It was a bittersweet moment for the city of Worcester on Friday when new Fire Chief Geoffrey Gardell was sworn in, because, at the same time goodbyes were said to retiring Chief Gerard Dio. Watch video

WORCESTER - It was a bittersweet moment for the city of Worcester on Friday when new Fire Chief Geoffrey Gardell was sworn in, because, at the same time goodbyes were said to retiring Chief Gerard Dio.

Dio's career spanned more than 35 years on the department, 15 as chief. It was a career choice he made after first working on becoming a school teacher, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said.

"Several months later, your path changed and you made personal decision devote your life to saving people's lives and protecting the people and the families and properties in this great City of Worcester," Polito said. "Thank you and family for devoting so much time and effort into doing just that."

District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said he had to speak when he heard Dio was retiring, calling him a "joy" to work with.

"Gerry, it been a pleasure to work with you, I'm going to miss you," Early said. "You do a lot of tough work on some tough, tough cases. It's been a joy to be pick up the phone and be able to go in and talk to you and get business done when we had to get it done."

Several in attendance commented on the respect the members of his department have shown Dio since he assumed command. City Councilor Morris Bergman reflected on how hard it can be to have no dissension in a department with that number of employees.

"Sometimes the best way to judge a person is by how they use their power," Bergman said. "No matter who you talk to, there is never a negative word about Chief Dio. His department uniformly appreciates him and appreciates his leadership."

Gardell said he appreciated Dio's leadership because, though there was never any question about who was in charge, Dio trusted his people to do their jobs.

"Gerry Dio has been a great chef to work for," Gardell said. "He let me do my job. There was no micro-managing, no one looking over your shoulder. You had a job to do and he let you do it."

Dio was named fire chief in 2000, just months after the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire that claimed the lives of six firefighters. He later dealt with another loss, the death of Firefighter John Davies Sr. in 2011 during a house fire.

His response, according to Mayor Joseph Petty, was to modernize the department, make it "younger, more diverse, healthier and better equipped." For the city, he led an improvement of its building codes, an upgrade of the training facility and oversaw the building of fire stations on Webster and Franklin streets.

"You work in so many areas has meant so much, not only to the Fire Department, but to all of the families in this room," Petty said. "For the fire fighters in this room, I know your nights have been a little less stressful, and you have slept a little easier, knowing Chief Dio would never put you husband or wife, father or mother, son or daughter, needlessly in harm's way.

"As your mayor, I am proud to say congratulations," Petty said. "As your mayor, I can only say thank you."

City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said Dio not only guided the department through the time after the cold storage fire, he used it as an opportunity to make sure that future firefighters would be safe.

"He ensured that the loss of those six heroes would not be in vain," Augustus said.

In addition to the modernization he and Petty credited Dio for introducing, Augustus said Dio worked with WPI on firefighting technology that is now used nationwide, and he became part of national panels that brought "expertise and funding to Worcester."

"For 35 years, Gerry Dio has exemplified why the City of Worcester is so proud of its Fire Department: Commitment, sacrifice, and a willingness to put others before himself," Augustus said. "Chief Dio has demonstrated these virtues 100 times over.

"For 15 years, this city and this department have looked to Gerry Dio for leadership, and for 15 years, they've gotten it," Augustus said.

In an emotional speech, Dio thanked his wife and children, his children's families, lifelong friends and the men and women of the Fire Department, both active and retired, "which I have had the pleasure to have worked with for these past 35 1/2 years.

"Time has passed too quickly," Dio said. "I've been fortunate to do what I loved to do all these years with people I loved to do it with."

He also praised his staff, his deputy chiefs and his rank and file, saying the job has changed much in the past 15 years, "but the department's commitment to excellence has not changed.

"I have been recipient for many compliments over the years for work done by my members, so it is with a smile and a spring in my step and nothing but happy thoughts of my years on this job I leave in good hands with chief Gardell as you have supported me, I am sure you will support him," Dio said. "Thank you all allowing me to serve these years -- thanks for the memories."

While thousands of runners descend upon Cape Cod for the New Balance Falmouth Road Race this weekend, an additional 100 are planning to compete from the comfort of their home or gym.

FALMOUTH -- While thousands of runners descend upon Cape Cod for the New Balance Falmouth Road Race this weekend, an additional 100 are planning to compete from the comfort of their home or gym.

Whether they failed to snag a coveted bib or are serving overseas in the military, the displaced runners can grab a tablet computer, hop on the treadmill and take off while watching video of the actual course of Sunday's race.

Falmouth is among the first races to let runners compete virtually from the treadmill, an idea that others are considering to widen their reach and boost their revenue.

The goal is to draw runners who can't attend in the flesh. For Falmouth, that includes 3,000 runners who were turned away this year because of size limits, along with others who couldn't travel to Cape Cod.

"This gives them an alternative to experience a little bit about what the race is all about," said Dave McGillivray, director of the storied 7-mile race, now in its 43rd running.

