Investigators say forensic evidence links Melaku to five shootings last October and November, including at a U.S. Coast Guard recruiting office, a Marine Corps recruiting sub-station and near the Pentagon.

Associated PressThis undated file photo released by the Leesburg, (Va.) Police Department shows Yonathan Melaku, 22, of Alexandria, Va., after his May 2011 arrest in Loudoun County, Va., charged with four counts of grand larceny. Melaku who was detained during a security scare near the Pentagon last week has been linked to the shootings last year at the Marine Corps museum in Quantico and several D.C.-area military recruitment stations, officials said Wednesday.

LEESBURG, Va. — A Marine Corps reservist arrested in a security scare near the Pentagon last week was charged Thursday in a series of pre-dawn shootings at military buildings in the Washington area last year.

Federal prosecutors said in court documents that they found bomb-making materials in a backpack carried by 22-year-old Yonathan Melaku and found a list of suspicious items inside his home. They also said authorities discovered a video he took of himself firing shots outside one building last fall and repeatedly saying the Arabic words "Allahu Akbar," which means "God is Great."

He was detained early Friday for trespassing inside Arlington National Cemetery. Investigators said he was carrying a backpack with a quantity of ammonium nitrate, which is widely used in explosives and is available commercially as fertilizer; a spiral notebook containing references to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden; spent 9 mm shell casings; and cans of spray paint.

The ammonium nitrate was contained in plastic bags marked "5 lbs" and "AN," though it was not clear from the court papers if he actually had five pounds of the substance. Authorities said the ammonium nitrate was inert.

Authorities also recovered a videotape from Melaku's bedroom that shows him firing shots out the passenger-side window of his car outside the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

"That's what they get. That's my target. That's the military building. It's going to be attacked," he said in the video, according to court papers.

Inside his home, authorities found a list of numbered items — including alkaline battery, battery connector for 9 volt, LED light, and epoxy or super glue — consistent with producing a bomb.

Melaku had been scheduled to appear in court Thursday on unrelated larceny charges, but that hearing was canceled. He was charged Thursday with two counts each of damaging federal property with a gun and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He was not expected to make an initial court appearance Thursday on the new charges, said Peter Carr, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Investigators say forensic evidence links Melaku to five shootings last October and November, including at a U.S. Coast Guard recruiting office, a Marine Corps recruiting sub-station and near the Pentagon. He was charged Thursday in two of the shootings, outside the Pentagon and the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

The FBI said at the time that the shooter was likely someone with a gripe against the military. The Marine Corps said this week that it was in the process of trying to remove Melaku from the service because of his arrest several weeks ago on the unrelated larceny charges.

An official has said Melaku has no known ties to al-Qaida or any other terrorist organization.

Because of its location across from the courthouse, Jake's saw more than its share of judges and lawyers.

File photo / The RepublicanWith the Hampshire County Courthouse in the background, a waitress at Jake's makes sure the coffee cups are filled.

NORTHAMPTON – A week after it closed its doors, there is no final verdict on the fate of Jake’s Restaurant, where judges and defendants alike often dined.

The King Street eatery, which sits across the street from the Hampshire County Courthouse, closed on June 15, less than a year after long-time owner Daniel Workman sold the building to Gary Perman for $480,000. It has been run since then by Melissa Brunt, who has worked at The Toasted Owl and other local establishments. Perman said this week that Brunt has bowed out.

“She tried it, it wasn’t for her and she moved on,” he said.

Perman said he has no intention of managing the restaurant himself but has several people interesting in resurrecting Jake’s.

“We’re waiting to hear,” he said. “Like you say, it’s an institution. We’d like to see it continued on.”

Because of its location across from the courthouse, Jake’s saw more than its share of judges and lawyers. Even defendants awaiting their verdicts would have what they hoped would not be a last meal at Jake’s. When court officers brought lunch to deliberating juries, they bought the sandwiches at Jake’s.

But scores of people outside the legal system also frequented the restaurant. Many could be found at their usual tables on Sunday mornings, digging into the huge pancakes or feasting on omelets. Workman, who knew many of his customers personally, was often around to chat. He couldn’t be reached for comment on the closing.

Elstein said it is good to reduce the amount of time spent at board meetings and at sessions of Town Meeting as long as it is done in a way that does not deny anyone the opportunity to participate in debate on town issues.

Kenneth E. Elstein

BELCHERTOWN – When it comes to town government, Selectman Kenneth E. Elstein thinks that less time spent can result in more interest on the part of potential volunteers and more accessibility to the public.

Elstein took over as chairman of the Board of Selectmen when it reorganized after the May 16 election, and he has already tried two simple things that he felt shortened the board’s June 13 meeting in a way that did not limit debate.

When it was time to reappoint dozens of current members to town boards and committees, Elstein got his fellow selectmen to agree to dispense with the reading of each name and vote on all the reappointments as a block.

