A geomagnetic storm that began on Monday brought aurora borealis – the Northern Lights – to Western Massachusetts.

A geomagnetic storm that began on Monday brought aurora borealis – the Northern Lights – to Western Massachusetts.

Patrick Rowan, who writes the monthy "Skywatch" astronomy column for The Republican, observed aurora on Monday night from the Florence section of Northampton, just before cloud cover moved in. He took photos of the aurora, included in the slideshow above. Rowan said he used 10- and 25-second exposures at ISO 400 at F2.8.

"A word of caution regarding such images: The naked eye view of this was much more subtle," Rowan said. "To the naked eye, the colors of this display were difficult to perceive, and I only was able to do so with sufficient dark-adaptation."

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration's Space Weather Prediction Center, the solar storm reached G4 (Severe) levels on Monday and again early Tuesday morning. The agency said:

Solar wind conditions remain highly favorable for continued Strong Geomagnetic storming, with both fast solar wind and strong magnetic fields. Aurora watchers in North America, especially northern tier states of the US, should stay alert.

Rowan said if the sky clears and if you're in an area clear of light pollution, Massachusetts residents might get another chance to see aurora on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

"There's a reasonable chance more could be seen from our region tonight and tomorrow night, and I'll be watching," he said. "Unless we have something more dramatic than this, few people outside would even notice without an open view to the north with as little of civilization's light as possible in that direction."

And here's a video of the aurora taken by astronaut Scott Kelly aboard the International Space Station:

Yesterday's #aurora was an impressive show from 250 miles up. Good morning from @space_station! #YearInSpace https://t.co/wZJOxrD0EQ

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) June 23, 2015

Also, here's a gallery of aurora shots on Spaceweather.com »

The Agawam office hours are from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Agawam Public Library, while the Southwick hours are from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Southwick Town Hall.

WESTFIELD — State. Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield, will hold public office hours in Agawam and Southwick on Monday, June 29.

The Agawam office hours are from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Peirce Conference Room at the Agawam Public Library, 750 Cooper St.

The Southwick office hours are from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Board of Selectman's Conference Room at Southwick Town Hall at 454 College Highway.

All are welcome to visit and share their thoughts or concerns on state matters with Humason, according to a press release from his office. Humason represents the 2nd Hampden & Hampshire District in the state Senate.

Humason and his staff also are available to meet with constituents at his district office at 64 Noble St. in Westfield. Appointments are not necessary, but calling 413-568-1366 ahead of time is recommended, according to the senator's office. Staff at the senator's Boston office can be reached at 617-722-1415.

Humason's email is Donald.Humason@MASenate.gov.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for much of southern New England, and strong thunderstorms in Connecticut caused widespread power outages.

By RON TODT

PHILADELPHIA -- Severe weather that pounded the Midwest and spawned tornadoes shifted on Tuesday to the East Coast, where tornado warnings were issued in several states.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for much of southern New England, and strong thunderstorms in Connecticut caused widespread power outages. Storms moving into Philadelphia on Tuesday evening blackened the sky. Storms north of the city in Hazelton broke off tree branches.

The heat also was a problem. Several people were treated for heat-related issues at a high school graduation in southern New Jersey, where temperatures were in the high 80s.

Strong storms that swept across northern Illinois spawned at least four tornadoes, severely damaged homes and forced first responders to pull survivors from basements, officials said Tuesday.

At least four tornadoes also hit parts of Michigan late Monday into early Tuesday, while possible tornadoes went through northern Indiana and Iowa. The storms knocked out power to thousands of people, but by Tuesday morning the skies had cleared and the rain had moved east.

Particularly hard hit on Monday night was a private camping resort in Sublette, Illinois, about 100 miles west of Chicago, where five people were hurt and one was hospitalized with serious injuries. The National Weather Service confirmed it was a tornado with winds between 111 mph and 135 mph.

Fire Chief Kevin Schultz said damage was worse than anticipated, spread across about 700 acres of the Woodhaven Association resort.

"At this point in time, the best words to describe it is decimated," Schultz said Tuesday morning. "There are trailers that are in trees. There are trailers that are upside down. ... It is the worst thing I've ever seen."

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner deployed an 80-member search-and-rescue team to assist and said he was concerned out-of-towners were hurt or trapped and wouldn't be reported missing.

About 70 miles southeast of the camping resort, another tornado raked Coal City and damaged several subdivisions. Five people in the city of about 5,000 residents suffered minor injuries.

Debra Burla said she and her husband sheltered in an underground crawlspace on their 100-year-old farm but the wind nearly sucked her out of it.

"I kept crawling to the middle (of the crawlspace) ... because I was sitting right by the opening of it," said Burla, whose farm was heavily damaged.

Her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter were temporarily stuck in their own crawlspace after their garage collapsed on top of it.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency was gathering information on the extent of the storm damage in the area.

