Anyone who recognizes the individual shown in these hotel surveillance photos images is asked to call the West Springfield Police Department Detective Bureau at 413-263-3210.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Police here are asking the public to help identify a suspect in a larceny reported around 5:30 a.m. Friday, June 10, at Candlewood Suites at 572 Riverdale St.

Authorities did not specify what was taken during the incident, but anyone who recognizes the individual shown in these hotel surveillance photos is asked to call the West Springfield Police Department Detective Bureau at 413-263-3210. The case incident number is 16-8691-OF.

The suspect, whose face is not shown in the images, appears to be wearing a black Laconia Bike Week hoodie, bluejeans and dark shoes as he or she leans over the reception counter.

MAP showing approximate location of larceny:

Holyoke City Council President Kevin Jourdain warned colleagues that incoming city auditor Harry Chadwick was hired and about to begin working for the city under the belief his salary would be $75,000, but the council cut it by $4,000 anyway on Monday, June 13, 2016 at City Hall.

HOLYOKE -- Incoming city auditor Harry Chadwick came to City Hall Monday under the belief his yearly salary when he begins the job next month would be $75,000, but then the knives came out.

The City Council voted 8-7 to cut the salary by $4,000.

That came after the Council narrowly defeated, also by an 8-7 vote, a proposal to cut the salary even more, all the way down to the current fiscal-year salary level of $69,536.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain and other councilors said Chadwick was coming into the job with the understanding the salary would be $75,000.

Auditor is an appointment of the City Council and apparently does not include a contract specifying items like start date and salary. Jourdain said that the advertisement for the job didn't specify the salary but said the pay would be commensurate with experience and that he negotiated the $75,000 salary for Chadwick.

Councilor at Large Daniel B. Bresnahan made the original motion to cut down to the current fiscal-year's salary. He argued such a cut made sense because otherwise, Chadwick as an incoming employee would be taking on a city job the pay for which would be increasing by $5,000 though he had yet to begin working for the city.

After Bresnahan's proposed cut failed, Councilor at Large Michael J. Sullivan proposed that the salary be cut $4,000, to $71,000 from the $75,000 listed in the budget book. That's the cut that the council approved.

Bresnahan and other councilors emphasized the issue was about the need to cut in all places and not directed at Chadwick, whose hiring was approved by the City Council April 25.

"Who's heard of a job like that where before you even start you get a $5,000 raise right out of the gate?" Bresnahan said.

Chadwick, seated in the audience, declined to comment.

"I have nothing to say right now," Chadwick said.

Jourdain told councilors before the vote that Chadwick at $75,000 was taking a hefty pay cut from his previous job. Chadwick was chief auditor with the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) and has 26 years experience in government, a track record that led councilors to appoint him.

"I'm the one that asked that (the salary) be put at $75,000 given the qualifications of the candidate," Jourdain said, warning colleagues, "I don't know if the candidate will agree" to a sudden $4,000 pay cut.

Bellamy Schmidt, the acting city auditor, said the plan was for Chadwick to begin in mid-July.

This is a developing story and details will be added as reporting continues.

There were 158 students graduating from the High School of Commerce in Springfield during the ceremony at Symphony Hall on Monday.

SPRINGFIELD -- Family members and relatives, friends, school staff and dignitaries gathered Monday night at Symphony Hall to celebrate the High School of Commerce Class of 2016 graduation. A total of 158 students received diplomas

The ceremony included the traditional speeches, music and congratulations, but there was also a moment of silence for the victims of shooting massacre that took the lives of 50 people and injured dozens of others in Orlando, Florida.

The graduates included valedictorian Veronica Elizendar Israel and salutatorian Lucille Ailene DesVignes, and class president Aleeza Ligia Suarez Amador, among the scheduled speakers.

The dignitaries included Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick, School Principal Diane Bauer and School Committee members.

Sarno, a 1981 graduate of Commerce, and School Committee Vice Chairman Christopher Collins both asked students to be thankful to their family and the Commerce staff for providing them with the foundation for success. The graduates responded with cheers and applause each time.

"I believe in you. We all believe in you," Sarno said. "Tonight, you shine as a positive aspect of our city of Springfield."

He urged the graduates not to let anybody tell them they cannot "make it."

Collins said the Commerce faculty has provided the graduates with "a toolbox full of skills that will allow you to shape that future that is going to be both our future and your future."

The future will bring great change, Collins said, and paraphrasing Capt. James T. Kirk from "Star Trek," added that the graduates are about "to boldly go where none of us have gone before."

Of those graduating,121 are going on to college and 11 are going into the armed forces, according to school records. The graduates received more than $3.6 million in scholarships, according to records.

The shooting outside 32 Montrose St. was reported at around 9:15 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD - Two men are expected to survive their injuries after a drive-by shooting in the city's Bay neighborhood Monday night.

A man was shot in the thigh, and a bullet grazed the other victim's leg, according to Springfield Police Capt. Robert Strzempek.

The shooting outside 32 Montrose St. was reported at around 9:15 p.m. Both men were taken to the hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

This is a developing story. It will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

William Averill, 50, of West Roxbury is due to be arraigned Wednesday on three counts each of rape and indecent assault and battery, as well as one count of assault with intent to rape.

BOSTON - A now-former Dorchester Municipal Court probation officer is charged with raping a probationer under his supervision inside his courthouse office.

William Averill, 50, of West Roxbury is due to be arraigned Wednesday on three counts each of rape and indecent assault and battery, as well as one count of assault with intent to rape.

Averill was placed on administrative leave when the investigation began earlier this year, according to a joint news release issued by Boston police and the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. He was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury.

The victim is a woman in her 20s, serving one year of probation on convictions for larceny and receiving stolen property.

On Jan. 5, Averill is accused of touching and kissing the victim in his office. Prosecutors say the victim told him to stop, and he did, but soon after, he closed the window blinds and sexually assaulted her.

The victim called a relative to report the attack, leading to a multi-agency investigation.

Averill's indictment is partly based on DNA evidence.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday nominated three former prosecutors to the state's highest court. The three are all Superior Court judges: Kimberly Budd, David Lowy, and Frank Gaziano. Watch video

BOSTON - Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday nominated three former prosecutors to the state's highest court.

The three are all Superior Court judges: Kimberly Budd, David Lowy, and Frank Gaziano.

"These distinguished and well respected judges will bring nearly a century of combined experience to the Supreme Judicial Court, having dealt with the most complicated civil and criminal cases before the courts of the Commonwealth," Baker said in a statement.

Budd, a Newton resident, was appointed to the Superior Court in 2009 by Gov. Deval Patrick, while Gaziano, a Scituate resident, was appointed by Gov. Mitt Romney in 2004. Lowy, a Marblehead resident, has served on the Superior Court since 2001; he was nominated by Gov. Paul Cellucci.

"All three have set themselves apart by their keen intellect, respectful demeanor and dedication to fairness in the judicial system," Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said.

The three judges previously held a variety of posts, including ones giving them prosecutorial experience. Budd and Gaziano have both served as federal prosecutors, while Lowy worked as an assistant district attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.

"It wasn't a conscious decision for me, I can't speak for the members of the JNC," Baker told reporters, referring to the Judicial Nominating Commission, which helped vet the candidates for the Supreme Judicial Court, when asked about the judges' prosecutorial backgrounds.

Gov. Baker's Supreme Judicial Court nominees #mapoli pic.twitter.com/fv0XHXWDsY

-- Gintautas Dumcius (@gintautasd) June 14, 2016

The seven-member Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will see three vacancies this year, thanks to the planned departures of Justices Fernande "Nan" Duffly, Francis Spina and Robert Cordy this summer.

Two more vacancies are expected before the end of Baker's four-year term, since in 2017 Geraldine Hines and Margot Botsford are turning 70, the mandatory retirement age for Massachusetts judges.

"I do think when you have five people leaving the bench over the course of a 12-month period of time, you do think a little bit about wanting to put people into those roles who you believe aren't going to have to spend a lot of time sort of figuring it out and getting started," Baker said. "And certainly with these three folks, we have three nominees who we believe will be able to be effective on Day 1, which is going to be important."

Baker said his administration will likely restart the judicial nomination process in January in an effort to tackle the expected vacancies that Botsford and Hines will create.

The governor's judicial nominees are vetted and voted on by the independently elected Governor's Council.

The eight-member council is expected to start hearings on Baker's nominees in the coming weeks.

Baker nominates Kimberly Budd for Supreme Judicial Court slot

The Massachusetts Bar Association's chief legal counsel and chief operating officer Martin Healy praised Baker's picks.

"Presented with a unique opportunity to shape the commonwealth's highest court in his first term, Governor Baker has made an impressive opening statement with the nomination of three highly regarded Superior Court judges," Healy said in a statement.

A Holyoke sewer rate increase could be seen as more likely now that the city has sewer service shut-off authorization as leverage to seize revenue from customers with long overdue bills.

HOLYOKE -- Residents and businesses could see a recommendation today for the first increase in the sewer rate since 2008.

The City Council Ordinance Committee will discuss a proposed increase in a meeting that begins at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

A public hearing is the agenda's first item followed by the sewer rate.

Whatever the Ordinance Committee decides will be just a recommendation that the full City Council will consider at its next meeting June 21.

The current sewer rate is $5.40 per 1,000 gallons of usage for an average 90,000 gallons used, or $486 a year for the average household.

An elevation to $6 per 1,000 gallons of usage for an average 90,000 gallons used, or $540 a year, has been discussed. That would raise the average household's bill by $54 a year, or 11 percent, or $13.50 in each quarterly bill.

Some councilors favor establishing the 60-cent increase at once to begin drawing the necessary revenue, given that the last sewer rate increase was eight years ago. Others want a series of 20-cent increases phased in.

A step that has made the decision to increase the sewer rate more agreeable to some city councilors is a new authorization, established last week. The authorization lets the city shut off sewer service for customers who have let bills go unpaid for months provided that the authorization is accompanied by a detailed shut-off policy with a series of notices.

Officials have estimated that about $700,000 is owed in long-standing sewer bills. They said it was unfair to increase rates on the majority of customers who pay bills on time before deadbeats are made to pay up.

A sewer rate increase is needed to raise more revenue to offset rising expenses in running the wastewater treatment plant at 1 Berkshire St., which is formally known as the Holyoke Water Pollution Control facility, officials said.

The deficit in the sewer fund is about $900,000 now and projected to be $1 million next year, if nothing is done in terms of new revenue, William D. Fuqua, general superintendent of the Department of Public Works (DPW), has told councilors.

The selectmen's race in Holland on Monday resulted in tie, but how that will be resolved has yet to be determined, according to one of the contestants.

HOLLAND — The selectmen's race on Monday resulted in tie at the municipal election, but how that will be resolved has yet to be determined, according to one of the contestants.

When the ballots were first counted, challenger Bettina Schmidt defeated incumbent selectman Andrew Harhay, 154 to 152.

But in an interview on Tuesday, Harhay said, "I got a call this morning from the town clerk. As I understand it, it's a 154 to 154 tie."

Harhay said he is not aware of any provision in the town bylaws on how a tie would be resolved.

He said the town clerk, Sharon Ashleigh, has scheduled a meeting with him and Schmidt on Tuesday night at 6:30 to discuss the matter.

Harhay said he was told that provisional ballots that were not counted the first time made the difference, creating the tie vote.

Calls placed to the town clerk were not immediately returned.

The FDA's New England District Office said workers were preparing and storing ready-to-eat food in areas where condensation was dripping from ceiling joints onto surfaces below, including pesto pasta, mushroom quesadilla, egg salad, chives and beets, and couscous.

EVERETT - The Food and Drug Administration has sent a "warning letter" to the co-CEOs of Whole Foods over conditions at its Everett manufacturing plant.

The letter comes after a days-long inspection of the facility at 9 Commercial St. in February. Inspectors allegedly found "serious violations" of regulations for "manufacturing, packing, or holding human food."

The FDA's New England District Office said workers were preparing and storing ready-to-eat food in areas where condensation was dripping from ceiling joints, including pesto pasta, mushroom quesadilla, egg salad, chives and beets, and couscous.

Food was also stored next to a hand-washing station that inspectors say had no splash guards, causing water to splash onto ready-to-eat vegetables.

The violations mean that food "may have been contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health," according to the FDA.

The letter lists numerous other violations, including concerns about santitation. You can read it in its entirety by clicking this link.

Whole Foods has 15 days from receipt of the letter to inform the FDA "of the specific things that you are doing to correct the violations described above."

To celebrate the completion of the book "Malcolm at Midnight," in which a little rat pretends to be a mouse, more than 700 Indian Orchard Elementary School students worked on writing and art projects to complement their reading and used them all as props as they formed a parade line and marched around the school's neighborhood. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- A little rat pretends to be a mouse. Simple. Turn that into a parade? That was a no-brainer for students at Springfield's Indian Orchard Elementary School on Tuesday.

The little rat is the star of the book "Malcolm at Midnight" that every child in the school either read or had read to them.

To celebrate the completion of the book, students worked on writing and art projects to complement their reading and used them all as props as they formed a parade line and marched around the school's neighborhood. Over 700 kids waved as they went.

Michelle Keating, a English language arts teacher at the school, organized the event. "They are really excited about this, and this is what we wanted to do. Build community and get them excited about literacy," she said.

"Let's go Malcolm, let's go!" was a refrain heard over and over as the kids marched down Milton Street and turned into Indian Orchard Manor on Milton Court, a Springfield public housing property. Residents took the time to open their doors and wave to the passing parade.

For Debbie Dewberry, the parade that marched past her front door was a welcome interruption to her day. "I'm really excited for what I'm seeing right now," Dewberry said. At first confusing the title of the book with the late Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X, Dewberry was nevertheless thrilled with the kids and their spirit.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is honoring top educators from from around the state, including five teachers from Western Massachusetts.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has slated a ceremony at the State House in Boston on Wednesday to honor some of the top educators in the state, including five teachers from Western Massachusetts.

The "Ceremony to Honor Excellence in Teaching" is scheduled at the Great Hall at the State House, beginning with a legislative reception at 1 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 1:30 that is expected to last approximately one hour.

Those being honored include the following teachers from Western Massachusetts:

Others being recognized at the ceremony include the 2017 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, Sydney Chaffee, from the Codman Academy Charter Public School in Dorchester.

Dignitaries at the ceremony are expected to include Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester and state Rep. Alice Peisch, D-Wellesley, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Education. In addition, Omar Grey, a 2016 graduate of Codman Academy Charter Public School, will participate.

Others being honored at the ceremony from around the state include:

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno is proposing a $1 million pension reserve fund as one measure to combat Springfield having the worst-funded public pension system in the state.

Domenic Sarno(The Republican file) 

SPRINGFIELD -- Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who recently revealed plans for a new $721,487 pension reserve fund to help fully fund the city's pension liability account by 2035, announced Tuesday that he will increase that amount to $1 million.

Sarno's announcement followed multiple meetings of the City Council and Finance Committee in which some councilors urged stronger action to confront the city being ranked as having the worst-funded public pension system in Massachusetts.

The city's public pension system is 26 percent funded, according to the most recent figures, significantly below any other community.

Sarno, in a statement, said that he and Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Timothy J. Plante, after further consideration, are proposing to take $1 million from the fiscal 2016 free cash surplus, rather than the lower amount, for the new Pension Stabilization Reserve Fund. The amount will need council approval.

Sarno said the new reserve is one part of an "aggressive" strategy to fully fund the system by 2035. It demonstrates the city's financial strength and commitment to an aggressive pension funding schedule, he said.

The remaining $2,329,387 in free cash will be transferred to the "rainy day" reserve fund, bringing the fiscal 2017 balance to $42,774,028, Sarno said.

"Again, my administration has taken this issue very seriously," Sarno said. "I have complete confidence in CAFO T.J. Plante and our financial team. This additional funding, in working with the City Council, specifically Finance Committee Chair Tim Allen, will continue to send a strong message to our ratings agencies and our retirees. This also strikes a proper balance that helps us continue to provide essential city services to our residents."

Plante said that expanding the city's reserves "is the proper use of certified free cash."

"I am glad to increase our reserves to nearly $43 million," Plante said. "This is a testament to our strong financial management."

"The pension liability issue has been a big topic recently," Allen said in the statement. "While $1 million is not as much as I was asking for, it's a great start. I thank the mayor for working with the council on this compromise. I support this proposal and commit to continuing to work on this issue."

The city has approval from local and state retirement boards for an accelerated pension payment plan, aimed at fully funding the city's pension system by 2035.

