A 59-year-old husband was charged with crimes against his wife.
WILBRAHAM - Police responded to a domestic disturbance in the southern portion of town on May 14.
Police charged a 59-year-old man with crimes including domestic assault and battery and intimidation of a witness.
The incident took place on May 14 at 9:38 p.m., according to police records.
Detective Michael Cygan and Patrolman Justin Wall responded to the call.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Dakin Humane Society.
WILBRAHAM - A fundraiser for Dakin Humane Society will be May 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fountain Park at 883 Tinkham Road.
All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Springfield Dakin Humane Society.
Krazy Jake's will be selling hot dogs, hamburgers and lobster rolls and a puppy training demonstration will be given by Sherrie King of PeKing Paws.
Vendors catering to pet owners also will be on hand.
A raffle will be held with prizes from Rocky's Hardware, Dave's Soda and Pet City and Pet Portraits by Dave Nevue.
Bring your dog and help support Dakin Humane Society. For questions or for more information email: info@davenevueart.com
The only nuclear power plant in Massachusetts is back on line after a $70 million, monthlong, refueling and maintenance project.
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) -- The only nuclear power plant in Massachusetts is back on line after a $70 million, monthlong, refueling and maintenance project.
Entergy, the owner of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, announced that the plant returned to full service on Tuesday morning.
The plant's 600 employees as well as more than 1,000 workers brought in specifically to work on the project spent 35 days upgrading, replacing, overhauling and inspecting hundreds of pieces of equipment and also replaced the fuel in the reactor.
Entergy say the project made the plant safer.
Pilgrim, which began commercial operation in 1972 and generates 680 megawatts of electricity, was relicensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2012 for an additional 20 years.
Citizens groups are still fighting to have the plant closed, saying it's unsafe.
Police were called to Baystate Franklin just before 4 p.m. for a report of a Northfield ambulance being driven off with permission.
GREENFIELD - An Everett man was arrested Saturday afternoon after police say he stole an ambulance from Baystate Franklin Medical Center and drove it around the block, police said.
Kyle Seprenard, 25, of 60 Foster St., Apt. 3, was charged with unauthorized used of an ambulance, disorderly conduct, and possession of a class A substance, ketamine.
Police were called to Baystate Franklin just before 4 p.m. for a report of a Northfield ambulance being driven off with permission.
Seprenard had apparently returned to the hospital parking lot with the ambulance a short time later, police said. He was described as acting in a "disorderly manner" as police tried talking to him, police said.
Seprenard, who had apparently just been released from the hospital, was seen hanging around where the ambulances park, and was spotted at one point sitting in the cab of a Northfield Ambulance, police said.
When medics approached him, he dropped it in gear and drove off down High Street. Witnesses told police he nearly struck another vehicle leaving the lot and at one point was driving on the sidewalk.
The ambulance did not appear to have any damage when he returned with it. There were no reported injures.
Police did not disclose why Seprenard was being treated at the hospital prior to the incident.
He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Greenfield District Court.
Baystate High Street Health Center Adult Medicine found 30 cases among its patients in five years, beginning in 2010, according to a report by New England Public Radio.
SPRINGFIELD - It's a disease so uncommon it's usually only referenced in the punchline of a pirate joke, but a clinic on High Street has seen a high number of scurvy cases over the past five years.
Baystate High Street Health Center Adult Medicine found at least 30 cases among its patients in five years, beginning in 2010, according to a report by New England Public Radio, which says this is more diagnoses than in any previous study of its kind.
Scurvy can cause bleeding gums, rough skin, bleeding under the skin, swollen joints, depression and many more symptoms. Smoking can exacerbate the problem. If it's not treated, scurvy can be fatal.
The disease was common in pirates and sailors in the 18th century, as they went for long stretches of time without access to fruits and vegetables -- a key problem that leads to scurvy in modern times, as well.
A 2013 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focused mostly on refugees resettling in developed countries, found that 14 percent of males and 10 percent of females in the U.S. suffer from a vitamin C deficiency, which the report equates with scurvy.
This is caused by "chronic malnutrition, alcoholism, and restrictive diets devoid of fruit and vegetables," the report states, and it's not clear how many cases there are among refugees in the U.S.
NEPR quotes Dr. Eric Churchill of the High Street clinic: "You can have a handful of McDonald's ketchup packets a day, and that'll give you enough vitamin C to keep yourself from contracting scurvy."
