Quantcast
Channel: News
Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live

Springfield Armory Museum closed Friday for paving

0
0

The National Park Service will set up a tent so senior citizens can buy "America the Beautiful" passes. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Armory National Historic Site will close its museum Friday so contractors can complete paving work at the armory site.

The National Park Service said Tuesday that it will have a table and tent set up for seniors citizens to purchase "America the Beautiful" annual park passes before the Aug. 27 deadline.

Rangers will also provide interpretation of the historic buildings and grounds starting at the Armory table area. 

The paving is part of a $1.2 million project to redo the landscape, the road and the drainage at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. The Park Service is restoring the landscape to what it looked like in the 1950s under Army control.

The Springfield Armory was the Army's arsenal from Revolutionary times until almost the end of the Vietnam War and the introduction of the M-16 rifle.

During World War II, more than 3.5 million M1 rifles were manufactured at the Springfield Armory. This was more rifles than had been produced at Springfield Armory since its founding in 1794.

After the Army left in 1968, the city trucked in dirt to make ball fields. Part of the current $1.2 million project restored the natural slope and removed overgrown trees, replacing them with new trees matching those growing at the site in the 1920s and 1930s.


Flash Flood Auto Club, National Jeep of Springfield to host car show fundraiser

0
0

Proceeds from the fundraiser Aug. 20, 2017, will benefit two young women dealing with life-threatening illnesses.

SPRINGFIELD -- It's been nearly two years since brothers Rene Andino and Jeremy Lebron got together with their mom, sister and friends to form Flash Flood Auto Club, a car club with a mission.

The club put together their love of cars and their desire to help the community, organizing car show fundraisers to help local organizations like the American Cancer Society, the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center and more.

"It has always been about helping the community and giving money to organizations that help people," said Andino, president of the club.

This weekend, Flash Flood Auto Club is collaborating with National Jeep of Springfield, another service-oriented auto club, to raise money for two Springfield women dealing with life-threatening illnesses.

"We want to do something to help these women," said Victor Jimenez, a member of National Jeep.

Proceeds from the car show, which will be held in the Eastfield Mall parking lot on Sunday from 12-7 p.m., will benefit Adneris Alicea and Rosie Andino.

national jeep.jpgNational Jeep of Springfield. 

Alicea, 28, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She underwent a double mastectomy and was in remission, but has since been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

"It's a very serious situation and her medical bills are too much for her to handle," said Wanda Pierce, a founding member of Flash Flood Auto Club. "National Jeep reached out to us because they really wanted to do something for her, so we are combining it with our fundraiser for my niece Rosie."

Rosie Andino is a single mother of four who recently had emergency open heart surgery. A founding member of Flash Flood, Rosie Andino is the club's enforcer.

"She makes sure everyone is following the rules of the club and representing us properly. Everyone loves her so much and this was just a sudden thing that happened to her," Pierce said. "Since the surgery she has been out of work and she is the sole provider for her children."

The cost for showing a car at the show is $20. The admission price is $10 per vehicle.

Rene Andino and Lebron said one of the goals of the car shows is to provide family-friendly entertainment.

"There is going to be a lot for families to do. There will be food, music, face painting, a raffle and we always have a surprise for people, too," Lebron said.

For more information on the show, or to become a sponsor or a volunteer for the event, visit Flash Flood's Facebook page, Facebook/FlashFlood413.

Springfield murder defendant testifies he was too high on PCP-laced pot to understand his rights

0
0

Lee Rios of Springfield is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Kenneth Lopez, whose body was found in March 2015 at Calhoun and Dwight streets in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD - Lee Rios, accused of murder in the March 2015 fatal shooting of Kenneth Lopez, testified at a hearing Tuesday that he didn't understand his Miranda rights because he was too high.

Rios -- on the witness stand for his lawyer's motion to suppress statements he made in a police interrogation April 2, 2105 -- said he had smoked marijuana with PCP sprinkled on it.

"The PCP makes me more paranoid," Rios said, saying he couldn't focus. He said he had also been drinking.

"I can't concentrate on what I'm doing. ... I was high," Rios said.

