Teens and staff at the Dunbar Community Center in Springfield are relieved and excited the center was saved and programs continue for youth and adults. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Three months since the Dunbar Community Center was saved from foreclosure by new ownership, its teenage participants and staff say they are relieved and excited that it continues to serve the Mason Square area.

"I like it very much," said Tajh Hylton, 17, a student at the High School of Commerce. "Where else would you get this environment?"

Hylton said he went to the Dunbar as a young child, stopped going, and then returned when he was a ninth-grader. The Dunbar provides him with an after-school opportunity to "get homework done, play basketball, learn and have fun," he said.

Mount Zion Baptist Church announced in October that it had purchased the financially troubled Dunbar property on Oak Street, saving it from a scheduled foreclosure auction and pledging to continue its legacy of community programs and services. Mount Zion Pastor Atu White summed up the news last fall in two words: "Dunbar Lives!"

In the past few months Mount Zion has replaced the roof on the historic portion of the Dunbar building and updated and repaired the heating systems throughout the entire structure, White said. The church has also addressed some deferred maintenance concerns, he said.

Hylton said he goes to the Dunbar daily during the week.

"The people who work here are cool," Hylton said. "I like all of them. I've made a bunch of friends at Dunbar and I've learned a lot growing up."

The YMCA of Greater Springfield continues to operate the Dunbar's programs and activities with about 10 staff people and more than 30 volunteers.

The YMCA never owned the building; it just ran the programs. The previous owner was the nonprofit Dunbar Community Center Inc., which endured serious financial challenges for many years and reportedly owed more than $1 million in principal, interest and fees before Mount Zion stepped in. The church negotiated a $705,000 settlement with the mortgage holder, SA Acquisition Property XX of Colorado, assisted by former Governor's Councilor Michael Albano.

"We're excited," said Dexter Johnson, chief operating officer of the YMCA of Greater Springfield. "We have been operating these programs going on four years. All that time, it was under a lot uncertainty as to what the future held and the pending closure. We're glad that there was finally a resolution so we don't have to worry about there being a chain on the door."

"It's a blessing the building was saved and we staved off foreclosure with what Mount Zion did," said Lavar Click, the Dunbar's executive director. "For us as the YMCA of Greater Springfield, we continue to do the work that we do -- that's to service the teens and adults, young people and people of all ages, all races and all creeds. That's what we are here for."

The YMCA continues to provide licensed after-school programming for 50 children, teen programming for 80, youth sports for 600 and adult sports for 220, White said. In addition to these activities, the YMCA offers Red Dragons Karate, Zumba and Afrocise group exercise classes, an Active Older Adult exercise class, and various other programs, he said.

Mount Zion does use some of the space at the Dunbar and stated its plans to move the church into a portion of the building, but there has been no final decision on the move yet, White said.

Click and Cesar Carattini, teen and outreach director, said the people who use the Dunbar do not really see much of a difference before and after the sale, although there was some reduction in space to accommodate the church's needs. The boxing program was eliminated but was probably going to close anyway, Click said.

Carattini said the Dunbar helps to serve the social needs of its participants. "It's a safe place for the kids to come and just hang out," he said.

Alliha Malcolm, 16, a student at Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy, said she had heard the Dunbar was in trouble financially, and her primary thought was: "They can't close. I don't want it to."

She has been going to the Dunbar since she was about 5 years old, saying it gives her something to do rather than sit around at home. She said she likes the teen program and going on field trips, and has made a lot of friends there while also doing homework and other activities.

White praised Click and his staff for a "phenomenal job at keeping the heartbeat of Dunbar pumping." In recent months, he said, he has had productive meetings with different community agencies and leaders.

"We look forward in the next few months to solidifying new partnerships that will strengthen the fabric of this community and the people we serve," White said. "The need is great and the willingness of the people to address the needs is even greater. I am pleased to see the facility bustling with young people in the evenings and on weekends being educated, coached and inspired."

The Longmeadow Fire Department is advising residents to dig fire hydrants buried in snow following Thursday's winter storm that garnered more than a foot of snow in Longmeadow.

LONGMEADOW -- Following Winter Storm Niko, which piled more than a foot of snow onto Longmeadow's roadways, the town's fire department is asking residents to clear fire hydrants.

The fire department advised that snowfall and snowplows often bury fire hydrants under a large amount of snow and ice, making it difficult for firefighters to use hydrants in emergencies.

"Should there be a fire nearby, precious time is lost as firefighters work to locate hydrants and shovel snow away before hoses can be hooked up to them," a fire department statement read. "The extra minutes that a firefighter spends digging out a hydrant can make a big difference in how quickly a fire can be extinguished and damage limited."

All hydrants should have a three-foot area surrounding it clear from snow. There should also be a pathway cleared between the hydrant and closest street.

"We are asking that you help us by keeping the fire hydrant closest to your residence or business clear of snow," the statement read.

Marty Klein says anyone can learn how to grow dispensary-grade marijuana at home.

EASTHAMPTON -- Marty Klein -- well-known in the area as an artist, photographer and environmentalist -- is apparently also an experienced marijuana cultivator.

Now Klein says he wants to share his cultivation knowledge with the public, and has scheduled two upcoming talks in Easthampton and Pittsfield.

His programs will cover the law as it applies to growing at home, options for seeds and strains, indoor and outdoor growing techniques, lighting, harvesting and curing and maximizing yields. The talks are limited to those over the age of 21.

Klein says anyone can learn how to grow dispensary-grade marijuana at home for personal use, legally and easily.

Massachusetts voters in November legalized recreational marijuana through a ballot measure. Under the new law, an individual may cultivate up to six plants at home for personal use and up to 12 per household.

Klein said he has many years of experience cultivating marijuana for personal use, as well as decades of vegetable and ornamental gardening experience.

He said a few slots are still available for the Feb. 19 Easthampton talk and that he will set up a registration page for the March 12 Pittsfield event soon.

If you go:

What: Introduction to Growing Dispensary Grade Marijuana at Home for Personal Use, Legally and Easily
Where: Easthampton Community Center, 12 Clark St.
When: Feb. 19, 2:30-5:30 p.m.
Tickets: Available online at EventNut. Tickets are $23.18. Those who wish to pay with cash at the door should still register online and select the "free" option.

Police were summoned to a reported shooting at 74 Ann St. shortly after 1 a.m. The victim has been identified as 44-year-old Chicopee resident Kevin Blanton.

George Graham | ggraham@repub.com 

CHICOPEE -- A Springfield man and woman have been arrested following the early Friday morning shooting death of a 44-year-old city man on Ann Street.

Police and the Hampden District Attorney's office announced the homicide and subsequent arrests Friday afternoon.

The district attorney's office identified the victim as Chicopee resident Kevin Blanton.

Michael Brawner, 29, and Sorheyddi Colondres, 33, both of 1215 Carew St., Springfield, were arrested in connection with Blanton's homicide.

Only Brawner was charged with murder. Colondres was charged with accessory after the fact and misleading a police investigator.

Police were summoned to a reported shooting at 74 Ann St. shortly after 1 a.m. Arriving officers found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Police began first aid and paramedics were sent to the scene.

Blanton was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

It's not clear whether the shooting occurred inside the home at 74 Ann St. Blanton, however, was inside when police arrived, investigators said.

"I would like to express my sympathies to Mr. Blanton's family and friends of their loss," Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said. "I would like to thank the Chicopee Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to my office for their quick action and skill that led to this arrest."

"Working together, two suspects were identified, and arrested less than 12 hours after this crime." Police Chief William Jebb said. "I would also like to offer my department's condolences to the family of the victim."

Along with murder, Brawner was charged with discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, possession of a firearm without an FID card, possession of ammunition without an FID card, possession of a firearm to commit a felony and misleading a police investigator.

The property at 74 Ann St., is owned by Donald Blanton, acccording to city assessor records.

Chicopee police reported on the homicide in a post on the department's Facebook page.

The two are slated to be arraigned this afternoon in District Court.

Investigators said the incident was not random and that the investigation is ongoing.

The homicide is the second in Chicopee since 2011, and only the fourth since 2010.

Dylan Francisco, of Springfield, was entering his sophomore year at Comprehensive High School when he was shot to death at a home in the Fairview section of Chicopee in July 2016.

He and two other teens were knocking on the door of a home in the Fairview section of the city when the homeowner, Jeffrey Lovell, 42, shot and killed him through the door.

The teens reportedly thought they were at a friend's home but the address was incorrect. Lovell was charged with manslaughter.

The others are the Aug. 11, 2010 stabbing death of Eammon Gallagher, 48, at the B Bar on Bolduc Lane, and the Aug. 26, 2011 stabbing death of 20-year-old Amanda Plasse during a robbery at her home on School Street

Each of those cases were closed with the arrest and conviction of suspects.

Derek Fish, a B Bar bartender, was sentenced to 9-11 years in prison in 2011 after being found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Gallagher, and Dennis Rosa-Roman was convicted for first-degree murder in 2016 and sentenced to life in prison for the death of Plasse.

The commission studying alternative forms of town government has voted to pursue the mayor-council model.

AMHERST -- The commission studying alternative forms of town government has voted to pursue the mayor-council model.

The Charter Commission took a straw poll in December, then began pursuing this model in earnest. A 6-3 vote earlier this month moves the process forward even more, said Chairman Andy Churchill.

The commission has until July 31 to submit a preliminary report. The final report is due by Sept. 29. The commission would then make a recommendation that voters would consider in March 2018.

"We're reaching the point where we need to move ahead," Churchill said. "(The vote) is a pretty significant fork in the road."

The proposal calls for a mayor and a 13-member town council. Ten councilors would represent each of the town's 10 precincts and three would be at-large members.   

Under its current form of government, Amherst has a town manager, a five-member Select Board and a 240-member representative Town Meeting.

Residents last voted on changing the town's form of government in 2005, rejecting a switch to a town government with a mayor and a seven-member town council.

Churchill said Charter Commission members have been doing a lot of listening to residents, but its latest vote represents "the framework, at this point. We're reaffirming the council-mayor structure." He said the commission now needs to "flesh out that model," adding various forms of citizen participation to it.

Of the mayoral form of government, he said, "in terms of a leader, you want political accountability and professional management. With a mayor you get accountability. We want to ensure we have professional management."

He said there would be a strong management team to support the mayor.

The commission ruled out a town manager-mayor form of government. Members felt that model "wouldn't be as successful as one person elected," Churchill said.

UMass officials and Amherst police are looking at ways to increase safety and decrease crime through crime prevention through environmental design.

AMHERST -- Student rowdiness at the University of Massachusetts Amherst could be cut with things as simple as pruning bushes or adding a few lights.

Or it could be done by adding more shrubbery.

UMass officials and Amherst police are looking at ways to increase safety and decrease crime through the lens of crime prevention through environmental design, a multi-disciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior.  

Eric Beal, neighborhood liaison in the UMass Office of External Relations, and Bill Laramee, Amherst Police neighborhood liaison officer, took a class last summer that UMass Police Deputy Chief Ian Cyr brought to campus.

The class included hands-on work, and that is leading to some changes. As part of the class, a group visited the Townhouse apartment area on Meadows Street --  the courtyard there was the site of the 2014 Blarney Blowout -- and the Phillips Street area that bridges UMass and the downtown to apply what they learned.

"There's a historic problem with mass gatherings," Laramee said.

To address that, he said he looked at when these events occurred - typically mid- to late-afternoon, lasting a few hours and breaking up when the sun goes down and students get hungry.  

At the Townhouse apartment area, Laramee said, he and Beal looked at how the students gained access to the courtyard -- usually bus service -- and how they entered.

They saw that there was poor lighting and it was easy to gather in the wide-open space. "We wanted to look at how can we break it up, make it not as accessible," Laramee said.

They talked about adding shrubs to reduce the open space and make it harder for students to gather in large groups.

They began meeting with students and property owners and found out "students (who live there) don't want (the gatherings) to occur." Neither do the property owners.

"The missing piece of this narrative is the effect on the students," Beal said. Having all voices helps when it comes to the solution, Beal and Laramee said.

They declined to talk about specific changes because property owners are still working them out. They expect they'll be implemented this summer.

At the Phillips Street area, they looked at the need for some houses to add lights and trim back bushes to improve sight lines. "Maintenance is important," Beal said. "It signals ... the area is being watched."

He said preventing rowdy gatherings is also about educating the community about expectations and to respect the neighborhood where students live.

Both Beal and Laramee have been working in their positions for a little more than a year, and the trust they built with students and landlords is helping, they said.

Cyr in an email to The Republican wrote that he had gone to two crime prevention through environmental design classes in 2014.

"I had always been interested in how the natural and built environment can impact peoples' sense of safety and the aggregate level of crime occurrences. As a result, I saw that the CPTED concepts would work well in our community," he wrote.

He said he wanted to create a working group representing university and town interests that "could increase relationships and provide tools to address some of our on and off campus student behavior issues, and work to make the campus safer.

"There is a partnership that has been created as a result and a team approach to the issues as opposed to pointing blame. I can't ask for much more progress than that," Cyr wrote.

The defense attorney for Rachelle Bond, the woman who on Friday pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to her daughter Bella's murder, sought to justify referring to her client as a "victim" in the case. Watch video

BOSTON - The defense attorney for Rachelle Bond, the woman who on Friday pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to her daughter Bella's murder, sought to justify referring to her client as a "victim" in the case.

Bella Bond's body, inside a trash bag, washed up on Deer Island in 2015, spawning a search for the identity of  "Baby Doe" and her killer.

Police arrested Michael Patrick McCarthy, Rachelle Bond's then-boyfriend, months later, and charged him with the murder of Bella.

McCarthy has pleaded not guilty and blames Rachelle for Bella's death. His trial is scheduled for April, and Rachelle Bond is cooperating with law enforcement officials to testify against him.

"My client has wanted to nothing more than to see Michael McCarthy convicted for the murder of her daughter," Janice Bassil, Bond's attorney, told a Superior Court judge on Friday.

"Her daughter was everything to her," Bassil added.

After the death of Bella, McCarthy threatened and sought to control Rachelle Bond, according to Bassil. That added to a sense of helplessness and depression, and the view that her life "was not worth living," Bassil said.

"She frankly lives at this point to see Michael McCarthy convicted," she said in court.

The plea agreement worked out with Suffolk County prosecutors makes clear that while Bond was present when the alleged murder occurred, she did not participate and did not contribute to her daughter's death, according to Bassil.

Rachelle Bond, mother of baby whose body was found in garbage bag, is pleading guilty to accessory charges

"I do see her as a victim in this case," Bassil said. "She has gone through a lot."

Bassil defended calling her client a victim while speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, after Bond pleaded guilty to the accessory charge and larceny over $250 involving state benefits.

"I see her that way because her child was killed and she had nothing to do with that," Bassil said, adding that Bond dealt with homelessness as well as McCarthy's treatment of her.

Rachelle Bond allegedly watched as boyfriend put daughter's body in refrigerator

"It's very easy to say she did nothing after the fact," Bassil told reporters. "But he did, he physically threatened her, he repeatedly threatened her and he also brought her back very quickly to what had been many years before a raging drug habit."

Directly addressing one reporter, Bassil said, "It's very easy for you to say it, why don't you live under a bridge for a week and see how much you can talk about?"

