James J. Smith, 37, accused of creating and distributing child pornography - including some photos distributed locally - has been released on reduced bail.

NORTHAMPTON -- A 37-year-old man accused of creating and distributing child pornography -- including some photos distributed locally -- has been released on reduced bail.

James J. Smith, who has addresses listed in court documents in both Easthampton and Florence, has pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to one count of posing or exhibiting a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct, two counts of possession of child pornography, and 11 counts of dissemination of child pornography.

Smith was accused of taking at least one inappropriate photograph of a young girl he knew in October of 2013 when she was under 10 years old. The incident occurred in Easthampton, the indictment states.

The charges against him also allege that he sent child pornography to several people through email and Facebook in the end of 2014, though court documents do not specify if it was the photograph or photographs he allegedly took. One of the people he is alleged to have sent child pornography to lives in Chicopee, according to the indictment.

Smith had been held on $50,000 bail since his arraignment Sept. 25, 2015, but Judge Mary-Lou Rup reduced bail to $15,000 in January and then on Tuesday, allowed another defense motion to reduce it to $10,000. Smith was bailed the same day.

In court Wednesday, the prosecutor in the case, Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Caleb Weiner, said the girl is expected to testify against Smith at the trial. He also said the guardian of the girl has not been willing to cooperate with him so it is not easy for him to get in touch with the girl.

The trial has been tentatively scheduled for sometime in July, after defense attorney Rachel Weber of the Committee for Public Counsel Services asked to delay it because she has "voluminous discovery" to go through.

Smith's address was listed in documents as both 53 Holyoke St., Unit 2 in Easthampton and 68 Golden Drive in Florence.

Holyoke's 109-year-old armory partially collapsed Feb. 29 and the long-vacant building sustained a further cave-in Thursday with no injuries reported in either case.

HOLYOKE -- The fence around the already partially collapsed armory at Pine and Sargeant streets did its job Thursday when much of the remainder of the middle part of the building caved in, with debris remaining in the contained area, an official said.

"Nothing really made it outside the fence. It did what it was supposed to do," Building Commissioner Damian J. Cote said.

Fire Chief John A. Pond also said the fencing should serve to corral debris if additional collapsing occurs.

But since a possible plan is to try to salvage the castle-style front of the building, the city should move sooner rather than later to close the now-exposed, weakened-bricks rear part of the armory that had been connected to the part of the building that is now mostly collapsed. The front section of the armory, which overlooks Sargeant Street, is stable but wasn't meant to stand alone, Cote said.

The initial partial collapse of the 109-year-old former National Guard Armory occurred just after 6 p.m. on Feb. 29. Cote said that was probably due to broken rain gutters leaving water to run over the bricks for years to weaken the mortar.

Residents that night reported hearing a rumbling and seeing clouds of white dust, a similar report that occurred Thursday around 8 a.m. when the middle part of the armory building crumbled, officials said.

No injuries have been reported in the incidents at the armory.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said Wednesday that over the next month, he will submit a plan to the City Council to transfer ownership of the armory at 163 Sargeant St. from the city to the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority. That will help in marketing the property to change it to private ownership and make the site a taxpaying entity, he said.

The early plan is to salvage the front part of the red-brick structure that has crenellated turrets and looks like a castle.

Morse also will seek proposals from contractors about the cost to demolish the rest of the back, busted-up part of the armory and the cost to take down the whole thing, he said.

Cote said the $100,000 or so it would cost to demolish the rest of the middle part of the armory is in the city budget. Additional money would be needed if the decision is made to take down the entire structure, he said.

City records show the building was owned by the state until 2004, when it was purchased for $27,500 by a business entity operating as 224-224A Washington Street Inc. Ilya M. Shnayder, founder and CEO of Holyoke-based Atlas Property Management, is listed in state records as the Washington Street company's registered agent and president.

According to documents on file with the Hampden County Registry of Deeds, the City of Holyoke filed a tax taking in March, 2011 over $16,223.05 in unpaid taxes and interest for the 2011 fiscal year. That led to a foreclosure judgment in June, 2013 in which the city took ownership of the building.

The site that became the armory was purchased from the Holyoke Water Power Co. in 1906, according to Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System records. The building was completed and dedicated in 1907 as the home of "the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia."

Additional information can be found at the city's website.

WESTFIELD - City officials have announced that bulk trash pickup will resume Monday.

The service is for the pickup of large items only and all pickups must be by appointment only.

There is restrictions that include only five items per appointment; only the five items listed will be picked up; items must be placed at curbside the night before or before 7 a.m. on the scheduled pickup date and stickers must be placed on the items intended for pickup.

Bagged trash, construction or demolition materials and scrap wood, pressure treated wood, fencing, hazardous waste and paints are prohibited.

The service is for residential properties only and operates from March to November.

Appointments can be made by calling 413-572-6226.

Police said the victim was driving north on Route 202 Wednesday morning when he lost control of his Honda Pilot and flipped over in front of the Second Baptist Church.

SOUTH HADLEY - The Northwestern District Attorney has identified Mederic E. LaFleur, 83, of South Hadley as the elderly man was reportedly killed Wednesday morning in an SUV accident on Route 202.

Emergency personnel were summoned to the crash, which occurred in the area of Helm Street, at about 9:25 a.m.

Mary Carey, spokesman for the Norlthwestern District Attorney's office, identified LaFleur as the elderly man killed in the accident.

