A resident of the home, located at 22-24 Davis St., was taken to the hospital for evaluation, Fire Chief David Mottor said

EASTHAMPTON -- Investigators continue to determine the cause of a Monday night house fire that heavily damaged a Davis Street home.

A resident of the home, located at 22-24 Davis St., was taken to the hospital for evaluation, according to a post on the Easthampton Fire Department's Facebook page that was written by Fire Chief David Mottor..

The blaze, reported shortly after 11:15 p.m. is not considered suspicious.

First arriving crews reported heavy fire from a front bedroom extending up the exterior to the roof. The home suffered heavy damage estimated to be $100,000.

Firefighters from Northampton, Southampton, Westhampton, Holyoke, Westfield, South Hadley Fire District #1, Amherst and Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee provided mutual aid.

Pioneer Valley Ambulance and American Medical Response also responded.
State trooper assigned to the state Fire Marshal's office are assisting with the investigation.

The American Red Cross is assisting those displaced.

One year ago this month, a Springfield District Court judge saw a man he had recently sentenced to a year in the House of Correction again stand in front of him in handcuffs because he had allegedly been selling drugs again. It was less than three months after his conviction.

One year ago this month, a Springfield District Court judge saw a man he had recently sentenced to a year in the House of Correction stand in front of him in handcuffs because he had allegedly been selling drugs again. It was less than three months after his conviction.

According to The Republican article at the time, Judge William Boyle became even more incensed when he learned that Ishmael "Kiko" Delgado, now 31, of Springfield, had spent 14 days incarcerated before being allowed out on the Hampden County Sheriff Department's Day Reporting Program.

Ismael DelgadoSpringfield Police 

"One year equals two weeks? So if I want to give him a month what do I do - sentence him to two years?," Boyle said in the courtroom.

Usually, one year doesn't equal two weeks. But as officials in local sheriff's departments and the state Department of Correction will tell you, there are many different ways to serve a sentence. When an inmate is going to a day reporting program, on work release, living at a sober house or even on house arrest, they are still considered to be in custody, serving their sentence.

Another thing that might not be intuitive is that a sentence often doesn't end up being anywhere near as long as the number of years uttered by a judge at sentencing. An obvious example is that a sentence of life with a possibility of parole means a possible release date 15 years later.

But for other inmates whose crimes do not come with a mandatory minimum sentence or statutory requirements, they can generally seek parole after serving between one-third and two-thirds of their sentences. The timing depends on how their sentences were handed down, whether they are serving in state prison or a county facility, and whether they've earned "good time" during their stay.

So how are judges supposed to know what the sentences mean when they are giving them out?

"You have it in the back of your mind that someone could get out in half that time, but sometimes, they don't," said Thomas T. Merrigan, a retired district and appellate court judge who now litigates as a partner in the Boston-based firm Sweeney Merrigan Law LLC.

A judge has to consider how much weight, to put on the possible date when someone could be paroled or out on a pre-release program, knowing neither are a sure thing.

"Sentences have parole-eligible standards and judges aren't really privy to those, and parole is discretionary," he said.

Given that, he said, he doesn't think he would be that surprised to see someone before him when his or her sentence is technically not up yet. He couldn't recall a specific time during his 12 years on the bench.

Thomas MerriganSubmitted photo 

And in addition to the complicated conditions to be granted parole, judges can never know whether overcrowding at a facility could lead those in charge to give someone a GPS anklet and put them on house arrest.

In the case of Delgado, whose case is still pending in Hampden Superior Court, officials said the fact that he spent only two weeks locked up is an anomaly. And even though it was a very rare occurrence, Assistant Superintendent Paul Hegarty said the department has since decided to institute a rule that no one can be out on the program unless they've served two months in a county facility.

"That hadn't been a policy, but we kind of learned from that," he said.

Local and state officials responsible said that while those who commit new crimes or try to escape while they are in pre-release programs make headlines whenever they get arrested, the programs are overwhelmingly successful and do not endanger the community because participants are carefully selected with public safety in mind.

"The program has proven it can provide for public safety and this is our number one concern," he said. "Since the inception of our Day Reporting program we have had over 9,000 participants go through our program and have an extremely low number of problems in the community."

Evidence shows that the programs better prepare inmates for life on the outside, said Richard McCarthy, a spokesman for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

"The least level of security a person is on, the lower their chance of coming back," he said. "That's true in corrections anywhere."

Usually consistent, sometimes 'shocking'

Bertha D. Josephson served as a superior court judge from 1992 until January, when she retired. She said that generally, after the state passed so-called Truth in Sentencing law in 1994, what people actually served compared to what they were sentenced to is "pretty consistent."

Retiried Superior Court Judge Bertha JosephsonDave Roback 

But there are still those rare occasions when judges learn about the inconsistent cases.

She recalled years ago, sentencing a man to a year in the House of Correction.

