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Catholic school in Mass. apologizes after 'You killed Jesus!' chant at game

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The anti-Semitic chanting horrified and upset many who were attending the game.

NEWTON, Mass. -- The president of a Massachusetts Catholic school has apologized after its students chanted "You Killed Jesus!" during a basketball game against a Boston-area high school with a large Jewish enrollment.

newtonnorth.jpgNewton North High School in Newton, Mass. 

The incident Friday occurred after Newton North students at the home game jeered the all-boys Catholic Memorial School about not having girl students

The anti-Semitic chanting horrified and upset many who were attending the game, The Boston Globe reports.

Catholic Memorial President Peter Folan apologized Saturday for what he called "abhorrent behavior." He said the school "believes deeply that intolerance, of any kind, is unacceptable."

He added that the school will "strenuously address" the issue within the school community.

Newton Superintendent David Fleishman said he found the behavior "chilling." He said he has contacted the Anti-Defamation League about it, and Newton students on Monday will discuss what happened.


Conn. State Police seize nearly 4 kilos of cocaine in I-95 traffic stop

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Connecticut State Police reportedly seized nearly four kilos of cocaine during a Saturday morning traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Milford.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Connecticut State Police reportedly seized nearly four kilos of cocaine during a Saturday morning traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Milford.

Police said troopers conducting a stop for alleged speeding on I-95 northbound near exit 35 in Milford detected various indicators of narcotics trafficking and asked to search the vehicle.

Officers, who requested assistance from a narcotics detection dog from the Fairfield Police Department, reportedly found a case containing four vacuum sealed bricks of suspected cocaine, according to Connecticut State Police.

The street value of the suspected cocaine, which reportedly weighed 8.7 pounds, or just under four kilos, is valued at more than $250,000, police said.

The vehicle's operator and lone occupant, Rueben Abreu, 46, of New York, NY, was arrested and transported to Troop G for processing, police reported. He was held on a $300,000 bond and is set to appear in Milford Superior Court. on Monday.

Dickinson Street fire destroys DeLorean, other vehicles

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A Dickinson Street garage and four vehicles caught fire Saturday evening after a flame sparked during car repairs, Springfield Fire officials have reported.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ A Dickinson Street garage and four vehicles caught fire Saturday evening after a flame sparked during car repairs, Springfield Fire officials have reported.

According to Dennis Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, the fire broke out around 7 p.m. when the vehicles' owner was working on a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer in his driveway. As he attempted to pour gas into the vehicle, a flame reportedly sparked.

Panicked, the man dropped the gas can, which spilled and pooled under the other vehicles that also caught fire, Leger said.

The fire reportedly destroyed the Trailblazer, a 1989 Ford F350 and a 1981 DeLorean, fire officials reported. A 1977 Chevrolet Caprice and the garage at 42 Dickinson St. also sustained heavy damage.

The owner reportedly received what appeared to be first degree burns on his left leg and hands, but declined medical treatment, Leger said.

Daylight saving time: 6 fun facts (plus jokes) as you change the clocks

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Here are six fun facts, including a few DST jokes, to ponder as you adjust your clocks Sunday morning.

It's time again for daylight saving time, which means it's also a good time to ponder some DST trivia.

Maybe you won't feel like it as you drag yourself out of bed Sunday after losing an hour's sleep Saturday night.

But the good news is there will now be an extra hour of sunlight in the evening in the months ahead to play ball, take a walk and enjoy the outdoors.

In the meantime, here are six fun facts, including some famous quips, to put a smile on your face as you're changing your clocks:

1. It's good to get a head start: The time change officially starts Sunday, March 13, at 2 a.m. local time, so consider setting clocks ahead by 60 minutes before hitting the hay Saturday night, experts suggest.

2. Check the smoke detectors: The changing of clocks is good reminder to put fresh batteries in warning devices such as smoke detectors and hazard warning radios. Do it again when standard time returns Nov. 6.

3. Some folks in U.S. don't bother: No time change in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

4. Blame Canada: Daylight saving time started in 1908 in Thunder Bay, Canada, to squeeze in an extra hour of daylight. It spread from there. In the United States, it began in 1918, but the nation has tinkered with it endlessly, changing dates or repealing it for a while altogether.

5. Some aren't done tinkering: California Assemblyman Kansen Chu, D- San Jose, is proposing Assembly Bill 2496, which calls for the state to observe Standard Pacific Time during the entire year.

6. Some think this is funny: To prove it, here are a few quotes about daylight saving time, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times:

  • Dave Barry: "You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight saving time."
  • Victor Borge: "I don't mind going back to daylight saving time. With inflation, the hour will be the only thing I've saved all year."
  • David Letterman: "Don't forget it's daylight saving time. You spring forward, then you fall back. It's like Robert Downey Jr. getting out of bed."
And finally: The Associated Press and Cleveland.com contributed to this report.

Ludlow shooting wounds 1 person

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One person was wounded when a single male shooter fired into a White BMW parked in the parking lot of the Open Door Cafe just before 1 a.m. Sunday.

LUDLOW— At least one person was shot and wounded in the parking lot of a Ludlow bar early Sunday morning.

Ludlow police, Massachusetts State Police and Chicopee police converged on the Open Door Cafe at 247 Cady Street just after the 12:44 a.m. shooting.

