A Ludlow man is facing charges after using counterfeit money at a local restaurant.

LUDLOW - A Ludlow resident has been arrested after he used a counterfeit $100 bill at a local Subway restaurant, according to Sgt. Daniel J. Valadas of the Ludlow Police Department.

31-year-old Cary J. Lawson was taken into custody without incident in Springfield on Friday after a warrant was issued for his arrest by the Palmer District Court, said Valadas.   

Police say Lawson used the counterfeit money at a Subway located at #477B Center Street--after which the police department received over two dozen calls concerning the crime. 

Lawson is now being charged with two felony crimes--possession of a counterfeit note and common utterer of a counterfeit note, Valadas said. 

Retired Judge W. Michael Ryan will speak at the Forbes Library on March 15.

NORTHAMPTON -- British soldiers, thieves, traitors, and mobs who harassed Tories all spent time in a Pleasant Street jailhouse in the late 1700s.

"The cells were scarce four feet high, and filled with the noxious gases of the privy
vaults through which they were supposed to be ventilated," according to a 1903 local history penned by James Russell Trumbull.

The history of Northampton's penal system will be the topic of a March 15 talk at the Forbes Library by W. Michael Ryan, a retired judge and local historian.

Ryan has done extensive work to shed light upon an 1806 incident where two itinerant Irishmen -- Dominic Dailey and James Halligan -- were convicted of murder and publicly hanged in a case based upon circumstantial evidence. At the time, "there was no sympathy with Catholicism in Northampton." 

Various buildings have been used to house prisoners in Northampton. A former jail on Union Street, now condominiums, was built in 1851. The current Hampshire County House of Correction was completed in 1985 on Rocky Hill Road.

Ryan's talk, entitled "Punishment in Paradise," is part of a weeks-long discussion sponsored by the Forbes and Historic Northampton.

The traveling exhibit "States of Incarceration: A National Dialogue of Local Histories" will be on display at the two institutions between March 13 and 30. It is a project of the Humanities Action Lab at the New School in New York.

A number of incarceration-themed events are planned, including a March 13 poetry reading by formerly jailed women; a March 15 film screening at Smith College; and a March 29 lecture on mental illness in prisons.

The full roster of events can be accessed on the Historic Northampton website.

If you go:

What: "Punishment in Paradise: Peneology in Northampton, 1654-present;" a talk by W. Michael Ryan
When: March 15, 7 p.m.
Where: Coolidge Museum at Forbes Library, 20 West St.
Tickets: Free and open to the public

The most recent special envoy to Northern Ireland was former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart, appointed by Barack Obama in 2014.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, a longtime advocate for peace in Ireland, called on President Donald Trump Friday to appoint a new special envoy to Northern Ireland.

Neal issued a statement Friday. It reads:

Taoiseach is the Irish-language word for a prime minister or head of government. Kenny is prime minister of the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland is a separate country and part of the United Kingdom.

The most recent special envoy to Northern Ireland was former U.S. senator and one-time Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart, appointed by Barack Obama in 2014. His appointment ended with the transition of the presidency to Trump.

According to published reports, Trump plans to send businessman Brian Burns as his ambassador to the Republic of Ireland. Burns, a Massachusetts native and graduate of Harvard and of Holy Cross, is the son of an adviser to Joseph Kennedy Sr.

Neal's grandparents were both born in Ireland, and the congressman has long been involved in the Irish peace process.

Authorities in Westfield are asking for the public's help in locating a woman accused of using her baby to shoplift various items at a local store.

WESTFIELD - Detectives in Westfield are asking for the public's help in identifying a shoplifting suspect who they say stole an item by hiding it under her baby. 

The incident occurred at Health Choice on East Main Street on February 23rd, said Detective Rick Mazza, of the Westfield Detective Bureau.  

In images captured by the store's surveillance videos, the woman carries her baby in a portable bassinet throughout the store. Police believe the item may have been hidden in the carrier, beneath the child.

"Video shows pretty clearly the woman remove an item from its box and hide it between the child's legs," said Detective Mazza. 

Police have asked that anyone who believes they can identify the woman or who has information regarding the case should contact Detective Mazza at 413-642-9390 or r.mazza@cityofwestfield.org. 

Vermont State Police are searching for a missing woman.

FAIRHAVEN, Vt - Vermont State Police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing 26-year-old woman who has not been seen for a week.

Alexandra Rooker, of Fairhaven, Vermont, was last seen by her friends in the town of Poultney on March 3, said Det. Lt. Reg Trayah of the Vermont State Police, in a statement.

Rooker's family has not seen her since March 2, Trayah said. 

She was reported missing to both the Fair Haven Police Department and Vermont State Police on Wednesday. 

Rooker is described as a white woman with reddish blond hair and blue eyes. She is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs approximately 105 pounds. 

Two Athol men were sentenced to jail on Friday after pleading guilty to charges relating to the 2015 overdose death of another Athol man.

GREENFIELD - Two Athol men pleaded guilty in Franklin Superior Court on Friday to involuntary manslaughter, as well as a number of other charges relating to the 2015 overdose death of 21-year-old Jordan Tarbell.

31-year-old Eric Legare and 34-year-old Brian Welvaert, both of Athol, pleaded guilty to the charges against them during separate hearings on Thursday, according to a statement by Mary Carey, Communications Director for the Northwestern DA's office.

On May 5, 2015, Jordan Tarbell died after consuming a fatal dose of heroin sold to him by Legare. Welvaert was the driver of the car in which Legare purchased heroin in Holyoke to sell in the Athol area.

At the time of his overdose, Tarbell had just recently been released from an addiction treatment center.  

Legare, charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, three counts of heroin distribution, a count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and a charge of conspiracy to violate drug laws, was sentenced to five years in jail. Carey said Legare will be given credit for 451 days served in jail but will not be eligible for parole.

Welvaert, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, heroin distribution, misleading police, and conspiracy to violate drug laws, was sentenced to 6 months in jail with two years probation.

The Auto & Race-A-Rama is billed as the longest-running auto show in the Northeast and has become a family tradition

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- America's love affair with wheels was evident as Frank Maratta's Auto & Race-A-Rama show rolled into the Eastern States Exposition on Friday.

Despite wind-chilled low temperatures, crowds of visitors made their way to the annual event, held in the Better Living Center. The three-day show features some 250 vehicles, including hot rods, custom cars, muscle cars, antiques, street rods and race cars.

Also on hand were race car drivers and displays from tracks across the Northeast, which handed out their schedules to showgoers.

Import model and car enthusiast Bear Dellinger greeted visitors and posed for photos with several cars on display. On Saturday, a pin-up pageant will be featured to find the next Miss FMAUTO 2017.

On Sunday, "Star Wars" storm troopers will work their way thoughout the crowds, mingling with fans and posing for photographs.

The John Boyle O'Reilly Club was the scene for celebrity bartending to benefit Wicked In Pink on Friday night.

SPRINGFIELD - The John Boyle O'Reilly Club was the scene for celebrity bartending to benefit Wicked In Pink on Friday night.

The Rock 102 morning team of Mike Baxendale, John O'Brien, and Steve Nagle lent their talents to help raise money for the organization which helps with unexpected expenses for those in need of cancer treatment but may have financial hardships.

The bar was packed with fans of the popular radio show to offer their support for cancer victims and for the chance to interact in person with the popular Pioneer Valley personalities.

The beneficiary of the Wicked In Pink Run is the Sister Caritas Cancer Center Patient Services Fund which serves those being treated at the Mercy Medical Center facility of the same name. The fund can offer help in many ways including emergency funds to cover needed medications and supplements, transportation, and special clothes, shoes or other accessories related to cancer care and treatment.

For hundreds of public television supporters and wine enthusiasts, the return of the annual WGBY Wine Lovers Weekend on Friday marked the return of a tasty tradition.

SPRINGFIELD -- For hundreds of public television supporters and wine enthusiasts, the return of the annual WGBY Wine Lovers Weekend on Friday marked the return of a tasty tradition.

For more than three decades, public television and PBS member station WGBY has raised funds for educational programming in the region by selling tickets to two nights of decadent sampling. This year's delicious benefit event is highlighted by special guest Andreas Viestad, host of PBS's New Scandinavian Cooking.

The two-day fundraiser kicked off Fridaynwith western New England's largest tasting event. It featured over 300 wine, craft beer, and specialty food vendors, taking up three large functional halls inside the Springfield Marriott.

The tasting is followed by the WGBY Wine Lovers Dinner, a unique seven-course fine dining event with a menu by PBS chef Viestad, on Saturday.

"The WGBY Wine Lovers Weekend is really a community institution at this point," said Lynn Page, WGBY's interim General Manager, in a statement. "It's a chance for supporters of public television to get out, socialize, meet local food artisans and brewers, and taste hundreds of fine wines -- all in the name of quality public media. Public television is all about engaging with the community at the local level. So, it really means a lot when partners, like Big Y, Table & Vine, and others, can come together to help us host such a large-scale event."

This year, Viestad has created a seven-course Scandinavian menu for the WGBY Wine Lovers Dinner. Working with Marriott's executive chef Bill Rounds and the Norwegian Seafood Export Council, Viestad's menu on Saturday will feature Norwegian trout and crab and Norwegian dishes Pinnekjott and Ekte gjetost.

Each of Viestad's seven courses will be expertly paired with a collection of over a dozen wines.

Tickets to the Saturday, March 11 event are $165 each and are available online at WGBY.org/wine or at Table & Vine in West Springfield.
Proceeds will benefit public television and PBS station WGBY.

The events iare sponsored by Big Y World Class Markets, Table & Vine, The Dennis Group, AM Lithography, and the Norwegian Seafood Council. Media sponsors include The Republican, BusinessWest, and Healthcare News.

Several studies strongly indicate the cameras help prevent automobile accidents, protect motorists and save lives. But critics cite conflicting data that states the cameras actually increase vehicle collisions and believe they only exist as a revenue generator for law enforcement. Watch video

The first red light cameras went into official operation back in 1993, and have now spread to 426 communities across the United States. Several studies strongly indicate the cameras help prevent automobile accidents, protect motorists and save lives. But critics cite conflicting data that states the cameras actually increase vehicle collisions and believe they only exist as a revenue generator for law enforcement. Several cities have banned them entirely. What do you think? 

PERSPECTIVES

Nobody likes getting a ticket for breaking a red light, but the cameras work. They're reduce collisions and save lives. Studies that look at empirical data and don't cherry-pick numbers see strong evidence to support the claim that cameras not only work, but also alter motorist behavior.

Hu, McCartt, and Teoh, 2011, analyzed data on fatal crashes from 14 large U.S. cities with red-light camera enforcement programs and 48 cities without camera programs for the years 1992-1996 and 2004-2008. The average annual citywide rate of fatal red-light-running crashes declined for both groups, but the rate for cities with camera enforcement declined more (35 percent versus 14 percent). During 2004-2008, the rate of fatal red light running crashes citywide and the rate of all fatal crashes at signalized intersections were 24 percent and 17 percent lower, respectively, than what would have been expected without cameras.

This is about motorist safety. The data is here, and it's pretty clear -- the cameras work. 

There is a preponderance of evidence, albeit not conclusive, indicating that red light running camera systems improve the overall safety of intersections where they are used. 

Nonsense. In addition to conflicting evidence that red light cameras can increase rear end collisions, the cameras really only exist to pad the pockets of local law enforcement. The cameras print out citations, and the cost to motorists can quickly spiral out of control. Not only that, local communities are reducing the length of yellow lights to increase the number of citations, solely for profit reasons. That tweak can actually lead to automobile accidents and endanger motorists.

In fact, a 2001 report issued by the Office of the Majority Leader in the United States House of Representatives showed that the typical yellow light time had been reduced by about 25 percent compared to the times prevailing in the mid-1970s.

And the companies that operate these cameras are in on the whole thing. They have local politicians and law enforcement in their pockets, with little regard to motorist safety or community interest. This is a money-making venture and any argument that says otherwise is a lie.

In addition to plying local officials with sports tickets, meals, and cash, the red-light camera industry also employs traditional lobbyists to keep the streets open to their business propositions. Industry lobbyists work in the state legislatures promoting bills that allow for the privatization of traffic enforcement, and stop bills that might interfere with the legitimacy of automated private enforcement.

The Tylt 

Conspiracy theories and cherry-picking are typical logical fallacies that opponents of red light cameras engage in. Sure, you'll find instances of cities overturning red light cameras and bad operators, but it's unfair to paint the whole industry in broad strokes. That kind of behavior is indicative of most local municipalities' dedication to motorist safety and the net positive benefits of red light cameras. But it's something the press routinely ignores to fuel reader angst.

Insinuations that cameras are about revenue rather than safety, or spinning neutral facts into bad news, do little to inform people about an issue that is important to just about everyone. Once a driver who is under the "threat" of a traffic ticket parks their car and has to cross the street to their final destination, they benefit from safe streets just as much as the next person. 

The Tylt 

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Digital, Inc. property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.

between 12 and 14 people were forced out of their homes in a 6-unit apartment building at 571 Chicopee St. by fire.

CHICOPEE— As many as 14 people were forced from their homes just before 11 p.m. Friday night when fire broke out in a top floor apartment.

Deputy Fire Chief Joseph R. Crevier said fire units were at the fire scene within about a minute. The fire at 571 Chicopee Street was just a short distance to the 580 Chicopee Street fire station.

Crevier said firefighters found fire in a third-floor apartment and it took approximately 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control. Meanwhile, other firefighters made sure that the 12 to 14 people home at the time of the fire, were safely evacuated. The building houses six individual apartment units. Crevier said none of the residents or firefighters were injured.

A fire investigator responded to the scene and after examination of the fire area determined the cause of the fire to be an electrical fault, Crevier said. Residents reported to fire officials they had electrical problems throughout the day, and in the unit where the fire started, the tenant said she was left without power in part of her apartment for most of the day.

Firefighters work of made even more difficult by the brutally cold conditions. The temperatures were in the teens with wind gusts up to 30 mph, making the long trudge up external stairs to the rear entries of the apartment more uncomfortable. Some firefighters worked on an extended aerial ladder over the roof of the building.

Crevier said he was forced to cut electricity and gas service to the building, and that would have left residents without heat and power. The utilities were.shut down to allow firefighters to safely search for any possible extension of fire into the insulation or structure of the building.

The American Red Cross was called in to assist residents, although Crevier said approximately half the people were able to make their own arrangements.

Firefighters are scheduled to stay at the scene throughout the night to make sure there are no flare-ups.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Seven people were injured, one seriously, in a two-car crash in Suffield Friday.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

The Hartford Courant reported that the 11:15 a.m. crash on Warnertown Road near Mountain Road, required firefighters to extricate injured victims from the wreckage of one of the vehicles.

A family of five in one car were all transported to an area hospital, including three children under the age of 10.

One 39-year-old man was transported with serious injuries, police said. They did not specify which of the two cars the seriously injured man was in at the time of the crash.

A second person in the second vehicle was also transported.

Police closed Warnertown Road for about two hours as they investigated the crash.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Suffield police at 860-668-3870.

A public hearing won't continue on Monday, March 13, 2017 as scheduled because notice of the Holyoke Historical Commission meeting in which the hearing was to be held on a proposal to demolish the closed Mater Dolorosa Church was improperly posted under the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.

HOLYOKE -- A public hearing won't continue on Monday as scheduled because notice of the meeting in which the hearing was to be held on a proposal to demolish the closed Mater Dolorosa Church was improperly posted under state law.

The Historical Commission will convene the meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday in the City Hall auditorium but immediately move to continue the public hearing to another date. That's according to Debbie U. Oppermann, senior project manager with the Holyoke Department of Planning and Economic Development, in an email to the city clerk's office on Friday.

The public hearing on the church demolition proposal began Tuesday and lasted four hours.

Diocese warns of danger but hearing on proposed demolition in Holyoke dominated by church defenders

Under the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, meetings and hearings must be posted in a public place and online at least 48 hours in business days in advance of the meeting. While notice of the Historical Commission meeting that was scheduled for Monday was posted on the bulletin board outside the city clerk's office at City Hall, the notice failed to mention the public hearing, officials said.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, which owns Mater Dolorosa Church at Maple and Lyman streets, has requested a permit for emergency demolition of the 116-year-old church.

Diocese consultants said that deterioration makes demolition of church necessary because the steeple could collapse and pieces from it have broken off and fallen to the ground. The Diocese requested a permit to begin emergency demolition on Jan. 27.

But Building Commissioner Damian J. Cote on Feb. 1 declined the emergency demolition order and referred the proposal to the Historical Commission.

The commission is holding the public hearing to take testimony as it determines whether the historical significance of the church property outweighs the Diocese assertions that demolition is necessary.

In June 2011, the Diocese cited declining parishioner numbers and concerns about the steeple's stability in shutting down Mater Dolorosa Church. The Diocese combined Mater Dolorosa with the former Holy Cross Church to form Our Lady of the Cross Parish at 23 Sycamore St.

The Historical Commission began the public hearing on the church demolition proposal by taking four hours of testimony on Tuesday at the Senior Center but that still wasn't enough time to accommodate all those who want to address the matter. The commission halted the hearing at 10:30 p.m.

Remarks during the hearing focused on parishioners' devotion to the closed church, distrust of the Diocese, disputes about the extent of the structure's deterioration, safety concerns and repair costs, and the practical need to accept that parish populations change and buildings age.

Options for the commission include approving demolition of the church, and of a separate building, the Immaculate Conception Social Hall at 94 Ely St., or imposing a delay in demolition of up to six months.

Bach will be performed downtown next weekend and studied and performed at UMass next month.

AMHERST - Bach is back.

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach will again be performed downtown beginning March 18 and celebrated in a symposium and in concerts at the University of Massachusetts next month.

Two years ago, UMass graduate student Amanda Stenroos led the effort to bring Bach to the streets, and now as a graduate she is bringing it back.

"Every year for Bach's birthday a spontaneous, global community of musicians unites to sow the seeds for future generations of classical music lovers and share their joy and inspiration for their art form," according to the Bach in the Subways website.

While Amherst doesn't have a subway, musicians in 2015 did perform Bach in a Subway restaurant. Stenroos said of the past event, "it was a very appreciative crowd. We had presented our art form in unusual locations."

This year performances will take place at 30Boltwood, Collective Copies, the Works Bakery and at Amherst Books.

This year, some of the performances coincide with the final two days of Amherst Restaurant Week. There will be a performance March 18 at 7 p.m. at 30Boltwood, one of the 13 restaurants participating.

Restaurant Week is Monday through March 19 and the performances are held March 18 through March 21.

Stenroos said she thought the performances "would be a great way to tie the community together. It's good publicity spreading the music of Bach." She coordinated with Ann Tweedy, the marketing and communications director from the Amherst Business Improvement District

The 18th-century German composer's work is still relevant today, Stenroos said.

"So much of what we know about Bach's writing and counterpoint trickles down into all music of today, whether or not people know it's there," she said.

Stenroos added, "A lot of his music is sacred and speaks to us today." She said Bach's aim "was peace and understanding."

While people might be most familiar with his organ music, Bach wrote all kinds of music, and people will get to sample it downtown.

For example, March 18 at noon at Collective Copies, 71 South Pleasant St., the musicians will perform Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat major and selections from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor. A schedule is available on the Amherst Bach website.

Stenroos thinks the UMass program will be even bigger and better than it was two years ago. People "will have this opportunity to see world-class conductors," she said.

Roberta Marvin, chairwoman of the UMass department of music and dance, said the project "combines the best of the performance and the scholarly sides of our discipline."

"It's a rarity to have conservatory-quality training and scholarship at a public research university like UMass, and staging a project of this scale helps to underscore the quality of performance and scholarship that are the hallmarks of our department," said Matt Longhi, director of marketing and publicity.

The performances are for the general public and classical music aficionados alike, he said.

"Although the daylong symposium is aimed at scholars, the panel discussion on Friday evening is one that even a casual fan of Bach's work might find interesting," he said. The panel will contextualize Bach's B minor Mass and features six scholars from around the world, he said.

Connecticut State Police said 18-year-old Rashamel Rogers was shot and wounded by Waterbury police Thursday after they said he tried to flee a traffic stop in a stolen car and struck a police officer.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

Police told WFSB-TV that Rogers was shot as he tried to flee police in a stolen SUV Thursday afternoon at about 4 p.m. from the area of Wood and Orange streets. While trying to get away, Rogers struck a cruiser and a utility pole, then struck a Waterbury police officer as he attempted to use his taser to stop the escape. A second Waterbury officer then opened fire on Rogers hitting him twice.

The wounded suspect was transported to St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury with wounds to the abdomen and shoulder. He was later airlifted to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.

Police did not say whether or not Rogers was carrying a weapon at the time of the shooting, but his father told the TV station that his son was unarmed.

The police officer who was struck by the stolen vehicle was taken to Waterbury Hospital where he was treated and later released from the emergency room.

The Milford State's Attorney's Office has taken over the investigation, police said.

The High Street neighborhood has long been a stronghold for Los Solidos, with rival gangs fighting for a larger share of their lucrative drug market, police said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A man arrested here Thursday in connection with a triple murder in Puerto Rico is an alleged gang member and cocaine dealer who is awaiting trial in drug conspiracy case.

The suspect, Luis Lebron-Rivera, 27, is affiliated with the Los Solidos street gang and was arrested in January following a raid on a gang-controlled building at 90 High St. in Springfield, according to the arrest report.

When police entered the building, Lebron-Rivera allegedly ran into a vacant apartment and threw a plastic bag with 8.4 grams of crack cocaine out a window, the arrest report said.

The building is "under direct control of the Los Solidos street gang" and the site of increased drug sales and gang activity in recent months, the report said.

The High Street neighborhood has long been a stronghold for Los Solidos, with rival gangs fighting for a larger share of their lucrative drug market, the report added.

Lebron-Rivera and three others -- Carlos Suarez, 21, Robert Soto, 34, and Eddie Jenkins, 36, all of Springfield -- were arrested on Jan. 6 and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws and trespassing.

He was out on $500 bail in that case when federal marshals, teaming up with city and state police, arrested him Thursday in connection with a triple murder in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2011. He was carrying several fake IDs and refused to identify himself when taken into custody, investigators said.

A judge ordered him held without right to bail during a hearing in Springfield District Court. No decision on extraditing him to Puerto Rico was made during the session.

It is unclear how long Lebron-Rivera has been living in Springfield, but no other arrests, convictions or restraining orders are noted in paperwork from his January arrest. Investigators suspect he fled the island after the 2011 killings, which were believed to be gang-related.

The events leading to Lebron-Rivera's capture began a week after his drug arrest in Springfield. On Jan. 13, Puerto Rican authorities named him in three murder warrants in the 2011 case, and requested his extradition; in a related move, his name was entered into the National Crime Information Center's database three days later.

Within weeks, the U.S. marshals office in Connecticut developed information that Lebron-Rivera had been living in the Springfield area; by then, his name, date of birth, mugshot, tattoos and other information were recorded in Springfield District Court files, which listed his address as 90 High St., 2rd floor, right.

On Thursday, when a team of federal, state and city agents assembled to take him into custody, Lebron-Rivera was found nearby at 47 School St. The School Street apartment, like the one at 90 High St., turned out to be abandoned, police said.

The neighborhood has drawn increased scrutiny since the body of Judith Kimball, 25, of Greenfield, was discovered in a dumpster behind 30 High St. in early December. The cause of death has yet to be determined, but the case has led to stepped up enforcement in the area, including the January raid at 90 High St., according to court records.

Lebron-Rivera's next scheduled court date is April 4 in Springfield. Unless he fights extradition, however, he could be back in Puerto Rico by then.

The alleged victim threatened Elle J. Santana and her daughter on Facebook and taunted them after Santana's son was the victim of a homicide, defense lawyer Deborah Roberge said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield mother and daughter are facing criminal charges after allegedly teaming up to attack a woman at the Hampden County Hall of Justice.

Elle J. Santana, 49, and her daughter, Vellacristina Castillo, 21, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Springfield District Court to one count each of assault and battery.

The pair allegedly approached the victim and began punching her in the first-floor hallway. When court officers arrived, all three women were on the ground and Santana was pushing the victim's face into the floor, according to the arrest report.

Santana also bit the woman's hand and Castillo "aggressively continued to fight her after the parties were separated," the report said.

The victim, who told police she was five months pregnant, suffered scratches to her face and a bloody lip, along with the bite wound. After court officers administered first aid, she declined transportation to Baystate Medical Center for further treatment, the report said.

In a statement to police, the victim said she was waiting to meet her probation officer when she heard Santana say, "There she is." Both women approached and Castillo threw the first punches, the victim said.

Defense lawyers said the alleged victim was the aggressor in the hallway fracas, which disrupted proceedings in Courtroom One and left blood and hair on the hallway floor.

"As is often the case, there is more to this story than what is in the police report," said attorney Deborah Roberge, who represents Santana.

The alleged victim has threatened Santana and her daughter on Facebook, and taunted them after Santana's son was the victim of a homicide, Roberge said. In one message, the woman allegedly warned Castillo she would "be with her brother soon," the lawyer said.

The mother and daughter had come to court for another matter, but also intended to apply for a court order barring the alleged victim from harassing or threatening them, Roberge said.

During the fight, Santana suffered "a black eye and has a giant clump of hair missing," Roberge said.

Both defendants were released on $500 cash bail and ordered to stay away from the alleged victim. They are due back in court on March 29.

Then Brimage issued a warning: The man was going to get them money "or they were going to really hurt him," the report said.

SPRINGFIELD -- Arrest warrants have been issued for two men who allegedly lured a gay man to a home in Forest Park and then assaulted, kidnapped and attempted to rob him.

Anthony Brimage, 21 and Daquan Harris, 22, both of Springfield, were scheduled to be arraigned last week in Springfield District Court on charges of kidnapping, assault and battery, threatening to commit a crime and unarmed robbery. Arrest warrants were issued after neither showed up in court.

The charges were filed after a 46-year-old Milford, Connecticut, man told police he connected with Harris using the gay dating app Grinder and agreed to meet in Springfield on Dec. 22, according to a police report filed in court.

After arriving at a home on Fern Street, the victim was ordered down into the cellar and confronted by two men. Both dropped their pants, and indicated he should perform oral sex on both and then pay them, the report said.

"Be generous," Brimage allegedly told him.

When the victim refused and asked to leave, Harris punched him. Later, both defendants demanded all his money and began punching him after learning he only had $10, the report said.

Then Brimage issued a warning: The man was going to get them money "or they were going to really hurt him," the report said.

Eventually, Harris agreed to accompany the man to an ATM so he could withdraw cash, according to the report.

On the way to the ATM, the victim jumped from his car and began calling for help. Harris got out and punched him several times before stealing his cellphone and running back toward Fern Street, the report said.

Later that day, the man gave a statement to Springfield police and returned on Feb. 1 to identify photos of Harris and Brimage as his assailants; charges were filed after a probable cause hearing Feb. 13 and both defendants were summoned for arraignment on March 1.

A public reception was held at the Colony Club to celebrate the re-election of state Rep. Jose F. Tosado

SPRINGFIELD - A public reception was held this week at the Colony Club to celebrate the re-election of state Rep. Jose F. Tosado.

The reception was hosted by Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Robert A. DeLeo, D-Winthrop, and Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi.

Nearly 100 guests gathered at the club in Tower Square for a celebration which included a host of local and state officials. DeLeo and others lauded Tosado for his dedication and drive to represent Western Mass.

Tosado represents the 9^th Hampden District and is part of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, and the House Committee on Redistricting.