The cause of the fire at 213 Euclid Ave. is under investigation.

SPRINGFIELD — Trash burning too close to a duplex in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood caused the home to catch fire Sunday morning.

Firefighters arrived at 213 Euclid Ave. at 11:07 a.m. after trash left too close to the back of the house caught fire and damaged the property, said Dennis Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

Leger said there were no injuries and the house sustained under $10,000 in damage.

How the trash caught fire is still under investigation, but it is not believed to be suspicious, he said.

The restaurant will remain closed until further notice, according to a sign on the door.

AGAWAM — A car slammed into a restaurant in the Feeding Hills section of Agawam Saturday afternoon leaving two injured, police said.

Police responded to the Brick Stone Tavern on South Westfield Street Saturday around noon.

WWLP is reporting that two people were injured and transported to Baystate Medical Center. No further information was available on their condition Sunday.

Signs on the restaurant doors said the establishment will be closed until further notice pending repairs to the building.

Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 50s this week.

SPRINGFIELD — Snowman kits, sleds and snowsuits are still tucked away as the Greater Springfield area continues to experience mild winter weather.

The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures reaching the high 50s this week with no mention of snow.

Temperatures will reach a high of 52 degrees on Monday, 47 degrees on Tuesday, 54 degrees on Wednesday and 45 degrees on Thursday.

The weekend will see more traditional temperatures including a high of 38 degrees on Friday and 39 degrees on Saturday.

Boston and Worcester will also see mild temperatures this week with Worcester experiencing a high of 52 degrees on Monday and Wednesday and a high of 44 degrees on Tuesday and Thursday.

A second Virginia Tech student has been arrested in connection with the death of a 13-year-old girl whose disappearance earlier this week from her Virginia home set off a frantic four-day search.

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- A second Virginia Tech student has been arrested in connection with the death of a 13-year-old girl whose disappearance earlier this week from her Virginia home set off a frantic four-day search.

Blacksburg Police say Natalie M. Keepers, 19, is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Jail on charges of improper disposal of a body and accessory after the fact in the commission of a felony. Keepers was arrested Sunday in connection with the death of Nicole Madison Lovell, who disappeared from her home Wednesday.

Lovell's body was found Saturday afternoon, when Virginia State Police located her remains in Surry County, North Carolina, just over the Virginia border. Hours later, police announced the arrest of another Virginia Tech student, 18-year-old David Eisenhauer, a freshman engineering major from Columbia, Maryland. He has been charged with first degree murder and abduction.

Natalie Keepers was arrested in connection with the death of Nicole Madison Lovell. (Blacksburg Police Department via AP)AP 

"Based on the evidence collected to date, investigators have determined that Eisenhauer and Nicole were acquainted prior to her disappearance. Eisenhauer used this relationship to his advantage to abduct the 13-year-old and then kill her. Keepers helped Eisenhauer dispose of Nicole's body," Blacksburg police said in a statement.

Virginia Tech confirmed that Keepers, of Laurel, Maryland, is a sophomore engineering student at the school.

The Roanoke Times newspaper quoted to Blacksburg Police Chief Anthony Wilson as saying that Eisenhauer has not confessed to involvement in Lovell's death and did not give police information that led to the discovery of her body.

Police initially charged Eisenhauer with abduction; he was charged with murder once the girl's remains were found.

The girl had been missing since last week. Her family says she disappeared after pushing a dresser in front of her bedroom door and climbing out a window.

The newspaper cited an online biography of Eisenhauer that described him as a standout track and field athlete in high school. He was a three-time state champion in track and also competed in cross country, finishing second in the state both his junior and senior years. He was a first-team, all-state choice in cross country and a second-team All-Southeast Region selection, the biography stated.

Virginia Tech said on its website that Eisenhauer was a freshman engineering major at the school and that hundreds of students and researchers had assisted in the search for Lovell.

Virginia Tech president Tim Sands said the case left the school community "in a state of shock and sadness."

"Speaking on behalf of our community, let me say that our hearts go out to Nicole's family and friends," he said in a statement posted to the school's website.

The feisty former mayor of Springfield says he's ready to rumble, challenging his opponents to poke holes in his political resume.

SPRINGFIELD — Whether you love him or hate him, former Springfield Mayor Mike Albano likes to buck conventional wisdom. And, he likes a good fight.

"Bring it on," the Longmeadow Democrat said Friday, shortly after announcing his bid to become the next sheriff of Hampden County.

Albano's challenge was not only directed at his opponents in the sheriff's race, but to anyone who wants to discuss his legacy as Springfield's mayor from 1996 to 2004 – the waning years of which were tainted by a financial crisis and federal corruption probe.

Most politicians faced with the sort of scrutiny Albano experienced would have gone to Florida – and stayed there. Albano, on the other hand, moved home to Longmeadow, where he still lives, and started a consulting firm in East Longmeadow. He left public office in 2004, laid low for several years, then reemerged in 2012, after winning a seat on the Governor's Council.

