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Greater Springfied chapter of The Links sponsors Colgate Dental Van at two Springfield schools

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The Colgate Dental Van paid a visit to two Springfield schools in partnership with The Links, a volunteer service organization.

SPRINGFIELD — The Greater Springfield Chapter of The Links Inc. recently partnered with the Colgate Dental Van Bright Smiles Bright Futures for van visits to two schools.

The elementary schools included in this screening visits last month were Hiram L. Dorman Elementary School and Mary O. Pottenger Elementary School. During the visits, 110 students were screened and 78 had no dental problems.

"This was a great turnout, and the children were excited about having their teeth examined by the volunteer doctors within the Colgate Dental Van, and each received a toothbrush for future cleaning and bright smiles," according to Dr. Tashanna Myers of The Links Inc.

"We would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Chien Duong, Dr. Rob Matthews and Dr. Kirk Moore. Without their expertise and professional staff, this event could not have been possible," she said.

The doctors gave special care in making the children feel comfortable during their visit to the Colgate Dental Van, Myers said. She said there were minor problems that needed attention, which were assessed by the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Classification Treatment Plan.

Those students identified with severe dental problems will receive the attention needed to address the problems, Myers said.

In the U.S., Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures provides free dental screenings and oral health education to children through its fleet of mobile dental vans. The Greater Springfield chapter is one of the many chapters of The Links, an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946.

The membership consists of nearly 14,000 professional women of color in 282 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

It is a volunteer service organization of women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.



Hungry Hill stabbing sends one to hospital

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A bouncer at an after-hours drinking party in a Hungry Hill bar was stabbed early Sunday morning. .

SPRINGFIELD— Springfield detectives are investigating an early morning stabbing that send one man to the hospital and police seeking his assailant.

Springfield Police Lt. Richard LaBelle said the victim, a bouncer at a Hungry Hill sports bar, apparently became involved in a dispute with another man during an after-hours drinking session. The dispute turned violent, and the bouncer was stabbed.

LaBelle said officers found the injured man near his car in front of the Hungry Hill Senior Center at 709 Liberty St. He was transported to the Baystate Medical Center where police said he is currently in stable condition, with what LaBelle called, "non-life threatening injuries."

Police had been called by nearby neighbors just after 4 a.m., reporting a chase that turned out to be two men from the drinking party trying to catch the suspected assailant. They did not and police are now looking for the man.

Police are following up on several leads, LaBelle said.

In search of a Hillary Clinton ugly Christmas sweater or Ted Cruz coloring book? 2016 presidential campaign stores offer array of swag

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From coloring books to flip flops, guacamole bowls to sponsored flights, political junkies in search of campaign gear from Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina and others face no shortage of swag options, with nearly every 2016 candidate hosting a store on his or her respective website.

From coloring books to flip flops, guacamole bowls to sponsored flights, political junkies in search of presidential campaign gear to give out this holiday season face no shortage of swag options, with nearly every 2016 candidate hosting a store on his or her respective website.

Although the trend of candidates selling merchandise largely took off in recent years after campaigns like Barack Obama's 2008 White House bid turned to online retail in an effort to enhance fundraising efforts, today most presidential candidates peddle increasingly less traditional items as a means of collecting campaign contributions and connecting with supporters.

Tobe Berkovitz, chair of Boston University's Department of Mass Communication, Advertising and Public Relations, said while campaigns largely used to give away things like buttons, bumper stickers and other items at their headquarters and events, the Internet has dramatically changed the practice over the last decade.

"Now, you can go online and buy anything from this huge variety of campaign grab-bag items, which benefits campaigns in two ways: one, they make a bit of money and, two, they get their symbols and slogans and visuals out into the universe of voters," he said in an interview. "It also helps them target key supporters: If you're buying a Jeb Bush guacamole bowl, the odds are that you're going to vote for him."

Shoppers searching for gifts to give Marco Rubio backers, for example, can choose from an array of campaign items for sale on the Florida senator's 2016 Republican presidential website, including a $30 "Water Great Nation" water bottle, a $30 "Let Freedom Ring" cell phone case and a $45 "Marco Polo" shirt.

Those looking to contribute to the campaign can also buy Rubio a plane ticket for $500 or "adopt a staffer for the day" for $250, in exchange for recognition on Twitter, updates and a postcard.

The Florida senator's campaign said it plans to introduce several seasonal gift items to the store for the holiday season and was among many to announce holiday sales.

Supporters of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's White House bid in search of seasonal gifts are also in luck.

The Democrat's presidential campaign store features a "Hillary Cheer" section, where shoppers can purchase seasonal items, including a "Hillary for the Holidays Sweatshirt" – the campaign's take on the ugly Christmas sweater trend. The $60 sweatshirt features Clinton's campaign logo and the word "Hillary" along with a holiday pattern.

Berkovitz, who has worked as a political media consultant on presidential, senatorial, congressional and gubernatorial campaigns, added that by selling less traditional campaign items, like ugly Christmas sweaters, candidates could command more media attention or alter their public image.

"There are so many different reasons people do different things in campaigns," he said. "Some are about what people are to think and others are for their own devices."

