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Watch: Car burns in East Longmeadow, no one hurt

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The owner had not driven his Pontiac Fiero in some time. He got out after noticing smoke. Watch video

EAST LONGMEADOW -- Fire sparked by an electrical short under the dashboard consumed a Pontiac Fiero Saturday afternoon near the intersection of Benton Drive and Denslow Road.

The driver, who hadn't had the car out on the road in some time, stopped the car and got out as soon as he noticed a wisp of smoke, East Longmeadow Fire Chief Paul Morrisette said. No one was injured.

The fire occurred just before 1:30 p.m.

The car was already fully on fire when firefighters reached it and is obviously a total loss.


Connecticut Troopers: I-91 northbound closed between Exit 42 and Exit 44

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Troopers say to take an alternate route.

WINDSOR LOCKS -- Interstate 91 northbound is closed between Exit 42 and Exit 44 because of a two-car crash with serious injuries, the Connecticut State Police said via twitter.

Traffic is being diverted off Exit 42. Troopers say to seek alternate routes.

Exit 42 leads to Connecticut Route 159 andis the last northbound exit before the bridge over the Connecticut River.

The alert was issued at about 2:45 p.m.

Burglary suspect arrested in Chicopee

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A breaking-and-entering suspect was taken into custody on Friday.

CHICOPEE — A man was arrested by police on Friday after being connected to several breaking-and-entering incidents that occurred in both Chicopee and South Hadley.

Richard Ittner, 59, of South Hadley, has been charged with two counts of night time breaking-and-entering to commit a felony, as well as two counts of larceny from a building, according to Officer Michael Wilk of the Chicopee Police Department.

Wilk said Ittner is suspected of being involved in a breaking-and-entering incident at the Route 22 Pizza Shop in South Hadley, as well as for a similar incident at KNT Computers on Memorial Drive in Chicopee.

Ittner was taken into custody at his residence in South Hadley and is being held until his arraignment in court on Monday, Wilk said.

Navy launches new high-tech destroyer

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If Batman had a warship, it would be the USS Zumwalt.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- If Batman had a warship, it would be the USS Zumwalt.

That's how Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, described the Navy's largest and most sophisticated new destroyer, which comes with a price tag of at least $4.4 billion.

"As long as our president and you the American people have an insatiable appetite for security, than I have an insatiable appetite for the stuff to underwrite that security," Harris said at the ship's commissioning ceremony on Saturday.

Here are some other details about the guided missile destroyer:

STEALTH

The 610-foot-long warship is sleek, with an angular shape to minimize its radar signature. It looks like a much smaller vessel on radar. Quieter than other ships, the Zumwalt is hard to detect, track and attack. A composite deckhouse hides radar and other sensors. Its powerful new gun system can unload 600 rocket-powered projectiles on targets more than 70 miles away.

POWER

Weighing nearly 15,000 tons, the ship's advanced technology and capabilities allow it a range of defensive and offensive missions to project power, wherever it is needed. Capt. James Kirk, commanding officer of the Zumwalt, says it generates 78 megawatts of power, "enough power to power a medium- to small-sized city." With a motto of Pax Proctor Vim (Peace Through Power), it's unique capability to generate power could be used in ways perhaps not even envisioned yet, such as in the testing and use of laser and directed-energy weapon systems.

MISSILES

The Zumwalt will be able to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, standard surface-to-air missiles and anti-submarine rockets from 80 missile tubes.

RIDE

The Zumwalt also features an unconventional wave-piercing hull that makes its ride "very smooth," said Lt. Cmdr. Nate Chase. "You had no fear of having an open cup of coffee and getting jerked around, like some of these other ships."

CREW

With 147 officers and sailors, the Zumwalt's crew is the smallest of any destroyer built since the 1930s, thanks to extensive automation. All sailors are cross-trained, and there's more sharing of tasks on the Zumwalt. Sailors have staterooms, instead of bunk rooms with dozens of people in them. "So, when they wake up, they wake up to only one or two alarm clocks, not four, not 50," Kirk says.

REFORMER

The ship is named after the late Adm. Elmo "Bud" Zumwalt, who earned the Bronze Star in World War II and commanded small boats that patrolled the Mekong Delta in the Vietnam War. He became the youngest chief of naval operations and earned a reputation as a reformer, who fought racism and sexism. "He changed our Navy in massive ways, some to make the fleet a more potent fighting force but most importantly he reformed the institution of the Navy to be more just and fair to all its sailors, making sure that all sailors regardless of race, creed, color, faith, had an opportunity to serve in whatever capacity that their heart and their passion desired to," Kirk said.

THE BRIDGE

On the bridge, there are 180-degree windows and chairs for the ship's captain and executive officer to command the vessel and plenty of video monitors.

STAR TREK?

Kirk rolls with questions about his sharing the first and last name of the fictional captain of the Starship Enterprise, telling reporters to "live long and prosper." But he says his parents named him after his grandfather, not Capt. James T. Kirk of "Star Trek."

"I have interrogated them about this a great deal -- more over the last couple of years than before -- and they tell me, no, it was all about my grandfather," Kirk says.

2 people stabbed during road rage incident in Springfield

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Two people were stabbed during what is being called a "road rage" incident in Springfield on Friday.

