Amanda Peterson, best known for her role in the 1987 romantic comedy "Can't Buy Me Love," has died. She was 43.

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) -- Amanda Peterson, best known for her role in the 1987 romantic comedy "Can't Buy Me Love," has died. She was 43.

Sgt. Mike Moran with the Greeley, Colorado, police department says Peterson was found dead at an apartment complex Sunday. She was alone, and an investigation into her death is ongoing. No other information was released.

Peterson began her film career when she was 9 in the 1982 adaptation of the play "Annie," directed by John Huston.

The Greeley native appeared in numerous movies and TV shows over the next decade. Her biggest role was playing opposite Patrick Dempsey in "Can't Buy Me Love."

She played cheerleader Cindy Mancini, whom Dempsey's character paid to pose as his girlfriend.

Peterson appeared in her last film, "Windrunner," in 1994. 

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the infant, Allayah Lewis, who was born Feb. 6, 2015, is asked to call Hartford police at 860-757-4000.

HARTFORD — City police have issued a missing-child alert for a 5-month-old baby, who may be with her biological mother.

Police did not release details of the incident, but anyone with information on the whereabouts of the infant, Allayah Lewis, is asked to call the Hartford Police Department at 860-757-4000.

Lewis is black with brown eyes, about 2 feet, 3 inches tall, and weighs about 20 pounds, police said.

Her mother's name is Jasmine Caminero and she's been missing since July 4, police said.

Town administrator Chris Martin had sought the recommendations

GRANBY - The president of the Granby Historical Association is asking why the association's recommendations for appointees to the Historical District Commission were ignored.

Town Administrator Christopher Martin had sought the recommendations from the association prior to the June appointments.

The historic commission and selectmen have feuded in recent months over whether Aldrich Hall should be demolished, favored by selectmen; or rehabilitated, which is the path advocated by the commission.

The boarded up building, once used for town offices, sits in the community's historic district along Route 202 at 257 East State St.

The pair who were not re-appointed, Michael Beck and Teresa Lajoie, repeatedly had told selectmen they cannot tear down Aldrich Hall unless the historical commission approved.

The men selectmen appointed last month, William Johnson and Steve Nally, apparently have not publicly announced a position on the issue.

Joan Hodgkins, president of Granby Historical Association, attended the July 6 selectmen's meeting with other association members.

She said the association had recommended Bob Camus and Lori Meister.

"Mr. Martin, we want an explanation," Hodgkins said.

Selectmen Chairman Mark Bail said the board would not respond to the query during the meeting.

"We have that under advisement," he said.

Van Dorsey Jr. in Hampden Superior Court denied a murder charge for the May 12 fatal stabbing of his girlfriend Monique Van Zandt.

SPRINGFIELD — Van Dorsey Jr. pleaded not guilty to a murder charge on Tuesday in Hampden Superior Court for the May 12 fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Monique Van Zandt.

Van Zandt, 25, of 329 Franklin St., Springfield, died after being stabbed multiple times at her apartment in what police called a domestic dispute.

Dorsey, of 27 Franklin St., had denied the murder charge in Springfield District Court, but now the case has moved to Hampden Superior Court. Dorsey, 27, also denied charges of resisting arrest, possession of a Class B substance (subsequent offense) and distribution of marijuana (subsequent offense).

Dorsey, represented by Andrew M. Klyman, was ordered held without right to bail by Judge Mary Lou Rup. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Neil Desroches.

Van Zandt wanted a career in health care and had enrolled in the Branford Hall Career Institute in the fall. Fellow students had attended Van Zandt's court appearance in District Court.

During a District Court hearing in May, a court psychologist testified Dorsey was a regular user of the hallucinogenic drug PCP and was using it the night of the killing.

District Court Judge Matthew Shea ruled that day that Dorsey was competent to stand trial.

Court records show that Dorsey was the subject of an emergency, week-long restraining order issued on May 5 to another woman. A judge refused to extend the order on May 12, hours before Van Zandt's death.

Jim Sands said he'd still like to reopen Zoe's.

HADLEY - The owner of Zoe's Fish House property is looking for a new tenant and is hoping to have a new restaurant signed within a few weeks.

John Regish said he is hoping to lure a national restaurant such as an Olive Garden to the site. He said Jim Sands, the owner, could rent it again but owes the state money and would need to pay it off before opening.

According to land records, the restaurant owes the state Department of Unemployment Assistance $41,541, in unpaid debt and interest accrued between 2012 and 2014.

He also owes meal taxes to the state and the town amounting to $7,397. Sands said he has a payment plan with the state.

Zoe's closed for renovations in November of last year with the expectation of reopening within a couple of months.

Sands had said he ran into problems with the renovations that took longer than he expected.

Regish said about 95 percent of the work is done and they are ready for a new tenant in the 6,000-square-foot space.

He said all that remains is putting in a carpet but he wants to wait to see what a new tenant might want.

He said he was sorry to see Sands go. "People liked his food."  

Sands, however, said he would like to reopen. But ultimately it's up to Regish. He said they are far apart on a rent.

Zoe's opened here where Butternuts had been located in 2010. Sands closed Zoe's in Easthampton in 2008 after 12 years.

