Superior Court Associate Justice Dennis Curran blasted Attorney General Maura Healey's office in a case centered around charges of rape and sexual molestation at the Children's Center, a child day-care program at Bridgewater State University.

BOSTON - Superior Court Associate Justice Dennis Curran blasted Attorney General Maura Healey's office in a case centered around charges of rape and sexual molestation at the Children's Center, a child day-care program at Bridgewater State University.

Healey's office, as the designated attorney for state entities, sought to dismiss a complaint from parents of children allegedly molested at the daycare program. The parents are seeking public records in an effort to look into a potential cover-up.

But the state has "stonewalled" the parents, the judge said in his ruling, which excoriated Healey's office and other state officials.

"Who speaks for the children in this case," the judge wrote. "Not the Attorney General's office, charged with protecting the public safety, not a few university administrators who seem to have forgotten the original purpose of an educational institution: to seek the Truth."

The full ruling is available below.

Superior Court Judge Curran Rips Into AG Healey

The new facility, a regional training campus for Western Mass. firefighters, recently saw $13 million in renovations and upgrades.

SPRINGFIELD - The newest batch of firefighters in Western Massachusetts will forever be members of Class #S01.

The 'S' stands for Springfield, the location for the state Department of Fire Services' Western Massachusetts training academy, and '01' means the 16 firefighters from seven area communities were the very first to graduate from the facility.

The facility off Grochmal Avenue in Indian Orchard had for years been a training center for the Springfield Fire Department. Purchased from the city by the state and given $13.4 million in renovations and upgrades, it is now the Department of Fire Services' regional training academy for Western Massachusetts fire departments.

"This is a real monument for the Department of Fire Services," said state Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey. "This represents many, many years of effort to try and get a Western Massachusetts campus to better serve the fire service profession."

So while the members of the first recruit class have been looking forward to the graduation ceremony since November, Ostrosky said "those of us in fire services have been longing for it as well."

The only other training facility operated by the Department of Fire Services is in Stow, a 90 minute ride from Springfield. The most recent recruit training class to graduate from there last month was designated class #238.

"We're proud to have this facility in Springfield," said Mayor Domenic Sarno. "It took 20 years to get it done."

Sarno, the keynote speaker for the commencement, urged the graduates to carry the pride they feel with them throughout their entire career.

"Being a firefighter is such an honorable career," Sarno said. "No matter what happens, when that bell goes off, you are there with no questions asked."

The 16 graduates, 15 men and one woman, hail from seven departments: East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Springfield, West Springfield and Westfield.

The 45-day training is offered to fire recruits to prepare them with the basic skills needed on the job as full-time firefighters.

Ostroskey, himself in his first week as fire marshal following the retirement of Stephen D. Coan, said to the graduating class that they may have completed training, but their learning should continue as each reports to work.

"This day marks a huge milestone in your lives for sure," he said. "I suggest you take a deep breath, look around and enjoy this day very much because you've earned it. It's not been easy, but it's not going to get any easier."

During the ceremony, members of the first class presented a plaque bearing all their names to program coordinator Bruce D. Gauvin.

Kevin P. Relihan of Longmeadow was named the first recipient of the award for outstanding class member, and David O. Albert of Westfield was selected to give the class address.

Graduating were
East Longmeadow -- Joseph F. Giordano and Matthew J. Turowksy
Easthampton - Kelly M. Stanton
Holyoke - Joshua V. Croake, Kelvin Maldonado, Michael J. Rohan, and Joshua J. Rondeau
Longmeadow - Richard R. Pinkman and Kevin P. Relihan
Springfield - Benjamin R. Bouffard, Christopher Hernandez, Luis Ribero, Ryan C. Shewchuk
West Springfield - Evan D. Culver
Westfield - David O. Albert and Tyler D. Richie.

Bump plans to release an audit on Wednesday, which will identify high amounts of fraud in the state's MassHealth and food stamp programs.

Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne Bump plans to release an audit on Wednesday that will identify $13.7 million in welfare fraud.

That represents a 44 percent increase from the last fiscal year, when Bump identified $9.5 million in fraud. Bump said that does not mean that there is an increase in fraud, but rather that the auditor's office is doing a better job of catching it.

Suzanne Bump

"We are identifying ever-larger amounts of fraud because we are working smarter," Bump said during testimony before the Legislature's Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

Although the audit will not be released until Wednesday, Bump previewed the findings during her testimony before the committee. She was asking lawmakers for an additional $32,000 for the Bureau of Special Investigations, which investigates fraud. Bump said investigators were able to identify the fraud because her office is working more effectively with the agencies that provide benefits and is doing a better job with data analysis.

"We have improved our relationships with the agencies that provide benefits, and we handle their referrals more effectively; we have expanded the number of agencies with which we work; and, with your help, we have invested in technology and staff that enable us to analyze tremendous amounts of data, discern potential patterns of fraud, and act proactively and rapidly," Bump told the committee.

In an interview, Bump said the largest amount of fraud comes from MassHealth, in cases when individuals claimed benefits that they were ineligible for because they were hiding additional income. MassHealth cases generally tend to involve more money because the cost of health care and health benefits is higher than the costs associated with other welfare programs.

Bump also identified fraud in the food stamp program. This includes individuals who are not disclosing income - for example, income from a spouse who lives with them. It also includes merchants who cooperate with fraud rings by illegally giving people cash in exchange for food stamps.

The state spends more than $13 billion annually on welfare benefits. When fraud is identified, the state is generally able to recover some, but not all, of the money.

"We owe it to the taxpayers to run the programs with integrity," Bump said. "We owe it to the people who rely upon those programs to make the best use of every dollar available."

Adam Tirrell, 30, of West Springfield, was charged with larceny in December after video surveillance allegedly recorded him accessing locked cabinets in Walmart and stealing games.

A loss protection officer at the Westfield Walmart, accused of stealing thousands of dollars in video games and consoles from his employer, has been ordered to pay $1,648 in restitution and complete probation or community service.

Adam Tirrell, 30, of West Springfield, was charged with larceny in December after video surveillance allegedly recorded him accessing locked cabinets in Walmart and stealing games.

On Dec. 14, 18 and 19, Tirrell is allegedly seen on video using store keys to remove games, according to a report by Westfield Police Det. Todd Edwards. He allegedly took Xbox One games and two Playstation 4 consoles, placed them in a plastic tote and took the merchandise to his car parked outside the store.

When Tirrell was interviewed by police on Tuesday, he allegedly admitted to the thefts caught on video and to additional larcenies.

"Mr. Tirrell stated he had been stealing from Walmart for a couple of months and estimates his thefts at about $2,500 to $3,000," Edwards wrote.

The value of the alleged thefts caught on video total $1,628.84, according to the police report. That was the amount Tirrell was ordered to repay in Westfield District Court on Monday.

Tirrell was also given probation for one year, which could also be completed through community service, according to court records.

The owners of the new Bounce! Trampoline Sports facility in Springfield, Massachusetts say they are catching their new Springfield Plaza neighborhood on the rebound. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -The owners of the new Bounce! Springfield Trampoline Sports facility in the city say they are catching their new Springfield Plaza neighborhood on the rebound.

Partners Rob Doty, Greg Morgan and Bill Merrill, all out-of-town investors, quietly opened their 35,000-square-foot entertainment and activity park Jan. 30 and have a grand opening planned for Saturday, Feb. 6.

Doty and Morgan are onsite in Springfield and they have since hired a general manager. All told, they have hired 65 staff members with most of them serving part-time.

The trampoline park occupies 9 of the 16 theaters that were once part of Entertainment Cinemas and includes 16,000 square feet of trampolines.

The theaters closed in January of 2015. Since then, the Springfield Plaza has added a Dr. Dental dentist office in the past year or so.

That's a lot of spring in a visitor's step. The indoor bounce house includes play areas and foam pits set aside for children under the age of five, huge swaths of trampolines for adults and older kids, trampolines set up with basketball courts, three trampoline dodge ball courts, another foam pit for older kids and two "extreme" rooms set up with trampoline agility and obstacle courses reminiscent of the "American Ninja Warrior" television program.

In fact, one man is already frequenting Bounce! in hopes of training to be on the show, Doty said.

"It's his workout," Doty said. "We have been getting lots of customers already. People have come in and booked birthday parties."

Bounce! has private party rooms- one has its own trampoline areas so a party with young children could be kept separate from the rest of the facility.

Doty said young children take to the jumping pit cushioned with foam blocks and the springy trampolines.

"It's great to see the little kids get in here and just play," Doty said. "I get a kick out of just watching them."

Bounce! has a parents area with comfy chairs and plenty of TV screens. A video feed from the bounce areas will be on one of the monitors.

Bounce! markets itself to families with children, obviously. But Morgan said  they also hope to attract college students for dodgeball tournaments. Other Bounce! locations offer fitness classes one or two nights a week.

Of course, all that fun has the potential to devolve into chaos.

"Safety is our number one concern," Morgan said.

Each area of Bounce! will have at least one monitor clad in a referee striped shirt and armed with a walkie talkie. Monitors are in charge of enforcing rules and keeping kids safe.

"There won't be anyplace that isn't monitored," Morgan said.

Additionally, patrons are asked to log onto the company's website and electronically sign the liability waiver before heading there to play.

The head monitor came to Bounce! Springfield from the location in Poughkeepsie, New York. Doty and Merrill are partners at the Poughkeepsie location and Morgan knows them from that business.

Bounce has five franchised locations including Springfield and a location in Danbury, Connecticut, set to open soon.

Another similar company, Launch Trampoline Park, has abandoned plans for its own trampoline park on Avocado Street in Springfield.

At Bounce! Springfield, maintenance and cleanliness are constant concerns, Morgan said. Workers are trained to regularly clean the trampoline surfaces and to clean and inspect the foam blocks in the jump pits.

There is also a separate cleaning service that comes in regularly for the entire facility.

Bounce also features a snack bar and arcade games, including an air hockey table.

Morgan and Doty explained that the location in the former theater is ideal.

The demographics are good with plenty of families in the area. And they are close to Interstate 91, I-290 and the MassPike.

Morgan said indoor trampoline parks are often hard to find a good location for since operators need a big open space.

"That often sends you to old warehouses," Morgan said. "But old warehouses often don't have enough parking. This place has plenty of parking."

He said the partners were thinking of building new nearby when the theater went out of business.

The facility is online at www.bouncespringfield.com.

A first look at the FBI's newly created database tracking animal cruelty nationally will be available next year.

The FBI has begun tracking animal cruelty offenses along with other felonies including homicide, burglary, arson and rape in its extensive database.

In an announcement on Tuesday, FBI officials said the bureau started collecting detailed data from participating law enforcement agencies for its National Incident-Based Reporting System on Jan. 1.

"Before this year, crimes that involved animals were lumped into an 'all other offenses' category in the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program's annual 'Crime in the United States' report, a survey of crime data provided by about 18,000 city, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies," bureau officials said in a prepared statement.

Law enforcement agents and animal advocacy groups pushed for a separate tracking strand for animal cruelty offenses. Some studies suggest animal cruelty may be a precursor to "larger crimes" against humans.

The National Sheriffs' Association was a leading advocate for adding animal cruelty as a data set in the bureau's collection of crime statistics. The association for years has cited studies linking animal abuse and other types of crimes -- most famously, murders committed by serial killers including Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the "Son of Sam" killer David Berkowitz. The organization also has pointed to an overlap between animal abuse, domestic violence and child abuse.

"If somebody is harming an animal, there is a good chance they also are hurting a human," said John Thompson, deputy executive director of the National Sheriffs' Association. "If we see patterns of animal abuse, the odds are that something else is going on."

A first look at the reporting system's animal cruelty statistics will be available next year, according to the bureau's statement.

The Republican and MassLive has a request pending with the Springfield Police Department to determine whether it will be among the agencies contributing to the database on animal cruelty offenses.

There have been several high-profile animal cruelty cases in Springfield and across the state.

In August, the MSPCA filed criminal complaints against a Springfield couple after finding 280 dead animals stored in refrigerators and freezers at their Springfield home along with127 others living in squalor, according to a state report.

Kathleen McHendry and Ronald Richard, the occupants of the Allen Street house, were later charged in Hampden Superior Court with 15 counts each of animal cruelty. A total of 90 cats, 6 dogs, 12 skunks, 13 raccoons, one ferret and one fox were listed as victims.

Their cases are pending. The house was condemned.

Freddie Guy, center, appears in Hampden District Court in November to answer to charges in connection to the killing of a neighbor's dog on his front lawn. His lawyer, Jaremy Powers, is at right.The Republican file 

A witness said the dog had been running loose on Guy's lawn. A neighbor reported hearing a dog yelping in pain and said there was a man "abusing a dog on his front lawn." Initial reports suggested the dog was beaten with a baseball bat. But, the dog was later found to have a projectile lodged in its lung, according to reports.

The four-pound pup was traced to an owner one street over from Guy's.

Guy pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court and was released on $500 bail.

His attorney, Jeremy B. Powers, said Guy maintains his innocence.

"We are awaiting the results of our own independent investigation; I believe someone else shot the dog," Powers said during an interview.

In January, a 9-year-old mixed breed dog named Abby was beaten with a stick in Rutland, according to police. They said two men hopped a fence and began beating the dog when the owners heard barking; they went out to confront the men, who ran away.

Abby was hospitalized with head trauma and other injuries, but was eventually able to return home. There have been no arrests in that case.

Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts punishable by up to seven years in prison.

A working group will coordinate various state agencies and identify barriers to clean energy investment.

Governor Charlie Baker has launched a new initiative and committed $15 million to help low-and-moderate income residents access clean and efficient energy technologies.

The Affordable Access to Clean and Efficient Energy Initiative will form an "inter-secretariat working group" pulled from agencies that serve the housing and energy needs of low- and moderate-income residents, and will determine the best way to allocate funding resources to deliver clean, affordable energy to those of limited means.

"Everyone in Massachusetts should have affordable access to the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy," said Baker. "The working group will ensure that we have streamlined strategies for broadening the availability of clean energy through existing and new programs."

"This initiative will increase the collaboration of state and local agencies and connect a variety of cost-saving resources with those who need them most," said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito.

The working group will identify barriers to clean energy investment for low- and moderate-income residents and make recommendations for programmatic and policy changes. The initiative will be funded by $10 million from the Dept. of Energy Resources and $5 million from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

"We're looking forward to putting clean energy technologies in the homes of those they'll help most," said MassCEC Interim CEO Steve Pike.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton said one goal of the initiative is to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support our vibrant clean energy industry."

Owners must submit proof of rabies vaccination to get a dog license.

HOLYOKE -- Dog license renewals will be mailed to owners March 2 and forms will be due to the city clerk's office by April 1, an official said Tuesday.

The 2016 dog licenses are available now if owners happen to be downtown around City Hall, City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee said.

A city ordinance requires that dogs be licensed, she said.

The fee to license dogs that are spayed or neutered is $5. The fee for unaltered dogs is $15. Proof that the dog has had a rabies vaccination must be provided, she said.

Owners who license dogs after April 1 will be charged a late fee of $25 plus the regular $5 or $15 fee, she said.

Beginning May 1, the city animal control officer can issue tickets with $50 fines to owners whose dogs remain unlicensed, she said. The city increased the fine from $25.

Holyoke City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGeeSUBMITTED PHOTO 

Other reasons someone could get a ticket from the animal control officer are fraudulent use of a dog license, failure to vaccinate the animal for rabies, failure to restrain an animal, animal nuisance and interfering with the animal control officer, she said.

About 3,500 dogs are licensed here, she said.

Erik Velez is the city's animal control officer under supervision of Health Department Director Brian Fitzgerald. Velez' yearly salary is $40,161, Personnel Administrator Robert Judge said.

The prosecution rested its case Tuesday against accused Patrick Durocher, the former University of Massachusetts Amherst student accused of rape, and the defense called its first witness.

NORTHAMPTON -- The prosecution rested its case Tuesday against accused Patrick Durocher, the former University of Massachusetts Amherst student accused of rape, and the defense called its first witness.

Durocher, 20, of Longmeadow, has pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to one count each of aggravated rape, kidnapping and assault and battery.

He is accused of assaulting and raping a fellow student on the ground by the UMass Campus Center in the early morning of Sept. 2, 2013. His attorney, Vincent Bongiorni of Springfield, has said that the sex was consensual and the woman falsely accused Durocher because she was embarrassed that students had taken and shared photos of the event.

The defense's first witness was Dr. Morris Leibowitz of Ware, an emergency room physician for Baystate Health System.

He testified that based on his review of the medical records from the case, the woman's injuries were not life-threatening, impairing or otherwise significant. He described injuries that were recorded during a sexual assault pelvic examination as "very minimal."

Also, while hospital staff have testified for the prosecution that the woman was intoxicated and at times could not be roused from sleep, Leibowitz said that his review of records shows staff were able to wake her up six to eight times.

Lou Rios, the nurse who conducted the sexual assault examination approximately nine hours after the alleged attack, was the final witness called by the prosecutor, Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jennifer H. Suhl. Rios told jurors that the woman said she had been raped by a man she did not know while walking home from a party.

Rios stated that the pelvic examination she conducted showed inflammation and a few abrasions. The woman complained of soreness on her leg, shoulder and arm, Rios said.

She kept saying, "I feel so gross.," Rios said.

The nurse showed jurors her report of the exam, which included her drawings of the areas of bruising she saw on the woman's neck and thigh. She also observed an abrasion on the woman's elbow, she testified.

Live coverage day 5: Patrick Durocher rape trial in Hampshire Superior Court

The woman testified last week that she did not know the man who approached her, held her against a tree and then raped her. She told jurors she had been drinking but was "aware of her surroundings."

Several student witnesses have testified that on Sept. 2, 2013, they saw a man with no pants lying on top of a woman who appeared to be unconscious. They told jurors they helped the confused, intoxicated woman away from the scene, but called 911 after she laid down and appeared to go to sleep.

Also on Tuesday, jurors heard that the woman reported to the nurse that an additional kind of rape that she never reported to police.

UMass Detective Derek Napoli said that when he obtained a record of the sexual assault examination report, he asked the woman about the difference. The woman responded that she reported the other kinds of rape because the nurse told her that if she unsure if a kind of rape occurred, she should say that it had so they could examine and swab that area of the body.

Rios later testified that she would have told the woman to report that she was unsure if a specific rape happened, if she was unsure.

The woman also told the nurse that she "yelled out for help after getting somewhat loose." In testimony, no witnesses recalled her yelling for help and police said she did not report doing so.

Durocher's trial began Jan. 25. Bongioni has said that he expects to call five or six witnesses total, but has not said whether Durocher will testify.

Frederick Pinney is on trial for murder in the strangulation by ligature of TayClair Moore, found dead March 21, 2104, in Pinney's bedroom at 48 Agnes St. in Springfield. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - A state police crime lab analyst testified Tuesday a sexual assault kit from an examination of murder victim TayClair Moore yielded negative results.

The Hampden Superior Court jury in the murder trial of Frederick Pinney heard Rebecca Pontes of the state police crime lab testify about the sexual assault kit.

Pontes also testified about the many swabs taken from red-brown stains and items found at 48 Agnes St.

She said swabs were taken of many "red brown" stains on the floors in the home, and many tested positive for human blood.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew W. Green told jurors in his opening statement there would be no forensic evidence of Pinney's guilt. Even when no forensic evidence connecting a defendant to a murder is found, testimony is usually presented as to what testing was done.

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 strangulation 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.

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.

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

Podgurski had 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.

Kara Snyder, a forensic scientist with the crime lab, testified to her DNA testing of swabs from red/brown stains on Moore's chest, a knife found in Pinney's bedroom, and the tip of a metal rod found in Pinney's bedroom.

She said DNA from the three swabs matched Pinney's DNA.

Snyder said a swab from the green electrical cord tied to the headboard matched DNA of Christopher Podgurski. The test excluded Moore and Pinney as having their DNA on the cord.

She said there is no way to determine when DNA was deposited on the cord.

The trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday.

Yahoo is laying off about 1,700 employees and shedding some of its excess baggage in a shake-up likely to determine whether CEO Marissa Mayer can save her own job.

MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Yahoo is laying off about 1,700 employees and shedding some of its excess baggage in a shake-up likely to determine whether CEO Marissa Mayer can save her own job.

The long-anticipated purge, announced Tuesday, will jettison about 15 percent of Yahoo's workforce along with an assortment of services that Mayer decided aren't worth the time and money that the Internet company has been putting into them.

Mayer hopes to sell some of Yahoo's unwanted services for about $1 billion, though she didn't identify which ones. In an apparent concession to some shareholders, Mayer also said Yahoo's board will mull "strategic alternatives" that could result in the sale of all the company's Internet operations. Analysts have speculated that Verizon, AT&T and Comcast might be interested in buying Yahoo's main business, despite years of deterioration.

Mayer expressed confidence that her plan to run Yahoo as a smaller, more focused company "will dramatically brighten our future and improve our competitiveness, and attractiveness to users, advertisers, and partners."

This cost-cutting overhaul might be Mayer's last chance to persuade restless shareholders that she has figured out how to revive the Internet company's growth after three-and-half years of futility.

Some of Yahoo's most outspoken shareholders, such as SpringOwl Asset Management, already have concluded that Mayer should be laid off, too. Mayer, a former rising star at Google who helped Google eclipse Yahoo, has given no indication she intends to leave.

Even after the mass firings are completed by the end of March, Yahoo will still have about 9,000 workers -- three times the roughly 3,000 people that SpringOwl believes the company should be employing, based on its steadily declining revenue.

"We would like to see a higher stock price, and we think Marissa and her current management team have become a hindrance to that," said Eric Jackson, SpringOwl's managing director. He declined to disclose the size of SpringOwl's Yahoo investment.

Yahoo's stock dipped 25 cents to $28.81 in extended trading after details of Mayer's latest turnaround attempt came out.

Yahoo's revenue has been shrinking through most of Mayer's reign, even though she has spent more than $3 billion buying more than 40 companies, while bringing in new talent and developing mobile applications and other services designed to attract more traffic and advertisers.

The decline has persisted while advertisers have been steadily increasing their digital marketing efforts. Most of that money has been flowing to Google and Facebook -- two companies once far smaller than the now 20-year-old Yahoo Inc.

Mark Frady, 54, broke into a residence on Route 105 in North Troy on Saturday and Monday, according to Vermont State Police.

TROY, Vt. — Vermont authorities have arrested a man who allegedly broke into a North Troy home twice since the weekend, each time engaging in unusual behavior.

Mark Frady, 54, illegally entered a Vermont Route 105 residence in the state's Northeast Kingdom late Saturday afternoon and early Monday morning, according to Vermont State Police investigators, who arrested him Tuesday in North Troy.

The victim, Chris Nelson, 49, told police that Frady took a cat after breaking into her Route 105 home around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. "At this time, no one knew who this subject was," police said in a statement.

Troopers were called back to Nelson's home around 4:30 a.m. Monday. This time, Nelson said, Frady entered her locked residence while everyone was asleep. Nelson said she woke up to find "Frady talking to himself while eating a lollipop, drinking coffee and smoking marijuana," police said.

Nelson told police the intruder was Frady, who used to live down the street from her. Frady left in a 1999 blue Toyota Camry with Vermont tags. When Nelson's son tried to stop the car, Frady allegedly showed him a handgun, police said.

Frady was taken into custody without incident on Tuesday afternoon in North Troy. The cat was unharmed and was returned to its owner, according to police, who did not indicate if Frady and Nelson are acquainted.

Frady was remanded to Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport, Vermont, in lieu of $25,000 bail. He is expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Orleans District Court in Newport.

An autistic man accused of stabbing his mother in September will have to stay at the Hampshire County Jail for at least another few days after a hearing on whether he is too dangerous to be released was continued to Friday.

NORTHAMPTON -- An autistic man accused of stabbing his mother in September will have to stay in the Hampshire County Jail for at least another few days after a hearing on whether he is too dangerous to be released was continued to Friday.

Zachary Holmes, 21, of Belchertown, has pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to charges of armed assault to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, strangulation or suffocation, and assault and battery on a family or household member.

His family has been desperate for his release, saying in a previous interview that Holmes is autistic and needs psychiatric care, not imprisonment. They said he does not really understand jail and even wondered if he was going to get the death penalty.

As he was led out of the courtroom Wednesday, he waved and said, "Hi" to his family, as he had at his arraignment Jan. 13. His mother, Joanne Holmes, tearfully called out that she loved him.

His mother has said that she is angry that the Northwestern district attorney's office went forward with charges despite her wishes.

The family hoped that Holmes' attorney, Alfred Chamberland of Easthampton, would be able to convince the judge at the dangerousness hearing Wednesday to release Holmes with conditions.

But the hearing was continued from Wednesday to Friday afternoon after the attorneys submitted the evidence they're asking Judge Mary-Lou Rup to consider.

Chamberland submitted a report from a doctor at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital who evaluated Holmes and whether he is criminally responsible for what he allegedly did.

But Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jennifer H. Suhl told Rup that Chamberland had only provided the report to her minutes before the hearing Wednesday, so she had no time to read it. Rup continued the hearing to Friday so Suhl can have a chance to refute anything in the report.

Suhl submitted into evidence a recording of the 911 call from Sept. 3, an interview police did with a 12-year-old witness, and several police reports. One report is from a "similar incident" that occurred in November 2014, Suhl said in court.

Chamberland asked Rup to consider letting him argue for Holmes' release, but Rup said that would not be fair since Suhl is not able to refute anything he says based on the criminal responsibility report.

Court documents filed by Suhl allege that on Sept. 3, Holmes argued with his mother at their home, pushed her against a wall and stabbed her repeatedly with a knife in the abdomen, back and face.

He has been in custody ever since, spending time at the Hampshire County Jail and also at least one psychiatric hospital, according to court records and his family.

Chamberland wrote in court documents that an attorney familiar with Holmes described him as having "interests and communication skills similar to a 10-year-old."

Sen. Scott Surovell's measure appears to have little chance of passing this year: A subcommittee that examined the measure voted 4-1 against it.

RICHMOND, Va. -- A Virginia lawmaker is joining a chorus of voices across numerous states pushing officials to reveal the source of drugs used in lethal-injection executions.

But Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell's measure appears to have little chance of passing this year: A subcommittee that examined the measure voted 4-1 against it on Tuesday.

Surovell introduced his bill in response to Virginia's use of pentobarbital from Texas to execute convicted serial killer Alfredo Prieto in October.

Unlike Virginia, Texas allows officials not to disclose where they got the drugs, so the identity of the compounding pharmacy that supplied the substance used in Prieto's execution remained under wraps, drawing fierce criticism from defense attorneys and anti-death-penalty activists.

"The Department of Corrections completely circumvented the legislature's will and, from my point of view, used a secret drug to conduct an execution, which I think is highly inappropriate and potentially illegal," Surovell told lawmakers Tuesday.

Surovell's measure would block officials from administering drugs they have received from outside the state if the label doesn't identify the compounding facility that supplied them.

Lisa Kinney, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Corrections, said the department doesn't have a position on the legislation.

Texas is among a number of states that have passed secrecy laws to stabilize their execution drug supplies. Officials say the laws protect companies that fear retaliation for their association with the death penalty.

In Georgia, officials were preparing Tuesday to execute the state's oldest death-row inmate after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals narrowly declined to give a full-court hearing to a challenge to the constitutionality of the state's secrecy law.

Surovell's bill is being backed by the Virginia Catholic Conference and Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Republicans questioned the need for such legislation and said decisions about drug labeling should be left up to the Virginia Board of Pharmacy.

GOP Sen. Tom Garrett, chairman of the subcommittee, said he could support legislation that seeks to ensure that all necessary information is on drug labels, but didn't believe that it is necessary for drugs that are used in executions.

"The difference with lethal injections is that when the drug works right, you don't get better," Garrett said. "If we are going to inject into a human something (whose) designed purpose is to end their life ... I don't care what's in it."

The state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the Hampden County Sheriff's Department have entered into a 10-year lease agreement with Mill Street Iconic, LLC, to convert the former Ring Nursing Home into the new Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center.

Updates a story posted Tuesday at 2:41 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — The state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the Hampden County Sheriff's Department have entered into a 10-year lease agreement with Mill Street Iconic, LLC, to convert the former Ring Nursing Home on Mill Street into the new Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center.

The state on Tuesday provided The Republican a copy of the agreement dated Jan. 29 and signed by Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe, DCAMM Commissioner Carol Gladstone and Jeremy Lederer, manager of Mill Street Iconic LLC, based in Forest Hills, New York.

Steve O'Neil, community affairs officer for the sheriff's department, said the next step is to meet with residents to show them exactly what the facility will look like when complete.

"We have respect for the residents of the neighborhood and want to keep them informed every step of this very lengthy process," he said.

There will be a formal public meeting, tentatively scheduled at Revival Time Evangelistic Center on Florence Street, on Feb. 11 to further discuss the project.

O'Neil said residents can expect a thorough explanation of the plans for the facility and can ask questions.

The lease calls for monthly payments of $85,416 in the first year totaling $1,025,000 for the entire year. There will be gradual increases every year culminating in payments of $96,193 per month, totaling $1.15 million, in the 10th year of the lease. Improvements to the facility are the responsibility of the landlord.

The lease agreement and details about the facility are included in this document:

1 29 16 Lease Springfield

A Brattkeboro man was convicted Monday of one count of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault on a minor, one count of lewd and lascivious conduct against a child, three counts of sexual exploitation and attempting to lure a minor, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of assignation or making an appointment for sex.

A digest of news stories from around New England.

Attorney General Maura Healey said her office will work with families following a Superior Court judge’s order in a case related to an alleged child rape at Bridgewater State University’s child day-care program. Judge Dennis Curran excoriated state officials, including Healey’s office, for a motion to dismiss a lawsuit pushed by parents seeking information. Watch video

BOSTON - Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said her office will work with families following a Superior Court judge's order in a case delving into an alleged child rape at Bridgewater State University's child day-care program.

Judge Dennis Curran excoriated state officials, including Healey's office, for a motion to dismiss a lawsuit sought by parents looking for information in order to determine the nature and extent of a potential cover-up. Curran rejected the state's motion in a passionate order that asked, "What has become of us, as a people"?

The parents, identified as John and Jane Doe Nos. 1-3, are seeking information to help lay the groundwork for a future civil lawsuit on a potential cover-up and alleged failure to report sex crimes at Bridgewater State University. A state-paid teacher allegedly raped and molested children while at the Children's Center, the university's day-care program.

Healey, whose office is called upon to defend state entities like the university in court, called the case "tragic" and the allegations "horrible." Her office established a child welfare protection division after she assumed the office of attorney general in 2015.

Her office has worked closely with lawyers for the Bridgewater State University case's families before the information-seeking lawsuit was filed "so that we could make as many documents available as possible," Healey said.

"Obviously we've read and we're reviewing the judge's order. We're going to produce documents and work to get the appropriate information to families," Healey said. "But this has been an ongoing effort, ongoing work, and our office has been engaged in working with counsel for the families right from the outset and we'll continue to do that."

Curran, the judge, wrote, "Who speaks for the children in this case. Not the Attorney General's office, charged with protecting the public safety, not a few university administrators who seem to have forgotten the original purpose of an educational institution: to seek the Truth."

Asked whether the judge was too harsh in his ruling, Healey said, "I'm not going to characterize the judge's ruling. What I will say is that our office was, is and continues to be committed to making sure that families have the information that they need and we work to do that quickly and expeditiously, and we will do just that."

Read Superior Court judge's epic blasting of state officials in case related to alleged Bridgewater State University rape

The city's Downtown Crossing neighborhood, after gaining fast fashion retailer Primark and the soon-to-open Millennium tower, has picked up a new boutique 242-room hotel, with a coffee shop soon to open off its lobby.

BOSTON - The city's Downtown Crossing neighborhood, after gaining fast fashion retailer Primark and the soon-to-open Millennium tower, has picked up a new boutique 242-room hotel, with a coffee shop soon to open off its lobby.

City chiefs and officials with the Godfrey Hotel cut the ceremonial ribbon on Wednesday. The hotel, which features a 55-inch TV screen in every room, is a block away from Boston Common and nestled inside the city's Theatre District.

In the spring, George Howell Coffee plans to set up shop under the hotel, which previously served as a 100-year-old office buildings with a brick, stone and terra cotta exteriors. One building is the six-story Amory building, the other is the 11-story Blake building.

The hotel will also feature a 4,600 square foot restaurant at the street level, with "soon-to-be-announced restaurateurs," according to the hotel.

The bar is already open and serves Italian cocktails and small plates.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who helped cut the ribbon on Wednesday, said the hotel is another indication of the growth happening in Downtown Crossing.

"Certainly, there's a neighborhood being created here," he said. "You have people living here now. You have businesses coming in."

Walsh said on a recent Sunday he went inside the Roche Bros. grocery store, located under the new Primark store.

"The place was full with people on a Sunday afternoon," he said. "There's a lot of people living here. I think this hotel adds another amenity to the community, bringing in tourists and businesspeople into the city, where they get a chance to view the downtown corridor."

The flagship Godfrey Hotel opened in Chicago in February 2014.

"We are proud to call Boston home to our expanding Godfrey Hotel brand," Oxford Capital Group President and CEO John Rutledge said in a statement. "With such a robust room demand in Boston, The Godfrey Hotel Boston is an instrumental development in the Downtown Crossing neighborhood, and city beyond."

'Fast fashion' retailer Primark opens first U.S. location in downtown Boston

In addition to the governor's support, Hillman has also gotten Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito's endorsement in his challenge of Gillmeister

Gov. Charlie Baker has chosen to endorse a well-known Republican against the incumbent Republican State Committee man for the Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire & Middlesex District seat.

Reed V. Hillman, of 49 Bushnell Rd., Sturbridge, decided last summer to challenge the incumbent and only recently made a formal announcement that he would challenge William J. Gillmeister, who resides in Brookfield at 8 Kimball St. Hillman says he made up his mind to run prior to the governor's decision to support him.

In addition to the governor's support, Hillman also received Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito's endorsement in his challenge of Gillmeister.

The state's top Reublican leaders are also supporting Wales resident Lindsay Valanzola's candidacy for Republican State Committee woman for the Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex District seat. She is running against Ronna Prunier of Charlton. Incumbent Janet Garon is not on the March 1 ballot.

"The key to building the Republican party in Massachusetts is assembling a strong grassroots team that focuses on supporting Republican candidates up and down the ticket. We believe Reed and Lindsay have the qualifications and commitment to achieve this goal," Baker and Polito said in a prepared statement supporting the Hillman and Valanzola campaigns.

"After years in the Massachusetts Legislature, I am seeking the opportunity to return to political office to promote Republican ideals and support like-minded candidates. I am grateful to Gov. Baker and Lt. Gov. Polito for endorsing Lindsay and me in this race," Hillman said in an email.

Prior to serving as state representative of the 1st Hampden District, Hillman was commander of the state police, and began his career as a state trooper in the 1970s.

He holds a law degree and is chair of the Criminal Justice program at Mount Wachusett Community College. He unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant govoernor in 2006 with gubernatorial candidate Kerry Healey.

Hillman. 67, was former president George W. Bush's choice to be a U.S. Marshal. Then-U.S. Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry prevented a hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

William Gillmeister 

"Most recently, I led the fight on the 2016 Republican Convention Delegate Selection Rules Committee to preserve the caucuses for choosing delegates to the 2016 Republican Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. The final vote for this plan was a hard fought 37 to 35," Gillmeister said in response to question about why he is seeking reelection.

"I believe the Massachusetts Republican Party needs more transparency, more accountability, and needs to work much harder to energize the grassroots. Grassroots Gillmeister, that's me," he said.

Asked about the governor's endorsement of Hillman, Gillmeister said: "I am and have been an independent, pro-life voice on the committee. Reed is not pro-life and will likely go along to get along."

Polito is expected to appear at a rally for Hillman and Valanzola at Old Sturbridge Village Feb. 16 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Oliver Wight Tavern.

The election for the Republican State Committee seats takes place March 1, the day of presidential primary voting in Massachusetts.

Recessing until April without voting on a surtax on millionaires, Massachusetts lawmakers on Wednesday rejected constitutional amendments that would make it more difficult to withdraw money from the state's reserve account and turn redistricting duties over to an independent commission.

By MICHAEL P. NORTON

Recessing until April without voting on a surtax on millionaires, Massachusetts lawmakers on Wednesday rejected constitutional amendments that would make it more difficult to withdraw money from the state's reserve account and turn redistricting duties over to an independent commission.

After the convention recessed, the House returned to session and voted 117-34 to approve a resolution (H 3985) urging Congress to pass a constitutional amendment limiting private and superPAC campaign contributions.

The convention met for less than two hours, recessing at about 2:45 p.m. until April 6 without taking action on a constitutional amendment that citizens want to bring to the 2018 ballot and which would tack a 4 percent tax on incomes above $1 million in order to generate about $1.9 billion in new revenue.

On a vote of 49-140, lawmakers rejected the amendment (S 61) that would have required roll call votes of two-thirds in the House and Senate to make withdrawals from the rainy day fund.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said achieving two thirds support for rainy day fund withdrawals should not be difficult if funds are needed for "extraordinary" purposes. The Gloucester Republican noted land takings require a recorded two-thirds vote.

Sen. Vinny deMacedo said the amendment's passage would send a strong message to Wall Street and rating analysts who alerted the state in November that they are concerned that statutorily required rainy day fund deposits are not being made. The fund had a $2.3 billion balance when the state budget weighed in at $27 billion, deMacedo said, compared to the current $1.2 billion balance with a budget approaching $40 billion.

Senate Ways and Means Chair Karen Spilka said decisions to withdraw rainy day funds have not been made "lightly" and said rebuilding the fund is a priority and is "critically important." She said she hopes to see the fund's balance eventually reach $3 billion and opposed the amendment, noting it could impede the ability to withdraw from the fund in emergencies.

Reps. Paul Frost, David Vieira and Geoff Diehl along with House Minority Leader Brad Jones also spoke in favor of the amendment, while Reps. Benjamin Swan, Peter Kocot and Angelo Scaccia, along with Sens. Joan Lovely and John Keenan spoke in opposition.

The independent redistricting commission amendment was defeated 43-145.

Jones said it was the "perfect time" to pass the amendment since an independent commission could be in place for the next decennial redistricting effort. Jones also noted President Barack Obama endorsed the idea in his State of the Union address and said passing the amendment would represent a "fitting farewell" to the president.

Election Laws Committee Chair Rep. John Mahoney opposed the amendment, saying "no one else" understands the districts of the House better than the lawmakers who represent those districts. Mahoney said the argument that an independent commission would create district maps that would not be challenged in court is "misleading" and not true.

Also opposing the amendment, Rep. Michael Moran said Massachusetts is not among the 42 states that have been sued since the last round of redistricting in the states in 2010, and is the largest and most ethnically diverse of the eight states not sued.

Moran and Senate President Stanley Rosenberg led the most recent effort to redraw House, Senate and Congressional district boundaries.

The convention adopted Sen. Ken Donnelly's motion to postpone action on an amendment (S 53) favored by opponents of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling and stating in part that "money is not free speech and may be regulated."

The Constitutional Convention will return from recess at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6.

State House News Service reporter Andy Metzger contributed reporting.