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Who dominated the presidential forum: Trump or Clinton?

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Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump battled Wednesday over their judgment and preparation to be commander in chief at the first-ever Commander-in-Chief Forum.

It wasn't a debate -- it was a forum! Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took questions from NBC News about national security, military affairs and veterans' issues on Wednesday at the first-ever Commander-in-Chief Forum.

Who performed better? Would you say #TrumpRockedForum or #HillaryRockedForum? Scroll down to read more and VOTE!



PERSPECTIVES

On Donald Trump:

On Hillary Clinton:

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Hampden County sheriff's race: Springfield School Committee Vice Chairman Christopher Collins endorses Nick Cocchi

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The vice chairman of the city School Committee endorsed Hampden County sheriff candidate Nick Cocchi just a day before the Democratic primary pitting him against two challengers.

SPRINGFIELD -- The vice chairman of the city School Committee endorsed Hampden County sheriff candidate Nick Cocchi just a day before the Democratic primary pitting him against two challengers.

In a formal statement released Wednesday, Christopher Collins cited Cocchi's hard work, 23 years in corrections and education, saying "few sheriffs in America" possess such "extraordinary experience."

"I identify with Nick," Collins wrote. "I began as a custodian in our school system. I worked hard and earned my degrees, becoming a teacher in the classroom at various school levels. I continued to gain the education and on-the-job training that allowed me to earn a position running a school system program, than a position as Assistant principal and finally Principal. I know how every rung of the ladder helped prepare me for the ultimate position of Principal. That is the same trajectory of hard work that Nick Cocchi has at his disposal. Nothing can replace the ability to do the top job as experience in doing every job leading to it."

In response, Cocchi said, "Chris has a legacy of putting children first in every effort on the School Committee and the people of Springfield have recognized his work by making him a consistent top vote-getter in Ward Seven and citywide."

Cocchi also pledged, if elected, to "intensify our focus on what we can do through early involvement and intervention to reach students and educate them early against the dangers of drugs, gangs and opioids."

Cocchi is one of three Democrats running for the seat in today's primary election race. Running against him are Springfield City Councilor Tom Ashe and Nick Cocchi, an assistant superintendent with the sheriff's department.

In his work on the committee, Collins has sought to flip the script at nine underperforming city schools by creating a Springfield Empowerment Zone linking up certain programs under the direction of former charter school educators.

Natural gas leak prompts evacuation of Doctors Express in West Springfield

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The odor of gas was reported inside the building at 18 Union St. shortly before 8:30 a.m. The problem has since been resolved and people are back inside.


WEST SPRINGFIELD -- A natural gas leak prompted a brief evacuation of the Doctor's Express Urge Care facility on Union Street Thursday morning.

The odor of gas was reported inside the building at 18 Union St. shortly before 8:30 a.m.

Fire Chief William Flaherty, speaking at about 8:45 a.m., the problem has been resolved and the people have been allowed to go back into the facility.

Flaherty said a construction crew has been working to replace a nearby gas main. "Some of the gas may have followed the pipe inside the building, he said.


Seen@ Photos from the Springfield St. Patrick's Parade Committee's 3rd Annual 'Erin Go Bash' fundraiser at Nathan Bill's

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The Springfield St. Patrick's Parade Committee gathered at Nathan Bill's Bar and Restaurant Wednesday for the official kickoff of a six-month fundraising effort to prepare for the 2017 Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade.

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield St. Patrick's Parade Committee gathered at Nathan Bill's Bar and Restaurant Wednesday for the official kickoff of a six-month fundraising effort to prepare for the 2017 Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade.

"This event helps us raise funds to help build our parade float and support upcoming events," said Springfield St. Patrick Parade Committee Chairwoman Kerri Sullivan.

A 50/50 raffle and a Chinese raffle were held along with the selling of special shirts. Tickets to the event were $10 which included a buffet-style ziti dinner and salad.

The '3rd Erin Go Bash' included live music and plenty of socializing, including many candidates for upcoming political offices.

For more information on upcoming events or to donate, log into http://www.springfieldstpatricksparade.org.

Check out photos from the 2016 Springfield St. Patrick's Parade Committee's Colleen Coronation and Award Presentation Ball at the link below. 


More MGM casino mitigation money awarded for Memorial Avenue face-lift project in West Springfield

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The $247,500 award will allow West Springfield to recoup taxpayer money needed to fund the balance of the $945,000 redesign project and comply with the state's new Complete Streets Funding Program, according to Mayor Will Reichelt.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The town has been awarded just under a quarter-million dollars in casino mitigation money from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for the redesign of Memorial Avenue, the main drag leading to the Memorial Bridge and downtown Springfield.

The $247,500 grant award will allow West Springfield to recoup taxpayer money needed to fund the balance of the $945,000 redesign project and comply with the state's new Complete Streets Funding Program, according to Mayor Will Reichelt.

West Side was originally awarded $665,000 through the surrounding community agreement with MGM Springfield, which is building a casino just over the bridge in Springfield. Bids for the Memorial Avenue/Union Street Extension design came in at $945,000, with $812,500 going toward the Memorial Avenue portion of the project.

