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Northampton City Council approves CPA funds for Pulaski Park project

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The $1.45 million is nearly ten time the $180,000 that the Community Preservation Committee has left in its kitty. The city will bond for the rest of the money.

NORTHAMPTON — The City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve $1.53 million in Community Preservation Act funds for several projects, including $1.45 million to renovate Pulaski Park.

The $1.45 million is nearly 10 times the $180,000 that the Community Preservation Committee has left in its kitty. The city will bond for the rest of the money.

The council also appropriated $30,000 in CPA funds to buy open space near the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation area, $20,000 to a fund supervised by the Conservation Commission to buy land and agricultural restrictions and $3,000 to restore the Seth Thomas clock and install it in the renovated Pulaski Park.

Northampton voters adopted the Community Preservation Act by ballot question in 2005. It allows the city to raise money for housing, historical, recreational and conservation-related projects through a property tax levy. Voters decided that levy would be 3 percent of their property taxes.

At first, the state matched the money collected almost dollar-for-dollar, using fees charged by the registries of deeds in Massachusetts. The first year the CPA was in effect, the state paid $714,000 and Northampton raised $733,000, according to Sarah LaValley, the Planning Department liaison to the Community Preservation Committee.

As more communities adopted the act, however, the state pot of money was spread thin. At the same time, the number of deeds processed through the registries decreased. Now, the state pays only about 30 percent of what Northampton raises through the surcharge, LaValley said.

Downey Meyer, the chairman of the Community Preservation Committee, which recommends projects for funding, said it will take another $600,000 to renovate the lower part of Pulaski Park. A $400,000 state grant will be used along with CPA funds for the upper portion of the renovation.

The order authorizing the appropriation stipulates that none of the funds be used to plant an evergreen tree that will replace the current one in the center of the park, which has been decorated with lights for Christmas.



Photos: Margaritas in May at the Wood Museum of Springfield History

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SPRINGFIELD - Margaritas in May was held Thursday, May 7 at the Wood Museum of Springfield History. The event is part of the Springfield Museum's Culture & Cocktail series. People attending the event could immerse themselves in Springfield history while enjoying Margarita samples. The event featured food and beverages provided by Log Rolling Catering and the Small Planet Dancers performed....

SPRINGFIELD - Margaritas in May was held Thursday, May 7 at the Wood Museum of Springfield History.

The event is part of the Springfield Museum's Culture & Cocktail series. People attending the event could immerse themselves in Springfield history while enjoying Margarita samples.

The event featured food and beverages provided by Log Rolling Catering and the Small Planet Dancers performed.

Hartford man tased in Vermont after allegedly stashing heroin, resisting arrest

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Jose M. Restrepo, 34, was charged with heroin possession and resisting arrest, Vermont State Police Cpl. Mark A. Busier said.

SHARON, Vt. — A 34-year-old Connecticut man received a jolt from a Taser after allegedly resisting arrest and trying to hide heroin at a Vermont highway rest area late Wednesday night.

Hartford resident Jose M. Restrepo was taken into custody at about 11:55 p.m. at the park-and-ride facility off I-89 in Sharon, Vermont, after police allegedly found him trying to stash an unknown item near a vehicle.

Investigating troopers found a sleeve of heroin containing 50 bags of the drug where Restrepo had just attempted to hide the item, according to Cpl. Mark A. Busier, of the Vermont State Police barracks in Royalton.

Police said Restrepo resisted being taken into custody, prompting troopers to tase him.

Restrepo was held on $5,000 bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, Vermont. He was expected to be arraigned Thursday in Windsor County District Court in White River Junction on charges of heroin possession and resisting arrest. The outcome of that hearing wasn't immediately available.

Police initially came in contact with Restrepo after responding to a 911 call about a "dazed" man walking in the street near the park-and-ride on Vermont 132, just south of Exit 2 on I-89. A second caller reported that Restrepo was trying to enter a residence, police said.



 

Greenfield car dealership building torn down; new Toyota facility on tap: video, photos

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Carved panels featuring the history of transportation have been preserved for reuse.

GREENFIELD -- An mid-20th-century car dealership building at 1 Main St. is no more.

Crumpled sections of the old Toyota-Ford of Greenfield building could be seen traveling through the air Thursday, hoisted by a giant crane, as workers labored to demolish the outdated showroom.

"The manufacturers want the dealerships to have more modern facilities," said sales manager Craig Bodenstein. "We'll start building the new showroom as soon as the old one is cleared away."

A 32,000 square-foot, $7.4 million facility is planned. The parts and service area was completed in March, and is already in use. That section features an energy-efficient, well-lit, lightweight steel workspace with clean floors and a high ceiling.

In a bow to the past, the town's Historical Commission had around eight bas-relief panels removed from the old building and set aside. The white terracotta panels represent a history of transportation and feature covered wagons, trains, planes, and automobiles.

