Like an episode of "Chasing Classic Cars," Stearns Square in downtown Springfield was sprinkled with some exciting "finds" on Tuesday evening.

SPRINGFIELD — Like an episode of "Chasing Classic Cars," Stearns Square was sprinkled with some exciting "finds" on Tuesday evening.

In fact, Wayne Carini, host of the popular television show, would have approved of the vintage autos on display at Springfield Business Improvement District's fourth "Cruise Night."

Cars like the 1950 Chevrolet of John Anderson, of Chicopee; the 1965 Mustang GT of Bill Gurney, of Springfield; or the 1967 Pontiac Firebird of Luis Rodriguez, of Springfield — all drawing the admiration of auto enthusiasts who checked out the vehicles.

Entertainment for the evening was provided by "Real Oldies 1250," which rolled out classic hits.

Cruise Night will return on Aug. 9 from 5 to 9 p.m., with more music from "Real Oldies 1250." For more information, visit online: SpringfieldDowntown.Com/Cruise-Night.

The Tuesday night events are presented by the 350 Grill and Steak House. Additional sponsors include the Gaudreau Group, Reminder Publications, Go Local and Fontaine
Brothers Inc.

The 2016 SummerFest series continued in Agawam on Tuesday, instead of the normal Wednesday evening, to coincide with the National Night Out.

AGAWAM — The 2016 SummerFest series continued in Agawam on Tuesday, instead of the normal Wednesday evening, to coincide with the National Night Out police-community get-together.

Family fun was all around in the beautiful weather at the School Street Park. Hundreds of children enjoyed puppet shows and face painting in addition to dance presentations by The Academy of Artistic Performance. Crowds gathered around police K-9 teams and fire department demonstrations with the Jaws of Life. Also popular were the large trucks and equipment on display from the Agawam DPW.

The evenings festivities culminated in a performance of classic oldies by Cory & the Knightsmen.

Agawam was one of over 16,000 communities nationwide participating in the National Night Out community-building campaign. The goal of the annual event is to promote police-community interaction and partnerships to make neighborhoods safer.

The 2016 SummerFest series will continue on Aug. 10 with music from local favorites, Maxxtone and wrap up on Aug. 17 featuring the country music of Runaway June and LOCASH.

Peter Wray, 35, of Springfield, is on trial for 17 charges, including seven counts of aggravated rape, six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and two counts each of kidnapping and assault and battery.

SPRINGFIELD — There was only a very brief session in the rape trial of Peter Wray on Wednesday in Hampden Superior Court.

One witness, the aunt of one of the three women who testified against Wray, was available to testify Wednesday. Multiple witnesses are expected to be called to the stand Thursday by Assistant District Attorney Jane Mulqueen.

Wray, 35, of Springfield, is on trial for 17 charges, including seven counts of aggravated rape, six counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and two counts each of kidnapping and assault and battery.

Wray opted for a jury-waived trial that is being held in front of Judge Tina S. Page.

Three young women have testified Wray tied them and blindfolded them up at a Tracy Street house in September 2014. Two of them, 18 and 16 years old at the time, said Wray repeatedly raped them and cut them with a knife.

Peter Wray

One of the women's aunt was called to the stand by the prosecution Wednesday. She said at about 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 28, her niece and two of her niece's friends came to her Liberty Street home on foot.

One of them, the then-16-year-old, was pacing back and forth in her bedroom, the aunt said. Her niece, 17 years old at the time, would not look at her, the aunt said.

The young woman who was 18 years old at the time was crying and vomiting, the aunt said.

The young woman who was 16 years old at the time "blurted out they'd been raped," the aunt said. The aunt said she saw there were "slices" on that girl's thighs and black and blue marks on her wrists.

The aunt said the young women told her not to call the police as Wray had said he would kill them if they did. They told the aunt Wray offered to pay them if they didn't go to police.

Despite what the young women said, the aunt called police. The two women who said they were raped were taken to the hospital by ambulance. The aunt went to the police department with her niece.

Springfield police seek Peter Wray, who allegedly stabbed and raped 3 teenage females

All three young women have testified that Wray was very angry, accusing them of taking $650 from then, on the night of the alleged assaults. All three women have testified Wray cut them with a knife.

Defense lawyer Joe A. Smith III said in his opening statement to Page the accusations by the young women were fabricated in an attempt to extort money from Wray. Smith said they told Wray if he didn't give them money, they would say he raped them.

Wray, who is in the sex offender category the state deems most likely to reoffend, fled to Georgia after the accusations. At the time, police said he was charged with raping and assaulting three teens, but he was indicted for crimes against two.

Police at the time of the alleged rapes said Wray after the alleged rapes and assaults went to his mother's home and stole her car.

David Milne, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals in Springfield, said that after stealing the car, Wray fled to Georgia with his girlfriend and a small child. Wray was captured as he strolled through a shopping mall with the child in DeKalb County, Georgia.

Wray was convicted of rape and abuse of a child on Feb. 24, 1992, and indecent assault and battery on a child younger than age 14 on Aug. 29, 1994. Wray was a juvenile at the time he was convicted of those crimes.