Growing interest in the sport has pushed other U.S. races to their capacities in recent years, while attracting technology companies that see a demand for virtual racing.

The company behind Falmouth's virtual race, Outside Interactive, is unveiling its technology for the first time on Sunday. Treadmill competitors simply download an app to the tablet and are off and running.

Before now, the company specialized in creating videos that whisk runners away from the treadmill to scenic courses in Central Park or the sandy beaches of Puerto Rico.

"It's never going to be fun, but we're trying to make it engaging," said Gary McNamee, founder and president of the company, which is based in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

Another company, RunSocial, has announced plans to offer a virtual version of the London Marathon next year.

By casting a wider net, races can also tap into a new stream of revenue and attract new sponsors.

Virtual runners at Falmouth will pay $40, compared with $65 for the outdoor race. Those fees cover race costs only, McGillivray said, and anything leftover is donated to charity.

But the race's sponsors will get extra exposure through advertisements that will be shown during the virtual race.

"It's a 7-mile commercial," McNamee said.

For their fee, treadmill runners will get an official finisher's mug and a race keychain. Their times will be posted online but kept in a separate category from the outdoor race.

The price seemed fair to Jennifer Walker, who plans to race from a treadmill at her gym in Baltimore.

A former Boston resident, Walker has always wanted to run Falmouth. But with two young children and a husband who's a physician, she said, traveling can be a challenge.

"This is so easy for me. All I have to do is pretty much do what I normally do -- go run on the treadmill," Walker said.

The video for Falmouth was filmed on a Segway about half an hour before the race started last year. It includes throngs of cheering fans along the course's ocean vistas.

Outside Interactive has filmed 10 more races that could be developed into virtual versions, McNamee said.

Although the technology for virtual racing is relatively new, the idea isn't.

For years, members of the military in far-flung locales have organized their own races to coincide with major events, such as the Chicago Marathon. In 2007, American astronaut Sunita Williams ran 26.2 miles on a space station's treadmill during the Boston Marathon.

The technology from Outside Interactive borrows from that concept but tries to create an authentic simulation of the actual course.

When the video approaches a hill, for example, it prompts runners to increase the elevation on their treadmill. If runners want to pick up the pace, they increase the treadmill speed and then adjust a pace setting on the video, which can speed up or slow down.

McNamee hopes that in the future, advances in technology will make those adjustments easier.

In this Aug. 11, 2002 photo, front runners pass Nobska Point Lighthouse during the 30th annual Falmouth Road Race in Falmouth, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Julia Cumes, File)

As close as virtual running gets to the real thing, though, race directors predict it will always fall short.

"Truth be told, I don't think you can compare the two," said McGillivray, who is also director of the Boston Marathon. "It'll never replace obviously the experience of running the race in person. Nothing will ever replace that. But it's an alternative to New Balance Falmouth Road Race to let runners compete virtually from treadmillsthat."

As evidence, he only has to point to the grand prize for virtual runners: They'll be entered into a lottery for a chance to run in-person next year.

The suspects pistol-whipped a victim inside the store with a handgun, sending that person to the hospital, and opened fire on another individual who managed to flee without being injured, according to Holyoke Police Lt. Jim Albert.

HOLYOKE — Police have released photos of two male suspects wanted for an armed robbery and shooting at a city market on Aug. 12.

The suspects allegedly pistol-whipped a person inside Aunties Market, 539 Pleasant St., sending the victim to the hospital. The suspects also opened fire on another person who managed to flee without being injured, according to Holyoke Police Lt. Jim Albert.

"Do not attempt to approach these subjects if observed, as they should be considered armed and dangerous," he said.

Albert is asking anyone who recognizes the men to call the Criminal Investigations Bureau at 413-322-6940.

American hostage Kayla Mueller was repeatedly forced to have sex with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group, U.S. intelligence officials told her family in June.

WASHINGTON -- American hostage Kayla Mueller was repeatedly forced to have sex with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group, U.S. intelligence officials told her family in June.

"They told us that he married her, and we all understand what that means," Carl Mueller, Kayla's father, told The Associated Press on Friday, which would have been his daughter's 27th birthday. Her death was reported in February.

Her mother, Marsha Mueller, added, "Kayla did not marry this man. He took her to his room and he abused her and she came back crying."

The news is but the latest in a litany of horrors perpetrated by the Islamic State group, which has beheaded, burned and crucified male captives while passing around women as sex slaves.

Mueller was held for a time by Islamic State financier Abu Sayyaf and his wife, known as Umm Sayyaf. Al-Baghdadi took Mueller as a "wife," repeatedly raping her when he visited, according to a Yazidi teenager who was held with Mueller and escaped in October 2014.

The 14-year-old made her way to Iraqi Kurdistan, where she talked to U.S. commandos in November 2014. Intelligence agencies corroborated her account and American officials passed it on to her parents in June.

Umm Sayyaf confirmed that al-Baghdadi had "owned" Kayla during Umm Sayyaf's lengthy American interrogation in Iraq, the Muellers said they were told by American officials.

