Quantcast
Channel: News
Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live

Yesterday's top stories: Homicide suspects arrested, bystanders film fight, and more

0
0

Lovers of Antonio's Pizza might never have seen Julia Hernandez, but they enjoyed what she did. Hernandez was typically downstairs in the kitchen, making pizza in the eatery she helped establish 25 years ago. Hernandez, 67, died when she was struck Tuesday night in the driveway of her Hunters Hill Circle home by a vehicle driven by her husband.

Here are Friday's most-read local news stories on MassLive.com. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

[enhanced link]



[enhanced link]


[enhanced link]


[enhanced link]


[enhanced link]

Pittsfield victim dies from Dec. 8 fire injuries

0
0

A 72-year-old man pulled from the burning Tahiti Takeout Restaurant Dec. 8 has died of his injuries, the Pittsfield Fire Department has confirmed. Herdy Iroth died at the UMass Medical Center in Worcester Sunday, Pittsfield Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski ssaid.

PITTSFIELD— A 72-year-old man, severely burned in the Tahiti Takeout Restaurant and Lounge fire December 8, has died of his injuries, the Pittsfield Fire Department confirmed.

Fire Chief Robert Czwewinski told the Berkshire Eagle that Herdy Iroth, a tenant in the building died Sunday at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Two Pittsfield firefighters, Michael D'Avelola and Jarrett Robitaille battled heavy smoke and severe heat to pull Iroth from the burning building.

The fire at 101 Wahconah St., started in the early morning hours of December 8, and before it was over, firefighters from Pittsfield, Dalton, Hinsdale and Lenox brought the fire under control. The fire appeared to have started in one of the residential units over the restaurant.

The restaurant suffered extensive smoke and heat damage, while all of the residential units remain uninhabitable.


Chicopee City Council approves permit for new Memorial Drive hotel

0
0

The owners plan to tear down the 50-year-old Days Inn and replace it with a Tru by Hilton Hotel.

CHICOPEE - The City Council granted the owners of the Days Inn the final permits they needed to allow them to tear down the 50-year-old building and replace it with a more modern hotel designed to attract young travelers.

The Council voted 13-0 to grant a special permit to Chicopee Hospitality LLC. that will allow the hotel on 450 Memorial Drive to be replaced with a new Tru by Hilton.

"It will definitely improve the whole look of the area," City Council Vice President Shane D. Brooks said.

The special permit was needed to allow the company to have flexible parking because there are multiple uses, including a restaurant and banquet facility, on the same property which share the same lot. The permit will also allow alcohol to be served and gave approvals for signs.

There was little controversy or debate over the proposal.

"It is 50 years old and it is more efficient to build a new one than to renovate," Hershal Patel, one of the owners, said in an earlier meeting.

The company plans to invest about $15 million in the project to raze the hotel and replace it. The new Tru by Hilton will be about the same size as the existing Days Inn, which has 101 rooms, and is being built on the same footprint, he said.

The owners plan to keep the existing restaurant and banquet facility and some attached offices, he said.

The same group of people also own the Residence Inn by Marriott and the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Chicopee. The Residence Inn by Marriott, which opened in 2013, is located on 500 Memorial Drive and is part of the Chicopee Crossing project.

Patel said the new hotel is part of a chain focused more on meeting the wants and needs of younger people. They are built with fitness rooms and semi-private work spaces so business travelers do not have to work from their rooms.

Springfield market owner wants EBT fraud charges dropped

0
0

Ramon Diaz and his son are accused of allowing customers with EBT cards to buy items such as baby formula at full price, sell them back to the store at half price, and keep the remaining cash.

SPRINGFIELD -- A man awaiting trial with his son on food stamp trafficking charges is seeking to have his case dismissed, claiming he had nothing to do with his son's alleged crimes.

Ramon Diaz, 53, and Samuel Diaz, 30, both of New Haven, Connecticut, pleaded not guilty to larceny, food stamp trafficking and related charges in March after state and city police raided the Dwight Mini Market in Springfield's South End.

The raid capped a four-month probe into alleged public assistance fraud and drug sales at the market, which is owned by Ramon Diaz and managed by his son, according to court records. Bail for Samuel Diaz was set at $2,000; his father was released on personal recognizance.

In paperwork filed this week, defense lawyer Harold Brunault, representing Ramon Diaz, said his client had been wrongfully accused.

