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Democratic town hall: Clinton wants Guantanamo closed; Sanders criticizes CIA

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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders participated in a town hall forum hosted by CNN in Columbia, South Carolina. That state's Democratic Party primary takes place Feb. 27.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders participated in a town hall forum hosted by CNN in Columbia, South Carolina. That state's Democratic Party primary takes place Feb. 27.

Clinton says she supports the effort by President Barack Obama to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

She says the prison is a "continuing recruitment advertisement for terrorists" and that Obama is right to try to close it.

Obama's plan leaves unanswered the politically thorny question of where in the U.S a new facility would be located to house some of the most dangerous inmates. Clinton says that should be a "matter of negotiation" with Republicans, who she hopes will join the effort to shutter the facility.

Clinton is also reiterating her pledge to release transcripts of paid speeches to Wall Street banks only if every other presidential candidate does the same.

Meanshile, Sanders is largely standing by his 1974 critique of the CIA as a "dangerous institution" used to "prop up fascist dictatorships."

Sanders says "that was 40 years ago" and that he believes the CIA plays "an important role." But he says the agency nonetheless has "done things which they should not have done on behalf of the United States government."

Sanders pointed first to Iran's Mohammad Mossadeq, a democratically elected prime minister who was overthrown in 1953, with CIA documents later confirming the agency's role. Sanders says, "That led to the Iranian Revolution, and we are where we are today."

He named the overthrow of Salvadore Allende in Chile, referring to a democratically elected communist who was ousted in a 1973 coup by hard-right dictator Augusto Pinochet. Sanders said Allende had won an election and the CIA overthrew him.


Springfield police bust up alleged heroin ring, arrest 8 in Old Hill drug raid

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The arrests were the result of a lengthy drug investigation, according to police.

SPRINGFIELD — Police broke up an alleged heroin ring and arrested several people in an Old Hill drug raid Tuesday afternoon.

Springfield narcotics officers took eight people into custody and seized more than 2,100 bags of heroin after executing a search warrant at 172 Lebanon St. around 5 p.m.

Three officers were assaulted by a knife-wielding suspect during the raid, according to Sgt. John Delaney, a spokesman for Commissioner John Barbieri.

Detectives Felix Aguirre, James Mazza and Mark Templeman were allegedly assaulted by 47-year-old Ramon Garcia-Delacruz, who lives at the Lebanon Street address. Garcia-Delacruz "brandished a knife and went after the detectives in the performance of their job," Delaney said.

Also arrested were 42-year-old Buena Ventura Mota, 56-year-old Joseph Giordano and 47-year-old Julio Cesar Nazario, all of 172 Lebanon St.; 45-year-old Jose Oscar Mota Zorilla; 20-year-old Amber Boron; 46-year-old Marquez Concepcion; and 23-year-old Shawn Todd Loughman.

Garcia-Delacruz, Mota, Zorilla and Giordano were each charged with heroin trafficking and distribution. Garcia-Delacruz was additionally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

Boron, Marquez Concepcion and Loughman were each charged with heroin possession. Boron was also charged with possession of Suboxone, while Marquez Concepcion had two default warrants, police said.

Nazario was charged with heroin distribution and possession.

In addition to the heroin, police seized seven strips of Suboxone, $4344 in cash, drug packaging materials, and the knife used in the alleged assault.

The suspects were expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Springfield District Court.


Donald Trump wins Nevada Republican caucus, showing broad appeal with third straight win

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Donald Trump notched a win in Nevada's Republican caucuses on Tuesday as Marco Rubio bid to elbow out Ted Cruz for second place in an increasingly urgent effort to slam the brakes on the Trump juggernaut.

LAS VEGAS -- Donald Trump notched a win in Nevada's Republican caucuses on Tuesday as Marco Rubio bid to elbow out Ted Cruz for second place in an increasingly urgent effort to slam the brakes on the Trump juggernaut.

Trump now has three straight victories -- in the West, the South and Northeast -- a testament to his broad appeal among the mad-as-hell voters making their voices heard in the 2016 presidential race.

Six in 10 caucus goers said they were angry with the way the government is working, and Trump got about half of those angry voters, according to preliminary results of an entrance poll.

Nevada was a critical test for Rubio and Cruz, the two senators battling to emerge as the clear alternative to the GOP front-runner. Rubio was out to prove he can build on recent momentum, while Cruz was looking for a spark to recover from a particularly rocky stretch in his campaign.

Rubio, already campaigning in Michigan as caucus results rolled in, was projecting confidence that he can consolidate the non-Trump voters who have been splintering among an assortment of GOP candidates, saying, "we have incredible room to grow."

