The cause of the accident is under investigation.

WOODFORD, VT - A New York man and his passenger were killed Sunday afternoon when he lost control of his motorcycle and struck a guardrail.

Dennis Haughney Jr. and Kathy Haughney, both 41, of Troy, New York, were killed in the accident that happened at about 4:30 p.m. on Route 9, Vermont State Police officials said.

Dennis Haughney was driving his 2005 Harley Davidson west when he lost control and crashed into the guardrail. The couple, who are husband and wife, were wearing helmets at the time.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the Vermont State Police.

Bennington Fire and Rescue Squad as well as a crash reconstructionist from Bennington Police assisted with the investigation.

The public is urged to attend the events.

Updated at 1:32 a.m. Monday, May 25, 2015 to include details about Holyoke's Memorial Day celebration.

Communities across Western Massachusetts will hold parades and other ceremonies to remember fallen veterans from the Civil War through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Monday.

Here is a list of some of the events in different communities. The public is urged to attend to remember the veterans.

Amherst: The annual Memorial Day Parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Town Common, wind its way onto North Pleasant Street and end at the War Memorial Pool for the ceremony. Justin Maynard, a service connected disabled veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and 2015 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, will be the featured speaker.

Chicopee: The annual Memorial Day Parade will step off at 10 a.m. from the American Legion Post 452 at 43 Exchange St. It will march from Exchange Street to Cabot Street, turn at Bullens Park and head down Center Street. The parade will head around City Hall and up Front Street to the Chicopee Veterans Memorial Plaza in front of the former Chicopee High School.

There will be three stops during the parade to lay wreaths to memorialize veterans at Bullens Park, at the Charles Tracy plaque at the Veterans' Services Office on Center and at City Hall. A ceremony will be held at the Veterans' Plaza at 11:15 a.m. on Front Street in Chicopee.

Easthampton: The Memorial Day parade will step off at 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Cottage and Clark Streets. It will head right on Union, travel onto Main, and go around the downtown rotary before concluding with a ceremony at the veterans memorial near the Emily Williston Library, according to Kevin Miller of the city's Veterans Council.

The wreath-laying ceremony, which will take place around 11:15 a.m., will feature a gunshot salute, the playing of taps and remarks from Paul Barabani, superintendent of the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke and a 32-year veteran of the United States Army.

Holyoke: 8 a.m., laying of wreaths at the John F. Kennedy Memorial, Appleton and Suffolk streets; 8:30 a.m., parade marchers line up at War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.; 9 a.m., parade down to High Street to Lyman Street and to ceremony at Veterans Park on Maple Street. Speakers will include John Paradis, deputy superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home and a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, and Mayor Alex B. Morse.

Northampton: The city will hold its annual Memorial Day ceremony in Florence at Park Street Cemetery.

The parade leading to the cemetery will leave from Trinity Row at 10 a.m. and head down Main Street in Florence. At the cemetery "Taps" will be played, wreaths will be laid and there will be speakers.

Southwick: The American Legion Post 338 will host the town's annual Memorial Day parade and services. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on College Highway near the Summer House. The line of march will continue along College Highway to the Town Common Memorial and then onto the town's New Cemetery.

Memorial services will be held both at the Common Memorial and New Cemetery.

South Hadley: The Memorial Day Parade will leave South Hadley High School at 11 a.m. and end at Town Hall at noon for services.

Prior to the parade there will be brief ceremonies to lay wreaths at different locations. Those visits are: 7 a.m. at Canal Park; 7:15 a.m. Everson Park; 8 a.m. Notre Dame Cemetery; 9 a.m. Evergreen Cemetery; 9:30 a.m. the Commons; 9:45 am St. Rose Cemetery and 10:15 am at Village Cemetery.

Ware: The Memorial Day parade and ceremony at Veterans Park will be held at 1 p.m.

Westfield: Marchers for this year's Memorial Day parade will start at 10 a.m. and travel from North Elm Street to Parker Memorial Park where memorial services will be held.
Marchers will head across the Great River Bridge onto Elm Street, continue to Broad Street and onto West Silver Street to Parker Memorial Park.

Following services at Parker Memorial Park, American Legion Post 124 will march the route in reverse to the post home on Broad Street where additional ceremonies will be held.

West Springfield: The parade steps off from St. Thomas the Apostle school, 47 Pine St., at 10 a.m. This year's keynote speaker will be James Woolsey, superintendent of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site.

A bomb squad safely destroyed a pressure cooker found in a "suspicious" vehicle left unattended Sunday afternoon on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol building and the vehicle's owner was located and arrested, a U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman said.

