Police said Keith Herring shot Gary Duff-Turcotte in the chest shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday. Duff-Turcotte was planning to sell marijuana to Herring, and told his fiancé earlier in the day that he was afraid he would be robbed.

EVERETT - The suspect in a weekend murder was wearing a GPS monitor, as mandated by his bail in an open case, at the time he shot and killed a 21-year-old Stoneham man during a drug deal, investigators said Monday.

Keith Herring, 27, of Brighton, was arraigned Monday in Malden District Court on charges including murder, armed robbery, carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was ordered held without bail.

The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office said Herring shot Gary Duff-Turcotte in the chest shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday near Ferry and Chelsea streets. Duff-Turcotte was planning to sell marijuana to Herring, and told his fiance earlier in the day that he was afraid he would be robbed, police said.

Herring got into the back of Duff-Turcotte's car and attacked him from behind, police said, as another unidentified man in a ski mask approached the driver's side door. Herring demanded Duff-Turcotte get out, and when he refused, police say Herring shot him.

Duff-Turcotte ran from the scene and collapsed. He was pronounced dead at CHA Everett Hospital.

Herring allegedly stole the victim's car while the man in the ski mask fled in another vehicle.

"Over the course of the investigation into the incident and through witness descriptions investigators were able to identify the defendant as the likely shooter," police said in a news release. "Investigators were ultimately able to determine the defendant's location by using the GPS coordinates of the bracelet he was wearing as a bail condition of a current open case out of Middlesex Superior Court."

Herring is due back in court on Nov. 29.

The project started last year and completion of the project is on the horizon, officials said Monday.

WESTFIELD - City officials were signaling the completion of the $6.5 million facelift and upgrade to the downtown Gaslight District.

Mayor Brian P. Sullivan announced that final paving of streets located within the district are due to begin this week and he expected that work will be completed by early next week the latest.

City Engineer Mark Cressotti agreed saying the paving operation is scheduled to begin Tuesday and if not completed by Friday, will be complete next week "weather permitting."

Cressotti added "the final paving signals the project will be substantially completed. There remains a few issues involving underground utilities in that area and the removal of utility poles but the project is substantially complete."

The project was started last year after sevral years in planning. The City Council's Legislative and Ordinance Committee completed work Monday night on a final piece of land taking within the project.

The project brings new utilities, sidewalks, parking facilities, amenities and new lighting to the neighborhood.

The Gaslight District is bounded by Elm and Washington and School and Arnold streets.

Still under construction within the district is a new Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Transit Pavilion at Elm and Arnold streets. Westfield's Forish Construction has the $6 million contract for that building, the first in the city's redevelopment area in decades. Construction is expected to be completed by late winter or early spring.

Also, the city expects to break ground next year on a long-proposed multi-level parking garage to the rear of the open Elm Street lot.

Bill Weld, the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee, is aiming for his ticket to receive over five percent on Election Night, in order for them to receive "official party status." But what would he tell a swing state voter on the fence? Watch video

BOSTON - Bill Weld, the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee, is aiming for his ticket to receive over five percent on Election Night, in order for them to receive "official party status."

A key issue for him and the man at the top of the ticket, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, is "breaking monopoly of the two parties in Washington," Weld told reporters before taking the stage with actress Melissa Joan Hart inside Faneuil Hall on Election Eve.

"No one's quite cracked it yet and I don't think it's healthy for the country," said Weld, who served as the Republican governor of Massachusetts in the 1990s.

Official party status means the party wouldn't get "hassled" in its attempt to get ballot access, according to Weld. "We will be heard in Washington, D.C.," he told the crowd.

But asked what his message would be for swing state voters on the fence, considering a choice between Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, and Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, Weld told reporters, "Oh, I think there's nothing to compare between the two of them. I think Mr. Trump is massively unfit to be president of the United States just on grounds of stability and temperament. And Mrs. Clinton is perfectly fit."

He added: "You know, at the same time, we're looking for every vote nationwide to get over that five percent figure."

A reporter asked him, "But to someone considering between the two of them, would you say 'vote for Hillary Clinton?'"

"Absolutely! I've sort of said that from Day One, I think," Weld said. "But I'm saying, you know if you can see your way clear voting for the party in the middle, that would be the Libertarians, that's our first choice."

Weld said that after the election, he plans to keep wearing the "big L hat" and stay in the Libertarian Party.

During his remarks to the Faneuil Hall crowd, Weld urged Massachusetts voters to pull the lever for the Libertarian Party in order to help them get to five percent. Massachusetts has traditionally voted for the Democratic nominee in presidential contests.

"You won't be risking the election of Donald Trump," Weld told the crowd.

Melissa Joan Hart explains why she's voting for the Libertarian Party in 2016

Presently smoking is prohibited in all municipal buildings and on municipal owned or leased playing fields.

WESTFIELD - City officials are considering the creation of an ordinance that will ban smoking on all municipal owned property.

The City Council's Legislative and Ordinance Committee initiated the proposal during a meeting at City Hall Monday night.

The issue surfaced from a request by the Council on Aging that smoking be banned on Senior Center grounds on Noble Street. The request was originally sent to the committee in May but was not an issue during the summer months when air conditioning at the new Senior Center was operating, Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy said Monday.

