Seth Lombard-Hawthorne is charged with manslaughter and drug crimes in connection with the overdose death of 16-year-old Lillian Anderson in Westfield in February 2016.

U.S. health agencies on Wednesday warned that certain blood tests for lead poisoning may give results lower than the actual level of lead.

U.S. health agencies on Wednesday warned that certain blood tests for lead poisoning may give results lower than the actual level of lead.

As a result, some children under 6, along with pregnant and nursing women, may need retesting, the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The lead poisoning tests are made by Magellan Diagnostics. The tests should no longer be used for blood samples drawn from a vein, the agencies said. Those kinds of blood draws are usually done in labs.

Magellan blood tests from finger or heel pricks -- the method usually used for children -- are considered accurate. The company makes the only lead test used in doctor offices and clinics and that test uses blood from finger or heel sticks.

The agencies said women and parents should ask their doctor about retesting. Candidates include anyone whose blood was drawn for the test and who had a blood lead level of 10 micrograms or less per deciliter. While no level is considered safe, the federal safety limit is half that level.

"I'm not expecting a lot of retesting," said John Kraeutler, CEO of Meridian Bioscience Inc., which bought Magellan last year.

The FDA and the company said they are working to determine the cause of the inaccurate results. Magellan also is trying to switch labs currently using vein blood to testing from skin sticks.

Lead is particularly dangerous for infants and young children. It can cause serious long-term health problems -- even at low levels -- including reduced intelligence, impaired hearing and irritability. It can also cause miscarriages and premature births.

"Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body. It produces no obvious symptoms and can go undetected for years," Patrick Breysee, director of the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health, said during a conference call with reporters.

Children can be exposed to lead by eating paint chips and dust containing lead, or from soil contaminated by old leaded gasoline. Adults can be exposed through home renovations or work in auto repair shops or battery manufacturing.

The FDA believes the testing issue may date to 2014, but said the scope of the problem wasn't clear until March, when Magellan provided new information as part of the FDA's review of its newest lead test.

A crash Wednesday night on Route 44 in Plymouth claimed the the lives of two people, according to The Boston Globe.

A crash Wednesday night on Route 44 in Plymouth claimed the the lives of two people, according to state police. 

The vehicle crossed the highway's center line and crashed at around 10:30 p.m.

Sadly this crash resulted in 2 fatalities. Investigation ongoing. https://t.co/tUG3pBdxDe

-- Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) May 18, 2017

First responders pronounced one dead at the scene of the crash and a second person died later at Beth Israel Deaconess-Plymouth Hospital, The Boston Globe reports.

No further information about the crash is yet available.

Route 44 heads northeast from Providence, R.I., to Plymouth and the coast.

State Sen. Eric Lesser was among senators last week to approve a road repair package that would appropriate more than $8.4 million for road repair projects in the 1st Hampden and Hampshire District.

BOSTON — State Sen. Eric Lesser was among supporters of a bill, which passed the state Senate last week, that would include more than $8.4 million in funding for road repair projects in his district.

The bill would distribute $200 million in Chapter 90 funds -- state reimbursements to municipalities for transportation projects -- among cities and towns across the commonwealth, a statement from Lesser's office says. The bill will now be sent to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk for signing.

"This funding is critical to rebuilding our roads, especially after a harsh winter," said Lesser, chairman of the Senate's Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee. "At a time when our state and national infrastructure is crumbling, this funding is a much needed boost to local communities working to keep their infrastructure up to date."

If Baker signs the bill into law, each of the nine communities in the 1st Hampden and Hampshire District, which Lesser represents, would receive $250,000 to $3.6 million in funding for road repair projects, the statement says.

This bill would appropriate $624,776 to Belchertown, $1,322,033 to Chicopee, $581,185 to East Longmeadow, $279,748 to Granby, $256,063 to Hampden, $471,736 to Longmeadow, $701,338 to Ludlow, $3,657,832 to Springfield and $543,258 to Wilbraham.

Included in the bill is also millions in funding for transportation and mobility assistance programs for elderly and disabled people. "The bonds will be used to purchase vehicles and equipment for regional transit authorities, councils on aging and other nonprofit transit providers," the statement says.

The bill also allocates an additional $60 million for upgrades to improve the efficiency of the Registry of Motor Vehicles' information technology system, the statement says.

Brandon Jimenez, who had two magazines with pellets in his pocket, eventually admitted throwing the gun away as police approached, the report said.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Prius got the worst of it.

Of five vehicles targeted during a 3 a.m. tire-slashing spree on Ralph Street, only the environmentally friendly Toyota hybrid suffered damage to both front and rear tires on the driver's side, according to the police report.

Brandon Jimenez

The others -- a Lexus, a Honda Civic, a Ford pickup and a Ford SUV -- escaped with a single slash to front tires on the driver's side, for reasons that were not explained in the report.

Thanks to alert neighbors, two suspects, including one armed with a knife and pellet gun, were captured minutes after the April 24 vandalism spree, the report said.

One neighbor waited outside for police to arrive and provided a description of the suspected tire slashers. Another followed the suspects on foot as they walked toward Bay Street, the report said.

The suspects -- Brandon Jimenez, 23, of Holyoke, and Edwin Rodriguez, 19, of Springfield -- were stopped nearby based on descriptions from the neighbors.

Questioned by police, Jimenez acknowledged having a knife in his pocket. A pellet gun was also found about 20 yards away. Jimenez, who had two magazines with pellets in his pocket, eventually admitted throwing the gun away as police approached, the report said.

Both suspects were arrested and charged with five felony counts of malicious damage to a motor vehicle. Held over the weekend, they pleaded not guilty to the charges the following Monday in Springfield District Court.

Defense lawyers said neither client had a criminal record, and asked for their release without cash bail. A prosecutor also did not request bail.

Still, Judge Michele Ouimet-Rooke said the alleged tire-slashing spree deserved some bail. She ordered Jimenez held on $250 cash and released his co-defendant on personal recognizance.

Both are due back in court for a pretrial hearing next week.

No items were listed as stolen from the vehicles, and no damage estimate was included in the arrest report.

Days after a 20-year-old from Franklin, Massachusetts disappeared while walking home from a party, friends and family hang on to hope that he will return to them.

Days after a 20-year-old from Franklin, Massachusetts disappeared while walking home from a party, friends and family hang on to hope that he will return to them.

Days after returning to his hometown after his first year as a student at Duke University, Michael Doherty stayed late at a friend's house for a party. Shortly after midnight in the early hours of Sunday, he texted family asking for a ride. After not hearing back, he began to walk the mile home. 

His parents realized the next morning that their son had not returned home. 

"Michael was our middle son, the love of my life," Nancy Doherty told the Boston Globe. "We're heartbroken, heartsick -- still searching."

The search continued Wednesday with authorities, friends and family searching bodies of water and wooden areas in Franklin and Bellingham. 

"We want Michael here," His father, Dan Doherty, told the Boston Globe. "We're praying for a miracle."

The search resulted in finding the blue Nike t-shirt he was wearing when he was last seen and both of his shows - which each sneaker found on opposite sides of a body of water. 

The new officers will spend the next 14 weeks working with experienced police trained to teach them. Watch video

CHICOPEE - Asked what she learned after 26 weeks in the academy and three days on patrol working with an experienced officer, newly minted Chicopee Police Officer Victoria Lopez found it hard to find an answer.

"I've learned so much," she said. "Awesome. It is an awesome experience."

"Right now it is a lot of learning how to deal with people and how to interact with them," Lopez said.

Lopez, originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, is also an Air Force reservist who served part time and active duty out of Westover Air Reserve Base before she decided to become a police officer.

During National Police Week this week, city officials swore in four new officers: Lopez, Nicholas Stone, Micky Dumais and Matthew Lemieux. They will soon be joined by two more candidates who are slated to graduate from the Western Massachusetts Police Academy in June and 13 other candidates who will enter the academy in June.

"We are really excited about the opportunity to be fully staffed," Police Chief William R. Jebb said.

Over the past few years Mayor Richard J. Kos and the City Council have agreed to increase the size of the police department from 102 to 120. Not all the positions are funded but the increase allows the department to begin hiring new officers when a retirement is anticipated to give time to train the new officers before the experienced ones leave.

Under civil service rules, new firefighters or police officers cannot be hired until an existing position is vacant due to a resignation or retirement, leaving the department frequently short-staffed. Adding more positions allows new officers to begin the 26-week police academy program earlier and leaves less lag time between when one officer retires and another one begins work.

"Part of this whole process is to make sure we have adequate public safety," Kos said, adding his thanks to the City Council, which has supported the increase in police and firefighters.

A full complement of staffing means walking beats will return and bicycle patrols will be back, Jebb said.

The four new officers graduated from the police academy this month. They will spend the next 14 weeks with experienced officers who are formally taught to train new patrol officers.

The training program, which started in 2015, calls for new officers to spend three weeks each with three different officers who teach them a variety of skills. In their final two weeks the new officers return to work with their original trainer, who spends the time in plain clothes and observes the new officer to determine if they are ready to work alone.

About 30 people have gone through the training program since it started. Several have stayed with training officers for a few additional weeks to correct some flaws, but all have eventually graduated to become regular officers, Jebb said.

All officers are technically considered on probation for the first year they are in the police department and can be let go at any time if their performance is poor, he said.

"We have been blessed. We had some really good candidates this time," Jebb said, referring to the new officers as well as those who will be entering the academy in June. Some have degrees in criminal justice and others have experience that will help the department, he said.

Stone is one of those candidates. After serving five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Westfield State University and is now studying for his master's degree, also in criminal justice at Westfield.

"I served in the Marine Corps and it seemed like the logical decision to serve my city," he said.

A Lowell gang member is headed back to prison after raping and prostituting a "vulnerable" 13-year-old girl to at least seven other men, reports The Lowell Sun.

Michael Feliz, 31, had been out of prison for just a few weeks at the time of the alleged crimes, late 2014. Police say Feliz plied the girl with heroin and cocaine.

A Middlesex Superior Court jury recently found him guilty of a litany of prostitution, human trafficking and drug charges.

Deeming Feliz a habitual offender, Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp on Tuesday sentenced the man to 15 years to life in state prison. 

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement that Feliz befriended the girl, provided her with heroin cocaine and alcohol, then told her she must prostitute herself to support her drug habit. 

According to the Sun, the girl said Feliz provided her to at least seven men for sexual services and kept all the money. 

Two of the clients -- brothers Angel Alicea and Michael Alicea -- were sentenced on child rape charges in 2014, the Sun reports. 

Feliz will serve three years probation, stay away from the victim and be subject to random drug and alcohol screenings if he is ever granted parole.

The Advanced Manufacturing Pipeline - Computer Numerical Control (AMP-CNC) training program is a non-credit, 15-week, 300-hour hands-on training program offered by Greenfield Community College (GCC) in partnership with the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board (FHREB), the Franklin Hampshire Career Centers (FHCC), the Franklin County Technical School (FCTS) and area machining companies.

TURNERS FALLS -- A night-school program at Franklin Technical School that trains adults for in-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing will graduate its 100th student since getting its start four years ago.

Fourteen advanced manufacturing trainees will receive certificates of completion Friday.

The training is free to those who qualify. It is aimed at those who are unemployed or underemployed at a job that pays too little.

The Advanced Manufacturing Pipeline Computer Numerical Control training program is a non-credit, 15-week, 300-hour, hands-on curriculum. It's offered by Greenfield Community College in partnership with the Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board, the Franklin Hampshire Career Centers, the Franklin County Technical School and area machining companies interested in growing the pool of available workers.

This program uses the Franklin Tech shop after the high school day concludes. The shop is outfitted with Haas CNC mill and lathe machines funded by employer contributions and matching state funding.

The previous seven cohorts have averaged a 93 percent graduation rate and an 84 percent job placement rate, according to a Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board press release. 

Students participating in the program complete testing, a four-week foundational manufacturing precursor program and online Tooling U assignments. The online Tooling U program includes topics like:

• Fractions and decimals
• Shop algebra
• Cutting tool materials
• Modern grinding technology
• CNC specs for the lathe
• Milling calculations
• Intro to screw machining

This most recent class includes students from Belchertown, Colrain, Easthampton, Greenfield, Montague, Northfield, South Hadley and Shelburne.

Those interested in applying can sign up to attend a monthly and application session by registering online at www.gcc.mass.edu/manufacturing or by calling the Franklin Hampshire Career Center at 413-774-4361. The next information session  is June 12 at 3 p.m. at the GCC Downtown Center, 270 Main St., Greenfield.

American business magazine Forbes surveyed more than 30,000 workers to compile its 2017 list of the country's best employers, many of whom turned out to be based in the Bay State. Workers were simply asked to grade employers on a one-to-10 scale. Scroll along to find out which state company's made the list.

"I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning. Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many," said his wife, Elizabeth Ailes.

Roger Ailes, the controversial founder of Fox News, has died. He was 77 years old. 

His death was publicly announced Thursday by his wife, Elizabeth Ailes. She shared a statement regarding his death with the Drudge Report. 

"I am profoundly sad and heartbroken to report that my husband, Roger Ailes, passed away this morning. Roger was a loving husband to me, to his son Zachary, and a loyal friend to many," she wrote. 

Ailes became the founding CEO of Fox News in 1996 and built the station into an influential ratings leader tied to the ring wing of politics in America. He became chairman of the Fox television group in 2005 after the departure of Lachlan Murdoch.

He resigned from the company last summer, receiving $40 million in an exit agreement, amid multiple allegations from current and former Fox News employees that he sexually harassed women on staff. 

In a letter to Executive Chairman of News Corp Rupert Murdoch, he wrote, "I will not allow my presence to become a distraction from the work that must be done every day to ensure that Fox News and Fox Business continue to lead our industry."

Murdoch said at the time of Ailes' departure, "Roger Ailes has made a remarkable contribution to our company and our country ... Roger shared my vision of a great and independent television organization and executed it brilliantly over 20 great years."

Authorities in the Berkshires discovered the dead body of missing a 33-year-old Pittsfield man in the woods in Lenox on Wednesday, but do not suspect foul play.

Authorities in the Berkshires discovered the dead body of missing a 33-year-old man Wednesday in the woods in Lenox, but do not suspect foul play.

Matthew Gottung, of Pittsfield, was located about 50 yards off the Switchback Trail in October Mountain State Forest at around 3 p.m.

October Mountain State Forest is a 16,460-acre forest and recreational preserve, the largest state forest in Massachusetts.  

The discovery of the body marked the end of a search that began Monday evening, when police -- acting on a tip -- located Gottung's car near Roaring Brook Road, which runs alongside the forest, according to a report in The Berkshire Eagle. 

Called off at dark, the search continued all day Tuesday, involving members of the state and Pittsfield police, Berkshire Mountain Search and Rescue and other first responders.

Finally, Gottung was discovered yesterday afternoon, according to Berkshire County District Attorney's Office.

The office said no foul play is suspected but declined to comment further on the circumstances surrounding the death.

Crews from Northampton, Holyoke and Westover are providing mutual aid.

EASTHAMPTON -- A section of Oliver Street is closed as several fire departments are battling a building fire. 

"We have crews from Northampton, Holyoke and Westover assisting with a structure fire on Oliver Street," reads a post on the Easthampton Fire Department's Facebook page.

According to the message -- also posted to Twitter by the city's police and fire departments -- Oliver Street will be closed for several hours between Evans Avenue and Park Hill Road. 

This is a developing story that will be updated after further reporting.

Joshua Brown, charged with assaulting a fellow student in the parking lot of Easthampton High School during a racially-tinged incident in March, will remain on pre-trial probation until the end of the calendar year through an agreement reached with the victim and his family.

NORTHAMPTON- Joshua Brown, charged with assaulting a fellow student in the parking lot of Easthampton High School during a racially-tinged incident in March, will remain on pre-trial probation until the end of the calendar year through an agreement reached with the alleged victim and his family.

If Brown complies with the various conditions set by pre-trial probation, the case will be dismissed at the end of the calendar year. These conditions include Brown's participation in a restorative justice program in which he and the alleged victim will meet with a trained mediator. 

Police say on March 28, Brown was one of three students of color who surrounded and punched a white student in the high school parking lot. The alleged victim had previously sent a racial slur to a former girlfriend using social media, court documents state.

The racially-charged incident touched off a series of events, including a student walkout, a community speakout, a set of packed School Committee meetings, and the retention of a consultant to help reform the climate and culture at Easthampton High School.

The alleged victim has since been identified as the son of Easthampton Police Officer Alan Schadel, a resource officer assigned to the schools. Brown was charged with assault and battery, a misdemeanor; and with intimidating a witness, a felony punishable by up to 30 months in state prison.

The agreement was set during a pre-trial hearing Thursday in Northampton District Court before Judge Michael Goggins. 

Brown declined comment after the hearing.

"I think this is the most appropriate way to resolve this matter," said Peter Lane, Brown's attorney. 

Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Yvonne Pesce told Goggins during the hearing that the agreement is supported by the Commonwealth and the victim and his family. She said she has spoken with the victim and his family several times including Thursday morning.

"They are very much in favor of this," said Pesce.

Corespondent Mary Serreze contributed to this report. This is a developing story which will be updated. 

A water replacement project on Mulberry Street in Springfield will cause traffic route changes and delays, according to the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission.

SPRINGFIELD-- The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission has scheduled a water pipe replacement project on Mulberry Street in the downtown area, slated to begin Monday, May 22, and continue for approximately two weeks.

Private contractors hired by the commission will conduct the work on Mulberry Street between School Street and Ridgewood Place.

The project will trigger changes to traffic patterns and is expected to create traffic delays, the commission said.

Typical construction hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mulberry Street will be closed to thru traffic during construction hours. Westbound traffic will be detoured onto Ridgewood Place and eastbound traffic will be detoured onto School Street.

Local traffic and access will be managed with posted signs and police details.

Springfield Department of Public Works has annnounced the following road work for the week ahead, beginning Friday, May 19.

File phoro 

SPRINGFIELD -- The city's Department of Public Works has announced the following roadway projects scheduled Friday, May 19, and next week.

On Friday, milling work is scheduled on Essex Street, from Oak Street to Myrtle Street.

Projects scheduled during the week of May 22, are as follows:

• Congress St. - From Main St. to Chestnut St. Utility work
• Cuff Ave. - From St. James Circle to Merrimac St. Utility and concrete work.
• Piedmont St. - From Carew St. to Roy St. Utility and concrete work
• Worthington St. - From Federal St. to Chestnut St. Paving May 22 and May 23.

The new roofs at the Mary Lynch, Kensington, and Thomas Balliet Elementary schools are being aided with up to 80 percent funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Work is occurring this summer to avoid disruptions during the school year.

SPRINGFIELD -- Aided by state funds, the city plans to replace roofs at four public schools this summer among numerous repairs and improvements planned at various schools when students and staff are on vacation break.

Major projects include new roofs at the Mary M. Lynch Elementary School, the Kensington International School, the Thomas Balliet Elementary School and the STEM Middle School, officials said. 

In addition, state-aided projects this summer include new windows and doors at the Daniel Brunton School, Mary M. Walsh School and the Public Day High School.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel J. Warwick and Peter Garvey, director of capital asset construction, said the work is necessary and benefits students and staff.