Cruz, a fiery conservative popular among voters on the GOP's right, finished a disappointing third in South Carolina after spending much of the past two weeks denying charges of dishonest campaign tactics and defending his integrity. Another disappointing finish in Nevada would raise new questions about his viability heading into a crucial batch of Super Tuesday states on March 1.

"There's something wrong with this guy," Trump said with his usual measure of tact during a massive Las Vegas rally Monday night. The former reality television star tweeted on Tuesday, "He used him as a scape goat-fired like a dog! Ted panicked."

Nevada's caucusing played out in schools, community centers and places of worship across the state -- a process that's been chaotic in the past.

Count Tracy Brigida, fed up after her husband was laid off from his mining job, among those caucusing for Trump.

"I want a businessman to run the biggest business in the world," Brigida said as she caucused at a Las Vegas high school.

Jeremy Haight drove straight from his marketing job to caucus for Marco Rubio at the same high school.

"He's the most level-headed. He hasn't said anything stupid or crazy ... which is really what I think the country needs," Haight said.

It was Cruz for Megan Ortega, who declared: "He's consistent, he's bold and he's a class act."

Preliminary results of the entrance poll found that about 3 in 10 early caucus goers said the quality that mattered most to them in choosing a candidate was that he shares their values, slightly more than the quarter who said they want a candidate who can win in November. About a quarter said they want a candidate who can bring change. About 2 in 10 want one who "tells it like it is."

Nevada state marks the first Republican election in the West, the fourth of the campaign. And it's not one that's gotten much attention from the GOP candidates.

Through Tuesday, the Republican candidates and the super PACs supporting them had spent a combined $3.8 million on television and radio advertisements in Nevada -- less than a tenth of the $39.3 million spent ahead of last weekend's South Carolina primary, according to Kantar Media's CMAG data.

That primary reduced a GOP field that included a dozen candidates a month ago to five, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush the latest to drop out after a disappointing finish in South Carolina. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson remain in the race and could play spoilers as the trio of leading candidates, Trump, Cruz and Rubio, battle for delegates with an increasing sense of urgency.

Trump's rivals concede they are running out of time to stop him.

The election calendar suggests that if the New York billionaire's rivals don't slow him by mid-March, they may not ever. Trump swept all of South Carolina's 50 delegates, giving him a total of 67 compared to Cruz and Rubio who have 11 and 10, respectively.

There are 30 delegates at stake in Nevada, awarded to candidates in proportion to their share of the statewide vote so long as they earn at least 3.33 percent. While proportional contests give Trump's weaker rivals a chance to accumulate delegates, proportional contests also make it difficult to catch up if one candidate runs up a significant lead.

After finishing third in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire and second in South Carolina, Rubio needs a win soon to support the idea that he is the prime heir to Bush's supporters.

Indeed, Republican establishment heavyweights have been flooding to Rubio in recent days, including Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch. South Florida's three Cuban-American members of Congress announced their support for him in the hours before the Nevada contest.

The entrance poll survey was conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks by Edison Research as Republican voters arrived at 25 randomly selected caucus sites in Nevada.

Pittsfield crime: 2 alleged armed robbery suspects flee, but not very far

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Arrested were 34-year-old Lionel Ortiz and 37-year-old Vincent Thaxter. Both men were expected to be arraigned on armed robbery charges Wednesday in Central Berkshire District Court in Pittsfield.

PITTSFIELD — Police quickly nabbed two men who allegedly robbed a city convenience store on Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities responded to a 3:50 p.m. report of an armed robbery at the Lipton Mart on South Street, Pittsfield Police Lt. Gary Traversa said.

The suspects fled in a vehicle, but they didn't get very far. Officers spotted the car near the intersection of South Street and Gamwell Avenue, just a block south of the convenience store, and took the suspects into custody without incident.

Arrested were 34-year-old Lionel Ortiz and 37-year-old Vincent Thaxter. Both men were expected to be arraigned on armed robbery charges Wednesday in Central Berkshire District Court in Pittsfield. Additional charges may be forthcoming, Traversa said.

Authorities did not indicate what sort of weapon was used in the robbery, nor did they say if any money was taken from the store. The incident was Pittsfield's 13th armed robbery in about three months.


MAP showing approximate location of armed robbery:


 

Northwestern DA released names of 2 killed in Montague collision with truck

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The dead were identified as Anthony Darling and Brittney Wheeler, both 24 and residents of Millers Falls.

