UMass officials wanted to shape the job description, a UMass spokesman said.

AMHERST -- University of Massachusetts officials are moving ahead on hiring a permanent full-time director for campus radio station WMUA, months after the process was expected to begin.

"Student Affairs devoted time to researching and shaping the job description, given its importance," spokesman Edward Blaguszewski wrote in an email explaining the delay.

The hiring process had been expected to begin earlier this year.

Blaguszewski said the university's human resources department is reviewing the job description. Following final approval, the search will begin early in the fall semester, with the hope of hiring a director by the end of the fall.

The current timeline will allow students to participate in the hiring process when they return to campus in September, Blaguszewski said. 

The latest steps in the hiring campaign follow the departure of an associate vice chancellor who had been serving as the station's acting adviser since the ouster last year of longtime adviser and program host Glenn Siegel. 

Annemarie Seifert, associate vice chancellor for student development, has left the university for a job at the University of Connecticut, Blaguszewski wrote in an email.

Seifert took over the station's adviser duties after Siegel was removed from the position after more than 24 years. He was reassigned to other duties at the university.

"Student Affairs is formulating a transition plan for its student engagement cluster this summer, including plans for interim advising," Blaguszewski said of Siefert's departure.

Siegel's removal from the post followed conflict at the station between student managers and Max Shea, a WMUA community member who hosted a show called "Martian Gardens." He was also trespassed from the campus following what station officials said were violations of the station's "anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies." Shea has since moved "Martian Gardens" to Valley Free Radio in Florence.

The controversy led to a consultant review of the station, which recommended a number of changes implemented earlier this year, including shifting the station's priorities to focus more on students and to rely less on community involvement and programming.

The consultants -- including Gregory Adamo, associate professor in the School of Global Journalism at Morgan State University in Maryland -- also recommended hiring a full-time director. The position was previously a part-time duty.

Community role

There are currently no plans to restore or expand programming opportunities for members of the community at large who were cut in the wake of the consultants' report.

Two students who served as station manager and program manager -- Andrew DesRochers and Haley Chauvin -- graduated this spring, although one station host said Chauvin is now hosting a show as a member of the community.

DesRochers and Chauvin, who served on the station's three-person executive committee, both voted to terminate Shea's program, setting in motion the sequence of events that led to Siegel's removal and a university review of station operations. 

The changes that followed the consultants' report included Chauvin's decision to cut polka programming from 12 to four hours a week as part of the reduction in community programming. That move drew criticism from many community members, some of whom had made donations to the station and subsequently asked for their money back.

UMass spokesman Daniel Fitzgibbons said last winter that, when UMass hires a full-time adviser for the station, he or she would review the level of community programming. There's no guarantee that polka programming will return, but there will be a review, he had said.

Todd Zaganiacz, who hosts one of two polka programs that survived cuts, said it's a shame more community members can't participate because the station is currently airing a significant amount of automated programming. Community members would be happy to fill those hours with their own shows, he said. His own offer to come in earlier to expand his two-hour polka program was rejected, he said.

The station's current schedule shows automatic programming running from at least midnight until 8 a.m. every day of the week. Zaganiacz's show begins at 8 a.m. on Sundays.

Zaganiacz said he thinks the window to bring back community support might have closed, and that he's not sure what he will do come fall.

Despite objections of some community members to the programming changes, Blaguszewski wrote in his email that Seifert called the spring 2016 schedule "a great success" and that was "well received by listeners."

The station was closer to offering programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week this spring, Blaguszewski wrote, and the station "expanded learning opportunities for students" and offered a more diverse slate of music.  

"It is also impressive to observe the renewed commitment to comprehensive training, production quality and interesting and innovative content," Blaguszewski wrote. "WMUA has a bright future."

The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees put off a vote on tuition increases last month because they wanted to wait for the state budget process to play out. They'll discuss the issue in a meeting later this month.

AMHERST -- The cost of attending the University of Massachusetts will rise, but the amount of that hike is still unclear.

The UMass Board of Trustees put off a vote on tuition increases last month because they wanted to wait for the state budget process to play out. They'll discuss the issue in a meeting later this month.

The House had recommended appropriating $508 million and the Senate $521 million. The Massachusetts Legislature on Thursday passed a $39.146 billion state budget for fiscal 2017 that included $508 million for UMass.

The budget now goes to Gov. Charlie Baker's office for review.

There were going to be tuition hikes "whether we received the House number of $508 million or the Senate's proposed $521 million," UMass spokesman Robert Connolly said in an email. "The issue was one of magnitude. We still don't know what will be proposed -- that's something for President Meehan, the chancellors and the board's leadership to discuss now that we have more certainty about the fiscal landscape."

But he said they still want to see what Baker does with the budget. He has 10 days to sign or veto it. Connolly said officials cannot provide any details on what the hikes might be.

The trustees are scheduled to meet July 14.

Fees rose last year by about 5 percent, or $900, system-wide following a two-year tuition and fee hike freeze.

In previous years, the larger rise in cost was for fees, but last year the Legislature voted to allow UMass to keep in-statue tuition, eliminating the process in which the university gives the tuition to the state, which then gives it back to the university through a state budget line item.

"... bills issued this Fall 2016 will consolidate some of the mandatory fees we previously billed separately into one tuition charge," the bursar's office website states.

The bursar's office estimates costs for in-state students living on campus to be about $26,445, according to the website. 

The office also notified students that with the delay in setting costs, bills for undergraduate students will be available by the end of July with an estimated due date of August 19, according to the website.

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination has let cases languish for months after the deadline for resolving them.

If a person is discriminated against, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination should be there to ensure that state laws are enforced. In many cases, they aren't -- or at least not in a reasonable time frame.

An audit released by Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne Bump reveals a significant backlog at the agency.

For example, under state regulations, MCAD should complete non-housing investigations in 18 months. But as of June 30, 2015, MCAD had 1,839 cases that took an average of 325 days more to resolve than the 18-month time frame, the audit found.

"To have this kind of backlog undermines and runs counter to the values that are expressed in our statute against discrimination," Bump said. "It's not upholding some expressed values that have been an important part of Massachusetts law and society for decades."

The audit, which covers the period from July 2012 through August 2015, documents a litany of problems at MCAD, including the case backlog, shoddy record-keeping and an inactive board. However, MCAD Chairwoman Jamie Williamson said the organization is improving.

"MCAD is on an upward trajectory," Williamson said.

Bump agreed. "I think Jamie is someone who is embracing change, not reluctantly being forced to accept it," Bump said.

MCAD's role is to investigate and resolve claims of discrimination in housing, employment, education and public accommodations. It receives around 3,000 complaints a year. If a bill extending anti-discrimination protections to transgender individuals in places of public accommodation becomes law, MCAD would be tasked with writing guidelines and investigating violations of that law as well. The agency is funded by a mix of state and federal money.

Jamie Williamson, chair of the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination. (Courtesy: MCAD)MCAD

The audit, released June 29, found a major backlog in cases. In addition to 1,839 non-housing cases that took longer than required to resolve, the agency had 108 housing investigations that took longer than the 100 days required by state regulations. Those cases on average took 553 additional days to resolve -- or around a year and a half longer than they were supposed to take. The backlog did decrease slightly between 2014 and 2015.

The audit notes that not completing cases on time allows perpetrators to go unpunished and encourages victims to go to court instead.

Williamson attributed the backlog to a lack of money. "That's a historic backlog that has been around for quite some time," Williamson said. "It's directly related to the lack of funding the MCAD received throughout the years. Without the funds, you don't have the staff."

Williamson said the situation has improved as the department has received more money. Between 2012 and 2014, there were 13 full-time employment investigators, each handling over 300 cases. Today, she said, MCAD has 22 full-time employment investigators handling fewer than 200 cases apiece. Today there are only 17 housing cases that have stretched beyond the 100-day limit, she said.

According to state budget figures, MCAD received $2.5 million from the state in fiscal 2013, and that number gradually increased to $2.89 million in fiscal 2016. Williamson said in 2016, state lawmakers also approved a $400,000 increase in the amount of money the agency can get from federal contracts.

In addition to inadequate staffing, the audit identified other causes for the delays, including inefficient practices for assigning cases to investigators and and a lack of technology. For example, staff were scanning documents rather than encouraging electronic submissions.

The audit also recommends using mandatory mediation to resolve cases. "You want the parties to start to talk as soon as possible so that you can avoid these prolonged investigations and settlement discussions and litigation," Bump said.

MCAD responded in the audit that it has instituted a program to allow online submission of documents. It sometimes uses mediation.

In addition to the backlog, the audit identified numerous problems with MCAD's record keeping and procedures. For example, the agency levied $377,000 in fines during the audit period, but it did not document whether those fines had actually been collected. MCAD did not regularly review who had access to its case-management system, so three former employees never had their accounts deactivated. There was no disaster recovery plan for information technology.

Five different time sheets were used by different departments, and checks of some time sheets found that they were not all signed by employees and their supervisors. The MCAD board did not meet once during the audit period.

In its response to the audit, MCAD wrote that many of these problems have been corrected and new processes have been put in place.

Williamson said since she became chairwoman of the agency in March 2014, MCAD has implemented numerous changes. "There's a lot of work that needed to be done," Williamson said. "It's an agency that's been plagued with underfunding ... so they were just treading water and most of the time were underwater."

Bump agreed that the agency's problems are not new. "Frankly, I think that MCAD has been underfunded for as long as I've been in public life, which has been since the 1980s," Bump said.

Bump said she hopes the agency is moving in the right direction, and the audit may get MCAD to "put the pedal to the metal in getting changes made."

Audit Report - Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination

The Care Center alternative school in Holyoke held a graduation on Friday, July 1, 2016 of 41 young women who received high school-equivalency degrees.

HOLYOKE -- The Care Center alternative school held its largest graduation to date on Friday of 41 young women who received high school-equivalency degrees after having to drop out of regular schooling.

"We probably had 200 people, 250 people here and there was such a feeling of just byoncy, 'My daughter did this, my sister did this.' You could feel it in the crowd," said Anne Teschner, executive director of the Care Center at 247 Cabot St.

Usually, she said, the alternative school graduates 20 to 30 young women.

The ceremony was held in the garden at Wistariahurst Museum.

Among the graduates was Kaittlyn Simmons, 17, of Chicopee. She said she had no regrets about having a baby and leaving high school. Her son, Kaidenn, will be 1 next week, she said.

"It was good for me. It definitely pushed me forward," Simmons said.

A more detailed story on The Care Center graduation will be published on Saturday, July 2, 2016.