Albano was in the midst of a re-election campaign to the council when he announced on Friday that he would instead seek the Democratic nomination for county sheriff. He broke the news on a Springfield public radio station, deliberately shunning mainstream media outlets. The announcement was hardly unexpected; Albano had expressed interest in the race for months, playing coy with the press and refusing to reveal his political plans until he was ready.

Fellow Democrat Nick Cocchi, widely perceived as the front-runner in the race, welcomed the news. "I look forward to comparing our experience," the ranking officer at the Sheriff's Department said Friday. "My 22 years as a correctional professional at the Hampden County Sheriff's Department – a nationally recognized success – to his experience as mayor of Springfield."

Cocchi said he has been working "to earn the right to serve" county residents since June 2014, when he launched his campaign for sheriff in front of 1,600 supporters at Springfield's Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

"I've been listening to people from all over Hampden County," Cocchi said. "I'm looking forward to continuing to talk about the issues that really matter to the people who depend upon the efforts of their sheriff and the men and women of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department."

Despite a cavalcade of criticism for the Albano administration, the former mayor insists the city was the victim of state funding cuts, not poor financial management. In particular, Springfield was victimized by then-Gov. Mitt Romney, a carpetbagging Republican who late in the budget season slashed about $3.4 million in funding, leaving Springfield with no time to make up the difference, according to Albano.

"Charlie Baker would never do that," he said of the current Republican governor, whom Albano counts as an ally.

Albano continues to tout his record of balancing eight budgets and cleaning up $30 million in debt from prior Springfield administrations. On the other hand, the city was anything but healthy when Albano left office in 2004. A wage freeze was still in effect, Springfield was $41 million in the red, and nearly $50 million in back taxes was owed to the city. That led to creation of the Springfield Finance Control Board, a state-imposed panel tasked with cleaning up the mess and getting Springfield back on track.

By winter 2008, though, Springfield had turned a corner. "The city appears to be in pretty good, pretty stable financial shape," Stephen Lisauskas, executive director of the Finance Control Board, said at the time. By June 2009, the city's fiscal health had stabilized and the control board was disbanded.

When talk turns to the corruption probe, Albano defends his record, even though the investigation led to criminal convictions for members of his administration. "We had some issues with the FBI and some of it was retaliatory toward me ... But I take responsibility for the actions of some of the individuals in my administration, and I always have," Albano said. "But by any objective standard, my administration was a successful one."

Albano's top aide and a close friend he appointed to chair the Police Commission served prison time in connection with the probe, but Albano emerged unscathed. At least a dozen other city employees were convicted of crimes ranging from insurance fraud to embezzlement from a city loan fund.

Albano initially was defiant about the probe, attributing the investigation to anti-Italian sentiment and a government conspiracy dating back to the 1980s, when he defied the FBI as a member of the state Parole Board by voting to commute prison sentences for men who were eventually exonerated. Later on, Albano fell silent about the probe, refusing to answer any questions. Today, he insists the matter is a thing of the past.

"That's been litigated already," Albano said Friday, adding that the matter was settled by the voters, who returned him to office multiple times during those dark days. "Elections are about the future, not the past," he said.

Albano said he's ready to take on Cocchi and the Democratic establishment backing his campaign. "Establishment, get ready," he said. "I took on the FBI, and I prevailed. Bring it on."

The residents told police three armed assailants forced their way into their home after knocking on the door and saying they had a package for delivery.

SPRINGFIELD - Police are seeking the public's help in identifying suspects involved in a Jan. 24 home invasion of a home on Pinevale Street in Indian Orchard.

Police on Monday released surveillance footage from inside the home showing two of the three suspects. One of them can be seen holding a handgun.

The home invasion was reported just after 10:15 p.m. on Jan. 24, which was a Sunday.

The residents told police three armed assailants forced their way into their home after knocking on the door and saying they had a package for delivery.

Once inside, they tied up the two residents with duct tape and ransacked the residence. They stole a pair of Beats headphones, a Nikon camera, a Go Pro video camera and an Invicta watch.

The two homeowners, a 32-year-old man and a 28 year old woman, were frightened but not harmed.

In releasing the photos, police hope someone will recognize the suspects and contact police. Delaney said they are considered armed and dangerous.

People with information are asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to "CRIMES," or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE."

Pinevale Street in Indian Orchard. Marker is approximate.

All applications for Community Development Block Grant funding must be submitted by March 4.

WESTFIELD - The Community Development Department has scheduled public hearings for Wednesday concerning needs and priorities for its Community Development Block Grant for 2016.

The hearings will be held in Room 201 at City Hall at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.. Director Peter J. Miller said the two hearings were scheduled in an effort to meet everyone's schedule and encourage participation in the process.

The city expects to receive about $420,000 in 2016 to address priorities and needs for its low and moderate income neighborhoods.

Miller will review the application for funding process, the types of projects eligible and the deadline for submission of applications.

Information obtained will be used to make local funding decisions for the federal Community Development Block Grant Program.

All proposals and applications must be submitted to the Community Development Office at City Hall by 3 p.m. March 4.

Speaking to a crowd of several natural gas pipeline opponents and others, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., pledged to fight for the needs of western Massachusetts residents Monday. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Speaking to a crowd of several natural gas pipeline opponents and others, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., pledged to fight for the needs of western Massachusetts residents Monday.

The senator, who addressed constituents during an afternoon open house event in Springfield, said it's important for the federal government to listen to the concerns of its citizens over the interests of the rich. No place, she said, is that more clear than it is with the pipeline.

Her remarks came after several opponents of proposed pipeline projects hoisted signs urging the senator to take action and broke out into a chorus of "This Land is Your Land."

Warren praised constituents for making their voices known on the issue and encouraged them to remain vocal.

"We stopped them the first time, and we're going to make sure that next time around they hear all of our voices right out here in western Massachusetts," she said.

Warren added that it's important for the federal government to be a "good partner" to the region and to listen to the concerns of the people who could be impacted by the proposal.

In response to calls for the senator to investigate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Warren said "we need all the parts of government working on our side."

The Democrat said she's never been afraid to speak out, pointing to an op-ed she wrote against an earlier pipeline proposal from Kinder Morgan.

"I think it is our responsibility as senators to talk to FERC," she told reporters. "This is the federal government and the federal government ultimately will make the decision about whether they move forward on this.

The senator added that "you don't get what you don't fight for."

Rosemary Wessel, a Cummington resident and founder of No Fracked Gas in Mass., said her group attended the open house to hear Warren address the 19 different pipeline proposals for the Northeast.

"We would really love Elizabeth Warren to call for an investigation of FERC by the Government Accountability Office," she said in an interview. "We'd also like to hear her speak out against the rapid expansion of fossil fuels that's happening across the country.

Wessel said while Warren issued a statement saying that she opposed the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline as proposed, her organization was hoping to hear her discuss the issue during the open house event.

In addition to No Fracked Gas in Mass., Wessel said other pipeline movement activists from other organizations were also in attendance.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co., a Kinder Morgan company, filed a certificate application in November with FERC for its proposed Northeast Energy Direct project in Berkshire and Franklin counties.

Aside from touching on the pipeline issue, Warren briefly discussed her push to make college more affordable and to give a one-time payment to Social Security beneficiaries before meeting with constituents. The event marked Warren's latest stop in Springfield since taking office.

Attorney General Maura Healey’s office on Monday responded to Superior Court Judge Dennis Curran’s strong words in a case related to the alleged rape and sexual molestation by a state-paid teacher at a child day care program at Bridgewater State University.

BOSTON - Attorney General Maura Healey's office on Monday responded to Superior Court Judge Dennis Curran's strong words in a case related to the alleged rape and sexual molestation by a state-paid teacher at a child day care program at Bridgewater State University.

Parents, identified as John and Jane Does No. 1-3, are seeking public records and filed a lawsuit in attempt to obtain them. But Healey's office, which defends state entities in lawsuits, had sought to dismiss the complaint.

Curran rejected the office's bid for a dismissal. "This case is about little children - at least one of whom was allegedly raped with violence by a state-employed caregiver," he wrote.

"This is a tragic case and we continue to work to ensure that the parents receive all the documents that they are entitled to," Cyndi Roy Gonzalez, Healey's communications director, said in a statement.

"Immediately after receiving the parents' lawsuit, our office worked with the parents' counsel so that they could file a public records request with BSU and begin receiving documents from BSU," she added. "Based on the court's decision, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that the parents receive any and all additional documents they are entitled to receive from BSU."

The judge's ruling is available here.

Judge rips into Attorney General Maura Healey's office, asking, 'Who speaks for the children'?

Video of Jonas Correia being pepper sprayed by police went viral on YouTube in 2013. Watch video

In an out-of-court settlement, the city of Northampton has agreed to pay $52,500 to Jonas Correia, of Amherst, a man who claimed Northampton police used excessive force and wrongfully arrested him outside the former Tully O'Reilly's bar in March 2013.

The announcement comes 16 months after the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and Northampton lawyer Luke Ryan sent the city a 12-page letter outlining Correia's civil rights case against the police officers. The letter included detailed analysis of a video of the incident taken by Rachel Rothman, a bystander.

The September 29, 2014 letter from Ryan and ACLU lawyer William C. Newman asserts that the police officers' written reports of the incident contain "misrepresentations" that are contradicted by the video.

"Mr. Correia was charged without basis with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct," the lawyers wrote, adding that the video does not suggest that Correia struck or intended to strike a bouncer, as indicated in police reports.

Rothman shot the video (see above) on March 31, 2013 and posted it to YouTube, where it quickly went viral. It shows two officers taking Correia to the ground and restraining him while a third officer shot pepper spray in his face outside of the downtown bar. Spectators can be heard alleging police brutality and racism.

The footage also shows Correia trying to photograph police outside the bar shortly before his arrest. Prior to Correia's arrest, another man had been arrested at the bar after allegedly punching an employee and refusing to leave.

Former police chief Russell Sienkiewicz said at the time that Correia had attempted to assault a Tully's bouncer and "fled the grasp of an NPD officer," and that his photographing the police had nothing to do with his arrest.

The office of Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan, however, determined that the criminal charge had been inappropriately filed, even as Sullivan said police had probable cause for the disorderly conduct arrest.

The resisting arrest charge was dropped in 2013, with prosecutors saying the defendant offered no resistance to police. At the same time, the disorderly conduct charge was converted to a civil infraction.

The Northampton Police Department then retained special counsel for the sole purpose of pursuing the charge at civil trial, but that prosecutor also declined to proceed with charges against Correia in December 2013 at the direction of Mayor David Narkewicz, according to a previous report.

However, Narkewicz soon after the arrest issued a press release stating "that NPD officers acted professionally and appropriately during this incident."

And in a statement released Monday afternoon, Narkewicz maintained his position that the officers acted appropriately. "I believed then, and I continue to believe, that NPD officers acted professionally and appropriately during this incident," the mayor said. "I have full confidence in the men and women of our Police Department, and specifically the officers who put themselves in harm's way dealing with unruly patrons at the former Tully O'Reilly's bar in the early hours of March 31, 2013."

The officers who took Correia to the ground were Christopher Dumas and Thomas Briotta, and the officer who deployed pepper spray was Sgt. Alan Borowski, according to the 2014 letter from Ryan and Newman to Narkewicz.

There are "serious discrepancies between the descriptions of activity found in the narratives ... and the actions clearly observable on the Rothman video," reads the letter. "These contradictions will constitute important, and we suggest, disturbing, evidence at trial."

Correia's arrest prompted an internal review at the Northampton Police Department, which determined in May 2013 that "no misconduct was identified," and that the officers had complied with the department's use of force and arrest policies.

Ryan and Newman sent the city their analysis of the arrest "because the evidence of misconduct, false arrest, and excessive force was overt, obvious, and undeniable. The case thus has been settled without ever having been filed in court," according to a press statement.

Correia thanked supporters of "Justice for Jonas" and said he was lucky that a person with a cell phone shot video of the incident.

"Without that cell phone recording, I would have been just another black man going to court, where it would have been my word against the police story," he said. "Nine out of 10 times, the police story would have been believed, I would have ended up convicted, and innocence would not have mattered."

Correia said he hopes to forgive the Northampton police, and hopes the department "will do everything necessary to make sure that in the future officers do not use excessive force or make unlawful arrests."

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Mayor Narkewicz's statement and text of Settlement Agreement:

Correia Settlement Statement

Anthony Fortunato, 20, of Erving, pleaded not guilty to 11 motor vehicle charges from the chase late Sunday morning.

SPRINGFIELD - Only his T-shirt was smiling Monday when Anthony Fortunato was arraigned on charges from a three-county state police chase at speeds allegedly reaching 130 mph.

Fortunato, 20, of Erving, pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court to 11 motor vehicle charges from the Springfield-to-Montague chase late Sunday morning.

Handcuffed and shackled, he stood in the
defendant's dock, wearing a T-shirt with a smiley-faced symbol with the inscription "have a nice day."

A raspberry-shaped abrasion was visible on his face, an apparent souvenir from his highway misadventure.

Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski asked for $10,000 bail, noting that Fortunato endangered state troopers and other motorist and nearly ran over a pedestrian during the chase.

The pursuit began in Springfield, when a state trooper attempted to pull over Fortunato's yellow Mustang for lacking an inspection sticker; when the defendant fled, the trooper abandoned pursuit, but troopers picked up the vehicle traveling north on Interstate 91, Szafranski said.

The Mustang was clocked at speeds between 120 and 130 mph before being disabled by tire-puncturing Stop Sticks in Greenfield; Montague police set up a roadblock on the General Pierce Bridge to stop the car, and state police then arrested the driver, police said.

Held overnight in police custody, Fortunato pleaded not guilty to speeding, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, two counts of failure to stop for police, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and related charges during his appearance in Springfield District Court.

In the last year, Fortunato was given a six-month sentence in Greenfield District Court for breaking and entering and larceny, Szafranski said.

Defense lawyer Kevin Riddell asked for $10,000 personal surety, saying his client grew up in the Greenfield area and posed no flight risk.

Of the 11 charges against his client, only negligent operation of a motor vehicle carries the potential for significant jail time, and even that charge is a misdemeanor, Riddell said.

No drugs, firearms or other contraband were found in the car, according to Riddell, who said his client fled because he did not have a valid drivers' license.

A Greenfield High School graduate, Fortunato has worked full-time as a roofer for 30 months, Riddell said.

At the prosecutor's request, Judge William Boyle set bail at $10,000 cash and continued the case to Feb. 22.

Frederick Pinney is accused of killing 29-year-old TayClair Moore by strangulation by ligature in Springfield in March 2014. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden Superior Court jury in the murder trial of Frederick Pinney on Monday saw many photos – and several videos – of the 48 Agnes St. home in which TayClair Moore was found dead by strangulation.

Pinney, 45, is accused in the killing of the 29-year-old Moore, found dead March 23, 2014 in Pinney's room at 48 Agnes St., Springfield. Moore, 29, died of asphyxiation by ligature. The ligature was never identified.

Pinney began renting the home in January 2014. Moore and Christopher Podgurski, who had been together 10 years, rented a room from Pinney, whom Podgurski knew through construction work.

Springfield Police Officer Juan Estrada took the jury through the multiple photos he took at 48 Agnes St. as Assistant District Attorney Matthew Green put them on a screen for jurors to see.

Jurors saw pictures of knives in the kitchen with blood on them as well as blood spots on the kitchen floor and downstairs bathroom floor.

When police arrived at the murder scene, Pinney had cuts on his wrists and neck.

In Pinney's bedroom, there was an air compressor attached to a hose attached to a nail gun. There was also a green electric cord tied to a corner of the headboard. The cord was not identified as the means of strangulation of Moore.

Jurors saw photos of Moore, who was found naked on the floor of Pinney's bedroom. Estrada testified none of Moore's clothes were found in Pinney's room.

Defense lawyer Linda J. Thompson said in her opening arguments that jurors should consider Podgurski as the more likely killer.

Among other testimony, Podgurski said he paid Pinney in cocaine to give Moore a ride home because he (Podgurski) wanted to continue to stay out and party.

He testified he stayed out all night and when he returned to Agnes Street the next morning around 11 a.m., he couldn't locate Moore. He said he eventually got Pinney to open his door and saw Moore's legs on the floor, and then called police.

Pinney originally told police he had been stressed and had thoughts of hurting himself. To that end, he said, he took 10 Lorazepam pills and took a knife and tried to cut his wrists and neck. When that didn't work, he got his compressor and nail gun, intending to shoot himself in the head.

He denied harming Moore.

Green told Judge Richard J. Carey he expects the prosecution's case to be done by Thursday.

Ana Mercedes Franceschi of Springfield is accused of murder, armed assault with intent to murder and leaving the scene of a personal injury and death accident.

SPRINGFIELD - Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in the murder trial of Ana Mercedes Franceschi, accused of intentionally striking and killing a woman she believed caused a recent breakup with her boyfriend.

Franceschi, 42, of Springfield, is charged with using her vehicle on Feb. 18, 2013, to strike and kill 32-year-old Yasmin Marin. Franceschi was arrested and charged with murder later that day.

In addition to murder Franceschi is charged armed assault with intent to murder and leaving the scene of a personal injury and death accident.

Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth and defense lawyer Jared Olanoff appeared before Hampden Superior Court Judge David Ricciardone Monday for pretrial motions.

Olanoff had filed motions to keep Springfield police who investigated the crash from testifying about their opinions on whether there was any braking or other parts of their investigation.

He said any opinion testimony from the police, who he contended should not be considered experts in this case, is a big issue for the defense. Olanoff said the police reports do not give a scientific basis for their conclusions.

Ricciardone didn't rule on the motion but said one way he may deal with the request is to question the police officer the prosecution wants to call for accident reconstruction outside of the jury's hearing first. He would then decide what testimony was admissible.

"This is not a very complicated accident reconstruction scene," Forsyth said.

One civilian witness will be Marin's daughter - 14 years old at the time - who was with her at the time of the crash.

Forsyth said he will be calling about 25 witnesses, but said he expects the trial will end Monday or Tuesday of next week. Olanoff said he has three potential witnesses.

Marin, of 230 Eastern Ave., died from injuries suffered when she was hit as she crossed the street near Medina's Supermarket, 2705 Main St., around 12:15 p.m.

Franceschi fled the scene of the accident, but later called police to report that she thought she might have hit someone with her car in the North End and that she feared the woman was dead, according to police records.

Franceschi is being held in the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correction Center in Chicopee.

The Springfield City Council is slated to consider approving three new members to the Historical Commission and applications for state grant aid for multiple school construction and renovation projects.

SPRINGFIELD -- The City Council meets Monday night and is expected to consider appointing three new members to the Historical Commission along with applications for state grants for several school construction and renovation projects.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m., at City Hall. The meeting will be covered by live reporting and can be followed here in the comments section below.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has nominated three new members of the Historical Commission, needing City Council approval. As proposed, current Chairman Ralph Slate, and commission members Robert McCarroll and Marjorie Guess are slated to be replaced by Victoria Rowe, Alfonso and Shannon Walsh.

Sarno announced his intent to replace three of the five commission members on the day after he won re-election on Nov. 3. Slate and McCarroll stated then that the three commission members being replaced are the ones who opposed the demolition of the former YWCA building on Howard Street by MGM Springfield.

In other action, the council on Monday will consider submitting "statements of interest" to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, seeking up to 80 percent reimbursement of the costs of several school construction and repair projects.

One of the top priorities for the state funds is for the proposed construction of a new school to replace the century-old Homer Elementary School

Another top priority is for new windows and exterior doors for the Marcus Kiley Middle School at 180 Cooley St.

The people of Iowa are just hours away from weighing-in on whom they believe should respectively win the Republican and Democratic parties' presidential nominations. If you could partake in the Iowa Caucuses, which candidate would you choose?

SPRINGFIELD ‒ The people of Iowa are just hours away from weighing-in on whom they believe should respectively win the Republican and Democratic parties' presidential nominations.

If you could partake in the Iowa Caucuses, which candidate would you choose?

The deal made by former governor Deval Patrick and former University of Massachusetts President Robert Caret for the state to fund 50 percent of the cost of a UMass education in exchange for a freeze on student fees and tuition is, effectively, dead.

BOSTON --  The deal made by former Gov. Deval Patrick and former University of Massachusetts President Robert Caret for the state to fund 50 percent of the cost of a UMass education in exchange for a freeze on student fees and tuition is, effectively, dead. Neither Gov. Charlie Baker nor university president Marty Meehan pursued that strategy this year.

The university and the administration are both looking at different ways for the university to get adequate funding from the state.

"The administration has not affirmed that pledge," Education Secretary Jim Peyser said in an interview with The Republican / MassLive.com. "We're certainly open to talking about some more stable and longer term approaches to funding UMass, but at this point we can't commit to funding 50:50."

UMass spokeswoman Ann Scales said, "We did not pursue a 50:50 budget strategy."

For fiscal year 2017, which will start in July, UMass asked the state for $570.1 million. The university will also get $31 million through tuition retention, a new policy that allows UMass to keep the tuition students pay, rather than having it flow through the state's general fund.

Baker, in his 2017 budget proposal, proposed giving UMass $508.2 million.

Counting the money from tuition retention, this would give UMass $539.2 million, an increase of around 1.5 percent over last year, when UMass got $531.9 million.

"We gave them what we thought we could afford. It was consistent with what we gave to other public higher education institutions," Peyser said.

Meehan put out a statement saying, "We appreciate Governor Baker for proposing a funding increase for the University of Massachusetts, particularly in light of the fiscal constraints the state faces." Meehan said he looks forward to working with the House and Senate to achieve an adequate level of funding for UMass.

Scales said it is too early to know what Baker's proposed funding means for tuition and fees.

The university's total budget is around $3 billion, of which a little more than half goes to core educational expenses and the rest goes to housing, dining, research and other expenses.

Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, whose district is home to UMass' flagship campus, indicated that lawmakers could consider giving UMass more money, given the disparity between what UMass requested and what Baker wants to provide. "If we continue this pattern, we're going to be driving up student charges and creating an enormous problem for our public higher education system," Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg said UMass exists to serve students "who have the ability but not the means."

"We were starting on a path of trying to rebuild those budgets, and we seem to have stalled again," Rosenberg said. "We have to find the will and the revenue and the capacity to get back on track."

The Patrick administration's work to build up the UMass budget through the 50:50 formula did result in lower student costs. The state gave UMass $50 million budget increases for two years in a row, in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. UMass froze tuition and fees both those years.

In the current academic year, the university raised tuition and fees for the first time in three years after it did not get as much money as it wanted from the state.

There was some dispute about whether Massachusetts ever actually reached the 50:50 goal, since the state did not entirely fund negotiated pay raises for faculty.

"They never really got to 50:50 is the bottom line, and we just haven't been able to continue that forward," Peyser said. "The 50:50 deal ... is no longer in effect."

Peyser said the administration made the decision not to aim for 50:50 funding based not only on available resources, but on a policy decision that without some agreement about what the total UMass budget should be, the state should not commit to funding half of it.

"From a policy point of view, even if we had the resources, we would need to look at whether that was the right way to go," Peyser said.

Scales said the university is focused on asking not for a particular formula but for whatever amount of money it thinks is adequate to fund the university's needs, including the capital budget, financial aid and collective bargaining costs.

State Sen. Michael Moore, D-Millbury, chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, said the 50:50 agreement was always a short-term commitment.

"I wish we had the financial resources that we would be able to continue that, because without that appropriation level from the commonwealth, it's just going to put more pressure on the students and increase the fees they're going to have to pay," Moore said.

But Moore said he also recognizes that the state has other priorities, from addressing opioid addiction to paying for special education. "Do I think it's enough, the 1 percent increase to fund the schools? No," Moore said. "But do I realize the reality of the situation we're facing with so many priorities facing us? I also realize those fiscal realities."

With more than 1,000 participants at five locations in Massachusetts—Charlton, Leominster, Springfield and two locations in Worcester—Fallon is the largest provider of PACE in New England. Under the leadership of Site Director Leanna Moran of Westford, the newly built 13,000-square-foot Summit ElderCare building in Lowell will be able to accommodate 250 participants and approximately 50 staff members.

LOWELL - Fallon Health, a Massachusetts-based health care services organization, has opened its sixth Summit ElderCare location in Massachusetts on the campus of D'Youville Life & Wellness Community in Lowell.

Fallon's Summit ElderCare, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), will serve area residents age 55 and older who are eligible for a nursing home level of care yet seek to live as independently as possible in their own homes. The program provides patient-centered, all-inclusive and coordinated health insurance, medical care and non-medical supports in one location.

Richard Burke, Interim President and CEO of Fallon Health said:

"Fallon has become the leading PACE provider in Massachusetts by helping older adults maintain their independence while supporting their caregivers. Thanks to our exciting partnership with D'Youville, we will bring our 20 years of expertise in PACE to Greater Lowell."

With more than 1,000 participants at five locations in Massachusetts--Charlton, Leominster, Springfield and two locations in Worcester--Fallon is the largest provider of PACE in New England. Under the leadership of Site Director Leanna Moran of Westford, the newly built 13,000-square-foot Summit ElderCare building in Lowell will be able to accommodate 250 participants and approximately 50 staff members.

Summit ElderCare accepts funding through Medicare and Medicaid as well as private pay. Once enrolled, participants have no copayments, no deductibles, no coinsurance and no paperwork for approved services, including hospitalizations, medical supplies and much more. To enroll, individuals must be age 55 and older, live in the Lowell area, meet nursing-home level of care criteria and safely reside in the community.

For more information, visit summiteldercare.org.

A mural inside Newtown High School that paid tribute to victims of the Sandy Hook shooting rampage was created as a form of art therapy. But last fall, the superintendent of schools had it covered with plasterboard following reports it had upset some students.

A digest of news stories from around New England.

To date, approximately 60 Councils on Aging, listed below, are participating in the program, where Council staff were trained by RMV staff, and are now able to assist residents with conducting online transactions as well as helping to locate important RMV forms, documents, and resources online. Examples of several RMV transactions that can be processed at COA locations include: 1) renewing Massachusetts driver's licenses online (if the resident is younger than 75); and 2) renewing a motor vehicle registration without having to visit the local RMV branch.

BOSTON - - The Massachusetts  Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) today announced the launch of the "RMV Near Me" program, a pilot partnership with statewide Councils on Aging to provide additional service locations at which senior citizens can receive assistance processing routine Registry transactions online.

The program is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to improve customer service at the Registry by offering alternative service solutions.

"The RMV Near Me Program is another great example of our commitment to identifying new, creative ways to improve customer service at the Registry of Motor Vehicles", said Governor Charlie Baker. "We are pleased to be partnering with Councils on Aging across the Commonwealth to provide opportunities for our seniors to receive assistance with processing online Registry transactions."

"Providing a positive customer service experience for all Registry customers is at the forefront of our agenda," said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Erin Deveney. "When we sat down to think about alternative service solutions to bring our business to our customers, we saw that the answer was simple but innovative- ask our existing, long term partners to help. The RMV is grateful to the Councils on Aging that have made "RMV Near Me" a success and we look forward to training others in the very near future."

To date, approximately 60 Councils on Aging, listed below, are participating in the program, where Council staff were trained by RMV staff, and are now able to assist residents with conducting online transactions as well as helping to locate important RMV forms, documents, and resources online. Examples of several RMV transactions that can be processed at COA locations include: 1) renewing Massachusetts driver's licenses online (if the resident is younger than 75); and 2) renewing a motor vehicle registration without having to visit the local RMV branch.

Over the last year, the RMV has been increasing the use of existing alternative service channels, increasing RMV staff performance measured by improving accountability and customer treatment, and improving customer wait times  through the use of dual queuing methods that have eliminated hidden wait times at participating branches. The RMV has also redesigned MassRMV.com to be more customer friendly and improved outreach to increase online use.

The partnership with the Councils on Aging follows an RMV partnership with 12 AAA offices throughout the Commonwealth offering Registry services for members. For a complete list of transactions, visit http://www.southernnewengland.aaa.com/.

The RMV reminds customers that the best place to do business is at our online branch as it offers more than 20 transactions you can complete online at www. MassRMV.com. For the latest RMV news follow Twitter @MassRMV #skiptheline.

Participating Councils on Aging

Adams, Amesbury, Athol, Bellingham, Blackstone, Blandford, Brewster, Brimfield, Brockton, Clinton, Chester, Dartmouth, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Erving, Framingham, Gardner, Gloucester, Great Barrington, Hamilton, Holden, Huntington, Lawrence, Littleton, Longmeadow, Merrimac, Methuen, Middlefield, Middleton, Millbury, Monson, New Bedford, Newton, Nahant, Peabody, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Rowley, Russell, Scituate, Sharon, Sheffield, Spencer, Taunton, Wakefield, Wales, West Boylston, Westford, Wilmington, Winchendon, Woburn

He is a trustee of the UMASS Amherst Foundation, and a member of Baystate Health Foundation's Professional Advisors Committee.

SPRINGFIELD - Lawyer Paul S. Doherty's involvement in the community life of Springfield and of the Pioneer Valley was so rich and varied that his friends and colleagues admitted Monday that they probably know only a small slice of what he accomplished.

"Paul was a pretty selfless guy," said Steve Davis of the Davis Foundation. "You didn't know the whole scope. Nor did he advertise the whole scope of what he did."

Doherty, a founder of and partner at Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy in Springfield and longtime area philanthropist, died Jan.30  following a 3-year battle with lung cancer.

He was 81.

Both Paul Doherty and his wife, Dianne Fuller Doherty, have been separately recognized  with the Order of William Pynchon and the Pynchon Medal for Community Service making them one of the few married couples so honored by the Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts.

According to his firm's website, Doherty, of Longmeadow, was a trustee of the UMass Amherst Foundation, and a member of Baystate Health Foundation's professional advisers committee.

Doherty served on the boards of the the Westmass Area Development Corporation, Roca and Business Leaders for Education and was a co-founder of the Downey Side adoption agency, the only national adoption agency for older children.

He was a member of the boards of directors of ING Funds and Tambrands and a past chair of the United Way, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the Springfield Boys Club and Mass Ventures.

Doherty was former adjunct faculty member in taxation at Western New England University Law School. He was a former member of Gov. Deval L. Patrick's Automobile Liability Insurance Committee, the Massachusetts Board of Regents of Higher Education and the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Council.

Doherty graduated from Deerfield Academy, Bowdoin College and Harvard Law School, and received an LLM in taxation from Boston University Law School.

"His accomplishments were spectacular. But he was the most bumble person in the planet," said attorney A. Craig Brown of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy who said Doherty hired him 39 years ago. "He was my mentor, my partner my friend. He is going to be missed here more than anyone can say. He was the leader of this law firm in every possible way."

Brown said Doherty set an example for public service and volunteerism at the firm.

"He cared about people to a great, great degree." Brown said. "He loved his family like nobody's business. They loved him back."

Katie Allan Zobel, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts recalled Monday a 2009 lunch with Doherty that lead to Valley Gives.

Valley Gives is a one-day fundraising push organized by the Community Foundation that helps charities large and small to raise money online and through social media. The effort, which is scheduled to return May 3, has raised $45.7 million over three days on three consecutive years.

Valley Gives started, Zobel said, when Doherty asked her how the Foundation could make the Pioneer Valley the most charitable place in the United States.

"We didn't know we had the ability to broadly reach, and support and encourage excitement around giving. It turned out we could," Zobel said.  "Valley Gives was a watershed moment for the community foundation. It would not have occurred without Paul's inspiration and prodding. He really urged us to think bigger and more broadly."

He was responsible for more than the germ of an idea.

"He would stand right next to you, roll up his sleeves and figure out how we are going to do this," she said.

Lawyer Ronald P. Weiss of Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas in Springfield said Valley Gives helps charities and causes build up their own ability to raise money.

"It's been a godsend to a lot of the smaller charities in the area," he said. "I think
Paul , more than anyone at the beginning, understood the value of that to the community."

Zobel also spoke of Doherty's work on race relations, which he undertook by organizing a group of black and white community leaders who got together every Monday morning for breakfast.

He organized a large number of lunches and meetings between public officials and executives. it was never about business bigwigs telling government what to do, Zobel said. Instead, Doherty wanted the business community to know what they could do to help.

Bay Path University President Carol Leary said Doherty was one of the first people to invite her to lunch when she arrived at what was then Bay Path College as president in 1994.

"He kindly reached out, offered his help and advice," Leary said."He was always generously donating his time and talent. He cared very deeply about the children of the region."

Springfield Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick said Doherty was a longtime advocate of education in Springfield and very involved in several programs.

"Most recently he took the lead on finding teacher housing for the Teach for America program. He was just fabulous in his support of our schools," Warwick said.

Leary marveled at how many young people she's met over the years who had been mentored and guided by Doherty.

United Personnel president Trisha Canavan remembered Doherty for working to get her and other young executives involved with Springfield's civic life. 

"He thought to include me in things. I appreciated him as a community leader looking out for people who were younger and bringing us to the table."

A Springfield native, Doherty was a public booster for the city. In 2012 he wrote a letter to the editor of The Republican advocating that folks visit Forest Park and attend lectures hosted by the Springfield Public Forum.

"My wife Dianne and I have been fortunate to do much travel globally. We are always so happy to return to Springfield. Certainly, for us, our community is in the very top tier of places in the world to live, work, play and raise families. Forest Park, Public Forum and Pynchon Award are just a few of the outstanding contributors to our well-being in this community. We are blessed."