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Seen@ Western Mass. American Heart Association's 2017 Go Red For Women luncheon

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The Connecticut/Western Mass office of the American Heart Association recently held its 8th annual Go Red for Women luncheon fundraiser at the Log Cabin.

HOLYOKE- The Connecticut/Western Mass office of the American Heart Association recently held its 8th annual Go Red for Women luncheon fundraiser at the Log Cabin.

The event provided information about women's heart health through community education, health screenings, and motivational speakers.

Julianna Mazza from WWLP 22 News served as the mistress of ceremonies.

During the luncheon, women who were nominated to be the 2016 American Heart Association Leading Ladies were introduced and received their American Heart Association pins.

The luncheon event successfully enabled the American Heart Association of Western Mass/Connecticut to provide information to women to help prevent heart disease and to raise money to fight heart disease, the number one cause of death of women.


After nearly 50 years, Bruce Landon's Springfield hockey career nears its end

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Bruce Landon prepares to retire after nearly 50 years.

If Bruce Landon's hockey career were being played out on ice, it would be about time for the public address announcer to announce "one minute left in the third period."

"I've been told I would know when it's time. And it's time,'' said Landon, 67, whose final day with the Springfield Thunderbirds will be April 28, barring a miracle late-season playoff run.

If Landon had his way, the sendoff would be low-key, if not ignored altogether. Thunderbirds management isn't letting that happen, and on Friday, March 3, the single most identifiable figure in the history of Springfield hockey - by all reasonable measures, at least on a par with Eddie Shore - will be honored before the game against Lehigh Valley at the MassMutual Center.

Often referring to himself as "an old hockey puck," Landon has always wished minor league pro hockey were marketable simply for the sport he once played as a goalie, well enough to reach major league status with the World Hockey Association.

Instead, his sendoff will feature that ultimate stamp of modern fame: a Bruce Landon bobblehead doll. Welcome to the 21st Century.

"I think it looks a little like Lex Luther,'' Landon said. "But don't get me wrong. I'm very, very grateful.''

Words such as "legend" and "legacy" make Landon visibly uncomfortable. He's proud that the street alongside the MassMutual Center was renamed Bruce Landon Way, but don't wait for him to ever bring it up.

His great hope for Bruce Landon night - beyond a Thunderbirds victory - is for people to understand that this time, when he says he's retiring, he really means it.

Not everyone is so easily convinced. When former owner Charlie Pompea sold the Falcons last spring, Landon wryly said he was "either retired or unemployed, but retirement sounds better.''

But then, unlike now, Landon kept the door open if hockey in Springfield could be saved. That seemed next to impossible at the time, but it was saved, and no one was surprised when the new, broad-based local ownership base made Landon a key member of the transition team.

He says the reason he can retire now is simple: in more than 40 years of hockey management, he's had only one goal, and now it's been filled.

"All I ever wanted was to walk out of here knowing hockey in Springfield was here to stay, forever and ever. From all I can see, we can finally say that,'' he said.

"This thing's not going anywhere. That's why I can leave with no regrets and with all great memories.''

His praise of the new ownership and chief executive Nate Costa goes beyond his appreciation for the way they have treated him. Landon said the new group has the will, patience and resources to invest in success, and understands that what works in a modern market differs greatly from that which greeted his arrival as 19-year-old goaltender in 1969.

Back then, pro hockey was played at the Eastern States Coliseum and the local team was the Kings. They have since been known as the Indians (a throwback to the pre-Landon era), the Falcons (a team created by Landon and former teammate Wayne LaChance) and now the Thunderbirds, whose owners implored Landon to stay on as a consultant after purchasing the Portland franchise and moving it to Springfield in the spring of 2016.

In Landon's first season as Springfield's goalie, his team lost in the 1970 American Hockey League Calder Cup finals. The league had nine teams, not the 30 of today, and the Calder Cup champion was Buffalo, which was still a minor-league hockey city at the time.

That's how long ago it was. Only three cities that had AHL teams in 1970 have maintained an uninterrupted league presence since then - Hershey, Rochester, and thanks to Landon, Springfield.

Often plagued by injuries, Landon retired as a player in 1978 but stayed in hockey in every role imaginable - many handled simultaneously -and raised his family in West Springfield, ignoring opportunities to relocate in his native Canada or elsewhere.

How many times he's pulled Springfield hockey off the ledge is too high to count. Most well-known were the establishment of the Falcons after the Indians moved to Worcester in 1994, a desperate season-ticket drive in 2007, an 11th-hour search for a buyer who would keep the team in the city (which resulted in Pompea's purchase in 2010), and finally last year, when he did not engineer the deal but remained available to help the new team get off the ground.

When Landon stepped down as president and part owner of the Falcons in 2014, it was mistakenly interpreted by some as retirement. Rather, he stayed on as director of hockey operations, but this time will be a total break.

Whenever it looked hopeless to think pro hockey would survive in Springfield - and those moments were common for an entire generation - Landon's friends and family would often tell him to stop taking it so personally. He had done all he could and more than could have been reasonably asked of any one man, they said - and if the city lost its team, his conscience should still be clear.

Regardless of the truth in those words, that response wasn't in Landon's DNA. Only now, as Thunderbirds crowds have dramatically risen 50 percent from the final Falcons season (from 3,108 average to 4,553, despite limited time to organize a promotional campaign last summer can Landon exhale and leave with a smile.

Last season, the Falcons finished last among 30 AHL teams in attendance. The Thunderbirds have passed 11 franchises in their first five months.

Landon is not sure what he'll do next, but it won't be in hockey. He says he's always wanted to take a CPR course, and there is some volunteer work he might do, but he will first give himself time to sit back and think about a future that will offer new chapters in his life, rather than turning back the pages of the past.

"I've had a wonderful career in every aspect. Nate and the staff are doing a great job, and I feel fortunate to be able to walk away,'' he said.

Before that, though, will be a night of accolades and old friends and, of course, bobbleheads. Even an old hockey puck like Landon will accept that no modern icon can get away without that.

Springfield City Council cites jobs, economic development in approval of permits for 3 North End businesses

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The City Council approved special permits for a Taco Bell and a Sunbelt Rental business in the North End, praised for bringing new jobs and economic development to the neighborhood.

SPRINGFIELD - The City Council granted special permits for three new businesses in the North End on Monday night, including a Taco Bell on Main Street and a Sunbelt Rentals tool and equipment facility on Fisk Avenue.

For Ward 1 Councilor Adam Gomez and some neighborhood representatives, the new businesses will bring much needed additional jobs and economic development to the North End area.

"it's a big plus that we have companies that want to be great neighbors and helping us bring economic sustainability to the North End," Gomez said Tuesday. "Bringing jobs to the North End is definitely a priority."

Both Gomez and Jose Claudio of the New North Citizens Council said that additional full-time and part-time jobs help adults and youth, and help reduce crime and improve public safety. The firm expects to hire about 40 part-time and full-time employees.

A special permit was granted to GF Enterprises LLC, planning a Taco Bell and drive-through at 2433 Main St. The company and citizens' council agreed to a 2 a.m. closing hour for the business Claudio said.

The site at Main and Morgan streets is vacant and was previously used for parking and equipment.

There are approximately 20 conditions attached to the permit including a ban on loitering and a ban on banners and streamers, and there are requirements for landscaping and regular cleanup of outdoor trash.

The plans are subject to a full site plan review by the city's Department of Public Works, including a current traffic study.

Claudio and Rivera said they believe the entrance and exit should be on Main Street, and possibly just an entrance on Morgan Street, subject to the traffic review.

In a separate vote, the council unanimously approved a special permit for the Sunbelt Rentals business at 95 Fisk Ave., also known as 119 Fisk Ave., for tools and equipment rentals.

Adam Rabe, senior manager with Sunbelt, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, pledged to be a good neighbor, and to focus on local hiring.

The company expects to hire 12 full-time employees the first year, with an average salary of about $58,000, and to reach a labor force of 18 to 20 employees within five years, Rabe said.

Two nearby residents raised concerns regarding if the business would be bringing additional noise to the area, and asked the council to include protections.

The council, as proposed by Councilor Michael Fenton, set the operating hours at 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., in response to concerns about any later night noise, and Rabe said the condition was fine.

"We're very committed to be good neighbors," Rabe said, including a commitment to keep the property tidy and clean.

The council also approved a special permit for a U-Haul rental store at 88 Birnie Ave., in the North End. The permit was requested by Amerco Real Estate Company.

The site is the vacant former location of a larger warehouse retail operation, and will be converted for the U-Haul plans, according to plans. There is a large parking area.

2 injured in 3-vehicle crash at Plumtree Road and Abbott Street, Springfield Fire Department says

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Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extricate one of the victims.

SPRINGFIELD -- Two people were taken to the hospital Tuesday morning following a three-vehicle crash at Plumtree Road and Abbott Street.

The crash occurred shortly after 11 a.m.

Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extricate a male driver from a Nissan Sentra, Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.

 The driver of a Nissan Rogue was also taken to the hospital. A PT Cruiser was also involved in the crash.

Police could not immediately be reached for comment.

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

Man charged with downtown Springfield break-in at Xtreme Hats; $10K in merchandise reported stolen

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Police say the people behind the break-in tried to destroy the store's video security system, but the owner was able to recover footage of the crime.

SPRINGFIELD - One of three suspects believed to be involved in a weekend break-in at a Dwight Street business in which more than $10,000 in merchandise was stolen was apprehended Monday after the owner recognized him from security footage and called police.

228 spd perez.jpgJosue Perez 

Police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said the suspect, Josue Perez, 43, was arrested shortly after 5 p.m. near 115 Dwight St by officers Matthew Simon and Marcos Hernandez.

