A Massachusetts police organization that recognized Sattler's on-the-job excellence forwarded her name to the International Association of Women Police, which came to the same conclusion: She's one good cop. This photo shows Sattler, far left, receiving the award at an Aug. 23 ceremony in Cardiff, Wales.

HOLYOKE — City police Detective Jennifer L. Sattler has played a key role in solving homicides, bank robberies, home invasions and sexual assaults, and her law enforcement peers have taken notice – even from across the pond.

Last year, Sattler was recognized by the Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement for the 2014 Excellence in Performance Award. Holyoke Police Capt. Denise Duguay nominated her for the honor. The Massachusetts police organization then forwarded Sattler's name to the International Association of Women Police, which came to the same conclusion: She's one good cop.

With that, the international organization granted its Excellence in Performance award to Sattler at an Aug. 23 ceremony in Cardiff, Wales. The award is presented to an officer who distinguishes herself through superior attention to duty or outstanding investigative effort, which leads to the identification, location or arrest of a major criminal or criminal activity.

"This is a very prestigious award and it is an incredible honor," Holyoke Police Chief James Neiswanger said Thursday in a statement.

Sattler has played a major role in solving numerous violent or serious felony cases, each of which resulted in significant and substantial prison sentences, according to Neiswanger.

"I wish to formally commend Detective Sattler's positive work ethic and her fierce determination to solve and arrest violent dangerous felons," he said. "It is quite an honor to have her receive this international recognition."

About 200 people attended the fifth annual "Peace First luncheon, sponsored by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno's Citywide Violence Prevention Task Force.

SPRINGFIELD — Professional boxer, author and community activist and former deliquent Gail Grandchamp Thursday urged young people to set goals – and to use pen and paper rather than fists or weapons to channel negative feelings in a rousing keynote speech during a luncheon at the Springfield Boys and Girls Club.

About 200 people attended the fifth annual "Peace first luncheon," sponsored by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno's Citywide Violence Prevention Task Force.

Billed as a celebration, the luncheon was held to raise awareness about city initiatives to prevent violence and to thank community leaders who have stepped up to the plate to help city youth avoid bad choices and bad consequences.

Among those in attendance were city leaders, educators, law enforcement representatives and community activists.

Grandchamp, who said she grew up with a long "rap sheet" – including stealing, and vandalism and a bad attitude – woke up one day when she stood before a judge who was ready to send her packing to juvenile detention.

"The judge gave me a second chance," she said. "And on that day, I made up my mind that I didn't like the person I had become."

Grandchamp said she decided to make her hard-working parents proud by attending school and excelling. "I did it," she said, "I got 'A's and 'B's and you can too."

Holding up a red notebook, Grandchamp said it is a tool young people can use to write down their goals and write about incidents that cause them anger.

"Turn fighting into writing," she said."Fight with your heart."

Sarno said 99 percent of Springfield's young people "are good kids," saying too many unfair verbal slings and arrows are aimed at urban youth.

He urged the young people in the audience to resist bad influences.

"Use your head, your heart and your gut," he said. "When it doesn't feel right, go to a safe place and ask for help."

Sarno said many of the adults in the room faced adversity in their lives, but learned to deal with adversity to become better people.

"Springfield is a great mosaic," he said. "together we can fight for public safety, help bring families together and create more economic development and jobs."

Ed Caisse, a representative of Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe, said "reaching kids by fifth grade," is preferable to catching up with them when they're incarcerated.

The task force is working to help students on a path to graduating high school and college to become good citizens.

Several students spoke to the gathering including High School of Commerce student Jacob Berreto, who teaches boxing to children at the Boys and Girls Club after school.

Berreto said he wasted his freshman year at Commerce and when he failed the grade, he decided to do better.

It was the wake-up call he needed, he said. And when sophomore year rolled around he was able to make up the work he missed in freshman year while advancing in his second-year studies.

Now, he said, he's on track to graduate on schedule. "Thanks the the teachers at Commerce I started getting 'A's and 'B's, he said, and he is an active member of the school's boxing team.

Berreto said growing up on Eastern Avenue in the city's Mason Square is not easy," but he's determined to be a role model for his five-year-old sister. "Encouraging her makes me feel good," he said. "It's nice to be an example to a little kid."

Sarno praised task force faciitator Darryl Moss from his office and Elias Brookings Elementary School counselor Gianna Allentuck for their work on the task force and for organizing Thursday's event.

Smith & Wesson has 1,758 full-time employees.

