A Coast Guard ship based in Boston has reportedly intercepted a number of ships headed for the U.S. and seized $154 million worth of cocaine.

BOSTON — Officials say a Coast Guard cutter based in Boston has seized 4.6 tons of cocaine from a number of vessels that were en route to the United States, according to The Boston Globe.

The Seneca, the cutter responsible for the seizures, had been deployed to South America, and intercepted the drug trafficking vessels in the Panama Canal as they were headed for the U.S., according to the paper.

A spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston says the bulk of the cocaine from all five vessels is worth $154 million.

The Seneca, part of whose deployment focuses on "transnational crime in the Eastern Pacific," has reportedly been in service for 30 years, according to Fox25.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called for more gun control and additional resources to fight terrorism after the attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando claimed the lives of 49 victims, including two people with ties to Western Massachusetts. Watch video

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called for more gun control and additional resources to fight terrorism after the attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando claimed the lives of 49 victims, including two people with ties to Western Massachusetts.

Speaking on the Senate floor as part of a Democratic effort to force a vote on gun control legislation, Warren said the United States is "awash in the weapons of murder."

"We can ban Rambo-style assault weapons," said Warren, D-Mass. "We can take these weapons of war off our streets."

Warren pushed for giving the FBI authority to block gun sales to anyone believed to be a terrorist.

"If someone cannot get on an airplane because the FBI is concerned they might be plotting to do harm against Americans, then they shouldn't be able to walk into a store and buy a Rambo-style assault weapons," she said.

If Congress fails to pass gun control legislation, "a gun that we could have kept out of the hands of a terrorist, then the members of this Congress will have blood on our hands," Warren said.

The 29-year-old Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen, had at one point been on a terrorist watch list, but the FBI later removed him after an investigation.

Earlier in the day, presumptive Republican nominee for president Donald Trump said he planned to meet with the National Rifle Association about people on a terrorist watch list or no-fly list being allowed to buy guns.

I will be meeting with the NRA, who has endorsed me, about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no fly list, to buy guns.

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2016

In her floor speech, Warren also said the disruption of terrorism at home and abroad, by funneling funding and equipment to law enforcement agencies, is also key.

"We need to work with people in our local communities -- not isolate or demonize them -- to stop radicalization before it starts and to prevent tragedies before they occur, and to show that nobody is kept out of the American family because of how they look or talk or pray," Warren said.

Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey calls for return of federal assault weapons ban

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., also took to the floor of the Senate. "Americans are tired of living in fear that their community will be the next Orlando," he said, according to the Associated Press.

The gun control effort, referred to as a filibuster by multiple news outlets, was being led by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

How can it be that so many Senate Ds are willing to deny any American their constitutional right w/o evidence and due process of law?

-- JohnCornyn (@JohnCornyn) June 15, 2016

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Murphy was "just filling dead air" as lawmakers attempted to negotiate a compromise behind the scenes, AP reported.

Omar Mateen graduated from community college with a criminal justice degree, worked as a security guard and wanted to be a police officer.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- Omar Mateen graduated from community college with a criminal justice degree, worked as a security guard and wanted to be a police officer.

But a police academy rejected his application, prompting Mateen to complain that he was denied because of his Muslim faith.

More details about Mateen emerged Wednesday as investigators retraced his movements and tried to talk to anyone who came in contact with him over the last several years. Mateen, a 29-year-old bodybuilder and devout Muslim, opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando early Sunday, leaving 49 people dead and 53 wounded. Mateen was killed during the attack.

A number of possible motives and explanations have surfaced, with Mateen calling 911 to profess allegiance to the Islamic State group, his ex-wife saying he was mentally ill and his father suggesting he hated gays.

Meanwhile, a newly unearthed clip from a film documentary about the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico shows Mateen -- then working as a security guard at a cleanup site in Florida -- talking cynically about people who make money off disasters.

The clip from 2012's "The Big Fix" showed Mateen chatting with an undercover film crew, saying no one cared about the cleanup.

"Everybody's just out to get paid. They're like hoping for more oil to come out and more people to complain so they'll have the jobs," he tells a woman who pulls up to his guard booth.

Security firm G4S confirmed Wednesday that the guard in the clip is Mateen. He was stationed in Pensacola for several months 2010 to assist with the oil spill cleanup, G4S spokeswoman Sarah Booth said.

Mateen was employed with G4S since September 2007, most recently at a golf course community near his Fort Pierce, Florida, home.

St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said Mateen was removed from an assignment at the county's courthouse in 2013 after he made inflammatory comments about women, Jews and a shooting at Fort Hood.

The FBI investigated Mateen over the comments and again in 2014 because of his ties to a Syrian suicide bomber from Florida but both cases were closed without the agency taking action.

Mateen graduated in 2006 from Indian River Community College with a degree in criminal justice technology. In 2015, Mateen wanted to attend a police academy at Indian River State College to become a police officer, but his application was denied.

"This is a selective admission program, and he was not selected for admission," college spokesman Robert Lane said. "He was offered the opportunity to appeal this admission decision, but opted not to appear for an appeal hearing."

Lane did not give a specific reason Mateen was denied.

On Oct. 19, 2015, Mateen complained to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that he wasn't accepted because he was Muslim, agency spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said. The department, which certifies police officers, referred him back to the training academy, she said.

It's not clear what happened after that.

The Associated Press reviewed his certificate of firearms proficiency and other documents he filed to the state agency, which issues firearms and security officer license.

The documents showed that on Aug. 16, 2015, his range score was 203 and his written exam score was 96. That was down from previous years -- but still well above average.

The top range score is 240, and the minimum necessary to pass is 168, according to Jennifer Neale, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. On the written test, 100 is the top score and 70 percent is needed to pass.

His past tests included firing a .38-caliber revolver, a .357-caliber revolver, and a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. Authorities have said he was armed with an assault rifle and handgun during the nightclub attack.

The documents also showed Mateen passed a psychological evaluation in 2007 as part of his application to be a private security guard.

Florida records show Mateen was determined to be mentally and emotionally stable in September 2007 so he could work for The Wackenhut Corp., later renamed G4S Secure Solutions. The records state he took a written psychological test or had an evaluation by a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Mateen also stated in his 2007 firearm application that he neither had been diagnosed with a mental illness nor had a history of alcohol or substance abuse.

G4S has said that Mateen was subjected to "detailed company screening" when he was recruited to work for the company in 2007, and was re-screened again in 2013 with no adverse findings.

 

Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson were the founders of Smith & Wesson, located in Springfield.

The Horace Smith Fund's 117th Corporators' Meeting and scholarship awards ceremony will take place Thursday night at the Carriage House at Storrowton Tavern in West Springfield for recipients, their parents and school counselors and corporators.

Horace Smith 

Wayne Webster, chairman of the Board of Trustees, announced that this year there will be 21 scholarship and four fellowship recipients. "Providing that students maintain at least a B average in college, each scholarship provides a total of $10,000 over four years and each fellowship provides $12,000 over three years. Therefore, The Horace Smith Fund is happy to be able to grant a total award of $258,000 to area students this year," Webster said.

The Horace Smith Fund was established in 1899, said Teresa E. Regina, chairwoman of the Scholarship Committee. "(Horace Smith) and Daniel Wesson were the founders of Smith & Wesson, located in Springfield. Mr. Smith's will provided that the residual of his estate, after several bequests to relatives and institutions, was to be used for public purposes at the discretion of his executors. They decided that it should be used to help deserving students finance their education," she said.

The scholarships and fellowships are named for Walter S. Barr, a West Springfield businessman whose widow left the bulk of the family estate to The Horace Smith Fund in 1950. Recipients must be residents of Hampden County.

The keynote speaker will be Raul Centeno Pedraza, of Springfield, a 2016 graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology and past recipient of the Walter S. Barr Scholarship.

This year's scholarship recipients are from the following high schools and colleges:

• Agawam High School: Samantha Swistak
• Chicopee Comprehensive: Nhung Nguyen
• Chicopee High School: Tanner Gauthier
• Commerce High School: Veronica Israel, Aleeza Suarez Amador
• East Longmeadow High School: Madelyn Austin
• Gateway Regional: Iris Delaney
• High School of Science & Technology: Tymra Garcia
• Holyoke High School: Maire Doyle, Melanie Kos
• Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy: Tsui yee Ng
• Saint Mary High School: William Armstrong
• Springfield Central High School: Jasmine Gordon, Brian McCrae
• Springfield Renaissance High School: Emma Llosa
• Westfield High School: Amaya Diana, Daniel Gosselin, Griffen Massey
• Wilbraham & Monson Academy: Alexandra Collins-Anderson
• MCPHS University: Thomas Lacaprucia (Chicopee Comprehensive High School)
• Williams College: Arno Cai (Minnechaug Regional High School)

The four fellowship recipients are graduates of the following high schools and colleges:

• UMass Amherst: Jessica Yopak (MacDuffie School)
• Wheaton College: Scott Clark (East Longmeadow High School)
• Yale University: Evan Patel (Longmeadow High School)
• Yale University: Petr Vitkovskiy (West Springfield High School)

Students were selected on a variety of criteria, including their test scores, class rank, extracurricular activities and a personal written account of why the student feels deserving of financial assistance.

Applications for next year's awards will be available Sept. 15 online at www.HoraceSmithFund.org or by calling (413) 739-4222.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren took to the Senate floor to decry the attack on the gay Orlando nightclub Pulse, call for more gun control and additional funding for the fight against terrorism, and to remember the victims with Massachusetts ties. Here is her speech, as provided by her office.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to decry the attack on the gay Orlando nightclub Pulse, to call for more gun control and additional funding for the fight against terrorism, and to remember the victims with Massachusetts ties.

Her speech, as provided by her office, is below.

Last Saturday, I was in Boston for our annual pride parade. You know Pride is an institution in Boston - this year marked our 46th annual march. I have gone to pride for years, and when I go, I don't march. I dance. I dance with people - young people and old people, black people and white people, Asian people and Latino people, gay people and straight people, bisexual people and transgender people, queer people. The parade has everything - it has intricate floats, marching bands, elaborate costumes, tons of onlookers. One Boston reporter called our parade "pure joy" - and he is right.

I love Boston's Pride Parade. I love it as much as anything I've done as a U.S. Senator. For me, this parade is the tangible demonstration of what happens when we turn away from darkness and division and turn toward our best selves. When we turn toward each other. It shows us what this nation looks like when we are at our best. Inclusive. Strong. United. Optimistic. Proud. It shows us what this nation looks like when beat back hate and embrace each other.

Early Sunday morning, at around 2am, someone tried to take that away from us. It wasn't the first time. It was the most recent -- and it was extreme and horrible and shocking. Dozens of lives lost. Dozens more injured.

All across our country, we grieve for those lost and for their families and for their loved ones. And this is especially true in Massachusetts. Three years ago, the people of Boston came face to face with terror at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The cowardly attack and its aftermath took lives, injured people, and forever changed a beloved tradition. This week, two more people with Massachusetts' roots were killed in Orlando - and at least two more were wounded.

• 37-year old Kimberly "KJ" Morris, who was working the door at Pulse, had lived in Northampton, Massachusetts for more than a decade, performing in nightclubs and working at Amherst College and Smith College. She had recently moved to Florida to help take care of her mother and grandmother.