In Michigan, a series of severe thunderstorms damaged homes and caused power outages. More than 50 homes as well as church and other buildings were damaged by a tornado Monday in Portland, 25 miles northwest of Lansing. The National Weather Service said a tornado hit early Tuesday near Manchester, southwest of Ann Arbor.

AP writers Jason Keyser and Caryn Rousseau contributed to this report.

A medical examiner found Freddie Gray suffered a "high-energy injury" while riding in a Baltimore police van and the failure of officers to follow procedures means the death is a homicide.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A medical examiner found Freddie Gray suffered a "high-energy injury" while riding in a Baltimore police van and the failure of officers to follow procedures means the death is a homicide, according to an autopsy report obtained by The Baltimore Sun.

Police arrested Gray, 25, on April 12 and he died a week later, prompting protests and rioting.

A grand jury indicted six officers on various charges; one officer faces the most serious charge of second-degree "depraved-heart" murder. They have pleaded not guilty.

The Sun reported Tuesday that the autopsy found the injury, similar to those suffered in shallow-water diving, was most likely caused when the van suddenly decelerated. The report says Gray's death could not be ruled an accident and is instead a homicide because officers didn't follow safety procedures "through acts of omission."

A spokesman for the Maryland medical examiner and for the prosecutor's office declined Tuesday to release the report, but State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby condemned the leak in a statement.

"I want to make it very clear that the state's attorney's office did not release the Freddie Gray autopsy report. As I have repeatedly stated, I strongly condemn anyone with access to trial evidence who has leaked information prior to the resolution of this case," she said.

Attorneys for the officers released a joint statement saying they had not yet received the report, although Mosby is expected to turn it over to the defense by Friday. The defense attorneys said they believed only the prosecutor and the medical examiner's office had copies.

The newspaper reported it obtained a copy of the autopsy and sources who verified it for the Sun requested anonymity because of the high-profile nature of the case.

Although officers loaded Gray into the van on his abdomen, the medical examiner surmised Gray may have gotten to his feet, then been thrown into a wall when the van abruptly changed direction. Because Gray wasn't belted in and had his wrists and ankles shackled, he was "at risk for an unsupported fall during acceleration or deceleration of the van."

Police and an attorney for the Gray family have said previously that Gray suffered a severe spine injury.

At the University of Maryland Medical Center, Gray tested positive for opiates and cannabinoid, according to the autopsy.

According to the report's chronology:

-- Gray suffered no injuries to suggest a neck hold or anything stemming from physical restraint during his arrest. Assistant Medical Examiner Carol Allan noted that in bystander video, Gray is seen bearing weight on his legs and speaking as officers load him into the van.

-- The van made several stops. At the second stop, officers placed an identification band and leg restraints on Gray. "Reportedly, Mr. Gray was still yelling and shaking the van. He was removed from the van and placed on the ground in a kneeling position, facing the van doors, while ankle cuffs were placed, and then slid onto the floor of the van, belly down and head first, reportedly still verbally and physically active." The most significant injury to Gray may have occurred after this stop.

-- During a fourth stop, authorities said van driver Caesar Goodson called for help and Sgt. Alicia White got involved. "The assisting officer opened the doors and observed Mr. Gray lying belly down on the floor with his head facing the cabin compartment, and reportedly he was asking for help, saying he couldn't breathe, couldn't get up, and needed a medic. The officer assisted Mr. Gray to the bench and the van continued on its way."

-- When the van made a fifth stop to pick up a second arrestee, "Mr. Gray was found kneeling on the floor, facing the front of the van and slumped over to his right against the bench, and reportedly appeared lethargic with minimal responses to direct questions."

The new Department of Public Works now covers public works; wastewater and sewers; parks and recreation and the Water Department.

WESTFIELD - City water and public works commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to appoint David S. Billips as director of the newly combined Department of Public Works effective July 1.

The three-member Water Commission and three-member Board of Public Works met in special session to make the appointment following interviews that were held last Friday.

Billips has served as water superintendent since 2003 and acting public works director since August following the retirement of James Mulvenna.

A Chicopee resident, Billips has also served as superintendent of the city's Water Resources Department, overseeing sewers and wastewater treatment since 2006.

Water Commission Chairmn Ronald J. Cole said he is "looking forward" to working with Billips in his new capacity as public works director.

That was echoed by Board of Public Works Chairman John E. Sullivan. "I was on the interview committee when David Billips first came to Westfield. He has done an outstanding job and will continue to do so. His plate will be full and I strongly recommend that he delicate some of his stuff to department deputies."

Other commissioners voting on the appointment were Water Commissioners Mathew Barnes and Michael J. Burns and BPW Commissioners Joseph Spagnoli and Jack Campaniello.

"I appreciate the great amount of support I have receive since coming to Westfield," Billips said.

Director of public works is an appointment under the Water Commission and Board of Public Works but Mayor Daniel M. Knapik praised the appointment Tuesday night.

