A DVD seller at the Agawam Flea Market accused of selling bootleg movies will have his charges dropped if he pays a $400 fine.

A DVD seller at the Agawam Flea Market accused of selling bootleg movies will have his charges dropped if he pays a $400 fine.

Michael Ford, 28, of Monson, admitted to sufficient facts in Westfield District Court Wednesday on a count of distribution of counterfeit products. That charge will be dismissed if he pays the fine. A felony charge of selling recordings without a listed manufacturer's name was dropped, as part of a plea bargain.

Ford was caught up in an undercover operation by the Agawam Police Department, Department of Homeland Security and the Motion Picture Association of America, after Agawam police received a tip about pirated movies being sold at the flea market earlier this year.

Agawam detectives seized 934 counterfeit DVDs from Ford's booth in May police reports said. The felony benchmark for pirated materials is 65.

Agawam police launched an investigation into the matter after receiving an anonymous complaint detailing the sale of illegal DVDs at the flea market. Agawam police Lt. Edward McGovern contacted Tim Irving of the Department of Homeland security soon after, who agreed to conduct surveillance of the market with McGovern and Lawrence Frisoli of the Motion Picture Association of America on May 3.

That day, Irving and McGovern walked around the market and noted most booths were selling legal DVDs. After about 10 minutes, the two came across a booth that Irving believed was hocking counterfeit recordings, reports said.

Investigators returned to the market for a second visit and went to Ford's stall, where Frisoli bought three DVDs. When Ford saw McGovern approach his booth, he told the officer he was closed, reports said. McGovern identified himself and asked for Ford's name, which he at first refused to disclose. He was then told he was under arrest, at which time he identified himself as Michael Ford.

McGovern confirmed with Frisoli that Ford was the individual who sold him the DVDs.

The city is scheduled to open bids on July 2, for the second phase of the improvement project at Balliet Park in Pine Point.

SPRINGFIELD -- As the city prepares to hire a contractor for major renovations planned at Balliet Park in Pine Point, local families and city officials gathered Wednesday to celebrate the completion of a first-phase improvement - a new splash pad to cool off the kids.

The city is scheduled to open bids on July 2,, for an estimated $500,000 project to continue improvements including: installation of new playground equipment, a baseball diamond and basketball courts, new turf grass and lawn areas, concrete sidewalks, and removal of old park equipment.

'I'm very happy," said Ward 5 City Councilor Clodovaldo Concepcion, among officials attending the ceremony. "I will be very happy when it's done. The plan is well thought out and will be enjoyed by future generations as well."

Those who gathered for the ceremony at the Seymour Street park also included Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Patrick Sullivan, the city's director of parks, buildings and recreation management. Various park and school department officials and neighborhood residents were also present.

Concepcion said that area is one of the lowest income neighborhoods of the city and there had been "nothing for the kids" until improvements began to occur.

Gloria DeFillipo, representing the Pine Point Neighborhood Council, said the neighborhood has not had a park "so this is a fabulous start."

"It's really a long time coming," DeFillipo said. "It's wonderful for the neighborhood,"

The two-phase improvement project at Balliet Park is estimated to cost $850,250, afforded with state and city funds.

The city has worked with the neighborhood council and residents for over ten years on a master plan for this park, officials said.

Balliet Park, totaling 6.5 acres, is formerly a school playground, but was transferred to the city as approved by the School Committee and Park Commission.

Sarno praised the state's Division of Energy and Conservation for providing the funds for the project, and praised the neighborhood input.

"The project illustrates the importance of having a master plan ready so when grants come available we are ready to participate in the application process," Sarno said. "The improvements will be a welcome addition to the Pine Point neighborhood."

Brian Santaniello, chairman of the Park Commission, said in a prepared release that the splash pad provides "a welcome relief to the youth on hot summer days.

"The renovations of the former school grounds will transform this land into a vibrant resource for the Pine Point Community," he said.

Sullivan said it is exciting to see the first phase done, with the additional improvements coming.

"The Department of Parks, Buildings, and Recreation Management has worked for over ten years on the master plan with the Pine Point community while waiting for the right grant to be offered. It is exciting to see the phase one of this master plan complete.

"Pine Point's day has come and we are proud to continue to work with the residents in implementing their master plan to completion," Sullivan said.

New Bedford voters' decision pits plans for a waterfront casino in the Whaling City against a proposal in Brockton for a resort casino on the old Brockton Fairgrounds.

By ANDY METZGER

NEW BEDFORD - After years of delays, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will have two commercial casino proposals to weigh in southeastern Massachusetts, following a 73.3 - 26.6 win by casino proponents in New Bedford on Tuesday night.

New Bedford voters' decision pits plans for a waterfront casino in the Whaling City against a proposal in Brockton for a resort casino on the old Brockton Fairgrounds.

New Bedford City Councilor Joseph Lopes, who attended the casino proponents' victory party at a restaurant near the harbor, said if the decision were up to him he would have concerns about the proposal in Brockton, which is nearby Brockton High School.

"I don't know if I'd want a casino abutting a high school," Lopes said outside the Cork Wine and Tapas Restaurant. He said, "This is a destination casino. It's got an active and working waterfront, an active and vibrant downtown. This enhances what we already have."

The more than 5,000-vote margin of victory in New Bedford eclipsed the roughly 140-vote margin that secured a win for Rush Street Gaming in the City of Champions in May.

Andy Paven, a spokesman for KG Urban, said the company spent $300,000 on a three-week campaign in New Bedford. Foxwoods would be the casino operator for KG Urban's $650 million casino development, according to a March press release from City Hall.

Competition in the southeast should please Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby, who earlier in the day Tuesday said more applicants mean casino developers "keep upping the ante."

"We will still go forward even if we only had one bidder, we'd just prefer to have more for the obvious benefits," Crosby told reporters after speaking at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

Joe Baerlein, a spokesman for Mass Gaming & Entertainment, a local affiliate of Rush Street, said he also welcomed competition and said it would be up to the commission to evaluate the "track record," economics and financial underpinnings of either proposal.