WASHINGTON -- A bomb squad safely destroyed a pressure cooker found in a "suspicious" vehicle left unattended Sunday afternoon on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol building and the vehicle's owner was located and arrested, a U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman said.

Police Lt. Kimberly A. Schneider told The Associated Press that Capitol Police officers on routine patrol spotted the parked, unoccupied vehicle on a street on the mall west of the Capitol around 5 p.m. Sunday.

"Further investigation revealed a pressure cooker, and an odor of gasoline was detected," Schneider said, adding a Capitol Police bomb squad was called in because the vehicle was deemed "suspicious in nature."

She said the squad known as the Hazardous Devices Section destroyed "items of concern in the vehicle including the pressure cooker" at about 7:45 p.m. after temporarily closing off the area on the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. She did not immediately identify the other items but said only that "this safe disruption produced a loud 'bang.'

Asked by AP if the "disruption" involved controlled detonation of the items, she said that was accurate. She also said that follow-up searching of the vehicle detected "nothing hazardous." Her email said the suspicious vehicle was investigated during a Memorial Day Concert in Washington though it was unclear how many people were nearby at the time.

She said the bomb squad intervention came after authorities had set up a security perimeter around the site on 3rd Street in the nation's capital. She said that street was temporarily closed between Independence Avenue and Constitution Avenue while authorities investigated.

After the pressure cooker was destroyed, she said, police conducted a thorough "hand search" of the vehicle and concluded their investigation by about 8:20 p.m. "with negative results and nothing hazardous found."

Asked whether police had specifically identified any threat to public safety, Schneider told AP via email: "If we can't determine whether or not an item is safe/dangerous, we'd have to treat it as dangerous until we determine otherwise. She added that was "why the items were safely disrupted, out of an abundance of caution." She didn't elaborate.

She added that the vehicle owner was located and her statement identified him as Israel Shimeles of the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia. The statement said Shimeles was arrested by Capitol Police and charged with "Operating After Revocation" and that he was being processed Sunday evening at the police headquarters building.

It wasn't immediately known if he had an attorney. Schneider didn't elaborate on the charge.

Schneider also said the city's Metropolitan Police, U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force were assisting Capitol Police.

The FBI did not immediately return a call for comment late Sunday.

Authorities have noted that pressure cookers have been used in the past to create explosive devices. Three people were killed and more than 260 others wounded in April 2013 when two pressure-cooker bombs were set off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

For over 150 years, the issue of public and low-income housing has been a controversial one in the Paper City. Two back-to-back lectures on the topic will be held at the Holyoke Public Library this week.

HOLYOKE - For over 150 years, the issue of public and low-income housing has been controversial in the Paper City. Two back-to-back lectures on the topic will be held at the Holyoke Public Library this week. 

Jeremy Smith will present his talk first, titled "Crisis & Conservatism: Holyoke's struggle for Urban Renewal." Smith is a staff archivist at Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

His presentation focuses on the mid-century construction of two federally-funded housing projects in the city: Lyman Terrace and Jackson Parkway. 

Lyman Terrace is located downtown, a block from City Hall and in walking distance to the Holyoke Health Center, Heritage Park and the Holyoke Transportation Center. The 18 red-brick buildings are structurally sound but are not handicapped accessible and some windows, doors, walls and floors are in disrepair. In recent years, Holyoke Housing Authority considered demolishing the development. Lyman Terrace residents and others in the area protested saying there would not be enough vouchers in the city to help those displaced. 

Jackson Parkway Apartments was a 219-unit family development built in the 1940s. With a 16 million dollar grant, the apartments were torn down in the late 1990s and 50 federally assisted rental united known as Churchhill Homes were built on the site. Another 50 units also makeup Churchhill Homes on adjacent land. The homes were available for purchase to low-income buyers in 2004. 

In addition to discussing the construction of the housing projects, Smith will go over the urban renewal efforts during the 1960s and '70s under former mayors Samuel Resnic and William Taupier.

Immediately following Smith's talk, Miguel Arce will discuss housing in South Holyoke from 1983 to '90. Arce is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Springfield College, specializing in community and organizational practice. 

The lower wards of Holyoke have historically been an entry place for new city residents. Arce will speak of Nueva Esperanza, Inc.'s involvement in redeveloping a four-story, multi-family home in the neighborhood. Political, economic and social issues the neighborhood has faced will be interwoven in the talk. 

The lectures will be held on Wednesday, May 27 at the Holyoke History Room in the Holyoke Public Library, 250 Chestnut St. The first talk will begin at 6 p.m. and the second talk will start immediately following. The event is free and open to the public. 

