The effort was a part of the college's Humanics in Action program, where students and staff went to various spots in the college's neighborhood to clean up lots, scrape and paint buildings and do general landscaping.

SPRINGFIELD -- Springfield College staff and students fanned out across the city on Thursday to give back to the community.

The effort was a part of the college's Humanics in Action program, where groups went to various spots in the college's neighborhood to clean up lots, scrape and paint buildings and do general landscaping.

Humanics is a philosophy that calls for the education of the spirit, mind and body for leadership in service to others, according to the college.

The day also featured the groundbreaking for the Springfield College Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at 235 Eastern Ave. Formerly the Holy Family Rectory, the new center will educate students while engaging with community members to address community needs.

Mayor Domenic Sarno stated, "I'm not surprised by this initiative; it's in Springfield College's DNA. I commend SC President Mary-Beth Cooper, the board of trustees, staff and students for their continued outreach in enhancing and building a community of one. This most recent effort helps us all better understand, respect and learn from one another. Especially to our youths, this center will increase educational and career opportunities."

Police arrested the 16-year-old early Thursday afternoon.

George Graham | ggraham@repub.com 

EAST LONGMEADOW -- A16-year-old male, suspected of writing a bomb threat on a bathroom wall at East Longmeadow High School Wednesday - and on two other occasions - has been arrested by police.

Sgt. Steven Manning said police arrested the suspect at about 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The suspect has been charged with three counts of making a false bomb threat and three counts of disturbing a school assembly, Manning said.

The high school was evacuated shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday when a student reported finding the phrase "Bomb at 12" written on a bathroom wall.

Similar messages were left on a bathroom wall at the high school on June 7 of this year and on Nov. 20 in 2015, Manning said.

The arrest followed a joint investigation involving detectives, school resource officer Donald Cavanaugh and school administrators, Manning said.

The suspect, who has not been identified by police because he is a juvenile, is slated to be arraigned Friday in juvenile court.

An Oct. 24 vote will determine whether to merge students from Hampden's Thornton W. Burgess Middle School with students at Wilbraham Middle School.

WILBRAHAM — A controversial consolidation plan for Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District's two middle schools has divided the district into pro- and anti-merger camps, in some instances pitting neighbor against neighbor.

District administrators say consolidation would help reduce costs related to declining enrollment at the schools by merging financial and educational resources under one roof. Opponents of the merger say it's bad news for Hampden, which would lose one of its two schools in the deal.

The merger debate will reach its climax, though not its conclusion, on Oct. 24. That's when voters in Hampden and Wilbraham will decide whether to amend their regional school district agreement to create a "unified middle school" in Wilbraham for a period of five years. The measure must be approved by voters in both municipalities for the unification plan to take effect.

Under the proposal, students from Hampden's Thornton W. Burgess Middle School would be bused to Wilbraham Middle School on Stony Hill Road — the site preferred by district administrators, school board officials, and members of a special task force created to study the pros and cons of consolidation.

The merger would take effect in fall 2017 and expire at the end of the 2022 academic year. At the conclusion of the five-year period, the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee could ask voters in both towns to extend the consolidation agreement.

If voters reject the merger on Oct. 24, things would stay the way they are now: two towns, two middle schools. But cuts would be inevitable, school district officials have warned, and not just at the middle school level.

Administration and task force officials say merging the schools would result in "significant" savings and avoid the level of cuts anticipated if the proposal were to fail. However, differing estimates on the savings have become fodder for debate for the pro- and anti-merger forces in both towns.

In order for consolidation to take effect, the plan must be approved by Hampden voters, many of whom don't want to lose their middle school — one of Hampden's two schools and a town fixture for almost 50 years. They view even a temporary merger as the first step toward permanently closing TWB, as Thornton W. Burgess Middle School is commonly called.

The division is most noticeable in Hampden, a close-knit community of over 5,100 residents. Drive through town and you'll likely see "Save TWB" signs and "UNIFY" signs supporting "two towns, one middle school." In some cases, the opposing signs are found on abutting properties in residential neighborhoods — a clear sign that Hampden is not united when it comes to middle school unification.

Some merger opponents have asked a simple question: Why the rush to consolidate? The Middle School Task Force has been studying the issue for a couple of years, but why does the regional school district's fiscal viability and vulnerability seem to hinge on the fate of TWB? Administrators have suggested savings of over $1 million annually if the two middle schools become one, but that figure has shifted downward since an initial cost-benefit analysis was conducted.

Consolidation proponents, including the school district's former superintendent, who left in July to take over Longmeadow Public Schools, initially touted annual savings of around $1.2 million for personnel costs and up to $320,000 for operational costs. These projections are included in the first online document from the list of "Middle School Unification Documents" on the district's homepage.

The Middle School Task Force — an ad hoc group of citizens, district officials, and elected leaders from both towns — has recommended moving TWB students to Wilbraham Middle School. The move initially was expected to save the district up to $1.52 million annually in combined personnel and operational costs, but that estimate has already gone stale.

The sign outside Thornton W. Burgess Middle School in Hampden. The school could close as part of a merger plan.The Republican / File Photo 

"The numbers, I think, are fluid," said task force member Nick Fyntrilakis, who acknowledges the estimates have changed since the district first set out to calculate the potential savings of consolidation.

"The original numbers were published almost two years ago now," the Hampden resident said Wednesday, "and obviously prices change, numbers change, and personnel changes all, I think, end up impacting what the absolute bottom line looks like."

Merging the schools is definitely expected to produce savings, according to Fyntrilakis, a former MassMutual Financial Group executive, but it's difficult to pinpoint a precise amount.

