The former Delaware attorney general died last Saturday of brain cancer. He was 46.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- Mourning a loss that touched people on Delaware street corners and far beyond, President Barack Obama on Saturday remembered Beau Biden, the vice president's son, as a public servant who learned through early tragedy what mattered most and resolved to "live a life of meaning." 

"He was a scion of an incredible family who brushed away the possibility of privilege for the harder, better reward of earning his own way," Obama said in a deeply personal eulogy. The president described Beau Biden as a son, a father, a soldier and a politician who didn't cut corners in his efforts to serve his country and others.

The former Delaware attorney general died a week ago of brain cancer at age 46.

Obama reflected on the "cruel twist of fate" that killed Beau Biden's mother and infant sister in a car crash four decades ago and left 3-year-old Beau and younger brother Hunter hospitalized.

Out of that tragedy, Obama said, Beau as a "very young boy made a very grown-up decision: He would live a life of meaning. He would live a life for others."

Vice President Joe Biden, who did not speak at his son's funeral, embraced Obama at the funeral's start, after crossed himself solemnly as he entered the church to the strains of "Bring Him Home," from "Les Miserables."

Obama's eulogy reflected the strong bonds that Joe Biden and the president have developed after more than six years together in the White House, with the president declaring his family to be "honorary members" of the extended Biden clan.

Speaking directly to the vice president and his wife, Jill, Obama said, "Michelle and I thank God you are in our lives. Taking this ride with you is one of the great pleasures of our lives. Joe, you are my brother."

The overflow crowd of 1,000 at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church included Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, an array of state and national political figures, as well as people from across Delaware and beyond who lined up hours in advance, drawn by their strong bonds to the Biden family.

"Joe Biden is Delaware, and his son is also Delaware to me," said Lisa Rial, 54, who grew up in Delaware but lives in Pennsylvania. "They're synonymous with Delaware." Outside, along the route to the church, residents held up signs reading "Rest in Peace, Beau."

Gen. Ray Odierno, the former top U.S. commander in Iraq, where Beau Biden once served, eulogized him as a dedicated soldier and selfless friend. Odierno suggested that the presidency could even have been within Beau Biden's reach as he spoke of his dedication to "a nation that I believed one day Beau Biden would someday lead."

The vice president's two surviving children, Hunter and Ashley, also spoke, and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin, a favorite of Beau Biden, sang the meditation at the end of the service, "'Til Kingdom Come"

Joe Biden had just been elected senator in 1972 when his wife and baby daughter were killed in a car crash. He developed a reputation over the years for possessing a deep ability to comfort those in grief.

Often, Biden is called upon to eulogize fellow American leaders. Now, it was Obama's moment to speak words of comfort to the vice president and his family and friends.

The president described Beau Biden as very much his father's son.

"His dad taught him that everybody mattered. He even looked and sounded like Joe -- although I think Joe would be the first to acknowledge that Beau was an upgrade -- Joe 2.0," Obama said to chuckles from those in the audience. "But as much as Beau reminded folks of Joe, he was very much his own man. He was an original."

Beau Biden served two terms as attorney general before setting his sights on the governor's mansion. Many imagined his career would mirror that of his father, who represented Delaware for decades in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president.

But in 2010, at age 41, Beau Biden suffered a stroke. He was diagnosed with brain cancer three years later. He returned to work after what doctors said was a successful operation to remove a small lesion, but his illness returned, and he died last Saturday, less than two weeks after being admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

The suspect clipped several police vehicles during the pursuit and caused three minor crashes, according to a police report.

This is an update to a story last updated at 1:03 a.m.

Editor's note: Police previously reported that the girl was 8, but amended her age in an update Saturday morning.

SPRINGFIELD - Police charged a city man with a slew of criminal counts after he led officers on a wild car chase through this city and Chicopee during rush hour on Friday afternoon, eventually shoving his 10-year-old daughter from a moving car.

Police arrested Gilberto Dannil Diaz Jr, 28, of 77 Drexel Street, after the car chase and a foot pursuit. Off-duty Officer Jaime Bruno spotted Diaz in his car at the corners of St. James Avenue and Carew Street on Friday afternoon, according to police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney. Bruno knew there was a warrant out for Diaz's arrest in connection with his alleged hold-up of a Walgreen's on May 31, Delaney said.

