John Niemiec III, 29, of Sunderland, the second man charged in connection with the Oct. 30 Amherst home invasion is expected to be released on $5,000 bail later Wednesday with conditions.

BELCHERTOWN - John Niemiec III, 29, of Sunderland, the second man charged in connection with the Oct. 30 Amherst home invasion, is expected to be released on $5,000 bail later Wednesday with conditions.

Niemiec was to face a dangerous hearing Wednesday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown to charges of conspiracy to commit home invasion and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, in connection with the incident at 943 South East St.

He pleaded not guilty to charges Friday.

Assistant District Attorney Andy Covington asked for $10,000 bail and Niemiec's attorney Jared Olanoff argued for no bail.

Judge William O'Grady set the bail at $5,000 with a number of conditions including that he have no contact with the alleged victims, live with his mother in Colrain, continue looking for work or working and to have no contact with alleged victims, witnesses or his alleged co-conspirators.

Patrick Bemben, of Hadley, faces 11 charges in Hampshire Superior Court for his alleged role.

Bemben was arrested shortly after the incident and was released on $35,000 cash bail Jan. 23. He must abide by a number of bail conditions, including taking part in a 90-day drug treatment program in Westminster.

A third suspect, Stephanos Georgiadis, 25, of Hadley, is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and armed robbery. He was arraigned Friday and is being held pending a hearing Wednesday as well.

Covington talked about the chaotic scene at the South East Street house that night and the number of injuries. One resident of the house was treated at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for injuries suffered when he was hit in the arm with a hatchet, and another man suffered lacerations to his scalp after being hit with a handgun.

Bemben was treated at Cooley Dickinson from injuries he suffered as residents defended themselves, according to the police report.

Covington said that Niemiec, as a co-conspirator, was in radio communication with others and had rented a van to transport the others and was acting as a lookout.

Olanoff argued there was no forensic evidence linking him to the night and at worst, "I think someone roped him in to stand by with a truck." He said that Niemiec would be posting bail today.

The case has been scheduled for March 31, pending a bind-over to the Hampshire Superior Court grand jury, which is expected to hear the case.

Tech Foundry, a nonprofit technology job training program based in Springfield, is seeking IT professionals willing to serve as volunteer instructors as demand for its services grows.

Are you a local tech guru looking to do good?

Tech Foundry, a nonprofit technology job training program based in Springfield, is seeking IT professionals willing to serve as volunteer instructors as demand for its services grows.

"It's simple, our success increases our need for instructors," Tech Foundry Director of Curriculum and Programs Alex Schwartz said in a statement. "Student demand and employer demand are both increasing and we need to continue to build our infrastructure to meet that demand." 

Instructors, which have historically come from institutions and companies like UMass Amherst, Baystate Health Services and Paragus Strategic IT, teach skills including hardware and software troubleshooting, general help desk skills, programming languages such as Python and data skills such as SQL, Tech Foundry said in a press release.

The amount of time donated can be flexible. Prospective volunteers can reach Schwartz at (413) 276-0609. 

"Instructors volunteer their time to meet their availability. Some volunteer a few hours per week, while others only volunteer a few hours a month," Schwartz said. "It's the content they convey that is critical, not the amount of time." 

Tech Foundry, which partners with organizations and corporations including Baystate Health, Crocker Communications, the Davis Foundation and the Beveridge Family Foundation, offers job skills training for Western Mass. residents trying to enter the information technology or coding fields. The program graduated its first class in June of 2015, its second in October of last year and its third in December.

Tech Foundry has refined its focus since its launch, targeting career-focused people and community college students rather than the high schoolers who made up its pilot class, Edwards said in a January interview.

The program has won praise from state officials including Sec. of Labor and Workforce Development Ron Walker and Housing and Economic Development Sec. Jay Ash.

Last week, the program celebrated its third anniversary with an event featuring Mike Knapik, the head of Governor Charlie Baker's Springfield office, former Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki and Baystate Health Services IT Director Patrick Streck.

Theresa Izzo admitted to tampering with a witness and fabricating physical evidence.

Patrick Johnson | pjohnson@repub.com 

ENFIELD - The mother of an Enfield man who was convicted of arson in a series of fires two years ago has admitted to forging alibi statements in an attempt to clear her son, according to reports.

Theresa Izzo pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness and fabricating physical evidence, according to the Hartford Courant.

