The fire that caused an estimated $60,000 in damage to a Kopernick Street home Wednesday morning was caused by careless disposal of smoking materials, according to spokesman Dennis Leger. Watch video

This updates a story posted at 8 a.m. from the fire scene.

____________

SPRINGFIELD -- The fire that caused an estimated $60,000 in damage to an Indian Orchard home Wednesday morning was caused by careless disposal of smoking materials, according to spokesman Dennis Leger.

The fire started on the second-floor porch of the multifamily home at 25-27 Kopernick St., according to Leger, aide to Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

The porch was engulfed when firefighters arrived around 7:15 a.m. and its roof fell on a firefighter. Leger said the firefighter was "shaken up" but not injured.

The home's five occupants also escaped unharmed.

The damage was mostly on the house's second floor and attic in the front. 

 

In addition to the new charges, Bacon is on probation in Hampden Superior Court in a heroin and cocaine possession case from 2015 and in Holyoke District Court in a cocaine possession case from 2014, the prosecutor said.

SPRINGFIELD — Following his arrest for allegedly selling four packets of "Back on Top" heroin to an undercover police officer, Noel Bacon was back on the docket at Springfield District Court this week.

Bacon, 35, of Hampden, pleaded not guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute and two counts of heroin distribution during his arraignment Monday.

On April 29, he was arrested outside the Peter Pan bus terminal on Main Street after agreeing to sell four packets of heroin with the "Back on Top" logo for $20 to an undercover Springfield police officer, Assistant District Attorney Jill O'Connor said.

"They're the best," Bacon told the officer, according to O'Connor.

After making the sale, Bacon and the officer exchanged telephone numbers for future use, O'Connor said. Narcotics detectives arrested him a few minutes later, after Bacon had sold a single packet of heroin to another customer outside the bus station, she said.

In addition to the new charges, Bacon is on probation in Hampden Superior Court on heroin and cocaine possession charges from 2015 and in Holyoke District Court for cocaine possession charges from 2014, O'Connor said.

"He has a record of drug dependency and drug distribution," the prosecutor said.

Defense lawyer Dennis Powers requested that his client be released without bail, saying he is unemployed and could not afford $10,000 cash.

Bacon is scheduled to start a new job on Friday, the lawyer said.

Judge William Boyle ordered Bacon held on $10,000 and scheduled a pretrial hearing for May 24.

The Police Department tries to schedule a Coffee with a Cop once a month.

CHICOPEE - The Chicopee Police Department will meet informally with residents from 8 to 11 a.m., May 21 at the Chick-fil-A on 501 Memorial Drive.

As part of community outreach efforts, local police try to hold a Coffee with a Cop every month at a local restaurant, said Michael Walk, public information officer for the Police Department.

All residents are invited to stop in to meet local officers, air concerns and ask questions. In past sessions, school resource officers, members of the police dive team and other special policing units have attended the event.

With his presidential dreams resting solely on an unlikely contested Republican convention, John Kasich is reportedly expected to end his White House run Wednesday.

With his presidential dreams resting solely on an unlikely contested Republican convention, John Kasich is reportedly expected to end his White House run Wednesday.

The Ohio governor, who canceled a news conference in Virginia, will deliver an evening statement at a to-be-determined location in his state's capital, his campaign announced early Wednesday.

A senior campaign adviser reportedly told NBC News that Kasich will suspend his presidential campaign during the Columbus, Ohio announcement.

The Ohio event comes just one day after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, dropped out of the presidential race after losing Indiana's primary election to GOP front-runner Donald Trump.

Kasich, who formed a partnership with Cruz to block Trump from winning the Republican Party's nomination outright, vowed to stay in the contest in a Tuesday evening statement issued by his campaign.

"Tonight's results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich's campaign plans. Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention...Gov. Kasich will remain in the race unless a candidate reaches 1,237 bound delegates before the convention," John Weaver, his chief strategist said in an email to supporters.

Hours later, Weaver issued a statement saying Kasich "will fight for the higher path" as long as it remains possible.

"Gov. Kasich will continue to campaign and offer the voters a clear choice for our country," he said.

Kasich's campaign, meanwhile, on Wednesday released an ad parodying "Star Wars" painting the Ohio governor as "our only hope."

Our Only Hope#MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDayhttps://t.co/Bi2qNGw2oM

— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) May 4, 2016

The campaign did not respond to requests for comment on reports that the governor will end his presidential run.

Kasich has received just 153 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the Republican Party's nomination -- trailing far behind Trump, who has won more than 1,000.

The business has outgrown its 90 King St. location, which it has been at for 11 years, said Northampton Running Co. manager Jeff Hansen. Hansen said the store is doing well, and that sales are increasing. But the current store is easy to miss on a street that has little independent retail.

NORTHAMPTON -- Northampton Running Co., the only store in the city that focuses primarily on running apparel, will soon move to a larger space downtown.

The business has outgrown its 90 King St. location, which it has been at for 11 years, said Northampton Running Co. manager Jeff Hansen.

Hansen said the store is doing well, and that sales are increasing. But the current store is easy to miss on a street that has little independent retail.

"The biggest thing is the lack of visibility," Hansen said. "People are constantly going by the store and calling and saying, 'Where are you?'"

The new space at 28 Pleasant St. is about 25 percent larger and is in an area with much more foot traffic, Hansen said.

Northampton Running Co.'s current storefront at 90 King St.Laura Newberry 

Chris Dickerson opened Northampton Running Co. in 2005. He opened his first store, Woodbridge Running Co., in that town 17 years ago. He also owns a store in Brookfield, Connecticut.

The company sells running, track and trail shoes, as well as socks and clothing. It also outfits local high school and college sports teams.

The business has already begun moving, and expects to be fully operational in the Pleasant St. storefront by June 1.

Now that Northampton Running Co. is moving downtown, Hansen said, he'd like to expand the store's hours. The latest it stays open now is 7 p.m.

"People still in town having dinner later at night could come on in," he said. "If people want to stop by, we'll have someone working."

The Department of Health and Human Services is considering if the smoking permit for Smokey Joe's Cigar Lounge should be terminated after this year, due to complaints by residents who live in the upstairs condominiums.

SPRINGFIELD - The city's Health Department is considering if it should terminate a smoking permit for the Smokey Joe's Cigar Lounge on Chestnut Street at the end of this year due to complaints about second-hand smoke that allegedly affects residents in the upstairs condominiums.

The city's Department of Health and Human Services conducted a hearing on Monday and the hearing was continued to a future date, not yet scheduled, to discuss the potential public health impacts of the cigar lounge, officials said. The cigar lounge in downtown Springfield is located on the ground floor of the McIntosh Condominiums building and has a permit from the city to sell cigars to the public and to provide cigars for smoking in the lounge by private club members and their guests.

The Health Department hearing is being conducted "to determine if there is a basis not to renew your permit in 2017, based on the potential harmful effects of Second Hand Smoke (SHS)," said Helen R. Caulton-Harris, the city's commissioner of health and human services.

On Feb. 8, various city departments visited the McIntosh building, as requested by the condominium association, Caulton-Harris said in a hearing notification letter to Smokey Joe's owner Joseph Hendrix.

"During our visit, there was the prevalence of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) or Second Hand Smoke (SHS)," Caulton-Harris wrote. ""The American Cancer Society reports that 'second hand smoke has the same harmful chemicals that smokers inhale; there is no safe level of exposure for second hand smoke."

Thus, Caulton-Harris said she had a duty "to explore the potential harmful effects to the residents of the McIntosh Building and explore their options," she said.

The current permit is set to expire Dec. 31, 2016.

In January, the owners of Smokey Joe's Cigar Lounge were denied a liquor license by the License Commission when the motion to grant the license to sell alcohol failed in a 2-2 tie vote. A majority vote was needed to approve the license.

The business sells cigars to the general public, but has a private membership for its smoking lounge, including lockers. At the License Commission hearing, more than 20 people including numerous lounge members, spoke in favor of the liquor license.

The liquor license was opposed by some condominium owners and the Armoury Quadrangle Civic Association.

Kathleen T. Breck, deputy city solicitor, served as hearing officer at the Health Department hearing on Monday. After the hearing and a review are completed, Breck said she will forward her recommendation on the permit renewal to Caulton-Harris, who oversees permit approvals.

Those who testified at Monday's hearing included representatives of Smokey Joe's, and the McIntosh Condominium Association, and the Armoury Quadrangle Civic Association, Breck said.

The next hearing date is to consider an environmental report that was offered by the condominium association, she said.

Breck said she cannot comment on the permit issue pending the completion of the hearing and a follow-up review and her report to Caulton-Harris.

Prosecutor says Jorge Rodiguez-Nieves murdered Angel David Morales in Holyoke with premeditation and extreme atrocity and cruelty Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - It was defense lawyer Alan J. Black's chance to argue for his client's acquittal in a Holyoke murder case.

Black, representing Jorge Rodriguez-Nieves, told Hampden Superior Court jurors in his closing argument Wednesday morning they should focus on inconsistencies in statements of people who testified about what they saw the morning Angel David Morales was fatally stabbed.

The jury heard closing arguments and lengthy instructions from the judge before beginning deliberations at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday in the murder case against Jorge Rodriguez-Nieves. A total of 21 people testified including police, forensic scientists, a medical examiner and civilian witnesses.

Black said most of the civilian witnesses testified on the stand at the trial before Judge John J. Ferrara to things they never told police when giving statements after the killing.

Black said Maria Pimental Rosa, the defendant's wife, never told police he admitted he stabbed Morales. She testified on the stand she did not tell police at the time because she didn't want to harm her husband.

Rodriguez-Nieves, 42, of Holyoke, is on trial for murder in the fatal stabbing of Morales, 33, near Elm and Appleton streets in Holyoke at about 11:15 a.m. on July 13, 2014.

Morales was stabbed in the neck, cutting major arteries and his windpipe.

Testimony from a number of witnesses at the trial has been that the defendant had heard a rumor that Morales was saying Rodriguez-Nieves was spending time with a woman other than his wife.

Assistant District Attorney Henry Rigali told jurors not to focus on inconsistencies.

He said initial witness interviews were done by police shortly after the witnesses had seen their relative die and they were distraught.

Rigali said there is no reasonable doubt Rodriguez-Nieves stabbed Morales.

He argued that Rodriguez-Nieves killed Morales with premeditation and extreme atrocity or cruelty, two theories that support a first degree murder conviction.

Rigali said Rodriguez-Nieves used "a mean looking instrument" and plunged it five inches into Morales' neck.

Black showed jurors a knife that the ambulance driver who responded that day found on the victim.

Rigali said jurors should not consider that knife since there was no evidence Morales ever took the knife out of his pants that day.

Families toured Up Academy schools in Lawrence to get an idea of what Kennedy Middle School will be like when the takeover occurs.

SPRINGFIELD -- Alejandra Rivera, 12, plans to be the president of the United States one day.

"Or maybe a judge," said the sixth grader at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Springfield.

Recently Alejandra's mother, Jacqueline Rosario, joined several other parents to visit an UP Academy school in Lawrence. The school is managed by the UP Education Network, which is set to take over the under-performing Kennedy Middle School in the fall.

In January the Springfield Empowerment Zone board selected John F. Kennedy Middle School for additional support from the UP Education Network.

In an effort to educate parents about the new system, several tours have been scheduled to successful UP schools in Massachusetts.

"While our school teams do their best to paint a picture of what it will be like to be at an UP Academy school through video footage, images, and personal narratives, we think it is best when families can experience one of our schools for themselves," said Victoria P. Criado, chief public affairs officer for the UP Education Network. "The purpose of our school visits is to give families the opportunity to see what the school that their student will be attending will look and feel like."

During the visits, families were able to observe classes, hear testimonials and ask questions of a teacher and student panel. Nine families have already toured the schools and another group will visit May 24.

"I found it to be very informative and I was thrilled to see how well the schools are doing," Rosario said.

Kennedy is currently ranked in the 2nd percentile of schools in the state. Attendance for students is down at Kennedy and MCAS scores remain low in math and English language arts, officials said.

"I want the best for my daughter. I want her to have teachers that can focus on teaching and not dealing with disciplinary issues," Rosario said. "I loved observing a class and seeing how much the students enjoy going to school."

Alejandra said that while she likes her teachers and her classes, sometimes it can be hard to learn.

"If there are kids being bad in class the teacher has to pay attention to them instead of teaching the class," she said.

UP Education Network officials are preparing for the next school year.

"We have been working closely with the current staff at the Kennedy to identify individuals that are interested in continuing at the school during fall 2016 and ensuring that these individuals and UP feel that there is a mutual fit in terms of the changes that will take place at the school," Criado said.

They are also recruiting and hiring staff with diverse backgrounds and diversity of experience, with a special focus on educators in Western Massachusetts, she added.

Families have been notified of the upcoming changes through various methods, from personal phone calls, backpack and traditional mail communication with all current Kennedy families, biweekly information sessions at the school or in the community, and more.

"There have also been targeted home visits to families that have been unable to attend an information session, families who we have been unable to reach in general, and/or families with a desire to have additional conversations about their student or programming at the schools. These visits will continue throughout the summer," Criado added.

During the summer, UP Academy will also host formal family orientation days in order for families to meet their students' teachers and administrators, as well as to ask questions and share ideas.

For students, the first two weeks of school are student orientation.

"We know that UP Academy will mean quite a bit of change in terms of routines, expectations, and generally getting to know some new staff. We believe that students and teachers need some time to acclimate to these changes and our student orientation provides an opportunity to do so," she said.

Criado said the main goal at this point is to make teachers, families and students feel safe and supported in the new school.

"We want students and families to understand our commitment to creating a school that is safe, inclusive and conducive to learning, and where staff and students are given the supports and tools they will need to ensure that they are achieving at high academic levels," she said.

The morning after a water main break flooded Main Street, work continued at the site of the large sinkhole and Tower Square and the Marriott Hotel remained closed. Watch video

UPDATE: Eversource announced that power had been restored to Tower Square as of 10 a.m.

_______________

SPRINGFIELD - The morning after a water main break flooded Main Street, work continued at the site of the large sinkhole and Tower Square and the Marriott Hotel remained closed.

The power was off in the building, illuminated only by emergency lighting, and an employee of Tower Square said that the building's basement had water in it as a result of the break.

Main Street and several side streets near the sinkhole are expected to remain closed Thursday. Main Street is closed from Boland Way to Worthington Street, Bridge Street is closed from East Columbus Avenue to Dwight Street, and Bridge Street is closed at Stearns Square.

The water main break around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday sent a small geyser of water up in the middle of the street and then continued pumping enough water to flood the street while the pavement crumbled into the growing hole.

Watch videos of Wednesday's water main break flooding downtown Springfield

Workers from the Department of Public Works and Clean Harbors Environmental Services worked around the sinkhole. Several large telephone poles had been propped from one side of the sinkhole to the other. Inside, brick walls and old pipes were visible.

As people came downtown to start their workdays, many stopped to take photos of the crater in the road. Thick mud still covered some areas of the sidewalk and wind blew clouds of dirt down the street.

Buildings that had brief power outages Wednesday were all open Thursday, including 1550 Main St., The Dennis Group building and the TD Bank building.

Tower Square and the Marriott were not so lucky. There were reports Wednesday of people being stuck in elevators in the building.

Staff at the Marriott said guests were moved across the street to the Sheraton Hotel when the power went out. 

The water has been turned on again in the building, a receptionist said, but staff have not heard any updates about when the electricity will be restored.

Outside the building near the Boland Way entrance to Cambridge College, a fire alarm sounded continuously from the building.

The parking garages were still open.

 

The recommendation will be brought to the School Committee when it meets on Tuesday at Minnechaug Regional High School.

HAMPDEN — The Middle School Task Force will recommend to the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School Committee that it contract with the New England League of Middle Schools for its recommendation on how to deal with declining enrollment in the school district, particularly in the middle schools.

School Superintendent M. Martin O'Shea recommended spending $5,000 for a study, including a one-day visit to the school district.

The study would include possible configurations besides combining students from Thornton Burgess Middle School in Hampden with Wilbraham Middle School students at the middle school in Wilbraham.

The Task Force and the regional School Committee had recommended closing TWB next year, but pulled the recommendation when it looked like it might not get approval at the Hampden Town Meeting.

The School Committee will consider the recommendation by the Middle School Task Force at its May 10 meeting.

The School Committee has already voted to get some updated enrollment projections from the New England School Development Council.

Middle School Task Force member Susan Bunnell, a member of the Wilbraham Board of Selectmen, said that if a new recommendation is made, there also should be "buy-ins from the select boards in both towns."

O'Shea said it would be possible, as an example, to have a K-8 school, with a program specific to the middle school.

The middle schools will not be merged next fall, but they will be facing program cuts, O'Shea said. He said teachers will be teaching "across grades" and at the current time, the technology/engineering program has been cut at both middle schools.

He said the education will be equitable at both middle schools.

Some parents said they favor combining the two middle schools to ensure that teachers are teaching in their areas of expertise. The parents said they do not want to see a math teacher teaching art, for example.

The members of the Middle School Task Force said they want to see a recommendation brought to a vote at town meetings in both towns next fall.

Newcomer William Low and incumbent Mark Gold will run unopposed for two open seats on Longmeadow's Select Board.

LONGMEADOW — The race for Longmeadow's Select Board election next month won't be competitive one, with two candidates running for two seats.

Select Board incumbent Mark Gold and newcomer William Low were the only two people to take out candidate papers and return them to the Town Clerk's office by the deadline in March, staff at the clerk's office said. The election will be June 14.

Three people, including Gold, Armand Wary and Jessica Hutchins, had pulled papers in February. However, neither Wary nor Hutchins returned the documents with signatures. Low took out and returned his papers in March.

Absent from the election will be current Select Board member Alex Grant, who announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election.

In February, Grant cited anticipated time constraints as a main reason for his decision. He agreed to work as a volunteer coordinator for Longmeadow's spring track team, which will require a time commitment, he said.

"I intend to remain part of the debates about the important issues that are facing Longmeadow and the greater community, such as the casino, gun control, the opioid crisis, universal full day kindergarten, the (Department of Public Works) facility, and all of the other capital projects that are coming up," Grant said in a statement. "I am looking forward to serving out the rest of my term and to returning to my prior status as writer and engaged citizen."

The departure comes after Grant, a federal prosecutor, was elected to his first term in 2013.

While Grant will not run for re-election, three citizens petitions he authored that appear on the Town Meeting warrant next week have garnered widespread attention for their proposed restrictions on guns.

The National Rifle Association recently sent out an email decrying the three articles on Longmeadow's May 10 Town Meeting warrant, which would enact bylaws banning the possession of certain types of firearms within the town and increasing police regulation of all guns.

A Press Conference concerning the Mason Square Health Task Force was held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. It was announced that the Mason Square Health Task Force would become an initiative of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services and would be funded by Baystate Health with support provided by Trinity Health Systems and other community agencies.

SPRINGFIELD-- A Press Conference concerning the Mason Square Health Task Force was held Wednesday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.

It was announced that the Mason Square Health Task Force would become an initiative of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services and would be funded by Baystate Health with support provided by Trinity Health Systems and other community agencies.

Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Executive Director Ronn Johnson emphasized that the Mason Square Health Task Force has been a critical resource for the community, and Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services would continue that history and build on this foundation to insure the continued work toward improving the well-being of the community and its residents.

Johnson added that the Mason Square Health Task Force would now provide an an array of services to the over 400 people that stop by the community center regularly to participate in their Food Pantry Program.

Samantha Hamilton, the director of Public Health Initiatives for Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, explained how the Task Force would direct its efforts. She explained that there would be four "pillars" that the Mason Square Health Task Force would focus its efforts on:

1.Focusing on the quality of life that includes bringing attention to environmental conditions in our community that prevents healthy behaviors such as exercise, community mobility, and socialization.

2.Engaging our youth between the ages of 14 and 18 as peer health advocates to develop a tobacco resistance campaign.

3.Developing partnerships that are critical to maximizing the impact of the work of the Mason Square Health Task Force will be an intentional focus of our community outreach efforts.

4. Supporting the needs of our community that cannot be accomplished without direct input from our neighbors places community engagement at the forefront of the work that lies ahead.

Several speakers discussed how their respective organizations would support the work of the Mason Square Health task Force. Frank Robinson, Baystate Health's vice president for Public Health and Community Relations, discussed how Baystate Health would maintain a financial commitment to the Mason Square Health Task Force, and how a decision was made to return the operation of the task force to Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services.

Springfield Commissioner of Health and Human Services Helen Caulton Harris commented that behavioral change was important to accomplish the four "Pillars" discussed earlier, and that community members needed to support each other.

Doreen Fadus expressed that leadership in her organization Trinity Health Systems was able to provide some additional grant funding and was impressed with the work that the Mason Square Health Task Force had already accomplished.

Tracey Thomas, Director of the Active Older Adults Program of the Dunbar Y Family & Community Center brought participants of her exercise program at the Dunbar Y Family and Community Center, and directed a demonstration that the "Dunbar Divas" participated in.

The press conference concluded with words from Reverend J.P. Morgan Jr.

Everyone age 16 and older who stays to complete the training will be able to become trained National Weather Service weather spotters. Amateur radio operators, emergency managers, police, fire and other first responders are encouraged to attend.

WILBRAHAM — The National Weather Service in Taunton will sponsor a severe weather spotter training session, part of its SKYWARN program, in Wilbraham on May 11.

The class will be at the Wilbraham Fire Headquarters, 2770 Boston Road, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The session is open to the public at no charge.

Amateur radio operators, emergency managers, police, fire and other first responders are encouraged to attend. Everyone age 16 and older who stays to complete the training will be able to become trained National Weather Service weather spotters.

The training session will include a two-and-a-half-hour computer-based presentation that discusses the development of thunderstorms, the criteria for "severe" thunderstorms, as well as the cloud features associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Additional information will be presented about winter storms and proper snow measurement and reporting of coastal, river, stream and urban flooding and rainfall measurements.

The session will also present the procedure for reporting weather information to the National Weather Service.

Safety procedures for the various forms of severe summer weather (severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and lightning), winter storms, hurricanes and flooding also will be covered.

Anyone attending should bring a pen or pencil.

Registration is required. To register, contact Rob Macedo, amateur radio call sign KDICY at rmacedo@rcn.com.

Visitation to the armory was up 6 percent in 2015.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau has chosen the Springfield Armory National Historic Site as the winner of its 2016 Spotlight Award, part of the Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence.

The award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made a significant positive contribution to the tourism industry in Western Massachusetts, according to a news release.

The bureau will present the award to Springfield Armory Superintendent James Woolsey May 16 at the annual Howdy Awards Gala Dinner at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke.

The  Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau will also recognize many front-line hospitality workers for their efforts promoting area tourism at that same event. For ticket information contact, Michele Goldberg at 413-755-1344 or michele@valleyvisitor.com.

Michael E. Hurwitz, chairman of the GSCVB board of directors, said:

"Historically, the Springfield Armory was vitally important to the city of Springfield. The armory attracted skilled workers for many decades, helping our region to grow economically. Today, it remains a visitor attraction of national importance, and most fittingly in 2016, the year that marks the centennial of the National Parks Service, we're proud to recognize the armory's distinctive position as Western Massachusetts' only National Park site.

"Though arms manufacturing ceased at the Springfield facility in 1968, the Springfield Armory National Historic Site still serves an important historical role. The Benton Small Arms Collection, one of the world's largest historic firearm collections, which, along with historic structures and landscapes, form the core of the cultural and natural resources preserved and interpreted for public benefit.

"In 2015, visitation at the armory was up 6 percent. We're fortunate to count an attraction with that kind of appeal among our many attributes in the region."

The visitors bureau, an affiliate of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, is a private nonprofit destination marketing organization dedicated to promoting the Pioneer Valley for meetings and conventions, group tours, sports and leisure travel.

The Food and Drug administration has issued a series of regulations on non-cigarette nicotine products, including banning the sale of e-cigarettes to people under 18 years old.

The Food and Drug administration has issued a series of regulations on non-cigarette nicotine products, including banning the sale of e-cigarettes to people under 18 years old and requiring that newer products undergo federal evaluation.

The Washington Post reports that the rules will go into effect in 90 days and were subject to heavy lobbying by both the electronic cigarette industry and tobacco control advocates.

In addition to banning their sale to minors, retailers will be prohibited from giving away free samples, and products introduced after 2007 will be subject to regulatory scrutiny of their ingredients, design and health risks, the Post reported.

The move was cheered by Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who has been an advocate for tighter federal restrictions on the availability of e-cigarettes.

"We've made great strides educating the American public, especially children and teens, about the dangers of smoking. We cannot allow e-cigarettes to snuff out the progress we've made preventing nicotine addiction and its deadly consequences," Markey said in a press release. "E-cigarettes are a gateway to tobacco use by children and teens and should not be sold and marketed to youth, period. I thank the FDA for taking this important action to help protect the health and well-being of the American public."

The regulations also apply to cigars, hookahs and pipe tobacco, which have traditionally escaped the strict rules set for the conventional cigarette industry, the Post reported.

The federal rules come less than a year after Massachusetts lawmakers passed a bill banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and requiring that the liquid used to fill them be shipped in child-proof containers, according to the Associated Press.

And locally, the Springfield Housing Authority banned their use in public housing 14 months ago.

E-cigarettes, which work by heating and vaporizing a flavored liquid that often includes nicotine, have spiked in popularity in recent years and drawn both criticism and praise for their potential public health impact. 

The UK's Royal College of Physicians released a report last week endorsing their use as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, as the Wall Street Journal Reporters. But other researchers have questioned whether the new technology could cause serious harm, including a Harvard study last year that found chemicals linked to respiratory disease in e-cigarette liquids.

The FDA issued its regulations under the authority of a 2009 law that gave the agency authority over both cigarettes and other tobacco products, according to the Post.

The election is on May 16. Voting is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at East Meadow School, 393 East State St.

 

GRANBY -- With incumbent selectman Mary McDowell not seeking re-election, three people are competing for the seat.

They are: Wayne Henry Tack Sr. of 344 Miller St., Glen N. Sexton of 53 Amherst St. and Stephen Anthony Chojnacki of 26 Taylor St. The winner will be elected to a three-year term.

Jay J. Joyce of 18 Jennifer Drive and R. Shawn Shepard of 186 West St. are both seeking a five-year term on the planning board.

The following incumbents are running unopposed: Micheline Turgeon of 144 New Ludlow Road, board of health; James J. Pietras of 280 East State St., school committee; Katherine A. Kelly-Regan of 124 West St., town clerk; and William D. Porter III, assessor.

The election is on May 16. Voting is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at East Meadow School, 393 East State St.

The 12-inch cast-iron pipe was installed under Main Street in 1911. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - The underground pipe that burst Wednesday afternoon, flooding downtown, creating a massive sinkhole at Bridge and Main and knocking out power to Tower Square, had been in service for more than a century, according to the city Water and Sewer Commission.

The cast-iron pipe was put in service in 1911, 105 years ago, said Joyce Mulvaney, commission spokeswoman. Officials originally believed it was a 16-inch pipe that let go but once they removed the water from the hole and were able to inspect it, they found it was a 12-inch line, she said.

The rupture caused the release of several hundred thousands of gallons of water that eroded the soil underneath the road and caused the street to collapse.

Water department crews are working to replace the pipe, but it will likely be a few days before the work is completed to repair all resulting infrastructure damage from the pipe letting go.

A 1910 photo of Main Street near the Steiger's Department Store building. One year later, a 12-inch cast iron water main was installed under Main Street. That is the pipe that ruptured Wednesday, flooding Main Street and bringing the city's commercial center to a stand still. The photo is from the book " "Views and Facts of Springfield, Massachusetts, The Magnet City," published in 1910.Republican file photo 

Workers from the Water and Sewer Department and Springfield Department of Public Works are on scene. There are also technicians with different utility companies on scene checking to see if the water damaged any infrastructure.

Work to repair the road cannot begin until all underground work is completed, she said.

Although water service has been restored in the surrounding area, Main Street remains blocked off between Worthington Street and Boland Way, and Bridge Street is blocked off between East Columbus and Dwight Street.

Power was restored to Tower Square at about 10 a.m., according to Eversource Energy spokeswoman Priscilla Ress.

She said Eversource crews, engineers and support personnel have worked overnight to repair the underground equipment that feeds electricity to Tower Square. The system was damaged during the downtown Springfield water main break and subsequent flooding yesterday afternoon.

The vigil is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Main Street park.

AMHERST - A vigil for an 18-year-old immigrant and worker at a downtown restaurant who reportedly killed himself last month will be held Thursday evening in Sweetser Park.

Rinzin Namgyal, an undocumented Tibetan immigrant, was found dead of an apparent suicide in an apartment above Amherst Chinese Food -- the 60 Main St. restaurant where he worked -- on April 24, according to a Facebook post announcing the vigil.

The vigil, organized by the Northampton-based Pioneer Valley Workers Center, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Main Street park. 

The post announcing the vigil claims Namgyal's suicide came in the midst of difficult working conditions at the restaurant. The event calls for "Justice for Rinzin" and a stop to "workplace harassment and exploitation."

Namgyal began working at the restaurant last summer and then again in April, according to organizers.

In an interview with the Daily Hampshire Gazette this week, restaurant manager Cathy Wei denied any mistreatment of workers and said employees are "treated like family." She added: "This is very hard."

Wei could not be reached for further comment Wednesday. 

Rose Bookbinder, coordinator for the Workers Center, said she could not say with certainty that Namgyal killed himself because of his treatment on the job.

A former co-worker who wrote a poetic, unsigned email about Namgyal's life that alluded to the alleged harassment he experienced also told the Gazette she did not know how much of a role his work experience played in his death.

By late Thursday morning, according to the Facebook event page, over 150 people had expressed intentions to attend the vigil. 

There were no races on the ballot, and only 91 people voted in Monday's town election, Town Clerk Eva Wiseman said. Wiseman was the highest votegetter.

HAMPDEN - With no races on Monday's town election ballot, voter turnout was only 2.5 percent, Town Clerk Eva Wiseman said.

Voter turnout was 91 of 3,763 registered voters.

Wiseman was the top vote getter in the election, receiving 88 votes.

Town Treasurer Richard Patullo received 85 votes, Assessor Stanley Witkop received 82 votes and Constable Arthur Booth received 79 votes. Town Moderator Robert Howarth also received 79 votes.

Selectman Vincent Villamaino received 73 votes.

The fundraiser will raise money for the Open Pantry Community Services, Inc. emergency food pantry located in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Celebrity impersonators portraying the late Maya Angelou, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Cher, Tina Turner and Madonna and will belt out musical tunes and entertain the crowd during the Open Pantry's annual fundraiser next month.

"It's going to be a fun show for a good cause," said Tony Isham, also known as Camilla, of "Camilla's Extravaganza," a group of male and female entertainers who perform at functions across the Pioneer Valley.

"I started this 18 years ago as a way to show the diversity of the gay community, and I have been organizing shows ever since," Isham said.

The fundraiser will raise money for the Open Pantry Community Services, Inc., an emergency food pantry in Springfield.

"It promises to bring smiles, laughter and much-needed funds to the non-profit organization that improves the quality of lives by providing meaningful services, which can assist people who are hungry, homeless or disadvantaged," organizers said.

According to its website the emergency food pantry has been providing non-perishable groceries for people in need since 1975. Both individuals and families in the Springfield area come to the pantry on an emergency basis.

From July 2014 to June 2015, the staff performed 13,845 service visits, which in turn provided non-perishable food to 35,871 people, nearly half of whom were children. Families comprise 48 percent of the people served, and nearly 50 percent of all the food distributed is for children.

The event will be held June 3 at Chez Josef in Agawam. Cocktails and hors d'ouevres will be available at 7 p.m. The show begins at 8 p.m., and there will be a silent auction and raffles. Tickets are $45 for individuals, $400 for a reserved table of 10 or $500 for a VIP table that includes sangria and chocolate-covered fruit.

Agawam- A performer at the 2015 "Camilla's Extravaganza," to benefit the Open Pantry.Submitted photo 

Isham said there will be male and female performers all impersonating celebrity women.

"I have performers from Boston, New York and some local as well," he said. Celebrities who will be impersonated include Sarah Palin, Dolly Parton and even Monica Lewinsky.

"There will be a big opening number with the entire cast as well as a closing number where the entertainers will transform into Barbie dolls," Isham said. "The costumes are spectacular and the show is a lot of fun."

Isham said the show has been done to benefit various organizations, but for the past six years funds from the performance have gone to the Open Pantry.

"I always ask the performers what they want to donate the money to and they have said they want to give money to an organization that feeds and helps the homeless and the hungry, so this works out very well for us," he said.

For more information on ticket sales, contact Lynne Goldberg at (413) 530-8453 or Kim Kennedy at (413) 746-6241 or email kkennedy@openpantry.org.