Ludlow Police Sgt. Brian Shameklis confirmed that one person was taken to the Baystate Medical Center with one or more gunshot wounds. Shameklis said the condition of the victim is unknown at this time.

Police said a single male fired into a white BMW parked in the parking lot in front of the cafe and struck the victim as they sat in the passenger seat of the car. The shooter then fled the area on foot traveling west on Cady Street.

Ludlow police are being supported by Massachusetts State Police troopers and a K-9 unit and a K-9 unit from the Chicopee Police Department.

This is a breaking story. Updates will be posted as they become available.

Springfield police probe Main Street drive-by shooting that leaves 1 wounded

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A victim of a gunshot wound walked into the Baystate Medical Center minutes after the city's ShotSpotter indicated eight rounds were fired in the 2400 block of Main Street, not far from McDonalds.

SPRINGFIELD— A gunshot victim walked into the Baystate Medical Center emergency room Sunday morning, just minutes after a ShotSpotter activation indicated shots fired in the 2400 block of Main Street just before 4 a.m.Sunday.

Springfield Police Lt. Scott Richard said the city's acoustic gunfire location system activated at 3:37 a.m. and within a few minutes, police received notice that a shooting victim had been transported to the hospital in a private car.

Richard said the victim was apparently standing on Main Street just across from McDonalds when the shooting took place. He was hit once in the leg and suffered a "non-life threatening" wound, Richard said.

Police located a number of shell casings lying in the street along the east side of Main Street.

The shooter is described as a white or light-skinned Hispanic male wearing a white shirt.

New England Public Radio's Youth Radio project gives Springfield students a voice

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NEPR General Manager and CEO Martin Miller said the media lab project is part of the radio station's outreach efforts since it moved its headquarters from Amherst to Springfield in 2014.

SPRINGFIELD — In 1992, during a period of rising racial tensions and youth violence in Los Angeles,Youth Radio began a non-profit media training program aimed at giving students in minority communities a chance to offer their perspectives on pressing issues of the day.

Today the award-winning media production company, whose youth broadcasts can be heard on National Public Radio stations across the country, continues its mission to enrich and expand the horizons of students, providing them studio-based learning opportunities, along with chances for creative expression under the guidance of industry professionals.

Now, Springfield high school students are getting a chance to discover their voices by participating in an after-school Media Lab program modeled after Youth Radio recently launched at New England Public Radio's downtown studios.

Youth Radio operates in bureaus in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. and the bureau's stories run the gamut of contemporary issues from the the dangers of concussions in high school football to the legalization of marijuana.

Twice a week for six weeks after the school day ends, five students from the High School of Commerce and one student from the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts head to studios of NEPR's WFCR studios at the corner of Bridge and Main streets.

There they are greeted by John Voci, executive director of programming and content, and other staff members and coaches where they are provided with snacks and sound kits like the ones local NPR reporters use to tell stories to their listening audience.

While students are getting a rare insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of a radio studio, the aim of the media lab program is broader, Voci said.

"Our focus is on teaching storytelling through the techniques of radio production, but Media Lab is fundamentally about providing opportunities for the kids – opportunities to explore, to recognize they have something to contribute," he said.

"We want them to know that their stories have value," he said.

On a recent Thursday afternoon,Voci, WFCR's commentary producer Tema Silk, and Kyle Sullivan, a Morning Edition producer, spent part of the two-hour session offering students some voice coaching as each student took turns in the sound studio practicing recitation of a promotional script.

As students stumbled or paused during the taping, Sullivan reminded them that "even the pros have trouble finding their words."

He noted that, while it may seem silly, forcing a smile helps. "Make a big grin," Sullivan said, explaining that the facial expression tends to slow down the reader.

As each took their turn at the radio microphone, Sullivan and Silk encouraged the students who read the script multiple times until they were satisfied with the taping.

Later, the students used headphones to listen to recorded stories, using a laptop program to edit the mistakes in the clips.

Participating students were engrossed in the process. Afterward they gave a thumbs up to the class.

Jasmine Capeles, said she enjoyed the editing process the most.

" I like to make it sound better," she said.

During a previous class, students fanned out on Main Street to find out what men and women on the street thought about election-year-issues. One student's interview clip was incorporated into a story by WFCR reporter Jill Kaufman.

NEPR General Manager and CEO Martin Miller said the media lab project is part of the station's outreach efforts since it moved its headquarters from Amherst to Springfield in 2014.

"I loved the idea of a local youth training program after I first heard about Youth Radio, Miller said. "Education and community engagement are critical components of New England Public Radio's public service mission and this project is the perfect embodiment of those goals."

The program, which has a $100,000 annual budget, will run for three 12-week sessions a year for three years, including a summer session, Voci said. After each 12-session class is completed, new students will be invited to participate in the program at the recommendation of teachers.

The project plans to include students from Holyoke when the program continues in the fall.

Two University of Massachusetts journalism students involved in a community journalism project under the director of professor Nick McBride are also on hand to mentor members of the class.

Holyoke notebook: William Glidden goes to Big Apple, Jon Lumbra, taxpayer advocate, 'Joe Banana?'

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This notebook of Holyoke items includes former treasurer Jon Lumbra joining a volunteer IRS panel, a local coral reef grower and thanks for the Purple Heart Trail.

HOLYOKE -- Shake the notebook, see what tumbles out:

Glidden to the Apple; pedometers at 30 strong

William Glidden, former aide to Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, is headed to New York City. Glidden, 23, said he will be a development associate with Community Access, an organization that helps people with psychiatric disabilities make the transition to independent living. "I'm looking forward to it," Glidden said. Morse: "Billy will be missed greatly but he will forever be a part of my team. He's a great person and he loves Holyoke with all his heart." ... A sign on an easel at City Hall says "'MARCH'" to fitness" beneath a photo of gyrating generic people. It's a challenge to city employees to walk 30 minutes a day for fitness. "Stop by the Board of Health to get your free pedometer," the sign says. Health Director Brian Fitzgerald said about 30 pedometers have been handed out. "And no they do not have to return the pedometers," he said.

Lumbra tries to rescue IRS; O'Connell Care at Home accredited

Jon D. Lumbra, former city treasurer and City Council candidate, is one of 32 new appointees to the volunteer Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). "The TAP" is a committee that gives advice to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to improve customer service. Appointees were chosen from more than 1,000 applicants, an IRS press release said. Lumbra is the only new member of the 73-person panel from Massachusetts. "I'm honored to be selected and to have the opportunity to serve on a national level. I look forward to bringing the taxpayers' perspective forward and seeing what we as a team are able to accomplish over the next three years," Lumbra said in an email ... O'Connell Care at Home, which has offices in Holyoke, Springfield and South Deerfield, has received accreditation from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. The organization represents 190 home health and elder care agencies across Massachusetts, said a press release from Market Mentors public relations firm.

No love for Mr. Banana. Coral reef on Sargeant Street

Life would be less interesting without City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain. During a meeting Tuesday about proposed tax agreements for solar-power installations, Jourdain teed off on one of his favorite topics, government neglecting taxpayers. Residents who buy homes have as much of an investment in Holyoke as an out-of-town business considering locating here, he said: "I really don't care about Joe Banana from Walla Walla, Washington." Jourdain struck again later when talk turned to requiring that an owner be bound to remove unsightly solar panels once the array becomes obsolete, "Something that looks like it might be from the surface of Mars." ... Gerardo Ramos received renewal from the City Council of the home occupation permit for his business at 275 Sargeant St. Marine Reef Habitat. Ramos sells the coral he grows to aquarium-supply businesses and he uses some of the revenue to return to Puerto Rico to replant depleted coral. His new permit allows up to five customer visits per month.

Purple Heart Trail

Veterans of Foreign Wars Hampden District 7 March 8 presented Ward 3 Councilor David K. Bartley with its City Councilor Award. This was for Bartley's leading the effort to have the City Council on Oct. 7, 2014 designate Route 202 here from Westfield to South Hadley a Purple Heart Trail to honor military men and women who were injured or died in combat. Bartley made clear that he accepted on behalf of the entire City Council ...

Keaton, octopuses, phone books

Non-Holyoke Item 1: Actor Michael Keaton deserves the praise he is receiving for playing an editor in the Academy Award-winning "Spotlight." The movie tells how The Boston Globe's investigative team revealed the pedophile priest scandal in the Catholic Church. "Spotlight" wasn't Keaton's first role as a newspaperman. Check out 1994's excellent "The Paper," in which Keaton plays the metro editor of the fictional New York Sun tabloid. Killer cast includes Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Jason Robards and Randy Quaid, along with cameos by Pete Hamill, Bob Costas, Kurt Loder, Richard Price and the late columnist Mike McAlary.

Non-Holyoke Item 2: Dogs will always occupy the heart here at the Holyoke Affairs Desk. But octopuses might be the coolest creatures on Earth. The eight-armed animal can change color, texture and shape almost instantly to blend into its surroundings and hide from predators. They can grow a new arm if one is bitten off. They have been filmed opening jars containing food and dismantling aquariums to escape. They are found in all oceans at many depths. This comes to mind with reports that a new species of octopus, a ghost-like creature, apparently has been discovered on the Pacific Ocean floor near the Hawaiian Islands, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "The cute little guy differed from other octopuses in its tentacles, which had just one row of suckers, and in that it was very unmuscled," discovery.com said. Anyone who enjoys a good ocean-depth street fight should check out the "shark vs. octopus" video. Hemingway wrote in "The Old Man and the Sea" that sharks have no enemies because they are so fast, strong and well-armed. Tell that to the shark that trespassed into this octopus' den.

Non-Holyoke Item 3: Remember when phone books had presence? When their heft made them the reference point for thickness? Well the new one arrived Friday not much bigger than a box of Altoids. Thank you, technology.


Ludlow police seek shooter in early morning homicide

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Investigators said they believe this to be an isolated incident.

Related: Ludlow selectmen say residents are safe after homicide, ask for their patience.

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LUDLOW - A 26-year-old man was fatally shot multiple times outside the Open Door Cafe at 247 Cady St. early Sunday morning.

Police said they received multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots fired outside of the club at 12:44 a.m.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a 26-year-old male, located in a motor vehicle parked the club's lot. The victim was unconscious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to police.

Officers secured the scene and the victim was transported by Ludlow Fire Paramedics to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, where he died from his injuries.

The victim has not been identified,

At this time, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni's Office along with Ludlow police detectives are further investigating this homicide.

Investigators said they believe this to be an isolated incident.

Anyone with information on this crime should contact the Ludlow Police Department at (413)-583-8305 or send an anonymous text to CRIMES (or 274637), type the word SOLVE, and then the information.

Kinder Morgan's 'Connecticut Expansion' pipeline project wins federal approval

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The line would cut through the Otis State Forest to serve gas companies in Connecticut.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday approved a natural gas project known as the Connecticut Expansion, authorizing Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. to build a 13.42-mile pipeline consisting of three loops in three states. The expansion would serve three natural gas utilities in Connecticut.

Plans show a 3.81-mile "Massachusetts Loop" in southern Berkshire County, a 8.26-mile "Connecticut Loop" from Hampden County to northern Connecticut, and a 1.35-mile "New York Loop" in Albany County, with the loops connecting two of Tennessee's existing gas pipelines, known as the "200" and "300" lines.

The project by the Kinder Morgan subsidiary will include a .1 mile section and a 3.26 acre staging area in Agawam, where upgrades are planned to an existing compressor station. The right-of-way in Agawam is already owned by the pipeline company.

The infrastructure will let Tennessee transport 72,100 dekatherms of service per day from a major pipeline interconnect in Wright, New York to the three natural gas utilities in Connecticut.

The project has faced stiff opposition in Berkshire County because the Massachusetts Loop would cut through the Otis State Forest, which is owned by the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Plans call for the withdrawal of one million gallons of water from an isolated pond in the forest, which would be used to test the pipeline. Construction is expected to impact approximately 29 acres of the forest.

Major opponents have included Massachusetts Sen. Ben Downing (D-Pittsfield) and Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli (D-Lenox) who represent the area in Berkshire County, as well as environmental and landowner groups such as Mass. Audubon and Sandisfield Taxpayers Opposed to the Pipeline (STOP).

The federal commissioners in their decision rejected arguments that more natural gas capacity is not needed in New England, also also rebuffed suggestions that Kinder Morgan's environmental assessment was inadequate. FERC dismissed concerns that drinking water supplies for the Town of Sandisfield could be put at risk because of blasting, saying that adequate safeguards are in place.

The federal commissioners agreed that "impacts to the Otis State Forest will be minor," and that alternative routes were not feasible. "Tennessee requires access to the Otis State Forest in order to tie the Massachusetts Loop into Tennessee's existing 200 Line," states the March 11 decision.

The commission denied accusations that Kinder Morgan engaged in illegal or improper "segmentation" by pushing the Connecticut Expansion through a separate and expedited permitting process than that for its 400-mile-plus Northeast Energy Direct, a $5.2 billion project currently under FERC review.

"Tennessee's proposed Connecticut Expansion and NED Projects are not physically, functionally, or financially connected," wrote the FERC analysts, who said service can be provided to the gas companies regardless of whether the larger pipeline is built, and that the Connecticut Expansion is "fully subscribed and is not dependent on the NED Project for financial viability."

An unresolved issue is how Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution could affect plans by the Kinder Morgan subsidiary to take an easement through the state forest.

Article 97 states that any taking of state conservation land requires a two-thirds vote of the state Legislature. Last year a representative from eastern Massachusetts introduced a bill to convey such an easement to the pipeline company, after legislators from western Massachusetts refused to do so. A vote on the bill, heard during a packed public hearing at the State House in November, has not been scheduled.

Most of the 3,800-acre state forest, with its 400-year-old hemlocks and 62-acre Lower Spectacle Pond, was preserved in 2007 in a collaboration between the state and Mass Audubon at a cost of $5.2 million, one of the biggest conservation land deals in Massachusetts history.

While FERC says it encourages pipeline applicants to cooperate with state and local agencies, the commission asserts its right under federal law to site interstate natural gas pipelines and preempt any conflicting state laws, saying state agencies may not "use their regulatory requirements to undermine the force and effect of a certificate issued by the Commission."

The March 11 certificate says FERC will not act as a "referee," and that "in the event compliance with a state or local condition conflicts with a Commission certificate, parties are free to bring the matter before a Federal court for resolution."

Despite the fact that the Legislature has not approved any transfer of land in the Otis State Forest, the Baker administration last June negotiated an arrangement with Kinder Morgan which includes "no net loss of conservation land" and $300,000 to be deposited into a land acquisition fund.

The majority of the pipeline segments will be located within existing rights-of-way, which will be broadened for the project. The FERC certificate gives the pipeline company the right of eminent domain to take private property while providing compensation to landowners.

The 71-page decision contains a list of conditions the pipeline company must adhere to during construction and operation.

Kinder Morgan/Tennessee Gas filed its federal application for the Connecticut Expansion July 31, 2014. Massachusetts environmental affairs secretary Mathew Beaton signed off on the project in April of 2015.

In a related matter, Jack Murray, who was DCR commissioner under former Governor Deval Patrick, started working for Kinder Morgan last August as Northeast Director of Public Affairs. A Kinder Morgan spokesman said in November that Murray "will have no formal contact with his former agency for up to a year from his departure date with the state, or work on any Article 97 issues as they relate to the Connecticut Expansion Project."

Former environmental protection commissioner Robert W. Golledge, Jr. is also reportedly a consultant to the Kinder Morgan on permitting issues. Golledge served under former Governor Mitt Romney.

FERC OKs Ct Expansion Kinder Morgan Tennessee Gas Pipeline 20160311-3032(31306648) by Mary Serreze

Walk honors Jessica Rojas, Officer Kevin Ambrose, victims of domestic violence

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The walk is meant to bring awareness to programs that assist victims of domestic violence. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD — Ask anyone what they remember most about Jessica Rojas and the answer tends to be, her smile or her laugh.

"She had the best smile," said Nathan Laporte, Rojas 14-year-old son. Nathan lost his mother on March 3, 2012. She was killed by her boyfriend Jose Santiago, after coming home from celebrating her 25th birthday. Santiago was recently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder.

More than 100 of Rojas' closest family members and friends, as well as advocates for the safety of domestic violence victims, stood on the steps of Springfield City Hall Sunday to remember Rojas as well as the dozens of women and some men killed becasue of domestic violence.

Among those on the list was Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose also killed in 2012 while responding to a domestic dispute in the city's Sixteen Acres neighborhood.

"There are too many victims, from young mothers to police officers just trying to protect our city," said Milta Vargas, domestic abuse coordinator for the Springfield Police Department. "A victim dies and people think we forget about them, but we don't. God knows I don't."

Shanique Spalding, of the YWCA, attended the event and set up a booth outside H&R Block on Main Street, after supporters marched there from Springfield City Hall. Rojas had a job with the city as well as H&R Block.

"We offer services for anyone experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault," said Spalding. She handed out cards with the number to the YWCA's 24-hour hotline. "If you just need to talk or need a place to go please do not hesitate to call."

Suehaley Arce, of Springfield, was Rojas best friend.

"We met in the 6th grade at Chestnut Middle School and we just stayed friends after that," she said. Arce was with her friend celebrating her birthday on the night she was killed. Rojas death spurred Arce to take action.

"I started volunteer at the YWCA in a temporary position and it just grew from there," she said. Now Arce is a domestic abuse advocate with the Springfield Police Department.

"It was my way of dealing with what happened, of helping other women even though I wasn't able to help her," she said.

Rojas' mom, Carmen Roman, stood near Arce during the walk, uncomfortable with speaking in public, but hugging and talking to every single person who came up to her.

"So many people loved her, so many people said she touched their lives," said Roman of her only daughter. "She was very hardworking and kind and she always smiled. She left behind four beautiful children. We all miss her so much."

Anyone who is experiencing domestic violence or knows someone who is can call (413) 733-7100 or 1-800-796-8711. All calls are confidential.

March Madness 2016: Twitter leak reveals bracket picks ahead of CBS show

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The bracket was posted by Twitter user named "Richie' and "Sarcastic Prick," and began to spread nationally after it was Re-Tweeted by Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- A leaked version of the NCAA Tournament bracket was passed around Twitter before the results were released on the CBS Selection Show, upstaging the announcement of the final two regions, including those for Syracuse, Michigan and Michigan State.

The bracket was posted by Twitter user named "Richie' and "Sarcastic Prick," and began to spread nationally after it was Re-Tweeted by members of the national media. It listed Syracuse as a No. 10 seed in the Midwest bracket facing Dayton (25-7) in the first round on Friday. A win for the Orange would likely set up a date with Michigan State on Sunday.

The user, who has a Kansas Jayhawk logo as his avatar and a Kansas City Royals logo as his background on Twitter, posted a photo of the bracket with a spoiler alert on the top.

The spoiler had plenty of time to be passed around given the lengthy two-hour NCAA selection show. Unlike previous years, CBS scheduled interviews with coaches and other conversations in between revealing the brackets, drawing out an already time-consuming process.

The process frustrated fans eager to see where their teams were headed. The leak was placed on Twitter near the end of the first hour of coverage, reducing the wait for Syracuse fans by about an hour.

Leaked bracket: NCAA Tournament matchups leaked on Twitter as CBS Selection Show drags

Ludlow Selectmen say residents are safe after homicide, ask for their patience

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Anyone with information on this crime should contact the Ludlow Police Department at (413)-583-8305 or send an anonymous text to CRIMES (or 274637), type the word SOLVE, and then the information.

LUDLOW - The Board of Selectmen thanked police and the Hampden District Attorney's office for their professionalism following a Sunday morning homicide that left a 26-year-old man dead.

The five members also asked residents to be patient as police and Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni's Office investigate the killing.

"Like many investigations of this nature, questions will likely outnumber answers, especially in these early stages.This matter is a top priority for law enforcement and we urge residents to be patient as the investigation continues," Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman Aaron Saunders said on behalf of the board.

The statement was from the five members of the board, Saunders, Chairwoman Carmina Fernandes and William E. Rooney, Manuel Silva, Brian M. Mannix.

The Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator Ellie Villano have been in close contact with the Ludlow Police Department and District Attorney since the shooting that happened at about 12:44 a.m.

"We are grateful for the bravery and professionalism of our police officers and firefighter/paramedics in their response to this incident, as they are with all incidents that place them in harm's way," Saunders said.

The victim was sitting in the passenger seat of a white BWM when he was shot multiple times. The car was parked in front of the Open Door Cafe on Cady Street at the time of the crime, police said.

Police initially received multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots fired outside the bar. When they arrived the man was unconscious. Officers and rescue personnel from the Ludlow Fire Department began performing life-saving measures. He was brought to Baystate Medical Center by Ludlow Fire Department paramedics and died at the hospital, police said.

Officials have not released the name of the victim or any motive in the crime. They have said it is believed to be an isolated shooting.

Ludlow Police with the Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Hampden County District Attorney Office along with Ludlow Police Department Detectives are investigating the killing.

Anyone with information on this crime should contact the Ludlow Police Department at (413)-583-8305 or send an anonymous text to CRIMES (or 274637), type the word SOLVE, and then the information.

"The safety and well being of Ludlow's residents is of utmost importance to the Board of Selectmen and we will continue to work to ensure the Town of Ludlow remains a safe and inviting community," Saunders said.

This is the first homicide in Ludlow in nearly a decade. The last one, which happened in 2007, also occurred on Cady Street outside the Open Door Cafe.

In that case Christopher Slatcher, then 31, ran over his girlfriend, Lorie Avery, 37, of Chicopee. The two had been arguing and Avery left the bar to walk home.

In 2008 Slatcher pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and was sentenced to 4 to 5 years in state prison. Avery was the mother of three who worked as a teacher's aide in the Chicopee schools.

Saunders said the Board of Selectmen have not received any liquor license complaints or other concerns about the Open Doors Cafe in recent years.

South Hadley firefighters searching river for missing man

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Parents of the missing man said they believed he may have been in the water near the Red Canoe Club.

Update: The search was called off and nothing was found in the water.

SOUTH HADLEY - Firefighters are currently searching the Connecticut River for a possible sighting of a Hadley man who has been missing for some time.

Parents of the missing man called around 7 p.m. to report they believed their son was in the river near the Red Cliff Canoe Club off Canal Street, police officials said.

The parents did not see anything in the river. It was not clear immediately why they believed their son was in the water, officials said.

"This would be a recovery mission. The man has been missing for some time," officials said.

Firefighters from Fire District 1 responded and are searching the river. So far nothing has been found in the water.

This is a breaking story. Masslive will update when more information becomes available.

Police in Springfield, Holyoke investigate more shootings Sunday

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No victims were found in either incident.

Police in Springfield and Holyoke are investigating different incidents of gunshots fired Sunday evening.

No victims were found in either incident.

The shootings came about 14 hours after two back-to-back shootings at 3:37 a.m. on Main Street and 4 p.m. on State Street. One man was struck in the leg by a bullet on Main Street, but did not suffer life-threatening wounds.

The crimes prompted Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Police Commissioner John Barbieri to announce plans to increase police initiatives in the city and to expand the police academy.

On Sunday evening, In Springfield, there was a shooting at about 6 p.m., at 245 Wilbraham St.

Soon after, police stopped a car matching the description of one seen at the location but were not able to tie it to the crime. One person in the car was arrested on an outstanding warrant, Police Capt. Robert Strzempek said.

In Holyoke, a shooting was reported at about 6:30 p.m. on Leary Drive. Police found one spent shell casing at the scene but there was no victim, Holyoke Police Lt. Isaias Cruz said.


Maryland shooting: Cop dies in 'unprovoked attack' near police station

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The shooting occurred Sunday at a community center next to the Landover station in the suburb of Prince George's County.

CHEVERLY, Md. -- A police officer died Sunday after he and another person were shot near a police station in a Maryland suburb of the nation's capital.

Two suspects were being held in what authorities said was an "unprovoked attack" on police.

Police identified the slain officer as 28-year-old Jacai Colson, a four-year veteran of the Prince George's County Police Department who was days shy of his birthday.

The police department said on Twitter that Colson "lost his life in defense of this community today. This was an unprovoked attack." Authorities didn't immediately elaborate on the tweet.

Prince George's County Police had originally advised residents near the police station in Landover to stay inside because of an "active shooter" situation. After the second suspect was apprehended, they said on Twitter that they did not think any other suspects were at large.

The shooting occurred at about 4:30 p.m. at a community center next to the Landover station in the suburb of Prince George's County, about 10 miles northeast of downtown Washington, D.C.

Alan Doubleday, assistant chief of the Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Services Department, said a person who was shot was taken by ambulance to Prince George's Hospital Center. That person, who was not a police officer, appeared to be in stable condition, Doubleday said.

He said the officer, initially described by police on Twitter as "critically wounded," was taken to the same hospital by police.

Police Shooting MarylandA police K9 unit searches the grounds of a Popeyes restaurant during an investigation into the shooting of a Prince George's County police officer outside a police station, on Sunday, March 13, 2016, in Hyattsville, Md.  

Parked police cars lined a road to the hospital Sunday evening. Several officers crowded into the hospital's lobby, quietly waiting to learn details about the officer's condition from their chief.

Details about what happened were not immediately released, and the suspects weren't immediately identified.

The Washington Post reported that one woman near the site of the shooting grabbed her sleeping, 14-month old baby from his play pen when she heard what she thought might be either firecrackers or gunshots. The woman told the newspaper she looked outside and saw a man dressed in black firing a handgun.

"He fired one shot, and then he started pacing back and forth, then fired another shot," said Lascelles Grant, a nurse. She added in the account that police began pouring out of the station. "Just looking outside, I'm like, 'Oh my God, look at all these police officers running out, putting their lives really in danger.'"

The woman couldn't immediately be reached by The Associated Press.

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have begun assisting local police in the investigation, spokesmen for the two federal agencies said. They said the Prince George's County Police remained the lead investigating agency.

Dave Fitz, spokesman for the FBI in Maryland, told AP that the FBI "reached out and offered support" and sent a couple of special agents to assist. He had no further details.

Dave Cheplak, spokesman for the ATF in Maryland, was unable to say how many ATF agents were assisting. He also could not say specifically what they are doing, but said assistance typically would include following up on leads, interviewing witnesses, supporting evidence collection and tracing any recovered firearms.

The Prince George's County Police Department's District III station is next door to county police headquarters. Nearby is the Palmer Park Community Center, although a county website listing for the center says it is closed on Sundays.

Timber Rattlesnakes proposed for the Quabbin Reservoir: What People are Tweeting

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Officials are planning to introduce fewer than 10 snakes a year at the reservoir.

BELCHERTOWN - A proposal to introduce timber rattlesnakes to an island in the Quabbin Reservoir has been making news for the past few weeks.

Opponents have said they are concerned the rattlesnakes will swim off the island and threaten those who live near the reservoir as well as those who fish and walk at the Quabbin.

Proponents argue the snakes pose no danger to people and the island will keep the rattlesnakes away from people, who can harm the snakes. They say is a good way to protect one of the state's most endangered species.

The plan is to put fewer than 10 on the island a year.

The Quabbin Watershed Advisory Committee (QWAC) is scheduled to discuss the proposal, 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.

Here are some of the things People have been Tweeting about the proposal.

East Longmeadow students poised to present indie parody production: 'To Kill a Mockingjay'

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The original play, "To Kill a Mockingjay," will kick of at the Drama Studio at 41 Oakland St. in Springfield; March 18 at 7:30 p.m.; March 19 and 3 and 7:30 p.m.; and March 20 at 2 and 6 p.m. Advance reservations are strongly advised and can be obtained by calling 413-525-5659.

EAST LONGMEADOW -They were two adolescent boys, gradually coming to an understanding of square pegs into round holes in a bedroom community in Western Massachusetts that valued sports prowess above all.

Dan Kelly, 16, concedes his father hoped he would be a sports standout. But, he and Michael Nevins, both now juniors at East Longmeadow High School, discovered an outlet in theater that was both unexpected and truly satisfying.

"I tried every sport known to man; I even did karate for one day," Nevins, 17, said during an interview at the town's Starbuck's, where an advertisement for their upcoming two-act play, "To Kill a Mockingjay," hangs on the wall.

"You really did that? Dude, that's going in," Kelly joked. "Not that there's anything wrong with sports, but we wanted kids to know there are other options aside from bouncing a basketball. There's a lot of stigma around not being involved in a sport."

After joining the school system's theater groups and finding a social and creative refuge, the pair began realizing they sought even more creative independence by the time they reached high school. Both Kelly and Nevins had had several lead roles in school plays, but they wanted to branch out. The two listened to both original and adapted parodies and thought that might be the route for them.

"We came off a particularly bad rehearsal, and started thinking: what can we do that would be really funny? I had a notebook and me and Michael were joking about the 'Hunger Games,' Kelly said, referring to a wildly popular dystopian trilogy authored by Suzanne Collins.

The book series was ultimately adapted into a movie series featuring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, the series' heroine. The boys entitled their play "To Kill A Mockingjay," as a hybrid of the series and "To Kill a Mockingbird," a 1960 novel by Harper Lee about social justice.

The two-act, two-hour musical by "wet paint theatre" features 17 actors including Kelly as "Dale" and Nevins as "President Snow" plus a handful of stage crew members. Among the featured songs in the musical are "Everything Sucks in District 12," as a reference to Everdeen's slum-like existence, and "Snow's Going Down."

The musical will kick off at the Drama Studio at 41 Oakland Street in Springfield; March 18 at 7:30 p.m.; March 19 and 3 and 7:30 p.m.; and March 20 at 2 and 6 p.m. Advance reservations are strongly advised and can be obtained by calling 413-525-5659.

The playwrights concede the inside jokes will be most familiar with those who have read the book series or watched the movies, but will have a comedic appeal for everyone. It may be most appealing to Millennials but not exclusive to that generation, Nevins says.

The creative process was just one of the challenges that faced Kelly and Nevins. They realized they needed to hire a composer, which they found on Craigslist, Jacob Burnstein, a Berkley graduate whom they paid.

"That was the first bill. We realized there was a lot more to pay for," Nevins said.

They launched a Kickstart fund-raiser that tanked.

"It failed epically," Nevins said.

So they looked to their parents: Kelly's father a lawyer; his mother, a teacher; Nevin's mom a house-cleaner and his father an employee at a car dealership. Plus, they received support from " Reflections by Claudia,'" in East Longmeadow.

The boys received support from their high school principal after breaking from the high school drama club, but subsequent push-back from the school district superintendent's office. Facing a financing bill they felt untenable, they turned to the Drama Studio, where the two have taken acting and comedy classes.

They feel confident as the date approaches on March 18 with tickets selling fast. The more than dozen actors have been rehearsing in Kelly's basement for months.

"This is all I want to do in my life; I just want to make people laugh. When people laugh at our jokes, I just get this sense of gratification. Thia is a dream come true,"Kelly said.


Enfield man seriously injured in two-car crash

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An Enfield man, Seth Lepak, was seriously injured when his car collided with a pickuup truck on Route 32 in Stafford just befroe 11 p.m. Saturday night.

STAFFORD, CT— An Enfield man was seriously injured when his car collided head-on with a pickup truck on Route 32 in Stafford Saturday night.

The Hartford Courant reported that Seth Lepak had to be extricated from the wreckage of his vehicle before he was airlifted to the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield with serious injuries.

Connecticut State Police said Lepak was driving southbound on Route 32 just before 11 p.m. Saturday when his car collided head-on with the northbound pickup truck. The driver of the truck, Shawn Michael McDuffee, 23, and a passenger, Brian McDuffee, 21, were taken to Hartford hospital with minor injuries. .

Republican presidential debates' tone suggests shift in American politics

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Attacks over body parts and stature, vocal audiences and candidates yelling over each other have become recurring themes in several of the debates between Republican presidential candidates in the 2016 election cycle.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Attacks over body parts and stature, vocal audiences and candidates yelling over each other have become recurring themes in several of the debates between Republican presidential candidates in the 2016 election cycle.

While party front-runner Donald Trump has been credited for much of the rancor that has surfaced in recent GOP debates, political observers suggest that it signals a deeper shift.

WGBY Director of Public Affairs Jim Madigan, who has moderated more than a dozen Massachusetts gubernatorial and U.S. Senate debates, said tension is almost always present among candidates, but the levels seen on the GOP debate stage are unique.

"The Republican debates this year, I've never seen anything like it," he said in an interview. "It's hard to imagine topics like the size of hands...this is third grade playground stuff."

Neil Levesque, the executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics and Political Library at Saint Anselm College, likened the 2016 GOP debates to watching the "Jerry Springer Show" or professional wrestling.

He pointed to how parties stack debate audiences with donors and major players instead of more local voters -- something that he argued has led to more audience involvement in recent presidential election cycles.

"If you compare them to debates we had 20 years ago, you can't even complete the comparison," Levesque said in an interview. "The language, rancor, audience yelling at candidates...these debates are more like watching World Wrestling Federation event than they are about a civic exercise about who should become the president of the United States."

Personal attacks and yelling among Republican presidential candidates came to a head last week, as the four remaining White House hopefuls met in Detroit. The prime time event drew criticism for personal attacks on U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's, R-Fla., height, the size of Trump's hands and the businessman's denial that "something else must be small."

Following the debate, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said the tone and rhetoric needed to improve moving forward during a "Face the Nation" interview.

"I do think that you have to keep a 'PG' rating during debates," he said.

In wake of the chairman's call, candidates squared-off in a less contentious, issues-focused debate in Miami late-Thursday.

Madigan attributed the rancor that has surfaced in Republican debates, in part, to the media's obsession with celebrities, like Trump, as well as the frustration among voters supporting him.

"There's obviously a certain chunk of the Republican electorate, around 30 to 40 percent that's just plain angry and scared and feels kind of abandoned by government," he said. "Trump appeals because he says the un-(politically correct) stuff, he kind of says whatever comes to mind."

Madigan, however, contended that how moderators and networks conduct debates, as well as how many candidates appear on stage, have also likely played a role in the tone shift. He, for example, pointed to the lack of order in some of the debates' formats, as well as the speaking time discrepancy between top and low-polling candidates.

The types of questions asked, Madigan added, can also open debates up to attacks over discussions on issues.

"I think sometimes some of the networks may want a slugfest," he said. "It gets a lot of viewers."

Levesque agreed that media coverage has likely played a role in reinforcing less than civil behavior in politics, but dismissed the argument that it has sprung from frustration with government.

"To say it's because voters are dissatisfied is not an answer because Americans have almost always been dissatisfied with politics and we never saw it get this way," he said. "Why is that? Maybe we are less polite as a society."

For example, Levesque pointed to 1968 Republican presidential candidate George Romney, whose White House chances were essentially ruined after saying he had been "brainwashed" in Vietnam. He contrasted Romney's gaffe to comments made in the 2016 race.

"Now we have candidates talking about their body parts, you name it -- menstruation: this is new territory."

Today, Levesque argued, the tenor of American politics is that citizens believe the correct way to make an argument "is to yell and scream." Blame for the shift, however, cannot fall squarely on Trump, he said.

"Trump is being supported by people who like that," he said in an interview. "So therefore, is it Trump's fault or people who support that type of thing? To blame it on a candidate is wrong. A candidate could speak that way and if voters didn't like it, it would end his campaign."

While Levesque noted that debates between the Democratic presidential candidates have not been immune from personal attacks and audience input, he contended that they have been "clearly more polite and much more hospitable."

With both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., having long careers in politics, Levesque argued that they likely realize whomever gets the party's nomination will need the other's support down the line -- something outsider candidates like Trump may not consider.

"If you haven't been in politics, and you maybe have been a CEO, companies destroy competition and don't look for their competitors to get across finish line," he said. "It's different in politics."

Madigan also said he believes the Democratic debates have been more issues-oriented -- something he attributed, in part, to the party's vastly smaller field of candidates.

Despite expressing disappointment in how presidential debates are changing, Levesque said he believes Saint Anselm will continue hosting them in years to come.

"This is American politics," he said.

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