The five things learned from the Anthony Soto event include his plan to play up the chance he could be Holyoke's first Hispanic mayor.

HOLYOKE -- Campaign events like last week's when City Councilor Anthony Soto formally began his run for mayor can be like cooking gumbo, a process of watching different ingredients bubble to the surface.

Here are five take-aways that bubbled up from Soto's announcement Thursday (May 21) at Fernandez Family Restaurant, 161 High St.:

1. The room was packed and enthusiastic before, during and after Soto, the Ward 2 councilor, spoke. The question will be whether the support also shows volume and stamina enough to make Soto one of the top two vote-getters in what is looking increasingly like an inevitable scheduling of a preliminary election Sept. 22. That will be to filter the field of candidates for mayor. Mayor Alex B. Morse is running for reelection to a third term. Francis P. "Fran" O'Connell, who owns O'Connell Care at Home, and Ward 1 School Committee member Mildred Lefebvre also have said they are running for mayor. Only the top two proceed to Election Day Nov. 3.

2. Soto, it appears, will be playing up as a campaign theme the chance for Holyoke -- whose population of 40,000 is roughly half Hispanic -- to elect its first Hispanic mayor. Soto, 41, was born here but is of Puerto Rican descent. He wouldn't be the first Hispanic mayor in the state. William Lantigua became the first in 2009 when he was elected mayor of Lawrence.

In introductory remarks at Soto's event for mayor, Delmarina Lopez said, "As a Latina, I'd like to see a Latino holding this position."

That could test the strong appeal to Hispanics here of Morse, who speaks Spanish and counts among his allies Ward 1 Councilor Gladys Lebron-Martinez.

3. Soto boasts what could be an asset available to none of the others running for mayor -- Lisa Wong, whom he married in November and who is the four-term mayor of the Worcester County city of Fitchburg.

Wong took the mic briefly at Soto's event and in relating how much Soto loves Holyoke, she told the crowd, "I'm here to share with you a love story," prompting "Oohs!" from the gathering. "I know, right?" Wong said.

Wong said she and Soto debated whether they would live in Holyoke or Fitchburg.

"And, long story short, Anthony won," Wong said. "He loves this place."

4. Soto's event, like many campaign happenings, brought out an interesting mix of people. Seen in the crowd: City Councilor at Large Daniel B. Bresnahan and his family; Ryan Allen, City Council administrative assistant; former mayoral candidate Daniel Boyle; former city councilors Diosdado Lopez, whom some have thought could become the city's first Hispanic mayor, and Alejandro Sanchez; Jacqueline M. Watson, former member of the board of directors of the Holyoke Geriatric Authority; Robert Authier Sr., former Fire Commission member; Joshua A. Garcia, candidate for city treasurer, with wife Stefany Escobar Garcia, and their children; Kurt M. Bordas, Ward 4 city council candidate; Nelson Roman, Ward 2 council candidate; Holyoke Police Capt. Manuel Febo; Holyoke Police Sgt. John P. Hart; and retired Holyoke Police Officer Jan R. Saj.

5. But it is helpful to remember in scanning the crowd at Soto's bash that someone's presence at a campaign event doesn't necessarily mean they support the candidate. Councilors often attend each other's events. Some folks show up as a courtesy. Others could be there scouting for a rival. And given the venue, some could have popped in for the delicious -- and on this occasion, free -- food for which Fernandez Family Restaurant is known.

The company received in November 2014 a $566-million contract to build 284 Red Line and Orange Line subway cars for the MBTA.

This story follows and expands upon: CNR Changchun Railway to build larger factory at former Westinghouse site in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD - Executives from CNR Changchun railway Vehicles Co. were in Springfield Thursday meeting with local business leaders as they move forward with plans for a $65 million 220,000-square-foot railroad car factory at the former Westinghouse site on Page Boulevard.

The company received in November 2014 a $566-million contract to build 284 Red Line and Orange Line subway cars for the MBTA.

Here is a rough timeline of what will happen moving forward. Sources include the city of Springfield and CNR.

Ongoing now: Design work on the new cars. A traffic study of Page Boulevard that could lead to upgrades on the street. CNR is also selecting a design team for the factory.

CNR is exploring the possibility of keeping and reusing the lone remaining Westinghouse office building on the site.

June 2015: CNR executives visit Western New England University again with hopes of partnering with the university's college of engineering. Late in June, Western New England will send a delegation to visit China. Also in June, the city hopes to consider a tax-abatement package for the factory, something the city's Chief Development Officer Kevin Kennedy wants in place before the turn of the fiscal year July 1.

Fall 2015: General Contractor is hired

January 2016: Meeting for local companies interested in being subcontractors.

January to March of 2016: Ground broken sometime in the first quarter at the Page Boulevard site, once the home of a mammoth Westinghouse Electric factory and one of the country's first radio stations. 

June 2016: First prototype cars are are built in China and sent to Boston for testing

Sometime in 2016 into 2017: CNR starts hiring workers and sending them to China for as much as a year of training.

December 2018: The first of the 152 Orange Line cars start rolling out of the factory here. At this time, the factory is slated to be designed to produce 12 to 24 cars a month, but the design is changing. That works out to 200 to 300 cars a year.

May 2019: Production begins on 132 Red Line cars.

February 2022:Production on the cars is set to end. CNR plans to use the factory into the future  to make cars to fulfill other contracts.

The Leeds Civic Association has hired Workin' Bridges, a team of iron bridge specialists, to assess the condition of the Hotel Bridge, and the company's project manager will present the findings of her March inspection at the community meeting.

NORTHAMPTON — The Leeds Civic Association is holding a meeting on June 1 to solicit public input on the restoration of the Hotel Bridge that spans the Mill River.

The meeting, which will be held in the Leeds Elementary School cafeteria from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., will include a question-and-answer session on the historic bridge, which was built in 1880 and fenced off to traffic in 2004. It was used for a while by pedestrians and bicyclists, however.

The Leeds Civic Association has hired Workin' Bridges, a team of iron bridge specialists, to assess the condition of the Hotel Bridge. The company's project manager, Julie Bowers, will present the findings of her March inspection at the community meeting.

There are currently two proposals for the bridge: to temporarily reopen it to pedestrians and bicyclists and to fully restore it.

The Hotel Bridge is the oldest bridge in Northampton and the sixth-oldest iron bridge in the state, according to the Civic Association. It was built after an 1878 flood washed out a nearby roadway, causing residents of Leeds and Florence to petition the city to erect a bridge.

When it was closed in 2004, the city installed barriers on each end. Pedestrians and bicyclists continued to use the bridge until the Northampton Department of Public Works installed a chain-link fence in 2014 to keep people off it.

Born to an electrical engineer, and later a precocious and dashing young man who attained an Ivy League education, John Nash seemed destined for a life of stunning success.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Born to an electrical engineer, and later a precocious and dashing young man who attained an Ivy League education, John Nash seemed destined for a life of stunning success. That he achieved, winning a Nobel Prize in 1994, but not without a struggle with mental illness that would make him a household name even more so than his achievements in mathematics.

Nash had read the classic "Men of Mathematics" by E.T. Bell by the time he was in high school. He planned to follow in his father's footsteps and studied for three years at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh -- now Carnegie Mellon University -- but instead followed his passion for math.

He then went to Princeton, where he worked on his equilibrium theory and, in 1950, received his doctorate with a dissertation on non-cooperative games. The thesis contained the definition and properties of what would later be called the Nash equilibrium.

But it was while teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1959, when his wife, Alicia, was pregnant with their son, that schizophrenia began to emerge, a yearslong fight that was chronicled in the Academy Award-winning blockbuster "A Beautiful Mind." The Nashes died in a car accident late Saturday on the New Jersey Turnpike. He was 86; she was 82.

"John's remarkable achievements inspired generations of mathematicians, economists and scientists who were influenced by his brilliant, groundbreaking work in game theory, and the story of his life with Alicia moved millions of readers and moviegoers who marveled at their courage in the face of daunting challenges," Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber said in a statement.

In an autobiography written for The Nobel Foundation website, Nash said delusions caused him to resign as a faculty member at MIT. He also spent several months in New Jersey hospitals on an involuntary basis. However, Nash's schizophrenia diminished through the 1970s and 1980s as he "gradually began to intellectually reject some of the delusionally influenced lines of thinking," he wrote.

2001's "A Beautiful Mind" was based on an unauthorized biography by Sylvia Nasar, who wrote that Nash's contemporaries found him "immensely strange" and "slightly cold, a bit superior, somewhat secretive." Much of his demeanor likely stemmed from mental illness.

"A Beautiful Mind" won four Academy Awards, including best picture and best director, and generated interest in John Nash's life story.

Russell Crowe, who was nominated for best actor for playing Nash, tweeted that he was "stunned" by news of the couple's death.

"An amazing partnership," he wrote. "Beautiful minds, beautiful hearts."