SPRINGFIELD — Two people were stabbed during a "road rage" incident that occurred in Springfield on Friday night, according to Western Mass News.

Police say the incident occurred on Andrew Street at approximately 5:15 p.m. on Friday, after a man nearly hit a man and a woman as they were crossing the street.

The driver--who has been identified as 25-year-old Ernesto Emanuel Rivera, of Springfield--proceeded to exit his vehicle and get into an argument with the pedestrians.

The verbal argument quickly escalated, and Rivera allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the woman under the armpit before stabbing the man on the side of the torso.

Though the wounds are not believed to be life-threatening, both victims were taken to Mercy Medical Center for treatment, according to police.

Rivera has now been charged with assault and battery by means of a knife, according to police and is being held at the Springfield Police Department on $15,000 bail.

Rivera is scheduled to be arraigned in Springfield District Court on Monday.

 

Seen@ 5th Annual Tommy's Tattoo Convention in Hartford

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t was a day filled with entertainment as the 5th Annual Tommy's Tattoo Convention continued its three-day weekend extravaganza which concludes Sunday, October 16.

HARTFORD - It was a day filled with entertainment as the 5th Annual Tommy's Tattoo Convention continued its three-day weekend extravaganza which concludes Sunday, October 16.

The event was a family friendly show and featured a replica of the Delorean time machine from the movie Back to the Future and a replica of the original 1960's Batmobile.

Children enjoyed temporary tattoos while the adults picked tattoo artists for their new artwork.

Other entertainment included a human contortionist, an illusionist, and multiple contests throughout the day. Contests included Best Portrait in color and black and white, Most Unusual, Best Halloween Theme, Overall Female, Overall Male, Best Back Piece, Best Chest Piece, Best Piercing, Best Horror, Best Traditional, Best Arm Sleeve, Best Leg Sleeve, and more.

Show co-coordinator Sean King said attendance for the three-day event should attract between 3,000 and 4,000 people from throughout the Northeast. The show was the brainchild of Somers, Connecticut businessman Tom Ringwalt and continues Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. For more information, log into www.tommystattooconvention.com.

Stoughton man admits to sending bomb threats to elementary school in Chicago and schools in Massachusetts

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A Stoughton man who emailed bomb threats to an elementary school in Chicago and schools here in Massachusetts pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court to five counts of sending bomb threats.

BOSTON -- A Stoughton man who emailed bomb threats to an elementary school in Chicago and schools here in Massachusetts pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court to five counts of sending bomb threats.

Anthony Rae, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani in U.S. District Court in Boston. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

Anthony RaeAnthony Rae of Stoughton 

Authorities said over a span of nine months, Rae used several different email accounts to send bomb threats to different educational institutions in three different states. The threats began in October 2014 when Rae sent two emails from an account and threatened to bomb an elementary school in Chicago.

Rae also threatened to bomb several public schools in Norwood.

"Subsequently, Rae hacked his mother's Hotmail account and used it to send two separate bomb threats to his own school - ITT Technical Institute in Norwood," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Rae's home and electronic devices in June 2015.

"The following day, Rae used a computer available to tenants of his apartment complex to continue his bomb threat spree - sending a bomb threat to Rhode Island College in Providence," authorities said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Rae faces a sentence of no more than 10 years in prison, three years of probation and a $250,000 fine.

Don Mclean holds intimate performance in Hartford (review, photos)

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HARTFORD - Americana icon, singer-songwriter Don Mclean held an intimate performance at the Infinity Music Hall in downtown Hartford on Saturday, October 15th.

HARTFORD - Americana icon, singer-songwriter Don Mclean held an intimate performance at the Infinity Music Hall in downtown Hartford on Saturday, October 15th.

Playing to an audience of around 200 people, Mclean focused on showcasing the release of his upcoming album, Botanical Gardens, which is rumored to be released in 2017. Folks in attendance got a good taste of the first selections from it, mixed with some of his greatest hits.

"I know that you're a classy crowd because you enjoy the new songs you don't know just as much as the old ones that you do," Mclean said.

Kicking off the set with a classic and a cover of Buddy Holly's "Everyday", he moved on to a few cuts from his latest album with "I'm the Lucky One" and "You've got Such Beautiful Eyes."

While much of his discography is comprised heavily of classic folk simplicity, his newest addition has just a slight hint of a country influence it seems; or at least that was the preview we were treated to on Saturday night.

Moving on, he took a step back in time to "And I Love You So", from his debut album, Tapestry, released in 1970. The song became an instant classic at its release, and has been covered by many of the greats including artists like Perry Como, Bobby Vinton, Harry Connick Jr. and "my favorite" Mclean revealed "Elvis Presley", who recorded a cover of the hit in 1975 and used it in every one of his live performances until his death in 1977.

Mclean's performances are as much about sharing his story it seems as they are about performing his music, riddled with anecdotes and tales from his youth.

After speaking about learning to play the guitar, he recalls a fond memory of his high school talent show. "I played this song, and I remember the whole school just went bananas" he says, moving directly into gospel classic "This Little Light of Mine". The crowd joined in this time for a sing along. The extended performance included a brief breakdown so each member in the band could take a solo.

Performing a few more classics like "Crossroads" and "Vincent" from his American Pie album, he takes a break between songs to talk about setting off from his hometown for the first time to pursue his music in California and witnessing the the MGM Studio auctions in the late 60's.