The panels will be incorporated into the design of a planned parking garage on Olive Street, said town planner Eric Twarog.

According to the website Roadside Architecture, Ford of Greenfield occupied the building since around 1954, and the showroom has been in place since at least the 1940s.

The project contractors are Integrated Builders of Rockland. Planning for the new facility began in 2012. Construction will take place over the summer.


This is what a bank robbery looks like from the teller's perspective

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Anyone who recognizes the robber is asked to call Vermont State Police detectives at the Middlesex barracks at 802-229-9191. Watch video

Click HERE for related coverage.



WAITSFIELD, Vt. — Vermont State Police have released surveillance footage of a bank robbery that occurred Tuesday in Waitsfield.

Anyone who recognizes the robber is asked to call Vermont State Police detectives at the Middlesex barracks at 802-229-9191.

A second view of the crime shows the suspect as he enters the bank and draws his gun.

 


Pamela Geller now has bulletproof vest, but no regrets about anti-Islam art show

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Here's are five things to know about the organizers of the Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas.

NEW YORK -- Does Pamela Geller regret organizing the Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest that ended in gunfire?

No, she says confidently. In fact, she says, she probably saved lives by hosting the event and plans to have more just like it, with one difference: Next time, she'll be wearing a bulletproof vest.

"I will continue to speak in defense of freedom until the day I die," Geller said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press, as a grim-looking personal security guard hovered nearby. "It's just that simple. It's not even a choice. It's a calling."

Here's are five things to know about Geller as she pursues her calling:

1. She has stepped up personal security amid threats: Geller has always hired armed security personnel to protect the scores of events she has spearheaded across the nation in recent years to decry Islamic extremism.

But furor over Sunday's shooting in Garland, Texas, has led to a specific threat against Geller, posted on a website related to the Islamic State group, and the New York Police Department is taking it seriously. Now she doesn't travel anywhere without protection.

2. She doesn't think the Garland event should be blamed for inciting violence:  Any depiction of the Prophet Muhammad is offensive to some Muslims. At the cartoon contest in Texas, about 30 illustrations of the prophet were propped up on easels. One depicted a pencil shoved through Muhammad's body. Another showed Muhammad wearing a turban that doubled as a bomb, with a lit fuse protruding from the top.

However, Geller argued that any blame should be focused on extremists who can't be criticized or lampooned without resorting to violence.

"Cartoons are political critique. It's a cartoon," she said. "Is that what we want to outlaw? We want to outlaw humor? We want to outlaw comedy? If you want to know who rules over you, find out who you cannot criticize."

She believes she saved lives by hosting the contest because the two Muslim gunmen shot to death by police would have picked another soft target and killed innocent civilians.

"Would you regret saving lives?" she asked.

3. 9/11 inspired her to act. Geller, 56, was once part of the elite media machine she professes to despise, working for the business operations of the Daily News and the New York Observer. Then, she was a self-described "apolitical" mother who paid little mind to world affairs.

"I loved my fashion. I loved my life. I loved my career," she said with a smile. "I assumed my freedom. I grew up free, you know? I grew up in the freest country in the world. And I loved it."

Then, she said, "9/11 happened. And it was shattering."

Ignorant of terrorism, Geller said she dived deeply into the Internet to learn more. She joined a burgeoning online community obsessed with jihad and terrorism. She began opining in the comments section. One day in 2004, a fellow commenter encouraged her to create her own blog.

"I'm like, 'What's a blog?'" Geller recalled. "And he said, 'Shut up and start writing.'"

Geller was raised in a Jewish household on Long Island and champions Israel as a "beacon of freedom in a very oppressed and violent region," but she said she is not motivated by religious fervor.

Sept. 11, Geller said, "threatened my freedom. It threatened the air that I breathe. This is nothing short of a battle between freedom and slavery."

In 2010, Geller famously led a campaign to prevent the opening of an Islamic community center blocks from the World Trade Center site, calling it the "ground zero mosque." She has filed numerous lawsuits across the U.S. in recent years, many of them related to her attempts to display incendiary ads in public transit systems.

Most recently, New York City's transit authority banned all political advertising after a judge upheld Geller's right to run bus ads about Islam that said, "Killing Jews is worship that draws us close to Allah."

4. What do her critics think?: Her activities have prompted the Southern Poverty Law Center to add her to its extremist files, calling her "the anti-Muslim movement's most visible and flamboyant figurehead."

In an editorial Thursday, The New York Times said Geller "has a long history of declarations and actions motivated purely by hatred for Muslims" and called the Garland event "an exercise in bigotry and hatred posing as a blow for freedom. ... To pretend it was motivated by anything other than hate is simply hogwash."