Reichelt said the grant award will cover the excess cost of $147,000 for the Memorial Avenue design, meaning West Side taxpayers won't have to foot the balance of the bill.

"When completed, the redesigned and reconstructed Memorial Avenue will provide the area with a new look to compliment the existing commercial redevelopment currently taking place," he said Wednesday. The project will also give the town a "new entryway to greet the many visitors to our community," the mayor said.

The Gaming Commission approved the additional funding for West Springfield earlier this summer, saying the cost of the Memorial Avenue project was higher than expected partly because of new state guidelines with stricter design and safety requirements.

The Complete Streets Funding Program offers municipalities incentives to adopt policies and practices that provide safe and accessible travel options for people of "all ages and abilities" who use various modes of travel, including walking, biking and driving.

Reichelt praised "the hard work and dedication" of Jim Czach, West Springfield's town engineer, who was instrumental in securing the grant.


New course at East Longmeadow High School focuses on community issues

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A pilot course at East Longmeadow High School called Community Action Learning requires students to identify and solve an issue in the community.

EAST LONGMEADOW — As the fall season draws students' attention back into the classroom, about 20 juniors and seniors in East Longmeadow High School are tasked with looking beyond the confines of their campus.

A new course offered this year on a pilot basis requires students to identify an issue in the community, formulate a project to address it and execute the undertaking, said East Longmeadow School Superintendent Gordon Smith.

"We basically take our skill development out into the community and it becomes much more of a real life situation for our students," Smith said.

In anticipation of the course, dubbed Community Action Learning, the school department reached out to various departments in Town Hall and the local business community for help identifying possible projects and assistance in taking action, Smith said.

The school department also worked with the town Information Technology Department to acquire 19 Chromebook laptops so that each student taking the course will have his or her own computer with which to work on the project outside of school, Smith said.

At $245 per laptop, according to IT Director Ryan Quimby, the total budget allocation for the computers was $4,655.

Distributing laptops among a relatively small number of students also serves as a sort of case study on whether expanding the number of computers loaned to students for courses should be considered in the future.

Idealistic students may want to try to tackle large global issues, but the course leans more toward thinking realistically than big, Smith said.

"By no means are we trying to set our students up for a task that's not possible," Smith said. "They're not going to take on, say, global warming."

But if climate change or environmental issues are of interest to students in the class, they may figure out a way they can put a dent into those mammoth issues on a local level.

Expectations still run high for the course, in which students are expected, in a measurable way, to change the world.

"They're taking on some pretty good-sized issues," Smith said.

Photos: Preparation underway to kick off 100th edition of the Big E fair in West Springfield

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Set to open on September 16, the Big E will be celebrating 100 years of fun in different ways during its 17 day run. Kicking off the celebration will be The Big E Bash with DJ Diesel, better known as basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, Sept. 16 at 7pm.

Motorists driving up Memorial Avenue in West Springfield surely notice the giant tents and activity on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition as preparations gain momentum for the upcoming opening of the Big E Fair.

Set to open on September 16, the Big E Fair will be celebrating 100 years of fun in different ways during its 17 day run. Kicking off the celebration will be The Big E Bash with DJ Diesel, better known as basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, Sept. 16 at 7pm.

The Eastern States Exposition Centennial Exhibit: A Century of Greatness will be on display in the Young building. The story of the Eastern States Exposition retold in photography, memorabilia and artifacts from the past century, featuring historic items from the Exposition's archives, including trophies and ribbons, pennants, advertising vehicles, posters and more. Letters from former U.S. presidents, a replica of the famed Skyride, Storrowton Village on a small scale, Brooks' family possessions donated by the late Grace Brooks Knibbs, granddaughter of Exposition founder, Joshua L. Brooks, and more will be presented.

The grounds are starting to fill up, with vendors constructing booths and trucks of midway rides arriving by the minute. Follow MassLive and The Republican for updates on the fair and full coverage once the gates open.



See inside the new Boston Bruins practice facility: Warrior Ice Arena (photos)

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fficials with the Boston Bruins revealed the team’s new practice facility. The Bruins are moving to the Warrior Ice Arena, a structure visible from the Mass. Pike, and made out of steel, cement and glass, leaving behind the Ristuccia Memorial Arena in Wilmington.

BOSTON - Officials with the Boston Bruins this week revealed the team's new practice facility in the city's Brighton neighborhood.

The Bruins are moving to the Warrior Ice Arena, a structure visible from the Mass. Pike, and made out of steel, cement and glass, leaving behind the Ristuccia Memorial Arena in Wilmington.

In a few years, the Boston Celtics will join them with their own practice facility, which is being built next door as part of a sprawling real estate development known as "Boston Landing."

The Warrior Ice Arena, which can seat up to 660 people, will host college, high school, youth and amateur hockey along with the Bruins. Jim Halliday, managing director of the NB Development group, the developer, called it "one heck of a hockey arena anchoring down" an area that will also include a mix of retail, residential buildings, and the New Balance world headquarters, which opened last year.

