A fire at an apartment building in Forest Park Heights caused significant damage on Thursday evening.

SPRINGFIELD — A fire at a condominium complex in Springfield's Forest Park Heights neighborhood has caused $50,000 in damages and displaced one person, according to Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Fire Department.

The Springfield Fire Department received a call at 8:26 p.m. for a fire occurring at 120 Longhill St, and arrived on scene at 8:31 p.m.

The building was still partially on fire as news crews showed up to document the event. Crowds of community members watched from the sidewalks as firefighters could be seen hosing down the blaze in an attempt to put it out.

The fire reportedly started on the fourth floor and burned through the roof, and the cause appears to be electrical, according to Leger.

Leger also said that while the fire affected four different condos, it will only end up displacing one resident who was reportedly too shaken by the incident to remain in the building.

A car crashed into a daycare center in Billerica on Thursday and struck a child.

BILLERICA — Billerica police received a report on Thursday afternoon that a Subaru Outback had struck a child after crashing through the wall of a daycare center located at 862 Boston Rd.

The operator of the car was a 38-year-old woman who had been navigating Boston Rd when she had a medical "episode" that caused her driving to be impaired.

After losing control of her vehicle, the woman struck multiple cars sitting on the shoulder of the plaza at 880 Boston Rd, then veered onto the curb, hit a fence, and slammed into the building where the daycare center was located.

After crashing through the wall and into the main childcare area, the Subaru struck a male toddler and subsequently "pinned" him beneath the vehicle. The child was described as "alert and conscious" as an ambulance arrived at the scene.

Both the toddler and the driver were subsequently taken to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, while two other children were treated at the scene of the crash.

The driver reportedly suffered non life-threatening injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.

A Massachusetts State Police dog helped locate an elderly man who went missing from an assisted living facility on Wednesday evening.

NORTHAMPTON — K9 "Riggs," a Massachusetts State Police dog, helped to locate an elderly man that went missing from an assisted living facility on Wednesday evening.

State Police Trooper Sean Kenney and K9 Riggs were asked by the Northampton Police Department to assist in locating the whereabouts of the man – who had not been seen for approximately five hours.

After assessing the situation with local officers, Kenney gave Riggs a "scent article" belonging to the man, after which Riggs tracked away from the facility, and along a path into the woods nearby.

Kenney and Riggs tracked for over a mile into the forest until Kenney heard a "faint cry for help" and the man was found lying on the ground, covered in cuts and bruises and shivering from the cold.

The team comforted the man and attempted to keep him warm while Fire and Rescue were guided into the woods. The man was then transported to a hospital by the Northampton Fire Department.

"Without Riggs locating the man, the outcome could have been very different," said the Massachusetts State Police in a social media post on Facebook.

The Holyoke veterans court is a specialty court that works to help military veterans who are accused of crimes and suffer from trauma or drug or alcohol problems to obtain treatment instead of going to prison. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- The judge and gallery in Holyoke District Court listened to the citation about the bravery shown by U.S. Army soldier Gary J. McHugh in Vietnam on Nov. 13, 1970.

McHugh retrieved a machine gun, dragged the wounded gunner to safety, delivered the weapon to a spot where comrades needed the fire power and, exposing himself to more enemy fire, gave first aid to a disabled soldier. McHugh earned a Bronze Star with special "V" for valor.

On Wednesday, McHugh, of Northampton, stood before Judge Laurie MacLeod discussing treatment for a heroin possession charge in a hearing aimed at helping him avoid prison.

McHugh was one of 15 military veterans participating in the weekly session of the Western Massachusetts Veterans Treatment Court in Courtroom B.

As McHugh stood at the podium facing the bench, Probation Chief Sean McBride read the military citation that detailed McHugh's actions in combat that day nearly 46 years ago in Thua Thien Province during the Vietnam War (see below).

The 20 or so people seated in the courtroon erupted in applause when McBride was done.

"Mr. McHugh, that was an amazing citation," MacLeod said.

"Thank you," McHugh said.

"The service that you provided to our country is just remarkable. We welcome you to this court and we're going to determine a service plan for you here," said MacLeod, presiding judge of the veterans specialty court.

One of five veterans courts in the state, the goal of the program is to reintegrate veterans who have committed crimes and misdemeanors by honoring their military service with an effort to try helping them instead of locking them in a cell.

The Holyoke veterans court began in November.

"We serve veterans from Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties who are court-involved and who have come to us by means of an assessment," MacLeod said.

To participate in the veterans court, officials confirm through interviews and background checks by the district attorney's office that the accused is a military veteran and is experiencing mental, health or substance abuse problems.

Veterans can be referred to the program by their lawyer. The program is a voluntary, 18-month probation term that involves supervision, including volunteer mentors who are veterans themselves, alternative sentencing options, access to treatment and case management by court staff to help them avoid repeat offenses.

Many of the veterans suffer from substance abuse, mental illness, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), brain injury and sexual assault, MacLeod said.

Showing compassion to the veterans while also requiring that they be accountable, that they keep appointments and avoid drugs and alcohol, is a helpful approach with someone struggling with PTSD or brain or sexual trauma, she said. She is the daughter of a World War II veteran father.