"Will we see savings? Yes. How much? I'm not exactly sure," said Fyntrilakis, the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents in Milford.

"But more importantly is the educational decision to be made, and the fact that the finances are really just not going to permit adequate educational opportunities in both buildings as things currently stand," he said.

Merger opponents point out that a public presentation on the plan in February showed projected savings had been revised downward to around $1.4 million over the first three years of consolidation, not the $1.2 million in annual savings originally cited by district and task force officials. Broken down, the $1.4 million amounts to $201,805 in the first year, $603,805 in the second year, and $603,805 in the third year.

The numbers matter to Mary Dionne, a retired longtime school district employee, who would like to see district officials explain the data disparities before next month's vote. The pro-merger movement needs to step on the brakes, according to Dionne, who believes the uncertainties of the current political and economic climate are reason enough to pause and take a breath.

"With everything that's going on in the world," she said, "now is not the time."

Lisa Sternberg, another retired district employee, shares that sentiment. "It's hard to know the 'savings' if you have no real sense of the costs and even more hard, if not impossible, when the numbers keep changing and questions are not answered," she said in a post on S.O.S TWB, a Facebook page created to share information about the merger.

The main factor driving consolidation is declining enrollment at both middle schools, a trend that's predicted to continue. TWB currently has around 216 students, while Wilbraham Middle School has around 540 students. If current enrollment figures hold, the combined middle school site in Wilbraham could have over 750 students. That would require trucking in multiple modular classrooms to the current Stony Hill Road property, which cannot accommodate the influx of Hampden students under one roof.

Wilbraham Middle School on Stony Hill Road would become the site of a consolidated middle school if a plan to merge Hampden middle school students with Wilbraham students is approved by voters on Oct. 24, 2016.The Republican / File Photo 

Declining middle school enrollment means less state aid. And less state aid means program reductions, fewer teachers and staff, and other potential cuts, according to merger supporters. This group includes TWB and Wilbraham Middle School staff, over 80 percent of whom "generally support" consolidation, district officials have said.

However, now that consolidation cheerleaders such as former Superintendent Marty O'Shea, who left for the same job in Longmeadow, and ex-School Committee Chairman Peter Salerno no longer play leadership roles in this district, some merger opponents are wondering why the plan is still being pushed with such urgency. Both men resigned from their positions over the summer.

New Superintendent Albert Ganem Jr. has only been on the job a couple of months, and data from the initial Middle School Task Force analysis is already inaccurate, according to merger critics, who want fresher data and more clarity before the Oct. 24 vote.

To that end, a public information session is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham. Questions submitted through an online link on the school district's homepage are expected to be answered at the session, which will include information about the economic and educational ramifications of unification.

Another source of bitterness between pro- and anti-merger groups is the less-than-stellar academic performance of the district's middle school students, especially at TWB. Some parents have argued that underperforming schools hurt a town's reputation and property values, while good schools enhance a community's overall value. The way forward, they say, is to combine the schools to provide better educational services for all district middle school students.

Declining test scores are a good reason to support consolidation, Kathy Albano-Pessolano, a Hampden parent whose children attended local schools, said in a letter to the weekly newspaper that covers Hampden and Wilbraham. She cited MCAS data from last year that show TWB students lagging behind their peers at Wilbraham Middle School in terms of overall performance.

On a scale of 1-99, with 99 being the best, Hampden students scored a 43 and Wilbraham students scored a 76, she said in her letter, which was posted by merger loyalists on the Parents for Middle School Unification Facebook page.

The anti-merger camp argues that Hampden's two schools cater to many of the district's special-needs students, those who require individualized education plans and more one-on-one attention from teachers and support staff. That, they contend, may explain lower test scores at TWB.

Hampden's Thornton W. Burgess Middle School, also known as TWB, could close if a plan to merge TWB students with Wilbraham Middle School students is approved by voters in both towns on Oct. 24, 2016.The Republican / File Photo 

From an academic standpoint, TWB isn't what it used to be, according to Fyntrilakis. "I certainly value and appreciate the small-town nature of Hampden — but when it comes to my children's education, I want what is best educationally," he said on the Middle School Unification page.

"TWB has been a great school, but it is not the school it once was as a result of this issue and is only getting worse," he said, questioning why middle school unification is such a bitter pill for some people to swallow. He pointed out that Hampden students already attend Minnechaug for their high school years.

"Has that hurt our community?" Fyntrilakis asks in the Facebook post. "I am unclear as to how sending them to a combined middle school that has more offerings is somehow negative to our community."

Consolidation critics claim the pro-merger movement's real goal is to build a new middle school in Wilbraham, and that Hampden is not even being considered as a site for a future regional middle school. They believe many residents of the two-town district, particularly retired people and senior citizens on fixed incomes, are unlikely to support building a new regional middle school if it leads to higher taxes and more debt.

They point out that district taxpayers still have over a quarter-century of payments left on the new Minnechaug building, and both towns are currently paying for new police stations. The Hampden Police Department is holding a dedication ceremony and public tours of its new facility Saturday, while Wilbraham's station is still under construction.

Hampden residents are also still paying for renovations at Green Meadows Elementary School, the town's feeder school for TWB.

For Mary Ellen Glover, who opposes the merger, the issue comes down to broken promises and retaining Hampden's identity as a two-school town. The Hampden resident is a former longtime School Committee chairwoman who was intimately involved in the discussions leading up to the district's expansion in 1994, when TWB and Green Meadows joined the regional school district.

