The cost is $65 for residents and $70 for those who live out of town.

CHICOPEE - The Parks Department is offering a babysitting class for students 11-years-older and above during February vacation week.

The class will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Feb. 18 at the Lincoln Grove Resource Center, located in Chicopee Falls Branch Library, on Broadway.

The class will cover behavior management, fire safety, CPR review, first aid, common dos and don'ts, changing diapers, playtime tips and more.

All participants must register before the class by signing up at the Parks and Recreation Department on Front Street. The cost is $65 for residents and $70 for non-residents. For more information call the department at 594-3481.

Although jurors in the rape trial of former University of Massachusetts Amherst student Patrick Durocher were expecting to begin deliberating Wednesday afternoon, a last minute request to admit evidence delayed the trial Thursday.

NORTHAMPTON -- Although jurors in the rape trial of former University of Massachusetts Amherst student Patrick Durocher were expecting to begin deliberating Wednesday afternoon, a last-minute request to admit evidence delayed the end of the evidence portion of the trial.

Judge Mary-Lou Rup reluctantly allowed the defense's request to present the video recorded deposition of a student witness, Sarah Strangie, who is currently studying abroad.

The video needed to be redacted, so the trial recessed at 2 p.m. Wednesday and Rup told jurors the evidence portion of the trial would continue Thursday morning.

But later Wednesday afternoon, after Rup sided with the Commonwealth on a few redaction requests, Durocher's attorney, Vincent Bongiorni of Springfield, withdrew his request to present the video.

Durocher, 20, of Longmeadow, has pleaded not guilty to one count each of aggravated rape, kidnapping and assault and battery. He is accused of raping a woman on the UMass Campus Center lawn in the early morning of Sept. 2, 2013.

The woman testified last week that a strange man violently raped her, but Durocher maintains that the sex was consensual. His attorney has said the woman falsely accused Durocher of rape because she was ashamed that photos of the act were posted online.

Rape defendant Patrick Durocher said public sex at UMass Amherst didn't seem that odd: 'I heard it was a party school'

After Bongiorni withdrew his request to admit the deposition video, he said he will rest his case first thing Thursday morning.

Police seized computers, documents and files during a warrant search on Saturday at the private school in Great Barrington that serves boys 9 to 22 who have cognitive and developmental disabilities including autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Amid charges of abuse of three students by staff, officials with Eagleton School said the reputation and the mission of the school are being damaged but the truth will eventually come out.

Officials, legal council and even some parents of children at the Great Barrington private academy spoke at a press conference Wednesday to defend the school and to say the allegations are in no way representative of the work that goes on there.

Eagleton founder Bruce Bona said that in its 35 years, Eagleton has "changed lives and made a difference" for hundreds of troubled children. The residential school was founded in 1977 and serves boys ages 9 to 22 who have cognitive and developmental disabilities including autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

"The 160 staff work to put their hearts and souls out to those children," he said.

Eagleton made the news over the weekend with the announcement by the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office that federal, state and local law enforcement executed a search warrant on the school Saturday night, and arrested five staff members.

Accompanying law enforcement were staff with the state Department of Early Education and Care who were present to care for the remaining students and to continue operations of the school.

Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless said the warrant was part of an investigation into allegations of physical and emotional abuse of students by school staff.

According to Eagleton officials, law enforcement seized computers and servers, documents and files.

Arrested were Brian Puntin, 47, of Lenoxdale, Peter Meadow, 51, of Lenox, James Swift, 54, of Pittsfield, Juan Pablo Lopez-Lucas, 34, of Pittsfield, and Debra Davis, 41, of Great Barrington.

All five work in the school's autism center.

Meadow, Puntin and Swift were each charged with a single count of assault and battery on a disabled person, and Lopez-Lucas was charged with one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault and battery on a disabled person. Davis was charged with intimidation of a witness and obstruction of justice.

At their arraignments in Central Berkshire Court on Monday, each denied the charges and was released without bail on the condition they keep away from the school and any students. All five are due back in court on March 10 for a pre-trial hearing.

All five are on a paid suspension, the school said.

Roderick MacLeish, a Boston attorney representing the school, defended the school, its staff and its existing protocols. The staff are highly trained in dealing with students with emotional problems, he said.

The school as recently as October was giving a successful review by the state Department of Education, he said.

He bristled at a description offered by the Berkshire District Attorney's Office that the situation at the school was "terrible."

MacLeish said, "I'm not sure what he meant by that, but we're here today to talk about the other side of the Eagleton School that is not terrible."

He said the school has an international reputation for helping children with several learning and emotional disabilities. It has an enrollment of 75 students from 12 states. It has 160 dedicated staff, and reports to three separate state agencies.

There was no interruption of services after the police action, and the school is still accepting new students.

"We're doing out best to keep the students out of this," MacLeish said.

He also said he was upset with media coverage, both locally and nationally as well as internationally since the warrant search.

He also singled out the Berkshire Eagle for a headline reading "A terrible situation."

"That was reprinted around the United States and Great Britain. Eagleton is not a place where there is a terrible situation," he said.

"This is America. We live in a place where people are entitled to ... both sides getting heard. What is happening across the country, with the frenzy and the accusations across the country, is something that is enormously distressing," the attorney said.

All of the accused are daytime staff, charged with abuse of three students in the autism unit.

MacLeish emphasized that point repeatedly – that the reported assaults are said to have occurred in the daytime and were not "a nighttime thing."

Four staffers are accused of assault or assault with a dangerous weapon. One is accused of tampering with video equipment and transferring someone to a new unit to avoid the reporting of wrongdoing.

The assault with a dangerous weapon charges involve someone being kicked with a shod foot and being hit against a picnic table.

The three students remain enrolled at the school.

MacLeish cautioned against people reading too much into the charges, saying that they are allegations at this point, and the people accused still need their day in court. He pledged the school will cooperate fully with the district attorney, and any state agencies. The school also is conducting its own internal investigation.

The school is equipped with video surveillance systems in common areas, and he said the video is being reviewed as part of the investigation.

The warrant search on Saturday was triggered by the school in January reporting an allegation that a staff member slapped a student. The staff member in question is one of the five who were arrested.

He said he did not know if that allegation was true or not, but the school reported it just as it is supposed to do according to internal protocols and state regulations.

The school is "intensely regulated" by state agencies and he emphasized that since the allegations arose, "there has been no regulatory action against the Eagleton School by the people who know it best. I want to make that clear."

Three parents of past and present students spoke at the press conference to defend the school and to swear by the work that staff there have done to aid their children. Each of the parents identified themselves only by first name in order to maintain privacy.

One man named Mike said his son attended the school for 18 months for treatment of several emotional issues. He credited the school with saving his son's life, restoring his family and giving them all hope for the future. Thanks to the school, his son is now enrolled in a regular high school, he said.

Mike said he heard about the allegations on Wednesday and drove up from New Jersey to show his support. "All of this ridiculousness that's going on on the Internet, and all these stories is the reason I'm here today. It's ridiculous," he said.

A woman named Caroline said her son is enrolled in the school and he is "happy, content and hopeful for his future."

Mass DOE review of Eagleton School, 2015 by Patrick Johnson

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker touted Michele Ouimet-Rooke's 17 years of experience in criminal and civil litigation in a statement Wednesday. All judicial nominations must be confirmed by the Governor's Council.

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Charlie Baker has nominated a Springfield lawyer and former assistant district attorney to fill a judicial vacancy in Springfield District Court.

Michele Ouimet-Rooke 

The governor announced Michele Ouimet-Rooke of Springfield as his choice for the district court judgeship.

The governor touted Ouimet-Rooke's 17 years of experience in criminal and civil litigation in a statement Wednesday. All judicial nominations must be confirmed by the Governor's Council.

"I'm pleased to recommend an individual with such broad experience to the Governor's Council for their consideration," Baker said.

The appointment is the second made by the Baker administration to Springfield District Court, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito said.

"If confirmed, we know that Ms. Ouimet-Rooke will serve her hometown with distinction," Polito said.

A 1999 graduate of Western New England University School of Law, Ouimet-Rooke served as victim/witness advocate and assistant district attorney in the Hampden District Attorney's office before joining the Springfield law firm of Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy in 2002.

In private practice, she handled a variety of litigation, including employment and discrimination law as well as product liability, insurance defense and landlord-tenant cases.

Ouimet-Rooke is a city native and graduate of Springfield College. Her husband is Springfield City Councilor Timothy Rooke, a Baker supporter, and her brother-in-law is defense lawyer Thomas Rooke.

The city's Licensing Board declined to immediately grant a one-day permit for the event.

EASTHAMPTON -- Only weeks after Fort Hill Brewery prevailed in an lengthy and arcane battle before city boards over noise and traffic complaints from neighbors, a motorcycle club has announced it plans a day-long charity event at the state-of-the-art facility featuring a group ride and an eighties rock cover band.

Members of the Stonecutters Chapter of the Widows Sons Motorcycle Riding Association, based in Westfield, appeared before the licensing board Monday seeking a one-day alcohol license for the event, which would be held on the grounds of the 30 Fort Hill Rd. brewery on May 1.

"Thunder in the Valley" will be an "Rock and Ride Awareness Festival" where non-profits may set up informational tables and share in any profits from the event, said Stonecutters vice president Michael Perrier.

The event will feature a group ride through western Massachusetts, a New England pro wrestling exhibition, and entertainment by LA's Backstage Pass, a big-hair metal band that plays the likes of KISS, ACDC, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, and Motley Crue.

The event will be open to the public for a $5 fee, and Fort Hill lager will be available for purchase. The band will be set up in a tent facing away from Fort Hill Road so that sound "goes into the woods," said the applicants.

Perrier said the motorcycle club has a strong emphasis on safety, and does not tolerate rogue riders.

Licensing Board member Ray Redfern said he used to take part in such charity rides before he had an accident. "If anyone acts like a jerk on their motorcycle, they are thrown right out in these poker rides," said Redfern. 

The Licensing Board declined to immediately grant the one-day permit Monday after Burt Thurber, a Fort Hill Road neighbor, raised questions about liability insurance and whether Fort Hill Brewery itself should be applying for the permit instead of the motorcycle club.

Board chairman Jason Duda said he would research the issue, and told Fort Hill representative Kristen Delancey and members of the Stonecutters to come back on the first Monday in March.

Duda said the reason the event needs a one-day license is because the group plans to pour beer out-of-doors. Fort Hill's normal licensed premise consists of its indoor "tasting room" and an attached front porch.

Thurber is one of a group of neighbors who doggedly fought the brewery before city boards when brewer Eric Berzins started pouring pints and hosting entertainment at the facility last year. Berzins eventually gained a new special permit from the Planning Board that specifically allows live music and retail alcohol sales.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

The easternmost part of Massachusetts may be hit with four to six inches of snow this week.

