The city Ordinance Unit on Monday reported that 2016 was a "record year" in which the nine-officer squad provided key assistance to city policing efforts by "flooding" high-crime neighborhoods during the daytime hours.

The Springfield Police Department Ordinance Unit reports that 2016 was a "record year" in which the nine-officer squad provided key assistance to city policing efforts by "flooding" high-crime neighborhoods during the daytime hours. 

Responsible, according to Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney, for "literally cleaning up Springfield," the squad issued almost 13,000 violation tickets worth $342,000 in penalties in 2016.

Delaney, leader of the squad, which assists the city Building Division and code enforcement officer, wrote about the accomplishment in a Facebook post.

"The Ordinance Unit conducts 'park and walk' sweeps of entire neighborhoods," Delaney wrote. "Officers deal with city ordinance violations, blight, graffiti, noise violations, motor vehicle violators and other quality-of-life issues that citizens complain about on a daily basis."

He added, "Most of the time officers deal with absentee landlords and home owners that will not keep their property up to code."

In a MassLive interview Tuesday, Delaney said the squad picks neighborhoods "plagued by a certain type of crime" -- including prostitution and drug dealing. 

"Our philosophy is, where there's blight, there's crime," Delaney said. "We enforce zero tolerance in these areas when it comes to blight."

Efforts to implement the philosophy, alongside a more streamlined working relationship with city fire and other departments, has contributed to an "astronomical" increase in productivity since 2013.

The squad in 2013 issued just over half the number of citations it did in 2016 -- 6,919. It issued 8,082 citations in 2014 and 10,400 in 2015.

"It's just been gathering steam as far as our efforts in neighborhoods are concerned," Springfield's Deputy Director of Code Enforcement David Cotter told MassLive on Tuesday. "We're going to the absolute worst calls."

He added, "(Residents) have a great response. They see our increased presence and they're not afraid anymore. They'll come out of their houses and tell us their concerns."

Even as Delaney and Cotter reported the squad's successes on Tuesday, members were on their way to a problem on Forest Park Avenue and later in the afternoon planned to intervene on Draper Street, where a shooting had earlier been reported.

The Ordinance Squad has, over the years, headed up a number of key enforcement issues in Springfield.

In 2012, the squad initiated a crackdown on unnecessary noise -- loud amplification devices, domestic power tools, parties and reveling.

Delaney, meanwhile, instructed the squad to "eradicate all (the outdoor encampments) they could find" in 2015.

Also in 2015, the squad captured 18 roosters suspected of being kept for cockfighting from a home on Alderman Street. 

Delaney said the unit identifies abandoned buildings it had no prior knowledge of and makes arrests, among other things, during sweeps. 

"This model that we're using in Springfield, other cities and towns have reached out to us and want to emulate what we're doing," Delaney said. 

A scholarship breakfast sponsored by Wesley United Methodist Church will include a tribute to retired state Rep. Ben Swan Sr.,

SPRINGFIELD -- Wesley United Methodist Church will sponsor the 35th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Breakfast on Saturday at the Sheraton Hotel, which will include a tribute to retired state Rep. Benjamin Swan Sr.

The breakfast begins at 9 a.m. at the hotel, located at One Monarch Place in downtown Springfield.

During the program, two seniors at Springfield High School will receive scholarships.

Bishop Talbert W. Swan, president of the Springfield Chapter of the NAACP and pastor of Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ, will speak on the theme "Leadership in Challenging Times."

In honor of this year's theme, the scholarship breakfast will be recognizing Ben Swan Sr. for his 22 years of service as state representative in 11th Hampden District. Swan chose not to seek re-election, and the race to replace him was won by City Councilor Bud Williams.

Tickets cost $40, and are available through Eventbrite and Facebook.

For more information, emailwesleyumc741@gmail.com or call (413) 331-9355.

An L.L.Bean heiress bankrolled a pro-Trump PAC, landing the company in hot water with an anti-Trump boycott movement.

L.L.Bean doesn't want to be the subject of a boycott just because of a board member's politics.

