SPRINGFIELD – It wasn't the 21 bags of heroin that Angel L. Resto allegedly sold that hurt his chances for low bail Monday. It was his 46-page arrest record. At a prosecutor's request, Judge William Boyle set bail at $10,000 after Resto denied two counts of heroin distribution during his arraignment in Springfield District Court. That figure was $9,500 more...

SPRINGFIELD - It wasn't the 21 bags of heroin that Angel L. Resto allegedly sold that hurt his chances for low bail Monday.

It was his 46-page arrest record.

At a prosecutor's request, Judge William Boyle set bail at $10,000 after Resto denied two counts of heroin distribution during his arraignment in Springfield District Court.

That figure was $9,500 more than requested by defense lawyer Brandon Freeman, who said his 50-year-old client has avoided legal trouble in recent years and is suffering from colon cancer.

But after reviewing Resto's state and federal arrest record, Boyle said low bail was not an option.

"Even if he had a 7-page record, I wouldn't" impose $500 bail, the judge said.

Resto sold heroin to a police informant on two occasions in June, according to Assistant District Attorney Jill O'Connor, who said West Springfield police learned that he was selling drugs from his Highland Avenue apartment.

The first sale, involving 11 bags, took place in the apartment; the second, for 10 bags, occurred in a parking lot near Resto's apartment and was witnessed by a narcotics detective, O'Connor said.

O'Connor asked for $10,000 bail, noting that Resto had served a three-year state prison sentence on a 2010 heroin distribution charge.

Resto also has convictions for failing to register as a sex offender, giving false information to police and other charges, as well as 8 court defaults, O'Connor said.

But Boyle said the defendant's seven-page record in Massachusetts represented only a fraction of his criminal history.

"Have you seen this," the judge asked both lawyers, referring to Resto's 39-page out-of-state record.

The so-called NCIS report - compiled by the National Crime Information Center for all 50 states - is not always available to lawyers before arraignments.

As the lawyers reviewed Resto's out-of-state file, Boyle decided to impose the $10,000 bail requested by O'Connor.

The judge also scheduled a pretrial hearing for next month.

According to the state's Sex Offender Registry Board, Resto is a Level 3 sex offender who was convicted in 1992 and again in 1995 for indecent assault and battery on a person over 14.

She fought hard for the controversial switch to uniforms, which many school officials now say has resulted in improved student behavior and contributed to a tone of respect in schools.

SPRINGFIELD -- The funeral for former Springfield School Committee member and paraprofessional union leader Antonette Pepe, 74, who died on Monday at Baystate Medical Center, will be held on Saturday morning with a liturgy of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the city's South End.

The funeral service will be held at 8:30 a.m. from the Forastiere Smith Funeral Home at 20 North Main St. in East Longmeadow, followed by a 10 a.m. Mass at the church. Burial will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery on Tinkham Road.

Visiting hours on Friday are from 4 to 8 p.m. at Forastiere Smith Funeral Home.

Pepe, a lifelong resident of Springfield, understood the difficult circumstances of some children and families and saw the value of education to change lives, according to her obituary. She was committed to public service, "supporting and increasing services for a diverse and often at-risk population," the obituary noted.

Pepe worked as a paraprofessional in city schools and was president of her union for 12 years.

According to the obituary, she was most proud of her contributions as a member of the Springfield School Committee, especially the introduction of school uniforms. She fought hard for the controversial switch to uniforms, which many school officials now say has resulted in improved student behavior and contributed to a tone of respect in schools.

Known as "Mama" to her family, Pepe leaves her husband of 53 years, Russell Pepe, three children and seven grandchildren.

Full obituary and funeral arrangements for Antonette Pepe >>

The bill takes aim at the "visa waiver" program, which allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the U.S. without first obtaining a visa.

WASHINGTON -- Driven by the Paris terror attacks, the House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to tighten controls on travel to the U.S. and require visas for anyone who's been in Iraq or Syria in the previous five years.

The legislation takes aim at the "visa waiver" program that allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the U.S. for stays of 90 days and less without first obtaining a visa from an embassy or consulate. Belgium and France, home to most of the perpetrators of last month's Paris attacks, are among the participating countries.

The bill, which passed 407-19, would institute a series of changes, including the new visa requirement for citizens of Iraq, Syria and any other country deemed a terrorist hotspot, along with anyone who's traveled to those countries in the previous five years. Exceptions are made for official government visits and military service.

Countries in the visa waiver program would also be required to share counterterror information with the U.S. or face expulsion from the program. All travelers would be checked against Interpol databases, and visa waiver countries would be required to issue "e-passports" with biometric information.

"You have more than 5,000 individuals that have Western passports in this program that have gone to Iraq or Syria in the last five years," said Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. "Those are gaps that we need to fix."

Some 20 million visitors come to the U.S. annually under the visa waiver program. They already are screened through an online system maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, and the White House has recently announced a series of improvements to that and other aspects of the program.

But in past years, the program has been used by would-be terrorists, including "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, who boarded a flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001 without a visa and attempted to set off a bomb. Zacarias Moussaoui, the "20th hijacker" from 9/11, also flew from London to Chicago with a French passport and no visa in February 2001, according to a Homeland Security Inspector General report from 2004.

Lawmakers of both parties spoke in favor of the legislation, which is also backed by the White House. It's a rare area of bipartisan agreement after the Obama administration's fury when the House passed legislation last month cracking down on the Syrian refugee program in the immediate aftermath of the Paris attacks.

