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Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to join President Barack Obama for gun violence announcement

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Obama plans to announce new steps to require all gun sellers to register as dealers – including those who sell at gun shows or over the Internet.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh plans to join President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday for the president's announcement on reducing gun violence.

According to Walsh's public schedule, Walsh will be at the White House for the 10 a.m. event.

Obama plans to announce new steps to require all gun sellers to register as dealers - including those who sell at gun shows or over the Internet. This will mean that all prospective gun buyers will have to go through background checks, ending the so-called "gun show loophole," which allows a person to buy a firearm at a gun show without undergoing a background check.

Obama is taking the action through federal regulations, skirting Congress, which has been reluctant to pass any new gun control laws.

Both Walsh and Obama are Democrats.

Walsh has taken some steps to reduce gun violence in Boston - signing an ordinance banning replica handguns in public, reminding gun dealers of their obligation to report when a gun changes hands and hosting a regional New England summit on gun violence.

Gun control was a signature issue for Walsh's predecessor, former Boston mayor Tom Menino, who co-founded the national group Mayors Against Illegal Guns with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.


Superintendent search subcommittee meeting tonight in Wilbraham

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On the agenda is discussion of the search process for a new superintendent to replace M. Martin O'Shea who has accepted the superintendent job in Longmeadow.

WILBRAHAM - A Superintendent Search Process Subcommittee of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee is scheduled to meet tonight from 6 to 7 p.m. in the district office conference room at Minnechaug Regional High School.

On the agenda is discussion of the search process for a new superintendent as well as the application process, screening process and timetable.

O'Shea has accepted a new job as school superintendent in Longmeadow, beginning July 1, pending successful contract negotiations.

In an email to residents of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District, O'Shea said, "This is a bittersweet moment. My work in the HWRSD has been fulfilling and rewarding, but I was intrigued by the opportunity to apply what I learned in the HWRSD" to the Longmeadow School District.

In his interview in Longmeadow, O'Shea said, "I worked in Longmeadow for 10 years, I'm now in my 11th year at Hampden-Wilbraham ... the idea of applying what I've learned as district superintendent (to Longmeadow) is very compelling to me," O'Shea said. "It's not so much that there's a push factor (away from Hampden-Wilbraham), but it's more a desire to work in Longmeadow."

The Longmeadow School Committee was scheduled to meet Monday night to discuss a potential contract for O'Shea.


Springfield emergency personnel respond to accident with injuries on Roosevelt Avenue

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The accident was reported about 8:30 a.m. in the area of Roosevelt Avenue and Roosevelt Terrace. Police have since shut down Roosevelt Avenue, according to scanner reports.


SPRINGFIELD -- Emergency personnel are at the scene of a multi-vehicle accident with injuries on Roosevelt Avenue.

The accident was reported about 8:30 a.m. in the area of Roosevelt Avenue and Roosevelt Terrace. Police have since shut down Roosevelt Avenue, according to scanner reports.

Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant said preliminary reports indicate a victim may have been thrown from a vehicle.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be added as soon as it is available.

Springfield sex offender Long Dinh Duong targeted for deportation, lawyer says

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The victim's mother and Duong's sister were in court to support him, according to Rudof, who said the defense will focus on a "pattern of conduct ... and rebellious behavior" by the victim leading up to the charges.

SPRINGFIELD - The federal government is seeking to deport Long Dinh Duong, a Vietnamese refugee and registered sex offender facing new sex assault charges in Springfield.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are seeking to detain Duong following his arrest on six sexual assault charges last month, defense lawyer Paul Rudof said Monday in Springfield District Court.

The lawyer mentioned Duong's immigration status while attempting to get his $100,000 bail reduced before trial.

"I think there is going to be a very strong defense," Rudof said, adding that his client has the support of his family and the Vietnamese community.

Duong, 46, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty last month to six sexual assault charges involving one victim, including rape of a child by force and indecent assault and battery on a person under 14.

The alleged abuse began in 2011 when the victim was in middle school and continued after she entered high school; the girl's mother dismissed her claims and blamed the victim for causing trouble, Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski said during Duong's arraignment.

The defendant, a Level 2 sex offender, was on probation for a 2012 indecent assault conviction when the new charges were filed, Szafranski said.

At her request, bail was set at $100,000 - a figure Judge that Duong's lawyer urged Patricia Poehler to reduce during Monday's hearing.

The victim's mother and Duong's sister were in court to support him, according to Rudof, who said the defense will focus on a "pattern of conduct ... and rebellious behavior" by the victim leading up to the charges.

In particular, the teenager was feuding with her mother and threatened to "put him (Duong) in jail" as revenge, Rudof said.

But the bail reduction was opposed by Assistant District Attorney Karen McCarthy who said Duong is expected to be indicted by a Superior Court grand jury later this week.

The victim told her boyfriend about the "systematic abuse" she suffered before telling Springfield school officials, McCarthy said. Springfield police and the state Department of Children and Families investigated and supported the girl's claims, the prosecutor said.

After hearing the arguments, Poehler reduced Duong's bail to $10,000 and ordered him to stay away from the victim.

Told by a court interpreter that his bail had been reduced to $10,000, Duong replied, "but I have no money," the interpreter said.

The defendant has been held at the Hampden County House of Correction since his arrest on Dec. 2.

The jail "is not the greatest environment for him" said Rudof, who explained that nobody speaks Vietnamese and that Duong had fallen and suffered a head injury that required stitches.

Federal immigration officials, meanwhile, have filed a detainer against Duong, the first step in a process that could lead to his forced return to Vietnam, Rudof said.

The government attempted to deport Duong several years ago, without success, according to Rudof, who expressed doubts about the new effort.

"I don't know if Vietnam is taking" refugees now, the lawyer said.

 

MassMutual, Western New England University welcome 400 high school students to academic achievers conference

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They were joined by 150 MassMutual academic scholars who have received scholarships from the Springfield-based insurance giant.

SPRINGFIELD - Curiosity having gotten the better of them, the rats occasionally ignored the elaborate lever-and-reward system set up for them and peered out at the high school students on the other side of the clear plastic walls.

Meanwhile, the students regarded the rats with curiosity.

"We are learning about motivation by studying the rats and how they react," said Giovana Aponte, 17, and a senior at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy.

Aponte was one of the about 400 students from private and public high schools in Springfield who spent Tuesday at Western New England University as part of the MassMutual Academic Achiever Conference. Students earn an invitation by maintaining an B average or better for four consecutive marking periods for grades 9 through 11.

They were joined by 150 MassMutual Academic Achievers, college students who are receiving MassMutual scholarships to help pay for their college educations.

This is the 14th year MassMutual and Western New England have hosted the conference. This year's theme was "Build Your Future."

A big part of everyone's future will depend on learning exactly why and for how long that little rat can be motivated to, or dissuaded from, taping the lever, said Sheralee A. Tershner, chair and professor of neuroscience. She showed the how and why the lever box, once commonly called a Skinner box and now called an "operant conditioning chamber," works.

It's not dissimilar to how a slot machine gets players to keep betting money through an intermittent and thus unpredictable system of rewards.

She asked the students to think about how the brain's system of reward and motivation can be turned on its head.

"Solutions to the problems of drug addiction, compulsive gambling, the cure for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)," she said. "It is all going to come out of studying the brain."

On other workshops, students learned how to build computers and how to, through the of cyber security, protect those computers from thieves and hackers.

Some workshops focused on job interview skills or on managing time or managing money.

One firefighter injured battling Saugus 3-alarm fire, Route 1 ramp closed

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One firefighter was injured and another jumped out a first-story window as a burning home in Saugus filled with smoke despite their firefighting efforts.

SAUGUS - One firefighter was injured and another jumped out a first-story window as a burning home filled with smoke despite their firefighting efforts.

Crews from Saugus, Malden and Melrose are battling the three-alarm fire in a brick home at 240 Essex St., NECN reported. 

The fire was reported just before 5 a.m. State Police said the right lane of Route 1 North and the off-ramp to Essex Street were both closed.

WCVB reported that firefighters were ordered to evacuate the building when it became unsafe due to smoke and heat. One firefighter jumped out a first-floor window, loosing his helmet, but was not injured.

