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Smoking caused fatal Greenfield fire

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The fire originated in the first-floor bedroom of the single-family home and trapped residents in the second-floor bedroom.

GREENFIELD -- Improper disposal of smoking materials caused the fire Sept. 25 at 140 Meridian St. that took the lives of four Greenfield residents, including that of a 5-year-old boy.

Killed were of Brian Tower, 48, Florenda Tower, 49, her son, Raymond Wood, 28, and his son, William Paul Clark, 5.

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan, Greenfield Fire Chief Robert Strahan and Greenfield Police Chief Robert H. Haigh Jr. all announced Thursday afternoon results of the investigation.

According to their news release, the fire originated in the first-floor bedroom of the single-family home, trapping residents in the second-floor bedroom. Investigators have determined the cause of the fire was the improper disposal of smoking materials and have ruled out other possible causes.

The investigation also revealed that there were no working smoke alarms in the home.

"This fire that took four lives was a terrible tragedy," Ostroskey said. "Last winter we lost 31 people to fire and over half of them also had no working smoke alarms. I urge everyone as you get your home ready for winter, protect your family and make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level.

"This is fire prevention week and I ask everyone to check the date on their smoke alarms. Most only last 10 years before they need to be replaced. Consider purchasing alarms with 10-year, non-replaceable, non-rechargeable batteries that have a hush button feature to silence nuisance alarms. They'll be easier to maintain in good working order."

Sullivan said, "My deepest sympathy is with the family and loved ones. Our thoughts are with them."

"This fire has been very difficult for the community of Greenfield as well as the emergency services," Strahan said. "I offer my condolences to the Tower, Wood and Clark families."

Haigh said, "The Greenfield Police Department and their officers send their condolences to all those who were affected by this tragic event, and thank the community as a whole for their continued support for our local families and agencies."

Smoking was also blamed for a fatal fire in Chicopee last year. In October 2015, a fire started due to improper disposal of smoking materials at 82 Montcalm St., Chicopee.

Killed in the Chicopee fire were 87-year-old Bridgitte Nierbergall and 60-year-old Mark Boucher, Nierbergall's son. Three other adults were alerted by working smoke alarms and escaped unharmed, officials said.

Nationally, smoking is to blame in nearly 13 percent of all residential fires.

The National Fire Protection Association said upholstered furniture is most commonly the first material ignited by careless smoking. Mattresses and bedding and trash or other waste are also blamed in fatal smoking-related fires.

The National Fire Protection Association offers the following advice:

  • If you smoke, smoke outside.
  • Whenever you smoke, use deep, wide, sturdy ashtrays. Ashtrays should be set on something sturdy and hard to ignite, like an end table.
  • Before you throw out butts and ashes, make sure they are out. Dowsing in water or sand is the best way to do that.
  • Check under furniture cushions and in other places people smoke for cigarette butts that may have fallen out of sight.
  • Smoking should not be allowed in a home where medical oxygen is used.
  • To prevent a deadly cigarette fire, you have to be alert. You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine or other drugs.

No injuries in UMass office fire; significant damage means cleanup costs, equipment replacement

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The fire at Arnold Hall started early Thursday morning.

AMHERST -- Fire officials are looking into the cause of a fire in an office-classroom at Arnold Hall at the University of Massachusetts that was discovered before 6 a.m. Thursday.

Eight on-duty firefighters as well as all off-duty personnel responded to the alarm and found moderate smoke and a small fire on the third floor, according to a press release from Assistant Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren.

The fire was quickly extinguished, but due to significant smoke crews were on scene approximately 90 minutes to ventilate the building and ensure the fire was out.

The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire except for custodial staff. There were no injuries. The investigation is ongoing but the cause of the fire is not believed to be suspicious.

There was no structural damage to the building, but the majority of the contents of the office were ruined by heat and smoke. Some contents of the room were destroyed and the third-floor hallway also sustained some smoke damage.

In an email, Stromgren said he didn't have a damage estimate, but expects it to be significant because of cleanup costs, repainting and replacement of fixtures and smoke detectors, "not to mention the belongings of the occupant of that office, including computer equipment."

Springfield man denies cocaine trafficking, assaulting FBI agent

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Robert Ecchevarria denied five charges from a July 26 incident in Holyoke involving the FBI

SPRINGFIELD -- Roberto Echevarria Jr. on Thursday in Hampden Superior Court denied five charges, including one alleging assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on FBI Special Agent Mark Karengekis in Holyoke.

The dangerous weapon cited in that charge is a motor vehicle.

Judge Edward J. McDonough ordered Ecchevaria held on $25,000 bail, which was already posted by Ecchevaria after his Holyoke District Court arraignment in the case.

Ecchevaria, 45, is also charged with malicious damage of a motor vehicle listed as "property of the FBI."

All indictments say the crimes happened in Holyoke on July 26.

He is also charged with trafficking cocaine in the amount of over 200 grams, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.

Ecchevaria's address is now listed in Springfield although he previously had a Holyoke address. He is represented by Dale E. Bass.

Cops: Man who shot 2 Boston officers, Richard Cintolo and Matt Morris, didn't have gun license

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The injured officers were identified as Richard Cintolo, a 27-year veteran, and Matt Morris, a 12-year veteran.

BOSTON (AP) -- A man who shot two police officers responding to a report of a domestic disturbance was armed with a tactical shotgun and wearing body armor but didn't have a gun license, authorities said Thursday.

The officers were responding to a 911 call from a home in the East Boston neighborhood at about 11 p.m. Wednesday from a man who said his roommate, later identified as Kirk Figueroa, was threatening him with a knife, Commissioner William Evans said.

Two officers entered the home and were shot by Figueroa, who was then shot and killed by other officersEvans said. Figueroa was not licensed to have a gun in Massachusetts, police said.

The injured officers were identified as Richard Cintolo, a 27-year veteran, and Matt Morris, a 12-year veteran. Both underwent surgery and were in critical condition, but they are recovering, Evans said.

Mayor Marty Walsh said, "Thank God they will be going home sometime soon."

Police originally said Figueroa was armed with an assault rifle, but Evans later described the weapon as a tactical shotgun.

"Domestic calls, as you know, are probably the most volatile. You never really know what you're walking into," Evans said. "And I think we see right now the dangers of our job."

Two police officers in Palm Springs, California, were killed last weekend when they responded to a domestic violence call. Police there said the officers had just asked a man to come out of his family's home Saturday when he opened fire through a closed front door.

Police towed Figueroa's car from outside his home Thursday morning. The vehicle was decorated with the name of a website called elitepolicing.org. On the site, a man who identifies himself as Kirk Figueroa says his company, Code Blue Protection Corp., provides police support, fugitive apprehension and extradition services, and armored car training.

Figueroa described himself as a Boston constable, a former member of a U.S. Army Reserve military police unit, a bounty hunter in California and a former corrections officer. He also said he was trained in mixed martial arts. Constables are authorized to serve subpoenas and other legal documents in civil cases.

An Army spokesman confirmed that Figueroa was in the Reserves but could not provide dates. California authorities said it could not immediately confirm whether he was a bounty hunter.

Figueroa was shot and killed by several other officers who at the sound of gunfire entered the home.

"Two of the officers dragged their fellow officers out of the line of fire so they were in a protected zone, and the officers continued to engage in a gun exchange," Evans said.

An artery in Morris' leg was severed, and his life was probably saved by another officer who tied a tourniquet on it, Evans said. That officer had undergone training on how to properly tie a tourniquet just the week before.

Nine other officers were treated at a hospital for trauma, stress and minor injuries.

Police, initially concerned that there might be a second suspect, ordered residents to shelter in place. That order was later lifted.

As is standard protocol following such events, the district attorney's office said there would be an investigation into the use of deadly force.

"They ran into a firefight here, able to pull two of their officers out safely, and again unfortunately, we had to take a life in doing it," Evans said.

Springfield police seize 153 bags of heroin, arrest two men in raid

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Police have arrested two men and seized 153 bags of "El Chapo" heroin from a home on Ranney Street following a lengthy narcotics investigation.

SPRINGFIELD -- Police have arrested two men and seized 153 bags of "El Chapo" heroin from a home on Ranney Street following a lengthy narcotics investigation.

Lt. Alberto Ayala and Sgt. Christopher Hitas had led an inquiry into suspected drug activity at 76 Ranney Street, Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney wrote on the department's Facebook page.

And yesterday afternoon officers, including members of the Forest Park C-3 anti-gang unit, received a search warrant and conducted a raid on the house.

"At 4:45 P.M. the raid was conducted and the target of the investigation was arrested with 153 bags of Heroin with the 'El Chapo' logo stamped on them," Delaney wrote. "They also confiscated $4,330.00 in cash along with drug paraphernalia and packaging material."

Ramon Rodriguez, 60, was arrested and charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. An alleged customer, 47-year-old Jose Hernandez, was also arrested and charged with heroin possession.

Both men were arraigned in Springfield District Court today, Delaney wrote.

"El Chapo" brand heroin has been found during other Springfield police raids this summer, including at an Oakland Street auto body shop and during an alleged drug deal behind a Tapley Street gas station.

Chelsea Clinton: Donald Trump is normalizing hate speech

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Clinton spoke at Wellesley College, which is Hillary Clinton's alma mater.

WELLESLEY -- Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, on Thursday accused Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump of "normalizing hate speech."

"I never thought I would see the almost normalization of hate speech that we have witnessed in this election -- the misogyny, the racism, the homophobia, the Islamophobia, the jingoism, the rhetoric against Americans with disabilities, the rhetoric against our veterans, the demeaning of a Gold Star family," Chelsea Clinton said.

"None of that is what I believe our country to be at the best, and it certainly does not represent the country I want my children, our children, our grandchildren to grown up in."

Clinton spoke to a crowd of around 300 people at an outdoor rally at Wellesley College, which is Hillary Clinton's alma mater. Clinton graduated in 1969 with high honors and was the college's first student commencement speaker. She led Wellesley's Young Republicans Club in 1966 and 1967.

Based on polling and past elections, Massachusetts is likely to vote overwhelmingly for Clinton in the presidential race. But by speaking to a college audience, Chelsea Clinton was able to reach mostly out-of-state voters. College students also often have time to volunteer in swing states like New Hampshire and make phone calls to other states.

Anna Thomas, a Wellesley senior from the Philadelphia suburbs, said her only memories of the Bill Clinton presidency were watching his impeachment trial on TV. Yet she is "an ardent Hillary supporter."

"She is by far the most qualified individual to ever run for president," Thomas said.

Chelsea Clinton called the election "the most consequential election of my lifetime" and one that is "fundamentally about our values." Clinton said her mother has been talking about climate change, mental health, gun violence prevention, criminal justice reform and doubling a childcare tax credit.

"I don't think her opponent has policies in any of those areas," Clinton said. "It's hard to have a climate change policy if you think climate change is a hoax."

A mother of two, Clinton reiterated a theme of her mother's campaign, that children are watching the rhetoric from both candidates.

Clinton was introduced by her Stanford University classmate, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy. Kennedy said he recognizes the "frustration and passion" among voters who see problems with education, the economy and the criminal justice system. But, he said, "What Donald Trump has tried to offer is anything but a solution to that frustration."

During a question and answer session, Clinton fielded complimentary questions and comments about topics such as the Affordable Care Act and abortion rights. Asked about the nation's divisions, Clinton said her mother has a record of working across the aisle -- for example, working on foster care reform with Tom DeLay, the conservative former Republican House majority leader.

Asked about criminal justice reform, she said Hillary Clinton is committed to changing federal three strikes laws and mandatory minimum sentences, providing implicit bias training to police officers and giving federal grants for police body cameras and patrol car cameras.

During the Democratic primary, Clinton had some trouble reaching college-age voters. Young voters were the most likely to support her further left opponent, independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Polls show some millennials are now inclined to support Libertarian Gary Johnson over either major party candidate. Young voters have fewer memories of the presidency of Clinton's husband, Bill Clinton.

Marley Forest, a Democrat and Wellesley junior from Oregon, is among those students who voted for Sanders in the primary. "I tend to lean a bit more far left," Forest said.

But now, Forest is committed to Clinton. "I identify a lot more with her values and her policies," Forest said. "(Trump's) policies I think are racist and fairly discriminatory."

Madeline Warshaw, a Wellesley junior from Minneapolis and vice president of the Wellesley College Democrats, who supported Clinton in the primary, said Sanders' "unapologetic liberalism" and refusal to compromise on his beliefs were attractive to college students. But Warshaw anticipates most college students will support Clinton.

"Even if they're not thrilled about Hillary, they would never want to see someone like Trump elected," Warshaw said.

Warshaw said the recent tape showing Trump bragging that he could kiss and grab women without permission because he is a celebrity "was just really driving home how distinctly offensive and dangerous he is to so many people."

Asked how Hillary Clinton could reach young voters, Chelsea Clinton stressed her mother's commitment to criminal justice reform, addressing climate change and making higher education affordable.

Energy to power 1,000 Holyoke homes coming from new $10 million Mount Tom Solar Farm

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The $10 million Mount Tom Solar Farm with 17,208 panels will be installed by late December beside a now-closed coal-burning plant on Northampton Street in Holyoke, Massachusetts with energy to power 1,000 homes, officials said at a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday Oct. 13, 2016. Watch video

This story elaborates on an article published at 12:12 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016: Mount Tom Solar Farm in Holyoke to stand as 'landmark' for ENGIE North America: CEO Frank Demaille

HOLYOKE -- The $10 million Mount Tom Solar Farm with 17,208 panels will be installed by late December beside a now-closed coal-burning plant on Northampton Street with energy to power 1,000 homes, officials said Thursday.

"It's a great event. It's a great day," said Frank Demaille, president and CEO of ENGIE North America.

The company formerly called GDF SUEZ Energy North America held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the solar facility, which will occupy 22 acres of a 128-acre site at 200 Northampton St. beside the Connecticut River. Construction began this month, spokeswoman Julie Vitek said.

GDF SUEZ shut down the coal plant in late December 2014 after years of the facility operating only sporadically. Twenty-eight employees lost jobs.

Changes in energy habits led to the closing, as officials have said burning coal to produce energy was too expensive in the face of the cheaper alternative of natural gas.

Demaille referred to the old-world-to-new-world transformation of the company building a solar farm in the shadow of the property's signature smoke stack and coal-burning facility, which officials said will be demolished beginning in the spring.

"It's a landmark for us," Demaille said.

Two employees will work at the new Mount Tom Solar Farm but the facility will be run remotely by a power station in Fitchburg. The company operates solar facilities that way in Northfield, Massachusetts and Ontario, Canada, a spokeswoman said previously.

ENGIE is focusing such innovation efforts on the United States and Canada -- territories where it employs 3,500 people -- and additional projects here are possible. The city and the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department (HGE) have proven to be good partners, Demaille said.

"You have to work with the community, the mayor and his team, the local utility and his team," he said.

The 5.764 megawatts of electricity generated by the solar farm will be sold to HGE at or below market rates to ensure customers' rates stay as low as possible, HGE Manager James M. Lavelle said.

The solar farm will produce enough power to supply 1,000 homes, he said.

"We're really excited about this project ...," Lavelle said.

The city will receive $146,000 in tax revenue in 2017 from the solar farm. The company expects to pay about $28,000 on the solar panels and related equipment as a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), $78,000 on the land the solar facility will occupy and $40,000 in relation to the existing coal-burning structure at the Mount Tom Power Station, spokeswoman Carol Churchill said

Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse said decisions by legislators and work of people in the community and activists led to planning on how to deal with the demise of the coal-burning facility.

State Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke, when he was a member of the City Council, filed an order to establish a community advisory group that began studying how the coal-burning plant property could be redeveloped, he said.

Michael R. Knapik, when he was a state senator, secured $100,000 from the state to help Holyoke study reuse options for the site. That was so the city could be prepared depending on what direction the then-GDF SUEZ Energy North America was planning, he said.

Morse also credited activist group Neighbor to Neighbor with keeping attention on the coal-burning plant property.

"We wanted to make sure we took a pro-active stance," Morse said.

He added, "It's music to my ears that hopefully this is the first of many investments in our community."

Judith Judson, commissioner of the state Department of Energy Resources, said the solar project here meets the state's goals of providing affordable electricity; generating clean energy, that is, energy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which trap heat in the atmosphere; and offer a safe energy structure.

"It's really exciting to see this project," Judson said.

Members of groups like Neighbor to Neighbor and Toxics Action Center planned to celebrate the installation of the solar-power facility and its status as the replacement of the the coal-burning plant with a party after the groundbreaking ceremony at Fiesta Cafe Main Street.

Neighbor to Neighbor's Lena Entin addressed concerns that such a party could be seen as insensitive to coal-plant workers who lost jobs. The group's focus was the breathing and other health problems from exposure to coal-burning and always included calls for the employees to receive training for other positions and strong severance packages, she said.

"We are celebrating that we're moving from burning coal, which contributes to asthma and respiratory problems and even early death, to clean energy. We too are devastated about the job losses," Entin said.

Concerns about breathing difficulties, kidney disease, high blood pressure and other health problems related to exposure to coal-burning plants prompted activists for years to push for the Mount Tom Power Station and other coal plants to end such operations and switch gears to different forms of energy production. Mount Tom Power Station officials said over the years the plant heeded state and federal emission standards.

The reason the Mount Tom Solar Farm will be subject to a PILOT instead of straight taxation is related to the solar component. The solar panels, like other equipment on a business property (merchandise, furnishings, tools, animals, equipment), would be subject to taxation as personal property under state tax laws, said Marcos A. Marrero, director of the city Department of Planning and Economic Development.

The issue with solar equipment is, at the outset, it is valued so high that the tax bill the first few years can kill a solar project. But solar equipment depreciates quickly, so taxable income from the city's perspective would be very low after only a few years. So establishing a PILOT of $5,000 per megawatt ensures a steady tax revenue for the city from such a business, he said.

The shuttering of the coal-burning plant was a blow to the municipal budget of this city, which has nearly a third of its population of 40,000 living below the federal poverty line.
For decades, the city could count on more than $600,000 in property tax revenue from the coal plant.

Limits on what future development could occupy the site left few options, said officials such as Marrero who studied possibilities. Site restrictions included its high risk for flooding, being adjacent to the river, presence of endangered species and government regulations.

Proposed referendum puts brakes on Hampden-Wilbraham middle school merger plan

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The Hampden Board of Selectmen recently approved an article for the special town meeting warrant that would subject the merger proposal to a townwide referendum vote.

HAMPDEN -- Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District residents will soon vote on whether to temporarily combine the district's two middle schools. But a separate effort to require a referendum on the matter could put the brakes on the controversial consolidation plan, which has been studied and debated for two years and has divided the community into pro- and anti-merger camps.

The Hampden Board of Selectmen recently added an article to the town's Oct. 24 special town meeting warrant that would also require a referendum vote after the initial vote on whether to amend the district's regional school agreement to legally allow the merger.

The consolidation plan calls for sending Hampden students to Wilbraham Middle School for up to five years, though that time frame could be extended through further amendment of the regional agreement. If the agreement is amended by voters in both towns on Oct. 24, the merge would take effect in fall 2017 and expire in 2022.

Critics of Hampden's referendum vote, which appears as Article 12 on the special town meeting warrant, have questioned its legality and claim the late-game proposal is confusing and unnecessary. They believe it will slow down the merger effort by adding an extra layer of scrutiny to a unification plan that's already been studied by a special task force and outside groups.

District officials say the five-year merge period will give them time to come up with a long-term solution and to monitor declining enrollment at both schools, a trend that's predicted to continue.

Article 11 on Hampden's special town meeting warrant would amend the regional agreement to allow students from Thornton W. Burgess Middle School, commonly called TWB, to cross town lines to attend Wilbraham Middle School. TWB students in sixth through eighth grades would be moved to the Wilbraham school, with fifth-graders staying back a year at Green Meadows Elementary School, Hampden's only other school in the two-town, seven-school district.

Article 12 calls for a referendum vote to see if Hampden residents "will vote to make approval of Article 11 contingent upon and subject to a majority vote at a town election at a date to be determined by the Hampden Board of Selectmen." By law, the referendum must be held within 35 days of Hampden's Oct. 24 special town meeting.

The Hampden referendum does not apply to residents of Wilbraham, who will only be voting on whether to amend the regional school agreement to allow Hampden students to attend Wilbraham Middle School. In order for the consolidation plan to take effect, voters in both towns must approve the measure at their respective town meetings on Oct. 24.

Opposition to and support for the plan doesn't necessarily break along geographic lines. But pro- and anti-merger groups, which tend to be dominated by residents of one town more than the other, have been taking shots at each other on Facebook for weeks, elevating the drama surrounding the upcoming vote.

A public information meeting on the unification plan is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham. Voting will take place during simultaneous special town meetings at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at Minnechaug and at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 123 Allen St., in Hampden.

Supporters of middle school unification, including the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee, district administrators, and many residents and school employees, say declining enrollment at both middle schools has caused state aid to flatline, resulting in program cuts and other reductions.

The way forward, they say, is to combine educational and financial resources under one roof while also working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority on a long-range plan for a permanent solution to the middle school problem.

What remains a topic of heated debate, however, is whether to expand one of the two existing middle schools to accommodate more students and staff, or whether to build a new facility at a site to be determined. 

For Wilbraham resident John Broderick, a firm supporter of unification and a critic of what he views as anti-merger myopia, two towns "working together" to create a middle school that can duplicate the success of Minnechaug's regional model makes good sense.

If the district's middle school population rebounds during the five-year period, "we can absolutely undo this thing," he said.  

Meanwhile, opponents of the merger, including many Hampden residents, believe there's nothing "temporary" about the plan and view it as a first step toward permanently closing TWB -- a Hampden fixture for almost 50 years. If TWB closes for good, they wonder, who's to say Green Meadows won't be next?

For opponents who live in tiny Hampden, with roughly one-third of Wilbraham's population, the issue comes down to hometown pride and educating children in their own community. Hampden already sends its teenagers to Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham, and some parents are unhappy about the prospect of also sending their tweens and young teens to a regional middle school in Wilbraham.

Money matters are another concern, according to opponents, who point out that Hampden is still paying for the town's new police station, which opened last month, and refurbishments at Green Meadows. They believe Wilbraham wants to use Hampden as a blank check to help pay for a new regional middle school in Wilbraham, not in Hampden, which, they say, would never be selected as a site for a regional facility. 

Official school district estimates have varied widely over the past two years on how much money would actually be saved by TWB closing for five years. That's yet another concern of anti-merger residents, who point out that Wilbraham has everything to gain by a merger and nothing to lose.

Many Hampden residents are concerned about the impact of TWB closing on their taxes, property values, and local retail establishments, many of which rely on big employers like Rediker Software and the school district to help fill tables at Hampden restaurants and support other businesses.

There's also a trust issue, according to Mary Ellen Glover, a Hampden resident who opposes the merger for a variety of reasons, including past broken promises. "If past promises were not kept, why would you think future ones would be kept," said the former longtime School Committee member, who was chairwoman when TWB and Green Meadows joined the regional school district over 20 years ago.

She views the middle school merger as a "slippery slope" to eventually losing Green Meadows, too. "It's Thornton Burgess today, Green Meadows tomorrow," Glover said.

Hampden-Wilbraham School Superintendent Albert Ganem Jr. said the purpose of the Oct. 18 session is to provide district residents with details of the unification plan.

"The community can expect to hear a succinct presentation from the district's leadership team on educational options at the middle school level," Ganem said, adding that online questions submitted ahead of time will also be read and answered during the meeting. Questions from the audience will also be addressed, he said.

According to school district officials, the consolidation plan is aimed at improving the educational model for all middle school students, while at the same time addressing financial issues related to declining enrollment at TWB and Wilbraham Middle School.

The last day to register to vote for Hampden's special town meeting is Friday, Oct. 14. Additional information is available by calling the Town Clerk's Office at 413-566-2151, ext. 103.


Victim of fatal Springfield shooting had attempted murder case pending

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Yonaides Pichardo was found shot to death in a car on Sycamore Street Tuesday.

SPRINGFIELD -- An attempted murder case against Yonaides Pichardo was formally ended Thursday by the filing of a document in Hampden Superior Court.

Pichardo, 28, was found shot to death inside a car on Sycamore Street in Springfield's Bay neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon.

Police found a body with a single gunshot inside of a parked BMW sedan. There have been no arrests reported in the case.

Pichardo's pending case alleged 10 crimes from Nov. 16, 2015. A pretrial hearing was held June 29. He was arraigned Feb. 25 and was free after posting $3,000 bail. A condition of his pretrial release was that he stay away from and have no contact with the three named victims.

The charges Pichardo faced, to which he had pleaded not guilty, were armed assault with intent to murder (with a firearm), assault and battery, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (gun), assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (gun), larceny under $250 (keys), two counts of malicious damage to a motor vehicle, and one count of illegal possession of ammunition.

Connecticut Business Systems opens in West Springfield

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The facility has an on-site demo room providing the opportunity for clients to come in and experience the most advanced office technology in the industry, according to a news release.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Connecticut Business Systems (CBS), a Xerox company, today announced the grand opening of a state-of-the-art technology center in West Springfield.

The facility has an on-site demo room providing the opportunity for clients to come in and experience the most advanced office technology in the industry, according to a news release.

When most people here the word "Xerox," they immediately assume copiers. In reality, this local technology company offers an entire suite of solutions ranging from scanners to folding machines, document management to marketing software, audio visual to digital communication and much more.

The official open house will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 27 at 134 Capital Drive, West Springfield. A ribbon cutting will be held at 9 a.m.

I-91 construction-related closures set tonight, Friday

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The closures are a part of the $183.3 million reconstruction of Interstate 91 through downtown Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- MassDOT will close East Columbus Avenue overnight north of Emery Street tonight and Friday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning as part of the ongoing work on Interstate 91.

The shutdown is required so crews can clean up from demolition earlier this week.

Detours:

To continue north on East Columbus Avenue: Turn right onto Emery Street and turn left onto Main Street. To access I-91 North, turn left onto Plainfield Street, and take the ramp on the right for I-91 North.

MassDOT advises drivers to plan for additional travel time through this area.

The closures are a part of the $183.3 million reconstruction of Interstate 91 through downtown Springfield.

See photos of Plantation Inn in Chicopee being razed for Mercedes-Benz dealership

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At a recent groundbreaking event on the site, Rich Hesse of Springfield Automotive Partners said the approximately $12 million project will create a roughly 37,000-square-foot business. It should be finished, open and operating by this time next year.

CHICOPEE -- The former Plantation Inn stands as just a shell of its former self as work continues to raze the structure to make way for a Mercedes-Benz dealership at the end of Interstate 291.

At a recent groundbreaking event on the site, Rich Hesse of Springfield Automotive Partners said the approximately $12 million project will create a roughly 37,000-square-foot business. It should be finished, open and operating by this time next year.

The project is not an easy one. Not only was the inn loaded with asbestos, it is attached to the AMF Chicopee Lanes, a separate business that is remaining open. The property line runs through the building and the two share utilities, which must be separated.

But Hess said the work is worth it. "The location is fantastic. We really are at the crossroads of New England," he said.

The dealership, which will eventually have a separate entrance to Burnett Road, will be seen from the Massachusetts Turnpike and sits directly on Exit 6 and the end of I-291.

The building was previously known as the Schine Inn.

Muhammad Ali trained for first title defense at Schine Inn in Chicopee

Springfield Diocese to close last Catholic high school in Berkshires

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St. Joseph Central High School will close in June 2017.

PITTSFIELD – The last remaining Catholic high school in Berkshire County is scheduled to close at the end of the current academic year.

The announcement that St. Joseph Central High School will close in June 2017 was made by Franciscan Sister of St. Joseph M. Andrea Ciszewski, school superintendent for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

"The SJCHS administration, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, and the full Board of Trustees have been informed that the Diocese of Springfield will no longer be able to continue the escalating financial subsidy required to maintain a realistic balanced budget. Faced with this knowledge, it was decided to formally close at the end of this academic year in June, 2017," Ciszewski stated in the letter.

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski called the decision in a diocesan press release one made with "great sadness" as well as one that "had to be made," but "not before many years of valiant efforts by the very dedicated board, faculty and staff of St. Joseph's."

"We had hoped to turn around the enrollment decline and financial deficit, but despite the very best and exemplary efforts of so many, the task proved unattainable. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who grieve the end of this great school," said Rozanski of the school that has been in operation since 1897.

According to the release, the school has a current enrollment of 68 students, a "significant operational deficit" and, during the last five years, has received "more than $4.5 million in funding" from the diocese.

The release states that efforts fell through this summer to increase enrollment at the school with more international students.

According to the release, the diocese has "pledged to provide continuing financial assistance to those families who wish to continue to send their children to other Catholic high schools."

Other diocesan high schools include Pope Francis High, temporarily located in Chicopee, until its new $55 million regional school opens in Springfield in the fall of 2018, and St. Mary Parish High School in Westfield.

Ciszewski's letter notes that those schools in Hampden County are "at a distance," but that some students "might be interested in considering that option."

An informational meeting for students and parents is scheduled Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. in the high school gym. Participants are invited to submit questions in advance to Amy Gelinas, the school principal, at agelinas@stjoehigh.org

According to the school's website, its administration and faculty include about three dozen employees.


'Get Out and Vote!' event at STCC gets students ready for Nov. 8

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Springfield Technical Community College students and faculty gathered at in the Scibelli Theater to listen to two speakers discuss topics in this year's election, while also hearing a presentation outlining the importance of voting.

Springfield Technical Community College students got involved in a spirited debate with two speakers at a Thursday event focused on voting and the presidential election.

On one side was liberal commentator Bill Scher, who is credited with being one of the first political bloggers. Scher founded liberaloasis.com in 2004 and has also appeared on MSNBC's "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell."

His opponent was Holly Robichaud, who has consulted for the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican
Congressional Committee. She is also the founder and president of the Tuesday Associates political consulting firm.

The discussion started with moderator and Ovations Series coordinator Philip O'Donoghue raising the question of "why vote," pulling no punches.

"Why vote at all?" said O'Donoghue. "I think it's pretty much established that the two presidential candidates are the least popular candidates in the history of running for office. Why should we vote for a couple of really reprehensible people?"

According to Scher, voting goes beyond simply liking or loving a candidate.

"We've fought for and have been entrusted with this democratic right so people can guide the direction of our country," said Scher. "It's not about whether you personally love every individual person in government. It's you as a citizen telling the government, 'This is the direction I want the country to go.' ... If you don't do the bare minimum participation in democracy, how can the government know what it is that the people want?"

Robichaud responded to the question by telling students that their future lies with the candidate that is chosen and referring to the nation's economic climate.

"This election is about you guys and what's going to happen to your future," said Robichaud. "Our nation is $20 trillion in debt, and every taxpayer owes $160,000 to the federal government to pay off that debt. You're probably thinking, 'That doesn't affect me.' Yes it does, because what is happening right now with the spending going on in Washington -- they are mortgaging your future."

As the discussion continued and students began posing their own questions, the atmosphere began to heat up and turn into more of a debate between them and the panelists.

Of the issues raised, students were most concerned about the nation's economy and its correlation to the cost of tuition and employment opportunities after they graduate. Both speakers presented their respective party's plans to fix each issue while also providing plenty of political banter that kept the audience tuned in.

Following the discussion, Linda Matys-O'Connell of the League of Women Voters gave a presentation on the ease of voting and the importance of students exercising that right. O'Connell cited various historic and present issues in the voting process aimed to hinder young and minority voters around the country.

"Voting is power, that's what it really is. It's choice, but its power," said O'Connell. "It's the power to make things happen (and) to get the candidates you want, starting with who's running the town you live in and what do they stand for."

At the close of the event, students were invited to register to vote at a table set up by the League of Women Voters.

UMass, labor leaders to meet Monday to continue talks about Labor Center

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Mass. AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, and Frank Callahan, President of the Mass. Building Trades Council are hosting the meeting,

AMHERST -- Following a meeting in Boston last month, union leaders and University of Massachusetts officials are meeting Monday to continue to talk about ways to strengthen the Labor Center.

Mass. AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and Frank Callahan, president of the Mass. Building Trades Council, are hosting the meeting, according to an email from Workers' Rights, "to consider ways that the UMass administration, labor, and key stake holders can partner to strengthen the Labor Center so that it continues to play a leading role in advancing the cause of organized labor and Massachusetts workers for many years to come." 

Former Labor Center Director Eve Weinbaum sent an email to alumni and center supporters this summer raising concerns about budget cuts and the university commitment to the program.

A petition calling on the administration to "Save the Labor Center" has 4,741 signatures.

"We are united in reaffirming our commitment to support the vital work of the UMass Amherst Labor Center," the university state in a statement issued after the Boston meeting. "For more than half a century, the center has been at the vanguard of preparing labor leaders in Massachusetts and throughout the country.

"We are resolved to work together to revitalize the Labor Center so that it maintains its status as one of the nation's best in its field.

"A number of recent reports concerning the status of the Labor Center, both in print and online, have called into question the university's commitment to Labor Studies and to the labor movement more generally. We want to jointly emphasize that the UMass administration continues to be deeply committed to the center's important work. We are all committed to restoring the program's vitality," the university stated.

In a statement about Monday's meeting, UMass spokesman Edward Blaguszewski wrote, "The university will reaffirm its commitment to the Labor Center and will work with stakeholders to chart a path forward that will ensure the long term viability of the center so that it will continue to play a leading role in educating the labor leaders of tomorrow."

Weinbaum, in an email, wrote, "Our alumni and labor movement leaders across the state and nationally have weighed in with strong support for the Labor Center and I think it has made a big difference and raised a lot of awareness about the issues."

She said she will attend the meeting. "I believe that the chancellor is committed to the Labor Studies program, and I am hopeful that the stakeholders will work toward a plan to strengthen our programs going forward," she wrote.

Prior to the meeting, Western Mass. Jobs with Justice and the UMass Graduate Employee Organization plans a rally at 1 p.m. on the Student Union steps.


Seen@ photos from Westfield State University President Ramon Torrecilha investiture ceremony

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Ramon S. Torrecilha was officially sworn in as president of Westfield State University of Friday during an investiture ceremony on the Dever Stage at Parenzo Hall.

WESTFIELD -- Ramon S. Torrecilha was officially sworn in as president of Westfield State University of Friday during an investiture ceremony on the Dever Stage at Parenzo Hall.

The 90-minute ceremony featured guest speakers Carlos E. Santiago, commissioner of Massachusetts Department of High Education, Steven P. Marcus, chairman of the Westfield State University Board of Trustees, Marsha V. Marotta, interim vice president of Academic Affairs, Fr. Warren Savage, pastor of the Interfaith Center, and Janet L. Holmgren, president emerita of Mills College.

Torrecilha was named the 20th president of the university and began his service in January 2016 after a nationwide search in 2015.

"Today is a momentous occasion that will forever rank among the best in my life," Torrecilha said. "As much as this day means personally to me, this day symbolizes so much more for Westfield State University. I take the oath of office today, ready to act on the university's thirst for positive and nimble change."

Following the ceremony was a social hour in the Westfield State Dining Commons, where Torrecilha mingled with students, faculty and guests. A private lunch was staged in the Living Room at Parenzo Hall following the social hour.

Springfield College learning commons is 21st century library

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The learning commons is a total renovation of the campus' Babson Library, which opened in 1972.

SPRINGFIELD -- Springfield College kicked off its homecoming weekend festivities Friday afternoon with a ceremonial groundbreaking for its $19 million learning commons project.

The learning commons is a complete rehabilitation of Springfield College's Babson Library, a 57,000-square-foot building that opened in 1972, according to the college. The new building will include a 6,000-square-foot reading room with 24-hour access for students, 1,200 square feet of adaptable work space for group projects, classes, presentations and brainstorming sessions, a research consultation area, cafe and a 5,300-square-foot academic success center.

It'll have books. But in this day and age of electronic media, students are demanding more, especially quiet 24-hour study space instead of the traditional library stacks, said Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper.

"The word 'library' has disappeared from college campuses," Cooper said. "In many ways the learning commons is the 21st century library."

John Mailhot, senior vice president for finance and administration at Springfield College, said the college borrowed money to pay for the project and also used unencumbered money from its own budget. Springfield College is continuing to raise money for the the learning commons.

The building may continue to carry the Babson name, after benefactors Paul T. and Mrs. Edith Babson of Boston. But based on fundraising the name could change.

The building is closed now and has been since early summer. Students and faculty are accessing library services at various places around campus until it reopens for the fall semester of 2017.

AZ Corp. of Stonington, Connecticut, and Boston is the general contractor. Icon Architecture of Boston is the architect.

Springfield College Board of Trustees Chairman Greg Toczydlowski, student trustee Troy Ward and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno also spoke at Friday's event.

Sarno spoke of Springfield College's record of helping graduates find employment in their majors after graduation. The college says 96 percent of 2015-16 bachelor's degree recipients are either employed or enrolled in graduate school.

The mayor also spoke of the beauty of Springfield College's campus and of the college's role in helping the city improve.

"I know it will continue to be a wonderful partnership," Sarno said.

Westfield woman: Blind dog, police officer and firefighter saved me from fire

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Patricia Leighton says her dog and a Wesfield police officer and firefighter saved her life during the Oct. 6 fire at Heritage Park mobile home park on Southampton Road. Watch video

WESTFIELD -- Patricia Leighton says her dog, a police officer and a firefighter saved her life last week by pulling her out of her burning mobile home.

"She was my hero," Leighton said of Gabby, her blind, 15-year-old Labrador mix. "And so was the police officer and the firefighter."

But Gabby didn't survive the ordeal. She was euthanized several days later due to injuries she suffered in the fast-moving fire at the Heritage Park mobile home park off Southampton Road.

Leighton recounted her rescue in an interview with The Republican Thursday, saying she wanted to highlight the good work of police officers and other first responders. 

The Oct. 6 fire displaced her extended family of five, destroyed their mobile home and essentially all of their belongings.

The 57-year-old said she was the only one home when the fire broke out shortly after 9 a.m.

Leighton, who is disabled with rheumatoid arthritis and other health issues, said she was sitting in her bedroom when she heard a "pop, pop, pop."

The room started filling up with smoke.

Leighton got up, saw her 8-year-old grandson Hunter's bedroom on fire and dialed 911. Then she grabbed a dishpan from her kitchen sink, filled it with water and attempted to douse the growing flames, she said.

On her second trip from the sink she spilled water, slipped and fell in the narrow hallway outside the burning bedroom.

"I couldn't get up because I hurt my knee," Leighton said. "I figured I was gone."

But Gabby, who rarely ever left Leighton's side, came to the rescue. She said the dog, blind due to cataracts, grabbed her arm and attempted to drag her toward the front door.

Leighton said her memory of what happened next is hazy. She knows for sure, however, that a police officer appeared and began pulling her down the hall.

That officer was joined by a firefighter who helped pull her the few final steps to safety.

Westfield police officials identified the officer as Timothy Grady, and said officer Chip Kielbasa was also close on scene. Westfield fire officials said firefighter Connor Hedge also participated in Leighton's rescue.

"That policeman was a hero and so was my dog," Leighton said. "They are all heroes to me. I want people to recognize that police officers do good."

Leighton says Gabby became confused as the emergency personnel dragged her to safety -- and to her horror, ran back into the burning trailer.

"I was yelling 'Get my dog! Get my dog!," Leighton said.

Firefighter Niles LaValley managed to get Gabby out of the burning trailer and laid her down in a grassy area, where firefighters put water on the dog to cool her down.

Gabby rallied and walked to where Leighton was sitting. "She came up and licked my arm and I told her it was going to be OK," Leighton said.

But the elderly dog had suffered burned paws and smoke inhalation, and last Saturday the Leightons made the painful decision to have her put down at the Boston Road Animal Hospital in Springfield.

"They gave her morphine so she wasn't in pain and we could say goodbye to her," Leighton said.

The Leightons' cat and three kittens survived fire, although one of the kittens suffered burns on his nose and paws and was treated at Montgomery Road Animal Hospital.

One of the kittens survived by hiding under a dresser. The others escaped on their own and returned after the fire.

Investigators, including troopers from the state fire marshal's office, determined the blaze was sparked by a faulty electrical outlet in Hunter's bedroom.

"They said, my grandson wouldn't have survived if it had been at night," Leighton said.

The fire also displaced Leighton's husband, Edward "Chip" Leighton, 65, as well as their son and daughter-in-law -- Hunter's parents, Blake and Stephanie Leighton.

The Western Massachusetts Chapter of the American Red Cross has temporarily put the five family members up in the Quality Inn on Southampton Road.

In hindsight, Leighton said she feels tormented by her initial decision to fight the fire instead of gathering Gabby and the cats and getting out right away.

"I feel a lot of guilt," Leighton said. "I should have got her out. She was with me by the end and tried to help me."

Chip Leighton said his wife still has black-and blue marks on her arm where Gabby grabbed her.

The Leightons have insurance and plan to move back into a new mobile home at Heritage Park as soon as they can.

The insurance won't cover all their losses, though. Dennis Bolduc, of Indian Motorcycle of Springfield, set up a GoFundMe account for the Leightons.

In his write-up for the online fundraiser, Bolduc describes Chip Leighton as well-known within the Western Massachusetts motorcycle community and for his fundraising efforts in various causes over the years.

"Now they need our help," Bolduc wrote.

The Leightons said they are thankful for the community response following the fire. Montgomery Road Animal Hospital treated Gabby for free in the immediate aftermath of the fire, and Southampton Road Elementary School, where Hunter is a student, collected food for the family and clothes and toys for him.

Many others stepped up as well, included Dr. Aleksandr Pugach who tended to Patricia Leighton at the Quality Inn after the fire. Her injuries include a broken collarbone.

"We are going to make it," Chip Leighton said as he showed a reporter and photographer the burned-out mobile home. "We have lots of friends."

Feds, state attorney general's office to mop up fallout from videos showing Springfield police detective interrogating teens

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Records released by the city and the district attorney's office Friday afternoon confirm the U.S. Department of Justice will launch a civil rights investigation into the matter.

This is an update of a story posted at 2:44 p.m. Friday.


SPRINGFIELD -- City officials and the Hampden County district attorney's office have invited federal and state agencies into the fray in the ongoing scrutiny of a city narcotics detective suspended over his interrogations of two juveniles suspected of stealing an undercover police vehicle.

Records released by the city and the district attorney's office Friday afternoon confirm the U.S. Department of Justice will launch a civil rights investigation into the matter.

In a statement, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said he met with "law enforcement authorities" on Oct. 8 regarding video footage of longtime Detective Gregg A. Bigda terrorizing two teen boys suspected of stealing the SUV, left idling outside a Springfield pizza shop on Feb. 26, 2016.

On video, Bigda is seen saying he would crush one boy's skull and plant a kilo of cocaine on another -- among other threats -- leading to a 60-day suspension. The incident has thus far crippled nearly a dozen drug prosecutions in court, as Bigda's credibility as a witness in every case has been called into question.

According to the city's announcement, Sarno attended the Saturday meeting along with City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula, mayoral Chief of Staff Denise Jordan, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri and others who were not named. The announcement did not detail where the meeting took place. 

In an Oct. 14 letter to City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula, a representative for Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's office asked that the city not release the videos, audio from the videos or the police department's Internal Invesigations Unit records on the matter. 

"Such disclosure would compromise and prejudice our investigation," the letter states. 

The same request was made in an Oct. 13 letter to Pikula from the office of U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. 

Those orders came after The Republican filed a public records request in mid-September seeking the video, as well as documents and records related to Bigda's suspension.

The city on Oct. 14 responded to The Republican's request, citing the personnel and investigatory exemptions to the state's Public Records Law as reasons for refusing to release the records. The response included the Oct. 13 and 14 letters from the state and federal officials asking the city to withhold the records.

Referral to state, federal agencies

An Oct. 13 letter released by Gulluni's office shows he requested assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Regan and Assistant Attorney General Kimberly P. West, of the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General's Criminal Bureau.

"I will forward our investigative work product to you, forthwith. I believe that this step allows for the most complete review of the incident and is, ultimately, in the best interests of justice and my service to the people of Hampden County," the letter concludes.

The meeting took place and the letter was issued after The Republican published a story on Oct. 4 detailing Hampden Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page's criticism of how Gulluni's office handled the Bigda videos. Page pledged to forward a copy of the footage to "authorities" herself if the district attorney's office had not.

"I will say this, the contents of the tape are such that I trust the District Attorney's Office has turned this tape over to authorities for review," she told an assistant district attorney on Sept. 15, according to a transcript of the hearing obtained by The Republican. "If they have not done so, I shall. I shall."

A spokesman for Gulluni's office said it hadn't notified anyone prior to the Oct. 4 story.

Sarno denounced Bigda's tactics seen in the videos -- which have not been released publicly -- and promised full cooperation with federal and state agencies.

"The incidents as depicted on the video recordings are contrary to the rules, regulations and policies of the City of Springfield Police Department and are not tolerated by the Police Commissioner and his command staff," Sarno's statement read.

Despite the mayor's condemnation, Bigda has been able to keep his job even in the face of footage showing him repeatedly threatening to kill the two Hispanic boys and bellowing racially charged insults. The interrogations occurred outside the detective's jurisdiction, while the boys had not received their Miranda rights and had no parent or guardian present, according to sources close to the investigation.

Defense attorneys have quoted from the video during recent court hearings. One lawyer recounted Bigda telling one of the suspects he would "plant a kilo of cocaine in his pocket to put him away for 15 years."

"I'm not hampered by the truth because I don't give a f---," Bigda reportedly screams at one point.

"You probably don't even know who your f---ing father is," he barks at one suspect.

Barbieri has argued he opted to suspend Bigda, rather than fire him, because he was advised by the city's Law Department that the matter was unlikely to survive a Civil Service appeal. City lawyers have not responded to a question about what specific legal precedents on which they hung that assessment.

In a statement from his office, Gulluni called Bigda's behavior in the video "plainly unacceptable" and vowed to cooperate fully with a federal civil rights review and a parallel investigation by Attorney General Maura Healey's office.

"The behavior exhibited during the interrogation is plainly unacceptable, but it is not reflective of the professional and dedicated hard work put forth by the men and women of the Springfield Police Department on a daily basis," the statement read.

It continued: "I have formally requested a civil rights review by the United States Attorney's Office and the Attorney General's Office. I will work with them to ensure a full and fair review is conducted and the interests of justice are protected."

Legal fallout

Gulluni's office has dealt with the bulk of the legal mess created by the Bigda videos, with defense lawyers leaping on the footage as an opportunity to cut deals for clients and have cases dismissed. Gulluni has not detailed how many cases have been imperiled, and he has stopped short of criticizing Barbieri's decision to keep Bigda on the payroll.

However, it was the district attorney's office that began voluntarily distributing the videos to defense lawyers in July when it became aware the footage existed, Gulluni said in previous interviews.

The footage had gone unreviewed for months despite the ongoing criminal prosecutions against the juveniles.

An offshoot investigation stemming from the same night, when police say the car was stolen, was launched in connection with a Wilbraham police officer's claim that a member of the Springfield department kicked one of the juvenile suspects in the head while he was handcuffed.

Officer Stephen Vigneault resigned in the wake of the incident. However, he has never been publicly identified as the detective who allegedly kicked the youth.

FBI officials were not immediately available for comment Friday. The agency investigates allegations of federal civil rights violations.

O'Regan, of the U.S. Attorney's office, declined comment.

Golf tournament benefits Mercy Behavioral Health Care

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The tournament was organized by John Kendzierski, President of PDC, and drew 50 golfers to the Edgewood Golf Course in Southwick. The successful event raised $4,600 through greens fees and sponsorship.

SPRINGFIELD -- Professional Drywall Construction, Inc., of West Springfield, recently sponsored a golf tournament to benefit Mercy Behavioral Health Care's Addiction and Recovery Services.

The tournament was organized by John Kendzierski, President of PDC, and drew 50 golfers to the Edgewood Golf Course in Southwick. The successful event raised $4,600 through greens fees and sponsorship.

"While we have sponsored this golf tournament for several years, this was the first time we raised money for a charity and the response was encouraging," Kendzierski said .

Mercy Behavioral Health Care (MBHC) is the largest provider of substance use disorder treatment in Western Massachusetts and the only provider with inpatient and outpatient treatment, including medication-assisted treatment delivered in opioid treatment programs. MBHC offers both short-term and long-term treatment to more than 950 patients a day at two sites in Holyoke and Springfield.

"With stories about opioid addiction and overdose deaths in the news so frequently, the situation has reached epidemic proportions and touched many of us directly or indirectly," said Kendzierski. "Mercy Behavioral Health Care's Addiction and Recovery Services offer an important resource for individuals who are struggling with drug addiction and want a better life for themselves and their families."

"We are extremely grateful for Professional Drywall Construction's support and commitment to the MBHC Addiction and Recovery Services. Their generosity is truly inspirational, and will help our exceptional team bring hope and healing to countless patients who suffer from addiction," said Allison Gearing-Kalill, Vice President, Fund Development, Sisters of Providence Health System.

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