Historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church to hold services for the first time since mass shooting.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- People prayed, dropped colorful flowers and wrote inspirational notes Saturday at the black church where nine people were shot earlier this week at the end of a Bible study meeting.

The memorial in front of the "Mother" Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church continued to grow, and a steady stream of people passed by to pay their respects. The church was to open Sunday morning for the first time since the shooting, with Sunday school and morning services scheduled, parishioner Cassie Watson, 69, said.

Less than 10 miles away, the shooting suspect, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, sat in a jail cell, facing nine counts of murder and a weapons charge.

On Saturday, more than a dozen people -- presumably congregation members, including Watson -- trickled into the church. They used a parking lot that's still closed to the public and then a side door on the street to enter the building after a cleaning crew had worked on it. Authorities say Roof also used a street-level side door.

On Friday, some of the family members of the shooting victims got a chance to speak to Roof at his bail hearing. Because he appeared via videoconference, he could not see them speak, but he could hear them.

"We welcomed you Wednesday night in our Bible study with open arms," said Felecia Sanders, who survived the attack, but lost her son Tywanza. "You have killed some of the most beautifulest people that I know. Every fiber in my body hurts ... and I'll never be the same."

"Tywanza was my hero."

Other family members offered forgiveness and mercy to Roof. One even told Roof to repent and confess, and "you'll be OK."

 

 

Hours after the bond hearing, thousands of people filled a basketball arena for a community vigil for the victims. Those in attendance were white and black, young and old.

"When I was a child, we still had Jim Crow segregation and I'm so thankful that it's so hard for my children to believe that this area was so segregated," said Lynda Scharborough, a white woman who brought her 5-year-old grandson to the vigil.

The victims included the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a state senator who doubled as the church's lead pastor, and eight others who played multiple roles in their families and communities: ministers and coaches, teachers and a librarian, counselors and choir singers and the elderly sexton who made sure the church was kept clean.

A police affidavit released Friday accused Roof of shooting all nine multiple times, and making a "racially inflammatory statement" as he stood over an unidentified survivor.

Roof's public defender released a statement from his family offering prayers and sympathy for the victims, and expressing "shock, grief and disbelief as to what happened that night."

"We have all been touched by the moving words from the victims' families offering God's forgiveness and love in the face of such horrible suffering," the statement said.

Roof had complained while getting drunk on vodka recently that "blacks were taking over the world" and that "someone needed to do something about it for the white race," according to Joey Meek, who tipped off the FBI when he saw his friend on surveillance images.

Roof also told him he used birthday money from his parents to buy a .45 Glock pistol before the attack, Meek said. The affidavit said Roof's father and uncle also called authorities after seeing surveillance photos, and that the father said Roof owned a .45-caliber gun.

The cause remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Holyoke Fire Department.

HOLYOKE - Three people were displaced after a house fire on Ontario Street Saturday morning, according to fire officials.

The fire broke out shortly before 10 a.m., according to The Republican/MassLive's TV partner, Western Mass News. Emergency personnel from both the police and fire departments were called to the home at 203 Ontario Ave.

Holyoke fire Captain Anthony Cerruti told the news outlet three people were home at the time the fire started. No one was injured.

The fire caused major damage in the basement and lots of smoke damage throughout the house, Cerruti said.

The Red Cross is assisting the family.

The cause remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Holyoke Fire Department.

About 150 people lit candles, sang and bowed their heads in prayer in a tree-shaded Smith College courtyard Friday evening to mourn the victims of Wednesday night's shooting at a black church in Charleston, S.C.

About 150 people lit candles, sang and bowed their heads in prayer in a tree-shaded Smith College courtyard Friday evening to mourn the victims of Wednesday night's shooting at a black church in Charleston, S.C.

Rabbi Rhonda Shapiro-Rieser, religious adviser for Smith's School for Social Work and one of the event's organizers, led the group in a communal prayer for healing as those gathered held lit candles in silence.

"It only takes a tiny bit of light to illuminate a dark room," she said.

The ceremony was quickly organized by the School for Social Work Thursday morning once students arrived to campus and began discussing the horror of the previous night's shooting. What began as a gathering for the school's graduate students, faculty and administrators was opened to the public, designed to fill what School for Social Work Dean Marianne Yoshioka described as a need for public mourning and solidarity.

Social work student Courtney Tucker read "When Great Trees Fall," Maya Angelou's poem of grief and recovery. Student Jahqueena Haynes led the group in singing the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome."

They were gathered there to mourn the nine murdered at bible study in Charleston's historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. A white 21-year-old named Dylann Storm Roof is facing murder charges in the shooting and, according to CNN, told investigators he was trying to start a race war.

The crowd Friday night, though, gave their attentions to the dead, not their killer. Nine people lined up to light candles and say the names of the victims: Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Rev. Sharonda Singleton, Myra Thompson, Ethel Lee Lance, Cynthia Hurd, Rev. Daniel L. Simmons Sr., Tywanza Sanders, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor and Susie Jackson.

They used their candles to light others, until the mourners stood in flickering quiet. Soon, the candles were blown out and the silence lifted. Many embraced, and then dispersed into the summer night. Others remained, talking in small groups, leaving half-burnt candles in a wicker basket.

The first two games of the tour have been well-played and competitive.

It would have been a winning weekend no matter what the results, but Gastonia (N.C.) Post 23 has assured its American Legion baseball visit will end on the plus side.

Gastonia's 11-7 win over East Springfield Post 420 on Saturday was its second straight. Post 23 prevailed with a 12-hit attack at Western New England University, where the players are being housed during their three-game "friendship weekend'' visit.

The showcase game is Sunday. The Springfield Post 21 Eagles will meet Gastonia in a noon game at Forest Park.

The game will be a modern incarnation of what might have happened, but did not, in 1934. That year, Post 21 players voted to boycott a tournament in Gastonia upon learning that its only black player, Bunny Taliaferro, would be prohibited from playing.

The stance for racial equality has become a proud part of Springfield lore. Upon learning of the 1934 incident, Gastonia Mayor John Bridgeman showed interest in a goodwill visit, which Post 21 plans to reciprocate by playing in the North Carolina city next year.

Organizers were keeping an eye on Sunday's weather forecasts. If rain interferes, a ceremony and get-together of the teams will still be held.

The teams are optimistic the scheduled 11:30 ceremony and subsequent game will go on as scheduled. When teams from totally different leagues and regions meet in a "blind draw,'' there is always the risk of a mismatch, but the first two games have featured clean, well-played and competitive baseball, and the finale promises more of the same.

Gastonia's tour began with Friday night's 5-3 win over Aldenville Post 337 in Chicopee. The Saturday contest was more tilted to offense, not surprising since Gastonia and the Hampden County teams are all trying to manage their pitching so as not to be drained when their own league play resumes next week.

This weekend's games do not count in any league standings, but were approved as exhibitions by American Legion baseball officials.

East Springfield had five hits. Trailing 7-2 in the third inning, Post 420 never gave up the fight and closed to within 9-7 in the fifth.

Gastonia players had a busy day Saturday. In addition to the seven-inning game, they visited the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and were to enjoy a visit to Six Flags New England in Agawam.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney called for the immediate removal of the Confederate battle flag from outside the South Carolina Statehouse.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney called for the immediate removal of the Confederate battle flag from outside the South Carolina Statehouse, scrambling the 2016 Republican presidential contenders into staking a position on a contentious cultural issue.

Some still steered clear from the sensitive debate, even after the shooting deaths of nine people in a historic African-American church in Charleston further exposed the raw emotions about the flying the flag.

Many see the Confederate flag as "a symbol of racial hatred," the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee tweeted on Saturday. "Remove it now to honor #Charleston victims."

Romney joins President Barack Obama and civil rights leaders in calling for the flag to come down as the nation grapples with Wednesday's murders. The man charged with the crimes, Dylann Storm Roof, held the Confederate flag in a photograph on a website and displayed the flags of defeated white-supremacist governments in Africa on his Facebook page.

So far, most of the Republican Party's leading 2016 presidential contenders have been silent on flying the Stars and Bars.

South Carolina was the last state to fly the Confederate battle flag from its Capitol dome. A compromise in 2000 moved the flag to a 30-foot flagpole elsewhere on Statehouse grounds, where it has been flying at full staff.

The debate holds political risks for Republicans eager to win over South Carolina conservatives who support the display of the battle flag on public grounds. The state will host the nation's third presidential primary contest in February, a critical contest in the 2016 race.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Saturday his position is clear: "In Florida we acted, moving the flag from the state grounds to a museum where it belonged," he said in a statement provided to The Associated Press, referring to his 2001 order to remove the Confederate battle flag from atop the historic Old Capitol building.

"Following a period of mourning there will rightly be a discussion among leaders in the state about how South Carolina should move forward, and I'm confident they will do the right thing," Bush said.

Former technology executive Carly Fiorina said she agrees the flag is a "symbol of racial hatred" yet declined to call for its removal, saying her "personal opinion is not what's relevant here."

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said the last thing the people of South Carolina need is "people from outside of the state coming in and dictating how they should resolve it," Cruz said in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

He said he understands both sides of the debate -- including those who see the flag as a symbol of "racial oppression and a history of slavery" and "those who want to remember the sacrifices of their ancestors and the traditions of their states -- not the racial oppression, but the historical traditions."

Both Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich ignored questions about the flag posed by reporters over the last 24 hours. Spokesmen for most of the other Republican presidential contenders also either ignored such questions or formally declined to comment. They include Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, businessman Donald Trump and Sens. Rand Paul and Marco Rubio.

Democrats have been more willing to offer their opinions.

A White House spokesman said Friday that Obama continues to believe the flag belongs in a museum. Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton has yet to address the issue this week, but in 2007 called for the flag's removal, in part because the nation should unite under one banner while at war.

The East Longmeadow resident endured 131 operations to live an enriching life.

In a remarkable life that lasted far longer than his condition normally allows, Cory Garwacki was supported by "Team Cory,'' an expanding circle of family and friends who were inspired by his courage and rallied to his side.

That team is back on the field. Actually, it never left.

The Cory J. Garwacki Foundation was officially launched with a kickoff party Saturday night at the History of Springfield Museum at the Quadrangle. Its motto is "Live to Give,'' and its goal is offer scholarships in the field of communication, while also supporting various children's charities and raising awareness of key health care issues.

"This was Cory's idea. He wanted to start a non-profit organization and raise money to help others,'' said Beth Garwacki, whose son died of "short gut syndrome'' (a bowel of insufficient size) last October.

"When he took ill, we talked about taking it over. This is what he was and what he did.''

Garwacki's condition was congenital and rare, and is normally fatal at a very young age. But the East Longmeadow resident lived to 27, an incredible accomplishment that gave doctors a chance to learn more about his condition.

His father, John, said Cory underwent 131 operations. He lived long enough to earn a communications degree from Westfield State University.

Garwacki's parents say the foundation is their way of honoring their son's life by continuing its meaning. It is also a way of dealing with the grief of his passing, which has never entirely subsided - and to listen to them, never entirely will.

"It's different without him. It's so quiet at home. He was such a big part of our lives,'' said John Garwacki, Cory's father.

"But this helps. In some ways, I think he knew he would probably never have what you'd call a normal job, but he wanted to do something like this.''

"After he passed, we decided to take his vision and run with it. But this was Cory's vision. It was in the planning stage since he graduated from Westfield State in 2014,'' Beth Garwacki said.

Garwacki's mother is president of the foundation. His father is vice-president, with his sister, Sarah and brother-in-law, John Mahan, serving respectively as secretary and treasurer.

Six other members will join them on the board of directors, which will review charities and scholarship opportunities. John Garwacki expected some of the academic aid could be channeled to students with limiting medical conditions, though not exclusively Cory's condition.

The foundation plans annual events to include a spring gala, golf tournament, walk/run and family-based events. In carrying on his vision, the parents say Cory's belief in living life to its fullest lives on.

"That was the gift Cory gave us,'' Beth Garwacki said. "This is what he wanted. For all he gave us, he is still giving.''

Trash and recycling collection will be held as scheduled.

WESTFIELD - City Hall and all non-essential municipal offices will be closed July 3 for the Independence Day holiday weekend.

But, trash and recycling collections will be held as scheduled on July 3 and the Twiss Street Transfer Station will be closed on July 4.

The recycling schedule will follow the "A" week schedule.

Lightning struck four times during the epic battle between Longmeadow and Holyoke high schools in this year's "As Schools Match Wits" championship game &#8212 and when it was over, Holyoke was still standing.

SPRINGFIELD — Lightning struck four times during the epic battle between Longmeadow and Holyoke high schools in this year's "As Schools Match Wits" championship game — and when it was over, Holyoke was still standing.

The contest, which aired tonight at 7 on WGBY-TV 57, included four lightening rounds before the tie was broken and Holyoke won its first championship title.

"It was the most exciting match in the show's 54-year-history," said WGBY producer Tony Dunne. Folks at Westfield State University where the show is taped agreed.

"This has never happened before," said game show host Beth Ward.

Both teams battled back-and-forth slightly beyond the half-hour time period allotted for the show.

Beating Longmeadow, a five-time champion on the show, is always a challenge for players. But Holyoke's win over Longmeadow was even sweeter for this year's team.

This spring, the Holyoke school district was placed in receivership by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and designated a Level 5 school, the most serious category in the state's accountability system.

Kate Hebert, English teacher at Holyoke High and the coach of the team, said she's proud of the showing of the students who are helping to shatter stereotypes that kids at the school aren't smart.

"I'm always surprised when other people are surprised" that our students are doing well, Hebert said. "These are not an anomaly," adding that there are many more students just like them at Holyoke High."

Members of Longmeadow team were "gracious in defeat," Dunne said, as he praised both schools for their academic skills and their good-natured competition.

"It was magical," Dunne said. After the taping was complete students from both teams hung out and shared stories about where they're going to college, he said.

Nick Edwards, 18, a four-time member of Holyoke's "As Schools Match Wits" team said preparation for the show was fun. Students on the team usually met once a week after school and play trivia games.

"It's really loose," he said of the practice sessions.

One of the secrets to succeeding on "As Schools Match Wits" is to find team members with different strengths. "Mine is geography and history," he said. Edwards, a senior, is heading to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in the fall.

Still, the competition was nail-biting. "My hands were sweating," Edwards said.

The show was taped in March and – like in other television game shows – the teams were sworn to secrecy. In fact, tonight's telecast is the first time the students have seen the match-up.

This year, 48 schools were narrowed to two after quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Westfield State University Interim President Elizabeth H. Preston, former chair of the communication department and still executive producer of the show, said "'As Schools Match Wits' is a fun, fast-paced show in which academic prowess is emphasized over physical ability."

Due to its long history, Preston said participation in the show "is a significant point of pride. It is not uncommon to read a story about someone in the news and see their participation mentioned years later."

A sample question from the show might be: "Written during the War of 1812 and originally titled 'Defense of Fort McHenry,' this song is better known by another title. Name it." (Answer: "The Star-Spangled Banner.")

Questions on the show use academic content emphasized by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, show host Ward said.

Categories include literature, history, current events, sports, entertainment, art, music, science and general knowledge.

The show was created in 1961 by Westfield State alumnus and Holyoke native Leonard J. Collamore. The championship trophy is called the "Collamore Cup" in his honor.
After 46 seasons, the show was slated for cancellation in 2006.

Westfield State University formed a partnership with WGBY-TV57 to keep it on the air. The show resumed again in January 2007 and has been taped at Westfield State since that time.

The following are the questions asked to students in the Championship Final, tie breaker round:

This one's called BEFORE, DURING, or AFTER. NASA's twin robot rovers, Spirit and Opportunity' landed on Mars in January of 2004. I'm going to name some other historic events, you tell me if they happened BEFORE, DURING or AFTER the year 2004. You have ninety seconds starting right now.

1. The film, The Da Vinci Code is released in theaters.
After (2006)
2. FaceBook is founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts
During
3. The No Child Left Behind Act is signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush.
Before (2002)
4. The Winter Olympics are held in Turin, Italy
After (2006)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards
Before (2003)
6. The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918
During
7. Pope John Paul the second dies at age 84.
After (2005)
8. George W. Bush is re-nominated at the Republican National Convention in New York City.
During
9. The Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface.
Before (2000)
10. Massachusetts legalizes same-sex marriage
During
11. Hurricane Katrina devastates the U.S. Gulf Coast.
After (2005)
12. Television's Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, dies after being fatally pierced by a stingray barb.
After (2006)
13. Former President, Ronald Reagan dies at age 93.
During
14. The trials of Saddam Hussein begin.
After (2005)
15. The New England Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams in the Superbowl.
Before (2002)
16. The Summer Olympics are held in Athens, Greece.
During
17. The last Oldsmobile car rolls off of the assembly line.
During
18. The September 11 terrorist attacks took place
Before (2001)

Members of the Holyoke High team:
Emma Price, Junior
Nick Edwards, Senior
Brendan Kelly, Senior
Patrick Morrison, Freshman

The Longmeadow team:
Austin Griffiths
Dana O'Connor
Vivian Yu
James Heemskerk

The repeat schedule for the Championship Match is as follows:
Sunday, July 5, at 9 a.m.
Tuesday, July 7 at 7:30 p.m.
And the episode will be available to view online after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at http://video.wgby.org/video/2365511772/

Gill, who's also pastor of a Springfield Church, is a 24-year veteran of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

CHICOPEE — James L. Gill Jr. is many different people in one man: a husband, father, minister, mentor, and veteran corrections official with a background in human services.

Gill is also a candidate for Hampden County sheriff.

The Wilbraham resident is the latest contender to publicly launch his campaign to succeed retiring Sheriff Mike Ashe, who's held the position since 1974. By all accounts, Gill's campaign kickoff Friday evening at the Castle of Knights in Chicopee was a success, as people clapped and cheered at a gathering that felt more like a church revival meeting than a stodgy political event.

Gill, after all, is senior pastor at Springfield's Harvest Fellowship Church and knows how to get people's attention. And that he did.

The assistant deputy superintendent in the Hampden County Sheriff's Department traded politician for preacher as he moved about the small stage, mic in hand, asking for affirmations from the crowd, which returned them loudly and without hesitation.

Gill entered the Memorial Drive banquet hall to music, pulsing lights and a roar of applause. He was joined at the 2½-hour event by his wife, Betty, his family, friends, and a couple of hundred supporters. Numerous clergymen and dignitaries from around the region were in attendance, including Sheriff Ashe, who sat at a table in front of the podium where Gill began his remarks.

"There will never be another Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.," Gill said of his boss for the past 24 years. That's how long Gill has worked for the Sheriff's Department, where he also serves as commander of the hostage negotiation team.

"I told the sheriff I thought he would die in office," Gill said, eliciting laughs from the audience. But when Ashe announced in January 2014 that he wouldn't seek re-election in 2016, it sparked a race to succeed the legendary sheriff, who's renowned for his progressive approach to rehabilitating offenders.

Nick Cocchi, a ranking official at the Sheriff's Department and Gill's colleague, was the first person to announce his candidacy. For nearly a year, the Ludlow resident was the only publicly declared candidate in the sheriff's race, even though Gill had filed paperwork to form a "candidate's committee" with the state Office of Campaign & Political Finance in October 2014.

As of this week, another candidate entered the race. Jack Griffin, a Springfield native and retired corrections official in Connecticut, announced he was throwing his hat into the ring and hoping to draw on his years working at correctional institutions just south of the Massachusetts border.

But Friday night, it was Gill's chance to convey his message and distinguish himself as a candidate for sheriff, hitting all the right notes with the receptive crowd.

"My brothers and sisters behind the wall need my help," he said. "The challenge of corrections is to produce correction."

He spoke of high recidivism rates for the "disenfranchised" and "less fortunate, and of "the absence of men" in the lives of offenders to help guide and lead them, rattling off statistics showing the odds are stacked against them.

Gill initially filed his campaign papers as a Democrat, but he recently unenrolled from the party, eliminating the possibility of a primary with fellow Democrat Cocchi. "I want to represent the people, not a party," Gill said, acknowledging that his decision may not be popular or politically correct, "but it's the right thing to do."

All too often, politicians lose sight of their objectives and purpose, Gill said. "Instead of serving the people, they use their position of power and authority to serve themselves," he said.

Part of his focus will be trying to change how offenders, many of them young men, view themselves. Gill shared a story of one repeat offender – a "frequent flyer," as he put it – who admitted that he found jail to be "comfortable." That, Gill said, is not the point of jail, which isn't supposed to be a respite.

As sheriff, he'll work to put "'correction' back into 'corrections,'" he said, ensuring that offenders understand that jail isn't a place they want to be. At the same time, he'll work to maintain an environment in which offenders can work at correcting behaviors that contributed to their incarceration, he said.

To reduce recidivism, Gill said, a correctional system must ensure public safety by working diligently to prepare offenders to reenter society and lead productive lives. In order to make that happen, he said, families need to be involved and counseling and rehabilitative services are necessary to support an offender's recovery.

"It's time for a new way of thinking," Gill said. "We have young people today with no fear of jail, no fear of police, no fear of their mama or their daddy."

Before Gill took the stage at the Castle of Knights, several people took turns speaking at the lectern. One of them was Lisa Hall, who knows Gill as her pastor and spiritual leader. Hall quickly loosened up the audience with humor and enthusiasm, then led the crowd in a chant.

"He'll do what?" she asked the Gill supporters. A loud chorus responded, "He will put 'correction' back into 'corrections.'"

William Blatch, a retired lieutenant with the Massachusetts State Police and Gill's campaign manager, called Gill a "family man," a "man of God," and the best man to succeed Ashe.

Additional online information for James Gill:

• Website: www.votejamesgill.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vote-James-Gill-For-Sheriff-of-Hampden-County/920158858045289?sk=timeline
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vote_James_Gill
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXHfngAV6JwmQKRhpPtIiuw
• Email: Votejamesgill@hotmail.com

One person was killed and nine other wounded in a shooting at a Detroit block. party.

 

Asst. Police Chief Steve Dolunt said a 20-year-old man was killed. He was not being identified while relatives were informed.

Another man was critically injured and eight others, five men and three women, were listed as seriously injured. The victims ranged in age from 21 to 46, he said.

Dolunt said the shooting happened at a neighborhood party that included a barbecue attended by families with some small children in strollers.

"Through the grace of God no children were shot," he said.

Authorities suspect the dead man was targeted by the shooter, although Dolunt said that was preliminary.

No other information was immediately availa

Google Search will in the coming weeks make available a web form people may use to submit requests to remove "revenge porn."

Google on Friday released a statement that the company will honor requests to remove "revenge porn" images from its search engine.

"We've heard many troubling stories of 'revenge porn': an ex-partner seeking to publicly humiliate a person by posting private images of them, or hackers stealing and distributing images from victims' accounts. Some images even end up on 'sextortion' sites that force people to pay to have their images removed," Amit Singhal, senior vice president of Google Search said in a statement on it public policy blog.

The statement continues that the philosophy of Google Search is that is should reflect "the whole Web" but that pall of the degradation and humiliation that revenge porn brings, overwhelmingly to women, eclipses that theory.

"So going forward, we'll honor requests from people to remove nude or sexually explicit images shared without their consent from Google Search results. This is a narrow and limited policy, similar to how we treat removal requests for other highly sensitive personal information, such as bank account numbers and signatures, that may surface in our search results," Singhal's statement continues.

Google Search will in the coming weeks make available a web form people may use to submit requests. The company concedes it won't solve the problem but may mitigate it.

Several states have criminalized revenge porn; Massachusetts is not among them.

However, Fall River state Rep. Alan Silvia, once a police officer for 22 years, has co-sponsored a bill in the House that would subject adult revenge porn perpetrators to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Individuals under 18 years old would be fined for a first and second offense; a third offense or subsequent offense would carry a $1,000 fine or imprisonment term of no more than 60 days.

The bill defines revenge porn as "intending to cause substantial emotional distress or humiliation by means of a electronic communication device, and without consent of the other person, electronically distributes" nudity or a sexual act.

Silvia told the Statehouse News Service: "Young people are especially at risk," noting that they often are the most frequent users of social networking applications including Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.

"We have nothing to protect people from what goes on electronically," he told a reporter for the outlet.

Silvia testified on the topic before the Joint Education Committee earlier this month.

The former child abuse investigator cited the suicide of a Taunton high school student last year after a nude photo was posted on Facebook.

The bill also calls on school districts that provide a sexual education curriculum to address the dangers of distributing sexually explicit photographs of themselves or other students.

Other stories of the week included the promised arrival of an indoor trampoline park on Avocado Street.

SPRINGFIELD - Home sales are up, Q Smokin' Good Food closed and the former president of laboratory company Spectrum Analytical in Agawam said in court papers he faces a grand jury investigation.

It was a busy week for local business. Here are the five stories you might have missed.

1) Former president of Agawam laboratory, Spectrum Analytical, faces grand jury probe, had one-way ticket to Saudi Arabia, court documents reveal

A Rhode Island Bank took over Spectrum this spring after discovering discrepancies in letters of credit and contracts used to secure an $8.9 million loan. Spectrum later declared bankruptcy.

Last week, Hanibal C. Tayeh who had been the company's president told the bankruptcy court he is facing a criminal investigation from a federal grand jury. He also, according to court papers, had plans to visit Saudi Arabia using one-way airline ticket.

He's been ordered to appear in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Springfield June 27.

2) Home sales in Pioneer Valley jump 16.2%, median price falls 2.2%

There were 438 homes sold in May, up from the 377 homes sold a year ago in May 2014, according to figures released Tuesday by the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley.

The median price paid for those homes in May was down 2.2 percent from $205,000 to $200,470.

3) Eventful week for the gun industry:

Smith & Wesson announces results, most recent quarter beats Wall Street predictions

Smith & Wesson reported sales for the fiscal year ending April 30 of $551.9 million, a dip from the previous year.

and

Gun maker Colt files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, looks to sell U.S., Canadian operations

4) Q Smokin' Good Food in Springfield's Mason Square closes its doors

The owners rehabbed a building in Springfield's historic Mason Square neighborhood.

5) Springfield grand opening of ex-New England Patriot Ty Law's Launch Trampoline Park set for the fall

Rumors had been swirling for months that someone was planning to open an indoor trampoline park in Springfield. Then we learned that Ty Law was involved. Then this week it came out that Launch Trampoline Park will open this fall in a building on Avocado Street owned by Dave Ratner of Dave's Soda and Pet City fame.

The raising of the rainbow pride flag Friday was the ceremony's fourth straight year and drew 70 people. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- What brought Andee Wadas to City Hall wasn't complicated.

"I love Holyoke, I was born and raised here, and I love pride," Wadas said Friday (June 19) at the raising of the rainbow flag for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender pride.

Wadas, speaking in a video (see above), was also master of ceremonies at a reception held after the flag raising in the City Hall ballroom with food, music and awards to individuals in the community for being welcoming.

The event featured remarks by Mayor Alex B. Morse, the city's first openly gay mayor, organizer Kristen Bachler, co-owner with Betty Kaplowitz of the White Rose book store at 284 High St., poet Jasmin Telfair and state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke.

About 70 people attended the event.

Morse said during the event that despite living in the "progressive, liberal" state of Massachusetts, many people still have trouble accepting people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The fourth ceremony for the rainbow flag since he took office in 2012 is designed to help in changing that, he said.

"And I think today is another reminder of that," Morse said.

Telfair said in the video that her remarks during the event were about not pride but courage.

"It takes courage to love and we must love each other better and stronger so that we can survive," Telfair said.

Vega said it is enriching to live in a city that embraces people of different backgrounds.

"I'm proud to be here on flag-raising day," he said.

Terrence Street, where retired Judge Roderick grew up, is being renamed in his honor as Chief Justice Robert L. Ireland Way.

SPRINGFIELD - Retired Massachusetts Chief Justice Roderick Ireland, a Springfield native and the first African-American chief justice of the state Supreme Court, will be honored June 30, by having his hometown street named in his honor.

As petitioned by various groups, Terrence Street in the Old Hill neighborhood will be renamed Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland Way in his honor. Ireland grew up on the street, and his mother lived there until her death.

The ceremony will be at 1 p.m., on Terrence Street. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be moved indoors at the Third Baptist Church, 149 Walnut St. Following the ceremony, a reception for Ireland will take place at the Third Baptist Church.

The Massachusetts Black Judges Conference, the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, and the Greater Springfield Chapter of Links, Inc., petitioned the city for the street name change.

Ireland began his legal career in 1969 as a Neighborhood Legal Services lawyer and then worked as a public defender from 1971 to 1973 with the Roxbury Defenders Committee, first as a chief attorney, then deputy and executive director, according to a news release.

In 1977, Ireland was appointed to the Boston Juvenile court where he served until 1984, when he was appointed to the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the release states. In 1997, he was appointed to the Supreme Judicial Court by then-Gov. Paul Cellucci.

Ireland was the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Judicial Court.

He was appointed chief justice in December of 2010 by former Gov. Deval Patrick, serving as chief justice until his retirement last July.

Ireland is the son of the late Helen and George Ireland, who along with his grandparents were active members of the Third Baptist Church, according to the news release.

Sixty to seventy lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning marchers participated in the Holyoke Pride Parade that featured the rainbow flag as the symbol of equality.

HOLYOKE — For the second year the city hosted Saturday its own pride parade as a symbol of unity and acceptance among all members of the community in support of LGBTQ individuals.

The parade, billed by organizers as "a truly Holyoke experience," stepped-off at noon from Holyoke Public Library at 250 Chestnut St., proceeded from Cabot, High and Dwight streets, and concluded at Holyoke Heritage State Park with a Pride Festival rally and picnic until 2 p.m. It was followed by La Noche de San Juan ("Night of San Juan"), a celebration of Puerto Rican arts and culture in Holyoke that ran from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Sixty to seventy lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning marchers participated in the Holyoke Pride Parade that featured the rainbow flag as the symbol of equality.

Mayor Alex B. Morse, the city's first openly gay mayor who marched in the parade with his fiance, Edward Cruz-Vargas, said the event also celebrated pride of every segment of the community.

It was a nice display of unity and diversity," Morse said. "It was great to see people come together from all different backgrounds to celebrate LGBTQ pride. I'm hopeful that the event will get bigger every year."

Holyoke City Councilor Jossie Valentin credited Holyoke Health Center as a catalyst in planning the event along with organizers Kristen Bachler and Betty Kaplowitz, owners of the White Rose book store at 284 High St.

"As a Holyoke resident and as a city councilor I am grateful to Kristen and Betty for putting this event together for the second year in a row," Valentin said. "It is important to demonstrate that our city is welcoming and accepting of all types of diversity, and appreciating how our differences can contribute to the richness of our community."

Rally performers included slam poets, Sick Prose, Maurice "Soulfighter" Taylor, founder of the Holyoke Slam Team, comedian Cindy Foster, drag queen Felicia Forester and youth drag queen Cherry Poppins.

Presenters included Holyoke youth activist Darian Gonzalez, Darrell Johnston, representing gay veterans, and Kaplowitz. Andee Wadas, of Holyoke, was the event host.

New Orleans police have arrested Travis Boys, 33, a suspect in the shooting death of Officer Daryle Holloway.

>> UPDATE: A 'bitter day' as manhunt for suspected police officer killer Travis Boys ends

New Orleans police have arrested Travis Boys, 33, a suspect in the shooting death of Officer Daryle Holloway. 

Police surround the area near Reynes Street and St. Claude Avenue where they say police officer shooting suspect Travis Boys was caught.Sarah Tan, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 

Police said they caught Boys Sunday morning after a brief chase near the intersection of Reynes Street and St. Claude Avenue. No one was hurt, they said.

Authorities unleashed a citywide manhunt for Boys, who they suspect shot Holloway in order to escape from the back of his police car.

After Boys' arrest, police cordoned off an area around a house near the corner of Forstall Street and St. Claude.

Holloway had been transporting Boys to central lockup when Boys managed to slip his cuffed hands from behind his back, produce a hidden gun and shoot Holloway, police said. Holloway crashed his police vehicle in a utility pole near Elysian Fields and North Claiborne avenues, and Boys escaped.

The service started with a message of love, recovery and healing, which will no doubt reverberate throughout churches across the country.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- Members of a historic black church worshipped at their sanctuary Sunday for the first time since a gunman opened fire at a Bible study, killing nine people, and uniformed police officers stood among the congregation as a measure of added security.

The service started with a message of love, recovery and healing, which will no doubt reverberate throughout churches across the country.

"We still believe that prayer changes things. Can I get a witness?" the Rev. Norvel Goff said. The congregated responded with a rousing "Yes."

"But prayer not only changes things, it changes us," Goff said. 

Sunday morning marked the first service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church since Dylann Roof, 21, sat among a Bible study group and opened fire after saying that he targeted them because they were black, authorities said. Among the nine killed was the church pastor, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was also a state senator.

Events to show solidarity are planned throughout the city and beyond. At 10 a.m. EDT, church bells rang throughout downtown this "Holy City" -- which garnered the nickname because of the numerous churches here.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Mayor Joseph Riley attended the service at Emanuel.

Despite grim circumstances the congregation has been faced with, the welcoming spirit Roof exploited before the shooting is still alive, church members said.

"I think just because of what people have gone through emotions are definitely heightened, not just in Charleston but with anyone going to church because it is such a sacred place, it is such a safe place," Shae Erdos, 29, said after a multiracial group of women sang "Amazing Grace" outside the church Saturday afternoon.

"To have something like that completely shattered by such evil -- I think it will be in the back of everyone's heads, really," Erdos said. Erdos was planning on attending Sunday service in nearby Mount Pleasant.

The suburb is connected to Charleston by the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, where people are expected to join hands in solidarity Sunday evening. The bridge's namesake is a former state lawmaker and a vocal Confederate flag supporter.

Roof had been photographed with the flag several times before the shooting.

Unity Church of Charleston the Rev. Ed Kosak said delivering his own Sunday morning sermon would be emotionally taxing but he felt empowered by the strength and grace Emanuel members have shown -- a demeanor he said has set the tone for religious leaders everywhere.

"I've gone into Sunday sermons before like when Virginia Tech happened, and when the Sikh shootings happened" Kosak said. The situation in Charleston may be harder to give a sermon on because it hits so close to home. But, Kosak said, "I am more ready than ever to speak to this tragedy in ways I didn't think I could before."

For the family of Cynthia Hurd, Sunday's service will be especially poignant. Hurd, a longtime librarian, would have been celebrating her 55th birthday and was planning a trip to Virginia with her siblings.

"Sunday will not be a sad day for me; it will be a celebration for me. It will be a celebration for our family because our faith is being tested," Hurd's younger brother Malcolm Graham said Friday. "She was in the company of God trying to help somebody out. She was where she needed to be."

Felicia Breeland, an 81-year-old lifelong Emanuel member, said she sang in the choir with Susie Jackson, 87, who was also fatally shot Wednesday.

"It's going to be sad. She sits right on the front row, too," Breeland said. "She had a very soft soprano voice. It was beautiful." 

The restaurant is normally open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Firefighters are still on scene at Carrabba's Italian Grill at the Riverdale Shops where a fire broke out earlier this afternoon, officials said.

Firefighters responded to the scene of a structure fire at around 10:30 a.m.

Several phone calls to the restaurant were met with a busy signal. Carrabba's normally opens at 11 a.m. on Sundays.

There is no information on the cause of the fire or whether the restaurant will be open for business today.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Crafters must sell their own homemade products.

LUDLOW - Saint Paul's United Methodist Church is seeking crafters of a variety of genres for the Autumn Harvest Craft Fair which will take place at the church on Sept. 12.

Crafters must sell their own homemade products. The cost of a 10 foot by 10 foot space is $20.

There will be a food court, farmer's corner and baked goods for sale.

The church is located at the corner of Hubbard and Sewall Streets. There is excellent access for shoppers. In the event of rain, the event will be moved inside.

For more information, email flowerart132@gmail.com or call Suzanne at 413-583-6181.

South Carolina, though largely pro-death penalty, can't secure one of the drugs needed for lethal injections and hasn't executed an inmate since 2011.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Two days after the shooting deaths of nine people during a Bible study at a Charleston church, Republican Gov. Nikki Haley made a bold public statement: The gunman "absolutely" should be put to death. But her state, though largely pro-death penalty, can't secure one of the drugs needed for lethal injections and hasn't executed an inmate since 2011.

Any potential execution order for Dylann Storm Roof, 21, would be years away. He is charged with nine counts of murder in Wednesday's massacre. He appeared briefly before a judge Friday, and his next court appearance isn't until October. Haley made her comments Friday on NBC's "Today" show, but the governor has no power in Roof's prosecution or sentencing. 

South Carolina's supply of pentobarbital, one of three drugs in the state's lethal injection, expired in 2013. Corrections Director Bryan Stirling has made it clear to legislators that his agency can't buy anymore, even as 44 people are on death row in the state. All attempts to purchase more have failed -- a problem in states nationwide. Some are trying to find new drugs and new sources for drugs because pharmaceutical companies have stopped selling them for executions and pharmacists are reluctant to expose themselves to possible harassment.

Stirling advocated this year for a bill that would keep secret the information of any company or pharmacist providing execution drugs, saying that should help secure them. But bills have stalled in both chambers, and opponents urged legislators not to vote for government secrecy.

The Supreme Court is considering the constitutionality of Oklahoma's three-drug injection, with inmates arguing it doesn't reliably produce unconsciousness and causes pain and suffering. State House Judiciary Chairman Greg Delleney, a Republican, has said he will probably wait for that decision before asking lawmakers to vote on the bill, though Stirling notes that South Carolina uses a different drug.

Still, Delleney said, "I don't see any urgency to get ahead of the Supreme Court."

Even with the dozens of inmates on South Carolina's death row, the next execution is probably five years away, according to Emily Paavola, executive director of South Carolina's Death Penalty Resource and Defense Center, which believes South Carolina's death penalty is fraught with problems and advocates for reform. Paavola has said the only way that would speed up is if an inmate who's sentenced to die waives all appeals -- an unlikely scenario.

Death row inmates can choose electrocution, but if a prisoner doesn't want to die that way, the prisons agency could not carry out an execution order without the necessary drugs for a lethal injection, Stirling said.

Since lethal injection became an option in 1995, only three of 39 people executed have died by electrocution.

After the bills on drugmaker secrecy stalled, Rep. Joshua Putnam, a Republican, introduced a proposal that would add death by a five-member firing squad to the state's list of approved execution methods. Putnam said while there are cases in which lethal injection drugs didn't work properly and caused pain, "we do know by firing squad you don't feel anything."

But Rep. Joe Neal said that makes little sense.

"I can't think of a more hideous spectacle than gunning down someone," said Neal, a Democrat. "Whether people suffer or not depends on the aim of an unknown marksman."

Putnam's measure also would allow for execution by electrocution if the state doesn't have the lethal injection drugs. Last month, Rep. Mike Pitts, a Republican and retired police officer, introduced a bill that's more straightforward. It would eliminate all references to a lethal injection option, leaving electrocution as the only method.

No action has occurred on either bill. But they can be taken up when the second of a two-year legislative session resumes in January.