The Syrian refugee bill, which the administration said was unnecessary because the small number of Syrian refugees are already extensively screened, has not gone anywhere in the Senate and looks unlikely to advance. The visa waivers bill, on the other hand, may be added to a must-pass year-end spending bill now being finalized on Capitol Hill. There is a different version in the Senate by Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California and Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona. The travel industry, which backs the House bill as a balanced approach, says the Senate bill goes too far in adding new biometric requirements for all visa waiver travelers that might be difficult to enact.

Separately, some lawmakers are also talking about looking at the fiance visa program that allowed Tashfeen Malik, the shooter in the recent attacks in San Bernardino, California, into the country. The Homeland Security Department has already announced a review of that program.

A handful of Democratic lawmakers spoke against the visa waiver legislation before its passage. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., said the bill is overbroad in stripping visa waiver privileges from all Syrian and Iraqi nationals and said it should include more exceptions for more people, such as journalists and researchers. "Our focus should be on terrorism, not just country or origin," Ellison said.

But most Democrats joined Republicans in enthusiastically embracing the bill. "This is a good bill, it's one that's time has come," said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, top Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security.

A total of 64 deer were killed during a four-day hunt in the Blue Hill State Reservation, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation. On Tuesday, the fourth and final day, 56 hunters participated and killed 11 deer.

BOSTON - A total of 64 deer were killed during a four-day hunt in the Blue Hill State Reservation, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

On Tuesday, the fourth and final day, 57 hunters participated and killed 11 deer.

On Monday, Dec. 7, 70 hunters were let onto the reservation. They killed 12 deer.

The Blue Hills includes parts of several south of Boston communities like Quincy, Canton, Milton, Dedham and Braintree.

Most of the deer killed during the hunt were taken over the course of the first two days last week, leading to a total of 41 at the time.

Hunters are responsible for removing the deer meat from the reservation, according the department. Whether they take it home or donate it is up to them, and they don't have to provide information on what they plan to do with the meat.

Saying the population has hit an unsustainable 85 deer per square mile, Massachusetts officials earlier this year signed off on the four-day hunt in parts of the Blue Hills.

Protesters had unsuccessfully called on the governor to halt the hunt, saying it would lead to a deer "massacre."

In the 2014 deer season, 11,271 deer were killed statewide, with 4,714 taken during the shotgun season. The rest were taken in during the archery and primitive firearms seasons.

The four-day hunt in the Blue Hills is part of the Department of Conservation and Recreation's long-term deer management plan for the area.

"Within a five-year reduction phase, it is estimated that deer densities could be reduced to below approximately 50 deer per square mile of forest if fewer than 5 days of firearms hunting are used and reduced to below approximately 20 deer per square mile of forest if more than 8 days of firearms hunting are used," the plan says.

In its deer management plan, the agency said it "recognizes the myriad of research that has demonstrated mixed results over the last several decades with regard to the correlation between deer densities, tick abundance, and Lyme disease contraction rates among humans."

The agency added: "Furthermore, attempting to solve Lyme disease or reduce contraction rates is not a primary goal of DCR's deer management plan for the Blue Hills. Rather, as stewards of the Blue Hills Reservation, DCR has a legislative mandate and a mission to maintain or restore ecologically healthy ecosystems and habitats."

Blue Hills Reservation opens for hunting

This was post was updated at 6:58 p.m. with the correct number of hunters for the final day. The Department of Conservation and Recreation initially provided the incorrect number.

The arraignment of two men in a Saturday night shooting death in Southie was marked by glares and threats in the courtroom before a physical brawl broke out on the steps of South Boston District Court.

A digest of news stories from around New England.

MBTA Transit Police looking for Hispanic woman they say assaulted, spat on disabled MBTA Orange Line passenger [CBS Boston.com] Photos above

Kristy Ellison 

Most items from the Holyoke artists and vendors will be priced from $5 to $100.

HOLYOKE -- This year's HolidayHolyoke Art Shop will operate from Thursday to Dec. 23 at the former White Rose bookstore at 284 High St. a few doors down from City Hall.

"The shop will feature a wide variety of locally produced artwork and craft items sure to make great gifts for kids of all ages," said Jeffrey C. Bianchine, city creative economy coordinator.

Shoppers will find fine art, framed photographs, jewelry, scarves and winter hats, soaps, lotions, teas and tinctures, fine glassware, Christmas ornaments, "up-cycled" sculpture, fabric art, reupholstered vintage furniture and "No Green Thumb Needed" faux plants with a touch of whimsy.

Artists and vendors will be offering handcrafted items priced from $5 to $100, but some also will display paintings, sculpture and other pieces that command higher prices, Bianchine has said.

A list of vendors is available here on the HolidayHolyoke Facebook page.

For more information, send an email to HolyokeArtsBazaar@gmail.com.

The shop will be closed from Dec. 14 to Dec. 16. Here are the shop's hours, Bianchine said:

• Thursday, noon to 8 p.m.
• Friday, noon to 8 p.m. -- with grand opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Dec. 17, noon to 8 p.m.
• Dec. 18, noon to 8 p.m.
• Dec. 19, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Dec. 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Dec. 21, noon to 8 p.m.
• Dec. 22, noon to 8 p.m.
• Dec. 23, noon to 8 p.m.

