The Massachusetts Gaming Commission named former Middlesex County prosecutor Edward Bedrosian Jr. as its next executive director.

By COLIN A. YOUNG

BOSTON — If only the two candidates could be combined into one person, Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said the decision of who to hire as the next executive director of the commission would be an easy one.

"We would have King Kong. We would be home free," Crosby said, adding, "Unfortunately, that's not available to us."

Crosby and the other four members of the Gaming Commission on Wednesday named Edward Bedrosian Jr. as its preferred candidate to lead the commission as its executive director. The commission interviewed two candidates for the role of executive director and then spent about an hour deliberating between the two men.

"I wish we could find opportunities for both of them because they would both offer tremendous value to our organization going forward," Commissioner Bruce Stebbins said. "I think both gentlemen could adequately do the job."

Ultimately, though, the commission voted Wednesday to select Bedrosian. The commission also interviewed Chairman of the Maryland Amusement Game Advisory Committee Charles LaBoy for the position.

A former prosecutor who tried murder and white-collar crime cases in Middlesex County, Bedrosian worked with the Legislature on gambling legislation, worked with the commission on its structure and early litigation, and established the attorney general's Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Bedrosian, who eventually rose to the position of first assistant attorney general, is now of counsel at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe.

"This is an exciting time. In the life of the commission there will only be one foundation of the gaming industry in Massachusetts and you're building it now," Bedrosian told the commissioners during his interview Wednesday morning. "And the way I think I can help that is through my work both as a prosecutor early on but more so as a manager of a large, diverse, regulatory agency. I understand how to lead – not just manage – but how to lead a diverse organization in this particular market."

In the end, many commissioners cited Bedrosian's leadership skills as a strong credential in his favor, especially given the fledgling state of the legalized gambling industry in Massachusetts.

"We're at a critical stage. There are five of us, but there is a whole staff that comes from different cultures. There are licensees, there's vendors, there's stakeholders that are still very, very engaged and I just heard a lot more 'We's' than I did 'I's' from Mr. Bedrosian," Commissioner Gayle Cameron said. "There is a real willingness to engage and an enjoyment in engagement, which I think is critical to where we are at our stage."

Cameron, who retired as deputy superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said she has conducted hundreds of interviews during her career and, "this one with Mr. Bedrosian is right at the top."

The five commissioners, in public deliberations over the two finalist candidates, each praised both and appeared to be split before making a decision, with Crosby at one point saying he was divided "52 to 48" in favor of Bedrosian.

Commissioner Enrique Zuniga said he favored LaBoy over Bedrosian because LaBoy had experience working in both Kansas and Maryland while those state's built up their casino gaming and racing industries.

Stebbins, who headed up the search for an executive director, was charged by the commission to negotiate a contract in the range of $130,000 to $190,000 with Bedrosian, whose employment will also be subject to a background check, drug test and reference checks.

The departure of the commission's first executive director, Rick Day, was announced over the summer.

The man accused of killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic stunned a courtroom Wednesday when he declared himself a "warrior for the babies" and said he was guilty and won't go to trial.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- The man accused of killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic stunned a courtroom Wednesday when he declared himself a "warrior for the babies" and said he was guilty and won't go to trial.

Robert Lewis Dear, 57, made the outburst before he was formally charged with 179 counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and other crimes.

Bearded, unkempt and cuffed at the wrists and ankles, Dear repeatedly disrupted the hourlong hearing, interrupting his public defender, Daniel King, and objecting to King's attempts to limit publicity in the case.

King -- who represented Colorado theater shooter James Holmes -- has asked the judge to impose a gag order on participants in the Planned Parenthood case before a trial.

"You'll never know what I saw in that clinic. Atrocities. The babies. That's what they want to seal," Dear shouted at one point, prompting a deputy to squeeze his shoulder in an effort to quiet him.

"Seal the truth, huh? Kill the babies. That's what Planned Parenthood does," Dear yelled later.

King did not address the outbursts but raised doubts about whether Dear is competent to stand trial, saying defense attorneys wanted investigators to turn over evidence as soon as possible so they could assess the "depth of his mental illness."

"Do you know who this lawyer is?" Dear then exclaimed of King. "He's the lawyer for the Batman shooter. Who drugged him all up. And that's what they want to do to me."

Holmes was on anti-psychotic medication during his trial this year in the 2012 shootings that killed 12 people and wounded 70. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Colorado Springs police have refused to discuss a potential motive in the Nov. 27 attack, which wounded nine. But even before Wednesday's startling outbursts, there was mounting evidence that Dear was deeply concerned about abortion.

He rambled to authorities about "no more baby parts" after his arrest. And a law enforcement official told The Associated Press this week that Dear asked at least one person in a nearby shopping center for directions to the clinic before opening fire. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke this week to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday, Dear interjected as Judge Gilbert A. Martinez discussed a pretrial publicity order, saying, "Could you add the babies that were supposed to be aborted that day? Could you add that to the list?"

At one point, Dear yelled simply, "Protect babies!"

Later, he accused his attorneys of being in "cahoots" with Planned Parenthood to "shut me up."

"I want the truth to come out. There's a lot more to this than for me to go silently to the grave," he shouted.

Dear has lived in remote locations without electricity or water and was known to hold survivalist ideas.

