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

NORTHAMPTON -- A prosecutor on Monday described Cara Rintala as a devious woman who made a mess of her efforts to hide her murder of wife Annamarie Cochrane Rintala.

Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne told jurors in his closing argument that Rintala was "going off the rails" after she strangled her wife. Rintala staged a break-in and sent a flurry of text messages and phone calls to her wife, even though she knew her wife was dead, Gagne said.

Defense lawyer David Hoose said the prosecution is trying to say Rintala killed her wife, then coldly took her daughter out to do errands to try to create an alibi. He said the prosecution contends Rintala poured paint on Cochrane Rintala to try to cover up the crime.

Summarizing the things the prosecution said Rintala did, Hoose said, "The worst psychopaths in the history of criminal justice couldn't do that."

Rintala, 49, is accused of killing Cochrane Rintala, 37, in the couple's Granby home on March 29, 2010. This is Rintala's third murder trial in the case, following mistrials in 2013 and 2014 resulting from deadlocked juries. She has been free on $150,000 bail since March 2014.

Gagne said video surveillance from various locations on the afternoon of the killing showed objects in the back of Rintala's truck -- objects he said were evidence that Rintala got rid of.

The prosecutor reminded jurors that, when they were selected, they promised they would follow the judge's instructions to decide on proof beyond a reasonable doubt, not proof beyond all doubt. He said there is no reasonable doubt Rintala killed her wife.

Hoose said there were definite signs of a struggle in the basement where Cochrane Rintala was found. He said Rintala, who had no injuries, could not have engaged in a struggle with the much larger Cochrane Rintala without injuries.

Gagne said Cochrane Rintala went down the basement stairs, sustaining head injuries. What little fight she had left in her, Gagne said, she used to try to pry Rintala's fingers off her throat.

Hoose said blood spatter on the basement floor contained Cochrane Rintala's DNA and DNA from another person who was not Rintala.

Gagne said no blood-covered intruder fled from the house. Rintala stayed there and cleaned up before she went out, he contended.

The prosecution's two experts said Cochrane Rintala was dead four to six hours before first responders arrived. That means Rintala was home at the time of the death, Gagne said.

Hoose said the defense's two experts testified no one can say whether the death was before or after 2:30 or 3 p.m., when Rintala went out.

Gagne said he did not dispute that Rintala and Cochrane Rintala loved each other, but said theirs was a volatile and unhealthy relationship.

Hoose said the prosecution introduced only texts and testimony about the problems between the two spouses. He said other texts and testimony would have showed a loving relationship. He said the two women separated for six to eight weeks but got back together in November 2009. They went to counseling and to church and were working on their relationship.

The women did have issues and they would say mean things to each other, Hoose said, but 10 minutes later "they're out on the beach having a good time."

The names of Mark Oleksak and Carla Daniele were brought up in Hoose's closing argument. They are two people the defense has contended should have been investigated as possible killers.

"I am not trying to convince you that Mark Oleksak or Carla Daniele committed this murder. I have no idea. But neither do they," Hoose said, indicating the prosecution.

Oleksak, a close friend and colleague of Cochrane Rintala, had $7,000 of her debt on his credit card, Hoose said. Daniele was a former girlfriend of Cochrane Rintala, according to testimony.

After closing arguments, the jury heard instructions from Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup. They were slated to begin deliberations Monday.

Before the jury was brought into the courtroom Monday morning, Rup said she would instruct them on the law around voluntary manslaughter, as well as first- and second-degree murder.

Gagne asked for the voluntary manslaughter instruction, and the defense objected to it.

The juries in Rintala's last two trials did not have the option of considering voluntary manslaughter as a verdict. In this case, they can decide on conviction for first- or second-degree murder or manslaughter, or acquittal.

PCAs help people of all ages with disabilities to live independently by helping them with everyday tasks such as dressing, grooming, housekeeping, shopping, and cooking. At this information session, students will learn more about the field and the free training at GCC in November, and will have the opportunity to apply for the training.

GREENFIELD -- Greenfield Community College has received funding from UMass Medical School to offer a free 25-hour training to help interested students enter this rewarding and well-paying field in order to address the urgent need for Personal Care Attendants (PCAs)

PCAs help people of all ages with disabilities to live independently by helping them with everyday tasks such as dressing, grooming, housekeeping, shopping, and cooking. At this information session, students will learn more about the field and the free training at GCC in November, and will have the opportunity to apply for the training. (The training will be held on Nov. 1, 2, 3, 8 & 10, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

The current pay in Massachusetts for PCAs is $14.12/hour, and because of the flexibility of working full- or part-time, it's a great career opportunity for many, including DTA recipients, SSI or SSDI recipients, DMH clients, veterans and many others. To join this free 25-hour training you must be able to work in the U.S. and attend all training days. Students completing this training will learn the basics of being a PCA, have career readiness coaching and be certified in CPR with AED and First Aid, according to a news report.

