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'We will not tolerate intimidation,' HCC president says of white power message on Holyoke campus

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In a message to the campus community, president Christina Royal said Monday that the "group appears to organize around a defense of white interests and opposition to diversity, affirmative action and multiculturalism."

A white supremacist group recently sought to recruit students at Holyoke Community College, campus officials said Monday. 

In a message to the campus community, president Christina Royal said that the "group appears to organize around a defense of white interests and opposition to diversity, affirmative action and multiculturalism." 

A photo of a flier posted to a campus bulletin board was sent to the school through Twitter last month. JoAnne L. Rome, director of marketing and communications for the college, said all bulletin boards were then checked for fliers but no white supremacist messages were found by faculty.

HCC was one of several colleges and universities in the state to be targeted. 

'White nationalist' fliers found in UMass parking lot

"We will not tolerate intimidation or threats, however direct or oblique, to the dignity, humanity and safety of any person or group. We value the diversity of our college, community, and the world in which we live," Royals said. "The free exchange of ideas is central to the function of higher education and the functioning of our democracy. However, it demands open communication in an inclusive environment in which all persons are treated with respect."

Just under 6,000 students were enrolled at the college this fall. 

The Holyoke Community College student body was once overwhelmingly white but now more than one in every three students is a person of color, the majority of whom are Latino. About 67 percent of students this year are female.

The institution seeks to educate both students aspiring to a career in medicine and those working towards a better grasp of conversational English.

In recent years, the college has expanded both its credit and non-credit program offerings. They offer college classes to high school dropouts working towards both a GED and associate's degree, students seeking a certificate or interested in a one-year hospitality program as well as students gathering college credits before transferring to a four-year program.

Related: It's time for free public education, retired Holyoke Community College President Bill Messner


Officers find, arrest Amherst man sleeping in chair at woman's home

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The woman called police after hearing a noise in her home.

AMHERST -- A 22-year-old man is facing a misdemeanor breaking and entering charge after a Beston Street woman found him sleeping in her home Saturday night.

The woman was home at the time and heard a noise, according to police.

She locked herself in a room and called police. When officers arrived, they found Austin Cunningham asleep in a chair, according to police records.

Cunningham, who is listed as a dining services employee at UMass Amherst, is expected to be arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

Man denies second-degree murder charge in Springfield parking garage stabbing

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Anthony Casiano, 29, is charged with murder in the stabbing death of Benjamin Lariviere of Wilbraham in a Springfield parking garage on Nov. 19, 2016.

SPRINGFIELD -- A city man accused of fatally stabbing a Wilbraham man in a downtown parking garage denied a charge of second degree murder in Hampden Superior Court Monday.

Anthony Casiano, 29, was indicted on a count of second degree murder in the Nov. 19 death of Benjamin Lariviere, 26.

Judge Constance M. Sweeney ordered Casiano held without right to bail. 

Defense lawyer Marissa Elkins will argue on March 14 that her client should be granted bail.

Casiano denied a murder charge in Springfield District Court in November, but now the case has moved to Hampden Superior Court.

Casiano was arrested around 10 p.m. Nov. 19 by Springfield police responding to a disturbance on the top floor of a parking garage at 70 Hillman St., police said.

They stopped Casiano walking down the stairs, and then found the victim on the top floor.

The two men had been arguing over damage to a motor vehicle when Casiano allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed the victim, police said. There was no indication that the two men knew each other before the fight, police said.

Wilbraham Crime Blotter: Police make multiple arrests, including Springfield man who hid heroin in his socks

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New arrest data has been posted on Facebook by the Wilbraham Police Department, which regularly uses the social media site to relay information about crime in the community.

WILBRAHAM -- Officers found multiple bags of heroin in the socks of a Springfield man with multiple warrants, according to new arrest information posted on Facebook by the Wilbraham Police Department, which regularly uses the social media site to relay information about crime.

Anthony Roman 38, of Indian Orchard, was a passenger in a Nissan stopped on Boston Road by Officer Christopher Arventos on Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. The registered owner of the car had a suspended license and Roman had two warrants for his arrest, police said. He was later found to have several bags of heroin in his sock, police said.

On Feb. 15 at 11:13 p.m., Officers Mark Shlosser, Brian Strong and James Gagner responded to a residence off Stony Hill Road to investigate a domestic disturbance. A heavily intoxicated 53-year-old man was charged with domestic assault and battery on a household or family member after allegedly assaulting two females, according to police, who do not release the names of suspects in domestic violence cases.

On Feb. 15 at 8:29 p.m., Officer Daniel Ryan stopped a vehicle on Boston Road whose registered owner had a warrant for her arrest. Sarah Gorra, 41, of Springfield, was also charged with driving without a license. K-9 Officer Joseph Brewer assisted Ryan at the scene.

On Feb. 18, just before 2 a.m., Officer James Gagner stopped a Honda with no plate lights that failed to stay in its lane on Boston Road, police said. Jonas Sanchez, 33, of Hartford, was charged negligent driving, unlicensed operation, and OUI-liquor after he failed field sobriety tests, police said.

Sgt. Mark Paradis and Officer Lawrence Rich responded to a motor vehicle crash that occurred along the 600 block of Stony Hill Road at 11:37 a.m. on Feb. 18. The driver, 36-year-old Daniel Mills of Taunton, "was pacing around and seemed like he was under the influence of some type of drug," police said.

Officer Sean Casella, a drug recognition expert, was called to the scene to investigate. Mills was subsequently charged with OUI-drugs, reckless operation, and possession of Xanax without a prescription.

Shortly before 8 p.m. on Feb. 18, Officer Christopher Rogers stopped a vehicle whose registered owner had a warrant for his arrest. Shaun Turgeon, 38, of Ludlow was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Just after 11 a.m. on Feb. 21, Wilbraham Police Officers Michael Cygan and Aderico Florindo responded to East Longmeadow to enforce an arrest warrant for Michael Levesque, 20, of Wilbraham, who was taken into custody without incident, police said.

On Feb. 22 at 4:30 p.m., police arrested 23-year-old Raven Williams after a traffic stop on Boston Road. A vehicle check revealed that the Chicopee woman had a suspended license and two warrants for her arrest, according to police, who took her into custody without incident.

On Feb. 23 at 1:17 p.m., Officer Daniel Ryan observed a man walking down Old Boston Road carrying a police K-9 sign that belongs to the Wilbraham Police Department. Ronald Chapman, 40, of Amenia, New York, was charged with larceny under $250.

On Feb. 24 at 3:45 p.m., police arrested a West Springfield man after a traffic stop on Stony Hill Road. The driver of the Ford Explorer, 55-year-old John Giordano, had a warrant for his arrest and was taken into custody without incident, police said.


Candy stores cited for child labor violations by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey

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A chain of candy stores operating in Massachusetts has been ordered to pay a five-figure amount in restitution to workers and penalties to the state.

The owner of a chain of candy stores operating in Massachusetts has been ordered to pay a five-figure amount in restitution to workers and penalties to the state. 

The office of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey opened an investigation into Boston-based candy store chain Sugar Heaven for numerous workplace violations last year. 

There are two Sugar Heaven locations currently in the Boston area - one on Boylston Street in Boston and another within the Assembly Row shopping center in Somerville. One was previously located in Dedham. The stores are owned by David J. Sapers.

Many Sugar Heaven employees are teenagers under the age of 18 who regularly worked later or longer than is permitted for by law, including closing the stores, according to the attorney general's office. Sugar Heaven's Boston location is open nightly until 10 p.m., and the Somerville location is open until 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Sapers is also accused of several wage violations.

"The investigation also found that Sapers failed to pay overtime to four employees," the attorney general's office said in a statement. "Sapers also allegedly failed to pay several workers their final paychecks on a timely basis and required employees to pay for cash register shortages and mistakes that he alleged they were responsible for."

The citations total $37,363 in restitution and penalties against the businesses. 

 

21st annual West Springfield Partnership for Education Spelling Bee slated for tonight at High School

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The 21st annual West Springfield Partnership for Education Spelling Bee is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 6, at West Springfield High School, 425 Piper Road.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The 21st annual West Springfield Partnership for Education Spelling Bee will be held at 6:30 this evening, Monday, March 6, in the mini theater at West Springfield High School, 425 Piper Road.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kevin McQuillan, president of Partnership for Education, will serve as moderator of the Spelling Bee, which features nine teams and celebrity judges such as Mayor Will Reichelt, state Sen. Jim Welch, and state Rep. Mike Finn.

Organizers with the Partnership for Education describe the spelling bee as a "fun, community-oriented event" that's free and open to the public. The independent, nonprofit foundation raises money for enrichment programs that benefit public, parochial and private schools in West Side.

The nine teams that will compete in the spell-off are as follows:

    • All five West Springfield elementary schools;
    • St. Thomas the Apostle;
    • West Springfield Middle School;
    • West Springfield Public Library;
    • and the West Springfield School Committee

The teams have been studying words found on the Merriam-Webster Spell It! website: www.myspellit.com.

Tax-deductible sponsorship donations are welcomed, according to Erin Mountain, spelling bee coordinator for West Springfield Public Schools, who has more information at 413-263-3290 or mountain@wsps.org.


MAP showing approximate location of West Springfield High School, the venue for tonight's Spelling Bee:


Photos: 18 years after being shut down for safety concerns, UMass Amherst's Old Chapel comes back to life

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Eighteen years after it was closed for being structurally unsafe, the Old Chapel at the University of Massachusetts has reopened.

AMHERST - Eighteen years after it was closed for being structurally unsafe, the Old Chapel at the University of Massachusetts has reopened.   

UMass spent $21 million over two years on the building which was called the New Chapel when it first opened in 1885.

The building became known as Old Chapel shortly after Stockbridge Hall opened in 1915 with its new auditorium and chapel. Old Chapel then served primarily as the college library, although that space soon proved inadequate, until Goodell library was built in 1934, according to the university.

The Old Chapel was designed by Worcester architect Stephen Carpenter Earle in the Romanesque Revival style and was also home to the UMass Minuteman Marching Band until they moved out in 1996, three years before the building was closed in 1999. 

The building became part of the National Register of Historic places in 2015 after being nominated by Preserve UMass in 2014.

Renovations have paid for a modern accessible entrance and elevator and a new basement kitchen, according to the university.

The top floor provides a large open space for performances and lectures and will be available for weddings and similar events.

The first floor provides a flexible layout for displays and events and will serve as a general campus resource, according to the university.

The $21 million renovation was financed through the capital budget. Ongoing fundraising efforts are aimed at raising $2.5 million in gifts, according to spokesman Larry Rivais.

Northwestern DA confirms identity of woman, children killed in Warwick fire

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Investigators believe a problem with a wood stove may have caused the fire.

NORTHAMPTON - The Office of Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan on Monday confirmed that a mother and four children were killed in a fire early Saturday morning in Warwick.

According to Sullivan spokeswoman Mary Carey, the identities were confirmed by the office of the Massachusetts Medical Examiner.

The woman was identified at Lucinda Seago, 42.

The medical also confirmed the identities of four of her children, ages 7, 9, 12, and 15.

Sullivan's office did not disclose the names of the children in keeping with an existing policy, she said.

Seago's husband, Scott, and a fifth child escaped the fire. They were treated at a hospital.

The fire at 405 Richmond Road in Warwick was reported to the fire department at 12:45 a.m. Saturday.

Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for state Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, said the fire remains under investigation by the fire marshal's office and the Northwestern District Attorney.

Meith said the cause has not yet been determined but investigators are looking at a problem with the wood stove as a possible cause.

According to the Greenfield Recorder, Lucinda Seago was a member of the town Board of Health.

Their deaths are the 18th fire fatalities of the year.


DA confirms identity of woman, children killed in Warwick fire

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Investigators believe a problem with a wood stove may have caused the fire.

NORTHAMPTON - The Office of Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan on Monday confirmed that a mother and four children were killed in a fire early Saturday morning in Warwick.

According to Sullivan spokeswoman Mary Carey, the identities were confirmed by the office of the Massachusetts Medical Examiner.

The woman was identified at Lucinda Seago, 42. 

The medical also confirmed the identities of four of her children, ages 7, 9, 12, and 15.

Sullivan's office did not disclose the names of the children in keeping with an existing policy, she said.

Seago's husband, Scott, and a fifth child escaped the fire. They were treated at a hospital.