She admitted guilt under the Alford doctrine, which is the equivalent in Connecticut of pleading to sufficient facts without a guilty finding. Under an Alford plea, a defendant disputes some of the evidence but admits the state likely has enough of a case to win a conviction.

Theresa Izzo is the mother of Davidson Izzo, who as a 16-year old was arrested in March 2015 and charged in connection with four arsons in Enfield that occurred between August 2014 and January 2015.

Davidson Izzo pleaded guilty two weeks ago to two counts of first-degree arson and is awaiting sentencing. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13 and could be sentenced to 13 years in prison, to be suspended after 5 years, and then five years of probation.

Under a plea agreement, Theresa Izzo will be sentenced to 13 years in prison but that is to be suspended after she serves one year. She will also receive three years of probation.

According to testimony presented in court, the Courant reports Theresa Izzo wrote two alibi statements that would clear her son of a Dec. 31, 2014 fire and then persuaded two co-workers to sign them.

The rollover was reported shortly after 11:15 a.m.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Minor injuries have been reported in a tractor trailer rollover on the connector road between the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 91, state police report.

The rollover was reported shortly after 11:15 a.m.

It occurred on the connector between the Massachusetts Turnpike's Exit 4 and Interstate 91's Exit 14 -- before the split to Interstate 91 north and south.

State police report that traffic is able to get around the accident scene.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts argues that stripping federal funding from sanctuary cities "is a major affront to basic principles of federalism and the separation of powers."

The cities of Chelsea and Lawrence have sued President Donald Trump over his executive order stripping federal funding from so-called "sanctuary cities."

"The federal government continues its efforts to trample the rights of minorities and immigrants and to pursue its agenda of thinly cloaked discrimination," said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, which filed the suit, in a statement. "It is our responsibility to stand up and protect the rights that define us as a society and are enshrined in our Constitution."

The term "sanctuary city" is not an official designation, and is loosely defined. It typically refers to a city that does not honor or enforce 48-hour detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in cases that are non-criminal and or do not involve an individual who is the subject of a warrant.

In addition to Chelsea and Lawrence, other Massachusetts cities described as sanctuary cities include Holyoke and Northampton.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts argues that stripping federal funding from sanctuary cities "is a major affront to basic principles of federalism and the separation of powers."

"The Executive Order seeks, without congressional authorization, to commandeer local officials to enforce the federal government's immigration policies, and threatens municipalities with crippling losses of funding, apparently including funding for programs with no connection to law enforcement, if the municipalities do not come to heel," the lawsuit charges. "Particularly for smaller and more impoverished cities and towns, the impact of this Executive Order is both immediate and chilling."

The cities of Chelsea and Lawrence are asking a federal judge to overturn Trump's order.

Local officials in sanctuary cities say they do not want local law enforcement involved in federal immigration policy, because that will hurt the trust between police officers and their communities and result in immigrants who entered the country illegally or their families being scared to report crimes or talk to the police.

The complaint argues that these cities were never warned that accepting federal grants would require them to enforce federal immigration law, and there is no connection between immigration policy and federal grant money for things like education and fire departments. It says Trump's order violates states' rights and is unconstitutionally vague.

Read the full complaint below.

Sanctuary Cities - Complaint FINAL FILED by Shira Schoenberg on Scribd

Cypher was appointed to the Appeals Court bench by Gov. Paul Cellucci in 2000.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday nominated Appeals Court Judge Elspeth "Ellie" Cypher for a seat on the Supreme Judicial Court.

Baker called Cypher a "strong and experienced legal candidate" who has served with distinction on the Appeals Court, where she is now the senior associate justice.

Cypher, 57, was appointed to the bench in 2000 by then-Gov. Paul Cellucci, a Republican.

"My approach is always to look at the case in front of me, examine facts, examine the record, listen to the arguments, look at the law and then go where that takes me, bearing in mind that at the Supreme Judicial Court, the opinions that they issue have vast impact," Cypher said in a brief interview after the announcement.

Cypher is a former assistant district attorney in Bristol County, where she worked from 1988 to 2000, for part of that time as chief of the appellate division. Before that, she was an associate at the Boston law firm of Grayer, Brown and Dilday. She has also worked as an adjunct professor at Southern New England School of Law.

Cypher's expertise is in criminal law, and she has written and taught in that field. One of her most notable cases was the prosecution of James Kater, who abducted and murdered 15-year-old Raynham resident Mary-Lou Arruda in 1978 -- a high-profile murder that had a major impact on the town. She recent ruled in a significant case regarding the suppression of 159 pounds of marijuana, affirming a lower court's decision that a state trooper improperly searched the defendant's car during a traffic stop. 