Good sources of vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, several kinds of peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and carrots.
The Mayo Clinic says the recommended daily vitamin C intake is 65 to 90 milligrams, and the upper limit is 2,000 milligrams. Another name for vitamin C is ascorbic acid, which a doctor may recommend to treat scurvy.
Vitamin C also gets added to some processed foods and is found in multivitamins. Minor dietary changes can reverse a deficiency and prevent scurvy.
The NEPR report quotes Churchill as saying more doctors should keep scurvy in mind, and he hopes his study leads to more research.
Police investigating theft of UMass banners.
AMHERST - Seven banners that read "Welcome to Amherst" and feature the maroon of the University of Massachusetts were stolen off light poles last week.
Police said the flags are valued at $100 each.
The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce hung the flags that feature Amherst and Hampshire colleges and UMass on downtown light poles. The banners were paid for by the chamber but subsidized by the three institutions, said Donald Courtemanche, executive director of the chamber.
He said he believes the stolen flags were either all or mostly all representing UMass.
They purchased extra flags in case they were damaged by weather or stolen and the chamber will replace the stolen flags by the end of the week, he said.
Amherst police are investigating.
Motorists are advised to expect delays.
WILBRAHAM - Police issued a traffic advisory for Boston Road eastbound from Springfield to Wilbraham.
Paving is taking place, and travelers should expect delays.
Smith will continue his YMCA career at the executive level in Florida.
SPRINGFIELD -- Kirk Smith, chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, has resigned to continue his 17-year YMCA career at the executive level in Florida.
Jeffrey Poindexter, the recently appointed chairman of the board of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, said the board will establish a search committee to identify a permanent replacement to lead the organization.
Poindexter, in a release, said the search committee would likely consult YMCA of the USA, the national parent organization, to provide any necessary executive resources in the short term.
Poindexter said Smith would continue to be available to the board to assist with the transition through July 3.
"I know I speak for the entire YMCA Board in expressing my appreciation for Kirk Smith's stewardship of the Springfield YMCA, one of the oldest in the United States, and wish Kirk and his family great future success," he said.
Poindexter said Smith was instrumental in maintaining the services of Dunbar Community Center, a vital asset to the Mason Square community. He also expanded programming at the Scantic Valley YMCA in Wilbraham and represented the YMCA in a number of community organizations and causes.
Smith also established the YMCA's Diversity & Inclusion Committee and helped to secure an additional $4 million from the state Department of Education for pre-school expansion and added educational programming sites, one of the YMCA's key service areas, Poindexter said.
"These initiatives, and Kirk's leadership, were vital to the YMCA and the varied constituencies we serve," he said.
The YMCA of Greater Springfield has been serving thousands of youths, teens, families and seniors throughout the region since 1852.
Police found the meter in a wooded area near the Memorial Bridge.
SPRINGFIELD -- Police detained a suspect in the theft of a city parking meter Tuesday morning and continue to look for another who was last seen in the wooded area near the Memorial Bridge.
Police became aware of the theft when Officer Greg Pickett, who is assigned to Hampden County Hall of Justice at 50 State St. , looked out his office window there at about 8:15 a.m. and saw two suspects carrying an object draped in a blanket, Sgt. John Delaney said.
Pickett initially thought the two suspects had stolen a statue and he reported that the pair was heading towards the Connecticut River.
Delaney, public information officer for the department, speaking about an hour later, said police have recovered the meter and arrested one of the suspects.
Such thefts, Delaney said, are unusual.
An officer, who could be heard speaking over the police radio, reported the meter had been stolen from Main Street, south of State Street.
Students, faculty and alumni will celebrate the 100-year anniversary from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday with activities that explore the school's past. Mayor David Narkewicz and Northampton Superintendent of Schools John Provost will speak at the event that will feature games, student-led tours and historical displays.
NORTHAMPTON -- In 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first career home run. The first stop sign in America appeared on the streets of Detroit. The U.S. House of Representatives voted down a proposal to give women the right to vote.
And in Northampton, Massachusetts, The Bridge Street School opened its doors.
Students, faculty and alumni will celebrate the 100-year anniversary from 3-5 p.m. on Friday with activities that explore the school's past. Mayor David Narkewicz and Northampton Superintendent of Schools John Provost will speak at the event that will feature games, student-led tours and historical displays.