Under that schedule, Springfield will allocate $30.2 million for city pension costs in fiscal 2017, followed by a $34.5 million allocation in fiscal 2018 and a $39.2 million allocation in fiscal 2019.

Some councilors led by Allen, who is the Finance Committee chairman, and council President Michael Fenton, were urging that more be done. At the council's June 6 meeting, Allen suggested that $3.2 million be taken from the free cash surplus -- 80 percent of the amount certified for city use.

Sarno said the 80 percent was too high, but that he would consider some amount, leading to the earlier proposal and the latest $1 million amount.

The dog's owners, Thomas Burke, 42, and Kelly Burke, 43, reportedly each face a charge of animal cruelty.

Bella, aka "Jersey"Courtesy: The Animal Rescue League of Boston 

The dog's owners, Thomas Burke, 42, and Kelly Burke, 43, each face a charge of animal cruelty, according to Boston's NBC affiliate WHDH.

Bella, now called "Jersey" by investigators, was soaked in urine and had severely matted fur, police said. She is believed to be an 8-year-old Brussels Griffin mix.

Police said the dog was in severe condition. On Friday, she underwent surgery that rendered her blind. Veterinarians also removed bladder stones and provided dental treatment. She is in the care of the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

Her treatments cost as much as $4,000.

WHDH reports an anonymous tipster told police the suspects also had three Dachshunds that were in poor health.

We're in store for another beautiful day in Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD -- We're in store for another beautiful day in Massachusetts.

The National Weather Service reports Tuesday evening will be mostly clear across the state, with temperatures dropping to the low-50s in Western and Central Massachusetts, high-50s around Boston.

Wednesday will be sunny with temperatures in the low-80s throughout the day.

Clear skies are expected in Massachusetts through the weekend, with highs in the 70s and 80s into early next week.

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton has won the Democratic presidential primary in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Clinton brought a close to the presidential primary season with a win Tuesday in the nation's capital and a meeting with dispatched rival Bernie Sanders, hoping to set a tone of Democratic unity heading into next month's party convention in Philadelphia.

Clinton's win in the District of Columbia, the final primary of 2016, had no bearing on her role as the presumptive nominee, but it nevertheless marked a transition in the lengthy primary fight between the two rivals.

"We're going to have a wide-ranging conversation, because we share a lot of the same goals," Clinton said Tuesday night in an interview with Telemundo. "We both want to raise the minimum wage, we want to fight inequality of income, we want to make college affordable and we certainly want everybody to get health care."

She added, "I very much am looking forward to having his support in this campaign, because Donald Trump poses a serious threat to our nation."

Before polls closed in Washington, Sanders vowed again to do all he can to prevent the presumptive Republican presidential nominee from reaching the White House -- but he declined to endorse Clinton.

The two met for about 90 minutes Tuesday night at a Washington, D.C., hotel, but neither spoke to reporters after the session.

The Vermont senator had said the private meeting would help him determine how committed Clinton will be to the policy issues he has staked out during his 13-month campaign.

"Our goal must not be to allow politicians, Donald Trump or anyone else, to divide us," Sanders said outside his Washington headquarters, telling reporters he will continue to "fight as hard as we can" to transform the Democratic Party.

Sanders said he would push for new leadership in the Democratic National Committee -- his campaign has sparred with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the party's chair -- along with a progressive platform in the summer convention and electoral changes, such as primaries that allow independents to participate and the elimination of superdelegates.

"We need major, major changes in the Democratic Party," he said.

Sanders was warmly received Tuesday by Senate Democrats at their weekly luncheon, where he offered an update about his campaign and some of the lessons he had learned during the past year. Lawmakers in attendance said Sanders did not indicate his future plans.

"He had an opportunity to talk to us about his campaign and how it has changed him and what he has learned," said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. "I think we all listened intently because we are anxious to always do better and grow as a party and be more inclusive."

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who leads the Senate Democrats' campaign arm, said Sanders "absolutely will" support fellow Senate Democrats in the fall elections. "It was productive, it was good, it was vintage Bernie," Tester said.

Sanders met last week with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, who both later endorsed Clinton, and signaled to Democrats that he hopes to play a constructive role in helping the party regain control of the Senate in the 2016 elections.