Jim Davis, the chairman of New Balance, which is behind the 15-acre "Boston Landing," called the sports complex a "one of a kind facility," where young kids will be able to skate in the same rink as Bruins legends.

Gov. Charlie Baker, who was on hand for the opening of the arena, along with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, recalled growing up in Needham and taking the radio to bed to listen to the hockey games.

"I would've given anything to skate on the same ice," Baker said.

Cam Neely, Bruins president, said the team is "looking forward to many great years here."

"The Bruins are back in Boston," Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs added.

See inside the New Balance headquarters (photos)


The fight over legalizing marijuana in Massachusetts through Question 4 is intensifying

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As Nov. 8 approaches, the marijuana legalization initiative, Question 4, is promising to be one of the marquee battles on a 2016 ballot.

BOSTON - "Nonsense." "Sinister." "Disingenuous."

Those were some of the words tossed around this week as a supporter and an opponent of legalizing marijuana in Massachusetts through a November ballot question faced off against each other at a Boston University School of Public Health seminar on the topic.

As Nov. 8 approaches, the question already promises to be one of the marquee battles on a ballot that will feature the 2016 presidential race and a separate ballot question on whether to increase the number of charter schools in Massachusetts.

At the seminar, the "Yes" camp's Jim Borghesani sparred with the "No" side's Jason Lewis, a state senator, over how much of a role the recreational and medical marijuana industries are playing in the race. And afterwards, each acknowledged they'll be closely looking at how much money the other side has raised so far.

Supporters say the ballot question will set up a stringent, legal system that will drive down the black market, while opponents argue the black market will stay alive as a "profit-driven commercial marijuana industry moves in.

The first campaign finance reports from the groups for and against the state ballot questions are due today.

"We don't expect to ever have as much money as the other side because the industry has far deeper pockets than we're going to have, so we don't expect to match them dollar for dollar," Lewis said after the Boston University forum.

But Borghesani said the industry hasn't been big contributor to the campaign for the ballot question, which would set up a Cannabis Control Commission to regulate and tax marijuana after the substance would become legal for adults 21 years and older.

At the end of August, former US Rep. Barney Frank was scheduled to headline a fundraiser for the "Yes on 4" effort at the Harvard Club in Boston.

But the fundraiser, geared towards members of the marijuana industry, including on the medical and venture capital sides, was cancelled "due to extremely low ticket sales," according to one of the web pages that initially promoted the event. The fundraiser hasn't been rescheduled.

"That was aimed toward industry, the medical industry, and we just didn't have enough response to make the fundraiser work. So it completely contradicts the message from our opponents that somehow the industry is running this whole thing," Borghesani told MassLive.com.

He added that pharmaceutical companies appear to be aiding organizations against marijuana legalization in other states.

"We're interested in seeing have pharma companies have contributed to them, because we saw in Arizona today a pharmaceutical company contributed $500,000 to the opposition campaign in Arizona," he said, referring to the company Insys, which sells a painkiller with fentanyl.

Marijuana 

Lewis, who is on the steering committee for the "No on 4" side, said he hasn't seen the full list of their donors.

"Whoever wants to be involved in this campaign is, I think, free to be involved. I think the vast majority of our funding, I'm pretty confident, is going to come from organizations and individuals who care about public health, who care about public safety, who work in the addiction community, or the health care community, or law enforcement or business groups that are concerned about the impact on their employees," he said.

Lewis continued: "And conversely on the other side their money is going to be largely coming from marijuana industry interests."

When asked about the cancelled fundraiser with Frank, Lewis said, "Maybe some of their donors are having second thoughts about whether it's a good investment to put it in Massachusetts or maybe they should go focus elsewhere. But we're not taking anything for granted."

Massachusetts voters decriminalized small amounts of marijuana - the equivalent of roughly several dozen joints - in 2008 and legalized marijuana for medical use in 2012.

"I think they may have thought that, you know, it might be a cakewalk like in 2008 or 2012 because there wasn't really much organized opposition," Lewis said.

This time around, a bipartisan coalition of opponents includes popular elected officials like Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

The coalition also includes hospitals, doctors, business groups and the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Lewis said.

But Borghesani said his group will be rolling out more endorsements, aside from several municipal officials they announced last month, like Boston City Council President Michelle Wu and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, in the near future.

"I think you're going to see from us a fact-based campaign about why we think a regulatory system would work in Massachusetts," he said.

"We're going to see from our opponents a fear-based campaign about why people should be afraid of marijuana in Massachusetts, but avoiding the simple truth that there already is a thriving marijuana industry in Massachusetts," Borghesani added, referring to the existing black market.

Here are your four ballot questions for Nov. 2016

Hot day ahead: Temperatures could hit 94 in Western Massachusetts

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Friday's forecast showed more unseasonable heat, with temperatures potentially climbing high enough to flirt with the record books.

Friday's forecast showed more unseasonable heat, with temperatures potentially climbing high enough to flirt with the record books.

National Weather Service said Western Massachusetts could see an afternoon high of 94 today, just six degrees off the highest temperature ever recorded here on a Sept. 9.

The current Sept. 9 record of 100 degrees was set in 1925, according to Weather Underground.