The easternmost part of Massachusetts may be hit with four to six inches of snow this week.

The National Weather Service reports there's a 100 percent possibility of snow on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard on Friday.

The storm is expected to begin late Thursday through Friday afternoon. Heavy snowfall is expected overnight. which will cause poor visibility for drivers and potential power outages.

The Baker administration on Wednesday doled out $6.7 million in Shannon grants to local law enforcement and community organizations to work together to fight youth violence and gang violence.

Springfield, Holyoke and Pittsfield have received $1.3 million in state grants for combatting gang violence.

Gov. Charlie Baker and Public Safety and Security Secretary Dan Bennett announced Wednesday that the administration was giving out $6.7 million in Shannon grants. The grants, named for late police officer and state senator Charlie Shannon, provide money to local law enforcement and community organizations to work together to fight youth violence and gang violence.

Of the total amount, $470,000 is dedicated to universities and other organizations that provide research and technical help, and the rest is going directly to cities and towns. The money was awarded to communities that have high levels of youth violence and comprehensive plans to address it.

Bennett said the goal of the grants is to allow each community to work with law enforcement and other organizations to develop its own approach.

"It's saying to each community, you design the way you think in your community you can best approach the problem of gang violence," Bennett said.

The grants fund things like street outreach and case management, monitoring of gang members, home visits by the police and education.

Springfield will receive $717,500, the second largest grant in the state after Boston. Holyoke, working with Chicopee, will receive $479,500. Pittsfield will get $95,000.

All the programs involve collaborations between law enforcement and youth organizations. Communities that have gotten grants in the past have shown decreased levels of assault crimes.

Holyoke and Chicopee were eligible due to high rates of poverty and drug dealing. They received money for case management, mental health counseling, and youth development programs.

In Pittsfield, which has a growing problem of violent gangs, the program funds police patrols and community meetings.

In Springfield, Shannon grants have funded employment and education programs, police patrols and volunteer opportunities for youth. The Springfield police estimated in 2014 that the city had 37 gangs with 2,500 to 3,000 members.

Worcester will get $507,000. In 2014, Worcester police reported that they had 22 street gangs with around 1,000 active gang members. The grant helps fund recreational activities like an athletic league, a police-clergy mentoring program, education to at-risk youth and home visits by the police.

The money was appropriated by the Legislature in the current year's budget and awarded through a competitive grant program.

"The cities and local partners that were selected demonstrate their commitment and creativity in combating gang violence and threats to the safety and well being of everyone in their communities," Baker said.

Holyoke Police Chief James Neiswanger said the grant will benefit a collaboration between the Holyoke Police Department, the Boys and Girls Club, Holyoke Community College and other area agencies. The program focuses on educating young people to stay away from crime and gangs.

"It's really trying to help young men and young women in the community succeed, so it's really a collaborative effort," Neiswanger said. "It's easier to help a young man or lady move up and be successful in life than go down the wrong path and spend a life of incarceration and the cost of that."

State Rep. Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield, called the money "critically important" to Springfield and other inner cities.

"We need to have increased patrols, we need to have increased police presence, and this money goes a long way in ensuring we're able to combat gangs and violence in a targeted matter," Puppolo said.

State Rep. Jose Tosado, D-Springfield, added that Springfield has significant public safety challenges.

"There's only so much funding that goes around to have prevention type programs," Tosado said.

"To this end, I shall not seek the endorsement of any elected official during my campaign for sheriff," the Longmeadow Democrat announced on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

SPRINGFIELD — Mike Albano, member of the Governor's Council, former Springfield mayor and candidate for Hampden County sheriff, has vowed to "depoliticize" the Sheriff's Department if elected to the countywide position.

"It is time to change the perception, and quite often the reality, that politics is the controlling factor in the Sheriff's Department. This will change under a Sheriff Albano administration," Albano, one of three Democrats vying for the $136,000-a-year job, said Wednesday.

Albano will face fellow Democrats Jack Griffin, a retired corrections official from Springfield, and Nick Cocchi, a ranking Hampden County Sheriff's Department officer from Ludlow, in a three-way party primary on Sept. 8. Wilbraham resident James Gill, a former Democrat who's running as an independent, is also in the race. Gill is a ranking officer at the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

After longtime Sheriff Mike Ashe announced he would not seek re-election, it sparked the first sheriff's contest in more than 40 years. Other candidates could still enter the race, which won't be decided until Nov. 8.

Nomination papers will be available to candidates by Feb. 16. They must be returned to a candidate's local registrar of voters by May 3, then forwarded to Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office by May 31.

After conducting a 90-day "listening tour" across Hampden County, Albano concluded that the job of sheriff has become too political. "To this end," he said, "I shall not seek the endorsement of any elected official during my campaign for sheriff."

Albano said he has "great respect" for his colleagues serving in elected office on the local, state and national levels. But the time has come "to change the public's perception of the sheriff's office," he said, and not seeking political endorsements "is the first step in the process."

The popular four-term Springfield mayor enjoyed a good run before his administration was tainted by corruption and financial woes that left Springfield in tough shape. So tough, in fact, that a state-imposed panel took over all financial and personnel decisions for the city until Springfield was deemed fiscally sound enough to once again handle its own affairs.

After leaving public office in 2004, Albano laid low for several years. He reemerged on the public scene in 2012, when he won a seat on the Governor's Council. Since then, he has regularly issued press releases and statements suggesting he has political aspirations beyond his $26,000-a-year gig on the Governor's Council.