Rios, 24, of Springfield, is charged with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Kenneth Lopez, whose body was found around noon on March 25, 2015, in the yard of a house at Dwight and Calhoun streets in the city's North End.

Asked by his lawyer Mary Anne Stamm how high he was during the police interview, Rios said he was "six or seven high" on a scale of one to 10.

Rios said he signed the Miranda warning because he wanted to get information from police and they said he had to sign it before they would talk to him. He said he wanted to know who was saying he killed Lopez.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Constance M. Sweeney took the motion to suppress Rios' statement under advisement. She said she will watch the videotape of the police interrogation.

Under cross-examination from Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett, Rios said he wanted to talk to police.

Rios said he knew he could have waited until he had a lawyer, or not talked to police at all. He knew he was charged with Lopez's murder. He knew he could have a court-appointed lawyer.

"You asked them, 'Who told you I did this?'" Bennett asked Rios, who acknowledged he did that.

Rios said he was making weird noises in the interview, something he doesn't do if he is not high on PCP.

Jonathan Guevera, 20, of Springfield, is also charged with murder in the fatal shooting of  Lopez. Bennett has said Rios was the shooter but Guevera is a joint venture defendant.

Bennett has said the case is a complicated one. There are other people charged with conspiring with Rios or being accessories after the fact to the killing.

Some of the same parties, plus other people, are charged with drug and firearm offenses from the police raid on 196 Nursery St. on April 2, 2015, when police entered with a search warrant and a murder warrant for Rios.

Sweeney is slated to hear defense motions related to the raid on Aug. 23.

James Brunault endorsed in Holyoke race by former longtime Ward 6 Councilor Patti Devine

0
0

James Brunault has been endorsed in his candidacy for the Ward 6 City Council seat in Holyoke, Massachusetts in the Nov. 7, 2017 election by a former long-time holder of that seat, Patricia C. Devine.

HOLYOKE -- James Brunault has been endorsed in his candidacy for the Ward 6 City Council seat in the Nov. 7 election by a former long-time holder of that seat, Patricia C. Devine.

"He will do his homework and will not be a 'Yes' man," Devine said in a letter mailed to Ward 6 residents this week. "We need independence on our City Council. I believe Jim possesses this independence necessary and will vote for our interests and most importantly those votes will be based on the facts. He holds no personal agenda but to represent us to the fullest." 

Devine was the Ward 6 councilor from 1990 to 2000 and a councilor at large from 2005 to 2012.

Brunault, 52, of 49 St. James Ave., is a counselor/job placement specialist with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission here.

juan.jpgJuan C. Anderson-Burgos 

He is running against Juan C. Anderson-Burgos, 46, of 236 Locust St. for the Ward 6 council seat.

Kevin A. Jourdain, the incumbent Ward 6 councilor, has announced he will not run for reelection.

'Not the same,' Mitt Romney says of President Trump blaming 'both sides' again for violence in Charlottesville

0
0

Following such comments, former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee took to the president's favorite platform to disagree.

President Donald Trump made a third statement to the press on Tuesday and said again that "both sides" are to blame for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

"I think there's blame on both sides and I have no doubt about it," he told reporters from Trump Tower. 

While there were "some very bad people" at the weekend's events, he said, "You also had people that were very fine people, on both sides."

Following such comments, former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee took to the president's favorite platform to disagree.

"No, not the same," Romney wrote. "One side is racist, bigoted, Nazi. The other opposes racism and bigotry. Morally different universes." 

White nationalists gathered in in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday where they chanted Nazi slogans and carried Confederate flags and torches. During their "Unite the Right" march, they were met by counterprotesters. Around 1:45 p.m., 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. plowed his Dodge Challenger through anti-racism protesters, reversing midway through and hitting dozens. 

He fled the scene but was stopped a short time later by police. 

Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old from Virginia, was killed in the attack and more 19 were injured. 

Gallery preview 

Trump addressed the nation on Saturday condemned the violence "in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides." 

He did not mention white nationalists or the alt-right movement and was criticized for the comments. 

