A police K-9 was used to apprehend a drunken driving suspect during an incident in Lynn on Thursday morning.

LYNN, Ma — A police K-9 was used to apprehend a drunken driving suspect during a recent incident, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Keon Edward Dow, of North Andover, is now facing his third drunken driving charge after leading police on a high speed car chase in Lynn on Thursday morning.

Police first attempted to apprehend Dow after a trooper allegedly witnessed him texting while driving his BMW on Route 1 in Lynnfield. Police say Dow was driving fast and was unable to maintain his travel lane.

The chase ended when Dow exited the highway and apparently crashed, running into a fire hydrant and smashing into a wall near the intersection of Lynnfield Street and Dayton Road in Lynn, police said.

Police say Dow then proceeded to exit his vehicle and flee into a wooded area adjacent to the site of the crash.

It was at this point that State Police K-9 "Tank" was deployed to search for Dow.

Tank tracked into a nearby backyard, where the suspect was hiding. Dow subsequently fled the backyard and police engaged in a brief foot pursuit before apprehending him.

Dow now faces a number of charges, including operating under the influence of alcohol 3rd offense, open container of alcohol, failure to stop for police, texting while driving, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, operating after license suspension subsequent offense.

The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership will offer the program as part of its mission to raise student achievement at struggling schools.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership, formed to raise student achievement at struggling schools, will launch an honors program at the High School of Commerce in the fall.

The new program was announced Thursday in partnership with the Springfield Public Schools.

The Empowerment Zone is a program intended to speed academic progress at nine struggling middle schools in Springfield, with the High School of Commerce added this school year.

"This additional high-quality high school option in Springfield will welcome students who meet rigorous criteria and are prepared to excel in a challenging academic environment, and will prepare students to succeed in the region's and nation's top colleges," the Empowerment Zone Partnership stated in a news release.

The partnership oversees Chestnut North, Chestnut South, Chestnut Talented and Gifted, Duggan, Forest Park, Kennedy, Kiley, Van Sickle Academy and Van Sickle IB middle schools, which total about 4,000 students.

The Empowerment Zone Partnership will begin managing Commerce in July, and the launch of the honors program will be part of its efforts to improve high school opportunities for students in Springfield, the partnership said. Students will be able to participate in Commerce's athletics and other extracurricular activities.

"We know Springfield students can compete with any kids in the country," said partnership Chairman Chris Gabrieli. "A rigorous honors program will accelerate students' opportunities to excel and become leaders in Springfield, our commonwealth and our nation."

Entry into the honors program will not be based on test scores, as is done in many school systems. Instead, the schools will invite "a select group of eighth-grade Springfield students with excellent grades and demonstrated achievement on the state's academic measures." There will later be a second round of admissions where students who were not initially invited may also apply for available spots, partnership said.

"Springfield is a leading innovator in education, and I am excited to be adding another strong high school option for our students," said Springfield Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick.

Grace Howard-Donlin, the co-director of the office of curriculum and professional development for Worcester Public Schools, will be the Commerce program's founding director. She will work closely with Colleen O'Connor, the principal of Chestnut Talented and Gifted Middle School, to design the program.

Massachusetts lawmakers on Wednesday hustled a bill raising pay for top legislators, and others to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk. Here's what it does. Watch video

BOSTON - Massachusetts lawmakers on Wednesday hustled a bill raising pay for top legislators and others to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk.

Final votes on the bill, which could cost the state in the range of $12 million to $18 million every year, came Thursday afternoon. Lawmakers jammed the bill through both the House and Senate and the proposal appears to be veto-proof.

Lawmakers receive a $62,547 base salary, adjusted upwards or downwards based on a mechanism in the state constitution. The bill sent to the governor's desk on Thursday increases the stipends they receive as part of being legislators.

Supporters say the pay levels are outdated and inadequate, while opponents say it's inappropriate to hike pay during ongoing state budget cuts.

Will Gov. Baker veto the pay raise proposal?

Here's what the bill would do if signed into law, according to a summary from the state Senate's Ways and Means Committee:

• Boosts the governor's annual salary to $185,000, from $151,800, along with a $65,000. Gov. Baker has said he is satisfied with the $151,800 and has previously said he isn't interested in a housing allowance.

• Increases lieutenant governor's salary to $165,000, attorney general's salary to $175,000, salary of the secretary of the commonwealth to $165,000, state treasurer's salary to $175,000, and auditor's salary to $165,000.

• Hikes stipends of House speaker and Senate president by $80,000, so they receive $142,547. The House speaker and Senate president are also prohibited, along with constitutional officers , from receiving earned income from any other source. Unearned or passive income is allowed.

• Adds $60,000 to the stipends of the chairs of the budget-writing Ways and Means Committees, bringing their totals to roughly $122,000.

• Ups the stipends for majority leader and minority leader by $60,000. The speaker pro tem and the president pro tem get a $50,000 boost, and assistant leaders receive a $35,000 increase.

• Most committee chairs and some vice chairs will receive a $15,000 bump. Other committee chairs will receive a $30,000 stipend increase, while most vice chairs will pick up an additional $5,200.

• The bill also removes reimbursements, also known as per diems, for lawmakers traveling to the State House on Beacon Hill. Instead, their expense accounts will increase to $15,000 from $7,200, if they live within 50 miles of the State House, and up to $20,000 if they live 50 miles outside the State House.

• Adjusts salaries of constitutional officers, and stipend and office accounts of legislators every two years, "according to the change in salaries and wages in Massachusetts, as measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis."

• Boosts judges' salary by a total of $25,000 in four half-year installments, ending July 1, 2018.

Did your state senator vote to raise pay for top Mass. lawmakers? Here's the roll call

Did your state rep vote to raise top Mass. lawmakers' pay? Here's the roll call

On Thursday evening the Springfield License Commission approved the transfer of ownership to Paul Ramesh, owner of the Zone nightclub, and the change of the club's name to Wonderland.

Springfield's beleagured ShowBar strip club will have a new owner and new name for its planned re-opening later this year.

On Thursday evening the Springfield License Commission approved the transfer of ownership to Paul Ramesh, owner of the Zone nightclub, and the change of the club's name to Wonderland.

"This is a changing of the guard," said Daniel Kelly, the club's attorney. "We expect and you will see a significant sea change in that entity."

Wonderland will still offer adult entertainment when it reopens after license suspensions expire in March and following approval from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. Showbar has been closed for months due to suspensions and as it awaited new management.

In June, ShowBar was hit with 15-day liquor license suspension in connection with a March 18 fight that left a dancer with stab wounds, with the potential for another 45 days if additional violations were incurred.

Those 45 days kicked in after the club sold alcohol to a minor during its probation period.

And in December, citing "severe management deficiencies," the license commission issued a 60 day suspension until new ownership and management of the club was approved. 

An investigation into allegations that ShowBar hired a 17-year-old dancer is still pending and local hearings have been delayed until a state probe is finished.

Ramesh is the current owner of The Zone nightclub, 80 Worthington St., and also was the owner of the Shadow Lounge at 278 Worthington St. before it closed on Dec. 31.

Two workers at the Shadow Lounge were injured in a stabbing last July. The city did not pursue any violation hearing due to the bar's planned closure in December, according to the city.

Ramesh told MassLive that the club was closed and empty of patrons when the workers were stabbed during a robbery attempt.

Ramesh's Zone nightclub was given a three-day suspension for failing to post its liquor license after nearby shooting in 2014.

But Kelly said that the shooting took place a block away outside the Shakago bar on Hampden Street, and that Zone was cleared of other allegations that it impeded a police investigation and violated its security plan.

Corporate ownership of ShowBar is transferring from Buddy's Pub LLC to Downtown Boyz LLC.

ShowBar was affiliated with Springfield strip club magnate James Santaniello, but Ramesh, who will also serve as the club's manager, has no connections to the previous ownership, Kelly said.

Police arrested Joshua Evans and Emilio Garcia-Cappas in the raid that was led by the Berkshire County Drug Task Force.

NORTH ADAMS - Two Springfield men were arrested early Thursday in a narcotics raid on a Mill Street residence that yielded what police are saying were large amounts of heroin, cash and packaging materials.

In all, police arrested three people in the 5 a.m. raid at 28 Mill St., police said. The raid was conducted by the Berkshire County Drug Force and the Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations (STOP) Team following an investigation into drug activity there.

The raid was the result of police obtaining a district court search warrant.

Arrested werre Jaycee Bressette of North Adams and Joshua Evans and Emilio Garcia-Cappas, both of Springfield.

Bressette and Evans were charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Garcia-Cappas was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, second offence, conspiracy to violated drug laws, and giving a false name to a police officer.

The three were arrainged on the charges Thursday in North Adams District Court, but information on the arraignment was not available.

More than an hour after a controversial pay raise proposal cleared the Massachusetts House and Senate, Gov. Charlie Baker said he plans to veto the bill.

BOSTON - More than an hour after a controversial pay raise proposal cleared the Massachusetts House and Senate, Gov. Charlie Baker said he plans to veto the bill.

"Lt. Governor [Karyn] Polito and I are deeply thankful for our collaborative relationship with the Legislature that has produced positive results for the people of Massachusetts - and while we disagree on the issue of compensation, we are optimistic that we will continue to work together to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to us by the people of Massachusetts," he said in a statement released by his office.

"One of those core responsibilities is the responsible custody of the people's tax dollars, and we will veto this legislation because given the current fiscal outlook for the state, now is not the time to expend additional funds on elected officials' salaries," he added.

The proposal raises the pay of top lawmakers, constitutional officers like Baker and Polito, and judges.

The proposal, which made it to Baker's desk with veto-proof support in the House and Senate, could cost the state an estimated $12 million to $18 million.

Here's what the pay raise proposal does

Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, said lawmakers haven't had a raise in over 30 years.

"The last time the raise happened was before I was born," said Lesser, who is 31 years old.

"I think given that it's completely appropriate and reasonable to take a look at this and to adjust it," he continued. "There's certainly sticker shock, I appreciate that. But I think folks should know this wasn't done in a hasty way. There are actually two reports going back 9 years to 2008 and another report done in 2014, both done independently and included bipartisan groups of experts."

Lesser said he appreciates that others might disagree.

"But I think it's important for good governance," he said. "I actually view it as an important anti-corruption measure because there's quite a lot in there including a ban on outside employment for the speaker and the senate president which is very important. So like everything there's a compromise and building in incentives for doing more work and building in more transparency I think are good things."

Did your state senator vote to raise pay for top Mass. lawmakers? Here's the roll call

Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield, was one of nine lawmakers who voted against the proposal in the Senate. He called it the "wrong time" to raise legislators' pay.

"It just puts all the members in a really uncomfortable position," Humason said. "This is not a bill that any of us want to deal with first thing out of the gate, in a new session. We've got a lot of work to do and I think most of us members want to get right to that work that our constituents expect us to get to."

Asked whether he plans to accept the pay raise or donate it, Humason told reporters, "I think I'll wait to see to make that decision after I've seen what happens."

Shira Schoenberg contributed to this report.

Did your state rep vote to raise top Mass. lawmakers' pay? Here's the roll call

Jamie Eldridge's bill would also prohibit state databases from being used for any kind of Muslim registry.

BOSTON -- A liberal Massachusetts state senator has introduced a bill that would prevent state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, and would prohibit state databases from being used for any kind of Muslim registry.

The bill comes amid protests from immigrant advocates over President Donald Trump's executive orders this week increasing the number of immigration officers who would carry out deportations, enhancing border patrols and taking the first steps toward building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

"It's about protecting the civil rights of all residents of Massachusetts," said state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, who sponsored the bill, S.1596.

Eldridge's bill is an expanded version of a bill that has been filed in previous legislative sessions but never passed.

The bill would prohibit state and local police from arresting or detaining immigrants who do not have documents solely because of their immigration status. Supporters of the so-called "Trust Act" say the legislation would enhance trust between the police and communities and ensure that immigrants do not fear calling the police when they witness or become victims of crime. Opponents say the bill would deprive law enforcement of a tool to maintain public safety.

According to law enforcement, most immigrants who are currently detained by state officials on behalf of the federal government are those with criminal records. However, there is a fear that that could change under Trump, who has said he wants to deport all immigrants who entered the country illegally -- although exactly how he will approach that and whether he will fulfill that pledge remains unclear.

"With the executive orders signed yesterday by President Trump, there is major concern in Massachusetts that mass deportations, raids on people's neighborhoods and where they work, could happen here," Eldridge said.

Eldridge's bill would also go further this time around, preventing a state database from being used for any federal registry program based on religion, national origin or other characteristics. Trump suggested during his campaign that he would try to create some form of registry for Muslim immigrants.

The bill would also prohibit county sheriffs from deputizing their officers to be federal immigration agents, something sheriffs in Bristol and Plymouth counties have proposed doing.

Trump has said he will deny federal funding to any city or state that declares itself a sanctuary for immigrants in the country illegally. It is not clear if the bill's passage would meet that definition and put federal funding for Massachusetts at risk. Similar bills have never advanced in previous years, and Gov. Charlie Baker has said in the past that he wants to leave those types of decisions to local authorities.

Some cities, including Boston, Cambridge and Somerville, have already said they will not cooperate with federal immigration authorities and will provide a haven for immigrants who entered the country illegally.

Eldridge filed his bill as pro-immigrant groups and unions protested in downtown Boston against Trump's immigration policies.

The Rev. June Cooper, who works for City Mission Boston, a social justice organization, said she attended the protest to show "outrage around what Donald Trump has managed to pull off in just a little bit of time to create chaos and division."

Cooper, who comes from a liberal Protestant tradition, said she was taught "to love our neighbors, to embrace the stranger, to reach out and to help those that are in need."

"This is just the wrong message that Donald Trump is sending," Cooper said.

Johanna Tvedt, who worked at a resource center for refugee and immigrant women in Norway and has since immigrated to Cambridge, said she is "devastated to see what's going on, and how we're forgetting our values and the core beliefs of the United States and abandoning immigrants and families and their children."

Tvedt said she recognizes the privilege she has as a white immigrant from Norway. She said watching Trump prepare to suspend refugee and visa programs from majority Muslim countries, which Trump says he has done due to terrorism concerns, "feels terrible."

A Ludlow man is being charged with stealing an elderly woman's purse.

LUDLOW, Ma — After a Ludlow man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon for motor vehicle violations, a police investigation revealed he had stolen an elderly woman's purse, said Sergeant Daniel J. Valadas of the Ludlow Police Department in a statement released on Thursday.

46-year-old Eugene L. Chartier was pulled over in the Walgreen's Plaza parking lot on East Street in Ludlow by several detectives. The detectives were aware Chartier had a suspended driver's license and that the vehicle he was driving had a revoked registration, Valadas said.

Chartier was subsequently taken into custody for various motor vehicle violation charges.

However, upon further investigation into Chartier, detectives discovered that he had stolen a 65-year-old woman's purse and illegally used her credit card, Valadas said.

Detectives believe Chartier stole the woman's purse from a Big Y Supermarket parking lot in Ludlow on January 3.

He now faces a long list of charges, including larceny from a person over 65-years-old, larceny under $250, and improper use of a credit card, as well as operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver's license, driving a motor vehicle with a revoke registration, and a number of other motor vehicle related offenses.

Chartier was booked at the Ludlow Police Department before being taken to the Palmer District Court to be arraigned for the charges against him.

Holyoke, Massachusetts Mayor Alex B. Morse said on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 he will abide by his 2014 executive order that directed city police to avoid enforcing federal civil detainer requests aimed at holding immigrants past the point when they usually would be released in opposition to an executive order issued on Wednesday by President Donald Trump that threatened loss of federal funding for such immigration steps.

HOLYOKE -- Bring it, Mayor Alex B. Morse said.

The three-term mayor said Thursday he will fight President Donald Trump's plan to block federal funding to so-called "sanctuary cities" like Holyoke where police departments do not assist federal agencies in detaining and deporting some immigrants living here illegally.

"His executive order is toothless, and will not impact the city of Holyoke. I join with fellow mayors from across the United States in reaffirming our citys' status as a safe place for all people," Morse said.

"I stand ready to fight alongside my fellow mayors against any move by the Trump administration to pit people against each other. It's counter productive, and down right destructive," he said.

Trump signed an executive order Wednesday denying federal funding to sanctuary cities, or jurisdictions, that choose not to cooperate with federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants (see below).

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno: 'We are not a sanctuary city'

Morse issued an executive order in November 2014 that directed police to avoid enforcing federal civil detainer requests aimed at holding immigrants past the point when they usually would be released.

The order, which Morse said made official an existing police practice, would not apply if an individual is the subject of a criminal warrant, has been indicted, arraigned or convicted in relation to a criminal offense or is a registered Massachusetts sex offender.

"These steps reflect my administration's continued commitment to the principles of justice, fairness and a respect for the dignity of all persons," Morse said in explaining the executive order.

'We need to be aware of potential financial impact' if Holyoke deemed sanctuary city: Council President Kevin Jourdain

Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger has said it is rare that police get requests from agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrants who are in police custody longer than the normal 48-hour holding period.

Neiswanger has said he supported Morse's executive order. The goal is to eliminate the fear that illegal immigrants have of police and encourage them to help if a crime occurs, given that 15 million to 20 million illegal immigrants are living in the country n ow, the chief said then.

Holyoke Police Chief James Neiswanger agrees with Mayor Alex Morse's directive on illegal immigrants

"Many of these people become victims of and-or witnesses to crime. Not everyone trusts the police. Fearing the thought and-or the threat of possible deportation, many of these immigrant victim-witnesses may not come forward to the local police," Neiswanger said.

"This executive order is simply trying to break down that wall of fear," he said.

Here is the text of President Donald Trump's executive order in relation to "sanctuary cities":

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE INTERIOR OF THE
UNITED STATES

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), and in order to ensure the public safety of the American people in communities across the United States as well as to ensure that our Nation's immigration laws are faithfully executed, I hereby declare the policy of the executive branch to be, and order, as follows:

Section 1. Purpose. Interior enforcement of our Nation's immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States. Many aliens who illegally enter the United States and those who overstay or otherwise violate the terms of their visas present a significant threat to national security and public safety. This is particularly so for aliens who engage in criminal conduct in the United States.

Sanctuary jurisdictions across the United States willfully violate Federal law in an attempt to shield aliens from removal from the United States. These jurisdictions have caused immeasurable harm to the American people and to the very fabric of our Republic.

Tens of thousands of removable aliens have been released into communities across the country, solely because their home countries refuse to accept their repatriation. Many of these aliens are criminals who have served time in our Federal, State, and local jails. The presence of such individuals in the United States, and the practices of foreign nations that refuse the repatriation of their nationals, are contrary to the national interest.

Although Federal immigration law provides a framework for Federal-State partnerships in enforcing our immigration laws to ensure the removal of aliens who have no right to be in the United States, the Federal Government has failed to discharge this basic sovereign responsibility. We cannot faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States if we exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. The purpose of this order is to direct executive departments and agencies (agencies) to employ all lawful means to enforce the immigration laws of the United States.

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the executive branch to:

(a) Ensure the faithful execution of the immigration laws of the United States, including the INA, against all removable aliens, consistent with Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution and section 3331 of title 5, United States Code;

(b) Make use of all available systems and resources to ensure the efficient and faithful execution of the immigration laws of the United States;

(c) Ensure that jurisdictions that fail to comply with applicable Federal law do not receive Federal funds, except as mandated by law;

(d) Ensure that aliens ordered removed from the United States are promptly removed; and

(e) Support victims, and the families of victims, of crimes committed by removable aliens.

Sec. 3. Definitions. The terms of this order, where applicable, shall have the meaning provided by section 1101 of title 8, United States Code.

Sec. 4. Enforcement of the Immigration Laws in the Interior of the United States. In furtherance of the policy described in section 2 of this order, I hereby direct agencies to employ all lawful means to ensure the faithful execution of the immigration laws of the United States against all removable aliens.

Sec. 5. Enforcement Priorities. In executing faithfully the immigration laws of the United States, the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) shall prioritize for removal those aliens described by the Congress in sections 212(a)(2), (a)(3), and (a)(6)(C), 235, and 237(a)(2) and (4) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2), (a)(3), and (a)(6)(C), 1225, and 1227(a)(2) and (4)), as well as removable aliens who:

(a) Have been convicted of any criminal offense;

(b) Have been charged with any criminal offense, where such charge has not been resolved;

(c) Have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense;

(d) Have engaged in fraud or willful misrepresentation in connection with any official matter or application before a governmental agency;

(e) Have abused any program related to receipt of public benefits;

(f) Are subject to a final order of removal, but who have not complied with their legal obligation to depart the United States; or

(g) In the judgment of an immigration officer, otherwise pose a risk to public safety or national security.

Sec. 6. Civil Fines and Penalties. As soon as practicable, and by no later than one year after the date of this order, the Secretary shall issue guidance and promulgate regulations, where required by law, to ensure the assessment and collection of all fines and penalties that the Secretary is authorized under the law to assess and collect from aliens unlawfully present in the United States and from those who facilitate their presence in the United States.

Sec. 7. Additional Enforcement and Removal Officers. The Secretary, through the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, shall, to the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations, take all appropriate action to hire 10,000 additional immigration officers, who shall complete relevant training and be authorized to perform the law enforcement functions described in section 287 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1357).

Sec. 8. Federal-State Agreements. It is the policy of the executive branch to empower State and local law enforcement agencies across the country to perform the functions of an immigration officer in the interior of the United States to the maximum extent permitted by law.

(a) In furtherance of this policy, the Secretary shall immediately take appropriate action to engage with the Governors of the States, as well as local officials, for the purpose of preparing to enter into agreements under section 287(g) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1357(g)).

(b) To the extent permitted by law and with the consent of State or local officials, as appropriate, the Secretary shall take appropriate action, through agreements under section 287(g) of the INA, or otherwise, to authorize State and local law enforcement officials, as the Secretary determines are qualified and appropriate, to perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to the investigation, apprehension, or detention of aliens in the United States under the direction and the supervision of the Secretary. Such authorization shall be in addition to, rather than in place of, Federal performance of these duties.

(c) To the extent permitted by law, the Secretary may structure each agreement under section 287(g) of the INA in a manner that provides the most effective model for enforcing Federal immigration laws for that jurisdiction.

Sec. 9. Sanctuary Jurisdictions. It is the policy of the executive branch to ensure, to the fullest extent of the law, that a State, or a political subdivision of a State, shall comply with 8 U.S.C. 1373.

(a) In furtherance of this policy, the Attorney General and the Secretary, in their discretion and to the extent consistent with law, shall ensure that jurisdictions that willfully refuse to comply with 8 U.S.C. 1373 (sanctuary jurisdictions) are not eligible to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes by the Attorney General or the Secretary. The Secretary has the authority to designate, in his discretion and to the extent consistent with law, a jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction. The Attorney General shall take appropriate enforcement action against any entity that violates 8 U.S.C. 1373, or which has in effect a statute, policy, or practice that prevents or hinders the enforcement of Federal law.

(b) To better inform the public regarding the public safety threats associated with sanctuary jurisdictions, the Secretary shall utilize the Declined Detainer Outcome Report or its equivalent and, on a weekly basis, make public a comprehensive list of criminal actions committed by aliens and any jurisdiction that ignored or otherwise failed to honor any detainers with respect to such aliens.

(c) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is directed to obtain and provide relevant and responsive information on all Federal grant money that currently is received by any sanctuary jurisdiction.

Sec. 10. Review of Previous Immigration Actions and Policies. (a) The Secretary shall immediately take all appropriate action to terminate the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP) described in the memorandum issued by the Secretary on November 20, 2014, and to reinstitute the immigration program known as "Secure Communities" referenced in that memorandum.

(b) The Secretary shall review agency regulations, policies, and procedures for consistency with this order and, if required, publish for notice and comment proposed regulations rescinding or revising any regulations inconsistent with this order and shall consider whether to withdraw or modify any inconsistent policies and procedures, as appropriate and consistent with the law.

(c) To protect our communities and better facilitate the identification, detention, and removal of criminal aliens within constitutional and statutory parameters, the Secretary shall consolidate and revise any applicable forms to more effectively communicate with recipient law enforcement agencies.

Sec. 11. Department of Justice Prosecutions of Immigration Violators. The Attorney General and the Secretary shall work together to develop and implement a program that ensures that adequate resources are devoted to the prosecution of criminal immigration offenses in the United States, and to develop cooperative strategies to reduce violent crime and the reach of transnational criminal organizations into the United States.

Sec. 12. Recalcitrant Countries. The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State shall cooperate to effectively implement the sanctions provided by section 243(d) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1253(d)), as appropriate. The Secretary of State shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law, ensure that diplomatic efforts and negotiations with foreign states include as a condition precedent the acceptance by those foreign states of their nationals who are subject to removal from the United States.

Sec. 13. Office for Victims of Crimes Committed by Removable Aliens. The Secretary shall direct the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take all appropriate and lawful action to establish within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement an office to provide proactive, timely, adequate, and professional services to victims of crimes committed by removable aliens and the family members of such victims. This office shall provide quarterly reports studying the effects of the victimization by criminal aliens present in the United States.

Sec. 14. Privacy Act. Agencies shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law, ensure that their privacy policies exclude persons who are not United States citizens or lawful permanent residents from the protections of the Privacy Act regarding personally identifiable information.

Sec. 15. Reporting. Except as otherwise provided in this order, the Secretary and the Attorney General shall each submit to the President a report on the progress of the directives contained in this order within 90 days of the date of this order and again within 180 days of the date of this order.

Sec. 16. Transparency. To promote the transparency and situational awareness of criminal aliens in the United States, the Secretary and the Attorney General are hereby directed to collect relevant data and provide quarterly reports on the following:

(a) the immigration status of all aliens incarcerated under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons;

(b) the immigration status of all aliens incarcerated as Federal pretrial detainees under the supervision of the United States Marshals Service; and

(c) the immigration status of all convicted aliens incarcerated in State prisons and local detention centers throughout the United States.

Sec. 17. Personnel Actions. The Office of Personnel Management shall take appropriate and lawful action to facilitate hiring personnel to implement this order.

Sec. 18. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 25, 2017

"Adry was a gift given to us by God to have for just a while and we have to be grateful for that," said Eva Gomez, her grandmother.

SPRINGFIELD -- The first full sentence Eva Gomez heard her granddaughter say was, "Grandma, I like your nails."

"I didn't even know she could talk yet, but even back then she was such a girly girl," Gomez said of her granddaughter Adrianna "Adry" Hernandez, who died hours after a tragic car accident on Union Street on Jan. 17.

The accident also took the lives of Hernandez' Central High School friends and fellow seniors Katrina Maisonet Jones and Cassidy Spence. Andrew Savage, Spence's cousin, was also killed in the crash. One man remains in critical condition.

Adrianna Hernandez, 18, was remembered by family and friends as a loving, joyful person during a wake held Jan. 26, 2017. Hernandez was killed in a car accident on Jan. 17, 2017. 

"She was such a joy, always smiling," said Gomez in between greeting people at a wake held for Hernandez on Thursday night at Centro Cristiano Nacion de Jesus in Springfield.

Hundreds flooded the church, filling every seat and standing in the aisles during a remembrance ceremony where several family members thanked those in attendance.

"She would have loved this. She would have turned it into a big party," said her oldest sister, Kyara J. Hernandez.

Hernandez also leaves behind her sister Kelshaliz M. Rodriguez, a brother, Luis Misael Hernandez, as well as a 6-month-old niece and her parents, Zulaika Hernandez-Gomez and Luis Hernandez.

At the service, both of her grandmothers smiled as they looked up at a big screen featuring dozens of pictures of the teen winning awards as a child, with her body buried in sand at the beach, making goofy faces with friends and hugging her mom or one of her cousins.

"She was a very daring child, always willing to try things," said her paternal grandmother, Jennie Hernandez. Although she moved to Puerto Rico four years ago, Hernandez often saw her grandmother.

 

"Right after I moved it was her Quinceanera and she demanded that me and her grandfather come back for her party," Jennie Hernandez said. "She wore a red dress that night and everyone else wore black and white. She was so beautiful."

In many pictures, Hernandez flashes a big smile with her braces in plain sight.

"She was actually going to get them removed next month," Gomez said. "That girl, she loved taking pictures and doing so many things. She was my little helper. I would take her everywhere, she would even go to thrift stores and shopping for antiques with me."

Set to graduate this spring, Hernandez was headed for the U.S. Army. She had a swearing-in ceremony two weeks ago. She would be following in the footsteps of Gomez, as well as her grandfather Gumersindo Gomez and her cousin Tyler Rodriguez, who have all served in the military.

Rodriguez took a moment during the ceremony to read the "Soldier's Creed."

"I never got to teach it to her," he said, reciting the words on the pulpit just above her white casket covered in flowers.

While many people were friends and teachers, most of the church was filled with Hernandez' very large extended family.

"She was the light of our family. There was no one quite like her," said Jose Angel Sierra, Eva Gomez's brother and one of the elders of the family, which arrived in Springfield in the 1950s. "We have a long history here in the city."

While she grew up surrounded by that history and living just minutes from many of her family members, Hernandez was ready for something bigger. Always the first one to invite herself on family trips, Hernandez enlisted in the Army because she wanted to see the world.

"She always wanted to go somewhere new, see something different," Gomez said.

Hernandez's uncle and godfather, Juan Manuel Hernandez, said he was proud of his niece who always made time for her siblings, cousins and friends.

"All her cousins loved her dearly. She was older than most of them, but she would hang out with the little ones or put her sneakers on and go outside and play with the boys. And let me tell you that girl could play. It didn't matter if it was basketball, soccer, baseball. ... She was amazing," he said.

While Hernandez's mother did not speak at the wake, she did included a few recollections of her daughter in a program handed out to the crowd.

"Adrianna always brought a smile to our faces and laughter to our lives and we will hold that near and dear to our hearts forever. She was not only a daughter, but a beloved sister, best friend, niece, cousin and granddaughter. We all loved her beyond words and will terribly miss her," she wrote.

Eva Gomez said while this is a painful time for her daughter and the entire family, Hernandez was not one to be sad for long.

"Adry was a gift given to us by God to have for just a while and we have to be grateful for that," she said.

Hernandez will be buried at Oak Grove Cemetery Friday morning.

The Holyoke, Massachusetts City Council president wants to know how much federal funding the city gets and the impact if the city's policies on federal immigrant law prompt President Donald Trump to block the funds, he said on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017.

HOLYOKE -- City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said Thursday the city needs to determine the impact of losing federal funding in light of its possible status as a "sanctuary city" and an executive order from President Donald Trump that could jeopardize such funding.

Jourdain sent an email saying he has filed an order about such matters. That came as Mayor Alex B. Morse said in remarks to The Republican Thursday that he will fight Trump's plan to block federal funding to so-called "sanctuary cities" like Holyoke where police departments do not assist federal agencies in detaining and deporting some immigrants living here illegally.

Morse had issued an executive order in November 2014 that directed police to avoid enforcing federal civil detainer requests aimed at holding immigrants past the point when they usually would be released.

Mayor Alex Morse vows Holyoke will defy President Donald Trump on sanctuary city order

The mayor's order, which Morse said made official an existing police practice, would not apply if an individual is the subject of a criminal warrant, has been indicted, arraigned or convicted in relation to a criminal offense or is a registered Massachusetts sex offender.

Trump signed an executive order Wednesday denying federal funding to sanctuary cities, or jurisdictions, that choose not to cooperate with federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.

Jourdain, who voted for Trump and was a delegate to the Republican Party national convention in Cleveland in July, filed an order that the City Council will consider at its next meeting on Feb. 7 asking that the city Law Department give a legal opinion on whether Holyoke could be classified as a sanctuary city.

Jourdain also said he wants a list of all federal grants and other federal funding the city receives.

"In the event that Holyoke policies cause to deem us a sanctuary city we need to be aware of the potential financial impact to the city of these policies in light of new executive orders on this topic being created at the federal level," Jourdain said.

Massachusetts State Police are investigating a fatal car crash in Milford.

MILFORD — Massachusetts State Police are investigating a fatal car crash that occurred in Milford on Thursday afternoon.

Troopers were called to the area of Route 495 in Milford at approximately 4:36 p.m. for reports of a single-vehicle crash.

Police say the crash occurred after a 2016 Toyota Tacoma that had been headed north, for reasons not yet understood, veered off of the road and struck a rock, after which it rolled over.

The operator of the truck--a 38-year-old man from Marlborough--had to be removed from the vehicle by Milford firefighters. He was subsequently taken by ambulance to the Milford Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The crash is still under investigation by a number of agencies.

The victim has not been identified at this time, pending familial notification.

Western Massachusetts activists have planned an evening vigil to address the recent policy initiatives of the Trump White House.

SPRINGFIELD — As a response to the Trump administration's recent executive orders targeting refugees and illegal immigrants, a number of Western Massachusetts activist groups have organized an "emergency rally for immigrant rights."

Dubbed "Sanctuary in the Streets," the event will be an evening vigil held at the Pioneer Valley Workers Center in Springfield on Friday, where the public has been invited to come out to support the "Muslim and Latino neighbors" that the activists believe the White House has targeted.

"Let us come together in a spirit of sanctuary, a sacred protection born of unity," said the event's organizers, in a statement on Thursday. "May we welcome and defend our neighbors and stand against Trump's efforts."

The event comes on the heels of several executive orders issued by the new President. One of the orders calls for the construction of a large border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, while the other has targeted "sanctuary cities"--communities that don't incarcerate or detain undocumented immigrants--by proposing that federal funding be stripped from them.

The event is supported by a number of local activist organizations, including Arise for Social Justice, the American Friends Service Committee of Western Massachusetts, a local chapter of Black Lives Matter, and Western Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, among a number of others.

"We ask you to gather Friday night, to show President Trump that we stand with our Muslim and Latino neighbors," the event's organizers said Thursday.

The event will be held on Friday evening, January 27, at 5 pm, in the Springfield City Hall located at 36 Court Street.

As the lethal dose of pentobarbital was administered, he began snoring quickly. Within about 30 seconds, all movement stopped.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- A man convicted of a fatal robbery at a Dallas-area Subway shop just weeks after he was fired from his job there was executed Thursday night.

Terry Edwards, 43, received lethal injection for the $3,000 holdup at a Subway restaurant where two employees were shot to death in 2002.

Asked by a warden if he had a final statement, Edwards replied: "I'm at peace with God. I hope y'all find peace in this." As the lethal dose of pentobarbital was administered, he began snoring quickly. Within about 30 seconds, all movement stopped.

He was pronounced dead at 10:17 p.m. CST, 23 minutes after the sedative began flowing into his arms. Edwards never looked at five relatives of the two murder victims who stood a few feet from him, looking through a window.

Edwards' execution, the second this year in Texas and the third nationally, was delayed about four hours until the U.S. Supreme Court rejected multiple last-day appeals that sought to halt his punishment.

Updated story with details from the execution of #TerryEdwards https://t.co/8NdoH6BeIG #deathpenalty

-- Jolie McCullough (@jsmccullou) January 27, 2017

Other attorneys asked the punishment be stopped until the justices resolved an appeal that would require Texas prison officials test the pentobarbital they use for lethal injections to ensure its potency and sterility. Edwards was among several Texas death row inmates who argued the testing was needed to make certain the drug made by an unidentified compounding pharmacy doesn't cause unconstitutional pain and suffering. The state agreed to testing for two inmates, and Edwards' attorneys said he deserved the same protections.

Evidence showed Edwards worked at the restaurant in Balch Springs, about 15 miles southeast of Dallas, but had been fired few weeks before the robbery and shootings for stealing from the cash register.

Mickell Goodwin, 26, and Tommy Walker, 34, were each shot in the head in the holdup. Walker, the store manager, had seven children and stepchildren. Goodwin was mother of two daughters. No one else was inside the store.

"Tonight is a time for us to remember Mickey and Tommy," their families said in a statement following the execution. "Though this chapter of our journey is now over, we will always feel the loss of them in our lives."

Not even Dylann Roof should be executed (commentary)

Edwards admitted being in the shop shortly after it opened July 8, 2002, but told police a man he knew as "T-Bone" gave him the gun and did the shootings. Investigators later determined the other man he claimed to not know by name was his cousin.

People in a business next door heard the gunfire and called police who arrived in time to see two men fleeing. One of them, Edwards, was seen running from the shop holding a gun and an officer saw him tossing it in a garbage bin. He was arrested a short time later.

An audio recording in the police car caught Edwards saying he had messed up "big time," and referring to two murders.

Edwards was on parole at the time of the shootings. He'd been released in October 1999 after prison time for car theft and possession with intent to deliver cocaine.

The second man involved, Edwards' cousin, Kirk Edwards, turned himself in to police a day after the shootings. He had a previous criminal record for burglary and theft and now is serving 25 years for aggravated robbery for the sandwich shop case.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Lesser asked the president to include funding for a Springfield to Boston high-speed rail line in his list of nationwide priority infrastructure projects.

Forget about petitioning the governor for state transportation funding. State Sen. Eric Lesser is going straight to the president.

Lesser, a Longmeadow Democrat, sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging the Republican president to include funding for a Springfield to Boston high-speed rail line in his list of nationwide priority infrastructure projects.

"Upgrading our existing tracks to accommodate high-speed rail, and building the trains to travel them, would create thousands of high-paying manufacturing jobs across Massachusetts -- the very jobs you promised on the campaign trail you would bring back to the United States," Lesser wrote.

Trump plans to call for a $137 billion infrastructure bill, one of his few priorities that may get support from congressional Democrats, not only Republicans. A presentation sent to the National Governors Association and reported on by the McClatchy Washington Bureau listed which local projects Trump hopes to fund. One of those projects is $3 billion for an expansion of the MBTA Green Line into Somerville and Medford. That project has already gotten approval from state officials after it was scaled back due to cost.

In a letter dated Wednesday, Lesser asked the president to add another Massachusetts project to the list: a proposed Boston to Springfield rail line that Lesser has been pushing for.

Lesser wrote that while he would welcome federal investment in the Green Line, "I am disappointed that the infrastructure needs of Western Massachusetts have -- once again -- been ignored."

High-speed rail would cut in half travel time across the state, Lesser wrote, encouraging more tourists to visit both cities, creating new jobs and development opportunities and boosting revenues in both the Springfield and Boston regions. Lesser cited Springfield's history as a manufacturing hub. He argued that Western Massachusetts has similar needs to regions that elected Trump in places like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin, where manufacturing companies have fled, leaving behind struggling communities.

Lesser, a former aide to Democratic President Barack Obama who supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, told The Republican/MassLive.com that he sent the letter to Trump because, "If there's an opportunity to get east-west rail, we're going to jump on it."

"He's talking about putting people to work and creating manufacturing and infrastructure jobs," Lesser said. "He talks about how much of a builder he is. Here's a great thing to build. Something that would transform not only our state but all of Western New England. It would put to work the very people he claims to speak for."

What Lesser didn't mention in his letter is, unlike the MBTA extension, which has undergone years of study and an extensive state approval and public hearing process, the east-west rail project has yet to get even preliminary approval from state lawmakers.

Last year, Lesser convinced the Legislature to pass a feasibility study of east-west rail as an amendment to the state budget. But after Peter Picknelly, the chief executive of Peter Pan Bus Lines in Springfield, lobbied against it, Baker vetoed the amendment and sent it back to the Legislature with a change that would have broadened the study beyond east-west rail to include a study of other modes of transportation. The Legislature did not pass the amendment with Baker's revised language, so the study died.

Lesser plans to reintroduce an identical bill this legislative session to authorize a feasibility study of Springfield to Boston high-speed rail. The study would look at both the costs and economic opportunities related to rail. The bill does not include the language of Baker's amendment.

Lesser said he is hopeful that the bill will pass this time around. Lesser said he has gotten more support for the proposal, the new Union Station in Springfield is scheduled to open in March, and Trump is talking about infrastructure investment. Lesser said he found during his re-election campaign that "it remains a project people want to see and are focused on."

"People understand we need to do some big stuff in Western Massachusetts to change our trajectory," Lesser said. He said the rail project "would unlock immense potential, not just in Western Massachusetts but in eastern Massachusetts too."

Senator Lesser Letter to President Trump Re East-West Rail by Shira Schoenberg on Scribd

Information meetings about the Holyoke, Massachusetts proposal to redesign "the high school experience" to ensure education is focused on college and careers will be held on Jan. 31, 2017, Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.

HOLYOKE -- The public's opinions will be sought about School Department proposals to redesign "the high school experience" to ensure education is focused on college and careers at information sessions Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Attending high school here would be retooled to ensure that each student's education focuses on college or careers, School Department spokeswoman Judy Taylor said Thursday in a press release.

Information sessions about the redesign proposals will be held 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Holyoke High School, 500 Beech St.; 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Enlace de Familias, 299-301 Main St.; and 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at Holyoke Community Charter School, 2200 Northampton St.

"After months of research and collaboration, the district has prepared a draft comprehensive strategic high school redesign plan and is looking for feedback from the community," the press release said. "The plan includes strategies for improving the instruction and services offered, and providing students with the skills and tools they need to be successful in school now, and later in college and their careers."

Redesigning high school in Holyoke to focus on college, careers, mission of board

The Holyoke Schools Innovation and Design Team discussed trips its members took to schools in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Illinois, South Carolina and California in a meeting discussing proposed redesign issues on Dec. 13.

That board consists of teachers, students, parents and school staff.

The goal of the study is to fine-tune the time that students spend at the two high schools, Holyoke High School and Dean Technical High School, which is the city's vocational school. In addition to the core courses like English and history, the high school experience with the redesign will zero in on training students for careers such as a major to pursue in college like health care or straight to the job market, said Stephen K. Zrike, the state-appointed receiver in charge of the Holyoke schools.

The city received a $300,000 grant from The Barr Foundation of Boston to pay for board members' visits to other schools and to fund the rest of the high school redesign, he said.

Among board members' suggestions discussed at the Dec. 13 meeting were to focus on communicating better, stick with plans long-term, value students' bilingual abilities, find ways to let students succeed at their own rates, make yourself accountable and strive for a sense of community that leads to energy in the hallways.

Bishop Talbert Swan III sees the inauguration of President Donald Trump as a reminder that "we aren't in the promised land yet."

SPRINGFIELD -- Bishop Talbert Swan III sees the inauguration of President Donald Trump as a reminder that "we aren't in the promised land yet."

Swan, the president of the Springfield NAACP, voiced his disapproval of the Trump presidency while also discussing how the election of Barack Obama eight years ago "stirred up the racist element" across the nation.

Swan said that only hours after the election of Obama, he received a phone call that the Macedonia Church of God in Christ had been burned down.

"Here in Massachusetts -- liberal and cosmopolitan Massachusetts -- a black church burning the day Barack Obama was elected," he said. "I think that signified that although it looked like there was change in the air, that (Obama's) election woke a sleeping giant in terms of the racists who have sat quietly and now felt emboldened to act."

On Nov. 5, 2008, three white men, angry over the election of the first African-American president, entered the predominantly black church in Sixteen Acres with two five-gallon containers of gas. They then poured the fuel throughout the church building and set it on fire.

Macedonia springs back to life, following racially fueled arson

One of the arsonists even told investigators that he "was angry that the country was going to have an African-American president and that 'blacks and Puerto Ricans' would now have more rights than whites."

Throughout Obama's eight years as president, racial tension grew as disrespect and opposition to the nation's leader resulted in the election of Donald Trump, which Swan said "is nothing more than backlash and a response to black progress."

"Donald Trump is the ultimate slap in the face to black progress in America," he said. "It's a reminder that as far as we have come from slavery and Jim Crow up to now, that we have so much further to go."

According to Swan, he feels that the Trump administration will serve as a "wake-up call" as many African-Americans have grown "complacent as a community as we've basked in the progress that has been made up to date."

"When we started withdrawing our support from those organizations that have fought for our rights and for our progress, and when we shifted the focus of our religious institutions from being both centers of pride and support for our families, advocacy and social justice to being social clubs and places that talk about wealth and prosperity, we did a disservice to our community," Swan said.

Moving forward, Swan feels that prioritizing the work done in all minority communities and acknowledging the need for unifying will be beneficial in making sure that "we are on solid footing in terms of our progress."

There has been division between and within the black and Latino community even in the city when it comes to making their voices heard on issues that plague both demographics, Swan said.

"What good is it to have a city that is a majority minority -- as many call it -- that has over 50 percent black and Latino residents, but those residents never come together to work in the best interests of those communities?"

He added: "We've got to figure out a way that we can work together towards common goals and affect change, because as long as someone is able to throw a bone over here to keep you quiet so you won't join with your brother or sister in this fight, then they keep us neutralized."

Wearing bright, detailed costumes the dancers of the Hong Tinh Duong Kung Fu and Lion Dance Team got applause and monetary gifts from the hundreds of families gathered in Springfield to celebrate the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Wearing bright, detailed costumes the dancers of the Hong Tinh Duong Kung Fu and Lion Dance Team got applause and monetary gifts from the hundreds of families gathered in Springfield to celebrate the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

For the past 21 years the Vietnamese Organization of Tradition Tet of Springfield has organized the Traditional Tet Festival for the community to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

On Sunday night people crowded into the Holy Name Social Center on Alderman Street in Springfield for food, entertainment and prayer.

"Wherever there are Vietnamese people we gather at this time of year to celebrate," said the Rev. Ha Dang, of St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church on Dwight Road. "We gather to share our culture and our traditions and to pass it on to the next generation so that they can grow to a high level in their education and in life."

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Springfield City Councilor Kateri Walsh attended the festivities.

"You are all a tremendous addition to our community," Sarno said. " You are very industrious, you take education very seriously and your are entrepreneurs. I love your new year's celebration."

The actual Lunar New Year will be Jan. 28. This is the year of the Rooster.

The judge repeatedly asked if Gonzalez had received an order barring him from the station, but the defendant seemed confused by the questions.

SPRINGFIELD - Luis F. Gonzalez's T-shirt seemed to be testifying in his defense.

"I'm not LAZY. I just really enjoy doing nothing," the shirt stated as Gonzalez assured a judge that he had done nothing wrong at the Peter Pan bus station.

Gonzalez, 40, of Springfield, was arrested Wednesday after allegedly violating a stay away order at the Main Street bus station. Held overnight, he appeared Thursday in Springfield District Court to answer a trespassing charge.

Through an interpreter, he told Judge William Boyle that he was at the station to meet family members. The judge repeatedly asked if he had received an order barring him from the station, but Gonzalez seemed confused by the questions.

As he reviewed Gonzalez's probation file, the judge asked if he had been treated for substance abuse at a local program.

More confusion ensued before Gonzalez acknowledged receiving treatment.

Boyle eventually offered to reduce the charge to a civil infraction and then dismiss it, citing the time Gonzalez had been held in custody.

Gonzalez agreed.

The judge also warned him to steer clear of the bus station.

"If you really enjoy doing nothing, just don't do it there," he said.