For about the past year, many of Albano's public statements have focused on the judiciary and corrections industry, including criticism of the practices and policies of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department. In many instances, his statements and positions have run counter to Ashe's public positions, sparking widespread speculation that Albano was interested in Ashe's job.

After several months of hedging, Albano officially entered the sheriff's race on Jan. 29. He said he deliberately chose to announce his candidacy on a local college radio station to snub to the "mainstream media" and "corporate America."

A judge dropped charges against one of several women arrested for going topless at a New Hampshire town beach last year. While finding some of her arguments in court invalid, the judge ruled police did not have authority to prosecute a group of women arrested for going topless in September.

A digest of news stories from around New England.

The investigative arm of State Auditor Suzanne Bump's office completed more than 10,000 investigations in fiscal year 2015.

BOSTON -- The investigative arm of State Auditor Suzanne Bump's office completed more than 10,000 investigations in fiscal year 2015, identifying welfare fraud in around 1,100 of them, according to a report released Wednesday.

In fiscal year 2015, which ended in June, the Bureau of Special Investigations identified $13.7 million in fraud, a 44 percent increase from the previous year (read the full report below).

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

As The Republican / MassLive reported Tuesday, the high numbers do not necessarily mean that there was a large increase in the amount of fraud, but rather that the state is using new technology and doing a better job catching it.

"BSI has made strategic investments in technology that increase the organization's capacity to view and analyze tremendous amounts of data, allowing investigators to proactively discern potential patterns of fraud more quickly across multiple programs rather than relying strictly on referrals," the report states.

For example, MassHealth has begun working with a data analytics unit of the auditor's office to identify whether personal care attendants are double-billing both the state and federal governments.

The largest portion of the fraud - $7.7 million - came from MassHealth. This is because MassHealth cases involve more money since the cost of health care and health benefits is higher than the costs associated with other welfare programs. So although only 1,000 MassHealth investigations were completed, compared to close to 10,000 investigations of the Department of Transitional Assistance, which provides welfare benefits, the dollar amount of the fraud was higher.

Another $5.7 million in fraud was identified in welfare programs including food stamps and cash assistance. These often involve people who hide or misrepresent their income to falsely claim eligibility for benefits.

A small amount of fraud - $245,000 - was identified in cases relating to childcare.

Only a small number of the cases - 27 in 2015 - resulted in criminal prosecution. Another 36 were referred to a state agency for administrative action. Seven resulted in out-of-court settlements.

Asked why the number of criminal cases is so low, Michael Wessler, a spokesman for the auditor's office, explained that the investigations bureau considers numerous factors in deciding whether to bring a case, such as the length of time of the fraud, the amount of money involved, the type of fraud and whether there is a history of similar offenses. In some cases, if a person is employed, charging them with a felony could make them lose their job and go back on benefits.

"Each case is evaluated on a case by case basis to decide if criminal charges are the best path to pursue," Wessler said.

Some of the cases found significant amounts of fraud. For example, the Bureau of Special Investigations found that a South Shore organization providing adult day care billed MassHealth $3 million to cover day services at a time when its clients were living in a residential facility. The case is currently being investigated by an outside agency, according to Bump's office.

In another instance, a Massachusetts resident identified in the audit as M. Lederman was charged with fraudulently receiving $13,000 in food stamp benefits after misrepresenting his income and hiding the fact that he owns a $900,000 home.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday declined to comment on the report, saying he had not read it yet. "I do think that over the course of the past few years, the auditor's office has done a number of very helpful reports on welfare fraud and welfare management, and we've implemented many of the recommendations of those previous reports," Baker said.

Michelle Hillman, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, said the office "has a strong partnership" with Bump to identify and prevent fraud in public assistance programs.

"The Department of Transitional Assistance and the Office of MassHealth actively work with and refer to the auditor potential circumstances of fraud," Hillman said. "DTA and MassHealth assist the auditor's Bureau of Special Investigations in the prosecution of individual member or agency fraud. DTA and MassHealth are constantly reviewing and revising internal controls to increase the program integrity of all of its programs."

For example, the Department of Transitional Assistance signed an agreement with local law enforcement that allows them to work together to prosecute people who traffic in food stamps. The department monitors benefit usage to determine if a person has moved out of state.

MassHealth has begun auditing programs, such as a home health program, that have usually high costs. It put in place new technology to avoid paying duplicate claims. MassHealth has also been improving its system for ensuring that a person is eligible for subsidized health insurance by using federal data to verify a person's income and residency.

020316 - BSI FY15 Annual Report

As Baker receives his first opportunity to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Judicial Court, he said he will look for a nominee who is "extremely smart, extremely capable and wildly well respected."

BOSTON - As Gov. Charlie Baker receives his first opportunity to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Judicial Court, the governor reiterated his belief that there should be no single litmus test - such as a particular stance on abortion rights - for filling a judicial vacancy.

"The concern I always have with a litmus test is you may lose an opportunity to put a truly spectacular intellect and truly spectacular person on to the bench," Baker told reporters on Wednesday. "I think people's entire body of work should be the test."

Supreme Judicial Court Justice Robert Cordy announced Wednesday that he plans to retire in August 2016, after 15 years of serving on Massachusetts' highest court.

This will be Baker's first chance to fill a vacancy on the state's highest court, but not his last. Justices Francis Spina, Margot Botsford, and Geraldine Hines will all reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 before the end of Baker's first term as governor.

