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Watch the final presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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With just weeks left before Election Day, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton will go head-to-head in a final effort to win over voters Wednesday, as they meet in their third debate of the 2016 presidential cycle. Watch video

With just weeks left before Election Day, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton will go head-to-head in a final effort to win over voters Wednesday, as they meet in their third debate of the 2016 presidential cycle.

The prime time event, hosted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will kick off at 9 p.m. ET.

"Fox News Sunday" Anchor Chris Wallace will moderate the debate, which is expected to focus on six major subjects: Debt and entitlements; immigration; the economy; the Supreme Court; foreign hot spots; and fitness to be president.

Polls heading into the final presidential debate give Clinton a nearly 7-point edge over Trump, according to RealClearPolitics' averages.

The candidates' performance in the third head-to-head forum, however, could give either Clinton or Trump momentum heading into the final weeks of the campaign.


'Creepy' clown seen staring at children in Holyoke

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A "creepy" clown was seen staring at children on a street in Holyoke on Wednesday evening, according to police.

HOLYOKE — Police in Holyoke received reports of a man dressed as a clown "staring" at children on Wednesday night.

"We're still looking for the clown," said Lt. Isaias Cruz of the Holyoke Police Department.

Cruz said the incident occurred in the area of South Street and Myrtle Avenue at approximately 7 p.m., and that a parent called in to the department to complain that a clown was staring at some neighborhood children.

"Supposedly he was just staring at the kids," said Cruz.

The clown apparently fled down Myrtle Street before authorities arrived, and has not been apprehended, said Cruz.

 

Video shows Dem activist bragging about disrupting Trump rallies, voter fraud

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Conservative activist James O'Keefe has released secretly recorded, selectively edited video footage that includes a Democratic activist bragging about deploying troublemakers at rallies held by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

MIAMI -- Conservative activist James O'Keefe has released secretly recorded, selectively edited video footage that includes a Democratic activist bragging about deploying troublemakers at rallies held by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

After O'Keefe began releasing videos this week, two Democratic operatives stopped working on the presidential race and both the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign denounced the tactics described in the footage. Both said the activities described never took place.

O'Keefe's group, Project Veritas, promised to release additional videos ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

The central character in the recordings is Scott Foval, a Wisconsin-based liberal operative. He is portrayed in the footage as boasting about his connections to the party and the Clinton campaign, and claiming to have arranged for people, including some who are mentally ill, to incite violence at Trump rallies.

"You can message to draw them out, and draw them out to punch you," Foval is shown on a video as saying. (WARNING: Video below contains profanity)


Foval also appears to say hired agitators should have their medical and legal bills covered. As with much of the video's content, it's impossible to say with certainty what Foval meant, because the videos are edited in a way so that it's not clear what led to the comment.

In a separate video, Foval muses to an undercover O'Keefe associate about how it would be easier to get away with voter fraud if out-of-state residents drive to the polls in the targeted states in cars rather than being bused in by an organizer. "So you can't prove that it's en masse, so it doesn't tip people off," he says.

There's no evidence presented in the video that anything Foval discusses as a theoretical has ever occurred.

Foval told The Associated Press in an email that O'Keefe's associates had set him up.

(WARNING: Video below contains profanity)


"This scheme to cast legitimate organizing activities as a sinister plot is nothing but a ruse," he said, adding, "O'Keefe's crew of impostors continued to walk down a path of deception and manipulation."

O'Keefe and Project Veritas have a long track record of targeting Democratic groups, often by hiding their identities and using hidden cameras. A previous O'Keefe sting led to the demise of ACORN, a community organizing group that O'Keefe portrayed as engaged in criminal activity via hidden camera videos.

O'Keefe was convicted in 2010 as part of a scheme to illegally make recordings at the office of then-Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat.

In this case, Foval appears to have been several steps removed from the presidential race.

In July, the Democratic National Committee paid about $26,000 to Mobilize, the consulting firm of Robert Creamer, a longtime liberal activist based in Washington and the husband of Illinois Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Creamer was also featured in the latest O'Keefe videos, although not saying anything that appeared to be unethical or illegal

His DNC contract called for him to stage Democratic events outside Trump rallies, and he hired Foval as a subcontractor.

Creamer told the AP that Democrats have, in fact, sought to limit their contact with Trump supporters, requesting police barricades to avoid conflicts. Creamer voluntarily ended his DNC contract on Tuesday, saying he was doing so to avoid becoming an election-time "distraction."

Americans United for Change, a liberal group that said it had a separate contract with Foval to work on Social Security issues, said it is no longer associated with him. People For the American Way, another group that once employed Foval, said it has not worked with him in months.

Both groups said that what Foval appeared to say in the videos did not reflect their ethical standards.

DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile accepted Creamer's decision to end his contract work and said in a statement the activities described in the videos "do not in any way comport with our long standing policies on organizing events."

She also said she does not believe anything "articulated in the video actually occurred."

Clinton campaign spokesman Zac Petkanas said the campaign supports the decision to cut ties with the operatives ensnared by O'Keefe, saying "some of the language and tactics referenced in the video are troubling even as a theory or proposal never executed."

In last presidential debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump clash over guns and Second Amendment

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In the last presidential debate before the Nov. 8 election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump went at it over the Second Amendment as they were pressed on their views on the Supreme Court.

In the last presidential debate before the Nov. 8 election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump went at it over the Second Amendment as they were pressed on their views on the Supreme Court.

The high court will likely be dramatically reshaped by whoever wins the presidential contest.

Trump, the Republican nominee who was endorsed by the NRA, said he backs a Supreme Court that upholds the Second Amendment, which he called "absolutely under siege."

"We will have a Second Amendment which will be a very very small replica of what it is now" under a President Clinton, Trump said.

The justices he plans to appoint if he wins the White House will be "pro-life" and have a "conservative" bent, he said. "They will interpret the Constitution the way the Founders wanted it interpreted and I believe that's very, very important."

Clinton, the Democratic nominee and former secretary of state, said she plans to appoint judges that will not be "on the side of the powerful, corporations and the wealthy." Her nominees will stand up on behalf of the rights of LGBT people and women.

Clinton said she supports the Second Amendment. "I respect the tradition of gun ownership," she said. "But I also believe there can be and must be reasonable regulation."

Clinton voiced support for "comprehensive" background checks.

"I understand that Donald's been strongly supported by the NRA, the gun lobby's on his side," Clinton added.

In last presidential debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spar over who is Vladimir Putin's 'puppet'

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Vladimir Putin wasn't at the third and last presidential debate in Las Vegas, but he cast a long shadow over the stage as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump trade jabs over who is dancing to the Russian ruler's tune.

Vladimir Putin wasn't at the third and last presidential debate in Las Vegas, but he cast a long shadow over the stage as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump trade jabs over who is dancing to the Russian ruler's tune.

When debate moderator Chris Wallace brought up a quote of Clinton's that surfaced in hacked emails sent to and from her campaign chair's inbox, the Democratic nominee used it as an opportunity to slam Russia.

The Russian government was behind the hacked emails, which were posted on the site Wikieaks, Clinton said. The campaign has declined to verify whether the emails are real.

"This has come from the highest levels of the Russian government," Clinton said, adding that Trump should make clear that he rejects "Russian espionage against Americans."

Trump said he doesn't know Putin. "If we got along well, that would be good," he said, adding that Putin has "no respect" for Clinton or President Obama.

"He'd rather have a puppet as president," Clinton shot back.

"You're the puppet. No, you're the puppet," Trump said.


Wallace noted that top US security officials believe Russia is behind these hacking attacks, and asked Trump whether he condemns any interference by Russia in the November election.

Trump said he does condemn any inference, by Russia "or anybody else."

"This is not my best friend," he added, referring to Putin.

Trump's remarks the Clinton campaign to post to Twitter a Trump quote from 2013.


Earlier in the exchange, Trump said Clinton was making a "great pivot" from the original question from Wallace, which dealt with an excerpt from a speech to a Brazilian bank. Clinton said her dream is a "hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders."

"She wants open borders," Trump said. "People are going to pour into our country."

Clinton said the rest of the sentence in the quote raised by Wallace dealt with energy. She stated that she wants to an electric grid and overall energy system that crosses borders, she said.

As the exchange wrapped up, with a focus on Putin, Wallace noted, "We're a long way from immigration."

'Overwhelmed' says grateful homeowner Neil Doling as volunteers renovate 12 Holyoke properties (photos)

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Over 200 volunteers renovated a dozen homes on Beech and Walnut streets in Holyoke, Massachusetts on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 in a program with Revitalize Community Development Corp of Springfield and the city using $100,000 in federal funds and $100,000 from fundraising.

This story updates an article published at 1:16 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016: 12 Holyoke homes renovated for free in Revitalize Community Development Corp-city program

HOLYOKE -- Strangers stomped through and on top of his house at 153 Beech St. Thursday and Neil Doling appreciated the noise.

"I'm just overwhelmed really. Something I wouldn't have been able to do myself," said Doling, 57.

His was among 12 homes that over 200 volunteers renovated on Beech and Walnut streets in a program with Revitalize Community Development Corp. of Springfield and the city using $100,000 in federal funds and another $100,000 from fundraising, officials said.

The all-day work involved numerous city agencies, businesses and private organizations (see sponsor list below).

"Everybody has come together to really make this effort," said Colleen Loveless, president and CEO of Revitalize Community Development Corp.

Police closed off a lane of Beech Street as workers in green and white T-shirts wielded hammers, climbed ladders, measured materials for cutting, carried tables, pushed wheelbarrows and painted fences and benches.

The activity played out on Beech Street from Essex to Hampden streets, along with some work on Walnut Street, organizers said.

Doling's two-story brick row house was built in 1924. Work included installation of a new roof to stop the leaking, repairs to the front porch, addition of energy-efficient storm door and windows, painting, landscaping and installation of smoke detectors, Loveless said.

His mother's family bought the house on the GI Bill after his grandfather served in World War II. Doling, who now lives alone, said he is disabled and works part time as a custodian.

A crew from Beaulieu Home Improvement worked on the front porch roof and climbed ladders against the home's rear facade. The help that Revitalize Community Development arranges like the renovations in Holyoke is inspiring, said the company's Fran Beaulieu, who is on the organization's board of directors.

"They're always willing to give," Beaulieu said.

Angel Torres looked on from the sidewalk as volunteers painted the fence and did other work on the front of the row house at 147 Beech St. It's owned by his mother-in-law Graciela Rodriguez, 63, and is also his residence.

"I think it's great. It's work that I thought about doing in the near future but they got a head of me. It's great that they're thinking about the community," Torres said.

Work at 147 Beech St. included renovations to the back deck, new front steps, landscaping and painting, said Sharon Marshall of Revitalize Community Development.

"I'm excited that this is happening in Ward 4, grateful that Revitalize CDC is working together with the city and doing work block to block," said Jossie M. Valentin, the Ward 4 representative on the City Council.

The city targeted this section of Beech and Walnut streets to enhance other investments done on housing and facilities in the area as well as to address needs of families, Loveless said.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said he approved $100,000 for the project from the city's share of a federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

"This is a great partnership between the city and Revitalize CDC. House by house and block by block we will continue to improve and transform our neighborhoods. We hope this is just the beginning of this partnership and I intend to continue funding for this type of work again next year," Morse said.

