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Convicted murderer Gary Lee Sampson sentenced to death for second time by federal jury

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Sampson was convicted in 2004 of killing three people over a week in 2001.

Confessed murderer Gary Lee Sampson has again been given the death penalty by a federal jury during his sentencing retrial for a weeklong crime spree in 2001. 

A jury sentenced Sampson, 57, to death for the murder of Jonathan Rizzo. He received life in prison for the murder of Philip McCloskey, according to The Boston Herald and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

This was the second time a federal jury decided that Sampson should die for his crimes.

Sampson was convicted in 2004 of killing three people during carjackings over a week in 2001. He was given the death penalty.

But, that sentence was overturned by a judge in 2011 after authorities learned that one of the jurors in the trial omitted details on her background, preventing Sampson from receiving his right to be tried by a fair and impartial jury.

A new trial ordered, which began in November.

Prosecutors again asked for the death penalty. Sampson is able to be sentenced to death despite Massachusetts' ban on the death penalty because his case is in federal court. 

Sampson lived in Abington when he committed the murders and was known as a "drifter." In his 2004 trial, Sampson pleaded guilty to carjacking and killing two men in Massachusetts.

Those men were Philip McCloskey, 69, and Jonathan Rizzo, 19, both of whom he carjacked. Sampson had both drive to secluded areas where he stabbed them to death.

During the same weeklong crime spree, Sampson also killed Robert "Eli" Whitney in New Hampshire. Sampson strangled Whitney, 58, to death after breaking into a Lake Winnipesaukee vacation home. He was separately convicted of that killing.

Sampson's defense attorneys argued against the death penalty, saying that Sampson had a history of mental illness.

It was also disclosed in recent years that Sampson has advanced cirrhosis of the liver. 

Sampson was the first person sentenced to death in Massachusetts under the federal death penalty statute. The state's death penalty as abolished by the Legislature in 1984.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.


Fatal Connecticut Big Y stabbing victim identified as sushi chef from Massachusetts

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Police have identified the man stabbed to death Sunday afternoon at the Big Y World Class Market location in Old Lyme Connecticut as a sushi chef working at the supermarket.

OLD LYME, Connecticut --The fatal stabbing Sunday afternoon at a Big Y World Class Market in Old Lyme, Connecticut resulted from a fight between two men from the sushi counter, according to both authorities and Big Y.

Police have identified the man stabbed to death as Jing-Song Gao, 34, of Methuen, Mass., He was a sushi chef working at the supermarket, according to The Day of New London.

Connecticut state troopers identified Tan Lin, 40, of Old Lyme, as the other man who was involved.

The Day said A Life Star helicopter took Lin to Yale New Haven Hospital where he was treated for serious injuries.

Monday afternoon, Springfield-based Big Y said the stabbing involved two people from one of its outside vendors which is contracted to operate the sushi counter. 

A statement from Big Y read:

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in this tragic incident which occurred on January 8, 2017. We continue to work with law enforcement regarding all aspects of this case. The incident involved 2 people from one of our vendors that supplies our stores. Currently, we have additional support assisting all of our employees from this location. We thank you for your patience and understanding at this time."

The store was open as of Monday.

WFSB 3 Connecticut

Media reports from southern Connecticut describe a wild scene at the market just after 2 p.m. Sunday.

WFSB-TV  reported that witnesses said they saw Gao apparently arguing with a woman at the sushi counter when a man, Lin, intervened.

The men started to fight in near the frozen food section as customers shouted and threw things to try and break them up.

State Troopers arrived to find the men with stab woulds. A witness said both men were seen lying on the floor bleeding profusely. 

Proponents of new Amherst elementary school to present petitions showing teacher support

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Proponents of building a new twin-school elementary school are delivering petitions to the Select Board Monday to show that teachers "resoundingly support the proposal," according to a parent handling the publicity.

AMHERST -- Proponents of an elementary school building project are delivering petitions to the Select Board Monday to show that teachers "resoundingly support the proposal," according to a parent handling publicity for the group.

Three teachers will be speaking about their support prior to the board presentation.

They include Linda Prothers, a Crocker Farms pre-school teacher; Kristen Roeder, a Wildwood sixth grade teacher; and Nicole Singer, a Fort River art teacher.

The Select Board last month scheduled a special Town Meeting for Jan. 30 to vote again on whether to approve $66.3 million in funding for a "twin school" design at the Wildwood Elementary School site. The plan would absorb two of the town's existing elementary schools.

Petitioners submitted more than 400 signatures requesting the new vote after Town Meeting in November rejected the spending.