Boston and Worcester were expected to see similar conditions on Friday.

The chance of precipitation was 30 percent statewide.

According to Western Mass. News Meteorologist Janna Brown, people can expect the morning's clouds to dissipate early, followed by a "very quick warm-up" and mostly sunny conditions.

Stay cool out there folks!

Weekend temperatures appear more mild, in the low to middle 80s with a round a showers potentially in the cards.

6 jurors selected for 3rd Cara Rintala murder trial; 10 more needed

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In a sign the selection process could be relatively brisk, the second prospective juror interviewed won approval from both sides. Five more were added by the end of the day.

NORTHAMPTON -- Six jurors have been selected for the third murder trial of Cara Rintala, the Granby paramedic charged with killing her wife in 2010.

The selections, made Thursday afternoon, marked the first step in assembling the 16-person jury needed for the high-profile trial in Hampshire Superior Court.

Following mistrials in 2013 and 2014, Rintala was back in court this week, charged with with first-degree murder for allegedly strangling Annamarie Cochrane Rintala in the basement of their Granby home.

Rintala, 49, is the first woman in Massachusetts charged with murdering her wife, and one of the relatively few defendants nationwide to be tried three times for murder.

She has been free on $150,000 bail since March 2014, after a second mistrial was declared due to a deadlocked jury.

At the start of jury selection Tuesday, Judge Mary-Lou Rup said the case should take four or five weeks, depending on how quickly a jury can be impaneled.

Prospective jurors, if not excluded for family, work or health-related reasons, were required to fill out a 20-page questionnaire related to the case.

Interviews with jury pool members began early Thursday afternoon and continued until nearly 6 p.m., yielding more than one-third of the required jurors.

Each candidate sat down with the judge and defense and prosecution lawyers at a table in the courtroom. Following a series of questions based on their answers to the questionnaires, the candidates were either dismissed or told they would be jury members.

In a sign the selection process could be relatively brisk, the second prospective juror interviewed won approval from both sides. Five more were added by the end of the day, said Mary Carey, communications director for the Northwestern district attorney's office.

In the first two cases, First Assistant District Attorney Steven E. Gagne asserted that Rintala strangled her wife following years of fighting over debts, custody of their adopted child and allegations of adultery.

Defense lawyer David P. Hoose contended that police believed Rintala was guilty from the outset, and failed to investigate other suspects.

In both previous trials, eight jurors reportedly voted for conviction, four for acquittal.

In January, the state's Supreme Judicial Court rejected a motion filed by Hoose and co-counsel Luke Ryan opposing a third trial. The lawyers argued that the prosecution lacked evidence to convict Rintala, and that trying her three times would violate her constitutional rights.

In July, the prosecution announced it would offer jurors the option of convicting her of murder or the lesser charge of manslaughter. The earlier juries considered murder charges only.

STCC kicks off 50th anniversary with Founders' Day celebration today

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All Springfield Technical Community College alumni, students, current and former staff and faculty and board members are invited to the opening event of STCC's 50th anniversary year, a Founders' Day celebration on Friday. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- All Springfield Technical Community College alumni, students, current and former staff and faculty and board members are invited to the opening event of STCC's 50th anniversary year, a Founders' Day celebration on Friday.

Festivities begin at 2 p.m. in the gymnasium of Scibelli Hall (Building 2) on the STCC campus. Valet parking is available.

"This will be an exciting beginning to a year which we hope will be a homecoming for our STCC family," Dr. John B. Cook, who recently took office as the sixth president of STCC, said.

The celebration will honor founding President Edmond P. Garvey, industrialist Joseph J. Deliso Sr., former Springfield Mayor Charles V. Ryan, and former state Rep. Anthony M. Scibelli.

Inspectors order three South Hadley Town Hall entrances closed due to 'failure to maintain' them; fix estimated at $104K

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Safety concerns prompted the building inspector and fire chief to order the closure of three of four Town Hall entrances last week

SOUTH HADLEY -- Safety concerns prompted the building inspector and fire chief to order the closure of three of four Town Hall entrances last week.

According to Town Administrator Michael Sullivan, the decision was made to close the entrances on Sept. 1, when an inspection that day by the municipal building commissioner and South Hadley District One fire chief determined repairs were needed.

"We received an order on Friday to close the exits until they are deemed safe," Sullivan said at the Sept. 6 Selectboard meeting, in response to a question from a resident who wanted to know why three of the four entrances were blocked.

In response to the resident's question, Sullivan said the inspectors determined a "failure to maintain exterior egress."

One estimate to repair them is $104,000, he said.

Sullivan said there is no danger of bricks or masonry collapsing or falling on people.

"We are working on it as fast as we possibly can," he said.

Two men ambulanced away with injuries after gunfire in Worcester

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Witnesses say one man was shot in the leg and another suffered unknown injuries when bullets flew near near 97 West Boylston St. last night.

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WORCESTER -- Witnesses say one man was shot in the leg and another suffered unknown injuries when bullets flew near 97 West Boylston St. last night.

Both men were taken away from the scene by ambulance, The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports.

Neighbors told the paper they heard what sounded like fireworks going off around 11:30 p.m. Police then arrived, roped off the area and remained past midnight.