5. She has a large group of followers: She has nearly 68,000 Twitter followers and a devoted army of virtual supporters for her websites, books and public events.

Geller was hailed by many event attendees, some of whom took books for her to sign and posed for selfies with her.

Barbara Parlett works in Irving, a Dallas suburb with a significant Muslim population and the site of ongoing heated debates about a local religious tribunal established by three Muslims.

"(How did) Islam come into my city and is trying to take it over? I felt like I just woke up or something," Parlett said. "So ever since then, I'm trying to stand up for Christians, for America."

6. Where Geller gets funding: As head of an organization called the American Freedom Defense Initiative, she took in $960,000 in donations in 2013, paying herself a salary of $192,500, according to tax filings.

Donations pour in from the PayPal button on her website, Geller said, adding that she has "no idea" how much money she has raised.

Records do not list donors, but a recent report by the Center for American Progress, a think tank in Washington, said Geller's top donors included the Fairbrook Foundation, which supports a number of mainstream conservative groups.

Mutliple fire crews battle Huntington brushfire

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The brushfire burned a roughly 20-acre area in Huntington, according to Fireground360, the social media site maintained by area first responders.

HUNTINGTON — Multiple fire crews extinguished a brushfire that broke out late Thursday afternoon in rural Huntington.

Huntington firefighters and crews from other area departments battled the fire from the ground, while a Massachusetts State Police Air Wing unit circled above the Pisgah Road area, where the fire was reported shortly after 5 p.m.

Fire crews responded to the wooded area after receiving fire reports from spotters at the Pelham fire tower, according to Western Mass News, media partner of MassLive / The Republican.

The TV news station said officials believe the blaze may have been sparked by a downed power line, which spread flames quickly given the dry conditions.

Fireground360, which posted photos of the fire to its Facebook page, reports that the fire burned a roughly 20-acre area. There was no immediate word on any injuries related to the incident.



Springfield Mayor Sarno files $594.9 million budget including $4 million in MGM revenue

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Sarno said the $4 million in yearly revenues from MGM is "separate from any anticipated building revenue, but we are excited to report that MGM's construction projects are under way."

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno Thursday filed a $594.9 million budget for fiscal year 2016 with the City Council that maintains core services, avoids layoffs and keeps a "rainy day" fund intact with the help of $4 million from MGM – the first of yearly guaranteed revenues the city will be able to build into its budget as a result of its host-agreement with the casino developer.

Work on MGM's $800 million casino development project is under way in the city's South End in several blocks that were hit hard by the June 1, 2011, tornado that tore a disastrous 39-mile path through Western Massachusetts.

The mayor's proposed budget represents a 2.2 percent increase over the previous year and is the first budget to avoid using reserve funds since fiscal year 2008, Sarno said in a letter to the City Council presenting the spending plan.

Sarno said the $4 million in yearly revenues from MGM is "separate from any anticipated building revenue, but we are excited to report that MGM's construction projects are under way."

The mayor said the city "continues to maintain strong financial positions through improved bond ratings, and in FY 16 we will maintain the city's $40 million stabilization account, and again avoid layoffs."

While the mayor said the budget was not without difficult decisions and tough compromises,
"citywide we will continue to preserve core services, provide targeted investments in public safety, economic development and community services – all while utilizing a restricted amount of potential tax revenue."

Sarno said a projected $14.5 million deficit was been addressed without the need for stabilization reserve funds, by transferring $10 million from unrestricted free cash into the stabilization account, bringing the balance to more than $40 million.

In addition to the budget, the mayor's report highlighted other investments:

$2.7 billion in economic development projects including MGM and CNR Changchun Railway projects and Union Station;

A $10 million investment in parks and recreation including fully staffed golf courses and improvements and enhancement to city parks including Nathan Bill Park;

Workforce development investments, and

Public Safety investments including 30 new police cadets, bringing the police force to 409 officers for an overall staff of 556.



Neil deGrasse Tyson offers words of wisdom to UMass Class of 2015

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Neil degrasse Tyson said science matters and graduates should learn to understand it.

Related: UMass Amherst bestows about 5,500 diplomas at 2015 Commencement


AMHERST — University of Massachusetts Class of 2015 graduates got a final lesson before receiving diplomas Friday evening – words of wisdom from master astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

About 5,500 received undergraduate degrees beneath a sun that produced temperatures as high as 86 degrees at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

"They said I would have eight minutes," said Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, author and multi-media star. "The universe needs a little more than eight minutes. I need at least nine minutes, maybe 10 to share things you should know going forward in life. Maybe you already know it. I don't think everyone knows all of this."

He talked about the urge to blame politicians and his discomfort with the government spying on its citizens. He also talked about the importance of helping others. What he said drew laughs as well as a standing ovation. But couched in humor, his remarks had poignancy as well.