A second press conference was held Monday when he condemned white supremacists, calling them "thugs" with "evil" views. 

"Racism is evil," Trump said. "And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the K.K.K., neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans."

'Please don't let her be dead,' Charlottesville victim thought during attack

0
0

With tires screeching and bodies flying, Marcus Martin shoved his fiancee out of the way of a car charging through a crowd of peaceful protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.

With tires screeching and bodies flying, Marcus Martin shoved his fiancee out of the way of a car charging through a crowd of peaceful protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Marcus Martin was promptly hit and upended by the car as it plowed through the crowd. Flat on his back with a broken leg, he says he experienced several minutes of terror.

"The only thing running through my mind was: please don't let her be dead," Martin, 26, told The Associated Press in an interview. "Please don't let her be dead."

Marissa Blair was OK, and Martin's body was captured in a photograph as he tumbled over the crashing car that fatally hit Heather Heyer, a friend who had been marching with Blair and Martin. Nineteen others were injured.

Gallery preview 

Martin's mother, Kimberly Martin, was terrified as she watched the scene replayed on television.

"I'm thanking God, because after seeing that photo and then I'm seeing videos and I'm seeing my son behind this car and then when I see the car backing back up the street, it was nobody but God that got him out of the way, you know? And it was just a cruel, cruel, act because those peaceful people: it was like going to a battleground without any protection from anybody," she said.

While her son survived, Kimberly Martin said she's pained by Heyer's death.

"As a mother it hurts, you know, because I could have lost my child, but somebody else did and, like I said, it just hurts," she said.

James Alex Fields Jr., a 20-year-old Ohio man who was said to idolize Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany in high school, has been charged with second-degree murder in Heyer's death. Authorities say he drove into a group of counter-protesters at a white nationalist rally on Saturday after the crowd had moved from a nearby park to downtown. Fields has been held without bail.

Blair said she has never had a close friend pass away. She saw Heyer every day at work at a local law firm and on weekends. They had met up in Charlottesville on Saturday to march as counter-protesters against participants in the white nationalist rally. Even when distraught by her death, she brightens at the thought of Heyer, who was 32.

"I just smile when I think about Heather," Blair said Sunday night after attending a vigil at the spot of the crash now covered with flowers. "She always spoke with so much conviction and she stood up for what she believed in, and she liked to make you laugh and she didn't care what she said. It was Heather. She cared about people. She wanted the best for everyone. She stood up for equality. She didn't want hate. She just wanted everybody to be equal."

Blair said the crash was an "act of terror," a hate crime that she believes should be treated as such.

"The group that was here, the alt right, the neo-Nazis, they stood for hate, and he knew what he was doing. It was a deliberate act," Blair said.

Martin said he attended the march in a peaceful response to the white nationalist rally, at a time when he is focusing on turning his life around. He pleaded guilty to robbery in 2013 and was released last summer in July. He said in an interview he is a "100-percent" different person.

Martin, who may have surgery this week on his ankle, said the crash shouldn't have happened. He doesn't think the white nationalist rally should have been allowed near the city. Other cities should consider what happened in Charlottesville before allowing similar rallies, he said.

A total of three people died as a result of Saturday's violent protests. As the violence of that day's rally waned, a state police helicopter deployed in a large-scale police response to the violence crashed outside the city. Both troopers on board, Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Berke M.M. Bates, were killed. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

"Is not one life enough?" Martin said. "Do you need more of that?"

'Intensive' bridge construction over Massachusetts Turnpike in Boston finished for summer, MassDOT says

0
0

The first "intensive" phase of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge project in Boston is complete. Watch video

The first "intensive" phase of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge construction project in Boston is officially complete.

As of Wednesday morning, the Green Line "B" Branch tracks have reopened to MBTA passengers and both Commonwealth Ave. and the Boston University Bridge have been restored. 

Massachusetts Turnpike traffic prompts hundreds to take commuter rail Monday

Earlier this week, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said final construction details, such as placing rail and grout, took longer than planned due to rain delays, delaying the full restoration of roadways and train tracks that were blocked during construction.

Prior to Monday, crews reached construction milestones earlier than expected. On the Massachusetts Turnpike, which transportation officials warned would see "hellish" traffic throughout August, construction wrapped up three weeks earlier than anticipated.  

Construction crews will continue to work on the project during off-peak hours, which will affect traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike and Commonwealth Avenue. There will also be a pedestrian detour and temporary bike lane in the area. 

The enormous bridge project utilizes an "accelerated bridge technique" that will occur over two large phases. The next phase will take place in summer 2018.

When the new bridge is completed in 2019, there will be new Green Line tracks, new pedestrian and bike routes, and traffic signal improvements.

Gardening the Community, Next Barn Over Farm host shared harvest event

0
0

The event Aug. 17, 2017, will include farm-to-table cuisine, a short program, dancing and a bonfire.

HADLEY -- Gardening the Community in Springfield and Next Barn Over Farm in Hadley are celebrating their partnership with a shared harvest event Thursday.

"We hope community members will come join us and learn about our partnership with GTC, a wonderful youth development and urban agriculture program in Springfield," said Ray Young, farmer and owner of Next Barn Over. 

The free community event will be held Thursday from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Next Barn Over Farm, 15 Lawrence Plain Road, Hadley, and will include farm-to-table cuisine, a short program, dancing and a bonfire.

"Together we are building a farm share program in Springfield that works for farmers as well as for local Springfield families," Young said. "We believe that everyone should have access to healthy, local, sustainably grown food, and we see ourselves as part of a greater movement for food justice and food sovereignty in our region."

Attendees will learn about the GTC EATS! farm share.

"We need to broaden our base of support for this program to thrive," said GTC co-director Anne Richmond. "We hope people will come to learn more about our food justice work, and help us build bridges across the divides of our valley. Donations will be gratefully accepted."

Gardening the Community is working toward establishing a farm stand in the Mason Square area of Springfield. With community member support, GTC hopes to raise $150,000 to fund this project, along with other programs to fund youth leadership development, and create equal access to healthy food in urban communities, Richmond said.

For more information about the event, and to RSVP, visit gtcspringfield.org.


OUI suspect claims he was drinking on doctor's orders before running down pedestrian in Springfield sidewalk, records show

0
0

Taylor told police his doctor told him to drink alcohol to avoid withdrawal symptoms. "He went on to say that he can get his doctor to provide a note stating this," the arrest report said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A motorist charged with running down an elderly Springfield man in a crosswalk had a blood alcohol level three times above the legal limit, according to the arrest report.

The motorist, Clinton Taylor, also had an excuse, the report said: He told police he was drinking on doctor's orders and offered to provide a note to prove it.

Taylor, 49, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court last week to operating under the influence of liquor, second offense, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, negligent driving, driving with an open container in his vehicle and a crosswalk violation.

The charges were filed after police found a 69-year-old man face down in the crosswalk at State and Oak streets around 9 p.m. on Aug. 5, according to the arrest report.

Police administered first aid to the victim, who had a large laceration on his face and serious injuries to his upper body. After paramedics arrived, Taylor drove up in a vehicle with front end damage, a smashed windshield, a broken mirror and a round imprint on its side, the report said.

Taylor said he struck something in the crosswalk minutes before, and returned to see what it was. "He was unsure what he hit, but it was a large object," he told police, according to the report.

His speech was slurred and he admitted drinking a couple of 25-ounce beers earlier in the day. Four Natty Daddy beer bottles, two of them empty, were in his vehicle, along with a 12-ounce bottle of Michelob beer, the report said.

Arrested at the scene, Taylor was transported to police headquarters, where he  submitted to a Breathalyzer test. His blood alcohol level was measured at .28, or more than three times the legal limit of .08, the report said.

At that point, Taylor explained that his doctor had told him to drink alcohol to avoid withdrawal symptoms. "He went on to say that he can get his doctor to provide a note stating this," the report said.

Following his arraignment in Springfield District Court, Taylor's bail was set at $5,000 and he was ordered to abstain from alcohol while the charges are pending.

He is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 11.

Based on his blood alcohol test, Taylor's license was suspended for 180 days.

'White supremacy is repulsive,' House Speaker Paul Ryan says after President Trump's remarks

0
0

After President Donald Trump spoke to reporters Tuesday for a third time on the violence in Charlottesville, House Speaker Paul Ryan was the first Republican leader to speak against the remarks.

After President Donald Trump spoke to reporters Tuesday for a third time on the violence in Charlottesville, House Speaker Paul Ryan was the first Republican leader to speak against the remarks. 

"We must be clear," Ryan tweeted. "White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity."

Trump told reporters from Trump Tower that he believes "there's blame on both sides and I have no doubt about it." 

The president said there were "some very bad people" at the weekend's events, adding, "You also had people that were very fine people, on both sides."

White nationalists gathered in in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday where they chanted Nazi slogans and carried Confederate flags and torches. During their "Unite the Right" march, they were met by counterprotesters. 

Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old from Virginia, was killed when 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. plowed his Dodge Challenger through anti-racism protesters. 19 more were injured. 

Gallery preview 

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi to host summer picnic Wednesday

0
0

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi will put his spin on predecessor Michael J. Ashe Jr.'s annual clambake tradition Wednesday, as he holds his own version of the summer picnic fundraiser in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi will put his spin on predecessor Michael J. Ashe Jr.'s annual clambake tradition Wednesday, as he holds his own version of the summer picnic fundraiser in Springfield.

The event, which Ashe hosted for 39 years before leaving the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, will take place at the Springfield Elks Lodge #61, located at 440 Tiffany St. from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

It will be preceded by a morning golf tournament at Springfield's Franconia Golf Course.

Unlike Ashe's annual picnic, which featured clams, Cocchi's campaign fundraiser will offer attendees a selection of sausage grinders with peppers and onions, hotdogs, hamburgers and clam chowder for lunch; and beef kabobs or grilled chicken, baked potatoes, corn on the cob and salad for dinner, according to organizers.

The picnic will further include live music, lawn games and raffles, among other things.

Tickets will cost $50 per person for the picnic and $100 per person for the picnic and golf tournament. They can be purchased in advance online or at the door.

Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe hosts final clambake

Ashe started the annual event, which became a must-attend event for politicians, as part of an effort to build on his predecessor John G. Curley's tradition of holding Wednesday afternoon lunches with area lawyers.

His clambakes had been known to draw hundreds of people, including local, state and federal politicians.

Gov. Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey were among those who attended the 2016 picnic. 

Dump truck driver killed in Western Massachusetts crash identified

0
0

A dump truck driver was killed Tuesday after crashing into a home on Jacksonville Road in Colrain.

A dump truck driver was killed Tuesday after crashing into a home on Jacksonville Road in Colrain. 

Local and Massachusetts State Police were called to the crash scene around 8 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a crash. 

Emergency responders found the truck had veered off the road and into the home, unoccupied at the time. 

The crash took the life of the driver. He has been identified 46-year-old Robert Leustek of Winchester, New Hampshire by the Northwestern District Attorney's Office. 

The matter remains under investigation. 

 

Is it okay to publicly identify and shame Nazis?

0
0

Activists are putting the Internet to work to crowdsource and publish information about suspected Nazis and white supremacists.

Activists are putting the Internet to work to crowdsource and publish information about suspected Nazis and white supremacists. Activists say all's fair when fighting people who are only motivated by hate and bigotry. But others say posting public information--or doxxing--should never be done because it too often sweeps up innocent people and can ruin their lives. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

Directly after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, a Twitter account began posting images of white supremacists in attendance and asked for their information. Immediately, people who were not involved were identified as white supremacists and Nazis--even though they were nowhere close to the Charlottesville on the day of the rally. 

A YouTube personality with misidentified as a Nazi because an old image of him wearing a swastika armband surfaced online. He says it was a prank. In another incident, a professor at the University of Arkansas was misidentified as a Nazi because someone on the Internet posted his information and said he was present at a rally on the University of Virginia campus. He was actually 1,100 miles away in Bentonville, where he went to a museum with his wife and friend. 

Some people think doxxing is wrong, no matter who you're trying to target. The consequences for misidentifying someone are massive and can ruin lives. Naming and shaming racists can be a peaceful way to seek justice, but it's not worth the collateral damage. 

Amateur sleuths aim to identify Charlottesville marchers, but sometimes misfire

Activists say hate should have consequences. It's that simple. People who go to white supremacist rallies and organize around the idea that white people are superior to other races do not have a right to privacy. People who live in communities with white supremacists deserve to know that their neighbors or co-workers think they're genetically superior to them. 

Naming and shaming people gets results. People who have been publicly identified as white supremacists have lost jobs, been forced to publicly defend their ideas, or have been ostracized from family and the community altogether. We cannot tolerate Nazis and white supremacists. You don't talk or debate Nazis, you fight them. 

 "If you don't like doxxing, I say, please, find a new way to keep these people back," Jenkins says. "The problem is you've all been doing nothing." 

Is it OK to dox a Nazi? Antifascists think so

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Digital, Inc. property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.

 

Springfield police charge Vermont man with cocaine trafficking; bail set at $50,000

0
0

City detectives followed Rodney Blodgett's vehicle and eventually pulled him over for making a prohibited turn on Sumner Avenue at The X intersection, according to the arrest report.

SPRINGFIELD - A Vermont man is being held on $50,000 bail following his arrest on a cocaine trafficking charge in Springfield.

Rodney J. Blodgett, 47, of Enosburg, pleaded not guilty on Aug. 7 in Springfield District Court to one count of cocaine trafficking (more than 36 grams).

After watching Blodgett make an apparent drug deal on Scott Street and then drive away, city narcotics detectives pulled him over for making a prohibited turn on Sumner Avenue at The X intersection, according to the arrest report.

A search turned up two large bags of cocaine in Blodgett's pants pocket, totaling approximately 44 grams, the report said.

At a prosecutor's request, Judge Michele Ouimet-Rooke set bail at $50,000, citing  Blodgett's criminal history in Vermont, the amount of drugs seized and the potential prison sentence he faces if convicted.

Defense lawyer Nicholas Raring requested $5,000 bail, and later filed a motion for a copy of Blodgett's out-of-state criminal record.

Blodgett is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 7.

Public hearing scheduled on $1.7M Ware Main Street rehab to add bicycle lanes, new traffic light

0
0

The August 17 public hearing at Ware Town Hall, 126 Main St., is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

WARE -- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will convene a public hearing on Thursday evening to explain the design and accept comment on a $1.765 million construction proposal to upgrade a quarter-mile section along downtown Main Street that would add a third traffic light and create bicycle lanes.

The public hearing [pdf] at Ware Town Hall, 126 Main St., is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

The DOT plans would add a traffic signal entering downtown at the intersection of Main and West streets.

Currently, automobile traffic traveling east along Route 9 (Main Street) are met with a stop sign at the intersection with Route 32 (West Street).

Vehicles approaching Main from West are allowed to merge onto Main to travel east without stopping.

Turning left is currently prohibited for vehicles traveling from West Street onto Main Street to go west. The new DOT design does not change that, keeping the right turn only in place.

The design also calls for 6-foot wide bicycle lanes on each side of Main Street.

According to MassDOT, the bike lanes would extend from West Street to South Street, a distance of 0.23 miles.

The work would include repairing and resurfacing Main Street and its sidewalks, new traffic lights at the North Street and South Street intersections, new traffic signage and synchronizing the three traffic lights.


Americans split in their support of US Sen. Elizabeth Warren, poll finds

0
0

Although most Americans are familiar with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, they remain largely divided in their opinions on the outspoken progressive leader, according to a new poll.

Although most Americans are familiar with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, they remain largely divided in their opinions on the outspoken progressive leader, according to a new poll. 

A Gallup survey released this week found that nearly two-thirds, or 65 percent of Americans, said they have heard of Warren, who gained national attention for her criticism of President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders in recent years. 

Despite the her widespread name recognition -- which is up from 52 percent in 2015 -- just over a third, or 34 percent, of Americans polled said they view Warren favorably, while 31 percent said they have negative opinions of the Massachusetts Democrat, the poll found.

That margin is similar to the 28 to 24 percent favorability rating Warren garnered in a 2015 Gallup survey, according to survey results. 

The senator, however, enjoys more widespread support among Americans who identified themselves as politically liberal, the poll found. 

More than six in 10 liberal Americans said they have favorable views of Warren, whose name is often discussed as a possible 2020 Democratic presidential contender. 

Report: White House, RNC eyeing US Sen. Elizabeth Warren as possible 2020 challenger to President Donald Trump

About a third of Americans who identified themselves as politically moderate and just 15 percent of self-proclaimed conservative Americans also said they view the Democrat favorably, according to survey results.

Although Gallup noted that these findings do not come as a surprise given the current partisan state of U.S. politics, it offered that Warren's popularity among Democrats and liberals "is something to watch as she draws applause from left-leaning Americans and describes liberals as 'the heart and soul of today's Democratic Party.'"

"For now, it is unclear if Warren has ambitions beyond the U.S. Senate, but if she does, she may be able to leverage her standing among those in an important segment of her party to advance a potential run at a higher office," Gallup concluded.

The poll surveyed more than 1,000 adults nationally via telephone from Aug. 2 to 6. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.  

Poll finds US Sen. Elizabeth Warren well known, but polarizing figure

The Gallup's findings echo those of an April Harvard-Harris poll, which found that while seven in 10 American voters said they had heard of her, support for the Democrat split at 38 to 32 percent.

You can claim $900 if this free cruise robocall contacted you

0
0

Did a robocall offering a free cruise net you $900? People can check online and see if they are part of a class-action lawsuit over robocalls.

Those constant robocalls are always annoying, but sometimes getting one pays off....you just have to wait for a class action lawsuit. 

A class-action lawsuit against Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines could net people $900 if they received a robocall stating they won a free cruise. 

The lawsuit says the cruise lines allowed the Resort Marketing Group to conduct robocalls offering free cruises, but it turned out to be a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. 

Anyone who received pre-recorded telephone calls between July of 2009 and March of 2014 on their home or cellular telephone lines can $300 and may file up to three claims for a maximum of $900. 

People can go online and check to see if their telephone numbers are part of the settlement.

Cheryl Coakley-Rivera withdraws from Springfield City Council race, citing court job conflict

0
0

Cheryl Coakley-Rivera has withdrawn as a candidate for the Springfield City Council, saying she was unable to run and keep her job as assistant clerk of Hampden County Superior Court.

SPRINGFIELD -- In another election season surprise, Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera has withdrawn as a candidate for the city council, saying it would have forced her to give up her job as assistant clerk in Hampden County Superior Court.

"After serious consideration, I have decided not to enter the race for city council at this time," Coakley-Rivera said. "I am deeply grateful to the many members of Springfield community who have urged me to do so, I am not ruling out running for office in the future."

Coakley-Rivera was a surprise entrant to the council race, pulling out nomination papers on July 28, less than an hour before the deadline, and returning them by the Aug. 1 deadline for signatures. She said at the time she would confer with the state Ethics Commission to determine whether running for political office posed any conflict with her court job. 

That was the case, she said.

She entered the race for an at-large seat after at-large City Councilor Timothy J. Rooke announced he would not seek re-election, surprising many, and state Rep. Bud L. Williams, D-Springfield, made it official he would not try to keep his at-large council seat in the 2017 election.

"Unfortunately, I cannot run for office and maintain my position as an assistant clerk in the Hampden County Superior Court," Coakley-Rivera said.

She cited a Supreme Judicial Court rule regarding the code of professional responsibility for clerks of courts.

Under one section, Canon 6, it states that a clerk magistrate, other than an elected clerk magistrate, "shall refrain from political activity," including that he/she "shall not hold or seek an elective public office if there is a substantial likelihood that matters involving that office will come before the Clerk Magistrate or the court in which the Clerk Magistrate serves."

"I am committed to fulfilling my duties as an assistant clerk magistrate of the Superior Court, especially during a time when the criminal case load on the court has significantly increased while resources for the court have decreased," Coakley-Rivera said.

Coakley-Rivera was among 14 people who returned nomination papers and were certified for the ballot, vying for the five at-large seats on the council.

"I love this city and love the people in it even more," Coakely-Rivera said. "I have been blessed to have been born and raised in the City of Springfield. I have worked by the grace of God, as a public servant for many years both elected and appointed positions. My hope is to continue to advance the public interest in the years to come."

Coakley-Rivera said she is thankful for the ""kind words and loving support" she has received.

"The future looks very promising for the City of Springfield and I plan to be a part of it with all of you," she said.

Rivera became the first Hispanic woman to have a seat on the state House of Representatives in 1999, serving for 15 years. She resigned in 2014 in take the job as assistant clerk in the Superior Court.

Police raise trespassing enforcement at former Belchertown State School; site's 'folklore' attracts people 'from all over'

0
0

In 2014, nine were apprehended for trespassing, and eight were summonsed to court in each of the next two years at the former state school; as of July, 140 trespass cases had been processed by police

BELCHERTOWN -- Trespassing, vandalism and setting buildings on fire at the former Belchertown State School grounds have, for years, created problems at the 100-plus-acre site.

When Christopher G. Pronovost became chief of police in May 2016, one of his priorities was to address that public safety issue.

Data provided by Belchertown police shows a huge increase in enforcement of the no trespass laws.

In 2014, nine people were apprehended for trespassing, and eight were summonsed to court in each of the next two years at the former state school that is being redeveloped.

As of July, 140 trespass cases had been processed by police, with those found guilty of the criminal infractions facing a $200 fine, the data shows.

"People charged have been from all over Massachusetts, New England and New York. Information and folklore posted on internet sites have attracted people to the area," Pronvost said in a written statement.

"The area is patrolled at all hours of the day and night, and we have adopted a 'zero tolerance' for trespassers. It is our hope that through continued education and enforcement, people will comply with the 'No Trespassing' signage and stay away from the area."

Together with the fire chief and Belchertown Economic Development Industrial Corporation, the selectmen-appointed committee that legally owns the property, officials "put together a plan, and working together, we began an educational campaign through news media and department social media to warn people to stay off the property or risk being arrested or summoned to court," Pronovost said.

"There had been a history of trespassing, vandalism and intentional fires at the property," he said.

Pronvovost said that with construction underway and old buildings getting torn down, the dedicated police action is necessary "to safeguard these areas and to prevent any injuries from deteriorating buildings."

He said Belchertown police "will continue this stepped-up enforcement for as long as necessary. Patrols are conducted by 'on-duty' personnel and sometimes augmented by extra officers assigned to the area during anticipated peak times of activity, such as Halloween."

Peter Pan Bus Lines settles federal disability complaint over bus access

0
0

The complaint charged many Peter Pan buses did not have functioning lifts to allow passengers in wheelchairs to board or exit buses.

SPRINGFIELD -- Peter Pan Bus Lines has reached a settlement with the United States Attorney's Office over a civil rights complaint alleging the company failed to make its buses accessible for disabled patrons.

The company also agreed to pay an undisclosed sum in damages to a passenger in a wheelchair who was trapped on a bus for eight hours due to malfunctioning accessibility equipment, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office Wednesday.

The complaint charged that Peter Pan, which services 4 million passengers a year, failed to provide buses and motor coaches that were accessible for the disabled. 

Buses were equipped with wheelchair lifts as required by law, but many were not properly functioning or maintained, according to officials. Many of the lifts malfunctioned, causing delays and disruptions for passengers in wheelchairs when trying to board or exit buses.

"Passengers with disabilities should be able to travel with the same convenience and dignity as other riders; they should not be subjected to delays and cancellations because of inoperable equipment," said Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb.

Under the terms of the agreement, Peter Pan will test accessibility lifts on fixed-route buses each week, and remove buses from service if the lifts are not working properly.

Drivers and other personnel will be trained on the use of the lifts, and other employees will be trained on the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

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

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images