Sands owns the Ocean Grill & Steakhouse in Greenfield and said last week he is honoring Zoe's gift certificates there.

Citing his chairmanship of the board governing a new standardized testing system, a think tank has called for the Massachusetts education commissioner to recuse himself from the process of determining whether to adopt that new system.

By ANDY METZGER

BOSTON - Citing his chairmanship of the board governing a new standardized testing system, a think tank has called for the Massachusetts education commissioner to recuse himself from the process of determining whether to adopt that new system.

Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester is the chair of the Governing Board of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers, known as PARCC.

Chester is also tasked with making a recommendation to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on whether to adopt PARCC as the state's assessment tool for public school students or stick with the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, known as MCAS.

"This is clearly a conflict of interest," the Pioneer Institute said in a statement. The institute, which has mobilized against the Common Core multistate educational standards that form the basis for PARCC, alleged that Chester may have already made up his mind to scrap MCAS.

"The commissioner's interactions with local education leaders have led many to believe that the decision to abandon MCAS has already been made," Pioneer wrote. "Brookline Superintendent and Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents President William Lupini, in a 2014 letter to the town's school committee, flatly stated that 'MCAS will be phased out in favor of either PARCC or another new 'next generation' assessment after the 2015 test administration."

Though he is tasked with making a recommendation to the board, Chester does not have a vote, according to education department spokeswoman Jacqueline Reis. She said Chester's position as chair of PARCC's governing board is uncompensated and the entire board is composed of education chiefs in participating states.

Gov. Charlie Baker said he doesn't think Chester's position "renders him unable to participate in the conversation," and said the decision would be up to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).

Under Chester, Massachusetts schools have piloted PARCC exams, a development that Baker has criticized, citing a lack of public input.

Baker stood by the commissioner on Tuesday.

"I was the only person in Massachusetts who testified against the move to Common Core back in 2010. But I don't think my position or his is necessarily relevant here because this is going to be a BESE decision. This is going to be made by the board, which is why I asked the board to conduct these hearings in the first place," Baker told reporters at the International Space Station Research and Development Conference in Boston. He said, "Everybody knows what his background is and what his relation to this is, just as they know what my background is and my relationship to all this is, which is why I wanted the board to be the arbiter of this conversation."

Pledging to keep an open mind, Baker this year launched hearings that he said were intended to facilitate public comments on whether to make the switch.

"I think it's an embarrassment that a state that spent two years giving educators, families, parents, administrators and others an opportunity to comment and engage around the assessment system that eventually became MCAS basically gave nobody a voice or an opportunity to engage in a discussion at all before we went ahead and executed on Common Core and PARCC," Baker said in March when announcing the appointment of Paul Sagan as chairman of the education board.

A Republican who won the Corner Office last November, Baker was an outspoken opponent of joining the federally supported multistate Common Core initiative during his unsuccessful 2010 run for governor.

"We should be the best, not another part of the pack," Baker said at that time.

At a forum held by the Boston Foundation this January, Chester said the current testing system had significant problems in accurately determining college readiness and said PARCC would create "a whole new paradigm."

"The commissioner is continuing to evaluate PARCC effectiveness and has not decided whether he will recommend PARCC to the Board. It is worth noting that Commissioner Chester, unique among the leaders of other PARCC states, recommended his state take a two-year tryout of PARCC before deciding whether to adopt it, which reflects the fact that the commonwealth's needs are first in his mind," the education department said in a statement.

The statement also cited a committee's performance evaluation of Chester which was adopted by the full board, which said, "The Commissioner's role as board member and chair of the PARCC governing board has been important to Massachusetts, ensuring that the test is developed for the benefit of the states and not the vendor. The Commissioner's chairmanship allows Massachusetts to closely monitor test quality, insist on high-quality studies of the test's reliability and validity, provide leadership to other states, and potentially move to a next-generation assessment in a more affordable way than the state could manage alone. The committee affirms its full support for the Commissioner playing this role for the benefit of the Commonwealth."

A former Ohio education official, Chester has led the state government apparatus overseeing local public education since 2008. Chester has been chair of PARCC's governing board since its inception, according to an ethics notice he filed of his interest in PARCC in 2013.

The state's education board voted to adopt the Common Core standards in July 2010, and in November 2013 the board voted to adopt a two-year PARCC transition plan, to be followed by a decision on whether to completely shift to the new system, Chester wrote a year ago disclosing his position in PARCC governance.

"I do not believe there is a risk of undue favoritism or improper influence because my recommendation about whether Massachusetts should adopt PARCC as its new assessment system will be made with full transparency," Chester wrote to the former education secretary and former education board chairwoman in July 2014.

Chester wrote that he initially was slated to serve as president of PARCC's nonprofit arm, PARCC Inc., until the organization's bylaws changed. Reis said he never held that position.

In an April 2014 letter provided by the education department, the Ethics Commission determined that Chester's dual roles did not "require any further action on our part."

Pioneer raised financial considerations for PARCC as a potential motivation that might encourage adoption of the test in Massachusetts.