MONTAGUE - The Northwestern District Attorney's Office on Tuesday released the identities of two people killed Monday in a head-on collision on Route 63 between a sedan and a tractor trailer.

According to Mary Carey, spokeswoman for DA David Sullivan, killed were Anthony Darling and Brittney Wheeler, both 24 and of Millers Falls.

The accident occurred at around 5 a.m. in the area of 250 Federal St.

According to Carey, the sedan carrying carrying Darling and Wheeler was traveling southbound when it collided with an oncoming tractor trailer traveling northbound. 

Preliminary analysis of the scene indicates the collision occurred in the northbound lane, she said. 

It closed Federal Street in both directions for several hours as police and emergency services cleared the debris from the scene.

The driver of the truck was uninjured.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

The section of road where the crash occurred has a curve. An article published in the the Greenfield Recorder on Monday quotes a resident of the road who said she has seen three accidents in the curve in about a year.

Construction planned for Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center on Mill Street in Springfield

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Construction on the facility is set to begin on March 1.

SPRINGFIELD — The relocation of the Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center to Mill Street is well underway with construction expected to begin between March 1 and April 1.

"The process with DCAMM is done," said Steve O'Neil, community affairs officer for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

O'Neil was referring to a 10-year lease signed by the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, building owner Jeremy Lederer and Sheriff Michael Ashe.

"We are going full steam ahead with the project," Ashe said.

"While respectfully engaging with the community," O'Neil added.

The program will be relocated to the former Ring Nursing Home at 149-151 Mill St. after being pushed out of the city's South End to make room for the MGM Springfield casino. The program is temporarily located at the Holyoke Geriatric Authority.

O'Neil said he is working with residents to establish a neighborhood advisory committee which will consist of representatives from non-profits and businesses in the neighborhood as well as community members.

Ward 3 City Councilor Melvin Edwards, who also serves as the president of the Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood Council, said nominations for the four available resident slots are being evaluated now.

"I would like to see two people who are supportive of the project sit on the board as well as two people who have concerns or are against the project," he said.

Edwards said there will be a discussion about the committee appointments during the next scheduled meeting of the neighborhood council which is set for March 8 at the Mason Wright Retirement Community.

While there have been mixed reactions about the relocation, with residents expressing concerns about their lack of involvement in the decision making process, there have also been local leaders who have spoken in favor of the facility including the Revival Time Evangelistic Center's senior pastor Steven R. Williams as well as Archbishop Timothy Paul Baymon, of the Greater Springfield Council of Churches.

Williams said his congregation worked with the inmates at Howard Street through a Bible study program and never had any issues. He wrote a letter supporting the relocation.

"I don't play politics and I stand as my own man. ...The residents of Howard Street are not violent criminals, they are people like you and I who just need an opportunity for treatment and recovery. ... On behalf of me and the Revival Times Florence Street church congregation we support and welcome the sheriff's department relocation," the letter states.

O'Neil said the sheriff's department and the addiction center staff will gain the support of the majority of the community in the coming months.

"Our experience after 30 years on Howard Street is that they were lamenting our leaving," he said. "We will win the majority of the neighborhood over, we are confidant about that."

Springfield biomass hearing to continue as health council members seek more information

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The city's Public Health Council voted to keep open a public meeting on the controversial plans for a biomass plant in East Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- The city's Public Health Council voted to keep open a public meeting on the controversial plans for a biomass plant in East Springfield, after councilors said they wanted more time to research the issue.

The hearing, which had its first session on Jan. 20, will lead to an eventual vote on whether the council will initiate site assignment proceedings for the project -- a regulatory step supported by critics of the plant, but which attorney's for developer Palmer Renewable Energy say could lead them to file a $200 million lawsuit against the city.

Council member Dr. Jeffrey Scavron said that he had reached out for input from the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards but had not heard back, and requested more time to make inquiries. 

"That's the thing on my agenda I still feel uncomfortable about," he said.

Springfield Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris said she had intended to close the meeting, which had been kept open following the lengthy discussion on Jan. 20, but added that she had no issue with the council taking more time on the matter.

The council needs to review transcripts of the Jan. 20 meeting before a vote is held.

"We have a lot of reading that needs to be done," Caulton-Harris said.

Caulton-Harris also announced the resignation of council chair Gloria Wilson, whose successor will be appointed by Mayor Domenic Sarno.

"She resigned because she is in school and did not feel she could devote the amount of time she needed to this discussion," Caulton-Harris said.

The Jan. 20 hearing featured detailed presentations from both developer Palmer Renewable Energy and opponents of the project. Critics highlighted alleged pollution and health risks while the company's attorney told the council that efforts to block the project are unlawful -- and could trigger a $200 million lawsuit against the city.