"He was back in front of me within two weeks. I said, 'what is he doing here?'" Josephson said in a phone interview. "It's shocking to a judge to think a person you thought you sentenced has been out."

But unless a person reoffends or violates a term of probation, a judge isn't likely to know anything about how a person is serving his or her sentence. That's how the system is supposed to work.

She said she thinks it is appropriate for the Department of Correction and sheriffs to determine where prisoners go, and while the two-week incarceration surprised her, "I respected that the sheriff had the responsibility and ability to determine how to treat their prisoners."

"Judges have a lot of guidance and information to be able to set sentenced they think is appropriate within the parameters," Josephson said. "After that, we pretty much have to leave it up to the people in those agencies."

Josephson said that before the Truth in Sentencing Law, "it used to be a much, much vaster difference between what you were sentenced to and what you would serve."

Parole eligibility for state prisoners used to be one-third of the lower end of the range or two-thirds if one was a violent offender. Now, a prisoner's earliest parole eligibility date, if he or she has the maximum amount of "earned good time," is two-thirds of the lower end of the range. Those without good time can't be paroled until they reach the lower number of the range.

Another variant before the 1994 change was called the "Concord sentence." Those sentenced to a sentence at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord of one to six years were eligible to get out at six months, she said, while those who got six to 12 years could get out after a year.

"You would see these enormous sentences," she said, but people would end up serving months.

Josephson said that judges could specify at sentencing that they were sending the defendant to Concord, a prison known since its birth in 1878 as a reformatory.

She said judges would send prisoners to Concord if they wanted to give a first-time offender or someone else a chance to serve a short sentence while still having the possibility of a long sentence if they messed up. They may only serve six months, but if a person out on parole commits a new crime or another violation, he or she could serve the full sentence.

When can state prisoners get out?

An inmate at any state prison is eligible for parole when he or she serves the bottom number of his or her sentence range. However, if an inmate earns the maximum amount of "earned good time," he or she could get out after serving two-thirds of the lower number in the sentence range.

That's because inmates can earn up to 10 days of good time per month, according to Christopher Fallon, a spokesman for the Department of Correction. The department is responsible for the state's prisons.

There are some exceptions. Inmates who are convicted of crimes that have mandatory minimums or statutory restrictions cannot be paroled before serving those minimum terms. Also, those who were sentenced before 1994, when judges were first required to give sentence ranges, can be paroled after serving two-thirds of their sentences.

Some cannot be paroled at all. A judge who wants to eliminate the possibility of parole can impose a sentence of, for example, seven years to seven years and a day.

Fallon said inmates earn good time for "successful participation in approved activities," including classes and trainings. They can also earn "boost time" for doing an activity for at least six months and then passing a competency test or going before a panel to prove their competency in the subject matter. Those housed at the pre-release "Prison Camp" at MCI-Plymouth can also get 2.5 days of good time for every 30 days.

Prisoners can only be outside the walls before their parole date if they qualify for a work release program or are transferred to a county facility close to the end of their sentence and get put into one of the local pre-release programs.

The state's pre-release program allows the least dangerous offenders who are within 18 months of their earliest release date to take a bus to a job and then return to the prison immediately after each shift. Sex offenders are among the prisoners who are ineligible for the program.

There are restrictions and spot checks at work, Fallon said, but the vast majority do not violate the rules. For the first three months of 2016, of the 244 inmates in the pre-release custody, 19 failed to abide by those restrictions and lost their place in the program. That's about 8 percent.

Prisoners can go to a county House of Correction as part of the state's Step-Down Initiative. It aims to help inmates transition better at the end of their sentence (usually 16-24 months left) by sending them to county jails where they can take advantage of re-entry programs in the communities where they will eventually be released, Fallon said.

Less frequently, state prisoners are allowed to serve much longer pieces of their sentences in county facilities. Sometimes it is based on the recommendation of the sentencing judge.

The Department of Corrections and the county sheriff's department jointly decide whether to let someone in the Step-down Initative out on GPS monitoring, according to Fallon.

When can county inmates get out?

House of Correction inmates are eligible for parole after serving half of their sentences. But like state prisoners, they're also able to earn up to 10 days per month off their sentence by participating in programs and classes specially recommended for them.

That means an inmate could serve one-third of the sentence he or she was given by a judge. For example, if someone has a two-year sentence and is eligible for parole at one year, they could move up their parole date to just over eight months. Those sentenced to 60 days or less are not eligible for good time.

"Many, including victims, can be surprised if people are out earlier than they thought," said Patrick Cahillane, assistant superintendent of the Hampshire County Jail and House of Corrections.

Members of the public may also be surprised to hear or see a convict is back on the street sooner than they expected simply because part of their sentence was technically being served if he or she was in jail while awaiting trial. Some people get credit for serving a weekend in jail, others don't make bail and wait two years for trial, and that time comes off the end of their sentence.