The raids were conducted by the police Narcotics Unit at residences in Memorial Square, Forest Park and Indian Orchard neighborhoods.

SPRINGFIELD -- Three separate narcotics raids Thursday in different parts of the city resulted in six arrests and the seizure of large amounts of heroin, cocaine and marijuana, as well as three handguns, police said.

Police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said the raids were conducted by the Narcotics Unit at residences on Grove Street in the Memorial Square neighborhood, White
Street in the Forest Park neighborhood, and Oak Street in Indian Orchard.

Each of the raids was conducted under the command of Lt. Steven Kent, Delaney said.

"Great police work and investigations by this group of hardworking detectives," Delany said. "They are dedicated to ridding the Springfield streets of illegal narcotics and the dealers that ruin neighborhoods."

The first raid was at 37 Grove St., and police said they seized 29 grams of crack cocaine and $1,793 in cash. Residents Angel Vergara, 38, and Maritza Sanchez, 37, were charged with trafficking cocaine and distribution of cocaine.

A raid at 126 White St. resulted in the seizure of 158 grams, or 5 ounces, of heroin and 78 heroin packets ready for street sales. Officers also found a semi-automatic handgun, Delaney said.

Residents Juan Carlos Rivera, 39, Felicity Ayala, 69, and Carlo E. Perez-Gilmore, 25, were charged with trafficking in heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

In the third raid, at 320 Oak St., police said they seized 322 grams of cocaine, 346 grams of marijuana, or more than 11 ounces each, as well as 36 oxycodone tablets and two semi-automatic handguns.

Resident Luis Antonio Ruiz, 28, was charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification cared and possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute.

The six people were expected to be arraigned Friday in Springfield District Court.

Only the dog was home when firefighters responded to a basement fire at 68 Yale St. in Ludlow, Fire Capt. Richard Michado said.

LUDLOW - Firefighters rescued a dog from inside 68 Yale St. early Monday afternoon and extinguished a fire in the basement.

Fire Capt. Richard Michado said a family lives in the house, but no one except the dog was home when firefighters arrived.

"The dog was scared, and went to the rear of the house, but I was able to corral him outside while other firefighters went to the basement," Michado said.

He said the fire started in a laundry room of the basement, and firefighters were mostly able to contain the fire damage to the basement. The family will be temporarily displaced and the property secured, he said.

"It could have been a lot worse," Michado said. "No one got hurt. Even the dog was in good spirits."

The cause of the fire has not been determined yet, Michado said.

James Holmes was convicted in the killings and is serving a life sentence.

Lawyers for Cinemark are requested that victims of the 2012 mass shooting at the company's theater in Aurora, Colorado, pay almost $700,000 in legal fees following their failed lawsuit against the theater chain.

A judge has not yet decided whether to grant Cinemark's request since Colorado law allows the defendants in unsuccessful lawsuits to recoup legal fees, The Denver Post reported

The July 2012 attack at Aurora's Century 16 theater by James Edgar Holmes took place during a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises." The mass shooting left 12 people dead and more than 50 others wounded.

Holmes was convicted in the killings is serving a life sentence.

A jury ruled on May 19 that Cinemark would not have to pay the 27 victims and family members of survivors who brought the lawsuit for failing to prevent the attack.

Deadline reported that the hashtag #BoycottCinemark has grown in popularity since Cinemark's request was filed.

News of Cinemark's recent filing for legal fees comes in the wake of its recent quarterly earnings in which it reported revenue of $704.9 million, the website noted.

Massachusetts is one of four states that lets the feds oversee the U.S. Clean Water Act.

BOSTON -- Water pollution oversight in Massachusetts will remain in federal hands after legislation to transfer authority to state environmental regulators died on Beacon Hill.

A bill filed by Gov. Charlie Baker in April would have let the state's Department of Environmental Protection, instead of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, oversee federal pollution discharge permits for facilities such as wastewater treatment plants, municipal storm drain systems and industry.

Baker had expressed confidence MassDEP would implement a "strong, science-based program" and committed $4.7 million in annual funding to implement the program.

However, the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture in June referred the bill to study, meaning it won't come up for a vote this legislative session.

Forty-six states run their own programs, having been authorized by the EPA to do so. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Idaho and New Mexico are the only states that have not taken over enforcement of the federal Clean Water Act, which was adopted in 1972.

The state oversight proposal had supporters and detractors from across the spectrum.

Bill would let MassDEP regulate water pollution

MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg in April said the state would "embrace the concept of integrated water resources planning" and "work with municipalities to take a holistic view of clean water requirements and implementation schedules."

Moving oversight to the state "will bring it closer to affected communities, which are often faced with major and costly challenges to comply," said state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester.

Geoffrey Beckwith, director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, also offered support, saying MassDEP would "deliver stronger results for the environment with less bureaucracy, and provide greater responsiveness to all communities and stakeholders."

However, H.2464 was opposed by some environmentalists, including the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, a coalition of 38 groups.

"It makes no sense to replace an existing federally funded program with a state-funded program when state budgets are this tight," rivers alliance Director Julia Blatt wrote to legislators. "The only funding mechanism now being proposed, general legislative appropriations, is unreliable."

Blatt noted that MassDEP has seen significant funding and personnel cuts since 2009, and called for fee assessments directed to a dedicated fund if the pollution program were to be transferred to state hands.

The rivers alliance said in a June 20 letter that any water pollution oversight program must ensure adequate and sustainable funding, improve the permit appeals process, and shield MassDEP from political interference.

Not all environmental groups opposed Baker's bill. The Connecticut River Watershed Council had expressed optimism that MassDEP could work with stakeholders to create a "gold standard" program for preventing and abating water pollution.

"We're disappointed a negotiated solution couldn't be found this session," said watershed council Executive Director Andrew Fisk. "We believe that a robust clean water program can be rebuilt at DEP."

The EPA has not been stellar in enforcing its own permits. Last year the watershed council sued Chang Farms, located on the Connecticut River in Whately, for chronic, documented violations of its federal water pollution permit after the EPA repeatedly failed to take enforcement action. Chang settled the suit in April for $78,000.

The federal agency issues and enforces Clean Water Act permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES. The permits are supposed to be renewed every five years.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com.

The store, All Day Vapors, will be operated by Jay Scott Howe Jr., who told the Wilbraham Zoning Board of Appeals that e-juice helped him to quit smoking.

WILBRAHAM -- The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved a special permit for an e-liquids and vaping devices retail store at 2110 Boston Road.

The store, All Day Vapors, will be owned and operated by Jay Scott Howe Jr. on the first floor of a vacant building Howe said he is leasing from Demers Family Realty. The building is across from the vacant Medeiros-Williams car shop on Boston Road and has about seven parking spaces.

Howe told the board at a Thursday night meeting that e-liquids helped him to quit smoking. Howe said that vaping, or using e-cigarettes, is a "better health choice than smoking." There are several other vape shops in Wilbraham, Howe said.

Health officials are still debating whether e-cigarettes, which contain nicotine, are safer than cigarettes and whether they may get young people started on smoking.

The Ludlow Board of Health has banned the sale of flavored tobacco and vape juice or e-juice -- the nicotine-based liquid used in electronic cigarettes and personal vaporizers -- unless it is sold in a smoke shop. The age for being admitted to a smoke shop in Ludlow is 21.

The age to be admitted to Howe's shop will be 18. Howe said he thinks the average age of his customer base will be 25 to 40.

There is a bill in the state Legislature to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products in Massachusetts to 21. Howe said that if the bill becomes law, he does not think it will have a significant impact on his business.

Howe said he thinks he can sell $30,000 worth of vape juice per month.

He said he will have a security system with cameras and censors for his business, and will install outdoor lighting appropriate to the Boston Road area.

The shop will be open seven days a week. On weekdays, the hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with shorter hours on weekends.

Appeals Board Chairman Edward Kivari said there are vacant businesses on Boston Road, and the business will be an improvement to the area.

"This area needs an occupant," Kivari said. "This would be an improvement."

Howe said he will card everyone who buys e-juice from him and will sell to no one under 18.

"Be a good neighbor. We wish you the best," Kivari said.

The Holyoke Care Center alternative school had its largest graduating class to date of 41 young women who earned high school-equivalency diplomas in a ceremony held in the Wistariahurst Museum garden, 238 Cabot St.

HOLYOKE -- Kaitlyn Simmons, 17, said that what she felt upon receiving her high school-equivalency diploma Friday was pride and not regret that getting pregnant had forced her to drop out of school.

"I'm proud of myself, I guess. I did it for my son and I did it for my mom. My mom passed away. She died in September," Simmons said.

She was among 41 young women who combined to make this the largest graduating class to date of The Care Center alternative school. The ceremony was held in the Wistariahurst Museum garden, 238 Cabot St.

State Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke, said he was impressed with how graduates handled challenges.

"I'm proud to support the Care Center and the great work they do. I am hopeful these young women will continue their education, continue to be positive role models to their children and work to improve our community. I congratulate all of this years graduates and am impressed by their strength and determination," Vega said.

Simmons said her son Kaidenn will turn 1 next week. No regret, she said, that the path of her life took her to the alternative school here at 247 Cabot St.

"Definitely not. It was good for me. It definitely pushed me forward," Simmons said.

Executive Director Anne Teschner said the Care Center worked harder than ever this year to spread the word in the community about the availability of the alternative school and to the young women themselves about the importance of getting the diploma.

"Our normal is like 20. Thirty is good. Forty-one is out of the ballpark," Teschner said.

"We probably had 200 people, 250 people here and there was such a feeling of just buoyancy, 'My daughter did this, my sister did this.' You could feel it in the crowd. Our community is on the rise and we like it," she said.

The Care Center is supported by numerous funding sources including the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and donors in the region, a press release said.

Here is the list of graduates:

Alicea was indignant. He ordered his partner to get dressed, saying: "Babe, go put on some (obscenity) clothes; I don't want the pigs to look at you," the arrest report said.

SPRINGFIELD — Defense lawyers are seeking to bar prosecutors from presenting certain evidence against a Springfield couple charged with having sex on the kitchen floor in front of their crying children.

Adis A. Negron, 30, and Elias Alicea, 38, were scheduled for a final pretrial hearing June 29 in Springfield District Court. But defense lawyers Patrick Goodreau and Matthew Hutchinson said during the hearing that they plan to file motions to suppress evidence seized by Springfield police from the couple's home on June 13, 2015.

Judge Charles W. Groce III gave the lawyers until Aug. 17 to file written motions to suppress and scheduled a hearing for Aug. 31 for arguments on the motions.

The specific evidence the lawyers want excluded was not identified in court documents, but motions to suppress often claim violations of Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure.