Jennifer Connelly, who won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Alicia Nash, called the couple "an inspiration," and the film's director, Ron Howard, tweeted that "it was an honor telling part of their story."

The Nashes split in 1963 then resumed living together several years later and remarried in 2001.

John Nash held a research post at Brandeis University before eventually returning to Princeton. Known as brilliant and eccentric, he was associated with Princeton for many years, most recently serving as a senior research mathematician.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics for his work in game theory, which offered insight into the dynamics of human rivalry. It is considered one of the most influential ideas of the 20th century.

Just days before his death, Nash received a prize from the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters in Oslo with New York University mathematician Louis Nirenberg, who called Nash a truly great mathematician and "a kind of genius."

Nirenberg said he had chatted with the Nashes for an hour at the airport in Newark, New Jersey before they'd gotten into a taxi to return home to Princeton Township.

New Jersey State Police say the Nashes were thrown out of the taxi when it crashed around 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Monroe Township, about 12 miles from their home. The cab driver was hospitalized.

Mayor Karen Cadieux invoked the 1855 "anti-aid amendment" in her claim that cities can't support the work of non-profits.

EASTHAMPTON -- Mayor Karen Cadieux's fiscal 2016 budget completely eliminates funding to the Easthampton Community Center, which provides food, clothing, and other essential needs to the city's low-income residents.

Last year, the city provided $20,000 to the center. Cadieux's budget slashes that number by 100 percent, bringing the contribution down to zero. Cadieux also proposes to eliminate a $4,000 contribution to the Northampton Survival Center, which serves the region.

Speaking before the City Council Wednesday, Cadieux said the decision was made because of the 1855 "anti-aid amendment" to the Massachusetts constitution, which bars municipalities from giving grants to non-governmental organizations to support their activities.

Robin Bialecki, director of the Community Center, stood before the City Council and pleaded with them to "reconsider or consider alternative financing since we have been cut from this year's budget."

The Community Center feeds 320 children all summer when there is no school and they can't get breakfast and lunch, said Bialecki. Last year, the center served over 63,000 meals in 10 weeks -- "and we don't want to see that go down," she said.

James Ayres, Executive Director of the Hampshire County United Way, said other Massachusetts communities contract with non-profits for services, rather than giving them direct grants, thereby complying with the law. He offered to help Cadieux connect with other city leaders so they can share their best practices with her.

"We were quite alarmed to see the decision not to include funding in the budget," Ayres told the City Council. "We look at the investment that we've made in the Community Center each year as a co-investment." The United Way contributes $20-30,000 per year to the Community Center, a number which in the past has been matched by the city, he said.

Ayres noted that the anti-aid amendment was created 160 years ago.

"When we look at that legislation we see an intent that's different than how it seems to have been interpreted in this city," he said. Other communities continue to provide support for services, provided that those services benefit the community, he said.

Cadieux spoke at length about her support for the Community Center before emphasizing that she had made up her mind about the cuts.

"Our community is a very generous community, and they're constantly providing for different agencies," said Cadieux, moments before stating that City Auditor Valerie Bernier sees "no gray areas" in her opposition to providing city funds to the center:

"So it's very, very clear, and she is very adamant, and once she brought it to my attention; once the auditor tells me this is prohibited by the Department of Revenue, the decision was made right then and there," said Cadieux.

The Department of Revenue has posted the following statement concerning the anti-aid amendment:

"A municipality is barred by the Anti-aid Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution from giving grants to non-profit organizations to support their activities, but may compensate such organizations for services rendered to the municipality. Payment for any particular service must be made after the service is provided."

Cadieux went on, saying she is a member of the Helping Hand Society which recently voted to give the center $5,000. She said she always names the Easthampton Community Center as a worthy cause "when Channel 40 comes through and they're looking for an agency to highlight." The mayor noted that a "citywide food drive involving all city departments" is planned, and that "we always give them all the coats they need."

Cadieux suggested that Holyoke, Northampton, and Westhampton should contribute to the Easthampton Community Center: "They take care of a lot of the surrounding communities. Because of the federal funding they basically can't turn anybody away," said Cadiuex.

Cadieux said Easthampton, because of its median income, is not entitled to federal Community Development Block Grants, the way Northampton, Holyoke, and Springfield are. Supporting the Community Center through a federal CDBG grant would be permissible under the law, she said.

Cadieux did not completely shut the door on finding a way for the city to support the community center, saying "we are looking at any different ways of revenues" and that the city is "interested in other methods that might provide funds to the community center."

The Easthampton Community Center provides a food pantry, community care kitchen, a clothing closet, and a meeting space for groups. The building is open seven days a week and has been in operation for over 40 years.

