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Vehicles were racing before fatal crash on Interstate 95, authorities say

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Two vehicles appeared to be racing on Interstate 95 in Boxford Saturday night, just moments before a fatal crash.

Two vehicles appeared to be racing on Interstate 95 in Boxford Saturday night, just moments before a fatal crash.

Several people called 911 around 10 p.m. Saturday and reported two vehicles were speeding along I-95 southbound and it appeared the vehicles were racing, according to the Massachusetts State Police.

Authorities then received reports that several cars crashed on the highway. State Police troopers and Boxford firefighters rushed to the scene and discovered a three-car crash.

State Police learned one of the drivers had life-threatening injuries. The driver, 38-year-old Michael Espinola of Peabody, was rushed to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Espinola was driving a 1997 BMW convertible and speeding before the crash. Investigators said he crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a 2012 Acura MDX and a 2009 Honda Civic.

The driver of the Acura, a 64-year-old North Hampton, New Hampshire man, and his passenger, a 64-year-old woman from North Hampton, New Hampshire, were taken to Beverly Hospital.

The driver of the Honda, a 43-year-old woman from Georgetown, and a 12-year-old girl who was inside the vehicle, were taken to the same hospital. All four people had non-life threatening injuries, according to the State Police.

The accident remains under investigation.

 

Chicopee Police to hold Coffee-with-a-Cop with Sen. Eric Lesser

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The Police Department holds regular Coffee-with-a-Cop sessions as a way to informally talk to residents and listen to concerns about the city.

CHICOPEE - The Police Department has scheduled the next Coffee-with-a-Cop and State Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow will join officers.

Police will be at the Chick-fil-A, 501 Memorial Drive, from 9 to 11 a.m., April 29. People are welcome to stop by any time and ask questions, air concerns or just meet officers and Lesser.

The Chicopee Police regularly hold the Coffee-with-a-Cop events to reach out to the community and have informal discussions with residents on any issues in the city.

Vermont man dies while trying to rescue dog trapped on ice

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Vermont State Police are investigating the death. An autopsy is pending.

CHITTENDEN, Vt. - A 93-year-old man fell through the ice and died while trying to rescue his dog Saturday.

William R. Graf, was hiking in the woods near Lefferts Pond, off Wildcat Road, when his dog ran onto the ice. A witness reported the man went onto the ice to rescue the animal and fell through the ice, Vermont State Police said.

The victim was unable to get out of the water and drowned, police said.

Police are investigating the drowning. An autopsy is pending.

Massachusetts man convicted for killing bicyclist then claiming he hit a deer

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A 21-year-old Middleborough man who struck and killed a bicyclist then fled the scene and concocted a story about hitting a deer was sentenced to jail in the 2013 death.

A 21-year-old Middleborough man who struck and killed a bicyclist then fled the scene and concocted a story about hitting a deer was sentenced to jail in the 2013 death.

Eric Megna will serve 18 months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence with the balance of the sentence suspended for two years with probation, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office.

Megna pleaded guilty in Plymouth Superior Court Friday to one count of leaving the scene of a death. Megna's license is now suspended for three years. He must also perform 100 hours of community service.

Authorities said Megna, a then-University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth student, was heading home on Oct. 11, 2013 around 7 p.m. when he struck and killed 58-year-old Michael Dutra while he was riding his bike on Wood Street in Middleborough.

Dutra was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Rather than stop and assist the dying Dutra, Megna instead fled the scene to New Hampshire to family-owned property," the district attorney's office said. "Megna spent several days there before he reported to New Hampshire State Police that he had struck a deer while driving home on Route 93."

Megna, according to investigators, emailed his mother a picture of a dead deer. She showed the picture to detectives.

Police determined the picture was actually taken off the Internet. There were no signs of fur or deer remains on Megna's Jeep.

The Massachusetts State Police Criminalistics Section sent paint chips found at the scene and on Dutra's clothing to a lab in Calgary as part of their investigation. Authorities learned the manufacturer used that particular paint for the vehicle.

"This defendant did not hit an animal or debris in the road, he struck and killed Michael Dutra, the loving father of two daughters," said District Attorney Timothy Cruz. "He left Mr. Dutra to die alone in the roadway and then concocted a scheme that was both cowardly and criminal. With Mr. Megna now in jail, I am hopeful the Dutra family can finally take steps to begin to heal."

Investigators were able to match pieces of the Jeep found at the scene to parts recovered at a Quincy body shop where Megna had his vehicle fixed. Dutra's DNA was also found on the shattered windshield.

State Police arrested Megna approximately 40 days after the crash.

 

Connecticut man arrested after police allegedly find 2.2 pounds of marijuana in his car

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Karriem Holness was charged with possession of marijuana and illegal sale of a controlled substance.

HARTFORD, Ct. - A 34-year-old man was arrested after Connecticut State Police troopers allegedly found more than two pounds of marijuana in his car.

Karriem Holness, of East Hartford, was released after posting a $15,000 surety bond following the Friday night arrest. He is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on April 25, Connecticut State Police said.

Troopers stopped Holness at about 5:10 p.m. on Market St. near the entrance to  Interstate 84 after they observed driver using a cell phone. Connecticut laws bans the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. After pulling him over, troopers realized Holness' license was suspended, police said.

"Through the course of the investigation troopers conducted a search of the vehicle and located 2.2 pounds of marijuana," police said.

Holeness was charged with possession of marijuana and illegal sale of a controlled substance, police said.

Injured bald eagle rescued by construction workers in Suffield recovering

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Suffield Police initially responded and then asked for help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police.

SUFFIELD - An injured bald eagle rescued by construction workers is recovering and will likely be released next week.

Last week the construction workers spotted the eagle that was obviously injured. They called police who responded and then asked for help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police, Suffield Police officials said.

Experts determined the eagle was female and had a number of wounds on her back, which likely occurred in a fight with another eagle. She was brought to a rehabilitation center for treatment, police said.

"Today we were notified that she is doing well and it looks like she will be released next week," police said.

Body found in Muddy River in Boston

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A body was discovered in the Muddy River in Boston Sunday afternoon in the area near Boylston Street.

A body was discovered in the Muddy River in Boston Sunday afternoon in the area near Boylston Street.

The discovery of the body was reported to police by park rangers around 12:15 p.m, Boston Police Officer Rachel McGuire said.

The report was in the area of 1200 Boylston St., which is near Fenway Victory Gardens.

No identification has been made as of Sunday afternoon, the officer said. Police continue to investigate and no further details were released.

 

West Springfield man fired gun inside Denny's restaurant in Holyoke, police say

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Police believed Eric Torres was the suspect from Denny's, and deployed Officer Ryan Tabb and his K-9 Jori to conduct a track.

Holyoke Police K-9 JoriHolyoke Police K-9 Jori  

HOLYOKE - A man accused of firing a gun inside the Denny's restaurant on Northampton Street is due in court Monday on several charges.

Eric Torres, 30, of West Springfield, allegedly fired one shot during a disturbance on Saturday at 4 a.m., then fled in a silver Nissan Altima.

Officers saw the vehicle leaving the area and stopped it at Main and Ingleside streets. Torres was arrested for driving without a license.

Officer Ryan Tabb and his K-9 Jori then conducted a track, and found a handgun and a spent shell casing near the restaurant.

Torres is charged with possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, driving with a suspended license and a motor vehicle lights violation.

He will be arraigned in Holyoke District Court on Monday.


Police, football players, a grandmother shave their hair to raise money for cancer

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The Shave-A-Thon raises an average of $60,000 to $65,000 every year to help fund childhood cancer research. Watch video

AMHERST - David Mikos had no plans to shave off his brown, curly hair but then the Springfield College freshman he got an offer he couldn't refuse. 

"One of my coaches offered me $100 so I had to," he said. "I liked my hair but it will grow back."

That $100 will be donated as part of an estimated $60,000 to $65,000 that was raised on Sunday to benefit St. Baldrick's Foundation, which offers grants to researchers trying to find cures and treatments for childhood cancer. This is the eighth year of the shave-a-thon, said Matt Malo, a police sergeant for the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Police Department, and the organizer.

For the Shave-A-Thon men, women and even children take donations from people who want them to shave their hair for the cause. The event is always held in honor of Luke Bradley,12, of South Hadley, who was first diagnosed with leukemia when he was 6, Malo said.

Many of the shaved heads belonged to police officers from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who work with Malo. Amherst and Hadley officers also get involved in a big way and police officers and firefighters from multiple other towns from the large departments to towns many can't find on a map also volunteer to shave their hair, he said.

One of the ideas behind the shave-a-thon is children often lose their hair because of cancer treatments and this makes them feel less self-conscious   or "weird" because everyone else is willing to shave off their hair as well, Malo said.

By 10:30 a.m. the group had raised at least $45,000 and Malo said he was hoping to raise $75,000 by the end of the day.

The exact amount raised or the number of people who had their heads shaved at the day-long event at Hangar Pub and Grill on Sunday won't likely be known until later. On average the event raises between $60,000 and $65,000 every year, he said.

"Every cent goes directly to St. Baldrick's," he said.

A number of volunteer hair stylists from Amherst, Hadley and other towns shaved head-after-head at the Hangar Pub and Grill while others milled around cheered on the newly-lockless. A few asked for more creative looks, including Mikos who left one strand of his hair long and his hairdresser spiked it up for him.

"He has been through more than anyone should have to go through," said Candy Gauthier, Luke's grandmother who was preparing to shave her white hair.

This year has been a difficult one for Luke, after being in remission, the cancer returned and then he contracted bacterial meningitis while in the hospital, she said.

"He has had four neurosurgeries in six weeks. He is tired but he is improving," Luke's father Ryan Bradley said.

Luke's whole family gets involved in the fundraiser. Bradley said he and another son were planning to shave their heads and his grandmother shaves hers every year.

In past years Gauthier allowed donors to decide if she should go "bald is beautiful" or chose other options which left her sporting a rainbow-dyed mohawk one year and a bright pink one another. This year she was thinking of having her grandson's name shaved onto the side of her skull.

While Bradley's mother passes on shaving her hair, her connections as an alumnus to Springfield College brings other benefits, Malo said.

"Thanks to Springfield College this place is really busy. They just showed up with a bus and the entire football team," Malo said.

When Luke was first diagnosed with leukemia, Football Coach Mike Cerasuolo learned the boy was a football fan and his mother is a Springfield College graduate. Ever since the team has essentially adopted Luke. He attends practices and games when he is physically able and spends time with the team. This year he was named most courageous player of the year, he said.

"Our kids have really embraced the effort to fight this awful disease," Cerasuolo said. "It is good to get them outside their world and working on a cause."

Between 75 and 80 players raised more than $18,000 together and they all arrived in a bus to shave their heads in support of their youngest teammate, he said.

Jonathan Weaver, a junior from Bolton, Conn., said one of the players alone raised more than $1,000 for the cause by putting it on Facebook and having friends from his hometown share information about the cause.

"We usually have a cancer game and we will visit him," he said of Luke. "He loves sports and we have a good time with him."

This week in Springfield District Court: An OUI suspect too drunk to be finerprinted; a sex offender with a distinctive birth mark, and more

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Man killed in car fire at I-95 rest area in Mansfield

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The victim was pulled out by bystanders and pronounced dead at the scene.

MANSFIELD - A man was killed in a car fire at an I-95 rest area on Sunday afternoon, and investigators are working to determine the cause.

At 3:45 p.m., 911 callers reported the fire at the northbound rest area prior to Route 495. The North Attleboro Fire Department responded along with state police troopers.

The victim was pulled out by bystanders and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Massachusetts State Police.

His name is not being released yet.

This is a developing story. Stay with The Republican/MassLive for more information as it becomes available.

 

Springfield's Marianna Garcia makes her debut on television: What people were Tweeting

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Marianna Garcia, 17 appeared in the short film "Sharp Shooter"

SPRINGFIELD - People were excited to hear the news a local teenager and up-and-coming actress was appearing in Wednesday night's episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

Springfield actress Marianna Garcia, 17, appeared in NBC's hit crime drama. This is the first time Garcia has appeared in a network appearance but she was worked as a model and was featured in the 2014 short film "Sharp Shooter."

In the episode "Know It All," Garcia played an independent 15-year-old from the Bronx.

Garcia, who is represented by the Exxcel Model & Talent Agency, auditioned back in December and filmed her scenes in midtown Manhattan a month later. She lives in Springfield with her parents Jacob and Yolanda Garcia and her two siblings.
marianna
She currently takes online high school classes and attended Tantasqua Regional in Fiskdane and Thorton Burgess Middle School in Hampden. She has worked at Cracker Barrel and in retail sales at the Holyoke Mall.

Here are some of the things people were Tweeting about Garcia's first appearance on television.

Mass. college giving degrees to 6 New Hampshire family members, 5 posthumously

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Wentworth Institute of Technology said the members of the Downing family graduated with two-year degrees between 1914 and 1965.

BOSTON (AP) -- A Boston college is presenting honorary bachelor's degrees to six members of a New Hampshire family, five of them posthumously.

Wentworth Institute of Technology said the members of the Downing family graduated with two-year degrees between 1914 and 1965.

The surviving Wentworth graduate from the family is 72-year-old Jonathan Downing, from the Class of 1965, who'll pick up his honorary bachelor's degree on campus on April 21 at a Legacy Luncheon. Wentworth said it plans on that day to bestow degrees posthumously to his great-uncle Edward, Class of 1914; his grandfather Lester, Class of 1916; his father, Judson, Class of 1940; and his uncles Richard and Philip, both Class of 1949.

The Downings, from Alton Bay, New Hampshire, attended Wentworth before it offered bachelor's and master's degrees and when graduates earned only certificates or two-year degrees.

Wentworth President Zorica Pantic said it's "remarkable" that six family members graduated from the institute beginning more than a century ago.

"We want to honor the family for that achievement," she said in an emailed statement.

Jonathan Downing graduated from Wentworth with a degree in architectural engineering technology and is a retired architect. He said he and his relatives were military veterans who worked as engineers and mechanics.

"We've been waiting a long time for this story to be told," he said.

Children and spouses of the Downings who've died plan to accept the honorary degrees on their behalf.

The degrees will be presented the day before Wentworth holds its 2017 spring commencement.

Springfield Union Station gets efficient HVAC system

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Union Station will reopen in June following a years-long $95 million ground-up rehab. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- As Springfield's Union Station nears the end of its $95-million rehabilitation, city officials and executives from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts on Monday celebrated the building's modern, fuel-efficient heating, ventilation and cooling system.

Columbia Gas rebated the city $18,050 for two energy efficient gas-fired boilers installed to save money and gas. 

The new system, which costs just more than $300,000, will earn back the $18,000 in savings in just two years, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts President Stephen Bryant said during an announcement at the station. 

Savings are expected to be more than $1 million over the life of the equipment.

The effort is part of a program similar to ones maintained by all investor-owned utilities in the state. The program collects money from ratepayers to create a pool of grant money offered to those willing to invest in energy-saving technology.

Bryant said a homeowner shopping for gas appliances can do the same thing the city did by going to www.masssave.com and looking at the rebates available for appliance and equipment purchases.

The Springfield Redevelopment Authority is also working with electricity utility Eversource on similar energy-saving efforts, said Springfield Chief Development Officer Kevin Kennedy.

"You have to understand that, for all the history, under the skin of this Union Station is a 21st-century building," he said.

Union Station will open to train and bus passengers, as well as office tenants and a few retail and food operations, in June. It's the first time in 40 years the entire station, built in 1926, will be occupied and put to use.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, thanked Columbia Gas for its efforts. He said natural gas is coming down in price and making America energy self-sufficient.

"Its putting coal on the sidelines," said Neal, a longtime backer of the Union Station.

Del Shirely, a plumber and pipefitter for Adams-based contractor Adams Plumbing and Heating, explained that he new system circulates water that is about 70 to 75 degrees year around, whether it is heating or cooling.  

In winter, heat pumps make use of the warm water, returning it cooler to the boilers. In summer, the system uses a rooftop cooling tower to take heat off the water.

The boilers and pumps only run if needed.

Crews were still working Monday on pipes and pumps in the fifth-floor penthouse that handles the heating and cooling equipment as well as hot-water heaters that service the stations restrooms. that's a switch from old heating plants that were always in the basement and pumped the hot water up. Thios one lets the hot water fall.

Larceny trial of retired Springfield police officer Kevin Burnham set for May

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Retired Springfield police officer Kevin Burnham still has trial date of May 31 in case wehre he accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from police department.

SPRINGFIELD -- The trial date for retired Springfield police detective Kevin Burnham, accused of stealing nearly $400,000 from the department's evidence room, remains May 31.

When the trial date of March 20 was postponed that day because of a medical issue involving the defendant, Monday was set as a status date to discuss whether a new trial date of May 31 would stand.

Defendants are not required to be at status conferences. At Monday's status conference, the case was just continued to its trial date.

Burnham is accused of taking evidence room money over four and a half years.

On March 20, Charles Dolan, Burnham's lawyer, asked to go to sidebar to tell Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey the reasons for his request to postpone the trial. Carey said he would allow the postponement "in light of the medical condition of the defendant."

Burnham, a 43-year veteran of the police force, pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of larceny at his arraignment in January 2016. Charges were brought by the state attorney general's office, which is prosecuting the case, after a lengthy investigation of the then-66-year-old retired officer.

Burnham was charged with six counts of larceny over $250 and one count of larceny under $250. He was released on his own recognizance at his arraignment with conditions that he surrender his passport, not leave the state without permission from the probation department, turn his firearms over to Dolan and turn his firearms license and FID card over to Police Commissioner John Barbieri.


Belchertown school committee to consider fee changes

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The April 11 school committee budget hearing at Chestnut Hill Community School Auditorium begins at 6:30 p.m

BELCHERTOWN — The School Committee plans to discuss fee changes for busing students and for the athletic and music departments at Tuesday's meeting.

The meeting will convene following the board's budget hearing, where residents will be allowed to comment on the district's proposed spending plan for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The hearing at Chestnut Hill Community School Auditorium begins at 6:30 p.m.

Selectmen, the finance and school committees and Town Administrator Gary Brougham, Town Accountant Jill Panto and School Superintendent Karol Coffin have held several meetings to discuss the school budget.

Coffin recently announced that as many as 10 school employees, including six teaching positions, could be eliminated because of a gap between how much the school says it needs to spend to maintain services and how much money municipal officials say the town can prudently afford to allocate to the district.

At the March school board meeting, the committee requested a cost and savings analysis in order to properly review whether there should be fee increases for transportation, sports and athletics.

That analysis is expected to be communicated at Tuesday's meeting when the school committee is expected to adopt a budget that will be considered by voters at next month's annual Town Meeting.

School Committee Agenda 4-11-2017 by The Republican/MassLive.com on Scribd

Boston Marathon 2017: MBTA offering new 'Marathon Pass,' unlimited rides on Framingham-Worcester line on Marathon Monday

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The MBTA is offering a special Boston Marathon ticket that will allow spectators to see runners in Ashland, board the Worcester-Framingham Line and head to Wellesley, and then get back on the train to hustle over to the finish line in Copley Square.

The MBTA is offering a special Boston Marathon ticket that will allow spectators to see runners in Ashland, board the Worcester-Framingham Line and head to Wellesley, and then get back on the train to hustle over to the finish line in Copley Square.

The all-day commuter rail ticket costs $20 and is available only on Marathon Monday. Commuters will be able to head to the Marathon and return home for the flat rate.

The ticket will be available at MBTA ticket windows and when you board Framingham-Worcester line trains on Marathon Monday, April 17.

The ticket isn't available through MBTA fare vending machines, and it's not currently available through the mTicket mobile app.

This is the first time the MBTA Commuter Rail has provided this service on Marathon Monday, which is the result of collaboration with Keolis and other Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials.

The commuter rail is running two additional trains on the Worcester Line to accommodate marathon-bound passengers.

"Marathon Monday is a significant day for many of our customers and it's important to us at Keolis that we provide transportation options that enhance the experience," Kennon Foster, acting vice president of service delivery for Keolis, said in a statement. Keolis is the contractor hired by the MBTA to run the commuter rail service.

"The opportunity to see the race at multiple stages with a ticket that doubles as a keepsake will do just that," Foster added.

A one-day pass allowing unlimited travel within the MBTA train and bus system in the Greater Boston area costs $12.

For security reasons, backpacks, coolers and bottles aren't allowed on the Boston Marathon route. Bikes are prohibited aboard trains after 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, and all day Monday, April 17.

2017 Boston Marathon kicks off with 'Banner Day' celebration

Man in car with Springfield murder defendant testifies he slept through gunshots

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Michael Rodriguez, 32, of Holyoke, is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Julian Cartie of New Britain, Connecticut, on Feb. 22, 2009 in downtown Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- Magdiel Cortes testified Monday in Hampden Superior Court that he had been drinking heavily and fell asleep in the back of a car in which murder suspect Michael Rodriguez was riding on Feb. 22, 2009 in Springfield.

Cortes, a Springfield resident who said he was a friend of Rodriguez, said he woke up when he heard a commotion and saw Rodriguez get back into the car. He said he asked Rodriguez, Rodriguez's then-girlfriend Jacinda Matias and his own girlfriend what happened, but they wouldn't tell him.

Julian Cartie, 25, of New Britain, Connecticut, was fatally shot early that morning after the clubs closed in downtown Springfield. Rodriguez, 32, of Holyoke, is charged with murder in Cartie's death, which happened at State and Main streets.

Cortes, 31, testified in the trial before Judge John A. Agostini that until Friday, he was not honest about the woman who was in the car with him at the time of the shooting.

He said his then-girlfriend and the mother of his son was with him, but he maintained to police it was a woman he just met at a club that night. Cortes, who was called to testify by Assistant District Attorney Melissa Doran, said he lied because he was worried something might happen to his then-girlfriend and his son.

Matias, who was driving the car, has testified she did not see who fired the shots that she heard.

Rodriguez was arrested by police and federal agents in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in December 2014, nearly six years after Cartie was shot to death. Cartie was scheduled for deployment with the Connecticut National Guard to Iraq later that year.

Jurors on Monday also heard from Dr. Joann Richmond, a retired Massachusetts medical examiner, who did the autopsy of Cartie. Jurors were shown close-up photos of the bullet wounds in his body. There were two wounds to his chest and one to his abdomen, Richmond said. There was an exit and entry wound in his elbow, which Richmond said could have been caused by one of the same bullets that went into Cartie's torso.

There was a wound to the hand that also could have been caused by a bullet that then went into Cartie's body. All the wounds could have been caused by three shots, but could also have been caused by more than three, Richmond said.

The gunshot wound to the right side of the victim's heart and right lung would have caused death quickly, Richmond said.

She testified Cartie had an alcohol level of .31 from a test taken of blood near his heart. The legal limit for driving is .08.

However, the alcohol level in the fluid in his eye was .26. Richmond said the difference meant that the alcohol he consumed had not totally been absorbed yet.

The retired medical examiner said the appearance of the wound on Cartie's hand meant he was shot at close range.

Also on the stand Monday was Jose Rodriguez, who testified that when he and Michael Rodriguez were in jail together, Michael Rodriguez confessed to him about the shooting. Jose Rodriguez is no relation to Michael Rodriguez.

Defense lawyer David Rountree went through a number of Jose Rodriguez's criminal convictions with him, with Jose Rodriguez confirming he was the person with those convictions.

Most were for violations of restraining orders, but there were also convictions for breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony and larceny.

Jose Rodriguez testified he had been a drug addict for 10 years, but has been clean for two years.

Rodriguez said he called Massachusetts State Police Trooper Liam Jones, whom he said he has helped before and vice versa, saying he had information about Michael Rodriguez.

Agostini told jurors he expects testimony to wrap up Tuesday and closing arguments and jury instructions to be Wednesday.

100s of businesses participating as Holyoke Chamber offers 'Table Top Expo' trade show

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Over 200 business owners and managers are scheduled to participate in the annual "Table Top Expo" of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at the Holyoke Community College Bartley Center, 303 Homestead Ave.

HOLYOKE -- The annual "Table Top Expo" of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Holyoke Community College Bartley Center, 303 Homestead Ave.

"Every year about 200 small business professionals and entrepreneurs attend the Holyoke Table Top Expo to take their business to the next level and to develop their business leads," a chamber press release said.

"The Expo is a multi-chamber event that includes Holyoke, Chicopee, Easthampton, and Northampton Chambers with vendors from Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties," the press release said.

The event places dozens of local business owners and managers in one place where they can display products and services and make connections with other proprietors and learn ways to improve and adapt their businesses.

"We're pleased to bring local small business owners and entrepreneurs together to network and learn about the newest products and services out there. It's a great learning tool to assist the local entrepreneurs in their daily tasks and long-term goals,' said Kathleen G. Anderson, president of the chamber and of the Greater Holyoke Chamber Centennial Foundation Inc.

The trade show is scheduled to include representatives of banks and credit unions, hotels, colleges and auto dealerships along with printers, coffeemakers and restaurants.

The show this year will include a collaboration with Name Net Worth, a company that makes a smartphone app that allows for swapping information, eliminating business cards and keeping connections organized. "Allows you to send and receive referrals, within a trusted network, with your colleagues, friends or contacts," the press release said.

The app gauges "your networking performance, letting you know the return on your networking efforts," the press release said.

This is the first year the trade show will be held at Holyoke Community College. The event grew each year and exceeded the capacity of longtime venue the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House, the press release said.

"Exhibitors will miss the great service and warm environment that that the Log Cabin provided but will be rewarded significantly with a larger facility and plenty of convenient parking," chamber Program Manager Wanda Zabawa said.

Vendor tables are $150 each with 50 percent off for new Holyoke chamber members, the press release said.

Business owners and managers were asked to call their local chambers of commerce about reserving a table or sponsoring the event. For more information call 413-534-3376.

Vendors scheduled for Table Top Expo of Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Should public universities be free?

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New York's public universities are now free for families that make less than $110,000 per year. Critics say free tuition is unfair; there's no such thing as a free lunch.

New York's public universities are now free for families that make less than $110,000 per year. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says free tuition will remove barriers to higher education and give people the opportunities they need to succeed in today's world. Investing in a well-educated labor market will only lead to economic growth. Critics say free tuition is unfair; there's no such thing as a free lunch. Taxpayers shouldn't have to subsidize someone else's education. What do you think? 

PERSPECTIVES

New York's free tuition plan covers the funding gap many middle class students face. Lower income students already receive free tuition and grants to help fund their studies. Under this new plan, middle class students will also receive help, removing an important barrier to higher education for thousands of students. 

Starting this fall, undergraduate students who attend a State University of New York or City University of New York school will be eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship if their families earn no more than $100,000 a year. The income cap will lift to $110,000 next year and will reach $125,000 in 2019.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) made free public university a cornerstone of his campaign, because he recognized the importance of a college degree in the modern economy. The jobs that sustained the middle class are quickly disappearing. In order to fully participate in today's economy, workers need a bachelor's degree to simply get their foot in the door. 

In the 1950s and 1960s, it was possible to graduate from high school and move right into a decent-paying job with good benefits. Strong unions offered apprenticeships, and a large manufacturing sector provided opportunities for those without an advanced degree. A couple with a sole breadwinner could buy a home, raise a family and send their kids to college. That was the American dream. Unfortunately, today, for too many Americans, it's not a possibility.

Tuition often prices out middle class people and forces them to take on huge loans to fund their education. Lower income students already receive help through grants and free tuition. Expanding this program to the middle class would ensure no one who has the ability to succeed in college is turned away for a lack of money.

An important pathway to the middle class now runs through higher education, but rising costs are making it harder and harder for ordinary Americans to get the education they want and need. In 1978, it was possible to earn enough money to pay for a year of college tuition just by working a summer job that paid minimum wage. Today, it would take a minimum wage worker an entire year to earn enough to cover the annual in-state tuition at a public university. And that's why so many bright young people don't go to college, don't finish or graduate deeply in debt. With $1.3 trillion in student loans, Americans are carrying more student debt than credit card or auto-loan debt. That's a tragedy for our young people and for our nation.
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Critics say free tuition does nothing to address structural problems in higher education. It's nice to say everyone should be able to go to school for free, but at the end of the day -- someone has to pay for it. Many believe they shouldn't have to foot the bill for someone else's college tuition. After all, it's still a choice. Those who choose to pursue higher education should be responsible enough to pay for it. 

Rather than spread scarce federal money across all students, policymakers should instead target those resources toward those who need it most and empower them to choose the option -- public or private -- that fits their needs. A valuable degree is worth the investment even if you have to pay something for it.

Tuition is an important source of revenue for universities. At a time when many public schools are strapped for resources, free tuition would encourage enrollment without properly funding it. This creates a higher tax bill for citizens, while failing to help universities pay for the necessary resources to help students succeed. The public appetite for funding higher education has shrunk in recent decades, and it's only getting worse. Critics say free tuition is not the answer to this problem. 

First, free college isn't free, it simply shifts costs from students to taxpayers and caps tuition at zero. That tuition cap limits college spending to whatever the public is willing to invest. But it does not change the cost of college, or what institutions actually spend per student. If the past is any guide, that cost will continue to grow, and an influx of federal money may lead profligate administrators to spend even more. Enrollments will also increase, further multiplying the cost of free college.
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