SPRINGFIELD -- Gunmaker Smith & Wesson reported Thursday that its net sales were up 12.1 percent for its most recent quarter compared with the same time last year.

The corporation issued a news release just after the close of the stock market Thursday, stating:

• Sales were $147.8 million for the three months ending July 31. That is up from $131.86 million for the same time period last year.
• Smith & Wesson accessories division net sales of $13.3 million increased by 29.9 percent from the comparable quarter last year.
• Smith & Wesson grew that business by buying an accessories company, Battenfeld Technologies, Inc., on Dec. 11, 2014.
• For the quarter, net income was  $14.4 million, or 26 cents per diluted share, compared with $14.6 million, also 26 cents per diluted share.
• When adjusted for one-time charges, those earnings were  $17.7 million, or 32 cents per diluted share, compared with $14.9 million, or 27 cents per share, for the first quarter last year.
• The earnings beat Wall Street expectations.
• Smith & Wesson upgraded its financial outlook for the full fiscal year, now predicting $620 million in sales for the current fiscal year instead of the $610 million it had predicted.
• Smith & Wesson now expects to earn $1.19 a share compared with the $1.14 a share the company had been predicting.
• Smith & Wesson ended the first quarter with no borrowings on its $175.0 million revolving line of credit.
• Inventory is up but Smith & Wesson typically builds inventory in the summer as it prepares for the busy fall hunting and holiday shopping seasons.

Smith & Wesson stock, SWHC on the NASDAQ, was $17.01 a share in after hours trading at 6:15 p.m. Thursday. The stock was up about 5 percent from the $16.22 price at Wednesday's close.

James Debney, Smith & Wesson president and CEO said in a news release:

"Our first quarter results exceeded our expectations for sales and net income in both our firearms and accessories divisions.  Higher  revenue in our firearms division was driven by strong orders for our M&P 15 Sport rifles, our Thompson/Center Venture  bolt-action rifles and our M&P Shield  polymer pistols.  Our accessories division, which was established less than one year ago, also continued to deliver excellent results, with revenue and gross margins that were positive from the year-ago quarter.  During the quarter, we introduced limited edition models of our M&P Bodyguard  380 pistol and Model 642 J-Frame Revolver, and product development teams in both our firearm and accessories divisions continued to prepare several new products and extensions for launch at SHOT Show 2016.  Based upon our performance for the first quarter and our current outlook for the remainder of fiscal 2016, we are raising our full year revenue and net income guidance."

Wall Street analysts had predicted a strong quarter from Smith & Wesson.  FBI background checks, often used as a measure of gun sales, are on a track to beat their all time high of 21.1 million, which was set in 2013. (pdf)

Founded by Horace Smith and D.B. Wesson in 1852, Smith & Wesson has 1,758 full-time employees. The company's headquarters and factory fill a sprawling facility on Roosevelt Avenue in Springfield.

In May 2014, Smith & Wesson bought Tri Town Precision Plastics, Inc. of Deep River, Connecticut, for $22.8 million. Tri Town had been a major supplier of plastic parts for Smith & Wesson, which at the time said it was trying to vertically integrate its operations and secure its supply chain.

In December 2014, Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. bought Missouri-based Battenfield Technologies Inc. for $130.5 million in cash. Battenfield Technologies Inc. sells shooting, reloading, gunsmithing and gun cleaning products under several brand names: Caldwell Shooting Supplies, Wheeler Engineering, Tipton Gun Cleaning Supplies and Lockdown Vault Accessories.

The case is scheduled to go the jury Friday. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - Assistant Hampden District Attorney Max Bennett summed it up this way in his closing argument in the Ashawnee Duke murder trial.

"Even though we've been here a week, this trial really happened on Monday and Tuesday," he said. That was when the prosecution's chief witness Julien Holly testified.

Holly, like the 21-year-old Duke, is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Keough Collins on Dec. 2, 2012, just after 6 p.m. during a robbery attempt gone bad.

But only Duke, of Springfield, is on trial now before Hampden Superior Court Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder.

Holly, 22, of Springfield, is the chief prosecution witness in Duke's trial. She testified Monday and Tuesday.

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, 19, of Chicopee, ended up dead with a gunshot wound to the head, and the intended robbery victim was shot in the leg.

Given that both sides agree there is no forensic evidence connecting Duke to Collins' death, it wasn't surprising Bennett and defense lawyer Calvin C. Carr spent much of their closing arguments giving very different pictures of Holly.

Carr characterized the forensic evidence as "none, zero, nada."