Discussing the Hampshire County House of Correction's evaluation process, Cahillane said it has in the past always taken more than 14 days for an inmate to be out on a pre-release program.

"I can't think of a case where someone would be sent right to a bracelet program," he said. It could happen, he said, perhaps if someone was incarcerated but was critically ill. Usually the classification process that would even qualify someone for a pre-release program includes multiple evaluations, generally weeks apart.

Cahillane said that only 18 inmates were approved for the GPS monitoring program that allowed them to live at treatment facilities or at a home that has been approved by staff. They are generally in the last 60 to 90 days of their sentence, he said, although it can sometimes be longer.

One of the facilities they can transition to is the Bridge to the Future House, a residence on nearby Grove Street that has housed 84 people over the last 18 months. Inmates are supervised there and wear a GPS anklet when they go to jobs, school, meetings for substance abuse or other approved activities.

Cahillane said that the evaluation process is designed to minimize the risk that someone commits a new crime or gets into other trouble on the outside. Usually, it succeeds.

"If you put a person out and they're a public safety risk, you have a responsibility for that," he said.

Hegarty said that in Hampden County, the issues considered before an inmate can go into the Day Reporting Program go beyond the inmate's criminal and disciplinary record. Staff go through police reports looking for any violent behavior or past restraining orders. "We do not take sex offenders, arsonists or more violent offenders," he said.

Usually, he said, people end up in the program when they are six to seven months away from their earliest release date.

While Hegarty said Delgado's two-week incarceration is unusually short, he was actually right in that range when he was put into the program. He was six months away from his earliest parole date, since that is half of his year-long sentence.

Hegarty said that since the two-month incarceration prerequisite was instituted after Delgado's arrest, only one person has gone to the program in that short of a span as two months. Thirteen of the 35 who are currently in it were sentenced to six months or less.

And while there will always be those calling for convicts to serve longer sentences, McCarthy said that houses of correction are not looking for ways to keep inmates in longer. They want to reform inmates and prevent recidivism - something pre-release programs are proven to do.

"Re-entry has become a big thing in criminal justice," he said. "The ultimate goal is less crime in the community," he said.

The Hampden County Sheriff's Department's Day Reporting Program is in its 30th year, and officials said it is as successful as ever at reforming inmates into productive members of society.

The Hampden County Sheriff's Department's Day Reporting Program is in its 30th year, and officials said it is as successful as ever at reforming inmates into productive members of society.

Assistant Superintendent Paul Hegarty said they have the numbers to back it up. The main number he would like people to know is 86 percent. That's the rate of success for people that have been through the program in fiscal 2016.

"It's been doing extremely well over the last couple years," he said.

Participants in the program spend the final months of their sentences living at home and participating in the community while being monitored and supported by center staff.

The program has been getting smaller over the years and currently has only 35 participants. The number of incarcerated in Hampden County has been down, but those behind bars are the more serious offenders, many of whom wouldn't be considered for the Day Reporting Program.

The key elements of the monitoring part of the program are strict daily itineraries, GPS monitoring, random drug and alcohol testing as many as three times a week and check-ins at the program every day except Sunday.

Hampden County sheriff aims for reformed, not repeat offenders

"Day reporting participants are still under the sheriff's department custody and we need to know where they are at all times," Hegarty said.

Staff monitor the participants' GPS units to ensure that they are sticking to their daily schedules and their curfews. They also do random spot checks at homes, workplaces and other locations.

Participants are required to complete 40 hours per week of "meaningful activity," whether it is work, community service, vocational training or a full-time treatment program, Hegarty said. For many, this is their first time working a real job or being accountable for their time and actions, he said.

Participants meet at least weekly with staff assigned to them to review their progress and discuss any problems. If staff believe a participant has new risk factors or other signs they may be slipping toward old habits including substance abuse, they intervene, Hegarty said.

The program also has a treatment component, with treatment teams working with those who have substance abuse, mental health, anger management or other issues they need to work on. Some are referred to other treatment agencies, including intensive outpatient programs.

Here is a look at the program and its successes and failures over the years, based on numbers provided the by sheriff's department.

Young inmates, inmates released without supervision most likely to reoffend, new report states

For the second summer in a row, MassLive staff are holding a series of reporter road trips -- where we take nearly our entire reporting staff and descend upon one community, spending the day digging up stories, talking to residents and telling your stories.

Good reporting requires getting out of the office and out from behind the desk. And although you'll find MassLive reporters out in the communities we cover every day, there is power in numbers.

For the second summer in a row, MassLive staff are holding a series of reporter road trips -- where we take nearly our entire reporting staff and descend upon one community, spending the day digging up stories, talking to residents and telling your stories. 

Tuesday, July 19, MassLive reporters are in Northampton. What are the issues we should focus on? Is there a person with a compelling story we should tell? Is there a question you've always wanted to know the answer to? 