"If past promises were not kept, why would you think future ones would be kept," said Glover, who feels the so-called unification plan is actually a "slippery slope" that could lead to the closure of Green Meadows. "It's Thornton Burgess today, Green Meadows tomorrow," she said.

During expansion talks more than two decades ago, promises were made — 100 percent reimbursement for transportation costs, equity for all district schools, and a provision to keep Hampden kids at Hampden schools, except for when they cross town lines to attend Minnechaug — and "promises were broken," Glover said.

Meanwhile, merger proponents say they have been frank about their intentions from the get-go, saying the five-year consolidation period gives officials time to monitor the district's middle school enrollment and come up with a long-range solution — including the possibility of creating a new regional middle school with help from the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

The MSBA, a quasi-public government authority created by the state Legislature in 2004, works with communities to create affordable, sustainable, and energy-efficient schools. Since its formation, the MSBA has reimbursed over $12 billion in construction costs to cities, towns, and regional school districts across the commonwealth.

The larger Wilbraham Middle School could absorb students from Hampden's Thornton W. Burgess Middle School if a middle school merger vote passes on Oct. 24, 2016. Diminishing enrollment has prompted officials of the two-town school district to consider consolidation as a way to save money.The Republican / File Photo 

Officials from the organization are expected to visit both of the district's middle schools later this fall, according to Beth Regulbuto, the district's assistant superintendent. However, administration officials say a feasible fix for the district's middle school problem is still years away.

Salerno, the former School Committee chairman, stepped down from his position in July, but he hasn't bowed out of the conversation. In a post on the unification group's Facebook page, Salerno says a "no" vote on Oct. 24 could "haunt the district for some time" and "forever taint" the MSBA's view of the district's commitment to a long-term solution for its middle school population.

The merger issue has also sparked conversations about the mission and future of the regional school district itself. Proportional representation based on population translates into five School Committee members from Wilbraham and two from Hampden, but some merger opponents from Hampden feel like they're not being heard on this issue.

They realize their tiny town, with just over one-third the population of Wilbraham, won't be able to persuade bigger, wealthier Wilbraham to send its middle school students to TWB, a smaller building on a smaller campus about 1½ miles south of the Wilbraham line. They worry about the erosion of Hampden's role in the two-town district and the possibility of Green Meadows winding up on the chopping block, too.

"Next will be Green Meadows," Hampden resident Sandy J. Howell said on Facebook. "After that we lose our identity and become truly part of Wilbraham. ... A town without schools becomes a highly taxed bedroom entity without the fabric of education running through it."

For Hampden resident Heather Jolicoeur, raised on her family's farm in Wilbraham, life in her adopted hometown is a shared experience. She posted an "open letter to Wilbraham from Hampden" on the Save TWB Facebook page, asking residents of the larger neighboring town to "open their hearts and minds."

Jolicoeur, who was still undecided about the merger when she wrote the letter in May, describes the rhythms of small-town life in Hampden, which was part of Wilbraham until breaking away in 1878. It's a community where most people know each other by name, and seemingly simple changes can cause ripple effects that upset the delicate balance of daily life.

"We have six restaurants, four churches, two liquor stores, two schools, one butcher, one gas station, no traffic lights," she wrote in the letter. "Each of these comfort us, yet they are all on fragile footing. One slip, one bad review, one customer lost could mean the end to any of them."

"I understand why you might be frustrated with us. We don't have seven thriving campuses, a commercial corridor, a manned fire station, or other places of employment, activity, income and excess," she said, stressing the importance of education to the citizens of Hampden.

"We only have what we have. Please understand."

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump continued his post-debate criticism of a former "Miss Universe" winner Friday, calling the woman, who has become a surrogate for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, "disgusting" and the "worst" winner of the pageant.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump continued his post-debate criticism of a former "Miss Universe" winner Friday, calling the woman, who has become a surrogate for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, "disgusting" and the "worst" winner of the pageant.

Trump, in a series of early morning tweets, slammed former "Miss Universe" Alicia Machado, alleging that she has made a sex tape and has a "terrible" past.

The businessman further questioned Clinton's judgment for bringing up the former "Miss Universe" winner in the first presidential debate and speculated that the former secretary of state helped Machado, who hails from Venezuela, become a U.S. citizen.

The Twitter rant marked Trump's latest public condemnation of Machado, whom Clinton claimed he once reportedly called "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping."

Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U. Hillary floated her as an "angel" without checking her past, which is terrible!

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

Two years after winning "Miss Universe," Machado was reportedly accused of being an accomplice in an attempted murder and threatening to kill a judge in Venezuela -- charges which were ultimately dropped.

Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con.

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

Machado fired back at Trump, calling his attacks "cheap lies and slander," in her own social media post Friday.

Clinton, meanwhile, called at her GOP rival's tweets "unhinged," and asked, "What kind of man stays up all night to smear a woman with lies and conspiracy theories?"

When something gets under Donald's thin skin, he lashes out and can't let go. This is dangerous for a president.

-- Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 30, 2016

The Democratic presidential nominee, who is looking to shore up support among female voters, highlighted Machado's story while criticizing Trump's record on respecting women at the first presidential debate on Monday.

"He called this woman 'Miss Piggy.' Then he called her 'Miss Housekeeping,' because she was Latina," she said. "Donald, she has a name, her name is Alicia Machado. And she has become a U.S. citizen, and you can bet she's going to vote this November."

Presidential debate: The top 10 moments from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's first matchup

Clinton's campaign doubled down on its criticism of Trump by hosting a Tuesday press call with Machado.