"Dave has a track record of turning around troubled departments and I am confident he will do a fantastic job as the director of public works. DPW is in need of significant culture change and modernization."

Billips was one of three finalists selected by a screening committee for the appointment. The three finalists were interviewed last Friday by Human Resource Director Karin Decker, Community Development Director Peter J. Miller Jr., City Solicitor Susan Phillips, Cole and Sullivan.

That interview committee was unanimous in its endorsement of Billips for the appointment.

The next step for Gary Rome Hyundai is a Holyoke City Council vote Wednesday on the special permits.

HOLYOKE -- The City Council Ordinance Committee voted Tuesday (June 23) to recommend that Gary Rome Hyundai receive special permits sought to build a $10 million dealership on Whiting Farms Road.

"We still think this is a great project for the city," Rome lawyer Thomas N. "Toby" Wilson said during a public hearing at City Hall.

The full City Council will vote on the committee's recommendations at a special meeting Wednesday (June 24) at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Pursuit of the special permits are followup steps after the City Council voted 14-0 May 19 to grant Rome a zone change so he can build the dealership on nearly 19 acres across from Autumn and Lynch drives. The site is up the road from the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

One special permit is to allow for a motor vehicle repair garage on nearly 19 acres Rome is buying on Whiting Farms Road across from Autumn and Lynch drives. The other is for new and used cars and trucks and marine and recreational vehicles.

The project will provide 50 new full-time jobs, some part-time jobs, thousands of dollars a years in property tax revenue and an increase in employee payroll to more than $7 million from the current $4.6 million, Rome has said.

Rome is buying the Whiting Farms Road property from the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department for $2,050,000.

Ordinance Committee members had few questions as Rome pointed to features on a map like where the service area and employees parking would be and how security cameras would be posted.

"Everything is clearly delineated," Ordinance Committee Chairwoman Rebecca Lisi said.

Besides Wilson, two people spoke in favor of Rome getting the special permits. No one spoke in opposition.

James P. Lavelle, owner of JP's Restaurant at 200 Whiting Farms Road, said Rome deserved to get the special permits from the city because he had abided by all reviews and regulations.

"Pass it," Lavelle said.

"I think that the whole Rome enterprise has gone through every hoop that we have in our city. There's good reasons for all of these. I think they've met every one of them," said Helene A. Florio, president of the Holyoke Taxpayers Association.

Rome said his existing dealership here at 1000 Main St. will stay open.

A former White House chef drowned in a New Mexico mountain stream, and his death was ruled an accident, authorities said Tuesday.

TAOS, N.M. (AP) -- A former White House chef for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush drowned in a New Mexico mountain stream, and his death was ruled an accident, authorities said Tuesday.

The determination followed several days of mystery about the death of Walter Scheib, who vanished during a solo hike in the mountains of northern New Mexico and was found dead Sunday night after a weeklong search. There was no sign of foul play, State Police Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo said. Scheib recently moved from Florida to Taos. He was 61.

Scheib's girlfriend reported him missing after he failed to return from a June 13 hike in the mountains near the Taos Ski Valley. Three days later, Taos police found Scheib's vehicle at the Yerba Canyon trailhead. The 4-mile trail follows a canyon bottom before climbing to 3,700 feet in elevation.

As the search progressed, state police exhausted all resources, from the National Guard to the U.S. Air Force. High mountain peaks, deep canyons and dense vegetation made the air search difficult, while the rough terrain hampered efforts on the ground.

Thunderstorms stalled the air search last Thursday, but ground crews continued. That evening, data from Scheib's cellphone helped to pinpoint his last location, and the search was expanded.

On Sunday, a search dog indicated a possible scent, and the National Guard ground team found Scheib's body in a section of land through which water was draining down the canyon. He was about 25 yards from the trail and hidden from view by dense vegetation and a steep, rocky slope.

Scheib was wearing a light windbreaker, running pants and tennis shoes. No other belongings were found in the area, police said.

Scheib spent 11 years leading the White House kitchen under Clinton and Bush after first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton became impressed by his cooking while he was working as a chef at a West Virginia resort.

Scheib was known for refocusing the White House kitchen on distinctly American cuisine with seasonal ingredients and contemporary flavors. He was responsible for preparing everything from First Family meals to formal State Dinners. Both presidential families said Monday they were saddened by his tragic death.

A graduate of New York's Culinary Institute of America in 1979, Scheib went on to work at grand hotels in Florida and West Virginia before becoming White House executive chef in 1994.

Scheib left the White House in 2005. He became a food consultant and speaker, often entertaining guests with anecdotes from his time at the White House. He also wrote a book about his experiences entitled "White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen." He appeared on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America" show in 2006.

A home near the corner of Prospect Avenue and Beauregard Terrace in West Springfield was struck by lightning, but there were no apparent injuries.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Tuesday's volatile weather was being blamed for downed trees, at least one lightning strike, and other mishaps across the region.