Baker pointed to both Cordy and Spina as models for the type of justice he would like to pick. Cordy, Baker said, "is a great example of the kind of person in terms of judgment and temperament that we should have on the bench."

Robert J. Cordy

Both Spina and Cordy, Baker said, are "people who let the facts and the law take them where they need to go when they make decisions."

Both Cordy and Spina were appointed to the bench by former Gov. Paul Cellucci, a Republican.

Baker said he anticipates there will be applicants from private practice, from the courts and elsewhere.

"My goal is you put somebody on the SJC, you want to put somebody up there who is extremely smart, extremely capable, wildly well respected by their peers in the bar, and somebody who you believe will exercise the right judgment when it comes to the facts and the law when they make decisions," Baker said.

Baker said he also wants to nominate someone who can collaborate with other justices.

The state has a judicial nominating committee, which screens all applicants for judicial nominations and makes a recommendation to Baker. Baker's nominee must then be confirmed by the Governor's Council.

A judge refused to throw out the sexual assault case against Bill Cosby on Wednesday, sweeping aside claims that a previous district attorney had granted the comedian immunity from prosecution a decade ago.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. -- A judge refused to throw out the sexual assault case against Bill Cosby on Wednesday, sweeping aside claims that a previous district attorney had granted the comedian immunity from prosecution a decade ago.

Common Pleas Judge Steven O'Neill issued the ruling after a hard-fought two-day hearing.

The case now moves to a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to try the 78-year-old Cosby on charges he drugged and violated former Temple University athletic department employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. The TV star could get up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

In 2005, then-District Attorney Bruce Castor decided the case was too flawed to prosecute. But Castor's successors reopened the investigation last year after Cosby's lurid, decade-old testimony from Constand's civil suit was unsealed at the request of The Associated Press and after dozens of other women came forward with similar accusations that destroyed Cosby's nice-guy image as America's Dad.

At the hearing this week, Cosby's lawyers tried to get the case thrown out by putting Castor himself on the stand. Castor testified that in deciding not to charge Cosby, he intended to forever close the door on prosecuting the comedian. He said he considered his decision binding on his successors.

Similarly, Cosby's lawyers said they never would have let the TV star testify in the civil case if they didn't believe criminal charges were off the table.

"In this case, the prosecution should be stopped in its tracks," Cosby lawyer Chris Tayback argued. "Really what we're talking about here is honoring a commitment."

But current District Attorney Kevin Steele questioned whether Castor ever made such an agreement, since it was never put in writing on a legal document and the Cosby attorney with whom Castor dealt is now dead. Steele argued that in any case, Castor had no legal authority to make such a deal.

"A secret agreement that allows a wealthy defendant to buy his way out of a criminal case isn't right," Steele told the judge.

On the stand, Castor defended his decision not to bring charges, citing among other things Constand's yearlong delay in reporting the allegations, her continued contact with Cosby, and suggestions that she and her mother might have tried to extort the comic.

The former DA said he made the no-prosecution commitment in hopes of prodding Cosby to testify in Constand's lawsuit without invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. In the end, Cosby testified, denying he assaulted Constand but admitting among other things that he obtained quaaludes to give to women he wanted to seduce, and Constand eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.

As the case goes forward, Cosby's lawyers are expected to fight mightily to keep the deposition from being introduced at trial.

Castor tried to make a comeback as DA last fall but lost to Steele in a hotly contested race, during which Steele ran ads criticizing Castor for not prosecuting Cosby when he had the chance. The tension between the two men was on display Wednesday when Steele accused Castor and the Cosby camp of engaging in "revisionist history."

Most of the back-and-forth in court hinged on the wording and interpretation of a 2005 press release in which Castor announced he would not prosecute Cosby. Castor found himself sparring with prosecutors over many seemingly inconsistent statements he made over the years on whether Cosby could still be charged.

The judge said he struggled to find similar cases where a suspect who was never charged received a promise that he would never be prosecuted. Normally, immunity is granted after a suspect is charged because he or she can provide testimony or information to prosecutors.

While more than 50 women have accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them since the 1960s, the statute of limitations for prosecuting the comic has run out in nearly every instance. This is the only case in which he has been charged.

Dr. Anna McDonald, who performed the autopsy on murder victim TayClair Moore, said cause of death was strangulation by ligature.

SPRINGFIELD - Jurors in the murder trial of Frederick Pinney have seen many pictures of TayClair Moore's body, including photos of her naked and deceased on the floor of Pinney's bedroom.

But on Tuesday Hampden Superior Court jurors were shown photos from Moore's autopsy, including pictures of her eyelids being pulled back to show pinpoint hemorrhaging in the eyes that the medical examiner said is a sign of strangulation.

There were also closeup photos of hemorrhaging in her mouth and red marks on her neck where Dr. Anna McDonald said a ligature was responsible for her death.

Pinney, 45, is accused in the killing of the 29-year-old Moore, found dead on March 23, 2014 in Pinney's room at 48 Agnes St., Springfield. Moore 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.

McDonald, now working in North Carolina, was the member of the state medical examiner's office who performed the autopsy on Moore.

She said Moore was strangled by ligature, not manually. She said the bruising on her neck was in a linear pattern.

In a manual strangulation there would be fingertip bruises on the neck, she said.

McDonald said in a case of suicide by hanging, the person would lose consciousness in 10 to 15 seconds. In a case of strangulation by ligature loss of consciousness could take from three to five minutes depending on how constant the pressure on the neck is, she said.

