There is no intelligence pointing to a specific plot, but the U.S. shared its concerns last week with executives at domestic and international carriers.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government has warned domestic and international airlines that some terrorists are considering surgically implanting explosives into humans to carry out attacks, The Associated Press has learned.

There is no intelligence pointing to a specific plot, but the U.S. shared its concerns last week with executives at domestic and international carriers.

People traveling to the U.S. from overseas may experience additional screening at airports because of the threat, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
"These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same activity at every international airport," TSA spokesman Nick Kimball said. "Measures may include interaction with passengers, in addition to the use of other screening methods such as pat-downs and the use of enhanced tools and technologies."

Placing explosives and explosive components inside humans to hide bombs and evade security measures is not a new idea. But there is new intelligence pointing to a fresh interest in using this tactic, a U.S. security official told the AP. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security information.

When the U.S. government receives information suggesting terror tactics that could threaten commercial aviation, the TSA alerts companies domestically and abroad. Last December, the U.S. received intelligence that al-Qaida's Yemen branch was considering hiding explosives inside insulated beverage containers to carry them on airplanes. That warning was shared with domestic and foreign airlines so that security could be on the lookout, even though there was no specific plot.

Airport security has increased markedly since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. But terrorists remain interested in attacking aviation and continue to adapt to the new security measures by trying to develop ways to circumvent them.

Mayor Domenic Sarno said the budget cuts totaling $2.7 million caused layoffs and will cause less mowing, delayed vehicle maintenance and elimination of the bulk waste program

File photos | The RepublicanLeft to right, Springfield School Committee member Antonette Pepe, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Springfield City Council President Jose Tosado.

SPRINGFIELD – Two announced candidates for mayor, Jose F. Tosado and Antonette E. Pepe, have accused the incumbent, Domenic J. Sarno, of exaggerating the impact of recent budget cuts totaling $2.7 million.

Sarno, who is planning to seek re-election, said the cuts made by the City Council have triggered 10 new layoffs along with repercussions that will include many unmowed terraces, many unpaved roads, unkempt grounds at city buildings such as libraries, and elimination of the bulk waste program.

Tosado, who is council president, and Pepe, a member of the School Committee, said the cuts can be absorbed without the “doom and gloom” predictions.

“I can’t account for the mayor’s histrionics,” Tosado said this week. “It boggles my mind how the mayor can have this kind of reaction and try to incite the public for his own benefit.”

“The sky is not falling,” Pepe said in a prepared release. “Cuts made by the council should not have an adverse effect on city services or cause more layoffs.”

Sarno said last week that the council’s budget cuts June 22, were irresponsible and potentially damaging to the city. His original budget request of $544.9 million, which included $330.8 million for the School Department, already forced “painful decisions” including 13.5 layoffs, the elimination of 54.5 vacant positions, and a wage freeze and 12 unpaid furlough days for 350 non-bargaining employees, he said.

Sarno said the council’s additional cuts included $101,375 from the Police Department’s salary account, triggering a decision to lay off four police cadets. Councilors, however, said the cut was aimed at de-funding two vacant clerical positions.

Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet said the clerical positions are needed, resulting in the cut cadets instead, according to Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Lee C. Erdmann.

Tosado said he does not understand the rationale for cutting the cadets rather than two vacancies. Tosado, in the aftermath of a tornado June 1, announced he was suspending his campaign until July 1, now resumed.

The council also cut all funding, approximately $240,000, for the CitiStat Department, resulting in three layoffs there. In addition, the council approved a 5 percent cut for all non-salary accounts for all city departments totaling $1.7 million.

Sarno said that many expenses are fixed, such as leases and energy costs, meaning the council’s cuts have a greater negative impact elsewhere.

Some of impacts will include: fewer cleanups of vacant properties and illegal dumping sites; no newly paved roads except for large state-funded projects; and hampered repairs of city vehicles and equipment, Sarno said.

Pepe said that eliminating unfilled employee positions “at this time is the fiscally responsible thing to do.” In addition, she raised concerns about the mayor’s proposal to use $10.5 million in reserve funds to balance the budget, which was rejected by the council.

“The City Council’s job is not to give Mr. Sarno a blank check but to do their due diligence,” Pepe said. “This is the tax payers money and they trust us to spend it judiciously.”

Tosado said each city department head “should have the wherewithal, the ability, to absorb these cuts and still be able to provide basic services.”

A $2.7 million cut for city departments is not extreme, Tosado said.

Tosado also criticized the mayor for accusing the council of committing a “slap in the face” to taxpayers by boosting the council salaries.

Tosado said it was Sarno who restored the council’s annual salary of $14,500, after the council voluntarily took a 10 percent cut for four years under difficult budget times. Sarno has argued the council could have kept its salary at $13,050, noting that he and non-bargaining employees have a wage freeze and furlough days.

Tosado said the mayor approved a 12 percent pay increase for the superintendent of schools, yet criticizes the council for returning to its former salary. Sarno has defended the superintendent’s raise as tied to his contract terms.

Brown's campaign said Wednesday that it ended the second quarter of 2011 with $9.6 million in total cash on hand.

The Associated PressU.S. Sen. Scott Brown, seen in his office in Boston in January, 2011.

BOSTON — U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has raised nearly $2 million for his upcoming re-election campaign over the past three months as several Democrats line up to challenge the Massachusetts Republican.

Brown's campaign said Wednesday that it ended the second quarter of 2011 with $9.6 million in total cash on hand.

The senator's campaign finance director, John Cook, said in a statement that donors are responding to the Republican's "pro-jobs message" and his work to control federal spending and debt.

Several Democrats have announced plans to challenge Brown in the November 2012 election.

Brown's second-quarter fundraising total of $1.98 million was nearly twice that of the nearest Democratic challenger, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei, who reported raising more than $920,000 in the three-month period.

The idea to solicit funds from non-profits in town came from former acting town manager Patricia Kennedy as a way to generate cash in difficult financial times.

PALMER - Local cable access station M-Pact was the only tax-exempt organization that responded to the town's request for an annual payment in lieu of taxes, and donated $991.26, the entire amount that the town wanted.

Bruce Henriques, M-Pact's general manager, said he brought the request before the board of directors last month, and the vote was 5 to 1 in favor of it; four members were absent.

"I kind of pushed for it. Nothing's free, and this boiled down to less than $20 a week. I figured we could come up with that to help the community . . . $20 a week isn't going to put anybody out of business," Henriques said Friday.

Henriques said the member who voted against it noted that 3/8 of M-Pact's North Main Street building is being taxed already because there is a tenant.

Patricia A. Kennedy, whose last day as acting town manager was June 30, said it is to M-Pact's credit that it chose to participate.

The amount each non-profit organization was asked to contribute varied. The amount was calculated using a property's assessed value, and the cost of basic services, which represent 12 percent of the operating budget. The money from M-Pact will go into the town's general fund.

The idea to solicit funds from non-profits in town came from Kennedy, as a way to generate cash in difficult financial times.

Twenty-five letters requesting funds went out in May, and as of July 1, there were 15 responses, with only M-Pact making the voluntary payment.

Wing Memorial Hospital declined the request to donate $115,000 to the town; its president and chief executive officer, Dr. Charles E. Cavagnaro III, said the hospital does not have the funds to do so, and spoke of other benefits it provides to the town and region. It is Palmer's largest employer with approximately 850 employees. The amount being asked of Wing was the largest.

Interim Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said it is not unusual for communities to consider this type of payment in lieu of taxes program, and to seek donations from its larger institutions.

"I do want to research it a little bit more to find out the concerns," Blanchard said, adding he is pleased that M-Pact "stepped up to the plate."

The 25 letters were sent to churches, the Palmer Housing Authority, Palmer Ambulance, Amvets, Camp Ramah and Polish Alliance Youth Camp, among others.

The union wants a judge to rescind more than 100 department promotions made since 2003 and reopen the positions.

John O'Brien

BOSTON – The union representing state probation officers has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the department’s former commissioner and top aides broke the law by awarding promotions based on political connections, not qualifications.

The National Association of Government Employees in its suit filed last month wants a judge to rescind more than 100 department promotions made since 2003 and reopen the positions. The union is also seeking unspecified monetary damages. The union represents about 1,300 agency workers.

Union President David Holway told the Boston Globe more than 100 employees have already said they lost promotions to candidates with better political connections.

Former Commissioner John O’Brien resigned late last year following an independent report outlining a hiring and promotion process rigged to reward the connected.

A department spokeswoman had no comment on the suit.

Entergy executives admitted that they had misled state officials in one of their original statements, but had not done so intentionally.

Associated Press photoThe Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is seen on the banks of the Connecticut River in Vernon, Vt. last month,

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Prosecutors have decided not to charge executives at Entergy Corp. with lying to regulators about the presence of underground piping at its Vermont nuclear power plant, the state’s attorney general said Wednesday.

Attorney General William Sorrell said a 17-month investigation into testimony that Entergy executives had given to the state Public Service Board concluded that there was no “smoking gun” to show that a crime had occurred.

Entergy executives had told the board that the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant didn’t have underground piping that might leak radioactive substance. The pipes were found later not only to exist, but to be leaking.

Company officials later announced they had misled state officials in their statements, but said they had not done so intentionally.

“Clearly, Vermont Yankee personnel repeatedly failed to meet a minimally acceptable standard of credibility and trustworthiness, but proving that perjury took place is another matter entirely,” Sorrell said. “We lack the smoking gun necessary to prove the crime, and it would be unethical and irresponsible for us to press criminal charges when we do not have the evidence to meet our heavy burden of proof.”

The plant’s future is unclear.

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted a license extension. But after the revelations about Entergy’s testimony, the state Senate voted 26-4 to block Vermont Yankee from operating after March 2012, when its license expires.

The New Orleans-based company and the state are locked in a court battle over whether the plant can continue to operate.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty reported raising $4.2 million in the second quarter of the year.

Associated Press photoRepublican presidential candidate , right, listens as a local business owner talks about the local economy during a town hall meeting in Hampton, N.H., Tuesday.

WASHINGTON – Republican presidential contender W. Mitt Romney raised more than $18 million in the past three months and his campaign has $12.6 million in the bank.

The former governor of Massachusetts released his fundraising totals Wednesday, and they show him well ahead of his rivals.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty last week reported raising $4.2 million from April through June.

Businessman Herman Cain raised almost $2.5 million in the first weeks of his presidential bid.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman has collected $4.1 million, but as much as half of that could be money he’s given the campaign himself.

The Koreans had lost narrowly in previous bids for the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.

Associated PressSouth Koreans support for Pyeongchang's bid to host the 2018 Winter Games in front of a ski jumping hill in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Wednesday, July 6, 2011.

DURBAN, South Africa— The South Korean city of Pyeongchang was awarded the 2018 Winter Olympics on Wednesday after failing in two previous attempts.

Pyeongchang defeated rivals Munich and Annecy, France, in the first round of a secret ballot of the International Olympic Committee.

The Koreans had lost narrowly in previous bids for the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.

Pyeongchang will be the first city in Asia outside Japan to host the Winter Games. Japan held the games in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

Korean delegates erupted in cheers in the conference hall after IOC President Jacques Rogge opened a sealed envelope and read the words: "The International Olympic Committee has the honor of announcing that the 23rd Olympic Winter Games in 2018 are awarded to the city of Pyeongchang."

The vote totals weren't immediately released.

A majority was required for victory, meaning Pyeongchang received at least 48 votes among the eligible 95 voters.

It was the first time an Olympic bid race with more than two finalists was decided in the first round since 1995, when Salt Lake City defeated three others to win the 2002 Winter Games.

Had no majority been reached in the opening round, the city with the fewest votes would have been eliminated and the two remaining cities gone to a second and final ballot.

Pyeongchang had been determined to win in the first round after its previous two defeats. The Koreans had led in each of the first rounds in the votes for the 2010 and 2014 Games but then lost in the final ballots to Vancouver and Sochi.

Pyeongchang, whose slogan is "New Horizons," campaigned on the theme that it deserved to win on a third try and will spread the Olympics to a lucrative new market in Asia and become a hub for winter sports in the region.

The Korean victory followed the IOC's trend in recent votes, having taken the Winter Games to Russia (Sochi) for the first time in 2014 and giving South America its first Olympics with the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Contributors matched the Pats $100,000 challenge grant and then some.

File photo / The RepublicanAndre Tippett, left former New England Patriots player, now an executive with the team, and Springfield native Ron Brace, a DL with the team, on hand at Springfield College last month for the announcement that the team will be matching up to $ 100,000 in funds to the United Way for relief for tornado victims in Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD – Call it a touchdown with extra-points for tornado relief.

Community members, taking on a challenge grant of up to $100,000 pledged from the family of Patriots owner Robert Kraft for tornado relief, substantially exceeded that amount in just two weeks.

