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

Postal Service warns Southampton residents their mail may have been destroyed in Easthampton truck fire

0
0

The tractor trailer hauling mail from Southampton caught fire following the crash and was its cargo hold was destroyed before the fire could be extinguished.

ae crash.jpgView full sizeEasthampton firefighters inspect the remains of a truck that caught fire following a Wednesday afternoon car accident in Easthampton. The crumpled front end of a car involved in the crash can be see in the background behind one of the fire trucks.

SOUTHAMPTON - The U.S. Postal Service issued a statement Thursday advising Southampton residents and businesses that their outgoing mail may have been destroyed when a mail truck that was involved in an Easthampton accident burst into flames.

The 4:30 p.m. accident on Lovefield Street killed two people. when their car collided with a tractor trailer. Police identified the deceased as Cynthia Cecere, 50, of Easthampton and Daniel Valenta, 53, of Northampton.

The truck caught fire following the crash and its cargo hold was destroyed before the fire could be extinguished.

"Customers who may have placed mail in a blue collection box, or brought it to the Southampton Post Office retail window, or who had mail picked up from their home or business between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Aug.10 are advised to either resend that mail or to contact the recipient to see if it was received," said postal service spokeswoman Christine Dugas.

A small amount of mail from Southampton was sent out earlier in the day on a different truck. She said a substantial amount of mail was burned.

Kimberly J. Peters, district manager for the Connecticut Valley District of the U.S. Postal Service, expressed condolences to victims and their families.


Holyoke building inspector determines staircase at 295 Beech St. fell because it was old

0
0

A woman was hurt,with injuries that weren't life-threatening, after the staircase fell in.

holyoke city hall.jpgHolyoke City Hall.

HOLYOKE – Preliminary repairs have been done on a stairway that collapsed Aug. 6 and injured a woman at 295 Beech St., an official said.

The owners now must install a new permanent staircase and certify with a report by an architect or engineer to the city that such work has been done, Interim City Building Inspector Mark E. Hebert said Wednesday.

An inspector Wednesday determined the wooden staircase between the first and second floors of the three-story building broke because it was old and poorly maintained, Hebert said.

Police said a 30-year-old woman was taken to Holyoke Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries after the stairs collapsed at the three-story, wood-frame structure.

The building is owned by Mary Lyons and Cristina Sosa, of 83 Chestnut Street, Northampton, and taxes are current on the property, City Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra said.

The owners couldn’t be reached for comment.

City records online show 295-297 Beech St. is a four- to eight-family building built in 1910 and valued at $216,600.

Springfield mayoral candidate Jose Tosado opens campaign headquarters

0
0

Tosado asked his supporters to get the vote out for the Sept. 20 primary.

jose.JPGSpringfield Mayoral candidate Jose F. Tosado with his wife, Irma

SPRINGFIELD – Mayoral candidate Jose F. Tosado may have suspended his campaign for a month following the June 1 tornado, but Thursday he was campaigning in earnest as he cut the ribbon to his campaign headquarters at 405 Armory Street.

“This is one ribbon cutting that Domenic is not going to attend,” Tosado said, referring to incumbent Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

Tosado said he was humbled by the diversity of ages of those who filled his campaign headquarters Thursday.

He said he is going to need all of them to help get the vote out for the Sept. 20 primary.

“We want to win that primary,” Tosado said.

There are three candidates running for election in the primary: Sarno, Tosado, a two-term City Council president, and School Committee member Antonette E. Pepe.

The top two vote getters in the primary will face off in the Nov. 1 election.

Tosado said the issues he plans to focus on in his campaign are economic opportunity in the city, the crime rate and education.

He said he has some initiatives to create more jobs in Springfield.

Tosado said Sarno has focused on trying to lure “big box” businesses into the city. He said that after the out-of-towners eat the city’s “wine and cheese” they leave and are never seen again.

Tosado said small business owners in Springfield need to be given access to more credit and capital “so we can grow our own middle class in the city.”

Tosado said he is not running to be the first Latino mayor of Springfield, although he is proud of his Latino heritage.

“I want to be mayor of all the citizens of Springfield,” he said.

If he is elected mayor, Tosado said one of the first things he will do is call for an audit of School Department funds.

The education system in Springfield is a complete failure, he said.

He added, “The drop-out rate is higher than the graduation rate.”

“The city of Springfield has a $330 million School Department budget, but students are not allowed to take their books home,” Tosado said.



Williamsburg selectmen hear complaints from neighbors about controversial shooting range on Hodgkins family property

0
0

Selectboard Chairman Jeffrey Ciuffreda thanked the residents and promised that the full board would discuss the situation at a future meeting.

HODGKINS.JPGRobert C. Hodgkins III.

WILLIAMSBURG

– Frustrated neighbors of a shooting range at 74 Village Hill Road appealed to the Board of Selectmen for help Thursday, saying their efforts to work through the zoning board have come to naught.

