Ashe over his 42 years on the job was called by some the most innovative county sheriff in the country. Watch video

"Can we afford to experiment? Can we afford to take a chance on a social worker?" -- Hampden County sheriff candidate Daniel J. O'Brien, quoted in The Springfield Union, Oct. 30, 1974.

SPRINGFIELD -- Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. held the 42-year-old newspaper clipping and smiled.

Then the smile became a laugh.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," he said. "I remember Dan O'Brien very well."

In the clip, a brief political article that appeared just days before the 1974 election, O'Brien, the Republican candidate for Hampden County sheriff, questions the ability of his Democratic opponent, an inexperienced, relatively unknown fellow by the name of Michael J. Ashe.

A newspaper clip from the Oct. 30, 1974, edition of the Springfield Union.(The Republican file)

O'Brien, a former state trooper, takes a few shots at Ashe's background and wonders aloud if his opponent, a social worker at Downey Side, an adoption agency for children in foster care, knows anything about running a jail.

"Think about it. A jail is not a commune. A jail is not a halfway house," the article quotes O'Brien as saying. "Social workers have their place, but not at the Hampden County Jail."

The article concludes with O'Brien saying that anyone who wants "murderers, rapists, bank robbers and kidnappers" back on the streets should vote for Ashe.

"This is fantastic," Ashe said, looking at the article. "No place for social work?"

Ashe got the last laugh that election day -- the first of six times he would win a six-year term as Hampden County sheriff.

As he prepares to step down, Ashe, 77, said he feels the Sheriff's Department is in good hands with his successor, Nick Cocchi. Although, he said, there was a brief time during the campaign where he seriously thought of changing his mind and running again.

"No question. Yeah, I had some second thoughts," he said. "There was a thought on my part, if you will, of staying on."

Early on, he said he would not make an endorsement for his successor. But in watching Cocchi over the course of the campaign, he said he grew to see his longtime assistant sheriff was a worthy successor and backed his candidacy.

"As Nick Cocchi grew and developed, I could see that he was the man, and also that he had surrounded himself with some good people," Ashe said. "So, if you will, I invested heavily into his candidacy after great thought."

With his time as sheriff winding down, Ashe sat down recently with The Republican to discuss his tenure, the reshaping of focus of the county jail from incarceration to corrections, and expanding the role of the Sheriff's Department.

"I'd like to feel that, in my 42 years, we demonstrated that corrections is the right way to go," he said. "Just locking people up was not the right course of action."

For Ashe, right from the very beginning, the vision was clear. The jail should not be an incarceration facility that simply "warehoused people," but a correctional facility that prepared inmates for the day when they would be released.

"It was that feeling of being a pioneer, that feeling that we were making a difference. We were changing how corrections was done," he said.

"When I look back, what we were doing was common sense," he said.

In his time as sheriff, Ashe has instituted several programs that were considered radical at the time. For some jurisdictions across the country, they are radical still.

Among the programs launched under Ashe's tenure:

• After taking office in 1975, he began talking with local employers about giving former inmates a chance with entry-level jobs.

• By 1976, he had put in place a vocational training program that gave inmates skills they could use to find jobs upon release.

• In-house education programs in place by 1979, allowing inmates who were high school dropouts to earn equivalency diplomas.

• In 1984, Ashe launched a minimum-security treatment facility in Springfield's South End for inmates sentenced for nonviolent alcohol-related offenses. The Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center would expand to also treat those with drug problems. Now called the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center, recent figures show it has treated more than 17,000 people.

• In 1986, he launched the Day Reporting Program that allows low-risk, nonviolent offenders nearing the end of their sentences to go to their own homes at night and report to the jail each morning for services. It has been replicated across the county.

• In 1993, he launched the Community Service Restitution program. Through this year, more than 34,000 inmates have performed more than 1 million hours of community service.

• In 1996, he launched the After Incarceration Support Systems program, which aids recently released inmates in finding housing, jobs and counseling services.

Ashe points with pride to the Hampden County Correctional Center's numbers on recidivism as evidence that he must have done something right.

Recidivism is a measure of how many inmates are released and then sentenced for new crimes. The more repeat offenders a facility has, the higher its recidivism rate.

Despite having one of the larger inmate populations, Hampden County had the second-lowest recidivism rate in Massachusetts between 2012 and 2014, at 29 percent, based on data from the state state Department of Corrections. Norfolk County was first at 25 percent. The state average is 32 percent.

One measure of the long-term impact of a low recidivism rate has been the county's jail population at the Ludlow men's facility and the women's facility in Chicopee. From 2007 to 2016, the combined population is down by 36 percent, from 2,245 to 1,431.

The length of Ashe's career and the programs he has enacted give him no shortage of fans.

"Looking back at the work he has done, he was really a pioneer," said Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

He credits Ashe with being at the forefront in recognizing the connection between crime and mental health and substance abuse issues.

"Well before it became en vogue he was treating people with substance issues, treating it like it was a medical disorder, before many people understood it was a disorder," Gulluni said.

Gulluni said he regularly speaks with other prosecutors, sheriffs and law enforcement officials from across the state. It was during one of these conversations recently that it occurred to him that not every jail in Massachusetts is run the same way as in Hampden County.

"There are houses of correction that are jails, and where inmates are housed, not rehabilitated," he said.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno called Ashe "the godfather of progressive community corrections."

