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First responders on scene of apparent explosions in East Springfield

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First responders are on the scene in East Springfield after a series of apparent explosions were reported early Saturday morning.

An update to this story is posted here.


SPRINGFIELD — First responders are on the scene in East Springfield after a series of apparent explosions early Saturday morning.

springfield fire patch.jpg

Although it is unclear what caused the incident, several police and fire crews established a perimeter amid heavy smoke and several houses near the site have been evacuated.

The still unknown incident appears to be close to the site of the old Jahn Foundry, which sustained a serious explosion back in 1999 when three workers were killed and nine others were seriously injured.

That site was also the scene of another incident in 2006 when a fire inside a warehouse holding aluminum and magnesium, now part of the Joseph Freedman Metal Recycling company, was doused by firefighters.

The Republican has a team on the scene and will publish additional information on MassLive.com as it becomes available.


The map below shows the approximate location of the incident.


Colo. mom gets 38 years for using baseball bat to kill man she wrongly accused of child molestation

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Forsythia Owen, 32, of Englewood, was convicted in the September 2013 death of Denzel Rainey, 42.

A Colorado woman was sentenced Friday to 38 years in prison for beating a man to death with a baseball bat because she wrongly suspected him of molesting a child, The Denver Post reported.

Forsythia Owen, 32, of Englewood, was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and tampering with evidence in the September 2013 death of Denzel Rainey, 42.

Owen told authorities she repeatedly struck Rainey with a Louisville Slugger bat as he was sleeping in an alley because her 4-year-old daughter claimed he had touched and sexually abused her.

Rainey was found with a skull fracture, cuts to his head, a broken left arm, six broken ribs, a laceration to the liver and a left testicle hemorrhage, CBS Denver reported. He died hours later at a hospital.

Owen's molestation claims against Rainey were unfounded and she had no evidence to support them, authorities said.

Owen, who had been drinking and smoking marijuana, and had a history of mental illness and run-ins with the law, was urged by friends to tell authorities of the allegations.

However, she engaged in "misplaced, vigilante justice," said Jason Siers, senior chief deputy district attorney in Arapahoe County.

"Rainey was not guilty of any of those acts," District Court Judge Marilyn Leonard Antrim said, according to the Post. "His memory should not be tarnished."

Springfield firefighters battle large Stevens Street industrial fire

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Fire consumed magnesium shavings and set off large explosions at the Joseph Freedman Recycling Company on Stevens Street. Watch video

This updates a story published at 12:34 a.m. Saturday.


SPRINGFIELD— Springfield fire crews fought a large industrial fire at the Joseph Freedman Recycling, Co. site at 115 Stevens St. overnight. A total of five engines, three aerial ladder trucks and the rescue truck responded to the two-alarm fire, which was reported a short time after midnight early Saturday morning.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said two large metal trailers containing magnesium shavings were consumed in the fire. An 18-wheeled, tractor trailer parked next to the containers was also destroyed.

Magnesium burns very hot, giving off an intensely bright light and clouds of dense smoke. Once it is set ablaze, it is difficult to extinguish the burning metal.

Firefighters let the metal shavings burn out rather than trying to douse the intensely hot magnesium fire. Streams of water from two aerial ladders soaked the area to prevent the flames from spreading.

Police blocked off all access to the area, including Stevens, Eureka and Duryea streets, and evacuated several houses near the fire scene. Leger said a tree in the yard of a nearby house was set ablaze but no other collateral damage was reported. A large concrete wall between the scrap yard and the closest house prevented heat from the fire damaging the home, Leger said.

Mutual aid from nearby cities and towns headed to Springfield to help cover stations across the city as Springfield units remained engaged in fighting the fire.

The incident isn't the first of its kind in East Springfield, not far from where the old Jahn Foundry was located. That site sustained a serious explosion back in 1999 when three workers were killed and nine others were seriously injured.

The site was also the scene of another incident in 2006 when a stubborn fire inside a warehouse holding aluminum and magnesium, which is now part of the Joseph Freedman Metal Recycling company, was doused by firefighters.

Police reported large explosions in the Page Boulevard area just before midnight Friday. Calls from nearby residents followed soon after. The sky was lit by flashes of intense bright light as explosions continued. A column of thick grey smoke rose into the sky as aerial ladders sprayed water onto the flames.

Leger said the explosions people reported were most likely the violent reaction of the burning hot metal and the cold water being sprayed on it.

Joseph Deuso and his family watched the skies from a spot on Duryea Street not far from Page Boulevard. He, his wife and their son were evacuated from their home near the intersection of Duryea and Eureka streets. They said two large explosions startled them, followed by a blast of heat that could be felt several hundred feet away.

"We could feel the heat all the way over at our house," Joseph Deuso said. "I didn't hear a loud bang. All I heard was a sizzling sound."

Randy Deuso said the flames from the fire could be seen reaching up over nearby houses.

Gino Vignato, who lives on Duryea Street, not far from the Freedman administrative building, said his wife woke him up to tell him what was going on.

"I ran down the stairs and out the door," he said. "I saw another flash and a huge fireball going up."

Vignato said the recycling operation has several vehicles on the property, including a propane truck for its cutting operations. There is, however, no indication that truck was involved in the fire.