Some 20 people who live near the property owned by the Hodgkins family crammed into the small selectboard office to voice their concerns at a public comment session. Brothers Robert C. Hodgkins III and Jay Hodgkins, who own the land with other family members, sat on the opposite side of the room.

The appeal to the selectmen was the latest volley in a battle between the Hodgkins family, which has used the land for shooting since the 1930s, and their neighbors, who say the noise and intensity of the shooting has increased sharply in recent years. Instead of rifle and handgun fire, they say, they are now hearing automatic weapons and explosions on the land.

In February, the zoning board ordered that activity on the range revert to the level of use in 2003, when the current zoning laws went into effect. The zoning board also banned the use of automatic weapons and said the range cannot be used for commercial purposes. Robert Hodgkins operates a weapons and security business in New Hampshire.

Although Hodgkins called the zoning board ruling “idiocy,” but there were no further complaints until last month, when neighbors say they endured automatic weapons fire and explosions for seven hours on July 27. Both sides question whether the zoning board’s ruling is enforceable, saying the language is vague.

On Thursday, the neighbors asked the selectmen to step in. Richard Evans, a Northampton lawyer who represents abutters Erica Verrillo and Sondra Thatcher, presented the board with a letter signed by 20-25 people asking it to heed their complaints.

“Listen to the residents forced to suffer the pounding of staccato bursts and explosives,” the letter states. “Come and hear and feel the blasting for yourselves.”

The letter asks the selectmen to enact an ordinance banning the firing of fully automatic weapons and assault weapons in Williamsburg and to direct the Board of Health to investigate potential soil contamination from bullets. It also requests that the zoning enforcement officer provide a telephone number where violations can be reported on weekends and holidays.

“Invite the owners of the weapons range to meet with you and explore how their rights to use the land as they wish can be squared with the rights of neighbors to use theirs as they wish,” the letter asks.

Neither Hodgkins spoke at the meeting, although Robert Hodgkins objected strenuously when David Valego, who identified himself as the grandfather of Hodgkins’ 4-year-old daughter, presented the board with a collage of enlarged photographs showing the girl at the range surrounded by men with weapons.

“Our family has had sleepless nights worrying about our granddaughter,” Valego said. “We’re concerned about her being exposed to automatic weapons and explosives. I fear for her safety.”

Valego invoked 8-year-old Christopher Basilj, who died when he accidentally shot himself with a machine gun at a Westfield gun show in 2008, saying, “We all know what happened in Westfield a couple of years ago.”

Selectboard Chairman Jeffrey Ciuffreda thanked the residents and promised that the full board would discuss the situation at a future meeting.

“It’s clearly not the first time we’ve heard of this,” he said.

After the meeting, Robert Hodgkins discounted Valego’s comments.

“It’s just harassment of our family,” he said. “I’m her guardian. You can’t show somebody’s picture.”

Both Hodgkins maintained that their use of the range is legal and denied that they need a special permit for tannerite, an explosive gas that detonates upon impact by a high velocity bullet.

“They asked that everybody else gets to do what they please on their property except us,” said Jay Hodgkins.

Developing: Motorcylist killed in crash at Armory Street rotary in Springfield

0
0

A motorcyclist was killed Thursday night in a collision with a car at about 6:30 p.m. at the Armory Street rotary near Liberty Street, police said.

SPRINGFIELD - A motorcyclist was killed Thursday night in a collision with a car at about 6:30 p.m. at the Armory Street rotary near Liberty Street, police said.

Little information was available about the accident. Members of the police Traffic Bureau are on scene and are investigating how it happened, said Sgt. Christopher Hitas.

The identity of the motorcyclist was not being released. Hitas said he also was unsure where the man was from or his age.

He was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.


View Larger Map

FEMA officials remind area residents deadline for applying for tornado relief is rapidly approaching

0
0

The deadline to apply for relief is Monday, officials said.

621BELL.JPGView full sizeDavid Bell, of One-Stop Towing in Brimfield, lost his shop, tow trucks and classic cars to the June 1 tornado.

SPRINGFIELD – Residents and business owners in Western and central Massachusetts have until Monday to file for aid following the June 1 tornado that caused millions in damage during its 39-mile race from Westfield to Charlton.

Emergency officials are urging people to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Annie R. Johnson said she is glad she took the step after her home at 412 Eastern Ave. was hit by the tornado. She’s urging everyone to do the same.

“Time is running out. It’s a great opportunity for us to get help for this disaster,” said Johnson, a retired social worker. “It’s assistance from the federal government. We’re entitled to it, so we should apply for it.”

Johnson, 71, was home when the tornado hit, and sought refuge in her basement. Her
house has since been condemned – the tornado shifted the roof, tore out the side wall, blew out her windows and knocked down her trees. She’s now staying with her daughter in Indian Orchard, but prays she will be back home, in the house she’s lived in since 1970, for Christmas.

It was a conversation she had with the American Red Cross Pioneer Valley chapter representatives that convinced her to contact FEMA.

“It was good information that the Red Cross gave me,” said Johnson, who said she is not sure yet what kind of aid she will receive from the federal agency.

The American Red Cross sent out a press release Thursday urging residents to apply to FEMA before Monday’s deadline. The release stated that FEMA will determine eligibility, and that applying for FEMA assistance is a key step in the long-term recovery process. The Red Cross also said that simply applying can provide an opening to other long-term assistance available.

With the deadline nearing, the federal government also has announced that the remaining two Small Business Administration disaster loan recovery centers – at Springfield’s Technology Park at 1 Federal St. and Monson’s Granite Valley Middle School on 21 Thompson St. – will close on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The Business Recovery Center, also at Springfield’s Technology Park, also will close at the same time. The centers are closing because of a steady decrease in activity.

According to information from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the centers and Business Recovery Center are staying open three days past the deadline to assist homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profit organizations with their application process for FEMA or for low-interest Small Business Administration loans. The deadline to apply for an SBA loan is Monday as well.

The Small Business Administration offers low-interest disaster loans to disaster victims for physical losses up to its loan limits. In addition, small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations can obtain loans for unmet working capital needs.

FEMA registration can be done by calling 1-800-621-FEMA, or visiting www.fema.gov. SBA can be reached by calling 1-800-659-2955; business loan applications can be found at www.sba.gov

Brimfield business owner David A. Bell was at the Monson SBA disaster loan recovery center Thursday. It was his fifth time trying to complete his SBA loan application, and he was frustrated.

Bell is the owner of One Stop Car Care on Holland Road in Brimfield, which was decimated by the tornado. A video made by his employees showing the tornado aftermath went viral, getting more than 200,000 hits on YouTube. He’s had the business 30 years, 26 of them in that location.

“I want to try and rebuild and keep my employees employed,” Bell said.

Bell said one of the sticking points is his 2010 tax return; he filed for an extension, then the tornado came and all of his paperwork disappeared. He said his accountant is trying piece everything together and will return to the center on Friday.

While officials are urging people to register with FEMA, Bell had a different perception. “They don’t even act like they want to help you,” he said. “I’m almost begging them for money.”

Bell said he is hoping for a loan so he can add to the business, maybe gas pumps, or storage units.

He offered car repair and towing at One Stop, and has resumed some towing. But numerous classic cars on the lot were destroyed by the tornado.

Bell, who organized a music benefit to help the residents of Holland Road also affected by the tornado, said he plans to present the $8,000 that was raised to the First Congregational Church of Brimfield, which has been the center of the volunteer effort since the storm. That will happen on Aug. 26 at Jillian’s in Worcester. Bell’s band, Goodspeed and Friends, along with Powerplay, will play that night.

“I’m trying to help my neighbors,” Bell said, as he sat waiting for someone from SBA to help him.


GOP candidates go after President Barack Obama, each other in debate

0
0

Fellow Minnesotans Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann directly challenged each other Thursday night in Ames.

Mitt Romney, Michele BachmannRepublican presidential candidates former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. pose for a photo before the start of the Iowa GOP/Fox News Debate at the CY Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Minnesota rivals Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann sparred bitterly Thursday night during an eight-candidate Republican debate, trying to break out of the GOP presidential pack ahead of an Iowa test vote with huge consequences. Each seeks to become the main challenger to Republican front-runner Mitt Romney.

Their efforts were newly complicated by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who stole some of the spotlight from afar by making it known hours before the debate that he was running for the GOP nomination.

Romney, a multimillionaire businessman who casts himself as a jobs creator, made his own stir earlier in the day when, at the Iowa State Fair, he declared that "corporations are people," drawing ridicule from Democrats.

Those were just the latest twists in the most consequential week yet in the 2012 Republican presidential nomination fight.

In the two-hour debate, the squabbling by Pawlenty and Bachmann allowed Romney, the GOP front-runner making his second presidential bid, to remain above the fray and emerge relatively unscathed by his rivals.

Though every debate participant assailed President Barack Obama, it was clear from the confrontations between Pawlenty, a former Minnesota governor, and Bachmann, now a member of Congress, who had the most on the line ahead of Saturday's straw poll that could well winnow the field.

On stage just a few minutes, Pawlenty, who is struggling to gain traction despite spending years laying the groundwork for his campaign, accused Bachmann of achieving nothing significant in Congress, lacking executive experience and having a history of fabrications.

"She's got a record of misstating and making false statements," Pawlenty said.

Bachmann, who has risen in polls since entering the race this summer and has eclipsed Pawlenty, quickly responded with a list of what she called Pawlenty's liberal policies when he was Minnesota's governor, including his support for legislation to curb industrial emissions.

"You said the era of small government is over," she told Pawlenty. "That sounds a lot like Barack Obama if you ask me."

Much of the rest of the debate was heavily focused on the Democratic incumbent, with Romney and his seven rivals each seeking to prove he or she was the strongest Republican to take on Obama.

"I'm not going to eat Barack Obama's dog food," Romney said when asked whether he would have vetoed the compromise legislation that Congress gave to the president that raised the debt ceiling. "What he served up is not what I would have done if I'd had been president of the United States."

Notably absent from the eight-candidate spectacle were Perry, who was in Texas preparing for a weekend announcement tour to early primary states, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who isn't a candidate but was stoking presidential speculation anew with a visit to the Iowa State Fair.

The nation's teetering economic situation shadowed the debate, with stock market volatility and a downgrade in the U.S. credit rating giving Republicans ample opportunities to criticize Obama. The Democratic president will get his shot to counter the criticism next week during a Midwestern bus tour that will take him through this state that helped launch him on the path to the White House four years ago.

On Thursday, he, too, tried to align himself with a public fed up with economic uncertainty and Washington gridlock. "There is nothing wrong with our country. There is something wrong with our politics," he declared in Michigan, where he was touring an advanced-battery factory

In Iowa Thursday night, the Republicans commanded the spotlight.

Seven candidates — Pawlenty, Bachmann, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and businessman Herman Cain — sought to separate themselves from the packed field and emerge as the chief alternative to Romney.

Pawlenty, who hesitated in a June debate to criticize the former Massachusetts governor, poked at Romney and Obama at the same time.

Newt GingrichRepublican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is pictured during a commercial break at the Iowa GOP/Fox News Debate at the CY Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, Pool)

"Where's Barack Obama on these issues. You can't find his plans on the most pressing issues in this country," Pawlenty said, promising audience members and TV viewers he would "come to your house and cook you dinner" if they could find Obama's proposals. "Or if you prefer I'll come to your house and mow your lawn ... In case Mitt wins, I'd limit it to one acre."

Romney, who has several homes and was looking to protect his leads in national and state polls, smiled and took a pass when given a chance to respond, saying: "That's just fine."

He kept his focus on Obama, saying: "Our president simply doesn't understand how to lead and how to grow the economy." He also criticized Democrat Obama on the downgrade of the nation's credit rating.

Appearing in his first presidential debate, Huntsman acknowledged he had not yet presented an economic plan, but he cited his economic record as governor of Utah as evidence of what he would accomplish as president. He defended his service as ambassador to China under Obama as a patriotic act.

Huntsman, who is not competing in the Iowa caucuses where social conservatives dominate, also tried to differentiate himself from the rest of the field. He defended his support for civil unions and offered no apologies for other moderate positions he holds.

Gingrich, pressed on the implosion of his campaign amid financial strife and infighting earlier this summer, chastised the Fox News panel for "gotcha questions." He said Republicans including Ronald Reagan and John McCain had staff defections during their campaigns, and he said he intended, in his words, to "run on ideas."

Roughly 45 minutes into the debate, Santorum raised his hand and said: "I haven't gotten to say a lot."

Showing the wide diversity of opinion, Paul gave a staunchly libertarian answer to nearly every question from the economy to foreign affairs, essentially saying the United States should have friendly relations even with countries that violate human rights and not interfere in their internal affairs. "It's about time we talk to Cuba," Paul said at one point. He also said the United States had created the hostile relations between itself and Iran.

Even before the debate began, it was a campaign day to remember.

At an appearance early in the day, Romney was badgered by hecklers at the state fair. In response to chanting about corporations, he said that "corporations are people," a comment Democrats predicted would be a defining moment of his campaign.

Romney, who has struggled with an aloof and elitist image as he tries for the GOP presidential nomination a second time, made the remark while outlining options for reducing the federal deficit and overhauling entitlement programs.

Despite tea party outrage that sometimes focuses on banks and auto companies, Romney has said to applause from GOP audiences that the rights of business are being trampled under Obama to the detriment of the struggling economy. But in Thursday's audience, the line encountered resistance.

A few hours after Romney's awkward moment, Perry spokesman Mark Miner confirmed that the Texas governor would announce that he was running for president while in early primary states on Saturday.

Perry's candidacy is certain to upend the race, and he could challenge Romney for the role of jobs-focused candidate.

The conservative governor is seen as a potential bridge between the party's social and economic wings.

Asked about Perry's candidacy during the debate, several of his opponents welcomed him to the race — and used the opportunity to criticize him. Cain called Perry "one more politician," while Paul said he was pleased Perry was joining the field because "he represents the status quo."

Western Massachusetts energy prices, at a glance

0
0

Here are the average energy prices in the Pioneer Valley for the week ending today.

energy prices0812.JPG

'Buy, buy, buy': Your guide to Massachusetts' sales tax holiday

0
0

If you're looking to stick it to The Man this weekend, here's a quick buyer's guide.

stephen-brewer.jpgWHAT THEY SAID: BREWER ON TAX HOLIDAY


Sen. Stephen Brewer, the Senate Ways and Means chair, discusses the upcoming sales tax holiday, which passed was approved overwhelmingly by the Legislature in July.

Saturday marks the return of Massachusetts' sales tax holiday, and as Yes Computers owner Mark Wineburg told The Republican, something about the occasion inspires changes in taxpayers' spending habits.

"Everyone's inner libertarian comes out," he said.

State Sen. Stephen Brewer, D-Barre, chairman of Ways and Means, said in an interview that while a tax holiday can be seen as a "gimmick" that costs the state $20 million in revenues, the idea of 48 hours of tax relief gets consumers going.

"It does energize the purchasing citizenry," Brewer said. "They like to have a chance to a.) get a bargain and b.) maybe tuck it to the government."

So if you're looking to stick it to The Man this weekend, here's a quick buyer's guide.

What's the deal? According to the Department of Revenue, for two days between August 13 and 14, "non-business sales at retail of single items of tangible personal property costing $2,500 or less are exempt from sales and use taxes, subject to certain exclusions."

In English, anything you buy as a consumer with a price tag under $2,500 is tax-free, though there are a few exclusions.

What's the catch? Certain items are not included in the sales tax holiday, such as:

• Motor vehicles and motorboats
• Meals
• Telecommunications services
• Natural gas, steam and electricity
• Tobacco products

What about gasoline and alcohol? There is no sales tax on gasoline, just an excise tax, which is not included in this weekend's tax holiday (and could see a hike in the future). The state's sales tax on beer, wine and alcohol was repealed by referendum last November. Also, you shouldn't be drinking and driving at the same time, anyway.

What if I buy several items costing more than $2,500 total? There is no limit on how much you buy over the weekend. If you pick up a new computer for $1,500 and video camera for $1,200 at the same store, for a total of $2,700, you won't have to pay tax on either item.

What about coupons and discounts? All fair game. In fact, The Republican reports that a lot of stores will be holding sales to coincide with the tax holiday, creating additional savings.

For more information, visit the Department of Revenue's website »

Correction: An earlier version of this post referred erroneously to the rain check policy. Items purchased using a rain check during the sales tax holiday will be exempted from sales tax, but rain checks received during the holiday but used after the 48 hour period will not be exempt.

Third suspect in fatal beating of Kelly DeMarco of Belchertown apprehended in New Hampshire

0
0

27-year-old Kalem Daniels was arrested by U.S. marshals and local police in Northwood, N.H

pioneer-valley.jpgMap: Homicides in the Pioneer Valley »

Navigate homicides in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties and follow updates on their investigations and court cases.

BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (AP) — A third suspect in the slaying of a Belchertown man has been tracked down in New Hampshire.

Authorities say 27-year-old Kalem Daniels was arrested by U.S. marshals and local police Thursday in Northwood, N.H. nine days after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

He is faces a fugitive from justice charge in Rockingham Superior Court in New Hampshire.

He is charged with manslaughter and witness intimidation is Massachusetts in connection with the June 2010 fatal beating of Kelly DeMarco at a Belchertown apartment complex.

Two other people facing charges in DeMarco's death have pleaded not guilty.

Authorities have said that the 44-year-old DeMarco was punched, causing him to fall and strike his head on the pavement in the parking lot. The father of three died at a hospital.

Mark Rossetti, reputed Massachusetts mob leader, working as FBI informant

0
0

Rossetti's lawyer says there is no public proof that her client worked as an informant.

BOSTON (AP) — Authorities allege he's a top figure in Boston organized crime. He's also an informant.

And his name is not Whitey Bulger.

The Boston Globe reports that Mark Rossetti, a reputed Mafia leader who was indicted last year on state drug trafficking, gambling, and loan sharking charges, had been working as an informant for the FBI, according to documents filed Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court.

The documents, filed by two lower-level players in Rossetti's alleged crime ring, do not identify Rossetti by name. But he can be clearly identified through descriptions of his conversations with his FBI handler, and through a state police organizational chart of his alleged crime ring.

An FBI spokesman declined comment.

Rossetti's lawyer argued that there is no public proof that her client worked as an informant.

Analysis: Rick Perry may pose biggest threat to Mitt Romney in GOP presidential primary

0
0

The race could well change in the coming days as Perry dives in.

081211rickperry.jpgIn this Aug. 6, 2011 file photo, Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks in Houston. Perry's spokesman said Thursday that Perry is running for president.

AMES, Iowa — The biggest rumblings in the Republican presidential campaign are coming from Austin, Texas — 1,000 miles from the leadoff caucus state where front-runner Mitt Romney and seven opponents squared off ahead of an important test vote this weekend.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry sent word that he would join the race, casting a shadow over the debate Thursday night and threatening to upend the race.

Back in Iowa, Romney emerged unscathed with his leader-of-the-pack status intact after two feisty hours; his two Minnesota rivals — Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty — sparred repeatedly as each sought advantage ahead of Saturday's Iowa straw poll.

Overall, the dynamics of the campaign did not change with a single debate. And they may not change when Saturday's straw poll results are announced.

But the race could well change in the coming days as Perry dives in.

The Texan may pose the biggest threat yet to Romney.

Conservatives who make up the core of the GOP primary base view Romney skeptically on cultural issues, and he hasn't been able to establish himself as the heavy favorite for the nomination even though he's spent months promoting his background as a businessman and claiming that he alone has the know-how to create jobs to pull the country out of a period of high unemployment, rampant foreclosures and tumultuous financial markets.

Democrats are already taking aim at Perry.

"His record will get scrutinized," David Axelrod, senior political adviser to President Barack Obama, said Friday. Axelrod suggested Perry was taking too much credit for Texas' relatively healthy economy and job creation.

"He's been the beneficiary down there of the boom in oil prices and increased military spending because of the wars," Axelrod said on CBS' "Early Show." ''I don't think many people would attribute it to the leadership of the governor down there."

Perry could benefit from GOP suspicion about Romney.

The Republican establishment has a lackluster view of Romney's candidacy, leading deep-pocketed donors across the country to look for more candidates to draft into the race who could bridge the historical tension between the party's social and economic wings. They couldn't convince former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to run. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie repeatedly refused, too. And Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels declined overtures as well.

Enter Perry.

He is credible on issues social conservatives care about and sent a strong message to evangelicals last weekend by hosting a national prayer rally in Houston that drew roughly 30,000 Christians. He also has overseen a period of job growth in his state, making Texas one of the few states in the country that have posted economic gains and giving him the opportunity to challenge Romney's pitch as the jobs candidate.

Iowa, with its strong base of evangelical voters, may be tailor-made for Perry. He was making his first trip to the state Sunday, a day after formally announcing his candidacy in South Carolina and New Hampshire — just as Iowa straw poll votes are being cast.

A caucus campaign by the Texan could force Romney to retool his strategy of downplaying the state — which he lost during his first run in 2008 after investing heavily — in favor of friendlier ground elsewhere.

"Perry hasn't shown up in the rodeo yet, but it looks like a Romney-Perry race," Republican strategist Jim Dyke said.

That may be a bit premature.

Perry is entering the race months after other candidates and Romney has a multimillion-dollar head start in fundraising.

Also, there still are at least five months before Iowa's precinct caucuses that kick off the winter-to-summer GOP nomination season, and there still are several unknowns, including whether former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin ends up running. She was making a last-minute visit to the Iowa State Fair for Friday, reviving talk of a potential candidacy on the eve of the straw poll at Iowa State University. The straw poll could winnow the GOP field and indicate which candidate has the strongest get-out-the-vote operation.

This is turning out to be the most consequential week yet in the 2012 Republican presidential nomination fight — but not because of anything that happened at the debate.

Romney largely kept his criticism on Obama and the incumbent Democrat's handling of the economy, an issue that has blossomed anew as the GOP's top campaign concern in the wake of a tumultuous week on Wall Street and continuing high unemployment.

"I understand how the economy works," Romney said during the debate, noting the lessons of both successes and failures as a venture capital firm chief executive officer. "Our president doesn't understand how to lead or grow an economy."

He wouldn't bite when asked to comment on his rivals' economic positions.

And Romney's rivals gave him a pass on a potentially problematic comment he made earlier in the day at the Iowa State Fair when confronted by hecklers, who suggested corporations should pay more taxes. That prompted Romney to respond, "corporations are people."

Democrats quickly jumped on the exchange, though his GOP rivals did not.

Those who tried to knock him down a rung didn't even nick him.

Struggling to find traction, Pawlenty poked at Romney on several issues, including how much land he owns as well as his support for a Massachusetts health care bill similar to the national one Obama signed into law.

But Pawlenty ended up getting pulled into a family fight with Bachmann, who has outshone him in Iowa despite his 18 months of laying groundwork for a campaign.

"It's an undisputable fact that her record of accomplishment and results has been nonexistent," Pawlenty said, adding: "She's got a record of misstating and making false statements."

Bachmann, who has eclipsed Pawlenty since entering the race, quickly responded with a list of what she called Pawlenty's liberal policies when he was Minnesota's governor, including his support for legislation to curb industrial emissions and his backing of an individual health care mandate in Minnesota, both unpopular positions with GOP activists.

"You said the era of small government is over," she told Pawlenty. "That sounds a lot like Barack Obama if you ask me."

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman — making his first debate appearance — also tried to claim the space as the economic-focused candidate by championing his state's job gains during his tenure and noting his time as an executive in his family's chemical company. But Obama's former ambassador to China also defended his work under the Democratic president as well as his support for civil unions — both issues that are problematic in a GOP primary campaign.

Lesser-known candidates tussled for position, including former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, businessman Herman Cain and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Perry was absent from the stage. But not for long.

Reported vehicle break-in at Main and Dwight streets in Holyoke leads to arrest of 30-year-old city man

0
0

Police said they found a car stereo tucked into the suspect's pants.

1999 holyoke police car.jpg

HOLYOKE – A report of a suspect breaking into a pickup truck at Main and Dwight streets Thursday night led to the arrest of a 30-year-old city man.

Officer Mark Harrison spotted a man matching the given description on Main Street walking away from the intersection, Capt. Arthur R. Monfette said.

A bulge in the suspect’s waistband led the officer to believe that he might be carrying a weapon. It turned out, however that the suspect had a car stereo tucked into his pants and a screwdriver in his right front pocket, Monfette said.

Other officers, responding to the reported break-in, found a black Dodge pickup truck with a smashed window and a missing stereo, Monfette said.

Miguel Angel Soto, of 123 Clemente St., Apt. 4L, was charged with breaking and entering a motor vehicle to commit a felony, malicious destruction of property less than $250, possession of burglarious tools and larceny over $250.

Arson cause of blaze that damaged El Fogon Restaurant on Chestnut Street in Springfield

0
0

The fire caused some $5,000 in damage to the restaurant's signs and facade.

sct fire.jpgSpringfield Arson & Bomb Squad investigator Darin Padilla photographs evidence in front of 526 Chestnut St. early Friday morning

SPRINGFIELD - Arson is the cause of a late night blaze that damaged a Chestnut Street storefront late Thursday night, Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger said.

The fire was reported shortly after 11 p.m. at El Fogon Restaurant, 256 Chestnut St., Leger said. No injuries were reported.

Racks or shelves in front of the restaurant had been set on fire, Leger said. Damage, which extended to the restaurant’s signs and facade, is estimated at about $5,000.

Leger said he believed that police may have taken a youth into custody following the blaze. Information on the fire from police, however, was not immediately available.

State agency sent three warnings to Springfield City Councilor Amaad Rivera on missing campaign finance forms

0
0

Councilor Amaad Rivera said the missing campaign finance reports were due to a "technical error".

Rivera_Amaad.JPGAmaad Rivera

SPRINGFIELD - A state agency mailed three letters to City Councilor Amaad I. Rivera in May and June, warning that he appeared to be in violation of the state’s campaign finance law, according to an agency spokesman.

The warnings were sent by the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance in advance of news last week that Rivera has not had any campaign finance reports on file since October of 2009, a span of 19 months, according to public records and agency spokesman Jason Tait.

Rivera, the Ward 6 councilor, stated last Friday that his missing reports are due to a “technical error.” He declined a request from The Republican and MassLive last Friday to reveal any financial records since 2009, saying reports would become available by late August.

Rivera declined further comment on the issue.

By law, campaign finance reports must be filed at least monthly, detailing money raised by the campaign and money spent. The reports are required twice a month the second half of an election year.


A politician can be personally fined up to $25 a day for late reports, even if no money is raised or spent, and the requirements for filing continue until an account is formally closed and any remaining funds are properly dispersed, officials said.

Rivera ran for the Ward 6 council seat in 2009, losing to Keith Wright, but took office in January of this year when Wright resigned in mid-term. Rivera is certified for the fall ballot as an at-large council candidate.

In the third warning letter, dated June 28, the state issued a $100 civil penalty to Rivera, specifically for failing to meet deadlines for declaring a “depository bank.”

In that letter, the state office director, Michael J. Sullivan, said that if the form was not received by July 11, additional fines would be imposed and the matter would be referred to the state attorney general “for appropriate legal action.” That referral has not yet occurred, Tait said Wednesday.

Rivera did list a bank in 2009 with the city, but there were no end-of-year reports or monthly reports after October 2009, according to local and state records.

The first warning letter, May 16, to Rivera’s residence at 75 Pomona St., said the state had no record of Rivera’s “depository bank” form and no record of an “initial campaign finance report” form.

In addition, the letter stated that he would need to file a “statement of organization” if he had a political committee.

Follow-up letters were mailed June 2 and June 28, seeking the initial forms. [Read the letters below.]

There are no warnings about the monthly financial reports, but that would not occur until the initial matters were addressed, Tait said.

Rivera sent reports by fascimile to the state last Friday, detailing his campaign’s “depository bank” and his “statement of organization.” They were sent after Rivera was questioned by The Republican and MassLive, according to the time stamped on Rivera’s forms.

Rivera said that at some point he changed banks.

Rivera, in his statement of organization, lists his treasurer as Dezee Virella and his campaign manager as Tyreed Olivo.

Ward council candidates filed reports with the city in 2009 and began filing with the state in 2010.

In Rivera’s case, there were no reports after October of 2009 with either the city or state, according to the city election office and the state campaign office.

Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said all candidates, including Rivera were informed of the campaign finance requirements since first running for office.

Office of Campaign Finance Letters to Amaad Rivera


Northampton beating suspect held pending dangerousness hearing

0
0

According to police, Rivera got into the home by pushing aside an air conditioner on the first floor shortly after midnight.

NORTHAMPTON – A dangerousness hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday for an Amherst man charged with breaking into a North Street home and repeatedly punching a 62-year-old woman.

Yaazziel Q. Rivera, 18, of 149 Sunderland Road, denied charges Thursday of unarmed burglary, aggravated assault and battery, threatening to commit a crime and larceny over $250 in connection with the Aug. 10 incident.

According to police, Rivera got into the home by pushing aside an air conditioner on the first floor shortly after midnight. He then attacked 62-year-old Donna M. Cavanaugh, repeatedly punching her in the head and face. At one point, Rivera told Cavanaugh, “Don’t move or I will kill you,” police said.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found Cavanaugh bleeding heavily from the face. She suffered facial fractures from the beating. Rivera fled with cash and jewelry, police said.

Northampton District Court Judge Jacklyn M. Connly ordered Rivera held without right to bail pending the Aug. 16 hearing to determine whether or not there are any conditions under which he can released that will ensure the public’s safety.

Springfield police charge 27-year-old Christian Bigelow with burning woman with cigarette, lacerating her fingers with knife, during domestic assault

0
0

The suspect surrendered to police at his 86 Timothy Circle home.

bigelow,christiancrop.jpgChristian Bigelow

SPRINGFIELD – Police arrested a 27-year-old Sixteen Acres man Thursday night following a domestic-related attack in which he allegedly burned the mother of his children with a lit cigarette and lacerated her fingers her with a knife.

Christian Bigelow surrendered to police at his 86 Timothy Circle home late Thursday night, according to a release issued by Commissioner William J. Fitchet’s office.

The victim, who required medical treatment for her injuries, including stitches to her fingers, told police the incident began at Bigelow’s home early Thursday afternoon when the two began arguing over his drug use.

Bigelow began striking the woman, held a knife to her face and ripped off her clothes. He then swung the knife, lacerating her fingers and burned her in the forehead with the lit cigarette while threatening to kill her, according to the release.

When the victim broke free and dialed 911, Bigelow grabbed the phone, hung it up and began hitting the woman again, the release states. Police called back, but Bigelow refused to allow the woman to answer the phone and forced the woman to load her two children into her a car and drive them to her apartment which is elsewhere in the city.

The victim, bleeding and clad only in her underwear initially complied and then convinced Bigelow to allow her to drive them back to Bigelow’s home. Once there, the woman escaped and ran to a friend’s house. Bigelow followed and then fled when he learned that police had been called.

Police reached Bigelow by phone and advised him to turn himself in. At about 10:45 p.m., the suspect called police and said that he wanted to turn himself. Police then arrested the suspect at his home.

Bigelow was charged with domestic assault and battery, two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon (knife and lit cigarette), kidnapping, intimidation of a witness, malicious damage under $250 and threat to commit a crime.

Obituaries today: Richard Hagberg, 69, of Springfield; was school bus driver, served in Air National Guard

0
0

Obituaries from The Republican today.

Richard Hagberg 81211.jpgRichard F. Hagberg

SPRINGFIELD - Richard F. Hagberg, 69, of the Hungry Hill section of Springfield, died Wednesday at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. He was born in Springfield on October 11, 1941, a son of the late Clarence E. Hagberg and Anna M. (Kenney) Griffin and was a graduate of the former Springfield Trade High School. Richard served in the Air National Guard from 1962 to 1968. He was employed for 28 years as a school bus driver at First Student Transportation Company in Springfield. He was also employed at Hamilton Standard in Windsor Locks, Conn., and the Moore Drop Forge Company in Springfield. He enjoyed flying and was a licensed pilot for many years. As a hobby, Richard could be found working on his vehicles.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Catherine Greig due to be arraigned on charges of helping mob boss 'Whitey' Bulger avoid capture

0
0

She was indicted this week on a charge of conspiracy to harbor and conceal a fugitive.

Catherine Greig 81111.jpgCatherine Greig

BOSTON – The longtime girlfriend of reputed Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger faces arraignment next week on charges she helped him avoid capture for 16 years.

Catherine Greig is to be arraigned Thursday. She was indicted this week on a charge of conspiracy to harbor and conceal a fugitive. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Greig has been held since she and Bulger were arrested in California in June after fleeing Massachusetts in 1995.

Bulger has pleaded not guilty to charges he participated in 19 murders while he led a local crime gang and was an FBI informant.

Greig’s lawyer has said Greig didn’t know the extent of Bulger’s alleged crimes when she left with him. Prosecutors say Greig actively helped Bulger evade authorities and is still a risk to flee.

Construction worker who accidentally cut himself with saw in Holyoke taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment

0
0

The accident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. at Appleton and Main streets.


View Larger Map

HOLYOKE - A worker with Ludlow Construction Co., who accidentally cut himself in the face, neck and chest with a saw Friday morning at Appleton and Main streets, was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment of what police described as “significant, but non-life-threatening,” injuries.

Police Lt. Michael J. Higgins said the man had been in a trench cutting a cement pipe when the saw he was using bucked back and cut him. The accident occurred shortly before 8 a.m.

Additional information was not available.

Viewing all 62489 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images