One of his three ex-wives, Barbara Mescher Micheau of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, said he vandalized a South Carolina abortion clinic at least 20 years earlier, announcing to her that he had put glue in the locks of its doors, a common protest technique among activists trying to shut down abortion clinics.

Killed in the attack were Garrett Swasey, 44, a University of Colorado-Colorado Springs officer who rushed to the scene; Ke'Arre Stewart, 29, an Iraq war veteran who was accompanying someone at the clinic; and Jennifer Markovsky, 35, who also accompanied a friend at the clinic.

Five other officers were shot and wounded in the rampage.

Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said Monday that responding officers rescued 24 people from inside the clinic building and helped remove 300 people from surrounding businesses where they had been hiding while the shooting unfolded.

Martinez set the next hearing for Dear for Dec. 23. A first-degree murder conviction can lead to life in prison or the death penalty.

At the end of Wednesday's hearing, the judge looked at Dear and said, "Are you finished?"

After a report was released Wednesday detailing multiple instances of alleged abused against children with disabilities at a city school, Mayor Alex B. Morse said he's "outraged by these allegations."

HOLYOKE -- After a report was released Wednesday detailing multiple instances of alleged abused against children with disabilities at a city school, Mayor Alex B. Morse said he's "outraged by these allegations."

The Disability Law Center opened an investigation into Peck School in April after a former school employee filed a complaint with the advocacy agency. "DLC found that staff members subjected students to improper restraints, using excessive force and to improper seclusion of students that was likely to cause physical or psychological harm," the report states. "Additionally, staff failed to report these extended restraints or restraint injuries to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as required by law."

Morse called such actions unacceptable. "Our schools should be a safe place," he said. "No parent should have to fear that their child could be hurt in such a way; no student should be treated in the way described in this report."

FULL REPORT: Investigation of Peck School details alleged abuse committed by school staff against disabled children in Holyoke

The Northampton Street facility is a full service public school that teaches students in grades four through eight. There are 371 enrolled in the Northampton Street school this year and it maintains a low teacher-to-student ratio with under 10 kids to every teacher, on average.

It offers a Therapeutic Intervention Program intended to provide a specialized education to children with severe behavioral and emotional disabilities.

After reviewing the report on Wednesday, Morse said he spoke with Holyoke Public Schools Receiver Stephen Zrike and is confident that personnel changes in the school and employing outside organization to run the therapy program can ensure student safety at Peck.

After a report documenting alleged physical and emotional abuse of students with disabilities at Peck School was released, Holyoke Public Schools Receiver Steven Zrike said the district is working to ensure all students learn in a safe school environment.

HOLYOKE -- After a report documenting alleged physical and emotional abuse of students with disabilities at Peck School was released, Holyoke Public Schools Receiver Steven Zrike said the district is working to ensure all students learn in a safe school environment.

The Disability Law Center released a report Wednesday detailing alleged instances of abuse, including reports of students being thrown to the floor and locked in dark closets.

The Boston-based advocacy agency opened an investigation into Peck School after receiving a complaint in March regarding the treatment of children in a specialized therapy program known as the Therapeutic Intervention Program at Peck.

Zrike became the head of the district five months ago and said to MassLive Wednesday that "it's not the same program it was a year ago."

FULL REPORT: Investigation of Peck School details alleged abuse committed by school staff against disabled children in Holyoke

For the past several months, Peck has under new leadership. Nancy Athas, the former principal of Northampton High School who lives and once taught in Holyoke, replaced Justin Cotton as principal.

Center School, a private special education school in the city, has been contracted to help with therapeutic services for the school. The educational consulting group SchoolWorks is helping with day-to-day operations of the entire school.

Additionally, district officials said staff are undergoing further training and the use of restraints has decreased this school year.

Zrike said Wednesday that he pledged to work closely with DLC in ensuring Holyoke students receive a productive education. 

Read Zrike's full statement below: 

With $380 million already out the door and costs continuing to balloon, Massachusetts transportation officials kept the cancellation of the extension of the MBTA’s Green Line into Somerville and Medford, north of Boston, in play.

BOSTON -- With $380 million already out the door and costs continuing to balloon, Massachusetts transportation officials kept the cancellation of the extension of the MBTA's Green Line in play.

Cancellation of the project could lead to $742.3 million in sunk costs, according to a presentation made Wednesday to the board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

But the MBTA would have, at the very least, 24 new Green Line vehicles and Somerville would have solved a long-term flooding problem. And the MBTA would own 51 pieces of property, but mostly "sliver" parcels with little to no resale value.

The project cost was previously estimated at around $3 billion, and Gov. Charlie Baker's transportation chief Stephanie Pollack said Wednesday that officials still did not have a "reliable cost estimate."

The way the current contractual arrangements are set up, "excessive" risk and costs have been transferred to the state, according to a presentation to the MassDOT board.

The federal government is slated to provide $1 billion for the project if it moves ahead, which also remains a possibility.

Another available option, aside from cancellation: Transportation officials could seek to redesign the project in order to reduce inefficiencies and excess costs, modify procurement arrangements and seek out new sources of funding in an effort to keep the state from paying for cost overruns.

It may be months before state officials reach a decision on the way forward for the project, which would extend the Green Line into Somerville and Medford, north of Boston.

Consultants offered up ways to save on construction costs, such as shrinking a planned maintenance facility and scaling down proposed stations.

