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Deval Patrick: Jeff Sessions should be disqualified from AG post

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick cited a failed 1985 voting fraud case brought by Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions to argue he be rejected for the post of attorney general.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick cited a failed 1985 voting fraud case brought by Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions to argue he be rejected for the post of attorney general, the Associated Press reports.

Then serving as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, Sessions tried to prosecute three black civil rights activists for helping poor and uneducated blacks cast ballots.

The jury threw the case out after a few short hours' deliberation.

"Pursuing that case was an act of extraordinary quasi-judicial activism," Patrick wrote to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. "To use prosecutorial discretion to attempt to criminalize voter assistance is wrong and should be disqualifying for any aspirant to the Nation's highest law enforcement post."


Westover commander promoted to general, ceremony planned for March

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Jay Jensen assumed command of the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base in March 2016.

CHICOPEE - Westover Air Reserve Base Commander Jay Jensen will be awarded a general's star in a pinning ceremony at the base in March.

Jensen, who took over as commander of the 439th Airlift Wing in March 2016, was nominated as brigadier general by president Barack Obama in November.

The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination Dec. 7. If it had declined to vote on the nominations before President Trump took office, the process would have had to start from the beginning, Lt. Col James G. Bishop, chief of public affairs for Westover, said.

The pin-on ceremony where Jensen will formally receive his star is scheduled for March 4 at the base. Retired Maj. Gen. W. Wade Farris, who served as commander of Westover from 2003 to 2008, is expected to attend the ceremony along with members of the 439th Airlift Wing, other dignitaries and family and friends, Bishop said.

Jensen served under Farris several times as he was assigned to different bases in his career. The two have remained friends and Jensen said Farris was one of the first people he called when he was appointed as Westover commander.

The event is mostly ceremonial. Jensen officially became a brigadier general once the Senate took the vote to confirm the nomination, Bishop said.

Typically Westover commanders who are promoted to general are transferred to a new post quickly. But Jensen said he is hoping to continue serving at Westover for some time.

"To be able to command this wing and installation is a real treat," he said in an earlier interview.

He said he enjoys serving as a wing commander especially likes the day-to-day work of interacting with squadron members, especially younger reservists who work in a variety of jobs at the base. He has also developed a fondness for living in New England.

"I would like to stay here much longer if I could," he said. "It is great to be in touch with what I think of as the backbone of what our service does."

Jensen has served in the military for 30 years and was the chief of staff and chief policy adviser for the Air Force Reserve Forces Policy Board in Washington, D.C. Before that he was commander of the 403rd Wing in Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi.

He took over as commander of the base shortly after Commander Albert V. Lupenski was promoted to brigadier general and then quickly named director of Air Force Reserve Programs and Requirements.

Rehab Unit offers Holyoke firefighters battling deadly blaze vital-sign checks, food, dry socks, rest (photos)

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The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services' Rehab Unit is a truck that has been parked at North East and East Dwight streets in Holyoke since Sunday with everything for firefighters from dry socks and vital-sign checks to bottled water and a place to sit as they deal with a New Year's Day blaze that killed three people and displaced 25 families.

HOLYOKE -- The red and white Rehab Unit has been parked at North East and East Dwight streets since early Sunday with everything for firefighters from dry clothing and vital-sign checks to bottled water and a place to sit.

The respite has been available as firefighters deal with a New Year's Day blaze at a five-story apartment building at 106 North East St. that has killed three people and destroyed the homes of 25 families.

The Rehab Unit is one of four such trucks deployed around the state by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Special Operations, department spokeswoman Jennifer Mieth said Tuesday.

Most importantly, the Rehab Unit gives firefighters regular checks of their blood pressure, temperature and pulse and respiration rates.

The Republican received a tour of the Rehab Unit Tuesday.

"There are two main goals of firefighter rehab: 1) return firefighters safely to fire-ground operations and 2) prevent untimely firefighter deaths from cardiac events, the leading cause of firefighter deaths," Mieth said in a phone interview and emailed comments.