It also released a video Wednesday that uses video clips from a 1997 interview where the businessman discusses Machado's weight, as well as a post-debate appearance in which he stands by his previous criticism.

City police arrested two opiate dealers operating out of Belmont Avenue parking lot Thursday night, confiscating more than 600 pills.

SPRINGFIELD -- City police arrested two opiate dealers operating out of Belmont Avenue parking lot Thursday night, confiscating more than 600 pills.

Lead Det. Edward Kalish set up surveillance of the parking lot, near "the X" where Belmont and Sumner Avenues intersect, around 6 p.m.

He determined "large amounts of oxycodone pills were coming from an apartment located at 69 Allen Park Rd." and delivered to the lot for sale, according to a press release by Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney.

Kalish learned that a male and female couple were making "numerous" drug deliveries to the parking lot, and observed at least one transaction, according to the release.

After watching the spot for hours, Kalish and several other narcotics detectives made their move several hours later, following the couple's car to 685 Sumner Ave., a Racing Mart gas station.

Detectives detained the pair and located "numerous oxycodone pills inside the car."

A search warrant the detectives later received and executed on 69 Allen Park Rd. at roughly 10 p.m. turned up even more pills. In total, the detectives seized 514 oxycodone pills, 98 Endocet pills and $3,614.00 in cash.

Arrested were Luis Andujar, 53, and Evelyn Peralta, 45, both of Allen Park Road. They were held overnight and will each be charged with trafficking in a class A substance" in Springfield District Court on Friday.

An 18-year-old driver is facing a criminal speeding charge after Maine State Police allegedly clocked him traveling at 146 miles per hour on I-95.

An 18-year-old driver is facing a criminal speeding charge after Maine State Police allegedly clocked him traveling at 146 miles per hour on I-95.

On Thursday,Maine State Police Lt. Bruce Scott received a radio call to look out for a blue sports car traveling at a high rate of speed, state police said in an Instagram post.

Shortly afterwards, Scott, stationed near Pittsfield, Maine, noticed a blue Dodge Neon allegedly speeding towards his position.

"He locked it in on his radar at traveling at 146 miles per hour in a 70 mile per hour zone," state police wrote.

He had never recorded someone driving that quickly in his career, he reported.

Bruce stopped the car and arrested Tyler Barrows of Manchester, Maine on charged of criminal speeding, failure to provide proof of insurance and failure to provide proof of inspection.

the driver got out of the car and ran off. Police found him hiding in a field a few hundred yards away.

car accident on glendale road, easthampton, 9/30/16Western Mass News photo 

Western Mass News - WGGB/WSHM

EASTHAMPTON - A speeding car on Glendale Street sheared off a telephone pole just before 2:30 a.m., and the driver got out and attempted to flee the scene, police said.

Capt. Robert Alberti of the Easthampton police said the driver, a 20-year-old Southampton man, was found a short time later hiding in a field a few hundred yards away near West Street.

The man, whose name was not being released, was rushed to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton for treatment of injuries suffered in the crash.

Alberti said he is likely to face charges related to the accident although he declined to say what they would be.

According to the initial investigation, the car, an Infiniti sedan, was heading west on Glendale Street at excessive speed.

The car went out of control, crossed over into the oncoming lane, crossed back, and then went off the road and hit a pole.

Alberti said the car split the telephone pole in half right in front of the Glendale Grill at 65 Glendale St.

Wires leading to the restaurant were torn down and a section of a live power main was exposed. Alberti said the driver is fortunate not to have been electrocuted as he got out of his car.

"This young lad is fortunate to be alive," he said.

The accident resulted in Glendale Street being closed to traffic for hours later.
Eversource Energy crews were on scene Friday morning repairing the damage.

It is not clear if the restaurant opened on by midday Friday. Its phone lines were apparently not working.

City police are on the scene investigating an apparent shooting with a victim in the South End.

SPRINGFIELD -- City police are on the scene investigating a shooting with a victim in the South End.

Just after 12:30 p.m. Friday, the ShotSpotter system flagged what sounded like gunshots in the area of Main Street and Arlington Court.

Police responded to the scene which was in front of the Family Dollar store on Main Street and found a male victim with gunshot wounds. The victim was shot in the leg near the hip, according to police Sgt. John Delaney, and was taken to Baystate Medical Center. Delaney said the victim was in serious but stable condition.

"That section of Main Street was roped off with police tape and investigators are working the crime scene," Delaney wrote on the department's Facebook page. "Witnesses stated that three suspects fled North on Main Street in a dark colored motor vehicle."

Police were on the lookout for a black Nissan Altima with Connecticut license plates which was allegedly seen fleeing the area with a female driver, North on Main Street. The car reportedly had two males inside, including the alleged shooter.

The shooting took place approximately seven blocks south of the under construction, $950 million MGM Springfield resort casino.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to "CRIMES," or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE."

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

After more than three decades of not weighing-in on presidential contests, USA Today's editorial board ended that practice Friday as it published a scathing rebuke of Republican nominee Donald Trump.

After more than three decades of not weighing-in on presidential contests, USA Today's editorial board ended its long-standing practice Friday and published a scathing rebuke of Republican nominee Donald Trump.

The newspaper's editorial board, which had not taken sides in presidential contests in its 34-year history, said although it has never seen a reason in the past to endorse in a White House race, the 2016 election is different.

"This year, the choice isn't between two capable major party nominees who happen to have significant ideological differences," it wrote. "This year, one of the candidates -- Republican nominee Donald Trump -- is, by unanimous consensus of the Editorial Board, unfit for the presidency."