Joan Mikula says new program for early support of those with psychosis could "alter the trajectory of an individual's life path.' Watch video

This story updates Commonwealth's mental health commissioner set to speak in Holyoke.

HOLYOKE - Joan Mikula, the state's commissioner of mental health, called an open house for a new state-funded behavioral health program here for young people with early psychosis "an incredible day."

"This is an incredible day for the Department of Mental Health, for ServiceNet, for Western Massachusetts and for our young people who are currently walking through the door of PREP," said Mikula to the crowd of both staffers, dignitaries and participants.

"This is about prevention. This has the capacity to alter the trajectory of an individual's life path as he or she has this condition of mental illness. It is pretty incredible."

Mikula was the featured speaker at the showcase event for the Prevention and Recovery Early Psychosis program run by ServiceNet, a provider of human services in Central and Western Massachusetts, in renovated quarters on the third floor of a building at 1236 Main St.

The day program is said to be the first one of its type in Western Massachusetts, and is modeled after a similar program in Boston. It provides early services, in the form of informal, therapeutic as well as clinical support, to those 16 to 30 and their families with the intent such services will prevent the development of more serious mental illness.

The program launched in September after ServiceNet received a $1.5 million contract this spring from the state Department of Public Health.

In a separate interview, Mikula said the program meets young people where they want to be engaged, and also presents a positive area of coverage for mental health efforts. She said those suffering from mental health, particularly in light of recent events in the news, are often stigmatized and linked to violence. She said in reality those with mental illness are often victims of violence and have a lower rate for engaging in it compared with the general population.

The PREP program seeks to help young people experiencing the early stages of a psychotic illness, such as in the form of seeing things that are not based in reality, from developing into a chronic mental illness, said Anne Hopkinson, a licensed clinical social worker and director of the PREP program in Holyoke, who also spoke at the open house.

"We are considered a hospital diversion program," Hopkinson said.

Hopkinson said the program currently has 15 clients but can accommodate up to 40. She said it operates on two tiers, meaning involvement in groups that address a client's psychological and social needs as well as comprehensive clinical support that allows clients, thanks to the state grant, to see a clinician "as often as needed."

"We function like a club house. You can come as you are, sit on the couch in the lounge and read. There will be someone in the space with you there," Hopkinson said.

"The day program is made up of different groups, like those that help with employment or substance abuse or doing mindfulness or creative writing or music."

She added staff take a "highly integrated approach" to a client's needs that is rooted in evidence based research that is also ongoing and involves such affiliates at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Susan Sprung, the area director for the Department of Mental Health based in Northampton, said she felt the PREP program would "really engage young people and their families at an early stage of the illness emerging so they learn coping strategies and ways to deal with their ongoing issues and get on a trajectory of recovery to get on with their lives."

"What so often happens when a psychosis emerges early, between the ages of 16 and 20, ordinary life is derailed. The entire focus is on dealing with the symptoms that are emerging. This program really recognizes that and works to intervene as early as possible so that families also learn to deal with the issues. Families do not feel like they are alone. They learn how to engage with a family member who might be experiencing symptoms. It is very optimistic."

Sprung added that the PREP program in Boston has met with "tremendous success and that is why we wanted to develop a program in Western Mass."

"They have had really good outcomes with young people getting back on their track," Sprung said.

"Young people are going to college, getting employed from the program. These are young people who may have been isolated and withdrawn and confused and maybe going to therapy once a week. Now they have a peer group, they are able to process things they are feeling and thinking and they are having an experience where they are on a trajectory for recovery. It is a very helpful program."

The campaign is to alert people that the smoke alarm itself and not just the batteries should be replaced periodically.

HOLYOKE -- Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years and Fire Chief John A. Pond has joined a statewide campaign to spread the message.

"Do you remember the last time you replaced your smoke alarms? Was it more than 10 years ago? When you moved into or built your home? If you don't remember, it may be time to do so," said a notice posted about the campaign on the city website.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan and Wellesley Fire Chief Rick DeLorie, president of the Fire Chiefs' Association of Massachusetts, on Friday announced the campaign "Smoke Alarms - A Sound You Can Live With."

Many people know that homes are supposed to have smoke alarms and that batteries in them should be replaced every year or so, but most people are unaware they should replace the device itself about every 10 years, the notice said.

"Over the course of 10 years, we all replace many home appliances such as toasters, coffee makers, even refrigerators. No home appliance lasts forever. It's important to replace aging smoke alarms, too," the notice said.

In Massachusetts, homes must have working smoke alarms that are less than ten years before they can be sold, the notice said.

When seconds count, moke alarms alert people and help in getting them away from fires safely, the noice said.

"Working smoke alarms provide early warning and give families crucial seconds to use their escape plan," the notice said.

City residents can sign up for the Holyoke Fire Department's free smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installation program by calling (413) 534-2250.

The event at the Holiday Market was designed by the Business Improvement District to bring back the experience of holiday shopping in Downtown Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD - A Creative Economy Network "Plug into the Creative Valley" gathering was held Tuesday evening in downtown Springfield.

The event at the Holiday Market was designed by the Business Improvement District to bring back the experience of holiday shopping in Downtown Springfield.

The Springfield Central Cultural District showcased the gallery and shop of fifteen local artisans, found on the corner of Harrison and Main Streets.

Those in attendance were able to explore opportunities to buy local, connect and network with other entrepreneurs according to the district's website.