Former Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett said members of the community raised $122,131.50, bringing the total raised for the Massachusetts Statewide Disaster Relief Fund to $222,131.50.

“In early June we joined people across the nation as we watched our televisions and were stunned that the tornadoes hit so close to home,” said Tippett, executive director of community affairs for the Patriots.

The announcement was made Wednesday morning during a press conference in front of the United Way of Pioneer Valley on Mill Street. A tree on the lawn there bore damage from the tornado that ripped through the South End.

Denise R. Jordan, chief of staff for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, praised those who contributed “because they stepped up to the plate and thought about Western Massachusetts.”

Jordan said the city is moving from a stabilization phase to a rebuilding phase as it continue to recover from the June 1 tornado. “Debris collection is on-track and ready to go,” she said.

Jordan also thanked the victims of the tornadoes for their “resilience and patience during this troubled time."

Dora D. Robinson, United Way of Pioneer Valley president and chief executive officer said the monies raised and matched will make a significant difference to the community “as we move from relief to rebuilding.”

Donations included:
• $26,293 from Greater Springfield Visitor and Convention Bureau and Massachusetts Restaurant Association.
• $10,000 from Waters Co.
• $10,000 from Savings Bank Life Insurance
• $8,500 from Par Electric, Watkins Strategies, McVac Environmental, Longfellow Drilling, The Spear Group, and Quanta Energized Services.
• $5,000 from Excel Dryer
• $1,800 from Patriot’s Alumni Association
• $776.50 from the town of East Longmeadow

Obituaries from The Republican.

Raymond K. Williams

SPRINGFIELD - Raymond K. Williams, 98, of Springfield, died June 29. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., to the late Milton and Clara M. (Brown) Williams on April 25, 1913, he graduated from the High School of Commerce in Springfield. He was a former member of St. John's Congregational Church and played on its championship basketball team. He also played with the Colored Black Sox Baseball Team at Emerson Wight playground. Raymond was a World War II Army veteran serving as a combat medic in France, Germany and Belgium. He retired from the Springfield Armory with twenty five years of service as a mill wright.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• Beane, Brian P.
  




• 
  Besancon, Mary Lou
  



• 
  Bessette, Edith G. (Tease)




• 
  Calheno, Carminda (Pires Da Silva)
  



• 
  Cormier, Dorothy Leone (Darnley)
  




• Coulter, Shirley A. (Brown)
  




• 
  Donoghue, Kathleen M.
  



• 
  Dowd, William B. "Bill"




• 
  Fields, Elvira (Fratamico)
  



• 
  Gaspari, Nancy (Babcock)
  




• Hanson, Robert B.
  




• 
  Jones Sr., James T.
  



• 
  Kusnierz, Henry




• 
  Lieberman, Suzanne (Leinwander)
  



• 
  Marino, Nancy J.
  




• Marshall, Philip C.
  




• 
  Mazgula, Thaddeus "Teddy"
  



• 
  Maziarz, Claire A.




• 
  Parenteau, Girard E. "Gerry"
  



• 
  Picard, Camille E.
  




• Powers, Eva M. (Kelley)
  




• 
  Pringle, Hattie B.
  



• 
  Riley, Jane C. (Connor)




• 
  Rochford, Margaret Ann "Peggy" (Connors)
  



• 
  Sliwoski, Stanley J.
  




• Stoodley, Judy L.
  




• 
  Valentine, Leo R.
  



• 
  Whitney, Enise L. (McKenna)




• 
  Williams, Raymond K.
  



• 
  Zacek, Joseph
  




• Zirakian, Gerard
  

Lawyers for the city and Neiswanger are negotiating contract terms, with the chief job set to pay a salary of $120,000 to $135,000 a year.

submitted photoJames M. Neiswanger, mayor's choice to be Holyoke police chief

HOLYOKE – The tentative date for Connecticut police captain James M. Neiswanger to begin as police chief here is July 18, Mayor Elaine A. Pluta said Tuesday.

“He wants to start as soon as possible....I’m looking at hopefully the 18th, July 18, if everything goes well,” Pluta said.

Pluta announced Neiswanger was her choice to be the chief June 23, but he has yet to begin as his lawyer and City Solicitor Lisa A. Ball negotiate salary and other contract terms.

Neiswanger, 48, a 25-year veteran of the Manchester, Conn. Police Department, said he was eager to begin as chief.

“I am, and I’m looking forward to coming to Holyoke,” Neiswanger said.

He reiterated he expected contract talks to be snag-free.

“It should be. I’m sure there’s going to be a little give and take on both sides,” he said.

Also delaying Neiswanger’s start is the need for the city to do what Pluta said will be “an intense” background check and for him to undergo physical and psychological tests, she said.

Background checks were already done on Neiswanger and other candidates who had made the final cut in the search process, but Pluta was unable to elaborate on what will make the check being done on Neiswanger more extensive than the earlier review.

The job was advertised with a salary range of $120,000 to $135,000.

Neiswanger would be replacing former Chief Anthony R. Scott, who retired April 30 after having been the chief since 2001. His annual salary was $133,164.

Capt. Frederick J. Seklecki had been acting police chief, but while he returned to his regular duties July 1, he also is still the acting chief until Neiswanger takes over, Pluta said.

The search for a new police chief began with Pluta’s appointment of a search committee in late November. A total of 39 candidates applied, with most from New England and New York.

Pluta said she chose Neiswanger because it was obvious that he out-peformed the other finalist for the job during an evaluation that involved role-playing, tests, questioning and other exercises June 18.

She also liked that while Neiswanger pledged to be tough on crime, he also outlined plans to reach out to young people and other parts of the community, she said.

The other finalist was Pedro J. Perez, 58, of Albany, N.Y., a retired, 29-year veteran official of the New York State Police.

The city charter requires that the police chief be a resident, and Pluta said Neiswanger will have up to six months from his start date to move here.

Neiswanger and his wife Carla, a paraprofessional in the South Windsor schools, have three daughters, two of whom are in college and one in high school.

Mayor Daniel Knapik has hired Anne Larkam as interim head of the city's personnel department.

WESTFIELD – Plans to consolidate several School Department and municipal departments will be phased in over the fiscal year that began July 1.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has appointed an interim Human Resources officer for the city and has met with Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Scallion to review school personnel needs. Additional meetings will be held, the mayor said.

Meanwhile, veteran human resources specialist Anne M. Larkam will lead the city’s personnel department, replacing Richard A. Merchant who was not reappointed. Merchant was notified by Knapik earlier this year his appointment would not be renewed when it expired in June.

Former Chicopee assistant superintendent of schools Charles E. Tetrault has been overseeing school personnel needs since the resignation of Helen M. Bowler in May.

“We will phase in the consolidation over time,” Knapik said. “Right now I am awaiting a School Department candidate that will be reassigned to our Purchasing Department and we expect to move three school payroll specialists to the city side shortly,” the mayor said.

Officials plan to consolidate offices of human resources, purchasing, auditing, accounting, payroll and legal based on a consultant report prepared earlier this year by the Collins Institute of the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Knapik said some staff changes will require new ordinances and some can be completed through a transfer process.

The City Council cut $250,000 in school spending when it adopted the city’s Fiscal 2012 operating budget two weeks ago. The council position was that the $250,000 would be saved as a result of the consolidation.

But, Knapik said savings from the plan will not be fully realized for about three years, predicting 18 to 24 months to pass necessary local legislation and then follow through on the appointment process.

The city’s new budget totals $121.6 million which includes $52.2 million for the School Department.

Fontaine, formerly of Palmer, is currently hospitalized at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he is recovering from gunshot wounds to his abdomen and ankle.

Robert P. Frydryk

PALMER - The 17 year old man shot by a Palmer Police officer during a domestic disturbance on July 4 is scheduled to be arraigned from his hospital bed Wednesday afternoon, Palmer police announced.

Shawn R. Fontaine, formerly of Palmer, is currently hospitalized at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he is recovering from gunshot wounds to his abdomen and ankle.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on seven criminal charges, Police Chief Robert Frydryk said. Charges include six counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and a single count of carrying a dangerous weapon while committing a breach of the peace.

The incident began around 11 p.m. Monday when a female resident of 22 Pinney St., called police and said she feared for her safety, and that of her family, because a male, known to her, was banging on her door and demanding entry, police said.

The female told police that the suspect had recently threatened her, that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and was armed with a handgun.

When police arrived at the home two minutes after the female’s initial call, the suspect pointed a handgun at them. The officers took cover and the stand-off ensued. The gun was later determined to be a carbon dioxide powered pellet gun.

District Court officials and an assistant Hampden district attorney are scheduled to be will be present at the arraignment, Frydryk said. A bar advocate from the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services has been assigned to represent Fontaine.