Among his lessons: "Whatever your GPA is (now) rapidly becomes irrelevant in your life. I cannot begin to impress how irrelevant it becomes."

He said graduates can ask anyone about the last time they were asked about it; what's important instead, he said, is answering questions such as "are you hard worker (or) are you a problem solver."

UMass graduation 11.JPGUMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy (left) with graduation speaker Neil deGrasse Tyson.  

He talked about how science matters. People living in caves had fresh air, clean water and free-range food, but he said, their life expectancy was 35 years. "There's something more going on in lives brought to you by innovation and science and technology. Consider this before you start saying I don't like science."

Innovation, science and technology will drive the 21st century, and that also means accepting its objective truths. "Objective truths are true whether or not you believe in them," he said.

He said people can't say, "I want to repeal the law of gravity because I gained 10 pounds last month."

Tyson said graduates need science literacy because they should not disengage from "important decisions that affect us all. You should be thinking about how to learn. Understand what it is and why. Your brain is wired for thought."

He said, "It becomes a pastime to blame politicians for the ills of the world. I understand the urge to do that; however, at the end of the day the politician is a representative of an electorate. ... They're duly elected officials."

If people don't like the elected leaders, "you have an issue with your fellow citizens that put them there," he said.

Tyson also talked about growing up during the Cold War Era and how the perception was that the Russians were not free. He said Americans thought, "they have to show their IDs everywhere they go. That country spies on their own citizens. I remember saying that about the Soviet Union. Like there are cameras everywhere. I don't know that means."

And now, Tyson said, "I don't know what's happening to the world (today) with the government spying on its citizens. ... You're up next in the batter's box – if it's OK with you that everyone is looking at you ... it's not OK with me. I remember what it truly meant to live in a free society."

He also said, "We live in a world where not everyone has the urge to help others." Some say people should just pull themselves up by their bootstraps, Tyson said.

"It's OK to encourage others to pull themselves up by their boot straps. But just remember that some people have no boots," he said.

Tyson met with the media before he spoke and said he wanted to speak at graduation because it's "one of the more special moments in a person's life" and he wanted to be part of "that ritual of passage."


Colorado BBQ restaurant's 'White Appreciation Day' fires up critics

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Owners of Rubbin Buttz BBQ and Country Cafe in Milliken, Colorado, hung a sign reading "White Appreciation Day! June 11th. Because all Americans should be celebrated!!"

The Latino owners of a barbecue restaurant in northern Colorado originally meant it as a joke -- celebrating white customers with their own appreciation day.

Then they got serious about it -- including a 10 percent discount for white customers on June 11 -- and that's prompted a backlash alleging racial discrimination as well as badly misguided marketing.

Edgar Antillon and Miguel Jimenez, owners of Rubbin Buttz BBQ and Country Cafe in Milliken, hung a sign reading "White Appreciation Day! June 11th. Because all Americans should be celebrated!!"

Antillon, who was born to Mexican parents, said he thought there needed to be a white counterpart to Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. According to KUSA-TV in Denver, he decided that "the least we could do is offer one day to appreciate white Americans."

About 82 percent of the town's residents are white, according to 2010 Census numbers, the New York Daily News reported.

The backlash quickly began.

Ricardo Romero, a civil rights activist in northern Colorado, called the plan "a perpetuation of racism."

"It's wrong. If you're going to give a discount, give it to the whole community," he said.

Others see a lack of understanding of race in America.

"Every day is White Appreciation Day," Kevin Klassen wrote on Facebook, MSNBC reported. "That's the point. There are inherent advantages to being white in our society."

The discount might also be illegal in Colorado.

People who believe the restaurant is discriminating against them can file a complaint with the state's civil rights division, according Jennifer McPherson with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

On Friday, a post by the restaurant on its Facebook page indicated it wasn't backing down from "White Appreciation Day!"

"Although we've had overwhelming support for it, there are a few who are filled with hate and/or misunderstanding. People full of hate and negativity want your attention, don't give it to them. Stay happy!"

We're sure many of you have heard about our event coming up on June 11th. (You can find it online)Although we've had...

Posted by RUBBIN' BUTTZ BBQ on Friday, May 8, 2015

UMass Amherst bestows about 5,500 diplomas at 2015 Commencement

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UMass students have jobs lined up following graduations

Related:

Neil deGrasse Tyson offers words of wisdom to UMass Class of 2015

Twins from Longmeadow graduate from UMass with same degree, same career


AMHERST — Veronica Gordon, a pre-vet student from Chelmsford, would be having a busy few days.

She received her degree from the University of Massachusetts on Friday, and on Sunday was heading to North Carolina. The graduate had a dream job with a North Carolina bird rehabilitation facility. "It's exactly what I wanted. I love birds." She starts Tuesday.

