Jaquon Jones of Springfield faces 10 counts of breaking and entering, larcenies and receiving stolen property.

The exterior of the Hampden County Hall of Justice is seen Saturday evening, April 25. (Dwight B. Shepard / The Republican)Dwight B. Shepard / The Republican 

SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield man has denied multiple charges in Hampden Superior Court of breaking into homes, larceny of electronics and other objects and receiving stolen property.

Jaquon Jones, 22, on April 13 pleaded not guilty to charges in three cases and was held on a total of $11,500 cash bail. The crimes occurred in 2016.

Jones is charged with breaking and entering in the daytime with the intent to commit a felony on March 4 in Springfield. On that same date, he is charged with filing a false crime report.

He is charged with breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony on March 16 in Springfield. He faces larceny charges from that housebreak for an iPad, three North Face jackets, jewelry, a Playstation 4 with games, money, tools, a Blue-ray player, a camera, a GoPro camera and headphones.

Jones is charged with receiving stolen property on Sept. 2 in Springfield, with the property identified as a Breitling watch.

The next charge alleges larceny of money from Smith & Son Jewelers in Springfield.

Jones is charged with breaking and entering in the daytime with the intent to commit a felony on April 4 in Wilbraham. A larceny over $250 charge from that incident lists a laptop.

Another receiving stolen property charge lists Westfield as the site of a Sept. 21 crime and a television as the stolen property.

Holyoke City Treasurer Sandra Smith said on Monday, April 17, 2017 that there is no concern about misconduct or compromising of the integrity of the office in relation to the office's deputy being placed on paid leave after a drug suspect was taken into custody at a property she owns.

Updated at 6:27 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2017 to include declaration of homestead that Kayla Rodriguez filed with the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds May 21, 2015 listing 14 Laurel St. in Holyoke as her principal residence.

HOLYOKE -- City Treasurer Sandra A. Smith said Monday there is no concern about misconduct or compromising of the integrity of the office in relation to the deputy treasurer being placed on paid leave after a drug suspect was taken into custody at her home.

"As required by her union contract, we have started an internal investigation, but at this time there is no concern about any potential misconduct related to her position in the treasurer's office," Smith said, responding to emailed questions from The Republican (see below).

"I have received her keys to the office and have removed access to any and all of her accounts. There is no need for the (City) Council, or the public, to fear that city funds have been compromised. As treasurer, this is something I take very seriously," she said.

Smith described Deputy Treasurer Kayla Rodriguez as a community volunteer and "one of the most respected employees in City Hall."

Kivanny Sanchez, 22, was held on $100,000 bail after police allegedly found more than 20,000 packets of heroin on a back porch and $100,000 in cash hidden in a ceiling of a second floor apartment at 14 Laurel St., which is owned and occupied by Rodriguez. Rodriguez filed a declaration of homestead at the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds on May 21, 2015 that lists 14 Laurel St. as her principal residence (see below).

Sanchez' bail was the highest among 20 defendants rounded up in a multi-agency raid in Holyoke's Churchill and Elmwood neighborhoods. City, state and federal agents seized heroin, cash, guns, bulletproof vests and three luxury automobiles during early morning raids on Thursday.

The crackdown followed a four-month heroin trafficking investigation by the Holyoke Police Department's narcotics bureau and detectives with the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Hampden district attorney's office.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said early Friday that Rodriguez had been placed on paid leave.

Holyoke deputy treasurer placed on leave after arrest of drug suspect at her home

Rodriguez also was fired Thursday from her position with the volunteer Holyoke Auxiliary Police Division.

City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain and Todd A. McGee, chairman of the council's Finance Committee, were among those who have raised concerns about such a high-profile drug suspect having a connection to the city treasurer's office.

Treasurer is an elected position with a four-year term, meaning Smith is not appointed by the mayor or City Council. Smith is a candidate for reelection on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Appointed by the treasurer, the deputy treasurer works under the supervision of the treasurer. The deputy is responsible for performing accounting functions related to the tax title process, cash and investment reconciliation and detailed tax title settlement reports, according to the job description.

"Miss Rodriguez was hired March 16, 2015," Smith said. "Her position with the city treasurer was to (handle) the city payroll process -- as far transferring money of any kind that went through myself and my assistant, Amie Chrzanowski and we are the only ones who have access to all bank accounts and they are reviewed and reconciled on a daily and monthly basis."

Holyoke City Treasurer Sandra A. Smith, left, and Deputy Treasurer Kayla Rodriguez, right.FILE PHOTOS

Here is the statement from Holyoke City Treasurer Sandra A. Smith:

On the status of Deputy Treasurer Kayla Rodriguez. Based on a recommendation by Police Chief Neiswanger I immediately placed Kayla on paid administrative leave, after a suspect was arrested at her house. As required by her union contract, we have started an internal investigation, but at this time there is no concern about any potential misconduct related to her position in the Treasurer's office. I have received her keys to the office and have removed access to any and all of her accounts. There is no need for the Council, or the public, to fear that City funds have been compromised. As Treasurer, this is something I take very seriously.

Miss Rodriguez was hired March 16, 2015. Her position with the City Treasurer was to handled the City payroll process - as far transferring money of any kind that went through myself and my Assistant, Amie Chrzanowski and we are the only ones who have access to all bank accounts and they are reviewed and reconciled on a daily and monthly basis.

On a personal note, I would like to add that Kayla is one of the most respected employees in City Hall and handled her job on a professional level. She is a single mother, who has spent hundreds of hours volunteering for the city, and works multiple jobs to take care of her family. While there are still questions that need to be answered, I am a firm believer that Americans are innocent until proven guilty.

As this is an ongoing investigation, I can't comment on this any further.

Respectfully,
Sandra Smith
City Treasurer

Kayla Rodriguez Declaration of Homestead: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

The victim, a 55-year-old man, was taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center.

AMHERST - An Amherst man is in critical condition after a motorcycle crash on Monday afternoon.

The single-vehicle crash occurred on Kellogg Avenue at about 2:40 p.m.

The victim, a 55-year-old man, was taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center, according to Amherst police.

The crash is under investigation by the Amherst Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit.

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

Cleveland resident Steve Stephens used Facebook Live to broadcast himself killing a random man on Sunday evening. Watch video

Cleveland resident Steve Stephens used Facebook Live to broadcast himself killing a random man on Sunday evening. Critics say Facebook should shut down its "Live" feature until it can figure out a better way to control what content is broadcasted to the platform. Others say Facebook Live plays an important role in in the world, and has become a powerful tool against police shootings and law enforcement abuse. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

The Facebook Live murder comes at a time when Facebook is under increased scrutiny for the content on its platform. Facebook denies it's a media company but its lifeblood is the media content users share on the platform. It encourages people to create media, through apps like Facebook Live and 360 degree video. While Facebook Live has brought users hits like BuzzFeed's watermelon stunt, and the case of the perpetually pregnant giraffe, it's also brought a rash of horrible videos showing the ugliest sides of humanity. Some critics argue Live is not worth the pain it is broadcasting. 

The entire video is 57 seconds long. Less than a minute: That's all it takes to broadcast a cold-blooded homicide to thousands of people around the world. And all it takes to raise questions about the limits and responsibilities of a platform that has pledged to reflect humanity in its purest form.

Before this murder, Facebook Live has been central to other horrific incidents, like a teenage sexual assault, shooting violence, and suicides. Some critics of Facebook Live say the platform should be rolled back until new measures can be put in place to prevent the broadcast of death and violence. 

Currently, Facebook relies on other Facebook users to flag videos that need to be taken down. But that means that someone has to watch the horror before others can be spared it. The onus falls to the viewers, not the company, to determine what is appropriate, what should be shared, and what should be flagged for removal. Traditional media companies have finely-wrought guidelines and policies to help them make these decisions, but Facebook depends on us to do it. And now it might very well be time for the company to roll up its own sleeves and get to work.

Despite everything, Facebook Live has had a positive impact in challenging traditional narratives. Facebook Live allows anyone to broadcast live to a potentially huge audience. While it can enable horrible things, it also enables people to fight back against injustice. Activists say Facebook Live made all the difference in Philando Castile's fatal police shooting. 

In November, Minnesota prosecutors announced that they were filing manslaughter charges against the officer who shot Castile. According to Teresa Nelson, legal director of the Minnesota chapter of the ACLU, the video "absolutely had an impact" on the decision to file charges.

"One of the reasons that police don't face charges often is because there is so much willingness to defer to the police version of events, and there's nothing to counteract that narrative," Nelson said. "With the Castile video, you have someone who is speaking in the immediate aftermath about what is happening and what just happened.... You see a different piece of the picture."

Facebook streams a murder, and must now face itself >>

 

I think it's time for facebook live to be officially SHUT DOWN!

-- IG: @MalibuDollface (@MalibuDollFace) April 17, 2017

 

This doesn't make sense... Facebook live is just another useful tool being abused. https://t.co/uO2srMqZKQ

-- Abeeb Sheng Tu Ola (@AbeebOla) April 17, 2017

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The cost of fuel, labor and maintenance all rose sharply in the first quarter, helping push United's profit down to $96 million, despite higher revenue.

DALLAS -- United Airlines' profit plunged 69 percent in the first three months of the year, and that was before the terrible publicity surrounding the dragging of a bloodied passenger off a plane.

The cost of fuel, labor and maintenance all rose sharply in the first quarter, helping push United's profit down to $96 million, despite higher revenue.

The results released Monday beat Wall Street expectations, however. United performed better by other measures -- more cancellation-free days, fewer lost bags.

The power to raise prices was also swinging United's way. A key revenue-per-mile figure was flat, adding to evidence that a two-year decline in average fares is over. United expects the revenue-per-mile figure to rise by 1 to 3 percent in the second quarter.

It is unclear whether last week's incident in which Chicago airport officers dragged a 69-year-old man off a United Express plane will halt United's progress.

CEO Oscar Munoz issued another apology Monday.

"It is obvious from recent experiences that we need to do a much better job serving our customers," Munoz said in a statement. He said the company is "dedicated to setting the standard for customer service among U.S. airlines."

While the April 9 United Express Flight 3411 made headlines all last week, it has had little effect on United's stock. United Continental Holdings Inc. stock fell about the same as shares of Delta, Alaska and JetBlue last week.

Ahead of its report, United led a rally in airline stocks Monday. The Chicago-based company's shares rose $1.70, or 2.5 percent, to close at $70.77. After the financial results were released, the shares gained another 73 cents in after-hours trading.

Excluding non-repeating items, United said first-quarter profit was 41 cents per share. Wall Street expected 38 cents per share, according to a FactSet survey of 16 analysts.

Revenue rose 3 percent to $8.42 billion, also topping forecasts. But operating costs jumped 8 percent, driven by a 28 percent increase in fuel, a 7 percent rise in labor, and a 13 percent in maintenance and repair expenses.

Airlines are prospering from travel demand that remains relatively strong. Reduced competition -- several major airports are dominated by one or two carriers -- may limit United's financial fallout to the dragging incident.

Seth Kaplan, managing partner of industry newsletter Airline Weekly, said one-time events rarely have a lasting impact on an airline's revenue. He said a few travelers with options might try another airline, but United loyalists will be pragmatic and take a longer view -- and United has been making impressive strides.

"They are more punctual, they're losing fewer bags," Kaplan said. "But it takes some time for the perception to catch up with the reality. This resets the clock. It was the last thing they needed."

Cowen and Co. analyst Helane Becker said Monday that investors should be concerned if the incident leads to more government regulation of the airlines.

United has said it is examining policies including booting passengers off sold-out flights, and has promised a complete review by April 30. It has already taken some steps, including requiring that crew members flying to assignments book flights at least an hour early. Had that policy been in place on April 9, it might have averted the need to remove four passengers to make room for Republic Airline employees on their way to staff a United Express flight the next morning.

Besides the damage to United's reputation, investors are nervous that airlines are planning to add too many flights, undercutting the recovery in prices.

United will increase domestic service this summer, adding some new routes and offering more-frequent flights on others. Munoz has defended the expansion as necessary to fill gaps in United's route map that were created when the airline was shrinking.

United executives planned to discuss the first-quarter results with analysts and reporters on Tuesday.

DeAngelis and his running partner Dr. Stephen Odom ran the route twice, from the finish line in Copley Square to the starting line in Hopkinton and back, a distance of 52.4 miles.

BOSTON -- Dr. Joseph DeAngelis, an orthopedic surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a native of Springfield, ran the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Then he ran it again.

DeAngelis and his colleague Dr. Stephen Odom ran the route twice, from the finish line in Copley Square to the starting line in Hopkinton and back, a distance of 52.4 miles.

They got started at 2:45 a.m. and completed the first marathon at 8:20 a.m. After a three-hour rest, a shower, and some food at a friend's house, they started again at 11:30 a.m., their official start time, and crossed the finish line around 5:30 p.m.

"The road is yours," said DeAngelis, reflecting on the mood of the early morning run. "It's quiet, picturesque, beautiful. A little warm and humid."

They were passed by hundreds of cyclists participating in the traditional "Midnight Marathon" bike ride, but there were few other signs of life along the route. That is, until they crossed the Hopkinton starting line around the same time as two Japanese men who were also running the course twice in a row.

DeAngelis ran in support of the Last Call Foundation, an organization that promotes safety for firefighters. Odom raised money for Beth Israel.

[enhanced link]

The Last Call Foundation was started by Kathy Crosby-Bell, the mother of Boston firefighter Michael Ryan Kennedy. Kennedy and Lt. Edward Walsh were killed in 2014 while responding to a fire in the Back Bay neighborhood.

DeAngelis now lives in the area of that deadly nine-alarm blaze. He ran one marathon in memory of each fallen firefighter, and "to get people aware of and thinking about" fire safety.

This year, the Last Call Foundation team raised money for research and development of fireproof fire hoses. On Monday evening, the team's CrowdRise fundraising page showed nearly $12,000 in donations.

DeAngelis explained that fire hoses need to be flexible, collapsible, light enough to be carried and strong enough to handle an immense amount of water pressure. Most hoses are made of woven cotton and nylon, and are known to catch fire.

"It's an enormous technical challenge" to make them fireproof, said DeAngelis. "Until the technology is common, it's expensive."

In 2014, the foundation gave $75,000 to scientists at Worcester Polytechnic Institute working to solve those problems. The money DeAngelis and the team raised will support that research.

He thanked the "incredibly supportive network of family and friends" who donated to the cause.

"It's a distinguished pleasure to be able to help," he said.

In 2014, DeAngelis ran to support Beth Israel. He ran for the Massachusetts State Police in 2015.

"It's good to have it behind us," he said of Monday's effort. "It couldn't have gone better. It's a special day."

Some seek revenge. Others underestimate the reach of their social media posts. Most of them are looking for attention. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A rising number of criminals are using social media to broadcast their actions to the masses. Some seek revenge. Others want to impress peers or brag. Most of them are pursuing a reaction -- from society, family or police.

On Sunday, Steve Stephens joined the growing list of people accused of committing crimes and sharing them on social platforms. Police say Stephens, 37, walked up to 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. and fatally shot him on a sidewalk in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood.

Stephens posted a recording of the shooting on Facebook, then later posted another video laughing about the incident and claiming that he had killed more than a dozen other people.

Stephens said he was angry about an ex-girlfriend and just snapped. 

Compared to other social media crime postings, what Stephens is accused of was especially horrific, said Raymond Surette, a criminal justice professor at the University of Central Florida, who has studied the "performance crime" phenomenon.

Surette said his reaction to Stephens' broadcast was two-fold:

"One was 'oh jeez there has been another one,' because there seems to be an uptick in this live-streaming of crime," he said. "And this one just seemed particularly cruel and incomprehensible."

Other incidents involving crime and social media in recent years include the Steubenville rape case, when photos and videos of an unconscious teenage girl posted on social media, led to convictions of two high school football players in 2013. And earlier this year, four people in Chicago were accused of kidnapping and torturing a mentally disabled man, and sharing a video of the incident on Facebook.

Social media has made it easier for criminals to share their actions, but the desire to publicize their crimes has always existed, according to media psychologist Pamela Rutledge. The Zodiac Killer sent letters to the press. So did Jack the Ripper.

"It's really the reaction they are craving as much as anything, so I don't think is a new phenomenon," Rutledge said. "With this event and every other event, it's horrifying and it gets everyone's attention, which is ironically why the person posted it."

Criminals sometimes underestimate the potential reach of their social media posts, Rutledge and Surette said. They might be hoping to target a specific person or small group, without realizing they might also draw police attention.

"People always have some audience in mind, and I think that there is a sort of cognitive inability to understand how public a lot of this social media is," Rutledge said.

Stephens was likely an exception to that lack of awareness, according to Surette.

"This guy is such an outlier," Surette said. "He obviously didn't care what the repercussions were. Whether it was his girlfriend or police or society in general or the voices in his head. Who knows. But he wanted this out there and the platform gives people the ability to do that quickly and easily."

It's unlikely that social media has led to more crime, Rutledge said, and there are benefits to the publicity: it raises awareness of mental illness and offers police a mountain of evidence.

"The fact you can live-stream something doesn't turn people into criminals," she said.

Day two in the manhunt for a social services worker from the Greater Cleveland area accused of gunning down a 74-year-old stranger and then posting a gruesome video of the deed on Facebook ended with almost no new clues in the wanted man's whereabouts. Watch video

Steve StephensFacebook 

Robert GodwinSubmitted 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Day two in the manhunt for a social services worker from the Greater Cleveland area accused of gunning down a 74-year-old stranger and then posting a gruesome video of the deed on Facebook ended with almost no new clues in the wanted man's whereabouts.

Monday came and went with no signs of Steve Stephens, 37, in a search that expanded from the states that border Ohio to a nationwide search for the man wanted in Robert Godwin Sr.'s death. On Monday, Stephens became one of the FBI's Most Wanted.

The only significant lead was a false alarm, as several people called 911 to say they saw Stephens in a public park in Philadelphia.

By Monday afternoon, local officials offered up a $50,000 reward in the hope that it would shake loose any information about Stephens' whereabouts. In the day since his disappearance, Stephens eluded state, local and federal authorities. He is wanted on a warrant charging him with aggravated murder, and authorities say they are now searching for his car, a white 2016 Ford Fusion that he purchased this month, that has all but vanished from the public eye.

"Our reach now is basically all over this country," police Chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference Monday afternoon. "This is what we would consider a national search for Steve. So we are not going to leave any stone unturned."

What stoked fears of ordinary citizens who have followed the details of the case through social media and news outlets is the arbitrary nature of the killing. Stephens selected his victim seemingly at random as the retired foundry worker looked for scrap aluminum cans along East 93rd Street in the city's Glenville neighborhood, filmed the shooting and posted it on Facebook, police said.

In the video, Stephens approached Godwin and made him say the name of his own estranged girlfriend. The demand puzzled Godwin, who was shot at almost point-blank range with a pistol.

Stephens also claimed in subsequent Facebook video posts that he "snapped," he killed more people and would continue to do so. Police have found no evidence linking him to any other homicides despite the churning rumor mill of amateur sleuths who have taken to social media in a cycle of endless speculation.

Facebook shuttered Stephens' account Sunday, and on Monday the social media company announced it was reviewing the way users can report videos and how administrators can address policy violations. Sunday's shooting is the latest in a long and growing stream of crimes broadcast via social media.

Godwin's family spent Monday grieving and making funeral preparations. A group including Godwin's loved ones and well-wishers gathered for a vigil Monday evening at the site of his killing. The Cleveland Cavaliers also paused for a moment of silence before the team's playoff game against the Indiana Pacers Monday night.

Multiple Ohio elected officials also issued statements of concern for Cleveland residents and support for Cleveland police.

Leaving behind multiple children and grandchildren, daughter Debbie Godwin described Robert Godwin Sr. as a caring father who gave his children an admirable work ethic. He had patience and humility and was not easily embarrassed, she said.

"He would go and buy our private things with pride," Debbie Godwin said of her father's attention to her and her sisters. "He had five daughters. He had no shame in his game."

She, along with her brother, said they have no plans to watch the gruesome video.

Stephens at work

As authorities continued their search, a clearer picture emerged Monday of Stephens and his past.

Stephens has been employed at the Pepper Pike-based Beech Brook since 2008, where he most recently worked as a vocational specialist for the facility's Assertive Community Treatment team for kids and young adults, according to a statement from the youth social services organization.

Beech Brook was closed Monday as a result of the manhunt. Its statement said, "we were shocked and horrified yesterday to learn about the situation involving the threats by Steve Stephens and the tragic shooting of Mr. Godwin. Our hearts go out to his family during this time of grief."

Joy Lane, Stephens' girlfriend and a former Beech Brook social worker, was taken into protective custody Sunday and is cooperating with investigators, a law enforcement source said.

She released a text message statement to CBS News early Monday saying she and Stephens had dated for several years and that "I am sorry that all of this has happened." She then went on to describe her boyfriend's good qualities.

"My heart & prayers goes out to the family members of the victim(s)," the text message read, according to CBS. "Steve really is a nice guy... he is generous with everyone he knows. He was kind and loving to me and my children. This is a very difficult time for me and my family Please respect our privacy at this time."

Stephens' financial trouble

Stephens was described by others who knew him as a funny and quiet man. He had almost no criminal history outside of a handful of traffic infractions.

However, his financial troubles are far more serious.

Court records show Stephens declared bankruptcy in 2015 and has faced lawsuits from several creditors seeking to collect payments on credit card debt and rent. In January, he was evicted from his Euclid apartment.

Stephens also detailed his affinity for gambling in one of his multiple Facebook posts, stating that gambling had caused him to "lose everything" and left him "out of options."

"The past year's been really [expletive] up for me," Stephens said in a video, shortly before police said he killed Godwin. "You know, being with [his ex-girlfriend] drove me crazy, started making me gamble. I lost everything. I lost everything I have. I don't have [expletive]. I'm out of options."

Stephens spent at least part of his childhood living at a house on East 85th Street in Cleveland. Neighbors who knew him then said Stephens did not make much of an impression, other than when he would walk outside with a large pet snake wrapped around his neck.

"As he got older, he got a little more weird, just his mannerisms and the way he carried himself," neighbor Tony Henderson said.

Police had stationed themselves Monday afternoon near the house where he grew up, as his mother still lives there.

Stevens, who had a valid concealed carry permit, also recently frequented a gun range in Willoughby, the range owner said.

'As fast as possible'

Officials made it clear Monday that they will continue their expansive search for Stephens. At this point, the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are aiding Cleveland police.

"We definitely want to get it resolved as fast as possible," Williams, the Cleveland police chief, said at a news conference. "The victim's family, they deserve that. And the community deserves it."

Williams said earlier in the day that detectives spoke to Stephens on Sunday but have not been able to contact him since. Law enforcement sources said Sunday that Stephens had shut off his phone, thus making it harder to track him.

The police chief cautioned against people trying to take advantage of Godwin's death, noting that several accounts soliciting donations in the family's name on GoFundMe were not sanctioned by the family. However, the company did confirm that there is one official account where donations are being taken.

Case Western Reserve University also came under fire Monday for not notifying students about the shooting and manhunt until hours after other universities and hospitals had addressed them.

The university is reviewing its response to "consider what changes are necessary to ensure more timely action in the future," it said in a statement. Students plan to demonstrate on Tuesday because of the late notification.

The sense of unease stretched far beyond Cleveland, though. On Monday afternoon, multiple people called Philadelphia police to report a sighting of him in the city's largest public park.

The reports led authorities there to lock down nine schools as they searched the area, but later said in a tweet that "at this time, there is no indication that the subject is at that location, or anywhere in the city of Philadelphia."

Statement on police activity in Fairmount Park regarding Cleveland Ohio homicide suspect Steve Stephens pic.twitter.com/qYkd2DzxbP

-- Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) April 17, 2017

Cleveland.com reporters Courtney Astolfi, Emily Bamforth, Sara Dorn, Karen Farkas, Adam Ferrise, Stephen Koff, Pete Krouse, Jane Morice, Joe Noga, Cory Shaffer and Andrew J. Tobias contributed to this story.

Suzanne Hardy faces manslaughter and other charges for the crash that killed two of her nephews on June 20, 2014, on Route 20 in Brimfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey on Tuesday said he would hear the case of Suzanne Hardy, who is charged with manslaughter in connection with a crash that killed two young brothers who were passengers in her car.

Dylan Riel, 4, and Jayce Garcia, 1, of Southbridge, were killed in the crash June 20, 2014, on Route 20 in Brimfield. Hardy, 24, of Holland, was Dylan's aunt.

Carey set May 1 to hear pretrial motions and May 5 to begin jury selection. Hardy is free awaiting trial.

She was indicted by a Hampden County grand jury in June 2015. The trial date has been postponed several times.

Defense lawyer Joan Williams previously asked to delay the trial in light of the more than 5,000 pages of cellphone records provided by prosecutors, who allege Hardy was texting at the time of the crash.

Hardy has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her, including two counts of manslaughter and two counts of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation for the deaths of the boys -- meaning she could be found guilty of either manslaughter or motor vehicle homicide.

A manslaughter conviction carries a sentence of up to 20 years, while a motor vehicle homicide conviction carries a sentence of up to 15 years.

Hardy also faces three counts of reckless endangerment of a child. Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth said Dylan, Jayce and another 4-year-old who survived the crash were not properly restrained.

The crash occurred in the afternoon in the area of 345 Sturbridge Road (Route 20). Prosecutors allege Hardy, heading east, attempted to pass on the right a landscaping truck that was stopped to make a left turn. Her car clipped the guardrail, spun out of control into the westbound lane and crashed into an SUV. Her car was then struck head-on by another car in the westbound lane. The two occupants of that car also were seriously injured.

A charge against Hardy of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (motor vehicle) lists the victim as Lyndsey O'Connor, one of the people in the other car.

The three occupants of the SUV, the driver and two children, were not injured.

In September, selectmen took a closed-door vote in the matter of firefighter Kyle Miltimore, but the Division of Open Government determined the vote was improper under the law.

BOSTON -- The Southampton Board of Selectmen denies it violated the state's Open Meeting Law in the matter of former Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Miltimore, and on April 4 sued the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General in Suffolk Superior Court.

The board maintains it did nothing wrong when it voted behind closed doors to "indirectly affect the employment status" of Miltimore, who had been engaged in a long-running conflict with Fire Chief John C. Workman.

Southampton seeks judicial review of a determination by the Division of Open Government that the closed-door Sept. 20 vote was improper under the law.

Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Sclarsic wrote in his March 13 determination that the vote exceeded the board's authority to act, and ordered the board to let Miltimore look at the minutes from the closed-door session.

Attorney Michele Randazzo of KP Law, representing the town, maintains that the board acted properly in both convening the session and in taking the vote.

The vote was properly directed at a separate employee "that was the subject of the executive session," and not Miltimore, Randazzo wrote in her civil complaint.

She further argued that the order allowing Miltimore to review the minutes "compromises the privacy rights of a third party."

Following the vote, Workman submitted paperwork submitted paperwork to effectively terminate Miltimore, according to the attorney general's office.

Southampton firefighter claims whistleblower status

Southampton's fight to keep the executive session minutes sealed may be related to a separate lawsuit naming Workman and other town officials.

Miltimore on March 28 sued Southampton in Hampshire Superior Court, claiming Workman retaliated against him after he informed state officials about lax pharmaceutical record-keeping within the fire department's ambulance services.

The paramedic service was suspended by the Department of Health in May 2015 and later restored after staff were retrained and Workman overhauled drug management practices.

Miltimore also claims that Workman, following a workplace altercation, asked him to fabricate a witness statement, and that he refused.

Miltimore took administrative leave in 2015, claiming he was subject to a hostile work environment. Town officials and Workman assert that Miltimore "abandoned" his employment.

"Kyle Miltimore was not an employee at the time of his Open Meeting Law complaint," said acting Southampton Town Administrator Robert Markel in a recent telephone interview.

Markel noted that the attorney general found no fault with the Sept. 20 executive session itself, but only targeted the board's closed-door vote.

"It was a legal executive session," Markel said of the meeting.

Miltimore's whistleblower complaint, on file at the Northampton courthouse, names Workman, members of the Board of Selectmen and the town of Southampton, and seeks damages.

As for Southampton's April 4 civil action entered in Boston, any Open Meeting Law determination may be appealed in Superior Court. The attorney general's office has 90 days to file an answer.

AGO: Meetings were properly convened but vote was wrong

The exact nature of the private action taken by selectmen on Sept. 20 has not been made public. However, it apparently allowed Workman to terminate Miltimore's employment, according to the attorney general's office.

Miltimore filed his complaint in November, claiming the board met privately in August and September "to discuss his reputation and character" without providing him notice or opportunity to be present, a violation of Open Meeting Law.

Under the law, there are 10 valid reasons for a public body to hold an executive session. One such reason is "to discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health" of an individual, or to discuss discipline, dismissal, complaints or charges against a person.

Sclarsic in his determination wrote that the two meetings were "properly convened" to discuss an employee, and that Miltimore was incidentally discussed in both cases.

The board met "regarding an incident involving that employee and Mr. Miltimore," the state's attorney wrote, noting that Miltimore was discussed "as the complainant."

The discussions were lawful, because an individual who is "incidental" to a closed-door personnel discussion is not required to receive notice or the opportunity to participate, he added.

However, "by taking action that affected Mr. Miltimore, the board exceeded its authority to act in that executive session," Sclarsic wrote.

Sclarsic determined that the board should have voted in open session, or convened another executive session while providing Miltimore proper notice and the opportunity to be present.

He ordered that Miltimore be allowed to review the September executive session minutes, but not those from August, where no vote was taken.

He declined to order the board to reinstate Miltimore, saying his employment status "remains under the control of the town's Fire Department, not the board."

Southampton in its complaint asks the Suffolk court to set aside the ruling, claiming it was "based upon substantial errors of law," was arbitrary and capricious and "represents bad public policy."

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Bipartisan-backed legislation that seeks to end the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States from foreign countries has drawn support from national law enforcement groups, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey's office announced Tuesday.

Bipartisan-backed legislation that seeks to end the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States from foreign countries has drawn support from national law enforcement groups, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey's office announced Tuesday.

The Massachusetts Democrat, who recently joined other senators in introducing legislation that would give U.S. Customs and Border Protection tools to help detect and intercept fentanyl and other illicit opioids, told National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit attendees Tuesday that the proposal has garnered support from sheriffs, police officers and border patrol agents.

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, in an April 14 letter to Markey's office, touted the so-called "International Narcotics Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming Contraband with Technology," or INTERDICT Act, as an "important bipartisan legislative proposal."

The organization, which represents 26,000 officers across 65 agencies, praised the bill that it said would ensure border patrol has additional portable and fixed chemical screening devices, provide border agents with sufficient resources and authorize a $15 million appropriation for hundreds of new screening devices, lab equipment and other support.

"Combined, the additional chemical screening devices, scientists, and other resources will help safeguard CBP field personnel from exposure to fentanyl and other deadly synthetic opioids and narcotics, and prevent their unlawful importation," wrote Nathan Catura, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association national president.

National Border Control Council President Brandon Judd, in another recent letter to the Massachusetts Democrat, also offered his organization's full support on the legislation.

Contending that Markey's bill acknowledges "the grave public health crisis that is caused by the influx of opioids across our borders," Judd said it would better equip border patrol agents, like the 16,500 he represents, to address this issue.

The National Sheriffs' Association also submitted a letter in support of the legislation, to which U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Florida; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; and Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, have signed on as co-sponsors.

"Your bill would aid CBP's role in halting illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids from entering the United States from countries like Mexico and China," wrote Executive Director Jonathan Thompson. "Furthermore, your bill would protect the safety of CBP officers from exposure to these deadly synthetic opioids. By sponsoring this bill, you are acknowledging this great threat to public safety."

The Police Addiction And Recovery, National Fraternal Order of Police and Ohio Fraternal Order of Police have also thrown their support behind the proposal, according to Markey's office.

The subject line of the email sent Tuesday by Adidas Running read: "Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!"

BOSTON (AP) -- Adidas has apologized for sending out a marketing email using an unfortunate choice of words to praise customers who completed the Boston Marathon on Monday.

The subject line of the email sent Tuesday by Adidas Running read: "Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!"

On social media, customers quickly reminded the company about the real survivors of the 2103 Boston Marathon bombing. Three people were killed and more than 260 others were wounded when two bombs exploded near the finish line in the attack.

The sports apparel company quickly apologized in an emailed statement, saying it was "incredibly sorry" for the "insensitive" subject line.

At least two survivors of the 2013 bombing participated in this year's race.

Adidas said the marathon is "one of the most inspirational sporting events in the world."

.@adidas you may want to rethink the subject line pic.twitter.com/curUb8FieO

-- Mike Denison (@mikd33) April 18, 2017

Detectives are looking for the owners of two more vehicles. The first is a dark-colored 2010 Chevy Traverse, and the second is a 2015 or 2016 Nissan Rogue.

MILFORD - Police searching for a unique special edition car in connection to a fatal hit-and-run on Water Street now say the vehicle was not involved, but they still want to speak to the driver and any passengers.

The 2009 Toyota Scion XB "Release Series," painted a distinct color called "Absolutely Red," was seen on surveillance images after the crash on Sunday afternoon that killed 4-year-old Jonathan Loja.

"We have reviewed video images from several sources and determined that the Toyota Scion, red in color, was not the vehicle that struck the young boy," said Milford Police Chief Thomas J. O'Loughlin in a Facebook post on Tuesday. "Nevertheless, the operator and/or passengers of this vehicle may have seen Jonathan in the area prior to the accident."

Detectives are looking for the owners of two more vehicles. The first is a dark-colored 2010 Chevrolet Traverse, and the second is a 2015 or 2016 Nissan Rogue, light in color, possibly silver or grey.

Those vehicles were on Water Street, in the area of the hit-and-run, between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Anyone who was in these vehicles is urged to call Milford police at 508-473-1113.

"There are no facts or details too small," said O'Loughlin.

Police said they examined two vehicles and interviewed the owners on Monday night.

The occupants of a pickup truck "provided investigators with information," said O'Loughlin, and allowed the truck to be towed. The owner of a blue Chevrolet Traverse complied with police, as well, and both vehicles were returned after examinations by local and state police investigators.

Landlords of buildings in Holyoke, Massachusetts with 10 or more apartments housing poor and moderate-income tenants can apply for grants to install fire alarms that connect directly to the Fire Department in a city program that will use federal funds.

HOLYOKE -- Landlords of buildings with 10 or more apartments housing poor and moderate-income tenants can apply for grants to install fire alarms that connect directly to the Fire Department in a city program that will use federal funds.

"This program was developed with all parties in mind," Building Commissioner Damian J. Cote said. "It provides the occupants with the best fire protection system a building can have by getting the alarm directly and immediately to the 'HFD.'

"It also addresses any concern of the financial impact of the property owners by being voluntary and incentivized. We already have a number of building owners looking to apply the first day the application is made available," Cote said.

Mayor Alex B. Morse is devoting $270,000 that the city received from the federal Rental Neighborhood Improvement Program. Grants of up to $10,000 each will be available, a press release said.

Morse will discuss the program at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the National Community Development Week Celebration in City Hall auditorium.

The program arose from discussions among city department heads and employees who participate in meetings of the Problem Property Group about a fire on Jan. 1 that killed two men and a woman and destroyed homes of 49 tenants at 106 North East St., said Rory Casey, Morse's chief of staff.

State investigators determined that the alarm system in the five-story apartment building lost the connection to its monitoring company about 32 hours before the fire. That allowed the fire to burn for about 10 minutes before firefighters were called just before 9 a.m. on New Year's Day, officials have said.

State investigation of fatal Holyoke fire finds no annual tests of alarm system, failure to fix malfunction

The cause of the fire was an electrical problem in a wall outlet in the living room of a third-floor apartment, state officials said.

"This incentive is a direct result of city departments working together to address recent concerns with fire safety in Holyoke's older densely populated housing stock," Morse said. "I am proud that the Problem Property Group, our city staff and our non-profit partner are creative and responsive to community needs."

To ensure long-term maintenance of the fire protection systems, the city will record a five-year lien on the properties. A property lien is a legal claim installed to ensure payment of a debt.

Under the city program, landlords could install the following types of systems:

• conversion to direct-call boxes to the Fire Department for existing alarm systems

• complete alarm systems where none exists

• expansion of existing systems

• repairs to make existing systems meet building and safety codes.

OneHolyoke CDC, a private nonprofit housing provider formerly known as Olde Holyoke Development Corp., will administer the program. It will be overseen by the city's Office for Community Development with individual proposals for the funds approved by the Fire Department and building commissioner, the press release said.

The deadline for grant applications is May 30.

For more information call OneHolyoke CDC at 413-533-7101.

Tainted by former Massachusetts chemist Annie Dookhan, thousands of drug cases are set to be dismissed.

Tainted by former Massachusetts chemist Annie Dookhan, thousands of drug cases are set to be dismissed.

Advocates for the dismissal of the tainted cases, including the ACLU of Massachusetts, said they expect it to become the "single largest dismissal of wrongful convictions in the nation's history."

State district attorneys in seven Massachusetts counties on Tuesday were filing lists of drug cases they plan not to prosecute as a result of Dookhan's falsification and fabrication of evidence.

The seven counties are Suffolk, Essex, Bristol, Middlesex, Plymouth, Norfolk and Cape & Islands.

The moves set a legal precedent in the ongoing case of a separate state crime lab chemist, Sonja Farak, who potentially tainted thousands of drug cases in Western Massachusetts.

Farak admitted to stealing cocaine she was tasked with testing. There is no current public list of Farak cases, advocates said.

State lawyer says she was just following orders in case of drug-abusing chemist

Dookhan worked at the Hinton State Laboratory, a state Department of Public Health drug-testing facility in Boston.  Her job was to test substances seized by police, and when state officials uncovered her role in tainting the cases, Dookhan went to prison and was paroled in 2016.

Around 95 percent of Dookhan cases are expected to be dismissed, according to the ACLU of Massachusetts. The organization had pushed for a blanket dismissal.

The organization demanded five years ago the dismissal of the tainted cases. "That demand was ignored by district attorneys," said Carl Williams, the ACLU staff attorney.

Prosecutors say they were proactive.

But the ACLU and other organizations filed a lawsuit in 2014 on behalf of three individuals whose cases were tainted by Dookhan, which led to the state's Supreme Judicial Court in January ordering the district attorneys to make a lists of cases that should be dismissed and should be re-prosecuted. The number of cases for re-prosecution is expected to be small, around 500 or 600, according to the ACLU of Mass.

Suffolk County, anchored by Boston, has a large number of the cases expected to be dismissed. The office of Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said they are moving to dismiss the cases of 7,500 defendants and 15,570 drug convictions.

Conley said in a statement that his office had already moved to release the defendants held on bail and serving sentences based just on Dookhan's analysis, and if there had been any evidence the other defendants had been innocent, they would "not have hesitated to dismiss the case outright."

"Importantly, none of the defendants whose cases were dismissed today is serving a committed sentence solely on a Dookhan-related drug conviction," Conley's office said. "Few, if any, who were charged only with low-level, non-violent drug offenses served even a single day behind bars."

Mass. Supreme Judicial Court tells prosecutors to sort out Annie Dookhan drug cases

But some of the people whose cases are being dismissed have already lost jobs and their homes, or have been deported, according to ACLU attorneys.

And a $30 million reserve fund for handling the fallout from the Dookhan scandal has already been exhausted, they added.

Conley's office is focusing its re-prosecution efforts on 117 defendants.

"The average defendant has more than 60 entries on his record," Conley said in his statement. "When given the opportunity for rehabilitation in a community setting, these defendants have violated probation an average of seven times each.  They are neither low-level nor non-violent, and they stand at the intersection of drugs and violence."

According to the Associated Press, Bristol County Thomas Quinn is moving to dismiss more than 1,500 cases and maintain 112 convictions.

The Middlesex County District Attorney's office said they were dismissing all but nine remaining cases for re-prosecution. That comes out to 4,351 charges dismissed or approximately 3,000 defendants.

"These cases were identified in close collaboration with our local police departments and are Superior Court cases involving serious drug offenses, where sufficient independent evidence remains available for retesting," Marian Ryan, the district attorney, said in a statement.

The numbers from the other counties were expected to come in late Tuesday afternoon.

ACLU asks Massachusetts' high court to overturn 24,391 drug convictions

This post was updated at 7:11 p.m. with additional figures from Middlesex County.

Working without a contract since Dec. 31, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is in negotiations with Baystate Health

GREENFIELD -- The Massachusetts Nurses Association bargaining unit representing about 200 nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield plan an informational picket next week, contending the hospital has too few nurses.