"Our participants have been through so much," MacLeod said, adding, "There is an accountability, certainly. This is not an easy process for them to be involved in."

Though court proceedings are generally open to the public, Judge Maureen Walsh, presiding judge of Holyoke District Court, requested discretion in the reporting on the veterans court proceeding to safeguard the participants' treatment. McHugh agreed to let his name be used by The Republican.

MacLeod's tone during the hour-long session consisted mostly of kindly asked questions about the veterans' circumstances. She talked with them about their attendance at counseling and other appointments, their housing situations and in two instances, whether they have been bicycling or kayaking.

"We look forward to you getting into the program and getting the help you need. We'll be waiting for you when you get back," MacLeod told a female veteran.

But she reminded some of the veterans that they had to behave better by virtue of being accepted in the specialty court.

She addressed a man who had been arrested the week before for assault with a dangerous weapon. The man had consumed a large amount of alcohol.

"So I'm very concerned about that," MacLeod said. "But you have to first address this issue and we're going to do it square on."

Another man was coming off a few recent disputes.

"I know the last time you had a run-in with a police officer and I asked you to write him a letter. Did you do it?" MacLeod said.

The man said he actually wrote two letters, one to the cop and another to the court, saying he would avoid further trouble.

"I'm glad to be in this program," the man said.

MacLeod told a male veteran who missed an appointment that the program required that participants be faithful to commitments.

"I appreciate your doing so much volunteer work, but you have to take care of you," MacLeod said.

Another man told MacLeod he was disputing the results of a blood test.

"I already told the court I don't do any drugs. I don't even like marijuana. If it was alcohol, that would be something. That's what I'm here for, alcohol," the man said.

MacLeod chatted about the man's treatment program and asked if he'd been out kayaking as discussed previously. The man said it was too cold.

"It was a little chilly at 9 in the morning. I didn't want to come here all wet," he said.

"We had a frost this morning," MacLeod said, and told the man she would see him in two weeks.

On May 20, a ceremony will be held for the official opening of several rooms in Holyoke City Hall Annex, across the walkway from the district court's front door, that the city is donating to the veterans court.

Walsh said the rooms will be used for private conferences veterans can have with their counselors about treatment or with lawyers about a bankruptcy or a drug test. Such conversations now often must take place on the benches outside court rooms with people walking by, she said.

Massachusetts' other veterans courts are in Boston, Dedham, Lawrence and Natick-Framingham, she said.

"I think it's important to note the vision and support from the Trial Court and the Legislature in recognizing the special needs of the veterans," said Walsh, also the daughter of a World War II veteran father.

Massachusetts also has specialty courts related to drug cases, juvenile drug cases and mental health cases, as do other states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Kansas.

During Wednesday's session in Courtroom B, Dan Lohaus, of Easthampton, director of the award-winning documentary "When I Came Home," was filming for what he said will be a documentary about the Holyoke veterans court.

U.S. Army citation for Gary J. McHugh: by Mike Plaisance

The programs cannot be expanded without additional money, Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said.

CHICOPEE -- School officials would like to add courses on aviation mechanics, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and engineering technology to its vocational department, but it will take more space and money than is currently available to expand.

Over the past few years as the popularity of vocational education has grown in many schools, Chicopee officials have been studying ways to add new programs to meet the current demands.

Kenneth Widelo, director of the career and technical department, met with the School Committee recently to unveil a preliminary study showing ways the department could expand.

The School Committee took no formal votes but members said they were interested in his ideas and recommended he continue to pursue them.

"I was listening to the roadblocks," said Chester Szetela, a committee member. "It seems to be there are a lot of things to overcome before this becomes reality."

Widelo agreed but said he wanted the committee's blessing before continuing to work on the plan.

"It is a discussion. At the end of the day it will come down to financing," Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said. "It is going to take money we do not have."

But Rege said he is a member of a state Department of Education study committee examining ways to increase vocational education. The committee is hoping to receive a portion of a large private grant that will eventually be available for vocational education.

If money becomes available, Rege said, he wants the School Department to be ready to apply for funding.

The School Department could begin an HVAC program quickly, but there is no space for it in the existing school. Widelo said he believes he could get state funding to pay for startup costs if he could find room.

One plan would be to build a second maintenance building at the former telecommunications building on Johnson Road, and move the Comprehensive High School maintenance staff from the building they currently occupy on the school grounds to that location.

The student horticulture program, which has a lot of equipment and supplies, could then move to that building and the space it occupies now could be used for the HVAC program, he said.

Creating an aviation maintenance technology program, similar to one at Westfield Technical Academy, would be more complex. Widelo and Rege said they have been meeting with officials from Westover Air Reserve Base and Westover Municipal Airport to try to find a business partner who would help get the program off the ground. Rege said Col. Jay Jensen, the new commander at Westover Air Reserve Base, was interested in playing a part.

If the city were to begin an aviation program, it would likely move its building and grounds program designed for special education students from Comprehensive High School to a garage also at the telecommunications building. It would then use the vacated rooms for the aviation program, Widelo said.