This is a developing story which will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Drivers in Springfield, Worcester, Boston among top 5 worst in the country

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Springfield, Worcester and Boston are listed at the bottom of Allstate's Best Drivers Report.

Boston drivers are actually the worst drivers in America but Worcester and Springfield drivers don't fall far behind.

Allstate's Best Drivers Report ranks the 200 most populated U.S cities in order of where you're least likely to have a crash. Boston sits at 200, making it the worst place for drivers. Worcester's next on the list at 199 and Springfield comes in at 196.

A driver in Boston is 167.6 percent more likely to have an accident compared to the national average, the report says. On average, they have an accident every 7.1 years.

The Massachusetts written driver's test: Could you pass it?

Although, there is some hope. In 2015, on average Boston drivers had an accident every 3.9 years. And in Springfield, drivers were 93.1 percent more likely to get into a traffic crash compared with the national average in 2015, compared to the 76.7 percent in 2016. Worcester has also improved, moving up a spot since 2014.

Unlike those in Massachusetts, the safest drivers are located in Brownsville, Texas.


Family (mis)fortune: Father, mother and sister ask judge to dismiss charges from Springfield drug raid

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"The family that gets arrested together gets arraigned together," Springfield police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said before the Fortunes' first court appearance.

SPRINGFIELD -- Who, exactly, was sleeping in the Fortune family's master bedroom was just one point of confusion at a pretrial hearing this week in Hampden Superior Court.

Four Fortunes -- father Stephen, 54; mother Joanne, 50; and siblings Matthew, 25, and Jennifer, 20 -- were arrested last October when Springfield narcotics detectives raided their home in Pine Point. In addition to 100 packets of heroin and 48 oxycodone pills, detectives seized a .22-caliber handgun from the 96 Pheland Ave. home, according to the arrest report.

Three others were arrested, including a woman identified as the girlfriend of Matthew Fortune, the target of the raid, court records show.

The defendants denied drug and firearms charges during their arraignment in Springfield District Court and, after being indicted by a grand jury, denied them again in Hampden Superior Court.

"The family that gets arrested together gets arraigned together," Springfield police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said before their first court appearance.

On Wednesday, a lawyer for Stephen Fortune urged Judge Daniel Ford to dismiss charges against his client, arguing that he neither owned nor lived in the home. Attorney Bernard O'Connor said no clothes, mail or personal papers were found in the home; likewise, nothing in the grand jury minutes tied him to the house, O'Connor said.

"How about this?" the judge asked before reading an excerpt from the grand jury minutes. "'You are entering my house without a warrant,'" Ford said, repeating a statement Fortune allegedly made to police.

The defendant once owned the home with his wife, Joanne Fortune, but the couple has since divorced, O'Connor said.

"He doesn't live there and hasn't for a long time," the lawyer said, adding: "People own homes all the time without living in them."

Several minutes later, the judge got a quick lesson in the family's history as the conversation shifted to the master bedroom, where the drugs were allegedly found.

"Whose bedroom is it?" Ford asked.

The room was Joanne Fortune's, explained Assistant District Attorney Mary Sandstrom.

"Is she the mother or the wife?" Ford asked.

"Stephen Fortune is her husband," Sandstrom said.

"Divorced for 10 years," Stephen Fortune chimed in from the defendant's dock.

"Please, be quiet," Ford replied.

The discussion eventually shifted to the .22-caliber revolver allegedly found in a kitchen drawer. O'Connor said the gun was hardly in plain sight, and his client could not have known it was there.

"It's not in a lock box; it's in the kitchen ... in his house," Sandstrom replied.

The judge said he would rule on motions by O'Connor and other defense lawyers before the case goes to trial on Sept. 28.

Three state police troopers suspended for shady weapons transfer

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Three unidentified Massachusetts State Police troopers have been suspended without pay for their actions surrounding the transfer of a "limited number" of surplus weapons, according to the Associated Press.

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BOSTON -- Three unidentified Massachusetts State Police troopers have been suspended without pay for their actions surrounding the transfer of a "limited number" of surplus weapons, according to the Associated Press.

The two troopers and one lieutenant in question had been working at the state police armory in New Braintree. The weapons ended up going to a state-authorized vendor.

According to the AP, it remains "unclear what aspect of the transfer triggered the investigation," but state police officials have asked Attorney General Maura Healey to review the case to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against the troopers.

Meanwhile, the three will remain on indefinite suspension pending the outcome of the case.

'Disgrace' that Holyoke councilors filed needle exchange lawsuit: health board's Robert Mausel

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A Holyoke Board of Health member and the City Council president traded criticisms on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 over the needle exchange program that has operated in the Massachusetts city since August 2012.

HOLYOKE -- A Board of Health member concluded a meeting Thursday by saying it was a "disgrace" that some members of the City Council had filed a lawsuit against the board over a needle exchange program here.

"To be sued by certain people on the City Council over this was an absolute disgrace. If I'm on the Board of Health, it is for the health of the people, not for politics. Shame....It is simply politics and power," said board member Dr. Robert Mausel, a physician.