Another reporter followed up and asked, "But she couldn't tell anybody that her daughter was in a trash bag in Boston Harbor? Ever? Even when she was alone?"

"Why don't you walk in her shoes for a week and see how well you do," Bassil responded.

Defense attorney for Michael McCarthy calls Bond's story of Bella's murder 'unbelievable'

 

The cannabis-themed sasquatch whose interruption of 22 News' storm coverage went viral yesterday is the mascot for Potco, the Springfield store described by owner Dave Mech as a "Costco for marijuana."

He's big, he's green and he wants to sell you a grow lamp.

The cannabis-themed sasquatch whose interruption of 22 News' snow coverage went viral yesterday is the mascot for Potco, the Springfield store described by owner Dave Mech as a "Costco for marijuana."

"That would be me," said Mech, who confirmed he was inside the sasquatch suit when he burst into reporter Jennifer Pagliei's live shot. "I actually saw them out there and decided to pay a little visit, say hello."

22 News was preparing for a live storm update near the X in Springfield, right outside Mech's store. Paglieli's report began as normal, before a lumbering sasquatch covered in fake marijuana leaves moved into the shot.

 "I saw them setting up and said this might be fun," Mech said. "I don't wear it that often because some of the laves are fragile, but it didn't break when I fell in the middle of the street, which was good."

22 News later posted raw footage of Potsquatch on its Facebook page, drawing over 1.5 million views.

Potco serves medical marijuana patients and could be in line for a market expansion, with the personal growing of marijuana plants now legal in the state.

Mech believes that marijuana can be a tool in helping people kick opioid addiction, and was looking for a "powerful" symbol when he was coming with the mascot.

"I was thinking of Sasquatch, Karen the designer though of a ghillie suit, and what would come to mind - Potsquatch," Mech said.

The path has been closed since the fall of 2015 during a sewer repair project.

SPRINGFIELD -- With Winter Storm Niko dumping 16 inches of snow Thursday, there would seem to be little appetite in Springfield for bicycling.

But Sheila McElwaine and Betsy Johnson are among those anxiously awaiting the reopening of the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, which has been closed for more than a year while sewer repairs are completed nearby.

Members of the group WalkBike Springfield, both McElwaine and Johnson said their spirits were lifted this week in receiving information from the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission stating that the bike trail could reopen by July if conditions for the sewer work are favorable. In addition, they were pleased to hear that commission staff will meet with their group next month to discuss the ongoing work.

"Having gotten a tentative completion date from Water and Sewer is very, very helpful," McElwaine said.

McElwaine and other bikeway enthusiasts said they know the sewer project must occur, and that delays were beyond the control of the commission. But not knowing when the project would be completed makes it difficult to promote the bikeway and plan riverfront events, she said.

A section of the 3.7-mile path, from Liberty Street to Riverfront Park, has been closed since November 2015. Joyce Mulvaney, communications director for the Water and Sewer Commission, said the work consists of repairs to two combined sewer outfalls, or drain pipes, along the Connecticut River adjacent to the bikeway.

"Due to the location of these combined sewer outfalls, the Riverwalk must be closed while this work is being completed for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists," Mulvaney said.

Denise Jordan, the mayor's chief of staff, forwarded Mulvaney's page-long explanation of the bikeway closing to McElwaine this week, who shared it with other advocates.

Mulvaney, on behalf of the commission, stated: "With favorable weather and low river levels this spring, completion of the project and reopening of the CT Riverwalk and Bikeway could occur by July."

The sewer outfall work is part of the commission's $24 million Sewer Main Interceptor Rehabilitation and Combined Sewer Outfall Improvement Project, a federally mandated project to reduce sewage overflows.

Initially the work was expected to be complete by mid-April of 2016, but there were multiple factors that delayed the project, including bad weather and river conditions and environmental permitting issues and restrictions, Mulvaney said.

The sewer outfalls often discharge to the Connecticut River when it rains. That means repair work can only be performed in dry weather "for the safety of the workers and the protection of the work site and infrastructure," Mulvaney said.

"This project has also experienced significant delays due to unforeseeable circumstances related to environmental permitting and construction," Mulvaney said. "Initial delays were due to permitting requirements, controls and restrictions primarily associated with three species of aquatic life in the Connecticut River. These species require special protections and project controls, and have restrictions which prevent work from being performed certain times of the year."

In addition, there were delays due to unexpected soil conditions in the river bottom at certain depths, which required additional investigation, planning and alternate construction methods, Mulvaney said.

"Due to the environmental uncertainties affecting this construction site and the weather-dependent nature of the work, establishing a completion date has been challenging," Mulvaney said.

The completion will depend on how high the river rises this spring, which could cause work to be suspended until it recedes to a safe level, Mulvaney said.

Benjamin Quick, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club, said he was grateful for the communication.

"Part or our mission is we are stewards of the river," Quick said. "We appreciate the environmental improvements the project is bringing. Therefore, we are fans of the project and excited about its pending completion."

The bike path is a great asset to the city and to his organization, he said, and it has been a challenge "encouraging people to enjoy it, but don't expect too much." The bike path is special in that there is just one road crossing with car traffic -- West Street (Route 20) -- along its route, he said.

McElwaine said advocates have been working since 2008 to increase awareness and use of the river walk.

"To have it suddenly close and remain closed with imperfect communication has been frustrating," she said.

Johnson said there was some frustration last winter when the path remained closed to the public even though there was no work going on. McElwaine agreed, saying many people from the North End used that route to go downtown.

It is also frustrating that the path could not be used for Bike Week and other riverfront events last spring, as well as this coming spring, advocates said. Bike enthusiasts, however, are now planning 10- to 15-mile monthly rides elsewhere in Springfield, Johnson said.

"Our group's broader concerns is that the Riverwalk doesn't really have a single agency or entity that is in one place responsible for this trail," Johnson said. "It needs more focused attention by someone, one entity."

McElwaine said there was a lot of money invested in the bikeway and it provides a great avenue to health and exercise.

 

Rachelle Bond, the mother of Bella Bond, appeared in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday to change her plea to guilty. Here is the plea agreement.

BOSTON - Rachelle Bond, the mother of Bella Bond, appeared in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday to change her plea to "guilty."

She had been indicted as an accessory after the fact in the alleged murder of 2-year-old daughter. She was also charged with larceny over $250, linked to state benefits she kept receiving after the death of her daughter in May or June 2015.

Bond is expected to testify against her former boyfriend, Michael Patrick McCarthy, who is charged with Bella's murder.

He denies the charges and has blamed Rachelle Bond for the murder. His trial is tentatively set for April.

Bond is expected to be sentenced after McCarthy's trial. In exchange for her pleading guilty and testifying against McCarthy, prosecutors plan to recommend a sentence as time already served and two years of probation.

After Bond's appearance, court officials released a copy of the plea deal between Suffolk County prosecutors and Bond. The plea deal is available below.

Attorney says Rachelle Bond's reason for living is seeing ex convicted of Baby Bella's murder

"Specifically, it is my understanding that Ms. Bond was present and personally made observations regarding the homicide of Bella Bond in her apartment at 115 Maxwell Street in Dorchester," Edmond Zabin, chief of homicide, wrote in a letter that was signed by Bond and her attorney, Janice Bassil.

"It is my further understanding that Ms. Bond did not directly participate in the murder, that is, Ms. Bond neither struck her daughter nor did anything to cause her daughter's death," he continued. "Finally, it is also my understanding that Ms. Bond was not involved in any conspiracy to assault or kill Bella Bond and that Ms. Bond did not have any prior knowledge of the intent of any other individual to assault or kill Bella Bond."

The agreement is "contingent upon the truthfulness of the information that Ms. Bond provided and will continue to provide to law enforcement officials," the letter said.

Rachelle Bond Plea Deal by Gintautas Dumcius on Scribd

Mother of baby whose body was found in garbage bag pleads guilty

Benjamin Rivera is charged with the fatal shooting of Angel Llorens on May 22, 2013.

SPRINGFIELD -- Jury selection is set to begin Monday in the murder trial of Benjamin Rivera, accused of the 2013 fatal shooting of Angel Llorens.

Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett and defense lawyer Edward B. Fogarty will try the case in front of Hampden Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Ford.

Rivera, 25, of Springfield, is charged with shooting the 22-year-old Llorens May 22, 2013, in a dispute over a stolen sticker.

Fogarty is expected to argue that Rivera acted in self-defense.

A profile photo appearing on the Facebook page of Angel Llorens, uploaded on May 13, 2013.Facebook.com 

The sticker theft was one in a series of incidents in a rivalry between two clubs that conducted illegal street races, according to court documents.

Police incident narratives included in the court docket state that Llorens had a sticker on the front of his black Honda Civic apparently denoting his affiliation with the "Team Built" club. Rivera, a member of a rival club known as "Backyard Built," is believed to have peeled the sticker off as the car sat parked in front of the victim's Hollywood Street home.

An investigative report by Springfield Detective Timothy Kenney states that, prior to the shooting, each of the clubs had been involved in acts intended to disrespect the other. Acts of retaliation involved removing stickers from rivals' cars and burning them. Such incidents, Kenney wrote in his report, were sometimes recorded on video and posted to YouTube.

On the day of the shooting, Rivera and others were on Daytona Street talking about racing cars when they saw the black Honda Civic owned by Llorens with its "Team Built" sticker drive by, according to Kenney's report.

When the vehicle passed by a second time, Rivera -- referred to as "Benji" in the report -- started talking with other members of the group about stealing the sticker. "Benji was the one excited about taking the sticker but it was the consensus of the group," Kenney wrote.

A witness told Kenney that he did not witness the theft of the sticker but heard "Benji" bragging about it a short time later, according to the report.

Later on, Llorens, upset over the theft of the sticker, approached the group and demanded to know who had it, according to the report.

A peacemaker, apparently affiliated with the "Backyard Built" club, then offered to pay for the sticker and said he would go to his home to get some money, the report states.

A witness told police that he then heard somebody say, "I am not afraid of--" and then heard gunshots, according to the report.

Llorens, shot in the chest and legs, was taken by AMR ambulance to Baystate Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

25 legislators have signed on as co-sponsors, according to a list provided by Sen. Eric Lesser's office

Democratic State Sen. Eric Lesser (Longmeadow) has reintroduced his bill to study the expansion of rail service between Springfield and Boston after Gov. Charlie Baker's veto scuttled the proposal last legislative summer.

Twenty-five legislators have signed on as co-sponsors, according to a list provided by Lesser's office, including Republican Sens. Donald Humason of Westfield and Ryan Fattman of Webster.

"It's already picking up a lot of energy," Lesser said in an interview. "It's got pretty broad bipartisan support as well."

Lesser's support for higher speed rail has been one of his staple issues, both on Beacon Hill and during his re-election campaign last fall.

Lesser, who won reelection for a second term in November, said the project should be treated with urgency due to ongoing economic development projects in Springfield, including the upcoming MGM Springfield casino.

"The timing is important because Union Station is opening imminently and now we need trains to go in and out of it," Lesser said. "Everyone kind of knows that this is an issue whose time has come. We can't continue to lose people in Western Mass and we can't continue to get left out of the growth and opportunity that's happening all around us."

Currently, only one train per day makes the direct trip between Springfield and Boston. A multi-state study last year recommended an expansion to eight trains per day that would cost between $554 million to $660 million, and Lesser has said a more focused study is needed to evaluate the project's benefits for the state.

Lesser penned a letter in January to President Donald Trump, asking him to fund East-West rail as part of his proposed investments in national infrastructure.

"One of the only things it looks like there might be agreement on is infrastructure funding," Lesser said. "There's a potential for federal help as well."

His proposal for a feasibility study passed both chambers of the Massachusetts legislature with broad bipartisan support last year.

But Baker axed the study in July, suggesting instead that the legislature propose a new study that would also examine bus service and other potential ways to improve transit across the state. Legislators never voted to adopt Baker's new language or overturn the veto, so the measure died.

MassLive later reported that Peter Pan bus company owner Peter Picknelly had lobbied against the rail study, and Lesser has since blamed the measure's failure on "special interests."

Asked in October whether Picknelly's email opposing the study had influenced his thinking, Baker said that he believes that it makes sense to consider all transit options rather than focusing on rail service.

"I'm a big believer in multimodal transportation, whether you're talking about bikes or buses or light rail or heavy rail, I think we should look at all options. I think it's a problem when people think there's a single solution to any of these issues," Baker said. "We should be pretty open-minded about what the right means or the right mode is to get people from one place to another."

Lesser has said that benefits of cross-state rail would include easier commutes and more flexibility for where Massachusetts residents choose to live, and help turn Springfield into a more attractive urban center for young professionals.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's shutdown of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's critique of President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general went viral this week. Now there's a "She Persisted" t-shirt.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's shutdown of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's criticism of President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general Jeff Sessions went viral this week.

"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted," he said Tuesday evening, a phrase that was picked up by Warren supporters as a badge of honor.

Warren, who has already launched a 2018 re-election effort and went on Facebook Live to continue her critique outside the Senate chamber, is now selling t-shirts with the phrase "Nevertheless, She Persisted."

Why Jeff Sessions's attorney general confirmation became a partisan firestorm

Warren, D-Mass., was banned from debate on the Senate floor in part because she started reading a 1986 letter from Coretta Scott King. In the letter, King opposed Sessions for a federal judgeship, and by seeking to read it aloud Warren apparently broke a Senate rule on decorum within the chamber.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Sessions, a Republican U.S. senator from Alabama, as Trump's attorney general.

Warren's re-election campaign on Friday blasted out an email telling supporters that if they donate $25 or more to the 2018 effort they'll get the "official t-shirt."

"Wear it to your next march or rally," the email said. "Wear it to the next town hall with your member of Congress. Heck, wear it to the grocery store or the gym. Just make sure to let everyone know: We will not be silent. We will speak out. And we will persist."

According to an Associated Press review of her campaign fundraising, before the incident involving the Coretta Scott King letter, Warren pulled in $5.9 million between January 2015 and the end of 2016.

Gov. Baker backs Warren on Coretta Scott King letter

According to Mic, Reebok has also started selling t-shirts with the words "Nevertheless, She Persisted."

Warren's stance as a top Democratic critic of Trump has also drawn criticism.

Controversial Milwaukee Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. lashed out on Friday, telling Warren to "shut your pie hole."

On the social networking site Twitter, Clarke Jr. linked to a Conservative Review post criticizing Warren and said, "Oh shut your pie hole you blowhard?"

He used Warren's Twitter handle and added: "Is @SenWarren the best the Commonwealth of Mass has to send to Washington? Wow."

Warren's Facebook Live video goes viral after Republicans shut her down

The visitor restrictions will remain in effect until further notice.

SPRINGFIELD -- Mercy Medical Center tightened its rules for visitors Friday due to a recent increase of influenza and influenza-like illness in the region.

The visitor restrictions are in place at Mercy Medical Center, Family Life Center for Maternity and Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital in Springfield and at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke.

The visitor restrictions are as follows:

* Visitors shall be limited to two at a time per patient.
* No visitors under 14 years old will be permitted.
* Do not visit if you have had any symptoms of a cold or the flu.

The visitor restrictions will remain in effect until further notice.

Earlier this week, Baystate announced that incidence of flu in its labs is as high as it has been since 2014.

Baystate asked that visitors who have been exposed to the flu at home, or who have symptoms of flu, refrain from visiting patients in Baystate hospitals.

Baystate also imposed the following rules at its hospitals:

• No more than two visitors at a time are recommended per patient.
• Visitors should be essential for the well-being of patients.
• No visitors under 14 years old will be permitted in Baystate hospitals.
• Patients should come to appointments alone or be accompanied by no more than one other person, if needed.
• Patients are discouraged from bringing children with them to their appointments, as children are more likely to transmit the flu to others.

Baystate Health also offered the following tips to make the public's visits to the hospital as safe as possible:

Jean Carlos Mercado, of Holyoke, is charged with the fatal shooting of Hakeem Powell on Oct. 5, 2013. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- A prosecutor said Friday that Jean Carlos Mercado shot Hakeem Powell because of a "beef" the two had several days earlier.

Assistant District Attorney Henry L. Rigali told jurors in his opening statement in Mercado's Hampden Superior Court murder trial that Mercado walked off a porch at 79 Quincy St. on Oct. 5, 2013, and fatally shot 33-year-old Powell.

Powell was shot in the forehead and the back of his thigh, Rigali said.

It was broad daylight, about 2 p.m., Rigali said. He said Mercado was "angry and brooding" over a beating he had taken from Powell a few days before.

He said Mercado, 24, of Holyoke, was humiliated in that fight by Powell, who was a "bigger, stronger, faster" man.

Defense lawyer Jeffrey Brown said there "were people out and about" when the shooting happened, but no one came forward who saw the identity of the shooter.

He said members of Powell's family said the shooter was Mercado, posting that on social media.

Brown told jurors Mercado was not charged with the murder for years. He said the prosecution will offer no evidence that Mercado shot Powell. The prosecution's witnesses will contradict each other, Brown said.

Rigali told jurors he expects both civilian and police witnesses to have some lapses in memory because the shooting was so long ago. He said he can "guarantee it's going to get messy" as to who said what.

Rigali said Mercado's girlfriend's mother bought a one-way ticket for Mercado to go to Alaska four days after the killing.

Brown said Mercado came right back after the Alaska trip and stayed around the area in which Powell was shot, making no effort to flee or hide.

The trial of Mercado continues Monday in front of Judge Richard J. Carey.

Michael Brawner and Sorheyddi Colondres each entered innocent pleas at their separate arraignments Friday.

This is an update of a story originally posted at 1:43 p.m. Friday.

CHICOPEE -- Two Springfield residents, arrested Friday in connection with the 1 a.m. shooting death of a 44-year-old man at his Chicopee home, entered not guilty pleas at their separate arraignments in Chicopee District Court Friday afternoon.

Michael Brawner, 29, and Sorheyddi Colondres, 33, both of 1215 Carew St., Springfield, were charged in connection with the shooting death of Kevin Blanton on Ann Street.

Judge Bethzaida Sanabria-Vega ordered Brawner held without the right to bail. Colondres, who was identified in court as Brawner's girlfriend, was ordered held in lieu of $250,000 cash bail or a $2.5 million personal surety.

Each is due back in court on March 13.

The victim was identified as Colondres' former boyfriend, but no motive for the shooting was discussed in court.

Police were summoned to a reported shooting at 74 Ann St. shortly after 1 a.m. Arriving officers found Blanton suffering from a gunshot wound. Police began first aid and paramedics were sent to the scene.

Blanton was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and was pronounced dead a short time later.

It's not clear whether the shooting occurred inside the home at 74 Ann St. Blanton, however, was inside when police arrived, investigators said.

Brawner is charged with murder, misleading police, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm and ammunition without a firearm identification card, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.

Colondres is charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact and misleading a police investigator.

According to Assistant District Attorney Colleen Martin, Brawner shot Blanton and then Colondres drove Brawner from the scene to their Carew Street residence in Springfield. Each was arrested there by Springfield police.

Martin, in requesting that Brawner be denied bail, cited the seriousness of the charges. She also cited his criminal record, saying that he is awaiting trial in Hampden Superior Court on charges related to drug trafficking, and has spent time in prison. She did not elaborate on his prison record.

Colondres is not charged with murder, but is charged with being an accessory after the fact by driving Brawner from the scene. She is also charged with giving a false statement to police and attempting to conceal Brawner's whereabouts when police came to their Springfield home, Martin said.

"Based on the seriousness of this crime, and that the crime is still under investigation and there may be other charges, the commonwealth requests that the right to bail be withheld," she said.

Both Brawner and Colondres requested and were granted public defenders.

Brawner was represented by lawyer Alan Black. Colondres was represented for the arraignment by lawyer Mark Leclair, but she will be provided another defender for her trial.

Leclair told the court that Colondres's only involvement "is that she was found in the Carew Street apartment when police came to arrest Mr. Brawner."

He also said it is unsubstantiated whether Colondres knowingly drove Brawner from the scene of the homicide or if she simply gave him a ride from somewhere else.

He said Colodres is the single mother of two daughters, ages 16 and 12, and works as a home health aide and a nail technician.

He also said she has a limited criminal history and few assets. He asked that bail for her be set at $1,000.

Following the arrests, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni expressed his sympathies for Blanton's family and friends. He also thanked police for making speedy arrests.

"I would like to thank the Chicopee Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to my office for their quick action and skill that led to this arrest."

Chicopee Police Chief William Jebb issued a statement that said, "Working together, two suspects were identified, and arrested less than 12 hours after this crime. I would also like to offer my department's condolences to the family of the victim."

The latest homicide is the fourth in Chicopee since 2010.

Dylan Francisco of Springfield was entering his sophomore year at Comprehensive High School when he was shot to death at a home in the Fairview section of Chicopee in July 2016. He and two other teens were knocking on the door of a home when the homeowner, Jeffrey Lovell, 42, allegedly shot him through the door. The teens reportedly thought they were at a friend's home, but the address was incorrect. Lovell was charged with manslaughter.

The others are the Aug. 11, 2010, stabbing death of Eammon Gallagher, 48, at the B Bar on Bolduc Lane, and the Aug. 26, 2011, stabbing death of 20-year-old Amanda Plasse during a robbery at her home on School Street.

Each of those cases were closed with the arrest and conviction of suspects.

Derek Fish, a B Bar bartender, was sentenced to nine to 11 years in prison in 2011 after being found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Gallagher, and Dennis Rosa-Roman was convicted of first-degree murder in 2016 and sentenced to life in prison for the death of Plasse.

The White House will not take its travel ban fight to the Supreme Court, according to a top official.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this article quoted a senior Trump administration official who said the White House would not be taking the travel ban fight to the Supreme Court. However, moments later a statement was put out by White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus stating that the President's team is "reviewing all of our options in the court system," including possibly taking the case to the Supreme Court. 

The Trump administration sent mixed signals Friday over whether it would be taking its fight over the President's controversial travel ban to the Supreme Court.

According to CNBC and a number of other news sources, a senior administration official disclosed on Friday that instead of taking the fight to the Supreme Court, the President plans to defend the order's merits in front of a federal district court.

However, moments later White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus released a statement saying that the administration is "reviewing all of our options in the court system," including possibly taking the case to the Supreme Court.

The legal turmoil caused by President Donald Trump's executive order banning nationals from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entry into the U.S. has been extensive. 

The "Protection of the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States" order, signed January 27th, had banned nationals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan from entering the U.S. for a period of 90 days, and banned nationals from Syria "indefinitely."

However, a temporary, nationwide restraining order was filed against Trump's directive by U.S. District Judge James Robart, of Seattle, on February 3rd. 

The Trump administration vowed to reinstate the ban--and filed an appeal of Robart's order. 

However, on Thursday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled unanimously to uphold Judge Robart's freeze on the President's travel ban. 

The President and his team also are apparently considering re-writing the travel ban, or instituting a new one. 

On Friday, President Trump told reporters he is considering signing a "brand new order" that would deal with the U.S.'s immigration system. 

"We'll be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country," Trump apparently told reporters during a press conference Friday. 

The Selectboard took no action this week on a school department request to pursue a state grant that, if approved, would subsidize the replacement or renovation of Mosier Elementary School.

SOUTH HADLEY -- The Selectboard took no action this week on a school department request to pursue a state grant that, if approved, would subsidize the replacement or renovation of Mosier Elementary School, which was built in 1969.

A consultant has estimated building a new school would cost $43 million, while major renovations would be about half that amount.

"If we replace the building, it is $43 million," Selectman Ira Brezinsky told members of the South Hadley School Committee and Superintendent Nicholas Young during Tuesday's meeting of the two boards.

Selectmen John Hine and Bruce Forcier asked if the school project could be accomplished without a tax increase.

"All the options are not off the table," Young responded.

He said a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority could pay up to 57 percent of the costs.

Young listed numerous safety and costly infrastructure repairs needed at Mosier. He said there is no room in any of the district schools to relocate children from Mosier, and said that school's library has no computer space.

"We don't have an empty classroom" to relocate students, Young said. "We literally have every square inch ... allocated for instruction."

In response to a question from the Selectboard on the deadline to submit a "statement of interest" to the School Building Authority, Young said it is in April, and said he would prefer that the Selectboard approve the school committee's request by next month.

The Selectboard did not say when it would make a decision.

According to the School Building Authority, submittal of a statement of interesting from a municipality "is the critical first step in the MSBA's program to partially fund the construction, renovation, addition or repair of municipally or regionally owned school facilities located in cities, towns and regional school districts. The SOI allows districts to inform us about deficiencies that may exist in a local school facility and how those deficiencies inhibit the delivery of the district's educational program."

During the Feb. 7 meeting, Christine Phillips, the school board's vice chairwoman, said district enrollment had increased by nearly 50 students in the past year.

The meeting at John F. Kennedy Middle School, 100 Bridge Road, begins at 7:15 p.m.

 

NORTHAMPTON -- A school committee meeting scheduled this week that was to include discussion of constitutional protections for undocumented students, but canceled due to the snow storm, will instead convene on Tuesday night.

At the request of Northampton School Committee member Molly Burnham, Superintendent John Provost will lead a discussion on the issue.

The meeting at John F. Kennedy Middle School, 100 Bridge Road, begins at 7:15 p.m.

Obituaries from The Republican.