The building and grounds program would benefit because students would have more opportunities for hands-on learning because they could maintain grounds at the telecommunications building and nearby city property including Chicopee Academy at James Selser School, Herbert Bowie School and possibly the nearby fire station, he said.

If a partner can be found, the aviation technology program would be taught in part at the school and upperclassmen would likely take most of their courses in an airplane hangar, Widelo said.

The School Committee also talked about trying to maximize the space by creating more vocational programs at Chicopee High School. Currently there are four elective courses -- graphics, photography, drafting and business information technology -- that could be expanded to become more formal programs, he said.

Widelo is also proposing creating a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) academy that would offer nearly 20 courses in subjects such as digital electronics and computing, electrical networks and circuits, mechanical science and engineering math.

Scheduling would also have to be changed at Chicopee High School to better accommodate the students in the vocational programs.

Just in time for the pro basketball playoffs, local drug dealers are allegedly offering a new sports-themed product: NBA heroin.

SPRINGFIELD -- Just in time for the pro basketball playoffs, local drug dealers are allegedly offering a new sports-themed product: NBA heroin.

Michael Cruz, 26, of Walnut Street, Holyoke, pleaded not guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute, violation of a drug-free school zone and resisting arrest during his arraignment Thursday in Springfield District Court.

Michael Cruz, 26, of Holyoke(Springfield police photo) 

Cruz had 71 packets of heroin and $324 in cash when Springfield police arrested him in a parking lot in the North End, Assistant District Attorney Jill O'Connor said Thursday.

The heroin was stamped with an NBA logo and hidden in a container designed to look like a Monster energy drink can, according to O'Connor.

Police received a tip that a dealer named Mike would be selling from his Honda Civic late Wednesday morning in a lot on Cumberland Street, O'Connor said.

He was arrested at Main and Cumberland streets, about 300 feet from the entrance to the German Gerena Community Magnet School, the prosecutor said.

While handcuffed, Cruz jumped from the cruiser and tried to flee, but was quickly captured. At police headquarters, he made a second failed escape attempt, O'Connor said.

She asked for $10,000 cash bail on the new charges, citing Cruz's criminal history, including an open heroin trafficking case in Hampden Superior Court.

In addition to the cash bail, O'Connor asked Judge William Boyle to revoke Cruz's $1,000 bail in the trafficking case from February.

Defense lawyer Jeffrey Peck asked for $5,000 bail, saying Cruz is a native of Newark, N.J., who has lived in Holyoke for more than a decade. Cruz has a steady employment history, including stints as a warehouse worker and personal care attendant, and two children ages 4 and 7, Peck said.

The defendant, who suffered injuries to his wrist and face while being taken into custody, denies resisting arrest, Peck said.

Requiring Cruz to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and to report regularly to the Probation Department would assure adequate supervision without taking him away from his children, Peck said.

Boyle set bail at $10,000 in the new case and revoked Cruz's release in the trafficking case.

Under the judge's ruling, Cruz will be held at the Hampden County Correctional Center for 90 days for the bail violation.

Cruz is due back in court for a pretrial conference on May 17.

Republicans will gather across Massachusetts Saturday to select congressional district delegates the state will send to the party's national convention in Cleveland this summer.

SPRINGFIELD -- Republicans will gather across Massachusetts Saturday to select congressional district delegates the state will send to the party's national convention in Cleveland this summer.

Voters who registered with the Republican Party before Feb. 10 are allowed to attend the morning caucuses, which will take place in each of the state's nine congressional districts. A total of 27 delegates, or three per district, will be selected at the events.

Seventeen of Massachusetts' congressional district delegates -- including two in most districts -- will be bound to represent GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who won Massachusetts' primary with 49 percent of the vote, in the first round of RNC balloting.

Despite this, John Kasich and Ted Cruz's campaigns are expected to run full slates of delegate candidates to shore up their own chances of winning the GOP nomination on subsequent ballots at a contested Republican National Convention.

Super Tuesday 2016: Donald Trump wins Massachusetts Republican presidential primary

Massachusetts Republican Party leaders, however, have pointed out that Trump's campaign is also pushing a full slate of delegates in a similar effort to win second ballot support away from the Ohio governor and Texas senator, who were respectively allocated just four and two congressional district delegates in the state.

MassGOP spokesman Terry MacCormack said while campaigns are clearly looking at the second ballot and are able to do so under the rules, the party's interest is to make sure its rules are adhered to completely.

MassGOP Chairwoman Kirsten Hughes added that just because a campaign runs a slate of delegates doesn't mean others can't pursue those slots.

"The campaigns have taken it upon themselves to line up a slate, but that doesn't mean that other people can't be elected who either support that candidate or who support somebody else," she told reporters during a conference call.

MacCormack, however, noted that while MassGOP rules allow anyone who is eligible to participate in the caucuses to run for a delegate spot, those looking to serve as candidates must make their cases to caucus-goers and be elected.

"I think that there's going to be that interaction where the caucus participants will be able to vet the folks who are running for delegates," he told reporters.