WCVB reported that the residents were able to escape unharmed but a firefighter suffered a minor back injury while fighting the fire.

NECN captured aerial footage of the fire.

 

Springfield police: At least 1 injured in 2-vehicle crash near Western New England University entrance

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The crash was reported about 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday.

SPRINGFIELD -- At least one person was injured Wednesday morning in a two-vehicle crash on Wilbraham Road near the entrance of Western New England University.

Police Sgt. Donald Denault said the crash at Wilbraham Road and Breckwood Boulevard was reported about 7:15 a.m. He had no additional information.

A witnesss reported one of the vehicles ended up on a sidewalk.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available.


Rachelle Bond, mother of murdered 2-year-old Bella Bond, due in court Wednesday

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Bond is scheduled to be arraigned for being an accessory to her daughter's murder and continuing to accept public assistance after her daughter's death.

Rachelle Bond is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Suffolk County Superior Court for being an accessory to her daughter's murder and continuing to accept public assistance after her daughter's death.

Bella Bond caught the public's attention this summer when her unidentified remains were discovered in a trash bag on a Deer Island beach in June. It took until September for the police to identify the girl, referred to as Baby Doe, as two-and-a-half-year-old Bella.

Rachelle Bond's boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, 35, of Quincy, was charged with Bella's murder. He is due in court Jan. 11.

Rachelle Bond, 40, of Dorchester, was charged with being an accessory after the fact to Bella's murder and with larceny for accepting welfare benefits intended for Bella after Bella's death.

In court documents released in September, prosecutors charged that Rachelle Bond watched as McCarthy put Bella's remains in a trash bag in the refrigerator, then later went with McCarthy to dispose of her body.

The Bond family had been under the supervision of the state's Department of Children and Families. A report conducted after Bella's death faulted DCF for closing the case in 2013 and for not further investigating Rachelle Bond, who had previously lost custody of two other children.


Mass. State trooper Corey Benoit convicted of domestic assault after breaking girlfriend's collarbone at birthday party

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A state trooper from Royalston was convicted Tuesday in Fitchburg of domestic assault and battery after he pushed his then-girlfriend into a wall, breaking her collarbone.

FITCHBURG - A state trooper was convicted Tuesday of domestic assault and battery after he pushed his then-girlfriend into a wall, breaking her collarbone.

A judge found Corey D. Benoit, 36, of Royalston, guilty of assault and battery on a family or household member in Fitchburg District Court.

Timothy Connolly, a spokesman for District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., told the Telegram & Gazette that Benoit was ordered to serve one year of probation and complete a batterers program.

The the Aug. 2 dispute began when the then-couple argued over the volume of the stereo at his birthday party, the newspaper reported.

Benoit pushed the victim into a wall and the impact broke her collarbone, the Telegram & Gazette reported. Benoit had argued that the woman,  Nicole M. Poirier of Leominster, had bitten him first.

The newspaper wrote that Benoit has been suspended with pay since August.

 

Columbia Gas: Water in main cause of service interruption to approximately 50 Springfield families

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Natural gas service was restored to approximately 50 families in the North End and Liberty Heights neighborhood late Tuesday night.

SPRINGFIELD -- Water in the main was the cause of low natural gas pressure that left approximately 50 families in the North End and Liberty Heights neighborhoods in the cold Tuesday night.

The service interruption to residents of Lexington, Massasoit, Narragansett and Prospect streets was reported about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. It resolved at about 11 p.m., said Andrea Luppi, spokeswoman for Columbia Gas.

"The pressure is back up, people are back in their homes," Luppi said.

Only one person took advantage of a temporary warming shelter set up by the Springfield Fire Department Office of Emergency Preparedness at the Boys and Girls Club on Carew Street, Luppi said.

That shelter closed after gas pressure was restored, she said.

Many of those affected opted to stay in their homes, Luppi said.

Columbia Gas technicians were preparing Wednesday morning to go out into impacted neighborhoods to relight pilot lights. "We have about 30 relights left to do," Luppi said at about 8 a.m.

Those who need relights are asked to call Columbia Gas customer service at 1-800-688-6160.

Judge tosses suit filed by family of James 'Whitey' Bulger victim

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A federal judge in Boston has dismissed a nearly $10 million lawsuit brought against the government by the family of a Boston man slain by mobster James "Whitey" Bulger and his crew in 1974.

BOSTON (AP) -- A federal judge in Boston has dismissed a nearly $10 million lawsuit brought against the government by the family of a Boston man slain by mobster James "Whitey" Bulger and his crew in 1974.

The suit alleged that former FBI agent John Connolly Jr. knew for decades that Bulger killed Paul McGonagle Sr. and dumped his body in Dorchester but didn't alert the family.

McGonagle's 77-year-old widow and her sons sought $9.8 million for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The family said they agonized over McGonagle's disappearance until a government witness revealed his grave in 2000.

Although he sympathized with the family, Judge Dennis Saylor IV wrote Tuesday that the government had no legal duty to report what they knew about McGonagle's whereabouts.

Bulger is serving a life term.

Firefighters battle blaze in Turners Falls; Greenfield, Brattleboro sending aid

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The fire was reported shortly after 9 a.m. A second alarm was called at about 9:15 a.m.

MONTAGUE - Fire crews are on the scene of a major structure fire on 3rd Street in the Turners Falls section of Montague, and police are advising people to stay out of the area.

The fire was reported shortly after 9 a.m. A second alarm was called at about 9:15 a.m.

Fire Departments from as far away as Greenfield and Brattleboro, Vermont are sending assistance through mutual aid.

The Montague Police Department is urging people to stay away the area of Third Street toward Canal Street. Officials want to keep the roads open for emergency vehicles.

Little information is available about the scope of the fire at this time. The Greenfield Recorder is reporting the fire is at a two-story duplex on fire.

Fireground360 is reporting firefighters at the scene have been ordered out of the building, and that firefighters are cutting a hole in the roof to ventilate some of the smoke.

Photos from the scene show a massive plume of smoke rising over Turners Falls.



Eversource, National Grid complete reliability project in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode island

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By strengthening the backbone of the regional grid, the project delivers environmental benefits such as enabling broader regional access to future renewable energy resources and allowing existing renewable resources to reach previously constrained areas. Additionally, farmland was protected as conservation land and critical wildlife habitats received special care during construction, said in a news release.

BERLIN, Conn. - Eversource and National Grid partnered on the approximately $483 million Interstate Reliability Project.

The work included station upgrades

 

and the installation of a new 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line along 75 miles of existing, contiguous rights-of-way in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, according to a news release from the utilities. The new line and related improvements will enhance reliable delivery of power to customers throughout New England and strengthen the regional electric grid.

David Boguslawski, Vice President of Transmission Strategy & Operations at Eversource said:


"The Interstate Reliability Project improves the efficiency of the grid by eliminating system bottlenecks and improving the flow of power within our region. The project also supports the region's economic growth and environmental goals through greater access to newer, more efficient, and cleaner generating plants."


By strengthening the backbone of the regional grid, the project delivers environmental benefits such as enabling broader regional access to future renewable energy resources and allowing existing renewable resources to reach previously constrained areas. Additionally, farmland was protected as conservation land and critical wildlife habitats received special care during construction, said in a news release. Once the work was complete, the restored rights-of-way added hundreds of acres of important new wildlife habitat that has been shrinking in New England.

Along with the system reliability and environmental benefits, the IRP will also produce millions of dollars of new, annual property tax revenues to 18 municipalities in the three states where the project was constructed. Additionally, hundreds of workers were employed to work on the IRP that began in early 2014.

The completion of the IRP caps off the New England East West Solution or "NEEWS" - a suite of projects designed to strengthen the reliability of the regional power grid by improving its efficiency and eliminating crippling congestion that can be very costly for customers. Collectively, the NEEWS projects are the largest upgrade to the regional transmission system in many years. During the past 10 years, while the NEEWS projects were being planned, sited and developed, New England experienced an unprecedented wave of power plant retirements, which made these robust, long-term transmission improvements even more important.



  • Rights-of-way miles: 75

  • States: Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island

  • Number of towns along the route: 18

  • Miles of wire: 679 miles; enough to stretch from Providence, RI to Durham, NC

  • Number of tubular steel structures: 899

  • Total weight of the steel: 18.4 million pounds

  • Amount of concrete for structure foundations: 22,446 cubic yards (equivalent to 2,244 mixer truckloads); enough cubic yards to fill a 21-story building more than 50 square feet

'Roughhousing' kids cause of blaze at Canon Circle apartment, Springfield Fire Department says

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The children knocked a lamp over onto clothing and bedding, Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.

SPRINGFIELD -- Roughhousing kids who knocked over a lamp was the cause of a blaze at Springmeadow apartments that forced residents out into the cold Tuesday night.

No injuries were reported in the fire. It broke out shortly before 5:30 p.m. in a second-floor bedroom at 316 Canon Circle.

"A bunch of kids were roughhousing in there and they knocked over a lamp onto some clothes and bedding and disregarded it," Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.
The blaze broke out about 30 minutes later, he said.

Five children were being watched by a babysitter inside the unit, Leger said.

Damage is estimated at approximately $10,000, Leger said. The property owner put those displaced up in another unit, he said.


No children injured when West Springfield school bus rear-ended

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No children were injured when the school bus they were riding in was rear-ended near 1031 Piper Road in West Springfield Wednesday morning.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - No children were injured when the school bus they were riding in was rear-ended near 1031 Piper Road Wednesday morning.

The 33 children were heading to the John R. Fausey Elementary School.

West Springfield traffic officer Michael Delnero said the driver of the vehicle that hit the bus suffered minor facial injuries and was evaluated on scene, but did not need to go to a hospital.

The driver was issued a citation after the accident, Delnero said. He declined to say what it was for or give the driver's name.

The children were transferred to another school bus as a precaution before heading to school, he said. The damaged bus did not need to be towed.

Delnero said the Fausey Elementary School staff were notifying the students' parents of the accident this morning.

 

Fitchburg firefighters catch swans, ducks in lake before it freezes over (Photos)

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Firefighters swam in freezing water and slid on their bellies across thin ice to catch five water fowl in Mirror Lake in Cogshall Park so the swans and ducks could winter in a more hospitable place.

FITCHBURG -- Firefighters swam in freezing water and slid on their bellies across thin ice to catch five water fowl in Cogshall Park so the swans and ducks could spend the winter in a more hospitable place.

The Fitchburg Fire Department and Department of Public Works executed the rescue operation out of concern that after the city purchased the birds for the park, they would be eaten by coyotes or foxes as soon as the lake froze. At that point, the birds could no longer escape into the lake.

Fire Lt. Rick Jollimore said the firefighters were able to catch two swans and three ducks, who will be taken to a nearby farm for the winter. Firefighters were headed back out to Mirror Lake Wednesday to get the last two ducks and a swan, he said.

"It's definitely great practice" in water and ice rescue, he said. "The guys get a feel for it. Especially the new guys. They've never been in the suits."

He said the department does an ice rescue training each year to familiarize firefighters with the ropes, sleds and suits used. 

Unlike those trainings, Monday's operation gave the firefighters the chance to experience trying to rescue a living creature. In this case, the creatures were not thrilled to be caught.

The ducks and swans will be returned to the park in the spring.

South Hadley exploring moving municipal offices out of town hall on Main Street

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What was unthinkable less than four years ago: moving municipal offices out of town hall's 116 Main St. location, has now caught on -- and being discussed as a genuine option for the community

SOUTH HADLEY - The possibility of moving municipal offices out of the town hall's Main Street location is being discussed as a genuine option for the community.

Town Administrator Michael Sullivan says at least $1 million would be needed to repair and properly upgrade the town hall building.

At Tuesday's Selectboard meeting, South Hadley Redevelopment Authority chairman Tony Judge said it makes sense to commission a feasibility study to ascertain whether municipal functions could locate on another site within the South Hadley Falls village, at 27 Gaylord St.

Chairman Frank DeToma, who also serves on the SHRDA, supported the idea and said selectman Ira Brezinsky has expressed interest serving on a panel to study it.

