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Western Massachusetts sheriffs push to raise marijuana taxes, fund addiction treatment

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Legalizing marijuana will increase arrests and addiction, argued tHampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi and Hampshire County Sheriff Patrick Cahillane.

BOSTON -- Marijuana legalization will increase arrests and addiction, argued two Western Massachusetts county sheriffs on Monday as they sought to raise taxes on the marijuana industry to fund drug addiction treatment.

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi and Hampshire County Sheriff Patrick Cahillane testified at the final public hearing of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy.

"There has to be a treatment component for all of our safety," Cahillane said. "It's not about kids smoking the occasional joint. The continued use of marijuana can lead to the types of addiction found in smoking and drinking."

County sheriffs have been at the forefront of a push to raise the maximum tax rate on legal recreational marijuana to 17 percent, from the 12 percent that was passed by a ballot initiative in November. The additional 5 percent tax would go toward addiction treatment.

A bill to raise the tax rate to support public and private addiction treatment programs, H.3504, was sponsored by Reps. Brian Ashe, D-Longmeadow, and John Velis, D-Westfield, and co-sponsored by nine of Massachusetts' 14 county sheriffs.

Cahillane said he anticipates an increase in arrests for driving under the influence of marijuana and other criminal activity. "Not everyone will smoke responsibly, much the same way many people do not drink responsibly," Cahillane said.

Cahillane said the correctional system is already overwhelmed by the need for substance abuse treatment, and he anticipated that the problem will only get worse with more widespread marijuana use.

Cocchi said not everyone who smokes marijuana will become an addict, but someone who already has addictive tendencies and starts smoking marijuana could become addicted to harder drugs.

Cocchi said there is already a shortage of treatment beds for people struggling with substance abuse, and he gets calls regularly from family members of addicts desperate for treatment. "We are searching and starving for resources and beds," Cocchi said.

With marijuana legalization, Cocchi said, "There's a revenue source that's never been tapped into before" available to fund addiction treatment.

Sen. Patricia Jehlen, D-Somerville, who co-chairs the legislative marijuana committee, has suggested keeping marijuana taxes low in order to curb the black market for marijuana. But other lawmakers have urged the committee to raise the rate. Marijuana tax rates elsewhere range from 10 percent in Maine to 37 percent in Washington State.

The Yes on 4 coalition, which sponsored the ballot question legalizing marijuana, has said the tax rate should be high enough to cover the costs of overseeing the industry but low enough to reduce the illegal market.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, has voiced support for the idea of using marijuana revenue to create a new fund to address substance abuse recovery.


1 killed in crash on Route 9 in Cummington: report

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The area is closed to traffic while the accident is under investigation.

CUMMINGTON - One person was killed Monday in a head-on crash on Route 9 near the Cummington/Windsor town line.

Western Mass News, citing Windsor police, reports one person died in the crash at around 3 p.m.

The area is closed to traffic while the accident is under investigation.

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

 

Jobs, revenue lead Holyoke chamber, taxpayers group to endorse medical pot plan

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The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Holyoke Taxpayers Association have endorsed a plan to build a medical marijuana facility at 28 Appleton St. in Holyoke, Massachusetts as proposed by GTI Massachusetts NP Corp. with a public hearing on the proposal resuming at City Hall on Tuesday.

HOLYOKE -- A proposed medical marijuana facility has been endorsed by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and Holyoke Taxpayers Association based on projected jobs, revenue and safety of the facility.

The groups sent endorsement letters to the City Council, which is considering an application for a special permit from GTI Massachusetts NP Corp. to run a medical marijuana cultivation and processing facility at 28 Appleton St.

The Council's Ordinance Committee will resume a public hearing on the GTI Massachusetts project at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall.

"Consistent with other votes that the Chamber of Commerce has taken in the past, the chamber is in support of increasing the tax base, job creation, local hiring and other forms of revenue and support for the community that the proposed project is promising," said the chamber letter signed by President Kathleen G. Anderson and Margaret Mantoni, president of the chamber board of directors (see below, with G&A sheet from GTI Massachusetts).

"This manufacturing process will mean increased revenues not only for the city, but also for Holyoke Gas and Electric (Department) and the Holyoke Water (Works). Holyoke Taxpayers Association board of directors strongly supports the granting of the special permit for a cultivation facility in Holyoke," said Helene A. Florio, president and executive director of the Holyoke Taxpayers Association (see below).

The Holyoke Taxpayers Association fosters interest in government by working with local officials to promote honesty and efficiency, Florio has said.

GTI Massachusetts in the first year would hire 25 to 30 full-timers at entry-level salaries of $14 an hour, with benefits, with a range of positions within the new hires. Jobs will be in security, crop maintenance, management and logistics. That would increase to 100 employees in three years, representatives have said.

Jobs top questions about medical marijuana plan at Holyoke Ward 1 meeting (photos)

The company would pay $50,000 to $100,000 a year into the city general fund and issue $15,000 in grants to community groups as part of a host-city agreement the city is negotiating with Mayor Alex B. Morse, they said.

Massachusetts voters in 2012 permitted medical marijuana facilities by approving a statewide ballot question, and state law prohibits a city or town from banning such facilities. But the city can regulate where such a facility can be located and require that the permit-holder disclose security measures and discuss issues like hours of operation.

Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce endorses medical marijuana plan: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Holyoke Taxpayers Association endorses medical marijuana plan: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Judge reduces bail for Springfield man accused of kicking, spitting in eyes and mouth of jail guard

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Hampden Superior Court Judge Edward McDonough reduces bail from $10,000 to $2,500 for Drez Baker of Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- Hampden Superior Court Judge Edward J. McDonough on Monday reduced the bail for Drez Baker, a city man accused of kicking and spitting in the eyes and mouth of a correctional officer.

Assistant District Attorney Howard I. Safford asked McDonough to keep the bail for the 21-year-old Baker at $10,000 cash. Defense lawyer Bernard T. O'Connor Jr. wanted the bail amount lowered to $1,000.

drez.baker.jpgDrez Baker 

McDonough said he thought $2,500 is enough of a bail amount for Baker, who would be outfitted with GPS monitoring if released.

O'Connor told McDonough that when the incident at the Hampden County Correctional Center happened in November 2015, Baker was still in a leg cast from being shot. Baker is heard on the videotape from the jail saying, "You're hurting my leg," O'Connor said.

The lawyer said correctional officers were trying to get Baker in a wheelchair to take him to a medical unit.

Safford said the correctional officer was trying to get Baker cuffed to move him to a medical unit and Baker was resisting, saying, "You touch my arms, I'm going to f---ing kill you."

He said when an officer took hold of Baker's arm, he kicked the officer in the chest and spit in his eyes and mouth.

"I don't have to tell you the trauma that causes," Baker said. He said correctional officers can't be sure if a person has HIV and the officer might have to go through six months of testing and uncertainty, maybe taking medicine.

Safford said Baker's record includes convictions on firearms, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and armed robbery charges and violations of probation.

He said Baker defaulted on conditions of pretrial release in October and was picked up last month on the default warrant.

'Wellness to Work' veterans job, resource fair set for Tuesday in Springfield

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Veterans can learn about resources to assist with employment, health care, education, temporary transportation, VA claims, finances and more.

SPRINGFIELD - Veterans can receive free help finding work, housing, legal assistance and more on Tuesday at the third annual "Wellness to Work" Veterans Health and Career Fair.

The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 35 Chestnut St.

Hosted by Springfield Partners for Community Action and the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, the event will feature live music, raffles and refreshments.

Veterans can learn about resources to assist with employment, health care, education, temporary transportation, VA claims, finances and more.

Grooming services will be available to men and women free of charge.

"There is a gap between available jobs and the skills of veterans in our community," said Springfield Partners when announcing the fair. Program coordinators will help veterans find jobs that are "tailored to our veterans' skill sets, experience, and goals."

Free shuttle service is available to those who call ahead. Call 413-263-6500 ext. 6591 to make a reservation.

 

Cornell Mills, former Boston City Council candidate and son of ex-senator, charged with embezzlement, acting as real estate broker

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Cornell Mills, a former candidate for the Boston City Council and the son of former Massachusetts state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, has been charged with embezzlement and acting as a real estate broker without a license, Attorney General Maura Healey's office said Monday.

Cornell Mills, a former candidate for the Boston City Council and the son of former Massachusetts state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, has been charged with embezzlement and acting as a real estate broker without a license, Attorney General Maura Healey's office said Monday.

Mills, a 42-year-old Roxbury resident, pleaded not guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to the charges, which also include larceny over $250 and "being a common and notorious thief." He was released on personal recognizance.

The state's Division of Professional Licensure and Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley's office referred the case to Healey's office, which started an investigation in 2016.

Mills once worked as a civilian investigator in Conley's homicide division.

Healey's office alleged that Mills posed as a real estate broker even though he didn't have a broker's license, and told potential homebuyers that he would hold funds in escrow, even though he didn't have an escrow account. The office alleged he stole a total of $50,000.

Healey's office alleged the following in a release:

Authorities found that in some instances, Mills would represent homeowners facing foreclosure, and offered to help them by selling their homes through a short sale. Authorities allege that Mills did not fulfill his promise to sell these homes, and instead ignored the homeowner's attempts to contact him after he spent the deposits he received from potential buyers.

Mills ran for the Boston City Council in 2011, vying for the seat vacated by City Councilor Chuck Turner, who was ousted from the council after he was convicted of federal corruption charges. Mills lost to Tito Jackson, who is now running for mayor of Boston in a campaign against incumbent Marty Walsh.

Mills is a son of former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, a Roxbury Democrat who pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges in 2010. The FBI recorded -- and later released photos of -- Wilkerson stuffing cash into her bra. 

Anti-Semitism spikes in Massachusetts and US, Anti-Defamation League data shows

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New data from the ADL found a significant increase in anti-Semitic incidents since the 2016 presidential election.

Anti-Semitism is spiking in America, and in Massachusetts, according to data released Monday by the Anti-Defamation League.

"The increase is very significant, and I think in many ways the data is a bit of a warning sign that people are acting out on their hateful beliefs right now in ways that we haven't seen in the past," said Robert Trestan, executive director of the ADL's Boston office.

The spike has been particularly prevalent since the 2016 presidential election.

According to the data, anti-Semitic incidents nationally increased by 83 percent, comparing the first quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2017, with incidents of harassment rising by 125 percent. Overall, there were 541 anti-Semitic incidents that the ADL was aware of in the first three months of 2017.

These incidents include 161 bomb threats. An American-Israeli Jewish teenager living in Israel has been charged with making bomb threats to Jewish institutions worldwide.

Between 2015 and 2016, anti-Semitic incidents rose by 34 percent, from 942 to 1,266. Around 30 percent of those incidents occurred in November and December.

Trestan said the "heightened political atmosphere" is a contributing factor. "It's not fair to say President (Donald) Trump is responsible for all of this," Trestan said. "It's a time period where anti-Semites and people who traffic in all sorts of hate are feeling a little more empowered, a little more emboldened to spread their message."

Trump's campaign led to anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment with its focus on the dangers of Islamic terrorism and on a crackdown on illegal immigration.

Trump has gotten mixed reviews from Jewish groups. Trump's daughter and son-in-law are observant Jews. But one of his advisers, Sebastian Gorka, has ties to an anti-Semitic political party in Hungary, according to news reports in the Jewish newspaper The Forward, and some Jewish groups raised concerns about White House adviser Steve Bannon's ties to the alt-right, a nationalist movement that attracts some anti-Semitic elements.

The ADL data counted 34 incidents that were directly tied to the election -- for example, graffiti in Denver that read, "Kill the Jews, Vote Trump."

The report did not find an increase in violent behavior. While reports of vandalism and harassment increased, the number of assaults actually decreased between 2015 and 2016, as well as between the first quarters of 2016 and 2017.

Trestan said that shows the need to address the anti-Semitism before it gets worse. "We need to put a stop to it now before people start to act out on some of those messages," Trestan said. "You have an increase in harassment, an increase in vandalism. We need to stem the tide before we're facing an increase in assaults and violence."

The number of anti-Semitic incidents was highest in states that have the most Jews -- including California, New York, New Jersey, Florida and Massachusetts. Massachusetts had 125 anti-Semitic incidents in 2016 and 38 in the first quarter of 2017 -- compared to 50 incidents in all of 2015.

The 2016 numbers in Massachusetts include 63 incidents of vandalism, 61 cases of harassment and one assault. There was a particular increase in school-based anti-Semitism in Massachusetts and nationally, at elementary, middle and high schools.

Trestan attributed some of that to the role of technology when middle and high schoolers all have smartphones. "There's a lot of hate content that has now become part of the mainstream media, and today, unlike in the past, everyone has access to it," Trestan said.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement, "Children absorb messages from their parents and the media, and bring them into their schools and playgrounds."

Obituaries from The Republican, April 24, 2017

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View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.


Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse in Ireland to form sister-city tie with Tralee

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Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse is in Ireland on a combination business trip and vacation and will meet with Tralee Mayor Terry O'Brien to discuss a sister-city relationship between the communities, he said on Monday, April 24, 2017.

Updated at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 24, 2017 to include Councilor James Leahy, a member of the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade Committee, asking why Morse chose Tralee for a sister-city relationship when Irish people in Holyoke mostly have roots in Mayo and Kerry, specifically Belmullet, Mayo and Dingle, Kerry. Morse said that Tralee is Kerry's largest city, that Tralee officials were open to the sister-city relationship and that he worked on the proposal with Irish officials and staff of U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield.

HOLYOKE -- - Mayor Alex B. Morse is in Ireland on a combination business trip and vacation and will meet with Tralee Mayor Terry O'Brien to discuss a sister-city relationship between the communities, he said today.

"I see this as a great opportunity for our city. Not only because of our well-known link to Ireland and Irish Heritage but also as a chance to meet with the mayor of a city whose structure and communities are similar to our own. I look forward to establishing this sister city relationship and hearing new approaches and perspectives from the mayor of Tralee," Morse said.

Morse is paying for the trip with his own money and is traveling with friends, he said in a text message.

He is scheduled to meet with O'Brien at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Rose Hotel in Tralee for lunch followed by a tour of the city, which is in southwestern Ireland. Morse has brought a sister-city proclamation for the mayors to sign.

Irish heritage runs wide and deep here leading with the annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade in March that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Among similarities of the communities are that Tralee, like Holyoke has a canal system with the waterways in both communities completed around the mid-1800s. Tralee's canal system was built for shipping. Holyoke's was constructed to take advantage of the terrain and proximity to the Connecticut River first to power paper-makers and other manufacturers and now to power the hydroelectric dam.

Councilor at Large James M. Leahy, a long-time member of the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade Committee, asked why Morse chose Tralee for a sister-city relationship when Irish people in Holyoke mostly have roots in Mayo and Kerry, specifically Belmullet, Mayo and Dingle, Kerry.

Morse said Tralee is Kerry's largest city. He worked on the sister-city proposal with the mayors of Tralee and Kerry and staff of U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, he said.

"And (Tralee officials ) were open and welcoming to the partnership. We can certainly explore additional sister city relationships in other parts of the country. This is the first sister city in Ireland. We looked into Dingle initially, but they are actively in the process with West Springfield since the opening of the Irish cultural center there," Morse said.

Morse will present to O'Brien a Holyoke St. Patrick's tartan tie purchased at Highlands Card & Gift Shop at 903 Hampden St., a press release from Morse's office said.

The tartan tie was designed in 2002 by Gerald D Healy and Ralf L. Hartwell Jr. for the Holyoke St Patrick's Committee. Colors represent red, white and blue, from the American flag; green white and gold from the Irish flag and the Parade Committee; green and white from Holyoke Community College; purple and white from Holyoke High School; green and gold from Holyoke Catholic High School; and black and gold from Dean Technical High School, the press release said.

Morse also will give O'Brien two gifts purchased at The Cottage at 1615 Northampton St.: a photograph of Massachusetts with a shamrock placed over Holyoke and a beer glass bearing Holyoke and shamrock images, the press release said.

Morse also said he will visit Killarney, Dingle, Cork and other cities and towns, and will travel to Dublin and be given a tour of the Leinster House, or the Irish Parliament.

Friends, family of Aaron Hernandez gather for quiet, heavily policed funeral ceremony

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Emotions reportedly ran high during an open casket funeral for the late former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on Monday, where attorneys representing the family asked for privacy and time to grieve. Watch video

A quiet funeral ceremony in Bristol, Conn., saw friends and family of former England Patriots star tight end Aaron Hernandez express strong feelings of grief and regret Monday. 

Attorneys representing Hernandez's loved ones addressed the media present at the close of the ceremony, asking for privacy and time to grieve. 

Plainclothes and uniformed police officers surrounded O'Brien Funeral Home on Lincoln Avenue long before and throughout the two-plus-hour ceremony, closed to anyone without an invitation.

A friend of Hernandez's longtime partner Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez spoke to MassLive anonymously, offering some details of what went on inside.

The casket was open, he said, and Hernandez's brother, D.J., head football coach of Ledyard High School in Connecticut, became very emotional.

All present, he said, had imagined a far different future for the former star, whose rise to the National Football League initially brought a sense of pride and disbelief to the Bristol community of his youth. 

Later, following his arrest on three murder charges, Hernandez became a black sheep, talk of him on the streets and inside the stores of Bristol becoming rare, and unwelcome, according to Maggie Amaya, 45, of Bristol.

Amaya's son attended Bristol Central High School with Hernandez. 

Once a hometown hero, Amaya said, "he became a silence no one wanted to talk about."

She added, "I'd rather remember the kid who wanted to be famous, wanted to make it and represented us on the Patriots." 


Hernandez was convicted of the murder of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd and recently acquitted of two more murders. The Patriots released him in 2013, after his arrest.

Prison staff at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster found Hernandez hung in his cell on April 19 with a reference to a Bible passage written on his head in blood. 

Aaron Hernandez wrote Bible verse on his forehead in marker, smoked synthetic marijuana before suicide

The friend of Jenkins-Hernandez told MassLive one, unnamed National Football League professional attended Monday's funeral ceremony, and four guards of the Bristol County Jail and House of Correction in North Dartmouth, where Hernandez served time before being moved to Souza-Baranowski.

He also Hernandez's longtime partner has been handling his death "better than expected." 

Police guarded the funeral home so vigorously, the friend said, they attempted to turn him away before presenting an invitation and identification. 

Friends and family began exiting the funeral home just after 3 p.m. on Monday.

'EHS concerns' on Easthampton School Committee agenda as Confederate flag appears in high school parking lot

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The racial climate at Easthampton High School continues to be a topic of discussion.

EASTHAMPTON -- Discussions about race relations at Easthampton High School are likely to continue Tuesday evening as the School Committee has scheduled time for an agenda item simply titled "EHS Concerns."

Parents, teachers and students packed two recent meetings and spoke out about racial tensions at the high school, with one group calling for the ouster of high school Principal Kevin Burke and School Resource Officer Alan Schadel.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Nancy Follansbee confirmed Monday evening that a student seen displaying a Confederate flag outside the high school that afternoon would face "appropriate  disciplinary action," based upon the student handbook, after an investigation by Burke.

Burke announced earlier this month that the school plans to work with the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton to conduct an assessment and implement a three-year plan to increase support for diversity.

Nearly a month ago, three students of color allegedly surrounded and punched a white student in the high school parking lot. The white student had sent a racial slur to an ex-girlfriend using social media, according to police. Students staged a walkout after the incident to draw attention to the school's racial climate.

Three suspects were later arrested by Easthampton police, and one, 18-year-old Joshua Brown, now faces charges in Northampton District Court.

School and city officials subsequently issued statements. "Our community, which includes students, staff, parents and administration does not condone hate speech or offensive language, nor do we condone violence for any reason," said Mayor Karen Cadieux.

Superintendent Nancy Follansbee has since expressed public support for Burke, and dozens of teachers also signed a letter of support for their principal.

Meanwhile, some claim Burke has failed to address a deteriorating climate at the high school marked by bullying, harassment and intolerance of racial and ethnic minorities.

A group of parents submitted an open letter and packet of anonymous personal statements to members of the School Committee last week, but the documents have yet to be addressed at an open public meeting.

Parent Natalie Poirier told The Republican that members of her group have been discussing the matter with members of the School Committee.

Committee Chairman Deb Lusnia and acting Chairman Peter Gunn did not immediately respond to an email Monday seeking more information about those discussions.

Students returned from spring vacation on April 24, and had planned to stand outside the school holding "welcome" signs in the morning, said Poirier. For reasons that are not clear, the stand-out did not occur.

Monday afternoon, parents witnessed a student attaching a Confederate flag to a truck in the school parking lot, and snapped cellphone photos, said Poirier, who forwarded some of those images to The Republican.

"This represents exactly what we are talking about," she said in a telephone  interview.

Responding to an emailed request for comment, Follansbee said she and Burke learned about the incident Monday afternoon. 

"Principal Burke is investigating to identify the student," wrote Follansbee. "Once the investigation is completed, the appropriate  disciplinary action, based on the EHS student handbook, will be taken."

If you go:

What: Easthampton School Committee
Where: 50 Payson Ave. Municipal Building, 2nd floor
When: April 25, 6 p.m.

Springfield City Council approves zone change for former Mutual Ford site; developer plans 23 homes

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Hampden developer Alston Graham plans to build 23 high-end single-family homes on the long-vacant, blighted property at 1535 Bay St.

SPRINGFIELD -- The City Council on Monday approved a zone change that would allow housing at the former Mutual Ford car dealership site in the Pine Point neighborhood.

Hampden developer Alston Graham, of Graham's Construction Inc., wants to build 23 high-end single-family homes on the long-vacant, blighted property at 1535 Bay St. He purchased the parcel in October for $470,000.

Graham requested the zone change from Business B, which allows for a mix of commercial and residential properties, to Residence A, which allows for single-family homes. The council approved the change 10-0 with three councilors absent.

Councilors had high praise for Graham's craftsmanship. Councilor Justin Hurst said Graham's homes are "absolutely amazing."

"I'm excited about this proposal because of the reputation of this gentleman," said Council President Orlando Ramos. "There aren't many developers building homes like that in this city."

Before Graham purchased the site, it had been the subject of code enforcement actions and a complaint in Western District Housing Court. The city sought a court order last year demanding the owner, Bay Street Commercial Realty LLC, demolish the former dealership building and clean up the property.

The fact that someone wants to develop the five-acre site is "great news," said Councilor Marcus Williams.

Councilor Kenneth Shea, before voting in favor, asked if 23 houses was too many.

"I know it would hurt your bottom line, but is there any way you can make this less dense?" said Shea. "That's what frightens me when I look at this: the number of homes squeezed into what used to be a car lot."

Graham's plan is under review by various city departments and subject to a vote by the Planning Board, said Philip Dromey, the city's deputy director of planning.

Councilor Michael Fenton voted in favor of the zone change, but first said he was "apprehensive" because the city would lose a large commercial parcel. He said other councilors' testimony persuaded him that Graham was a trustworthy builder with a good plan.

One abutter spoke to the council, saying she was concerned about traffic flow and privacy in her backyard, but she was not against the zone change. Graham said traffic would not be a problem, since the development would have a circular private road and any privacy concerns can be addressed by fences and planting.

Cheshire man, 31, killed in head-on crash on Route 9 in Cummington

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Massachusetts State Police said a 2000 Acura 32TL crossed into oncoming traffic, striking a 2013 Toyota Camry with three people inside.

CUMMINGTON - A 31-year-old man from Cheshire was killed and three others were injured in a head-on crash on Route 9 on Monday afternoon.

The crash was reported at 1:45 p.m. near the Cummington/Windsor town line.

Massachusetts State Police said a 2000 Acura 32TL crossed into oncoming traffic, striking a 2013 Toyota Camry with three people inside.

The male victim was transported to Berkshire Medical Center, and then to Baystate Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released yet.

The female driver and a child were also taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries, along with the 23-year-old male driver of the Acura.

The crash is under investigation by the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section and the Office of the Medical Examiner.

No charges have been filed.

 

Arkansas executes 2 inmates mere hours apart; most executions in 1 day since 2000

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Jack Jones and Marcel Williams received lethal injections on the same gurney Monday night, just about three hours apart.

Jack Harold Jones Jr.,Jack Jones,Marcel WilliamsThis combination of undated file photos provided by the Arkansas Department of Correction shows death-row inmates Jack Jones, left, and Marcel Williams. 

VARNER, Ark. -- After going nearly 12 years without executing an inmate, Arkansas now has executed three in a few days -- including two in one night.

Jack Jones and Marcel Williams received lethal injections on the same gurney Monday night, just about three hours apart. It was the first double execution in the United States since 2000.

While Jones, 52, was executed on schedule, shortly after 7 p.m., attorneys for Williams, 46, convinced a federal judge minutes later to briefly delay his execution over concerns about how the earlier one was carried out. They claimed Jones "was moving his lips and gulping for air," an account the state's attorney general denied, but the judge lifted her stay about an hour later and Williams was pronounced dead at 10:33 p.m.

In the emergency filing, Williams' attorneys wrote that officials spent 45 minutes trying to place an IV line in Jones' neck before placing it elsewhere. It argued that Williams, who weighs 400 pounds, could have faced a "torturous" death because of his weight.

Intravenous lines are placed before witnesses are allowed access to the death chamber.

An Associated Press reporter who witnessed the execution said Jones moved his lips briefly after the midazolam was administered, and officials put a tongue depressor in his mouth intermittently for the first few minutes. His chest stopped moving two minutes after they checked for consciousness, and he was pronounced dead at 7:20 p.m.

Williams was already in the death chamber when the temporary stay was issued. He was escorted out of the chamber and used the restroom, then was brought back in after the stay was lifted.

Initially, Gov. Asa Hutchinson scheduled four double executions over an 11-day period in April. The eight executions would have been the most by a state in such a compressed period since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The state said the executions needed to be carried out before its supply of one lethal injection drug expires on April 30.

Besides the two executions Monday, Arkansas put to death one other inmate last week and has a final one scheduled for Thursday. Four others have been blocked.

Before last week, Arkansas hadn't had an execution since 2005 or a double execution since 1999.

Jones, who'd argued that his health conditions could lead to a painful death, gave a lengthy last statement. His final words were: "I'm sorry."

"I hope over time you can learn who I really am and I am not a monster," he said in the roughly 2-minute statement.

Williams declined to make a final statement.

Jones was sent to death row for the 1995 rape and killing of Mary Phillips. He strangled her with the cord to a coffee pot.

He was also convicted of attempting to kill Phillips' 11-year-old daughter and was convicted in another rape and killing in Florida.

Jones said earlier this month that he was ready for execution. He used a wheelchair and he'd had a leg amputated in prison because of diabetes.

Williams' "morbid obesity makes it likely that either the IV line cannot be placed or that it will be placed in error, thus causing substantial damage (like a collapsed lung)," his attorneys wrote in an earlier court filing asking justices to block the execution.

Both men were served last meals on Monday afternoon, Arkansas Department of Correction spokesman Solomon Graves said. Jones had fried chicken, potato logs with tartar sauce, beef jerky bites, three candy bars, a chocolate milkshake and fruit punch. Williams had fried chicken, banana pudding, nachos, two sodas and potato logs with ketchup, Graves said.

In recent pleadings before state and federal courts, the inmates said the three drugs Arkansas uses to execute prisoners -- midazolam, vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride -- could be ineffective because of their poor health.

Williams weighed 400 pounds, was diabetic and had concerns that the execution team might not be able to find a suitable vein to support an intravenous line.

The poor health of both men, their lawyers claimed, could make it difficult for them to respond during a consciousness check following a megadose of midazolam. The state shouldn't risk giving them drugs to stop their lungs and hearts if they aren't unconscious, they have told courts.

The last state to put more than one inmate to death on the same day was Texas, which executed two killers in August 2000. Oklahoma planned a double execution in 2014 but scrapped plans for the second one after the execution of Clayton Lockett went awry.

Arkansas executed four men in an eight-day period in 1960. The only quicker pace included quadruple executions in 1926 and 1930.

Williams was sent to death row for the 1994 rape and killing of 22-year-old Stacy Errickson, whom he kidnapped from a gas station in central Arkansas.

Authorities said Williams abducted and raped two other women in the days before he was arrested in Errickson's death. Williams admitted responsibility to the state Parole Board last month.

"I wish I could take it back, but I can't," Williams told the board.

In a letter earlier this month, Jones said he was ready to be killed by the state. The letter, which his attorney read aloud at his clemency hearing, went on to say: "I shall not ask to be forgiven, for I haven't the right."

Including Jones and Williams, nine people have been executed in the United States this year, four in Texas, three in Arkansas and one each in Missouri and Virginia. Last year, 20 people were executed, down from 98 in 1999 and the lowest number since 14 in 1991, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Foster care experience set for stage perfomance in Holyoke

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Treehouse HEROES Youth performers will present a stage show about the experience of growing up in foster care at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at Holyoke High School auditorium, 500 Beech St.

HOLYOKE -- The experience of growing up in foster care and how adults can help such children will be the topic of a stage performance at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Holyoke High School auditorium, 500 Beech St.

" 'Youth Truth' is an inspiring original performance blending poetry, music, storytelling and visual arts that shares powerful wisdom, emotion and truth. How can caring adults help shape the lives of children who experience foster care in positive ways?" a press release said.

"Youth Truth, The People Who Shape Us" is presented by Enchanted Circle Theater of Holyoke and Treehouse Foundation of Easthampton, which works to improve the foster care system, and Treehouse HEROES Youth performers.

"We've been collaborating with Treehouse since 2007, and are thrilled to see the depth and quality of creative expression generated by HEROES Youth," said Priscilla Kane Hellweg, executive director of Enchanted Circle Theater.

"The arts are a powerful leadership development tool. Youth Truth is an inspiring performance and a transformational experience for both the youth and their audiences," she said.

The youth ensemble also will perform at the Massachusetts State House in Boston for legislators and the public on May 16 at 3:30 p.m.

Patrons can register for tickets to the performance here. The suggested donation is $5 to $20 but no one will be turned away. To register online, click here.



Pioneer Valley home sales down 4.1 percent in 1st quarter; prices up 4.2 percent

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The inventory of homes for sale is down 35.8 percent.

SPRINGFIELD -- Sales of single-family homes were down 4.1 percent in the first quarter of 2017, from 1,039 in the first three months of 2016 to just 996 in the same time period this year.

The median price brought by those homes rose 4.2 percent from $180,000 in the first three months of 2016 to $187,500 in the first three months of 2017.

Looking only at March, sales were stronger and up 5.9 percent, from 393 in March 2016 to 416 last month. The median price for March alone was up 1.7 percent from $184,900 in March 2016 to $188,000 last month.

The Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley released new housing statistics Tuesday. The numbers are drawn from the multiple listing service and reflect only transactions that go through a real estate agent where the buyer and seller are not working together.

Closed sales from March represent deals struck and purchase-and-sale agreements signed in January and February.

Real estate agents blame slow sales on a lack of homes to sell. The inventory of homes for sale is down 35.8 percent from 2,230 in March 2016 to 1,431 last month.

pib Sawicki.jpgRichard Sawicki
 

"It's just a lack or inventory at that particular price point," said Richard Sawicki of Sawicki Real Estate in Amherst, the president of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley. "Entry-level homes. In different markets it is a different price. But it is always a lack of starter homes."

There are a number of reasons, he said. Construction has lagged since the recession. Homeowners are holding on to their places for longer, with some retirees staying put.

And demand for homes is strong, especially in desirable communities. Sawicki said he's recently had multiple offers in Amherst. One home there garnered 10 bids in 24 hours.

"There are a lot of people looking for homes. People feel comfortable to buy. Banks want to make loans," he said. "I don't see any fear in the numbers. I see some frustration."

Real estate agents all over the region are seeing fewer short sales, situations where owners who can't keep up with the payments sell for less than what is owed, wiping out their equity, damaging their credit and sticking the bank with a loss. There are also fewer bank-owned properties on the market.

"That means people can sell," he said.

County-by-county numbers:

Hampden County: Sales are up 10.2 percent on the month from 283 homes sold in March 2016 to 312 last month. The median price is up 2.8 percent from $170,200 to $175,000.
Hampshire County: Sales are down 8 percent from 75 homes sold in March 2016 to 69 last month. The median price is up 4.3 percent from $261,800 to $273,000.
Franklin County: Sales are up 21.2 percent from 33 homes sold in March 2016 to 40 sold last month. The median price is down 12 percent from $196,500 to $173,000.

In other numbers:

Days on market: The average number of days a home has spent on the market fell 30.6 percent from 144 days measured at the end of March 2016 to 100 days measured at the end of March 2017.
Pending sales: The number of pending sales was up 8.2 percent from 551 in March 2016 to 596 last month.

Massachusetts

Sales statewide were up 2.1 percent from 3,540 homes sold in March 2016 to 3,615 homes sold last month.

The median price was up 6.7 percent from $328,000 in March 2016 to $350,000 last month.

Nationally

Existing home sales were up 4.4 percent in March nationally, according to a news release from the National Association of Realtors. 

Existing-home sales were at their highest pace in over 10 years, and severe supply shortages resulted in the typical home coming off the market significantly faster than in February and a year ago, the association said.

Lawrence Yun, the association's chief economist, said in a news release:

"Bolstered by strong consumer confidence and underlying demand, home sales are up convincingly from a year ago nationally and in all four major regions despite the fact that buying a home has gotten more expensive over the past year.
"Last month's swift price gains and the remarkably short time a home was on the market are directly the result of the home building industry's struggle to meet the dire need for more new homes. A growing pool of all types of buyers is competing for the lackluster amount of existing homes on the market. Until we see significant and sustained multi-month increases in housing starts, prices will continue to far outpace incomes and put pressure on those trying to buy."

Ware Police Chief Kenneth Kovitch retires after 32 years on force

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Kovitch, who was hired as an officer 1985, was promoted to sergeant 15 years later, and has been chief since 2015.

WARE -- Police Chief Kenneth Kovitch has retired after 32 years on the force.

In an interview Tuesday, the chief said it was his last day on the job.

Kovitch, who was hired as an officer 1985, was promoted to sergeant 15 years later, and has been chief since 2015 when Dennis Healey retired.

Kenneth KovitchKenneth Kovitch

"It was a good career," Kovitch said.

"The townspeople have supported me, and I appreciate that," he said.

Asked about the biggest challenges facing the community's police force, Kovitch listed three items: domestic violence, the opioid addiction crisis and staffing.

He said a full contingent of officers numbering 21 is essential. The department had been operating with 20 full-time officers, including the chief and sergeants, but is now down to 19. "At this point, enough staffing to handle the call volume" is key, he said. The department receives about 40,000 emergency calls annually, and made about 400 arrests in the past year.

Jeremy Foisy challenging incumbent Monson Selectman John Morrell

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No one took out nomination papers for a seat on the Monson School Committee.

MONSON -- Incumbent Selectman John Morrell of 15 East Hill Road is being challenged by Jeremy Foisy of 179 Butler Road for a three-year term.

The contest is the only race on this year's election ballot. Voters will go to the polls on June 13, casting their ballots at Memorial Hall.

No one took out nomination papers for a seat on the Monson School Committee.

The following incumbents are unopposed:

  • Town Clerk Mary Watson
  • Board of Assessors member Ronald Avery Jr.
  • Water and Sewer Commissioner Marshall Harris
  • Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sara Szado

Cold case Massachusetts murder trial prosecutor says victim reunited with estranged husband weeks before he killed her

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The trial of Robert Honsch, 73, begins May 12 for the fatal shooting of his wife Marcia Honsch in 1995.

SPRINGFIELD -- With the cold case murder trial of Robert Honsch a little more than two weeks away, a four-hour session was held with a Hampden Superior Court judge Tuesday to hash out pretrial motions.

The trial of Honsch, 73, is slated to take about three or four weeks starting with jury selection May 12 in front of Judge Constance M. Sweeney. Honsch is accused of killing his wife, Marcia Honsch.

On Oct. 6, 1995, a partially decomposed body with a gunshot wound to the head was found in Tolland State Forest. The killing remained a cold case until 2014, when the body was identified as that of Marcia Honsch, 53, of Brewster, New York.

Robert Honsch was arrested in July 2014 in Dalton, Ohio, where investigators said he was living under an assumed name with a new wife and three children.

Sweeney denied Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Bell's motion to admit evidence of Robert Honsch's hostile actions towards Marcia Honsch before the couple separated in 1988. That included an incident of Robert Honsch hitting Marcia Honsch in the mouth, Bell said.

Bell said the couple got back together for a month or two before Marcia Honsch was killed, after being estranged for about seven years.

In Connecticut, Robert Honsch is charged in the fatal shooting of Elizabeth Honsch, 17, his daughter with Marcia Honsch. Elizabeth Honsch's body was found behind a shopping plaza in New Britain, Connecticut, on Sept. 28, 1995. The Springfield trial for Marcia Honsch's killing is being held before the Connecticut trial.

Over the objection of defense lawyer Paul Rudof, Sweeney is allowing testimony about Elizabeth Honsch's murder into the trial here for the killing of Marcia Honsch.

Another pretrial motion dealt with which photos of the victims alive Bell could show at trial. Sweeney ruled Bell could show photos of Marcia and Elizabeth Honsch together and of Marcia Honsch. Bell cannot show a high school yearbook photo of Elizabeth Honsch because it puts too much of a focus on Elizabeth, when this trial is about the murder of Marcia Honsch, Sweeney ruled.

Bell can show a photo of Elizabeth Honsch and Robert Honsch's daughter from another relationship at a campground in Otis near Tolland State Forest, Sweeney said.

That can be used to show that although family members did not live in Western Massachusetts, Robert Honsch was familiar with the area near where Marcia Honsch's body was found, the judge said.

Sweeney ruled the jury, once selected, can be taken by bus on a view of relevant sites. Bell estimated the view could take four hours, with jurors taken to Tolland State Forest, the Otis campground and to New Britain, Connecticut.

The judge ruled Marcia Honsch's three daughters, of whom Robert Honsch is not the father, can sit in the courtroom after they testify. They would be excused at that point from a sequestration order keeping testifying witnesses out of the courtroom except for their own testimony.

Sweeney denied the prosecution's motion to present evidence Robert Honsch had been seen with a rifle and revolver at various times in his life. She said her ruling reflected the fact neither a rifle or revolver is thought to have killed Marcia Honsch.

Bell said she will have witnesses from a number of different states and jurisdictions, including Ohio and Connecticut.

Sweeney took under advisement Rudof's motion to be allowed to present third-party culprit evidence at trial through questioning officers who investigated a burned vehicle found torched in the same general area as Marica Honsch's body was found.

The defense contends Marcia Honsch was killed on the same night the vehicle was torched.

Barry Troy was prosecuted for insurance fraud in Connecticut in connection with the burning of his vehicle, which was insured in Connecticut.

Rudof said Tuesday the two reasons people are most likely to burn their vehicles are because they are in financial distress or to destroy evidence that could be found in the vehicle.

Bell argued Rudof should not be able to present third-party culprit evidence because there has been no link shown between the burning of the vehicle and the killing of Marcia Honsch.

Deerfield Town Meeting approves $15.98M budget, says yes to 'Medicare for All' resolution

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Deerfield voters approved an operating budget totaling $15,984,385 for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, according to official figures provided by the town.


DEERFIELD -- Town Meeting on Monday said yes to a nonbinding resolution, dubbed "Improved Medicare for All" that urges the state Legislature to enact a law that provides single-payer health insurance to all Massachusetts residents.

Deerfield voters approved an operating budget totaling $15,984,385 for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, according to official figures provided by the town. The fiscal 2018 spending plan represents a nearly 4.6 percent increase above this year's $15,286,023 operating budget.

Town Meeting also accepted the Congregational Church of South Deerfield as a gift. The historic building at 71 North Main St. sits on a half-acre lot.

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