The MassDOT board and the fiscal control board tasked with overseeing the struggling MBTA system met on Wednesday to listen to consultants and staffers discuss the project. In the late afternoon, the board went into executive session to further discuss the project behind closed doors.

Green Line extension recommendation from transpo staff #mbta #mapoli pic.twitter.com/7AxoeFXTZh

-- Gintautas Dumcius (@gintautasd) December 9, 2015

Investors sent the Dow Jones industrial average up 200 points in morning, then began dumping some big tech stocks, resulting in a 75 point loss for the Dow on the day.

By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK -- A slump in technology shares on Wednesday helped turn early gains in U.S. stock indexes into losses across industries, extending the market's losing streak to a third day.

Investors sent the Dow Jones industrial average up 200 points in morning, then began dumping some big tech stocks. Apple fell 2.2 percent and Microsoft lost 1.5 percent.

By the end of the day, seven of the 10 industry sectors in the Standard and Poor's 500 index fell. Suppliers of raw materials, the focus of aggressive selling in recent days, rose 3.1 percent as investors hunted for bargains.

"You've got two days of massive selling of oil and commodity companies, so perhaps some are oversold," said Bryn Mawr Trust Chief Investment Officer Ernie Cecilia. He added, though, that they weren't cheap enough yet for him to join in the buying.

The Dow index lost 75.70 points, or 0.4 percent, to 17,492.30. The S&P 500 gave up 15.97 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,047.62. The Nasdaq composite dropped 75.38 points, or 1.5 percent, to 5,022.87.

Yahoo slumped after the struggling Internet company said it would scrap a spinoff of its big stake in the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The stock lost 45 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $34.40. Yahoo said it will instead explore breaking off the rest of its business into a new company.

Some of the biggest gainers were stocks that suffered big losses the day before. Freeport McMoRan, a miner that fell 7 percent on Tuesday, rose 3.7 percent, gaining 25 cents to close at $6.99.

Helping boost raw material stocks were news reports that two giant chemical companies, Dow Chemical and DuPont, were in talks to combine. Dow Chemical rose $6.07, or 11.9 percent, to $56.97. DuPont climbed $7.89, or 11.8 percent, to $74.49.

Oil drillers, which have been beaten down recently, also rallied. Exxon Mobil and Chevron each rose 1.3 percent, despite another drop in benchmark U.S. oil.

Bill Strazzullo, chief market strategist at Bell Curve Trading, said a recent slump in oil and other major commodities is signaling that the global economy is weak. That could mean more rocky days in the market.

"You got commodities in a death spiral, and that's just not impacting the U.S., but the global economy," he said. "Investors are taking off risk."

Among other stocks making big moves Wednesday, Costco fell $9.15, or 5 percent, to $159.72 after reporting weaker earnings than analysts were expecting.

Benchmark U.S. crude slipped 35 cents to close at $37.16 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 15 cents to close at $40.11 a barrel in London. In other trading, wholesale gasoline rose 2.8 cents to close at $1.232 a gallon, heating oil fell two cents to $1.239 a gallon and natural gas fell 0.8 cent to $2.062 per 1,000 cubic feet.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.21 percent from 2.22 percent late Tuesday. The U.S. dollar fell to 121.24 yen from 123.05 yen. The euro rose to $1.1023 from $1.0890.

Previous and industrial metals futures closed broadly higher. Gold edged up $1.20 to $1,076.50 an ounce, silver rose seven cents to $14.19 an ounce and copper gained a penny to $2.07 a pound.

Mercy Medical Center cancer patients may soon have access to clinical trials, second opinions and expanded treatment options at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. Watch video

This story follows on Open house set for expanded cancer center at Mercy Medical Center.

SPRINGFIELD - Mercy Medical Center cancer patients may soon have access to clinical trials, second opinions and expanded treatment options at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.

Mercy, part of the Sisters of Providence Health System, signed a letter of intent with Smilow on Tuesday. The Connecticut hospital is part of the Yale Cancer Center, which is designated as a comprehensive center for cancer care by the National Cancer Institute, and is described as Connecticut's largest provider of cancer care.

The announcement of the intent to pursue such a relationship was made Wednesday evening during a ceremonial ribbon cutting and blessing of the expanded Sister Caritas Cancer Center at Mercy.

The proposed relationship would be the first with a Massachusetts hospital for Smilow. St. Francis Care, in Hartford, the parent of St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, recently became Smilow's northern campus. St. Francis Care and the SPHS are both part of Michigan-based Trinity Health, the second largest Catholic healthcare system in the country.

Mercy and St. Francis are in the process of forming Trinity Health-New England, a new not-for-profit regional system.

Mergers, affiliations and collaborations are ways for hospital systems, in this era of health care reform, to more efficiently manage patient populations, reduce the costs of upgrades to information systems and technology and advance medical research.

The letter of intent was announced jointly by Dr. Philip Glynn, SPHS director of oncology services, and Dr. Rogerio Lilenbaum, chief medical officer for Smilow and the Yale Cancer Center, and professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine.

Daniel P. Moen, SPHS president and chief operating officer, said the two hospitals had been "working on this for a period of time." He called Smilow/Yale "one of the best cancer centers in the world" and a "great fit" for the Sister Caritas Cancer Center.