Selectman John Hine questioned whether a feasibility study on 27 Gaylord St. should wait until a comprehensive development plan the SHRDA says is expected to be released in about two months is in-hand.

"I am hesitant to focus this study on one particular property," Selectboard member Sarah Etelman said. "I don't want us to run into the same problems SHELD is having," she said, alluded to the ongoing South Hadley Electric Light Department debate about whether that agency should build a new facility, relocate to another existing building or remain at 98 Main St.

Etelman has been a strong advocate for community involvement on the potential siting of a new SHELD facility, should the headquarters change locations.

"I am not pushing for one particular site," Judge said in response to Etelman, rather, to determine if 27 Gaylord St. might be an option. He said the SHRDA would be discussing the matter at their Wednesday meeting.

"I think the timing is right," DeToma said. "We are going to have to explore" all options.

The Selectboard did not take a vote on the Gaylord Street idea.

A 73-page report submitted by the American Institute of Architects in 2012, at the town's request, weighed in on the SHELD matter, and Town Hall.

"SHELD will ultimately be moving to another location - the Falls is not an appropriate area," the report states.

"Town Hall is a significant government center, and adjacent investments demonstrate that it should be retained by the town government. It could be rehabilitated as housing or for some other purpose."

Chicopee City Council votes to replace pool at Ash Park

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Three of the city's four pools were found to have hazardous chemicals in the paint.

CHICOPEE - The City Council committed to replacing the outdoor pool at Ray Ash Park, which has been closed for two summers because of its poor condition and the discovery of hazardous chemicals in the paint.

In a 12-0 vote Tuesday night, the Council accepted a $400,000 state grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, which will pay for part of the pool replacement.

Preliminary estimates show the cost of replacing the pool will be as much as $2 million. Mayor Richard J. Kos said he will return to the City Council for additional funding in the future.

But he asked the City Council to commit to replacing the pool because the city is facing a tight deadline to accepting the grant.

The grant will pay for 70 percent of the costs of replacing the pool, with a cap of $400,000. City Planner Lee Pouliot said the city will easily fill the requirements.

"I think this is a good start by doing one," Councilor Gary Labrie said, adding that the pool is located in the geographic center of the city.

Faced with leaks and other problems at all four outdoor pools, the city hired an engineering firm to evaluate them. The study found hazardous PCBs in the paint of three of the four pools, which forced them to be closed this summer.

But mechanical problems had been found a year earlier at the Ash Park Pool and shut down that pool in the summer of 2014 as well.

Since then city officials have been debating if they should repair or replace any or all of the pools. Cost estimates range from $740,000 to $1.79 million to replace or repair each pool, depending on what is done.

The Ash pool was the only one eligible for the $400,000 grant, which is the largest amount a city can receive to replace a pool, so it was selected for replacement, Kos said.

"We would be foolish not to accept this," Councilor William Courchesne said.

Formerly a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, Courchesne said the group has been discussing how many pools are needed and how they should be replaced.

Estimates show the lifespan of Rivers Park Pool, the only one which is currently open, is only five more years. If the Ash Pool is replaced, the city will have at least one outdoor pool open even if that has to close, Courchesne said.

It is expected to take about 18 months to replace the pool. It will be designed to be accessible to the disabled and will include spray features and other amenities of a modern pool, Kos said.

"I am happy we are getting these grants. I know how hard people had to work to get these," City Councilor Stanley Walczak, retired superintendent of Parks and Recreation said.

The grants are very competitive so he congratulated city staff, including new Parks Superintendent Carolyn Porter for receiving the funding.

Bad branding: 'Drop Dead' heroin being sold in Springfield; suspect held on $5,000 bail

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Police found 80 bags of so-called "Drop Dead" heroin in the center console, the prosecutor said.

SPRINGFIELD — As the death toll from a lethal batch of "Hollywood"-labeled heroin rose last week, Craig Henley was offering a more sinister sounding product, police said.

Henley, 34, of Springfield, was arrested after police pulled over the stolen car he was driving and found 80 packets of heroin in the center console, Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski said.

The logo "Drop Dead" was stamped on each bag, the prosecutor said.

Henley pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court to seven charges, including possession of heroin with intent to sell, receiving stolen property, operating an unregistered and uninsured vehicle and driving with a suspended license.

After pulling Henley over in Forest Park on New Year's Eve, police found nothing in the vehicle to suggest the heroin was for personal use, Szafranski said. The vehicle, a black Nissan Maxima, had been reported stolen and was operating with altered license plates, she said.

Noting that Henley's criminal record includes convictions for drug distribution and assault and battery on a police officer, the prosecutor asked for $5,000 bail.

Defense lawyer Meredith Ryan opposed the request, saying her client was not carrying a large amount of cash and gave no indication he planned to sell the drugs.

"The drugs were ... for personal use," Ryan said.

She also questioned whether police had legal authority to stop and search the vehicle, creating the possibility that the case could be thrown out.

Henley runs a roofing business, has family in the area and poses no threat to flee, Ryan added.

At the prosecutor's request, Judge William Boyle set bail at $5,000 and continued the case to Feb. 2.


 

Officials: Man with knife shot dead at Paris police station

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A Paris police official said police were investigating the incident at the Paris police station Thursday as "more likely terrorism" than a standard criminal act.

LORI HINNANT, Associated Press
ELAINE GANLEY, Associated Press

PARIS (AP) -- Officers shot and killed a knife-wielding man wearing a fake explosive vest at a police station in northern Paris on Thursday, French officials said, a year to the day after an attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo launched a bloody year in the French capital.

Luc Poignant, a police union official, said the man cried out "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great."

The man was wearing what looked like an explosive vest, but it was fake, according to two French police officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They said the man has not yet been identified.

Just a few minutes earlier, elsewhere in the city, French President Francois Hollande had finished paying homage to police officers killed in the line of duty, including three shot to death in attacks last January.

A Paris police official said police were investigating the incident at the Paris police station Thursday as "more likely terrorism" than a standard criminal act. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be publicly named according to police policy. The neighborhood in the Goutte d'Or district of northern Paris was locked down.

Hollande had said earlier that what he called a "terrorist threat" would continue to weigh on France.

On Jan. 7, 2015, two French-born brothers killed 11 people inside the building where Charlie Hebdo operated, as well as a Muslim policeman outside. Over the next two days, an accomplice shot a policewoman to death and then stormed a kosher supermarket, killing four hostages. All three gunmen died.

In a speech to police forces charged with protecting the country against new attacks, Hollande said the government was passing new laws and ramping up security, but the threat remained high.

Hollande especially called for better surveillance of "radicalized" citizens who have joined Islamic State or other militant groups in Syria and Iraq when they return to France.

"We must be able to force these people --and only these people-- to fulfill certain obligations and if necessary to put them under house arrest ... because they are dangerous," he said.

Three police officers were among the 17 dead in the attacks last January, which ended after two days of bloodshed in the Paris region.

Hollande said officers die in the line of duty "so that we can live free."

Following the January attacks, the government announced it planned to give police better equipment and hire more intelligence agents.

France has been on high alert ever since, and was struck again Nov. 13 by extremists in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group that killed 130 people at a concert hall and in bars and restaurants.

Survivors of the January attacks, meanwhile, are continuing to speak out.

Cartoonist Laurent Sourisseau, the editor-in-chief of Charlie Hebdo, who is known as Riss, told France Inter radio "security is a new expense for the newspaper budget."

"This past year we've had to invest nearly 2 million euros to secure our office, which is an enormous sum," he said. "We have to spend hundreds of thousands on surveillance of our offices, which wasn't previously in Charlie's budget, but we had an obligation so that employees feel safe and can work safely."

After the attacks, people around the world embraced the expression "Je suis Charlie" to express solidarity with the slain journalists, targeted for the paper's caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

"It's a phrase that was used during the march as a sign of emotion or resistance to terrorism," Charlie Hebdo cartoonist Corinne Rey -- known as Coco -- told France Inter radio. "And little by little, I realized that 'I am Charlie' was misused for so many things. And now I don't really know what it means."

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Associated Press Writers Sylvie Corbet and Angela Charlton contributed to this report.

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