Exit 24 on Interstate 91 South in Whately is closed due to a tractor trailer crash on the exit ramp.

WHATELY - Exit 24 on Interstate 91 South is closed due to a tractor trailer crash on the exit ramp.

A trooper at the Northampton State Police barracks said the driver apparently had a medical issue that caused him to drive the truck into a guardrail around 9:45 a.m.

The driver was treated on scene by EMTs, but the trooper said he did not know the man's condition.

The exit will remain closed until the truck can be towed away. A trooper at the Shelburne Falls barracks said all lanes of the highway were open.

Exit 24 for Route 5 & 10 in Deerfield and Whately is located in Whately, just over the line from South Deerfield.

Two consultants have submitted competing proposals to design a way-finding signage system for downtown Springfield

SPRINGFIELD - The city has received two competing proposals from consulting firms, seeking a contract from Springfield to design a comprehensive system for directing walkers, bicyclists and visitors to key downtown destinations and attractions.

The proposals were submitted by Monday's deadline by the two companies: Applied Wayfinding of New York, N.Y.; and Favermann Designs of Boston, according to the city's Office of Procurement. Other details of the proposals were kept confidential pending a city review.

"We're obviously happy we got a couple of respondents and look forward to reviewing them and hopefully making a selection in the near future," said Scott Hanson, principal planner with the city's Office of Planning and Economic Development.

The planned "Springfield Downtown/Metro Center Pedestrian Way-finding Enhancement Initiative" project is part of efforts to promote a pedestrian-friendly downtown district.

The city set a maximum price of $60,000 for the consulting contract that is being financed under a federally funded grant through the state Department of Public Health. The eventual cost of the new way-finding initiative is not yet known, Hanson said.

Prior to the way-finding system, the city will be installing 45 temporary Coroplast signs in the downtown as a pilot program, and survey the public before and after the signs are posted, Hanson said. The signs will note key destinations in the downtown and the number of minutes it takes to walk to those destinations such as Union Station or the Quadrangle Museums, also assisting bicyclists and motorists, he said.

The primary goal of the way-finding system will be to "educate and hopefully encourage residents and visitors that most destinations are walkable in our compact downtown area once you arrive and that walking verses driving leads to overall better health outcomes," Hanson said.

The focus area is bordered by the Connecticut River on the west, Byers Street on the east, Liberty Street on the north and Union Street on the south.

The city had initially sought proposals by March 10, received none, and placed the contract out to bid again.

WESTFIELD - Greenfield family physician Dr. Ruth Potee will address drug abuse and the teenage brain at the city's third public forum on drug abuse Wednesday at Westfield High School. The forum is scheduled for 6;30 p.m. in Westfield High School's auditorium. Potee, a nationally renowned physician specializing in opioid abuse, will discuss 'The teen brain: Under Construction.' She will...

WESTFIELD - Greenfield family physician Dr. Ruth Potee will address drug abuse and the teenage brain at the city's third public forum on drug abuse Wednesday at Westfield High School.

The forum is scheduled for 6;30 p.m. in Westfield High School's auditorium.

Potee, a nationally renowned physician specializing in opioid abuse, will discuss 'The teen brain: Under Construction.'

She will explain why teens are at greater risk of addiction; the extreme dangers of opiates and how to keep a developing brain safe.

The forum is open to the public, especially parents of middle and high school students. Students are encouraged to attend with their parents.

Isais Torres-Vega, Nilsa Agosto and Hazel Rivera face serious charges including extortion and kidnapping in Springfield.

Buffy Spencer | bspencer@repub.com 

SPRINGFIELD - A 24-year-old city man has been indicted by a Hampden Superior Court grand jury for 19 serious crimes, including "procuring a person for prostitution."

Isais Torres-Vega, of 280 Walnut St., faces six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Two different women are listed as victims between the six counts and the weapons are listed as a stun gun in some counts and a machete in others.

Torres-Vega faces two counts of assault and battery, one of assault by means of a dangerous weapon (handgun), one of larceny under $250, and two of intimidation of a witness. The victims in those counts are also the same two women.

For the other six charges, Torres-Vega has two co-defendants.

Those include two charges of kidnapping for extortion and two charges of extortion by threat of injury, with the same two female victims.

The other two charges are kidnapping a child under 16 years old. There are two children listed as victims, one for each charge.

Co-defendants with Torres-Vega for the kidnapping and extortion charges are Nilsa Agosta, 49, of 60 James St. in Springfield and Hazel Rivera, 31, of 68½ James St.

The dates of the alleged Springfield crimes are between June 5 and June 7, 2015. Some are alleged to have happened on one day and some over several days.

Alexandra Lalos remains free on $25,000 bail in a case where she is accused of accessory after the fact to the murder of William Serrano in Springfield in 2013. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - Alexandra Lalos of Wilbraham on Monday denied a count of accessory after the fact of murder.

Lalos, 21, previously disappeared before a murder trial in which she was expected to testify.

Assistant District Attorney Eduardo Velazquez has said Lalos had given police multiple conflicting accounts of a 2013 killing in Springfield, then disappeared rather than testify at trial.

Two men charged in the case a Julio Levia, 27, of Framingham and Amadi Sosa, 21, of Springfield a are serving life sentences. They were found guilty in January of killing William Serrano, who was shot seven times during a robbery on the back porch of a Grenada Terrace home in Forest Park.

But prosecutors were forced to drop a murder charge against a third defendant, Alex Santana, 22, of Springfield, when Lalos vanished before trial, Velazquez said.

In a plea deal, Santana was given 6-to 8-years for armed assault with intent to rob and possession of ammunition. Lalos was the only witness who could place Santana on the porch with the other two defendants at the time of the shooting, Velazquez said.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey on Monday set bail at $25,000 cash, the amount Lalos had already posted at her Springfield District Court arraignment.

Lalos also denied a charge of accessory after the fact of armed robbery and willful interference with a criminal investigation.

The indictment for accessory after the fact of murder said Lalos, knowing the three men committed murder, aided them so they could avoid arrest.

Lalos is the is the daughter of former Springfield police officer Alexander Lalos, 39, now living in Florida on a disability retirement. In 2008, he was involved in a wild, off-duty car chase with two men who were shooting at his car over a dispute with Lalos' nephew.

In 2015, the former officer won an unspecified amount of money after settling a civil suit against the city.

Lalos, who was Sosa's girlfriend, initially told investigators the couple was in New York City at the time of the Nov. 10, 2013 killing; later, she admitted driving Levia and Sosa to the apartment to rob Serrano; eventually, she admitted driving all three defendants to the house for the robbery and identified Levia as the shooter, Velazquez said.

As the trial approached, prosecutors tried to reach Lalos by phone and email and through her lawyers and relatives. During the trial, Lalos accepted jail phone calls from Sosa and admitted that her mother and grandmother were looking for her, Velazquez said.

Polls remain open until 8 p.m.

AMHERST - Voting was steady at Precinct 7 Tuesday morning with 53 casting ballots by 9:15 a.m.

Balloting was typical at Precinct 4 as well, said warden Ken Samonds, with 26 voting by 9:40 a.m..

Carol Birtwistle, warden of Precinct 7 said, "you never know" about what to expect. But so far, it was a typical morning for a town election. She has worked the polls for several years.

Voters were deciding on a School Committee race and whether to support the creation of a charter commission to look at town government.

The question asks "Shall a Commission be elected to frame a charter for Amherst?"

Voters were also asked to elect nine to that commission. Nineteen were running for seats.

But it was voting, itself, not issues that drew some voters.

"We always vote," said Judith Ortiz of she and her husband Jesse Ortiz.

Still she said they voted in favor of creating the charter commission.

Jesse Ortiz said, "The town has grown too much" for the current town meeting form of government.

And he said, "Town Meeting is just a special group" that votes for its own interests.

They have lived in town for more than 40 years.

While Joan Rabin doesn't think town meeting is perfect, she voted against the creation of the commission.

She thinks changes can be made within the government that exists. Amherst has a five member Select Board, town manager and 240-member representative town government.

"I don't think we need to go through the charter (process.)"

The town last went through a charter process 13 years ago.

The proposal to replace the Select Board with a nine-member town council and a mayor was defeated by 253 votes - 2,950 against to 2,697 in favor of the change.

But Amherst for All, which collected more than the requisite 3,215 registered vote signatures to bring the question to voters, believes the town has grown too much for the current form.

Anne Harazin, a precinct 4 voter, supported the commission creation.

She said just four people were running for town meeting seats with eight needed. And she doesn't see that people who run as necessarily representative of the town.

"I think it's a good idea to look at other (forms of government,)" she said.

The vote to support a commission does not mean a change in government but creates a commission to study potential changes.

Voters would get the final say at another election.

Vincent O'Connor, Laura Kent and Anastasia Ordonez are competing for the two School Committee seats.

Incumbents Richard Hood and Kathleen Traphagen are not running.

Polls are open until 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The crash that killed Westfield firefighter Kevin Regan also left a lasting mark on his long-time girlfriend Lynda Cavanaugh. Watch video

The crash that killed Westfield firefighter Kevin Regan also left a lasting mark on his fiance Lynda Cavanaugh.

Testifying at the trial of Paul Dennehy, the Nantucket realtor charged with motor vehicle homicide in Regan's death, Cavanaugh described how a relaxing day on Cape Cod turned, in an instant, into a tragedy.

"I took pride in my health. I believed in preventive care," Cavanaugh said. "I didn't want Kevin to have to take care of me. His job was hard enough."

Cavanaugh and Regan drove to Cape Cod from Western Mass. on Dec. 27, she told the court. They watched movies at the West Yarmouth condominium and went to the Sons of Erin, an Irish private social club, shortly before 6 p.m., Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh said she could not recall exactly how many drinks they had. A bartender at the club later testified that Regan had three or four Budweisers, and Cavanaugh had a smaller number of Bud Lights.

They left the club and walked back on their usual route to their condo. They prepared to cross the street and that is the last thing Cavanaugh remembers, she said.

She does not recall being struck by Dennehy's van, or receiving treatment in Cape Cod Hospital. She was surprised when she later received a bill for emergency care she could not remember, she testified.

"I remember my name being yelled out. There was a lot of noise," Cavanaugh said.
"And I was in the helicopter."

Her injuries were severe -- a broken femur, deep cuts on her body, cracked ribs, a cracked pelvic bone. She spent two days in a trauma unit, six days in a private hospital room and 16 days a rehabilitation facility before returning home and continuing to receive physical therapy and visits from nurses.

In addition to Regan's death, Dennehy is charged with operating under the influence causing a serious injury. Cavanaugh testified that she continues to suffer from the crash, including symptoms like back spasms, limited mobility in her arms and trouble walking.

"I had to learn how to use my legs again," Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh and Regan, both children of Westfield firefighters, were together nearly 33 years, according to an obituary in the Westfield News.

Follow MassLive's live coverage of the trial here:

A group of city teachers are back in the classroom, this time as students.

HOLYOKE -- A group of city teachers are back in the classroom, this time as students.

Holyoke Public Schools has partnered with Mount Holyoke College to launch the "Urban Teachers Pathways Program." Through the partnership, 10 district educators can pursue a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree each year at a low cost.

Through a combination of scholarships, district and grant funding, Holyoke teachers receive a 90 percent reduction in tuition costs.

"They will learn how to design instruction that is academically challenging, culturally relevant and addresses the social and emotional needs of our students," District Receiver Stephen Zrike said. "We are grateful to Mount Holyoke College for this opportunity. We have had a longtime partnership that includes community based learning initiatives, to share resources and address community needs."

Teachers enrolled in the program began their first semester of classes this year. 
Mount Holyoke classes will cover how to introduce interdisciplinary curriculum design in the classroom, bringing technology into the hands of students and teachers will learn best practices for teaching students with moderate disabilities.

Holyoke Public School officials believe the program will improve the educational opportunities for students by enhancing the qualifications of district educators. 

To qualify for the master's programs, teachers must have a bachelor's degree, successfully completed the Communications and Literacy Massachusetts Test for Education Licensure (MTEL) exam and be nominated by a supervisor. 

Shojo, a ramen restaurant in Boston's Chinatown, has been named among the best ramen restaurants in the America.

BOSTON -- A ramen restaurant in Chinatown has been named among the best ramen restaurants in America.

Shojo at 9 Tyler St. is tenth-best spot to get ramen in country, according to Time Out, a travel, food and culture blog. The site compiled the list of the top 15 restaurants serving the Japanese dish.

A far cry from the ramen noodles that many college kids have prepared in kitchenettes, the fancier version of the dish has really taken off in popularity in recent years. It features noodles in a broth and is often spiced up with various additions, including meats and eggs.

According to the Time Out post, which was published Monday, Shojo features small plate dishes and cocktails in an "artsy, loftlike atmosphere hard to come by in Chinatown."

In fact, it only offers its ramen dish, flavored with chicken and pork bone, during lunch. Dishes range from $8 to $19.

Time Out reported that the restaurant's noodles are made in house in a noodle machine, and the rest of the menu often features inventive twists on Asian classics, like kimchi fried rice and Asian chicken and waffles.

5 new restaurants in Worcester in 2016

Shojo was named best ramen by Best of Boston 2015 and the best neighborhood restaurant in the Boston's Best 2015 competition by Improper Bostonian, according to the eatery's website. It is named for a red-faced Japanese sea spirit with a fondness for alcohol, the site says.

Time Out also included lists of the best ramen restaurants by city. The Boston restaurants, unranked, are Uni Sashimi Bar, Yume Wo Katare, Dumpling Daughter, Myers & Chang, Sapporo Ramen, Snappy Ramen, Sweet Cheeks, OISA Ramen, and Pikaichi.

Photo Tour: Ethnic restaurants in West Springfield

Doering packed a lot into her long life, earning a statewide reputation for her advocacy on behalf of public education, children, health and fitness.

AGAWAM — Roberta F. Gere Doering, the state's longest consecutively serving school committee member and the namesake for a local public school, died Sunday at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. She was 91.

It's not just anyone who can lay claim to having a school named for them, but Doering wasn't just anyone. The longtime Agawam resident, renowned for her advocacy of children, public education, the arts, and health and fitness, was first elected to the Agawam School Committee in January 1970, serving consecutive terms on the panel since then.

In 2010, the City of Agawam recognized her lifelong contributions to education by dedicating the Roberta G. Doering Middle School in her honor.

Doering, who lived in Agawam for more than 60 years, was born in Syracuse, New York, to Robert Francis Gere and Mary Margaret Osterhout Gere. After graduating from the State University of New York at Cortland, she taught health and physical education in Cooperstown, New York, where she met her future husband, Dr. James A. Doering.

From 1958 to 1992, Doering worked at the Pine Knoll Swim School in Springfield, serving as a swimming instructor and director of the Seven and Younger Field Program. Her interest in recreation and fitness led to her lifelong support of the YMCA of Greater Springfield, which granted her its outstanding layperson award in 1972.

Doering went on to become a 20-year member of the YMCA's board of directors and later made history by becoming the first woman to chair the board in 1979. In 1982, the YMCA recognized her service by granting her its highest honor, the Red Triangle Award.

Doering first decided to run for the Agawam School Committee in 1970, citing the need for "a woman's voice" on the board to represent "women and young girls," she said in a 2010 interview with The Republican. A male board member told her he was glad she was joining the panel because she could help the secretary prepare coffee for the board's meetings. "I said I would be very willing to take my turn with the rest of them," she said.

In 1969, Doering expanded her focus to the children of Agawam, winning a seat on the School Committee on Jan. 1, 1970. She also participated in state and national school board associations, serving as a member and past president of both the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) and the National School Boards Association (NSBA). The MASC honored Doering's passing by noting that she was the first person from Massachusetts to serve on the NSBA board of directors and its executive committee.

In 2010, the MASC presented Doering with the Thomas P. 'Tip' O'Neill Jr. Award, the highest honor conferred by the organization, for a "lifetime of distinguished service." In announcing the award, MASC President Kathleen Robey commended Doering's commitment to "advancing the cause of public education and the passion she consistently demonstrated as an advocate for students and public education.

Doering didn't just leave her imprint on the City of Agawam. She also was a charter member of the Field Club in Longmeadow; a longtime member of the Lower Pioneer Valley Collaborative and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association; a trustee of the Springfield Library and Museums Association, and a trustee of Baystate Medical Center.

Doering had a love of nature and the outdoors, enjoyed hiking and camping in National Parks across the country, and spent many years with her husband and family at her second home near Lake Placid, New York. She enjoyed downhill skiing at Whiteface Mountain in New York and at Mt. Tom in Holyoke, rode her bicycle around the streets of Agawam for decades, and more recently kept up her physical fitness with regular walks at the Holyoke Mall and along Agawam's River Walk.

Doering was also a strong supporter of the arts, enjoying performances from the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, the New York City Ballet, the Fine Arts Center at UMass Amherst, and The Majestic Theater.

Doering was predeceased by her husband, who died in 2002. She is survived by a sister Nancy Ann Gere O'Neil, of Oak Park, Illinois, many nieces and nephews, and generations of great-nieces and nephews.

A funeral will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, April 1, at the West Springfield Curran-Jones Funeral Home, followed by a 10 a.m. Liturgy at St. John the Evangelist Church, 833 Main St., Agawam. Burial will follow at the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, 1390 Main St., Agawam. Visiting hours at the funeral parlor are from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday. More information is available at curranjones.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Doering's memory to the Roberta G. Doering Field Trip Fund, c/o Agawam Public Schools, 1305 Springfield St., Suite 1, Feeding Hills, MA 01030; the YMCA of Greater Springfield, c/o Development Office, 275 Chestnut St., Springfield, MA 01104; or to the Springfield Science Museum 21 Edwards St., Springfield, MA 01103.

A woman claiming to be a former executive for a short-lived pro-Donald Trump super PAC questioned the seriousness of the Republican presidential front-runner's White House run and urged voters to not support him in a scathing online letter published this week.

A woman claiming to be a former executive for a short-lived pro-Donald Trump super PAC questioned the seriousness of the Republican presidential front-runner's White House bid and urged voters to not support him in a scathing online letter published this week.

Stephanie Cegielski, who blasted Trump in an open letter published on XOJane.com, said while she signed on as the communications director for the Make America Great Again super PAC because she loved the idea of a protest candidate, she doesn't believe he's prepared to potentially take over the White House.

Trump's campaign, however, dismissed the claims, calling Cegielski's online letter " yet another desperate person looking for their fifteen minutes."

Contending that Trump "certainly was never prepared or equipped to go all the way to the White House" and likely didn't even believe he would get this far in the race, Cegielski urged voters to stop supporting him, saying it's the "biggest gift possible" they can give the businessman.

"He doesn't want the White House. He just wants to be able to say that he could have run the White House. He's achieved that already and then some," she said. "If there is any question, take it from someone who was recruited to help the candidate succeed, and initially very much wanted him to do so."

Cegielski further compared the businessman to American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar, who gained attention for advancing through the singing competition despite pushback from the show's judges.

"President Trump would be President Sanjaya in terms of legitimacy and authority," she wrote. "And I am now taking full responsibility for helping create this monster -- and reaching out directly to those voters who, like me, wanted Trump to be the real deal."

Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks, however, told Yahoo Politics that Cegielski was never employed by the campaign and evidently worked for a super PAC that the businessman disavowed and requested be closed.

"She knows nothing about Mr. Trump or the campaign and her disingenuous and factually inaccurate statements in no way resemble any shred of truth," Hicks said in a statement. "This is yet another desperate person looking for their fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump is running for president because he is the only one who will 'Make America Great Again.'"

The Make America Great Again super PAC shut down in late-October 2015 amidst increased scrutiny of its ties to Trump's campaign, according to Politico. The decision to shut down the organization reportedly sought to erase questions as to whether Trump, who has publicly rejected campaign contributions, had a super PAC.

According to Federal Election Commission campaign finance data, the Make America Great Again super PAC paid Cegielski Communications, where Cegielski is a consultant, more than $62,000 between August and November 2015 for "staff" purposes.

A Twitter account purporting to be Cegielski, which praised Trump's campaign largely up until news broke of the super PAC's shutdown, took credit for the XOJane post.

My piece in @xojanedotcom today: "An Open Letter to Trump Voters from His Top Strategist-Turned-Defector" https://t.co/3UzIjjTyjz

— Stephanie Cegielski (@SCegielskiPR) March 29, 2016

Balise Automotive offered to buy a house and land for $50,000 with the plans to connect that site with other Balise properties as part of a 'major development." There are various uses being considered, Balise said.

SPRINGFIELD - The Balise Automotive company has submitted the sole bid to purchase a tax-foreclosed property on Elmwood Street in the South End, saying that if approved, it will be included as part of a future "major redevelopment project" in that area.

Balise Automative Realty, Limited Partnership, submitted a bid of $50,000 to purchase the house and land at 20 Elmwood St.,and was the only bid received by the city by Friday's deadline. The property is zoned for Business B use.

Balise has automobile related businesses along East Columbus Avenue including a new Hyundai dealership.

Balise stated that by combining properties it owns and controls in the South End, possible uses being considered in that area include restaurants, hotel, travel services, office and retail.

The proposed redevelopment in that area would be project "consistent in quality with its recent Balise Hyundai project," the proposal sates.

The 20 Elmwood St. property has an assessed value of $47,600.

Balise's bid for the property included a letter of support from the South End Citizens Council.

Leo Florian, president of the citizens council, said the neighborhood group is "100 percent confident" that the future use will be a first-class facility and will add to the redevelopment of the South End.

"The Balise family has operated businesses in the South End for many years and has always had first-class facilities," Florian said, in the letter to the city.

Balise stated in its proposal that it has operated automobile dealerships in the South End since the 1930s.

"Throughout the many decades, Balise has maintained a continuous and positive commitment to the City of Springfield and, in particular, the South End," the proposal stated. "Balise is extremely proud of this relationship with the South End community and will work closely with the neighborhood as it determines the best possible use for 20 Elmwood Street and the surrounding Balise Properties, it stated.

The sole bid is under review by the city, and the city reserved the right to reject any bid in its Request for Proposals.

Carvel spent the past four seasons coaching at his alma mater St. Lawrence, where he was named ECAC coach of the year for the 2014-15 season.

The search to replace John Micheletto is all but over.

According to a report via Twitter from ESPN's John Buccigross, UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford has tabbed St. Lawrence coach Greg Carvel as the school's new hockey coach:

Sources tell me UMass AD Ryan Bamford has worked out a 5-yr deal with Greg Carvel. A release could be coming as soon as this afternoon.

— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) March 29, 2016

Bamford, for whom this is the first major hire of his tenure as UMass AD, effectively confirmed the news minutes later via his own Twitter account:

#FireTheMusket [?] #UniteTheMasses [?] [?]

— Ryan Bamford (@UMassADBamford) March 29, 2016

Carvel, 45, spent the past four seasons coaching at his alma mater St. Lawrence (1989-93) in the ECAC. He led Saints to a 72-63-15 record overall, highlighted by a 20-win season in 2014-15 in which he was named the league's coach of the year after the team was picked 11th in the preseason poll.

Owner of a 1996 master's degree in sport management from UMass, Carvel also has NHL coaching experience thanks to stints with the Anaheim Ducks (2003, with scouting and video coordination work dating back to 1999) and the Ottawa Senators (2004-11).

He began his collegiate coaching career with the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL after a season spent playing professionally in Sweden and time as assistant athletic director and assistant coach at Canterbury Prep in New Milford, Connecticut. He also spent time with Amherst College while completing his master's.

According to Buccigross, a formal announcement of Carvel's hiring should be expected as soon as Tuesday afternoon. An introductory press conference would follow, likely on Wednesday.

Here's Buccigross with some more insight on Carvel and what his hire potentially means to a UMass hockey program greatly in need of some direction:

Greg Carvel probably doubles pay/budget, can recruit elite players. UMass oozes of potential, great coach could turn it into Lowell/PC

— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) March 29, 2016

Greg Carvel earned his masters degree in sport management from UMass in 1998.

— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) March 29, 2016

Greg Carvel Revitalized SLU hockey as head coach: 2nd place ECAC finish in 2014-15 (picked 11th in preseason) and 4th place in 2015-16.

— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) March 29, 2016

New UMass Head Coach Greg Carvel has been to two Stanley Cup Finals as an assistant coach with Ducks (2003) and Senators (2007)

— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) March 29, 2016

Follow MassLive.com UMass beat writer @Daniel_Malone on Twitter or reach him via email.

Corey Lewandowski, the campaign manager for Donald Trump's Republican presidential bid, has been charged with simple assault for allegedly grabbing a reporter during an campaign event earlier this month.

Corey Lewandowski, the campaign manager for Donald Trump's Republican presidential bid, has been charged with simple assault for allegedly grabbing a reporter during a campaign event earlier this month.

According to CBS New York, police in Jupiter, Florida on Tuesday issued Lewandowski a notice to appear before a judge for the misdemeanor charge on May 4. Trump's campaign confirmed the receipt of a the notice and court date, but said he was not arrested and "is absolutely innocent of this charge."

Police released a surveillance video that purports to show Lewandowski grabbing Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields as she attempted to ask the GOP front-runner a question during the campaign event, CBS reported.

The police report, according to CBS, states that the campaign manager grabbed the reporter's left arm, causing her to turn and step back. Fields' left forearm reportedly appeared to show "a grabbing-type injury," the news outlet said.

Fields, who tweeted photos of the alleged injury, has since resigned from Breitbart, citing the outlet's refusal to stand behind her, according to BuzzFeed News.

Trump's campaign said Lewandowski will enter a not guilty plea, adding that he "looks forward to his day in court."

"He is completely confident that he will be exonerated," it added in a statement directing further inquiries to Lewandowski's attorney.

Obituaries from The Republican.obituaries-today, @homepage

Gary Kusek 

Gary M. Kusek, 56, passed away on Thursday. He was born in Springfield. He worked for many years as an HVAC technician. He was an avid fisherman and hunter, and loved to cook.

Full obituary and funeral arrangements for Gary Kusek »

A passenger who was involved in a two-car accident on McKnight Street Sunday has died, although it is not clear if her death was related to the crash or an existing medical condition.

SPRINGFIELD -- A passenger who was involved in a two-car accident on McKnight Street Sunday has died, although police said it is not clear if her death was related to the crash or an existing medical condition.

Springfield Police Capt. William Collins confirmed Tuesday that the woman passed away. He said the cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.

Dennis G. Leger, assistant for Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said Sunday that the female passenger was in "full cardiac arrest" when firefighters freed her from the wrecked Mitsubishi Eclipse using the Jaws of Life. They administered CPR and she was transported to a hospital, Leger said.

The accident occurred at 6:25 p.m. at 28 McKnight Street, near the intersection of Catherine Street.

The driver of the Eclipse and a man who was in the other vehicle were also hospitalized. No update was available on their conditions.

Collins said the cause of the crash is being investigated by the Springfield Accident Reconstruction Bureau and the Traffic Bureau. 

WWLP reported that the vehicle struck the passenger side of the Eclipse.

Ben Innes took a self-described 'selfie' with the man who hijacked his flight on Tuesday.

Most people would stay as far as possible from the man who hijacked their airplane -- even more so, if he was wearing an apparent suicide vest.

Not Ben Innes.

The U.K. native's flight from Alexandria to Cairo was diverted after a man wearing what appeared to be a bomb vest -- now known to be fake -- seized control of the aircraft.

No one was injured in the incident. All passengers were eventually released and the alleged hijacker, Seif El Din Mustafa, is said to have been motivated by domestic concerns with his ex-wife rather than terrorism, according to CNN.

But before the bomb vest was identified as fake, Innes decided he wanted a photo with his captor.

Ben Innes from #Aberdeen poses for a picture with #EgyptAir #MS181 hijacker. pic.twitter.com/ywdGYuDWwm

-- Paul Smith (@Journo_Paul) March 29, 2016

"I figured if his bomb was real I'd nothing (to) lose anyway, so took a chance to get a closer look at it," Innes told The Sun. "I got one of the cabin crew to translate for me and asked him if I could do a selfie with him. He just shrugged OK so I stood by him and smiled for the camera while a stewardess did the snap. It has to be the best selfie ever."

Innes was one of three passengers and four crew kept on the plane after most passengers were released at Cyprus' Larnaca International Airport. Mustafa eventually surrendered to authorities and was arrested.

Employees and shoppers have since been allowed back inside the store.

CHICOPEE -- A small carbon monoxide leak reportedly prompted the temporary evacuation of the Big Y World Class Market on Memorial Drive Wednesday morning.

Michael Wilk, public information officer for the Police Department, said the leak, initially thought to be a natural gas leak, was reported shortly after 8 a.m.

"Employees detected something wrong," Wilk said. "They evacuated just to be safe."

Firefighters and Columbia Gas personnel responded to the scene. "There was no gas leak," Wilk said.

Chicopee Deputy Fire Chief Wayne LeMay told WWLP that the problem turned out to be a minor carbon monoxide leak in a storage area.

Wilk said the scene has since been cleared and employees and shoppers have since been allowed back inside the store.

Community members from Wilbraham and Hampden are invited to attend from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Minnechaug Regional High School auditorium to give input to the search for a new school superintendent.

WILBRAHAM - A Superintendent Search Committee Focus Group is meeting tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Minnechaug Regional High School auditorium, and community members are invited to attend to give input into the search for a new school superintendent.

The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee has voted to contract with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees for a maximum price of $9,500 to assist with the search for a new school superintendent.

Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Superintendent M. Martin O'Shea is set to take over as Longmeadow superintendent on July 1.

Glenn Koocher, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, will facilitate the focus group.

The winners for two selectmen positions were Derek DeBarge and incumbent Brian Mannix. Joshua Carpenter came in third, receiving only six fewer votes than Mannix.

LUDLOW - Monday's selectmen's race, which was won by Derek DeBarge and incumbent Brian Mannix who placed highest for the two selectman positions on the ballot, could result in a recount.

A spokesman in the town clerk's office Tuesday said Joshua Carpenter, the third highest vote getter in the selectmen's race, picked up a form on Tuesday to request a recount.

Of the four candidates in the selectmen's race, DeBarge placed highest with 691 votes and Mannix came in second with 576 votes.

Carpenter received 570 votes, only six votes fewer than Mannix received. Darlene Cincone, a former selectman, came in fourth with 524 votes.

Upon request, the town clerk can schedule a recount, the spokesman in the town clerk's office said Tuesday morning.

The other winners in Monday's town election were Raymond Phoenix for Planning board, who defeated challenger Pedro Almeida, 720 to 610 votes.

In the Board of Public Works race the winners were Stephen Santos with 643 votes and Alexander Simao with 599 votes.

They beat Richard Zucco, with 514 votes, Guilhere Rodrigues, with 507 votes and Rafael Quiterio with 298 votes.