Two of the three workers who were injured in an electrical accident on Sunday are still hospitalized, while the third has been treated and released.

WARE - Two of the three workers who were injured in an electrical accident on Sunday are still hospitalized, while the third has been treated and released.

Investigators said a malfunction in an electrical panel caused a transformer to explode at Pioneer Hydropower on East Main Street at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, also setting a small brush fire.

The Ware Fire Department said Monday that the cause is still unknown.

One worker is still being treated for severe burns at a facility in Boston, while the other is receiving treatment at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.

A Nantucket man died Saturday after he was trapped overnight in mud up to his chest while searching a drained salt marsh for arrowheads.

A digest of news stories from around New England.

Vestis Retail Group plans to close eight Eastern Mountain Sports location and one Bob's store.

The operator of retail chains Eastern Mountain Sports, Bob's stores and Sport Chalet has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and plans to shutter several stores in New England.

Over the next several weeks, Vestis Retail Group will close all 47 Sport Chalet stores, eight Eastern Mountain Sports locations and one Bob's.

The chains were acquired by Versa Capital Management, which has offered to hold onto its stake while forgiving $35 million in liabilities, according to The Wall Street Journal. It has also offered to acquire the remaining stores for $1.5 million.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Sport Chalet is holding going-out-of-business sales at all stores and has ceased online sales. The chain is located in California, Arizona and Nevada.

According to Boston ABC affiliate WCVB, the following Eastern Mountain Sports stores will close: Foxborough, Mass.; Warwick, R.I.; West Hartford, Conn.; Christiana, Del.; Dulles, Va.; Moorestown, N.J.; North Brunswick, N.J.; and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

WCVB reports the Bob's Store in South Portland, Maine will also shut down.

The certification that Holyoke City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee will obtain from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks includes instruction in electronic archiving, ethics, ordinances, government finances and creating resolutions.

HOLYOKE -- City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee is pursuing a professional certification with the help of a $400 scholarship and a week at the New England Municipal Clerks Institute and Academy Training.

The residential training from July 9 to 15 at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire combined with online courses Murphy McGee has been taking since becoming clerk in January 2014 are scheduled to result in her becoming the first Holyoke city clerk to be certified by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC).

"I am honored and grateful to receive the ... scholarship award. I believe that this is another positive step forward in my commitment to the voters of Holyoke to make improvements and increase efficiencies in the city clerk's office," Murphy McGee said in a press release last week.

The scholarship was awarded by the Municipal Clerks Education Foundation and will pay $400 of the $850 training at Plymouth State University, with Murphy McGee paying the rest on her own, she said.

The IIMC is a professional nonprofit association based in Rancho Cucamonga, California that has affiliates in Canada, England, Wales, Scotland, Portugal, Belgium, Israel, South Afrida, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Netherlands, its website said.

Municipal clerks are not required to obtain such certification. City clerk in Holyoke is an elected position, meaning the support of voters ultimately is the only condition for attaining the seat. But, Murphy McGee said, the 42 hours of classes in the upcoming training will instruct about government finance, media relations, municipal government procedures, creative thinking, time management, computer lab and introduction to law.

Courses she has taken online through Westfield State University, Simmons College, which is in Boston, and the IIMC have dealt with advanced archival records with a focus on electronic records, ethics, creating resolutions, ordinances, paperless agendas and the importance of government transparency, she said.

The late Susan M. Egan, longtime city clerk before Murphy McGee, urged her to pursue the certification because it would benefit her and the city as a whole, she said.

"I jumped right on it and have been taking courses for my entire time here," said Murphy McGee, a former city councilor at large.

Murphy McGee has used some of the $500 line item for education and training in the budget of the city clerk's office for the online courses and the rest of that cost she has paid on her own, she said.

The New England Municipal Clerks Institute and Academy Training said its training is designed to help clerks maintain a high level of skill necessary to operate " increasingly complex municipal governments."

"Population changes, increased municipal responsibilities and extensive social and legislative changes have increased both the difficulty and importance of the clerk's function," the organization said.

"With increased responsibility comes a need for professional education to aid the municipal clerk in acquiring the necessary new skills and knowledge, while developing and strengthening those already in use," the organization said.

Clerks from more than 500 cities and towns have taken the training, the organization said.

"Hamilton," the hip-hop stage biography of Alexander Hamilton, has won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama, honoring creator Lin-Manuel Miranda for a dazzling musical that has captured popular consciousness like few Broadway shows.

NEW YORK (AP) -- "Hamilton," the hip-hop stage biography of Alexander Hamilton, has won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama, honoring creator Lin-Manuel Miranda for a dazzling musical that has captured popular consciousness like few Broadway shows.

The Columbia University's prize board on Monday cited "Hamilton" as "a landmark American musical about the gifted and self-destructive founding father whose story becomes both contemporary and irresistible." Other finalists were "Gloria," by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and "The Humans," by Stephen Karam.

"I feel really humbled and really overwhelmed," Miranda told The Associated Press. "Columbia is Hamilton's alma mater so I think that gave me a home-court advantage. But it's extraordinary to be recognized in this way."

Okay I'm in the studio recording Moana demos for the next couple hours. Don't do anything crazy without me, world.

-- Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) April 18, 2016

The 45-year-old author, currently in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to promote the paperback edition of his novel, told The Associated Press that he wrote "The Sympathizer" for himself but feels many can relate to it.

"I think most people in their inner selves are conscious of being an impostor, being an observer, not being the person everyone thinks they are," he said. "For the novel I took that to the extreme in using a spy and adding the dimensions of the thriller and historical fiction."

This book cover image released by Doubleday shows "Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS," by Joby Warrick, which won the Pulitzer Prize, Monday, April 18, 2016 in the general nonfiction category. (Doubleday via AP)

"There's nothing like getting hit by lightning twice," Warrick said in a telephone interview.

Warrick said that if there was a chief lesson he sought to impart in his new book, which traces the origins and growth of ISIS, it was that "decisions have consequences" and the West, in many ways, helped propel the group. "We are not innocent in the rise of this organization," he said.

The history prize was won by "Custer's Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America," by T.J. Stiles, lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife and two children.

He told The Associated Press that he had long been interested in the story of George Armstrong Custer, the butt of jokes for the disastrous Battle of the Little Big Horn.

"Custer is a difficult subject, because he's very familiar and someone who has been reduced to caricature, if not an effigy in American memory," he said. "Writing about him in an honest way, without apologizing for him, is an incredibly difficult thing to do."

The book "Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life," by William Finnegan won in the biography or autobiography category, cited as a "memoir of a youthful obsession"

Finnegan, 63, is a longtime staff reporter for The New Yorker and his book tells of his childhood in California and Hawaii and his lifelong passion for surfing. He told The Associated Press that he was used to writing about other people, but eventually enjoyed taking on his own life.

"It's a strange genre for a reporter, reporting out your own past, when everything was your private life and not on the record," said Finnegan, whose previous books include "Dateline Soweto: Travels with Black South African Reporters" and "Crossing the Line."

"But in some ways it's a genre that suits me, too. I enjoyed it, almost guiltily."

"In for a Penny, In for a Pound," by Henry Threadgill was named the winner in the music category. The 72-year-old Chicago-born jazz artist said he wrote the composition for members of his band, Zooid.

"It was something to showcase each musician in the ensemble, that was the big thing," Threadgill said. "It was like a series of small concertos in a way, small solo pieces."

But it was the drama award that generated the most buzz. "Hamilton," about the first U.S. Treasury Secretary, becomes the ninth musical to win the drama award, joining such shows as "South Pacific," ''Sunday in the Park with George" and "Rent." The last musical to nab the award was "Next to Normal" in 2010.

It tells the story of how an orphan immigrant from the Caribbean rose to the highest ranks of American society, as told by a young African-American and Latino cast. Miranda leaned on Ron Chernow's biography of the Founding Father, but told the tale in common language and verse, transforming Hamilton into "the $10 Founding Father without a father."

Miranda, 36, who wrote the music and story, already has a Tony for creating the Broadway musical "In the Heights," a show which was nominated for a Pulitzer in 2009 and this month won three Olivier Awards in London. He also has an Emmy for writing the opening number for the 2013 Tony Awards.

In the past year, Miranda, whose family came from Puerto Rico to New York, has won a "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation, as well as the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, which came with $100,000.

The drama award was widely expected to go to Miranda this year. The album for "Hamilton" won a Grammy Award and became the highest-debuting cast recording on the Billboard Top 200 in over 50 years. The show is a leading favorite in this summer's Tony Awards. The libretto, published last week, immediately became a top seller on Amazon.com

"I'm just trying to stay as present and in the moment as possible because I'm fully aware that this speeds by in the highlight reel. I'm living in the highlight reel section of my life," Miranda said. "I want to slow the montage down."

"Hamilton" was a sold-out sensation this year when it debuted off-Broadway at New York's Public Theater and amassed a $60 million advance on Broadway. It has been cheered by politicians as diverse as Dick Cheney and President Barack Obama, and celebrities like British actress Helen Mirren, musician Questlove and many others.

The music is a mix of breezy pop, rap battles and slinky R&B. Lyrics are smart and playful, including Hamilton declaring: "In the face of ignorance and resistance/I wrote a financial system into existence."

The Pulitzer drama award, which includes a $10,000 prize, is "for a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life," according to the guidelines.

Previous playwrights honored include August Wilson, Edward Albee, Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. Recent winners include Annie Baker's "The Flick," Ayad Akhtar's "Disgraced" and Stephen Adly Guirgis's "Between Riverside and Crazy."

Full 2016 Pulitzer Prize winners list:

* Public Service: Associated Press
* Breaking News Reporting: Los Angeles Times Staff
* Investigative Reporting: Leonora LaPeter Anton and Anthony Cormier of the Tampa Bay Times and Michael Braga of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
* Explanatory Reporting: T. Christian Miller of ProPublica and Ken Armstrong of The Marshall Project
* Local Reporting: Michael LaForgia, Cara Fitzpatrick and Lisa Gartner of the Tampa Bay Times
* National Reporting: The Washington Post Staff
* International Reporting: Alissa J. Rubin of The New York Times
* Feature Writing: Kathryn Schulz of The New Yorker
* Commentary: Farah Stockman of The Boston Globe
* Criticism: Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker
* Editorial Writing: John Hackworth of Sun Newspapers, Charlotte Harbor, FL
* Editorial Cartooning: Jack Ohman The Sacramento Bee
* Breaking News Photography: Mauricio Lima, Sergey Ponomarev, Tyler Hicks and Daniel Etter of The New York Times and Photography Staff of Thomson Reuters
* Feature Photography: Jessica Rinaldi of The Boston Globe
* Fiction: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Grove Press)
* Drama: Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda
* History: Custer's Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America by T.J. Stiles (Alfred A. Knopf)
* Biography: Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan (Penguin Press)
* Poetry: Ozone Journal by Peter Balakian (University of Chicago Press)
* Nonfiction: Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick (Doubleday)
* Music: In for a Penny, In for a Pound by Henry Threadgill (Pi Recordings)

Tips from the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department include urging customers to demand a department employee's identification before allowing entry into a home and noting that service termination will come only after three written notices in the mail.

HOLYOKE -- The Holyoke Gas and Electric Department is reminding customers to take fraud-alert steps.

Customers will receive phone calls regarding utility information only from the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department (HGE) main phone numbers of (413) 536-9300 or (413) 536-9400, the HGE newsletter said.

"Please do not provide payment or personal information regarding utility bills over the phone or in person, unless you are talking to an official HGE employee," the newsletter said.

HGE customer service representatives will request credit card information over the phone only if the customer chooses that option, the newsletter said.

Also from HGE:

HGE has an operating budget of $70 million and 140 full-time employees as of June, Manager James M. Lavelle said.

Rescuers in Ecuador pulled three people out alive on Monday after being trapped for more than 32 hours in the rubble of a shopping center that was flattened by this weekend's powerful earthquake.

MANTA, Ecuador (AP) -- Rescuers in Ecuador pulled three people out alive on Monday after being trapped for more than 32 hours in the rubble of a shopping center that was flattened by this weekend's powerful earthquake.

Televised images of the dramatic pre-dawn rescue in this port city gave Ecuadoreans hope that some of the scores of people still unaccounted for may yet be found even as the death toll from Saturday's 7.8-magnitude quake, the worst to hit Ecuador in decades, climbed over 350. An American and two Canadians were among those confirmed dead.

To reach the survivors trapped between the floor and roof of the collapsed shopping center in Manta, firefighters cut a nearly 2 1/2-foot (70-centimeter) hole through concrete then pulled a woman out head first. A group of firefighters applauded as she emerged from the debris, disoriented, caked in dust and complaining of pain but otherwise in good health.

Later, at the same site, a group of 50 rescuers working with sniffer dogs, hydraulic jacks and drill managed to free another woman and a young man. All three were rushed in ambulances to a nearby hospital. Authorities said another woman remained trapped and was being given water and other supplies while rescuers attempt to remove a heavy concrete slab pinning down her legs.

Christian Rivera, the head of emergency services for the capital, Quito, said that depending on the circumstances a person without serious injuries can survive up to a week under the rubble.

"After that, there's a quick decline ... and the rescuers' work becomes very difficult," he said.

Still, there are good reasons to believe more people will be found alive in the coming hours as some 450 rescue workers from Spain, Peru, Cuba, Bolivia, Venezuela, and elsewhere reached the most-affected areas along the Pacific coast. The U.S. has also offered assistance but so far President Rafael Correa, a strong critic of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, has yet to respond publicly.

Correa, upon arriving in Manta late Sunday, said that the priority remains finding survivors.

"Our grief is very large, the tragedy is very large, but we'll find the way to move forward," the Ecuadorean leader said, adding that the quake was the worst to hit the country since a 1949 earthquake in the Andean city of Ambato that took more than 5,000 lives. "If our pain is immense, still larger is the spirt of our people."

Manta, a thriving port city, was among the hardest-hit areas. Power cables were strewn across city streets as electricity in many neighborhoods remained down. Among the many building that were flattened was a control tower at the airport that was home to U.S. anti-narcotics missions in South America until Correa kicked the Americans out.

As rescuers scrambled through the ruins near the epicenter, in some cases digging with their hands to look for survivors, humanitarian aid began trickling in. More than 3,000 packages of food and nearly 8,000 sleeping kits were delivered Sunday.

The quake knocked out power in many areas along the coast and some who fled to higher ground fearing a tsunami had no home to return to or feared structures still standing might collapse. The country's Geophysics Institute said it recorded 230 aftershocks as of Sunday night.

Spain's Red Cross said as many as 5,000 people may need temporary housing after the quake destroyed homes, and 100,000 may need some sort of aid.

State Department spokesman John Kirby didn't identify the American who was killed but said the U.S. government will work with Ecuadorean authorities to locate and ensure the well-being of all Americans. The area of pristine beaches where the quake struck is popular with American tourists and expat retirees.

Aggravating matters were reports of looting, including in Manta, where 180 prisoners from a nearby prison escaped amid the tumult. Authorities said some 20 inmates were recaptured and others returned voluntarily.

The gain nudged the Dow Jones industrial average slightly above the 18,000-point mark for the first time since last summer, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose to the highest level in a year.

ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer

Energy companies led a broad rally in U.S. stocks Monday as investors shrugged off another slide in crude oil prices.

The gain nudged the Dow Jones industrial average slightly above the 18,000-point mark for the first time since last summer, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose to the highest level in a year.

The market had been headed lower early on following news that representatives from several major oil-producing nations meeting over the weekend in Doha, Qatar, failed to hammer out a deal to cut output. That sent the price of U.S. oil down 7 percent at one point before recouping much of its losses. It ended down 1.4 percent.

Beyond the volatile oil market, investors had their eye on the latest company earnings, which have been mostly encouraging so far, said Sean Lynch, co-head of global equity strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

"We're seeing broad-based gains across all the sectors," Lynch said. "The market is maybe finding some resilience here and maybe looking back on the fundamentals of the earnings season and seeing it's not so bad."

The Dow climbed 106.70 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 18,004.16. The last time the average was above 18,000 points was on July 20.

The S&P 500 index added 13.61 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,094.34. That's the highest level since April 14 last year.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 21.80 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,960.02.

For the year, the Dow is up 3.3 percent, while the S&P 500 is up 2.5 percent. The Nasdaq is down about 1 percent.

The price of oil had risen in recent weeks on hopes for a deal that will limit oil production in an effort to relieve a global glut. But hopes for a meaningful production cut faded Monday when the talks over the weekend failed to deliver a deal.

Saudi Arabia said it wouldn't back a deal if Iran, which is trying to ramp up output as international sanctions are lifted, wasn't involved. Already tense relations between the two countries deteriorated in recent months over issues including the wars in Syria and Yemen, in which they are backing opposing sides.

Word of the failed talks initially pulled oil prices lower, weighing on stocks.

All told, U.S. crude fell 58 cents, or 1.4 percent, to close at $39.78 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, lost 19 cents, or 0.4 percent, to close at $42.91 a barrel in London.

Investors decided that expectations for an oil output deal had been very modest to begin with, said Eric Wiegand, senior portfolio manager at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

"The Saudis, back in January, had continued to point to June as being the OPEC meeting that they were really focused on," Wiegand said. "Perhaps the expectations for something before June were misplaced."

Several energy and drilling services companies rebounded after an early morning sell-off.

Hess rose $2.67, or 4.7 percent, to $59.84, while Marathon Oil added 35 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $13.36. Baker Hughes gained $1.90, or 4.3 percent, to $45.70.

Energy companies notched the biggest gain among the sectors in the S&P 500, rising 1.6 percent. The sector is up 7.7 percent this year.

Stocks in the health care and consumer discretionary sectors also posted big gains.

Hasbro jumped 5.8 percent after reporting better results than analysts were expecting. The toy company benefited from strong sales of "Star Wars," ''Frozen" and Disney princess products. The stock added $4.77 to $87.18.

Endo International led a surge among several pharmaceutical companies. The stock also posted the biggest gain in the S&P 500, vaulting $2.16, or 8.2 percent, to $28.49. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals climbed $15.65, or 3.9 percent, to $422.38.

Major stock indexes in Europe also closed higher.

Germany's DAX rose 0.7 percent, while the CAC-40 in France edged up 0.3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 index was up 0.2 percent.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 3.4 percent as a rising yen and quake-related production halts added to investor worries. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 0.7 percent. South Korea's Kospi slid 0.3 percent, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.4 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell about 2 cents to $1.44 a gallon. Heating oil was little changed at $1.24 a gallon. Natural gas rose 3.8 cents, or 2 percent, to $1.94 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended narrowly mixed. Gold edged up 40 cents to $1,235 an ounce, silver slipped six cents to $16.25 an ounce and copper edged up a penny to $2.16 a pound.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.77 percent from 1.75 late Friday. In currency markets, the dollar rose to 108.82 yen from 108.70 yen. The euro rose to $1.1314 from $1.1288.

The bust of former state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli that stood outside the Mt. Carmel Society social club appears to have been stolen over the weekend.

SPRINGFIELD - The bust of former state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli that stood outside the Mount Carmel Society social club was stolen over the weekend.

The bronze likeness of one of the longest-serving lawmakers in American history, who died in 1998, was taken from outside the Italian-American club on Winthrop Street in the city's South End sometime before 11 a.m. Monday. That's when the club opens and manager Frank Magnoli said members noticed it was gone.

An officer on-scene Monday night said police will ask scrap yards to keep an eye out for the bust and report anyone trying to sell it.

The bust stood on a five-foot pedestal bearing a memorial plaque with the inscription "A Man of the People." Contemporary news reports from The Republican put the price tag for the monument at $35,000. It was dedicated in 1999 at a ceremony attended by then-Gov. Paul Cellucci.

The thief also twisted the pedestal from its original position, damaging the base.

Scibelli was elected to the Springfield City Council in 1940 and represented the South End in the state legislature from 1950 until his death in 1998. He was known as "Dean of the House" out of reverence for his 48 years at the Statehouse.

This undated submitted photo shows the bust of former state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli that stood outside the Mt. Carmel Society social club before it was stolen sometime over the weekend. April 18, 2016. 

Magnoli, the manager of the Mount Carmel Society, said many members found out about the theft on social media. Of the thief, he said, "He's lucky we weren't here" at the time.

Scibelli was "our brother," said Magnoli. "He was an advocate for everything. Whatever little thing came up in the South End, Tony Scibelli was there."

"I don't care if it's the Scibelli statue or any destruction like that: It's ridiculous," he added.

In a statement sent to Western Mass News, media partner of The Republican/MassLive, Mayor Domenic Sarno said whoever stole the bust is "despicable" and Scibelli "is legendary in his efforts to help Springfield and the South End." He promised to work with the police department to get the bust back.

The bust of Springfield state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli, who represented the South End on Beacon Hill for nearly half a century until his death in 1998, was stolen from its pedestal outside the Mount Carmel Society social club sometime over the weekend.

This undated submitted photo shows the bust of former state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli that stood outside the Mt. Carmel Society social club before it was stolen sometime over the weekend. April 18, 2016. 

The bust of Springfield state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli, who represented the South End on Beacon Hill for nearly half a century until his death in 1998, was stolen from its pedestal outside the Mount Carmel Society social club sometime over the weekend.

Rooke said the reward is for the arrest of the person or people responsible, or for the return of the bronze bust.

The memorial to Scibelli was dedicated in 1999 at a ceremony attended by then-Gov. Paul Cellucci. It cost $35,000.

Scibelli was a well-respected and active member of Springfield's Italian-American community. Frank Magnoli, manager of the Mount Carmel Society, said he was "our brother."

When offering the reward, Rooke said Irish and Italians in the city have a history of standing up for each other.

"It won't be the first and it won't be the last time that the Gaelic and Garlic community helped each other for the greater good," Rooke said. "We will get (the bust) back. I'm sure."

The fire generated enough heat to melt the siding on nearby structures.

SPRINGFIELD - A brush fire is being blamed for damaging the exteriors of two residences and one business in the same area of Malden and Oakland streets in the city's Forest Park neighborhood, according to a fire department spokesman

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the fire was reported shortly after 2 p.m. Firefighters managed to extinguish it before it could spread into any of the buildings.

There were no injuries and no one was displaced.

The fire was in the rear of properties at 130-132 and 134-136 Malden St., Leger said.

A shed in the rear of 134-136 Malden was consumed by flames and destroyed before it could be extinguished. The fire also damaged a stockade fence, he said.

Heat from the flames caused exterior damage to the siding at 130-132 and 134-136 Malden, and to a nearby business at 291 Oakland Street.

The estimated amount of damage was between $5,000 and $10,000 to each property. The shed was also estimated at $5,000.

The cause of the brush fire is under investigation.

A federal judge approved an agreement Tuesday between the city of Ferguson and the U.S. Justice Department that calls for sweeping changes in Ferguson, where 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer

ST. LOUIS -- A federal judge approved an agreement Tuesday between the city of Ferguson and the U.S. Justice Department that calls for sweeping changes in Ferguson, where 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer.

U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry issued her ruling after a public hearing of several hours in St. Louis, where more than two dozen people spoke, and many others had submitted written comments. Perry said the settlement is a "reasonable resolution" that avoids years of an extensive court battle.

"I think it's in everyone's best interest and I think it's in the interest of justice," she said.

The settlement calls for the hiring of a monitor; diversity training for police; purchase of software and hiring of staff to analyze records on arrests, use of force and other police matters; and outfitting all officers and jail workers with body cameras.

Mayor James Knowles III told Perry the city believes the agreement "is an important step in bringing this community together and moving us forward."

Ferguson has been under scrutiny since Brown, who was black and unarmed, was fatally shot by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in 2014, and Brown's death was a catalyst in the national Black Lives Matter movement. A grand jury and the Justice Department cleared Wilson, who resigned from the police force in November 2014, but the shooting led to a Justice Department investigation.

That inquiry found alarming patterns of racial bias in policing and a municipal court system that generated revenue largely on the backs of poor and minority residents. The Justice Department's critical report in March 2015 prompted the resignations of Ferguson's city manager, police chief and municipal judge. All three were white men who have since been replaced by black men.

Ferguson leaders and Justice Department officials spent months negotiating the settlement. But in February, after a series of public hearings, the City Council rejected it, mostly over concerns the cost could bankrupt the town. The Justice Department sued the next day. In March, after receiving some assurance that the cost wouldn't be as high as feared, the City Council approved the deal, expected to cost about $2.3 million over three years.

Christy Lopez of the Justice Department said the agreement isn't perfect, but it will help Ferguson residents.

"We want Ferguson to be known for how it responded to this crisis," Lopez said. "How it came back stronger than ever."

At the hearing, Felicia Pulliam, a black Ferguson resident, said city officials' continued denial of Ferguson's racial problem makes her wonder if they will take the agreement seriously. "They can't be trusted," Pulliam said. "They never, ever, tell the truth."

John Powell, a white Ferguson resident, told the judge that "stubborn and pervasive racism" exists in the St. Louis suburb.

But other speakers said the Justice Department investigation was biased in favor of protesters while overlooking reforms the city already made.

"I think the DOJ wanted to wipe Ferguson off the map," resident Jean Boettcher said. "This should be a warning to the rest of the United States."

Ferguson "is not a racist community," resident Billy Tucker said in written comments. "We are one of the most integrated, diverse communities in the Midwest."

Among the comments submitted to Perry, resident Keith Rose suggested changes to allow for more civilian oversight and greater transparency and accountability.

Debra Kennedy, who is black, said she doubted the settlement would do any good and wondered why police supervisors "who have been ignoring our community's complaints for decades are suddenly going to start abiding by their policy manuals simply because the Department of Justice says they will."

Others said the federal government shouldn't meddle in Ferguson's business. Kelly Schlereth, who has lived in Ferguson for more than two decades, wrote that the Justice Department is trying to make up for not finding cause to criminally charge Wilson.

"The DOJ has consistently been biased in their investigation into the practices of the Ferguson police department," Schlereth wrote.

Netflix slumped 13 percent, a day after the streaming video company gave a disappointing forecast for subscriber additions and reported first-quarter revenue that fell short of financial analysts' forecasts.

Netflix slumped 13 percent, a day after the streaming video company gave a disappointing forecast for subscriber additions and reported first-quarter revenue that fell short of financial analysts' forecasts.AP file photo / Elise Amendola 

U.S. stocks closed mostly higher on Tuesday, led by gains in energy, mining and financial companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index eked out small gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite closed modestly lower, reflecting a slump in technology stocks, which were dragged down by Netflix and IBM.

The gains in energy and mining companies came as prices for oil, copper and other basic materials rose.

Investors were mostly focused on the latest batch of corporate earnings and on what company managers have to say about their prospects for growing profits this year.

"The market is focused on where we are going to be three months from now, five months from now," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. "It's all about the guidance, and it's also all about what companies are doing to beat on the bottom line."

The Dow rose 49.44 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,053.60. The S&P 500 index gained 6.46 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,100.80. The Nasdaq fell 19.69 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,940.33.

Expectations for earnings are low this quarter, with corporate profits for companies in the S&P 500 projected to be down 8.1 percent, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Even excluding the beaten-down energy sector, earnings growth for the S&P 500 companies is expected to be down 3.4 percent.

All of the earnings growth this year is expected to come in the second half of 2016, noted Erin Gibbs, equity chief investment officer at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Several companies delivered quarterly results that put investors in a buying mood Tuesday.

Johnson & Johnson gained 1.6 percent after its first-quarter earnings beat Wall Street's expectations. Higher sales of new prescription drugs and other key medicines nearly offset a big hit from the strong dollar. The stock added $1.75 to $112.68.

UnitedHealth Group added 2.1 percent after it reported strong results for the first quarter and raised its guidance for the year. The health insurer also said it would cut back on participating in Affordable Care Act health care exchanges in a bid to stem losses related to the program. The stock gained $2.69 to $130.50.

Goldman Sachs' latest results also gave the investment bank's shares a lift. Goldman's earnings beat Wall Street's estimates, even though its profit sank by 56 percent from a year earlier. The stock rose $3.63, or 2.3 percent, to $162.65.

Kansas City Southern gained 4.6 percent after the railroad operator posted larger-than-expected quarterly earnings. The stock climbed $4.55 to $96.02.

Some companies' quarterly snapshots and outlooks failed to impress traders.

Netflix slumped 13 percent, a day after the streaming video company gave a disappointing forecast for subscriber additions and reported first-quarter revenue that fell short of financial analysts' forecasts. The stock lost $14.06 to $94.34.

IBM delivered improved first-quarter earnings thanks to a big tax refund, but also had lower revenue amid weaker software sales. The stock slid $8.53, or 5.6 percent, to $144.

Illumina sank 23.2 percent after the genetic testing tools maker predicted that sales in the first quarter will be far lower than analysts expected. Illumina shares were down $41.25 at $136.88.

This week, about 100 of the companies in the S&P 500 names are due to report quarterly results.

Beyond earnings, the market pushed up prices for mining and energy companies as the price of oil, natural gas, metals and other materials rose.

Freeport-McMoRan gained 99 cents, or 9 percent, to $12.01, while Newmont Mining rose $1.45, or 4.9 percent, to $30.91.

Williams Cos. was among the energy and drilling services companies to get a boost. It jumped $1.33, or 8 percent, to $18.01, while Oneok climbed $2.23, or 6.9 percent, to $34.39. Diamond Offshore Drilling rose $1.41, or 6.3 percent, to $23.76.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.30, or 3.3 percent, to close at $41.08 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained $1.12, or 2.6 percent, to close at $44.03 a barrel in London. Natural gas jumped 15 cents, or 7.6 percent, to close at $2.088 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Upbeat economic data and a rebound in oil prices lifted European markets.

Germany's DAX was up 2.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 was up 1.3 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.8 percent. Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei rallied 3.7 percent a sharp loss on Monday. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.1 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 1.3 percent.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose about 4 cents, or 3 percent, to close at $1.48 a gallon. Heating oil added 3 cents, or 2.2 percent, to close at $1.26 a gallon.

Precious and industrial metals futures ended sharply higher. Gold rose $19.30, or 1.6 percent, to $1,254.30 an ounce, silver gained 72 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $16.97 an ounce and copper rose 6 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $2.22 a pound.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.79 percent from 1.77 percent late Monday.

In currency markets, the yen resumed its slide with the dollar strengthening to 109.13 yen from 108.82 yen. The euro rose to $1.1377 from $1.1314.

Local officials, representatives of A&D Hydro, and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center officials have scheduled an announcement for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at 70 Front St. in West Springfield.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — As part of the Baker-Polito administration's celebration of Earth Week, state energy officials are expected in West Springfield on Wednesday for an announcement about small-scale hydroelectric facilities in Western Massachusetts.

Local officials, representatives of A&D Hydro Inc., and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Stephen Pike are among those expected at A&D's facility at 70 Front St. for a 10:30 a.m. announcement about hydroelectricity, or the use of falling or flowing water to produce power.

State Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton has said that increasing the use of hydroelectricity is critical to meeting the requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act, a state law requiring Massachusetts to reduce carbon emissions by 25 percent between 1990 and 2020.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is a publicly funded agency dedicated to accelerating the success of clean energy technologies, companies and projects across the commonwealth. Since its inception in 2009, MassCEC has helped create "a robust marketplace for innovative" companies and service providers, according to the group's website.

The university said it has offered the victim support services and continues to work with her to investigate the crime.

STORRS, Conn. - An email to students and staff at the University of Connecticut revealed Tuesday that a female student was sexually assaulted in a dorm room over the weekend.

The victim was assaulted by as many as three people on Saturday, April 16, according to multiple reports, while in the room of a person she knows.

The university said it has offered the victim support services and continues to work with her to investigate the crime.

Additional details, such as the exact location and any suspect information, were not immediately released.

Last week, UConn released the results of a survey that found one out of 20 students reported being sexually assaulted, most often in freshman year. Six-thousand students responded to the survey, and 37 percent said they feel at risk for sexual assault.

The state fire marshal's preliminary investigation determined that the flash fire that resulted when WRP employees were doing work on high-voltage wiring was accidental

WARE -- The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun an inspection of Ware River Power Inc. following a weekend electrical accident in which three workers were injured.

Ware River Power has an electricity generating plant at 16 East Main St. An OSHA spokesman confirmed the inspection but said the agency has no other information it can release involving their probe.

Contacted by telephone on Tuesday, WRP President Lucas Wright declined to comment.

The state fire marshal's preliminary investigation determined that the flash fire that resulted when WRP employees were doing work on high-voltage wiring was accidental. A spokesperson said the fire marshal's office plans to interview all workers involved.

The Ware Fire Department responded to a 1:10 p.m. call on April 16, and took the victims to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital.

The most seriously injured worker was flown to a Boston hospital, and another was transferred to the University of Massachusetts hospital system in Worcester.

OSHA regulations require companies to report to them within 24 hours any time there is a serious injury in the workplace.

According to the Low Impact Hydropower Institute, the WRP's facility "consists of two dams and a total of 5 turbines within 1/4 mile of each other on the Ware River in Ware."

The institute said WRP "purchased Pioneer Hydro out of bankruptcy. Since that time, the Wrights and WRP have devoted a vast amount of hard work, time, energy and capital to make Pioneer low impact on its surroundings."

"To rehabilitate and operate independent hydro facilities is the primary goal of Ware River Power Inc. since its inception in 1980," Lucas Wright and the firm's founder, David Wright, his father, wrote in a brief history detailing the origins of the business.

The company owns and operates five dams on the Ware and French rivers in Ware, Barre and Webster, with power-generating capacity of more than 2 megawatts, or enough electricity for 2,000 houses, according to the Wrights.

"Since 1980, Ware River Power acting as general contractor has rehabbed 18 complete hydro sites and more upgrading of operating sites," the Wrights wrote.

Their essay appeared in the summer 2007 edition of East Quabbin Land Trust News.

Another day of highs in the 60s is in store of Massachusetts residents this week.

SPRINGFIELD -- Another day of highs in the 60s is in store of Massachusetts residents this week.

The National Weather Service reports Tuesday evening will offer clear skies with low temperatures around 35 degrees in Springfield, 37 in Worcester and 42 in Boston. Winds with gusts as high as 20 miles per hour may blow overnight in Central Massachusetts.

Wednesday is expected to be sunny across the state with a high near 62 degrees in Springfield. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 50s in Central and Eastern Massachusetts near

The 20 Holyoke Auxiliary Police volunteers who helped with crowd control at the race in Boston received 2016 commemorative marathon jackets.

HOLYOKE -- The Holyoke Auxiliary Police Division again added its crowd-control skills to the Boston Marathon Monday.

The volunteer force sent a 20-member team that included Chief Ronald A. Dietrich, Lt. Col. Francis Brunelle and Major Maura Shea. They worked with the Hopkinton Police Department and Massachusetts State Police, Dietrich said in an email Tuesday.

Of the 30,741 runners who registered for the race, 27,487 actually ran and 26,639 finished, according to the Boston Athletic Association, which stages the race.

For their efforts, Holyoke auxiliary officers received 2016 commemorative marathon jackets and lapel pins from he Boston Athletic Association, Dietrich said.

The group left Holyoke at 5 a.m. and returned to the city at 2 p.m., he said. The division sent 27 members to help at last year's race.

Auxiliary police are volunteers who wear uniforms, which they pay for themselves, are under the jurisdiction of the Police Department and help police with crowd and traffic control, such as at the St. Patrick's Parade and St. Patrick's Road Race, and with searches related to crimes and in other ways.

East Longmeadow's Board of Selectmen held a re-vote to affirm their dismissal of interim Town Administrator Gregory Neffinger.

EAST LONGMEADOW — Selectmen voted for a second time to terminate the town's contract with interim Town Administrator Gregory Neffinger, and are seeking someone else to fill the role.

Selectmen Paul Federici and Kevin Manley on Tuesday first rescinded a vote they took last Wednesday to remove Neffinger from his position, after Town Attorney James Donahue advised that they had not given proper notice of the action on the meeting's agenda. The two then voted to affirm Neffinger's dismissal — an action that appeared on an agenda before the meeting.

The measure passed by a 2-0 vote. Selectman William Gorman, who voted against Neffinger's removal last week, was not at the meeting because he is on vacation. Also absent was Neffinger, who said in a phone interview after the vote that he was not aware the meeting was scheduled for Tuesday.

Neffinger had no further comment when contacted by The Republican on Tuesday.

After the meeting, Manley said he believes that ridding the town of Neffinger is a way to move forward from recent events that have caused many in the public to lose confidence in East Longmeadow's town government.

"I just think in general it allows the sort of cloud to start going away," Manley said.

Neffinger had been tied into bribery allegations by Federici, who had said that Francis "Frank" Keough III had offered him a Town Hall job in exchange for his support of former West Springfield Police Captain Daniel O'Brien for police chief and Neffinger for permanent town administrator.

Keough has denied bribing Federici, and Neffinger has said he has no knowledge of any such arrangement.

Federici did not return a message requesting comment after the meeting on Tuesday evening.

Selectmen are currently looking at possible candidates to serve as interim town administrator from the Massachusetts Municipal Association and among current town employees, Manley said. They intend on hiring someone within a month, but wish to properly vet any candidate before signing a contract, he added.

Voters last week approved a new town charter, which dissolves the Board of Selectmen on July 1.

Under the charter, the town will switch to a town manager and town council form of government, and eliminate Town Meeting as the community's legislative body. The council will replace Town Meeting. It also includes provisions for residents to bring town council votes to a ballot referendum and for recalls of elected officials.

East Longmeadow residents may now take out papers to run for a town council election, which will take place June 7. The council will hold its first meeting on July 1, with its first order of business to choose an interim town manager — who can be any current town employee.

The town charter stipulates that once voters approve the charter, selectmen may not sign or terminate any contracts, except for matters "not at bidding of delay."

In Neffinger's case, Town Charter Review Commission member Eric Madison said, it is not clear if selectmen are allowed to terminate the contract. However, he added, he believes that a case can be made that Neffinger's dismissal is a matter that cannot be delayed.

Holyoke Ward 3 Councilor David Bartley and Dennis Birks of the School Committee will be available to discuss issues in a session that will include a crime-watch meeting with Glenn Sexton of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

HOLYOKE -- The Ward 3 representatives on the City Council and School Committee will hold office hours to hear residents' concerns from 4 to 5:45 p.m. May 4 at Metcalf School, 2019 Northampton St.

David K. Bartley, Ward 3 councilor, and Dennis W. Birks Jr., Ward 3 representative on the School Committee, will be available to answer questions and discuss issues, an email from Bartley said.

The meeting will include a neighborhood crime watch discussion led by Glenn Sexton of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, Bartley said.

Meetings are held in the school's teachers' lounge.

For information call (413) 531-2213.