MassLive is using Northampton Coffee at 269 Pleasant St. as a base of operations for the day. Drop in and say hi or leave us a message in the comments below. 

Where should we go next?

A Western Massachusetts delegation intends to be present in Brzeqi, Poland when Pope Francis celebrates Mass July 31 for an expected crowd of two million people.

SPRINGFIELD - A Western Massachusetts delegation intends to be present in Brzeqi, Poland when Pope Francis celebrates Mass July 31 for an expected crowd of 2 million people.

The Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, is leading the delegation of 69 area participants who are taking part in World Youth Day.

Since its origins in a youth gathering at the Vatican in 1984, the gathering has grown to a six-day event that is being held July 26 through 31 in and around the southern Polish city of Krakow. Francis is expected to attend from July 27 through July 31.

Mark Dupont, diocesan spokesman, said the area delegation includes 46 young adults, 10 seminarians, five priests and eight adult leaders who will depart from Mary Mother of Hope Church, 840 Page Blvd., on Friday, July 22, after a 4 p.m. Mass at the parish.

Dupont said the group will remain in Poland through Aug. 4 to visit other sites, including Auschwitz, the Nazi's largest concentration camp complex, located about 37 miles outside Krakow, where the 1.1 million murdered included some 960,000 Jews and 74,000 Poles. Rozanski, who is the diocese's first bishop of Polish heritage, has visited Poland previously, but the trip marks his first participation in WYD.

Instituted under the papacy of now St. John Paul II, the gathering is held yearly at either the international or diocesan level and is aimed at those 16 to 35 years of age.

This is the 31st WYD; the 13th on the international level.

The first WYD on an international level was held in 1987 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis' native country, with the theme, "Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you."

The theme of this year's gathering, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy," reflects the fact it is taking place during the year-long Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy which Francis inaugurated in December to promote forgiveness and reconciliation.

Some 85 U.S. bishops are scheduled to attend WYD.

Other international WYD gatherings have taken place in Santiago de Compostela, Spain (1989); Czestochowa, Poland (1991); Denver, Colo. (1993); Manila, Philippines (1995); Paris, France (1997); Rome, Italy, for the Millennium Jubilee (2000); Toronto, Canada (2002); Cologne, Germany (2005); Sydney, Australia (2008); Madrid, Spain (2011); and Rio de Janiero, Brazil (2013).

Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. recently released the following staff statistics for Fiscal year 2015.

Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. recently released the following staff statistics for Fiscal year 2015.

• 52.3 percent of the uniformed correctional officer staff of the Sheriff's Department now has a college degree, including one uniformed officer with a Doctorate Degree and 15 uniformed officers with a Master's Degree.


• 57.8 percent of the total staff of the Sheriff's Department, uniform and non-uniform, have college degrees, including five who have Doctorate Degrees and 100 who have a Master's Degree.


• During the fiscal year, 622 people submitted applications to be correctional officers and 478 men and women answered the challenge and took the Correctional Officer Video Test, a nationally standardized exam in which a job candidate is given 80 scenarios to test judgment, integrity, teamwork and poise under pressure. Of them, only 309, or 65 percent, passed the test.


• 252 applicants took the Physical Fitness Training Test and 130, or 52 percent, passed.


• Those who passed the Physical Fitness Training Test were put through a process (or, as Sheriff Ashe calls it, a "gauntlet") of application review, three rounds of interviews, background investigation, drug screening and medical exam.


• Candidates then still remaining in the selection process were sent as recruits to the eight week Western Massachusetts Correctional Officers Training Academy, administered by the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.


• 55 men and women graduated from the academy and began work as Hampden County Sheriff's Department correctional officers, 9 percent of those who began the hiring process.


• In the traditionally male profession of corrections, 33 percent of the Sheriff's Department staff are now women.

Ashe, who was first elected in September 1974 and re-elected without opposition every six years after that, announced in 2014 he wouldn't seek another term in the current calendar year. There are several candidates currently engaged in a heated campaign to succeed him.

On Wednesday, August 17, Ashe will hold his final clambake, welcoming elected officials and dignitaries from across Massachusetts at the Springfield Elks lodge on Tiffany Street. More information on the final clambake can be found here.

Police responded to a report of a man down at 343 Columbus Ave. early Sunday. Emergency personnel determined that Joseph Brown of an apparent single gunshot wound to the chest.

Robert Rizzuto | rrizzuto@repub.com 

PITTSFIELD -- The death of a 38-year-Pittsfield man, found dead in the driveway of his Columbus Avenue home early Sunday, has been ruled a homicide.

Police responded to a report of a man down at 343 Columbus Ave. at about 2 a.m. Emergency personnel determined that Joseph Brown died of an apparent single gunshot wound to the chest.

Dr. Mindy Hull, an associate medical examiner for the Officer of the Chief Medical Examiner, ruled Monday in Boston that the death was a homicide, according to a release issued by the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.

