The New England Patriots pregame ceremonies had an unexpected surprise for fans out in Western Mass. as the Springfield Symphony Orchestra help hype the crowd for the celebration of the team's fourth Super Bowl championship.

The SSO busted out a rousing rendition of "O Fortuna" from "Carmina Burana" as the team brought out its four Lombardi Trophies to midfield. The trophies were brought out by Patriots Hall of Famers Troy Brown, Ty Law and Willie McGinest -- along with owner Robert Kraft.

It was a high energy performance, especially with Kevin Rhodes' conducting:

Shortly after, the Orchestra got an unexpected guest performer -- the rapper T-Pain, of auto-tune fame -- to perform "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled as Super Bowl banner No. 4 was unveiled.

Rhodes, along with 50 other members of the SSO were excited for the chance to perform as part of the pregame festivities.

"It is exciting beyond words, and an honor beyond description for the SSO to have experienced the largest audience in the history of the orchestra by a factor of, we, a lot," Rhodes said in release. "This is truly for all of us, a performance to remember, and I would like to extend my personal gratitude to the staff, management and musicians of the SSO for all the incredible coordination and organization it took to pull off such a performance on short notice. We are deeply moved to be able to be ambassadors of the city of Springfield in this way."

Executive director Peter Salerno was another member of the SSO excited for the group's chance to perform on a national stage:

"Being able to show off the versatility and talent of our extraordinary musicians in front of a television audience of over 35 million viewers is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We thank the world champion New England Patriots for allowing us the honor to share in their 'Championship Moment' at Gillette Stadium. The Springfield Symphony Orchestra, its donors, trustees and patrons will cherish these moments forever. Go Pats!"

SPRINGFIELD — A mayor, an anchorwoman, a businessman, former NBA players and others all had one thing in common Thursday night. They were all tending bar at the Student Prince and The Fort in downtown Springfield to raise money for the Springfield Boys and Girls Club.

Rock 102 radio personality Mike Baxendale raised his booming voice to hush the crowd so he could extol them to tip the bartenders well, then circulated around the room with a giant silver bowl that quickly filled with cash.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno worked by the side of Peter Picknelly Jr., both men pouring stein after stein of beer, often collecting $20 tips for their efforts.

Sarah Tsitso, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club, couldn't have been happier with the turnout. Calling the crowd "off the charts" Tsitso could be seen wandering through the bar asking for tips, often rewarded for her efforts.

Picknelly, a partner at the Student Prince and chief executive of Peter Pan Bus Lines, took a break from pouring beer to talk about his late father, Peter, and how he supported many charities over the years and took a special interest in the Boys and Girls Club.

"The Boys Club was near and dear to him" he remarked.

An updated version of this story is now available on MassLive.

Dozens of people had to be evacuated as firefighters battled the fire in the rain.

The fire appeared to have started in the upper floors of the building.

By 9:30 p.m. it appeared that all tenants were out of the building.

This is a developing story. More details will be published as they become clear.

An updated version of this story is now available on MassLive.

There was no immediate word on any injuries in the 8:40 p.m. blaze, which broke out in a third-floor apartment in the large, brick building at the corner of Fort Pleasant and Belmont avenues, said Dennis G. Leger, executive aide to Springfield Fire Department Commissioner Joseph A. Conant.

A preliminary investigation indicated the fire, which began in Apt. 3L, was related to a cooking mishap, Leger said. Damage estimates were not immediately available, but smoke and fire damage was apparent in the upper floors of the 5-story building.

The sound of breaking glass and wailing sirens filled the air as tenants stood in the rain and watched firefighters scale ladders and train hoses on the flames.

Police blocked traffic at the intersection of Locust and Mill streets and Belmont and Fort Pleasant avenues.

A minor fight erupted between two tenants of the building, both of whom were waiting on the sidewalk, both neither man appeared to be injured. One man attempted to alert authorities about the skirmish.

An official at the scene told tenants they would most likely not be allowed back inside the building Thursday night. The Red Cross was expected to assist displaced residents.

MAP showing approximate location of fire:

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) -- A video released Thursday shows a prolonged struggle between a naked, mentally ill inmate and five deputies in biohazard suits who shocked her four times with a stun gun before she lost consciousness.

The inmate, 37-year-old Natasha McKenna, died several days after the struggle, prompting a months-long criminal investigation. Thursday's release of the 45-minute video by Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid comes two days after the county's lead prosecutor announced he would not file charges, calling the death a "tragic accident."

A medical examiner also ruled the death accidental, specifically by excited delirium associated with use of restraints and a stun gun. McKenna's schizophrenia was listed as a contributing factor. The case remains the subject of a federal civil rights investigation.

The video, released on YouTube, begins with a deputy explaining that a special Emergency Response Team is being used to take McKenna, who is African-American, out of her cell at a jail in Fairfax and transfer her to the jail in Alexandria, where she had been charged with assaulting a police officer. The deputy says the team is needed because McKenna had previously attacked one of her jailers and because she had created a biohazard situation by throwing urine at guards.

A report released Tuesday by Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Morrogh indicated that deputies were also concerned because medical tests showed McKenna had multiple communicable diseases, including herpes and MRSA.

At the start of the encounter, a deputy says, "Natasha, we're here to take you out," and McKenna exclaims, "You promised me you wouldn't kill me!" Deputies quickly wrestle her to the ground. They struggle for 15 to 20 minutes to get her cuffed and bound in a restraint chair, and warned her that she will be shot with a stun gun if she keeps resisting. It is unclear why she is naked.

The video shows the Taser being used four times toward the end of the struggle. Eventually, the deputies get McKenna restrained in the chair and put a lightweight hood called a "spit sock" on her to prevent her from spitting at them.

A nurse then attempts to take McKenna's vital signs, though it is unclear whether the nurse gets an accurate reading at first.

A few minutes later, after she is taken to a garage area for transfer, another attempt to take her vital signs goes badly, and deputies begin resuscitation efforts.

McKenna lost consciousness, and on Feb. 7 -- four days after the incident -- was declared brain dead.

Kincaid expressed her condolences to the McKenna family Thursday, and says she will launch an internal investigation now that the criminal probe is concluded.

She said she released the video because there is "no better way for me to share what actually occurred" with the community.

McKenna's death was one of two incidents in the county that prompted questions about excessive force by authorities. In 2013, a Fairfax County police officer shot a man, John Geer, while his hands were above his head during a standoff with police. The officer was charged with murder last month after a two-year investigation that prompted accusations of stonewalling.

Pete Earley, a mental health advocate who serves on a county commission evaluating police conduct, said he watched the McKenna video and questioned the need to use a Taser on McKenna. He said it was clear that deputies had McKenna under control during the encounter, even if they were struggling to put her in restraints.

He said the video runs counter to the portrayal in Morrogh's report that McKenna displayed almost superhuman strength in her battles with deputies.

Despite his concerns, Earley said he was pleasantly surprised by the professional demeanor of deputies, who generally spoke calmly and politely to McKenna during the encounter, and he said he credits Kincaid for taking steps to address the broader problem of mentally ill people being kept in jails when they would be better served in a treatment facility.

Morrogh's report states that a day before the altercation with Alexandria police that led to her arrest, doctors had sought to have McKenna hospitalized, but were advised by police and two separate magistrates that she did not meet the conditions for hospitalizing a person against her will.

Harvey Volzer, a lawyer representing McKenna's family, did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

SPRINGFIELD — An East Forest Park home was damaged after a tree fell on its roof Thursday afternoon.

No one was injured in the 5:30 p.m. incident, but the tree punched two large holes in the roof of 86 Lancaster St., according to Dennis G. Leger, executive aide to Springfield Fire Department Commissioner Joseph A. Conant.

There was no way to get a tarp on the roof to stop rain from entering the home, Leger said, so firefighters set up a temporary water shoot to help direct rainwater into barrels.

"We're there to protect life and property," he said.

Damage estimates were unavailable.

GREENFIELD -- Senate President Stanley Rosenberg heard testimony from dozens of Massachusetts residents Thursday night on the potential environmental impact of the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline known as Northeast Energy Direct.

Rosenberg allocated time to more than 60 speakers at Greenfield Community College, and promised to hand-deliver the oral and written testimony to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington on Sept. 30.

Rosenberg, whose district would be directly affected, scheduled the Sept. 10 public scoping session after FERC refused to delay its own required session. FERC's July 29 scoping session in Greenfield was held only days after Kinder Morgan released more than 6,000 pages of environmental data on the project. Rosenberg at the time said FERC's timetable did not give his constituents enough time to prepare meaningful commentary.

The agency subsequently extended its public comment deadline from Aug. 31 to Oct. 16 and scheduled an additional scoping session in New Hampshire.

FERC, which has the final say over whether the pipeline gets built, will use the public input to help determine the scope of issues in its upcoming Environmental Impact Statement on the interstate natural gas pipeline plan.

The pipeline would cross 16 communities in Western Massachusetts and traverse the Monadnock region of New Hampshire before dipping back into the Bay State to meet a major gas transmission hub north of Lowell. Spurs would serve the Fitchburg and North Shore areas. Large compressor stations would be sited in Northfield, Windsor, and Dracut. The line would transport up to 1.3 billion cubic feet per day of Marcellus shale gas from Pennsylvania to markets in the Northeast.

Each person who spoke Thursday night expressed opposition to the project. While some veered into emotional statements, others delivered well-organized testimony on issues ranging from energy demand in New England to the possibility that much of the gas may eventually be bound for foreign export.

David Gilbert Keith of Deerfield noted that only 40 percent of the proposed pipeline's capacity has been spoken for by local gas companies. As for where the remaining 60 percent will go, Keith said that Kinder Morgan plans to connect Northeast Energy Direct with the Maritimes & Northeast pipeline along the Maine coast, providing a straight shot to Canada, where two liquefied natural gas export projects have been approved by the National Energy Board.

"This is an export project," he said.

Others spoke to the issue of whether New England truly needs more pipeline capacity. The case for need is generally predicated upon a "winter peaking problem," said Vince Premus of Pepperell. During the coldest days, natural gas goes to home heating before it is allocated to electricity generators. The shortfall could easily be met by deploying liquefied natural gas, or LNG, he said.

"The subject of need deserves to be deliberated in a transparent and quantitative manner," said Premus.

Many said gas companies should be forced to fix leaks in their local distribution systems before any new pipeline capacity is built. "Massachusetts customers paid between $640 million and $1.5 billion for gas that never even reach their home or business," said Jed Proujansky of Northfield, citing a 2013 study commissioned by U.S. Sen. Edward Markey.

"The cheapest way to deal with the issue of a perceived shortage of energy is conservation," he said.

Rosenberg, speaking with reporters, said he has taken no position on the pipeline, but wants to ensure that large energy infrastructure proposals are thoroughly evaluated. He said he is "trying to figure out how we're going to secure our energy future" and that he expects a "robust discussion" on energy issues this fall on Beacon Hill.

Stephen Crawford, Kinder Morgan's Boston-based spokesman, delivered the following statement:

"The comments offered tonight add valuable information to the input that FERC and our team have already gathered. We appreciate the efforts of the Senate President and all those who took the time."

Rosenberg has established a Tell FERC web portal for those who wish to submit their testimony online, with a deadline of Friday, Sept. 25.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

The Republican file 

The Sept. 30 auction, to take place at South Hadley Town Hall, 116 Main St., begins at 12 noon, with bidder registration at 11:30 a.m.

Shrewbury-based Zekos Group will conduct the bidding.

The two-family home is located at 8 Graves St., and according to the auctioneer, will be offered with no minimum bid requirement.

The other parcels are 12 acres at 351 East St.; 1.6 acres on Granby Road; and a half-acre on Lawrence Ave.

The properties will be "sold as is," according to Zekos.

SPRINGFIELD - A lawyer for a group of North End residents fighting to block an addiction treatment center proposed by Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe has ratcheted up the intensity of the battle in court.

Shawn P. Allyn on Thursday filed an emergency motion in Hampden Superior Court to temporarily block all development efforts at the prospective Wason Avenue site for the $10 million new Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center, selected to replace the former Howard Street facility.

The proposal to move the center to the North End has mobilized residents to emphatically oppose the move, creating a citywide tug-of-war that has drawn in elected officials, corporate leaders and activists in addition to Ashe. The mission of the facility also has been a matter of contention, with Ashe and his allies calling it a treatment and education center for alcoholics and addicts and opponents labeling it a jail.

Allyn argues in the motion that the plaintiffs, who have sued Ashe, developer Thomas Henshon and a state agency that oversees capital projects, have a "likelihood of success" of winning litigation if it goes forward.

The motion also argues Ashe lacked the authority to site a correctional facility or jail at the county level and that he concocted the "emergency" nature of the relocation to state officials. It also contends Ashe inappropriately invoked the "Dover Amendment" to exempt the addiction treatment center under a state mandate excusing agricultural, religious, and educational institutions from zoning restrictions.

Consequently, any forward motion on the Wason Street project should stop, Allyn argues. Attached to the motion is a Feb. 10 letter to Carole Cornelison, commissioner of the Department of Capital and Asset Management and Maintenance, pleading for emergency relief to relocate the treatment center. It seeks a waiver of DCAMM's standards around bids for state capital projects, which can often be complicated and slow-moving. It asks for a waiver of the statutory advertising requirements around acquisitions of leased space.

The former Howard Street alcohol treatment center was displaced by the pending MGM Springfield casino project in the city's South End. While the move was not an unanticipated one, the sheriff's department was confident it had found another home on Mill Street. However, longtime lessee and developer C&W Realty backed out at the last second as the profit margin wasn't wide enough, leaving the treatment center adrift and Ashe scrambling.

Ashe has been publicly adamant that he wants the center to remain in Springfield though other communities including Chicopee and Holyoke have extended olive branches.

But, the state and sheriff's department homed in on a vacant lot abutting a residential neighborhood in the North End amid a cluster of medical offices run by Baystate Health. Leaders within that corporation also have attempted to referee the battle.

Residents in the North End felt Ashe made a surreptitious move to muscle an unwanted neighbor into their laps with no community input. Ashe, on the other hand, said the placement was and is the purview of the state and that he was seeking neighborhood input purely out of a sense of altruism. In the meantime, the treatment facility has been temporarily placed in Holyoke.

The state claims it is still seeking bids but refuses to release information pursuant to a public records exemption while the bid process is ongoing. Ashe says he is observing a 60-day moratorium to explore other options, but residents and Allyn say it is another fabrication to mollify opponents.

"I have spoken to (the state Attorney General's office) twice ... there is no such thing as a moratorium," in this instance," Allyn said.

A spokesman for Ashe, on the other hand, said the lawsuit filed by Allyn on behalf of the residents will not survive the court process.

"I'm not a lawyer, but our legal counsel and others say the lawsuit is without merit and the courts will vindicate us," said Richard McCarthy, of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

To complicate matters, Allyn said he has been able to legally serve all defendants with the motion but one: Sheriff Ashe.

"The deputy sheriff told me he wasn't comfortable 'serving' his boss," with legal papers, Allyn said.

Deputy sheriffs are frequently called upon to officialls serve litigants in legal matters. They refused in this instance, according to Allyn.

McCarthy said all litigants have other options.

"I'm not familiar with the specifics of the situation, but I do know that if our deputy office felt conflicted, there are other avenues to serve the sheriff," McCarthy said.

Allyn said he is entitled to a hearing on his motion within 10 days under state law.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now. The top item overall, however, was Shaina Mishkin's gallery of photos from the Martinis for Melanoma event at Luxe Burger, above.

1) Live score, updates: New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers [Nick O'Malley]

2) Granby police defend officer who pulled over Belchertown Chief Francis Fox without charging him [Jim Russell]

3) Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods to formalize partnership for new Connecticut casino to compete with MGM Springfield [Dan Glaun]

4) Tom Brady Middle School: Springfield school renamed in honor of New England Patriot [Michelle Williams]

5) Springfield crime: Man injured in drive-by shooting in Forest Park neighborhood [Conor Berry]

Updates story posted at 10:02 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10.

The blaze at 21 Fort Pleasant Ave., a 5-story brick building at the corner of Belmont and Fort Pleasant avenues, was reported at 8:40 p.m.

Crews quickly extinguished the fire, which forced men, women and children of all ages out into the rain. More residents were possibly displaced, but Red Cross officials were still gathering tenants' information late Thursday night.

The only reported injury was a firefighter who was hospitalized after experiencing chest pains and difficulty breathing, said Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

The cooking fire began in a third-floor unit and triggered a heavy response by firefighters and city police, who closed surrounding streets to traffic. Firefighters attacked flames from both the Belmont and Fort Pleasant avenue sides of the structure.

Plans for a treehouse that have remained only on paper for years, will become reality soon. Town officials have approved plans for a backyard structure commonly known as "Brandon's Treehouse."

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Plans for a treehouse that have remained only on paper for years will become reality soon. Town officials have approved plans for a backyard structure commonly known as "Brandon's Treehouse."

Brandon Nestor has been wheelchair-bound since he was a child, but dreamed of climbing up trees and seeing things from a different viewpoint. His father, Mike, sketched a treehouse a decade ago with the intention of building it for his son. While he has held on to that initial sketch, new designs show a more detailed structure of a wheelchair accessible treehouse built among the 70-foot trees in the backyard of their Havenhurst Road home.

Blueprints showcase a Colonial-style treehouse that features a loft inside the structure to store his medical equipment and a ramp connecting it to the family's residence. 

Blueprint's for the structure the Nestor family seek to build. Mike Nestor 

To build it, the Nestors need a town permit. After the West Springfield building commissioner denied their application in December, the family modified the design and sought a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals. After that request was denied in June, the family filed suit in Springfield Superior Court. 

Town code does not allow secondary buildings to be taller than the main structure on a lot, which the treehouse is. West Springfield also has limits for how close an accessory building can be to a homeowner's property line. 

The Nestors say the size - which is close to 600-square-feet including the ramp - is necessary to accommodate Brandon's wheelchair and that among the hickory and spruce trees in their backyard is the only potential space that can safely accommodate a ramp. 

In their lawsuit against the city, the Nestors accuse the town of discrimination against their son who has a disability.

The project received support among neighbors. While many lawns feature campaign signs in weeks leading up to Election Day, a number of yards feature handwritten signs of support for 16-year-old Brandon. 

More than 1,500 have liked a Facebook page set up to ask the city to grant the variance.

The family announced Thursday their "victory" on the page. "Town has signed an agreement that allows us to build this treehouse," the West Springfield family wrote. 

They thanked members of the community for their support over the past several months. 

A new committee report recommends requiring drug manufacturers to establish take-back programs, allowing patients to opt out of being prescribed addictive medication and taking other steps to prevent people from becoming addicted to pain medication.

BOSTON - A committee created by the Massachusetts Senate to address opioid addiction wants to screen high school students for symptoms of addiction, require drug manufacturers to establish take-back programs, and allow patients to opt out of being prescribed addictive medication.

Committee vice-chairman State Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, said the committee chose to focus primarily on preventing more people from becoming addicted to drugs through the use of pain medication. Although other recent reports have focused on treatment for people who are already addicted, Keenan said, "We have to make sure we prevent people as much as possible from getting involved in the situation, from being exposed to prescription painkillers that lead to dependency and addiction."

Committee members hope a bill with their recommendations will be considered by the full Senate this fall.

Many of the recommendations relate to prescription drug pain management. The bill would direct a newly formed commission to publish a list of non-opiate pain management drugs. It would direct the state to establish a program where a person could voluntarily put a note on their health records indicating that they should not be given or prescribed opiates. The bill would allow patients to voluntarily reduce the quantity of an opiate drug that they receive from a prescription, requiring pharmacies to dispense partial prescriptions and insurers to lower the cost of drugs, based on the amount distributed.

Keenan said the committee had numerous conversations with people who went to a doctor or dentist, told the doctor they did not want an opioid prescription but were given one anyway.

"A person might say, I'm all set, I'll just try Motrin, and the dentist or physician says, take the prescription anyway in case you need it," Keenan said. "For some people in recovery, that prescription presented great temptation."

Keenan said the voluntary "do not prescribe" note would be similar to existing laws. For example, a person with a gambling problem in Massachusetts can voluntarily get on a list where they are not allowed into a casino. A person who does not want to be resuscitated under certain circumstances can put a "do not resuscitate" note in their health records.

The bill would direct schools to screen all students in grades 8 or 9 and in grade 11 for symptoms of drug addiction. Keenan said that would involve school nurses having conversations with students, asking them about their involvement with prescription drugs or about any relevant family situations, and referring a student to counseling, if needed.

Drug manufacturers would have to establish programs to allow patients to dispose of unused drugs - such as a mail-back program. Keenan compared this to existing requirements that manufacturers of light bulbs containing mercury take back used bulbs.

"In the grand scheme of things, prescription medications are causing far greater problems than CFL light bulbs are," Keenan said. "We think (pharmaceutical companies) have an obligation to take responsibility for the return or safe disposal of the medications they manufacture."

The bill would also require that prescriptions of high-risk drugs be given only after a doctor has determined that a lower risk drug is unsuitable. Insurers would be required to develop plans and post information publicly about pain management.

The bill would establish a rehabilitation program for pharmacists and pharmacy workers who are diagnosed with substance abuse disorder.

It would also provide additional "good Samaritan" protection to anyone who administers the anti-overdose drug Narcan by protecting him from civil liability.

The bill does not yet have a cost attached to it.

The Senate committee is the second task force this year to look at opioid addiction, as the number of overdose deaths in the state has spiked over the last few years.

A task force convened by Gov. Charlie Baker made 65 recommendations, costing an estimated $27 million, to fight opioid addiction. These include recommendations for new treatment beds and walk-in clinics, a stronger prescription drug monitoring program, a statewide drug take-back program, a program for bulk purchasing Narcan, and more education. Some provisions were passed as part of the current fiscal year budget, others are included in supplementary budget for 2015 that lawmakers are expected to consider this month, and others are in a separate bill still pending before the Legislature.

The recommendations of Senate task force, which was led by state Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, D-Leominster, will be considered as an independent bill, although lawmakers could ultimately decide to combine aspects of the Senate and the governor's recommendations. Keenan said senators have been talking with House colleagues, Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey, who has also been active in developing ways to combat drug addiction.

The Senate committee also met in 2014 and came up with recommendations. A law prompted by those recommendations and signed by former governor Deval Patrick in August 2014 required insurance companies to cover more treatment, including up to 14 days of inpatient detoxification. Those mandates go into effect this October.

"This is the next step in the efforts of the Senate to hold prescribers accountable, keep children safe from prescription pills, and stem the tide of addiction in our state," Flanagan said in a statement.

The party begins at 5 p.m. Thursday.

AMHERST - Organizers of the 4^th Annual Downtown Block Party are expecting about 6,000 to attend the street fair Thursday night with families coming early and students and others to come later.

Just like last year, the event will feature three stages and the first hour of the entertainment at the Kendrick Park stage is devoted to families, said BID Executive Director Sarah La Cour.

Grammy nominated Mister G will perform at 5 p.m. and Ed Popielarczyk will be making his balloon sculptures.

 There will also be face painting, hula-hoops and inflatable bowling among other activities for youngsters at the fair, which ends at 9 p.m.

At 6 p.m. at the Kendrick Park stage, Avi Jacob performs rootsy Americana followed by the Gaslight Tinkers, performing African, Caribbean funk followed by Ballads, a funk and soul group  of University of Massachusetts jazz students.

DJ Ragoza will be spinning music at the Futurliner and a busker's stage features music beginning at 5 p.m. with Izy Coffey, a singer songwriter opening that stage at 5 p.m. People can visit the BID website for a sound sampling.

In addition to roaming circus performers, a trampoline will be set up near Kellogg Avenue for acrobatics, La Cour said.

About two dozen restaurants will be selling food along with other vendors.

North Pleasant from Amity Street to Pray Street will be closed to traffic, beginning at 3:30 p.m. but meters on North Pleasant Street will be hooded at about 1:30 p.m., she said.

And while the party is six days away, the weather is looking fine.  

Belchertown Police Sgt. Bruce Jenks is now the acting police chief

BELCHERTOWN - Police Chief Francis Fox has been placed on paid administrative leave as town officials investigate a February incident reported by a Granby police officer who said the chief was pulled over in that town for driving erratically in an unmarked cruiser and was observed having a strong odor of alcohol emanating from him.

Belchertown Police Sgt. Bruce Jenks is now the acting police chief.

Fox, who has been chief since 2002, has declined to comment on the matter.

Selectmen Chairman Ron Aponte took the action in light of the problematic nature of the accusations against Fox. In an interview, Aponte said that Fox neither told the board nor the town administrator about the matter at the time it happened more than seven months ago.

Selectmen first became aware of the matter -- not from Fox -- but via news reports on Wednesday, Aponte said. The decision to suspend Fox, with pay, was made the following day.

Selectmen are expected to discuss the issue at their next scheduled meeting on Monday.

Fox was stopped by Granby police the evening of Feb. 1.

According to the police report, he emitted a strong odor of alcohol, was argumentative, had trouble standing and nearly fell down upon finally exiting his vehicle -- only doing so when an officer said he would be arrested unless the chief got out of his vehicle. Fox appeared wobbly, and nearly fell when he got out of the cruiser he had been driving.

The report says Fox pulled rank on Granby police, asking them if they knew who he was, the report says.

Granby police had received a call from a motorist saying Fox had nearly hit his vehicle, and was observed driving on the wrong side of the road along Route 202.

Granby police, which did not arrest him nor charge Fox with a crime, issued a statement this week saying that it was in their discretion to not prosecute him, that they gave him a break, and that they removed the "public safety threat" -- Fox -- from where he could do harm, the public roadway.

An officer drove him to his house that night.

This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

The following is the Granby police report on the issue. Warning: The document below includes language that some readers might find objectionable:

Public Info Request 9942015

As part of a September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance, students and staff from the Springfield YWCA YouthBuild program have undertaken the construction of a 192-square-foot tiny home which includes a bedroom, bathroom and living area. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - As part of a September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance, students and staff from the Springfield YWCA YouthBuild program have undertaken the construction of a 192-square-foot tiny home which includes a bedroom, bathroom and living area.

They hope to have the building finished by the upcoming Veterans Day when it will be given to a deserving veteran.

When it is complete it will be a mobile home with wheels which will allow it to be moved to a location to be set up.
 

The Springfield project is one of two homes being done by other YouthBuild programs in Massachusetts. The other is being built in Fall River, also for a veteran.

When finished, the structure will be 8 feet wide by 24 feet long.

Work is funded by a grant received by the Massachusetts YouthBuild coalition from the Corporation for National Service September 11th Remembrance Grant.

Westfield public officials and family members of the three Westfield residents killed on Sept. 11, 2001 laid a wreath at the city's Sept. 11 monument Friday afternoon, commemorating the 14th anniversary of the attacks. Watch video

Westfield public officials and family members of the three Westfield residents killed on Sept. 11, 2001 laid a wreath at the city's Sept. 11 monument Friday afternoon, commemorating the 14th anniversary of the attacks.

Westfield Mayor Daniel Knapik and state Rep. John Velis spoke at the ceremony, thanking the emergency workers who gave their lives responding to the attacks and the soldiers who fought in the wars that followed them.

Family members of  Tara Shea Creamer, Brian J. Murphy and Daniel P. Trant, the three Westfield residents killed at the World Trade Center, participated in the wreath-laying. Creamer was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to hit the towers, while Murphy and Trant worked in the buildings.

Watch video from the ceremony above.

The felony assault case against 59-year-old Thomas A. Downs, a veteran trooper, now advances to Superior Court, where he faces three counts of assault and battery and one count of suffocation for allegedly assaulting a 40-year-old woman.

FRAMINGHAM — A Massachusetts State Police trooper remains suspended without pay after an Essex County grand jury indicted him Thursday on assault charges related to a February domestic violence case, Dave Procopio, director of State Police media relations in Framingham, said Friday.

The felony assault case against 59-year-old Thomas A. Downs, a veteran trooper, now advances to Superior Court, where he faces three counts of assault and battery and one count of suffocation for allegedly assaulting a 40-year-old woman. Downs was in a relationship with the woman, according to Procopio.

The trooper was relieved of duty after his Feb. 22 arrest by Salisbury police. He was suspended without pay and ordered to turn in all department equipment, including his cruiser and service weapon. Downs earned more than $167,000 last year, according to state payroll records.

Authorities also launched an Internal Affairs investigation of Downs, who's accused of violating departmental rules, regulations and policies.

"The State Police have no tolerance for, and condemn, all acts of domestic violence," Procopio said in a statement. "Although there is a presumption of innocence, the facts as alleged in the indictment are in stark contrast to the ideals and values of the department and the vast majority of its members."

Downs was assigned to the Newbury Barracks at the time of his arrest. He began his law enforcement career with the former Registry of Motor Vehicles Police force in 1987 and joined the State Police in the early 1990s, when the RMV force merged with the larger statewide police agency.

Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett's office is prosecuting the case.

A towering construction crane toppled over on Friday during a violent rainstorm in the Saudi city of Mecca, Islam's holiest site, crashing into the Grand Mosque and killing at least 107 people ahead of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage later this month.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- A towering construction crane toppled over on Friday during a violent rainstorm in the Saudi city of Mecca, Islam's holiest site, crashing into the Grand Mosque and killing at least 107 people ahead of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage later this month.

Images posted by social media users showed a grisly scene, with police and onlookers attending to numerous bodies lying amid pools of blood on the polished mosque floors.

Saudi Arabia's civil defense authority provided a series of rising casualty numbers on its official Twitter account as ambulances whisked the wounded to area hospitals. As of early Saturday, it said those injured in the disaster numbered 238.

A photo released by the authority showed police and workers in hardhats inspecting a pile of collapsed concrete slabs inside a part of the sprawling, ornately decorated mosque. Another showed the base of the toppled red-and-white crane tilted upward at a sharp angle.

Images aired on Saudi state television showed the crane's metal boom smashed through what appeared to be the roof of the mosque.

Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Mansouri, the spokesman for the presidency of the Mecca and Medina mosque affairs, said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency that the accident happened late Friday afternoon during a severe storm carrying strong winds and heavy rain.

Authorities did not provide details on the victims' nationalities, but it was likely that the tragedy will touch several countries.

The Grand Mosque and the cube-shaped Kaaba within it draw Muslims of all types from around the world throughout the year, though numbers increase significantly in the run-up to the hajj. The mosque is Islam's holiest site to which Muslims face in daily prayers and a central site among the hajj rituals.

Performing the pilgrimage once during one's lifetime is a duty for all able-bodied adult Muslims. This year's pilgrimage is expected to start around Sept. 22.

Al-Mansouri said the crane, which was being used in construction work at the mosque, struck a circular area around the Kaaba and a nearby walkway.

Pan-satellite Al-Jazeera Television broadcast footage from inside the mosque compound said to be from the aftermath of the accident, showing the floor strewn with rubble and what appear to be pools of blood.

Another video, on a Twitter posting, captured the apparent moment of the red-and-white crane's collapse during a heavy rainstorm, with a loud boom, screams and confusion.

The governor of the Mecca region, Prince Khalid al-Faisal, quickly called for the formation of a committee to investigate the cause of the accident. He directed all appropriate authorities to provide support for all of those injured, according to a statement from Mecca principality public affairs head Sultan al-Dosari that was carried on SPA.

Other Saudi officials could not immediately be reached or referred queries to the civil defense statements.

Several cranes surround the mosque to support an ongoing expansion and other construction work that has transformed the area around the sanctuary.

Steep hills and low-rise traditional buildings that once surrounded the mosque have in recent years given way to shopping malls and luxury hotels -- among them the world's third-tallest building, a giant clock tower that is the centerpiece of the Abraj al-Bait complex.

The construction giant Saudi Binladin Group is leading the mosque expansion and also built the Abraj al-Bait project.

The Binladin family has been close to the ruling Al Saud family for decades and oversees major building projects around the country. The Binladen family disowned one of its many members, late al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, in the 1990s.

It was not immediately clear who owned the crane that collapsed.

During the week of the hajj, Muslims converge on Mecca to perform a series of rituals, including the circling of the cube-shaped Kaaba, praying and holding vigil at Mount Arafat and perform the symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles at the three pillars in Mina.

Prayers on and around the mount are a climactic emotional and spiritual moment in the hajj. The faithful believe that on that day the gates of heaven are open, prayers are answered and past sins are forgiven.

All male pilgrims, regardless of wealth or status, wear seamless terry white cloths to symbolize equality before God during the hajj. Women cover their hair and wear long loose clothing, forgoing makeup and other adornments to help them detach from worldly pleasures and outward appearances.

It was on Mount Arafat, marked by a white pillar, where Islam's Prophet Muhammad is believed to have delivered his last sermon to tens of thousands of followers some 1,400 years ago, calling on Muslims to unite.

While following a route that the prophet once walked, the rites are believed to ultimately trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are named in the Bible.

The millions of pilgrims who visit the country's holy sites each year pose a considerable security and logistical challenge for the Saudi government, and large-scale deadly accidents have occurred on a number of occasions in years past.

In 2006, more than 360 pilgrims died in a stampede at the desert plain of Mina, near Mecca. A crush of pilgrims two years earlier left 244 dead.

The worst hajj-related tragedy was in 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims died in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca.

Sidewalks in the downtown area of Northampton served as a blank canvas for 11 veteran artists Friday as part of the Sixth Annual Northampton Chalk Art Festival as part of the September's Arts Night Out.

NORTHAMPTON — Sidewalks in the downtown area of Northampton served as a blank canvas for 11 veteran artists Friday as part of the Sixth Annual Northampton Chalk Art Festival as part of the September's Arts Night Out.

The decorative display of vibrant colors and shapes were the stepping stone for a festive weekend of events which include the Northampton Jazz Festival and the Northampton Arts Council's RETROFAIRE.

Cash prizes were awarded to the top three chalk creations. Chalk art sites are located at the Smith Museum of Art on Elm Street, with all other locations on Main Street.

The Northampton Chalk Art Festival is a presentation of Arts Night Out in cooperation with the City of Northampton and the Northampton Center for the Arts and sponsored by Chartpak, Inc., and the Northampton Radio Group.

Participants will be asked to help decorate the RETROFAIRE site located in the area between Thornes Marketplace and the city parking garage.