"I think competition is good," Baerlein said declining to predict how the Gaming Commission would apprise each proposal while calling them "very distinct."

KG Urban Enterprises plans to redevelop a polluted former power plant sitting on the waterfront off of Route 18, which divides downtown New Bedford from the piers jammed with fishing boats in the harbor.

Plainridge Park Casino, which won the state's lone slots parlor license, opened its doors Wednesday at its location on a Plainville harness racing track, which is in the region but just outside the official southeast region of Massachusetts designated by the state's gambling law.

Southern New England - where two premier Connecticut casinos were an impetus for Massachusetts to legalize gambling in 2011 - could experience a growth in gaming facilities.

Rhode Island is reportedly weighing establishing a gambling facility in Tiverton, across the border from Fall River, and the smallest state in the country already has Newport Grand Slots and Twin River Casino. Connecticut lawmakers have also eyed a potential expansion in their state.

The Gaming Commission has already approved casino licenses for Wynn Resorts in Everett and MGM Springfield. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is attempting to convince the federal Interior Department to grant it land-in-trust, a major barrier to the tribe's establishment of a casino in Taunton. Weighing whether to wait for the tribe before proceeding with licensing a commercial casino in the region was one reason the southeast - known as Region C in the gaming law - is behind the western and Metro Boston regions.

The state has filed a lawsuit attempting to block the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe from building a casino on Martha's Vineyard.

The roughly 21 percent turnout in New Bedford Tuesday night is toward the high end of what the city typically sees in a general mayoral election, according to Board of Elections Chairwoman Maria Tomasia. Tomasia said there was no organized opposition to the ballot question and said New Bedford voters had backed casinos by wide margins on two non-binding public policy questions in 2001 and 1993.

"I thought they'd win very easy," said George Carney, who owns the Brockton Fairgrounds and had attempted to win a slots license for the former dog track he owns in Raynham. Raynham voters supported the slots proposal by 86.1-13.7.

Carney declined to comment on the merits of either proposal.

Hours before Tuesday's vote, Crosby described the years KG Urban spent on the proposal, working to convince New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell to come to an agreement that voters could consider.

"New Bedford has been a long hard slog," Crosby said. He said, "For a long time the mayor was opposed to it, but finally they struck a deal that the mayor thought was a good deal for the city and he is now supportive."

Soon after results came in, rain that had held off earlier in the evening began to pour as lightning flashed in the sky.

KG Urban Managing Director Andrew Stern is the son of former NBA Commissioner David Stern, and he helped redevelop the old Bethlehem Steel plant in Pennsylvania into the Sands Bethlehem Casino, which opened in 2009. Rush Street counts four casinos on the portfolio on its website.

Stern arrived at Cork a little after 9 p.m. Tuesday amid the rain, and had no interest in commenting on the difficulty Crosby had described of achieving an approved host city agreement or on the Brockton's proposal.

"Tonight's about the people of this city. They gave us 73 percent," Stern said. "I should say to them, it's on your harbor and your waterfront and starting tomorrow as we start to put our formal application together to the people that gave us the 73 percent tonight, you're a partner every step of the way."

Treatment director Melinda Cady was honored for her work with pre-release prisoners.

NORTHAMPTON -- Inmates enrolled in a culinary arts program crafted custom omelets and served up home fries, corned beef hash, bagels, fresh fruit and coffee at Sheriff Robert G. Garvey's 11th Annual Reentry Roundtable Breakfast held at the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction on Wednesday.

While a crowd of jail staffers, non-profit administrators, social workers and law enforcement personnel enjoyed the feast, speakers held forth on the importance of responsibly reintegrating prisoners into society.

Melinda Cady, director of treatment programs and reentry services at the jail, provided some background on the jail's collaborative approach to reentry.

She said that every month, an evaluation is done of each man due to leave within the next 30 days. The talks incorporate many people, including probation and parole staffers, veterans' workers, social workers, shelter and halfway house providers, as well as the prisoner himself. The point is to set up services, identify potential problems, and evaluate the willingness of each participant to make positive change in his life.

"Reentry does not occur in a vacuum," said Cady. "It takes a team to provide support to a man who is willing to accept responsibility for his own well-being." Markers of success include procuring and holding down a job, finding stable housing, and repairing relationships with family members and the community, she said.

"More than 80 percent of our inmates arrive here addicted to substances," she said. "As part of their recovery, we try to teach them how to manage stress differently." Cady spoke of the programs available at the jail, from culinary arts and positive parenting to intensive life-skills training.

Garvey said the collaborative, round-table reentry model used in Hampshire County could be replicated across the country.

The sheriff and others spoke of a recently-established 16-bed pre-release house in Northampton called "Bridge to the Future," a residential program that involves mandatory work release and strict rules.

Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan praised Garvey, saying dignity and respect are the cornerstones of his programs. But Sullivan noted that Massachusetts currently "spends more on corrections than on higher education" and said the lack of drug treatment facilities in Western Massachusetts ultimately feeds crime.

"There are currently two detox centers in my district," said Sullivan. "They are the Hampshire County Jail and the Franklin County Jail." Sullivan said it would be better to "front-load treatment" than have society pay the cost of incarceration.

Other speakers included former inmates Jesse Bluto and Joseph Morrison, who spoke of their paths to recovery and reentry; Carol Higgins O'Brien, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Daniel Bennett, Secretary of Public Safety and Security for the state. Bennett said one thing he learned in his former role as a Worcester County prosecutor is that people can grow and change.

"You're not a loss for your entire life just because you made mistakes in the past," he said.

Garvey presented the 2015 Thomas C. Foley Reentry Award to Cady, praising her hard work in running the various "step down" programs at the jail.

Foley retired as chief probation officer at the Northampton District Court in 2004 and died in 2013 at the age of 57 after a battle with cancer. "There is no one in my career ... that I had more respect for than Tom Foley," said Garvey, adding that Cady exemplifies the qualities that Foley stood for.