The center's opening in 2003 doubled Mercy's capacity for treating cancer. The $15 million expansion, partly prompted by Glynn merging his private practice with Mercy in 2013, adds 26,000-square-feet to the original 16,000-square-foot center

The center is named for Sister Mary Caritas Geary, who served as president of the former Mercy Hospital, from 1977 to 1993, and who was in attendance Wednesday evening.

It currently treats at least 50 people at day for a wide range of cancers, including head, neck, colon and breast, and expects demand for such treatment to continue to grow.

The expanded center, which will become operational upon review and approval by the Massachusetts Department of Health, includes new physician offices, laboratory and pharmacy space and 32 infusion bays.

Dr. Mohamed Hamdani, an eight-year-cancer survivor, has chaired the "Transforming Cancer Care -- The Capital Campaign for the Sister Caritas Cancer Center" that launched in 2014. He said the campaign is just about $1 million shy of reaching its fund-raising goal of $10 million.

A community open house and tour of the expanded center at 271 Carew St. will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A sobriety checkpoint will be conducted on Saturday, Dec. 12, and Sunday, Dec. 13, according to Col. Richard McKeon, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.

A sobriety checkpoint will be conducted at an undisclosed Middlesex County location on Saturday, Dec. 12, and Sunday, Dec. 13, according to Col. Richard D. McKeon, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.

The grant-funded checkpoints are designed to increase public safety by removing intoxicated motorists from state roadways, police said, adding that the selection of vehicles won't be arbitrary.

There were 118 alcohol-related traffic deaths in Massachusetts in 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Northampton Senior Center will offer a group sing with the 16 piece Ukulele Band on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. For singers and non-singers alike. The event is free for seniors age 55 and older. For more information, call 413-587-1228.

January Author of the Month

 

His presentation will be held on Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. Seniors 55 and over may enter free with a scan card. For more information, call 413-587-1228.

Sing-along planned

The Northampton Senior Center will offer a group sing with the 16 piece Ukulele Band on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. For singers and non-singers alike. The event is free for seniors age 55 and older. For more information, call 413-587-1228.

Brown bag sampling

The Senior Center will host a Brown Bag food sampling event for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts on Jan. 14 from 9:30 a.m, to 11:30 a.m. Learn about delicious recipes to make with Brown Bag foods, nutrition tips for seniors, healthy meals and healthy food shopping on a budget. There is no cost for this event. Please call 413-587-1228 for more information.

Prenatal care group

Area women who are pregnant or planning to become so are invited to attend a free group prenatal care information session on Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. in the Cooley Dickinson Hospital midwifery center, the yellow house on the hospital campus. Attendees will learn a group prenatal care that will begin in January. Group prenatal care combines the physical assessment of prenatal appointments with time for discussion and learning about pregnancy, birth, and babies.

Women and their partners do not need to register for the information session. For more information about Thursday's session, contact Katherine_Bohne@cooley-dickinson.org or call 413-586-9866, extension 8.

The Boston-based advocacy agency opened an investigation into Peck School after receiving a complaint in March regarding the treatment of children in a specialized therapy program known as the Therapeutic Intervention Program at Peck.

HOLYOKE -- For refusing to get out a chair, it was reportedly pulled out from under a child with disabilities. For refusing to move, another disabled child reports being thrown to the floor and slapped by a school staff member. For resisting being physically restrained, another student with disabilities reports being punched.

These are some of allegations of abuse at Peck School in Holyoke documented in a report by the Disability Law Center.

During such uses of force by school staff, a parent alleges her child had a tooth knocked out. Another student, who weighed less than 100 pounds at the time, is believed to have sustained a head injury after being restrained by three staff members. Several students say they had difficulty breathing while being restrained and suffered scratches and bruises.

Photos shared with MassLive by a former school employee show a young student with purple and blue bruises on his chest. The former school staffer said such bruises were the result of the child being tightly restrained. 

The Disability Law Center released a report Wednesday detailing such alleged instances of abuse in one of the city's public schools.

The Boston-based advocacy agency opened an investigation into Peck School after receiving a complaint in March regarding the treatment of children in a specialized therapy program known as the Therapeutic Intervention Program at Peck.

The Northampton Street facility is a specialized public school that teaches students in grades four through eight. There are 371 enrolled in the Northampton Street school this year and it maintains a low teacher-to-student ratio with fewer than 10 kids to every teacher, on average.

It offers a Therapeutic Intervention Program intended to provide a specialized education to children in grades four through eight with severe behavioral and emotional disabilities.

"DLC found that the children in the [Therapeutic Intervention Program] have been subject to abuse and neglect, improper practices and unsafe conditions," the report states, adding, "the district must take immediate corrective measures to prevent further harm to these children."

Christine Griffin, executive director of DLC called the findings "especially upsetting... as these are young people with disabilities with a history of trauma, who are now being re-traumatized through harmful restraints by the very staff who should be providing supportive services." 

Improper time outs were also called into question. On at least three occasions, a Peck teacher put children in a locked closet with the lights turned off, according to fellow teachers interviewed by DLC. The teacher denied locking the door, saying another child in her class locked the door. 

According to personnel information obtained by DLC, the teacher is still employed in Holyoke Public Schools but in a different position with no direct contact with students. 