The PARCC consortium has dropped from 26 states to seven, along with Washington, D.C., and with the recent departure of Ohio from the consortium, PARCC can only count on providing testing service to 5 million students, compared to the more than 25 million it would have served at the height of participation, Pioneer wrote. The institute said declining participation creates "enormous pressure on the commissioner, as the chairman of PARCC, to ensure that the testing consortium does not lose any more states."

Antonio Caban contributed reporting.

Authorities identified the victim as 40-year-old Ramuel Raagas, of Framingham, who died after being a struck by a tractor-trailer driven by a 49-year-old man from Waterbury, Connecticut.

NATICK — A pedestrian was hit and killed by a tractor-trailer on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Natick early Tuesday morning.

The fatality happened around 3:10 a.m. in the westbound lane near mile-marker 117, according to Massachusetts State Police officials at Framingham headquarters.

Authorities identified the victim as 40-year-old Ramuel Raagas, of Framingham, who died after being a struck by a tractor-trailer driven by a 49-year-old man from Waterbury, Connecticut. Police said they were still investigating why Raagas was on the highway.

The truck is owned by Bozzutos Incorporated of Cheshire, Connecticut. The driver and the company were cooperating with investigators, police said. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday afternoon.

The crash prompted authorities to close two westbound lanes for more than 2 hours.

State Police from the Weston barracks and troopers assigned to Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan's office are handling the probe.

Disappointed over threat of strike.

NORTHAMPTON - Karin E. Jeffers, chief executive officer and president of Clinical and Support Options, said Tuesday the behavorial health agency plans to remain operational during any potential strike.

Jeffers confirmed in a release that CSO management was notified Monday that employees represented by Local 509 of Service Employees International Union plan to strike July 22 at all of the agency's 10 clinics in Western Massachusetts, and North Quabbin.

Issues include wage increases, with union representatives saying some staff with four-year-degrees make annual salaries only slightly above the federal poverty line for a family of four.

The CSO release indicated the agency "has increased bargaining unit salaries by 30 percent over the last 10 years, without asking for any increase in productivity during that time period," and that it "simply cannot support the union demand to be paid more to do less."

"We have made a comprehensive and competitive offer addressing many of the needs expressed by the union, and are disappointed to receive the union's strike threat," Jeffers said.

"While we plan to continue to bargain with hopes of reaching a fair agreement, contingency plans have been made and operations at CSO will continue as usual. We remain dedicated to our employees and first and foremost, to individuals and families in need of our services."

The release stated that CSO "continues to improve pay and benefits for its employees and has put forth a best and final offer representing significant improvements to the union." A substantial gap, however, seemed evident between the two sides in negotiating a three-year contract in the figures presented in the CSO release.

According to the release, The annual cost of the contract improvements in CSO's offer is "approximately $520,000 or $1.56 million over the three-year life of the contract. Conversely, the cost of the union's proposals exceed $1.39 million annually or $4.18 million over the life of the contract," Jeffers said."

The union represents about 1,000 human service workers and educators in Western Massachusetts. It just negotiated a contract settlement at The Brien Center, a similar agency in Berkshire County. The contract avoided a strike and contains a seven percent wage increase over three years. Brien employees will vote on it July 22.

According Jason A Stephany, the local's director of communication, CSO union members have been working without a contract. Negotiations began last fall, when the contract initially expired.

"It was extended through March to accommodate additional bargaining sessions, but the negotiations broke down shortly thereafter," said Stephany, in an earlier interview. He was not reached for further comment at the time of this posting.

According to the release, CSO employs 500 and serves more than 14,000 clients.

The terms of its offer, as stated in the release, are:

• A three percent wage increase in each year of a three- year contract for salaried staff for a total of nine percent salary increases over the life of the contract.
• Increased fee-for-service wages for fee-for-serve staff, which are three percent of the total.
• A two percent increase in productivity for billable staff, representing a 30-minute per week increase in billable time
• Increased shift differential for eligible staff.
• Increased mileage reimbursement.
• Increased ceiling on tuition reimbursement benefit.
• Increased starting salaries for clinician's and direct service staff.
• Continued 75 percent agency health insurance premium contribution (Premium Health Plan) & 50 percent dental insurance premium contribution.
• Continuing three-plus weeks of paid vacation plus five days paid personal time, plus paid holidays and sick time
• Maintaining the lowest productivity for staff among "like" agencies
• Agency sponsored 403b Plan

The Arkansas Capitol lawn could soon get crowded: Existing statues that honor Confederate soldiers, fallen firefighters and the nine black children who integrated Little Rock Central High School might be joined shortly by tributes for vegans, a monkey-faced deity and a cloven-hooved demon.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- The Arkansas Capitol lawn could soon get crowded: Existing statues that honor Confederate soldiers, fallen firefighters and the nine black children who integrated Little Rock Central High School might be joined shortly by tributes for vegans, a monkey-faced deity and a cloven-hooved demon.

State legislators this year approved placing a privately funded Ten Commandments display on Capitol grounds, perhaps opening a way for religious groups and others to erect their own displays. The Satanic Temple has said it may erect a bronze Baphomet, and on Tuesday two more groups stepped forward to say they want space to promote their deeply held beliefs.

The Nevada-based Universal Society of Hinduism proposes a statue of Lord Hanuman, an immortal deity with an ape-like face and a tail known for incredible strength, perseverance and devotion.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals told The Associated Press it wants a massive vegetable banner hung from the Arkansas Capitol.

The monument menagerie, legal challenges withstanding, could eventually gaze upon the fertile political grounds that nurtured President Bill Clinton and current presidential hopefuls Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mike Huckabee. The Capitol currently has 15 monuments including a tribute to the Little Rock Nine, a group of teenagers escorted into Central High School by federal troops in 1957.

Last week's decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to outlaw religious displays at the Oklahoma Statehouse has shifted the groups' attention to Arkansas, which closely copied Oklahoma in drafting its own Ten Commandments display law. The groups are proposing plans for Arkansas that are similar or identical to what they wanted in Oklahoma.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said during an unrelated news conference Tuesday that he doesn't support the Hindu plan or that from The Satanic Temple, which advocates for the separation of church and state, to erect an 81/2-foot-tall bronze Baphomet -- a demonic goat-headed figure with horns, hooves, wings and a beard.

Arkansas lawmakers have argued, and the governor echoed, that the proposed Ten Commandments monument is of historical significance, rather than a purely religious display -- a distinction used by the U.S. Supreme Court to determine the legality of similar structures. Hutchinson said any of the groups would need to petition the secretary of state or have their own legislation sponsored.

"We don't want just every group putting a statue on the Capitol grounds," Hutchinson said. "We want it to be exclusive, we want it to be reasoned, we want it to be reflective and I think that's one of the reasons (the Ten Commandments monument) went through the legislative process to accomplish that."

The Satanists, Hindus and animal rights groups disagree, arguing their deeply held beliefs belong alongside the Ten Commandments.

"I think a lot of people who don't know the religion, it will be a good opportunity for them to be curious and search for more information," said Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism. "(The Lord Hanuman statue) would be a good educational tool."

PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt said the group will apply for a prominent vegan exhibition as soon as possible.

"We hope to display a banner that promotes a value system that people of other religions or no religion can appreciate or agree on -- kindness and compassion toward all living beings," Rajt said.

The Church of the Latter-Day Dude -- inspired by the film "The Big Lebowski" -- and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster had inquired about space at the Oklahoma Capitol but haven't yet petitioned Arkansas. They didn't respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

The auditorium is in disrepair and has not been used for several years.

CHIICOPEE - The City Council will discuss a proposal to remodel and improve City Hall at its regular meeting Tuesday night.

Mayor Richard J. Kos is requesting $342,327 to fund a feasibility study to remodel municipal buildings. The money would come from a Planning Department special account that is funded through money received from Charter Communications.

Kos has discussed renovating the City Hall Auditorium and converting it to an all purpose space. He has said he would like it wired and permanent cameras installed so that all meetings could be held there and broadcast over community access television.

The auditorium has a number of problems and has not been used for several years. Plaster has been falling from the molding at the ceiling and, even worse is one piece of the support frame that holds in the rose shaped stained glass window over the main doors of City Hall fell. Another piece is badly cracked. A second stained glass window is also loose.

In the winter the city hired an architect firm to examine the auditorium to see if there are structural problems that is causing the problems with the windows.

The City Council will meet at 7:15 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. There are 26 different items on the agenda.

Masslive will report on the meeting live in the comments section of this story.

The 55-year-old man fell into the water and drowned in Charlesgate Park near Beacon Street, according to authorities, who continue to investigate.

BOSTON — A homeless man drowned in Boston's Muddy River on Tuesday evening, according to Massachusetts State Police officials, who continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the incident.

Troopers from the Boston barracks responded to a 6 p.m. report of a man who entered the river and never resurfaced near Beacon Street in Charlesgate Park. Boston firefighters found the body of the 55-year-old victim at the bottom of the shallow river, police said.

The preliminary investigation indicated the man, whose identity wasn't publicly released, was homeless and fell into the river from the Philip G. Bowker Overpass. Troopers assigned to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley's office are handling the death investigation.

City police and members of the State Police Underwater Recovery Unit and State Police Crime Scene Services Section also responded to the scene.

The 3½-mile-long Muddy River flows through the heart of Frederick Law Olmsted's famed "Emerald Necklace," the oldest remaining linear urban park system in the U.S., according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

MAP showing approximate area where homeless man drowned in Muddy River:

A federal judge has awarded a Texas woman nearly $230,000, saying a cable company harassed her with 153 robocalls even after she complained about them.

NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal judge has awarded a Texas woman nearly $230,000, saying a cable company harassed her with 153 robocalls even after she complained about them.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan federal court ordered Time Warner Cable Inc. on Tuesday to make the $229,500 payment to Araceli King of Irwing, Texas.

She sued last year, saying she had repeatedly asked the company to stop making the calls.

A spokeswoman for Time Warner says the company is reviewing its options and determining how to proceed.

Hellerstein says he tripled the $1,500 penalty for each call because Time Warner's actions were "particularly egregious."
  

King's lawyer, Sergei Lemberg, says his client is delighted. He says the decision sends a message to consumers to "stop taking it on the chin" when robocalls don't stop.

Pedevillano, a B-17 bombardier, flew six combat missions before being shot down over southwest Germany on April 24, 1944.

WASHINGTON -- At 22, 2nd Lt. John Pedevillano was the youngest bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Corps' 306th Bomb Group when he was shot down by Nazi fighter pilots in Germany in 1944.

Pedevillano and his crew were missing for a month before being taken as prisoners of war. The men were liberated by U.S. Army forces under Gen. George S. Patton in 1945.

More than 70 years later, Pedevillano has received the Presidential Unit Citation, with one Oak Leaf Cluster, for extraordinary heroism in combat. Pedevillano, a B-17 bombardier, flew six combat missions before being shot down over southwest Germany on April 24, 1944.  

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., himself a former prisoner of war, awarded the presidential citation at a ceremony Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol. McCain called the ribbon a small token of the esteem in which Pedevillano and his fellow soldiers are held.

"I promise you, you are an inspiration for those now serving and those who will serve" in the future, McCain told a beaming Pedevillano.

The retired bombardier, who turns 93 later this month, said he was overwhelmed at receiving the citation, one of the military's highest honors.

"I didn't expect anything like this," he told reporters as he fought off tears at a brief news conference after the ceremony.

"I didn't do any more or any less" than millions of others who served in the war, Pedevillano said. "I just appreciate the chance that I served my country."

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., presents Retired U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt., John R. Pedevillano, 93, of College Park, Md., with the Presidential Unit Citation with one Oak Leaf Cluster during a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 7, 2015. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)Associated Press 

Pedevillano, of College Park, Md., said he was especially honored that McCain presided over the ceremony, saying that he requested McCain's presence because of their shared history as prisoners of war. McCain, a Navy pilot and son of an admiral, spent 51/2 years in captivity in North Vietnam.

"I wanted him more than any other man to present" the citation, Pedevillano said. "I appreciate all the service he's done and the courage he showed."

Pedevillano, who worked for Westinghouse after the war helping build radar systems for jet fighters, said his only regret is that his wife of 64 years, Gloria, did not live to see the ceremony. Pedevillano's sister, Josephine Fischer, and nearly two dozen other family members attended the ceremony, which featured an Air Force string quartet and military color guard.

Pedevillano's son-in-law, Bill Vucci, said Pedevillano, a Roman Catholic, survived his ordeal though his deep belief in God.

"It was faith that got him through," Vucci said.

Healey said Backstage "must do more to end the kind of exploitation" that's advertised daily on the website.

BOSTON — In a crime reminiscent of the Craigslist killer case, state Attorney General Maura Healey on Tuesday asked Backpage.com, the online classified ad site, to remove the adult section of its website after a prostitute was lured to a hotel, robbed and shot to death last week.

"As we have seen through our office's work, Backpage.com and the Internet have become increasingly popular vehicles for commercial sexual exploitation," Healey said. "In fact, most of the human trafficking cases that our office has prosecuted specifically involve advertisements on Backpage."

Healey said Backstage "must do more to end the kind of exploitation" that's advertised daily on the site. "Today, I am calling on Backpage to immediately shut down the 'adult' section of its website – a long overdue step that I urge them to take now," she said.

Thirty-four-year-old Sanisha Johnson, an escort, was fatally shot at a Burlington hotel July 2. Two Boston men, 24-year-old Epshod Jeune and 21-year-old Derrell Fisher, both of Roxbury, have been charged with murder. Middlesex District Court Judge Stacey J. Fortes held the defendants without bail and ordered them to return for Aug. 4 hearings.

Burlington Police Chief Mike Kent called the homicide "a deeply disturbing crime," while Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan said she's worried Jeune and Fisher may be serial predators who use the Internet to set people up for robberies.

"Our concern now is whether other similar incidents may have occurred recently, and we urge members of the public with pertinent information to call 781-897-6600," she said.

Late on July 1, Jeune and Fisher went to the Red Roof Inn in Woburn, quickly committed an armed robbery, then continued their spree at the Extended Stay Hotel in Burlington, where Johnson was robbed and killed early July 2, according to authorities. Both men also were charged in connection with the Woburn incident.

The alleged crimes were investigated by police in Burlington and Woburn and Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to Ryan's office.

The gun used in the seemingly random slaying of a woman on a San Francisco pier belonged to a federal agent, a law enforcement official briefed on the matter said Tuesday.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The gun used in the seemingly random slaying of a woman on a San Francisco pier belonged to a federal agent, a law enforcement official briefed on the matter said Tuesday.

The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke on condition of anonymity, said a police check of the weapon's serial number shows it belonged to a federal agent. The official declined to elaborate further.

Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez pleaded not guilty Tuesday to first-degree murder in last week's shooting. Sanchez told two television stations he found the gun wrapped in a shirt on the pier.

Authorities say Sanchez is in the United States illegally and has been deported five times.

San Francisco officials released the Mexican national from jail in April, ignoring an Immigration and Customs Enforcement request to detain him so deportation proceedings could begin.

Leading Democrats -- including San Francisco's former mayor, Sen. Dianne Feinstein -- have joined mounting criticism of the city's policy of refusing to cooperate with federal immigration officials when they request help in detaining a suspect thought to be in the country illegally.

Sanchez has served more than 17 years in prison for entering the country illegally and also has four felony drug convictions.

Criticism of San Francisco's sanctuary city policy was expected from top Republicans such as Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson. But the policy is also drawing unexpected fire from Democrats, including both U.S. senators from California.

In addition, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told CNN that San Francisco was wrong to ignore the ICE detainer request and release Sanchez from custody after local prosecutors dropped marijuana possession charges in April.

"The city made a mistake, not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported," Clinton said. "So I have absolutely no support for a city that ignores the strong evidence that should be acted on."

Feinstein called on San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to start cooperating with federal immigration officials who want to deport felons such as Sanchez who are in the country illegally. Feinstein served as San Francisco mayor from 1978 to 1988.

"I strongly believe that an undocumented individual, convicted of multiple felonies and with a detainer request from ICE, should not have been released," Feinstein said. "We should focus on deporting convicted criminals, not setting them loose on our streets."

The San Francisco mayor's office said it has reached out to Department of Homeland Security officials to determine if there's a way to cooperate with federal immigration officials while still maintaining the sanctuary policy.

"Mayor Lee shares the senator's concerns surrounding the nature of Mr. Sanchez's transfer to San Francisco and release," said Christine Falvey, a spokeswoman for the mayor. "As the mayor has stated, we need to gather all of the facts as we develop potential solutions."

Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, also from Northern California, said she asked Gov. Jerry Brown if state law was followed in the release of Sanchez.

"For decades, I have supported deporting violent criminals, and I have always believed that sanctuary should not be given to felons," Boxer said.

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has defended the release of Sanchez from jail and the city's law requiring it to ignore ICE detainer requests. The sheriff said ICE could have obtained a warrant or court order to keep Sanchez in custody.

"ICE knew where he was," Mirkarimi said Monday. He said he will continue to ignore ICE detainer requests and that federal officials can easily obtain court orders to keep deportation suspects in custody.

State and federal Republicans, meanwhile, said they would look into the matter.

Johnson, who chairs the Senate's homeland security committee, criticized federal officials and demanded to know why Sanchez was not deported.

"Does that make any sense to you?" Johnson, R-Wis., demanded to know at a hearing. "Because I'll tell you it doesn't make any sense to the American public."

Republican state Sen. Jeff Stone said he would introduce legislation in Sacramento to require cities to comply with ICE detainer requests.

At Sanchez's arraignment Tuesday, his public defender, Matt Gonzalez, said the shooting appeared to be an accident.

In jailhouse interviews with two television stations, Sanchez said he found a gun wrapped in a shirt on the pier and it went off in his hands.

"This was an act of random violence, shooting an innocent victim in the back" prosecutor Dianna Garcia told the judge, arguing against releasing Sanchez on bail.

The judge set bail at $5 million, which Gonzalez said will keep Sanchez jailed pending trial.

A downcast Sanchez spent most of the hearing with his head bowed, appearing to fight back tear while the judge explained the charged to him. Sanchez was aided by a Spanish-language interpreter and entered his plea in Spanish.

Outside court, his attorney said Sanchez has a second-grade education and a non-violent criminal record of low-level drug arrests and immigration violations.

He could face life in prison if convicted.

Federal officials won't confirm the nature of an apparent investigation at a home in the northern Berkshire County town of Adams.

ADAMS — Local and federal law enforcement officials were seen coming and going from a home in the Berkshires over Fourth of July weekend, but authorities won't say what triggered the police activity.

"I can confirm the FBI was conducting court-authorized activity in Adams this weekend," Kristen Setera, a spokeswoman for the federal agency's Boston office, said Tuesday. "Due to ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further," she said.

"Conducting court-authorized activity" is apparently a stock line used by the FBI, including during a joint New England terrorism investigation last month.

Several law enforcement officials, some wearing navy blue T-shirts labeled "FBI Emergency Response Team," were seen entering and exiting a multifamily house at 10 Murray St. in the northern Berkshire County town of Adams late Saturday night, iBerkshires reports.

The officials worked out of two black SUVs parked in the driveway, with a blue pop-up tent placed between the vehicles and the home, the online news site reports. Adams police and firefighters also were at the scene of the apparent investigation, which didn't trigger evacuations or road closures.

The separation was jarring because the 37-year-old everyman has become a familiar face around the world.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Subway said Tuesday it mutually agreed with Jared Fogle to suspend their relationship after the home of the chain's longtime pitchman was raided by federal and state investigators.

The separation was jarring because the 37-year-old everyman has become a familiar face around the world. To many, he's known simply as "the Subway guy" who shed a massive amount of weight by eating the chain's sandwiches. His story is perhaps the biggest reason for Subway's image over the years as a healthy place to eat.

"That story played a huge role in (Subway's) growth," said Mary Chapman, senior director of product innovation at Technomic, a market research firm. "It's not just Jared the man, it's what it represents."

Though Fogle hadn't been front-and-center in Subway's advertising recently, he had still been acting as a Subway spokesman and appearing at events on the company's behalf.
Fogle's history with Subway reaches back to when he was a student at Indiana University, and he said he lost 245 pounds by regularly eating the chain's sandwiches. The college paper featured the story, which was then picked up by Men's Health, according to a page on Subway's website that was removed Tuesday.

Soon after, Subway's advertising agency reached out to Fogle and asked if he wanted to be in a TV commercial. The ensuing ad campaign resonated in part because Fogle seemed like such a regular guy, which made weight loss seem simple and achievable.

Of course, Fogle wasn't the only reason for Subway's growth over the years. Its $5 Footlong was popular with people looking for a deal, and some liked that they could customize their sandwiches. And even while touting its "Eat Fresh" motto, the chain catered to people who just wanted something filling with options like meatball subs and a chicken enchilada melt stuffed with Fritos.

Still, Fogle was instrumental in Subway's success over the years. The company's continued relationship with Fogle until Tuesday is also a testament to his enduring importance to the company.

In 2013, Subway celebrated the 15-year anniversary of Fogle's famous diet by featuring him in a Super Bowl ad and making him available to news organizations for interviews. At the time, Fogle said he still traveled regularly throughout the year on behalf of Subway. He also said he had a Subway "Black Card," which lets him eat at the chain for free.

The company, based in Milford, Connecticut, has declined to provide details on its financial arrangements with Fogle. But his roles for Subway have varied; last year, Subway had Fogle deliver bouquets made of vegetables to news organizations for National Eat Your Vegetables Day.

His Twitter feed also showed he was still making appearances in connection with the company as recently as this weekend.

Subway's competitors have felt pressure from the chain's "Eat Fresh" image, too. When McDonald's added chicken McWraps to its menu in 2013, the company referred to the new menu item as a "Subway buster" that would keep customers from heading to the sandwich chain, according to an internal memo obtained by Ad Age.

In 1999, the year before Fogle appeared in his first Subway commercial, Subway had about 11,800 stores in the U.S. and 2,200 overseas, according to Technomic. As of last year, those figures have mushroomed to about 27,000 U.S. locations and about 16,000 overseas, making Subway the world's largest restaurant chain by locations.

More recently, Subway has run into challenges.

The company is privately held and does not release financial information. But last year, Technomic said average sales for Subway stores in the U.S. declined 3 percent from the previous year.

The chain has been trying to keep up with changing attitudes about health and said last month it would remove artificial ingredients and colors from its menu in North America by 2017.

Another problem for Subway is that it has strayed from its low-price appeal, noted Chapman of Technomic. She said Subway is also facing more competition, including from places such as Firehouse Subs.

The FBI on Tuesday wouldn't provide details on the nature of the investigation. But Subway said it was "shocked" and believed the news to be tied to a previous investigation of a former employee of Fogle's foundation. In May, the foundation's former executive director Russell Taylor was arrested on child pornography charges.

In a statement about the suspension of the relationship, Subway said Fogle "continues to cooperate with authorities and he expects no actions to be forthcoming."

An attorney for Fogle said he was cooperating with the investigation and "looks forward to its conclusion."

Christopher Montgomery, 17, denied a murder charge in the fatal shooting of Rakeem Nixon on March 15 in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Seventeen-year-old Christopher I. Montgomery of Springfield on Tuesday denied a murder charge in Hampden Superior Court for the fatal shooting on March 15 of Rakeem Nixon.

Montgomery, of 66 Glenwood St., is charged with killing Nixon, 22, of Springfield, about 3 p.m. on a residential street off Boston Road.

Five hours after Nixon was gunned down on Lucerne Road, police arrested Montgomery and charged him with murder. The victim was shot multiple times.

Montgomery, listed in court records as 5-foot-3 and 110 pounds, is being tried as an adult for the murder. He is being prosecuted in Juvenile Court for three firearms counts related to the fatal shooting.

Montgomery had denied the murder charge in Springfield District Court, but now the case has moved to Hampden Superior Court.

Judge Mary Lou Rup on Tuesday ordered Montgomery continued to be held without the right to bail. His lawyer, Donald W. Frank, asked that a bail hearing be held July 21, at which he can argue setting bail or other conditions of pre-trial release for Montgomery.

Montgomery is now being held at the state Department of Youth Services Youth Development Center in Dorchester.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matthew W. Green, although Assistant District Attorney Eileen Sears stood in for Green for the arraignment.

In a motion filed on April 14 while the case was still in District Court, Green said the defendant has gang ties and a key witness has expressed fears for his safety.

Others who spoke to investigators after the shooting have "valid concerns" about their well-being, Green wrote in a motion explaining the need to continue the impoundment order for records pertaining to the case.

"The defendant and others are familiar with some of the witnesses," Green wrote.

Frank filed a motion on April 9 demanding access to police reports and witness statements that are not redacted. Noting that the information was crucial to Montgomery's defense, Frank asked for sanctions to be imposed on the Hampden District Attorney's office for withholding the information.

He also called for Montgomery's release until the prosecutors complied with his request.

"It is clear that police took numerous statements from various witnesses," Frank wrote in the motion. "I have yet to be provided with a single witness name (or) address except of the defendant's brother," he added.

Several days later, Judge Patricia Poehler ordered that complete police reports and witness statements be turned over to the defense with the proviso that neither Frank nor anyone else reveals information about the witnesses to Montgomery.

In response, Frank withdrew his request for Montgomery's release and sanctions against the prosecutors.

The building will provide permanent housing for 20 homeless veterans.

SPRINGFIELD — Since the 1980s, Vietnam veteran Gumersindo Gomez has wanted to provide housing for veterans in need. Finally, his dream is coming true.

Gomez is the executive director of the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center on the corner of Franklin and Cass streets in Springfield. For more than 20 years, he has helped veterans secure health care and other benefits. Now he will help homeless veterans secure permanent housing.

Construction on the $2.8 million housing complex, which will be located on the same land as the outreach center, began in April. Gomez said the project is set to be completed by Dec. 15.

"We're planning to start taking applications in November," he said. "We will also hire a case manager who will run the place."

The building, being constructed by Saloomey Construction Co. of Westfield, will provide permanent housing for 20 homeless veterans.

Criteria for applying will include being a veteran living below or at the poverty level who is currently experiencing problems with housing. The rent will be 30 percent of the veteran's gross earnings with the other 70 percent being paid by the state, Gomez said.

Money for the project comes from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.

This project is a dream come true for Gomez, who first saw a similar project in Brockton in 2009.

"That year I met Emily Rothschild, a veterans housing consultant, and she invited me to view a building in Brockton that had just opened for veterans," he said.

Gomez fell in love with the property and got to work securing funding for a similar project here in Springfield.

"The goal has always been to create safe, secure housing for homeless veterans. We are on time and on budget and I can't wait for the project to be completed," he said.

Alben noted that the average shelf life for a Massachusetts State Police colonel is two to three years.

This is an update to a story posted at 1:19 p.m.

BOSTON - Outgoing Massachusetts State Police Col. Timothy Alben's future plans are not crystal clear.

After three years as the state's top trooper, the East Longmeadow resident is retiring to make way for a new pick by Gov. Charlie Baker, he says, with no hard feelings.

Alben was appointed by former Gov. Deval L. Patrick and sworn in in 2012. He has weathered the Boston Marathon bombings, the Aaron Hernandez murder trial, a crippling winter and the unavoidable politics of the job - which he also says he doesn't feel a victim of.

"The governor is entitled to have his own team," Alben said during an interview on Wednesday after Baker announced he was appointing Major Richard McKeon as Alben's replacement after months of speculation in law enforcement circles.

Alben, 56, said he plans to enjoy the rest of the summer and explore new job prospects, which unequivocally will not include a run for political office.

"That's nonsense," Alben said, addressing rumors over a potential run for Hampden County sheriff. "I have no interest in running for any elected office. I know that I want to have another career ... maybe something in security, homeland security, investigations or teaching. But totally retired? No way."

He noted that the average shelf life for a Massachusetts State Police colonel is two to three years, adding that the last superintendent to last any longer dated back to the 1990s.

Alben joined the state police in 1983 (three days after McKeon, coincidentally) with Troop B in Northampton. In 1987, he became an investigator in the office of the Hampden County district attorney. Alben was promoted to captain in 2004 and was assigned to state police headquarters in Framingham in the Division of Field Services and Tactical Operations. During that assignment, he directed security and crowd control for the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Prior to being appointed colonel, Alben was commander of the Division of Field Services.

As to whether he'll miss the job, Alben's response was mixed.

"I'm going to miss the people I work with every day. I've seen a lot of brave acts and committed people; I will miss those folks," he said. "But is there's a lot that goes along with being colonel of the state police ... including daily personnel issues. And, we're living in a current climate where there's a lot of suspicion over police integrity and use of force issues, which I think are baseless."

Of his successor, Alben said there may be something of a learning curve in terms of financing, budgets, staffing and capital projects but that troopers are well-trained as they move up the ranks.

"I think he'll do a fine job here. All of our officers, they come up through the ranks and they know what to do when they get there," he said.

Baker commended Alben on his three-year tenure as the leader of 2,300 troopers.

"Col. Alben has been a terrific public servant who has done a fine job as colonel," Baker said during an interview. "He was one of the people in the bunker with us every day for what seemed like forever in late January and February during the snowstorms. He's a very good man who has done a great job."

McKeon is a 33-year veteran of the state police who currently serves as deputy division commander of the Division of Investigative Services. His official start date is July 12.

"I would like to thank Governor Baker, Lieutenant Governor Polito, and Secretary Bennett for putting their faith in me to lead this proud organization forward," McKeon said in a written statement. "During my 33 years in the State Police I have been fortunate to receive a great deal of knowledge and guidance from the many professionals within the Department, and I look forward to putting all that I have learned to work on behalf of the public that we serve each day."

Prior to his promotion in 2011, McKeon was a captain and unit commander for the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office in Auburn.

It is yet unclear how many applicants there were for the job. The Republican has a request for information pending with state public safety officials.

Alben is leaving with well wishes from other state law enforcement leaders including Attorney General Maura Healey.

"Col. Timothy Alben is a model example of a leader and a true public servant. He has dedicated over three decades of his life to bravely and honorably protecting the people of this Commonwealth as a member of the Massachusetts State Police. He courageously led the department through one of the greatest tragedies our state has ever seen. He has been incredibly supportive of the work of Attorney General's Office and has been a great partner to me over the last six months," Healey said.