Hughes stressed that at the end of the day, the caucuses are elections.

"This is what this is about, this is an election -- it's a competition," she said. "Whoever gets the most votes wins. I think the campaigns are mindful of the fact that they have to drive turnout, they have to drive people to these caucuses to support their slates or individuals have to ask people and drive people to vote for them."

In the first congressional district, which spans Western Massachusetts from the New York border to Charlton, Republican voters will select two delegates who will be bound to represent Trump in the first round of RNC balloting and one bound to represent Cruz, according to MassGOP.

The caucus will take place at Elks Lodge 2448, 69 Chapin St., Ludlow, beginning at 10 a.m. Check-in will start at 9 a.m.

Holyoke City Council President Kevin Jourdain and former Longmeadow Selectman Paul Santaniello are among a handful of candidates vying to serve as the district's Trump delegates or delegate alternates, according to the campaign, which released its slate earlier this week.

Donald Trump's WMass delegate slate includes Holyoke Council President Kevin Jourdain, Longmeadow's Paul Santaniello

Westfield City Councilor Dan Allie, who previously has been sent to represent the state at the RNC, said he's running as a Cruz delegate in the first congressional district, but will likely seek a Trump slot.

Former state committeemen Bill Gillmeister and Matt Kinnaman are also expected to run as Cruz delegates.

Westfield City Councilor Andrew Surprise said he, Devon Kurtz and Richard Howell are running for alternate spots as part of the Cruz slate.

The Kasich campaign, meanwhile, is backing Jay Cavarello for a first congressional district delegate spot, spokeswoman Emmalee Kalmbach said.

MassGOP said it does not have a comprehensive list of candidates running for delegate spots, noting that individuals are not required to announce their candidacies ahead of time and may in fact do so from the caucus floor.

Voters in the second congressional district, which stretches from Northampton to Blackstone, meanwhile, will gather at Shrewsbury Oak Middle School to select two Trump delegates and one that will be bound on first ballot to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has since left the race.

A total of four delegates will be allocated to the Florida senator at Massachusetts district caucuses on Saturday.

In addition to those selected at the congressional district caucuses, Massachusetts will send 15 at-large delegates to the nominating convention in Cleveland, five of which will be bound to Trump, four respectively bound to Kasich and Rubio and two bound to Cruz in the first round of balloting, MassGOP announced.

The Republican State Committee will elect all but three of the at-large delegates at its meeting in late May, as RNC delegates Hughes, National Committeeman Ron Kaufman and National Committeewoman Chanel Prunier have already been assigned to support Rubio, Trump and Cruz respectively.

Arianna Huffington will speak at Bay Path University's 2016 Women's Leadership Conference Friday afternoon.

Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-and-chief of the Huffington Post, will speak at Bay Path University's 2016 Women's Leadership Conference Friday afternoon.

MassLive got the chance to ask Huffington -- who is the author of 15 books, including her newest, the "The Sleep Revolution" -- a few questions ahead of the event that's being held at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield.

Huffington provided insight on writing about Donald J. Trump, the media's role in covering the 2016 presidential election and fitting enough sleep into a busy schedule.

Check out the Q&A below:

MassLive: Your new book, The Sleep Revolution, makes the case that men tend to "wear sleep deprivation as a badge of honor," and that exhaustion impacts productivity levels. On the same topic, you yourself are the editor-in-chief of a major online news organization, a prolific author and a world traveler. How do you manage to find time for the adequate amount of sleep that you advocate for?

Huffington: To me, this idea of burnout as a badge of honor is the ultimate indicator of our sleep crisis - not only are we dangerously misguided in our attitude toward sleep, but we are bragging about it!

No matter what your job is, doing it well is about prioritizing sleep, and recognizing that there are enough hours in the day for the important things. And understanding that sacrificing sleep in the name of productivity is the wrong choice. Once you see the benefits of getting enough sleep, it becomes much easier to make it a priority.

Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post.Associated Press 

MassLive: You've said phones have no place at the dinner table, and that people should turn off their phones before a meal - an interesting assertion for someone who runs an enterprise dependent upon people tapping into their phones for news. How do you personally strike a balance in your everyday life in terms of technology and face-to-face interaction?

Huffington: As for me, I have a specific time at night when I regularly turn off my devices -- and gently escort them out of my bedroom. And at The Huffington Post, since the news is nonstop, there is definitely the temptation for editors, reporters, and engineers to try to match the twenty-four-hour news cycle. So we do a lot to prevent burnout. For example, we've always made it very clear that no one is expected to check work email and respond after hours, over the weekend, or while they're on vacation. But in spite of this, as we all know, it's very common for people to go on vacation and put up an out-of-office message, but still respond to incoming emails - often seconds after the sender receives an out-of-office email! Why? Because we are addicted, and because once we see an email, we feel obligated to answer it.

So, inspired by the German auto company Daimler, we decided to create a tech solution that would eliminate the temptation. With our new vacation email tool, all emails sent to you during your time off will be automatically deleted. The sender gets an auto response asking them to resend their message when you're back or to contact someone you designate if it is urgent.

