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Springfield police charge 21-year-old Ramon Rodriguez and 15-year-old juvenile with breaking into cars at Chestnut Street parking garage

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Police arrested the suspects Monday night.

ramonrodriguez21crop.jpgRamon Rodriguez

SPRINGFIELD – Police said they arrested a 21-year-old city man and a 15-year-old juvenile Monday night on vehicle break-in and other charges after spotting one of them apparently acting as a lookout outside a Chestnut Street parking garage.

Officers John Zollo and Jose Robles were on patrol near 122 Chestnut St. shortly after 6:15 p.m. when they spotted one of the suspects looking up and down the street, Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

As they approached, they spotted the suspect, who was standing near a bike, talking to somebody inside, Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said When the officers stopped to investigate a second suspect emerged from the garage and both ran after the officers began questioning them.

The officers caught and arrested the two suspects and found two cars with smashed windows inside the garage. Recovered were a Bluetooth earpiece, a DVD remote, radar detector and head rests with DVD screen monitors, Delaney said.

Ramon Rodriguez, 21, of 15 Clayton St., was charged with two counts of breaking and entering into a vehicle, larceny over $250, resisting arrest and trespassing.


Jacob Chaffee, 17, of Ware charged with reckless driving after Ford Taurus crashes on West Ware Street in Palmer

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Police and firefighters who who responded to the scene were initially unable to locate the operator of the car.

PALMER - A crashed Ford Taurus on West Ware Street without a driver in it prompted a response from Ware and Palmer police early Monday morning.

Palmer Police Sgt. Rodney A. North said Ware officers were the first to arrive in the Whiskey Hill area at the 2 a.m. call, as police initially thought the crash happened in that town.

They couldn't find the operator, and Ware firefighters and a Wilbraham K-9 unit were called to the scene to conduct a search, in case the driver was ejected; there was a substantial amount of blood inside the totaled 1998 Taurus, North said.

As public safety officials searched, a Ware police officer went to 7 Second Ave. in Ware, the home of Jacob Chaffee, 17, the car's registered owner. They found Chaffee there and he was brought to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital for treatment, North said.

Chaffee was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. He also was cited for not wearing a seatbelt, and for a junior operator license violation (hours restriction).

North said Chaffee failed to negotiate a curve in the road and flipped the car over, striking several trees as it went down an embankment.

Eduardo Colon-Martinez acquitted of murder in stabbing death of Abinadad Rivera-Cintron of Holyoke

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Colon-Martinez' defense was that Rivera-Cintron was killed in self-defense.

052610_holyoke_stabbing_suspect_Eduardo_ Colon-Martinez_horz_cropped.jpgEduardo Colon-Martinez

SPRINGFIELD – A Hampden Superior Court jury on Monday acquitted Eduardo Colon-Martinez of murder.

Defense lawyer William J. O’Neil had argued it was a case of self-defense.

Colon-Martinez, 36, of Holyoke, had been charged with murder in the stabbing death of Abinadad Rivera-Cintron on May 26, 2010, inside an apartment at 188 Oak St. in Holyoke.

O’Neil said there is no argument Colon-Martinez stabbed Rivera-Cintron but it was self defense, not murder.

Assistant District Attorney James C. Orenstein said Colon-Martinez had “intent to kill” Rivera-Cintron, who was living in New Britain, Conn.

Isaura Diaz testified she was in bed with 18-year-old Rivera-Cintron when Colon-Martinez came into her bedroom and fatally stabbed Rivera-Cintron before he woke.

Diaz, a prosecution witness, said she broke up with Colon-Martinez, who she had married in late 2009, and seen him four or five times after that.

Under cross-examination from O’Neil, Diaz said she is still legally married to Colon-Martinez although they had split up. She said after they split up Colon-Martinez gave her money for her three children, even though he was not their father.

O’Neil said Colon-Martinez feels that the jury made the right decision in terms of what happened in the apartment and is grateful for the verdict.

Colon-Martinez testified during the trial that he did not want to hurt the victim and was defending himself.

His employer at the Holyoke restaurant where he worked testified Colon-Martinez used a knife in his job opening boxes and stocking goods there. Colon-Martinez had been to work that morning, testimony showed.

The jury had the choice on the verdict slip of first degree murder, second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter, but acquitted Colon-Martinez.

In wake of allegation, congressman David Wu will resign

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Democratic leaders requested a House Ethics Committee investigation of his conduct.

david wuIn this March 7, 2011 file photo, Rep. David Wu, D-Ore. speaks in Hillsboro, Ore. Wu has announced that he is resigning in the wake of allegations that he had a sexual encounter with an 18-year-old woman.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. David Wu of Oregon announced Tuesday that he will resign amid political fallout from an 18-year-old woman's allegations she had an unwanted sexual encounter with him.

Within days of the allegation, Democratic leaders requested a House Ethics Committee investigation of his conduct. Wu had said Monday he would not seek re-election, but had come under increasing pressure to step down.

"The wellbeing of my children must come before anything else," Wu said in a statement. "With great sadness, I therefore intend to resign effective upon the resolution of the debt-ceiling crisis. This is the right decision for my family, the institution of the House, and my colleagues."

Wu is the second House Democrat in the last six weeks to be forced to resign as a result of a sex scandal. Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York resigned after sending lewd photos of himself through Twitter.

Wu, who separated from his wife more than a year ago, was first elected to Congress in 1998 as the first Chinese-American to serve in the House. He's maintained a centrist voting record but has been a leading voice on human rights abuses in China. He angered the high-tech firms in his district when he voted against normalizing trade relations with China.

Wu's hometown newspaper, the Oregonian, reported that a California woman had called Wu's office in Portland and reported an unwanted sexual encounter with him. The paper also reported that Wu told senior aides the sexual encounter was consensual.

The newspaper said the woman decided not to press charges because there were no witnesses and it would have been her word against Wu's.

Democratic primary challengers immediately called for Wu's resignation.

"It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be a United States Congressman," Wu said in his resignation announcement. "Rare is the nation in which an immigrant child can become a national political figure. I thank God and my parents for the privilege of being an American."

Wu went on to say that the resignation was the only correct decision to avoid distraction from the important work taking place in Washington.

Arnold Schwarzenegger now open to paying Maria Shriver spousal support

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A filing last week indicated Schwarzenegger wanted Shriver to pay her own attorney’s fees.

072211arnold.jpgIn this Nov. 6, 2006 file photo, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrates with his wife Maria Shriver after giving his acceptance speech, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Maria Shriver has filed for divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles Superior Court, Friday, July 1, 2011.

LOS ANGELES — Arnold Schwarzenegger has amended a divorce filing and withdrawn a request that a judge terminate Maria Shriver’s rights to spousal support.

The actor and former California governor’s filing replaces a document he submitted last week that also indicated he wanted Shriver to pay her own attorney’s fees. The amended response filed Monday in Los Angeles states Schwarzenegger is also willing to pay his estranged wife’s attorney.

The former couple’s 13-year-old son remains hospitalized after a recent body-boarding accident left him with a collapsed lung.

Shriver filed for divorce July 1. Her petition to end the couple’s 25-year-marriage came weeks after Schwarzenegger revealed he fathered a child with a member of his household staff years ago.

Judge denies defense expert in hearing on Blue Fusion murder case

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Denson's trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 3.

AE__DENSON_10_6909070.JPGEric B. Denson.

NORTHAMPTON - The judge in the murder trial of Eric B. Denson ruled Tuesday that the defense cannot call an expert on eyewitness reliability to testify on a motion to suppress evidence from a dozen witnesses who identified Denson as the person who stabbed Cathedral High School soccer star Conor W. Reynolds to death.

Reynolds, 18, died from the stab wounds he suffered during a private party at the Springfield nightclub Blue Fusion on March 13, 2010. Most of the dozen witnesses the defense is calling into question were young people who did not pick Denson’s photograph out from among hundreds shown them by police. They did, however, identify him from his clothing after being shown a surveillance photograph from a nearby gas station in which the person’s face cannot be clearly seen.

Tuesday’s hearing before Judge Peter A. Velis in Hampshire Superior Court was scheduled to determine if Prof. Steven D. Penrod may testify at the motion to suppress hearing next month, which is expected to last a week. Penrod, a psychology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, has done extensive research on witness identification and has testified at other trials in which the identification of the suspect has been called into question.

Under direct examination by defense lawyer Harry Miles, Penrod told Velis that the science of witness identification has mushroomed since the 1970s as research into the subject has increased. According to Penrod, a study of 260-270 cases in which DNA evidences has reversed a conviction shows that erroneous identification led to 70-75 percent of those false guilty findings.

Among the causes of misidentification, Penrod said, are “unconscious transference,” in which the witness confuses the roles people play in a crime, and “bystander error,” in which an innocent bystander is identified as the perpetrator. Stress, disguise and race can also play a role in erroneous identifications, he said. Denson is black.

In this case, witnesses were shown the gas station photo without any accompanying photographs of similarly dressed people. Penrod said these so-called “show ups” involving a single suspect result in twice as many misidentifications.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni argued that, while Penrod may make these points at trial, his research has no bearing on the motion to suppress because Velis must decide only if police influenced the identifications by making impermissible suggestions to the witnesses. Although Miles argued that the lack of context surrounding the gas station photo satisfied that standard, Velis ruled otherwise.

“There are no reliable studies about that,” the judge said, adding that the defense retains the option of calling Penrod at trial.

Velis expressed some dismay when Miles told him he might request that the hearing on the motion to suppress, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 8, be spilt into two parts because he has been unable to subpoena all the witnesses. Noting that the trial is set to begin on Oct. 3 and could last as long as a month, Velis said he wants to avoid any delays.

“We’re going to be strict about the trial starting on time,” he said.

Mastroianni told the judge that some of the witnesses are now college students who attend school out of state. He said he would use his influence to gather them all for the next hearing.

“I’ll just about guarantee I’ll have those people there,” he said.

Mastroianni estimated he will call 20-30 witnesses at the trial. Miles told Velis he will have about 20, including experts on video, blood spatter and pathology.

Blue Fusion is now closed. Police estimate that 200 people attended the 2010 private birthday party for another student. Springfield officials have said the club lacked licenses and permits for entertainment, food and beverages.

According to police, Reynolds was stabbed while trying to break up a fight at the party. Denson, 20, of 1026 Carew St., is charged with murder in connection with Reynold’s death. He also faces charges of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon involving Reynolds and the stabbing of another Cathedral student, Peter D’Amario, who was wounded during the altercation.


Man suffers leg injury during tumble down Connecticut River embankment in Springfield

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Springfield firefighters were able to get a stretcher to the fallen man.

police lights.jpg

SPRINGFIELD – A man who tumbled down the banks of the Connecticut River early Tuesday afternoon, about halfway between Riverfront Park and the Memorial Bridge, was taken to Baystate Medical Center for treatment of a leg injury.

Springfield Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger said the accident was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. and ambulance personnel asked firefighters for assistance in rescuing the man.

Leger said the river bank in that area is about 60 feet high and that firefighters were able to extricate the victim with a stretcher. Additional information was not immediately available.

Iraqi students getting taste of America through summer leadership program at UMass

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The program is funded by the United States Embassy in Baghdad, and implemented by the Academy for Educational Development.

Iraq.JPGKazhal Khalid Ahmed, Shaynaa Ali Kahalid, Zinah Akram Mohammed, Sana Dara Mohammed and Shahed Raad Abbas are five of the 24 Iraqi students participating in the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program - taking place at the University of Massachusetts this summer.

AMHERST – Before coming to the United States, Zinah Akram Mohammed’s sense of life in America was that it was all about sex and money - a stereotype propagated by reality television shows pervasive in her native Iraq.

Now she knows that just shows such as “The Jersey Shore” offer a distortion of the real America. She also knows that Americans “don’t hate Islam, they don’t hate Iraqi people.” The United States invasion in 2003 was about politics, not about the people, she said. “All of us are the same. We have the same goals.”

Mohammed, who’s 20, is one of 48 in this country participating in the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program - half are at the University of Massachusetts and half at the Virginia Commonwealth University. The focus for these college students here is to study the US public policy process.

The program is funded by the United States Embassy/Baghdad, and implemented by the Academy for Educational Development. This is the third time a group of Iraqis have come, said Michael Hannahan, director and founder of the Civic Initiative at the Donahue Institute. The Iraqi program is part of that.

And before the students leave next week, they want to leave something behind. They are hosting a dinner at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield Thursday at 6 p.m. to raise money for the Springfield Adolescent Health Center - a Baystate and Springfield partnership to provide health services to homeless and transient teens in that city.

This is the first such event the group has been involved in, Hannahan said. Many of those here are studying sciences and this benefit is a way to bring in public policy as well, he said.

The students will talk about what it’s like back home what they have learned from their visit here.

Those here have come from all over Iraq, some who witnessed the 2003 American invasion first hand and some who were relatively inured in northern Kurdistan.

But they all wanted to study in America to see the country and the culture for themselves. Hannahan said 1,000 applied and for some simply applying is dangerous although the danger is diminishing from what it was when the first program began. Some don’t like that Iraqi’s are in America.

The students themselves said there were not afraid to come, even if their experience with American soldiers there was in inauspicious. Shahed Raad Abbas of Babylon said the soldiers were rude.

Mohammed had been living in Baghdad during the initial invasion. Her brother had to be sent away to be protected. She said she had to be driven one block to school because of the danger. In 2006 her family fled north. She hopes to return to Baghdad.

Taher Abdair, 21, who is from Kut said in the beginning everyone was “very happy to be free of Saddam Hussein.” But he said since he’s gone “terrorism is worse,” the promised development is not happening. “We are very disappointed.”

The provincial council of Kut city, the center of southern Iraq’s Wassit province last month voted for the withdrawal of US forces from the city. According to news accounts, council members said that the US forces have committed many crimes in the city like arresting civilians without an arrest warrant from Iraqi justice system.

But despite what’s happening in his country, Mohammed Wadhah Ibrahim, 25, said “We love America.” He said there have been some mistakes but overall his feelings are good. In Iraq, he worked for the United States as a translator and heard of repeated corruption with projects that never get built or the price tag being inflated with politicians pocketing the excess. But he said that the USAID, for which he also worked, was more successful. That is an independent federal government agency.

People in many parts of Iraq still struggle with the things like electricity they only get a few hours per day and have to use both personal and neighborhood generators and the price is costly. Also they said the water is not safe to drink so they have to buy bottled water. Thinking about basic survival cuts into the time they can spend on other things, Zinah Mohammed said, like sharing stories about their culture.

The students, meanwhile, are organizing their presentation they will give in Springfield Thursday night while Hannahan works on the fund-raising piece. Abdair said, “we are happy to help.”

Hannahan said in Iraq most of the assistance comes from families or the government and the idea of fundraising like this or volunteering is not all that common. But this is something they can learn about and bring back, he said.

“We want America to know our true colors,” Zinah Mohammed said by what they’re trying to do. “We don’t hate Americans.”

For more information about tickets or to donate - call Tom Fricke, the Iraqi program coordinator at 413-345-4462.


National Weather Service issues severe thunderstorm watch for Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties

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The severe thunderstorm watch will remain in effect until 10 p.m.

Weather 72611.jpgThis NOAA satellite image taken Tuesday morning shows a low pressure system over southeastern Canada and northeastern U.S., with its cold front extending southwestward across the Ohio Valley. Showers and thunderstorms were developing near the low pressure center.

SPRINGFIELD – The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties until 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely, mainly after 4 p.m.

Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds.


More details coming at MassLive.com and in The Republican.

Worcester-based gun company Kahr Arms agrees to pay $600K in gun-death lawsuit

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In a wrongful death suit against the company, a murder victim's family alleged the gun was stolen and later sold by a Kahr employee with a criminal record.

Stolen Gun LawsuitIn this Aug. 15, 2002 photo, attorney Hector Pineiro, right, holds a photograph of a Kahr Arms' handgun during a news conference in Worcester, Mass., to announce a lawsuit against the Worcester gun manufacturer in the Dec. 24, 1999 shooting death of Danny Guzman. In the background is the late Guzman's daughter Tammy Nicacio, left, 7, of Southbridge, Mass., and his mother Juana Hernandez, second from left, of Worcester. A settlement was announced Tuesday, July 26, 2011 in Washington, where the gun-maker agreed to pay almost $600,000 to the families of Guzman and another man wounded in the shooting involving a gun allegedly stolen from the company. (AP Photo/The Telegram & Gazette, Paul Kapteyn)

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts gun-maker has agreed to pay nearly $600,000 to the families of one man who was killed and another man who was wounded in a shooting involving a gun allegedly stolen from the company, a national gun-control group announced Tuesday.

Danny Guzman, 26, was slain outside a Worcester nightclub in 1999. Armando Maisonet was wounded in the same shooting.

In a 2002 wrongful death suit against Kahr Arms, of Worcester, Guzman's family alleged that the gun was stolen and later sold by a Kahr employee with a criminal record.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence announced the settlement in Washington, D.C., calling it the largest damages payment ever made by a gun manufacturer accused of negligence leading to the criminal use of a gun.

Guzman's relatives said in their lawsuit that Kahr should have done employee background checks and used metal detectors to prevent guns from being smuggled out of its Worcester factory.

The lawsuit alleged that Kahr employee Mark Cronin — who had a drug problem and a criminal record — stole the gun before it had a serial number stamped on it and sold it to Robert Jachimczyk for a gram of cocaine. The man charged in the shooting, Edwin Novas, then bought the gun from Jachimczyk for some heroin, according to the lawsuit. Cronin pleaded guilty to the gun theft and was sentenced to two years in prison. Novas was never caught; he is still listed on the Worcester Police Department's website as being wanted in the unresolved killing.

The settlement covers separate lawsuits filed by Guzman's family and Maisonet, who was wounded in the shoulder in the shooting. Under the agreement, the Guzman family will receive 70 percent of the settlement, while Maisonet will receive 30 percent.

"This settlement sends a strong signal to gun manufacturers nationwide that they will pay the consequences for their misconduct if they operate without regard for public safety," said Daniel Vice, senior attorney of the Brady Center's Legal Action Project.

Representatives of Kahr Arms could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. Messages were left at the company's Worcester factory.

Guzman was shot and killed in front of a Worcester nightclub on Dec. 24, 1999. Six days later, police discovered a 9mm Kahr Arms handgun behind an apartment building near where Guzman was shot. The loaded gun had been found by a 4-year-old child who lived in the building.

Lawyers for Guzman's family said he was not the intended target of the shooting.

PM News Links: Broadband expansion begins in Western Massachusetts, debt crisis causes companies to delay hiring and more

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Lifeguards will not be returning to beaches in the Cape Cod town of Bourne despite a majority town meeting vote

Amy Winehouse funeral 72611.jpgSinger Dionne Bromfield, goddaughter of Amy Winehouse, center, views tributes outside the late singer's north London home, Tuesday. Click on the link, below, for a report from the Los Angeles Times about the British singer's funeral.

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

Sen. Scott Brown taps ex-McCain strategist Jim Barnett for 2012 campaign

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Barnett was New Hampshire state director for John McCain's 2008 presidential bid.

Last days of the Massachusetts Senate raceDon Anderson, a supporter of Massachusetts State Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, waves to drivers passing below on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Newton, Mass., during Brown's first run for Senate.

BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has tapped the former New Hampshire state director for John McCain's 2008 presidential bid to serve as his campaign manager.

Brown's campaign cited Jim Barnett's role in helping oversee McCain's victory in the state, which paved the way for his nomination as the GOP's candidate for president against Democrat Barack Obama.

The 35-year-old Barnett has also served as Vermont Republican Party chairman and as an adviser to former Vermont Gov. James Douglas.

Barnett in a written statement called Brown "a refreshing political figure" who casts votes based on what is best for the people he serves.

Democrats tried to portray Barnett as a political heir to Republican strategists Lee Atwater and Karl Rove.

The Massachusetts Republican is hoping to win a full six-year term next year.

White House threatens to veto Boehner's House debt limit plan

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Majority Leader Harry Reid said the measure stood no chance of passing the Senate even if it clears the House. He pronounced it "dead on arrival."

072611debtshowdown.jpgHouse Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, right, and Republican Conference Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas , center, listen as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Va., left, speaks during a news conference at The Republican National Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 26, 2011.

WASHINGTON — The White House threatened on Tuesday to veto emergency legislation pending in the House to avert a threatened national default, a pre-emptive strike issued as Republican Speaker John Boehner labored to line up enough votes to pass the measure.

Boehner faced criticism from some conservatives in advance of an expected vote on Wednesday.

The bill would raise the debt limit by $1 trillion while making cuts to federal spending of $1.2 trillion — reductions that conservatives say aren't enough.

The measure also would establish a committee of lawmakers to recommend additional budget savings of $1.8 trillion, which would trigger an additional $1.6 trillion increase in the debt limit.

The White House objects to the requirement for a second vote before the 2012 elections.

Majority Leader Harry Reid said the measure stood no chance of passing the Senate even if it clears the House. He pronounced it "dead on arrival."

Washington and the nation are staring down an Aug. 2 deadline to raise the debt limit or face national default.

Flanked by conservative colleagues, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told reporters he could not back the Boehner proposal and said it doesn't have the votes to pass in the Republican-controlled House. In a two-step plan, Boehner is pressing for a vote on Wednesday and a second vote Thursday on a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.

"We think there are real problems with this plan," said Jordan, who heads the Republican Study Group. He argued that the spending cuts are insufficient and expressed opposition to likely tax increases.

Added Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla.: "If I had to vote right now, my vote would be no."

The conservative challenge came just hours after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told the Republican rank and file to stop grumbling as he sought to rally lawmakers for the Boehner plan. In a closed-door session, the Virginia Republican acknowledged the resistance to increasing the nation's borrowing authority. "The debt limit vote sucks," he told his caucus. But Cantor insisted that it must be done.

Cantor spelled out the options for the GOP — allowing default and stepping into an economic abyss, backing the Senate Democratic plan or calling President Barack Obama's bluff by backing the GOP's own proposal.

Neither of the rival plans offered by Boehner in the House and Reid in the Senate seemed to have the necessary votes in Congress amid a bitter stalemate that could have far-reaching repercussions for the fragile U.S. economy as well as global markets. Stocks fell Tuesday as U.S. markets registered their nervousness over the Washington gridlock between Obama and Republicans.

At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said the administration remains in contact with congressional leaders despite the collapse of talks last Friday and inconclusive discussions this past weekend.

"We're working on Plan B. ... There has to be a product that can pass the House and the Senate and be signed into law," said Carney, who argued that the Boehner plan had no chance of passing in the Senate.

Carney insisted that Aug. 2 is the drop-dead date for the Treasury's cash flow — "beyond that date we lose our capacity to borrow" — and expressed confidence that the debt ceiling would be raised by the deadline.

The continued bickering on Capitol Hill overshadowed any signs of emerging common ground.

An influential conservative advocacy group urged lawmakers to vote against both plans. "Speaker Boehner's most recent proposal to raise the debt limit is regrettably insufficient to our times," Heritage Action for America said in a letter Tuesday to House members.

Still, Boehner told reporters that the "we are going to have some work to do to get it passed, but I think we can do it."

In the Senate, Reid challenged Republicans to back his competing legislation, arguing that the no-taxes, government-cuts proposal was just what they wanted.

"In short, it's everything the Republicans have demanded wrapped up in a bow and delivered to their door," Reid said at the start of the Senate session.

In a prime-time address Monday night, Obama pleaded for compromise and urged Americans to contact their lawmakers.

"We can't allow the American people to become collateral damage to Washington's political warfare," Obama told the nation.

Boehner, in a rebuttal, said he had given "my all" to work out a deal with Obama.

"The president would not take yes for an answer," he said.

Congressional officials said the House switchboard was near capacity with a high volume of calls and suggested using backup numbers. Websites also experienced heavy traffic, and lawmakers were sending out appeals for patience. A note from Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., simply said, "House Systems Maxed Out."

Unclear was whether the callers echoed Obama's argument or backed Boehner's call for his approach.

In afternoon trading on Wall Street, stocks were mixed as the financial markets warily watched the standoff.

The extraordinary back-to-back appeals by Obama and Boehner gave no indication that weeks of brinkmanship and sputtering talks over long-term deficit reductions were on the verge of ending. With the deadline rapidly closing, Congress and the White House had limited options to avoid a potential government default that could send the already weak economy into a damaging swoon.

Even as hints of progress seemed hard to find, Gene Sperling, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, said this was no time to be engaging in "doomsday scenarios."

Obama reiterated his call for achieving lower deficits though spending cuts and new tax revenues. But in a notable retreat, he voiced support for a Senate Democratic plan that would reduce deficits by about $2.7 trillion over 10 years only with spending cuts, not with additional revenue.

The Senate plan, unveiled by Reid, and the proposal announced the same day by Boehner overlap in significant ways. Both identify about $1.2 trillion in spending cuts to the day-to-day operating budgets of government agencies, though Reid's proposal also counts an extra $1 trillion in savings from winding down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both proposals would create a bipartisan congressional commission to identify further deficit reductions, especially in major health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

The primary difference between the two is timing. Reid's proposal would raise the debt ceiling enough so that it wouldn't have to be reconsidered until 2013, beyond the 2012 elections, as demanded by Obama. The GOP plan would only extend the debt ceiling for about six months.

For Republicans, the timing provides crucial leverage to force Democrats and the president to cut spending in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, expensive benefit programs that Democrats have long protected, despite escalating costs.

Credit rating agencies such as Moody's and Standard & Poor's have threatened to downgrade the United States' gold-plated AAA rating if Congress and the White House don't extend the debt ceiling and take steps to bring long-term deficits under control.

While both plans would increase the debt ceiling, ratings agencies have said a short-term increase such as the one proposed by House Republicans may not be enough to protect the U.S. from a ratings downgrade. What's more, neither plan offers the larger deficit-reducing assurances that credit ratings have said they need for the U.S. to retain its place as one of the most secure investments in the world.

Sperling was interviewed on MSNBC.

Obituaries today: Mary Murphy of Chicopee, worked for Steiger's department store, member of St. Mary's Parish Women's Guild

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Obituaries from The Republican.

Mary Murphy.jpgMary A. Murphy

CHICOPEE - Mary A. Murphy, 91, died Sunday at her home in Chicopee. Born in Holyoke on June 15, 1920, she was a daughter of Francis and Alice (McGuigan) Herlihy. She was educated locally and worked for many years at the Albert Steiger Co. in Holyoke retiring as the personnel manager of its Ingleside location. Mary was a devoted communicant of the former St. Mary's Parish in Willimansett where she was an active member of the Women's Guild. She was a Eucharistic Minister at St. Mary's as well as with Mercy Hospital and was an active member for many years on the Chapin School parent-teacher association.

Obituaries from The Republican:


California man attempts self-surgery to repair hernia with butter knife

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Officers found the man naked on a patio lounge chair outside his apartment with a 6-inch butter knife sticking out of his stomach.

GLENDALE, Calif. — A Southern California man stuck a butter knife into his belly in a failed bid at self-surgery to remove a painful hernia, police said Tuesday.

The wife of the 63-year-old Glendale man called 911 on Sunday night and told the emergency operator her husband was using a knife to remove a protruding hernia, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

"She said he had impaled himself with a knife," Lorenz said.

Officers found the man naked on a patio lounge chair outside his apartment with a 6-inch butter knife sticking out of his stomach.

The man's wife told officers that her husband was upset about the hernia and wanted to take it out.

While waiting for paramedics, the sergeant said, the man pulled out the knife and stuffed a cigarette he was smoking into the bleeding, open wound.

"What he was thinking, I don't know. I don't know if he was cauterizing it (the wound)," Lorenz said.

The man wasn't screaming or showing any signs of pain, the sergeant said.

Based on his actions and statements from the wife, Lorenz said the man was placed on psychiatric hold and taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

Because he's on psychiatric hold for up to 72 hours under the state Welfare and Institutions Code, Lorenz said the man's name and condition cannot be released.

"You just never know what to expect," said Lorenz, who has been on the police force for 29 years. "I've seen self-mutilation, but not a maneuver like this."


Tornado warning issued for eastern Hampden County, south-central Hampshire County

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The warning is in effect until 5:15 p.m.

Gallery preview

4:40 p.m. update: The National Weather Service issued a new tornado warning at 4:40 p.m., indicating a tornado was located near Wilbraham or Springfield, moving east at 20 mph.

Here is the updated warning


Tornado Warning

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
440 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 2011

MAC013-015-262115-
/O.CON.KBOX.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-110726T2115Z/
HAMPSHIRE MA-HAMPDEN MA-
440 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM EDT FOR EASTERN
HAMPDEN AND EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN HAMPSHIRE COUNTIES...

AT 438 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR WILBRAHAM...OR
NEAR SPRINGFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PALMER
AND MONSON. MANY TREES ARE DOWN IN SPRINGFIELD AND THERE HAVE BEEN
REPORTS OF A FUNNEL CLOUD. ALSO ONE INCH HAIL WAS REPORTED IN
SPRINGFIELD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS AND
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND CENTRAL RHODE ISLAND.

&&

LAT...LON 4220 7228 4206 7231 4215 7254 4221 7251
TIME...MOT...LOC 2038Z 292DEG 16KT 4213 7245

$$

NOCERA


The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for eastern Hampden County, including Chicopee, and south-central Hampshire County.

The warning is in effect until 5:15 p.m.

Here is the NWS statement:


BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
428 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
EASTERN HAMPDEN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF CHICOPEE...
SOUTH CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 515 PM EDT

* AT 424 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR CHICOPEE...
MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...LUDLOW...WILBRAHAM...PALMER
AND MONSON.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS A
TORNADO MAY ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
SHORTLY. TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE
OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS AND
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND CENTRAL RHODE ISLAND.

&&

LAT...LON 4221 7227 4206 7231 4218 7263 4225 7259
TIME...MOT...LOC 2027Z 284DEG 14KT 4219 7252

$$

NOCERA

National Weather Service: Tornado indicated near Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson

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Western Massachusetts Electric Company is reporting 11,000 customers out of power in their service areas.

072611 chicopee flooding.jpgA man wades in water to retrieve garbage can during a flash flood in front of the Registry of Motor Vehicles in Chicopee on Tuesday following a severe thunderstorm that caused many streets flooded and cars under water in Chicopee.
072611easthampton-storm-patbrough.jpgStorm clouds gather over Easthampton on July 26, 2011.

Update, 6:08 p.m.: WBUR radio in Boston reports a motorcyclist was killed in the Berkshire County town of Hinsdale when a utility pole fell.

Update, 5:55 p.m.: A tree and wires are down on a house at 65 Brewster St. in Springfield. All the residents are out of the house, police said.

Update, 5:54 p.m.: Springfield Fire Department spokesman Dennis Leger told the Associated Press the city had heavy rain and hail, and numerous trees and power lines down in the Indian Orchard area, but no reports of injuries.

Update, 5:53 p.m.: Springfield Police have called out the emergency management director for assistance.

Update, 5:51 p.m.: Springfield Police are reporting traffic problems in the area of Cottage and Robbins streets and Front and Main streets in Indian Orchard.

Update, 5:42 p.m.: Springfield Police reported trees are across the train tracks near Cottage Street.

Update, 5:41 p.m.: Two people, possibly a father and his son, who were in a boat were rescued from the Connecticut River in Holyoke near Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Update, 5:40 p.m.: Longmeadow police are reporting West Road is impassible because of downed trees or wires.

Update, 5:38 p.m. Springfield Police are reporting traffic jams at Page Boulevard and Cadwell Streets in Springfield. Officers said Cadwell street is unpassable.

They are also reporting a tree in the middle of Boston Road in Springfield.

Update, 5:33 p.m.: Holyoke police said there were reports of power lines down on Gatehouse Road and Meadow Street. There are also reports of trees down in the downtown areas of at 454 Dwight Road, 32 West court St. and 27 Lawler St. and manhole covers overflowed on Appleton and Cabot streets.

072611 downed tree holyoke.jpgA large tree lies uprooted at 45 Meadow St. in Holyoke.

Update, 5:24 p.m.: Western Massachusetts Electric Company is reporting 11,000 customers out of power in their service areas. Pittsfield has been hardest hit with 7,500 people having lost power and 3,500 residents have lost power in Springfield.

Update, 5:20 p.m. The tornado warning has expired. A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 10 p.m.

Update, 5:17 p.m.: Police are reporting trees and wires down on Welland Road in Springfield.

Update, 5:15 p.m.: Chicopee is reporting trees down on Pendleton, lower Prospect, Irene streets and some of those streets and others in the neighborhood. The Prospect Street underpass is also flooded.


A fast-moving, severe thunderstorm hit cities and towns across Hampden County late Tuesday afternoon, at the same time of day an EF-3 tornado struck the area almost two months ago.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning, which is in effect until 5:15 p.m. The warning indicated a tornado near Wilbraham or Springfield. Just before the warning expired, the NWS said a funnel cloud was reported near Monson.

The thunderstorm hit East Springfield at about 4:30 p.m., with heavy damage to Worcester Street with many downed trees reported.

There was a report of a tree through a kitchen on Paramount Street, but a fire spokesman said when they responded, a person in the house got out.

Holyoke reported heavy water and flooding, and a car under water in the underpass at Commercial and Cabot Street.

Wall Street: White House threat of veto on debt limit legislation sends stocks lower

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The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 92 points.

Harry Reid 72611.jpgSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., leans forward to hear a reporter's question as he talks about the conflicting plans to deal with the debt crisis, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday. The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 92 points Tuesday as the White House threatened to veto possible debt limit legislation.

NEW YORK – A White House threat to veto legislation that would avert a debt default pushed stocks lower Tuesday.

Major indexes were already down for the day when the White House said it would object to a Republican plan in the House of Representatives that calls for raising the debt limit by $1 trillion. The plan would require the debt issue to be voted on again next year, something President Barack Obama does not want.

The stalemate over raising the country’s borrowing limit has rattled investors. If an agreement is not reached by Aug. 2, the U.S. won’t have enough cash to pay all its bills and could default on its debt.

Analysts say a U.S. default would have a devastating effect on financial markets. The U.S. would likely lose its triple-A credit rating, causing interest rates to soar. Stocks could plunge.

Paul Zemsky, chief investment officer of multi-asset strategies at ING Investment Management, said a default could also cause Americans to lose confidence in the economy, causing them to put off major purchases such as buying cars and homes.

“Anything that shakes confidence right now is just bad for the economy,” Zemsky said. “And this is just a big confidence-shaker.”

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 91.50 points, or 0.7 percent, to 12,501.30. The Dow was already down 40 points in afternoon trading and lost another 50 after the White House threatened to veto the House legislation. It was the Dow’s third straight day of losses.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 5.49 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,331.94. Eight of the 10 company groups that make up the index fell. Only the technology and telecommunications sectors rose.

The Nasdaq composite fell 2.84, or 0.1 percent, to 2,839.96. Technology companies rose after Broadcom Corp. raised its revenue forecast for the third quarter on improving demand for its chips. Broadcom rose 9.4 percent, and rivals Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. each edged up less than 1 percent.

Amazon.com Inc. rose 6 percent in after-hours trading after the online retailer reported that its revenue jumped 51 percent. Its earnings and revenue were far higher than analysts were anticipating.

Strong earnings from Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and other major technology companies have made those stocks the market’s best performers since the market hit a low in mid-June. The Nasdaq is up 8.2 percent since June 15, while the Dow is up 5.4 percent and the S&P 500 is up 5.6 percent.

Almost half of the Dow’s decline came from 3M Co. The stock fell 5.4 percent, the most of the 30 companies that make up the Dow average. The industrial giant, which makes Scotch tape, medical equipment and many other products, said the disaster in Japan and sinking demand for LCD televisions hurt its results. The company makes a kind of film that is used in producing the flat-screen TVs. Since it makes so many kinds of products, investors often see 3M’s results as an indicator of how the whole U.S. manufacturing industry is doing.

UPS Inc., the world’s largest package delivery company, fell 3.3 percent after warning that the “uneven economic environment” in the U.S. could affect its results. Its main competitor, FedEx Corp., fell about 1 percent.

United States Steel Corp. also said it was seeing uneven economic conditions. The stock fell 8.3 percent after the company predicted that its earnings could fall in the third quarter.

AK Steel Holding Corp. fell 17.5 percent, the most of any company in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, after the company said it expects shipments to decline in the third quarter because of higher costs for raw materials.

Netflix Inc. fell 5.2 percent. The DVD rental and video streaming company’s sales missed analysts’ expectations late Monday. The company also said recent price changes could discourage some potential customers from subscribing.

About two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was light at 3.7 billion shares.

Massachusetts parole board chairman apologizes to family members of victims of convicted killer Francis Soffen

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A parole hearing for Francis Soffen was cancelled after the state failed to find a proper van to transport the inmate to the hearing in Natick.

soffen.jpgConvicted murderer Francis Soffen gestures at his parole hearing on July 6, 998 in Boston.

NATICK - The chairman of the Massachusetts Parole Board on Tuesday apologized to family members of two murder victims from Western Massachusetts, after canceling the parole hearing of a convicted killer because the state was unable to transport the inmate to the hearing.

The apology by Joshua Wall came as the overhauled board is attempting to improve its operations. Gov. Deval L. Patrick appointed Wall and four other new members earlier this year after a Woburn police officer was slain in December by an inmate released by prior board members.

Wall said the cancellation of the hearing was "a terrific inconvenience" and an emotional disruption for family members. "It was a mistake of human error," Wall said. "I apologize for that."

Wall said the state Department of Corrections could not obtain the proper van to transport Francis F. Soffen, 72, who uses a wheelchair.

Soffen, an inmate at a state prison in Shirley, is serving two life sentences after being convicted of second-degree murder in the 1972 execution-style killings of Gary J. Dube of Agawam and Steven J. Perrot of Springfield.

Family members of victims were planning to testify against Soffen's release. They drove about 75 miles to the board's offices in Natick and then were forced to wait for about 90 minutes before learning the hearing was being postponed to Aug. 19.

Caitlin Casey, chief of staff for the parole board, said it's very rare for a parole hearing to be canceled because of a problem in transporting an inmate.

Diane Wiffin, public affairs director for the state Department of Corrections, also issued an apology.

“There was a miscommunication regarding the hearing date," Wiffin said. "As a result, the resources needed to accommodate specific transportation needs of Mr. Soffen were unavailable. We are looking to identify exactly how this miscommunication happened to ensure it does not happen again. The DOC joins the Parole Board in extending apologies to the victim’s family.”

bonnie.jpgAn angry Bonnie Dube Clark gestures at the parole hearing July 6, 1998 in Boston for convicted murderer Francis Soffen.

Wall opened the hearing to take the testimony of a single witness, Charlene R. Russ, a nursing assistant from Hendersonville, N. C. who flew to Massachusetts for the hearing.

"I am disappointed," said Russ, who was one of four sisters of Dube to attend the hearing.

Russ pleaded with the board to deny parole for Soffen. "He's a dangerous man," she said. "I'm very worried for my family."

Another sister, Bonnie J. Dube Clark, 65, of Agawam, said the state corrections department should be more organized, but she accepts that mistakes happen.

"I wasn't pleased but what are you going to do?" she said after the hearing. "You can't fight City Hall."

Seven family members of Perrot also attended including a son, Michael S. Perrot of Agawam.

Two nieces of Soffen, including Maureen A. Maynard of Enfield, a registered nurse at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and Debra A. Allen of Springfield, also made the long drive from Western Massachusetts for the hearing and waited for 90 minutes until learning their uncle would not attend.

"He's sick," Maynard said before getting in her car to drive back to her home. "I don't believe he will be alive to see another parole hearing."

Wall said he has been assured by the state corrections department that a van will be available to carry Soffen to the hearing on Aug. 19.

Soffen has prostate cancer and other health problems including hepatitis and high blood pressure, according to his nieces.

In a plea bargain, Soffen, formerly of Springfield, admitted killing the two men. He was given two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life for the killings.

The Parole Board faced a storm of criticism after Domenic Cinelli, a longtime criminal, fatally shot Woburn Patrolman John Maguire on Dec. 26. Cinelli had been sentenced to three concurrent sentences of 15 years to life. The Parole Board had voted unanimously to release him about two years earlier.

5 Springfield post offices targeted for possible closure

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The U.S. Postal Service reported $8 billion in losses last year.

This is a localized version of a story posted at 8:55 this morning.


Brightwood Station 72611.jpgThe Brightwood branch of the United States Postal Service in Springfield is one of five branches in the city that may be closed. It is located on North Main Street.

SPRINGFIELD – Five of Springfield’s eight post offices could close as part of a cost-saving plan announced Tuesday by the United States Postal Service.

They are Brightwood, 3065 Main St.; Colonial Station, 1149 Main St.; Mason Square , 914 State St.; Tower Square, 1500 Main St. and Indian Orchard, 19 Oak St. The five branches are all on a list of post offices that are being studied for possible closure.

The city’s other post offices are the main office at 1883 Main St.; Forest Park, 393 Belmont Avenue and the contractor-operated branch at Gateway Hardware, 150 Boston Road.

There are 43 Massachusetts post offices on the study list. The branch in Lake Pleasant, a hamlet in the Franklin County town of Montague is the only other endangered post office in the Pioneer Valley.

Nationally, there are more than 3,000 post offices on the list or about 10 percent of the national total, according to a Postal Service news release.

Christine G. Dugas, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service, said people have 60 days to comment and forms are available at the post offices on the study list.

Robin L. Jones of Springfield will be one of the people trying to save Mason Square’s post office. She was part of a stream of customers coming and going from the Mason Square post office at lunch Tuesday.

“We have two major colleges in this neighborhood with Springfield College and American International College. There are plenty of businesses up and down this street who use this post office,” said Jones, a Realtor who lives Forest Park but works in the Mason Square neighborhood. “What else am I going to do: Go downtown and burn my own gas and waste my own time?”

Thomasina C. Brown lives nearby on Cambridge Street and said she depends on the Mason Square post office for her post office box. She prefers to get her mail there rather than risk having it stolen from her home.

“I just like the security,” she said. “I work and I don’t want my mail sitting out all day. if I go away, I know my mail is here. What will I do if this place closes.”

Julio Colon of Lois Street in Springfield had a package to mail.

“I know there are problems with the government, but taxpayers should get something for their money,” Colon said. “Why do they have to take away or post office. We get good service here.”

Dugas said the Postal Service doesn’t get taxpayer money, but only money it earns itself. It also lost $8 billion last year in the face of declining mail volume. The amount of first-class mail has fallen 20 percent in just the last year she said.

She said 85 percent of all postal transactions involve the purchase of stamps.

“You can buy stamps anywhere, at drug stores, grocery stores,” Dugas said.

People can also use the Postal Service’s website to pay for and print out parcel mailing labels online.

“Then one of our carriers will pick it up,” she said.

The Postal Service is also looking to add more of what it calls “Village Post Offices”, or locations in grocery and department stores that would feature post office boxes for mail pickup. they will be similar to the Gateway Hardware location, Dugas said.

Springfield Colonial Station and Brightwood stations were on the chopping block back in 2009, but survived.

“That doesn’t mean they will be saved again,” Dugas said. “Use patterns may have changed.”

She said the post offices will be evaluated not just on volume, but also in light of what types of postal services are available nearby.

The Postal Service has been cutting its staff through attrition, not layoffs, she said. No layoffs are expected from these closures.

William A. Tranghese, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said the congressman will work to save the Springfield locations.

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