The Walk for a New Spring will address war, poverty, racism, and climate change.

Buddhist monks at the New England Peace Pagoda are getting ready for their 15th annual "Walk for a New Spring," to be held March 4 through April 27.

This year's walk is a 56-day journey from the Peace Pagoda in Leverett to the nation's capital in Washington. The event will aim to "end war, poverty and racism, and to address the climate crisis."

"As we walk we carry the somber reflection that over 1,000,000 people from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have died because of the war on terror," reads a flyer for the event. "Millions more have become refugees. Our own soldiers have suffered loss and death as well. No end appears in sight."

The Buddhists, local Quakers, and other walkers say they will carry copies of a paper called "Shared Security: Re-imagining U.S. Foreign Policy" which they plan to distribute to communities along the route as well as to legislators on Capitol Hill. The paper calls for foreign policies that "reflect a cooperative search for solutions to help protect our planet, reduce violent conflict, advance social justice, and meet global needs."

Organizers quote Nichidastu Fujii, founder of the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist order, who once said "Humanity's challenge ... is to choose between extinction and great unity through reconciliation."

Those who wish to volunteer or participate are asked to call walk organizer Tim Bullock at (413) 485-8469, or send an email to walk4anewspring@gmail.com.

A Hampshire Superior Court judge ruled Monday that Zachary Holmes is too dangerous to be released five months after the 21-year-old autistic man was accused of stabbing his mother.

NORTHAMPTON -- A Hampshire Superior Court judge ruled Monday that Zachary Holmes is too dangerous to be released five months after the 21-year-old autistic man was accused of stabbing his mother.

Specifically, Judge Mary-Lou Rup ruled Monday that the risk that Holmes may harm his mother, Joann Holmes, again is too great for him to be released. 

She heard arguments Friday for and against Holmes' release. He has been held, mostly in the Hampshire County Jail and also at Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital.

Holmes, 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 is upset that Holmes has been charged and that he remains in jail, as they argue he needs psychiatric care, not imprisonment.

The family, including Joann Holmes, had hoped that defense attorney Alfred Chamberland could argue successfully that Holmes should be released into his father's custody. Chamberland said he could be ordered to stay away from his mother and be evaluated in the home as part of the process of getting him into a Department of Developmental Services residential facility.

Rup's decision not to release Holmes states that he may ask the court again to release him if it becomes possible for him to move to a supervised residential facility.

Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jennifer Suhl argued that releasing Holmes to his father's custody is not sufficient to protect his mother. She said psychological evaluations of Holmes showed his anger towards his mother, not his disabilities, are the reason for his violence toward her.

On Sept. 3, after an argument over what Rup called a "minor matter" - cleaning up after a dog - Holmes became so angry he stabbed her repeatedly in the abdomen, hand, chin, and in the back, before the knife blade broke off from the handle, Suhl said.

He went for a second knife but she was able to escape, Suhl said. Joann Holmes was hospitalized for a week. 

Suhl also said that Holmes pinned his mother against a wall in November 2014, but Joann Holmes said that incident was a result of a bad reaction to medication and no charges were filed.

Rup also noted in her decision that the alleged attack Sept. 3 occurred in front of Holmes' 12-year-old brother.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo said conference committees are 'trading proposals' but have not reached a resolution.

BOSTON -- Committees of House and Senate lawmakers are continuing to discuss major bills relating to opioid addiction and solar energy, but they have not yet come to any resolution, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, said Monday.

"Right now, there's been no final resolution, but there has been discussion," DeLeo told reporters about the opioid bill.

The House, Senate and Gov. Charlie Baker have all made proposals to address a growing number of opioid deaths in Massachusetts, but different versions of the bill passed by the Senate and the House must now be reconciled.

DeLeo said lawmakers "have been trading proposals ... There is discussion, and there is going back and forth to try to come to a finalization," he said.

Similarly, the final version of a bill that would lift the cap on solar net metering, a limit on a financial incentive given to solar developers that is currently stalling solar projects, is still being negotiated by House and Senate lawmakers.

"I think there's enough room there to compromise," DeLeo said.

Baker declined to say whether he was frustrated with the slow legislative process on the opioid bill. He noted that lawmakers did pass, and he signed, a new law removing women who are civilly committed for substance abuse problems from Framingham State Prison and instead sending them to a treatment facility.

"I have full confidence we'll see the rest of the bill come out soon," Baker said.

Baker recently met with University of Massachusetts Medical School officials, and he plans to meet with representatives of the state's dental schools this week, to discuss how to incorporate lessons about addiction and pain management into the medical and dental school curricula.

The School Committee intends to select a new superintendent in March or April.

WESTFIELD - The School Committee has appointed a 10-person screening committee to assist in the selection of finalists for superintendent of schools appointment here.

School Committee vice chairman Ramon Diaz announced Monday the appointments that include parents, teachers and administrators who will assist him in screening applicants who filed by the Feb . 1 deadline.

The screening committee will consist of parents Melissa Rutkowski and Amber Danahey and North Middle School teachers Lori Lyncosky and Matt Wroth.

School Department Director of Assessment Denise Ruszala and special education representative Betsy Philpot will also serve on the committee.

Southampton Road School principal Kathy O'Donnell; North Middle School principal Katherine Bourque and cafeteria union representative Lori Hebert will also assist.

Also joining the committee is Police Capt. Michael McCabe.

Diaz said the first meeting of the new committee will be held during the last week of February at a time and place to be announced.

The screening sessions will be held in executive session.

School officials announced prior to the Feb. 1 applicant deadline that at least five people had applied for the job.

But, now that the deadline has passed, officials refuse to comment on the total number of applicants.

School officials also will not comment on the number of finalists they expect to be subjected to final interview for the superintendent post.

Diaz said Monday the number of applicants and the number of finalists to be named will "remain confidential" until after the selection is made.

Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Scallion plans to retire at the end of the current school year.

Frederick Pinney is accused of strangling TayClair Moore in Springfield in March, 2014.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Hampden Superior Court jury will resume deliberations Tuesday in the murder trial of Frederick Pinney, accused in the March 2014 strangulation death of TayClair Moore.

The jury deliberated six hours on Monday after deliberating three hours Friday.

Pinney, 45, is accused of killing Moore, whose body was found on March 23, 2014 in Pinney's room at 48 Agnes St. in Springfield. Moore, who was 29 at the time, died of strangulation by ligature.

Jurors sent two questions out to Judge Richard J. Carey on Monday.

One of the questions involved jurors asking for information on the effect of Lorazepam on a person. Lorazepam is one of the group of drugs known as benzodiazepines, and is used to treat anxiety.

Pinney told police he took 10 Lorazepam pills and passed out in the early morning hours on the day Moore's body was found. Her body was found after noon that day.

The jury also asked for a transcript of the 911 call made by Moore's longtime boyfriend, Christopher Podgurski, after he saw her body on the floor of Pinney's room.

Carey told jurors they have all the evidence in the case and he cannot give them any more information. Jurors have the 911 call tape in the jury room to play as many times as they want, but they were looking for a written transcript.

In closing arguments Friday, the defense lawyer and prosecutor in the case both had a lot to say about Podgurski.

Defense lawyer Linda J. Thompson told jurors they should pay attention to evidence that she said points to Podgurski as the person who killed her.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew W. Green told jurors in his closing argument that the evidence clearly showed Podgurski was nowhere near Moore when she was killed.

He said Moore's time of death was between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. March 23, 2014, and evidence showed Podgurski was in Holyoke during that time.

"You don't have to like Chris, but he wasn't there," Green said.

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

Green tried to cast doubts on the implication that Podgurski had manufactured his alibi, telling jurors that Podgurski was a heavy user of drugs and alcohol, and probably "killed a lot of brain cells" because of that. Green asked jurors if they really thought Podgurski was sophisticated enough to put together the record of calls and visits to friends that place him in Holyoke at the time of the murder.

Podgurski, Green said, was not "an evil genius."

Podgurski testified he was at the Holyoke St. Patrick's Road Race with Moore doing drugs and drinking alcohol, but in the early evening he gave Pinney cocaine and asked him to take Moore home to 48 Agnes St. Podgurski said he stayed in Holyoke and eventually fell asleep at his mother's house in the early morning hours.

Green said the case was based on circumstantial evidence, but everything pointed to Pinney as the one who killed Moore.

When police arrived at the scene after Podgurski saw Moore on Pinney's floor March 23 at about noon and called police, Pinney had cuts on his arms and neck.

Pinney told police in an interview on March 23 that all he wanted to do that night was kill himself.

Green told jurors Pinney killed Moore, then he tried to kill himself. He said Pinney expected there would be two dead bodies in the house, but he passed out before he was successful in killing himself.

Thompson, the defense attorney, said there was no evidence presented at trial that there was any animosity between Moore and Pinney. She told the jury, though, that Podgurski had a history of violence against Moore, including putting his hands on her neck.

Thompson said on the night of March 22, 2014 -- the day before Moore's body was found -- Moore and Podgurski were mad at each other. Moore was mad because Podgurski was ignoring her, and Podgurski was mad she was "bugging him," Thompson said.

"When that combination comes together there's going to be trouble," Thompson said.

Pinney's trial began with jury selection Jan. 26.

Massachusetts communities were hit with varying amounts of snow on Monday. Some saw an inch while others expect to receive over a foot by sundown.

SPRINGFIELD -- Massachusetts communities were hit with varying amounts of snow on Monday. Some saw an inch while others expect to receive over a foot by sundown.

When will it stop snowing? Steady snow will wind down in Western Massachusetts around midnight.

Snow is expected to continue falling until around 1 a.m. on Tuesday in Worcester and 4 a.m. in Boston, the National Weather Service reports.

The low Monday evening will be around 17 degrees in Worcester and Pittsfield, 18 in Springfield and 21 in Boston. 

Though the likelihood of snow is lower later in the week, there is a chance of snow through Thursday with cold temperatures coming Friday.

The National Weather Service reports there's a 20 percent chance of snow showers Tuesday in Springfield, 30 percent in Worcester and 40 percent in Boston. Precipitation is expected mainly before noon though snow showers may hit again Tuesday evening.

The high Tuesday will be around 31 degrees in Springfield and Boston, 28 in Worcester and Pittsfield. 

The National Weather Service currently predicts a 30 percent chance of snow showers from Springfield to Boston on both Wednesday and Thursday. 

We can expect to see a break from snow Friday afternoon, when sunny skies are currently expected, though it will be little reprieve as a cold surge comes our way. 

"A true arctic surge moves in to our area Friday afternoon, keeping our highs this weekend in the mid teens," Western Mass News Meteorologist Jacob Wycoff said. "Definitely some of the coldest air we've seen all season."

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Monday that the National Weather Service is maintaining a winter storm warning for Winter Storm Mars in the city through 7 a.m. Tuesday morning. Watch video

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Monday that the National Weather Service is maintaining a winter storm warning in the city through 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Calling Winter Storm Mars a "major Atlantic storm," Walsh said, "We are lucky much of it has stayed offshore."

"We've seen high winds and periods of low visibility all day and bands of snow have come through the city," Walsh added.

Walsh said he expected Boston Public Schools to be open on Tuesday, after a closure on Monday.

According to Walsh, the city has spent $7 million on snow removal so far this year.

There has not been enough snow to allow for Boston residents to put out space savers if they shovel out their parking spot, Walsh said.

Gov. Charlie Baker, in a press conference at the State House earlier on Monday, said southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands would likely see the heaviest accumulation of snow.

"Plymouth County, at this point, appears to be what I would describe as the big winner in this storm, most likely to get somewhere between 12 and 18 inches there," Baker said.

Baker called the Monday performance of the MBTA public transit system, which struggled to provide reliable service last year, "satisfactory."

When asked if Syrian refugees should be welcomed into one of New England's richest communities, Donald Trump said no.

When asked if Syrian refugees should be welcomed into one of New England's richest communities, Donald Trump said no.

"I don't think they should be moving into Greenwich, Connecticut, I don't think they should be coming into the United States," the presidential candidate said Monday.

Trump was asked his thoughts on plans to relocate Syrian refugees to the state during a campaign event in New Hampshire Monday. The question was asked by a man who identified as a Connecticut resident.

Connecticut began accepting Syrian refugees in 2015. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy became vocally supportive of the effort after seeing images of Syrians stranded in Europe.

"The images we are seeing are tragic and the situation looks devastating. Our hearts go out to the people affected by this crisis," Director of Communications Devon Puglia told the Hartford Courant in 2015. She said relocating refugees is "part of Connecticut's values."

As of November, less than a dozen Syrian families were relocated to within Connecticut. 

Trump said he was concerned about allowing such families to move to such communities as Greenwich because "they have no documentation," their backgrounds cannot be verified. 

RELATED: Donald Trump tells New Hampshire voters he's not 'bought,' asks them to turn out for primary

Donald Trump's comments on Syrian refugees start around 41:30. 

Gwyneth Paltrow testified Monday in the trial of a man accused of stalking her, saying he wrote upsetting letters discussing her death and his intention to marry her and also sent her pornography and unsolicited gifts.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Gwyneth Paltrow testified Monday in the trial of a man accused of stalking her, saying he wrote upsetting letters discussing her death and his intention to marry her and also sent her pornography and unsolicited gifts.

Dante Soiu is accused of stalking the Oscar-winning actress for 17 years, but the case focuses on the most recent batch of 66 messages he's sent her between 2009 and 2015.

Several of those messages referenced Paltrow's death, Soiu's desire to marry her and unsolicited gifts, including clothes, a pair of earrings and a Weight Watchers cookbook.

The actress broke down briefly during her roughly two-and-a-half hours on the stand after a prosecutor asked Paltrow about whether she feared for her children's safety as a result of Soiu's missives.

"Yes," Paltrow responded tearfully. She quickly regained her composure and explained why she was so rattled by Soiu.

"I'm scared because the communications completely defy logic," she said. "I've been dealing with his for 17 years with the communications from this man."

Soiu's attorney said he has simply written letters to Paltrow, and that recent letters haven't included pornography. Attorney Lynda Westlund said Soiu is a Christian man who is just trying to minister to the actress.

Paltrow testified about letters and packages she received from Soiu dating to 1999, including several that contained pornography, sex toys and statements that he wanted to cleanse her of sin.

"This is a case that has gone on for Ms. Paltrow for 17 years," Deputy District Attorney Wendy Segall said during opening statements. "Her sense of security has been shattered by this man."

Paltrow, 43, remained mostly composed in the witness stand, showing concern on her face. Dressed in a white turtleneck and black slacks, she at one point identified Soiu, 66, who was wearing a blue shirt and gray sweater.

Soiu was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2000 in a previous trial involving messages he sent to Paltrow, which included pornography and sex toys. He was sent to a mental institution for several years, but re-arrested last year after sending the actress new correspondence.

The recent batch letters described Soiu's intention to marry Paltrow and also a pair of earrings he sent her in 2009 as a Christmas gift. He has also sent her religious books, and forwarded her letters he has sent to President Barack Obama and actress Angelina Jolie.

One letter described Paltrow "bowing to death." The actress said the reference was disturbing.

In another, Soiu is accused of writing, "I have a goal: to marry Gwyneth Paltrow and take care of her."

"I felt very upset by it," Paltrow said.

"This has been a very long and very traumatic experience already," Paltrow said.

At the top of another letter, Soiu is accused of writing, "I am sorry I hurt you. Please forgive me." Paltrow said she recognizes Soiu's handwriting after having received so much correspondence from him.

Paltrow won an Oscar in 1999 for her role in "Shakespeare in Love." She has two children with estranged husband Chris Martin, the frontman of the band Coldplay.

The pair's divorce, filed in April 2015, is still pending.

Soiu, who is from suburban Columbus, Ohio, has pleaded not guilty. He shook his head during portions of Segall's opening statement, but has remained quiet throughout Paltrow's testimony Monday.

Her testimony came a day after Paltrow appeared at Super Bowl 50, cheering on Coldplay and her friend, Beyonce Knowles, during their halftime performance.

SPRINGFIELD — Police were investigating a possible drug-related home invasion in the city's Forest Park neighborhood Monday afternoon. Two masked men, one armed with a handgun, broke into a Long Hill Street apartment around 12:21 p.m., threatening a male occupant and stealing a safe and two tablet computers, according to Springfield police. Illegal drugs, ammunition and drug paraphernalia and packaging...

SPRINGFIELD — Police were investigating a possible drug-related home invasion in the city's Forest Park neighborhood Monday afternoon.

Two masked men, one armed with a handgun, broke into a Long Hill Street apartment around 12:21 p.m., threatening a male occupant and stealing a safe and two tablet computers, according to Springfield police.

Illegal drugs, ammunition and drug paraphernalia and packaging material were found inside in the apartment, police aid.

Detectives from the Major Crimes and Narcotics units are investigating. They may be reached at 787-6355 and 787-6393, respectively. The drug tip line is 734-2222.

State transportation officials ordered motorists drive slower while traveling along the Massachusetts Turnpike Monday.

State transportation officials ordered motorists drive slower while traveling along the Massachusetts Turnpike Monday.

The speed limit has been reduced to 40 miles per hour for the entire length of the turnpike from Boston to the New York state line. MassDOT announced the new speed restriction Monday afternoon.

Transport of tandem trailers and propane tankers is banned from Boston to the New York State border.

Earlier on Monday, MassDOT announced the speed limit was reduced for travel on the MassPike between Warren and Westborough.

 Speed limit reduced for portion of Massachusetts Turnpike

Amherst officials said in January that they would not issue a permit to festival organizers for the Town Common because the event, which attracted upward of 6,000 people in 2015, had outgrown the site.

NORTHAMPTON -- The Ward 3 Neighborhood Association will discuss Tuesday night whether Extravaganja, a popular marijuana-centered festival, should be held in Northampton this year.

Amherst officials said in January that they would not issue a permit to Extravaganja organizers for the Town Common because the event, which attracted upward of 6,000 people in 2015, had outgrown the site.

Bruce Shallcross, general manager of the Three County Fairgrounds, told the Republican soon after that he is open to hosting the 25th annual Extravaganja.

The Three County Fair at 54 Fair St. is a private entity, so its administrators are within their rights to OK the event being held there without the city's permission, according to Ward 3 City Councilor Ryan O'Donnell.

"The organizers contacted the mayor, contacted me, and both of those calls were a courtesy," O'Donnell said. "The fairgrounds director said he wanted to talk to the Ward 3 Association. He put that condition on it."

The association will discuss the matter at Bridge Street School Library at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Members of the community are encouraged to attend.

Association President Jim Nash said Extravaganja coordinator Tyler Works will share his vision of the event at the meeting.

Nash noted that the event is facilitated, and run by the officers and members of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Cannabis Reform Coalition.

"The one question I'm really curious to ask Tyler is, why aren't you having this at UMass? UMass is going to send the check to the fairgrounds," Nash said. "UMass has all the facilities to do just this sort of thing."

O'Donnell said he understands that Northampton residents may have concerns over traffic and public safety issues that Extravaganja could potentially cause. But the councilor said said he is confident Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper and her team of officers would adequately address those worries.

Extravaganja has historically been held on the Amherst Town Common. Amherst Police Chief Scott P. Livingstone confirmed last year that the event had grown too large for the space.

The popular event advocates the use and legalization of marijuana, and seeks to dispel stigma attached to the herb. Attendees openly smoke cannabis at the festival that features vendors, local music and speakers.

"The political concerns are sort of separate," O'Donnell said. "Everyone has a right to speak their minds about those issues. I hope it's a fair process."

Nash said there isn't enough information at the time to decide whether or not the event would benefit the city. But, he added, he isn't necessarily opposed to the festival coming to Northampton.

"It's not like a blues revival concert being held at the fairgrounds," Nash said. "We would know there's marijuana smoked there. But this is different. Smoking would be part and parcel of [Extravaganja.] But at any other event, marijuana wouldn't be the focus of it."

Christie said his ability to go after U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio shows he is able to take on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

SALEM, N.H. - Fresh off Saturday night's Republican presidential debate, when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie aggressively attacked Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Christie said he was not too rough on Rubio.

"By New Jersey standards, that wasn't rough at all," Christie said, speaking to volunteers and reporters at his campaign office in Salem, N.H.

Christie argued that his ability to go after an opponent will help him in the general election.

"What happened on Saturday night was not about me or him, it was about our country," Christie said. "Our country deserves a president that's prepared and tested and ready. Our party deserves a nominee who can stand toe to toe with Hillary Clinton and do what needs to be done to win that election."

Clinton, the former secretary of state and first lady, is competing with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont for the Democratic nomination.

Christie and Rubio, along with Gov. John Kasich and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are competing for a similar bloc of moderate Republican voters in the New Hampshire primary. New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary will likely be a crucial test for all of them. Rubio emerged from the Iowa caucuses with momentum after a third place finish, and Christie has been trying to position himself to be the top moderate in the New Hampshire contest.

"We need to make sure Hillary Clinton never gets within 10 miles of the White House again, and the only way for that to happen is to make sure that we put someone up on that stage who has the background, the experience, the toughness to stand up to that fight," Christie said.

Although Christie has lagged behind in many of the polls, he argued that the momentum from Saturday's debate is "propelling our campaign over the last 72 hours." "We expect to see some very good results tonight," Christie said.

Richard “Dic” Donohue, the 36-year-old sergeant who was injured while chasing the Boston Marathon bombers through Watertown, is retiring from the MBTA Transit Police, saying he cannot perform his duties at 100 percent.

BOSTON - Richard "Dic" Donohue, the 36-year-old sergeant who was injured while chasing the Boston Marathon bombers through Watertown, is retiring from the MBTA Transit Police, saying he cannot perform his duties at 100 percent.

"Following my injury, I committed myself to returning to active service in the department. It took nearly two years to accomplish that goal, fighting through pain and limitations, but I had a lot of help from some amazing doctors, my family, and my fellow officers," Donohue said in a statement.

"I did not want it to be taken from me without a fight," he continued. "Unfortunately, I must now acknowledge the extent of my injuries and limitations. Physically, I cannot perform at 100 percent and must do what is right for myself, my co-workers, and my department. Therefore, I will step away from the job that I love so much."

He was shot on April 19, 2013 while pursuing Dzhokhar and Tamerlane Tsarnaev, who bombed the Boston Marathon days earlier, killing three people and injuring hundreds.

Scores of police officers converged in Watertown and Donohue was shot during a firefight. It was "highly likely" that he was hit with friendly fire, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said last year.

Middlesex DA says Transit Police Officer likely was victim of friendly fire

Doctors at Mt. Auburn Hospital were able to save Donohue's life despite severe blood loss after a major artery was hit. He had to be resuscitated after arriving at the hospital.

"I am alive, and I have many plans for the future," Donohue said in his statement. "If I had a choice, I would continue to serve as a police officer for decades to come, but those were not the cards I was dealt."

Donohue plans to teach criminal justice at a local college and work as an "ambassador" and board member for the American Red Cross.

He and his wife Kim are expecting a boy in April. They also have a 3-year-old son, Richie.

As a legislative committee heard testimony on the pros and cons of setting a $15 hourly pay floor for Logan Airport workers, its Senate chairman repeatedly described the day as an "awkward" moment for him, as both a supporter of the higher minimum wage and an airline CEO who can't currently afford to pay that wage to all employees.

By KATIE LANNAN

BOSTON - As a legislative committee heard testimony on the pros and cons of setting a $15 hourly pay floor for Logan Airport workers, its Senate chairman repeatedly described the day as an "awkward" moment for him, as both a supporter of the higher minimum wage and an airline CEO who can't currently afford to pay that wage to all employees.

"Probably on the list of awkward moments at the State House for me, this has to make -- not the top of the list, but it gets there," said Sen. Daniel Wolf, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development and the founder of Cape Air.

At the start of a hearing Tuesday on bills filed by Rep. Adrian Madaro and Sen. Sal DiDomenico that would establish a $15 minimum wage for commercial service employees at Logan Airport, Wolf said his company has "set an operational goal and is working on a timeframe" to get all its employees to at least a $15 wage.

"I just wanted to put that out there," Wolf said. "It's an awkward, interesting place for me to be because I do support the effort to get to 15. I think it has to be done in a way so that we make sure that the business community is healthy while we get there."

The legislation from Madaro and DiDomenico (H 3923, S 2125) would phase in the minimum wage increase over three years, bringing it to $12 this year, $13.50 the next and $15 in 2018.

Workers across a variety of fields, across Massachusetts and nationwide, have been fighting for a $15 pay floor. Fast food and retail workers, personal care attendants and nursing home employees are among those seeking the higher wages.

Wolf, a Harwich Democrat, is the sponsor of a bill (S 1024) that would set a $15 minimum wage for fast food restaurants and so-called "big-box" retailers. The bill was endorsed by the labor committee in November, and Wolf was hailed at a subsequent rally outside the State House as a "champion" of the measure.

In voicing concerns about the airport workers bill, an industry representative used an argument similar to one that has been raised around the fast food and big-box store bill.

W. Chris Harrison, a Memphis attorney testifying on behalf of the trade group Airlines for America, said that the organization would not take a position on higher wages but did oppose "targeting a very small group of employees . . . on a very small, 3.7-acre tract of land and say those employees alone should get a raise."

"Let's say you have somebody who lives in East Boston who works at the airport and cleans planes," Harrison said. "They're making $15 an hour. Well, what about the person who lives in East Boston and cleans office buildings, and they're making $10, $11, $12 an hour? How is that fair?"

Last month, the Massachusetts minimum wage rose to $10 from $9 an hour. On Jan. 1, 2017, it is scheduled to go up again to $11.

Supporters of the wage floor in Massachusetts say it's the highest in the nation and House Speaker Robert DeLeo said in late January that he "quite frankly can't see us revisiting that particular issue."

Khelia Cox, who works for an airline contractor at Logan Airport, told the committee she recently received a raise to $11 an hour and finds her pay quickly eaten up by necessities like groceries and rent.

"One hour of my pay at $11 an hour, that's a box of cereal and a gallon of milk for my kids," she said. "Right now, I have five under the age of 18. Kids eat cereal and milk all the time."

Jonathan Cornier said he had worked for a Logan contractor for two years and, in that time, seen coworkers become homeless because they were unable to keep up with rent. They then lost access to secure portions of the airport, where a worker's address is required for security clearance, Cornier said.

"One day they have their badge and the next they have to quit because they can't even have a house," he said.

A pre-sentencing memo by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow states Daniel P. Lorenz posed under various email addresses suggesting he was a young, female cheerleader and a youth soccer player as a ruse to meet others online and exchange child porn.

SPRINGFIELD — A city man whose computer held hundreds of images of rape, bondage and torture of young girls was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Tuesday.

Daniel P. Lorenz, 45, previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, though he was indicted on several more charges after federal agents raided his home in 2014.

A pre-sentencing memo by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow states Lorenz posed under various email addresses suggesting he was a young, female cheerleader and a youth soccer player as a ruse to meet others online and exchange imagery.

The email handles included cheergirl2012@yahoo.com and sweetsoccergirl2012@live.com, according to court records. Lorenz told investigators he traded child pornography multiple times a week and had "probably" shared lewd images of children nearly a dozen times in the two weeks prior to his 2014 arrest.

"The defendant's collection included a large amount of child pornography including 800 video files," Breslow wrote, before providing U.S. District Judge William G. Young with a list of video files with sexually brutal file names.

Lorenz also created phony social media profiles in the images of a young girl, telling investigators he had arranged to meet with minors he engaged online but never went through with it.

"(Lorenz) was sexually attracted to young girls, 'struggled every day' not to offend; and wanted to get help because he lacked willpower," Breslow said in his memo, quoting the defendant's interview with an FBI agent.

Lorenz's collection included 41 "known victims," meaning girls who reported being sexually abused and photographed or recorded, and have been registered as victims in international databases of exploited children.

Lorenz faced 48 to 121 months under a plea deal with prosecutors. Young sentenced him to the high end of the guidelines. He had been held behind bars pending trial since his arrest nearly two years ago.

Defense lawyer Joseph A. Franco said Lorenz looks forward to getting treatment in prison.

"These types of cases are always difficult for the court to decide," Franco said after the sentencing hearing. "He had a minimal criminal history and he's eager and willing to be actively engaged in counseling."

The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round will be open noon to 4 p.m. from Feb. 15 to 19.

HOLYOKE -- Parents facing winter recess next week, never fear: Redirect that home-bound children's energy to the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round.

The carousel at Holyoke Heritage State Park at 221 Appleton St. is offering special hours during the school vacation of Feb. 15 to 19, when it will be open each day noon to 4 p.m., a press release said.

The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round usually is open only on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are $2 a ride or 6 for $10.

Amenities at the 8-acre park include the Merry-Go-Round gift shop, the park itself, the Visitors' Center, the Holyoke Children's Museum and Volleyball Hall of Fame.

For information call (413) 538-9838 or visit the Merry-Go-Round website or its Facebook page.

The Merry-Go-Round and the pipe band organ at its center were located at Mountain Park on Mount Tom. When the amusement park closed in 1987, volunteers worked to save the carousel. The Merry-Go-Round was moved and opened at its current home Dec. 7, 1993.

The carousel was built in 1927 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and the pipe band organ by Artizan Factories Inc. of North Tonawanda, New York in 1929.

The Holyoke Merry Go Round is a nonprofit that is self-supporting and does not receive city, state or federal funding to maintain its operation. The facility relies on its annual Preservation Fund, donations and various fundraising events to keep the carousel spinning, officials have said.

While nearly all Massachusetts Democratic lawmakers and political leaders have come out in support of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, former State Party Chair Phil Johnston said Tuesday that he's in Bernie Sanders' corner.

MANCHESTER, N.H. ‒ While nearly all Massachusetts Democratic lawmakers and political leaders have come out in support of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, former State Party Chair Philip Johnston said Tuesday that he's in Bernie Sanders' corner.

Speaking from the Radisson Hotel in Manchester as voters headed to the polls for the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, Johnston said he's up in the Granite State promoting the Vermont senator because he believes in Sanders' message.

"I think he's speaking the truth to the American people about the need for campaign finance reform, the cost of college education, the need for health care for every man, woman and child in our country and the need to improve the incomes of middle class Americans," he said in an interview.

Johnston, who chaired the Massachusetts Democratic Party in the early 2000s, beat back claims that Sanders is doing well only in New Hampshire because it's a neighbor to his home state of Vermont, saying that most Granite State voters are more familiar with Massachusetts politics.

"People in Nashua don't know Vermont," he said. "I worked in the Clinton administration myself and I had New England as my area: New Hampshire and Vermont, culturally and politically, are two totally different states."

With the focus soon turning to so-called "Super Tuesday states," the former state party chair said he believes Sanders will do well in Massachusetts' March 1 primary – particularly in the four western counties, but not because they border Vermont.

"I think it has to do with the fact that they're very progressive," he said, pointing to Democratic Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates who have long done well in those counties.

While Johnston expects the Vermont senator to have a good showing of support in Massachusetts' upcoming primary, he said the lack of support Sanders' has seen from state party officials and lawmakers is not surprising.

"I think that if you looked six months ago, it looked like it was a done deal for Hillary and such has not been the case," he said.

Johnston attributed Sanders' success, in part, to his message that resonates with the party's base, independents and some Republicans. He also cited the Vermont senator's authenticity and integrity as other reasons his campaign has gained momentum in recent months.

Despite criticism over how practical Sanders' proposals are to achieve given the current political climate, Johnston argued that "Democrats should always aim high, not low." He called the White House hopeful "a latter-day Franklin Roosevelt," arguing that his proposals are not radical ideas.

"You want always to reach for the stars, you don't want to say: 'it can't be done' – of course it can be done," he said. "If every country in the western civilized world has health care as a right for all of its citizens, we should not take the position that it's impossible for the United States to do it. Affordable college education, of course it's doable. Economic inequity, of course we can raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and it's high time that we do that."

Although polls gave Sanders a double-digit lead over Clinton in New Hampshire heading into Tuesday's election, Johnston said you can never be too sure in the first-in-the-nation primary state.

"I'm not in the predicting business, but everything I see suggests that he's going to have a big night tonight," he said. "And if he does I think there's going to be a very strong message sent around the country."

 

Social Security Administration relies on a 1960s-era system.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Tuesday he is asking Congress for $3.1 billion to update the government's archaic computer systems to protect them from cyberattacks as part of a new, centralized effort to boost cybersecurity.

Obama said he will hire a new chief information security officer -- but whose salary would be paltry compared to those paid by big businesses -- and expand the government's troubled "Einstein" intrusion-prevention technology. Obama said some infrastructure is downright ancient, with the Social Security Administration relying on systems from the 1960s that are vulnerable.

"That's going to have to change," Obama said, flanked by top national security advisers in the Roosevelt Room. "We're going to have to play some catch-up."

Across town, the U.S. director of national intelligence, James Clapper, warned Congress that Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are the most serious threats to U.S. information systems. Clapper also said increasingly connected devices and appliances make the U.S. vulnerable in new ways.

Obama's comments came after the release of his 2017 budget proposal. Obama is asking Congress for $19 billion more in cybersecurity funding across all government agencies -- an increase of more than from 35 percent from last year.

Dubbed the "Cybersecurity National Action Plan," the White House touted the plan as the "capstone" of seven years of work to build a cohesive federal cybersecurity response -- an effort that has often faltered in the past.

Obama said some problems could be fixed relatively quickly, but added he was directing his advisers to focus also on anticipating future threats so that cybersecurity protections can adapt.

"I'm going to be holding their feet to the fire to make sure they execute on this in a timely fashion," Obama said.

Other plans would make it less convenient -- but ostensibly more secure -- for citizens to access their personal records by increasing use of passwords and pin authentication. The budget also proposes that the government reduce the use of Social Security numbers for identification. None of the suggestions appeared groundbreaking or entirely novel. Many were previously suggested in government and industry reports, and some appeared to replicate previous efforts.

"A lot of this stuff is not new," said Randy Sabett, a former National Security Agency crypto-engineer. Sabett worked on a cybersecurity commission report that advised Obama on the subject in 2008. Success would depend on administration leadership, he said, adding: "The window dressing is there; now what's behind the curtains."

The hiring of a single high-level official to deal with cyber intruders in federal government networks establishes a position long in place at companies in the private sector. The job posting Tuesday indicated it will pay between $123,000 and $185,000 -- although the largest companies pay far more for the same job.

The lack of such a government role has been especially notable after hackers stole the personal files of 21 million Americans from the Office of Personnel Management. The U.S. believes the hack was a Chinese espionage operation.

The new security job is expected to be filled in 60 to 90 days, said Tony Scott, the U.S. chief information officer. The White House said that person will report to Scott and set and monitor performance goals for agencies. Scott said the person would make sure strategies are consistently applied across agencies.

It remains to be seen whether the person will have enough authority, said Jacob Olcott, a former congressional legal adviser on cybersecurity.

The budget said U.S. Cyber Command is building a cyber mission force of 133 teams assembled from 6,200 military, civilian and contractors from across military and defense agencies. The force will be fully operational in 2018 but has already been used for some cyber operations.

Many of the proposals such as the new cybersecurity official can be done through existing appropriations or executive authorities, the White House said.

Obama said he expects broad support for what has not been a partisan issue. He said he'd already spoken to House Speaker Paul Ryan about ways Republicans and Democrats could work together.

The plan also calls for expansion of the Homeland Security Department's "Einstein" system, which was created to detect and block cyberattacks on federal agencies. The program received a scathing review last month by the Government Accountability Office, which said it can't deal with complex threats such as previously unknown "zero-day" exploits or problematic system behavior that could signify an attack.

The president also established through executive order a permanent Federal Privacy Council. It will bring together government privacy officials. Obama was also establishing a Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity to make recommendations on government cybersecurity for the next decade.

A Maine man is accused of breaking into the home of a 73-year-old woman early Sunday morning and sexually assaulting her at gunpoint, police said.

A digest of news stories from around New England.