So, yes, The Huffington Post wants people looking at their screens, but not to the exclusion of their sleep, their vacations, their family or their dinner companions.

MassLive: The Huffington Post has made the editorial choice to append a note onto stories about Donald Trump, calling him a lying, xenophobic and racist bully. You have said news outlets have been "mainstreaming" Trump's extremism, and that it's "a dereliction of duty for a media organization not to have a point of view on Donald Trump." How does a news organization convey a sense of fairness while clearly identifying a particular point of view? Or is it the up-front identification of that point of view that makes the coverage more fair?

Huffington: To me, it's not about fairness, but truth. And too many outlets prefer balance to truth. Over the years, we've seen it again and again, from the run-up to the Iraq war to the financial crisis: in the name of "objectivity" or "balance," the media pretend that every issue has two sides, and that both deserve equal weight. For the Pontius Pilate press, washing its hands of responsibility, the best route is to stand on the sidelines -- leaving the question of "what is true" to the public. But it should go without saying: Not taking a stand is, in fact, taking a stand.

And we're happy to see we're not alone in our desire to present the unvarnished, un-euphemized Trump. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank opened a recent column by writing, "Let's not mince words: Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist." And he went on to back that up, which isn't hard and is the approach any reporter with an interest in telling the truth to his or her readers should adopt.

So, whether he's the nominee or not, if Trump's words and actions are racist, we'll call them racist. If they're sexist, we'll call them sexist. We won't shrink from the truth or be distracted by the showmanship.

MassLive: Donald Trump's primary way of getting his message into the world, like all candidates, is through the media, and he can count on news organizations to quote him -- especially if he says something incendiary or controversial. In your opinion, how can journalists thoroughly cover the presidential campaign without, in a sense, providing Trump a megaphone for what many would call hate speech?

Huffington: Well, to build on what I said in answer to the last question, you can do it by giving the readers and viewers context. We've covered plenty of Trump's outrageous statements, but then we've also put them in context. If what he's saying is bigoted and racist, or if it's a dog-whistle way of playing on bigotry and racism, we'll point that out. There's a history and context for how the Trump campaign exploits and whips up these ugly sentiments, and that should be part of how he's covered. The responsibility of the press is more that just, "here's what this candidate said today, and here's what the other candidate said."

MassLive: Some writers and editors, like Brooke Gladstone of "On the Media," have said that media has changed in a such a way that allows for journalists to insert their opinions into stories, especially those that require some analysis. What are your feelings on this, particularly in relation to presidential election coverage?

Huffington: If it's analysis or opinion, it should be labeled as such. But, as the same time, like the press critic Jay Rosen, I reject what he calls "the view from nowhere" - the idea that reporters and journalists can be these empty, neutral vessels of objective facts. Good reporting inherently has a take, usually built into the story itself. In "Beyond the Battlefield," the series about the sacrifices, challenges and hardships faced by our soldiers after they return home, and which won a Pulitzer Prize for David Woods and the Huffington Post, Woods definitely had a view from somewhere - and that's what informed the piece and made it so moving.

MassLive: How can news organizations better and more fairly report on the presidential election in general? What is the mainstream media missing?

Huffington: They need to get past the idea that balance is somehow guiding principle. The truth is not always in the middle. In fact, it's almost never in the middle.

MassLive: How have your views of the role of media changed since founding Huffington Post in 2005? Is there anything you now know that you wish you'd known then?

Huffington: I think there's a convergence happening. The never-very-useful division between "old media" and "new media" has become increasingly blurred, as traditional outlets adopt the tools of digital journalists -- including speed, transparency and engagement -- while new media adopt the best practices of traditional journalism, including accuracy and fairness.

And one thing I wish I'd known then is the value of getting more sleep!

MassLive: You have from the beginning argued that journalism should be a two-way conversation. How would you characterize the media's role in that conversation?

Huffington: The media is facilitator of that conversation, a platform provider and an interlocutor and participant. And those are all crucial roles, especially the latter one. It's important for journalists to realize and respect the role the reader plays in that ongoing conversation.

MassLive: In a historically male-dominated field like the media, how can women help shape the future of news, and what role should their voices play in the media?

Huffington: Madeleine Albright once said "there is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." And that means that the converse is also true - that there's a special place in heaven for women who help other women. So that's one way women can help shape the future of news, by helping other women up the ladder.

And we can also help by rejecting the male-created culture of macho burnout and sleep-deprivation, the negative effects of which disproportionately affect women, who, even when they're working, are still doing the lion's share of work in the home. Having a system in which the only way to signal that you're serious and dedicated is by spending 12 hours a day at the office is a backdoor way of excluding women.

The minimum age to buy tobacco products in Massachusetts would go up to 21 years old, under a bill the state Senate passed on Thursday. The vote was 32-2. The bill still needs approval from the Massachusetts House and Gov. Charlie Baker before becoming law.

BOSTON - The minimum age to buy tobacco products in Massachusetts would go up to 21 years old, under a bill the state Senate passed on Thursday.

The vote was 32-2. The bill still needs approval from the Massachusetts House and Gov. Charlie Baker before becoming law.

The current age limit is 18 and over.

According to state Sen. Jason Lewis, a lead supporter of the bill, nine out of 10 tobacco users start smoking before the age of 18 and become addicted.

"This is about protecting young people," said Lewis, D-Winchester. Lewis said the bill will also save lives and reduce health care costs.

According to Lewis, 108 cities and towns have already raised the legal age to 21. "More are in the process of doing so," Lewis said.

Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield, voted against the bill and said eighteen-year-olds are adults. "Let them make their own decisions," he said.

Humason said he does not smoke but he is concerned about how the bill would impact small and large businesses that sell a legal product such as tobacco. "Tobacco is still legal in this state, as disgusting as some of us think it is," Humason said.

Sen. Ryan Fattman, R-Webster, was the other "no" vote on the bill.

Hawaii was the first state to increase the purchasing age earlier this year, according to the Associated Press.

The Massachusetts bill does not include an increase in tobacco taxes or any new taxes. It also does not ban tobacco flavors and does not include penalties for an underage person who smokes cigarettes. Retailers already face fines for selling to minors.

The bill does seek to regulate electronic cigarettes and adds them to a law banning cigarette-smoking in schools, restaurants and workplaces. Liquid nicotine would be required to be sold in "child-proof" packaging.

Under the bill, retail establishments that also sell pharmaceutical products, would be prohibited from selling tobacco products. CVS, which is based in Rhode Island, has already done that voluntarily.

The bill carries an effective date of January 1, 2017. If the bill passes the House and the governor signs it before lawmakers adjourn for the summer in July, businesses would have six months to sell down their stock of tobacco products, according to Lewis.

In a close 14-19 vote, senators rejected a tobacco purchasing exemption for individuals who are 18 years old and over and present a military ID.

Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, said tobacco use decreases the health and readiness of soldiers, while Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, said the military should be allowed to regulate its own members and the exemption would have allowed them to do so.

Current 18-year-olds would be grandfathered if the bill passes.

Gov. Baker has said he supports the concept of raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21, but whether he approves or disapproves of the particular bill depends on the specific language within the legislation.

The city of Boston raised the age to 21 last year; the rule went into effect in February 2016.

Republican reporter Shira Schoenberg contributed to this report.

Students said they planned the vigil to commemorate the life of Brianna Cuoco who had been missing since Jan. 18.

CHICOPEE — Hundreds gathered Friday night at Chicopee Comprehensive High School to commemorate the life of Brianna Cuoco, a Comp student whose body was found on the shore of the Connecticut River in Agawam on April 21.

She had been missing since Jan. 18. Agawam authorities recovered her body found on the west shore of the river by a kayaker who reported the discovery.

Krista Keeleyla, now a freshman at Holyoke Community College, said she knew Cuocco throughout high school.

"She was so loved," she said. "She was beautiful, always smiling."

Harper Laino, 18, also a student at Holyoke Community College, said Cuoco was "an amazing artist."

He said he took pottery class with her at Chicopee Comprehensive High School his senior year. "She was very creative," Laino said. "She encouraged me to pursue art."

In her honor, Laino was creating a flower through finger painting to remember her.

Karlee Hamelin said that when she heard a body had been found, her first thought was "Please, don't let it be Brie."

"We hoped she had left on her own terms," she said.

Amber Daletto, who said Cuoco was her best friend, said she wanted to give people a place to mourn Cuoco and celebrate her life with art work and candles. The funeral is private, she said.

Daletto said Chicopee Comprehensive Principal Derek Morrison encouraged the students to hold the vigil outside the high school.

"She was outgoing and smart," Daletto said of Cuoco. "She was a friend to everyone. ... She was a free spirit."

The New England Patriots used their second third-round pick (91st overall) on NC State QB Jacoby Brissett Friday.

The New England Patriots made their third pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, and they went with quarterback Jacoby Brissett out of NC State at pick No. 91. Brissette's selection was an exciting one his former teammate, Joe Thuney, who also played at NC State.

We just told Thuney that Pats drafted his QB in Jacoby Brissett: "No way, that's awesome"

— Nicholas O'Malley (@nickjomalley) April 30, 2016

Brissette passed for 2,662 yards and 20 touchdowns last season at NC State, and used his mobility and strong arm to earn All-ACC honorable mention honors. He completes 60 percent of his passes as a senior, and is considered a strong leader.

The Patriots selected Nebraska DT Vincent Valentine with their final third-round selection.

A store clerk was attacked with pepper spray by two women during a robbery on Friday afternoon.

SPRINGFIELD – Two women were arrested Friday evening after being accused of attacking a store clerk with pepper spray during a robbery, according to 22News.

The women allegedly walked out of a Big Lots Store at 390 Cooley street without paying for two children's swimming pools. When a clerk followed and confronted the two, one of them allegedly turned and attacked her with pepper spray.

Patrol officers pulled over a black Nissan on Mill Street that matched the description of the suspects' vehicle.

The suspects, which the clerk identified as two Springfield women, ages 24 and 25, will likely be arraigned on armed robbery charges in Springfield District Court on Monday.

A motorcycle rider was transported to the Baystate Medical Center after he was injured in a collision with a car. Police at the scene said the rider was thrown some 75 feet after striking the side of the car.

SPRINGFIELD— A motorcycle rider was injured when the bike he was riding slammed into the side of a passenger car at the intersection of State Street and Blunt Park Road just before 11 p.m, Friday.

The driver of the passenger car told Springfield police he had been traveling east on State Street when he attempted to make a left turn onto Blunt Park Road. The westbound motorcycle collided with the side of his car.

The operator of the motorcycle was thrown over the car, and according to officers at the scene, was found some 75 feet from the collision point.

The bike rider was transported to the Baystate Medical Center. According to witnesses, he was conscious and talking with police when he was transported.

Members of the Springfield Police Traffic Bureau launched their investigation of the accident site. Officer Timothy Sheehan said the incident remains under investigation.

A two-car crash on Sumner Avenue near Perkins Street trapped three people in the wreckage of one car. Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free the injured from the car.

SPRINGFIELD— Three people were trapped in a sub-compact car after it collided with an SUV Saturday morning, near the intersection of Sumner Avenue and Perkins Street.

Dennis Leger, executive aide to Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the Springfield Fire Department Heavy Rescue unit used the Jaws of Life to rip the small car open to get one person in the front seat and two people who were sitting in the back seat of the Hyundai Elantra out of the wreckage. All three, along with two others were transported to the Baystate Medical Center with what Leger said were, "non-life-threatening injuries."

Reportedly, all three extricated victims were conscious and talking to rescuers.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the collision. Springfield Police Lt. Scott Richard said at the scene that initial information indicated that the Hyundai was traveling westbound on Sumner Avenue when it was struck by a Toyota Highlander SUV. The Hyundai was struck in the passenger door while the Highlander sustained considerable damage to the left-front portion of the vehicle. Precisely what each car was doing prior to the crash is still being determined, Richard said.

The accident remains under investigation.

One man was shot once in the lower leg early Saturday morning, police said. The man was found bleeding heavily on a front stoop on Chestnut Street, but shell casings were found in an alleyway on Sargeant Street, approximately half a block from the Chestnut Street scene.

HOLYOKE— One man was wounded in a shooting near the intersection of Sargeant and Chestnut streets Saturday morning, Holyoke police said. But, investigators are trying to determine exactly where the shooting took place.

Holyoke Police Lt. Larry Cournoyer said the adult male victim was found on the front stoop of 304 Chestnut St. just after 3:30 a.m. bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound to the calf.

Just moments before, one Holyoke unit reported hearing perhaps a dozen gunshots in the area of Chestnut Street. The officer said it sounded to him like two different caliber weapons were being fired.

Holyoke cruisers flooded the area and found the victim in significant pain, Cournoyer said.

He was transported to the Baystate Medical Center for treatment.

Officers searched the area from Chestnut to Sargeant Street and found at least one 9mm shell casing in an alleyway about half a block from where the victim was found.

Cournoyer said several indicators led police to believe the Sargeant Street location is the likely scene of the shooting, with the victim making his way to the Chestnut Street for help.

Investigators will not know for sure until they talk with the victim. Cournoyer said because of the amount pain the man was in he was not questioned at the scene. He said they would talk to him after he was treated at the hospital.

Firefighters knocked down a kitchen fire that started with food cooking on the stove but got out of control and ignited cabinetry.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

Dennis Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the fire started as cooking on the stovetop but ended up starting cabinets and the area surrounding the stove on fire.

Leger said the blaze in the first-floor apartment of a two-family home left the kitchen unusable. He estimated damage at under $10,000.

Children of The Wild will give two more performances of the walking outdoor opera "The Wastelands" today at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. starting Holyoke Creative Arts Center, 384 Dwight St. The shows are free. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- Who knew that purgatory was located behind some old mills on Dwight Street.

But the area of cracked pavement and loading docks in back of the red-brick buildings became the stage Friday for "The Wastelands," a walking outdoor opera performed by the Children of The Wild theater group of Ashfield.

The show was inspired by Dante's "Purgatorio" and Robert and Shana Parke-Harrison's "The Architect's Brother," according to the performance program.

"Let us step into the 'Holy Yoke' of our dreams -- stay close. I will be your guide in this journey. You may follow me if you so choose," said Walken Schweigert, in black top hat and blackened eyes and nose and white face paint, in the character of the poet Virgil. The show was on.

In the epic poem by Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) "The Divine Comedy," Dante moves through the three stages of the Christian afterlife: "The Inferno" (hell), "Purgatorio" (purgatory) and "Paradisio" (heaven).

Roman poet Virgil leads Dante through hell and purgatory while Beatrice, the actual but unrequited love of Dante's life, is his guide into heaven. The three realms each have nine levels, or circles ("nine circles of hell") as well as a 10th circle or peak. Or in Lucifer's case, the 10th being the nadir.