The community center in fiscal 2013 operated with $157,490 in revenues and $144,890 in expenses, according to the website Guidestar.org. The organization is a member of the Hampshire County United Way and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Bialecki could not be reached Friday afternoon for additional information about the center's services and finances.

Ayres, reached by telephone, said he would encourage Cadieux or the City Council to contact the Attorney General's office to seek clarification on the proper interpretation of the anti-aid amendment. He said the Massachusetts Non-Profit Network, on which he serves, will probably also seek more information.

Cadieux earlier this year said Easthampton is in for a tough fiscal 2016 budget year.

Under her $38.3 million spending plan, the schools must close a $583,338 spending gap. The mayor has not placed budget documents online, but does offer the public a condensed budget summary.

The City Council's Finance Committee plans a series of public hearings on the mayor's budget, including the proposal to slash funding to the Community Center. Human Services will be discussed Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m. at the city's 50 Payson Ave. municipal building.

The City Council may make cuts to the mayor's proposed budget, but does not have power to add funding.

The 1885 anti-aid amendment was originally a product of the "Know-Nothing" anti-Irish Catholic movement in Massachusetts, according to writer Jamie Gass.

Anti-Aid Amendment

MassLive.com will be providing weekly updates on road construction and detours in Springfield as provided by the city's Department of Public Works and Springfield Water and Sewer Commission.

SPRINGFIELD — Travelers can expect delays and detours at many locations during the week of May 25, 2015, and beyond, due to various road projects including major work in the Allen Street-Sumner Avenue area.

Springfield Department of Public Works Weekly Roadway construction update.

Short Term Projects

Long Term Projects
Sumner Avenue, Allen Street, Harkness Avenue and Abbott Street Intersection Improvements - Work will continue with installation of new curbing, sidewalks and driveway aprons. Work within the traffic islands on Sumner Avenue will also continue as part of the Allen Street intersection reconstruction. A signed detour will be in place. Travel Delays are expected.

Springfield Water and Sewer Commission

Long Term Projects

Water and sewer pipe replacement projects:

Valve Maintenance

East Columbus Avenue from Union Street to William Street

Milling and Final Paving:

Police stressed residents should dial 911 in case of emergencies. For non-emergencies, dial (413) 568-6285.

Westfield Police headquartersThe Republican staff [file] 

WESTFIELD -- The Westfield Police Department's primary non-emergency telephone line was down Monday and residents are urged to use an alternate number to report any non-life-threatening issues.

That number is (413) 568-6285.

Police stressed that residents should still dial 911 in case of emergencies.

The department's primary non-emergency line, (413) 562-5411, may be down for most of the day, police said.

Rev. Dr. Augustus Sealy, a resident of Shrewsbury, was shot as he planted Memorial Day flags on the lawn in front of his Hartford church.

Patrick Johnson | pjohnson@repub.com 

HARTFORD - A 54-year-old minister with Massachusetts ties was injured in a drive-by shooting in front of his Hartford church Sunday morning as he planted flags in the lawn in observance of Memorial Day, according to reports.

The Hartford Courant reports that Rev. Dr. Augustus Sealy was hit in the leg and shoulder in front of the First Church of the Nazarene on Capital Avenue.

The shooting occurred at about 6:30 a.m.

Sealy, who lives in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, has been pastor at the church for five years, according to the Courant.

FOX CT reports Sealy was shot just hours before a scheduled appreciation service and luncheon to make his 5 year anniversary at the church.

According to Hartford police, witnesses reported hearing five shots coming from a black car, possibly a Honda, which slowed down as it passed the church. Police found seven shell casings on the scene.

Sealy was struck three times, once in the left shoulder and twice in the right leg. He is listed in stable condition.

According to the Courant, Sealy underwent emergency surgery and needed a metal rod inserted into his leg because one of the bullets shattered his femur.

Police also responded to a second shooting less than 15 minutes later near 402 Garden Street.

A 27-year-old Hartford man was shot multiple times. He was in serious but stable condition. Deputy Chief Brian J. Foley said police are investigating whether the two shootings were related but had not found anything to connect the two incidents.

No injuries were reported in the blaze which broke out Monday morning at 279 Garnet St.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad is investigating a fire early Monday in the Sixteen Acres neighborhood that destroyed a camper trailer and damaged a nearby home.

No injuries were reported in the blaze, Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said. It broke out at 279 Garnet St. shortly after 2:35 a.m.

Leger said the blaze, which is not considered suspicious, caused about $10,000 worth of damage to the siding of the home.

"Nobody was home," he said.

The discussion about adding sidewalks came when a business on Telegraph Avenue asked for a zone change so it could expand.

CHICOPEE - The School Committee will research a request to add sidewalks to Telegraph Avenue to better protect children.

The request came after neighbors said they were concerned about the safety of children walking down the narrow and congested street while protesting a request for a zone change for a one-acre parcel of land next to Westover Building Supply recently.

The City Council agreed to change the zone from residential to business in an 11-2 vote. That will allow Westover Building Supply to build a large garage and storage facility on the property.

During the discussions, At-Large City Councilor Gerard Roy, said he felt the city should consider adding a sidewalk at least on one side of Telegraph Avenue in response to the complaints.

School Committee member Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello, who represents the area, asked to research the idea as well as look at where crossing guards and buses stop to keep students from danger.

"Telegraph Avenue is narrow and there are trucks and forklifts that come and go," she said.

The School Committee voted to send the issue to its safety subcommittee to research it more.

The School Committee cannot order sidewalks to be added, but if it decides they are needed, it can make the request to the City Council, Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said.

One of the issues to be discussed is the redistricting of the nearby Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle school. Renovations are being completed on the former Chicopee High School, and this summer that school, recently renamed the 1st Sgt. Kevin Dupont Middle School, will replace the Fairview School, which is inadequate for grades six, seven and eight, said Michael J. Pise, a committee member.

Fairview School will then be converted into an elementary school and the walking and busing patterns for children will change, Rege said.

"It is a very short street and most of the traffic is cross traffic," he said. "We will look at what the walking traffic will be."

Committee member Donald J. Lamothe said the School Committee should look at the walking routes of students throughout the city, saying there are busier streets with no sidewalks where more children walk.

"I would like to see sidewalks added in spots where kids do walk," he said.

Mayor Richard J. Kos, who serves as chairman of the School Committee, recommended the safety committee meet soon because construction work on different streets is now being planned for the better weather.

Long Wharf Financial is the third owner of the Elliot Street property to file an application for demolition of the building, with both former requests denied by the Historical Commission.

SPRINGFIELD - The owner of a long-vacant, fire-damaged duplex at 25-27 Elliot St., is scheduled to appear before the Historical Commission on June 4, to argue that demolition is the only realistic option for the property.

Long Wharf Financial, a loan holder that took over ownership of the property in early 2014 filed an application this month with the commission to pursue demolition, stating that the cost to rehabilitate the building "is not economically feasible."

Long Wharf thus becomes the third consecutive owner of the property in recent years to state to seek approval for demolition, with a hearing required because the site is within a historic district. The property has been boarded since a fire in January of 2008 and has significant interior damage related to the fire and exposure to the elements, according to city officials and the owner.

The Springfield Historical Commission meeting on June 4, begins at 6:30 p.m., at City Hall. The commission would hear from proponents and opponents of demolition.

Long Wharf also states in the application that the long-deteriorated conditions of the building create "health issues."

Built in 1872, the duplex is located within the Armoury Quardrangle Local Historic District and is to the rear of the federal courthouse on State Street.

The commission rejected both prior applications for demolition by the two prior owners, resulting in a prolonged legal dispute between the owners and the city in Housing Court.

The prior ownership, through an architect and consultants, estimated in the past that full restoration of the building would cost between $1.5 million and $2 million.

Long Wharf was permitted by the Housing Court to take over ownership of the property in January of 2014, and was allowed then to submit an application for demolition. The company held off on submitting the request.

Glenn Goodman, a lawyer representing Long Wharf, stated at the time that while Long Wharf was then making a final effort to find a buyer and funds for the hope of preservation, the reality of demolition was "knocking at the door."

Ralph Slate, chairman of the Historical Commission said recently that prior owners of the property had failed to submit sufficient documentation to justify the demolition or failed to show they had explored every option for saving the building.

Lisa DeSousa, associate city solicitor, said the site has dangerous conditions and has been a long-time blight in the neighborhood

Daytime temperatures will remain in the high 80s through Wednesday.

The forecast from the National Weather Service calls for uncomfortably high humidity with the possibility of some severe thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures will remain in the high 80s through Wednesday.

Today: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Southwest wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then isolated showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 6 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. South wind 8 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind 7 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Springfield police arrested the suspect in a vehicle at about 1 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD-- A suspect, wanted in connection with the Sunday morning armed robbery of a McDonald's restaurant in Chicopee, was arrested by police here early Tuesday.