"He's pitching a script," said Carr, saying Holly is the author of the false story to which he testified. Carr said Duke was not a the scene of Collins' shooting and had nothing to do with it.

"You're all asking yourself why would Julien Holly throw Mr. Duke under the bus," Carr said.

He said Holly had a strong dislike of Duke and decided Duke was "expendable."

Holly testified he waited in the car when Duke and Collins got out. He said 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.

"Early on the police tied their wagon to Mr. Holly," Carr said.

He said Holly, who has been promised consideration on his own case, is "a bought and paid for witness ... Julien Holly is an admitted liar by his own mouth. Once they say they're a liar, where is the truth."

Bennett said even though Holly's statements to police changed over time, from the start he said Duke was there.

He said Holly admitted he was testifying for several reasons, once of which was to provide closure to the family of Collins, Holly's close friend.

"So what if he wants a deal," Bennett said. "Who wants to sit in jail? Nobody."

Bennett said a number of witnesses testified about how distraught Holly was about Collins' death. Those witnesses included police and Collins' family members, most notably Collins' mother.

Bennett asked jurors to convict Duke of first degree murder, citing two theories of first degree murder that applied.

One is "felony murder," alleging the killing took place during commission of a felony - armed robbery.

The other is the theory of premeditation, Bennett said.

Kinder is scheduled to give his instructions on the law Friday morning and then the jury will begin deliberations.

Soto is one of seven candidates in the Sept. 8 preliminary election for Springfield mayor.

SPRINGFIELD — On the steps of City Hall, Miguel Soto of the East Forest Park section of Springfield announced that he will run a write-in and sticker campaign for mayor in the Sept. 8 preliminary election.

Soto failed to submit sufficient signatures by the deadline for nomination papers.

He said yesterday, "The people have been asking me to run, and I feel I am qualified."

Soto lives at 1042 Allen St., is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving for six years, and is employed by the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative as a bus driver.

"I drive special needs children," he said.

He said that if he is elected mayor, he will work to improve the crime rate in the city, work to increase the number of jobs in the city and work with parents to improve the high school graduation rate.

"We need police officers on the beat who know the families in the area," he said. Police officers need to know the gang members and the children who are in trouble, he added.

Members of the Community Compliance Review Board should walk the beat with police officers to find out where the drug problems are, Soto said.

Besides Soto's write-in campaign for mayor, there are six candidates on the ballot for mayor in the preliminary election.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno is seeking re-election and faces five opponents who are on the ballot: Salvatore Circosta, Ivelisse Gonzalez, Michael Jones, Johnnie Ray McKnight and Beverly Savage.

If he were mayor, Soto said he would work to make sure that the city hires local contractors for construction, plumbing and electrical work and snow removal.

People in the city need jobs, Soto said.

Soto said he has been a member of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council Board of Directors, organizer then commissioner of the Citizens Complaint Review Board, advocate for ward representation and a Ward 7 Democratic Committee member.

He said he has campaigned for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Gov. Deval Patrick, former state Attorney General Martha Coakley and Sarno.

There were no apparent victims in the shooting near the corner of King and Hancock streets, where officers found multiple shell casings.

SPRINGFIELD — Gunshots were fired from a moped in the Old Hill section of the city on Thursday afternoon but it's unclear what sparked the incident, which remains under investigation.

There were no apparent victims in the 2:24 p.m. shooting near the corner of King and Hancock streets, where officers recovered multiple shell casings. The city's ShotSpotter system mapped the gunfire to the area of 161 Hancock St.

Witnesses told police up to five shots came from a moped carrying two men, at least one of whom fired at a silver or gray car. The car may have a couple of bullet holes in its windshield and other gunfire damage, according to witnesses.

The moped and car both fled the area.

Anyone with information about the shooting can reach detectives in the Major Crimes Unit at 413-787-6355. Anonymous text-message tips may be sent to CRIMES (274637).

A similar crime involving a gunman who opened fire from a moped was reported over the weekend in the Cedar Street area, police said.

MAP showing approximate location of ShotSpotter activation in Old Hill:

Attorney Shawn Allyn is representing North End residents in a lawsuit against the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

SPRINGFIELD — The attorney representing North End residents in a lawsuit seeking to stop an alcohol treatment center from being sited in their neighborhood will send a letter to Baystate Health asking to be invited to any future meetings Baystate hosts involving North End residents and Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe.

Shawn Allyn is representing 11 residents in a suit filed in Hampden Superior Court against the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and Wason Avenue Partners. The suit asks that the court declare the relocation of the Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center to Wason Avenue illegal.

Allyn said he was not invited to attend a meeting held Wednesday at Baystate Health that was facilitated by Frank Robinson, vice president of Public Health and Community Relations for the medical center.

Shawn Allyn 

"It's a matter of transparency," Allyn said. "If the sheriff's department had a lawyer present, then why was I not allowed to attend a meeting where my clients were invited to attend?"

Allyn referred to the presence of an attorney who attended the meeting with other officials from Ashe's department. Baystate contacted the New North Citizens Council and asked them to invite all interested parties including members of Women of the Vanguard, who declined to attend, several homeowners invited by Neighbor to Neighbor and independent homeowners not affiliated with any grassroots organization.

Baystate declined to comment until they have had an opportunity to read the letter.

In a prepared statement released after the meeting, Robinson said the meeting was designed to clear up confusion surrounding the project and calmly help all invested parties better understand the facts of the program, the project itself and the neighborhood concerns at large.

Since then, residents have said they are not confused and do not want more facts on the program. They just do not want the facility in their neighborhood.

Maria Perez, president and founder of Women of the Vanguard and one of the complainants on the suit, said she declined to attend because this issue is now in litigation and there is no reason for meetings.

"I find it disrespectful that the lawyer representing the residents could not be present but theirs was," she said.

Allyn said he went to Baystate, where the meeting took place, and asked to be admitted, but was told he was not on the list.

"If they are going to have legal representation, the residents should as well," he said.

Another meeting between the New North Citizens Council, residents and the sheriff''s department is scheduled at Baystate next week.

The original correctional treatment center 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.

The three new hires are officers Rebecca Mazuch, of Hatfield; Nicholas Pickunka, of Deerfield; and Monica Czerwinski, of Hadley, all of whom recently completed training at the Western Mass Regional Police Academy at Springfield Technical Community College.

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Police Department held a swearing-in and promotion ceremony for three new officers and three veteran officers on Thursday evening, Aug. 27, in the Community Room at police headquarters, 29 Center St.

The three new hires are officers Rebecca Mazuch, of Hatfield; Nicholas Pickunka, of Deerfield; and Monica Czerwinski, of Hadley. All three recently completed their training at the Western Mass Regional Police Academy, located on the campus of Springfield Technical Community College.

The Northampton police officers who were promoted are Capt. John Cartledge, previously a lieutenant; Lt. David Callahan, previously a sergeant; and Sgt. Patrick Moody, previously a patrol officer and detective.

Mazuch, Pickunka and Czerwinski are graduates of the 52nd Recruit Officer Class at STCC. They currently are assigned to the Police Department's Field Training and Evaluation Program.

Mazuch, who holds two bachelor's degrees from Westfield State University in Economics and Criminal Justice, currently is enrolled in WSU's master's program in Public Administration. Prior to joining the Northampton Police Department, she worked at Florence Savings Bank and Webster's Fish Hook.

Pickunka has a bachelor's in Sociology from UMass Amherst. He previously worked at the Deerfield Police Department and Bub's BBQ in Sunderland.

Czerwinski has a double bachelor's degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee. Before joining the department, she was employed by Riverview Bar & Grill in Williamsburg, the Hadley Fire Department and UMass Dining Services.

Cartledge, a Northampton native, began his career at the Northampton Police Department in 1995. He currently is commander of the department's Operations Division and has a bachelor's degree from WSU.

Callahan, a Northampton native, joined the Northampton force in 1988 and currently serves as commander of the evening shift. Callahan has two bachelor's degrees from WSU in Criminal Justice and Business Management.

Moody, a Worthington native, joined the department in 2008. He has a bachelor's from WSU in Criminal Justice.

Narcotics officers raided Big Red's Variety, 1196 St. James Ave., and arrested three men on drug charges, said Sgt. John Delaney, a police spokesman.

SPRINGFIELD — Police have broken up an alleged drug operation working from an East Springfield convenience store.

Narcotics officers raided Big Red's Variety, 1196 St. James Ave., and arrested three men on drug charges, said police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney in a Thursday nightFacebook post that didn't include the date or time of the alleged crime.

Detective Luke Cournoyer obtained a search warrant for the store after drug activity was observed at the location, Delaney said.

A subsequent search of the store and suspects allegedly yielded crack cocaine, marijuana, drug-packaging materials, about $1,400 cash, and a stolen .38-caliber revolver with two rounds.