Because of witness availability the trial will not conclude this week. Because it is a jury-waived trial Page said she wanted to hear whatever testimony she could this week and could hear other testimony at a later date.

"The public deserves a quick and easy way to be fully informed on such an impactful project," Cohen said.

AGAWAM — Although plans for a possible affordable housing development have not been finalized, Agawam has created an online portal to the controversial project.

The city's website now has a link to all documents related to the HAPHousing project, which has become the subject of "intense interest," Mayor Richard Cohen said Wednesday.

HAP, the largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing in Western Massachusetts, recently completed its purchase of a 12-acre parcel on Mill Street and is moving forward with development plans after environmental surveys concluded the property contains no wetlands or endangered species.

In the coming weeks, HAP will be working on potential site plan designs for the land, including the total number of housing units to be created under Chapter 40B, the state's so-called "anti-snob" affordable housing statute. The law allows developers to override certain aspects of local municipal zoning bylaws as long as roughly one-quarter of a proposed project includes affordable housing units.

Chapter 40B aims to ensure that at least 10 percent of every commonwealth community's housing stock is affordable. Only 3.9 percent of Agawam's current housing stock is considered affordable. That's well below the 10 percent threshold and demonstrates "a scarcity of affordable housing in town," according to a HAP "fact sheet." The fact sheet is among the documents that can now be viewed by clicking on the project link on the city's website.

Due to the lengthy 40B review process, HAP officials say they don't expect to break ground at the Mill Street site for several years. Even so, some Agawam and area residents are lobbying to stop the project, citing traffic and other concerns. A citizens' petition was presented to the City Council at Monday evening's meeting, and Cohen has sought guidance from state lawmakers on the matter.

"There is intense interest on the development of this piece of land," the mayor said Wednesday, "and I want to be sure that the public is fully informed and kept up to date on all the issues connected to the project."

Cohen said Agawam's law and IT departments will coordinate the posting of project documents online. "The public deserves a quick and easy way to be fully informed on such an impactful project," he said.

A friend of the family of Adrienne Paquette, a 22-year-old Chicopee woman who died following a collision with a parked bus Tuesday in Amherst, has created a GoFundMe Page to raise $20,000 toward funeral costs for the family.

AMHERST -- A friend of the family of Adrienne Paquette, a 22-year-old Chicopee woman who died following a collision with a parked bus Tuesday in Amherst, has created a GoFundMe Page to raise $20,000 toward funeral costs for the family.

Marissa Blais wrote:

"... I have the privilege of working with a very special nurse named Vicki Murphy.

"Last night, Vicki received the worst possible news any parent could ever get. Her daughter, Adrienne Paquette, was in a serious car accident on her way home from work. She was rushed to Baystate Medical Center and immediately brought to the OR where she ultimately succumbed to internal injuries.

"Upon hearing the news this morning, an immense sadness, shock, and heartbreak fell over our entire work family as we grieved for our co-worker/friend, her family, her loved ones."

Donations will help with "funeral costs, and any other financial burdens that may come from such a sudden, and tragic loss," Blais wrote. The fund drive had raised $450 in its first four hours.

(Early Wednesday evening, the GoFundMe goal was revised to $10,000, and as of 6:50 p.m., $695 had been pledged.)

Amherst Police identify Chicopee woman killed in collision with Peter Pan bus

Paquette was driving south on South Pleasant Street just after 5 p.m. Tuesday when her car crossed the road and collided with a parked Peter Pan bus.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

Eva M. O'Connell, a retired Holyoke Police Department lieutenant and a 36-year department veteran, died Tuesday at 74 after a lifetime that included running for mayor and operating a tax returns preparation business.

HOLYOKE — Eva M. O'Connell, a retired Holyoke Police Department lieutenant and the first female officer to carry a gun and work the streets, died Tuesday. She was 74.

"Eva served the city nobly for decades as a police officer rising to the rank of lieutenant," City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said Wednesday. "She had a deep commitment to Holyoke. My deepest sympathy goes out to her husband and our former police chief, Stephen Donoghue, and the rest of her family. She will be missed."

O'Connell was the highest-ranking woman in the Holyoke Police Department when she retired as a lieutenant in 2007 after 36 years. She became the second woman to join the Paper City police force in May 1970.

Upon assignment to the detective bureau, O'Connell became the first woman Holyoke officer to carry a gun and work the streets.

O'Connell was a "trailblazer," Mayor Alex B. Morse said.

"Eva O'Connell was a trailblazer and a role model for so many young women in our community. Joining the Police Department in the era she did was no easy task. Not only did she serve with distinction, she rose through the ranks to become a true leader in the department," Morse said.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family during this difficult time, and I thank her for the mark she has left on our beloved city," he said.

O'Connell, who became a sergeant in 1986 and lieutenant in 1998, told The Republican in 2007 that in her career she never fired her gun at a suspect and was never fired at. There were times she drew her gun, prepared, but was never forced to pull the trigger, she said.

"We have the best department in New England, anyway," O'Connell said in the Jan. 24, 2007 story.

O'Connell spoke with Dave Reid, former Republican reporter, as she began her post that night as shift commander of the 4 p.m. to midnight shift.

"The guys are a great group," she said. "When I first got on (the force), they all treated me like their daughter or their sister. Now they all treat me like their mother."

O'Connell was born in Brooklyn, New York, was raised here and also lived in South Hadley.

She attended Catholic schools growing up, one result of that time of having "lived with the nuns," as O'Connell put it, being her disdain for X-rated language, she said in the 2007 story.

"That's why you can't swear in front of me," O'Connell said.

For each profanity around O'Connell, offenders had to throw 25 cents into a kitty O'Connell uses to help fund Christmas parties and other events.

O'Connell operated a thriving tax returns preparation business, ran for mayor of Holyoke unsuccessfully in 2009 and was former president of Holyoke Kiwanis Club. She was married to Stephen F. Donoghue, a former Holyoke police chief.

When Holyoke Police Capt. Denise M. Duguay became the department's first captain in 2011, she said the day was special in several ways. When Russell J. Paquette, a former police captain who retired in 2003, became a captain he bestowed his lieutenant bars on Eva O'Connell. O'Connell passed the Paquette lieutenant bars to Duguay when she made lieutenant in 2004. Duguay at her 2011 promotion ceremony said she would give the bars to Laurence P. Cournoyer, who was promoted to lieutenant that day.

In the 2007 story, Duguay described O'Connell as "the only female supervisor I have had the privilege to work with and look up to as a role model."

"(She) is fair, hard-working, dependable, thorough, compassionate and well-respected. She has high standards for herself and for those she works with ... widely recognized as the 'mother' of Holyoke Police Department, looking out for the officers as if they were her own family, because they are. . . . I'm very sad to see (her) retire," Duguay said.

The Barry J Farrell Funeral Home here is handling O'Connell's funeral arrangements, and details are pending.

A security officer with the Washington D.C. metro system has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide financial assistance to the Islamic State, according to the Wall Street Journal.

WASHINGTON — A Metro Transit Police Department officer was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to help the Islamic State, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Nicholas Young, 36, was taken into custody by the FBI after allegedly participating in a sting operation during which Young believed he was providing financial support to the Islamic State, according to the paper.

Young, who is scheduled to appear in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday, had been employed with the transit police since 2003.

Authorities say he wasn't planning a violent attack, but has been charged with trying to give "material support" to the international terrorist organization.

This marks the first time a law enforcement official has been arrested in this capacity, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Young allegedly used mobile messaging accounts to send $245 in gift card codes to a person he believed was a member of the terrorist organization, but who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.

The FBI had "long feared" that Young desired to assist a terrorist organization, the Journal reports.

Authorities say Young had known a number of people with ties to terrorism. In 2010, he was interviewed by law enforcement about his alleged friend Zachary Chesser, who later pleaded guilty to attempting to provide financial support to terrorists.

Another alleged friend of Young, Amine El Khalifi, was eventually charged with plotting to conduct a suicide attack at the U.S. Capitol.

Authorities also allege that Young traveled to Libya in 2011, bringing with him a Kevlar helmet, body armor, and other military gear. Young allegedly told FBI officers later that he had met with a "rebel group" while he was there.

High profile defense attorney John "Jack" St. Clair was ordered held without bail on Wednesday, after turning himself in to face charges that he beat and strangled his wife.

PALMER -- A high-profile Western Massachusetts defense attorney was ordered held without bail Wednesday after turning himself in to face charges that he beat and strangled his wife last Friday.

John "Jack" St. Clair will remain in custody until Tuesday, at the earliest, when dangerousness hearing is scheduled to determine whether he will be released on bail.

St. Clair surrendered at Palmer District Court Wednesday morning, two days after Judge Michael Mulcahy issued a warrant for his arrest.

St. Clair's arraignment on one count of assault and battery on a family member had been scheduled to take place on Monday, but St. Clair -- who was admitted to Mercy Medical Center's Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke -- did not show. He was arraigned Wednesday on charges of witness intimidation and strangulation -- a felony -- in addition to the original assault charge.

In court Wednesday, St. Clair told Judge Mulcahy his hospitalization was not part of a strategy to better position himself to fight pending criminal charges -- refuting a suggestion Hampden County Assistant District Attorney Michael Wallace made at Monday's hearing. 

"It was not a ploy," St. Clair said, affirming attorney William Higgins' assertion that his client was referred to the hospital and taken there by ambulance.

The defendant also railed against The Republican for its coverage of his arrest last August, when he was previously charged with assaulting his wife.

"I see the Springfield Republican here," St. Clair said, handcuffed in the holding pen. "What was (reported) relative to a year ago, it was trash journalism."

That case did not move forward after his wife, at a Sept. 2 hearing, cited her marital privilege in choosing not to testify against him.

After Wallace cited St. Clair's previous arrest in requesting that he be held pending a dangerousness hearing, St. Clair argued to Mulcahy that state and federal judges are able to consider alternatives to detention in similar cases. Mulcahy answered that he has no discretion on the matter, and ordered St. Clair to be held until after the dangerousness hearing.

The former Hampden County prosecutor -- whose clients as an attorney in private practice have included State Rep. Thomas Petrolati and former Springfield city councilor and ex-homeless shelter director Frank Keough, was arrested in East Longmeadow Friday -- after police received a call of a domestic incident at St. Clair's Orchard Road home.

Officers arrived to find St. Clair's wife bruised and blood drops spattered around the house, according to police reports filed in court. The alleged victim told officers St. Clair had struck her, choked her and then followed her around the house with a knife while trying to stab himself.

Despite police reports stating St. Clair was bleeding from his hands and chest, apparently from minor knife wounds, he said in court on Wednesday that he suffered no such injuries.

Although St. Clair's wife refused to testify against her husband after the alleged assault a year ago, Wallace said in court she now wishes to pursue charges against him.

"His wife, in the last case, asserted her marital privilege," Wallace said. "I had the opportunity to speak with her at length on Monday; she is in a different place right now."

Our database below shows an income analysis for every county in the United States.

The minimum income to be in the top 1 percent of U.S. households was $389,436 in 2013, according to a recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.

The top 1 percent had an average income of $1,153,298 in 2013 compared to an average of $45,567 for the other 99 percent, according to a recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.

EPI is a left-leaning, Washington D.C.-based think tank that studies economic issues impacting low- and middle-income families. For this study, EPI used 2013 data from the Internal Revenue Service.

Our database below shows the EPI analysis for every county in the United States.

Avg. income for 1% by county

The numbers on the display page of the databases can be sorted by clicking a column title. Click once for a top-to-bottom sort, and twice for bottom-to-top sort.

Click "details" to see each county's rank in regards to the minimum income needed to be in the top 1 percent. The details page also shows the percentage of 2013 income that went to the top 1 percent, as well as households in the 95th to 99th percentile, the 90th to 95th percentile and below the 90th percentile.

Interactive map: See the average income of the Top 1% of earners in each U.S. county

The wealthiest 1 percent of U.S. households had an average income of $1,153,298 in 2013 compared to $45,567 for the other 99 percent, according to a recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.

Zoom in and rollover/tap any county on this map for details behind the average income of the top 1% in 2013.

The top 1 percent of earners in the United States had an average income of $1,153,298 in 2013 compared to an average of $45,567 for the other 99 percent, according to a recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.

The minimum income to be in the top 1 percent was $389,436, the EPI study said.

EPI is a left-leaning, Washington D.C.-based think tank that studies economic issues impacting low- and middle-income families. For this study, EPI used 2013 data from the Internal Revenue Service.

Below are some highlights of the EPI analysis.

1. The Northeast is the wealthiest region of the county.

The top 1 percent of the Northeast have a 2013 average income of $1,564,388 compared to $1,188,400 in the West, $988,670 in the South and $914,240 in the Midwest.

For the other 99 percent, the average income was $49,108 in the Northeast, $47,396 in the West, $45,593 in the Midwest and $43,421 in the South.

2. The minimum income of the top 0.01 percent was $16,869,759 in 2013.

The average income for the top 0.01 percent -- i.e, the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent -- was $26,106,656 in 2013.

Connecticut ranked first among the 50 states in this category, followed by New Jersey and Massachusetts. The bottom three were West Virginia, Arkansas and New Mexico.

3. The country's most affluent county is in Wyoming.

The top 1 percent had an average income of $28.2 million in Teton County, Wy., which includes the upscale ski resort town of Jackson Hole.

The county has a population of a little over 22,000. The average income for the other 99 percent is $120,884.

Ranked No. 2 is New York County -- i.e., Manhattan -- where the 1 percent have an average income of $8.1 million, and No. 3 is the Fairfield County in Connecticut, with an average income of $6.1 million for the top 1 percent.

4. Georgia has three of the bottom five counties when ranking by average salary of the top 1 percent.

The lowest ranked of 3,065 U.S. counties is Quitman County in Georgia, where the average income of the top 1 percent is $127,425.

Also in the bottom five: The Georgia counties of Chattahoochee and Taliaferro, plus Wade Hampton County in Arkansas and Robertson County in Kentucky.

5. North Dakota has three of the top five U.S. counties when ranking by average income of the other 99 percent.

An oil and gas boom paired with a sparse population has driven up average salaries in western North Dakota.

The top five counties and their average salary for the other 99 percent: McKenzie County, N.D. ($141,110), Williams, ND ($122,496), Teton, WY ($120,884), Loudoun, VA ($112,602) and Mountrail, N.D. ($111,009).

Loudon includes affluent suburbs in the Washington D.C. metro area.

The bottom five counties and their average salary for the other 99 percent: La Paz, AZ ($13,291), Telfair, GA ($14,711), Saguache, CO ($15,666), McCreary, KY ($16,190) and Dixie, FL ($16,319).

6. U.S. households in the top 1 percent earned, on average, 25 percent times the average income of households in the other 99 percent.

The ratio was the lowest in the Midwest, at 20 to 1, and highest in the Northwest, where the wealthiest 1 percent had 32 times the average income of the other 99 percent.

The ratio was 22 to 1 in the South and 25 to 1 in the West.

7. The top 1 percent are seeing their income increase much faster than the other 99 percent in recent decades.

The top 1 percent of Americans received 59 percent of the nation's overall income growth during economic expansions since 1980, according to EPI's calculations.

By comparison, the bottom 99 percent got 90.5 percent of the overall income growth during economic expansions between 1949 and 1979.

In 1928, just before the 1929 stock market crash, the top 1 percent accounted for 23.9 percent of the U.S. personal income income. That compares to 10 percent in 1979, 23.5 percent in 2007 and 20.1 percent in 2013.

Database: Look up income averages for all U.S. counties

The Family Motor Coach Association opened its 94th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase on Wednesday on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — When you drive a motor coach, you're always home.

In this case, home is the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition, where the Family Motor Coach Association opened its 94th Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase on Wednesday.

More than 1,000 motor homes and 3,000 visitors are expected during the convention's four-day showcase, themed "Celebrate Your Freedom."

Manufacturers and dealers have brought new homes for viewing, and a variety will be on display. In addition, seminars, activities, tours, entertainment and exhibitors will be offered at the family-friendly event.

The entertainment at the show will be plentiful, with The Frustrated Maestros taking the stage at the Mallary Arena on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Performing at the Evening Entertainment Stage in the Coliseum are The Texas Tenors on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Dave & Daphne on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Ayla Brown on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The show continues Thursday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10, daily, exhibits only; Daily Passport, $65, admission to exhibits, lectures and entertainment.

For more information, call 800-543-3622 or visit online: FMCA.com.

The Library, Luthier's Coop, Off The Map, Community Food Engine, and The West End seek all-pour, on-premise licenses to serve alcohol.

EASTHAMPTON -- The city's three-member Licensing Board met Monday to consider five new applications for full liquor licenses, but deferred making any decisions until its September 12 meeting.

The city has eight new "over-quota" liquor licenses at its disposal thanks to special legislation signed into law in June by Gov. Charlie Baker. The bill's language gives "highest preference to establishments located in the mill industrial zone and the downtown business zone in the city of Easthampton." 

Applications were received from Luthier's Co-Op, LLC at 108-112 Cottage St.; Amy's Place Inc. at 78 Cottage St.; Under The Bridge, LLC at 116 Pleasant St.; Off the Map Inc. at 84 Cottage St.; and Community Food Engine, LLC at 180 Pleasant St.

Luthier's Coop, the guitar shop and music venue, seeks to expand into the adjoining storefront vacated by Off The Map tattoo in April, effectively doubling its size to more than 2,000 square feet. Late-night food service would be provided, with the kitchen run by a third party, said applicant Steven Richard Baer. A second bar would be put in to serve cocktails and espresso drinks. Luthier's already has a beer and wine license.

Amy Florek seeks a separate full-liquor license for The Library, an 800-square-foot cocktail bar that now shares a liquor license with the adjacent Amy's Place bar and restaurant on Cottage Street. Florek would close off the interior connection between the two spaces and run separate venues.

Off The Map seeks a liquor license for the entire first floor of its new location at 84 Cottage St., the site of the former Majestic Theater. The application by manager Larisa Allen refers to six rooms with one entrance and two exits for a total of 7,772 feet, although co-owner Steve Sanderson made reference to a 1,400-square-foot events space in his appearance before the board. Sanderson said the tattoo shop wishes to produce art and educational events drawing tattoo artists and enthusiasts from around the world.

Community Food Engine, at Suite 127 of Mill 180, seeks an all-alcohol liquor license. In her application, manager Lystra Blake describes a 14,000 square-foot space that has been re-purposed into an "indoor urban park with a restaurant." Approximately 9,000 square feet contains open seating for park visitors, with the rest taken up by the kitchen, bathrooms, and areas "such as the utility/storage area and hydroponic grow room." Blake said Monday the business is slated to open on Sept. 1, that she already has a beer and wine license, that she hasn't decided upon her hours of operation, and that the full-pour license would be for special events.

Any decisions made by the local licensing board must be approved by the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

Licensing Board 8.1.16 from Easthampton Media on Vimeo.

A Springfield City Council committee will forward a proposed agreement to the full City Council on Aug. 15, but without a recommendation pro or con.

SPRINGFIELD — A City Council committee was not buying Wednesday when the developer of a proposed medical marijuana dispensary in East Springfield offered a compromise on its negotiated host community agreement.

By a 3-0 vote, the council's Health and Human Services Committee decided against issuing any recommendation on the proposed agreement negotiated between the developer, Hampden Care Facility, and city officials representing Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

A key change in the proposed agreement was Hampden Care Facility offering to reduce its right to be designated the sole dispensary in Springfield from a 10-year period, as negotiated, to a five-year term, with a renewal option.

In exchange, however, the company proposed reducing annual payments to the city of Springfield. The company is proposing the dispensary at 506 Cottage St.

Some councilors attending the meeting either objected to the five-year compromise as still being too long, suggesting the company would be a "monopoly" in Springfield, or objected to the reduction in payments to the city.

Amesbury Fire Rescue paramedics delivered a baby on I-95 in Amesbury on Tuesday, according to Fire Chief Kenneth Berkenbush.

AMESBURY — A baby was delivered in a highly unusual place on Tuesday afternoon, after a home birth in Amesbury went wrong and paramedics were forced to assist with the birth on the side of the highway.

Amesbury Fire Rescue paramedics delivered the child on I-95 on Tuesday, according to Fire Chief Kenneth E. Berkenbush.

After responding to a 4:40 p.m. call at a residence on Cedar St., Amesbury firefighter-paramedics discovered a woman in labor, according to a spokesman for the Amesbury Fire Department.

The woman had apparently been attempting to conduct a home birth, but had run into complications which led her midwife to decide to take her to the hospital.

During the trip to the hospital, however, the woman's condition intensified. As the vehicle reached the John Greenleaf Whitter Bridge on I-95, the paramedics instructed the driver to pull over, as the birth was considered to be "imminent."

Approximately five minutes later, the paramedics delivered a healthy baby girl.

After making sure that the baby was breathing and otherwise healthy, the paramedics continued the trip to the area hospital.

As of Wednesday, both the mother and her new child are said to be doing well.

"We train for these kinds of situations all the time, but firefighters could go their whole careers without actually delivering a baby," said Firefighter Ryan Casey, one of the paramedics involved. "It is good to have a positive outcome," Casey said.

"The mom did the hard work. We just fell back on our training and helped her," said Firefighter Michael Burke, another paramedic involved.

Berkenbush presented the three firefighters with a pink stork pin that signified their baby-birthing experience.

Amesbury Mayor Ken Gray also presented the firefighters with proclamations from the City of Amesbury.

"We are very fortunate in Amesbury to have firefighter-paramedics, who undergo extensive training, usually over a two-year period. This allows Amesbury Fire Rescue to provide our residents with an advanced level of service, because our firefighters are prepared for any incident," Chief Berkenbush said. "I am very proud of their work this week in helping to bring a new life into the world."

If protective germs can be identified, it might someday be possible to create an asthma blocker for all children, a geneticist says.

CHICAGO -- Forget Fluffy and Fido. Bessie the cow just might make a healthier pet.

That idea stems from new research in two farming-based religious communities that shun modern ways but have dramatically different childhood asthma rates. The goal was to find an explanation for why asthma is so uncommon among Amish communities, where children run barefoot in dairy barns and farm fields, but much higher in the other group.

Blood samples, house dust and mice experiments revealed some tantalizing clues, suggesting something in the dust was protecting the Amish children.

The study was published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine. It involved 60 school-aged children -- 30 each from an Amish community in Middlebury, Indiana, and from a Hutterite colony near Mitchell, South Dakota. Amish and Hutterites both originated in Europe, share old-style Protestant beliefs and lifestyles and have similar genetic ancestry.

But Hutterites live on large highly industrialized communal farms, use modern agricultural machinery, and children are more isolated from livestock. By contrast, the Amish have family-run farms, they use horse-drawn plows, their barns often are located near their homes and their children have daily exposure to farm animals, the researchers explained.

No Amish children and six Hutterites had asthma. Other studies have found rates of about 5 percent in Amish school-aged children versus up to about 20 percent in Hutterites and 10 percent for U.S. kids. Reasons for the higher Hutterite rate aren't known but exhaust from farm machinery is an unlikely explanation because they typically don't come in close contact with it, said study co-author Carole Ober, a University of Chicago geneticist.

Blood tests confirmed both groups of children had similar genetic profiles. But Amish children had far more white blood cells called neutrophils -- important in fighting infections. Plus, these cells looked younger in Amish kids, suggesting their immune system was constantly stimulated by exposure to germs to produce more.

Other blood cells called monocytes were found in similar numbers in both groups. Previous studies suggest these cells are hyperactive in allergy-prone children, but the cells showed signs of being less responsive to allergy triggers in the Amish kids, said co-author Anne Sperling, a University of Chicago immunologist.

"This was a phenomenal difference," she said. "We were blown away."

She said the second "gee-whiz moment" came after researchers collected Amish and Hutterite house dust and tested it on special mice sensitized to develop asthma symptoms. Hutterite dust triggered breathing troubles and inflamed airways in the mice; Amish dust did not.

What exactly is in Amish house dust that might protect children is not known and more research is planned to find out, but the study authors theorized it could be microbes including bacteria from dairy cows.

"We could just say put a cow in everyone's house and no one would have asthma anymore, but of course that's not easy," Ober said with a chuckle.

But if protective germs can be identified, it might someday be possible to create an asthma blocker for all children, she said.

A journal editorial said the study bolsters evidence that exposure to germs from traditional farming may protect against asthma. The results also support the so-called "hygiene hypothesis," which theorizes that relatively germ-free homes of modern society make infants more vulnerable to allergies and asthma.

Dr. Talal Chatila, an allergy expert at Boston Children's Hospital who wrote the editorial, said the study doesn't answer when and how often exposure to farm dust might be needed to protect children and if it needs to begin before birth.

Ober noted that research has shown that infants whose families have dogs are less likely to develop asthma and allergies but that acquiring a dog later on doesn't make a difference.

A Springfield Police Department K-9 assisted officers during an investigation involving drugs on Tuesday.

SPRINGFIELD — "Chase," a German Shepherd in the Springfield K-9 Unit, assisted the city police in the arrest of a suspected drug dealer on Tuesday, according to police.

Police responded to a call for immediate assistance at 165 Liberty St for a man who was slumped over in the front seat of a black SUV that was reportedly sitting in the middle of road.

During the process of helping paramedics to remove the unresponsive male from the vehicle, police discovered two zip lock bags that appeared to contain heroin packages, as well as crack cocaine, according to police.

The K-9 unit was then called in to assist with the investigation and "Chase," along with his partner Officer McKay, conducted a "sniff" of the rest of the SUV.

As a result of the sniff, "Chase" alerted officers to a number of areas in the SUV. When police searched these areas, they discovered an additional 35 grams of cocaine, according to police.

With the help of the K-9 Unit, a total of 18 grams of heroin and 89.6 of Cocaine were recovered from the vehicle, according to police.

The suspect, Anthony L. Rodriguez, 30, of Springfield, was placed under arrest while being taken to Mercy Medical Center for treatment. His charges include heroin and cocaine trafficking.

On Wednesday, the Springfield K-9 unit thanked "Chase" over social media for "sniffing out drugs."

With another huge crowd drawn to downtown Springfield for the latest White Lion Wednesday party, organizers have announced the addition of three dates to the increasingly popular gathering.

SPRINGFIELD -- With another huge crowd drawn to downtown Springfield for the latest White Lion Wednesday party, organizers have announced the addition of three dates to the increasingly popular gathering.

Taking place at Tower Square Park on Main Street, the gathering comes on the heels of previous successful White Lion Wednesday parties, with a total of five more scheduled parties still ahead.

The weekly event features food, beer, and live music and takes place from 4 to 8 p.m.

The program continues Aug. 10 at The Shops at Marketplace, Aug. 17 at the MassLive Building, Aug. 24 at Tower Square Park, Sept. 7 at the Masslive Building and finishes the season on Sept. 14 again at Tower Square Park.

Northwestern Mutual is sponsoring the series along with People's United Bank, MassLive, Get Set Marketing, and Good Diggin Landscaping, according to Chris Russell, executive director of the BID. Funds collected by the BID from those who own property in the downtown district will not be used to pay for the series.

The goal of the series is to keep people who work downtown in the neighborhood after typical office hours.

On Tuesday, the BID's third Cruise Night also drew a crowd to downtown Springfield. Photos from that event can be seen at the link below.

The funeral for Eva M. O'Connell-Donoghue, retired Holyoke Police Department lieutenant who died Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016 at 74, will be Monday at 9 a.m. from the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home at 2049 Northampton St.

HOLYOKE -- The funeral for Eva M. O'Connell-Donoghue, the Holyoke Police Department lieutenant who retired in 2007 after 36 years and died Tuesday, will be held Monday at 9 a.m. from the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home at 2049 Northampton St.

That will be followed by a 10 a.m. mass at Blessed Sacrament Church, 1945 Northampton St., said the obituary provided by the funeral home (see below).

O'Connell-Donoghue was 74. She "passed away at Holyoke Medical Center on August 2, 2016 after a short unexpected illness," the obituary said.

O'Connell was the highest-ranking woman in the Holyoke Police Department when she retired as a lieutenant in 2007 after 36 years. She became the second woman to join the Paper City police force in May 1970.

Upon assignment to the detective bureau, O'Connell became the first woman Holyoke officer to carry a gun and work the streets.

O'Connell was a "trailblazer," Mayor Alex B. Morse told The Republican Wednesday.

"Eva spent most of her 36-year career in Investigative Services dealing especially with rapes, child abuse and other serious crimes. She received much recognition and many commendations for her work," the obituary said.

She was married to Stephen F. Donoghue, a former Holyoke police chief.

Here is the obituary for Eva M. O'Connell-Donoghue, 1942-2016:

HOLYOKE
Eva M. O'Connell-Donoghue, 74, retired Holyoke Police Lieutenant, passed away at Holyoke Medical Center on August 2, 2016 after a short unexpected illness.

Eva was born in New York City on April 29, 1942 to James P. O'Connell and Marjorie Ashley after her father graduated from Fordham Law School. Her father was a partner in the Daniel O'Connell & Sons Construction Company. She attended Notre Dame Academy, a catholic girls boarding school in Tyngsborough, MA and the University of Massachusetts.

She worked in office positions at Holyoke Auto Parts, Food Mart and Poleps before being appointed to the Holyoke Police Department under Chief Thomas O'Connor in 1970. Eva spent most of her 36-year career in Investigative Services dealing especially with rapes, child abuse and other serious crimes. She received much recognition and many commendations for her work.

She also served as a commanding officer of the Records Bureau, Crime Prevention (Narcotics) Bureau and she finished her career as a Patrol Division shift commander. Upon her retirement she was gifted by the New England Farm Workers with a vacation to Puerto Rico in gratitude for her work with the Latino community of Holyoke. She also received proclamations of gratitude from the city, state and Hampden County Narcotics Task Force.

Besides her career in law enforcement, Eva had a successful tax preparation business and was a 30-year member of the Holyoke Kiwanis Club where she served as president for 10 years. She also ran a casual restaurant, The Soup Kitchen Cafe, in Northampton, for many years.

Eva blessed those who knew her. She was extremely compassionate and charitable to the many people in her life. Her love for her family was profound and her sacrifices for them were innumerable. She was the central pillar of her family. She never missed an important event and she was always there with a helping hand whenever family or friends were in need. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.

She is predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her husband Stephen F. Donoghue, her siblings Kathleen Day of Murells Inlet, SC, James O'Connell and his wife Sue of Granby, MA, Lynne Foote and her husband Steve of New York, NY, Janet Powers and her husband Tony of Flourtown, PA, and Christina O'Connell of Hatfield, PA. She is also survived by Stephen's daughter, 9 grandchildren, many nieces and nephews as well as many friends and associates.

The funeral will be held Monday at 9:00am from the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton St., followed by Mass in Blessed Sacrament Church at 10:00am. Burial will be held in St. Jerome Cemetery. Calling hours will be Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00pm. In lieu of flowers, Eva requested that donations be made to Sisters of St. Joseph, 577 Carew St. Springfield, MA 01104.

Alleged members of four New York crime families were among the defendants.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Declaring that the Mafia is not just the stuff of movie scripts, federal prosecutors charged nearly four dozen people Thursday with being part of an East Coast crime syndicate, including an old-school mobster in New York and a reputed mob chieftain in Philadelphia who has been pursued by the government for decades.

The indictment, unsealed in New York City, accuses the defendants of a litany of classic mafia crimes, including extortion, loansharking, casino-style gambling, sports gambling, credit card fraud and health care fraud. It said the syndicate operated in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey.

Among those charged was Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, the flamboyant alleged head of the Philadelphia mob who has repeatedly beat murder charges in past cases, but served nearly 12 years in prison for racketeering.

Also named in the indictment was Pasquale "Patsy" Parrello, identified as a longtime member of the Genovese organized crime family in New York City.

Merlino's longtime lawyer, Ed Jacobs, declined to comment on the allegations, saying he hadn't yet studied the indictment.

Prosecutors said 39 of those charged were arrested on Thursday. Alleged members of four New York crime families were among the defendants. During the arrests, agents seized three handguns, a shotgun, gambling paraphernalia and more than $30,000 in cash.

Diego Rodriguez, head of the FBI's New York office, said the indictment "reads like an old school Mafia novel."

One count accuses Parrello, 72, of ordering a beatdown in 2011 of a panhandler he believed was harassing female customers outside his Bronx restaurant.

"Break his ... knees," he said, according to prosecutors. The panhandler was "assaulted with glass jars, sharp objects and steel-tipped boots, causing bodily harm," the court papers said.

Afterward one of his cohorts was recorded saying, "Remember the old days in the neighborhood when we used to play baseball? ... A ballgame like that was done," the papers said.

Prosecutors also said that in 2013, Parello ordered retaliation against a man who stabbed a member of his crew outside a Bronx bar.

After an associate agreed to "whack" the attacker, Parrello cautioned him to "keep the pipes handy and pipe him, pipe him, over here (gesturing to the knees), not on his head," court papers said.

Merlino, 54, who has become a restaurateur in Boca Raton, Florida, following his release from prison, was implicated in a health care fraud scheme with Parrello and others. Investigators said the conspirators got corrupt doctors to bill insurers for unnecessary and excessive prescriptions for expensive compound creams in exchange for kickbacks.

In Massachusetts, five alleged associates of the New York-based Genovese crime family were arrested on extortion-related charges as part of the sweep. Four men were arrested in New Jersey.

The committee is scheduled to vote on a contract, issue statement.

AMHERST -- The months-long, closed-door discussions about Amherst School Superintendent Maria Geryk could end Tuesday with a joint meeting that will include contract negotiations followed by a vote in open session.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. with an executive session scheduled at 5:05 p.m., followed by a return to open session at 5:40 for the contract statement and vote.

The meeting is in the Amherst Regional High School library.

The Joint Union #26 and Amherst Regional School Committee meeting is the fourth joint executive session addressing Geryk's contract.

She is three years into a five-year contract that expires at the end of June 2018. In 2014, she received a salary boost to $158,000 a year.

The committees met for nearly four hours in executive session Monday night, but there was no resolution to an unspecified issue related to Geryk.

Member Trevor Baptiste said he could not talk about details of the executive session -- the committee's third -- but said "everybody's trying to come to consensus on an issue so the system can be financially viable in the future."

He has been pushing for the committee to evaluate Geryk before resolving the undisclosed issue.

Initially, he was hoping an evaluation would be conducted before another executive session.