Quantcast
Channel: News
Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live

Wall Street: Stocks surge to best day in nearly 4 years

0
0

Markets have been volatile since China decided to weaken its currency earlier this month. Investors interpreted the move as an attempt to bolster a sagging economy.

ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK — An afternoon surge Wednesday gave the stock market its best day in close to four years, as stocks rebounded from a six-day slump.

The three major U.S. indexes dropped six days in a row heading into Wednesday on concern that China's economy is weaker than investors had previously thought. That was the longest market slide in more than three years.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 1,900 points over that period, while the slump wiped more than $2 trillion off the value of S&P 500 companies.

The Dow rose 619.07 points, or 4 percent, to 16,285. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 72.9 points, or 3.9 percent, to 1,940, giving the index its best day since November 2011. The Nasdaq composite gained 191 points, or 4.2 percent, to 4,697.

Markets have been volatile since China decided to weaken its currency earlier this month. Investors interpreted the move as an attempt to bolster a sagging economy.

Traders are also jittery about the outlook for interest rates. The Federal Reserve has signaled it could raise its key interest rate for the first time in nearly a decade later this year.

New York Fed President Bill Dudley said Wednesday that the case for a rate increase next month had become "less compelling," in recent weeks, which may have added fuel to the market gains. However, he also stated that the situation could still change before the Fed's next policy meeting scheduled for mid-September.

Investors were also following the latest corporate deal and earnings news. Technology stocks were among the biggest gainers.

THE QUOTE: "There's a lot of cash on the sidelines waiting to get in, so to the extent that there's any sort of bottom seen, that will increase people's confidence and boldness," said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer for Wells Fargo Private Bank.

ECONOMIC BELLWETHER: The Commerce Department said orders for durable goods, or items expected to last at least three years, rose 2 percent last month after a 4.1 percent gain in June.

Despite the increase, U.S. manufacturers still face a host of problems from a stronger dollar to falling oil prices and turbulence in China, the world's second-biggest economy.

OIL DEAL: Cameron International, a maker of equipment for the oil industry, jumped 41 percent after Schlumberger said it was buying the company in a cash-and-stock deal. Cameron rose $17.46 to $59.93.

NEVER MIND: Monsanto shares climbed 8.6 percent on news that the agricultural products maker has decided to abandon its takeover bid for rival Syngenta. The stock gained $7.66 to $97.08.

EUROPEAN ACTION: Germany's DAX was down 1.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 fell 1.4 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 1.7 percent.

ASIA'S DAY: Markets in Asia were mixed. Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index rose 3.2 percent. But Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.5 percent to 21,305.17, and mainland China's smaller Shenzhen Composite lost 3.1 percent.

ENERGY: The price of oil fell back below $39 a barrel after a U.S. government report showed an unexpected decline in demand for gasoline last week. U.S. oil fell 71 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $38.60.

BONDS AND CURRENCIES: U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.17 percent from 2.07 percent late Tuesday. The dollar rose 0.6 percent against the yen to 119.37. The euro dropped 1.3 percent to $1.1380.

METALS: Gold fell $13.70 to $1,124.60 an ounce. Silver dropped 56.9 cents to $14.04 an ounce. Copper fell 6.6 cents to $2.25 a pound.



Adam Liccardi to take stand in his own defense in rape trial

0
0

Liccardi is the third of four defendants to stand trial for the alleged gang-rape of a University of Massachusetts student in her dorm room in 2012. Emmanuel Bile and Justin King were tried earlier this year and convicted of the counts of aggravated rape, one of each orifice they penetrated.

NORTHAMPTON - The prosecution could rest its case in the Adam Liccardi rape trial as early as the end of this week.

Defense lawyer Alfred Chamberland has said he will call his client to the stand in his own defense.

Liccardi is the third of four defendants to stand trial charged with the rape of a University of Massachusetts student in her dorm room in 2012. Emmanuel Bile and Justin King were tried earlier this year and convicted of the counts of aggravated rape. Liccardi is charged with four counts of rape. Caleb Womack is scheduled to go to trial after Liccardi.

It took Judge Richard Carey and the lawyers until nearly 6 p.m. Monday to get a jury of 10 men and four women, which includes two alternates. Prosecutor Jennifer Suhl estimated her case would take 3 to 3 1/2 days, but Carey cancelled court on Tuesday afternoon because Liccardi was ill. Defense lawyer Alfred Chamberland has said he will call his client to the stand in his own defense.

All Ipswich police cruisers now stocked with Narcan, drug that reverses the effects of heroin and other opioids

0
0

"Narcan will prepare our officers to meet the opioid crisis head on and hopefully prevent the tragic loss of life in our community," Ipswich Police Chief Paul A. Nikas said.

IPSWICH — Police Chief Paul A. Nikas announced Wednesday that all Ipswich police cruisers will now carry Nasal Naloxone, commonly called Narcan, to better equip officers to save lives when responding to reported drug overdoses.

"Police officers are public guardians and are most often the first emergency responder on the scene of an overdose. Narcan will prepare our officers to meet the opioid crisis head on and hopefully prevent the tragic loss of life in our community," Nikas said.

The new policy is one of many steps the Ipswich Police Department is taking to combat heroin overdoses and opioid abuse. In addition to Narcan, the department is expanding education and awareness training on addiction in the Ipswich schools, creating partnerships with long-term care facilities to assist addicts, and increasing officer training on drug recognition and interdiction.

Narcan is an antagonist that quickly reverses the effects of opioids by displacing the drug from the receptors in the brain. It's effective against heroin, Fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) and hydrocodone (Vicodin) and has minimal side effects and no potential for abuse, according to officials.

Heroin overdose deaths in the U.S. tripled from 2010 to 2013, with most users turning to heroin after first using prescription painkillers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Massachusetts, at least 1,000 people died of opioid overdoses in 2014, according to state officials. Gov. Charlie Baker, who has made addiction education and prevention a priority for his administration, has unveiled a $27 million plan to increase the state's capacity to treat drug addicts and reduce the stigma around addiction, Reuters reports.

Ipswich Police Officer Charles Ciccotelli is the department's resident expert on Narcan. He'll be teaching fellow officers how to properly use the drug, which typically is administered via a syringe or nasal spray applicator.


Photos: Transperformance 2015 celebrates the Silver Screen with benefit music festival at Northampton's Pine's Theatre

0
0

It is Transperformance's silver anniversary and the 2015 show features music from the Silver Screen.

NORTHAMPTON — It is Transperformance's silver anniversary and the 2015 show features music from the Silver Screen.

Twenty-two local artists are on the bill for this year's event, being held at the Pine's Theatre in Look Park until 11 p.m. Wednesday.

The bands are performing songs from the soundtracks of The Big Lebowski, This is Spinal Tap, The Sound of Music, Saturday Night Fever, Easy Rider, and Rocky, as well as taking on the personas from characters in the films.

Northampton notables Monte Belmonte, Joshua Braska, Steve Sanderson, Johnny Memphis, Joan Holliday, and Julie Waggoner were set to host as celebrity personalities.

The event is sponsored by the Northampton Arts Council.


MSPCA: Felony charges expected after discovery of neglected, dead animals in Springfield home

0
0

The East Forest Park property was condemned and vacated after police and code enforcement officials said they found large numbers of animals, dead and alive.

This story updates an earlier story filed initially at 12:20 p.m., seen here)

SPRINGFIELD - A MSPCA spokesman said Wednesday that the agency expects to file felony animal cruelty charges in connection with the recent discovery of more than 250 dead animals in freezers and numerous allegedly neglected animals inside and outside an East Forest Park home.

The investigation regarding the property at 402 Allen St. is ongoing, and the agency will provide updates "as we can throughout the course of the investigation," said Rob Halpin, director of public relations for MSPCA-Angell, based in Boston.

The owner of the property is listed in Housing Court records as Kathleen McHendry.

"We expect to level felony animal cruelty charges against Kathleen McHendry," Halpin said. "The exact number and type of charges are pending."

Springfield Police and City Code Enforcement officials conducted an inspection of the Allen Street property on Aug. 11, and the house was condemned and vacated, said David Cotter, the city's deputy director of code enforcement.

The inspectors found more than 100 domesticated and non-domestic animals inside and outside the house that were alive but neglected, according to city officials.

Subsequently, more than 250 dead animals were found stored frozen in freezers in the house and garage areas, Cotter said. He called it the worst case of this type he has seen in 20 years on the job.

"It's a very sad case on both ends, not only for the animals that were at risk and the owner of the property, and for the neighborhood and the residents around the dwelling," Cotter said.

The live animals included more than 85 cats, seven dogs, 12 raccoons, seven skunks, one fox, and one parrot.

Pamela Peebles, the director of the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, said two of the dogs were euthanized, and various agencies have assisted with care of the living animals. She estimated that nearly half of the cats have been adopted.

According to a Code Enforcement report filed with the Housing Court by Cotter, the inspectors found the house, sheds, a rear yard and garage had "strong unbearable odors of animals and wildlife permeating throughout ..."

It further described a rotted shed in the back yard, animal droppings, cat litter box full and overflowing, cats and dogs roaming throughout the dwelling and furniture..," among conditions.

McHendry reached an agreement in Housing Court to submit a rehabilitation plan by Sept. 1 for the property and not to return until permitted by the city, or by the court. There was a second occupant also prohibited from returning to the property until permitted, according to the court document.

The agreement was made into an order by Housing Court Judge Dina E. Fein.

Holyoke Medical Center opening physical therapy site in West Springfield

0
0

The Holyoke hospital president said the goal with the satellites is physical therapy that is more accessible, convenient and personalized.

HOLYOKE -- Holyoke Medical Center will open a satellite location for physical therapy at Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness in West Springfield Aug. 31 with plans for similar sites in Chicopee and South Hadley, a spokeswoman said Wednesday (Aug. 26).

The satellites are part of the hospital's commitment to physical therapy and rehabilitation services. That includes renovation and expansion of its in-house physical therapy, occupational therapy, pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation department, Marketing Director Rebecca MacGregor said.

The hospital will lease space from and share common space with Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness at 155 Ashley Ave, in West Springfield. At least two hospital employees, a physical therapist and a receptionist, will be working there in what the hospital is calling its Centers of Rehabilitation Excellence (CORE), she said in a phone interview.

Plans are to have physical therapy satellites in Chicopee and South Hadley, she said.

"The CORE satellite location speaks to our continued efforts to provide patients with medical care and treatment that is more accessible, convenient and personalized," Spiros Hatiras, president and chief executive officer of Holyoke Medical Center, said in a press release.

"Our partnership with Healthtrax, a respected leader in preventive health, will help ensure that the physical therapy and rehabilitation programs go the extra mile in supporting our patients in their recovery," he said.

Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness has offerings for people of all ages and fitness levels. These include a new training area, personal and group training programs, "over 60 motivating group classes," yoga, cycling and more, Healthtrax Executive Director Marina Lebo said in the press release.

Gov. Charlie Baker to formally swear in Richard McKeon as superintendent of Massachusetts State Police in Worcester

0
0

Col. Richard McKeon, a 33-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police, will formally be sworn in as superintendent of the statewide police force on Thursday, Aug. 27, in Worcester.

mckeon mug.jpgRichard McKeon 
WORCESTER — Col. Richard D. McKeon, a 33-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police, will be formally sworn in as superintendent of the statewide police force on Thursday, Aug. 27, at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

Gov. Charlie Baker will administer the oath of office to the Sturbridge resident at the 12:30 p.m. ceremony at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St.

Baker tapped McKeon to succeed Col. Timothy P. Alben, a Western Massachusetts native and 32-year veteran who retired last month.

McKeon took over as leader of the law enforcement agency on July 12. He previously held the rank of major and was deputy division commander of the State Police Division of Investigative Services.

Baker said he looked forward to McKeon building "upon our State Police force's stellar professionalism and diligence."

McKeon praised the many department professionals that he's learned from over the years, vowing to put that knowledge to work "on behalf of the public that we serve each day."

The superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police oversees a staff of almost 2,700 people, including 2,145 troopers and 546 civilian staffers.


Massachusetts firefighters return after battling Oregon wildfires

0
0

The 19-member crew worked 14 days digging trenches while just a few feet from the flames.

ERVING — After driving across the country, spending 14 days digging trenches just feet away from flames and otherwise battling wildfires in Oregon, 19 firefighters from across the state returned safe, tired and happy.

"Everyone came back safe and there were no injuries. Isn't that awesome," said Chris Renshaw of Tolland, Connecticut, who served as the crew chief for the group.

The job is always dangerous. Firefighters usually have to hike in 30 to 40 pounds of gear, and may be working on steep slopes where a rock or log can roll down. And, of course, there is the fire.

Most of the crew – a mix of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation firefighters and municipal firefighters from across the state – have been training together for years and have traveled out West to fight wildfires for nine or 10 years. There were also some newer people worked into the group.

Renshaw was new to the group but not to fighting wildfires. He was a late substitution for the regular crew chief, whose wife had given birth just before the group was leaving.

"This was a highly trained, super professional group of people," he said. As they were leaving Oregon, the team was given superior marks in an evaluation.

The group, which left about three weeks ago and traveled by bus, returned Wednesday to their headquarters in Erving State Park.

A number of Department of Conservation and Recreation officials greeted them upon their return. Deputy Commissioner Matthew R. Sisk handed each a certificate of appreciation in a short ceremony.

In his speech, he talked briefly about the dangers of the job and mentioned the three firefighters who were killed and four who were injured recently in a wildfire in Washington.

"I'm glad you are home safe," Sisk said. "It is an important service. It is a war zone and you were on the front lines."

The firefighters worked 14 straight days, spending 14 to 16 hours daily trying to contain two fires, one at Stouts Creek, which has burned about 22,000 acres, and one at Eldorado, which has burned about 20,000 acres, said Jeff Belanger of Deerfield, a volunteer for the Old Deerfield Fire Department who took time off from his job as a plumber to fight the wildfires.

"The fires are so much bigger and so much faster than they are here," he said. "One burned 8,000 acres in one day."

The firefighters explained that extinguishing each blaze is different depending on the fuels, the topography and other factors.

In this case, Keith Robbins of Westhampton, a firefighter with the Department of Conservation and Recreation out of Hampshire County, said when the crew arrived they immediately noticed the impact of the four-year drought because grass and other vegetation was brown.

"There is a lot of sage bush. It burns quicker, so it is harder to outrun if something happens," he said.

Firefighters generally are working "right along the fire line" to cut trenches that are free of any fuel such as fallen timber or brush. Even a two-foot wide trench will halt a fire if it hits one of the trenches, Robbins said.

"We are so close that if they have a bucket drop (from a helicopter) sometimes we get wet," Belanger said.

Because they are so close and a fire can turn against them with a change in wind or other weather variations, there are always lookouts who warn crews if they see any imminent dangers. All the crews are in radio contact and keep each other informed as well, said Robin Armstrong of Conway, a Department of Conservation and Recreation firefighter for Hampden County.

While it is hard work, the crew members said they are happy to come back again and again.

"It is a lot of fun, believe it or not," Armstrong said.

The crew, which also trains together regularly, becomes a family after eating, sleeping, working and traveling together, said Christel Kalweit of Sandwich, who works at Joint Base Cape Cod Fire Department.

"These are friendships that will last forever," she said.

Kalweit, one of three women on the crew, said firefighters generally start their day at 4 a.m. After breakfast and a briefing, they hike in or are dropped off to their assigned spot and spend the day securing the fire lines.

One of her jobs was also to direct helicopter pilots who were dropping buckets of water to try to contain the fire.

When the group arrived, they were greeted enthusiastically by tired firefighters who have been fighting the wildfires for much longer. Firefighters work 14 days straight and then are typically required to take a break. Most from other areas usually head home, she said.

When the Massachusetts group left, the fire was about 35 percent contained. Members of the crew said they aren't disappointed they didn't finish the job because they knew they did their best to make a difference.

Much of their work is to try to save property, whether it is homes and other structures or timberland and grassland where people make their living, Renshaw said.

"It doesn't matter in the end of the day. It is still your home and your homes and your dreams and maybe your retirement," he said.


Photos: NASA satellite images of summer 2015 wildfires »

Wal-Mart to stop selling AR-15 and other semi-automatic weapons

0
0

Wal-Mart says it will stop selling the AR-15 and other semi-automatic weapons at its stores because fewer people are buying them.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Wal-Mart will stop selling the AR-15 rifle and other semi-automatic weapons at its stores because fewer people are buying them, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The AR-15 rifles and other modern sporting rifles were being sold at less than a third of the company's 4,600 U.S. stores. Company spokesman Kory Lundberg said Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will remove the remaining inventory as stores transition from summer to fall merchandise, which should take a week or two to complete.

Lundberg said the decision to remove the weapons was not political and that the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer made the decision earlier this year.

"It's similar to what we do with any product. Being what it is, it gets a little more attention, but it's the same process for any other product," Lundberg said.

Lundberg said the company had seen a decrease in sales of the particular models of guns, but declined to give specific sales numbers. He said stores would increase inventory of other models of shotguns and rifles popular among hunters.

"We wanted to make sure when customers are coming and looking to purchase those products, they see the products they want. We see more business from hunters and people shooting clay," he said.

Several analysts said the decision was likely based on sales and demand.

"Big retailers don't make decisions on a whim, and it would appear that they are responding to their market," said Jason Maloni, a crisis communications expert at LEVICK. "This seems to be a strategic decision of Wal-Mart to address customer desires."

In recent years, shareholders have placed some pressure on the company to reconsider its sales policies of products such as weapons that hold high-capacity magazines. Bushmaster variations of the semi-automatic AR-15 have been used in such high-profile mass shootings as the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, and the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

The historic Trinity Church on Wall Street in New York, which owns stock in Wal-Mart, filed a lawsuit last year after the company declined to allow a shareholder vote on the church's proposal for the board of directors to more closely review policies on sales decisions of products that could "endanger public safety and well-being" or hurt the company's reputation or emphasis on family and community values.

A lower court ruled that the shareholders should be allowed to consider the proposal, but a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge lifted that injunction. The church has not appealed, but officials said they are not ready to drop the lawsuit either.

The Rev. William Lupfer, rector of the church, said in a statement Wednesday that the church was "pleased to hear Wal-Mart will no longer sell the kinds of weapons that have caused such devastation and loss in communities across our country."

"We continue to believe that corporate boards have the responsibility to oversee the creation of policies that will guide decision making on marketing and other issues that could have momentous impact on the safety and well-being of society and to shareholder value," Lupfer wrote.

Wal-Mart scaled back the number of stores that sold guns around 2006, Lundberg said, but has no plans to stop the sale of guns all together.

___

Associated Press writer Claudia Lauer wrote this report. 

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack to attend ribbon-cutting ceremony for new $4.3 million Amtrak station in Holyoke

0
0

On Thursday, Aug. 27, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and other dignitaries are expected to gather at the city's new Amtrak passenger train station for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

HOLYOKE — Passenger trains haven't stopped in Holyoke for about 50 years, but that's all about to change.

On Thursday, Aug. 27, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack are expected to join Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and other dignitaries for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new $4.3 million Amtrak passenger train station in Holyoke.

A train is scheduled to pull up to the Holyoke Knowledge Corridor Rail Platform at Main and Dwight streets at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, marking the first time a passenger train has stopped in the Paper City since the mid 1960s. The Holyoke station will be one stop along Amtrak's Vermonter line, which connects the Green Mountain State to New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Amtrak stopped serving Connecticut River Valley communities north of Springfield in 1989, when deteriorating track conditions forced the railroad to shift the route eastward. Tracks hugging the river and I-91 corridor underwent a $120 million state-federal rehabilitation project and are ready to accommodate expanded passenger rail service, according to officials.


MAP showing approximate location of new Holyoke train station:

Westfield Historical Commission completes hearing on demolition of Flahive Building

0
0

The PVTA transit center is currently under review by the city's Planning Board.

WESTFIELD - The Historical Commission has signed off on the demolition of the Flahive Building on Arnold Street to make way for a Pioneer Valley Transit Authority transit center.

The commission held a public hearing, as required by city ordinance on plans for demolition of the Flahive Building, but no residents attended the 7 p.m. hearing Monday at City Hall.

"We, as a commission, decided that this building did not contribute to the historical character of the downtown and that its demolition would have no significant financial impact on the city," Cindy Gaylord, co-chairperson of the commission, said.

The hearing was required because the Arnold Street building is located within a downtown historic district. Monday's hearing, even though no members of the public attended, satisfies preservation standards for historic buildings including those not considered historic in character but located within a historic district, officials said.

PVTA plans to raise the structure later this year or early next year to clear the way for a $6 million transit center to serve the needs of its bus ridership here and serve as a central loading and discharge center for passengers.

The proposed center is one phase of city plans for the elm Street Urban Renewal Plan which includes construction of a multi-use commercial building at the site of the former Newbury Department Store on Elm Street

The PVTA transit center plans are currently under review by the city's Planning Board.

Westfield Spanish Association looking for marchers

0
0

Westfield Spanish American Association wants to show its pride of the Whip City.

WESTFIELD - The Westfield Spanish American Association is reaching out to local appointed and elected Latinos to join its members Sept. 13 and march in the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade.

WSAA President Will Rodriguez said Wednesday all Westfield area Latinos, either appointed or elected to official positions, are invited to join members of the Westfield Spanish American Association for the march.

"We are looking to represent in a big way and show our pride from the Whip City," said Rodriguez.

"I am encouraging all the Latinos who hold appointed and elected positions within our city to march with us," he said.

Marchers will meet at 10 a.m. on Sept. 13 at the corner of Wason and Main Street in Springfield. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. that day.

Additional information is available by contacting Rodriguez at 413-562-0585.

North End residents agree to 2nd meeting with Ashe, Baystate officials on WMass Correctional Alcohol Center

0
0

North End residents say they finally feel like their message has been heard.

SPRINGFIELD — North End residents say they finally feel like their message has been heard.

"We don't want it, and all of us that were there made that very clear," Juana Girona said following a meeting at Baystate Medical Center on Wednesday evening in which she and other North End residents met with Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe to discuss the proposed relocation of the Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center to the North End.

The meeting was facilitated by Frank Robinson, vice president of Public Health and Community Relations for Baystate Health and included residents, members of the New North Citizens Council and Ashe and other Sheriff's Department officials.

The meeting, which lasted more than two hours and was closed to the press, led to the scheduling of another meeting for Sept. 2. Girona said Ashe promised a discussion about other possible locations.

Girono, who has owned a home for 30 years in the Brightwood neighborhood of the North End, Carmen Santana and several other residents who attended the meeting said they felt Robinson was fair and objective and listened to their concerns.

"He did not take sides. He just wanted to hear why it is that we don't want it there," Santana said.

"It did not feel like mediation, and we were clear that we did not and do not want to mediate this issue," Girona said.

Following the meeting, Robinson issued a statement in which he said, "Baystate Health representatives, community leaders in attendance, and the Sheriff's Department agreed to respectfully work together over the coming weeks to discuss the most productive solutions for everyone impacted by where the ultimate facility will be located."

Girona, Santana and several other members reported back to a larger group of residents waiting for news of the meeting, which was by invitation only. The idea of a second meeting did not go over well. Most residents said there should be no need for a second meeting. But Girona said Ashe's promise to talk about other possible locations is the reason she will attend.

"I want to hear from him (Ashe) what other locations they are considering, and I want to hear that they are not putting it here, that's it," Girona said.

The original Correctional Alcohol Center facility was located on Howard Street in Springfield's South End for 30 years, but was uprooted to accommodate the planned MGM Springfield casino. The program is now being run from a temporary location in the former Geriatric Authority building in Holyoke.

Santana said she made it clear there is no way to make the facility palatable to the residents.

"They could build it with no windows and surrounded it in trees, we do not want it here period," she said.

This is Robinson's statement in its entirety:

Baystate Health representatives, key community leaders from Springfield's North End neighborhood, and the Hampden County Sheriff's Department met tonight in roundtable discussion regarding the proposed North End substance abuse facility. The meeting was designed to clear up confusion surrounding the project, calmly help all invested parties better understand the facts of the program, the project itself, and the neighborhood concerns at large.

As part of the meeting Sheriff Michael Ashe explained the history of why the program is being forced to leave their current Howard Street location and how the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), an agency within the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F,) ultimately chooses the final site for the new facility upon hearing recommendations from the Sheriff's Department. No final decision has been as to where the new, permanent facility will be built. At this point, the bidding process was re-opened for any developer who can meet established building criteria for the facility to propose an alternative site for it.

Baystate Health representatives, community leaders in attendance, and the Sheriff's Department agreed to respectfully work together over the coming weeks to discuss the most productive solutions for everyone impacted by where the ultimate facility will be located. As the process moves forward, this working group agreed that it could not make final decisions, but would guard the process so that it is respectful and inclusive to everyone. It will carefully take into account the concerns of the surrounding community and the needs of the Sheriff's Department. There was no disagreement about the significant need for these services across the region, and that the treatment center is an important step toward addressing them.

The actual location of the facility is the principal point of disagreement. We are confident that by working together common ground can be reached.



Sheriff: Two dead, including police officer after stabbing, shooting in La.

0
0

A sheriff says two people are dead in southwest Louisiana, including a police officer responding to a domestic dispute.

SUNSET, La. (AP) -- A police officer was shot and killed Wednesday when he responded to a call from a house where three women had been stabbed, one of them fatally, in a town about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge, said the sheriff of rural St. Landry Parish.

The man accused in the attacks drove from the house in Sunset, a town of about 2,900, and into a convenience store about three blocks away, barricading himself in an office and telling police that he wouldn't come out and was ready to fight, St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said.

He said SWAT team members lobbed tear gas and "C-gas" into the building, then broke in using hammers and fire axes to arrest Harrison Lee Riley Jr., 35, of Arnaudville, about 8 miles from Sunset.

Guidroz identified the dead as Officer Henry Nelson, 51, and Shameka Johnson, 40. Johnson's sister Shurlay Johnson, 34, was in critical condition and Riley's wife, Courtney Jolivette Riley, whose age the sheriff didn't know, was in stable condition, he said.

All three women were stabbed, he said.

Riley was kept in a hospital for observation because he said one of his ribs hurt, the sheriff said. He said Riley will be booked with first degree murder and first-degree murder of a police officer -- separate crimes, each carrying a possible death penalty, as well as two counts of attempted first-degree murder, criminal damage to property and resisting arrest.

Guidroz said the violence began with an argument between the Rileys at a house belonging to the Johnsons' mother. "He began stabbing the Johnson sisters when they intervened to protect his wife," Guidroz said. "Officer Nelson arrived, and a fight ensued."

Nelson apparently was killed with his own handgun, the sheriff said.

Guidroz said he was told Riley is originally from New Orleans and has an extensive criminal history there. He had recently moved to Arnaudville, the sheriff said.

Nini Truong, 15, a sophomore in high school, said she was in the office of her parent's store when a car crashed into it. She ran out amid the chaos to see what happened.

"I was doing my homework," she said. "I was in the office and all of a sudden I just see the front just like crash and I see a car and everybody's freaking out. People are trying to get out and I didn't know what to do."

Then a man got out of the car. "He was full of blood," she said, but she didn't see any weapons.

The man shoved people around, asking where Truong's father was. Her parents weren't there, she said.

The man went into the office and closed the door.

"I was just wondering what he wanted to do with my dad," she said.

Clerk Tammy Adams said she recognized the man as a regular customer, but did not know his name. "I'm just grateful to God that I was able to get out of there," she said, crying.

Nelson -- one of six officers under Sunset Police Chief Louie Padilla -- was the second Louisiana police officer killed in four days and the fifth in four months. State Trooper Steven Vincent was shot Sunday and died Monday. Shreveport Officer Thomas LaValley was shot to death Aug. 5, New Orleans Police Officer Daryle Holloway on June 20, and New Orleans public housing police Officer James Bennett Jr. on May 25.

Sometime later, the Sunset Mini Mart burst into flames. Firefighters quickly put out the blaze. The state fire marshal was working to determine the cause of the fire, Guidroz said.

Hartford's homicide rate skyrockets, while Springfield and Boston's flatline

0
0

With 21 homicides so far this year, Hartford already has surpassed last year's total of 19 murders. Meanwhile, Springfield, a city with about 30,000 more residents, only has 13 homicides so far this year.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Hartford, whose population trails Springfield's by about 30,000 residents and Boston's by about 531,000, is outpacing most New England cities in homicides this year and attracting national media attention along the way.

As of last week, Hartford's homicide count stood at 21, two more than last year's total for this city of 125,000. By comparison, Boston, with a population of about 656,000, so far has only 19 homicides – a much slower rate than in 2014, when the Hub ended the year with 52 murders.

The homicide rate in Springfield, which began the year with a bang, has flatlined for the most part. With 13 killings so far, the city made it through all of July without any homicides and could repeat that trend for August. Springfield had a total of 14 homicides in 2014.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy admits it's been a rough year for Hartford, according to the Associated Press. "We've got a problem. Crime is too high," he said.

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra said city police continue to partner with state and federal law enforcement officials in an effort to curb violent crime in Connecticut's capital city. "We are doing everything we can within our means to identify potential correlations that may assist our policing efforts," he said in a statement. "Even with a commitment of significant resources and partnerships across all levels of government, our community needs to continue to come together as government cannot address this issue alone."

Hartford's homicide rate has jumped around in recent years, but standout years over the past decade include 33 murders in 2009, 27 in 2011, and 23 in 2013, Time.com reports. Meanwhile, the highest recent homicide count in Springfield, population 154,000, was 20 killings in 2007. That's also Springfield's highest homicide count for this century. Other bad years were 2011 and 2013, with 19 killings each.

Despite Hartford's high homicide rate, Connecticut officials say the state's overall violent crime rate continues to decline. Nationwide, however, the opposite is true, with larger U.S. cities experiencing an uptick in homicides and other violent crimes in 2015.

Baltimore has seen an unprecedented spike in shootings, especially since the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in May, Time.com reports. Forty-five people were killed in Baltimore in July alone, making it the city's deadliest month since 1972. More than 200 people have been killed so far this year, a homicide count that wasn't reached until December last year, according to the Baltimore Sun.



Ashawnee Duke murder trial: No fingerprints of Duke found on car used in Springfield robbery attempt

0
0

Ashawnee Duke is on trial for murder in the fatal shooting of Keough Collins during an attempted robbery gone bad.

SPRINGFIELD — At the fourth day of testimony in the Ashawnee Duke murder trial on Wednesday, a Springfield Police sergeant testified no fingerprints from Duke were found on the car used to go to the site of an attempted armed robbery that left Keough Collins dead during what the prosecution says was a botched robbery.

Sgt. Daniel Reigner said he found prints only from Julien Holly, Duke's co-defendant, and another man, who is not charged in the case, on Collins' car.

Duke, 21, of Springfield, is on trial before Hampden Superior Court Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder for the fatal shooting of Collins on Dec. 2, 2012, just after 6 p.m.

Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett said Duke, Holly and Collins had plotted together to rob someone at Robert Dyer Circle, an apartment complex off Berkshire Avenue. When things went wrong, Collins ended up dead with a gunshot wound to the head, and the intended robbery victim was shot in the leg.

Holly, 22, of Springfield is charged with murder – just as Duke is – in the death of Collins, 19, of Chicopee. Holly, who said he waited in the car, testified for the prosecution in Duke's case.

Massachusetts State Police Lt. Thomas Murphy testified about his examination of a weapon found at the scene, as well as spent projectiles.

He said the .380-caliber Jiminez handgun found at the scene had a bullet in the chamber. It had a broken clip, so Murphy said it is likely that gun was not fired. Holly had testified it was Collins' gun.

No other guns were found at the scene. Murphy said there were some casings recovered that were fired from "an unknown 9 mm."

Under questioning from defense lawyer Calvin C. Carr, Murphy said he couldn't rule out there was a third gun at the scene. Murphy said the spent projectile found in the autopsy of Collins was .38 caliber but could have been fired from several different types of guns.

He said the weight meant it was too large to have been fired by a .380-caliber Jiminez.

It could have been fired from a 9 mm of a .38 caliber gun, he said.

Holly testified he could see some of what happened outside the apartment. He said he didn't know who actually shot Collins.

He said Collins got into a struggle with the intended robbery victim. He heard a pop, then saw Duke jump back and raise his arm and then saw two flashes coming from the area of Duke's hand.

Springfield Police Officer Timothy Kenney testified to his interviews of Holly, including one on Dec. 6, 2012. Holly was very emotionally distraught and had difficulty speaking, Kenney said.

Springfield Police Capt. Trent Duda said when he interviewed Holly, the suspect was very shaken up and emotional.

Under questioning from Carr, Duda said in the first interview he did, Holly said Duke did not have a gun at the robbery, but in the second interview he said Duke had a gun.


Westfield man pleads guilty to leaving scene of Agawam crash that injured woman

0
0

Joshua Kudelka, 25, was found guilty of leaving the scene of personal injury and has been placed on probation until Aug. 2016. In that case, he was also charged with driving with a suspended license, a count that was continued without finding.

A Westfield man who went to trial for three separate cases Thursday pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an Agawam crash that sent one woman to the hospital, according to court records.

Joshua Kudelka, 25, was found guilty of leaving the scene of personal injury and has been placed on probation until Aug. 2016. In that case, he was also charged with driving with a suspended license, a count that was continued without finding.

In a second case, Kudelka was charged with the possession of heroin in May. That count was also continued without finding, meaning that the charges against Kudelka will be dismissed after Aug. 2016 if he abides by his probation and is not charged with new offenses.

Kudelka was tried in a third case Thursday on charges of domestic assault and battery and the malicious destruction of property dating back to June, also continued without finding.

21249_388290491378401_8044491364228029172_n.jpg 

Police arrived at the scene of an accident on Dec. 4 in the parking lot of the Agawam Counseling Center on Southwick Street, where they found a crying woman sitting behind the wheel of a red Honda, Agawam Police Officer Richard Conlon wrote in a report.

The victim told polilce that the blue car behind her had hit her vehicle, and officers observed that her Honda had significant rear-end damage. Officers also noticed a man sitting in a blue Dodge Intrepid about 20 feet behind the Honda that had fresh front-end damage.

The driver of the Dodge, later identified as Kudelka, exited his car and walked away, reports said. Conlon yelled at Kudelka to stop, but he began walking quickly toward the next-door parking lot, police said.

Conlon told other officers to search the area of the nearby Pride Gas Station, where Kudelka was soon located. Kudelka was returned to the scene of the crash, where a computer query indicated that his license had been suspended in 2007.

The woman driver said she had severe neck and back pain and was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment.

UMass rape trial: Certified sexual assault nurse examiner walks jury through process of gathering evidence

0
0

Lou Rios said the woman, then a freshman at the University of Massachusetts, showed some redness around two potential points of penetration but that otherwise her tissue was within the normal limits of appearance.

NORTHAMPTON — The certified sexual assault nurse examiner who did the rape kit on the University of Massachusetts student who Adam Liccardi is accused of raping walked the jury through the process of gathering evidence of sexual assault in the afternoon session of Liccardi's trial at Hampshire Superior Court on Thursday.

Liccardi, 21, is the third of four defendants, all originally from Pittsfield, to go to trial. Emmanuel Bile and Justin King were tried and convicted earlier this year of raping the woman, then a freshman, in her UMass dorm room on Oct. 13, 2012. Both have begun serving state prison sentences. Caleb Womack, the fourth defendant, is scheduled to go to trial after Liccardi.

According to prosecutors, the four men raped the woman in several parts of her body as she was phasing in and out of consciousness after a night of drinking and pot smoking. Liccardi contends the sex between him and the student was consensual.

The nurse examiner, Lou Rios, described the hair, fluids and fibers she collected from the woman's body during the five-hour exam. Rios said the woman agreed to have some parts of her body photographed, but not others.

With defense lawyer Alfred Chamberland on cross-examination, Rios' testimony took on the air of a biology lesson as Chamberland asked her about her examination of the woman.

On Thursday morning, the jury heard testimony given by UMass Police Det. Kevin Shaw on his interview of Liccardi. Shaw said UMass police officers traveled to Pittsfield to interview the suspects on Oct. 18, 2012. Liccardi declined to talk with them, however, saying that he wanted a lawyer. He agreed to talk to Shaw but not to be recorded.

Recounting the hour-long interview, in which he took detailed notes, Shaw testified that Liccardi insisted the woman he allegedly raped voluntarily kissed Womack, then him, at which point Womack left her room in anger.

Shaw testified Liccardi said the woman had consensual sex with King and gave Liccardi oral sex. Liccardi subsequently fell asleep next to the woman. According to Liccardi's story, the woman never had sex with Womack, Shaw said.

The trial is expected to resume on Friday morning.


Holyoke children can get free school supplies at Vega Park party

0
0

The South Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative is sponsoring the event.

HOLYOKE -- The first 600 school-aged children who attend the "Party in the Park at Carlos Vega Park" Saturday (Aug. 29) will receive a free bag of school supplies.

"Want a fun and exciting event to bring your children to this weekend?...Events include laser tag, power cars, music and even rock climbing," a press release said.

The event, sponsored by the South Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative, will be from 2 to 6 p.m. in the park at Hamilton and Roberto Clemente streets.

The South Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative is a program of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department. The program's goal is to bring together law enforcement, service organizations, church groups and neighborhood residents to unify residents against street gangs, drug abuse and crime, organizers said.

Adults and children can choose from free hamburgers, hot dogs and Friendly's ice cream, the press release said.

Adults are encouraged to attend with their children, the press release said.


Massachusetts ties Connecticut for top score on national ACT college prep test

0
0

While the SAT test is historically the most popular of the two college prep tests, there has been a 31 percent increase in number of students opting to take the ACT.

MALDEN – Students in the Bay State have tied Connecticut for the top composite score in the nation on the ACT test, a rival of the SAT college readiness exam, prompting Gov. Charlie Baker to celebrate the state's renewed emphasis on "STEM-related and workforce needs."

The American College Test score results, released by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Thursday, showed that 2015 Massachusetts public and private high school graduates had an average composite score of 24.4 out of a possible 36, up from 24.3 last year.

The national average was 21.0, the same as last year's average.

"I congratulate our commonwealth's students, who continue to lead the country in academic achievement and college readiness," Baker said in a prepared statement.

"With our focus on aligning STEM-related education with our workforce needs, I am thrilled to hear that Massachusetts has the highest percentage of 2015 graduates meeting the ACT benchmark in mathematics and is rated highly in reading."

In addition to the state's strong performance in the aggregate, strides were seen among minority groups in the commonwealth, according to a press release from the education department.

While the Scholastic Aptitude Test is historically the most popular of the two college-prep tests, there has been a 31 percent increase in number of students opting to take the ACT.

Students can opt to take both tests, either test or neither.

Statewide, more than 19,600 public and private school students – or 28 percent of the 2015 graduating class – took the ACT during high school.

Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester said he was pleased that more than half of the students met all four of the ACT's college readiness benchmarks: English, mathematics, science and reading.

"As districts continue to align their curriculum with the updated state frameworks, more and more students should be prepared for college careers," Mitchell said.

The percent of Massachusetts students in the 2015 graduation class , based on ethnic background) that met all four benchmarks is as follows:

  • Asian, 58 percent
  • White, 53 percent
  • Hispanic, Latino, 29 percent
  • Black, African: 17 percent
  • Other ACT results for Massachusetts students are as follows:

    • Among states where less than a third of graduates participated in the ACT, New Hampshire (24.3), Maine (24.2) and New York (23.7) followed closely.
    • On the four subject area tests, Massachusetts had the highest percent of 2015 graduates meeting the ACT benchmark in Mathematics (71 percent), tied Connecticut for second in Science (61 percent) behind New Hampshire (62 percent), tied Maine for second highest percentage in English (85 percent) behind Connecticut and New Hampshire (both with 86 percent), and had the second highest percentage in Reading (67 percent) behind Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine (all 68 percent).
    • For more information on the ACT, visit http://www.act.org.

    Viewing all 62489 articles
    Browse latest View live




    Latest Images