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Hatfield police probe theft of loaded handgun from officer's personal vehicle

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The gun, the officer's personal weapon, not his service weapon, was stolen Wednesday night.

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HATFIELD - Police are seeking the public’s help as they probe the theft of a loaded handgun from a police officer’s personal vehicle while he was out on patrol in a cruiser Wednesday night.

Lt. Timothy Paciorek said the officer was near the end of his shift when he realized that the gun, a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson and not his service weapon, had been stolen.

The gun was stolen from the officer’s green pickup truck, parked in the Town Hall parking lot, some time between 3 and 10 p.m. Investigators are still attempting to determine the truck had been left unlocked or forcibly entered, Paciorek said.

“If anybody saw anybody around the cruiser bay please notify the department,” Paciorek said. Police can be reached at (413) 586-1508.

Police have not released the officer’s name.


Sharon Chanon Velazquez tells 'Today Show' that she did not bully Phoebe Prince

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Velazquez told the "Today Show" that she has been subjected to bullying and even death threats in the aftermath of the case.

Sharon Chanon Velazquez, who was sentenced to two months of probation in connection with the bullying-related suicide of South Hadley teenager Phoebe Prince, told the "Today Show" recently that she's no bully.

"I was trying to help out a friend, and people don't understand that," Velazquez told NBC's Ann Curry. "And I want them to know that and they're going around saying things that aren't true and saying that I stalked her and that I bullied her, and that wasn't the case at all. We argued."

Velazquez's probation ended this month because, as The Republican reported after her sentencing, the Juvenile Court's dominion over her no longer applies after she turned 18.

In May, Prince's mother, Anne O'Brien said in a victim impact statement that Velazquez's age prevented "any reasonable sentence of court supervision."

Velazquez told the "Today Show" that she has been subjected to bullying and even death threats in the aftermath of the case.

Severe thunderstorm warning in effect for much of Western Massachusetts

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The warning remains in effect until 10 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD – A severe thunderstorm warning, issued by the National Weather Service for much of Western Massachusetts, will remain in effect until 10 a.m.

Included in the warning are: Hampshire County, southeastern Franklin County, north central Hampden County.

Heavy downpours, damaging winds and large hail are possible, according to the National Weather Service.

As NASA prepares for final shuttle launch, Western Mass. astronaut Cady Coleman describes seeing New England from space

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Coleman, who lives in Shelburne Falls when not in orbit, described her experiences in space and discussed the ending of the nation's shuttle program. Watch video

There's a 70 percent chance the final launch of NASA's shuttle program won't happen Friday, as four astronauts boarded the shuttle Atlantis despite the likelihood of bad weather.

"We do have a shot at this today," launch director Mike Leinbach told his team, according to The Associated Press.

Back on Earth, astronaut Cady Coleman, who has roots here in Western Mass., spoke about her experiences aboard space shuttles with NPR.

Coleman, who is in Russia after returning from a stint at the International Space Station, told "All Things Considered" host Melissa Block that one of her favorite memories from space was spotting New England from space. She said:

To me, seeing one of my favorite places, which is New England where my husband and son were at that time, you know seeing New England approach so it's in the distance and it's getting closer and closer. Then you're right over it and you see where you live and you see Cape Cod and it's just beautiful, and you want it to stay right there. But it doesn't. It recedes into the distance so quickly. It makes me wistful and at the same time, I know that in an hour and a half I'll be back. Listen to the interview »

Coleman is married to Shelburne Falls artist Josh Simpson, a glass blower whose work is inspired by the celestial bodies for which his wife has had a front-row seat. She returned to Earth in May after five months in orbit.

Coleman told NPR that the retiring of the nation's shuttle program, which began in 1981 with the launch of Columbia, is a "hard change" that was ultimately necessary .

"In order to explore, we need a new vehicle," Coleman said. "And we can't fly this one and operate this one. It's too expensive and it drains too many of the people that we need."

Coleman recently delivered the commencement address to the graduates of the University of Massachusetts — from space — and spoke to local students via a satellite feed at Springfield Technical Community College.

Steven Campos, 28, reported missing from minimum security Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center in Springfield, turns himself in

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The inmate, reported missing about 10:15 a.m., returned about two hours later.

small_SCamposramos25.jpgSteven Campos

SPRINGFIELD – A 28-year-old inmate, who walked away from the minimum security Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center sometime Thursday night, turned himself in there early Friday morning.