Bridge Street's Kindergarten through fifth-graders have spent the past few months learning what life was like in 1915, according to Principal Beth Choquette. Each grade level was responsible for a topic: First grade learned about education a century ago; second grade, food; third grade studied clothing, and so on. Fifth graders found out what Northampton was like as a city way back when.
The school first opened in a building at the end of Union Street in the late 1800s, but closed in 1906. Classes started in the new school in March 2015.
"It's important for kids to understand and know their community; how things have changed, where they come from," Choquette said of anniversary festivities. "For them, their community is school."
The students' hard work will be incorporated into an exhibit that will run through the summer at the Historic Northampton Museum on Bridge Street. Food tins, typewriters and telephones, garments and dish-ware will be among the 1910s-era items displayed.
Nancy Rexford, acting director of Historic Northampton, said the year Bridge Street School opened was a time of great change for the world. There was the transition from trollies to automobiles, from handwork to powered devices such as vacuums and washing machines. And more and more people were graduating from high school.
"We'll definitely be highlighting those changes," said Rexford, who has been poring over and pulling from Montgomery Ward catalogues published in 1915.
This spring, Choquette created a 100-year anniversary committee that was tasked with collecting memorabilia from Bridge Street graduates. Through alumni, students have been able to see what their elementary school predecessors looked like as far back as the 1920s.
The committee has also located what it believes is the school's oldest living alumna: Helen Krok Backiel, who will turn 100 in June. The soon-to-be centenarian will travel from her home in Ware with her brother to attend the celebration Friday.
"It's about that sense of belonging," Choquette said, commenting on the significance of the anniversary to current and former Bridge Street students. "It's like being part of a family."
A chance for severe thunderstorms exist for late this afternoon and early evening.
The National Weather Service has posted a Hazardous Weather Outlook for possible severe thunderstorms this afternoon and early evening across the state, as well as northern Rhode Island and Northern Connecticut.
The forecast for the rest of the work week is as follows:
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 62. North wind around 6 mph.
Wednesday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Wednesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m, then a slight chance of showers after 5 a.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Areas of fog after 11 p.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Areas of fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 82.
Lorenzo DiTomasso's grave was vandalized, the grass burned in a perfect rectangle, beer cans left behind and memorial items either melted or stolen.
FOXBOROUGH - Lorenzo DiTomasso, Jr., was just 26 years old when he died the day before Thanksgiving 2014 of a blood clot in his heart. He was laid to rest in his hometown.
Now his family is seeking answers after a strange and heartbreaking crime: His grave was vandalized, the grass burned in a perfect rectangle, beer cans left behind and memorial items either melted or stolen.
Boston's ABC affiliate WCVB quotes DiTomasso's mother: "It was devastating ... It's bad enough we lost our son, but for this to be happening to his gravesite, it's disrespectful."
The Foxborough Police Department is involved in finding out what happened and who's responsible.
No other graves were targeted.
DiTomasso's family told WCVB they can't imagine why this happened and they're working to repair the damage.
The child, walking home from school, escaped the man's grasp and ran away.
VERNON, Ct. -- Police are investigating the attempted abduction of a student walking home from Lake Street School Tuesday afternoon.
The Hartford Courant reported the incident occurred near the intersection of Lake Street and Tunnel road between 2:30 and 2:50 p.m.
A man got out of a red four-door car and grabbed the student, who then managed to escape the man's grasp and run away.
WFSB reported the suspect was driving on the other side of the road when he crossed the double-yellow line and attempted to take the student.
Police said they plan to maintain an increased presence at the school. Anyone with information is asked to call (860) 872-9126.
The fire was at 429 Allen St. shortly after 1 a.m.
SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad is investigating the torching of a minivan in the East Forest Park neighborhood early Wednesday.
No injuries were reported, Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.
Firefighters were dispatched to 429 Allen St. shortly after 1 a.m. for a report of a fire. They found a 2015 Honda Odyssey burning in the driveway.
The Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad determined that a liquid accelerant was poured on the vehicle and set fire. Leger said.
Prosecutors filed documents in federal court on Tuesday indicating that Bulger's cash, guns, jewelry and other items are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service in preparation for a final forfeiture order.
BOSTON (AP) -- Federal prosecutors are preparing to distribute nearly $822,000 seized from former crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger to the families of his murder victims and people he extorted.
U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz's spokeswoman Christina DiIorio-Sterling says prosecutors have been "moving forward" in recent weeks to provide the funds to the families.
The 84-year-old Bulger was sentenced Nov. 14 to life in prison. He was found guilty in August by a federal jury in 11 killings, along with dozens of other crimes, including shakedowns.
Kiritsy told Agostini that he is being treated for depression and that he takes medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
NORTHAMPTON — A West Brookfield man was ordered to serve five years probation Tuesday after admitting that he exposed himself to two girls in a restroom at a Ware Walmart.
Justin Kiritsy, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of accosting and annoying a person of the opposite sex and single counts of open and gross lewdness and assault.
According to prosecutor Linda Pisano, Kiritsy was in Walmart to assemble furniture for a vendor. Security cameras captured him moving towards the men's room when the two girls, ages 8 and 9, asked their mother if they could use the restroom. He entered the ladies' room instead and exposed himself to the girls as they exited a stall. When they tried to flee in fright, Kiritsy spread his arms to block them, Pisano said, incurring the assault charge.
Hampshire Superior Court Judge John Agostini imposed the five years probation agreed upon by the prosecution and defense, but declined to order Kiritsy to wear a Global Positioning System device, as recommended by Pisano. As conditions of his probation, Kiritisy must stay away from schools and children, including the victims.
Kiritsy told Agostini that he is being treated for depression and that he takes medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and post traumatic stress disorder.
The driver took down a lawn fence, but there were no injuries, police said.
LUDLOW — Police charged a Springfield man with OUI, 2nd offense, after he allegedly drove his car through a fence and took down a utility guide wire in the area of 93 Cady Street on Monday.
Rui Guerreiro, 41, of the Indian Orchard section of Springfield, was charged by police with OUI, 2nd offense, operating after a license suspension, a marked lanes violation, speeding and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Police responded to the incident Monday at 6:18 p.m.
Police Sgt. Daniel Valadas said the driver took down a lawn fence. There were no injuries.
Guerreiro was driving a 2011 Subaru Impreza, police said.
WILBRAHAM - Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee Vice Chair Lena Buteau Tuesday welcomed the newly elected members of the School Committee, William Bontempi and Michelle Emirzian. Bontempi, who defeated Marc Ducey for the seat, will not actually take his seat on the committee until July 1. Ducey did not attend theTuesday School Committee meeting. The committee will reorganize after Bontempi...
WILBRAHAM - Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee Vice Chair Lena Buteau Tuesday welcomed the newly elected members of the School Committee, William Bontempi and Michelle Emirzian.
Bontempi, who defeated Marc Ducey for the seat, will not actually take his seat on the committee until July 1. Ducey did not attend theTuesday School Committee meeting. The committee will reorganize after Bontempi takes his seat.
Buteau also accepted Ducey's resignation from the Middle School Task Force which is seeking to reduce the number of schools in the district due to declining enrollment.
She said the School Committee could take nominations to replace Ducey on the Middle School Task Force.
Buteau said the School Committee also needs to consider who will chair the Middle School Task Force since Ducey had been servng as the chair.
"We could have two co-chairs," Buteau suggested, "one from the School Committee and one from the towns, or we could have one from Hampden and one from Wilbraham."
The committee will take up the issue at a future meeting.
The performance is sponsored by Westfield Bank as part of its Sunday Night Concert Series at Stanley Park.
WESTFIELD - The music of Neil Diamond will come alive June 7 at Stanley Park when Kenny LaBelle presents the Diamond Collection.
The concert will begin at 6 p.m. at the beveridge Pavilion Annex and is sponsored by Westfield Bank and its Sunday Night Concert Series at Stanley Park. The free performance will be held regardless of weather.
LaBelle is a Western Massachusetts native, singer and collaborative performer as well as the front person for the The Diamond Collection, a Neil Diamond tribute band.
The heroin was seized over the course of a months-long investigation.
HOLYOKE -- A months-long investigation by the Hampden County Narcotics Task Force, which resulted in the seizure of over 3,700 bags of heroin, yielded the arrests of two Holyoke men Tuesday.
Task force members and Holyoke narcotics detectives arrested Julio Rosado, 20, and Armando Vega, 27, according to a release issued by state police.
Rosado was charged with two counts of trafficking heroin and two counts of distribution of heroin.
Vega was charged with trafficking heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute.
The two are slated to be arraigned Wednesday in District Court. Rosado is being held in lieu of $25,000 and Vega, $540.
Members of the task force are assigned to Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni
Additional information was not immediately available.
