Springfield's civilian police review board has not released its annual statistical report in nearly two years, due to what city officials describe as a shortage of manpower in the city's legal office.

Springfield's civilian police hearing board has not released its annual statistical report in nearly two years, due to what city officials describe as a shortage of manpower in the city's legal office.

The Community Police Hearing Board, established by the executive order of Mayor Domenic Sarno in 2010, is required to "publicly disseminate" notice of complaints against officers reviewed by the board.

But no statistics on the number of cases heard, the type of incidents alleged or whether those complaints were sustained have been released since March of 2014.

City Solicitor Edward Pikula, whose office is responsible for compiling incident numbers, scrubbing them of private information and releasing the annual report, said a glut of legal work linked to the MGM Springfield project has left his office unable to complete the reports on time.

"I just didn't have the manpower," Pikula said. 'I've been so tied up with trying to get this MGM stuff wrapped up that I haven't been able to get to it."

In fact, the board is required to provide public notice of cases every quarter -- which it has never succeeded in doing, Pikula said.

The board was supposed to rely on Citistat, a now-defunct city department established when Springfield was run by a financial control board, to compile information for those quarterly reports. But that initiative never got off the ground, and the city has attempted to release information each year instead, according to Pikula.

Pikula now plans to release a two-year report on police complaints this year, similar to when incidents for 2012 and 2013 were combined into one report. The back-up was on the legal department's end, Pikula confirmed, saying that the board and the police department's internal affairs unit were timely in providing incident information.

The delay has left Springfield residents without any information on the number or severity of complaints against officers since 2013, or whether those complaints were found to be justified. The absence of information has coincided with both a push for community engagement by the Springfield Police Department and growing national tension over allegations of police violence against minority populations.

That tension has made itself felt in Springfield as well; last April, more than a dozen Black Lives Matter activists were arrested after they blocked the X intersection to protest police killings.

The seven-member Community Police Hearing Board was created in 2010 and replaced former Mayor Charles Ryan's Community Complaint Review Board, which lacked the current board's subpoena powers. Sarno's executive order came in the shadow of the beating of black motorist Melvin Jones III by police officer Jeffrey Asher, who was later convicted of assault in connection with the beating.

All the board's members are appointed by Sarno, and it does not have the independent authority to discipline officers. Police officials have said, however, that the department has always followed the board's recommendations on cases.

The commission's members regularly meet in a second-floor conference room at Springfield police headquarters to hear allegations against officers. The proceedings are generally closed to the public; the executive order requires officers' consent for the hearings to be open, and the commission is likewise prohibited from disclosing the names of involved parties without their agreement.

As an all volunteer board, the CPHB relies on the city to both release its reports and organize community outreach, board chair George Bourguignon told MassLive. The board does hold quarterly public meetings; those are generally ill-attended, he said.

"We don't have our own administrative staff. We rely on the resources of the city," he said. "It's not our function, as far as the board. We have to sit back and wait for what the law department puts before us."

As recommended in its 2014 report, the board has held several meetings at neighborhood councils to spread word of its operations. Those efforts have been organized by Denise Jordan, Sarno's Chief of Staff and the city's liaison to the board.

"The main part of what we do is to make our recommendations," Bourguignon said. "We're just people volunteering out time to make good recommendations."

Jordan said that the city made efforts at outreach in 2014, sending messages to all 28 neighborhood councils in the city asking if they would like to host an information session on the board for local residents. Only four responded, she said -- Old Hill, Pine Point, New North, and Sixteen Acres. The board held meetings in those neighborhoods.

"We've gone out to the neighborhoods, we've gone out to the community to let them know what we do," Jordan said. "Their answer was they know what we do. They didn't feel the need to do another meeting."

"We have to do better. We've been average a report every two years," she added.
'What I can say is that the board as a body, they review cases and they're in contact with the police department every single week."

Outreach aside, the lack of reports has left the past two years a blank slate for anyone seeking data about complaints against the department. The 2014 report said that in 2013 92 complaints were made compared to 175,000 calls for service and 3,952 arrests; of those complaints, eight were sustained.

The $95-million factory will have at least 150 employees not counting the 100 or more construction workers it will take to build it. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Chinese rail car maker CRRC MA USA promises to have a bigger presence in greater Springfield over the next few months by soliciting local parts manufacturers, hosting hiring fairs and even starting work on its Paige Boulevard factory.

"So much of it up to this point has been the design phase in Boston," said Bobby Doyle, a senior consultant on CRRC's project. "Now we are moving to Springfield. You are going to see much more from us. It's fun to start to see things come together."

The CRRC plant will manufacture 284 subway cars for the MBTA, Boston's mass transit system - 152 for the Orange Line and 132 for the Red Line. First delivery of the Orange cars is expected in March 2018 and production, at least on this contract, is expected to last five years.

Doyle spoke Tuesday at the beginning of three days of meetings between CRRC executives and possible suppliers of everything CRRC MA will need to build both the plant and the rail cars. The procurement list runs from security guards to electronics cabinets to handrails for the passenger compartment.

Tuesday was an overview and get-to-know-you. Potential vendors will meet in small groups with CRRC and its consultants on Wednesday and Thursday.

The event drew a few hundred hopeful contractors from across Western Massachusetts.

In 2014, CRRC, then known as CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles, received a $566 million contract from the state and MBTA to build new subway cars. The state went without federal funding on the project in order to require that the cars be at least assembled in Massachusetts.

The state's goal was to develop a transit car industry in Massachusetts, a business that thrived in Springfield with the Wason Manufacturing Co. from 1845 until the Great Depression killed the company.

Doyle said contractors have already begun removing hazardous building materials from the former Westinghouse administration building on Paige Boulevard.

The building, which was saved when the rest of the site was leveled in 2011-12 under Ameristar Casinos ownership, will be CRRC MA's administration building and engineering and research offices for the sprawling T car factory. The factory will be adaptable to make cars for other transit or passenger lines.

CRRC, along with city and state officials, hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking at the 40-acre site in September.

But on Monday, Doyle said real construction will begin in March. That includes work on the new 220,000-square-foot factory building. CRRC will also build a test track for the rail cars.

"This project is on schedule," Doyle said.

CRRC will also build a test track where completed cars will get a trial run.

Doyle said CRRC will also start holding hiring fairs for factory workers in the next few months, using Futureworks  in Springfield as its point of contact.

"We need a good two-year ramp up," Doyle said. "There is a possibility of sending some of our lead workers from here to help make the prototype vehicles in China. That would happen at the end of this year, but everybody has to be trained."

In the meantime, CRRC will work with Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy to use Putnam's vocational shops after hours for CRRC training before the factory is finished.

CRRC also wants to recruit Putnam's high school students.

"We really need to get these kids excited about rail car manufacturing,"Doyle said.

Production begins here in the spring of 2018.

Quabbin Inc., a 22-employee family-owned machine shop in Orange, hopes to make parts for the cars.

"We can machine anything," said Quabbin Inc. personnel / quality manger Hugh Mackay. "We make machines, we make parts."

Quabbin Inc. has long relied on Rodney Hunt in Orange as a big customer. But Rodney Hunt has announced that it will close and lay off 200 workers.

"What do you do when you lose a major customer like that?" Mackay said. "You get in the car and go to Springfield and see if you can get in the rail car business."

By law, CRRC MA is required to look to minority- and women-owned businesses as suppliers, and state officials, both in the current Baker administration and in the Patrick administration that made the agreement with CRRC, also want to see local- and veteran-owned companies get a lot of the subcontracting work.

"There will be work for local companies," said Richard K. Sullivan Jr.,  president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts. "That's a big part of this. It always has been."

 

The driver of the vehicle, a 38-year old man from Stoughton, stayed on scene.

BOSTON -- A 66-year-old man was fatally struck by a vehicle in South Boston Tuesday night.

Massachusetts State Police told the Boston Globe that the Boston man was hit around 6:20 p.m. at the intersection of Old Colony Avenue and Gavin Way.

He was pronounced dead at the crash site.

Laura Newberry | laura.newberry@masslive.com 

The driver of the vehicle, a 38-year old man from Stoughton, stayed on scene, NECN reports.

Officers said it's still being determined whether criminal charges should be sought against the driver.

Neither the driver nor the victim were identified by police at the time of publication.

Police seized 1,584 packets of heroin, seven firearms and $12,816 in cash during the raid, according to court documents.

SPRINGFIELD - A judge has dismissed a drug distribution charge against a Springfield woman arrested with her boyfriend and his parents when police seized more than 1,500 packets of heroin during a raid last summer.

At a prosecutor's request, one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute was dropped against Princeza Aponte, 24, on Jan. 11 in Springfield District Court.

Aponte, her boyfriend, James Galanis, 23; his father, Peter Galanis, 59, and mother, Susan Galanis, 53, were arrested in June after city narcotics detectives raided the family's home on Los Angeles Street and a second residence on Kenwood Park.

Investigators seized 1,584 packets of heroin, seven firearms and $12,816 in cash during the raid, according to court documents.

All four defendants pleaded innocent during their arraignment in Springfield District Court on June 17. In late August, the charges against James Galanis, his father and mother were transferred to Hampden Superior Court after the trio was indicted by a grand jury.

Aponte's case remained in District Court and was scheduled for a jury trial on Dec. 10.

No explanation for dismissing the case was provided in court records, but defense lawyer Dennis J. Powers said his client played no role in the drug sales allegedly conducted by her boyfriend.

"The prosecutors did the right thing," the lawyer said, adding that his client had barely begun dating James Galanis before they were arrested.

A spokesperson for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni agreed.

"During the course of the investigation, it became apparent that Ms. Aponte was not involved in her boyfriend's alleged illicit activity," James Leydon said.

In September, Judge Bethzaida Sanabria-Vega rejected a defense motion to dismiss the charge.

The judge wrote that Aponte was sitting in a parked vehicle, with 51 packets of heroin in plain view, when she and James Galanis were arrested on June 16.

While James Galanis was the target of the investigation, the presence of Aponte in his vehicle along with the visibility of 51 packets of heroin met the legal standard for charging her with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, the judge wrote.

A local veterans group has "serious concerns" about how the state is treating the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.

HOLYOKE -- The Veterans of Foreign Wars Hampden District 7 has asked Gov. Charlie Baker to do a "personal inquiry" into leadership and veterans' care issues at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.

"The Veterans of Foreign Wars Hampden (County) District 7 is having serious concerns regarding the recent resignations and retirement of the highly respected and highly effective management team at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke," said the Jan. 24 letter to Baker signed by District Commander Brian Willette.

"In light of these serious concerns, the nearly 1,100 members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hampden District 7 respectfully request that you conduct a personal inquiry into these issues. We also request that you address the findings and possible remedies needed with the appropriate agencies, as well as the Massachusetts Legislature," Willette said.

Among the concerns is the loss of Superintendent Paul Barabani and John Paradis, who was deputy superintendent until Jan. 1, Willette said.

After Barabani announced his plan to retire Dec. 15, Paradis said he would resign because he didn't want to work with a superintendent other than Barabani.

District 7 represents 11 Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) posts in Hampden and Hampshire counties. Post members voted "overwhelmingly" to send the letter to Baker, Willette said in an email.

Barabani, who was appointed superintendent in February 2011, said he was leaving largely based on the state's failure to provide strong funding and staffing support for the Holyoke Soldiers' Home. Barabani retired in 2002 as a colonel after 32 years in the Army National Guard.

The Soldiers' Home's divided board of trustees Tuesday battled and supported Barabani in a meeting held at the 110 Cherry St. facility.

The result of the meeting was establishment of Barabani's departure date, which will be Friday, confirmation that Cheryl Lussier Poppe, superintendent of the Chelsea Soldiers' Home, will become interim director of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home Monday and plans to continue with a search for a permanent superintendent.

The state has posted notice that the job is available at a yearly salary of $57,285 to $151,560.

The application deadline is Feb. 12.

Overlooking Interstate 91, the Holyoke Soldiers' Home is a state-funded health care facility for veterans established in 1952. It employs more than 300 people, has 265 long-term care beds and 30 private rooms for veterans and serves 2,200 veterans a year with its in- and out-patient facilities. It has a yearly budget of $23.1 million.

The Chelsea Soldiers' Home budget is nearly $28 million.

State officials have said the Chelsea facility was larger and had different needs than the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, including more and older buildings that needed funding for maintenance.

But Barabani said the issue boils down to providing care to the veterans who most need it and that means those confined to beds or who require daily help with washing and other needs, Barabani said.

The Holyoke Soldiers' Home has on average a 264-bed occupancy of veterans with such thorough and intensive staff needs while the Chelsea Soldiers' Home has such an occupancy of 162 beds. But the Holyoke facility's budget is nearly 22 percent less than Chelsea's, he said.

At a Dec. 23 meeting at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home that drew facility residents, their families, veterans and officials, staff like Quality Manager Pamela Camerlin said veterans would continue receiving attention and care despite the leadership changes.

"We are still here to take care of you," Camerlin said.

In a visit to the region Dec. 20, after the exits of Barabani and Paradis had been announced, Baker said the Holyoke Soldiers' Home has his attention.

"This has the attention of everybody in our administration ... Holyoke Soldiers' Home is an important institution, not just in Western Mass but in Massachusetts period," Baker said then.

Secretary Francisco A. Urena of the state Department of Veterans Services is among officials who have disputed Barabani's contention that state support of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home has been inadequate.

The facility's budget increased 7.5 percent this year compared to last year, it was spared spending cuts sustained by other state agencies and programs and 99 percent of the positions vacated when staff took early retirement offers were filled, Urena has said.

Barabani has said the increased funding failed to recoup previous budget cuts and staffing remains unaddressed.

The bill would require all imitation firearms owned, made or sold in Massachusetts be marked to distinguish them from real guns.

BOSTON - The Massachusetts House is set to vote Wednesday on a bill that would require all imitation firearms owned, made or sold in Massachusetts be marked to distinguish them from real guns.

The bill would require replica guns to be painted a color other than black, blue, silver or aluminum and be marked with a non-removable orange stripe. There would be exceptions for antique firearms and for guns used for theater or film productions.

The point of the policy would be to help the police and the public distinguish between fake and real guns.

Norwood President Chief Bill Brooks, president of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, which supports the bill, said his police force last month had an incident when a replica gun was used in a robbery.

Particularly in urban areas, Brooks said there have been problems with people using fake guns in crimes and carrying them on the street. When an officer is unsure whether a gun is real or fake, Brooks said, "It puts people in jeopardy of being shot."

The bill is sponsored by State Rep. Dan Cullinane, D-Dorchester, who did not return calls for comment. It has 20 cosponsors.

Nationally, this issue gained attention with the shooting of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy in Cleveland who was fatally shot by a white police officer while holding a toy gun. Amid other recent incidents of police violence with racial overtones, Rice's killing received national attention. The officers were not charged with wrongdoing.

Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners' Action League, said he thinks the bill is unnecessary. "It's addressing a problem that doesn't seem to exist, and even if it did exist, this is the wrong way to go," Wallace said.

Wallace said while the Rice case is a tragedy, "How many times is this actually happening across the country, and is it a problem here in Massachusetts?"

Wallace said officers will not relax every time they are in a heightened situation just because a gun has an orange stripe on it. He argued that if there is a problem, there should be more of an effort made to educate children not to point toy guns at the police.

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, who signed an ordinance last year banning replica guns in public, supports the legislation. Boston Police Commissioner William Evans testified at a public hearing in support of the bill. Evans said the Boston Police recovered 179 replica guns in 2014 that had been used in crimes, such as robberies.

"Officers are chasing kids down the streets, not knowing if the firearm pointed at them is real," Evans said, according to his prepared testimony. "We need to send a strong message that guns of all kinds, including imitation firearms, make our community dangerous."

Gov. Charlie Baker has not taken a position on the bill, but is open to the idea. "Governor Baker is open to adopting stricter measures to support law enforcement and promote public safety in our communities and will carefully review any legislation that comes to his desk," said Baker spokeswoman Lizzy Guyton.

The liquor license will be held by Laurie Bonjiorni of Wilbraham who also runs Frankie B's Billiards & Sports on Boston Road in Wilbraham.

WILBRAHAM - The former Abudanza Ristorante at 2341 Boston Road which closed in 2015 will be replaced by Route 20 Bar & Grill.

The Board of Selectmen has approved the transfer of the liquor license for Abudanza Ristorante to Francesca Rose Inc. The liquor license will be held by Laurie Bonjiorni of Wilbraham who also runs Frankie B's Billiards & Sports on Boston Road.

Abudanza Ristorante was made famous by the reality television show, "Restaurant: Impossible." The restaurant was visited in 2014 by Food Network's Restaurant: Impossible which seeks to give failing restaurants a new lease on life with a redo of the restaurant.

Following the redo, the restaurant closed.

Bonjiorni told the Board of Selectmen she will be rearranging the bar in the new restaurant so it will have 20 to 22 bar stools.

There will be some booths around the perimeter of the bar, she said.

Abudanza had "a small bar," she said.

Route 20 Bar & Grill will have a full bar with draught beer, televisions for sports and music. She said she is hoping to attract a 30s and up crowd.

Pub food will be served at the restaurant such as salads, sandwiches and burgers, she said.

The liquor license transfer still must be approved by the state Alcoholic Beverages & Control Commission.

John Medeiros, the owner of Wilbraham Shoppes where the new restaurant will be located, said the new restaurant is planning to open in early spring.

He said there was interest from several people in Abudanza's liquor license, but he favors Bonjiorni because she already runs a successful establishment in town.

Selectmen Chairman Robert Boilard said he is concerned that the establishment is going from being primarily a restaurant to a pub where the focus will be "on drinking, not food."

Selectman Susan Bunnell said she has attended various restaurants recently where being customers are choosing to eat full meals at the bar.

Both Bunnell and Selectman Robert Russell said they supported approving the license transfer to Bonjiorni.

The Board of Selectmen voted 3 to 0 to approve the liquor license transfer to Bonjiorni.

Bonjiorni said she will return to the Board of Selectmen at a later date requesting approval of an entertainment license for Route 20 Bar & Grill.

The pub is planning to open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., she said, and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 2 a.m.

A video of the match between undefeated Division 3 wrestler Deven Schuko of Norton and Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School wrestler Andy Howland, who has Down syndrome, has gone viral.

NORTON - It was a high school wrestling match that featured the state's top Division 3 wrestler in his weight class. For many, it has become a contest for the ages, but not for the reasons you would think.

Senior Deven Schuko of Norton is 27-0 this season and most recently captured his 100th victory, according to CBS Boston. He is also undefeated in his wrestling career. His ranking did not stop him from offering a match to Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School wrestler Andy Howland, who has Down syndrome and a passion for wrestling.

It ended quickly, ending in a match win for Howland and a sportsmanship win for Schuko.

"I've been in sports all my life and wrestling I believe is most demanding and for someone like Andy to wrestle and stick with it, I wanted to make his day," Deven told CBS Boston.

A video of the match was posted to Facebook by parent Anthony Pucino and quickly went viral.

"This is a video of what a team captain and leader looks like," Pucino wrote. "So proud to have witnessed this. Truly a special young man"

Mailman Derek Neff later said he kicked at the dog because he thought it was going to bite him.

A 20-year-old Brighton man admitted to assaulting a US Postal Service worker who allegedly kicked at his mother's tiny dog, according to news reports.

Phocian Fitts pleaded guilty in US District Court in Boston earlier this month to one count of assaulting a federal officer.

The bizarre incident occurred on Dec. 16, 2014, when 43-year-old mailman Derek Neff was working his rounds on Fidelis Way in Brighton, the Boston Globe reports. At the time same, Fitt's mother, Sitha Saing, was walking her two small dogs along his route.

Neff reportedly "kicked at" one dog to push it away when he crossed paths with Saing, the Globe said. He asked the woman to control the canines.

Neff later said he kicked at the dog because he thought it was going to bite him, the Globe said.

Shortly after, Fitts allegedly confronted Neff about the run-in with the dogs as the worker approached the mailroom at 35 Fidelis Way. Neff walked on, but Fitts and his mom followed him into the mailroom, according to police reports.

The building's video surveillance shows Fitts throwing a punch at Neff, and then the two tumbling to the ground.

"As Neff is on the ground Fitts is observed kneeing Neff in the body," an affidavit from US Postal Inspector Stephen P. Dowd said.

Neff suffered a swollen right eye and bruises and lacerations to his face due to the attack, filings said. He was also taken to St. Elizabeth's Hospital shortly after for chest pain.

Fitts is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7.

The local housing market experienced 12 straight months of sales increases in 2015. The median price rose eight of the 12 months.

SPRINGFIELD - The Pioneer Valley housing market closed out a solid 2015 with a solid December, according to figures released Tuesday by the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley.

The number of single-family homes sold in 2015 rose 11.7 percent, from 4,718 homes sold in 2014 to 5,272 homes sold in 2015.

The median price rose 1.6 percent from $192,000 in 2014 to $195,000 in 2015.

The local housing market experienced 12 straight months of sales increases in 2015. The median price rose eight of the 12 months.

County by county statistics for 2015 versus 2014

• Hampden County: Sales rose 11 percent from 3,097 in 2014 to 3,437 in 2015. The median price rose 1.7 percent from $177,000  to $180,000.
• Hampshire County: Sales rose 16.9 percent from 1,062 homes sold in 2014 to 1,242 homes sold in 2015. The median price rose 1 percent from $260,000 in 2014 to 257,500 in 2015.
• Franklin County: Sales rose 6.5 percent from 523 in 2014 to 557 in 2015. The median price rose 0.4 percent $184,250 in 2014 and $185,000 in 2015.

Other annual numbers of note from the Realtor Association:

• Days on market: Homes sold faster.The average days on market was down 2.3 perecent from 120 days in 2014 to 117 days in 2015.
• Mortgage rates: Are still holding, despite the Federal Reserve raising its benchmark rate late in 2015. A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.01 percent for the week ending December 31, 2015.

Statistics comparing December 2014 to same period in 2015

• Pioneer Valley wide: Home sales were up 3.3 percent from 424 in December 2014 to 438 in December 2015. The median price rose 3.7 percent from $181,750 in December 2014 to 188,500 in December 2015.
• Hampden County: Sales were down in December 1.1 percent from 285 to 282. The median price rose 6.1 percent from $165,000 to $175,000.
• Hampshire County: Sales were up 13 percent from 92 to  104. The median price was down 10 percent $246,500 to $221,750.
• Franklin County: Sales were up 11.6 percent from 43 to 48. The median price was up 5.4 percent from $185,000 to $195,000.

Realtors compare monthly statistics with the same time period of the previous year in order to account for seasonal changes in the real estate market. Also, these numbers only account for arms-length transactions done through a Realtor, that is not transfer of property among relatives. Numbers also represent closings, that is deals likely consummated months earlier.

Pending sales were up 23.6 percent from 297 in December 2014 to 367 in December 2015. Median sales price up $260,000 from $257,500.

A massive, 6-alarm building fire on Canal Street has spread to the neighboring building, according to the New Orleans Fire Department. Watch video

New Orleans' fire chief said a massive six-alarm fire that broke out on Canal Street early Wednesday morning (Jan. 27) has spread to a second building and that the four-story structure initially found burning is in danger of collapsing onto the pavement below.

"Collapse is always an issue, as it is in this situation here," New Orleans Fire Department Superintendent Tim McConnell said on the scene at 1018 Canal Street, between South Rampart Street and Roosevelt Way.

"Whenever you have an old structure and the support members on the inside burn out, you always have the potential for collapse. So we have a collapse zone and keep all our folks out of it. Our fear is that there might be a collapse on the front of the building."

McConnell said the first of 31 NOFD units were on scene at 3:26 a.m., just three minutes after the first alarm was received from dispatchers. By 3:29 a.m., firefighters had sounded a third alarm for more assistance. The blaze was upgraded to a six-alarm fire by 4:27 a.m.

"It escalated from that initial first alarm to a third alarm very, very quickly," McConnell said in a 7:15 a.m. media briefing. "And now we're up to a six-alarm at this point. Now we have two structures involved. We're going to stay fighting it until we get the fire under control."

McConnell said the fire appears to have started in a crawlspace on the vacant second floor of the building, which houses a cellphone retailer, beauty supply and dress shop at ground level. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but McConnell said one man who was inside the building when the fire broke out is being questioned.

"We do know that someone was in the building at the time and we have that person," McConnell said. "We're talking to him. But we don't know the exact cause at this time. We have no reason to believe there was any accelerant, but it is under investigation."

More than 90 firefighters were battling the flames, which sent smoke pouring across the city's Central Business District. No injuries have been reported. But with the fire beginning to spread to the next structure on the left through a common wall, McConnell said his crews' work is far from finished.

"The concern is always where the fire is going," he said. "We're trying to stop it from spreading. It is difficult. These buildings share a common wall, and that's what we have here. It's spread through that common wall into the exposure on the left.

"We have the main fire building, and now we have the building exposure to the left-hand side is now involved. And we're fighting to get that under control as we speak."

The fire chief said electrical power to the 1000 block of Canal Street was down while firefighters continue their work. The street is likely to remain closed in both directions through much of Wednesday morning, he said.

"We will have Canal Street blocked for quite some time," McConnell said. "With our hose lines crossing the street to get enough water, the street will be blocked for at least a couple more hours."

State police said the accidents occurred Tuesday night on Route 30 in Poultney.

Conor Berry | cberry@repub.com 

POULTNEY, Vt. -- A woman who hit a deer on Route 30 Tuesday night was outside her car and on the phone with a state police dispatcher when a second vehicle sideswiped hers and fled the scene.

State police, in a release, said the accident occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m.

Both vehicles were northbound and the second vehicle, a white sedan with unknown Vermont registration, continued north towards the town of Castleton.

It's not known how much damage the second vehicle sustained.

Those with information are asked to contact the Vermont State Police at Rutland, 802-773-9101. Information can also be submitted anonymously online at www.vtips.info or text "CRIMES" (274637) to keyword: VTIPS.

Live coverage of trial of Patrick Durocher, 20, of Longmeadow, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated rape, kidnapping and assault and battery. He was accused of raping a fellow UMass Amherst student near the Campus Center in the early morning of Sept. 2, 2013.

NORTHAMPTON -- The rape trial of former University of Massachusetts Amherst student Patrick Durocher continued for a third day Wednesday.

Stories about the first and second days of the trial are available here and Tuesday's live coverage is available here.

Durocher, 20, of Longmeadow, is accused of strangling and raping a fellow University of Massachusetts Amherst student on the ground near the Campus Center in the early morning of Sept. 2, 2013.

His attorney, Vincent Bongiorni of Springfield, said in opening statements that the sex was consensual. The woman falsely accused Durocher because she was ashamed after photos were taken of the encounter and posted on social media, Bongiorni said.

Durocher has pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to one count each of aggravated rape, kidnapping and assault and battery and has been out on $10,000 bail. He is no longer enrolled at UMass.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jennifer H. Suhl. Suhl leads the district attorney's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit.

Live coverage is below.

The suspect told police he had broken into three houses, a church and one business.

GREAT BARRINGTON -- A Housatonic man, currently on probation from a Holyoke District Court case, was arrested by police Tuesday afternoon in connection with a string of thefts from unoccupied businesses and residences.

Stolen items included jewelry, copper, hand tools and power equipment, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

Following an investigation that ran several weeks, police executed a search warrant Tuesday at the suspect's home on Main Street in the Housatonic section of town.

Police recovered a number of items from the home, including several firearms.

During questioning, the suspect, 32-year-old John L. Hobart, told officers he had broken into three houses, a church and one business, all located in Housatonic.

He was charged with five counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime with the Intent to commit a felony and six counts of larceny over $250.

Investigators determined that Hobart also stole copper from the Stockbridge Library construction site in that town and also broke into a home in Sheffield. He faces additional charges from police in both those communities.

The suspect sold many of the stolen items at pawn shops in Waterbury, Conn., Pittsfield and New York state.

Great Barrington Police also will be bringing drug related charges against Hobart later this week, according to Great Barrington police.

Hobart was arraigned Wednesday in Central Berkshire District Court in Pittsfield and was held in lieu of $2,500 bail for each charge.

Information on the Hobart's Holyoke case was not available.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

Massachusetts State Police in Springfield said the traffic was due to viaduct repairs.

Traffic was snarled on Interstate 91 northbound from Longmeadow to Springfield at around 8 a.m. Thursday.

Massachusetts State Police in Springfield said the delays were due to viaduct repairs.

Google Maps shows that the traffic started from Forest Park and ended in Springfield's city center.

Some traffic was also seen at that time on I-91 southbound coming into Springfield.

When the van returned, Brace was driving, with a man "in his 50s, short, with no teeth" in the passenger's seat, the owner told police.

SPRINGFIELD - Not long after a Springfield man realized his van had disappeared from his driveway Saturday morning, it was back - parked across the street, with a woman in the front seat and evidence of a sexual tryst in the back.

By the time police arrived, the owner had confronted the woman, who jumped on his back and repeatedly punched him in the face before adding insult to his injuries, according to the arrest report.

"She stood in the street yelling at him...then turned around, pulled her pants down below her knees and bent over, exposing her buttocks," the report said.

Nicole Brace, 29, of Springfield, was arrested nearby, but not before tangling with two police officers too.

"You're going to have to work for it," Brace said, putting one foot against the cruiser door and the other on the frame when the officers tried to place her in the cruiser, according to the report.

At police headquarters, she was charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle; resisting arrest; open and gross lewdness, assault and battery (on the car's owner); assault (on one of the arresting officers); assault and battery on a police officer, and larceny under $250.

On Monday, she pleaded not guilty to the charges in Springfield District Court and was released on $200 bail - the same amount set at the police station after her arrest on Saturday.

At the station, Brace told police she was "just using (the van) for half an hour" and never intended to steal it, according to the arrest report.

The owner, a Kensington Avenue resident, told police the van vanished around 9 a.m. after he left it running in his driveway to warm up; a debit card and a bank envelope with $160 inside were in the glove compartment, he said.

When the van returned an hour later, Brace was driving and a man "in his 50s, short, with no teeth" was in the passenger's seat. The man fled as the owner approached the van, which had blood on the door and the driver's seat, according to the report.

To avoid a confrontation, the owner told Brace he just wanted the keys, and she responded by throwing them on the ground; when he bent down to get them, she jumped on the his back and repeatedly punched him in the head, the report said.

Moments later, she walked away, shouting obscenities, then stopping in the middle of Kensington Avenue to pull down her pants, the report said.

The $160 in the glove compartment was gone, but not the debit card; a used condom and an inhaler were found on the rear floorboard, and both were bagged as evidence, the report said.

At police headquarters, Brace began having breathing difficulties, the report said.

"Hey, where's my inhaler?" she asked, before police retrieved it for her.

She is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Feb. 23.

A Longmeadow man is stunned at the number of people willing to help him find his missing dog, who he adopted shortly after undergoing surgery for kidney cancer.

LONGMEADOW — Larry Marquis' Facebook friends numbered less than 40 before he posted about his missing dog on Friday. Less than a week later, thousands of people from Longmeadow to Australia to Japan have contacted him through social media offering their support and assistance.

Marquis, 57, returned to his home near Longmeadow's town green Friday, after a 11-day stint in the hospital. Doctors, who in March performed a second surgery on Marquis to combat his kidney cancer, admitted him on Jan. 10, when they found the disease had spread to his lungs.

Every day, Marquis told doctors he needed to get home as soon as possible to see his best pal, Cooper. He adopted the now 10-month-old Labrador retriever in June while he recovered from the latest surgery, which turned his prognosis from a death sentence to a reduction of about 99 percent of the cancer in his body, he said.

Longmeadow resident Larry Marquis' dog, Cooper, has been missing since Jan. 22. 

Cooper was glad to see him when he returned home on Friday, Marquis said, and the two went out for a walk. But Cooper yanked on the leash, and weakened from his hospital stay, Marquis let go. The dog ran up the road and down Longmeadow Street. No one has reported seeing him since.

Soon after Marquis posted about his missing dog on Facebook and reported to Missing Dogs Massachusetts and the Longmeadow Police Department, an overwhelming number of individuals who heard his story came out of the woodwork offering to help.

"I never thought that people cared this much about a missing animals," Marquis said. "The outpouring of support, it's just unreal."

Larry Marquis' dog, Cooper, has been missing since Jan. 22. 

Private offers have come rolling in via social media and phone calls, as well, Marquis said. Several people have offered to fly private planes over areas where they may find Cooper, and one woman offered $7,500 to go toward search efforts (an offer a thankful Marquis declined).

Messages from all over the United States as well as Canada, Mexico, Australia and Tokyo Japan wishing Marquis well have filled his Facebook message box, he said.

"The humanity of people, it really does restore my faith in people for caring; and just over a dog," Marquis said. "It almost makes you want to cry."

Although the search continues, Marquis is suspicious that Cooper, a friendly dog, may have been taken in by somebody who saw him wandering. If this is the case, Marquis said, he hopes they will return the dog "no questions asked."

Cooper was last seen wearing a camouflage-colored collar with a tag that denotes his name, address and phone number. A black leash was attached to the collar.

A bill to require a high-visibility orange stripe on imitation firearms sold in Massachusetts that seemed poised to be debated and voted on by the House on Wednesday instead was sent back to a committee for further study.

By Colin A. Young
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 28, 2016.....A bill to require a high-visibility orange stripe on imitation firearms sold in Massachusetts that seemed poised to be debated and voted on by the House on Wednesday instead was sent back to a committee for further study.

Rep. Daniel Cullinane's bill (H 3476) was referred by the House to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary "to determine once and for all" if the bill complies with a federal law that preempts state laws concerning the sale of airguns, Cullinane said Wednesday afternoon.

"We want to make sure that we're doing our due diligence to make sure that it does not violate federal law," the Dorchester Democrat told the News Service.

The federal law in question states that "No state shall ... prohibit the sale (other than prohibiting the sale to minors) of traditional B-B, paint ball, or pellet-firing air guns that expel a projectile through the force of air pressure."

Cullinane said he expects the bill will get a hearing before the Judiciary Committee soon and will then be back before the House for consideration.

The bill, which has the backing of the Boston Police Department, Attorney General Maura Healey and others, would require replica gun manufacturers to include a non-removable one-inch orange stripe to run along the barrel, handle and front of the gun so it can be seen from every angle.

The House was expected to take up the bill during its formal session Wednesday, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo included it among the list of bills the House would take action on when he emerged from a Democratic caucus Wednesday afternoon.

Flanked by Cullinane and Rep. Harold Naughton, whose Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security gave the bill a favorable report, DeLeo noted the imitation firearm bill is "a little more controversial" than the other bills the House planned to take up Wednesday, including legislation regulating tanning salons and addressing health disparities.

The Gun Owners' Action League of Massachusetts had sent legislators a letter describing its opposition to the bill, arguing that the bill could make sports like airsoft and paintball illegal, even though that is not the intention of the bill.

Naughton said an amendment filed by Cullinane takes care of those concerns to the point that GOAL "should be supportive" of the bill.

"We got a list of concerns from the Gun Owners Action League and I believe we've addressed all of them. Any complaints that would have inhibited the airsoft and the paintball community from enjoying their sport, I think we've been able to deal with," Naughton said. "We've grandfathered in any existing weapons. We've given a grace period to vendors for their existing stocks. We've allowed existing weapons to continue to be used on private property."

The bill already included exemptions for replica guns used in movie and theater performances, and replica guns manufactured in Massachusetts but destined for export, Cullinane said.

The push comes a bit more than a year after the high-profile 2014 fatal officer-involved shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland. A police officer responding to a report that a man was pointing a gun at people at a local park shot and killed Rice, who allegedly had a replica gun tucked into his waistband.

Boston police took 174 replica guns off the streets in 2015, Police Commissioner William Evans said when he testified in support of the bill, and 179 in 2014. The replica guns are commonly used in commercial robberies, street robberies and other crimes, Evans said.

"There is no reason why an imitation, toy, replica -- whatever you want to call it -- firearm needs to look exactly like a real gun and these manufacturers and retailers often celebrate in their advertisements just how real they look," Cullinane said. "We think it's a danger to our young people, to consumers of these products and a danger to law enforcement officers who are out patrolling our streets each and every day to have to guess if a gun is real."

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and the City Council late last year imposed a ban on replica guns in public spaces and gave police the authority to confiscate the items and bring them to the station for retrieval by an adult.

The gym at 156 Northampton St. is set for a Feb. 1 soft opening.

EASTHAMPTON -- A new gym will soon open at the site of a former used car dealership on Rt. 10, thanks to the efforts of Peter and Megan Earle, a Hadley couple who already own a health club on University Drive in Amherst called FitWomen.

The two were found working at the 156 Northampton St. site on Wednesday, preparing for the February 1 soft opening of beFIT! which is located at the former site of A & B Motor Sales.

The building, with its modern lines, plate glass windows, and new mechanical systems, has been given a new lease on life. The structure was purchased months ago by Nick and Betty Duprey, owners of Nicky D's auto sales.

"We're really excited about opening here," said Megan Earle. "Our goal is to create a comfortable, convenient, clean, well-equipped and friendly neighborhood health club."

She said one unique offering will be Strive brand "Smart Strength" training machines, state-of-the-art devices which were originally designed for physical therapy and rehab. "They push every muscle group," she said.

Peter Earle talked about some of the other offerings. "We've got plate-loaded machines, a squat rack, a Smith machine, and cable crossovers," he said, speaking from a ladder as he installed stereo speakers. "We've got extensive cardio and a large free weight area."

The two said they're now running a promotion where new members can sign up for $25 a month with no long-term commitment. The general membership price will be $35 a month, they said. 

Earle had words of praise for Easthampton building inspector Joseph Fydenkevez. "Joe was great, and so was the planning department. We needed site plan approval, and everything went very smoothly."

Building owner Nick Duprey also earned a mention. "Nick was a godsend," said Earle. "We would not be here if it were not for him. I feel really positive about Northampton Street. There are a lot of new businesses coming to Easthampton."

Megan Earle said she and her husband met in high school, have worked together to grow their fitness business, and are raising two young children.

Betty Duprey, found at Nicky D's, said that she and her husband care deeply about Easthampton and enjoy remodeling buildings. "It's a labor of love," she said. "Plus, I'm an amateur bikini and fitness competitor. This gym will definitely be a great asset for me, being right up the hill."

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Allowed only as a home industry, Highlander Arms expanded without a building permit.

The co-owner of a controversial outdoor shooting range at 74 Village Hill Road in Williamsburg is in trouble with zoning authorities in his home town of Chesterfield, New Hampshire, where he sells and assembles firearms under the name Highlander Arms.

Robert Hodgkins III operates his shop at 1041 Route 63 in the village of Spofford. On Jan. 21, Hodgkins was sent a certified letter from the Chesterfield code enforcement officer saying Highlander Arms is out of compliance with zoning in the following ways:

* Violating a home industry ordinance which states "no more than 3 people not residing on the premises shall be employed at the activities at the site."
* Establishing regular business hours when he is permitted to sell guns by appointment only.
* Expanding the business without a building permit being issued.
* Failing to apply for a rehearing of his "Special Exception" to sell and assemble firearms by a Nov. 19 deadline.

What's more, says the letter, "It has been reported that firearm shooting associated with the business and/or with customers has taken place which is not permitted." While Highlander Arms has an enclosed firing range, no customer firing is allowed.

"We screwed up," Hodgkins told the Brattleboro Reformer. "We are a victim of our own success. We didn't realize our business would grow so fast." Hodgkins admitted he has six employees.

Chet Greenwood, Chesterfield's zoning enforcement officer, said the gun shop expansion had been done without his knowledge. He told the Reformer Hodgkins can still apply for a permit but must now pay twice the regular fee. Hodgkins must also file for a re-hearing of his "special exemptions" to run the gun shop by Feb. 4.

Hodgkins said he plans to clear things up with the Zoning Board of Adjustments, but that he also plans to move Highlander Arms to a high-visibility retail location on Route 9.

In Western Massachusetts, Hodgkins has been in the news. 

He is currently suing the Williamsburg Zoning Board of Appeals over restrictions it placed upon his family-owned gun range. He recently filed an application for criminal complaint against the town's zoning board chairman, claiming Charles Dudek illegally videotaped him during an unauthorized site visit. In addition, Hodgkins has pursued trespassing and other charges in Northampton District Court against Keith Harmon Snow of 84 Goshen Road.

Hodgkins said has an active restraining order against Snow issued by a New Hampshire judge. The two have a longstanding dispute about the use of firearms at the Williamsburg property. Because of zoning board rulings, Hodgkins is no longer allowed to use his land for the commercial testing of his firearms.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com