According to the company's website, Joseph Freedman Recyling, Co., is the largest privately owned metal recycling operation in New England. The company has two sites in Springfield. The Stevens Street site is the company's largest. A second metal chopping operation is located on Albany Street.


The map below shows the approximate location of the incident.

Chicopee man denies trafficking heroin, cocaine; arrest report details 9 identifying tattoos

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Bail was set at $50,000 cash Friday for Chicopee resident William Villegas, who denied charges of trafficking heroin and cocaine in Hampden Superior Court.

SPRINGFIELD — Bail was set at $50,000 cash on Friday for Chicopee resident William Villegas, who denied charges of trafficking heroin and cocaine in Hampden Superior Court.

william villegras.jpgWilliam Villegas 

Police arrested Villegas, 29, of 50 Carlton Ave., on March 19 after smashing their way into his parked car at the Springfield Plaza car wash.

Police, working with their counterparts in Chicopee, then went to the suspect's Chicopee home and seized 1,729 bags of heroin, three large plastic bags of cocaine and $12,718 in cash, according to court documents.

Springfield Police Detective Edward Kalish, the lead investigator, working with a Chicopee detective, determined that Villegas was dealing large amounts of heroin and cocaine in the area, police said.

Once it was determined that Villegas was prepared to make a delivery at the car wash located at the entrance to the Springfield Plaza, detectives, led by Lt. Alberto Ayala and Lt. Robert Tardiff, of the Street Crimes unit, converged on the area.

Chicopee detectives followed the suspect from his home and police boxed in the suspect's Honda Pilot after he pulled into the parking lot.

Villegas, who was arraigned before Judge Daniel A. Ford, denied charges of trafficking heroin in the amount of 36 to 100 grams; trafficking cocaine in the amount of 18 to 36 grams; distribution of heroin, subsequent offense; possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, subsequent offense; and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Police reports list information about suspects and their alleged crimes, including tattoos and other identifying characteristics.

The police report for Villegas lists these tattoos:

  • left front arm: voodoo shrunken head
  • arm: 413, crown, "will"
  • left hand: star
  • left front arm: Drea
  • neck: Tatyana
  • neck: Will Jr.
  • neck: Leasia
  • right front arm: skull, naked female
  • left shoulder: crow, skull, RIP Big Will

A co-defendant of Villegos, Andrea Turconi, 26, of 83 Highland Ave. in Ludlow, denied charges of trafficking cocaine in the amount of 18 to 36 grams and trafficking heroin in the amount of 36 to 100 grams. She is free after posting $500 cash.


How did Springfield's mayor balance his proposed budget? 5 things that helped

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Plante said the city was able to balance the budget with additional revenues, including a total of $7 million from MGM for its $800 million casino and entertainment complex, building permits and departmental savings.

SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Domenic J. Sarno filed a $595 million recommended budget to the City Council on Thursday that maintains core services, avoids layoffs, keeps the "rainy day fund" intact and makes public safety a priority.

Still, the mayor and Chief Administrative Financial Officer Timothy Plante said the filed budget – a 2.2 percent increase over last year's budget – was not without difficult decisions and tough compromises.

Plante said the city was able to balance the budget with additional revenues, including a total of $7 million from MGM for its $800 million casino and entertainment complex, building permits and departmental savings.

In a nutshell, here's how they balanced the budget:


  • Revenue: MGM, $7 million, including $4 million in the first of yearly revenue payments to the city under the city's host-agreement with the casino developer.

  • Unrestricted General Government Aid: $1.2 million.

  • Reduced Expenses:

  • Departmental reductions: $4.3 million.

  • Debt/Strategic debt planning: $2.5 million

Public safety highlights:


  • A net gain of officers by 21 in the Police Department. This will bring the compliment of police officers to 409. The total sworn personnel is 483. When you include civilians, the total staff in the department is 556.

  • A total of 260 firefighters. If the city can hired a projected 260 firefighters, the city will be ahead of attrition allowing the department to get back to having four firefighters per apparatus, a number that considered ideal.

The City Council will conduct its own budget hearings with city department heads before voting on the package. The budget is for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The council has authority to accept the budget as presented, or can make budget cuts, under City Charter. The council cannot add funds to the budget.

This year's budget was presented nearly two months before the start of the new fiscal year, giving the council time to do its "due diligence," the mayor said.

Last year, Sarno submitted a $581.9 million budget proposal on May 19, and it was balanced with the help of $2.8 million from the stabilization reserve fund.

The reserve fund has approximately $40 million.

With Right Whales in Cape Cod Bay, boaters urged to be extra careful: videos

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On Wednesday, researchers spotted a female what that appeared to have been struck by a propeller.

Boaters need to look out for North Atlantic Right Whales in the waters off the Southeastern Massachusetts coast.

If you're a boater in this area, you probably already know that about a tenth of the world's endangered right whales have been feeding off the coast for the past few weeks.

The whales often frequent the waters off Plymouth and Cape Cod about this time of year, and they attract a lot of spectators.

But if you are an experience boater, you know you have to be particularly careful when they are around, because, with only 522 believed to be left in the world, you could be causing big problems if you hit one.