Just after 8 p.m., authorities received a report of home that was strucky by lightning near the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Beauregard Terrace in West Springfield. There were no apparent injuries in the incident.

Route 20 was closed in both directions in Russell due to a downed tree, State Police tweeted around 7:40 p.m. The road has since reopened.

The severe weather led to other road closures across Western Massachusetts, including a portion of Chicopee Street in the area of McKinstry Avenue in Chicopee and a section of Root Road in Westfield. Root Road was closed after a tree fell and blocked travel lanes, according to Western Mass News, TV partner of MassLive / The Republican.

Statewide, nearly 7,000 Massachusetts utility customers were without power as of 8:45 p.m., according to the state Emergency Management Agency's real-time outage map.

All tornado warnings have since been canceled for Massachusetts, but much of the state remains under a tornado watch until 11 tonight.

Both vehicles had to be towed from the Holyoke accident scene.

HOLYOKE -- Three people were taken to Holyoke Medical Center but suffered minor injuries after a two-vehicle crash at Linden and Essex streets Tuesday (June 23), police said.

Both vehicles sustained heavy damage and had to be towed, Lt. James Albert said.

Police got the call about the accident at 5:46 p.m., he said.

Police were still working on the report and the drivers' names and details about whether citations would be issued were unavailable, he said.

Rep. Stephen Kulik called the DPU ruling "puzzling and concerning."

BOSTON -- When the Department of Public Utilities hears three days of testimony this week on petitions from Berkshire Gas, Columbia Gas, and National Grid to purchase capacity on the proposed Kinder Morgan Tennessee Gas pipeline, it will do so without full participation from a Western Massachusetts-based coalition of municipal governments, state legislators, ratepayers, potentially affected landowners, and conservation groups.

The DPU on Friday denied an appeal from Pipeline Awareness Network for the Northeast for full intervenor status in its June 24 to 26 evidentiary hearings, which will consider whether the contracts sought by the local gas distribution companies are in the public interest.

State Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, was a co-applicant with PLAN-NE in the Berkshire Gas case. Berkshire Gas serves a number of communities in the 1st Franklin District, which Kulik represents.

The DPU, in denying the appeal, argued that Kulik and PLAN-NE "have not shown that they will be substantially and specifically affected by the proceeding" and said that the office of Attorney General Maura Healey is charged with representing the interests of ratepayers.

Intervenor status would have allowed a lawyer for PLAN-NE to present expert testimony, cross-examine witnesses, and have access to all filings, said Katherine Eiseman, the group's leader. She said PLAN-NE, which was granted limited intervenor status, will be allowed to file a brief based upon redacted documents provided by the DPU.

The unredacted documents would have provided confidential information about the economics and business side of the pipeline plan, said Eiseman. While the Conservation Law Foundation and the Attorney General's office have been granted full intervenor status, those parties signed non-disclosure agreements, so cannot share the information, said Eiseman.

PLAN-NE has been working with Boston attorney Richard Kanoff, who specializes in energy law. In contrast with Massachusetts, PLAN-NE has been granted full standing by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, said Eiseman.

State lawmakers that have signed on with PLAN-NE include Kulik, Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, Rep. Ellen Story, D-Amherst, and Rep. John Scibak, D-South Hadley. Municipal bodies include the Greenfield Town Council and selectmen from Montague, Conway, and Ashfield.

Kulik, reached Tuesday, said it is "puzzling and concerning" that the DPU denied  intervenor status to state legislators, and to local governments that would be directly affected by the pipeline. Kulik said if the precedent agreements are approved, they would help justify the pipeline proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has the final say over whether the pipeline is built.

"I am skeptical of Berkshire Gas' claims that the only way to meet demand for natural gas in their supply area is to build this pipeline," said Kulik. "And I question their using the moratorium as a threat to their customers, as seen printed on their bills and in paid advertisements in local newspapers."

Berkshire Gas has imposed a moratorium on new gas hookups in Amherst, Hadley, Hatfield, Sunderland, Greenfield, Deerfield, Montague, and Whately, and has printed on its bills that the company will not service any new customers unless the Kinder Morgan-Tennessee Gas pipeline is built.

Columbia Gas has imposed a similar moratorium in Easthampton and Northampton, maintaining that the north-south "Northampton Lateral" spur which connects to an existing Kinder Morgan line and serves the Pioneer Valley is at capacity due to a bottleneck.

Eiseman noted that one out-of-state party granted full status in the Massachusetts DPU hearings is the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System, based in Maine. The company, a competitor to Tennessee Gas, could potentially supply New England with natural gas through its pipelines that travel through Canada, said Eiseman.

Eiseman said a targeted expansion of the Northampton lateral combined with the displacement of demand provided by the Maine company could increase natural gas capacity to the Pioneer Valley with "much less buildout" than that proposed by Kinder Morgan.

