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Motorist drives into Springfield CVS

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The driver was unhurt and the store received minor structural damage.

SPRINGFIELD - A building which houses a CVS pharmacy was damaged after a motorist lost control of her vehicle and drove into the store Sunday afternoon.

The driver was operating a 2008 Acura TL and at about 1:28 p.m. and struck the building at 600 State St., said Dennis Leger, assistant to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

The Fire and Police departments responded to the accident. The driver was not injured, Leger said.

The building received minor structural damage to the brick facade at the front entrance. The city building inspector examined the store but said there was no danger, he said.

The store has remained open, Leger said.


Voters will decide if marijuana should be legal: What People are Tweeting

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A recent poll shows 55 percent of voters want to see marijuana legalized.

As voters begin casting ballots on Monday debates continue on one of the most controversial ballot questions state residents face, should marijuana be legalized for recreational purposes.

The Nov. 8 election is still more than two weeks away but the state for the first time is allowing early voting so people will start casting ballots as soon as Monday for president, sheriff in Hampden and Hampshire counties and a number of state representative and senate races.

There are also four statewide ballot questions and one of the most debated and controversial is Number 4, which will legalize marijuana for recreational use if it passes.

A recent poll conducted by WBUR/MassINC Polling Group, said 55 percent of voters support legalizing marijuana, 40 percent will vote no and 5 percent remain undecided.
If approved, the state will follow Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia, which earlier legalized recreational marijuana.

In 2012 Massachusetts voters approved medical marijuana in a referendum question but the state has taken years to put laws in place that would allow dispensaries. Currently there is one in Northampton and a proposal in Chicopee has received all permits needed to open.

Here are some of the things opponents and proponents have been Tweeting about the proposal to legalize marijuana.

Calif. crash of tour bus, semi-truck kills 13, injures 31 others

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Photos show the front of the passenger bus crumpled entirely into the semi-truck's trailer after the wreck on Interstate 10 in Desert Hot Springs, near the desert resort town of Palm Springs.

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. -- A tour bus and a semi-truck crashed on a highway in Southern California early Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring 31 others, the California Highway Patrol said.

To remove bodies, firefighters used ladders to climb into the bus' windows, the newspaper reported.

Photos show the front of the passenger bus crumpled entirely into the semi-truck's trailer after the wreck on Interstate 10 in Desert Hot Springs, near the desert resort town of Palm Springs. Responders used tow trucks to lift the trailer to provide easier access to the bus, whose front end was demolished.

Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs received 14 patients: five in critical condition, three in serious condition and six with minor injuries, hospital marketing director Rich Ramhoff said.


Eleven people with minor injuries were sent to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, spokesperson Lee Rice said. JFK Memorial Medical Center in Indio received five patients, all with minor injuries, chief development officer Linda Evans said.

The cause of the crash is not yet known. California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele said the USA Holiday tour bus was returning to Los Angeles after a visit to the Red Earth Casino in Thermal, California.

He said the bus was traveling much faster than the semi, and the impact was so strong, the bus went about 15 feet into the trailer. He said it's not clear if the bus was speeding.

Abele also said it's unknown if alcohol, drugs or fatigue played a role in the accident. The bus was inspected in 2014, 2015 and this year and found no mechanical issues.

The company has one vehicle and one driver, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Records on the agency's website show it had no crashes and one inspection in the two years before Oct. 22 and had a satisfactory safety rating.

A phone and Facebook message left for the company was not immediately returned. Its Facebook page has postings about trips leaving the Los Angeles area to casinos around the Coachella Valley and Las Vegas.

The CHP said all westbound lanes of the highway were closed and traffic was being diverted.

Drug drop off day successful, more than 1,926 pounds of medications collected in Hampshire County

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A wide variety of communities in Western Massachusetts including Springfield, Northampton, Southampton, Amherst and Ludlow participated in the take back day.

Communities across Western Massachusetts collected a huge variety of unused and unwanted medications in a Drug Take Back Day on Saturday.

The effort was held nationally as an attempt to get unwanted drugs, including prescription opioids such as Oxycodone, out of medicine cabinets and away from the hands of those who may abuse them.

It also prevented people from flushing the drugs and contaminating waterways.

Northwest District Attorney David Sullivan's Office announced a total of 1,926 pounds of unwanted medications, which filled 68 boxes, was collected in a variety of different towns and cities.

"Thanks everyone who helped make it a success," officials posted on the District Attorney's Facebook page.

Many communities under Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni also participated in the Drug Take Back Day.

Some of the Western Massachusetts communities which participated included Springfield, Amherst, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Southampton, Northampton, Ware, South Hadley, Hadley, Greenfield, Deerfield and West Springfield. A number of nearby Connecticut Communities including Enfield also participated.

Some communities held the drop-off at police stations while others used schools or town halls as the place for leaving medications.

Several, including Chicopee and Palmer, did not hold a regular event because there is a permanent box where people can drop off drugs any time of the day or night in the lobby of the police stations.

The boxes have proven popular. People drop off everything from over-the-counter and pet medications to expired pills and unused painkillers, said Michael Wilk, public information officer for the Chicopee Police Department.

The only things not accepted are syringes, chemotherapy drugs, liquids and inhalers, which will explode when incinerated, Wilk said.

The boxes are locked and officials pick up the unwanted drugs regularly to be destroyed.

All the unwanted drugs, including those collected on Saturday, are secured and safely incinerated, officials said.

UMass Amherst, STCC collaborate to offer lecture on police, community relations

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The lecture will be held at STCC on Oct. 27 and is titled "Resisting Police Violence in Springfield and Beyond: Mothers, Scholars, and Queer People of Color Speak Out."

np 1025 STCC 1.jpgFile photo- Springfield - STCC Scibelli Hall. 

SPRINGFIELD - In an effort to speak openly about the current relationship between residents and police in Western Massachusetts the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Springfield Technical Community College have teamed up to offer a lecture on the subject.

The event, titled "Resisting Police Violence in Springfield and Beyond: Mothers, Scholars, and Queer People of Color Speak Out," is scheduled for Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Theater in Scibelli Hall (Building 2) at STCC.

The talk is part of the Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series, which examines historic trends involving law enforcement in the United States, according to a press release. The series, which is free and open to the public, is offered by the History Department at UMass Amherst in collaboration with more than two dozen community and university partners.

"Mass incarceration is one of the defining characteristics of the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries," said Brian Ogilvie, a UMass History Department professor in a prepared statement. "This year's Feinberg Series examines the historical processes that have led to our present state, in the hope that an understanding of the past will serve as prelude to change in the future."

Speakers at the STCC event will include:

  • Kissa Owens, the mother of Delano Walker, a Springfield teen struck and killed in traffic during a confrontation with police in 2009.

  • ShaeShae Quest, a member of BLM413 and a community organizer with Out Now.

  • Andrea Ritchie, black lesbian police misconduct attorney and organizer who has engaged in extensive research, writing, litigation, organizing and advocacy around policing of women and LGBT people of color over the past two decades. Ritchie is a Soros Justice Fellow and co-author of "Say Her Name, Roadmap for Change and Queer (In)Justice."

  • Rhonda Y. Williams, a Cleveland, Ohio-based scholar-activist. She is the author of "Concrete Demands: The Search for Black Power in the 20th Century" and the award-winning "The Politics of Public Housing: Black Women's Struggles against Urban Inequity." She is founder and director of the Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve University. As one of the "Cleveland 8," she is a voice for justice in the case of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who was killed by police gunfire in 2014.

  • Maria Ververis, a resident of Middletown, Conn., and mother of Michael Ververis, who reached a settlement with the Springfield Police Department regarding allegations that he was beaten and choked by police in 2011 and then falsely arrested in an attempt to cover up the police violence.
  • 148 Holyokers take advantage on 1st day of early voting

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    Convenience was the most often cited reason of Holyoke, Massachusetts voters who participated in the first day of early voting on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016 for the Nov. 8 election as 148 Holyokers cast early voting ballots.

    HOLYOKE -- Like ripping off a Band-Aid.

    Jonathan Bates cited the get-it-out-of-the-way opportunity as an appeal to him for voting early Monday by casting his ballot at City Hall weeks before the Nov. 8 election, a step that 148 registered voters took here on the first day of early voting.

    "I guess my political view is that the more options people have, the more democracy we have. But my personal reason is just to 'rip off the Band-Aid,' to get it over with," said Bates, who showed up with son Jesse, 4.

    For Sarah Peacock of Ward 7, the appeal of early voting was the convenience in relation to her job as a speech therapist.

    "My work situation's very unpredictable. I work in a lot of different places at a lot of difference times as a contractor, so I wasn't certain that I was going to be able to be in the voting booth on that day," Peacock said.

    This is the first year that cities and towns in Massachusetts can choose to vote early under a 2014 law aimed at increasing participation by making voting easier.

    Election Day's featured race is the competition for president between major party candidates Donald Trump, the Republican Party nominee, and Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party, nominee.

    The Nov. 8 ballot also has four statewide referendum questions and a local question.

    "It's really steady. We're looking at nearly 150 people, which is a lot," City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee said.

    The total of those who participated in early voting when City Hall closed was 148, she said.

    Convenience was the most often stated reason by those voters who discussed the appeal of early voting, Murphy McGee said.

    The convenient feature for Murphy McGee and her staff was the use of mounted computer tables called Poll Pad, which allow for quick and efficient voter check-ins. The possibility of repeat voting, of an early voter showing up on Election Day intent on balloting again, is blocked because proof the voter voted is electronically established immediately, she said.

    The city has 26,664 registered voters, she said.

    Early voting will be available until Nov. 4 at City Hall and other sites. Voting booths are set up in the hallway at City Hall outside the office of the registrar of voters.

    Here is the early voting calendar for Holyoke. The only change from what is printed below is that the City Hall location for early voting is the hallway outside the office of the registrar of voters, not in the auditorium:

    Holyoke early voting calendar: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

    Chicopee voters line up to cast ballots on first day of early voting

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    By the end of the day at least 250 people had cast ballots. Watch video

    CHICOPEE - Even before people started stream into the City Council Chambers to cast votes 16 days before Election Day, City Clerk Keith W. Rattell had some insider information that the idea may prove popular.

    Before coming to work Monday morning Rattell was talking to his brother, Glenn R. Rattell, on the phone and he mentioned it was the first day of early voting in Massachusetts. His brother, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who now lives in Texas, said he had already voted in his state.

    "He said it was easy, it was convenient and 'I got it out of the way," Rattell said.

    Soon after Rattell found city residents were already waiting at City Hall to vote when doors opened at 9 a.m. on Monday. Voting remained steady throughout the morning and by 12:45 p.m. at least 144 people had cast ballots. By the end of the day about 250 had voted.

    Dorothy Kowal Page and Tracy Page, who live in Ward 9, said they appreciated the convenience. The two may be away on Election Day and said early voting ensured that they would be able to cast their ballots.

    "It is our right and if you don't vote you aren't using your rights," Dorothy Kowal Page said.

    She added her grandmother immigrated to the United States from Poland and always taught her the right to vote was precious.

    "I spent 30 years in the military defending that right," added Tracy Page, who served in the Air Force.

    Gerry Roy, who shares a name a City Councilor, expects to be on vacation on Nov. 8 so he and his wife came to City Hall to vote on Monday.

    He and his wife were planning to vote absentee, but said it was even easier to vote early. Now the couple said they won't be forced to listen to any political discussions since they have already cast ballots.

    "I'm afraid of long lines on voting day," said Gerald O'Sullivan.

    O'Sullivan said he voted for Donald Trump for president. He said he also wanted to make sure he had a chance to vote to lift the cap on charter schools, which is referendum Question 2 and he is all for legalizing recreational marijuana, which is referendum Question 4.

    "My kids all went to charter schools and that went really well," he said. "I see Colorado is getting all the tax money for marijuana."

    Several people said they expect long lines on Election Day and wanted to avoid waiting. Others said they like the opportunity to bypass the sign holders standing outside the polls on Nov. 8.

    Ironically some of the voters actually had to wait for a short time on Monday morning because all the voting booths were filled, said Joan Homon, one of the poll workers.

    "People have had all kinds of comments on this and they are all pro early voting," she said. "This was a trial and it was very successful."

    It will cost the city between $5,000 and $6,000 to conduct the early voting mainly because three poll workers are working daily. The City Clerk Office employees are filling in when people go to lunch, Rattell said.

    The city received a $1,500 state grant set aside for communities to hold weekend hours. In Chicopee people will be able to vote between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Oct. 29 as well as from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday through Nov. 7.

    Regular poll workers have agreed to work during the two weeks of voting and some even called and volunteered, Rattell said.

    But he said he had no idea if voters would want to cast ballots early or not. "It is a pleasant surprise."

    To demonstrate how the early voting worked, Rattell cast his ballot, explaining he was typically very busy on election day anyway.

    One of the workers took his name and crossed it off the list to show he had already voted and would not do do so on Nov. 8. A poll worker then handed him a ballot and an envelope. Rattell filled out his ballot, sealed it in the envelope, which had his name, address and ward and precinct written on it, and returned it to one of the poll workers.

    All the sealed envelopes are locked in a box which is then locked in the city vault. On Nov. 8 Rattell or one of the other employees in the city clerk's office will feed the early voting ballots and the absentee ballots into the voting machines that correspond with the ward where each voter resides.

    Rattell said he will continue to monitor the process and if the early voting continues to be very popular his office may consider opening a second location, possibly at the RiverMills Senior Center.

    Based on past elections and the enthusiasm people showed today in wanting to vote, Rattell predicted voter turnout may be as high as 70 percent by the end of the election.

    "I think people are passionate about their candidates and the ballot questions," he said.

    More than 400 Springfield residents cast ballots on first day of new early voting program

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    More than 400 Springfield residents took advantage of the first day of early voting on Oct. 14, casting ballots two weeks ahead of the Nov. 8 election. The early voting was to continue daily through Nov. 4, excluding Sunday.


    SPRINGFIELD -- With two weeks remaining before the Nov. 8 election, more than 400 residents chose not to wait Monday -- taking advantage of the first day of the state's "early voting" program.

    The city had early voting polls open at three sites on Monday, the first day of the 11-day early voting period: City Hall at Court Square; Mayflower Senior Center at 1516 Sumner Ave.; and the Hungry Hill Senior Center at 713 Liberty St.

    "it's been very active," Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said near the end of the day at City Hall. "People were excited to be able to vote early. They were all smiles coming in, and were happy that they were happy to turn in a ballot."

    Oyola said she believes many wanted to avoid any long lines on Election Day and knew in advance of the election how they wanted to vote.

    The polls were open at City Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with more than 180 voters casting ballots there shrortly before the office closed. The polls closed at 3 p.m., at the other two sites, drawing a total of about 220 voters at the sites.

    One woman voting, named Brittani, said she "works all the time" and wanted to vote early to make sure her ballot was cast.

    "Women had to work hard to get the right to votem," Brttani said. "You can't waste it."

    The polls are open daily at various sites in Springfield from Oct. 24 through Friday, Nov. 4, including being open at City Hall only on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.mm. to 5 p.m. The polls will not be open on Sunday, Oct. 30.

    The polls are open at sites around the city at the following days, locations and times, seen here


    Reconstituted Amherst Regional School Committee to meet for 1st time since Geryk fallout

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    After public comment, a joint meeting between the Amherst Regional School Committee and the Union 26 School Committee will look at next steps for hiring a new superintendent.

    AMHERST -- The last time the Amherst Regional School Committee met, it released minutes from executive session meetings detailing the controversial discussion and settlement involving former Superintendent Maria Geryk, who asked to leave the district.

    After that Sept. 6 meeting, Laura Kent resigned as chairwoman and the Select Board and School Committee appointed Eric Nakajima to take her seat on the regional school committee. 

    Tuesday night will be the first regional meeting since that change (the five-member Amherst School Committee met last week). The first order of business is reorganization, which means that one of the nine members from the four municipalities that comprise the district will be elected the committee's new leader.

    Then after public comment, a joint meeting with the Union 26 School Committee will look at next steps for hiring a new superintendent. Both committees oversee the superintendent, and the two boards will be talking about naming an interim superintendent and the process for searching for a permanent school leader.

    Union 26 is comprised of Amherst and Pelham school committee members, and the superintendent oversees the Pelham Elementary School in addition to the three Amherst elementary schools and two regional schools.

    Assistant Superintendent Michael Morris, who was named acting superintendent following Geryk's departure in August, has offered to serve as interim for the school year.

    Nakajima, meanwhile, said he has a lot of experience working on boards. He was a student trustee on the UMass Board of Trustees among others.

    After he was elected earlier this month, he said, "I'm familiar with how contentious things can get. I tend to be fairly level-headed."

    Amherst School Committee chairwoman Katherine Appy said,  that Nakajima "was thoughtful and offered a clear vision of how he sees the role of school committee as we move forward with a number of very important issues coming before us.

    "I think he brings tremendous experience and understanding of the role of public committees," Appy wrote in an email.

    Nakajima, 49, a self-employed public policy consultant, last month ran unsuccessfully for the state representative seat held by Ellen Story.

    This will be the first regional meeting for Leverett School Committee member Audra Goscensk.

    She was named to replace Sarah Dolven, the vice chairwoman of the committee and a Leverett School Committee member who resigned citing committee dysfunction following the controversy with Geryk.

    Not all committee members wanted to settle with Geryk and instead either wanted to fire her or let her threat to sue the district play out in court.

    Nakajima will serve until the next town election on March 28.

    He said he would likely run for the seat. Whoever is elected on March 28 would then serve the last two years of Kent's term. 

    Amherst Regional agenda by ledermand on Scribd

    Person injured when ejected from vehicle in I-91 crash in Northampton; traffic backed up

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    The crash happened between exits 18 and 19 northbound.

    NORTHAMPTON -- A two-car accident on Interstate 91 northbound has left one person seriously injured and is causing traffic jams.

    The accident was reported at about 6:20 p.m. Monday between exits 18 and 19. One person was ejected from one of the cars and has been taken to the hospital by ambulance, Massachusetts State Police said.

    Police officials were uncertain if anyone else was injured.

    Currently only the breakdown lane of the Interstate is open and traffic is backed up. Motorists are being advised to find alternate routes, police said.

    Massachusetts State Police are currently on the scene of the crash and will investigate the cause, he said.

    Obamacare insurance premiums to increase by double digits, administration confirms

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    Premiums will go up sharply next year under President Barack Obama's health care law, and many consumers will be down to just one insurer, the administration confirmed Monday.

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Premiums will go up sharply next year under President Barack Obama's health care law, and many consumers will be down to just one insurer, the administration confirmed Monday. That's sure to stoke another "Obamacare" controversy days before a presidential election.

    Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Some states will see much bigger jumps, others less.

    Moreover, about 1 in 5 consumers will only have plans from a single insurer to pick from, after major national carriers such as UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Aetna scaled back their roles.


    "Consumers will be faced this year with not only big premium increases but also with a declining number of insurers participating, and that will lead to a tumultuous open enrollment period," said Larry Levitt, who tracks the health care law for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

    Republicans pounced on the numbers as a warning that insurance markets created by the 2010 health overhaul are teetering toward a "death spiral." Sign-up season starts Nov. 1, about a week before national elections in which the GOP remains committed to a full repeal.

    The new numbers aren't too surprising, said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who chairs a committee that oversees the law. It "does little to dispel the notion we are seeing the law implode at the expense of middle-class families."


    HHS essentially confirmed state-by-state reports that have been coming in for months. Window shopping for plans and premiums is already available through HealthCare.gov.

    Administration officials are stressing that subsidies provided under the law, which are designed to rise alongside premiums, will insulate most customers from sticker shock. They add that consumers who are willing to switch to cheaper plans will still be able to find bargains.

    "Headline rates are generally rising faster than in previous years," acknowledged HHS spokesman Kevin Griffis. But he added that for most consumers, "headline rates are not what they pay."

    The vast majority of the more than 10 million customers who purchase through HealthCare.gov and its state-run counterparts do receive generous financial assistance. "Enrollment is concentrated among very low-income individuals who receive significant government subsidies to reduce premiums and cost-sharing," said Caroline Pearson of the consulting firm Avalere Health.


    But an estimated 5 million to 7 million people are either not eligible for the income-based assistance, or they buy individual policies outside of the health law's markets, where the subsidies are not available. The administration is urging the latter group to check out HealthCare.gov. The spike in premiums generally does not affect the employer-provided plans that cover most workers and their families.

    In some states, the premium increases are striking. In Arizona, unsubsidized premiums for a hypothetical 27-year-old buying a benchmark "second-lowest cost silver plan" will jump by 116 percent, from $196 to $422, according to the administration report.

    But HHS said if that hypothetical consumer has a fairly modest income, making $25,000 a year, the subsidies would cover $280 of the new premium, and the consumer would pay $142. Caveat: if the consumer is making $30,000 or $40,000 his or her subsidy would be significantly lower.

    Dwindling choice is another issue.

    The total number of HealthCare.gov insurers will drop from 232 this year to 167 in 2017, a loss of 28 percent. (Insurers are counted multiple times if they offer coverage in more than one state. So Aetna, for example, would count once in each state that it participated in.)

    Switching insurers may not be simple for patients with chronic conditions.

    While many carriers are offering a choice of plan designs, most use a single prescription formulary and physician network across all their products, explained Pearson. "So, enrollees may need to change doctors or drugs when they switch insurers," she said.

    Overall, it's shaping up to be the most difficult sign-up season since HealthCare.gov launched in 2013 and the computer system froze up.

    Enrollment has been lower than initially projected, and insurers say patients turned out to be sicker than expected. Moreover, a complex internal system to help stabilize premiums has not worked as hoped for.

    Nonetheless Obama says the underlying structure of the law is sound, and current problems are only "growing pains." The president has called for a government-sponsored "public option" insurance plan to compete with private companies.

    Republicans are united in calling for complete repeal, but they have not spelled out how they would address the problems of the uninsured.

    Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has proposed an array of fixes, including sweetening the law's subsidies and allowing more people to qualify for financial assistance.

    The law makes carrying health insurance a legal obligation for most people, and prohibits insurers for turning away the sick. It offers subsidized private plans to people who don't have coverage through their jobs, along with a state option to expand Medicaid for low-income people.

    Largely as a result, the nation's uninsured rate has dropped below 9 percent, a historically low level. More than 21 million people have gained coverage since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010.

    Should we get rid of the death penalty?

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    Less than half of Americans support the death penalty according to the latest numbers from Pew Research Center.

    Less than half of Americans support the death penalty according to the latest numbers from Pew Research Center. Critics of the death penalty oppose it because they see it as a barbaric punishment, it does not deter crime, and the system allows innocent people to be executed. Supporters of the death penalty argue it is leverage to help prosecutors reach deals, and that it is an uncomfortable responsibility the state must do to achieve justice. What do you think? Vote!

    PERSPECTIVES

    #NoMoreExecutions TL;DR:

    • Innocent people can and have been executed.
    • There's no proof that the death penalty actually deters crime.
    • It's extremely expensive.

    #JusticeForVictims TL;DR:

    • Some crimes can only be punished by death.
    • It brings the family closure.
    • Prosecutors can use the threat of the death penalty to reach plea bargains.

    The Center on Wrongful Convictions at the Northwestern University School of Law compiled a list of 39 individuals who were executed despite doubts about their guilt.

    Critics of the death penalty argue that even if one innocent person is executed, that is one too many. The death penalty is only fair if we're sure that the state is only executing those who deserve it. It's been shown time and again that states, for a variety of reasons, have put innocent people to death. 

    A majority of studies find that the death penalty has no effect on the crime or homicide rate. 

    "We certainly can't say there is a deterrent. We can't say there is not either," said Marc Mauer, the executive director of The Sentencing Project, adding that the lack of evidence was itself worth considering. "I think at the very least the fact that there's certainly no reason to believe there's a significant deterrent effect should give pause."

    Finally, critics of the death penalty argue that if the death penalty has little to no real world impact, the practice should end purely on economic costs. In Kansas, it costs twice as much to keep someone on death row compared to the normal prison population. If our prison and justice system is constantly underfunded, it does not make sense to keep an ineffective and highly expensive punishment as law.

    Supporters of the death penalty say that the voice of the victims is often lost during debates about the death penalty. For some families, the only way to get closure or peace is by knowing the person who took their loved one away is dead. Punishment isn't just about crime deterrence, it is about a real sense of justice.

    Supporters also argue the death penalty is used in ways beyond executions. The possibility of the death penalty gives prosecutors leverage to reach better plea bargains and get the criminal to give up important information. If the death penalty is taken away, it takes away a useful tool from the justice system.

    Supporters of the death penalty argue some crimes are so extreme and disgusting that the only worthy punishment is death.

    The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Digital, Inc. property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.

    Halloween in Holyoke features kids' party, trick-or-treating at City Hall, 1/2-price Merry-Go-Round rides

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    Children can trick-or-treat at Holyoke, Massachusetts City Hall at High and Dwight streets and the adjacent City Hall Annex on Monday, Oct. 31, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and enjoy a Halloween party on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Holyoke Heritage State Park at 221 Appleton St.

    HOLYOKE -- Trick-or-treaters can venture into an old stone building downtown to enjoy candy by roaming around City Hall on Oct. 31, just one of the city's Halloween celebration sites.

    The Parks and Recreation Department's annual Halloween Party will be Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Holyoke Heritage State Park, 221 Appleton St., a press release said.

    Also on Saturday, the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round will offer children and adults who are wearing Halloween costumes rides at half price, which means $1 since rides regularly cost only $2, from noon to 4 p.m. The carousel is in Heritage State Park.

    At City Hall at High and Dwight streets, the hallways and office doors have been decorated with skeletons, spiders, webs, pumpkins, witches and other faux frights of note in anticipation of trick-or-treaters. They will be welcome to roam that building and the adjacent City Hall Annex from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    The trick-or-treating at City Hall and City Hall Annex is free for children 12 and younger, a city press release said.

    Admission to the party at Heritage State Park is $3 per child. It will take place rain or shine, the press release said.

    "Bring all of the little ghouls and goblins to the Heritage State Park complex for an afternoon of fun and delights," the press release said.

    The party will include DJ Tania Gadbois, photo booths, crafts, costume parade and contest and "ghoulie-goodie" bags for all children, the press release said.

    The Holyoke Merry-Go-Round is open on Saturdays and Sundays in the fall from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are $2 per ride or 6 for $10.

    For information about the party and trick-or-treating call the Parks and Recreation Department at 413-322-5620.

    For information about the Merry-Go-Round, call 413-538-9838.


    For more information, contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 413 322-5620 or visit the City's web page @ holyoke.org


    Online petition supporting 3 Agawam cops fired in 'use of force' incident to be presented to mayor

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    An online petition to support three officers fired in connection with a use-of-force incident at Agawam police headquarters will be presented to Mayor Richard Cohen, the man who fired the cops.

    AGAWAM -- While people may be familiar with the Birmingham Six or the Catonsville Nine, the APD Three are not necessarily a household name. Not yet, anyway.

    A petition on Change.org, the website whose mission is to "empower people everywhere to create the change they want to see," is being electronically circulated in support of three Agawam police officers who were fired by Agawam Mayor Richard A. Cohen last week.

    The petition, "We support the three Agawam Police Officers," was created Sunday and simply states: "The below named voters of the Town of Agawam support the three Agawam Police Officers."

    As of early Monday evening, the online petition had over 80 signatures, though not all of them appear to be Agawam residents and voters.

    The petition will be given to Cohen at some point, but it doesn't state any specific objective -- such as reinstating the officers, who were fired Wednesday in connection with a "use of force" incident involving a prisoner who was in police custody.

    "I've known Anthony Grasso for 25 years now. He is a man of Strong (sic) integrity and work ethic. He believes in what he does and does it to the best of his ability. He would never cross the lines of brutality," wrote Kimberly Haskell, of Midland, Texas, referring to Sgt. Anthony Grasso, one of the three officers terminated by Cohen after internal and external investigations.

    John D. Connor, the attorney representing the officers, said he believes all three men will be exonerated. The case is now in the hands of Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni, who will decide whether to prosecute the officers.

    In addition to Grasso, the fired officers include John P. Moccio and Edward B. Connor, who isn't related to the lawyer representing him. Between them, the officers had a combined 70 years of experience and collectively earned around $350,000 annually.

    Grasso and Moccio began their full-time careers with the Agawam Police Department in December 1997, while Connor joined the force in December 1987.

    Connor, the lawyer, said the officers were wrongfully fired for trying to subdue an "extremely violent" and highly intoxicated individual who assaulted them after he was taken into custody at Six Flags New England on June 19.

    "We're glad that there's a videotape that demonstrates that these officers acted appropriately at all times," Connor said.


    New lawsuit filed against former Deerfield Academy teacher charges 1986 sexual assault

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    The unnamed former student attended Deerfield Academy from 1984 to 1987. At the time of the alleged assault, he was 16 years old.

    DEERFIELD -- Another former Deerfield Academy student has accused former longtime teacher Peter Hindle with sexually assaulting him.

    The suit filed Sept. 8 in Bristol Superior Court by Boston lawyer Mitchell Garabedian seeks undisclosed damages against Hindle and an unnamed supervisor at the school. Deerfield Academy is not named as a defendant.

    The newest suit means Garabedian has represented five former students who claim they were sexually assaulted by faculty at the school between 1974 and 1989. Four of the suits involved Hindle.

    Now retired and living in Dartmouth, Hindle taught at Deerfield Academy from 1956 through 2000. Garabedian said Hindle, through his capacity as a teacher, coach and dormitory master, had access to hundreds of underage boys during his tenure. Deerfield Academy became co-educational in 1989. Prior to that, it was a private school for boys only.

    "Where was the supervisor of Peter Hindle when an employee of the school for 44 years went after students?" Garabedian said. "Deerfield Academy had a nest of pedophiles."

    Deerfield Academy declined to comment about the recent suit. According to the suit, the complainant, identified only as John Doe, charges that in 1986, Hindle sexually assaulted him in his dorm room.

    The student attended Deerfield Academy from 1984 to 1987. At the time of the alleged assault, the complainant was 16 years old.

    The suit charges "explicit sexual behavior and lewd and lascivious conduct" by Hindle, including rubbing, massaging and licking the complainant's naked back, and skin-on-skin contact.

    The suit charges that as a result of the contact, the complainant, now 44 years old, continues to suffer emotional distress including sadness, crying, depression, anxiety, anger and flashbacks. Thirty years after the alleged assault, the complainant remains "unable at this time to fully disclose in complete detail."

    The suit also charges that an unnamed supervisor should have known Hindle had direct access to minor children, and that the supervisor should have established "reasonable safety protocols to protect minors such as the plaintiff."

    The suit seeks a jury trial. It seeks an unspecified amount plus the cost of all legal expenses.

    Garabedian said his four clients who claimed to have been assaulted by Hindle said the assaults occurred when they were all between 14 and 16 years old. All are in their mid-40s to mid-50s today, he said.

    "My client should feel proud of himself in reporting this sexual assault," Garabedian said of the complainant. "He is exposing (a serial pedophile) and making the world a safer place for children."

    In August, Garabedian reached a $200,000 settlement from the academy in the case of a California man who charged he was sexually assaulted by Hindle in 1979 when he was 14 and a student at Deerfield.

    He has also won previously reached settlements for $350,000 in another case involving
    Hindle and $500,000 in a case involving former faculty member Bryce Lambert, who was accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a boy between 1987 and 1988.

    An internal investigation by the school when the allegations first came to light a few years
    ago determined that some inappropriate sexual contact between faculty and students had occurred. Hindle admitted to sexual contact with one of the students, according to the school statement.

    Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan looked into the allegations but determined he could not bring charges because they occurred too long ago.

    Lawsuit filed against former Deerfield Academy faculty member Peter Hindle by Patrick Johnson on Scribd


    Funeral for Amherst shooting victim Jose Rodriguez is Tuesday in Hadley church

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    Funeral services for the 31-year-old man who was killed last weekend at a Southpoint apartment will be held Tuesday morning at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Hadley.

    AMHERST -- Funeral services for the 31-year-old man who was shot last weekend will be held Tuesday morning at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Hadley.

    Jose "Joselito" Rodriguez was killed in an incident at Southpoint Apartments. Another 28-year-old man was shot multiple times but is expected to survive. 

    Police have identified a suspect and obtained an arrest warrant Thursday. Mary Carey, spokeswoman for Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan, said the suspect is believed to have left the area.

    People continue to mark Rodriguez's passing at a shrine near the building where he was killed. Rodriguez had three children.

    The memorial service for Rodriguez, who attended local schools, is at 11 a.m. at the church. According to the GoFundMe website set up to raise the $12,000 for funeral costs, Rodriguez's ashes will be buried at Wildwood Cemetery in Amherst in the spring.

    As of Monday evening the fundraising page had raised $9,002, with $1,650 from staff and customers at the O's in Sunderland.

    Co-owner Kara Fabry said she and staff are friends with Jorge Rodriguez, the brother of Jose Rodriguez. Waitstaff donated $500 in tips and the owners matched that, Fabry said. A basket raffle raised an additional $650, she said.

    Fabry said Jorge Rodriguez has been a regular for years and is well liked. "We're really like family," she said.

    Clinton campaign's diversity concerns, rankings among emails in latest WikiLeaks release

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    Senior staff members on Hillary Clinton's nascent campaign were conscious about diversity in the top ranks two months before the Democratic presidential candidate formally announced her bid, according to hacked emails from the personal account of a top campaign official.

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senior staff members on Hillary Clinton's nascent campaign were conscious about diversity in the top ranks two months before the Democratic presidential candidate formally announced her bid, according to hacked emails from the personal account of a top campaign official.

    In February 2015, Clinton lawyer and chief of staff Cheryl Mills sent a list of potential hires to campaign chairman John Podesta. Among the suggestions was "Political Director-Hispanic Woman." They eventually hired Amanda Renteria, who is Latina.

    Cheryl MillsIn this Sept. 3, 2015 file photo, Cheryl Mills speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
    Mills sends "Robby's List of the top 10 or so positions," referring to Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook.

    The email breaks it down: "four 'POC,' or people of color, four women 'assuming COO is a white woman' and six white men." So, the email says, that is "33% diverse, 33% women, 50% white men."

    The email was among more than 3,000 released by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks on Monday and is just one of the tens of thousands posted over the last two weeks. The notes were stolen from the email account of Podesta as part of a series of high-profile computer hacks of Democratic targets that U.S. intelligence officials say were orchestrated by Russia, with the intent to influence the Nov. 8 election. Russia has denied the allegations.

    The campaign officials' focus on diversity came in the same month that Clinton's advisers circulated data collected from her family's foundation that found only three of the foundation's 11 highest paid employees were women -- and a Democratic consultant expressed concern about the political fallout from the gender discrepancy.


    Emails released last week about the Clinton Foundation highlighted a large disparity in the median salaries of the top-paid men and woman working for the organization.

    According to the emails, the median salary of the highest paid men at the foundation was $346,106, while the median salary of the highest paid women was $185,386 -- roughly a $160,000 difference. The numbers came from the foundation's 990 tax forms for 2013, according to the emails.

    "There are huge discrepancies, and it wouldn't surprise me if they (the media) went here next," Ian Mandel, a Democratic consultant, wrote.

    At the time of the email exchange on salaries, the foundation was already under fire by Republicans for accepting large donations from foreign governments, including while Clinton was secretary of State. Republicans said the foreign donations created an unacceptable conflict of interest if Clinton were elected president.

    Clinton has called for legislation that would force businesses to disclose gender pay data to the government. Republicans have blocked the legislation because they say it would expose businesses to lawsuits.

    Clinton also has said half of her presidential Cabinet will be women if she wins.

    Podesta and other Clinton backers warn the emails may have been altered by the hackers, but they haven't pointed to any such cases.

    In a statement Monday, the Clinton campaign blamed her opponent, Republican Donald Trump, for not condemning the hack and declining to blame it on Russia.

    "It is bizarre and disqualifying that he continues to cheer on this attack on our democracy," said campaign spokesman Glen Caplin.

    Other topics covered in Monday's batch of emails:

    --THE "TRICKY" RELATIONSHIP WITH VICE PRESIDENT

    In a September 1, 2008, memo Podesta wrote to President-elect Barack Obama while heading Obama's transition team. The memo was included as an attachment to a later email to Obama staffers.

    In the memo, Podesta gives advice on choosing a White House chief of staff -- a job that would eventually go to Rahm Emanuel -- and how that person would need to work with the vice president, which Podesta called "an incredibly tricky aspect of the job."

    "While I know Senator (Joe) Biden well, and he is no Dick Cheney, he is still opinionated and there is still plenty of room for conflict between keeping him in the loop and not letting him put his elbow on the scale," Podesta wrote.

    EMAIL FALLOUT

    On March 3, 2015, as news was first breaking that Clinton maintained a personal email account as secretary of state, Podesta emailed Mook.

    "Did you have any idea of the depth of this story?" Podesta asked.

    Six months later, after the Obama administration said it had discovered a chain of emails that Clinton failed to turn over when she provided her work-related correspondence as secretary of state, Podesta appeared worried about Clinton.

    "How bad is her head?" Podesta wrote communications director Jennifer Palmieri on September 26, 2015.

    "Don't know," Palmieri replied, noting she had tried to get in touch with Clinton but hadn't heard back.

    Westfield Chamber of Commerce selects three businesses for achievement awards

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    WESTFIELD - The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce has selected Firtion Adams Funeral Service, George's Jewelers and Westfield Technical Academy for Lifetime Achievement awards. The three were announced Monday by Chamber Executive Director Kate Phelon. The three will be recognized and honored at the Chamber's annual Meeting and Awards Dinner Nov. 16 at East Mountain Country Club. Firtion Adams Funeral...

    WESTFIELD - The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce has selected Firtion Adams Funeral Service, George's Jewelers and Westfield Technical Academy for Lifetime Achievement awards.

    The three were announced Monday by Chamber Executive Director Kate Phelon. The three will be recognized and honored at the Chamber's annual Meeting and Awards Dinner Nov. 16 at East Mountain Country Club.

    Firtion Adams Funeral Service is a family-owned business in operation for more than 68 years. Vice President James Adams, a former Westfield City Councilor, said "This award belongs to everyone in our family business. We have a dedicated team who not only demonstrate the highest level of compassion but who also give back to the community by being involved in various organizations."

    Phelon said Firtion Adams is a "well-known, respected name in the Greater Westfield area.

    George Kedzierski established George's Jewelers on Elm Street with his wife Bernice in 1965. "It is very humbling to be recognized for years of hard work and living through the many fluctuations and transformations we have seen in the downtown over the past 50 years," Kedzierski said of the award.

    Westfield Technical Academy is the Chamber's 2016 Nonprofit of the Year recipient. The new award will now become an annual presentation, Phelon said.

    Superintendent of Schools Setfan Czaporowski said the high school is "honored to be recognized for all its great achievements."

    Phelon noted WTA is the home of the state's first Aviation Technology Program, started in December, 2015.

    The annual Meeting and Awards Dinner will begin with cocktails from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. followed by a sit-down dinner and program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

    Event sponsor for the event are Staples Inc; Registration Table Sponsor is The Gaudreau Group and the Small Business Sponsor is The Tierney Group.

    Tickets are $50 for Chamber members and $60 in advance for general admission. Reservations are requested by Nov. 14 by calling Pam Bussell at the Chamber at 413-568-1618 or be email at info@westfieldbiz.org.

    French King Bridge, site of suicides, to get video cameras in coming weeks

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    The cameras will help authorities respond to reports of missing persons, abandoned cars, and more.

    GILL -- Over the next month, surveillance cameras will be installed at the French King Bridge on Rt. 2, the site of dozens of suicides.

    "The French King Bridge is known as this place that people go to commit suicide. We've had suicides on that bridge as long as I've been here ... 20 years," Erving Police Chief Christopher Blair told Western Mass News earlier this year. Police say on average, two to three people jump off the span every year, plummeting 140 feet.

    The video cameras will be installed by Gill and Erving police in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said Sen. President. Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) in a statement.

    "These cameras are an essential tool to help our police and first responders handle incidents more quickly and efficiently," said Rosenberg. "I have been a strong advocate for more targeted investments in increased public safety technology measures to help make our communities less dangerous and ensure the protection of all our residents."

    The French King Bridge connects Erving and Gill along Rt. 2 in Franklin County. The steel arch bridge, 782 feet long, spans the Connecticut River just above the Millers River.

    While the cameras might not guarantee timely intervention when someone is determined to end their life, the footage should eliminate uncertainty for loved ones, and also help conserve and target first responder resources, officials said.

    For instance, earlier this year the abandoned car of a murder suspect was found near the bridge. It was not clear whether Tyler Hagmaier had left his vehicle as a decoy, and police continued to search for a fugitive. His body was later found in the river.

    "Mutual aid for emergency services between towns is so important in Franklin County," said Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru. "These new cameras on the French King Bridge will help reduce unnecessary calls to Northfield and surrounding communities by eliminating the guesswork and giving first responders clear evidence they can rely on."

    MassDOT also plans to build an "enhanced permanent barrier system" along the bridge to increase safety, said District 2 Highway Director Patrick Paul.

    Big victory, small town: Hampden voters soundly reject plan to merge their middle school with Wilbraham's

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    In a hand vote, hundreds of Hampden residents overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to send the town's middle school students to Wilbraham Middle School for a five-year period beginning next fall.

    HAMPDEN — The hand vote in Hampden on whether to merge the town's middle school with Wilbraham's wasn't even close.

    At a special town meeting on Monday evening, Hampden residents opposed to closing Thornton W. Burgess Middle School soundly rejected a proposal to merge their school with Wilbraham Middle School, delivering a big victory for this small town of around 5,100 residents.

    Meanwhile, voters in Wilbraham "overwhelmingly" voted in favor of the merger, according to Wilbraham Selectman Bob Boilard, who posted the news on his public Facebook page, which has become an online debate spot for pro- and anti-merger residents of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District.

    In order for the merger to work, residents of both towns would have had to amend the regional school district agreement to allow Hampden students to cross town lines into Wilbraham. But Hampden residents, many of whom felt they were being forced into a regionalized middle school scenario, overwhelmingly voted against merger.

    "The people have spoken, and that's what it's all about," said Lisa Sternberg, a former teacher in Hampden and among the more outspoken critics of merging the district's two middle schools into one.

    The consolidation plan would have closed Thornton W. Burgess for five years. During that period, Hampden middle school students in grades six to eight would have attended Wilbraham Middle School until 2022, while Hampden's fifth-graders would have been sent to Greenmeadows Elementary School, a prekindergarten through fourth-grade school in Hampden.

    The five-year window was designed to give school district administrators time to come up with a long-range plan for the district's middle schools, both of which continue to suffer from declining enrollment. Declining test scores, particularly at TWB, have also figured into an ongoing raging debate that has mostly played out on dueling Facebook pages.

    Not every Hampden resident was happy with the outcome of Monday night's vote.

    Kate Dzierzgowski, a pro-merger mother of three from Hampden, said she was "sad" about the outcome of the vote. "I'm going to send my kids to private school and put my house on the market," she said, emphasizing a correlation between declining schools and declining real estate values.

    David and Charo Hayward, self-described empty nesters from Hampden who value strong educational opportunities for all children, were also disappointed with the vote. Charo, a longtime educator, said she feels for younger parents in town who just want what's best for their kids.

    "I'm sad that people don't understand," she said, referring to her Hampden neighbors who rejected the proposal.

    Rebecca Capuano, the mother of two students in the school district, one of whom attends Thornton Burgess, said her middle-schooler is a straight-A student with high honors. Yet, her child's performance level on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, MCAS, is only "proficient," which is why she voted for middle school unification.

    "I'm extremely disappointed," Capuano said.

    Realizing how contentious the issue has been across the school district, Hampden Selectmen Chairman John D. Flynn said now is the time for some understanding and cooperation.

    "We have got to pull together for everyone," Flynn said.



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