According to the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, one such whale was struck and injured by a boat in Cape Cod Bay on Wednesday.

NECN reported yesterday that the young female whale had been photographed uninjured on Saturday. But on Wednesday, researchers saw that a whale had a gash near her rostrum and blow hole, that looks like a wound caused by a propeller. They think it is the same whale, identified by number.

"It's impossible to say that that whale is, in fact, the one that was reported," Charles "Stormy" Mayo, the center's right whale habitat specialist, told the Cape Cod Times Friday. The propeller marks on No. 3999 seem to indicate a modest-size vessel with a fast-moving propeller, Mayo said.

Allyson Rogers, an investigator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, said a boater, who was in the west side of the bay, reported the strike himself.

Daniel McKierney, deputy director of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, told WBZ-TV, CBS4 in Boston that it remains to be seen whether the whale will survive.

"The whale is alive and feeding but time will tell if the whale will survive that," he said.

Mayo said reports of boats hitting a whale happen every two or three years.

Right Whales can be identified by unusual patches of raised tissue.

Earlier in the week, the Boston Globe reported that about 50 of the mammals were feeding unusually close to the coast between Duxbury and Sandwich.

"People can get a very close view of these rare animals," Mayo told the Globe. "They should take advantage and walk along the beaches."

About 75 whales have been in the bay since December, Mayo told the Globe, and as of Wednesday, that number had increased to 82.

The whales have been moving closer to the shore in search for plankton, he said.

"They're skimming plankton right off the surface," Mayo told the newspaper "Their huge heads are just protruding from the water. People might think they look like huge rocks moving through the water."

The whales are typically gone by May, McKiernan told WBZ. He said they are apparently staying in the area longer because of the abundance of plankton created by the historic winter.

"It appears they are lingering, which is dangerous because of increase boating, shipping and fishing activities," McKiernan said.

According to the Associated Press, NOAA is asking boaters and fishermen to slow down in Cape Cod Bay and be on the lookout for the whales which include four mother-calf pairs.

The agency reminds boaters that vessels 65 feet and greater must travel at 10 knots or less in the bay and off Race Point. Operators of smaller vessels are asked to voluntarily comply.



 

Reps. Richard Neal, John Lewis share friendship and commitment to equality

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The veteran legislators have worked in close proximity and become friends.

For Rep. Richard E. Neal, the relationship with fellow Congressman John Lewis goes way back.

They have had adjacent seats for years on the House Ways and Means Committee, with Neal sitting to Lewis' immediate left. Their offices are next to one another in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C.

They have traveled together to Selma, Ala., where Lewis participated in the Selma-to- Montgomery March that made 1965 a seminal year in the American civil rights movement. Moreover, from two very different backgrounds, the white Democrat from Massachusetts and the black Democrat who grew up in Alabama and now represents Georgia have much in common.

"We share an interest in human rights and civil rights. We share an interest in good and clean government. We share an interest in the government caring and looking out for the most vulnerable people in our society, " Lewis said of Neal.

Neal's office was instrumental in lining up Lewis to speak to Elms College graduates. Lewis will give the Chicopee-based college's commencement keynote address Saturday (May 16) at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, where diplomas will be handed out.

selma cover.jpgFollowing U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal's visit to Selma, Alabama with Congressman John Lewis in March, 2009, Lewis presented Neal with a framed copy of the iconic Life Magazine cover from 1965 covering the historic march from Selma to Montgomery. Lewis wrote: "To Richard Neal, my very good friend. Your support is everything. I will never forget you." 

"My early impressions of Mr. Lewis was that I was struck by his kindness and exquisite history of supporting non-violence,'' said Neal, a Springfield native who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1989.

Lewis had preceded Neal in the House by two years. To Neal, the 75-year-old Lewis represents the best of the civil rights movement's tradition and retains relevance today.

"He is the last survivor of those who spoke at Martin Luther King's "I've Got a Dream'' speech (at the 1963 March on Washington). He has been involved in some of the most pivotal moments of the 20th Century civil rights movement,'' Neal said.

"He's the real deal.''

For as much impact as Lewis has had on Neal, the level of respect and comradeship works both ways.

"Richie Neal is a wonderful man. He's very smart, very caring, very sensitive,'' Lewis said Friday by phone from Washington.

"He's very outgoing, very warm and one of the nicest members of Congress. He traveled with us to Alabama in 2009, and he has walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge (where armed police attacked peaceful demonstrators, including Lewis, in the Bloody Sunday incident of March 7, 1965).

"The year Rep. Neal went with us was a special year. The Reverend Jim Lawson, who taught me and the students the discipline and philosophy of non-violence, came with us on the pilgrimage.

"Members of the Hawaii congressional delegation brought leis to commemorate the role of Hawaiian participants in the Selma to Montgomery march, and we implemented a special segment of the pilgrimage to discuss the unique contribution that Jews made to the movement (featuring National Public Radio's Nina Totenberg, Rabbi Jack Bloom and others).''

Neal cherishes an autographed copy of Life Magazine. A1965 cover photo showed protesters being confronted by Alabama Sheriff Jim Clark, whose notorious opposition to the integration movement have left an infamous legacy.

