Springfield authorities are looking for a man who is charged with a number of violent crimes.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police are asking for the public's assistance in locating 25-year-old Matthew Stephen Fortune, a city man charged with kidnapping, armed robbery, and assault, among other crimes. 

Fortune was previously arrested in 2015, along with parents and sister, for dealing heroin. 

Described as being 6 feet tall, weighing over 200 pounds, and having numerous tattoos across his neck and chest, Fortune formerly lived at Pheland Avenue, in Springfield, said Sgt. John Delaney of the Springfield Police Department. 

There are numerous active warrants for his arrest in connection to an armed robbery of a Springfield convenience store clerk that occurred in February, Delaney said.

Fortune also has several violent criminal matters pending in Hampden County Superior Court. 

Police have asked that anyone with information about Fortune's whereabouts should get in touch with the Springfield Police Department Major Crimes Unit at 413-787-6355. Anyone who wants to remain anonymous but has information regarding Fortune can also "Text-a-Tip."

The Holyoke City Council will be debating pursuit of a moratorium until Dec. 31, 2018 on the retailing, growing and distribution of marijuana for recreational use to allow for establishment of regulations, the council decided on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017.

HOLYOKE -- The retailing, growing and distribution of marijuana for recreational use would be prohibited until Dec. 31, 2018 under a proposed moratorium the City Council is considering in order to establish regulations.

"We both believe if it's going to happen, we should have strong limits on it," said City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain, who proposed the measure with Ward 2 Councilor Nelson R. Roman.

The council referred the proposal to its Ordinance Committee Tuesday at City Hall.

Roman and Jourdain noted the moratorium would affect only retail marijuana sales, not facilities proposing medical marijuana operations.

"I proposed the temporary moratorium to allow the city to sift through, study and work through the current law as it is amended and changed at the state level in the Legislature," Roman said, "This temporary moratorium will not affect companies seeking medicinal licenses. This will allow the city of Holyoke time to ensure whatever local ordinances and regulations we put together will not be pressured against a potential recreational applicant or applicants."

Massachusetts voters approved a ballot question on Nov. 8 that permits the use and sale of pot for recreational use. But talk of and establishment of regulations soon followed, with Gov. Charlie Baker signing a law that allow for drafting of rules and banning retail pot sales until 2018.

Springfield City Council approves 6-month moratorium on retail sale of marijuana

The new law does not affect personal possession and home-growing of marijuana products, which are provisions of the law voters passed in November legalizing recreational pot.

Whatever the Holyoke City Council comes up with in terms of a moratorium on recreational pot retailing, the right to smoke pot in your home is established and will be unaffected, Jourdain said.

"That all already took effect in December," he said.

But the state law does impose delays. The state treasurer's appointment of a Cannabis Control Commission that will be authorized to issue licenses has been pushed back to September from the previous appointment date of March 1. Retail shops for recreational pot likely won't open until mid-2018, officials said.

Officials have said such delays and regulations were reasonable, but recreational marijuana advocates called such steps unnecessary.

Roman, calling himself the "most public pro marijuana city councilor (who) cannot wait to welcome this industry with open arms," said nonetheless that the city must prepare and establish local regulations in light of state actions.

Among issues state officials are debating are local tax percentages on recreational marijuana facilities and the number of such facilities permitted per community, he said.

City Councilor Tamara Smith said the proposal had caused a rift, and that further discussion on creating a 'welcoming community' should come from the ground up. Watch video

EASTHAMPTON -- After hearing from the public at length, a City Council subcommittee on Wednesday voted 3-0 to halt further consideration of a controversial proposal to declare Easthampton a "sanctuary city." 

At-large councilor Tamara Smith, a member of the committee and a co-sponsor of the resolution, said she wished to withdraw the proposal. Smith noted that the issue had led to a rift in the community. She said further discussions about creating a "welcoming community" should come from the ground up.

"I would love to see this city heal from this rift; I would love to see people who want to build more of a welcoming community to do that at a community level," she said to a packed room at the city's 50 Payson Ave. municipal building.

Smith thanked Police Chief Robert Alberti, who was present and had attended previous meetings in December and January to explain his department's practices. Alberti has said his officers do not seek information about an individual's immigration status unless a criminal investigation is underway. 

"I believe this is a starting point, not an end point," said Smith.