He then performed "Magdalene Lane", a song written in the same era, a semi-satirical commentary on the global and economic climate in the late 60's.

At the end of the song he exclaimed "And when I got back home from California, there was a 50 foot billboard on my street promoting my first album. You can make your dreams come true in the United States, which is why I believe it's a great country!"

Mclean finished his performance with a few more classics and a performance of the title track off his upcoming album, "Botanical Gardens", moving directly into a short encore that started with American classic, "American Pie" followed by "Lotta Lovin" and a cover of Webb Pierce's "I Ain't Never."

From a listener's perspective the performance, which was just over one-and-a-half hours was technically flawless, and with the exception of a few very minor hiccups was as close as many will see to a live representation of a series of recordings.

Mclean continues to play on sporadically throughout the rest of 2016 with dates into January. He heads to the West coast in early November for a few dates before heading back to the East coast.

View photos from the show above, and for more information about upcoming tour dates and news about the release of his upcoming album, visit his official website.


Former babysitter Abigail Hanna sentenced to prison for kidnapping 2-year-old girl and leaving her naked on the side of the road

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The former babysitter of 2-year-old Lyndon Albers was sentenced to serve 5-to-7-years in prison last week after she pleaded guilty to breaking into the child's Hamilton home last year and kidnapping her, according to the Essex County District Attorney's Office.

The former babysitter of 2-year-old Lyndon Albers was sentenced to serve 5-to-7-years in prison last week after she pleaded guilty to breaking into the child's Hamilton home last year and kidnapping her, according to the Essex County District Attorney's Office.

Abigail Hanna, 22, of Topsfield will be on 10 years of probation after she serves her sentence. She pleaded guilty in Salem Superior Court on Friday.

Hanna admitted to breaking into the family's home in the early morning hours of Nov. 20, 2015 and taking Lyndon from the home.

"The child was later found naked on the side of Newbury Road in Rowley by passers-by," according to a press release. " The child's head had been shaven and she had severe abrasions on her forehead and numerous circular burn marks on her body."

Essex Assistant District Attorney Kristen Buxton wanted Hanna to serve 10-to-15 years in prison.

"This is a parent's worst nightmare; a person comes into your home in the middle of the night and takes your child," the prosecutor said in court. "This defendant's appearance today is not consistent with the horror she inflicted on this family and this community."

Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett and Hamilton Police Chief Russell Stevens said the actions of Hanna inflicted damage on the child, her family and an entire community.

"This defendant caused immeasurable harm to a young, defenseless child and her family," Blodgett said. "Her actions warrant a state prison sentence and my only hope is that this provides the family with a reprieve during which they can re-build their sense of security."

Hanna must stay 100 yards away from the victim and her family once she is released on probation. Hanna is banned from entering the town of Hamilton and must stay 50 yards away from schools and playgrounds.

She cannot have unsupervised contact with children under 16, must obtain mental health treatment and take all medication as prescribed and cannot drink alcohol or use marijuana. Authorities said Hanna will be monitored by GPS for the first two years of her probation and she is required to register as a sex offender.

Lyndon Albersjpg 112015.jpgLyndon Albers 

Authorities said the requirement to register as a sex offender was because Hanna pleaded guilty to kidnapping and not because there was any sexual component to the crime.

Westfield crash leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

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The single-car crash happened around 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

WESTFIELD - One person was killed in a car crash late Saturday night.

The accident happened at about 11:30 p.m. on Russellville Road near the intersection of Cabot Street, Westfield Police said.

The crash involved one vehicle which struck a tree. A second occupant in the car was injured and brought to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, police said.

The accident was reported as a rollover crash. The roads were closed late Saturday night and early Sunday morning while officers investigated and cleared the accident scene, police said.

Westfield Fire Department and Massachusetts State Police assisted at the accident scene.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation by the Westfield Police Traffic Bureau and the Massachusetts State Police Collision and Accident Reconstruction bureau, police said.

This is a breaking story. Masslive will update as more information becomes available.

University of Virginia administrator seeks $7.85M over Rolling Stone's debunked rape story

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For the first time since Rolling Stone magazine's shocking story about a brutal gang rape at the University of Virginia hit shelves two years ago, the public may hear from the young woman at the center of the now discredited article "A Rape on Campus."

RICHMOND, Va. -- For the first time since Rolling Stone magazine's shocking story about a brutal gang rape at the University of Virginia hit shelves two years ago, the public may hear from the young woman at the center of the now discredited article "A Rape on Campus."

A defamation trial against the magazine is set to begin on Monday over the November 2014 article about the woman identified only as "Jackie" and her harrowing account about being gang raped in a fraternity initiation. University administrator Nicole Eramo, who counseled Jackie and claims the story cast her as its "chief villain," is seeking $7.85 million.

Jackie was forced to answer questions about the case in April, but her comments have been kept under wraps. Now, Eramo's attorneys have said they intend to call Jackie as a witness at trial, although it's possible the jury will watch a video of her deposition instead of hearing from her in person. An attorney for Jackie declined to comment.

The story described in alarming detail Jackie's account of being raped by seven men at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house in September 2012. Eramo's attorneys claim the article portrayed her as indifferent to Jackie's plight and only interested in protecting the university's reputation. After it was published, Eramo, who then served as associate dean of students, received hundreds of emails and letters calling her a "wretched rape apologist" and "disgusting, worthless piece of trash." Eramo still works for the university, now in a different administrative role.