The overall pipeline plan known as Northeast Energy Direct would cut through New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire while transporting up to 2.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Marcellus shale region to markets based in the Northeast, including power plants and possible export facilities. The project has met with sustained opposition.

The DPU hearings are designed to assemble a factual record upon which the department will base its decisions on the local gas agreements. At evidentiary hearings, witnesses present their cases then respond to written and oral questions. Limited participants such as PLAN-NE may not sponsor witnesses.

Also last Friday the DPU denied a petition from Healy's office to postpone the hearings until four other dockets regarding natural gas capacity are resolved. In a third ruling, the DPU denied intervenor status to New England Energy Systems, which represents a number of environmental organizations.

New England Energy Systems has asked the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to halt the DPU proceedings. As for PLAN-NE, Eiseman said Tuesday the group is "weighing its legal options."

The DPU recently held a hearing in Greenfield on the proposed Berkshire Gas-Tennessee Gas pipeline deal. The hearing drew a crowd of over 750 people.

_______________________________________________________________

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 24 to close at 18,144.

By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK -- Stocks edged higher Tuesday as investors waited for a deal between Greece and its creditors. Greece faces defaulting on its debt without new loans, but appeared to be moving closer to an agreement to secure new funding.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 24.29 points, or 0.1 percent, to 18,144.07. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 1.35 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,124.20 and the Nasdaq composite rose 6.12 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,160.09.

Prepaid debit card company Green Dot was among the biggest gainers. Its stock soared 40 percent after the company announced it had renewed its partnership with Walmart for another five years. Netflix climbed in after-hours trading following the company's announcement that its board had approved a plan to split its stock.

Stocks added to gains from Monday, as reports from Europe suggested that Greece's proposals for budget savings appeared to have won initial approval from the nation's creditors. European finance ministers are scheduled to meet on Wednesday.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras still has to sell the proposals to his own political party. His Syriza party was voted into office on a pledge to repeal the harsh budget cuts and tax increases that previous governments had imposed since 2010 in return for loans.

Investors have been following the discussions closely, wary that a Greek default and the nation's potential exit from the euro currency could cause chaos in financial markets.

"We always knew there was going to be a lot of drama with Greece," said Kristina Hooper, U.S. investment strategist at Allianz Global Investors. "Having said that, if things do take a turn for the worse, the EU is far better equipped to handle this crisis compared to a few years ago."

In the U.S., investors also remain focused on when the Federal Reserve might increase its key interest rate for the first time in nearly a decade.

Fed Governor Jerome Powell said at an event hosted by the Wall Street Journal that he expects the U.S. central bank to begin raising its benchmark interest rate in September, with a second rate rise coming in December.

U.S. government bond prices fell again Tuesday, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 2.41 percent.

Treasuries have been falling sharply in recent weeks as investors anticipate that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates for the first time in almost a decade later this year. At the beginning of June, the 10-year note was trading at 2.18 percent.

Netflix stock rose $14, or 2.1 percent, to $695.04 in trading after the close of the market. The internet video company announced that its board had approved a stock split, making the company's shares more affordable. Netflix stockholders will get six additional shares for every share that they own.

In the energy markets, the price of oil rose Tuesday on expectations that gasoline demand is rising, which would in turn boost demand for crude.

Benchmark U.S. crude for August delivery rose 63 cents to close at $61.01 a barrel in New York. The contract for U.S. crude for July delivery expired Monday at $59.68. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose $1.11 to close at $64.45 in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline rose 4.7 cents to close at $2.077 a gallon. Heating oil rose 4.2 cents to close at $1.911 a gallon. Natural gas fell 0.7 cents to close at $2.726 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, gold fell $7.50 to $1,176.60 an ounce. Silver slipped 41 cents to $15.74 an ounce and copper dropped 4.6 cents to $2.61 a pound.

The storms left about 50,000 with power in Connecticut Tuesday afternoon.

BOSTON -- Thousands were without power in central Connecticut and scattered damage reported across southern New England after storms that led to tornado warnings in Massachusetts.

The storms left about 50,000 customers with power in Connecticut Tuesday afternoon. North Haven police said they believe a microburst or small tornado damaged several homes on the town's west side and downed trees and power lines. No injuries were reported.

Scattered tree and power line damage also was reported in southeastern Massachusetts where tornado warnings were issued. There were no confirmed touchdowns.

New storms triggered by an advancing cold front marched across western Massachusetts and Connecticut on Tuesday evening, with no reports of serious damage.

A tornado watch was cancelled for most of Massachusetts at mid-evening. It remained in effect until 11 p.m. for southeastern Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The referendum passed with 73 percent voting in favor of it and 27 percent against.

By PHILIP MARCELO

NEW BEDFORD -- New Bedford voters overwhelmingly approved a $650 million resort casino plan for the city's waterfront Tuesday.

The referendum passed Tuesday with 73 percent voting in favor of it and 27 percent against, according to results posted on the city's website.

The vote was 8,355 to 3,040. About 21 percent of the city's nearly 54,000 registered voters cast ballots.

KG Urban Enterprises' plan calls for a Foxwoods-managed resort on a former power plant site.

Voter approval was critical for the plan to advance in the competition for the state's third and final resort casino license.

A plan for the Brockton Fairgrounds already has been approved by voters.

The vote comes during an important week for Massachusetts' nascent casino industry: the state's first casino, Plainridge Park, opens in Plainville on Wednesday.

Edwards will host a campaign kickoff fundraiser Thursday, June 25, at Samuel's Sports Bar at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 West Columbus Ave., Springfield. The event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — City Councilor Melvin A. Edwards is seeking a fourth term to represent Ward 3 on the 13-member council.

To that end, Edwards will host a campaign kickoff fundraiser Thursday, June 25, at Samuel's Sports Bar at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 West Columbus Ave., Springfield. The event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Edwards pledged his commitment to his constituents in Ward 3, which includes Six Corners, the South End, and parts of the Forest Park neighborhood.

"It is my belief that elected officials are responsible, first and foremost, to their constituents," he said in a news release Tuesday. "And in order to serve those constituents, one must make themselves available to listen to the voices of those they serve, and to work hard on their behalf," he added.

Of the coming campaign, Edwards said: "This city is poised for great things, and that opportunity will require bold leadership and collaboration of the City Council with the mayor. I promise the voters that I will continue to work hard, listen and serve the interests of this district and all of Springfield."

Edwards, a retired state employee and longtime community activist, was first elected to the City Council in 2009. He points to his decade-long involvement in nonprofit and service-based organizations as proof of his commitment to the community. "My work extends far beyond the City Council," he said.

In addition to the City Council, he serves as president of the Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood Council, president of Keep Springfield Beautiful, and president of the Springfield Armory Alliance.

He also is a member of HAP Housing's board of directors, the Springfield Preservation Trust, the Hampden County Sheriff Department's chess program, the Chancellor's Diversity Advisory Council at UMass Amherst, and the Ward 3 Democratic Committee.

Prodded by Gov. Nikki Haley, lawmakers approved a measure enabling a flag debate by a vote of 103-10 in the House and a voice vote in the Senate.

By SEANNA ADCOX, JEFFREY COLLINS
and JONATHAN DREW

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to consider removing the Confederate flag from their Statehouse grounds and other politicians took aim at Civil War-era symbols across the South, saying change is imperative after police said nine black churchgoers were slain in a hate crime.

Prodded by Gov. Nikki Haley's call the day before to move the flag to a museum, lawmakers approved a measure enabling a flag debate by a vote of 103-10 in the House and a voice vote in the Senate.

The House vote brought a standing ovation and rounds of applause after Democratic and Republican leaders jointly sponsored the measure in a show of uncharacteristic unity. Very few lawmakers rose to say the flag should stay; some said they were saving speeches for what promises to be an emotional debate later this summer.

Lawmakers then prayed for state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, who joined the Legislature in 1997 and who, as pastor of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopalian church in Charleston, was among the dead.

"I ask that in the memory of Mr. Pinckney that we are generous in spirit, gracious in our conversation and please -- even if we disagree, let's agree to disagree agreeably," Democratic Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter urged her colleagues. "Those nine families have shown us how to do it. I would strongly suggest we take a cue from them."

Dylann Storm Roof, who faces murder and gun charges in the church attack, had posed in photos displaying Confederate flags and burning or desecrating U.S. flags, and told a friend that he was planning to do something "for the white race."

Haley's call to put the Confederate flag in a museum was quickly seconded by leading Republicans including U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, giving others a political opening to announce their moves. Many cited the church slayings as they abandoned the long-held position that even debating the status of the flag would be too racially divisive today.

"Last week's terrorizing act of violence shook the very core of every South Carolinian," South Carolina House Speaker Jay Lucas said in support of the measure.

And once South Carolina took action, other states moved quickly.

Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn called for removing the Confederate emblem from the state flag. Both Democrats and Republicans in Tennessee said a bust of Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest must go from the Senate. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe wants vanity license plates depicting the Confederate flag replaced. McConnell joined Kentucky's Republican nominee for governor, Matt Bevin, in calling for the removal of a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from their state Capitol's rotunda.

Big businesses also took action: Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Amazon.com Inc., EBay Inc., Target Corp. and Sears Holding Corp. announced they would no longer sell merchandise featuring the Confederate flag. And the Valley Forge Flag Co., which has sent flags into battle and to the moon, said it won't make them anymore.

"When you have a sea change moment like you have with the tragedy in Charleston, we felt it was simply the right thing to do," Valley Forge Vice President Reggie VandenBosch said. "We don't want to do anything that causes pain or disunity for people."