Perez, who is listed as homeless, was charged with breaking into Xtreme Hats, 131 Dwight St., on Sunday. Police were called to the scene Monday afternoon after the business owner spotted him nearby and recognized him as one of the suspects in security footage of the break-in, Delaney said.

Perez was charged with breaking and entering into a building, larceny of more than $250, and malicious destruction of property valued at less than $250.

The business owner reported to police that the rear door of the business was forced open and merchandise valued at $10,590 was taken.  Reported stolen were 20 basketball jerseys, 15 football jerseys, 120 hats, more than 50 sweaters and articles of women's clothing, more than 50 bottles of perfume and cologne, and 29 accessory sets. They also took a flat-screen TV, and destroyed the story's video surveillance monitor, Delaney said.

That last action was apparently attempt to destroy any security footage of the crime, but the owner was able to retrieve all footage in another monitor, Delaney said.

The other two suspects remain at large and police are continuing to investigate, he said. The merchandise remains missing.

Perez is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Springfield District Court.

St. Patrick's Business Breakfast offered by Holyoke Chamber of Commerce

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The St. Patrick's Business Breakfast of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce will be held at 7:30 a.m. on March 15, 2017 at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road.

HOLYOKE -- This community's celebration of St. Patrick's Day will include the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce's St. Patrick's Business Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on March 15 at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House, 500 Easthampton Road.

Salutes at the breakfast will go to the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade Committee and Parade Committee award recipients, a press release said.

They include Parade President Michael J. Moriarty, Sister of St. Joseph Jane Morrissey, who is the parade grand marshal, Ambassador Award recipient Turlough McConnell, president and CEO of Turlough McConnell Communications of Brooklyn, New York, and Margaret Walsh, grand colleen of the 2017 St. Patrick's Parade, and her court, the press release said.

Tickets are $40 with a $5 discount if purchased before March 8, $40 thereafter and $45 for walk-ins, the press release said.

To obtain tickets online, visit holyokechamber.com/events.

The parade and road race here draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The 66th Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade will be March 19 and the 42nd Holyoke St. Patrick's Road Race will be the day before.

The chamber breakfast is sponsored by PeoplesBank, the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, Marcotte Ford, United Personnel, and Resnic, Beauregard, Waite & Driscoll, the press release said.

Banish Misfortune, sponsored by Expert Staffing, will play traditional Irish music for the expected crowd of 400, the press release said.

The breakfast also will honor Holyoke City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee for receiving a 2016 Elected Women of Excellence Award from the National Foundation for Women Legislators in November.

Also to be recognized at the breakfast will be new chamber members Carve Beauty Bar, Panarico Farm Dog Daycare and Training, Success Coaching, Residence Inn of Springfield/Chicopee, Moriarty and Wilson Law Offices and Dunn and Wilson, Attorneys at Law, the press release said.

St. Patrick's Day items such as baseball caps and ornaments will be on sale, the press release said.

For more information call the chamber at 1-413-534-3376.

Amherst police arrest 2, warn others for noise, underage drinking

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With temperatures reaching into the 60s this weekend, police responded to more than 250 calls including for loud parties and a gathering of several hundred at the Townhouse apartments Friday afternoon.

AMHERST -- With temperatures reaching into the 60s over the weekend, police responded to more than 250 calls including for loud parties and a gathering of several hundred at the Townehouse apartments Friday afternoon.

Police arrested two people and issued 10 liquor law violation wanings, 11 noise bylaw warnings and one citation. They will also be summoning to court a 20-year-old Lexington man who was urinating outside a building at the Townehouse apartments with a beer in his hand.    

Friday afternoon, police arrested Harrison T. Hause, 20, of Milton and charged him with disorderly conduct and being a minor in possession of alcohol at the Townehouse apartment gathering.

 Police allegedly saw him throw the beer can into a large crowd. No one was injured.

Just after 11 p.m. Saturday., police arrested Andrew T. Schofield of Melrose and charged him with having an open container of alcohol and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

Police had responded to a nose complaint at Alpha Delta Phi on North Pleasant Street but instead found a large group in front of a neighboring house.

Police reported that Schofield was allegedly uncooperative and was placed under arrest.

Hause and Schofield were scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown. 

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey bringing Somali refugee Said Ahmed to President Trump's address to Congress

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Said Ahmed, a Somali refugee and Boston school teacher, is the guest of Sen. Ed Markey at President Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday night, the senator's office said.

Said Ahmed, a Somali refugee and Boston school teacher, is the guest of Sen. Ed Markey at President Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday night, the senator's office said.

Ahmed fled Somalia, a Muslim majority country, when he was 12 years old. While in college, he was a member of the U.S. National Team for track and field.

He later founded a nonprofit for young Somali refugees, United Somali Youth. He is also a member of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center.

In a statement, Ahmed said he hopes the nation's borders remain open to others like him.

"As a refugee from a war-torn country, I came to the United States with hope, to find peace and security, and promise for a new beginning and endless opportunities. I found those opportunities because of all the great things United State of America represents," Ahmed said in a statement.

Trump's address to a joint session of Congress is slated to start at 9 p.m.

Sen. Warren bringing Iraqi refugee to President Trump's address

"I feel blessed every day that my family began our lives over in the United States. America is my home: a home that stands for the rights of all people to exist without fear of persecution based on the color of their skin, their home country, or how they choose to pray," he added.

President Trump has signed an executive order halting people from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States. The order set off legal challenges from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Trump administration is expected to release a re-written Muslim travel ban later this week.

"The courts blocked Donald Trump's first Muslim ban because it trampled on Constitutional rights, and I anticipate any attempt to repackage it will meet the same fate," Markey said in a statement.

Trump's immigration ban leads to confusion, condemnation


Convicted armored car robber may receive slight sentencing break in U.S. District Court

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Although Vincent Lattanzio, convicted of a 1991 armored car heist in the Berkshires, is nearing the end of a 30-year sentence, he may walk free slightly early after a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has affected scores of federal defendants.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Massachusetts man sentenced in 1995 to 30 years in federal prison for an armored car heist may walk free a few years early after he is re-sentenced in U.S. District Court on Tuesday afternoon.

Vincent Lattanzio, 60, formerly of Brockton, won a motion to vacate his sentence earlier this month based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision rendered two decades after he was put behind bars. The high court ruled the "Armed Career Criminal Act, (ACCA)" which adds significant prison time for those who have at least three previous violent convictions, was an overly vague catch-all.

Lattanzio was among the scores of defendants sentenced under the ACCA; a judge tacked an additional decade onto the already lengthy sentence he faced after an elaborate heist of the Berkshire Armored Car company in 1991. He and four co-defendants tracked the company's routes and schedules, sticking up two guards at gunpoint for $1.2 million. One co-conspirator was killed by a shotgun blast after turning prosecution witness. His murder remains unsolved.

The high court tightened up the definition of certain qualifying violent offenses under the ACCA, opening the floodgates for sentencing breaks for scores of pre-sentence defendants and those already convicted.

In Lattanzio's case, defense attorney Dana Goldblatt argued none of four previous convictions her client amassed in the 1970s qualifies under the new interpretation of the law. Federal prosecutors objected. U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor sided with the defendant and allowed Lattanzio's motion to vacate his old sentence.

Goldblatt is arguing for her client to be released without probation since he has already spent at least a decade more behind bars than was necessary, from a retrospective stance.

"A Defendant who has served ten years too long is entitled to some consideration for the error. Where, as here,the evidence suggests that future criminal behavior is extremely unlikely, the Defendant has earned the right to be truly and completely free," she wrote.

Lattanzio is currently scheduled for release in February of 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The Republican will be in the courtroom and report the outcome of Lattanzio's hearing.

Somerville man arrested after fleeing police and crashing into parked cars

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A Somerville man was arrested Tuesday morning after authorities said he sped away from police in his car then crashed into several parked cars in Everett.

A Somerville man was arrested Tuesday morning after authorities said he sped away from police in his car then crashed into several parked cars in Everett.

State Police Trooper Kenneth Dinjian stopped a 2004 Lexus ES on Rutherford Avenue in Charlestown for a motor vehicle violation Tuesday morning, according to State Police.

Authorities said the driver, later identified as 31-year-old William Seaburg of Somerville, sped away from the trooper.

The trooper tried to catch up to the vehicle as it drove on Route 99 in Everett, but the trooper terminated the pursuit due to safety reasons.

"A short time later, other troopers in the area located the Lexus on Bow Street in Everett and determined that it had crashed into several unoccupied, parked vehicles on that street," State Police said. "The operator of the Lexus was not with the vehicle."

Troopers searched the area and located Seaburg. He was walking on Rte. 99 in Everett.

Seaburg was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent driving, speeding, failure to stop for police, leaving the scene of a personal injury crash and several other motor vehicle violations.

Seaburg also had an outstanding warrant for assault and battery.

 

Peabody homicide victims Mark Greenlaw and Jennifer O'Connor were shot and stabbed, DA's office says

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Authorities said the two people killed inside a Peabody home on Feb. 18 were shot and stabbed to death.

Authorities said the two people killed inside a Peabody home on Feb. 18 were shot and stabbed to death. 

The announcement listing the causes of death for 37-year-old Mark Greenlaw and 40-year-old Jennifer O'Connor were released by the Essex County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday after the second suspect, Wes Doughty, was arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder. 

Authorities allege Doughty and his co-defendant, 45-year-old Michael Hebb, shot Greenlaw in the head. O'Connor was stabbed in the head and neck, officials said. 

The district attorney's office said the victims' bodies were not dismembered. 

Greenlaw and O'Connor were found inside 19 Farm Ave. in Peabody after a woman told Massachusetts State Police that a crime had been committed inside the home. 

Hebb, who is from Peabody, was arrested on Feb. 20. He was arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder and was ordered held without bail. 

Doughty went on the run after the killings and is accused of carjacking a man in Middleton. Authorities said Doughty took the car to South Carolina, where he was caught. He was arrested in Spartanburg, South Carolina after police found him panhandling. 

Doughty faces charges out of Salem District Court in connection with the carjacking on Feb. 22. 

He was held without bail after his arraignment on the murder charges in Peabody District Court Tuesday. 

Springfield police officer Kevin Merchant, fired after losing gun, files wrongful termination suit

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Kevin Merchant, who lost his job after losing his service weapon, has filed a wrongful termination suit, arguing that his firing was retaliation for a discrimination complaint.

A former Springfield police officer who lost his job after losing his service weapon has filed a wrongful termination suit, arguing that his firing was retaliation for an earlier discrimination complaint against the department.

In October of 2013, Kevin Merchant, then a patrolman with the Springfield Police Department, called Hartford police to report that his gun was missing. He was off-duty in a Hartford apartment, and was fired a month later following a disciplinary hearing.

Then-Commissioner William Fitchett concluded that Merchant had misled Hartford police and failed to report his missing weapon, Sgt. John Delaney said at the time.

Now, more than three years later, Merchant says there is more to the story.

"Plaintiff alleges that Defendant, City of Springfield's actions in terminating Plaintiff were not based on the offenses cited in its reasoning for termination to plaintiff, but rather were the result of discriminatory practices," Merchant alleged in a Hampden County Superior Court lawsuit filed in November.

The suit claims that Merchant was a victim of a campaign of retaliation for complaints against the department, and that the weapon incident was used as a pretext to terminate him and deprive him of his pension.

Merchant's troubles with his bosses began in 2012, four years after he joined the force, the lawsuit claims. Merchant, a military veteran, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and took time off for treatment in September of that year, including a five-day stay at a hospital, according to the suit.

The department responded by demanding that he turn in his service weapon, which he did on Oct. 15, 2012, the suit says. Merchant voiced concerns about the department's actions to the city's human resources department and an equal opportunity affairs officer, and returned to active duty on Nov. 12.

He was then told he was under internal investigation for "going outside the chain of command, the suit claims.

"Plaintiff was subjected to a hearing before then Deputy Chief Robert McFarland in March of 2013. Plaintiff was advised by Deputy McFarland to not go outside the 'chain of command' for anything," the suit says. "One week after the hearing, Plaintiff received a letter in which he received a reprimand."

Merchant then filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. During this time period, Merchant received inpatient care for PTSD and was not working.

He returned to worked as normal from July to October of 2013 before he lost his service weapon in Hartford, prompting the investigation that led to his dismissal.

"Since his termination, Defendant has continued to seek sanctions against [Plaintiff] by way of having his license to carry a firearm revoked, challenging his claims for unemployment and seeking to bar plaintiff from receiving a pension," the suit says.

In the suit, Merchant alleges that the investigation into his conduct was rushed and that his firing was in retaliation for his filing of a discrimination complaint. He also claims that officials with the department wrongly shared his private medical information.

Attorney Nancy Flahive, listed as Merchant's counsel on the case, said she does not comment on pending litigation.

The city of Springfield also did not return a request for comment.

Safety officials open federal investigation into fatal plane crash in Methuen

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Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Methuen Wednesday to open an investigation into the fatal plane crash in the community on Tuesday. Watch video

Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Methuen Wednesday to open an investigation into the fatal plane crash in the community on Tuesday. 

"There's three things we're going to be looking at today: The man, the machine and the environment," Aaron McCarter, a NTSB Safety Investigator, told reporters Wednesday morning. 

Local and state authorities were called to Methuen around 1 p.m. Tuesday a report of a small plane crashing into a building. 

A homebuilt, single-engine plane crashed into Methuen condominium complex Tuesday. The pilot, former mayor of Newburyport Al Lavender, was killed in the crash. 

The plane flew through the roof of the condo complex, inside two condominiums. No one was in either residence at the time of the crash. 

The building is inhabitable, officials said, and the plane has yet to be removed. 

"It's going to be a complicated removal," McCarter said Wednesday. "The airplane itself is in a precarious position." 

Witnesses told officials that the small plane was flying locally and took a steep descent, landing nose-first into the three-story building. 

Federal officials estimate a final report on the crash will take up to 18 months to be released. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact NTSB at witnesses@ntsb.gov. 

Gallery preview 

Conway tornado: Aerial photos of the destruction from above

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As residents of Conway and Goshen continue to clean up after an EF1 tornado touched down on Saturday, photos of the aftermath from above offer a glimpse into the swath of destruction left in the storm's wake. Watch video

CONWAY-- As residents of Conway and Goshen continue to clean up after an EF1 tornado touched down on Saturday, photos of the aftermath from above offer a glimpse into the swath of destruction left in the storm's wake. 

Amazingly, no injuries were reported in wake of the tornado, which first touched down in Goshen at approximately 7:20 p.m. on Feb. 25. The tornado was not predicted and residents had no time to seek shelter from the destructive winds.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, joined by local and state officials and members of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, toured areas of the town that were hit hard by the EF-1 tornado on Monday.

The tour was of a half-mile section of Whately Road and Old Cricket Hill road that was hit hard by the tornado. Trees were missing their tops, and had evidence of missing limbs. One tree had several long pieces of aluminum roof sheeting wrapped around it like a ribbon.

Several houses along the route were heavily damaged, an old barn that had been the home of J&J Maggs Antiques was literally flattened, and the United Congregation Church had a hole in its roof and structural damage to its steeple.

Donations to help town residents impacted by the tornado (cash or gift cards only - no clothing or household goods) may be made at Greenfield Savings Bank on Route 116. Or, through a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds to help the victims.

As of Wednesday morning, around $12,000 had been raised towards the $35,000 goal.

Man stabbed wife to death while children were inside Cape Cod home, authorities say

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A Barnstable man allegedly stabbed his wife to death in their home early Tuesday morning while the pair's 2 and 6 year old children were inside, according to The Associated Press.

A Barnstable man has been arrested on the allegation that he stabbed his wife to death in their home early Tuesday morning while the couple's 2- and 6-year-old children were inside.

Police responded to 89 Trout Brook Rd. in the village of Cotuit around 2 a.m., having received several 911 calls from concerned parties requesting that they check on Mary Fratantonio. 

They found the 35-year-old Barnstable High School special eduction teacher dead of multiple stab wounds in an upstairs bathroom, according to The Cape Cod Times

A report by Massachusetts State Police Trooper Matthew Lavoietold said authorities located her husband, 36-year-old Christopher S. Fratantonio, outside the home. They arrested him after he allegedly made suspicious comments indicating he may have been responsible, according to The Times.

Lavoietold's report, according to the times, says Fratantonio later provided Barnstable police a "detailed description of his motive behind the attack," how he carried it out and where he put the murder weapon -- a knife. 

The Associated Press reported it was "not clear if (the children) witnessed the killing."

Fratantonio pleaded not guilty to the crime in Barnstable District Court later in the day Tuesday. 

Short, stocky and bearded, with gauged ears and numerous tattoos, including on his face, Fratantonio struggled with depression and anger-management issues and had recent financial setbacks, a co-worker told The Times. 

Neighbors, on the other hand, told the paper the Fratantonios were likable people with a seemingly healthy relationship. Frantantonio owned a wood floor finishing company and sometimes played drums in local bands, according to The Times. 

A report from the courtroom by The Boston Globe described Frantantonio as appearing "dazed."

One of his tattoos references to 1980s horror movies and another, on his right arm, features a name -- Molly, his wife's nickname, The Globe reports.

Judge Edward Sharkansky ordered Fratantonio held without bail at Barnstable County Correctional Facility. He's due back in court March 27 for a probable cause hearing. 



Pared down version of federal lawsuit alleging gender bias by expelled student allowed to advance against Amherst College

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"John Doe," a student expelled from Amherst College, said he was unfairly ousted after another student filed a complaint against him alleging sexual assault.

SPRINGFIELD -- A federal judge has allowed an expelled Amherst College student's lawsuit against the school to proceed, but significantly trimmed the complaint filed over a sexual encounter between the plaintiff and another student at the college in 2012.

The encounter led to the plaintiff's expulsion, court filings state.

According to his complaint, the plaintiff -- named in court records as "John Doe" -- had a consensual tryst with another student while Doe was "black-out" drunk. However, the woman -- "Sandra Jones," also a pseudonym -- argued to school officials that sexual activities continued after she "withdrew her consent," court records state.

Doe was subsequently called before the college's Sexual Misconduct Hearing Board for violating the "Statement of Respect for Persons" and accused of sexual assault, according to the lawsuit. Although the hearing board found Doe's claim he had "blacked out" credible, he was immediately expelled in early 2013. He is described only as an Asian-American student from New York in the complaint.

Doe in 2015 sued the college and several officials personally in a 10-count "Title IX" complaint, alleging gender bias. His lawsuit specifically accused Amherst College of breach of contract, Title IX violations, and breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Those counts were upheld this week in a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni, following a motion to dismiss the entire lawsuit by the defendants.

Mastroianni dismissed other counts including defamation, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

The suit seeks $75,000, that the expulsion be purged from Doe's transcripts, and that he have an opportunity to resume his studies and receive his degree.

He alleges in his complaint that the college caved in to political pressures.

"Doe ... alleges the severity of his punishment was due to his gender because the College intended his punishment to appease campus activists who sought the expulsion of a male student," Mastroianni notes in his ruling, issued Tuesday. 

There has been a flood of Title IX complaints filed by male students who allege colleges have over-zealously disciplined male students after allegations of sexual assault.

A "Dear Colleague" letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education in 2011 served as a stern warning to private colleges and universities to handle allegations of sexual assault and harassment with particular care or risk losing federal funding.

Amherst is among at least 50 colleges that remains under scrutiny by the federal government for its handling of sex abuse investigations on campus. The University of Massachusetts in Amherst also is on the list.

In 2012, an essay by former student and member of Doe's entering class was printed in a student publication. The essay assailed the college's handling of her report of sexual assault on campus and drew a wave of negative publicity for Amherst College.

"The day after it was published, college President Carolyn Martin issued a statement pledging to investigate the handling of Epifano's allegations and acknowledging the College's handling of complaints had left 'survivors feeling that they were badly served," Mastroianni's ruling noted.

Doe's lawsuit alleges Jones had a "political agenda" and that the college did a shoddy job investigating her claim.

Armored car bandit arrives at federal courthouse in shackles, prison drabs, walks out in jeans and Harley T-shirt

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Vincent Lattanzio, 61, was released two years early from federal prison after serving nearly 30 years behind bars in connection with a 1991 holdup of two armored car guards in Pittsfield. The theft yielded $1.2 million.

SPRINGFIELD -- Convicted armed robber Vincent Lattanzio arrived at the federal courthouse Tuesday in handcuffs, shackles and prison drabs after nearly 30 years behind bars. 

He walked out the front door three hours later in jeans and a Harley-Davidson T-shirt, two fists raised in the air. Although he was nearing the end of his sentence, he was released two years early thanks to a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision that may impact thousands of federal defendants and inmates.

That year, the high court ruled that a key clause in the "Armed Career Criminal Act" was "overly vague" and tightened up the definition of violent crimes that would qualify a defendant for the career-criminal label. Under the law, those eligible for the category had at least three previous convictions for violent or serious drug crimes.

In the "Johnson decision," Supreme Court justices essentially said the language was too generous to the government. Several crimes that previously qualified defendants for the designation were stricken, saving many from a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence. The court's decision also applied retroactively -- to Lattanzio's benefit.

Defense attorney Dana Goldblatt previously argued that none of her client's four previous convictions in the 1970s and 80s qualified under the new interpretation of the law. U.S. District Court Michael J. Ponsor agreed, on Tuesday setting Lattanzio free two years before his 2019 release date.

Lattanzio, formerly of Brockton, had been convicted in connection with the 1991 armed heist of two guards with Berkshire Armored Car in Pittsfield. The elaborate holdup involved an "inside man" who provided information about the company's routes and schedules, as well as disguises and other subterfuge. The thieves made off with $1.2 million which they divvied up and spent on world travel, cars, boats and other luxuries, according to published reports.

Perhaps most troubling about the case: One witness, Donald Abbott, who participated in the stick-up at the car depot, turned prosecution witness but was executed by shotgun blast near his Rhode Island home while out on bail. His killing was never solved. Another co-conspirator, Charles Gattuso, turned government witness and entered the Witness Protection Program.

Ringleader Bernard Kiley died in prison.

At Lattanzio's 1995 sentencing before the late U.S. District Judge Frank H. Freedman, the judge handed down the stiffest sentences he had in his career on the bench, he said. Kiley received a 45-year sentence.

Then-Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Jeffrey Kinder said Lattanzio and Kiley were the absolute definitions of "career criminals."

Kiley recruited Lattanzio for the heist when they were both state prison inmates in 1990, Kinder said at the time.

Goldblatt, who filed a successful motion to vacate Lattanzio's sentence and argue for a new one, told Ponsor her client had become a practicing Buddhist and yoga devotee while in prison. She said he had gotten into only one prison fight in nearly three decades behind bars, and that it was in the name of yoga.

The attorney elaborated: At some point, Lattanzio was moved to a minimum security facility, which was loud and overcrowded -- thus impeding his ability to go to bed and rise early to practice yoga. He complained to guards and asked to be moved back to a medium-security prison where it was quieter, Goldblatt told Ponsor. When he was informed he could not because he had no disciplinary issues, he promptly picked a fight with another inmate, she said.

"He got into a fight ... which is probably not good Buddhist practice, but it allowed him to resume building what he felt was a more productive inner life," Goldblatt told Ponsor.

Lattanzio, who was 39 when he was sentenced, appeared in court Tuesday as a man with graying hair, facing his 62nd birthday.

"I'm stuck to choose the words to express how I feel," Lattanzio told Ponsor before the judge sentenced him to time served.

"But I appreciate your consideration in this case very much and I won't disappoint you ... I won't let you down," he said.

In light of the Supreme Court's decision, Lattanzio had spent nearly an extra decade in prison, Ponsor noted.

The judge also ordered Lattanzio to pay $14,750 in restitution.

Lattanzio plans to live in New Hampshire with his nephew, a retired Boston police officer and security consultant, and find work, according to Goldblatt.

East Longmeadow police, checking on suspicious males, seize 2 handguns -- including one stolen in Georgia

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The incident began Sunday night with a report of two suspicious males getting out of a white car on Gates Avenue.

EAST LONGMEADOW -- A report of two suspicious males getting out of a white car on Gates Avenue Sunday night led to the recovery of two handguns - including one that had reported stolen in Georgia.

Sgt. Jason Guinipero said the males, were seen in the area of LaSalle Street at about 11 p.m.

Officers Steven Moore, Matthew Lecuyer and Sgt. Michael Ingalls were dispatched to the area and Moore found a white Hyundai with a male inside.

When Moore approached, the male got out of the car and fled on foot. Police apprehended him a short time later in a swampy area nearby, Guinipero said.

Police contacted the owner of the Hyundai, received permission to search it and found a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver inside,

Massachusetts State Trooper Sean Kenney, and his K-9 partner, Riggs, sent to the scene, picked up a track and found a Taurus 9 mm semiautomatic handgun behind a residential garage on North Main Street.

Police after running the gun's serial number through a National Crime Information Center database, determined it had been stolen in Georgia, Guinipero said.

Police interviewed the male, the apparent driver of the Hyundai, and continue to investigate, Guinipero said.

MGM Springfield's vendor fair draws over 200 companies looking to land a contract

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The $950 million resort is now under construction on a 14.5 acre site in Springfield's South End. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- MGM Resorts International drew more than 200 potential vendors -- companies eager to provide everything from industrial warehousing to artisan furniture -- to a vendor fair Wednesday at the MassMutual Center downtown.

At stake is tens of millions of dollars worth of contracts to outfit and equip the $950 million MGM Springfield resort and casino now under construction on a 14.5-acre site downtown, said Seth Stratton, vice president and general counsel for MGM Springfield. Wednesday's fair focused only on the things MGM will need in the lead up to the casino's opening. That opening is expected in the fall of 2018.

"Then afterward, vendors will have the much larger opportunity to meet our operational needs once we are up and running," Stratton said. "This is the kickoff for our local vendor procurement process."

Vendors filled an auditorium at the MassMutual Center to hear Stratton give an overview of the project and of the process MGM will use to select them. Then, they got a chance to meet one-on-one with a procurement team member from MGM Resorts international's corporate headquarters in Las Vegas.

"It's a process like speed dating, if you will," Stratton said.

MGM is looking for furniture, decorative products, audio-visual equipment, linens and other goods, Stratton said.

A full list is available here.

The opportunity is very attractive, said Junior Jabbie of Banneker Industries, an industrial warehousing and supply chain management company in Rhode Island.

"Casinos don't open overnight and they don't open up every day," Jabbie said. "The casino business in Connecticut is big. We see aspects of their business where we can do work."

John Darby creates custom furniture, woodcarving, sculpture, paintings and drawings from his Darby artisan studio in Easthampton.

"I'm here to find out what the opportunities are," he said.

The MGM complex will include 250 hotel rooms as well as retail, restaurants, high-limit gaming areas and other spaces that need to be decorated.

S-Cel-O LLC, a Springfield painting contractor, already has two bids in for work at the Casino site: 95 State Street and in the new parking garage, according to Lamont Clemons, executive vice president at the company. If successful, they might end up hiring as many as 20 union painters.

"We are encouraging people from the community to take advantage of this opportunity and get involved with the unions," Clemons said.

Bruce Stebbins, a member of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, said MGM must use local vendors under its license agreement with the state. But Wednesday's meeting specifically was not required.

"I'm encouraged," Stebbins said. "I'm encouraged by the turnout. I'm encouraged to see so many familiar faces from Springfield."

Vendors would have to register with the Gaming Commission to do business with MGM.

Thursday, the Gaming Commission meets in Springfield. Stebbins said MGM will give its most recent quarterly progress update and update on its workforce development plans.

The agenda also says commissioners will vote on a mitigation fund request from the town of Longmeadow.

Heart attack prompts emergency response at I-91 construction site in Springfield

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Emergency personnel needed to perform CPR under I-91 after a construction worker collapsed at a construction site.

SPRINGFIELD- Emergency personnel needed to perform CPR under Interstate 91 on Wednesday morning after a construction worker collapsed at a construction site.

According to Dennis Ledger, Aid to Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, the incident was not construction related.

Ladder 1 was dispatched to the construction site on the corner of Emery Street and East Columbus Avenue at 9:48 a.m. after receiving a call for 57-old-man suffering from a heart attack.

Paramedics and fire personnel performed CPR on him for several minutes before placing him in an ambulance and transporting him to a local hospital.

The man's condition wasn't immediately clear.

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