South Hadley Police Lt. Steve Parentela said the victim was driving north on Route 202, also known as Granby Road, when he lost contol of his Honda Pilot and flipped over in front of the Second Baptist Church. The man was taken to Holyoke Hospital by South Hadley Fire District 1 ambulance and police were later informed that he had died.

Stocks rose at the open of trading, echoing a surge in markets in Europe, where the central bank announced a series of moves to jolt the region's economy to faster growth. Then, as central bank chief Mario Draghi spoke at a news conference, investors started having second thoughts and stocks sank.

By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK -- Stocks swung between gains and losses on Thursday, then ended right back where they started.

With seconds to close, the Standard and Poor's 500 eked out a gain, finishing just 0.02 percent higher.

Stocks rose at the open of trading, echoing a surge in markets in Europe, where the central bank announced a series of moves to jolt the region's economy to faster growth. Then, as central bank chief Mario Draghi spoke at a news conference, investors started having second thoughts and stocks there sank, as did U.S. markets.

The S&P 500 edged up 0.31 points to end at 1,989.57.The Dow Jones industrial average gave up 5.23 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 16,995.13. It was up as much as 130 points earlier. The Nasdaq composite gave up 12.22 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,662.16.

The new European Central Bank moves included a cut in interest rates, cheap loans to banks and several new measures, such as targeting corporate bonds in its bond-buying program.

The interest rate paid to commercial banks to store money at the central bank was cut further into negative territory, to minus 0.4 percent from minus 0.3 percent. The aim is to get banks to remove the money and use it to make loans, but it's an unprecedented and controversial policy.

"The central bank came out all guns blazing," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at currency trader OANDA.

The bank's efforts also underlined the weakness of the 19-country eurozone and the desperation by monetary authorities to do something about it. The policy announcements ended up rattling investors more than reassuring them.

"The effectiveness of central bank policy has become less and less," said Ernie Cecilia, chief investment officer of Bryn Mawr Trust. "There really isn't a lot of growth to show. Europe is really struggling."

In the U.S., several companies lost ground after releasing disappointing earnings and outlooks. Canadian Solar sank 13 percent and Vail Resorts lost 4 percent.

With nearly all companies out with fourth-quarter results, earnings per share for the S&P 500 are now estimated to have fallen 4.2 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to S&P Capital IQ.

In energy trading, U.S. crude oil shed 1.2 percent after jumping 4.9 percent on Wednesday.

Tim Courtney, chief investment officer of Exencial Wealth Advisors, thinks the drop played a role in dampening the stock market's gains for the day.

"When oil falls, it conjures up images of deflation, inventories piling up and China slowing," he said. For investors to buy more stocks, "they want to see oil markets stabilize."

Among stocks making big moves, Dollar General rose $8.02, or 11 percent, to $83.23 after the company reported that its fourth quarter profit rose almost 6 percent, topping Wall Street expectations.

U.S. crude shed 45 cents to $37.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, lost $1.02, or 2.5 percent, to $40.05 a barrel.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell 3.15 cents, or 2 percent, to $1.439 a gallon, heating oil rose 1.66 cents to $1.216 a gallon and natural gas gained 3.6 cents to $1.788 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In Europe, Germany's DAX lost 2.3 percent, France's CAC 40 fell 1.7 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 gave up 1.8 percent.

U.S government bond prices fell, pushing yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.93 percent from 1.88 percent the day before. In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.1207 from $1.0996 late Wednesday and the dollar fell to 112.97 yen from 113.40 yen.

Industrial and precious metals mostly rose. Gold increased $15.40 to $1,272.80 an ounce. Silver climbed 18.3 cents to $15.55 an ounce and copper slipped 1.25 cents to $2.22 a pound.

Mederic LaFleur died after crashing his Honda Pilot on Route 202 Wednesday morning, March 9, 2016.

SOUTH HADLEY — The 83-year-old man killed in a South Hadley rollover crash shortly before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday has been identified as Mederic E. LaFleur, according to Mary Carey, communications director for Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.

LaFleur was northbound on Route 202 (Granby Road), between roughly Helm and Brook streets, when he lost control of his Honda Pilot and flipped over in front of the Second Baptist Church, police said. He was taken by ambulance to Holyoke Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

"We are still investigating, speaking with witnesses," South Hadley Police Lt. Steve Parentela said Wednesday.

Members of the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Section assisted with the investigation.

MAP showing approximate location of fatal crash:

The 18-year-old woman who was hit by a Jeep Wrangler as she crossed a road in Milton on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as Katelisa Etienne.

MILTON — The teenager who was struck and killed by a motorist while crossing a Milton street on Wednesday has been identified as Katelisa Etienne, Massachusetts State Police officials said Thursday.

Troopers responded to a 3:30 p.m. report of a car-vs-pedestrian accident involving an 18-year-old female who was hit by a Jeep Wrangler while crossing Aberdeen Road at Brush Hill Road, just across the Neponset River from Boston. The Jeep tried to avoid hitting the pedestrian by swerving into the median, police said.

The pedestrian, later identified as Etienne, a Milton High School senior, was taken to Boston Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries, police said.

The driver of the Jeep, a 44-year-old Boston man from Hyde Park, remained on scene. No charges had been filed as of Thursday evening, State Police said.

Meanwhile, Boston police have since confirmed that the driver, Warren Hoppie, is a veteran police sergeant with the Boston Police Department, CBS Boston reports. Hoppie, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, "is deeply saddened about the tragic accident and is cooperating fully with the ongoing State Police investigation," Boston police said.

State Police were assisted at the scene by Milton police, firefighters and EMS personnel.

The judge gave Dion's lawyers until March 18 to inform the court whether he will withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial or whether he will agree to be sentenced without a plea agreement.

BOSTON -- A federal judge has rejected a plea agreement that called for a five- to seven-year prison sentence for an 80-year-old man who ran a multistate marijuana-dealing operation.

Marshall Dion 

Casper had postponed the hearing last month after she questioned both sides about why the proposed sentence was so much lower than the 30-year sentence called for under federal sentencing guidelines.

Authorities said Dion ran a sprawling marijuana enterprise for decades. When police stopped him for speeding in 2013, in Junction City, Kansas, they found about $828,000 in cash in his beat-up pickup truck.

A federal investigation led authorities to Massachusetts and Arizona, where they found about $15 million in cash, nearly 400 pounds of marijuana and ledgers detailing drug deals going back to 1992.

Casper gave Dion's lawyers until March 18 to inform the court whether he will withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial or whether he will agree to be sentenced without a plea agreement. She scheduled a status conference for March 22.

A cocktail reception was held at the MassMutual Center Thursday night which featured a dinner, live music by the Eric Bascom Trio, and a silent auction

SPRINGFIELD - DevelopSpringfield staged its 5th annual Celebrate Springfield Dinner by acknowledging the accomplishments of community volunteers and business leaders who have achieved throughout the year.

A cocktail reception was held at the MassMutual Center Thursday night which featured a dinner, live music by the Eric Bascom Trio, and a silent auction.

Recognized with Partners in Progress awards, were Brian M. Connors, deputy director of Office of Planning and Economic Development for the city of Springfield, Maureen C. Hayes, president of Hayes Development Services, and Ira H. Rubenzahl, president of Springfield Technical Community College.

Attendees included Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Secretary Jay Ash from the Commonwealth Office of Housing and Economic Development, along with city leaders from business and non-profit organizations.

Local residents came together in support of the ongoing efforts to advance development and redevelopment projects which will help economic growth within the city. Proceeds from the celebration will support DevelopSpringfield's redevelopment programs, projects and initiatives.

For more information on the organization cal (413) 209-8808 or log onto www.developspringfield.com

The recall pertains to certain varieties of Wonderful Pistachios, though the Quincy-based supermarket chain said it had received no reports of illnesses to date.

QUINCY — Following a recall by Wonderful Pistachios, Stop & Shop has removed from sale a limited number of flavors and sizes of in-shell and shelled pistachios due to potential salmonella contamination, the Quincy-based supermarket chain announced Thursday.

Stop & Shop has received no reports of illnesses to date, but company officials said they decided to err on the side of caution and voluntarily recall certain types of Wonderful Pistachios.

The following products are included in this recall:

• Wonderful Roasted No Salt Pistachios, 16 oz., UPC 1411391006, with a best by date of 2016 OCT 27 and lot codes of 1509123255901; 1509123256001 and 1509123255601;
• Wonderful Roasted Shelled Salted Pistachios, 6 oz., UPC 1411373406, with a best by date of 2016 OCT 26 and a lot code of 1509123260401;
• and Wonderful Roasted Shelled Salted Pistachios, 6 oz., UPC 1411373406, with a best by date of 2016 NOV 02 and a lot code of 1510123295301.

Customers who have purchased these products should discard them and bring their purchase receipt to any Stop & Shop supermarket for a full refund, company officials said in a press release.

Anyone seeking more information about the recall may reach Wonderful Pistachios at 844-505-3844. In addition, people may call Stop & Shop's Customer Service line at 1.800.767.7772. Customers may also go online at www.stopandshop.com.

Salmonella is estimated to cause 1 million foodborne illnesses in the U.S. annually, with 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps between 12 to 72 hours after infection.

The illness usually lasts four to seven days, with most people recovering without any treatment, the CDC reports. In some cases, however, diarrhea may severe enough to require hospital treatment.

Jorge Ramos, 32, of 106 Orange St., Forest Park, was charged with cocaine trafficking and assault and battery on a person age 60 or older after a road rage incident on Wednesday evening, March 10, 2016, Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney said.

SPRINGFIELD — A city man who allegedly assaulted another man during a road rage incident Thursday evening was charged with drug trafficking after he was found with a large quantity of cocaine, police said.

Jorge Ramos, 32, of 106 Orange St. was charged with cocaine trafficking and assault and battery on a person age 60 or older, both felony crimes, after nearly crashing into a vehicle driven by a 65-year-old man at Cedar and Pine streets around 7 p.m., police said.

Ramos was in a large SUV and driving at a "high rate of speed" when he almost hit the older man's car, police said. "Ramos became enraged and tailgated the elder (man), causing him to be in fear," Sgt. John Delaney said. Ramos then pulled his SUV in front of the man's car, blocking his path of travel, and punched him in the face, Delaney said.

Ramos fled the scene, leaving the older man with a bloody nose, Delaney said. The alleged victim made his way to Central Street, where he saw some police officers and reported the incident. The officers, members of the city's Street Crimes Unit, spotted Ramos speeding out of a parking lot on Pine Street and pulled him over.

Officers subsequently discovered that Ramos was in possession of 20 grams of cocaine, Delaney said. He was taken into police custody for the night and is expected to be arraigned Friday in Springfield District Court.

The four remaining Republican presidential hopefuls went head-to-head for the 12th time Thursday, as they met in Miami for the party's penultimate debate of the 2016 election cycle.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ The four remaining Republican presidential hopefuls went head-to-head for the 12th time Thursday, as they met in Miami for the party's penultimate debate of the 2016 election cycle.

With time running out to garner support for their respective White House bids, the candidates squared-off over immigration, Social Security, U.S.-Cuba relations and a series of other issues as they sought to make their cases to voters in Florida and other states that have yet to weigh-in on the GOP primary contest.

For Donald Trump, who leads the field in delegates and primary wins, the prime time event broadcast from the University of Miami, offered an opportunity to shore up support in key primary states and solidify his status as the Republican presidential front-runner.

The three lower polling contenders, meanwhile, sought to use the debate, sponsored by CNN, Salem Media Group and The Washington Times, to chip away at the businessman, whose campaign has largely been immune to attacks waged by Democrats and Republicans alike.

CNN's Jake Tapper served as the debate moderator with CNN's Dana Bash, Salem talk radio host Hugh Hewitt and The Washington Times' Stephen Dinan joining in asking questions.

Here are five takeaways from the prime time event:

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus stressed that the Republican Party will support whomever becomes the party's nominee.

Seeking to allay questions about the nomination process, the RNC chairman made clear that the party will fully support whichever of the four remaining candidates wins the GOP nomination.

"I want to get something really clear because there's been a lot of talk about this: this party is going to support the nominee -- whoever that is -- 100 percent," he said in brief speech prior to the start of the debate. "There's no question about that."

Priebus argued that any of the remaining GOP candidates would "be a world better than Hillary Clinton or a socialist in Bernie Sanders," adding that the Republican Party has something to fight for in the 2016 election.

"We're in a battle for freedom in this country. It's the same battle that founded this country, the same battle that James Madison reaffirmed in the Bill of Rights, the same battle that founded our party and here we are, again, together," he said. "And that's where we're going to end up, together."

Priebus' remarks came despite calls from party figures, like 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, to seek a contested convention to stop Trump from winning the nomination.

Trump announced that Ben Carson will endorse his campaign and focus on education-related policies.

The businessman confirmed reports that Carson, who dropped out of the GOP presidential race last week, will back his White House bid. The retired neurosurgeon, he added, will work with his campaign on education-related policy issues.

"I was with Dr. Ben Carson today, who is endorsing me, by the way, tomorrow morning, and...we spoke for over an hour on education, and he has such a great handle on it," Trump said.

"He wants competitive schools, he wants a lot of different things that are terrific, including charter schools, by the way, that the unions are fighting like crazy. But charter schools work and they work very well. There are a lot of things, but I'm going to have Ben very involved with education, something that's an expertise of his."

Trump added that he's against "education through Washington, D.C." and wants to bring the issue to the local-level so that parents, teachers and school districts can have more control.

Candidates differed on what should be done on the issue of Social Security.

Arguing that changes need to be made to stop the entitlement from becoming insolvent, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said as president he would, among many things, push to increase the retirement age up to 70 on a gradual basis.

The Florida senator stressed that those who claim nothing needs to be done to fix the Social Security system are lying.

"If we don't do anything, we will have a debt crisis. It's not a question of if. It is a question of when," he said.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, agreed that changes need to be made to the system and offered a plan to gradually raise the retirement age for younger workers, match benefits to inflation and put a portion of younger workers' tax payments into personal accounts they can control.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, meanwhile, said under his proposal the retirement age would remain the same, but those who earned more wealth during their lifetimes would receive a smaller portion of their Social Security benefits. Those who depend on the entitlement would continue receiving their full amount, he added.

"Do you have to take on entitlement programs to balance a budget? Yes. It doesn't mean you have to cut them," he argued. "It means you need to innovate them, the way we do things in the 21st Century."

Trump contended that if elected president he would do everything in his power to not touch Social Security and instead focus on addressing the national debt through growing jobs and cutting waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government -- a proposal which drew criticism from Rubio.

"The numbers don't add up," the Florida senator argued, adding that cutting fraud and addressing foreign aid are not enough.

"We can't just continue to tip-toe around this and throw out things like I'm going to get at fraud and abuse," he said. "Let's get rid of fraud, let's get rid of abuse, let's be more careful about how we spend foreign aid. But you still have hundreds of billions of dollars of deficit that you're going to have to make up."

Cruz and Rubio blasted Trump's campaign rhetoric and questioned his leadership.

The two GOP White House hopefuls took jabs at Trump throughout the debate, questioning his ability to lead and suggesting that his proposals would fall short in achieving the things he's promised.

Pointing to the challenges the next president will face, Cruz contended that the next commander-in-chief "can't just be wave a magic wand and say problem go away."

"You have to understand the problems," he said, taking a dig at Trump's Social Security plan. "You have to have real solutions."

The Texas senator also blasted the businessman's trade proposal that would institute high tariffs on foreign goods in certain instances, saying it would hurt American consumers.

"We've got to get beyond rhetoric of 'China bad' and actually get to how do you solve the problem," he said. "Because this solution would hurt jobs and hurt hard-working taxpayers in America."

Rubio, who took issue with the businessman's recent suggestion that "Islam hates us," meanwhile, contended that a president needs to be more careful in their rhetoric.

"I know that a lot of people find appeal in the things Donald says because he says what people wish they could say," he said. "The problem is, presidents can't just say anything they want. It has consequences, here and around the world."

Trump fired back, saying that the country has already seen consequences in the form of terrorist attacks on American soil. He added that he doesn't like to be politically correct.

Rubio said he's also not interested in being politically correct, but rather "being correct."

Trump and Cruz pushed back against the idea of a contested Republican presidential convention.

The businessman and Texas senator, who have won the largest portion of delegates, contended that if no one has a majority of delegates, the nomination should go to the candidate who has garnered the most primary support heading into the summer convention.

Trump said he expects to win the most delegates, but added that if he doesn't, the nomination should go to whomever does.

"If Marco, if the governor, if Ted had more votes than me in the form of delegates, I think whoever gets to that top position...whoever gets the most delegates should win," he said.

Cruz blasted the idea of a "brokered convention" if no candidate gets a majority of the delegates, contending that parachuting in a Washington D.C.-preferred candidate would be a disaster.

"We need to respect the will of the voters," he said.

Kasich, meanwhile, argued that "math doesn't tell the whole story in politics," and stressed that the party not get ahead of itself in considering the reality of a contested convention.

"You have to earn the delegates in order to be picked, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, we don't know what's going to happen because we still have about half of the delegates to be selected," he said.

The semi-annual ritual of adjusting your clocks for Daylight Saving Time is also the perfect time to swap out batteries in your smoke detectors, the state fire marshal says.

Daylight Saving Time time rolls around again at 2 a.m. Sunday and while many modern "smart" electronics will spring forward automatically, the state fire marshal is reminding homeowners of one that will not: smoke alarms.

State Fire Marshall Peter J. Ostroskey said the semiannual practice of adjusting clocks for Daylight Saving Time, either moving it forward in the spring or back in the fall, is the perfect time for people to replace batteries in their household smoke alarms.

Ostroskey is recommending people make the most of that time to insure their alarms are working properly.

"This winter there have been too many fatal fires, and in a majority of cases, there were no working smoke alarms," he said. "Please take a moment this weekend to replace the batteries in smoke alarms that use alkaline batteries."

There have been 19 fire deaths from house fires in Massachusetts since Jan. 1. In nearly 60 percent of those fires, there were no working smoke detectors.

Many households use detectors with a long-life batteries that are good for 10 years. At the end of the 10 years, the entire detector needs to be replaced.

Ostroskey said people with those types of detectors should check to see that that are less than 10 years old and still operating.

There are 213 fire departments in Massachusetts all receive grants under the Senior SAFE program, which is designed to aid elderly who need assistance testing, maintaining or replacing smoke detectors. Ostroskey said seniors should contact their local fire department or senior center for assistance under the program.

"A third of the people who have died in fires this year were over 65, and nearly half were over age 60. We want our seniors to be safe from fire in their own homes," he said.

Wellesley Fire Chief Richard DeLorie, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, said the data on smoke detectors is clear: they save lives.

When a smoke detector is activated, people have only one to three minutes to escape before the dwelling is filled with deadly smoke, he said.

"No one expects to be a victim of a fire, but the best way to survive one that does occur is to have working smoke alarms," he said. "Take a few minutes to protect those you love by changing the batteries in your smoke alarms this weekend."

He also recommends checking the alarms in the homes of elderly parents or neighbors.

Daylight Savings Time occurs at 2 a.m Sunday and continues until Nov. 6. People are recommended to move their clocks up one hour before they go to bed Saturday night.

A speeding car crashed into two parked vehicles in the city's Bay neighborhood Wednesday night, triggering loud explosions and scattering car parts across the roadway.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now. The most viewed photo gallery was Laura Newberry's pictures of Northampton residents enjoying Wednesday's record high temperatures, above.

1) Massachusetts firefighter facing child rape charge found dead at his home [Conor Berry]

2) Clinton man allegedly solicited 1,400 child porn pictures of boys through Facebook [Lindsay Corcoran]

3) High-speed crash in Springfield destroys 3 vehicles, triggers fire and explosions [Conor Berry]

4) Amid allegations of bribery and suspension of police chief search, East Longmeadow may owe current chief over $100K [Sean Teehan]

5) Worcester drug bust to 'deliver a significant blow' to heroin, cocaine trade in region [Lindsay Corcoran]

The Quabbin Watershed Advisory Committee (QWAC) will discuss the rattlesnake plan at its regular meeting Monday.

BELCHERTOWN - People will have another opportunity to voice their opinions on a controversial plan to introduce timber rattlesnakes onto a restricted island in the Quabbin Reservoir.

The Quabbin Watershed Advisory Committee (QWAC) is scheduled to discuss the propose, which is being floated by the state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, at its meeting Monday, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at the DCR Quabbin Visitors Center, 485 Ware Road, Belchertown.

At issue is a plan endorsed by the state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife to introduce a handful of timber rattlesnakes, one of the state's most endangered species, onto Mount Zion, a restricted island in the Quabbin.

Supporters of the plan say that is why the island is an ideal place to create a breeding ground from snakes. The restricted island has deep recesses suitable for winter lairs, and they would be automatically away from one of their biggest threats, people.

Opponents say the snakes would be able to swim off the island and then pose a threat to recreational hikers at Quabbin and any people who live in the vicinity.

The advisory committee, which is made up of representatives of outdoors, fishing and preservation groups plus the Friends of the Quabbin, normally attracts little interest. But by placing the controversial rattlesnake plan on its agenda, the committee may just find itself under the glare of public spotlight.

A similar informational meeting on the project last month in Orange at Mahar High School had hundreds of people in attendance. A turnout that large could be problematic; the meeting room at the visitors center may be able to fit around 50 or so people.

Gary Berube, chairman of the committee, said he does not know what to expect. The rattlesnake proposal has been of interest from the committee members, he said.
"It is a topic that has come in the last few weeks. Several members attended the public meeting in Orange," he said.

He said he does not know how individual members of the committee feel about the issue.

J.R. Greene, a member of the advisory committee as representive of the group Friends of the Quabbin, said he does not know what the discussion - or what the turnout -- will be like.

Greene has been a member of the committee for the past 2 years, but he has regularly attended its meetings for about 35 years.

"I don't recall too many where the room was packed," he said. "We shall see."

His only hope is that the advisory committee does not try to rush a vote through. He said he would like time to discuss and gather more information before the committee has to take a position.

Greene said he remains skeptical of the proposal. "What the others on the committee think? I really don't know."

Tom French of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, one of the leading advocates for the rattlesnake idea, said he plans to be present for the meeting Monday night.

He said he does not see why the watershed advisory committee would be opposed to the plan. Its charge is to make recommendations regarding water quality and recreational opportunities at Quabbin. And introducing a timber rattlesnake population at the reservoir would have no impact on water quality and a negligible impact on recreational use, he said.

The snakes are capable of swimming off the island, but without a suitable hibernation spot would die in the winter, he said. They are also very people-averse and most hikers would never get close enough to see one, let alone get bitten, he said.

French said the final decision is in the hands of the the Executive office of Energy and Environment Affairs, to which Fisheries and Wildlife belongs, and to the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, which responsible for the operation of Quabbin as a reservoir.

Still, proponents of the plan would like to see consensus for other agencies and groups, he said.

Consensus may not be easily able to come by. The proposal has so far generated some very strong feelings, both pro and con.

Hundreds turned out to the informational meeting in Orange. The issue has also generated thousands of letters to the editor and comments on websites and in social media.

There are also two competing online petitions on the Change.org. Not surprisingly, one is for the idea, and the other is opposed.

The petition "Stop Timber Rattlesnake Quabbin Island Project/DCR Accountability to Taxpayers," demands that Gov. Charlie Baker stop the project. As of Thursday evening it has 915 signatures and was 85 short of its goal of 1,000.

The petition "HELP The Timber Rattlesnake Project at Quabbin Island," demands that Gov. Baker squelch the proposal. As of Thursday evening, it had 1,200 signatures and was about 300 signatures short of its goal of 1,500.

For the record, Baker has said previously that he supports introducing rattlesnakes at the Quabbin.

Some pet owners are seeking alternatives to the cones veterinarians put on animals following surgeries.

Each week, MassLive showcases pets available for adoption at shelters at rescue organizations in Western Massachusetts.

With the participation of the shelters listed below, many animals should be able to find a permanent home.

We also provide some pet related news items that we hope you will enjoy.

Pet owners seek alternatives to post-surgery plastic cones

By SUE MANNING
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Call it the cone of shame. Radar dish. Elizabethan collar.

Whatever the name, pets seem to hate the stiff, lampshade-like piece of plastic that vets often put around their necks to keep them from biting or chewing wounds, stitches or other problem areas.

"She was not a happy camper. She couldn't eat in it, she couldn't play in it, she couldn't move around in it," Brooke Yoder of Millersburg, Ohio, said about her Maltese-Shih Tzu dog, Marley, who got a cone to protect her stitches after she was spayed.

This undated photo provided by Gayle Swetow shows her dog Mike, wearing a Cover Me by Tui one-piece , patented, post-surgical garment, which takes the place of a plastic cone to protect his allergies year-round in Nevada. Many dog owners dislike the cone because it is hard for the dogs to see, get around or eat. Despite efforts to replace the cone, veterinarians say there are some times when only the cone will do.Associated Press 

Yet his company and others are trying to come up with something better.

KVP makes recovery collars in 14 styles, including two inflatables and two soft collars. They have cones to fit pets from mice to mastiffs.

The company is running studies on whether the cone acts like an amplifier, potentially hurting an animal's ears, and whether the loss of vision it causes can create stress.

One alternative has come from Stephanie Syberg of St. Peters, Missouri, founder and president of Cover Me by Tui, which makes a one-piece, post-surgical garment for dogs.

"I was in veterinary medicine myself for 16 years. I was constantly being asked, 'What can we use instead of the plastic cone?'" Syberg said.

Her onesie, made of Peruvian cotton, was tested on 200 dogs. "Vets are seeing the calming effect," she said. "The fabric is breathable so it promotes healing."

She sells pullover and step-in versions at TulanesCloset.com.

Dr. Charlie Sink, who runs the Grand Paws Animal Clinic in Surprise, Arizona, bought 3,000 of them on his first order.

"They are the softest cloth and the dogs just love them. You can wash them. It's an amazing product," said Sink, who has been a vet for 47 years.

But there are times, he said, when only the hard cone will work: if the dog's injury is on a body part not covered by the onesie, for instance.

Gayle Swetow of Henderson, Nevada, has become a regular customer of Syberg's. She was told to put a cone on her 2-year-old pit-bull mix to protect a 6-inch incision after he had surgery on his hip.

"I slept with him every night downstairs because I couldn't bear to put a cone on him," she said. "That didn't work so I started frantically looking up dog onesies or dog pajamas."

"I think I've bought 10 of them already because the dog has an allergy too. I keep him in this every day," Swetow said.

The cones, she continued, are "awful. The dogs can't see where they are going. They can't jump up. Eating, moving or walking is nearly impossible with a cone. But they can do anything and everything if they have a onesie on."

The cone's unpopularity has also led to some creative alternatives by designers and artists at the website More Than a Cone (www.morethanacone.com).

In addition to making the cone more attractive, Bowman said, efforts are under way to make it more comfortable and effective too.

Fund established to help homeless cats, kittens

SPRINGFIELD - Dakin Humane Society has announced the formation of Pat's Cats Feline Success Fund to provide necessities and upgrades for several aspects of cat and kitten care at Dakin's two locations in Leverett and Springfield.

The Fund is named for the late Patricia Ford Yurkunas, former director of development and marketing at Dakin Humane Society. Yurkunas, who passed away March 13, 2015, had provided a bequest for Dakin which has been used to establish the Fund. A resident of Palmer, Yurkunas was especially fond of the cats and kittens who arrived at Dakin, and spent considerable time caring for them. She adopted several during her seven years at the non-profit organization.

"Pat's generosity enabled us to launch this important fund, and we are asking the public to join in to help these cats and kittens," Nancy Creed, president of Dakin's board of directors, said in a prepared statement. "Your contributions will bring many wonderful essentials and enhancements to the lives of these felines as they await a new home, including nebulizers for sick kittens in Nick's Nursery, which is our kitten care ward, as well as lifesaving medical treatments, specialized behavioral support, spay/neuter surgery for community cats and mothers with litters, enrichment toys, climbing surfaces and more. You'll also help with much-needed renovations to our cat-housing areas. The cost of providing these life-saving services is more than $110,000, so we hope you will help make them a reality for these homeless cats. Every donation counts"

Donations can be accepted online at www.dakinhumane.org/support. Whether choosing to make a one-time gift or a monthly contribution, donors may select "Pat's Cats" as a "Designation" option. Those wishing to send a check may write "Pat's Cats" on the memo line to ensure that their gift will be directed to the Fund. Donations may be mailed to Dakin Humane Society, P. O. Box 6307, Springfield, MA 01101.

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Shelter offers 'Animal Adventures' for children this summer

SPRINGFIELD - The Dakin Humane Society will present its annual Animal Adventures program this July featuring an array of activities especially geared for children interested in animals.

The five-day sessions will take place from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. as follows at Dakin's adoption and education center at 171 Union St. in Springfield

• July 11-15, "Pet Pals," for children ages 6-8
• July 18-22, "Kids & Critters," for children ages 9-11
• July 25-29, "Animal Ambassadors," for children ages 12-14.

"This year we're creating three different programs, instead of two, based on the ages of the participants," Lori Swanson, manager of education and volunteer services, said. "This will enable us to plan more age-appropriate activities for all. Animal Adventures has always had a full enrollment, and we're able to engage each group by offering them interaction, compassion, education, plenty of play time and unforgettable animal experiences."

Both "Pet Pals" and "Kids & Critters" programs have space for 24 participants. "Animal Ambassadors" is a program for 12 participants.

To enroll a child, visit www.dakinhumane.org and click on the "Learning" tab.

Registration may be done online only. For more information please contact Lori Swanson at 413.781.4000 x 112 or lswanson@dakinhumane.org.

Swanson is also seeking people at least 18 years old to serve as volunteers for the program.

"We've had children who came to Animal Adventures for several years come back to help run the program as volunteers, which is very gratifying," she said.

Dakin encourages anyone who is a teacher, education major, or who has an overall interest in children and animals to inquire about volunteering for this year's program by calling 413.781.4000 extension 112.

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SHELTERS:

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
Address: 163 Montague Road, Leverett
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 548-9898
Website: www.dpvhs.org

Address: 171 Union St., Springfield
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 781-4000
Website: www.dpvhs.org

The following is a video of Trudy, a dog available for adoption at the T.J. O'Connor Animal Adoption and Control Center in Springfield.

Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center
Address: 627 Cottage St., Springfield
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Thursday, noon-7 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 781-1484
Website: tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com

Westfield Homeless Cat Project
Address: 1124 East Mountain Road, Westfield
Hours: Adoption clinics, Thursday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Website: http://www.whcp.petfinder.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westfieldhomelesscatprojectadoptions

Westfield Regional Animal Shelter
Address: 178 Apremont Way, Westfield
Hours: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 564-3129
Website: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ma70.html

Franklin County Sheriff's Office Regional Dog Shelter and Adoption Center
Address: 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 676-9182
Website: http://fcrdogkennel.org/contact.html

Polverari/Southwick Animal Control Facility
Address: 11 Depot St., Southwick
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 569-5348, ext. 649
Website: http://southwickpolice.com/chief-david-a-ricardis-welcome/animal-control/

Berkshire Humane Society
Address: 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 447-7878
Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/

Purradise Feline Adoption
Address: 301 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington
Hours: Monday and Tuesday: Closed; Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Friday,10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 717-4244
Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/contact-us/

Agents seized 99 grams of cocaine, $4,464 in cash and 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition in during the raid on a Fort Pleasant Avenue apartment, Szafranski said.

SPRINGFIELD - A Springfield man who allegedly ran a cocaine trafficking operation out of his Forest Park apartment is free after posting $10,000 bail.

Jose Ortiz, 34, of 48 Fort Pleasant Ave,, pleaded not guilty to cocaine trafficking, 36 to 100 grams, and possession of ammunition without a FID card during his arraignment Thursday in Springfield District Court.

Ortiz was arrested after city, state and federal investigators raided his apartment around 6:15 Wednesday night, according to Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski.

They seized 99 grams of cocaine, $4,464 in cash and 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition, Szafranski said.

She requested $10,000 bail, the same amount posted by Ortiz Wednesday night at the Springfield police station following his arrest.

Judge William Boyle set bail at $10,000 and continued the case for a pretrial hearing late this month.

The raid was conducted by city narcotics detectives and members of the Western Massachusetts Narcotics Task Force, composed of local, state and federal law enforcement agents and commanded by Springfield police Lt. Steven Kent.

It was one of three raids staged by narcotics offices in Springfield Wednesday night, leading to five arrests and the seizure of substantial amounts of cocaine and heroin, police said.

Outside the Worcester apartment where shots rang out Thursday night killing Alex Lora and Jessica McKeon, family gathered Friday and cried over the loss.

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A digest of news stories from around the Northeast.

Navy Tep of Northampton admitted in Hampshire Superior Court Friday that he raped three children over the course of several years, and his attorney said he pleaded guilty to the charges partly to spare the boys from having to testify at trial.

NORTHAMPTON - A city man admitted in Hampshire Superior Court Friday that he raped three children over the course of several years, and his attorney said he pleaded guilty to the charges partly to spare the boys from having to testify at trial.

Navy Tep, 29, of 178 Florence Road, was sentenced Friday to six to eight years in state prison followed by 10 years probation after he pleaded guilty to three counts of rape of a child and one count of enticement of a child under 16.

Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Caleb Weiner said the sexual abuse came to light in the fall of 2014 when a boy disclosed to his mother that between December of 2007 and December of 2009, Tep had forced him to perform sex acts in exchange for allowing him to play his video games. He was 5 to 7 years old at the time and the rapes occurred in Belchertown.

His disclosure eventually led to two other boys who knew Tep reporting that they had been victims of the same abuse from August of 2010 to October of 2014 in Northampton, Weiner said.

"In any case when there is sexual abuse of a child or children and that child or children come forward to report it, that courage should be commended," Weiner said. In this case, he said, the first boy especially showed "bravery and a kind of steadfastness" despite pressure from people in his life who did not want him to cooperate or testify.

In fact, the trial was delayed in January because the attorneys had heard that two of the boys had recanted some of the allegations. Weiner said in court Wednesday that all three had been interviewed again and they maintained the rapes occurred.

In addition to the enticement charge, Tep was initially charged with three counts of aggravated rape, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. He was allowed to plead to three counts of the lesser charge of rape as part of a plea deal.

When Judge Mary-Lou Rup asked Tep Friday why he was pleading guilty to the charges against him, he replied without expression, "Because I did it."

Tep's attorney, Korrina Burnham of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, told Rup that Tep wants to take responsibility for what he did and did not wish for the boys to have to testify.

"It was a terrible, terrible thing that happened to these children," she said.

Burnham said Tep suffers from depression and may have other mental health issues. He wants to work on rehabilitating himself and get counseling while incarcerated, she said.

"This is not someone who is in denial about what happened, who isn't willing to accept responsibility," she said. "This isn't someone who isn't willing to do the work."

A condition of Tep's probation is that he be evaluated and participate in any treatment and counseling recommended by the Probation Department, including sex offender treatment. He must also register as a sex offender and wear a GPS tracking device. He cannot have contact with the victims or anyone under 16, and cannot live with anyone under 16 or work or volunteer in a position that would likely include contact with anyone under 16.

He gets credit for the 499 days he has spent in the Hampshire County Jail since his arrest.

Weiner also said Friday that the boys indicated that Tep's mother, Orn Neth, 56, of Northampton, knew about the abuse but didn't do anything to stop it.

Ramos, enraged by the near accident, got out, walked up to the other vehicle and punched the driver the face, Szafranski said.

SPRINGFIELD - A Springfield man charged with cocaine trafficking and punching a 65-year-old motorist in the face during a road-rage incident is free on $1,000 bail.

Jorge Ramos 

Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski said the defendant was driving an SUV at a high rate of speed near the corner of Pine and Cedar streets when he almost struck a car driven by a 65-year-old Springfield man.

Ramos, enraged by the near accident, got out, walked up to the other car and punched the driver the face, Szafranski said.

After Ramos fled, the other motorist spotted three police officers nearby and told them what happened. Ramos was arrested as he was leaving 35 Pine St., and 20 grams of pure cocaine packaged for sale was found in his vehicle, Szafranski said.

The prosecutor asked for $5,000 bail, the figure requested by the arresting officers.

Ramos, meanwhile, was released Thursday night at police headquarters on $500 bail, and appeared for his arraignment Friday morning.

Judge Paul Smyth set bail at $1,000.

Ramos was released Friday afternoon after posting bail.