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

UMass ranked 26th worst campus for Jewish students, according to Jewish newspaper Algenmeiner

0
0

The Algenmeiner, which calls itself the fastest growing Jewish newspaper in America, has issued a list of the 40 worst colleges for Jews in 2016, ranking the UMass campus as 26th worst.

AMHERST -- The Algenmeiner, which calls itself the "fastest growing Jewish newspaper in America," has issued a list of the "40 worst colleges for Jewish students, 2016," ranking the UMass campus as 26th worst.

According to the website, the list is intended "to draw attention to the problem of rising hostility faced by many Jewish students on campus today."

The Algenmeiner said it hopes the response to the list "will be aspirational and prompt university administrators and other interested parties to give serious consideration to what can be done to ameliorate the condition of Jewish students, wherever they are enrolled."

Columbia University in New York was number one on the list.

In a statement, university spokesman Edward F. Blaguszewski challenged the ranking. "UMass Amherst has long had an active and vibrant Jewish student community that is a valued part of the rich and diverse campus culture," he said, citing groups such as Hillel House, Chabad House and recognized student organizations.

Those groups, Blaguszewski said, "play an important role in creating a caring, supportive climate for Jewish students at UMass Amherst." 

In calling out UMass, the newspaper pointed to the Graduate Employee Organization's April 2016 vote passing "an anti-Israel divestment resolution, while rejecting measures condemning antisemitism." The measure passed with 95 percent voting in favor, according to a statement by the organization at the time.

The Algenmeiner's entry on UMass also claimed "both students and faculty members continue to promote BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) on campus."

The site mentions a professor who allegedly sought stickers to place on Sabra hummus and other products that read, "This product supports Israeli apartheid, don't buy." 

The entry also mentioned incidents in which swastikas were reportedly found in campus bathroom stalls, as well as a March hacking case in which flyers bearing swastikas and white supremacy messages were sent to printers and fax machines at a number of universities and colleges, including UMass.

"Some UMass Jewish students have complained of the lackluster response on the part of the administration to such expressions of hatred," according to the The Algenmeiner's post.

Both Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and the Student Government Association condemned the anti-Semitic acts, and the chancellor opposed the graduate union vote.

Last February after three were swastikas were found on campus, the chancellor sent an email condemning the vandalism. He said he was saddened and angry by what occurred.

"This sort of cowardly act of hatred and intimidation is unacceptable and inconsistent with our campus values of tolerance and inclusion," he said at the time.

"Through its Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the university works to foster mutual understanding and respect among students through dialogue, bridge-building activities and educational programs," Blaguszewski said in his statement.

Tufts University in Medford came in at number 23 on the list, while Harvard University came in at 33.

MIT and Brandeis made the list of the top 15 best schools for Jews. MIT in Cambridge was ranked third and Brandeis in Waltham the fourth best.


East Longmeadow's Mary Hurley takes her seat on the Governor's Council

0
0

Hurley said her priorities will be filling judicial vacancies in Western Massachusetts and getting a Western Massachusetts judge appointed to the Supreme Judicial Court.

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Governor's Council was sworn in on Thursday, with Mary Hurley of East Longmeadow as its only new member.

"Who said you can't make it from Western Massachusetts?" Hurley quipped as she signed an oath qualification sheet alongside Senate President Stan Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat who presided over the ceremony.

The Governor's Council's job is to vote whether to confirm Gov. Charlie Baker's judicial nominees. Hurley, 66, a Democrat, is replacing Michael Albano, who did not run for re-election, instead mounting an unsuccessful campaign for Hampden County sheriff.

Hurley is a retired judge. She was appointed by former Republican Gov. William Weld to be an associate district court justice in Chicopee, where she sat from 1995 to 2014.

Since retiring, Hurley has practiced law with Cooley Shrair PC in Springfield, where she also worked before her judicial appointment. Earlier in her career, she was a founding partner at Hurley, Melikian and Sousa.

Inauguration Cocchi 17.jpgMary Hurley
 

Hurley was Springfield's first female mayor, a position she held for two terms, until 1992. Before that, she was Springfield's assistant city solicitor and a city councilor.

Hurley was born in Springfield and has always lived in the Pioneer Valley. She holds degrees from Elms College and Western New England University School of Law.

In an interview after the swearing-in, Hurley said her priorities include filling judicial vacancies in Western Massachusetts and getting a Western Massachusetts judge appointed to the Supreme Judicial Court.

Hurley said Western Massachusetts district courts are down 10 judges, and there are vacancies in the juvenile and probate courts as well.

There are also no judges from Western Massachusetts on the Supreme Judicial Court, since the retirement this summer of Justice Francis Spina of Pittsfield.

"I've emphasized over and over again that we need someone from Western Massachusetts on the Supreme Court, and it's one of my highest priorities when I start work," Hurley said.

Hurley noted that part of the reason the Governor's Council was created was to ensure that every part of the state is represented in the judicial confirmation process. She praised the Baker administration for its receptiveness to her message of regional diversity.

"So far, I've had nothing but great cooperation from the administration in recognizing that Western Massachusetts is an integral part of the state, and we deserve our fair share," Hurley said.

Asked about her judicial philosophy and what she will look for in nominees, Hurley said she is looking for a judge "who is knowledgeable in the law, who has a great reputation as an attorney, they're honest, they're trustworthy and they're respectful of people."

She added that demeanor is important, as is "a philosophy of fairness and good judicial temperament." She said the ideal candidate would have a range of experience, as both a prosecutor and defense attorney.

On the issue of whether to repeal some mandatory minimum sentences, which has become a major debate within the Legislature, Hurley said she thinks some mandatory minimum sentences -- such as those for drug or gun crimes -- should be modified to give judges discretion in extraordinary circumstances. For example, she said, there might be a case when someone comes into possession of a gun by accident without having a license, and they then face a two-year mandatory minimum sentence.

Hurley would not say whether she would have any particular litmus test for judicial nominees, noting that criteria would be different for different branches of the courts.

Hurley declined to take a blanket position on whether Baker should grant more pardons and commutations. She said she opposed a request by actor Mark Wahlberg for a pardon for assaults he committed as a teenager in 1988. One reason Wahlberg wanted the pardon was to become eligible for a concessionaire's license for the restaurant chain he owns.

"He had committed hate crimes, not once but twice, and just because he had become a movie star, I didn't think that was a criteria worthy of a pardon," Hurley said.

The eight-member body was sworn in by Rosenberg in the presence of Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. By law, Polito presides over the council.

State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, said Hurley "brings that Western Mass. voice" to issues of judicial reform and to ensuring the western part of the state is adequately represented when judges are selected.

Springfield murder defendant mouths off at judge, gets tossed from courtroom

0
0

Ramos, 34, is charged with the fatal stabbing of 26-year-old Luis Sanchez in Springfield on March 10, 2105.

SPRINGFIELD -- Murder defendant Jose Ramos doesn't like his court-appointed lawyer.

"He's fired," Ramos told Hampden Superior Court Judge Constance M. Sweeney Thursday. 

"You don't get to fire anyone," Sweeney said.

"Yes I do," said Ramos, adding: "He works for me."

He then asked for a different judge to hear his argument.

Ramos, 34, is charged with the fatal stabbing of 26-year-old Luis Sanchez, a fellow resident of the Friends of the Homeless Worthington Street shelter in Springfield, on March 10, 2105. Ramos has denied the charge.

The stabbing took place outside the shelter.

Lawyer Daniel W. Cronin, asking to withdraw from Ramos' case, told Sweeney Ramos will not communicate with him. Cronin said Ramos will not participate in his own defense.

Ramos had been scheduled to go to trial Jan. 26, but that trial date has been scrapped.

Speaking to Sweeney, Ramos said Cronin is giving him bad advice. He said the last time Cronin visited him in jail, it was an unscheduled visit and Ramos was "resting" in his cell.

Sweeney said refusing to get out of his cell to meet with his lawyer is not appropriate behavior.

As Ramos began interrupting Sweeney repeatedly, she asked, "Will you be quiet?"

She warned him he would be taken from the courtroom while his case was discussed unless he was quiet.

"Speak," Ramos said belligerently to Sweeney each time she asked if he would be quiet.

Sweeney had him taken out of the courtroom and ordered he be examined for competency to stand trial.

A status hearing was set for Jan. 26 to discuss the results of the evaluation.

Holyoke, Chicopee joining regional effort to reduce stormwater

0
0

Holyoke, Springfield and Chicopee are all under a federal Environmental Protection Agency mandate to stop dumping raw sewage into rivers.

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Valley Opportunity Council and Nuestras Racies is joining with Chicopee and Holyoke officials to try to reduce sewer overflows by planting more trees and urban gardens in areas which will reduce runoff which flows into combined storm drains and sewer pipes and eventually overflows in to rivers.

The project will be discussed during workshops held from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Jan. 10 at the Chicopee Public Library, on Front Street and from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Holyoke Public Library on Chestnut Street. The public is encouraged to attend and there will be an opportunity to ask questions and make comments.

The efforts are among larger ones to meet Environmental Protection Agency mandates that require Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee to stop dumping untreated sewage into area rivers. Chicopee alone has spent $153 million to separate sewer pipes from storm mains and will spend at least $150 more before the project is completed. The project will also reduce sewage backups into homes, which was common in the city.

Chicopee has also worked with private developers to create natural drainage areas that prevent runoff from flowing into storm drains.

In Holyoke and Chicopee, three two-block study areas have been selected based on their location in an area with combined sewer systems and planned upcoming roadwork.

The project is funded by a grant from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, project partners also include the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Conway School of Design.

Money Matters: Mass. Division of Banks launches consumer education website

0
0

Topics include: debt collection, motor vehicle financing, foreign money transfers, savings and checking accounts, student loans, avoiding foreclosure, check cashers, home ownership, and locating banks and credit unions.

BOSTON -- Need a checking account? Don't know the first thing about getting a car loan? Bothered by bill collectors?

The Massachusetts Division of Banks has some guidance. The state agency launched its new public-service webpage, Consumer Money Matters, Wednesday.

The site is located at www.mass.gov/consumermoneymatters.

Topics include: debt collection, motor vehicle financing, foreign money transfers, savings and checking accounts, student loans, avoiding foreclosure, check cashers, home ownership, and locating banks and credit unions.

For example, click on the tab for check cashers and the site explains that consumers can generally save money by avoiding these check-cashing shops and by using an account at a bank or a credit union to cash a check.

There are no caps on fees check cashers may charge, as long as all fees are properly disclosed prior to the completion of the transaction, the site said.

The Division of Banks is an agency within the state Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. It oversees state-chartered banks and credit unions. It also regulates a host of other financial services like: mortgage lenders, mortgage brokers, mortgage loan originators, debt collectors, loan servicers, retail installment sales finance companies, insurance premium finance companies, motor vehicle sales finance companies, small loan companies, check cashers, check sellers and agencies that transmit funds overseas.

"I applaud the Division's efforts to make financial understanding and decision-making easier by introducing Consumer Money Matters," said John Chapman, undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. "The resource is a useful tool for consumers to receive financial information on one simple, interactive platform. I encourage Massachusetts consumers to visit and increase their financial literacy through use of the new webpage."

Sources: President-elect Donald Trump to select Dan Coats for national intelligence director

0
0

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to select former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats to serve as his director of national intelligence, transition officials reportedly said Thursday.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to select former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats to serve as his director of national intelligence, transition officials reportedly said Thursday.

Trump could announce his intent to nominate Coats, who served on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, national intelligence director as early as Thursday, officials told the Washington Post.

News of the expected announcement comes as the president-elect faces pushback from some in the intelligence community over his take on allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Coats, a Republican, served in the U.S. Senate from 1989 until 1999, after which he served as ambassador to Germany. He returned to the Senate in 2011, but decided against running for reelection in 2016.

In addition to the national intelligence director, Trump has also yet to formally announce his picks for agriculture secretary and secretary of veterans affairs.

Who's in Donald Trump's cabinet? Meet the president-elect's nominees

Nomination papers for South Hadley elected offices now available

0
0

The deadline to return nomination papers is Feb. 21, according to South Hadley Town Clerk Carlene C. Hamlin. The annual municipal election is on April 11.

 

SOUTH HADLEY -- Nomination papers for elected offices here are now available from the Town Clerk's office.

The deadline to return them will be Feb. 21, according to South Hadley Town Clerk Carlene C. Hamlin. The annual municipal election is on April 11.

Nomination papers may be sought for the following offices:

  • Town moderator: one position, one-year term.
  • Selectboard: two positions, three-year terms.
  • School Committee: two positions, three-year terms.
  • Board of Assessors: one position, three-year term.
  • Board of Health: one position, three-year term.
  • South Hadley Electric Light Department Board of Commissioners: one position, three-year term.
  • Planning Board: one position, three-year term.
  • Library trustee: three positions, three-year terms.
  • Library trustee: one position, two-year term.
  • Town Meeting member, precincts A, B, C, D and E: eight positions per precinct; three-year terms.
  • Town Meeting member, Precinct B: one position; one-year term.
  • Town Meeting member, Precinct E: one position; one-year term.

New York State Police stop couple in car reported stolen from Worcester

0
0

Jose Rivera and Heaven Strongheart are charged with criminal possession of stolen property.


ALBANY, New York - A man and woman from North and South Dakota were arrested in Albany on Wedesday after they were found riding in a car that had been reported stolen 130 miles away in Worcester, police said.

Police stopped the car, a Chevrolet Impala, on Interstate 87 after troopers noticed it was speeding, police said.

Both occupants were arrested when it was found the car had been reported stolen in Worcester. Worcester police had distributed a description of the car to police around the region.

Driver Jose A. Rivera, 31 of Bismark, North Dakota and passenger Heaven R. Strongheart, 22, of Little Eagle, South Dakota, were each arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree.

Rivera and Strongheart denied the charge at their arraigment at the City of Albany Court. Each was ordered held at the Albany County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.


Prison escapee James Morales caught in Somerville

0
0

Prison escapee James Morales has been caught in Somerville, State Police said

Prison escapee James Morales has been caught in Somerville, State Police said.

Prison escapee James Morales caught in Somerville

0
0

Prison escapee James Morales has been caught in Somerville, State Police said

Prison escapee James Morales has been caught in Somerville, State Police said.

Morales had been on the run since Saturday, when he escaped from the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island. He is accused of stealing 16 weapons from the Lincoln W. Stoddard United States Army Reserve Center armory in Worcester in November 2015.

Morales was arrested by a uniform State Police trooper who saw him on Broadway in Somerville, State Police said.

Authorities had been on the lookout for Morales after a man who matched his description tried to rob a Cambridge bank around 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Morales, a 35-year-old former Army reservist, will be booked at the Medford State Police Barracks.

Gandara proposing 15-unit recovery center for women at former St. Mary's church convent in Ware

0
0

The social services agency has had informal conversations with Ware fire and building department personnel about its plans.

WARE -- The Gandara Center is eyeing a former convent attached to St. Mary's Church on South Street for a 15-unit recovery center for women ages 18 to 25.

The West Springfield social services agency plans to lease the Ware building from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

The agency's director of communications and development, Lisa Brecher, said in an interview that the Gandara Center hopes zoning issues can be worked out so the facility can open next month.

"There are some logistics that haven't been fully resolved yet," Brecher said. "We hope to open in February."

The parish property is zoned suburban residential, Ware Town Manager Stuart Beckley said. Beckely and other town officials are reviewing land-use requirements related to the proposal, including the zoning matter.

Brecher described the planned use as a "highly structured residential program" for young women recovering from alcohol and/or drug abuse, and that those in the program would have already received detoxification services.

She said the program includes educational and volunteer components, and that helping women transition back into the community is the primary goal.

"The mission of the Gandara Center is to promote the well-being of Hispanics, African-Americans and other culturally diverse populations through innovative, culturally competent behavioral health, prevention and educational services," the agency website says.

Springfield City Councilor Justin Hurst: Mayor 'fired the wrong commissioner'

0
0

Springfield City Councilor Justin Hurst said Mayor Domenic Sarno has "fired the wrong commissioner" by announcing he won't renew Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant's contract.

SPRINGFIELD -- At-large City Councilor Justin Hurst said Thursday that the mayor has "fired the wrong commissioner."

In a press release, Hurst questioned Mayor Domenic J. Sarno's "bizarre firing" of Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, referring to Sarno's announcement on New Year's Day that he will not be renewing Contant's contract next January.

"Mayor Sarno fired the wrong Commissioner!" Hurst said in the release. "Police Commissioner John Barbieri has made far worse decisions when it comes to managing his department than Fire Commissioner Conant has and yet he (Barbieri) received overwhelming support from the Mayor."

Sarno has not stated his reasons for not renewing Conant's contract, but the announcement came two days after Sarno criticized Conant for failing to discipline Deputy Fire Chief Glenn Guyer for failing to move to Springfield in one year.

Hurst, when asked by The Republican if he was suggesting that Barbieri should be fired, said: "If the grounds for firing Commissioner Conant were based solely on his failure to discipline Deputy Guyer, then there is a much stronger case for the firing of Commissioner Barbieri. Based on the many glaring mistakes that Barbieri has made, he should already have faced the same fate."

Barbieri's contract does not expire until 2019.

Hurst alleged that Barbieri "has done far more damage to the City than Commissioner Conant will ever have the opportunity to do."

"Whether it was Commissioner Barbieri's fear to fire Detective Bigda who embarrassed the entire department and ultimately will cost tax payers' money in litigation, his inability to make personnel decisions without consulting with the City's Solicitor who in recent months has shown a tendency to give advice that supports the Mayor's agenda at the expense of the city, his choice to not make the public privy to information that would have eased the tensions between the community and its Police Department, or his overall failure to take responsibility for the mishaps of his department that should come naturally with good leadership, Commissioner Barbieri has done far more damage to this City than Commissioner Conant will ever have the opportunity to do," Hurst wrote.

Detective Gregg Bigda is accused of threatening to crush the skulls of two juveniles and threatening to plant drug evidence during a videotaped incident, while the juveniles were held by Palmer police in connection with the theft of a Springfield police car.

Sarno and Barbieri were not immediately available for comment.

Hurst added: "The bizarre firing of Commissioner Conant coupled with a recent peculiar release from the Mayor's office praising the efforts of Captain Larry Brown who oversees the Internal Investigations Unit, appear to be nothing more than a smoke screen by the Mayor's administration to distract citizens from the many issues plaguing the Springfield Police Department. Unfortunately, citizens now must wait until the conclusion of the Department of Justice Investigations to understand exactly why such distractions were deemed necessary by the administration."

Will the Craftsman hand tool lifetime warranty still apply?

0
0

Craftsman is famous for offering a lifetime warranty on hand tools.

SPRINGFIELD -- Craftsman, the venerable tool brand Sears sold Thursday to former competitor Stanley Black & Decker, is famous for its lifetime warranty on hand tools.

The handle breaks on a screwdriver you bought when Nixon was in the White House? Take it back and get it repaired or replaced. That's the guarantee.

But will that famous guarantee remain now that Sears has been sold?

Stanley Black & Decker spokesman Tim Perra answered yes, but with some qualifiers, Thursday afternoon:

"Today, Craftsman's warranties vary by business and product lines, and in some cases are very similar to Stanley Black & Decker's existing lifetime guarantee policies on certain product lines. It is too early to speculate on the specifics, but we would expect that to continue and we are always committed to doing the right thing to support the brand and our end-users."

Details of the Craftsman warranty policy is available here. The lifetime warranty only applies to hand tools and not to things that are meant to wear out, like saw blades.

The troubled Sears Holdings sold the Craftsman line Thursday to Connecticut-based Stanley Black & Decker for $775 million. Under the agreement, the tools will still be sold at Sears and Kmart locations. They were already also available at Ace Hardware stores.

Stanley Black & Decker already purchased the the Irwin and Lenox brands from former owners Newell Brands for $1.95 billion in cash. 

That sale, which is not yet final, included the 500,000-square-foot Lenox American Saw factory in East Longmeadow, with its 640 employees. A total of 900 people manufacture and market Lenox saw blades and tools in more than 70 countries.

On Thursday, Stanley said it plans to increase U.S. manufacturing to support the Craftsman brand, which is now mostly made overseas.

Stanley Black & Decker spokeswoman Shannon LaPierre said that manufacturing expansion will include at least one new factory plus the utilization of factories that already exist. But she said it is too soon to tell exactly where  the work will go and what the impact will be on the East Longmeadow plant.

Danaher Inc. used to manufacture some Craftsman ratchets and wrenches in Springfield. Danaher closed its plant here in 2005.

In Franklin Superior Court, Joshua Hart and Brittany Smith deny murdering elderly Orange couple

0
0

The Oct. 5 incident left an elderly man dead and his wife, who later died, clinging to life. Hart and Smith, both of Athol, face life in prison without parole.

GREENFIELD -- Two Athol residents once again denied charges related to a brutal home invasion in Orange that left an elderly man dead and his wheelchair-bound wife, who later died of her injuries, clinging to life.

Joshua Hart, 24, and Brittany Smith, 27, were arraigned Thursday in Franklin Superior Court on charges of murder, attempted murder, home invasion, armed robbery, conspiracy, larceny over $250, larceny of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and unauthorized use of a credit card.

Judge Mary-Lou Rup ordered the two held without bail, and set a June 29 court date for pre-trial hearings. Hart and Smith were indicted by a Franklin Superior Court grand jury in December. The two were initially arraigned in Orange District Court Oct. 14.

Prosecutors say on the night of Oct. 5, 95-year-old Thomas Harty was beaten and stabbed to death, and 77-year-old Joanna Fisher was beaten, nearly suffocated and survived a knife wound to the throat. The older couple's 2003 Toyota station wagon and credit cards were stolen. Five weeks later, Fisher died in the hospital.

DA provides details of Orange home invasion

Hart and Smith were arrested in a Walmart parking lot Oct. 7 after fleeing to Virginia.  

Hart and Smith were implicated in a series of other breaking and entering crimes in Athol in the days before the home invasion, Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Bucci told reporters. The two had been arrested Oct. 3 in relation to a car allegedly stolen from Smith's great-grandmother.

Smith, a heroin addict, had been due to enter a residential drug treatment program on Oct. 7, Bucci said.

Hart and Smith had scoped homes in the area, looking for an older car without tracking technology in which to flee the state, Bucci said. The two also allegedly were looking for money. Hart had hoped to avoid jail time related to previous charges, and Smith wanted to avoid entering a residential drug treatment program, he said.

Harty and Fisher had been watching television in their home when Hart and Smith entered through a garage door, according to prosecutors. The ordeal lasted about two hours. Health care workers arrived the next morning and called for help.

If convicted of murder in the first degree, the defendants face a mandatory sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

Missing 23-year-old Vermont man who fled from police during traffic incident found dead

0
0

A Vermont man who had been missing since New Year's Eve has been found dead, according to police.

ISLAND POND, vt — A 23-year-old Vermont man who had been missing since New Year's Eve has been found dead, according to police.

Quincy O'Gorman had been missing ever since he fled from Vermont State Troopers during a traffic incident on Dec. 31, police said.

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on the evening in question, a State Trooper attempted to pull over a vehicle in Island Pond that had been exhibiting erratic behavior and had failed to stop at a posted stop sign, police said.

After the Trooper had pulled over the vehicle, however, the four people inside the car jumped out and attempted to flee, police said.

Two of the occupants were caught by the Trooper at the scene and a third was found a short time later hiding behind a local establishment by the Brighton Police Chief. Through interviews with the three captured occupants, police determined that the still missing occupant was O'Gorman, who had also been the operator of the car.

A number of law enforcement agencies, including the Brighton Police, the Vermont State Police, and Essex County Sheriff's deputies, conducted searches for O'Gorman over the next several days, but were unsuccessful in locating him.

Then, at approximately 10 a.m. on Thursday morning, a group of Brighton locals found O'Gorman's body in the Lightning Brook--a small stream located next to the Brighton Municipal Forest, approximately a quarter of a mile southwest of where he had initially fled from police.

The cause of death has not yet been determined. O'Gorman's body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington so that an autopsy can be conducted.

Why the occupants of the car were fleeing or if criminal charges are being pressed against any of them has not been made public at this time.

Police say that investigation into O'Gorman's death is ongoing.


Police had no right to stop brothers Erik and Yeyson Rivera after North End homicide, defense lawyers argue

0
0

Erik and Yeyson Rivera are charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Chris Calvente in Springfield in 2015.

SPRINGFIELD -- Defense lawyers for two brothers accused of murder argued this week that police had no right to stop them as they walked quickly on a street near the crime scene.

Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Bell, meanwhile, argued that they had every right to stop the brothers because an officer saw one of them put a gun into a backpack.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Edward J. McDonough heard testimony and arguments for a motion to suppress evidence from the police stop and search of Yeyson Rivera, 28, and Erik Rivera, 26, after the fatal shooting of Chris Calvente.

[enhanced link]

Calvente, 20, of Springfield, was shot on Prospect Street in the North End at about 4:30 p.m. June 30, 2015.

Police Officer Manuel Ayala testified at the hearing that he and Officer Robert Gayle responded to an activation of the city's ShotSpotter system. Ayala said they saw two men walking quickly away and he pulled alongside them. He said he saw one of the men sticking a gun into the pocket of his backpack.

Ayala said he stopped the cruiser and he and Gayle told the men to put their hands up. He said Erik Rivera dropped the backpack and he handcuffed him.

Gayle pat frisked Yeyson Rivera and found a gun in his waistband, Ayala said. A gun was also found in the backpack, Ayala said.

Jared Olanoff, lawyer for Yeyson Rivera, said Ayala's claim about seeing one of the men put a gun in his backpack was not credible. Olanoff said this was just an excuse to stop the men. Without the sighting of a gun by police, he argued, it was unconstitutional to stop the brothers.

Jeffrey S. Brown, lawyer for Erik Rivera, argued the only issue that needs to be decided by McDonough is the credibility of Ayala's testimony. He said there was no evidence presented that anyone else saw one of the men put a gun in a backpack.

Gayle was not called as a witness by the prosecution, Brown said.

Both Brown and Olanoff said it makes no sense that Erik Rivera would have put a gun into his backpack in plain sight.

Bell said, "There is no basis to believe the police officer made up the gun."

She said police can stop someone when they see a gun and inquire if they have a license to have the gun. If the person doesn't have a license, he can be arrested on firearms charges, as the Riveras were, Bell said.

Bell said the officers did not know there had been a shooting victim found; they just knew that SpotShotter had detected gunfire.

McDonough granted Bell's request to have a week to submit a legal brief on her position on the motion to suppress.

The trial date for the brothers is March 13.

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone says capture of James Morales a 'great sigh of relief'

0
0

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone said officials were anxious through the day after a possible sighting of escaped prisoner James Morales in an attempted Cambridge bank robbery before his eventual capture later Thursday.

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone said officials were anxious through the day after a possible sighting of escaped prisoner James Morales in an attempted Cambridge bank robbery before his eventual capture later Thursday.

"It's a great sigh of relief to all of us that we captured the fugitive," he said in a press conference shortly after 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

A State Police Trooper saw Morales on Broadway in Somerville after an attempted bank robbery there.

Trooper Joseph Merrick saw Morales near Route 28, State Police said. As Morales ran, Merrick pursued him for about two blocks and was able to arrest Morales as he tried to jump a fence in the Foss Park Neighborhood.

"We're just grateful for the heroic actions of all law enforcement" involved, Curtatone said in the press conference, which was live streamed by Fox 25 News. "We're just very grateful that no one was hurt."

Somerville Police Chief David Fallon said details of the pursuit and capture were still unfolding.

Police were on the lookout for Morales after getting information Thursday morning that he may be in the area.

"Starting early this morning, we received information from our federal partners, and once that happened we were in constant contact with our mayor," he said.

Gov. Charlie Baker applauds officer who chased fugitive James Morales two blocks to arrest him

0
0

Governor Charlie Baker thanked law enforcement and the State Police trooper who brought prison escapee James Morales into custody on Thursday after nearly a week on the run.

Gov. Charlie Baker thanked law enforcement and the State Police trooper who brought prison escapee James Morales into custody on Thursday after nearly a week on the run.

"Excellent teamwork by public safety officials to bring this fugitive into custody," Baker tweeted, "including MSP Trooper Merrick who apprehended Morales."

Morales was taken into custody after the second attempted bank robbery on Thursday. Merrick chased him for two blocks before being able to arrest him as he jumped over a fence.

Federal and local authorities had been scouring the area for Morales since his escape from the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island, on Saturday.

Morales had connections to Cambridge, Framingham and New York City.

Springfield Central High School student cheers in London

0
0

Kiara Mickens, a finalist in a national Wendy's athlete scholarship competition and an All-American Varsity Cheerleader, cheered in London last week.

From being filmed in a professional video about her cheerleading to winning a $5,000 scholarship from Wendy's and most recently cheering in London, Kiara Mickens had a pretty good 2016.

The 17-year-old Springfield Central High School varsity cheerleader this week returned from a trip to London, where she cheered as part of the London Varsity Spirit Cheer Tour.

"The trip was amazing," said Mickens who was eligible for the trip after being named an All-American Varsity Cheerleader by the United Cheer Association in 2016. Mickens spent Dec. 26 to Jan. 2 in London with cheerleaders from across the U.S.

"I loved being able to become so close with so many devoted cheerleaders from all over the country," she said.

Besides cheering, Mickens also was able to get a tour of the city, catch a performance of "Wicked" at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and celebrate the New Year there.

"It was an exhilarating experience getting to tour London together," she said.

Mickens, who was named a top 10 finalist in the Wendy's High School Heisman national scholarship competition, also spent some time in New York City last year with the nine other finalists.

She has applied to New York University, where she would like to major in dance.

Watch live: State Police update on James Morales capture at 6 p.m.

0
0

State Police are expected to update the media on the capture of escaped fugitive James Morales at 6 p.m.

 

Update, 6:10 p.m.: State Police are scheduled to address the media. If the feed above fails, go to MassLive's Facebook account.

State Police are expected to update the media on the capture of escaped fugitive James Morales at 6 p.m.

Morales, who escaped from the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island, on Saturday where he was being held for stealing 16 weapons from a Worcester armory, was captured by State Police in Somerville on Thursday.

Authorities had been on the lookout for Morales after a man who matched his description tried to rob a Cambridge bank around 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Morales, a 35-year-old former Army reservist, will be booked at the Medford State Police Barracks.

State Police Trooper Joseph Merrick saw Morales on Broadway in Somerville and chased him for two blocks before he could arrest him.

MassLive will Facebook Live the press conference.

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images