He's said Donald Trump has a "screw loose," compared the businessman's immigration plan to Kristallnacht, and referred to the Republican Party under Trump as the "Know-Nothing" Party. And Bill Weld, the Libertarian VP nominee, is just getting started.

BOSTON - He's said Donald Trump has a "screw loose," compared the businessman's immigration plan to Kristallnacht, and referred to the Republican Party under Trump as the "Know-Nothing" Party.

Apparently Bill Weld was just getting started.

The vice presidential nominee on the Libertarian Party ticket, Weld plans to train his fire on Trump.

"I have had in mind all along trying to get the Donald into third place, and with some tugging and hauling, we might get there," Weld, who was the Republican governor of Massachusetts in the 1990s, told the Boston Globe.

"I think Mr. Trump's proposals in the foreign policy area, including nuclear proliferation, tariffs, and free trade, would be so hurtful, domestically and in the world, that he has my full attention," Weld added.

While insisting that he is still on board with the Libertarian Party and Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico who is at the top of their ticket, Weld did express interest in helping out in putting together a new Republican Party "playbook" if Trump loses.

"What ISN'T reported here is my assurance, to the reporter, that my 'L' hat remains firmly in place," Weld's Twitter account said in posting a link to the Globe story after it went online.

Weld says Johnson's Aleppo gaffe 'not so bad'

Neither Johnson nor Weld met the criteria to make it onto the debate stage for the face-offs between Trump and the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and their respective running mates, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine.

But Weld has also continued to praise Clinton, the former secretary of state, and dismissed the scandal over her State Department emails.

He's known her since they were both staffers in the U.S. House investigation into Watergate and President Richard Nixon. During President Bill Clinton's tenure he unsuccessfully sought to become an ambassador to Mexico.

"I'm not sure anyone's more qualified to be president of the United States than Hillary Clinton," Weld said during an appearance on MSNBC last week.

Even though he was blocked from the vice presidential debate stage, Weld's voice appeared on the social networking site Twitter during the Tuesday night face-off. Pence was "more polite, more likable," while Kaine was interrupting him "too much," Weld's account said.

Out of the 19 tweets his account sent out that night, seven of them took direct aim at Trump or his running mate, Pence.

.@realDonaldTrump policies re #immigration are historically misguided--we are a nation of immigrants, and we are a GREAT nation. #VPDebate

-- Gov. Bill Weld (@GovBillWeld) October 5, 2016

.@timkaine re @realDonaldTrump fantasies and insult-driven campaign: Hard to argue with! #VPDebate

-- Gov. Bill Weld (@GovBillWeld) October 5, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump re his personal #taxes: performed "brilliantly." Baloney! He lost a billion dollars in one year. #VPDebate

-- Gov. Bill Weld (@GovBillWeld) October 5, 2016

The #budget--both Presidential candidates are dead meat on this issue. More spending, not "touch" #entitlements, etc. #VPDebate

-- Gov. Bill Weld (@GovBillWeld) October 5, 2016

Conspiracy or sabotage? Bill Weld blames harassing messages on Clinton camp

Big Y found 'skimmers' in pizza-counter cash registers in five stores in two states.

SPRINGFIELD -- Big Y Foods Inc. said Wednesday that it is working with forensic experts and federal law-enforcement after discovering skimmers surreptitiously installed at the cash registers of pizza and food counters at five of its 75 locations in an attempt to capture customer's bank data.

Claire D'Amour Daley, Big Y's vice president of corporate communications, said the customers' security and privacy is of utmost importance at Big Y.

On Tuesday, the Springfield-based chain reported that skimmers had been found last week at the pizza counters at stores in Wilbraham, Northampton, Cooley Street in Springfield, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and Avon, Connecticut.

Big Y reminds customers to check their bank and credit card statements.

Pizza counters are not staffed all the time. Installing one of the skimmers is a quick process that could have happened when no one was looking, D'Amour Daley said.

"It's a sleeve that goes over," she said. "It takes seconds."

As of Wednesday, Big Y received about a dozen calls from customers. So far, there is no evidence that anyone's data was compromised.

Big Y cash registers do not yet accept the new chip-enabled cards that are more resistant to identity theft. D'Amour Daley said the hardware to accept the cards has been in place since February, but Big y is waiting for one of its software vendors to make the chip-enabled slots. D'Amour Daley expects the vendor to complete its work and get the chip card system up and running by the end of the year.

Consumers should also inspect card readers wherever they use them, including at ATMs and gas stations, police in New York City said in a recent public service bulletin (pdf).

New York police say:

• Inspect the ATM, gas pump or credit card reader before using it.
• Be suspicious if you see anything loose, crooked or damaged, or if you notice scratches or adhesive tape/residue on the reader.
• The original card reader is usually concave in shape (that is curving inward), while the skimmer is more convex ( or curving outward).
• When entering your PIN, block the keypad with your other hand to prevent possible hidden cameras from recording your number.
• Be careful of ATMs in tourist areas -- they are a popular target of skimmers.
• If your card isn't returned after the transaction or after hitting "cancel," immediately contact the financial institution that issued the card.
• Be aware of "money trapping," where the criminal attaches a device to the cash dispenser to "trap" the customer's money and retrieves it after the customer leaves the ATM area.
• Holidays are prime time for ATM skimming crimes.