• 23-year old Stanley Almodovar, a pharmacy tech, spent his childhood in Springfield, Massachusetts. He came out of the bathroom at Pulse just as bullets were flying. He pushed people out of harm's way as he was shot three times.

• A third Massachusetts native who survived the massacre was also shot three times. Angel Colon of Framingham, Massachusetts was shot in the leg, the hand and the hip. He is alive today, according to Colon, only because the gunman missed his head as he shot those who were lying on the floor to make sure they were dead. 

• 37-year-old Geoffrey Rodriguez, raised in Leominster, remains in critical condition. Rodriguez was shot three times. As of Tuesday, he had undergone three surgeries. His family is optimistic that he will pull through. All of us, from Massachusetts and all across the nation, are rooting for him.

You know there are still things we don't know about the shooter. We don't know about his planning, and his motives-things we may never know. But here's what we do know. We know that the shooter called 911 and pledged allegiance to ISIS, declaring his intention to be known in history as a terrorist. We know he carried an assault style weapon that was designed for soldiers to carry in war. And we also know that hundreds of people in Orlando went to the Pulse nightclub to continue the celebration of Pride, and that the shooter targeted them to die.

I woke up Sunday morning still in the glow of the Boston Pride Parade. Boy, that ended fast, but I thought about the history of Pride. In the 1960s, the mere act of publicly associating with the LGBT community was considered radical. That was true even in places where the community came together to seek strength and protection, like New York's Greenwich Village.

Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn was one of the most popular gay bars in New York - and it was regularly raided by police officers who arrested patrons for any number of bureaucratic violations obviously designed to harass, embarrass and abuse people whose only crime was to want a place to be together. And one night, in late June of 1969, the bar's patrons fought back. The rioting continued intermittently for five nights, and it wasn't pretty. It reflected the demands of a group for equality, for the same chances that other Americans have to be themselves.

A few months after that, LGBT activists began planning for the first Pride march. It was set for the following June, to commemorate the Stonewall uprising. The idea was to use that anniversary as an opportunity for the community to remind us all that they, too, are citizens - they, too, get to have some fun, and they, too, are entitled to the same dignity and respect as every other American. Over the years, the tradition expanded across this great nation, just as tolerance and acceptance expanded across this great nation. Pride both helped us move forward and showed us how far we have moved together.

When terrible things like the Orlando shooting happen, we face important choices -- as a country, as individuals and as a community. When terrible things happen, we had to choose how we respond to them. And all of us will decide whether we are going to come together or splinter apart.

We can become a country, a country that is defined by fear and hate - fear of each other, hatred for anyone who is different from ourselves. In the America of fear and hate, we will alienate and isolate entire communities, creating even more fear and hate - and threatening further violence. We will fracture as a people, splintering off into separate groups, each fearing others, each seeking to serve only themselves.

Or we can make the choice to come together. We can choose that no community - no community of immigrants, no community of Muslims, no community of young men-is isolated in this country. We can do this knowing that when we embrace each other and build one people out of many, we become a stronger country. Stronger because the bonds of community prevent alienation. Stronger because the bonds of community make it harder to turn us against each other and break us apart. Stronger because the bonds of community mean people can get help before its too late.

We cannot ignore the fact that this massacre targeted an LGBT club, and we should learn from that - and from the message of Pride. In Orlando, an act of terrorism was also an act of hate, visited upon people who came together in friendship and celebration. But the patriots at Stonewall showed us the way: they gave birth to a movement that changed a nation. They beat back hate. They showed us that change-change for the better-is possible. They showed everyone that love can triumph over fear and hate - that we can all come together - but, boy, they showed us that you've got to work at it.

This is not an abstract idea. When it comes to our response to the tragedy in Orlando, we are already beginning to see the splintering of America. One side shouts, "It was a gun that killed all of those people." The other side shouts, "It wasn't a gun - it was a terrorist that killed all of those people." And through all of the shouting, we miss what should be obvious.

It was a terrorist with a gun that killed all those people. A terrorist with hate in his heart and a gun in his hand that killed all those people. It is time for us to acknowledge all of these truths, and to come together to address them.

Sen. Warren: If Congress doesn't act, it'll have blood on its hands

First, we must take the threat of terrorism seriously. We must continue to stop the flow of money to terrorist groups and to work with our allies to stop the movement of terrorists and disrupt hubs of radicalization abroad. And here at home, we need to make sure our law enforcement agencies have the resources they need - funding, training, equipment. But we also need to make sure we have the resources to analyze and counter radical propaganda. The war on terror is now fought online and we need to put our best forces online to fight back. we need to work with people in our local communities - not isolate or demonize them - to stop radicalization before it starts and to prevent tragedies before they occur, and to show that nobody is kept out of the American family because of how they look or talk or pray.

Second, we must take the threat from guns seriously. Our nation is awash in the weapons of murder, and there are many things that we must do to address that. We can ban Rambo-style assault weapons. We can take these weapons of war off our streets. We can also close the terror gap.

The FBI should have the authority to block gun sales to anyone that they believe is a terrorist. If someone cannot get on an airplane because the FBI is concerned they might be plotting to do harm against Americans, then they shouldn't be able to walk into a store and buy a Rambo-style assault weapons. We believe we can close the background checks loophole. Anyone who cannot buy a gun because of a felony conviction or a mental illness should not be able to go to a gun show or go online and buy that same gun.

We can act to make the next shooting less likely. We can act to reduce the likelihood that a disturbed individual, a criminal, or a terrorist is again able to kill dozens, again, with a gun. And if we fail to act, the next time someone uses a gun to kill one of us, a gun that we could have kept out of the hands of a terrorist, then the members of this Congress will have blood on our hands.

But the truth is, this is not just about Congress - it is about all of us. We all have choices. WE have choices about how we are going to treat our neighbors and our fellow citizens. Choices about what we do when someone is targeted at a coffee shop because of their background or their looks or their race. Choices about how we react when a friend or a co-worker - a son or a daughter - tells us the truth about who they love. Choices about how we treat our neighbors and fellow citizens who don't look or talk or pray like we do.

It is a scary world out there. We all know that. Terrorism mutates into new and more dangerous forms. Terrorists have easy assault, easy access to assault weapons that put us all at risk. And hate-plain, old-fashioned, naked, ugly hate-still lurks in dark corners.

It is a scary world, but America is strongest when we work together. And all of us will decide whether we come together or splinter apart.

We can keep weapons out of those who would do us harm. We can make it harder for terrorism to take root in this country. We can drive the forces of hate out of our nation. We can build a stronger, more united America.

And we can begin right here in the United States Senate. We can begin right now.

Looking for an excuse to take a vacation day? This week's weather will offer a beautiful reason.

SPRINGFIELD -- Looking for an excuse to take a vacation day? This week's weather will offer a beautiful reason.

Temperatures will fall into the lower 50s Wednesday evening across Massachusetts. 

Thursday will offer temperatures in the low-to-mid-80s and a sunny, dry day from the Berkshires to Boston. The beautiful weather is expected through early next week. 

"Sunshine will prevail through the weekend including Father's Day as high pressure keeps things dry," said Western Mass News Meteorologist Jacob Wycoff. "We can expect highs in the 80s with overnight lows in the 50s."

Forecast for Western Massachusetts: 

Tonight: Mainly clear and cool. Lows: 48-52. Winds: Light.

Thursday: Sun and clouds, warm and dry.  Highs: 80-84. Winds: SE 3-5 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, a slight chance for a sprinkle.  Highs: 76-80. Winds: Calm.

Massachusetts ocean beaches: A complete list

Every Wednesday from 4-6 p.m., Eats! members pick up their fresh fruits and vegetables at GTC's garden at 256 Hancock St. in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — From beets to collard greens, cilantro and kale, the Gardening the Community Eats! farm share program provides a variety of vegetables to a community fighting for a full-scale grocery store.

Based in the city's Mason Square area, the farm share is part of Gardening the Community's efforts to make healthy, quality food accessible to residents throughout the city and involve youth in the process by teaching them how to grow and eat healthy food.

"We are here every Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. for people to pick up fresh vegetables," said Anne Richmond, co-director of GTC along with Ibrahim Ali.

The farm share, launched in 2011, runs now through the end of October.

Members pick up their fresh fruits and vegetables at GTC's garden at 256 Hancock St. Participants register in advance, and pay a sliding scale of $10 to $30 per week for a share of abundant vegetables and fruit.

Produce comes from GTC's garden sites in Springfield and Next Barn Over Farm in Hadley. Members can sign up for the entire 20-week season or call in their orders week to week, as well as pay on a weekly or monthly basis.

"SNAP benefits are accepted, making it affordable for everyone," Richmond said.

Additional benefits of membership include regular outdoor cooking demonstrations and bike delivery for residents living or working within a half-mile radius of the Hancock Street pick-up site.

"Finding an affordable, local and community-based farm share was a godsend," said Emily Collins, of Springfield, adding that it is an opportunity to purchase fresh local vegetables and try some new vegetables as well.

Last year, 70 families were enrolled in the program. GTC is hoping for more this year, organizers said.

GTC youth also run a farm stand on Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m. beginning tomorrow.

"For people who are not participating in the farm share, it gives them an opportunity to still be able to purchase local vegetables," Richmond said.

For more information on the farm share, visit www.gardeningthecommunity.org.

Another former staff member of the now defunct Eagleton School was arraigned in court on Wednesday for charges of assault, as well as a number of other charges.

PITTSFIELD — A former staff member of the Eagleton School was arraigned in court on Wednesday on multiple charges alleging he abused students during his tenure at the now-defunct treatment center for boys with disabilities, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

Alexis A. Lopez, 23, of Pittsfield, is charged with seven counts of assault and battery on a disabled person, as well as one count of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury, and six counts of caretaker abuse on a disabled person, according to the paper.

Lopez is the second former staff member of the school to be arraigned in two days. Michael T. Bell of Watervliet, of New York, was arraigned on Tuesday, on one charge of assault and battery of a disabled person.

Lopez was released on his own recognizance on the condition that he have no contact with the alleged victims in the case.

The Eagleton School became embroiled in controversy after allegations began to emerge that alleged students were being abused by the staff.

Investigators raided the facility in January, and the school was forced to close in April. Since then, nine former staff members have faced abuse charges.

The Springfield Public Health Council is recommending that a proposed biomass plant in East Springfield be subject to a site assignment process and hearing. Health Director Helen Caulton-Harris has that recommendation under review.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Public Health Council voted 6-1 on Wednesday to recommend that a proposed biomass plant in East Springfield be subject to a review and hearing process conducted by Health Director Helen R. Caulton-Harris.

Longtime Health Council member Jeffrey Scavron, in making the motion to recommend the site assignment process, said there are too many unanswered questions about the impact of the biomass project on public health and the environment.

Caulton-Harris said immediately after the meeting at Central High School that she will give the recommendation careful review before making a decision.

The developer, Palmer Renewable Energy, is planning to build a $150 million wood-burning plant at Cadwell Drive and Page Boulevard. The project has been on hold for several years in part due to opposition and legal challenges.

Residents are shown at a Springfield Public Health Council meeting regarding a proposed biomass plant in East Springfield. The Health Council is recommending a site assignment hearing on the biomass project, as urged by some members in the audience.Peter Goonan / The Republican 

The Public Health Council conducted a public hearing in January, and continued that review and hearing until May, followed by Monday night's nonbinding vote. More than 40 people attended Monday's meeting, many applauding after the vote.

In January, a lawyer for Palmer Renewable Energy said that efforts to block the project are illegal and could trigger a $200 million lawsuit against the city.

The biomass project has been approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection, and has won legal rulings in its favor in three courts.

Opponents have stated that the biomass plant will worsen pollution and harm public health.

The developer and supporters have stated it will be a state-of-the-art facility and will not harm public health.

Scavron said he believes there needs to be a thorough review of the health impacts of the project, and the impacts on the environment, including the effects of: locating the plant in a populous "environmental justice" community with high concentrations of asthma and other health disparities; requirements to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases; the evolving science on health risks from pollution; and heavy truck traffic and truck emissions, and why, in 2016, a biomass plant would be considered the "fuel of choice" over other alternative energy options such as solar, wind and hydro power.

Critics of the biomass plant have stated that Caulton-Harris has regulatory authority under state law over local projects that are "noisome" or "dangerous to the public health."

Health Council members voting in favor of the site assignment hearing process were Bill Carrithers, Mattie Jenkins, Parris Howard, Maria Navarro, Milta Franco and Scavron.

Mary Ann Baker voted against the site assignment process and member Jeanne Clancy abstained.

Caulton-Harris serves as a member of the Public Health Council, but recused herself from Wednesday's vote.

The Public Health Council is a 15-member board, but there are believed to be five vacancies.

Carrithers said he agreed with the concerns raised by Scavron and would add concerns about the impact the project would have on mental health, with people saying they have fears of such a project.

Jesse Lederman, an environmental organizer for the group Arise for Social Justice, urged Caulton-Harris to "heed" the recommendation of the Public Health Council and the large amount of input given by Springfield residents in favor of the site assignment hearing.

"We are only asking them to do their jobs and hold the hearing, which by state law they are entitled, and in our opinion, are obligated to do," Lederman said.

Michaelann Bewsee of Arise for Social Justice said she appreciated the council's efforts, although it seemed quite "torturous."

Mayor Domenic Sarno officially endorsed Tom Ashe's Hampden County sheriff's run Wednesday, marking the latest city official to come out in support of the Springfield city councilor's campaign.

SPRINGFIELD — Mayor Domenic Sarno officially endorsed Tom Ashe's Hampden County sheriff's run Wednesday, marking the latest city official to come out in support of the Springfield city councilor's campaign.

Sarno, who announced his support for the Springfield Democrat during an evening campaign event at Nathan Bill's, said he believes Ashe is the "most qualified candidate to be our next high sheriff of Hampden County."

Pointing to the Democrat's years of experience in corrections, as well as in governmental public service, Sarno said Ashe understands what it's like to serve as a correctional officer, walk in the county's neighborhoods and run administrations.

The mayor added that the city councilor has stood by his side in his efforts to move Springfield forward, including in efforts to go after repeat violent offenders through bail legislation and other things.

"He has a whole package," he said. "So what anybody says about qualifications, his qualifications are second to none. I don't make these decisions very lightly, that's how strongly I feel about Tom Ashe. I know firsthand that he is someone that I can count on, that you can count on and that Hampden County can count on as being our next sheriff."

Stressing that the Hampden County sheriff's race is heading into "the dog days" of the campaign, Sarno called on supporters to mobilize their friends and families to ensure Ashe "moves on to victory" in the primary and general election.

Ashe, who chairs the Springfield City Council Public Safety Committee, thanked the mayor for his support, leadership and friendship before urging supporters to help his campaign maintain its momentum moving forward.

"Let me be very clear about one thing, because of you we have harnessed the momentum in this race: Make no mistake, and we are not looking back ... We have 85 days to go to Sept. 8 and as great as the momentum is today, it can slip away from us quick if we don't keep this going," he said. "That's why all these meetings we're doing every single day all across the county matter."

Ashe stressed that with backers' support his campaign will see success and make its own greatness at the Hampden County sheriff's department.

The mayor unofficially announced his support for Ashe's Hampden County sheriff's run by donning a "Tom Ashe Sheriff" T-shirt during the city's annual World's Largest Pancake Breakfast last month.

He previously hinted at endorsing Ashe during the city councilor's sheriff campaign kick-off in March, saying his attendance at the event "should send a message."

Sarno acknowledged that he had been leaning toward endorsing Ashe, but wanted to be careful and weigh all of the candidates before announcing his support.

"Even though we're dear, dear friends I wanted to make sure I did my homework on it and I would think that the edge was going to Tommy and I have complete confidence in him," he said. "The timing of this continues to build on the momentum."

Sarno's endorsement comes just months after Springfield City Council President Michael Fenton announced his support for Ashe's bid to replace outgoing and unrelated Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.

Fenton was also on hand for the endorsement announcement, as well as state Sen. Jim Welch, D-West Springfield, who publicly backed Ashe's campaign last week.

Ashe will square off against Democratic rivals Nick Cocchi, a Hampden County Sheriff's Department deputy superintendent, Mike Albano, a governor's councilor and former Springfield mayor, and Jack Griffin, a retired addiction specialist with the Connecticut Department of Corrections, in the Sept. 8 primary.

The winner of the Democratic contest will then face Republican John M. Comerford, director of the Eastern Hampden County Veterans' Service District, and non-party candidate James Gill, an assistant deputy superintendent with the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, in the Nov. 8 general election.

A home invasion in Ware that occurred Wednesday afternoon is currently being investigated, according to the Ware Police Department.

WARE — Police continue to investigate a home invasion that occurred in Ware on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Ware Police Department.

Police say they received a call for the incident at 26 Smith Ave at approximately 12:56 p.m., on Wednesday.

A State Trooper reported that a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) alert alleged that a "white Jeep Liberty" was involved in the home invasion, according to WWLP.

Local police are also being assisted with the investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Service Unit.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and that more information will be released as it becomes available.

Orlando gunman Omar Mateen apparently made a series of Facebook posts before and during his attack on a gay nightclub, raging against the "filthy ways of the west" and blaming the U.S. for the deaths of "innocent women and children," according to a Senate committee letter released Wednesday.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando gunman Omar Mateen apparently made a series of Facebook posts before and during his attack on a gay nightclub, raging against the "filthy ways of the west" and blaming the U.S. for the deaths of "innocent women and children," according to a Senate committee letter released Wednesday.

The killer whose rampage left 49 people dead also searched for "Pulse Orlando" and "Shooting" online on the morning of the carnage Sunday and said on Facebook: "America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state," according to the letter.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee sent the letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, asking the company to produce information on Mateen's online activity and to provide a briefing to the panel.

The letter illuminating Mateen's state of mind in the final hours of his life was released as the long, sad procession of memorials and funerals for the victims began in Orlando and as the FBI appealed for the public's help in reconstructing the killer's movements. The FBI is also trying to establish how much Mateen's wife may have known about the attack at Pulse dance club.

"We need your help in developing the most complete picture of what he did and why he did it," FBI agent Ron Hopper said at a news conference.

In its letter, the committee said staffers have learned that five Facebook accounts were associated with the 29-year-old American-born Muslim.

"The real muslims will never accept the filthy way of the west," Mateen wrote, according to the letter from committee chairman Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican. Johnson did not say how he learned of the posts other than to cite "information obtained by my staff."

As he did in his call to a 911 operator during the massacre, Mateen pledged his allegiance on Facebook to the leader of the Islamic State and, in his final post, warned: "in the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa."

Despite his professed loyalty to the extremist group, the Obama administration has said it has seen no evidence that the shooting rampage was directed by the Islamic State.

A spokesman for the FBI did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday evening, and Facebook had no immediate comment.

The three-hour rampage began at 2 a.m. Sunday and ended with Mateen being killed by a police SWAT team. The FBI said it is still gathering evidence at the Pulse and analyzing cellphone location data to piece together Mateen's activities leading up to the massacre, while also interviewing people who had any dealings with him.

On Saturday night, hours before the rampage, Mateen visited Disney Springs, an outdoor restaurant, retail and entertainment complex at Walt Disney World, an official who was briefed on the case but insisted on anonymity to discuss the continuing investigation told The Associated Press.

The official said it is not clear what Mateen was up to.

Meanwhile, drag queens and motorcyclists turned out to pay their respects at an evening visitation at a funeral parlor for Javier Jorge-Reyes, a 40-year-old salesman and makeup artist.

Members of the SWAT team underwent a stress-management debriefing Wednesday, as hundreds of others involved in the response to the shooting have done, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said. Further counseling is being made available.

"These are some of the bravest toughest men I know," Mina said. "No one can prepare you for what those officers encountered that night. They stood toe-to-toe and went face-to-face with a mass murderer, and I'm extremely proud of that."

A key topic for investigators is how much Mateen's Palestinian-American wife may have known about the plot.

An official who was briefed on the case but insisted on anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation said authorities believe 30-year-old U.S.-born Noor Salman knew ahead of time about the attack.

Investigators have spoken extensively with her and are working to establish whether she recently accompanied Mateen to the club, said a second official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

U.S. Attorney Lee Bentley repeatedly refused to say whether charges might be brought against the wife or anyone else. He said authorities are talking to hundreds of people and investigating everyone associated with Mateen, including family, friends and business associates.

Salman has been in seclusion for days.

In other developments:

-- Florida documents obtained by the AP under open-records laws show that Mateen passed a psychological evaluation in 2007 as part of his application to be a security guard. The records say he took a written psychological test or was evaluated by a psychologist or psychiatrist.

-- Orlando TV producer Matt Gentili of CFN 13 said Mateen called during his standoff to say he was doing it for the Islamic State. The station's managing editor traced the call back to a number associated with Mateen, according to NY 1 News, CFN 13's sister operation in New York. The FBI's Hopper declined to comment on calls Mateen made during the rampage.

-- A newly unearthed clip from a film documentary about the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico shows Mateen -- then working security for the cleanup -- talking cynically about people making money off disasters.

The excerpt from 2012's "The Big Fix" shows Mateen telling a woman that everyone is "hoping for more oil to come out and more people to complain so they'll have the jobs." Security firm G4S confirmed that it's Mateen, saying he was stationed in Pensacola in 2010 to assist with cleanup.

A man from Rhode Island has been convicted in the 2010 murders of two siblings from Brockton, according to The Boston Globe.

PLYMOUTH — A man from Rhode Island was convicted of the 2010 murders of two siblings from Brockton on Wednesday, according to The Boston Globe.

John V. Monteiro, 31, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of Jorge DePina, 30, and Maria DePina, 26, along with counts for home invasion and a number of weapons charges.

Prosecutors say Monteiro broke into the siblings' apartment on Jan. 21, 2010, and then shot them both because Jorge DePina owed him money, according to the paper.

"This was a brutal crime that decimated a family and stunned the Brockton community," said Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz of the murders, according to The Boston Globe.

Monteiro was sentenced to life without parole.

The Northampton Police Department estimates that about 2,000 people attended the event, which closed down Main Street for three hours.

NORTHAMPTON -- Early Sunday morning, Aimee Fyfe got a text message from her best friend of 15 years, KJ Morris. It was a photo of the two of them.

"We're so cute," Morris, 37, wrote. "I love you."

"I love you too," Fyfe responded.

Morris was killed soon after in the shooting at Pulse night club in Orlando.

"I couldn't have thought of a better way to have left it," Fyfe said of her final exchange with Morris.

It's become unbearable to hear and read her best friend's name in news reports, the 34-year-old Palmer resident said. Five-hundred words, three-minute broadcasts could never sum up Morris, who was an artist at heart, a reality TV junkie whose favorite movies were "Lilo and Stitch" and "The Color Purple."

"But when I saw that Lady Gaga said her name, I know that girl screamed somewhere in excitement," Fyfe said in a voice choked with laughter and tears.

Fyfe told her story at a vigil that honored the Orlando victims in front of Northampton City Hall Wednesday night. The Northampton Police Department estimates that about 2,000 people attended the event, which closed down Main Street for three hours.

Each speech was translated through Spanish and American Sign Language. Safe Passage provided on-site counseling. Iroko Nuevo, an local Afrocuban drum and dance group, performed. A few recited poetry.

Several spoke of Morris, who lived in Northampton before moving to central Florida to be closer to family. Many knew her as "Daddy K," her drag king persona.

Throughout the vigil, dozens of signed a memorial banner for Morris that will be sent to Pulse night club.

Many spoke of the importance of unity, love and resilience in the face of horrific tragedy.

"There is a loving heart at the center of this grieving," said Jennifer Walters, the
dean of religious life at Smith College, to the crowd. "You are here. You are proof of that. They will know we are standing with them because we share their sorrow."

In a particularly emotional moment, Holyoke City Councilor Nelson Roman -- who is both Latino and gay -- asked members of the crowd to turn to the person next to them and say, "You are my family."

"Family isn't always the family of your blood ... Family are the people who lift you up and make you the most happiest," Roman said. "Family are the ones who tell you to never change who you are."

Lovers, friends and strangers embraced.

Volunteers read the names of the 50 killed in the shooting, including the gunman, Omar Mateen.

Then, a moment of silence. Little else but muffled sobs could be heard on the usually busy Main Street.

Honoring Latino lives

Lena Wilson, one of the vigil's main organizers, spoke of growing up in Clearwater, Florida. She recently graduated from Smith College.

"In Florida, our LGBT spaces are so, so precious -- even more so for the Latinx community." she said. Latinx is used to make the word Latino, a masculine identifier, gender-neutral.

"When I woke up to the news of the Pulse shooting Sunday," she went on to say, "I wondered what would have happened if I decided to move home after graduating instead of staying in the Pioneer Valley."

Nearly half of those killed in the massacre were Puerto Rican, and an estimated 90 percent were Latino -- including 23-year-old Stanley Manolo Almodovar III, a Springfield native. Pulse was hosting a Latin dance night Sunday.

Speakers reminded the crowd that although many are in pain, it is those who identify as both LGBTQ and Latino that may feel the most vulnerable.

Frankie Yara Colon, 21, is both Latino and queer. She told the crowd that she got a text from her 80-year-old grandfather Sunday morning. In a show of love, he managed to assemble emojis into a rainbow of hearts.

Colon said that when she was young and went to family gatherings in Brooklyn, her LGBTQ identity felt like a burden. It didn't help that she grew up in the conservative suburbs.

"I have come to realize that my family never truly hated my queerness, but feared for my safety," she said.

Colon asked the white allies in the crowd to recognize how the color of their skin gives them a certain level of safety, an armor that most of the Pulse victims were born without.

"It's so hard to describe the many layers of pain that those of us who straddle and embrace both communities experiencing," said Bernadette Stark, who is also queer and Latino.

Holyoke city councilor Jossie Valentin, a self-identified lesbian, said that two big parts of who she is were assaulted Sunday morning.

Valentin moved to Northampton from Puerto Rico in 1988. The Caribbean Island was not a great place to come out, she said.

" ... I knew the City of Northampton was a safe place for me as a lesbian," she said. "For the first time in my 21 years of life, I could walk down the street ... and hold my partner's hand and feel safe."

Valentin said she ran for local office to be a voice for the Latino and LGBTQ communities.

She noted that many Puerto Ricans move to Orlando for the same reason that queer people move to Northampton -- to feel safe. Nearly 400,000 Puerto Ricans have settled in the Orlando area, according to federal data.

"What the city of Northampton has been able to have for many, many years ... is something we can replicate in cities and towns throughout our whole nation," Colon said.

A club as a sacred space

Many at the vigil spoke of LGBTQ clubs as a safe haven.

Stark and Roman both met KJ Morris at gay clubs. Morris was working as a bouncer at Pulse when she was killed Sunday.

"These clubs and bars are supposed to be safe places for us," Stark said, "places where we can find comfort and solidarity among those like us."

Roman's first interaction with Morris was at a Hartford gay club. He had just won a dancing contest, and she complimented him on his moves. Part of the reason Roman moved to Western Massachusetts from Waterbury, Connecticut, he said, was because of "Daddy K."

"It was because of people like KJ ... and this community that helped me to be the man that I am today," he said.

For young Frankie Yara Colon, the gay club is a sanctuary. It is where, she said, "queers and trans bodies are in motion, where they can absolve themselves of guilt and pain."

"We dance through this world together," she said, "even in death."

Paul Santamaria, of Hebron, said he was horrified for the family of Lane Graves, who was snatched by an alligator in shallow water Tuesday at a beach at Disney's Grand Floridian resort, 3 miles from where Santamaria was attacked.

HEBRON, N.H. -- The death of a 2-year-old boy at a Walt Disney World resort in an alligator attack has brought back some frightening memories for a New Hampshire man who was grabbed by a gator at a Disney campground in 1986, when he was 8.

Paul Santamaria, of Hebron, said he was horrified for the family of Lane Graves, who was snatched by an alligator in shallow water Tuesday at a beach at Disney's Grand Floridian resort, 3 miles from where Santamaria was attacked.

"I have two little girls the age of the boy that was taken, and it was just something that kind of hit home," Santamaria said.

In 1986, Santamaria's family was staying at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground when he was attacked while feeding ducks at a pond. The gator knocked him down, grabbed his leg and started to thrash around and try to pull him into the water, Santamaria said.

He yelled for help. His 12-year-old sister grabbed him under the arms, and his 10-year-old brother started hitting the gator. Santamaria kicked the gator with his other leg.

"Instead of just freezing, they decided to fight, to help me to fight to get away, and I'm here because of it," he said. "I was lucky."

He suffered gashes and a tooth stuck in his thigh, and he was hospitalized for a week. He still has the scars on his leg.

The alligator that attacked Santamaria was later shot and killed. A Disney spokesman said then that as far as he knew, it was the first such attack at the sprawling theme park.

In Lane's case, five alligators were killed in the search for his body, but authorities have yet to determine which of them, if any, was responsible for the boy's death. The Orange County sheriff said it was the first time an alligator had killed someone at Disney in its 45 years of operations.

Santamaria has been back to Disney World since he was attacked, but he said he's been much more cautious.

Disney gator attack: Charges unlikely against parents, sheriff says

An elderly woman has been "seriously injured" after a car crash in Springfield, according to police.

SPRINGFIELD — An elderly woman has been injured after a car crash on Parker St., in Springfield, on Thursday afternoon, according to police.

Springfield Police Lt. Scott Parker confirmed that the woman had been "seriously injured" in the accident.

Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney said that the woman suffered "serious wounds to her head and face from the windshield," according to WWLP.

Another vehicle was involved in the crash, but it is unclear how exactly the crash occurred, or how many people were involved.

Firefighters were called to the scene at approximately 2:30 p.m., to investigate fluids leaking from one of the cars, but they also noted that the female passenger of one of the vehicles involved was "seriously injured," according to Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Fire Department.

"The Fire Department was called there to clean up leaking fluids, but it became more of a medical call," Leger said, noting that it was clear to firefighters at the scene that one of the people involved in the crash had been badly hurt.

The injured woman was rushed to the hospital for treatment, according to Leger.

Her condition is currently unknown.

"Fred," a one-year-old terrier-mix, was stolen from the Rutland County Humane Society, but has since been returned, according to the Vermont State Police.

RUTLAND, VT — "Fred," a one-year-old terrier-mix, was stolen from the Rutland County Humane Society, but has since been found safe, according to the Vermont State Police.

Melanie Vangel, 20, of Camden, Maine, was arrested Thursday afternoon, after an investigation by State Police, along with the Rutland County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Forestry Service, led authorities to believe Vangel had stolen "Fred."

Vangel was cited to appear in Rutland Superior Court on July 25. She faces the charge of Petite Larceny.

A 12-year-old boy has been reported missing in Georgia, Vermont, according to Vermont State Police.

GEORGIA, VT — A twelve-year-old boy has gone missing from his home in Georgia, Vermont, according to Vermont State Police.

Owen Foley was last seen near his residence in the area of Ballard Rd and Rt 7 near exit 18, around noon, on Thursday, according to police.

A number of agencies are said to be involved in investigating the boy's disappearance, including the Georgia Fire Department, the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue, and the Vermont Army National Guard.

Anyone with any information on Foley's whereabouts should contact the Vermont State Police at (802) 524-5993, or dial 911 if information can be provided.

Several days of fantastic weather in Massachusetts are ahead in time for Father's Day weekend.

SPRINGFIELD -- Several days of fantastic weather in Massachusetts are ahead in time for Father's Day weekend.

Thursday evening will be cloudy with a low in the high-50s, low-60s.

Friday will be sunny, with the high in the low-70s in Boston, rising into the high-70s in Springfield.

The sunshine will stick around through Father's Day weekend, Western Mass News Meteorologist Jacob Wycoff said.

"We can expect highs in the 80s with overnight lows in the 50s with wall to wall sunshine both Saturday and Sunday! It will be nearly perfect for dad's big day!"

An early retirement incentive along with regular retirements provide savings needed to balance school budget.

WESTFIELD - An early retirement incentive has apparently allowed the School Department to avoid a need for teacher layoffs for Fiscal 2017.

School Human Resources Director Jennifer Willard said Thursday her department sent no layoff notices to teachers by the required June 15 deadline. But, a total of eight non-renewal notices were sent to teachers who will not be rehired for the 2016-2017 school year. Those are teachers not yet tenured in the system.

Willard explained that a recent early retirement incentive, which reportedly offered teachers $15,000 to retire early, attracted 11 teachers and two others are considering the offer. That was sufficient to avoid having to layoff tenured teachers, Willard said.

In addition to the 11, another 30 or so regular retirements and attrition reductions will allow the School Department to balance the $58.9 million school budget allowed by the School Committee for Fiscal 2017 which begins on July 1.

The School Committee voted last month to cut $729,000 from the request school budget for Fiscal 2017. At that time, officials said as many as 14 teachers would face layoff to comply with the budget constraint.

By contract tenured teachers must be notified by June 15 if their jobs are in jeopardy for the next fiscal year.

The School Department budget must still be approved by the City Council. The council's Finance Committee has already suggested an additional cut of $600,000 for schools. The Council will consider adoption of the total $138.4 million citywide budget for Fiscal 2017 when it meets in special session June 30.