Besides getting vital signs checked by emergency medical technicians, firefighters can eat food and drink liquids, get warm or cool, pull on a dry pair of socks or gloves or a T-shirt, wipe down with a towel, or just sit on padded benches for a while and relax.

"The Rehab Units are part of the (department's) Special Operations Unit and can be requested by any fire incident commander," such as the local fire chief, Mieth said.

"The Special Operations resources are to support local fire departments and serve under their command," with a driver and staff trained to use the vehicle, she said.

The trucks are 40 feet to 42 feet long, 8 feet to 10 feet wide and 11 feet to 13 feet tall, she said. More than a dozen people can rest or work inside the truck at a time.

"It's not the state coming in and taking over but it's resources that are available," Mieth said.

3rd dead body found at Holyoke fire site as officials identify previous two victims: Maria Cartagena, 48, and Jorge Munoz, 55

Holyoke Fire Chief John A. Pond said the Rehab Unit offered vital help to firefighters.

"The Rehab Unit provides a location for on scene crews to warm up or cool down, while replenishing fluids and energy," Pond said.

The Rehab Units were among safety measures that emerged after the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire in which six firefighters died on Dec. 3, 1999, Mieth said.

The cause of the fire at at 106 North East St. remains under investigation, but Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni said the probe is not a criminal investigation.

On Tuesday, the Rehab Unit contained boxes of pizza from Capri Pizza, salads, cookies, coffee, Gatorate and water, with Holyoke firefighters, Building Commissioner Damian J. Cote and state investigators coming in and out.

The Rehab Unit will be available for as along as Holyoke needs it, Mieth said.

"I think it'll probably be there as long as the investigators work on their forensic fire scene exam," she said.

Man repeatedly tossing banana peels onto black neighbors' property, police say

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A Massachusetts man has been charged with repeatedly tossing banana peels onto his neighbors' property in what prosecutors are calling racially motivated acts of vandalism.

CONCORD, Mass. (AP) -- A Massachusetts man has been charged with repeatedly tossing banana peels onto his neighbors' property in what prosecutors are calling racially motivated acts of vandalism.

Police say surveillance footage captured 49-year-old Robert Ivarson, of Lexington, throwing the peels onto a neighboring family's driveway on three consecutive mornings.

The neighbors, who are black, reported seeing up to 40 peels outside their home over the past year.

Prosecutors say Ivarson has "clear anger issues" and a "troubled history of violent offenses."

WBZ-TV reports Ivarson's attorney on Tuesday told a judge his client has never had physical or verbal contact with the family.

Ivarson has pleaded not guilty to violating his neighbors' civil rights and criminal harassment. He was ordered jailed on $10,000 bail.

He's due in court next month. 

 

Wilbraham police investigate abandonment of dog at Three Rivers and Chilson roads

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The dog was seen being shoved from a dark-colored Pontiac sedan, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

WILBRAHAM -- Police are seeking the public's help as they investigate the abandonment of a dog at Three Rivers and Chilson roads late Tuesday morning.

The dog was seen being shoved from a dark-colored Pontiac sedan, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

The dog, described by police as very friendly, is in the custody of Wilbraham Animal Control.

Those with information are asked to contact animal control at 413-596-3837 or police at 413-599-1253. The incident is being investigated by Officer Steven Glenn.


Do you have a 'right to be forgotten' online?

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Activists are pushing for laws that would give people the right to be forgotten on the internet.

Activists are pushing for laws that would give people the right to be forgotten on the internet. Supporters say people should not have embarrassing moments immortalized online without having any say in it. Critics say the law is creating a way for people to censor the internet. While it's unfortunate when some people become memes, freedom of speech on the internet should be preserved. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

Supporters of the right to be forgotten say the law is meant to prevent a person from being defined by a singular moment. No one wants to become a meme -- people should have the option to opt out if they so choose.

Mark Joseph Stern reports on Slate:

So we have to warn our children not to post anything about themselves online that might cause an employer to raise an eyebrow decades hence. But this is an impossible standard. Our children can't stop their friends (or enemies) from posting drunken photos or a heedless rant, barnacles that will cling to them for years.

... You can beg people to take down offending images and text. If you really work at it and spend money on a lawyer, you might be able to get a court order. But all of the effort will be wasted if the telltale content has already been copied and pasted elsewhere and then swept into Google's servers. That's why the European court's focus on search results is key -- the problem isn't the continuing online existence of the information you want to hide. It's how easy it is to find.

Critics argue companies like Google and Facebook should not be the gatekeepers of what will and will not be found on the internet. It is a bad idea to open the internet up to censorship -- people will abuse it.

Rosen says that this law is too vague and that internet companies, faced with fines or criminal prosecution, may feel compelled to yank pictures from customer sites, erase images that should be public because the law's main aim is to protect people who've done dumb things and don't want to be haunted all their lives by one stupid moment.

But there are other values: the public's right to know, freedom of the press, the right of artists to appropriate images. And then there's the Don't Be Such a Wuss school, represented by this internet comment from someone called "Undying Cincinattus":

"To be honest, if people are stupid enough to give their entire life story and every private detail over to the public domain of Facebook, across all of their friends' profiles and into dozens of groups run by private businesses, they should not be surprised if there is some trouble getting rid of the evidence."

Here's why people are worried about their online privacy. No one wants to become a meme, and no one wants to be defined by a permanent record of everything they have done. Who hasn't done something they regret?

Critics of the right to be forgotten law say becoming a meme is small price to pay to preserve freedom of speech on the internet.

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3 firefighters escape blaze inside secondary fire station, call main station for backup

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Three Bay State firefighters narrowly escaped a burning station in West Concord after being awoken by smoke alarms set off by the overnight blaze.

Three Bay State firefighters narrowly escaped a burning fire station in West Concord after being awoken by smoke alarms.

Concord Fire Chief Mark Cotreau told the Associated Press flames blocked the firefighters from reaching any of their gear or the vehicles. The blaze occurred around 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday.

The three firefighters evacuated out the back door of the station, located in unincorporated village of West Concord, and called the town's main station for help, according to the AP.

One fire engine sustained heavy fire damage in the fire, while several other vehicles were damaged by heat and smoke. None of the vehicles were damaged beyond repair, Cotreau told the AP.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Greenfield man arrested after he smashes church door, police say

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The suspect, John Parks lll, 36, of 9 Wells St., Apt. 413, was charged with disorderly behavior and vandalizing/defacement or real or personal property..

GREENFIELD -- Police arrested a Wells Street man after he allegedly smashed the glass to a church door Tuesday afternoon while a community meal was being held inside.

The suspect, John Parks lll, 36, of 9 Wells St., Apt. 413, arrived at the Second Congregational Church, 16, Court Square, a half-hour before the meal began to volunteer, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

His request to volunteer, however, was denied by the meal coordinator due to disruptive behavior in the past, police said.

Parks started to yell and swear, alarming the occupants inside of the church, including a young child. Those inside then heard a loud bang and discovered the door had been smashed.

Parks, who was the only person near the door at the time, then left the area.
Police found Parks near 9 Wells St. and arrested him on charges of disorderly behavior and vandalizing/defacement or real or personal property.


Mark Brito, Vermont shooting victim, attended high school in Massachusetts

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A 27-year-old Vermont man remains in critical condition after being shot through the eye on Monday, while Cape Cod Times has identified him as a former Hyannis high school student.

VSP 

A 27-year-old Vermont who remains in critical condition after being shot through the eye on Monday, is a former Hyannis high school student.

Mark Brito, 27, of Fairfax, played offensive and defensive line on the Barnstable High School Red Raiders for three years, the Cape Cod Times reports. 

Former Barnstable High School football coach Paul Demanche told The Times Brito "always gave his best effort," while friend Wilson Perry III told the paper he "will literally give you the shirt off his back."

Shortly after 1 p.m. on Monday in Georgia, Vt., 26-year-old Ethan Gratton, of Georgia Mountain Road, allegedly shot Brito through the right eye and shot and killed a second man -- David Hill, 57, of Fairfax -- because the pair were occupying a truck blocking Gratton's driveway, according to Vermont State Police. 

Gratton retrieved a pistol from his home and shot both men during the dispute, police say. 

The bullet remained in Brito's head and he is being treated for life-threatening injuries at University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Burlington Free Press reports. 

Steven Brito, Mark's father, wrote in a Facebook post at 8 p.m. on Monday, "We are on our way to VT, and we are asking for your prayers and good thoughts, both for Mark and his friend's (Hill's) family and friends. Anyone who knows Marko knows what a great guy he is."


More than three dozen people suffer minor injuries in New York City train accident

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Officials say more than three dozen people suffered minor injuries when a Long Island Rail Road either hit something or derailed as it arrived at a New York City terminal.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Officials say more than three dozen people suffered minor injuries when a Long Island Rail Road either hit something or derailed as it arrived at a New York City terminal.

Online images Wednesday show the train at a slight angle in its track bed in the busy Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.

Passengers told TV news crews on the scene that there was a loud bang and a jolt that sent some people flying.

Some people were carried away on stretchers. Others were sitting outside the train holding ice packs to their heads.

Reports from the scene said some people were bleeding from cuts.

Railroad officials said they had no immediate information on the cause of the accident, which happened at around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday.

Charges filed against parents of 3-year-old girl who shot herself with father's handgun

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The parents of a 3-year-old girl who shot herself in the hand with her father's unlicensed gun in Yarmouth last month are now both facing charges in connection with the accidental shooting.

The parents of a 3-year-old girl who shot herself in the hand with her father's unlicensed gun in Yarmouth last month are now both facing charges in connection with the accidental shooting.

The child's father, 30-year-old Nicholas Alexander Jenner, was charged after the accidental shooting on Dec. 23, but police said the child's mother is now facing charges.

The parents will both be summonsed to Barnstable District Court after police filed charges in the case, according to Yarmouth Police.

Nicholas Alexander Jenner is facing charges of improper storage of a large capacity firearm near a minor, improper storage of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition, unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm and reckless endangerment of a child.

The mother, 29-year-old Alexsandra Jenner, is facing reckless endangerment of a child, unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition and improper storage of a firearm charges.

Police and firefighters were called to a home on Captain Daniel Road in South Yarmouth after the child shot herself in the left hand on Dec. 23 around 1:05 p.m.

"Yarmouth Police Department Patrol Officers secured the scene and conducted an initial investigation that determined the child had obtained access to an unsecured fully loaded handgun that had been left on a nightstand in a bedroom that she shared with her parents," police said.

The child was taken to Cape Cod Hospital where she was treated. She was then transferred to a hospital in Boston. She is expected to make a full recovery.

Police seized a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, the handgun involved in the accidental shooting, and also seized other unlicensed guns and ammunition owned by the child's father, police said. The father is a military veteran living with his parents.

Officials at the state Department of Children and Families were contacted and the agency took custody of the child after the shooting.

 

Mass. gun owners appeal for more information about Attorney General Maura Healey and her 'copycat' weapons crackdown

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The Gun Owners Action League, a local NRA affiliate, is seeking more information from Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey after her crackdown on copycat weapons. The group (GOAL) has argued Healey overreached when applying the crackdown, which came through an enforcement notice to gun sellers and manufacturers.

The Gun Owners Action League, a local affiliate of the National Rifle Association, is seeking more information from Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey after her crackdown on copycat weapons.

The group (GOAL) has argued Healey overreached when applying the crackdown, which came through an enforcement notice to gun sellers and manufacturers. Healey's office has said owners of copycat weapons before the notice was issued in July are grandfathered.

Looking for information that could shed more light on her decision, GOAL filed an extensive public records request in August, and months later received a CD that included gun manuals from different manufacturers. Healey's office cited several legal exemptions in limiting the response, including ongoing litigation.

Jim Wallace, the head of GOAL, said his group is continuing to press for more information and plans to file an appeal with Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin this week. Galvin's office includes a public records division.

"The response that we got has caused more questions than we originally had, which I didn't think it was possible," Wallace said, charging Healey with being secretive.

"More than likely, it'll end up in court," he added, since Healey's office is tasked with enforcing the state's public records law.

"Deliberative process" is one of the exemptions cited in the Healey office letter to GOAL.

Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey seeks dismissal of federal lawsuit over 'copycat' assault weapons crackdown

"We note that, by its nature, an 'Enforcement Notice is part of an ongoing plan of investigation and enforcement that does not resolve or terminate on the date that the enforcement-related information is made public," Lorraine Tarrow, an assistant attorney general, wrote in the response.

"Our ongoing deliberative processes regarding the Enforcement Notice are incomplete, inextricably linked to our open investigations, and include legal opinions relevant to actual and threatened litigation," she added.

Healey's office is also in the middle of "ongoing" investigations into gun sales and compliance with the state's assault weapons ban, she wrote.

"If disclosed, these records would prejudice current law enforcement efforts by prematurely releasing information about the nature and course of our investigations," the letter said. "Moreover, current and future law enforcement efforts would be seriously compromised by the disclosure of our confidential methods and sources of information, including those private citizens who require assurances of confidentiality so that they will speak openly about matters under investigation without fear."

Read the gun shops' lawsuit against Attorney General Maura Healey

Westfield man denies manslaughter charge in crash that killed David Matyseck

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Ryan Pasquini-Pezzini, 25, denied a manslaughter charge in Westfield crash that killed David Matyseck

SPRINGFIELD -- A 25-year-old Westfield man accused of drunken driving in connection with a fatal November crash denied a manslaughter charge Wednesday in Hampden Superior Court. 

Relatives of 68-year-old David Matyseck -- killed in the Nov. 8, 2016 crash in the area of Main and Meadow Streets in Westfield -- attended the superior court arraignment of Ryan Pasquini-Pezzini, who is charged with manslaughter by motor vehicle while operating under the influence of alcohol. 

Pasquini-Pezzini also denied charges of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and operating under the influence of liquor, subsequent offense.

The previous offense listed is a 2010 conviction in Westfield District Court.

Pasquini-Pezzini, who is represented by Michael Jennings, had in November denied charges in Westfield District Court. The case has moved to Hampden Superior Court.

At his Westfield District Court arraignment he was released on personal surety with several conditions, including that he not drive, maintain a curfew between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., and refrain from alcohol use.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Constance M. Sweeney set the same conditions of release, which also include GPS monitoring.  

Matyseck was pronounced dead at the hospital following the 8 p.m. crash.

A statement by Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni's office at the time of the district court arraignment said the preliminary investigation showed Pasquini-Pezzini was involved in two accidents in close proximity to each other. He rear-ended one vehicle, attempted to leave the scene and collided with Matyseck's vehicle, according to investigators.

Matyseck was born in Westfield and graduated from American International College with a bachelor's degree, according to his obituary.

He was employed by Stanley Home Products in Easthampton for 14 years and had recently retired after 19 years as the general manager for Parts Services International.

His survivors included his wife of 43 years, two children and four grandsons.

Nick Cocchi sworn in as new Hampden County sheriff, crowd bids farewell to Michael Ashe Jr.

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Nick Cocchi was sworn in by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito as the new Hampden County sheriff in a crowded gymnasium at the jail in Ludlow. Watch video

LUDLOW — They began and ended with the tolling of a bell.

Now-retired Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.'s legendary tenure came to an end with seven tolls of the former York Street jail bell and new Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi's tenure began with a single one. The chimes represented Ashe's seven terms in office and Cocchi's entrance to his first.

Cocchi was sworn in by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito at precisely 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday. He follows Ashe, who served 42 years in office. While Ashe ran as a young social worker for the seat, Cocchi is the only sheriff in the county's history to have spent his entire career there, according to Ashe.

"He's the first sheriff in our history to work his way up from an entry level corrections officer all the way to sheriff," said Ashe, who received three standing ovations during an address in the gymnasium at the Ludlow jail.

The venue was packed with mayors, state and law enforcement officials and supporters of Ashe and Cocchi.

Both Ashe and Cocchi became briefly overcome by emotion while addressing the crowd, and the ceremony was punctuated by the "Rocky" movie franchise's theme songs, which Ashe has adopted as his own.

Cocchi launched his hard-fought campaign more than two years ago when Ashe announced that he intended to retire. After the swearing-in, Cocchi said he envisioned the moment many times while driving in his car on the campaign trail.

"And I can tell you, those daydreams didn't even come close to this," Cocchi said. "But this day is more about saying thank-you to Mike Ashe - the finest public servant in the region, in my opinion. I only needed five minutes on the back end to get sworn in."

Fire officials to announce cause of deadly Holyoke blaze

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Officials will hold a 2 p.m. press conference at Holyoke Fire Department headquarters. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- State and local officials on Wednesday afternoon will announce the cause of the New Year's Day fire that killed three people and destroyed a five-story apartment building.

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse and Holyoke Fire Chief John A. Pond will make the announcement at a 2 p.m. press conference at Holyoke Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St.

Holyoke Police Lt. James Albert will also be in attendance. 

The probe into the fire's cause involved investigators from the Holyoke police and fire departments, as well as Massachusetts State Police assigned to the state fire marshal's office and the Hampden district attorney's office. 

Officials indicated earlier this week they do not believe the fire was intentionally set. "The facts as we know now, this is not a criminal investigation," Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said Monday.

The Jan. 1, 2017 fire at 106 North East St. was reported shortly before 9 a.m.

Killed in the blaze were Holyoke residents Maria Cartagena, 48, and Jorge Munoz, 55, as well as 34-year-old Easthampton resident Trevor R. Wadleigh.

The Republican / MassLive will offer live video of Wednesday's announcement via Facebook.


This is a developing story that will be updated as our reporting continues.


Donations collected for Hampden family forced from home by fire

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A fire broke out shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, at a home at 62 Stony Hill Road in Hampden. The blaze displaced a family and caused extensive damage to the house.

HAMPDEN -- Donations are being raised for a Hampden family displaced by a fire that severely damaged their home.

A GoFundMe account has been established for the Michel family, whose ranch-style house at 62 Stony Hill Road sustained extensive damage in an apparent electrical fire reported at 3:12 p.m. Tuesday.

The family was unharmed, but the fire claimed their kitten and all of their belongings, according to the GoFundMe page, which had raised over $5,000 for the family by 11 a.m. Wednesday.

"Today my dear friend, Nicole Michel, lost her home due to an electrical fire. Thankfully, (she) and her family made it out safely, but with the tragic loss of her kitten and all belongings," Nicolette Barcomb, who established the GoFundMe account, said Tuesday.

"Please keep Nicole and her family in mind at the start of this new year. All donations would be greatly appreciated and would significantly help her family get back on their feet," Barcomb said.

hampden fire family.jpgA GoFundMe account has been established for the Michel family, whose ranch-style house at 62 Stony Hill Road, Hampden, sustained extensive damage in an apparent electrical fire reported at 3:12 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017.  

Clothes, toiletries and other donations may be left on the front porch of 192 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham.

Hampden firefighters quickly contained the blaze, but not before it caused heavy damage to the right side of the home.

AMR, the Red Cross, National Grid, and firefighters from East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Monson and Somers were also dispatched to the call.

A section of Stony Hill Road was blocked to traffic, which was rerouted away from the fire scene.

Community residents posted words of encouragement to the Michel family on the Hampden Fire Department's Facebook page.

"Let's help. It's what we do and do it well," said retired Hampden schoolteacher Lisa Sternberg.

"What can we do to help?" asked Hampdenite Maureen Kelly.

"God bless that family that everyone got out! Prayers," said resident Dan Kingsbury,

Tuesday's fire was the town's second major fire in recent weeks.

On Dec. 12, a devastating blaze broke out at a local mansion known as "the Castle," a gated home on rural Stafford Road. The fire caused extensive damage to the historic house, whose owners plan to rebuild.

The recent fires have sparked discussions about Hampden's fire-coverage needs, with some advocating for the volunteer department to add some paid, full-time firefighters to its ranks. The issue has been raised with the Board of Selectmen.

A memo from the Fire Department, which was given to selectmen, makes the case for hiring up to three firefighters, including one officer, to staff the fire station on a full-time basis.

The memo also calls for converting the Hampden Fire Department to a so-called call department, with premiums paid to firefighters who respond to calls on weekdays during regular business hours, when most department members are working their full-time jobs.


Mike Pence: President-elect Donald Trump 'will literally begin on day 1' to repeal Obamacare, implement agenda

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Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Wednesday that he and President-elect Donald Trump are committed to keeping their campaign promises and will begin efforts to repeal the health care law known as Obamacare and implement other policies on day one of taking office.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Wednesday that he and President-elect Donald Trump are committed to keeping their campaign promises and will begin efforts to repeal the health care law known as Obamacare and implement other policies on day one of taking office.

Pence, who traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with Republican lawmakers on efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, told reporters that the incoming administration is "going to be in the promise-keeping business" and has placed repealing the health care law at the top of its "to do" list.

The vice president-elect's comments came as President Barack Obama huddled with Democrats on Capitol Hill in a last ditch effort to save his signature health care law.

Arguing that Democrats failed to deliver on their promises when it came to implementing the ACA, Pence said GOP leaders must highlight those failures.

"It's important that we remind the American people what they already know about Obamacare: that the promises that were made were all broken," he said. "I expect you'll see an effort in the days ahead to talk about the facts around Obamacare." 

 

Pence, who contended that Trump gave voice to frustrated Americans in laying out his agenda, said the incoming administration intends to make good on its promises and is working on a legislative and executive strategy to ensure a smooth transition to a market-based health care system.

"We're going to keep our promise to the American people and we're going to repeal Obamacare and replace it with solutions that lower the cost of health insurance without growing the size of government," he said, adding that there's a broad range of ways GOP leaders can achieve that goal. 

The president-elect, meanwhile, will also begin repealing executive orders and establishing his own to move forward with other items on his policy agenda upon taking office later this month, Pence said. 

"It will literally begin on day one," he told reporters after meeting with congressional GOP leaders. "Before the end of the day we do anticipate that the president-elect will be in the Oval Office taking action to both repeal executive orders and also set into motion through executive action policies to implement, promises that were made on the campaign trail."

Trump urged congressional Republicans via Twitter Wednesday to hold Democrats' feet to the fire over what he called "the failed Obamacare disaster" as lawmakers prepare to overhaul the health care law in the coming weeks.

President-elect Donald Trump blames Democrats for 'failed Obamacare disaster'

"Don't let the Schumer clowns out of this web," he wrote, referencing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "Massive increases of Obamacare will take place this year and Dems are to blame for the mess. It will fall of its own weight - be careful!"

Trump has called for repealing and replacing Obamacare with health savings accounts and creating "a patient-centered health care system that promotes, choice, quality and affordability," according to his campaign.

The president-elect's health care vision further includes proposals to: allow Americans to purchase insurance across state lines and maximizing states' flexibility through Medicaid block grants.

Kellyanne Conway, the incoming counselor to the president, said Tuesday that no one currently on Obamacare should become uninsured under the Trump administration's replacement plans.

Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, Jan. 20, before participating in the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Republicans kicked off the 115th Congress Tuesday with efforts to dismantle the contentious health care law, as Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Enzi, R-WY, introduced a resolution providing for the ACA's repeal.

Ware police searching for suspect in Malboeuf Road home invasion

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Western Mass News reported the suspect, who entered the home with a firearm, is described as being about 5 feet 9 inches tall and wearing a camouflage mask and gray sweatshirt.

WARE -- Police are reportedly searching for a man suspected of committing an armed invasion of a Malboeuf Road home Wednesday morning.

Western Mass News reported the suspect, who entered the home with a firearm, is described as being about 5 feet 9 inches tall and wearing a camouflage mask and gray sweatshirt.

Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and Masslive.com. Police could not immediately provide information to The Republican.

Additional information was not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available.

South Hadley Town Meeting to consider plastic bags ban

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Penalties would be $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and $300 for subsequent violations

SOUTH HADLEY — A special Town Meeting scheduled for next week will consider a ban on plastic bags used by retail establishments, which if enacted would take effect in July 2018.

The Jan. 11 meeting at the Town Hall auditorium, 116 Main St., begins at 6 p.m.

Article 21 would "ban the use of plastic bags" and "includes common retail plastic bags with die-cut handles," but "it does not include bio-degradable bags, re-usable bags, small item bags," the Town Meeting warrant states.

An attachment to the warrant states: "The Town seeks to reduce the number of plastic bags that are being used, discarded and littered, and to promote the use of reusable checkout bags by retail establishments" operating in South Hadley.

"This regulation shall not apply to ... thin-film plastic bags used to contain dry cleaning, newspapers, produce, meat, raw fish, hard cheese, cold cuts, fruit, and vegetable products, baked good or bread," the attachment states.

Penalties would be $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and $300 for subsequent violations.

STM Final Warrant by The Republican/MassLive.com on Scribd

Suspect charged in Easthampton strangulation; Officer believes arriving at scene prevented murder

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Easthampton Police Officer Justin Malinowski said a strangulation victim may be living today because he pulled up in a cruiser at the right time over the weekend.

Easthampton Police Officer Justin Malinowski said a strangulation victim may be living today because he pulled up in a cruiser at the right time over the weekend.

In a police report, Malinowski said he turned onto Ferry Street off Pleasant Street to find a "male subject assaulting another male...with the intent to murder him" around 1 a.m. Saturday.

The victim was repeatedly yelling for help while suspect Albert Gyeidu, 28, of Hampton Terrace in Easthampton, allegedly attempted to choke the life out of him in the roadway.

Malinoski ordered to Gyeidu to stop, whereupon the latter stood and told the victim -- Edwardo Vega, 33 -- he was lucky the officer arrived, because, "I was going to kill you," Malinowski's report states.

Gyeidu continued to threaten Vega in an attempt to silence him as Malinowski and several other officers arriving at the scene attempted to ascertain what had happened.

Malinowski's report says Gyeidu assaulted Vega after the pair had a disagreement while walking home from the American Legion on Pleasant Street. Vega told Malinowski he was "unsure what he did" to upset Gyeidu, according to the report.

"I thought he was going to kill me," Vega repeatedly told Easthampton Police Officer Jared Pabis, according to a second report on the incident. Vega later filled out a strangulation worksheet saying his vision "was beginning to fade" when Malinowski arrived.

On Tuesday, Gyeidu appeared in Northampton District Court to face charges of attempted murder, strangulation, assault and battery and intimidation of a witness.

The court bound over Gyeidu -- who is being held on $10,000 bail at Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction -- for trial in Hampshire Superior Court. His case will resume there on Feb. 7. 

 
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