Chicopee police, in a posting on the department's Facebook page, stated the suspect, Scott Coleman, was arrested in a vehicle at about 1 a.m.

Coleman is suspected in the gunpoint robbery of the McDonald's restaurant at 639 Memorial Drive shortly before 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

Police said he showed a handgun, demanded money, then fled with an undetermined amount of cash in a white sedan.

Instead of "black pepper flavor," for instance, Taco Bell will start using actual black pepper in its seasoned beef, says Liz Matthews, the chain's chief food innovation officer.

CANDICE CHOI
AP Food Industry Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Taco Bell and Pizza Hut say they're getting rid of artificial colors and flavors, making them the latest big food companies scrambling to distance themselves from ingredients people might find unappetizing.

Instead of "black pepper flavor," for instance, Taco Bell will start using actual black pepper in its seasoned beef, says Liz Matthews, the chain's chief food innovation officer.

The Mexican-style chain also says the artificial dye Yellow No. 6 will be removed from its nacho cheese, Blue No. 1 will be removed from its avocado ranch dressing and carmine, a bright pigment, will be removed from its red tortilla strips.

Matthews said some of the new recipes are being tested in select markets and should be in stores nationally by the end of the year.

The country's biggest food makers are facing pressure from smaller rivals that position themselves as more wholesome alternatives. Chipotle in particular has found success in marketing itself as an antidote to traditional fast food, although some question the meaningfulness of some of its claims. In April, Chipotle announced it had removed genetically modified organisms from its food, even though the Food and Drug Administration says GMOs are safe.

Critics say the purging of chemicals is a response to unfounded fears over ingredients, but companies are nevertheless rushing to ensure their recipes don't become marketing disadvantages. In recent months, restaurant chains including Panera, McDonald's and Subway have said they're switching to ingredients people can easily recognize.

John Coupland, a professor of food science at Penn State University, said companies are realizing some ingredients may not be worth the potential harm they might cause to their images, given changing attitudes about additives.

Additionally, he noted that the removal of artificial ingredients can be a way for companies to give their food a healthy glow without making meaningful changes to their nutritional profiles. For instance, Coupland said reducing salt, sugar or portion sizes would have a far bigger impact on public health.

Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are owned by Yum Brands Inc., which had hinted the changes would be on the way. At a conference for investors late last year, Yum CEO Greg Creed referred to the shifting attitudes and the desire for "real food" as a revolution in the industry.

Representatives at KFC and Yum's corporate headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky were not immediately available to comment on whether the fried chicken chain would also be removing artificial ingredients.

Pizza Hut says it will remove artificial flavors and colors by the end of July.

Taco Bell says it will take out artificial colors, artificial flavors, high-fructose corn syrup and unsustainable palm oil from its food by the end of 2015. It says artificial preservatives will be removed "where possible" by 2017. The moves do not affect fountain drinks or co-branded products, such as its Doritos-flavored taco shells.

Brian Niccol, the chain's CEO, said price increases are based on a variety of factors, and that the company would work to keep its menu affordable.

"I do not want to lose any element of being accessible to the masses," Niccol said.

When asked whether the changes would affect taste, a representative for Taco Bell said in an email that "It will be the same great tasting Taco Bell that people love."

Ronald Wutka to be arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court.

AMHERST - A 52-year-old Monson man was charged early Saturday morning with drunk driving after a caller reported a car in a ditch on East Pleasant Street.

Police and fire personnel stabilized the car and helped Ronald J. Wutka from the Toyota Yaris, according to the police report.

He did not need to be taken to the hospital, according to police.

Police charged Wutka with operating under the influence of alcohol and operation of a motor vehicle with the intent to endanger.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

Crews under contract with MassDOT will be cleaning catch basins on Bridge Street from the Interstate 91 overpass to Fair Street on Tuesday only, the DPW said. Paving is also expected to be completed there the first week of June.

NORTHAMPTON -- Drivers should expect delays or seek alternate routes on King and Bridge Streets, Florence Road and Winslow Avenue on certain days this week, according to the Department of Public Works.

Crews under contract with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be cleaning catch basins on Bridge Street from the Interstate 91 overpass to Fair Street on Tuesday only, the DPW said. Paving is also expected to be completed there the first week of June.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, water main work will be done at the intersection of Florence and Ryan roads. A sewer line will be replaced on King Street near Lia Toyota and Lia Honda on King Street from Wednesday to Friday.

Water services will be installed along Winslow Avenue on Thursday and Friday.

One-way traffic will be maintained for this routes, but drivers should seek alternate routes or expect delays, the DPW said.

For more information, call the DPW at 413-587-1570.