Neal was 16 and a student at Springfield Technical High School in 1965, when the Selma-to-Montgomery march took place. In that march, Lewis was beaten and suffered a fractured skull.

That year also saw passage of the Voting Rights Act. Neal considers it one of the most significant pieces of 20th Century legislation.

By the time King was murdered in 1968, Neal was 19 and had been profoundly affected by King's strategy "to embrace the Bible and the ballot,'' as the 66-year-old Massachusetts Democrat described. He said Lewis, who has worked with the non-profit Faith and Policy Institute to bridge racial, religious and political divisions among elected leaders, represents that tradition in the modern day.

After they became colleagues and friends, Lewis introduced Neal to Archbishop Desmond Tutu. They have worked closely on the Ways and Means Committee for years.

"As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Neal is very thorough,'' Lewis said. "He's always prepared, knows what he's talking about and when he speaks, members on both sides of the aisle listen. He is one of the most respected members of Congress.''

"Richie Neal has been a very strong supporter of mine, and a good friend.''



Judge hears last-minute motions in upcoming child rape case against Granby man

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Leo Fugler, 55, of Granby is charged with four counts of forcible child rape, four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count of child rape.

NORTHAMPTON — The lawyers in the Leo E. Fugler child rape case argued a number of last-minute motions in Hampshire Superior Court on Friday as they prepare for trial.

Fugler, 55, of Granby is charged with four counts of forcible child rape, four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and one count of child rape.

According to prosecutor Linda Pisano, the alleged crimes took place in 1993 in South Hadley and involve three different victims.

The motions heard by Judge John Agostini Friday included the revision of the indictments and the calling of expert witnesses to discuss memories of traumatic events. The victims did not come forward with their charges against Fulger until 15 years later. The trial is scheduled to begin on May 18.



Elms College graduates to hear civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis

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From his days in the 1960s movement, John Lewis remains a leader.

Much has happened since John Lewis participated in a non-violent march for civil rights in Alabama in 1965, and suffered a fractured skull in a beating.

Lewis not only survived, but went on to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Then as now, Lewis maintains that peaceful but progressive action is the path to equality, and he hopes a new generation of Americans retains the hope and optimism to deliver it.

Members of that new generation will hear Lewis on Saturday, May 16. The Georgia Democrat will speak at commencement for Elms College graduates at the MassMutual Center.

"In the 1960s, we followed the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi,'' said Lewis, 75, who has served in the U.S. House since 1987.

"We need to talk to our children and tell them not to become bitter and not to hate, but to have optimism and hope and believe in the goodness of humanity.''

King and Gandhi preached peaceful protest. Both were murdered, and Lewis and others at the forefront of the early 1960s civil rights movement paid a fearsome price for their beliefs as well.

In retrospect, it's difficult to ascertain which was more remarkable - that Lewis survived the violence and physical threats he encountered, or that his faith in the better side of humanity was not overcome by anger and resentment.

He said that because the leaders of the civil rights movement went into their journey with eyes open. Aware they faced the danger of threats, violence, incarceration and even death, they were determined, as he put it, "to do what you would call pacing yourself so as not to become hostile, but keep the faith.''

Lewis is the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington, during which King delivered his famous "I've Got a Dream'' speech. In 1965, Lewis was beaten when protesters were attempting to march from Selma, Ala., to the state capital in Montgomery, and were met by armed police at the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

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A little-known but important link between Lewis and the Elms College occurred after that incident. Lewis and other injured protesters were treated by nuns from the Sisters of St. Joseph at Good Samaritan Hospital, the only facility in Selma that would treat injured blacks.

In 1928, the Sisters of St. Joseph had founded the Elms, whose Class of 2015 will hear Lewis speak.

Lewis' belief in non-violent protest remained unshaken. In the decades that followed the "Bloody Sunday'' incident at the bridge, he found many former adversaries had come to his side.

Lewis said that in 2009, a white Southerner and former Ku Klux Klan member came to him to apologize for his actions in that tumultuous time. All across the South, former law enforcement agents, Klan members and others have told Lewis they regret their actions from decades ago.

Lewis has accepted their apologies. When former Alabama Gov. George Wallace apologized for his segregationist policies and statement, not everyone believed his sincerity, but Lewis did.

"I don't believe Gov. Wallace believed all the stuff he used to say. He used it for political gain,'' said Lewis, who grew up in rural Alabama.

"By the standards of Alabama at the time, he was a moderate.''

Faith is a core element of Lewis' beliefs. Noting that the religious community rallied behind civil rights in the 1960s, with many faiths represented, he believes religious leaders should commit to human rights and equality issues today.

So should political leaders, he said.

"I feel strongly that we need to do more,'' he said.

When he talks to younger people, Lewis is reminded that more than 50 years have passed since his days as a leader of non-violent protest. Many do not know the stories of the 1960s civil rights movement that framed his life and changed the nation.

It's a story that must be told and retold. One of the original Freedom Riders - an integrated group of 13 individuals who challenged segregationist busing practices in 1960 - Lewis was arrested more than 20 times by 1963 and also suffered beatings for his beliefs.

