An armed home invasion at 62 Peer St. left two people injured and their home ransacked early Monday Monday morning.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

Springfield Police Lt.Capt. Brian Keenan said the victims were tied up as the robbers tore the house apart, leaving the home in such disarray that Keenan said police are not sure if anything was taken.

The victims were taken to Baystate Medical Center for treatment of their injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.

This story elaborates on an article published at 9:05 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, 2017: 'God bless' officially added to Holyoke City Council rules HOLYOKE -- In the 1987 movie "Angel Heart," Robert De Niro as Lucifer ("Louis Cyphre") gloats about religion. "They say there's just enough religion in the world to make men hate one another but not enough...

This story elaborates on an article published at 9:05 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, 2017: 'God bless' officially added to Holyoke City Council rules

HOLYOKE -- In the 1987 movie "Angel Heart," Robert De Niro as Lucifer ("Louis Cyphre") gloats about religion.

"They say there's just enough religion in the world to make men hate one another but not enough to make them love," Louis Cyphre says.

The City Council did its part to add to the nothing-divides-like-religion theme on May 2 at City Hall.

Councilors conducted a debate that featured overtones of the centuries-old arguments about whether there should exist a separation of church and state in the running of government and stemmed from a phrase steeped, supporters said, in unity.

The Council voted 10-4 to adopt into a rule a phrase that councilors have been saying as a tradition for decades at the outset of meetings immediately after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance:

"God Bless America, God Bless the city of Holyoke and all its citizens and God Bless the City Council."

The debate featured supporters saying that the vote only added to Council rules a statement members have been making anyway, that it instills unity and that the concerns about potential violation of church-and-state rules were overstated.

"You can't take office without those words," said Council President Kevin A. Jourdain, noting that oaths end with, "So help me God."

"I see no problem with formalizing something that we've been doing for 15 years," Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon said.

Foes said the codifying into the city's legislative body's rules a statement with religious references does violate the nation's tradition of avoiding such mixing of church and state. What about residents in the community for whom the Christian faiths don't apply, is it OK to exclude them, such foes argued.

Ward 2 Councilor Nelson R. Roman said that while he is a Catholic, he also practices Santeria, a religious belief that includes elements from religious beliefs of the Yoruba and Bantu people in West Africa and Catholicism.

"I have to think about what I would tell my child as they are exploring their religious journey, whether they are choosing to believe or not," Roman said.

Ward 4 Councilor Jossie M. Valentin asked why, if unity was the point of instituting the "God bless phrases," the majority of colleagues have failed to vote out of a committee her anti-hate resolution.

"I will be voting against this tonight because I I don't feel that it's even necessary," Valentin said.

Citizens during the public speak-out part of the meeting urged the City Council to avoid codifying the "God bless" phrase into its rules.

Elizabeth Ramirez of Appleton Street said a City Council meeting is the wrong place for religious expression, which can make those who hold different beliefs feel isolated.

"I don't feel like it's welcoming and it's just not necessary," Ramirez said.

The Council voted to suspend the rule that limits public speak-out to Holyokers and permitted remarks from Ronal C. Madnick, of Worcester. He is president of the Massachusetts chapter of Americans United For Separation of Church and State.

The City Council represents residents who hold a variety of beliefs and some residents' beliefs might not be the same as those highlighted in the phrase that was under debate, Madnick said.

"Those who do not may feel alienated by the Council's actions and may feel that the Council doesn't represent their beliefs or needs," he said.

Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin recalled that it was the late councilor Patrick J. Higgins who began saying "God bless America" after councilors had recited the Pledge of Allegiance decades ago.

"It was the positive aspect that the committee bought into," McGiverin said.

Councilor at Large Rebecca Lisi said it wasn't the words themselves but the push to codify them into City Council rules that was the problem.

"I don't find the words or language offensive at all," said Lisi, but, "The codification is divisive and, you know, if we've been saying these, 'God bless America, God bless the city of Holyoke, God bless the City Council' without it being codified into the rules," the Council should continue that way.

Councilor at Large Michael J. Sullivan said that major different religions such as Catholicism, Judaism and Islam share a key element in that all three are monotheistic.

Councilor at Large Daniel B. Bresnahan said mentions of "God" are prominent in government such as in the Pledge of Allegiance and in chaplain prayers before proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

"I have no real dog in this fight, but I just want to say that there is massive precedent," Bresnahan said. "Three-quarters of all Americans identify themselves as Christians."

Indeed, said Jourdain, who offered a list of examples he said showed the intertwining of "God" with American history:

Lisi noted again that the argument against instituting the "God bless" phrases into City Council rules wasn't over legality but that some thought such codification was wrong.

"Kevin, I really appreciate the historical journey you've brought us through, but you're really arguing with yourself," Lisi said.

Councilors who voted in favor of adding the language were David K. Bartley, Diosdado Lopez, James M. Leahy, Peter R. Tallman, Howard B. Greaney Jr., Jourdain, Vacon, McGiverin, Sullivan and Bresnahan.

Councilors who voted against adding the language to the Council rules were Gladys Lebron-Martinez, Lisi, Roman and Valentin.

The Council has 15 members. Ward 7 Councilor Todd A. McGee was absent.

Despite never having run for public office, entrepreneur Shiva Ayyadurai said he's not intimidated by the possibility of squaring off against Democrat Elizabeth Warren in one of the highest-profile U.S. Senate races of 2018.

CAMBRIDGE -- Despite never having run for public office, entrepreneur Shiva Ayyadurai said he's not intimidated by the possibility of squaring off against Democrat Elizabeth Warren in one of the highest-profile U.S. Senate races of 2018.

Ayyadurai, who announced his Republican U.S. Senate bid in February, said that while he may not be the GOP establishment's candidate, his track record of overcoming barriers and fighting big institutions makes him the best person to take on the high-powered incumbent.

"I know that Warren -- in spite of (what) people think she is -- is extremely weak," he said in an interview. "She's a formidable enemy, but weak in the sense that where she's fundamentally coming from, her basis of where she's coming from, has massive weakness and I know how to expose that weakness."

Ayyadurai, 53, moved to the U.S. from India as a child. He compared the Democratic senator and former Harvard University professor to those at the top of India's caste system -- a social structure in which he said his family held a low position.

"If you look at what we have today, we have a neo-caste system and at the top of that heap is people like Warren," he said. "They are the academics, career politicians and lawyer/lobbyists. And that clan ... is extremely spineless, they never expect to be challenged. And I've challenged them."

Taking a jab at reports from the 2012 Senate campaign suggesting that Warren claimed Native American heritage in her academic career, Ayyadurai added that he's "the real Indian who can beat this fake Indian."

He echoed this argument in his new book, "All-American Indian: This Fight is Your Fight" -- a play on the Massachusetts Democrat's newly released publication titled "This Fight is Our Fight."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren launches 'This Fight is Our Fight' book tour

Cautioning that another win for Warren in Massachusetts would "eviscerate" the Republican Party, Ayyadurai argued that he's "probably the only formidable person on the stage who can take her and debate her and expose her."

He further brushed off the idea that other Republicans in the race -- particularly state Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, who formed an exploratory committee to raise funds for a potential campaign -- are better suited for a general election matchup against the incumbent due to their political backgrounds.  

"A number of people have said to me, 'Oh, we're going to support Geoff Diehl because we know him.' Nice guy, but he's not going to be able to take on Warren," Ayyadurai said. "That is a form of nepotism. Just because you know somebody, that is not what the American dream is about. Innovation and meritocracy was what America was based on."

If elected, Ayyadurai said he hopes to bring a sense of innovation to the Senate when it comes to addressing hot-button issues, as well as to look at problems from an engineering and science perspective.

Casting himself as a "Lincoln Republican," the entrepreneur said his campaign platform will largely focus on three areas: immigration, education and innovation.

As an immigrant, Ayyadurai said he believes it is important that the U.S. secure its borders, root out so-called sanctuary cities and ensure people enter the country legally.

He added that he also supports ensuring parents and students have choices when it comes to public education, and argued that more must be done to address what he called "pay-to-play" academic science research.

Ayyadurai, who holds four degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the founder and chairman of CytoSolve, a startup that has developed a "computational platform for scalable integration of molecular pathway models" used in drug development.

He is one of three Republicans who have filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the Massachusetts Senate seat in 2018. Fellow GOP hopeful Diehl filed a statement of candidacy in mid-April, while Allen Rodney Waters, of Mashpee, submitted his paperwork to run as a Republican in late December, accord to FEC records.

John P. Devine, of Woburn, has also filed papers to run as an independent candidate for Senate.

Demonstrators blocked tree-cutting for a controversial natural gas pipeline project.

SANDISFIELD -- Six more demonstrators were arrested at Otis State Forest on Saturday as workers for Kinder Morgan's Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. started cutting trees for the Connecticut Expansion, a controversial natural gas project.

The six trespassed into restricted areas at the pipeline easement in Sandisfield, and did not leave when ordered to do so, according to Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio.

It's the second round of arrests in recent days at the pipeline construction site.

Police on May 2 arrested another 18 individuals who were blocking roadway access to the forest. All 24 have been ordered to appear for arraignment in Great Barrington District Court.

The protests were planned and peaceful, and there was communication between demonstrators and troopers throughout, Procopio said.

Arrested without incident on May 6 were Montserrat Archbald, 53, of Whately; Carole Horowitz, 66, of Amherst; Elizabeth Caretti Ramirez, 47, of Holyoke; Nastasia V. Lawton-Stickler, 33, of Leominster; Lundy Bancroft Jr., 57, of Florence, and Christopher C. Sabo, 31, of Ashfield.

Arrested May 2 were John K. Cohen, 79, of Northampton; Ronald R. Coler, 61, of Ashfield; Joan L. Levy, 64, of Pelham; Rema Loeb, 84, of Plainfield; Micky McKinley, 72, of Montague; Asaph Murfin, 74, of Leverett; Harriett Nestel, 78, of Athol; James Perkins, 78, of Leverett; Amy Pulley, 61, of Cummington; Diane Sibley, 68, of Ashfield; Vivienne L. Simon, 66, of Northampton; Stephen J. Stoia, 69, of Northfield; Susan L. Triolo, 67, of Sunderland; Benjamin James Vanarnam, 30, of Easthampton; Lydia Vernon-Jones, 68, of Amherst; Russell Vernon-Jones, 70, of Amherst; Martin H. Urbel, 74, of Northampton; and Kevin A. Young, 32, of Northampton.

The Connecticut Expansion, a pipeline in three states, would send a four-mile swath through the state forest in Berkshire County while widening an existing utility easement. The project, which has gained all state and federal permits, has been the subject of a bitter fight in the courts and before regulatory agencies.

Those arrested identify as members of the Sugar Shack Alliance, a group in Western Massachusetts that pledges non-violent resistance to fossil fuel development. One protester posted a video to Facebook:

"We're in the midst of climate crisis and we don't have time to sit by passively and watch its proliferation. We stand today in solidarity with the larger climate and environmental justice movement that is happening around the world to halt the construction of pipelines," said Archbald.

Around 45 activists gathered on private land Saturday morning "to witness as mechanized felling machines known as fellar-bunchers used clawed arms to clutch and hold the base of each tree while a saw sliced straight through the trunk," said alliance spokesperson Abby Ferla.

Ten members stepped into the restricted area around 11:30 a.m., and several stood close enough to the tree cutting to stop its progress. Ferla said the group interrupted the clear-cutting until 1:55 p.m.

Massachusetts State Police are the primary law enforcement agency overseeing security at the pipeline project. Their stated mission at the site is to "ensure security for, and the protection of the rights of, all involved parties, including the project team, demonstrators, and private and public property owners."

Generally, Environmental Police under the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs have jurisdiction in state park and forest lands owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Kinder Morgan last week stated that Tennessee Gas "is diligently seeking to adhere to permit and other conditions associated with state and federal approvals" and that the company "respects the rights of individuals to engage in peaceful and lawful protests."

"It is our desire that protest activity be peaceful and lawful and that work areas are not disturbed or damaged," the statement reads. "... Our overarching objective is the protection and safety of our employees, contractors and the public, as well as that of state and federal project inspectors and other parties."

The pipeline will pass through a 900-acre parcel acquired by the state for $5.2 million after Mass Audubon in 2007 assembled emergency loans to block a development threat. The forest is part of an interconnected 8,500 acres that contains old-growth forest, core habitat for threatened species, and the 62-acre Lower Spectacle Pond.

One million gallons of water will be drawn from the pond to hydrostatically test the pipeline, according to environmental filings. Kinder Morgan has agreed to pay $640,000 to the state for the right to construct its pipeline through the protected land.

The family of Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan traveled to Chattanooga over the weekend to receive posthumous Navy and Marine Corps medals for the fallen Marine, a Springfield native killed in a terrorist attack in the Tennessee city on July 16, 2015.

The family of Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan traveled to Chattanooga over the weekend to receive the Navy and Marine Corps Medal on behalf of the late Marine, a Springfield native who was killed in a terrorist attack in the Tennessee city on July 16, 2015.

The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism to members of the Navy and Marines.

Sullivan's parents, Jerry and Betty Sullivan of Hampden, his younger brother, Joseph Sullivan, also of Hampden, and his older sister, Dianne Sullivan Caron of Wilbraham, attended the Sunday afternoon ceremony at a waterfront park on the Tennessee River.

Thomas Sullivan, 40, who was universally known as "Tommy" in his old East Forest Park neighborhood, was the oldest of five U.S. military personnel killed in the attack.

The man responsible for their deaths, 24-year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, of nearby Hixson, Tennessee, opened fire on two military installations in Chattanooga that day.

The first incident was a drive-by shooting at a recruiting center, followed by the attacks at a Navy Reserve center, where he fatally shot Sullivan and three other Marines. A Navy logistics specialist was wounded in the attack and died from his injuries two days later.

Abdulazeez, a naturalized American citizen who was born in Kuwait, fired about 100 rounds in the incident, which was officially declared an act of terrorism on Dec. 16, 2015. The shootings were "motivated by foreign terrorist organization propaganda," FBI director James B. Comey said.

Abdulazeez was killed in a gunfight with police officers who responded to the incident at the Navy Reserve center.

Also on hand for Sunday's ceremony in Chattanooga was the family of fallen Marine Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt, 37, of Russellville, Arkansas, one of the four Marines killed in the attack. The Navy and Marine Corps medal was also posthumously awarded to Wyatt.

When police ordered him to pay the dancer, Morales began yelling and spouting obscenities -- all of which disrupted the mood in the lap dance room, the arrest report said.

These were the top stories out of Springfield District Court last week. If you missed any, click on the links below to read them now.

'I don't want any trouble,' suspect tells Springfield police moments after allegedly shooting man twice at close range

Motorist who lost 1-punch fight with state trooper in middle of Springfield street held on $5,000 bail

Suspect in West Side supermarket rampage held for psych evaluation

Man charged after 'commotion' over 4 lap dances at 5th Alarm Lounge in Springfield

West Springfield man denies meat cleaver attack on nephew

Judge orders psychiatric evaluation for man charged in West Springfield pipe bomb emergency

Springfield teen held on $25,000 bail on gun, motor vehicle charges

State officials seek to revoke probation of Springfield man accused of assaulting staff, triggering lockdown at Baystate Medical Center

Police: Shoplifters targeting CVS stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut could be former employees

Suspect arrested after shooting in Springfield's entertainment district held on $100,000 bail

A Florence man on Thursday allegedly assaulted his father for trying to prevent his "out of control" habit of inhaling toxic fumes.

A Florence man on Thursday allegedly assaulted his father for trying to prevent his "out of control" habit of inhaling toxic fumes.

Northampton police found bottles of Ultra Duster and observed John S. Santoro, 38, to be heavily intoxicated while on a domestic call in town following the alleged assault.

Santoro's father told police he knew his son took his truck to the store to obtain more Ultra Duster while he had been out picking up Santoro's daughter from school. 

When the father confronted Santoro in the residence, Santoro allegedly began punching holes in the wall and pushed his father to the ground. 

Santoro's daughter initially feared her grandfather had broken his hip. 

Santero remained inside the home and complied with police when they arrived to arrest him after his daughter reported the events. 

The active ingredient in Ultra Duster, a compressed air keyboard cleaner, is difluoroethane, which according to MedicineNet.com, can cause "drowsiness, lightheadedness and loss of inhibition. Further use can lead to dizziness, hallucinations or delusions, belligerence, apathy and impaired judgment. Long-term inhalant abusers can suffer damaging health consequences including depression and mood changes, weight loss, inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability and weakness."

Prolonged abuse can lead to brain damage and death. 

The manufacturer adds a bitterant to the substance in an attempt to discourage abuse, according to the product's website.

He was released on $500 bail and arraigned on charges of assault and battery and inhaling a toxic substance Friday in Northampton District Court. 

Corporate giant General Electric breaks ground on its new "Innovation Point" campus in Boston's Seaport District at 8 a.m. this morning.

Corporate giant General Electric breaks ground on its new "Innovation Point" campus in Boston's Seaport District at 8 a.m. this morning.

GE officials, including chief executive Jeff Immelt, will be joined by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for the ceremony on Necco Street.

GE, which decided to move out of its Connecticut campus and relocate its world headquarters to Boston, has said 800 employees will be moving to the Seaport campus. A temporary office has been set up a few blocks away.

GE's move comes as the Seaport, named the "Innovation District" by the late Mayor Thomas Menino in 2010, is booming. A surfeit of cranes can be spotted throughout the area.

GE is receiving a package worth up to $140 million from city and state officials for the move, drawing criticism from some who say the package is costly and unnecessary for such a large company.

The groundbreaking is also expected to draw protesters who say the company dodges corporate taxes and doesn't need the incentives to move.

Here's how Massachusetts drew GE to Boston's Seaport District

 

ArcLight Capital Partners closed on the $1 billion deal with TransCanada on April 20.

Thirteen TransCanada hydroelectric stations on the Connecticut and Deerfield rivers in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have been acquired by a Boston-based private equity firm.

ArcLight Capital Partners, through its Great River Hydro affiliate, closed the purchase April 20 for a reported sale price of $1.07 billion. The 13 hydro stations combined have a 584 megawatt capacity and represent the largest conventional hydro system in New England.

The Vermont Public Service Board on April 6 approved the sale after deeming Great River "financially sound," "experienced in the industry," and "capable of safely and reliably operating" the facilities, reports Vermont Digger.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in January gave its OK to the transaction.

Great River Hydro is led by Scott Hall, an executive with 27 years experience managing hydro facilities in the Northeast, according to a press statement, which says ArcLight has invested over $3 billion in renewable power assets in New England.

The Moore, Comerford, McIndoes, Wilder, Bellows Falls and Vernon dams are on the upper Connecticut River. On the Deerfield River in Vermont are the Harriman and Searsburg stations. In Massachusetts, five small facilities on the Deerfield were transferred. Also part of the deal are three storage-only facilities in New Hampshire and Vermont.

The properties include 30,000 acres of land, including picnic and fishing areas, boat and whitewater raft launches, and trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. TransCanada in 2005 purchased the hydro facilities for $505 million from the bankrupt USGen New England.

Great River plans to operate as a wholesale generator, selling electricity to the New England power grid.

TransCanada announced last year it would sell its hydro portfolio to finance a $13 billion merger with the Houston-based Columbia Pipeline Group. The company wished to build its capacity to transport North American natural gas to LNG terminals for export to international markets, said TransCanada president and CEO Russ Girling at the time. The merger would create a 57,000-mile system and $23 billion natural gas transmission portfolio.

The state of Vermont briefly considered buying the dams, but decided it was not feasible.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Hate crimes in Western Massachusetts have increased by more than 75 percent since 2012, according to a U.S. attorney based in Springfield.

Hate crimes have increased by more than 75 percent in Western Massachusetts since 2012, according to federal attorney based in Springfield. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Shukla reported the unofficial findings on hate crimes in the state's hilliest region in 2015-16 Sunday during a program in Pittsfield, The Berkshire Eagle reports. 

Reported by local police departments, criminal offenses motivated by prejudicial bias then get organized into an annual report by the FBI. Shukla spoke of the numbers within the upcoming 2015-16 report.

As in prior years, the upcoming report reveals a continuing increase in reported hate crimes, mostly involving vandalism and property damage, said Shukla.

In 2014, the most recent year available on the state's website, the compilers noted a better than 50 percent increase in aggravated assaults motivated by hate between 2013 and 2014 -- 18 versus 42. 

Seventy percent of the perpetrators were white, the vast majority of these male. 

The lion's share of reported hate crimes in 2014 were concentrated to Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk counties -- Massachusetts' most populous, located in the east. 

The Western Massachusetts county where the most hate crimes occurred in 214 was Hampshire County, with 24.

Shukla said interested parties will notice an increase in the upcoming 2015 report, while an FBI investigator told her the 2016-17 numbers stand to increase still more, perhaps by double. 

"He predicts for 2016-2017, the statistics will double from 2015 ... due to the election cycle," she said, according to The Eagle. 

Shukla and other participating in a panel discussion encouraged people to report hate crimes and hate speech and to actively resist contributing factors.

The driver and his passenger were arrested late Saturday night after the driver allegedly crashed his car into a hydrant on Kellogg Avenue and his passenger allegedly became aggressive with police.

AMHERST - Two people were arrested late Saturday night after a driver allegedly crashed his car into a fire hydrant on Kellogg Avenue and his passenger allegedly became aggressive with police.

Police charged Timothy Zhilyaev, 22, of Amherst, with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle to endanger and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.  

A caller reporting the crash said the car left Kellogg Avenue after striking the hydrant and was headed toward Triangle Street.

Once the vehicle was stopped, additional police were called after passenger Anthony Melek, 21, of Copiague, New York, allegedly refused to leave the vehicle during inventory and refused to leave the area when asked.

He was "continually aggressive towards officers," according to the report.

Both are listed as University of Massachusetts students and both are scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown. 

Pelham Town Meeting overwhelming issued its support for the bill sponsored by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, and Rep. Juana Matias, D-Lawrence.

PELHAM -- The town became the first community in the state to support the Safe Communities Act bill pending in the state Legislature.

Town Meeting overwhelming issued its support for the the bill sponsored by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, and Rep. Juana Matias, D-Lawrence.

The legislation would prevent state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, and would prohibit state databases from being used for any kind of Muslim registry. 

Michael Hussin, a member of the Pelham group Neighbor to Neighbor, who initiated the resolution, said "I was most impressed by how many people wanted to vote on this." He said this was the next to the last Town Meeting article, and people waited to vote.

Afterward, he said some voters came up to him to "personally thank me." He said he was impressed by the concern of people in town and how much they want the town "to be an inclusive community."

He said he felt this was a better avenue for the town of about 1,300 to take instead of becoming a sanctuary community, something Amherst Town Meeting is voting on Monday night. 

With the passage, Hussin said Town Meeting will urge the Legislature to support the bill and vote soon on it.

State Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, on Monday said the Legislature is waiting for the state Supreme Judicial Court to rule on the Commonwealth vs. Sreynuon Lunn case, which addresses a component of the bill, before voting on it. That ruling is expected next month, he said.

The case would determine if Massachusetts law enforcement officers have authority to arrest and detain someone for civil immigration purposes on a detainer request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or if that violates a person's civil rights.

"If they rule the way we think they should, a big proportion of the bill basically will be the law of the land," Rosenberg said. And in that case, "a big part of the bill becomes moot."

The Senate president said people in the state don't want the commonwealth to have a Muslim registry, something the Safe Communities Act would prohibit.

Once the court decides the Lunn case, the Legislature could address other components of the bill.

Currently, ICE issues requests to state and local authorities to detain immigrants for up to 48 hours on an immigration violation, giving the federal authorities time to take custody. ICE files hundreds of requests each year in Massachusetts, and it is up to state and local law enforcement officials to decide whether to comply.

Lawyers for Lunn said that allowing state police to arrest or detain someone solely based on an ICE detainer would violate U.S. and Massachusetts law. They said the ICE detainer does not provide any mechanism for judicial review or any specific probable cause for why the person should be detained, and the subject is not given any notice or chance to challenge it.

Power rates are typically lower in summer when natural gas used to generate most power is cheaper.

SPRINGFIELD -- Monthly Eversource bills could drop 2.7 percent this summer, from $115.38 to $112.29 for an average user of 550 kilowatt-hours of electricity, under rates announced Monday.

Investor-owned utilities like Eversource have lower rates in summer, when the natural gas used to generate most electricity is more plentiful and cheaper. This rate announcement has nothing to do with the company's proposal to increase its charge for delivering electricity. Delivery charges and the cost of power are both represented in the monthly bill.

Eversource has 210,000 customers in Western Massachusetts.

On Monday, Eversource filed a six-month Basic Service price of 8.56 cents per kilowatt-hour effective July 1, down 6 percent from the current price of 9.12 cents.

That summer rate would be cheaper than the current winter rate. But it would also be more expensive than the summer rate last year.

The Eversource supply rate was lower in 2016, at 7.708 cents per kilowatt-hour, down from the winter 2016 rate of 10.426 cents. In 2015, the summer rate was 9.767 cents per kilowatt-hour. The rate was 14.228 cents a kilowatt-hour in the winter of 2015.

By state law, the Basic Service price changes twice a year, on Jan. 1 and July 1, Eversource said.

National Grid, the region's other investor-owned utility, changes its rates every six months as well, but on different dates. 

Eversource purchases electricity from wholesale suppliers on behalf of its customers and passes the cost directly to them with no profit to the company from the sale of the power.

"While New England continues to experience many energy challenges, this summertime price cut is good news for our customers as the weather gets warmer and folks start turning on their air conditioners for relief from the heat," Penni Conner, senior vice president and chief customer officer at Eversource, said in a statement. "It's also important to remember we offer a variety of energy efficiency programs that can help customers save energy and money year-round, along with convenient monthly payment options."

In January, Eversource asked state regulators to allow the company to raise its electricity distribution rates by about 10 percent beginning Jan. 1, 2018. That request is still pending before the state Department of Public Utilities. An order with a decision is expected Dec. 1 

Distribution rates don't change every six months like supply rates do.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities is the same body reviewing Eversource's most recent rate change, the seasonal change to a summer power supply rate.

The new delivery rates would mean an increase of about $11.64 on the average bill for someone who uses 550 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month.

Eversource uses 550 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month as "average" in its calculations, and illustrations say that is the average per-household use according to its data. But the federal government estimates a higher average: 602 kilowatt-hours a month. Higher power use would mean the proposed rate changes would have a bigger impact on family budgets.

Eversource encourages customers to save power, and thus money, where ever they can. To learn more about energy saving programs available, visit www.MassSave.com. 

ISO New England, which manages the region's utility grid, said the power supply may be tight this summer but the grid is expected to be able to meet demand. New England has approximately 29,400 megawatts of capacity available, ISO New England said in a press release last month.

Under normal weather of about 90 degrees, electricity demand is expected to peak at 26,482 megawatts, ISO New England said. Extreme summer weather, like an extended heat wave of about 94 degrees, could push demand up to 28,865 megawatts.

"I'm high on weed and weed is legal," Mario Navone is said to have shouted at police Saturday night.

Mario NavoneWest Springfield Police photo 

WEST SPRINGFIELD - There were several empty vodka nip bottles scattered about the car interior, but Mario Navone told police he had not been drinking.

"I'm high on weed and weed is legal," Navone is said to have shouted at officers who stopped his car after seeing it driving erratically last Saturday night on Riverdale Road.

Navone was arrested and charged with two counts of operating while under the influence, one for alcohol and one for drugs, as well as speeding, and making an unsafe lane change.

According to police, he was stopped just before 11 p.m. Saturday near the Rave Cinemas on Riverdale Street. Officers spotted his car driving south at speeds of up to 70 mph while he wove in and out of traffic.

According to police, Navone began shouting at police and acting belligerently from the moment he pulled his car over. Asked to hand over his driver's license, Navone held it out but when the officer reached for it, he pulled it back.

This happened multiple times before the officer was able to grab it. But Navone refused to let it go, leading to what West Springfield police describe as a brief "tug of war" over the license.

When he was taken into custody, police smelled both alcohol and marijuana on his breath. They also found 6 empty nip bottles, seven full cans of beer, and a pill container filled with marijuana in the car, police said.

As of last year, possession of marijuana is no longer a criminal offense in Massachusetts. The laws related to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of narcotics or alcohol have not changed.

Navone was scheduled to be arraigned in Springfield District Court on the charges.

AAA says that an unseasonable glut of gasoline in the U.S. market, record high refinery production rates, moderate demand and a recent drop in crude oil prices have led to lower prices in the past few weeks.

A gallon of regular gasoline averages $2.361 at pumps in Massachusetts, a drop of 11/2 cents over the past week, according to estimates from AAA made public Monday.

The average is 121/2 cents a gallon higher than the $2.236 recorded last year as Americans head into Memorial Day and the busy summer travel season.

But the more recent trend in gasoline prices has been more positive. Prices for a gallon of regular in the Bay State averaged $2.364 a day ago and $2.376 a week ago. It was $2.298 a month ago. 

In greater Springfield, a gallon of gas averaged $2.33 on Monday, $2.34 on Sunday, $2.35 a week ago and $2.25 a month ago.

AAA says that an unseasonable glut of gasoline in the U.S. market, record high refinery production rates, moderate demand and a recent drop in crude oil prices have led to lower prices in the past few weeks.

The national average price for a gallon of gas is $2.35 per gallon, AAA said. That is four cents less than one week ago and and one month ago. It was $2.39 a gallon both one week ago and one month ago.

The $2.35 a gallon price is 4 cents more than the same date last year.

Last week, 46 states saw prices drop -- some by at least 9 cents.

According to Gasbuddy.com, the lowest local price per gallon in Greater Springfield is $2.13 at the Chill n' Fill, 1177 Granby Road in Chicopee, and $2.15 at A & A Gas, 820 High St. in Holyoke.

In Springfield proper, the lowest prices is $2.19 at the Speedway at 80 St. James Blvd.

The shooting occurred Sunday evening at around 9:30 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD -- A man who was shot multiple times Sunday evening on Carver Street in the city's Forest Park neighborhood has died and police are investigating it as a homicide.

Shawn RaglandPhoto courtesy of Facebook 

The shooting occurred Sunday evening at around 9:30 p.m. Police identified the victim as Shawn Ragland, 26, of Springfield

Police said he had been shot multiple times. Officers provided first aid at the scene and Ragland was taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

One police official who wished not to be identified said Ragland was at a house party and he stepped outside for a moment. Once outside "someone shot him," the official said.

Police have made no arrests but are searching for suspects, the official said.

"I offer the condolences of the entire department to the family and friends of Shawn Ragland," Police Commissioner John Barbieri said in a statement. "The Major Crime Unit under the direction of Captain Trent Duda will work in a professional manner as always to investigate this murder and bring those responsible to justice."

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni also said in a statement: "I would like to express my sympathies to Mr. Ragland's family and friends during this difficult time. My office's Murder Unit will work in partnership with the Springfield Police Department in the pursuit of justice for the victim and his family."

Ragland's death marks the city's third homicide of the year. There have been no arrests in either of the previous two cases.

The 30-year-old Chelsea man shot Friday by police while inside the South Boston penthouse condominium of two slain doctors was charged with murder and ordered held without bail Monday.

The 30-year-old Chelsea man shot Friday by police while inside the South Boston penthouse condominium of two slain doctors formerly worked for a security firm used by the complex, Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney John Pappas said. 

Bampumim Teixeira appeared groggy and only dimly aware of the proceedings as he lay, eyes closed, in his bed at Tufts Medical Center for his arraignment for the murders of doctors Lina Bolanos, 38, and Richard Field, 49.

Judge Michael Bolden ordered Teixeira held without bail, according to The Boston Globe. A probable cause hearing has been scheduled for June 8, reports The Boston Herald.

Meanwhile, Pappas revealed several additional details about shocking killings in addition to Teixeira's former employment inside the complex.

Boston police discovered a black bag full of jewelry belonging to Bolanos inside the 11th floor condo, located at 141 Dorchester Ave. 

Bolanos and Field, both well-respected anesthesiologists, were engaged to be married.

According to The Herald, authorities located a set of keys to the condo outside on the floor and used them to gain access.

Police responded there Friday after one of the doctors allegedly texted a friend to say an armed man was inside, according to The Globe.

When authorities entered the condo, a man in dark clothes, later identified as Teixeira, opened fire. Police shot him in the hand, leg and abdomen, according to The Globe. 

Searching the apartment, police found the bodies of Bolanos and Field, both bound and having had their throats cut, The Globe reported. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Judge Michael Bolden ordered Teixeira held without bail. 

Teixeira was recently released from prison on bank robbery charges, The Globe reported Sunday. 

The city is once again seeking to sell a long-vacant, six-story building on Lyman Street in downtown Springfield for redevelopment. The reopening of nearby Union Station is seen as a plus for its potential future use.

SPRINGFIELD -- The city is once again seeking a developer for a long-vacant, six-story building on Lyman Street in the downtown, believing the chances for success are enhanced by the redevelopment of nearby Union Station set to open in June.

Proposals for the purchase and redevelopment of the vacant building at 135-155 Lyman St. are due by May 23, by 2 p.m., at the Office of Procurement at City Hall. Reuse of the building is preferred but the city will consider options including projects involving demolition, officials said.

"We're hopeful that developers will respond to Lyman Street's key location, being so close to the redeveloped Union Station," said Brian Connors, the city's deputy director of economic development. "Lyman Street offers a great opportunity as there has been increased interest and demand in downtown with all of the recent positive momentum."

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said he considers the current  request for proposals "one last shot" to find a reuse for the building before the city would evaluate demolition itself. The  city wants a use for the site compatible with economic development initiatives, he said.

Other downtown initiatives include improvement efforts around the new Transformative Development Initiative (TDI} District, and ongoing construction of the MGM Springfield casino project.

The building being offered for sale by the city on Lyman Street is in "rough shape," due to years of water damage, Connors said. The city is not permitting tours inside the building due to deteriorating conditions and is selling the property "as is," he said.

"We are accepting any proposals for redevelopment -- with or without the building," Connors said.

However, the city states in the advertisement for proposals that it prefers the building be redeveloped rather than torn down. The building is more than a century old, constructed in 1910, and thus is subject to the city's demolition delay ordinance that delays demolition for nine months to allow the owner to evaluate potential re-use options.

in addition the building being offered for sale, the sale also includes three adjacent city-owned lots, Connors said.

The six-story building and basement totals 29,750 square feet, and the total area of all parcels including the empty lots.

The building was used in the past for storage and retail uses including as the former site of the Final Markdown store.

"The city envisions the property's location just steps away from the refurbished Union Station as an excellent opportunity for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) or other projects that make use of the strategic location of Lyman Street," the advertisement states.

When the property was previously advertised for sale by the city in 2012, a key  suggestion for reuse was for work and living space for artists and the adjacent lots were suggested for parking. The effort was then unsuccessful.

Advocates and patients held a press conference in Boston to talk about what they had to lose if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, joined health care advocates and patients to slam the health care bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week.

"Trumpcare is nothing more than one massive giveaway to the healthy and the wealthy," Markey said during a press conference Monday at the Boston office of the health care advocacy group Health Care for All. Markey cited estimates that $860 billion over 10 years will be cut from Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for the poor.

The Republican-sponsored House bill, the American Health Care Act, would repeal payroll taxes and taxes on investment income that currently pay for expanded health insurance.

"The cruelty, the inhumane nature of taking a program which serves those who are most in need and then taking the money which is saved and handing it over to the wealthiest in our society is just immoral," Markey said.

The bill that passed the House Thursday by a vote of 217-213 was the culmination of years of talk by Republicans about repealing and replacing former president Barack Obama's landmark health care overhaul, the Affordable Care Act. But the outcome of the bill in the Senate remains uncertain. Although Republicans control the Senate, they are talking about developing their own version of the policy, which is expected to be significantly different from the House version.

"The bill that passed the House of Representatives is dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate," Markey said, noting that the Senate plan must be approved by Republican senators from states that already used federal money to expand Medicaid -- subsidies that would be repealed under the American Health Care Act. No Democrats are likely to vote for any version of the bill.

In Massachusetts, Markey said, the bill would raise the average private insurance premium cost by around $500. By 2020, low-income individuals could see a $1,400 premium increase, while people ages 55 to 64 would see a $1,200 increase.

The American Health Care Act would remove mandates requiring people to buy coverage, although someone who lets their coverage lapse could face temporarily higher premiums when re-enrolling. It would replace income-based subsidies with age-based tax credits, a move that would help some and hurt others, but would have a particularly negative impact on older people with lower incomes.

It would cut funding for Medicaid by turning it into a block grant program rather than paying for a state's costs, and it would also stop paying for an expansion of Medicaid that some states implemented under Obama's law. This could hurt budgets in states like Massachusetts, which would have to decide whether to remove people from MassHealth or pay for coverage with state money.

Markey estimated that the AHCA could cost Massachusetts more than $1 billion a year.

Under the AHCA, states could apply for waivers to allow insurance companies to deny coverage or charge more to people with preexisting conditions; charge older people more than five times more than younger people; offer plans that do not cover what are now considered essential services, like maternity or mental health care; and institute lifetime or annual caps, according to NPR.

The House voted on the bill before it was scored by the Congressional Budget Office but earlier versions were projected to cut the federal deficit by $337 billion over a decade, while insuring 24 million fewer people.

At the press conference with Markey, advocates and patients who benefitted from the Affordable Care Act called for the bill's defeat.

Diane Pickles, a volunteer for the American Heart Association, said her son Jake, 22, was born with a serious heart defect. After three surgeries and numerous hospitalizations, he was halfway to the lifetime cap on his parents' insurance plan by age four. His parents were ultimately able to switch insurance plans, and under the Affordable Care Act, he can remain on that plan another four years.

Pickles worries that once Jake ages out of the plan, he will be uninsurable without the protections of the Affordable Care Act, which eliminate lifetime caps and ban discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

Pickles said she is worried enough about her son's mortality without worrying about whether he can obtain insurance. "The House told us last week that Jake is not an acceptable and worthy risk (for insurers)," Pickles said.

Megan Gutwillig, a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, was diagnosed with leukemia at age 10. Now a college student in remission, she still gets tested annually to monitor long-term side effects from her treatment. Gutwillig worries that after graduation, if she moves to another state, she will not be able to afford insurance without the Affordable Care Act protections, because she has a pre-existing condition.

"It's a bad bill for cancer patients and survivors," Gutwilling said.

Other individuals spoke about the importance of MassHealth coverage in getting them substance abuse treatment or keeping people with disabilities out of nursing homes and in the community.

Markey accused congressional Republicans of not considering even their own constituents who have illnesses.

"Many of these Republicans, if you kicked them in the heart, you would break your toe," Markey said.

Bob Restuccia, executive director of the health care advocacy group Community Catalyst, called the bill "the worst piece of health care legislation ever to pass a branch of Congress."

City officials cited an exemption to the state's Public Records Law that allows for the withholding of information during active investigations. Watch video

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The Town of West Springfield has denied The Republican's request for audio dispatch records from the morning of April 23, when Jeremy Edward Hollins was fired on by police after allegedly trying to run down officers in his car while fleeing an attempted traffic stop.

But in the absence of audio records from West Springfield police, The Republican analyzed available dispatch archives from other police agencies, including the Westfield Police Department and Massachusetts State Police. These records provide some details of the timeline of the search for Hollins and the aftermath of the officer-involved shooting.

Officers opened fire on Hollins, 29, of South Tallyho Drive, Springfield, after he rammed police cruisers with his Lexus and injured three officers, according to Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni's office, which is investigating the police shooting.

Hollins abandoned his damaged car near the Wentworth Estates condo complex off Memorial Avenue and fled on foot. When police later found him hiding in a doorway, he allegedly charged at officers, who shot him once in the leg and twice in the shoulder.

A review of the newspaper's request for the West Springfield dispatches, which was made through the state's Public Records Law, determined that the police dispatch records were "exempt from disclosure ... as they relate to an ongoing investigation," said Kate R. O'Brien, town attorney for West Springfield, citing provisions of Massachusetts General Law supporting the decision to deny the request.

The denial makes it difficult to determine a precise timeline of events leading up to two apparent rounds of gunfire during the early morning hours of April 23. The first round occurred around 1 a.m., when Hollins allegedly rammed cruisers with his car and drove straight at officers. The second occurred about 40 minutes later, when Hollins allegedly ran toward officers, prompting them to open fire and wound him.

The Westfield police and Massachusetts State Police records reviewed by The Republican indicate that state police first issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) shortly after 1 a.m.

"From B3, just involved in a shooting with West Springfield police. And also rammed several (West) Springfield police cruisers," the audio clip states. The license plate number for the Lexus is then announced over police radio channels, warning officers to be on the lookout for a "single black male."

"Use caution," the audio states. "Involved in a shooting in West Springfield."

The vehicle's registration was traced to 9 Lakewood Trail in the Fiskdale section of Sturbridge, which is the home address of Hollins' father, James Hollins. 

A Westfield police dispatch transmission a short time later provides more details about the shooting: "Dispatch to all units. This is a BOLO from state PD in Springfield. ... Vehicle is wanted by West Springfield for a shooting. Also rammed some cruisers in the process of fleeing, injuring multiple officers. Should be operated by a black male in his 20s or his 30s. If located use caution, stop, hold, notify West Springfield." 

At about 1:14 a.m., state police provide further information: "Attention cruisers, a 2015 Lexus sedan, color black. The operator, a black male, Jeremy Hollins, born in '87, 9 Lakewood Trail in Fiskdale. Again, a 2015 Lexus. I have 350 sedan, black."

By roughly 1:18 a.m., a state police transmission indicates authorities "may have located that vehicle, abandoned." A minute later, state police say "the operator is still outstanding. Again, that vehicle has been located."

Around 1:44 a.m., a conversation between troopers is broadcast over the radio: "Sir, unknown if there's any other suspects," one voice says. "They believe this is the only one, although they said they're uncertain as if there may be more."

A second voice responds: "OK, I'm just trying to ascertain if he fits the description of the driver from that car." The answer, from the first voice: "He appears to. It's a black male in his 20s."

In a broadcast around 1:45 a.m., Hollins has been shot and wounded. State police are apparently on scene with West Springfield police, awaiting the arrival of an ambulance from the West Springfield Fire Department.

Again, troopers are heard communicating via radio: "Affirmative, I heard West Springfield advise two minutes out. They should be there any moment now." A second voice responds: "OK, just confirm; we're all tied up here, putting gauze on him and administering aid."

Around 1:46 a.m., the following state police transmission was heard:

First voice: "Two, directly up here, please. ASAP."

Second voice: "Stand by. [Inaudible] of blood on our hands."

Police found two bags of cocaine and a semi-automatic handgun when they searched the Lexus, according to Jim Leydon, spokesman for the district attorney. Hollins was the legal owner of the gun, Leydon said.

Hollins was unarmed at the time of the shooting, according to online statements by his family. The gun found in his car was "properly secured as required by law," they said.

Investigators seized some four dozen items from the damaged car and the debris field it left on the grassy area where it came to rest. These items ranged from clothing and personal electronics to a duffel bag and sex toys, according to a police report.

The Republican has reached out to members of the Hollins family, who have declined to comment or have not returned emails or phone messages. On Friday, James Hollins would not discuss his son's physical condition or criminal case. "You need to talk to our attorney," he said.

Jeremy Hollins grew up in Agawam and lives in Springfield's Sixteen Acres neighborhood.

He has been charged with attempted murder, drunken driving, and other crimes in connection with the April 23 incident in West Springfield. On April 26, he was arraigned in his hospital room at Baystate Medical Center, where Springfield District Court Judge John Payne ordered him to be held on $10,000 cash bail.

Hollins' wife, Shereese Monete Rodgers-Hollins, is listed as "organizer" of a YouCaring page to help defray medical and other expenses related to her husband's injuries. The online fundraising page had raised almost $1,600 by Monday morning.

"Jeremy has finally made it out of ICU and is doing well," the Hollins family said in a message posted on the YouCaring page Friday. The damage to his shoulder and leg is "extensive and will require many hours of physical therapy, additional surgeries, and continued medical care so that he can one day walk again," the message said.

Meanwhile, Rodgers-Hollins has apparently filed for divorce in Hampden Probate and Family Court. The "domestic relations" case, filed April 13, lists Hollins as the defendant and Rodgers-Hollins as the plaintiff. Judge Anne M. Geoffrion has been assigned to the case, which remains "active," according to online records.