The Massachusetts Democrat declined to directly say whether Biden raised the possibility of her running for vice president with him as part of a ticket.

By STEVE LeBLANC

BOSTON -- U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Vice President Joe Biden called her twice to set up a lunch with him last month as he weighs a White House run.

Warren said the two had what she described as "a good long rambly policy conversation" over salad at the Naval Observatory, his Washington residence.

"We talked about policy. We talked about what's happening to America's middle class. We talked about the direction that this country has been going in. We talked about the capture of this country by those who've got money and power," Warren said Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Democrat declined to directly say whether Biden raised the possibility of her running for vice president with him as part of a ticket.

Asked if there was talk of a vice presidential run during the lunch, Warren would only say, "it was a long conversation."

Warren also declined to directly pledge to serve out the rest of her six-year term, although she said she loves her work as a senator. Warren faces re-election in 2018.

"I love my job. I truly love this job and it's all I'm thinking of and you just can't put a different thought in my head," she said.

Reminded of a 2013 pledge to serve out her term, she added, "there's nothing that has changed in my thinking."

Warren made the comments at an event sponsored by the Boston Globe and Suffolk University. Warren's statements came a day after she said that the possibility she would run as a vice presidential candidate in the 2016 election is "something I'm not talking about." Warren also said Tuesday that Biden faces a tough decision.

"He's been through an awful lot, and that's something he will have to decide himself, and it's going to be with his family and quietly in his own home," Warren said.

Warren met privately with Hillary Clinton earlier this year and she said she's also talked with Democratic presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley.

She said Wednesday that she imagines she might end up endorsing a candidate before the Democratic primary. On Tuesday, she said it was still too early and she'll have to see how the race unfolds.

Warren has also declined to say whether she'll seek a second term.

She remains a powerhouse among the more liberal wing of the party, and her endorsement is coveted by those hoping to win the presidential nomination. She also has fundraising muscle. More than $41 million flooded into her account during the 2012 election, when she successfully ousted Republican incumbent Sen. Scott Brown.

Baystate Health has set up another meeting for late September.

SPRINGFIELD — The New North Citizens Council will be contacting local developers in hopes that someone will put in a bid to build the Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center.

Residents, members of the council and Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe met at Baystate Health's Chestnut Building Wednesday night to further discuss the relocation of the treatment facility. Residents strongly oppose the relocation of the facility to the North End.

Gilberto Rivera, the president of the council, said the council and the residents still share the sentiment that the facility does not belong in the North End on Wason Avenue.

"That has remained the same," he said.

What has changed is that now the council will actively seek developers.

"There are about half a dozen developers which they will be engaging in the process," said Dr. Frank Robinson, vice president of Public Health and Community Relations for Baystate. "We are going to work with the New North Citizens Council to support their search for a new developer."

When asked by a reporter if the council and residents were equipped to search for a developer Rivera said no, but they can still bring awareness to the issue.

"We probably don't have the expertise, but we can make the phone calls, meet with developers and see if they can help us look for other land that the state and the sheriff will agree to," he said.

This is the second meeting between residents and Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe to discuss the relocation of the facility which is temporarily located at the Holyoke Geriatric Authority. The program was displaced from its home on Howard Street in Springfield to make room for the MGM casino.

Ashe was once again at the meeting with several members of his staff and a lawyer present. After the last meeting attorney Shawn Allyn said he was not allowed to attend.

Robinson said Allyn never contacted him about attending the meeting. He did not receive a letter or call from the attorney who is representing several of the residents in a lawsuit against Ashe, the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and Wason Avenue Partners.

"He never requested to participate and never showed up," Robinson added.

Rivera said those at the meeting agreed to keep the community at large informed.

"We will talk to them directly and inform the of what is going on as well as giving out fact sheets about any new development," he said.

As for a discussion about new bids Robinson said that is information the state will have to provide once the bid process has closed. As of now the division has not released any details on incoming bids. At the last meeting Ashe confirmed that at least one other bid has come in for the project.

The next meeting will be held in two weeks.

The comments mark a shift for Warren, who supported the medical use of marijuana but opposed full legalization during her 2012 campaign.

BOSTON -- U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she's open to proposed ballot questions that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

The comments mark a shift for Warren, who supported the medical use of marijuana but opposed full legalization during her 2012 campaign.

Warren said the country has learned more about legalizing marijuana since then, noting a couple of states have already taken the step.

Warren said the country should be learning from those states. She said she'd encourage more research into the effects of legalization.

She said she's also been pushing the federal government to study the medicinal use of marijuana.

Four questions submitted by two separate groups for the 2016 ballot would allow the adult recreational use of marijuana.

Warren made the comments Wednesday at an event sponsored by the Boston Globe and Suffolk University.