He says more progress on the civil rights front must be made. The journey continues, but he says there is a foundation that did not exist in his youth.

"We need to build on our accomplishments. When people say we haven't had much progress, I say you haven't walked in my shoes,'' Lewis said.


Tropical Storm Ana nears the Carolinas, a surprise ahead of official hurricane season

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Ana was centered at 8 a.m. EDT about 115 miles (185 kilometers) south of Wilmington, North Carolina and about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Subtropical Storm AnaSubtropical Storm Ana forecast path. 

MIAMI (AP) -- Early surprise Ana muscled up to a tropical storm early Saturday as it plodded toward the Carolinas, threatening to push dangerous surf and drenching rains up against the Southeast coast as it made its appearance weeks ahead of the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Ana was centered at 8 a.m. EDT about 115 miles (185 kilometers) south of Wilmington, North Carolina and about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm had top sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).

Ana was moving north-northwest at 5 mph (7 kph) on a forecast track expected to bring it "very near" the coasts of South and North Carolina sometime Sunday morning, .

Senior Hurricane Specialist Stacy Stewart said dangerous surf and rip tides appear to be the biggest threat posed by the Atlantic season's first tropical storm though isolated flooding in some coastal areas is also a concern. Although the season doesn't formally start until June 1, he told The Associated Press such early surprise storms are not all that unusual every few years or so.

"We had a similar situation occur twice back in 2012 when we had two early season tropical storms, Alberto and Beryl," Stewart noted of two storms that also emerged in the month of May. "That was very unusual to get two storms before the normal start of the hurricane season; one is not that unusual.

But Ana marked the earliest subtropical or tropical storm to form in the Atlantic since another storm named Ana emerged in 2003, the Hurricane Center said in an earlier tweet. The Atlantic season officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, a period experts consider the most likely for tropical activity in the ocean basin.

Stewart said Ana emerged from a subtropical system, meaning it initially had characteristics of both a tropical storm -- which drawns energy from warm ocean waters -- and a traditional storm system driven by temperature changes typical of cooler weather before the season start.

Despite Ana's early appearance, he cautioned, swimmers and surfers should stay out of the water because of rough surf and dangerous rip tides. He added people watching the surf from jetties and piers should be cautious due to waves the storm can kick up.

"The biggest danger is rough surf and rip currents. We just don't want people out there swimming in the waters. We especially don't want surfers in the rough surf. If they go under they could get dragged out to sea," Stewart added.

The center said a tropical storm warning extends from south Santee River in South Carolina to Cape Lookout, North Carolina, with 1 to 3 inches of rain expected over a wide area and up to 5 inches in some isolated spots. He also said the storm could push water 1 to 2 feet above normal height levels, causing some localized flooding.

A tropical storm watch also was in effect for Edisto Beach, South Carolina, to south of the South Santee River.

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in Ana's case within 12 to 24 hours, according to the center. A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area within 24 hours.

Liberia is free of Ebola after 4,700 deaths, says World Health Organization

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Liberia on Saturday officially marked the end of the epidemic that claimed more than 4,700 lives.

MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) -- On the day Mercy Kennedy lost her mother to Ebola, it was hard to imagine a time when Liberia would be free from one of the world's deadliest viruses. It had swept through the 9-year-old's neighborhood, killing people house by house.

Neighbors were so fearful that Mercy, too, might be sick that no one would touch her to comfort her as tears streamed down her face. She had only a tree to lean on as she wept.

Now seven months later, Liberia on Saturday officially marked the end of the epidemic that claimed more than 4,700 lives here, and Mercy is thriving in the care of a family friend not far from where she used to live.

"What we went through here was terrifying," said Martu Weefor, 39, who is now raising Mercy alongside her three biological children and Mercy's older brother. "Nobody wanted to pass on our road or have anything to do with us, everybody was afraid of the community. I thank God that Liberia is free from Ebola."

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Saturday marks 42 days since Liberia's last Ebola case -- the benchmark used to declare the outbreak over because it represents two incubation periods of 21 days for new cases to emerge. The World Health Organization on Saturday called the milestone a "monumental achievement for a country that reported the highest number of deaths in the largest, longest, and most complex outbreak since Ebola first emerged in 1976."

The statistics of loss, though, are enormous in Liberia: 189 health workers dead. Some 3,290 children lost one or both parents to the disease, though most have been placed with other relatives or in foster care.

While praising the international community's help in getting Liberia to zero cases, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Saturday criticized the slow initial response to the epidemic in West Africa that cost many lives.

"This Ebola outbreak is a scar on the conscious of the world. For some the pain and grief will take a generation to heal," she said. "Therefore, let today's announcement be a call to arms that we will build a better world for those Ebola could not reach ... It is the least the memories of our dearly departed deserve."

Elsewhere in West Africa, new cases were still being reported this week in both Sierra Leone and in Guinea, where five of the new victims were only diagnosed after death. The fact they had never even sought treatment for Ebola means health officials lost critical time to track their relatives and other contacts.

"It's important to remember the next case is only a canoe ride away across the river or across a forest path, so we still have an element of risk here and we all need to be very conscious of that," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF's Representative in Liberia, who emphasized that the recovery needs also remain enormous.