This information session will be offered at GCC's convenient Downtown Center location, 270 Main Street, on Tuesday, October 11 from 6-7 p.m. Individuals are asked to reserve a seat for the information session by calling (413) 775-1672.

The warrant was issued out of Eastern Hampshire District Court for 18-year-old Samuel Texidor, of Holyoke, who was charged with indecent assault and battery last month after he allegedly approached a female University of Massachusetts student, identifying himself as an Uber driver.

BELCHERTOWN -- A arrest warrant has been issued for an alleged Uber driver impersonator who failed to comply with conditions after being released on house arrest.

The warrant was issued out of Eastern Hampshire District Court for 18-year-old Samuel Texidor, of Holyoke, who was charged with indecent assault and battery last month after he allegedly approached a female University of Massachusetts student, identifying himself as an Uber driver.

He was released under house arrest Sept. 27 with conditions including wearing a GPS monitoring device. According to court records, he failed to comply with that monitoring. 

Texidor on Sept. 3 identified himself to the woman as an Uber driver and offered the victim a free ride from Townhouse Apartments to North Apartments, located on campus, according to UMass police. 

It was during the drive, police said, that the UMass student was indecently assaulted outside North Apartments.

"The victim demanded that Texidor stop the vehicle, which he did, and she was able to exit at that time," police said in a statement. 

Texidor was scheduled to return to court Nov. 4.

Samuel Texidor, 18, of Holyoke, was arrested Monday night in Holyoke, hours after the court issued a warrant for his arrest after he violated the conditions of his release from jail last week by cutting off his GPS monitor.

BELCHERTOWN -- The Uber driver charged with indecent assault and battery on a female University of Massachusetts student last month will spend at least the next two nights in jail after appearing in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Tuesday morning.  

Samuel Texidor, 18, of Holyoke, was arrested Monday night on St. Kolbe Drive in Holyoke, hours after the court issued a warrant for his arrest after he violated the conditions of his release from jail last week by cutting off his GPS monitor.

Police picked up Texidor on the warrant after 6 p.m., said Holyoke Police Lt. Michael McCoy.

"The Commonwealth filed a motion to revoke the defendant's bail for failure to comply with conditions of release. Specifically, the allegation is that the defendant failed to comply with GPS monitoring," Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the Northwestern District Attorney's Office, wrote in an email.

"The defendant will be held without the right to bail until Thursday, when a full hearing will be conducted to determine whether or not the defendant will be held without the right to bail going forward," Carey wrote.

Texidor was released Sept. 27 following a dangerousness hearing in district court. Conditions of release included wearing the device, staying away from Amherst and the alleged victim and that he cease his Uber employment.

Texidor used a fake identification to become a driver for Uber, which requires drivers to be at least 21, Carey said. 

Uber officials could not be reached for comment.

Despite being largely tied with Republican rival Donald Trump heading into the first presidential debate, polls released this week gave Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton a small lead over the businessman.

Despite being largely tied with Republican rival Donald Trump heading into the first presidential debate, polls released this week gave Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton a small lead over the businessman.

The former first lady, whose campaign claimed victory following the first presidential forum, held a five-point advantage over Trump in a new CNN/ORC national poll.

A CBS/NYT national poll released late-Monday similarly gave Clinton a six-point lead over her GOP rival in wake of the first presidential debate.

A Rasmussen Reports survey, however, offered a much tighter view of the 2016 presidential race.

According to the CNN/ORC poll, which surveyed more than 1,500 adults via telephone from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, Clinton held a 51 to 45 percent advantage over Trump among likely voters, and 50 to 44 percent among registered voters.

Trump previously led Clinton 49 to 48 percent among likely voters, but trailed 46 to 48 percent among registered voters in a CNN/ORC poll conducted early last month.

When expanded to include third party candidates Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee, and Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party nominee, meanwhile, Clinton continued to hold her lead over Trump.

Clinton led the businessman 47 to 42 percent among likely voters and 45 to 41 percent among registered voters, according to the survey which has respective margins of error of plus or minus 3 and 2.5 percentage points.

The CBS/NYT poll, which also surveyed more than 1,500 Americans from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, offered similar results, with respondents saying that they would back the Democratic nominee over Trump by a 49 to 43 percent margin.

The former first lady's advantage shrank slightly in a four-way matchup, receiving 45 percent of the vote to Trump's 41 percent, according to the survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus four points.