Aside from a seasonal items, Clinton's store sells $10 campaign logo cookie cutters, $18 "Grillary Clinton Spatulas" and $55 throw pillows that read: "A woman's place is in the White House."

Clinton supporters can also purchase a $20 "Everyday Pantsuit Tee," which offers a feminine alternative to the classic tuxedo T-shirt.

A handful of Republican candidates' campaign websites, meanwhile, are selling apparel and items that take direct aim at Clinton's campaign.

Businesswoman Carly Fiorina's campaign store sells a $30 "Hillary who?" T-shirt, while U.S. Sen. Rand Paul's, R-Ky., website has a whole section where supporters can buy items like "Hillary's Hard Drive with Wiping Cloth" for just under $60 or a "Hindsight Eyechart" that reads "Liberty not Hillary" for $20.16.

Other Paul campaign merchandise includes a $50 giant Christmas card and a $20 pair of "I stand with Rand" flip flops.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's, R-Texas, GOP presidential campaign, meanwhile, is selling a $10 Ted Cruz coloring book, among other things.

For less than $30, supporters of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders', I-Vt., 2016 Democratic presidential campaign, can purchase a "Bernie's Schlep Bag" or a tote bag reading: "I'm totes votin' for Bernie."

Sanders' campaign store also has a "Feel the Bern" section, where supporters can buy an array of items bearing the phrase, including a $15 coffee mug that warns: "Caution, contents may cause a serious Bern."

Although supporters of Democratic presidential contender Martin O'Malley face a smaller selection of campaign gear, the former Maryland governor's website sells "O'M" T-shirts for $30.

Stealing from President Dwight Eisenhower's campaign, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's 2016 Republican presidential website sells "I like Mike" shirts for $24.

Supporters of retired neurosurgeon and 2016 GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson, meanwhile, can buy a $35 "Scrub Top" T-shirt or a $25 T-shirt spoofing Saturday Night Live that reads: "I've got a fever and the only prescription is more Carson!"

2016 Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who already has a fashion line featuring dress shirts, ties, suits and wallets, is also selling a selection of campaign-related items on his website, including a $15 Trump T-shirt for dogs, as well as his "Make America Great Again" hats.

Regardless of what an item costs a campaign, the entire amount a supporter spends to purchase it is considered a political contribution to the candidate, according to the Federal Election Commission.

Three-day old smoldering fire damages Boston Road medical building

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A fire that apparently had been smoldering for three days finally showed itself Sunday morning when it damaged a Boston Road medical building.

SPRINGFIELD— A smoldering mulch fire that had apparently been burning since Wednesday, made itself known overnight, damaging a Boston Road medical building.

Springfield firefighters were called to 860 Boston Road just before 1:30 a.m.Sunday, for a reported brush fire. Instead, they found a fire within decorative mulch spread around the perimeter of the Caring Health Center.

Dennis Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said fire investigators reported that the fire appeared to have started in an area where smokers discarded cigarette butts. It may well have been one of those butts that started the mulch burning.

Leger said a fire in material like mulch could slowly burn for quite a while before being noticed. The medical center had not been open since the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Firefighters easily took care of the burning mulch, but then noticed smoke in the basement of the building. That's when they found a fire burning within the building itself. The blaze apparently worked its way up and under the siding and started to burn the framing of the building.

Leger said flames damaged floor joists and subfloor, and smoke permeated the first level of the building. He estimated damages to the building at approximately $10,000.

Photos: 4th Annual Turkey Trot 5K Run, 2 Mile Walk in Longmeadow

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The run/walk started at Wolf Swamp Elementary School.

LONGMEADOW — Runners from across the country joined local residents and students for the 4th Annual 'Run Like a Wolf' 5K Turkey Trot Run/Walk as part of a Wolf Swamp School fundraiser sponsored by the Parent Teacher Association.

The annual event is a fundraiser for the elementary school and featured 187 runners and walkers, Saturday.


Winners included:

*Female 1-11 age group: Grace Burke and Camilla Daigle

*Male 1-11 age group:
Aiden Cass and Colin Burke

*Female 12-17 age group: Megan Williams and Carolyn Kowal-Safron

*Male 12-17 age group: Charles Brydes and Daniel Qin-Dong

*Female 18-29 age group:
Kara Shypula and Chelsea Camerlin

*Male 18-29 age group:
Matthew Wilson and Chris Hogan

*Female 30-39 age group:
Sara Lewis and Autumn Saenz

*Male 30-39 age group:
John Glynn and Ryan Courtemanche

*Female 40-49 age group: Eve Bois and Rachel Glazer

*Male 40-49 age group: Bryan Williams and Oliver Atessi

*Female 50-99 age group: Sherry Tucker and Judy Williams

*Male 50-99 age group: Ken Clark and Matt Byrnes

*Wolf Swamp School Students: Grace and Colin Burke

*Wolf Swamp School alumni: Aiden Cass and Chelsea Camerlin

*Wolf Swamp School staff:
Chelsea Camerlin and Neil Gile

*Longmeadow High School alumni:
Matthew Wilson and John Glynn


Picture of dog with mouth taped shut under investigation by Florida and Connecticut officials

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Authorities from Connecticut and Florida are trying to track down a woman who allegedly posted a picture of her dog's mouth duct-taped shut on Facebook with the caption, "This is what happens when you don't shut up."

SOUTH DAYTONA, Fla. - Authorities from Connecticut and Florida are trying to track down a woman who allegedly posted a picture of her dog's mouth duct-taped shut on Facebook with the caption, "This is what happens when you don't shut up."

Dog mouth taped shut


The Facebook post has drawn the ire of many people on Facebook who demand the woman be charged with animal cruelty.

NBC Connecticut said authorities are trying to determine where the alleged incident took place. The woman later posted, "Don't panic everyone it was only for a minute but hasn't barked since... POINT MADE!!!"

The television station reports the woman's actual name is different than the one associated with the Facebook account. The woman's profile said she lives in South Daytona, Fla., but the city posted on Facebook that the woman has not lived in the city for over a year now.

The city's post said the alleged incident might have occurred in Avon, CT. The woman allegedly lives there now, the Facebook post said.

Latest update on Katie Brown Facebook posting of dog. Family member confirmed that she has not lived in South Daytona...

Posted by City of South Daytona on Saturday, November 28, 2015

In regards to the dog that was photographed with it's snout duct taped shut, the Torrington Police would like everyone...

Posted by City of Torrington Police Department on Saturday, November 28, 2015

Avon Police officials said the incident did not occur in their community, according to WCVB News. Police in Torrington, CT., who were also involved, told the television station it is "highly unlikely" the alleged incident occurred there.

Thank you everyone for sending us info and links to help the Chocolate Lab. We are actively investigating this case and searching for the individual involved.

Posted by Torrington Animal Control on Saturday, November 28, 2015

Investigators are trying to find the woman so they can speak with her.

UPDATE: Many of you have seen, and were recently shocked, by this woman's alleged actions. She claimed it was for only...

Posted by Ventura County Animal Services on Saturday, November 28, 2015

French police detain about 100 activists at protest ahead of environmental summit

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The Paris police chief says that about 100 people have been detained after a protest seeking a global climate deal turned violent.

PARIS - The Paris police chief says that about 100 people have been detained after a protest seeking a global climate deal turned violent.

Michel Cadot told reporters that police identified about 200 or 300 people who violated a ban on all protests under the country's state of emergency. The state of emergency was declared because of recent extremist attacks that killed 130 people in Paris.

Cadot said Sunday about 100 people who were found to have projectiles or other suspicious objects were detained.

Police fired numerous rounds of tear gas on protesters to disperse them.

The protesters were gathering ahead of critical global warming talks outside Paris.

Human remains found in Connecticut forest

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Police are not releasing the victim's name at this time.

police lights.jpg 

COLCHESTER, Ct. -- Connecticut State Police are investigating the death of a person whose remains were found in a state forest Saturday night.

The Hartford Courant is reporting that the human remains were discovered in the forest near Flat Brook Road, near Salmon River State Forest.

Officials said the Eastern District Major Crime detectives and state police K9 teams conducted a search of the area Sunday.

Police will not release the identity of the victim until the family has been notified. However there is no threat to the community or the public, police told the newspaper.

The medical examiner's office will conduct an examination to determine the cause of death, police said.


Northwestern DA: No new information on woman found dead in Connecticut River off South Hadley

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The identity of the woman is not being released at this time.

SOUTH HADLEY — Police are still not releasing the name of the woman whose body was found in the Connecticut River off South Hadley on Friday.

There is no new information being released at this time, according to Mary Carey, communications director for Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.

The woman's body was recovered under the Vietnam Memorial Bridge Friday afternoon. The bridge carries Route 116 over the river and links Holyoke to South Hadley.

Also on Friday Chicopee police spokesman Officer Mike Wilk said Janice Camerlin, a Chicopee woman reported missing earlier last week, might have been found. Wilk didn't link the Camerlin case to the discovery of the body in the river off South Hadley.

Camerlin was last seen Wednesday and her car was located Wednesday in the area of 30 Main St. in South Hadley, which is near the northern base of the Vietnam Memorial Bridge.


MAP showing approximate area where car was recovered:

In Louisiana, a 'picture-perfect' family of 4 is dead in murder-suicide

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Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said David Mata, 46, fatally stabbed his wife, Kelli Fabre Mata, 40, and their sons, Caden Mata, 4, and Liam Mata, 2. Watch video

Few imagined such a crime could happen -- a triple murder and suicide -- in a middle-class Louisiana neighborhood so thick with law enforcement officers that residents call it Cop Land. It's the kind of place where everyone waves hello but no one gets in each other's business.

When family gathered outside the yellow crime-scene tape Sunday in the Oak Forest subdivision in Marrero, just outside of New Orleans, they comforted the sobbing teenager who had returned from a hunting trip to find her mother and stepfather dead in their living room at 4805 Brandi St. What she hadn't seen, when she ran out to call 911, were her two half-brothers: In separate bedrooms, they, too, were dead.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said David Mata, 46, fatally stabbed his wife, Kelli Fabre Mata, 40, and their sons, Caden Mata, 4, and Liam Mata, 2, sometime before 11 a.m. It was not immediately clear how David Mata killed himself.

"I didn't think he would do something like that. He was such a good person," said a friend of Kelli Mata's 18-year-old daughter, who discovered the crime. "He was happy with her." The two friends are seniors at Fisher Middle-High School in Jean Lafitte; Kelli Mata had another daughter as well, the friend said.

Indeed, David Mata's Facebook page is filled with photos of him and his wife, arms around each other and smiling. Their towheaded sons pose proudly in superhero Halloween costumes.

Mata was from Spain, and the couple had been married since April 2012. His Facebook profile speaks of the power of keeping God in one's heart.

The couple had rented the house for less than a year, property owner Jason Bordelon said. David Mata worked as a mechanic at a big car dealership on the east bank; his wife was a homemaker. They always paid their rent on time. "Picture-perfect family," Bordelon said.

However, 24th Judicial District Court records whisper at trouble in the past. In 2010, before the couple lived together, Mata pleaded guilty to assaulting Fabre. He was given a suspended sentence of one year in prison and fined $540.

Much earlier, in 2002, he pleaded guilty to possessing 1,000 anabolic steroid tablets after a sting operation at his Marrero home. He was placed on probation for three years

Fabre was charged in 2011 with writing a worthless check for $700 to Twelde's Lafitte Drugs. She pleaded not guilty and paid in full; the charge was dismissed.

Mata had been married before, and his divorce was acrimonious. His then-wife charged he had deserted her and was living with Kelli Fabre, according to court records. Mata said she forced him to move out and had escapades of her own. The divorce was denied in 2010 but granted in 2012.

"I just talked to him on Thanksgiving. I mean, he seemed like he was doing perfectly fine," said a 14-year-old neighbor who cut the Matas' grass. "They were fun. I never saw them argue, really," just minor disagreements. But "once you hear this, you've got to take that to a whole nother level."

As people rode by in golf carts, the youth added, "It's kind of hard to picture in this neighborhood." The Oak Forest Community Association scheduled a 5 p.m. prayer vigil.

Outside the Mata's low, brick-ranch dwelling, the couple's vehicles, a black Ford Edge hatchback and a blue Ford F-150 pickup truck, were parked in the driveway. The front door lights were on. Inside the door, as the authorities rolled up the crime tape, a small backpack could be seen hanging on a peg, and an even smaller pair of shoes on the floor.

New Bedford Police investigating murder of 66-year-old man

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The man was found lying in the parking lot of the Brooklawn Park.

NEW BEDFORD - A 66-year-old man was shot to death in a park in an apparent homicide late Saturday night.

New Bedford Police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office and Homicide Unit prosecutors are investigating the homicide, which happened at about 11 p.m. Saturday, said Gregg Miliote, director of communications for District Attorney Thomas Quinn.

Police were alerted to a man lying in the area of the parking lot at Brooklawn Park Saturday night by a 911 caller. The man was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital by ambulance and was pronounced dead at the hospital about an hour later, he said.

The victim has been identified as Donald DePina, of New Bedford, Miliote said.

The state Medical Examiner's Office has taken custody of the deceased and will perform an autopsy, he said.

West Springfield woman facing murder charges had dated her victim's boyfriend

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Christen Longley is schedlued to be arraigned Monday in Springfield District Court.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - A woman, who is being held on murder charges for the fatal stabbing of another woman, had a past relationship with the victim's boyfriend.

Jennifer Best, 30, was stabbed to death around 10:45 p.m., Friday at a home on Chester Street. The West Springfield resident was brought to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield by ambulance and died at the hospital, according to James Leydon, spokesman for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

On Saturday, police arrested Christen Longley, 31, of West Springfield, on charges of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Longley is scheduled to be arraigned in Springfield District Court on Monday, he said.

In the past, Longley had dated a man who was currently the boyfriend of Best. Leydon did not release the name of the man.

Other than the relationship between the three, he said he knew of no other motive in the crime.

Leydon did not give the exact address of the homicide and did not say who owned the home where the stabbing happened.

The homicide is still under investigation by the West Springfield Police Department and Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit. No other suspects are being sought at the time, he said.

The last murder in West Springfield happened in January 2010 when 6-week-old Ethan Luce died after being left alone in a hotel room with his older brother.

Then-Hampden District Attorney William M. Bennett concluded the baby died as a result of injuries inflicted by his 3-year-old brother. The older child was placed into the custody of the state Department of Children & Families. The mother of the boys, Erica A. Luce, 23, later pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment of a child and was sentenced to five years probation.

2 killed in Planned Parenthood shooting ID'd as Iraq War vet, mother of 2

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The gunman killed a police officer and two civilians who were accompanying separate friends to the clinic: Jennifer Markovsky, 36, a mother of two, and Ke'Arre Stewart, 29, an Iraq War veteran and father of two.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- One of the three people who died in a shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic was an Iraq War veteran who had recently left the military, a friend of the family said Sunday.

Another was a mother of two.

Amburh Butler, who spoke on behalf of 29-year-old Ke'Arre Stewart's family, said he was accompanying someone at the clinic when he was killed. He leaves behind two young daughters in Texas, where he grew up, Butler said.

Butler said the Army stationed Ke'Arre at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs in 2013. She said he was discharged from the military last year.

She said he used to write her letters from Iraq that detailed the horrors of fighting on the front lines. She last spoke to him on Thursday, when he sounded upbeat to be spending Thanksgiving with friends.

Jennifer Markovsky, 36, a married mother of two who was separately accompanying a friend to the clinic, was also identified Sunday as killed during the attack.

Her father, John Ah-King, told The Denver Post on Sunday that his daughter originally was from Hawaii and moved to Colorado several years ago.

"She was the most lovable person," Ah-King said, speaking from his home in Hawaii. "So kind-hearted, just always there when I needed her."

Previously identified as the third person killed was police officer Garrett Swasey.

Colorado Springs police on Sunday said they would not disclose any information on the motive for the attack, a move that guarantees further speculation over the intention of accused killer Robert Lewis Dear, who told authorities "no more baby parts" after being arrested, according to a law enforcement official.

Dear, whom acquaintances described as an odd, reclusive loner, prepares for his initial appearance in state court on Monday.

Planned Parenthood cited witnesses as saying the gunman was motivated by his opposition to abortion. He killed a police officer and two civilians who were accompanying separate friends to the clinic: Jennifer Markovsky, 36, a mother of two and Ke'Arre Stewart, 29, an Iraq War veteran and father of two.

The law enforcement official who recounted Dear's statement spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not allowed to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation. The official said the "no more baby parts" comment was among a number of statements he made to authorities after his arrest, making it difficult to know his specific motivation.

Still, U.S. Attorney John Walsh said investigators have been in touch with lawyers from the Justice Department's Civil Rights and National Security divisions, suggesting officials could pursue federal charges in addition to state homicide ones. One possible avenue is the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it a crime to injure or intimidate clinic patients and employees.

The attack thrust the clinic to the center of the debate over Planned Parenthood, which was reignited in July when anti-abortion activists released undercover video they said showed the group's personnel negotiating the sale of fetal organs.

Planned Parenthood has denied seeking any payments beyond legally permitted reimbursement costs for donating the organs to researchers. Still, the National Abortion Federation says it has since seen a rise in threats at clinics nationwide.

Vicki Cowart, the regional head of Planned Parenthood, said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that the organization has faced hateful speech.

"I can't believe that this isn't contributing to some folks, mentally unwell or not, thinking that it's OK to -- to target Planned Parenthood or to target abortion providers," she said.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on CNN's State of the Union called the attack "a form of terrorism" and said people need to be mindful of "inflammatory rhetoric."

Anti-abortion activists, part of a group called the Center for Medical Progress, denounced the "barbaric killing spree in Colorado Springs by a violent madman" and offered prayers for the dead and wounded and for their families.

Cowart said the gunman "broke in" to the clinic Friday but didn't get past a locked door leading to the main part of the facility. She said there was no armed security when the shooting began.

He later surrendered to police after an hours long standoff.

Nine other people were hospitalized, including five officers. Cowart said all 15 clinic employees survived and worked hard to make sure everyone else got into safe spaces and stayed quiet.

Neighbors who lived beside Dear's former South Carolina home say he hid food in the woods as if he was a survivalist and said he lived off selling prints of his uncle's paintings of Southern plantations and the Masters golf tournament.

John Hood said Saturday that when he moved to Walterboro, South Carolina, Dear was living in a doublewide mobile home next door.

He pointed to a wooden fence separating their land and said he put it up because Dear liked to skinny dip.

Hood said Dear rarely talked to him, and when he did, he tended to offer unsolicited advice such as recommending that Hood put a metal roof on his house so the U.S. government couldn't spy on him.

"He was really strange and out there, but I never thought he would do any harm," he said.

James Russell, another former neighbor in a rural area of North Carolina

Thanksgiving holiday traffic heavy; traffic jams on Mass Turnpike

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Traffic heading eastbound on the Massachusetts Turnpike around Sturbridge, Charlton and Worcester is bumper-to-bumper.

State Police are reporting heavy traffic in Western Massachusetts as people return home after the Thanksgiving weekend, but said the travel has been mostly accident free.

Some of the biggest backups have been on the Massachusetts Turnpike between the Sturbridge and Worcester area. Currently traffic remains bumper-to-bumper on the eastbound side, as it has all day, but it is mostly flowing smoothly for people traveling westbound, Massachusetts State Police troopers said.

In the areas around Westfield and into the Berkshires, traffic has been heavy all day but there are few backups. There have been a few minor accidents but none have caused injuries or serious traffic jams, troopers there said.

In the Sturbridge area, traffic has been especially heavy on Route 20, mainly from people trying to avoid gridlock on the Massachusetts Turnpike. But there have been no major problems on Interstates 84 and 395, police said.

In the Springfield area, troopers called traffic on Interstate 91 "moderate."

This year AAA predicted holiday traffic would increase by about 0.6 percent this year and anticipated 46.9 million people would travel 50 miles or more from home between Wednesday and Sunday.


The majority of people were expected to travel by car.

Holyoke Ocean State Job Lot store struck by SUV

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No one was injured and there was no structural damage to the store.

HOLYOKE - A driver struck the Ocean State Job Lot store Sunday afternoon, causing the building inspector to have to examine the building.

No one was injured in the accident that happened around 2:30 p.m. in the store located at 2291 Northampton St., in the Kmart Plaza, police said.

The driver of a Toyota Rav 4 SUV struck the store. The driver refused medical attention following the accident, said Fire Department Capt. Anthony Cerruti.

The Fire Department responded to ensure there were no safety hazards from the accident. The building commissioner was summoned to ensure the car caused no structural issues with the store, he said.


Suspected Colo. Planned Parenthood shooter will be charged with murder

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The man accused of a deadly shooting rampage at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs was told Monday that he will be charged with first-degree murder in the killing of three people, including a police officer, during the standoff at the facility.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The man accused of a deadly shooting rampage at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs was told Monday that he will be charged with first-degree murder in the killing of three people, including a police officer, during the standoff at the facility.

Speaking in a raspy voice, white-bearded suspect Robert Lewis Dear appeared via a video hookup from El Paso County Jail, where he has been held since surrendering to police after the five-hour siege on Friday.

Dear wore a padded, white vest with black straps and gazed downward during most of the hearing. It was his first appearance in court in the case.

Dear responded "no questions" when asked by Chief District Judge Gilbert Martinez if he had any questions about his rights.

Public Defender Daniel King, who represented Colorado theater shooter James Holmes, stood beside Dear and will act as his counsel. Dear is expected to be formally charged on Dec. 9.

Victims' relatives sat in the courtroom during the hearing.

Dear, 57, is accused of fatally shooting a university police officer who tried to stop the attack, an Iraq war veteran and a mother of two inside the clinic.

The rampage sent nine other people to a hospital.

Colorado Springs police have declined to disclose any information on a motive for the attack, and a judge ordered the sealing of investigatory court documents at the request of prosecutors.

A law enforcement official said Dear told authorities "no more baby parts" after being arrested.

The official said the comment was among a number of statements Dear made to authorities after his arrest, making it difficult to know his specific motivation.

The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not allowed to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.

U.S. Attorney John Walsh said investigators have been in touch with lawyers from the Justice Department's Civil Rights and National Security divisions, a move that suggests officials could pursue federal charges in addition to state homicide ones. Walsh did not elaborate.

One possible avenue could be the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it a crime to injure or intimidate clinic patients and employees.

"The case may fit the criteria for a federal domestic terrorism case, but based on my experience, I would be very surprised if this is not simply a local prosecution," said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, a former U.S. attorney and state attorney general.

Planned Parenthood said witnesses believe the gunman was motivated by his opposition to abortion.

Suthers, however, said it's unclear whether the shooting was intended to send an ideological message.

Whatever authorities decide is sure to be controversial, given the political murkiness of Dear's statements and the debate over Planned Parenthood, which was reignited in July when anti-abortion activists released undercover video they said showed the group's personnel negotiating the sale of fetal organs.

The organization has denied seeking any payments beyond legally permitted reimbursement of the costs for donating the organs to researchers.

Dear has been described by acquaintances as a reclusive loner who didn't seem to have strong political or social opinions.

Neighbors who live near Dear's former South Carolina home say he hid food in the woods and lived by selling prints of his uncle's paintings of Southern plantations and the Masters golf tournament.

After he moved to Colorado, he once gave a neighbor pamphlets opposing President Barack Obama.

"He didn't talk about them or anything. He just said, 'Look them over when you get a chance,'" Zigmond Post said.

West Springfield murder suspect Christen Longley says she 'blacked out' before stabbing rival in neck, court documents say

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The victim's eyes were open, but she was unresponsive, with a "1.5 inch penetrating stab wound to the right collarbone/throat area of her neck," the report said.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Jennifer Best was killed by a single stab wound to the neck from a romantic rival who said she "blacked out" before the attack, according to court and police reports.

Best, 30, of West Springfield, was pronounced dead late Friday night following a confrontation with Christen Longley, the former girlfriend of Best's new boyfriend.

Longley, 31, also of West Springfield, pleaded not guilty to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon Monday in Springfield District Court.

The stabbing took place on the second floor at 31 Chester St.; around 10:30 p.m., a resident called police to report a disturbance, but made no mention of a stabbing, the report said.

When police arrived, they were met by a "frantic" David Cullison, Longley's former boyfriend, the report said.

"I need an ambulance; she has been stabbed," said Cullison, who lead the officers to Best's body on the second floor landing.

Her eyes were open, but she was unresponsive, with a "1.5 inch penetrating stab wound to the right collarbone/throat area of her neck," the report said.

Langley, meanwhile, was kneeling in the next room. "She was calm and staring, as if looking right through me," one of the officers wrote.

Cullison and two others witnesses told police that Longley had struggled with Best before stabbing her with a black folding knife; police recovered the knife at the scene.

In a statement to police, she claimed that Best initially threatened her with a knife, but Longley took the knife away and "began swinging her arms to protect herself," according to the arrest report.

As she struggled with Best, Cullison and a second man, Bobby Larock, intervened. "Bobby was yelling at her about the knife and David (Cullison) was holding Jen," she told police, according to the report.

"She explained that due to her blackout, she could not recall the act of stabbing Ms. Best," according to the report.

While speaking to police, Longley's mood shifted along with her account of the stabbing, police said.

"Ms. Longley went form crying and emotional at times, to being angry at times, to being complacent and meek," according to the report.

"Longley ended up by saying that she was sorry," the report said.

In court documents, Longley is described as an employee of Dunkin Donuts with a 12-year-old daughter.

For 15 years, she and Cullison were a couple and still had contact with each other after breaking up, witnesses told police.

After leaving work Friday night, she went to Cullison's house. She eventually began arguing with Best, leading to the stabbing, police said.

Fuel assistance money set for release to Massachusetts' low-income families

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The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Economic Development said payments have gone out or are being processed for payment to the state's community action agencies, which distribute federal money for fuel assistance.

Help is near for Massachusetts residents who do not have enough money to pay their heating bills.

The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Economic Development confirmed Monday that payments have gone out or are being processed for payment to the state's 24 community action agencies, which distribute federal money for fuel assistance.

"We will be starting to pay," said Clare Higgins, executive director of Community Action of the Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin regions, which distributes money from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.

The amount of money people get, however, will be less than in previous years due to federal budget cuts.

"It's not just fuel assistance, but many discretionary programs have taken cuts," said Joe Diamond, executive director of the Massachusetts Association for Community Action, which represents community action agencies. "It's part of an overall pattern of reductions in the federal budget, particularly in the domestic discretionary programs."

Diamond said the cut, for low-income families, "makes their lives more challenging, more difficult and makes it so that it's harder and harder for them to cover their heating costs."

LIHEAP is a federally funded program that provides money for heating assistance to low-income families. Around 200,000 Massachusetts families benefit from the program each year.

Although the money typically starts flowing around Nov. 1, and applications have been open all month, the money was held up by federal government delays. Higgins, who is president of the Massachusetts Association for Community Action, said the award letter just recently came through, allowing the state to process requests from each local agency.

Community action agency heads are encouraging low-income residents to apply for assistance. "As soon as it gets cold, people start worrying," Higgins said.

To be eligible, families must earn 60 percent or less of the state's median income, or $63,700 for a family of four. This year, a family of four earning $63,700 living in unsubsidized housing will be able to receive $535 in fuel. The benefit amount changes based on income, so a family of four earning just $24,250 would be eligible for the maximum benefit of $900 in fuel. Those living in subsidized housing receive less money.

The total amount of money available to Massachusetts changes annually based on federal budget appropriations. It dropped from a peak of $197,500 in fiscal year 2010 to $132,100 in fiscal year 2013. Massachusetts' allocation jumped to $146,300 last year, but it is expected to fall to $133,200 this year. The drop comes as Congress spent less money this year on LIHEAP ($2.9 billion nationally) than in any of the last seven years, due to general congressional budget-cutting.

As a result, the maximum benefit amount has decreased. In 2015, people were eligible for a maximum benefit of $1,095, compared to $900 this year.

For customers who use oil, who have seen prices drop this year, Diamond said that should be enough to buy oil to heat their homes through early February - or the equivalent of a little more than one tank full. Around 28 percent of LIHEAP households use heating oil.

For the approximately 64 percent of LIHEAP households that use natural gas or electricity, which is provided by a utility, there is no danger that the power will stop flowing, since there is a moratorium on electricity shut-offs during the winter. However, if customers cannot pay their bills, they will accumulate debt and face potential shut-offs in the spring.

Higgins said after last year's unusually cold winter, combined with a spike in electricity prices, many customers were unable to pay their full heating bills. Now, people are looking for help paying their bills to avoid having their electricity shut off before this winter.

Diamond said agencies worry that if customers do not have enough money for heat, they will face health problems from living in a cold home or will use stoves or space heaters to heat a room in a dangerous way.

"We see fuel assistance as not only a housing preservation program or an economic benefit, but we also see it as a health and safety program as well," Diamond said.

According to the CAP agencies, 37 percent of people using fuel assistance are over age 60, 28 percent are households with a child, and 17 percent of customers are disabled.

Members of Congress from New England have often been the major supporters of LIHEAP due to the region's harsh winters. In October, Massachusetts' entire congressional delegation signed a letter calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to release as much LIHEAP money as possible as early as possible.

W.F. Young buys maker of The Missing Link pet nutritional supplements

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Founded in 1892 by Wilbur Fenelon Young and his wife Mary Ida, W. F. Young has manufactured and distributed quality healthcare products under the Absorbine name for over 120 years. The company is recognized as a worldwide leader in animal healthcare products designed to enhance the wellbeing and enjoyment of life for animals and their people. For more information, visit www.absorbine.com.

EAST LONGMEADOW -W. F. Young, makers of Absorbine has purchased the assets of Designing Health Inc., the manufacturer and marketer of The Missing Link brand of supplements for dogs, cats, birds, small animals and horses.

 Chris Jacobi, president, W. F. Young Inc., and Joy Collett, owner of Designing Health Inc. made the announcement Monday.


Joy Collett said:

"Selling The Missing Link was a very difficult decision for me. It was my husband's (the late Dr. Robert Collett) heart and soul for so many years, and reflected his deep personal passion for all animals. The most important factor in my decision was finding a company that would carry his vision forward. The similarities between our two companies, starting with the fact that both were founded because of a personal passion for animals, plus a continued dedication to providing the best possible products, made W. F. Young the right choice to steward The Missing Link in the future."


Ken Oh, General Manager, Pet Division at W. F. Young, said:

"We are more than pleased to have the opportunity to continue the legacy that Dr. Collett created with The Missing Link, and it's a perfect complement to our recent acquisition of Pure Ocean Botanicals. Both companies match our existing philosophy and way of doing business, namely, offering quality products intended to enhance the lives of our pets."


Founded in 1892 by Wilbur Fenelon Young and his wife Mary Ida, W. F. Young has manufactured and distributed quality healthcare products under the Absorbine name for over 120 years. The company is recognized as a worldwide leader in animal healthcare products designed to enhance the wellbeing and enjoyment of life for animals and their people. For more information, visit www.absorbine.com.


In the early 1990s, veterinarian Robert Collett, began research into the degenerative disease processes he observed in patients at his veterinary clinic in Sylmar, CA.

Convinced that there was a nutritional gap between what animals ate in the wild - nutritionally dense, whole, raw and fresh foods - and modern commercially processed pet foods, Dr. Collett developed and patented cold processing methods and supplement formulas for pets targeting this nutritional gap. The overwhelming demand for these supplements led Dr. Collett to launch Designing Health, Inc. to manufacture and market The Missing Link supplements.

Western Massachusetts charities gear up for #GivingTuesday

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Giving Tuesday will not include the popular Valley Gives fundraising effort which has been rescheduled to May 3.

SPRINGFIELD - We've had Black Friday, Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, now get ready for GivingTuesday, the Twitter-fueled day of awareness and fundraising for nonprofit organizations here in the Pioneer Valley and around the world.

As of Monday, just plain old Monday without a nickname, more than 220 nonprofits in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties had signed up to use the online platform Razoo for Giving Tuesday campaigns, said Michael DeChiara,senior program officer for capacity at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

He said to look for Tweets, Facebook posts and emails all day Tuesday from all manner of organizations.

While Givingtuesday is promoted online, especially through the Twitter Hastag #GivingTuesday, local groups have real-world events planned.

A few examples:

  • Square One in Springfield will lead children form one of its early education centers in a "marching band" parade to Tower Square at about noon. Square One is also encouraging supports to "wear their heart on their sleeve" by wearing a Square One button with a heart-shaped logo.
  • At Springfield College, the Leadership Training Conference and Rachel's Challenge student organizations will collect food, clothing, and school supplies for local nonprofit organizations and schools  from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Springfield College students and others can donate canned food for Open Pantry Community Services in Springfield; socks for Friends of the Homeless; school supplies that for the White Street Elementary School in Springfield. They can also pledge money to support alternative spring break trips for Springfield College students. Folks can write thank you notes to students and Springfield College employees.

Drop-off locations for the canned food, socks, and school supplies are set up throughout the campus in the Wellness Center, admissions office, Marsh Memorial, Alumni Hall basement (in the marketing and communications office), and Administration Building, according to a news release.

  • Dress for Success of Western Massachusetts calls its effort #GivingShoesDay, collecting professional and dress shoes so women without means can dress for job interviews and for the workplace.
    Drop off at the Dress for Success boutique at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday.

DeChiara said New York City's 92nd Street Y created Giving Tuesday about four years ago as a way to focus people's attention on charitable giving during a the busy Holiday season.

Here in the Pioneer Valley, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving was the date of Valley Gives in 2012, 2013 and 2014. This coordinated region-wide campaign was a a way to get charities to reach out on social media, showcase their programming and raise money. The 24-hour Valley Gives Days raised $2.7 million in donations for 436 charities on Dec. 10, more than $2 million in 2013 and nearly $1 million in 2012.

In January, the Community Foundation decided to move Valley Gives Day away from the busy holiday season to May. This year it will be on May 3 to coincide with the national Give Local America Day, a similar national effort.

"I think people are expecting Valley Gives in December," DeChiara said .

The programs are designed to widen the pool of potential donors by reaching out to new populations, especially younger potential donors who engage on social media and also like events, DeChiara said.

"The pioneer valley is a generous place. the challenge is to expand it," he said. "Bring in people who have never given before."

It's also important for charities to make a fundraising push in December, when people are in a giving mood and also looking for last-minute tax write-offs, said Kristine Allard, vice president of development at Square One

"I think right now, at this time of year, people are in the spirit of giving."
it becomes a little more clear that there is a need," she said.

"There is a day for getting deals, Black Friday, a day of Thanksgiving. Now there is a day for actually giving and being able to use the power you have to help an organization and help a value that you really believe in 

DeChiara said the Foundation opens the Razoo online platform to make it easy for smaller organizations to collect money online.

But it comes at a cost from Razoo, he said. During #GivingTuesday the Razoo Foundation will retain 6.9 percent  plus $0.30 per transaction for Razoo Foundation expenses and campaign costs (including credit card transaction costs). Donors have the option to cover these fees during the checkout process, allocating 100 percent  of their intended donation to your nonprofit. More info is available at https://givingtuesday.razoo.com/giving_events/GT15/about

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