At the height of the crisis back in August and September, Saturday's milestone seemed far from reach. Liberia had between 300 and 400 new cases every week. People pushed victims in wheelbarrows down the streets of Monrovia, with only cheap plastic bags to protect their sandaled feet from possible exposure to Ebola. Scores of people too sick to stand waited outside Ebola treatment centers with the hope that enough people had died overnight so there would be beds for them and a chance at life.

The disastrous epidemic in Monrovia and the capitals of Guinea and Sierra Leone marked the first time the Ebola virus had infiltrated major urban areas where it could spread quickly through densely populated, impoverished neighborhoods. The outbreak caused its first deaths in December 2013 but only made headlines in March 2014 in Guinea before soon spreading to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Worldwide panic heightened in late September when a man from Liberia tested positive for Ebola in the United States while visiting relatives in Texas. The disease also broke out in Senegal, Mali and Nigeria where officials managed to quickly isolate and quash their Ebola cases but the virus became deeply entrenched particularly in Liberia's capital. Ultimately, social mobilization helped turn the tide.

"Communities here did the right thing: They isolated people who were sick, they reported people who were sick. Every street corner had stations for washing hands, and this made a difference," Yett said.

Many of the treatment centers built with help from the United States finished construction after the height of the epidemic -- some of the tarp and wood constructed facilities will be repurposed but many will be taken down. Communities scarred by the looming threat of death can't imagine visiting them even months later, even if the clinics never treated a single Ebola case, experts say.

"Even today (when) we hear an ambulance siren, we have to shake a little bit, seeing if this normal or are we facing something again," Liberia's president said recently at an event marking the end of an American-built Ebola treatment center for exposed health workers.

There are also concerns about the long-term effects on survivors, including questions about how long the virus remains present in the body. On Friday, WHO updated advice and testing guidelines for male survivors of Ebola because of the "strong possibility" that the virus could be spread through sex months later.

And medical study this week found Ebola inside the eye of a patient months after the virus was gone from his blood. Tears and tissue around the outside of the eye, though, did not. That suggests it poses little public health risk, experts said.

It's been nearly a year since Korlia Bonarwolo helped care for a co-worker at Redemption Hospital who later died from Ebola. The physician's assistant had no protective suit and no special gloves.

The 26-year-old ultimately got treatment in the country's first Ebola treatment center and now leads a network of more than 800 survivors across Liberia. He too was marking Saturday cautiously.

"We should instead be happy in our hearts," said Bonarwolo, "and pray for the other countries to be freed."

North Korea claims successful ballistic missile test from sub; US diplomacy suffers setback

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North Korea claims it successfully test-fired a newly developed ballistic missile from a submarine. Not long after that announcement, South Korean officials said the North fired three anti-ship cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- North Korea met a U.S. diplomatic overture with a fresh show of force, seemingly testing the Obama administration's resolve for new nuclear talks.

After three years of diplomatic deadlock, the U.S. appears open to preliminary discussions to assess North Korea's intentions and the prospects of ridding the country of nuclear weapons.

Then came Saturday's claim that North Korea successfully test-fired a newly developed ballistic missile from a submarine. Not long after that announcement, South Korean officials said the North fired three anti-ship cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast.

The State Department said launches using ballistic missile technology are "a clear violation" of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Washington urged North Korea "to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international commitments and obligations."

Just this past week, a South Korean envoy had visited Washington and Beijing as countries involved in long-stalled aid-for-disarmament negotiations with the North mulled their diplomatic options.

Even before the latest flexing of the North's military might, U.S. officials said the North had not shown it was seriously interested in re-engaging on the nuclear issue.

North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006. International penalties were intended to prevent the North from obtaining sensitive technology and starve the country of funds. Yet U.S.-based experts forecast that North Korea could increase its nuclear arsenal from at least 10 weapons today to between 20 and 100 weapons by 2020.

North Korea wants to be recognized as a nuclear power. But a denuclearized Korean Peninsula is the aim of the negotiating process that China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the U.S. say they want to revive if North Korea takes concrete steps to show good faith.

The last public U.S. attempt to negotiate a nuclear freeze and get the six-party process restarted collapsed in 2012 after the North launched a long-range rocket.

North Korea conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013, and has test-fired numerous shorter-range missile since then.

The U.S. quietly proposed a meeting with North Korea this January, before the recent U.S.-South Korea military exercises. The two sides, however, failed to agree on who could meet and where.

China, North Korea's traditional benefactor, has pushed for resumption of dialogue. South Korean envoy Hwang Joon-kook, who met separately with his U.S. and Chinese counterparts this past week, said all five parties were ready for talks to understand North Korea's intentions and whether it was committed to denuclearization.

The U.S. was willing to be flexible about a format for "serious dialogue" on denuclearization, a senior U.S. official said. The official was not authorized to be named and requested anonymity to discuss U.S.-North Korea policy.

Photos: Northampton Police Department holds first Police Day event

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The irony of the moment wasn't lost on Amy Westhaver as she looked down the barrel of a Northampton police department automatic rifle. "I'm very anti-gun", the Easthampton resident said, but she seemed to enjoy her time holding and aiming the weapon. Westhaver and hundreds of others gathered at Northampton Police headquarters for their first Police Day event. Law enforcement...

The irony of the moment wasn't lost on Amy Westhaver as she looked down the barrel of a Northampton police department automatic rifle. "I'm very anti-gun", the Easthampton resident said, but she seemed to enjoy her time holding and aiming the weapon.

Westhaver and hundreds of others gathered at Northampton Police headquarters for their first Police Day event. Law enforcement agencies from around Western Massachusetts attended the event, showing off their vehicles and tools.

Northampton Officer Ryan Tellier described the event as "An expanded open house. A kid friendly event that lets them see into our world".

Tours of the Northampton Police headquarters were offered, as well as crime scene investigation demonstrations, a K-9 unit, State Police cruiser, and a table full of police gear that kids (and adults) could try on.

Tellier hopes the event will be an annual one and if the turn-out today is any indication, his wishes will come true.

Facebook Director of Internet Security keynote speaker at Bay Path University commencement

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Henley worked at eBay and Paypal before landing the top security job at Facebook.

SPRINGFIELD - Jennifer Henley, Facebook's director of security operations, offered more than 800 graduates of Bay Path University some words of wisdom in the form of her top five life lessons.

1. The Dream Job

"It's perfectly acceptable not to land your dream job immediately upon graduation," said Henley, who held jobs at eBay and Paypal before landing her dream job at Facebook. "Your first job out of college does not define you."

2. The Power of Empathy

"Great innovation is driven just as much by empathy as by technology," Henley said, emphasizing building relationships.

3. Find Your Co-Author

"While this is your story it's not one you have to write alone," she told the graduates - the first class to graduate from Bay Path University since the former college changed its designation.

4. Perfection in Failure

"I was in a constant race to reach perfection," Henley said, before recounting a low time at eBay when she received a lackluster performance review in 2007, which prompted her to seek a job at a then-small company called Facebook. They rejected her application at the time, telling her she wasn't "technical enough."

"Failing is not the worst thing. It's not the worst thing by far. And I'm now at the very same company that told me no back in 2007," she said.

5. Your Story Should Never End

Henley delivered the keynote speech before an audience of thousands of family and supporters, plus the graduates, at the MassMutual Center on Saturday afternoon.

Henley received an honorary doctorate along with York Mayo, the late local philanthropist, who received the honor posthumously.

Police: Wheelbarrow abandoned on Mass. highway caused fatal crash

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The car flipped and the man was fatally injured when he was thrown from the vehicle.

OXFORD, Mass. (AP) -- State police say a wheelbarrow left on a central Massachusetts highway has led to a fatal car crash.

Police say a man was traveling on Interstate 395 southbound around 1 p.m. on Saturday when he apparently came across the wheelbarrow and lost control trying to avoid it.

The car flipped and the man was fatally injured when he was thrown from the vehicle.

Police are investigating how the wheelbarrow came to be in the road, near Exit 5 at Oxford.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police.


Photos: Hudson Valley Arabian Horse Association Annual Horse Show

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WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Hudson Valley Arabian Horse Association Annual Horse Show continues Sunday, May 9, 2015 at the Eastern States Exposition. The three day event featured a Mother's Day Brunch on Saturday. Sunday's competition begins with Dressage Classes at 9 a.m. in the Outside Ring.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Hudson Valley Arabian Horse Association Annual Horse Show continues Sunday, May 9, 2015 at the Eastern States Exposition.

The three day event featured a Mother's Day Brunch on Saturday.

Sunday's competition begins with Dressage Classes at 9 a.m. in the Outside Ring.

Springfield police investigate Worthington Street shooting

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A woman's car was hit by gunfire as she drove on Worthington Street Saturday night.

SPRINGFIELD— A woman's car sustained gunshot damage as she drove up Worthington Street Saturday night, Springfield Police confirmed.

Lt. Lawrence Akers said the 9:25 p.m. incident left the woman shaken by uninjured.

Akers said the woman was driving in the vicinity of 840 Worthington Street, reportedly looking for her lost dog, when she heard three or four gunshots. She said she heard the sound of projectiles hitting her car. She told police she saw four Hispanic males flee the area after the shots were fired.

The incident remains under investigation.

2 Mississippi officers fatally shot; suspect being sought

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Two Hattiesburg, Mississippi police officers were shot and killed Saturday evening.

HATTIESBURG,MS—A coroner says two Mississippi police officers have died after being shot in the line of duty.

Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/1GWpqRp ) Saturday night that both Hattiesburg officers had died. They'd been taken to the hospital, and it wasn't immediately clear if they died there or earlier.

Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree says authorities are searching for the suspect. He's urging residents to stay inside their homes during the search.

The newspaper reports these are the first Hattiesburg officers to die in the line of duty in 30 years.

Wistariahurst Museum historical lecture focuses on Puerto Ricans in Holyoke

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The lecture will be held in the museum's Carriage House.

HOLYOKE — The Historical Lecture Series at the Wistariahurst Museum will culminate for the season with a discussion of Puerto Ricans in Holyoke.

The lecture titled "Puerto Ricans: The Search for Prosperity in the Paper City" will be held Monday May 11 from 6 p.m - 7 p.m. in the museum's Carriage House.

