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Poll: Most voters concerned about President-elect Donald Trump's potential business conflicts, Russian hacking

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With Donald Trump set to take office next month, nearly two-thirds of voters said they believe the president-elect should investigate allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 White House race, and half said he should do more to prevent possible conflicts of interests involving his businesses, according to a new poll.

Although Donald Trump is set to take office next month, a new survey suggests a majority of voters are concerned about how the president-elect plans to separate his government work from his businesses, as well as worried about alleged Russian influence in the 2016 election.

Suffolk University/USA Today national survey released Wednesday found that more than half -- or 53 percent -- of voters said they believe Trump needs to do more to avoid potential conflicts of interest between his businesses and work in the Oval Office.

Just over a third, or 35 percent, meanwhile, said they believe the president-elect has taken adequate steps to weed out such conflicts, according to survey results. 

They poll's findings come one week after U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., announced a proposed bill that would require Trump and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence to disclose and divest any potential financial conflicts of interest. 

Elizabeth Warren, Democrats push for President-elect Donald Trump to divest his business holdings

Warren, who is pushing the legislation along with other U.S. senators, contended that Americans deserve to know that the president is working in their best interests -- not what's best for himself or his businesses.

"The only way for President-elect Trump to truly eliminate conflicts of interest is to divest his financial interests and place them in a blind trust," she said in a statement.

The president-elect was expected to outline how he would separate his business holdings from his work in the Oval Office earlier this month, but rescheduled the event to January.

More than half, or 57 percent of survey respondents, meanwhile, expressed at least some concern about U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusion that the Russian government sought to influence the outcome of the 2016 election, the poll found.

Sixty-two percent further said they believe Congress and the incoming president's administration should investigate such allegations, according to survey results.

The CIA, in a recent secret assessment, concluded that Russia intervened in the U.S. presidential election to help Trump win the White House instead of just influencing confidence in America's electoral system, the Washington Post reported last week. FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr. reportedly supported the CIA's assessment.

Despite the intelligence agencies' findings, Trump has repeatedly questioned the Obama Administration's take on the cyberattacks.

"If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?" he tweeted earlier this month.

Intelligence agencies' findings, however, have sparked investigation calls from congressional lawmakers on both asides of the political aisle.

US Rep. Richard Neal seeks bipartisan probe of Russia's involvement in 2016 presidential election

With a bipartisan group of senators calling for an investigation into the intelligence community's findings, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the chamber's intelligence panel plans to look into the suspected interference.

House Speaker Paul Ryan also said he supports a continuing probe by the House Intelligence Committee, contending that "any foreign intervention in our elections is entirely unacceptable."

The poll surveyed 1,000 voters nationwide from Dec. 14 to 18 via telephone interviews. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95 percent level of confidence.


Convicted of a crime in Massachusetts? Study finds you're more likely to be locked up if you're black or Hispanic

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Researchers from a nonpartisan task force were unable to determine why the disparities exist.

BOSTON -- When a criminal sentence is handed down, a black or Hispanic person in Massachusetts is more likely to be given jail or prison time than a white person, according to data released Wednesday by a nonpartisan task force reviewing the state's criminal justice system.

White people, meanwhile, are more likely to have their case continued without a finding, which means their conviction will be dismissed if they successfully complete probation.

Researchers were unable, however, to determine why the disparities exist -- whether, for example, the differences are a product of bias or because defendants from those populations commit more serious crimes or have more extensive criminal histories.

"What we provide scratches the surface of race and the criminal justice system," said Katie Mosehauer, project manager for the Council of State Governments Justice Center.

The Council of State Governments is a nonprofit that has been working with a task force of senior policymakers and criminal justice officials in Massachusetts to develop recommendations for how to reduce recidivism.

The group has faced criticism for its lack of racial diversity and lack of focus on racial disparities. The report released Monday provided some insight into the racial disparities that exist in the criminal justice system, although researchers cautioned the data they used was limited, and more study is necessary to determine the reasons behind the disparities.

"We can show that disproportionality exists," Mosehauer said. "It makes you raise your eyebrows. We can't answer the why."

The state court system is partnering with Harvard Law School's Criminal Justice Policy Program to study racial disparities in sentencing in the adult criminal justice system. That study is expected to begin in 2017 and could provide more insight.

But the preliminary report by the Council of State Governments highlights some significant disparities.

In sentencing, the report looked at percentages of criminal convictions compared to cases continued without a finding. It found that whites had their cases continued without finding 47 percent of the time, while blacks and Hispanics had their cases continued without a finding 38 and 39 percent of the time, respectively.

Sentences for whites resulted in incarceration -- as opposed to a fine or probation -- 37 percent of the time. Blacks and Hispanics were incarcerated 47 percent of the time.

However, for both these statistics, the data lacked context. Researchers did not know the type or severity of the offenses, the criminal history of the offenders or the rates at which cases were dismissed altogether.

Mosehauer said there is no way of knowing whether people enter the system after committing different crimes -- which might indicate socioeconomic differences -- or whether people committing similar offenses are sentenced differently, which could reflect problems in the criminal justice system.

The data also showed that after release, black people were more likely than whites or Hispanics to become reinvolved in the criminal justice system -- measured by arraignments, convictions and reincarceration. This was true whether or not they were supervised after release. Blacks were also most likely to have their probation or parole revoked.

The report also noted geographic trends regarding where released prisoners moved. Nearly one-fourth of Hispanics released from jail moved to Hampden County. More than one-third of black prisoners moved to Suffolk County. White ex-prisoners were spread across eastern and central Massachusetts.

Researchers acknowledge there are significant limits to the data that exists regarding race and criminal justice in Massachusetts. While the state collects racial data once people are incarcerated, racial data is either unavailable or available only in limited form regarding rates of crime, arrests, diversion and charges filed.

Some activists criticized the report as too little too late.

"The fact that the (Council of State Governments) has not done an in-depth racial disparity analysis but is making proposals on criminal justice reform suggests to a lot of us that real criminal justice reform isn't being taken seriously," said Rahsaan Hall, director of the racial justice program for the ACLU of Massachusetts.

A draft of the commission's recommendations regarding recidivism was discussed at a task force meeting Monday, and the final report is expected to be released in January.

The report comes after Jobs Not Jails, a coalition of religious, labor and liberal community organization groups that supports criminal justice reform, sent a letter to the commission questioning why there were so few members of color on the task force. Only two out of 25 task force members are minorities.

Calvin Feliciano, an SEIU organizer who is active in Jobs Not Jails, interrupted the task force's meeting Monday to urge members to look at mandatory minimum sentencing. Before walking out of the room, he said activists were "disheartened by the lack of diversity" at the table.

"Couldn't you find a couple of people of color to sit here even if they weren't going to talk? It's so shocking," Feliciano said.

State Rep. Byron Rushing, a Boston Democrat and assistant majority leader who has been a leader on racial issues, said he was not surprised by the results of the report. "No disparity should surprise anybody," Rushing said.

Rushing added, "We can talk about the disparity that exists in the commission."

Like Hall, Rushing worried that the report is coming too late to inform the commission's recommendations.

Watch MassLive.com for more from the Council of State Governments meeting.

Advocates for sentencing reform disrupt meeting of criminal justice task force

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The review by the Council of State Governments Justice Center is focused on supervision rather than sentencing reform. Watch video

BOSTON -- Criminal justice activists disrupted the final meeting of a nonpartisan task force reviewing the Massachusetts criminal justice system on Wednesday, demanding a greater focus on sentencing reform.

"All we want to do is work and contribute to society," said Calvin Feliciano, a union organizer who is active in the Jobs Not Jails coalition, as he stood up and interrupted the meeting, which was held in a state office building in Boston. "End mandatory minimums and give us jobs, and crime will plummet, and we won't go to jail, and you can close some of these institutions."

Jobs Not Jails, a group of community, labor and religious groups, has been calling on lawmakers to address sentencing reform. The group has been pushing for the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, increasing the threshold for felony larceny, eliminating various court and supervision fees and lowering the time for which convictions show up on background checks.

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The Council of State Governments Justice Center, a nonprofit, has been working with a task force of senior policymakers and criminal justice officials in Massachusetts to develop recommendations for how to reduce recidivism.

That group, however, has not looked at sentencing practices in depth. Rather, the group was asked by state government officials to look at post-release support and supervision and pre-release programming. It explored issues related to the substance abuse and mental health services available to former prisoners and looked at whether existing programming and supervision adequately enables prisoners to re-enter society.

Steve Allen, a senior policy adviser on behavioral health for the Council of State Governments Justice Center, said the group was bound by that mission. "Justice reform is never as comprehensive as folks would like it to be," Allen said. "There's only so much any project can do at any time."

Activists say recommendations that focus on supervision but not sentencing will be inadequate.

"They're talking about supervision and drug treatment and minor changes," Feliciano said. "They're not talking about the fact that people are going to jail in such large numbers and they don't have jobs to come home to."

Rahsaan Hall, director of the racial justice program for the ACLU of Massachusetts, said recommendations related to supervision are "tinkering around the edges." Hall would like to see changes made to eliminate some mandatory minimum sentences, reform the use of solitary confinement and reform bail laws.

"There are solutions in there, but they're solutions that don't fit the scale and magnitude of the problem around incarceration that we have in Massachusetts," Hall said.

Draft recommendations were released Wednesday, and the full report is expected to be released in January.

Agawam massage parlor prostitution suspect held on $1M bail

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Agawam resident Chun Nu Li, 50, denied two counts of "trafficking persons for sexual servitude" at her arraignment Wednesday in Westfield District Court, where a judge set her bail at $1 million.

AGAWAM -- Bail for a woman charged in connection with an Agawam sex-trafficking investigation has been set at $1 million, according to Jim Leydon, public and media information director for Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni.

Agawam resident Chun Nu Li, 50, was taken into custody last week and charged with trafficking people for "sexual servitude," Leydon said.

A judge set the high bail at Li's arraignment Wednesday in Westfield District Court, where she pleaded not guilty to two counts of "trafficking persons for sexual servitude," Leydon said. Her next court date is Jan. 20.

Li was arrested in connection with an ongoing human-trafficking probe involving massage parlors. She was taken into custody Dec. 14 in Flushing, Queens, following Dec. 13 raids at two Agawam addresses: The Feeding Hills Spa and the Carriage House Apartments, both located on Springfield Street.

Searches of the addresses turned up two human-trafficking victims, both of whom were interviewed by investigators and reunited with family members, according to authorities.

"Human trafficking is an especially detestable crime, which preys on vulnerable people for the financial profit of the perpetrator," Gulluni said Wednesday.

The district attorney praised Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to his office, Agawam police, and investigators with the Department of Homeland Security for taking part in the lengthy probe.

After signing a waiver of extradition, Li was returned to Massachusetts Tuesday and held for Wednesday's arraignment.

Owners of massage parlors in East Longmeadow, Framingham, Hadley and Northampton have also been charged in connection with the investigation.

Sex traffickers manage to exploit legal loopholes by establishing prostitution dens under the guise of massage parlors, an industry monitored by the state Division of Professional Licensure.

The DPL is barred by state law from overseeing shops that offer "Asian bodywork therapy" and other services that may actually pertain to sexual acts.


State audit of Hampden County sheriff gives departing Michael Ashe clean bill of financial health

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The most interesting part to the audit appears to be that departing Sheriff Michael Ashe requested it.

LUDLOW -- As Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe prepares to step down after 42 years, a recent review of his office by state Auditor Suzanne Bump shows no operational deficiencies or shortfalls within the department.

The audit, released Monday finds no problems with operations of the department, no irregularities with finances or inventory, and says security levels are adequate at the men's and women's correctional centers and at the minimal-security pre-release and correctional addiction centers. The Sheriff's Department budget of $71.7 million was described as adequate to cover its programs.

The report in full is just five pages long.

Bump, in the two-paragraph executive summary, notes the audit was performed between July 1 and Sept. 30 and looks only at operations within the Sheriff's Department under Ashe, and not any proposals being made by his successor, assistant sheriff Nick Cocchi.

"Based on our audit, we have concluded (the Sheriff's Department) has established adequate controls and practices we reviewed that were related to our audit objectives," the summary reads. "We did not identify any significant deficiencies in those areas."

The most interesting part of the audit is perhaps how it originated. Bump notes that Ashe requested it.

Ashe on Wednesday said he sought to have the auditor look at his administration one more time before his departure in order to see if there were any areas that could be improved before the start of the Cocchi administration.

"I felt that it was very important to have an objective, outside audit of our entire operations to ensure that if we had any areas in need of corrective action and improvement we could address these prior to the newly elected sheriff taking office," Ashe said in a statement.

"I am pleased to report we had a very successful audit which will allow Sheriff-elect Nick Cocchi to hit the ground running," he said.

Ashe announced two years ago that he would not seek re-election to the post he has held since 1975. Cocchi, elected in November, will be sworn in as the new Hampden County sheriff on Jan. 4.

At the end of the audit period, the Sheriff's Department had a total of 972 employees and 1,535 inmates, and an annual budget of $153 million.

As part of the audit, it reviewed 40 employees at random and found no discrepancies about about salaries, proper compensation or if each was supposed to be on the payroll.

Auditors also toured the four facilities were inmates are kept -- the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee, the Pre-Release Center and the Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center in Holyoke.

Each was found to be adequately secured to prevent escapes, each met the minimum standards for security required by the state, and each was in line with state and national inmate-to-staff ratios.

A 2015 audit conducted roughly one year prior to this most recent review highlighted the amount of money the Sheriff's Department was spending on transportation, mostly due to shuttling inmates back and forth between jail facilities and court. It recommended the jails look to use more video-conferencing technology to reduce costs and wear-and-tear on vehicles.

The most recent audit makes no reference to the 2015 report or if any changes were implemented.

The audit also makes no mention of the Dec. 2, 2015, escape of Ackeem Graham from the men's facility in Ludlow, the only escape recorded from the secure facility in its 23 year history.

Graham managed to walk out of a pedestrian sally port just before he was admitted to begin serving a one-year sentence for firearm possession. He was eventually apprehended and sentenced in October to a year in state prison.

Cocchi said that despite an escape from the main facility and two "walk-outs" from minimum-security satellite programs in the past year, he believes the department's security is second to none.

"Our security is as good as any comparable facility anywhere, if not better," Cocchi said during an interview Wednesday.

"Our No. 1 weakness is not structural, and it's not programming. It's complacency -- because our facility is so secure," he added.

Cocchi said that he intends to establish monthly security forums once he is sheriff to examine any significant security breaches to improve measures and help his staff remain vigilant.

"Plus, if anyone knows security it's me. I'm a security guy," Cocchi said, noting his rise in the ranks from a corrections officer to assistant superintendent before being elected sheriff in November.

Dec. 19 audit report of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department by Patrick Johnson on Scribd

Basketball turns 125 as Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield hosts celebration

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The birthday cake was made in the shape of the Hall of Fame building by "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD — The sport of basketball has come a long way since James Naismith fathered the game over a century ago, inventing a recreational game at the YMCA — now Springfield College — that has become a global phenomenon.

Naismith's baby turned 125 on Wednesday, and Mayor Domenic Sarno and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, were joined by 70 students from the Boland School to help celebrate the sport's birthday at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

"What's great about today is the kids from Boland," said Sarno. "It's great that we are celebrating the 125th birthday of basketball. Being an old ballplayer myself -- soccer, baseball and a bit of basketball -- there's a lot of camaraderie in getting to know each other and be respectful to all creeds, colors and backgrounds. Friendships grow from playing ball."

As part of the event, Sarno and Neal read the book "Hoop Genius" to the students. The book chronicles the story of Naismith and his creation of the game, which began as a means to keep youth active indoors during the winter months.

The book reading portion of the celebration was in connection with the partnership between the Hall of Fame and Link to Libraries Inc., a nonprofit organization that aims to enhance literacy and language skills of youth by collecting and distributing books to elementary students. Link to Libraries has given 500,000 books to children who, in many cases, have never owned their own books.

The event also presented videos that featured Hall of Fame inductees including Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Allen Iverson along with current key figures in the sport giving their testimonials on the impact basketball has made on their lives.

And of course there was a birthday cake, made in the shape of the Hall of Fame building by "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro.

While the days of the game being played with only the original 13 rules with a soccer ball and two peach baskets are long gone, the sport has stood the test of time and impacted millions beyond Springfield.

"It was a game that just grew," said John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "The game has grown, and I think its Springfield's best export."

The sport has seen its fair share of growth and evolution since its inception, most notably growing into a multi-billion-dollar corporation in the National Basketball Association, becoming a global sport played in the Olympics and producing some of the most iconic and influential figures in sports and the world.

Doleva said there a plans to renovate and upgrade the 15-year-old Hall of Fame facility in coming years.

"We are looking at making an investment of $15 million in 2018 and 2020 in a two-phased project that is going to totally rehabilitate the experience people will have on the inside," he said. "We're really going to step up our game to match the growth of the game around the world."

Report to recommend better post-release supervision for inmates

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The Council of State Governments Justice Center's review of the Massachusetts criminal justice system will recommend improvements to community supervision after prisoners are released, as well as better programming before release.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center's review of the Massachusetts criminal justice system will recommend improvements to community supervision after prisoners are released, as well as better programming before release.

The report is expected to provide the basis for legislation that will be introduced this legislative session. But some criminal justice activists are charging that the recommendations are inadequate because they focus on post-release supervision rather than sentencing practices.

"They're not doing enough," said state Rep. Byron Rushing, a Boston Democrat and assistant majority leader who has been active on racial and criminal justice issues. "They're not talking about how do you prevent people from getting into prison and what's the most effective way of doing that."

Preliminary recommendations were released Wednesday for discussion by the 25-member working group. The final report is expected to be released in January.

The group was asked by state government officials to explore ways to reduce recidivism through looking at post-release support and supervision and pre-release programming. It looked at issues related to the substance abuse and mental health services available to former prisoners and explored whether existing programming and supervision adequately enables prisoners to re-enter society.

The recidivism rate in Massachusetts -- a measure of how many released prisoners return to jail within three years -- is around 40 percent. People with prior convictions are responsible for three-quarters of new sentences. Data from 2013 shows that one-fifth of new sentences were given to people with at least 11 prior convictions. If Massachusetts could reduce this rate, it would significantly decrease the prison population and cut costs.

The report found that around three-quarters of the criminal justice population are subject to some form of community supervision, generally probation. But two out of five prisoners are released to no supervision. Not all sentences have terms of probation attached to them and not all prisoners are eligible for parole. Some people for whom parole is recommended max out their sentences before they are released.

Among the task force's preliminary recommendations: expand services within prisons, strengthen community supervision and improve access to support for people with behavioral health needs.

"Community supervision is a key vehicle for being able to provide risk-reducing programming in the community," said Steve Allen, senior policy adviser for behavioral health for the Council of State Governments Justice Center.

While a person is incarcerated, the report recommends adding incentives, like earned time off a sentence, and opportunities for prisoners to participate in programs that could help them reintegrate -- such as skills training, behavioral therapy or substance abuse counseling. Today, not all prisons offer a wide range of programs and some have waiting lists. The number of programs offered at county jails ranges from 10 to 70, depending on the county.

After release, the report recommends hiring more probation officers and focusing resources on offenders who are the most at risk of reoffending. It recommends expanding programming and offering incentives, such as an early end to supervision, for those who behave well. It found that, today, some people are on both probation and parole, with no coordination between the two forms of supervision.

"You cannot consistently have high-risk people walking out the door with no supervision," said state Rep. Christopher Markey, D-Dartmouth, a member of the working group. "It's not going to work."

In particular, the report stressed the importance of offering better quality treatment and more timely access to behavioral health services for people who have a high risk of reoffending or of overdosing on drugs. In Massachusetts, more than half of people on probation and two-thirds of those on parole have histories of mental illness, substance abuse or both.

A survey of 200 probation officers found that only 42 percent reported that substance abuse treatment was readily available in their community, and only 30 percent said mental health treatment was accessible. There is no mechanism to adequately reimburse providers who treat people engaged in the justice system. Research shows that treatment for offenders must be tailored specifically to their unique needs. The report also suggests creating a pilot program to focus on early intervention for young people on probation, those ages 18 to 25, whose brains are not yet fully developed and who have a high chance of reoffending.

Paul Treseler, chairman of the Parole Board and a member of the working group, said the board already works with parolees who are addicted to drugs to find them a safe release plan. Tressler said 50 to 60 percent of inmates are addicted to opioids, and the board must find a treatment facility, sober house or family member that an addict can return to after release.

"We don't release people to homelessness," Treseler said.

Dozens from Five Colleges ask to be added to conservative 'Professor Watchlist'

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More than three dozen Five Colleges staff and professors have asked to add their names to the Professor Watchlist, a website launched by a national conservative student organization to highlight academics who allegedly "advance a radical agenda."

AMHERST -- More than three dozen Five Colleges staff and professors have asked to add their names to the Professor Watchlist, a website launched by a national conservative student organization to highlight academics who allegedly "advance a radical agenda." 

Nearly 10,000 professors from across the country have asked to join the list in support of those named to the list last month. The American Association of University Professors is looking to have 12,800 sign the list.

Sut Jhally, a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Massachusetts, as well as retired UMass economics professor Richard D. Wolff, were among those named to the list. A project of Turning Point USA, the list named about 200 academics from across the country.

Turning Point founder and Executive Director Charlie Kirk wrote that the site is "dedicated to documenting and exposing professors who discriminate against conservative students and promote anti-American, left-wing propaganda in the classroom." 

The professors association believes the list poses a threat to academic freedom. In an open letter to Turning Point, the association writes: "Such lists have been used to harass and intimidate faculty, and have a chilling effect on academic freedom and free speech."

"You claim that by creating the watchlist you 'fight for free speech and the right for professors to say whatever they wish.' But the creation of such a watchlist serves the opposite purpose," the letter states. "Such lists have been used since at least the 1930s to silence free speech, chill academic freedom and harass faculty members."

Those that signed the letter include 13 UMass professors, 14 from Smith College, two each from Amherst and Hampshire colleges and six from Mount Holyoke College. A list of their names appears below.

Amherst College:
Judith Frank, Kristin Bumiller.

Hampshire College:
Rebecca Nordstrom, Stephen Dillon.

Mount Holyoke College:
Andrew Lass, Joshua Roth, Margaret Robinson, Mark Peterson, Giuliana Davidoff, Lee Bowie.

Smith College:
Richard Millington, Marc Steinberg, Kyriaki Gounaridou, Jennifer Guglielmo, Daniel Kramer, Cate Rowen, Yvonne Daniel, Janice Moulton Michael Vollinger, Malcolm McNee Gertraud Gutzmann, Doreen Weinberger, Gary Felder, Sue Froehlich.

University of Massachusetts Amherst:
Daniel Goldstein, Elizabeth Porto, Mary Dickman, Holly Lawrence, Jacqueline Mosselson, Nick Bromell, Sara Lennox. Jennifer Nye, Laura Briggs, Sigrid Schmalzer, Kevin Young, Jeannette Wicks-Lim, Jennifer Fronc.


State reduces Holyoke tax rate (by pennies, but still)

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Routine reviewing by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016 reduced the tax rate that the Holyoke City Council had set the night before by pennies, to $19.17 for residential property, from $19.18, and $39.72 for commercial property, from $39.75.

Updated at 7:49 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016 to show what the bills would be for the average properties in the residential and commercial categories based on the tax rate that the Massachusetts Department of Revenue approved for Holyoke in comparison to the tax rate that the Holyoke City Council had approved the night before. The differences between the rate after the state review and the City Council rate are in pennies.

HOLYOKE -- Routine calculations done by the state Department of Revenue Wednesday cut the tax rate that the City Council set on Tuesday night by a penny for residential owners and by three pennies for owners of commercial property.

The state Department of Revenue's (DOR) review leaves the city with a tax rate of $19.17 per $1,000 valuation for residential property and $39.72 per $1,000 valuation for commercial property, Chief Assessor Anthony Dulude said.

The council had set a rate of $19.18-$39.75 after debate at City Hall.

The adjusted tax rate following the DOR approval of the figures submitted after the City Council vote means the bill for the owner of the average single-family home valued at $181,986 will be $3,488. That's $2 less than the $3,490 the bill would have totaled under the $19.18 rate.

The previous tax rate was $19.12 per $1,000 valuation for residential property and $39.86 per $1,000 valuation for business property.

The city has 10,079 parcels of residential and commercial property with a total valuation of $2,089,256,133. Property owners will get bills reflecting the new tax rate early next month.

The over $52 million the city expects from such taxation, to fund the municipal budget, is known as the tax levy.

5 takeaways after Holyoke City Council sets new property tax rate

The calculation the DOR reviewed in relation to the tax rate that the City Council set on Tuesday involves the minimum residential factor. That's based on the city having a split tax rate, that is, different tax rates for residential and commercial properties. That's in contrast to a single-rate system in which owners of residential and commercial properties would be taxed at the same rate.

Under the split rate, the city can shift some of the tax burden from residential owners to commercial owners, provided the residential and open space owners wind up paying at least 65 percent of what they would have paid toward the tax levy without the shift, according to the DOR.

Dulude said such a DOR review that results in changes of a few pennies in the tax rate the City Council had set happens about half the time.

Here's what owners of properties in other categories will be saving thanks to the DOR's cutting the tax rate by pennies:
  • The average two-family home is valued at $154,822. Bill under the $19.17 rate: $2,971. Bill under the $19.18 rate: $2,972.
  • The average value of commercial and industrial property in the 300 to 400 classes within the state-determined classification system -- that's hotels, veterinary hospitals, restaurants, supermarkets, car washes, etc. -- is $579,716. Bill under the $39.72 rate: $23,037. Bull under the $39.75 rate: $23,055.
  • The average value of other commercial and industrial property -- excluding the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, which is the city's largest taxpayer -- is $339,097. Under the $39.72 rate: $13,465. Under the $39.75 rate: $13,475.
  • The mall is valued at $218,420,992 for nearly 97 acres. Bill under the $39.72 rate: $8,675,681. Bill under the $39.75 rate: $8,682,234.
  • Pioneer Valley cities and towns to get help with 'murkiness' of new law legalizing recreational marijuana sales

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    The Springfield Planning Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to recommend a moratorium lasting up to one year on the retail sale of recreational marijuana in Springfield.

    SPRINGFIELD -- The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is preparing to work with local planners in the region in drafting model regulations for the retail sale of recreational marijuana.

    Timothy Brennan, executive director of the regional planning commission, said his agency has been contacted by some communities for assistance, similar to when the commission helped craft model regulations for medical marijuana facilities in the Pioneer Valley two years ago.

    There is "murkiness" in the new law legalizing the use and sale of recreational marijuana, Brennan said.

    "There are many more questions than there are answers at this point," Brennan said. "It's complicated."

    Massachusetts voters legalized the recreational use of marijuana on the Nov. 8 election ballot, and the law took effect Dec. 15. Under the law, people over the age of 21 can possess up to 1 ounce and grow up to six marijuana plants inside their homes. The law allows retail sales.

    State legislators have approximately a year to develop laws to regulate the sale of marijuana so that retail shops can open in 2018. Many communities, however, are also considering their own local regulations.

    Previously, the sale of medical marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts, but there were both local and state regulations established before dispensaries began opening in the state.

    The regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries in Springfield, for example, include a requirement for a public hearing and special permit and limits them to industrial zones. The dispensaries cannot be within 500 feet of a residence or 500 feet of a school, child care center or other places where "children commonly congregate."

    Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council have approved plans by Hampden Care Facilities Inc., to develop a medical marijuana facility at 506 Cottage St., in East Springfield.

    The Springfield Planning Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to recommend a moratorium lasting up to one year on the retail sale of recreational marijuana in Springfield to allow officials to draft and approve local zoning regulations.

    There was no public opposition to the proposed moratorium during the board hearing at City Hall.

    The board's recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council to conduct its own hearing on the moratorium proposal. The council hearing is expected Jan. 23, beginning 7 p.m., at City Hall.

    In the case of medical marijuana, a similar moratorium was in effect in Springfield for a few months beginning in late 2013 to allow for local regulations. The Planning Department drafted the Springfield ordinance, largely relying on "model" regulations provided by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

    Brennan said he hopes to schedule a meeting with area planning officials in February to discuss the regulation issues for recreational marijuana sales, and is also advising communities to send any questions and concerns to the state Legislature.

    Some of the issues include confining marijuana sales to certain zones or communities that might wish to ban sales in their towns, which may not be viable, Brennan said.

    In South Hadley, the Select Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a moratorium on applications by retail marijuana interests, citing the need for planning and precautions.

    In Ware, voters at a special Town Meeting in November rejected a proposal by town officials to delay the siting of retail marijuana establishments. The town Planning Board had recommended a two-year moratorium to allow time for adoption of new zoning bylaws.

    In West Springfield, Mayor Will Reichelt earlier this month urged the Town Council to delay the state's new recreation marijuana law to allow time for zoning changes. He said that such retail establishments "raises novel and complex legal, planning and public safety issues and the town needs time to study such issues."

    In Chicopee, the City Council sent a letter to its local legislators asking for help to plan for the new law.

    Nativity scene goes up inside State House, atheists respond

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    A constituent request prompted state Rep. Jim Lyons, R-Andover, to inquire about putting a Nativity scene on the front lawn on the Massachusetts State House, alongside a Christmas tree decked in blue-white lights. Watch video

    BOSTON - A constituent request was what prompted state Rep. Jim Lyons, R-Andover, to inquire about putting a Nativity scene on the front lawn on the Massachusetts State House, alongside a Christmas tree decked in blue-white lights.

    Lyons's request to the Bureau of the State House was initially denied. Undeterred, he asked for the rule and then made a separate application for an indoor display.

    Nearly a month later, Lyons stood in front of a small and simple Nativity scene inside the Great Hall as cameras snapped away at the three religious figures under the wooden roof.

    Lyons had reached out to the Thomas More Society and the American Nativity Scene Society for some help. The Thomas More Society, a conservative not-for-profit law firm, stepped in and sent an opinion stating that it was legal to put the scene inside the State House, where an annual menorah lighting also takes place.

    "The message that we're sending is that the nativity scene is a symbol of Christianity and it's certainly a symbol of love, joy and hope, and that's the message we're hoping people will come away with," Lyons said. "This is a great day to celebrate Christmas."

    He still hopes to get a Nativity scene out on the front lawn. "One step at a time," Lyons said, adding that he also hopes the Nativity scene becomes an annual event.

    While the Nativity scene was on display inside the State House, a local group of atheists were taking part in their own regular event: Unveiling a banner telling everybody "warm wishes from your friendly neighborhood atheists" on Boston Common.

    "This is a tradition we've been doing for a few years now," said Zachary Bos, state director for American Atheists.

    Asked about the Nativity scene inside the State House, Bos said, "This was an opportunity for Representative Lyons and the other officials at the State House to say, look folks, the State House is a space for all residents of Massachusetts and this is where we're going to draw the line around the separation of church and state."

    As several of his fellow atheists prepared to put up the sign, Bos added, "If you open the doors, if you look past the windows of the Great Hall, you can see down Boston Common, you can see the holiday displays here. So it isn't as if members of these faith traditions aren't already represented in the public space."

    The Thomas More Society's move was a grab a "low-hanging fruit," and was not neighborly, Bos said.

    Victim in fatal Amherst accident identified

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    The Northwestern District Attorney's office has identified the victim in Tuesday night's fatal accident at 18 Hunters Hill Circle.

    AMHERST -- The Northwestern District Attorney's office Thursday identified the victim in a fatal accident Tuesday night as Maria Julia Hernandez.

    The 67-year-old woman died when she was struck in the driveway of her Hunters Hill Circle home by a vehicle driven by her husband, according to the office of Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan.

    Sullivan's spokeswoman, Mary Carey, said the office doesn't identify people who are not charged with a crime and would not identity the victim's husband.

    The death remains under investigation, but police are looking at it as an accident, she said Wednesday.

    She could not say how the accident occurred and does not expect those details to be released. The family has asked for privacy, she said

    The accident happened at about 6 p.m. at the victim's 18 Hunters Hill Circle home, according to police and fire sources. Carey said the woman was rushed by ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, and she was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.

    Sales of state-owned property to create 1,500 units of housing and $413 million in revenue

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    Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is touting the success of a 14-month-old program to sell or lease under-utilized state property.

    Over the last 14 months, state government has sold, leased or reached agreements on 22 state-owned pieces of land.

    When these projects are fully developed, they will generate 1,500 units of housing, $413 million in revenue and 100,000 square feet of new commercial space, according to Gov. Charlie Baker's administration. They will also generate an estimated 260 jobs and $8.2 million in property tax revenue to cities and towns.

    "This is property that's located in interesting and unusual places that literally has just been doing nothing for a really long time," Baker said Thursday. Baker said the goal of his administration's real estate program is to work within state government and with municipalities and private developers to come to "a collective decision about the highest and best use of property."

    In October 2015, the Baker administration launched a program it called "Open for Business," which involved developing under-utilized state-owned properties. It identified 42 pieces of land, which government could partner with private developers, nonprofits or other government agencies to develop. The properties could be used for a range of projects -- to develop new affordable or market-rate housing, to build solar installations or to build transportation service plazas or gas stations.

    Administration officials provided an update on the program to reporters on Thursday. So far, officials said, the state has expanded the inventory of available parcels from 42 pieces of land to a potential for 85 projects spanning 570 acres in 41 cities and towns.

    Some of these are small. For example, the state is currently offering space for telecommunications equipment on the roofs of state office buildings in Pittsfield and Springfield and on the campus of Westfield State University.

    Others are larger. Currently, the state is soliciting bids for the leasing of retail and office space at Springfield's new Union Station and for four commercial lots on the former state hospital campus in Northampton, which is already being redeveloped with housing.

    The projects already in the works are diverse. The MBTA approved the installation of 37 solar panels at T-owned parking facilities, which will generate $55 million for the MBTA over 20 years.

    In Chicopee, the Department of Transportation is talking to a local developer who is rehabilitating a local mill building about leasing a piece of state-owned land under an adjacent highway to use for parking.

    The Department of Transportation is currently examining the land that used to have toll plazas, before the state's switch to all-electronic tolling, to identify whether there can be other uses for those spaces.

    "While there is lots going on in eastern Massachusetts and in Boston, there are certainly examples in central Massachusetts and in Western Massachusetts as well," said Mark Boyle, administrator of the MassDOT/MBTA Office of Real Estate and Asset Development.

    Marty Jones, president and CEO of MassDevelopment, a public economic development agency, said the administration's focus on redeveloping unused property has brought more visibility and renewed interest to sites like the old Northampton state hospital campus or the redevelopment of the former Belchertown state school, both of which are longstanding projects. "I can't say we've closed the deal, but we are seeing more people looking," Jones said.

    Although state government has always sold and leased property, the Baker administration initiative marks the first time state government has created an inventory of potential property and tracked the progress of selling or leasing it.

    A group of representatives from different government agencies meets monthly to discuss progress and iron out issues -- such as what happens when multiple agencies have a stake in one parcel of land. This makes the development process quicker and smoother. The information about available property is consolidated on a single website. State officials say they work closely with city and town officials to ensure that projects fit the goals of the municipality.

    "This administration's not going to do anything anywhere that's not done in conjunction with and in collaboration with local communities," Baker said.

    Baker said the goal is to get the "biggest bang for a buck out of a site," while also accomplishing policy priorities -- such as building more housing in the Boston area and creating more jobs elsewhere in the state. He said there is also value in simply getting a project moving. "If it's going to sit fallow and do nothing for the next 20 years, that doesn't generate anything," Baker said.

    1,000 served at Springfield Rescue Mission Christmas meal

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    Volunteers prepared ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, rolls and desert for the afternoon meal.

    SPRINGFIELD — Christmas dinner came early at the Springfield Rescue Mission in the city's South End on Thursday.

    According to Community Development Assistant Julie Barnes, about 1,000 hungry, homeless, addicted or poor guests were served by a host of volunteers during the day-long event that started with a 7 a.m. breakfast.

    Volunteers prepared ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, rolls and desert for the afternoon meal, which ran from 1 to 4 p.m. Children who attended also received a Christmas gift.

    A meal delivery was also available to the elderly and disabled.

    Boston senator 'made nauseous' by criminal justice working group

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    State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz accused the Council of State Governments working group of ignoring black and Latino activists.

    A Boston state senator said Thursday that she was "made nauseous by the handiwork of government" after watching a criminal justice working group ignore pleas by black and Latino activists to expand the scope of their work.

    The comments by state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, a Boston Democrat, were made on her website in response to Wednesday's meeting of the Council of State Governments Justice Center task force. A 25-member working group, made up of top state policymakers and criminal justice officials, has been working with the nonprofit CSG to develop recommendations for reducing recidivism in Massachusetts.

    "Yesterday I watched a room full of black and Latino demonstrators, who have been patient for the past two years, plead with an all-white panel of CSG working group members to say something or ask some questions about the devastating effects the criminal justice system has on their communities," Chang-Diaz said in her statement. "The three-hour meeting continued with polite, technical question-asking, none of which had to do with the cries for help from communities most impacted by crime."

    The CSG working group focused in its preliminary recommendations on ways to reduce recidivism, primarily through improving post-release supervision and pre-release programming. The working group also released a study on racial disparities in the criminal justice system. But researchers acknowledged that the report on race lacked context and was unable to provide reasons for the racial disparities because the data was not available.

    Advocates for sentencing reform from labor, religious and liberal organizing groups criticized the working group for not going far enough. The activists are pushing for the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, the elimination of various court fees and other changes to sentencing to reduce the number of people who are sent to jail. Many of the activists are black and Latino, and they criticized the CSG panel for not being diverse and for not taking a serious look at the racial implications of criminal justice reform. Only two of 25 panel members are minorities.

    Chang-Diaz, who attended the meeting and is not a member of the working group, responded in her statement afterwards, "In my eight years as a state senator, I've never been actually made nauseous by the handiwork of government -- until yesterday."

    "Our justice system is deeply broken, expensive and racist, and for the last two years legislators and grassroots activists alike have been baited into believing this 'Justice Reinvestment Initiative' was going to make a serious effort at fixing that," Chang-Diaz said. "Yesterday we were placidly told 'that was never part of our charge.'"

    Chang-Diaz continued: "No one around that CSG working group table woke up yesterday thinking, 'How can I be an agent of injustice?' But at some point indifference becomes injustice."

    The working group was asked by state government officials to look at post-release support and supervision and pre-release programming. It explored issues related to the substance abuse and mental health services available to former prisoners and looked at whether existing programming and supervision adequately enables prisoners to re-enter society.

    Steve Allen, a senior policy adviser on behavioral health for the Council of State Governments Justice Center, said Wednesday that the group was bound by that mission. "Justice reform is never as comprehensive as folks would like it to be," Allen said. "There's only so much any project can do at any time."


    West Springfield councilor: Funding for Bagg Brook project will help polish 'jewel of a property'

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    "It's a jewel of a property, but it's never been polished," West Springfield Town Councilor George R. Kelly said of the project, which will be funded by town CPA funds and a matching federal grant.

    WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The West Springfield Town Council has agreed to use funds from the Community Preservation Act to create a nature trail and other improvements on town-owned land bordering Bagg Brook.

    The Town Council, in a 7-0 vote Monday with two councilors absent, agreed to tap $184,812 in CPA funds for the Bagg Brook Heritage Landscape Restoration and Enhancement Project.

    The project involves using low-impact development techniques for a three-quarter-mile interpretive trail and other work on a portion of the 20.7-acre parcel off Morgan Road.

    "It's a jewel of a property, but it's never been polished," Councilor George R. Kelly said of the project, the balance of which will be paid for with a matching grant from the National Park Service's Land and Water Conservation Fund.

    The LWCF Grant Program is administered locally through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

    "The Bagg Brook Landscape Restoration Project embodies my vision to protect the community from blight by keeping people connected to one another through the use of existing resources in new and creative ways -- thereby building strong neighborhoods and a stronger West Springfield," Mayor Will Reichelt said in his letter seeking grant funding.

    Mark A. Noonan, a senior planner and conservation agent with the town, said the work will be performed within an 11.5-acre portion of the parcel at 429 Morgan Road, which is also home to the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England.

    The nonprofit organization last year signed a 20-year lease with the town to use the former Elks Club facility on the property, which the town acquired in 2013 for recreation and open space purposes.

    Noonan said the cost of the landscape restoration project is $349,624, half of which will be covered by town CPA funds and half by the LWCF grant. However, another $20,000 -- a $10,000 monitoring fee and $10,000 for drainage work and wetland replication and creation -- brings the total project cost to $369,624.

    The $10,000 monitoring fee was added to the project budget because the CPA requires an independent organization to oversee stewardship of the property. This cost is ineligible for matching funds from the LCWF grant, according to Noonan.

    Funding for the additional $10,000 is being sought from the Conservation Commission for drainage improvement designs and wetland replication and creation, he said.

    Sean F. Cahillane, president of the Irish Cultural Center, was among those who spoke in favor of the project at Monday's Town Council meeting.

    "It's one of the many pieces that will help bring this iconic facility and these lands back to service for the community, so we're here voicing our opinion that we would like you to see this approved if you could," Cahillane told councilors, shortly before they voted unanimously to fund the project.

    Councilor Nathan A. Bech also spoke in favor of the plan. "It's a great improvement of the land that we purchased just a few years ago," he said, adding that he was pleased the town's operating budget wasn't being tapped to fund the effort.

    A request for design proposals will go out to bid Jan. 5, with the construction contract expected to be awarded by July. The project is tentatively slated for completion by June 1, 2018.


    MAP showing approximate location of project:


    Conn. man, arrested in Chicopee following multi-state bank robbery spree, sentenced to prison

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    When police tried to arreste Juan Cruz in a Chicopee motel last year, he jumped out a second-floor window


    NEW HAVEN - A New Haven man who was arrested last year in Chicopee in connection with a series of bank robberies in New York and Connecticut was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut.

    Juan Cruz, 38, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Aiker Meyer to serve 84 months in prison to be followed by three years of probation. He pleaded guilty to robbing six banks in New Haven and Albany between Oct. 15 and Nov. 20 of last year.

    He is accused of stealing more than $18,000 over that time.

    Cruz was arrested Nov. 21, 2015 when he was spotted at the Days Inn in Chicopee. He had been identified as a suspect in the robberies and a warrant was issued for his arrest as a fugitive from justice.

    Cruz was apprehended after he tried to escape police by jumping out a second floor window, according to Chicopee police.

    Cruz had been in custody since his arrest in Chicopee.

    Springfield police investigate Eastern Ave. shooting; man shot multiple times

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    The victim was not cooperating with police about who shoot him.

    spd door.jpg 

    SPRINGFIELD - Police are investigating an afternoon shooting on Eastern Avenue in the city's Old Hill neighborhood that left a man with gunshot wounds to his lower torso, police said.

    The shooting was reported at about 3:15 p.m. in the area of 81 Eastern Avenue.

    The man was shot multiple times in the lower torso, according police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney. He was rushed to the hospital by ambulance where he was undergoing surgery.

    There is no information on his condition.

    Delaney said the man was conscious when police arrived on scene, but he was not cooperating about who shot him.

    There have been no arrests.

    This is a developing story and more information will be added as it is known.

    Pioneer Valley home sales brisk, but median price down

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    The inventory of homes for sale is down and interest rates are up compared to last year.

    Sales of single-family homes across the Pioneer Valley were up in November, but the median price fetched by the homes that sold was down.

    The number of closed sales across all three counties was 489 in November, up 33.2 percent from the 367 homes sold in the same month a year ago, according to statistics released today by the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley.

    The median price of a single-family home in November 2016 was $187,498, down 2.9 percent from the $193,000 recorded a year ago.

    Richard Sawicki, of Sawicki Real Estate in Amherst, president-elect of the Realtor Association, said one reason the respective November numbers are different is that business might have shifted from October to November and vice-versa.

    On a year-to-date basis, sales are up 12.7 percent through the first 11 months of 2016 compared with the same time period of 2015. The median price is stable at $199,000 in both years.

    "We had a strong November. November was quiet last year," said Sawicki who takes over as president next month. "it was a good year."

    A lack of inventory is still holding back the real estate market, he said. Inventory across the Pioneer Valley fell 34.3 percent in November from 2,837 homes for sale at the end of November 2015 to 1,863 for sale at the end of last month.

    Numbers are compared to the same point in a previous year as a way to smooth out seasonal changes in the market. For example, many families want to move in the summer. People of all ages are reluctant to buy in winter when yards are covered in snow.

    The Realtor Association culls statistics from data recorded through the multiple listing service. They count only closings and only sales done through a realtor where the buyer and seller are not working together.

    County-by-County

    • Hampden County: Sales were up 29.9 percent from 251 sales in November 2015 to 326 sales in November 2016. The median sales price was unchanged at $175,000.
    • Hampshire County: Sales were up 35.2 percent from 71 sales to 96. The median sales price was down 5.8 percent from $265,000 in November 2015 to $249,500 in November 2016.
    • Franklin County: Sales were up 44.7 percent from 47 to 68. The median price was down 2.2 percent from $181,000 to $177,000.

    Other statistics:

    • Days on the market: The average fell 15 percent from 108 days in November 2015 to 92 days in November 2016, a reflection of a lack of inventory. 
    • Pending sales: The number of homes under agreement rose 27.7 percent from 346 to 442.
    • Mortgage rates: A 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 4.03 percent in the week ending Nov. 23, 2016. Last year, the same mortgage averaged 3.95 percent in the last week of November.

    Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors chief economist, said rising mortgage rates and a lack of homes available to buy could price buyers out of the market.

    "First-time buyers in higher priced cities will be most affected by rising prices and mortgage rates next year and will likely have to stretch their budget or make compromises on home size, price or location," Yun wrote in a prepared statement. "Existing housing supply at the beginning of the year was inadequate and is now even worse heading into 2017. Rental units are also seeing this shortage. As a result, both home prices and rents continue to far outstrip incomes in much of the country."

    Vermont State Police: missing Bennington College student drowned in quarry

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    Hadil Marzouq, a native of Palestine, was staying with a host family while attending Bennington College. She was majoring in public action and conflcit resolution.


    Vermont State Police announced Thursday that an autopsy determined Hadil Marzouq, a missing Bennington College student whose body was found Wednesday under the ice at a quarry, died of drowning.

    Police said the state medical examiner determined Marzouq drowned, but made no determination on the manner of death. Detectives with the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation are continuing to investigate the death.

    1222 VSP  marzouq.jpgHadil Marzouq 

    Marzouq, 20, was last seen on Saturday, and she was reported missing the next day. ON Sunday evening her car had been found next to Route 30 by the Dorset Quarry.

    Police searched the surrounding area for two days before returning to focus on the quarry on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning the state police Scuba Team found her body under the ice.

    According to the Bennington Banner, Marzouq, a junior, was a native of Palestine who was staying with a host family in Bennington. She was majoring in public action and conflcit resolution.

    Bennington College president Mariko Silver issued a statement that said "The news of her death impacts us all. In her too brief time here Hadil touched us with her light, her friendship, and her determination to make our community the best it could be. Her friends, community, and the world will forever bear the imprint of our time with her."

    The quarry is located roughly 30 miles north of Bennington College.

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