If bail is set, Fontaine will be transferred to the custody of the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department until his next court appearance, which will likely take place after his recovery, Frydryk said.

While Frydryk declined to release the name of the officer involved in the shooting, he said he is an eight year veteran of the department. He remains on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation.

“This is not a punitive action, but is standard police procedure in an incident of this type,” Frydryk said. “I am confident that, once it is complete, the district attorney’s investigation will establish what we firmly believe - that the officer acted appropriately and the use of force was justified given the circumstances.”

More details coming on MassLive and in The Republican.

Maj. Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 shooting spree.

AP Photo/USUHSThe 2007 file photo provided by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) shows Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan when he undertook the Disaster and Military Psychiatry Fellowship program. Fort Hood's commanding general announced Wednesday, July 6, 2011, that Hasan, charged in the deadly Fort Hood rampage in Texas, will be court-martialed and face the death penalty.

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly Fort Hood rampage will be tried in a military court and face the death penalty, the commanding general for the Texas military post announced Wednesday.

Maj. Nidal Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the November 2009 shooting spree at the Texas Army post.

It was not immediately clear when Hasan will be arraigned in a Fort Hood courtroom. He must plead not guilty based on the nature of the case, according to military law.

Hasan's lead attorney, John Galligan, had urged the commanding general not to seek the death penalty, saying such cases were more costly, time-consuming and restrictive. In cases where death is not a punishment option for military jurors, soldiers convicted of capital murder are automatically sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

"I believe the Army as an institution has long been planning to go this route," Galligan told The Associated Press on Wednesday from his office near Fort Hood, about 125 miles south of Fort Worth.

Two Army colonels who reviewed the case previously recommended that Hasan be tried in a military court and face the death penalty.

Galligan has declined to say whether he is considering an insanity defense for his client. He has refused to disclose results of a military mental health panel's evaluation of Hasan but said it would not prevent the military from pursuing a court-martial.

The three-member panel determined whether Hasan is competent to stand trial and his mental state during the shootings. It also determined if he had a severe mental illness that day, and if so, whether such a condition prevented him from knowing at the time that his alleged actions were wrong.

Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by police the day of the rampage. He remains jailed in the Bell County Jail, which houses defendants for nearby Fort Hood.

Hasan has attended several brief court hearings and an evidentiary hearing last fall that lasted about two weeks. He sometimes took notes and showed no reaction as 56 witnesses testified, including more than two dozen soldiers who survived gunshot wounds.

Witnesses testified that a gunman wearing an Army combat uniform shouted "Allahu Akbar!" — which is Arabic for "God is great!" — and started shooting in a small but crowded medical building where deploying soldiers get vaccines and other tests. The gunman fired rapidly, pausing only to reload, even shooting some people as they hid under tables or fled the building, witnesses said. He fatally shot two people who tried to stop him by throwing chairs, and killed three soldiers who were protecting civilian nurses, according to testimony.

The gunman was identified as Hasan, an American-born Muslim who was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan the following month. Before the attack, Hasan bought a laser-equipped semiautomatic handgun and repeatedly visited a firing range, where he honed his skills by shooting at the heads on silhouette targets, witnesses testified during the hearing.

Readers react Casey Anthony being acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee.

On Tuesday, Florida native Casey Anthony was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008. As the highly-publicized trial came to a close, Anthony, 25, cried after the not guilty verdict was read. If she was convicted of first-degree murder, Anthony could have faced the death penalty.

Associated PressIn this image made from video, Casey Anthony smiles as she returns to the defense table after being acquitted of murder charges at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, July 5, 2011. She had been charged with killing her daughter Caylee. (AP Photo/Pool)

Some of the MassLive.com readers believe Anthony should have been convicted, while others are quick to defend the American judicial system. Here's what they had to say:

jackie says: So disgusted with the verdict. I watched this trial from day 1 & in my opinion, she's guilty. So now she gets sentenced on thursday for lying to the cops. She could get up to 1 yr. each. So, she could get 4 yrs. or less. Actually, she should've got life without parole.

dontbeignerint says: The irony here is that saying that common sense (however you define it as it relates to you) should form any basis at all for a judgement in a murder trial is an incredibly poor display of actual common sense. The entire point of jury selection is to filter out the lunatics who will gladly put someone in the chair based on a gut instinct or, as you put it, "common sense". Real common sense should be tell you to thank God you live in a country that doesn't convict based on public opinion.

Wooden Nickel says: The jury ignored the facts..... Casey was the only one with
opportunity and motive and the only one linked to the crime. This child didn't wrap the duct tape around her own head and climb into the trash bags, nor did she roll herself over to the woods. Even if they couldn't see their way to a murder verdict they should have gone for manslaughter.

LenE says: Glad there are at least two of us who stick with the objective rule of law. There are so many emotional lunatics who demand a "pound of flesh" and will take it from the first person that someone points the finger at. That's why Barry Scheckter(?) has been able to clear so many wrongly convicted people with new DNA forensics. And states are paying millions of dollars in reparations to wrongly convicted people, all because too many prosecutors are more concerned about "winning" and too many jurors want to send someone, anyone, to jail to avenge the victim.

gbn says: If a jury can find not guilty in the face of the facts in this case, the jury instruction process obviously needs to be changed. Reasonable doubt needs to be defined. Every juror in a capital murder case ought to have to take a seminar in understanding reasonable doubt before being in charge of either putting someone to death or letting them go. 2 plus 2 plus 2 might make 6, but with the jury instructions/rules of evidence as they are apparently being understood, they are only allowed to look at two 2's, the rules say (they think). Therefore, while they know the total is actually 6, based on the rules of court, they come up with a 4. Makes no sense in terms of reaching the truth, or justice.

Attorney John H. Fitz-Gibbon recommends the board look to precedent for guidance. Watch video

View full sizeAn aerial view of the lot at 69 Parsons St. taken from Valley CDC's special permit application.

EASTHAMPTON - The city’s attorney has issued a mostly favorable opinion of the proposed Parsons Village affordable housing development.

Northampton-based Valley Community Development Corp. applied in December for a special permit to build the 38-unit multi-family housing complex at 69 Parsons St. In May, some opponents retained Springfield attorney Mark Beglane to fight the permit, which has still not been voted on.

The Planning Board in June asked city solicitor John H. Fitz-Gibbon to review Beglane’s objections and the response of Valley CDC’s attorney Edward Etheredge and give his opinion.

Beglane has said, among a host of other complaints: one apartment building is too close to the property line, the community building is too tall and in the wrong spot, the stormwater management system is doomed to fail, there will be too many parking spaces at 76, the price of the property is $105,000 over the appraised value and Valley CDC has not given the city a performance bond.

Valley CDC has declined to share Etheredge's response with The Republican.

In his six-page opinion, Fitz-Gibbon points out the zoning ordinance contains “inconsistencies (and) ill-defined terms and provisions” and says that the board can use “sound discretion” when it is unclear.

There are words omitted from the ordinance, contradictions and at least one typo, which says certain buildings cannot be more than “ten (12) feet” high. The ordinance also says the same buildings cannot be taller than 25 feet.

Fitz-Gibbon Re Parsons Village
(Note: The project's name and Edward Etheredge's name are misspelled in this document.)

He recommends the board look to precedent for guidance. City planner Stuart Beckley could not be reached to comment on whether the board has handled these issues before.

Fitz-Gibbon dismisses most of Beglane’s assertions and says the board can interpret the ordinance in Valley CDC’s favor in many cases. He agrees with Beglane, though, that one building is too close to the street and that each parking area can have only 14 spaces, whereas the plans show more. But parking areas could be added by dividing the existing ones with buffers, fencing or trees, he said.

He did not discuss Beglane’s complaints that the project is too dense and that the city's community development strategy calls for more owner-occupied affordable housing.

David Boyle of Autumn Properties owns the two parcels at 69 Parsons St. and is asking Valley CDC for $675,000 based on an appraisal that expected 45 units, Beglane said, so the most recent 38-unit plans should drop the price to $570,000. Fitz-Gibbon said a performance bond is required, but the board can decide if the price is a problem.

Fitz-Gibbon tells the board to use its “common sense and experience ... and generally, the Planning Board’s interpretation will be upheld” if either side appeals the eventual decision in court.

Beglane said he had not seen Fitz-Gibbon’s opinion until contacted for this report and did not provide comment by press time. Valley CDC executive director Joanne Campbell did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The board will hold another public hearing about Parsons Village on Tuesday, July 19, at 6:05 p.m. on the second floor of the Municipal Building at 50 Payson Ave.

SPRINGFIELD – The city’s top finance official said Wednesday that the city is sticking with a 12-day unpaid furlough for all non-bargaining employees, not yet convinced that a tiered furlough proposed by city councilors is a better option. Some 331 employees face the mandatory 12-day furlough, spread over a 12-month period. Changing the system to a tiered system, based on...

SPRINGFIELD – The city’s top finance official said Wednesday that the city is sticking with a 12-day unpaid furlough for all non-bargaining employees, not yet convinced that a tiered furlough proposed by city councilors is a better option.

Some 331 employees face the mandatory 12-day furlough, spread over a 12-month period.

Changing the system to a tiered system, based on income, could be evaluated quarterly, said Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Lee C. Erdmann during a meeting with the council Finance Committee on Wednesday.

The 12-day furlough will save the city $876,838, Erdmann said.

A tiered program saves less based on two specific options discussed, Erdmann said. The options would have the furloughs range from 15 days for the highest paid employees to no days for employees making less than $25,000.

Councilor Kateri Walsh said said council intended to convey the concept, not a specific plan.

The council will also vote whether to transfer $1,100 from a fund for handicapped parking fines into a new fund for the Committee on Disabilities.

NORTHAMPTON – In its first meeting of the new fiscal year, the City Council will tackle most housekeeping matters, and take a first reading on an ordinance that would allow large-scale solar voltaic systems, when it meets on Thursday.

The council took care of the big ticket items last month when it appropriated funds for the $93.5 million fiscal 2012 budget.

Eugene A. Tacy

It also took first votes on several controversial proposals, including one to ban the use of compression-release engine breaks on trucks. The brakes, which use energy from the engine to slow the vehicle, are used primarily for extra safety and to reduce wear-and-tear on wheel brakes. They are also loud. Acting on noise complaints by residents, some councilors proposed an ordinance that would have banned the use of the brakes within city limits. After hearing objections from truckers, however, the council modified the ordinance, directing it only at truckers that abuse the brakes or rig up excessively noisy systems.

Ward 7 Councilor Eugene A. Tacy believes the compromise is fair to both sides.

“If a truck buys a straight pipe that’s cheaper, it can be tremendously loud,” he said of the inadequate muffling systems.

However, Tacy said he has also watched big trucks going through downtown Northampton and recognizes the need for the back-up system of compression brakes.

“I want to know that guy’s got control of the truck,” he said.

Concerning the ordinance that would allow large-scale solar voltaic systems by right in some zones, a special permit is currently required for such systems in some zoning districts. The ordinance is geared towards encouraging the creation of commercial facilities. Planning officials have said the city has the one-time opportunity to sell renewable energy to power companies.

Paul D. Spector

The city has also looked at locating a solar array at the municipal landfill. Ward 2 Councilor Paul D. Spector, who is a member of a committee studying that possibility, said the issue will have to be put off until activity ceases at the Glendale Road facility. The landfill is scheduled to reach capacity and close next year, but some work might continue there as part of the closure. Spector said truck activity will create dust in the air, which is not suitable for solar panels.

In a minor monetary matter, the council will vote whether to transfer $1,100 from a fund for handicapped parking fines into a new fund for the Committee on Disabilities. The council recently created the fund so that the committee will have money to print brochures and support other projects on behalf of the disabled.

Statistics have shown service member suicides increasing as the U.S. is involved in two wars overseas.

Associated PressPresident Barack Obama makes a statement to reporters about debt ceiling negotiations, Tuesday, July 5, 2011, in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he's decided to reverse a long-standing policy of not sending condolence letters to the families of service members who commit suicide while in a combat zone.

The president said the decision was made after an exhaustive review of the previous policy, and was not taken lightly.

"This issue is emotional, painful, and complicated, but these Americans served our nation bravely. They didn't die because they were weak," Obama said in a written statement. "And the fact that they didn't get the help they needed must change."

The policy had been under review by the White House since 2009 and some military families had pushed for the change. Statistics have shown service member suicides increasing as the U.S. is involved in two wars overseas.

The policy change will apply to troops in combat zones — not to those who commit suicide while stateside, the White House said.

The watch is in effect until 9 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester counties.

The watch is in effect until 9 p.m.

Greg Saulmon | The Republican06.08.2011 | HOLYOKE - Lightning cuts a path across the sky above Mater Dolorosa Church during Wednesday evening's storm.