The May 2 public hearing on tobacco begins at 8 p.m., at Lawrence Memorial Hall, 2 Jabish St.

Lawrence Memorial HallJim Russell 

BELCHERTOWN - The Board of Health has scheduled a public hearing on Monday night to review the town's regulations governing tobacco use, and is expected to discuss, and accept public comment on, whether to raise the minimum purchase age to 21 years old.

The May 2 public hearing on tobacco begins at 8 p.m., at Lawrence Memorial Hall, 2 Jabish St.

The board has also been reviewing the town's regulations that pertain to electronic cigarettes.

Currently, state law permits tobacco sales to those 18 and over, but municipal boards of health are authorized to set an age requirement that is higher.

When the Belchertown BOH began discussing whether to raise the minimum age back in January, 75 communities had already done so, the board said.

The senate passed a bill last month that would raise to 21 the state's minimum age to purchase tobacco.

The MassGOP has filed a complaint with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, alleging that Theroux, an Agawam Democrat, violated campaign finance rules.

AGAWAM — The Massachusetts Republican Party claims Agawam City Councilor Richard M. Theroux, a Democrat running for state representative, violated the law by creating a campaign fundraising website before establishing a candidate's committee with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance. As a public employee, Theroux also cannot directly solicit funds without a candidate's committee, according to the GOP, which has filed a complaint with the OCPF in Boston.

Theroux, a longtime Agawam official who is challenging Rep. Nicholas A. Boldyga, R-Southwick, for his 3rd Hampden District seat, said his campaign website was created only hours before OCPF officials certified his committee on April 14. He accused the GOP of Watergate-style "dirty tricks" and of exploiting the oversight to taint his campaign.

"I'm getting barraged by these things and the campaign hasn't even started," Theroux told The Republican on Friday. "I will certainly scold my daughter (who created the website) like I did when she was a teenager," he said, noting that she is now an adult in her thirties.

Theroux accused Boldyga and Republicans of deploying "Nixon-type 'Plumbers' to look up something that's a violation by a few hours," he said, referring to the creation of his campaign website before the state certified his candidate's committee.

According to MassGOP officials, however, Theroux's website, which includes a link to contribute to his House campaign, was established more than a day before the state signed off on his campaign committee. Boldyga, who has represented the 3rd District on Beacon Hill since 2011, said anyone who steps into the public arena should expect public scrutiny.

"As people running for public office, we're held to a higher standard," Boldyga told The Republican in a phone interview Sunday. "And the voters, at the very least, expect we'll abide by the law." In terms of the allegations against Theroux, Boldyga said, "he'll have to address the two violations with OCPF."

For now, Boldyga said, he is concentrating on serving his 3rd District constituents in Agawam, Granville and Southwick. "As a state representative, I'm only focused on doing my job for the district, and this year, with the opioid epidemic going on, I'm proud that we've passed a number of bills that address the crisis that's going on here in Western Massachusetts," he said.

Brian Wynne, MassGOP's executive director, has formally asked OCPF director Michael Sullivan to probe the matter. "I am writing to you today to strongly urge you to investigate the campaign of Richard Theroux, an Agawam City Councilor and candidate for state representative," Wynne said in an April 28 letter to Sullivan.

According to Wynne, a time stamp on Theroux's campaign website is evidence that the career Agawam official – Theroux was elected to the City Council in November and was previously Agawam's clerk for over 30 years – launched the site before organizing his committee with OCPF, a violation of state campaign finance laws. As a public employee, Theroux, who earns $10,000 annually as a city councilor, is prohibited from fundraising without a candidate's committee, Wynne said.

OCPF certified Theroux's campaign committee just after 3 p.m. on April 14, but his website appears to have been established late on the morning of April 13 – based on a countdown clock to Election Day, Nov. 8, that appears on Theroux's site. MassGOP officials sent a screenshot of the countdown clock to Sullivan as evidence of the alleged transgression.

MassGOP spokesman Terry MacCormack said the countdown clock indicated that Election Day was "208 days" away. After counting that many days back from Nov. 8, Republican Party officials arrived at the conclusion that Theroux's site was launched on at least April 13, MacCormack said. More specifically, based on the hour captured in the screenshot of the countdown clock, the site appears to have been established around 10:19 a.m., he said.

In an email to The Republican, MacCormack stated: "I subtracted 208 days, 20 hours, 40 minutes and 24 seconds from November 8, 2016, at 7:00 AM and came out with Result: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 10:19:36 AM."

Because Theroux filed a "Statement of Organization" creating his candidate's committee with OCPF on April 14, he would not have been considered a candidate for state office when his website was established on April 13, according to Wynne. Evidence clearly suggests Theroux was "soliciting campaign funds before having organized a committee," Wynne said in his letter to Sullivan. "The funds were clearly being solicited for a campaign for state representative."

Such a violation is even more serious, Wynne said, because Theroux is a public employee and also serves as the chairman and treasurer of the Hampden County Regional Board of Retirement. "Therefore, it is a clear instance of a public employee soliciting funds directly, as opposed to through a candidate's committee. ... I urge your office to investigate this matter swiftly, and deliver any penalties or punishments associated with this violation," Wynne said.

Theroux said no money was raised during the time frame in question. "I will assure Michael Sullivan that not only was it only a few hours (the period during which his campaign site was launched and his candidate's committee was certified by the state), but that no campaign contributions were raised during that period," he said.

For Theroux, who understands the political process as Agawam's former longtime clerk, the matter was a simple mistake. "I know these (rules) well. I helped enforce them as a town clerk for 32 years," he said.

According to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 55, Section 13, public employees are prohibited from fundraising directly, as opposed to through a campaign committee. A 2009 OCPF advisory opinion affirmed that candidates cannot raise funds for public office until they have organized a candidate's committee.

MacCormack said Theroux must follow the same rules that apply to every other candidate for higher office. If the Democrat cannot launch his campaign without "displaying a serious lack of respect for basic campaign finance rules," MacCormack said, "how can he be expected to be accountable in a Democratic caucus marred in recent years by scandals and a lack of public trust?"

The grand reopening celebration is May 12 through May 14.

SPRINGFIELD -- At many stores these days, customers can have a hard time getting a meat cutter to trim a steak or roast just they way they want it.

But not at 90 Meat Outlet, which has its own custom cutting counter.

"We'll trim it just the way the customer likes it, right in front of the customer," said owner Jim Vallides. "None of this taking something in the back and then coming back out with it. You watch us do it."

And customers looking at many stores for something a little out of the ordinary for that ethnic dish -- think beef tongue, oxtail or hog maw made from a pig's stomach -- at a chain store are more likely to come away frustrated, not satisfied.

"We have all that type of things," said Vallides. "We do a tremendous business with ethnic food. We sell lamb. We sell a lot of goat."

Vallides and his 90 Meat Outlet staff will celebrate a grand-re-opening at the store May 12, 13 and 14 following a large-scale renovation project that saw the store expand from 3,000-square feet of display space to more than 7,000-square feet. The new space opened around Thanksgiving time.

Vallides founded 90 Meat Outlet out of a few small coolers in the front of the building in 1998. At the time, he had a company across the street that made breaded chicken like cutlets and nuggets.

Today, 90 Meat now has 50 employees. And it is the center of a three family-run and family-owned businesses.

His daughter, Alexis, is the manager at Armata's Market in Longmeadow.

"It is a very different operation," Vallides said. "But we do custom cut at the butcher counter there, too."

His son Michael manages Latino Food Distributors which brings in and distributes foods and brands popular in Puerto Rico like Titan-brand frozen foods. Latino Foods Distributors manufactures its own Puerto Rican sofrito, a type of seasoning flavored with cilantro, which is popular in Latino cooking.

Since the new space became available in November, Vallides said he's spent the past few months rearranging things, making sure the products are displayed in a logical order and that foot traffic flows nicely through the store.

"People like it better. They were in here elbow-to-elbow," he said. "They don't feel like they are being pushed along by the flow of foot traffic."

The new layout also gives more space for that custom cutting counter and might allow more space for new products.

It also allowed Vallides to move and expand the cutting room in back where his employees prepare meat for sale.

"They are back here all day, every day we're open," he said.

At one station, workers fed cuts of beef through a tenderizing machine to make cube steaks. At another station, employees cut pigs feet to the proper size with a saw.

One worker carefully rolled steaks in a seasoning rub. The store transitions every spring from meat cuts used in soups and stews -- like oxtail -- to cuts for grilling.

"We sell a lot of chicken," Vallides said.

Meat cutters Jose Gonzales and Diego Marte cut beef short ribs into thin-sliced flanken, a favorite of ethnic cuisines in the of Asia and Latin America.

"The Brazilians love them," Vallides said. "A lot of ethnic groups love them in stews and soups.They are big in Korean cooking, too. But you can't get them."

One customer comes to Springfield from Worcester to buy flanken, Vallides said.

The prices at 90 Meat outlet draw in a lot of out-of-towners. People from the Albany, New York, area come to buy meat by the freezer full.

"My big thing has always been 'buy direct and save.'" Vallides said. "I work directly with the packing houses in the Midwest, the chicken distributors. The potatoes come from Hadley."

In April, he got a call from an egg distributor who was oversupplied and looking to move inventory. Was 90 Meat outlet interested?

"I normally don't carry eggs," Vallides said. "But it was something I was able to bring it at a reasonable price and offer to people as an opportunity buy. You aren't going to see them that cheap anywhere else."

On this day, he had them stacked in the store priced at 99 cents a dozen. One woman stopped and picked up six dozen eggs.

Pizza and refreshments will be provided later to those who participate in the Holyoke citywide cleanup on May 21 from 9 a.m. to noon organized by Mayor Alex Morse's office.

HOLYOKE -- A citywide cleanup of litter and other debris has been scheduled for May 21 from 9 a.m. to noon.

"Residents, neighborhoods, businesses and organizations are encouraged to organize teams and can choose a location they would like to clean, or one can be assigned by the city," said a press release this week from Mayor B. Morse's office.

The city will designate trash collection areas. Participants are asked to bring their own supplies such as trash bags and gloves, the press release said.

After cleanup, pizza and refreshments will be provided for participants at Holyoke Heritage State Park, 221 Appleton St., the press release said.

Residents, businesses and other organizations that plan to participate were asked to contact Heather Ducharme in the mayor's office so the effort can be coordinated, the press release said: (413) 322-5510 or ducharmeh@holyoke.org

The New York businessman knows Tuesday's vote could be the knockout punch for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, his last remaining rivals.

FORT WAYNE, Indiana - Donald Trump did something unusual Sunday.

The Republican presidential frontrunner, a master of hype and salesmanship, urged his audience here to ignore new numbers that show him headed for victory in the Indiana primary.

"We got great polls today," Trump said at a rally in front of thousands packed inside the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. "Don't listen to them. Forget it. Pretend we're losing - we're not; we're winning big. But pretend we're losing, because we have to win big.

"The more we win by, the better it is."

The New York businessman knows Tuesday's vote could be the knockout punch for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, his last remaining rivals. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released earlier Sunday found Trump leading Cruz, 49 percent to 34 percent.

Kasich wrote off Indiana in a deal that is supposed to help Cruz beat Trump here and keep both underdogs alive until the summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland. But that Cruz-Kasich alliance has been a bust, with both participants downplaying its significance and Kasich refusing to urge his Hoosier State supporters to vote for Cruz instead.

Of the voters surveyed for the NBC poll, 63 percent said the Cruz-Kasich deal would not be a factor in their decision. A majority - 58 percent - disapproved of their accord.

Cruz spent Sunday barnstorming the state with Carly Fiorina, the former rival he announced last week as his vice-presidential running mate if he gets the nomination. He also launched a new TV ad that compares Trump unfavorably to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

"Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are two sides of the same coin," a narrator says while describing several policy positions the two have shared over the years.

Indiana had seemed a promising battleground for the anti-Trump forces - a coalition of establishment Republicans who fear Trump's heated rhetoric will doom the party in November.

Cruz figured to play well with the state's evangelical voters, Kasich with the pragmatic chamber-of-commerce types. But after three months of caucuses and primaries dominated by Trump, Republicans in Indiana don't appear to be looking for a reason to vote against him.

As she arrived Sunday afternoon for volunteer duties at a Trump field office in Carmel, Jane Reiman, a former mayor of the Indianapolis suburb, said she has been a fan from the start.

"I think there are a lot of closet Trump supporters," said Reiman, 83. "Early on when I told people I was for Trump, they looked at me kind of like, 'Huh, has Jane lost it?' And my two daughters thought I had lost it. I think a lot of people held back because they didn't want to get that kind of reaction. Early on he said some pretty crazy things. But I always look at the whole person, and I know that all of us has made mistakes - not just Mr. Trump."

Reiman and other Indiana voters said they appreciate Trump's entertaining style and his pledge to combat illegal immigration by walling off the United States from Mexico. That stance provokes strong opinions in these economically struggling areas of the industrial Midwest.

"I watched 'The Apprentice'" - Trump's old reality TV show - "for years," said Susan Boyer, who made the hour drive from Ligonier to see Trump in Fort Wayne.

"He says what he feels and what he thinks. He doesn't worry about political correctness. I think all of us are frustrated with how things are going, and he's not part of the establishment."

Boyer called deal between Cruz and Kasich "crooked." It soured her view on the governor.

"If Kasich would have had more standing, I might have voted for him," she said.

Trump railed against trade deals with foreign countries in his remarks here. Many in the crowd booed at each mention of Mexico. But he spent much of his hour on stage complaining about Cruz, Kasich and other GOP leaders have tried to block him from the nomination.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the nomination. Trump needs roughly 240 more to seal the deal before the convention, according to the Associated Press' projections. A big victory in Indiana would help. Cruz and Kasich have been mathematically eliminated from scoring a first-ballot nomination. But both are wooing delegates in states where Trump won primaries. Such tactics could help them strip away support from Trump if the convention goes beyond a first ballot.

"It's a rigged system - a terrible, corrupt and rigged system," said Trump, who also mocked the Cruz-Kasich deal and Cruz's early Fiorina announcement. "It's run by the party leaders so that very capable outsiders can't get into the party. ... It's really a disgusting system."

He punctuated that thought with a call for his supporters to follow him to the convention.

"I'm representing you," Trump told the audience. "And I hope you all go to Cleveland in July - and let's all be heard, because we have a movement going on."

The $183.3 million project is estimated to be fully reopened to traffic in the late fall of 2017.

SPRINGFIELD -- The state Department of Transportation will close Exit 1A from Interstate 291 West to Interstate 91 South from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night from Monday through Thursday into the following Friday morning.

Traffic will follow this detour route to access I-91 South. A map is available here (pdf).

From I-291 West, take Exit 2B and follow signs for Dwight Street. Turn left on Dwight Street, then turn right on State Street. Turn left on West Columbus Avenue/Hall of Fame Avenue, and bear left after crossing Union Street to merge onto I-91 South.

The $183.3 million Interstate 91 project is estimated to be reopened to traffic in the late fall of 2017.

The 2.5-mile-long elevated section of interstate highway was built in the 1960s. The deck showed signs of disrepair in recent years with falling chunks of the structure forcing the closure of parking decks under the road.

A major north-south artery, I-91 carries around 75,000 cars a day through downtown Springfield.

A man is facing charges after he allegedly crashed his vehicle into a utility pole in Hadley Sunday, injuring himself and at least one of the two dogs in his vehicle.

HADLEY - A man is facing charges after he allegedly crashed his vehicle into a utility pole in Hadley Sunday, injuring himself and at least one of the two dogs in his vehicle.

The other dog, a yellow Labrador, took off after the crash and is still missing, according to police. No update was available Monday on the condition of the injured dog.

The 48-year-old Hadley man was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital with injuries after the crash, Officer Ken Hartwright said Monday.

His name is not available because he has not been arraigned yet. He will be summoned to Eastern Hampshire District Court on charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, operating to endanger and failing to stay within marked lanes.

Hartwright said the man's truck veered of South Maple Street at 4:09 p.m. Sunday and struck a utility pole that was snapped off. Eversource was called to the scene to replace the pole.

Hartwright said that Amherst Fire Department transported the man in an ambulance while Hadley police officers took the injured dog to the South Deerfield Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital.

No details about the dog's injuries were included in the police report and Hartwright said he did not know the dog's condition Monday. 

WWLP reported the dog had cuts from the accident.

The missing dog jumped out a window after the crash, the officer said. Anyone who sees the dog is asked to call Hadley police at (413) 584-0883.

A breath test at the scene showed Shawn McCuen had a blood-alcohol level of .103, well above the legal limit of .08.

A 26-year-old Vermont driver who was stopped early Sunday for driving nearly twice the 65 mph speed limit, was taken into custody when he was also found to be well above the legal limit for intoxication, police said.

Shawn McCuenVermont State Police 

Vermont State Police charged Shawn McCuen, 26, of Hyde Park, Vermont with driving under the influence of intoxicants and for careless and reckless operation of a motor vehicle. He was also given a civil citation for possession of marijuana.

According to state police, a trooper spotted McCuen's vehicle speeding in the northbound lane near Exit 12 in Williston. The trooper clocked the car on radar traveling at 123 mph in a 65 mph zone.

He was given sobriety test after he was stopped, and was taken into custody when the breathalyzer test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of .103, which is well about the state's threshold for intoxication of .08.

A 22-year-old passenger in the vehicle was found with marijuana and she was issued a civil citation for marijuana possession.

Williston, Vermont is near Burlington.

Former Patriots defensive tackle and Springfield native Ron Brace will be laid to rest Monday.

Former New England Patriots defensive tackle and Springfield, Massachusetts native Ron Brace will be laid to rest Monday.

He was found dead Saturday night in his family's home in the Forest Park section of the city. Brace's life will be celebrated at St. John's Congregational Church, 45 Hancock St., Springfield, on Monday. Calling hours are at 10 a.m. with a funeral service at noon. He will be buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Springfield.

After playing football at Burncoat High School in Worcester and Boston College, Brace played with the Patriots between 2009 and 2012.

Follow along below for live updates.

Ron Brace's smile, willingness to give back leave lasting impression in Springfield community

The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission and Department of Public Works issued traffic advisories for the week of May 2.

File photo 

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission and the Department of Public Works have released the following traffic advisory for the week of May 2, regarding plans for water, sewer and road utility work..

Water and Sewer Commission

Long Term Projects

Main Interceptor Rehabilitation Project

Short Term Projects

Water Pipe Replacement Project - Worthington Street from Spring Street to Sackett Place. Worthington Street will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow.

Sewer Rehabilitation Project, Main Street and Union Street - Lane shifts on Main Street from Union Street to State Street.

Department of Public Works

Crown Street - From White Street to easterly 500 feet. Paving is tentative.
Front Street - From Worcester Street to Oak Street. Utility work.
Kerry Drive - From Holcomb Rd. to 1628 feet southerlyy. Utility work.
Lyman Street - From Chestnut Street to Oak Street. Utility work.
Park Forest Road - From Newhouse Street to Feltham Road. Utility work.

Sidewalk Work

East Springfield

Mohamed Fofanah of Hartford is being held on weapons and assault charges, and federal immigration officials have requested that he be detained. Watch video

Note: Update at 10:30 a.m. to add more information from the state police.

SPRINGFIELD - The man accused of shooting at a state trooper and a police dog early Saturday has been identified as an undocumented immigrant who now stands to be deported, according to Massachusetts State Police.

The suspect, identified as Mohamed Fofanah, 35, from Hartford, is charged with multiple counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, attempted murder, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, and mistreatment of a police dog.

State police said that a records check of Fofanah revealed he is a "deportable felon," based on felony offenses committed in Connecticut. As a result of his arrest in Springfield, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been contacted and has filed a detainer against Fofanah.

A detainer is a request from the federal agency to local law enforcement to hold onto a suspect for additional time, generally 48 hours, to allow the agency to take custody to begin deportation proceedings.

According to state police spokesman David Procopio, Fofanah is from Sierra Leon.

At the time of his arrest, he was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, and had previously been identified by ICE for deportation, Procopio said.

According to Connecticut Court records, Fofanah was sentenced in 2010 to five years in prison for criminal possession of a firearm. The sentence was to be suspended after 30 months, and he was released on probation in December 2013.

Fofanah is held at the Hampshire County House of Correction pending his arraignment Tuesday in Springfield.

Massachusetts State Police K-9 dog FrankieMassachusetts State Police photo 

According to state police, troopers were called Interstate 91 in the South End of Springfield to assist Springfield police in locating a driver involved in a hit-and-run accident moments earlier. They found the car abandoned on East Columbus at the Balise dealership.

Trooper David Stucenski and his K-9 partner Frankie tracked Fofanah from the car to Main Street, but when Stucenski ordered him to stop, he turned and fired a single shot from a .357 handgun. No one was hit by the gunfire.

Frankie, a trained German Shepard, at that point charged after Fofanah and began wrestling with him, causing Fofanah to drop the gun. Procopio said Fofanah tried to choke the dog during the struggle, Propocio said.

The dog was able to gain control of him until Stucenski and another trooper secured the weapon and placed him in custody.

Fofanah was treated at Baystate Medical Center for minor bite injuries suffered during his arrest.

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 of the shooting and arrest.

Video of Frankie the K-9 in action

The annual town election is May 21. Voting is from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Minnechaug Regional High School.

WILBRAHAM - Rev. Karen-Louise Rucks, a nominee of the Democratic Town Caucus, is seeking a seat on the Wilbraham Housing Authority in the May 21 annual town election.

She is challenging Republican Judy Cezeaux for the seat.

A Wilbraham resident since 2007, Rucks grew up in Springfield and graduated from Classical High School. She earned her bachelor of science degree from Temple University, her M.A. from Hartford Seminary and her M.Div and Th.D. from Boston University.

Rucks is the Director of Grants Development at Quinsigamond Community College and an Associate Minister at the Alden Baptist Church in Springfield. She was the Vice President of Program Operations for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and former Executive Director of the Council of Churches of Greater Springfield.

In these roles, Rucks said she has worked to provide supportive services, and navigate processes such as Section 8 and rapid re-housing to help families get the necessary supports to live in clean, safe and affordable homes.

Rucks said she is running to serve on the Wilbraham Housing Authority because of her background and experience in human services and ability to understand matters such as organizational management, budgets, and compliance.

Rucks said she has more than 30 years of experience in designing and implementing quality programs that successfully and effectively met national and state accreditation and licensing standards. She has served as a volunteer Trustee and Director for various boards including the United Way of Pioneer Valley (where she also served on its Allocation Committee and its Executive Committee) and Sisters of Providence Health System. She just completed her tenure as President of the Board for the Partners for Healthier Communities. Currently, she serves on the Allocation Committee for the Greater Worcester Community Foundation.

"I have lived in Wilbraham for almost 10 years. I love walking through the various neighborhoods, waving and talking to my neighbors. I appreciate the blend of early nesters, retirees and new and young families who are comfortable and committed to live long, here in Wilbraham. When families transition and wish to down size, they should have an affordable option, as should hard-working families wishing to live in safe and affordable homes." Rucks said.

"I have decided to run because I enjoy living in this community and I want to offer my gifts to the benefit of this community. I believe the place that I can be most effective is on the Wilbraham Housing Authority where I would lend a unique perspective and approach to the policy and budget decisions. I offer my experience as an administrator, advocate and strategic planner who is pragmatic and takes a balanced approach to decision making, particularly as it relates to sustaining, improving and transforming systems and organizations."

The Wilbraham housing Authority consists of five members, four of whom the town elects for staggered terms of five years.

The annual town election is Saturday, May 21. Voting is from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Minnechaug Regional High School.

The medical center will use the money to continue its work with Live Well Springfield, a coalition convened by Partners for a Healthier Community and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, in assisting the city's low-income children and adults to have healthier lives.

SPRINGFIELD - "We have a lot of work to do. Our job is keeping people healthy, not dealing with them when they are in an unhealthy situation only," said Doreen Fadus, executive director of community health and well being at Mercy Medical Center.

The hospital's parent organization, Trinity Health, recently awarded Mercy a $2.5 million grant, allocated over five years, to continue its work with Live Well Springfield in assisting the city's low-income children and adults to have healthier lives. This may mean more staff to support existing programs, or to run focus groups, do training or examine related policy issues.

The initiative will also make several million dollars available in low- or no-interest loans for proposed projects, like a supermarket in Mason Square, and coordination will be through a coalition of organizations already working on health-related issues.

"There are all these things that are churning and I don't know how they are all going to come together but they are definitely going to play off of each other because the group working on these things is working very nicely together and that is important to know and all the hospitals are involved too," Fadus said.

According to a large national study on income and longevity published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and featured, by geographical regions, on the website of the New York Times, the wealthy in Hampden County can expect to live about seven years longer than the area's low income residents.

The survey's good news for low-income residents in the Springfield area is that their life expectancy has increased by three years since 2001. This is one year more than the national average, which generally stayed flat for poor people, and means that 40-year-olds with household incomes of $28,000 can expect to live 79.4 years.

However, this is more than a year less than their counterparts in Hampshire and Franklin counties, and three years less than Springfield area residents making $57,000, who are projected to live 83.7 years, and residents making $150,000 who are expected to live 87.9 years.

According to the survey, Hampden County has lower median home values, fewer college graduates, as well as fewer immigrants, compared to national averages. Immigrants, at least initially, are considered to be more active and consume diets lower in fat and processed foods than the native born.

The survey also found the county has a higher percentage of the poor who smoke, are obese and do not exercise.

Some of these factors have been targeted by Partners for a Healthier Community. Live Well Springfield was convened by the organization and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

Fadus added that tobacco and obesity are what Trinity Health, one of the largest tax-exempt Catholic health care systems, is also targeting both in its directives to its 91 hospitals as well as in its innovative Transforming Communities Initiative into which it is investing about $80 million in grants, loans, community match dollars and services in six communities over the next five years.

"The 90 hospitals under Trinity Health are coming together to have some semblance of same goals throughout the nation and Trinity has chosen tobacco and obesity as the same goals at this point. What the system is trying to do as a whole is have a definite move-the-needle influence on these hospitals and their community on these issue" Fadus said.

"We have so many challenges here in Springfield, whether it is heroin, poverty, housing but when you look at people who have lifestyles of smoking and obesity, it makes sense,"

Fadus said for the past 10 years various groups have been engaged in a "constant groundswell of some advocacy work" within the city "looking at social determinants" (conditions in a person's long-term environment).

"They may even not have used that language that much 10 years ago, but that manifested itself in improving the bike path, mobile markets, fresh fruits and vegetables and policies such as EBT (government-issued) cards at mobile markets," Fadus said.

Mercy has had long-term programs that early on assisted the families of refugees from the Vietnam War, as well as the homeless of Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties access health care services and benefits.

More recently, the hospital is looking at what Fadus calls "high end users" --- individuals who frequently use the hospital's emergency department for conditions that may not be acute. It is also doing what Fadus termed a faith communities nursing program in which the hospital provides a Mercy registered nurse for parishes of any Christian denomination that want "to start a health ministry within their parish."

"It could be something as simple as a walking club, participating in a health fair, doing presentations," Fadus said. "We would provide some training and some materials. We can provide some medical liability for the nurse who wants to be part of the program, but they control what they want to do within their own parish.".

"We also have a community health van which we call the van ministry."

Fadus said the van was donated and is staffed by mostly volunteers who take it to farmer's markets and other venues to dispense health information and to also provide services, such as first aid at such events as road races.

Internally, Fadus said the Trinity Health directive has prompted Mercy's Cancer Center to do a video on smoking as well as on obesity, and to re-evaluate meals served in is cafeteria and to look at expanded ways the hospital can do outreach.

The $500,000 a year grant from Trinity, Fadus said, will help Mercy's Live Well partners address issues of obesity and tobacco use, and Mercy will work with Partners for a Healthier Community in bringing coalition members together.

"Martin Luther King Family Services is going to work on tobacco issues with teens using a peer-to-peer model. HAP Housing is also going to work on tobacco with people in subsidized housing but in private management. Maybe looking at getting four to five private managers to have smoke-free buildings," Fadus said.

"Square One will work on nutrition and obesity issues, both with the children in their programs and with the mothers, whether it is healthy living, groceries, mobile markets. Pioneer Valley Planning Commission has just finished a study on safe streets, part of the resources will be to support them in that effort, whether it be signage, paved curbings, walking paths, cleaning them up. The Springfield Food Policy Council will work on some of the initiatives that they have been trying to do with breakfast in the classroom and also working with Sodexo on working with local farms for fruits and vegetables."

Fadus said a manager will oversee the initiative, whose first year begins July 1, and there will be national evaluations. She said there will also be opportunities to meet with the other communities funded by the Trinity grant to share experiences.

"Also tied into this," Fadus said, "is $40 million of capital loans, low interest and no interest loans, that will be available through Trinity. There is an effort to put a grocery store in Mason Square. It could be used for that, or to enter into a conversation with Sodexo to help them utilize the fresh fruits of the valley. There is someone who has a greenhouse that will be hiring low-income workers. They could use some of that capital money. Those are just the three who have already said they would be interested in it."

Fadus said there is possibility of a large media campaign with Partnership with Healthier America to promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Fadus cited other similar initiatives in the city including the BUILD Health Challenge in the city's Old Hill area which last year received a planning challenge grant of $75,000. Fadus said that initiative is now moving into a "$100,000 implementation."

Fadus hopes the targeted population of all these initiatives will be "open to the education."

"I would be hoping thatthey are not thinking we are trying to control what people do. We are just making the thought, the suggestion. The (NYT's) article suggested that you could still be in pretty good shape at 40. These lifestyle challenges of smoking and unhealthy eating and activity don't kick in until way after that. I hope they would be willing to listen."

She added that ongoing coalition efforts have ensured "that we are listening to them as well."

"The other part of this is that we have focus groups. We listen to the community. We can talk about healthy eating forever, but if they have to take two buses to a grocery store then we are wasting air," Fadus said.

"We had a focus group in the Brookings School in the Old Hill neighborhood and they talked about safety on the streets in terms of their children walking to school, safe parks, them walking in their neighborhood. . . You have to get to that social determinant. The why. Why don't you have housing, why are you running out of food stamps. It is not just about focusing on what is in front of you which maybe the Cheetos and Coke for breakfast."

"We will," Fadus added, "be learning as we go along."

Northampton police said the only person who was arrested at this year's Extravaganja event threatened to "cut" a man and robbed him while he was waiting in line to buy a hot dog.

NORTHAMPTON -- Police said the only person who was arrested at this year's Extravaganja event threatened to "cut" a man and robbed him while he was waiting in line to buy a hot dog.

Elvis Malave, 27, of 24 Mansfield St., Springfield, was arrested on a charge of armed robbery. He is expected to be arraigned in Northampton District Court Monday, according to Northampton Police Capt. John Cartledge.

Malave did not show a weapon during the altercation, but Cartledge said he implied he had one. Police later found a razor knife in his possession, as well as over $1,500 in cash and several pieces of jewelry he had reportedly taken from the alleged victim. 

Cartledge said that the incident was initially reported to security officers at the Northampton Fairgrounds as a fight in the food court area. Police responded and witnesses pointed out Malave, who was attempting to leave the area.

The man told police that he was waiting in line at a hot dog stand when a man, accompanied by several other people, stood in front of him, demanded money and threatened to "cut" him, gesturing to his waistband or pocket.

The man handed over his watch and cash. Cartledge said the man reported Malave also ripped three gold chains from around his neck in a motion that also caused his shirt to tear.

Cartledge said that other than traffic problems and several medical calls, the event went smoothly.

2016 Extravaganja: Tour the UMass Cannabis Reform Coalition's annual festival and rally (photos, video)

Northampton police and fire departments were at the fairgrounds and used a mobile command unit borrowed from Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to monitor the crowds using video cameras.

The event was held in Northampton for the first time and was the biggest ever with about 12,000 people in attendance.

 

Hundreds of mourners waited outside of St. John's Congregational Church this morning to pay their respects to Ron Brace.

SPRINGFIELD -- Hundreds of mourners waited outside of St. John's Congregational Church this morning to pay their respects to Ron Brace, the former New England Patriots tackle who died in his home in Springfield on April 23.

They huddled under umbrellas as a cold rain coated the city, in a line that stretched around the side of the church. They were there to grieve one of their own; a Springfield native, who excelled on the gridiron, played for the hometown team and died young.

Brace was 29 when he died. The official cause has not been released, but the Boston Globe has reported that he suffered a fatal heart attack. His early death, after a life of football heroics across Massachusetts and community engagement in his home city of Springfield, drew a crowd of mourners to St. John's, where his body is being held for viewing before a funeral service at noon.

Brace will be buried at Oak Grove Cemetery following the service.

Brace attended Burncoat High School in Worcester, where he was All-State in football and track and field. He was a star on the Boston College football team from 2005-2008, and was drafted by the Patriots in 2009.

"It's a tremendous tragedy for our whole community, for the Brace family, for Ron to pass away so early in his life and his career," said state Rep. Ben Swann, who attended the viewing.

Outside the church, a young boy in a Ron Brace jersey sobbed quietly, and was embraced by a man in an army uniform. Inside the sanctuary, mourners -- many also wearing Brace's jersey -- filed past his open casket, flanked by an honor guard and photographs of Brace on the gridiron.

His death shook many across the state, from his former teammates to those who benefitted from his charity work to fans from Springfield who watched a local boy don number 92 for the New England Patriots during his four years in the National Football League.

"Just got a call that God has called one of my brothers home with him. Ron Brace was one of us, he was a goodfella and this definitely hurts," wrote A.J. Brooks, who played with Brace at Boston College, in a Facebook post. "2004 we all came into BC together and we'll always be connected. Prayers go out to the Brace family. Cherish each day God has given you on this earth because you never know when it's your last. Rest easy big guy."

Brace had deep roots in Western Massachusetts, from the "413" tattooed on his back to his work helping Tammy Golphin, a disabled woman whose home was damaged in the tornado that ravaged Springfield on June 1, 2011.

Golphin told MassLive that Brace spent a day laboring under a hot sun -- mixing concrete, lifting fence posts, repairing her damaged porch -- before posing for photos and discreetly slipping her a $1,000 check to install a lift chair in her home.

"It was past a miracle," Golphin said.

MassLive reporter Kevin Duffy contributed to this story.

The three men are expected to be arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court Monday.

AMHERST - Police arrested three men on drunk driving over the weekend, two of which were involved in crashes.   

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, police arrested Mathew D. Burns, 53, of Stafford Springs, Connecticut on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, second offense, and operating a motor vehicle to endanger after allegedly crashing his 2015 Toyota Prius into another car on South Pleasant and Amity streets.

Just before the crash, a caller reported observing a Prius weaving all over the road before turning onto South Pleasant Street.

No one was injured in the collision, police said.

At 1:32 a.m. Monday, police arrested Conor P. Doherty, 23, of Woburn for operating under the influence of alcohol, operating a motor vehicle to endanger- negligent and marked lines violations after he allegedly struck a utility pole at 45 S. Pleasant St.

He as not injured and no wires were taken down, according to police.

At 12:09 a.m. Sunday, police arrested Alexander J. Booth, 22, of North Andover for operating under the influence of alcohol, operating a motor vehicle to endanger- negligent and a lights violation after he was stopped on Main and Shumway streets.

All three are expected to be arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

If you got the chance to thank one of your old teachers, what would you say to them?

Your teachers helped you learn your ABC's, multiplication tables and even (almost?) understand Shakespeare. They also helped you tie your shoes and inspired you to chase your dreams.

May 3 is National Teacher Appreciation Day -- a day set aside to thank those educators who changed our lives. Who do you want to thank?

Tawanda Brown: While I certainly appreciated the teachers that I had, I would like to thank all the teachers of today's children, it's a different world than when I was in school and I believe they have a tough job teaching today's children to be tomorrow's leaders

Vanessa Cee: Thank you, Mr. Bernie Frye, who taught at Deberry Elementary School for making it okay for me to be a good reader! You made me feel comfortable with my love of reading when everyone around me tried to make me feel wrong for loving to read. Thank you, I will never forget you!

Samantha Howe: Mrs. Natario in 5th grade. Best teacher I ever had. Inspired me in a lot of ways. She was more than just a teacher

Bill Duncan: Mrs. Dolores Duncan, affectionally known as "Mrs. D" Glenwood school Springfield, MA. A teacher who continued her beloved chosen profession with exceptional proficiency & determination. She was able to do so even through a dire health circumstance because of her love of teaching & enriching each of her students.

@masslivenews thank you for teaching me how to read write & do math. For having patience, discipline & dedication

-- Delia M (@delincita46) May 2, 2016

Give a shout out to your favorite teacher below.

The color used in this fun run is made of corn starch and is non-toxic. The color should easily wash out of clothes, but participants are encouraged to wear clothes that they are not worried about getting stained.

SPRINGFIELD — In an attempt to raise money for the school and get kids and their parents involved in physical activity, STEM Middle Academy in Springfield is hosting a 5K Color Run/Walk.

"We are really excited and so are the students," said Ruth Mahoney, a nurse at the school and one of the organizers of the second annual walk.

The 5K Run/Walk idea came from former science teacher Jan Kibbe, Mahoney said.

"Jan was a teacher in the Springfield public schools for over 20 years, and she was committed to teaching all things STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) to her students," she said.

Kibbe started the run/walk in an effort to raise money for purchasing items for after school activities and provide incentives for students who demonstrated leadership. Last year there was a lot of adult participation, but not so much student participation.

"We really wanted to get the kids involved this year and we thought this would be a way to do it," Mahoney said.

Teachers enlisted 10 student representatives who have been attending meetings, helping to reach out to local business for support and promoting the event with their classmates.

"The student ambassadors have been true leaders and have brought great ideas to the table. They were chosen to be ambassadors because of their enthusiasm, their commitment to their own learning at STEM and their ability to be leaders," Mahoney said.

Students, parents, teachers and community members are all encouraged to participate.

"We are hoping that families come to celebrate community, all things learning and the importance of being physically active. Our hope is that this event will inspire our families and community to equate being active and having fun," Mahoney said.

The event will be held May 14, rain or shine. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the run/walk will begin at 10 a.m. The cost is $5 per student, $10 for adults and $20 per family of 6.

The color used in the fun run is made of corn starch and is non-toxic. The color should easily wash out of clothes, but participants are encouraged to wear clothes that they are not worried about getting stained. Some participants may want to wear sunglasses or bandanas to protect their eyes and lungs.

The run/walk will kick-off from STEM Middle Academy, located at 60 Alton St. in the Pine Point neighborhood.

"We will begin in our parking lot, travel through our neighborhood on sidewalks and through parkland which is close to our school. We will even be running through our outdoor classroom which was inspired by Ms. Kibbe and several teachers here at STEM," Mahoney said.

To register visit Eventbrite or pay on the day of the race.

The mother, who had been traveling north on the highway in Norwell, called Massachusetts State Police from her car and reported that she was having contractions that were two minutes apart.

A baby boy was born along side Route 3 in Plymouth County Monday night, according to news reports.

The mother, who had been traveling north on the highway in Norwell, called Massachusetts State Police from her car and reported that she was having contractions that were two minutes apart, NECN said.

Laura Newberry | laura.newberry@masslive.com 

Troopers helped deliver the baby, who was born at around 9:30 p.m., reports said. The infant had begun to crown when Hanover EMS and Norwell firefighters arrived.

The woman's husband was with her in the car, according to Wicked Local. The vehicle was parked off to the side of the expressway between exits 12 and 13.

The mother and baby were taken to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth.

State Police did not provide the name of the baby Monday morning.

To thank them for their hard work in the classroom, several companies are giving away free items to teachers to show their appreciation.

SPRINGFIELD -- To thank them for their hard work in the classroom, several companies are giving away free items to teachers to show their appreciation.

Tuesday, May 3 is National Teacher Appreciation Day. In honor of the day, Chipotle is offering teachers, faculty and school staff a buy-one-get-one-free deal on burritos, burritos bowls, salads and tacos at any location from 3 p.m. to close. Customers must show a school ID to get the deal.

"Teachers are constantly working to cultivate a better world in the classroom and the same goes for our company," Chipotle communications director Chris Arnold said in a statement. "Teachers help shape the young minds of their students, planting the seeds of knowledge that will grow forever, and that is something we are happy to recognize and celebrate."

Select Chick-fil-A locations will give away a free chicken sandwich to school staff on Tuesday. Valid ID is required.

Active and retired teachers can receive a free gold coin from Big Y on Tuesday. "Just tell the cashier that you are a teacher and use your Express Savings Club or Silver Savings Club Card," the company said on its Facebook page.

World of Beer has offered to buy all teachers a drink on Tuesday. A free draught pint of Sam Adams Nitro White or Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider will be given to educators with ID. The company said in a statement, "We appreciate everything that you do!"