Responding to a neighbor's complaint, police went to the couple's Haumont Avenue home on the evening of June 13. After hearing children crying inside, the officers entered and found the couple having sex on the kitchen floor in front of their three children, according to the arrest report.

"The children were all visibly upset, crying, sobbing ... tears rolling down their cheeks while looking at their ... actions," the arrest report stated.

Alicea was indignant when he saw the officers, the report said. He stood up and ordered Negron to get dressed, saying: "Babe, go put on some (obscenity) clothes; I don't want the pigs to look at you."

He then ordered the officers to "get the (obscenity) out" of his apartment. "I'm going to hurt someone if you don't leave now," he added, according to the report.

After a brief struggle, Alicea was handcuffed and arrested. In addition to the open and gross lewdness charge filed against him and Negron, Alicea also was charged with two counts of assault and battery on a police officer.

Both defendants pleading not guilty to the charges and were released on personal recognizance.

The pretrial hearing this week was the sixth since charges were filed in the case.

The couple has requested a jury trial, though no date has been set.

The prosecution has turned over several documents to the defense, including a tape of the 911 call made by a neighbor and reports from the state Department of Children and Families, which investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect.

When police told Negron they intended to file a child abuse report with DCF, she replied: "That's OK; they know who I am," the report said.

When officers asked why the couple was having sex in front of the children, she denied it, then looked away, the report said.

"Sorry, it just happened," she said, adding that the couple had been drinking, the report said.

Tickets can be reserved in person or by mail.

CHICOPEE - The Parks and Recreation Department is offering a trip to see the New York Yankees take on the San Francisco Giants on July 23 in Yankee Stadium.

The bus will leave at 11 a.m. from Szot Park for the 4 p.m. game in New York. Seats are located in section 233B.

The cost is $95 for residents and $99 for non-residents. Those interested can reserve tickets in person at the Chicopee Parks Department, 687 Front St., 01013. People can also mail in a check, payable to the City of Chicopee, to the Parks Department office. Participants do not have tickets until they are notified by the Parks Department so a phone number and "Yankees, July 23, 2016" should also be written in the memo portion of the check.

Those with questions should call the Parks and Recreation Department at 594-3481.

Amid the clamor a year ago to release 28 still-secret pages of a congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks, the government quietly declassified a little-known report listing more than three dozen people who piqued the interest of investigators probing possible Saudi connections to the hijackers.

WASHINGTON -- Amid the clamor a year ago to release 28 still-secret pages of a congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks, the government quietly declassified a little-known report listing more than three dozen people who piqued the interest of investigators probing possible Saudi connections to the hijackers.

The document, known as "File 17," offers clues to what might be in the missing pages of the bipartisan report about 9/11.

"Much of the information upon which File 17 was written was based on what's in the 28 pages," said former Democratic Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, co-chairman of the congressional inquiry. He believes the hijackers had an extensive Saudi support system while they were in the United States.

"File 17 said, 'Here are some additional unanswered questions and here is how we think the 9/11 Commission, the FBI and the CIA should go about finding the answers,'" Graham said.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir denies any allegations of Saudi complicity, telling reporters in Washington earlier this month that there is "no there there."

Former President George W. Bush classified the 28-page chapter to protect intelligence sources and methods, although he also probably did not want to upset U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally. Two years ago, under pressure from the families of those killed or injured on Sept. 11, and others, President Barack Obama ordered a declassification review of the 28 pages. It's unclear when all or some may be released.

The report by the two researchers, one of several commission documents the National Archives has reviewed and released, lists possible leads the commission could follow, the names of people who could be interviewed and documents the commission might want to request in looking deeper into the attacks.

File 17, first disclosed by 28pages.org, an advocacy website, names people the hijackers were in contact with in the United States before the attacks. Some were Saudi diplomats, raising questions about whether Saudi officials knew about the plot.

The 9/11 Commission's final report stated that it found "no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded" al-Qaida. "This conclusion does not exclude the likelihood that charities with significant Saudi government sponsorship diverted funds to al-Qaida," the report said.

Releasing the 28 pages might answer some questions, but the disclosure also could lead to more speculation about the key Saudi figures investigated by the U.S. after the attacks. A look at some of those named in the declassified report and what the 9/11 Commission concluded:

FAHAD AL-THUMAIRY

An imam at the King Fahad Mosque in Culver City, California, al-Thumairy was suspected of helping two of the hijackers after they arrived in Los Angeles. He was an accredited diplomat at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Los Angeles from 1996 to 2003.

The 9/11 Commission said al-Thumairy reportedly led an extremist faction at the mosque. He has denied promoting jihad and told U.S. investigators that he never helped the hijackers.

The commission said al-Thumairy met at the consulate with Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national, in February 2000 just before al-Bayoumi met the two hijackers at a restaurant. Al-Thumairy denied knowing al-Bayoumi even though the two talked on the phone numerous times as early as 1998, including more than 11 calls between Dec. 3-20, 2000. Al-Bayoumi told investigators those conversations were about religious matters.

The 9/11 Commission said that despite the circumstantial evidence, "We have not found evidence that al-Thumairy provided assistance to the two operatives."

A CIA document dated March 19, 2004, said Khallad bin Attash, an al-Qaida operative and suspected planner of the USS Cole bombing in Yemen in October 2000, was in Los Angeles for two weeks in June 2000 and was seen in the company of "Los Angeles-based Sunni extremists (redacted section) Fahad al-Thumairy."

On May 6, 2003, al-Thumairy tried to return to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia, but was refused entry on suspicion he might be connected with terrorist activity.

OMAR AL-BAYOUMI

A Saudi national who helped the two hijackers in California. Al-Bayoumi told investigators that he and another man drove to Los Angeles from San Diego so that he could address a visa issue and collect papers at the Saudi consulate. Afterward they went to the restaurant in Culver City where he heard the two hijackers speaking in what he recognized to be Gulf Arabic and struck up a conversation with them.

The hijackers told him they didn't like Los Angeles, and al-Bayoumi invited them to move to San Diego. He helped them find and lease an apartment.

The congressional researchers' report said: "Al-Bayoumi has extensive ties to the Saudi government and many in the local Muslim community in San Diego believed that he was a Saudi intelligence officer."

The 9/11 Commission said al-Bayoumi was officially employed by Ercan, a subsidiary of a contractor for the Saudi Civil Aviation Administration. The commission also said that a fellow employee described al-Bayoumi as a "ghost employee," noting that he was one of many Saudis on the payroll who was not required to work.

He left the United States in August 2001, weeks before the Sept. 11 attacks.

The 9/11 Commission said it did not "know whether the lunch encounter occurred by chance or by design." The commission said its investigators who spoke with him and studied his background found him to be an "unlikely candidate for clandestine involvement" with Islamic extremists.

OSAMA BASSNAN

A close associate of al-Bayoumi who was in frequent contact with the hijackers and lived in an apartment complex across the street from them in San Diego. Bassnan vocally supported Osama bin Laden.

The staffers' found that Bassnan, a former employee of the Saudi government's educational mission in Washington, received considerable funding from Princess Haifa al-Faisal, wife of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, former intelligence chief in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom's U.S. ambassador from 1983 to 2005. The money was supposedly for Bassnan's wife's medical treatments, and the 9/11 Commission said there was no evidence the money was redirected toward terrorism.

MOHDHAR ABDULLAH

The staffers' report said Abdullah translated for the two hijackers and helped them open bank accounts and contact flight schools. Interviewed many times by the FBI, Abdullah said he knew of the two hijackers' extremist views but said he did not know what they were planning.

The 9/11 Commission said: "During a post 9/11 search of his possessions, the FBI found a notebook (belonging to someone else) with references to planes falling from the sky, mass killing and hijacking. Further, when detained as a material witness following the 9/11 attacks, Abdullah expressed hatred for the U.S. government and stated that the U.S. brought 'this' on themselves."

The commission also learned of reports that Abdullah bragged to other inmates at a California prison in the fall of 2003 that he knew the hijackers were planning an attack -- reports the commission nor the FBI were not able to verify.

He was deported to Yemen in May 2004 after the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California declined to prosecute him on charges arriving out alleged comments made in prison.

Police are asking local residents to be on the lookout for two individuals claiming to be generator installation company workers.

WILBRAHAM ‒ Police are asking local residents to be on the lookout for two individuals claiming to be generator installation company workers.

The warning comes just days after Wilbraham Police responded to reports of suspicious activity on Crane Hill Road.

A resident contacted officers Thursday afternoon claiming that two Hispanic-looking males operating a black, unmarked SUV had approached their home saying they wanted to install a generator, police said on Facebook.

One of the males reportedly entered the home with a resident while the other remained outside with another resident, according to police. The suspects' actions and comments made homeowners concerned.

Wilbraham Police noted that the department has no registered generator installation companies canvassing the town.

The department urges residents to contact Wilbraham Police if the individuals are observed in their neighborhood.

Kozak began undressing in the cruiser and refused to let a female police officer put her clothes back on at the station, the arrest report said.

These were the top stories out of Springfield District Court this week. If you missed any, click on the links below to read them now.

'You guys want AIDS?' woman asks Springfield police during shoplifting arrest

Dispute over waitress led to stabbing outside Springfield restaurant; suspect held for dangerousness hearing

Bail revoked for woman, 27, charged with sucker-punching Springfield police officer

Judge rejects $250,000 bail request in Springfield gun case; orders suspect held on $50,000

'I would never lie' in court, Springfield man with 4-decade arrest record assures judge

'Regular customer' denies robbing Springfield convenience store; bail set at $5,000

The mother of four children who authorities say were fatally stabbed in a suburban Memphis apartment complex has been charged in their deaths.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A news report says the mother of four children who authorities say were fatally stabbed in a suburban Memphis apartment complex has been charged in their deaths.

Citing a charging document, The Commercial Appeal reports that the woman has been charged with four counts of first degree murder associated with aggravated child abuse, four counts of first degree murder in association with aggravated child neglect, and four counts each of aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect or endangerment.

Deputies were called to the complex in unincorporated Shelby County shortly before 1 p.m. Friday. They took the mother into custody after finding the children's bodies. Officials have not released the ages of the children, but sheriff's office spokesman Earle Farrell said deputies responding to the scene called them "babies."

Authorities are planning a news conference later Saturday morning to update the public.

Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham said Friday that investigators did not know if she had mental health issues.

"This is an egregious act of evil that has shocked us to our core," Oldham said. "I will never understand how anyone can do this."

Oldham said the district attorney general's special victims' unit has been called in and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has promised all resources necessary for the investigation.

"One of the most difficult questions in any investigation is always, 'Why did this happen?'" the sheriff said.

County Commissioner Mark Billingsley also said the county would work to help the family of the children recover.

"It's just a very sad day," he said. "It's really beyond words, quite frankly."

Neighbor Sean Ahearn said he didn't know the family by name, but that he often saw the children, who all appeared to be under age 6, playing in the front yard. They liked to pet his dog when he was taking it for a walk, he said.

"From what I saw, they were very open and friendly kids," he said. "You never imagine that this kind of thing could happen."

The apartment where the stabbing occurred is in a gated community with a golf course called The Greens at Irene. On Friday afternoon, deputies were standing at the gate house questioning motorists as they drove into the neighborhood.

Resident Patricia Johnson spoke with reporters from her car. She said she wasn't allowed to leave for two hours as deputies investigated the scene.

She has a child, and said she burst into tears when she heard about the killings.

"I can't fathom that," she said. "What would babies do to make you do that?"

The state Department of Children's Service has offered its assistance to local law enforcement, but has no record of interaction with the slain children, said spokesman Rob Johnson.

"We've done an exhaustive search and we are not aware of any contact with this family," he said.

Police arrested a 35-year-old Salem, New Hampshire woman Thursday after she allegedly assaulted and strangled a Bank of America employee who refused to cash her check.

SALEM, N.H. ‒ Police arrested a 35-year-old Salem, New Hampshire woman Thursday after she allegedly assaulted and strangled a bank employee who refused to cash her check.

According to police, Leanne E. Yerian reportedly picked up a large metal three-hole punch from a desk and hit a Bank of America branch manager on the head after she refused to cash her check.

She then allegedly jumped on the manager, pulled her hair and slammed her up against the wall, Salem Police reported.

The victim told officers, who responded to the Bank of America branch located at at 220 North Broadway just after 4 p.m., that Yerian strangled her to the point where she could not call for help.

Other bank employees heard the commotion and stepped in to stop the incident, according to Salem Police.

A male employee was then reportedly struck in the back of the neck and scratched by the suspect, who fled the scene in a vehicle.

Yerian was stopped a short distance away and arrested on charges of second degree assault, strangulation and two counts of simple assault, police reported.

She was held overnight in Rockingham County jail on $5,000 cash bail and was arraigned Friday.

A Newtown Middle School teacher, who was arrested in April for allegedly carrying a loaded gun inside the school, has resigned from his position.

NEWTOWN, CONN. ‒ A Newtown Middle School teacher, who was arrested in April for allegedly carrying a loaded gun inside the school, has resigned from his position.

Newtown School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi, Jr. told the Associated Press Saturday that Jason Adams stepped down from his teaching position at the end of the school year.

According to the Newtown Bee, Adams, a 46-year-old eighth grade science teacher, submitted a letter of resignation to Eradi on June 30. He did not provide a reason for his resignation.

Adams had been placed on administrative leave after being arrested earlier this year for allegedly carrying a .45-caliber pistol loaded with eight rounds of ammunition while inside the school, the Bee reported.

Although police said he had a valid pistol permit, Connecticut state law prohibits firearms possession on school grounds, according to AP.

Newtown Middle School is just a short distance away from the site of the December 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

A Saturday morning crash on Interstate-90 near Palmer backed up westbound travelers for miles and resulted in minor injuries, Massachusetts State Police reported.

A Saturday morning crash on Interstate-90 near Palmer backed up westbound travelers for miles and resulted in minor injuries, Massachusetts State Police reported.

According to state police, the three-car crash occurred around 11:30 a.m. near mile marker 64.5 West in Palmer -- just before the Flynt Street overpass.

Although emergency crews were on scene clearing the crash as of 12:30 p.m., only one lane of traffic was reportedly moving, state police from the Chalton barracks reported.

Traffic was backed up at least for at least three miles.

The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

Some occupants on the vehicles involved have been transported to Wing Memorial Hospital in Palmer with minor injuries, police said.

As of 2:30 p.m. traffic in the area had largely returned to normal.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

The hostages were given a test: recite verses from the Quran, or be punished, according to a witness. Those who passed were allowed to eat. Those who failed were slain.

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- The hostages were given a test: recite verses from the Quran, or be punished, according to a witness. Those who passed were allowed to eat. Those who failed were slain.

The dramatic, 10-hour hostage crisis that gripped the Bangladesh's diplomatic zone ended Saturday morning with at least 28 dead, including six of the attackers, as commandos raided the popular restaurant where heavily armed attackers were holding dozens of foreigners and Bangladeshis prisoner while hurling bombs and engaging in a gunbattle with security forces.

The attack marks an escalation in militant violence that has hit the traditionally moderate Muslim-majority nation with increasing frequency in recent months, with the extremists demanding the secular government revert to Islamic rule. Most previous attacks have involved machete-wielding men singling out individual activists, foreigners and religious minorities.

But Friday night's attack was different, more coordinated, with the attackers brandishing assault rifles as they shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great) and stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan area while dozens of foreigners and Bangladeshis were dining out during the Ramadan holy month.

The gunmen, initially firing blanks, ordered restaurant workers to switch off the lights, and they draped black cloths over closed-circuit cameras, according to a survivor, who spoke with local TV channel ATN News. He and others, including kitchen staff, managed to escape by running to the rooftop or out the back door.

But about 35 were trapped inside, their fate depending on whether they could prove themselves to be Muslims, according to the father of a Bangladeshi businessman who was rescued Saturday morning along with his family.

"The gunmen asked everyone inside to recite from the Quran," the Islamic holy book, according to Rezaul Karim, describing what his son, Hasnat, had witnessed inside. "Those who recited were spared. The gunmen even gave them meals last night."

The others, he said, "were tortured."

Detectives were questioning his son and his family along with other survivors as part of the investigation on Saturday, as scattered details of the siege emerged. Authorities were also interrogating one of the attackers captured by commandos in dramatic morning rescue.

It was not immediately clear whether the attackers had a specific goal, and Bangladesh authorities would not say if they had made any demands.

The 20 hostages killed included nine Italians, seven Japanese, three Bangladeshis and one Indian, government sources said, as details of the bloodshed began trickling from other capitals worldwide.

"All the hostages were killed last night. The terrorists used sharp weapons to kill them brutally," said Brig. Gen. Nayeem Ashfaq Chowdhury of the Army Headquarters in a news conference Saturday night.

Another two Bangladeshi police officers also died from injuries sustained while exchanging gunfire with the attackers Friday night.

In New Delhi, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said she was "extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarushi, an Indian girl who was taken hostage in the terror attack in Dhaka."

Eighteen-year-old Tarushi Jain had been on holiday from her studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She was in Dhaka visiting her father, who has run a garment business in the country for the past 15 or 20 years, according to Indian government sources, who were not authorized to speak with media and so requested anonymity.

But another Indian citizen, a doctor who spoke Bengali and could pass himself as a Bangladeshi, was released unharmed, a government source said.

A Bangladeshi woman Ishrat Akhond was also among the dead. She had been holding a dinner meeting with Italian businessmen when she was killed in the siege, according to three of her friends who did want to be named for fear of reprisal. One told the AP, "she was such a loving person, such a good friend." Others posted photographs and messages of disbelief and condolences on her Facebook page.

Another victim, Abinta Kabir, had been a student at Emory University's campus in Oxford, Georgia, and was visiting family and friends on a vacation, the university said in an email to employees.

Ten of 26 people who were wounded Friday night when the militants opened fire were in critical condition, and six were on life support, according to hospital staff. The injuries ranged from broken bones to gunshot wounds. Most of them were police officers, but one was a civilian. Hospital staff refused to provide any details of their condition on Saturday.

In the end, paramilitary troops managed to rescue 13 hostages, including one Argentine, two Sri Lankans and two Bangladeshis, according to Lt. Col. Tuhin Mohammad Masud, commander of the Rapid Action Battalion that conducted the rescue operations. Japan's government said one Japanese hostage was also rescued with a gunshot wound.

The commandos launched the morning rescue operation after the attackers did not respond to calls for negotiation, Masud said. As the troops, wearing flak jackets and helmets and armed with automatic weapons, moved in on the restaurant at 7:40 a.m., local TV stations reported the sound of gunfire and explosions. At least seven armored vehicles and ambulances stood by.

The commandos killed six of the attackers and recovered explosive devices and sharp weapons from the scene, said Chowdhury of the Army Headquarters.

"Because of the effort of the joint force, the terrorists could not flee," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a nationally televised speech, vowing to fight militant attacks in the country and urged people to come forward.

The audacious attack came during Ramadan, when devout Muslims fast during the day and eat after dark. Many left the city of more than 10 million people for a nine-day public holiday with families to celebrate Eid al Fitr festival with families.

"Anyone who believes in religion cannot do such an act," Hasina said. "They do not have any religion, their only religion is terrorism."

She announced two days of national mourning for the dead.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility, saying it targeted the citizens of "Crusader countries" in the attack. The statement was circulated by IS supporters on the Telegram messaging service and resembled previous statements by IS. It was not immediately clear if its leadership in Syria and Iraq was involved in the planning the attack. The Amaq news agency, affiliated with IS, also posted photos purportedly showing hostages' bodies, though the authenticity of the images could not be confirmed.

The government did not directly comment on the IS claim but has denied in the past that the extremist group has a presence in Bangladesh. Hasina's government instead has accused her political enemies of orchestrating the violence in order to destabilize the nation -- which the opposition denies.

The government has cracked down on domestic radical Islamists by making scores of arrests. It has blamed local terrorists and opposition political parties -- especially the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its Islamist ally Jamaat-e-Islami.

But the attacks have continued, with about two dozen atheist writers, publishers, members of religious minorities, social activists and foreign aid workers slain since 2013. Earlier on Friday, a Hindu temple worker was hacked to death by at least three assailants in southwest Bangladesh. IS and and al-Qaida affiliates have claimed responsibility for many of those attacks.

The escalating violence leading up to the unprecedented hostage crisis has raised fears that religious extremists are gaining a foothold in the country, despite its traditions of secularism and tolerance. That the attackers targeted a popular restaurant in the heart of the diplomatic quarter of Bangladesh's capital signaled a change in tactics. The restaurant overlooking a lake serves Spanish food and is patronized by residents of Gulshan, an affluent neighborhood where most of the foreign embassies are located.

In Washington, a White House official said President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack by his chief counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco. The president asked to be kept informed as the situation develops, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the president's meetings.

State Department spokesman John Kirby says the U.S. had offered its assistance to bring those responsible to justice.