The self-described democratic socialist says he will take his campaign to the convention in July and advocate for his policy issues in the platform while urging Democrats to be more inclusive of independents, young people and working-class voters, all of whom were pivotal in his victories in 22 states. But what that will look like still remains unclear, and Sanders has been soliciting advice from supporters on how he should take his campaign forward.

The mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, has commanded the attention of both campaigns and prompted Democrats to point to Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S., an issue they view as a key contrast in the general election.

Without mentioning Trump by name, Clinton warned during a speech in Cleveland on Monday that demonizing Muslims would only empower extremist groups. "We should be intensifying contacts in those communities, not scapegoating or isolating them," she said.

Sanders attended a vigil in his hometown of Burlington, Vermont, on Monday night to show solidarity with the victims. Pointing to Trump's comments about Muslims, Sanders said the shooting was conducted by "one hateful person" and not committed by the Muslim people.

Looking forward, Sanders has begun helping Democrats preparing for congressional races and the battle to regain control of the Senate.

An early test of his clout will come Tuesday in Nevada, where a Sanders-backed congressional candidate, Lucy Flores, competes in a three-way primary.

Sanders has opened up his campaign's massive email donor list to several Democratic candidates, hauling in more than $2.4 million for his allies. Flores has been the top recipient of those appeals, collecting about $390,000 from an email Sanders sent in April on behalf of her and two other candidates.

The current sewer rate in Holyoke charges the average household $486 a year and while no specific increase is being considered, officials have discussed moving it to $540 a year.

HOLYOKE -- The City Council Ordinance Committee Tuesday voted to close the public hearing on the topic of whether to increase the sewer rate, but the committee didn't take a vote to recommend a particular rate.

That means the prospect is unlikely that the full City Council at its next meeting on Tuesday will take a vote on whether to increase the sewer rate for the first time since 2008.

Such a vote could occur at the meeting of the full City Council if a motion is made to remove the sewer increase item from the Ordinance Committee.

Ordinance Committee members closed the public hearing, after hearing from three more residents. But councilors tabled the sewer rate increase item so that further discussion can be held before the committee takes a recommendation vote on such an increase, which would be forwarded to the full City Council.

Closing the public hearing came after residents were given several meetings to comment on the sewer-increase topic. The decision to close a hearing means the committee has decided it has heard from the public and will move onto the next step in the process, which will be discussion and a recommendation vote.

Committee members at the meeting were Chairwoman Linda L. Vacon, council President Kevin A. Jourdain and members David K. Bartley and Diosdado Lopez.

The current sewer rate is $5.40 per 1,000 gallons of usage for an average 90,000 gallons used, or $486 a year for the average household.

An elevation to $6 per 1,000 gallons of usage for an average 90,000 gallons used, or $540 a year, has been discussed. That would raise the average household's bill by $54 a year, or 11 percent, or $13.50 in each quarterly bill.

Some councilors favor establishing the 60-cent increase at once to begin drawing the necessary revenue, given that the last sewer rate increase was eight years ago. Others want a series of 20-cent increases phased in.

A step that has made the decision to increase the sewer rate more agreeable to some city councilors is a new authorization, established last week. The authorization lets the city shut off sewer service for customers who have let bills go unpaid for months provided that the authorization is accompanied by a detailed shut-off policy with a series of notices.

Officials have estimated that about $700,000 is owed in long-standing sewer bills. They said it was unfair to increase rates on the majority of customers who pay bills on time before deadbeats are made to pay up.

A sewer rate increase is needed to raise more revenue to offset rising expenses in running the wastewater treatment plant at 1 Berkshire St., which is formally known as the Holyoke Water Pollution Control facility, officials said.

The deficit in the sewer fund is about $900,000 now and projected to be $1 million next year, if nothing is done in terms of new revenue, William D. Fuqua, general superintendent of the Department of Public Works (DPW), has told councilors.

A story with additional detail from the Holyoke City Council Ordinance Committee meeting will be published later this week.

Hurley, an attorney and former judge, announced in September she would run for a spot on the eight-member council, which, among other duties, oversees the pardon and sentence commutation process and the appointment of judges.

SPRINGFIELD - Former mayor Charlie Ryan has made his pick for Governor's Council, endorsing fellow ex-mayor Mary Hurley for the seat currently held by Mike Albano, yet another former chief executive of the city.

Hurley, an attorney and former judge, announced in September that she would run for a spot on the eight-member council, which, among other duties, oversees the pardon and sentence commutation process and the appointment of judges.

She was an assistant city solicitor and a city councilor before her election as the city's first female mayor, and an associate district court judge in Chicopee from 1995 to 2014.

"When she was mayor of Springfield she served with honor and distinction," said Ryan in his endorsement. "Mary is respected throughout the entire legal community of Massachusetts and I am happy to endorse her for Governor's Council.

"As a judge Mary had an excellent reputation for fairness and compassion while still being mindful of the importance of public safety," he added. "I have never seen anyone with quite the amount of spirit and passion for both the law and public service."

Hurley said she is "honored" to win Ryan's support for the Eighth District seat representing the four Western Massachusetts counties.

"(Ryan) knows better than most the tough decisions that must be made in office, while also battling the regional equity barrier experienced here in western Massachusetts," she said. "I have dedicated my life to public service and the law, and I think it's time that western Massachusetts was adequately represented by the Governor's Council."

Ryan was mayor from 1962 to 1967 and again from 2004 to 2008. Hurley served in that role from 1989 to 1992. Albano, now a candidate for Hampden County sheriff, was mayor from 1996 to 2003.

The Springfield Puerto Rican Parade will be celebrated on Sept. 18, 2016. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD — This year's Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Grand Marshal challenged every one to "stand up and fight for what they believe in."

Vanessa Pabon-Hernandez who is currently the community engagement director for WGBY as well as the executive producer of "Presencia," WGBY's first bilingual television series, will lead the parade this year.

"Everyone of us are going to struggle, but if we learn from each other and support each others regardless of what we believe in, we will be an unstoppable force," she said.

The parade kickoff was held Tuesday night at the International Biergarten in Springfield and opened with renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "La Borinquena," as well as a moment of silent for the victims of the Orlando, Florida mass shooting earlier this week. The event served as an opportunity for businesses and individuals who wanted to learn more about the parade, march in it or volunteer for it this year.

The parade will make its way down Main Street on Sept. 18 and joining Pabon-Hernandez will be this year's parade ambassadors, announced at the event.

Honorees include:

*Madrina: Lydia Martinez, the first Hispanic Assistant Superintendent of Springfield Schools.

*Padrino: Joe Velez, a musician and teacher at the Community Music School of Springfield, where he has taught piano, guitar, beginner cuatro classes, as well as composition.

*Female Youth Ambassador: Dhelmaliz Torres, a student at Putnam Vocational Academy. She is an active member of Project Purple and has led fundraising efforts for the Rays of Hope cancer walk, Salvation Army clothing and toy drives during the holidays and the Thanksgiving food drive.

*Male Youth Ambassador: Alexander Rivera, a member of Project coach working with other city kids to encourage them to stay in school and pursue their dreams.

*Civil Service Ambassador: Officer Ivan Rosas, a retired Marine, he now works in the city's North End as a member of the Springfield Police Department's Ordinance Unit. He has started many community crime watches, is a black belt in karate and teaches martial arts to Springfield youth.

*Cultural Ambassador: Darwin Jerry Cruz, a poet who recites Afro-Caribbean poetry, a dancer of traditional Bomba y Plena, who acts and puts on short skits of the folkloric stories he learned in Puerto Rico.

*Sports Ambassador: Eric Rosa, an Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq. In 2010, 2 years after moving to Springfield he found a passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and now teaches it to children.

Each honoree received a sash they will wear at the parade. The sashes were donated by Nereida Valentin, head of Miss Bella Hispana, a local beauty pageant. Many of the pageant queens attended the kickoff.

"A lot of the girls come to us with very little knowledge of their culture and their heritage. We teach them about the importance of the flag, of the typical music, clothing and food and show them that it is important to have pride in their American culture, but also their Latin culture," she said.

Minnie Marrero from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno's office attended the event as well as State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez and Ward 1 City Councilor Adam Gomez, Springfield City Councilor Bud Williams and Holyoke Ward 2 City Councilor Nelson Roman as well as other public officials.

Gumersindo Gomez, a founder of the parade and the of the Puerto Rican flag raising ceremony at Springfield City Hall over 25 years ago, also spoke at the event.

"This parade committee is doing one heck of a job and the great part is that it is the youth doing this for us and picking up where we left off. That is the goal... make this parade the best parade yet," he said.

Tuesday evening's Mega Millions drawing is giving those who bought a ticket a shot at one of the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.

Tuesday evening's Mega Millions drawing is giving those who bought a ticket a shot at one of the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.

Mega Millions

Here are the winning numbers in the drawing:

36-37-38-52-62; Mega Ball: 6; Megaplier: 5x

The estimated jackpot for the drawing is $293 million.

If no one wins, the Mega Millions jackpot will get even bigger for Friday's drawing.

According to the game's official website, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 258,890,850.

Players pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers -- five different numbers from 1 to 75 and one number from 1 to 15 -- or select Easy Pick. A player wins the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.

Jackpot winners choose whether to receive 30 annual payments, each five percent higher than the last, or a lump-sum payment.

Mega Millions drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays and are offered in 44 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $1 each.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

An amendment added on the floor would allow local traffic officials to impose 20 or 25 mph speed limits.

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts House on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at modernizing the state regulations that affect cities and towns.

"We all know cities and towns often feel they are overburdened by out of date regulations and procedures," said state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, vice chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. "This is an opportunity to respond to many of those concerns that have been raised over the years in one package."

The bill passed unanimously, 153-0. It now heads to the Senate.

The original bill, proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker in December, aimed to eliminate obsolete laws, promote local independence and streamline state oversight.

As The Republican / MassLive reported previously, House members stripped out some of the bill's more controversial provisions as various committees worked on it. The House did not include a provision proposed by Baker that would have given authority for approving restaurant liquor licenses to cities and towns, rather than to the Legislature. It stripped a provision that would have let municipalities exempt positions from civil service without approval from the Legislature.

"My understanding is because we're near the end of the legislative term, they wanted to take out anything that could be conceived of as controversial," said Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke, president of the Massachusetts Mayors' Association.

The bill, H.4331, contains a wide range of changes to state law. For example, provisions would allow simpler bidding processes for contracts for small projects; allow local rather than state officials to approve certain types of borrowing; let municipalities deny permits to delinquent taxpayers; allow municipalities to have one person serve as both tax collector and treasurer; and eliminate duplicative reporting requirements related to debt.

The bill would remove state involvement in certain municipal affairs, such as in mediating salary disputes related to assessors or deciding when a building is considered "abandoned" for foreclosure purposes. It would give municipalities more flexibility and more authority, allowing them to create various types of reserve funds and letting them implement affordable housing agreements.

"In short, this is going to make the lives of our local leaders much easier," said state Rep. James O'Day, D-West Boylston.

Representatives introduced 40 amendments to the bill. Several were adopted on the House floor, after closed-door discussions. Most were withdrawn.

One amendment that was introduced by state Rep. Daniel Hunt, D-Dorchester, and adopted, would give local traffic officials the authority to impose a speed limit of 25 miles per hour in any thickly settled or business district and a speed limit of 20 miles per hour in a designated "safety zone."

Another amendment that was adopted, introduced by House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, ensures that municipal tax rates cannot be changed after the commissioner approves them, unless there is an unintentional error by city officials in reporting the rate and the tax bills have not yet been sent out. Other adopted amendments would change procedures for placing liens on properties because of unpaid fines or bills.

House members, by a 38-115 vote, rejected an amendment proposed by state Rep. Shaunna O'Connell, R-Taunton, that would have created a commission to study the costs and benefits of the state's inventory tax. Businesses have long criticized the tax on inventory, which they say drives distribution centers and warehouses out of state.

O'Connell said only seven states still have an inventory tax. She argued that it is a burden to businesses, which may have to shut down or slow production or hire outside companies to conduct the inventory. "It can be very burdensome to our cities to collect for the amount of money they actually make off the tax," O'Connell said.

O'Connell cited estimates that 56,000 jobs could be created by eliminating the tax. "Rather than paying the tax, it's easier for companies to store their goods elsewhere and move warehouses to neighboring states where they don't have to pay the tax," O'Connell said.