Also, a fundraiser held Oct. 13 at the War Memorial here brought in over $100,000 for the project. Despite the CDBG funding in this case, Revitalize CDC projects generally consist of 80 percent to 90 percent private funding, Loveless said.

At Peasants Park at Beech and Appleton streets, volunteers painting benches included city Conservation Director Andrew Smith, Historical Commission Chairwoman Olivia Mausel and Alicia Zoeller, director of the Community Development Department.

Founded in 1992, Revitalize CDC works with donors and contractors to rebuild homes for the poor, the elderly, people with disabilities and military veterans.

Ethel Griffin, Revitalize CDC associate director, discussed the appeal of such work. She was retired as a financial analyst with the state and agreed to help the group organize its books for what she thought would be a few months, she said.

"I've been here for 13 years," Griffin said.

Renovations were done Thursday at these Holyoke addresses:

  • 98-100 Beech St.

  • 147 Beech St.

  • 153 Beech St.

  • 157 Beech St.

  • 167-169 Beech St.

  • 171 Beech St.

  • 195 Beech St.

  • 203 Beech St.

  • 194-192 Beech St.

  • 190 Suffolk St. (Corner of Beech Street)

  • 206 Walnut St.

  • 254 Walnut St.

  • Revitalize CDC projects also have renovated homes of military veterans here at 7 Winterberry Circle and 39-41 Clark St.

    Map of Holyoke renovations: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

    List of sponsors of the Holyoke home renovations: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

    Hadley library trustees seek Town Meeting approval for site plan, grant application

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    Voters rejected the site plan in May.

    HADLEY -- Fall town meeting voters this month will again be asked to consider moving ahead with a plan for a new library, along with requests to build a new senior center and a fire department substation.

    In May, town meeting members voted against allowing a new library to be built at the site of the former Hooker School on Middle Street. The site currently is home to the senior center and other town offices.

    No vote was taken on a subsequent article that would have allowed the library trustees to apply for state grants to fund a building project.

    The trustees are again asking town meeting members to approve the site, and to allow the trustees to move ahead in seeking grant funding.

    Neither vote commits the town to building a new library, but would allow trustees to apply for the state grant.

    After the spring vote, library officials conducted a survey to see what people thought about the project and provide guidance

    Goodwin Memorial Library Trustee chairwoman Jo-Ann Konieczny believes that people now have a better understanding about what the articles are asking. Debate was cut off during the May meeting, she said, so trustees weren't able to fully explain the proposals.  

    She said the town's Capital Planning Committee approved the project. According to the town meeting warrant, the Select Board voted 3 to 2 to recommend authorizing construction of a library at the site.

    The Finance Committee is not taking a position because the article doesn't involve finances at this point.  

    "There's a great moment of understanding," she said. "I feel like the boards really understand."    

    The town needs to apply for the state library grant by January and would hear back in the summer of 2017.

    The state would cover about 51 percent of the cost.

    Town meeting will not consider any dollar amount for the library at this time but consider it later. The town would pay an estimated $3.5 million for its share of the costs, Town Administrator David Nixon said.

    Town meeting voters will also consider a plan build a new senior center on town-owned property on Middle Street, behind the current center. That would free up the Hooker School site for the proposed library project.

    The town meeting article asks voters to consider approving money for the design and construction of a new senior center. The estimated cost is about $5.3 million, up from an initial estimate of $3.5 million, Nixon said.

    Another article, if approved, would authorize $3.6 million in borrowing to design and build a fire department substation in North Hadley, on ball fields beyond the North Hadley Town Hall. 

    Nixon said the latest cost estimate for the project is $2.9 million because the size of the proposed substation has been scaled back. 

    The town is considering whether to provide its own ambulance service, and needs space for ambulances. The town currently contracts with Amherst.  

    All told, the projects would add 28 cents to the current tax rate of $11.15, Nixon said.

    That would mean about a monthly hike of about $95 for the average homeowner.

    The cost factors include the retiring of some prior debt and borrowing at 5 percent. The actual interest rate would likely be less, he said. 

    Town meeting begins at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Hopkins Academy.

    STM Warrant 2016 by ledermand on Scribd

    Coat drive to distribute more than 1,000 coats to kids in need in Greater Springfield

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    The coat distribution will be held Nov. 5 at the Salvation Army on Pearl Street.

    SPRINGFIELD — With her bright pink coat in hand, Gianna Begin, 6, of Springfield, walked right up to the donation bin and added it to the dozens of coats already piling up.

    "This one is too small for me and I wanted to give it for a kid that has no coat," said the little girl, accompanied by her parents as she delivered the coat to the 94.7 WMAS coat drive going on until 6 p.m. outside the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

    "We have been doing really well so far," said Bridget Lynott Rohan, an on-air personality and promotions director for WMAS. "A lot of people have come by and donated one or even several coats."

    Those who donate can spin a wheel and win tickets to the WMAS Halloween party on Oct. 28.

    The event is just one way for people to donate coats for the annual Coats for Kids drive organized by the Salvation Army in collaboration with the radio station, Berkshire Bank, Belmont Laundry, America's Box Choice and Market Mentors LLC. All Pride stores in the region have partnered with "Coats for Kids" and are serving as drop off locations for coats.

    "America's Box Choice donated all of the boxes that are at the donation locations across the region, and Berkshire Bank provides a grant so we can advertise," said Amanda Moyer of Market Mentors. "It's a collaboration between business, the community and the Salvation Army."

    Last year about 1,500 coats were collected. This year the hope is to collect between 1,700 and 2,000.

    "We tend to run out of coats for children in the 2- to 6-year-old range the fastest, so those coats are certainly appreciated," said Danielle LaTaille, social services director for The Salvation Army. "We get a lot of adult coats that fit our teens, and if an adult really needs a coat we will certainly try to help them as well."

    This is the first time Maj. Norma Moore and her husband Maj. David Moore will run the "Coats for Kids," drive after having been appointed to the Springfield Salvation Army recently.

    "The Salvation Army can only do what we do because the community supports us. If they didn't we would not have the money or resources to serve the clients," Norma Moore said. "If it wasn't for the support of all these business and different social groups we wouldn't be able to serve people, so we are very thankful for their efforts."

    Over at the Hall of Fame, Eileen Mason of Springfield made her annual contribution.

    "I was cleaning out the closet and decided to bring these in," she said. "I try to every year if I can."

    The gently used coats will all be cleaned by Belmont Laundry before being distributed on Nov. 5.

    Anyone with children in need of coats who lives in Greater Springfield can stop by the Salvation Army on Nov. 5 after 9 a.m. Please bring a picture ID, proof of address and proof of children in the home (birth certificate, social security card, health insurance card, etc.).

    For a list of coat drop-off locations, visit salvationarmycoatsforkids.com.


    Springfield police problems result in probation sentence for cocaine dealer

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    Ricardo Rivera of Springfield pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, distribution of cocaine and negligent driving

    SPRINGFIELD -- After admitting Thursday in Hampden Superior Court to crimes including selling cocaine to a customer in the parking lot of PriceRite on Boston Road in September 2015, Ricardo Rivera was sentenced to a year of probation.

    He also admitted to possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Assistant District Attorney Robert A. Schmidt said Rivera backed into Police Officer Edward Kalish, pinning him between Rivera's car and Kalish's car, injuring Kalish's leg.

    Schmidt and defense lawyer Joe A. Smith came before Judge Tina S. Page with a joint recommendation -- sentence Rivera to a year probation. Schmidt said the reason for the low recommendation is that former city police officer Steven Vigneault collected the evidence and would not be available to testify at a trial.

    Page said she would reluctantly accept the sentence recommendation in light of the prosecution's statement that the reason for the probation sentence was Vigneault being unavailable to testify.

    Vigneault resigned several months after a Feb. 26 incident in which an unmarked police vehicle parked outside a pizza restaurant in Springfield was stolen by teens.

    Officers from the Palmer and Wilbraham police departments stopped the fleeing car in Palmer with a Stop Stick that shredded the car's tires. Three boys, ages 14 to 16, were taken into custody while a fourth escaped, according to police reports.

    In the days following, a Wilbraham police officer filed an "excessive force" report, stating a group of Springfield police detectives showed up at the scene, and one kicked one of the boys in the face while he was on the ground and in handcuffs.

    The report did not identify the Springfield officer. 

    In videos recorded in February at the Palmer Police Station, Springfield police officer Gregg Bigda is seen threatening to kill and plant drug evidence on two teens accused of stealing the Springfield Police vehicle. Bigda received a 60-day suspension for the incident.

    Although Bigda's name was not mentioned in the Rivera plea session, a police report on Rivera's arrest showed Bigda and Police Officer Luke Cournoyer were involved in the arrest of Rivera.

    According to a prosecutor, Cournoyer was in the room at the Palmer Police Department when Bigda was threatening the teens.

    Smith said Rivera's action in backing his car up to flee was done out of fear as he didn't know who was surrounding his car since the officers were in plainclothes. Smith said Rivera couldn't see that anyone was in back of his car that he would hit.

    "He could have killed that officer," Page said as she expressed her reluctance to accept the probationary sentence.

    In his report of Rivera's arrest, Officer Jose Robles wrote: "Detective G. Bigda, along with Lt. Ayala, were then able to pull Mr. Rivera out of his driver side window and after a brief struggle Detectives were able to placed Mr. Rivera into custody."

    If the case had gone to trial, not only would Vigneault have been needed as a witness, but Bigda may have been called. If the prosecution did not call Bigda, the defense would have that option.

    In several unrelated cases over the past weeks, prosecutors have said Bigda would be unavailable to testify.

    Rivera, 28, of Springfield, had been incarcerated for 90 days in the current drug case before posting bail.

    Watching the entire procedure in Page's courtroom were members of Gary Boisseau's Springfield Central High School government class consisting mostly of seniors.

    The Central High School students heard Page go through the "colloquy" with Rivera, telling him in detail what rights he was waiving in order to plead guilty.

    After Rivera was sentenced, Page and other court personnel spoke to the students informally and took their questions.

    In answer to a student's question about recidivism, Page said society hasn't addressed people who are addicted, particularly those with addiction and mental health issues.

    She said she has seen too many cases where if she had the option to sentence people to secure treatment facilities, she would.

    Smith said recidivism is a factor because once a person has a felony conviction, it is difficult to get a job.

    Massachusetts courts to examine racial disparities in imprisonment rates

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    Chief Justice Ralph Gants, in his annual State of the Judiciary address, said the judiciary is launching an effort to examine implicit bias in the state's legal system.

    BOSTON -- The Massachusetts judiciary is launching an effort to examine implicit bias in the state's legal system and figure out why the rates of imprisonment for African-Americans and Hispanics are so much higher than for whites.

    "We need to learn the truth behind this troubling disparity and, once we learn it, we need the courage and the commitment to handle the truth," Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants said in his annual State of the Judiciary address, delivered Thursday at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston.

    Gants said he has asked Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow to create an independent research team to explore the reasons for racial and ethnic disparities in incarceration rates.

    According to the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission, the rate of imprisonment for African-Americans was 5.8 times greater than for whites nationally in 2014, and eight times greater in Massachusetts. The rate of imprisonment for Hispanics was 1.3 times greater than for whites nationally, and 4.9 times greater in Massachusetts.

    Gants said the court is training judges and court staff to examine implicit bias and seek to ensure that bias does not affect bail and sentencing decisions.

    Racial bias in the legal system has received attention recently due to high-profile cases nationally of apparent racial bias by law enforcement. Massachusetts Bar Association President Jeffrey Catalano said the bar association is planning a program in March about implicit bias in the legal system. Catalano said he has heard from colleagues who are minorities about their experiences with bias in the legal system. "It is eyebrow raising and jaw dropping," Catalano said. "Some subtle and implicit, some is overt."

    Massachusetts Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey said addressing racial and ethnic disparities is one of the top principles that the trial court is working on in the coming year, trying to determine the impact of the legal system on disparate populations based on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. She said the court has been taking steps like developing guidelines for setting pretrial conditions to provide more consistency in judicial decision-making.

    On other topics, Gants said the court system is working to make sure that litigants are not punished for being poor. "We are examining whether we are unwittingly punishing poverty by the imposition of fines, fees and restitution that a defendant has no ability to pay, and taking steps to ensure that the inability to pay does not result in the revocation of probation, the inappropriate extension of a period of probation, or time in jail," Gants said.

    Gants said the court system created six new court service centers in courthouses that help individuals without lawyers navigate the legal system. But he acknowledged that the justice system is "far, far away from where we need to be."

    Gants urged the Legislature to provide money to create more Housing Courts, to ensure that all residents have access to courts that specialize in landlord-tenant cases. Gants said these courts, and programs associated with the courts, save taxpayers money by keeping tenants from becoming homeless and landing in state-funded shelters.

    Gants also urged lawmakers to do more to reduce recidivism, potentially by reconsidering fees, such as an indigent counsel fee, which some defendants cannot afford and which can make it harder for them to rejoin society. "If we are committed to reducing recidivism, we should be lending defendants a helping hand to enable them to get back on their feet, not weighing them down with punishing collateral and financial consequences," Gants said.

    EPA upholds $613 million Housatonic River cleanup plan, tells GE it must truck toxic PCBs out of state

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    General Electric said it may appeal the decision upholding a $613 million cleanup plan.

    BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week upheld a federal court order requiring General Electric to truck tons of PCB waste dredged from the Housatonic River to a licensed out-of-state facility.

    The long-awaited administrative decision upholds a $613 million cleanup plan proposed by the EPA, and requires GE to excavate most of the contaminated soil in "hot spots" within a 10-mile stretch of the river from Pittsfield to Lenox, the Berkshire Eagle reports.

    General Electric said Wednesday it may appeal the EPA's administrative decision.

    "GE will clean the Housatonic Rest of River," a company statement read. "The only question is how it will be cleaned."

    The company had proposed a less costly plan, and wanted to create a local landfill in Berkshire County to dump tons of waste. The GE proposal has been the subject of intense protests from environmentalists in the region, and was opposed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

    Fifteen years ago, a consent decree was entered at U.S. District Court in Springfield that outlined requirements for PCB removal from the Housatonic, including a section in Pittsfield completed 10 years ago. The "Rest of River" segment is south of the city.

    The company has asserted that its "common sense solution" to the PCBs remaining in the Housatonic would protect human health and the environment, and be consistent consistent with the decree. 

    The chemicals entered the Housatonic from GE's Pittsfield electrical transformer plant from the 1930s until the mid-1970s. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are suspected carcinogens.

    GE may petition the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board, a three-judge panel in Washington. If no settlement emerges, the company or others could file suit at the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.

    Gov. Charlie Baker said in April he backs the EPA in its conflict with GE. The company moved to Boston from Connecticut this year, bringing 800 employees to a new world headquarters at Fort Point. 

    State Police Trooper injured after being struck by drunken driver in Medford

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    A Massachusetts State Trooper had to be taken to a hospital after being struck from behind by a drunken driver.

    MEDFORD — A State Trooper had to be transported to Massachusetts General Hospital on Wednesday night after a drunken driver struck their cruiser from behind while they were stopped at a red light, according to police.

    Police say that Anamaria Batista, 45, of Revere, was taken into custody at the scene, and has been charged for driving while under the influence of alcohol.

    The State Trooper is expected to recover, according to police.

    Batista was also charged with negligent and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, as well as failure to use care when stopping. Police say this is Batista's second operating under the influence offense.

     

    Early voting, Halloween safety among topics set for Holyoke Ward 7 meeting with Todd McGee, Nyles Courchesne

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    The neighborhood meeting in Holyoke, Massachusetts' Ward 7 has been arranged by City Councilor Todd A. McGee and School Committee member Nyles L. Courchesne and set for Monday, Oct. 24, 2016 at 6 p.m. at E.N. White School at 1 Jefferson St.

    HOLYOKE -- Early voting, Halloween safety tips and school issues will be among topics discussed at a Ward 7 meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at E.N. White School at 1 Jefferson St. with the ward's representatives on the City Council and School Committee.

    Ward 7 Councilor Todd A. McGee announced the meeting in an email Thursday. Nyles L. Courchesne is the Ward 7 School Committee member.

    City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee will discuss early voting for the Nov. 8 election. Representatives from the Police and Fire departments also are scheduled to attend, with neighborhood crime watch among topics to be discussed, McGee said.

    For more information call McGee at 413-262-5895 or Courchesne at 413-533-0531.

    Cottage Street, Route 141 through Easthampton, to be closed Monday for road repair

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    Cottage Street will be closed all day Monday, but several businesses along the section of road will be open.

    EASTHAMPTON - A section of Cottage Street, a major route into and out of downtown, will be closed for road repairs on Monday, and police are advising drivers to find other routes that day.

    A statement issued by police on Thursday says the Cottage Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Road work will make the road impassable between Orchard and Pine Streets.

    Businesses along that section of Cottage Street will be open, and the municipal parking lot near Whiskerz Pub will remain open via Maple Street.

    Police on scene will also be able to provide information regarding parking locations and alternate routes.

    Anyone with any questions is asked to call 413 529-1410.

    Audit response: Springfield documents, defends use of federal disaster funds for Central Street corridor revitalization

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    In response to a federal audit, city officials filed letters defending the use of hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal disaster funds for housing revitalization on the Central Street corridor in Maple High-Six Corners.

    (This story updates an article earlier today, seen here.)

    SPRINGFIELD -- City officials, in response to a federal audit, have provided more details on their use of disaster recovery funds, including their rationale for an expensive housing revitalization program on the tornado-ravaged Central Street corridor.

    Released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the audit examined $1.9 million in spending of federal dollars by the city in the wake of the 2011 tornado and other weather disasters.

    HUD called for additional documentation on "cost estimates and cost reasonableness" regarding the construction of five new homes on the Central Street corridor in the Maple High-Six Corners neighborhood by a single developer, Viva Development LLC of Springfield.

    The city may not have maximized its use of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds in that targeted use, HUD said, questioning if the city "could have potentially helped to house more low-income and moderate-income families."

    "Therefore, we questioned $827,118, the entire CDBG-DR contract amount paid to the developer of these five projects, minus program income returned to the city, as unsupported, and the city may need to reallocate the remaining budgeted amount of $299,721," the audit report states.

    HUD said it was concerned that the budgeted cost of building the new homes was much higher than their market value. In one instance, where the total development budget submitted by the developer was $377,775, the completed home was appraised at $190,000 and sold for $158,000.

    "This does not appear to be a reasonable use of CDBG-DR funds," HUD said.

    The full audit is available here.

    The city, in letters of response to HUD, said that Viva Development LLC was one of just two developers that submitted proposals to the city for the new housing, and that the proposal was deemed "advantageous" to the city by a local review committee. It was the only proposal that met bid requirements, the city said.

    The city also defended its decision to require the development of more expensive, higher-quality housing on the Central Street corridor, saying it met the mission of neighborhood stabilization and revitalization.

    "The homes are being developed in the Six Corners neighborhood, an area with high poverty, low property values and high rates of foreclosure and property abandonment," the city stated in one letter to HUD. "One of the city's strategies for the neighborhood was to improve the housing stock and thereby increase surrounding property values, so that owners throughout the neighborhood will be incentivized to stay, not to abandon properties."

    Furthermore, the city stated that "the high rate of subsidy" for the projects was needed to make the housing development viable and to achieve the city's goals. Developers were unwilling to build in that area without a subsidy due to costs of construction exceeding market values unless smaller, lower-quality houses were built, not in keeping with the city's goals, the city said.

    HUD, in response, said it is awaiting additional documentation, as planned by the city, and agrees that increasing property values and stabilizing the neighborhood is important. "However, we maintain our position that spending almost double the amount of the appraised value to develop a home does not seem reasonable," HUD said.

    The principle owner of Viva Development is listed as Alberto Ayala, a city police lieutenant.


    Connecticut medical examiner issues cause of death in East Hartford plane crash; stops short of declaring it suicide: reports

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    The crash has been called "intention" but the medical examiner said the manner of death remains undetermined "pending a review of circumstances."

    Reports out of Connecticut are that the state medical examiner has issued an official cause of death in the Oct. 11 crash of a small plane in East Hartford but it stops short of calling the death a suicide.

    The crash of the plane on a city street killed one person, student pilot, Feras M. Freitekh, and critically injured flight instructor Arian Prevalla.

    The National Transportation Safety Board concluded in its investigation early on that the crash was "an intentional act."

    There were reports following the crash that Freitekh and Prevalla argued and struggled for control of the plane just before the crash.

    According to the Hartford Courant, Chief Medical Examiner James Gill confirmed that the deceased was Freitekh and that the cause of death was due to burns and smoke inhalation.

    When the Piper PA-34 Seneca twin-engine aircraft burst into flames upon impact. Prevella was seriously burned.

    The Courant cites a statement by Gill in which he said the manner of death is "pending further investigation of the circumstances."

    The NTSB has already turned over the lead in the investigation over to the FBI. The FBI was initially looking to see if the crash was an act of terror, but that has been apparently ruled out.


    CBS News, citing the Associate Press, reported that investigators believe it was a suicide attempt, not terror-related. Freiteka, a Jordanian national first entered the U.S. in 2012 on a student visa to go to flight school. Freitekh returned to the U.S. in 2016, also on a student M1 visa, to attend the same flight school.

    The Courant cites sources who said he was distraught and feeling stressed over his poor performance at Hartford-based American Flight Academy. Fretekh already had his pilot's license and was taking advanced training.

    Neighbor to Neighbor registers nearly 800 new Massachusetts voters, preps for election day

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    Grassroots organizations like Neighbor to Neighbor worked to register people before the deadline on Oct. 19.

    SPRINGFIELD -- As election day nears, many new voters across Massachusetts will join the ranks of those casting ballots.

    Neighbor to Neighbor, a grassroots organization that focuses on local social activism and voter engagement, registered close to 300 new voters in Springfield as well as 500 in Holyoke and Lynn before Wednesday's deadline for the November election.

    "Many of our ancestors sacrificed theirs lives so that women and people of color could have the right to vote in this country," said Jafet Robles, a Neighbor to Neighbor organizer in Springfield. "Not voting is not rebellion, it's surrender."

    The organization recently launched a civic engagement campaign aimed at getting more people registered to vote and politically active.

    A public speak out was held last week on the steps of Springfield City Hall, where city officials including State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, Springfield City Councilor Adam Gomez, youth and others spoke about the importance of voting, Robles said.

    Now that they have registered, Robles said he hopes voters will become informed on the candidates both in the national and local elections as well as the ballot questions that will have direct effects on the community.

    "The democratic outcome of Questions 2 and 4 in particular are going to have a significant impact on our communities," Robles said, referring to questions regarding lifting the cap on charter schools and legalizing marijuana.

    "We need to get educated on these issues and fill the ballot box with our votes," he said.

    The general election will be held Nov. 8, but early voting will be held between Oct. 24 and Nov. 4.

    Feds call former NSA contractor's theft of 50 terabytes of secrets 'breathtaking'

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    "The evidence is overwhelming that the defendant abused this trust and chose to repeatedly violate his agreements, his oaths and the law_and to retain extremely sensitive government information to use however he wished," prosecutors said.

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- A former National Security Agency contractor's theft of top secret government information was "breathtaking in its longevity and scale," federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday aimed at keeping the man locked up as the case moves forward. They said he took enough classified material to fill roughly 200 laptop computers.

    The Justice Department also said it anticipated bringing additional charges against Harold T. Martin III, including charges under the Espionage Act, which would expose him to far harsher penalties if convicted. It described the evidence against him as "overwhelming" and said Martin admitted to investigators that he was illicitly storing classified materials.

    The court papers offered new details about the enormous volume of information prosecutors believe Martin stole and revealed the Justice Department's concern that Martin is or could be in contact with a foreign government. Prosecutors said Martin has had online communication in Russian and -- raising the specter of a situation akin to previous NSA leaker Edward Snowden -- said that if Martin were freed he "could seek refuge with a foreign government willing to shield him from facing justice."


    "Given the nature of his offenses and knowledge of national secrets, he presents tremendous value to any foreign power that may wish to shelter him within or outside of the United States," prosecutors said.

    A detention hearing was scheduled for Friday afternoon in Baltimore. Martin's attorneys said he never intended to betray his country and does not pose a danger or flight risk. They said Martin, a former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, does not have a valid passport and dismissed as "fantastical scenarios" concerns that he might flee.

    Martin was arrested at his Maryland home in August around the same time as federal officials acknowledged an investigation into a cyberleak of purported hacking tools used by the NSA. Those documents were leaked by a group calling itself the "Shadow Brokers," but there is nothing in court filings that explicitly connects Martin to that group.

    Prosecutors said agents who searched Martin's home and car seized dozens of computers and electronic devices, then found classified government materials from 1996 to 2016 and some 50 terabytes of information -- or enough to fill 200 laptops. One document marked as "Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information" included "specific operational plans against a known enemy of the United States," according to the court filing.

    The information includes an email chain marked as "Top Secret" that appeared to have been printed from an official government account. On the back of the document, prosecutors said, were handwritten notes describing the NSA's classified computer infrastructure. The notes, which include basic concepts about classified information, appear "intended for an audience outside of the Intelligence Community," the government said.

    Prosecutors also cited Martin's use of technologies designed to encrypt communication and allow for online anonymity. They said Martin, who had been trained in computer security and at the time of his arrest was enrolled in a doctoral program on information security management, appeared to be trying to connect to the internet anonymously using a specialized operating system.

    The government was likely referring to Tails, a Linux-based operating system that appears similar to Microsoft Windows -- but makes web browsing practically anonymous. It also vanishes once the computer restarts.

    Because systems like Tails direct internet traffic through a global network called Tor, it's harder for authorities to trace a user's internet address or capture identifying information about them. The operating system and the Tor network itself are largely used by journalists, activists and others who have a safety interest in keeping their web browsing habits a secret.

    Martin, a former contractor at Booz Allen Hamilton, had access to classified information since 1996, the government said.

    His arrest was a further blow to the NSA, coming three years after Snowden -- another NSA contractor who also worked at Booz Allen -- disclosed to journalists details about government surveillance programs. Snowden, who now lives in Moscow, was charged in his absence under the Espionage Act.

    "The evidence is overwhelming that the defendant abused this trust and chose to repeatedly violate his agreements, his oaths and the law_and to retain extremely sensitive government information to use however he wished," prosecutors said.

    Lawyer for fired Agawam cops says suspect in use-of-force case was drunk and 'extremely violent'

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    Attorney John Connor, who's representing three Agawam police officers who were terminated, has vowed to clear the officers' names in connection with an incident involving a prisoner at police headquarters.

    AGAWAM -- The lawyer for three Agawam police officers fired in connection with a use-of-force incident said his clients were physically assaulted and injured by a prisoner, who was "extremely violent" and highly intoxicated.

    "We're glad that there's a videotape that demonstrates that these officers acted appropriately at all times," said John D. Connor, the police union attorney representing the officers.

    Connor said he is confident Sgt. Anthony Grasso and officers Edward B. Connor and John P. Moccio will be exonerated when all the facts become public. The lawyer, who is not related to Edward Connor, said he will fight to clear the officers' names and get them back on the force.

    The incident began on the afternoon of June 19 at Six Flags New England, where David P. Desjardin Jr., 27, of Baltic, Connecticut, became angry after a bartender refused to serve him any more alcohol, according to an incident report filed in connection with the case.

    Agawam police officers and security personnel from the Six Flags New England Safety Department responded to Wahoo's Tiki Bar in the Hurricane Harbor Water Park and quickly located Desjardin, who was shouting at the bartender, the report stated.

    Officer Moccio tried to talk to Desjardin, who refused to calm down and assumed a fighting stance when Moccio tried to take him into custody, the report stated.

    That's when Desjardin "began to aggressively fight" with multiple police officers, according to a Six Flags paramedic, whose account formed the basis of the incident report. "The individual began to swing and kick officers," the paramedic stated, adding that one officer fell to the ground after being assaulted by Desjardin.

    As police continued to struggle with Desjardin, the paramedic and his partner joined in the effort to subdue Desjardin, the report stated. Desjardin continued to "thrash around and punch and kick" the officers, said the paramedic, noting that officers administered a blast of pepper spray to control the suspect.

    Desjardin continued to kick officers even after he was handcuffed, according to the paramedic. At that point, Moccio used his baton to administer blows to the inside and outside of Desjardin's thigh, the report stated.

    The disorderly conduct continued back at Agawam police headquarters, according to Connor, the attorney for the officers. "This was an individual who was extremely violent," he said. "Because of his intoxication and his fighting strength, he was very difficult to control."

    Connor, a partner at Connor, Morneau & Olin -- a Springfield law firm specializing in employment issues and wrongful termination cases -- said the case has generated a lot of misinformation.

    For instance, Desjardin wasn't seriously injured in the incident, Connor said. His only real injury, a head laceration, was the result of him banging his head against a cell wall at police headquarters, according to the lawyer. The wound didn't require any stitches, Connor said.

    "The officers used appropriate and reasonable force to stop this violent individual and bring him under control," Connor said. The lawyer said he had no idea why city officials who viewed the same camera footage that he watched somehow managed to reach a different conclusion about the officers' actions. 

    Connor said the prolonged struggle with Desjardin lasted up to 15 minutes at Six Flags, then reignited back at the police station, where Desjardin spat at officers and assaulted Grasso, a 19-year veteran of the department.

    Agawam Mayor Richard A. Cohen fired all three officers on Wednesday. His decision came after internal and external investigations were conducted, including one by an outside firm, and civil service hearings for the officers in September.

    The case is now in the hands of Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni, who will determine whether to prosecute the officers.

    Officer Connor, an Agawam cop since Dec. 22, 1987, earned $109,679.57 in 2015, according to city payroll records. Last year, Grasso and Moccio, who both joined the force on Dec. 1, 1997, earned $150,302.64 and $89,778.56, respectively, the records show.

    "The men and women of the Agawam Police Department serve this community with honor and distinction every day, and both Mayor Cohen and I stand firmly beside them," Agawam Police Chief Eric P. Gillis said.

    "We will continue to work hard to maintain a level of trust with our citizens, and we fervently hope that this incident will not interfere with those efforts," Gillis said.


    Parents of missing Vermont teen Autumn Sanville launch Gofundme to aid in search, as concerns for her safety mount

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    The parents of the missing 17-year-old Autumn Sanville have launched a Gofundme to help pay for the expenses of looking for her.

    SPRINGFIELD, Vt — The family of Autumn Sanville, the missing 17-year-old girl who disappeared from her home in Weathersfield, Vermont earlier this month, has launched a Gofundme to assist with the financial difficulties of locating her.

    The Gofundme's goal is $5,000, which the family says it wants to use to hire a private investigator to search for Autumn. The family has also set up a Facebook page dedicated to bringing her home, titled Help Find Autumn Sanville.

    Sanville disappeared from Weathersfield on Oct. 6--failing to come home from school like she normally did.

    Her 1999 Saab was discovered near a boat ramp in the neighboring town of Springfield, Vermont, a 13-minute car-ride from Weathersfield, and a short distance from the New Hampshire State line.

    "Autumn is a smart, funny, sweet girl," reads the Gofundme. "We want to locate her as soon as possible. Please help her family in any way you can. We are all praying for her safe return."

    Sanville's mother Karlene and her step-father Chris Rogstad recently expressed in an interview with NBC News that they believe Autumn may be in danger

    "In my heart, I know she didn't leave with the intention of not coming home," said Sanville's mother, in the interview. "She's a teen. Most teens sometimes skip a day of school. I don't believe she thought it was going to be longer than that. What if she's in a really dangerous situation, and people aren't looking at it that way?"

    In another interview, the parents revealed that they had been unaware that Autumn had been late for school several times in the days leading up to her disappearance, because school authorities had not alerted them to her tardiness.

    On the day she went missing, Autumn left for school in her Saab at 7 a.m., but never arrived there. School authorities reported that they were unaware of Sanville's absence until her mother called them later that evening.

    Because they were not contacted by the school, Sanville's parents didn't become aware of her disappearance until that evening--when the teen failed to come home before her shift at a local pizza parlor, as she usually did. After phoning the eatery, Karlene Rogstad discovered that Sanville hadn't been scheduled to work that evening.

    It was at that point that Sanville's mother began contacting her daughter's friends, asking them about her whereabouts. After getting no answers from them, the couple contacted the police.

    Karlene expressed in an interview that she believes Autumn willingly traveled to Springfield on Oct. 6, and may have gotten in someone's vehicle. However, she also said she believes that what Autumn entered into willingly may have turned into a situation that the teen cannot escape from.

    "I have the personal feeling that whomever she is with isn't letting her come back," Rogstadt said, in an interview.

    The couple also don't think Autumn could be with her biological father--as he has a no-contact provision in place.

    Police believe that Hoyt's Landing, the site where Sanville's car was discovered--and an entry point for people looking to travel the Connecticut River--was the last place that the teen's cell phone was active.

    Autumn is described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds, and having long brown hair and green eyes. Police say she was last seen wearing a black jacket and hood, blue jeans, dark boots, and a black and white plaid shirt.

    Anyone who believes they have information regarding Autumn's whereabouts has been encouraged to get in touch with Detective Sergeant Michael Dion at 802-722-4667 through the Vermont State Police Westminster Barracks.

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