In a Facebook post made late Sunday night, the Maine-based clothing and outdoor retailer's Executive Chairman Shawn Gorman defended the company and asked customers to ignore calls for a boycott from #GrabYourWallet. The company landed on the group's boycott list because its heiress Linda Bean, a noted Republican donor and former Republican candidate for Congress, donated to a pro-Trump political action committee (PAC).

"We fully acknowledge and respect that some may disagree with the political views of a single member of our 10-person board of directors," Gorman wrote. However, he argued that they were a large and diverse company that doesn't officially engage in any political activity, and that "no individual alone speaks on behalf of the business or represents the values of the company that L.L. built."

#GrabYourWallet was formed in the wake of the infamous leaked audio tapes that featured Donald Trump bragging about getting away with groping women, among other explicit details. The group calls for boycotts of companies that carry Trump products or have raised money for Trump's political efforts.

In addition to earning the ire of #GrabYourWallet, Linda Bean is also currently under Federal Election Commission scrutiny for her donations made to the PAC. According to the Portland Press Herald, Bean made excessive donations beyond the $5,000 individual limit for the Making America Great Again PAC.

For its part, #GrabYourWallet says it will remove the company from its boycott list once they remove Linda Bean from the board, according to Maine Public.

Read the full statement from L.L.Bean below:

Massachusetts Department of Corrections released photos Tuesday showing damage to a unit following an inmate riot Monday evening.

Massachusetts Department of Corrections released photos Tuesday showing damage to a unit following an inmate riot at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley Monday evening.

The photos show extensive damage to the facility, numerous weapons seized from inmates and provide potential gang connections to the riot. A symbol of the Latin Kings, a five-point crown, was carved onto a table during the riot, alongside the acronyms "ADR" and "AOD." 

The riot began after a fight broke out between two inmates and the matter escalated, the corrections department said, after officers sought to send inmates back to their cells. 

"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."

After corrections officers were pulled from the unit, inmates began damaging the facility. 

"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."

Numerous units of Massachusetts State Police were sent to the prison Monday to assist with the prisoner disturbance. Around 7 p.m., pepper spray was deployed and members of a special operations unit were able to secure the facility. 

Prisoners used makeshift weapons during riot

The Springfield Housing Authority has announced a ban on any use of smokable marijuana at its housing, administrative buildings and grounds.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Housing Authority announced Tuesday that despite the recent legalization of marijuana possession in Massachusetts, it is banning marijuana smoking at all of its public housing sites, buildings and grounds in conjunction with an existing policy that bans indoor and outdoor smoking.

The authority's Board of Commissioners voted unanimously at a recent meeting to add marijuana to its list of smokable items under a ban first imposed in 2012 and amended twice to expand to interior as well as exterior properties and e-cigarettes, a spokeswoman said.

The new rule does not apply to marijuana edibles or prescription forms of the plant which are not smoked.

The use of recreational marijuana was approved by voters in Massachusetts on Nov. 8, and took effect Dec. 15, allowing adults, ages 21 and older to possess marijuana.

SHA Executive Director William H. Abrashkin said the regulation is aimed at keeping all SHA buildings and grounds healthy, adding that it is a preference of most residents and staff.

"Although the evidence is that marijuana smoke is far less toxic than tobacco smoke, the smoke can be disagreeable for other residents and interfere with their enjoyment of their homes," Abrashkin said.

"In addition, to young children smoking is smoking, and we are striving to give our kids an example of a healthier lifestyle that will serve them well as they grow up," Abrashkin said. "For these reasons, our policy was amended to include not only smoking tobacco but also marijuana."

The Springfield Housing Authority is Massachusetts' second largest housing authority, with 2,397 traditional public housing units located at 27 sites throughout the city, 240 Massachusetts Rental Vouchers, and 2,893 Housing Choice Vouchers.

When travelers fled from gunfire that erupted in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, they became displaced from their luggage and personal belongings.

When travelers fled from gunfire that erupted in the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, they became displaced from their luggage and personal belongings.

Thousands of items need to be reclaimed at the Fort Lauderdale airport.Broward County

Now 25,000 items are waiting at the airport to be reunited with owners, according to CBS News.

Five people were killed when the suspect, identified as Esteban Santiago, fired his gun in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2.

Without luggage, passengers were left stranded without items packed in their bags like clothing, identification and medicine.

