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Memorial Day 2017 travel: Traffic hot spots, gas prices, tips and more

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The national average gas price will be $2.32 a gallon


Fed up with robocalls and telemarketers? We want to hear from you.

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U.S. consumers received about 2.4 billion robocalls per month in 2016. What's being done to stem the tide?

If you feel besieged by calls from local phone numbers that turn out to be recordings that say you've won a fabulous vacation, you're not alone. 

U.S. consumers received about 2.4 billion robocalls per month in 2016, according to the Federal Communications Commission [pdf].

Our own cell phones are among those that have been ringing -- so we're working on a story about the state and national Do Not Call registries, and steps officials are taking to stem the tide of unwanted calls.

What's working? What's not? You can help us tell the story by filling out the questionnaire below. 

The problem is more than just an annoyance. A scam involving fraudulent calls about overdue taxes has netted 10,000 victims who have paid over $54 million to the scammers, according to the IRS. 

And even state and federal officials who oversee the Do Not Call registries admit they are far from effective in stopping unwanted calls, even though they do try to enforce it. If it seems like the calls are increasing -- they are, officials said.

"People can't pick up their own phone without being harassed and that is why we continue to enforce this," said a spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the Do Not Call list.

Share your experience with unwanted calls.

We would like to hear from readers about their experiences with robocalls and telemarketers. Please fill out the questionnaire below -- you'll help us identify potential angles to pursue, and we may want to get in touch with you for an interview.

Widow of Soundgarden's frontman Chris Cornell apologizes in letter to late husband

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Late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell will be laid to rest Friday at a private memorial service at a Hollywood cemetery that is the final resting place of numerous stars.

Late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell will be laid to rest Friday at a private memorial service at a Hollywood cemetery that is the final resting place of numerous stars.

The private service at Hollywood Forever Cemetery will be followed by a public memorial that begins at 3 p.m. PDT, during which fans can view Cornell's burial site.

The services come more than a week after the 52-year-old Seattle native was found unresponsive in a Detroit hotel room hours after performing a show with Soundgarden. Coroner's officials have said a preliminary autopsy showed Cornell hanged himself. A full autopsy and results of toxicology tests are pending.

The cemetery is the final resting place for numerous stars, including filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, actress Jayne Mansfield, rockers Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone and silent film star Rudolph Valentino.

As Soundgarden's frontman, Cornell was a leading voice of the grunge movement that came out of Seattle and became mainstream in the 1990s. He achieved success with all his musical endeavors, including the supergroup Audioslave, Temple of the Dog and solo albums.

His widow, Vicky, penned an open letter to her late husband that Billboard published online Wednesday.

"We had the time of our lives in the last decade and I'm sorry, my sweet love, that I did not see what happened to you that night. I'm sorry you were alone, and I know that was not you, my sweet Christopher. Your children know that too, so you can rest in peace," she wrote.

Vicky Cornell has said the singer may have taken more of an anti-anxiety drug than he was prescribed.

"I'm broken, but I will stand up for you and I will take care of our beautiful babies. I will think of you every minute of every day and I will fight for you," Vicky Cornell wrote. "You were right when you said we are soulmates. It has been said that paths that have crossed will cross again, and I know that you will come find me, and I will be here waiting."

Beer lovers rejoice: Rule change to let Massachusetts breweries fill up (almost) any growler

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Any Massachusetts craft beer drinker knows the problem: you go to a brewery that doesn't sell its product in cans or bottles, and so you get a large glass growler filled from the tap to go.

Any Massachusetts craft beer drinker knows the problem: you go to a brewery that doesn't sell its product in cans or bottles, and so you get a large glass growler filled from the tap to go.

But the growlers, from dozens of breweries across the state, quickly add up -- in both the deposit fee to acquire one and the space necessary to store them. In the past, a drinker could only get that growler refilled at the brewery from which it was purchased, adding to the cost and storage stress.

Thanks to an advisory released Wednesday by the state's Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, breweries will now be able to refill growlers brought in from outside the brewery.

There are a few provisions. The growler has to be "entirely blank" and devoid of any labeling of another brewery -- meaning you can't get your Trillium growler filled by Treehouse. The growler also has to be empty of all alcoholic beverages and filled from a tank of brewery-made beer.

The good news is the growler can be any size, and it doesn't have to be glass.

The decision solves a two-year discussion among legislators on whether or not to change the growler laws. State Rep. Steven Howitt first filed legislation last year that would have allowed breweries in the state to fill vessels from other breweries. Though it was approved out of the House, it wasn't included in language that went to conference committee.

Howitt proposed the legislation a second time this year, but it languished yet again.

The Massachusetts Brewers Guild had been pressing for legislative language that would have allowed brewers to "opt-in" to rules allowing them to fill growlers from outside the brewery. Breweries had been hesitant in the past to fill growlers from elsewhere, siting concerns over cleanliness and quality, improperly-labeled beer, and even pricing.

Rob Burns, president of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, said the new language just introduces more confusion.

"We need a bit of clarification of what needs to go on the growler if it's blank," Burns said.

Burns also questioned whether all brewers would feel comfortable filling jugs from other places. Though it doesn't matter for his brewery, as Night Shift Brewing doesn't sell growlers, Medusa Brewing Company spent thousands of dollars on a growler-fill machine that can only take certain sized growlers.

"Some of (the breweries) will be fine with it, especially smaller ones," Burns said. "Ordering pallets of growlers is expensive and a pain in the butt, especially if you run out which we did often in the early days. But ... if it's a gray area we try to avoid it."

Massachusetts joins the ranks of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine to allow growler fills from bottles brought in from outside the brewery.

Memorial Day parade and remarks at Veterans' Park set for Holyoke commemoration

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The Memorial Day commemoration in Holyoke, Massachusetts on Monday, May 29, 2017 will begin with a parade at 9 a.m. from the War Memorial at 310 Appleton St. to Veterans' Park at Hampden and Maple streets where officials will make remarks.

HOLYOKE -- The city's Memorial Day commemoration on Monday will begin with a parade at 9 a.m. from the War Memorial at 310 Appleton St. to Veterans' Park at Hampden and Maple streets where officials will make remarks.

"All are invited to attend as we remember in admiration our fallen heroes," said Wilfredo Melendez, deputy director of the Holyoke Veterans Services Department.

Gerald D. Healy, a former U.S. Marine, college professor and grand marshal of the 2011 Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade, will be the main speaker, he said.

Mayor Alex B. Morse and City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain also are scheduled to speak.

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who died serving in the U.S. military.

"Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season," according to history.com

Veterans Day is observed on Nov. 11 in honor of American military veterans.

For information call the Veterans Services Department at 1-413-322-5630.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP, one of the country's highest-grossing law firms, opens Boston office

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Global legal giant Kirkland & Ellis LLP has long been counsel to some of the biggest names in Boston private equity. Now, the law firm is finally getting an office of its own in the city.

Global legal giant Kirkland & Ellis LLP has long been counsel to some of the biggest names in Boston private equity. Now, the law firm is finally getting an office of its own in the city.

Kirkland, the second-highest grossing law firm in the U.S. last year, announced Monday it would open an office at 200 Clarendon in Back Bay with three partners who had worked from its Chicago and New York locations.

The move puts an end to years of speculation in local legal circles that Kirkland would be the next mega-firm to set up shop in Boston. A decade and a half ago, it was rumored to be in merger talks with Boston's Hutchins Wheeler & Ditmar PC. Those discussions did not result in a deal, and Hutchins lawyers ultimately went to Nixon Peabody LLP and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP.

The firm was founded in Chicago, which is still home to its largest office, but has represented Boston-based private equity firms such as Bain Capital, ABRY Partners and Summit Partners.

"In some ways, it's a natural evolution. We've been flirting with the idea for a long time," said Jon Ballis, a member of the firm's global management executive committee who is based in Chicago.

The firm has three primary goals in starting the Boston office, Ballis said: getting closer to its main Boston clients, winning more work from both new clients as well as existing clients for which it currently does a small amount of work, and securing better access to Boston-based private equity legal talent.

The three partners launching the office are Ian Bushner and Neal Reenan from Chicago and Armand Della Monica from New York. All three specialize in private equity, advising clients on leveraged buyouts and mergers and acquisitions.

The plan is for Kirkland to "continue building out the team in the coming months," according to a statement from the firm. "There's no sort of urgency or artificial expectations to get to certain numbers," Ballis said. "We do have space to accommodate some healthy growth if that were to occur in the short- to medium-term."

The firm declined to disclose the square footage of its new office.

Kirkland has 1,900 attorneys in 13 offices worldwide, including eight in the U.S. Last year it generated $2.7 billion in gross revenue, a 15 percent increase from the previous year and second only to Latham & Watkins LLP among U.S. firms, according to The American Lawyer.

Ariana Grande concert: Bomber reportedly pleaded for forgiveness before blast at Manchester, England concert

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The suspect in the deadly Manchester concert bombing was driven by what he saw as unjust treatment of Arabs in Britain, a relative said Thursday, confirming he made a final phone call in which he pleaded: "Forgive me."

The suspect in the deadly Manchester concert bombing was driven by what he saw as unjust treatment of Arabs in Britain, a relative said Thursday, confirming he made a final phone call in which he pleaded: "Forgive me."

Salman Abedi was particularly upset by the killing last year of a Muslim friend whose death he believed went unnoticed by "infidels" in the U.K., said the relative, speaking on condition of anonymity over concerns for her own security.

"Why was there no outrage for the killing of an Arab and a Muslim in such a cruel way?" she asked. "Rage was the main reason," for the blast that killed 22 at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on Monday, she said, speaking by telephone from Libya.

The new insight into Abedi's motivation came as Britons faced stepped-up security, authorities pushed forward with raids and the investigation extended across Europe into Libya, where most of the suspected bomber's family lived.

The number of arrests in the U.K. ticked up to eight as British Transport Police said armed officers would begin patrols on some trains because of an increased threat of terrorism. Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said, without elaborating, that searches of suspects' homes brought "very important" clues in the probe of the bombing. But leaks from the investigation were creating a trans-Atlantic diplomatic mess.

Manchester police halted their sharing of investigative information with the U.S. through most of Thursday until receiving fresh assurance there would be an end to leaks to the media.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, who spoke about the matter with U.S. President Donald Trump at a NATO summit in Brussels, said the countries' partnership on defense and security was built on trust. But "part of that trust is knowing that intelligence can be shared confidently," she said.

Trump pledged to "get to the bottom" of the leaks, calling them "deeply troubling" and asking the Justice Department and other agencies to "launch a complete review of this matter."

British officials were particularly angry over photos published by The New York Times showing remnants of a blue backpack which may have held the explosive. But it wasn't clear U.S. officials were the source of the images, which the Times defended as "neither graphic nor disrespectful of victims" and consistent with basic reporting "on weapons used in horrific crimes."

British security services were also upset that 22-year-old Abedi's name was apparently leaked by U.S. officials while police in the U.K. continued withholding it and while raids were underway in Manchester and in Libya. Hopkins said the leaks "caused much distress for families that are already suffering terribly with their loss."

Meanwhile, the investigation into the blast widened.

Authorities chased possible links between Abedi and militants in Manchester, elsewhere in Europe, and in North Africa and the Middle East. They were exploring potential ties to Abdalraouf Abdallah, a Libyan jailed in the U.K. for terror offenses, and to Raphael Hostey, an Islamic State recruiter killed in Syria.

Abedi's family remained a focus, too, with a brother in England, his father and another brother in Libya among those detained. Abedi's father was allegedly a member of the al-Qaida-backed Libyan Islamic Fighting group in the 1990s -- a claim he denies.

An emerging portrait of the bomber remained complicated by competing assessments over whether Abedi held views that had sparked concern before the bombing.

Akram Ramadan, a member of the Libyan community in Manchester who attends the city's Didsbury Mosque, said Abedi was banned from the mosque after he allegedly interrupted an imam's anti-Islamic State sermon.

"He stood up and started calling the imam -- 'You are talking bollocks,'" Ramadan said. "And he gave a good stare, a threatening stare into the imam's eyes."

Mohammed Fadl, a community leader, rejected that account. While Abedi's family was well-known in Manchester, Abedi himself did not attend many gatherings, Fadl said.

However, Fadl said he had heard Abedi's father took his son's passport away over concerns about his ties to alleged extremists and criminals.

"Very few people in the community here were close to him, and therefore Salman's fanaticism wasn't something the community was aware of," he said.

Ahmed bin Salem, a spokesman for the Special Deterrent Force in Libya, said Abedi placed his final call to both his mother and a brother. Abedi's relative said he had spoken with his brother only, asking that his message be relayed to his mother.

"He was giving farewell," bin Salem said.

Abedi's relative said the suspected bomber was pained by the killing of Abdel-Wahab Hafidah, an 18-year-old who news reports say was chased by a group of men, run over and stabbed in the neck in Manchester in May 2016.

"They wouldn't let you share bread with them," she said Abedi told her. "They are unjust to the Arabs."

Bin Salem said Abedi's mother told investigators her son left for the U.K. four days before the attack after spending a month in Libya. Based on the account from a younger brother, investigators think Abedi used the internet to learn how to make a bomb and "seek victory for the Islamic State," bin Salem said.

The allegations clashed with what Abedi's father said a day earlier in an interview with the AP. "We don't believe in killing innocents," Ramadan Abedi said before he was detained in Tripoli.

Around the U.K., many fell silent Thursday for a late-morning minute in tribute to the victims.

In Manchester's St. Ann's Square, where a sea of floral tributes grew by the hour, a crowd sang the hometown band Oasis' song "Don't Look Back in Anger." Queen Elizabeth II visited victims of the attack at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, telling 14-year-old Evie Mills and her parents: "It's dreadful. Very wicked, to target that sort of thing."

Fifteen-year-old Millie Robson, wearing one of Grande's T-shirts, told the queen she had won VIP tickets to the pop star's concert. She recalled leaving the concert when the blast struck and remembered an intense ringing in her ears, but not being entirely aware that she was bleeding badly from her legs.

The teenager credited her father's quick action in picking her up and tying off her wounds to stem the bleeding.

"Compared to other people I'm quite lucky really," she said.

In addition to those killed, 116 people received medical treatment at Manchester hospitals for wounds from the blast. The National Health Service said 75 people were hospitalized.

Heavy rain, patchy fog across Massachusetts Friday

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Showers, possibly a thunderstorm are expected early Friday, followed by fog and isolated showers.

Showers, possibly a thunderstorm are expected early Friday, followed by fog and isolated showers. 

Storms are likely this morning, mainly before 8 a.m. across Massachusetts, the National Weather Service reports. "Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall," reads a National Weather Service forecast. 

Patchy fog is expected to follow storms Friday morning. 

Isolated showers are possibly throughout the day and into Friday night. 

Temperatures will be cool Friday, with highs in the mid-to-low 60s, high-50s across the state. 


Springfield Walmart shopper denies groping 3 female customers; bail set at $2,500

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Shakeem Butler had no wallet; two hair combs were the only items found in his pockets at the time of his arrest, police said.

SPRINGFIELD - It was all groping and no shopping when a Springfield man paid a visit to Walmart last week, according to the police report.

Shakeem Butler, 28, pleaded not guilty Monday in Springfield District Court to three counts of indecent assault and battery stemming from his visit to the Boston Road department store Saturday night.

Just after 6 p.m., police received a call that a male was bumping into female shoppers and grabbing their buttocks, Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski said.

One customer said a man touched her upper thigh as he walked past her in the lingerie section. When she turned to walk away, he grabbed her buttocks, according to the arrest report.

A second woman said Butler walked by her twice, touching her left buttocks each time. "She tried to ignore it when the third time Mr. Butler grabbed her right buttocks and squeezed it," the report said.

A third woman said Butler groped her once as he walked by.

All three women confronted Butler, complained to store management and agreed to give statements to police, the report said.

Butler, still in the store when police arrived, was identified by the women and arrested. Booked at police headquarters, he was held over the weekend for arraignment Monday.

In court, Szafranski asked for $2,500 bail, citing the new charges and Butler's five-page criminal record. Defense lawyer Patrick Goodreau opposed the bail request and asked Judge Michele Ouimet-Rooke to release Butler on personal recognizance.

Butler denies the allegations and the store was crowded, making inadvertent touching possible, Goodreau said. Surveillance video from the store will ultimately determine the outcome of the case, and the video is not yet available, Goodreau said.

The judge set bail at $2,500 and ordered Butler to stay away from the store if released. He is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on June 22.

A Greenfield native, Butler is single and works for a shipping company, according to court records. He had no wallet, and two hair combs were the only items found in his pockets at the time of his arrest, the report said.

Brockton considers banning immigration enforcement at schools to protect undocumented children, families

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In considering how to best support undocumented families, a school district in Massachusetts is considering new privacy measures.

In considering how to best support undocumented families, a school district in Massachusetts is considering new privacy measures.

The Brockton School Committee may vote to ban immigration officials from school grounds and restrict access to student records. 

"In recent months, I've heard from some families that they're fearful," School Committee member Lisa Plant told The Enterprise

Earlier this year, committee members passed a resolution regarding immigration officials. 

The resolution states that the school committee "believes the safe and caring (school) learning environment would be threatened by the presence of (immigration officers) on district property for the purpose of obtaining information about students and families, or for the purpose of removing or detaining student or their families."

 

Cafe Med and Back Bay Sandwich in Boston shut down by city health inspectors

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After multiple serious health code violations were discovered by Boston health inspectors, two restaurants in the city's Back Bay neighborhood have been closed to allow for corrective measures.

After multiple serious health code violations were discovered by Boston health inspectors, two restaurants in the city's Back Bay neighborhood have been closed to allow for corrective measures. 

Health inspectors were called to Cafe Med and Back Bay Sandwich on St. James Avenue after nine confirmed cases of salmonella, Channel 7 reports. 

Inside Back Bay Sandwich, health inspectors reported finding 19 violatins, including "rodent activity and droppings" as well as food stored at unsafe temperatures and unsanitary refrigerators. 

Chicken was found to be sitting a a "green liquor" inside Cafe Med's kitchen, reports Channel 7 of the health inspector's report. 

The Boston Inspectional Services Department and the Boston Public Health Commission said the management of both eateries are working to "ensure compliance of all applicable codes," according to a statement issued by the ISD. "This is an ongoing investigation into the cause of the illness and the health permits for both establishments will be suspended until further notice."

Both restaurants will be closed until the health investigation is complete. 

West Springfield Memorial Day parade, ceremony to honor veterans

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West Springfield's annual Memorial Day parade begins at 10 a.m. Monday, May 29. The procession leaves from St. Thomas School and marches to the Town Common for a ceremony with speeches and the presentation of flags and medals.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The town always rolls out the red carpet for veterans on Memorial Day, and this weekend is no different, beginning with a "flagging" operation scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Thomas Cemetery.

That's when American flags will be placed at every veterans' grave in the cemetery, according to Chris Lizotte, director of the West Springfield Department of Veterans' Services.

Among those who'll be participating in the rain-or-shine flagging operation are local volunteers and members of the Young Marines, a national nonprofit youth education and service program for boys and girls, ages eight through high school. Coffee and pastries will be available for participants.

At 11 a.m., there will be a ceremony at St. Thomas to raise the first Honor and Sacrifice flag in Massachusetts. The Honor and Sacrifice Flag is a symbol that recognizes fallen police officers, firefighters, and first responders. The family of slain police officer Ashley Guindon will be presented with personalized flags during the ceremony.

The public and local police, fire, and first responders are encouraged to attend the ceremony, Lizotte said. 

On Monday, May 29, West Side's annual Memorial Day parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from St. Thomas School. The procession will travel along Kings Highway to Elm Street and Park Avenue, where the parade ends at the Town Common near the War Memorial.

Francisco Urena, secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services, and retired Lt. Col. Toby Quirk will deliver keynote addresses at the ceremony.

The event will include the presentation of the Massachusetts Medal of Liberty to Gold Star Mother Tracy Taylor, whose son, Kenny Iwasinski, was killed in Iraq in 2007. 

In the event of inclement weather, Monday's parade will be cancelled, but the ceremony will be moved indoors to the auditorium of St. Thomas School at 10 a.m.

Unlit stove burner prompts evacuation of Chestnut Towers apartments in Springfield

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The apartment complex at 10 Chestnut St. was evacuated for about 30 minutes, WWLP reported.

SPRINGFIELD -- The odor of natural gas prompted the evacuation of Chestnut Towers apartments early Friday.

The odor at 10 Chestnut St. was reported shortly after 5:30 a.m., Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.

The problem was caused by an unlit burner on the stove in the kitchen of an apartment on the ninth floor.

"Apparently, it spread to the elevator shaft and it started spreading to other floors," Leger said.

The evacuation was lifted about an hour later, Leger said, adding he did not know whether all of the residents evacuated.

Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown approved by committee to become ambassador to New Zealand

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Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown has been approved to become the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown has been approved to become the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 

The committee approval "all but assures" that his nomination will be confirmed by the full Senate, reports the Associated Press. 

He faced no opposition during his confirmation hearing. 

Brown, a Republican, was a strong supporter of President Donald J. Trump's presidential campaign.

Brown won a U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts in an upset victory in a 2010 special election after Ted Kennedy died in office. He later lost the seat to Democrat Elizabeth Warren in 2012. He then moved to New Hampshire to mount an unsuccessful run for Senate from that state two years later.

After serving in the Senate, he became a political commentator for Fox News.

Check out the designs for Worcester's downtown Brew Garden

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Big changes are coming to downtown Worcester.


Tractor fire prompts evacuation of Chicopee Comprehensive High School Thursday night.

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The fire, which broke out about 7:30 p.m., reportedly interrupted a concert at the school.

chicopee fire department.jpg 

CHICOPEE - A tractor fire on the grounds of Chicopee Comprehensive High School Thursday night interrupted a concert and prompted the temporary evacuation of the building.

Western Mass News reported the fire broke out at approximately 7:30 p.m.

The fire was quickly put out and people were soon allowed back into the building.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and MassLive.com.

Realtors beware of man with 'hair fetish,' warn police in Massachusetts

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Realtors in Massachusetts, be weary of a man calling himself Doug.

Realtors in Massachusetts, be weary of a man calling himself Doug. 

Oxford police issued a warning to realtors after the department and other departments across the state have received complaints of harassment from woman realtors. 

The realtors have reported that a man introduced himself as "Doug" and claimed to be a hairstylist looking to purchase a home. The man quickly lost interest in real estate and instead asked to cut their hair and for a photo of their current hair style, women have told police. 

"It has been discovered that 'Doug' is not a hair stylist and only wants the pictures to support his hair fetish," the Oxford Police Department said in a public statement. 

The department has contacted the man and requested he stop contacting women about his requests. 

 

Last day to take The Republican's consumer survey online; prizes still up for grabs

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The Republican has collaborated with Pulse Research, an independent and respected research company, to conduct a survey to gauge local media usage and shopping habits among its readers and MassLive.com visitors.

The Republican has collaborated with Pulse Research, an independent and respected research company, to conduct a survey to gauge local media usage and shopping habits among its readers and MassLive.com visitors. 

The survey can be found online at www.pulseresearch.com/republican, and is accessible through the end of the day Friday. 

As an incentive for completing the survey, participants are eligible to win one of several prizes via random drawing after the survey period.

One Grand Prize winner will receive a $1,000 gift certificate to a local retailer of choice. Two additional prizes of a $500 gift certificate and $250 gift certificate will be awarded to the first and second runner-up, respectively. All participants will be entered into a total of five weekly at-random drawings for a $50 gift card good toward the purchase of the sumptuous food offerings served up by Delaney House or the Mick in Holyoke.

The official rules and regulations can be accessed at any time at the bottom of each survey page. Participants are urged to complete the survey in one sitting, as participants cannot save their place and come back to it later. The survey is estimated to take between 30 and 60 minutes.

Be assured that Pulse Research does not sell, lend, trade or barter participants' personal information. Participants will only be contacted after the survey if they are a prize winner.

For more information about the survey email Mark French, advertising director for The Republican, at mfrench@repub.com

Mass. Attorney General sought discipline records at Easthampton High School, superintendent confirms

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Nancy Follansbee said she believes the AGO is trying to determine if discipline is consistently applied across racial groups at the high school.

EASTHAMPTON -- In connection with a civil rights investigation, the office of Attorney General Maura Healey asked Superintendent Nancy Follansbee for several years of student discipline records at Easthampton High School.

Follansbee told The Republican she is not at liberty to reveal much about the attorney general's probe, but could say the AGO recently sought detailed discipline records and other documents related to a series of racially-charged incidents at the high school.

Follansbee announced at Tuesday night's School Committee meeting that the high school is the subject of an investigation by Healey's office, and that she had been asked to produce "a copious number of documents."

In an interview Thursday, Follansbee said she believes the state's attorney is trying to determine if discipline has been consistently applied at the school regardless of race. She noted that Healey's office has been monitoring civil rights issues across the state for months.

Follansbee said she is cooperating with the investigation and is committed to a process of fact-finding in the wake of several high-profile incidents.

Recent events have included an assault that led to the arrests of three students of color, the appearance of Confederate flags and flag apparel on school grounds, and social media posts that officials described as "extremely disturbing" and parents described as "threatening." The School Committee on May 9 temporarily banned the Confederate flag symbol.

Other unsettling incidents have been alleged by members of an unnamed parents group that in April called for the ouster of high school principal Kevin Burke and school resource officer Alan Schadel. The group subsequently submitted 65 signatures asking that Burke be investigated.

Tuesday night, resident Jennifer Polonis read an unsigned letter from the group and gave the School Committee a detailed timeline of alleged bias incidents at the high school dating back to October.

The letter accused Burke, vice principal Sue Welson, and Follansbee of ignoring or covering up a culture of racism and bullying at the school, alleged an inconsistent application of discipline, expressed lack of faith in the administrators, and called for the elimination of any police officers embedded in the schools.

Other residents said parents and students with conservative political views feel ostracized and ridiculed at the high school. "It's not OK to pick on kids who have a different opinion than those protesting," said Easthampton parent Cathy Wauczinski.

She said she is concerned about freedom of speech, and suggested that students who did not participate in a student walkout in March were accused of being racist.

Internal investigation also underway

Follansbee has been conducting her own investigation into verified and alleged hate and bias incidents at the high school.

She said she has been interviewing teachers, administrators, and "anyone involved in any of the complaints that have come to us." Former principal Jeff Sealander has been hired to assist in the internal investigation.

"We have not been turning a blind eye to this," she said.

Follansbee plans to complete her report by the end of the school year. She said she will make her findings public, while redacting information that would compromise the privacy of students or due process rights of employees.

She plans to incorporate findings from Dr. Safire DeJong of the Collaborative for Educational Service. The consultant, recently hired by the district to help transform school culture, has been holding focus groups with students, parents and teachers. DeJong has also conducted anonymous surveys.

Follansbee said her report will outline a set of action steps.

Asked if principal Kevin Burke's employment status is under review, Follansbee said she could not comment on a personnel matter. Asked if she has the power to hire or fire a principal at will, Follansbee said no, and that the terms of Burke's employment are spelled out in his contract with the district.

She said any decision about any school resource officer will be made by Police Chief Robert Alberti, and noted that the position is funded by the police department, and not by the schools.

Follansbee praised the disposition of a court case involving Joshua R. Brown, 18, charged as an adult in the March 28 assault where three students of color attacked a white student on school grounds. The white student had previously sent a racial insult to a former girlfriend using social media.

Brown is back in school and engaged in a restorative justice program administered by the Northwestern District Attorney's Office. The terms of his pretrial probation will allow the charges to be dropped if he stays out of trouble.

Follansbee said the school district "worked closely with the district attorney's office from day one," and that the district "does not want any of its students to have a criminal record."

The superintendent said one step is already underway to address the obvious problems at the school. She said that she, Burke, Welson, Mayor Karen Cadieux, and Alberti have been meeting with U.S. Department of Justice officials in Springfield.

The federal officials have offered "conciliation resources" to the city, Follansbee said. In collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League, the Easthampton schools hope to train teachers and students over the summer and institute a school-wide program next year to address issues of diversity and civil rights.

Follansbee acknowledged that it has been a difficult time, but said she believes the district will emerge in a stronger place.

"We must have zero tolerance for racism, and zero tolerance for violence," she said. "Our expectation is that there will be respect for everyone in our schools."

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Korean War veteran Bernie Samek to be honored during Brimfield Memorial Day ceremony

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Brimfield will hold its annual Memorial Day Celebration on Sunday, May 28 on the Town Common, starting at 2 p.m.

BRIMFIELD -- Korean War veteran Bernie Samek will be honored during the town's Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday for his many acts of goodwill and kindness on behalf of veterans.

Samek, 89, who served stateside from 1950 to 1952, has been commander at American Legion Post 263 in Brimfield for two decades.

Unbeknownst to many, Samek paid for a stone monument that was erected on Brimfield town common a decade ago that commemorates those who fought and died during the American Revolution.

And if it were up to Samek, no one would know he did that.

He eschews the limelight, and would rather not be recognized for his efforts on behalf of veterans -- but his friends say his good deeds, volunteerism and spending his own money for the public good should not remain a secret.

"Bernie has been a very loyal person to the veterans in town," resident Jim Adams said.

Adams, also 89, served in the Navy as a fireman 1st class during World War II from 1945 until 1946, after the armistice was signed. Samek was a private 1st class in the Army.

"Bernie is our honorary parade marshal. He has kept the Legion post alive," Adams said.

Samek "paid for a Revolutionary War monument out of his own pocket. He does these things, and he doesn't want anyone to know he did it," Phil Carpenter said.

Carpenter, 74, was a Marine Corps sergeant, serving in Vietnam from 1961 to 1967.

Samek said the one thing he remembers about boot camp, in December 1950, was that "it was cold -- all we had was field jackets" as outerwear.

The veteran said he saw a T-shirt once that caught his eye, and would like to see more of them printed. He said the inscription on it read: "Don't thank me. Thank my brother who didn't come back."

He has eight children, 18 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Reflecting on Memorial Day, he said, "Remember those who have gone before us, wars they went to that should have never been, remember those who have gone before us."

Brimfield will hold its annual Memorial Day celebration on Sunday on the Town Common, starting at 2 p.m.

After the Memorial Day festivities in town conclude, Samek, along with Bobby Hitchcock, will continue their years-long practice of purchasing ice cream for all those who march in the parade.

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