"The Architect's Brother" is a book of black-and-white images that include a man in a black suit (and sometimes black top hat) depicted in steampunk-like scenes such as with a flying contraption and something called a "Breathing Machine."

The show is free, though donations are encouraged, and two more performances are scheduled here: today at 5 p.m,. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

The show begins with the audience asked to meet at the Holyoke Creative Arts Center, 384 Dwight St. The action moves behind the Wauregan Building at 420 Dwight St. and down the CanalWalk.

If the exact story line was at times a riddle, the visuals and music kept the crowd of 50 or so people interested, if not riveted, for the mobile, hour-plus show.

The action engages the senses. There's singing and dirges compelled by violin, trombone, tuba, mandolin, guitar, accordion, cello and other instruments and sound effects.

A character at one point lights a can of smoky incense. A character chases another, and the musicians stroll while leading the audience from scene to scene, prompted by Virgil's "come this way" wave of a hand.

Some of it is tragic and some funny. One character appears to stab another but it's the perpetrator who crumbles to the floor of a loading dock.

Silence is gained when a plunger is rammed into the mouth of a trombone. Charlie Chaplin-like pratfalls play out with a step ladder.

Black lettering on white curtains hung at spots along the "stage" bear phrases that provide all the intrigue and clarity of Zen Buddhist koans:

Dante was played by Lindsay Swan, Angel Porter by Michael Hulbert, Angel Sentinels by Dan Baker and Ben Bowen and The Architect (a Shade) by Katie Burgess.

The Children of The Wild is a company-in-residence at Double Edge Theatre in Ashfield. Its website is childrenofthewild.org

The group can be reached at (612) 276-2309 and childrenofthewildensemble@gmail.com

Massachusetts is set to flip the switch to all electronic tolling later this year, meaning if you don't have what's known as an E-ZPass transponder, state officials will be sending a bill to your home after your car flies through a toll gantry.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com Friday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Agawam family claims drone hovered outside their daughter's bedroom window [Lucas Ropek]

2) Meteorologist Nick Morganelli, Western Mass News part ways [Ray Kelly] Photo gallery above

3) Worcester man accused of raping 4-year-old boy using toy gun, butter knife [Lindsay Corcoran]

4) Springfield police searching for armed carjackers who assaulted driver, stole ATM service van [Rebecca Everett]

5) New Mass. Pike electronic tolling: If you don't have an E-ZPass transponder, MassDOT will find you [Gintautas Dumcius]

While construction on the MGM Springfield casino project continues in Western Massachusetts, the Mohegan Tribe is pushing forward with construction of its own, in the form of a new, 13 story, 400-room $130 million hotel tower. Watch video

While construction on the MGM Springfield casino project continues in Western Massachusetts, the Mohegan Tribe is pushing forward with construction of its own, in the form of a new, 13 story, 400-room $130 million hotel tower.

Modeled after the existing 1,200-room Sky Tower design, construction on the $130 million Earth Tower began last year as a means of recapturing the approximately 450,000 room nights the Connecticut casino says it turns away each year.

Rooms at the new hotel will be slightly smaller than those at the Sky Tower and prices, which have not yet been set, will be more affordable, Mohegan officials said.

There will be 12 floors of guest rooms above the lobby level, which includes a pool, spa and fitness center. Earth Tower will begin accepting reservations for fall occupancy on July 1.

Although the flagship Mohegan Sun casino is in Connecticut, the tribe has eyed opportunities around the globe.

In February, it was learned that the company had landed a license to co-develop a $5 billion casino at the Seoul-Incheon International Airport in South Korea. This past week, the tribe announced it had struck a deal with the Tunica-Biloxi tribe to help manage its flagship casino in Marksville, Louisiana.

Diversification along with a recovering economy has helped Mohegan show year-over-year growth of revenue, according to the company's press release revealing its second quarter earnings.

The suspect shot at the dog and troopers, who were uninjured, according to the State Police Office of Media Relations in Framingham.

SPRINGFIELD — A hit-and-run suspect who fled from authorities in Springfield allegedly opened fire on a state trooper and his K-9 dog early Saturday morning.

Troopers from the Springfield barracks responded to a 12:15 a.m. report of a vehicle wanted by Springfield police in connection with a hit-and-run crash minutes earlier, said Massachusetts State Police officials at Framingham headquarters.

The suspect exited I-91 and abandoned the car at Balise Chevrolet on Hall of Fame Avenue in the Forest Park section of the city. He then headed on foot toward Main Street, police said.

A K-9 trooper and his dog found the suspect, who refused to surrender, prompting the trooper to deploy his dog. "During the deployment, the subject fired one round from a handgun, missing the trooper and the dog. The MSP dog engaged the subject and was able to successfully subdue him," State Police said in a statement.

The suspect was injured during the apprehension and taken to Baystate Medical Center for treatment, police said. Authorities did not release the identity of the suspect, who is expected to be arraigned Monday in Springfield District Court.

Troopers from Troop B, the Crime Scene Services Section, the Ballistics Unit, and the State Police Detective Unit assigned to Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni's office assisted with the investigation.

MAP showing approximate location of incident: