he leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has released a letter calling on President Donald Trump to revoke his executive order suspending the United States' refugee program.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has released a letter calling on President Donald Trump to revoke his executive order suspending the United States' refugee program and temporarily prohibiting travel by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.

In the letter, Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski urged parishioners to show compassion for refugees and welcome them into local communities.

"While I can certainly appreciate and recognize the need for our government to maintain polices which safeguard the nation and its citizens, this need not come at the expense of innocent people, many who are families with young children trying the escape unspeakable violence and hardships," Rozanski wrote.

"The welcome of immigrants is an integral part of our history as a country and is a core value of our own Catholic teaching," he continued. "It has made us a beacon of hope whose light has shone across our world. We cannot allow ourselves to be frightened unnecessarily into conceding the principles of either our nation or our faith."

Rozanski also directed specific criticism at Trump's Jan. 27 order, which prohibits entry to the U.S. from citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days, suspends refugee admissions for 120 days and prohibits the entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely.

Trump and White House officials have said the restrictions are necessary measures to protect national security and develop stricter methods of vetting immigrants. But Rozanski called on Trump to revoke the order, describing it as not in keeping with American values.

"As Christians we must speak out against broad stroke measures that are an affront to the dignity of all human beings. It is part of the very fabric of our pro-life teaching that in each and every person we see the true and living presence of God," Rozanski wrote. "I invite you to join me in prayerfully and respectfully asking President Trump to rescind his Jan. 27 order and engage in a meaningful dialogue with relevant agencies and organizations to be bring about a more humane and compassionate approach to immigration consistent with the values of our great nation."

The Springfield Diocese, through its affiliated Catholic Charities Agency, is one of the groups that works with the State Department to resettle refugees in Western Massachusetts.

In an interview Wednesday evening, Catholic Charities Agency of Springfield Executive Director Kathryn Buckley-Brawner said that 18 of 51 refugees the agency planned to resettle in Northampton this year had already secured all their permits before the order was issued on Friday.

Now that resettlement has been postponed. The first set of Northampton refugees was scheduled to include people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bhutan, Syria and Iraq, and included families with children as young as nine months old.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has also released a statement opposing the refugee program suspension.

The switch is expected to cut the annual cost of solar installations to ratepayers in half.

BOSTON -- Massachusetts energy officials on Tuesday announced an overhaul of the way the state subsidizes solar projects.

The switch is expected to cut the annual cost of solar installations to electricity ratepayers in half, from $400 million to $500 million under previous versions of the program to $200 million to $250 million under the new program.

State energy officials say the new structure will also provide more certainty to the market by ensuring that developers know how much of an incentive they will get for their projects over a 10- or 20-year time frame, depending on the type of project.

"It provides a tremendous reduction in cost to every ratepayer but provides more financial stability that the program has lacked in the past," said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matt Beaton.

The switch was prompted by a solar energy bill that Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law in April 2016, directing the Department of Energy Resources to develop a new version of the solar incentive program. Utilities had said the old program was too generous to solar developers and resulted in unnecessarily high costs to ratepayers. The solar industry had stressed the importance of helping an industry that is expanding in Massachusetts, creating jobs and generating renewable energy.

There are two types of subsidies available for Massachusetts solar projects. One is net metering, in which a project that generates solar electricity gets a financial credit for the energy it generates and does not use. The other is the SREC program, where developers get renewable energy credits that can be sold on an open market.

The new program, which state energy officials are calling SMART, for Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, would replace the SREC program. The SMART program lays out guidelines for developing another 1,600 megawatts of solar power -- twice the amount that currently exists in the state.

Draft regulations were released in September, and the final proposal was unveiled Tuesday.

Under the program, state officials would set a price for the first 200 megawatts of projects based on the market, and each subsequent block of 200 megawatts would see the subsidy decline by 4 percent. That reflects the fact that as more solar power is built, the technology becomes more cost-efficient and the cost of building it drops. Smaller commercial and residential projects will get higher subsidies than larger, commercial projects. Projects that are built on low-income properties, public land or benefit entire communities will also get better rates.

There are also incentives that increase the value of the subsidy if the project is built in preferred locations -- on rooftops, brownfields, landfills or solar canopies. The subsidy would decrease if a project is built on open space -- a move meant to discourage the development of property that is now being conserved.

"It's a nation-leading effort to steer project development away from open space into locations that are better for our environment," said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson.

The developer would know when they get the credit how much it will be for 10 or 20 years, as opposed to the current system, where the value varies with the market throughout the life of a project. The SMART incentives and the net metering credits will also be combined, so someone who gets a larger net metering reimbursement will get a smaller SMART credit. There is a new mechanism in place to ensure that if a cap on net metering is hit, and the Legislature does not immediately raise it, developers will still get some financial credit. Both these changes provide more stability.

Part of the cost savings comes from accounting for the lower cost of solar energy over time. The rest comes from providing developers with a steady stream of income. Currently, developers sell their SRECs at a discount to banks and energy traders who can offer them a steady stream of revenue in exchange for the volatile SREC. This proposal would cut out the banks and energy traders.

"Why should ratepayers subsidize profit for third party banks?" Beaton said.

State officials held a meeting with interested groups to release the proposal on Tuesday.

Priscilla Ress, a spokeswoman for Eversource, said the company recognizes the importance of solar energy in reducing carbon emissions but also the need for incentives to be sustainable. "Today's meeting to discuss redesigning the incentives is a step in the right direction toward bringing them more in line with neighboring states such as Connecticut," Ress said.

Sean Garren, regional director of Vote Solar, which has been a voice for the solar industry, said there is "a lot to like" about the proposal, but "the devil is in the details," and his group is still examining it.

The current SREC program will continue, with slightly lower incentives, through the end of the year, since it will take that long for the new program to go through the state approval process.

Information sessions about the Holyoke, Massachusetts plan to redesign the high school experience will proceed at 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 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 the cancellation of Tuesday's meeting.

HOLYOKE -- The information session scheduled for today at 6 p.m. at Holyoke High School about the high school redesign has been cancelled because of anticipated bad weather conditions, a school official said.

The additional scheduled sessions about the proposed redesign steps will proceed at 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., School Department spokeswoman Judy Taylor said.

The goal of redesigning "the high school experience" is to ensure education is focused on college and careers, officials have said.

"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," a school press release said last week. "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."

The driver of the truck is a suspect in the vandalism to a vehicle parked in the YMCA lot.

SPRINGFIELD - Police are looking for the operator of a white pickup truck who is suspected of taking part in the recent vandalism to vehicle parked at the YMCA of Greater Springfield lot on Chestnut Street.

Sgt. John Delaney, spokesman for the Springfield Police Department, said the vandalism occured Jan. 25. at about 6 p.m. at the YMCA, 275 Chestnut St. A white truck pulled into the lot and parked next to a red Jeep.

The driver of the truck got out and began beating on the unoccupied Jeep, causing significant damage, he said. He then got into his truck and drove away down Chestnut Street, Delaney said.

No description of the driver was given to the press. But the truck was described as a 2014-2016 GMC Sierra 1500 Double Cab SLE. It appears to be white and has four doors. It may have a custome Denali grill cover.

Delaney said anyone who recognizes the truck is asked to call Detective Darrin Edwards of the Major Crimes Unit at 413-787-6355. Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to "CRIMES," or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE."

A Palmer District Court judge extended a restraining order against former Springfield Police Detective Steven Vigneault sought by a current police officer.

PALMER -- A Palmer District Court judge on Tuesday extended a restraining order barring a former Springfield police detective from seeing a current police officer he once dated, adding a new layer of drama to an already convoluted narrative that has roiled the police force.

K-9 Officer Gail Gethins obtained an emergency restraining order against former narcotics detective Steven Vigneault, who resigned in August. Judge Michael Mulcahy extended it for four months, but declined Gethins' bid to extend it indefinitely.

She argued in court on Monday that Vigneault was an obsessed ex-lover who dogged her every step, but a lawyer for Vigneault told Mulcahy his client was merely responding to mixed signals from Gethins.

Vigneault's attorney, Shawn P. Allyn, also contends the bid for the restraining order was intended as a distraction from the department's woes.

Vigneault filed a whistleblower lawsuit on Jan. 24, arguing he resigned from the police force under pressure from Commissioner John Barbieri and police union officials.

He contends the real reason he was run out of the department was that he began dating Gethins, a former girlfriend of his onetime narcotics squad colleague, Officer Gregg Bigda, a favorite of Barbieri.

Vigneault was suspected of kicking a juvenile in the head while the boy was handcuffed and on the ground after a high speed chase in Vigneault's stolen undercover car. Four juveniles were arrested for stealing the unmarked SUV left idling outside a pizza shop on Feb. 26.

Bigda and Gethins broke up in 2015, according to court records. Gethins and Vigneault began dating a year later. The fact that Vigneault was married to his second wife at the time complicated matters, also according to court documents.

And, the scenario was already complicated.

The arrest of the juvenile suspects spawned several internal investigations, pending criminal investigations, a suspension and Vigneault's resignation. The arrest occurred one month before Bigda discovered Vigneault and Gethins had begun dating. Bigda burst into Gethins' home and threatened the two. Bigda was suspended for 10 days over the incident.

Bigda was later suspended for 60 days after disturbing video surfaced of him threatening the car theft suspects with "crushed skulls," death and trumped up charges.

Four boys were arrested after allegedly stealing Vigneault's car. Wilbraham police began a pursuit of the vehicle later that night, and the chase ended in Palmer in the wee hours of the morning. The video was captured at the Palmer Police Department.

The romantic entanglements, the car theft and subsequent arrests have combined to create a veritable tangle for the Springfield Police Department -- drawing attention from the FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office and state attorney general's office. Dozens of drug prosecutions also have been compromised along with the overall credibility of the narcotics unit and the entire department.

In an order released late Monday, Mulcahy acknowledged Vigneault had "displayed increasingly obsessive and controlling behavior" toward Gethins. However, he noted on his order that he did not believe a contention from Gethins that Vigneault announced: "If I can't have you, no one else will."

A hearing is scheduled Feb. 3 in Hampden Superior Court on Vigneault's civil action. Allyn is seeking his client's immediate reinstatement to the police department under the state whistleblower statute.

Matthew T. Martin pleaded guilty to 8 separate counts of armed robbery of banks, convenience stores and pharmacies in 2015.

A 32-year-old Vermont man on Tuesday was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay $25, 514 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to robbing eight separate armed robberies of convenience stores, banks and pharmacies in 2015.

The crime spree between Feb. 7 and Dec. 21, 2015 garnered Matthew T. Martin of Weathersfield the attention of local police in Brattleboro, Springfield, Ludlow and Bellows Falls, the Vermont and New Hampshire state police, and the FBI and U.S. Marshal's Service. Just before his arrest in December, 2015, he was designated the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive of the Week.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Gavin Murtha sentenced Martin to 180 months in prison, restitution and five years on probation after he is released. Murtha said the length of the sentence is unusual but appropriate under the circumstances.

During the crime spree, Martin often disguised his appearance by wearing a fake beard or sometimes by dressing as a woman.

Although he sometimes said he was armed but showed no weapon, he also commonly threatened tellers and customers with a pellet gun that resembled an actual firearm.

He also robbed the People's United Bank in Brattleboro on Dec. 14 by showing a teller a glob of clay that was attached by wires to a cellphone and then claiming it was a homemade bomb.

In November 2015, he robbed a Bellows Falls pharmacy at gunpoint, stealing several oxycontin and oxycodone tablets.

When State Sen. Adam Hinds was working for the United Nations in Iraq, he and his Iraqi translator were in the car together when they were hit by a roadside bomb.

When State Sen. Adam Hinds was working for the United Nations in Iraq, he and his Iraqi translator were in the car together when they were hit by a roadside bomb.

"My country's now saying he's not worthy of coming here, not acceptable?" Hinds said.

Hinds, a Pittsfield Democrat, has a unique perspective on President Donald Trump's executive order banning residents of seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iraq and Syria, from entering the U.S. for 90 days. Trump's order also bars any refugees from entering the U.S. for 120 days and any Syrian refugees indefinitely.

Hinds was stationed in Iraq for the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, then again between 2008 and 2011. He was primarily focused on Arab-Kurd negotiations, traveling from village to village learning about history and current needs and designing a framework for dialogue. Hinds worked for the United Nations in Syria in 2013 and 2014 helping to dismantle Syria's chemical weapons program.

One of the first men detained at the airport under Trump's order was Hameed Darweesh, who worked as an interpreter for U.S. forces during the Iraq War.

Hinds said he feels compelled to speak out against Trump's executive order due to his personal experiences in Iraq and Syria.

He recalled one Iraqi colleague who came into the office with a piece of paper with blood and a small hole. The paper had been in the man's son's chest pocket when he was killed because he belonged to the wrong religious sect. "That's what a lot of refuges are fleeing," Hinds said in an interview with The Republican at his Statehouse office.

Hinds also argued that Trump's order is strategically wrong. "To me, when we're trying to confront groups like ISIS, you need to go after specific targets, you need to strengthen your allies, often the leadership in these countries, and weaken extremists," Hinds said. "And this order undermines all three."

Hinds said Trump's executive order goes after people who are fleeing violence, weakens the countries' leaders and causes consequences like the Iraqi parliament voting on a resolution to bar Americans from entering the country. In addition, Hinds said, extremists are able to use the order as a recruiting tool.

"It was the exact wrong message to send right now," Hinds said.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno's appearance on a Fox Business Network television show has been postponed a second time.

SPRINGFIELD -- A scheduled television appearance by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno on the Fox Business Network on Wednesday to discuss the issues of immigration and sanctuary cities has been postponed a second time.

Sarno was scheduled to be interviewed by Neil Cavuto on the "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" program at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday. However, it was postponed due to President Donald Trump moving up the announcement for his Supreme Court justice selection, according to the mayor's office.

Sarno said he looks forward to rescheduling his conversation with Cavuto on sanctuary cities at a later date. Sarno had also been bumped from the show last Friday, with breaking news cited as the reason.

Sarno said last week that Springfield is not a sanctuary city and has no intention to become a sanctuary city, in contrast to some news reports that listed Springfield among such cities nationwide.

Sanctuary cities are communities where police departments do not assist federal agencies in detaining and deporting some immigrants living in such cities illegally. Trump has threatened to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities.

AGAWAM -- Two of three Agawam police officers fired in connection with a use-of-force incident involving an arrest at Six Flags New England have been reinstated with back pay, according to John Connor, the lawyer representing the officers. Mayor Richard Cohen fired all three veteran officers in October 2016 after an investigation by an outside firm determined they used inappropriate...

AGAWAM -- Two of three Agawam police officers fired in connection with a use-of-force incident involving an arrest at Six Flags New England have been reinstated with back pay, according to John Connor, the lawyer representing the officers.

Mayor Richard Cohen fired all three veteran officers in October 2016 after an investigation by an outside firm determined they used inappropriate force while arresting a man at the Agawam amusement park in June 2016.

The two Agawam officers returning to work are Anthony Grasso and Edward Connor, both of whom will resume their duties "effective immediately," attorney Connor, who isn't related to Officer Connor, told The Republican late Tuesday afternoon.

The case of the third officer, John Mocchio, remains before the state Civil Service Commission, which has scheduled a hearing for Feb. 14. The officers filed an appeal with the state commission, claiming they were unjustly fired by Cohen.

News of Grasso and Connor's reinstatements came to light during a civil service hearing in Springfield on Tuesday, the same day news of the FBI's involvement in the case was reported by The Republican. The reinstatements were the result of Agawam rescinding termination notices for the two officers, John Connor said.

"They're no longer being accused of excessive force," the lawyer said.

Grasso, formerly a sergeant, was demoted and will rejoin the department as a patrol officer, while Officer Connor was issued a "letter of warning" for failing to secure his weapon in a timely manner, attorney Connor said.

"It gives us an indication that the case is going very well," said Connor, adding that he will continue to fight Grasso's demotion. "We are proceeding with our challenge of that," he said.

Connor also said he was unfazed by the FBI stepping into the investigation. "We welcome any review of the incident," he said.

On Monday, the Boston bureau of the FBI sent a letter to Agawam Police Chief Eric Gillis, informing him of the federal probe and requesting all investigatory materials related to the case. Video footage of officers restraining 27-year-old David Desjardins, the man at the center of the use-of-force case, is among the materials federal investigators will be reviewing.

"The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, at the request of the US Department of Justice, has initiated a Preliminary Civil Rights of Color of Law investigation into allegations of excessive use of force, police misconduct, and obstruction of justice allegations against officers of the Agawam Police Department," Harold H. Shaw, the agent in charge of the FBI's Boston bureau, said in the letter.

Copies of the letter were sent to Cohen and Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, whose office declined to file charges against the officers.

Desjardins struggled with officers at the amusement park and back at police headquarters, according to attorney Connor, who said the officers used justifiable force to subdue the man. The video of the episode shows Desjardins tussling with officers, one of whom is seen striking him multiple times with a baton.

Geoerge Dobitsky has an extensive criminal record dating back to the 1990s, the prosecutor said.

SPRINGFIELD -- An Enfield, Connecticut, motorist is being held on $25,000 bail after allegedly ramming two Springfield police cruisers in a failed escape attempt over the weekend.  

George Dobitsky, 47, returned to Springfield District Court on Tuesday, one day after pleading not guilty to seven charges, including four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a motor vehicle).

George Dobitsky 

Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski asked for $25,000 bail, saying Dobitsky "played chicken" with police cruisers pursuing him late Saturday afternoon on Mulberry Street before fleeing south on Interstate 91.

Later that night, his red Honda was spotted on School Street. When two cruisers boxed him in, Dobitsky repeatedly rammed them before being arrested at the scene, Szafranski said.

One officer's leg was pinned between Dobitsky's car and his cruiser while a second suffered back and neck injuries from the repeated collisions. Both were transported for treatment to Baystate Medical Center and later released, the prosecutor said.

"It could have been much worse," she said.

Dobitsky has an extensive criminal record beginning in the 1990s with convictions for larceny, forgery, assault and other charges, as well as court defaults and violations of probation, Szafranski said.

Judge William Boyle set bail at $25,000 and continued the case for a pretrial hearing next month.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Snowy weather forces cancellation on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 of Holyoke City Council Ordinance Committee meeting that was set to include discussion of marijuana-related orders about taxation and zoning.

HOLYOKE -- The snowy weather claimed another event Tuesday as the City Council Ordinance Committee meeting that was set to deal with numerous marijuana-related proposals was cancelled.

Chairwoman Linda L. Vacon said committee members agreed the proper step with potentially dangerous weather was to cancel the meeting.

Here was the agenda, with items preceded by the name of the councilor who filed them:

Agenda:

1. Roman 12/20/16: Ordered that the DPW place resident only parking signs in front of 318, 320, 322, 324, 326 and 328 Elm St. Residents are having to park three blocks away and walk to their homes and do not have individual private driveways.

Item 2: Roman 11/15/16: Order: That the City Council, establish local ordinances regarding the regulation and taxation of recreational marijuana. Including establishing a local tax on marijuana sales of 2% (amount allowed by law).

Item 3: Leahy 11/15/16: Order: that the city creates an ordinances on recreational marijuana regarding the taxation of the products that will be manufactured and or sold.

Item 4: Vacon 11/15/16: Order: That the sale of recreational marijuana be allowed under the same zoning as medical marijuana.

Item 5: Roman 1/17/17: that the City of Holyoke establish and create per ordinance a special permit for any marijuana cultivating facilities / manufacturers.

Item 6: Roman 1/17/17: Ordered that the City of Holyoke tax on cultivators of marijuana is imposed as follows:
$9.25 per dry-weight ounce of marijuana flowers
$2.75 per dry-weight ounce of marijuana leaves

Item 7: Roman 11/15/16: Roman 11/15/16: Order: that City of Holyoke establish the Community Preservation Committee. The purpose of this committee shall be to study community preservation resources, possibilities and needs, and to make annual recommendations to city council on spending of Community Preservation surcharge funds.

Required members of the committee per state statue shall be one representative of the following city boards / commissions:

- Conversation Commission
- Planning Board
- Historical Commission
- Housing Authority
- Board of Park Commissioners

An 3 additional members will be appointed by the Holyoke City Council with a 4th seat being reserved for a member of the City Council, City Council appointment shall be made by the City Council President.

Item 8: Vacon 8/2/16: Order: That the sign ordinance for BH and BG be reviewed and revised to increase the maximum surface area permitted for each sign as of right from 40 to 75 feet for businesses with less than 25000 square feet of floor area and from 80 to 150 feet by special permit.

Item 9: Bartley 9/6/16: Order: The City Council consider revising its ordinances relative to the funds provided to the Mayor's office in lieu of providing a vehicle.

Item 10: McGee 1/3/17: ordered that Section 2-48 travel policy, part 4 (a) of the code of ordinances be amended to add the Mayor to the list of employees authorized to take their city vehicle home."

Item 11: Bartley 12/20/16: The City Council consider revising/streamlining the City's parking permit ordinance, Section 86-106, and any related schedules and establish permit parking for Beech St. if necessary.

With the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's seat still unfilled nearly one year after his unexpected death, President Donald Trump is expected to select 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch as his pick to join the high court.

With the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's seat still unfilled nearly one year after his unexpected death, President Donald Trump selected 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch as his pick to join the high court.

Despite a contentious first week in office, sources say Trump announced Gorsuch, 49, as his choice for Supreme Court nominee during a Tuesday evening address from the White House.

The president's announcement came despite at least one Democrat's pledge to filibuster any Supreme Court nominee who is not Merrick Garland -- President Barack Obama's pick for the open spot on the high bench, which congressional Republicans opposed.

Gorsuch, whom President George W. Bush nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in 2006, clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Byron White before spending a decade working in private practice. 

He later served as the principal deputy to the associate attorney general and acting associate attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice from 2005 to 2006.

Gorsuch received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He holds other degrees from Columbia University and Oxford University, and has penned a book on assisted suicide, entitled "The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia," according to SCOTUS Blog. 

The Colorado native serves as a visiting professor at the University of Colorado, where he teaches classes on legal ethics and professionalism and antitrust. 

Gorsuch, who reportedly beat out Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas M. Hardiman for the nomination, must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to take the seat left open following Scalia's unexpected death at a Texas ranch in February 2016.

Efforts to fill the 79-year-old influential conservative's seat have sparked tension between Democrats and Republicans as both parties looked to reshape the court.

Pinning their hopes on a Republican win in the 2016 presidential election, GOP congressional leaders refused to hold hearings on Obama's pick of Garland, the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren launches petition for Senate vote on Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination

Democrats, who contended that such tactics stole a Supreme Court seat from Obama, however, are expected to oppose efforts to confirm Trump's nominee, with Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley saying he will filibuster the president's pick.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Entrepreneurs and those who just have an interesting idea for a project about art, business, agriculture or something else can make presentations at the latest Holyoke Soup event at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at The Waterfront Tavern, 920 Main St. in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

HOLYOKE -- The latest Holyoke Soup event of creative pitches gets going at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at The Waterfront Tavern, 920 Main St.

"Holyoke is filled with community members who have great ideas that can make our city a better place. Holyoke Soup is our way of encouraging people to share these ideas in an environment that supports creativity and building community," said Tessa Murphy-Rombolleti, program manager of SPARK Holyoke, which presents the event.

Holyoke Soup is a dinner in which, for $5, participants and patrons get soup, salad and bread while listening to presentations on ideas related to business, art, urban agriculture, social justice, education, technology and other topics.

At the end of the night the ballots are counted and the winner goes home with all of the money raised to help fund their project. Winners come back to a future Holyoke Soup dinner to report their project's progress.

Attending the event is free but a $5 donation is requested, with all proceeds awarded to the presenter who gets the most votes, Murphy-Romboletti said.

Those interested in presenting an idea at Holyoke Soup can apply at: holyoke soup.com

At 5 p.m., some local entrepreneurs will showcase their businesses. All of them have completed the SPARK Holyoke entrepreneurship program, in which prospective or new business owners attend a 10-week course about how to launch a business, Murphy-Romboletti said.

SPARK stands for Stimulating, Potential, Accessing, Resource & Knowledge. The federal and state granted-funded program began in March 2015 to help entrepreneurs become business owners. Spark Holyoke is a program of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, based at 177 High St.

Take a look: '300 businesses' in 10 years in Holyoke goal set by new SPARK manager Tessa Murphy-Romboletti (photos)

The Holyoke Soup on Wednesday will begin with a presentation from Erin Cauley, an E.N. White School teacher, who won a Holyoke Soup held last month with the Holyoke public schools, Murphy-Rombolleti said.

After Cauley, presenters will have four minutes each to share their ideas and then take four questions from the audience, she said.

"This is a great opportunity to meet local entrepreneurs, have a bite to eat prepared by the culinary art students from Dean Technical High, network and vote on the project that would be most beneficial to the Holyoke community ," she said.

For more information call Jona Ruiz of SPARK Holyoke at 413-534-3376.

Even though he is clean-shaven in the photo released by police, the 28-year-old was known to have a scruffy beard and mustache.

Michael CorbettCourtesy: Chicopee Police Dept. 

Michael Corbett, 28, was last seen by friends in the area of New Ludlow Road at around noon on Sunday, Jan. 8, police said. He has not contacted family or friends since.

He is 5 feet 9 inches tall, approximately 165 pounds, and was last seen wearing a black coat liner, a red sweatshirt and a black fitted baseball cap.

Even though he is clean-shaven in the photo released by police, Corbett was known to have a scruffy beard and mustache.

Anyone with information is urged to call Chicopee police at (413) 594-1700.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, pledged to block President Donald Trump's pick of 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday, contending that the nomination could be the "most consequential in our nation's history."

U.S. Sens. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, pledged to block President Donald Trump's pick of Judge Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday, contending that the nomination could be the "most consequential in our nation's history."

Shortly after Trump revealed his choice to fill the seat left open by Justice Antonin Scalia's February 2016 death, Markey and Warren joined other Democrats in voicing concerns about the president's nominee.

President Donald Trump picks Appellate Judge Neil Gorsuch for US Supreme Court nominee

Contending that Trump failed to select a "consensus nominee," Warren accused the president of selecting Gorsuch, a 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge, from a list "drawn up by far right activist groups that were financed by big business interests."

"Every day, our new president finds more ways to demonstrate his hostility for our independent judiciary, our civil society and the rule of law," she said in a statement. "Now more than ever, America needs Supreme Court justices with a proven record of standing up for the rights of all Americans - civil rights, women's rights, LGBT rights, and all other protections guaranteed by our laws."  

"We don't need another justice who spends his time looking out for those with money and influence," Warren added, noting that she will oppose Gorsuch's nomination.

Pointing to the potential impacts Gorsuch could have on the future of law in the United States, Markey raised concerns that Trump's pick would "advance a far-right agenda from the bench."

Markey, referencing opinions Gorsuch has authored as an appellate judge, said he will not support his confirmation in the U.S. Senate.

"The nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch confirms that President Trump wants a Supreme Court justice who is outside the judicial mainstream," he said in a statement. "As an Appeals Court judge for more than a decade, Judge Gorsuch has authored or joined opinions that have demonstrated hostility to women's reproductive rights, commonsense environmental regulations and the rights of workers, consumers and the disabled. I will not support the nomination of Judge Gorsuch."

I will not support the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. #SCOTUSnominee https://t.co/47lntikDtM pic.twitter.com/AwjMEhlxwn

-- Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) February 1, 2017

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, meanwhile, said he has "serious doubts" on whether Gorsuch would stand up to a president who's willing to "bend the Constitution."

Contending that Trump's pick "put (corporations) over workers, been hostile toward women's rights and been an ideolog," Schumer said he's skeptical that Gorsuch can be a strong, independent justice.

SCOTUS justice must stand up to a Pres willing to bend the Constitution. Serious doubts on Judge Gorsuch's ability to meet this standard.

-- Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 1, 2017

Gorsuch put corps over workers, been hostile toward women's rights & been an ideolog. Skeptical that he can be a strong, independent Justice

-- Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 1, 2017

Gorsuch, in accepting the nomination, however, said he was committed to ensuring impartiality, independence, collegiality and courage on the bench, if confirmed.

Despite that, Markey said he will further oppose efforts to ease the judge's nomination, including efforts to invoke the so-called "nuclear option," a parliamentary procedure which allows for a simple majority of 51 votes, instead of a supermajority.

"I am also deeply concerned that President Trump has expressed his desire for the Senate to change the rules governing the threshold vote for confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice nominee," he said. "I will fight steps to invoke the nuclear option for Judge Gorsuch's nomination or any efforts that would further erode the foundational pillars of our democratic process."

The Democratic National Committee also raised concerns about Trump's nomination of Gorsuch, contending that the country "cannot afford a Supreme Court Justice who doesn't have the utmost respect for constitutional values of liberty, equality and justice for all."

Gorsuch, whom President George W. Bush nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in 2006, clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Byron White before spending a decade working in private practice. 

He later served as the principal deputy to the associate attorney general and acting associate attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice from 2005 to 2006.

Gorsuch received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He holds other degrees from Columbia University and Oxford University.

Gorsuch clerked for two Supreme Court justices and worked in President George W. Bush's Justice Department before being appointed to the federal bench.

DENVER -- Neil Gorsuch, named Tuesday as President Donald Trump's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, has a solidly conservative pedigree that has earned him comparison to the combative justice he would replace, Antonin Scalia.

Gorsuch clerked for two Supreme Court justices and worked in President George W. Bush's Justice Department before being appointed to the federal bench and authoring a series of sharply written, conservative opinions. His mother, Anne, ran President Ronald Reagan's Environmental Protection Agency.

But Gorsuch has also won praise among liberals and others in the Colorado legal community for his fair-mindedness and defense of the underdog.

"He is a very, very smart man. His leanings are very conservative, but he's qualified to be on the Supreme Court," said Denver plaintiff's attorney David Lane. "I don't know that Judge Gorsuch has a political agenda and he is sincere and honest and believes what he writes."

Mass. delegation blasts Trump's pick

A judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Gorsuch lives in the hyper-liberal college town of Boulder and teaches at the University of Colorado's law school there, also a progressive bastion.

"I think this should be Merrick Garland's seat," said Jordan Henry, one of Gorsuch's students there and a self-described liberal, referring to President Obama's nominee for the vacancy last year who was never considered by the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate. But she described Gorsuch as an eager mentor, always solicitous of students' opinions and with a brilliant mind.

"He's dedicated to the pursuit of truth in the justice system," said Henry, 29. "I do take some comfort that he can be a Trump choice."

How is Gorsuch viewed?

Gorsuch is a Colorado native who earned his bachelor's degree from Columbia University in three years, then earned a law degree from Harvard. He clerked for Supreme Court Justices Byron White, a fellow Coloradan, and Anthony Kennedy before earning a philosophy degree at Oxford University and working for a prominent Washington, D.C., law firm.

He served for two years in Bush's Justice Department before Bush appointed him to a seat on the 10th Circuit in 2006.

His mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, served as administrator of the EPA, but she was forced to resign 1983 amid a scandal involving the mismanagement of a $1.6 billion program to clean up hazardous waste dumps. Burford was cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over Superfund records, which she claimed were protected by executive privilege.

Neil Gorsuch has contended that courts give too much deference to government agencies' interpretations of statutes, a deference that stems from a Supreme Court ruling in a 1984 case. More recently, he sided with two groups that successfully challenged the Obama administration's requirements that employers provide health insurance that includes contraception.

Ala. delegation praises Gorsuch

Gorsuch summed up his minimalist judicial philosophy and focus on impartial judgment Tuesday evening.

"A judge who reaches every outcome he wishes is likely a very bad judge," he said after Trump introduced him from the East Room of the White House in a primetime televised address.

Lane, who frequently clashes with law enforcement, praised Gorsuch as fair and open-minded. Lane won a $1.8 million jury verdict against the Denver Police Department in a brutality and wrongful arrest case. The city appealed and the case ended up before Gorsuch. Lane said Gorsuch tore into the city's lawyers and urged them to go to mediation rather than drag out appeals for years to deny the plaintiffs their reward. The mediation led the case to be settled for $1.6 million.

Gorsuch has also drawn attention for siding with religious employers against the Obama administration's requirement that they provide health insurance that covers contraception. He also wrote a book arguing against assisted suicide.

Marcy Glenn, a Denver attorney and Democrat, recalls two cases before Goresuch in which she represented underdogs -- a college student facing criminal libel charges for mocking a professor, which Gorsuch said should be dropped, and homeowners suing over illnesses stemming from an old nuclear weapons facility outside Denver whose class action lawsuit Gorsuch revived in a novelistic, 38-page ruling that begins: "Harnessing nuclear energy is a delicate business."

"He issued a decision that most certainly focused on the little guy," Glenn said.

Sherrod Browns pledges opposition

Rebecca Love Kourlis, a former Colorado Supreme Court justice, said Gorsuch has written 175 majority opinions and 65 concurrences or dissents in his decade on the 10th Circuit.

"He's really earned his stripes," she said.

Kourlis said Gorsuch is also a notable advocate for simplifying the justice system to make it more accessible. "Legal services in this country are so expensive that the United States ranks near the bottom of developed nations when it comes to access to counsel in civil cases," Gorsuch wrote in a journal article last year. "The real question is what to do about it."

The article is written in Gorsuch's characteristic, straightforward style.

"He thinks it's really important for people other than lawyers to understand what he's writing," Kourlis said.

Gorsuch is also an avid skier, fly fisherman and horseback rider, Kourlis said. He teaches at the University of Colorado's law school in Boulder.

"He is humble, he is extremely articulate and he is extraordinarily hard-working," Kourlis said.

In his financial disclosure report for 2015, he reported assets ranging from $3.1 million to $7.25 million. He earned $26,000 for his law school duties and another $5,300 in book royalties that year.

The former Florida governor said public schools have failed to provide opportunity for all.

AMHERST -- America's deep divisions will be easier to heal under conditions of prosperity, former Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush told a full house at Amherst College's Johnson Chapel Tuesday night.

"A strategy of high and sustained economic growth should be a matter of consensus," he said, while acknowledging that debates over the distribution of wealth may reasonably follow.

In a wide-ranging talk sponsored by the Amherst College Republican Club, Bush emphasized themes of diversity, consensus, compassion, accountability, opportunity, and reform -- saying they are "shared American values," and not the province of the left or the right. 

"Our country needs to be a 'right to rise' society," Bush said.

He asserted that the nation's public education system, despite being well-funded, has failed to serve its most disadvantaged learners, leaving poor and minority communities in the lurch when it comes to early reading literacy and college and career readiness.

As an example, he cited a Siemens manufacturing plant that opened in South Carolina in 2013, offering hundreds of new jobs. While thousands of people applied, he said only 15 percent were able to pass a basic math and writing test.

"We can't rest on our laurels," he said. "The systems we have relied upon aren't working."

Bush, 62, is the son of former President George H. W. Bush and brother of former President George W. Bush. He served as governor of Florida from 1999-2007.

Bush is now president of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a national nonprofit which supports school choice, Common Core standards, and teacher and school accountability.

Hours before speaking Tuesday, Bush issued a statement of support for Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump's controversial nominee for Secretary of Education.

"Betsy's long-standing commitment to innovation, choice and accountability create the exact formula needed to empower states and parents to transform education in America," Bush wrote.

The Senate education committee on Tuesday voted 12-11 to send DeVos -- a Michigan billionaire and outspoken supporter of school choice -- to the full Senate for a confirmation hearing. DeVos has drawn passionate opposition from teachers' unions and public school advocates.

Bush dropped out of the Republican presidential primary in February and then endorsed Ted Cruz for the party's nomination. He was critical of Trump during the primary, and did not endorse him in the general election.

Tuesday night, while Bush did not mention Trump, he rejected any style of leadership that involves "pushing other people down to make yourself feel better." True leadership involves "forging consensus and having a servant's heart," as well as exhibiting integrity and backbone, he said.

Bush called for immigration reform that supports economic goals, not just the reunification of extended families. He spoke up for a path to legal residency for so-called "dreamers," undocumented immigrants who arrived in American as children and who are pursuing educational and work opportunities.

Most Republicans make a distinction between undocumented immigrants who commit crimes, and those who are "working hard, trying to make ends meet," Bush said.

He responded to audience questions about voter suppression, the death penalty, criminal justice reform, and affirmative action, and repeatedly returned to the themes of optimism, prosperity, and compromise.

"We need to re-energize the compromise gene; the consensus muscle," he said. "Find common ground on the smallest thing and build on it."

Obituaries from The Republican.

The nearly $19.6 million in federal funding to Holyoke, Massachusetts pays for academic programs of poor children, school lunches, sidewalk repairs and housing, youth and elderly programs.

HOLYOKE -- The city received nearly $19.6 million in federal funds last year to help students living in poverty meet academic standards and for school lunches, housing, sidewalks and programs for the elderly, officials said Tuesday.

City Councilor James M. Leahy said it would be irresponsible to jeopardize funding for programs important to the whole community and which the city would be unable to replace.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said the federal funds are not in jeopardy.

Leahy sought federal funding details after Morse said last week 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.

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

Trump signed an executive order Jan. 25 denying federal funding to sanctuary cities, or jurisdictions, that choose not to cooperate with federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants

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 city order 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.

Police Chief James M. Neiswanger, who supported Morse's order, said it was rare for police to get a federal civil detainer request.

Leahy said he received phone calls from residents asking how much federal money Holyoke gets. He asked acting City Auditor Bellamy H. Schmidt to compile the details, which showed the city received $19,565,000 (see below).

"I think it's irresponsible for anyone in the city to put us at risk of losing federal funds," said Leahy, an at large councilor.

The federal funding total to Holyoke includes over $7 million in Title 1 funding, which is money to help communities that have "high numbers or high percentages" of children from low-income families to ensure the communities meet challenging state academic standards. More than 30 percent of this city of about 40,000 falls below the federal poverty line.

Another $3.7 million pays for school lunches and over $1.1 million to expand preschool programs.

The city received $1,552,000 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). That money yearly pays for housing and playground renovations, blight removal, new sidewalks, boxing and other sports programs, jobs, education and social programs, soup kitchen assistance and community policing.

The city also received $881,000 in federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds. That money is used to work with local nonprofit groups to build, buy and renovate housing for poor people.

"I think its irresponsible for anyone in this city to lose federal money. The federal funds go to important programs like Title 1, our school lunch program. CDBG, special education programs and many other important programs," Leahy said.

Morse again labeled Trump's executive order "toothless," saying it was vague and empty, and he said the president's order will face fights from mayors, the Massachusetts congressional delegation and Gov. Charlie Baker.

"We will not lose federal funds, the executive order is toothless and mayors across the country are joining together to fight any effort that would impact our communities," Morse said.

"No, the order itself doesn't even make it clear what it will do....It's all words -- bigoted, empty and an attempt to divide our country. We won't let that happen.

"We also have the support of our congressional delegation who have promised to defend all (Massachusetts) cities and towns, and even Gov. Baker has indicated he will protect sanctuary cities," Morse said.

According to foxnews.com on Tuesday, "Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, during a forum last week that he and the Boston mayor attended, said while he doesn't want the Bay State to become a 'sanctuary state,' he believes cities and towns 'should be allowed to make their own decisions' in regards to their approaches in law enforcement.

Federal funds to Holyoke in 2016: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd