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HCC celebrates 30-year anniversary of ESL program

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Since 1986 Holyoke Community College's English as a Second Language (ESL) studies program has given its international students a stepping stone to pursue their educational goals.

HOLYOKE -- Since 1986, Holyoke Community College's English as a Second Language (ESL) studies program has given its international students a stepping stone to pursue their educational goals.

On Wednesday, the school community celebrated three decades of succeeding in that mission.

"Thirty years is an accomplishment. This is a chance to celebrate the people in our program, to celebrate our students, what they've accomplished and what they can accomplish, and what HCC makes possible for people," said Eileen Kelley, coordinator of ESL Support Services, in a press release.

State Rep. Aaron Vega, D-Holyoke, and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse joined HCC faculty, staff and students to celebrate the ESL program's 30th anniversary in HCC's Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development.

ESL at HCC grew from a non-credit program with three part-time teachers and 40-plus students to a team of five full-time professors and about 14 adjunct instructors teaching 34 classes per semester to hundreds of students.

In 30 years, the ESL program has seen thousands of students from several countries matriculate through HCC and into other institutions to obtain higher degrees.

According to Director of Academic Administration Idelia Smith, the ESL program has given students opportunities to "lift themselves up" through education.

"Some of the very students who started out in the ESL program now are graduates of not only Holyoke Community College, but four-year schools, and they have master's degrees, and they've returned to the college to work," said Smith. "Others have become nurses, accountants, musicians and leaders, and they grace the valley. People have moved from the flats all the way up the hill and they pull out of these fabulous houses in the Highlands in the mornings in nice cars, so life has changed dramatically."

Vega, a Holyoke native, said that the history of the city doubles as an example of the nation's history built on people immigrating to the U.S.

"Understanding Holyoke's history is to understand that we have always been a city of immigrants," said Vega." Holyoke was built on people from Ireland, people from France, people from Germany, Jews, different people from different religions and different people of different backgrounds, different languages and different cultures coming to Holyoke to build a better life."

Vega commended HCC for its efforts to give its students a "step up" in closing the skills gap in various fields.

Morse acknowledged the school's efforts to increase enrollment and how ESL programs ultimately help people get employed and out of poverty in Holyoke. "If we are not serving our own community, who are we serving?" the mayor said.

Morse said ESL programs are needed not only for students looking to better themselves, but also for the nation as a whole, providing the U.S. with individuals who are able to improve the country.

"Being bilingual in today's age is such an asset to the folks here, and if we didn't invest in these programs then we are not helping those folks who come to our country to get ahead and get an education to be a productive member of our society," said Morse. "As a government we still need to do more to reform our immigration laws to make sure that those students that were educated here can stay here and get jobs and give back to the country that provided them education."


Meltdown: MBTA system hit with delays after smoke fills Orange Line station, signal problem affects Red Line

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The MBTA, the oldest transit system in the country, suffered delays Wednesday evening amid an Orange Line train motor overheating and smoke filling up Back Bay Station, and the Red Line experiencing signal problems.

BOSTON - The MBTA, the oldest transit system in the country, suffered delays Wednesday evening amid an Orange Line train motor overheating and smoke filling up Back Bay Station, and the Red Line experiencing signal problems.

At Back Bay Station, rush hour passengers knocked out train windows and pried open doors in an attempt to escape smoke that wafted down the platform.

During that time, UniversalHub.com reported that commuter rail and Amtrak service through Back Bay was "halted."

According to a MBTA spokesman, three people were evaluated at the scene and then transported to a local hospital. Just after 6 p.m., the spokesman said Orange Line service was resuming.

Earlier, the MBTA suspended train service between Jackson and Haymarket stations and offered shuttle buses between the two locations. The MBTA was also urging passengers to take the Green Line, which provides trolley service.

Meanwhile, on the Red Line, commuters were seeing delays "due to a signal problem at Alewife," the northern end of the Red Line, the MBTA said.

Dramatic video shows passengers kicking windows out of Orange Line train, escaping from smoke

New Orange Line and Red Line cars are set to be built in Springfield, but the cars won't be ready for riders until 2019.

Not the first time: Smoky Orange Line evacuation highlights need for new equipment

Letter from Belchertown officials criticizes Hampshire Council of Governments

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The town will consider pulling out of the consortium unless a number of issues are addressed, the letter states.

BELCHERTOWN -- A letter sent last week on behalf of the Board of Selectmen criticized the Hampshire Council of Governments for an "egregious employee turnover rate" and said the town might consider withdrawing as a member community if a number of concerns are not addressed. 

At the urging of Town Administrator Gary L. Brougham, board members voted unanimously at an Oct. 11 meeting to direct Chairman George "Archie" Archible to send the letter to the council's executive committee. 

Brougham -- who said at the meeting that he has "personally taken issue" with the council's executive director, Todd Ford -- asked the board members to send a letter encouraging "immediate intervention and change."

The Oct. 20 letter alleges "greater than 100 percent employee turnover" under Ford's tenure, and calls for accountability for what the board estimates is $1 million the council spent in pursuit of a failed municipal electricity purchasing plan.

In an email responding to questions from The Republican, Ford wrote: "The letter has been received by the Executive Director and the members of the Hampshire Council of Governments' Executive Committee and will be addressed in due course."

Ford told the Daily Hampshire Gazette he didn't see turnover at the agency as a "concerning event," and attributed recent resignations to employees moving on to "greener pastures."

He also disputed the accuracy of claims made in the letter, arguing that Archible lacked knowledge of the council's operations.

"He doesn't work with me," Ford said of the Belchertown selectman. "He doesn't work here."

Contacted Monday, Belchertown Selectman William Barnett, who serves as chairman of both the Council of Governments' executive committee and the full governing board, confirmed that Ford's performance is under review. Barnett said Ford earns about $115,000 annually, and that his current one-year employment contract is in effect until January.

Barnett did not attended the Oct. 11 meeting when Brougham and the board discussed their dissatisfaction with the council under Ford's leadership, with Brougham saying he is concerned the council is "on the verge of imploding" and described the organization as "close to the edge of the cliff"

"I am not surprised they wrote a letter like that," Barnett said of his Board of Selectmen colleagues.

But, Barnett declined to comment on the letter's specific allegations, saying he might have more to say at the council's next board meeting.

The organization's executive committee and its full council are scheduled to meet Oct. 27 at the Hampshire County Courthouse, 99 Main St. in Northampton.

Archible's letter also criticized the council for its failed municipal electricity aggregation effort, which the state Department of Public Utilities nixed last year. The plan intended to create a purchasing collaborative among 35 Massachusetts cities and towns.

In a September 2015 rejecting the plan, state officials said the department's review found the council made "numerous misrepresentations" to municipalities and residents regarding the plan. 

"During the evidentiary hearing, Hampshire Council stated that it could not guarantee taxpayer savings or customer savings as a benefit of municipal aggregation, nor could it guarantee that buying in bulk is cheaper," the letter stated. "This is in clear conflict with representations provided in written materials."

Echoing points made by Brougham at the Oct. 11, Archible's letter reads: "To the best of our knowledge, no one has been held accountable for the loss of an estimated $1 million of the Council's funds which was essentially wasted on a faint-hearted effort to approve aggregation."

It continues: "An employee of this town who was responsible for such poor judgment would certainly be held accountable and likely terminated."

The Hampshire Council of Governments is governed by elected representatives from 15 member towns.

In addition to Belchertown, the municipalities are: Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield, Huntington, Middlefield, Pelham, Plainfield, South Hadley, Southampton, Westhampton, and Williamsburg.

MBTA plans 'full investigation' of Orange Line smoke and chaos, reports 3 minor injuries

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The MBTA plans a "full investigation" to determine the cause of the Orange Line incident that created a chaotic commute for thousands of people. Smoke filled Back Bay Station, leading to passengers kicking out train windows and dashing down the platform.

BOSTON - The MBTA plans a "full investigation" to determine the cause of the Orange Line incident that created a chaotic commute for thousands of people. Smoke filled Back Bay Station, leading to passengers kicking out train windows and dashing down the platform.

Passengers also posted to Twitter dramatic videos of the mayhem and helped the incident make national news. There were three minor injuries, according to the MBTA.

"Passenger safety is the top priority for the MBTA," agency spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an emailed statement pledging an investigation, as service resumed.

Overseen by a fiscal control board in the wake of a brutal 2015 winter that battered the nation's oldest subway system, the MBTA is considered a key economic driver for the region. But riders often face delays, due to signal problems or disabled trains, among other problems with the "T," as the system is widely known.

According to Pesaturo, the MBTA operations center received a call at 4:39 p.m. on Wednesday about a "propulsion issue" causing smoke on a northbound Orange Line leaving Back Bay Station.

Minutes later, passengers started evacuating the train, some with the help of transit workers.

Dramatic video shows passengers kicking windows out of Orange Line train, escaping from smoke

"The MBTA has not determined the cause of the incident at this time, however, it is believed the smoke situation was most likely related to the motor," Pesaturo wrote.

The subway train's doors were closed and weren't considered to be malfunctioning because the train had moved away from the station platform.

"The motor person had begun promptly opening doors to allow passengers to evacuate safely, away from live third rail," according to Pesaturo.

"The Boston Fire Department evacuated Back Bay Station at 4:57pm and allowed Orange Line service to resume at 5:41 pm on the southbound side and 6:15 pm on the northbound side," he said.

As a precaution, MBTA officials held commuter rail trains which pass through Back Bay Station were held at South Station.

MBTA system hit with delays after smoke fills Orange Line station, signal problem affects Red Line

"The motor person on the subway train called into dispatch that there were 'propulsion' issues and as the motor person began to walk into cars to evaluate the situation he noticed smoke and began to alert passengers and start opening doors to allow passengers out," Pesaturo wrote. "Because no announcement had been made on the intercom, some passengers, understandably, began to self-[evacuate] through windows."

Man pleads not guilty to murdering his father in Dedham

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A man who told police he had attacked his father during a fatal incident in Dedham pleaded not guilty to murder during his arraignment on Tuesday.

DEDHAM — A man admitted to authorities that he bludgeoned his own father with a hammer at a Dedham residence this week, according to The Boston Globe.

25-year-old Alexander Anderson is reported to have attacked his father, Paul Anderson, while he slept on Tuesday morning--first stabbing him in the cheek before pummeling him with his fists and kneeling on his neck, according to the paper.

After the initial attack, Anderson then grabbed a hammer that he used to beat his 59-year-old father with, before throwing him down a staircase, prosecutors allege.

The vicious attack occurred at the father's home in Dedham. Anderson allegedly said that his father had been "aggravating" him, which led to the attack.

After the incident was over, Anderson allegedly contacted the Dedham police and told the dispatcher what he had done, before calling authorities to the home.

After police came to the household and found the father badly injured, he was transported to Norwood Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Alexander Anderson was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the local police station where he described how he had attacked his father, according to police.

The attack came after several similar incidents between the father and son--one of which occurred in 2011, when Paul Anderson took out a restraining order against his son after he was woken up in a violent manner similar to Tuesday morning.

Despite admitting to attacking his father, Alexander Anderson pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder during his arraignment on Tuesday. He is currently being held without bail and is due back in court on Nov. 28.

 

Legalizing marijuana question provides wrangle between Holyoke Council President Kevin Jourdain, Mayor Alex Morse

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Holyoke City Council President Kevin Jourdain and Mayor Alex Morse offered countering presentations at a forum on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 about the Massachusetts question on the Nov. 8 election ballot calling for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Watch video

Updated at 8:13 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016 to include text of debate points used by Holyoke City Council President Kevin Jourdain in opposition to the ballot question to legalize marijuana for recreational use at Tuesday's forum.

HOLYOKE -- Seemingly all the people who govern, legislate, enforce the law, educate and provide medical treatment oppose the Nov. 8 ballot question to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

That was an argument made at a forum on Tuesday by City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain, who also said the pot question is nothing more than a ploy to profit the marijuana industry.

But Mayor Alex B. Morse said the parallel reality is that polls show 55 percent of Massachusetts voters support the ballot question and many people of all ages already use pot despite the "war on drugs" efforts and however much some people pretend otherwise. So why not regulate it and tax it to gain revenue, he said.

The city's top two elected officials pitched arguments about the marijuana question at a forum about statewide and local ballot questions held at Dean Technical High School, 1045 Main St.

Approval of Massachusetts ballot Question 4 would legalize the possession and use of an ounce or less of recreational marijuana by adults aged 21 and older as of Dec. 15.

Jourdain began by listing opponents of the legalize pot question, among them Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Attorney General Maura Healey, all 13 county sheriffs, district attorneys, over 120 legislators, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, Massachusetts Medical Society and Massachusetts School Nurse Organization.

"It is a bad idea," Jourdain said.

Effective in 2009, possession of an ounce or less of marijuana was decriminalized. Pot can legally be prescribed for medical treatment. Given that and the list of significant opponents, why would anyone support the question, said Jourdain, who said the answer was profits.

"This is really about creating a commercial marijuana industry in Massachusetts," he said, along with permitting growth of private marijuana farms.

"And you've got to just live next to it and say, 'Thank you, neighbor,'" Jourdain said.

"Smoking marijuana is never to be promoted and is another form of lung attack," he said at another point.

pot.jpgHolyoke, Massachusetts Mayor Alex B. Morse, left, made a presentation in favor of passage of a statewide question on the Nov. 8 election ballot to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Holyoke City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain, right, argued against that question, at a forum Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 at Dean Technical High School. 

Another concern is the marijuana industry could entice use by youngsters with colorful edibles like candy and pastries containing pot, he said.

Jourdain also questioned the argument that blacks are arrested on marijuana charges disproportionately in comparison to others.

Morse said he would need 10 minutes just to debunk the "myths" in Jourdain's presentation, "but with that, I still have respect for President Jourdain."

His support of the question to legalize pot for recreational use is based not on promoting its usage. It's based on the reality that the war on drugs when it comes to marijuana has failed and passage of the ballot referendum would allow for the regulation and taxation of an obviously already widely used drug, he said.

"We pretend that folks aren't using it when they are," Morse said.

Since even opponents of the question would agree use of marijuana is widespread, and thus involves a lot of money, passage of the question gives Massachusetts the chance to seize a revenue option by establishing regulations and taxing it, he said.

"And so why not regulate it to make it safer for people?" Morse said.

Using pot in public and while driving still would be illegal and the state already prohibits the packaging of medical marijuana products to look like candy, he said.

Passage of the question would address an injustice because to say that blacks don't get arrested on marijuana charges at a higher rate than others ignores studies that prove otherwise, he said.

Despite the list of opponents of the question to legalize marijuana for recreational use, the latest polls show 55 percent of Massachusetts will vote yes, he said.

"By endorsing Question 4 by no means am I promoting the use of marijuana among young people or anyone," Morse said.

But legalization would establish a means to regulate and tax the already widespread use. Plus, while currently there is no breathalyzer-type test to determine if a driver is impaired by marijuana, legalization could prompt a need and an advance in technology to provide such a device, he said.

That would lead to a safer community, he said.

Nelson R. Roman, Ward 2 representative on the Holyoke City Council, organized the forum about the ballot questions with the neighborhood associations for South Holyoke, Churchill and the Ingelside-Springdale, along with Neighbor to Neighbor, a group that pushes for affordable housing.


Jourdain's debate points are below.


Morse planned to use a slide presentation but the machinery malfunctioned.

No on Question 4 Debate Points by Holyoke City Council President Kevin Jourdain: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse's intended slide presentation about marijuana question: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Portland nurse recovering after Oregon coast shark attack: 'My whole leg was in its mouth'

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Joseph Tanner, a 29-year-old critical care nurse at Portland's Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, is more than two weeks removed from being attacked by a shark off Indian Beach at Ecola State Park. He was in the hospital for nine days, had three surgeries and was discharged last Wednesday. Watch video

Joseph Tanner said he had three thoughts amid a shark attack off the Oregon coast earlier this month.

No way. This isn't happening.

I'm going to die.

Gills have to be sensitive. 

Tanner, a 29-year-old critical care nurse at Portland's Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, is more than two weeks removed from being attacked by a shark off Indian Beach at Ecola State Park. He was in the hospital for nine days, had three surgeries and was discharged last Wednesday.

Tanner, speaking alongside his parents and friend Wednesday at Legacy Emanuel, said he was resting on his board with his body vertical in the water at the time of the attack.

The shark -- presumably a great white -- grabbed his leg and pulled him.

"My whole leg was in its mouth," Tanner said.    

He repeatedly punched its gills.

Tanner said the shark's skin felt like the "grainiest sandpaper." The shark released him, he yelled to others to get out of the water and paddled toward shore. He said the paddle, which a friend estimated as taking more than five minutes, was terrifying because he thought the shark was following him.

He can now bear weight on his right leg -- which he said sustained a single bite from a shark with at least a 26-inch-wide mouth -- and can move using crutches. He said he can probably start physical therapy in about three weeks and that his doctors are optimistic he will fully or almost fully recover.

Tanner, a regular surfer, said he arrived at the beach around noon on Oct. 10. He surfed for a couple hours, got out of the water for lunch and talked with West Woodworth -- a Portland man he met on the same beach three weeks prior.

Their conversation touched on sharks because a dead whale had recently washed up on the coast, Tanner said. He returned to the water for an afternoon surf session around 4 p.m.

Responders were called to the area shortly thereafter on reports of a shark attack. One 911 caller reported Tanner was yelling "help" as he headed to shore on his surfboard.

Tanner said he made it to about six inches of water, couldn't move his hands anymore and rolled off into the surf. Woodworth told authorities he pulled his friend from the water.

Tanner recalls asking people if they saw any arterial bleeding and asking them to tie a tourniquet. Someone tried tying a shirt around his leg, but that wasn't tight enough. Tanner's surfboard leash was used instead, and police later tied a proper tourniquet.

"I just remember flocks of people running towards me to help," Tanner said, thanking his medical care providers and the people who assisted him on the beach.

People put him on his board and carried him up the hill to a parking lot, where they put him in the back of a truck. He was later transferred to an ambulance, driven to Cannon Beach and flown to Legacy Emanuel.

Woodworth said Tanner was telling him what to do, step by step, while he was providing medical help. Tanner said he was insistent on being taken to his workplace, where he recognized colleagues caring for him.

The shark attack was the first recorded off the Oregon coast since 2013, according to two online databases. The November 2013 attack occurred off Gleneden Beach in Lincoln County.

Of 28 previous Oregon shark attacks listed in the Global Shark Attack File database, only one has been fatal. A California couple died in 1975 after a freak wave may have capsized a fishing boat they were operating 200 miles northwest of Astoria, according to Oregonian archives.

The Oregon state medical examiner said Grace Conger died of several large shark bites and that her husband drowned.

An Oregon State University oceanography professor told The Oregonian in 1975 it's plausible that blue sharks bit Oliver Conger's dead body, causing blood to enter the water and inciting a frenzy among other blue sharks.

Jim Burke, director of animal care at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, previously said most indicators point toward the shark involved in the Oct. 10 attack being a great white shark. 

He said the great white sharks can be seen in and around the surf line -- or up to a quarter-mile off shore -- a few times a year. Burke said they cruise the coast, feeding primarily on marine mammals such as sea lions and harbor seals, and associate with the areas where those mammals congregate.

Tanner urged surfers to know when shark populations are highest in their area. They should also remember their blood type and know how to tie tourniquets, he said, recommending that surfers keep some in their cars or surf bags. He said wearing a thick wetsuit saved him from further injury.

He said the attack won't keep him from the water.

-- Jim Ryan
jryan@oregonian.com
503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 

Boston police seeking suspect in attempted kidnapping of little girl

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Boston authorities are searching for a man wanted in connection to an attempted kidnapping on Tuesday.

BOSTON — Boston police are searching for a suspect believed to be involved in an attempted kidnapping that took place in the city's Roxbury neighborhood on Tuesday morning.

Police say the suspect--a clean-shaven black male with a height between 6' to 6' 2" tall--has not yet been apprehended.

A witness claims the suspect attempted to "snatch" a little girl around 6 a.m., according to The Boston Globe.

31-year-old Valerey Pearson told the paper she saw the suspect pick the girl up at the corner of Blue Hill Avenue and Brookford Street. "He grabbed her and picked her up. I was shocked," Pearson said.

Pearson says that when she witnessed the incident she screamed for help and yelled for the girl to "run." The girl subsequently escaped from the man unharmed, and police showed up shortly afterward.

Authorities are now searching for the man involved, who is described as weighing approximately 200 lbs, and was last seen wearing tan pants, a black t-shirt, black baseball cap.

The Boston Police Department has asked that anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of this man to get in contact detectives at 617-343-4275.


STCC receives $3.4M for Hispanic and low-income STEM students

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Hispanic and low-income students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields will be getting $3.4 million in federal funding at Springfield Technical Community College.

Hispanic and low-income students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields benefit from $3.4 million in federal funding at Springfield Technical Community College.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, joined STCC President John Cook and other administrators in Schibeli Hall Wednesday to announce that the school had received a five-year grant to provide support, resources and services to students in STEM majors.

Neal commended Cook and the leadership at STCC for their efforts to provide students the training they need to enter the future workforce.

"Most jobs in the future will require a basic understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics," Neal said in a press release. "That is why federal assistance from the U.S. Department of Education is so important and timely. It will give Hispanic and low-income students an opportunity to learn the necessary skills that lead to a successful career in the growing STEM industry."

The grant will go toward increasing enrollment, professional development, support and retention of Hispanic and low-income students pursing majors like computer programming, engineering and biological sciences.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Arlene Rodriguez said the funding will give students a stepping stone into brighter futures.

"These are funds that will be used to support some of our most under-served students to succeed in the STEM courses and transition them off into successful STEM careers," she said.

According to Rodriguez, 11.4 percent of Hispanic STCC students and 14 percent of low-income students are pursuing STEM majors.

The grant was provided by the U.S. Department of Education under the Hispanic and Low-Income Transformed Education in STEM project. STCC is the first community college in the state to receive the grant.

To qualify for funding, a college must be designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution with a student population that is at least 25 percent Hispanic. STCC was designated an HSI in 2013, with Hispanic students accounting for 27.6 percent of the population.

According to Yadilette Rivera, the undergraduate science program coordinator and an assistant professor of biology at Bay Path University, many of the opportunities that allowed her to pursue her passions for science would not have happened if it weren't for initiatives like the one at STCC.

"Hispanic students come from a variety of cultures and we have a lot of pressures from our family from being the first in many classrooms," Rivera said. "In a classroom if you look like everybody else you're not going to missed if you're not in class, but if you're the only one of your kind and you're not there you will be missed immediately."

Rivera added that support programs for Hispanic students are crucial in opening doors that they may not even know were there.

"Even in my classes right now, even though the enrollment is much higher in minority students at Bay Path, (in) my classrooms in STEM, there are minority students but not that many," said Rivera. She said Hispanic students "don't know that they can pursue a career in science because it had seemed out of reach for so long."

STCC students are excited for the opportunities that the grant will provide in coming years.

Brandon Francisco, a first-year student, feels the funding couldn't have come at a better time. He studies biology with aspirations of pursuing a career in neurology.

"It will be great for me because now I can find more opportunities and classes that will help advance my major in a couple of years," said Francisco. "I just heard about this, and I think now I have a much better opportunity to do what I want to do, and now it's funded, which really helps me out as a student."

Maura Healey kicks off Advisory Council on Racial Justice

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Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has kicked off a new advisory council on racial justice.

Attorney General Maura Healey's office is heading a new 30-member advisory council geared towards promoting racial justice and equity for communities of color in Massachusetts.

The council, which will meet on a regular basis throughout the year, had its first "kickoff" meeting on Monday.

"This Advisory Council will help me lead an office that confronts racism and structural disparities," said Healey. "Advancing equity and opportunity is a top priority for our office."

The issues that the council will work towards resolving include criminal justice reform, gun violence, and and health care disparities.

The council includes leaders and advocates from a variety of state organizations, including the YWCA of Springfield, the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, the NAACP, the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, the YWCA Springfield, and MassVote.

Monalisa Smith, the Executive Director of Mother's for Justice and Equality said that she was "proud" to be involved with Healey's council. "I believe this is a big step in acknowledging and addressing the injustices that hinder our children from growing up in safe and nurturing environments," said Smith.

Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, the Executive Director of the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, and another member of the new council, lauded Healey's "powerful commitment to addressing the needs of people of color."

"As a Latino lawyer working in the civil rights and racial justice movement, I know firsthand the unconscious bias that people of color face," Madrigal said. I'm honored to be a part of this important effort and to help empower all people in Massachusetts."

Gov. Charlie Baker holds off on mid-year budget cuts

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Massachusetts officials hope to close a proposed budget gap by finding money from other sources, including a voluntary buyout program for state workers.

BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker is deferring any decision on mid-year budget cuts as the administration continues to monitor tax receipts.

"We are closing the budget gap through fiscally prudent solutions such as unanticipated non-tax revenue and a voluntary separation incentive program," Secretary of Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore said in a statement Thursday.

Lepore said a couple of weeks ago that she believed the state needed to cut $294 million from executive branch spending due to lower than expected tax revenues and underfunding of some accounts in the state budget.

But Democratic legislative leaders urged Baker to hold off on making budget cuts to see whether tax revenues pick up.

Lepore said Thursday that she anticipates using other methods to find the money. The administration is offering a voluntary buyout program to state workers, which administration officials hope will save $25 million in payroll costs. If it does not meet that target, there could be layoffs.

Lepore wrote in a letter to the House and Senate Ways and Means Committee chairmen that efforts to rein in year-end spending in fiscal 2016 resulted in $145 million more than expected left over at the end of the year, which can be used this year. The state now anticipates getting higher federal reimbursements than expected. Since the School Building Assistance Authority and the MBTA both get money based on the amount of sales tax revenue that comes in, revised projections of sales tax revenues mean lower funding for each of those areas.

Lepore warned that the state is continuing to monitor the potential underfunding of accounts, and it has identified a potential $100 million gap in the MassHealth budget, driven primarily by increased caseloads. She did not rule out making mid-year budget cuts later on.

"While we are not reducing allotments at this time, we are actively monitoring tax revenue and additional spending exposures in the coming months before finalizing our decision on the extent of allotment reductions and other actions to ensure that the FY17 budget is in balance," Lepore said.

Mass. Pike speed limit reduced to 40 mph on Western Turnpike as heavy snow falls

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Massachusetts State Police say the speed limit on the Mass. Pike from the New York border to Chicopee is reduced to 40 mph due to snow and poor visibility.

The speed limit on the western part of the Massachusetts Turnpike has been reduced to 40 mph as the first real snow of the season continues to fall in Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut this afternoon. 

Massachusetts State Police say the speed limit on the Mass. Pike from the New York border to Chicopee is reduced to 40 mph due to snow and poor visibility.

A heavier band of snow is also beginning to move into Western Mass. and Northern Connecticut, according to the National Weather Service. Snow in downtown Springfield was measuring as much as an inch in some spots where it was managing to stick and smaller amounts elsewhere where it had melted some. 

A weather spotter measured 2.75 inches in Chester at 4:20 p.m.

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Temperatures in the eastern and central parts of the state have remained too warm to transition to snow and are expected to stay rain. 

All areas are expected to change over to rain between 6 and 7 p.m.

Donald Trump blasts leaked Clinton Foundation memo, accuses rival of 'corruption'

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump seized on a recently WikiLeaks-released memo that highlights the connection between the Clinton Foundation and Clinton family's business interests Thursday, questioning what his Democratic rival would do if sent to the White House.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump seized on a newly released WikiLeaks memo that highlights the connection between the Clinton Foundation and Clinton family's business interests Thursday as he questioned what his Democratic rival would do if sent to the White House.

Pointing to the 12-page internal memo, in which Doug Band reportedly said he arranged millions of dollars in payments for Bill Clinton, Trump argued that it represents another example of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's corruption.

"The more emails Wikileaks releases, the more the lines between the Clinton Foundation, the Secretary of State's office, and the Clintons' personal finances are blurred. Just today we read about Clinton confidant Doug Band bragging that he had funneled tens of millions of dollars to 'Bill Clinton, Inc.' through the foundation donations, paid speeches and consulting contracts," he said in a statement released by his campaign. "Mr. Band called the arrangement 'unorthodox.' The rest of us call it outright corruption."

Arguing that the Clintons "were willing to play this fast and loose with their enterprise when they weren't in the White House," the GOP nominee asked what they would do "to pad their pockets" if the former secretary of state wins on Nov. 8.

Trump, who echoed such concerns while addressing supporters in Springfield, Ohio, further said he's "had enough of the Clintons."

"I've had enough," he said. "At what point do we say it? Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt person to ever seek the office of the presidency. I've proposed a contract with the American voter that will end the corruption and give the government back to the people."

The GOP nominee pledged to "drain the swamp" if he wins the presidential election by pushing a constitutional amendment to impose congressional term limits and creating jobs.

Clinton's campaign has declined to comment on the reported memo and has refused to confirm whether the allegedly hacked emails published on WikiLeaks in recent weeks are authentic.

Band, the president and co-founder of private consulting firm Teneo, was tasked with raising money for the Clinton Foundation while also helping Bill Clinton with for-profit opportunities, according to The Hill.

Ex-Bill Clinton aide says he helped arrange $50M in payments for former president

Agawam man killed in MassPike accident in Warren; stepped in front of tractor trailer, police say

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According to police, the Agawam man's car was found in the breakdown lane near the accident scene.

WARREN - A 38-year-old Agawam man was killed Thursday morning on the Massachusetts Turnpike as he stepped out of the break-down lane and into the path of a tractor trailer, state police said.

The man, whose name was being withheld pending notification of his family, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to state police, the man's car was found parked in the breakdown lane near the scene of the accident.

The accident happened just before 11 a.m. in the eastbound lane of the turnpike near mile marker 69. The accident and subsequent investigation caused a lengthy backup of traffic along the pike, police said.

A preliminary investigation shows the man stepped into the right travel lane and was stuck by a tractor trailer driven by a 50-year-old man from Syracuse.

The operator of the truck stopped and remained on the scene, police said.

No charges have been filed against the driver, police said. His name was not disclosed to the press.

The accident remains under investigation by members of Charlton state police barracks, from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction and Crime Scene Services sections, and the Worcester County District Attorney's Office.

Jackknifed truck shuts westbound MassPike lanes in Becket

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The speed limit on the Pike has been reduced to 40 mph from the New York State line to Chicopee.

The sudden and early snowstorm has resulted in some sloppy conditions on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The speed limit on the Pike has been reduced to 40 mph from the New York State line to Chicopee, according to the state Department of Transportation.



As of 5:30 p.m., state police announced they are also dealing with a jack-knifed tractor-trailer in the westbound lane near Becket. All westbound lanes are blocked until a tow truck can move the vehicle.

Westbound traffic is described as being at a complete standstill.


Amid rising Obamacare premiums, health law consumers face least choice in program's history

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Americans in the health insurance markets created by President Obama's law will have less choice next year than any time since the program started, analysis shows.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans in the health insurance markets created by President Barack Obama's law will have less choice next year than any time since the program started, a new county-level analysis for The Associated Press has found.

The analysis by AP and consulting firm Avalere Health found that about one-third of U.S. counties will have only one health marketplace insurer next year. That's more than 1,000 counties in 26 states -- roughly double the number of counties in 2014, the first year of coverage through the program.

With insurance notices for 2017 in the mail, families are already facing difficult choices, even weighing whether to stay covered.

"At this point we are at a loss," said Ryan Robinson of Phoenix. "We don't know what the next step is." He and his wife, Nicole, only have plans from one insurer available next year, and the company doesn't appear to cover an expensive immune-system medication for their 11-year-old daughter.

Phoenix is the market hardest hit by insurer exits, shrinking from nine carriers to one. With many other communities affected, however, the problem of dwindling choice may create even bigger political headaches than the rising premiums announced earlier this week.

Largely as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the nation's uninsured rate has dropped to a historically low level, less than 9 percent. But the program hasn't yet found stable footing, and it remains politically divisive. Insurer participation rose in 2015 and 2016, only to plunge.

Dwindling choice could be a trickier issue than rising premiums for the Obama administration and advocates of the 2010 law, including Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Most customers get financial assistance, and their subsidies are designed to rise along with premiums, which are increasing an average of 25 percent in states served by HealthCare.gov. But there is no comparable safety valve for disruptions caused by insurers bailing out.

"Rising premiums get all of the political attention, but lack of choice between insurers could be a bigger problem for consumers," said Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president with Avalere.

Five states -- Alaska, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wyoming -- have one participating insurer across their entire jurisdictions. Only Wyoming had faced that predicament this year.

Another eight states -- Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada and Tennessee-- have only one participating insurer in a majority of counties.

Citing big financial losses, several marquee insurers sharply scaled back their participation for next year. United Healthcare exited from more than 1,800 counties, and maintains only a minuscule presence, according to the analysis. Humana nearly halved the number of counties where it offers plans.

Insurers say enrollment was disappointing, patients were sicker than expected, and an internal system to help stabilize premiums didn't work well. The Obama administration says insurers are correcting for initially pricing their plans too low.

HealthCare.gov has taken steps to help consumers whose insurer is leaving by matching them to the closest comparable plan on the marketplace next year.

Administration officials also point out that many private employers offer workers just one plan.

The upheaval in the health insurance markets has consumers scrambling to figure out options. Sign-up season starts Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 31.

South of Minneapolis, in Goodhue County, Minnesota, farmer Eugene Betcher said his Blue Cross Blue Shield family plan is going away. The insurer is dropping its popular preferred provider plan, which covers more than 100,000 area residents.

Betcher has an appointment with his insurance adviser, but he expects sharply higher premiums and having to switch doctors.

In his early 60s, he's mulling just keeping his wife on the plan. "I'm thinking of not covering myself and hoping to get to 65 and Medicare," said Betcher. He'd risk a fine, but he says that financially he would probably come out ahead even if he had to pay out of pocket for medical care.

In Birmingham, Alabama, property insurance adjuster Jacob Bodden said his Humana plan is pulling out and Blue Cross Blue Shield remains his only option. He gets no subsidy from the government, so he'd have to cover the entire premium increase himself.

"I don't trust the incompetents who created this mess can fix it," Bodden said.

In Phoenix, Ryan and Nicole Robinson are at the epicenter of the health law's latest troubles. Maricopa County has seen the most insurers bail out, and premiums for a benchmark plan are spiking 145 percent next year, beyond any other major market on HealthCare.gov.

Ryan Robinson, who works in sales for an out-of-state health care company, said the family's premium will go from $821 to $1,489. It's more than their mortgage and they don't qualify for an income-based subsidy.

But what the Robinsons most worry about is that neither of their daughter's two medications appears to be covered by the remaining insurer. That includes an immune-system drug costing about $5,000 a month. The administration says consumers in such situations can seek an exception.

"I shouldn't be getting government assistance, but I shouldn't be offered a plan that's ludicrous," said Ryan Robinson. He says the idea behind the law "was good and principled," but "there have got to be other solutions out there."

Avalere is a consulting and data-crunching firm that provides nonpartisan analysis for health care industry and government clients. It compiled insurance marketplace data from 49 states and the District of Columbia for the analysis. That represents markets in 3,129 counties, where 12.3 million people selected plans for 2016. Only Massachusetts was unable to provide 2017 data by this week.

As much as 3 inches of snow falls in Western Massachusetts

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Communities in Massachusetts have received up to 3 inches of snow during Thursday's first winter flurry.

Winter made its arrival known Thursday--with snow being reported in towns and communities all across Massachusetts.

Many of the communities in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire Counties should anticipate getting between 0.1 to 1 inch of snow, if not more, according to predictions from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Taunton. In the most northern and western regions of the state, snowfall seems to be heavier.

Here are some local weather updates.

  • As of approximately 4:25 p.m., West Springfield had roughly 0.8 inches of snow.
  • Heath, Massachusetts--which has an elevation of 1,450 feet, and is located in the northernmost region of the state--had received up to 3.5 inches of snow as of approximately 5:00 p.m.
  • The NWS in Taunton has predicted that Greenfield is likely to receive at least 1 inch of snow between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
  • During that same period, the agency has predicted that there's a 15-20 percent chance that the most Western regions of the state will see 4 inches of snow or more.
  • Trees have been reported down in a number of areas, including on Silver Street in Agawam, on Fort Hill Terrace in Northampton, and on North Maple Street in Hadley.
  • Multiple factors--including a malfunctioning traffic signal, weather, and a car accident-- have caused traffic delays on Route 202 in Holyoke between Homestead Avenue and Old County Road.

Power outages reported throughout Western Massachusetts

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Large areas of Western Massachusetts have been hit with power outages.

UPDATE, 7:56 p.m.: Westfield Gas & Electric has reported outages in multiple areas, including Upper East Mountain Road and North Road, as well as all side streets associated with those two roads. Additionally, McKinley Terrace has reported outages as well. Staff for the company are currently working on resolving those outages.


Massachusetts is experiencing its first winter flurry and the extreme weather has led to power outages across the state. In particular, in Western Massachusetts, the outages have been more widespread. Eversource data shows the largest outages appearing in Hatfield, Springfield, and Amherst.

Total Western Massachusetts outages: 3,035

Hatfield: 1,206 customers
Springfield: 608 customers
Easthampton: 88 customers
Northampton: 7 customers
Pelham: 41 customers
Ludlow: 85 customers
Agawam: 2 customers
Montague: 26 customers
Tyringham: 15 customers
Pittsfield: 0
Southampton: 7
Southwick: 1
West Springfield: 23
Amherst: 849
Leverett: 7
Colrain: 1

Power outages in the eastern regions of the state haven't been quite so bad, but have still left some unhappy customers.

Holliston: 496 customers affected
Northampton: 36
Belchertown: 9
Williamstown: 15
Worcester: 0

 

Jackknifed truck removed from Turnpike in Becket; traffic flowing again

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The speed on the pike remains 40 mph between the New York line and Chicopee, according to officials.

This is an update of a story posted at 5:20 p.m. Thursday


A tractor-trailer that jackknifed out of control Thursday evening on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Becket, blocking all westbound lanes and causing a major traffic traffic jam, has been removed and traffic flow is beginning to resume, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Traffic on the pike remains at 40 mph between the New York State Line and Chicopee because of sloppy road conditions as a result of the surprise snowstorm.

The truck jackknifed and blocked all westbound lanes at about 5:15 p.m. It was not cleared out of the way until about an hour later.



The accident occurred on the pike near where the highway crosses Jacob's Ladder Road.

Traffic was described as at a compete standstill.


Traffic delays persist on I-91 as the result of weather and accidents

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Traffic on I-91 is slow as the result of winter weather.

NORTHAMPTON — Traffic is highly congested along Interstate 91 between Northampton and Holyoke.

Thursday's intense snowfall has snarled traffic in both directions.

Additionally, an accident on I-91 North near the Holyoke Country Club is keeping cars moving slowly.

A State Trooper from the Springfield Barracks said that the accident was a two-car rear-end crash that hadn't resulted in any injuries but was affecting traffic somewhat in the North bound lanes.

 
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