Figy, chairman of Legislative and Ordinance Committee, explained that smoking is banned inside the senior center, like all municipal buildings, and that smokers at the center were smoking outside open windows during early spring. "That smoke was entering the building through the open windows," the councilor said.

Figy said he has asked the city's Health Department to consider the issue and investigate a total ban on smoking on all city property, owned or leased.

Councilors Mary L. O'Connell and William Oynski, both members of Legislation and Ordinance Committee, agreed the the issue was tabled Monday pending action by the Health Department.

Officials explained that currently smoking is prohibited in all municipal and school buildings and on all playing fields in compliance with state regulations.

Adoption of a local ordinance prohibiting smoking on all city property will require two votes of the full City Council for adoption.

Amherst police arrested three men on drunken driving charges this weekend, including one who allegedly nearly hit a cruiser.

AMHERST -- Police arrested three men on drunken driving charges this weekend, including one who allegedly nearly hit a police cruiser.

Just after 1 a.m. Saturday, police arrested Kyle J. Kitlinski, 21, and charged him with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, failure to keep right for an oncoming motor vehicle and negligent operation of a motor vehicle to endanger.

Police reported that the car nearly hit a police cruiser head-on as it entered the Boltwood Walk parking garage.

The operator showed signs of impairment, according to police. He is listed as a University of Massachusetts student.

Two hours later police arrested Luis G. Gonzales, 21, of Springfield, after stopping him on Main Street, on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, operating a motor vehicle to endanger and a marked lanes violation.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday, police arrested a 29-year-old man from Clarksville, Tennessee, after he was stopped on University Drive.

He was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, operating a motor vehicle to endanger, possession of more than 1 ounce of a Class D drug (marijuana), and possession of a Class C drug. It was unclear what the Class C drug was.

All three were to be arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

Melissa Joan Hart, the actress who starred in TV hits like "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Sabrina The Teenage Witch," appeared with Libertarian VP nominee Bill Weld, urging voters to pull the lever for a third party. Watch video

BOSTON - Melissa Joan Hart, the actress who starred in TV hits like "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Sabrina The Teenage Witch," appeared with Libertarian VP nominee Bill Weld, urging voters to pull the lever for a third party.

"These aren't protest votes," Hart told an Election Eve crowd gathered inside Faneuil Hall.

Speaking to reporters before taking the stage, Hart described herself as a "moderate conservative" who felt that she didn't fit in with either the Democratic or Republican Party in the 2016 election cycle.

Weld signed on to former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson's presidential bid earlier this year. He has concentrated on castigating Republican nominee Donald Trump.

"As a New Yorker and as a girl in Hollywood, a lot of people assume I'm a 'liberal,'" Hart said as she sat with Weld before the rally.

"But then I was always leaning to the right," she said. "And then I'm also pro-choice, but I'm for gun reform. And so I was trying to find somewhere I fit in, and it was really when I found the governors that I felt like there was a party I could get behind."

Before that, Hart says she was torn about what to do in the polling booth, writing in "Mickey Mouse" or picking the "lesser of two evils."

"I found someone I could vote for," she said, referring to Johnson.

"Welcome to our big tent," Weld responded.

Swing state voters should pull lever for Clinton, Bill Weld says

The Holyoke, Massachusetts City Council voted Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 to ask that the city Conservation Department not pursue a project to build a trail off Mountain Road and that the city not seek reimbursement for such a project, which fits with residents' views who opposed adding a trail there because they said it would disrupt the neighborhood.

Updated at 9:16 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 to correct the day of the City Council vote, which was Monday, Nov. 7, 2016.

HOLYOKE -- The City Council signaled that it had heard residents of Mountain Road by voting Monday to recommend the city Conservation Department not install a trail to connect two existing trails off that road.

Residents poured into a meeting of the council Finance Committee Wednesday to urge that such a trail not be added.

Mountain Road residents were concerned that another trail would result in disruptions like more parked vehicles along the road, littering, noise, all-terrain vehicles, campers trespassing and camp fires, they said.

Specifically, the issue that came out of the Finance Committee was over receipt of a $15,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. The plan was to use that money to build a trail connecting two other trails.

The Finance Committee voted 5-0 to recommend that the full City Council vote to return the grant to the state.

But during the meeting in City Council Chambers, council President Kevin A. Jourdain said that authority to return funding falls outside the role of the council. The council could only recommend such a step.

Also, as councilors discussed the matter, they concluded the heart of the concern was that residents' views be heeded and the work on the trail not be done.

So the motion was amended to state that the City Council asked that the city Conservation Department not pursue the trail project on Mountain Road and that the city not seek reimbursement for such a project.

Town Manager Charles Blanchard told the council that Janulewicz earned the highest marks on the testing process that was used to evaluate the police chief applicants

PALMER -- The Town Council on Monday unanimously approved the Town Manager's appointment of Lt. John J. Janulewicz as the new chief of police, effective immediately.

Janulewicz, who was appointed interim chief nearly two years ago when Robert P. Frydryk retired, thanked the former chief, town officials, officers and his family following the council's action.

Town Manager Charles Blanchard told the council that Janulewicz earned the highest marks on the testing process that was used to evaluate the police chief applicants. The names of the finalists were not disclosed at the Nov. 7 meeting.

"I'd be remiss if I did not thank those who gave me support and guidance," Janulewicz said during the meeting.

"I will do my best not to disappoint you," he said. "I can't say enough about my command staff."

"You've done a great job for the town," council president Barbara Barry said.

Jurors awarded a University of Virginia administrator $3 million Monday for her portrayal in a now-discredited Rolling Stone magazine article about the school's handling of a brutal gang rape a fraternity house.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Jurors awarded a University of Virginia administrator $3 million Monday for her portrayal in a now-discredited Rolling Stone magazine article about the school's handling of a brutal gang rape a fraternity house.

The 10-member jury's decision came after they concluded Friday that the magazine, its publisher and reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely were responsible for defamation, with actual malice, of former associate dean of students Nicole Eramo in the 2014 story "A Rape on Campus."

Eramo sued the magazine for $7.5 million, claiming it cast her as a villain who sought to discourage the woman identified only as Jackie from reporting her alleged assault to police. A police investigation found no evidence to back up Jackie's rape claims.

Eramo told jurors that after the story's publication, she had trouble sleeping, feared for her safety and struggled with how to explain what was happening to her then-7-year-old son. One day, she crawled under her desk and contemplated suicide as she felt her world come crashing down around her, she said. Her husband testified that she told him: "I don't know that I can live anymore."

"I just wanted to disappear," said Eramo, who cried throughout much of her testimony. "I didn't know how it was going to be OK."

She claims the article prompted the university to move her out of her job as an associate dean into a different administrative role that she doesn't like as much because she rarely works with students. When the article was published, she was also preparing to undergo a double mastectomy for breast cancer. Eramo and her attorneys suggested that the stress she was under could have contributed to a post-surgery infection that led to a hospital stay.

"Even the strongest people have a breaking point," said Tom Clare, an attorney for Eramo.

The story roiled the University of Virginia campus, prompted calls for Eramo's resignation and sparked a national conversation about sexual assault at elite institutions. Jackie's story quick fell apart after reporters from other outlets started asking questions and determined that Rolling Stone never spoke to the woman's alleged attackers -- or even verified their existence -- before going to print.

Because the judge determined that Eramo was a public figure, she had to prove Rolling Stone made statements with "actual malice," meaning it knew that what it was writing about her was false or entertained serious doubts about whether it might be true.

Jurors found that the magazine and its publisher, Wenner Media, acted with actual malice because they republished the article on Dec. 5 with an editor's note after they knew about the problems with Jackie's story. The jury also found that Erdely acted with actual malice on six claims: two statements in the article and four statements to media outlets after the story was published.

Jurors awarded $2 million to Eramo for statements made by Erdely and $1 million for the republication of the article by Rolling Stone and Wenner Media. Rolling Stone could appeal the verdict.

Rolling Stone's attorneys argued throughout the three-week trial that while it may have been a mistake to trust Jackie, their portrayal of the university and Eramo was fair and accurate.

On Monday, attorney David Paxton told jurors that the magazine was "heartbroken" by Friday's decision and urged them not to be tempted to award a large sum of damages in order to send a message to the magazine and the media. They've already done that with their verdict, Paxton said.

"This was tough medicine to receive," Paxton said.

Paxton apologized to Eramo, but stressed that Eramo not only kept a job at the university after the article was published, but she received a pay raise.

In their damages defense, attorneys for Rolling Stone showed jurors just one exhibit: A 2015 Office of Civil Rights report that criticizes the university's handling of sexual assault complaints and specifically mentions that Eramo helped to create a "hostile environment" for victims on campus.

Rolling Stone also faces a $25 million lawsuit from Phi Kappa Psi, the fraternity where Jackie claimed her assault took place. That case is schedule to go to trial late next year.

The proposals in both towns ask voters whether to create a bank to fund CPA-eligible projects -- via a bank that would be financed from a 1.5 percent property tax surcharge, if approved

Voters in South Hadley and Palmer will decide whether to adopt the Community Preservation Act during Tuesday's election.

The proposals in both towns ask voters whether to create a bank to fund CPA-eligible projects -- via a bank that would be financed from a 1.5 percent property tax surcharge, if approved.

State law permits cities and towns that adopt the CPA to use those fund to pay for open space, affordable housing, recreational and historic preservation initiatives.

Voters in Holyoke and Springfield also will see CPA questions on their ballots.

Voters on Nov. 8 will decide if Springfield will have a Community Preservation Act property tax surcharge for historic preservation, open space and recreation and community housing.

SPRINGFIELD -- In addition to the four statewide ballot questions, Springfield voters have a fifth question on Tuesday's ballot -- a binding ballot question asking voters to adopt the Community Preservation Act that would establish a surcharge on property taxes to fund historic preservation, open space and recreation, and housing projects.

Here are fast facts, based on past news reports and information available on state websites includes the following:

1. The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was created in Massachusetts in 2000, allowing communities to adopt a property tax surcharge that would be dedicated to historic preservation, open space, recreation, and community housing.

2. In Springfield, the CPA property tax surcharge, as listed on the ballot, is 1.5 percent of the total tax levy. The first $100,000 in property valuation is exempted from the surcharge for residential and business taxpayers.

3. The CPA cannot take effect in any community without the approval of the voters of that community. That vote in Springfield is a binding vote on the Nov. 8 ballot.

4. "Community housing," one of the designated uses of the CPA, is defined under the legislation as: "low and moderate income housing for individuals and families, including low or moderate income senior housing."

5. Since 2000, a total of 161 communities in Massachusetts have adopted the CPA, and additional communities will consider passage on the November ballot including Springfield, Holyoke, Palmer, South Hadley and Boston.

6. Springfield CPAdvoacy, a local organization seeking a "Yes" on Question 5, estimates the CPA surcharge will generate $1 million in revenue annually. It further states that an average homeowner in Springfield, with a house valued at $134,000, would pay a surcharge of approximately $10 per year, with higher valued properties paying more and lower value properties paying less.

7. Communities adopting the CPA are also eligible to receive state funds from recording fees in local Registry of Deeds offices that are dedicated to CPA funds of the communities. The amount of state funds varies from year to year based on revenues and as the number of communities increase.

8. Under the statute, a citizens' committee would be formed to oversee the CPA fund and decide on the projects that will be funded. Each chosen project needs approval from the City Council but the council does not select the projects.

9. As many as nine residents could serve on the citizens' committee, with the City Council deciding on the number. Those serving need to include single representatives from the Springfield Parks Commission, Historical Commission, Planning Board, Housing Authority and Conservation Commissiion, according to CPAdvocacy.

10. Communities in Western Massachusetts that have adopted the CPA include Agawam, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Northampton, West Springfield, and Wilbraham. It was rejected by voters at the South Hadley annual Town Meeting in April by a vote of 735 opposed to 712 in favor, and is now on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Springfield Community Preservation Act ballot question by The Republican/MassLive.com on Scribd

Voters received a mixed message from members of the Holyoke, Massachusetts City Council on Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 on whether to support or oppose a question on the Election Day ballot on Tuesday that calls for legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

HOLYOKE -- The City Council Monday defeated a resolution that had called for opposition to a question that Massachusetts voters will decide on the Election Day ballot Tuesday on whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

The council voted 7-6 against adopting the resolution.

The vote occurred despite the council's Public Safety Committee recommending that the full City Council adopt the resolution in opposition to the ballot question on legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain submitted the resolution against the ballot referendum, which is Question 4.

Jourdain argued that passage of the question would benefit the commercial marijuana industry and run counter to the positions of a list that includes Gov. Charlie Baker, state Attorney General Maura Healey, all of the state's district attorneys and sheriffs and doctors and nurses groups.

But the council defeated the resolution, and then councilors disagreed exactly what that vote meant.

Councilor at Large James M. Leahy and Jourdain said such a vote signals that the council supports Question 4.

Councilor at Large Rebecca Lisi disagreed and said the council vote was only against the resolution, not an endorsement one way or another on Question 4.

Ward 4 Councilor Jossie M. Valentin said the vote meant the council was neutral on Question 4 as elected officials and would vote on the ballot question as individuals on Election Day.

Voting against the resolution were councilors Joseph M. McGiverin, Todd A. McGee, Michael J. Sullivan, Peter R. Tallman, Gladys Lebron-Martinez, Lisi and Valentin.

Voting in favor of the resolution were councilors Diosdado Lopez, Linda L. Vacon, David K. Bartley, Daniel B. Bresnahan, Jourdain and Leahy.

Councilors Nelson R. Roman and Howard B. Greaney Jr. were absent.

In a devastating loss for supporters of charter schools, voters defeated a ballot question that would have allowed the state to approve up to 12 new or expanded charter schools a year, outside of an existing cap.

In a devastating loss for supporters of charter schools, Massachusetts voters on Tuesday voted against a ballot question that would have allowed the state to approve up to 12 new or expanded charter schools a year, outside of an existing cap.

With 40 percent of precincts reporting, the No on 2 effort was ahead, 62 percent to 38 percent. The Yes on 2 campaign sent out a statement conceding at 10:15 p.m.

The vote was deeply personal to voters like Harneen Chernow, the mother of two Boston public school students, who held a No on 2 sign at a West Roxbury polling place.

"I'm very concerned about the impact this question, if it passes, will have on the finances of Boston public schools," Chernow said. "It was designed to add more schools without adding more resources."

"Librarians have been cut, athletics have been cut, some of the foreign languages have been cut, some of the guidance counselors and support that help cement a school community have been cut," Chernow said. "We're very concerned about what this will mean in terms of continued cuts in the schools."

Current law caps the money that school districts can spend on charter school tuition. Essentially, this limits the number of charter schools that can open in each district. Eight districts have hit their cap, including major urban areas like Springfield and Boston. At the same time, more than 32,000 students are on waiting lists for charter schools.

The ballot question would have given priority for the new schools to charters in the 25 percent lowest performing districts and in districts where there is parent demand for new options. New approvals could have expanded charter school enrollment by up to 1 percent of total public school enrollment annually. New schools could have been approved as soon as Jan. 1, 2017.

Supporters of charter school expansion say more charter schools are needed to give families in urban districts, many of whom are black or Hispanic, more choices. Many of the public schools in these areas are low-performing.

Rose Leblanc, of Boston, is homeschooling her six-year-old son while he sits on a charter school waiting list. Leblanc, who lives in the South End, said she refuses to send her son to a failing public school in an unsafe neighborhood.

Charter schools, Leblanc said, are "giving kids who never had an opportunity, who are in failing public school systems, a chance to actually have the opportunity."

"Because there's so many people that want their kids in a safe, better school, with a better curriculum, smaller class sizes...the waiting list is so long," Leblanc said.

But when a student leaves a district school to attend a charter school, the state money to educate that child moves to the charter school. Opponents of charter school expansion say allowing more charter schools will devastate the budgets of traditional public schools, which will lose money without eliminating many of their fixed costs, such as building maintenance and librarians.

While some lawmakers have been trying for years to lift the charter school cap, the Legislature has been unable to agree on a legislative fix.

An enormous amount of money was raised by the campaigns, allowing both sides to flood the airways with advertising. Charter school supporters raised $26 million and opponents raised $15 million.

The pro-charter school money came from a mix of Massachusetts corporations, individuals working in the financial industry, out-of-state donors like the Walton family who owns Wal-Mart and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and education reform groups that do not have to disclose their donors. The anti-charter school money came primarily from teachers unions.

Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, was a major supporter of charter school expansion, campaigning and fundraising on behalf of the ballot question.

The Democratic State Committee voted to oppose charter school expansion. Also opposed were some of the state's prominent Democrats including Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

For many voters and volunteers, the stakes were high and personal. Percreena Cherrie, of Roxbury, sends her 8^th grade daughter to a charter school. The school, KIPP Academy, could not open a high school because of the cap. "If there wasn't a cap.... I could just send her through to high school," Cherrie said. "But now I'm going through the whole process, back on waiting lists, looking for a good high school." Cherrie is looking for money to send her daughter to a private or Catholic school, because she does not think her daughter will get a good education in the public schools.

For Tonya Tedesco, of West Roxbury, her no vote was equally personal. Her daughter attends a Boston public school. She worries that if Boston public schools lose money, it will impact not only the schools but public services, if the city has to divert more money to education.

"Twelve schools a year is not the solution for the challenges facing the struggling districts," Tedesco said.

Even individuals in cities not as directly impacted reflected on their own experiences. Susie Mees Longfield of Cambridge used to teach in the Belmont public schools. Her children attended private schools. She voted yes on Question 2.

"I felt like we had the privilege and the option to send them to public or private, and a lot of people don't have that choice," Mees Longfield said.

Adam Hinds, of Pittsfield, defeated Republican Christine Canning, of Lanesborough, who had promised to fight cronyism on Beacon Hill.

PITTSFIELD -- Democrat Adam Hinds has handily defeated Republican Christine Canning in the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden District Massachusetts Senate race.

Hinds declared victory at 10:25 p.m. with a 70 to 30 percent lead over Canning with about half of the sprawling district's precincts reporting.

The Pittsfield resident and Buckland native will replace Benjamin B. Downing on Beacon Hill. Downing is a popular Pittsfield Democrat who did not pursue a sixth two-year term.

Hinds celebrated his victory at J. Allen's Clubhouse Grille in Pittsfield. Reached by telephone, he said he was ready to represent all constituents in the district, which comprises 52 communities.

"This is one election cycle where we really need to pivot," he said. "We need to approach the political process in a new way. I believe in promoting a process that's inclusive. I hope to draw upon my background in negotiation and dialogue to set an example for how to turn that corner here locally."

Hinds is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He served as a campaign manager to former U.S. Rep. John Olver, and worked on the 2004 presidential campaign of Secretary of State John Kerry. He went on to spend 10 years with the United Nations, working as a negotiator in the Middle East.

Upon his return to Berkshire County, Hinds founded Pittsfield Community Connection, a program that engages at-risk youth. In recent months, he took leave from his job as executive director of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition to run for office.

"I've been to every corner of the district today," he said. "I was especially proud to visit my hometown of Buckland with my parents." Hinds, who attended Mohawk Trail Regional High School, said his father is a Vietnam veteran and retired school teacher, and his mother was a librarian.

Hinds throughout his campaign expressed support for job training, clean energy, high-speed internet, universal preschool, improved transportation, public health and economic development.

In September, Hinds defeated Richmond lawyer Andrea Harrington and Pittsfield lawyer Rinaldo Del Gallo in a three-way primary race. He gained endorsements from top Democrats, including Downing, Olver and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.

Canning, CEO of an educational consulting firm, had run on a reform platform. She promised to challenge "cronyism and nepotism" in state government, find cost savings in the budget and promote economic development for working families.

The licensed teacher and school administrator said her experience in the private and public sectors would serve the district well and that she would reach across the aisle to find "common sense solutions." A gun rights advocate, Canning won the endorsement of the Gun Owners Action League and National Rifle Association.

Canning, of Lanesborough, ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

 

Peltier in 2012 was investigated by ABC News for creating fake political websites to solicit donations.

GREENFIELD -- Massachusetts Senate President Stanley Rosenberg will return to Beacon Hill for a 16th term after brushing off a challenge from a far-right Republican perhaps best known for his fake political websites.

Rosenberg, D-Amherst, sailed past Donald Peltier of South Hadley in the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District general election.

Peltier, 54, did not run a publicly visible campaign. He obtained the 300 signatures needed to get his name on the ballot, but then declined to speak with reporters and did not participate in debates or forums. On his campaign website, Peltier describes himself as a pro-gun, pro-life, anti-immigration Christian conservative.

In 2012, Peltier was the subject of an ABC News investigation after creating misleading political websites to solicit donations. Peltier did not return a telephone call Tuesday evening seeking comment on his campaign.

Rosenberg, 65, who gathered with Franklin County Democrats at Hope and Olive restaurant in Greenfield, said his top three legislative priorities would center on climate change, income insecurity and government transparency. 

"As a coastal state, we'll be in jeopardy if we don't do everything we can to prepare for sea rise and adverse weather conditions," Rosenberg told The Republican. "We'll have to reduce our climate footprint, change our energy mix and focus on energy conservation." 

As for economic insecurity, Rosenberg said families and individuals are "worried about losing their jobs, worried about losing their homes and worried about being able to follow through in the education of their children. It's a major concern."

He said his third focus will be working to make government more transparent and accessible. "It's very important," he said. "Trust is at an all-time low, and cynicism is at an all-time high."

Modernizing the state's tax code, reducing the cost of college and relieving student debt burden are among other key issues, he said. 

Rosenberg was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in a 1991 special election after serving two terms in the House of Representatives. In the last three election cycles, Rosenberg ran unopposed.

According to campaign finance records, Rosenberg has $385,536 in his war chest and spent $52,246 between Aug. 22 and Oct. 21. Peltier has $1,000 of self-donated cash in his account and spent $161 in the same time period.

 

Democratic challenger Parker-O'Grady called to concede to Humason, who has represented the state Senate district since 2013.

WESTFIELD -- Sen. Donald F. Humason Jr., R-Westfield, was re-elected to a third term in the Massachusetts Senate after defeating challenger J.D. Parker-O'Grady, a Democrat from Southampton, in Tuesday's election.

With almost 85 percent of voting precincts reporting, Humason had already secured about 60 percent of the vote by 10:40 p.m. -- or around 38,000 votes to Parker-O'Grady's 26,000 votes, according to preliminary election returns.

"I just got a call from J.D. Parker-O'Grady," Humason said. "He was very kind. He called to concede."

Humason, 49, praised Parker-O'Grady, 32, for running a clean campaign. It was the law school student's first run for public office.

Humason has represented the 2nd Hampden & Hampshire Senate District since 2013, when he won a special election to fill the vacancy created after Sen. Michael Knapik resigned to take a job at Westfield State University.

Humason was re-elected to a full two-year term in 2014, when he defeated Democratic challenger Patrick T. Leahy, of Holyoke.

Before joining the Senate, Humason was a state representative from 2002 to 2013. Prior to that, he was a legislative aide and chief of staff to Knapik.

Parker-O'Grady is a law student at Northeastern University, where he also earned his master's degree in law and public policy. He was formerly a field organizer for the Obama campaign, a legislative director for Knapik, and an intern for state Sen. Bruce Tarr and U.S. District Judge Timothy Hillman.

Humason did not support Question 4, the ballot measure to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana in Massachusetts. He said Question 4, which voters approved on Tuesday, is hypocritical and sends the wrong message considering the commonwealth has declared war on heroin.

Humason supported ballot Question 2, which raises the state cap on charter schools, allowing their expansion or up to a dozen new schools annually.

After a long night and a long week, Humason took the mic at his victory party at East Mountain Country Club in Westfield, thanking his family and his many supporters.

"I want to say a special thank you to my staff. These guys worked so hard throughout the year and never get the applause they deserve," he said.

Humason also gave a heartfelt thanks to his wife, Janice, and his young son, Quinn, who have provided much-needed support throughout the campaign.

The Senate district includes Westfield, Agawam, Holyoke, Southampton, Easthampton, Southwick, Granville, Tolland, Russell, Montgomery, and parts of Chicopee.
Both candidates ran unopposed during the Republican and Democratic primaries.

Democratic nominee for Hampden County sheriff Nick Cocchi bested independent candidate James Gill and Republican John Comerford, sweeping each of 164 precincts across the county.

This is an update to a story first posted at 8:36 p.m.

LUDLOW -- Democratic nominee for Hampden County sheriff Nick Cocchi became only the second man to assume the post in more than four decades after trouncing his opponents for the seat on Tuesday.

The victory came just over a month after Cocchi, an assistant superintendent at the jail, won a three-way Democratic primary. He met a similarly loud and jubilant crowd of supporters as he did six weeks ago at the Lusitano Club in his hometown.

"This is a little deja vu from a month-and-a-half ago but it feels a little better today," he told the crowd after a bulk of the results had come in and it was indisputable that Cocchi had become the next sheriff.

With just 34 percent of votes in, Cocchi had 40- to 50-point leads over his two opponents.

Cocchi bested independent candidate James Gill, a deputy superintendent at the jail, and Republican candidate John Comerford in every precinct in the 23 cities and towns across Hampden County.

Comerford made an impressive second-place showing despite doing nearly zero campaigning and no fundraising, obviously winning GOP devotees.

Cocchi replaces outgoing and beloved Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr., who has spent 43 years on the job. Ashe was already on the phone with Cocchi before the candidate and his team left their "war room" at a nearby office suite in Ludlow, collecting reports from more than 160 voting precincts across the county in rapid-fire fashion.

Chris Gelonese managed the process, designed by campaign adviser Jon D'Angelo, a key member of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's team from Western Massachusetts who was campaigning for Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

"4A Westfield -- go," ordered Gelonese, a member of the executive committee for Cocchi's campaign. Members of of the war room were strictly ordered to raise their hands silently when they had results instead of shouting out numbers at random.

"Cocchi 689; Gill 81; Comerford 240," was the swift response.

"I have the booming metropolis of Wales," joked Theresa Finnegan, another member at the table. "Cocchi 446; Gill 113; Comerford 364."

Gelonese logged numbers into an intricate spreadsheet projected on a wall, with total tallies registering at the bottom.

It became clear just minutes after the polls closed that Cocchi was sweeping the precincts.

"Yeah, we're kicking their asses," Gelonese said about 8:20 p.m.

Cocchi declared victory minutes later. That took 26 minutes after the polls closed.

After much hugging, whooping, back-slapping and "Hey, sheriff!" handshakes, the group readied to head out to the Lusitano Club -- but not before Cocchi received a somewhat worried call from Ashe on his cellphone.

"Hey, kid, kid ... what's going on? Everything OK?" Ashe could be heard asking in his distinctive voice.

"We're on our way sheriff, how'd we do?" Cocchi responded for the sake of the crowd, wearing a broad grin.

The seat is among the most coveted in the region, as it comes with significant political power and visibility forged by Ashe -- not to mention a $75 million budget and a staff of over 1,000 plus a profound position in social service.

Case in point, Cocchi beat two seasoned politicians who also sought the seat in the Democratic primary: former four-term Springfield mayor and current Governor's Councilor Michael J. Albano and Springfield City Councilor Tom Ashe. The Democratic primary was nothing short of a dogfight. Cocchi capitalized on Michael Ashe's popularity and support and built a campaign war chest hovering around $500,000.

His ground team also attacked retail politicking with a vengeance, knocking on thousands of doors in both the primary and general election seasons, according to organizers.

Greeting his supporters at the Lusitano Club, Cocchi was joined on the stage by his wife, Wendy, and three sons. He thanked his family and supporters, urging them to pause for a throwback karaoke moment to sing along to "Winning it All" by the Outfield.

"When I say family, this whole room is my family," Cocchi said.

He also lauded Michael Ashe as his mentor after 23 years with the department.

"You just have to take him in, watch what he does, listen to what he says. ... He's never going to put you down the wrong path," Cocchi said. "What you have done for the county of Hampden, what you have done for the offender population ... can never be repaid."

Michael Ashe accepted his share of handshakes as well. He said he felt "terrific" about passing the torch to Cocchi.

"To be honest, Nick's the one. We're dealing with the least loved in society. You really have to have a passion for it. That's key, and Nick has that," Michael Ashe said. "We need people who want to motivate and inspire inmates, not just guard them."

Cocchi launched his campaign in 2014 with much fanfare at a gathering at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and campaigned consistently over the ensuing two years. A member of his campaign team referenced the lengthy road as they exited the war room to accept victory, saying in a fatigued voice to no one in particular:

"That was a long f---ing two-and-a-half years."

Members of Yes For A Better Holyoke succeeded in getting voters to adopt the state Community Preservation Act by approving Question 5 on the Election Day ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 by persuading Holyokers that the property tax surcharge would be minimal in terms of having to pay extra money but substantial in terms of helping the city.

HOLYOKE -- Explaining the advantages as thoroughly as possible is how supporters said Tuesday they succeeded in getting the city to adopt the state Community Preservation Act.

"I just think we made a strong argument, you know, a strong fiscal argument and we really appealed to the folks who are attracted to the historic nature of the city. This is a working-class city and people are proud of its historic nature," said Jason P. Ferreira, spokesman for Yes For A Better Holyoke.

The group met with numerous organizations in pitching the Community Preservation Act (CPA), including some like the Rotary Club and Holyoke Taxpayers' Association that group members knew were probably opposed to the city adopting the CPA, he said.

"The point was to go in there and see personally where they stood on this question," Ferreira said.

The group worked hard, said Ferreira, who credited Rosemary Arnold, Josh Knox, Susan Van Pelt and Daphne Board in particular.

"I was particularly proud of that," Ferreira said.

Members of Yes For A Better Holyoke gathered at Gateway City Arts at 92 Race St. to watch TV updates about the presidential election between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump and other races.

The vote on the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which was Question 5 on the Election Day ballot, was 8,641 in favor of adopting the CPA and 6,900 against -- or 55.6 percent in favor to 44.4 percent against, City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee said.

By adopting the CPA, the city will get revenue in two ways: by adding a 1.5 percent surcharge on top of the property taxes paid by home and business owners and gaining access to a state fund available only to cities and towns that adopt the CPA.

The money can be used only for projects in three areas: open space and recreation, affordable housing and historic restoration.

Foes of Question 5 argued that the CPA surcharge was an unfair tax because only property owners would be charged the surcharge, not renters or others. Seizing revenue by requiring that property owners pay more, especially when Holyoke has the state's highest business property tax rate, is misguided, they said.

"It's just unfortunate that we've sent a message to the homeowners and business owners that says, 'We know you're paying, we want you to pay more,'" said Daniel B. Bresnahan, spokesman for No On Question 5.

Others argue, though, that renters do share the burden by paying rent.

The revenue pool the city should be hunting instead of imposing another tax is the $7 million owed by the top 100 delinquent taxpayers, he said.

"I just feel sorry for the small business owners and the elderly and the homeowners that are just trying to get by," said Bresnahan, a city councilor at large.

Supporters said the CPA surcharge would amount to a minimal fee on top of the property taxes paid by home and business owners -- $23 a year for the average homeowner, with exemptions triggered -- and will gain the city access to a state fund.

State law permits adoption of the CPA with a surcharge of 1 percent to 3 percent on a property tax bill. In other words, property owners would be charged an additional 1 percent to 3 percent of the tax bill that they pay to the city to fund the CPA.

Question 5 asked voters if they were agreeable to the city adopting the CPA that would impose a surcharge on property taxpayers of 1.5 percent of the tax bill they pay to the city.

CPA supporters said that exemptions can reduce the burden such as excluding the first $100,000 of a property's value from the surcharge and providing exclusions for senior citizens and the poor.

Voters on Tuesday rejected developer Eugene McCain's push for a second slots parlor in Massachusetts. Question 1, which would have allowed the set-up of the second slots facility, failed at the polls.

Voters on Tuesday rejected developer Eugene McCain's push for a second slots parlor in Massachusetts, according to the Associated Press.

Question 1 would have allowed the set-up of the second Bay State slots facility. Sixty-one percent of voters said "no," while 39 percent backed the measure.

Under current law, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is allowed to license up to three resort casinos and a single slot parlor.

Penn National Gaming operates a slots facility, Plainridge Park Casino, in Plainville, near the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border. The facility opened in June 2015.

At least two casinos are on the horizon: MGM is building a casino in Springfield, set to open in 2018, while Wynn Resorts is constructing a casino in Everett, just north of Boston.

But McCain, the developer, wanted to build a 1,250-machine slots parlor in Revere, despite voters saying "no" in a non-binding referendum in October.

He and proponents of Question 1 said it would bring jobs and millions in revenue to local communities. But opponents pointed to Plainridge "underperforming" in providing revenue as additional gambling facilities are on the way.

In 2014, Massachusetts voters rejected a ballot initiative calling for the repeal of the state's expanded gambling laws, 60 percent to 40 percent.

The question in the Massachusetts House 3rd Hampshire District, which comprises Amherst, Pelham and part of The proposal was initiated by Matthew Malone, a 48-year-old federal government actuary from Washington, D.C., who has never lived in the district.

UPDATE, Nov. 9, 2016, 1:20 a.m.: The story has been updated with the latest results

AMHERST -- Voters in the Massachusetts House 3rd Hampshire District on Tuesday were supporting a non-binding ballot question favoring legislation that would lower the legal age for buying beer and wine to 19. 

With 12 of 13 precincts counted, according to the Associated Press, those in favor of lowering the drinking age led those opposed, 8,483 votes to 8,173.

The question was considered only in the 3rd Hampshire District and was the only public policy question on any state ballot. The district includes Amherst, Pelham and one Granby precinct.

The question was initiated by Matthew Malone, a 48-year-old federal government actuary from Washington who has never lived in the district.

"I don't consider myself to be an interloper because the only signatures that were certified (to get the measure on the ballot) where those of registered voters in Amherst and Pelham," he said in a recent email explaining his initiative.

Malone was born in Haverhill and decided to test the proposal in Massachusetts because he still cares about the state and needed only 200 signatures to bring the question forward, he said.

The 3rd Hampshire District made sense, he said, because it is the home of state Senate President Stan Rosenberg, the University of Massachusetts and Amherst and Hampshire colleges.

"I did not want to try a municipal ballot question since the drinking age is set at the state level. I don't have resources yet for a statewide ballot question," he said.

Malone is a longtime member of the National Youth Rights Association and believes that the drinking age of 21 is age discrimination against legal adults.

"A person is legally an adult at age 18. At age 18 a person can legally enter into contracts, marry without their parents' permission and serve in the United States military," he wrote on 19todrink.org.

"If the 2016 question outcome is favorable, then I hope to put the same or somewhat similar question on the ballot in one or two other House districts in Massachusetts in 2018," he said.  

If the district measure is approved, he will look for funding for a statewide ballot question in 2020.

If it loses, he said he would look at other age-related issues such as the minimum age for renting a car or hotel room, the minimum age for online sports fantasy leagues such as DraftKings and curfews, he said.