Sarno first encountered Ashe's work up close a dozen years ago when, as director of the South End Community Center, he came in contact with work crews from the correctional alcohol center.

Sarno estimates Ashe's Community Restitution Program has over the years saved the city millions of dollars, all while preparing thousands of inmates to be productive members of society.

"He realized that a huge percentage of people who are incarcerated are going to come back out into the community," Sarno said. "He didn't have them sitting around. It was community service, workforce skills, education. Do you know how many thousands of GEDs came out of there?"

In appreciation, Sarno bestowed the ceremonial key to the city upon Ashe at an appreciation luncheon in December.

John Larivee, president and CEO of Community Resources for Justice, a Boston nonprofit focused on criminal justice and corrections issues, said Ashe has repeatedly demonstrated that he is one of the most innovative sheriffs in the nation.

"He was always willing to take on new challenges and do it with respect for public safety, the staff and the (inmates)," Larivee said. "Michael Ashe as sheriff has done these great things and done them very well."

The organization in 2011 awarded Ashe its Community Hero Award. In 2014, when he was selected by the White House for the Champion of Change award, Community Resources for Justice nominated him.

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Political consultant Tony Cignoli, who has worked with Ashe on campaigns, said there are few politicians -- both in Western Massachusetts and nationally -- that he puts in the same category as the sheriff.

"His name recognition is in the high 90s, his favorability is in the high 80s," Cignoli said. "That is impossible in this day and age."

Cignoli said he has walked with Ashe through the Ludlow jail and been stunned that the sheriff walked without a security escort. Inmates would walk up to Ashe to give him reports on their progress. And Ashe would call them by name, pat them on the back and offer encouragement.

It seemed less like the relationship between jailer and jailed than like that between a revered football coach and his players, Cignoli said.

During the recent campaign when he was out with Cocchi staff, Cignoli said people would come up, volunteer that they were former inmates, and ask if they could let Ashe know that they had jobs and were staying out of trouble.

"It's like they were a proud alumni," he said.

Ashe talks about wanting to "challenge" inmates, in the sense of encouraging them to improve themselves through education, job training and counseling. But a lot of it is about restoring pride. He said someone being sentenced to jail is likely feeling pretty low. They've lost their job, shamed their family, and had their freedom taken away.

Inmates arriving at the jail go through an orientation program where it is laid out in no uncertain terms what is expected of them. They are required to take part in specific programs. They have a schedule and they will follow it. There are no sick days or vacation days, he said.

"An inmate may wish to sit around in his cell all day but it's not going to happen," Ashe said. "Not at our place. The programs go off on time."

He also staffed the jails with corrections officers who were dedicated, professionally trained and no-nonsense in their approach. If there were new and strict rules for the inmates to follow, there were also new and strict rules for the jail staff, too. "Excellence" and "accountability," two of Ashe's favorite words, applied equally to inmates and corrections staff, he said.

"We were showing respect to people, we valued people. These were people from our streets and neighborhoods, these were people who were coming back to our streets and neighborhoods. Let's see if we can provide an opportunity, bring hope and excellence," he said. "But let's challenge them!"

For two decades, the jail has had a reunion for former inmates. It was the first and remains one of the few jails with such a program.

On the surface, a jail reunion seems counterintuitive. Wouldn't someone just released from jail want to get as far away from the front gate as possible?

Who would attend? The answer, it seems, is a lot of people. In recent years, the reunion has attracted as many as 400 former inmates and their families.

"We're proud of that. It started with 20 people in Forest Park," Ashe said.

The reunion fits in with the larger philosophy of giving inmates the tools to succeed after they are released. The reunion, Ashe said, is a celebration of their transition from inmates to law-abiding citizens.

"They could see the enormous investment we made in them and are coming back as a way to show respect," he said.

The reunions, like the after-care program, are outside of what the traditional role of a jail has been. Strictly speaking, the job of a sheriff is to hold onto people the courts say to hold onto, and release people the courts say to release. The sheriff's responsibility toward that person ends once they walk out the front door.

Ashe said he disagrees with that view. If the jail can offer programs that help someone find a job or a place to live, or to stay off drugs, that former offender stands a better chance of not becoming a repeat offender.

"The safe thing would have been to keep them under lock and key and then discharge them when their time is up," he said. "But I never did that."

Hampden County Sheriff-elect Nick Cocchi will be sworn into office by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito on January 4, succeeding Michael Ashe Jr. after a 40-plus-year reign.

LUDLOW — Nick Cocchi sits behind a tan metal desk that probably hasn't been the subject of an office order since the 1980s — and that's being generous.

It's almost comical in a throwback sort of way, and an aesthetically unlikely perch for someone positioned to assume remarkable political power.

After a knock-down, drag-out election, Cocchi sits poised behind that desk to take the post of Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr., who has held that seat for more than four decades. It's an odd scenario to describe to outsiders: How could a county seat wield so much cache and inspire such a fiery election?

Ashe himself set that stage, but most likely not purposefully. He was a social worker who won the relatively obscure seat in the 1970s and elevated it to one of the most coveted political positions in the region with a progressive, nationally recognized attitude toward corrections.

Along the way, Ashe made scores of hires and collected a legion of political devotees, transforming the department into a notable empire while not forgetting the mission.