The first South Carolina senator to take the floor and call for moving the flag to a museum was the son of the state's most powerful politician of the last century, U.S. senator and segregationist standard-bearer Strom Thurmond, whose statue stands on the side of the Statehouse opposite the Confederate flag, striding confidently southward.

State Sen. Paul Thurmond said the church attack compels flag supporters to reconsider. The Charleston Republican said he loves his ancestors, but isn't proud of a heritage that included holding people in bondage, and wants to send a strong message to anyone contemplating a hate crime.

"I can respond with love, unity and kindness," Thurmond said, "and maybe show others that the motivations for a future attack of hate will not be tolerated, will not result in a race war, will not divide us, but rather strengthen our resolve to come together."

Outside in the sweltering heat, where hundreds chanted "bring it down, bring it down," civil rights activist Kevin Gray said it's time to stop using the word "victims" to describe the people slain -- they are martrys, he said, and if Confederate symbols come down around the South, their deaths will not have been in vain.

There were a handful of dissenting voices in the crowd that gathered next to the Confederate monument where the flag flies atop a 30-foot pole in front of the Statehouse, in full view of the U.S. and state flags flying at half-staff.

"This flag is heritage. If you take it down you won't get rid of racism. The flag didn't pull the trigger. The flag didn't kill anybody. That was an individual that did that," said Mark Garman, 56, who like Roof is from Eastover.

The Confederate battle flag was placed atop the Statehouse dome in 1961 for the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, and lawmakers decided in 1962 to keep it there in response to the civil rights movement. After mass protests, a smaller, square version was moved to the flagpole out front in 2000.

Some lawmakers insisted that this week is still not the right time for this public debate.

Pinckney's coffin will be on display in the Statehouse Rotunda on Wednesday, then return to his church for a viewing on Thursday. On Friday, President Barack Obama plans to deliver Pinckney's eulogy at a Charleston sports arena.

Najee Washington, granddaughter of victim Ethel Lance, said swift action on the flag would mean a lot to her family.

"That would be great," she said. "It's just a part of the past that we don't need to be reminded of every day."

AP writers Susanne M. Schafer in Columbia and Michael R. Sisak in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

The man whose wife is accused of helping two killers escape a prison in upstate New York says the men planned to kill him.

A digest of news stories from around New England.

Hailey (top) and Linda Stimpson 

Lawyers for Danvers High School student, accused of murdering math teacher, seek change of venue [Boston Herald] File video above

Donald Trump 

Close observers of the Boston Marathon bombing investigation believe that several aspects of this case remain jagged, fragmented and completely unsatisfactory. Where were the bombs made? Where were the bombs tested? Were the Tsarnaevs financed by someone else still out there? Did the Tsarnaevs act alone?

A digest of news stories from around New England.

5-foot rattlesnake found outside Braintree office building [Patriot Ledger]

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev 

Hanibal Tayeh has been ordered to answer questions at a creditors meeting Friday .

SPRINGFIELD - Creditors and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court continue to unravel the tangled finances of Spectrum Analytical Inc., the Agawam-based laboratory, and those of its founder and ousted President Hanibal Tayeh.

Creditor Bank Rhode Island seized control of Spectrum - which analyzes water, tissue, plant and petroleum samples for government and industry - in April after learning that Spectrum had used a fraudulent letter of credit from a customer in Saudi Arabia to secure an $8.9 million loan from Bank of Rhode Island, records show.

Subsequent investigations showed, according to court documents filed by the bank, that Hanibal Tayeh used proceeds from another loan to Spectrum from a customer to pay his brother, Emil Tayeh, $90,000.

Hanibal Tayeh disclosed last week that he is the target of federal criminal grand jury, a separate proceeding from the ongoing bankruptcy.

He had a one-way ticket to Saudi Arabia last week, telling the court he needed to get there before the holy month of Ramadan made it difficult to transact business in the kingdom.

Hanibal Tayeh is under a court order to appear and answer questions at a meeting of the bankruptcy creditors set for 10 a.m. Friday in a conference room used by the court located on the 11th floor of the MassLive Building, 1350 Main St.

Spectrum has headquarters on Silver Street in Agawam and offices in North Kingstown, Rhode Island; Syracuse, New York, and Tampa, Florida, and has about 150 employees. It is for sale, and attorney Steven Weiss, the bankruptcy trustee appointed to run the business, says he's in negotiation with buyers.

When Bank Rhode Island took over the business, it appointed a receiver, the Rhode Island law firm of Ferrucci Russo, to handle operations at Spectrum. It's a role subsequently handed off to Weiss as bankruptcy trustee.

On Wednesday, John Dorsey, an attorney for Ferrucci Russo, speaking in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Springfield, defended his firm's decision to spend $24,000 on outside computer and accounting experts to do a forensic examination at Spectrum. Hanibal Tayeh deleted emails and took his work laptop away before being barred from the premises, Dorsey said.

Michael A Kelly, Tayeh's attorney in the bankruptcy matter, asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Henry J. Boroff why the receiver couldn't have just relied on internal IT employees.

Boroff said from the bench that the receiver had no way of knowing who the "good guys" and the "bad guys" at Spectrum were and had no reason to trust anyone there until that trust could be earned.

It also came out that the brother, Emil Tayeh, worked in IT at Spectrum before the family was barred from the company and grounds.

Weiss said in court that he's had difficulty getting straight answers from Hanibal Tayeh.

"I would say that on a number of occasions, he has engaged in a pattern of obfuscation with me," Weiss said.

Boroff allowed the expenses for the examinations and investigation along with about $100,000 of other expenses and professional fees. Weiss, as the trustee, will pay the bills either when the business is sold or as it generates cash through normal operations.

Anthony Rosa was sentenced to nine to 10 years in state prison.

The exterior of the Hampden County Hall of Justice is seen Saturday night.Dwight B. Shepard / The Republican 

SPRINGFIELD - When a drug trial started June 19 in Hampden Superior Court, there were four Springfield defendants.

But before closing arguments jurors were told not to speculate on why there were only two left.

Judge John S. Ferrara ruled before closings the prosecution had not presented enough evidence to send the cocaine distribution cases against Alexander Caballero, 27, and Juan Gonzalez, 25, to the jury for deliberation.

Jurors on Tuesday delivered guilty verdicts in the cases of Anthony Rosa, 29, and Anthony Caballero, 26.

Ferrarra on Wednesday sentenced Rosa, who was represented by Daniel D. Kelly, to nine to 10 years in state prison.

The jury found him guilty of possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card (as a person with one prior serious offense), possession of a firearm in commission of a felony, two counts of cocaine distribution, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police and resisting arrest.

Ferrara sentenced Anthony Caballero, found guilty of one count of distribution of cocaine, to two years in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow with one year to be served and the rest suspended with two years probation.

Alexander Caballero was represented by Christopher S. Todd and Gonzalez was represented by Timothy M. Farris.

Mary Anne Stamm, lawyer for Anthony Caballero, had argued the undercover police officer who bought drugs Jan. 17, 2014, from the person he identified as Anthony Caballero had mistaken the identity of the person from whom he bought cocaine.

Assistant District Attorney Amy D. Wilson argued there was no way the officer was mistaken.

Jurors in the trial heard that $650 was taken from Rosa at his arrest. Of that $40 in police buy money was returned to the narcotics division to be used again for buys and $610 was put in the police evidence locker.

That money is now missing from the evidence locker.

The police commissioner had asked the attorney general for assistance in the matter of cash missing from the evidence room and the city hired a consultant to analyze evidence for 10,000 pending cases.

Kelly, in his closing arguments, said jurors shouldn't trust the police investigation if they can't be trusted to hold onto the money taken from Rosa.

Wilson said on Jan. 17, 2014, Rosa drove up to a house where Anthony Caballero had the undercover officer park to buy cocaine.

She said the driver, Rosa, got out and went into the house with Anthony Caballero.

Wilson said after the cocaine purchase by the officer from Anthony Caballero police tried to stop Rosa's car when it drove away.

She said a car chase ensued, ending in a collision, and Rosa fled on foot. He was captured and arrested.

Following the trend set by other communities around Massachusetts, city officials raised the legal age requirement to buy tobacco products to 21 years old.

HOLYOKE -- Following the trend set by other communities around Massachusetts, city officials raised the legal age requirement to buy tobacco products to 21 years old.

The city Board of Health Commission voted unanimously to approve the new regulations. The new age requirement applies to both standard tobacco products and electric cigarettes.

Current state law allows anyone 18 or older to buy and use tobacco products, though municipalities may increase the minimum age in their community limits. 

The Holyoke regulations do not ban use of tobacco products by those who are 18 to 20 years old, only the purchase of them. 

In addition to new regulations on the sale of tobacco products, the city will limit where standard and e-cigarettes can be smoked. A press release announcing the regulations did not state what locations would be banned and city health officials could not be immediately reached for clarification.

Prior to the vote, Holyoke Pediatrician David Norton told the commissioners, "I am a long term member of the Mass. Med Society Committee on Public Health and am very interested in seeing this initiative spread."

He added, "The data on reducing teen smoking in the towns that started this are amazing-- teen smoking reduction by 50% in Needham and Arlington in two years - mainly because no one of high school age can buy cigarettes. This is of course the age when most smokers get addicted, so the long term impact would be powerful."

Several other Western Massachusetts communities have implemented similar bans. South Hadley banned the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21 in February. Franklin County towns Leverett and Montague voted in January to raise the legal smoking age to 21. They also banned all flavored tobacco products,except menthol and other mint flavors.