Although the CNN/ORC and CBS/NYT polls gave Clinton small post-debate bumps over her GOP rival, Rasmussen Reports found the two rivals to be in a "virtual tie" one week after the first presidential debate.

The national telephone and online survey of likely U.S. voters gave the Democrat 42 percent of support to Trump's 41 percent, Rasmussen announced Tuesday.

The poll surveyed 1,500 Americans from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, with a 95 percent level of confidence.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal announced Tuesday that the federal Office on Violence Against Women at the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $300,370.

SPRINGFIELD -- A year ago, Christine Jacobs was homeless, and her abuser was out of jail and on the streets searching for her.

Today, she lives in transitional housing provided by the YWCA of Western Massachusetts on its Clough Street campus, where she and her 5-year-old daughter are safe, and Jacobs is getting the counseling she needs to get permanent housing and back in school for vocational training.

"I've learned that everyone deserves to be treated with respect," she told reporters Tuesday morning. "Not everyone treats people right. But that's not my fault. I'm not responsible for how others treat me."

She spoke Tuesday as U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and others toured the YWCA campus and the 20-unit transitional housing building where Jacobs lives. Neal was there to announce that the YWCA programs that help Jacobs and others have received a $300,370 grant from the office of Violence Against Women in the U.S. Department of Justice.

The grant, and the office, were established by federal anti-domestic-violence legislation passed in 1994 and reauthorized in 2013.

Neal said the legislation has helped drag domestic violence out of "the shadows of American life."

"Now it's out in the open," he said. "People are discussing the problem and steps are being taken."

He thanked the YWCA for preparing a solid grant application, enabling him to help secure the money.

"The YWCA is a brand," he said. "When you say that name, people recognize it and they want to help."

The money will help the YWCA serve 110 women and children for 36 months, said YWCA of Western Massachusetts Executive Director Elizabeth G. Dineen. 

Women and their children come to the supportive housing building from the YWCA's emergency shelter in an adjacent building. There, they pay 30 percent of their income in rent and get not only a secure place to stay but counseling and training to get their lives back on track. Women and their families can stay in transitional housing for 18 to 24 months.

"Every Monday night, we have house meetings where I go over how to get subsidized housing, how to get training and look for a job," said Doris Gonzalez, a support specialist at the housing unit.

Dineen said the women have their children with them. Most children go to Square One for preschool or to the Springfield public schools in the neighborhood.

Jacobs said a major benefit of YWCA transitional housing is that the building is secure, with multiple locking doors between the residents and the outside world.

The YWCA is the largest provider of services to battered women in the state. The YWCA of Western Massachusetts provides emergency shelter to more than 300 women and children each year, provides nonresidential counseling and treatment to 2,000 women and children a year and receives 10,000 calls to its crisis hotline each year. 

The domestic violence/sexual assault hotline is 413-733-7100 or 800-796-8711. The Spanish-language number is 800-223-5001.

Owner Ken Williamson said he is ready to retire after 60 years in the business.

CHICOPEE - The owner of Williamson's Clothier, an iconic store for men's clothing in downtown Chicopee, has announced he will close this fall.

No date has been set for the closing. The store on 223 Exchange St. will begin a closeout sale starting on Thursday, selling suits at as low as $200 and sport coats for $150 to $600.

Ken Williamson, who has owned the retail mainstay for 20 years, said in a written statement he is ready to retire and will sell his entire inventory.

"When I started this store 20 years ago in October, I had my eyes set on what I wanted the store to look like, what I wanted it to be, who we wanted to serve," he said. "I knew I couldn't be everything to everybody. I knew I wasn't going to compete on price and that I wanted to put an emphasis on quality, service and real value. Fortunately, it worked out pretty well."

The store has served as an anchor to the downtown area, drawing bank presidents, lawyers and business leaders from across Western Massachusetts, Connecticut, northern Rhode Island and southern Vermont.

Williamson and his employees have always provided personal service to their customers, setting them aside from retail chains.

Williamson has worked in the clothing industry for 60 years, landing his first job as a stock boy in 1956 at the same Exchange Street store he owns now. He left for 16 months to serve with the National Guard in Berlin, and then returned to learn the business.

He eventually purchased the store, renamed it, rebranded it and said business started booming.

"I just assumed business was supposed to do that. Like everything else, it's had its peaks and valleys but I couldn't be happier. We have customers who really care about how they look. As corny as it may sound, when you walk out of the store you're representing yourself and us. If it's not good, both of us are going to suffer," he said.

The store will be open will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday this week during the sale.

Reflecting on his time at Glenmeadow, Cotz said much has changed in the industry since he began, including that residents are coming to the life plan community later in life, they expect more in terms of quality, and they are healthier and more active.

LONGMEADOW-- The Glenmeadow community will bid farewell to Timothy V. Cotz, who has served as president and chief executive officer for the past 23 years and is now retiring.

This week, in advance of the celebration, Cotz learned that $16,000 has been raised in his honor by staff, residents and community members for the Glenmeadow Staff Education Fund, which makes scholarship funds available for employees returning to school. In addition, the largest gathering room, formerly known as Great Hall, has been renamed Timothy V. Cotz Hall, according to an news release.

Reflecting on his time at Glenmeadow, Cotz said much has changed in the industry since he began, including that residents are coming to the life plan community later in life, they expect more in terms of quality, and they are healthier and more active.

Cotz said the nonprofit itself, known for its holistic mission and innovative programs and outreach to the wider community, has greatly expanded. Once offering services only to residents, the organization now provides services to people living across the greater Springfield area. Through such innovations as Glenmeadow at Home, the Lifestyle Pass and Glenmeadow Learning--all programs Cotz helped found--area residents have access to services from transportation and care management to education.

He said in a prepared statement:

"We serve more people who don't live on site than we do who live on site. By expanding the number of people we're serving, we're better able to fulfill our mission of meeting the needs of elders.That's been a real positive."

These guiding principles, coupled with the longevity that's evident in the staff team, and a committed Board of Directors, will provide consistency and stability as Glenmeadow transitions to a new president and CEO, Cotz said.

"The 200 employees of Glenmeadow are diverse in so many ways, but they all share one commonality--genuine compassion and kindness," he said, adding, "Our board members are so willing to share their talent and expertise. They bring such a depth of knowledge and talent in areas that are not my areas of expertise."

Glenmeadow has always operated from a strategic plan, and lending further stability is the fact that the board recently approved a new, two-year strategic plan that offers a guideline for the organization through October 2018.

"The plan is focused on further expansion of community services, staffing levels--because we know that if you look at projected numbers of elders compared to projected numbers of available workers, there's an ever-growing gap between the two," Cotz said, noting, "We are also going to be looking more closely at how we provide services to people with cognitive loss. As people live longer and longer, the older people live, the odds of developing cognitive loss increase."

Cotz said his work over the past 23 years has been both a passion and a joy. "The absolutely enriching part of this job is getting to know both the people we serve and the people we employ. It's been a real gift to me to share the life's wisdom of the people we serve--they're role models for me on how they deal with loss, how they age with dignity."

Cotz, of Longmeadow, plans to spend the next three months traveling with his husband, Ken Moffett. He continues to sit on the board for Girls Inc. of Holyoke, and he is a lay reader and member of the altar guild at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Holyoke, where is also serves as a trustee of the church's investment portfolio.

Bernie Sanders pushed back against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's efforts to woo supporters of his Democratic primary bid this week, penning an Op-Ed piece outlining reasons voters should say "No" to the businessman.

Bernie Sanders pushed back this week against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's efforts to woo supporters of his Democratic primary bid, penning an Op-Ed piece that outlines reasons voters should say "No" to the businessman.

The Vermont senator, who waged a tough primary fight against Hillary Clinton, highlighted four reasons why he's backing his former opponent over Trump in a post published on Medium.com Monday.

The post came just days after the release of reportedly hacked audio of Clinton questioning Sanders' so-called "political revolution" during a February fundraiser -- comments which Trump's campaign seized on in its continued efforts to court backers of the senator.

Contending that Clinton is "far and away, the superior candidate in this election," Sanders blasted Trump's economic and tax plans, saying they would benefit only the wealthiest Americans.

"At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, we must not elect a president who wants to resurrect the failed trickle-down economics of the past. When the very rich are becoming much richer and there has been a 10-fold increase in the number of billionaires since the year 2000, it is economic insanity to propose, as Trump has, hundreds of billions in tax breaks to the top 1 percent," he wrote.

Sanders also criticized the GOP nominee's stance on climate change and accused him of making "bigotry the cornerstone of his campaign."

Further, the Vermont senator argued that the businessman "has taken lies and distortions to a whole new level," adding that former GOP nominee Mitt Romney was right in calling Trump a "fraud" and a "phony."

Clinton, by contrast, supports raising the minimum wage, pay equity and making public colleges tuition free for all families earning less than $125,000 annually, as well as backs efforts to combat climate change, he said.

"For those reasons and many more, Donald Trump must not become the next president of the United States," he wrote. "On November 8, the choice is clear. Hillary Clinton for president."

Earlier this week, Trump made his own case to Sanders' supporters following the release of audio in which Clinton took slight jabs at her primary opponent.

"Crooked H is nasty to Sanders supporters behind closed doors. Owned by Wall St and Politicians, HRC is not with you," he tweeted on Saturday.

Crooked H is nasty to Sanders supporters behind closed doors. Owned by Wall St and Politicians, HRC is not with you. https://t.co/WN1lyCDXla

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2016

Sanders, who campaigned alongside Clinton in New Hampshire last week, will join the former secretary of state for a joint rally in Maine on Friday.

More than 70 students attended a party to watch the first presidential debate Sept. 26.

WESTFIELD - The communication and political science departments at Westfield State Universidy will host a vice presidential debate watch party tonight at 8 p.m. in the Savignano Auditorium in Wilson Hall.

Communication professor Thomas Gardner and Political Science associate professor David Smailes will host the party featuring Tim Kaine and Mike Pence.

A watch party is also scheduled for Oct.9 at 8 p.m. in the Loughman Living Room at Scanlon Hall for those who want to watch the second presidential debate featuring Hilliary Clinton and Donald Trump

More than 70 students attended a watch party during the first presidential debate held Sept. 26.

The ruling came in response to three complaints filed with the state by a resident in March after the resident's complaints to the town went unanswered.

EAST LONGMEADOW -- For the second time in the month of September, the state Attorney General's office last week found a town board in violation of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law -- this time ordering town officials to release minutes for executive sessions the Board of Selectmen held between 2014 and 2016.

The ruling came in response to three complaints filed with the state by a resident in March after the resident's complaints to the town went unanswered.

In the Sept. 29 decision, Assistant Attorney General Hanne Rush described the board's violations of the law as failing to respond within 10 days to a request for minutes from a meeting held in open session; failing to respond to a request for executive session minutes; and by failing to respond to Open Meeting Law complaints.  

The state did not assess any penalties, though, beyond warning that future violations "may be considered evidence of intent to violate the Law."

According to Rush's decision, the violations began when the board ignored a public records request filed by East Longmeadow resident Ralph Page. 

Page filed requests on Jan. 12 seeking minutes from a Sept. 30, 2014, as well as minutes from meetings held between Oct. 27, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2015.

In a second letter that day, Page also requested minutes for executive sessions held between April 1, 2014 and Jan. 11, 2016. 

Both letters were stamped "received" by the office of the Board of Selectmen, Rush found, but Page was not provided with a response within 10 days -- a requirement under the law.

On Feb. 8 filed complaints with the town over the board's failure to respond to his requests. 

On Aug. 25, 2016 Town Attorney James Donahue sent Page a letter explaining that Interim Town Manager Denise Menard conducted a review of the withheld executive session minutes to determine which documents could be released. The documents were available for pick-up in Mendard's office, the letter stated. 

"We find that the Board not only missed the requisite 10-day deadline to respond to the complainant's requests, it failed to respond altogether until Attorney Donahue responded on its behalf six months later," the decision reads.

Donahue only responded "after prompting by our office," Rush wrote.

The decision also lays out the timeline for a public body to respond to such complaints: "The public body must meet to review the complaint and formulate a response, or meet to delegate that authority, and respond to the complaint within 14 business days."

The letter from the Attorney General's office cautioned the town against future violations of the law.

The decision comes after the state Attorney General's office ruled on Sept. 8 that members of a search committee to select a new police chief violated the Open Meeting Law earlier this year through a procedural "misstep."

According to that decision, the violation involved a vote taken via secret ballot in February and a motion at a March 9 meeting to enter executive session. The motion should have listed specific meeting dates for which minutes would be approved.

When the group returned to open session, members explained to the audience that during a Feb. 26 executive session, the committee took a vote to recommend three candidates to the Board of Selectmen.

The Sept. 8 decision, also written by Rush, ordered East Longmeadow officials to release the votes taken during the secret ballot, and to release minutes from the Feb. 26 executive session.

Massachusetts Attorney General: East Longmeadow Board of Selectmen ruling by Greg Saulmon on Scribd

The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren session is scheduled for Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m..

WESTFIELD - Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Exchange Tour will be held Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Senior Center located at 45 Noble St.

Attendance is free but grandparents planning to attend are asked to register in advance by calling the Senior Center at 413-562-6435.

The tour is being hosted by the state Attorney General's Office and the state Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

The goal of the tour is to provide grandparents with informational tools and resources available. Representatives from a variety of local organizations will be on hand to meet with grandparents and pass along brochures, flyers and other helpfull information to grandparents.

Zachary Camhi, 25, was confirmed missing in New York City by the university and police on Sept. 26.

A Boston University music student who went missing in New York City on Sept. 18 has been found safe, WCVB reports.

Zachary Camhi, 25, was confirmed missing by the university and police on Sept. 26. WCVB reports that Boston University has confirmed he is safe, but provided no information about his whereabouts over the past two weeks.

A missing persons flier posted on the New York City Reddit page said that Camhi was last spotted in Bryant Park -- a detail also publicized by Camhi's sister Tiffany on Facebook, the New York Post reported.

Both Camhi's sister and Travis Rapoza, a fellow BU music student, wrote on Facebook that Camhi has bipolar disorder and is without his medication.

According to Rapoza's post, Camhi is a talented double bassist who has struggled with his mental health since 2013. Camhi identified himself as a student of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal double bassist Edwin Barker on his Youtube account.

"There are currently scores of his friends and family members doing anything they can to locate him, and we just want him found safe and sound, so he can get the help he needs," Rapoza wrote. "Zac deserves to live a life full of happiness and joy, and the only way that can happen is if we can get him home."

Agawam police told Western Mass News the home was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene.

AGAWAM - Firefighters were summoned to a house fire on Nicole Terrace Tuesday afternoon.

Agawam police told Western Mass News the home was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene.

Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and MassLive.com. Additional information was not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available.

The long-missing 'A' on the marquee of Northampton's Calvin Theatre has finally made its return.

The long-missing 'A' on the marquee of Northampton's Calvin Theatre has finally made its return.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports -- with photographic proof -- that the sign was repaired on Tuesday.

The letter's absence since July 2015 had frustrated some residents and city officials.

Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz had repeatedly asked Iron Horse Entertainment Group owner Eric Suher to repair the sign, and sparked rumors of its return when he tweeted a photo of work being done at the site earlier this month.

sign company removing damaged trim and taking measurements for repair of Calvin Theatre marquee - thank you @IHEG pic.twitter.com/lXA5TNVAYc

-- David Narkewicz (@MayorNarkewicz) September 13, 2016

The missing letter has been a flash point between public officials and Suher, whose company is the biggest player in Northampton's music venue scene and who owns a number of vacant storefronts downtown.

In April, Suher told Narkewicz at during a city meeting that he would fix the marquee "very soon." Narkewicz had criticized Suher for the vacancy rates on his properties, which include the former site of the Spoleto restaurant on Main Street, and the men proceeded to trade barbs during the meeting.

"You have to start thinking about the business community," Suher said to Narkewicz.

"I am thinking about the business community," Narkewicz replied.

The back-and-forth later continued on social media:

eagerly awaiting triumphant return of the missing "A" two days later - @IHEG define "very soon"? pic.twitter.com/e9xuNJKcVc

-- David Narkewicz (@MayorNarkewicz) April 15, 2016

@MayorNarkewicz how soon is now? pic.twitter.com/uqgbq94kwI

-- Iron Horse Music (@IHEG) April 15, 2016

The missing "A" even inspired Northampton-based Brewmaster Jack and Easthampton's Abandoned Building breweries to collaborate on a limited-edition "C_LVIN" pale ale.

In which the storied missing A is no longer missing at Calvin Theatre. pic.twitter.com/4sd0rdZYW7

— Michael Majchrowicz (@mjmajchrowicz) October 4, 2016

Springfield Public Schools have partnered with the state Department of Higher Education to offer affordable options for college. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Brandon Mendez is thinking about becoming an engineer after he graduates from college, while his friend and classmate Trust Okorie is planning on studying computer science.

Mendez and Okorie were among the hundreds of Springfield high school students at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tuesday to meet with college recruiters and even snap a photo with Gov. Charlie Baker.

The governor visited the city as part of the "Go Higher!" series, a state-sponsored program bringing college students and admissions officers to school districts across the state.

"These are big decisions and between the state's Commonwealth Commitment and a lot of the scholarships and grants out there, if kids work with people on this they can make decisions that work for them academically and financially," Baker said.

The Commonwealth Commitment program offers a 10 percent tuition discount and a guaranteed transfer of credit to students who maintain a 3.00 GPA at a Massachusetts community college and then transfer to and graduate from a state university. 

Baker spoke with an auditorium full of students about the importance of education, no matter what career they plan to pursue.

"The goal here is having options and choices. ... People who have options get to make choices and it's always better to be in a position where you are making choices about your future as opposed to someone else making them for you," he said.

Baker was joined by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Superintendent of Schools Daniel J. Warwick, Massachusetts Secretary of Education Jim Peyser and Carlos E. Santiago, the state's commissioner of higher education.

Warwick said he wants to see every student succeed.

"The goal is to have a 100 percent graduation rate. We not only want them to graduate high school and to go on to college, but to graduate from college as well," he said.

For Mendez and Okorie and their classmates Jose Jay Quinones and Phillip Rankin, who are all seniors at Putnam Technical Vocational Academy, having an affordable option within the state is enticing.

Quinones will attend Springfield Technical Community College and, with the help of the incentive program, plans to transfer to the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

"It's definitely something to consider now," he said.

The college fair will continue Wednesday and is open to all Springfield high school seniors.

Regina Shea-Sullivan claims she was harassed by former highway chief Edward J. Cauley.

SOUTHAMPTON -- Former interim town administrator Regina Shea-Sullivan has sued the town of Southampton and former highway superintendent Edward J. Cauley, alleging sexual harassment and workplace discrimination, reports the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Shea-Sullivan, of Chicopee, is seeking around $800,000 in damages in a complaint filed in Hampshire Superior Court.

Shea-Sullivan alleges she was harassed dating back to 2008. She resigned as assistant town administrator in April 2014, citing hostile work conditions. She had filed a complaint in September 2013, which the Select Board was set to discuss in executive session when she resigned.

Among various allegations are that Cauley grabbed and tried to kiss Shea-Sullivan after asking for help with his computer, and rubbed her upper thigh while driving her to the Tighe-Carmody Reservoir. Cauley was highway superintendent for more than three decades and retired in December 2013. He also served as water commissioner and became a member of the Select Board in 2012.

The complaint further alleges gender and pay discrimination. Shea-Sullivan claims she was "treated differently from other employees who are similarly situated but not women," the Gazette reports.

Shea-Sullivan was hired as an administrative assistant in 2006. She worked once a week for the highway and water departments. In August 2011, she became interim town administrator, earning $45,000. She asked for a raise in July 2012, but was turned down. A week prior, the complaint states, the interim fire chief received a substantial raise.

In 2013, the permanent town administrator job was offered to another candidate. The hiring screening committee included Cauley, the complaint states.

Top candidate Michael A. Szlosek, of Ludlow, subsequently declined the town administrator position. In a re-opened search, Lyn N. Simmons, an aide to Northampton Mayor David J. Narkewicz, also turned it down. The Select Board appointed Heather Budrewicz to the position in March 2014. Budrewicz resigned in August for a job with the town of Ashburnham.

Cauley denied all sexual harassment allegations in an interview with the Gazette last week, and also said Shea-Sullivan's claims around gender discrimination have no merit.

The letter requests records of internal investigations, the detective's disciplinary history, his statement about the February incident, audio recordings and more.

SPRINGFIELD -- Ten of 13 city councilors have signed on to a letter to Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, requesting a mountain of information related to the controversy over videos showing suspended police Det. Gregg Bigda terrorizing two teens during an interrogation in February.

The letter, sent to the mayor Tuesday, requests records of internal investigations, Bigda's disciplinary history, his statement about the February incident, audio recordings and more.

It was signed by councilors Justin Hurst; Bud L. Williams; Marcus Williams; E. Henry Twiggs, Adam Gomez; Melvin Edwards; Kenneth Shea; Timothy Allen; Orlando Ramos; and Council President Michael Fenton.

Three councilors refused to sign the letter: Tom Ashe, Kateri Walsh and Timothy Rooke.

The videos show two interviews Bigda conducted with young suspects accused of stealing an undercover police car left idling outside a pizza shop, after the youths were chased through two suburbs in the vehicle. The interviews were captured on video cameras installed in cell blocks at the Palmer Police Department.

Bigda is shown screaming at the boys, 16 and younger, saying he would kill them and threatening to "plant a kilo of coke" in one's pocket and "put him away for 15 years." He mocks the cameras throughout the footage and bellows at the suspects that he can put whatever he pleases in a police report "and make it stick."

The Hampden District Attorney's office began distributing to the footage to defense attorneys in all drug cases in which Bigda is a witness, prompting the collapse of many prosecutions.

Prosecutors are required by law to turn over potentially exculpatory information to defense attorneys, even if the information has no direct correlation to their clients' cases. Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni has said his office began alerting defense lawyers immediately when the Bigda footage surfaced.

However, a Hampden Superior Court judge placed a protective order on the footage to shield the juveniles' identities, citing state law.

Police and city officials have so far resisted releasing much information related to the incident, which also prompted the resignation of a second detective over allegations of excessive force during the boys' arrests.

A Wilbraham police officer also involved in the pursuit and arrests reported that a Springfield detective kicked one boy in the face while the boy was handcuffed and on the ground.

Det. Stephen Vigneault resigned from the department in the wake of the incident.

Police Commissioner John Barbieri has said he was advised by the city's Law and Human Resources departments that firing Bigda could trigger a costly civil service appeal, so he opted to suspend him instead. Sarno pointed the finger at Barbieri, and his legal and personnel team, echoing the same argument.

A group of five councilors first publicly protested the suspension and what they called a lack of transparency by city officials on the steps of City Hall on Sept. 29.

This is a developing story with more information to come.

Whitney Battle-Baptiste was giving away 500 copies.

AMHERST -- Whitney Battle-Baptiste stood behind a table Wednesday morning calling "free book" to people passing by. "You need it in your life," she said.

The director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Center at the University of Massachusetts libraries was giving away copies of "The Souls of Black Folk" published in 1903.

When a student asked her what the book is about, she said, "It's about a lot of things. I'm not going to give it away." But she pointed out the library bears the name of the man who wrote the book.

Copies of "The Souls of Black Folk" were given away Wednesday at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dave Roback/The Republican 

The giveaway of 500 books, the second such offering funded by Friends of the Library Trustee Jonathan Fitzgerald, coincided with the UMass board of trustees' vote Oct. 5, 1994, to name the library in honor of Du Bois, an African-American historian and activist.

Battle-Baptiste said she wanted students to know the history of Du Bois as well as the naming, which was controversial, she said.

"The main focus is on why the library is named Du Bois," she said.

A card explaining the name was included with the book, considered "a seminal work in African-American literature and an American classic," according to the website Documenting the American South.

Some administrators wanted to reserve the right to name the library for a future donor and some objected "on the basis that Du Bois was both a communist and anti-American," according to the literature. The argument "centered on Du Bois renouncing his U.S. citizenship." He did not, but was a dual citizen of Ghana and the United States.

Many civil rights leaders were inspired by Du Bois, she said. And with Black Lives Matter, the recent protests calling attention to police shootings of black men, to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stirring discussion and controversy for kneeling during the national anthem, Battle-Baptiste said Du Bois is "very relevant" today.

Over the last six months, public opinion has shifted on charter schools, and more voters now oppose increasing the number of charter schools in Massachusetts.

Over the last six months, public opinion has shifted on charter schools, and more voters now oppose increasing the number of charter schools in Massachusetts, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Western New England University Polling Institute.

The poll of 403 likely voters found that 47 percent oppose charter school expansion and 34 percent support it, with 18 percent undecided. Among all registered voters, 45 percent oppose expansion and 36 percent favor it. That is a shift from a poll conducted in April, which found a majority of voters -- 51 percent -- favored lifting the cap while only 26 percent opposed it.

"Part of the swing may have been due to the advertising campaigns," said Tim Vercellotti, director of the Polling Institute and a professor of political science at Western New England University.

But Vercellotti cautioned that there is still a lot of uncertainty among voters on the question. "There's a lot of possibility of additional movement," he said.

The ballot question that voters will decide in November would allow the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to approve up to 12 new charter schools a year outside of an existing cap. The question is opposed by teachers unions and supported by a coalition of education reform groups, backed largely by individuals in the financial industry.

The ballot committee Great Schools Massachusetts, which supports charter school expansion, and their allies have already spent more than $9 million campaigning for the initiative. That dwarfs the approximately $4 million spent by the opponents of expansion, according to the latest campaign finance filings. Both sides have been buying television advertising.

Steve Crawford, a spokesman for the anti-charter school expansion ballot campaign, said, "As voters learn more about the negative impact Question 2 will have on their local schools, they are deciding to vote no on Question 2."

Eileen O'Connor, a spokeswoman for the pro-charter school expansion group responded, "We remain confident that as voters continue to learn about the benefits of public charter schools, they will support making more of them available to families who are desperate for an alternative to failing schools."

The poll found that voters are following the charter school issue, with 63 percent of likely voters following it either somewhat or very closely.

Support for lifting the cap is high among African-American and Latino voters. In those categories, 47 percent support lifting the cap, while 36 percent oppose it. Some of the communities that will be most affected by lifting the cap - such as Boston and Springfield - have large numbers of minority students. However, in a state where voters are overwhelmingly white - around 80 percent of Massachusetts presidential election year voters are white, according to exit polls - it is unclear whether support among African-American and Latino voters will be enough to sway the outcome in November.

The poll found strong opposition to charter school expansion among Democrats, with 57 percent of Democrats opposing the question and only 27 percent supporting it. The Democratic State Committee in August passed a resolution opposing the charter school expansion ballot question.

There have been other polls released recently on the charter school question with different numbers. A poll of 700 likely voters released last week by WBZ-UMass Amherst found that 49 percent supported lifting the charter school cap and 39 percent opposed it.

A poll released Sept. 13 by WBUR and the MassINC Polling Group found 48 percent opposition to lifting the cap and 41 percent support.

The Western New England University poll of 467 registered voters and 403 likely voters was conducted Sept. 24 - Oct. 3 and has a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points.