Westfield detectives are asking for the public's help in identifying a recent larceny suspect.

WESTFIELD - The Westfield Detective Bureau is asking for the public's help in identifying a recent larceny suspect.

The above surveillance image of the suspect above was taken at a local store. 

Detectives say the man pictured above is believed to have stolen from another customer inside of the store. 

The vehicle captured in the above surveillance image is a blue hatchback motor vehicle that the suspect is believed to have arrived and left in, detectives said. 

Anyone who believes they may be able to identify the person pictured above has been asked to contact Detective Edwards at 413-642-9389 email him at t.edwards@cityofwestfield.org. 

The primary suspect in a Vermont murder case has been apprehended in Florida.

DELTONA, FL - The primary suspect in a Vermont murder case has been arrested in Florida, according to Vermont State Police. 

Jayveon Caballero. Vermont State Police photo 

29-year-old Jayveon Caballero has been the subject of an ongoing manhunt ever since January 22, when Markus Austin, a Vermont state employee and former professional basketball player, was shot to death in a parking lot in Montpelier, Vermont.

Police believe Caballero gunned down Austin hours after the two were involved in a fight outside of a bar in Barre, during which witnesses allege Austin assaulted Caballero's girlfriend. 

Shortly after the murder, a number of individuals associated with Caballero were quickly arrested by authorities, including his girlfriend--who was brought into custody on drug charges--and one of Caballero's friends, who police allege bought the murder suspect a bus ticket so that he could flee the state. 

However, Caballero himself quietly disappeared, and for months police were left without an arrest in the murder case. In March, Vermont State Police even went so far as to offer a $5,000 reward to anyone who could provide information leading to Caballero's apprehension.

Major Glenn Hall of the Vermont State Police reports that Caballero was apprehended Thursday through a collaboration of law enforcement agencies, with the U.S. Marshals working together with Vermont State Police, the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Volusia County Sheriff's Department. 

The details of Caballero's arrest, or how authorities came to find and apprehend him have not been released. 

Hall said Thursday that Caballero is now in the process of being extradited to Vermont to answer to a second degree murder charge. His bail has been set at $500,000. 

View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Widespread rain is expected across New England Friday into the weekend with up to three inches of rainfall likely in Massachusetts.

Widespread rain is expected across New England Friday into the weekend with up to three inches of rainfall likely in Massachusetts. 

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for portions of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including the following counties in Massachusetts: Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Worcester and Suffolk. In Rhode Island: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence and Washington. 

"Rainfall rates up to 1 inch per hour are possible in downpours as well as any thunderstorms," the National Weather Service said in a statement about the flood watch.

Rain is expected as early as Friday morning through the weekend, with the heaviest storms coming Friday evening. 

Eastern Massachusetts will see the worst of the storm. The National Weather Service predicts Nantucket will get the most rainfall - more than three inches - and Boston and the Cape will get more than two inches. Central and Western Massachusetts are likely to see less than two inches of rain. 

The long-awaited museum dedicated to the works of Springfield native Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, will have its grand opening celebration on the weekend of June 3-4, 2017.

SPRINGFIELD -- Having Dr. Seuss as a stepfather meant a house full of peculiar objects, books, newspapers and plenty of doodles.

Oftentimes Leagrey Dimond would find a note tucked in her jacket pocket or a doodle left on her bed from her stepfather, Theodor "Ted" Geisel, and she treasured every one.

Dimond is in Springfield this week setting up three display rooms at the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss at the Springfield Museums, which is slated to open next month. She gave a tour of the displays to museum docents Thursday morning, sharing stories with them about the memories she cherishes of the man who helped raise her since she was 10 years old.

The rooms will include furniture used daily in the family home in La Jolla, California -- from the chair Geisel sat in every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. while working, to the lamps, easel and pencils in his work space.

"This gives you an idea of how he worked. When we put up the photographs you will see him at work at that easel, in that chair," she said.

At 5 p.m. Geisel would finish working for the day, go into the living room, have a gin and tonic with a kumquat he cut from the front yard, eat dinner with the family and then settle on the couch to read into the evening hours. The couch and several other items from the living room will also be on display.

"There will be little pieces throughout the rooms that reflect how he lived. He loved pieces with character and personality," she said.

Dimond described Geisel as a formal man.

"He had a great deal of quiet wit. Sometimes people described Ted as a person with a twinkle in his eye or like Santa Claus, but no, that was not him. This was a formal man born in 1904 to a German family, formally educated. He was at ease with everyone, but there was a sense of elegance and formality about him," she said.

Dimond also said that as an avid reader of the New York Times and a lifelong Democrat he would have been concerned about today's political climate.

"I have never spoken for him, but I will say this without hesitation, that he would be heartsick at what is taking place in this country right now," she said.