The Broward County Sheriff's Department tweeted on Monday that a mother was looking for her daughter's stuffed animal, left at the airport.

The mother updated Twitter on Tuesday morning saying that the stuffed animal, Rufus, had been found.

Has anyone seen #Rufus? Help @klariviere3 find her daughter's stuffed animal that was lost in the #FLLshooting. https://t.co/oT0ykVKqiU

-- Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) January 9, 2017

As the airport reopened, stranded travelers tried to reach their destinations and reunite with their belongings.

Officials said in a statement released Monday that hundreds of items had already been returned.

"We are moving through the baggage retrieval process as quickly as possible, but it does take time to ensure that items are returned only to their rightful owners," airport spokesman Greg Meyer said.

Passengers, airport employees and others who lost items at the airport are asked to make a claim by calling 866-435-9355.

We're making significant progress in returning bags and personal items from Friday's incident. Here's the latest: https://t.co/0fUsNdg01j

-- Ft. Laude-Hlwd Int'l (@FLLFlyer) January 10, 2017

Town officials have spoken with the state highway department about the proposal, who oppose the idea

 

PALMER -- The Town Council discussed but took no action Monday night on Councilor Robert Lavoie's proposal to paint a "thin blue line" on about 200 yards of roadway near the police station in a show of support for the men and women who serve on the force.

The council is slated to discuss the matter again at their next scheduled meeting.

Town officials have spoken about the proposal with state highway officials, who have expressed opposition to the idea because of safety issues.

While not saying it cannot be done, the state strongly recommend against the proposal, saying it would not conform to roadway regulations.

In a written statement filed with the town, Lavoie said the "Thin Blue Line Proposal" or "Blue Line" project would involve painting a blue line between the double yellow lines on stretches of roadway near police headquarters.

"Along with the line goes a lawn sign campaign for residents who wish to show their support for local law enforcement by displaying a sign on private property," Lavoie wrote.

Lavoie hopes the town will paint about 100 yards of blue line on Route 181, or Skyes St., and for 100 yards on Main St. The two roads surround municipal buildings that include the police station.

He said the idea could serve as "a daily reminder to express community support and thanks to local law enforcement for what they do on a daily basis."

"Their job has always been dangerous, but as we all know, has become increasingly so today," his statement continued. "The line would not only represent our appreciation for officers, but recognize the sacrifices their families make as well."

In New Jersey, where a number of communities painted similar blue lines in October, federal officials have warned the practice could compromise safety. 

NJ.com reported that a Dec. 8, 2016 letter from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration to the Somerset County Engineering Division stated: "There are many appropriate and fitting ways to recognize service to the public that do not involve the modification of a traffic control device, which can put the road user at risk due to misinterpretation of its meaning.

The letter said the lines do not meet uniformity standards for traffic control devices on streets and highways, according to NJ.com. 

Demonstrators at Holyoke City Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 want the city stop the money-saving practice of "browning out," or temporarily removing from service, Fire Department trucks on certain shifts after a New Year's Day fire killed three people.

HOLYOKE -- Demonstrators were stationed outside City Hall today to call for an end to the "brownouts" of Fire Department trucks after a New Year's Day fire at 106 North East St. killed three people.

Brittany Robert, of Holyoke, whose father and brother are Holyoke firefighter, organized the demonstration because she said it was wrong to risk lives by withholding personnel and equipment that can increase public safety.

The demonstration was planned for noon to 5 p.m., she 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.

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.

This is a developing story and details will be added as reporting continues.

Already sentenced to 15-20 in state prison, Lecompte is facing 15 years federal time, according to officials.

Derek LecompteGreenfield police photo 

SPRINGFIELD - A Greenfield man who last month was sentenced to 15- to 20-years in state prison for rape of a minor has pleaded guilty in federal court to separate charges of sexually exploiting a minor.

Derek LecompteGreenfield police photo 

Derek Lecompte, 26, on Thursday agreed to plead guility in U.S. District Court in Springfield to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. He was charged with befriending a 10-year-old boy, took sexually explicit photos of him and then distributed them over the internet.

If the guilty plea is accepted by the court, Lecompte will be sentenced to 15 years in federal prison to be followed by probation for 10 years. Judge Mark Mastroianni is scheduled to sentence Lecompte on March 30.

Lecompte has already been sentenced to state prison after pleading guilty Dec. 5 in Franklin Superior Court to charges of aggravated rape and abuse of a child, posing a child in the nude, unnatural acts with a child, conspiracy to tamper with evidence, and other crimes that took place in 2013-14.

In April 2015, while Lecompte was free on bail awaiting trial on those charges, he cut off his court-ordered GPS devise and fled the state. He was arrested two days later in Miami to stand trial.

Judge John Agostni sentenced him 15 to 20 years in state prison. He must also serve 10 years on probation following his release, and register with the state Sex Offenders Advisory Board as a sex offender.

Mary Carey, spokesman for Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan, said his federal prison sentence has not been determined yet, but it is likely his federal and state prison sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time, in a federal prison in New York.

If his federal sentence is for less than his state sentence, then at the end of his federal time, he will be transferred back to Massachusetts to serve out the remainder of his state sentence in state prison, she said.

Although President-elect Donald Trump is set to take the oath of office in just over a week, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said he believes the incoming commander-in-chief needs to curb his rhetoric and focus on bringing Americans together.

Although President-elect Donald Trump is set to take the oath of office in just over a week, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said he believes the incoming commander-in-chief needs to curb his rhetoric and focus on bringing Americans together.

The Massachusetts Democrat said in a recent interview that he believes Trump intends to divide the country and "should be more presidential."

Democrats, Markey added, are preparing to battle with the president-elect and Republicans over an array of issues.

Despite Trump's election night pledge to "be president for all Americans," Markey argued that the incoming president's actions since then suggest he has no plans to bring Americans together.

"I think it's very clear that Donald Trump does not intend on bringing the country together, Donald Trump intends on continuing to divide it. He intends on continuing the campaign," he said in an interview. "He should be more presidential; he should realize that he's got the bully pulpit."    

The senator further argued that Trump should emulate the example set by another Republican who held the Oval Office.

"The great Republican President Theodore Roosevelt once said that he should speak softly, but carry a big stick. What (Trump) is doing is just the opposite," he said.

Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, appealed for unity among backers and opponents in his election night speech, contending "it's time for America to bind the wounds of division."

"To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people," he said at the time.

Despite striking a conciliatory tone in his remarks, the president-elect has continued to make controversial posts on social media and drawn criticism for his reaction to reports of alleged Russian interference in the presidential election.

President-elect Donald Trump pledges to dream big for country, says his movement is just beginning

Markey offered that Trump's behavior upon taking office should determine how congressional Democrats draw their battle lines when it comes to debating hot-button issues like Social Security, Medicare, firearms-related policies and immigration, as well as contentious cabinet nominees.

Lawmakers, he stressed, must further ensure the new president "cannot act in an authoritarian way" and respects the rights of everyone.

"I don't think Donald Trump is going to stop, and because he's not going to stop, we have to be ready to fight him every day." the senator said. "The president determines the terms of battle. He clearly doesn't want to work together with all Americans, so, as a result, those who are being insulted, those who are being attacked, must band together in order to fight back. That's what I am willing to do."

Markey, who urged Berkshire County residents to join that fight at a Saturday rally, is the latest member of Massachusetts' congressional delegation to offer pointed critique of the incoming president. 

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, said last week that while she respects and supports the peaceful transition of power, she will not condone the incoming president's "divisive rhetoric" by participating in the 2017 inaugural ceremonies.

Congressman Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, meanwhile, led House Democrats late last week in attempting to offer a series of challenges to Trump's Electoral College victory.

McGovern said although he knew his objection would be unsuccessful, he thought it was "important that we make clear that we're going to stand up and we're going to fight back." 

Congress certifies Donald Trump's Electoral College win despite objections by US Rep. Jim McGovern, others

Brockton police have arrested three men, saying that they held a 16-year-old Fitchburg girl and forced her into prostitution.

Brockton police have arrested three men, saying that they held a 16-year-old Fitchburg girl at a city apartment and forced her into prostitution.

The suspects allegedly arranged for a person to pick up the girl in Fitchburg and bring her to Brockton on Saturday for a party at an apartment at 29 Howard St., according to The Brockton Enterprise. 