Palmer Renewable Energy's engineering and health consultants delivered testimony defending the project, telling the council it was safe and efforts to block it unlawful.

While critics, including Michaelann Bewsee, a long-time opponent of the project and an activist with Arise for Social Justice, argued that the emissions limits set by the Department of Environmental Protection are not sufficient to protect public health.

The hearing sought to address competing claims by the project's attorneys and local opponents of the plant. It was punctuated with applause for the project's opponents from the crowd of approximately 75 residents who attended the two-hour hearing at Central High School and overwhelmingly opposed the project.

Oregon standoff: Ammon Bundy, others plead not guilty; judge aims to avoid trial delay

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Ten of initial 16 defendants in federal conspiracy case appeared in court Wednesday and entered not guilty pleas to a one-count indictment. Six others waived their appearances and entered not guilty pleas through their lawyers. Watch video

U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown said Wednesday she will push to try the federal conspiracy case stemming from the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as soon as practically possible.

"My firm assertion is the case will be tried sooner than a year from now unless something makes that impossible,'' Brown said in court.

As the hearing began, every spot in the 14th floor courtroom was filled, with 10 defendants in the case and their lawyers seated in the jury box.

Ammon Bundy, the leader of the occupation, and co-defendant Ryan Payne sat between their lawyers at two defense tables. U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones, who is assigned to a related case with nine co-defendants, sat in the witness stand. A ring of more defense lawyers sat around the edges of the courtroom, with federal marshals seated on each side of the jury box.

Ten of the original 16 people indicted in the alleged conspiracy appeared in court and entered not guilty pleas. Of those, Kenneth Medenbach said he wished to represent himself and was not ready to issue a plea yet, but the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Six others waived their right to appear at the arraignment.

After the judge explained their rights to a trial and their presumption of innocence, several of the defendants directly challenged her assertions.

"It's difficult to understand the presumption of innocence when I've spent the last month in a jail cell and led around in chains wherever I go,'' Payne said.

Brown said she understood his concerns, but noted that his detention was a separate matter.

Co-defendant Ryan Bundy, standing beside his lawyer in the jury box, grabbed hold of a wireless microphone that the lawyers were passing from one to another and told the court that he shared the same reservation. He is Ammon Bundy's older brother.

"We're being treated as we're guilty,'' he said. "So I don't understand the presumption of innocence.''

Co-defendant Jason Patrick, when asked if he understood his constitutional rights, replied, "I understand I have no rights at all. You're the federal government. You're going to do whatever you want.''

And David Fry, the last to surrender to federal officers on Feb. 11, joined in, "It's weird - innocent until proven guilty - shackled up.''

Twenty-five people have been indicted on a single federal conspiracy charge, accused of impeding the work of federal officers at the wildlife refuge through force, intimidation and threats. The takeover began Jan. 2 and lasted 41 days, partly to protest federal control of public land.

Federal prosecutors said they expect a grand jury to return two superseding indictments against all 25 defendants.

The first one is expected in mid-March to early April that will add all 25 defendants under one indictment. They are now charged under two separate indictments. The first superseding indictment may include some "modification'' to the charges, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Knight said.

A second superseding indictment might be returned in 90 days, Knight told the court -- drawing a rebuke from the judge.

"Ninety days is simply beyond belief to me,'' Brown said. She urged the U.S. Attorney's Office to get the resources it needs to bring charges against the defendants sooner.

If the government plans to bring additional charges, Brown warned, "It had better do so promptly.''

"I do not intend to have this matter delayed in anyway,'' the judge said.

The FBI announced Tuesday that it had completed its examination of evidence at the refuge in Harney County. Firearms and dozens of electronics recovered from the site are being processed and hundreds of artifacts in culturally sensitive areas are being examined, Knight said.

The judge said that a tentative trial date had been set for April 29, although court papers indicated an April 19 date.

Defendants are seeking a speedy trial, but federal prosecutors have urged the court to designate the case as "complex,'' partly because the number of defendants and volume of discovery, and set a trial date sometime in 2017.

Brown did not set a new trial date, but said she would consider the matter at a status hearing on March 9.

The judge did note there was no debate on the difficulty in figuring out the seating arrangement for Wednesday's hearing --  "just the complexity of getting you all in one room for this conference.''

Brown also demanded to know when prosecutors would turn over discovery evidence to defense lawyers, who said they hadn't received any yet. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Barrow said he'd share evidence with defense lawyers in 14 days, including 300 to 500 pages of FBI reports.

That isn't fast enough, the judge told him.