Contractors expect to reopen the highway in December 2017.

Signs like this one are popping up in the Greater Springfield area alerting motorists to major road reconstruction work that is going to be starting on Interstate 91 in downtown Springfield in just a few week.

SPRINGFIELD - Work on the rehabilitation of Interstate 91 through downtown Springfield is going on schedule and contractors are finishing preparation work in advance of major lane closures work scheduled to begin later this month, state highway officials said Tuesday night.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is rebuilding half the highway at a time by closing lanes and shifting traffic.

Southbound ramps at Exit 6 and at Exit 7 will close. So will the northbound exits at Union Street and State Street, MassDOT said. 

At the same time, inside highway traffic lanes will be closed. Workers this summer prepared the outside lanes to accept this additional traffic.

A new temporary ramp has already been built at Birnie Avenue because the Birnie Avenue connector is closed.

"Right now I think we are a little ahead of our original schedule," Ralph Romano, resident state engineer for the project, said.

He spoke during a public meeting hosted by MassDOT at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

But first, a set of seven cameras and sensors must be installed and tested along the highway. That equipment will be used to feed traffic information to MassDOT's online and social media feeds and to electronic signs that will give motorists an indication how long it will take them to certain destination. Messages like "10 minutes to I-90" will be displayed on these signs.

That data will also feed into a publicly available website.

"You won't have to get on the highway to see them," Romano said. "You can see it from your computer."

MassDOT has worked out a traffic mitigation plan.

"But as I have said, traffic engineering is not an exact science," Romano said. "A lot of this dealing with human behavior."

Traffic engineers will observe traffic lights starting Wednesday, Roman said, in response to a complaint from a Crescent Hill resident who said traffic is often backed up backed up at Main Street near Exit 4.

Romano said that's the biggest complaint he's gotten this far. He promised changes.

Romano also clarified traffic patterns coming out of the garage. Left turns from Hampden Street will be allowed.

Traffic sensors both on the highway and on surface streets will look out for stopped traffic. Tow trucks will be on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week to clear disabled vehicles.

Romano said MassDOT will keep the left-hand turn lanes from Boland Way onto Columbus open. Those lanes were originally scheduled to be closed.

"If things don't work out, we will reconsider that," Romano said.

The $183.3 million project is planned to rehabilitate about 2 miles of elevated highway built in the 1960s which opened 45 years ago this week in December of 1970.

The project website at  www.mass.gov/massdot/I91ViaductRehab has maps and detours.

A major north-south artery, Interstate 91 carries 75,000 cars a day through downtown, officials estimate.

At this point the contractors J.F White from Framingham and New Jersey-based Schiavone Construction plan to have the highway open to traffic again in December 2017, said Richard Masse, acting director for MassDOT Region 2.

Project Highlights:

Inside travel lanes will close soon.

Exits 6 and 7 on I-91 southbound with traffic detoured to a temporary ramp to be constructed north of Exit 8 near Birnie Avenue providing access to downtown Springfield via West and East Columbus Avenues.

The on-ramps to I-91 northbound from both State and Union streets will also close. I-91 northbound access will be provided via East Columbus Avenue, with I-291 access provided via a detour off of East Columbus Avenue to Liberty and Dwight streets.

The Birnie Avenue connector and Route 20 connector to I-91 south will also be closed and traffic will be detoured via local roads.

Speed limits

Speed is reduced from 50 to 40 miles mph  in both directions on I-91 approximately between Route 20 / Plainfield Street (northern limit) and Broad Street (southern limit). The speed limit is reduced to 45 mph approaching this 40 mph zone. View a map here showing where new speed limits are in effect.

Romano said Tuesday there have been several substantial fines imposed.

Trudell, who also was a poet and actor, died of cancer at his home in Santa Clara County in Northern California, where he was surrounded by friends and family, said Cree Miller, a trustee for his estate.

LOS ANGELES -- John Trudell, who was a spokesman for American Indian protesters during their 1969 occupation of Alcatraz Island and later headed the American Indian Movement, died Tuesday. He was 69.

Trudell, who also was a poet and actor, died of cancer at his home in Santa Clara County in Northern California, where he was surrounded by friends and family, said Cree Miller, a trustee for his estate.

In some of his last words, Trudell said expressions of concern and love for him have been "like a fire to my heart," according to Miller.

"Thank you all for that fire," he said.

"John Trudell and his family ask for people to celebrate love and celebrate life. He asked that people pray and celebrate in their own way in their own communities," Miller said in a statement.

Trudell was born Feb. 15, 1946, in Omaha, Nebraska. His father was Santee Sioux, and Trudell grew up near the Santee Sioux Reservation.

He became involved in Native American activism after a stint in the U.S. Navy, serving in a destroyer off the Vietnamese coast.

In 1969, Trudell joined American Indians who had occupied Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay to demand that the former federal prison should be given to Native Americans under treaty rights.

Trudell, who studied radio and broadcasting at a college in San Bernardino, California, became spokesman for the group that called itself the United Indians of All Tribes, and he ran a radio broadcast from the island called Radio Free Alcatraz.

The protest eventually dwindled, and the last demonstrators were removed by federal officers after 19 months.

Trudell went on to serve as national chairman of the activist American Indian Movement from 1973 to 1979.

In 1979, while Trudell was demonstrating in Washington, D.C., his pregnant second wife, Tina Manning, three children and mother-in-law were killed in a fire at her parents' home on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada.