Steven Campos, 28, of Springfield, was serving 630 days for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, said Richard McCarthy, spokesman for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department.

Campos was noticed missing at about 10:15 p.m. during a regular head count and returned to the Howard Street facility at about 12:20 a.m.. McCarthy said.

The Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center serves the four western counties. Formed in 1985, it was originally planned for the treatment of people with multiple drunken driving arrests. It has since been expanded to include treatment of those with addiction problems.

Western Massachusetts energy prices, at a glance

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Here are the average energy prices in the Pioneer Valley for the week ending today.

energy prices 0708.JPGView full size

David Vincent of Pittsfield on trial for allegedly beating girlfriend Rebecca Moulton to death

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The defense has questioned the prosecution’s witness list, which includes the defendant’s daughter.

PITTSFIELD – Jury selection for the trial of a Pittsfield man accused of fatally beating his live-in girlfriend has been completed.

Sixteen jurors were chosen in Berskshire Superior Court over a three-day period that ended on Thursday.

David Vincent III is charged with murder for allegedly beating 27-year-old Rebecca Moulton in June 2009 in the apartment they shared. She was taken to Berkshire Medical Center where she died from her injuries. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.

Vincent has been held without bail since pleading not guilty at his arraignment in July 2009.

The Berkshire Eagle reported that his lawyer has questioned the prosecution’s witness list, which includes the defendant’s daughter.

The trial is scheduled to start July 18.

Watch Live: NASA's final shuttle launch scheduled for 11:26 a.m

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Forecasters stuck to their original 70 percent chance of bad weather, as the veteran crew climbed aboard the spacecraft. NASA was hopeful.

Update | NASA reports: Shuttle Atlantis is “go” for launch. No technical issues and weather is “go” at KSC and at abort landing sites in the U.S. and overseas.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's final four shuttle astronauts boarded Atlantis for liftoff Friday on the last flight of the 30-year program, even as potential rainstorms threatened to delay the launch.

Forecasters stuck to their original 70 percent chance of bad weather, as the veteran crew climbed aboard the spacecraft. NASA was hopeful.

"We do have a shot at this today," launch director Mike Leinbach assured his team.

Commander Christopher Ferguson gave a thumbs up as he was strapped in after sunrise despite the still-iffy launch prospects. On his way to the spacecraft, Ferguson had jokingly beckoned for more applause, clapping his hands at one point. The astronauts posed for pictures before boarding.

Atlantis holds a year's worth of supplies — more than 8,000 pounds — for the International Space Station.

An estimated 750,000 people are expected to jam Cape Canaveral and surrounding towns for this final shuttle launch, reminiscent of the crowds that gathered for the Apollo moon shots.

Among the expected VIPs: 14 members of Congress, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, four members of the Kennedy family, two former NASA administrators, singers Jimmy Buffett and Gloria Estefan, and the first shuttle pilot of them all, Robert Crippen.

By 6 a.m., cars and RV were packed into almost every available space along U.S. 1 in Titusville, with cameras already trained on the launch pad in the hazy clouds across the Indian River. Many had planted chairs and staked out viewing locations just feet from the water. Some were still cocooned in sleeping bags as the sun rose.

Kenneth Cox, 25, an airport employee from Danville, Ind., joined three friends at the riverside. Hauling Lucky Charms, fixings for s'mores and a bottle of champagne to celebrate the launch, they slept off and on as the sun rose.

Space ShuttleAtlantis astronauts, from left, mission specialist Sandra Magnus, pilot Doug Hurley, commander Chris Ferguson and mission specialist Rex Walhelm leave the operations and check up building enroute to the pad for at the Kennedy Space Center Friday, July 8, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Atlantis is the 135th and final space shuttle launch for NASA. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

"It's the closing chapter of 30 years," said Cox, who went to Space Camp when he was in the fifth grade and has been enamored with the shuttle program as long as he could remember.

"I definitely think it's a somber attitude out here, because it's the last one," said Cox's friend, Simon Lin, 26, who works at Walt Disney World in Orlando. "It's brought so much to the tourist industry in Florida, and that's what we are. Closing it down, it's going to be sad."

Cherie Cabrera, 23, a Disney World employee, tried to explain the attraction.

"It's just powerful," she said. "There are so few people who have the ability to go to space, and for all of us to be here on the river, watching it launch and feeling it rise and feeling the wind, you feel like you're a part of it. You feel connected."