Mausel didn't mention any councilors by name.

Six councilors, including President Kevin A. Jourdain, filed the lawsuit against the Board of Health, Mayor Alex B. Morse and Tapestry Health in 2012. They argued needle exchange was permitted to operate here illegally because authorization was granted by the Board of Health but without a vote of the City Council.

A Hampden Superior Court judge in March agreed with the councilors that the program was authorized incorrectly by failing to include a City Council vote.

But a law change that took effect July 1 identified a city or town's board of health as the entity that can grant local approval over needle exchange. That's a change that even Jourdain said has ended the ability of the City Council or any community's legislative body to fight needle exchange.

Jourdain has criticized legislators for failing to give notice to local officials before the law change occurred that identified the Board of Health as the authority regarding authorization for needle exchange.

Jourdain, who was not at the Board of Health meeting at City Hall Annex, said when reached later that it was the Board of Health that was "disgraceful" by permitting needle exchange in 2012 without a City Council vote as was shown in the Hampden Superior Court decision.

"The City Council, like we often have to do, holds people accountable. This recent sneaky law change with no public hearing as a rider to the state budget is the real power play and politics at its worst," Jourdain said in an email.

"I think it is also a disgrace to watch our state senator, state rep, mayor and Board of Health think they are smarter than the citizens of Holyoke who have twice said they do not want (needle exchange) in their city. Having an elitist attitude of thinking you know better than the 'dumb' citizens you represent is anti-democratic and the ultimate power play," he said.

The Board of Health was discussing needle exchange because it was scheduled to take a vote to reaffirm the authorization of Tapestry Health to operate a needle exchange program in light of the new state law. But the board postponed that vote to its next meeting on Oct. 13 to to ensure enough time has passed for the law to take effect.

In needle exchange, intravenous drug-users visit an office, turn in used needles and get clean ones in return.

Supporters said needle exchange removes from circulation previously used needles that could be infected with HIV-AIDS and hepatitis C, diseases for which there is no cure and which could be spread through the sharing of such needles.

The program also exposes users to health referrals and tips they otherwise might never see. And the opioid-use crisis and heavy use of heroin makes such a program especially valuable, supporters said.

Mausel during the meeting dismissed arguments that opponents of needle exchange have made. Such arguments include assertions that the program hurts more than helps, enables illegal drug-users to keep using by handing them more needles, is based on a belief that drug-addicts can be trusted not to share the newly received needles after they've used them and declares Holyoke a haven for heroin users.

The program doesn't encourage drug use and instead helps prevent diseases, he said.

"Our main purpose in all of this is to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C," Mausel said.

The Board of Health heard a presentation about Tapestry Health's four years of operating a needle exchange program at 15A Main St. from Tapestry's Liz Whynott, which drew praise from board members.

"I know that we're going to be really happy to do our vote at our next meeting," said Chairwoman Patricia Mertes, a registered nurse.

The third health board member is Dalila Hyry-Dermith, supervisor of the division of Perinatal, Early Childhood and Special Needs, Care Coordination Unit with the state's Western Regional Health Office.

Before July 1, a state law adopted in 1993 limited the number of needle exchange programs in Massachusetts to 10, calling them "pilot" programs, and failed to specify what constituted local approval. Holyoke's became the state's fifth needle exchange program with a Board of Health vote in August 2012.

Eight cities and towns now have needle exchange in Massachusetts, including Holyoke: Northampton, Boston, Cambridge, Provincetown, Worcester, Brockton and North Adams. Greenfield and Gloucester have approval processes in the works, Whynott said.

Jourdain has said that the state by identifying the Board of Health as the granter of local approval has undermined voters by eliminating the decision-making authority of their elected legislative board in favor of a panel appointed by the mayor.

But Mausel and others said such a decision properly lies with health specialists.

Richard P. Purcell, a resident of Martin Street, attended the Board of Health meeting and said professionals like the board members should be allowed to do their jobs.

"I believe the scientists before I believe the politicians," Purcell said.

The vagueness about what was required in terms of "local approval" formed the basis of a lawsuit filed by Jourdain and five other councilors over the Board of Health's vote to permit needle exchange in 2012.

In the councilors' lawsuit, Judge Mark D. Mason in Hampden Superior Court ordered on March 14 that the needle exchange program shut down because it was improperly established without a City Council vote.

Mason sided with the plaintiffs who said local approval when it came to needle exchange meant a vote of the City Council, an approval that didn't happen before the program began operating.

Mason's order included a 120-day stay during which the needle exchange program could keep operating while the City Council considered the merits of the program. A City Council vote on needle exchange in the wake of Mason's order never happened and the 120-day stay expired.

But then the Legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker included in the state budget for the current fiscal year approval of the law defining local approval of needle exchange as coming from a board of health.

Along with Jourdain, plaintiffs in the lawsuit were councilors Linda L. Vacon, Todd A. McGee, James M. Leahy, Joseph M. McGiverin and Daniel B. Bresnahan.

Chicopee business Pilgrim Interiors moves into new headquarters, expands staff

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The company serves as a subcontractor doing interior metal framing, drywall, drywall finishing and plaster installation.