The girl was held captive there and the suspects posted an ad for prostitution on Backpage.com, the newspaper reported.

Doriane Sylvestre, 21, of Brockton, Keith M. Grace, 25, of Chelsea, and Chinier Bennett, 19, of Boston are facing numerous charges, including human trafficking, The Enterprise reported. She was reported missing in Fitchburg that night.

The victim reported missing in Fitchburg on Saturday.

The girl knew the suspects from previously living with them in a group home, according to the newspaper.

Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney James DeGiacomo said in court on Monday that the suspects photographed the girl in the nude, The Enterprise reported.

When police knocked on the apartment's door and discovered the girl, she yelled for help, the newspaper said.

All three suspects were held on bail and are scheduled to return to court on Feb. 2, according to The Enterprise.

Daniel Bennett said inmates during a riot at Souza-Baranowski prison in Massachusetts broke apart furniture, fashioned weapons and prepared to attack correctional officers.

BOSTON -- Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Security Daniel Bennett described a chaotic scene Monday evening at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, as inmates broke apart furniture, fashioned weapons and prepared to attack correctional officers.

"They were getting ready for war," Bennett said.

Bennett spoke to reporters at the Statehouse on Tuesday, following a Monday evening riot at the maximum-security prison. Bennett said there were "some minor injuries" resulting from the unrest, but nothing serious.

"For me, the most important thing ... is that nobody got hurt," Gov. Charlie Baker said.

According to Bennett, the unrest started when two inmates from different units got into a fistfight. Protocol requires that when there is a fight, all the inmates must return to their cells to ensure that the fight is not gang-related and does not escalate. This time, inmates in one of the units, P1, refused to return to their cells.

Following protocol, correctional officers tried to negotiate to get the prisoners to go back to their cells. When it became obvious that the prisoners would not go back, the guards withdrew from the unit to avoid violence. They summoned a crisis negotiator and the state police, who brought dogs and pepper spray.

Once the correctional officers withdrew, the prisoners began destroying the housing unit and making weapons.

"Once they backed out, the prisoners began to break apart tables to arm themselves, went into areas where the (correctional officers) normally were, broke that apart, tried to remove the gas masks out of there, then took the computers and broke those down and made knives and shivs, then took other articles and made knives, and they started to get ready for the (correctional officers) to come back in," Bennett said.

Bennett said there were 47 inmates in the unit, some of whom had been convicted for crimes as serious as murder or armed assault with intent to murder. They "broke everything in sight," Bennett said, and disarmed the security cameras.

The riot lasted for about three hours, Bennett said. Once the correctional officers and police were ready, they went back into the unit with pepper spray. The pepper spray was significant enough that the inmates began to give themselves up, some individually and some in small groups.

The officers disarmed the inmates and moved them all out of the unit and into cells in an empty unit.

Bennett said there is no question that there was an imminent threat to the correctional officers. "If you see the videotape, you had 47 inmates ready to take on the COs, and they had armed themselves with knives and bats and iron pipes, and they were going to go after the COs," Bennett said.

The entire facility was in lockdown Monday night.

Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center is where convicted killers Aaron Hernandez and Jared Remy are serving. Bennett would not disclose which prisoners were on the unit that rioted.

Baker, speaking to reporters Tuesday, said, "I commend everybody for maintaining their cool, following their protocol, doing the things they needed to do to make sure nobody got hurt. We can always replace damaged furniture and stuff like that, it's much harder to deal with a situation and circumstances in which somebody gets hurt."

Baker said prisons must always strike a balance between inmate freedom and security. "I think folks here in Massachusetts do this as well as anybody, and I think based on the performance with respect to the way they handled this particular incident, you have an example of the fact that people followed protocol and nobody got hurt."

Northampton Police on Monday accused a Holyoke man of reporting a bogus car theft, saying his vehicle -- found crashed and abandoned -- had vanished while he was rendezvousing with someone he met on a gay dating app.

After the owner of a vehicle found crashed and abandoned by Northampton police reported his car stolen, he is facing charges of falsely reporting a car theft.

In the early hours of Oct. 2, Northampton Police Officer Bradley Buzzee found a blue Honda Civic inside the roundabout construction site at the intersection of Conz and Pleasant Streets. Inside the vehicle, officers found the driver's license of a 29-year-old Holyoke resident.

Within an hour of police opening the investigation into the abandoned vehicle, Corey J. Hodges called police around 5 a.m. to report his vehicle missing from the E.J. Gare Parking Garage on Armory Street, believing it possibly towed.

"I then informed him that his vehicle was located approximately 45 minutes prior, crashed into a rotary on Pleasant Street," Buzzee wrote in his report. "His demeanor appeared calm, and he did not appear shocked by the news," Buzzee noted.

Hodges told police he'd spent the night away from his home, leaving the vehicle parked overnight in the city garage and that he wished to file a stolen motor vehicle report.

Subsequent investigation over the following days convinced Buzzee that Hodges was actually behind the wheel when the vehicle crashed.

A security guard at the adjacent Fairfield Inn told Buzzee he had both seen and briefly interacted with someone who looked like Hodges in the early morning hours of Oct. 2, around the time of the crash. The inn's night auditor also said he saw the man and described to Buzzee the outfit Hodges was wearing on the night in question.

Finally, Buzzee obtained surveillance footage from New England Treatment Access -- a medical marijuana dispensary located on Conz Street -- which shows an individual wearing the outfit Hodges was wearing pass by the screen at 4:20 a.m. -- right after the crash.

Hodges appeared in Northampton District Court on Monday, where he was charged with filing a false report of a motor vehicle theft. Buzzee initially charged Hodges with leaving the scene of property damage as well -- a plate compactor Hodge's Civic struck suffered roughly $2,900 in damage -- but the latter charge was dropped.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on March 3.

The prerequisite for the course is one semester of college Spanish, or its equivalent, or permission from the instructor.

SPRINGFIELD — From basic phrases to job specific vocabulary, a new conversational Spanish course at Springfield Technical Community College will encourage students to speak more than read or write the language.

"This is a great opportunity for anyone who has taken Spanish but has difficulty actually using it," said Jean Zenor, chairwoman of the World Languages Department and professor of the course.

The conversational Spanish class will be held during the spring 2017 semester on Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The cost of the course is $660 and is worth three credits.

The class will be geared toward those entering a field or employed in a position where being able to understand and use basic Spanish would be useful. However, the course is open to anyone interested in speaking Spanish conversationally.

"I plan to try and customize the class to serve the needs and interests of my students. Basic grammar and vocabulary will be covered as necessary in order to effectively communicate, but most of the class will be student-centered speaking and listening," Zenor said.

The prerequisite for the course is one semester of college Spanish, or its equivalent, or permission from the instructor.

To register for the class, SPN 111-E61 Conversational Spanish, visit www.stcc.edu/explore/register/, call 413-755-4321 or register in person at the Registrar's Office, Garvey Hall South, First Floor.

The spring semester classes begin Jan. 23.

The threat appears to have been left on voice mail sometime Monday but was not found until Tuesday.

SPRINGFIELD - The Massachusetts State Office Building on Dwight Street is being evacuated as a result of a bomb threat received over voicemail, according to a Springfield fire official.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene of the state building at 436 Dwight St. just before 1:30 p.m. in response to a threat, said Dennis Leger, aide to Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

Springfield fire and police, the Massachusetts State Police and an investigator with the state Fire Marshal's Office have been dispatched to the scene.

Jennifer Meith, spokeswoman for the Fire Marshal's Office said the building has been evacuated and it is not clear when people will be allowed back inside.

Leger said the bomb threat appears to have been left on the voicemail system sometime on Monday and it was not heard until Tuesday afternoon.

A 66-year-old man on Monday paid a $125 fine on a disorderly conduct charge after he admitted to publicly masturbating in Forbes Library in November.

A 66-year-old man paid a $125 fine on Monday, setting a disorderly conduct charge after he admitted to publicly masturbating in Forbes Library in November.

On Nov. 2, a women reported seeing a male patron masturbating in an aisle while watching a women through the bookshelves.

The Forbes Library employee then called police.

When an officer arrived at the West Street library, the man was still there, "sitting on top of a stool looking through a shelf of books."

The officer approached, identifying the man as Stephen P. Graves of Northampton, noting in a report on the incident how Graves "became extremely nervous and apologetic."

Graves reportedly admitted to touching himself for an hour while looking at a woman through the bookshelves. He added that "he was sorry and that he would leave immediately," according to the police report.

Graves was issued an official notice of trespass from the library as well.

The incident began when the bus clipped an oil truck in the area of 597 Amherst Road and ended some 300 feet away when it crashed into the home at 664 Amherst Road.

GRANBY -- Investigators hope that video from cameras onboard a Peter Pan bus that crashed into an oil truck and then a home on Route 116 Monday morning will provide insight into what happened.

The bus driver and a passenger suffered minor injuries in crash, police said. It was reported about 11:15 a.m.

It began when the bus, carrying five passengers, clipped the parked Fuel Services oil truck in the area of 597 Amherst Road and ended some 300 feet away when it crashed into the home at 664 Amherst Road.

The oil truck driver, preparing to make a delivery, was not in the truck at the time of the crash. The owner of the home at 664 Amherst St. had just left to get a cup of coffee and nobody else was home.

"Nobody was seriously injured," Police Chief Alan Wishart said at the scene Monday. "It's pretty amazing."

More than 2,000 gallons of home heating fuel was spilled in the area of 597 Amherst Road.

After clipping the oil truck, the northbound bus crossed into the southbound lane and left the roadway in front of 662 Amherst Road, taking out a cluster of mailboxes.

The bus then continued diagonally across the large lawn at 664 Amherst Road and knocked down a medium-sized evergreen tree before hitting the home, causing serious damage to an office space there.

Wishart said late Tuesday morning that his department has not yet had a chance to view the video but should be able to do so soon.

"That should give us a real good idea of what happened," he said.

Danielle Veronesi, spokeswoman for Peter Pan Bus Lines, said Monday that 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 cameras and GPS tracking devices, she said.

Veronesi could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.

Ed Colletta, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, said much of the spilled 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 hired a contractor to clean up the spill.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association represents 130 employees at Baystate Noble in Westfield.

WESTFIELD -- Unionized nurses at Baystate Noble Hospital plan both an informational picket and a rally on Wednesday as they work toward a new contract following more than 10 months of negotiations.

The sides are currently working with a federal mediator, according to Baystate.

The nurses are working under an extension of their last contact while negotiations continue.

The informational picket will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday in front of the emergency department of Baystate Noble Hospital at the intersection of Court and Mill streets.

Baystate Noble officials said the hospital will remain open and patients will not have to cross a picket line.

Later, a rally will be held from  4:30 to 6 p.m. at Park Square Green in downtown Westfield.

Staffing levels, the number of nurses per patient, is at issue for the nurses, said Joe Markman, associate director, division of communication at the Massachusetts Nurses Association. The nurses want the charts that management uses to determine  how many nurses to assign to each department based on the number of patients in the department enshrined in the new contract.

On the other side, Baystate Noble President Ronald Bryant said Tuesday that management has no plans to cut staffing ratios.

"We feel very strongly that we are in full agreement that there will never be unsafe staffing levels at Baystate Noble Hospital," Bryant said.

For example, Baysate Noble maintains a one-to-one nurse to patient ration at its adult medical surgery intensive care unit, according to Baystate figures.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association has 130 members working at Baystate Noble, the union said. Those nurses have been working under an expired contract since March 2016.  Negotiations have been ongoing for nearly a year as well.

Baystate Health took over the much smaller, 97-bed,  Noble Hospital in Westfield two years ago in the summer of 2015. The current contract was signed by the former Noble Hospital and continued under a successor agreement under Baystate

Markman said Baystate Health ended 2014 and 2015 with a combined $121 million in profits, according to the state. Between 2010 and 2015, Baystate Medical Center alone made $480 million in profits.

In response, Baystate said the union was not taking into account recent financial struggles that Baystate, including Baystate Noble has endured

Baystate also said that in 2015, there was a one time savings of roughly $70 million that resulted from the freezing of the employee pension program. Had this savings not been realized, Baystate Health would have ended the year with a net loss of $10 million

Despite being part of the larger Baystate System, Bryant said his still responsible for making Noble cost efficient in a changing health care marketplace. Noble has to stand on its own, he said.

The average Noble Hospital nurse rate is $39 an hour, Markman said Tuesday. New hires begin at $30 an hour and the top of the union  nursing pay scale is $52.05 an hour. The hourly rate scale for Noble nurses is an average of 3 percent below the market for new hires and 8 percent below the market for the top of scale, based on a comparison of  Nobel with other Massachusetts Nurses Association Contracts from around the state including Eastern Massachusetts where wages are generally higher.

"Wages are definitely not the top issue for Noble nurses, though improving them is important for recruitment and retention of nurses. Nurses have also proposed improving the quality and cost of their health insurance for similar reasons," Markman said.

While he didn't share figures of his own, Bryant said Baystate Noble nursing rates of pay are competitive with other nursing employers in Western Massachusetts.

Nurses at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield are not union members.

Baystate Franklin, like Noble, is unionized however and Baystate is currently in the early stages of negotiations with nurses there.

Baystate Franklin and the Union spent three years negotiating before arriveing at a deal in 2014 that verted a planned strike.

That agreement in Greenfield gave nurses a pay raise that averages out to about 2.5 percent a year moving forward as well as ratification bonuses. Both sides compromised on overtime rules which had been a sticking point during negotiations.

The agreement in Greenfield expired in December of 2016. Bot sides are in the  early stages of negotiating a new one.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, D-Mass., will take their fight to preserve the Affordable Care Act to their constituents Sunday, as they join Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for an afternoon rally against Republican-backed repeal efforts.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, D-Mass., will take their fight to preserve the Affordable Care Act to their constituents Sunday, as they join Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for an afternoon rally against Republican-backed repeal efforts.

The senators, mayor and members of the state's congressional delegation will gather at Boston's Faneuil Hall to rally support for the contentious health care law, known as Obamacare, and to tell Republicans they will not "get away with" efforts to dismantle it.

The event, which is set to kick off at 1 p.m., comes as part of national "Our First Stand" day of action where Democrats, trade unions, senior groups and health care activists will rally against changes to the Affordable Care Act.

In addition to the Boston event, U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal are expected to join U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Elizabeth Etsy for a 1 p.m. "First Stand" rally at the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford on Sunday.

Other states hosting events in conjunction with the national day of action include: Michigan, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

The rallies come as part of Democrats' pledge to "fight back" against GOP-backed efforts to repeal the health care law.

US Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey defend Obamacare, blast GOP efforts to repeal law

Republicans, however, have remained firm in their call to repeal the ACA, with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan casting GOP efforts to dismantle it as "a rescue mission to save the families who are getting caught up in the death spiral that has become Obamacare."

The South Hadley man was shot and robbed by three men who came to his home to buy marijuana, according to police.

Patrick Johnson | pjohnson@repub.com 

NORTHAMPTON - Two Chicopee men have pleaded innocent to assault and weapons charges related to their arrest in connection with a Nov. 26 home invasion in South Hadley where a resident was shot.

One of the three men, Dupree Hinds, 30, of Chicopee was arraigned Tuesday in Hampshire Superior Court.

He is charged with home invasion, armed robbery, assault and battery by discharge of a firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm as a person with three prior crimes of violence, unlawful possession of ammunition, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and conspiracy.

Judge Mark Mason ordered Hinds held in lieu of $500,000 cash bail pending his next court appearance on April 20. The bail determination was made without prejudice, meaning the amount can be revisited later.

Mason also ordered that if Hinds makes bail, he is to stay away from the victim.

A second defendant Robert VanHoy, 19, of Chicopee, entered an innocent plea at his arraignment on Friday. He is charged with home invasion, assault with intent to rob with a firearm, assault and battery with a firearm and three unlawful possession charges.
His bail was set at $25,000.

The third defendant, Joseph N. Massa, 18, of Chicopee, is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court on Friday.

The three are accused of shooting a resident of a South Hadley apartment complex during a robbery, according to police. They had arranged to purchase some marijuana from the man but apparently decided to rob him instead.

The man, whose name was not disclosed to the press, was driven by private vehicle to Holyoke Medical Center hours after the shooting. He was treated for a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

According to Carey, the man is still recovering from serious injuries.