Police continue to investigate the homicide and ask those with information to call 413-448-9700.

The investigation is being conducted by members of the Pittsfield Police Department, assisted by the Berkshire Detective Unit of the State Police assigned to the District Attorney's Office, the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force and the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

Angel Prosper, 31, was also charged with a variety of motor vehicle offenses.

CHICOPEE - A man was arrested on a variety of motor vehicle charges after he initially refused to stop for police and then allegedly screamed insults and "Hispanic lives matter" at the arresting officer.

Angel Prosper, 31, who is homeless, was arrested early Tuesday morning and charged with threatening to commit a crime, resisting arrest, operating a motor vehicle without lights, failure to stay in marked lanes, failure to stop for police, unlicensed operation and operating an unregistered vehicle, Michael Wilk, public information officer for Chicopee Police, said.

Officer Missy Lyman was on patrol at about 2:15 a.m. when she spotted a car coming at her with no headlights. When she turned her cruiser around to pull over the driver, she saw the motor vehicle also had no license plates, Wilk said.

Prosper allegedly attempted to evade the officer but finally stopped at Church and Walnut streets, he said.

"The operator then exited the vehicle quickly, with his fists clenched and highly agitated. Officer Lyman ordered the party several times to put his hands on the trunk. He finally complied," Wilk said.

While Lyman was handcuffing Prosper, he began to yell at her, saying "don't shoot me" and "Hispanic lives matter." Once locked in the cruiser, he attempted to kick out the windows and screamed at Lyman, calling her "racist, "sexist" and other offensive names relating to gender and race.

He continued to scream and fight on the way to the police station and into booking, where he continued to resist Lyman and several other officers who assisted her, according to Wilk. At that time, he also kept shouting "Hispanic lives matter" and calling all the officers "racist," he said.

"Officer Lyman handled this suspect with incredible restraint and professionalism," Wilk said.

Prosper will be arraigned on Tuesday in Chicopee District Court.

The man allegedly traveled to campus July 11 and visited various campus locations.

AMHERST - University of Massachusetts police are asking for help in identifying a suspect wanted in connection with passing counterfeit money on campus.

According to the alert posted on the UMass website, on July 11, "an individual traveled to various locations on the UMASS-Amherst campus and paid for merchandise using counterfeit bills. UMPD is looking to identify this individual in regards to the incident."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Napoli at 413-545-2121 or via email at djnapoli@admin.umass.edu.

Anonymous tips can also be called in to 413-577-TIPS (8477) or by using UMPD's anonymous witness form on the department's website.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy published photos of a white shark eating a seal off the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in Chatham.

As the researchers and advocates with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy will tell you, humans are at little risk from great white Sharks, despite the beach jitters that "Jaws" has inspired since its release 41 years ago.

Seals, however, have reason to worry.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, a Cape Cod-based group which educates the public about sharks, published photos on its Facebook page of a great white shark eating a seal off the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in Chatham.

Taken from the air by spotter pilot Wayne Davis, the photos show a red cloud billowing under the waves, with a shark swimming nearby.

Great white populations near Cape Cod have rebounded in recent years. In 2012, 34 white sharks were tagged off the Cape, according to the state's Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. In 2015, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy identified 120 individual Great Whites in the same region, after cataloging 68 the year before.

Great whites flock to Chatham waters due to the large seal colony near Monomoy Island, according to the conservancy.

Despite the growing population, shark attacks on humans are still rare. There have been two shark attacks off Massachusetts waters since the year 2000, according to the incident database compiled by the Global Shark Attack File. Neither were fatal; the last deadly shark attack in the state occurred in 1936.

On Saturday, two Massachusetts beaches were evacuated after a fisherman spotted a great white shark.

Note: The video above contains profanity.

The space, which has existed as a music venue and club for many years, will now become a retail location.

The Northampton space most recently home to One Bar and Grill will soon be filled by its neighbor Deals & Steals.

Long used as a bar and music venue, the 1 Pearl Street space closed suddenly at the end of May 2016. Plans from earlier in 2016 by One Bar's co-owners to transform the space into a local music and dance-focused venue called The Midnite Tavern fell through due to unknown reasons.

The space was previously home to Tully O'Reilly's for more than a decade.

Deals & Steals confirmed the upcoming move in a phone call to MassLive but could not provide more detail about when the new location will open due to the renovations needed. What will be done with their current space at 76 Pleasant St. after the move remains to be seen.

Northampton building owner confirms One Bar & Grill closure

The cost to participate is $35 for a seat on the motor coach or $45 for a seat on the double-decker.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau will once again take local dining to a new level with Double Decker Dine 2016.

The event will take place Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. It's the latest in an annual series of events where diners get chauffeured around Springfield in either a double-decker Peter Pan bus or in a modern Peter Pan motor coach so they can sample different restaurants.