The fire at 405 Richmond Road in Warwick was reported to the fire department at 12:45 a.m. Saturday.

Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for state Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, said the fire remains under investigation by the fire marshal's office and the Northwestern District Attorney.

Meith said the cause has not yet been determined but investigators are looking at a problem with the wood stove as a possible cause.

According to the Greenfield Recorder, Lucinda Seago was a member of the town Board of Health. 

Their deaths are the 18th fire fatalities of the year.

Holyoke Mayor's Fire Relief Fund distributes money to New Year's Day victims

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Those displaced are sharing $114,681 raised through the community via the Holyoke Mayor's Fire Relief Fund.

HOLYOKE - Those who lost everything in the New Year's Day fire at 106 North East St. say they have been buoyed by the outpouring of support from the community.

Three people were killed in the fire and more than two-dozen families were displaced in the blaze, which was reported just before 9 a.m.

Community support in wake of the devastating fire took tangible form Monday for many of those displaced with the distribution of $114,681 from the Holyoke Mayor's Fire Relief Fund at the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce office at 177 High St.

The 30 checks to the families affected by the fire tallied to approximately $3,800 apiece, said Anderson, president of the chamber, which managed the distribution through its Centennial Foundation.

Among those who arrived at the office Monday morning was Alison Sokolosky, who was 35 weeks pregnant when the fire broke out.

"I think it's amazing how much people from the community wanted to help," she said.

Sokolosky arrived at the chamber with her infant daughter, Evelyn, and her other daughter, 4-year-old Amelia.

Sokolosky said her family, which includes her fiance and 7-year-old son, has been fortunate to find new housing within the city.

Others, she said, are still looking for housing. "The market for housing is saturated," she said.

Sokolosky praised the efforts of Betty Medina-Lichtenstein at of Enlace de Familias, a nonprofit family services provider at 299-301 Main St., in finding housing for those displaced. "She is doing so much," Sokolosky said. "She is magic."

Juan Sanchez said he too was thankful to the community for the help. He said he has since settled in to a mobile home in Springfield's Indian Orchard.

Sanchez said, however, he continues to deeply mourn the loss of a bible in the fire that had great personal meaning to him. It was a gift from a friend who helped turn him towards God and away from addiction.

"The bible is a story," he said. "The bible for me is love, the bible for me is priceless. Another bible is not the same."

Kimberly Houle said she has since found housing on York Street in Springfield's South End.

"It's OK," she said. "It suits me and my five cats."

Houle said she holds out hope that that another of her cats, a Maine Coon cat named Smoky, missing since the fire, somehow managed to survive and will be reunited with her.

Armando Perez, who was displaced by the fire along with his girlfriend, Jazmayra Irrizati, said they have since found housing on Maple Street.

"We are doing OK," he said. "We are getting by little-by-little."

Julie Mann, has also moved with her family to Maple Street. "It feels good," she said. "But it's not going to replace what we have lost. It's not going to be like home."

Three people were killed in the fire: Maria Cartagena, 48, and Jorge Munoz, 55, both of Holyoke, and Trevor R. Wadleigh, 34, of Easthampton.

President Trump is 'failing,' Sen. Elizabeth Warren says, calls allegations of Obama wire-tapping 'wild'

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President Trump using Twitter to launch an allegation that his predecessor wiretapped him during the 2016 presidential campaign is a "wild" accusation and a sign of a struggling White House, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday. Watch video

President Trump using Twitter to launch an allegation that his predecessor wiretapped him during the 2016 presidential campaign is a "wild" accusation and a sign of a struggling White House, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday.

On Saturday, Trump took to the social networking site to say, complete with typo, "How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate."

The director of the FBI, James Comey, has reportedly pushed back on the claim, but Trump administration officials haven't backed off on the charge. While few vigorously defended the accusation on the Sunday political chat shows, they did press Congress to investigate.

Later that same morning, Trump tweeted about the ratings of the show he used to host, "The Apprentice."

"I just think it's becoming clearer every day that President Trump is failing and he knows it, and that's what these wild allegations are about," Warren, D-Mass., told reporters after touring a community health center in Lynn.

"This man clearly does not know how to conduct himself. He is president, and he's out tweeting about ratings on 'The Apprentice' and making wild accusations with no foundation about our former president," Warren, a frequent Trump critic and Obama supporter, added. "President Trump is failing. He knows it. And he is trying to find a way to distract the press and to distract the American people."

Trump accuses Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower phones; Obama spokesman calls claim false

Warren has called for an independent investigation into ties between the Trump 2016 campaign and Russian officials. At least six Trump associates are accused of being in contact with Russian officials.

"I think he's hoping we'll just move from one crazy accusation to the next. That seems to be his MO. Remember all the Massachusetts people who went across the border to New Hampshire, according to President Trump?" Warren said, referring to Trump's earlier allegation of widespread voter fraud in New Hampshire.

"He didn't have one little dot of evidence to support that," Warren said. "But it certainly gave him a big press story and distracted people from talking about the relationship between the Trump campaign and Russia, a point that's under active investigation right now, and for which, every few days, more information comes out about the linkage."

Echoes of Watergate in Trump-Russia issue? Sen. Warren says yes

After 4 decades and $95 million renovation, grand opening date set for Springfield's Union Station

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Workers are nearing completion of the $95-million rehabilitation of Springfield Union Station. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- The general public will get its first chance in four decades to visit Springfield Union Station at a pair of special events in June.

There will be a black tie gala celebrating the rebirth of Union Station on Saturday, June 24. An Open House for the public is scheduled to take place the next day, Sunday, June 25. 

   

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, hosted a walk through of the refurbished station for media members Monday afternoon.

"I have always been a proponent of rising old buildings when you can do so with an eye toward the future," Neal said. 

Construction on the $95-million rehab effort began in 2014. Workers demolished a baggage warehouse to make room for bus berths. A 377-space parking garage now takes the space once occupied by the Hotel Charles on Main Street.

Union Station will host intracity buses from the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and likely intercity buses by Peter Pan Bus Lines.

But as of now, train traffic through Union Station is lacking.

Amtrak runs a total of six north-south trains a day -- on he Northeast Regional and Vermonter  -- and one eastbound train and one westbound train on the Lake Shore Limited.

Starting in 2018, the Connecticut Department of Transportation plans to increase passenger service so that Springfield passengers will be able to board trains every 45 minutes during the morning and evening peak hours and approximately every 90 minutes during off-peak periods.

That works out to 8 to 12 more trains a day -- all run by MetroNorth Railroad and connecting with train service to New York City's Grand Central Terminal.

The Connecticut trains are expected to operate as fast as 110 miles an hour, cutting travel time between Springfield and New Haven to as little as 79 minutes.

Planners expect 5 million to 8 million people to pass through the Union Station complex each year.

This is a developing story which will be updated with more details and new photos and video from inside Union Station.

Former Conn. elementary school principal charged with 'upskirting' young girls at Hartford Walmart

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John Bean is charged with four counts of voyeurism, according to Connecticut State Police.

HARTFORD - A former elementary principal accused of upskirting young girls in a Walmart surrendered himself to police Monday morning after police obtained a warrant for his arrest on voyeurism charges.

John Bean, 48, of East Hartford, is charged with four counts each of voyeurism and risk of injury to a minor, according to Connecticut State Police.

john bean.pngJohn Bean  

He surrendered to detectives with the state police Computer Crimes Unit in Hartford on Monday.

He was being held on $175,000 bond pending his arraignment in Hartford Superior Court.

The charges stem from an investigation that began in September when Hartford police were called to a Walmart when store security spotted a strange man following young girls and secretly recording them with his phone.

Police at the time found Bean in the store acting suspiciously. When confronted by police, he denied he had done anything wrong, and refused a request by officers to unlock his phone, according to reports.

The phone was confiscated by police and examined by officials with the federal Department of Homeland Security, and several videos were found of young girls in public places within the store. A further investigation by state police determined that four of the videos contained "upskirt footage" of children, and that Bean was responsible for the footage.

Upskirting is a term for using the video camera on a phone to record footage up someone's skirt without permission. It has been a felony offense in Connecticut since 2015.

The Hartford Courant reports that Bean at the time of his arrest was principal for the Highcrest Elementary School in Wethersfield. He has since resigned.

He previously taught at Tolland and South Windsor and was a one-time teacher of the year in 2004.

'Dismal' winter sales, not lawsuit, responsible for closure of Northampton's Serio's Market, manager says

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Regular customers were mourning the loss of Serio's Market on Monday, after the decades-old Northampton store announced its impending closure.

Regular customers were mourning the loss of Serio's Market on Monday, after the decades-old Northampton store announced its impending closure.

In a Facebook post, Serio's said that "dismal" winter sales and the failure of a compressor and two freezers made it impossible for the business to continue. The shop, which has been family-owned for generations, will close at 6 p.m. on Friday.

"Honestly we have no choice," the Facebook past said. "We are so very thankful for this experience and all of the wonderful people we met along the way."

The announcement sparked an outpouring of appreciation on social media and from customers interviewed by MassLive.

For 15 years, Palmer Yurica has been a regular customer at Serio's. She gasped in shock when told of the closure by a reporter.

"I'm really very sad about it," Yurica said. "It's been such a lovely place to come where I see my neighbors, where I saw Gary [Golec, the store's owner] and his partner [Christina Cavallari] before she passed. It's the kind of market that I want to shop at. And it just fills a niche that no one else in town is doing."

Anna Arthur, a Northampton resident who has been visiting Serio's for a decade, said she was "heartbroken" and would miss the friendly staff and focus on local foods and produce.

She also described the closure as emblematic of downtown Northampton's shift away from older, family-owned businesses -- a development she said favors tourists over residents seeking day-to-day essentials.

"I feel like it's become a less usable town. There's a lot less utility to the shops than there used to be," Arthur said. "You can get a million amazing pastries but it's hard to find a good pair of socks."

And the store's Facebook post announcing the closure drew more than 20 comments from appreciative and sad customers, thanking the owners and sharing memories.

The closure comes as Serio's is facing a default judgment in a lawsuit filed by a supplier over unpaid debt, but general manager Jaimie Golec said the closure was unrelated to the legal dispute.

"It was the equipment and the sales being so low," Golec said. "It was absolutely not the lawsuit."

The lawsuit, filed in Hampshire Superior Court on Nov. 10, claimed that Serio's has failed to pay for $32,000 of goods supplied by Bozzuto's from January through October, In a November interview, Golec acknowledged the debt and said the store had offered to begin paying it back in monthly installments, but had been rebuffed.

"We're not disputing we owe the money," she said. "They're just not being reasonable."

Bozzuto's, based in Cheshire, Connecticut, is asking a judge to force Serio's to pay the unpaid bills, in addition to interest, court costs and attorney's fees. An account statement included in court filings shows that Serio's has paid down $1,700 of its $34,000 debt since July, with the last payment in September.

"Serio's Inc. has refused and neglected to make further payments in accordance with the terms of the contract and invoices, and have failed to comply with any subsequent oral or written agreements," the complaint says.

According to court filings, Serio's had failed to respond to the lawsuit. The court issued a default order against the business on Jan. 31, and on Feb. 27 Bozzuto's filed a motion for a default judgment of $35,974, including the debt, interest and attorney's fees.

The hearing on the judgment has not yet been scheduled, an official with the Hampshire Superior Court clerk's office said.

Golec said the store was still attempting to negotiate with its suppliers. And Serio's said on Facebook that it would be holding a sale of memoribilia from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, with proceeds going toward the payment of local vendors.

Serio's has been a Northampton fixture since 1902, when Joseph Serio emigrated from Sicily and began selling fruits and vegetables out of a cart on the streets of the city. In 1950 the business moved into its State Street storefront, and has remained a family operation.

Christina A. Cavallari, Serio's granddaughter, owned the store until 2014, when she died unexpectedly, prompting her husband Gary Golec to take ownership amid a period of public mourning. Jaimie Golec, his daughter, joined the family business in 2014 and quickly realized that the shop was in financial trouble.

Paperwork had been poorly catalogued and the discovery of improperly filed corporate taxes cost the store $27,000, Golec said in November. Cavallari's family began charging rent, which it had not when Cavallari ran the shop. Combined with a spiking electricity bill and a dwindling customer base, Serio's was unable to pay its suppliers, according to Golec.

Bozzuto's lawsuit covered only part of $60,000 Serio's owed vendors, Golec said in November.

The family of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia donates papers to Harvard Law School

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The papers of the late Antonin Scalia are headed to the Harvard Law School Library. The family of the former Supreme Court associate justice are donating his papers, the law school library announced Monday.

The papers of the late Antonin Scalia are headed to the Harvard Law School Library.

The family of the former Supreme Court associate justice are donating his papers, the law school library announced Monday. Scalia, who served as part of the conservative wing of the high court, graduated in 1960.

The papers cover his time on the Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, his time at the US Department of Justice, and the University of Chicago, and they include speeches, articles and correspondence.

Scalia died in February 2016.

There is a schedule for the availability of his papers for research purposes, based on an agreement between the Scalia family and Harvard Law School Library. His Supreme Court and DC Circuit Court papers will be available in 2020, "although materials regarding specific cases will not be opened during the lifetime of other Justices or judges who participated in the case," the school said.

Maureen Scalia, the late justice's wife, noted that they met while students in Cambridge. "Our visits back to Harvard together always felt like a homecoming, particularly in recent years," she said, according to the school. "I am pleased to make this gift, and that his papers will now be at the Law School."

Martha Minow, the dean of the law school, said they are grateful the family chose Harvard.

"Justice Scalia will be remembered as one of the most influential jurists in American history -- he changed how the Court approaches statutory interpretation, and in countless areas introduced new ways of thinking about the Constitution and the role of the Court that will remain important for years to come.," she said in a statement posted on the school's website.

"His papers will be a tremendous resource for students, scholars, and the general public for generations to come," she added.

Justice Antonin Scalia remembered at funeral Mass for love of God, country, family


Springfield police investigate daytime armed robbery on Boston Road

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The suspect was dressed all in black and wearing a mask.

SPRINGFIELD - Police are investigating a reported armed robbery Monday afternoon at the D'Angelo's restaurant at 1465 Boston Road near the Eastfield Mall.

Springfield police spokesman said police are searcing for the suspect, who was last seen running toward Parker Street. A police K-9 team has been called in to assist in the search.

The suspect was dressed all in black and wearing a mask. He threatened a clerk in the resturant and made off with cash from the register.

The robbery is being investigated by the Major Crimes Bureau, he said.

UMass, Amherst police arrest 2 men who allegedly stole car from Bertucci's parking lot

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University of Massachusetts and town police each arrested one man early Sunday morning in connection with stolen vehicle from Bertucci's just after midnight.

AMHERST -- University of Massachusetts and town police each arrested one man early Sunday morning in connection with a vehicle stolen from a parking lot outside Bertucci's.

According to police, the manager of the restaurant left her car running to go inside for a minute and returned to find the vehicle gone. The incident was reported just after midnight.

UMass police later located the car on James Drive and Massachusetts Avenue.

Officers arrested the operator, Jonathan E. Coughlin, 22, of North Grafton and charged him with operating a motor vehicle without authority, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and operating without headlights. 

Amherst police responded to the scene and arrested the passenger, Jacob Averka, 22, of Sutton and charged him with possession of a class B drug (cocaine).

Both denied charges Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown and are scheduled to return May 5 for pre-trial conferences.

Man pleads guilty to elbowing African American pedestrian, saying 'Black lives don't matter'

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James L. McIntyre admitted to charges of a civil rights violation and assault and battery to intimidate in Northampton District Court on Friday.

A man has been sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to allegations that he elbowed a black man in downtown Northampton, calling him a racial slur and said "Black lives don't matter" in May of 2016.

James L. McIntyre, of Northampton, admitted to charges of a civil rights violation and assault and battery to intimidate in Northampton District Court on Friday.

Mcintyre has a long history of alcohol abuse and was allegedly drunk when he told police on May 3, 2016 that a black man had threatened to pull a gun on him near the Academy of Music. 

But when officers caught up with the black man, they got a different story -- one in which McIntyre was a racist, intoxicated aggressor.

Officers patted down the man McIntyre claimed threatened him and found no weapons. The man then told officers that he was walking near the Faces department store when McIntyre "forcefully struck him with his elbow."

"[The victim] stated that McIntyre said, '[expletive] you, [expletive,]'" Northampton Police Officer Brandon Lagoy wrote in his report. "[The victim] stated that he was not hurt by the elbow strike, but had trouble restraining himself from fighting McIntyre."

McIntyre allegedly then said "Black lives don't matter," after which the victim left the area to avoid the confrontation, according to the victim's statements to police.

The victim then walked to the police station and filled out a crime report.

Another officer spoke with McIntyre and smelled alcohol on his breath, according to a police report. He was then placed in protective custody.

McIntyre was arraigned in July of 2016. On March 3, 2017 he pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to six months in the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center, a minimum security facility in Springfield for inmates with substance abuse disorders.

Mother of 5-month-old child testifies at Springfield murder trial of father accused in baby's death

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Pagan, 31, and Collazo, 29, were both charged in 2013 with murder in 5-month-old Davian Collazo's death in Springfield in December 2010. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Dayana Pagan told jurors Monday about spending time with her 5-month-old son on the day before he was rushed to the hospital.

"He smiled up at me, I smiled back at him," she testified at the Hampden Superior Court murder trial of Raymond Collazo, accused of killing Davian Collazo by shaking him on Dec. 10, 2010.

Pagan, 31, and Collazo, 29, were both charged in 2013 with murder in their baby's death. Pagan still faces that charge, but her trial is separated from Collazo's and she was called to testify for the prosecution.

Assistant District Attorney Jane Mulqueen said in her opening statement Davian died after being shaken -- which injured his brain -- and being hit, causing blunt impact to his head.

Defense lawyer Jeffrey S. Brown told jurors Davian's death resulted from undiagnosed medical conditions. He said the fractures in the baby's limbs were the result of a metabolic bone disease and said the doctor seeing Davian on Dec. 3, 2010, didn't notice the fractures. Brown said Davian had a condition of chronic bleeding in his brain.

Pagan said she and Collazo broke up soon after Davian's birth, but Collazo visited Davian and their daughter daily after work. Collazo was staying overnight the week Davian died because Davian had a cold, she said.

Davian suffered a severe burn on his buttocks when he was a few weeks old, Pagan said, and was treated at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Boston. She said Collazo was changing the baby and accidentally spilled coffee on him.

Davian needed skin grafts, Pagan said.

She said in the weeks leading up to Dec. 10, Davian would throw up after having formula from a bottle and she was told by a doctor to feed him an ounce at a time and burp him.

Pagan brought Davian to a pediatrician Dec. 3, 2010 for symptoms of a cold.

In the early morning hours of Dec. 10, 2010, Pagan said, Collazo offered to take over the rest of the night's care of the baby at her Springfield apartment.

Collazo brought the baby -- who was not breathing -- to her in the morning, she said. She called 911 and an operator instructed Collazo in giving CPR to Davian.

Mulqueen asked, "Dayana, did you ever shake your son?" Pagan said she did not.

Under cross-examination by Brown, Pagan said Davian was born by an emergency cesarean section.

She said Davian slept most of Dec. 9, which was unusual for him.

Collazo was "really good" with both their children, Pagan said. She said she never saw him shake Davian.

Mary O'Sullivan, now retired, testified she was the investigator from the Department of Children and Families who went to the hospital when Davian was rushed there.

She said in her interview with Collazo, he was "quiet, but cooperative."

She said Collazo told her he rocked the baby back to sleep at 2 a.m. but when Collazo woke to go to work in the morning Davian wasn't breathing.

The trial before Judge Mary-Lou Rup continues Tuesday.

I-90 westbound in Newton down to one lane due to SUV sitting on top of car

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The Massachusetts Turnpike westbound in Newton has been reduced to one lane following a crash there.

UPDATE: At 5:11 p.m. MassDOT reported all lanes had been reopened. Expect delays to continue for some time, however. 

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The Massachusetts Turnpike westbound in Newton has been reduced to one lane following a crash there.

Massachusetts State Police are reporting the right and center lanes closed. The highway is down to one lane in the westbound direction. 

7News Boston is reporting an SUV can be seen on top of a car along the stretch of road. 

Traffic in the westbound side appears to be backed up about five miles. 

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