The victim, who was licensed to carry the firearm, was taken to Holyoke Medical Center by friends, police said.

Dwight B. Shepard | dshepard@repub.com 

SOUTH HADLEY -- A 29-year-old Chicopee man, who accidentally shot himself in the parking lot of McCray's Country Creamery Sunday afternoon, suffered a severe cut to his finger and was taken by friends to Holyoke Medical Center for treatment.

Police learned of the shooting, which occurred about 3 p.m., after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting the man's injury, according to a release issued by Police Chief Steve Parentela.

When police arrived at the Alvord Street business, however, the victim had already been taken to Holyoke Medical Center.

The victim was licensed to carry firearm. The small caliber pistol and ammunition were recovered by police.

Detectives continue to investigate and police had no updates on the shooting Monday morning.

Massachusetts residents seeking to enroll in a public doctor of pharmacy program: head elsewhere.

Massachusetts residents seeking to enroll in a public doctor of pharmacy program: head elsewhere.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell has scraped plans to open a professional Pharm.D. degree program, citing budget concerns.

The UMass system announced last year their intention to open the state's first public School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

"We have committed ourselves to train pharmacists who will shape the evolving health-care system of the country and the profession of pharmacy," Mehdi Boroujerdi said in a release announcing the plan. Boroujerdi was named founding dean of the pharmacy program.

The school was to open next fall but then opening day was pushed back to 2018 before the plan was scuttled.

"It's with a lot of regret that we make this decision," Chancellor Jacquie Moloney told the Lowell Sun. "It's a great idea but looking at the state's fiscal outlook and its impact on our budget, combined with the startup costs that are much higher than we originally thought, it's fiscally prudent to not start the program at this time."

University officials estimate the new school would require $8.5 million to $10 million to open, funds Moloney told the Sun the university cannot justify pulling from other degree programs. 

While the program required seven-to-eight figures to start up, education officials said it would offer students a lower cost option to other pharmaceutical programs in Massachusetts. 

"Tuition will be much less here than at the private institutions around the state," Shortie McKinney, dean of the College of Health Sciences, said last year when the program was announced. 

There are several private institutions offering doctor of pharmacy program across the state, from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University in Boston and Worcester to Western New England University in Springfield. 

The city is slated to receive 51 refugees next year through Catholic Charities of Springfield.

NORTHAMPTON -- Residents are invited to the first of two public forums on the upcoming resettlement of 51 refugees into the city.

Tonight's forum (Mon., Sept. 19) will be held at the JFK Middle School cafeteria from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will be attended by Mayor David Narkewicz. The second takes place Sept. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Northampton Senior Center.

In December, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution designating the city as a sanctuary for refugees from the Syrian civil war, which has killed at least 470,000 people, according to the Syrian Center for Policy Research.

The nationalities of the refugees have not yet been decided, but Catholic Charities of Springfield, which is contracting with the State Department, applied for refugees from Syria, Iraq, Burundi and the Congo. The refugees are expected to arrive next year.

"We are empowering and training and asking the residents of Northampton to embrace these neighbors," agency staffer Susannah Crolius told MassLive. "It's that old saying, it takes a village."

The State Department typically provides funding for 90 days of services. Catholic Charities is working with local organizations and residents to look beyond that time frame.

In June, Narkewicz convened a meeting with city councilors, the superintendent of schools, the Northampton Housing Authority, Center for New Americans, American Friends Service Committee, seven faith-based institutions and members of the Pioneer Valley Interfaith Refugee Action Group.

The mayor said the city was studying affordable housing, transportation and education, as well as and potential impacts on Northampton's school system.

"If there are these refugees in need, and U.S. is trying to find communities that will accept them, then I'm proud that Northampton to be right out front on that," Narkewicz said.

Catholic Charities is adopting a small-scale, carefully planned approach, Crolius said; 51 is the minimum number of refugees a host community can accept.

Local and state emergency responders were called to Interstate 91 Monday morning after a vehicle became fully engulfed in flames.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Local and state emergency responders were called to Interstate 91 Monday morning after a vehicle became engulfed in flames.

Just after 10 a.m. Monday, Massachusetts State Police received a call regarding a fire in the northbound lanes of I-91 between mile markers 11 and 12, in West Springfield.

Troopers and firefighters with the West Springfield Fire Department responded, finding the car "fully engulfed" in the flames, a sergeant in the state police Springfield barracks said.

The fire was quickly put out and there were no injuries. One northbound lane was closed as police and fire officials remained on scene but all lanes have since reopened.

Huntington residents: In need of help? Don't call 911 from your landline.

Huntington residents: In need of help? Don't call 911 from your landline.

911 service is currently down for landline phones in the town of Huntington, Massachusetts State Police said Monday morning.

Those in need of emergency help are asked to call 911 from a cell phone or call police dispatch at 413-586-1508.

The arrest came after the police issued a cellphone alert to millions of New York area residents in telling them to be on the lookout for the suspect.

Law enforcement officials took Ahmad Khan Rahami into custody late Monday morning believing him to be involved the bombings in New York on Saturday.

A police officer was reportedly shot during the arrest.

The arrest came after the police issued a cellphone alert to millions of New York area residents in telling them to be on the lookout for the suspect, who was described as "armed and dangerous," according to The New York Times.

Rahami, 28, was identified on surveillance video near the locations of both the bomb that exploded in Chelsea, injuring 29 people, and another device that did not detonate a few blocks away. He was described as a naturalized citizen of Afghan descent who had been living with his family in Elizabeth, N.J.

Chelsea explosion could be linked with devices found in New Jersey

NBC News 4 reported that Rahami was arrested in the town of Linden, near Elizabeth.

At least one officer was shot in the chest during the takedown, but was not seriously wounded because he was wearing a bullet proof vest, NBC News 4, reported.

NYC, NJ bombings called possible act of terrorism with foreign connection

Police released a photo of a 28-year-old immigrant wanted for questioning Monday in the bombings that rocked a New York City neighborhood and a New Jersey shore town, and authorities said the blasts are looking increasingly like an act of terrorism with a foreign connection.

EW YORK (AP) -- Police released a photo of a 28-year-old immigrant wanted for questioning Monday in the bombings that rocked a New York City neighborhood and a New Jersey shore town, and authorities said the blasts are looking increasingly like an act of terrorism with a foreign connection.

Ahmad Khan Rahami, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan with an address in Elizabeth, New Jersey, should be considered armed and dangerous, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Police did not disclose how they zeroed in on Rahami but were known to be poring over surveillance video. At the same time, five people who were pulled over in a vehicle Sunday night were being questioned by the FBI, officials said.

The bulletin and the photo of Rahami were issued after a weekend of fear and dread in New York and New Jersey.

In addition to the blast that injured 29 people in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood on Saturday, an unexploded pressure cooker bomb was found blocks away, and a pipe bomb exploded in a New Jersey shore town before a charity race. No one was injured there. On Sunday, five explosive devices were discovered in a trash can at an Elizabeth train station.

Also on Saturday, a man who authorities say referred to Allah wounded nine people in a stabbing rampage at a Minnesota mall before being shot to death by an off-duty police officer. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

Authorities have not drawn any connection between the violence in Minnesota and the bombings in the New York area.

Citing the FBI, New Jersey State Police said Monday that the bombings in Chelsea and the New Jersey shore town Seaside Park were connected.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said as investigators gathered information, they learned there were "certain commonalities among the bombs," leading authorities to believe "that there was a common group behind the bombs."

"We want to get this guy in for questioning," de Blasio said on CNN. "We need the facts to be able to piece all this together. ... I think we're going to know a lot more in the course of the day. Things are moving very quickly."

Cuomo said investigators have no reason to believe there are further threats, but the public should "be on constant guard."

Early Monday, FBI agents swarmed an apartment above a fried chicken restaurant in Elizabeth that is tied to Rahami. The Rahami family lives in the apartment.

The restaurant, First American Fried Chicken, is owned by Rahami's father and has also employed some of his brothers, Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said.

He said Rahami's father and two brothers sued the city after it passed an ordinance requiring the restaurant to close early because of complaints from neighbors about it being a late-night nuisance.

Ryan McCann, of Elizabeth, said that he often ate at the restaurant and recently began seeing Rahami working there more.

"He's always in there. He's a very friendly guy, that's what's so scary. It's hard when it's home," McCann said.

In the immediate aftermath of the New York bombing, de Blasio and Cuomo were careful to say there was no evidence of a link to international terrorism. Both said Monday that appears to be changing.

"The more we learn with each passing hour is it looks more like terrorism," de Blasio said in an interview on NY1 News. Cuomo said on MSNBC: "Today's information suggests it may be foreign-related, but we'll see where it goes."

The White House said President Barack Obama was briefed on the investigation and planned to speak later Monday.

On Sunday night, FBI agents in Brooklyn stopped "a vehicle of interest" in the investigation of the Manhattan explosion, according to FBI spokeswoman Kelly Langmesser.

She wouldn't provide further details, but a government official and a law enforcement official who were briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press that five people in the car were being questioned at an FBI building in Manhattan.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the investigation.

On Sunday, a federal law enforcement official said the Chelsea bomb contained a residue of Tannerite, an explosive often used for target practice that can be picked up in many sporting goods stores.

Cellphones were discovered at the site of both the New York and New Jersey bombings, but no Tannerite residue was identified in the New Jersey bomb remnants, in which a black powder was detected, said the official, who wasn't authorized to comment on the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The pipe bomb that exploded Saturday in Seaside Park went off before a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors. The race was canceled.

One of the five devices found at the Elizabeth train station exploded while a bomb squad robot tried to disarm it. No one was hurt.

From noon to 6pm on Thursdays, rain or shine, the front lawn of the Episcopal Church of the Atonement in Westfield is filled with vendors of all sorts, enticing visitors with baked goods, produce, crafts, music and more.

Will your travels take you near Westfield on Thursday? If so, you will want to head over to The Episcopal Church of the Atonement at 36 Court St., site of the Westfield Famers' Market every Thursday through October 6.

From noon to 6 p.m., rain or shine, the front lawn of the church is filled with vendors of all sorts, enticing visitors with baked goods, produce, crafts, music and more.

You can find mushrooms grown at MycoTerra Farm in Westhampton, munch on a Moe's Donut made right in front of you or grab some goat cheese, jams and jellies from Stony Creek Farm in Montgomery.

Many of the vendors are featured in the photo gallery above, but you'll want to see and taste it all for yourself. There will be a winter market November 19 and December 10 inside the church from 10 to 3 p.m.

A memorial scholarship fundraiser was held at the Summit View in Holyoke on Sunday for Westfield State University student Joe Kareta.

HOLYOKE - A memorial scholarship fundraiser was held at the Summit View in Holyoke on Sunday for Westfield State University student Joe Kareta. His life was cut short when a drunk driver struck the graduate while he was checking the mailbox at his aunt's house in South Hadley in 2010.

Joe Kareta, who graduated from Westfield State University in 2010, was killed by a drunk driver. His family established a memorial scholarship in his name.

Kareta, a Westfield resident, graduated three months earlier from Westfield State University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and just passed the State Police exam shortly after his graduation.

Through the determination of his parents Fred and Kathy Kareta, his sister Kerry Kareta, and his aunt Marilyn Sicotte, they formed the Joe Kareta Scholarship. The multi-recipient scholarship was formed to benefit high school seniors or present Westfield State University students from Hampshire or Hampden counties.

The Westfield State University students must be studying criminal justice or a related field with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, have volunteered their services to the community, and show a financial need.

Sunday's fundraiser featured a buffet style dinner, raffle items, and live music by the Union Jack Band. To date, an estimated $160,000 has been distributed to 33 students in Kareta's memory.

Mass. Congresswoman Katherine Clark said Monday she's still struggling with how to vote on the marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot as Question 4. "To be frank, the marijuana ballot question is one that I'm still wrestling with," she said.

BOSTON - Mass. Congresswoman Katherine Clark said Monday she's still struggling with how to vote on the marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot as Question 4.

"To be frank, the marijuana ballot question is one that I'm still wrestling with," she told reporters before speaking to the New England Council, a business group that regularly hosts breakfasts with elected officials.

Clark, D-Melrose, said she backed medical marijuana. Massachusetts voters legalized medical marijuana in 2012.

But the push for legalizing marijuana for recreational use gives her pause, she said, and Massachusetts should look carefully at how other states are faring. Four states have legalized marijuana; Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington.

"I'm not sure that prohibition is going to be something that we can continue to sustain, but I also think we have to be very careful around some areas, especially to do with the edibles," Clark said.

"I think we've seen a lot of problems with that, attractions for kids. I think some of the research around the effect on people's brains is something we have to be concerned with," Clark said.

Clark recalled speaking to a student at a recovery high school, which seeks to provide a sober environment for students. The student told her that marijuana should not be legalized. "There's a lot of factors that go into that particular ballot question that I haven't sorted out fully for myself," Clark said.

Opponents of the Massachusetts ballot question say edibles, with their potentially high potency, could carry a risk for children, since they come in the form of candies and cookies.

But the "Yes on 4" proponents say marijuana products would be tightly regulated under the Cannabis Control Commission that the ballot question, if it passes, would establish.

New poll shows marijuana ballot question winning in Massachusetts

Proponents also add that taxing and regulating marijuana will bring revenue into state coffers.

Members of the state's all-Democrat congressional delegation appear to be splitting on the question.

Reps. Bill Keating, Joe Kennedy III, Stephen Lynch and Niki Tsongas all are against Question 4.

"While I firmly support decriminalization for minor possession and the use of marijuana for medical purposes, I have serious concerns with going so far as full legalization," Tsongas, D-Lowell, said in a statement released last week by the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, which opposes Question 4.

"Many unanswered questions remain about the financial costs, law enforcement implications and broader social impact, and my concerns echo those of the many medical, law enforcement and substance abuse experts in our region opposed to the measure," she added.

But Congressman Seth Moulton, D-Salem, backs legalization and notes marijuana is already widely available in Massachusetts.

"One of the advantages of legalization is it will force us to come to terms with things already happening in Massachusetts today, like people driving under the influence of marijuana and kids using it," he told WGBH News.

Open to legalization, Sen. Elizabeth Warren says substance should be regulated

The town of Chester has lost landline 911 service, after Huntington began experiencing the same problem Monday morning.

The town of Chester has lost landline 911 service, after Huntington began experiencing the same problem Monday morning.

State Police said on Facebook that a technical problem is preventing landline callers in both towns from reaching emergency dispatchers. State police are checking whether other nearby areas are also cut off.

The best way for Chester and Huntington residents to reach emergency services in by cell phone, state police said.

"Due to these technical problems, the preferred method of contacting 911 is by cell phone, which will work provided the user has cellular service," State Police said in a Facebook post. "Those who do not have a cell phone may try to call (413) 586-1508, but it is unclear at this time if that will work for callers outside of Huntington (that is a line that should be manned by a town government office)."

The (413) 586-1508 number appears to be working; an emergency dispatcher picked up the phone when MassLive called at 11:45 a.m.

Technicians are working on solving the problem, State police said.

As varying levels of rain falls across the commonwealth Monday, the National Weather Service warns of possible flooding.

As varying levels of rain falls across the commonwealth Monday, the National Weather Service warns of possible flooding.

The agency issued a flood advisory for Barnstable County, in effect until 1:30 p.m. Monday.

Meteorologists said at 11:30 a.m. that doppler radar indicated heavy rain moving into southeastern Massachusetts communities.

"Radar estimated rainfall rates per hour of up to 2 inches have been observed over southern portions of Rhode Island and Massachusetts," the advisory states. "These rainfall rates are anticipated to move into the advised area resulting in urban flooding."

The heavy rainfall is expected to cause ponding of water on highways, streets and underpasses. Drivers are asked to avoid flooded areas.

The suspect, who made of with $60 or $70, indicated that he had a knife, however, nothing was shown.

03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen - A Hadley Police Department cruiser.Julian Feller-Cohen 

HADLEY -- No injuries were reported early Tuesday after a man, claiming to have a knife, robbed a gasoline station on Route 9, police said.

Sgt. Mitch Kuc said the incident occurred about 12:25 a.m. when the suspect entered the Phillips 66 station at 110 Russell St.

"He demanded money and referenced a knife," Kuc said. "No knife was shown or seen."

The suspect stole some $60 to $70 and fled on foot," Kuc said.

He is described as a white or light-skinned Hispanic male, approximately 20- to 30-years-old, wearing a mask and a black hooded sweatshirt.

Amherst police provided a K-9 unit and police were able to get a good idea of the direction in which the suspect fled, Kuc said. State police also assisted in the investigation.

Fingerprint analysis was also conducted, he said.

Police are reviewing surveillance images of the incident. They ask area businesses to review their surveillance images as well and report anything that may have a bearing on the investigation.

Police can be reached at 413-584-0883.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker still ranks among the most popular governors in America, a new survey says.

BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker still ranks among the most popular governors in America, a new survey says.

Morning Consult, a nonpartisan technology and media company, released approval ratings for governors across the United States. The online survey showed Baker with a 70 percent approval rating and an 18 percent disapproval rating.

Eleven percent said they had no opinion or didn't know. The margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points.

The most popular governor, according to the Morning Consult rankings, is Dennis Daugaard. Larry Hogan of Maryland came in second, and Baker snagged the third slot. A survey by Morning Consult earlier this year had Baker on top with 72 percent.

The number of respondents and the margin of error varied by state. Morning Consult said it polled 71,900 registered voters in 50 states.

The governors with the highest disapproval ratings included Sam Brownback of Kansas, Dan Malloy of Connecticut, Chris Christie of New Jersey, Rick Snyder of Michigan, Paul LePage of Maine, Bruce Rauner of Illinois, Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island, Robert Bentley of Alabama, Mary Fallin of Oklahoma and Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

Baker, a Swampscott Republican, has remained popular since coming into office in 2015.

Beacon Hill Democrats largely are reluctant to frequently criticize his administration as 2018 approaches. Baker is widely expected to run for a second four-year term that year.

He narrowly won the 2014 gubernatorial election, beating Democratic nominee Martha Coakley by 40,000 votes after losing in 2010 to Gov. Deval Patrick.

The race is being held in memory of Meghan Hukowicz Zoll.

NORTHAMPTON - The second Meghan's Light 5K Road Race and Family Fun Walk to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research and for an Elms College scholarship fund is scheduled for Oct. 1.

The run is to be held at Look Park. It will begin with check in for pre-registered participants and race day registration from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. The run and walk will begin at 11 a.m. The registration fee is $30 for the run, $20 for the walk and children under 12 can participate in the walk at no cost if accompanied by an adult. There is also a $75 family package, which is limited to six family members. The fee includes an event t-shirt, parking fee, and a grinder lunch.

People can register for the race at www.meghanslight.com.

The race is being held in honor of Hadley native Meghan Hukowicz Zoll, who died one day after her 39th birthday after a long fight with Cystic Fibrosis. An Elms College graduate, she was the daughter of Elizabeth Teahan Hukowicz and Ed Hukowicz, the wife of Frank Zoll and mother of a son, Brady.

Funds raised will be donated to Boston Children's Hospital's Cystic Fibrosis Discovery Fund in support of Dr. Craig Gerard's Pulmonary and Respiratory Disease research and the Steven J. Vertuccio Memorial Fund which supports patient care, staff education, new technologies and treatments, and other initiatives as needed in the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic.

The event will also raise funds for an endowed scholarship for need-based students at Elms College,

Former Republican President George H.W. Bush will cast his ballot for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in November.

Former Republican President George H.W. Bush will cast his ballot for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in November, according to Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend, a daughter of Robert Kennedy.

On Monday, the Maryland Democrat posted on Facebook a photograph of the two shaking hands, captioned, "The President told me he's voting for Hillary!!"

Bush's spokesman, Jim McGrath, did not confirm nor deny the claim.

"Those reporting how George H.W. Bush will vote this year: It's not clear anyone was there to verify [Townsend]," McGrath said on Twitter. "Still checking, keep your powder dry."

In an email to The New York Times, McGrath added, "The vote President Bush will cast as a private citizen in some 50 days will be just that: a private vote cast in some 50 days. He is not commenting on the presidential race in the interim."

Earlier this year, in May, McGrath said Bush, 92, would not endorse Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Neither would former President George W. Bush, Bush's oldest son, McGrath added.

At the time, McGrath described Bush as old and officially "retired from politics."

A cadre of prominent Republicans have also refused to endorse Trump.

Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary under George W. Bush, wrote a strident Washington Post editorial in June, which said he would vote for Clinton.

"Trump is a phony and should not be president," Paulson wrote in a Washington Post editorial. "We are witnessing a populist hijacking of one of the United States' great political parties. The GOP, in putting Trump at the top of the ticket, is endorsing a brand of populism rooted in ignorance, prejudice, fear and isolationism. This troubles me deeply as a Republican, but it troubles me even more as an American. Enough is enough. It's time to put country before party and say it together: Never Trump."

Brian Signor, 27, of 292 North St., may face additional charges, pending autopsy results, pertaining to the death of Joseph Wirtes, according to a release issued by the Berkshire District Attorney's office.

File 

PITTSFIELD -- A suspect denied an assault charge Monday following the early Sunday beating of a 44-year-old man who later died at Berkshire Medical Center.

Brian Signor, 27, of 292 North St., may face additional charges, pending autopsy results, pertaining to the death of Joseph Wirtes, according to a release issued by the Berkshire District Attorney's office.

The beating occurred in Wirtes' apartment at the Pittsfield Family YMCA, which is located at that 292 North St. address, the Berkshire Eagle reported.

Signor was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 cash bail during his arraignment on a single charge of aggravated assault and battery.

A witness told police she and Signor had been drinking heavily inside Wirtes' apartment when she saw the suspect punch and choke the victim,, the Eagle reported.

Cara Rintala, 49, is accused of strangling Annamarie Cochrane Rintala on March 29, 2010, in their Granby home.

NORTHAMPTON -- A Massachusetts State Police lieutenant testified Tuesday she believes Cara Rintala had an abrasion on her neck the night Rintala said she found her wife dead.

Massachusetts State Police Lt. Det. Robin Whitney testifies during the Cara Rintala trial in Hampshire Superior Court in Northampton on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016.Dave Roback / The Republican

Jurors in Rintala's murder trial on Monday saw a 2½ hour video of an interview Lt. Robin Whitney conducted with Rintala several hours after the defendant told authorities she found her wife dead in the basement of the couple's Granby home.

Rintala told Whitney the mark on her neck was a hickey given by her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala. Whitney testified Tuesday it did not look like a hickey to her.

Rintala, 49, is accused of strangling Cochrane Rintala on March 29, 2010. This is her third murder trial, following mistrials in 2013 and 2014 resulting from deadlocked juries. She has been free on $150,000 bail since March 2014.

Follow Buffy Spencer's updates from the trial on Twitter:

Tweets by @buffyspencer1

The vehicle, a white Nissan sedan with Florida plates, may be being used by a white male and female, police said.

BERNARDSTON -- Police warn of a white Nissan sedan with Florida plates that may be involved with suspicious activity in the area.

Police, posting on the department's Facebook page, wrote that a white male and female associated with that vehicle have been seen in town over the last few weeks.

"If you see a similar vehicle in your neighborhood and it appears suspicious, please call your local police department to report," states the post.

The male has been arrested twice, most recently Monday night after he allegedly stole from a local business.

Witness statements and surveillance footage led to the suspect's arrest at the Greenfield bus station. Police have not yet released the suspect's name.

Bernardston police warn of vehicle that may be involved in suspicious activity in area

Lead was found in initial water samples from dozens of sinks and fountains at town schools.

AMHERST -- School officials say water is safe at town schools despite initial tests showing the presence of lead in samples taken from dozens of sinks and water fountains.

At Wildwood Elementary School, 40 sinks and water fountains showed lead at levels above the state and federal standard of 15 parts per billion on "first draw" samples. But, none of the samples tested positive after the water was flushed for more than 30 seconds, according to a press release.

At Fort River School, 64 sinks and water fountains tested positive but only one fountain outside the gym tested positive when the water was flushed for more than 30 seconds.

Lead is not believed to be in the primary water source at either school.  

Officials will continue to flush the fixtures in the schools where samples tested positive for lead, and the fountain outside the gym at Fort River will remain out of service.

Officials will continue to work to resolve the issue, according to the release. 

The town decided to test water in all schools after sinks and fountains revealed lead in initial samples at Crocker Farm Elementary School.