Arrested were 38-year-old Delano Mark Walker, 56-year-old Kenneth Hill and 54-year-old Colan McTier, according to Delaney, who didn't provide the suspects' addresses.

Walker was charged with possession of a gun and ammo without a firearms identification card; receiving stolen property (the revolver) over $250; improper storage of a gun, distribution of crack and marijuana; marijuana possession with intent to distribute; and possession of a gun during commission of a felony.

Hill was charged with marijuana distribution and marijuana possession with intent to distribute.

Mctier was charged with marijuana possession.

Additional information wasn't immediately available.

MAP showing approximate location of convenience store:

Springfield police officers responded to TD Bank, 619 Chestnut St., just after 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, for an armed robbery report. Authorities didn't immediately indicate if a weapon was used or if money was taken during the incident.

SPRINGFIELD — Authorities were investigating an armed robbery report at a bank in the city's North End on Thursday afternoon, but police didn't immediately release details of the incident.

Officers responded to TD Bank, 619 Chestnut St., just after 3 p.m. for a possible armed robbery. It was unclear if a weapon was shown or if money was taken.

The suspect was described as a 5-foot-7, 40-plus-year-old Hispanic man who was wearing some kind of fake facial hair, which was glued or otherwise affixed to his face, according to preliminary police reports.

The suspect was dressed in a dark, long-sleeve, button-down shirt with vertical white stripes, blue jeans, black shoes and a tan fedora, police said.

Plainclothes detectives and uniformed officers searched the area for the suspect, who apparently was still at large Thursday evening.

This developing story will be updated when more information is available..

A candlelight vigil was held to remember journalists Alison Parker and Adam Ward. The two were shot and killed Wednesday morning during a live broadcast.

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) -- Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring joined several hundred Roanoke-area residents Thursday night at a candlelight vigil outside television station WDBJ to remember station employees Alison Parker and Adam Ward. The two were shot and killed Wednesday morning during a live broadcast.

Herring said he wanted to be there "to let all the folks in the community know that the entire commonwealth is thinking about them."

Herring, who has advocated gun control measures, said, "We need to quit thinking we can walk away from tragedies like this and that the problem is going to go away by itself."

The vigil was organized by a community group, Stop the Violence Star City.

Many of those who attended the vigil said they had been watching the station when the shooting occurred and that the tragedy hit close to home.

Da'Sean Downey, a sophomore linebacker from White Plains, New York, will be arraigned Oct. 21 in Eastern Hampshire District Court.

AMHERST -- A University of Massachusetts football player is facing two charges of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury in connection with a February fight in Hadley that sent one UMass student to the hospital.   

Da'Sean Downey, a sophomore linebacker from White Plains, New York, is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 21 in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

A show cause hearing in April determined there was enough evidence to proceed with the criminal complaint issued Tuesday, according to court documents.

Police responded to a fight at 124 Rock Hill Road in Hadley on Feb. 22 and found that a male was unconscious and had several teeth knocked out, according to the application for the criminal complaint. The victim was later transported from Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton to the UMass Medical Center in Worcester for surgery.

Another man suffered an apparent broken nose, according to the complaint. 

Both identified the assailant as Downey, according to the Hadley police complaint.

UMass officials did not immediately reply to emails sent Thursday afternoon seeking comment.

She will talk about the redesign for Neilson Library on Sept. 16.

NORTHAMPTON - Legendary architect Maya Lin will discuss the redesign of Smith College's Neilson Library on Sept. 16, from noon to 1:30 p.m., in Sweeney Concert Hall in the campus' Sage Hall.

Lin and the design firm Shepley Bulfinch were chosen by the college in April to redesign its main library that dates to 1909.

Lin, whose mother fled Communist China and went on to graduate from Smith in 1951, rose to early fame with her design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. She has spoken previously at Smith, which awarded her an honorary degree in 1993.

The college has said that renovation of Nelson is its largest capital project of this decade, and the first library renovation since 1982. Planning for its renovation began in 2010, with ground breaking scheduled for 2017, and to take at least two years.

The concept behind the redesign involves determining the purpose of a modern library and allowing a wide range of community input to the process.

Lin's portfolio of work is large, as are her awards, including being presented the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2009.

The simulated training centered around an "active threat response," requiring officers to engage armed subjects in populated areas such as schools, malls or workplaces.

HADLEY — In a post-Columbine climate, in which school shootings and other mass public shootings have become part of America's crime landscape, you can never be too prepared.

That's the mindset of the Hadley Police Department, which earlier this week took part in training exercises aimed at dealing with active shooters or similar threats. The drills were held at the abandoned North Star School on Russell Street, and the course was taught by instructors from the Amherst Police Department.

The specialized training centered around an "active threat response," requiring officers to engage in simulated scenarios involving armed subjects in populated areas such as schools, malls or workplaces.

Mass shootings, whether at schools or other public venues, have become so prevalent that online sites tracking such events are now common. One such site, Mass Shooting Tracker, includes data from this week's assassination of a TV news crew in Virginia and last month's murder of Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan and four other troops in Tennessee.

Scott Brewster, 42, of 118 Creamery Road, Gilbertville, a community near Ware, was indicted Tuesday on two counts of illegal possession of a large capacity firearm and single counts of possessing a firearm without a firearm identification card and having a firearm having previously committed prior violent crime, namely assault and battery on an elderly person with a dangerous weapon.

NORTHAMPTON - A Hampshire County grand jury has indicted a Gilbertville man on firearm charges.

Scott Brewster, 42, of 118 Creamery Road, Gilbertville, a village in the town of Hardwick, was indicted Tuesday on two counts of illegal possession of a large capacity firearm and single counts of possessing a firearm without a firearm identification card and having a firearm having previously committed a violent crime, namely assault and battery on an elderly person with a dangerous weapon.

An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.

A Connecticut judge has granted a request by prosecutors to seal the warrants state police obtained to search the Bridgeport home and property of the son of the missing couple from Easton.

A digest of news stories from around the Northeast.

Walpole School Committee votes to block flying of Confederate flag over high school field [Boston Globe]

Manuel Gutierrez-Guzman 

Drone captures pictures of monk sunbathing on top of Rhode Island wind turbine [Providence Journal]

James "Whitey" Bulger 

'Harm' OCD causes those who suffer from it to suffer 'unwanted, intrusive thoughts' of a violent and sometimes sexual nature.

SPRINGFIELD - A federal judge stayed an order by the state that a student return to a private school in Westfield on Sept. 1 after telling a teacher last spring that he felt urges to stab and rape her, according to court records.

The judge also set a deadline for the state to determine the boy's academic future.

The dispute played out in U.S. District Court during a daylong hearing on Friday, after lawyers for White Oak School filed a motion on Monday asking for a temporary restraining order to keep the student from re-enrolling. The student, then 17, had been attending the school for years and was characterized as a polite, respectful boy until he was diagnosed with a rare form of obsessive-compulsive disorder called "Harm OCD."

The condition causes those who suffer from it to suffer "unwanted, intrusive thoughts" of a violent and sometimes sexual nature. A symptom of the disorder can include a compulsion to blurt out the fears to other people, according to clinicians and lawyers in the case. This is what occurred on April 2 when the student, a Longmeadow resident, told a teacher of his mental turmoil while the two were in a classroom alone.

"He ... stated that he had sexual feelings that had taken control of him. He then informed the teacher that he wanted to rape and stab her, and that he could not stop himself," the plaintiff's complaint reads. "When the teacher turned to leave the room, (the student) came closer to her and then fell to the ground, apparently suffering a seizure," reads a complaint filed by lawyers for the school.

Most clinicians agree that those who suffer from the disorder rarely if ever act out on their thoughts.

White Oak School caters to around 60 students grades 4 through 12 with "language-based learning disabilities." A lawyer for the school argued in the original motion for a restraining order that the facility does not have the clinical resources or proper staff to handle a student with this boy's impairment.

During Friday's hearing, Peter Smith, an attorney for the student and his parents, asked U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to issue an impoundment order and seal all the documents related to the case. However, court filings by lawyers from both sides had previously been public and are the basis for stories in The Republican and on MassLive.

The documents filed in connection with the case are no longer publicly available. But, arguments were held in open court.

Many of the facts and the fundamental question of whether the student poses a real threat to anyone else were hotly contested during the hearing. Lawyers at times became emotional and Mastroianni asked Smith to "step it back" at one point during his arguments.

Since the episode at the school in April, the boy has not returned and school officials say he was "terminated." They provided at-home tutoring, financed by the Longmeadow school system, and sought an alternative placement for the student, according to court filings. School officials suggested Valley West School in Chicopee, which caters to students with emotional and social struggles. But, the parents resisted and Smith argued in court that although Valley West is a good school, it is not a good fit in this instance.

"It's a wonderful school ... perhaps the best in the commonwealth for students with emotional needs ... but absolutely inappropriate for this student," Smith told Mastroianni, adding that being placed there may actually exacerbate underlying anxiety issues the boy has.

Smith also argued that an additional allegation that the student expressed similar frightening thoughts to a friend and former White Oak classmate was overblown, at best, and suggested the teacher's rendition of what transpired also was exaggerated. Smith said the boy and the former classmate had made amends and were having lunch as the hearing unfolded.

Roderick MacLeish, a lawyer for the school, countered that the teacher who encountered the boy and his violent thoughts in the spring was "a veteran teacher," and "no shrinking violet." He said she was formerly a teacher in a tough school in Bronx, New York, and had never before been afraid of a student.

"There's been an underestimation of the severity of this disorder," by the defendants, MacLeish argued. "How can we say that this is not something that would not lead to violence? We simply cannot say that."

MacLeish also told Mastroianni that the case had been in the hands of the state Bureau of Special Education Appeals for months. He said a state expert had not been out to visit the school or interview its staff, which prompted delays in the case and put off previously scheduled hearings to vet the matter.

School officials argued they were essentially blind-sided by a "stay put" order recently issued by the state agency which mandated that the boy return to White Oak on Sept. 1. MacLeish argued that private schools should not be subject to such orders; but, that is still a point of contention in the case.

Mastroianni initially told the attorneys that he was reluctant to intervene in a case that was subject to pending administrative hearings by a state agency. He also questioned what led to the delays in the case.

"I'm wondering how and why these hearings weren't scheduled until August? This was just a ticking time bomb with time just falling off the calendar," Mastroianni said. "And now here we are."

Ultimately, Mastroianni denied the school's motion for a temporary restraining order, but issued a stay on the state's "stay put" order. He said that although the boy had not acted on his disturbing remarks, they were ongoing, according to the student's clinicians. Mastroianni also said he was concerned for the student in question.

"The student himself experiences a significant amount of stress related to this entire process," Mastroianni said, adding that the boy seems "insightful" and worrying aloud that returning to White Oak could be more detrimental than helpful.

However, he also found that there was "a likelihood of (emotional) injury" to other students who may be subjected to similar disclosures by the boy in the future. The student will not be returning to White Oak on Sept. 1. But, Mastroianni set a Sept. 24 deadline for the state appellate body to hold hearings and make findings in the case to determine the boy's academic future. In the interim he ordered that the student receive at-home tutoring that mirrors the school's curriculum.

The judge also ordered that the Sept. 24 deadline would not be lifted without express permission from the court. If the date approaches and all parties are not on track, Mastroianni warned:

"There's going to have to be a pretty good reason," he said.

Deerfield and Northfield have issued similar orders, citing health concerns.

CONWAY -- The Franklin County town of Conway has ordered Kinder Morgan to stop all pipeline-related activities within its borders, joining other area communities.

Monday's cease and desist order was issued by the Board of Health against the Texas energy company's proposed Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline, reports The Recorder of Greenfield. The letter will be sent to Allen Fore, vice president of public affairs for the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co., a Kinder Morgan subsidiary.

The order refers to "short and long-term health and safety risks" associated with the pipeline plan and orders Kinder Morgan to "immediately cease from carrying on the activities associated with the pipeline" in the town of Conway.

Board of Health Chairman Carl Nelke told The Recorder that Conway would not pursue legal action if Kinder Morgan violated the order, but that "at least it draws a line in the sand."

The board of health also voted to write to FERC, or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to express concerns about drinking water safety, noise and air pollution, safety concerns, and potential health impacts of periodic gas releases, reports the Recorder.

Conway passed a resolution at town meeting in 2014 opposing the project, and formed an ad-hoc Pipeline Task Force to study the project.

Other towns which have issued cease and desist orders against Kinder Morgan include Deerfield and Northfield, where a 41,0000 horsepower compressor station is planned.

The 30-inch line would cross 16 western Massachusetts communities on its way from Wright, New York to a gas transmission hub in Dracut.

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

Griffin, a Democratic candidate for sheriff from Springfield, has filed paperwork with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

SPRINGFIELD — Just as voters legitimize the government through the election of public officials, wannabe public officials – also known as candidates – legitimize their intentions to serve the public by filing paperwork with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF).

Springfield resident Jack Griffin, a Democratic candidate for Hampden County sheriff, has taken the first step to formalize his campaign by filing a "statement of organization" with OCPF.

The Committee to Elect Jack Griffin was certified by OCPF on Aug. 11, and Mark Dorsey and Joan Kavanagh – two of Griffin's neighbors in the East Forest Park neighborhood – are listed as his campaign chairman and treasurer, respectively.

Griffin has yet to file any financial reports with OCPF. But his two rivals in the race, Nick Cocchi and James Gill, formalized their campaigns in April 2014 and October 2014, respectively, and have been raising money since then.

Cocchi, a Ludlow Democrat and currently chief of security for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, had more than $14,228 as of Aug. 20, according to OCPF records. Gill, a Wilbraham independent and an assistant deputy superintendent with the Sheriff's Department, had $1,715 as of Aug. 18, according to his latest campaign filing.

Griffin said his background as a retired addiction specialist with the Connecticut Department of Corrections puts him in a unique position to deal with people who are incarcerated, more than 80 percent of whom have drug and alcohol problems. "Over three decades in the field of addiction services has given me insight that is needed," he said. "A fresh set of eyes in 2016 will give the public a better outlook."

Sheriff Mike Ashe announced last year that he would not seek re-election in 2016, clearing the way for a race to fill the job he's held since 1974. That race won't be decided until Election Day on Nov. 8, 2016.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell a scant 11.76 points Friday, capping a week that saw stomach-churning losses and gains of around 600 points per day.

By ALEX VEIGA

NEW YORK - Well, that was exciting.

Days after China threw the biggest scare into Wall Street in years, U.S. stocks have came surging back and ended the week Friday on a placid note that suggested the worst may be over for now.

Even so, investors are buckling their seat belts for more turbulence ahead.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell a scant 11.76 points Friday, or 0.1 percent, to 16,643.01, capping a week that saw stomach-churning losses and gains of around 600 points per day. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.21 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,988.87. The Nasdaq composite added 15.62 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,828.32.

U.S. stocks went into their swoon last week, mostly over signs of a slowdown in China, the world's second-biggest economy. Before the six-day losing streak had ended, the Dow had plummeted 1,900 points and the S&P 500 was undergoing its first "correction," a decline of 10 percent or more, in nearly four years.

But stocks soared at midweek, cutting the Dow's losses nearly in half, in a rally analysts attributed to bargain-hunting, signs that the Federal Reserve may hold off raising interest rates this fall, and a new report that said the U.S. economy is growing at a more robust rate than previously believed.

Still, the concerns that triggered the sell-off remain: slumping oil prices, a slowing Chinese economy, weak corporate earnings forecasts and uncertainty over interest rates.

That means there's likely to be more market volatility ahead, something that history backs up. September has been the worst month for stocks.

"For the last few years, let's face it, there's been very little volatility," said JJ Kinahan, TD Ameritrade's chief strategist. "We've had a very impressive rally. Not that we can't go higher, but it's not going to be an easy path to get there."

The S&P 500 is still nearly three times higher than its post-2008 financial crisis low in March 2009. The Dow is up roughly 2 1/2 times higher.

Despite the bounce-back this week, stocks are on course for their worst monthly performance in more than three years. The S&P 500 is down 5.5 percent in August, and the Dow is down 5.9 percent.

"That kind of volatility is really pretty scary," said Hans Chang, 33, who was visiting New York on Friday. Because he recently left his job, Chang has to sell investments he bought with stock options within 90 days -- something he can't do now without taking a big loss.

But for other investors like James Day, a data management specialist in Ferndale, Michigan, the stock market swoon was a signal to buy low and boost his contributions to his 401(k).

"I'm not looking to retire tomorrow, so as far as I'm concerned, I have time," said Day, 43. "If I don't think I'm staring down the barrel of some long-term recession or unemployment, I look at these dips as an opportunity."

Investors can expect the volatility to continue at least until the market gets a better idea from the Fed on the timing of an interest rate increase, something many investors fear could put a damper on the U.S. economy.

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said Friday that before the recent turbulence, there was a "pretty strong case" for raising rates in September. But he said the Fed is watching how events unfold.

Traders and strategists have often described the U.S. stock market as overbought. Even with the wild swings this week, investors are paying close to $18 for every $1 of earnings in the S&P 500 -- above the $15 investors have historically paid for stocks after World War II.

"It's still an expensive market," said Kevin Dorwin, managing principal of San Francisco-based Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough. "We still need to see earnings growth or valuations improve, and absent that, it's hard to see how the market can move up."

Rob Lee, 64, of Melbourne, Australia, said he invests only small amounts of money in "very safe securities" because he wants to avoid the risk of sharp drops in the market like the one last week. But he added: "It'll bounce back. It always does."

AP writers Steve Rothwell, Ken Sweet and Marley Jay in New York contributed to this report.