A U.S. official confirmed their account, first reported by London's Independent newspaper. The official was not authorized to be quoted by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Abu Sayyaf was killed in a Delta Force raid of his Syrian compound in June, which resulted in a treasure trove of intelligence about the Islamic State group.

Umm Sayyaf has been turned over to the Iraqi Kurds for trial. The Muellers have been told that justice will be served in her case, said a family spokeswoman, Emily Lenzner.

Mueller was held with three other women, all Yazidis, the Muellers were told. All were sexually abused. When al-Baghdadi visited, he would take Mueller to his room, the witness told American officials. She would tell her fellow captives -- sometimes tearfully -- what had happened.

"Kayla tried to protect these young girls," her mother said. "She was like a mother figure to them."

When the teenaged Yazidi girl escaped with her sister, she asked Mueller to accompany her, the parents were told, but Kayla refused, worrying that her obvious Western appearance would lead to their capture.

By the time the Yadizi escapee reported the situation to Delta Force commandos in Iraq, Kayla had been moved, her parents were told.

U.S. intelligence officials found information on Sayyaf's computer indicating that Mueller, who spoke some Arabic, had been searching for information about fertility to help Umm Sayyaf, who was trying to get pregnant, according to two U.S. officials who refused to be quoted because the information is classified.

Mueller, from Prescott, Arizona, was taken hostage with her boyfriend, Omar Alkhani, in August 2013 after leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria, where he had been hired to fix the Internet service for the hospital.

Mueller had begged him to let her tag along because she wanted to do relief work in the war-ravaged country.

Alkhani was released after two months, having been beaten.

The Islamic State group claimed Mueller was killed in a Jordanian air strike near Raqqah, the group's self-declared capital in Syria. U.S. officials confirmed the death but not the circumstances.

The Best of Mass Ice Cream visits have concluded and the results are in for the Western Mass. and Worcester contests.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now. One of the most viewed items was the gallery of photos from Marcia Ball's CityBlock concert, above.

1) Photos: Shark attacks seal just off Cape Cod's Nauset Light beach, forces closures [Associated Press]

2) Boston Celtics' Amir Johnson throws down reverse dunk in USA Basketball Showcase (video) [Jay King]

3) Best Of Mass Ice Cream winners revealed: Official results for Western Mass. and Worcester [Sarah Platanitis]

4) Northampton man who allegedly put Liquid Plumr in daughter's tube indicted for attempted murder [Fred Contrada]

5) Tom Brady lawsuit: Judge Richard Berman must know Deflategate is a sham, but that might not matter [Kevin Duffy]

Two men were arrested by Enfield police after a high speed chase through West Springfield, Springfield, Longmeadow and into Connecticut.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

Enfield Police Lt. Steven Kaselous said the two men are being held at the Enfield Police lockup as charges are sorted out. He said the driver will face motor vehicle charges related to the chase in Connecticut, and both men are being held as fugitives from justice.

Springfield Police Lt. Philip Tarpey said a reported armed robbery on Plainfield Street just before 3 a.m. started the pursuit. Tarpey said initial information indicates a man reported he was held up by two men, one of whom showed a handgun. His cell phone and a ring were reportedly taken. He made his way to the Pride station on West Street to report the theft.

The suspects fled the scene in a Nissan SUV, presumably across the Northend Bridge into West Springfield. Patrolling West Springfield officers located the vehicle near Park Street and Van Deene Avenue just minutes after the reported robbery. Police tried to stop the SUV at that point, but the driver pulled away and tried to outrun the cruisers.

West Springfield Police Sgt. Edmund Apostle said the chase, at speeds reaching over 90 miles per hour, wound its way out Park Street, over South Blvd. and North Blvd. to Piper road, then Monastery Road to Elm Street, and finally to Route 5 northbound to the I-91 interchange on Riverdale Street.

The Nissan then entered I-91 southbound with several West Springfield cruisers in pursuit, and at speeds over 100 miles per hour led police down the interstate and across the state line to the Thompsonville exit. West Springfield and Enfield police were able to stop the vehicle on Hartford Street in Enfield where the two men were taken into custody.

The two will face arraignment in Connecticut court Monday, and rendition to Massachusetts at a later date to face armed robbery and motor vehicle charges.

The city's ShotSpotter system indicated nine gunshots were fired in the Walnut Street area just after 3 a.m. Saturday, and while evidence was collected, there were no injuries reported.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

The city's acoustic gunfire location system, ShotSpotter, indicated nine rounds were shot off at 3:05 a.m. not far from the Brookings School.

Springfield Police Lt. Philip Tarpey said while detectives were able to locate evidence, reportedly six shell casings and two projectiles, no one was injured by the shooting.

Witnesses reported that a tan sedan was seen in the area at the time of the shooting, and witnesses said the car fled down Walnut Street toward the Forest Park area.

CareeerPoint put more 125 Holyoke teens through its summer youth employment program this year.