She said Moore had cocaine, suboxone and marijuana in her system. She said Moore had bloody secretions out of her nose, which is an indication a person died with "drugs on board."

Under questioning from defense lawyer Linda J. Thompson, McDonald said any amount of cocaine can be fatal, with a cocaine death caused by arrhythmia of the heart.

McDonald said she did not look at cocaine as a cause of death for Moore, since the cause of death was strangulation.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew W. Green is scheduled to call his last witness Thursday in the trial before Judge Richard J. Carey.

President Obama advised healthy eating, physical activity and avoiding tobacco to reduce the risk of heart disease.

HOLYOKE -- The Board of Health is offering free blood pressure monitoring every Friday in February from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Hall Annex in Room 306.

"Are you at risk for high blood pressure? Get it checked. It only takes a few minutes to get it checked out. It's easy, quick and painless," a listing on the city website said.

The free checks are available with the public health nurse in the Board of Health offices, Health Director Brian Fitzgerald said in an email Thursday.

President Barack Obama declared February as American Heart Month as he has done every year since 2009 in a tradition that began with President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, according to the American Heart Association.

"Affecting people of all races and ethnicities, cardiovascular disease is the single leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, responsible for one in three deaths in the United States each year," Obama said in the proclamation. (see below).

Among steps people can take to reduce the risk of heart problems are healthy eating, physical activity and avoiding tobacco, he said.

Here is the proclamation President Barack Obama issued:

Presidential Proclamation -- American Heart Month, 2016

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Affecting people of all races and ethnicities, cardiovascular disease is the single leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, responsible for one in three deaths in the United States each year. Though usually preventable, heart disease can manifest itself in sudden and unforeseen ways, and it costs our Nation hundreds of billions of dollars annually. During American Heart Month, we remember those we have lost to this devastating disease, promote healthy lifestyles that mitigate its impacts, and pledge to continue our fight against it.

Heart disease must be addressed with urgency. Every person can take steps to reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease in themselves and in those they care about -- whether as parents, caretakers, or friends -- by encouraging healthy eating, physical activity, and by discouraging the use of tobacco. Almost half of all Americans face increased risk of heart disease for reasons that include being a smoker, having high blood pressure, or having high cholesterol. You can reduce your chances of developing heart disease by reducing alcohol intake, exercising regularly, maintaining a nutritious diet, living tobacco-free, and staying aware of early warning signs. For more resources and information, visit www.CDC.gov/HeartDisease.

Testing cholesterol levels for individuals particularly vulnerable to heart disease and checking blood pressure regularly are both critical preventive measures for detecting heart disease early on, and thanks to the Affordable Care Act, tens of millions of Americans now have access to recommended preventive services for free. First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative is working to reduce obesity -- another primary contributing factor to cardiovascular issues -- among children to offset their susceptibility to heart disease and other obesity-related health problems. Additionally, my Administration launched Million Hearts 5 years ago, a national initiative aimed at preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Moving forward, we will continue to invest in research that helps target medical treatments and gives all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthy.

Michelle and I encourage everyone to participate in National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 5, by wearing red in honor of those we have lost to heart disease and to raise awareness of this devastating disease and the steps we can all take to prevent it. Every 43 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a heart attack, and many of them are fatal. Combating heart disease is imperative for improving public health in America, and together, we can work to ensure everybody knows its signs and symptoms and can access needed care. This month, let us renew our efforts to raise awareness of this disease and its consequences, and let us recommit to building a healthier, heartier future for all.

In acknowledgment of the importance of the ongoing fight against cardiovascular disease, the Congress, by Joint Resolution approved December 30, 1963, as amended (77 Stat. 843; 36 U.S.C. 101), has requested that the President issue an annual proclamation designating February as "American Heart Month."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim February 2016 as American Heart Month, and I invite all Americans to participate in National Wear Red Day on February 5, 2016. I also invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join me in recognizing and reaffirming our commitment to fighting cardiovascular disease.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.

BARACK OBAMA

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., made the case to New Hampshire residents Thursday that despite his lack of executive experience, he represents the Republican Party's best shot at winning the White House in November.

MANCHESTER, N.H. ‒ U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., made the case to New Hampshire residents Thursday that despite his lack of executive experience, he represents the Republican Party's best shot at winning the White House in November.

The GOP presidential hopeful, who has been gaining support in the Granite State since placing third in the Iowa Caucuses, called on voters to support his campaign during an afternoon town hall event at Saint Anselm College in Manchester.

Taking aim President Barack Obama and the Democratic presidential candidates, Rubio told voters that it's imperative for the GOP to win back the White House, adding that he's the only candidate who can ensure such an outcome.

"I'm here to ask you for your vote. I need you to vote for me, I need you to go out and find people to vote for me because we need to win this election," he said. "I mean we, not just me, us. We need to win this election. I give this party the best chance to win and we don't even have to compromise our principles. If I'm our nominee we can beat Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders."

Rubio took aim at Sanders for being a self-declared "Democratic-Socialist," saying if he believes in socialism he should move to a socialist country. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is "disqualified" from being president due to her private email server and response to terror attacks in Benghazi, he contended.

The Florida senator also took slight jabs at some of his fellow Republican presidential hopefuls, particularly the governors with whom he's competing for establishment support.

"No one running for president has presidential experience. Being president is nothing like being governor -- it's nothing like being a senator," he said. "My second point I would say to you: Barack Obama's not a bad president because he lacks experience, he now has seven years of presidential experience and he's worse today than he was in his first term. He's a bad president because he has bad ideas."

Rubio touted his experience as a Florida state legislator and a U.S. senator, saying while he's proud of what he's done, he's running for president because some issues cannot be dealt with until the commander-in-chief is ready to stand up for them.

"Congress can help shape the agenda, but only a president can upset the agenda. If we don't get the right president in office now, things are not going to change," he said.

If sent to the White House, Rubio said he would repeal what he called "unconstitutional" executive orders signed by Obama, cancel the Iran deal, address the national debt and repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

The Florida senator further said he plans to secure America's borders, rebuild the military and take better care of veterans.

Arguing that 2016 is a turning point in American history, Rubio said the election will decide what kind of turning point that is.

"I believe there are only two ways forward for America: we can either be greater than we have ever been -- that's a real possibility. We have a chance to be great and more prosperous, greater than we have ever been -- or we will be the first generation that leaves their children worse off than themselves," he said.

The Florida senator added that if elected the GOP nominee he will unite the Republican Party and ensure its strength heading into the general election.

Pamela Byrne, 50, of Bedford, N.H., an unaffiliated voter who attended the town hall, said she liked what Rubio had to say, but still has questions about his level of experience.

"There wasn't anything that I disagreed with, I'm still not convinced of his level of experience -- that's the only thing," she said in an interview. "Although, he certainly seems like he's got the characteristics that could do the job. I'm still a little hung up on that one."

Ryan Smith, 19, of Northfield, N.H., however, said he doesn't have concerns about Rubio's experience.

"I'm fine with his experience," he said, adding that he agreed with Rubio's contention that governors' and senators' challenges aren't the same as a commander-in-chief.

Smith, a freshman at Saint Anselm, said he plans to vote for Rubio next week.

"I think he gives a very inspiring message. I think he knows what the people want, but where we need to go with it," he said.

Massachusetts' public records law has not been updated since 1973.

The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed an overhaul of the state's public records law unanimously after several hours of debate.

"This bill strengthens our public records law to improve access and make the process of requesting records simple, clear and fair," said State Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Massachusetts' public records law has not been updated since 1973. It is notoriously weak, with public agencies routinely ignoring requests or charging large amounts of money to fulfill a request.

The House passed a public records reform bill in November, and the Senate released its own version of the bill last week. The bill will now go to a committee of House-Senate negotiators to hammer out a final compromise.

The bill has drawn significant attention from open government groups, who advocate for more transparent government, but also from municipalities worried about the burden the law will place on city and town workers.

State Sen. Joan Lovely, D-Salem, said the bill "strikes the right balance to make sure cities, towns and public entities have the time they need to produce public records, but make sure there are not unnecessary barriers to access."

The bill would change the current 10-day time frame for responding to a request to 15 days and would give municipalities the ability to ask for an extension.

It requires that electronic records be provided electronically. It requires municipalities to designate a particular point person for records requests. It sets fee guidelines for copies and labor.

If a court finds that a public agency, acting in bad faith, denied access to records, the bill would let a judge award the requester attorneys' fees and impose a penalty on the public entity. The penalty fee would go to a fund dedicated to helping municipalities improve their information technology.

"The bill ... moves our public records law into the 21st century," Spilka said.

State Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, noted that the fee limits - 5 cents a page down from 20 to 50 cents per page, and $25 an hour for labor - are particularly important, in light of several egregious cases. In one, the state police asked the Boston Globe to pay $40,000 for a spreadsheet containing a list of previous public records requests. A Somerville news blog was charged $200,000 for information from the city about parking tickets and citizen complaints.

Lawmakers debated around 50 amendments throughout the afternoon. Among those that were adopted were amendments making the MBTA pension fund subject to the public records law; requiring notification within 10 days when a record is being withheld; requiring electronic submission of public documents to an agency; and establishing guidelines for the physical storage of public records.

Senators rejected proposals to require the Legislature to appropriate money for small towns to pay a public records officer; to cap the fees entirely rather than allowing an approval process for higher fees; to allow attorneys' fees when records are turned over on the eve of a trial; and to award the government attorneys' fees from requesters.

Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said currently, Massachusetts is one of only three states that do not award attorney's fees when government ignores a public records request.

"Absent any enforcement mechanism whatsoever, the public records law in Massachusetts is meaningless," Rose said. The bill, she said, provides an enforcement mechanism.

Bishop Talbert W. Swan II, a plaintiff in past court cases that pushed for ward representation on the Springfield City Council, issued a statement on Thursday that criticized "the appearance of politics as usual" relating to controversy over the appointment of a new member to the Historical Commission.

SPRINGFIELD — Bishop Talbert W. Swan II, a plaintiff in past court cases that pushed for ward representation on the Springfield City Council, issued a statement on Thursday that criticized "the appearance of politics as usual" relating to controversy over the appointment of a new member to the Historical Commission.

Swan's statement followed comments by Ward 4 City Councilor E. Henry Twiggs, who said there is some opposition to the mayor's selection of Victoria Rowe to serve on the Historical Commission, with Twiggs saying he and some other councilors feel she lacks the experience to serve on the commission.

Twiggs said his opposition to Rowe's appointment has nothing to do with her running against him in 2015 for the Ward 4 seat on the City Council.

Swan said he is confident that Twiggs "realizes the inherent conflict of being the ringleader in rallying opposition to her appointment.

"Penalizing someone for having aspirations to serve in public office is wrong," Swan said. "Somehow, the keen interest and opposition to this particular appointment doesn't pass the smell test."

Swan, who is president of the Springfield NAACP, said he was among the plaintiffs who fought for ward representation on the City Council, in part to gain more diverse representation on the City Council. The creation of a ward representatives in 2009 has led to a more diverse council including Twiggs, who is black.

Rowe, who also is black, is a resident of the McKnight Local Historic District. The Historical Commission has seven members. Marjorie Guess, who is black, is being replaced by Rowe. Sarno's appointment of Rowe, Alfonso Nardi and Shannon S. Walsh need City Council confirmation.

The full text of Swan's statement follows:

I am very disturbed at the appearance of politics as usual in the opposition to Victoria Rowe's nomination to the Historical Commission. While I respect councilor Twiggs' assertion that his opposition is unrelated to Ms Rowe running against him in this past election, I am also confident that he realizes the inherent conflict of being the lead voice opposing her appointment.

I, along with many others, fought a 12 year battle to bring ward representation to the city of Springfield. We sued the city twice, facilitated a citizens' initiative petition and were persistent in lobbying the mayor and the city council to adopt a system that would create a more representative municipal government. Mr. Twiggs along with the seven other ward councilors are direct beneficiaries of our efforts.

While many of those who now serve in ward seats sat on the sidelines during our efforts to ensure fair representation from historically disenfranchised communities, we put our time, effort and money on the line to provide opportunities for people like Victoria Rowe and others who were interested in public office to run effective campaigns in their respective wards without having to raise significant amounts of money or receive the endorsements and support of those who control party politics. Ward representation has now produced the most diverse city Council in the history of the city and it would be a shame for those who have benefited from the grassroots efforts of those who fought for the new system to oppose Ms Rowe's appointment because she had the audacity to offer her services by becoming a candidate for public office. Increased participation in the electoral process, both by voting and becoming candidates for office, was one of our major goals. Penalizing someone for having aspirations to serve in public office is wrong. Somehow, the keen interest and opposition to this particular appointment doesn't pass the smell test. I am hopeful that we can trust our city councilors, many who themselves were upstart, unknown candidates desiring to serve in public office, will not allow themselves to be pawns in a political vendetta.

A dental office will offer free appointments for families without health insurance this month.

CHICOPEE -- A dental office will offer free appointments for families without health insurance this month.

Children's dentistry of Chicopee hopes to treat an estimated 50 children in one day, children whom otherwise may not see a dentist this year.

"Families without much money feel like they don't need to prioritize dental care but tooth decay is a common disease in children," said Leah Fay, of the Chicopee office.

The Chicopee office will have several pediatric dentists on staff working with children as well as staff and students from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the Massachusetts Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

The free dental care day will be held from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb 27. Appointments are encouraged though walk ins will be welcome.

Children's dentistry of Chicopee is located at 21 Bay State Rd. in Chicopee. 

Holyoke City Hall will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb. 10 to register to vote in the Massachusetts presidential primary election March 1.

HOLYOKE -- The deadline to register to vote in the state presidential primary election is Feb. 10.

The Massachusetts presidential primary is March 1.

City Hall will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb. 10 for voters who want to change party registration or register to vote for the first time, said a press release from the office of City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee.

People who are United States citizens, residents of Massachusetts and who will be at least 18 on or before March 1 can register to vote. Those meeting these qualifications who have a Massachusetts Driver's License can submit their registration online at RegisterToVoteMA.com, the press release said.

Also, Feb. 10 is the deadline for registered voters who want to change their party enrollment either to another party or to "unenrolled." "Unenrolled" is commonly referred to as "independent," but that should not be confused with the United Independent Party (UIP), the press release said.

The UIP will have ballots available -- along with the Democratic, Republican and Green-Rainbow parties -- but the ballots for the UIP will have no candidates printed on them. Voters registered in UIP will be ineligible to take a Democratic, Republican, or Green-Rainbow ballot in the Massachusetts presidential primary election, the press release said.

Some voters might want to vote for a candidate in a different party from the one they are registered in now. To do that, voters must switch to the other party or to "unenrolled" status by 8 p.m. on Feb. 10, the press release said.

Unenrolled voters can request any party ballot on Primary Day, but someone registered in a party can vote only on that party's ballot. A Democrat cannot take a Republican ballot, and a Republican cannot take a Democratic one, for example, the press release said.

The press release about the voter registration deadline and other matters was provided to municipal clerks by Michelle K. Tassinari, director and legal counsel of the Elections Division of the office of Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin.

Here are the candidates voters will see on ballots March 1:

Democrats:

The two suspects, a man and woman, picked up a 32 inch TV and walked right out the door, police said.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police are seeking the public's help in identifying two suspects who are believed to have walked out of an Eastfield Mall store with a 32-inch high definition television.

The two suspects, an unknown man and woman, can been seen on surveillance video picking up the Samsung television, and grabbing a watch and some jewelry, said Sgt. John Delaney.

The pair stepped around a register and walked right out the door carrying the television, he said.

They were seen getting into a 2002 Ford Focus and driving off.

Delaney said one suspect is a white man who appears to be in this 20s. He is roughly 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 170 pounds. The other suspect is a white woman, who also appears to be in her 20s. She is roughly 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 120 pounds, and appears to have red hair.

He is wearing a knit hat with a Patriots logo and she appears to be wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with a Boston Bruins logo.

The theft was reported Jan. 24 at about 5 p.m.

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."