Massachusetts State Police said Brown fled and asked for the public's help in tracking her down, along with her daughter, 19-year-old Quaneja Dkayla Groce-Brown.

FALL RIVER - A suspect wanted in connection with the stabbing death of 53-year-old Brian Jones over the weekend has turned herself in to police.

Adrienne Brown, 37, lives at the Third Street home in front of which Jones was found with multiple stab wounds on Saturday afternoon. He died at a hospital.

Massachusetts State Police said Brown fled and asked for the public's help in tracking her down, along with her daughter, 19-year-old Quaneja Dkayla Groce-Brown.

Brown is due in court on Monday. The charges have not been made public yet.

A van and a pickup truck collided in that area and both drivers were taken to the hospital with possible injuries, which are expected to be minor.

NORTHAMPTON - The right lane near Exit 21 northbound on Interstate 91 is back open, along with the on-ramp, after crews cleared a two-car crash that occurred late Monday morning.

A van and a pickup truck collided in that area and both drivers were taken to the hospital with possible injuries, which are expected to be minor.

The cause of the crash is not yet known.

City and federal officials followed the pat of destruction four years after a tornado tore through Hampden and Worcester counties.

SPRINGFIELD - A 6.2 mile path of destruction in Springfield, left by the tornado of June 1, 2011, had a dramatic new look four years later, described as remarkable by some, as city and federal officials toured the route and spoke of teamwork, spirit and perseverance.

"They have been very successful and they should be commended for it," said Robert D. Shumeyko, director of the New England Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said the response to the tornado reflected Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and his administration's "best moment."

The tornado rebuilding shows "the great aspiration of human character and hope," Neal said.

Shumeyko and Kristina Graney Foye, deputy regional director of HUD, were among officials participating in the tour to "get a first-hand look" at the ongoing rebuilding effort, aided by millions of dollars in federal funding, Foye said.

Foye agreed with Sarno that the city's rebuilding effort has been "remarkable." Sarno and some of his top advisers joined federal officials on the tour on the fourth year anniversary of the tornado.

The tornado tore through Hampden and Worcester counties, and led to Springfield and other communities getting millions of dollars in federal and state aid.

The tour began at City Hall, traveling through the downtown and South End, and scheduled to continue through the Maple-High Six-Corners area, Old Hill, Upper Hill, East Forest Park and Sixteen Acres.

Officials said that some of the work that remains includes decisions by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield if a new regional Catholic high school will be built on the grounds of the tornado-devastated Cathedral High School, or some other site in the region.

Neal said the federal government provided a "safety net" of federal funding, in line with its responsibility to help those in crisis, the private sector in Springfield "invested and stayed," and homeowners rebuilt and stayed.

The story will be updated as reporting continues.

During his time working for the town, Doup was credited with providing tax abatements to several social clubs and dropping the number of appeals from 88 to about 20 through negotiation.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - A former town assessor is running for mayor, pitting him against state Rep. Michael J. Finn.

Hans A. Doup was the principal assessor for about a year starting in 2012. He's taken out nomination papers for the town's top job, according to the clerk's office.

During his time working for the town, Doup was credited with providing tax abatements to several social clubs and dropping the number of appeals from 88 to about 20 through negotiation. He earned high praise from then-mayor Gregory Neffinger upon leaving the position to return to the private sector.

He's owned a private appraising business, HD Appraisals-Realty, for about 30 years.

Efforts by MassLive to reach Doup were not immediately successful.

Finn is the only other declared candidate to take over when Mayor Edward C. Sullivan leaves office after one term.

Nomination papers for mayor and every seat on both the Town Council and School Committee are available at the clerk's office at 26 Central St. They are due back by Thursday, July 28, at 5 p.m.

Candidates for mayor, at-large councilor and School Committee have to collect 25 signatures from voters in each of the four districts.

The new head of the Holyoke's public school system will be announced on Monday.

