Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton told students at her Massachusetts alma mater this week that the only thing she'd change about her 2016 White House run is its outcome.

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton told students at her Massachusetts alma mater this week that the only thing she'd change about her 2016 White House run is its outcome.

"I'd win," the former first lady said when asked what she'd change about her campaign during a Thursday evening private event at Wellesley College, the Boston Globe reported.

Clinton won the popular vote, but Republican Donald Trump surpassed the 270 electoral votes needed to become the 45th president of the United States.

Donald Trump wins presidential election, beats out Hillary Clinton

The former secretary of state, who graduated from the private women's college in 1969, discussed her White House run and time at Wellesley during the hour-long evening forum.

She also took questions from the audience on a wide range of topics, according to college officials.

In addition to saying she would change her 2016 loss to Trump, Clinton reportedly told attendees that as a woman seeking office, "You know you're going to be subject to unfair and beside-the-point criticism."

The event was closed to news outlets and a scheduled livestream was canceled, the Globe reported.

Clinton will return to Wellesley College in late May to serve as its 2017 commencement speaker.

Hillary Rodham Clinton to serve as Wellesley College's 2017 commencement speaker

Juan Thompson allegedly made at least eight of the threats, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

Federal authorities have made an arrest in the wave of over 100 bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers in recent weeks, saying some of the threats appear to be part of a former journalist's harassment campaign against his ex-girlfriend.

Juan Thompson of St. Louis allegedly made at least eight of the threats, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. 

He allegedly made some of the threats in an effort to harass and discredit a former girlfriend after their breakup, and made others in his own name before claiming he was being framed on social media.

"Today, we have charged Juan Thompson with allegedly stalking a former romantic interest by, among other things, making bomb threats in her name to Jewish Community Centers and to the Anti-Defamation League," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. "Threats of violence targeting people and places based on religion or race - whatever the motivation - are unacceptable, un-American, and criminal. We are committed to pursuing and prosecuting those who foment fear and hate through such criminal threats."

Thompson is facing a charge of cyberstalking, which carries up to a five year prison term. He allegedly sent defamatory messages to the victim's employer, made threats in her name and falsely accused her of crimes.

In one case, Thompson allegedly emailed the Anti Defamation League naming his girlfriend as the suspect, a day before the ADL received a bomb threat at its office.

"[Victim-1's name and birthdate] is behind the bomb threats against jews. She lives in nyc and is making more bomb threats tomorrow," Thompson allegedly wrote.

As of Thursday, 100 threats had been made this year against Jewish centers, schools and institutions, according to CNN.

The suspect appears to be a former reporter for the The Intercept, according to quotes from Thompson's social media account included in the criminal complaints.

Thompson was fired from the investigative journalism website in February of 2016 after he allegedly fabricated quotes and sources.

On Feb. 24, Thompson tweeted a statement accusing his ex girlfriend of making the threats and saying he had been framed.

"She, though I can't prove it, even sent a bomb threat to my name to a Jewish center, which was odd given her antisemitic statements," Thompson wrote. "I got a visit from the FBI. So now I'm battling the racist FBI and the vile, evil, racist white woman."

Three days later, he tweeted a message expressing sympathy for the victims of the threats.

Another week, another round of threats against Jewish ppl. In the middle of the day, you know who's at a JCC? Kids. KIDS.

-- Juan M. Thompson (@JuanMThompson) February 27, 2017

A Mount Vernon, N.Y., man allegedly took a 120-mile Uber ride to the home of a 75-year-old Berkshires woman after failing earlier attempts to dupe her out of money over the phone, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

A man allegedly took a 120-mile Uber ride from across the New York state line to the home of a 75-year-old woman living in the Berkshires after failing earlier attempts to dupe her out of money over the phone, according to The Berkshire Eagle. 

Police say the man, Alexandrae Hamilton, 32, showed up at the victim's doorstep in Lenox Wednesday morning and, facing resistance, forced himself in.

Within 10 minutes, he succeeded in coercing the woman into following him and his Uber chauffeur to a Pittsfield bank, where she was to withdraw $1,500 and hand it over.

Lenox Police Chief Stephen O'Brien told The Eagle Hamilton had caught the Uber 120 miles away in Mount Vernon, embarking on a $250 trek to Lenox, following a week's long failed attempt at a phone scam that included a threat to burn the woman's house down, The Eagle reports. 

The action proceeded to TD Bank on West Street in Pittsfield, where employees noticed the victim was "obviously distraught about something," O'Brien told The Eagle, and prompted her to reveal the ongoing situation. 

Bank employees notified authorities, who quickly responded to the scene, where they found two men -- Hamilton and the Uber driver -- waiting in the parking lot in a Toyota with New York plates.

After interviewing the woman inside the bank, Lenox police arrested Hamilton, who was still waiting outside in the car and allowed the Uber driver to leave. 