She is the author of a series on criminal practice and procedure in Massachusetts, which is the go-to guide for attorneys on criminal procedure.

Cypher earned her bachelor's degree from Emerson College in 1980 and her law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1986.

"She's known as a very experienced jurist, she's known as a very fine colleague, and I look forward to working with her," said Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants.

Martin Healy, chief legal counsel of the Massachusetts Bar Association, said Cypher has been a "powerhouse" on the Appeals Court and has also been a mentor to colleagues and fellow justices.

"I think she's going to be a very strong justice and a very influential force on the court," Healy said. "She stands out among her peers as one of brightest and most hardworking justices on the Appeals Court."

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito called Cypher "tireless" and said she has "a passion for the law and...getting to the right outcomes."

Cypher is married to Sharon Levesque. They have an adult son, Austin Cyphersmith. They live in Assonet.

If confirmed by the Governor's Council, Cypher would replace Justice Margot Botsford, who reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in March.

If Cypher is confirmed, Baker will have appointed more than half the justices on the seven-member Supreme Court in just over two years in office. Cypher is his fourth appointment to the court, after Justices Frank Gaziano, David Lowy and Kimberly Budd.

Baker will have the opportunity to nominate a fifth judge this summer with Justice Geraldine Hines approaching the mandatory retirement age.

Healy said the court has been moving to the left over the last decade, and Baker's appointments make it a more centrist body.

Baker said he does not think of the Supreme Judicial Court as left, centrist or right. "It's a court where people respect other's opinions," Baker said.

"If you think you know exactly how they're going to decide cases, as often as not you're going to end up being wrong," Baker said. "They tend for the most part to work these issues hard, follow the rule of law, and most of the time these decisions tend to be 6-1, 5-2, 7-0."

A date for Cypher's confirmation hearing before the Governor's Council has not yet been set. Governor's Councilor Marilyn Devaney said she can still recall voting for Cypher's appointment to the Appeals Court. Devaney said she was impressed that Cypher had handled so many cases, both civil and criminal, before the Superior Court.

Governor's Councilor Robert Jubinville said he does not yet know much about Cypher, but he will look at her Appeals Court work and prepare for the confirmation hearing.

This is a breaking news story that has been updated.

Stephanos Georgiadis, 25, of Hadley the third man charged in connection with the Oct. 30 Amherst home invasion is being held on $10,000 bail.

BELCHERTOWN -- Hadley resident Stephanos Georgiadis -- the third man charged in connection with an Oct. 30 Amherst home invasion -- is being held on $10,000 bail.

Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Andy Covington asked that he be held without the right to bail for his involvement because of the nature of the charges.

Georgiadis, 25, is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and armed robbery. Covington said he expects additional charges will be filed when the case is bound over to Hampshire Superior Court after a grand jury review.

He pleaded not guilty to charges Friday in Eastern Hampshire District Court. 

Georgiadis' lawyer, Marissa Elkins, argued for $5,000 bail and said his family would have a hard time coming up with that amount. She said she does not know whether it will be posted. She told the court he is not a flight risk, and also said he cooperated with police -- meeting with them twice -- and that his testimony helped police in the case.

Judge William O'Grady set the bail at $10,000 bail. Georgiadis will next appear March 8.

Earlier Wednesday, John Niemiec III, 29, of Sunderland, the second man charged, was released on $5,000 bail. He pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of conspiracy to commit home invasion and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, in connection with the incident

Under his bail conditions, he must live with his mother in Colrain, must continue working or looking for work. He was ordered to have no contact with alleged victims, witnesses or his alleged co-conspirators.

Hadley resident Patrick Bemben, the first man arrested in the case, faces 11 charges in Hampshire Superior Court for his alleged role.

Bemben was arrested shortly after the incident and was released on $35,000 cash bail Jan. 23. He must abide by a number of bail conditions, including taking part in a 90-day drug treatment program in Westminster.

Covington said Georgiadis initially told police he was just a lookout but later admitted he entered the house. He also said he and Bemben had allegedly scouted the area before the robbery.

 One resident of the house was treated at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for injuries suffered when he was hit in the arm by a hatchet, and another man suffered lacerations to his scalp after being hit with a handgun.

Bemben was treated at Cooley Dickinson from injuries he suffered as residents defended themselves, according to the police report.

Students from the Hampden Charter School of Science volunteered to stay after school Tuesday to help pack nearly 20 care packages that will be shipped to military personnel around the world.

CHICOPEE - Students from the Hampden Charter School of Science volunteered to stay after school Tuesday to help pack nearly 20 care packages that will be shipped to military personnel around the world.

With the help of the Pioneer Valley USO at Westover Air Reserve Base, the 34 students from the school sponsored College Mentoring Program will stage a two-day packing party in the school's Teacher Lounge to fill, pack, and seal the containers.

The students were part of an after school enrichment program that builds personal goals in volunteer service. The four-part program is made up of Volunteer Service, Physical Fitness, Personal Development, and Expedition / Exploration, which is tied into the Congressional Award.

The care packages included essential items along with candy, snacks, board games, DVD's, and computer games. Also included in many of the packages were dog toys, warming mats, and collars for the military's K-9 Unit.

Assisting in the College Mentoring Program are Hampden Charter School of Science Program Supervisor and Councilor Emily Temple, Allen Tracy, executive director of the Pioneer Valley USO and John Kelly, coordinator of the Pioneer Valley USO.

The College Mentoring Program is designed to create a cooperative collaborative and challenging environment for high-achieving students 14 - 17-years-old. All participants in the program must maintain a 3.5 grade point average, according to Temple.

The United States Postal Service charges the Pioneer Valley USO nearly $17 per package to ship and monetary donations are needed according to Chrisant and Chartier.

Tuesday's students included, Oshanti Dyer, Thomas Czartoryski, Angelia Fields, Mateusz Cornejo, Gulmira Niyazova, Michelle Baranovski, Makayla Cruz, Mia Vazquez and Samantha Josephs.

Donations and checks should be earmarked "Care Packages" and mailed to the USO of Pioneer Valley, 250 Jenkins Street, Box 17, Westover Air Reserve Base, Chicopee, Mass. 01022. For more information you can call the office directly at 413-557-3290 or send an email to pioneervalleyuso@gmail.com.

The home invasion occurred late Wednesday morning on Slater Avenue, police said.

George Graham | ggraham@repub.com 

SPRINGFIELD -- Police are searching for two suspects following a late Wednesday morning home invasion on Slater Avenue in the Boston Road neighborhood.

The incident occurred about 11:20 a.m., Sgt. John Delaney said.

The pair stole an iPhone and an iPad from a male resident at knifepoint, said Delaney, public information officer for the department. They fled on foot toward Lloyd Avenue.

Police radio traffic described the suspects as two black males. It's not clear if any injuries were reported.

Delaney said it's not yet known if the victim knows the suspects.

This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as soon as it is available.

More than 900 organizations in New England received grants from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation in 2016, with more than $1.4 million going to non-profit organizations that provide fresh food to low-income families, Harvard Pilgrim announced on Wednesday.

More than 900 organizations in New England received grants from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation in 2016, with more than $1.4 million going to non-profit organizations that provide fresh food to low-income families, Harvard Pilgrim announced on Wednesday.

The grants totaled nearly $2.5 million, Harvard Pilgrim said in a statement. More than $1.4 million went to the Foundation's Healthy Food Fund initiatives within the region. That funding supported programs that grow, distribute and/or market fresh food for low-income families and communities.

Of those Healthy Food Fund grants, $280,500 was awarded to five mobile farmers' markets in Worcester and Lowell, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; Lewiston/Auburn, Maine; and the seacoast of New Hampshire.

"While we are supporting community growers and markets on the supply side, we are also helping programs that build consumer demand for healthy food," added Karen Voci, president of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. "Through cooking classes, nutrition and shopping education, as well as coupons that double a family's purchasing power, we can continue to increase customers' demand for the food grown right here in New England. That's great for our health, for our environment, and for our economy."

A $7,000 grant was provided to support Dimock Community Health's hosting of the Health Equity Roundtable in Boston on transgender health care issues through the Foundation's Health Equity Roundtable program.

Funding to support families and survivors of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, was also granted by Harvard Pilgrim. The Foundation also contributed $5,000 to the OneOrlando Fund.

A full report of the grants will be released in early 2017.

Massachusetts Grant Recipients, a total of $974,445, went to:

• $124,000 - Healthy Aging Grants (Statewide), Community gardens and cooking and nutrition classes for older adults
• $100,000 -- Boys & Girls Clubs (Boston), Farm-to-Family program
• $60,500 -- Regional Environmental Council (Worcester), Mobile Farmers' Market
• $60,000 - Mill City Grows (Lowell), Mobile Farmers Market
• $50,000 - Boston Area Gleaners (Waltham), Distribution and Delivery Program
• $50,000 - Gardening the Community (Springfield), Expansion of Walnut St. garden; Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
• $50,000 - Groundwork Lawrence, CSA program, youth-led urban agriculture program, cooking and nutrition classes
• $50,000 - Grow Food Northampton, Food Access Northampton; Giving Garden
• $50,000 - Growing Places (Leominster), Teaching Garden, Garden on the GO, cooking classes
• $50,000 - Nourishing the North Shore (Newburyport, Amesbury, Salisbury, Rowley, Newbury, West Newbury), Garden and food delivery expansion initiatives, cooking and nutrition classes
• $39,000 - Community Harvest Project (North Grafton), Volunteer Farming Initiative; Farm-to-Health Center program
• $30,000 - Boston Children's Museum, Summer 2017 Healthy Food for Families program
• $29,000 - Mass in Motion (New Bedford), Subsidized CSA program; cooking and nutrition training
• $25,000 -- City Year (Boston), Service Activities at McKay K-8 School in East Boston; extended day programming support
• $25,000 -- Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, Inc. (Lawrence), Healthy Eating for Active Living Training and Workshops
• $15,000 - Boston Public Market, Summer 2017 Healthy Food for Families program
• $14,000 -- Worcester Public Library Foundation, Tatnuck Magnet Elementary School; community garden and library
• $10,000 -- Cradles to Crayons (Brighton), Ready-for-School backpack campaign
• $5,000 - Urban Farming Institute of Boston (Roxbury), Conference
• $5,000 - Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, Support for farmer challenge grant program

Mayor Wil Reichelt has appointed Jeffry Paquin Jr. to a firefighter / paramedic position with the West Springfield Fire Department.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Mayor Wil Reichelt has appointed Jeffrey Paquin Jr. to a firefighter-paramedic position with the West Springfield Fire Department.

Reichelt congratulated Paquin at a ceremony on Monday at the J. Edward Christian Municipal Building. The mayor also congratulated Paquin on social media, where people offered good wishes to the firefighter and told him to stay safe.

West Springfield Fire Chief Bill Flaherty urged Paquin to finish his studies and continue taking classes "to further your knowledge of the job."

People are often stressed out when they call the Fire Department for help, "so be compassionate and have empathy towards them," Flaherty said.

"And welcome to the best job in the world," the chief said, extending his hand to Paquin.

The ceremony closed with West Springfield City Clerk Otto Frizzell giving the oath of office to the new firefighter.

Last month, the Fire Department welcomed a new lieutenant to its ranks.

Icy roadways created dangerous conditions for morning commuters across the state Wednesday morning. Many crashes and pile-ups were reported, including a 55-vehicle collision on I-95 northbound in Wakefield.

Commuters faced treacherous conditions across Massachusetts Wednesday morning after rain and snow iced over streets and major highways. The slick roads prompted Governor Charlie Baker to announce a two-hour delay for non-essential government employees around 8:30 a.m., long after many workers had left their homes.

Cars spun out easily on black ice, which caused numerous pile-up accidents and relentless traffic for commuters. The weather posed dangerous conditions on local streets as well: police reported a 63-year-old man from Needham died while trying to help another motorist who was stuck Wednesday morning.

Needham man struck, pinned between vehicles and killed while trying to help driver stuck on ice

Were roadways prepared?

The National Weather Service warned commuters before Wednesday morning to watch out for cold, icy conditions leftover from Tuesday's wintry mix of snow and freezing rain. The NWS announced an official winter weather advisory until 7 a.m. Wednesday.

According to Patrick Marvin, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, officials received a call from the department's meteorologist at 4:30 a.m. about changing weather conditions. Marvin said 200 additional pieces of equipment were deployed at that time, in addition to the 450 pieces used to pre-treat roadways overnight.

Despite the overnight preparations, Marvin said heavy rains washed away much of the salt intended to prevent icy conditions. 

Accidents spike on major arteries across state:

A tweet by Massachusetts State Police reporting the many closures on vital highways around Boston gives a glimpse into the chaotic re-routing that drivers faced:

To summarize -- Rt 128 closed N of 93. Rt 93 closed at 495 in Methuen. Delays on Pike from truck into median in Milbury. Many other crashes

-- Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) February 8, 2017

Drivers commuting near the Boston area faced blocked lanes on most paths in and out of the city. Parts of Storrow Drive, Memorial Drive and Massachusetts Avenue were closed around 8 a.m. due to icy roads, according to police.

Officials patrolling South Boston reported 10 accidents Wednesday morning, around the areas of Interstate 90 eastbound, Interstate 93 near the Zakim Bridge and the Allston-Brighton tolls. As with many of the other accidents across the state, police say the collisions happened around 6 a.m. At least one person was reported injured in those 10 crashes.

Nearly 55 cars collided on Interstate 95 in Wakefield, delaying traffic on the interstate for miles. The tangled pile-up happened near Exit 39 in Wakefield around 6 a.m. Officials shut down a stretch of the interstate surrounding the accident.

55 vehicles collide on icy I-95 northbound in Wakefield

Those traveling behind the blocked portion of the highway were stuck back miles until Woburn as officials directed drivers toward I-93. Minor injuries were reported in the accident, but officials expect everyone to be OK.

Video of crash in Wakefield #wcvb pic.twitter.com/2136lhuH1a

-- Sera Congi (@seracongi) February 8, 2017

The Massachusetts Turnpike saw several accidents, including a truck roll-over in West Springfield and a major crash between an out-of-control pickup truck and tractor-trailer around 6:30 a.m. in Millbury that caused of six miles backup. The driver of the pick-up truck was transported to a local hospital with non-serious injuries.

Video shows wrecked tractor-trailer on Mass. Pike in Millbury amid traffic backup

Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation are expected to release information later today regarding Thursday's anticipated snowstorm.

Anthony Martinello, who owns Martinello Quality Firearms in Sutton, is surrendering his license to sell firearms after allegedly selling illegal Glock handguns out of his residence, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said Wednesday.

Anthony Martinello, who owns Martinello Quality Firearms in Sutton, is surrendering his license to sell firearms after allegedly selling illegal Glock handguns out of his residence, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said Wednesday.

Martinello sold Glocks without load indicators or magazine safety disconnects, which Healey's office is required by state handgun safety regulations.

Martinello was also using his home as a "permanent place of business" for gun sales and transactions, which is illegal, Healey's office said in a release.

He reached a settlement with Healey's office to not seek a license to sell, rent or lease firearms, handguns, rifles and shotguns for three years, and he is paying the state $10,000 to cover the fees and costs of Healey's investigation.

"In Massachusetts, we have the benefit of strong state laws to help law-abiding gun dealers in keeping the public safe, and we rely on gun dealers to ensure responsible gun ownership," Healey said in a statement.

Read the gun shops' lawsuit against Maura Healey

In January, Healey's office announced a Worcester gun dealer is paying $35,000 after the dealer was accused of selling illegal Glocks and handguns.

The moves come months after Healey announced a crackdown on copycat assault weapons. Gun owners and activists say Healey overstepped her legal authority by issuing the crackdown, which has also led to several lawsuits against Healey.

Healey's investigation into Glock guns gets green light

The Selectboard said they were advised by town counsel that state law forbids the municipality from enacting the ban were it approved by voters.

SOUTH HADLEY -- Voters will have a chance to express their opinion on whether to ban plastic bags during the upcoming town election, but it will be a nonbinding ballot question.

The Selectboard at Tuesday's meeting unanimously voted to place the measure on the April 11 ballot.

However, the board said they were advised by town counsel that state law would forbid the municipality from enacting the ban were it approved by voters. The town counsel said Town Meeting has authority to enact a plastic bag ban.

By a 52-39 vote, Town Meeting members last month defeated an article that proposed banning plastic bags, including "common retail plastic bags with die-cut handles." It would not have barred biodegradable bags, reusable bags or "small item bags."

During that meeting, several members said the proposal should be voted on by residents at a town election.

The ballot measure the Selectboard approved Tuesday reads as follows:

"Would you be in favor of banning plastic die-cut bags commonly used by retailers in favor of allowing only reusable, compostable or bio-degradable bags? This is not a binding question.

Yes, you are in favor

No, you are not in favor"

Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said those in support of or opposed to the proposed ban may submit a statement summarizing their arguments, and that information could also appear on a specimen ballot.

Last-minute filings have generated five townwide races, including one for Select Board, two for School Committee and two for the Jones Library board of trustees.

AMHERST -- Last-minute filings have generated five townwide races, including one for Select Board, two for School Committee and two for the Jones Library board of trustees.

Town Meeting member Robert Greeney, who earlier took out nomination papers for a School Committee seat, picked up papers Tuesday for the Select Board as well. He then returned papers to run for both seats.

Town Clerk Sandra Burgess said a candidate may run for and serve on both panels.

Nomination papers signed by at least 50 registered voters were due by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The race for Select Board will include Greeney as well as incumbents Andy Steinberg and Connie Kruger. The top two vote-getters will win seats on the board.

Meanwhile, three people are running for a School Committee seat currently held by Chairwoman Katherine Appy, who decided not to seek re-election.

Jennifer Page, who applied to fill a committee vacancy in October, is running along with Sarah Morton and Peter Demling.

Demling has been active in the campaign to build a new elementary school. Page works at the University of Massachusetts. Morton is vice president of CTI Energy Services. None have held townwide office.

In an email, Appy wrote she decided not to seek a third term for both personal and professional reasons. "I also think it's time for others to have the opportunity to serve," she said.

In the second School Committee race, Greeney will challenge Eric Nakajima, who was appointed to the School Committee to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of former Chairwoman Laura Kent in September. They are running to fill the remaining two years of that term.

For the Jones Library board of trustees, incumbents Christopher Hoffman and Alex Lefebvre have filed papers along with Kitty Axelson-Berry and Terry Johnson for two three-year terms.

Lefebvre was appointed to the board in December to fill a vacancy left by Michael Wolff, who died in November. Axelson-Berry had also applied to fill the vacancy.

Incumbent Lee Edwards, meanwhile, is seeking re-election to a two-year seat and is facing challenger Edwin Wilfert.

Signatures on nomination papers are still being certified.

With a bit of sarcasm, the officer offered some advice: "Note to criminals--if you're planning a bank robbery, try not to have your getaway car towed for smashing into a police cruiser."

Following Sunday's Patriots Super Bowl win, a man admitted to two Boston police officers that he was texting and driving when he rear-ended their unmarked police cruiser.

Hours later, he was confronted by police again as he was arrested for two bank robberies while trying to flee in a cab, police said.

The driver and a passenger drove into the unmarked cruiser at the intersection of Congress and Purchase streets at 1:10 a.m. on Monday, Boston police said in a statement. The officers were leaving their Super Bowl post at Faneuil Hall.

After admitting to texting and driving, the operator was cited for impeded operation (texting while driving), police said. The driver was not publicly identified.

The driver's car and the unmarked cruiser were towed away.

At 9:40 a.m., Boston police responded to a robbery at the Eagle Bank at 389 Hanover St. with two suspects, police said.

Then 25 minutes later, there was a reported bank robbery at 75 State St. The suspects matched the description from the Eagle Bank robbery, police said.

Police heard the two suspects tried to flee the scene in a white cab on Congress Street and got the cab's number. An officer on Congress Street then saw a long line of white taxis waiting in traffic.

One of them happened to be the suspects' getaway cab.

After stopping traffic, police walked down the block to arrest the two suspects and recover the stolen money, police said. The two men were charged with armed robbery.

During booking, the officer recognized the names of the men from the reported crash that morning involving the unmarked cruiser.

With a bit of sarcasm, the officer offered some advice: "Note to criminals--if you're planning a bank robbery, try not to have your getaway car towed for smashing into a police cruiser."

Concerns about the legal status of refugees have been keeping the municipal government here busy.

NORTHAMPTON -- The superintendent of the public school system here, John Provost, will discuss constitutional protections for undocumented city students at Thursday's school committee meeting.

Concerns about the legal status of refugees have been keeping the municipal government here busy.

The City Council last week approved a resolution condemning President Donald Trump's recent executive order that temporarily bans immigrants from six Muslim-majority nations from entering the country, and indefinitely bans Syrian refugees.

A federal court in Washington state has temporarily barred enforcement of the president's order, and an appeal is pending.

The Northampton School Committee's Thursday agenda includes an item about "Fourteenth Amendment Implications for Schools."

In an email statement to The Republican, Provost said school committee member Molly Burnham "has asked me to discuss 14th Amendment protections for undocumented students." Asked if he could provide the number of undocumented students currently attending city schools, Provost said, "it is not lawful to collect information about student citizenship status."

In a 5-4 decision back in 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the Plyler v. Doe case, struck down a Texas law related to undocumented immigrants who were denied enrollment. The court cited the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.

"Held: A Texas statute which withholds from local school districts any state funds for the education of children who were not 'legally admitted' into the United States, and which authorizes local school districts to deny enrollment to such children, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment," the decision states.

"The discrimination contained in the Texas statute cannot be considered rational unless it furthers some substantial goal of the State," the ruling continues. "Although undocumented resident aliens cannot be treated as a 'suspect class,' and although education is not a 'fundamental right,' so as to require the State to justify the statutory classification by showing that it serves a compelling governmental interest, nevertheless the Texas statute imposes a lifetime hardship on a discrete class of children not accountable for their disabling status."

Then-Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote a dissent that was joined by three of his colleagues, which said:

"Were it our business to set the Nation's social policy, I would agree without hesitation that it is senseless for an enlightened society to deprive any children -- including illegal aliens -- of an elementary education. I fully agree that it would be folly -- and wrong -- to tolerate creation of a segment of society made up of illiterate persons, many having a limited or no command of our language. However, the Constitution does not constitute us as 'Platonic Guardians,' nor does it vest in this Court the authority to strike down laws because they do not meet our standards of desirable social policy, 'wisdom' or 'common sense.'"

The School Committee meeting on Thursday begins at 7:15 p.m. in JFK Middle School's community room.

Senate Republicans stopped U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren from reading a letter by the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. on the Senate floor in opposition to attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions.

On Tuesday night, Senate Republicans stopped U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, from reading a letter by the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. on the Senate floor in opposition to attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions. On Wednesday morning, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, voiced skepticism at the Senate's procedural move.

"I do find it hard to believe that a letter from Coretta Scott King would be out of order in any public place or space anywhere in the United States of America," Baker told reporters when asked about Warren.

In interview, Elizabeth Warren defends reading from Coretta Scott King letter

But Baker declined to comment further on the Senate rules, saying, "I'm not a parliamentarian."

Baker is a moderate Republican who generally works well with Democratic lawmakers in Massachusetts and who did not vote for Republican President Donald Trump.

During debate over Sessions' confirmation, Warren tried to read out loud Coretta Scott King's 1986 letter opposing Sessions' nomination as a federal judge due to civil rights concerns.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said Warren was impugning the character of Sessions, a Republican senator from Alabama, so her remarks were out of order and she could no longer speak on the nomination. The Senate upheld McConnell's ruling along party lines, with Republicans agreeing that Warren violated the rules of debate.

The City of Springfield plans to strictly enforce a parking ban tomorrow, as crews prepare for a 12 to 14 hour plowing operation in response to projected heavy snowfall.

The City of Springfield plans to strictly enforce a parking ban tomorrow, as crews prepare for a 12 to 14 hour plowing operation in response to projected heavy snowfall.

Parking will be prohibited on the odd side of city streets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on even sides of the street from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

"We will be initiating an aggressive ticketing and towing program all day," Mayor Domenic Sarno and Department of Public Works Director Chris Cignoli said in a statement. "Expect that we will keep the ban on indefinitely."

Snow is expected to hit Springfield starting at 2 a.m, with about two inches of accumulation by 9 a.m., the city said in a press release. Precipitation will intensify through the morning, with seven inches expected by noon and nine inches by 1 p.m.

Trash pick up will be conducted by 6 a.m., and the city is urging residents to bring all trash out tonight.

Travel is expected to be "extremely difficult" during the worst of the storm from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the statement said.

The storm is expected to bring "heavy snow" with a "light," "fluffy" consistency and drop as much a 12 inches of snow on Central, Eastern Massachusetts and most of Western Massachusetts, according to NWS data.

Remarking on the "difficulty nailing down snowfall," NWS Boston tweeted a model saying Orange, Mass., could see up to 35 inches of snow in one scenario and as little as 2 inches in another.

The 63-year-old Needham man who was pinned between two cars and killed while trying to help a driver who was stuck on ice has been identified.

The 63-year-old Needham man who was pinned between two cars and killed while trying to help a driver who was stuck on ice has been identified.

Needham police said the man was Joseph Flynn. The struck driver he was trying to help was his son.

"The victim was helping his son whose car was disabled as a result of the treacherous condition related to the weather," police said.

Flynn was helping his son on Brookline Street at 7 a.m. when a car driven by 40-year-old Needham man slid on ice and was not able to stop before hitting him.

No charges have been filed. The Massachusetts State Police Reconstruction team is assisting with the investigation, which is protocol for any fatal crash, Needham police said.

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