As of June 1, the late fees increase to $50 per dog.
WILBRAHAM - Town Clerk Beverly Litchfield reminded dog owners who have not yet licensed their dogs that as of June 1 late fees increase to $50 per dog.
The late fee was established in September 2013 by the Board of Selectmen.
Anyone with questions about the licensing procedure, rabies vaccination information or cost, call 596-2800, extension 200.
Prior to the first local stakeholder meeting on Holyoke Public Schools, the teacher's union president released a list of "guiding principles" he hopes members adhere to during the turnaround process.
HOLYOKE -- Just prior to the first local stakeholder meeting on Holyoke Public Schools, the teacher's union president released a list of "guiding principles" he hopes local leaders adhere to during the turnaround process.
Holyoke Teachers Association President Gus Morales called on turnaround efforts to be well connected to the diversity within the district and invest in "educating the whole child." He added that education officials "should resist change for change sake" and that stakeholders should consider what current practices in the district are working before implementing new initiatives.
He said, "The HTA is hopeful that Commissioner Chester and the receiver will collaborate with educators and the community in a dynamic process that will require modifications and improvements as plans unfold."
The Holyoke Local Stakeholder Group is a short-term advisory committee that will help Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester create a district turnaround plan. The 18-member group consists of city education officials, Holyoke Public School employees, parents, and representatives from local social service agencies.
Morales is a member of the group as are two other public school teachers, Briget Reilly and Shelley Whelihan.
The first local stakeholder meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 27, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Holyoke Public Library. The meeting is open to the public.
View the full statement below.
Alemany became sick on Tuesday with gastrointestinal symptoms, according to his attorney.
BOSTON - Jurors in the murder trial of Edwin Alemany were sent home on Wednesday after Alemany got sick.
Alemany is on trial in Suffolk County Superior Court for allegedly murdering Amy Lord and attacking two other Boston women. He plans to use an insanity defense.
Alemany became sick on Tuesday with gastrointestinal symptoms, according to his attorney, Jeffrey Denner.
Emergency medical technician Brian Bailey examined Alemany in lockup Wednesday morning and said he appeared "a little sick" with feelings of dizziness and nausea and a slight temperature.
Alemany was brought to the courtroom after Bailey said Alemany did not seem in imminent danger of getting physically sick, was not confused and did not need hospitalization.
But Denner said Alemany felt nauseous and could not concentrate. Alemany put his head down on the defense table.
Judge Frank Gaziano decided to dismiss jurors for the day. The attorneys may still hold a 2 p.m. hearing on whether certain evidence is admissible, depending on Alemany's medical condition.
"The defendant has a constitutional right to be present at all times," Gaziano said.
A report of a theft at Six Flags New England sparked a struggle between Agawam police officers and a group of youths, with officers wrestling a suspect to the ground in the shadow of the park's Mind Eraser roller coaster.
A report of a theft at Six Flags New England sparked a struggle between Agawam police officers and a group of youths, with officers wrestling a suspect to the ground in the shadow of the park's Mind Eraser roller coaster.
Officers arrested five young men at the scene, according to a police report. Victor Oquendo, 18, was charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing and was arraigned Tuesday in Westfield District Court. The other four suspects are juveniles and face a range of charges including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer.
Agawam police officer Robert Burke was on a detail at the theme park when park security reported a larceny and ongoing fight near the Mind Eraser coaster. Burke and another officer responded and security pointed out a group of five men walking quickly away from the scene, according to the police report.
As witnesses began yelling that one of the men had punched a woman in the face, the officers gave chase, Burke said in his report. Burke reported that he tried to detain one suspect, and wrestled him to the ground after the youth tried to pull away.
The commotion attracted an audience; as Burke struggled on the ground with the youth, onlookers began yelling about the officers' use of force, he reported.
"At this point the male on the ground began yelling 'I can't breathe' repeatedly and this drew a larger crowd. I could also hear people in the crowd chanting 'NYPD,' 'Baltimore' and 'Ferguson," Burke wrote. "I could also hear people making comments like 'fight back against these racist cops,' 'Worldstar' and 'I'm filming this [expletive] so he can sue them.'"
One of the juvenile suspects tried to kick Burke, the officer reported.
Six Flags New England spokesperson Jennifer McGrath said the matter was swiftly referred to Agawam police and that the park does not tolerate inappropriate behavior.
"We are laser-focused on providing a fun, safe and friendly environment for the millions of guests who visit our park," McGrath said in a statement. "Guests who choose to ignore our rules and exhibit unethical [or] inappropriate behavior are asked to immediately leave the park."
As of Wednesday morning, no video of the incident had surfaced on YouTube or World Star Hip Hop, a site known for featuring videos of fights. Agawam Police Sgt. Jennifer Blanchette said the department does not possess security footage of the disturbance and that she is not aware of any that exists.
Burke called for backup, and six more Agawam police officers responded to the scene. They dispersed the crowd and took three detained suspects to cruisers. Two more suspects, including Oquendo, were later identified by park security and arrested.
According to Burke's report, the suspect who he had struggled with began vomiting in the back of the police cruiser. Blanchette said police reports gave no indication that any suspects required medical attention.
Oquendo was released on his personal recognizance. His attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
Carney, out for his morning run before work, sprang into action when he spotted 2 suspicious people stealing a package from a porch.
SPRINGFIELD - A city police detective out of his morning jog though Forest Park before work on Wednesday morning instead ran into two people he witnessed stealing a package from a porch, police said.
As a result of Detective Michael Carney's actions, police arrested an 18-year-old man and a 14-year-old juvenile, charging them with several car breaks and larcenies in the area of Commonwealth Avenue and Carroll Street, according to police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney.
Police charged Izzy Martinez, 18, of 63 Hall St. and the juvenile with three counts of breaking into a motor vehicle at night and four counts of larceny of less than $250. The juvenile's name was not disclosed to the press due to his age.
Delaney said Carney, a 32-year veteran of the police department, goes out every morning to run 5 to 6 miles before work. While on his run, he spotted Martinez and the juvenile acting suspicious as they grabbed a delivery package from a front porch, he said.
"The detective ran up to the two individuals and grabbed the box back from the thieves," Delaney said.
Martinez and the juvenile "then chose to go on a jog of their own, and ran down the street away from Detective Carney," Delaney said.
Carney used his cell phone to report the incident to police dispatch and a patrol car was sent to his location, Delaney said. Carney hopped in the back and the car set off in search of Martinez and the juvenile, and they were quickly found, he said.
"A search of both suspects turned up stolen credit cards, cell phones, cash, headphones and jewelry," he said. The items matched those reported stolen from reported car breaks earlier in the morning on Commonwealth Avenue and Carroll Street, Delaney said.
Police are now investigating to see if they can link the pair to any other car break-ins in the area, he said.
This is not the first time Carney has thwarted street crime while doing his road work.
In April, 2004, Carney was out running one morning when he spotted two teens breaking into a jeep at Gillette Avenue and Allen Street. It was reported he called it in, and then aided police in identifying the two suspects.
"Detective Carney is a detective who takes great pride in his work, his department and his city," Delaney said. "This arrest shows the citizens of Springfield that their police force is never really "off duty. This was great police work by a truly dedicated police officer."
Martinez is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Springfield District Court. The juvenile's case will proceed in Hampden Juvenile Court.
The National Weather Service is warning of the possibility of strong to marginally severe thunderstorms developing across the state this afternoon and early evening.
TAUNTON -- The National Weather Service is warning of the possibility of strong to marginally severe thunderstorms developing across the state this afternoon and early evening.
Some storms could contain strong to damaging wind gusts and hail.
Any storms that develop are expected to hit Southern New England between 1 and 9 p.m. today.
From the National Weather Service:
The main threat from these storms will be the potential for localized heavy rainfall and dangerous cloud to ground lightning. However severe thunderstorms will be possible. The biggest concern would be a localized strong to damaging wind gust with hail a secondary concern.
Strong thunderstorms and winds toppled trees and power lines in Franklin and Hampshire counties yesterday. Those storms missed much of the central and eastern part of the state, which has been in need of rain following a relatively dry spring.
Some wire bristles are so small they do not show up on an X-ray.
A tiny bristle from an outdoor grill cleaning brush got stuck in a Connecticut woman's stomach, causing her so much pain that she had to have surgery.
Cheryl Harrison, of Wallingford, was taken to MidState Medical Center in Meriden two days after eating a hamburger.
According to ABC News, a tiny piece of metal less than an inch long was embedded in her stomach.
"If it was in my mouth and I bit it and I knew it, I wouldn't have swallowed it," Harrison said at a news conference following her recovery last week. "It must have been positioned in that burger just perfect, and I ingested it and swallowed it."
Dr. Aziz Benbrahim, who performed the operation, said that a CAT scan revealed that the metal was stuck in her intestine.
"You can die from it; it's a big problem," Benbrahim told ABC News. "It's a flexible piece of metal so when you eat it, you don't feel it in your mouth. It goes down to your small intestine and we have a normal kink, 90 degree kink, and that bristle can't negotiate the turn and that's how it made a hole in her intestine."
Benbrahim said he knew how to treat the problem because he had worked on a similar case last year.
"About a year ago, I had a patient who almost died from it," he said. "He had (eaten) a bristle from a grill brush and he was sick for two weeks."
That case was more complicated, the doctor said, because that patient had an infection that lead to a blood clot in his lungs.
According to WTIC-TV a one of the bristles from a brush fell off while her husband was cleaning the grill.
"I figured out it might have been from the grill brush, so at that point, we did the CAT scan, and I had to have emergency surgery," Harrison said.
CBS News, citing figures supplied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, reported that about 80,000 people come to emergency rooms every year after ingesting foreign objects. Wire bristles from grill brushes are part of the reason, but are so thin that they don't show up on X-rays, making them very hard to detect.
"Nobody knows the statistics, that's the problem. The only paper published talks about 6 or 7 cases and I believe it's a much, much more common," Benbrahim told CBS. "When I was talking to my colleagues at the hospital, I was surprised that all of them had at least one or two patients like this. I didn't think it was that common. And this isn't a very big hospital, so I assume that in a bigger hospital they would have more."
The most definitive study was done in 2010 at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. In that study, the hospital treated six patients who had ingested wire bristles in an 18-month period. It was only after asking patients multiple questions about what lead to their pain that the hospital learned that the bristles had perforated the small intestines of two patients, the stomach of another, and the liver of another.
So, if you have unexplained abdominal pain, especially after eating food cooked on an outdoor grill, doctors advise people to seek medical attention right away.
"Anyone who has abdominal pain which does not go away the next day or so, if it's severe, should not dismiss it," Benbrahim said.
Doctors advise outdoor chefs to clean grills with aluminum foil or nylon brushes, not wire brushes. They should then be wiped down with a cloth and carefully inspected.
The Republican campaigned against President Barack Obama's health care law, criticized Obama's executive order to offer protections against deportation to millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, and said the nation can't afford another Democratic president.
HOLLY RAMER, Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- Politicians like to say a presidential campaign is a marathon, not a sprint. Republican George Pataki has taken almost a decade just to get to the starting line.
The former three-term New York governor is expected to announce his intentions for the 2016 presidential contest on Thursday after flirting with the idea in both 2008 and 2012. He's scheduled to speak in Exeter, New Hampshire, which served as the state capital during the Revolutionary War and claims to be the birthplace of the Republican Party.
Pataki posted a video on his website declaring "the system is broken," and talked about his experience as governor. "It's time to stand up, protect our freedom and take back this government," he says in the video, which notes it was paid for by "Pataki for President."
Clearly a longshot, Pataki has cited his electoral success in a heavily Democratic state -- he knocked off liberal icon Mario Cuomo to become governor in 1994 -- and ability to work with Democrats as among his strengths. But he's spent recent months promoting his conservative credentials, as those running for the Republican nomination invariably do.
In an earlier trip to New Hampshire, he campaigned against President Barack Obama's health care law, criticized Obama's executive order to offer protections against deportation to millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, and said the nation can't afford another Democratic president. He also has called for less government spending and limiting government power.
"We've seen an explosion in government power from Washington and the government is far too big, far too powerful, far too expensive and far too intrusive," Pataki said in New Hampshire earlier this year. "The need to reform Washington dramatically and reduce its power and influence has never been greater."
Pataki, 69, has worked as a lawyer and opened a consulting firm since leaving office in 2006. He's been a frequent visitor to the early nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire over the years, and has made more than half a dozen trips to New Hampshire this year alone as he explored a 2016 campaign. His earlier efforts never resulted in a full-fledged campaign, however.
Known for his low-key style, he is trying to distinguish himself in a large pack of rivals, filled with big personalities.
The water main break was reported late Wednesday afternoon.
SPRINGFIELD -- Cottage Street will be limited to one lane of alternating traffic for much of the day Thursday as work crews return to the scene of a water main break that flooded and damaged the street Wednesday afternoon.
Joyce Mulvaney, spokeswoman for the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, said the break has been repaired and Cottage Street was re-opened to two-way traffic as of about 6 a.m. to accommodate the morning commute.
Crews, however, are preparing to do additional work at the scene, which will require the closure of a lane, she said. Additional work includes further cleanup, road repair and paving.
Mulvaney could not immediately provide an estimate for when the work will be completed.
It's unclear what led to the break to the 12-inch main, which was reported late Wednesday afternoon between Turnbull Street to Carando Drive.
This is part of the work to reconstruct the eastbound bridge that carries Route 5 to the rotary.
WEST SPRINGFIELD - Drivers don't have to worry about the planned 79-hour shutdown of the eastbound Memorial Avenue bridge. That is, until next weekend.
The shutdown has been rescheduled "to allow MassDOT and the contractor to refine construction-related plans and procedures to minimize impacts and expedite work," according to a news release from the state Department of Transportation.
This is part of the work to reconstruct the eastbound bridge that carries Route 5 to the rotary.
Originally, the lanes were to be closed from Friday at 10 p.m. to Tuesday, June 2, at 5 a.m. That has been pushed back one week to 10 p.m. on Friday, June 5 to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9.
The following routes will be closed to traffic:
* Eastbound traffic on Memorial Bridge (into Springfield)
* Route 5 northbound between the Memorial Bridge and the South End Rotary (vehicles may access Bondi's Island transfer station facility)
* Route 5 north and southbound ramps to Memorial Ave eastbound
* Sidewalks on the eastbound bridge will be closed to pedestrians/cyclists
A second 79-hour shutdown is scheduled for June 19 through June 23 so crews can work on the westbound bridge.
For an updated map of the closure and detour instructions, click here.
The road work on Saturday will affect sections of Sumner Avenue, White Street and Cottage Street.
SPRINGFIELD -- The city's Department of Public Works has announced plans for road paving and other work that will occur this Saturday at three locations that will affect traffic.
The following three road projects were announced by Patrick J.Garrity of the Engineering Division, that will affect sections of Sumner Avenue, White Street and Cottage Street:.
Engel's book seeks to explain what socialism would look like in America. He believes capitalism is designed for the benefit of a small segment of society at the expense of anyone not in the elite.
LUDLOW - Michael Engel is a socialist despite the vitriolic reaction that word tends to elicit from conservatives and liberals alike. He thinks it's a solid economic system.
The Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Westfield State College ran for Congress, unsuccessfully, as an independent in 2010, taking on former Democratic U.S. Rep. John W. Olver. The 71-year-old also owned Cherry Picked Books in Easthampton for a few years.
Now he's written and self-published a book, "Socialism for Smart Folks: A Popular Guide for Open Minds," which seeks to explain and defend the system that countries like Cuba and Venezuela claim to follow (although Engel harbors no illusions about how poorly those governments are run).
Engel's book is written in an almost self-depricating conversational tone, describing what socialism "might be" rather than what it is, since it's so difficult even for scholars to agree on a precise definition. But it's crystal clear that he believes capitalism is designed and executed for the benefit of a small segment of upper-class society at the great and direct expense of anyone not in the elite.
He acknowledges, though, that egregious human rights violations have been committed in the name of socialism. Engel has nothing kind to say about North Korea or its infamously brutal Kim Dynasty, or other governments that have used socialism as a weapon. From the book:
It sometimes appears that most socialists are embarrassed to discuss the issue. We can pretend that the Soviet Union was some kind of non-socialist mutant, but just as Christianity has to answer for the Inquisition, or Islam for its extremist factions, we have to deal with the evils committed in our name. ... (W)e have no clearly positive role models to point to, and a whole raft of negative ones.
So far, whenever socialism has been tried on a national scale, the end result has been perverse, Engel argues. He points to the Soviet Union. In a socialist country, the people are responsible for their own well-being as well as the collective good, but this tenet was abused. It led to extreme bureaucracy and, ultimately, autocrat Joseph Stalin seized all private farmland across huge swaths of his empire and starved millions of people.
Stalin was guilty of a wide range of similarly despicable crimes, and so was fellow socialist Mao Zedong of neighboring China.
Engel argues there is a better way to introduce socialism and improve lives. He calls for "democratic planning" of the economy, employee-owned companies, utilities run by local governments, and the like. In this way, socialism is carried out slowly on a scale that limits the risk of a power-hungry ruler seizing the reins and refusing to give them back.
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, describing himself as a "democratic socialist." Engel's book calls Sanders a "hero for American socialists" along with liberal filmmaker Michael Moore and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sanders' run is part of the reason Engel turned his former blog into a book. In fact, Engel has donated to Sanders' campaign and plans to volunteer for him.
Engel said he supported the Occupy Wall Street movement, but its leaderless structure and overall ineffective strategy ensured it would be short-lived. Changing the economic system of the world's most powerful country, or even just towns, would require a similar yet more effective and bigger push for an overhaul.
"It would be a goal of mine. Can it be done? With difficulty," said Engel in an interview with MassLive. "Should it be done? Yes."
He believes the "productive resources" of the U.S. should be used to benefit everyone, not just private profit-seekers, and he said he's glad Sanders has started a conversation about subjects important to socialists.
What about the welfare state, everyone lining up for their free government stuff? Engel prefers not to use the term "entitlements," opting instead for "rights": The right to education, health care and a job that pays a "livable wage" among them. And these are not handouts. Engel says every citizen would have a responsibility to be productive and participate in this system so it can work properly.
These ideas, no matter their merit, have been used to justify unconscionable abuses of power and the murders of nearly countless human beings. As Engel imagines a socialist system in the United States, he acknowledges individuals may try to seize the opportunity and take over, as the Nazis did around the time his family fled Germany, but he would bet on a successful resistance.
"Americans don't like being bossed around that much," he said.
It sounds like circuitous reasoning: Everyone has to participate in socialism, even though a lot of Americans recoil from hard rules. There is a solution, though, according to Engel. Why not incentives rather than punishments?
For a socialist health care system to become and remain stable, each citizen would need to try to prevent illness and injury. Those who choose not to could be shut out of certain public benefit programs. If the system just simply blocked certain people, we would be facing tyranny.
(On a side note, Engel thinks the Affordable Care Act "sucks" and people still want reasonably-priced health insurance. The debate over that issue, he said, centered on President Barack Obama himself and his arguably overbearing tactics and dealmaking to get the bill through Congress.)
Venezuela's nationwide toilet paper shortage is often cited as an example of socialism in action, although some argue it's the result of numerous other factors. Even the most basic needs of the people can't be met or, if they can, it's by government ration. Those who worry about similar problems in America forget our country's extraordinary wealth, Engel said, and the people would be democratically involved in planning economic activity.
"Living under socialism would be harder than living under capitalism. In capitalism, you can mind your own business," said Engel. "Socialism indicates something different. You can't really mind your business anymore. There's a set of social responsibilities."
The book is not designed to sway people to become socialists. Rather, there is a debate raging on the pages that Engel hopes will continue in conversation among readers. But the bottom line is this: "Socialism is really a transformation of the economy. ... You can't put a smiley face on capitalism. It won't work," he said.
Engel, a self-described civil libertarian, said liberalism also is "not working." Liberals, he believes, consider socialism a dangerous ideology. He said his ideas are more interesting to conservatives even if they only serve to make the blood boil.
"Socialism for Smart Folks," then, is really written for everyone who wants to learn about that system, no matter the reason, and how America might look if we adopted it.
Socialism in the U.S. is not the endgame, though.
"There are some who argue that socialism has to be international or not at all," said Engel, "and I tend to agree."
In Springfield, Mora had allegedly been living under the alias Jose Laureano Ayala.
SPRINGFIELD - Authorities intercepted phony identification papers intended for a Dominican man living here illegally, according to charges issued in U.S. District Court.
Sandro Tavera Mora, 45, was living at 108 Groveland St. when he was set to receive a set of phony documents from Puerto Rico, a criminal complaint states. Law enforcement officials were investigating a phony ID exportation ring there, which led them to the package Mora was to receive here.
Mora was arraigned on Wednesday; he pleaded not guilty to charges of false representation of U.S. citizenship and fraud and misuse of visas. He has been held behind bars since he was arrested in a local drug investigation last year, court records state.
In Springfield, Mora had allegedly been living under the alias Jose Laureano Ayala.
In 2010, immigration investigators began probing an identity trafficking ring out of Puerto Rico. The organization included supplier, runners and brokers, according to the criminal complaint.
"'Runners' working in the Savarona neighborhood of Caguas purchased documents
from individuals on the street. These individuals were often drug addicts who sold their personal information to make money. The documents usually consisted of a Puerto Rican birth certificate and a United States Social Security card, which constituted a 'document set,'" the complaint states.
The runners then sold the document sets to suppliers who then sold them to brokers, or people living in the mainland U.S. who then would market them to "retail customers," typically illegal aliens living in this country. Those recipients then used the document sets to obtain other legal American identification, according to investigators.
Mora was one such potential customer, the charges state. His document set, along with others, were intercepted by federal agents as it was sent through the mail. Investigators photographed the documents and then sent them on their way, the complaint states.
His parcel contained two Puerto Rican drivers' license certificates under the names Ayala and Felipe Hernandez-Rodriguez, investigators say. Both were U.S. citizens. Undercover agents delivered the package to the Groveland Street home to which it was addressed.
Investigators here and in Puerto Rico began cross-checking motor vehicle records and other personal information and discovered the photo provided by Puerto Rican officials did not match the photo of "Ayala" on his Massachusetts identification card.
Mora was arrested last June by Springfield police in a drug investigation, the complaint states. He was arrested with 1,400 bags of heroin, police said at the time, and was a player in a "large heroin factory" in the city's Forest Park neighborhood.
Officers recovered several phony identification cards during that arrest, according to the narrative by Homeland Security Investigations Agent Timothy Irving.
Springfield police brought immigration officials into the fold, and Mora was eventually identified through fingerprints. Irving's complaint also noted that Mora had been turned away by the U.S. Coast Guard trying to gain access to the United States in 2000 and was returned to the Dominican Republic.
Court records do not indicate how long Mora was believed to have lived in the U.S. or in this city.
Police said Kehney Moo, Hsa Wah and Patty Poo of Springfield were illegally hunting animals in the park with slingshots.
SPRINGFIELD - Three men were arrested and charged with illegally hunting in Forest Park Wednesday afternoon after police allegedly found them in the park shooting animals with slingshots.
The three men, Patty Poo, 54, of 211 Oakland St., Kehney Moo, 38, of 83 Acushnet Ave., and Hsa Wah, 60 of 85 Acushnet Ave., were each charged with cruelty to animals, hunting without a license, violation of Forest Park hunting ordinances, and breach of the peace while armed with a sling shot.
According to Springfield Police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney, police were called to a section of Forest Park at about 2:15 p.m. after receiving calls about people were seen hunting birds in the park.
Officers responded to the area and found Wah, Moo and Poo with a bag containing dead turtles, frogs and birds, Delaney said.
The three were armed with slingshots and were apparently using small rocks and auto lug nuts for ammunition, he said.
Hunting is not only illegal in Forest Park, it is not permissible anywhere in Springfield, Delaney said.
Wah, Moo and Poo are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Springfield District Court.
The two suspects were charged with unarmed robbery.
SPRINGFIELD -- Police arrested two men suspected of snatching a $500 gold chain from a third man Wednesday night after after they spotted the victim chasing the suspects down the street in the Forest Park neighborhood.
The incident occurred about 6 p.m. as offices Felix Romero and Daniel Billingsley saw the foot chase unfold on Dickinson Street near Wilmont Street, Sgt. John Delaney said.
The two officers spotted the men who were being chased and the man chasing them approached and told them that they two had just snatched his chain, Delaney, public information officer for the department, said.
At that point, one of the suspects fled as the other was taken into custody.
A short time later, 911 dispatch received an anonymous call stating that the suspect was hiding behind 36 Wilmont Ave.
Jorge Velazquez, 32, of 167 Johnson St. and Joseph Cornine, 34, of 497 Dickinson St., were charged with unarmed robbery. Cornine also had a default warrant.
The online TIP Sheet asks town residents for identifying and contact information, such as an address and cell phone number. It also asks about oxygen, nebulizer and inhaler use.
WEST SPRINGFIELD - In the event of a major emergency, the town would like to know if you have any special medical or emotional needs so they can provide the appropriate help.
The online TIP Sheet asks town residents for identifying and contact information, such as an address and cell phone number. It also asks about oxygen, nebulizer and inhaler use.
You can also report if any family member uses a wheelchair or has autism, depression or bipolar disorder.
"With the potential for a man-made or natural disaster such as the 2011 Tornado, emergency preparedness plans are being expanded to identify, include and address the unique issues of our at risk population," the town's website states. "With the creation of the TIP Sheet, the City will be able to isolate specific geographical areas and address those individuals who have self-reported conditions."
For more information, call Laurie Cassidy of the West Springfield Council on Aging/Senior Center at (413) 495-1803.
To fill out your TIP Sheet, click here.
The event is being held to help bring awareness to animal cruelty and to support area shelters.
LUDLOW - The second annual jubilee for Jameson, the beaten dog adopted by Ludlow Detective Alison Metcalfe, is set for June 7 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Ludlow Elks Pavilion on Chapin Street.
The public is invited to bring awareness to animal cruelty and to support local shelters.
In lieu of event tickets, those who attend are asked to consider donating a gently used or new towel or blanket, dry pet food, gift cards from Dave's Pet Food City or a new toy.
Those who attend will be able to meet Jameson.
Lupa Zoo will be there from noon to 1 p.m. There also will be a pro wrestling demonstration from 1 to 2 p.m., a K-9 demonstration from 2:15 to 3 p.m. and a raffle drawing at 3:30 p.m.
A bounce house and face painting for kids is planned.
Food and refreshments will be available for both humans and dogs.
Leashed pets are welcome.
Metcalfe in 2014 adopted the beaten dog, Jameson, whose former owner was charged with cruelty to animals after he allegedly hit the dog with a pair of metal pruning shears, causing a fractured skull. The dog was dumped into the snow near Red Bridge Road in Wilbraham and rescued by Ludlow police.
There was an intensive search for Lawrence Cinq-Mars.
CHICOPEE - The Hampden County Medical Examiner has determined a man found dead in the Chicopee River is a 91-year-old who has been missing for more than a month.
Lawrence Cinq-Mars, a former business owner in Chicopee, was first reported missing on April 26 after his car was found parked by the Pride Gas Station and Finyl Vinyl on Grattan Street, said Michael Wilk, public information officer for Chicopee Police.
An intensive hunt for the 91-year-old that included police combing the banks of the Chicopee River, launching a boat to search the water and a aerial search of the Chicopee Falls area by the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing helicopter turned up nothing.
On May 11, the body of a man was found in the Chicopee River near Nelson Street. The Medical Examiner has been working to identify the man ever since, he said.
"Sadly, today, it was confirmed by the Medical Examiner that this was Mr. Cinq-Mars. Our condolences to his family," Wilk said.
Foul play was not a factor in his death, Wilk said.
Police confiscated 31 bags of heroin and $126 in cash.
SPRINGFIELD -- Narcotics detectives arrested a city man, known on the street as "Kilo," after they allegedly spotted him selling heroin to two customers in the Forest Park neighborhood Wednesday night.
Detectives, under the command of Lt. Alberto Ayala, saw the transaction while surveiling the area of Dickinson Street and Euclid Avenue about 5:50 p.m., Sgt. John Delaney said.
Police confiscated 31 bags of heroin and $126 in cash.
Luis Figueroa, 47, of 56 Sanderson St., was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, distribution of heroin, violation of a drug-free park zone (Johnny Appleseed) and driving with a revoked license.
Delaney said the customers were also arrested.
The pendulum has swung too far to the right, Connor said.
WILBRAHAM - Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District officials said they will not be pursuing a Race to the Top grant for full-day kindergarten.
The district already offers full-day kindergarten.
Regional School Superintendent M. Martin O'Shea said the district built its kindergarten program without the possible $75,000 in funds which the state Legislature has said could become available.
"We will not pursue the kindergarten grant," O'Shea said. "We will have full-time kindergarten on our own terms."
Assistant Superintendent Timothy Connor said that accepting a Race to the Top grant would require doing a kindergarten educational assessment test and accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Connor said in his opinion the kindergarten program should emphasize cooperative play as well as academics.
He said the pendulum has swung "too far to the right," in emphasizing academics to the detriment of children's social and emotional development.
School Committee member Michael Mazzuca said he agrees that there should be more creativity permitted for teachers, instead of stressing test preparation.
Carolyn Garete, a town resident who is opposed to the Common Core state standards, said she is pleased that school administrators finally said "no to the Common Core."
"We appreciate this kind of push-back," she said. "A wonderful step was made."
Residents from both Wilbraham and Hampden on town election ballots supported non-binding ballot questions opposing the Common Core educational standards.
Marc Ducey, who said the school district has a responsibility to uphold the state standards, was defeated in the May town election.
Peter Salerno, who said he chaired the School Committee's budget subcommittee, said he supports "opting out of grants that don't serve local interests."
Salerno said he wanted to emphasize that the full-day kindergarten program "is not in jeopardy."