Trudell and others long suspected government involvement, but the cause of the fire was never determined.

Trudell later had a relationship with Marcheline Bertrand, the mother of actress Angelina Jolie, before her 2007 death from cancer. She was an executive producer of a 2005 documentary about him called "Trudell."

Trudell was a prolific poet, combining spoken words and music on more than a dozen albums, including one released earlier this year.

His fans included Kris Kristofferson, who paid tribute to Trudell with the 1995 song "Johnny Lobo," a tune Kristofferson still frequently performs live.

Trudell also acted in several movies, including 1992's "Thunderheart" starring Val Kilmer and 1998's "Smoke Signals" starring Adam Beach.

In 2012, Trudell and singer Willie Nelson co-founded Hempstead Project Heart, which advocates for legalizing the growing of hemp for industrial purposes as a more environmentally sound alternative to crops used for clothing, biofuel and food.

RIP John Trudell. One of greatest fighters 4 Native justice in the 20th & 21st centuries. A human being of gr8 power & eloquence. Walk on.

-- thegowda (@thegowda) December 9, 2015

"One in three young people has experienced physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse in a relationship, Healey said. "At the high school level, we have a unique opportunity to disrupt that cycle."

BOSTON — Central High School in Springfield along with high schools in Holyoke and Chicopee are among 98 schools chosen by Attorney General Maura Healey to participate in a new anti-violence initiative with New England Patriots.

"Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership" will train 196 school personnel at six regional training sessions that will be conducted by Mentors in Violence Prevention, a nationwide leader in violence prevention, Healey's office said in a prepared statement.

Central Principal Tad Tokarz said the school wants to be in the forefront of raising awareness about violence in schools and in society.

When Central learned of the program, Jean Marvel, adviser to the Gender Equity group at the school and T. Brower, coach of the football team, made a joint application to participate in the partnership.

"It's a perfect pairing," Tokarz said.

The Mentors in Violence Program is run by the Center for Sport in Society at Northeastern University and uses a sports-themed curriculum with collegiate athletes and former professional athletes as trainers.

"One in three young people has experienced physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse in a relationship, Healey said. "At the high school level, we have a unique opportunity to disrupt that cycle."

Healey said the support of Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the team's charitable foundation will empower "students in a diverse range of schools and communities to play an active role in preventing violence."

Kraft said that the Patriots are "honored to partner with Attorney General Healey to help teach young people about safe and healthy relationships."

Two adult representatives from each school will participate in the three-day training sessions beginning next month. The program will also include online support tools to evaluate the program's effectiveness in changing attitudes and behaviors.

A second phase of the program, which will begin next fall, will provide additional training to 30 high schools in partnership with local agencies fighting domestic violence and sexual assault.

Other Western Massachusetts high schools selected to participate in the first phase of the program include Westfield Technical Academy, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Southwick, West Springfield, South Hadley and Ware.

Three Berkshire County high schools have also been selected. They are: Drury, Pittsfield and Taconic.

One suspect was caught on Massachusetts Avenue, but another suspect remained at large Tuesday evening, Springfield Police Capt. Robert Strzempek said.

SPRINGFIELD — One of two suspects who attempted to rob a Mason Square business late Tuesday afternoon was quickly apprehended several blocks away from the crime scene, according to police, who were still looking for the second suspect.

Police responded to a 5:10 p.m. armed robbery report at Compucell, a cellphone store at 1087 State St. in the Upper Hill section of the neighborhood. Officers immediately began searching the area of State and Reed streets for the suspects, at least one of whom was armed with a gun.

One of the suspects – a young black male with dreadlocks – was caught on Massachusetts Avenue, several blocks away from the crime scene. The other suspect remained at large as of 8 p.m., Springfield Police Capt. Robert Strzempek said.

Strzempek said nothing was taken during the attempted robbery, but he had no more details about the incident – including the suspect's name and the charges he might face at his court arraignment Wednesday.

Authorities did not indicate if they recovered a firearm during the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives in the Major Crimes Unit at 413-787-6325.

MAP showing approximate location of attempted armed robbery:

The selling began in Asia then spread to Europe where stock indexes in Germany, France and Britain each dropped more than 1 percent.

By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks fell for a second day on Tuesday following a wave of selling abroad on fears that a slump in commodity prices was far from over.

The selling began in Asia on disappointing trade figures from China, then spread to Europe where stock indexes in Germany, France and Britain each dropped more than 1 percent. In the U.S., stocks fell sharply in the morning, but later made back much of the losses.

Still, the selling was broad, with nine of the 10 sectors of the Standard and Poor's 500 index closing down. Suppliers of raw materials fell the most, down 1.9 percent. Energy companies dropped 1.5 percent.

A big focus for investors -- oil -- slid again. After dropping for 1½ years, U.S. benchmark crude costs just $37.51 a barrel, near a seven-year low.

"The energy sector has done a good job grappling with mid-$40 oil, but it's tougher as you go under $40," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at Voya Investment Management. "The energy sector is having trouble adapting."

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 162.51 points, or 0.9 percent, to 17,568. It was down 245 points earlier.

The S&P 500 gave up 13.48 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,063.59. The Nasdaq composite slipped 3.6 points, or 0.1 percent, to 5,098.24.

In Asia, Chinese customs data showed exports from the world's second largest economy contracted 6.8 percent in November, worse than October's 3.6 percent fall. Imports dropped 8.7 percent.

Mining stocks in particular were slammed because China is a major importer of raw materials, accounting for as much as 50 percent of global demand, according to consultants PwC. Freeport-McMoran slumped 7 percent. It's down 71 percent this year.

John Manley, chief stock strategist at Wells Fargo Funds, said raw material suppliers ramped up production too much a few years ago as China stoked its economy after the global financial crisis.

"It surprised producers that China was soaking up so much," Manley said. "As China slows, and shifts to more consumer growth, these producers have been hit."

Iron ore, off 43 percent since the start of 2015, fell again Tuesday, shedding 15 cents to close at $39.25 a metric ton. Copper inched up less than a penny to $2.05 a pound. It is down 29 percent this year.

Among other stocks making big moves:

• Outerwall plunged $14.02, or 24 percent, to $44.04 after lowering its earnings guidance and announcing the head of its movie-kiosk division, Redbox, was leaving as rentals fall.


• Chipotle Mexican Grill fell $9.51, or 1.7 percent, to $542.24 on reports that 80 Boston College students were sickened after eating at one of the company's restaurants. The stock is down 21 percent so far in 2015 as the food chain struggles with the fallout from an E. coli outbreak linked to its restaurants. The company said it believes the Boston College cases are due to the norovirus, not E. coli.


• Norfolk Southern fell $5.20, or 5.7 percent, to $86.32 after rejecting Canadian Pacific's latest takeover offer. Norfolk Southern has said it doubts regulators would approve the merger anyway. Canadian Pacific fell $4.47, or 2.5 percent, to $171.64.

Precious metals futures closed mixed. Gold edged up 10 cents to $1,075.30 an ounce, silver fell 22 cents to $14.12 an ounce.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, lost 47 cents, or 1.2 percent, to close at $40.26 a barrel in London.

In other trading of energy futures in New York, wholesale gasoline fell 0.6 cents to close at $1.204 a gallon, heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.259 a gallon and natural gas edged up 0.3 cent to $2.07 per 1,000 cubic feet.

A man was charged with multiple offenses on Tuesday, Dec. 8, after fleeing from authorities in Merrimac, a Massachusetts town on the New Hampshire border. The incident prompted a brief lockdown at two Merrimac schools.

MERRIMAC — Two Essex County schools were briefly placed on lockdown Tuesday morning, after authorities launched a manhunt for a suspicious person who walked up to a Merrimac home and asked the resident for driving directions to town.

A River Road resident called Merrimac police around 11 a.m., after a man showed up at the resident's back door. The stranger claimed to be from Woburn and told the resident he was seeking driving directions to town for a friend, police said.

The resident, worried that the stranger might have been casing the neighborhood, told authorities that the man did not appear to be driving, but rather walking through the neighborhood. Officers searched the area and quickly spotted the man, who disappeared into a wooded area.

Unsure of the man's intentions and out of an "abundance of caution," authorities said they placed both the Helen R. Donaghue and the Dr. Frederick N. Sweetsir schools on lockdown. Police said the suspect was only about a block away from the Donaghue School, which is why the lockdown order was given.

The suspect – subsequently identified as 43-year-old Jason Morgan of Concord, New Hampshire – was found around noontime on School Street near Locust Grove Avenue, according to police.

During their investigation, police determined that a home on River Road had been burglarized earlier in the day. That led to criminal charges for Morgan, who allegedly possessed a small amount of jewelry at the time of his arrest, police said.

Morgan was held pending arraignment in Newburyport District Court on charges of daytime breaking and entering for a felony; larceny over $250; malicious destruction of property over $250; and wanton destruction of property under $250. In addition to the Massachusetts charges, police said, Morgan is also a fugitive from justice in New Hampshire.

Merrimac police were assisted by State Police troopers and officers from the West Newbury and Amesbury police departments, the latter of which sent a K-9 unit to help track the suspect.

Merrimac Police Chief Eric M. Shears praised the River Road resident for immediately calling 911 when he noticed suspicious activity in the neighborhood. He also commended the other law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and singled out Achilles, an Amesbury police dog, for leading officers to Morgan.

The brewery was targeted by neighbors after it started holding outdoor public events.

EASTHAMPTON -- After months of public debate, Fort Hill Brewery on Monday won an amended special permit from the Planning Board which specifically allows entertainment, the consumption of beer, and retail sales at the 30 Fort Hill Road facility.

The 4-0 decision, with one abstention, essentially ratifies existing business practices at the brewery, where owner Eric Berzins produces a signature line of German lagers, sells pints and growlers in his "tasting room," and at times hosts live music events at the industrially-zoned property.

Under his newly-amended permit, the pouring, retail, and entertainment activities are authorized as "accessory uses" to the brewery, which remains categorized as a manufacturing operation.

Under the permit, Berzins must pave 25 parking spaces and ensure compliance with stormwater rules. A "sound mitigation barrier such as plexiglass" must be used when music is played outdoors. Music will be limited to between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Berzins must make improvements to his driveway.

Berzin's lawyer, Rebecca Thibault of the Springfield firm of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy, said that her client was "pleased with the result and thankful to the Planning Board for taking the necessary time."

A group of neighbors in September charged that Berzins was operating outside the bounds of his 2011 special permit by hosting bands and pouring pints. The residents of a half-dozen homes on Fort Hill Road said loud partying at the brewery, along with increased traffic, was disturbing their peace. They charged that pouring and entertainment licenses issued by the Licensing Board contradicted the Planning Board permit. 

Neighbors and a crowd of brewery supporters showed up at an October Zoning Board of Appeals hearing, kicking off an arcane and at times confused process that spanned three months and involved three city boards.

Libby Reinish was the only Planning Board member to withhold support for the amended permit on Monday. Reinish had proposed a condition designed to ensure that the brewery's "accessory" uses never become the "primary uses," but was overruled.

Acting Planning Board chairman James Zarvis said the proposed language would be redundant, while members Chester Zelecki and Harry Schumann said such a condition would be difficult to enforce.

"I'm not sure we're doing the best job here balancing the interests of the community," Reinish said, in explaining her abstention. 

Burt Thurber of Fort Hill Road was visibly angry after Tuesday's meeting. Thurber charged that Building Commissioner Joseph Fydenkevez improperly set a capacity of 87 persons for the brewery's 600-square-foot tasting room, and that the Planning Board failed to address that issue. He also said the board failed to consider road safety, noise, hours, and sewer line capacity.

Thurber lashed out at Zarvis, accusing him of orchestrating a victory for Fort Hill. Planning Board Chair Jesse Belcher-Timme had recused himself from the Fort Hill matter because he works in the same law firm as Thibault.

Berzins, on his way out the door, said Fort Hill Brewery "will continue to respect our neighbors as we have in the past. We're thankful for the clarification from the Planning Board."

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Tom Brannelly, of Norwood, whose 23-year-old daughter was hit by a car while crossing the street, testified on a bill before the Massachusetts Legislature that would fine anyone who uses a phone that is not hands-free while driving, except for in a case of an emergency.

BOSTON -- Tom Brannelly, of Norwood, held up a picture of his daughter, Katie.

Katie was a 23-year-old senior at Bridgewater State University in 2012, a few weeks from graduation, when she was hit by a car while crossing the street.

"I'm here because she's not," Brannelly said.

Brannelly added, "They say time heals all pain. Whoever originated that never lost a child."

Brannelly visited the State House on Tuesday to testify before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security on a bill that would ban the use of handheld phones while driving. The bill, H.3474, sponsored by Rep. Cory Atkins, D-Concord, would fine anyone who uses a phone that is not hands-free while driving, except for in an emergency. A similar bill already passed the House.

Brannelly was the only one to testify before the committee. According to Brannelly, his daughter lived for 15 months in a hospital and rehabilitation center before dying of injuries sustained in the car crash. It came out during a deposition that the 25-year-old woman who hit her had sent or received eight text messages while she was driving and received one text a minute before the crash. Brannelly said the woman was not convicted.

The Legislature did pass a bill in 2010 banning texting while driving.

Committee member State Rep. Timothy Whelan, R-Brewster, said he hopes the bill passes quickly. "As a father of two daughters, I cannot even imagine your pain," Whelan told Brannelly. "I stand in solidarity with this gentleman and the bill."

After a pretrial hearing in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, defense attorney David Hoose acknowledged that the internationally-publicized attacks overseas and on the West Coast by suspected radicalized Muslims could affect his case

This is a followup to a story posted at 12:50 this afternoon.

SPRINGFIELD - A lawyer for Adams terror suspect Alexander Ciccolo expressed concern over whether recent mass killings in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., may taint a jury pool for his client as the case progresses toward trial.

After a pretrial hearing in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, defense attorney David Hoose acknowledged that the internationally-publicized attacks overseas and on the West Coast by suspected radicalized Muslims could affect his case: that of a 23-year-old accused of amassing explosives and guns to carry out public attacks in the name of ISIS.

"Obviously not helpful," Hoose said outside the courthouse on State Street.

His comments to reporters followed a pretrial conference during which he and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika B. Shukla discussed the status of the case and the exchange of a mountain of potential evidence.

Ciccolo was arrested on July 4 outside his apartment after he collected a duffel bag full of weapons from a confidential FBI informant, according to investigators. An FBI complaint also stated that Ciccolo told the informant he had been stockpiling materials for homemade explosives such as pressure cooker and microwave bombs, plus Molotov cocktails. Investigators say the defendant said he planned to use the materials to carry out attacks at public venues including at a college and a police station.

Witnesses told federal investigators Ciccolo had become increasingly enamored of ISIS and had adopted the alias "Ali Al Amriki" on social media. He also defended the terror network in a nine-minute video clip of an FBI interview released after his arrest and first appearance in court.

"They're freeing people from oppression. Wherever they go, they're changing things," Ciccolo is heard saying in a video clip. "The people you see being executed, they're criminals. They're the lowest of the low."

Ciccolo's arrest drew intense media attention given its connection with a small-town New England resident whom investigators contend had been drawn in by the worldwide ISIS recruitment efforts via social media.

Ciccolo, whose father is a police captain and was a first responder to the Boston Marathon bombings, is charged with illegal gun possession and assault. The latter charge was brought in connection with his alleged attack on a nurse at the Franklin County House of Corrections after Ciccolo's arrest in July. Investigators say he stabbed her in the head with a pen. He subsequently apologized through Hoose at a previous court hearing.

On Wednesday, Shukla said prosecutors continue to mull additional terror-related charges against Ciccolo. A superseding indictment has been slowed by forensic reviews of prospective evidence seized from his iCloud and iPhone, his apartment and his mother's home in Peru.

Shukla also said Ciccolo continues to have recorded jailhouse phone conversations that could be "relevant to the case" while he is being held without bail at Wyatt Detention Center in Rhode Island.

"There are hundreds of calls; it's a lot of evidence to get through," Shukla told U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson.

Prosecutors also are scrutinizing surveillance video and receipts from a North Adams Walmart visit Ciccolo and his mother made on July 3, according to court records.

Ciccolo was not present in court Wednesday.

The next pretrial hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 10. Shukla said she expects the government will have made a decision on bringing additional charges against Ciccolo by that date. No trial date has been set.

Reports, that became public a month ago, of its imminent closing – caused trepidation among the municipal police departments, which total eleven, served by the Brookfield facility. The proposal alarmed many legislators

BROOKFIELD - Plans to close the Brookfield state police barracks have been scrapped, and the facility will remain open indefinitely, the agency said in a prepared statement Wednesday afternoon.

"The state police routinely assess measures to potentially increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the department. One such measure was the future of the Brookfield barracks, and a comprehensive plan was devised to ensure continued superior police services in that area if the barracks was closed," agency spokesman David Procopio said.

"After listening to concerns raised by local officials and police chiefs, with whom we partner regularly in our mission, we have determined the barracks will remain open," Procopio said. Procopio is director of media communications for state police.

Reports that became public a month ago, of the barracks imminent closing, caused trepidation among municipal police departments, which total 11, served by the Brookfield facility.

The proposal alarmed many legislators, and a bipartisan group of them whose districts would have been affected filed a bill to prevent the closure, and also force the public safety secretary to conduct a cost and benefit analysis.

Only a day earlier, on Tuesday, the agency had said the Brookfield barracks, which had been slated to close on Saturday, would remain open until Feb. 7.

But by Wednesday afternoon, the state police commander, in a meeting with the town police chiefs served by Brookfield, were told of the decision to keep the facility open. That meeting was held at the New Braintree training center.

The plan was originally proposed by Daniel Bennett, secretary of the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

The Brookfield facility serves the towns of Barre, New Braintree, Spencer, Brookfield, North Brookfield, Warren, East Brookfield, Oakham, West Brookfield, Leicester, and Paxton.

A Holyoke City Council committee is scheduled to deal with the 146-page coal-plant reuse study.

Updated at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 to include details about the plant's former importance as a city property tax revenue generator.

HOLYOKE -- Members of a group that has been participating in discussions about the future of the closed coal-burning plant on Route 5 said they mostly welcomed Wednesday's release of a report detailing possible redevelopment uses.

But Neighbor to Neighbor members said they wish the Mount Tom Power Station Reuse Study (see below) dealt more with demolition of structures on the 128-acre facility and cleaning contamination.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for site owner GDF Suez Energy North America on Wednesday reiterated comments made in September to The Republican and MassLive.com that the site's future use has yet to be determined but that a solar use is being considered.

"We have made no final decision with respect to the Mount Tom property, but solar continues to be an option we are pursuing," company spokeswoman Carol Churchill said in an email.

Plant-owner GDF SUEZ Energy North America closed the facility beside the Connecticut River in late December 2014 because burning coal to produce energy was too expensive in the face of the cheaper alternative of natural gas. The plant opened in 1960.

The closing cost the jobs of 28 employees.

Rosa Gonzalez, member of the Neighbor to Neighbor advocacy group, said contamination from decades of coal-burning on the property must be a priority.

"While we have much to celebrate about the reuse study, we were also disappointed that the final reuse study did not provide any options for taking down the coal plant building. The building is full of contamination, and we call on GDF Suez to disassemble the building, and remove the chimney," said Gonzalez, in comments emailed by the group.

Carlos Rodriguez of Neighbor to Neighbor, thanked those involved for leading the study.

"We are grateful to the Community Advisory Group, Marcos Marrero and the city Planning Department, and the City Council for taking the steps to make a rese study of the site possible. We are pleased that the study focused on making solar energy on site feasible," Rodriguez said.

"We were also pleased to have the opportunity to participate in each round of the study, and we celebrate that Holyoke has some plans in place for moving beyond coal," he said.

The 146-page study is scheduled to be discussed at the Wednesday, Dec. 9 meeting of the City Council Development and Governmental Relations Committee at City Hall.

Whatever occupies the former coal-burner, city officials are resigned to the loss of the more than $600,000 in yearly property tax revenue that had flowed from the plant. Options for the site that have been discussed at the community meetings would generate only $10,000 to $99,000 a year in property tax revenue, officials said.

Built as a coal burning electric power generating plant, Mount Tom Power Station was converted to oil burning in 1970 and converted back to coal burning in 1981.

The plant has been criticized as a polluter and blamed for worsening asthma rates in Holyoke, but plant officials have said it abides by state and federal emission laws.

Converting the closed Mount Tom Power Station on Route 5 into a solar energy facility is the main option envisioned for the former coal plant site as outlined in the reuse study.

A solar use either alone or combined with public access such as with a boat launch and bike trail and farming uses have been discussed regarding the former coal-burning plant by the groups that compiled the Mount Tom Power Plant Reuse Study (see below) this year.

A solar conversion also is a use that the owner of the site is "seriously considering," a spokeswoman told The Republican and MassLive.com in September.

Mount Tom Power Plant Reuse Study

Mount Tom Power Plant Reuse Study appendices