A crash involving a jet ski and a boat in Copenhagen claimed the life of two American college student. Linsey Malia, a student at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, was one of the two students who died.

Benjamin Robertson of Pittsfield, is charged with armed and masked robbery.

PITTSFIELD - Police arrested a 21-year-old man early Monday, charging him with the armed robbery of a man making a night deposit at an local bank.

Benjamin RobertsonPittsfield Police photo 

The man, Benjamin Robertson of Pittsfield, is charged with armed and masked robbery. He was scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Berkshire District Court.

Robertson was apprehended a short time after the robbery was reported, police said. When arrested, he had the sack of money and what police are describing as a realistic looking pellet gun.

According to Lt. Gary Traversa, police were called to the Stop & Shop Plaza on Merrill Road just after 12:30 a.m. An employee with a local business told police he was attempting to make a night deposit in the drop box window at Citizens Bank when a man approached, threatened him with a gun and demanded the money pouch.

The caller told police the robber fled on foot, Traversa said.

A police K9 unit was dispatched to the scene, and the dog, named Rango,  began tracking a scent in the area of Crane Avenue.

The dog located Robertson hiding nearby and he was taken into custody. 

Six months in, the new cashless tolling system along the Massachusetts Turnpike has seen transactions come to a total of nearly a quarter billion, with an accuracy rate of greater than 99 percent, state transportation officials said Monday.

This story is part of ongoing MassLive coverage into the state's launch of all-electronic tolling on the Mass. Pike and the elimination of toll plazas.

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Six months in, the new cashless tolling system along the Massachusetts Turnpike has seen transactions come to a total of nearly a quarter billion, with an accuracy rate of greater than 99 percent, state transportation officials said Monday.

Known as all-electronic tolling, the system depends on drivers using a transponder known as the E-ZPass. Drivers without an E-ZPass are sent a bill through a "pay-by-plate" system, since cameras mounted on metal gantries take a picture of a vehicle's license plate, which is then matched with an address for the owner.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, there are 1.9 million E-ZPassMA accounts and 2.4 million "pay-by-plate" accounts, totaling 4.3 million accounts.

"We are pleased to report that operations have been efficient in servicing our more than 4.3 million All Electronic Tolling accounts and ensuring we meet our goals of toll operability, excellent customer service, and an efficient toll demolition and road reconstruction process," Stephanie Pollack, Gov. Charlie Baker's transportation chief, said in a statement.

There are 3.2 million E-ZPassMA transponders in use. Some use multiple transponders for multiple users. About 86 percent of transactions are paid through an E-ZPass transponder, which drivers can load up with cash value.

"Thanks to the hard work of MassDOT tolling and construction personnel and everyone involved in this transition, our AET system is performing as it was designed to perform," Pollack added. "In addition, toll demolition and road reconstruction operations are on or ahead of schedule at all locations and data shows that drivers are already experiencing reduced travel time."

It might take two years, but if you're not paying Mass. Pike tolls, state will catch up to you

A "grace period" amid the transition to all-electronic tolling for existing "pay-by-plate" customers is ending Monday. MassDOT said 16,000 people took advantage of the "grace period" and switched from a "pay-by-plate" account to an E-ZPassMA account.

"[A]fter today, any customers being invoiced the first time for Pay By Plate will have a grace period during which they can sign up for a free E-ZPassMA transponder and pay the lower rate," MassDOT said in a release. "The end of the grace period does not mean drivers will be charged any additional fees, only that the period to receive a credit for converting accounts is ending for existing customers."

Drivers in February who went into Boston on I-90 eastbound, from the intersection of I-90 and I-95, saved up to 7 minutes, more than in February 2016, the department said.

Toll demolition and road reconstruction remains on track to be finished by the end of 2017, transportation officials said. Revenue from the switch to all-electronic tolling also aligns with projections, they said.

The last toll plaza, at the Sumner Tunnel in Boston, was demolished over the weekend. 

Here's how to get an E-ZPass transponder in Massachusetts

Suzanne Hardy is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and other crimes in a 2014 Brimfield crash that resulted in the deaths of two young brothers.

SPRINGFIELD -- There were many, many tears in Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey's courtroom Monday.

In the courtroom benches, there was sobbing from some of the dozen or so family members of two young brothers -- ages 4 and 1 -- killed in a 2014 Brimfield car crash.

And on the stand, Brimfield Police Officer Todd Canedy quietly fought back tears as he described what he saw as the first officer responding to the scene of the crash.

Canedy said he looked into the rear seat of the Honda Civic driven by Suzanne Hardy. In the back he saw the "lifeless body" of 4-year-old Dylan Riel, he said.

Hardy, 24, of Holland, is on trial for two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation for the crash on Route 20 on June 20, 2014. Two of her passengers, Dylan Riel, 4, and Jayce Garcia, 1, both of Southbridge, were killed. She can be founded guilty of either manslaughter or motor vehicle homicide.

Hardy was Dylan's aunt; her brother was Dylan's father.

She is also charged with reckless endangerment of a child for allegedly failing to properly restrain the boys in the vehicle and with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon -- her car -- for injuries to a driver of another car.

Canedy testified that when he got to Hardy's car, she was unconscious with blood on her face and head.

Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth said the crash happened as Hardy was driving east on Route 20 at about 4:30 p.m.

A Babe's Lawn Care truck was in the left lane eastbound waiting to turn into the company headquarters at 345 Sturbridge Road (Route 20), Forsyth said. Hardy went to the right, clipped the guardrail, spun out of control into the westbound lane and crashed into an SUV. Her car and another car collided head-on in the westbound lane.

Canedy said when he got to the scene, he contacted his chief and told him he needed more people. "It's bad," Canedy testified he told the chief.

Hardy's own 4-year-old son was in a booster seat in the back seat of the car with Dylan and Jayce.

Hardy cried through some of the testimony Monday, as did some of the people who were there in the courtroom for her.

Expected to testify Tuesday are an emergency room doctor, a state medical examiner and an accident reconstruction witness.

The suspect in the weekend holdup of TD Bank in Northampton proceeded directly to a liquor store, where she used money allegedly obtained in the robbery to purchase liquor, beer and cigarettes.

The suspect in the weekend holdup of TD Bank on Main Street in Northampton proceeded directly to a liquor store, where she used money obtained in the robbery to purchase liquor, beer and cigarettes, according to police.

Jennifer L. Brumer, 37, listed as homeless and living on the streets of Northampton in court documents, faced a charge of unarmed robbery and was ordered held without bail by Judge W. Michael Goggins in Northampton District Court on Monday. 

A police report on the Saturday afternoon robbery said Brumer made off with $500 after handing a bank clerk a note which read "GIVE ME THE MONEY. LET ME GO. NO ONE WILL GET HURT."

During the robbery, Brumer covered her face via a hooded sweatshirt "that zipped up covering the person's face" and decorated with "skulls on the front and a mohawk down the back."

Authorities said Brumer used the Pride parade going on concurrently on Main Street as an excuse to appear normal while keeping her face covered.

Northampton police located Brumer wearing just a hooded sweatshirt a short time later at Pleasant Street Laundry. 

Brumer told an officer she had no money, but later produced a sandwich bag containing $485. 

She told police she purchased two beers, a nip of liquor and a package of cigarettes at Millennium Package Store right after the robbery.

Northampton police brought the bank teller to the laundromat, who positively identified Brumer as the suspect. 

In February, Brumer was arrested in possession of heroin. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for May 25. 

Peter Pan Chairman Peter Picknelly has said he has plans to redevelop the existing Springfield Bus Terminal building on Main Street. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Peter Pan Bus Lines has agreed to move its bus operations to Union Station, joining the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation as transportation operators at the refurbished transit hub.

Springfield-based Peter Pan and its partner Greyhound submitted the only response to a request for proposals soliciting bids for intercity bus service.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Peter Pan officials have set a formal announcement for Tuesday morning.

"It's a beautiful facility," Peter Pan Bus Lines Chairman Peter Picknelly said in March. "It was designed with us in mind. It was built with us in mind."

Union Station has a 27-bay open-air bus terminal. With local bus operator PVTA taking 18 berths, Peter Pan and Greyhound will have the remaining nine.

Peter Pan will also have ticketing, dispatch and other office space in Union Station. Whether all Peter Pan offices will move to make room for redevelopment at the Peter Pan Springfield Bus Terminal on Main Street was not released Monday, but more details are expected Tuesday.

Picknelly has said he has plans to redevelop the existing bus station owned by Peter Pan.

Union Station will reopen in June following a $94 million rehabilitation. The station opened in 1926.

The Springfield Redevelopment Authority, which owns the station, has already inked deals with the PVTA and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which will sublet to Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. ConnDOT will start commuter rail to and from Union Station in early 2018.

The SRA also has deals with retailers selling phone supplies and eyeglass in two of three kisoks, a Subway sandwich shop, a Dunkin' Donuts and a convenience store.

Dietz & Company Architects of Springfield will rent some of the available office space. 

The SRA is also in talks to rent out the sole remaining available retail location and the remaining available kiosk.

Planners expect five million to eight million passengers and other guests to pass through Union Station, its grounds and 377-space parking deck each year.

Smith College School for Social Work's Joshua Miller talks about the upcoming "Building Together: Creating a Welcoming Community for Refugees & Immigrants."

NORTHAMPTON - Joshua Miller, a professor at the Smith College School for Social Work and one of the organizers and keynote speakers for the upcoming conference, "Building Together: Creating a Welcoming Community for Refugees & Immigrants," was asked about what prompted the Social Work School to present the May 17 event.

Joshua MillerSmith 

The all-day, invitation only conference has already attract a near capacity audience. It is designed to support those who will work with some more than four dozen refugees expected to be settled this year in Northampton by Catholic Charities, an agency of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

The resettlement of refugees has been locally and nationally controversial, particularly under the Trump administration which is trying to block all resettlement for 120 days, and area resettlement by other agencies has brought controversy over such resources as housing and ongoing support.

Miller, who has done extensive writing and consultation work involving victims of violence and natural disaster, believes in an approach that builds on "supporting the strengths, assets and sources of resilience that the refugees will bring with them."

He was asked further about the conference, as was Marsha Kline Pruett, also of the Smith College School for Social Work faculty, who both answer questions below.

Pruett, whose current research is in the area of family development, will deliver opening remarks at the conference.

Q. What necessitates this conference, and how did it come about?

Miller: The President of Smith College, Kathleen McCartney, offered presidential challenge grants to support college/community collaborations for any member of the Smith community to apply for. A group of professors at the Smith College School for Social Work decided that we wanted to support the effort to resettle refugees from four African and Middle Eastern countries beset by armed conflict and applied for a grant that would deepen the capacity of the community to respond to refugees in a supportive, empowering and welcoming way.

Q. The conference will have representatives from a broad spectrum of services, including law enforcement, school, social and medical/mental health providers. What do you want to impart to them in your talk about refugees and how to help them assimilate here?

Miller: We are focusing on psychosocial capacity building, which means supporting the strengths, assets and sources of resilience that the refugees will bring with them, rather than seeing them as wounded victims.

To be sure, there may be some areas of vulnerability and possibly trauma, but in our research and practice we have found that building on strengths is more effective when working with survivors of armed conflict than treating only people as victims.

We have also learned that it is important to try and understand cultural practices that are different from mainstream Western culture and to validate rather than pathologize such practices.

Lastly, we believe that individual healing and thriving is inextricably related to family and communal empowerment- so how can we help refugees draw on their family resources as well as other immigrants and refugees in the area who can collectively support their success?

It takes an entire community to support this process - so how can all sectors of Northampton come together to understand the best ways to support refugees and avoid things that inadvertently undermine them?

How can representatives from each community sector deepen their skills of working with refugees and in turn train other people within their departments so that the impact of the conference continues to reverberate throughout the community?

Q. You have worked both here and abroad on the trauma experienced by victims of violence and natural disaster. What are some of the common traits that help people survive in these situations, and can be built upon when they relocate?

Miller: There has been a lot of international research to identify what people need to achieve to be able to recover from armed conflict and other major catastrophes. These include, feeling a sense of safety and security, learning strategies of self-calming when faced with distressing events and circumstances, feeling a sense of individual and collective efficacy and empowerment - a sense of competency to develop connections with other people and rekindle a sense of hope.

I have also found three other processes are important:

• Giving people the space to grieve and mourn their losses in cultural familiar ways - this includes grieving the loss of their homeland, separation from their extended family, and the loss of living in a culture that is familiar to them.


• Re-establishing a sense of place - in this instance in their new community, which is one reason that this conference is so important.


• Maintaining connections with one's past (lessons learned from ancestors, elders, spiritual and cultural leaders) as well as looking forward to a hopeful future - the woman who made this point, Judith Landau, called these linkages "transitional pathways."

Q. What are some of the key factors in welcoming a refugee family in terms of the family's long-term success in becoming productive and functioning members of a community?

Miller: In a broad sense it is opening up opportunities in the community that support a sense of efficacy, opportunity, and respect for the family's cultural and social practices and wisdom while minimizing community practices that unintentionally undermine a family's sense of dignity and integrity. And of course all of this is taking place in a political environment that has become increasingly hostile to immigrants and refugees, particularly those of Islamic faith.

So how can the local community support refugees - in the ways that I have described above - in the larger context of the upheavals of war, the stresses of living in refugee camps, the travails of immigration and the unwelcoming policies and discourses reverberating around the Nation's capital? This is the question the conference hopes to answer.

Q. What kind of stresses are on a refugee family day to day as they attempt to resettle and learn a new language and culture, and what are a few key factors in service providers being more effective in helping a family accomplish this?

Pruett: As you might imagine, the stresses are numerous and weighty. On a personal level, they have to learn a new language and culture while thinking about employment, stability for themselves and their family, and negotiating all the things one needs to learn to live in a new place, such as doctors, schools, grocery stores.

If there are children involved, parents must think about how to help them feel safe and expectant about their new life while grieving their former home, or managing the distress from experiences in limbo that they may have encountered on the way here.

Service providers, to be most effective, understand what the local resources are and how to help families connect to them. They approach families with an openness to hearing what they might need, and not making assumptions. They also learn what a person/family's strengths are, and they build on them by giving people a chance to share those qualities and rely on them.

Q. What are some of the challenges that often evolve for a refugee family trying to assimilate and what support might they need longer-term to be successful?

Pruett: There may be disconnects between values and lifestyles, or between what parents want from their children and each other versus what compromises they feel they must make to adapt.

While one family member is working or in school, others are busy doing what they must to help the family get settled, and playing such different roles can lead to stress and tensions from different expectations, or loneliness about how different another family member's experience is from one's own.

Sometimes tensions develop between generations, as children more quickly learn a new language or what is expected form them through schools and activities that are structured for their age group, such as sports, clubs, religious affiliations.

Relationships are the primary vehicle for helping any family to assimilate. It is helpful if they have other families in similar situations, or from similar backgrounds, to identify with and ask questions of.

Over time, they need people they can count on - as we all do - to support them and pick up the slack where it is needed. Having people patiently explain "how things work" and who to call or turn to for specific kinds of information helps family members feel competent and that they are making a place for themselves.
Having a group with whom they identify is crucial. They can then feel that they are part of a community, and not strangers in a strange place.

Q. How does the process of resettlement change a family itself and change roles and create misunderstandings among family members and how can providers help alleviate this and in a collaborative way?

Pruett: It is important to keep a family systems perspective when helping a family resettle. Each person should not be tended to by a different person without someone bringing the family together and making sure they are sharing in some experiences and solving problems together.

Keeping lines of communication open is key at a time when information and emotional overload can create a natural tendency to shut down. Helping family members talk, learn together, laugh and have fun, helps the family unit stay strong.

Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse will begin his re-election campaign on June 12 while challenger Jason P. "Jay" Ferreira said he will begin trying to unseat Morse on June 14.

HOLYOKE -- Mayor Alex B. Morse said he will launch his drive for a fourth term with a re-election kickoff on June 12.

Former city councilor Jason P. "Jay" Ferreira said he will begin trying to defeat Morse by rolling out a campaign for mayor on June 14.

The launch dates come as Fran O'Connell, the owner of O'Connell Care at Home, said in an email May 2 he had decided against mounting a rematch against Morse in the campaign for mayor.

Paul P. Bowes of Northampton Street was the first to take out nomination papers to run for mayor. He said in January he would mount a campaign echoing President Donald Trump's with a theme of "Make Holyoke great again." Bowes didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

None of the four who have pulled papers to run for mayor, Bowes, Morse, O'Connell and Ferreira, has returned the papers to the registrar of voters to place their name on the Nov. 7 Election Day ballot.

Candidates for mayor must file nomination papers with signatures of at least 250 signatures of registered voters by Aug. 8 to place their name on the election ballot.

This is the first election that will result in a four-year term for mayor. Voters approved a change to the two-year term in a ballot question in 2015.

Morse said Monday he expects to file nomination papers shortly after his campaign launch, which will be 6 to 8 p.m. at The Delaney House, 3 Country Club Road, off Route 5.

"I wish Fran the best in his future endeavors and thank him for his commitment to our city," Morse said of O'Connell.

"I am proud of what we have accomplished over the past six years and I am excited to bring our forward-looking, inclusive vision to the voters in this year's election. I will be formally launching my campaign at the Delaney House on June 12, and we will be opening my campaign office soon after. Anyone interested in learning more about the campaign, or wanting to volunteer can visit www.morseformayor.com," Morse said in an email.

Suggested donations at the Morse event are $50, $100, $250, $500 or $1,000, according to the event's Facebook listing.

"All are welcome at this event," the listing said.

Morse defeated O'Connell in 2015 to win his third term as mayor.

Jay FerreiraPHOTO FROM FACEBOOK PAGE 

Ferreira said he will begin his campaign for mayor at 5:30 p.m. at the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round at Holyoke Heritage State Park, 221 Appleton St.

"We'll be accepting campaign contributions but the event is open to everyone who is interested in learning about my campaign. I strongly disagree with this idea of needing to make a contribution just to listen to a candidate speak. Every event will be open to everyone who has an interest, regardless of finances," Ferreira said in an email.

"I've surpassed the 250 signatures required to get on the ballot and will be submitting those soon," he said.

Ferreira said he sees these as the primary themes of the campaign:

Regaining Local Control of our Public Schools. "The mayor has been a passive observer at best as the state has come in and taken control of our local public education system. We have students and quality, experienced teachers feeling our school system like the Great Flood is coming and our mayor has shrugged his shoulders and done nothing."

Growing our Commercial Tax Base from within by meeting regularly with current business owners to fully support their needs. "This is something many folks would assume is already taking place but the more small business owners I speak with, the more stories I hear of unreturned phone calls and emails and red tape blocking progress. I urge the mayor to stop taking vacations and going to fancy conferences and start paying closer attention to whats going on at home."

Creation of additional Senior Housing "We have a number of seniors who leave our city each year for lack of adequate senior housing. Surrounding communities are benefiting from these residents who would otherwise stay in Holyoke. This needs to be a focus of our local government."

Public Safety "I support public safety and I support (Holyoke Fire Department) Engine 2 remaining open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The recently released plan to close Engine 2 which services the downtown has so many holes and so much political spin that its difficult to take seriously. Further, preventative measures that will hold landlords responsible for the safety of their residents will be aggressively pursued."

"The mayor will almost certainly outspend us this campaign. And that's fine, that's been his game plan every election and it's worked for him. I'm going to show that in Holyoke, hard work is what wins elections," Ferreira said.

Morse declined to comment on Ferreira's criticisms related to the schools, vacations and conferences and Engine 2.

The Facebook page for Ferreira's campaign is available by clicking here.

View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

A separate bill would forbid county sheriffs from using state money to enforce federal immigration law.

BOSTON -- The woman spoke in Spanish through a translator, telling her story of domestic abuse. Her husband beat her and mistreated her children for nine years, she said. She never called the police because her husband, a legal permanent U.S. resident, threatened to have her deported if she did.

"Please don't allow police to have power to deport people like me," the woman urged Massachusetts lawmakers, testifying before the Judiciary Committee on Monday as part of a panel organized by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.

The Massachusetts Legislature is considering two bills that would curb the ability of state and local law enforcement to use state money to enforce federal immigration policy.

One bill, H.3034, sponsored by Rep. Antonio Cabral, D-New Bedford, would forbid prison inmates from working outside of Massachusetts. The bill is a response to a suggestion by Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson that he would offer the use of county jail inmates as laborers to build President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico.

Cabral also sponsored H.3033, which would forbid county sheriffs from using state money to enforce federal immigration law. In particular, this would hinder the ability of county sheriffs and state and local police to enter into so-called 287(g) agreements. These are agreements with the federal government, which Trump hopes to expand the use of, that delegate authority to state and local police to act as immigration agents.

The Plymouth and Bristol county sheriffs offices both entered into these agreements in January. The Massachusetts Department of Corrections entered into an agreement in June. The agreements let those departments question or detain inmates for immigration violations, under specific conditions.

"This is about making sure state dollars are not used for programs that are not specifically the objective of the state or locality," Cabral said.

Regarding the work bill, Cabral said inmates have never before worked out of state, and he sees no reason for the state to pay for inmates to do out-of-state labor. On the other bill, Cabral said there is a similar issue about whether scarce state resources should go toward administering programs to carry out U.S. government policy.

"I'd rather have state dollars go to my local police department to carry out public safety in my community," Cabral said.

Hodgson said he believes the bills would negatively impact public safety. He called the bill prohibiting the use of state money for federal immigration enforcement an attempt to restrict state and federal officials "from working together to make our community safe."

"If federal law enforcement thought the person was high enough risk to be held in jail, why would anyone not want a program that would keep the person out of our community?" Hodgson said.

The federal agreements with sheriffs only allow them to get involved in an immigration case once someone is already arrested for another offense. Cities and towns can sign separate agreements that would allow local law enforcement to arrest people solely for immigration offenses, but no Massachusetts communities have done that.

Hodgson said his proposed out-of-state work program was envisioned before Trump took office as a way to give inmates a chance to voluntarily work on useful projects where they can learn vocational skills. He said inmates could assist on disaster cleanup efforts or infrastructure projects, of which the wall is only one example.

Supporters of the bills say encouraging state cooperation with federal immigration authorities would make communities less safe, since immigrants would be reluctant to call the police if they witness or are the victim of a crime, or even to call the authorities in other life-threatening situations.

Lara Jirmanus, a family physician at Cambridge Health Alliance, recalled one case where an immigrant brought in a 14-month-old baby who was not breathing. The doctors could not save the baby, and they wondered why the mother had not called 911. Jirmanus said in some cases, people will not call the authorities even in a medical emergency, because someone without legal immigration status is living with them.

"People are afraid to see or be seen by local law enforcement," Jirmanus said. "That fear is deadly."

Laurie Bullard, a volunteer who works with immigrants in New Bedford, said comments made by Trump nationally and Hodgson locally have already instilled fear in immigrants, with children afraid to go to school and adults scared to leave their houses for fear of being deported.

"It's a very dangerous time for all immigrants," Bullard said. "They must not be persecuted and treated like this ... In most cases, their only crime was entering city and country through a variety of ways that were not always legal."

Friday, Follansbee said the shirt represents free speech. Monday, she changed her mind.

EASTHAMPTON -- Superintendent Nancy Follansbee has reversed her position on the appropriateness of a Confederate flag sweatshirt worn by a student at Easthampton High School.

Following a student protest Monday morning, Follansbee announced she would ban the sweatshirt for two days, and that the School Committee would make a determination about the matter at its Tuesday night meeting, confirmed School Committee member Peter Gunn.

On Friday, Follansbee had said the sweatshirt would be allowed in school because the student who wears it is exercising his legal and constitutional rights to free speech.

It's not clear how Follansbee knows the School Committee will render a decision on the Confederate flag matter Tuesday, as the topic does not appear on a publicly-posted agenda for the May 9 meeting.

Under Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, a meeting agenda should include "a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting" and be posted 48 hours in advance, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

While the law does not prohibit discussions that the Chair "did not reasonably anticipate," the Attorney General strongly recommends that such deliberation be postponed, unless the matter requires immediate action.

If a matter comes to attention late, the meeting notice should be updated. As of 9 p.m. Monday, the online School Committee agenda had not been updated to reflect any Confederate flag discussion.

An email to School Committee Chairwoman Deborah Lusnia -- asking if the committee plans to deliberate on the matter without first informing the public -- went unanswered. Attempts to reach Follansbee Monday afternoon via email and telephone were not successful.

Gunn further confirmed that a small group of parents were asked to leave the high school building late Monday morning after they gathered and settled in at a common space.

"Parents do not have carte blanche to enter the school building whenever they want and move about freely," he said.

"We were asked to leave the school at 11:30 staring (sic) "educational disruption" and the confederate jersey was not allowed in school for Rest of Monday or Tuesday," wrote parent activist Natalie Poirier in a text message to The Republican.

Also at the high school on Monday, the Collaborative for Educational Services held four grade-level forums where students, teachers, and administrators were encouraged to talk about problems with racial tension at the school.

The CES was hired to help transform the school district's culture after an alleged assault on school grounds in March led to a student walkout and the arrests of three students of color.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

A majority of voters approved articles that call for selectmen to investigate how to withdraw from the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District and to uphold a townwide vote in October 2016, when Hampden residents rejected a proposal to temporarily send the town's middle school students to Wilbraham Middle School.

HAMPDEN -- Town meeting voters on Monday approved an article to explore withdrawal from the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District and another article to hire three full-time firefighters for the town's all-volunteer department.

The meeting at Thornton W. Burgess Middle School began at 7 p.m. and looked as if it was poised to run past 10 p.m. The school and fire issues were arguably the big-ticket items on the combined 31-article warrant for the back-to-back special and annual town meetings. Once those issues were decided, the large crowd thinned out considerably as people headed for their cars.

The nonbinding school article, which appeared near the end of the annual town meeting warrant, calls on selectmen to investigate the procedure and ramifications for Hampden to withdraw from regional school district for all grades except high school, or grades nine through 12.

It also calls on selectmen to develop a plan and timetable for such a withdrawal and to present that information to voters at the 2017 fall town meeting. However, because the article is nonbinding, selectmen are not required to take action.

A second nonbinding article approved by voters calls on the town's governing board to do everything in its power to uphold the outcome of an October 2016 vote, in which a majority of voters in this town of 5,100-plus residents rejected a measure to merge students from Hampden's Thornton W. Burgess Middle School with Wilbraham Middle School students for a five-year period beginning in fall 2017.

To do that, voters had to amend the regional school agreement to allow Hampden students to cross town lines to attend Wilbraham Middle School. Currently, Hampden students only cross town lines to attend Minnechaug Regional High School, one of Wilbraham's five schools in the seven-school district.

Opponents of the measure viewed it as a first step toward the permanent closure of TWB, as the middle school is commonly called, setting the stage for Hampden to forever lose one of its two schools in the regional district. 

Merger proponents have argued that the October vote was never about closing TWB, but merely about amending the agreement to allow Hampden middle-schoolers to attend Wilbraham Middle School while district officials come up with a long-range solution for the district's two middle schools, both of which have experienced declining enrollment in recent years.

An ad hoc Middle School Task Force determined that maintaining two middle schools was not in the district's best financial interest, and that one regional school would better serve the district's needs.

On the Fire Department issue, voters approved a request to hire three full-time firefighters with benefits to cover the department's understaffed day shift, as well as to pay volunteer firefighters for each call they answer.

The total cost of transforming the volunteer department into a call department with a handful of full-timers comes to $226,000, which will be added to the department's current budget of $96,000, for a grand total of $322,000.

"How much is a life worth," Chief Mike Gorski asked the large crowd, which also approved an article to expand the town's only fire station. The cost of a small renovation and expansion to the town's station on North Road has not yet been calculated, but Monday's vote authorizes the town to get the ball rolling.

Aaron Juan Saucedo, 23, faces 26 felony counts of homicide, aggravated assault and drive-by-shooting, said Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams.

PHOENIX (AP) -- A man was arrested Monday in a string of serial killings that terrified a Phoenix neighborhood last year, a huge break in a case that involved nine deaths and a dozen separate shootings.

Aaron Juan Saucedo, 23, faces 26 felony counts of homicide, aggravated assault and drive-by-shooting, said Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams.

Most of the killings by a gunman dubbed the Serial Street Shooter took place in a predominantly Latino neighborhood between August 2015 and July 2016.

The investigation into the serial killings had focused what authorities said were seven fatal shootings. But police on Monday said they had tied Saucedo to nine killings in all -- eight random victims and one man that he knew.

The shooter stalked victims after dark, police have said, selecting people who were either outside of their homes or sitting in cars before opening fire with a handgun.

The Phoenix police chief and mayor appeared alongside other top officials including the county's top prosecutor to announce the break in a case that had appeared largely stalled in recent months as leads and tips dried up.

"This case plagued our community for more than a year ... and left behind a trail of victims that included mothers, sons, brothers, sisters and families still mourning the loss of their loved ones," William said.

Saucedo was arrested last month in connection with the August 2015 fatal shooting of a man who had a relationship with his mother, 61-year-old Raul Romero. Authorities investigated him more closely and connected him to the serial killings.

This undated photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shows Aaron Saucedo. The 23-year-old serial killing suspect accused of fatally shooting seven people last year and wounding two others in attacks that terrorized a largely Latino Phoenix neighborhood was arrested Monday, May 8, 2017, authorities said. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP)

The suspect then went on a killing spree from March of last year through July, police said.

In the end, nine people were killed in 12 separate shootings. All of the killings were random except for the first one, Williams said.

She credited tips and tireless work by Phoenix police detectives and partner federal agencies for Saucedo's arrest.

"We hope that our community will rest a little easier and that our officers will get a little more sleep knowing that the wheels of justice are finally in motion," Williams said.

Police said the killings were unrelated to a series of 2015 freeway shootings in Phoenix that terrified drivers.

But in a strange quirk, the Department of Public Safety said Saucedo's gun from the killing of his mother's friend had been test-fired as part of the freeway shooting probe.

The weapon was the same type used in the freeway shootings -- a High-Point 9mm pistol -- but authorities say Saucedo had nothing to do with that case.

The department said it did not conduct ballistics tests on the gun and returned it to the pawn shop a few days later because investigators identified who they believed was the suspect in the freeway shootings case.

His case was ultimately thrown out however, but investigators still believe he's the culprit.

Police did not provide a motivation or details about why they believe Saucedo opened fire. The Associated Press was unable to reach Saucedo's public defender on Monday.

Marina Smith, the partner of 21-year-old Diego Verdugo-Sanchez, who was gunned down on April 1, 2016, said she welcomed news of the arrest but was still struggling with his loss.

Smith was seven months pregnant with the couple's child when Verdugo-Sanchez was fatally shot in front of a home.

Smith said she had grown frustrated over the past year as detectives kept her in the dark about the investigation.

"The fact of them finding somebody, at least it was some type of news," Smith said.

Police say Saucedo shot at two teenage boys on March 17, 2016, striking one of them in the arm. The suspect struck again the next day but didn't kill anyone.

The next shooting didn't happen until April 1, 2016, when Verdugo-Sanchez was fatally shot.

Police also have linked Saucedo to the April 19, 2016 death of 60-year-old Krystal White; the June 3, 2016, death of Horacio de Jesus Pena; and to the killings of two women, Angela Linner and Stefanie Ellis, and 12-year-old girl Maleah Ellis on June 12, 2016. He killed Manny Castro Garcia on June 10, 2016.

In the most recent attack on July 11, 2016, a 21-year-old man and his 4-year-old nephew escaped injury after the gunman shot at a vehicle they were sitting in.

Rosa Pastrana, the head of a block watch group in the Maryvale neighborhood hardest hit by the killings, was relieved after hearing news of the arrest.

"I'm happy my kids are going to be able to walk outside and I won't have to fear that they're going to get shot," Pastrana said.

Pastrana said she spearheaded a neighborhood effort to encourage residents to talk to police.

Some residents were apathetic at first but many got involved as the shootings continued, she said.

View obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Tuesday will be cool and cloudy with a chance of rain.

Tuesday will be cool and cloudy with a chance of rain.

The National Weather Service predicts a 40 percent chance of showers in Central Massachusetts, mainly after 2 p.m. Tuesday. The weather service reports a 30 percent chance of precipitation in the early afternoon around Boston and a slight chance of showers - around 20 percent - in Western Massachusetts.

Temperatures will reach the mid-to-high 50s today across the state and will fall into the high 30s, low 40s overnight.

The Polish government's consul general has told the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield's bishop he supports a local group's bid to buy the closed Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

HOLYOKE -- The Polish government's consul general has told Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski he supports a local group's attempt to buy and preserve the closed Mater Dolorosa Church at Lyman and Maple streets and hopes Rozanski does, too.

"For 116 years, these dedicated Polish parishioners safeguarded their church and made it a cornerstone to faith and community activity to the Polish people. This legacy does not have to end," said Consul General Maciej Golubiewski of the Republic of Poland in the April 18 letter to Rozanski (see below).

A consul is an official appointed to live in another country and represent a government's interests. A consul general is the government's top such official.

John Fydenkevez of the Mater Dolorosa Church Preservation Society of Holyoke Inc. on Sunday released the letter from Golubiewski. That came after a discussion that Fydenkevez and group board member Danuta Wojcik had at Golubiewski's New York City office about the group's desire to buy the 116-year-old church at 71 Maple St., he said.

A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, which owns Mater Dolorosa Church and closed it in 2011, said Golubiewski's letter was friendly but said only the Diocese is continuing to meet about a possible sale. 

"The bishop received a letter from consul general which was very cordial and echoed the sentiments of many who desire to preserve the church. e continue to engage in conversations with a local group interested in redeveloping the former church as a cultural center," Diocese spokesman Mark E. Dupont said.

Fydenkevez said his group will give an update on May 25 at 6 p.m. at the Pope John Paul II Social Center on St. Kolbe Drive about its efforts. Dupont said a sale wasn't imminent. The church was built and paid for by Polish immigrants.

"We are meeting with Diocese (Tuesday). The update will be about that meeting and other organizations that will be supporting us," Fydenkevez said.

It's unclear what a sale price would be for the church. Diocese consultants have said the building and particularly the steeple needs $5.3 million in repairs, though Diocese critics disagree the cost would be so high.

Maciej Golubiewski, consul general of the Republic of Poland, center, meets in his New York City office recently with Danuta Wojcik, a member of the board of directors of the Mater Dolorosa Church Preservation Society of Holyoke Inc., left, and John Fydenkevez, the society's president, right.SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The Holyoke Board of Assessors has assessed the church and the acre of land it sits on at $1,660,800.

Fydenkevez has said his group would have the financial wherewithal to buy and preserve the church but he declined to provide specifics about funding sources.

The church that has been heralded as the former centerpiece of the Polish-immigrant community has served as a point of controversy since the Diocese shut it down in June 2011.

Most recently, the Holyoke Historical Commission rebuffed the Diocese's application for an emergency order to demolish the church. The commission voted 4-0 on March 29 to impose a six-month demolition delay with the intention of working with the Diocese to try to find an alternative to demolition, commission co-chairman Joseph Paul has said.

Diocese still appealing to state to demolish Mater Dolorosa Church as Holyoke board's delay expected: official

The Diocese has appealed the city's refusal to grant a demolition permit to the state building code appeals board, with Diocese officials warning about a danger to public safety.

Diocese engineering and other consultants have determined that age and deterioration have made the steeple of the church at 71 Maple St. unsafe and pieces have broken off and fallen to the ground, they said.

The church's future formed the heart of a more than six-hour public hearing process that the Historical Commission held leading up to its demolition-delay vote. Much of the hearing consisted of critics saying they didn't trust the Diocese consultants' evaluation of the structure, said they felt the church would stand for years and questioned why the Diocese failed to maintain the building.

Diocese warns of danger but hearing on proposed demolition in Holyoke dominated by church defenders

The Diocese closed Mater Dolorosa Church because Diocese officials said there declining parishioner numbers and the steeple was unstable. The decision has been fought and criticized since.

An attempt to safeguard the church by including it in a proposed Polish Heritage Historic District on Lyman Street was rejected in April 2015 by an 8-7 City Council vote.

The Diocese combined Mater Dolorosa with the former Holy Cross Church to form Our Lady of the Cross at 23 Sycamore St.

Letter from Consul General Maciej Golubiewski of the Republic of Poland to Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Bryan MacDonald, 24, and Jonathan Manor, 25, two former Springfield College football players, have each denied two counts of rape in connection with a June 2014 incident.

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

SPRINGFIELD -- A prosecutor in a rape trial told jurors Monday, "You will have to choose which version of events you believe."

Assistant District Attorney Eileen Sears said of the woman who testified she was raped by two men, "She did not sign up for what happened in that room."

Bryan MacDonald, 24, and Jonathan Manor, 25, two former Springfield College football players, have each denied two counts of rape in connection with a June 2014 incident. Closing arguments in their trial before Hampden Superior Court Judge John S. Ferrara were Monday afternoon.

MacDonald and Manor were staying at the Sheraton hotel in one room, with Manor's father staying in another room, because the three men were going to golf together in the Springfield College football program golf tournament, according to the defendants' lawyers. They met the woman when she was a waitress at a downtown Springfield restaurant and sports bar the three men visited June 13, 2014.

Michael O. Jennings, MacDonald's lawyer, told jurors the testimony of the 27-year-old woman that she was yelling at MacDonald to stop was not believable. Jennings said the prosecution wants jurors to believe even if the woman was yelling in the hotel room, the two men would have continued the sexual activity.

The defense has argued the sex did happen between the woman and the two defendants, but that it was consensual.

David P. Hoose, Manor's lawyer, said rape is a crime of force, a violent crime. He said it is not a crime "to sweet talk someone" and "get them to have sex with you."

Hoose said sometimes "the truth is just too painful and embarrassing to admit. That's what we're dealing with here."

Both Hoose and Jennings argued the woman had sex with the two men willingly but then worried about what they would say to a mutual friend from the football team and to others who might eventually come into the bar in which she worked.

Hoose said rape is a terrible crime but "so is falsely being accused of rape."

Sears said the woman testified she did yell for the men to stop. The woman said she thought about fighting back but didn't want things to get violent, Sears said. Sears said there is no requirement that a rape victim fight back. The woman was afraid, she said.

Sears and the two defense lawyers had differing opinions for the jury about events leading up to what happened in the hotel room.

Hoose and Jennings argued the woman understood when MacDonald was trying to get her to come to the hotel room he shared with Manor it was clear MacDonald was inviting her for sex.

Sears said that none of what happened earlier in the night mattered.

"What happened in that room does," she said.

Sears said MacDonald, while in the bar where the woman was working, kept trying to get her to agree to go to the hotel room to "hang out." She said the woman was not agreeing to have sex when she went to the room.

The woman testified she was not drunk that night, having had one drink at the bar and some tequila in the room.

Both defendants testified in their own defense Monday morning.

MacDonald said he is from Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and works in the town of Berlin. Manor said he works in West Hartford, Connecticut.

MacDonald said he was drunk that night but not too drunk to remember what happened. He said he made it clear to the woman while at the bar he was asking her to come to the room only for sex.

MacDonald said in the hotel room he and the woman were dressed and on the bed kissing and she straddled him, which was the point he knew she would have sex.

The woman had testified MacDonald threw her on the bed, although she said when he began kissing her she let that happen. She said when he began having sex on top of her she couldn't get up and was yelling at him to get off of her.

MacDonald and Manor both testified they never threatened the woman or forced her to do anything.

Under cross-examination from Sears, MacDonald said within 45 minutes of meeting the woman at the bar he decided he wanted to try to have sex.

"Didn't you want to get to know her?" Sears asked.

"That wasn't my intention," MacDonald said. "I just wanted to have a good time."

He said he didn't have a condom but wasn't thinking about sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy at the time.

Manor testified he was drunk and doesn't remember some things, but remembers the major details. He testified when MacDonald was having sex with the woman he decided he would join in.

Some members had misgivings, but the Holyoke City Council was swayed by the prospect of jobs and revenue in approving a medical marijuana facility to operate at 28 Appleton St. in Holyoke, Massachusetts on May 2, 2017. Watch video

HOLYOKE -- Jobs and revenue overcame the opposition that some members of the City Council had to the retailing of marijuana, even medical marijuana, and they're sure to remember if Peter Kadens fails to turn his promises into paychecks.

"We're going to create up to 100 jobs....we're very excited to be here in the Holyoke community," Peter Kadens, CEO of GTI Massachusetts NP Corp., said in a video (see above).

The company received a special permit to operate a medical marijuana cultivation and processing facility at 28 Appleton St. in a unanimous vote of the City Council on May 2 at City Hall.

The facility could be operating by November, officials have said.

Medical marijuana facility could operate in Holyoke by November (photos)

While the majority of the 15-member City Council expressed support for the project, those uncomfortable with the prospect of government sanctioning the sales of such a drug also recognized this poor city needs the jobs and revenue.

"I am totally against medical marijuana and also recreational marijuana," Councilor at Large James M. Leahy said. "However, it's coming, and I can't fight 14 other people. I'm going to vote for this for one reason and one reason only, the business side of it....I'm going to hold my nose."

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said his opposition was just as strong as Leahy's. What made the agreement worthwhile was the acceptance by GTI Massachusetts of the special permit to run the medical pot facility being contingent on nine conditions, especially this one, Jourdain said:

"This Special Permit for is for medical marijuana only not recreational marijuana. This Special Permit is for an RMD that acquires, cultivates, possesses, processes (including development of related products such as food, tinctures, aerosols, oils, or ointments), transfers, transports, sells, distributes marijuana and products containing marijuana at 28 Appleton St.. are all pursuant to applicable State laws and regulations. Any requested change to this scope of permitted uses at the RMD will require a new Special Permit from the Holyoke City Council."

"I would have been screaming on the top of my desk," Jourdain said.

"Ditto," said Councilor at Large Howard B. Greaney Jr., who said he preferred the facility's crop be broccoli instead of pot.

"Holyoke needs the dough. Ward 1 and Ward 2 need the dough," Greaney said.

Most councilors said the GTI Massachusetts plan should be welcomed as an economic development boost for the city.

The company is negotiating a host-city agreement with Mayor Alex B. Morse that will entail yearly payments of $50,000 to $100,000 a year into the city general fund and $15,000 in grants to community groups in Wards 1 and 2.

The company will employ 25 to 30 people in the first year and about 100 over three years. Entry level wages would be $14 an hour with room for advancement, company officials have said.

"I'm so excited about this project because I do think it's an integral piece, a key piece, of realizing that vision of a livable and workable downtown," Councilor at Large Rebecca Lisi said.

"This is an economic development project for the whole city....This is what the city was designed for, manufacturing," Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin said.

Linda L. Vacon, chairwoman of the City Council's Ordinance Committee, said the committee held hours of public hearings and public deliberations in considering the GTI Massachusetts proposal.

"I would say that the applicant was subjected to intense and thorough questioning," Vacon said.

"It's about the benefit that they're going to reap out of this," Ward 1 Councilor Gladys Lebron-Martinez said of the residents in Wards 1 and 2.

The "impoverished population" of Wards 1 and 2 needs the money from the host-city agreement with GTI Massachusetts, Councilor at Large Michael J. Sullivan said.

I do think that Wards 1 and 2 definitely deserve this," Ward 4 Councilor Jossie M. Valentin said.

"It's all around a good proposition for the city," Councilor at Large Peter R. Tallman said. "The main thing that sold me was the jobs and the type of jobs."

Ward 3 Councilor David K. Bartley said Jourdain deserved credit for leading the way in demanding the conditions be attached to the special permit.

Leahy asked why GTI Massachusetts was the only company seeking a special permit to open a medical marijuana facility here. Other plans surfaced over the years but never reached the special permit phase.

Medical marijuana plan in Holyoke withdrawn by Herbie Flores, Brian Lees group

Leahy questioned whether the city should have issued a request for proposals to draw more interest and why the grant money was limited to groups in Wards 1 and 2. Such questions were addressed during the public hearing and in community meetings about the project.

McGiverin said the situation was one of a private enterprise, in this case GTI Massachusetts, approaching the city to do business.

"It was known to the people in the business that we were open to applicants," Vacon said.

Leahy asked why the grant money would go to only groups in Wards 1 and 2.

Ordinance Committee member Diosdado Lopez said he insisted on that condition to ensure some funding will go into neighborhoods where the facility will operate.

Plus, Lisi said, while the grants are dedicated funding, other revenue from the host-city agreement will go into the general fund to benefit the whole city.

And when that larger block of money goes into the general fund, Wards 1 and 2 will hardly see it, which is why the dedicated grants are important to those neighborhoods, Ward 2 Councilor Nelson R. Roman said.

"This is the wave of the future, really getting super, hyper-local with hiring, with granting," Roman said.

Councilor at Large Daniel B. Bresnahan asked who wrote the host-city agreement. Assistant City Solicitor Paul Payer said the agreement was based on 30 to 40 similar ones in Massachusetts.

John J. Ferriter, a local lawyer representing GTI Massachusetts, said he dealt with Sara J. Carroll, a former assistant city solicitor, and Morse in negotiating the host-city agreement.

But McGiverin also issued a warning about "boss politics" in relation to the host-city agreement including grants for specific wards.

In discussions over the years about reducing the size of the City Council, McGiverin has said such reductions of the City Council must avoid having the number of at large councilors on the board be less than the number of ward councilors. Such a case would allow for a mayor or someone in position of power to make deals with ward councilors potentially at the expense of the city as a whole, he said.

In 2015, voters approved a ballot question that as of the results of the Nov. 7, 2017 election, will drop the number of at large councilors to six from the current eight. The number of ward councilors will stay at seven.

"This is the beginning of boss politics," McGiverin said.

Here are the other eight conditions attached to the special permit that the City Council granted to GTI Massachusetts:

• Initial operations of the RMD will be limited to a single employee shift with the usual hours of operation being from 7:00am to 12:00am

• No exterior signage will be posted or displayed at the RMD except as may be required by Massachusetts DPH and by Zoning Ordinance Section 7.10.5(2)(e) which required a sign be posted at each entrance to the RMD which reads as follows: "Registration Card Issued by the MA Department of Public Health Required" in text two inches (2'') in height

• GTI will improve a portion of the City owned parking lot on Canal Street directly across from the RMD to coincide with the number of employees working at the facility. The scope and timing of improvement work to be completed by GTI will be in accordance with and upon the mutual agreement of Holyoke Dept. of Public Works

• Prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for the RMD, a detailed ventilation plan will be approved by the Building Inspector and meet the standards identified in the Building Code and Zoning Ordinance

• GTI will comply with 105 CMR 725.105(O) which will cover the removal of all marijuana and products containing marijuana from the RMD in the event that GTI files for protection under the bankruptcy laws, or GTI otherwise ceases operations at the RMD without removal of all such materials.

• GTI will obtain any and all permits or approvals necessary for the secured enclosure located in the loading area of the RMD as required by the Holyoke Chief of Police. Additionally in the even that there are changes to the approved security plan any changes, or alterations to the security plan be reviewed and approved by the Holyoke Chief of Police

• If the applicant enters into a waste water agreement with the Holyoke Dept. of Public Works for the purpose of metering its waste water discharge or therewise, a copy will be provided to the City Council

• All grant money provided from the applicant shall be utilized exclusively for Ward 1 and Ward 2 in the City of Holyoke.

"Until 2012 it was up to local authorities to decide how jet skis had to be used. This is how it should be again."

A Danish politician is calling for new laws regarding jet ski use after one of the vehicles crashed into a boat in the coastal waters of Copenhagen Sunday, killing two American students and injuring several others.

Kenneth Kristensen Berth, of the populist Danish People's Party, told The Associated Press Tuesday that Denmark's municipalities should be able to forbid the usage of jet skis. However, current EU law allows their use, the Associated Press reports. 

"Why does it determine where you can use jet skis in the sea," Berth wrote on Facebook. "Until 2012 it was up to local authorities to decide how jet skis had to be used. This is how it should be again."

Representatives from the Socialdemokraiet party responded to Berth's call, saying that Denmark already bans jet ski usage within 300 meters of the coast. Instead of rushing into new legislation, authorities should enforce the current rules.

"I don't think it would be a good idea for Denmark to rush into new legislation that might lead to the risk of another case in the European Courts," Peter Hummelgaard Thomsen, Socialdemokratiet's EU spokesperson, told TV2. "In the first instance, we should ensure the rules we have are enforced."

It is not known how close the jet ski that crashed into the student's boat was to the coast.

One of the students killed in the crash, Linsey Malia, was attending Stonehill College in Massachusetts.

Authorities wrote in a release that the two students were killed after their boat was hit by a "high-speed jet ski." Five other students were injured and hospitalized after the crash. They have since been released. 

The two American students were part of DIS - Study Abroad, according to a statement from DIS posted on Facebook. The second American student who died has been identified as Leah Bell, a Louisiana native and student at California's Pomona College.

"Tragically, two DIS students were killed as a result of the accident," the statement from DIS says. "This incident is incredibly difficult. DIS is a strong community and the ties to these students involved in the accident are broad and deep. DIS is focused on individual support and counselors are available to all students."

Copenhagen police are currently investigating the incident. According to The Local Denmark, a 24-year-old man has been arrested and charged with double manslaughter in Copenhagen City Court. Seven other people 

The Future Begins Here gala in Holyoke included a gourmet dinner, cash bar, live music, live and silent auctions and a cash raffle. The gala benefits three to five agencies each year.

HOLYOKE-- For more than 20 years, the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside has hosted The Future Begins Here gala to benefit for children's agencies around the region.

And this past Sunday was no exception.

The gala included a gourmet dinner, cash bar, live music, live and silent auctions and a cash raffle. The gala benefits three to five agencies each year.

Over the years the location in the mall has changed, as have the kinds of music and the format.

Dave Madsen, news anchor and managing editor at Western Mass. News, served as emcee for the evening, a role he has had since 1996.

For more information, visit the official website here.