HOLYOKE - Reinaldo Guzman memorized the floor plan of Holyoke Medical Center this summer while working as a transporter in the radiology department.

The reason was obvious, if he was told to get a patient from point A to point B, he had to know where A and B are.

Guzman, a student at Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School, said his other lessons -- including respect and communications, were just as important during his time at Holyoke Medical Center, where he also worked in other departments such as building maintenance.

"You always have to do what is easiest for the other person, not for yourself," he said. "Always introduce yourself and tell people where they are going."

CareerPoint in Holyoke honored employers and worksites Wednesday for helping it to provide summer job experiences to 125 young people. The event, at Gateway City Arts on Race Street, included testimonials from students and employers as well as a picnic lunch on the center's terrace.

Karen Robert, Holyoke Medical Center's Community Benefits Coordinator, said the hospital provided mentoring and structure for the young workers. It often gives the high school students their first taste of the working world.

"We have been really very impressed by their enthusiasm," she said. "It's a great experience."

Two of the workers, both out of high school already, will stay on with the hospital. One will work as a switchboard operator and one at the admissions desk.

At the beginning of summer, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County received $1.1 million in state money for its Summer youth Works programs. The money was dispersed through the Valley Opportunity Council, Westfield High School, CareerPoint, and the New England Farm Workers Council.

It was enough to put 1,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 21 to work this summer across Hampden County.

At CareerPoinit, its share was enough to provide jobs for 75 teens, said Gladys Lebron-Martinez, youth service director at CareerPoint. Additional positions were funded by private donations.

Workers were ages 14 to 21 and each received 125 hours of experience over 6 weeks. Most made $9 an hour, but those in construction, landscaping and who worked as site supervisors get more, Lebron-Martinez said. Besides work, participants also did classroom workforce readiness training, she said.

Gary Rome of Gary Rome Hyundai has donated money to the program and has had six of the workers at his dealership over the past three years. They've done everything from filing in the office to landscaping and painting. Two of the six were later hired permanently.

He said he is paying back the support the community has shown to him.

"We are growing and planning for our future," Rome said. "And we want to help these young people grow and plan for their futures."

Other work sites included the Holyoke Housing Authority and the city buildings department.

A 16-year-old Hartford youth avoided a jail sentence because none of the 18 men and boys he defrauded were willing to testify against him.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

The Hartford Courant reported that Matos could have faced three counts of first-degree larceny and two counts of promoting a minor in an obscene performance. But, all 18 of Matos's known victims were too embarrassed to come forward and testify against him.

Matos admitted to police that he pulled off a "catfishing" scheme, in which he created the online persona of a precocious 13-year-old girl. Matos then used fraudulent Facebook, Google and Yahoo accounts to engage the men and boys. As he developed online relationships with his victims, he solicited nude photographs from them, which they readily sent. Once he had the photographs, he then threatened to post them on the victim's Facebook pages for all their friends to see if they did not send him iTunes gift cards.

In court Friday, Matos was given a two year suspended jail sentence and ordered to serve two years of probation. During that time his computer will be checked by authorities and he must undergo mental health treatment.

At the recent Town Council meeting, an alternative, and less expensive option was presented by the Town Manager, but the school board has not yet weighed in on the new idea

PALMER - With school set to begin in less than three weeks, and no agreement on how to fix problematic flooring at Old Mill Pond School, an ad-hoc committee comprised of district officials and members of the school plan to meet again on Tuesday to decide on a plan of action.

The Aug. 18 meeting at Old Mill Pond Library begins at 2 p.m.

The most immediate concern is the torn gymnasium floor, that has cracks. In addition to bubbling that renders the surface uneven.

Old Mill Pond School gymnasium floor on August 13, 2015 Jim Russell photo 

Stalling the work centers on how to fund that project, and needed floor replacement in classrooms and hallways.

Voters rejected a proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion to fund the work earlier this year.

At the recent Town Council meeting, an alternative, and less expensive option was presented by the Town Manager, but the school board has not yet weighed in on the new idea.

It involves replacing the classroom carpets with a material described as "hybrid resilient sheet flooring that has a carpet surface."

The board is expected to meet later this month, following a recommendation from the ad-hoc panel on that flooring suggestion.

The school committee has previously rejected a solution that relies on a carpet surface.

Kevin J. McDonald, 43, of Pleasant Street, was in the middle of a family dispute when police were summoned to Forsander Apartments on May 24 of this year.

NORTHAMPTON — A Northampton man accused of trying to strangle his mother to death has been indicted by a Hampshire County grand jury for assault and battery on an elderly person, strangulation and suffocation.

According to police reports included in court documents, Kevin J. McDonald, 43, of Pleasant Street, was in the middle of a family dispute when police were summoned to Forsander Apartments on May 24. McDonald, who had a warrant on him for another matter, had already fled when police arrived, but they used a K-9 unit to track him to Meadowbrook Apartments.

McDonald's mother told police her son was using crack cocaine.

According to police, McDonald choked his mother until she was at the point of passing out. She was able to kick him off her, however. As he was choking her, McDonald screamed that he hated her and was going to kill her, police said.

McDonald also smashed his mother in the mouth with a cell phone, according to police.

Owner Chris Duval blames the "PC police" for the controversy.

WILLIAMSBURG -- CRD Metalworks, which famously flew the Confederate battle flag in the weeks after the Charleston AME church massacre, has been told it may not participate in the Cummington Fair, which is scheduled to run Aug. 27-30.

The 17 Hyde Hill Road company manufactures industrial-scale firewood processing machines, which it ships all over the world.

CRD last year had a place of honor at the fair, where it conducted educational demonstrations of its machinery and its capabilities, said Bill Perlman, a member of the fair's governing board.

This year, CRD won't be welcome, said Perlman, citing a recent vote of the non-profit Hillside Agricultural Society, which has been running the fair for nearly 150 years.

"It was unanimous," said Perlman of the 16-member board. "While we all agreed that (CRD owner Chris Duval) has the right to display whatever he wants on his own property, we felt that he himself had become too hot of a topic, and we didn't want that type of controversy at the fair."

Duval, in a recent letter to the editor of the weekly Country Journal newspaper, blamed the "PC plice" for his travails.

"...the Cummington Fair, in a display of fear mongering, assumption based censorship told our Company that we would not be welcome to attend or display our products at the fair this year," wrote Duval. "... The overwhelming consensus from the 'Board' was that CRD Metalworks was not welcome to attend, nor participate in the Fair because of perceived 'issues' with social and political views of myself, as owner."

Duval said the Cummington Fair has always been a part of his life, and that last year the company "cut and split some local firewood, ran a raffle, and donated more than $700 to the fair for our efforts."

He went on to say that the last year has been "horrific" for his family because "a few folks have taken us to task over a myriad of issues I view as protected by right, and by Constitution."

Facebook photo 

Duval confirmed that he and his workers regularly discharge firearms at the CRD property, a practice he insists is legal. The use of the facility as a shooting range has elicited complaints from nearby residents.

Duval, who lives with his family next to the manufacturing plant, is also embroiled in a legal battle with the town of Williamsburg over alleged zoning violations.

Duval has been ordered by building commissioner Louis Hasbrouck to cease all operations at CRD by Sunday, Aug. 16, following a July 16 ruling by the town's zoning board that the plant expanded without the proper permits. Duval has challenged the ruling in Hampshire Superior Court.

CRD had not been a longtime vendor at the Cummington Fair, said Perlman, adding that 2014 was the company's first year.

"It's too bad," said Perlman, "Because the firewood machines are really great. But a lot of people found his actions to be objectionable. The fair is a family-friendly, agricultural event, and we didn't want to be part of the controversy."

___________________________________________________________

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

The former President and the current Red Sox manager are battling cancer.

One is 90 and the other is 53. One was President and the other presides over a proud Boston Red Sox baseball franchise that has hit hard times.

Jimmy Carter and John Farrell have two things in common. They both have cancer, and each is a fine, decent human being who should be in our prayers.

Carter's skill as President from 1977 to 1981 will always be subject to scrutiny and debate, but the Georgia peanut farmer who rose to the nation's highest office reflects a humanity that is causing even political foes to wish him the best. Carter's cancer was discovered in his liver, and while the prognosis has not been clearly defined, his age alone makes the news a cause for grave concern.

Farrell has been diagnosed with Stage 1 lymphoma, a treatable form he described as "highly curable.'' That aspect offers comfort, but word that such a husky, outwardly healthy man in his early 50s was a carrier of the disease was still shocking and sobering.

The 2015 Red Sox season has been so dismal that Farrell, who guided Boston to a World Series just 22 months ago, has been the subject of speculation about losing his job. When news such as Friday's becomes public, the natural reaction of reminding ourselves "what is really important'' is the ultimate cliche - and yet 100 percent accurate as well.

Known for its critical analysis, Red Sox media has always been uncomfortable making Farrell the target. Debating baseball decisions is always fair game, but the manager's personal sense of dignity and honesty has not wavered during the past two seasons, when the team unexpectedly plummeted to last place in ways that might have caused other managers to become defensive or disingenuous.

Farrell's stoicism, which shined through again when he announced his condition as part of the team's overall injury report Friday, has allowed discussion of his work to focus on results, not character. That is true with Carter's term as President as well.

Both men are fighters and particularly in Farrell's case, indications exist the fight can be won. He has already received words of support from former Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, who played for Farrell before going to the Chicago Cubs and who won his own bout with lymphoma a decade ago.

Bad things happen to good men. Carter and Farrell are two examples. They deserve our best wishes, prayers and support as the 90-year-old ex-President and the 53-year-old manager face very different forms of the fight - each with the determination that has marked their lives.

SPRINGFIELD - The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield plans to shed its mouthful of a name and its unwieldy structure to reorganize  as the the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. But that reorganized Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce will have a less of a relationship with the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce. The Affiliated...

SPRINGFIELD - The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield plans to shed its mouthful of a name and its unwieldy structure to reorganize  as the the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce.

But that reorganized Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce will have a less of a relationship with the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce.

The Affiliated Chambers will, pending an Aug. 24 vote of all its membership, be renamed immediately and roll out a new logo, Website and other changes over the next few months, said Executive Director Jeffrey Ciuffreda.

A new name and a new identity will make it easier to think and act as a region, Ciuffreda said.

"There is a recognition that so goes the city of Springfield, so goes the region," he said. "All the development s in Springfield have spillover effect."

The chamber will continue to offer education, networking and lobbying opportunities for business members. Ciuffreda said the change will save money by eliminating a layer of bureaucracy between the Affiliated Chamber and the Springfield Chamber. That money will be used for programming and a better Internet presence.

State law lays out the procedures for the reorganization. Ciuffreda said members of both the existing Springfield and Five Town chambers are asked to vote on merging both into the new Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. That's even though the Five town Chamber has already made plans to spin off on its own.

The East of the River Five Town Chamber represents Ludlow, Wilbraham, Hampden, Longmeadow and East Longmeadow and has 200 member businesses.

The Springfield chamber has 525 members and the Professional Women's Chamber has 200. The Professional Women's Chamber will stay with the new Springfield Regional Chamber. It's members join as individuals, not as companies so they are counted a little differently, Ciuffreda said.

The Affiliated model, which dates back to the 1990s, is unwieldy because each chamber has its own directors and the Affiliated Chambers has its own directors, Ciuffreda said. That means every idea has to be approved by a number of different groups, Ciuffreda said

"At a meeting someone will say 'Well, I have to take this back to the Springfield Chamber board'," he said.

In January 2011, the West of the River Chamber of Commerce, which represents West Springfield and Agawam, severed its ties with the Affiliated Chambers.

The name Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield was too long, Ciuffreda said. When he spoke this week in front of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, he signed in under the full name, but was introduced as being from the Springfield chamber.

The new structure will also save money, he said, by eliminating a level of bureaucracy between the Springfield and Affiliated Chambers. That money will be plowed into a new web presence and more programming.

In reality, he lobbies behalf  of a region.  For example, even though the Affiliated Chambers no long includes the group from Agawam, Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen has asked Ciuffreda for lobbying help.

But that regional concept is a tough sell.

"In New England we are very much parochial," Ciuffreda said. "People are very nervous about losing their own identity."

The East of The River Five Town Chamber wants to work with the Regional Chamber, it just wants to have its own board, said Dennis Lopata, chairman of the board and executive director of the Life Care Center of Wilbraham.

The East of the River Chamber is looking at office space in East Longmeadow and has hired Shannon Bliven as its executive director.

The Regional Chamber will also continue to serve EAst of the River memers as during their current membership term.

Lopata said East of the River chamber members will likely get a discount if they want to join the Springfield Regional Chamber as well and take advantage of bigger networking events as time moves forward.

The Five Town Chamber will also use staff from the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts for accounting and tax work, just as the Affiliated Chambers does now.

The Springfield Regional Chamber will do the same, Ciuffreda said, while keeping its shared office and staff arrangement with the EDC at 1441 Main St.

Membership in the Affiliated Chambers is already regional. The Springfield chamber already has members from cities and towns with their own chambers, Ciuffreda said. That includes Six Flags New England in Agawam, Florence Bank which is headquartered in the Florence section Northampton and Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock.

The Springfield Reginal Chamber will advocate on behalf of Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee and Barnes Air National Guard Base if the Pentagon starts looking for bases to close, Ciuffreda said. Before becoming head of the chamber in 2011, Ciuffreda was the government relations staffer and he continues in that role.

Membership has grown in recent years, following a dip in the worst of the recession. Fees vary based on company size, but the Springfield chamber charges a base fee of $355 a year while the East of the River Five Town Chamber has been charging $300 a year.

"We say we have to earn people's membership," Ciuffreda said. "It used to be that if you were in business, you joined the chamber. It's not like that anymore."

At 6 feet tall, Elliot Sudal tags sharks for NOAA that are longer than he is tall.

He doesn't have a death wish: he really doesn't.

But that doesn't stop Elliot Sudal from tangling with some big sharks that swim in the waters around Nantucket.

He often uses a fishing rod to catch a 7-toot long sandbar shark, and then drags it ashore -- momentarily -- with his bare hands.

"I guess you can say I'm an adrenaline junkie," he told the Boston Globe. "This is the most extreme form of surf fishing there is."

According to the Globe, Sudal, 27 has become fairly well known since a video of him fighting with a shark on Nantucket went viral two years ago.

"It is recreational angling." he says. "We are tagging sharks for NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). It's a federally funded tagging program that's been going on for over 50 years.''

A NOAA spokesman confirmed for the Glube that Sudal is voluntary participant in its Apex Predator Program, a program that is designed to provide data about sharks.

"I'm doing this to test the effectiveness of land-based shark fishing as a research and tagging method," he told the Globe.

In an interview with Nantucket's Inquirer and Mirror two years ago, said he moved to Massachusetts from Captiva Island in Florida where he frequently went shark fishing.

"I was catching one bluefish after another, and then something funny happened," Sudal said in an e-mail to the newspaper. "I reeled in a half a blue, with that classic looking half-moon shark-bite taken out of it."

He went back to his car, got a shark rod, and threw the bluefish into the water. Then, he cast out a line and two minutes later was reeling in a shark.

"This guy must have pulled 150 yards of line off on his first run, but after 45 minutes he tired enough to land on shore," Sudal told the Inquirer and Mirror.

"By this time I had a crowd of about 20 people around me. In order to land them properly you have to run into the surf, grab them by the tail, and get them onto the beach. After some photos and everyone thinking I was nuts, the hook was removed and the shark was safely released into the surf. It was only out of the water for a minute or so."

The next year, Sudal told the Cape Cod Times that it is not unusual for him to try reeling in a shark for 45 minutes. Finally, when it gets close enough, he drops the pole and grabs a fin.

Carefully but quickly he waits for a pause in the shore break and grabs the shark by the tail, dragging it just outside the breaking waves, according to the Times. Then, he and (any helpers who happen to be with him) spring into action.

He cuts the line while his helpers hand him an identification tag to be attached to the shark. After the shark is tagged, and a photo is taken, he lets the shark swim away. The whole process takes about five minutes, he said.

"Obviously it stresses out the shark, it's not the best thing on the planet, but they have a very high survival rate with this," Sudal said.

According to the New York Observer, Sudal grew up in Burlington, Connecticut. He attended Central Connecticut State University where he studied environmental science and biology.

"My first summer break a friend and I, on a whim, bought one-way tickets to Anchorage, Alaska," he told the Observer. We had like five hundred bucks, and a huge tent, but it turned out to be the best decision of my life."

After that, he traveled around Florida, Long Island Sound, and Alaska each summer, getting jobs with private sea-faring boats under contract to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

After moving to Nantucket two years ago he got a job, "...driving a little boat guiding big boats to their rental moorings in the harbor," he said.

"I had that whole viral video shark wrestler thing happen the first summer I was on Nantucket, which led to a lot of things," he told the Observer.

Recent projects have include a four month stint on the National Geographic sea survival series "The Raft" filmed in the Carribean, a book deal, and a "shark show" he has been filming this summer on Nantucket.

At 190 pounds and six-feet tall, Sudal says he has never been bitten, although he has had some close calls.

Oh yeah, and about that death wish: He spends $1,600 for shark-bite insurance.

More than 1,000 people on Saturday attended the funeral of a college football player who was shot and killed by a North Texas police officer answering a burglary call at a car dealership.

ARLINGTON, Texas  -- More than 1,000 people on Saturday attended the funeral of a college football player who was shot and killed by a North Texas police officer answering a burglary call at a car dealership.

The service for Christian Taylor at Koinonia Christian Church in Arlington was attended by his family members, friends and teammates.

The black 19-year-old attended Angelo State University in San Angelo in West Texas, where he was to start his sophomore year on the team. The crowd gave Taylor's teammates a standing ovation during the funeral.

Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams and Police Chief William Johnson also were at the service.

A neighbor of Taylor's family who was at the funeral, Billy Gipson, called Taylor "a modest kid who had a promising future." He said the young man was outgoing, loving and family-oriented.

"The person you see on TV isn't the individual I knew," Gipson said, referring to video footage that showed Taylor behaving erratically as he wandered around the dealership in Arlington.

Taylor was unarmed when shot Aug. 7 by an Arlington police officer responding to an after-hours burglary call. Security footage of the dealership lot shows Taylor busting out a car windshield, then driving his vehicle into the showroom. He was shot while inside the business.

The officer was fired Tuesday.

Family and friends said Taylor had started going to church and sharing his faith through text messages shortly before his death.

The Rev. Ronnie Goines, senior pastor at Koinonia Christian Church, said in the last two months of his life "the only thing Taylor talked about was helping young people meet Jesus."

Goines asked those attending the service to pray for the family but also for police officers and firefighters who "are willing to lay down their lives" for others.

Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday called the slaying of four Marines and a sailor at a Chattanooga reserve center the act of a "perverted jihadist."

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday called the slaying of four Marines and a sailor at a Chattanooga reserve center the act of a "perverted jihadist."

Biden's comments came at a memorial to the five servicemen killed in a shooting rampage by Kuwait-born Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez.

"These perverse ideologues, warped theocrats, they may be able to inspire a single lone wolf to commit a savage act, but they can never, never threaten who we are," Biden said. "When this perverted jihadist struck, everyone responded."

The vice president's strong words contrast with the official comments of investigators who have not yet been able to determine a motive behind the attack. The FBI has said it has not been able to determine whether the 24-year-old Abdulazeez was "radicalized" before the July 16 attacks and has been treating him as a homegrown violent extremist.

Speaking before Biden, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said officials may never know "what combination of disturbed mind, violent extremism and hateful ideology" was behind the shooting, but vowed that the United States would present a strong response.

"The few who threaten or incite harm to Americans -- violent extremists or terrorists, wherever they are -- will surely, very surely, no matter how long it takes, come to feel the long arm and the hard fist of justice," Carter said.

Those killed were Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith and four Marines: Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson Holmquist, Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan and Lance Cpt. Squire "Skip" Wells, who just moments before had texted his girlfriend in Savannah, Georgia, the words "ACTIVE SHOOTER."

Abdulazeez began the July 16 rampage by opening fire on a military recruiting center before driving his rented Mustang about 7 miles across town to a reserve center, crashing through the gates and killing the five servicemen. Abdulazeez died in a shootout with police.

Friends and neighbors recalled Abdulazeez as a happy, polite young man. But a picture has also emerged showing a darker side, with Abdulazeez's family saying he struggled with depression from his early teens, abused drugs, couldn't keep a job and was considering bankruptcy.

Abdulazeez spent several months with an uncle in Jordan last year as part of an agreement to get him away from drugs, alcohol and a group of friends his parents considered a bad influence, a person close to the family has said. That person spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid business repercussions.

Biden, whose son Beau died of brain cancer in May, said he could relate to the grief of the victims' families.

"I didn't have the privilege of knowing any one of them personally," Biden said. "But oh, I knew them. Confident, determined, trustworthy, compassionate and always, always loyal.

"I knew them," he said. "They were my son. And so many other sons I know."

Beau Biden was a major in an Army National Guard unit that deployed to Iraq in 2008.

The vice president drew applause for concluding his remarks with a defiant message for anyone who would target the United States.

"We have a message for those perverted cowards around the world: America never yields, never bends, never cowers, never stands down -- (but) endures, responds, and always overcomes," he said. "For we are Americans, and never, never underestimate us.

"It's always been a bad, bad bet to do that."

The Town of West Springfield and the Rotary Club of West Springfield continued the 2015 "West Side's Taste of the Valley" on the town common on Saturday.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Town of West Springfield and the Rotary Club of West Springfield continued the 2015 "West Side's Taste of the Valley" on the town common on Saturday.

The event features area restaurant booths, vendors, live music and amusement rides.

According to the events website the "taste" draws over 40,000 people from all over the Pioneer Valley during the four day run.

It is also noted it is one of the few remaining restaurant "taste" events in Western Massachusetts.

The event continues Sunday, Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Two people were injured when the late model Corvette they were riding in went out of control on St. James Avenue in Springfield and struck a utility pole.

SPRINGFIELD— A late model Corvette was destroyed and the two people riding in the car were taken to the Baystate Medical Center following a one-car crash on St. James Avenue Saturday night.

Both of the injured parties were speaking to emergency medical personnel as they were transported from the scene.

Springfield police were in the process of investigating the incident and didn't have many details. The car appeared to have been traveling northbound when it struck a utility pole at the corner of St. James and Stuyvesant Street, then stun down the street coming to rest 50 to 60 feet away from the point of impact. A trail of debris traced the path the car took after hitting the pole.

The wreckage landed in front of Fred Anderson's St. James Avenue home. Anderson said the crash is not at all unusual.

"St. James has a bad history," he said, watching firefighters assist ambulance crews at the scene. "We have had a lot of accidents here. I've lived here 50 years and I'll bet we have had 50 bad crashes here."

Cars coming from Springfield toward Chicopee drive far too fast, Anderson said, and don't stop at a nearby stop sign.

A next door neighbor of Anderson's, who asked not to be identified, said the street is a wide, four-lane cut-through to Chicopee.

"It's like a racetrack through here," she said. "One time a guy lost control and his car came right up into my front yard and hit my car in the driveway. We call it 'Suicide Lane.'"

A North Adams man was ordered held without the right to bail after he was arraigned on his fifth drunk driving charge in a North Adams court.

The Republican 

The Berkshire Eagle reported that Judge Paul Vrabel ordered James DePaoli, 55, of Liberty Street in North Adams held without the right to bail in the Berkshire County Jail until December 8.

DePaoli was stopped by a Williamstown police officer on August 8 after he watched DePaoli's pickup truck repeatedly cross the center line as he drove down Cole Avenue. Officer Preston Kelly wrote in a statement of fact for the court that DePaoli failed several field sobriety tests and measured a .109 on a preliminary breath test, over the legal limit of .08.

Kelly said he found an open bottle of alcohol in the pickup truck as well as a hypodermic syringe and needle, and a spoon with residue of heroin.

DePaoli was originally arraigned on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a fifth offense, possession of a Class A substance, possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, a marked lanes violation and operating a motor vehicle without an inspection sticker.