She was one of the 5,500 who received diplomas during the 145th Commencement Ceremonies at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

It was a warm day, but there was an early evening breeze. Students were treated to a commencement address by Neil deGrasse Tyson, a talk that drew a standing ovation.

It was also the final address from UMass President Robert L. Caret, who is leaving next month to become chancellor of the University of Maryland system. University of Massachusetts Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan has been named to replace him.

Gordon wasn't the only one with work. Her friend Emily O'Brien from Braintree was going to teach horseback riding and had a job as a barn manager, and that's just what the animal science major wanted as well.

Student after student had futures lined up – graduate school or work. Nationally, hiring is expected to increase by 16 percent for those with bachelor's degrees over last year, with those in the science, technology, engineering and math fields seeing the strongest success.

Huy Huynh of Springfield, who graduated with a degree in economics, already had a job as a financial planner and will attend Western New England University for an MBA. He said he had a great education at UMass and feels fully prepared for his future.

Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, who was cheered as he was introduced, told students to "come back as often as you can. The door is always open for more degrees."

Former UMass basketball head coach John Calipari and currently head coach at Kentucky received a Distinguished Achievement Award along with UMass alum Charles H. Sherwood, president, chief executive officer and member of the board of directors of Anika Therapeutics and alum Patricia Crosson.

She was director of the Institute for Education Policy, deputy provost, and interim provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at UMass.

Tyson earned an honorary doctorate of science degree.


Dog in Arkansas expected to make full recovery after eating 23 bullets

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Owner Larry Brassfield said Benno has eaten socks, magnets and marbles, but he didn't expect the animal would bother a bag of bullets by his bed.

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. (AP) -- An Arkansas veterinarian has kept a dog from going out with a bang after the animal ate 23 live rifle rounds.

Benno, the 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, had surgery last week to remove the .308 caliber ammunition from his stomach, The Baxter Bulletin reported.

Owner Larry Brassfield said Benno has eaten socks, magnets and marbles, but he didn't expect the animal would bother a bag of bullets by his bed. Brassfield and his wife realized Benno needed medical attention after the pet vomited up four rounds.

Veterinarian Sarah Sexton at All Creatures Animal Hospital removed 17 rounds from Benno's stomach but left two in his esophagus, which the dog was allowed to discharge on his own.

"This is something they certainly did not cover in school," Sexton said. "I've had dogs eat things before, mostly stuffed toys. Once I had one swallow a hearing aid, but I think this takes the cake."

Brassfield said he won't leave ammo lying around anymore but isn't optimistic that Benno will stick to dog food.

"You can baby-proof a house," Brassfield said. "But I don't think it's possible to Benno-proof a house. Lord knows, we've tried and failed."

Unexpected triumph means British Prime Minister David Cameron no longer has to share power

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The election ushers in a new era in British politics, with veteran lawmakers ousted by a public that made clear it had lost trust in its political leaders.

By DANICA KIRKA
and JILL LAWLESS

LONDON -- After years of sharing power, David Cameron pulled off an unexpected election triumph that gave the Conservative prime minister a second term with an outright majority Friday and dealt a stinging defeat to his three main rivals.

Standing before the glistening black door of 10 Downing Street, Cameron pledged to govern as the party of "one nation, one United Kingdom." But he faces a fractured Britain -- divided by rich and poor, by separatist gains in Scotland and by doubts over its place in the European Union.

The election ushers in a new era in British politics, with veteran lawmakers ousted by a public that made clear it had lost trust in its political leaders. The victors included a 20-year-old Scottish nationalist who beat out a senior Labour Party leader in Scotland.

It was also unexpected. Polls had predicted a dead heat -- a result that would have meant days of haggling to form a new government. Queen Elizabeth II was out of town at her castle in Windsor, and needed to rush back to London for the traditional meeting at Buckingham Palace in which the victor offers to form a government.

By the time Cameron met the monarch all three of his major rivals had resigned: Ed Miliband of the Labour Party, Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage of the U.K. Independence Party.

For the losers, Cameron offered sympathy. "Elections can be bruising clashes of ideas and arguments, and a lot of people who believe profoundly in public service have seen that service cut short," he said.

The surprising outcome merely underscored how much things have changed -- that there is now a new unpredictability in British politics. The idea of two big parties squabbling over the spoils is over. There are new players -- and some are very young. Some don't even want a United Kingdom at all.

"For the new government, it is not possible to carry on business as usual," said Murray Pittock, a professor at the University of Glasgow. "Such a course is not a sustainable or good course to ensure the survival of the UK."

With the Conservatives winning an outright majority in the 650-seat House of Commons, the result looked to be far better for Cameron than even his own party had foreseen. With all the votes counted, the Conservatives had 331 seats to Labour's 232.

But the new ruling class inherits a country divided by negative campaigning and infighting about the future. Fought largely over the economy, the race revolved around the question of whether the Conservative-led government charted the right course through the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis, the worst recession since the 1930s.

Cameron argued his party needed time to cement its successes after five years of budget cuts designed to shrink the deficit and bolster growth. His primary opponent, Miliband, focused the debate on inequality, saying the recovery hadn't trickled down to the poorest in this nation of 64 million.

Heaping further pressure on the working poor has been an influx of thousands of migrants from the European Union, particularly from the former eastern bloc countries that joined the 28-nation free-trade zone over the past decade. The influx has changed Britain, straining schools, hospitals and other public services.

Cameron's promise to hold a referendum and win concessions from the EU plainly resonated with voters worried that the country was losing its grip on its borders.

The result, and Britain's unease with the EU, will strengthen Cameron's hand in talks with EU leaders in Brussels, who are mindful of the power that Britain's banks and financial service industries bring to the bloc. The referendum has been promised by the end of 2017 -- but Cameron has only pledged to hold it, not support it.

Still, his majority, however surprising, is small. His own party is divided on the issue of Britain leaving the EU. Many senior business leaders are vociferously opposed, as is Scotland. It won't be simple -- and it all needs to be done without trampling the economic recovery.

"The pound surged against the euro and the dollar on news of a Conservative victory because the markets value continuity and fiscal austerity," said Peter Urwin, co-author of "It's the Economy, Stupid: Economics for Voters." ''But the increased risk ... will be the long-term economic hangover facing the country following this election result."

Labour took a beating in Scotland, mostly from energized Scottish nationalists who pulled off a landslide that gave the Scottish National Party 56 of the 59 seats.

The vote represents "a clear voice for an end to austerity, better public services and more progressive politics at Westminster," SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC.

It also greatly strengthens a party that wants to split from the country all together.

"The Scottish lion has roared this morning across the country," said former SNP leader Alex Salmond, who was elected in the constituency of Gordon.

The most symbolic win belonged to Mhairi Black, the 20-year-old university student who defeated Labour Party heavyweight Douglas Alexander to become the youngest British lawmaker since 1667. The win underscored the extent of the Scottish National Party's triumph -- and Scotland's rejection of Labour, the party that long counted the north as its base.

"The people of Scotland are speaking, and it is time for their voice to be heard at Westminster," Black said.

One of the big losers of the day was Farage, who resigned after losing his race. His U.K. Independence Party came in third in the popular vote, but won only one seat -- a casualty of an electoral system in which the candidate with the highest number of votes in each area wins, even if he or she does not gain a majority of votes cast.

Since UKIP's support is spread geographically across the country -- rather than in any single area -- it could be runner-up in many places but gain hardly a foothold in Parliament.

That discrepancy was another factor in the push for change -- one that won't be solved any time soon. At a time when people are frustrated, and want to know why leaders keep failing to deliver, anything can happen.

"As for a new political class ... Labour may want to skip a generation," said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. "It's also going to have to come up with some fresh ideas that keep its core supporters on board at the same time as reaching out to floating voters who don't trust it with their money."


AP writers Sylvia Hui, Gregory Katz, Vitnija Saldava and Martin Benedyk in London, Paul Kelbie in Glasgow, Scotland, and Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin contributed to this report.

Anthony Geary leaving 'General Hospital': But first a new Luke and Laura storyline

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Actor Anthony Geary is leaving ABC soap opera "General Hospital" after nearly three decades in the role.

NEW YORK -- Actor Anthony Geary, whose character Luke Spencer's marriage to Laura in 1981 on "General Hospital" was the biggest moment in daytime television history, is leaving the soap opera after nearly three decades in the role.

It was Geary's decision to leave, and he'll be written out of the ABC show for an episode that will air later this summer, executive producer Frank Valentini said Friday.

"Anthony is our friend and a part of our television family, but, as difficult as this may be, we understand and respect that this is his choice," Valentini said.

Here are five reasons viewers should care:

1. Geary is part of TV history: More than 30 million people tuned in to watch Luke marry Laura, considered a storybook event despite the creepy backstory of Laura falling in love with her rapist.

Actress Genie Francis, who played Laura but hasn't been on "General Hospital" since 2013, will return this summer to participate in the story of Luke's exit, ABC said.

Geary, 67, began playing Luke in 1978 but left the show in 1984. He returned in 1991 but, tired of the character, played Luke's lookalike cousin. Audiences didn't like it, however, so the cousin was killed off and Geary resumed playing Luke in 1993, and has remained with the show since then.

2. He's received lots of honors playing Luke: Geary won eight Daytime Emmy awards as a lead actor on "General Hospital."

3. Geary finally got tired of the role: Geary told TVInsider.com that he was "weary of the grind and have been for 20 years.

"There was a point after my back surgery last year where it became clear to me that my time is not infinite," he said. "And I really don't want to die, collapsing in a heap, on the 'GH' set one day."

4. Look for departure to boost ratings: ABC wasn't saying Friday how Geary's unsavory character will be written out of the show. Geary said he thought suicide was an option but didn't think the audience or network would stand for it.

"If I were in his place, I'd go to Tibet or Nepal on some kind of spiritual journey, even though he's an atheist," Geary told TVInsider.com. "He needs to be at peace."

According to a statement by Valentini: "Rest assured, Tony has promised to be with us throughout the summer as we have some exciting things in store for Luke. The door will always remain open, so don't think this is the last you'll see of Anthony Geary or Luke Spencer."

5. He isn't giving up on acting: He spends much of his nonworking time in a second home in Amsterdam, and said he's looking forward to spending more time there.

"One of the first things I will do when I leave 'GH' is go back to my language classes," he told TVInsider. "I want to be so fluent in Dutch that I can pursue film or theater work over there. And there are always American actors in European films. I don't see why I shouldn't be one of them."

The National Desk contributed to this report.

4 killed as small plane crashes on Georgia highway on way to Mississippi graduation: videos, photo gallery

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Motorists who had to slam on their brakes on the highway said that the plane was clearly in distress.

Four people on their way to a graduation in Mississippi were killed Friday morning when the small plane in which they were riding crashed on Interstate 285 near Atlanta, Georgia.

The single-engine Piper PA-32 took off from DeKalb Peachtree Airport shortly before 10 a.m. and then crashed about a mile away, Kathleen Bergen, of the Federal Aviation Administration, told USA Today. It had been scheduled to land about an hour later in Oxford, Miss.

Motorists who had to slam on their brakes on the highway said that the plane was clearly in distress.

According to the Clarion-Ledger, of Jackson, Miss., the four were on their way to the University of Mississippi for the graduation of another son, Robert Byrd.

"It looked like it was struggling. You could see him trying to get the nose of the plane up. It was edging up, and then it just dropped," said motorist Don McGhee, 48, who saw the aircraft nearly hit a traffic light pole near the highway on ramp. "It was just a huge fire, just smoke and fire."

Eric Alleyne, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board said that the plane was equipped with an emergency locator transmitter, but no black box.

Gerald Smith, a truck driver who was heading eastbound slammed on his brakes, and the plane clipped his cab's hood.

"If I would have stayed on the gas, it would have come in the passenger door," he told the newspaper. The plane crashed into the median wall separating east- and westbound lanes in front of him, and not much was left after the flames were extinguished. Witnesses said the intense blaze prevented anyone on the ground from helping victims in the wreckage.

Killed in the crash were Greg Byrd, 52, of Asheville, N.C., a businessman and former deputy sheriff. Also killed here Byrd's son Phillip, of Asheville, Ga., and Christopher, of Atlanta, as sell as Christopher's finacee, Jackie Kulzer of Atlanta, and a family dog.

The plane is registered to TLT and GGB LLC in Asheville, North Carolina, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

A spokeswoman for University-Oxford Airport told the Clarion-Ledger that she had no record of the plane's flight plan.

"I didn't even know it was coming here," said Tasha Stewart, airport secretary.

Phil Holloway a legal analyst for WXIA-TV, NBC10 in Atlanta, who is also a licensed pilot said if a plane gets into trouble right after takeoff, it's impossible to turn around and head back to the airport.

"I-285 is about the best option you've got, but of course, it's not a good option at 10 o'clock in the morning, he said. ... There was really no option that made a lot of sense."

When in a situation like this, a pilot looks for some place to have a safe and controlled landing.

"It's a miracle, literally a miracle, that no other cars were hit," said Capt. Eric Jackson of the DeKalb County Fire Department.

All lanes of the highway were blocked immediately after the crash. The westbound lanes opened shortly before 1:30 p.m., and the eastbound lanes opened a little after 3 p.m.

Alleyne said he will be doing a flight reconstruction and he expects the NTSB to release a report on the crash in six to 12 months.




Cyclist sustains serious injuries in Amherst crash

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A 17-year-old Amherst woman was hit by a car while biking on East Pleasant Street Friday afternoon, sustaining serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said.

AMHERST — A 17-year-old Amherst woman was hit by a car while biking on East Pleasant Street Friday afternoon, sustaining serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said.

A car hit the cyclist at about 3 p.m. near 585 East Pleasant Street, according to a police press release. She was transported to Baystate Medical Center and the Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction Team responded to investigate the crash.

Police are not naming the driver or the woman hit.

Officers reduced East Pleasant Street in the area of the crash to one lane of traffic for about two hours, according to police. Both lanes have since been reopened.

Several cyclists and pedestrians have been killed in car accidents in the Pioneer Valley in recent years.

A Cape Cod woman was charged with vehicular manslaughter in April in the July 2014 death of University of Massachusetts Amherst student Hannah Frilot. Hampshire College student Livingston Pangburn, 22, of Newton, was killed while biking near Amherst College in 2013. And Hadley native Harry Delmolino, 18, was fatally hit while cycling in Northampton in 2012.


Baltimore police officers charged in Freddie Gray's death want case dismissed

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Six Baltimore police officers charged in connection with the death of a man who received a spinal injury while in their custody want a judge to dismiss the case, saying in court documents they are the victims of an "overzealous prosecution" riddled with personal and political conflicts of interest.

BALTIMORE -- Six Baltimore police officers charged in connection with the death of a man who received a spinal injury while in their custody want a judge to dismiss the case, saying in court documents they are the victims of an "overzealous prosecution" riddled with personal and political conflicts of interest.

At a minimum, officers said in their motions filed Friday, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby should be replaced with an independent prosecutor.

The officers maintain Freddie Gray's arrest was legal based on their contention Gray was carrying a type of knife that is illegal.

The officers also allege Mosby had a personal interest in calming unrest in the city that followed Gray's death because her husband is a city councilman.

A call Friday evening to Mosby's spokeswoman for comment wasn't returned.

Passenger given controls to Orlando airport tram dies after ejected through windshield

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The man, who wasn't supposed to be aboard, was a friend of a maintenance crew member working for Bombardier.

A passenger given an authorized ride was killed Friday when he crashed through the windshield and fell from an elevated tram during a maintenance run at Orlando International Airport, Florida.

The man, who was not supposed to be aboard, had been invited to ride along with a friend who is a maintenance crew member working for Bombardier, which operates the tram system, airport authorities said.

The passenger was at the controls when the tram made a sudden stop and he was ejected, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

The unidentified man died after being taken to a hospital, airport officials said.

The tram, which normally is automated, was being run manually during a routine inspection at about 5:30 a.m. The tram transports airline passengers on tracks from the main terminal to four satellite terminals.

The passenger was allowed to be at the controls when he suddenly pulled his hand away, causing the tram to stop suddenly. The unexpected stop ejected him through the windshield and to the ground a dozen feet below.

"When you take your hand off of it, it's got a kill switch," Orlando International Airport Executive Director Phil Brown told the Sentinel. "He took his hand off. That's when it stopped, and he was propelled out of the vehicle."

The tram was moving at about 5 mph at the time, WESH-TV reported.

Passenger service hasn't been interrupted even through the involved tram is out of service, airport officials said.

A man was killed after he was ejected through the windshield of the tram at Orlando International Airport on Friday morning, airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell said.

Several agencies are investigating, including the National Transportation Safety Board and OSHA.

Carelessly discarded cigarette causes Springfield fire

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A staircase fire to a second floor apartment over a package store at 393 Allen St. forced the occupant out of his home.

SPRINGFIELD— A cigarette which landed between two outdoor staircase beams started a small fire that caused about $5,000 in damage Friday night, a Springfield Fire Department spokesman said.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said firefighters were called to 392 Allen St. for a fire in an exterior staircase and porch area.

The 8:21 p.m. alarm forced the tenant of the the second floor apartment, which is above a package store, out of his home until repairs can be made.

While the apartment sustained damage in the incident the package store will remain open.


The map below shows the approximate location of the incident.

Springfield Police investigate Wilbraham Avenue shooting

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Five shots were fired at a home on Wilbraham Avenue Friday night, but no one was injured.

SPRINGFIELD— Police say spent shell casings were found near a reported shooting incident on Wilbraham Avenue Friday night.

Springfield police patch

Springfield Police Sgt. Lawrence Murphy told Western Mass News, The Republican and MassLive.com's media partner, that the city's acoustic gunfire detection system, ShotSpotter, activated at about 8:45 p.m. near 49 Wilbraham Ave. Officers at the scene said as many as five shots were fired at the home at that address, but no one was apparently injured in the attack.

The scene of the shooting is approximately one block from the American International College campus, and a few blocks from the scene where a woman was shot in the face early Friday morning while she sat on her porch.

Wilbraham Avenue shooting.jpgPolice say spent shell casings were found near a reported shooting incident on Wilbraham Avenue Friday night. (Photo courtesy of Western Mass News)

Friday night's shots fired incident follows several weeks of gun-related violence in the neighborhood which prompted an emergency meeting of college and city officials (see photo gallery above) with promises of increased police presence in the Mason Square section of the city.

Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri previously attributed the increased gun violence in the neighborhood to a re-sparked feud between groups centering on a recent homicide in Hartford, Connecticut.

The investigation into the recent violence is ongoing and arrests have not yet been made.

Anyone with information is asked to call Springfield Police at 413-787-6310. Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to "CRIMES," or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE."


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