Supporters of the new vote plan to clarify and provide new information to Town Meeting members regarding the project. Part of that new information involves explaining teacher support for the project.

More than 130 teachers, faculty and staff signed the petition pledging support, according to parent Johanna Neumann. 

Rebekah Demling, a parent and Precinct 7 Town Meeting member, led the drive to collect signatures for a special Town Meeting.

An email, meanwhile, was sent to nearly 100 school staffers urging them to attend the meeting Monday night. Opponents are raising concerns about the letter because they say school computers were used, and the letter was sent by a staffer. 

Supporters plan to speak at 6 p.m. in Town Hall.

On Nov. 8, voters narrowly passed a ballot question approving funding for the project -- which would serve grades two through six -- sending the plan to Town Meeting for final approval because the plan requires borrowing.

Town Meeting rejected the proposal Nov. 14 by a vote of 108-106. A two-thirds majority was needed, and would be needed Jan. 30 as well.

The new school building would replace both Wildwood and Fort River elementary schools. Crocker Farm Elementary School would become an early childhood center for pre-kindergarten through first grade. Opponents want to keep the current three-school configuration.

Fort Lauderdale airport shooting suspect, Esteban Santiago, makes initial court appearance

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Esteban Santiago, 26, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle, who ordered him held until his next hearings.

By CURT ANDERSON ,  AP Legal Affairs Writer

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- The Iraq war veteran held in the fatal shooting of five people inside Fort Lauderdale's airport answered questions in a clear voice Monday as he was appointed public defenders and told he could face the death penalty.

Esteban Santiago, 26, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle, who ordered him held until his next hearings.

Shackled in a red jumpsuit in the heavily guarded federal courtroom, Santiago answered mostly yes or no to questions, and told the judge he understands the charges, which include committing violence against people at an international airport resulting in death, and two firearms offenses.

She told him the death penalty could apply.

"We are telling you the maximum penalty allowed by law so that you understand the seriousness of the charges," the judge said.

He said he had been in the Army, where he made about $15,000 a year. He mentioned expenses including $560 in monthly rent, plus phone and other utility bills. He said he owns no property and doesn't have a vehicle. He said he had worked for a security company, Signal 88, in Anchorage, Alaska, until November, making $2,100 a month, but currently only had $5 to $10 in the bank.

Valle set a detention hearing for Jan. 17, followed by an arraignment for entering a plea for Jan. 23.

More than a dozen officers kept watch outside the courthouse, carrying rifles and wearing bulletproof vests. There were also mounted police and K-9 units.

Santiago has been in custody since Friday's shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The FBI said Santiago flew on a one-way ticket aboard a Delta flight from Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale. The 111/2-hour flight has a 21/2-hour layover in Minneapolis, one of the longest itineraries within the U.S.

He checked a single piece of luggage: a gun box for his Walther 9 mm semi-automatic pistol and two magazines of ammunition, according to an FBI affidavit. Agents say he retrieved the box in baggage claim and loaded his weapon in a bathroom stall before opening fire on fellow passengers, killing five and wounding six others.

In November, Santiago walked into an FBI field office in Alaska with a handgun and his infant child, saying the U.S. government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, authorities said.

Officers seized the weapon and local officers took him to get a mental health evaluation. His girlfriend picked up the child. On Dec. 8, the gun was returned to Santiago. Authorities wouldn't say if it was the same gun used in the airport attack.

Seen@ The Hope for Holyoke Recovery Support Center Legislative Breakfast

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Western Mass. legislators gathered at the Hope for Holyoke Recovery Support Center as part of a Legislative Breakfast co-hosted by State Rep. Aaron Vega, D-Holyoke, and the Gandara Center on Monday.

HOLYOKE - Western Mass. legislators gathered at the Hope for Holyoke Recovery Support Center as part of a Legislative Breakfast co-hosted by State Rep. Aaron Vega, D-Holyoke, and the Gandara Center on Monday.

The Hope for Holyoke Recovery Support Center is a peer-to-peer recovery program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Bureau of Substance Abuse. The Holyoke location opened in January 2015 and has served more than 300 people since then.

The 100 Suffolk St. center is open seven days a week and offers recovery coaching, social events, community outreach and advocacy opportunities, computer literacy and resume writing, volunteer opportunities, and support groups.

The Holyoke location is open Monday 9 a.m. through 8 p.m.; Tuesday 9 a.m. through 5 p.m.; Wednesday 9 a.m. through 5 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m. through 7 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. through 8:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. through 2 p.m.; and Sunday 9 a.m. through 2 p.m.

Chicopee to begin conducting annual city census

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CHICOPEE - The Board of Registrars of Voters is beginning the process of conducting the annual city census, which is mandated by the state. About 20,000 households will receive census questionnaires in the upcoming weeks. All residents, regardless of citizenship or voter registration status, are required to confirm or correct the information the city maintains on file. Information is also...

CHICOPEE - The Board of Registrars of Voters is beginning the process of conducting the annual city census, which is mandated by the state.

About 20,000 households will receive census questionnaires in the upcoming weeks. All residents, regardless of citizenship or voter registration status, are required to confirm or correct the information the city maintains on file. Information is also used to help officials apply for grants and receive state and federal funding, Janina Surdyka, the registrar of voters said..

Census takers will also visit a limited number of residents in Willimansett and the downtown area.

Residents who have not moved within the last year may also respond electronically using the census form available on the city website www.chicopeema.gov.

For additional information or with questions relative to the voter registration status contact the Registrars of Voters office at 413-594-1550.

Fiancee of Westfield firefighter Kevin Regan files 'wrongful death' suit against driver in Cape Cod crash

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Kevin Regan and his fiancee Lynda Cavanaugh where hit by a car driven by Paul Dennehy in December 2014 while they were crossing Route 28 in West Yarmouth.

SPRINGFIELD -- The fiancee of Westfield firefighter Kevin Regan has filed a "wrongful death" civil suit against the driver of the van that crashed into the couple Dec. 27, 2014, in West Yarmouth.

That driver, Nantucket realtor Paul Dennehy, was found not guilty on all counts in the death of Regan, 62, in a criminal trial in Barnstable Superior Court in March.

The civil suit will be a separate matter.

Dennehy had faced charges of motor vehicle homicide and driving under the influence causing serious injury for the crash in which he hit Regan and his fiancee Lynda Cavanaugh while they were crossing Route 28.

Cavanaugh survived with serious injuries. She filed the civil suit in December in Hampden Superior Court as a representative of Regan's estate. The suit states, "His next of kin entitled to damages include eight siblings."

Regan was the most senior firefighter in Westfield at the time of his death. He comes from a family with a history of firefighting service in the city. His sister, Mary Regan, is the current chief of the department.

kevin-regan.JPGKevin Regan 

On the civil suit cover sheet, a claim of $1.5 million is entered under "other documented items of damages."

"Prior to his death, Kevin Regan experienced conscious suffering as a result of injuries sustained when he was struck by the vehicle driven by Mr. Dennehy," the suit states.

Cavanaugh asks for judgment against Dennehy for the conscious suffering of Regan, the fair monetary value of Regan to his next of kin and reasonable funeral and burial expenses.

Cavanaugh is represented by Brett Vottero in the civil suit.

The criminal trial in Barnstable featured the testimony of police officers who responded to the scene, witnesses who provided aid at the crash site and Dennehy's dinner and club companions prior to the crash. Officers said that Dennehy appeared glassy-eyed, smelled of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests, but all the civilian witnesses testified that they did not notice any signs of impairment.

Dennehy and his wife Catherine ate dinner at Capt. Parker's restaurant, where Dennehy drank Heineken, according to witness testimony. They went to the Sons of Erin social club, where Regan and Cavanaugh were also drinking and talking.

Dennehy hit Regan and Cavanaugh while they were crossing Route 28 on the way back from the Sons of Erin to their apartment. The doctor who treated the couple at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis testified that Cavanaugh suffered severe injuries to her femur and ribs, along with other wounds, and that he pronounced Regan dead shortly after he was admitted.

'End brownouts' demonstration planned Tuesday in Holyoke after New Year's Day fire killed 3

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The goal of a demonstration planned for noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 in front of Holyoke City Hall at High and Dwight streets is to send the message that it is unacceptable to remove fire equipment from service when such a "brown out" could affect safety, an organizer said, eight days after a New Year's Day fire at 106 North East St. killed three people.

HOLYOKE -- A "stand up against brownouts" demonstration will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday in front of City Hall to protest the occasional removal from service of trucks eight days after a fire killed three people and destroyed 49 families' homes.

"According to Chief Pond and Mayor Morse, Engine 2 being 'browned out' or out of service, did not effect the outcome of that fire. That is something we will never really know. What we do know is, it put all lives of our emergency service personnel at risk. This is never OK and it's time our voices are heard," event organizer Brittany Robert said.

Fire Chief John A. Pond and Mayor Alex B. Morse said the temporary removal from service of Engine 2 at Fire Department headquarters at 600 High St. didn't affect firefighters' abilities to battle the deadly New Year's Day blaze at 106 North East St.

The practice known as brownouts has been in place off and on for years, a step officials take to save employee overtime costs. When firefight availability is thin on a particular shift, if personnel are on vacation or ill, rather than summon off-duty firefighters to work, a truck is removed from service for that shift. Most often the truck has been Engine 2.

Public safety overtime costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But firefighters' union president Chad Cunningham and others disagree with Pond and Morse. Cunningham said at a City Council meeting on Jan. 3 that nine firefighters would have been available as the first arrivals for rescues as the five-story apartment building burned if Engine 2 was in service instead of the six firefighters who were able to show up at the Jan. 1 morning fire.

Deadly fire leads Holyoke union president Chad Cunningham to seek removal of Fire Chief John Pond

Robert, of Holyoke, the daughter and sister of Holyoke firefighters, said the goal of the demonstration is to send the message that it is unacceptable to remove equipment from service when such a step could affect firefighters' and residents' safety.

The noon to 5 p.m. period of the demonstration is aimed at getting as many people there over the course of the event as possible, she said.

Holyoke firefighter Chris Butler said it appeared the demonstration would draw a big turnout.

"I know some people can't make it but would still like to have their voice heard. I would ask that you contact Mayor Morse and tell him to end the brownouts," Butler said on Facebook.

Robert said that she is not an expert on firefighting, politics or municipal budgeting, but that it seems to be "common sense" that having nine firefighters at a fire scene first rather than six improves public safety capabilities.

"I know enough to know that this is not OK," Robert said.

A mother's choice: Holyoke fire survivor talks of tossing daughter, jumping from 3rd floor window

A mother of three sons, Robert said it was wrenching to hear building tenant Brianna Serrano talk about having to throw her 2-year-old daughter from a third-floor window to safety as a group of men on the sidewalk held a blanket to catch the baby with the fire raging.

"I've had enough," Robert said.

Maria Cartagena, 48, and Jorge Munoz, 55, both of Holyoke, and Trevor R. Wadleigh, 34, of Easthampton, were killed as a result of the fire at 106 North East St., the office of Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni has said.

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said Wednesday that investigators had determined the cause of the fire was an electrical problem in a wall outlet in the living room of a third floor apartment. Gulluni had said the day after the fire that investigators had decided the probe of the blaze wasn't a criminal investigation.

Eight pets -- five dogs, one chameleon, one cat and a turtle -- were found at the fire scene, and the remains of two dogs, a cat and a guinea pig also were recovered, animal control officer Erick Velez said Wednesday.

Pond last week disputed Cunningham's comment that a woman who fell from an upper story to her death might have been saved had the full complement of firefighters and engines been available.

"There's no factual information to those claims, so rather than sling mud or become political, I'd like to just say that Engine 1, Engine 3 and Truck 1 all responded when the alarm was sent to us. That's an appropriate response to that," Pond said.

Cunningham is president of Holyoke Fire Fighters Association, Local 1693,International Association of Fire Fighters.

Robert said that for more information about the demonstration, contact her at 413-478-1475 or BMR413@aol.com


West Columbus Avenue in Springfield to close tonight and Tuesday for I-91 work

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The $183.3-million I-91 Springfield viaduct rehab project is under budget and ahead of schedule.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has announced street closures in Springfield this week related to work on the Interstate 91 viaduct.

The state will close West Columbus Avenue between Interstate 291 and Gridiron Street from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. tonight into Tuesday morning and from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to a press release.

MassDOT will close Exit 8 from I-91 North to I-291 East and portions of Clinton Street and Liberty Street between East and West Columbus Avenues, also from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night.

The roads will be closed to protect  motorists from demolition work being done overhead on the interstate 91 viaduct.

The $183.3-million rehab project on Interstate 91 is under budget and ahead of schedule, MassDOT secretary Stephanie Pollack said.

DETOURS:

For West Columbus Avenue:

Traffic on Temporary Exit 7-6 from I-91 South, or from Route 20 West/Birnie Avenue: Take the on-ramp to I-291 East and take Exit 2 for Chestnut Street. Turn right on Chestnut Street, turn right on Liberty Street, then turn left on Dwight Street. Turn right on State Street and continue onto West Columbus Avenue.
Traffic on East Columbus Avenue destined for travel southbound: Take a right on Emery Street and turn right on Main Street. Turn left on Liberty Street, then turn right on Dwight Street. Turn right on State Street and continue onto West Columbus Avenue.

For Exit 8:

To reach I-291 East/Route 20 East from I-91 North: Take Exit 10 for Main Street/Route 116. Turn right onto Main Street/Route 116. Turn left onto Liberty Street, then turn left onto Chestnut Street. Take the ramp on the right to access I-291 East/Route 20 East.

MassDOT advises drivers to plan for additional travel time through this area.

I-91 detour by Jim Kinney on Scribd

Springfield apartment fire displaces 3, damage estimated at $30K

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The fire started in a third-floor bedroom, according to the fire department.


SPRINGFIELD - A small fire on the third floor of a multi-family home on Dunmoreland Street left three residents in need of shelter, according to the fire department.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the fire at 37-30 Dunmoreland St. in the city's Upper Hill neighborhood was knocked down quickly by firefighters. But smoke and water damage to the upper floors left one apartment uninhabitable.

The fire started in a third floor bedroom. The bedroom was heavily damaged by flames, he said.

The combined heat, smoke and water damage was estimated at $30,000, he said.

The family that was displaced occupied the apartment on the second and third floor, he said.

The American Red Cross was called to the scene to provide assistance.

The cause of the fire has not be determined. It remains under investigation, Leger said.


Peter Pan bus hits parked oil delivery truck, Granby house; 2000 gallons of oil spilled

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The spill dumped 2,000 gallons of heating oil in the road and one a nearby lawn. Watch video


This is an update of a story originally published at 1:06 p.m. Monday

GRANBY - An accident Monday morning on Route 141 involving a Peter Pan bus and an oil delivery truck resulted in major damage of a house and the spilling of more than 2,000 gallons of home heating oil, officials said.

The accident, reported at about 11:15 a.m. in the area of 664 Amherst Road, resulted in the closing of Route 116, the main route between Amherst and South Hadley, for 3 1/2 hours, according to police.

The driver of the bus and one of his five passengers suffered minor injuries, according to police. The driver was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

According to Granby Police Chief Alan Wishart, the bus was heading north on Route 141 from Springfield to Amherst when it clipped the oil truck.

The oil truck was stopped on the side of the road to make a delivery and the driver was not in the vehicle, Wishart said.

After contact, the bus crossed both lanes of the road, across a lawn and struck the house at 664 Amherst Road, he said. The house was unoccupied at the time, but it and the bus were each heavily damaged.

The oil truck was also heavily damaged with contact causing a tear in the large oil tank on the back of the truck, causing a major spill at the scene.

Ed Colletta, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, said about 2,000 gallons of home heating oil was spilled following the accident when the oil truck's tank was ruptured.
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Much of the oil landed on the asphalt, but a large amount spilled onto the front lawn, he said. Much of it was contained at the scene.

Some oil leaked into a storm drain, but DEP officials were able to contain it before it could spread anywhere.

The oil company has hired a contractor to clean up the spill, and DEP officials are remaining on scene to oversee the work, he said.

Dianne Veronesi, spokeswoman for Peter Pan Bus Lines, said the company is beginning an investigation into the crash and will work with police to determine the cause.
All Peter Pan buses are fitted with GPS tracking devices and cameras, and all of that information will be used in the investigation.

There were five passengers on the bus, which was heading from Springfield to Amherst.
None of the passengers were injured, she said.

The driver, whose name was not disclosed, was taken to the hospital by ambulance for treatment of what were described as minor injuries. She did not have information if he was admitted to the hospital.

The driver, she said, has been with Peter Pan since 1974 and had an outstanding driving record with the company . He recently earned his 3-million-mile award, meaning he has gone 36 years without an accident, she said.

The company estimates drivers complete 1 million miles every 12 years.

The bus, according to footage from the scene, appeared to have sustained heavy front end damage.

Veronesi said there is not an estimate on the damage to the bus. Peter Pan officials will be inspecting the damage to make that determination, she said.

Jeff LaBrecque, who owns the house with his sister, said she was in the house moments before the crash, but decided to go for a coffee.

The house sustained heavy damage to one section, and that will likely have to be torn down.

The section that bore most of the damage is the part of the house where his sister has her office, LaBrecque said.

"Probably moments before the bus drove through the building she left to go get coffee," he said.

He said he is supposed to hear shortly if town officials will considered the rest of the home habitable, or if they will have to seek shelter somewhere else.

"We know that section that was hit will have to be torn down for sure," he said.

Wishart said Granby police, fire and ambulance responded to the scene. They were assisted by South Hadley police and fire officials, the state police and the state DEP.

The accident remains under investigation, he said.

Gov. Charlie Baker will sign bill requiring AEDs in Massachusetts schools

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The bill was inspired by the death of Kevin Major, a young athlete from Westfield.

BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker plans to sign into law a bill inspired by a Westfield athlete requiring every school in Massachusetts to have an automated external defibrillator on site.

"I normally don't talk about legislation that's on our desk until it's gone through a full review, but I happen to be pretty familiar with that particular bill, and we're going to sign it," Baker told reporters at the Statehouse on Monday. "I congratulate the Legislature for getting it done."

A group of families who lost loved ones to cardiac arrest spent the last legislative session advocating for the bill, S.2449, which will require every school to have an AED, a device that can shock a person's heart back to its proper rhythm after someone goes into cardiac arrest.

The bill finally passed on the last day of the 2016 legislative session and is now on Baker's desk.

Kevin Major 2010.jpgKevin J. Major 

One of the leading advocates for the bill was the nonprofit KEVS Foundation, a foundation founded by the family of Kevin Major, of Westfield. Major was 19 when he died in 2011 while swimming in Congamond Lakes. He had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart that can cause sudden death in young athletes.

Major's mother, Susan Canning, told The Republican / MassLive that the families had met with Baker and gotten his assurance that he will sign the bill. In an interview last week, Canning said she is "just thrilled" with the bill's passage. "It's just a win for everybody in the commonwealth," Canning said.

Unless they get a waiver for financial hardship reasons, schools will be required to have an AED in school buildings and on school athletic fields by July 2018.

Attempts to free Massachusetts inmates convicted of marijuana possession resisted by top politicians

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Gov. Charlie Baker said he would not support rewriting law retroactively.

An attempt by some pro-marijuana activists to release Massachusetts inmates previously convicted of marijuana possession is unlikely to get support from Beacon Hill's top politicians.

"I certainly wouldn't support rewriting law retroactively," Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday.

The Boston Herald first reported that minority rights activists and pro-marijuana activists are working with the ACLU and State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, to introduce a bill to release from jail people convicted of marijuana possession now that Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana use. The bill would also erase the convictions of some people convicted of marijuana possession and sales.

But both Baker, a Republican, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, sounded skeptical of the bill when asked about it on Monday. Baker said since Massachusetts decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2008, most people arrested for possession are major drug dealers. There is also a process for someone to apply for a pardon or commutation if they feel the law was applied to them unfairly.

But Baker said he would never agree to rewrite laws retroactively. "That's not the way it's supposed to work," Baker said. "Most people know what the laws are, and they're expected to abide by it."

Lawmakers will be considering a comprehensive criminal justice reform bill this session, and DeLeo said he does not think the proposed marijuana bill will be part of that. DeLeo and Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, both said the bill must go through the general legislative process of being filed with a committee and having a public hearing.

DeLeo said it would "probably be very difficult" to consider a retroactive legal change.

Now there are 30 potential Amherst College mascots -- narrowed from 588 unique suggestions

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Aces, blaze, hamster, poets, pride and wolves made the cut. So did moose, luminaries, mammoth, purple and mastodon to replace the current Amherst College mascot. The Biddys, David Foster Walrus Hooloovoo did not.

AMHERST -- Aces, blaze, hamster, poets, pride and wolves made the cut in the quest to replace the current Amherst College mascot.

So did moose, luminaries, mammoth, purple and mastodon -- but The Biddys, David Foster Walrus, Hooloovoo and hundreds of others did not.

The Amherst College Mascot Committee has narrowed the list of mascot suggestions replacements to 30.

Faculty, staff, students and alumni submitted a total of 2,046 suggestions, representing 588 unique offerings from the 1,590 individuals who submitted them.

The college's board of trustees voted to drop Lord Jeff as a mascot last January at the request of the student body. Sports teams have been referred to as the "Purple and White" this fall.

Last November, 83 percent of 1,600 students said they believed the controversial Lord Jeff should be renounced as a representative of the school. A poll of alumni found a majority were against Lord Jeff.

Other semifinalists include: Amethyst, A's, beacons, dinosaur, falcons, fighting poets, flame, hawks, irradients, oaks, octagons, owl, phoenix, purple &white, purple aces, purple aces, purple rays, radiance, rays and valley hawks.

Of the losing entries, "The Biddys" -- a reference to the college's president -- had been offered because, according to the submission, "In such a divisive time over the last number of years at the College, the one unifying figure has been Biddy Martin." 

"David Foster Walrus" was offered to honor the late literary hero and Amherst College graduate David Foster Wallace. A variation also was suggested: the David Foster Wallabies.   

Hooloovoo, from the book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," was offered because it is "hyper-intelligent shade of the color blue, (which on occasion is) temprorarily refracted into a free-standing prism," the suggester stated. 

That submission continued: "It's perfect: hyper-intelligent (Amherst students) shade of the color blue (i.e., purple, already in place), represented as a prism (the most visually pleasing shape), which works equally well for all sexes, ages, and races. It's a no-brainer." 

Criteria used to narrow the field included that the suggestions be:

unifying for the Amherst campus and larger Amherst community; represent positive qualities, ideals or associations around which people can rally; be broadly relevant across the Amherst community, the student body and generations of alumni; be representative of the Amherst experience or history, either generally or specifically; work equally well for women's and men's sports teams; and have the potential to translate in a visually pleasing manner.

In February, the Mascot Committee will seek feedback from a representative group of alumni and student delegates, who will be asked to rate the semifinalists according to the criteria and alumni feedback.

The Mascot Committee will use the ratings to identify the top five mascot ideas.

All Amherst alumni, students, faculty and staff will be able to vote on the five finalists from March 20 to 31. The winning mascot name will be announced in the spring.

Corrections officers evacuated from unit at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley as prisoners refuse to lock their cells

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Fox25 News is reporting that a housing unit of 51 inmates at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley are refusing to lock in their cells.

Fox25 News is reporting that a housing unit of 51 inmates at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley are refusing to lock in their cells.

The correctional center is a maximum level security prison. 

A Massachusetts State Police spokesman told MassLive "numerous units" were sent to assist with a prisoner disturbance at one of the housing units. 

Corrections officers have reportedly been pulled from the unit, he said. 

NECN reports a crisis negotiations team is on scene and will attempt to get the inmates to lock in peacefully.

This is a developing news story and will be updated. 


Crisis negotiator called into Souza-Baranowski Corrections Center in Shirley as prisoners refuse to go back to cells

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A spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections says a crisis negotiator has been called into the Souza-Baranowski Corrections Center in Shirley to negotiate with prisoners after they refused to return to their cells.

UPDATE: Authorities have now regained control of the prison, are assessing damage.

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A spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections says a crisis negotiator has been called into the Souza-Baranowski Corrections Center in Shirley to negotiate with prisoners after they refused to return to their cells.

Department of Corrections spokesman Christopher Fallon told MassLive a crisis negotiator had been called into the prison and the corrections officers in the unit evacuated after prisoners refused to return to their cells Monday evening. 

Authorities are still investigating how the incident started, he said. 

The prisoners are part of a unit of 51 inmates at the maximum level security prison.

Massachusetts State Police are on scene with "numerous units" outside the prison on stand-by to assist, a Mass. State Police spokesman said.

There are no reported injuries, Fallon said.  

As of 6:45 p.m. the situation was still ongoing. 

Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center is where convicted killers Aaron Hernandez and Jared Remy are serving, although Mass DOC would not confirm whether either prisoner was in the unit where the disturbance was occurring. 

Authorities regain control of prisoners at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center following disturbance

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The Massachusetts Department of Corrections reports it has regained control of a housing unit at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center after prisoners there refused to return to their cells.

The Massachusetts Department of Corrections reports it has regained control of a housing unit at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center after prisoners there refused to return to their cells.

Mass. DOC Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Communications Christopher Fallon says that at approximately 7 p.m., special operations personnel regained control of the P-1 housing unit at the prison.

"There are no staff injuries and we are currently assessing the inmates and the extent of the damage to the housing unit," Fallon said in a statement. 

The prison had pulled corrections officers from the unit after prisoners reportedly would not return to their cells for a lock-in. A crisis negotiator was called in, Fallon said. 

A Massachusetts State Police spokesman told MassLive "numerous units" were sent to assist with a prisoner disturbance at one of the housing units. State police were stationed outside the prison and at a location nearby on standby in case they were needed, the spokesman said. 

Fallon said the department was still investigating what caused the disturbance. 

Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center is where convicted killers Aaron Hernandez and Jared Remy are serving, although Mass DOC would not confirm whether either prisoner was in the unit where the disturbance occurred. 

Inmates use fire extinguishers, makeshift weapons during riot at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley

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Inmates at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley destroyed a housing unit Monday night after a fight broke out between two inmates that quickly escalated when corrections officers tried to return inmates to their cells, the Department of Corrections reports.

Inmates at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley used makeshift weapons to destroy a housing unit Monday night during a riot after a fight broke out between two inmates, the Department of Corrections reports.

Conditions escalated quickly when corrections officers, responding to the fight, tried to return inmates to their cells

According to the Department of Corrections, the physical altercation broke out Monday between two high-ranking members of a security threat group in the general population of the prison. 

"While officers were attempting to secure approximately 46 inmates in their cells, another physical altercation started in the unit between two separate inmates," the department said in a statement. "One of the inmates was able to be restrained and escorted from the unit and the remaining inmates were actively resisting being secured in their cells."

Officials then made the decision to pull corrections officers from the unit and call in a crisis negotiator. 

When corrections officers left, however, inmates reportedly began trashing the housing unit. 

"Sprinkler heads were broken off, camera systems were destroyed, the computer system in the unit was destroyed along with extensive damage to much of the remaining parts of the unit," the statement said. "Inmates utilized fire extinguishers and other makeshift weapons in order to destroy furnishings, windows, etc."

At 7 p.m., members of the special operations unit deployed a chemical agent on the inmates to secure the facility, the department reported. Inmates where then searched for weapons and examined by medical staff.

There were no injuries of staff or inmates reported. 

Authorities say inmates involved will be moved to various units throughout the agency while an investigation is conducted. 

Springfield City Council adopts ordinance to protect city-owned historically significant buildings

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The Springfield City Council approved stronger protections for city-owned, historically significant buildings threatened with demolition.

SPRINGFIELD -- The City Council gave final approval Monday night to an ordinance that will help protect historically significant city buildings by offering financial incentives to developers opting to save the sites from demolition.

As approved by a 12-0 vote, the ordinance will add protections for tax-foreclosed, city-owned "historically significant" buildings. Specifically, city departments cannot use city funds or grant money to demolish such buildings without first offering that amount of money, or a greater sum of money, to a developer who is willing to save and restore the building, according to the ordinance.

The ordinance, however, does not delay demolition of buildings deemed public safety hazards, or "emergency demolition," or court-ordered demolition, officials said.

"There is so much history in the city of Springfield and so many beautiful historic buildings," council President Orlando Ramos said after the vote. "I'm glad we took the final step to approve this ordinance."

Councilors conferred with some historic preservation activists in pursuing the ordinance amendment.

It amends an ordinance enacted three years ago that established a nine-month delay on the demolition of century-old buildings in Springfield.

A council committee also conferred with representatives of the Law, Housing, Planning and Finance offices before submitted the revised ordinance. The ordinance received first-step approval in December.

In other action, the council:

  • Gave first-step approval for creation of a committee to oversee the Community Preservation Act tax surcharge, to be used for historic preservation projects in Springfield, open space, recreation and community housing. Final approval could be considered at the next regular council meeting.
  • Gave approval to the Library Department to apply for a state grant to help fund a proposed new branch library in East Forest Park. The vote was 11-1 in favor of the grant application with Councilor Timothy Rooke voting no after raising concerns about the potential estimated price of $9.5 million.
  • Gave first-step approval for a moratorium of up to one year on the retail sale of recreational marijuana, designed to give the city time to draft zoning guidelines. The state Legislature also plans to mull regulations.
  • Christina Royal, HCC's 1st female president, aims to 'co-create our future'

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    History was made at Holyoke Community College on Monday as faculty and staff gathered to welcome the school's first female president.

    HOLYOKE -- History was made at Holyoke Community College on Monday as faculty and staff gathered to welcome the school's first female president.

    "I think there is such great potential at this institution to build off of the great work that has already existed and to be able to take HCC to the next level," said Christina Royal.

    Royal said she wants to hit the ground running by supporting students and increasing enrollment.

    "Student success is paramount at a community college and any institution," she said. "HCC has an excellent reputation for being a transfer institution, and I want us to continue to build off that."

    Royal also acknowledged that as an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution -- a distinction for colleges with a Latino student population between 15 and 24 percent -- growth of the student body would yield future grant opportunities that will assist in her plans for the school.

    Royal said she is most looking forward to working with employees and students to "co-create our future."

    "I'd like to look at how we can innovate at the institution, but I'd like to do it in partnership with others and having a chance to engage with the faculty, staff, students and community members," she said. "I'm looking forward to seeing those opportunities to collaborate. If we build up the college, we'll build up the surrounding western region, and if we build the surrounding region up the college will grow as well."

    After former HCC President William Messner announced last February that he would retire, HCC went on a nationwide search for his successor. Through an extensive vetting and interviewing process, the school narrowed the pool of 50 applicants down to four finalists.

    HCC's board of trustees ultimately named Royal as the institution's fourth president on Nov. 3.

    JoAnne Rome, the college's marketing and communications director, said staff members were thrilled to welcome Royal.

    "We should be seeing more women and people of color in more leadership roles," Rome said. "(Royal) understands how HCC needs to adjust to meet the needs of the community."

    Royal's work history has prepared her to set the tone for HCC's future, Rome said. And although this will be Royal's first position as president, she isn't new to leadership in higher education.

    Prior to HCC, Royal was provost and vice president of academic affairs at Inver Hills Community College in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Before that she was associate vice president of e-learning and innovation at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland.

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