Cady is gaining national recognition for her work. Last April, she was invited by the American Jail Association to present at their national conference on the topic of "The Reentry Roundtable -- a Continuum of Care."

_________________________________________________________

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

For many in the courtroom, something was lacking in Tsarnaev's speech.

BOSTON — In a speech sprinkled with references to Allah and mercy, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev apologized to his victims on Wednesday. But not all of those affected by his actions believed him.

"A simple, believable apology would have been great, and there was nothing simple about what he said, and there was nothing sincere," said Lynn Julian, who lives a block from the marathon finish line and suffers from hearing loss, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder sustained as a result of the 2013 bombing.

The public did not know until Wednesday's sentencing, in which U.S. District Court Judge George O'Toole formally sentenced Tsarnaev to death for his role in setting the bombs, whether Tsarnaev would speak. He did, thanking his attorneys, family members, the jury and the judge.

In a speech with strong religious overtones, Tsarnaev, 21, spoke of the Muslim month of Ramadan as a month "to ask forgiveness of Allah and his creation." He admitted his guilt and said he learned after the attack of the names and faces of his victims. He apologized for the lives he took and the suffering he caused.

But for many in the courtroom, something was lacking.

"What I was struck by more was what he didn't say," said U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz. "He didn't renounce terrorism, he didn't renounce violent extremism and he cloaked his comments in line with Allah."

Prosecutor William Weinreb echoed Ortiz's comments. "It's one thing to apologize or say you feel bad about the suffering you caused," Weinreb said. "But he did this for a reason. It was a politically motivated act. At no point during his statement did he renounce the reasons for which he committed this act."

Julian said for her, the apology seemed insincere and too much like a plea for forgiveness. "The last thing we wanted to hear was about Allah and why he did this in the first place and changed all our lives forever," Julian said, speaking to reporters after the sentencing.

Scott Weisberg, an Alabama doctor who crossed the marathon finish line seconds before the blast and suffers from hearing loss, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, said he does not believe Tsarnaev actually feels remorse, since Tsarnaev showed no emotion during the trial. He added that Tsarnaev's statement makes no difference to him.

"It really does not change anything for me, because what he took from me I'm never going to be able to regain, nor what he took from my family or from any of us," Weisberg said.

But Henry Borgard, who also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, said he was happy to hear Tsarnaev speak. "For me to hear him say that he's sorry, that is enough for me, and I hope, because I still have faith in humanity, including in him, I hope that his words were genuine," Borgard said. "I hope that they were heartfelt. I hope they were as honest as the statements you heard today in court from victims and survivors."

"I was really profoundly affected, really deeply moved that he did do that, because whether we like to acknowledge it or not, his statement, like ours, takes courage because the entire world is watching this right now," Borgard said.

A 66-year-old man apparently accidentally shot himself in the arm, according to Townsend police, who continue to investigate.

TOWNSEND — Authorities launched an investigation into an apparent accidental shooting that injured a man at his Townsend home Wednesday morning.

At about 9:44 a.m., police and EMS personnel responded to a Mason Street address after the homeowner suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Townsend Police Chief Erving Marshall said. The man was hospitalized with a serious gunshot wound to his left arm, according to police, who declined to release the victim's name.

"As of right now, this appears to be an accidental shooting by the victim," Marshall said. "There is no reason for concern. We appreciate residents' patience as we review this incident."

The victim was airlifted to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester for emergency treatment, but an update on his condition was unavailable.

A .38-caliber revolver was recovered at the scene, police said.

The incident remains under investigation by Townsend police and Massachusetts State Police.

Access to the dispensary in a converted factory building that houses other businesses will be restricted to patients with a state-issued marijuana registration card.

SALEM -- The first medical marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts opened Wednesday -- by appointment only -- nearly three years after voters overwhelmingly approved the drug's therapeutic use.

Patients lined up outside the Alternative Therapies Group's dispensary in Salem a day after state regulators signed off on its final paperwork.

Access to the dispensary in a converted factory building that houses other businesses will be restricted to patients with a state-issued marijuana registration card.

No marijuana is grown or processed at the Salem site. The company said their cultivation facility is not open to the public.

On its website, Alternative Therapies Group said Department of Public Health regulations prevent dispensaries from advertising the price of marijuana. Pricing is available only to qualifying patients and personal caregivers at the dispensary facility.

"Our pricing structure is aimed at providing medical-grade cannabis, grown with organic methods, in a safe environment at the lowest price," the firm said on its website.

Patients with a documented financial hardship could qualify to purchase one ounce per month with a discount, but that their hardship program has limited capacity, the company said.

Alternative Therapies Group said they will offer a variety of strains of marijuana grown with organic methods, initially in bud form only.

Over time, the company hopes to expand their product line "to include more strains and MIPs (Marijuana Infused Products), such as tinctures, baked goods, topical creams, salves and vaporizer pens." The company also said it is not now selling seeds or plants.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday issued a one-time, temporary waiver allowing Alternative Therapies Group to open despite issues with testing required under state law.

Under regulations adopted by Massachusetts, samples of medicinal marijuana must be examined for cannabinoids, solvents, mycotoxins and other microbiological contaminants along with heavy metals and pesticides.

Alternative Therapy Group submitted samples, but labs in Massachusetts were unable to test for seven of the 18 mandated pesticides. Under current state regulations, that would have made the marijuana unable to be sold by Massachusetts dispensaries.

The waiver allows Alternative Therapy Group to sell marijuana for medical use with a label that discloses to the consumer the chemicals that were not tested.

Voters approved a ballot question in 2012 allowing for the licensing of up to 35 outlets to sell marijuana to patients suffering from conditions including cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

Implementation of the law has sputtered and no other dispensaries have opened, but the state's legal marijuana landscape could soon become even more expansive.

Two pro-marijuana groups are vowing to put questions on next year's ballot fully legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.

Massachusetts voters have been open to relaxing marijuana laws. In 2008, voters approved a question decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.

HOLYOKE-The Hampden County Bar Association Annual Judicial Dinner was held Wednesday evening at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Former Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett was awarded the Kent B. Smith Award. The Kent B. Smith Award is given to an outstanding citizen of the law community of Hampden County and a dedicated contributor to the advancement of criminal law....

HOLYOKE-The Hampden County Bar Association Annual Judicial Dinner was held Wednesday evening at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Former Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett was awarded the Kent B. Smith Award.

The Kent B. Smith Award is given to an outstanding citizen of the law community of Hampden County and a dedicated contributor to the advancement of criminal law.

Massachusetts. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito was the keynote speaker at the event which featured many present and retired area judges.

Elizabeth Johnson, 82, had not been located as of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, according to Stoneham Police Sgt. Steven Nims.

Elizabeth Johnson (STONEHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT) 

Eighty-two-year-old Elizabeth Johnson had yet to be located by Wednesday night, Stoneham Police Sgt. Steven Nims said. "She's still missing," he told MassLive / The Republican around 9:30 p.m.

The 4-foot-11, 95-pound woman with gray hair was last seen around 9:15 a.m. in the area of The Arbors Assisted Living Residential Communities facility at 140 Franklin St. in Stoneham, police said. She was wearing blue jeans, sneakers, a white T-shirt and over-sized black headphones, and she left the area on foot in an unknown direction, police said.

Anyone who has seen Johnson or knows her whereabouts is asked to call the Stoneham Police Department at 781-438-1212. Police are also tweeting updates about the missing-person case to the department's Twitter feed.

MISSING PERSON Elizabeth Johnson Please call Stoneham Police with any information 781-438-1212. pic.twitter.com/ZHSqAZZT6c

— Stoneham Police (@StonehamMAPD) June 24, 2015

State police say Gene Palmer faces charges including promoting prison contraband and tampering with physical evidence.

By JOHN KEKIS

BELLMONT, N.Y. -- A correction officer at an upstate New York maximum-security prison has become the second worker there arrested in connection with the escapes of two inmates.

State police say Gene Palmer faces charges including promoting prison contraband and tampering with physical evidence. He was to be arraigned Wednesday night in Plattsburgh. A call to his attorney seeking comment wasn't answered.

Inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt were reported missing from the Clinton County Correctional Facility in Dannemora on June 6.

Authorities say they cut through the steel wall at the back of their cells, crawled down a catwalk, broke through a brick wall, cut their way into and out of a steam pipe and then sliced through the chain and lock on a manhole cover outside the prison.

This undated photo shows convicted killers Richard Matt, left, and David Sweat. Authorities say the two men escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y.New York State Police photos 

Searchers hunting for the escaped killers Wednesday were contending with steep slopes, thick woods, sticky bogs, biting bugs and the possibility that the pair on the lam from prison for 19 days is armed.

Police said they remain almost 100 percent certain that Sweat and Matt spent time recently at a hunting camp about 20 miles west of the correctional facility near Owls Head. A hunter said he saw a figure bolting from the cabin on Saturday morning. But after days of intense searching with dogs and helicopters, police still had no substantiated sightings of Sweat and Matt.

The 75 square miles searchers focused on is on the northern edge of the sprawling Adirondack Park and includes woods so thick that visibility is only a few feet in some sections, authorities said. The woods also are dotted with hundreds of seasonal and hunting camps.

State police Maj. Charles Guess said Wednesday that authorities don't have confirmed evidence that a shotgun was stolen from the hunting cabin near Owls Head, but they've always assumed the escapees were armed. Weapons and ammunition are typically stored in camps, but not everyone keeps an inventory of their firearms, he said.

"Just about every cabin or outbuilding in the North Country has one or more shotguns or weapons, and we have since day one operated under the belief that these men are armed," Guess said. "They are extremely dangerous, they're cunning. Why wouldn't they try to arm themselves immediately upon escape?"

Guess said it was possible the pair left the area, but promised that the more than 1,000 officers involved would keep up the relentless search until the killers are captured.

"We don't want them to have a restful, peaceful night putting their head on any pillow," he said.

Sweat, 35, was serving a life sentence without parole for killing a sheriff's deputy. Matt, 48, was doing 25 years to life for the kidnapping, torture and hacksaw dismemberment of his former boss.

Mitchell, a prison tailor shop instructor, remained in custody.

Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie told reporters that Mitchell told investigators she smuggled hacksaw blades, a screwdriver and other tools into the prison by placing them in frozen hamburger meat. He said she then placed it in a refrigerator in the tailor shop where she worked, and a correction officer took the meat to Sweat and Matt, who were housed in a section where inmates are allowed to cook their own meals.

The DA said the guard didn't know the tools were inside the meat.

AP reporter Michael Hill contributed from Albany, New York.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 178 points, or 1 percent and closed below 18,000 at 17,966.

By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK -- Stocks retreated Wednesday, erasing all of the week's earlier gains, as negotiations between Greece and its creditors seemed no closer to reaching a resolution.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 178 points, or 1 percent, to 17,966.07. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 15.62 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,108.58 and the Nasdaq composite lost 37.68 points, or 0.7 percent, to 5,122.41.

Investors had been hopeful earlier in the week that the Greece problem was reaching the finish line, but those hopes diminished as Wednesday wore on. European finance ministers cut short a meeting on Greece's proposals, citing major policy differences. They plan to meet again Thursday. Greek stocks fell 2 percent.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras criticized the International Monetary Fund as being needlessly picky about the reforms Greece had proposed. Creditors are demanding, among other things, a freeze on pensions, scrapping some proposed taxes and surcharges on business, and higher sales tax on some goods.

Greece needs an agreement by June 30, when a key debt payment is due to the IMF. In a worst-case scenario, a Greek default could potentially lead to Greece abandoning the euro.

"Greece has to be the slowest moving train wreck in financial history; but in a way, it's a good thing because if Greece had failed in 2012 we'd be in a much more dire situation," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank, which oversees $66 billion in Chicago.

Investors also remain focused on when the U.S. Federal Reserve might increase its key interest rate for the first time in nearly a decade. Fed Governor Jerome Powell said at an event on Tuesday 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.

The expectations of an interest rate increase rose after a report released Wednesday showed that the U.S. economy contracted less than previously thought in the first three months of the year. The Commerce Department said first quarter GDP fell 0.2 percent, compared with its previous estimate of 0.7 percent.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.37 percent from 2.40 percent the day before.

Among individual stocks, Sysco rose $1.16, or 3 percent, to $38.75 after a federal judge ruled that the food distribution company could not merge with rival US Foods. The Federal Trade Commission had sued to block the deal in February.

Homebuilder Lennar rose $2.06, or 4 percent, to $51.06 after the company reported results that beat analysts' expectations. Other home builders such as Pulte, D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers also rose.

In energy trading, the price of oil fell after the Energy Department reported an increase in stockpiles of gasoline and diesel in its weekly inventory report. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 74 cents to close at $60.27 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell 96 cents to close at $63.49 a barrel in London.

In other trading on the NYMEX, wholesale gasoline fell 2.1 cents to close at $2.056 a gallon. Heating oil fell 3.5 cents to close at $1.876 a gallon. Natural gas rose 3.3 cents to close at $2.759 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In metals trading, gold closed down $3.70 to $1,172.90 an ounce. Silver rose 12 cents to $15.85 an ounce and copper rose a penny to $2.62 a pound.

The euro rose to $1.1199. The dollar was little changed against the Japanese currency at 123.88 yen.

AP writers Lorne Cook and Derek Gatopoulos contributed to this report from Brussels.

King, 21, was one of four Pittsfield men charged with gang-raping a University of Massachusetts freshman in Pierpont dormitory in October 2012.

NORTHAMPTON — After deliberating for less than a day, a Hampshire Superior Court jury on Wednesday found Justin King of Pittsfield guilty of all three counts of forcible rape of a University of Massachusetts freshman.

King, 21, was one of four Pittsfield men charged with gang raping the woman in her Pierpont dormitory in October 2012 after a night of drinking and pot-smoking. The three charges involve penetrating the woman in three places.

Emmanuel Bile, 21, another of the defendants, was tried and convicted in March and has begun serving an 8-10-year state prison sentence. Adam T. Liccardi and Caleb Womack, both 20, will be tried after King.

The four cases had been combined into a single trial, but Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder, who presided over Bile's trial, separated them.

Family members on King's side of the courtroom wept at the verdict, which was delivered by a jury of six men and six women. The jury began deliberating at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday and came to a verdict at about 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Suhl, who prosecuted the case, asked Judge Bertha D. Josephson to delay sentencing until the victim, now 21 and still at UMass, could be present. The judge scheduled it for June 29 at 11 a.m. Until then, King, whose bail was revoked, will remain in custody.

"The jury's swift and unanimous verdict is a direct result of the victim's tremendous strength, courage and perseverance," said Suhl. "The Commonwealth is grateful to the jury for their time and attention, and now turns its focus toward the remaining two cases."

The defendant took the stand during his trial to present his version of the events. He contended that the sex was consensual and that the victim was awake and invited a second man, Liccardi, to join in.

Stanley Ringer, of Agawam, is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, fourth offense.

Buffy Spencer | bspencer@repub.com 

SPRINGFIELD - A defense lawyer is contending his client was too drunk to understand what was going on when he was stopped by a state trooper on Route 57 in Agawam.

Shawn P. Allyn, lawyer for 55-year-old Stanley Ringer, made that statement at a motion hearing Tuesday in Hampden Superior Court.

Ringer, of Agawam, is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, fourth offense.

Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder took the motion under advisement.

State Trooper Sean Kenney took the stand at the hearing, testifying he saw a car straddling the lanes without changing lanes on Interstate 291 West on Oct. 4. It was shortly after midnight.

He said he ran the license plate and found the car was not inspected.

He said he observed over 30 marked lane violations between first seeing the car and stopping it on Route 57.

In addition to swerving, the car was driving slower than the speed limit, Kenney said.

Kenney said the first time he could safely pull over the car, which had exited I-291, was when it was on Route 57.

The trooper said he asked for the driver's license and registration and the driver was slow in his movements, glassy eyed, fumbled in his wallet, and there was an extreme odor of alcohol coming from the car.

"He said, 'I don't have a license.' He told me to arrest him," Kenney said, saying Ringer's speech was extremely slurred.

First Ringer said he had four beers at home and four or five more at a friends house, Kenney said.

When Ringer got out of the car he put his hands in the air and stumbled, Kenney said. The trooper said he had to catch Ringer by his arms.

Kenney then started a field sobriety test. Ringer fell every time he tried to do the one leg stand, Kenney said.

Ringer could not do the heel to toe walk without staggering, Kenney said. He also couldn't say the alphabet or count backwards.

"I formulated the opinion he was severely impaired and I arrested him and gave him Miranda rights," Kenney said.

Kenney said he brought Ringer to state police barracks in his cruiser. He said Ringer said he had five beers at home, four at a friend's house and four at another friend's house, Kenney said.

Kenney said he asked Ringer if he had 13 beers and Ringer said, "Probably."

The trooper said Ringer agreed to take a breathalyzer test but only one sample instead of the two needed could be obtained from Ringer.

Allyn asked, "When he told you he didn't have a license, arrest him, was he free to leave?"

Kenney said he was not.

Allyn asked Kenney since he said Ringer was so drunk he couldn't stand up normally "are you still of the opinion he knew what was going on?"

Kenney said he was of that opinion. He said Ringer understood the instructions for the field sobriety test.

Allyn said Ringer should have been given his Miranda rights as soon as he wasn't free to leave. He said even after Ringer was read his rights there was an issue as to whether his statements were voluntary.

Assistant District Attorney Robert A. Schmidt said case law is clear Miranda rights are not necessary at the field sobriety test. He said anything Ringer said after he was read his rights was voluntary

Formerly known as the Montague Grange Hall, it was originally built in 1835 as a Unitarian Meetinghouse.

A special membership drive is underway to preserve the Montague Common Hall as a community gathering place.

Formerly known as the Montague Grange Hall, it was originally built in 1835 as a Unitarian Meetinghouse.

Donations are being sought online and other steps are underway to preserve the historic site.

During June and July, the neighboring Alvah Stone Restaurant is providing six monthly matching amount gift certificates for sustaining memberships purchased at the $10 to $30 level. The Alvah Stone answers at (413) 367-5345.

More details on this special membership incentive and other efforts can be found online at montaguecommonhall.org.

Gary Rome said he hopes to begin construction on a $10 million dealership in Holyoke in the fall.

HOLYOKE -- Approvals just keep coming from the city for a $10 million Gary Rome Hyundai dealership.

The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday (June 24) to grant two special permits to Rome for the project on Whiting Farms Road.

That followed by a night the council's Ordinance Committee voting to recommend the permits be granted and a month after the council approved a zone change necessary for the project to proceed.

Rome said Thursday he next will submit a site plan to the Planning Board in two to three weeks, eying a fall beginning to construction and a grand opening in May.

"I'm thankful for the support that I've received from the community, the mayor, the entire City Council and the neighbors. I'm very excited," Rome said.

"I know that there are a lot of hoops to jump through. We've gone through almost all of them," he said.

"I'm very hopeful that we will be able to get a shovel in the ground by the fall," he said.

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.

Approval hasn't been unanimous community-wide. Some neighbors of the site across from Autumn and Lynch drives urged the City Council to reject the zone change Rome needed because they said an auto dealership would be intrusive to the neighborhood.

To build an auto dealership, Rome needed a change in the zoning designation of the property he is buying to Business Highway from the previous Business General, which prohibits an auto dealership. The City Council voted 14-0 on May 19 to grant the zone change.

The City Council has given approvals to Rome because he put hard work into the proposal, which was thorough and clear for councilors to study and embrace, council President Kevin A. Jourdain said.

"Gary is a class act and I was very happy to support his proposal to invest $10 million dollars in Holyoke as well as add dozens of new jobs. I am sure he and his team will be a great success. It should send a strong message to others that Holyoke is very supportive of business," Jourdain said.

One of the special permits Rome received Wednesday is to allow for a motor vehicle repair garage on the site. The other special permit is to allow for new and used cars and trucks and marine and recreational vehicles.

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

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

Funeral services began today for the victims of the mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- A choir and band launched into one of Ethel Lance's favorite gospel tunes and roused hundreds of mourners from their seats Thursday in a crescendo of music at the first funeral for victims of the massacre at a historic black church.

People stood to clap, nod and sway -- some closing their eyes under the exertion of the cathartic singing. Ushers walked through the aisles with boxes of tissues for people to dab their tears. An organ, drums and bass guitar provided the rhythm.

The service was fitting for the 70-year-old Charleston native with "an infectious smile," who served with vigor as an officer at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the congregation's interim pastor said.

"When it was time for the ushers to usher, she had the usher strut," the Rev. Norvel Goff said. "When Sister Lance praised the Lord, you had to strap on your spiritual seat belt."

Police officers stood guard and checked bags as mourners filed in.

Despite pleas to withhold debate until after the funerals, the South Carolina governor's call to remove the Confederate flag from in front of the Statehouse in response to the killings was reverberating around the South. A growing number of leading politicians said Civil War symbols should be removed from places of honor, despite their integral role as elements of southern identity.

Some authorities have worried openly about a backlash as people take matters into their own hands.

"Black Lives Matter" was spray-painted on a monument to Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday, only the latest statue to be defaced. On Tuesday and Wednesday, African-American churches in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Macon, Georgia were intentionally set afire.

But in Charleston, the early gestures of forgiveness by the victims' families toward a shooting suspect who embraced the Confederate flag set a healing tone that has continued through a series of unity rallies, drawing thousands of people intent on leaving no room for racial hate.

"A hateful, disillusioned young man came into the church filled with hate ... and the reaction was love," Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said at the day's second funeral, held for Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45. "He came in with symbols of division. The confederate battle flag is coming down off our state capitol."

Before the second service, more than 100 members of Coleman-Singleton's Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority formed a ring around the main part of the large sanctuary as part of an Ivy Beyond the Wall ceremony. One by one, the women, clad all in white, filed past the open casket with green ivy leaves, then clasped hands and sang.

Funerals for the other victims were set to happen over the next week, including one Friday for Emanuel's lead pastor, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, where President Barack Obama will deliver the eulogy.

Gov. Nikki Haley eulogized Coleman-Singleton, commending her desire to help others.

Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton attended as well, and referred to Dylann Storm Roof, the 21-year-old white man facing nine murder charges. Sharpton recalled how he spent the morning of June 17 watching Loretta Lynch be sworn in as the nation's first black female attorney general.

"That morning, I saw how far we have come," Sharpton said. "That night, I saw how far yet we have to go."

Authorities said Lance and Coleman-Singleton had welcomed the gunman into their Bible study, where he sat among them for nearly an hour before opening fire.

Lance had served as a sexton at Emanuel for the last five years, helping to keep the historic building clean. She loved gospel music, watched over a family that grew to include her five children, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and pushed them to earn advanced degrees.

"I want my grandmother's legacy to be what she stood for," said granddaughter Aja Risher. "She is going to be a catalyst for change in this country."

Haley started the groundswell against Confederate icons Monday by successfully calling on South Carolina lawmakers to debate taking down the Confederate battle flag flying in front of the Statehouse. Then Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, also a conservative Republican, brought down four secessionist flags at the Capitol in Montgomery.

Bentley compared the banner to the universally shunned symbols of Nazi Germany, a stunning reversal in a region where the Confederacy was formed 154 years ago and where Jefferson Davis was elected president. By Wednesday, the mayor in Memphis, Tennessee was calling for the grave and statue of Confederate General and Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest to be removed from a city park.

The suspected gunman appears with a Confederate license plate, waving a Confederate flag, burning and desecrating U.S. flags, posing at Confederate museums and with the wax figures of slaves on a website created in his name months before the attacks.

Attorney Boyd Young, who represents Roof's family, issued a statement saying they will answer questions later, but want to allow the victims' families to grieve. "We feel it would be inappropriate to say anything at this time other than that we are truly sorry for their loss," the statement said.

The latest examples come in Baker's economic development cabinet where Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, a Democrat, has filled two regional business development posts with 2014 runners-up.

By MATT MURPHY

BOSTON - Gov. Charlie Baker has won plaudits for bringing Democrats into the fold as he built a senior team around him, but the governor's administration has also provided refuge for some loyal party activists and several failed Republican candidates looking to regroup after faltering at the ballot box.

The latest examples come in Baker's economic development cabinet where Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, a Democrat, has filled two regional business development posts with 2014 runners-up.

After firing five of six regional directors at the Massachusetts Office of Business Development in March held over from the last administration, two-time GOP Congressional candidate Jon Golnik and Republican Senate candidate Debra Boronski landed posts in the office that serves as a point of contact for businesses looking to locate or expand in the state and offers help accessing resources, expertise, and incentive programs to grow jobs.

Golnik, who ran twice as a Republican from Carlisle against Democratic U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, has been named central region director in the Office of Business Development, supervising an area that includes many of the north-central suburbs that make up the 3rd Congressional district where he challenged Tsongas.

The former Wall Street foreign currency trader ran for Congress in both 2010 and 2012. After leaving finance and before trying his hand at politics, Golnik started a South End furniture company and later and online retail website that sold college sports merchandise.

The western regional business development post went to Boronski, of East Longmeadow, the former executive with the Chicopee and Greater Springfield chambers of commerce, who finished second last fall to state Sen. Eric Lesser in a campaign for the 1st Hampden and Hampshire Senate seat.

Boronski founded the little-known Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce about five years ago, and has a graduate degree in management from Cambridge College. She was also appointed by former Gov. Deval Patrick to a private development task force.

The jobs come with a salary of $75,000 a year, according to the administration.

While it might be expected that Republicans would find job opportunities in a new Baker administration after eight years of Democratic control in the executive branch, the governor's advisors insist politics do not play a role in hiring decisions.

"The MOBD regional directors have decades of experience in the private and public sectors that is invaluable to their work providing businesses with the support necessary to expand here in Massachusetts, creating jobs for residents across the commonwealth. The administration has made clear that political affiliations play no part in the hiring process as Gov. Baker has assembled one of the most bipartisan teams in recent history to serve the people of Massachusetts," Baker spokesman Tim Buckley said in a prepared statement.

Golnik and Boronski join others like Undersecretary of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulations John Chapman, who challenged U.S. Rep. William Keating last fall, and Matthew Sisk, a GOP state committee member who landed his job as deputy commissioner for operations at the Department of Conservation and Recreation after serving as chairman of MassGOP's controversial nominating convention last winter. Sisk is also a former economic development specialist in the Massachusetts district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Baker also put last year's GOP nominee for state treasurer Mike Heffernan on the MBTA Retirement Board and Pension Reserves Investment Management boards, and hired the GOP's nominee for secretary of state David D'Arcangleo to run the Office on Disability.

Richard Dalton, a former Back Bay Restaurant Group executive and president of Dalton Hospitality, was hired to be the Greater Boston MOBD regional director, while the southeast region job went to Maria Marasco, who most recently ran a job readiness and employment program in the Barnstable County sheriff's office.

The one holdover from the Patrick administration - Peter Milano - now handles the metrowest area, and Maria DiStefano has been hired as northeast regional director. The office is overseen by Gov. Charlie Baker's Assistant Secretary of Business Development Nam Pham.

Ash said in March he was looking to take the business development office in a new direction.

"We are structuring our regional directors in a different way, looking for a different skill set and believe that we are going to be able to continue to do the work that the Mass. Office of Business Development has done, but also advance it along small business development and along specific sectors of the Commonwealth," Ash said.

Raymond DeJesus of Palmer was arrested for trafficking in cocaine over 200 grams.

WILBRAHAM — A Palmer man was arrested for allegedly trafficking in cocaine over 200 grams after the Wilbraham Police Department drug K-9 dog Charon, a German Shepherd, assisted with a parcel interdiction investigation, police said.

As a result of a positive alert to the presence of narcotics in one package, a U.S. District Court warrant was issued to open the package, police said.

Police said 4.4 kilograms of cocaine was located hidden within an automotive part inside the package.

The investigation was conducted with the Palmer police, Wilbraham police, Eastern Hampden Country Narcotics Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Department of Homeland Security.

On Thursday, a search warrant was served at 573 Wilbraham St. in Palmer. Police said Raymond DeJesus of that address was arrested for trafficking in cocaine over 200 grams.

Also seized was $63,000 in U.S. currency and other items related to narcotic trafficking, police said.

The Westfield State University Board of Trustees approved a $100 million budget at a meeting Thursday, including fee increases designed to pay for a new science center and defray personnel costs.

WESTFIELD - Westfield State University's Board of Trustees approved a $100 million budget for the coming fiscal year at a meeting Thursday, including fee increases designed to pay for a new science center and defray personnel costs.

The board unanimously approved a $150 per student fee to pay for debt service on the school's $48 million science center, but saw some disagreement over an additional $50 fee increase designed to cover about $250,000 of a million-dollar budget gap. The board voted 8 to 2 in favor of the fee, with vice chair Steven Marcus and finance and capital assets committee chair Kevin Queenin dissenting.

In a debate over the fee, trustees agreed that fault for the budget gap lies with lower state appropriations and insufficient funding of labor contracts negotiated by the state. But proponents argued that the increase is necessary to maintain standards at the school, while opponents disagreed that costs should be passed on to students.

Trustee Luis Perez advocated for the fee, describing it as minor compared to increases seen at institutions like the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Bridgewater State University. The consequences of inaction, he said, could be significant. Trustee Robert Martin also supported the increase, saying that while the state is responsible for the university's budget gap the board should not let the school be under-funded.

"We cannot just shut our eyes, close our mouth and say we're not going to do anything for this university. We have to move forward," Perez said. "A $50 fee is a very minimal increase."

Opposing the measure, Marcus described the fee as part of a "tax and spend" mentality that passes costs on to students instead of controlling them. Queenin called on the university to fix its own budget gaps, without burdening students.

"It's not so much how much or what you cut, it's more about what you do with the money that you have," Queenin said. "I think we can be more efficient and effective."

Both Queenin and Marcus voted for the final budget once the fee was approved.

While the university is acutely aware of affordability concerns, state aid has not recovered to pre-recession levels and recent efforts to increase funding have sputtered as the state deals with its own deficits, Westfield State University President Elizabeth Preston said in an interview last week.

Figures provided by the university show state appropriations declining from $28.7 million in 2008 to a low of $21.3 million during the height of the fiscal crisis in 2010, with about $26 million proposed for 2016. Next year's numbers are not final, as the budget is still under negotiation on Beacon Hill.

The school plans on implementing a retirement incentive program to trim about $750,000 in costs by replacing long-time staff with replacements at lower pay or eliminating positions, with the new fee making up the rest of the gap. The program, which has been negotiated with unions by the state department of education is not expected to target any particular department or number of positions, Preston said.

Preston said the administration had consulted with student government about the fee increases. Student Government Association President Evelyn Dina wrote in an email last week that students were aware and understanding of the need for increases, but hoped the school would keep student costs in mind when making a final decision.

The father and son publicly announced their support for Cocchi on Thursday, June 25.

SPRINGFIELD — Nick Cocchi, the deputy chief of security at the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, has picked up two more endorsements in his bid to become the county's next sheriff.

Hampden Register of Deeds Donald E. Ashe and his son, state Rep. Brian M. Ashe, both Democrats, have endorsed Cocchi for sheriff. The Ashes announced their support for Cocchi, a fellow Democrat, on Thursday.

"The sheriff of Hampden County directly impacts lives in and outside the correctional
facilities. The innovative programs created by Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. and his team,
including Nick Cocchi, have reduced the inmate population dramatically, successfully
lowered the return rate of inmates, and have saved taxpayers millions of dollars," Donald Ashe said in a statement.

"That innovation has to continue, and Nick Cocchi has the 22 years of experience and
success in corrections to maintain our Sheriff's Department as one of the best in the
nation," the register of deeds said.

Brian Ashe called Cocchi "a successful and award-winning correctional professional" and an important member of the team responsible for the success of the Sheriff's Department. "He has served in every important capacity, from correctional officer, to chief of security, to assistant superintendent. He has earned his promotions, and more, he understands that the job of sheriff is about more than incarceration; it's about changing lives and protecting people," the state representative said.

The Ashes' endorsements follow last year's public announcement by Thomas P. Moriarty Jr., the former longtime Democratic register of probate in Hampden County, that he was backing Cocchi for sheriff. Moriarty, who died May 30, was the first public figure in Western Massachusetts to publicly endorse Cocchi.

Before Moriarty's endorsement, Cocchi won the blessing of the Hampden County Superior Corrections Officers Association, which stated: "barring our current sheriff and the man responsible for the excellent reputation of the Hampden County Jail and House of Corrections, Sheriff Michael J. Ashe. Jr., Nick Cocchi is the most qualified person that could possibly run for sheriff of Hampden County."

Cocchi, 42, of Ludlow, was the first candidate out of the gate, launching his campaign in early June 2014 – nearly 2½ years before the November 2016 election to succeed Sheriff Ashe. Since taking office in 1974, Ashe has never had a challenger. When he announced in January 2014 that he would not seek re-election in 2016, it sparked the first sheriff's race in more than four decades.

And that race continues to take shape, as Cocchi and at least two other candidates – James Gill, a ranking officer in the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, and Jack Griffin, a Springfield native and retired Connecticut Department of Corrections official – begin to flex their political muscles.

As an example of just how long Sheriff Ashe has held the position, Cocchi, the youngest of the three candidates in the race so far, was a 1-year-old toddler when Ashe began his tenure as sheriff.

Don Ashe pointed out that Cocchi "has been running for a year now, meeting with people all over Hampden County." During this time, he said, Cocchi has been listening to citizens' concerns and talking about a range of issues, from the opioid crisis, to encouraging young people to stay away from gangs and drugs, to new ways of coping with addiction. "Nick knows that the job of sheriff is about so much more than incarceration," Ashe said.

As somebody working on the front line of the opioid epidemic, Cocchi has been an asset to state legislators, according to Brian Ashe. "He has been a resource to me and many others in our efforts, and as sheriff, Nick won't be stepping into the ring for the first time for these fights. He's been swinging away and making a difference for more than half of his life," the state lawmaker said.

For his part, Cocchi said that he was "honored" to have the support of the Ashes. "Their family has contributed greatly to our community. Register Ashe is widely renowned for his efforts to make the Hampden County Registry of Deeds the most effective and efficient in Massachusetts. ... He is an example to me of the kind of innovation necessary to meet changing times and real public needs," Cocchi said.

Cocchi called Rep. Ashe a "valued adviser" for now, but someone with whom he looks forward to having a "future partnership" if he is elected sheriff. "So much of the success of the Sheriff's Department depends on a strong relationship with Boston, and not just for funding. Legislators like Brian Ashe are in touch with the people they represent; they know the needs of the community and can be a sheriff's best eyes and ears with the people we mutually serve," Cocchi said.