John and Jennifer Cardwell came from Fairhope, Ala., for their third attempt to see the shuttle launch. Twice before they made the trip only to have a flight canceled and they weren't able to stay. They brought their sons, Isaac, 6, and 3-year-old Eli.

Cady Coleman's journey to the International Space Station
Western Mass. astronaut reacts

NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, of Shelburne Falls, says the discontinuation of the shuttle program is a "hard change" that was ultimately necessary. Read more »

"This is our last-ditch chance to see one," said 38-year-old Jennifer Cardwell, cradling a sleepy Eli in her arms just after dawn. "This is the end of an era, and I wanted to be able to experience it. My son is interested in space and science, and I wanted to encourage that.

"It's that last frontier, that last place left for us to explore," she said. "We've gone all over the world, and this is what's left."

NASA must launch Atlantis by Sunday or Monday or it will have to wait until at least July 16 because of an unmanned rocket launch scheduled for next week.

The 12-day mission will close out the space shuttle program, which began with the launch of Columbia in 1981. Atlantis will join Discovery and Endeavour in retirement, so NASA can focus on sending astronauts to asteroids and Mars. Private companies will take over the business of getting space station cargo and crews to orbit.

Once Atlantis soars, it will be another three years — possibly five or more — before astronauts blast off again from U.S. soil.

This will be the 33rd flight for Atlantis and the 135th shuttle mission overall.

"Everybody should be really proud how we've ended and just finishing strong," Mendoza said.


Franklin County Jail in Greenfield remains in lockdown following overnight disturbance

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The disturbance began about 9:30 p.m. when about a dozen inmates refused to go into their cells.

GREENFIELD - The Franklin County Jail remained in lockdown Friday morning following a Thursday night disturbance that began when about a dozen inmates refused to return to their cells for the night.

No injuries were reported in the disturbance which began about 9:30 p.m. in the top tier of Pod A. said Franklin County Sheriff Christopher Donelan.

“They refused to go in and started breaking things, throwing furniture over the railing,” Donelan said.

Correctional officers locked down the facility and the department’s Tactical Response Team took the inmates into custody and placed them into other secure parts of the facility. All inmates were secured by about 1:30 a.m., Donelan said.

The incident prompted a response from officers and K-9 units from the Greenfield Police Department, state police and the University of Massachusetts police. Greenfield firefighters were summoned to the facility as a precaution, Donelan said.

Investigators are still attempting to determine what touched off the disturbance. “There were no signs or indications that there had been any problems,” said Donelan, adding the he had been in Pod A earlier in the day.

Investigators are reviewing video footage “to see who started it, who did what to who,” Donelan said.

Such large-scale disturbances are rare for the jail, which has about 275 inmates. The last time similar incident occurred was in 1995, Donelan said.

Donelan said that the continued lockdown means that there is no co-mingling of inmates, no free time. “Everyone is basically in their cell and will stay in their cell,” he said.

It was not immediately clear Friday morning when the lockdown might be rescinded. “We will play that by ear depending on the staffing and the safety of the facility,” Donelan said.

Obituaries today: The Rev. Paul Archambault, 42, parochial vicar of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Hampden

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Obituaries from The Republican.

Paul J. Archambault 7811.jpgPaul J. Archambault

NORTHAMPTON - Rev. Paul J. Archambault, 42, the parochial vicar of St. Mary's Church in Hampden died unexpectedly Sunday in Springfield. Born in Northampton on February 18, 1969, he was the son of Gerald Archambault Sr. of Northampton and the late Mary (Rochon) Archambault. He was raised and educated in Northampton. He graduated from Northampton High School in 1987, where he was a member of the school band and a stage manager for school plays. As an adolescent he enjoyed several hobbies, including horseback riding and keeping racing pigeons that he would show at the Three County Fair. He joined the priesthood after working for years at different occupations, from parking garage attendant to Hampshire County deputy sheriff. He received an undergraduate degree from St. John's Seminary College in Brighton in 2000 and earned a master's degree in divinity from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Conn. At the time of his ordination in June 2005, he told a reporter he felt guided by God to enter the priesthood. He was first assigned as a parochial vicar at St. Theresa Parish in South Hadley. He also served as Catholic chaplain at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. He was the parochial Vicar at St. Mary's Church in Hampden and also celebrated Mass at Westover Air Force Base. He organized a eucharistic rosary procession at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Northampton. He will lie in state at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Church, 99 King Street, Northampton, on Monday from 4 to 7 p.m.. followed by a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m. A liturgy of Christian burial will be celebrated by the Most Rev.Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield on Tuesday at 11at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Church. Police said his death was a suicide.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Images of Boston on CBS-TV July 4 fireworks telecast were doctored, producer David Mugar admits

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Organizers of the show said some scenes were altered so the live fireworks display over the Charles River was superimposed over pre-filmed landmarks in other parts of the city.

Fake fireworks photo 7811.jpgThis is one of the doctored images of Boston's Fourth of July fireworks that appeared on CBS-TV Monday night. Producers of the show admitted that fireworks images were imposed over other images of historical Boston landmarks, such as Fenway Park shown here, for entertainment purposes.

BOSTON – The television footage of Boston’s July Fourth fireworks show was spectacular, including colorful explosions over the city’s most famous landmarks including Fenway Park, the Statehouse and Quincy Market.

Some of those shots were also physically impossible.

Organizers of the show aired Monday on CBS television acknowledged to The Boston Globe in a story Friday that some scenes were altered so the live fireworks display over the Charles River was superimposed over pre-filmed landmarks in other parts of the city.

David Mugar, the Boston-area businessman and philanthropist who’s been the show’s executive producer for nine years, defended the superimposed images, saying they were entertainment and not news.

David Perry, a Massachusetts native who lives in Ohio, told the Globe he was disappointed because the fireworks are good enough already and don’t need enhancement.

Head-on crash on Route 202 in Holyoke takes lives of Kathleen and Martin Tessier of Easthampton

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The driver of the second vehicle, 23-year-old Andrea Waldo of Huntington, is in fair condition

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HOLYOKE – Police have identified the 46-year-old woman and 47-year-old man who lost their lives in a head-on crash late Thursday afternoon on Route 202 as Kathleen and Martin Tessier, of 16 Lawson Drive, Easthampton.

The driver of the second vehicle, Andrea Waldo, 23, of 25 Russell Road, Huntington, was listed in fair condition Friday at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Lt. Michael J. Higgins said.

The Tessiers were pronounced dead at Baystate, he said.

The accident occurred as Waldo drove west on Route 202. A witness told investigators that Waldo’s vehicle swerved to the right and then to the left where it crossed the double line and crashed head on into the Tessiers’ vehicle.

The Tessiers were in a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Kathleen Tessier, Higgins said. They were not wearing seat belts and their air bags deployed.

It’s not yet known whether Waldo had been wearing a seat belt and her air bag did not deploy, Higgins said, adding that she was outside of her vehicle, a 1994 Ford Explorer, and walking around shortly after the crash.

The impact of the crash pushed Waldo’s steering wheel off to the side, Higgins said.

The accident occurred west of Homestead Avenue on the stretch of Route 202 between the Ashley and McLean reservoirs, police said. Part of Route 202 was closed at Homestead Avenue as police investigated the accident.

Holyoke Police, state police and the Hampden District Attorney’s office are probing the crash.

PM News Links: Gov. Deval Patrick accepts donations from gambling lobbyists, priest defends transfer of tornado funds and more

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The space shuttle Atlantis' last historic flight is carrying a student-designed science experiment and a mission patch from a school in Hartford.

Atlantis 7811.jpgSpectators watch the final launch of space shuttle Atlantis in Titusville, Fla., Friday. Click on the link, above left, for a report from the Hartford Couant for about a science experiment from the Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School that is aboard the Atlantis.

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

Lawyer for 'Whitey' Bulger's companion, Catherine Greig, seeks bail before trial

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Greig’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, says she is not a danger to the community and will not flee if released.

Catherin Greig sketch 7811.jpgIn this courtroom sketch, Catherine Greig, girlfriend of James "Whitey" Bulger, is shown during her initial appearance in a federal courtroom in Boston June 24.

BOSTON – A lawyer for the girlfriend of former reputed Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger says she should be let out on bail while awaiting trial.

Catherine Greig’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, says she is not a danger to the community and will not flee if released.

Reddington says in court documents that Greig and her twin sister are both willing to post Massachusetts homes they own as collateral.

Greig and Bulger were apprehended last month in Santa Monica, Calif., after allegedly spending the last 16 years on the run together.

Reddington says prosecutors “will have a difficult time” proving that Greig harbored Bulger as a fugitive. He says Greig could be placed on electronic monitoring and home confinement to assure her appearance in court.

Prosecutors have said they will argue against her release.

Shuttle lifts off for last time; 'Light this fire'

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When Atlantis returns, it will be put on display at the Kennedy Space Center.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Atlantis and four astronauts thundered into orbit Friday on NASA's last space shuttle voyage, writing the final chapter in a 30-year story of dazzling triumphs, shattering tragedy and, ultimately, unfulfilled expectations.

After days of gloomy forecasts full of rain and heavy cloud cover, the spaceship lifted off at 11:29 a.m. — just 2½ minutes late — and embarked on the 135th shuttle mission. The crowd of spectators was estimated at nearly 1 million.

"Let's light this fire one more time," Commander Christopher Ferguson said just before taking flight.

The shuttle was visible for 42 seconds before disappearing into the clouds.

It will be at least three years — possibly five or more — before astronauts are launched again from U.S. soil, and so this final journey of the shuttle era packed in crowds and roused emotions on a scale not seen since the Apollo moon shots. NASA has set of long-term goal of flying to an asteroid and eventually Mars.

"Take a deep breath. Enjoy a little time here with your families again. But we've got a lot of work to do. We've got another program that we've got to get under way," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told the launch control team after Atlantis reached orbit. He added: "We know what we're doing. We know how to get there. We've just got to convince everybody else that we know what we're doing."

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Atlantis' crew will deliver a year's worth of critical supplies to the International Space Station and return with as much trash as possible. The spaceship is scheduled to come home on July 20 after 12 days in orbit.

The four experienced space fliers rode Atlantis from the same launch pad used more than a generation ago by the Apollo astronauts. NASA waived its own weather rules in the final minutes of the countdown to allow the launch to go forward. In the end, though, the liftoff was delayed not by the weather but by the need to verify that the launch pad support equipment was retracted all the way.

The last-minute suspense was fitting in a way, since Florida's famously stormy weather delayed numerous shuttle missions almost from the start of the program and was a major reason spaceflight never became routine, as NASA had hoped for.

Spectators jammed Cape Canaveral and surrounding towns for the emotional farewell. Kennedy Space Center itself was packed with shuttle workers, astronauts and 45,000 invited guests.

NASA's original shuttle pilot, Robert Crippen, now 73, was among the VIPs. He flew Columbia, along with Apollo 16 moonwalker John Young, on the inaugural test flight in 1981. Other notables on the guest list: a dozen members of Congress, Cabinet members, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, four Kennedy family members, singers Jimmy Buffett and Gloria Estefan, and two former NASA chiefs.

"I'm a little bit sad about it, and a little bit wistful," said Jennifer Cardwell, 38, who came with her husband, John, and two young sons from Fairhope, Ala. "I've grown up with it."

The space shuttle was conceived even as the moon landings were under way, deemed essential for building a permanent space station. NASA brashly promised 50 flights a year — in other words, routine trips into space — and affordable service.

But the program suffered two tragic accidents that killed 14 astronauts and destroyed two shuttles, Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003. NASA never managed more than nine flights in a single year. And the total tab was $196 billion, or $1.45 billion a flight.

Yet there have been some indisputable payoffs: The International Space Station would not exist if it were not for the shuttles, and the Hubble Space Telescope, thanks to repeated tuneups by astronauts, would be a blurry eye in the sky instead of the world's finest cosmic photographer.

The station is essentially completed, and thus the shuttle's original purpose accomplished. NASA says it is sacrificing the shuttles because there is not enough money to keep the expensive fleet going if the space agency is to aim for asteroids and Mars.

Thousands of shuttle workers will be laid off within days of Atlantis' return from its 33rd flight, on top of the thousands who already have lost their jobs. And the three remaining shuttles will become museum pieces.

After Atlantis took flight, NASA launch director Mike Leinbach choked up as he thanked the members of his control team, some of whom will be out of a job. "The definition of godspeed I like the best is 'have a prosperous journey,' and folks, from the bottom of my heart, good luck and godspeed," he said.

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This day of reckoning has been coming since 2004, a year after the Columbia tragedy, when President George W. Bush announced the retirement of the shuttle and put NASA on a course back to the moon. President Barack Obama canceled the back-to-the-moon program in favor of trips to an asteroid and Mars.

But NASA has yet to work out the details of how it intends to get there, and has not even settled on a spacecraft design.

The space shuttle demonstrates America's leadership in space, and "for us to abandon that in favor of nothing is a mistake of strategic proportions," lamented former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, who led the agency from 2005 to 2008.

After Atlantis' lights-out flight, private rocket companies will take over the job of hauling supplies and astronauts to the space station. The first supply run is targeted for later this year, while the first trip with astronauts is projected to be years away.

Until those flights are up and running, American astronauts will be hitching rides to and from the space station via Russian Soyuz capsules, at more than $50 million per trip.

Russia will supply the rescue vessels for Ferguson and his crew if Atlantis ends up severely damaged in flight. But the Russian spaceships can carry only three people, including two crew members, and any rescue would require a series of back-and-forth trips. That is why only four astronauts are flying Atlantis, the smallest crew in decades.

When Atlantis returns, it will be put on display at the Kennedy Space Center. Discovery and Endeavour already are retired and being prepped for museums in suburban Washington and Los Angeles.

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Associated Press writers Mitch Stacy in Titusville, Fla., and Seth Borenstein at Cape Canaveral contributed to this story.

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Worker taken to Baystate Medical Center after exposure to chemicals in trailer at Astro Chemicals, Inc. in Springfield

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The employee, Richard Hacker was exposed to chemicals in a trailer.

Springfield Fire Dept Patch.jpg

SPRINGFIELD – An employee of Astro Chemicals Inc. on Memorial Drive was taken to Baystate Medical Center for evaluation early Friday afternoon after he was exposed to chemicals that may have ruptured from one or more bags inside a truck trailer.

Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger said firefighters were summoned to the facility at 126 Memorial Drive shortly after noon.

Leger said the bags contained chemicals in tablet form and one more may have ruptured, perhaps due to heat. The employee, Richard Hacker, detected a strong chemical odor as he opened the trailer door and felt ill afterwards.

The department’s Office of Emergency Preparedness remained on scene mid-afternoon as they awaited recommendations from the state Department of Environmental Protection as how to best deal with the problem.

Leger stressed that no spill has occurred and that the chemicals do not pose any danger to the public or emergency personnel.

Chemicals onboard the trailer include sodium metabisulfite, sodium thiosulfate and sodium sulfite, Leger said.

Republicans: Weak US job report means no tax hikes

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Obama has insisted that some revenue increases be included in a deficit-reduction plan.

barack obama, john boehner, ap 2011President Barack Obama, with House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, take part in a meeting with Congressional leadership in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 7, 2011, to discuss the debt.

WASHINGTON — Top congressional Republicans said Friday that a report that few new jobs were created in the U.S. last month shows this is not the time for the government to be raising taxes. But the Republican House leader said the gloomy numbers also underscored the need for a deal on raising the federal debt limit and cutting massive budget deficits.

With the Obama administration and Congress looking for a compromise to end their standoff over government debt, House Republican leaders used the latest jobs reports to drive home their position on taxes.

"The situation that we face is pretty urgent, as a matter of fact I would describe it as dire," House Speaker John Boehner said at a news conference, emphasizing that "a debt limit increase that raises taxes or fails to make serious spending cuts won't pass the House."

He was backed up by Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who said that deficit reduction talks held by Vice President Joe Biden that Cantor abandoned had ended because Democrats were insisting on raising taxes.

"Now it just does not make sense for Americans to suffer under higher taxes in an economy like this," said Cantor.

Obama has insisted that some revenue increases be included in a deficit-reduction plan.
Boehner also stressed the need to reach a deal before the government starts defaulting on its debt on Aug. 2. A default could jolt financial markets and touch off a recession in the U.S, analysts say.

"I frankly think it puts us in an awful lot of jeopardy and puts our economy in jeopardy, risking even more jobs. So I believe it is important that we come to an agreement," he said.

The Labor Department said Friday that the economy added only 18,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 9.2 percent.

Boehner said congressional leaders and President Barack Obama were not near a debt limit agreement.

"I don't think this problem has narrowed at all in the last several days," he said.

After Obama met with congressional leaders Thursday at the White House, Obama said the session had been constructive. The talks are to resume at the White House on Sunday.

Sen. Scott Brown has yet to hold town hall meeting with Massachusetts residents

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A Brown spokesman said he's attended more than 200 events in Massachusetts and is focused on creating jobs.

111510 scott brownSen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., addresses the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in Boston, Monday, Nov. 15, 2010.

BOSTON — Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who won last year's special election by tapping into populist voter sentiment, has yet to hold a public town hall meeting to take questions from Massachusetts residents.

Massachusetts Democrats, who are hoping to win back the seat once held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, are tweaking Brown for failing to schedule a meeting to let members of the public express their concerns.

A Brown spokesman acknowledged Brown hasn't had a town hall-style meeting, but said he's attended more than 200 events in Massachusetts and is focused on creating jobs.

Brown won the office by labeling Kennedy's former seat the "people's seat" and burnished his everyman image by driving a pickup truck and wearing a barn jacket.

Democratic Sen. John Kerry has held five town hall meetings since Brown's election.

Springfield police said alleged break-in suspect, Ludlow resident Phillip Constantino, wore lamp shade on head as he wielded reciprocating saw

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Police arrested the lamp shade-wearing suspect a short time later after spotting him riding a bicycle.

constantino,phillipcrop.jpgPhillip Constantino

SPRINGFIELD – An employee of a Boston Road business, sleeping there due to recent break-ins, was awakened early Friday by a man wearing a lamp shade on his head and cutting through the fence with a reciprocating saw.

Police, searching the area a short time later, spotted a man, still wearing a lamp shade on his head as he rode a bicycle, according to a release issued by Commissioner William J. Fitchet’s office.

Police reciprocating saw was mounted in plain view on the bicycle along with a spare battery and a catalytic converter.

The employee, who works at Quality Tree and Fence , 44 Verge St., positively identified the suspect.

Phillip Constantino, 48, of 229 Miller St., Ludlow, was charged with breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony, receiving stolen property and possession of burglarious tools, according to the release.

Constantino denied the charges in District Court and was ordered held in lieu of $2,500 cash bail.

Amherst foundation Think Alive helps fund dreams of people with disabilities

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Think Alive, founded by Tim Enfield, provides grants in any area that an applicant requests, such as horseback riding, music lessons or acting classes.

ALIVE1.JPGMembers of the Think Alive Action Committee discuss strategy in a classroom at the University of Massachusetts. The non-profit raises money for youngsters with disabilities and celebrates their achievements at special receptions. Pictured here, from left founder Tim Enfield, to his left, Christian Waterman, Vuk Whallon and Kenny Francis, far right.

AMHERST – Growing up with cerebral palsy, Tim Enfield spent a lot of time on the sidelines watching.

But watching wasn't enough. He pushed himself to learn to tie his shoes with the one hand with working fingers, to swim and to play basketball. He wanted to participate in the 800-meter run in the International Paralympic Games, but didn't have the money to make it to the trials.

So he founded an organization to provide money and support to help the disabled pursue their dreams. While a student at Wake Forest University in North Carolina last year, he started Think Alive, which recently received non-profit status.

It was a one-man operation until his transfer to the sport management program at the University of Massachusetts in the fall. The project is now a passion shared by four others, and with that the program is growing.

Enfield and the three other members of the so-called Action Committee postponed studying for final exams earlier this month to talk about their mission to inspire youngsters with disabilities.

The foundation raises money and awards grants to students at special ceremonies, as a way to encourage and inspire. Seven achievement grants were awarded to youngsters in town last month.

The grant goes for the activity the student wants to pursue, whether it is horseback riding, music lessons or kung fu classes.

"We're asking kids to come to us with a goal," said Action Committee member Christian Waterman, who is also vice president of the Association of Diversity in Sport. He said he became involved because "we're all interested in social justice, making grass roots changes."

Enfield said he wants to impart to youngsters, "you can't go anywhere (in life) without taking a risk. Through that, you better yourself. We're all about taking the next ... steps."

One such grant went to Olivia Smulyan to help her pay for fiddle camp.

Smulyan, who is 19, has Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes learning difficulties. Her mother Joan Cornachio said her daughter "is really putting herself out there in the past year." She said receiving the grant helps affirm to her daughter that she can have a full life, regardless of her disability.

"I think Tim is fabulous," she said.

Waterman said Enfield shows "what happens when you set goals ... We work with him and it's easy to forget Tim has a disability. Tim is a great role model."

"We're breaking down the walls that those disabilities represent," Waterman said.

Since they're all students, Enfield said he thinks "our age helps a lot when connecting to the adolescents. We're making them feel special," Enfield said.

For more information, or to donate, visit http://www.thinkalive.org.

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