The matter first came before the committee in December after District 2 Councilor Jennifer Hayes asked her peers to consider crafting local protections for undocumented immigrants. Smith at the time agreed to co-sponsor the measure.

Wednesday's meeting came one day after President Donald J. Trump issued a new executive order designed to arrest and deport millions of individuals who are in the United States illegally. Among other steps, Trump's order called for deputizing local police departments to enforce federal immigration law. 

Alberti, in response to an audience question, said that the program Trump is referring to is voluntary, and that his department does not have the resources to assign officers to any federal immigration task force. 

The Ordinance Subcommittee is chaired by District 4 Councilor Salem Derby. Its other members are Smith and District 1 Councilor James "J.P." Kwiecinski.

This story will be updated with additional reporting.

Nikki Yovino, of South Setauket on Long Island, has been charged with falsely reporting an incident and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- A New York state woman is facing charges after she lied about being raped by two football players from a Connecticut university due to fears a third student would lose romantic interest in her, police said.

Nikki Yovino, of South Setauket on Long Island, was charged Wednesday with falsely reporting an incident and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

The 18-year-old Yovino said two Sacred Heart University football players sexually assaulted her in a bathroom in October during an off-campus party while she also was a student at the university. The men said the encounter was consensual.

Bridgeport Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald told WABC-TV another student recently informed authorities of explicit text messages between the three. He said one man also recorded some of the incident on his cellphone.

Yovino subsequently confessed after she was confronted with discrepancies in her story, police said.

"She admitted that she made up the allegation of sexual assault against (the football players) because it was the first thing that came to mind and she didn't want to lose (another male student) as a friend and potential boyfriend," a court affidavit states, according to The Connecticut Post. "She stated that she believed when (the other male student) heard the allegation, it would make him angry and sympathetic to her."

Yovino's lawyer, Mark Sherman, told The Post his client stands by her original story. She reportedly has left the university and returned to Long Island.

After she leveled the accusation, the two football players were dismissed from the team and had their scholarships taken away, The Post reported. The players also withdrew from the university, although neither was charged as police continued to investigate.

The National Desk contributed to this report.

A single ticket sold in Indiana has won a Powerball jackpot that hadrisen by Wednesday to more than $430 million, lottery officials announced early Thursday.

A single ticket sold in Indiana won Wednesday's giant Powerball jackpot of more than $430 million, lottery officials announced early Thursday.

There was no immediate word on the identity of the ticket-holder or the location where the ticket was sold. With that win, the Powerball grand prize will be reset to $40 million for Saturday's drawing.

Also Wednesday, a ticket sold in New Jersey won $2 million, and tickets worth $1 million each were sold in Kansas, Massachusetts, New York and Texas.

Here are the latest winning numbers:

10-13-28-52-61, Powerball: 02, PowerPlay: 2X

Wednesday's estimated jackpot was $435.3 million. The lump sum payment before taxes will be more than $243 million.

The amount had been creeping up since a $121.6 million jackpot was won by a Pennsylvania couple Dec. 17.

Powerball is held in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

A $2 ticket gives you a one in 292.2 million chance at joining the hall of Powerball champions.

The drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Wednesdays and Saturdays. Deadline to purchase tickets is 9:45 p.m.

Officials confirmed that Wes Doughty, armed with a knife, is believed to have carjacked a man in Middleton last night.

Police believe murder suspect Wes Doughty stole the car of a man in Middleton Wednesday night and drove him into Boston. According to the Essex D.A.'s Office, police believe Doughty, reportedly armed with a knife, carjacked a man in Middleton.

The two rode all the way to Boston, where Doughty made a pit-stop at a liquor store. The victim was able to get away in that time window and is reported unharmed.

What we know about the Peabody double homicide

Police believe Doughty, 39, is took part in the brutal killings of Mark Greenlaw, 37, and Jennifer O'Connor, 39 in Peabody last Saturday. Police found the victims' remains in the basement of a home at 19 Farm Ave. and say the bodies were killed in gruesome fashion.

Authorities arrested another suspect on Monday. Michael Hebb, 45, of Peabody, was arraigned on Tuesday on two counts of first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to be held without bail. 

Authorities have not identified the victim or what model car the suspect stole. It is unclear at this time where in Boston the suspect stopped.

This is a developing story.

Obituaries from The Republican.

A show of support for local Muslims will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Islamic Society Of Western Massachusetts at 377 Amostown Road in West Springfield.

HOLYOKE -- Hateful comments and vandalism have prompted a show of support for local Muslims that will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Islamic Society Of Western Massachusetts at 377 Amostown Road in West Springfield.

Organizers of the event include Myriam Quinones, coordinator of Multicultural Academic Services at Holyoke Community College (HCC), and her wife Jossie M. Valentin, the Ward 4 representative on the Holyoke City Council.

"I was really inspired to do this by my students and what we have seen on the news," Quinones said.

An increase in "hateful acts" nationwide against Muslims has occurred since Donald Trump was elected president in November, according to numerous news reports, with Trump himself saying on "60 Minutes," "If it helps, I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: Stop it."

Dr. Mohammed Saleem Bajwa, a Holyoke physician and member of the Islamic Society Of Western Massachusetts, told The Republican in November that vandals entered and threw bottles of alcohol on the center grounds and that students in schools have heard comments like "You Muslims! Why do you not go back to your country?"

West Springfield Islamic Society cites 'hateful gestures' against members

Quinones said that through her work with the HCC student organization CommITTED(Community In Training To Educate), she and Valentin have met international students who are Muslim.

"They are mainly from Malaysia and they are without family and without a home. In a way they have adopted Myriam and made us their family and their home," Valentin said. "It's amazing because here you have a group of students who are very conservative Muslims and they have embraced a lesbian couple, it doesn't matter to them."

"My initial idea was a silent stand out where we would hold signs of support and encouragement of the Muslim community and just let them know that they are in the right place, that they are safe here and we will continue to oppose laws that oppress and hurt Muslims in our community," Quinones said.

The event has grown to include a few speakers as well as an opportunity to witness a prayer service inside the mosque and to share a meal and conversation afterwards, she said.

Reporter Elizabeth Roman contributed to this story.

While the connections between the suspects and victims remain unclear, court documents reveal that both victims Mark Greenlaw and Jennifer O'Connor had run-ins with the law more than once.

The mysterious killings at 19 Farm Ave. on Saturday continue to be just that: a mystery. Authorities have not explained how Mark Greenlaw, 37, and Jennifer O'Connor, 39, died, only that their dismembered remains were found in the home's basement. Two suspects have been identified: Michael Hebb, 45, who was arrested Monday and will be held without bail on two counts of first-degree murder, and Wes Doughty, 39, who is still at large.

Peabody murder suspect Wes Doughty allegedly stole car, took man from Middleton to Boston

While the connections between the suspects and victims remain unclear, court documents reveal that both Greenlaw and O'Connor had repeated run-ins with the law.

Murder suspect Michael Hebb did not have an extensive criminal past. Most recently, in March 2016, police reports say Hebb was caught driving with a suspended license near 19 Farm Ave., the site of the killings.

Michael Hebb arrested in connection with Peabody double homicide; Other suspect still at large

No immediate relatives of Greenlaw have spoken out about the disturbing police findings at the Peabody home, but one distant in-law said she knew him as a good person. "He was protective of his siblings and mom," said the woman, who only provided her first name, Pam.

"He was friendly, he was kind of hyper, jumping around, happy," she told reporters after the arraignment of suspect Michael Hebb. Pam said Greenlaw was her grandson's uncle by marriage.

She said she hadn't seen Greenlaw in nearly six months, and that she loved the family. "He was very much loved," she added.

Greenlaw, born in Malden to Margaret Bollettiero and Murry Greenlaw, attended the Veterans Memorial High School in Peabody, where he spent much of his adult life.  

The 37-year-old worked in construction in the Greater Boston area. Greenlaw covered his body in tattoos, most notably the phrase "White Power" inked across his chest, below a Celtic knot. Greenlaw's supremacist tattoo is mentioned in court documents. 

The parents of Jennifer O'Connor have been vocal that their daughter had a good heart and struggled with drug addiction. The 39-year-old reportedly suffered health problems throughout her life, including leukemia in her early childhood, and that her problems with drugs and alcohol began after she was prescribed narcotics following medical treatment. 

'Drugs did her in,' mother of Peabody homicide victim Jennifer O'Connor says of her daughter

While there are many unanswered questions surrounding their deaths, it's clear that both Greenlaw and O'Connor had histories with police and drugs.

Court files referred to Greenlaw as a "career criminal" involved in various criminal offenses. Greenlaw was out on $1,000 cash bail at the time of his death, for allegedly threatening and harassing a woman. He spent time in prison for a robbery and a firearms offense, and some court files show he followed a path of drug-fueled violence.

Less than a year ago in July 2016, Greenlaw was accused of verbally threatening a woman, who then filed a criminal complaint against him. Greenlaw allegedly screamed "You're dead" to the woman, while leaning out of the window of a pick-up truck. She told police that Greenlaw was angry she did not let him into her home several weeks earlier. At that time, in July 2016, Greenlaw also had an active warrant out of Peabody District Court for a robbery and an assault and battery.

A separate violent incident against his sister prompted Greenlaw's mother to tell police her son needed to be in a drug program, according to police reports. In April 2015, police responded to an apartment on Lowell Street in Peabody, where his sister reported being punched in the head. Greenlaw told police his sister owed him $300, and that he had taken four Xanax pills and was off his medication. His mother, Margo Duarte, told police her son had actually ingested nine Xanax pills.

Duarte said her son became very violent when he did not take his medication, which a police report indicates was taken to help ease an addiction to heroin. Greenlaw was arrested on charges of assault and battery against a family member. 

Last year, drugs, police, and the lives of Mark Greenlaw and Jennifer O'Connor converged in a Peabody basement. Mark Greenlaw called police for a medical emergency: Jennifer O'Connor had overdosed on drugs. Police found O'Connor unresponsive in the basement of a home on North End Street, and she was taken by ambulance to Salem Hospital.

Earlier that year, in January, a police report describes the scene when O'Connor crashed her car and was unable to pass a sobriety test. She was charged with operating under the influence for a second time. A month later, court documents say O'Connor failed a random pre-trial drug screening.

When her case went to Peabody District Court, the judge, defendant and prosecutor all agreed that charges of negligent operation be dismissed. The agreed condition meant O'Connor would have to go two years as drug-free and alcohol-free, with random screenings.

As of Thursday morning, five days after the body parts were discovered, murder suspect Wes Doughty was still at large. Police say he carjacked a man in Middleton and drove all the way into Boston before stopping at a liquor store, where the victim managed to escape. 

Here's a look at what the Council of State Governments report says and why it's important.

The top officials in all three branches of Massachusetts government came together on Tuesday to release the findings of a yearlong review of the state's criminal justice system.

If implemented, the report by the Council of State Governments Justice Center could save the state a projected $10 million by 2023 by reducing the prison population.

Here's a look at what the report says and doesn't say and why it's important.

Who conducted the study?

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national organization that has worked in 25 states to help state governments review their criminal justice systems.

Gov. Charlie Baker, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants requested that CSG help the state find ways to reduce recidivism. A 25-member task force that worked with CSG to develop the recommendations included state prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officials, judges, law enforcement, community advocates and representatives of the Legislature and executive branch.

What was the goal of the report?

Currently in Massachusetts, two-thirds of those released from county jails and more than half of those released from state prison reoffend within three years. In 2013, people with prior convictions were responsible for three-quarters of new sentences. The report was meant to find ways to reduce recidivism, while improving public safety and saving the state money.

The report's authors estimate that following the recommendations could reduce recidivism by 15 percent over six years, preventing 1,500 people from reoffending.

Does the report make recommendations for changing mandatory minimum sentencing?

The report recommends allowing people with mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug crimes to participate in programs during incarceration -- which could include things like vocational education, substance abuse treatment or anger management classes -- and earn time off their sentences.

The report does not recommend eliminating any mandatory minimum sentences, even though this has been a priority of Gants, defense attorneys and various faith-based, minority and community organizing groups. Prosecutors have generally opposed the elimination of mandatory minimums.

What recommendations were made for current inmates?

The report recommends expanding the number of programs aimed at reducing recidivism, such as skills training, education and counseling. It recommends expanding eligibility for these programs and increasing the incentives, primarily earned time off, for prisoners who complete the programs. It also recommends increasing the availability of programs in county jails, where prisoners remain for shorter periods of time.

The additional programming would cost an estimated $750,000 annually.

The report also recommends shortening the amount of time between when an inmate is approved for parole and when he is actually released -- a period that now averages 206 days.

What recommendations were made for inmates upon their release?

The report recommends expanding access to programs at community corrections centers and using more consequences and incentives to encourage good behavior for people on probation or parole. It recommends allowing people to earn time off their supervision for good behavior, which would also free up probation and parole officers to focus on the people most likely to reoffend.

The report recommends expanding the availability of health care in the community for released prisoners with substance abuse and mental health needs. This would cost an estimated $1.25 million in state money and could also draw federal Medicaid match money since many released inmates are covered by Medicaid.

It also recommends creating a pilot program of recidivism-reduction programming and education and employment services targeted at young adults who have a high risk of reoffending.

Does the report address racial disparities in the criminal justice system?

One of the frustrations voiced by community activists is that the CSG working group was not diverse enough and did not have a mandate to address racial disparities. The only section of the report related to racial issues is a recommendation that the state standardize its reporting of race and ethnicity information across criminal justice agencies and the courts so that it is easier to evaluate these issues in the future.

What are the chances of the bill's recommendations becoming law?

Baker has already introduced legislation based on the report's recommendations. The recommendations also represent some of the pieces of criminal justice reform likely to get the most consensus, since they were developed by a task force that includes all branches of government and the judicial system.

This disappointed some criminal justice advocates who wanted it to go further and focus more on sentencing practices. But it also means the recommendations are more likely to make it into law.

The building is envisioned as a centerpiece of a new downtown dining district.

SPRINGFIELD -- MassDevelopment is cleaning out and renovating the former Skyplex nightclub at 8-12 Stearns Square as it continues to look for a business, or businesses, to take over the space.

"Let's get the building's bones in good shape so as we identify tenants we can begin to work with them on modifications for their use," said Zach Greene, senior vice president of asset management at MassDevelopment. "We have had a number of conversations with a lot of prospective tenants."

Greene wouldn't comment specific prospective tenants.

The goal is to lease the space to a restaurant -- or two or three -- that can serve as a centerpiece for the city's new downtown dining and innovation districts. Greene said serving alcohol and hosting entertainment would be OK, but the emphasis should be on food and not the nightclub atmosphere at the former Skyplex that sometimes gave police trouble.

MassDevelopment, Massachusetts' economic development and finance agency, bought the 20,000-square-foot, two-story building in November 2015 for $600,000. Renovations to the building will end up costing $1.2 million, Greene said.

The space can accommodate as many as three business. For now, the work is confined to basic internal improvements that any tenant or tenants would demand. These include some interior and exterior demolition, hazardous materials abatement, a new roof, exterior lighting, interior and exterior painting, masonry restoration, structural reinforcement of the roof and exterior walls, removal of nonfunctional rooftop air handling equipment, and updates to the fire protection sprinkler heads.

"Doing a fair amount of demo as well, to take out some of the older, tired improvements that went with years and years of nightclub use," Greene said. "We have removed a lot of junk that was stored in the basement. As you can guess, when it was a nightclub the mechanical systems of the building often were not a priority."

Workers even uncovered a brightly painted '70s disco floor from one corner of the old club.

R.A.C. Builders of Agawam is the general contractor, MassDevelopment said. The project designer is  Arrowstreet Architects of Boston. Work began in November.

A reborn 8-12 Stearns Square would fit in with lots of new things coming to the neighborhood, said Laura Masulis, MassDevelopment transformative development fellow for Springfield.

Nearby, DevelopSpringfield is building the Springfield Innovation Center at 270 and 276 Bridge St. The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts is moving into 333 Bridge St. 

The city of Springfield has $1 million set aside to  rehabilitate Stearns Square Park and Dureya Way. The city is also marketing the neighborhood as a dining district. Restaurants there can access a $1.5 million loan fund that has money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

MassDevelopment is looking for the right tenant or tenants to help build on the momentum.

"We would like this property to be a destination in itself," Masulis said. "Because we really want it to be a catalytic project. MassDevelopment is looking at this whole neighborhood"

Greene drew a parallel to MassDevelopment's work at the former federal courthouse, 1550 Main St. MassDevelopment bought that property in 2009 for $2.5 million after the court moved to State Street. The agency invested approximately $3.6 million in renovations over the next three years, creating offices and art space.

"We make investments a private-sector owner would not make," Greene said. "We expect these properties to turn a profit over time. But in the near term, our focus is on economic development, not on profit."

The Town Council voted 7-0 to approve a $551,000 funding transfer to pay for designs for a new $7.5 million drinking water system.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The Town Council has unanimously approved funding for the preliminary phase of a $7.5 million project to upgrade West Springfield's drinking water system.

The council voted 7-0 Tuesday night to transfer $551,000 in available funds to pay for design work related to the project, which could break ground in 2018.

The project itself will be paid for using a low-interest loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, a federal-state partnership that provides communities with low-cost financing for a range of water quality infrastructure projects.

Project backers include Mayor William C. Reichelt, who made the supplemental appropriation request to the Town Council, and the Department of Public Works, which gave a slideshow presentation at Tuesday's council meeting.

DPW director Robert J. Colson said the funding for design services will help jump-start the project. "It'll get us bid documents in hand to go out and get this work done, designed and ready to go," he said.

The project, which is expected to help improve water pressure issues, calls for the following critical infrastructure upgrades:

• Installation of a new 300,000-gallon elevated water tank and booster pump station;
• replacing old water meters with radio-based automatic meters;
• new transmission mains and pressure valves;
• and employing a leak detection program to seek out the worst leaks, which will help the city prioritize repairs and replacements.

"One of the No. 1 complaints is low water pressure in people's homes," said Jeffrey R. Auer, deputy director of the city's Water Department.

The new "radio read" meters can be scanned electronically from a distance, according to Colson.

"We've been doing water meter replacements right along for the last 10-plus years," he said. "When we replace the water meters, we go to a full radio read, so we can read them without walking, physically, up to the house. ... We can pick them up on a drive-by."

The new meters are more accurate, "and that should increase revenues in the Water Department," Colson said.

The School Committee has offered teachers a 2 percent raise over a four-year contract.

CHICOPEE - The School Committee and administrators are calling for mediators to break what they feel is an impasse in negotiations with the teachers' union.

But the Chicopee Education Association argues school officials are jumping to mediation unnecessarily and have refused to discuss other issues related to working conditions and improving education even if salary increase offers are paltry.

"It is all about money from their standpoint," said Charles Clark, a Chicopee High School teacher and the association president. "If there is no money why not talk about nonmonetary issues?"

But Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said the issues the association wants to discuss are not appropriate for contract negotiations.

"The way negotiations were preceding there was animosity creeping into the process and once it starts heading in that direction it makes no sense to continue and have a protracted negotiation," he said. "I just think it is a better way of keeping the district and teachers talking to each other and trying to remove as much emotion as possible from it."

Teachers and most of the other school employees are in the last year of their contract, which expires in July. Rarely is a new contract settled before an old one expires, but this year Clark said he wanted to try to change that tradition and get a jump on negotiations.

The union and the School Committee developed a schedule of 10 meetings in the early summer and started talks in October. During the seventh meeting the School Committee and School Department officials called for mediation, Clark said.

This is not the first time the School Committee and Chicopee Education Association have reached an impasse in negotiations. When the last contract was negotiated, disagreements prompted more than 100 teachers to attend School Committee meetings in protest. Eventually a new contract was settled in March 2015 that gave teachers a 5 percent raise over three years and addressed teachers' biggest complaints about paperwork they said took them away from working with students.

One of the issues this year is financial. The School Department is offering no raises in the first and last years of a four-year pact and a 1 percent increase in the second and third years, Clark said.

There is no question the School Department has been struggling with the budget. Health insurance rates continue to increase and state assistance, which pays for about 65 percent of the school budget, continues to stagnate. Last year the department had to ask the City Council for $1.25 million to prevent laying off classroom staff, Rege said.

Rege said he believes teachers deserve raises but financially the School Department is in a difficult position, especially since there is a lot of uncertainty around the state budget.

Even if the school department does see an increase in state assistance, there are a lot of nonsalary expenses the schools are facing, including replacing outdated technology, Rege said.

Clark said one of the nonfinancial issues the union wants to discuss is giving staff more protections to allow them to speak freely about school problems or to make recommendations for improvements.

"People who bring up issues about working and learning conditions would be held free from some type of reprisal. It is a highly reasonable request," he said.

The union is also calling for language to be added about teachers' safety, the cleanliness of the school restrooms and an assurance that all children have access to art, music and play, he said.

The union also would like to see all classrooms wired for air conditioning so teachers can bring in portable units on warm days.

"The kids in the city deserve a first-class education and the way the system is set up now they are not going to get it," Clark said.

Massachusetts State Police identified the license plate of a 2006 Honda Accord that the suspect could be driving.

Double homicide suspect Wes Doughty is believed to have stolen the car from a man in Middleton last night. According to the Essex D.A.'s Office, police believe Doughty, reportedly armed with a knife, carjacked a man in Middleton and drove all the way into Boston. 

According to Massachusetts State Police, Doughty could be driving a Gray 2006 Honda Accord Sedan with the license plate 7KLY80.

The Essex District Attorney's Office said the carjacking victim was able to escape when Doughty stopped at a liquor store in Boston. It is unclear where in Boston the suspect stopped.

Peabody murder suspect Wes Doughty allegedly stole car, took man from Middleton to Boston

Police believe Doughty, 39, is took parat in the brutal killings of Mark Greenlaw, 37, and Jennifer O'Connor, 39 in Peabody last Saturday. Police found the victims' remains in the basement of a home at 19 Farm Avenue, and say the bodies were killed in gruesome fashion.

Authorities arrested another suspect on Monday. Michael Hebb, 45, of Peabody, was arraigned on Tuesday on two counts of first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered to be held without bail. 

 

At that point, Officer Gifford Jenkins pulled his firearm and ordered Torres to drop the shovel, the report said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A shovel-wielding suspect was disarmed at gunpoint and a second man was Tasered into submission as officers broke up a disturbance outside a Springfield strip club, police said.

Two Hartford residents -- Luciano Torres, 59, and Luis Rosa, 35 -- were arrested early Friday after refusing to leave the Fifth Alarm Lounge on Worthington Street, according to the arrest report.

The pair, described as drunk and unruly, were twice told to leave by police officers working a security detail. "Make us leave," Rosa allegedly said before pushing one officer and grabbing onto the metal detector near the entrance, the report said.

Two officers grabbed Rosa and walked him outside, where he began wrestling with one, Officer Ahmad Sharif, in the parking lot. Torres, meanwhile, retrieved a shovel from his car and began swinging it, the report said.

"Get off him or I'm going to hit you," he told Sharif, the report said.

At that point, Officer Gifford Jenkins pulled his firearm and ordered Torres to drop his weapon. Torres backed up but refused to drop the shovel until additional police arrived, the report said.

Moments later, a burst from a Taser ended Rosa 's struggle on the pavement, the report said.

At police headquarters, Torres was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct while Rosa was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer.

Both pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court and were released on personal recognizance. They are due back in court for a pretrial hearing on April 12.

Attleboro police won't be giving a merit badge to 18-year-old Kyle Caldwell, a card-carrying member of the Boy Scouts of America who is now being accused of trafficking drugs.

Attleboro police won't be awarding a merit badge to 18-year-old Kyle Caldwell, a card-carrying member of the Boy Scouts of America who is now accused of trafficking drugs.

Caldwell was arrested on Friday, along with 18-year-old Georgia Stinchfield, and a 16-year-old girl, both of Scituate, R.I.

Police said they found more than 50 grams of cocaine, dozens of Xanax pills, marijuana and wads of cash in Caldwell's car, NECN.com reported.

Caldwell was also found with his Boy Scouts of America identification card, although technically, once a member turns 18, he is no longer a boy scout.

Attleboro police originally shared a photo of the drug bust on Facebook Friday, but without any information about the arrest.

The Attleboro police chief told NECN he was surprised to find someone associated with the youth group to be suspected of dealing drugs.

Police have responded to Caldwell's home nearly a dozen times since July on reports of drug dealing. Just two weeks ago, police checked on the home after he was accused of assaulting his mother.

According to The Sun Chronicle, Caldwell is being held on $10,000 cash bail. He is being charged with trafficking cocaine, conspiracy to violate drug control laws, distribution of marijuana and possession of marijuana and Xanax.

Stinchfield was released on $250 bail.

Western Mass News reported that the black lab wandered onto the ice and fell through some 40 feet away from the shore.

MONSON - Police and firefighters safely rescued a dog that fell through the ice on Lunden Pond Wednesday afternoon.

Western Mass News reported that the black lab wandered onto the ice and fell through some 40 feet away from the shore. The incident was reported about 3:30 p.m.

Police responded to the pond, met the owner, and kept their eyes on the dog until firefighters arrived and completed the rescue, Police Chief Stephen Kozloski said.

The dog, named Toby, had been in the water for about 35 minutes and appeared to be OK after his rescue and reunion with his owner.

Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and MassLive.com.

Bolton Valley is offering $19.66 night skiing tickets.

The "strong-arm robbery" occurred Wednesday afternoon and the suspect fled in a small blue car with a license plate of 7SNL14. It was not immediately clear what state issued the plate.

George Graham | ggraham@repub.com 

EAST LONGMEADOW -- Police are seeking the public's help as they work to identify a female suspected of stealing several hundred dollars from an elderly woman in the parking lot of the Super Stop & Shop on North Main Street on Wednesday afternoon.

The "strong-arm robbery" occurred about 2:10 p.m. and the suspect fled in a small blue car with a license plate of 7SNL14, police said. It was not immediately clear what state issued the plate.

The victim, who is in her 80s, briefly struggled with the suspect. "She wasn't hurt," Sgt. Steven Manning said. "She was just shaken up."

The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic female with two-tone hair and large loopy earrings.

The suspect claimed to be a nurse from Mercy Medical Center who needed gasoline money. The victim gave the suspect several dollars and refused when the latter asked for more.

The suspect then asked for a pencil, claiming that she wanted to write down the victim's address. That's when the robbery occurred.

The suspect had approached several others in the parking lot with the same claim, Manning said.

The robbery was witnessed by several people and police are reviewing security video, he said.

Transgender rights groups say the move sends the wrong message to students and opens them up to potential discrimination.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said President Donald Trump's decision to roll back protections for transgender students in schools "will subject vulnerable young people to harassment and intimidation."

"Every student deserves to be treated equally in our schools, and this decision sends a message that discrimination is acceptable," Healey said in a statement.

Trump on Wednesday rescinded guidelines put in place under former President Barack Obama that required schools to let transgender students use the bathroom that conformed with their gender identity rather than their biological sex. It will now be up to states to put in place their own laws on the topic.

Opponents of these rules, many of whom are Republicans, argue that it could make other students uncomfortable or potentially put them in danger if someone of the opposite sex is using the same restroom or locker room. Supporters of the rules, many of whom are Democrats, argue that they protect transgender students from harassment and discrimination and make them feel more comfortable.

The change in guidance will not affect Massachusetts, which passed its own law last year allowing transgender individuals to use the bathroom and restroom that conforms to their gender identity in all public places. Even before that, Massachusetts law prohibited discrimination against transgender students in education, and the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education had guidelines in place letting students use the bathroom that conformed to their gender identity.

Opponents of the Massachusetts law are trying to repeal it on the 2018 ballot.

In addition, the Obama guidelines have been stayed by the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear a case relating to the guidelines in March.

Healey, a Democrat, has emerged as one of the most prominent critics of the Trump administration in Massachusetts. Healey, who is gay, was also one of the strongest supporters of Massachusetts' passage of the transgender public accommodation law.

U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat who also pushed for passage of the state law, framed Trump's actions as a civil rights issue. "Civil rights are a promise this country makes each of us," Kennedy said in a statement Wednesday. "They cannot be rescinded by the careless swipe of a thoughtless pen. The Trump Administration's actions tonight do not change the fact that discrimination is illegal. But they send a devastating message to our transgender students that their President does not find them worthy of equal protection."

The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth stressed that the change in federal policy will not affect Massachusetts youth, since the state laws remain in place. Hannah Hussey, director of policy and research for the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, said in a statement that the group "is deeply disappointed by this action, which sends a harmful message to transgender and gender-nonconforming young people."

Officials from Freedom Massachusetts, the group that spearheaded the effort to pass Massachusetts' transgender anti-discrimination law, said Trump's action highlights the importance of having non-discrimination protections for transgender youth in state law.

"The administration's announcement has no impact on the Commonwealth's laws protecting students from discrimination in schools, under which schools have been successfully balancing the needs of all students for years, ensuring that transgender students - who already face exponentially higher levels of bullying and harassment than their peers - can participate fully and succeed in school just like their non-transgender peers," said Kasey Suffredini, co-chair of Freedom Massachusetts.

Fourteen states, including Massachusetts, have similar policies in place letting transgender students use the locker rooms and bathrooms that conform to their gender identity.