"I'm trying to sell this store," said Ram Karki, a Nepalese immigrant from Kathmandu who's been trying to make a go of it in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — A crossing guard with a handheld "STOP" sign watches the traffic at Oakland and Dickinson streets Wednesday afternoon, a hot, steamy day in the city of Springfield. A gaggle of schoolkids waits to get to the other side.

Across the street, there's a restaurant and more people on the sidewalk.

The light turns red.
Cars stop.
People cross.

This is the rhythm of life in this bustling corner of Forest Park, where there are no obvious incongruities on this late-summer afternoon.

Except for the blood stain in the middle of Oakland Street.

But even blood on the street isn't that unusual in this neighborhood, parts of which are riddled by crime and violence.

A dozen hours earlier, someone lit up the corner of Oakland and Dickinson with gunfire. Authorities are calling it a gang-related shooting. Two people were hit, and neither has been particularly cooperative. Translation: They probably know who shot them.

Such is the way in Springfield, where snitches get stitches, feuds are settled the Charles Bronson way, and investigations are stymied by know-nothing victims and witnesses. This is not always the case, of course. But it happens often enough to make policework a tricky business in this city of 155,000.

Late Tuesday night, just minutes before midnight Wednesday, perhaps as many as nine shots were fired at the corner of Oakland and Dickinson. Left behind was a puddle of blood from a female victim. More blood led police to nearby Johnson Street, where a second victim was found. He was shot twice.

The blood on the street and sidewalk has long since dried, baked by the sun. But it's still there.

Crime-weary residents are fed up with the nonsense that goes on in this diverse neighborhood of haves and have-nots, where some homes are exquisite and others look like they're rotting from the inside out. No one group seems to dominate the landscape of Forest Park, home to Puerto Ricans, blacks, gays, Irish, Jews, Italians, French Canadians, Vietnamese, South Asians and a man by the name of Ram Karki, a Nepalese immigrant from Kathmandu who's been trying to make a go of it here in Springfield.

Things were much different when he ran a store in wealthy Glastonbury, Connecticut. But now he and his wife call Forest Park home. It's where they make their livelihood running an Oakland Street business called Mini Convenience Store & Deli.

It's also where multiple gunshots rang out around 11:58 p.m. Tuesday.

Cops swarmed the area, roped off the crime scene, and did what they always do – look for victims, interview residents, and search for evidence that may eventually become part of a criminal prosecution somewhere down the road.

"I'm trying to sell this store," said Karki, who only learned about the shooting after opening for business Wednesday morning.

His reason for selling is simple: crime and poverty. "No one is working," he said, referring to people in the community. He says most of his customers are good people, but many are poor and rely on the government for help.

The female victim's dried blood puddle was still visible in the road Wednesday night, a good 19 hours after the shooting. You can see the dark stain in the street when you stand on the small stoop leading to Karki's store. If the old city fire station directly across the street were still open, the firemen probably would have hosed down the pavement. They have in the past.

Karki was sitting on that stoop, working a smartphone with his fingers, when a reporter approached shortly before sundown Wednesday. He didn't even look up until he was interrupted. He was about to head back inside anyway to join his wife. Karki says it's safer to be inside after dark in this part of Forest Park.

"During the daytime, it's good," he said, referring to the sprawling neighborhood just beyond his shop door. "But at nighttime, it's not good."

He closes shop at 9 p.m. – about three hours before gunfire erupted outside his market Tuesday night – and was unaware anyone had been shot until customers told him. "I come here this morning, and I didn't know about the shooting," he said.

Karki says people are interested in buying his store, but he's not happy with the price they're offering. He doesn't want to unload his business at a bargain price.

Another factor in his decision to sell: memories of being robbed at gunpoint.

That happened on Dec. 11, 2013, a date burned into Karki's brain. It was the life-altering moment when a young man aimed a gun at Karki's wife and demanded cash. Another armed man forced Karki to the floor behind the deli counter.

"I went to police headquarters over there, and they showed me 800 pictures," he said.

The cops never caught the bad guys, and Karki worries they may return. It's why he locks his store door after dark, only letting people in after taking a long, hard look at them. It's also why he posted a sign in English and Spanish on the door. It reads: "No mask or hoodies inside store. No hoddies [sic] adentro de la tienda."

Soon, Karki hopes, Springfield will no longer be his problem. He's a businessman, works hard every day, and has to do what's right for his family.

"The problem here in Springfield, everyone has a gun," Karki said.

It's now 8 o'clock on Wednesday night, one hour till closing. Karki prepares to lock the door and wait and watch for customers. This is how a businessman who's leery of crime conducts business in this corner of the city.

Kansas City, Kansas, was the safest metro area in the survey.

SPRINGFIELD - Watch out!

Springfield drivers average just 5.2 years in between accidents, making this the fifth-most-dangerous city in the nation out of 200 cities included in the most recent Allstate America's Best Drivers Survey. Springfield was 196th from the top.

A driver here is 93.1 percent more likely to get into a traffic crash compared with the national average. Springfield also lost points for winter weather and rain, two risk factors for car crashes.

Kansas City, Kansas, is the least dangerous city at 13.3 years between accidents. There, drivers are 24.8 less likely to get into a crash.

Boston was the most dangerous with just 3.9 years between crashes.

All in all the survey had bad things to say about New England, with Worcester next-worst at 4.5 years between wrecks for the average driver. Providence was 195th, one place better than Springfield, at 5.3 years between crashes.

Allstate says tabulates property damage collision frequency based on claims filed by its customers using zip codes or electronic mapping software to determine crash locations.

Springfield fared worse in 2014 at 197th out of 200 cities in the country.

The idea behind the survey, the insurer says, is to get motorists to think more conscientious about safety. That means not speeding, keeping their cars in good repair,  being aware of weather conditions and by avoiding distractions while at the wheel.

Americas Best Drivers Report 2015

A national nonprofit focused on children’s welfare is using the state’s public records law to ask for reports on the embattled Department of Children and Families.

BOSTON - A national nonprofit focused on children's welfare is using the state's public records law to ask for reports on the embattled Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.

Saying the department isn't transparent enough, Children's Rights, a group that bills itself as a watchdog for abused and neglected children, has asked for reports covering how often department caseworkers visit children, the number of foster homes with past due licensing approvals or renewals, and the percentage of children in foster care receiving regular medical screenings.

"That data ought to be out there so the taxpayers know whether the system is functioning well or not," said Sara Bartosz, lead counsel at Children's Rights, which is based in New York.

"We're seeing workers very much coming forward and saying caseloads are as bad as they've ever been," she added. "We want to see how much worse and how evenly that is spread across the commonwealth."

Bartosz said the group is seeking to inject some accountability into ongoing reform efforts. "It's important to be watchful on this. It's a big challenge and reform efforts in the past have for whatever reason not stayed the course. And it's time that really happened," she said.

The group filed a lawsuit in 2010 against DCF foster care system, saying the agency violates children's constitutional rights.

Judges sitting on the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court dismissed the lawsuit, but noted the problems plaguing the state's foster care system.

The chief judge of the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, Sandra Lynch, wrote, "Improvements in the system must come through the normal state political processes. The problems are now for the Governor and legislature of Massachusetts to resolve."

Children's Rights, in announcing its public records request, acknowledged Gov. Charlie Baker "inherited a broken, dysfunctional system."

"The Department responds to all requests for public records as soon as possible and welcomes input from stakeholders as DCF has accomplished a great deal working with outside partners in the past," Andrea Grossman, a DCF spokesperson, said in an email. "While the Department does post information on its website, we are open to reviewing whether we can improve accountability and transparency within the privacy laws that govern working with children."

The department posts an annual profile as well as quarterly reports that include information by region, including case levels.

Earlier this week, the state Office of the Child Advocate released a report saying that out of 290 reports of abuse and neglect and found they contained supported allegations on 184 children and youth who were in the department's custody.

Many of the sustained allegations dealt with children in foster care.

The report and the Children's Rights request for information comes as state officials attempt to determine what occurred in case involving a 7-year-old Hardwick boy and a separate case in which a 2-year-old Auburn girl died while in foster care.

Gov. Baker said his administration plans to release on Friday a report on the Hardwick case. The boy's father, Randall Lints, is charged with assaulting the boy, whose name is Jack.

A report on the death of the 2-year-old Auburn girl, Avalena Conway-Coxon, is expected at the end of September. A second child was found at the same home in critical condition.

Avalena's biological mother died Wednesday, apparently due to a drug overdose.

Arnold Gabbidon, 59, was wanted for "savagely assaulting his ex-girlfriend" in Cambridge in 1994, police said.

BOSTON — Authorities hunted down a suspect in a decades-old assault case in Jamaica, where he was taken into custody last month and returned to Massachusetts on Wednesday, according to Massachusetts State Police officials in Framingham.

Arnold Gabbidon, 59, was wanted for "savagely assaulting his ex-girlfriend" in Cambridge in 1994, police said Thursday. Gabbidon, who was on the State Police's most-wanted list, is accused of stabbing and slashing the woman as she slept, police said.

He's expected to be arraigned on charges of armed assault with intent to murder; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; mayhem; threats to commit a crime; armed burglary; stalking; and malicious destruction of property. His case is being handled by prosecutors assigned to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan's office.

Officials say Gabbidon had been living with a relative in Jamaica.

Early on the morning of January 14, 1994, he broke down the door to the former girlfriend's Cambridge home, stabbed and slashed the woman, then left her for dead, police said. The victim survived and managed to call the Cambridge Police Department, which immediately launched an investigation.

Gabbidon was featured on "America's Most Wanted" twice – in January 2007 and January 2010.

The U.S. Marshals Service assisted with the investigation.

In an effort to crack down on impaired driving this Labor Day weekend, Massachusetts regulators will "target" for enforcement bars known to have sold alcoholic beverages to convicted drunk drivers, according to Treasurer Deb Goldberg's office.

By ANTONIO CABAN

In an effort to crack down on impaired driving this Labor Day weekend, Massachusetts regulators will "target" for enforcement bars known to have sold alcoholic beverages to convicted drunk drivers, according to Treasurer Deb Goldberg's office.

The enforcement effort is a collaboration between Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) as part of Labor Day weekend's "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" program. Goldberg said in a statement that the enforcement program will make Massachusetts roads safer.

"Our efforts prevent the sale of alcohol to intoxicated individuals who could place the driving public at risk, while also establishing a long-term deterrence for bar owners from over-serving," Goldberg said.

The program will be in effect over the weekend through Sept. 7.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that alcohol is involved in 40 percent of traffic crash fatalities, and more than 50 percent of drunk driving arrests originate at bars, according to the release.

The ABCC and NHTSA will be working with local police to identify high risk locations in their communities.

FRESNO,CA LIFE KLH DRINKS.Ronald Harris Contrestano, bartender at Veni Vidi Vici pours an Apple Martini. (Kurt Hegre/The Fresno Bee) nytpartners wieck mediaexpress PUBDATE_2005_06_15_fwed drinkpo THE REPUBLICAN FILE 

The Dow Jones industrial average added 23 points to close just under 16,375.

By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks moved slightly higher Thursday as markets calmed after a recent bout of turmoil. Investors were encouraged by comments from European Central Bank policymakers, who said they were willing to provide more stimulus to the region's economy, if needed.

Investors now turn to Friday, when a key jobs report will be released that could help determine whether or not the Federal Reserve raises interest rates this month.

"There's a lot of trepidation in the market over what the Fed will do, and it's only getting worse as we get closer to the meeting," said Kristina Hooper, head of investment strategies at Allianz Global Investors. The Fed's two-day meeting begins Sept. 16.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 23.38 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,374.76. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2.27 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,951.13 and the Nasdaq composite fell 16.48 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,733.50.

Stocks started the day solidly higher, but momentum waned as the day dragged on. Major indexes dipped briefly into the red by mid-afternoon before ending mostly higher.

Investors were initially encouraged by news out of the European Central Bank, where President Mario Draghi said the bank is ready to give the eurozone a bigger dose of stimulus should inflation across the 19-country bloc fail to pick up. Along with keeping interest rates low, the ECB is pumping 60 billion euros a month into the region's economy through purchases of government and corporate bonds. The program is slated to run at least through September 2016.

"Draghi said in 2012 he would do whatever it takes to grow the eurozone economy and he's holding to that promise," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial.

European markets jumped on the news. Germany's DAX closed up 2.7 percent, France's CAC-40 rose 2.2 percent and U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose 1.8 percent.

At the same time the ECB is stimulating Europe's economy, the Federal Reserve could raise U.S. interest rates for the first time since the financial crisis. While chances of a September interest rate increase have diminished because of signs of weakening global growth and a sell-off in Chinese stocks, many believe the growing U.S. economy may be ready to withstand higher interest rates.

Friday's jobs report for August, a key gauge of how the U.S. economy is doing, could play a big role in guiding that decision by the Fed. Economists are forecasting that employers created 220,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent.

The price of oil followed the stock market higher. U.S. crude rose 50 cents to close at $46.75 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, rose 18 cents to close at $50.68 a barrel in London.

In other futures trading on the NYMEX:

1. Wholesale gasoline rose 1.2 cents to close at $1.437 a gallon.
2. Heating oil rose 1 cent to close at $1.619 a gallon.
3. Natural gas rose 7.7 cents to close at $2.725 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In other markets, U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.16 percent from 2.19 percent late Wednesday. The euro fell to $1.1134 from $1.1238. The dollar fell to 119.91 yen from 120.24 yen.

The price of gold fell $9.10 to settle at $1,124.50 an ounce, silver rose four cents to $14.70 an ounce and copper rose six cents to $2.39 a pound.

The September 27 event, to include food from participating restaurants, takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Chef Jim Sands stirs up some Maine Smoked Seafood Chowder at the 2013 Valley Chowder Fest on the South Hadley's town common.The Republican file 

The Sept. 27 event, to include food from participating restaurants, takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

As a charity organization, the Lions will donate proceeds to organizations such as Neighbors Helping Neighbors food pantry.

Admission to the chowder festival is $10.

The victim, teacher Sharon Budd, has undergone seven surgeries after the rock crashed through the front windshield of her car

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Three young men apologized to their victim on Thursday after a judge sentenced them to time behind bars for throwing a rock from an interstate overpass, striking the woman in the head and causing her severe brain damage.

A judge ordered Dylan Lahr, Tyler Porter and Keefer McGee to serve at least 41/2 years, 1 year and 10 months, and 111/2 months for the July 2014 attack on Interstate 80 in central Pennsylvania that injured Sharon Budd.

"I thought the judge would be just, and he was," said Budd, a middle school language arts teacher from Uniontown, Ohio, after the hearing. "It's hard to look at their faces and not feel bad for them."

The minimum sentences are the earliest they could be released from county jail or state prison. All three have much longer maximum sentences and will be on probation for many years. They also were ordered to pay restitution.

Lahr, 18, who was given credit for spending the past year behind bars, was shackled around the waist as he asked Budd directly for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry, Sharon," he said. "I feel horrible for what has happened and for what you and your family had to go through."

Porter said he was sorry and that he wished every day the attack had not occurred.

McGee drew a response from Union County District Attorney Pete Johnson when he told Budd: "I shouldn't have let my friends do what they did."

"Calling these things bad choices or mistakes, I think, demeans what it is, which is the expression of criminal intent, the criminal choice," Johnson told Judge Michael Sholley. "And that deserves punishment."

Budd has already undergone seven surgeries after the rock that crashed through the front windshield of her car destroyed much of her skull, part of her brain and one eye. She and her husband were passengers as their daughter drove them through Pennsylvania, on their way to see a show in New York, when the attack occurred.

Budd's husband, Randy, called the injuries "a lifelong sentence for Sharon."

"We have four children," Randy Budd told Sholley. "They always went to Sharon. Now they come to me. Sharon always took care of them. Now they take care of Sharon."

A fourth man, Dylan's brother Brett Lahr, 20, previously began serving at least 18 months after pleading no contest to a conspiracy count. Porter, 19, pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Dylan Lahr pleaded guilty to trespassing, agricultural vandalism and two counts of aggravated assault. McGee, 18, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault.

"It feels like a result that is appropriate," Johnson, the prosecutor, said afterward. "I can't say, when you're done with this kind of thing, that anything feels like justice."

• For more coverage, visit PennLive.com.

Authorities say the rock-throwing culminated a day of troublemaking that included shoplifting steaks, breaking a window in a neighbor's home and driving through a cornfield, causing damage. A truck driver also reported damage from a rock in that spot around the same time.

Dylan Lahr and Porter will serve their sentences in state prison, where Brett Lahr is incarcerated. McGee was allowed work release while serving his time in the county jail.

Randy Budd said he has begun a campaign to increase safety fencing on interstate overpasses.

The program, titled: Remote Participation in Meetings of Public Bodies, is scheduled for September 10, beginning at 7 p.m., at South Hadley High School Library, 153 Newton St.

SOUTH HADLEY - The nonprofit community group Know Your Town at a community forum next week will explore whether allowing public officials to participate at meetings -- when they are not physically present -- is a good idea, and discuss how state law addresses the matter.

The program, titled: Remote Participation in Meetings of Public Bodies, is scheduled for Sept. 10, beginning at 7 p.m., at South Hadley High School Library, 153 Newton St.

State law provides cities and towns the option whether to allow the practice.

The matter has been discussed by the selectboard during the past year, but no action has been taken. The local option, on whether to adopt remote participation, rests with the Selectboard here.

Attorney Jodi Miller, a KYT member, will lead a discussion on the issue.

Refreshments will be served.

President Alejandro Maldonado reached out to protesters who took to the streets against the country's entrenched corruption, promising he would "leave a legacy of honesty" and restore faith in Guatemala's democracy in his brief few months in office.

By SONIA PEREZ D.
and ALBERTO ARCE

GUATEMALA CITY -- Guatemala's newly sworn-in president demanded that all top government officials submit their resignations and promised an honest and inclusive administration following the surprise resignation earlier Thursday of President Otto Perez Molina amid a widening fraud investigation.

President Alejandro Maldonado reached out to protesters who took to the streets against the country's entrenched corruption, promising he would "leave a legacy of honesty" and restore faith in Guatemala's democracy in his brief few months in office.

"You can't consider your work done," Maldonado said in remarks aimed at all those demanding change. "In what is left of this year, there must be a positive response."

The unprecedented political drama played out after a week in which Perez Molina was stripped of his immunity, deserted by key members of his cabinet, and saw his jailed former vice president ordered to stand trial. All this just days before Sunday's election to choose his successor.

As Maldonado took office, Perez Molina was in court hearing accusations that he was involved in a scheme in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties through Guatemala's customs agency. He is the first Guatemalan president to resign.

Judge Miguel Angel Galvez ordered Perez Molina detained overnight before the hearing was to resume Friday morning. He cited a need to "ensure the continuity of the hearing" and guarantee the former president's personal safety.

Exiting the court under police escort, Perez Molina reiterated his willingness to face the investigation head-on.

"I have always said I will respect due process," Molina said "I do not have the slightest intention of leaving the country."

Earlier in the day, the retired military general insisted upon his innocence in an interview with The Associated Press during a break in the court proceedings, saying the process had been "very hard, very difficult."

He said he could have derailed the investigation, but didn't.

"I had things I could have done," Perez Molina said. "I could have replaced the prosecutor, I could have dug in."

Attorney General Thelma Aldana told reporters she will ask that Perez Molina, 64, be jailed during the court proceedings.

Analysts say the resignation was a key blow to corruption in the country and a boost for the rule of law.

"In the midst of this political crisis there is interesting and good news," said Eric Olson, a Central America expert at the Washington-based Wilson Center. "The attorney general resisted strong pressures and even asked for the president to be incarcerated ... that shows the institutions in Guatemala under the right circumstances can operate and be effective."

Maldonado, a 79-year-old conservative former high court justice, has served as Guatemala's foreign minister and in ambassadorial posts. He also formerly headed Guatemala's highest court, where he presided over much-debated decisions like the one not to extradite former dictator Efrain Rios Montt.

Rios Montt faced charges in Spain for genocide, torture and terrorism committed at the height of Guatemala's 1960-1996 civil war, and the decision against extradition was hotly criticized.

Upon taking office Thursday, Maldonado said he was going to "form a transition government and invite all the social groups that are protesting in the streets to propose young professionals to form the new administration."

Earlier in the day, Perez Molina gave an interview to a local radio station, saying that he doesn't "trust Guatemalan justice" and criticizing the nation's prosecutors and the United Nations commission against impunity that have mounted a huge investigation in the fiscal fraud case he was implicated in.

He said the case was built by them to "seek prominence" and "to fill their egos."

The corruption scandal, uncovered by prosecutors and the U.N. commission, involved a scheme known as "La Linea," or "The Line," in which businesspeople paid bribes to avoid import duties through the customs agency. The ring is believed to have defrauded the state of millions of dollars.

Ex-Vice President Roxana Baldetti's former personal secretary was named as the alleged ringleader and is a fugitive. She resigned May 8 because of the same scandal and is now jailed and facing charges. She also maintains her innocence.

A growing protest movement brought together Guatemalans from all walks of life demanding that Perez Molina step down. Business leaders and even Catholic church officials had called for him to resign in recent weeks as the investigation of the customs fraud ring has grown wider and hit more officials.

Perez Molina was steadfast in his plan to stay until the judge's unprecedented order, only deciding to resign in the middle of the night.

His spokesman told reporters the president submitted his resignation "to maintain the institution of the presidency and resolve on his own the legal proceedings leveled against him."

Perez Molina was elected in 2011 on a platform of cracking down on crime. He is a retired general who participated in the country's 36-year bloody civil war, and later in the march toward peace. His critics say he also took part in the mass killings of civilians, but he has never been charged with anything.

His election as president had worried leftist groups and human rights organizations because of the military's past control of the government. But Perez Molina has been a political moderate who has kept the military at arm's length, proposing at one point to legalize drugs to rid his country of the scourge of cartels and trafficking.

Maldonado will likely remain in office until the winner of upcoming elections is inaugurated Jan. 14, 2016. The first round is on Sunday, pitting a wealthy businessman and politician against 13 other candidates, including a comedian with no political experience, a former first lady and the daughter of an ex-dictator accused of genocide. If none of the candidates reaches 50 percent, a runoff will be held Oct. 25.

Protesters filling the streets have also demanded that Sunday's presidential elections be postponed. Perez Molina, who was not on the ballot, has said delaying the vote would be against the law.

The U.N.'s commission against impunity said in a report released in mid-July that the country's elections are rife with illegal money, and corruption is the glue holding the system together.

Kraft Heinz recalled 335,000 cases Thursday because a thin strip of packaging film may stick to the slice after the wrapper has been taken off, creating a choking hazard.

NEW YORK -- Kraft Heinz is expanding a recall of Kraft Singles products, saying a problem with the packaging film affects 10 times as many cases as it first thought.

The company recalled 335,000 cases Thursday because a thin strip of packaging film may stick to the slice after the wrapper has been taken off, creating a choking hazard. Kraft Heinz recalled 36,000 cases on July 31 for the same reason.

The privately held company said it's received two new reports of customers choking. It disclosed three such reports in July, and said it had received seven other complaints about the packaging.

The recall covers 1-, 3- and 4-pound Kraft Singles American and White American cheese product with "Best When Used by Dates" ranging from Dec. 12 to March 2. The products were sold in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and 10 other countries and territories: Anguilla, the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Grand Cayman, Netherlands Antilles, St. Kitts and Nevis, South Korea, St. Lucia, and the British Virgin Islands.

The July recall only covered products shipped to retailers in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Grand Cayman with "Best By" dates of Dec. 29 to Jan. 4.

Kraft Heinz Co. said consumers should return the product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.

The combination of Heinz and Kraft became official in July. The deal was engineered by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital.

Witnesses told police that Maria Carlson, 35, was traveling at speeds up to 100 mph on Route 7 before the crash.

A 35-year-old Vermont woman was held without bail after two people were killed in a car crash on Route 7 in Swanton, Vermont, Thursday afternoon.

 

Maria Carlson, of Swanton, was being held on suspicion of grossly negligent operation, the Burlington Free Press reported.

Diane Bohannon, 68, the driver of a Mercury Sable, and Robert Benjamin, 67, her passenger, both of Alburgh, were killed in the crash at about 12:30 p.m. 

Vermont State Police said Carlson lost control of her Toyota Tundra, ran through a yard and re-entered the road, also known as St. Albans Road, traveling north. Carlson's truck then crossed into the southbound lane and struck Bohannon's Sable.

State police said that fire personnel needed to extricate Bohannon and Benjamin from the vehicle by removing the roof. Bohannon was pronounced dead at the scene, and Benjamin was pronounced dead at the hospital.

WPTZ-TV reported that witnesses told police Carlson was driving at about 100 mph before she hit the telephone pole. WCAX-TV reported that Carlson was seriously injured, although WPTZ said she was later released.

When troopers went to the hospital to meet with Carlson, she was unable to recall any details from the accident, police said.

The road was closed for more than six hours, but has since been reopened.

Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to call state police in St. Albans.

The resolution, sponsored by councilors Jesse Adams, Maureen Carney and Marianne LaBarge, was the latest call in a growing public outcry over the publicly funded agency's discordant relationship with its employees.

NORTHAMPTON -- The City Council gave final and unanimous approval Thursday to a resolution supporting contract negotiations and mental health workers at Clinical and Support Options, who for months have rallied for better pay and working conditions.

The resolution, sponsored by councilors Jesse Adams, Maureen Carney and Marianne LaBarge, was the latest call in a growing public outcry over the publicly funded agency's discordant relationship with its employees. Greenfield Town Council passed a similar resolution Aug. 19.

Several CSO workers and former employees spoke before the Council prior to the vote, expressing their frustration over a contract negotiation gridlock that has persisted since January. A third of the agency -- mostly those with bachelor's degrees and below -- make less than $13 an hour, according to company numbers. A bachelor's-level case manager who has worked for five years makes $14.05 an hour, according to Jason Stephany, spokesman for International Union Local 509, which represents the workers.

The median salary among CSO's clinicians is $38,000. Some workers estimate that they make $27,000 a year. The current average tenure at CSO is a little over three years.

Rabbi Rhonda Shapiro-Rieser, a licensed mental health counselor based at CSO's Greenfield facility, said she can only afford to work there part-time, and that she's overwhelmed by her caseload.

"Poor people deserve the same level of therapy that those with money can afford," she said, later adding, "CSO is more interested in breaking a union and keeping its bottom line by pushing on its staff than it is for caring for patients."

Fanny Chalfin, a former CSO clinician, said the stress CSO workers have come to know has negative impacts on the patient experience. Chalfin, who is blind, said she couldn't afford to stay with the company and has since opened a private practice.

She noted a circumstance in which she requested from management the electronic copy -- which features a voice synthesizer, as she cannot read text -- of the DSM-5, the universal authority for psychiatric diagnosis. She was denied.

In July, workers mounted a three-day strike against administration.

The company runs operations in Amherst, Athol, Florence, Greenfield, Northampton, Orange, Pittsfield and Springfield. It employs more than 350 clinicians and crisis workers that provide services to more than 14,000 at-risk children and families each year, from emergency mental health interventions and gang violence prevention to sexual abuse trauma and addiction treatment.

Clinical & Support Options CEO Karin Jeffers said in July that under management's proposed contract, the hourly rates for outpatient clinicians at CSO would be "very competitive, falling between $34 and $37 per hour."

The union and company administrators are at extreme odds when it comes to the contract. The annual cost of the contract improvements in CSO's offer is about $520,000 annually, or $1.56 million over the three-year life of the contract. The costs of the union's proposals is more than $1.39 million annually, or $4.18 million over the life of the contract, according to Jeffers. Overall, that's a 9 percent pay increase over three years for each employee.

Jeffers has repeatedly combated workers' claims. She wrote a guest viewoint published in The Republican last month that CSO offers "industry leading wages, salary increases, low productivity levels, premium insurance coverage and benefits such as free on-site training, staff morale activities and career advancement opportunities including tuition reimbursement and upward mobility." She also cited a need for increased state funding for behavioral health services.

Clinicians have said such promises are empty, as the the majority of the workers are not on salary. Furthermore, a full-time master's level salaried clinician starting at $35,000 a year is expected to see 22 clients a week, employees have said.

Police responded to an 8:12 p.m. report of shots fired in the area of 33 Margerie St., a few houses in from State Street, where they found a silver Toyota sedan with shot-out windows.

SPRINGFIELD — A car was hit by gunfire in the Pine Point neighborhood Thursday night, but there were no injuries linked to the shooting.

Police responded to an 8:12 p.m. call in the area of 33 Margerie St., where they found a silver Toyota sedan with shot-out windows. Broken glass littered the street and multiple shell casings were located at the scene.

A resident called 911 to report that his house and his girlfriend's car were hit by the gunfire. It wasn't immediately clear if investigators found any projectile holes in the house.

The motive for the crime was unclear. Neighbors said there have been multiple violent incidents on the block over the past few weeks, including an Aug. 13 shooting involving a vehicle whose occupant, or occupants, opened fire as they drove along Margerie Street.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 413-787-6355 or text a tip to CRIMES (274637).

Police searched for a gunman Thursday night who killed one person and wounded two others in a parking lot on a Sacramento college campus, authorities said.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Police hunted for a gunman Thursday night who opened fire at a Sacramento college parking lot, killing one student and wounding two others, officials said.

One victim was declared dead at the scene, another was taken to a hospital with injuries, and the third was only grazed by a bullet and was being questioned by investigators, said Dustin Poore of Los Rios police, who patrol Sacramento City College.

The shooting at about 4 p.m. near a baseball field at the edge of campus began as a verbal dispute between the group of men, one of whom pulled out a gun and fired, Poore said.

All three victims were students at the school, college spokesman Rick Brewer told the Sacramento Bee.

It remains unclear whether the gunman has any ties to the school, and police have not given a motive, though Sacramento Police Department spokeswoman Traci Trapani told the Bee that the shooting was an "isolated incident" rather than an instance of the gunman seeking to shoot at students.

The suspect, wearing a white T-shirt and cargo shorts, ran from the scene and remained at large hours later.

The campus was locked down for about two hours before police officers had cleared all the buildings and allowed students and staff to leave, said Sacramento police Sgt. Doug Morse.

Evening classes were canceled.

Police descended from all directions on campus shortly after the gunfire broke out, and students told to stay in their classrooms and lock the door were filled with fear.

"My stomach dropped," student Lars Beesom told KCRA-TV. "It was definitely really, really scary, but we all stayed calm.

Beesom added, "It's school. It's supposed to be a good environment, and you don't want to be scared here."

Jackie Flores, 50, who lives across the street from the parking lot, said she heard four or five shots fired. "It all happened so fast," she told the Sacramento Bee.

Classes were in session at the two-year college in central Sacramento with a student body of about 25,000. The fall semester began Aug. 22.

The corner of campus where the shooting occurred is surrounded by strip malls with chain restaurants on one side and a golf course on the other.

Scott F. Gelbard, 39, a former Colorado resident, was indicted on single counts of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud, according to Amy Hosney, public information officer for the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations division.

BOSTON — A stock promoter was charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Boston with conspiring to commit securities fraud, according to federal officials.

Scott F. Gelbard, 39, a former Colorado resident who now lives in Canada's Pacific Northwest, was indicted on single counts of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud, said Amy Hosney, public information officer for the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations division.

Gelbard promoted shares of a company and then secretly sold them, without disclosing that he and co-conspirators controlled almost all of the available shares, Hosney said. The illicit scheme allegedly netted more than $4 million.

A Massachusetts federal grand jury handed up the indictment because a number of the alleged victims were from the commonwealth.

If convicted, Gelbard could face up to 20 years in prison, three years probation, and steep fines. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

The case is being prosecuted by Eric P. Christofferson, a federal prosecutor in U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's Economic Crimes Unit. The investigation was handled by IRS Criminal Investigations, FBI agents in Boston, and Ortiz's office.

A woman told police she was robbed and assaulted on Oswego Street late Thursday night.

SPRINGFIELD — Police were investigating an alleged armed robbery and assault in the Hollywood section of the city's South End late Thursday night.

Police issued an alert for a possible suspect who allegedly assaulted a woman and took her purse in the area of 62 Oswego St. around 11:12 p.m. He was last seen leaving the area on a bicycle, according to authorities.

The alleged victim sustained a head injury in the incident, which remains under investigation. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call detectives at 413-787-6355 or text a tip to CRIMES (274637).

A short while later, police responded to an attempted armed robbery report outside a downtown strip club. The alleged victim told police two suspects, one of whom had a .50-caliber handgun, tried to rob him outside Center Stage around 11:40 p.m.

Officers called an ambulance for the man, who reportedly suffered a hand injury during the incident. Additional information wasn't immediately available.

MAP showing approximate location of Hollywood robbery: