Obituaries from The Republican.
Sean Patrick Mulka, 43, passed away on Tuesday. He was born in Ware and was a graduate of Ware High School. He was an avid nutritionist, accomplished bodybuilder and owned Advanced Nutrition in East Longmeadow. He also worked as a personal trainer for many years at Gold's Gym in West Springfield. He always enjoyed watching a good Strongman contest.
Full obituary and funeral arrangements for Sean Mulka »
As many as 1,500 people volunteered to fix up houses and clear debris from empty lots as part of the fourth annual #GreenNFit Block Rebuild, put on by Revitalize CDC and its many community partners and sponsors. Watch video
SPRINGFIELD - Like a swarm of bees.
That's how Julie Burnett, a 36-year resident of the Old Hill neighborhood, described the army of volunteers who poured into the area on Saturday to bring 62 properties back to life.
As many as 1,500 people volunteered to fix up houses and clear debris from empty lots as part of the fourth annual #GreenNFit Block Rebuild, put on by Revitalize CDC and its many community partners and sponsors.
Workers from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts poured a new apron for the foundation of Burnett's Monson Avenue home, tore down a rickety back porch and built a new one, and gave her a comfortable space to grow vegetables: A raised garden bed in the backyard. Burnett said she was "absolutely overwhelmed" by the improvements, and the kindness of strangers.
"I didn't know where to look first," she said, gazing at the home where she helps to raise four young grandchildren. "What they've done for me just brings it up to the next level."
Colleen Loveless, president of Revitalize CDC, said Saturday's effort is part of a 10-year program to rebuild hundreds of homes in the area, where she said 49 percent of children live below the poverty level. The neighborhood was hit hard by the Great Recession of 2008 and the 2011 tornado.
"Neighbors helping neighbors, taking care of each other, really makes a big difference," said Loveless. "There's strength in numbers. They're taking ownership."
Some of the volunteers had benefited from past block rebuilds. Carol Granada, a breast cancer survivor who lives on Tyler Street, said a team performed extensive renovations on her home in 2013.
"It turned out to be more of a job than they had thought," she said. "New tub, toilet, flooring, fixed my furnace ... electrical, lights outside."
Granada said she helped with registration for Saturday's event as a way to say thanks.
Volunteers came from dozens of local companies and community organizations. The Western New England University football team was on-hand to clear empty lots and gather scrap metal.
Obi Etuka, originally from Middletown, Conn., is a junior marketing major and cornerback. He said it's all about paying it forward.
"If you're helping someone here, someone's going to witness that and do the same," said Etuka.
"Everyone is just giving," said Burnett, the homeowner. "This means a lot to me because I take pride in my property, and it just makes me feel good."
The Ohio Attorney General's Office has released audio from 911 calls and the identities of the victims from Friday's shooting spree.
The Ohio Attorney General's Office has released the audio from two 911 calls from the Pike County slayings that occurred on Friday morning, as well as a list of the names of the victims involved.
Authorities have confirmed that all of the victims are members of the Rhoden family. They were identified today as: Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; Hanna Rhoden, 19; Hannah Gilley, 20; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Dana Rhoden, 37; Gary Rhoden, 38; Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; and Kenneth Rhoden, 44, according to ABC News.
The killings took place at a number of locations in and around Pike County, Ohio, on the morning of April 22.
One of the locations was 4077 Union Hill Road, where a 911 call was placed at 7:49 a.m. on the morning of the killings. The call is believed to have come from the sister-in-law of one of the victims, according to the Chillicothe Gazette. "There's blood all over the house," said a woman, breathing heavily and sounding distressed. "My brother-in-law is in the bedroom and it looks like someone has beat the hell out of him."
After arriving at the house, the woman had discovered the violent scene and called police.
In another 911 call at 1:26 p.m., a caller who claimed to be the cousin of one of the deceased told police that he could identify one of the victims as Kenneth Rhoden.
"I need a deputy to come out to close to 799 Left Fork. It's all that stuff that's on the news. I just found my cousin with a gunshot wound," the caller said.
The Attorney General's office gave a public update on the case, saying that the Hamilton County Coroner's Office will perform the autopsies of the eight victims on Saturday.
Jeff Ruby, a restaurant owner in Cincinnati has offered $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the killings.
A Chicopee teen was struck by a car on Saturday evening and taken to Baystate Medical Center.
CHICOPEE — A 16-year-old was struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle in Chicopee around 7 p.m. Saturday, according to 22News.
The incident occurred at a shopping plaza along Memorial Drive. The teen was not wearing a helmet and was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
It was not immediately known if the driver of the vehicle was charged in connection with the incident. An accident reconstruction team was called to the scene to investigate.
Here are the winning numbers for Saturday's Powerball drawing.
Now is your chance to see if that $2 you spent this week for a ticket in the latest Powerball drawing is going to make you very, very rich.
Here are Saturday's winning numbers:
19-35-46-59-62, Powerball: 13, PowerPlay: 05
The estimated jackpot is $256 million. The lump sum payment before taxes will be more than $166.8 million.
Powerball is held in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
A $2 ticket gives you a one in 292.2 million chance at joining the hall of Powerball champions.
The jackpot has been creeping up since March 2, when there was one winning ticket for the $292 million jackpot. In January, Powerball gave away a $1.58 billion jackpot, the largest lottery prize ever.
The drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Deadline to purchase tickets is 9:45 p.m.
Joseph Piemonte, 61, of Belchertown died after a SCUBA diving mishap Saturday morning off the coast of Gloucester. Peimonte was diving from a recreational dive boat when he failed to surface.
GLOUCESTER— A Belchertown man died Saturday in what appears to be a SCUBA diving mishap off the coast of Gloucester, the U.S. Coast Guard announced.The Gloucester Times reported that Coast Guard spokeswoman, Petty Officer Cindy Oldham said Joseph Piemonte, 61, of Belchertown was diving from a recreational dive boat, the Gauntlet, at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning when he failed to resurface in what Oldham called, "an "appropriate time frame."
The crew of the dive boat notified the Coast Guard, and a rescue aircraft from the Cape Cod station was prepared. However, before the aircraft could be launched, Piemonte floated to the surface. The crew said he was motionless and unresponsive in the water.
CPR was started on Piemonte once they got him into the boat. The Coast Guard dispatched a life-saving boat to the scene off Gloucester's Eastern Point. which then escorted the dive boat back to the Coast Guard station at Gloucester.
Piemonte was pronounced dead at the Coast Guard station.
According to Oldham, Piemonte was diving from the Gauntlet along with three other divers. The boat carried a crew of three.
The State Police detectives attached to the Essex County District Attorney's office have been assigned to investigation the incident.
The Coast Guard said Piemonte was classified as an experienced diver.
Craig Sampson, a 19-year-old Endicott College sophomore, was killed Saturday morning when the car in which he was riding went out of control and hit a utility pole. Sampson and the driver of the car, 20year-old Joseph Castano, were both from Williston, Vermont.
BEVERLY— A 19-year-old Williston, Vermont college student was killed Saturday morning when the car he was a passenger in crashed into a utility pole in Beverly.The Salem News reported that Craig Sampson, a sophomore at Endicott College in Beverly, was a passenger in a BMW operated by Joseph Castano, 20, also of Williston. The car apparently went out of control and struck a utility pole just after midnight. Castano was not a student at the college but was in Beverly visiting Sampson.
The crash took place just off the college campus near the Birchmont Hall dormitory.
Both Sampson and Castano were taken to Beverly Hospital. Sampson was pronounced dead soon after arrival while Castano was admitted in fair condition.
Beverly police and the Massachusetts State Police CARS unit are investigating the accident, but police said alcohol and speed appear to be factors in the crash.
East Longmeadow town officials hit a political trifecta with a storm over its police chief including a villain, a gangster and a whistle-blower. Amid, lest we forget, allegations of attempted bribery that have piqued the interest of the state Attorney General's office and the FBI.
This story was reported and written by Stephanie Barry and Sean Teehan
EAST LONGMEADOW — For an affluent bedroom community of under 16,000 residents, East Longmeadow yields more than its fair share of political intrigue.
From bare-knuckle politicking, to a jail term for former Selectman Enrico Villamaino for voter fraud, to a controversy over a town transportation vendor who dropped an elderly rider off in the wrong town where he fell down the stairs and died, East Longmeadow has generated a litany of dubious headlines.
Most recently, town officials landed a political trifecta with a storm over its police chief that included a villain, a gangster and a whistle-blower. This was couched in allegations of attempted bribery that have piqued the interest of the state Attorney General's office and the FBI. Below is a look at the players who have brought renewed notoriety to East Longmeadow and its town government.
PAUL FEDERICI
Position: East Longmeadow selectman
Contribution to scandal: Whistle-blower
No stranger to scandal: A member of East Longmeadow's Board of Selectmen since 2009, Federici has been one-third of more than one dysfunctional board in the seven years since.
In October of 2012, police arrested Federici's fellow board member, Villamaino. He left the board under a cloud and later pleaded guilty to 11 charges stemming from a voter fraud scheme in the Republican primary race for the 2nd Hampden District seat in the state House of Representatives.
Federici has shifted in and out of the chairman's seat several times. He most recently lost the position in March after coming forward about the alleged bribery scheme. Fellow selectmen William Gorman and Angela Thorpe gave him the boot as the three found themselves at odds. Thorpe succeeded Federici despite a dismal showing in the preliminary election in April.
The allegation: On March 9, Federici went public. He told multiple media outlets that during a conversation in late December or early January, shadow lobbyist Francis "Frank" Keough III "hinted" that he would ensure a yet-to-be-created finance department job in East Longmeadow's Town Hall for Federici. The quid pro quo being his support of former West Springfield Police Capt. Daniel O'Brien for the police chief position; and Gregory Neffinger — then East Longmeadow's interim town administrator and formerly West Springfield's mayor — for a permanent Town Hall position.
Keough — a former Springfield city councilor, current political consultant and convicted felon — denies ever attempting to bribe Federici. Neffinger and O'Brien have both said they are unaware of any such overture by Keough.
Chain reaction: Backlash in the wake of Federici's allegation — which he reported to the state Attorney General's office and FBI — was immediate. O'Brien quickly rescinded his candidacy, citing unwanted attention. Public outcry was swift, with accusations of corruption dominating East Longmeadow meetings and online forums. Many hailed Federici as a whistle-blower, while others questioned why Federici waited more than two months to come forward about the alleged bribery attempt.
Ousted and reappointed: At the next Board of Selectmen meeting March 16, loud boos from an audience of about 200 people drowned out the board as they removed Federici from his chairmanship; appointed then-East Longmeadow Police Sergeant Jeffrey Dalessio — the sole remaining candidate — as police chief; and offered Neffinger a permanent town administrator position.
After the town election on April 12, Federici, Gorman and newly elected Selectman Kevin M. Manley placed Federici back in the chairman's seat. Manley and Federici then voted to terminate Neffinger's contract. The two affirmed that vote during a meeting on Tuesday.
WILLIAM 'BILLY' GORMAN
Position: East Longmeadow selectman
Contribution to scandal: Self-styled renegade, police chief antagonist
Ridding East Longmeadow of 'Team Corruption': In the two years since he promised to take a stand against a good ol' boys network he said existed in town government, Gorman went from railing against "team corruption" — a phrase he often used when running for his seat — to defending against accusations of his own involvement in shady dealings.
Shaking things up: A retired business manager for a local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Gorman sounded the alarm when he saw what he believed to be an unreasonably high overtime budget in the police department. At a meeting Jan. 4, Gorman questioned why the proposed police overtime budget exceeded $300,000. Later that month, he and then-Selectman Thorpe slashed the department's overtime budget to about $150,000.
But Gorman was not finished with the police department.
Gunning for Mellis: During a public meeting later that month, Gorman and Thorpe voted to put out to bid the employment contract of Police Chief Douglas Mellis, set to expire at the end of March. All three selectmen had favored the action in a December executive session. Gorman proposed the new police chief must live in East Longmeadow, engage in better communication with selectmen about the department's budget and earn at least 20 percent less than Mellis' $137,558 annual salary.
By March, the search for Mellis' replacement was in shambles. Two of three finalists for the position backed out. Federici reported the bribery allegations to the state Attorney General's office and the FBI. And all the while, townspeople fiercely questioned the logic of getting rid of Mellis, whom the town may still owe at least a year's salary per his contract.
From critic to criticized: Gorman's position on replacing Mellis came to a climax March 16, when he and Thorpe hired Jeffrey Dalessio as police chief, offered a permanent position to Neffinger and ousted Federici from his chairmanship. The three 2-1 votes were met with loud opposition from approximately 200 people in the audience.
Two of those three decisions were reversed over the course of the two meetings since Manley replaced Thorpe on the Select Board. Dalessio was quietly sworn in as police chief earlier this month.
Gorman has consistently defended his actions, even as East Longmeadow residents have called into question his judgment and motives.
FRANCIS 'FRANKIE' G. KEOUGH III
Position: None
Contribution to scandal: Rabble-rouser, shadow lobbyist, waffler, convicted felon
Rabble-rousing: Keough's involvement in the police chief race and the resulting fallout went from secondary to center stage — thanks, in large part, to himself. He raised his own profile exponentially by crashing an April 5 Board of Selectmen meeting and turning it into a spectacle that was both impressive in its lack of inhibition and disturbing in its recklessness. His primary target was Federici in the wake of his public allegations against Keough. Keough held an impromptu press conference when the selectmen refused to let him disrupt the meeting.
Lobbying: Keough insisted he was not part of the political mix despite former selectman Thorpe's earlier concession that Keough was lobbying for O'Brien. Keough later conceded he had "made calls" on behalf of O'Brien plus another mystery candidate, and that he had been friends with Neffinger and O'Brien since they were classmates at Cathedral High School in the 1970s.
Waffling: He initially told a reporter he never had a conversation with Federici about a Town Hall job. Federici said that before the conversation turned to attempted bribery, Keough and strip club connoisseur James Santaniello (also Federici's cousin), talked about real estate. Keough later said the conversation revolved around a liquor license. The real story remains in question.
The felonies: Keough was a former Springfield City Council president convicted of tax evasion in the early 1990s. He later came under scrutiny by the FBI and in 2006 was charged in a 50-count indictment alleging various scams and fraud while Keough was executive director at Friends of the Homeless, a large, primarily taxpayer-funded homeless shelter in Springfield.
Keough was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to 13 felony counts related to a no-show job scheme at the shelter; stealing televisions, mattresses and other public commodities for his primary, rental and vacation homes; plus using shelter residents and staff to help build his $700,000 waterfront home in Rhode Island.
Keough was released and jailed a second time after he went to retrieve a dining room set from the Rhode Island home, which the government had seized. He attempted to pin the attempted theft on a mysterious Native American friend named "Thunderbolt."
GREGORY NEFFINGER
Position: Finger-pointer, former mayor formerly known as interim town administrator
Contribution to scandal: Brought O'Brien and Keough into the fold, leading all three to become lightning rods. Neffinger was voted in as interim town administrator with little fanfare after his predecessor, Gregory Moyer, abruptly quit, packing up his car and moving back to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Only when the police chief controversy flared up did Neffinger's profile follow suit.
Neffinger aligned with Gorman and Thorpe to briefly secure himself permanent employment status in what appeared to be an end-around of proper meeting protocol. But, when Thorpe was voted off the Board of Selectmen and Manley was voted in, Federici and Manley voted to fire Neffinger. Twice.
Finger-pointing: Neffinger certainly made for some colorful board meetings with a fiery and didactic style. At one meeting, he angrily pointed a finger at a resident who was demanding answers and ordered the person to cite Massachusetts General Law. Neffinger was inflexible on nearly every issue, and once offered the permanent administrator job, he haughtily informed residents that they could no longer criticize him in public as his status as a town employee somehow trumped the First Amendment.
Most recently, Neffinger missed a meeting during which he was fired a second time. He said he had the date of the meeting wrong and believed it was next month.
Former mayoring: Neffinger, who appeared a brainy conservative and architect, was voted out of office in West Springfield in 2013, after one term. He managed to make some enemies along the way. In one notable example, he fired the town's principal assessor, Christopher Keefe, after Keefe declined to do Neffinger's bidding regarding the taxation of nonprofit social clubs. A day after a fiery confrontation at Town Hall in 2012, Neffinger fired Keefe the very next day and had police escort him from the building. Keefe later sued. The matter is scheduled for trial in Hampden Superior Court next month.
Neffinger also fired O'Brien during his tenure, but publicly and profusely did a turnabout on O'Brien during Neffinger's unsuccessful bid to win back the mayor's seat in 2015. O'Brien often shouted Neffinger down at public events until Neffinger cried uncle. His support of O'Brien in East Longmeadow was not enough to get him the police chief's job, however.
DANIEL O'BRIEN
Position: West Springfield city councilor, former West Springfield police captain
Contribution to scandal: Former candidate for East Longmeadow police chief, Keough cause celebre
Good initial impression: Selectmen and audience members spoke highly of O'Brien after his interview for police chief on Feb. 29. But his application for police chief already came with its share of baggage that seemed deliberately overlooked by his supporters.
Baggage: Neffinger fired O'Brien from his position as a police captain in West Springfield in 2013. O'Brien's firing came after an incident in which he was videotaped taping shut Izabella Monticello's mouth and yelling obscenities at her after she was arrested for being drunk and disorderly during the 2011 Big E. Neffinger later reversed his opinion.
Friendship with Keough: After Federici came forward alleging that Keough tried to bribe him to favor O'Brien for the police chief job, Keough admitted making calls to Gorman and Thorpe on behalf of O'Brien. O'Brien has said he knew nothing about Keough lobbying for him, nor had he asked.
Exit from the running: Shortly after hearing of Federici's bribery allegations on March 9, O'Brien dropped his bid for police chief. At the time, his only competitor would have been Dalessio. A third finalist, Hampden Police Chief Jeffrey Farnsworth, had already pulled out, voicing disgust over the process. O'Brien cited unexpected public scrutiny of his past and family concerns as his reasons for bowing out of the race.
JAMES 'JIMMY' SANTANIELLO
Position held: Strip club and nightclub mogul, meeting broker, Mafia sympathizer, friend of the Feds
Contribution to scandal: Broker of the meeting between Keough and cousin Federici that later came back to haunt nearly everyone involved, whether directly or indirectly
Moguling: Santaniello owns scores of bars and strip joints — including one called Scores until a natural gas explosion blew it to smithereens in 2012. He also has a large real estate portfolio. Best known as the man behind the Mardi Gras, he has been known to make both conventional and unconventional loans.
Brokering: Both Federici and Keough have conceded Santaniello set up a meeting over the winter to discuss a potential business deal in East Longmeadow. Keough said the three discussed obtaining a liquor license in town for an unnamed applicant. Federici has said Keough offered him a job during the meeting, in exchange for favorable votes in the battle over the police chief and Neffinger's continued employment. Keough has denied this, but the bribery allegations were enough to pique the interest of the state Attorney General's office and the FBI, according to Federici.
Santaniello has not commented on the controversy. Unsurprising, since he rarely comments publicly on anything. Frankly, Santaniello simply put two people in a room together, but his colorful history, combined with Keough's, upped the shadiness factor of the meeting.
Sympathizing and other alliances: Court records show Santaniello has been a consistent mob historian for both state and federal law enforcement agencies, while partnering with dozens of gangsters since the 1980s. The Republican previously uncovered reams of notes by an FBI agent based on multiple interviews Santaniello gave in 2010, amid the prosecutions of a litany of local gangsters for murder and racketeering.
Santaniello was also a named victim in criminal indictments issued out of New York City, after telling authorities two thugs and a former Springfield mob boss had shaken him down for $12,000 in monthly "tribute" payments.
ANGELA THORPE
Position: Former East Longmeadow selectman
Contribution to scandal: The Lame Duck
Never far from controversy: When Thorpe came into office in 2013, it was on the heels of another controversy. In a special election four months prior to her winning election, Carol K. Johnston, volunteer campaign manager for Thorpe's competitor Peter Punderson, was rebuked for suggesting that many of those who voted for Thorpe did so because she is black.
Punderson won the December 2012 special election by 18 votes, but Thorpe came back to beat him in the annual town election by a margin of 84. Since her three-year term began, Thorpe was several times entrenched in controversy on the board.
Removed from chairmanship: In September 2014, Gorman and Federici ousted Thorpe from the chairmanship. Federici and Gorman cited a lack of public confidence in Thorpe due to delays in signing time-sensitive documents and her involvement in an in-house promotion in the Town Clerk's office, among other factors. They replaced her with Federici, who had previously served as chairman.
Police chief removal: By January, 2016, Gorman began leading a charge against Mellis. Thorpe stood with him, ultimately forcing Mellis from his position.
Thorpe sided with Gorman in his action to slash the police department's overtime budget by about 50 percent. She also voted with Gorman to put Mellis' employment contract out to bid, and seek other candidates for police chief. Describing Mellis' contract as "very lucrative," Thorpe agreed with Gorman's positions that the police chief should earn at least 20 percent less than Mellis' $137,558 salary, and be required to live in East Longmeadow.
As two of three police chief finalists dropped out, Federici went public with the bribery allegations against Keough. Those included that Keough told him Thorpe and Gorman were already on board because he had helped each win their seats.
During a public meeting the same month, Thorpe acknowledged that Keough had contacted her and expressed his support for O'Brien, but denied any impropriety.
A brief resurrection: In the preliminary Board of Selectmen election Thorpe received 220 votes, fewer than any of her five competitors. Out of the running for the April 12 election, the results left Thorpe a lame duck. But, that didn't stop her from attempting to leave her mark.
About 200 angry residents could hardly hear Thorpe or Gorman on March 16, when their muttered motions to appoint Dalessio as police chief, offer Neffinger a permanent town administrator position and replace Federici with her as the board's chairman all passed with 2-1 votes. The Neffinger vote was flipped when she completed her term and her controversial chairmanship became moot when she left office.
A 29-year-old Pittsfield man was stabbed and seriously injured Saturday evening during an altercation with another man, Pittsfield police said. The victim was taken to the Berkshire Medical Center where he underwent emergency surgery.
PITTSFIELD— A 29-year-old Pittsfield man was seriously injured Saturday evening when he was stabbed during an altercation with another man, Pittsfield police said.Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a 911 call at 108 Linden St., just before 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and found citizens performing CPR on the victim. The injured man was taken to the Berkshire Medical Center where he underwent emergency surgery. Medical officials tell police the victim's condition has been upgraded, and he is now expected to survive.
Police are looking for a Hispanic or light-skinned black male with whom the victim fought. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pittsfield Police Detective Bureau at 448-9705.
The second body that was pulled from the Connecticut river on Thursday has been identified by the Hampden District Attorney's Office.
HOLYOKE — Jim Leydon, spokesman for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, confirmed that the body found in the Connecticut River by police on Thursday morning is that of Nathan Kermensky, according to 22News.
Kermensky, 26, of Hadley, had been missing since Jan. 29, when police found his car with the keys in the ignition parked at El-Well State Park in Northampton. The park is very close to the river where Kermensky was found.
Holyoke firefighters helped retrieve Kermensky's body from the Holyoke Dam, near the fish lift of the Holyoke Gas & Electric power plant. Fire Capt. Anthony Cerruti said it was "no easy task" to salvage Kermensky's body and that firefighters did their best to "treat the deceased with respect."
Holyoke Police Lt. Larry Cournoyer said foul play is not suspected in the death of Kermensky, who appears to have taken his own life, 22News reports.
Investigators found marijuana growing operations at three of four crime scenes where members of a Southern Ohio family were killed execution-style Friday.
PIKETON, Ohio -- Investigators found marijuana-growing operations at three of four crime scenes where members of a Southern Ohio family were killed execution-style, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Sunday.
DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader called the Friday slayings "methodical and well-planned," but said at a news conference that investigators still don't know how many shooters were involved and have made no arrests.
"This was not something that just happened," Reader said. "A family was targeted, most of them targeted while they were sleeping.
"I've specifically told the Rhoden family that I would be armed," Reader later added.
More than 100 investigators from several law enforcement agencies have pored over evidence from four crime scenes. DeWine said his office received more than 100 tips over the weekend, served five search warrants and collected 18 pieces of evidence, but warned the investigation could be lengthy and frustrating.
The bodies of eight members of the Rhoden family -- three women, four men and a 16-year-old boy -- were discovered over the course of several hours Friday morning at four separate homes.
The first two bodies were discovered just before 8 a.m.
"There's blood all over the house, my brother-in-law's in the bedroom and it looks like somebody beat the hell out of him," a woman told dispatchers.
911 caller on Ohio massacre: 'There's blood all over the house'
Each victim had been shot in the head, DeWine's office said.
One of the women was killed in her bed as her 4-day-old baby lay next to her. Two other children, a six-month-old and 3-year-old, survived the shootings.
DeWine's office released the names of the victims Saturday:
Their bodies were transferred to the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, which has conducted autopsies on seven of the bodies, DeWine said Sunday. The final autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
The slayings set this small community about 80 miles east of Cincinnati on edge for more than two days, as questions about the shootings remained unanswered.
Reader cautioned Pike County residents to lock their doors and remain on high alert, even though no specific threats to the community at large had been identified.
About 100 people attended church services Sunday at Union Hill Church, where some members of the Rhoden family attended, according to WHIO.
After the rebellion, 16 people were executed.
SPRINGFIELD — At the exact anniversary of the Easter Rising, William Cahillane stood up and read the 100-year-old document that officially created the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic, declaring Ireland's independence from Great Britain.
The event was one of several in Springfield that has been held to commemorate the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in which a group of Irish rebels took over the General Post Office in Dublin, which eventually led to a free and independent state in Ireland.
"I spent a lot of time studying it and there is a lot of meaning in every sentence," Cahillane said.
Cahillane, a graduate of Springfield Renaissance High School who will receive his degree in construction management from Springfield Technical Community College next month, said he spent a lot of time studying the uprising and the document after being asked to read it, and learned a lot about Irish history in the process.
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, who hosted and spoke at the event at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History Sunday, said the document is significant for several reasons. For one thing, it is the only declaration of independence, other than the one for the United States, which mentions America.
It is also a rare declaration which mentions women, he said.
The Easter Rising was significant to Springfield, partly because thousands of Irish had immigrated to the area. Some came because of the Irish famine and others were rebels who were avoiding political persecution. Rebels also raised a significant amount of money in Springfield and other places in the U.S. to fund the uprising.
In total, 16 people were executed after the Easter Rising. Because they were killed on May 3, just two weeks after the uprising, and with no trials, there was a lot of anger directed toward the government in Ireland and abroad.
"If you were here, you were in it with both feet and it was unlikely you would ever go back," Neal said.
One of those people was Jack Fitzgerald, who settled in Springfield after being involved in the Easter Rising and then in the Irish civil war, said Joan Lundy, his daughter.
He was a member of the Kerry Brigade of the Irish Volunteers, which led to the formation of the Irish Republican Army. He eventually immigrated to Canada and then Western Massachusetts in 1923, she said.
"Life was very difficult for those who fought," she said. "He could have been captured and thrown in jail, but he escaped."
Her brother, Robert Emmet Fitzgerald, said as children they learned about the uprising, but his father did not talk much about his own experiences.
"He didn't talk about it much. He was pretty closed mouth about it," he said.
Former Falcons owner Bruce Landon said he hopes to attract a new team to Springfield.
SPRINGFIELD - This week officials announced the Falcons Hockey Team was being sold to the Arizona Coyotes in a deal that likely ended the city's 80-year affiliation with the American Hockey League.
Falcons owner Charlie Pompea confirmed the deal meant the franchise would move to Tucson, Arizona to be closer to the National Hockey League team.
Local businesses and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno spoke about their disappointment that the team was leaving, but admitted it was understandable since attendance is one of the lowest of all American Hockey League teams.
Shortly after the announcement, Bruce Landon, who previously owned the team, said he was working to bring a new American Hockey League franchise to the MassMutual Center to replace the departing Falcons, but admitted the odds are long.
It may be more likely to attract a lower-tier team in the ECHL is also a possibility, he said.
Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about the loss of the Falcons.
The Boxborough resident is being held on $500,000 cash bail pending his arraignment on Monday in Ayer District Court.
AYER - Massachusetts State Police have charged a 45-year-old trooper with abusing his girlfriend and trying to strangle her with his hands.
The trooper's name has not been released yet, but multiple reports describe him as a Boxborough resident. He is being held on $500,000 cash bail, according to NECN, pending a Monday arraignment in Ayer District Court.
Boston-based Fox affiliate WFXT reports the trooper has been with the state police for 14 years. He was relieved of duty and his service weapon was confiscated.
The attack on Saturday morning allegedly took place in the apartment shared by the suspect and victim. The trooper was taken into custody Saturday night, NECN reports.
The City Council approved $185,000 in Community Preservation Act funds.
EASTHAMPTON -- In what promises to be a game-changer, the City Council last Wednesday approved $185,000 to purchase and install lights at the White Brook Middle School football field. The money will come from Community Preservation Act funds.
The high-lumen, energy-efficient lighting will let the Easthampton High School Eagles football team hold Friday night games for the first time. School athletic director Patti Dougherty said Easthampton is the only school in its division which does not have a lighted field, meaning all games must now be held on Saturdays.
"We have been moved up a division in our league," she said. "So we are going to be playing a tougher schedule. Lighting our field goes along with raising the stature of our program." Dougherty said the field, while primarily for football, could allow for other uses as well.
Fire Chief David Mottor, a longtime supporter of youth athletics, spoke in favor of the project. "I guarantee you the first night those lights come on, the brightest thing on the field will be those football players' smiles."
"I just want to thank the City Council, the Community Preservation Committee, the School Committee, and the community," said Amy Guyette, president of Easthampton Friends of Football.
The boosters' group in 2014 collaborated with the city to rebuild the football field, which at the time was in such rough shape that its nickname was "the swamp." The group at the time raised money to supplement a $279,508 CPA appropriation for the project.
The Community Preservation Act committee recommended the lighting project unanimously, as did the Finance Committee, said councilor Daniel Rist, who added that Easthampton Friends of Football has agreed to pay for the yearly maintenance of the lights.
Holding Friday night games "is a little bit more of an event" and lets the high school athletic department raise money to supplement its budget, said Dougherty.
State police estimated the backup is about 12 miles in the area of exits 9 and 10.
AUBURN - Traffic is moving at a crawl after a car fire in the eastbound lanes of the Massachusetts Turnpike.
State police estimated the backup is about 12 miles, in the area of exits 9 and 10, stretching from mile marker 89 to mile marker 76.
A car caught fire at about 6:40 p.m., and police shut down the right and center travel lanes. As of 8:40 p.m., all lanes have reopened.
The backup is residual to the fire, so it should gradually clear.
No injuries were reported and the fire is not believed to be suspicious.
Beer wasn't the only thing on tap for the 700 visitors of the Third Annual Samuel Adams Baconfest Sunday at The Log Cabin in Holyoke.
HOLYOKE - Beer wasn't the only thing on tap for the 700 visitors of the Third Annual Samuel Adams Baconfest Sunday at The Log Cabin. Alex Byrne, marketing director with WAQY-FM and WLZX-FM, said visitors from as far as New Haven, Connecticut and Marlboro, Massachusetts, have pre-registered in advance to insure they had tickets for the Sunday party.
Some of the bacon creations included: seasoned pork with peppers & onions with cilantro rice and toppings, BBQ pork ribs, gorgonzola mac & cheese with Doritos and bacon crumbs, bacon cheddar corn bread, grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon and tomatoes, tomato gorgonzola bisque and bacon crumbs, cheddar bacon potato pizza, bacon potato salads, braised steak and cheese bombs, ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese and pickles, pork belly sliders with apple chutney, bacon and onion chips, Coney Island hard root beer floats with homemade bacon/vanilla ice cream, baby field green salad with bacon spinach vinaigrette and potato and bacon catfish with Cajun cream.
Main dishes included: seasoned pork with peppers & onions with cilantro rice and toppings, BBQ pork ribs, gorgonzola mac & cheese with Doritos and bacon crumbs, bacon cheddar corn bread, grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon and tomatoes, tomato gorgonzola bisque and bacon crumbs, cheddar bacon potato pizza, bacon potato salads, braised steak and cheese bombs, ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese and pickles, pork belly sliders with apple chutney, bacon and onion chips, baby field green salad with bacon spinach vinaigrette and potato and bacon catfish with Cajun cream.
The party was a pork lover's paradise for those with a sweet tooth. Desserts served included: bacon ice cream with cookie dough and caramel or fudge toppings, donut dippers in bacon and toasted coconut, whoopee pies with bacon and spiced nuts, M&M bacon cookies, chocolate covered bacon, chocolate mousse and candied bacon, and cannoli with bacon crumbs, were spread among two rooms for the crowd.
Primary sponsors for the event were Samuel Adams, Curry Honda and Curry Nissan, Planet Fitness, Harley Davidson of Southampton, New Beginnings Chiropractic, The Log cabin, and radio stations WAQY-FM and WLZX-FM.
Cruz will focus on Indiana, where he hopes to win a May 3 primary. Kasich will cede the state to Cruz in exchange for a free pass against Trump in Oregon's May 17 primary and New Mexico's June 7 contest.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz have formed a strategic alliance aimed at denying front-runner Donald Trump the Republican presidential nomination, their campaigns announced late Sunday.
Cruz will focus on Indiana, where he hopes to win a May 3 primary.
Kasich will cede the state to Cruz in exchange for a free pass against Trump in Oregon's May 17 primary and New Mexico's June 7 contest.
The announcement is a major development in what has been a bitter fight for the anti-Trump vote. GOP establishment leaders worry about Trump's bluster, his xenophobic comments and his all-around unorthodox brand of politics.
But Cruz and his allies in recent weeks had cast Kasich as a spoiler, even going so far as to suggest Kasich was angling to be Trump's vice president.
But the dynamics of the race changed last week when Cruz was mathematically eliminated from clinching the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination on a first ballot at this summer's convention in Cleveland. Kasich has been in that boat for a while. It makes sense for them to work together in some places, keep Trump from a first-ballot nomination and see who can emerge in later rounds at the convention.
"Having Donald Trump at the top of the ticket in November would be a sure disaster for Republicans," said Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe. "Not only would Trump get blown out by [Hillary] Clinton or [Bernie] Sanders," -- the Democratic candidates -- but having him as our nominee would set the party back a generation.
"To ensure that we nominate a Republican who can unify the Republican Party and win in November, our campaign will focus its time and resources in Indiana and in turn clear the path for Gov. Kasich to compete in Oregon and New Mexico, and we would hope that allies of both campaigns would follow our lead."
Roe's statement was soon followed by one from John Weaver, Kasich's top strategist.
"Our goal is to have an open convention in Cleveland, where we are confident a candidate capable of uniting the Party and winning in November will emerge as the nominee," Weaver said. "We believe that will be John Kasich, who is the only candidate who can defeat Secretary Clinton and preserve our GOP majority in the Congress. Due to the fact that the Indiana primary is winner-take-all statewide and by congressional district, keeping Trump from winning a plurality in Indiana is critical to keeping him under 1,237 bound delegates before Cleveland."
Weaver added that Team Kasich is "very comfortable with our delegate position in Indiana already." The Kasich strategists believe they have enough supporters signed on as delegates there to be helpful in later rounds of balloting. And, "given the current dynamics of the primary there, we will shift our campaign's resources West and give the Cruz campaign a clear path in Indiana," Weaver said.
Both campaign chiefs signaled that they expect to compete against each other in states not mentioned, including California, which holds a high-stakes June 7 primary.
The Associated Press' delegate tracker puts Trump far ahead, with 845 delegates, followed by Cruz at 559 and Kasich at 148.
Of the states where Cruz and Kasich are coordinating, Indiana is the big prize, with 57 delegates up for grabs. Oregon awards 28, New Mexico 24.
The partnership is particularly helpful to Kasich. He entered April short on cash, and there have been doubts about whether he could afford to stay in the race until the July convention. Weaver last week called on a group of "Never Trump" super PACs to step up -- a sign the campaign was depending on outside assistance.
Trump responded to news of the alliance later Sunday via Twitter.
"Wow, just announced that Lyin' Ted and Kasich are going to collude in order to keep me from getting the Republican nomination," he said. "DESPERATION!"
Rescued were Nick Forti, 23, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and Lauren Snively, 24, of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Authorities said they lacked appropriate overnight gear.
NEW HAMPTON, N.H. -- Two hikers from Massachusetts who spent a cold night on a mountain trail were rescued Sunday by New Hampshire conservation officers and volunteers.
Rescuers in New Hampshire also came to the aid of two others who suffered injuries.
A search and rescue team responded to the Falling Waters Trail in Franconia after authorities learned of a hypothermic hiker. Rescued were Nick Forti, 23, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and Lauren Snively, 24, of Dorchester, Massachusetts. Authorities said they lacked appropriate overnight gear.
Sunday afternoon, James Graziano of Moriches, New York, was assisted after he was unable to continue hiking. He'd hurt himself after sliding down an icy trail in Bethlehem Saturday.
In another incident, Matt Hickey, 21, of Thornton, New Hampshire, was injured when a rock, likely dislodged by a thaw, struck him in Franconia.
The cold hikers were warmed up; the injured ones were evaluated at hospitals.
A Walpole police officer suffered serious head injuries when a fire hose being unrolled from a moving fire engine, jammed whipping the hose around. The officer was airlifted to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. A second officer suffered an arm injury.
WALPOLE— A Walpole police officer suffered serious head injuries and a second sustained an arm injury after a fire hose being unrolled from a moving fire engine jammed and whipped the hose end, the Boston Globe reported.The two officers were at the scene of an afternoon fire in Walpole on Norton Avenue when the hose knocked them both to the ground.
The officer with head injuries was airlifted to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston while the second officer was transported by ambulance.
Neither officer was identified by Walpole police.