Cocchi, 43, of Ludlow, rose through the ranks in the sheriff's department over the past 23 years, ultimately ascending to assistant superintendent, and became Ashe's pick as his successor.

After spending nearly a half-million dollars to win the seat and with the dust settling after the election season, Cocchi is assembling his own administration and considering the next six years as the new Hampden County sheriff.

To his credit, he avoids any cliched "there's a new sheriff in town" jokes.

During a recent interview, Cocchi talks about the whirlwind of the transition period, and meetings with hundreds of department employees to determine where they may fit in in a new administration. There have been several retirements, but Cocchi said he has not fired a single employee.

"I have not let anybody go. Have I had some very difficult discussions? Absolutely. Have I made some transfers? Yes. But I'm very proud to say I have have not had to terminate anybody," Cocchi said.

He said he will not be hesitant to revisit those "difficult discussions" if an employee shows signs of becoming "an obstacle."

He added that he has eliminated five superintendent positions — including his own — through attrition, in part responding to a frequent criticism throughout the campaign that the administration was top-heavy with upper management.

Many of Ashe's inner circle will leave with him, by choice, Cocchi says. These include Ashe's brother John "Jay" Ashe, who stayed on after his retirement as a high-paid consultant, much to the delight of Cocchi's campaign opponents, and other high-ranking confidantes. Cocchi's opponent in the general election, Assistant Deputy Superintendent James Gill, also has submitted paperwork to retire.

Among a handful of significant promotions, Cocchi has appointed James Kelleher as superintendent, or Cocchi's "number two guy."

James Kelleher 

Kelleher was previously the assistant superintendent of operations, and replaces Jay Ashe's position as a full-time employee as opposed to a consultant.

"There hasn't been a (full-time) Jay Ashe since Jay Ashe left several years ago. And in fairness, it's because Jay doesn't want to come back," Cocchi said.

Chris Gelonese, a member of Cocchi's executive committee during the campaign, will be the department's new chief financial officer, replacing outgoing CFO William Christofori, who has chosen to retire.

Gelonese is a housing specialist with a background in payroll, Cocchi said.

Cocchi promoted director of security John Kenney to head operations. Kenney has over 30 years of service within the department, Cocchi said.

"I'm confident that neither inmates nor staff will be hanging from chandeliers under John," Cocchi added. "We hold inmates accountable, and we hold staff accountable."

Lou Weir 

Replacing Kenney as new chief of security will be Lou Weir, one of Cocchi's staunchest campaign supporters and a member of the department's investigations team for many years.

Weir, like Cocchi, came up through the ranks at the jail, working stints as shift commander on various shifts. Cocchi said it should be no mystery that he has chosen to promote some of his campaign's inner circle.

"You want to promote someone you know who is going to support you, is going to be loyal to you. They show you day in and day out that they support you, day in and day out. And they share your vision," Cocchi said.

Part-time legal counsel Theresa Finnegan has been promoted to general counsel, and will serve as chief legal adviser to Cocchi in addition to fielding litigation for the department. Cocchi said the agency is handling far more of its legal work internally instead of farming the lion's share out to Egan Flanagan, a Springfield law firm that has acted as Ashe's legal counsel for years.

"Theresa is so competent. I want her on full-time," Cocchi said.

Theresa Finnegan 

Rounding out the promotions Cocchi has publicly announced so far: He replaced the former head of human resources with Connie Burke, an assistant superintendent at the women's jail in Chicopee.

He said there will likely be more personnel changes.

One of the most prominent issues in the campaign was Ashe's use of retired employees as consultants. Cocchi said he has terminated all contracts but may review them and bring certain employees back, depending on need and budgetary constraints.

But, they won't be Ashe appointees, they will be Cocchi appointees, Cocchi argues.

In fact, he has not ruled out hiring Michael Ashe as a consultant, but said Ashe will not be paid out of state funds.

"I haven't asked him and he hasn't mentioned it, but if the sheriff is not ready to be totally done and I could use his talent, why wouldn't I?" Cocchi said.

He added that Ashe will not be running the department, nor does he need the outgoing sheriff to "hold his hand."

Cocchi said he is comfortable with the day-to-day operations of the department, security and budgetary concerns. The agency will run a $1.9 million deficit for the balance of the fiscal year because the state did not cover the cost-of-living increases for the staff it had promised, according to Cocchi. But he has plans to bridge the gap, and there have been efforts to secure a supplemental budget item to help.

He says he sees his first opportunity for growth as the new sheriff to model the relationship building and legislative partnerships Ashe built.

"If I want to call someone at MassMutual, for instance, I wouldn't immediately know who to call. But Mike Ashe does, and he knows the history of the relationship. Some people are simply philanthropists, others have family members who are in recovery. Mike Ashe knows all of that background. That's very valuable," Cocchi said.

He will officially take office after his inauguration on Jan. 4 at the Ludlow jail on Randall Road. Cocchi will be sworn in by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.

Cocchi said he will be establishing certain policy changes including monthly security forums, and establishing a staff grill to offer employees better food through a self-financed venture. He said he has placed "suggestion boxes" at several spots throughout the department and they're full every day.

Cocchi said he has taken his mentor's advice on fiscal responsibility to heart.

"Between January 4th and January 5th, you won't see much of a difference of who we want to be ... We want to be the best. We want to be caring. We want to be transparent and we want to be responsible to the taxpayers," he said.

The most popular police and court stories that appeared on MassLive in 2016.

NORTHAMPTON -- Some no doubt stayed inside, but others braved the storm to go shopping or simply keep up with the shoveling as the snow came down in downtown Northampton on Thursday.

NORTHAMPTON -- Some no doubt stayed inside, but others braved the storm to go shopping or simply keep up with the shoveling as the snow came down in downtown Northampton on Thursday.

The new Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center at 155 Mill St. can house up to 149 people at one time.

SPRINGFIELD -- When word got out that the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center would be moving to Mill Street, the neighborhood reaction was mixed.

While some lifelong residents like Lee A. Vaughn were in favor of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department moving its addiction center to the closed Ring Nursing home, others like Rosemary Morin were not so sure.

"I didn't feel strongly either way," said Morin, who served on a neighborhood advisory council with the sheriff's department during the renovation of the building. "I wasn't totally opposed to it, but I wasn't 100 percent about it either. I was on the council to ask some tough questions."

The sheriff's department entered into a 10-year lease with the property owner, Mill Street Iconic LLC, in February. The addiction center had operated since the mid-1980s at a location on Howard Street in the South End. It was displaced by the construction of the MGM Springfield resort casino, and until several weeks ago, the center was operating out of the former Holyoke Geriatric Authority building.

After months of lawsuits, some protests and many community meetings, the sheriff's department and residents came to an agreement about the guidelines for the facility.

"You can't please everyone, but I think it's very nice. I grew up in this neighborhood and I remember when it was the nursing home," Vaughn, who also sat on the advisory council, said Wednesday night during an open house tour for neighbors of the new facility, most recently known as the Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center. "I think most of the neighbors are satisfied with how it turned out."

The advisory council was formed to make decisions about everything from the type of fencing and lighting used on the property to how the parking would be handled and even the frosting of certain windows.

"They were very receptive. We had some really good conversations and they really listened to what we suggested and what we wanted," Morin said. "We didn't agree on everything, but we came to terms with it."

Certain details were added to the building for the comfort of the community, including frosting all of the windows that face abutting neighbors' homes or the street.

All sheriff's department vehicles will park in the back parking lot of the facility so they cannot be seen from the street, and there is no signage on the outside of the building except "155 Mill Street" in bold, black letters.

"We wanted it to look like a thriving business, not a jail," Morin said. "I think they did an excellent job of making it blend into the neighborhood, and every neighbor I have talked to about it has given me good feedback."

An 8-foot wooden fence will separate the facility from a home owned by Raymon Ray, who was initially a strong opponent of the facility's move and was involved in a federal lawsuit to prevent the facility from moving to Mill Street.

Earlier this year, Holyoke attorney Shawn Allyn filed a complaint with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and a lawsuit in federal court against the project on behalf of a Mill Street resident who opposed it. HUD dismissed the complaint in March, and Allyn also withdrew the lawsuit.

"We worked very closely with Ray and with other neighbors who had specific concerns, and I feel we were able to successfully address all of it," said Steve O'Neil, public information officer for the sheriff's department.

Linda and Jim Bartlett both sit on the Maple Hill/Six Corners Neighborhood Council and came to take a look at the facility.

"I am very pleased with their collaboration with the neighborhood," Linda Bartlett said. "I think they took into consideration the residents' requests. Now time will tell if they will be good neighbors, but based on their behavior and cooperation this far, I think it will work out well."

Morin said she hopes the advisory council will continue to meet a few times a year.

"We have been offered the conference room for community events, and we are hoping to collaborate with them on some neighborhood events in the coming year," she said.

O'Neil said the sheriff's department is planning on keeping an open line of communication with the neighborhood council.

"We are a part of this neighborhood and have always intended to be good neighbors," he said.

The last time building permit fees were increased was in 2012.

CHICOPEE - A variety of fees for building permits will increase by an average of $20 in the upcoming year, but the city will also offer a discount if people apply for the permits online.

The fees were increased following a study that compared Chicopee's rates to those of surrounding communities and figured the cost of issuing the permits. The last time the rates were raised was in 2012, City Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

In most cases Chicopee's building permit fees were lower than those in surrounding communities. Even with the increase they continue to be equal or below nearby cities and towns, he said.

"I think it is reasonable. No increase is good but I think this is fair," Tillotson said.

The rest of the City Councilors agreed and voted 13-0 in December to approve the hike.

In most cases residents and contractors can save $20 by ordering the permits online.
For those who want to order permits online can do so on the city's building department web page at www.chicopeema.gov. The discount is provided because the online system provides a more efficient process for receiving, reviewing and issuing permits. That includes occupancy and completion certificates, said Joel McAuliffe, communications director for Mayor Richard J. Kos.

The service is already up and running and many have applied for permits online. About 300 builders have also registered for the service, Carl Dietz, the building inspector, told the City Council in a recent meeting.

The online permitting system also allows the general public, as well as contractors and homeowners, to view permit applications, see if permits have been granted and find out what inspections have been performed, he said.

"Our fees remain competitive while our e-permitting system encourages people to apply for permits online to save them money and move the permitting process along faster. I thank our building department, IT (information technology) Department, and City Council for their efforts in working together on this initiative," Kos said.

A full list of permit costs are available on the Chicopee Building Department website. Some are listed below:

• New single or two-family home construction under 1,000 square feet: $320 (an increase from $300.
• New single or two-family home construction 1,001 to 2,000 square feet: $420 (an increase from $400).
• New single or two-family home construction 2,001 square feet and above: $520 (an increase from $500).
• Single or two-family alterations or repairs of $1,000 to $4,999: $70 (an increase from $50).
• Single or two-family alterations or repairs of $10,000 to $24,999: $170 (an increase from $150).

Springfield police seized 1,650 bags of "Merry Christmas" heroin and more than $8,000 in cash during a raid on Lee Banks' apartment, the prosecutor said.

SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man charged with selling "Merry Christmas" heroin is facing an unhappy New Year's behind bars.

Lee Banks, 26, was ordered held on $50,000 bail Thursday after pleading not guilty in Springfield District Court to heroin trafficking and two related drug charges.

He was arrested Wednesday after city narcotics detectives raided his Fenwick Street apartment, Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski said.

Police seized 1,650 bags of "Merry Christmas" heroin and more than $8,000 in cash, Szafranski said.

At her request, Judge John Payne set bail at $50,000 on the new charges and revoked Banks' release in an earlier case. Defense lawyer Ivonne Vidal did not oppose the request, but reserved the right to argue for her client's release at a later time.

Two of Banks' alleged customers — Chelsea Belisle, 24, of Northampton, and Will Scott, 27, of Springfield — pleaded not guilty to heroin possession charges.

Belisle was released on $2,500 personal surety; Scott was released on personal recognizance.

The defendants are due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 31.

Little will serve two years of probation when he is released.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn announced Thursday that a man who assaulted his wife and three kids will spend three to five years in prison, The Associated Press reported.

Sandy Little, 40, of New Bedford, plead guilty in Fall River courts last week to assault and battery charges he incurred after a becoming enraged during an argument in October.

Authorities say Little pushed his 7 and 10-year-old sons, grabbed his wife's hair and kneed his 15-year-old son in the face after he tried to intervene. Little ended up seriously injuring the young man's nose.

Little's wife drove to the New Bedford police department to report the assault.

Little will serve two years of probation when he is released. 

Jodi Calhoun came under suspicion after more than $80,000 was discovered missing from the Springfield Plaza store's cash room since Aug. 29, the arrest report said.

SPRINGFIELD — A Kmart employee has been charged with stealing $3,300 from the Springfield Plaza store, where more than $80,000 has vanished in the past four months, police said.

Jodi Calhoun 

Jodi Calhoun, 46, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty Dec. 20 in Springfield District Court to one count of larceny over $250.

She was arrested the day before after allegedly taking $3,300 from the store's cash room and placing it her pocketbook. The alleged theft was caught on surveillance video, and Calhoun later admitted taking the money after being confronted by store security, according to the arrest report.

Calhoun came under suspicion after more than $80,000 was discovered missing from the store's cash room since Aug. 29, the report said.

Calhoun was described as "the focal point" of the store's investigation, the report said.

Following her arraignment, Calhoun was released on personal recognizance and ordered to return for a pretrial hearing Feb. 15.

The crash has closed down the right lane on I-90 westbound.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is warning commuters of a truck crash on Interstate 90 near exit 2 in Lee.

The crash temporarily closed the right lane on I-90 westbound but crews managed to clear the scene around 8:40 a.m.

#MAtraffic Alert: Lee- I-90 WB by Exit 2 @ 10.2mm: truck crash. Right lane closed.

— Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) December 30, 2016

The suspect denied charges of attempted larceny of a vehicle, breaking and entering a vehicle in the daytime and assault and batter with a dangerous weapon during his arraignment Wednesday in Northampton District Court.

George Graham | ggraham@repub.com 

NORTHAMPTON -- A West Hatfield man defended himself with a cup of hot coffee Tuesday morning after a suspect, who had broken into his vehicle in the parking lot of a convenience store, attempted to punch him, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported.

The incident occurred when the victim, coming out of the Zee Mart on Locust Street, saw the suspect attempting to start his car.

The attempt wasn't successful, however, because the keys the victim had left in the car were for work and did not include the ignition key, the Gazette reported, citing police.

Police identified the suspect as Everett Cuffee, 19 of Florence. He fled after the car-owner threw the coffee at him.

Police located coffee-soaked Cuffee in the area. Cuffee reportedly told police a man had thrown coffee on him but he didn't know why.

Cuffee "nodded off" while he was being booked and was taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for evaluation.

Cuffee denied charges of attempted larceny of a vehicle, breaking and entering a vehicle in the daytime and assault and batter with a dangerous weapon during his arraignment Wednesday in District Court.

A pre-trial hearing was set for Jan. 20.

Easthampton Police pepper-sprayed a 58-year-old man suspected of his third DUI on Wednesday for refusing to exit his car after he allegedly rear-ended a women on Mountain Road and fled.

Associated Press 

Easthampton Police pepper-sprayed a 58-year-old man suspected of his third OUI on Wednesday for refusing to exit his car after he allegedly rear-ended a women on Mountain Road and fled.

Thomas P. Jackson of Easthampton refused to stop when a pursuing officer tracked down his vehicle and attempted to pull him over, eventually drawing two more cruisers in pursuit, police said.

The woman Jackson allegedly struck reported his license plate number to police when he drove off following the accident, which occurred around 10:15 p.m.

His destination was his Garfield Avenue home, where Easthampton Police Officer Andrew J. Beaulieu met him with a drawn weapon.

"Mr. Jackson looked at me and said, 'What's going on? I'm in my driveway" and refused to get out, Beaulieu's report on the incident said.

Beaulieu and another officer unsuccessfully attempted to pull Jackson from the car before resorting to a pepper spray shot to Jackson's face, whereupon they were able to wrest him from the vehicle onto the ground.

Jackson refused to submit to a breath test but admitted to drinking at Pic's Pub & Pizzeria in Holyoke prior to the events, police said.

On Thursday, Jackson appeared in Northampton District Court and was arraigned on charges of third offense OUI, leaving the scene of property damage, failure to stop and resisting arrest.

Jackson is being held at Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction on $7,500 bail in wait of a Jan. 20 pretrial hearing.

John Conor Kennedy, 22, was arrested early Thursday morning in the ski resort town of Aspen, Colo. following an alleged fight outside a nightclub.

A grandson of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was arrested early Thursday morning in the ski resort town of Aspen, Colorado following an alleged fight outside a nightclub.

John Conor Kennedy, 22, was outside the Bootsy Bellows club at around 1:40 a.m. when police responded to reports that people were refusing to leave the establishment, the Aspen Times reported.

When officers arrived, they saw a fight begin between Kennedy and another man, the Times reported. Kennedy also allegedly struggled with a police officer who was attempting to control the situation.

Kennedy was charged with disorderly conduct and given a court summons.

Kennedy is the son of Robert Kennedy Jr., who is the second son of Senator, U.S. Attorney General and Democratic Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.

It is not the younger Kennedy's first brush with the headlines. In 2012, when he was 18 years old, he briefly dated Taylor Swift, drawing the attention of celebrity media.

A reprint of a Feb. 17, 1990 article on the Springfield National Guard armory takeover by the Hampden County Sheriff's Department led by Sheriff Michael Ashe.

NOTE: this is a reprint of an article published Feb. 17, 1990 in the Springfied Union-News, a precursor of The Republican. It is being reprinted here as Ashe prepares to step down.

Ashe seizes armory for jail // Tense takeover ensues
by BRAD SMITH and GLENN BRIERE

SPRINGFIELD - Tired of tending a crowded old jail, Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. seized a National Guard armory yesterday, trucked in 17 inmates and vowed to stay the weekend in defiance of surprised state officials who charged him with trespassing.

"My action today might seem extreme, but no more extreme than the danger to the public" posed by convicted criminals going free for lack of jail beds, Ashe said.

State Public Safety Secretary Charles V. Barry, who controls state-owned armories, said Ashe would face criminal trespass charges Tuesday when courts reopen after the Washington's Birthday holiday.

Acknowledging that he and other state officials were caught off guard by Ashe's action,
Barry said the 17 inmates could stay at the Scibelli Hall armory on Springfield's Roosevelt Avenue for the weekend.

"I told the sheriff that you just don't house prisoners in an armory when the building is not up to code," Barry said.

Gov. Michael S. Dukakis was informed of the takeover, but had no comment.

National Guard officials referred all questions to Barry.

Barry said he told Ashe: "This is no way to do business. If you would come to us to discuss the problem, we would see what we could do to accommodate you."

However, Ashe said this week's worsening crowding at Springfield's York Street jail dictated a dramatic move.

In a declaration to the commander of the National Guard, Ashe cited what he considered his powers as sheriff to take over the armory due to the "imminent danger of a serious breach of the peace."

The move drew a confused reaction from lawmakers, who said they were kept uninformed until minutes before the seizure at 1:45 p.m.

State Sen. Brian P. Lees, R-East Longmeadow, said he was unsure of the legality, and expressed shock that his district now contains both the temporary armory jail and the Ludlow site for a planned new, 1,089-bed lockup approved last month for $90 million.

"This is the boldest action I've ever seen anyone take," Lees declared.

State Rep. Paul Caron, D-Springfield, said he was concerned about neighborhood reaction to having inmates housed next door to the 150-unit Independence House, a non-profit complex for the disabled and elderly.

State Rep. Raymond A. Jordan Jr., D-Springfield, said the seizure could set a national precedent for other armories to be used to relieve the national problem of jail crowding.

"Everybody agrees we have a crisis," Jordan said.

After four hours of late afternoon meetings and telephone calls with National Guard and state officials, Ashe said he was ordered to leave the premises, but would keep 17 prisoners under guard at the armory until next week.

"I call upon the governor and the public safety commissioner to support me," Ashe said, adding that he felt compelled to secure a building to keep sentenced drug dealers and violent offenders off the streets.

Ashe said chronic jail crowding and the lack of an immediate solution have been a "great source of anger and frustration." He blamed the executive and legislative branches for not coming to his assistance.

"What I see is a lot of inaction," he said.

Edward McDonough, the sheriff's attorney, said it was unclear which court Ashe would be charged in next week, but the sheriff would respond in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield.

Ashe said he took his action after consultation all week with various District and Superior Court judges on how to relieve jail crowding.

On Wednesday, Westfield District Court Judge Philip A. Contant detained two Hampden County deputies for most of the day when they refused to take a prisoner back to the jail, acting on Ashe's orders.

Contant said he admired the job Ashe has done under trying circumstances, but said he would pursue contempt charges if prisoners were turned away from the Hampden County House of Correction which takes convicts whose sentences are less than 2 1/2 years.

The jail, built to hold 312 prisoners, is under federal orders to house no more than 450 inmates.

But the 102-year-old lockup filled up this week, and Ashe's spokesman, Richard McCarthy, said the other remedies of early release, late sentencing and housing prisoners elsewhere in Western Massachusetts were not providing enough spaces.

It was Contant who suggested that Ashe seize a National Guard armory.

Contant called Ashe's action "politically courageous."

Ashe said he made the final decision on which building to seize and kept the location to himself and key staff until mid-day yesterday.

Ashe said he considered other facilities, but most would be too expensive to renovate as temporary jail quarters, and many would face opposition from residents and elected officials.

Ashe said he has only limited county funds to staff the armory, and will be seeking more.
Deputy Jail Superintendent Nicholas Fiorentino said National Guard officials limited access to most of the armory, and refused the use of showers and kitchen facilities.

Fiorentino said the 17 inmates would be transported back to York Street jail once or twice a day for showers, hot meals and visiting hours.

Jail guards brought in cots, mattresses and cold food for the inmates during the seizure.
Ashe said the armory would be staffed with four guards per shift.

Ashe said all 17 inmates were nearing the ends of their sentences, and none were serious offenders.

In Boston, Barry said other armories have been used for beano games and housing the homeless, but required building safety and sanitation codes must be met to establish a jail.

"Had the sheriff consulted with state officials, it is possible that a plan could have been worked out to do the necessary renovations and install equipment to make the structure suitable for the housing of prisoners," Barry said.

"I understand his problem," Barry said, "but our philosophy is we like to accommodate people in emergency situations. Had he come in here with community support and agreed to do some minor renovations, there is a possibility that maybe we could have done something."

Barry termed it fortunate that no regularly scheduled National Guard drills were on tap for the armory this weekend or "we could have had a couple of hundred National Guardsmen there."

The takeover appeared tense at times during the afternoon, with National Guardsmen, jail officers and city police unsure of each other's jurisdictions.

At one point, the official in charge of the armory, Gen. Chester Gorski, commander of the 26th Yankee Infantry Division, ordered a military truck to block the gates to further jail vans transporting prisoners.

A confrontation followed with Fiorentino, who backed off after threatening to have arrests made.

Meanwhile, public safety officials checked state laws to determine the extent of a sheriff's power.

Although a law dating back to 1698 gives sheriffs broad powers to deal with a "breach of the peace," state officials said there are other laws dealing with such issues as building codes and minimum correctional standards for the housing of prisoners.

Springfield attorney Linda Thompson, who until recently represented inmates in a federal lawsuit over conditions at the York Street jail, condemned Ashe's move.

"My jaw is on the floor," Thompson said. "I just can't imagine. He cites no authority. You can see the man sounds to me like he is suffering from megalomania."

Thompson laughed at Ashe's statement that this was done to "prevent the collapse of the criminal justice system in this county due to lack of correctional facilities."

As for specific concerns about using the armory as a jail, Thompson, who was not informed of the action by the sheriff's department, said, "I don't know anything about the facility. I don't know who he plans to keep there. You notice this is happening Friday with no potential for court action until Tuesday. It seems like really terrible timing to me."

The City of Springfield has lifted its winter parking ban, which had been in effect for 24 hours due to Thursday's snowstorm.

The City of Springfield has lifted its winter parking ban, which had been in effect for 24 hours due to Thursday's snowstorm.

The ban prohibited parking on the odd side of streets between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and on the even side from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

While the northern parts of Western Mass. and the Berkshires received significant snowfall, Springfield dodged the brunt of the storm and only got about an inch of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Despite reports that Russia may retaliate against the United States over newly announced sanctions, President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he will not resort to such a response, but rather move forward in working with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Despite reports that Russia may retaliate against the United States over newly announced sanctions, President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he will not resort to such a response, but rather move forward in working with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Putin called outgoing President Barack Obama's Thursday decision to issue nine sanctions, expel 35 Russian government officials and close access to two Russian government-owned compounds "provocative and aimed at further weakening the Russia-U.S. relationship."

The Russian president said while he has reasons to respond in kind, he will not resort to what he called "irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy" and "will not create any problems for US diplomats."

"We will not expel anyone. We will not prevent their families and children from using their traditional leisure sites during the New Year's holidays. Moreover, I invite all children of US diplomats accredited in Russia to the New Year and Christmas children's parties in the Kremlin," he said in a statement. "It is regrettable that the Obama Administration is ending its term in this manner."

Putin added that instead of retaliating against the U.S., Russia will plan its further steps to restore relations between the two countries based on the policies of the incoming Trump administration -- something he discussed in a mid-December letter to the president-elect.

Vladimir Putin talks restoring Russia-US relationship in letter to President-elect Donald Trump

Trump, who has been at odds with the Obama administration over allegations that Russia-backed cyber attacks sought to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, reiterated his contention Thursday that "it's time for (the) country to move on to bigger and better things."

He, however, offered that he would meet with intelligence community officials for more updated information on the issue.

"In the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," he said in a brief statement.

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 -- findings reportedly supported by FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr.

According to reports, individuals with connections to the Russian government allegedly provided WikiLeaks with hacked emails from the DNC and Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta as part of an operation to boost Trump.

Russian officials have cast U.S. intelligence officials' allegations as "absolute nonsense."

Trump, meanwhile, has publicly questioned claims of Russian interference in the 2016 election, as well as whether the Obama administration is politically motivated.

President-elect Donald Trump on alleged Russian hacking: 'We ought to get on with our lives'

Noting the split between Obama and Trump, Konstantin Kosachev, the foreign affairs committee chairman of the Russian parliament's upper chamber, told the Interfax news agency Thursday that the country should see the president-elect's reaction to the sanctions before stating retaliatory measures, the Associated Press reported.

Obama on Thursday announced sanctions against two Russian intelligence services, the GRU and FSB, as well as four individual GRU officers and three companies that provided material support to GRU's cyber operations.

The secretary of the treasury, administration officials added, would designate two Russian individuals for using cyber-enabled means to "cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information."

President Barack Obama sanctions Russia over cyber attacks, expels officials

The White House further announced the expulsions of 35 Russian government officials from the country's embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, as well as revealed that it would deny access to two Russian government-owned compounds, one in Maryland and one in New York, effective noon on Friday.

Obama added that the sanctions and expulsions mark just one portion of his administration's response to the alleged Russian cyber attacks.

The bird was found in a bush outside a Brandon Street home on Thursday.

CHICOPEE -- Animal control personnel are still puzzling over a stray parakeet that was found in a bush outside a Brandon Street home Thursday.

The homeowners were clearing snow in anticipation of the arriving storm when their dog started charging and barking at a bush in which the parakeet had taken shelter, said Pam Peebles, executive director of the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center in Springfield.

The homeowners brought the unbanded bird inside, put it in an empty wine box for safekeeping and called the center.

Peebles said she was surprised the parakeet survived the cold. "They succumb pretty easily (to cold and sudden temperature changes)," Peebles said. "They are not made for our climate."

Hannah Chapman, animal control supervisor at T.J. O'Connor, said the parakeet seems to be hand-tame.

Peebles and Chapman could not definitely determine the bird's gender but they are guessing that it's a female.

"Obviously she was somebody's pet," Chapman said, adding that she is not aware of any missing bird reports on the parakeet. "We have no guess as to who the owner might be."

T.J. O'Connor posted an item about the bird on their Facebook page.

Those with information on the bird or interest in adopting it are asked to call T.J. O'Connor at 413-781-1484.

The tickets can be purchased for $16.

CHICOPEE - The Chicopee Parks and Recreation Department is selling ticket vouchers that can be redeemed for any Springfield Thunderbirds hockey home game for the upcoming American Hockey League season.

People can purchase ticket vouchers for a discounted price of $16 at the Chicopee Parks and Recreation Department office, 687 Front St. For more information call the office at 594-3481.

All group nights benefit the fans and the Chicopee Recreation Department.

The new team, which plays at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, is an affiliate of the National Hockey League team the Florida Panthers. The new team moved from Portland, Maine and replaces the Springfield Falcons, which was sold to the Arizona Coyotes.

Charlie Baker, a Republican, did not vote for Trump, the Republican candidate, saying he did not believe Trump has the temperament to be president

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

"The Baker-Polito Administration looks forward to working with the Trump-Pence Administration to address the most pressing issues facing our state, region and nation," said Baker spokeswoman Lizzy Guyton. "The people of Massachusetts deserve a federal government that works collaboratively to solve those issues, unite our country and ensure the Commonwealth remains a welcoming place to live, work and raise a family."

The inauguration will be held on Friday, Jan. 20, in Washington. A Baker aide confirmed that Baker has been invited by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which is the official organizing body of presidential inaugurations.

The inauguration typically involves a day full of pomp and circumstance at the U.S. Capitol, with a procession, a swearing-in ceremony, an inaugural address, a luncheon, a parade and balls. Details of Baker's travel schedule have not yet been announced.

Baker, a Republican, did not vote for the Republican Trump, saying he did not believe Trump has the temperament to be president. But since Trump won the election, Baker has said he will look to work with the incoming administration. Massachusetts, like all states, depends on the federal government for funding for a huge number of programs, ranging from Medicaid to transportation.

Baker first told the Boston Herald Thursday that he planned to attend the inauguration.

"I plan to participate fittingly in the observance," Baker told the Herald. "It happens once every four years, and as governor of the commonwealth, with an invitation like that, I plan to honor it."

Yellow Cabs will offer free rides home on New Year's Eve and early into New Year's Day.

Patrick Johnson | pjohnson@repub.com 

SPRINGFIELD - People out celebrating New Year's Eve on Saturday have an alternative to getting behind the wheel after drinking - and it's free.

Yellow Cabs will offer free rides home on Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Under the Dial-A-Ride program, anyone leaving a party or bar in the greater Springfield area between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. is welcome to call for a free ride home.

The number of call is 413-739-9999

Dial-a-Ride program has been offered annually for more than 35 years.

The program is sponsored by Yellow Cab, the United Way, Williams Distributing, and Rock 102, Lazer 99, and WWLP TV22.