The discussion will be led by Holyoke resident Maria Salgado Cartagena who will share stories of a time of resistance and cultural celebration in Holyoke's history, according to the museum's website.

"Like many immigrating groups, migrating Puerto Ricans came to Holyoke searching for prosperity. Unfortunately, the manufacturing industries were beginning to head south and overseas," the site adds.

This is the ninth and final lecture in the series for 2015 which was created "to examine various immigrant communities in the Pioneer valley and to better understand the cultural enrichment these folks brought with them."

Other historical groups discussed throughout the series included the Irish, the Polish, the French-Canadian, African-Americans and various other ethnic groups.

Admission for the talk is $7 general / $5 members. All lectures take place in the Carriage House.

Manny Pacquiao's boxing loss could be a political win

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Manny Pacquiao's most ardent supporters say he can be a future president.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Manny Pacquiao lost his biggest fight in the ring, but that won't stop him from plotting a bigger comeback -- in the political arena that is.

In a country where elections are also entertainment and political programs secondary, candidates often win because of star power and money.

Pacquaio, who earned more than $100 million despite losing the Fight of the Century against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last weekend, certainly has that working for him.

But can he overcome his poor record as an incumbent congressman, his humble origins and lack of political savvy to win a Senate seat, or even higher office?

Having established himself as a local politician, the natural path for the 36-year-old Pacquiao would be the 24-seat Senate, a national position, which has been used as a springboard for vice president or president. His most ardent supporters say he can be a future president.

The Bible-quoting boxer, who by law cannot run for president before turning 40, has said his "thoughts on the presidency ... are merely aspirational." His first presidential race would be in 2022.

That could be harder than defeating Mayweather, but he can take comfort in the thought that Filipinos love the underdog. His rags-to-riches story -- rising from extreme poverty to becoming the wealthiest Philippine congressman -- has captured the imagination of the millions in his Southeast Asian nation.

Pacquiao the underdog played well at home after it was disclosed that even with his shoulder injured he still fought aggressively against Mayweather, said political analyst and public administration professor Prospero de Vera.

He said the way Pacquiao lost the fight "actually enhances his political viability" and could help him win as senator in elections next year.

But the higher the office Pacquiao seeks, the fiercer the competition and the closer the public scrutiny he will face.

Two popular athletes have been elected to the Senate in the last 30 years. One had first served as a city councilor, the other was a businessman and sportsman before running for the upper house. Both worked full time as legislators, unlike Pacquiao.

But, winning an election "most of the time is not connected with being prepared for the job," de Vera said.

So far, Pacquiao doesn't have much to show as one of 292 representatives in the lower house -- he hasn't successfully sponsored a single bill and is a top absentee in the chamber over the past five years.

Many Filipinos see Pacquiao's loss as his cue to retire from boxing. For them, Pacquiao has already sealed his legacy not just as one of the world's greatest boxers but also as a source of national pride. Others want him to also withdraw from politics and enjoy the fruits of his 20-year boxing career.

Yet others don't believe he will retire anytime soon from boxing or politics. For one thing, his fight winnings are too big to ignore.

Pacquiao, who according to Forbes was worth $82 million before the latest fight, is often approached for financial support by individual constituents or even entire villages for anything from a community basketball court to funding for fiestas and scholarships. He also shoulders the expenses of his large entourage of relatives, friends and an assortment of hangers-on.

"I think he is not yet ready to retire," said Raul Martinez, mayor of Pacquiao's hometown of Kiamba and his wedding godfather. "Not everything is in place yet. He has so many commitments that if you sum up (his money), it won't be enough."

Doling out benefits and building a patronage network is a Filipino politician's staple.

Pacquiao gives at least 50,000 pesos ($1,125) to each of the 144 villages in his impoverished southern Sarangani province and over 500,000 pesos ($11,285) to each of its seven municipalities every year just for fiestas -- like celebrations of local patron saints. He also pays professional fees for show-biz personalities he invites to appear at the parties, Martinez said.

Martinez said he will try to persuade Pacquiao to run in next year's election for governor instead of senator for practical reasons -- he will most likely be unopposed and he can save a lot more money on a local election compared to a national campaign for a Senate seat, where he is also expected to contribute to the campaigns of provincial governors and thousands of municipal officials whose support he will seek to win votes.

Some fans still want a rematch because they felt cheated by the lackluster Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, which boxing analyst Ed Tolentino calls the "Fiasco of the Century."

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Tolentino said that pending investigations by Nevada authorities into whether there was fraud or "other shenanigans" in the bout, "the rematch is as good as dead."

Pacquiao lost by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. He said he thought he won despite his injured right shoulder. He is facing several damage suits in the United States for alleged fraud in connection with the injury from people who spent money to watch or bet on the fight.

"When the injury had not yet been disclosed, people were blaming Floyd Mayweather for the lackluster fight because he resorted to hit-and-run tactics, but now people are blaming Manny Pacquiao for robbing them of the 'fight of the century,'" Tolentino said.

He said, however, that Pacquiao can still retire without soiling his record as a champion. "I do not believe that his legacy will be defined by the performance in the Mayweather fight," he said.

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