Since none of the other four selectmen had objections to any of these reappointments, it was done with one vote as Elstein suggested.

Another item on the June 13 agenda was a vote on granting a 1-percent pay raise to police officers, something that had been done already for other employees, including those in the School Department.

This issue could have been discussed in executive session because it involves union negotiations, but Elstein said that because it has been discussed often by the selectmen over the past few months, it could simply be put up for a vote June 13.

The board quickly voted unanimously to approve the police pay raises.

Elstein said it is good to reduce the amount of time spent at board meetings and at sessions of Town Meeting as long as it is done in a way that does not deny anyone the opportunity to participate in debate on town issues.

Allowing a full debate is something Elstein said should not be compromised in a move toward shorter meetings.

“Not only do people have a right to speak, I think the collective wisdom, more often than not, is helpful,” he said. “You don’t want to cut anyone off.”

But he also feels that shorter board meetings and Town Meetings would encourage participation, increase the number of people who watch meetings on public access television, and increase attendance at Town Meetings.

“The biggest weakness is the lack of participation,” Elstein said.

For years the Board of Selectmen met every week except in two summer months when there were just two meetings a month, but for nearly a year the board has only met on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

Elstein said that system has worked well and is in line with his thinking about less time resulting in more accessibility. The board can always schedule a special meeting within a few days if a need arises, he said.

“People have such busy lives, and I want people to be able to participate in government. Anything we can do to enhance that and make it easier for people to participate is good,” Elstein said. “There are things that the selectmen and the town moderator can do to speed things up.”

Police spotted the city man carrying a laptop computer and LCD television.

Kenneth Bolden

SPRINGFIELD – Police, patrolling tornado-damaged areas in the Six Corners neighborhood early Thursday, arrested a 44-year-old city man after they spotted him carrying a laptop computer and LCD television as he walked down the street.

When officers Raul Gonzalez and Ariel Toledo asked the backpack-wearing suspect where he obtained the items he was carrying, the man said it was trash that he found on the curb, Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

The officers did not believe the man’s story, however, because it had been raining for hours and the computer and television were dry, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said. A check on the suspect, meanwhile, revealed that he had an active warrant for possession of cocaine.

After arresting the suspect and placing him in the rear of the cruiser, the officers searched the backpack and found a long crowbar, several CDs, 16 DVDs and mail belonging to 50 Spruce St.

The officers went to that address and found that the front door, which had been boarded up, was kicked in.

Kenneth Bolden, of 50 Clifton St., was charged with breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony, larceny from a building, possession of burglarious tools, receiving stolen property over $250.

The $10.1 million project includes the painting of the bridge.

File photo / The RepublicanView of the South End bridge from the Agawam side as seen in 2008.

SPRINGFIELD – Truck traffic, starting late Thursday, will be detoured around the South End Bridge as part of $10.1 million in painting and repair projects.

Michael Verseckes, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the truck detours, which could be in place for as long as a year, will likely be put in place after rush hour.

“Posted detours will be in place for the duration of the job,” Verseckes said. “This is all part and parcel to bring the bridge back to where we need it to be.”

Truck traffic needs to be detoured because lane reductions will reduce the width of the ramps on either side of the bridge to 12 feet. “The ramps are on a curve,” Verseckes said. “That’s too narrow for truck traffic.”

Truck traffic to Route 5 south will be detoured to Longhill Street and truck traffic to Route 5 north will be detoured to East Columbus Avenue.

Verseckes said work involving the Springfield side of the bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, should be done by next summer. Work on the Agawam side should be completed this fall.

The bridge-painting work is being done by the Michigan-based Atsalis Brothers Painting. According to that company’s website, the project involves approximately 500,000 square feet to be painted.

Work on the Springfield ramp area is being done by David G. Roach & Sons of Ware and work on the Agawam side is being done by MIG Corp. of Acton.

The moves seem aimed at drawing Obama more directly into the talks.

Associated PressHouse Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., meets with reporters in his office at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, June 13, 2011.

WASHINGTON — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor pulled out of talks with Vice President Joe Biden on a deficit reduction-debt ceiling deal, saying they had reached an impasse over Democratic demands for tax increases to be paired with spending cuts wanted by the GOP.

The Virginia Republican said in a statement that the Republican-dominated House simply won't support tax increases, and that he wouldn't participate in the budget meeting scheduled for Thursday. Cantor said that it's time for President Barack Obama to weigh in directly on the budget because Democrats insist on negotiating some tax increases.

A spokesman for Jon Kyl of Arizona, who's representing Senate Republicans in the talks, said Kyl would not attend Thursday's scheduled meeting either.

The moves seem aimed at drawing Obama more directly into the talks. Cantor expressed frustration earlier this week that the president had not been more involved. Whether the tactic generates hard feelings that could jeopardize an agreement remains to be seen.