CHICOPEE -- The Pilgrim Interiors slogan, "Guaranteed Results," is etched on the back of every bright yellow shirt employees wear while working at job sites around New England.

Owner Richard Bernard Jr. said he knows there are often delays in construction: Supplies don't show up on time, inspections get pushed back and architectural plans are changed.

"We do what needs to be done to get the job done right for the customer," Bernard said.

Bernard has followed that promise since he formed Pilgrim Interiors in 1999. At that time he was working with his father maintaining rental properties when he decided to open his own interior framing business.

With the construction industry improving following a long recession, Bernard has nearly doubled his staff, including hiring a new contractor and an estimator, and is still hiring skilled tradesmen. In the recent past Bernard has expanded from about 40 to 75 people.

This summer he also moved into a new headquarters complete with more office space, room for all his state-of-the-art computer equipment and an attached warehouse.

The company solely subcontracts interior commercial jobs for metal framing, drywall, drywall finishing and plaster installation. As part of the work, it also installs insulation and whatever the customer orders.

The need for more employees comes from the fact Pilgrim Interiors is currently working on more than 35 jobs that are as far away as in Connecticut, Vermont and Cape Cod and as close by as Westover Air Reserve Base and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

His company recently completed work in the new Applebee's restaurant in Holyoke, which opened in August. It is currently working to renovate the John Adams dorm lobby and two floors of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, both at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Jobs include those at colleges, apartment complexes, airports and several recent ones at hotels.

His interest in technology has also helped Bernard to expand.

In a tour of his new offices on 16 Adams St., Bernard showed off the computer servers locked in a closet. "This is the brains of the place," he said.

A shelf in his office shows Bernard's long interest in technology. Generations of cellphones sit near older computers, including one of the original Commodore 64 home computers.

At his desk, Bernard has a bank of a half-dozen computer screens in his office that allows him to track the many jobs where his employees are working and one shows the most frequent changes to blueprints.

Every morning one of his employees reviews any changes in the jobs and then contacts job supervisors to ensure they are aware of them. Some who are more computer savvy have tablets or laptops so new plans can be sent electronically. He phones those who are more old school to make sure they know of the modifications.

"We try to put people where their skills are and not force feed them," Bernard said.

For years Bernard said he did all his estimations on paper, but then in 2006 he started doing more government jobs and with that came more paperwork. At the time he learned of a computer program that would make it easier to do his work electronically. He bought it and taught himself how to use it.

"Instead of staying at the same level, in order to grow, I took advantage of technology," he said.

Bernard said he continues to keep up with constant changes in technology. Now the jobs have electronic time cards, making it easy to track what jobs employees are doing and what rates they are earning. He can also gather a variety of data to follow each job to make sure nothing is forgotten.

The technology also benefits his clients. There is even a live video stream at the Whitinsville Christian School so donors can watch minute-by-minute progress of the construction of a new school there.

"I always wanted to do the right thing and the modern thing," he said. "We offer full benefits with insurance and sick time and vacation time. We are different in that aspect."

He also ensures the company is up to date on all safety and Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements. In fact his girlfriend, Jen Cavaliere, is a full-time employee overseeing the company's safety.

She isn't the only family member working for Bernard. His daughter Monique Bernard, a student at what is now Pope Francis High School, spent the summer working as his receptionist. Bernard also has a son in elementary school.

Bernard started his business in a spare bedroom in the multifamily home where he lives. When it started to grow he took over a vacant apartment in the house. While the business has grown, he hasn't gone too far -- he purchased the building across the street from his house when the apartment started getting too cramped.

The first floor of the two-story building at 16 Ames St. has been completely renovated to suit the company needs. The second floor, which has main entrances on Front Street, is rented to long-term tenants Petros Breakfast & Lunch and ServiceNet.

On Sept. 9 he will hold a grand opening at his new place, complete with a DJ, food and tours. Invited guests include city officials and state legislators, the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce and even his daughter's school.

"We went from 1,000 square feet to 3,400 square feet. It was the right move for us," he said.

The new offices are a tribute to modern construction. Offices are surrounded by glass walls and even the conference room in the center is totally walled in with glass. The gleaming floor is coated with an epoxy finish and most of the offices have numerous computer monitors to make employees' jobs easier.

"I spend a lot of time here. I needed to let the sunlight in," Bernard said.

But one of the biggest pluses is behind the main doors. On either side is a warehouse, allowing the business to store the materials and equipment more efficiently. In the past, Bernard had to use multiple garages for storage, which was not ideal.

One of the newest hires is a warehouse manager, who Bernard met while Pilgrim Interiors was renovating the former Western Massachusetts Regional Police Academy in Agawam and converting it to Soldier On housing for homeless veterans. It was a good match because the Navy veteran had experience in inventory and Bernard was happy to help someone who needed a second chance.

He said he is proud to work with the community to be able to hire people like his new warehouse manager, along with students, such as one of his construction managers who is an intern from UMass. Bernard said he will also continue to work with Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy to hire carpentry students and plans to hire a business student from there to serve as his receptionist for the fall.

He also volunteers in the community and serves on the board of trustees for the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club.

Challengers beat two state representatives, primary winners in line for open seats

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Two Democratic House members fell to progressive challengers from their left on a night when 17 races were decided by the primary results.

By Matt Murphy
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON, SEPT. 8, 2016.....Incumbents largely had their day at the polls on Thursday when the vast majority of those seeking reelection faced zero primary opposition, but two Democratic House members fell to progressive challengers from their left on a night when 17 races were decided by the primary results.

With the primary votes counted, only 57 races for 200 seats in the Legislature now remain undecided heading into November when the presidential race will be the focus of voters expected to turn out in much larger numbers than they did Thursday.

Rep. Tim Toomey, a 12-term Cambridge Democrat, lost to challenger Mike Connolly, who describes himself as a progressive, attorney and community organizer.

"When we started this campaign, a lot of people said it couldn't be done," Connolly told cheering supporters at a bar in Cambridge's Central Square. He said, "People said it couldn't be done."

Meanwhile in Lawrence, political newcomer Juana Matias toppled incumbent Rep. Marcos Devers in the 16th Essex district that includes parts of the city.

Matias, who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic with her family in the late 1980s, is the CEO of a residential and commercial construction services company and previously worked as a legal advocate for unaccompanied immigrant children.

Devers, a one-time interim mayor of Lawrence and former chairman of the city council there, has served in the House since winning a special election in 2010 to replace William Lantigua.

Neither Connolly nor Matias will face a Republican challenger in November.

And in one of the more interesting, if not complicated political situations on the South Shore, Democrat Joan Meschino appeared poised to win her House sticker campaign over Steve Burm, a one-time aide to former Rep. Garrett Bradley of Hingham whose resignation threw that contest into disarray.

Meschino, whose name was actually on the ballot for the Senate to challenge Weymouth Sen. Patrick O'Connor, shifted gears to focus on the House race after Bradley announced his plans to resign. Bradley's name, however, remained on the ballot as the only candidate in the race, forcing Democrats and Republicans to run write-in campaigns.

Should Meschino win both the House and Senate primaries, aides to the former Hull selectwoman - confident in her position in the House race as the votes were still trickling in - said she would decline the Senate nomination forcing the Democratic Party to name a replacement nominee.

"I'm very proud of the campaign that we ran. I'd like to thank the residents of the third Plymouth district for their support. Although the results were disappointing our campaign team worked very hard and spared no effort. I will support Joan in her candidacy and truly wish her all the best," Burm said in a statement.

As expected, the Thursday primary elections featured low voter turnout with few marquee races and no statewide contests on the ballot to drive voters to the polls after the Labor Day weekend.

Despite the struggle to engage voters who Secretary of State William Galvin said this week have been more attuned to the presidential contest than local races, three Senate primaries and 14 House races essentially decided who will hold those seats when the Legislature begins a new two-year session in January.

Sens. Sonia Chang-Diaz, Kathleen O'Connor-Ives and Patricia Jehlen all survived challenges to secure their seats for another term. Jehlen beat back one-time lieutenant governor candidate and Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung in convincing fashion despite nearly $100,000 in outside money from pro-charter school forces being spent to support Cheung's challenge.

Democrat Julian Cyr, a progressive and former Department of Public Health employee in the Patrick administration, won the nomination for the open seat being vacated by Sen. Daniel Wolf on Cape Cod and will face Republican winner Anthony Schiavi, of Harwich.

A victory in the Berkshires by Democrat Adam Hinds will pit him against Republican Christine Canning in November, while Rep. Walter Timilty's win over Nora Harrington in the race to replace retiring and embattled Sen. Brian Joyce leaves Timilty facing independent Jonathan Lott in the general election.

Timilty's win marked a victory for a breed of conservative Democrats that have become scarce in the Senate, but includes Timilty's cousin Sen. James Timilty.

Elsewhere around the state, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party had a strong night defeating two conservative-leaning incumbents, holding on to a seat like Jehlen's and winning with candidates in places like Leominster and the Worcester area where more conservative Democrats have been the norm.

On the House side, four seats opened by retiring state lawmakers were decided on Thursday.

Bud Williams defeated Rep. Benjamin Swan's son and two others for the Democratic nomination for the Springfield-based House seat, while 21-year-old Solomon Goldstein-Rose emerged from a crowded Democratic field to succeed Rep. Ellen Story, of Amherst. In Roxbury, Chynah Tyler, an aide to Sen. Chang-Diaz, won the race to replace Rep. Gloria Fox in the House, while William Driscoll, of Milton, will replace Timilty in the House representing that Milton-Randolph district.

Governor's Councilor Michael Albano, the former Springfield mayor who opted to give up his seat to run for Hampden County sheriff this cycle, came up short in a race won by Nick Cocchi, the current deputy superintendent of the sheriffs department.

Another race for sheriff - the hotly contested campaign in Essex County to replace retiring Sheriff Frank Cousins - will pit Democrat Kevin Coppinger of Lynn against Republican Anne Manning-Martin of Peabody in November after both emerged from crowded fields of candidates to win their primaries.

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