Appearing in Southern Berkshire District Court on Thursday, Hamilton pleaded not guilty to charges of unarmed assault with intent to rob, extortion by threat of injury, threat to commit arson, witness intimidation and breaking and entering in the daytime to commit a felony.

Effie Ann Lee came forward to claim her prize at the Massachusetts Lottery offices. The second $1 million winner has yet to come forward.

The Massachusetts State Lottery announced that one of two people who hit on the $1 million prize as part of the recent $435 million Powerball drawing has come forward to claim her prize.

Effie Ann Lee of Weymouth appeared at the lottery's New Braintree headquarters on Wednesday to claim her prize.

The other winning ticket, which was sold in Needham, has yet to be claimed.

She was joined by a friend to claim her prize.

The single winning ticket to claim the $435 million prize was sold in Indiana. But two of the consolation prizes of $1 million were sold in Massachusetts.

Lee matched the first 5 numbers in the Feb. 22 drawing but missed on the 6th Powerball number.

Her ticket was purchased at Tobacco Treasures III in North Quincy. The store will receive a one-time bonus.

Before its closure, Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing charged a $20 admission fee, which came with a "free" gram of marijuana or a cannabis edible and could be applied to the accessories and apparel on sale in the store. A VIP entry, for $50, came with three samples. Watch video

The owner of Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing in Springfield scheduled a press conference for Friday afternoon to address recent legal action taken against the business. 

"As a small, local business we tried to provide a safe and friendly environment for our customers to purchase vape and smoking accessories," Charles Christian Jr, co-owner of Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing in Springfield, said Friday. 

He said his business model has been "misinterpreted and misconstrued" by "a few individuals" in recent days. "We were only abiding by the new law passed in December to the best of our knowledge." 

The store was shut down Wednesday after police served a cease and desist order, frustrating a crowd of about 50 people waiting to get in at the time.

Springfield police shut down store that gave out marijuana after charging admission fee

Before its closure, Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing charged a $20 admission fee, which came with a "free" gram of marijuana or a cannabis edible and could be applied to the accessories and apparel on sale in the store. A VIP entry, for $50, came with three samples.

Christian emphasized Friday that the store did not sell marijuana but admission into the business. 

Springfield store gives out 'free' marijuana with $20 cover charge

On Wednesday, Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney said that Springfield police had been aware of the shop's operations for over a week, and consulted with the Hampden District Attorney's Office, Mayor Domenic Sarno's office and the Attorney General's office before the city law office issued the cease and desist order Wednesday.

"He can no longer do business like he's doing right now -- taking a cover at the door, leaving with a gift of marijuana," Delaney said. "It's not legal in the state to do that. He's not a licensed distributor of marijuana. That's yet to come."

Massachusetts in 'no man's land' on legal marijuana, Gov. Charlie Baker says

According to the state's corporate database, Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing, LLC was organized on December 17 and is registered to Selina Christian and Charles Christian Jr.

The building is owned by a Springfield-based company registered to Mei Nuan Li, who in 2015 was ordered to pay up to $65,000 to the state for allegations of illegally disposing of asbestos during an Agawam renovation project.

Springfield City Council President Orlando Ramos and Councilor Michael Fenton had called for the store's closure Wednesday morning, describing it as "clearly an illegal operation."

Massachusetts voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana in November, and since December 15 the personal possession of up to an ounce of cannabis is legal. But sales of the drug are still illegal and punishable by up to two and a half years in prison.

Stores with a license from a state Cannabis Control Commission will be allowed to sell marijuana under the terms of the ballot referendum, but those approvals were pushed back to mid-2018 by a law signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in December.

Mary Jane was not the first business to attempt to skirt the new law. In January, a man advertised $325 bags on the Western Mass. Craigslist page that included nearly an ounce of "free" marijuana as a gift.

And on Saturday, the Boston Globe reported on a start-up that delivers $55 lemonades with a marijuana kicker.

 

Auditor Suzanne Bump released a report finding that the state should have reimbursed cities and towns an estimated $720,000 for costs mandated by the state to hold early voting in 2016.

Republicans in the Massachusetts Senate plan to introduce a bill requiring the state to reimburse cities and towns for mandated costs related to early voting.

State Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield, said in a statement that with the success of early voting in 2016 "came additional costs that municipalities were required to find in already strained budgets." "This legislation will allow our cities and towns to seek some financial assurance so they can focus on providing accessible and high quality early voting programs," Humason said.

Massachusetts auditor Suzanne Bump released a report in February that found that the state should have reimbursed cities and towns an estimated $720,000 for costs mandated by the state to hold early voting for the 2016 election. This did not reflect the entire cost of early voting to municipalities, but only certain required expenses.

Early voting was signed into law by then-Gov. Deval Patrick in 2014 and went into effect for the first time in 2016.