Police said Bruno called for back-up, and other officers raced to the scene. Diaz fled, and several police cars gave chase. The suspect clipped several police vehicles during the pursuit and caused three minor crashes, according to a police report.

"During the course of this pursuit Diaz drove recklessly throughout the city, striking officers' vehicles on several occasions and causing three accidents with minor property damage," Delaney said in a statement.

Diaz also tossed heroin out the window during the chase, police said. The drugs were recovered by investigators. He sped through Chicopee and Springfield, down I-91 South and into the downtown just before 4:30 p.m.

This was where he briefly slowed and forced his daughter onto Main Street before speeding away again, Delaney said.

"While approaching the downtown area of the pursuit, near Cross and Peabody Lane, Diaz was observed forcing his 10-year-old daughter out of the car nearly striking his daughter with the vehicle as he attempted to make his getaway again," Delaney said.

Several police officers stopped to help the child, who was "shaken up" but uninjured, according to police. The girl still had her school backpack on when her father allegedly abandoned her on the side of the street.

A detective forced Diaz's damaged car into a wooded area at the end of Cross Street, Delaney said.

Diaz was charged with masked armed robbery; failure to stop for a police officer; reckless operation; four counts of assault and battery by means of a car; assault by means of a motor vehicle on a child; reckless endangerment of a child; risk of injury to a child; resisting arrest; leaving the scene of a personal injury accident; heroin trafficking; and three counts of possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

The child was brought to the Youth Aid department and the Department of Children and Families are assisting the girl, Delaney said.

"All police officers did an outstanding job getting this dangerous suspect off the street. Detective Jaime Bruno did an outstanding job while off-duty spotting this wanted fugitive," he added.

Diaz is expected to be arraigned Monday in Springfield District Court. He is being held without bail in the meantime, Delaney said.

A bike auction, farmers market, and city-wide tag sale attracted crowds to the city's streets and parks.

EASTHAMPTON -- A police bike auction, city-wide tag sale, and farmer's market drew a festive crowd to the streets and parks of Easthampton on Saturday morning.

As moms with children, groups of teens, elderly people, and young couples strolled along the newly-completed Nashawannuck Pond boardwalk, slide guitar player Mark Nomad provided entertainment steps away at the farmer's market behind the city's Municipal Building.

Nomad said his steel guitar was a modern reissue of a 1928 National tri-cone resonator. "I did put a pickup in it, though," he said.

Among the plant and produce vendors at the market was Ben Lesko, an employment specialist at Riverside Industries, the 1 Cottage Street non-profit which serves adults with developmental disabilities.

"We have a greenhouse behind our building, and a garden on Holyoke Street," said Lesko. "The crew gets paid to help produce vegetables and flowers, which we sell here and to area restaurants."

The produce also helps stock the Riverside Industries client-run restaurant Tuscon Savannah, which is open to the public between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., said Lesko.

Blueberry pies from Bird Haven Farm in Southampton, goat milk soap made by City Council President Joseph McCoy, and locally-grown mushrooms were among the attractions at the market, held every Saturday morning.

A crowd gathered early outside Old Town Hall at 43 Main St. for the yearly police bike auction. Bicycles of assorted sizes and in various states of repair were sold off one at a time, most going for under $20.

A city-wide tag sale at Nonotuck Park was a lively social affair, with dozens of vendors and a steady stream of people browsing the booths.

Next Saturday (June 13) Easthampton will come alive with Cultural Chaos, a "street festival with a twist" featuring music, open studios, cuisine, and outdoor performances. The festival will kick off at noon with Mayor Karen Cadieux hosting a celebratory ribbon-cutting at the new boardwalk on Cottage Street.

The rapidly-changing Hampshire County community of 16,000, nestled at the base of Mt. Tom and wrapped around the Nashawannuck Pond, is fast becoming a top cultural destination in Western Massachusetts, with its growing community of artists, musicians, organic farmers, craft brewers, young families, and entrepreneurs.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Ryan Sliwa will celebrate his first Mass on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Holy Family Parish in South Deerfield.

SPRINGFIELD - Ryan T. Silwa today became the first diocesan priest to be ordained by Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski since Rozanski's installation as bishop last summer.

Ryan T. Silwa 

Nearly 250 family and friends traveled from Deerfield for the nearly two hour ordination Mass that was held at St. Michael's Cathedral, according to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

"Father Ryan brings to the diocese a great sense of prayer," the Rev. Gary M. Dailey, director of vocations for the diocese, said. "(He is) a prayerful young man, a holy young man, but also with a gift of humor. I'm confident that in Father Ryan's assignment with the people of God in Springfield, he will bring a great sense of priesthood."

Sliwa was born in Springfield and baptized at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Basilica in Chicopee. Soon after, the family moved to Huntington where he grew up. His family attended the former St. Thomas Parish there.

According to the diocese, he is the eldest of two children born to Ronald Sliwa and Dianna Watson. His sister, Chelsea, is three years younger.

A 2006 graduate of Gateway Regional High School, he earned his bachelor's degree philosophy at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.

He spent his academic years at St. John Seminary in Brighton, starting in 2010. In his last academic year, he served at Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Easthampton on weekends.

In his homily, Rozanski commended Sliwa's family.

"Ryan's family have shared their faith with him, nurtured that seed of priestly vocation and in his life experiences, he has discerned the Lord's will for him," Rozanski said.

Speaking immediately after his ordination, Sliwa said that the ordination, while coming after many years of study and discernment, was not the end of anything. "It's just the beginning," he said.

"I hope that the graces that I received today are evident every day hereafter," he said.

Sliwa is scheduled to celebrate his first Mass on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Holy Family Parish, 29 Sugarloaf Street, Deerfield. He will then be assigned as parochial vicar to Holy Cross Parish in Springfield.

The ordination also attended by Springfield Bishop Emeritus Timothy A. McDonnell and Boston Auxiliary Bishop Arthur Kennedy. Bishop Kennedy had previously served as rector of St. John's Seminary in Brighton.

"Tonya (Carpenter's) family and loved ones are grateful to all who have reached out with thoughts and prayers but are requesting privacy at this time as Tonya recovers," a statement from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Hospital reads.

By HOWARD ULMAN

BOSTON -- A fan whose head was bloodied by a broken bat that flew into the stands at Fenway Park is in serious condition, her family said in a statement released Saturday by a Boston hospital.

The game between the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox was halted in the second inning Friday night as emergency crews tended to Tonya Carpenter and wheeled her off the field on a stretcher.

"Tonya's family and loved ones are grateful to all who have reached out with thoughts and prayers but are requesting privacy at this time as Tonya recovers," said the statement from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Hospital. No other details were released.

Oakland's Brett Lawrie broke his bat on a groundout to second base and part of it hurtled into the stands.

Alex Merlis, of Brookline, said he was sitting in the row behind the woman when the broken bat flew into the seats just a few rows from the field between home plate and the third base dugout.

"It was violent," he said of the impact to her forehead and top of her head. "She bled a lot. A lot. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that."

Police initially called Carpenter's injuries life-threatening on Friday night. A department spokeswoman referred all questions on her condition to the hospital on Saturday.

Merlis said the woman had been sitting with a small child and a man. After she was injured, the man was tending to her and other people were trying to console the distraught child, he said.

After the game, Lawrie said he hoped the woman would recover.

"I've seen bats fly out of guys' hands in(to) the stands and everyone's OK, but when one breaks like that, has jagged edges on it, anything can happen."

Concerned about a rash of flying broken bats and the danger they posed, Major League Baseball studied the issue in 2008 and implemented a series of changes to bat regulations for the following season. Multi-piece bat failures are down about 50 percent since the beginning of the 2009 season, MLB spokesman Michael Teevan said.

Though dozens of fans at big league ballparks are struck by foul balls each season, there has been only one fatality, according to baseball researchers -- a 14-year-old boy killed by a foul line drive off the bat of Manny Mota at Dodger Stadium in 1970.

The National Hockey League ordered safety netting installed at each end of NHL arenas after 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was killed by a deflected puck at a Columbus Blue Jackets game in 2002. She died two days later, and her parents eventually settled with the team for $1.2 million, the league and the arena management.

AP writer Msike Fitzpatrick in New York, Kristen De Groot in Philadelphia, and Sylvia Lee Wingfield in Boston contributed to this report.

How do you know if someone is an opioid addict?

How do you know if someone is an opioid addict?

It can be difficult to determine if the person is young, said clinical social worker Elizabeth R. Anderson, program manager for in-home therapy and therapeutic mentoring for West Springfield-based Center for Human Development.

"Many of its signs (like new peer groups, mood changes, or increased distance from parents) can look a lot like fairly normative adolescent behaviors or mental health conditions that commonly begin in adolescence and young adulthood," Anderson said.

"When multiple signs are present across categories, there is more likely to be cause for concern and need for greater assessment," Anderson said.

CHD offers a an array of social and mental health services, including adolescent treatment, to both individuals and families in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Anderson offered the following advice for those trying to determine if someone is opioid dependent. In addition, she provided five tips on how to help and what to avoid.

Early signs of opioid dependence:

Physical appearance: Significant, unexplained weight loss; thin, withdrawn face or appearing tired or sick; wearing long sleeves in warm weather to disguise injection sites; frequently constricted pupils; itching face and/or body

Medical signs and symptoms: Unexplained injuries to arms or hands (from use of needles); pain or bleeding from the nose (if substance is "snorted" or taken intranasally); frequent, unexplained episodes of fatigue and stomach upset (from withdrawal) that resolve very quickly; constipation

Behavioral signs: Increased isolation; poorer physical hygiene; being away from home or work for long periods of time without explanation or longer than initially expected; being fired from jobs or dropping out of school; having a new peer group; lying about money or whereabouts; global decrease in functioning; running out of prescribed opioids before prescription should be renewed or frequently reporting them lost or stolen; finding drug paraphernalia (straws, syringes, remnants of crushed pills, rolled dollar bills, spoons with burn marks)

Social and psychological signs and symptoms: Increased irritability, mood swings, anxiety, periods of euphoria, ending or having difficulty in multiple important relationships

Ways to help someone with substance dependence

1. Calmly and nonjudgmentally explain your observations and express concern for the person's well-being.
2. Offer to assist the person in obtaining treatment or accompany them to a 12-step or other recovery meeting.
3. Learn the difference between helping and enabling. Help means getting someone away from substance dependence, not avoiding arguments or paying bills that the person cannot pay.
4. Learn about substance abuse, especially the frequent occurrence of relapse into dependence. Work to respond in non-emotionally reactive ways when a person relapses
5. Get nasal Narcan and keep it in your home. It can save a life in case of an opioid overdose.

Things to not do when you suspect someone is substance dependent

1. Do not blame, criticize or belittle yourself or the person who is substance dependent.
2. Do not wait until things get "bad enough" to seek treatment. If you know someone has a dependence on a substance, do not wait until they overdose or are arrested to advise them to seek help.
3. Do not forget to take care of yourself. Find your own treatment or join Al-Anon or another support group.
4. Do not offer to give a person who is substance dependent money to buy drugs, or buy drugs for them. If they are in withdrawal offer to bring them to treatment instead.
5. Do not try to argue or confront the person when they are under the influence.

Coming Monday: Federal bills to fight addiction.

Park Commission and Planning officials praised the plans for the new South End Community Center including that includes classrooms, community space and sport facilities.

SPRINGFIELD — Two city boards have added their support for site plans for a new South End Community Center at Emerson Wight Park, slated for construction four years after the prior site was left in partial rubble by a tornado.

The site plans were approved unanimously by the Park Commission and Planning Board in separate meetings as the city prepares to advertise for construction bids by late June, officials said. The city has estimated the new center will cost $10.6 million, afforded with federal disaster aid and city funds.

The two-story building will total 28,000 square feet of space within the park off Marble Street in the South End, said Mark Caulton, project manager for the city's Department of Capital Asset Construction, in presenting plans to the Park Commission.

The center was located within the former State Armory building on Howard Street, heavily damaged in the 2011 tornado. The Armory property was purchased by MGM Springfield to become part of its $800 million casino project.

The city anticipates construction beginning by late summer or early fall, with the design done in consultation with the board of directors of the South End Community Center. The center has operated at temporary sites since the tornado of June 1, 2011.

Site plan for new South End Community Center.Caolo & Bieniek Associates, Inc. 

The first floor of the new center will have a regulation basketball court, and two side courts, a boxing ring with flexibility to allow wrestling, a cafeteria and lounge area, a concession area, administration offices, and restrooms, Caulton said. There will also be an outdoor basketball court.

On the second floor, there will be a fitness area, three classrooms with the ability to use those rooms to function as community space that can generate revenue.

"We are thrilled this is happening," said Patrick Sullivan, the city's director of parks, buildings and recreation management. "We are very thankful to the mayor for choosing this as the location because I think it will help turn the park around."

It will help maintain the park at a higher standard, Sullivan said. The architect is Caolo & Bieniek Associates, Inc., of Chicopee.

The Planning Board voted to support the site plans, and also voted to recommend a zone change from Residence C to Open Space, for some of the parcels along Marble Street, in conjunction with the expansion of Emerson Wight Park and the South End Community Center project.

The Planning Department, in analyzing the site plans, stated in its report the board that it was pleased that the new community center will front directly on Marble Street and will provide direct pedestrian access.

"This location makes a great deal of sense because it is located within a park and a large residential population that the programs with the center can serve," said Philip Dromey, the city's deputy director of planning.

In conjunction with the project, the city is also planning an extension and re-alignment of Marble Street.

The Republican and MassLive.com are providing the revised version of the proposed Holyoke budget for readers.

HOLYOKE -- The city has released a revised version of the budget that Mayor Alex B. Morse has proposed to operate in the fiscal year that begins July 1, at $127.1 million.

The revision -- see below -- that the mayor delivered to the City Council June 1 corrected typographical errors in the budget he originally presented May 14. The revision was provided electronically to The Republican and MassLive.com on Friday (June 5).

The largest error between the budget the City Council saw June 1 and the one Morse presented May 14 occurred in the Police Department account, Morse said. The correct line item to pay eight lieutenants is $706,603 but that was listed in the previous budget book as only $47,403.

The $127.1 million budget Morse is proposing is nearly 2.2 percent higher than the budget with which the city began the current fiscal year on July 1 of $124.4 million.

The next City Council hearing on parts of the budget is Monday (June 8) at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Councilors will discuss budget plans with officials related to the fields of public works, personnel, health insurance brokers, the Retirement Board and the School Department.

The City Council is in a 45-day period authorized by the city charter to review the mayor's proposed spending plan and can cut, but not add to, the budget.

The amount that the City Council cuts in the budget now will determine the size of the property tax increase required of home and business owners in December when the council sets the new tax rate to fund the budget.

The council began budget hearings June 1, questioning Morse and financial officials about the proposed spending and projected revenues, and on June 3, grilled Police Chief James M. Neiswanger and Fire Chief John A. Pond about their budgets.

Morse has proposed $12.3 million for the Police Department, which is about 2.5 percent more than than the nearly $12 million with which the department began the fiscal year July 1.

The budget book lists funding for about 160 police uniformed and civilian employees, including 94 officers and 28 superior officers.

Morse has proposed $8.1 million for the Fire Department, which is 3.5 percent less than the $8.4 million with which the department began the fiscal year. The May 14 budget book erroneously listed the proposed Fire Department budget as $7.5 million.

The budget book lists funding for 138 Fire Department uniformed and civilian employees, including 88 firefighters and 38 superior officers.

The proposed budget is $127,104,346. Most, $64,130,544, is for the schools. The $62,973,802 is for public safety, public works and other services.

Aside from what is devoted to the schools, most of which is state funding to the city, a total of 82 percent of the rest of the budget consists of spending in six areas: the Police, Fire and Public Works departments, retirement costs, health insurance and debt, Morse said.

Revised proposed Holyoke budget for fiscal year beginning July 1, part 1

Revised proposed Holyoke budget, part 2

Revised proposed Holyoke budget, part 3

Revised proposed Holyoke budget, part 4

Some of the students wore the same dresses for the rally that they wore to the prom.

It's supposed to be one of the highlights of their high school career - the senior prom.

But for members of this class of 2015, the subject of what they wore to their prom became an online dispute, and because of that, they decided to hold a rally.

According to WMUR-TV, four student athletes decided to speak out after their prom photos appeared in the local newspaper. The pictures resulted in negative comments on Facebook.

"The comments included 'Just glad these girls aren't my daughters,' 'the white-trashification of America,' 'are these prom dresses?,' 'they look like they're going to a club,' 'why are you dressing so provocatively?', '" Ginger Ruesswick, a senior at Portsmouth High School, told the television station.

According to the newspaper's website, SeacoastOnline.com, many of the comments were made by adult women.

Students, and some other members of the community were upset by the comments, and issued their own replies online.

"It was just shocking, you know, reading those from adults in our community that we're supposed to look up to and look at them as role models," Charley Prevost, a senior at Portsmouth High School, told WMUR.

"Being judged by the length of my dress, or the amount of skin I feel comfortable showing, is insulting and frustrating because there is so much more to me than what I chose to wear," Casey McDevitt, a senior, told the Portsmouth Herald.

McDevitt, Prevost, Ruesswick and classmate Brooke Matthews, sought and were granted permission by city officials to hold a rally in the city's Market Square on Friday night.

"We don't want to focus on the comments," McDevitt said. "We're not trying to focus on the negative aspect -- we're more focused on changing the perceptions of women." She told the Herald the event would be more of a celebration than a protest of social media comments.

On Friday night, about 20 high school students from Portsmouth High School, and some of their friends from Exeter High School, stood in the square holding signs and waving to people in cars passing by. They also handed out pieces of paper with positive messages to people walking by. The focus of the rally was to curb the influence of body shaming and gender inequality.

"We're out here and not hiding behind a screen," said Lennon Dobben-Annas. "That type of action needs to stop."

According to the Portsmouth Herald, the gathering was entirely positive, and grew in size as time went by. Many supporters in cars honked their horns as they drove by the group, the newspaper reported.

"These girls are so awesome, this is so great," said Breanna Jennings, a Portsmouth resident who gained notoriety with a YouTube video "resigning" as a mother that went viral. "What they are doing is what people need to see our young women doing. They are so well spoken and know how to stand up for themselves."

EASTHAMPTON - The 2015 Easthampton High School Commencement Exercises was held Saturday, June 6 in the school's gymnasium. Principal Dr. Vito Perrone as well as the 2015 Class President, Bryan Delaney, Class Treasurer, Jacob LaPrade and Class Secretary Robert Cowell all addressed those attending the event. Cowell is the 2015 Valedictorian and Margaret Douglas is the 2015 Salutatorian, both addressed...

EASTHAMPTON - The 2015 Easthampton High School Commencement Exercises was held Saturday, June 6 in the school's gymnasium.

Principal Dr. Vito Perrone as well as the 2015 Class President, Bryan Delaney, Class Treasurer, Jacob LaPrade and Class Secretary Robert Cowell all addressed those attending the event.

Cowell is the 2015 Valedictorian and Margaret Douglas is the 2015 Salutatorian, both addressed the packed gym.

Senior Class Advisor, Kathleen Tonelli, who will soon retire, gave the Commencement Address.

The ceremony paid tribute to Kathryn Mauke, who was the victim of a homicide earlier this year.

SPRINGFIELD - Sabis International Charter School held its 15th commencement Saturday at Symphony Hall in Springfield.

Located in the Sixteen Acres section of the city the school includes grades from kindergarten through high school.

Of the 108 students who graduated Saturday, 48 started in kindergarten.

As a sign of support for Kathryn Mauke, a member of their class who died earlier this year, every senior and members of the schools faculty wore a pink ribbon in her honor.It was important to the seniors that she be remembered during this occasion. Mauke, died in February, the victim of a homicide.

Karen Reuter, director of the school, paid tribute to the fallen senior at the start of the ceremony , followed by members of the Mauke family coming to the stage to accept her diploma.

Classmate Symone Green spoke on behalf of her classmates during the ceremony .

The hall was close to full as family and friends looked on with pride in the accomplishments of the students.

Motorcyclists survives fiery crash on Interstate 291 in Springfield.

Conor Berry | cberry@repub.com 

SPRINGFIELD — Police and firefighters responded to a motorcycle accident on Interstate 291 northbound Sunday morning.

State Police in Springfield said the accident occurred at 10:14 a.m. on the I-291 ramp heading towards Interstate 91 north.

Police said the motorcycle caught on fire after it crashed and Springfield firefighters were called in to put out the fire.

The operator of the vehicle was transported to Baystate Medical Center by a good Samaritan who witnessed the crash, police said.

The operator was treated for minor, non-life threatening injuries.

No information was available on the cause of the crash.

The Minnechaug Regional High School Class of 2015 participated in graduation exercises on Friday night at Symphony Hall.

SPRINGFIELD — The Minnechaug Regional High School Class of 2015 participated in graduation exercises on Friday night at Symphony Hall.

The school serves students in Hampden and Wilbraham.

The Westfield High School Class of 2015 participated in graduation exercises on Friday night at Bullens Field.

WESTFIELD — The Westfield High School Class of 2015 participated in graduation exercises on Friday night at Bullens Field.

The Hampshire Regional High School Class of 2015 participated in graduation exercises on Friday night at John M. Greene Hall on the campus of Smith College.