"Ramon Diaz was not personally present at any time" that alleged illegal activity took place at his market, Brunault wrote.

Judge Patricia Poehler gave the lawyer until Feb. 1 to file a motion to dismiss the charges. Arguments on the motion are scheduled for Feb. 17, according to court records.

Attorney Jon Helpa, representing Samuel Diaz, said he needed more time to review potential evidence turned over by prosecutors. He said a resolution to the case was possible at the February hearing, but did not elaborate.

The father and son are accused of allowing customers with EBT cards to buy items such as baby formula at full price, sell them back to the store at half price, and keep the remaining cash. Customers sometimes used the cash to buy drugs, according to police, who said loitering, public drinking and open-air drug sales were common outside the market.

Investigators seized a computer, cellphones, syringes, crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia during the raid. The market, located at 293 Dwight Street Extension, was shut down for code violations following the raid.

Many details of the investigation, including the amount of money allegedly lost to fraud, were not disclosed when charges were filed. No additional information has emerged from court filings over the past eight months.

Chicopee Council to close businesses which failed to renew licenses

0
0

There are seven business owners which did not renew licenses but at least one has already closed.

CHICOPEE - The City Council has voted to close down any businesses on Jan 1 whose owners have failed to renew their licenses to operate.

"We have seven licenses which were not renewed by this time," City Councilor William Zaskey, who is the chairman of the council's License Committee.

The council voted 13-0 to ask the Building Commissioner to issue cease and desist orders to those businesses that will require them to close on Jan. 1.

All licenses to operate expire on Dec. 31 but the City Council has to approve the request for a renewal and the group's last meeting of the year was held Dec. 20.

Those who apply for late renewals in the last week of December will also face a $100 late fee. The annual renewal fee is $100, Zaskey said.

The City Clerk's office sent letters to all the license holders reminding them to renew and giving them deadlines for renewal applications, City Clerk Keith Rattell said.

Technically and legally the businesses which were not approved for renewals on Dec. 20 will not be able to operate after Dec. 31. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 3 so if the late businesses apply to be renewed before then they would only be forced to close for a day or two, Rattell said.

"It is up to the building commissioner to issue a cease and desist order to the businesses," he said.

Over the past month, the City Council has approved 121 different license renewals for taxi drivers, new car dealers, used car dealerships, auto repair businesses, auto body businesses and auto detailing businesses. Some were also renewed in November.

"Some of the businesses are already closed down and that is why they did not renew," Rattell said.

At least one of the seven businesses, Krystle Kleen Auto Sales on 235 Meadow St. falls into that category. That businesses is currently being sold and is expected to be razed and a Family Dollar store built in its place.

The other six which have not renewed licenses are Chicopee Auto Service and Sales Center LLC., 926 Front St.; FL Roberts doing business as Jiffy Lube, 2017 Memorial Drive; Kanar Auto Sales Inc., 245 East St.; Mass Detailing LLC, 455 Memorial Drive; Monroe Muffler and Break Inc., 461 Memorial Drive and Walt's Auto Repair, 881 Meadow St.

New York state man killed in Middlebury, Vermont plane crash

0
0

A Crown Point man who worked at an airplane maintenance company at the Middlebury State Airport was killed Friday afternoon when the small plane he was flying crashed near the airport. Paul D. Bessler,42, died when the piper PA28 he was flying crashed near the end of the runway.

MIDDLEBURY, Vermont— The Maintenance Director for J&M Maintenance at the Middlebury State Airport was killed Friday afternoon when the Piper PA28 he was flying crashed near the end of the airport's runway.

Paul D. Bessler, 42, of Crown Point, New York, was taking off in the plane when it crashed just after noon the Burlington Free Press reported.

The aircraft is a four-seat, single engine, propeller-driven airplane.

An FAA spokesman said the plane crashed after Bessler reported an instrument related problem, and said he was returning to the airport. The FAA is investigating the incident.

Bessler has worked at the airport for more than a decade, eventually becoming the director of maintenance for the airport-based airplane repair facility.

The Middlebury State Airport sits approximately 5 miles from downtown Middlebury. It has a single runway bordered by several associated businesses.

Bessler's mother told the newspaper that Bessler was the father of an 8-year-old daughter. She said he quit skydiving when the girl was born because he felt it was too dangerous.

Town of Wilbraham announces holiday office hours

0
0

The town will be operating with reduced hours for the Christmas and New Year's holiday weekends.

WILBRAHAM -- Town Hall will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26, and Monday, Jan. 2, in observance of Christmas Day and New Year's Day, respectively. Both holidays fall on a Sunday this year, which is why they are being recognized on a Monday.

The Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling Center will close at noon on Saturday, Dec. 24, and will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The Library will be closed Saturday, Dec. 24; Monday, Dec. 26; Saturday, Dec. 31; and Monday, Jan. 2, 2017.

The Senior Center and Parks and Recreation Department will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26, and Monday, Jan. 2.

Wilbraham Town Hall is located at 240 Springfield St. and may be reached at 413-596-2800.


Reports: Ayla Brown, daughter of ex-Sen. Scott Brown, offers to sing at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration

0
0

Despite reports that Donald Trump is struggling to find talent to perform at his inauguration, Ayla Brown reportedly said this week that she'd be open to singing at the event, if asked.

Despite reports that Donald Trump is struggling to find talent to perform at his inauguration, Ayla Brown reportedly said this week that she'd be open to singing at the event, if asked.

Brown, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and TV reporter Gail Huff, said she'd be "honored to perform" at the Republican's inaugural events, adding that she doesn't understand why other performers would balk at such an opportunity, the Boston Herald reported.

"As a performer, I see the opportunity to perform at any inauguration in history as the highest honor," she said, according to the newspaper. "It's a shame that not everyone sees it that way."

Such a performance, she contended, would be "singing for your country -- not to elect a politician."

Reports: Trump Inaugural Committee desperate for acts; dangling incentives to talent agents

Brown, a former "American Idol" contestant, said she has received an invitation to the inauguration and made it clear that she'd be open to performing at the related events, the Herald reported. The singer, however, said she had yet to hear from Trump's team.

"I'm hoping that I'm on the list," she reportedly said. "They know who I am, and I'm hoping I'm in the mix."

Brown, whose father was an early ally of Trump's White House run, sang the National Anthem at the Republican National Convention in July. She previously opened the Republican presidential primary debate in Las Vegas in December 2015.

Ayla Brown, daughter of ex-Sen. Scott Brown, opens the final night of the Republican National Convention

Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.

The president-elect will kick off his official inaugural events Thursday, Jan. 19 by laying a wreath at Arlington National cemetery with vice president-elect Mike Pence, according to a schedule released by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

The wreath laying will be followed by a Thursday "Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration" concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

The concert is expected to feature a diverse group of performers, and will serve as the official kick-off to Trump's inaugural events, according to PIC members.


MassDOT to offer free coffee at service plazas Saturday night

0
0

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be offering free coffee to motorists traveling on state highways late-Saturday and early-Sunday.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be offering free coffee to motorists traveling on state highways late-Saturday and early-Sunday.

According to transportation officials, 18 MassDOT Service Plazas will serve up free coffee from 10 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. on Sunday as part of the agency's efforts to enhance holiday travel safety.

Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack, in announcing MassDOT's efforts, encouraged drivers to "minimize distractions, stay sober and have a designated driver."

"We want everyone to reach their travel destinations safely and enjoy this holiday with their friends and loved ones," she said in a recent statement.

Highway Administrator Thomas J. Tinlin added that drivers should monitor weather conditions and utilize technology tools like mass511 and web-based real-time information for travel updates.

In addition to serving up free coffee at more than a dozen MassDOT Service Plazas on Saturday, the agency will also offer it to motorists traveling along state roads beginning at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31.

State Police investigate Lancaster crash that killed Maynard woman

0
0

Massachusetts State Police are investigating an early morning crash on Route 2 in Lancaster that reportedly killed a 22-year-old Maynard woman.

LANCASTER, MA ‒ Massachusetts State Police are investigating an early morning crash on Route 2 in Lancaster that reportedly killed a 22-year-old Maynard woman.

Troopers from the Leominster barracks responded to reports of a single vehicle crash on the westbound side of the highway just before 4 a.m. Saturday.

A preliminary investigation suggests the crash occurred when a 2008 Toyota Camry traveling westbound on Route 2 went off the roadway and into the wood line, where it became fully engulfed in flames, according to state police.

The reasons for the car exiting the highway remain under investigation, police said.

Emergency crews pronounced a yet-to-be-identified woman deceased at the scene. She was the operator and sole occupant of the vehicle, police reported.

The crash remains under investigation with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and Crime Scene Services Section, according to state police.

Lancaster Fire and EMS, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation assisted state police at the scene.

Police: Woman gave birth inside Walmart bathroom, baby found alive in trash can

0
0

Police in rural Louisiana say a Walmart employee found a baby girl in a bathroom a few hours after the infant's mother gave birth to her and dumped her in a trash can.

Police in rural Louisiana say a Walmart employee found a baby girl in a bathroom a few hours after the infant's mother gave birth to her and dumped her in a trash can.

The infant was only about 4 hours old when an employee at a Walmart Supercenter in the city of New Roads in Pointe Coupee Parish found her just after 7 p.m. on Friday, Lt. Shael Stringer of the New Roads Police Department told The Washington Post. The mother, a woman in her 30s, was found shortly after.

Stringer said a Walmart employee saw the woman in the bathroom at about 3 p.m. that day and noticed that she was bleeding heavily. The woman told the employee that she was having some trouble with her menstrual cycle.

At that point, police said, the employee gave the woman some paper towels and waited outside the bathroom stall, not knowing that the woman was giving birth inside.

The woman wrapped the newborn girl, placed her in the trash can and left.

About 4 1/2 hours later, another employee who was emptying the trash can noticed that it was relatively heavy, Stringer said. The employee placed the trash bag on the floor and found the infant, who was discolored and wasn't breathing.

The baby was revived at the scene and was taken to a hospital less than a mile away, Stringer said. The infant, who is now in stable condition, was later taken to a hospital in Baton Rouge.

"Had it been just a little bit longer, the possibility of resuscitation probably wouldn't have happened," Stringer said.

Investigators found the woman, who had been taken to another hospital in a nearby town Friday night because of complications from giving birth. Police expect to arrest the woman after she is discharged from the hospital, Stringer said.

She could be charged with attempted second-degree murder.

 

(c) 2016, The Washington Post.  Kristine Guerra wrote this story.

Santa Tracker 2016: Here's how to follow Santa Claus' route tonight

0
0

On Christmas Eve, children and their parents can watch Santa and his reindeer fly across the world thanks to the NORAD Santa Tracker. Watch video

Children across the country tonight will struggle to stay awake to sneak a peek at Santa Claus coming down the chimney, through the window or maybe even the front door.

While they anxiously await Christmas Day, the official NORAD Santa Tracker helps children and their parents see Santa make his flight delivering toys to boys and girls across the world.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado is celebrating the 61st anniversary of tracking Santa's yearly delivery.

All day today, NORAD's "Santa Cams" will stream videos on www.noradsanta.org/ as Santa makes his way across the globe, officials said.

Trackers worldwide can speak with a live phone operator to inquire as to Santa's whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or by sending an email to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com.

At any time today, Windows Phone users can ask Cortana for Santa's location, and OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles to locate Santa.

Every year, NORAD men, women, family and friends have volunteered their time to respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world, officials said.

Santa apps are now also available in Windows, Apple and Google Play stores and people can also track him on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Google+. Santa followers just need to type "@noradsanta" into each search engine to check in on his whereabouts.

On Christmas Eve, Pope asks Christians to think of children, refugees

0
0

Pope Francis urged Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus by thinking about the plight of today's children, bemoaning how some must escape bombs or flee in migrant boats and how others are prevented from being born at all.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis urged Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus by thinking about the plight of today's children, bemoaning how some must escape bombs or flee in migrant boats and how others are prevented from being born at all.

Francis celebrated a somber Christmas Eve Mass in a packed St. Peter's Basilica, processing to the altar behind cardinals draped in golden vestments as the Sistine Chapel choir sang "Gloria" and the church bells rang out across Rome.

Francis has spent much of the year denouncing the Islamic extremist violence that has driven Christians from Mideast communities that date to the time of Christ. He has also demanded Europe in particular do more to welcome refugees, saying Jesus himself was a migrant who deserved more than being born in a manger. And he has called out the wasteful ways of the wealthy when children and the poor die of hunger every day.

In his homily, Francis urged his flock to reflect on how children today aren't always allowed to lie peacefully in a cot, loved by their parents as Jesus was, but rather "suffer the squalid mangers that devour dignity."

Among the indignities, he said, are "hiding underground to escape bombardment, on the pavements of a large city, at the bottom of a boat overladen with immigrants."

"Let us allow ourselves to be challenged by the children who are not allowed to be born, by those who cry because no one satiates their hunger, by those who do have not toys in their hands, but rather weapons," he added.

The Mass late Saturday was the first major event of the Christmas season, followed by Francis' noon Urbi et Orbi (To the city and the world) blessing on Christmas Day.

In another appeal, Francis called for the faithful to not get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas -- "when we are concerned for gifts but cold toward those who are marginalized."

Materialism has "taken us hostage this Christmas," he said. "We have to free ourselves of it!"

First Light: A Community Candle and Menorah Lighting at the Springfield Jewish Community Center

0
0

First Light: A Community Candle and Menorah Lighting at the Springfield, Massacusetts Jewish Community Center. The event was held on the first night of Hanukkah, Dec. 24, 2016.

SPRINGFIELD - First Light: A Community Candle and Menorah Lighting at the Springfield Jewish Community Center. The event was held on the first night of Hanukkah, Dec. 24, 2016.

The event featured Hanukkah songs, the lighting of the JCC's large, outside menorah and treats at the end of the ceremony.

Shooting on Wallace Street sends 1 to Springfield hospital

0
0

One person was shot and wounded just before 10 p.m. in the vicinity of 79 Wallace St. Springfield police confirmed. preliminary information indicates that the victim was in a private car attempting to take him to the hospital when police arrived in the area. the scene.


UPDATE 11:20 p.m. December 24, 2016

Springfield police said a 20-year-old man was shot and wounded as he sat in a car on Wallace Street just before 10 p.m. Saturday night.

Springfield Police Capt. Robert Strzempek said the victim was sitting in the car near 79 Wallace St. with the driver when a male got into the back seat of the car and shot the victim once in the torso. The bullet passed through the victim's body and exited the front.

The alleged assailant, described as a black male, fled the scene after the shooting.

The victim was taken to the Baystate Medical Center for treatment, where his current condition is unknown, Strzempek said

Springfield Police Major Crime detectives continue to investigate the incident.



SPRINGFIELD— One person was shot and wounded just before 10 p.m. Springfield Police Capt. Robert Strzempek confirmed.

The shooting took place in the vicinity of 79 Wallace St. at 9:55 p.m.

Preliminary information indicates that people at the scene of the shooting tried to take the shooting victim to the hospital by private car, but somehow the car ended up at the wrong end of the street. Police found the car near the intersection of Wallace and Wisteria streets.

The victim was transported by ambulance to the Baystate Medical Center.

This is breaking news story and information will be posted as it becomes available.


Russian military plane headed for Syria crashes into the Black Sea; 92 aboard

0
0

The ministry said the plane was carrying the famous Alexandrov military band for a concert at the Russian air base in Syria.

A Russian passenger plane with 92 people aboard, including a famed military band on the way to Syria, crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday minutes after takeoff from the resort city of Sochi, the Defense ministry said.

The Tu-154 that belonged to the Defense Ministry was carrying the famous Alexandrov choir for a concert at the Russian air base in Syria, the ministry said.

A total of 84 passengers and eight crew were on board the plane that dropped off radars minutes after taking off. Emergency services found its fragments about 1.5 kilometers (less than one mile) from shore at a depth of 50-70 meters (165-230 feet), the ministry said.

There was no word of survivors.

Nine Russian journalists, including a TV crew from Channel One, were among the passengers.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was personally coordinating the rescue efforts, and President Vladimir Putin has received official reports on the incident.

The Tu-154 is a Soviet-built three-engine airliner.

Springfield Public Works gives guidelines for discarding Christmas trees

0
0

The Springfield Department of Public Works will be collecting discarded Christmas trees on normal recycling days, from Jan. 10 to Jan. 20.

 
SPRINGFIELD -- The city's Department of Public Works is asking residents who have Christmas trees for disposal to place them on the curb on their normal recycling day, with the collection starting next month.

The Solid Waste Division will collect the trees starting on Jan. 10 and ending Jan. 20, according to a city news releases. After that time, Springfield residents can bring the trees to the Bondi Island Landfill and dispose of them at no charge.

All trees must be free of any decorative lights, ornaments, decorations and tree stands. Trees must not be placed in any bags or boxes and should be laid on their side. The trees should not be tied up with anything.

Items should be placed out for collection no later than 6 a.m. on the day of collection

For additional information on collection days residents can call 311 or 413-736-3111.

Retired Holyoke Police Detective Dennis Egan gets ready to hang up Santa suit after 30 years

0
0

Every year since 1986, Egan has led a caravan of police officers and others throughout the city on Christmas morning, delivering toys to children.

HOLYOKE -- Retired detective Dennis Egan will hang up his well-worn Santa suit this Christmas after participating in the Holyoke Police Department Narcotics Unit's 30th-annual toy giveaway.

"I used to wear two pillows. Now it's just one," joked the 67-year-old Egan as he discussed his final tour of the city as the jolly old elf.

Every year since 1986, Egan has led a caravan of police officers and others through the city on Christmas morning, delivering toys to children.

Egan says he has relished the role.

"As soon as we hit the sirens they come out, just like the ding-dong man," Egan said. "The bottom line for the young kids is that they still believe in Santa Claus. I have had mothers break down crying and saying that they wouldn't have Christmas without you."

He added: "For some kids, these are the only gifts that they are going to get."

Holyoke was going through a particularly rough period when police started the tradition 30 years ago, Egan said. "Right about that time there were lots of fires, deplorable conditions -- lots of drugs and crime."

As a narcotics detective, Egan said, he and others in the unit saw the grim side of the city all the time -- especially during drug raids that often proved traumatic for little children.

"I used to knock the doors down," Egan said. "Once you knock the doors down the poor kids are crying, everybody was crying. It was bedlam."

Out of that bedlam, though, came the narcotics detectives' desire to show a softer side of themselves to the city's most vulnerable residents.

Egan quickly rattles off the names of those who initially came up with the toy distribution idea, as well as how to fund it and make it work. Sadly, many of them have passed on, he said.

Among those early participants were Lt. Harold Valentine, Capt. Richard Page, Capt. Eva O'Connell, Sgt. William Tallman, Detective John Collamore and Detective Kenny Ferris.

"Any many, many others," Egan said, who retired from the department in 2003.

It wasn't all police. Well-known newspaper reporters Martin J. Lauer and Mike Burke, and news photographer James T. "Ziggy" Sears all played roles in the emerging tradition as well.

"I think they got a bigger bang out of it than all of us," Egan said.

Like many of the others, Lauer and Sears have passed on, too.

Santa's first visit

Egan said they knew they were onto something special right away during the tradition's very first Christmas day, during their very first stop at Broderick House on Hamilton Street -- then a shelter for woman with children.

"We walked in and a little boy ran across the floor and into my arms. 'I told you he would come! I told you he would come!'" Egan said, recalling the boy's words of 30 years ago.

There wasn't dry eye in the room, he said.

Also among those early organizers and participants was Officer John DiNapoli, who was shot and killed responding to a call in the city's Churchill neighborhood in 1999, three days before Christmas.

The shock of DiNapoli's death so soon before Christmas had police pondering the idea of halting the toy tradition that year. Ultimately, however, they went on with it.

"That's what John would have wanted us to do," Egan said.

Every year the procession stops where DiNapoli was shot at Walnut and Hampshire streets, to honor him. "We always leave a toy right by the fence," Egan said. "We leave it in memory of John."

Egan said he will miss his role as Santa Claus, but it's time for him to move on and hand over the suit to somebody else. After all, being Santa Claus can be hard work.

"Thirty years is good," he said, adding that it takes him a few days to recover from the physical effort. He explained: "There is a lot of bending."

The annual event, Egan said, is good for the city and all its residents.

"I think it's the best thing that the Holyoke Police Department puts on every year. It's how we give back to the community," he said. "Even the bad guys bring their kids. They bring their kids and get their toys."

The Springfield Police Department on Friday morning launched what it hopes will become its own annual tradition, delivering presents to homes while children were at school. 

"So, when these kids wake up on Christmas morning, they are going to have a great, great Christmas," said  Sgt. John M. Delaney, spokesman for the Springfield department.

5 business stories you might have missed

0
0

From unemployment to CRRC, this week featured positive business news.

Russian plane that crashed into Black Sea was carrying choir to holiday concert

0
0

A Russian plane carrying 92 people to an air base in Syria crashed Sunday into the Black Sea minutes after taking off from the city of Sochi, Russia's Defense Ministry said. Thousands of rescue workers were searching the undersea crash site but there appeared to be no survivors.

SOCHI, Russia -- Backed by ships, helicopters and drones, Russian rescue teams searched for victims in the Black Sea after a Russian plane carrying 92 people to Syria crashed Sunday shortly after takeoff from Sochi. Investigators said they are looking into every possible cause for the crash, including a terror attack.

All 84 passengers and eight crew members on board the Tu-154 plane operated by the Russian military are believed to have died when it fell into the sea two minutes after taking off in good weather from the southern Russian city. Emergency crews found fragments of the plane about 1.5 kilometers (less than one mile) from shore. By Sunday afternoon, rescue teams had already recovered 10 bodies.

Asked if a terror attack was a possibility, Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said in Sochi that investigators were looking into every possible reason.

The plane belonged to the Defense Ministry and was taking its world famous army choir, the Alexandrov Ensemble, to a New Year's concert at Hemeimeem air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia. Those on board also included nine Russian journalists and a Russian doctor famous for her work in war zones.

Russian President Vladimir Putin went on television to declare Monday a nationwide day of mourning.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation into the reasons and will do everything to support the victims' families," Putin said.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described the crash as a "terrible tragedy."

More than 3,000 people -- including dozens of divers -- worked from 27 ships and several helicopters to search the crash site, according to the Defense Ministry. Drones were also flown over to help spot bodies and debris. About 100 more divers were being flown in from naval facilities across Russia, and powerful spotlights were brought in so the search could continue around the clock.

Magomed Tolboyev, a decorated Russian test pilot, said the circumstances of the crash indicated that all on board had died.

"There is no chance to survive in such situation," he said, according to the Interfax news agency. "The plane gets instantly blown into pieces."

The Tu-154 is a Soviet-built three-engine airliner designed in the late 1960s. More than 1,000 have been built, and they have been used extensively by carriers in Russia and worldwide. The plane that crashed was built in 1983, and underwent factory check-ups and maintenance in 2014 and earlier this year, according to the Defense Ministry.

Senior Russian lawmakers had ruled out a terror attack, arguing that the military plane was tightly secured. But Sokolov, the minister overseeing the rescue efforts in Sochi, said investigators are considering all possibilities.

Some experts noted that the crew's failure to report a malfunction pointed at a possible terror attack.

"Possible malfunctions ... certainly wouldn't have prevented the crew from reporting them," Vitaly Andreyev, a former senior Russian air traffic controller, told RIA Novosti, adding that it points at an "external impact."

Russian planes have been brought down previously by terror attacks.

In October 2015, a Russian passenger plane carrying mostly Russian tourists back from vacation in Egypt was brought down by a bomb over the Sinai, killing all 224 people aboard. Officials said the explosive device was planted in the plane's luggage compartment. The local affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

In August 2004, two Russian planes were blown up in the skies over Russia by suicide bombers, killing 89 people. A Chechen warlord claimed responsibility for the twin attacks, which happened on the same day.

The Russian military has repeatedly flown groups of Russian singers and artists to perform at Hemeimeem, which serves as the main hub for the Russian air campaign in Syria. New Year's is the main holiday for most Russians.

The passenger list for the Sochi plane released by the Defense Ministry included 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, including its leader, Valery Khalilov. The ensemble, often referred to as the Red Army choir, is the official choir of the Russian military and also includes a band and a dance company. The choir sang "Get Lucky" at the opening of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games that Russia hosted in Sochi, becoming an instant online sensation.

The damage to the choir was reported to be extensive. Viktor Yeliseyev, head of the rival choir of the Russian National Guard, said "most singers of the choir have died."

Also on board was Yelizaveta Glinka, a Russian doctor who has won wide acclaim for her charity work, which has included missions to war zones in eastern Ukraine and Syria. Her foundation said Glinka was accompanying a shipment of medicine for a hospital in Syria.

Putin presented Glinka with an award earlier this month.

"We never feel sure that we will come back alive," she said at the Kremlin award ceremony. "But we are sure that kindness, compassion and charity are stronger than any weapon."

In recent years, Russian airlines have replaced their Tu-154s with more modern planes, but the military and some other government agencies in Russia have continued to use them. While noisy and fuel-guzzling by modern standards, the plane has been popular with crews that appreciate its maneuverability and ruggedness.

"It's an excellent plane, which has proven its reliability during decades of service," veteran pilot Oleg Smirnov said in televised remarks.

In April 2010, a Tu-154 carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others crashed while trying to land at a sporadically used military airport in Smolensk in western Russia, killing everyone on board. Investigations by both Polish and Russian experts blamed pilot error in bad weather conditions, but Polish authorities have launched a new probe.

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images