Mitchell D. Chester, the state commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, announced during a press conference Monday that Stephen Zrike, superintendent of Wakefield Public Schools will be the new head of the Holyoke public school system.

Follow our live coverage below from MassLive.con's Holyoke reporter Michelle Williams.

A motorist struck the brick façade of Dick's Sporting Goods at about noon Tuesday, but according to the Hadley police Facebook page, there were no injuries.

HADLEY - A motorist struck the brick facade of Dick's Sporting Goods at about noon Tuesday, but according to the Hadley police Facebook page, there were no injuries.

Police are reporting the driver "possibly had a medical emergency prior to the crash."

Dick's is an anchor store at the Hampshire Mall on Russell Street (Route 9).

Police and fire as well as medical personnel responded. 

Friday, current councilors-at-large Brian Clune and Bridget Fiala took out reelection papers. Former councilor Robert Mancini, who did not seek reelection in 2013, is hoping to reclaim one of the five at-large spots.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Candidates for town office have started picking up their nomination forms at the clerk's office, and it looks like there could be some competition on the Town Council.

President John Sweeney did not respond to an email asking if he will seek reelection, but if he does, he could go up against Daniel O'Brien, who took out papers to run for District 4 councilor.

Councilor-at-Large Bruce Gendron is running for reelection to his own seat, and he also wants Sweeney's. Town Clerk Otto Frizzell said Gendron can be on the ballot for both positions, but he would have to choose one if he wins both.

If Sweeney runs again, it could trigger a preliminary election.

District 1 Councilor Angus Rushlow's seat may be in contention, as well. He's running to retain it, while Michael Eger and Stanley Starsiak are mounting challenges. A preliminary is possible for this spot, as well.

George Condon is running to keep his District 3 seat. He's unchallenged so far.

Candidates for mayor, at-large councilor and School Committee have to collect 100 signatures of registered voters, 25 from each district. Candidates for district councilor have to get 50 signatures from their district.

Councilors-at-large Brian Clune, Bridget Fiala and George Kelly took out papers. Former councilor Robert Mancini, who did not seek reelection in 2013, is hoping to reclaim one of the five at-large spots.

Sweeney, Vice President Brian Griffin and Lida Powell are the only councilors who have not taken out papers yet. Griffin is an at-large councilor and Powell represents District 2.

Frequent political candidate Nathan Bech, who most recently lost his bid to unseat Democratic state Rep. Michael J. Finn, is running for Powell's seat.

Finn and former principal assessor Hans Doup are, so far, the only declared candidates for mayor.

To date, three School Committee members, Nancy Farrell, Patricia Garbacik and Jose Irizarry, have pulled nomination packets.

Selectmen grappled with the question of whether to demolish Aldrich Hall at Monday's meeting – an idea vociferously opposed by members of the town's historic commission in attendance

GRANBY - Selectmen grappled with the question of whether to demolish Aldrich Hall at Monday's meeting - an idea vociferously opposed by members of the town's historic commission in attendance.

Lingering uncertainty about whether selectmen adhered to established procedure that would authorize tearing down the building is at the center of a dispute they are embroiled in with the Granby Historic Commission.

That disagreement was evident during the June 1 meeting when the historic commission representatives called into question the propriety of whether selectmen may order the wrecking ball to remove Aldrich Hall - saying the board failed to follow the rules.

The board says they have and that town counsel affirmed that.

However, Selectmen directed town Administrator Chris Martin, and board chairman Mark Bail, to discuss the matter further with the town's counsel, Ed Ryan.

Depending on how that goes, Ryan may attend the June 22 selectmen's meeting to discuss the issue with the entire board in open session.

The historic commission requested permission and the funds to hire a lawyer, separate from Ryan, to challenge a recommendation provided to selectmen in a report that concludes the best option is to demolish Aldrich Hall. That report also concluded $800,000 is the estimated amount needed to repair the building.

The historic commission disputes those conclusions.

Selectmen said they would review with Ryan the historic commission's request to appropriate money for the GHC to obtain independent legal counsel.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Thomas Moriarty Jr. 

Thomas P. Moriarty Jr., 70, died on Saturday. He was born in Springfield, grew up in the Pine Point section and attended Our Lady of Sacred Heart School and Technical High School, where he played baseball and graduated in the class of 1962. After high school, he enlisted in the Army, where he served as a tanker with the 14th Armored Cavalry in Germany before volunteering to serve in Vietnam as an infantryman in the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry in 1965 and 1966. He saw heavy combat and earned the Combat Infantry Badge and Purple Heart. After Vietnam, he returned to Springfield. He worked as a correctional officer at the former York Street Jail while earning his undergraduate and graduate degrees at American International College. He was a probation officer, special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration and assistant clerk magistrate before being elected Hampden County Register of Probate in 1990, where served for 22 years before retiring due to illness in November 2012.

Restaurant owners were away on vacation for about four days and weren't sure how long they would be gone, said Karen Kaur, the owner's daughter.

AMHERST - The mystery is solved and Paradise of India is now open.

Restaurant owners were away on vacation for about four days and weren't sure how long they would be gone, said Karen Kaur, the owner's daughter. That's why they left the sign reading "closed until further notice."

She said after they left last week, they realized that people might think they were closed for good. But they're not, and the restaurant reopened for lunch on Tuesday.

Rain is expected to spread across the area once again at 7 p.m. tonight and continue through the overnight hours.

The National Weather Service has canceled the Flash Flood Watch for the afternoon.

Rain is expected to spread across the area once again at 7 p.m. tonight and continue through the overnight hours. Although the rain should clear by 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the majority of the day appears gray and foggy.

The complete forecast is as follows:

This Afternoon: High near 57.

Tonight: Rain, mainly after 7pm. Patchy fog after 7pm. Low around 45. North wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday: A chance of rain, mainly before 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Northeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Patchy fog before 11pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 48. North wind 3 to 5 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Light and variable wind.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Buffis told jurors on Tuesday that he was reimbursing himself for out-of-pocket expenses from the toy fund and from the Lee Police Association, another police charity.

SPRINGFIELD - Former Lee Police chief Joseph Buffis has begun testifying at his own fraud and money-laundering trial in U.S. District Court.

The start of the defendant's testimony drew a large crowd to the gallery Tuesday as Buffis and his lawyer, Lori H. Levinson began making their way through Buffis' early career in the 1970s. He said he started as a "highly-paid crossing guard" in the small town in the Berkshires. Buffis was promoted to sergeant in the early 1990s and made chief in 2011.

He was charged with extortion and money-laundering in federal court two years later.

On trial for allegedly looting a police-sponsored Christmas toy charity for more than $120,000 over a decade, Buffis took the witness stand in his own defense just before 10 a.m. with a pleasant: "'Morning your honor; 'morning ladies and gentleman of the jury."

Buffis follows a parade of prosecution witnesses who portrayed him as a calculating thief who diverted nearly all the donations to the toy fund to his own bank accounts.

Levinson, however, argued to jurors that Buffis was a small-town cop who enjoyed the small-town responsibilities of a rural police chief but was unsophisticated financially. The defense called witnesses to testify that the Buffis family bought toys for the charity all year-round.

Buffis told jurors on Tuesday that he was reimbursing himself for out-of-pocket expenses from the toy fund and from the Lee Police Association, another police charity.

Levinson questioned Buffis about a $1,000 check from the toy fund paid to Buffis' Citicard account in 2005. "How do you explain that?," she said.

"Just reimbursement in general ... if I had purchased toys in April and May and had my receipts on the bulletin board ..." Buffis answered, stating that he had kept some receipts tacked up in his home.

"Were you in effect reimbursing yourself for money previously spent?" Levinson asked.

"Absolutely," Buffis responded.

Levinson had previously argued that Buffis made purchases in cash and kept scant or no receipts, nor lists of recipients or other records related to the toy fund.