NORTHAMPTON — The Hampshire Regional High School Class of 2015 participated in graduation exercises on Friday night at John M. Greene Hall on the campus of Smith College.

Hampshire, located in Westhampton, is the regional high school for students in the towns of Chesterfield, Goshen, Southampton, Westhampton, and Williamsburg.

The car show held in Feeding Hills featured nearly 350 custom cars.

FEEDING HILLS — George Mitchell's 1969 Chevrolet Corvette is a reminder of simpler times.

"It's the year I graduated," said Mitchell, of West Springfield, who displayed his pristine burgundy custom Corvette during the Pioneer Valley GTO Association car show held Sunday in Feeding Hills.

Mitchell's Corvette cost $4,700 30 years ago, now a Corvette can cost about $65,000, he said.

The event was held at the Polish American Club and featured nearly 350 cars. This year's theme was "Rat Rods and Street Rods."

"We've been doing the show for 18 years,"said Paul Bourbeau, president of the association.

Money from the event goes to support local charities including Shriner's Hospital in Springfield and Relay For Life.

"We welcome all makes and models to the show," Bourbeau said.

The car show runs until 4 p.m. today and the entry fee is $4, children under 12 get in for free.

Abortions have declined in states where new laws make it harder to have them — but they've also waned in states where abortion rights are protected, an Associated Press survey finds. Nearly everywhere, in red states and blue, abortions are down since 2010.

Abortions have declined in states where new laws make it harder to have them -- but they've also waned in states where abortion rights are protected, an Associated Press survey finds. Nearly everywhere, in red states and blue, abortions are down since 2010.

Explanations vary. Abortion-rights advocates attribute it to expanded access to effective contraceptives and a drop in unintended pregnancies. Some foes of abortion say there has been a shift in societal attitudes, with more women choosing to carry their pregnancies to term.

Several of the states that have been most aggressive in passing anti-abortion laws -- including Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma -- have seen their abortion numbers drop by more than 15 percent since 2010. But more liberal states such as New York, Washington and Oregon also had declines of that magnitude, even as they maintained unrestricted access to abortion.

Nationwide, the AP survey showed a decrease in abortions of about 12 percent since 2010.

One major factor has been a decline in the teen pregnancy rate, which in 2010 reached its lowest level in decades. There's been no official update since then, but the teen birth rate has continued to drop, which experts say signals a similar trend for teen pregnancies.

The AP obtained the most recent abortion numbers from the health departments of all 45 states that compile such data on a comprehensive basis. (States not compiling such data are California, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Wyoming.) With one exception, the data was from either 2013 or 2014 -- providing a unique nationwide gauge of abortion trends during a wave of anti-abortion laws that gathered strength starting in 2011.

Among the groups most active in promoting the restrictive laws is Americans United for Life. Its president, Charmaine Yoest, suggested that the broad decrease in abortions reflected a change in attitudes among pregnant women.

"There's an entire generation of women who saw a sonogram as their first baby picture," she said. "There's an increased awareness of the humanity of the baby before it is born."

But advocates for abortion rights said the figures demonstrate that restrictive laws are not needed to reduce the number of abortions significantly. That can be achieved, they said, by helping more women obtain affordable, effective contraception, including long-lasting options such as IUDs and hormonal implants.

"Better access to birth control and sex education are the biggest factors in reducing unintended pregnancies," said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "More restrictive abortion laws do not reduce the need for abortions."

Elizabeth Nash, a state-issues expert for the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, said a total of 267 abortion restrictions have been enacted in 31 states since 2011. Among them are measures that ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, impose hospital-like physical standards on abortion clinics, and require doctors who perform abortions at clinics to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

While some of the new laws have been blocked by lawsuits, most have taken effect, contributing to closure of about 70 abortion clinics in a dozen states since 2010. States with the most closures, according to state officials and advocacy groups, include Texas with 27, Michigan and Arizona with about 12, and Ohio with at least four. Two clinics closed in Virginia, including one that was the state's busiest.

The only states with significant increases in abortions since 2010 are Republican-led Louisiana and Michigan, which have passed laws intended to restrict abortion. Louisiana -- where abortions increased 12 percent between 2010 and 2014 -- was recently honored by Americans United for Life as the No. 1 state in taking steps to reduce access to abortion.

In both Louisiana and in Michigan, where abortions rose by 18.5 percent, the increases were due in part to women coming from other states where new restrictions and clinic closures have sharply limited abortion access. Anti-abortion groups said many Ohio women were going to Michigan and many Texas women to Louisiana.

Lori Carpentier, chief executive of Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan, argued that one factor in Michigan's increase was inadequate public funding for family planning.

Genevieve Marnon of Michigan Right to Life said the increase resulted in part from new licensing and inspection regulations that prompted several abortion clinics to close a few years ago. She said some of these clinics had failed to report many of the abortions they performed and that women in those communities were now going to clinics with more scrupulous reporting practices. In all, about a dozen clinics closed; Marnon said 19 remain in operation.

Both sides agree that one factor in Michigan's upsurge in abortions is an influx of women coming from Ohio, where several abortion clinics recently closed. According to Michigan's health department, abortions for nonresidents jumped from 708 in 2013 to 1,318 in 2014.

Northland Family Planning, which operates three abortion clinics in southern Michigan, has been openly soliciting business from women in Ohio and Indiana. Its website notes that one of its clinics is less than 60 miles from Toledo, Ohio.

An influx of women from out-of-state also was cited as a reason for Louisiana's increase. Ben Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, said abortions for nonresidents jumped by more than 1,200 between 2010 and 2012, and suggested new restrictions in Mississippi and Texas were a factor.

Ellie Schilling, a lawyer who represents Louisiana abortion clinics, said the state could reduce abortions through expanded sex education and other efforts to reduce teen pregnancies. The rise in abortions "is absolutely not because access has increased," Schilling said. "There were fewer clinics and doctors in 2014 than 2010."

The biggest decrease in abortion, percentage-wise, was in Hawaii, where abortions fell from 3,064 in 2010 to 2,147 in 2014. Laurie Temple Field, government relations director for Planned Parenthood in Hawaii, said more women there were getting access to health insurance and affordable contraception. She also credited the state's policies on sex education in public schools, which includes information to help teens avoid unplanned pregnancies.

Five of the six states with the biggest declines -- Hawaii at 30 percent, New Mexico at 24 percent, Nevada and Rhode Island at 22 percent, Connecticut at 21 percent -- have passed no recent laws to restrict abortion clinics or providers.

Nancy Northup, who as CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights has overseen some lawsuits against state restrictions on abortion, said, "All of this effort is being spent on passing legislation and on litigation, when in fact what those states should do is take a look at the blue states and what they're doing right in decreasing abortions."

Judy Tabar, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, said the declines in Connecticut and Rhode Island were due in part to expanded access to long-lasting contraception methods that are now fully covered by health insurers under the federal Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion and other initiatives. Nationwide, Planned Parenthood -- the largest abortion provider in the U.S. -- says its health centers report a 91 percent increase since 2009 in the use of IUDs and contraceptive implants.

Springfield police investigate Sunday afternoon shooting.

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield police are investigating a shooting on the corner of Allen and Malden streets Sunday afternoon, officials said.

One victim was brought to the hospital by private car, according to Sgt. John Delaney, Springfield Police Department spokesman. The victim arrived at the hospital around 1:38 p.m.

The victim, who is in critical condition, was in the car when he was shot, Delaney said.

Police are currently at the scene of the shooting.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

The fires caused more than $10,000 in damage.

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Fire Department is looking for suspects involved in the burning of an American flag and two portable toilets at Van Horn Park early Sunday morning, said Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

Firefighters responded to the park at 494 Armory St. around 1:26 a.m. Sunday to find the toilets, some wooden guardrails and the flag on fire.

The portable toilets were destroyed and caused $10,000 in damage, Leger said.

The Springfield Arson & Bomb squad has determined these to be set arson fires, he said.

Anyone with info is asked to call (413) 787-6370 or text a tip to Crimes (274637) then type the world Solve and include relevant information.

The fire caused less than $5,000 in damage.

SPRINGFIELD - Firefighters quickly extinguished a garage fire on Central Street that was caused by careless disposal of a cigarette.

The fire was reported shortly before 2:40 p.m. Sunday and caused less than $5,000 in damage, said Dennis G. Leger, assistant to fire commissioner Joseph Conant.

The garage, at 263 Central St., is located next to a four-story brick apartment at the corner of Central and Pine streets.

"Someone threw a cigarette of one of the upper porches and the cigarette caught the roof on fire," he said.

Flaming debris then fell below into the garage and caught trash on fire, Leger said.

The owner had been planning to tear down the garage in the near future.