The projects are approved for up to 80 percent reimbursement by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

"Children learn best when they are in well-suited environments," Warwick said. "Building features such as roofs, windows, heating systems and the like all play a part in making sure students and staff are comfortable and secure, and that goes a long way towards teaching and learning."

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council have approved bond funds for the various projects that will be followed by the partial state reimbursements.

Garvey said the roofs at the four schools have leaks and are in excess of 20 years old, lasting beyond their warranties.

The summer vacation break allows the work to be done without disrupting the students and staff, he said. The new roofs and window projects being planned at various schools provide a greater learning environment and energy efficiency in the buildings, he said.

With more than 50 school buildings in Springfield, "you need to be diligent on the upkeep," Garvey said.

The Brunton and Walsh projects will each cost $2.6 million, while the Public Day High School project will cost $1.7 million.

The other roof projects are currently out to bid and also include improvement to accessibility for entrances and restrooms.

The Mary Lynch School project including the new roof has an estimated cost of $1.6 million. Contractors must submit bids by June 9.

The Balliet School project has an estimated cost of $1,750,000, and the Kensington School project cost is estimated at $1 million. The bids are due June 14, and June 7, respectively.

Separately, the city is seeking bids for a new roof at the Early Childhood Education Center on Catharine Street in the Mason Square area, with an estimated cost of $200,000, and for a boiler replacement and boiler room renovations, estimated at $100,000. The projects are city-funded.

The city purchased the vacant building in 2014 from Early Childhood Centers of Greater Springfield Inc. for $2.8 million, knowing there would be a need for some improvements including the new roof.

Other significant projects this summer include a gymnasium floor at Duggan Middle School, with an estimated cost of $175,000, and a new fire alarm system at Dorman School, with an estimated cost of $100,000, with both projects currently out to bid.

Patrick Sullivan, the city's director of parks, buildings and recreation management, said the city appreciates the funding from the state authority, saying it has "ensured the preservation of our school buildings across the city."

Sullivan said that aside from the major projects listed, the city plans to invest as much as $1 million in additional repairs and physical improvements in the schools this summer. He is finalizing the list.

A Springfield man is facing firearm and weapons charges after police responded to a report of gunshots Wednesday night.

A Springfield man is facing firearm and weapons charges after police responded to a report of gunshots Wednesday night.

At 11:45 p.m., Officers Matthew Staples and Ricardo Rivera responded to an activation of the department's Shotspotter system -- an acoustic surveillance tool that detects the sound of gunshots and pinpoints their location.

When Staples and Rivera reached the scene of the gunshots on Leyfred Terrace, they allegedly spotted a black Acura leaving the area, Sgt. John Delaney wrote in a Facebook post.

"The officers were able to pull the car over down the street," Delaney wrote. "During this felony stop the officers called for backup and the lone driver of the car was acting evasive and in a nervous manner."

The driver, later identified as 30-year-old Springfield resident Edgardo Fernandez, was initially hesistant to leave the car, Delaney wrote, but Staples and Rivera eventually removed him from the vehicle. He then cooperated with the officers, Delaney wrote.

Police allegedly found a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun in the middle of the car's seats, with three rounds missing from its 15 round clip. Officers also allegedly found a bag of cocaine.

In an interview, Delaney said that no one was injured and there was no property damage due to the shooting, and officers were unable to locate any shell casings at the scene. Fernandez allegedly admitted that he had a gun in the car but did not admit firing the weapon, Delaney said.

Fernandez was charged with possession of cocaine, carrying a firearm without a permit, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, carrying a firearm with three prior violent and drug offenses and carrying a large capacity loading device.

He is scheduled for arraignment today in Springfield District Court.

A section of Oliver Street is expected to be closed for several hours.

The immediate area around the crash scene has been closed by New York Police Department.

A fast-moving vehicle struck pedestrians on a sidewalk in New York City's Times Square on Thursday, Reuters reports. 

A witness told the news agency that at least 10 people were injured and at least one was fatally injured. 

Update: At least 1 dead, 20 more injured after car hit pedestrians in New York City's Times Square