Buffis told jurors he is inherently bad at budgeting, and that his predecessor who founded the Laliberte Toy Fund in the 1950s had a very informal style of managing the charity. That style included no filings with the state division of charities, no ledgers, no receipts and no past lists of recipients. Buffis said he took over the toy fund in 1980 at about 20 years old, with $800 Edward Laliberte gave him. He testified he stashed the cash in his sock drawer until it was time to buy toys.

Buffis told jurors that as the demand for Christmas toys from needy families grew as factories in the Berkshires shut down over the years, he began purchasing toys at close-outs and discount stores all year. Witnesses have testified they had seen shelves full of toys in Buffis' basement.

"If we were out in the store and Barbies were being discontinued for ... whatever, absolutely we would scoop them up," he testified.

Buffis is expected to continue with his direct examination through the early afternoon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow will conduct cross-examination later today.

The Class of 2015 will graduate Thursday at 7 p.m. at Bullens Field.

WESTFIELD - Less than one-half of a point separates Susan Mosijchuk and Alina Yurovskiyh for top academic honors among graudating seniors at Westfield Vocational-Technical High School.

Mosijchuk will graduate Thursday night as class valedictorian with a grade point average of 97.80. Yurovskiyh, with a grade point average of 97.37 will graduate as class salutatorian.

The two 18-year-olds will lead the high school's 110-member Class of 2015 in graduation ceremonies at 7 p.m. at Bullens Field, located at the rear of the Smith Avenue school.

Mosijchuk and Yurovskiyh agreed Tuesday dedication and attention to assignments result in academic success.

"It is all dedication and working hard," Mosijchuk said.

She will attend Springfield Technical Community College in September and major in architecture. In high school, Mosijchuk was enrolled in the construction technology program.

Mosijchuk's message for classmates Thursday night will be "Everyone has the ability to change the world. We have made it this far and we should keep moving forward."

Yurovskiyh will enroll at Westfield State University but she is presently undecided on a major course of study. During her four years at the vocational high school, Yurovskiyh was enrolled in the business technology program.

She will tell her classmates at graduation that "We now have more challenges to overcome. We have new responsibilities."

The mayor is scheduled for an interview with Southbridge Town Council members Thursday.

WESTFIELD — Mayor Daniel M. Knapik is one of three finalists vying for the position of town manager in the Worcester County town of Southbridge.

Knapik is scheduled for an interview with the Southbridge Town Council on Thursday.

He was selected by councilors Monday along with North Kingstown, Rhode Island, Town Manager Michael E. Embury and Hanson Town Administrator Ronald S. San Angelo as finalists for the Southbridge post.

There were seven semifinalists interviewed for the position.

"There is opportunity in Southbridge that is similar to our (Westfield's) recent past," Knapik said Tuesday.

"There is a strong sense of pride in the Southbridge community and they face a number of challenges very similar to what Westfield faced in 2009," the three-term mayor said.

Knapik announced Jan. 1 that he would not be a candidate for a fourth two-year term as mayor.

Appointment of a new Town Administrator will fill the position vacated in 2013 when Christopher Clark resigned to take a similar position in Harwich. Kevin E. Paicos, a retired town administrator and manager, currently serves as acting town manager.

Southbridge, according to its website has a population of 16,700.

Knapik has been listed as a finalist for town manager and administrator positions in Wilbraham and Walpole. He withdrew his candidacy in Wilbraham where he was one of five finalists in February.

Earlier, Knapik lost out his bid for administrator in Walpole when the Board of Selectmen there decided to give the post to the interim administrator. Knapik was one of three finalists for that job.

Miller received 264 votes to Panaccione's 106, results provided by the town clerk show.

BRIMFIELD - Michael Miller defeated incumbent selectman Diane Panaccione by a wide margin in Monday's election.

Miller received 264 votes to Panaccione's 106, results provided by the town clerk show.

Miller, 62, who also serves as town moderator, owned the company Namco Systems, Inc., and has retired from the business.

In an interview, the new selectman credited his victory to calling everyone who voted in last year's election, and a mass mailing in the town.

He said one of the biggest challenges facing Brimfield is how best to proceed with costly repairs required for the town hall, and the adjacent town hall annex buildings - with rough estimates running into the millions of dollars to refurbish them both.

"The biggest thing is town hall and the annex," Miller said.

He has already been sworn in and will attend his first meeting Tuesday morning.

Data provide by Town Clerk Bob Sullivan shows 376 of the town's 2,565 registered votes cast ballots in the June 1 election.

Due to last month's train crash in Philadelphia, Amtrak will equip trains with positive train control, a technology that can prevent trains from derailing because of excessive speed.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An emotional Amtrak CEO pledged to lawmakers Tuesday that safety technology that could have prevented a deadly derailment last month in Philadelphia will be put into operation, while Democrats and Republicans exchanged barbs over whether Congress or the Obama administration is most to blame for railroads not installing the technology.

"We are responsible for the incident and its consequences," Joseph Boardman told a House transportation committee hearing. His voice breaking, Boardman said equipping trains with positive train control, a technology that can prevent trains from derailing because of excessive speed, is the "single greatest contribution my generation of railroaders can make."

Amtrak had already installed the technology on tracks it owns in the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington, but it wasn't in operation when Amtrak Northeast Regional train 188 entered a curve in Philadelphia at 106 mph. The speed limit for the curve is 50 mph. Eight people were killed and about 200 injured in the derailment.

Congress mandated in 2008 that Amtrak, commuter railroads and freight railroads install the technology by the end of this year. Amtrak still has to do extensive testing of the system, but will meet the deadline, Boardman said. Most other railroads will not. Only Burlington Northern-Santa Fe has submitted paperwork saying it has completed a positive train control system. At least two commuter railroads are also expected to meet the deadline.

Amtrak's positive train control system relies on transponders, while most other railroads are installing systems that use GPS and wireless technology. The systems automatically slow or stop trains if they are traveling too fast, about to collide with another train, disobey signals or enter an area where crews are working.

Several Democrats blamed a lack of funding in part for Amtrak's troubles, pointing to a $21 billion backlog in capital improvements and to bridges and a tunnel that are more than 100 years old and still in use because there is no money to replace them. Republicans have long sought to reduce federal aid to Amtrak. A GOP spending bill approved by a House panel the day after the accident would cut $290 million from Amtrak's annual federal subsidy.

The train cars involved in the derailment, which were severely mangled, were purchased beginning in 1975 and weren't built to modern occupant protection standards, Boardman said. They haven't been replaced because the railroad is still trying to replace cars built in the 1940s, he said.

Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass., complained that some members of Congress have introduced legislation to give all railroads a blanket 5- to 7-year extension to install positive train control.

The administration has asked Congress to instead grant it the power to extend the deadline on a case-by-case basis in order to keep pressure on railroads to install the systems, but so far Congress hasn't done that.

Sarah Feinberg, acting head of the Federal Railroad Administration, told an industry-government safety advisory committee last week that the agency will use all its power to force railroads to install the systems, including fines and orders to shut down operations.

But Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., a leading Amtrak critic, chastised federal regulators, saying installation of positive train control has been slowed by the actions of another federal agency, the Federal Communications Commission, which has been slow to grant railroads the radio spectrum they need to make the systems work.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report released Tuesday that investigators still don't know whether the engineer involved in the Philadelphia derailment was on his cellphone before the speeding train crashed. It also remains unclear whether damage to the windshield was caused by the wreck or an object thrown at the train, the report said.

The NTSB has said engineer Brandon Bostian, who suffered a head injury in the crash, has been cooperative but says he cannot recall the moments before the accident. The two-page preliminary report estimates damage from the May 12 crash at more than $9.2 million.

Unexpected family issues cited for departure.

GREENFIELD - Dr. Thomas L. Higgins has stepped in as interim president of Baystate Franklin Medical Center and Baystate Health's Northern Region. He replaces Steven F. Bradley in those roles, according to an announcement by Dennis W. Chalke, senior vice president of Community Hospitals for Baystate Health. The announcement cited unexpected and urgent issues related to family as the reason for Bradley's departure.

Dr. Thomas HigginsREPUBLICAN FILE 

Higgins adds his new duties to his existing role as chief medical officer of Baystate Franklin and the Northern Region, which encompasses all of Franklin County and adjacent communities. He said in the release that he is "eager to accept this new challenge and continue the work of advancing our mission in Franklin County."

In the announcement, Chalke paid tribute to Bradley for his role in the ongoing 55,000-square-foot, $26 million surgery modernization project at Baystate Franklin, and his outreach efforts in the larger community.

"Steven played a major role in moving forward BFMC's project to modernize and renovate its operating rooms, and over the years strengthened Baystate Health's relationships with many community-based organizations. We thank him for those contributions and we wish him well in his future endeavors," Chalke said.

Prior to being appointed to head Baystate Franklin and Baystate Northern Region last year, Bradley served as vice president of government and community relations and public affairs for Baystate Health.

Higgins is a graduate of Boston University with a bachelor's degree in medical science; he continued at BU to earn his medical degree. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. He completed a residency in anesthesiology, was chief resident, and completed a fellowship in critical care at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also earned an MBA at the Isenberg School of Management at University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Higgins joined Baystate Health in 1996 as chief of Baystate Medical Center's critical care division. Since 2012, he has served as vice chair for clinical affairs in the department of medicine and as interim chief in the division of general medicine/community health. He is a professor of medicine, surgery, and anesthesiology at Tufts University School of Medicine.

The fire at 46 Kamuda St. was reported at about 1:40 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD -- Firefighters were summoned to a house fire on Kamuda Street in the Indian Orchard section Tuesday afternoon.

The blaze was reported about 1:40 p.m. at 44-46 Kamuda St and it appeared to be extinguished a short time later.

There was no readily apparent exterior damage to the duplex. Kamuda Street is a private street off Oak Street.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available.

Dave Bartley represents Holyoke Ward 3 on the City Council and Dennis Birks represents the ward on the School Committee.

HOLYOKE -- The Ward 3 representatives on the City Council and School Committee will be available to answer questions and discuss issues Wednesday (June 3) at Metcalf School, 2019 Northampton St.

Meetings go from 4 to 6 p.m.

Along with David K. Bartley, of the City Council, and Dennis W. Birks Jr., of the School Committee, the meetings include a neighborhood crime watch discussion led by Glenn Sexton of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

Meetings are held in the school's teachers' lounge.

For information call (413) 531-2213.

Nicholas Tirrell, 20, a member of the Belchertown Community Preservation Committee who was defeated in his bid for election to the board of selectmen last month, was issued a no trespass order barring him from school property and buildings.

BELCHERTOWN — Nicholas Tirrell, 20, a member of the Belchertown Community Preservation Committee who was defeated in his bid for election to the board of selectmen last month, was issued a no trespass order barring him from school property and buildings.

The order was signed by Belchertown School Superintendent Karol Coffin on May 20 and served to Tirrell by Police Chief Francis Fox that day.

That action followed an executive meeting of five school and town officials.

School Committee Chairman Richard Fritsch said the no trespass order was issued because Tirrell had begun interfering with the work of school personnel, but declined to comment further. Fritsch did not attend the executive meeting.

"Should you fail to abide by this notice, we will immediately notify the police and file a criminal complaint in district court," Coffin wrote in the no trespass order to Tirrell.

Tirrell said the order is in reaction to an issue he had with a School Committee member he did not wish to identify.

"In my opinion, the superintendent is trying to protect one of her own – someone on the School Committee – and sought a way to be able to inform a select group of parents that she, Coffin, did something to address the matter," Tirrell said in an interview.

Tirrell said he also asked Fritsch for an explanation for the no trespass order, but was not given one.