonata, whose trunk and doors were open, while a K-9 unit and several officers checked the area around Rupert Street, a short street running between White Street and Kimberly Avenue. That effort was suspended around 12:50 a.m. after authorities were unable to find any suspects.

The shooting occurred along the same stretch of Kensington Avenue where a man was shot to death 11 months ago.

Blue Duval, 54, who is serving her second term as at large member of the School Committee is alleged in the private complaint to have agreed to take care for a woman's dog, then said she would keep the dog because her daughter had become attached to it.

NORTHAMPTON — A Northampton School Committee member was charged in court Monday with larceny under $250 in a dispute over a dog.

Blue Duval, 54, who is serving her second term as at large member of the School Committee, is alleged in the private complaint to have agreed to take care of a woman's dog, then said she would keep the dog because her daughter had become attached to it.

According to court records, Rachel May Arial of Sunderland was looking for someone to temporarily care for her dog, Beethoven. A friend suggested Duval, the two met and Arial handed over Beethoven on Jan. 1.

In February, according to the complaint, Arial notified Duval that she had found an apartment and wanted Beethoven back. Duval replied that her daughter had become attached to the dog and that she would not give him back. Arial maintains that Duval misunderstood her concerning the arrangement.

Lawyer Jesse Adams, who represents Duval, had a different version of events. Adams, who is vice president of the Northampton City Council, said Arial was homeless and could not care for the dog herself.

"After she got back on her feet, the former owner wanted her dog back," Adams said. "Ms. Duval is a dedicated public servant who was given the dog into her care. She has committed no crime and is completely innocent of that false allegation."

Northampton District Court Judge W. Michael Goggins released Duval on her own recognizance and scheduled a pretrial hearing for June 9. Court documents do not say what kind of dog Beethoven is.

The new mobile market will hit the road in July.

SPRINGFIELD — It's not always easy to purchase the healthiest food. If it's a choice between processed food at the corner store or having to wait for a bus or get a taxi to get fresh produce, often times people opt for what's easiest.

The Springfield Food Policy Council was created in 2009 to make healthy food accessible to people across the city, so that people find it easier to make healthy choices. Their efforts have recently been rewarded with a van donated by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, which will serve as a mobile market.

"The Go Fresh mobile market is part of a larger effort to address food insecurity issues in the city," said Janet Rodriguez-Denney, director of Elder Affairs for the city. "This project expands access to local fruits and vegetables to almost all neighborhoods in the city."

The mobile market has been around for five years and has delivered more than 20,000 pounds of fresh produce every summer since then. Recently the school bus they were using broke down. PVTA and PeoplesBank stepped in donating a van and $10,000 from the bank to make the necessary renovations to the vehicle.

"We have a couple of options when we get new vehicles. We can sell the old vehicle or get a retirement job for the older vehicles," said Mary L. MacInnes, administrator of the PVTA, noting that other vehicles have been provided for elder affairs and emergency transportation for the city.

"We are ecstatic and excited about this mobile market," said Synthia Scott-Mitchell, founder and president of the Mason Square Farmer's Market. " We have been envisioning an upgraded vehicle for over a year now. We were blessed by the generous donation of the bus by PVTA and had the great fortune to partner with PeoplesBank."

"We are very excited about this bus and can't wait until it's up and running and we can continue growing for them," said Qamaria Amatul-Wadud, who is with Gardening the Community, a local community garden that grows produce for the market.

Joseph Krupczynski, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, will be designing the renovated van.

"As the bus travels throughout the city it is a promotion for fresh, healthy, local food and that is why there will be a graphic wrap design featuring vegetables and the GoFresh logo," he said.

One side of the van will open up to create a platform and shelves for the vegetables to be displayed, he said.

The bus will be up and running in in July. A schedule of stops will be available on the Food Policy Council website.

The fire reportedly broke out some time after 4 p.m. Wednesday at a three-story structure on Kelton Street, according to social media reports.

ORANGE — Firefighters were battling a blaze that broke out shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday at a three-story building in the Franklin County town of Orange, according to social media reports.

Orange Fire Chief Dennis Annear could not immediately be reached for comment. But the Facebook page for Fireground360 – the North Hatfield-based social media site maintained by members of the first responder community – said the structure fire on Kelton Street led authorities to shut off power to the street, which is just off West Main Street (Route 2A).

Another social media site, NeEmergencyNewsWX, tweeted that "heavy fire" was coming from the building, which was at risk of "imminent collapse."

This information could not immediately be confirmed with Orange Fire Department officials.

MAP showing approximate location of fire:

The Norfolk district attorney's office said Marcelino Correia was arraigned Wednesday at a Boston hospital where he is recovering from injuries sustained in the April 27 crash.

AVON -- A 27-year-old Brockton man is charged with motor vehicle homicide in the deaths of two passengers when he crashed his car fleeing a traffic stop.

The Norfolk district attorney's office said Marcelino Correia was arraigned Wednesday at a Boston hospital where he is recovering from injuries sustained in the April 27 crash.

Charges against him include motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence, negligently causing serious injury to two other passengers, and driving with a suspended license. He pleaded not guilty and is held without bail.

Police said a Brockton officer tried to stop Correia for driving violations at about 3 a.m. April 27, but he kept driving and struck a utility pole in Avon. Denise Moreira and Matthew Andrade, both 21, of Brockton, died.

The Enterprise of Brockton reports Correia has an extensive record of traffic violations.

A caller is asking people to leave money in their mailbox for slain New York Police Officer Brian Moore.

CHICOPEE - The Chicopee Police Department is warning residents of the latest phone scam that is traveling through the city.

A caller has been asking city residents to make donations for New York City Police Officer Brian Moore, 25, who was shot in the head over the weekend while working and died on Monday, Michael Wilk, media officer for the Chicopee Police Department said.

The caller tells residents to leave cash in their mailbox and Officer Michael Wilk would pick it up.

"I am certainly not picking up donations. Please do not leave any money," Wilk said.