The informational picket, announced Tuesday, will be April 27 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. outside Baystate Franklin Medical Center, 164 High St.

In a press release, the nurses said that over a six-week period, from Feb. 26 to April 8, the 89-bed hospital left at least five RN shifts open.

The schedule vacancies don't mean that no nurses worked those shifts. Massachusetts Nurses Association spokesman Joe Markman said there was time between when the schedule came out and the time of the shift for a nurse to get scheduled to work. He didn't know how many or even if any shifts went unfilled when it was time to actually work them.

Depending on the day of the week  there are 25, 27 or 30 RN shifts to fill each day, Markman said. For example, on March 10, a Friday, the hospital did not schedule nurses to work seven of the 27 shifts that day on the medical-surgical unit, meaning 26 percent of the nurse shifts necessary for core staffing were not filled by management when it made the schedule.

The union frequently makes issue of the number of nurses available to work, and recently criticized Baystate management for asking nurses to pick up shifts or to stay past the end of their scheduled shift.

Nurses in the Baystate Franklin Medical Center union voted in March to authorize a one-day strike. That strike has not taken place.

The nurses have been working without a contract since Dec. 31. The nurses association is in negotiations with Baystate Health on a new labor pact.

"BFMC continues to make every effort to reach agreement on a fair contract for our nurses. We continue to be disappointed that the MNA is using a series of tactics designed to distract attention from our efforts at the bargaining table," said Cindy Russo, president of Baystate Franklin Medical Center, in a prepared statement. "As it relates to the quality of care and staffing at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, we are confident that our approach meets the needs of our patients, is consistent with or exceeds best practices in the field and supports high quality care."

The most recent Massachusetts Nurses Association contract with Baystate Franklin, a five-year-pact that expired at the end of 2016, came after nearly three years of negotiations and rising tensions in the community.

In the end, lawmakers including state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg , D-Amherst, and state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, brought the sides together.

That agreement gave nurses a 4 percent across the board raise for 2014 and an additional 1 percent across the board pay hike each year in 2015 and 2016.

Upon ratification of the agreement, nurses received bonuses: $2,000 for those who work 36 hours or more, $1,500 for those who work 24 hours or more and $1,000 for nurses who work less than 24 hours per week.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association is also negotiating with Baystate Health for a new contract at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield. The association has 130 members working at Baystate Noble. Those nurses have been working under an expired contract since March 2016.

The union and Baystate Noble have a negotiation session Thursday, Markman said.

He said there have been 16 Franklin Medical Center negotiation sessions held to date. Both sides are currently hammering out a schedule for more. A federal mediator joined the bargaining process in February. 

View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Steve Stephens killed himself after a medium-speed chase with Pennsylvania State Police. Watch video

ERIE, Pa. -- A medium-speed chase between Cleveland Facebook killer Steve Stephens and Pennsylvania State Police ended Tuesday after a trooper hit the back of Stephens' car, causing it to spin out of control.

The 37-year-old wanted man grabbed a handgun and shot himself in the head about 11:15 a.m., bringing a nearly two-day nationwide manhunt to a close, Pennsylvania State Police said. 

Stephens was spotted by an employee at a McDonald's in nearby Harborcreek Township after Stephens stopped to order Chicken McNuggets and French fries at the drive-through window, the restaurant manager said.

"Although this was not the ideal outcome, we are pleased that no one else from the community was harmed, including law enforcement," Pennsylvania State Police Major William Teper said.

Teper said his four state trooper cruisers and a Wesleyville police cruiser chased Stephens for about a mile before Stephens stopped. He sped off again and made it another mile where a state trooper executed a "precision immobilization technique" maneuver where the trooper hit the back of Stephens' car outside an abandoned school building.

Stephens' back driver's side tire popped and the trooper's car hit the side of Stephens' car. The chase never exceeded 50 mph, Teper said.

"He executed it perfectly and he knew the school where it happened was abandoned," Teper said. "That's why he chose that location."  

Teper said Stephens' autopsy will be conducted Wednesday morning. Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said Stephens' cellphone pinged in Erie on Sunday, but Teper said he was unaware if that happened.

He said troopers received numerous tips about sightings in Erie, none of which ended were true. Teper said he was unsure how long Stephens had been in the area or how he got there.

Investigators will look into whether anyone helped Stephens in the days since he disappeared off the collective radar of northeast Ohio's law enforcement community.

"We don't believe he had any accomplices. Our concern is that he was somewhere in the last few days. Whether someone was harboring him or he was hiding under a bridge somewhere, we don't know," Teper said. "I would say I feel a lot more comfortable now than I did prior to 11 o'clock."

Teper said troopers were on alert because they knew Stephens was a gambler who had frequented casinos in Erie. He referenced an Erie casino when explaining his extensive gambling debts in one of his many Facebook posts. 

Troopers searched Stephens' car, but declined to say what investigators have found. He said they have additional warrants to search other items found inside the Ford Fusion.

Federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were helping state police at the scene.

Stephens shot and killed 74-year-old Robert Godwin about 2 p.m. Easter Sunday on East 93rd Street in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood while Godwin was collecting cans.  

Stephens made Godwin say his ex-girlfriend's name before shooting him in the face at point-blank range, then posting the video of the slaying on Facebook. He was charged with aggravated murder in the death.

"Let's face it, that's a heinous act," Teper said. "That was a terrible, terrible crime."

Eddie Santiago, 31, of Springfield, was arrested when officers found a fully loaded handgun in his possession, along with 88 bags of heroin and nearly $3,000 in cash.

HOLYOKE - Poilice arrested an alleged heroin dealer on Monday after reports that he was stumbling around Lincoln Street.

Lt. Jim Albert said police responded to reports of a man who appeared to be unsteady on his feet near 171 Lincoln St. at around noon.

Eddie Santiago, 31, of Springfield, was arrested when officers found a fully loaded handgun in his possession, along with 88 bags of heroin and nearly $3,000 in cash.

Santiago is charged with possession of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

He was arraigned on Tuesday in Holyoke District Court.