While unable to discuss her employment status with the district, citing personnel privacy laws, Holyoke Public Schools Receiver Stephen Zrike said he was aware of such incidents before the report was published and that the "situation was handled accordingly." 

Local and state education officials said Wednesday the district is already implementing changes, including hiring a new principal and having a private special education school operate the Peck program. 

"It's not the same program it was a year ago," Zrike said, who became head of the district five months ago. 

Of the student records reviewed by the agency, every student had a physical and/or emotional disability. Many of the children suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, developed from physical or sexual abuse committed against them or witnessed by the children. 

"To put this population in a setting where they are subject to violent and excessive restraints greatly exacerbates their disabilities and is in direct violation of the stated mission of the program," the DLC report states. 

The investigation was opened at time of upheaval in Holyoke. The same week that DLC notified Superintendent of Schools Sergio Paez of the organization's intent to investigate the claim in April, the state board of education voted to place Holyoke Public Schools in receivership. Following that vote, Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester began serving as interim district receiver while Paez stayed on to handle day-to-day operations.

DLC began conducting interviews with staff and students in May and toured the Holyoke specialized facility.

During their investigation, a then-employee said she sent a letter to Paez in March outlining her concerns about treatment of students. She has since left the district. 

The former Holyoke superintendent, who earlier this week was named the new head of Minneapolis Public Schools, could not be reached for comment by phone Wednesday evening.

Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, who is chairman of the school committee, said he "outraged by these allegations" documented by DLC investigators. 

"Our schools should be a safe place," Morse said. "No parent should have to fear that their child could be hurt in such a way; no student should be treated in the way described in this report."

After reviewing the report on Wednesday, Morse said he spoke with Holyoke Public Schools Receiver Stephen Zrike and is confident that personnel changes and employing an outside organization to run the therapy program can ensure student safety in Peck School.

The agency also reviewed two years of school records regarding student restraints, a complaint filed with the state department of education against the school, individual student files and documentation kept by the school nurse on the condition of students after they were restrained.

The law center said they interviewed several dozen Holyoke Public School employees during the investigation and more than 45 students and guardians and staff at local social service agencies who work with the families.

Human service organizations also expressed concern regarding the treatment of Peck students.

Of the dozens of school officials interviewed, DLC said they spoke with 10 staff members currently employed by the district who were also concerned by the way restraints are used in the school.

As DLC conducted their investigation, the department of elementary and secondary education investigated a separate complaint filed with the state regarding the same allegations. Peck was found in "non-compliance" in all reported areas, including use of improper restraints and unfairly secluding disabled students.

The state investigator said that "students were restrained for violating school rules or for disruptions of the school environment that did not constitute a danger to the students or others," the DESE report states. 

In an email sent to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Wednesday and shared with MassLive, Chester said the turnaround team in Holyoke is already working to restructure the Therapeutic Intervention Program. 

For the past several months, Peck has been under new leadership. Nancy Athas, the former principal of Northampton High School who lives and once taught in Holyoke, replaced Justin Cotton as principal.

Center School, a private special education school in the city, has been contracted to help with therapeutic services for the school. The educational consulting group SchoolWorks is helping with day-to-day operations of the entire school. 

Additionally, district officials said staff are undergoing further training and the use of restraints has decreased this school year. 

Use of restraints to calm or control disruptive students are allowed under Massachusetts law, though controversial.

A report by ProPublica last year found restraints were used about 3,482 times on Massachusetts children during the 2011-2012 school year.

At Peck, school records show one student was restrained 50 times. A parent of this student told investigators her child complained of pain resulting from being restrained and had trouble breathing while restrained.

While currently in place state law mandates physical restraint cannot be used as a means of punishment, investigators say the Peck program has a "consistent practice" of illegally using excessive force to restrain children.

Following ProPublica's investigation, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education changed rules for use of restraints and secluding students in public schools.

The new rules, which take effect next month, will no longer allow school staff to immobilize students in face down positions or isolate a child in a separate room outside of the classroom for more than a half hour, without prior approval from school administrators. The new regulations also call for more reporting of physical restraint use in schools.

While recognizing changes made since start of the school year, DLC officials seek the district to further limit the use of restraints in the school, among other measures. Additionally, the advocacy agency seeks to ensure remedial steps are implemented by monitoring Peck School for the next year. 

Peck Report Dec 9 2015 FINAL

The man who purchased two assault rifles used in the San Bernardino massacre was more than just a friend to the gunman — he was also a relative.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- The man who purchased two assault rifles used in the San Bernardino massacre was more than just a friend to the gunman -- he was also a relative.

Enrique Marquez, who legally bought the weapons at least three years ago, and gunman Syed Rizwan Farook had a sister-in-law in common, according to marriage records. Marquez, a longtime friend of Farook who grew up next door in Riverside, became family last year when he married that woman's sister. Both women are from Russia.

Farook, 28, a public health inspector, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, used the guns to ambush his colleagues Dec. 2 at what was supposed to be a festive annual meeting of county employees, killing 14 people and wounding 21. The couple, who left behind a 6-month-old daughter, were killed hours later in a shootout with police.

The FBI has labeled the killings a terrorist attack and investigators are also trying to determine if Farook had abandoned plans to launch an attack in 2012, according to two people familiar with the investigation who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Federal authorities questioned Marquez, 24, after searching his mother's Riverside house over the weekend, but have not charged him with a crime. They are still trying to determine how the couple got the weapons.

Marquez told investigators that he and Farook planned an attack in the United States in 2012 but never followed through, according to one law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. It was unclear what caused them to cancel the plan.

Marquez, whose security guard license in California expired last year, had worked at Wal-Mart since May, but has since been fired, spokesman Brian Nick said.

Documents show that ties between Marquez and Farook go deeper than what authorities revealed when they said Marquez was a longtime friend. The two were not only neighbors, but were both listed as witnesses on the marriage license when Farook's brother, Raheel, married in 2011.

Three years later, Raheel Farook and his wife, Tatiana, were witnesses at Marquez's nuptials with Mariya Chernykh, Tatiana's sister, according to Riverside County records.

The ceremony took place at the Islamic Society of Corona-Norco, according to the marriage license, though the mosque's facility manager denied it occurred there.

Azmi Hasan said Wednesday that he understood Marquez had converted to Islam, but said he was not a member of that mosque. Marquez had only worshipped there three to four times over seven years, Hasan said. He hadn't seen Marquez in about four years.

Viviana Ramirez, 23, a fellow student with Marquez at Riverside Community College, told the Los Angeles Times they bonded over a mutual desire to join the military. Raheel Farook is a Navy veteran, serving from 2003 to 2007 and earning the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among other awards.

Ramirez said Marquez rarely spoke about his family or his marriage but is friendly once he knows someone.

Tommy Lopez, who said he became friends with Marquez after meeting at a punk rock show seven months ago, said he never talked about his wife and was not religious.

He last saw Marquez in the past month or so when Marquez fell asleep at a friend's house. Lopez and others stacked beer cans on his body.

"When he woke up he just started laughing," Lopez said. "He was a pretty laid-back guy."

Right after the shootings, Marquez called his mother to say he was safe, but that he wouldn't be coming home, neighbor Lorena Aguirre said. He later checked into a mental health facility. It's unclear where he is now.

Marquez and Chernykh listed their address at the same Corona home where Raheel and Tatiana Farook live.

The Russian sisters came to the United States on visas for work or study exchange programs, according to a federal official who requested anonymity. The official was familiar with the visas, but not authorized to speak publicly.

The FBI has not tied any Farook family members to the attack.

Claremont, New Hampshire, residents James J. Silvers and Nichole L. Dubaniewicz, both age 40, are scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 19 in a Vermont court on charges of importing, possessing and trafficking heroin, according to Vermont State Police Sgt. Eric Albright.

DRUMMERSTON, Vt. — A New Hampshire duo facing drug-trafficking charges surrendered to Vermont authorities on Wednesday.

Claremont residents James J. Silvers and Nichole L. Dubaniewicz, both 40, are scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 19 in Windham Superior Criminal Court on charges of importing, possessing and trafficking heroin, according to Vermont State Police Sgt. Eric Albright, of the Brattleboro barracks.

Silvers and Dubaniewicz were arrested after a Dec. 4 traffic stop on I-91 in Dummerston, Vermont, and later released on $2,500 bail.

A subsequent search of the car turned up around 180 bags of heroin, Albright said.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 Democratic presidential campaign announced Wednesday that it will open an office in Springfield next month as it looks to step up its ground game in Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 Democratic presidential campaign announced Wednesday that it will open an office in Springfield next month as it looks to step up its ground game in Massachusetts.

Bernie 2016 Massachusetts State Director Paul Feeney, in a conference call with reporters, said while the campaign has a headquarters in Charlestown, it plans to open offices in Springfield, Worcester and the state's south shore in early 2016 in an effort to help facilitate grassroots organizing in those communities.

The campaign said it's targeting the second week of January to open the Springfield office, but did not disclose where it will be located.

Feeney, meanwhile, said the campaign also hopes to utilize the support of state Reps. Paul Mark, D-Peru, and Mary Keefe, D-Worcester, who are expected to serve on the campaign's to-be-announced Massachusetts Steering Committee, in promoting Sanders in the western part of the state.

The campaign further plans to dedicate a couple field organizers in western Massachusetts, as well as focus a lot of its efforts on the Amherst area at local colleges and universities, he added.

Despite the plans to engage area voters, Feeney said he believes the Vermont senator already has a large amount of support in the western part of the state.

"I think there's a lot of natural organic support (for Sanders) in Western Massachusetts. A lot of folks really share the his values and ideals," he told reporters.

More than 6,000 supporters turned out to support the Democratic presidential candidate as he hosted an early October rally at the Springfield MassMutual Center.

Deborah Ann Gallagher, 50, was intoxicated when police stopped her car in Belchertown on Oct. 3, according to court officials.

NORTHAMPTON - A South Hadley woman pleaded not guilty to drunken driving and related charges Friday in Hampshire Superior Court.

Deborah Ann Gallagher, 50, was intoxicated when police stopped her car in Belchertown on Oct. 3, according to court officials.

She was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, operating under the influence of alcohol, fourth or subsequent offense, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and operating with her license revoked.

Judge Mary Lou Rup set bail at $20,000 and continued the matter to Feb. 18.

A remembrance service in honor of homeless individuals, who died this year in Chicopee, will be held Dec. 18 at 4:30 p.m. at Lorraine's Soup Kitchen & Pantry, 170 Pendexter Ave.

CHICOPEE - A remembrance service in honor of homeless individuals, who died this year in Chicopee, will be held Dec. 18 at 4:30 p.m. at Lorraine's Soup Kitchen & Pantry, 170 Pendexter Ave.

The outside service will be followed by dinner from to 5 to 7 p.m. The public is invited and food pantry donations of nonperishable food items or money may be made at the event.

The event is being organized by Elms College School of Nursing, in collaboration with the Sunday sandwich ministry of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Sunday Sandwich Ministry. It is being held in conjunction with National Coalition for the Homeless advocacy for national day of memory at this time of year to bring attention to those who have lost their lives to homelessness.

Mayor Richard Kos, Sister Mary Reap, Elms president, and Franciscan Friar Joseph Benicewicz, pastor of St. Stanislaus, are among the expected attendees.

The St. Stanislaus Sandwich Ministry distributes food and clothing to people who are homeless or facing financial challenges in Chicopee center each Sunday. Lorraine's serves an average of 100 meals each evening and approximately 500 families a month through its pantry.

Elms College School of Nursing operates the caRe vaN, providing free healthcare to the homeless and underserved of Chicopee and Holyoke.

Although the application process is now largely computer-based, Renaissance Principal Arria Coburn, said the walk to the mailbox is symbolic of the many qualities college applicants must possess. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD — Following an in-school pep rally on Friday morning at the Renaissance School, the entire senior class took a joyous march from the school to a mailbox where each member deposited college applications in the slot.

Cheers went up from the crowd of staff and underclassmen, who accompanied the 98 members of the senior class as they walked to the mailbox at the corner of St. James Avenue and Coburn Street, as each senior placed their envelopes in the mailbox.

The annual "College March" tradition at the city magnet school, which serves students in grades 6-12, is modeled after a program that originated in New York City across Outward Bounds' network of schools.

Although the application process of the 21st century is largely computer-based, Renaissance Principal Arria Coburn, said the walk to the mailbox is symbolic of the many qualities college applicants must possess.

"It's about recognizing their commitment, tenacity and hard work," Coburn said.

As is the school's practice, sixth and ninth graders at Renaissance joined the march to underscore the value of a college education and to impress on them that they must aspire to obtain a higher education.

Senior Michael Ortiz had applications in hand to Emmanuel College in Boston, New England College and Hofstra University, among others.

Ortiz had high praise for the education he's received at Renaissance, saying it has given him the confidence and skills to aim high. "I was very shy before I came here," he said, adding that he's now comfortable with public speaking and speaking up for himself.

Ortiz said he'll be the first in his family to go to college directly after graduating from high schools.
 

Nolan Cary, another senior, had letters addressed to St. Michael's College, Stonehill College and the Univeristy of Massachusetts-Amherst. He said the College March is a great way to inspire students to do their best.

Principal Coburn said addresses on the envelopes were headed to a wide range of colleges and schools including community colleges, colleges and universities and to places as far away as Florida.

"We encourage students to choose a 'safety' school," Coburn said. But students are also encouraged to reach for a dream school.

Applications to Harvard, Yale and Brown University are among the Ivy League schools students are reaching for, she said.

Coburn, who took over as principal this year following the departure of Stephen Mahoney.

Coburn taught at the school for six years and was an assistant principal under Mahoney, who left Renaissance in June to join the education faculty at Harvard University.

Coburn, a graduate of Northeastern University, said she hopes some Renaissance seniors will choose her alma mater. She plans to make a visit to the school with those who apply, she said.

Prior to the march, several speakers rallied students to make a college education a goal.

Deirdre Cuffee-Gray, chair of the Guidance and Counseling Department and as a college-bound counselor, told students that going to college, in and of itself, isn't the full goal.

"You're going to finish and graduate," she said. "And you're going to graduate and give back to your community."

Several graduate of Renaissance related their college experiences to the students, telling them that college isn't easy, adding that being a Renaissance graduate is good preparation for the hard academic work ahead.

Founded in part with a $450,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the public magnet school was among six in Western Massachusetts designated in 2011 as so-called innovation schools, which allow teachers to try creative learning approaches.

The Cumberland Farms clerk told police that the suspect walked into the store, grabbed him by the collar, pulled his head down to the counter and told him to give him the money in the register, reports said. The robber allegedly dashed out of the store after the clerk carried out the orders.

WESTFIELD -- A 44-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a Westfield gas station robbery that occurred early Friday morning, according to court documents.

The Cumberland Farms convenience store at 69 Main St. was robbed of $317 at around 12:30 a.m. by a man police identified as Eric Lemire of Westfield, who was unarmed at the time, police said.

Lemire was arraigned on charges of unarmed robbery in Westfield District Court Friday.

The Cumberland Farms clerk told police that the suspect walked into the store, grabbed him by the collar, pulled his head down to the counter and told him to give him the money in the register, reports said. The robber allegedly dashed out of the store after the clerk carried out the orders.

Lemire was stopped by Westfield Police Officer Francis Gaulin a short distance from the convenience store, the patrolman said in his statement of facts. The suspect told police he robbed the store, and the cash was found on his person, reports said.

Lemire was held on $5,000 bail. He is due back in court on Jan. 11.

Baystate Noble Hospital was awarded a $1.2 million CHART Grant from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission to improve patient care in Greater Westfield.

WESTFIELD - Baystate Noble Hospital was awarded a $1.2 million CHART Grant from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission to improve patient care in Greater Westfield.

The Community Hospital Acceleration, Revitalization and Transformation Investment Program (CHART) is a two-year long initiative to focus attention on avoidable hospital re-admissions, celebrate how hospitals and communities are working together to improve care transitions, and help patients and families understand the role they can play in their healthcare.

A formal presentation was held on Friday, with those in attendance including David Seltz, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, and Iyah Romm, policy director, Care Delivery Innovation and Investment at the HPC. The MHPC aims to modernize healthcare payment and delivery models to establish a more accountable, affordable system.

"The purpose of the CHART Investment Program is to accelerate the transformation of healthcare in Massachusetts by keeping care in the community setting. We hope that the focused project aims, along with technology and planning requirements, will enable the Commonwealth's community hospitals to provide efficient, effective care that meets the community needs," said Paul Hattis, commissioner of the Health Policy Commission, in a press release.

Baystate Noble Hospital is one of 30 community hospitals in Massachusetts sharing the $60 million in CHART grant awards.

One of the biggest focuses of the CHART program is to reduce hospital re-admissions.

Repeated hospital visits are bad for a patient's health; expensive for hospitals, insurance companies, and consumers; and burdensome for caregivers and families, according to the hospital. In order to reduce re-admissions, hospitals must work with local organizations, patients, and families to support patients. Patients more likely to be admitted multiple times may include those with chronic diseases, a lack of continued outside support (services or family), insufficient transitional care, a lack of knowledge about health or nutrition, and those without primary or specialty providers.

The Baystate Noble CHART team consists of 3 nurses, 3 social workers, 1 care coordinator, and the steering committee:
* Kelley Crowley LICSW, Director of Behavioral Health and Clinical Investment Operator
* Linda Puchalski, Project Manager
* Dr. Britt Percy, Chief of Hospital Medicine
* Ed Guzik, RN, Director of Emergency Department
* Laurie Gilbert, Administrative Assistant

The team will work to identify patients who have had three or more inpatient admissions or nine or more emergency admissions over a year's time.

They will meet with those patients to complete medical and behavioral health assessments and identify possible future problems. In addition to educating patients about their health problems, tests, and medications while in the hospital, the CHART team will help coordinate care with other providers and services after discharge. Team members will also make follow up visits and phone calls to continue the patient's care and avoid unnecessary re-admissions.

Megan Bartlett was receiving treatment on Sept. 15 for the traumatic head injury that resulted from the incident when she began to feel the stroke symptoms. She was then was placed in intensive care at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield for two days. Watch video

WESTFIELD -- The case of local man who allegedly caused Westfield Police Officer Megan Bartlett to stroke after he kicked her in the head during a traffic stop has been continued.

Victor Guzman, 26, of Union Street, was arraigned in Westfield District Court in late September on charges of causing serious bodily injury and assault and battery. Another case -- the one that has been continued -- was opened against Guzman after 32-year-old Bartlett suffered a stroke-like event.

Laura Newberry | laura.newberry@masslive.com 

Guzman was charged with assault and battery causing serious bodily injury in the second case, court documents show. He is due back in court on Dec. 19.

Bartlett and her patrol partner, Officer William Cavanaugh, made a traffic stop on May 17 in the Edgewood Apartments parking lot on Union Street after receiving reports that a resident, later identified as Guzman, was involved in a hit-and-run accident. During the stop, Guzman allegedly kicked Cavanaugh's stomach. Bartlett moved to restrain Guzman, and that's when he reportedly kicked her in the head and hand.

Bartlett was receiving treatment on Sept. 15 for the traumatic head injury that resulted from the incident when she began to feel the stroke symptoms. She was then placed in intensive care at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield for two days.

Medical examinations later showed that Bartlett's finger was dislocated, and her cornea was torn from her right eye. The stroke-like even was a delayed response to the traumatic head injury, doctors said.

The Westfield native was released from a physical rehabilitation center in early October. She receives 24-hour home care from her mother, a nurse and a cadre of specialists.

Bartlett was unable to walk or talk right after the stroke, she told MassLive in an October interview, but she is now regaining her mobility and speech. She is on paid medical leave from the force.

Watch Bartlett talk about her life-changing injuries below:

Most Westfield Gas and Electric customers affected by this afternoon's power outage have had their service restored, with remaining repairs expected to take between four and six hours to complete.

Most Westfield Gas and Electric customers affected by this afternoon's power outage have had their service restored, with remaining repairs expected to take between four and six hours to complete.

A crash near the intersection of Southampton and North roads knocked down a telephone pole and took out power to part of the city earlier this afternoon, according to police.

Police initially reported that a multi-vehicle crash was responsible for the outage, but it now appears that a single car hit the pole at 2:40 p.m. with a separate crash taking place nearby, police said.

The crash left hundreds of Westfield residents without power on the north side of the city, Westfield Gas and Electric spokesman Sean Fitzgerald said; the majority have had their power restored, but some customers will have to wait several hours until crews complete repair work.

"There is a section on North Road up to the Hampden Ponds area that will remain out for about four to six hours," Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said customers can contact the utility's dispatch center at (413) 572 0000, but encouraged those without power to be patient as workers make repairs.

"I'd like to encourage them to give it time. We are out there working."