An investigation by Charlottesville police found no evidence to back up Jackie's claims and details in the lengthy narrative did not hold up under scrutiny by other media organizations. Rolling Stone officially retracted the story in April 2015. Since then, three lawsuits have been filed against the magazine. A judge earlier this year threw out one case brought by three fraternity members, but a $25 million lawsuit filed by the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at UVa is scheduled to go to trial late next year.

Eramo's trial will focus heavily on whether Rolling Stone editors and the article's author, Sabrina Erdely, acted with "actual malice," meaning that they knew what they were writing about Eramo was false or at least should have known it wasn't true. U.S. District Judge Glen Conrad ruled in September that Eramo should be considered a public figure, which means she must prove actual malice in order to get certain monetary damages.

"A lot of this case is already decided," said Lee Berlik, a Virginia libel attorney. "The big unknown really is how much damage did Ms. Eramo suffer to her reputation, what is that worth and I guess, most importantly, did Rolling Stone know what it was writing was untrue or should it have known?"

Eramo's attorneys claim Erdely purposely avoided information she feared might ruin her preconceived narrative about how schools treat sexual violence victims while ignoring numerous red flags about Jackie's credibility. Among other things, Jackie didn't provide Erdely with the full names of the men she claimed attacked her and they were never interviewed for the story.

"Ms. Eramo's legal team is looking forward to presenting the overwhelming evidence showing that Sabrina Erdely and Rolling Stone knew that what they published about Ms. Eramo was false and defamatory," Libby Locke, an attorney for Eramo, said in an email. Locke said Eramo was not available for an interview.

Rolling Stone's lawyers counter that Erdely had no reason not to trust Jackie, but stress that the young woman's credibility isn't the issue in the case. Rolling Stone attorneys argue in court documents that they still believe their reporting about Eramo and the university's handling of sexual assault reports is "accurate and well substantiated." Rolling Stone points to a U.S. Department of Education investigation that found last year that that UVa failed to promptly respond to some sexual assault complaints and created a "hostile environment" for victims.

"Dean Eramo's lawyers are attempting to shift the focus of her lawsuit in the media to Rolling Stone's reporting errors surrounding Jackie," Rolling Stone spokeswoman Kathryn Brenner said in an email. "The depiction of Dean Eramo in the article was balanced and described the challenges of her role. We now look forward to the jury's decision in this case," she said.

The jury is expected to view hundreds of pages of documents, including Erdely's reporting notes, emails between Erdely and her sources and audio recordings of Erdely's interviews with Jackie. The judge recently ruled that Eramo's attorneys won't be able to show the jury a video of Erdely's deposition because they violated court rules by leaking it to ABC's "20/20."

In giving the green light last month for the case to proceed to trial, Judge Conrad said he believes a jury could reasonably conclude based on the evidence presented thus far that the magazine acted out of actual malice. He noted that the evidence suggests that several people told Erdely her portrayal of Eramo wasn't accurate and that Erdely had reasons to question Jackie's credibility.

Among other things, the judge pointed to Erdely's apparent disbelief when Jackie told her that two other women were gang raped at the same fraternity. Erdely told Jackie that was "shocking," according to her reporting notes.

"I don't know the stats on gang rape but I can't imagine it's all that common? So the idea that three women were gang raped at the same fraternity seems like too much of a coincidence," Erdely wrote.

"It happens a lot more often than people might think," Jackie replied.

West Springfield breast cancer survivor works to empower other women

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When West Springfield resident Cynthia Sheridan Murphy was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer two summers ago at the age of 53, she told herself "I just needed to get through this." Thirteen months of treatment motivated her to help other women on similar journeys.

When West Springfield resident Cynthia Sheridan Murphy was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (pdf) two summers ago at the age of 53, she told herself "I just needed to get through this."

Getting through the next 13 months involved a mastectomy, four rounds of chemotherapy over 12 weeks, six weeks of radiation therapy, a five-night hospital stay for breast reconstruction and then facing complications from lymphedema, a build up of circulating bodily fluid that sometimes results from treatment. This condition in her right arm delayed her return to work as a dental hygienist.

It is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of breast cancers are triple negative (pdf). Breast cancer that is negative for estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors does not yet have hormonal or targeted treatments. This can make the diagnosis of triple negative more challenging to treat, though survival rates for this form of breast cancer are said to be similar to other forms after five years with available treatments, and scientists are getting closer to understanding some of the genetics of the different types of triple negative.

Sheridan Murphy continues to be checked every three months.

During much of the last year, with her ready smile and stylish signature cowboy hat, she has been working as well on her journey of what she calls a "breast cancer survivor/thriver" to empower other women on their journeys against the disease, too.

Earlier detection and more treatment options mean that there are more women alive today in the United States who have had a diagnosis of breast cancer. It remains, however, a disease that starts at the cellular level (pdf) and for which there is no cure.

cindysheridan murphy2.jpgWest Springfield resident Cynthia Sheridan Murphy is shown here with her website that features a video of her cancer journey with Connecticut musician Debra Lynn Alt's song based on the stories of survivors. 

"I totally felt my body betrayed me. I also beat myself up emotionally about 'Did I cause this?' I ended up battling emotions like self-doubt, guilt, anxiety and fear," said Sheridan Murphy who five years ago had lumpectomies to remove two small tumors confined to the same breast without further treatment.

She said she never understood at the time that radiation as a follow up can significantly reduce the risk for the recurrence of cancer in the breast. One of her messages now to the newly diagnosed is to ask questions. Follow-up was a mammogram at six months and then yearly mammograms.

"I tell women to be their best self advocate. And during treatments, ask questions. Don't assume the doctors know all the answers," Sheridan Murphy said.

A former triathlete who did this year's Big 5K Road & Fun Run, Sheridan Murphy felt the presence of the stage 2 tumor whose cancer cells had spread to her lymph nodes between mammograms. The size, the fact that it had spread to the lymph nodes in the underarm were why she underwent a mastectomy to remove the tumor, chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells anywhere in the body and radiation to destroy any cancer cells in the breast.

"On a Sunday, after a morning run and an afternoon swim at friends, I had just gotten home and I felt a painful area when I hit my breast accidentally. My initial reaction was, 'What did I do today to cause my side to hurt.' When I felt the area, I felt a lump about the size of a golf ball," recalled Sheridan Murphy who is married and the mother of two grown children.

She said the initial treatment planned was "a mastectomy and 10 days later reconstruction."

"But my biopsy of the sentinel lymph node showed it had spread to my lymph nodes. Treatment was now chemotherapy followed by radiation, then reconstruction," she said.

Sheridan Murphy said she did not elected to have a double mastectomy as she was informed her risk was very low for developing cancer in the opposite breast.

"I am happy with my decisions and found my doctors very informative, so I did not see a reason to have a double," said Sheridan Murphy who said she was glad to be treated locally for her diagnosis of triple negative through the Baystate Regional Cancer Program.

Sheridan Murphy said she was "scared of everything," and very "emotional" during treatment, which was sometimes very painful, and felt "all alone" when it ended.

"I cried at the drop of a dime and anytime a doctor had to touch me. I think I was just so hypersensitive to touch," she said.

"My challenges were mainly emotional. I was trying to keep myself from admitting I was sick. I would blog, write, go to friends' houses, my kids' games and pretend I was fine. I could handle the surgeries, drugs, etc., but I hit rock bottom when treatments ended and I felt all alone. I was full of self-doubt, guilt, anxiety, fear and depression."

This is when, Sheridan Murphy said, "I took my schooling as an empowerment coach and put it into action. I hired a business coach and started focusing on helping others and my vision for my future."

Sheridan Murphy is a co-facilitator, along with Rays of Hope founder Lucia "Lucy" Giuggio Carvalho, of a breast cancer support group that meets the first Tuesday of the month, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Cancer House of Hope at 1999 Westfield St, West Springfield.

The group is part of Survivor Journeys, which is having its annual gala to support such resources Oct. 28 at Chez Josef in Agawam. The non-profit organization was founded by Dr. Jay Burton, an area physician and cancer survivor who also established the Primary Care Cancer Survivorship Program of Western New England at Springfield Medical Associates.

"A friend gave me Dr. Burton's card that she saw at an office. She knew my goal was to educate other women and empower them to take control of their health and to move beyond cancer to a more fulfilled life," said Sheridan Murphy of her involvement with Survivor Journeys.

"I believe there is a need for more support in emotional healing. The doctors do their job, but when it is done, you are left feeling all alone. Your physical scars heal but the emotional component is difficult to face alone. That is why I believe survivorship programs are necessary."

Sheridan Murphy did a silent video about her cancer journey to share as part of Motives Cosmetics Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. She later asked Connecticut singer-songwriter Debra Lynn Alt if she could add Alt's inspirational song "Each Moment We're Alive," based on the stories of other cancer survivors, to the video. The two women now work together on motivational projects. They are featured participants at an Oct. 29 fund-raiser in Connecticut for the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation.

This March, after additional reconstructive surgery, Sheridan Murphy was able to return to work as a dental hygienist one day per week.

"My life has changed tremendously. I have great value in each day. Tasks that were irritating now have value. I stopped taking on everything and schedule what I enjoy first in my calendar. I also vision the future more which is exciting," said Sheridan Murphy

She has her own business website that features the video with Alt's song.

Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and a Mediterranean style diet are thought to help boost the body's immune system against diseases like cancer.

Sheridan Murphy is a member of Paradise City Dragon Boat, a coed team of cancer survivors and supporters who paddle on the Connecticut River in Northampton. She said the experience as a member has become for her "not only physical activity, but also emotional since many are cancer survivors themselves."


UConn student struck by fire truck and killed

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The Connecticut State Police is investigating the cause of the accident.

STORRS, Ct. - A University of Connecticut student was stuck and killed by a campus fire truck while walking early Sunday morning.

The accident happened around 2:48 a.m. on the campus, according to the Hartford Courant.

University of Connecticut Police responded but turned the investigation of the crash over to state officials. The State's Attorney Office and Connecticut State Police Crash Analysis Reconstruction Squad are now examining the cause the accident, according to the Hartford Courant.

The student's identity has not been released until her family can be notified.

Interfaith forum speaker: Climate change 'threatens everything we love'

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The Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas will give the keynote address, "Climate Change: An Emergency of the Heart," at an interfaith forum on the environment Oct. 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. at First Church of Christ of Longmeadow.

SPRINGFIELD - The Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas is a woman with many titles - Episcopal priest, author, retreat leader, lecturer and teacher - that all converge around the issue of climate change.

She will deliver the keynote address, "Climate Change: An Emergency of the Heart," at an interfaith forum on Oct. 30, 2 to 5 p.m., at First Church of Christ of Longmeadow.

Her advocacy work earned her the 2016 "Steward of God's Creation Award" from the National Religious Coalition on Creation Care.

Convergence is a theme in Bullitt-Jonas' life as an early love of literature, Divine help in facing an eating disorder and call to priesthood at the time of growing awareness of global warming helped put her on the path of climate activism.

"I've always been interested in how our inner life - our visceral response to beauty, images, words, and stories - relates to the world outside us," Bullitt-Jonas said.

"As a teenager and young adult I was fascinated by the relationship between literature and social justice. In college I majored in Russian literature and wrote an honors thesis about the failed effort by the Soviet Union to use art to advance social change."

She said it was in graduate school that her life took "an unexpected turn" as "after a long struggle with an eating disorder, I finally got into recovery."

"Through the grace of God, I made peace with my body," Bullitt-Jonas said.

"I was so surprised by the divine love that saved my life that I headed to seminary. I was ordained in the Episcopal Church in June 1988, the same spring that the New York Times was reporting on what scientists were saying about the threat of global warming. I wondered: if it's possible for a crazy addict like myself to make peace with her body, might it not be possible for human beings to make peace with the body of the Earth?"

Bullitt-Jonas, who will preached at all three services on Sunday, Oct. 23, at Christ Church Cathedral, notes that in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, God gives human beings "dominion" over the Earth.

"Dominion has unfortunately been misinterpreted as being the license to dominate and destroy. However, the Bible is very clear that the Earth does not belong to us. It belongs to God - 'The Earth is the Lord's, and all that is in,' says Psalm 24,'" Bullitt-Jonas said.

"Our role as human beings is to tend and care for the Earth as stewards entrusted with an enormous gift. The word 'dominion' comes from the root word 'Dominus' - Lord - so I interpret 'dominion' to mean that we are called to love the world as our Lord God loves it."

The first sermon Bullitt-Jonas ever preached was on the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which sent 11 million gallons, or 257,000 barrels, of oil along 1,100 miles of Alaskan coastline.

She is knowledgeable about both the scientific as well as spiritual implications of climate preservation efforts, ranging from the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed at preventing Earth from "warming more than an average of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels," she notes, to Governor Charlie Baker's executive order for "his administration to cut back greenhouse gas emissions."

Still, Bullitt-Jonas says if individuals are serious "about wanting to preserve a habitable world," and end dependence on fossil fuels, "we'll have to work for it - to organize, lobby, vote, pray, invent, create, protest, and push - to do it together and do it fast." 

The Paris Agreement, signed by nearly 200 nations, is estimated to curb greenhouse gas emissions whose excess traps too much heat in Earth's atmosphere, by about half of what is needed to stop the consequences of human induced climate change. According to government statistics, greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, from the burning of such fuels as gas and coal for heat, transportation and electricity, have increased by seven percent since 1990.

Bullitt-Jonas received her undergraduate degree from California's Stanford University, a doctorate in comparative literature from Harvard University and a master of divinity degree from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge.

Since 2014 the former parish priest has served as missioner for creation care for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and, since this year, as well as for the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ.

"I feel like a walking sign of the possibility of Christian unity in the face of the climate crisis, and I give thanks for people of other faiths who walk beside me," Bullitt-Jonas said.

"For many of us, the great obstacle to thinking about climate change is fear: fear that if we admit how much we care, we'll be overwhelmed by grief; fear that it's too late for meaningful action - we're already cooked; fear that our efforts won't make a difference; fear that we're incapable of changing our ways and finding a more life-sustaining path; fear that the solutions to climate change require sacrifice; fear that if we don't cling tightly to what we have and grab for more, we'll lose it all."

She calls climate change "an existential crisis, for it threatens everything we love: the health and safety of our children, the well-being of the poor and vulnerable, the ongoing existence of our brother and sister species, even the stability and ongoing existence of human civilization."

"Climate change presents difficult moral questions," Bullitt-Jonas said.

"By continuing to burn fossil fuels, we are stealing a habitable world from our children. Do we have the moral right to leave a ruined world to those who come after us? Do we have the moral right to harm the poor, who are the people hurt first and hardest by the effects of climate change? Do we have the moral right to decimate our brother and sister species in what scientists call the world's sixth major extinction event? If we don't have the moral right to do these things, how do we forgive ourselves and set a new course?"

She said in her work she tries to "convey God's love for the natural world and to evoke our God-given yearning to protect the web of life."

"I've organized prayer vigils, spoken at rallies and conferences, lobbied locally and in D.C., and been arrested twice for non-violent civil disobedience," Bullitt-Jonas said.

"When we understand how much God cherishes the Earth and its communities, human and other-than-human, we receive strength to join the struggle to transform society so that it no longer devours and exploits the Earth and the poor. Love is ultimately what motivates us, not grief, rage, or fear."

Bullitt-Jonas feels "we can do a lot as individuals to reduce our personal carbon footprint - drive less, use public transportation, put on a sweater and turn down the heat, ditch the dryer and hang laundry outside to dry, eat local foods, support our local land trusts and farms, and so on."

"But the scope and pace of the climate crisis require change on a much broader scale. We need to keep fossil fuels in the ground and to stop building fossil fuel infrastructure, such as new oil and gas pipelines," Bullitt-Jonas said.

"We need public policies, such as a fair and rising price on carbon, which will accelerate the transition to clean energy sources, like sun and wind. We need to exercise our right to vote and to support candidates who understand the emergency and who will move us toward solutions that benefit all communities, including the poor and historically under-served. Our country needs to address the climate crisis with the same fervor and clarity of purpose that Americans demonstrated when they mobilized to transform the economy during World War II."

Bullitt-Jonas said she is "grateful for the efforts that the Obama administration has made to push for climate solutions."

"I am grateful for the Clean Power Plan, which takes an historic and important step toward reducing carbon pollution from power plants, and I appreciate his desire to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," said Bullitt-Jonas who was arrested and released after paying a fine for taking part in a 2001 interfaith "witness" at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. against further drilling in the refuge.

On Saturday, 170 countries meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, agreed to cut the use of hydrofluorocarbons that are used in air conditioners and refrigerators. HFCs gases have a much greater ability than carbon dioxide to trap heat in Earth's atmosphere. The Kigali amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol is legally binding, and its successful negotiated is attributed in part to the efforts of President Obama.

Bullitt-Jonas called Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical, "Laudato Si: On Care For Our Common Home," a "thrilling document."

"It is short, but in its pages Pope Francis gives a wonderfully comprehensive vision of the world. He understands that everything is connected. The same mindset that allows us to dominate and exploit the earth is also the mindset that allows us to dominate and exploit the poor and the vulnerable, including women, people of color, immigrants, and refugees." Bullitt-Jonas said.

"The cry of the earth is inseparable from the cry of the poor. To put it another way, the struggle for a livable world is the same as the struggle for a just and peaceful world."

Bullitt-Jonas said "one of the first things" she did as in the newly created position of missioner for creation care was "to launch a Season of Creation in our diocese, a period of about six weeks that begins on the Feast Day of St. Francis" on Oct. 4. She noted St. Francis is often referred to as the "patron saint of ecologists."

"During this special period, congregations are invited to pay particular attention to our Christian call to honor the Earth. Through sermons, special worship services, and educational experiences, Christians have a chance to renew their relationship with the God who loves and redeems the world and who sends us out to follow Jesus in his mission of justice, mercy, and hope," Bullitt-Jonas said.

She added she keeps a "framed image of St. Francis, painted by the Maine artist, Nancy Earle, in a prominent place in my house" and has been empowered in her own climate activism by the saint's life.

"In the painting, St. Francis is accompanied - even interpenetrated - by other living creatures, such as a wolf and a whale, and by wind, sun, water, and fire. He knows that his boundaries do not stop with his skin. He knows that human beings do not exist in isolation, but only in communion with other creatures and with the Earth upon which all life depends," Bullitt-Jonas said.

She added that she and her husband are currently living in the Berkshires while building an energy efficient home in Northampton.

"I am grateful to be living right now in an old farmhouse beside a pond. Every morning I can step outside and see what God is up to in the wind and trees and water. When I spend time in nature and my mind grows prayerful and quiet, I begin to experience my interconnection with everything that is," Bullitt-Jonas said.

"The prophet Isaiah advises, 'Do not turn your back on your own kin,' and I'm coming to realize that our 'kin' extend way beyond human beings. Several years ago I changed my car's license plate to KINSHP. "

Connecticut State Police arrest 2 in 10-year-old murder case

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Both suspects are being held on $1 million bail.

LEDYARD, Ct. - State Police have arrested a second men and charged him in a 10-year-old homicide of a Groton man.

Christopher P. Vincenti, 32, of Niles Hill Road, New London, Connecticut, is scheduled to be arraigned on a felony murder charge on Monday in New London Superior Court, Connecticut State Police said.

He turned himself into police at about 6 p.m., Friday after Superior Court officials issued a warrant for his arrest. He is being held on $1 million bail until his arraignment, police said.

Vincenti is the second man to be arrested this month and charged with the 10-year-old killing of Anthony Hamlin, who was 40 at the time of his death, police said.

On Oct. 6, Timothy P. Johnson, 32, of Norwich, Connecticut, was also charged with felony murder in the case, police said.

He was arraigned in New London Superior Court on Oct. 7 and held on $1 million bail. His case has been continued to Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

Hamlin, of Groton, Connecticut, was found dead on Jan. 28, 2006, in a field in the area of 428 Shewville Road. He was last seen in New London, police said.

"Over the past decade State Police detectives have followed up on multiple leads and conducted numerous interviews. Through the course of this lengthy investigation State Police detectives recently developed information linking the suspects to the death of Anthony Hamlin," State police officials said on their Facebook page.


Amherst homicide victim IDed as 31-year-old, second man recovering from multiple gunshots

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Law enforcement officials said the shooting was not a random act.

AMHERST - The victim killed in a double shooting at the Southpoint Apartment complex on Friday night has been identified as a 31-year-old man.

Jose "Joselito" Rodriguez was killed shortly after midnight on Saturday at the complex on 266 East Hadley Road in Amherst, said Mary Carey, spokeswoman for Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.

Rodriguez was staying at the apartment complex at the time of his death but had no stable address, Carey said.

A 28-year-old man was also shot multiple times in the crime. He is being treated at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Carey said.

The shooting happened at about 12:15 a.m. Rodriguez died before police arrived and the other victim was immediately brought to a local hospital by ambulance, officials said.

No arrests have been made. Police said the shooting was not a random act but have not released any details on the motive for the crime, Carey said.

The homicide is being investigated by Amherst Police, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services.

Officials at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst said they did not know of any affiliations Rodriguez had with the college.


Anyone with information is asked to contact the Amherst Police Department at 413- 259-3015, or to text a tip to the anonymous tip line at 274637.


Six Flags in Agawam celebrates Fright Fest complete with cockroach eating contest: What people were Tweeting

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This is the one place where creepy clowns were welcome. Watch video

AGAWAM -- With the Halloween season well upon Western Massachusetts, Six Flags is celebrating its annual Fright Fest complete with creepy clowns, weapon-carrying zombies and a cockroach eating contest.

Yes, this week six people got a chance to participate in the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach contest - and contestants had to eat the giant bugs while they were alive. Contestants had a chance to win a season's passes to the park if they could stomach the idea.

Six Flags New England has been holding its Fright Fest for a number of years, to end the amusement park season and have a little Halloween fun. This is the one place where creepy clowns were expected and even welcomed.

Attractions for adventurous thrill seekers included the Wicked Woods, Slasher Circus in 3D, and the all new Forgotten Laboratory. Haunted Zones were scattered throughout the park at locations such as: The Main Street Graveyard, Tombstone Territory, Undead Alley, and the Demon District.

For the mellower crowd, an indoor stage production of the Graveyard Groove: A Monster Revue, was performed under the roof of the former carousel ride where creatures are unleashed from their tombs. Actors, in combination with an exhilarating soundtrack, get the audience's feet stomping and blood pumping.

People photographed themselves with zombies, in coffins and on scary rollercoasters. Here are some of the things people have been Tweeting about the Fright Fest.

Woman arrested in fatal accident on I-91 in Connecticut

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The highway was closed for more than an hour and traffic was diverted off at Exit 42.

WINDSOR LOCKS, Ct. - A 34-year-old woman was arrested after she allegedly caused a fatal accident Saturday afternoon which closed Interstate 91 northbound for at least an hour.

Katell Gunning, 144 Main St., Newington, Connecticut, is being held on $150,000 bail until her arraignment scheduled for Monday in Enfield Superior Court. She is being charged and with operating under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, evading responsibility and operating with a suspended license, Connecticut State Police said.

The accident happened at about 1:55 p.m. on Interstate 91 northbound just before Exit 44. When police arrived they found a Ford F-350 truck overturned and laying against trees on the right shoulder of the highway.

Ambulance personnel determined the driver died at the scene. He has been identified as Kevin Dutra, 46, of Colchester, Connecticut, police said.

Witnesses told police the driver of a Volkswagen SUV struck the truck from the rear and then fled. "The F-350 (driver) lost control after being struck, swerved across the roadway, struck the metal beam guardrail and overturned and stopped against trees along the right shoulder," police said.

State troopers tracked down the Volkeswagen driver shortly afterward in the Walmart parking lot in East Windsor. She was not injured, police said.

Motorists were diverted off the three lanes of Interstate 91 at Exit 42, causing serious traffic jams for more than three hours.

The crash remains under investigation by State Police in Troop H. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has any information is asked to call officers at 860-534-1000. All calls will remain confidential, police said.

26th annual and final SIDS Race for Life in Springfield (photos)

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26th annual and final SIDS Race for Life in Springfield was held in Springfield, Massachusetts on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016.

SPRINGFIELD - The 26th annual and final SIDS Race for Life was held in Springfield on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016.

382 runners registered for the Five Mile Road Race and 3.75 Mile Fun Walk. The event was held at and hosted by the John Boyle O'Reilly Club. The event also included a Food Truck Festival.

All proceeds benefit the Massachusetts Center for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The 2016 run was in held in loving memory of Barry P. Metayer, Jr. Check out the photographs from the race above or for more information about the SIDS Race for Life run/walk visit their website.

Baby boy born on Massachusetts Turnpike

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A woman delivered her child on the 1-90 turnpike Sunday night.

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FRAMINGHAM — A baby boy and his mother have been safely transported to the hospital after he was born in an ambulance on the Massachusetts Turnpike, police said.

Massachusetts State Police received a call around 7:07 p.m., Sunday from a Framingham couple, who had just pulled over on Interstate 90 Eastbound at the Allston Brighton tolls (exit 18), because the woman was in labor, police said.

The couple had pulled into the tandem parking lot just after the toll booth so State Police dispatched area troopers and Boston Emergency Medical Services to the scene.

Police said Trooper Joseph Hilton was the first to arrive with Lt. William Nee shortly behind. They began rendering aide to the woman as she was in active labor.

An ambulance arrived at 7:35 p.m., but before the woman could be transported, a baby boy was delivered in the ambulance. They were then transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.

No further information is currently available.

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