USA Today contended that the businessman has shown throughout the last 15 months that "he lacks the temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty" needed to serve as president.

Specifically, the editorial board argued, Trump is erratic, reckless, a serial liar and ill-equipped to be commander-in-chief. It further accused him of building a campaign on bigotry and xenophobia, as well as questioned his business career.

Despite slamming the GOP nominee, USA Today noted that it's editorial does not represent "unqualified support" for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, saying the editorial board doesn't have a consensus when it comes to formally endorsing her bid.

While some board members believe the former secretary of state would serve the nation ably, others have reservations about her sense of entitlement and "extreme carelessness in handling classified information," it wrote.

USA Today encouraged voters to "stay true to your convictions," whether that's supporting Clinton, a third-party candidate, a write-in, or focusing on down-balllot candidates instead.

"Whatever you do, however, resist the siren song of a dangerous demagogue," it concluded. "By all means vote, just not for Donald Trump."

Although USA Today railed against the businessman in its editorial, a Friday Op-Ed piece penned by Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence offered a different take on the GOP nominee.

Looking to make the case for his running mate, Pence contended that "the choice could not be more clear" in November.

"By electing Donald Trump, the American people have the opportunity to choose a bold leader. In a political world often reserved for talkers, Donald Trump is a doer," he wrote in the piece published in USA Today. "I've come to know the man who invited me to join him on the Republican ticket as thoughtful, compassionate and steady. Above all, I know he is ready to lead the United States as our next president and commander-in-chief."

Clinton, by contrast, represents the "status quo and the failed policies of Washington D.C.," Pence wrote, contending that she will offer only more taxes, spending and regulation.

"On Election Day, the choice is clear. To Make America Great Again, we must elect Donald Trump the 45th president of the United States," he concluded.

Trump, meanwhile, took to Twitter to slam USA Today, which joined the Arizona Republic, the Dallas Morning News and other newspapers in breaking with tradition to oppose the GOP nominee.

The people are really smart in cancelling subscriptions to the Dallas & Arizona papers & now USA Today will lose readers! The people get it!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016

The latest business to open in South Holyoke is not your standard mom-and-pop shop. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- The latest business to open in South Holyoke is not your standard mom-and-pop shop.

DementedFX, which moved to the Baustein Building at 530-534 Main St., offers 15,000-square-feet of frights, from actors popping out at visitors to monsters twisting and shaking.

The haunted house moved its chamber of horrors this year from Easthampton to Holyoke and will welcome visitors Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October, starting on Saturday, Oct. 1.

To celebrate their new space, co-founders Jeremie LaPointe and David Spear held a ribbon cutting Friday afternoon. Or, rather, a chain cutting.

At their request, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse donned protective gear, grabbed a power tool and cut a chain in front of DementedFX.

Morse said he was personally excited for the company to move to Holyoke and hopes October will be "a great month of fun and fear."

MassLive Instagram Takeover: DementedFX to give an inside look on opening day

Ward 2 City Councilor Nelson Roman, who represents South Holyoke, said LaPointe and Spear are welcome additions to the neighborhood.

He thanked the owners for hiring 20 residents of the lower wards in Holyoke. The company has hired 70 part-time workers for the month of October.

Roman said he's excited for the collaboration between DementedFX and The Waterfront, a restaurant and bar on Main Street that will run the haunted house's bar.

DementedFX granted alcohol license on condition Holyoke police approve security plan

The new space offers a haunted house twice the size of their former Easthampton facility. Lines that once formed outside in the cold will now be housed indoors. While waiting to enter the haunted house, customers will be able to listen to music and have a drink.

The facility to open to both adults and minors, though owners caution that it may be too mature for children. The median age of visitors in previous years was in their mid-20s.

With expanded offerings, LaPointe hopes to see more than 10,000 customers pass through the haunted attraction this year, possibly as many as 12,000.

Tickets are $20 with discounts available for group purchases. For more information, visit the company's website.

A statement released by Weymouth police on Thursday said the caller admitted to officers that she had fabricated the entire story and was in fact not a victim of an assault of any kind.

WEYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) -- Police say an intense 911 call from a frantic woman claiming that she had been sexually assaulted in a wooded ravine in Weymouth ultimately turned out to be a hoax.

A statement released by Weymouth police on Thursday said the caller admitted to officers that she had fabricated the entire story and was in fact not a victim of an assault of any kind.

The Wednesday night call triggered a large response from police to a wooded area off state Route 3, where officers found the unidentified woman bound by duct tape.

Police say the woman's story was very vague and she didn't fully cooperate. She was taken to a local hospital for examination following her false claims.

It's unclear if the woman will face any criminal charges.

The Hadley Democratic Town Committee is alive and well and growing, and hoping to reach even more, particularly young people in town.

HADLEY -- The Hadley Democratic Town Committee is alive and well and growing, and hoping to reach even more people, particularly youth in town.

The current chairwoman is 19-year-old Mount Holyoke College sophomore Allyson Huntoon.

On Thursday at 7 p.m., the committee will host a fundraiser at the Quarters, a restaurant, bar and vintage arcade at 8 Railroad St. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the committee, Huntoon said.

The group will hold its next meeting Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Dennis J. Hukowicz Public Safety Complex.

All members of the public are encouraged to attend both events.

Huntoon took over as chairwoman from Matt Waskiewicz, who graduated from the University of Massachusetts and is now studying in Wales.

The new members are recent graduates as well as people of all ages. But Huntoon said the focus is on young people like her. 

In March, the committee hosted a Democratic caucus and sent for the first time in recent years a full delegation to the Massachusetts Democratic Convention in Lowell.

"We're trying to get kids involved in the election to see what we can do before Nov. 8," Huntoon said.

One thing the committee did was register Hopkins Academy students to vote in June. She said members registered seven or eight new voters. "We were happy about that," she said, noting classes are very small at the school.

She said the voter registration was non-partisan, and the committee doesn't which party, if any, the students registered for.

When she was a senior at the school, she wasn't sure about what to do about registering to vote, she said. She said the Hadley Democratic Town Committee wants to get kids involved in the political process at early year age as they go through the school system.

And now, with talk about the importance of the millennials' vote in this election, she said it's vital to get that group of young adults involved.

"We're trying with the young crowd. Millennials play a role in this election. We're not all aware of how impactful we might be," Huntoon said.

She said committee members have been talking to members of Democratic committees in other communities to get ideas about how to grow. "We're hoping to spark interest. I'm really excited to be involved," Huntoon said.

Between her studies -- political science -- and the committee, it can be a lot of work, but she said, "It's absolutely worth staying involved in the community."

The MGM Springfield casino project has been called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city of Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- Construction students at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy will get some real-world training and experience at the site of the $950 million MGM Springfield casino under an agreement signed Friday.

"We are going to extend the classroom into the construction site and make it a laboratory for our students," said David M. Cruise, president and CEO of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. "This is a great way to prepare our students for jobs, jobs that are in demand right now."

The agreement covers students in Putnam's carpentry, electrical, metal fabrication, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning programs, as well as its new construction laborer shop.

The Regional Employment Board acted as go-between, working out the agreement between Putnam and Tishman Construction, the New York-based general contractor for the casino project.

Cruise, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Superintendent of Schools Daniel J. Warwick, MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis and Eric Nelson, a Springfield native who works as senior project manager for Tishman at the site, participated in an official signing of the agreement Friday at Putnam.

"It's a pipeline," Sarno said. "It is a pipeline to education and career opportunities for our students."

Carpentry student Tiequaon Bloodworth, a senior at Putnam, said he looks forward to learning new skills during visits to the MGM site.

Everyone got a tour of  the new construction laborer shop, where the school has installed sophisticated simulation equipment that teaches safe operation of heavy equipment -- cranes, fork lifts, track hoes and the like -- purchased with a $441,500 state grant.

Frank Manzi, instructor in the program, said he's recruited a class of 16 to 20 freshmen to begin the program. First-year students at Putnam are still in the exploratory phase and haven't declared a study concentration yet.

They'll learn hoisting, scaffolding, safety, tool operation, organization and other skills that will prep them to work as laborers on construction sites. Beginners in the laborers union make $16 to $17 an hour, and it goes up from there.

And employers are looking for those skills and the skills developed in other Putnam shops.

"The demand for construction trades people is strong here in Springfield, its strong in Boston and all over the region," Nelson said. "There are a lot of big projects going on. Hopefully, we'll get a lot of these kids into the trades."

Nelson said there are about 250 construction workers on the MGM site now and he expects that number to swell to 800 to 1,000 as the project progresses. The casino is expected to open in September 2018.

MGM isn't the only opportunity, Cruise said. There is also the CRRC railroad car factory, Interstate 91 and Union Station.

"This is Springfield's moment," Cruise said. "We need to make sure we take advantage of this moment in time for our students."

Amherst Regional Principal Mark Jackson has found that high school soccer fans were inappropriate last week but there was no evidence that the fans used racial slurs during a game against member of the Holyoke High School girls soccer team.

AMHERST -- Amherst Regional High School Principal Mark Jackson has found that high school soccer fans were inappropriate last week but there was no evidence that the fans used racial slurs during a game against the Holyoke High School girls soccer team.

In a letter to parents and students, Jackson also said his investigation of the incident prompted him to "reset our own standards" and issue a "Fan Framework" to govern Amherst fans' behavior at athletic contests.

There were reports of incidents of taunting and use of a racial slurs made by Amherst fans during a girls soccer game against Holyoke at Amherst on Sept. 23.

Jackson told Holyoke officials he would investigate.

"While there was considerable evidence that ARHS fans were inappropriate, we found no evidence to corroborate the allegation that racial slurs were used," Jackson wrote. "I apologized to the Holyoke High principal and assured him we would use this experience as an opportunity to develop clearer behavioral expectations for our fans."

Jackson "Fan Framework," effective immediately, outlines these guidelines: 

* The core principle is this: 'for, not against'. A fan cheers for his or her teams, not against the other team. Whether our teams do well or poorly, the focus is on supporting them. How the other team fares is besides the point.

* More concretely, calling out the names or numbers of opponents, or the name of the school, and then proceeding to call them 'lousy players' is prohibited. This goes for all other synonyms of 'lousy'.

* The same holds true for officials. Fans can express frustration with what they perceive as a bad call - 'you're kidding?! - but they stop short of aiming personal attacks at officials - 'you're lousy!'. The synonym rule also applies here.

* Lastly, these two chants are prohibited; 'warm up the bus' and 'if you're winning, clap your hands...' If there are other chants or cheers that I haven't yet heard that have the same intent - to humiliate a losing team - they, too, are prohibited.

"I'm mindful that the framework may take some getting used to and that are still issues to clarify. I'm patient," Jackson wrote. "But to disregard it altogether will result in removal by our event staff."

CommunityLetter.Holyoke.9.16 (1) by The Republican/MassLive.com on Scribd

Two people were treated for minor injuries after a head-on collision in Longmeadow Thursday evening.

LONGMEADOW — Two people were hospitalized with minor injuries Thursday evening following a head-on collision.

At about 5:45, the Longmeadow Police Department responded to the intersection of Bliss Road and Laurel Street, where two cars collided, a statement from the Longmeadow Police Department says.

"Both operators were transported to the hospital with minor injuries," a statement from the Longmeadow Police Department says. "Seatbelts and airbags prevented these operators from more serious injuries."

Police did not provide information about the drivers' names, hometowns or ages. The department thanked passersby who stopped to assist the drivers.

Cara Rintala, 49, is accused of strangling her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, 37, in the couple's Granby home on March 29, 2010.

NORTHAMPTON -- In an unusual move, the defense in the murder trial of Cara Rintala has called as a witness the state trooper who lead the investigation of Annamarie Cochrane Rintala's death after the prosecution opted not to.

A lot that has come up in Trooper Jamie Magarian's first half-hour of testimony that Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne doesn't think defense lawyer David Hoose should be allowed to ask about.

Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup said it looks like Magarian's testimony will have to be interrupted by sidebar discussions as the prosecution challenges questions each time. She said she sees no other way to do things.

Rintala, 49, is accused of strangling her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, 37, in the couple's Granby home on March 29, 2010.

This is Rintala's third murder trial, following mistrials in 2013 and 2014 resulting from deadlocked juries. She has been free on $150,000 bail since March 2014.

On Friday, Hoose and Luke Ryan, the other defense lawyer, said their questions for Magarian go to the issue of whether or not the police investigation was adequate.

Both sides appear frustrated with each other. Ryan said the issues Gagne is raising should have been raised in August, not in the middle of the trial.

Gagne said he didn't know until yesterday the defense would call Magarian. The defense has said it didn't know until earlier in this trial that the prosecution wouldn't call Magarian.

Magarian testified extensively at the last two trials.

Gagne said he acknowledges he is trying the case differently than he did the first two times, calling it a "shifting landscape" and "different waters."

Hoose began to ask Magarian about two items not found in the police search of Cochrane Rintala's van but found by Rintala's stepfather when he cleaned out the van.

With the jury out of the room, Hoose said one item was a love note to Cochrane Rintala from Mark Oleksak, her colleague and very close friend. The other was a disposable camera.

When Rintala's stepfather developed the photos, they were of Cochrane Rintala in Las Vegas with her sometimes girlfriend Carla Daniele, Hoose said.

Both Oleksak and Daniele were called to testify by the prosecution at the last trial to give alibis for the time Cochrane Rintala was killed. They were not called by the prosecution this time.

Rup said she will talk to lawyers at 1:45 p.m., and the trial is to resume at 2 p.m.

This story will be updated later today.

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

Tweets by @buffyspencer1

Police Chief Bruce McMahon said the spike in larcenies is likely a consequence of the opioid epidemic.

EASTHAMPTON -- Results for the city in the most recent edition of the FBI's crime statistics are a mixed bag: Violent crime is down, but property crime is up.

Easthampton's numbers in the "Crime in the United States" report for 2015 show that, when compared with the previous year, crimes of violence decreased by 25 percent, while property crimes increased by 18.6 percent.

Police Chief Bruce McMahon said he was pleased with the showing but not especially interested. He said he did not know the annual FBI report had been released until alerted by a reporter.

After review a summary of numbers for Easthampton provided by a reporter, McMahon said, "We're doing OK."

McMahon said the annual FBI report is a "good baseline" for measuring crime in general terms, but it is of limited use to him as a police chief. This is because, he said, the numbers in the report are from 2015, and 2015 is so last year.

"Quite honestly, I'm not too concerned with what happened in 2015," he said. "I'm more concerned with what happened last week."

The FBI annual report is made up of data supplied by law enforcement agencies from across the country. The Easthampton numbers for 2015 were of no surprise to McMahon because Easthampton Police supplied the data.

McMahon said the use of crime data is important in police work, but he said he prefers it to be a little more current.

"You need real-time numbers," he said. "I want to know what is happening this week, not in 2015," he said.

Easthampton Police, like most departments, keep track of data in real time. McMahon said he keeps an eye on the number of arrests in the calendar year, the number of violent crimes committed, and the number of property crimes.

Real-time information compiled by the department can help police spot emerging trends, he said. If there's an uptick in house breaks in one neighborhood, or car thefts in another, it can help the police plan deployments into those areas, he said.

"We look at what we do on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, on a monthly basis," McMahon said. "We look at our numbers and compare them with previous years. That's how I assess what needs to be addressed."

"I'm looking at what happened last week, and what the trend is this week and what we can possibly project for next week. That's where we need to be," he said.

According to the 2015 Crime Report:

• Easthampton in 2015 had 32 violent crimes, a 25 percent decrease, and 198 property crimes, an 18.6 percent increase. In smaller communities, percentages of increase or decrease can fluctuate greatly from one year to the next simply because the numbers of actual incidents are relatively few. The 25 percent decline, for example, is a swing of 11 incidents.


• There were 32 violent crimes reported in 2015, 11 fewer than in 2014. The numbers of reported rapes, robberies and assaults each declined. The most recent murder occurred in 2012.


• The number of property crimes increased by 31, from 167 in 2014 to 198 in 2015. This increase is due mostly to an increase of 37 in the number of reported larcenies, from 127 in 2014 to 163 in 2015.


• The number of burglaries decreased from 36 to 28, and while car thefts increased from four to seven.


• The 163 larcenies are the most reported in 30 years of Easthampton crime data reported to the FBI.

McMahon said the increase in larcenies is largely due to the opioid epidemic, which is affecting many communities in Western Massachusetts.

"There are more addicts needing money to support their drug problem," he said. When the money is scarce, addicts steal to get money for drugs.

Also according to the FBI, the rates of violent crime and property crime in Easthampton are significantly lower than the national averages for communities of 10,000 to 25,000 people. Easthampton's population is estimated at 16,000. Its violent crime rate is nearly 30 percent below the national average, while the property crime rate is 66 percent below.

The violent crime rate is 199 offenses for every 100,000 people, while the property crime rate is 1,235 for every 100,000 people. The national average for communities of similar size is 269 violent crimes and 2,461 property crimes for every 100,000 people.

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At first glance, those numbers may seem odd because the rates are higher than the actual numbers of crimes reported. The rate is based on the projected numbers of incidents if Easthampton were to have a population of 100,000, or roughly 6.5 times more than its actual population.

The rate is derived by dividing the number of reported crimes by a community's population, and then multiplying that amount by 100,000. By basing a rate on a per capita figure of 100,000, it allows comparisons of cities of different sizes, like Springfield to Boston, or Easthampton to Springfield.

McMahon said he understands that. He said what he doesn't get is why a comparison of Easthampton to Springfield, a city nearly 10 times its size, would be of much use to anyone.

Asking and then answering his own question, McMahon said. "I look at the FBI numbers as all well and good, but do I sit and wait for the FBI's crime report to come out? Absolutely not."

Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen said he takes the allegations "very seriously." The incident, which sparked an internal investigation conducted by an outside agency, is now in the hands of District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

AGAWAM — Three police officers have been suspended for allegedly assaulting a person at the Agawam Police Department, but city officials have declined to name the officers or release details related to the June 19 incident.

"The matter has been referred to the Hampden County district attorney's office for review and investigation," Mayor Richard A. Cohen told The Republican on Thursday, adding that an internal affairs investigation was conducted.

"As the mayor, due process has been and will continue to be followed as required," Cohen said. "I take these allegations very seriously."

Sources have told The Republican that the incident involved a disorderly-conduct suspect who was assaulted in the booking area of police headquarters. City officials would not verify that information Thursday.

Agawam Police Chief Eric P. Gillis confirmed that the officers were involved in a "use of force incident" at police headquarters in June. The ensuing investigation, which included reviewing video footage from the department's in-house camera system, resulted in all three officers being placed on paid administrative leave, according to Gillis.

"I also notified Mayor Richard Cohen of what I had observed in the video footage, my concerns related thereto, and my placement of the officers on leave," Gillis said in a statement. "This action was undertaken pursuant to departmental policy and past practice."

After consulting with District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni's office, Gillis said, an outside investigation was conducted by APD Management, a Tewksbury firm specializing in confidential investigations for municipal governments, particularly police departments.

The private APD investigation concluded last week, at which time the company submitted its final report and formal findings to Gillis. The chief said he reviewed the report and forwarded all findings and his recommendations to the mayor. The materials have also been turned over to Gulluni's office, according to Gillis.

A spokesman for the district attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

One of the officers involved in the incident was a sergeant, a source told The Republican.

"This is an ongoing personnel matter, and as such I am not able to identify the officers involved or discuss the recommendations that I have made to Mayor Cohen," Gillis said, emphasizing his commitment to "equal protection under the law" — including for the officers under investigation.

"I stand committed to protecting the rights of all citizens, and have undertaken all actions to date in support of that commitment," Gillis said, vowing to investigate allegations against officers as "swiftly and expeditiously as possible."

More details will be released after the matter is "fully adjudicated," Gillis said.

A water main break has closed several streets in Chicopee.

CHICOPEE — A water main break in Chicopee has closed two streets and caused nearby residents to lose water pressure, according to Officer Mike Wilk of the Chicopee Police Department.

The break was reported at roughly 6:10 p.m., at the corner of West and School Street in Chicopee Center, Wilk said.

Wilk also said that a number of residents had called the police department and said that they have "no, or little water pressure."

Wilk said the area near the water break has been temporarily "shut down."

Channel 22 reports that the intersection of West and School would most likely be closed through midnight Friday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center called it the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic since Felix nine years ago.

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Hurricane Matthew grew into a powerful Category 5 storm late Friday as it crossed the Caribbean Sea on a course that could have it pounding Jamaica within days.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center called it the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic since Felix in 2007.

Its maximum sustained winds were measured at 160 mph with higher gusts as it moved through the southern Caribbean Sea, NOLA.com reported. It was expected to remain powerful through at least Sunday.

While the storm is an immediate threat to Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and the Bahamas, the storm could impact the U.S. East Coast by next week, USA Today reported. Even without a direct hit to the coast, Matthew could still cause dangerous seas and rough surf along the coast as far north as Canada, forecasters said.

#Matthew is now a category 5 #hurricane, the first in the Atlantic basin since Felix of 2007. More info: https://t.co/T8bABTTyjI pic.twitter.com/vAJCRIyLPn

-- NHC Atlantic Ops (@NHC_Atlantic) October 1, 2016

"We do consider it serious," Thompson said. "We are all on high alert."

Jamaica activated its National Emergency Operations Center and Prime Minister Andrew Holness called an urgent meeting of Parliament to discuss preparations for the storm. People cleared out store shelves as they stocked up emergency supplies.

Hurricane Matthew 2016: Projected path of Category 5 storm tracks near Jamaica, Cuba