The pay rates for substitute teachers and substitute paraprofessionals have not been adjusted at Ware public schools for 16 years. The school board is scheduled to discuss whether to increase the rates at Wednesday's meeting.

WARE -- The pay rates for substitute teachers and substitute paraprofessionals have not been adjusted at Ware public schools for 16 years.

The school board is scheduled to discuss whether to increase the rates at Wednesday's meeting. The meeting in the Ware High School library begins at 6:30 p.m.

At last month's meeting, school officials acknowledged that paraprofessional and teacher substitutes who do not possess state certification are paid less than the state minimum wage of $10 per hour, and that Ware may not be the only district that pays less.

Superintendent Marlene DiLeo said public employees in Massachusetts are not bound by the state minimum wage law. She said the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour governs municipal employees.

"We are having a hard time securing substitutes," DiLeo said. "We are paying less than other districts."

The school day in Ware is 6.75 hours.

Data provided by the district shows that paraprofessional earn $55 per day, or $8.15 per hour. Substitute teachers without a degree and certification earn $60 per day, or $8.89 per hour.

Panelists include Julia Ioffe of Politico Magazine, Abby Phillip of The Washington Post, Jessica Taylor of National Public Radio and Byron Tau of The Wall Street Journal with Tim Murphy of Mother Jones as moderator.

AMHERST -- Amherst College is providing a chance for area residents to get a different perspective on the 2016 presidential election at a forum of five journalists covering the campaign.

"Tales from the Trail: Journalists' Insights from the 2016 Campaign," begins at 8 p.m. Thursday in Johnson Chapel, two days after the vice presidential debate and three days before the next presidential debate.

Panelists include Julia Ioffe of Politico Magazine, Abby Phillip of The Washington Post, Jessica Taylor of National Public Radio and Byron Tau of The Wall Street Journal, with Tim Murphy of Mother Jones as moderator.   

"The goal of the panel is to bring together top journalists for a discussion with the Amherst community about their experiences on the campaign trail," said Amherst College President Carolyn "Biddy" Martin in a press release. "By sharing their observations and perspectives, these reporters will help shed light on the current election cycle."

Ioffe is a contributing writer for Politico, where she's covered the intersection of Russian interests and American democracy. She gained wide attention for her profile of Melania Trump in GQ, according to the press release.

Taylor is the lead digital political reporter for NPR. Based in Washington, she covers the 2016 elections and national politics for NPR digital. 

Tau is a national political reporter for Wall Street Journal and is covering the 2016 election.

Phillip is a national political reporter covering the 2016 election for The Washington Post.

Murphy has reported on the 2016 election from New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Arizona.  

Panelists will provide the community with the chance to learn more about this election season and the role of the media in the wider political process, according to the release.

Cara Rintala is accused of killing her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, on March 29, 2010, in their Granby home Watch video

NORTHAMPTON -- The jury in the Cara Rintala slaying trial went home without a verdict Wednesday, the second full day of deliberations.

Jurors had no questions for the judge and sent no notes to the court.

This is the third trial for the 49-year-old former Granby woman. Her first two, in 2013 and 2014, ended in mistrials due to deadlocked juries.

Twelve jurors began deliberations at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, and they started again at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Rintala is charged in the strangulation of her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, in the couple's Granby home on March 29, 2010. She has been free on $150,000 bail since March 2014.

The jury has over 200 exhibits in the room with them, which they can opt to review or not to review. Among those are 10 video and audio recordings they can choose to watch or listen to in the jury room.

Among those videos are interviews Massachusetts State Police Trooper Robin Whitney conducted with Rintala, one of which lasted 21/2 hours.

Jurors will decide whether to acquit Rintala or to convict her of first- or second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter. At previous trials, jurors were only instructed to consider the murder charge.

This time the prosecution wanted the manslaughter charge as well. Over the objections of the defense, Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup decided to give the manslaughter option.

Including jury instructions, the jury deliberated four days in the first trial and five days in the second trial before Rup declared mistrials. In both cases, the juries reported they were deadlocked and did not believe they could reach a unanimous verdict.

Members of Cochrane Rintala's family have been here throughout the trial with victim witness advocate Jackie Gaw. A number of Rintala's family members have attended various parts of the trial, and her stepfather has been with her throughout.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in May 2015 denied an appeal by Rintala to dismiss the murder charge against her following the two hung juries.

In a ruling released in May 2015, Justice Margot Botsford said that a jury could have found evidence presented at the second trial sufficient to find Rintala guilty. Defense attorney David Hoose had argued to the SJC there is insufficient evidence for a jury to convict Rintala. The prosecution argued there is sufficient evidence.

In this trial, the defense contends Rintala was not at home at the time of Cochrane Rintala's death. The prosecution says Rintala killed her wife, then took the couple's 2-year-old daughter out on errands where she would be seen on video surveillance to create an alibi. After she got home, according to the prosecution, Rintala poured paint over the crime scene to contaminate it.

The prosecution is asking for a first-degree murder conviction under two of the three theories that can sustain that conviction. One is premeditation and the other is extreme atrocity and cruelty.

The jury, if it decides to convict on first-degree murder, must indicate on the verdict slip if it found one or both theories applicable. Jurors only need to find one theory applicable in order to convict.

The manslaughter instruction from the judge discussed killing in the "heat of passion."

"We had an opportunity to present evidence, and that evidence is very clear that they acted properly," said John Connor, the attorney representing the Agawam police officers.

AGAWAM — The attorney representing three Agawam police officers who were suspended for allegedly assaulting a person at the Agawam Police Department on June 19 said the officers acted appropriately.

The officers, whose names have not been publicly released, were suspended last week following internal and external investigations, including by a private firm hired to conduct interviews and review video footage of the incident.

On Wednesday, the officers gave their side of the story to Agawam Mayor Richard A. Cohen during a closed-door civil service hearing.

"We had an opportunity to present the evidence, and that evidence is very clear that they acted properly," John Connor, the officers' lawyer, told Western Mass News, the TV partner of MassLive and The Republican. The evidence is "decisive" and clearly shows the officers acted appropriately, Connor said.

Cohen told The Republican last week that the case has been referred to the office of Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni for further review. "As the mayor, due process has been and will continue to be followed as required. I take these allegations very seriously," Cohen said.

Sources have told The Republican that the incident involved a disorderly-conduct suspect who was allegedly assaulted in the booking area of the police station. City officials have declined to verify that information.

Agawam Police Chief Eric P. Gillis confirmed that three officers were involved in a "use of force incident" that was recorded by the department's in-house camera system. All of the officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, Gillis said.

An outside investigation was conducted by APD Management, a Tewksbury firm specializing in confidential investigations for municipal governments, particularly police departments. APD recently submitted its formal report to Gillis, who forwarded the findings and his recommendations to the mayor.

"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.

Fields burned will be in the area of Westover Airpark North, the Hampden Corredtional Center, Westover Metropolitan Airport and Westover Golf Course.

CHICOPEE - Westover Air Reserve Base will burn up to 300 acres of open field to maintain healthy grasslands, remove broadleaf weeds and other invasive vegetation and reduce grassy fuels to prevent wildfires.

Officials conduct controlled burns on the base from time-to-time. Officials burned some acres during the week of September 20 and have a second area to burn.

The second grassland burn will happen on Thursday unless wind, rain, temperatures and other weather conditions make it too dangerous. The fields will only be set on fire if wind gusts are 20 miles per hour or less, Lt. Col. James Bishop, chief of public affairs for the 439th Airlift Wing, said.

Fields to be burned include those in the general vicinity of Westover Airpark North, Westover Golf Course, the Hampden County Correctional Center, Westover Metropolitan Airport and the interior of the base, he said.

The burning will be carried out and managed by Westover Air Reserve Base firefighters and the U.S. Forest Service wild land firefighters. Local fire departments have also been notified of the plan.

The fire plan is designed to limit smoke to the surrounding homes and businesses and prevent the blaze from spreading beyond designated areas. Firefighters will wet bordering vegetation or use other firebreaks to manage fires, Bishop said.

As he entered the Jay's Wine and Spirits store on 340 Rhode Island, David Cushman had only intended to collect a $10 prize from a lottery ticket. Instead he walked away with a million dollar winner.

What would you do if you won a million dollars? For one Taunton resident, Red Sox tickets topped his list.

As he entered the Jay's Wine and Spirits store on 340 Rhode Island Ave. in Fall River, David Cushman had only intended to collect a $10 prize from another lottery ticket. Instead he walked away with a million-dollar winner. Cushman won the Massachusetts State Lottery "$1,000,000 Jackpot" instant game after using his $10 dollar prize money to buy two more instant tickets that he let the store clerk pick for him.

Opting to take the cash prize, Cushman received a one-time payment of $650,000, less taxes, a portion of which he would like to use to purchase tickets to a Red Sox postseason game for himself and his brothers.

Cushman is the third person to win $1 million in the Massachusetts State Lottery's "$1,000,000 Jackpot" instant game.

State Senator Jim Welch and State Representative Michael Finn will be hosting a Mass Turnpike E-Z pass registration session in West Springfield on Thursday.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Residents of West Springfield will have an opportunity to register for a Mass Turnpike E-Z pass transponder on Thursday.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is holding the registration at the West Springfield Library on Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where State Senator Jim Welch and State Representative Michael Finn will be present and will be hosting the event.

To qualify for a transponder, residents should bring a copy of their vehicle registration as well as a photo identification.

E-Z pass transponders allow drivers to charge tolls directly to their credit card or bank account, as opposed to paying cash at individual booths. If residents do not wish to link a transponder to a card or bank, a separate E-Z pass account can be set up for a minimum of $20.

Nearly 39 percent of respondents reported adding staff during the past six months while 19 cut staff. Expectations for the next six months were stable — 38 percent hiring and only 10 percent downsizing.

SPRINGFIELD -- Massachusetts employers gained confidence in the economy in September after three straight months of decline, according to survey results released this week by Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

The group's Business Confidence Index rose 1.8 points to 55.9 last month, the same level recorded 12 months earlier. Associated Industries, a statewide business lobby group, plots business confidence on a 100-point scale where 50 is neutral, zero is bad and 100 is good. It's based on a survey of AIM members from across the state.

The index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997 and 1998, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. The index has been in positive territory, above 50 points, since October 2013. 

Michael A. Tyler, chief investment officer at Eastern Bank Wealth Management and a member of AIM's Board of Economic Advisers, said in a statement:

"Employers remain ambivalent about both the U.S. and national economies ahead of the presidential election, but companies clearly have regained a sense of buoyancy about their own futures. Large increases in the sales and employment indexes bode well for a Massachusetts economy that already enjoys a 3.9 percent unemployment rate."

Data from the survey:

• Hiring: Nearly 39 percent of respondents reported adding staff during the past six months while 19 cut staff. Expectations for the next six months were stable, with 38 percent hiring and only 10 percent downsizing.
• The Massachusetts Index, which assesses business conditions within the commonwealth, shed 0.3 points during the month, but gained 2.3 points over the year to reach 57.0. 
• U.S. Index, which measures national business conditions, remained slightly pessimistic, dropping 0.4 points to 49.2, 1.4 points lower than its level of a year ago.
• The Current Index, which measures overall business conditions, increased 2.3 points to 55.7.
• Future Index, which measures expectations for six months out, rose 1.1 points to 56.0. The future view is a point higher than it was in September 2015.
• Sales Index, which measures a company's sales, rose 3.8 points  to 58.1.
• Manufacturing: Nonmanufacturing companies had a brighter outlook than manufacturers. The overall Business Confidence Index among nonmanufacturers was 61.1 compared with 50.9 for manufacturing companies.

Representatives from Vest-a-dog, including Byrnes, visited the Chicopee Police Department Wednesday to present a K9 Storm™ Patrol SWAT vest to Chicopee Police Department's K-9 Kane, partner of Officer Ryan Romano.

Shannon Byrnes has seen and treated too many injured police dogs and she wants it to stop.

Working as a Vet Tech at the VCA Boston Road Animal Hospital in Springfield, Byrnes also works with Massachusetts Vest-a-dog, an organization that provides tactical vests for working police dogs.

Representatives from Vest-a-dog, including Byrnes, visited the Chicopee Police Department Wednesday to present a K9 Storm Patrol SWAT vest to Chicopee Police Department's K-9 Kane, partner of Officer Ryan Romano.

Kane's new vest isn't your normal patrol vest. It's a SWAT vest, made for dogs that work with special tactical units. Specially fitted to Kane, the vest allows extra room for movement and carries added protection.

These vests don't come cheap. The cost of Kane's new vest was $2,400 and was made possible with $825 raised through area residents and businesses by Chicopee resident Norman Morin, and $1,575 from an anonymous donor who gave $30,000 to MA Vest-a-Dog's Vest Fund.

"We're pleased to provide this essential safety equipment for K-9 Kane, made possible with generous donations and tireless volunteer efforts. We extend best wishes for a long and successful career for K-9 Kane and Officer Romano," said Kathy Hinds, president of Massachusetts Vest-a-Dog.

Donations may be sent directly to Massachusetts Vest-a-Dog, Inc., PO BOX 48 Walpole, MA 02081. For more information, call 508-668-7149 or visit their website at www.mavestadog.org.

The poll found that 52 percent of likely voters said they support legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults, while 42 percent were opposed

A majority of Massachusetts voters support legalizing recreational marijuana, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Western New England University Polling Institute.

The poll found that 52 percent of likely voters said they support legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults, while 42 percent were opposed. Among all registered voters, 55 percent support legalization and 39 percent were opposed.

The level of support, while high, is down six points from the last poll WNEU did, in April.

Tim Vercellotti, director of the Polling Institute and a professor of political science at Western New England University, said voters have strong opinions on marijuana, which appear less likely to change than opinions on some of the other statewide ballot questions, such as charter schools. "The marijuana numbers are not that far off from what we've seen in the past," Vercellotti said. "That's an issue that's been around for a long time, and it may take more to move those numbers."

Vercellotti said the demographic trends he is seeing on marijuana legalization are similar to the trends he saw when Massachusetts voted to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and allow medical marijuana. Younger voters, Democrats and men are all more likely to vote for loosening marijuana restrictions. Among voters ages 18 to 39, the poll found that 81 percent support legalization.

The poll also looked at the other ballot questions.

It found the strongest support for a question that would ban farms in Massachusetts from confining hens, calves and pigs that are used for eggs and meat. It would also ban the sale of products from confined animals. Only one Massachusetts farm today sells eggs from caged hens, so the biggest impact would be on banning the sale of products from other states, which could result in higher food prices.

The poll found that 61 percent of likely voters support the proposed ban, which is being pushed by animal rights activists, and only 26 percent oppose it.

On a question about whether to allow a second slots parlor in Massachusetts, 48 percent of likely voters oppose the question, while 30 percent support it. Vercellotti said anecdotally, a lot of respondents had questions for pollsters about the second slots parlor, so there appears to be a lack of clarity about that ballot question.

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

Her her sixth-grade son Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover hanged himself in their Springfield home after repeated school bullying in April 2009.

SPRINGFIELD - When a child dies first, a parent's life is forever changed.

Life would come to change on a national scale for Sirdeaner L. Walker  after her sixth-grade son Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover hanged himself in their Springfield home after repeated school bullying in April 2009.

A fighter who led with her heart, the 51-year-old Walker, who lost her own battle to breast cancer this week, took her message that bullying is a "learned behavior" that can be prevented to the state legislature, the U.S. Congress and to the White House.

She also spoke before countless school groups, as well as on national media, appearing with such television hosts as Ellen Degeneres. She did so in Carl's name, for his surviving brother and two sisters, and to prevent other children from being bullies and being bullied.

Sirdeaner Walker, mother of bullied Carl Walker-Hoover, dead at 51

"You're not born a bully, it's a learned behavior. Something else is going on in that young person's life to make them feel empowered by making someone else feel less than," she said in The Republican's 2012 International Women's Day section in which she was one of the women featured.

Carl Joseph Walker-HooverRepublican file 

Three months after her son's death - just 11 days before his 12th birthday - Walker was in Washington, D.C. to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittees on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and Healthy Families and Communities in support of the proposed Safe Schools Improvement Act. The latest version of the act, which is currently in the U.S. Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, would amend Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require schools that receive federal funds to address issues of bullying and harassment in schools and establish grievance procedures for parents and students.

In December 2010, she was instrumental in the passage of anti-bully legislation in Massachusetts. She regarded her involvement as not only a voice for her son, but also for Phoebe Prince, an Irish born and new student at South Hadley High School who hanged herself in January 2010, also after repeated school bullying that resulted in initial charges against six students.

In March 2011, she had a brief private meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during the president's all-day conference on bullying prevention.

A month later, she was in attendance when the Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover Foundation, established with Walker's blessing by then Springfield resident Gwynnetta J. (Sneed) Tanksley, awarded its first scholarships.

The foundation has awarded more than $64,000 in scholarships to some six dozen graduating high school seniors across the country. The money was raised originally through an annual gala and run, and is now awarded from an endowed fund.

In 2013, the foundation awarded a $1,500 scholarship, in memory of both Carl and Phoebe, that was funded by The Republican's Newspaper in Education program.

"There was a special bond that existed between Sirdeaner and myself," Tanksley said.

"She loved the work that the foundation did to keep Carl's memory alive while she worked tirelessly to end school bullying. I spoke with Sirdeaner in August as the foundation was preparing for our annual Six Flags fund-raiser. She was to attend if she felt well enough, but she couldn't make it. She always wanted to be there to represent Carl at our foundation events."

Tanksley added that she told Walker that the "foundation had raised $25,000 to have our scholarship fund administered through the Community Foundation of Western Mass."

"She thanked me for my vision to create the foundation and I assured her that Carl will never be forgotten. Sirdeaner and Carl will forever be a part of my being," Tanksley said.

In September 2011, the now canceled ABC television show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," built the family a new home in September and further helped promote Walker's anti-bully efforts.

Walker, who said her son had been called gay, served on the national board of directors of GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, and collaborated with the Safe Schools Coalition, an international public-private partnership in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth.

A Springfield native and graduate of the former Classical High School, Walker was a firm believer in the importance of education. She earned a full scholarship to study accounting at Boston College and later a degree in law from Suffolk University.

Walker worked for the government's Homeowners' Assistance program (HAP) until she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 while pregnant with her youngest daughter, Gloria. She later ran a transitional housing program for families and worked as director of homeless programs for the Massachusetts Career Development Institute.

She had told this reporter at the time she received a second diagnosis for breast cancer about a year ago, a disease that has higher mortality rates among African American women and has been on the increase among that population, that she would undergo whatever treatment needed to extend her life. She was proud of the fact her oldest daughter attended Bennet College for Women in Greensboro, N.C., and that her two youngest had received scholarships in Carl's memory to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Her words in the International Women's Day article ring prophetic today.

"Having access to an education uplifts everyone and it gets you out of poverty. It doesn't mean you're not going to have a struggle or that you'll have money overflowing but what it will do is it will set your children up so that future generations that you may not see will be on that right path," she said.

A crime that police say does not involve the schools -- but resulted in a lockdown at the educational facilities, as a precaution, has been lifted

ORANGE -- A crime that police say does not involve the schools resulted in a lockdown Thursday at schools in town as a precaution.

"Due to a crime that was discovered this morning, Chief (Craig) Lundgren suggested the schools have students remain inside as a precautionary measure. Neither the students nor the schools were in danger. The 'shelter in place' has now been lifted. The schools and the PD would like to thank everyone for their cooperation," Orange Police wrote on their Facebook page.

The message was posted at 12:36 p.m. Thursday.

A call was placed to the police station, but the person who answered declined to comment and referred any questions to the Massachusetts State Police.

A state police spokesman referred inquiries to the Northwestern District Attorney.

A spokesman for the DA said the office is not yet able to release information.

Part of the Ralph Mahar Regional School District, the town of Orange has two elementary schools, Dexter Park School and Fisher Hill School.

Corporate attorney James Channing said the company doesn't have a contractor ready to do the work.

HADLEY -- While the Hadley Planning Board filed its site plan approval for a Pride gas station on Route 9 on Tuesday, groundbreaking is unlikely before the spring.

Pride corporate attorney James Channing said the company is happy the project has been approved, but it is unlikely it will find a contractor who can take on the project this fall. He had said the company didn't want to hire a contractor until the project received its approvals.

The goal would be to break ground as early as possible in 2017, Channing said, and hope to open by next fall.

Channing said Wednesday the company has some issues to work out with the Conservation Commission and will get the site ready for groundbreaking.

The company had been hoping to begin work on the gas station and 7,477-square-foot convenience store, which will sell beer and wine, this summer.

Robert Bolduc, president of the Springfield-based company, purchased the former Aqua Vitae restaurant property in 2008.

The 20-day appeal period for the filing began Tuesday. 

Pride planning board by ledermand on Scribd

The ACLU and others are urging support for marijuana legalization as a way to reduce the long-term impacts these disproportionate arrest rates have on African-American youth.

BOSTON -- Since the decriminalization of marijuana possession in Massachusetts, racial disparities in marijuana arrests have persisted, disproportionately hurting African-Americans and Latinos.

Supporters of the legalization of recreational marijuana are pointing to the racial disparities as evidence of problems with the so-called War on Drugs. They are urging support for marijuana legalization as a way to reduce the long-term impacts that disproportionate arrest rates have on African-American youth.

But at the same time, there is evidence that in places with legal marijuana, racial disparities in marijuana arrests have continued. Legalization supporters acknowledge that marijuana legalization is not a cure for racial bias.

"This is not going to solve racial disparity in policing. This is the first step," said Whitney Taylor, political director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts ACLU, which supports a ballot question that would legalize recreational marijuana, released a report Thursday that uses data from the FBI's crime reporting program to track arrests for marijuana-related offenses, including possession.

In 2008, Massachusetts voters decriminalized possession of one ounce or less of marijuana, enough for around 50 joints. Since then, arrests for possession have dropped from around 8,700 in 2008 to just 616 in 2014. (These arrests likely reflect possession of more than one ounce.)

The new report found that even while overall arrest rates plummeted, there are still racial disparities. In 2014, the marijuana possession arrest rate for black people was 3.3 times higher than for white people. The arrest rate for marijuana sales was 7.1 times higher for black people than white people, according to the ACLU, a larger disparity than existed in 2008. National surveys have shown that blacks and whites use marijuana at similar rates.

Compared to population, blacks account for 8 percent of the Massachusetts population, and 24 percent of marijuana possession arrests, according to the ACLU.

Shanel Lindsay, a Newton attorney involved in the marijuana legalization effort, who is black, says she was a victim of that disparity. Lindsay said she was driving to the commuter rail in 2010 when the police stopped her for a traffic violation and saw a small amount of marijuana in her purse. They searched her car, handcuffed her, impounded her car and drove her to the police station for booking.

"I'm pleading with him asking him why he is arresting me, why he is not just giving me a ticket," Lindsay said.

She finally convinced the police to weigh the marijuana. They found it was only half an ounce - less than the criminal limit - and released her.

"You will never be able to tell me that people are not being arrested and prosecuted for cannabis possession. If this happened to me in Sharon over 14 grams, you can only imagine what is happening to our young people of color around the state," Lindsay said.

Taylor, who is white, said she uses marijuana regularly but has never been arrested, which she attributed to "white privilege." "People are arrested for marijuana possession every day in Massachusetts, but they don't look like me and they don't look like the people who are leading the opposition - people with power, people with influence, people with the ability to use their whiteness in their favor," Taylor said.

Opponents of marijuana legalization cite different statistics. The Massachusetts district attorneys, in a search of their case resolutions, found that no one went to jail for marijuana possession alone in 2014 or 2015. In fiscal 2013, the district attorneys found that only 20 people were charged with marijuana possession and four were incarcerated, potentially because they had other charges as well.

These statistics reflect charging and incarcerations, not arrests.

One question unsolved by the data is what impact, if any, marijuana legalization would have on racial disparities.

In Colorado, where adults are allowed to use marijuana but juveniles are not, arrests of white juveniles for marijuana offenses dropped by 8 percent in the two years after legalization, while arrests of black juveniles rose by 58 percent and arrests of Latino juveniles rose by 29 percent. (Massachusetts would not have the identical issue because marijuana use by juveniles would be punishable by a fine not by arrest.) In 2014, the marijuana arrest rate for African-American adults in Colorado was almost triple that of whites, according to the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

News reports have found that Colorado marijuana shops are concentrated in low-income, minority neighborhoods.

Advocates from the Massachusetts ACLU and the pro-marijuana Yes on 4 campaign argue that by lowering marijuana arrest rates overall, which will disproportionately lower arrest rates for minorities, legalization will help black and Latino individuals get jobs and education without the burden of an arrest record.

"Communities of color can no longer afford to bear the brunt of policing practices that disproportionately target them," said Rahsaan Hall, ACLU's racial justice director and a former assistant district attorney.

Taylor said legalization will reduce the number of judgment calls that the police make on the street, limiting instances of bias. It will also limit the use of marijuana as the most common entry point into the criminal justice system.

Retired Roxbury District Court Judge Leslie Harris, who supports legalization, said even if drug charges do not stick, an arraignment will appear on someone's criminal record for the rest of their life.

But Harris acknowledged that legalization is "not a cure-all" for racial disparities in arrests. He said he anticipates that racial disparities in arrests would continue under marijuana legalization, just as they persist in arrests for public use of alcohol.

The Massachusetts Public Health Association came out Thursday in opposition to legalization. The association noted the discussion of racial disparities, but said there was no evidence legalization would make a difference.

"After careful study, MPHA has concluded that the ballot initiative does not contain sufficient public health protections and that the potential dangers far outweigh any potential benefits," the association said in a statement. "Further, we have found little evidence that this ballot question would have a substantive impact on the racial discrimination that has been a stain on our country's criminal justice system for far too long."

The public health association said disparities in the enforcement and impact of marijuana laws are well-documented and contribute to racial health disparities. But it noted that decriminalization has already reduced arrest numbers. It argued that the ballot question "has the potential to further exacerbate inequities by creating a large commercial industry with financial incentive to target low income communities and communities of color, a common strategy of the tobacco and alcohol industries."

The association suggested other criminal justice reforms that could be more effective in reducing racial disparities such as repealing mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes and creating alternatives to incarceration for non-violent crimes.

Corey Welford, a spokesman for the Safe and Healthy Massachusetts campaign, which opposes legalization, said, "The marijuana industry has a history of targeting poorer and minority neighborhoods. Question 4 is not a solution for any of the racial disparities in our justice system and the only evidence from Colorado is that legalization will make racial disparities worse, not better."

The American Red Cross has been called in to assist the family with temporary shelter.

Conor Berry | cberry@repub.com 

WESTFIELD - A fire in a mobile home on Southampton Road displaced five residents Thursday morning, according to a Westfield fire official.

Deputy Chief Patrick Egloff said the fire at Henry's Trailer Park, 868 Southampton Road, resulted in no injuries, although one resident was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

Firefighters rescued one dog and four cats from the burning trailer. The dog received medical attention at the scene, he said.

The Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist the five residents in finding temporary shelter.

The trailer sustained an estimated $20,000 in damage and it will not be habitable until repairs are made, Egloff said.

Firefighters were called to the scene shortly after 9 a.m. Egloff said it took around 10 minutes to extinguish the fire.

An investigator with the state Fire Marshal assisted Westfield with the investigation

Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, said investigators determined the fire was the result of an electrial problem with an outlet in a bedroom.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, slammed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump Thursday for failing to offer what he called a "comprehensive plan" to address the nation's opioid epidemic while campaigning in areas hard hit by drug abuse.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, slammed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump Thursday for failing to offer what he called a "comprehensive plan" to address the nation's opioid epidemic while campaigning in areas hard hit by drug abuse.

Arguing that the businessman's campaign pledge to "build a wall" along the United States' southern border with Mexico will not address the opioid crisis, Markey called on Trump to present a detailed plan on how he and Republicans in Congress will help stop heroin and prescription drug abuse.

"Building a wall is not a comprehensive plan to address our nation's opioid crisis," he said in a statement. "Instead of building a wall, we need to tear down the wall of stigma and partisanship that has blocked real funding for responding to this opioid crisis."

Markey, whose remarks came shortly before Trump was scheduled to campaign in Sandown, New Hampshire, argued that Granite State voters need real solutions to address opioid abuse.

"Patients and their families in New Hampshire and throughout New England don't need Donald Trump's empty fantasy; they need concrete support and resources in the form of treatment beds and recovery services," he said. "New England has been hard hit by a crisis of prescription drug, heroin and fentanyl overdoses that is taking dozens of lives by the day."

The Massachusetts Democrat further took aim at recent reports that Trump may have gone nearly two decades without paying federal income taxes, saying his tax dollars could've gone toward detox, treatment beds, prevention programs and law enforcement.

Instead of returning to New Hampshire -- a place the businessman has visited multiple times since becoming the GOP nominee -- with "more empty rhetoric, Donald Trump should present a detailed plan that outlines how he and the Republican Party will fight this scourge," Markey said.

Trump, in a February campaign video, pledged to address New Hampshire's drug epidemic by securing the border to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the country.

"I'm going to create borders; no drugs are coming in," he said. "We're going to build a wall. You know what I'm talking about, you have confidence in me. Believe me, I will solve the problem: They will stop coming to New Hampshire, they'll stop coming to our country."

The GOP nominee added that for "the people that are in trouble, the people that are addicted," his administration would work with them and try to make them better.

"And we will make them better," he concluded.

Baystate Health still has 12,000 employees and is the largest employer in the region.

SPRINGFIELD -- Baystate Health eliminated 323 jobs at the end of September to help close a persistent budget gap caused by inadequate Medicaid funding.

It was the largest reduction in workforce at Baystate in at least its recent history.

Now, with the cuts done and the people involved notified, Baystate management was able this week to outline where the cuts were made and their impact, as well as pending changes to Baystate's housekeeping, patient transport and food service departments, the possible outsourcing of some rarely performed laboratory tests, and the end of a van service at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield.

Nancy Shendell-Falik, president of Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and Baystate Health's senior vice president for hospital operations, also spoke of the hard choices hospital managers face next week when they sit down to prioritize upcoming capital building projects including a hoped-for new pharmacy at Noble and a new emergency room at Baysate Mary Lane in Ware.

"It is really a case of priorities," Shendell-Falik said. "There are 'needs-to' and 'wants-to'. We won't be able to do everything. What we will really be looking at is how we are doing in our first quarter -- October, November, December -- as we make those decisions."

In August, Baystate Health President and CEO Dr. Mark Kerouac announced plans to eliminate what was then estimated to be 300 jobs in order to close a $75 million budget gap.

Baystate entered its new fiscal year Oct. 1 with a budget gap of $13 million, which Baystate hopes to close through operating efficiencies  and standardized ordering, Shendell-Falik said.

The gap must be filled if Baystate is to meet its goal of a 2 percent operating margin on its $2.3 billion annual budget. That operating budget helps pay for the physicians practice and capital expenses like the pharmacy in Westfeild and the emergency room in Ware, Shendell-Falik said.

On Thursday, Shendell-Falik broke down the 323 job losses across the Baystate system:

• Open positions: 95 unfilled jobs were eliminated.
• Voluntary: 123 Baystate employees took a voluntary buyout.
• Involuntary: 105 Baystate employees were laid off.
• Managers: Of the 323-job total, 22 percent of the jobs eliminated were in management. That works out to 27 managers. Overall, about 7 percent of Baystate's 12,000-person total workforce is management. 
• Physicians: Four physician jobs were eliminated. Shendell-Falik didn't go into detail, citing employee confidentiality.
• Nurses: No front-line bedside nurse jobs were eliminated. Some nurses who were working in management positions did lose their jobs. 

Other changes:

Baystate Noble van: Baystate will eliminate a senior van service at Baystate Noble by the end of this month, relying on community services like the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority to fill the gaps.

Lab tests: Baystate is considering sending certain specialized and infrequently performed lab tests, including prenatal genetic work, out to Mayo Medical Laboratories, part of the famous Mayo Clinic. Baystate already works with Mayo. Shendell-Falik said it makes sense to farm out some of this specialized work to a larger reference lab.

Food service, housekeeping and environmental and patient transport: Sometime in November, Baystate will start outsourcing its food service, housekeeping and in-hospital patient transport functions to contractor CompassOne Healthcare of Wayne, Pennsylvania.

CompassOne does food service at Noble, a carryover from Noble's days as an independent hospital. Rank-and-file employees in those departments will continue to be Baystate employees, as will any new hires after the switch, Baystate said. But supervisors in those departments will now work for CompassOne.

What's next: Shendell-Falik said Baystate remains hopeful that changes in the state and federal budgets will help Baystate close its budget gaps. But any help is at least a year off due to the time it would take for any changes to show up on a balance sheet.

Massachusetts Medicaid officials are devising a new plan that would look at population health, which emphasizes prevention and rewards doctors and nurses for avoiding procedures and being efficient.

The attack occurred sometime Wednesday night according to DA David Sullivan's office.

ORANGE -- An elderly man from Orange was killed and his wife seriously injured Wednesday as a result of what officials are describing as an apparent home invasion.

A statement issued Thursday afternoon by the office of Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan said the attack apparently occurred sometime Wednesday night.

The incident occurred at a house at 581 East River St., Orange. Photos from the scene show the house surrounded with police tape.

As a precaution, the Orange police on Thursday morning asked the nearby Fisher Hill, Dexter Park and Ralph C. Mahar Regional schools to enact a shelter-in-place order and keep students inside.

The order was lifted at about 1:30 p.m.Thursday, according to Western Mass News.

The names of the man and woman were not disclosed. She was taken by ambulance to the UMass Medical Center in Worcester for treatment. The nature of the injuries were not disclosed but Sullivan spokeswoman Mary Carey described them as serious.

The cause of death was not disclosed. Carey said police are waiting to hear from the Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office about how he died.

According to the Orange Assessors Office, the property is owned by Joanna L. Fisher and Thomas A. Harty.

The incident is under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office; Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services and Orange Police Department.