Under state law, the Legislature and state agencies are not allowed to pass unfunded mandates on to cities and towns. Bump's office has a division charged with determining what is an unfunded mandate.

This week, Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, told editors and reporters at The Republican/MassLive.com that his office is still reviewing Bump's report. But if the administration agrees that there is an unfunded mandate, it will find a way to pay for those costs for the 2018 election.

The Senate Republican proposal was released by the office of Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, two days after The Republican/MassLive.com reported on Baker's comments. It would provide the state with the legal mechanism to reimburse cities and towns for early voting costs.

"The act of voting is fundamental and it is important to understand that even in our national elections it is individual cities and towns that bear the expenses of managing and conducting elections," Tarr said in a statement.  "Early voting is an important option for citizens and we need to help those that run our elections by acknowledging that the state's new early voting law provided a mandate to communities to add hours, staff and equipment but didn't provide the funding."

The bill will now go to a legislative committee for consideration. For it to become law, it will need support from the Democrats who control the House and Senate.

A video of more than a dozen wild turkeys circling a cat caused a stir after being shared on social media this week. Watch video

A video of more than a dozen wild turkeys circling a cat caused a stir after being shared on social media this week. 

The video shows an estimated 17 turkeys circling the feline. The birds kept their distance, blocking most of the street. 

Jonathan Davis came across the birds Thursday morning on a residential street in Randolph and shared the video on Twitter, joking that "these turkeys trying to give this cat its 10th life." 

In a later tweet he wrote that that turkeys were gawking at the cat "not to kill it, but like a ritual lol." 

David Scarpitti of the National Wild Turkey Federation, told Boston Magazine that birds' behavior was unusual. 

Turkeys, he said, are fearful of cats and view them as predators. Scarpitti told Boston Magazine that the birds were likely trying to inspect the animal on the ground, keeping a distance, while remaining in motion. 

The Premiere Swing Band will play a 30-second bit from various television theme songs and the audience will have to guess the show and answer other questions.

CHICOPEE - People can test their TV show trivia talents in a musical event that will feature music from various past show themes in a evening musical event at the RiverMills Senior Center.

The event will feature David Neill and the Premiere Swing Band. The band will perform 30-second bits from various television theme songs. The audience will then be asked to name the show, the actors and answer other questions about the show.

The event will be held at 6 p.m., March 14 at the Council on Aging's RiverMills Center, 5 West Main St. A $2 donation will be requested at the door and all proceeds will go to benefit the RiverMills Center building fund.

The program is supported by the Friends of Chicopee Senior Citizens, Inc., and a grant from the Chicopee Cultural Council. People are asked to register for the event by calling the center at 534-3698 or by stopping at the RiverMills Center.

Under a 1995 state law, babies born while their family is on welfare are not eligible for the additional money given for babies born earlier.

If a poor mother who qualifies for welfare has two children, she can get up to $578 a month in government assistance. But if one of those children was born while she was on assistance, she can only get up to $478.

The amount of welfare assistance a family is eligible for is based on family size. But under a provision of Massachusetts' 1995 welfare reform law, babies born while the family is on welfare -- or after the family has been on welfare -- are not eligible for the additional money given for babies born earlier.

State Rep. Marjorie C. DeckerMalegislature.gov photo 

"What they're getting is not enough to care, feed, clothe and house the children they have," said State Rep. Marjorie Decker, D-Cambridge. "To suggest if you have another child that you're left to yourself to figure it out, ultimately what it means is the children you have are going to have less."

Decker and State Sen. Sal DiDomenico, D-Everett, have sponsored a bill, S.34, that would lift the family cap. The bill would allow children born while the parent is on welfare to qualify when it comes to determining how much money a family is eligible to receive. The bill has the support of a large coalition of legal, advocacy and social service organizations.

"Approximately 9,400 children are excluded by the family cap, and the result of that is that their families don't receive any cash assistance benefits for them, even thought they're extremely poor," said Deborah Harris, a senior staff attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, which practices poverty law. "The consequences of that kind of extreme poverty are very severe."

Diane Sullivan, an anti-poverty activist, is personally familiar with the law. Sullivan was receiving cash assistance for a few months in 2001 when her family was in a shelter. She reapplied again two years later for assistance in the form of an annual clothing allowance for her children, but was told that a child she had after 2001 would not be considered in calculating her benefits. That was enough to put Sullivan and her family over the income limits, so she was ineligible for any help.

"My children were going to school with the raggedy old sneakers they had run around in all summer," Sullivan said. "While my situation was unique, my concern is we're talking about families who need this on an ongoing basis to buy diapers, to help pay the electric bill."

The law was passed in 1995 as part of Massachusetts' welfare reform act. The goal was to discourage women on welfare from having more children, then applying for larger benefits. At the time, instituting a family cap required a federal waiver. In 1996, then-President Bill Clinton's federal welfare reform law allowed any state that wanted a family cap to institute one.

Today, 17 states have some sort of family cap. Seven other states instituted one but have since repealed it.

Advocates of repeal say the policy does not make any difference in birth rates, but it does hurt families.

"We've seen the impact of a policy that is a complete failure," Harris said. "It does not reduce child bearing by welfare recipients, and has not done so in Massachusetts or elsewhere."

"People don't get pregnant and have babies for $100 a month, but denying a family $100 a month can mean a family can't buy diapers for a child, or a family can't afford to pay for basic necessities for a newborn and the newborn's older siblings," Harris said.

Naomi Meyer, a senior attorney in the welfare law unit at Greater Boston Legal Services, which provides legal aid to low-income individuals, called the policy unfair. "The impact that we see on families is that it leaves them struggling even more than all families on the TAFDC program are already struggling to make ends meet and just meet the basic needs of their children," Meyer said. TAFDC is an acronym for Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

Meyer said many women do not even know about the family cap at the time they get pregnant, and there has been no indication of women making reproductive decisions based on welfare policy.

This is the first time the bill is being introduced.

Lifting the family cap is expected to cost approximately $12.6 million annually, although Harris said caseloads for cash assistance have been dropping so the cost could be lower.

Gov. Charlie Baker, in his fiscal 2018 budget, proposed decreasing spending on TAFDC to $148.2 million, from $186.5 million this year, due to declining caseloads. Harris pointed out that lifting the cap would take only a portion of that savings. Welfare costs are paid for by a mix of state and federal money.

The high temperature Saturday is expected to be 20 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. It will be cold.

AMHERST -- Besides outlining the events, regulations and expectations for this weekend, the University of Massachusetts Student Life page is also issuing a weather advisory.

It will be cold.  

That cold could affect how students celebrate what has been known as the "Blarney Blowout" weekend, a moniker that many have moved away from.

The high temperature Saturday is expected to be 20 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

UMass is warning students to "factor the cold temperatures into your plans as you head out to the "Mullins Live!" concert and other weekend activities." Officials are advising to dress warmly in layers and limit exposure to the cold. 

That forecast "could put a lid on activities," ire Chief Tim Nelson wrote in an email.

But at the same time, he said they will staff for a normal weekend with 13 firefighters on duty and five ambulances staffed.  

He the two deputy chiefs will be working -- one at the Amherst police emergency operations center, one at the UMass police center and one for the town.

 Plus, he said they'll have, two outside ambulances and the triage team assigned to the concert at the Mullins Center Saturday afternoon. For the third year, UMass is offering a free concert to UMass students with the hope of providing an alternative to parties and afternoon drinking.  

"I'm not so much concerned about the weather as I am that it will drive activities 'underground.' That is, a lot of indoor drinking that may not drive our call volume over the top but might still increase our activity level," Nelson wrote.

While the forecast could be "favorable," he wrote, "we'll still plan for the worst and hope for the best."

 Amherst and Massachusetts State Police are following similar protocols from the last two years.

Last year, more than 200 police officers from 15 communities were on hand throughout the day at North Amherst housing complexes and throughout downtown neighborhoods.

Some UMass students, meanwhile, are excited for the weekend, others are leaving campus. Still others hadn't even heard about the concert until just the past few days.

Sophomore Jill Murphy said she won't be going, though, and didn't know who was even performing.

The lineup includes Mike Posner, Jeremiah, and Flo Rida, and the concert runs from noon to 4 p.m.

Murphy said she went last year for a little while but left, adding: "It wasn't that good." Jason Derulo was the headliner.

But she is excited for the weekend nonetheless. She works in the dining common and there was a lot of excitement there and where she lives in the Southwest residential area. She plans to study and do homework in the morning but then head to an off-campus party in the afternoon.

Campus was quiet as the week neared its end. "The campus tries to shut everything down. They discourage people from coming," Murphy said.

UMass began limiting guests Thursday. Through Sunday at 11 p.m., residential students can bring up to four UMass Amherst students as guests into their dorms.

No out-of-town guests are allowed.

That actually caused an issue for friends of Tyler Thomas and Julia Green who had a guest and prospective student have dinner on campus Thursday night. When they tried to bring him into the dorm they couldn't.

She said they forgot about this weekend and the protocols.

The two said they won't be on campus for the weekend.

"To me it's just another Saturday," Thomas, a bio-chemistry junior said.

First year student Bella Keefe, 18, said she only learned about the celebration from a friend this week when she was shopping for shamrock headgear.

She and her friends, fellow vocal education students. have their own concert to perform Saturday night so they won't be going to the Mullins Center or participating in anything Blarney related.

Bri Embury said she might have gone to the concert if she had the time for nostalgia's sake.

Posner was someone she listened to in middle school in South Hadley, where she grew up.

Keefe said she might have gone to the concert too because it was free.

Olivia Heinrich, also a first year student, said someone asked her about "Blarney" the other day and she said: "What's Blarney? I didn't know about it."

She said has no Blarney-related plans for the weekend.

The bus driver, somehow alerted to the stowaway kitty, pulled over just before she was getting to ready to get onto the Massachusetts Turnpike at Interchange 6.

CHICOPEE-- Alert motorists likely saved the life of a cat that was spotted hanging onto the undercarriage of a moving bus on Interstate 291 Thursday afternoon.

"The cat was hanging on for dear life," said Pam Peebles, director of the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center in Springfield.

The bus driver, somehow alerted to the stowaway kitty by other motorists, pulled over just before she was getting to ready to get onto the Massachusetts Turnpike at Interchange 6, Peebles said.

A responding state trooper took the orange and white cat into his cruiser for safekeeping until Animal Control Officer Julie Sanborn met him at the Pride Station there.

"The cat was found to be greasy, had unkempt fur and was dehydrated but is doing fine," Peebles said.

The 11-month-old female, aptly dubbed "Stowaway" by TJO personnel, will probably be available for adoption by the middle of next week.

"We want to give her a few days in case she is somebody's pet," Peebles said. "We are taking applications now if anybody is interested."

For more information, call TJO at 413-781-1484.

Extravaganja's student organizers are back at the drawing board devising a more amicable solution to increasing costs of operation after a move to bump vendor fees by as much as $750 drew outcry from local merchants, reports The Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Extravaganja's student organizers are back at the drawing board devising a more amicable solution to increasing costs of operation after a move to bump vendor fees by as much as $750 drew outcry from local merchants, reports The Daily Hampshire Gazette.

But the organizers, the University of Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, may need to launch a GoFundMe page or find other ways of gathering donations, because vendor fees comprise one of the festival's only sources of income, they told the paper. 

The event is ballooning -- and so are costs.

After threatening to outgrow its traditional arena, Amherst Town Common, the April 30 event for the first time migrated to the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton, last year. 

A record audience of as much as 15,000 people turned out. Even with the extra legroom, havoc resulted on Route 9, requiring Northampton and Hadley police to don fluorescent vests and spend hours directing traffic.

"We expect to ask the planners of the event to hire traffic officers for the Hadley side, if the event is again in Northampton," Hadley Police Sgt. Mitchell Kuc told The Republican following the event. 

With marijuana becoming legal to smoke recreationally following the results of the referendum vote on Election Day, it would seem the event is unlikely to become any more modest in terms of attendance or enthusiasm in its 2017 go-around. 

But, this week, reports The Gazette., an early effort to defray these and other costs by bumping vendor fees was met with bewilderment and hostility, prompting the student organizers to quickly withdraw the just-issued new vendor contracts for revision.

Last year, some vendors paid as little as $250 to carve out a space at the April 30 festival. The new contracts posed a flat fee of $1,000 for vendors to participate.

"The Cannabis Reform Coalition wants to host a diverse assortment of vendors and we believe that an unintentional effect of increasing the vendor prices to cover our costs would have been a diminishing of that diversity," Morgan Phillips, a member of the group, wrote in an email to The Gazette.

According to Gazette interviews, some vendors had threatened to pull out altogether.

Phillips said he hopes the new contracts go out by this weekend. 

Only one person was arrested at Extravaganja in 2016 -- for robbing a man waiting in line to buy a hot dog.

The Blarney Blowout -- alcohol-themed annual event involving students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst --  saw eight arrests in 2014 and more than 70 in 2014, after the largely intoxicated crowd devolved into a riot. 

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno told a top White House official this week that he is ready to work with the President Donald Trump's administration to bring jobs, infrastructure and investments to Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD - Mayor Domenic J. Sarno told a top White House official this week that he is ready to work with the President Donald Trump's administration to bring jobs, infrastructure and investments to Springfield.

Sarno, in an email to William H. Kirkland, lauded the deputy director of the White House's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs' outreach to Springfield, adding a "by the way" praise of Trump's recent joint congressional speech.

"I'm ready to work with the (Trump) administration, especially on urban cities, infrastructure, job creation and investment programs to benefit our city of Springfield," Sarno said.

The Thursday email from Sarno came after Kirkland sent an email to the mayor and Sarno's chief of staff, Denise Jordan.

Kirkland's email stated: "Thanks for taking the time (to) talk to me today. In the near future I'd love to set a time to talk to yourself (Jordan) and the mayor about what is going on in the city and just generally get to know y'all better."

Sarno, in response to Kirkland, stated that under his administration there are $3.3 billion in public-private economic development projects "being done right now, including the $950 million MGM Springfield casino project, a $95 million CRRC Railway Corp. rail car manufacturing facility and a $94 million Union Station redevelopment project.

Sarno, a long-time Springfield Democrat, endorsed Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton, for president in February 2016 -- just three days before voters went to the polls in the Massachusetts primary and hours prior to her last-ditch campaign rally in Springfield.

The city also drew criticism and a few official complaints with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance after using public resources to promote Clinton's Springfield visit. Both the city's official website and its Facebook page publicized Clinton's visit to Springfield, which led to two complaints filed with state, alleging violations of campaign finance law.

In the end, the state closed the case without penalties, due to the "prompt acknowledgement of the error and the corrective action taken."

But, as the new president has pushed for policies that aim to enhance national security by cracking down on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and so-called sanctuary cities that don't arrest or detain those individuals, Sarno split from some Massachusetts Democrats who pledged to oppose such efforts. 

The mayor has repeatedly said that Springfield is not and will not be a sanctuary city and said he has serious concerns about the number of refugees coming to Springfield, contending they are a strain on the schools and city services.

"I'm a moderate Democrat," Sarno said Friday to The Republican. "But what's really harming our country are the extreme fringes of both the Democratic and Republican Parties - we need more middle ground and common sense approaches. One can still have their core beliefs, but it needs to be in a respectful manner."

Sarno said his goal "has always been and will continue to be to work with federal, state and local officials to maximize efforts to bring back all resources to benefit our residents and business community of Springfield."

In his email to Kirkland, Sarno said Springfield continues "to make good and strong strides in our public schools and public safety/community policing initiatives with results and statistics bearing this out."

"I look forward to speaking/meeting with you and/or President Trump," Sarno said. "In the meantime, continue success and God Bless."

Kirkland, when meeting with secretaries of states from around the country in Washington D.C. last month, stressed that his office wanted to hear from state and local governments, according to a report in the Maryland Association of Counties.

Kirkland reportedly said that part of Trump's agenda "is going to be reaching out to you all individually and finding out what is important in each of your states, what is important to each of your offices."

Days ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Trump unveiled his urban renewal plan, which called for encouraging cities and states to seek federal disaster designations for blighted communities -- a move that the Republican said would allow them to demolish abandoned properties and rebuild vital infrastructure.

The plan also called for a $1 trillion over 10 years infrastructure investment benefitting cities, "tax holidays for inner-city investment" and new tax incentives to encourage foreign companies to relocate into blighted neighborhoods, as well as investments in local law enforcement to crack down on gangs and drug activity.

Trump further pledged to use a portion of the money saved by enforcing immigration laws and suspending refugees for investments into American inner cities.

Staff Writer Shannon Young contributed to this report. 

More than 100 teens competed Friday at the University of Massachusetts Center at Springfield in Tower Square.

SPRINGFIELD -- Need a healthy snack?

A healthy snack for your dog?

Or do you need a way to rock your personal style and keep your ears warm?

"While maintaining an up-do," said Kyarixa Casanova, a junior at Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy in Springfield.

The teen business students at Junior Achievement have what you need.

Casanova and her team of young ladies from Putnam learned how to crochet so they could make a line of hats with holes in the middle to accommodate a bun or braids piled at the top of a girl's head -- an up-do.

Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts conducted its annual Entrepreneur Teen Pitch Challenge on Friday at the University of Massachusetts Center at Springfield in Tower Square. About 100 students in 23 teams from area high schools, middle schools and after-school programs participated, said Jennifer Connolly, president of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts.

They had to present their business ideas at a trade show in the Tower Square rotunda. Then they heard from guest speaker Ryan Kelly, creator of Ry's Ruffery of Norwalk, Connecticut, a dog treat company that was on the "Shark Tank" television show.

Then the students themselves got a chance to make an "elevator pitch," so named because it lasts only about as long as an elevator ride.

"They learn what it takes to put together a business plan, how to communicate and how to present themselves in a business setting," said volunteer judge Vincent Carbone of Savage Arms.

First prize is $500, second prize is $350 and third prize is $250.

Raise the Pooch Foundation of Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School in Palmer makes baked dog treats to raise money to support police canines, said Jacqueline Garvin, a freshman.

"Because the grants that police departments get for the dogs don't cover all the cost," she said. "Our treats are baked by hand and safe for people as well as dogs. they are dog-tested. And people-tested, too."

Other teams had T-shirts, popcorn snacks, waterproof sportswear and other innovations.

Police found the fully automatic AK-47 and nearly 500 rounds of ammo.

FITCHBURG - The narcotics raid by state, local and federal law enforcement Thursday led to the discovery of cocaine, heroin, cash and guns, but what disturbed police was the level of firepower found on scene.

During the raid at 7 Longwood St., police found a fully automatic AK-47 and nearly 500 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition.  

"This was the real deal," said state police spokesman David Procopio.

The resident, Andrew Roman, was arrested on multiple drug and weapons charges.

Police also found a semi-automatic .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and 80 rounds of ammo.

A semi-automatic weapon fires one round and reloads every time the trigger is depressed. A fully automatic weapon will fire and reload repeatedly as long as the trigger is depressed and it has ammunition.

Possession of a fully automatic weapon is illegal in Massachusetts.

Procopio said police seize several hundred illegal and unlawful guns each year, but finding one that is fully automatic is somewhat rare. "We do come across them but are not very common," he said.

He said it is not clear at this point where Roman got the weapon.

The seach also found 21 grams of heroin, 3.1 grams of cocaine and $1,680 in cash.

The raid was conducted by the state police Gang Unit along with Fitchburg police, members of the North Worcester County Drug Task Force and agents with the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Roman is charged with unlawful possession of a  firearm and unlawful possession of a large capacity weapon, improper storage of a firearm and improper storage of a large capacity firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, committing a firearm violation with a prior conviction for drugs or violent crime.

He was also charged with possession of a class B substance with intent to distribute, and trafficking in heroin.

Malloy voiced support for a Springfield to Boston rail line in a letter he sent to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker in January.

State Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, met with Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy on Thursday as part of Lesser's push to establish high-speed rail between Boston and Springfield.

"I am glad we have allies in Connecticut who understand the power of regional transportation to transform our economies," Lesser said in a statement. "East-west rail will be a victory not only for Massachusetts but for our region, including Connecticut, and we have built broad regional support for this proposal."

Connecticut has been working to develop commuter rail service between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield.

Lesser said he met with Malloy and other Connecticut officials at the Connecticut Statehouse to hear an update on the New Haven to Springfield line and discuss the impact that Springfield to Boston rail could have on both states' economies. In addition to Malloy, he met with Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff of Darien, Rep. Caroline Simmons of Stamford and Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey of Fairfield, who serves on the Connecticut House's Transportation Committee.

Malloy said in a statement, "We had a productive meeting where I updated (Lesser) about Connecticut's work to bring commuter rail from New Haven and Hartford to Springfield, and I applaud his leadership on the vital link from Springfield to Boston, which would be a boon for all of Western New England."

In January, Malloy wrote a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker urging him to support Springfield to Boston rail.

Last legislative session, Massachusetts lawmakers sent a bill that would have done a feasibility study of Springfield to Boston rail to Baker's desk. But Baker vetoed it, saying he wanted a more comprehensive study of all modes of transportation, not just rail. The veto came after lobbying by Peter Picknelly, a Springfield business leader who owns Peter Pan Bus Lines, which is now the primary mode of public transportation between Springfield and Boston.

Baker reiterated his position in a meeting with editors and reporters of The Republican/MassLive.com this week. "This is a transportation question, not a rail question," Baker said.

Lesser reintroduced his bill this legislative session to study Springfield to Boston rail.

The FBI is joining another investigation into alleged embezzlement at a popular Vermont cheesemaker.

The FBI is joining another investigation into alleged embezzlement at a popular Vermont cheesemaker.

Vermont State Police launched the investigation two weeks ago based on information provided by the Cabot Creamery. Authorities are tight-lipped on details, other than to confirm that both state and federal authorities are investigating.

Vermont State Police Capt. Dan Trudeau tells the Caledonian Record that detectives are still trying to gauge the extent of the alleged embezzlement.

This is the second embezzlement investigation at Cabot in two years. An employee at Cabot's parent company, Agrimark, was accused of stealing $1 million by buying unnecessary equipment and then selling it and pocketing the money during an expansion project in Waitsfield.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, led more than a dozen Democrats Friday in calling on House budget leaders to protect funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and reject changes that could impede access to the benefit.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, led more than a dozen Democrats Friday in calling on House budget leaders to protect funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and reject changes that could impede access to the benefit.

McGovern, who has long been an advocate for hunger prevention policies and programs, made his case for maintaining the current structure of SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, in a letter to House Budget Committee Chairman Diane Black, R-Tennessee, and Ranking Member John Yarmuth, D-Kentucky.

Eighteen House Agriculture Committee Democrats joined McGovern in signing the letter, which urged the Budget Committee leaders to focus on fixing SNAP program access instead of cutting funding or making it harder for Americans to receive food assistance.

Contending that the program "is our nation's best chance to alleviate hunger across our country," the Worcester Democrat said SNAP currently serves about 43 million Americans and provides an average benefit of about $1.40 per person, per meal to supplement food budgets.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern says any Republicans who want to cut SNAP program should be ready for 'one hell of a fight'

A House Agriculture Committee review of the benefit conducted during the 114th Congress, he argued, found SNAP doesn't discourage work and that "case management and job training programs can be successful in helping to move people out of poverty, but those efforts require a well-funded, multi-year commitment."

It further found that SNAP benefits should not be cut and that the current benefits are inadequate, according to the congressman's office.

Although SNAP participation has declined in the wake of the recent economic recession, McGovern contended that part of the decrease is attributable to a three-month time limit some states have set for non-disabled childless adults, who work less than 20 hours per week -- something he said Congress should try to fix.

The congressman urged against any efforts to place more restrictions on Americans' access to the program.

"Far too many Americans continue to struggle with food insecurity in the United States, and we must preserve the dignity and health of the most vulnerable among us through the basic and reliable food assistance provided by SNAP," he wrote in the letter. "We strongly urge you to maintain the entitlement structure of SNAP and reject any attempts to further cut funding or place additional burdens on those looking to access these modest benefits."

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, nearly 43.2 million individuals received an average monthly SNAP benefit of $124.63 in November 2016 -- the latest month for which data is available.

Just under 769,000 Massachusetts residents participated in the program during the same time period, USDA reported.

The message in the locker room of the facility at 1160 Dickinson St. was reported shortly before 3 p.m. on Friday.

SPRINGFIELD -- Emergency personnel were summoned to the Jewish Community Center on Dickinson Street Friday afternoon for a report of a threatening message found in a locker room.

The message at the 1160 Dickinson St. facility was reported shortly before 3 p.m.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said there is no evidence that a suspicious package or anything like that was left at the scene.

Rabbi James Greene, assistant executive director of Springfield JCC, said the center building of the complex has been evacuated.

Greene said "The police are doing their work," and that they are thankful for it.

Greene also said he's grateful for the "grace and courage" shown by staff.

Although more than 100 threats have been made against Jewish Community Centers across the country since the first of the year, this is the first time the Springfield facility has been targeted, Greene said.

Republican reporter Patrick Johnson, who is at the scene, said parents are driving to the facility to pick up their children. Longmeadow police are there, along with Springfield police and firefighters.

Jawanda LeBron and Samantha Mateo arrived at the center shortly after the incident unfolded. They were there to apply for jobs in early childhood education and both said they were disconcerted by the report of the threat.

"We hope it's just somebody jerking around," Mateo said.

Federal authorities have made an arrest in the wave of bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers in recent weeks, saying some of the threats appear to be part of a former journalist's harassment campaign against his ex-girlfriend.

Juan Thompson of St. Louis allegedly made at least eight of the threats, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

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

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The intrigue around the Trump administration's alleged contacts with Russia is "like living in a thriller from the 1950s," said Austin Sarat, professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College.

AMHERST -- The intrigue around the Trump administration's alleged contacts with Russia is "like living in a thriller from the 1950s," said Austin Sarat, professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College.

"If you had told me I was going to be alive during a time when there is substantial evidence that Russia had played a role in an American election, that's a bad movie plot and no one would buy it," he said.

He believes that a special prosecutor needs to be appointed to investigate. Without that, he said, there will be a shadow on the Trump presidency.

University of Massachusetts political scientist Paul Musgrave agrees there should be an investigation, but he thinks it should be carried out by a bipartisan commission. A special prosecutor could be accused of partisan politics, he said.

Sarat was astounded by Donald Trump's call, when he was running for president as the Republican nominee, for Russia to hack Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's emails.

"That was a very revealing moment from a president who respects national sovereignty. ... (It) is contradictory and best and sinister at worst," he said.

He said that context can offer a way to "make sense of the current moment by exposing this contradiction."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday recused himself from any investigation into Russian interference in the election after it was revealed he met twice last year with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Sessions said during his confirmation hearing that "I did not have communications with the Russians." Some Democrats in Washington have called for him to resign.

This follows the resignation of Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. He had had discussed U.S. sanctions with Kislyak in December, contrary to public assertions by Vice President Mike Pence.

Sarat made a comparison to former President Bill Clinton, who was caught in a lie about having a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinski.

"Jeff Sessions made a very big deal (about) Bill Clinton's perjury and his evasion when he was in the Senate," Sarat said.

Sessions wanted Clinton prosecuted during his impeachment trial in 1999, saying the president's lies were tantamount to an "attack" on the law.

"He should be held to the same standard that he insisted on when Clinton was in hot water," Sarat said. "Sessions is making Bill Clinton look like a minister at a Sunday school with the way he's behaving now with his denials. It's really quite remarkable."

The administration's "disregard for truth and fact seems to be pervasive," Sarat said. "(Sessions is) a victim of the environment."

While Trump is calling this campaign against Sessions a witch hunt, Musgrave said that's a stretch "when there's so much circumstantial evidence of some link between the Trump campaign and those connected with the Russian government."

There has been corruption throughout history, Musgrave said, and to dispel it takes people "of good character willing to set aside party to take a stand making these institutions work."

He said eventually Richard Nixon was impeached when moderate Republicans like Sen. Trent Lott saw Nixon's culpability. But, he said, "you need to have evidence."