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Boston Road paving in Springfield expected to trigger lane closures, traffic delays

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Motorists are warned to expect lane closures and traffic delays on Boston Road in Springfield due to paving work scheduled Oct. 23-26, 2016, weather permitting.

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SPRINGFIELD -- A contractor hired by the city is tentatively scheduled to pave a section of Boston Road on Saturday and continuing into next week, that is expected to trigger lane closures and traffic delays.

The paving is slated to to begin Saturday on Boston Road, weather permitting, from State Street to Bay Street, according to the city's Department of Public Works. The paving is scheduled for completion on Wednesday, weather permitting.

Lane Construction Corp. is doing the work. The work on that section of Boston Road including prior milling work, paving work and related improvements is being financed by state Chapter 90 funds, costing $675,000.


Man facing attempted murder charge in Greenfield following on-foot police chase

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Greenfield police took a man into custody Friday afternoon after he allegedly tried to fire a gun several times downtown.

Greenfield police took a man into custody Friday afternoon after he allegedly tried to fire a gun several times downtown.

Greenfield Officers Cody Guilbault and Patricia West were walking near town hall, on foot patrol, around 1:30 p.m. Friday when they heard men yelling in agitated tones nearby. As the officers sought the men involved in the altercation, a pair of male subjects ran towards them and one yelled that the other was in possession of a firearm. 

Officers told the man to stop, an order he did not obey and the officers chased him on foot from Veterans Mall across Court Square, down Bank Row and into a parking lot behind Olive Street where he was taken into police custody.

No weapon was found on his person but a gun was located nearby where the on-foot chase began, one that was reported stolen several states away.

The victim told police that the man, later identified as 34-year-old Emmerit Kiner, of Waltham, had pointed the gun at him several times and tried to fire it, though the faulty weapon did not discharge a bullet.

Kiner has been arrested on two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, attempted murder, use of a firearm while committing a felony, possession of a large capacity firearm while committing a felony, possession of a firearm without a license to carry, possession of ammunition without a permit, receiving stolen property worth more than $250 and disorderly conduct.  

Springfield College warns students of recent sexual assault incident involving 'unknown' assailant

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Springfield College sent out an email to students on Thursday, warning of them of an alleged sexual assault incident involving an "unknown" assailant.

SPRINGFIELD — Students at Springfield College have been warned about an alleged sexual assault incident that occurred on the school's campus on Wednesday, that supposedly involved an "unknown" assailant, according to WWLP.

An email sent out Thursday alerted students to a sexual assault that had been reported and that might "pose a threat" to safety on campus, according to the news site.

The email stated that the alleged incident occurred in Abbey Appleton Hall early Wednesday morning, and that the perpetrator was "unknown" at that time.

The school subsequently sent students safety tips and announced that it would provide a 24/7 safety service to escort students who don't feel safe when they are traveling on campus.

A student told the news channel about the email they received, saying "I got an email that night, they just told us to be aware, lock our doors, stay with friends, take precautions, don't put yourself out there and always be aware of your surroundings."

The Springfield College Public Safety Department is investigating the alleged assault.

Anyone that may have information related to the incident has been encouraged to contact the Springfield College Police.

 

Defendant in 2013 Springfield death of 5-month-old child to remain held without right to bail

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Miguel Fonseca-Colon is charged with murder for the January 2013 death of 5-month-old Jadamier Cintron.

SPRINGFIELD -- Despite a defense lawyer's plea Friday to release murder defendant Miguel Fonseca-Colon on personal recognizance with GPS monitoring, a Hampden Superior Court judge said Fonseca-Colon must stay in jail without the right to bail.

Judge Edward J. McDonough made the decision after hearing lengthy arguments from the prosecutor and defense lawyer in the Springfield murder case.

David P. Hoose, lawyer for Fonseca-Colon, attacked the strength of the prosecution's case against his client, criticized the investigation into the death of a 5-month-old baby in January 2013 and said his client has been held 26 months already awaiting trial.

Assistant District Attorney Jane E. Mulqueen urged McDonough to keep Fonseca-Colon in prison without right to bail.

"This is a brutal, vicious murder of a helpless 5-month-old," she said. She said Jadamier Cintron had a fractured skull, 32 rib fractures, a lacerated spleen and other injuries.

"I cannot let a murderer walk out the door," she said. Fonseca-Colon was indicted for murder in August 2014.

The reason Fonseca-Colon, 34, was back before a judge regarding the issue of bail is because on Oct. 14, a Hampden Superior Court judge dismissed indictments against Fonseca-Colon.

Judge Tina S. Page, in her ruling, said prosecutors failed to present videotaped statements from the baby's mother, Diana Llanos, and aunt to the grand jury that indicted Fonseca-Colon in 2014. She said the prosecution "simply presented select statements and elicited testimony from the two women that supported its theory of the case."

Once the Superior Court case was dismissed, the state had no basis on which to hold Fonseca-Colon in jail, Mulqueen said, so she got a Springfield District Court warrant charging him with the murder again.

Hoose was in front of Springfield District Court Judge Wlliam J. Boyle earlier this week asking that his client be released. Boyle declined to do so, so Hoose appealed Boyle's decision to Hampden Superior Court.

Mulqueen said she plans to present the case to a grand jury again and get Fonseca-Colon indicted again in Hampden Superior Court.

"How long is it fair to ask Mr. Fonseca to sit in jail while the Commonwealth does its investigation?" Hoose asked McDonough. He said if released, Fonseca-Colon would live with his sister in Westfield.

Hoose challenged the prosecution's theory that the child was killed during the 20 minutes Fonseca-Colon was babysitting while the baby's mother went to the store. He said Fonseca-Colon had no relationship with the child but was just staying at the mother's house when he needed a place to live.

"There is no question someone battered this child to death," Hoose said. He said the case was not investigated thoroughly by the prosecution, especially when it came to other possible suspects.

He said after all the time since the baby's death and since Fonseca-Colon has been held, he still does not have all the medical discovery -- or evidence from the prosecution -- he needs for the case.

Hoose said court rules prevent him from stating in open court all the information he has. He said the prosecution knew Llanos didn't have custody of her three older children. She lost custody of one permanently and the other two were in the custody of her mother because of neglect, Hoose said.

The two children were not supposed to be around the baby but often were, he said. The prosecution knew of the violent nature of the then 8-year-old half-brother of Jadamier, he said.

Hoose said the toxicology report on Jadamier showed he had mirtazapine, sold as Remeron, in his system. Remeron is an antidepressant with strong sedative effects, he said.

"What is mirtazapine doing in a 5-month-old child?" Hoose asked.

Mulqueen said the investigation into the medical reasons for the child's death was very extensive. She said there is evidence of shaking as well as "evidence this child was pummeled." Her medical expert says the brain injury to Jadimier would have caused "immediate and sustained unconsciousness."

She said the investigation considered Jadamier's mother, aunt and then-8-year-old brother as suspects, but each was removed as a suspect.

Mulqueen said Fonseca-Colon is the only individual who had access to the child before he died.

Page wrote in her ruling dismissing the indictments, "Fonseca-Colon points to many potentially exculpatory statements that were not introduced to the grand jury that support his argument that the commonwealth presented false or deceptive evidence 'knowingly and for the purpose of obtaining an indictment.'"

She said the prosecution's failure to present the recorded interviews, which are inconsistent with grand jury testimony, presents a distorted picture of not only Fonseca-Colon's relationship with the baby, but also about the baby's relationship with his brother.

Page said the two women's "equivocal statements, inconsistent statements and shifting timelines gravely distorted the presentation to the grand jury and may have had an impact on the grand jury's decision to indict."

Demonstrators protest police brutality in Springfield

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About 20 protesters lined State Street outside Wesley United Methodist Church Friday afternoon in a demonstration against police brutality.

SPRINGFIELD - About 20 protesters lined State Street in the city's Mason Square neighborhood Friday afternoon in a demonstration against police brutality.

Passing cars honked as demonstrators waved signs reading "Stop police brutality," "Who do you protect?" and "Drop the commissioner."

The hour-long action was designed both as part of a nationwide day of protests against police misconduct and as a reaction to recent allegations of abuse by Springfield police officers, organizer Solobia Hutchins said in an interview.'

"It needs to be known that police brutality happens and people need to stand up for themselves," Hutchins said. "They're scared to press charges or go in to give a report."

A series of revelations about alleged police misconduct in Springfield has led to a growing chorus of criticism for the Springfield Police Department.

Det. Gregg Bigda was caught on video in February threatening to plant drugs on a juvenile suspect and crush his skull. He was investigated and suspended for 60 days, though the incident was not publicly disclosed until it was reported by The Republican.

Ten city councilors have signed a letter calling for more transparency in the case and questioning why Bigda was not fired. Police Commissioner John Barbieri has said that he did not believe a firing would survive civil service arbitration.

The Bigda scandal has also harmed prosecution efforts, throwing into chaos drug cases linked to the testimony of Bigda and other officers involved in the incident.

On Sunday MassLive reported that 12 Springfield police officers are under investigation for their alleged roles in the beating of a group of men outside Nathan Bill's Bar and Restaurant in April, 2015.

The case has referred to the Hampden County District Attorney's Office for investigation, and no disciplinary hearings have yet been held. Once that investigation is complete, it is expected that the accused officers will have hearings before the Community Police Hearing Board.

And this week a federal magistrate judge allowed a police brutality lawsuit against the department to move forward, ruling that there was the possibility of systemic problems with how the city responds to complaints of police misconduct.

City Councilor Justin Hurst released a statement describing the Community Police Hearing Board, whose seven volunteer members are appointed by Mayor Domenic Sarno and hold hearings on misconduct cases, as a "sham." He is calling for disciplinary powers to be stripped from Barbieri and handed back to a civilian police commission akin to the one which oversaw the department until 2006.

Sarno and CBHB Chairman Hector Zavala have both pushed back against the criticism. Sarno said that there was no widespread problem with brutality in the department, and defended the efforts of officers to apprehend sometimes violent suspects.

"I will once again reiterate I am proud of our Police Department," Sarno said. "This is not systemic, nor symbolic of the men and women in blue who put their lives on the line day in and day out. We ask them to go out there and clean up our streets."

And Zavala released a letter saying that the CPHB takes its investigations seriously and works with the department to ensure fair outcomes. Hutchins said that fear and distrust of police officers has led to some residents being unwilling to report crimes or call 911 during emergencies.

"They're here to protect us, and if we're scared to call them they can't protect us," Hutchins said. "It's hard to call the police because we're not sure what's going to happen or if we're going to be the victim."

Judge orders release of some police records on suspended Detective Gregg Bigda to defense attorney

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A Hampden Superior Court judge has ordered the Springfield police commissioner to provide a defense lawyer with witness statements from an internal investigation into the conduct of two police officers.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Hampden Superior Court judge has ordered the Springfield police commissioner to provide a defense lawyer with witness statements from an internal investigation into the conduct of two city police officers.

Judge Edward J. McDonough on Friday issued a summons to the office of Police Commissioner John Barbieri to release to lawyer Tracy Duncan certain statements from the department's investigation of Detective Gregg Bigda's February interrogation of two juvenile suspects as Officer Luke Cournoyer stood by.

Duncan made the request on behalf of Maurice Young, 42, of Springfield, who is charged with trafficking 18 to 36 grams of cocaine and other counts. Bigda and Cournoyer were among the officers who participated in a raid of Young's Reed Street home on June 27, 2015.

The case is one of a number of drug prosecutions potentially jeopardized by videos that show Bigda making threats to two teens accused of stealing an unmarked police vehicle outside a Springfield pizza shop, following the teens' arrest in Palmer after a car chase.

Officer Luke Cournoyer was in the room at the Palmer police station as Bigda terrorized the juveniles, telling one of the boys he would plant a kilo of cocaine on him to ensure a long jail sentence.

"Whatever I put in the police report is the truth," Bigda told one of the teens, according to court documents.

Bigda received a 60-day suspension for the incident, and his credibility as a witness in drug cases has been called into question in a number of recent court hearings.

Assistant District Attorney Kerry Beattie said Bigda and Cournoyer only handled marijuana seized during the raid of Young's home. Because of the officers' roles, Beattie said, a charge against Young of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute was dropped several days ago.

McDonough said the percipient witness statements included in the Springfield department's Internal Investigation Unit's probe of the Palmer interrogation are relevant because Bigda and Cournoyer "are the subject of an internal investigation which concerns the issue ... of planting controlled substances for the purpose of issuing criminal process."

Percipient witness statements are usually eyewitness statements.

In relation to the records regarding Bigda's interrogation of the teens, McDonough wrote in his ruling on Young's case: "I find that defendant has demonstrated that 'there is a specific, good faith reason for believing that the information is relevant to a material issue in the criminal proceedings and could be of real benefit to the defense.'"

The judge limited the release of the statements to Young and Duncan.

He said he ordered the limited release because a city lawyer told him the U.S. Department of Justice has asked the city not to make public the videos or related internal affairs records until a federal probe of the Palmer incident is complete.

Duncan had asked for internal investigation records from any complaints against any of the officers involved in the raid on her client's home. McDonough ruled information about the other officers was not relevant.

Judge McDonough ruling in Maurice Young case by The Republican/MassLive.com on Scribd

Recently completed $4 million-plus road improvement project in Westfield improves traffic flow

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The mayor said comments from the public involving the project have also been positive.

WESTFIELD - Recently completed $4 million-plus in road improvements to the intersection of North Elm and Notre Dame streets have significantly improved traffic flow along North Elm Street.

That was the finding Friday afternoon when Mayor Brian P. Sullivan, City Engineer Mark Cressotti and Superintendent of Schools Stefan Czaporowski inspected the area.

"There is definitely a significant improvement in the flow of traffic," Sullivan said following the 2 p.m. inspection.

The on-site inspection was purposely scheduled for 2 p.m. so city officials could see traffic flow during a peak travel time in that section of the city. Sullivan, Cressotti and Czaporowski stayed at the intersection until school buses transporting Westfield High School students to their homes completed travel there.

The project, started in late August 2015, was completed last month.

The city financed the project which brought improved drainage to the intersection, improved traffic lights, turning lanes, cross walks and upgraded landscaping.

In prior years, traffic flow around 2 p.m. through that area of the city took as long as 15 to 20 minutes. On Friday little delay was noticed, officials said.

"The city is pleased with the results of this expenditure," Sullivan said. "Now traffi flows a lot quicker thanks to better timing of traffic signals, dedicated turning lanes and improved safety," the mayor said.

Cressotti noted the city originally began work to address traffic congestion there in 1995 with improvements on North Elm Street at Arch Road and the Massachusetts Turnpike Exit 3. That work was started under the administration of Sullivan's brother, then Mayor Richard K. Sullivan Jr.

The most recent project was completed by Balthazar Construction of Ludlow. Representatives of the firm joined the mayor for Friday's inspection. Also attending were representatives of Tighe and Bond and VHB engineering consultants.

Police station exhibit opening at Holyoke Children's Museum for 'Police Appreciation Day'

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The event featuring the opening of a new police station exhibit at the Holyoke Children's Museum on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at 444 Dwight St. will include a demonstration by the Holyoke police canine unit, refreshments and other activities.

HOLYOKE -- The new police station exhibit will be featured at the Holyoke Children's Museum's "Police Appreciation Day" Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the 444 Dwight St. facility.

The event will include a canine demonstration from the Holyoke Police Department and the presence of the department's Mobile Community Police Truck, the flier said.

The museum overlooks Holyoke Heritage State Park and was built in 1980. Its mission is to enhance the educational and cultural awareness of children through the arts and sciences with exhibits that invite children to participate, the museum website said.

Refreshments and "give aways" will be included with the price of admission to the event, the website said.

Admission is $7.50 for children and aadults, $5 for senior citizens 62 and over and free for children under 1, the website said.

For information call 413-536-7048.


Georgia man sexted teen girl while toddler son sat dying in hot SUV

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A Georgia man swapped sexual text messages with a teenage girl while his toddler son sat dying in the back seat of the father's sweltering SUV, his young texting partner testified in court Friday.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) -- A Georgia man swapped sexual text messages with a teenage girl while his toddler son sat dying in the back seat of the father's sweltering SUV, his young texting partner testified in court Friday.

Jurors at the trial of Justin Ross Harris also watched police video Friday of Harris just a few hours after his 22-month-old son, Cooper, died. In a police interrogation room, Harris and his wife discuss having more children. Before that, Harris tells detectives: "I'm a great father."

Harris, 35, is charged with murder in the little boy's death. He's also charged with sending graphic, sexual text messages and photos of his penis to a girl for a period of several months when she was 16 and 17.


That young woman, now 19, testified Friday she met Harris online in the fall of 2013 when he responded to a comment she posted on the app Whisper stating she wanted a sexual relationship like the one in the erotic novel "Fifty Shades of Grey."

"When it started, it was strictly sexual," the witness said of her relationship with Harris. "Then at times it would be like a normal conversation."

They never met in person, but Harris knew her age and that she was in high school, the young woman testified. She sent him one of her prom photos, she said, and would tell him about her efforts to choose a college.

In a transcript of their text messages that the young woman read in court, Harris once asked for a photo of her breasts and she replied: "I'm at school."

They also discussed sex acts they wanted to perform together, and Harris would send her photos of his penis. A prosecutor showed four photos to the jury. She said he asked her to send him photos of her genitals "countless" times, but she never did.

"There wasn't any pressure applied to you to participate in this, is that fair to say?" defense attorney Maddox Kilgore asked the young woman.

"Yes," she replied.


Prosecutor Chuck Boring noted that Georgia law makes the girl's consent irrelevant because she was a minor.

The Associated Press doesn't identify victims of sex crimes and isn't identifying the young woman, who was underage when the explicit messages were sent. The judge also has barred news organizations from broadcasting her voice and likeness to protect her identity.

Prosecutors say Harris, who had moved to metro Atlanta from Alabama in 2012, killed his young son intentionally because he wanted to escape the responsibilities of being a husband and father. Several women have testified to having sexual relationships with Harris, online and in person, while he was married.

Authorities say Harris' son died June 18, 2014, after being left in his car seat for about seven hours while Harris was at his job as a web developer for Home Depot. Harris had taken his son to eat breakfast that morning. His defense attorneys called the death a tragic accident, saying Harris forgot to drop Cooper off at daycare and drove straight to work.

That day, Harris was texting the teenage girl from his workplace, according to transcripts read in court Friday. At about 2 p.m., he asked for a photo of her breasts.

"I'm super sunburned," the witness read from the transcript, saying she sent a photo regardless.

Harris replied: "Yummy."

Hours later, after Harris pulled his dead son from his SUV, he was taken to Cobb County police headquarters. Jurors saw video Friday of Harris sobbing as he waited to speak with detectives.

"I'm so sorry, Cooper!" he bawled.

Harris appears more composed as he talks with detectives. He calmly debates with them after being told he will be charged with child cruelty, a felony.

"It was completely unintentional," Harris says. "I've no history of child abuse. I've no history of domestic violence. ... I'm a great father."

That evening, police recorded Harris in the same interview room with his wife, Leanna. It's their first meeting since their son died. She tries to comfort Harris as he weeps.

Near the end of the 40-minute video, she asks Harris if he will be willing to have more children.

"I want to have a family," Harris says, before adding, "I'm just going to miss him."

Harris' wife was granted a divorce earlier this year.

Harris' trial was moved from Cobb County in the Atlanta suburbs, to the coastal port city of Brunswick because of pretrial publicity. The judge told jurors Friday she expects the trial, which began Oct. 3, to last three to four more weeks.

Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey: Human trafficking 'could happen to anyone's family'

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Speaking at the Center for Human Development's 12th annual "Through Her Eyes" conference Friday at the MassMutual Center, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura T. Healey told those gathered any child in Massachusetts could be a meeting or a click away from human trafficking.

SPRINGFIELD -- Speaking at the Center for Human Development's 12th annual "Through Her Eyes" conference Friday at the MassMutual Center, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura T. Healey told those gathered any child in Massachusetts could be a meeting or a click away from human trafficking.

Human trafficking, she said, happens across the commonwealth, is not confined to certain households and is a crime that requires focus on demand.

"Every day in our office we fight against the prevailing myth that human trafficking doesn't happen in Massachusetts," Healey told the crowd of 400, many of whom work in the area of social services.

"Human trafficking for a lot of people is something that happens in another place, another land, involves people who speak a different language, come from a different country and it certainly doesn't involve young people. But, we know that is not the case. Trafficking is happening in Massachusetts and we know that human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world. It is happening here in Springfield, Boston and all across this state."

Healey added it happens in "rural, suburban and urban communities," and "to kids as young as 12 and 13 years old from all walks of life ... it is something that could happen to anyone's family.

"We know the tools that traffickers use to exploit and degrade human beings and we know how easy it is for them to fall prey to these traffickers," said Healey, adding this will be stopped in part by "ending demand."

"Our focus needs to be on those who go out and buy sex. Those who would exploit someone's daughter, son, sister or brother. That is what human trafficking is about," she said.

Healey said her office recently looked at what searches were done over a two-day period in downtown Boston -- home to many of the state's financial services firms, high tech companies and law firms, she noted -- and discovered that there were "20,000 attempts online to pay for sex in a 48-hour period."

The yearly CHD conference, which this year focused on sexual exploitation, is aimed at a variety of professionals, including social service providers, and community leaders who work with young women at risk. Healey praised the conference's focus on such women as pioneering over the years.

brendamyers-powell.jpgBrenda Myers-Powell delivered the morning's keynote address, "Combating Sexual Exploitation in Young Women."  

Presenters of the day's 16 workshops addressed the "most current methods and practices for helping girls at home, in school and in society face challenges from trauma, neglect, aggression and addiction."

Brenda Myers-Powell delivered the morning's keynote address, "Combating Sexual Exploitation in Young Women." Myers-Powell, co-founder of an organization that works to prevent human trafficking, was molested from the time she was very young. She worked on the streets for decades until, at age 40, with help from social services, she embarked on a better life and helped found the Dreamcatcher Foundation.

Springfield resident Kerriann Van Allen, a 36-year-old CHD employee who was attending her first conference, said she would like to see more initiatives, like Myers-Powell's, to help victims of sexual abuse. 

"In this day and age, there are so many people who don't help, so she was very impressive and it was very heartfelt," Van Allen said. She said that she liked how Myers-Powell addressed stereotypes and stigmas within abusive relationships and how all parties need help to stop the abuse.

Healey was introduced by Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni, who prior to Healey's talk echoed that human trafficking is "not a foreign problem."

"This is here in Western Massachusetts. ... It is problem that spans all places, all jurisdictions, including Western Massachusetts," said Gulluni whose office was a sponsor of the conference. He said his office is focused on educating the public on the issue, understanding why victims engage in prostitution and prosecuting the traffickers who "profit from girls and women selling their bodies."

Healey said her office has made addressing human trafficking a priority as well as the training and coordination of law enforcement and resources for victims. She defined it as "selling people for sex or labor. We see both in our office."

"These are crimes that know no geographic or demographic or economic divide. It happens to people from all walks of life," Healey said.

"It is the teenager who may run away to escape bullying or to escape sexual abuse or violence in her own home and then goes to the mall and is picked up by a trafficker or pimp who promises to take care of her but later forces her to sleep with multiple men each night. It is the woman who is struggling with addiction who is picked up outside the methadone clinic, exploited by a trafficker looking to take advantage of her vulnerabilities. It is the immigrant who may be far from home who has very few options for work or safe housing or food and who ends up in a life of sexual servitude in order to put food on her kids' table or send money back home."

Kerriann Van Allen.jpgSpringfield resident Kerriann Van Allen, a 36-year-old CHD employee who was attending her first conference, said she would like to see more initiatives, like Myers-Powell, to help victims of sexual abuse. 

Healey said the victims her office sees are "younger and younger."

She said studies show that three out of four women exploited in prostitution have also been raped and sexually assaulted.

"Nearly all experience physical violence and most all suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder at levels similar to those of combat veterans," Healey said.

In 2011, governor Deval Patrick signed "An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People" that went into effect in February 2012. In her talk, Healey noted this law for the first time "established state crimes for human trafficking that involve sexual servitude or forced labor. The law also enforces penalties for John crimes that address demand for commercial sex because, for far too long, sex purchases have been given a free pass despite the degradation and exploitation they inflict on their victims day in and day out."

Healey said through her division's work, some 20 individuals have been charged with human trafficking since the 2011 law was passed and that "any number of active investigations are ongoing right now." A Springfield area couple was charged with human trafficking and federal prostitution-related charges in December.

Healey said her office has made addressing human trafficking a priority as well as the training and coordination of law enforcement and resources for victims. In a reference to the buying of sex online, she added that her office has a zero tolerance for commercial sex and has urged other employers to do this as well.

"There is a need to take care of one's own house, one's own company and make sure the word goes out to a potential buyer out there that this is not a victimless crime, that at the other end, is someone's mother, or sister or son, a human being who deserves to be treated with dignity and respect," Healey said.

She called human trafficking a "top priority" of her office, and, in a reference to CHD and other service providers, one that needs "everyone at the table."

"When I think about the victims of human trafficking, I think about the victims and survivors who are brave, who are courageous that I have had the privilege of meeting through the work of our office," Healey said.

Kimberley A. Lee, CHD's vice president of development, said having both Healey and Gulluni at the conference, "validates the importance of the conference and this year's topic."

"Human trafficking is a problem which requires the combined efforts of social services and criminal justice. Attorney General Maura Healey's presence here today highlights her commitment to working with providers as partners to address this and other community issues affecting girls and young women."

She called Myers-Powell and her talk an "inspiration to those who have not only been affected by the trauma of human trafficking, but also the many providers in attendance today who are responsible for helping them to heal."

The day also included a morning panel, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: Addressing The Needs of Victims: A Collaborative & Coordinated Response.

Ware Police charge 2 with breaking into vacant High St. home

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Police charged Dale Podkowka, 50, of Parker Street, and Joseph Dronzek, 33, who is listed as homeless, with trespassing and breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony.

 
Joseph DronzekJoseph Dronzek 

WARE -- Police arrested and charged two men with breaking into a vacant home at 4 High St. Monday night following an emergency call at 7:32 p.m.

Dale PodkowkaDale Podkowka 

Police charged Dale Podkowka, 50, of Parker Street, and Joseph Dronzek, 33, who is listed as homeless, with trespassing and breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony.

They were arraigned Tuesday at Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown, and are each being held in lieu of $500 cash bail. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Podkowka and Dronzek on Nov. 8.

Car crashes into utility pole in Longmeadow

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Converse Street between Dickenson Street and Redfern Drive in Longmeadow was closed to traffic Friday morning after a car hit a utility pole.

LONGMEADOW — A portion of Converse Street was closed Friday morning after a car crashed into a utility pole.

Converse Street between Dickinson Street and Redfern Drive was closed for several hours following the accident at about 8:40 a.m., according to the Longmeadow Police Department.

There was one person in the car at the time of the crash, and Longmeadow police did not immediately comment as to whether any injuries were sustained.

All northbound lanes of I-91 near exit 15 in Connecticut closed following crash

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A crash on Interstate 91 Friday evening has resulted in severe injury for at least one person involved and a multi-mile traffic backup. All northbound lanes of I-91 in Connecticut were closed near exit 17 around 7 p.m. Multple emergency vehicles were called to the crash scene and one occupant was transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance. Police are...

A crash on Interstate 91 Friday evening has resulted in severe injury for at least one person involved and a multi-mile traffic backup.

All northbound lanes of I-91 in Connecticut were closed near exit 17 around 7 p.m.

Multple emergency vehicles were called to the crash scene and one occupant was transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance.

Police are diverting vehicles from the northbound lanes to southbound lanes, slowing traffic heading south, as police respond to the crash.

Alec Baldwin doesn't have to worry, but Holyoke Council President Kevin Jourdain enjoyed portraying Donald Trump at debate

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Holyoke City Council President Kevin Jourdain portrayed Donald Trump, in relating the Republican presidential candidate's positions on issues but not in terms of mimicking, at the JFK Library's Election Year Debate for high school students in Boston on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016 while Massachusetts state auditor Suzanne Bump portrayed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

HOLYOKE -- He supported Donald Trump as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in July, and on Friday, Holyoke City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain took it a step further, acting as Trump in a debate in Boston.

Massachusetts state auditor Suzanne Bump portrayed Hillary Clinton vs. Jourdain/Trump at the JFK Library's Election Year Debate for high school students.

"It was really, really good. They had like five high schools that came....It was a real nice honor to be asked to do this today," Jourdain said of the morning event.

Neither of the two Holyoke high schools were represented at the event, with the only one from Western Massachusetts being Agawam High School, he said.

No, Jourdain didn't sport a Trump hairdo or try to mimic the billionaire mogul's voice or gestures, as actor Alec Baldwin has been doing on "Saturday Night Live."

Instead, in taking students' questions, Jourdain and Bump responded with the respective nominees' positions on issues like taxes, the environment and foreign policy in the 90-minute debate, he said.

Jourdain, a 23-year veteran of the Holyoke City Council, was a Trump delegate at the GOP convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bump did a good job in her Clinton portrayal, said Jourdain, but said, "Obviously, from my perspective, she didn't have a lot to work with."

Trump has caught heat for remarks about Mexicans, Muslims and women, failure to release his tax returns, whether he is as rich as he claims and charges that he promotes violence against reporters and protesters at his events.

Trump has said his remarks about immigrants are aimed at keeping America safe. Trump repeatedly has said, "I'm really rich."

Some of the comments attributed to him about women Trump has chocked up to "locker-room" talk and others he said are false. As for violence, Trump said Clinton has paid people to cause such violence at his rallies.

Both major party presidential nominees have flaws, said Jourdain, who said that while he supports Trump for president he also dislikes his remarks about women.

"I don't necessarily agree with his statements on everything. He's absolutely made some statements about women, I don't defend those statements. But on the other hand, there's so many scandals around Hillary Clinton," Jourdain said.

Such Clinton scandals include how she handled emails while secretary of state, the "pay to play" speaking fees she charged to influential campaign donors and foreign policy mistakes that fostered terrorism, he said.

As secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, Clinton used a private email server to handle official emails that included thousands marked as classified in a practice the FBI said was "extremely careless" but didn't warrant criminal charges.

Clinton has said that using her private email server for official emails "was a mistake."

Clinton has said she took six-figure fees for making speeches because that was what organizations like Goldman Sachs offered, though The Huffington Post reported fees of at least $225,000 were what she demanded for speeches. Clinton said no donation ever influenced how she voted on or decided an issue.

Clinton traveled to 112 countries, a record for a U.S. secretary of state, according to The Atlantic magazine, and logged 956,733 travel miles.

High School of Commerce to join Springfield Empowerment Zone to speed turnaround

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Empower Schools executive Matthew Matera said that although Commerce has been steadily improving, the pace must be quickened.

SPRINGFIELD — The High School of Commerce will join nine struggling city middle schools under the umbrella of the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership in an effort to speed academic progress there — and change it from what has become eighth graders' last choice into one of their top picks.

The Empowerment Zone board voted to unanimously Friday to take Commerce on. The zone is a public-private partnership including the state, school system, teachers union and nonprofit Empower Schools Inc.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick proposed expanding the zone to include Commerce, a school that has been significant improvements over the last four years, but remains stuck one level above Level 5, the label assigned to the state's worst-performing schools. The School Committee voted unanimously in favor of the proposal during a regularly scheduled meeting Thursday night.

Warwick said including Commerce in the Empowerment Zone is both a validation of the work the partnership has done in its first year overseeing interventions at the middle schools and a commitment to eighth-grade students who will be headed to the State Street school next fall.

"These students aren't a mystery to us," he said, adding that they are entitled to a continuation of the opportunities for progress they enjoyed in zone middle schools.

Warwick, Mayor Domenic Sarno, and board member James O'S. Morton said they hope to harness the energy and affection local Commerce alums have for the school.

"This school has an incredible legacy," said Morton, noting alumni including Sarno and local basketball star Henry Payne. "My wife taught there and she speaks highly of the experience," he said, adding that "there are hundreds of other people who will speak as glowingly about Commerce."

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Empower Schools executive Matthew Matera said that although Commerce has been steadily improving, the pace must be quickened. Marketing efforts Sarno and Morton suggested are needed "because Commerce is not a first choice for most eighth graders," Matera said.

Education reformer Chris Gabrieli, who is chairman of the Empowerment Zone, said turnarounds at high schools are difficult, but said the zone is up to the challenge.

The Empowerment Zone will begin working with Commerce staff, families and students this summer, much the way it did in creating teams and goals to raise student achievement in the middle schools under its jurisdiction.

None of the other city high schools have been ranked as Level 4. Warwick said Commerce was designated a Level 4 school six years ago. "Since then, the school has experienced academic improvements that show it is heading in the right direction," he said.

He pointed to the percentage of 10th graders achieving proficiency in English language arts at that school, which rose from 51 percent in 2012 to 64 percent this year. The attendance rate improved from 81.2 to 93.8 percent during the same time period.

In addition, the graduation rate has gone from 35.4 to 47 percent from 2012 to last year, and the dropout rate declined from 13.6 to 6.3 percent during that time. However, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has demanded that improvements at Commerce be more expeditious and more dramatic, he said.

Springfield Teachers Union President Timothy Collins said he had no reservations about Commerce joining the Empowerment Zone.

Middle schools operating under the Empowerment Zone are: Chestnut North, Chestnut South, Chestnut Talented and Gifted, John J. Duggan Academy, Forest Park, John F. Kennedy, Marcus Kiley and Van Sickle Academy and Van Sickle International Baccalaureate middle schools. Together, these schools serve more than 4,400 students.

The Empowerment Zone was established prior to the 2015-16 school year and is governed by a board that includes Springfield representation and state appointments.

According to Gabrieli, "The Springfield Empowerment Zone exists to help accelerate success for Springfield schools and students wherever the community and leadership see the greatest need and opportunity."

"As the vast majority of future Commerce students are currently in zone middle schools, adding Commerce to the Zone will provide a tremendous opportunity to better serve Springfield families and help build on Commerce's strengths and legacy to ensure a Commerce fit for the 21st Century," Gabrieli said.

Schools in the zone are independently governed. This allows leaders and educators at the school level to make changes that meet the needs of their specific communities and students. According to the Empowerment Zone, school leaders and teachers have access to a collaborative environment while students and parents experience higher engagement and more rigorous and diverse academic opportunities.

The Empowerment Zone cited a number of advancements in its first year at the middle schools:

  • Nearly all zone schools have adopted new and more rigorous curricula in core subjects.
  • Two schools — Chestnut TAG and Forest Park — are piloting a new personalized math programs in partnership with the New Classrooms Teach to One: Math program.
  • Schools have full hiring autonomy, and for the past two years zone schools have hired earlier and opened with fewer vacancies.
  • New career ladder provides leadership opportunities and increased compensation for teachers without removing them from the classroom.
As Commerce begins the process to join the Empowerment Zone, representatives plan to gather meaningful input from the community to inform the process. School leaders, teachers, parents, students and community members will have opportunities to share their vision for the school, the Empowerment Zone said in a press release.

Investigators probing explosion that injured firefighters to meet with training equipment manufacturer

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"We need a thorough investigation into this incident not only for Massachusetts, but for firefighters across the nation who use similar training props," said state Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey.

 
The injuries of two South Hadley firefighters in an explosion during a training exercise earlier this month have prompted questions about the training equipment involved.

"This training prop has been used to train hundreds of firefighters over the past decade without incident," state Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey told The Republican. "We need a thorough investigation into this incident not only for Massachusetts, but for firefighters across the nation who use similar training props."

The fire marshal said the investigation involves recreating the incident to determine whether or not a failure occurred. That could lead investigators to recommend design changes to the manufacturer or changes to training procedures.

State police assigned to Ostroskey's office are investigating the Oct. 4 explosion. It involved a trailer called a Mobile Live Fire Training Unit, which was being used to simulate a fire in a kitchen stove.

According to the state fire service, the trailer is equipped with movable wall panels and props allowing trainees to combat simulated kitchen, bedroom and living room fires.

"Key to the investigation are experts from the manufacturer of the prop, Pro-Safe Fire Training Systems Inc., a Canadian company. Their experts will be arriving in early November. The MTU is out of service pending completion of the investigation," a spokesperson for Ostroskey said.

A representative of Pro-Safe could not be reached for comment.

One of the South Hadley firefighters suffered first-degree burns on his face and a leg injury in the explosion. Another firefighter was hospitalized with concussion symptoms and ringing ears resulting from the force of the blast. A thirdfire fighter was injured but was not hospitalized.

"It was a close call for everybody," South Hadley Fire District 1 Chief Robert Authier said in a previous interview. "It could have been body bags."

Both the chief and the fire marshal were on scene Oct. 4. The training occurred at South Hadley Fire District 2 headquarters.

Man charged with 2014 East Longmeadow nursing home rape barred from working as home health aide or personal care assistant

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Parkpoom Seesangrit is charged with two counts of rape in a case scheduled for trial Nov. 30 in Hampden Superior Court.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Hampden Superior Court judge on Friday said 26-year-old Parkpoom Seesangrit cannot seek employment as a home health aide, personal care assistant or any similar occupation while he is awaiting trial for rape.

Judge Edward J. McDonough approved the added condition of release for Seesangrit requested by Assistant District Attorney Lee Baker. The condition was not opposed by defense lawyer Nancy C. Flahive.

Seesangrit is out on bail in his case, which is scheduled for trial Nov. 30. He has denied two charges of rape of a 69-year-old woman at the East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center.

parkpoom-seesangrit-booking-photo.jpgParkpoom Seesangrit 

He was arraigned in Hampden Superior Court June 19, 2014. Prior to the case moving to Superior Court he denied the charges in Palmer District Court, which covers East Longmeadow. The incidents are alleged to have happened in May 2014.

Baker wrote in his motion, "the defendant is accused of twice sexually assaulting a disabled resident of a nursing home while working as a certified nursing assistant."

"The accusation is supported by DNA evidence and admissions made by the defendant," Baker wrote. "His certification has been permanently revoked following a hearing and subsequent appeal and he is now prohibited by law from working as a certified nursing assistant in a hospital or nursing home."

Baker went on to write there is no legal mechanism in place that prohibits him from seeking private employment as a certified nursing assistant. Private individuals might not be aware of the status of Seesangrit's certification, he said.

"The principle of caveat emptor is insufficient to protect the interests of our most vulnerable citizens," Baker wrote. Caveat emptor is Latin for "let the buyer beware."

Seesangrit told investigators he was changing a diaper for the victim and cleaning her when he digitally penetrated her, according to police.

Massachusetts lands $1.5M grant to expand apprenticeships

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Massachusetts has received a $1.5 million federal grant to expand apprenticeship opportunities for women, minorities and poor people.

BOSTON -- Massachusetts has received a $1.5 million federal grant to expand apprenticeship opportunities for women, minorities and poor people.

The grant is part of a $50.5 million U.S. Department of Labor program geared toward expanding apprenticeship programs in industries such as health care, advanced manufacturing and information technology.

The Massachusetts Department of Career Services was awarded a grant to implement a program put in place by Gov. Charlie Baker to expand apprenticeship opportunities for groups that typically have lower rates of employment, such as low-income individuals, blacks and Hispanics, as well as women. The program will allow for a network of regional coordinators, who will work with staff in the state's existing career centers to market apprenticeships to businesses. The money will also help create standard on-the-job training guidelines and instructions for employers.

The apprenticeships will be targeted to industries including education, culinary jobs, health care, human services and manufacturing. The point is to give individuals who receive apprenticeships a better chance at getting full-time, well-paying jobs in those fields.

According to information from the White House, the initiative will expand apprenticeships in the state by 2,000, or 25 percent, over the next three-and-a-half years.

Massachusetts could renew the funding for two more 18-month periods, if the money becomes available. However, the White House, in a press release, warned that the programs may not get that continued federal support after 18 months if Congress does not appropriate more money in fiscal 2017 and 2018.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, said in a statement, "Apprenticeships open doors for workers who are eager to launch careers in growing fields in the commonwealth, and it's critical that the spending bill for the upcoming fiscal year continues to support these opportunities for those who need them the most."

Chicopee Council may ban drones from flying over private property, carrying weapons

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Westover Air Reserve Base publicized regulations about drones flying in federal airspace after more than 700,000 were sold nationwide over the Christmas season.

CHICOPEE -- A proposed ordinance regulating personal drones would ban them from flying over or landing on city or private property, prohibit drone operators from taking photos or video of people without their consent and forbid drones from being weaponized.

The City Council has approved a first reading of the ordinance in a 13-0 vote and sent it to the ordinance subcommittee for a public hearing.

"We have been working on this for a while," Councilor James K. Tillotson said. "It will be subject to refinement in committees."

City Councilor Timothy S. McLellan proposed creating an ordinance following reports of improper use of drones in Agawam and Holyoke this year.

"I'm happy this is moving forward," he said.

After reports of about 700,000 drones being sold around the country last Christmas, in January Westover Air Reserve Base officials publicly alerted residents to regulations and precautions people should take before flying drones near the base or in any airspace. One of the concerns was a aircraft could be badly damaged or even crash as a result of collisions with drones.

The Holyoke City Council adopted an ordinance regulating hobby drones in September. The regulation is similar to the proposal Chicopee is considering.

The Chicopee ordinance is mainly designed to oversee drones that are 55 pounds or less and operated by people as a hobby. Larger ones used for commercial purposes are regulated by the state and federal government, Tilloston said.

The proposed ordinance will ban drones from flying above 400 feet and require them to be in sight of their operators at all times.

Drones will not be allowed to land on, take off from or fly over private property or city property without the owner's written permission. Drones will also be banned from operating in the dark, the ordinance said.

Weapons cannot be added to drones, and photographs and video cannot be taken of any person without their permission, the ordinance said.

Owners must also follow the Federal Aviation Administration requirement that drones be registered with the government.

A first offense will result in a written warning. Fines for subsequent offenses will be $100, $250 and $500 for a fourth and any following offenses, the ordinance said. The Police Department will be responsible for enforcing the regulations, the proposal said.

New charges haunt Springfield man convicted in 'hearse rage' case

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An hour later, Guyette was found walking on Oakland Street, barefoot and bloodstained - the result of a carjacking, he told police.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield man on probation for stalking his estranged wife in a hearse is facing new charges after allegedly losing control of his car, crashing into two telephone polls and then fleeing into St. Michael's Cemetery.

Dennis J. Guyette, 33, was found an hour later, covered in blood and claiming he had been carjacked. Tests showed his blood alcohol content was 0.16 percent, or twice the legal limit, police records show.

The new charges, filed on Sept. 7, have complicated Guyette's already tangled relationship with the law and the highway.

In 2014, the funeral home employee was charged with using a hearse to run his estranged wife off the road in the Forest Park neighborhood.

After spotting her Mustang on Sumner Avenue, Guyette began following and then chasing it, leading to what was likely the city's first "hearse rage" arrest.

"The driver shouted, 'Help, help, help,'" a police officer who saw the chase wrote in his report. "She stated that the person in the hearse was trying to kill her."

For violating his wife's restraining order, Guyette was given an 18-month suspended sentence, ordered to remain drug- and alcohol-free, and required to attend a 40-week battering treatment program.

It wasn't Guyette's first run-in with the court system - or with his wife. In 2009, he forced her car off the road, then battered it with a long-handled axe and a crowbar, according to police. Charged with attempted murder, he eventually pleaded guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The new charges date back to June 19, when Guyette allegedly crashed into a pair of utility poles on Boston Road, near St. Michael's Cemetery. When police arrived, Guyette was gone, leaving behind a mangled car and a witness who described the driver to police.

An hour later, around 3:30 a.m., Guyette was found walking on Oakland Street, barefoot and bloodstained - the result of a carjacking, he told police. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center and treated for injuries to his head, hands and abdomen, according to the police report.

Given his condition, police decided against interviewing him at the hospital; a criminal complaint for operating under the influence on alcohol and leaving the scene of a property damage accident was issued in August, and the arraignment, scheduled for Aug. 26, was postponed.

On Sept. 7, Guyette returned to Springfield District Court and pleaded not guilty to the new charges; during the hearing, a probation officer said Guyette had violated his probation, and asked Judge Robert Murphy to hold him for a violation hearing.

The judge refused, but barred Guyette from driving or using drugs and alcohol, including medical marijuana, while the case is pending. A probation violation hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16, with Guyette facing the possibility of having his 18-month term extended or being sent to jail.

If the crash has jeopardized Guyette's freedom, it hasn't done much for his health, either. In August, 2015, he suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen - an incident his lawyer later used to ease his bail conditions.

Instead of attending 3-hour weekly battering treatment classes, Guyette was allowed to meet privately with a domestic abuse specialist; the gunshot wound made it too difficult for him to sit or stand during the long classes, his lawyer said.

He suffered new abdominal injuries when his car struck the two utility poles on Boston Road, splitting one in half; Guyette was alone in the car, according to a motorist who stopped and helped extract him, according to the police report.

When the motorist assured him help was on the way, Guyette responded "I wasn't driving," the report said.

He then walked to St. Michael's Cemetery, scaled the fence, and disappeared into the darkness, the witness said.

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