The cost is $35 for a seat on a regular motor coach or $45 for a seat on the double-decker bus. A limited number of specially priced tickets for members of Springfield Young Professionals Society are $30 for the regular coach. Tickets are on sale now at valleyvisitor.com.

All tickets must be purchased in advance and online. All participants must be 21 years of age.

Guests will gather at Uno Chicago Grill at the Riverfront in downtown Springfield. There they can enjoy beer, wine or soft drink and appetizers included in the price. 

Then at each stop, diners get off and enjoy that restaurant's featured food item and a cash bar. Stops this year include:

• Uno Chicago Grill at the Springfield Riverfront
• The Student Prince
• Storrowton Tavern
• Lattitude
• Nathan Bill's
• Plan B Burger Bar

The Visitors Bureau said participant of the Double Decker Dine will receive a goody bag with dining coupons and other items.

At the end of the evening, when the buses return to Plan B, also on the Springfield Riverfront, participants will have a chance to win Red Sox tickets, a Boston Duck Tour and overnight accommodations at the Marriott Copley Hotel in Boston, according to a news release. The winner must be present to win.

Visitors Bureau President Mary Kay Wydra said:

"We're excited to present our seventh annual Double Decker Dine. It's become a great summer tradition and Western Massachusetts residents really look forward to it each year. This year we are asking people to share their excitement for the event using the hashtag #DDD2016. We're thrilled to see so many people eager to enjoy delicious food from the region's most outstanding restaurants. It's always a fun night as we board the buses and visit each member restaurant for great samplings."

Sponsors for the 2016 Double Decker Dine are Aladco Linen Co., Freedom Credit Union, WHYN-FM, MIX 93.1, WWLP-TV, 22 News, Performance Foodservice/Roma, Springfield YPS, Peter Pan Bus Lines and Goose Island Beer Co.

A memorial for Officer Michael Krol, a 1994 East Longmeadow High School graduate who was killed along with seven other Dallas police officers this month, will likely take place this fall.

EAST LONGMEADOW -- A memorial to slain Dallas Police Officer Michael Krol is expected to be unveiled at East Longmeadow High School in a ceremony this fall, Superintendent Gordon Smith said.

Krol, a 1994 graduate of East Longmeadow High School, was one of five police officers killed by a sniper who targeted law enforcement officials at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas on July 7. Krol was 40 at the time of his death.

The shooter, Micah Xavier Johnson, was killed at the scene.

"The discussion last week was about having a brick engraved with Officer Krol's name," Superintendent Gordon Smith said during an interview. "And having some kind of ceremony."

Since the shooting, signs in front of East Longmeadow High School have read, "In valor there is hope, Officer Michael Krol, Class of 1994" and "Salute a Hero."

Plans are not yet concrete, but a memorial will be held in some form when school resumes after summer vacation, Smith said.

"(Krol has) been on our mind," Smith said. "He, his family and all the officers as well."

A crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike Tuesday night has claimed the life of a driver.

Update: State Police release name of Agawam driver killed on Massachusetts Turnpike in Ludlow

A crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike Tuesday night has claimed the life of a driver.

Massachusetts State Police from the Charlton Barracks responded to the westbound lanes of the Mass Pike around 11:41 p.m. for a report of a single-car crash.

A vehicle was found damaged after hitting a guardrail near the Ludlow service plaza, a crash that killed the driver.

The driver's identity has not been shared publicly at this time.

The home will be built on a small lot on Rolf Avenue.

CHICOPEE -- The Planning Board agreed to allow Chicopee Comprehensive High School students to construct a home on Rolf Avenue, despite concerns from neighbors about the small size of the lot and safety issues.

Student Builders Inc., a nonprofit that handles the financial transactions for the school's house-building program, applied for a waiver to build a home with 75 feet of road frontage, instead of the required 100 feet.

Comprehensive High School teachers and N. Riley Construction, which will volunteer as the general contractor and do the work students cannot, explained in a letter the valuable learning experience the students receive when building a house.

Students in a variety of different Career and Technical Education shops including carpentry, electric, welding, horticulture, drafting and even business will do some work on the project. Students also built a home at 820 McKinstry Ave. in 2011 and 2012.

The vacant piece of land at the corner of Rolf Avenue and Kendall Street was an ideal spot for the next house because it is so close to the school students can walk to the site, Kenneth Widelo, director of Career and Technical Education, said in an earlier interview.

The land on Rolf Avenue was taken by the city for tax title. The city then requested proposals from people who wanted to purchase it. Student Builders Inc. was selected as having the best plans for the property.

Neighbors Lynette and Eric Stasko said they have no problems with Student Builders Inc., but the land has been vacant for 51 years and is too small for today's standards for a house.

"We are not sure why anything has to be built on this property," Lynette Stasko said.

The couple also submitted a proposal to purchase the property and add it to their existing house lot. Although the price they offered was $15,000 higher, the bid was not selected, she said.

Neighbor Jean Chouinard said she was concerned the house will block the visibility on the corner of the two streets. Now children from the neighborhood and nearby Lambert-Lavoie School ride their bikes fast down the hill but drivers can see them at the corner because the lot is vacant.

Planning Board member Thomas Reniewicz said he grew up in the neighborhood and admitted he was one of those children. In fact he ended up on the hood of a neighborhood's car after careening down the hill on his bicycle.

"I appreciate the lack of visibility there," he said.

City Planner Lee Pouliot said the home will be set back 30 feet from the property line, instead of the 20 feet required by ordinance, to prevent visibility problems.

After some debate, the Planning Board approved the waiver in a 4-0 vote.

Earlier the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance to waive the frontage requirements and allow the home to be built on the 7,500-square-foot lot. The city bylaws require homes to be built on lots of at least 10,000 square feet.

Teachers hope to begin building the house in the fall.

Holyoke began the fiscal year on July 1 with a budget of $125.8 million compared to last year's $125.5 million and officials are counting on a new law that will permit seizure of revenue from customers with overdue sewer bills to balance the budget.

HOLYOKE -- Taxpayers won't feel the hit until December, but the city began the fiscal year July 1 with a budget of $125,784,723, close to last year's $125.5 million.

The general fund part of the budget -- which pays for police and fire services, public works such as snow plowing and offices like the mayor and city clerk -- is balanced as the fiscal year began, acting City Auditor Bellamy H. Schmidt said this week.

But the budget of the sewer fund, which covers the wastewater treatment plant, of about $8.6 million has a deficit of about $800,000.

Mayor Alex B. Morse and the City Council will have to eliminate that deficit before the council in December sets the new tax rate to determine how much revenue is needed from property taxpayers to fund the budget.

Some officials believe mechanisms are in place that will let the city eliminate the sewer fund deficit without having to resort to making cuts to free up revenue. These include: new authorization that lets the city gain revenue by forcing payment of overdue sewer bills from delinquent customers by threatening to shut off service; and use of free cash once that pool of money is authorized by the state Department of Revenue from funds in accounts unspent in the previous fiscal year.

The city arrived at the budget of $125.8 million after the City Council spent hours in marathon meetings in June scrutinizing the $126.2 million Morse had proposed for the current fiscal year. The council made a total of $683,638 in cuts (see below).

Some councilors and Morse want the City Council at its meeting on Aug. 2 to approve an increase in the sewer rate to generate more revenue to handle increased expenses. The last sewer rate increase was in 2008.

But the City Council at the Aug. 2 meeting will receive a recommendation from its Ordinance Committee against a sewer rate increase. The committee voted 3-2 on June 28 to recommend that the full council approve no increase in the sewer rate at its next meeting in August at City Hall.

The city won't be collecting 100 percent of the $700,000 in delinquent sewer-fee revenue, with the new bill-collecting authorization, but some revenue will be seized and the decision should be to wait and see how that plays out in terms of addressing revenue-vs-spending needs, some councilors said.

Ordinance Committee members Diosdado Lopez, David K. Bartley and Kevin A. Jourdain, the council president, voted in favor of the committee recommending zero sewer rate increase to the full City Council at the Aug. 2 meeting.

Voting against that measure were committee Chairwoman Linda L. Vacon and Rebecca Lisi.

A 20-cent increase in the sewer rate is possible later this year, but Jourdain said in a phone interview Tuesday he wants to see how effective the newly authorized seizure of overdue bills is before approving a rate increase.

"If they do that very aggressively, it should close about all that gap," Jourdain said.

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

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

Of the amount of money that the council cut from Morse's proposed budget, $135,000 was applied to the sewer fund, including $120,000 to pay for street sweeping, Schmidt said. That cost has been moved to apply to the general fund, with Jourdain saying a free cash transfer will be needed to cover that expense.

At the last full council meeting on June 21, Jourdain praised the work of councilors during the budget hearings, which besides being long were punctuated by arguments and at times shouting between councilors.

"I think everybody asked really good questions," said Jourdain, while noting the clashes.

"To come up with those kind of reductions was really, really fantastic. I think we're going to have a really productive overall year. I want to compliment the mayor, as well ... because I think he made some substantial cuts," Jourdain said.

"I think we're in pretty good shape...I think we've had an extremely productive past six months...The council is doing great work. So kudos to you," he said.

Finance Committee Chairman Todd A. McGee said City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee, who happens to be his wife, and her staff deserve recognition for work during the hours of City Council budget hearings. They tracked the proposed cuts, votes and reconsiderations and produced a spreadsheet with those details (below).

"This was just very detailed," McGee said.

"Brenna and Irma (Lopez, assistant city clerk) did a fantastic job," Jourdain said. "It really just kind of spells it all out. We really took a lot of votes."

"92," said Murphy McGee, of the number of roll-call votes taken in the budget hearings.

Budget cuts made by Holyoke CIty Council:

"After a very, very short time on probation, he's involved in an altercation, late in the evening in which he's the aggressor," probation officer Mindy Burke said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A man placed on probation two months ago after accidentally shooting himself at a party is facing a possible jail term after getting arrested again last weekend.

Clifton Mack, 26, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct during his arraignment Monday in Springfield District Court. He was one of eight people arrested during a series of disturbances early Sunday in Springfield's downtown entertainment district.

Mack got into a dispute with Springfield police around 2:40 a.m. on Worthington Street and was taken into custody, Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafrasnki said.

State probation officer Mindy Burke said the arrest violated Mack's probation on a firearms charge and asked Judge Charles W. Groce III to detain him for a probation violation hearing.

Mack has been on probation since late May on a charge of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building. He shot himself in the leg during a party, according to Burke, who said he was carrying the gun in his waistband when it went off.

"After a very, very short time on probation, he's involved in an altercation, late in the evening in which he's the aggressor," Burke said.

Defense lawyer Kelly Auer opposed the detention request. Mack was arguing with his cousin in Stearns Square when police told them to move along, according to Auer, who said he denied refusing to obey police orders or causing a disturbance.

A high school graduate who works two jobs, Mack lives with his parents and has shared custody of his 5-year-old daughter, Auer said.

At the time of the shooting, he had a gun permit, but no longer needs one. "He gave up his gun that night," Auer said.

At that point, Groce addressed the defendant.

"Let me get this straight. You work two jobs, have a 5-year-old daughter and not too long ago you shot yourself in the leg?" he asked.

"It seems like you have a pretty good life. Am I missing something? Shooting yourself in the leg -- it seems that should have been punishment enough. So what else do you need? Do you need me to detain you?" he asked.

"No, your honor," Mack replied.

By agreement of the defense and prosecution, Mack eventually admitted to a probation violation and Groce ordered him released until a hearing to determine what, if any, punishment should be imposed. Following the hearing, a judge could revoke Mack's probation and impose a jail term, extend the probation, add new conditions or take no further action.

On Monday, the judge ordered Mack to to avoid alcohol and submit to random testing as an additional condition of his probation.

As for the new disorderly conduct charge, Mack admitted to a civil, rather than criminal, violation and was fined $150.

As the hearing ended, the judge offered a final warning.

"You need to start using better judgement," he said.

"I will, your honor," Mack replied.

"You could end up losing everything -- and for what?" the judge added.

Buy a $5 "Shop For A Cause" savings pass at the Holyoke Public Library at 250 Chestnut St. and that nets savings of up to 25 percent on Macy's merchandise from Aug. 26 to 28 while the proceeds from the savings-passes purchases go to library literacy programs.

HOLYOKE -- It's shopping, but it might even instill a feeling of well-being -- a partnership between Macy's department store and the Holyoke Public Library to help young people read.

Buy a $5 "Shop For A Cause" savings pass at the library at 250 Chestnut St. That nets savings of up to 25 percent on Macy's merchandise from Aug. 26 to 28. And the proceeds from the purchases of the savings passes go to library literacy programs, a library press release said.

"Shopping never felt so good," the press release said.

The Macy's store here is located at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, which is on Holyoke Street accessible by Lower Westfield Road.

This is the 11th straight year of Macy's "Shop For A Cause" campaign, which has raised more than $47 million for charities across the country, according shopforacause.macysinc.com/

The savings pass is good for 25 percent on "an assortment" of regular, sale and clearance merchandise and 10 percent off on electric items, electronics, watches, furniture, mattresses and rugs and floor coverings, the press release said.

Savings pass holders also are eligible to win a $500 gift card, no purchase necessary, the press release said.

A crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike Wednesday morning left a vehicle facing the wrong direction and blocking traffic.

A crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike Wednesday morning left a vehicle facing the wrong direction and blocking traffic.

The crash occurred shortly after 6 a.m. in the westbound lanes of the Mass Pike near exit 8. Around 6:40 a.m., a truck was seen blocking the left lane of the turnpike.

Traffic has been slowed in both directions, Massachusetts State Police said, and the extent of any injuries from the crash have yet to be determined.

A 58-year-old Agawam man was killed on the Massachusetts Turnpike Tuesday night.

A 58-year-old Agawam man was killed on the Massachusetts Turnpike Tuesday night.

Massachusetts State Police from the Charlton Barracks responded to the westbound lanes of the Mass Pike around 11:41 p.m. for a report of a single-car rollover crash.

For reasons still under investigation, 58-year-old Brian Dee, of Agawam, lost control of the vehicle, causing the Lincoln Zephyr to rollover into the wood line at the 55.5 mile marker in Ludlow.

Dee, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was ejected from the car. He was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

The crash is under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Analysis and Reconstruction Section.