She ordered prosecutors to turn over some material to defense lawyers by March 4.

Brown said she appreciated the government's sensitivity in gathering the evidence in an organized fashion for defense lawyers, but their clients have already "been in custody four weeks. They need to get information.''

Defense lawyers have arranged to travel to the refuge Thursday to begin videotaping and photographing the site, escorted by federal officers. The judge declined a request by Ammon Bundy's lawyers to allow their client to be transported to the refuge as well so he could help pinpoint what may be significant.

When the judge dismissed his lawyer Lissa Casey's concerns about getting enough time to examine the evidence at the refuge, Ammon Bundy stood up beside Casey, only to be quickly admonished by Brown to "Sit down sir.'' And, he did.

Defense lawyers have from noon to 5 p.m.  Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to take photos or videos at the refuge site.

The judge set a Feb. 29 date for defendant Pete Santilli, an independent broadcaster, to argue for a review of his continued detention. Medenbach stood briefly to read his "motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction,'' but the judge said he could do so at a later date.

Before the hearing, a family of Bundy supporters broke out in song in the staid hallway outside the courtroom. "When love shines in,'' "when tomorrow comes,'' and "you're my flashlight,'' were among the lyrics.

Mother Odalis Sharp said she drove with eight of her 10 children from Kansas to support the defendants in the case. She said they face injustice, and "God-fearing, land-loving people are standing for them.''

The Sharp family sat in the second row of the courtroom gallery. Odalis Sharp had her Bible open on her lap during the proceeding, with one of her younger daughters resting her head on her mother's lap at times.

spiritdrivenvan.JPGThe Sharp family of singers drove off after the federal court hearing in Portland in their blue van with the words, "Spirit Driven'' on the side. (Maxine Bernstein |The Oregonian) 

Ammon Bundy turned in his seat and blew them a kiss when they entered.

Victoria Sharp, 18, who was riding in Robert "LaVoy" Finicum's truck and was among those stopped by police Jan. 26 when the occupation leaders were arrested, also attended the hearing with her family. She gave a thumbs-up to Jason Patrick, who smiled from the jury box.

Finicum, a spokesman for the occupation, was shot and killed by police during the traffic stop when he drove away and then reached in his jacket for a gun, the FBI said.

Several defendants also waved to the Sharps from the jury box.

After court, the family sang on the steps outside the federal courthouse in downtown Portland. They then drove off in their blue van that read "Spirit Driven'' on the outside, with Finicum's cattle brand 'LVF' etched into a back window.


10 least ticketed cars in America

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These 10 cars get the least number of tickets in America.

20 most ticketed cars in America

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Which cars get the most tickets?

Bomb threat prompts temporary evacuation of Maynard High School, one of several schools targeted by hoaxsters

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Massachusetts officials have been grappling with a spate of school threats that have continued virtually unabated since January.

MAYNARD — Even though it was determined to be a low-credibility bomb threat, officials temporarily evacuated Maynard High School on Tuesday morning after a woman found a note saying there was a bomb at the school on Tiger Drive.

"After a thorough search of the high school, we determined there was no risk to the safety of students, staff and faculty," Maynard Police Chief Mark W. Dubois said, adding that the incident remains under investigation.

Maynard wasn't the only Eastern Massachusetts school to receive such a threat on Tuesday. Officials at Woburn Memorial High School were faced with a similar scenario after receiving a robo-call that contained a bomb threat, Fox25 reports. Woburn police determined that threat was unfounded and cleared the scene.

The incidents on Tuesday followed multiple bomb threats at various Massachusetts schools on Monday, when at least 10 schools in the eastern part of the state were targeted by hoaxsters. This winter has been especially tough for Bay State school officials, who have been grappling with a spate of threats that have continued virtually unabated since January.

In Maynard, a resident called police around 7 a.m. to report finding a note on her car's windshield that indicated there was a bomb at the Tiger Drive high school. Authorities determined the threat to be a "low risk," police said.

Only a few students had to be evacuated because the note was found before the start of school on Tuesday, police said. Students who arrived during the bomb scare were sent to neighboring Fowler Middle School.

Maynard police and firefighters were assisted by school officials and maintenance staff. School officials allowed students to return to the high school around 8 a.m., after a search of the building turned up no suspicious devices.


 

Wall Street posts modest gain following rocky start

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The Dow Jones industrial average rose 53 points to close at 16,4845.

By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK -- The stock market reversed steep declines and ended slightly higher on Wednesday, thanks in part to a pickup in the price of crude oil.

Indexes continue to be weighed down by bank stocks, which remain under pressure due to economic unease and worries about the amount of loans on their books to struggling oil and gas companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 53.21 points, or 0.3 percent, to 16,484.99. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 8.53 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,929.80 and the Nasdaq composite rose 39.02 points, or 0.9 percent, to 4,542.61.

Stocks had been dramatically lower earlier in the day, with the Dow down as much as 265 points. However as oil prices recovered through the day, so did energy stocks and the broader market. After being down nearly 4 percent earlier, oil closed up 28 cents, or 1 percent, to $32.15 a barrel. The energy component of the S&P 500, which had been down roughly 2 percent, closed up 1 percent.

"As goes oil, so goes everything," said Ian Winer, co-head of equities trading at Wedbush Securities.

The market's only place of weakness by the end of trading was the financial sector. Bank stocks had some of the biggest losses, and the financial services component of the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent.

Despite substantial gains in recent days, many investors remain hesitant to commit more money to the market and don't need much reason to sell, analysts say. Bank stocks are often a proxy for how well an economy is expected to do, since loans can sour during an economic slowdown. While oil rose on Tuesday, the pressure on the commodity prices seems to be ever downward.

While oil rose 1 percent Wednesday, crude fell 4 percent the day before after Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, told a meeting of energy leaders in Houston that production cuts aimed at supporting falling crude prices won't work. He said that the market should instead let some operators go out of business.

"Fundamentally, there's nothing that shows the U.S. economy is faltering here. But people continue to be worried about low commodity prices and there is general unease that has lingered from how the markets started this year," said David Kelly, chief investment strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note edged rose to 1.75 percent from 1.72 percent.

In other energy trading, heating oil rose 3.7 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $1.059 a gallon, wholesale gasoline futures rose 4.4 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $1.01 a gallon and natural gas fell 0.4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $1.778 per thousand cubic feet. Brent crude oil, which is used to price oil internationally, rose $1.14, or 3.4 percent, to $34.10 a barrel in London.

In metals trading, gold closed up $16.50, or 1.3 percent, to $1,239.10 an ounce, silver rose 5.2 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $15.33 an ounce and high-grade copper futures fell 0.8 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $2.101 a pound.

The dollar rose to 112.05 yen from 111.97 yen in the previous day's trading. The euro was mostly unchanged unchanged at $1.1011.

Missing Pittsfield teen Kanaya Pellot has been found, according to police

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Authorities did not release many details, but they said the 13-year-old girl was located and turned over to her legal guardian.

PITTSFIELD -- Kanaya Pellot, a 13-year-old runaway from Pittsfield who was reported missing on Tuesday, was found safe on Wednesday evening, according to Pittsfield police, who posted the news on the department's Facebook page.

Authorities emphasized that the child was not wanted in connection with a crime, but rather fled to avoid being turned over to the custody of her legal guardian.

That prompted police to publicly release Pellot's photo and ask citizens for help finding her.

Additional details about the case, including where she was located, were unavailable. 

13 year old Kanaya Pellot was located this evening. Thank you all for sharing.

Posted by Pittsfield Police Department on Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Hadley Select Board OKs alcohol license, storage tank permit for proposed Pride Route 9 gas station and store

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The vote for the beer and wine license for Pride was 3 to 2 in favor.

HADLEY - After several hearings, concerns about how the project has unfolded, the Hadley Select Board Wednesday night agreed to issue both a license for two underground storage tanks and a beer and wine license to the Pride Station CEO Robert Bolduc for his site on Route 9.

The vote for the beer and wine license, however, was 3 to 2 while the storage tank license  vote was unanimous.

Board members Mollie Keegan and Gerald Devine opposed the beer and wine license. Keegan had concerns about the location and Devine about all the past issues with the company.

Even members who supported the license had caveats and concerns.

Bolduc bought the former Aqua Vitae site in 2008 and plans to build a Pride gas station with a convenience store there.

He initially applied for the licenses in August, but withdrew, re-filing his request in December.

The Select Board continued the hearings after the Conservation Commission had issued a stop work order because the company started cutting down and clearing trees without proper permits.

The board wanted those issues resolved before issuing the licenses to the Springfield-based company.

The board continued them earlier this month as well at the request of Pride corporate attorney James R. Channing.

He asked for the continuation because only four board members were present when five were present when the hearing opened last month and because the storage tank license request had not be continued.

Channing talked about three non-compliance violations filed with the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission but subsequently they have been rectified.

Also Fire Chief Michael Spanknebel read a letter expressing concerns about past dealings with Pride including a car fire in December.

He was not happy with how Bolduc responded.

"We've made it clear we will be watching closely," he said.

There were also safety concerns at the Aqua Vitae site before the buildings were razed and concerns about the condition of the buildings.

Beer and wine will be monitored and the shop will not sell kegs, Marsha Del Monte, president of the company, said.

"We take our responsibility very seriously," she said, referring to ensuring safety with alcohol.

She also said that she is in charge of the operation, with Boldoc only a consultant now. She said she will repsond to issues and he will not be on the contact lists.

"If you're going to be a community partner and ask for this beer and wine license, you have to be responsible for this," Spanknebel said.

Channing said if there are issues the license can be revoked. 

Pride plans to bring plans to the Planning Board next week.

Holyoke's high performance computing center to show 'experimental' solar facility

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The goal is that the new solar facility will show whether such renewable energy can be harnessed to help in powering the massive high performance computing center in Holyoke as it researches topics from mapping Lou Gehrig's Disease to predicting earthquakes.

HOLYOKE -- An experimental, solar-powered "microdata center" called MassNZ will be unveiled beside the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center at 100 Bigelow St. Friday at 10:15 a.m.

"MassNZ reinforces Holyoke's growing reputation as a leader in green energy, a hotbed of innovation and a magnet for academic and industrial investment," Mayor Alex B. Morse said in a press release. "It will also serve as an educational asset for local high schools and community colleges."

The experimental nature of the small Mass Net Zero Data Center (MassNZ) -- at 200 square feet, about the size of a one-vehicle garage -- lies in learning how much energy can be relied on from such a renewable source as solar. The goal is to help in powering an institution such as the computing center, an academic research hub that features thousands of computers that are "voracious users of energy," one official said.

Solar panels are located next to the small facility. Inside it are renewable cooling systems as well as batteries and micro-flywheels for energy storage, along with computer server, storage and network systems, said the press release from Pamela Jonah of Howell Communications in Boston.

The facility and solar panels take up an area 100 feet long by 30 feet wide, John T. Goodhue, computing center executive director, said in a phone interview.

The Holyoke Gas and Electric Department (HGE) provided the battery packs that are inside the facility and the connections linking the facility to the power grid, HGE Manager James M. Lavelle said in a phone interview.

The $165 million computing center opened Nov. 16, 2012 between Appleton and Cabot streets. The property formerly was Mastex Industries, which made fabric used for airbags and Armed Forces and industrial uses.

The partners in the computing center are Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts, Boston University, Northeastern University, EMC Corp., of Hopkinton, an information storage, back-up and recovery firm, and Cisco Systems Inc., a California-based internet network equipment maker.

Among topics researched at the computing center are how atmospheric aerosols impact climate, understanding micron-sized particles' movement inside acoustic fields, designing data security systems, mapping Lou Gehrig's Disease, studying banana blight in Costa Rica, ways to predict earthquakes and the science of how fluids move, according to Goodhue and the computing center website.

"Data centers play an indispensable role in our increasingly connected world, but they are voracious users of energy," UMass-Amherst Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy said. "MassNZ is a hands-on research and educational resource that will help us understand how to decrease a data center's energy footprint and increase its use of renewable energy in an era when we are striving to reduce dependence on fossil fuels."

Goodhue.jpgExecutive Director John T. Goodhue discusses components of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center in a tour Sept. 2, 2015. 


Christopher Hill, principal research engineer and director of research computing at MIT's Program in Atmospheres, Oceans and Climate, the new facility addresses the three obstacles faced by data center's that rely on thousands of computers and so much energy.

"There are three major obstacles to research in sustainable data center design: availability of experimental infrastructure to enable realistic prototyping and evaluation, availability of realistic use cases from a state-of-the-art green data center and real-time visibility into the utility infrastructure that provides data center power," Hill said.

The computing center is tax exempt, but in 2013 agreed to pay the city $80,000 a year based on the annual tax revenue due on the property before the center took over the seven parcels that comprise the site.


Hubbardston teenager killed, brother hospitalized after crash in Barre

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Brittany Murch, 17, died in Wednesday morning's crash on Route 62.

BARRE -- Police say a Hubbardston teenager was killed and her brother was hospitalized when the car she was driving struck a tree.

Barre police patch.jpg 
The Telegram & Gazette reports that 17-year-old Brittany Murch died in Wednesday morning's crash on Route 62 in Barre.

Her brother, 15-year-old Griffin Murch, was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center with serious injuries. There's no word on his current condition.

Police believe Brittany Murch was on her way to school in Barre when she lost control of her car and hit a tree.

Quabbin Regional School District had delayed classes by two hours Wednesday morning because of icy roads.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Apple CEO: Complying with FBI demand to unlock San Bernardino gunman's phone 'bad for America'

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Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday that it would be "bad for America" if his company complied with the FBI's demand for help unlocking an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday that it would be "bad for America" if his company complied with the FBI's demand for help unlocking an encrypted iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.

Cook said he's prepared to take the dispute to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also said he would try to make his case directly to President Barack Obama, although he did not say when or where they would meet.

In his first interview since the controversy erupted last week, Cook told ABC News that it was a difficult decision to resist a court order directing Apple to override security features on an iPhone used by Syed Farook, one of two extremists who killed 14 people in the Southern California city in December.

"Some things are hard and some things are right, and some things are both. This is one of those things," Cook said. The interview came as both sides in the dispute are courting public support, through interviews and published statements, while also mustering legal arguments in the case.

Federal officials have said they're only asking for narrow assistance in bypassing some security features on the iPhone, which they believe may contain information related to the mass murders. Apple has argued that doing so would make other iPhones more susceptible to hacking by authorities or criminals in the future.

The Apple chief expressed sympathy for the shooting victims' families, and said his company provided engineers and technical advice to authorities investigating the case. But he said authorities are now asking the company "to write a piece of software that we view as sort of the equivalent of cancer."

The software could "expose people to incredible vulnerabilities," Cook added, arguing that smartphones contain private information about users and even their families.

"This would be bad for America," he said. "It would also set a precedent that I believe many people in America would be offended by."

Cook disputed FBI Director James Comey's argument that the court order applies to only one phone.

"If a court can ask us to write this piece of software, think about what else they could ask us to write," Cook said. "Maybe it's an operating system for surveillance. Maybe it's the ability for law enforcement to turn on the camera. I mean I don't know where this stops."

A Department of Justice spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Apple is expected to file its legal response to the judge's order by Friday.

Springfield police investigate reports of gunfire, 'possible home invasion' in Indian Orchard

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Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots and seeing two men wearing masks as they fled from a home on Banner Street on Wednesday night, Feb. 24.

SPRINGFIELD — Police were called to investigate a shooting report in the Indian Orchard section of the city on Wednesday night.

There were no apparent injuries in the incident, which was reported at 7:56 p.m. in the area of 9 Banner St. Witnesses said they heard as many as four gunshots near the corner of Banner and Main streets, and one person reported seeing two men wearing ski masks fleeing the area.

Multiple police units responded to the call, which initially was characterized as a "possible home invasion." It was unknown if any shooting evidence was recovered at the scene.

Springfield police alerted Ludlow police due to the proximity of the incident to the bridge crossing the Chicopee River into Ludlow.

"I know there's not really a lot to give, but give whatever you got to Ludlow in case someone's leaking over the bridge," a Springfield lieutenant told a police dispatcher, referring to any preliminary information about the incident or descriptions of the suspects.

The section of Indian Orchard where the incident occurred is about four blocks from the Wilbraham town line.


MAP showing approximate location of shooting report:


 

Powerball winning numbers for Wednesday's $237.8 million jackpot

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Here are Wednesday's winning Powerball numbers.

The Powerball jackpot keeps getting bigger, keeping hopes alive of a huge payoff for anyone who spent $2 for a ticket to the latest drawing.

Here are Wednesday's winning numbers:

21-31-64-65-67, Powerball: 05, PowerPlay: X3

The estimated jackpot is $237.8 million. The lump sum payment before taxes will be more than $156 million.

Powerball is held in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

A $2 ticket gives you a one in 292.2 million chance at joining the hall of Powerball champions.

On Oct. 7, the Powerball Lottery altered the number of red and white balls to try and increase the number of secondary prize winners while making it harder to win the top prize.The previous odds were 1 in 175 million.

The drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Deadline to purchase tickets is 9:45 p.m.

National Grid reporting power outages in Hampden, Worcester, Plymouth and Middlesex counties

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Hampden County had the highest number of outages as of 11 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, followed by Plymouth County.

SPRINGFIELD — National Grid was reporting no power for some of its customers in Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex and Plymouth counties on Wednesday night, though only several hundred customers were ultimately affected by the outages.

As of 11 p.m., about 390 customers in Hampden County were in the dark, including 299 in Palmer, 73 in Monson and about 18 in Brimfield.

Plymouth County had the second-highest number of outages at 166, while Middlesex was reporting about 45 outages and Worcester 11.

National Grid said power was expected to be restored by midnight in Plymouth and Middlesex counties, and by around 12:45 a.m. in Hampden and Worcester counties.


 


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