She also said the museum is a true reflection of Geisel's life.

"This is a dream come true that we have this wonderful home for Ted in his hometown and that we get to share him with people that love him and have connection with him. It means the world to us," she said.

Kay Simpson, president of the Springfield Museums, said the new museum is meant to be a look at the man behind the mask of Dr. Seuss.

Along with Dimond's collection, the museum will also include the collection of Ted Owens, Geisel's grandnephew.

"He has a lot of correspondence between them over the years. A lot of the correspondence is illustrated," Simpson said. "He also has a lot of furniture and memorabilia ... and very rare family photographs."

Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, Geisel's other stepdaughter, who created all of the sculptures in the Quadrangle, will also have a room in the museum.

"Her display similarly will have memorabilia and photographs, but will also show the process of creating the sculpture garden, and in doing that will show her relationship with him and how he inspired her art," Simpson said.

Simpson said said she is excited about the opening of the museum on June 3. It will be the only museum in the world dedicated to Dr. Seuss, she said.

The museum also will have elements specifically geared toward the younger Dr. Seuss fans.

"It's participatory and has three-dimensional recreations of sites in Springfield that Ted knew when he was a boy," she said. "We want to stress that there are things he experienced and things he saw in Springfield that in many ways framed his outlook on the world."

John Simpson, Kay's husband, worked on the first floor of the museum, which will be an interactive experience for children and their parents. An artist in his own right, Simpson said he did his best to strictly depict Geisel's artistic style.

"This is one time when I didn't want any of me in the work. I wanted to accurately represent his incredible artwork," he said.

Our first trail cam capture of a black bear this season turned out to be that particular camera's final act. It was destroyed by the actions of the inquisitive bear. Watch video

This is the latest in an occasional series on the wildlife caught on trail cameras set up by The Republican reporter George Graham and his wife, Gerri, in their "backyard" in Westhampton, Massachusetts.

WESTHAMPTON -- Our first trail cam capture of a black bear this season turned out to be that particular camera's final act.

The bear checked out the trail cam on the night of April 22 and then returned the following night for a more thorough examination. Although the camera survived the rough treatment, the bear left it dangling at an awkward angle that allowed rainwater to get inside and fry the electronics.

I suspect the bear seen in the video provided here, shot by a different trail cam, is the same animal. They seem to be about the same size.

That trail cam, by the way, is ensconced in a metal case that is secured by a padlock and screwed into a tree. Let's see if this bear gives that one a go

We picked up our first moose of the season a night or two later and then another a few days after that. That video, which will roll after the bear video, starts with clips of a beaver and then a fisher.

The third video shows the bear taking out the ill-fated trail cam. Although the quality of the video is not great, I have included it because the audio is interesting to listen to and it's a bit eerie to see the bear's breath condensing in the night air.

Moose typically start triggering our trail cams in mid-April and continue to do so until late October or early November.

Their seemingly routine departure for nearly half the year from our trail cam sites -- all of which are located in or near wetlands areas -- has always puzzled me. My working theory had been that the first hard frost kills off favored wetlands vegetation, prompting the moose to move on to find other foods.

I recently learned from David Wattles, black bear and furbearer biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries, Wildlife and Habitats, that the arrival of the colder weather is a primary factor in our moving-on moose, but not exactly in the way that I imagined it to be.

Their immense size makes them vulnerable to overheating, Wattles said. During the warmer months, wetlands areas like the one in which we are running our trail cams function as what Wattles describes as a thermal refuge for moose. They hang out there to beat the heat, much like we go to the lake or the ocean in the summer.

During the colder months, thermal refuges are no longer needed and the moose can move on to their preferred habitat -- recently logged areas that are full of the regenerating shrubs and saplings they prefer to eat.

Massachusetts moose are pretty much at the absolute southern edge of their territory, said Wattles, who has studied moose at the Quabbin Reservoir. Their vulnerability to overheating prevents them from thriving any farther south.

Police say they found a homemade explosive device at the 13-year-old's home.

A 13-year-old student has been charged with possessing a homemade explosive device and making threats to Wilmington Middle School after he allegedly posted suspicious messages on social media. 

The Wilmington Police Chief and Middlesex District Attorney made a joint announcement Thursday that the teen has been brought into custody and will be arraigned in Lowell District Court. 

He faces three charges of possession of an explosive device, possession of a counterfeit note and threatening to commit a crime. 

Police say a student alerted school officials Wednesday of threatening messages being posted on social media by the 13-year-old suspect. Wilmington police immediately began to investigate the threats. 

Authorities say they discovered what they believe to be a homemade explosive device, gunpowder and other material allegedly used to make the device at the home of the juvenile. 

After securing the residence, police then conducted searches at Wilmington Middle School, but no devices were located. 

Police did not specify when he will be arraigned. Juvenile court proceedings are normally closed off to the public. 

Law enforcement officials have arrested five individuals in connection to a prostitution ring that brought in more than 100,000 a week, prosecutors allege.

Law enforcement officials have arrested five individuals in connection to a prostitution ring that brought in more than 100,000 a week, prosecutors allege. 

Pingxia Fan, age 40, of Boston, Timothy Hayes, age 50, of Gloucester, Simon Shimao Lin, age 59, of Boston, Biqun Xiao, age 47, of Deerfield, N.H., and Robert Mozer, age 65, of Deerfield, N.H., were all arrested Thursday in connection with brothel operations in Boston, Cambridge, North Reading and Quincy.

Prosecutors say Asian women were transported to Massachusetts from Flushing, New York to offer sexual services. 

Apartments were used as brothels, prosecutors say, with two to three women working in each residence. The spaces were sparsely furnished, with some only featuring mattresses on the floor. 

Customers were charged $100 for 15 minute appointments, according to court documents, raking in more than $100,000 a week. 

The five individuals arrested Thursday are believed to have run day-to-day operations, giving the women some of the money while pocketing the majority of profits. 

Fan, Hayes and Lin were each charged with one count of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution, money laundering, keeping house of ill fame, and conspiracy. Mozer and Xiao were charged with one count each of conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude. 

Fan and Lin were arrested this morning in Boston. Hayes was arrested in Gloucester and Mozer and Xiao were arrested in Quincy.

The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by Attorney General Maura Healey's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. Victim specialists in the FBI's Office for Victim Assistance and AG Healey's Victim Services Division are working with victim service organizations to offer support to women brought to Massachusetts as part of the prostitution ring. 

Fan, Lin, Hayes and Mozer were arraigned Thursday in Woburn District Court where they pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Bail was set at $150,000 cash for Fan, Lin and Hayes. Bail was set at $50,000 for Mozer. The condition of release for all four defendants are as follows: surrender passport; GPS monitoring; stay away from victims, co-defendants and buyers; and no internet use. These defendants are due back in Woburn District Court on June 2 for probable cause hearings.

Xiao is scheduled to be arraigned in Quincy District Court Friday morning. 

Ware Town Manager Stuart Beckley said changing the speed limit to 25, and changing a section to one-way, would have to undergo some bureaucratic hurdles but that he would begin the process to do that.

WARE -- Town officials said they will address speeding on Beaver Lake Road after several residents wrote letters complaining about the problem.

Selectmen said 30 mph is the current speed limit on the road, acknowledged that speed limit signs are missing and said they would be replaced right away, and promised to research reducing the road's speed limit to 25 mph.

Lynn Lak speaks at the Ware Board of Selectmen meeting on May 2, 2017.(JIM RUSSELL PHOTO) 

Lynn Lak, who resides on the street, said a small section of the roadway that runs by a beach at Beaver Lake should also be made one-way in the northerly direction. The request would affect an approximately 1,000-foot stretch between Monson Turnpike Road and Babcock Tavern Road. Board members said they would research that as well.

"I've been concerned about this for 22 years," said 308 Beaver Lake Road resident Mary "Beth" Kaltner.

"This is a horrible problem," she told selectmen.

Selectmen unanimously voted to "instruct the Department of Public Works to purchase" and install 30 mph speed limit signs at each end of the road. They directed police to place a mobile electronic sign in the area that would display passing vehicles' speeds.

Ware Town Manager Stuart Beckley said changing the speed limit to 25 mph, and changing a section to one-way, would involve some bureaucratic hurdles but that he would begin the process to do that.

In a letter to selectmen, Karen and Michael Sierakowski of 302 Beaver Lake Road wrote that they would offer their "driveway to the police if at any time they would like to park there and view what we are dealing with."

Holyoke Fire Chief John A. Pond said on Thursday, May 4, 2017, that six firefighters deserve commendations for work that included rescuing seven people from a burning building on Jan. 1. Other firefighters have been ordered to undergo ladder-truck retraining. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- Fire Chief John A. Pond said Thursday that six firefighters deserve commendations for work that included rescuing seven people from a burning building on Jan. 1 while others have been ordered to undergo ladder truck retraining.

Two men and a woman died and 49 tenants were displaced in a blaze at 106 North East St. that state investigators said was caused by an electrical problem in a third-floor wall outlet.

Faulty alarm system, lack of sprinkler added to deadly Holyoke fire caused by electrical problem: officials

One of those transferred off of ladder truck duty is Lt. Chad Cunningham, the firefighters union president and commander of Truck 2. His lawyer said the move was retaliation for Cunningham's criticism of staffing and funding decisions made by Pond and Mayor Alex B. Morse such as the controversial step known as brownouts. That's when a truck is temporarily removed from service because staffing on a particular shift is thin.

Pond said that it wasn't a case of retaliating against the loudest critic, but that Cunningham's actions at the Jan. 1 fire led to the move. Truck 2's crew was unable to get its aerial ladder to extend, Pond said, and it was Cunningham's duty as commander to ensure it was in working order.

Pond discussed the heroic deeds of some firefighters and transfers of others as The Republican obtained a video that shows orange flames and columns of gray-black smoke blasting off the building while the crew from Truck 1 extended its aerial ladder parallel to the ground on East Dwight Street and pulled tenants from the tumult.

"We did a great job that day. I can't say how proud I am of the Holyoke Fire Department and what we did that day," Pond said.

The Truck 1 firefighters who performed seven rescues in the blaze at North East and East Dwight streets were Philip Kraus, Anthony Deroy and Daniel Spafford, Pond said.

"Upon arrival, they rescued seven people from that building, rescued over an aerial ladder," he said.

Also deserving of special praise for work at the New Year's Day blaze were Engine 1 firefighters Capt. James Cadigan and firefighters James Tourigny and Lawrence Jackson Jr., he said.

The Fire Department's Commendation Board will determine the awards and medals they will receive, he said.

(Letters from Fire Department officials urging recognition of firefighters' performances on Jan. 1 are included at the end of this article.)

The blaze was so serious that Deputy Chief David M. O'Connor had announced over the radio, "All companies: ground ladders," meaning all firefighters were to focus on rescues by pulling hand-held ladders off trucks if necessary, Pond said.

According to documents obtained by The Republican through a public records request, O'Connor wrote in a report immediately after the fire that it had overwhelmed the building.

"Entire structure affected. ... Fire appeared to damage every floor at some point. Building is total loss," O'Connor wrote, according to documents.

Pond said in an interview with The Republican on Thursday, "That's why Truck 1, there's a stick (ladder) up right away and starts pulling people out of windows. ... Our number one priority is life safety, being able to get a ladder up quickly and efficiently is vital to life safety."

 

Maria Lourdes Cartagena, 48, died of multiple blunt force injuries, having "jumped from (the) building engulfed by fire," according to her death certificate.

The commander of a truck is required to know before the vehicle heads to an emergency that all features are functioning, Pond said.

"If a vehicle has a mechanical problem, it would be taken out of service and placed in reserve," Pond said.

Truck 2 also had ground ladders that were not deployed, he said.

Cunningham has been reassigned to Engine 1. Deputy Chief Robert Shaw ordered Cunningham removed from ladder-truck duty for a shift on Jan. 23 and Pond established the order as a change in duty by transferring Cunningham from ladder truck work on Feb. 24, he said.

"We're not putting him on a ladder truck until he's undergone retraining," Pond said.

The reassignment came after Cunningham criticized Pond during the public speak out portion of the City Council meeting on Jan. 3, two days after the deadly fire.

Cunningham said that night, "I find that Chief Pond not standing behind his Fire Department and saying we had plenty of people on scene, I find it disgusting, to be honest with you, and I'm not sure that chief should be the chief of this department if he's not going to back his members."

Cunningham added later that night in comments to The Republican that Pond should be removed as chief.

"I think that a chief that doesn't support his firefighters is not somebody that's fit to be chief," he said.

Pond, a 23-year veteran, has been chief since October 2011. Cunningham's actions at the Jan. 1 fire and not his comments led to his transfer, Pond said.

"His transfer is directly related to his performance as a truck company officer on Jan. 1," Pond said.

Cunningham, a 10-year veteran and president of Holyoke Fire Fighters Association, Local 1693, International Association of Fire Fighters, has filed a grievance with the Holyoke Fire Commission over the transfer.

Cunningham also has filed a complaint about the transfer with the state Department of Labor Relations that asserts the move was retaliation against him for criticizing Pond.

Lawyer Terence E. Coles, representing Cunningham, said Pond is engaging in fiction and retaliation.

"Chad's the president of the union. I think what's happened is the city and the fire chief have retaliated against Chad and they're using this fiction of 'not being properly trained,'" Coles said.

Another firefighter attempted to get the aerial ladder to lift and was unable to do so because one of the stabilizers that are supposed to extend and clamp to the ground, to keep the truck from tipping over, malfunctioned, he said.

Pond is trying to blame Cunningham by deflecting criticism from his browning out of Engine 2 on Jan. 1, Coles said.

Cunningham has said the browning out of Engine 2, which is based at Fire Department headquarters at 600 High St., hindered firefighters' ability to respond to the fire at 106 North East St.

Pond has disputed that and said the blame for the blaze lies with the building's alarm system malfunctioning and the Fire Department not being called until after the fire had been burning for 10 minutes.

"This is just one more example of the chief creating a fiction" regarding Cunningham and the aerial ladder problem, while Pond asserts, "that Engine 2 wouldn't have made a difference in response times (to the Jan. 1 fire)," Coles said.

Coles was asked about the responsibility of a truck commander to ensure that the apparatus' features are functioning properly.

"There was no way of knowing that that was the issue," Coles said. "That was not something that you could tell (ahead of time)."

As for why Cunningham didn't throw a ground ladder against the building, Coles said Cunningham spoke with a deputy chief upon realizing the aerial ladder wasn't working and was directed to do other things such as to ensure water flow. Coles said he didn't know the name of that deputy chief.

According to documents obtained by The Republican, Cunningham wrote in a report that Truck 2 was at headquarters for a monthly carbon dioxide calibration when the unit rolled out for the fire.

The truck arrived at 141 East Dwight St. and, Cunningham wrote, "was ordered to find a water supply for E1 (Engine 1)," which was parked on North East Street, according to documents.

Truck 2 secured a hydrant on North Bridge Street for Engine 1 and was then ordered to deploy its aerial ladder for fire suppression. But the truck experienced an unspecified mechanical failure, "was taken out of service and removed from scene," Cunningham wrote, according to the documents.

"Quite frankly, this has been very trying on him," Coles said of Cunningham.

The state labor relations board is in the phase of determining whether Cunningham's complaint against Pond has probable cause to continue to a hearing, he said.

Cunningham has been among those vocal in criticizing the practice known as brownouts, in which a truck is temporarily removed from service on shifts when staffing is thin because firefighters are unavailable due to vacations, illness or other reasons. Brownouts are done to save the cost of paying overtime by summoning off-duty firefighters to work, with firefighters on the browned out vehicle temporarily reassigned for the browned out shift.

Paying overtime to firefighters and police annually costs the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But Cunningham and others have said it defies mathematics to assert that the city is as safe when a thinner staff can be deployed for initial response, as was the case on Jan. 1, as when a full complement of firefighters is available to respond.

"Anytime you can have a full complement of staffing available public safety is stronger," Cunningham said.

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.

Owner of Holyoke building cited; alarm system failed two days before fatal fire

"I think the alarms were going off for roughly 10 minutes before we got the phone call... It was burning for a long time," Fire Department Lt. Michael Boucher said at a City Council Ordinance Committee meeting on Feb. 28, adding later, "Fire doubles in size every 30 seconds. So, very quickly it can go from a fire in a room to a room on fire."

Firefighters were called to the fire at 106 North East St. at about 8:50 a.m. on Jan. 1. The property at 106 North East St. that included the five-story building, now demolished, is owned by Irshad Sideeka of Naviah Investments of Brookline, Massachusetts.

Jorge Munoz, 55, of Holyoke, and Trevor R. Wadleigh, 34, of Easthampton, also were killed as a result of the fire at 106 North East St., the office of Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni has said.

Gulluni said the day after the blaze that the probe of the fire was not a criminal investigation.

The two other firefighters who were assigned to Truck 2, Chris Stortz and Joe Romero, also were transferred to other trucks, with Romero having requested a transfer. Romero wasn't on duty on Jan. 1, Pond said.

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said investigators had traced the fire's origin to a wall outlet in the living room of a third floor apartment, in a press conference at Fire Department headquarters here on Jan. 4.

Greg Saulmon, The Republican' assistant managing editor for special projects, contributed to this story.

  Letters From Holyoke Deputy Fire Chief David O'Connor and Capt. James Cadigan on New Year's Day 2017 Fire by The Republican/MassLive.com on Scribd

According to a Google Traffic Maps image, the drive through the tunnel on I-90 could be heavily delayed.

Update: All lanes have reopened. 

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is alerting drivers of a crash outside of the Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston that closed several lanes earlier Friday.

The crash occurred on I-90 eastbound, just outside of the TW Tunnel. For a brief period, every lane on the road was closed. 

However, by 7:30 a.m. Friday, MassDOT announced that the scene was clear and all lanes were opened. 

According to a Google Traffic Maps image, the drive through the tunnel on I-90 could be heavily delayed. 

The defendant's outburst "caused five to eight patrons to stop what they were doing and business could not be conducted" in the club's lap dance room, police said.

SPRINGFIELD - After allegedly refusing to pay for four lap dances at a Springfield strip club, Joshua Morales didn't get a fifth.

"I'm not paying for s---," Morales, 25, of Springfield, announced when police arrived at the Fifth Alarm Lounge on April 24, according to the arrest report.

Joshua Morales
 

Around 9 p.m., the bar's manager called 911 to report that Morales had just received $100 worth of lap dances, at $25 each, and was refusing to pay, the report said.

When police told him to pay up, Morales replied, "You can't make me pay." When police insisted, Morales began yelling and spouting obscenities -- all of which disrupted the mood in the lap dance room, the report said.

His behavior "caused five to eight patrons to stop what they were doing and business could not be conducted due to the loud commotion that Mr. Morales (was) causing," the report said.

Growing more agitated, Morales tried to push his way past the officers and out of the room, the report said. "I don't have to talk to you anymore. I'm out," he said.

A few minutes later, he was in a cruiser, being transported to police headquarters. There, he was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

The next morning, he pleaded not guilty to both charges in Springfield District Court. Under a plea agreement approved by Judge Michele Ouimet-Rooke, the charges were reduced to civil infractions and Morales agreed to pay fines to settle each one.

The total amount was $150, or six lap dances worth.

The Brockton School District is facing a budget shortfall of $16 million.

Facing a $16 million budget gap, close to 350 employees in Brockton public schools will be laid off. 

Included in the layoffs will be 189 teachers non-renewed, reports Fox 25. 

The deficit is part of a $161 million funding plan for the district that was approved by the school committee this week. Superintendent Kathleen Smith said it's the largest deficit the school has ever faced.

Smith announced earlier this week that a "perfect storm" of state budget decisions made for 2018 has created the painful deficit challenging the district. 

Smith cites many changes made in Gov. Charlie Baker's budget that affect the way the state compensates districts that serve low-income students. 

"As we move forward, our goal is to stabilize our district and build it back up," Smith wrote in a statement.

Letters to district employees go out this month. 

If the budget for the schools isn't increased, the district can cut some programs and save on the costs. But, as Smith told NECN.com, sports and after-school programs are already being cut. 

Nearly 350 to be laid off in Brockton schools as district faces $16 million budget gap 

"I will do my best to work hard to provide the best possible transportation for the residents of our region," said Hampden resident Sandra E. Sheehan, the PVTA's new administrator.

HAMPDEN -- Sandra E. Sheehan, the next administrator of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, said she is looking forward to her new job.

Sheehan, a veteran planner who is active in education issues in the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District, was hired this week by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Advisory Board to succeed Mary MacInnes, the PVTA's administrator for the past decade.

Sheehan is expected to begin her new job at the end of this month. MacInnes, whose annual salary was $137,000, retired from the PVTA last month.

"It gives me great honor to have been chosen by the board to be the next PVTA administrator," Sheehan said in a statement Friday.

"My experience and passion will allow me and the PVTA employees to bring public transit into the next era," she said. "I will do my best to work hard to provide the best possible transportation for the residents of our region."

Every PVTA passenger deserves to have "an outstanding experience," Sheehan said, adding that she is looking forward to "collaborating with all the stakeholders in the Pioneer Valley region."

Sheehan lives with her husband and children in Hampden. She was chairwoman of the Middle School Task Force, a local panel tasked with coming up with a solution for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District's two middle schools, both of which have been struggling with declining enrollment.

The solution, according to Sheehan and her colleagues, was to create a single, unified school on one campus. However, Hampden voters rejected a measure to allow the town's middle school students to cross town lines to attend school in Wilbraham. 

For a few more weeks, Sheehan will continue her job as director of grants and contract administration for the Greater Hartford Transit District in Connecticut. Before that, she was PVTA's director of transit and procurement from 1994 to 2007, as well as a transportation planner with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission from 1991 to 1994.

Sheehan has a Master of Science degree from Western New England University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

During her interview for the PVTA job, Sheehan said she would focus on transitioning the transit authority's Springfield hub to Union Station, which begins June 25, as well as managing the construction of PVTA's new $55 million bus operations and maintenance facility on Cottage Street in Springfield. The maintenance facility is slated to open in late 2018.

Carolyn Hart-Lucien, PVTA's chief information officer, will continue serving as acting administrator until Sheehan assumes her new post in a few weeks.

The PVTA has an annual budget of over $47 million and serves around 12 million riders a year in Hampden and Hampshire counties.

Dennis D. Picard, director of the Storrowton Village Museum, has officially retired, capping a 27-year career with the Eastern States Exposition.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Dennis D. Picard, director of the Storrowton Village Museum, has officially retired, capping a 27-year career with the Eastern States Exposition.

At a party held at the Storrowton Carriage House at the Eastern States Exposition on Thursday, friends and colleagues from over the years turned out to wish him well on his next chapter. 

"Dennis has been a marvelous steward of Eastern States Exposition, 'The Village,' our history and heritage, and the people who so passionately volunteer and work for us,"  ESE President and CEO, Eugene J. Cassidy, said. "His impact on the Village's educational programming and Eastern States Exposition has been profound."

Picard has been a museum professional in the "Living History" field for 40 years. He began his career at Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge in 1978, where he spent 12 years filling various positions including "lead interpreter" where he researched and designed many public programs that are still offered by that institution today. He was on the craft and interpretive staff at Hancock Shaker Village, in Hancock in the early 1980s.

"It has been very enjoyable to be able to work with all the volunteers, who, unlike other similar museums, come from a variety of backgrounds, and are of all ages. They share the heritage and excitement that many people have about this area," Picard said.

Picard said he looks forward to making presentations and lectures as a consulting historian in the region.

The City Council agreed to spend $5,000 to equip the kitchen with everything from pots and pans and mixing bowls to utensils and chef knives.

CHICOPEE - In the hopes of expanding hours and programs at the RiverMills Senior Center, the City Council agreed to spend $9,000 to open it some evenings and better equip the building.

A total of $4,000 was allocated from the city's Free Cash account to beef up the Council on Aging's overtime account so the RiverMills Center could be opened for additional hours.

Council on Aging staff has been experimenting with running some evening programs at the RiverMills Center, especially to reach seniors who may still be working or otherwise cannot visit the center during the usual hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

New Director Sherry Manyak said RiverMills has scheduled some evening summer concerts, a paint and dine class, a TV trivia and music night and is hoping to hold Thursday evening picnics in the summer.

Mayor Richard J. Kos added that the center is also considering some Saturday hours soon.

"I hope we can get some younger people who are 60, 65 and 70 involved by doing this," City Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

There is some interest in the evening events. For example, a spaghetti supper held on May 4 was sold out, he said.

In keeping with the effort to hold additional programs, the Council also voted 13-0 to withdraw $5,000 from the Free Cash account to purchase a wide variety of equipment for the kitchen.

The new RiverMills Center was opened in 2014 with a modern kitchen but the room was never equipped with basic cooking utensils. The Center does serve a noon meal but the food is prepared elsewhere and brought to the building.

"I'm glad we are doing this. When we were there, they didn't even have a pan we could use to boil water," Councilor Frank N. Laflamme said.

A group of city councilors visited the RiverMills Center recently and grilled hot dogs for the patrons as part of a special event. The Councilors had to bring everything including their own grill, he said.

The $5,000 will purchase everything from a grill and pots and pans to chef knives and mixing bowls, documents said.

A culinary instructor from Chicopee Comprehensive High School helped the Council on Aging staff compile the list of the items needed to ensure the kitchen was well equipped, Kos said.

"It will get them outfitted so they can have more functions," City Councilor William Courchesne said.

As the RiverMills Center expands hours they will likely also want to serve food at special events," Tillotson said.

Monday's annual Town Meeting, at the Granite Valley Middle School auditorium on Thompson Street, begins at 7 p.m.

MONSON -- Voters at Monday's annual Town Meeting will act on a recommendation by town officials to approve spending $23,672,502 for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.

The proposal would increase the town budget 1.6 percent above this year's $23,306,911 total.

The recommendation shows spending for the school department would decrease by $100,297. A 4.2 percent increase, to $2.4 million, is recommended for the public safety budget.

Town Meeting will also consider seven Community Preservation Act requests totaling $155,568.

They include money to upgrade the heating system at Memorial Hall, complete the rehabilitation of the DeSantis Room at Monson Free Library, and "to complete the restoration of the death records from 1930 through 1982 and marriage intention records from 1979 and 1989," the warrant says.

Town Meeting, at the Granite Valley Middle School auditorium on Thompson Street, begins at 7 p.m.

Torres was spotted driving a 2007 Cadillac SRX with a large crack in its windshield, police said.

SPRINGFIELD - A judge has set bail at $25,000 for a Springfield teenager arrested after police allegedly found a loaded .38-caliber revolver in his car.

Manuel Torres, 19, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Springfield District Court to carrying a loaded firearm, driving with a suspended license and three other charges.

He was arrested Wednesday night after police spotted him driving a 2007 Cadillac SRX in Forest Park with a large crack in its windshield. When police stopped the vehicle, the loaded revolver was found on the floor, Delaney said.

By agreement of defense lawyer Matthew Hutchinson and Assistant District Attorney Keeley Rice, the defendant's bail was set at $25,000, with the agreement that Hutchinson can request a lower figure later in the case.

At the prosecutor's request, Judge William Boyle also revoked the Torres's bail in a 2016 case involving charges of driving with a suspended license and operating an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

Torres will return to court Friday for a pretrial hearing in that case.

Springfield Pedicab drivers, who will be independent contractors who work on a tip basis, will not charge fees for rides downtown. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Every time Frankie Mozell rides his bright white pedicab down Main Street, people honk their horns, wave and ask how much a ride costs.

"This happens whenever we go out. People are smiling and they want to know what we're doing," said Mozell, owner of Springfield Pedicabs, a new downtown business he started along with Alex Cruz.

So what does a ride cost? Whatever the rider thinks the driver merits. Drivers, who will be independent contractors who work on a tip basis, will not charge fees for rides downtown. 

The pedicabs can be booked for private events or for longer rides for a fee, but their primary service area will be the Springfield Central Cultural District that spans much of downtown.

Mozell and Cruz's partnership started several years ago when they met while working on individual projects. They decided to team up and worked with the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce to form a flyer distribution, marketing and advertising agency in Springfield called LTLife.

"We got a lot of help from the chamber, and we are thankful to Carlos Gonzalez (now a state representative), who was the head of it at the time, for really encouraging us. Eventually, we moved into the MassLive building (1350 Main St.) through CoWork Springfield, and being downtown, seeing everything that's going on down here, it just inspired us," Mozell said.

After doing some research into possible advertising opportunities, the idea for a pedicab in downtown was born.

"We started looking at Boston, Salem and Providence, Rhode Island, who have similar businesses, and we even found out that Northampton had a pedicab for a while," Mozell said. "The more research we did, the more we became excited about bringing a pedicab to Springfield."

The two approached Springfield City Councilor Kateri Walsh, who set up meetings with various city departments.

"She was instrumental in arranging meetings with the city clerk's department, the law department and the licensing boards," Mozell said.

On Thursday, Walsh and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno took a ride in one of the new business' two pedicabs, which has been spotted around downtown for the past few weeks.

Walsh, who met Mozell and Cruz at their graduation from the chamber and became a client of their marketing business, said she was happy to help.

"Knowing their history, and what hard-working, energetic, enthusiastic and visionary men they are, I wanted to help them get through the red tape," she said.

Wash said the pedicab business is now a part of Springfield's history.

"Springfield has a history of being first going back to the Rolls Royce, and the pedicabs are falling right in line with the transportation history of the city," she said. "I am so excited for them."

Since this is the first time the city has had a bike taxi service, Mozell and Cruz did a lot of research to make sure they had the proper licensing and insurance to cover their drivers. Initially they will be doing most of the driving themselves, but they hope to add more drivers.

"We need at least five drivers for each pedicab, because it requires some conditioning for sure," Mozell said.

Mozell and Cruz said they want drivers who are willing to take a chance.

"The challenge is still perception versus reality. Some of the drivers who live across the river or in Connecticut have certain perceptions about downtown. We need drivers willing to work with our public safety officials and who are willing to use as much electronic processing as possible, so that they aren't carrying a lot of cash," he said.

Mozell said he wants the drivers to be passionate about the city.

"Our pedicab drivers will be ambassadors for the city. In essence we are really in the business of making people smile and entertaining them on a ride through the Cultural District. At the same time, it's a business that happens to also bring advertising revenue," he said.

While Mozell focuses on the drivers, schedules, routes and interactions with the public, Cruz will focus on selling advertising on the cabs to local businesses.

"These are really high quality pedicabs, and we left them white so that businesses could purchase advertising space on them. Our drivers will be riding downtown during the day and night, so there is a lot of potential there for a business that wants to promote itself," Cruz said.

They have been asked why they did not start the business in a bigger city, or even try it in Northampton, Mozell said "Springfield is where it's at."

"Northampton is great, but Springfield has $2.5 billion worth of economic development happening here. We have Union Station, (the Amazing World of) Dr. Seuss (Museum), MGM, the Basketball Hall of Fame. We are right where we want to be," he said.

Once the company continues to grow and they can dedicate more funds to purchasing additional pedicabs, Mozell hopes to expand the rides to the Forest Park area, as well as other historic venues in the city.

"You have the Armory on State Street, there's Bright Nights in Forest Park. We are excited to show people around the city," he said.

Springfield Pedicab will officially launch on May 13 at the city's annual Pancake Breakfast, and will then be spotted regularly in downtown Springfield.

Several vehicles parked in a lot on Coburn Street were broken into this week. Watch video

CHICOPEE - Police are asking for help to identify two people who were captured on video entering or attempting to enter cars parked at a business on Coburn Street.

The two males were caught on video just before noon on Monday in that location and police would like to interview them, Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police public information officer, said.

Several vehicles parked in the lot were broken into around that time, he said.

People who can identify either of the two males or have any information about the break-ins are asked to call the Detective Bureau at 594-1730 or send a private message to the the Chicopee Police Facebook page.