There was no immediate reaction from either Biden or the White House, although Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shrugged off Cantor's announcement. "I'm disappointed that he would walk out, but obviously he felt he couldn't do any more and wanted to kick it up to Boehner," he said.

Officials have said repeatedly in recent days they expected that those involved in the Biden-led talks would turn their work over to Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and other congressional leaders by week's end.

Cantor said that plenty of progress has been made in identifying trillions of dollars in potential spending cuts to accompany legislation to raise the $14.3 trillion cap on the government's ability to borrow money. Passage of the legislation this summer is necessary to meet the government's obligations to holders of U.S. Treasuries. The alternative is a market-shaking, first-ever default on U.S. obligations.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said that including tax increases on the wealthy is only fair, and that he's disappointed that Cantor has left the talks.

Baucus said that almost every deficit reduction deal in the past has involved a mix of tax increases and spending cuts. He said upper income Americans have seen a significant increase in wealth, so balancing the budget only through cuts in programs that serve the middle class and the poor is not fair.

"Revenues must be included so everyone can participate in addressing a critical national problem," Baucus said.

Cantor said that once the tax issue is solved, negotiators could quickly seal agreement.

"It is time for the president to speak clearly and resolve this tax issue," Cantor said. "Once resolved, we have a blueprint to move forward to trillions of spending cuts and binding mechanisms to change the way things are done around here."

The Biden-led group has been meeting since early May, trying to come up with areas of agreement on curbing a budget deficit that's requiring the government to borrow more than 40 cents of every dollar it spends. Areas of tentative agreement include trimming farm subsidies, auctioning electromagnetic spectrum to communications companies, and cutting student loan subsidies.

But with Republicans unwilling to accept some higher taxes — even in the wake of a sweeping Senate vote to eliminate the ethanol tax subsidy — Democrats were unwilling to agree to tougher steps like curbing Medicare and Medicaid.

All along, it was anticipated that the Biden group would only be able to get so far and that the toughest decisions, such as taxes and cuts to federal health care programs, would be kicked upstairs to Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. That duo sealed agreement in April on legislation to fund the government through the end of September.

"I would to expect to hear from (Obama)," Boehner said Thursday. Of Cantor's decision, Boehner said: "I understand why he did what he did. I think those talks could continue if they're willing to take the tax hikes off the table."

There are only 5 ½ weeks remaining until an Aug. 2 deadline for enacting an increase in the nation's debt limit to prevent a U.S. default. Economists warn that could damage the nation's credit rating and force the government to pay higher interest rates to continue to borrow the $125 billion a month it needs to finance its operations.

But increasing the borrowing cap is a politically poisonous vote for lawmakers, especially the tea party-backed Republicans controlling the House. Even while there's agreement between Obama and top congressional leaders that the debt cap simply has to be raised, a majority of the public — especially core conservative GOP supporters — says the debt limit shouldn't be lifted.

The United States and its industrial allies in the International Energy Agency announced that they would release 60 million barrels of crude oil from reserves over the next 30 days.

Associated Press photoFBI agents load evidence bags into a truck outside an apartment complex where fugitive crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger and his longtime companion Catherine Greig were arrested in Santa Monica, Calif., Thursday. Click on the links, above left, for reports from the Boston Globe and Boston Herald about Bulger's capture. Also, see a video from NECN, below, for an interview with radio talk show host Howie Carr, who wrote a book about Bulger and his brother, William.

• FBI says captured mob boss 'Whitey' Bulger had stash of guns, money [Boston Globe]


• California neighbors shocked to learn they had a killer next door - Whitey Bulger [Boston Herald]


• Oil prices fall after U.S., allies agree to release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves [Washington Post]


• Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen backs President Obama's pullout plan from Afghanistan, calls it riskier [New York Times]


• South Hadley Superintendent of Schools Gus Sayer gets to keep his raise [Daily Hampshire Gazette]


• Great Barrington police search for arsonists who torched 7 downtown buildings [Berkshire Eagle]


• U.S. Supreme Court rules against heirs of late Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith [Los Angeles Times]


• Tour group sues Boston City Council over vote to ban Segways from downtown sidewalks [USA Today]


• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


• Read more News Links »


• Do you have News Links? Send them our way or tweet them to @masslivenews

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The arrest marked the suspect's second for drunken driving

Shawn Glidden

SPRINGFIELD – Police said an alleged drunk driver, a 24-year-old Enfield man, reached speeds of 90 mph on Worthington Street shortly before bar-closing time early Thursday as he sped towards the entertainment district.

Police spotted the vehicle at about 1:50 a.m. and began following with emergency lights activated. The suspect, Shawn Glidden, of 230 Brainerd St., Enfield, refused to stop, turned off his headlights and accelerated from an estimated 80 to 90 mph, Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

Glidden ran at least two red lights and began going the wrong-way on Worthington Street where it becomes one-way, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

Officers Jameson Williams and Angel Marrero, observing the situation, parked their cruiser, with its lights and sirens activated, in the path of Glidden’s Honda Civic so it would not endanger pedestrians at the lower end of Worthington, Delaney said.

The Civic finally stopped to avoid colliding with the cruiser, Delaney said. Glidden refused to get out of his car and was forcibly removed.

Glidden was charged with operating under the influence (second offense), reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, resisting arrest, violation of a Department of Public Works posted sign (one-way), two counts of failure to stop or yield, motor vehicle lights violation, speeding, threat to commit a crime (assault and battery), unregistered motor vehicle, attaching plates to conceal identity and uninsured motor vehicle.

Glidden denied the charges in district court and was ordered held in lieu of $2,500 cash bail. He was ordered to return to court on July 22 for a pre-trial hearing.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Paul R. Dineen

SOUTH HADLEY - Paul R. (Lefty) Dineen died Sunday in Lebanon N.H. Born April 5, 1938 to the late Florence and Anna Kraus-Dineen, he was a lifelong resident of South Hadley. He attended South Hadley High School and graduated from Holyoke Community College, where he played basketball. He served in the U.S. Army and was an expert rifleman. He was a town meeting member for more than 25 years, and former selectman for South Hadley, a former Hampshire County commissioner, president of South Hadley Friends of the Eldery and a member of the South Hadley Sportsman's Club. He coached various Little League teams over the years. An employee of Milton Bradley Co. for 20 years, he finished his professional life as a steward for the Teamsters Union. He also worked for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• Baker, Susan (Assoian)
  




• 
  Biakis, Anastasia M. (Papadopoulos)
  



• 
  Bigda, Phyllis E. "Pezda"




• 
  Carney Jr., James F.
  



• 
  Chase, Charles E.
  




• Conolly, Jacqueline M.
  




• 
  Conroy, Margaret P. (Pendergast)
  



• 
  Deshaies, Donald R. "Don"




• 
  Dineen, Paul Robert "Lefty"
  



• 
  Fedor, Nicholas A.
  




• Gagnon, Bernard Arthur "Bernie"
  




• 
  Gerstein, Moshe
  



• 
  Grimaldi, Nancy




• 
  Larose, Ernest R.
  



• 
  Lewis, Al L.
  




• Neely, Carmen R. (Rodriguez)
  




• 
  Orlowski, John W.
  



• 
  Osbourne Jr., Wallace V.




• 
  Puhalski, Michael H.
  



• 
  Schneider Sr., Philip J.
  




• Toniatti, Marc A.
  




• 
  Washburn II, John F.
  



• 
  Woods, Michelina M. (Gruszkos)

Defense attorney David Hoose said a member of Oppenheim's family, a witness on his behalf, is due to have a medical procedure, making it difficult for Oppenheim to focus on the case.

The Republican file photo | Michael S. GordonDavid F. Oppenheim, founder of the Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton, during a Hampshire Superior Court appearance.

NORTHAMPTON – A Hampshire Superior Court judge has tentatively rescheduled the rape trial of David F. Oppenheim for September due to an illness in the defendant’s family.

Oppenheim, 37, is charged with having sex on multiple occasions with a girl under the age of 15 to whom he was giving acting lessons. The girl had performed in a musical at the Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton, which Oppenheim founded. According to prosecutors, the girl said the abuse took place while Oppenheim was teaching her an acting technique called “primitives,” in which she was supposed to keep a journal describing her reaction to various physical sensations.

Oppenheim was due to go to trial next month, but defense lawyer David P. Hoose told Judge Jeffrey Kinder that a member of his family, who is also a witness on his behalf, is due to have a medical procedure on Aug. 17, making it difficult for Oppenheim to focus on the case.

Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Linda Pisano objected to the continuation, saying that the victim and some other witnesses will be away at college after September and returning for the trial would be onerous for them. After consulting the parties, Pisano told Kinder Sept. 18 would be preferable to a later date.

Hoose told the judge he is due to begin the Anthony P. Baye trial the following week, but said a judge’s ruling on his motion to suppress evidence in the Baye case could affect the trial date. Baye is accused of setting 15 fires in Northampton on the night of Dec. 27, 2009, one of which took the lives of a father and son. His defense team is seeking to suppress evidence from an interview with police in which he admitted to some of the fires, contending that Baye was denied his right to an attorney.

Kinder put Oppenheim on the September trial list, but told Hoose he could file another motion to continue it depending on the status of the Baye trial.

One of the featured properties is Robert and Del Viarengo’s Plover Hill home which a rosa rugosa hedge that lines the driveway.

HEATH – The between the Mohawk Trail and Main Street in Heath Center is overshadowed by lush green – the chartreuse of the new growth on the evergreens mixed with their deep green needles, the hunter green of the deciduous trees’ leaves and the ubiquitous moss green of the fractals of the ferns that line the road.

But once you leave that evergreen world, cross the main street and ascend the driveway at Robert P. and Del Viarengo’s Plover Hill home, the pink blossoms on the rosa rugosa hedge that lines the drive give a welcome pop of color.

Indeed, color accents the periphery of their home, the original part of which was built in 1779.

Their well-manicured lawns are punctuated with gardens, brimming with green and generously punched with color, notably the purple lupine that on a late spring evening blankets the back wildflower meadow that also blooms with daisies, sweet William, coreopsis, yarrow and golden rod.

A leisurely walk around the house offers a veritable palette of color – depending on the progress of spring and summer – from the white blossoms of the old apple trees which still bear cider-making fruit to the purple lilacs and lavender, mock orange, honeysuckle, lilies of the valley, day lilies, yellow roses, myriad irises, foxglove, columbine and so many other varieties.

“I like them all,” Del Viarengo tells a visitor.

She has been gardening since she was a child, raised by her grandmother on a South Carolina farm with large flower gardens.

Since then, she has gardened wherever she could; while living in New York City she gardened vicariously at the nearby Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary.

There were “very pretty plantings” at her home in New Jersey, but this home in Heath has the most expansive gardens she has ever had.

She and her husband spend “a lot” of time in the gardens, and they have some part-time help with them.

Del Viarengo particularly enjoys the Heath property – which has tennis and bocce courts – because of the quiet, the peaceful sense of well-being and the town itself. “The people who live here are just wonderful – helpful and friendly,” she said.

An artist, she also appreciates the history of the house, built by Samuel Gould, which was once the summer home of two forward-thinking, well-traveled sisters who taught in Boston and often entertained “erudite” friends here and had socials to raise money for a mission in Africa.

The Viarengos’ 50 acres of conserved land is a testament to their appreciation of the beauty of the landscape and a reflection of widely held local values of open land, vistas and a peaceful, quiet atmosphere.

Though the Viarengos have added significantly to the gardens and tamed some of the overgrown areas present when they arrived, some aspects of the landscape harken to days gone by, like the field stone walls.

Robert Viarengo, a retired corporate executive, has spent nearly 20 years rebuilding about a half dozen walls on the property. “I thought it was important to preserve them because they have a past,” he said.

Some of the walls create a backdrop for gardens (and a resting place for the couple’s black cat, Juno), and strategically placed in them or around the property there are sculptures, some created locally. Some, like a family sculpture in the front meadow and an abstract sculpture in the front garden, were made by Mrs. Viarengo’s brother, Lyle L. Rudloff, of Rhode Island, a metal sculptor and welder.

The public will have an opportunity to visit the Viarengos’ garden as part of the Franklin Land Trust’s 23rd annual farm and garden tour.

The self-guided tours will take place on June 25 and 26, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. each day, and include private gardens, unique farms, artists’ studios and historic sites in Heath and Charlemont on the scenic Mohawk Trail. A picnic lunch is available for $12 at one of the garden sites in a renovated barn. Lunch tickets must be reserved in advance.

The decision was announced by Mayor Elaine Pluta.

James Neiswange, of South Windsor, has been named Holyoke's new police chief.

HOLYOKE – A police captain from Connecticut was selected as the next police chief for the city Thursday.

James Neiswanger, 48, of South Windsor, Conn., a captain on the Manchester, Conn. police force accepted the position of police chief and will begin negotiating a new contract soon, Mayor Elaine A. Pluta announced.

He was chosen over Pedro J. Perez, 58, who is a retired first deputy superintendent of police in New York, to replace Police Chief Anthony R. Scott. Scott retired in April when he reached 65.

A selection committee originally named five candidates as finalists for the job, but three dropped out, leaving Perez and Neiswanger as the two candidates for the position.

The public is invited to meet the new chief at 11 a.m. Friday in the mayor’s office in City Hall.

More details coming on MassLive and in The Republican.

When Alyssa Dawson attempted to lock herself in the bathroom, Timothy Dawson broke the door down, knocking her to the floor, where she struck her head on the tiles, according to her account to police.

NORTHAMPTON – A Goshen man who was sentenced to jail in 2008 for beating his wife has been indicted by a Hampshire County grand jury on charges that he severely beat her again.

Timothy J. Dawson, 32, of 4 Highland Ave., faces four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault and battery, second or subsequent offense, and single counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, threatening to commit a crime, malicious destruction of property over $250, aggravated assault and battery and assault and battery in connection with a May 10 incident in which Alyssa Dawson said her husband beat her throughout the night.

In 2008, Timothy Dawson was sentenced to 2½ years in jail and five years probation after pleading guilty to two counts each of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery in another attack on his wife, as well as a marijuana charge. In the 2008 case, according to court documents, Dawson threw a lit cigarette at his wife, kicked her, pointed a 10-inch knife at her and threatened to kill himself by swallowing pills during a July altercation in their home. When police arrived at the scene, they found 80 marijuana plants growing in the basement, records show.

On May 14 of this year, Alyssa Dawson contacted police to tell them that Timothy Dawson had beat her several days earlier. According to the police report, she said Dawson accosted her when she returned home on May 10, accusing her of cheating on him. Although she denied it, Dawson grew angrier and would not let her leave the house. Following her into the bathroom, Dawson threatened to kill his wife and choked her with his hands, the report states. He then smashed her head into the wall and against the toilet tank and punched her in the face.

When Alyssa Dawson attempted to lock herself in the bathroom, Timothy Dawson broke the door down, knocking her to the floor, where she struck her head on the tiles, according to her account to police. On the following day, Dawson drove his wife to the hospital. After speaking with Alyssa Dawson, police went to the couple’s home but could not locate Timothy Dawson. They subsequently put out an alert on him.

When Dawson was finally apprehended, the was found in violation of his probation. He is currently incarcerated at the Hampshire County House of Correction, awaiting arraignment on the current charges.

Although the memorandum does not raise any new arguments, it outlines Baye's case in meticulous detail.

Anthony Baye (r) with lawyers Thomas Lesser and David P. Hoose.

NORTHAMPTON – Anthony P. Baye’s defense team has laid out its arguments to suppress evidence in his arson case in a 64-page memorandum to Judge Constance Sweeney.

Baye’s lawyers want to exclude from trial evidence gathered during a Jan. 4, 2010 police interview with Baye, arguing that he was denied his right to a lawyer by the state police troopers who interrogated him. In the interview, Baye can be seen admitting that he set some of the 15 fires that terrified Northampton in the early hours of Dec. 27, 2009. Two men, Paul Yeskie and his son, Paul Yeskie, Jr., died in one of those fires. Baye faces two counts of first degree murder for their deaths in addition to numerous other charges stemming from the fires.

Although the memorandum does not raise any new arguments, it outlines Baye’s case in meticulous detail, sometimes quoting minute by minute from the nearly 10-hour interview. It makes frequent reference to interviewing techniques used by trooper Michael Mazza and Sgt. Paul Zipper, saying the officers misled Baye by minimizing the fires, assuring him they would be treated as accidents if he admitted that he was “goofing off.”

The prosecution is due to file its response next week, after which Sweeney will render her ruling.

School Committee member Michael Pise said there isn't enough room in many of the schools for an extra class.

Republican file photo

CHICOPEE – The School Committee is vowing to take as many steps as possible to reduce class size, despite a tight budget.

But members and educators are discovering that even if there were more money to hire teachers, there would not be enough room to add classes in many of the schools.

The recommendation to cut class sizes came out of the committee’s MCAS Task Force. The task force, which included educators, parents and community representatives, studied ways to raise students’ test scores, which consistently continue to be below the state average.

“Studies show by reducing class sizes, you make the teachers more effective,” said Michael J. Pise, a School Committee member.

Logic says if a teacher has fewer students, there will be a reduction in discipline problems and a better chance to give students individual attention, he said.

Pise said one of the problems is that many of the elementary schools are crowded and there is no room to create an extra classroom.

Some of the elementary school grades have the maximum number of students allowed by Chicopee Education Association contract, which is 25 to 27 in elementary grades.

One of the possibilities may be to add portable classrooms to some of the schools, as was done this fall after the city purchased the former St. Patrick’s School to replace the 110-year-old Belcher School. The building on Montgomery Street was more modern than the old Belcher School, with a gymnasium and better parking, but it was short four classrooms.

The committee voted 10-0 to study the issue of reducing class sizes more in its facilities subcommittee.

Mary-Elizabeth Pniak-Costello thanked Pise and the committee for continuing to pay attention to reducing class sizes.

“The smaller the class size, the more learning can take place,” Pniak-Costello said.

Bulger appeared with girlfriend Catherine Greig and waived his right to a removal hearing.

By STEVE LeBLANC
and THOMAS WATKINS

LOS ANGELES — Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger has appeared in Los Angeles federal court and been remanded to Massachusetts to face charges.

Bulger appeared Thursday with girlfriend Catherine Greig and waived his right to a removal hearing.

The pair were arrested late Wednesday in their suburban Santa Monica apartment after 16 years on the run.

Balding, with a full white beard and wire-rimmed glassed, Bulger clutched court documents against his chest when he appeared before Magistrate Judge John McDermott. Bulger told the court he understood the charges against him.

Bulger smiled as he was led away by a cadre of law enforcement agents.

The district attorney and state police are investigating whether criminal activity occurred in relation to a false fire call last week.

The Republican | John SuchockiHolyoke provisional Fire Chief William P. Moran.

HOLYOKE – The Fire Commission will hold an emergency meeting Friday about the status of acting Fire Chief William P. Moran.

Moran, who is on paid administrative leave, is being investigated by state police and has been ordered to attend the meeting, officials said.

The meeting is at 1:30 p.m. at Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St.

Moran, a 27-year veteran who became provisional chief in September, is under investigation after sources told The Republican and MassLive.com he was suspected of sending an engine company to a false call on June 15.

During the response around noon that day, several vehicles collided at Homestead Avenue and Pynchon Road when one vehicle failed to pull over for a fire truck, police said.

A driver of one of the cars was taken to Holyoke Medical Center, where she was treated and released.

State police are investigating whether there was criminal activity in relation to the incident, commission chairwoman Priscilla F. Chesky has said.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said Thursday the investigation is nearly complete and he expects to make an announcement of the findings by next week.

Jeffrey S. Morneau, Moran’s lawyer, said he spoke with Moran and neither Moran nor Morneau has been told about the emergency meeting of the Fire Commission.

“I figured they would wait until the district attorney concluded his investigation. I don’t think they can do anything until they give him a notice and a right to a hearing. ... They haven’t notified me and they haven’t sent him anything in writing” about the commission meeting, Morneau said.

The annual salary of a deputy chief is $68,775. The additional pay that comes with being provisional chief was unclear, but the budgeted amount for the chief’s salary is $95,873.

The mayor appoints the three-member Fire Commission. The commission has complete authority under the city charter to appoint the fire chief and hire, fire and discipline Fire Department employees.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down nearly 240 points early in the day.

By DAVID K. RANDALL and MATTHEW CRAFT | AP Business Writers

Associated PressTraders with Barclays Capital work at the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, June 23, 2011 in New York. An unexpected jump in claims for unemployment benefits and plummeting oil prices drove stocks lower early Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

NEW YORK — What began with a steep drop in the stock market ended with a modest decline Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average lost just 60 points after being down nearly 240 points earlier in the day.

A jump in the number of people applying for jobless benefits and plummeting oil prices drove stocks lower at the market open. By 11 a.m., the Dow was down 234 points. Then came late afternoon reports that Greece may have reached a deal for a new austerity plan. The Dow made up nearly 100 points between 2:45 and 3 p.m. alone.

The Dow finished with a loss of 59.67 points, or 0.5 percent, to 12,050. The Standard & Poor's 500 index, down as many as 24 points, closed down just 3.64, or 0.3 percent, to 1,283.50.

Since late April, reports on manufacturing, retail sales, home sales and other economic indicators have come in weaker than economists anticipated. Europe's debt problems and a slowing growth rate in China have also raised concerns about the global economy. On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said problems plaguing the economy may last longer than previously thought.

As a result, the stock market has fallen six of the last seven weeks. The S&P 500 is down 5.9 percent from its high for the year of 1363.61 in April.

"This is no longer looking like a small soft patch. It's beginning to look more like quicksand," said Lawrence Creatura, a stock portfolio manager at Federated Investors.

The continued rise in first-time claims for unemployment benefits indicated little improvement in the job market since May, when there was a drop in the number of new jobs created. New applications for unemployment benefits rose to 429,000 last week, from 420,000 the week before.

"400,000 is the magic number and we've been above it for 11 weeks," Creatura said.

Energy companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron Corp. led the market downward after oil prices tumbled nearly 5 percent. Oil dropped after the International Energy Agency said 60 million barrels of oil would be released from reserves to make up for the loss of Libyan exports. Oil prices had spiked following unrests in Middle East and North Africa, raising concerns that higher fuel costs would slow the world economy.

Companies like Netflix, Priceline.com and others in the consumer discretionary industry were mostly up. Overall, the group rose 0.4 percent. Investors are betting that a drop in oil costs could lead consumers to spend more money on things like movies, restaurants and clothing. Netflix was up 2.9 percent. Chipotle Mexican Grill gained 2.2 percent.

Companies that benefit from lower fuel costs also rose. Airline stocks like United Continental Holdings Inc. and AMR Corp, the parent company of American Airlines, rose more than 4 percent.

The two indexes most tied to economic growth fared better than the broader market. The tech-focused Nasdaq composite index was up 17.56, or 0.7 percent, to 2,686.75. And the Russell 2000 index of small companies gained 0.4 percent. For the week, both are up 2.7 percent.

"We're starting to see that the supply-chain disruptions caused by the tragedy in Japan are easing a bit, and the biggest beneficiaries of that are technology and auto-supply companies" which tend to be smaller businesses, said Burt White, the chief investment officer at LPL Financial.

Among the most active stocks, Bed Bath & Beyond gained 5.3 percent after the home furnishings retailer posted a 31 percent jump in income. The company also raised its earnings forecast for the rest of the year, in part because of cost controls it has in place. ConAgra Foods Inc. fell 0.2 percent. The owner of Slim Jim and Hebrew National brands cut its earnings estimate for the current quarter.

Government bond prices were higher as traders shifted money into investments that are considered safe, pushing long-term interest rates lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note sank to 2.90 percent, near its low mark for the year. Bond yields fall when their prices rise.

Even so, portfolio manager Creatura says that the recent market slide could represent a chance to pick up some stocks on the cheap. Current prices already reflect reaction to most of the economy's problems, he says. "The most fearful times can be the best times to invest," he said. "It's not only what you buy, it's the price you pay that matters."

Three stocks fell for every two that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was slightly above average at 4.4 billion.

U.S. Congressman John Olver was a prosecution witness at the federal trial of a Canadian scientist convicted of ripping off $700,000 in transportation funds Olver helped to secure.

A former Massachusetts scientist and businessman was convicted in federal court on Tuesday of conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with funds he siphoned from a multi-million federal research grant earmarked to develop battery-powered buses.

Christopher D. Willson, a Canadian resident who was once chief scientist and senior vice president of EV Worldwide, a former Pittsfield-based company, was convicted of conspiracy and six counts of wire fraud and acquitted of three counts of fraud and other charges after a trial in U.S. District Court in Boston.

The company was founded by Michael J. Armitage, an energy-focused entrepreneur who once owned Berkshire Power in Agawam and has backed various other power projects.

Testimony showed the bus venture tanked before yielding a product but the taxpayer funds paid a $250,000 salary to Armitage and $100,000 to Willson while the two launched a separate Canadian research company with another $110,000.

The Federal Transit Administration provided $4.3 million for the project, which was funneled through the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority. The grant required EV Worldwide to match each grant dollar with its own money, according to testimony.

“From 2004 to 2005, Willson submitted 10 fraudulent invoices in which he falsely claimed that EVW was matching the (federal) funds, when in fact, EVW was millions of dollars in debt and had nearly no other non-public source of funds,” according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Willson and Armitage were originally charged together in U.S. District Court in Springfield but the defendants were separated as Armitage faced a complicated set of tax fraud charges that excluded Willson.

Armitage, once a political gadfly, fund-raiser and frequent presence on Springfield’s club scene, pleaded guilty in October to failing to file tax returns for 13 years, bank fraud and the federal grant fraud. He is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 26 in Springfield.

Armitage, who now lives in Florida, did not testify at Willson’s trial.

However, U.S. Congressman John D. Olver, D-Amherst, was among the prosecution witnesses and told jurors he helped secure the funds and fully expected to see a clean energy bus, not a criminal indictment, as the result.

Willson faces a maximum prison sentence of up to 20 years in prison for each of the fraud counts. He is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 6 in Boston.

The paper records detailing 26 years of the business blew east across Massachusetts, some landing as far away as Cape Cod.

Republican photo by Don TreegerDavid Bell of One-Stop Towing, who lost his shop, tow trucks, and classic cars to the storm, is rebuilding his business.

BRIMFIELD – The June 1 tornado took away dozens of cars, some classic, from David Bell along with all five of his garage and office buildings at One-Stop Car Care and nearly his whole fleet of tow trucks.

It couldn’t take his ability as a mechanic or skill as a musician or his drive to make repairs, put cars back together or play in a band.

In less than two weeks One-Stop was back to a limited version of its AAA towing and jump starts with the two remaining trucks.

On Monday a car needing an oil change went up on the lift that was left standing and functional when the building around it blew away in the twister.

It will take a while to get new buildings and a new dozen or more antique cars to work on and it will be years before a tall, healthy forest can surround the business again or replace today’s view of denuded broken tree trunks across Holland Road.

But one building has most of a new second floor and with a loaned trailer as an office Bell and his workers are busy cleaning up, rebuilding and starting over again to fix and tow cars for the business he formed 26 years ago.

And on the weekend of July 9-10 Bell has friends joining him for a music fest right at the site where people can kick in some money to help people in Brimfield hit hard by the storm and see for themselves the level of damage at one of the dramatic scenes left by the storm that swept from Westfield to Charlton.

“I thought I was going to retire soon. And then, in 30 seconds, this happened,” Bell said, gesturing around at the wreckage. “I have to start all over again.”

His five regular workers have been doing volunteer stints, helping get the business to a functional level, and Bell is planning to get some used cars for his lot and get his repair business going to the point that he can make a full payroll again.

He has had to scrap what remained of the classic cars on the property, something he said was sad but necessary to bring in some cash.

There was no insurance for most of what was lost and taking out a loan at this point does not seem a good idea to him.

Bell is grateful for the outpouring of support from customers, local schools and churches and friends who have rallied with help.

An office trailer, loaned to him by John Fijol, a salvage yard owner in Warren, has been at One-Stop since the first week after the storm, and used computers have been donated, so the business aspects can start to be dealt with.

The paper records detailing 26 years of the business blew east across the state, some landing as far away as Cape Cod.

Bell also lost his two boats and his musical instruments that were in an upstairs studio, but his house in nearby Holland was not harmed.

“We had a lot going here,” Bell said.

With a network of friends, the plan right now is to build it back up.