James P. Sefton surrendered at the Central Berkshire Courthouse after learning a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

PITTSFIELD - The third suspect in the stabbing death of William Catalano last week in Pittsfield surrendered to authorities Monday morning at Central Berkshire District Court and was charged with murder, according to the office of Berkshire District Attorney Paul J. Caccaviello.

Jason P. Sefton, 20, of Lake St., Pittsfield, was arraigned Monday morning on the murder charge. He entered an innocent plea and Judge Jennifer Tyne ordered him held without the right to bail at Berkshire County House of Correction. He is due back in court on Nov. 16 for a hearing.

Sefton is the third person arrested in the Oct. 15 killing of Catalano. The 34-year-old Pittsfield man was found lying on the sidewalk on Robbins Avenue after residents called police about a fight.

Catalano died roughly 90 minutes later at the hospital. An autopsy determined he had been stabbed and beaten.

Anthony O. Boone, 22, of 274 Bradford Street, and Bruce D. Romano,28, of 126 Elizabeth St. were each the day after the killing. Each has pleaded innocent to a murder charge and each is being held without the right to bail.

Sefton was identified early on as a suspect but his whereabouts could not be determined. An arrest warrant was issued for him last week, and he appeared at the courthouse Monday morning to surrender.

Investigators found the unit had no functioning smoke detectors.

CHICOPEE -  The woman who was hospitalized following a Friday night fire at Doverbrook Estates on Meadowbrook Lane has died of injuries, according to officials.

The woman was rescued by firefighters who began resuscitation before transporting her to the hospital by ambulance. She was first taken to a local hospital and then transferred to another hospital in Boston.

According to a statement issued by state Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni and Chicopee Fire Chief Dean F. Desmarais, they were notified that the woman died of injuries.

Her name is not being disclosed to the press.

According to officials, the fire at 25 Meadowbrook Lane started as a result of improper disposal of smoking materials.

Firefighters had difficulty finding and rescuing the woman from the apartment because of what officials described as excessive clutter inside.

It was reported at about 10:20 p.m.

The investigation also found there were no functioning smoke detectors in the residence, and that the four-unit condominium building did not have fire sprinklers.  When it was constructed, sprinklers were not required, as they are now.

Last week, the number stood at 127, including 62 confirmed, with 4 suspected and 2 confirmed in Massachusetts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has received a total of 155 reports to date of patients under investigation for acute flaccid myelitis.

The number of suspected cases in Massachusetts is now five, an increase of one over last week, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The polio-like condition, which mainly affects children and manifests as weakness in the muscles and reflexes that can result in paralysis, is rare, but has been on the increase since 2014 in the United States.

Last week in issuing an alert on the increase, the CDC had said this number stood at 127 cases of patients under investigation (PUIs), including 62 confirmed cases this year in 22 states.

The condition is said to affect the body's nervous system, causing inflammation in the spinal cord and interfering with the transmission of nerve signals to and from the brain. It is partially diagnosis through an MRI.

No predominate pathogen has been found to date among the confirmed cases, according to the CDC, though the presence of non-polio enteroviruses has been associated with a few.

None of the earlier cases the CDC has said it investigated were found to have the poliovirus.

There is no specific treatment, though some hospitals are said to have treated with immunotherapy, including corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and/or plasma exchange to improve patient outcome on a long-term basis.

The CDC said on its website that it had recently received increased reports for PUIs with onset of symptoms in August and September, and that it would be releasing weekly Monday updates "so people can better anticipate increases in confirmed cases over the coming months."

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed two cases of acute flaccid myelitis in the state last week.

Parents are urged to ensure their children are up-to-date on vaccination requirements, to engage in proper hygiene when changing diapers and to not send ill children to school or day care or to expose babies to them.

The onset sometimes presents first as a respiratory condition and then progress to muscle weakness, including facial droop or weakness.  Parents are urged to contact their healthcare provider if they notice such symptoms. 

Avenatti says he will bring a fighter mentality to beat President Donald Trump.

Attorney Michael Avenatti said Monday that he will decide in the next 60 to 90 days whether to run for president in 2020.

The Democrat has visited 15 states in three months and plans to visit eight more. He said he will base his decision on who else enters the race, whether he wants to "turn my life upside down" and subject his family to that, and whether he could live with a decision not to run if President Donald Trump is re-elected.

"I think there is a very limited number of people that can actually displace this president in 2020, and I don't think you're going to displace him by talking about puppies and daisies and giving inspiration to America," Avenatti said. "I think you're going to have to take the fight to him."

Avenatti gained national attention for his representation of Stephanie Clifford, the porn star known as Stormy Daniels, in her lawsuit against Trump. Trump's lawyer allegedly paid Daniels before the 2016 election to keep quiet about her affair with Trump.

Avenatti also represented one of the women who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

The New York Times profiled Avenatti as a media savvy, hard-hitting lawyer from Los Angeles who relishes high-stakes, high-profile cases. He did campaign opposition research for Rahm Emanuel's firm in the 1990s before going to law school.

Avenatti spoke to a reporter from The Republican/MassLive.com in Cambridge. He was visiting the Boston area to help launch a pro-Democratic political action committee on his way to a campaign trip in New Hampshire.

Avenatti's reasons for considering a presidential run seem to be more about the campaign than the job. "I think (Democrats) have a number of strong candidates. I think they have a number of people that would make an exceptional president," Avenatti said. "They do not have a number of people that can beat Donald Trump."

Avenatti said he matches up well against Trump, and he is only considering a run because Trump would be his opponent. 

"I'm willing to take a lot of punishment, and I'm also willing to provide a lot of punishment," Avenatti said.

Avenatti's critique of the Democratic Party is about method, not policy. "The party has consistently been on the right side of issue after issue after issue in my view but hasn't necessarily engaged in the proper process or had a fighter mentality," he said. He believes too many Democrats continue to underestimate Trump's political strength.

Avenatti said there is little reason to think the way to beat Trump is by fielding a politician who is "similar to the other 16 or 17 very experienced, qualified politicians that he beat in 2016."

Avenatti warns in harsh terms about what he calls the "dire consequences for the republic" should Trump be re-elected, starting with the president's ability to reshape the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Asked whether he believes the president has committed an impeachable offense, Avenatti said, "I think there's likely a number of things, but I don't think we have the concrete facts and the evidence yet to support it, with the emphasis on yet."

"I don't consider myself to be a savior or a chosen one or anything of that nature," Avenatti said. "But I have a unique skill set for this particular moment in time as it relates to this dumpster fire of a presidency that we find ourselves having to experience."

"The answer to Donald Trump is not to be kinder or gentler or more noble," Avenatti added. "I am generally for all of those things. But at this point, the people that depend on Democrats to protect their rights and the ideals that they hold so dear can no longer afford our gentleness."

'We're building a real community hub,' said new owner Greg Monette.

"This has always been my dream," said Greg Monette, who put down his tools for a moment on Monday to describe his plans to re-open and revive the Chesterfield General Store.

"We're calling it the Chesterfield General Store and Cafe," the local resident said of his nascent rural hilltop establishment. "We hope to open around the holidays."

Monette was helping to build a beehive-shaped brick oven, and an electrical contractor was hard at work inside. The building -- which once presented a shabby face to Rt. 143 -- sported a fresh coat of deep blue paint, a sunflower-yellow front door, new windows, and an addition out back.

When the store closed in 2014 after more than 40 years, former owner Denise Kellog said that the business, which anchored a community of 1,200, was no longer viable.

Monette, who lives in West Chesterfield with his wife and their two young sons, said he plans a diverse business model.

"We're going to offer great local food," he said. "We're welcoming local people and outdoor enthusiasts. Cyclists, runners, hikers. Hunters and snowmobilers, too. There's a lot of natural beauty here. We plan to be here for everybody."

The cafe will have a liquor license, wi-fi, an espresso machine, and a woodstove. The venue will provide full-service catering, an event space, and indoor and outdoor seating.

Monette said that since the store closed, people in Chesterfield have to drive 30 to 45 minutes round-trip for a half-gallon of milk. For many residents, the nearest store is in Williamsburg.

"The emphasis is on local," he said. "I'm working with local building contractors. We'll offer products from local vendors. We'll have locally-sourced food, including coffee, meats, eggs, and seasonal produce."

Monette spoke with pride and affection of his wife, Kristen Hanley, who is assistant farm manager at Cold Spring Orchard in Belchertown.

"We'll have a grand supply of the best apples in the valley," he said. "I want this place to be a mecca."

Monette bought the property in late 2016 for $100,000, land records show.

"It needed a lot of work," he said. "But as you can see, I'm pouring my heart and soul into this. We're building a real community hub."

Driver Nina Adasiewicz, 21, died of injuries in the crash.

SUFFIELD - Police are seeking help from the public in locating any witnesses to a fatal accident Friday night on Boston Neck Road that left a 21-year-old East Granby woman dead.

Police said the accident occurred at around 9 p.m. in the area of 500 Boston Neck Road near a one-lane bridge crossing Stony Brook. Officers arrived on scene to find a single car involved in a crash and two people injured.

Both were taken to the hospital, and the driver, identified at Nina Adasiewicz, 21, of East Granby, later died.

Investigators are trying to reconstruct events leading up to the crash. 

Police ask that anyone who witnessed the crash should call the department at 860-668-3870.

Anyone who was on Boston Neck Road or the vicinity one hour before the accident and who saw the car, a blue Honda, is asked to call too.

U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Brookline, spoke out Monday against the Trump administration's reported push to roll back Obama-era protections for transgender individuals, arguing that the effort underscores the importance of Massachusetts' anti-discrimination laws.

U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Brookline, spoke out Monday against the Trump administration's reported push to roll back Obama-era protections for transgender individuals, arguing that the effort underscores the importance of Massachusetts' anti-discrimination laws. 

Kennedy, who chairs the Congressional LGBT Caucus' Transgender Equality Task Force, took issue with reports that the Trump administration is considering modifying the federal definition of gender to state it's a biological condition determined at birth. 

Arguing that there's no evidence to support the idea that defining gender as a biologic condition benefits health, welfare or well-being, the congressman cast the proposed change as "pure politics and politics at its worst."

"This administration never ceases to amaze me in its complete disregard for the humanity of American citizens," he said in an interview. "In a country that our president and government like to say is the greatest democracy on Earth, (to say) our citizens don't have the ability to be true to who they are ... that's nothing short of civil rights."

Elizabeth Warren slams Trump administration's reported push to roll back transgender protections

With the future of federal protections for transgender individuals uncertain, Kennedy contended that it's even more important for Massachusetts voters to support a state ballot question to uphold a July 2016 law, which added gender identity to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination in places of public accommodation.

"It means the election -- the ballot initiative and election in November -- take on all that more importance," he said. "We see the federal government try to deny protections and rescind them, Massachusetts has the opportunity to take a step forward. ... I expect the people in Massachusetts are up for that, and I'll be working to make sure we win on Election Day."

Kennedy, who said he found out about the proposed definition change from a New York Times article, urged the administration to reconsider its stance on transgender protections. 

"This administration, from day one, has been targeting members of the trans community, including students in schools. This isn't a one-off, it's a strategic and systemic attack from students to soldiers, to now every single other American," he said. "It's disappointing. This new effort to redefine someone out of existence doesn't mean they actually go away -- they have a chance to be on the right side of history."

Massachusetts lawmakers again slam Trump administration's push to ban transgender military service members

The Brookline Democrat, however, noted that previous efforts to reach out to agency officials on transgender rights-related issues largely went unanswered.

He, for example, pointed to a Feb. 13 letter sent to the Departments of State, Defense, Health and Human Services, Education, Treasury, Justice, Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security, in which the Transgender Equality Task Force called for an "end to discriminatory government policies" and requested a roundtable meeting with officials. 

Kennedy said his office has yet to receive a response from HHS. Only the State Department, meanwhile, had agreed to meet with the caucus, he said.

The New York Times reported Sunday that the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services is pushing an effort to establish a legal definition of sex under the federal civil rights law that bans gender discrimination in federally funded education programs.

HHS argued in a memo, which the newspaper reportedly obtained, that government agencies should adopt a uniform definition of gender based on biology, "that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable," according to the Times. It has proposed defining it as either "male or female, unchangeable and determined by the genitals that a person is born with," the newspaper reported.

Trump told reporters Monday that his administration was "looking at" the definition change.

"We have a lot of different concepts right now. They have a lot of different things happening with respect to transgender rights now. You know that as well as I do and we're looking at it very seriously," he said, according to White House pool reports. 

The president added that he's committed to "protecting everybody."

"You know what I'm doing? I'm protecting everybody. I want to protect our country," he reportedly said.

Isaac Howard, 40, pleaded guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon from an April 2015 beating incident in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD -- Defense lawyer Daniel D. Kelly was telling a Hampden Superior Court judge why his client would "never darken the court's door again."

Kelly said Isaac Howard, 40, has realized being a parent is important.

Judge John S. Ferrara asked how old Howard's children are. They're 7 and 12, Kelly told him.

Ferrara shook his head and said, "If he's got a 12-year-old child and is just realizing parenting is important."

Ferrara said he was "on the fence" about whether the three-year state prison sentence being recommended by prosecution and defense for Howard was enough.

The judge did end up sentencing Howard, of Springfield, to three years in state prison followed by a year's probation. Howard pleaded guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery for an April 2015 incident.

Howard was arrested in February on a warrant, issued from a 2015 grand jury indictment for the crimes. 

Assistant District Attorney Lee Baker said police responding to a report of shots fired around 6 p.m. on April 10, 2015 on Oak Grove Avenue found Howard, who had been shot.

He said surveillance video showed Howard, before being shot but after a fistfight, strike Brent Giles on the head with an object he took from his waistband. Although the faces were clear on the video, the object in Howard's hand was not, Baker said.

The fight continued and Giles fired seven shots in Howard's direction, Baker said. 

In May 2017 Giles, 23, pleaded guilty to shooting Howard and was sentenced to five years in state prison followed by three years probation.

He pleaded guilty to armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license (second offense), and illegal possession of ammunition.

Kelly said the gunshot wound in Howard's leg caused severe scarring and a lifelong injury resulting in a limp. 

He said Howard's arrest in this case and the shooting caused Howard to have "some serious soul-searching."

As part of the plea agreement the enhancement on the assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charge was dropped. Howard was charged as a person with two prior violent or drug crimes for which he received more than a three year sentence.

Ferrara said Howard's criminal record was the reason he was hesitant to accept the three-year recommendation.

The 146,000-square-foot Southworth Paper Mill at 36 Canal St. in Turners Falls has no heat, no power, no working sprinklers and no fire alarms. Watch video

MONTAGUE -- Frustrated by an unresponsive Southworth Paper Co., the Turners Falls fire chief this week will change locks at the old Southworth Mill, put a fire department padlock on the gate and post the building as no unauthorized entry.

Fire Chief John Zellmann said Monday he'll be the only one who can authorize anyone to go inside.

A Franklin Superior Court judge gave the Turners Falls Fire Department permission Friday to secure the building during a hearing in Greenfield.

The district and the town of Montague, of which Turners Falls is a part, sued Southworth in September. The town and fire department want Southworth to restore power, heat and fire alarms to the 146,000-square-foot building before winter, remove chemicals and other paper-making supplies and close it up against trespassers.

The mill was built in 1890.

Southworth shut down the mill abruptly in August 2017, and the company filed for bankruptcy a month later. Southworth's shutdown threw about 120 employees in in Turners Falls, Agawam and Seattle out of work. Southworth's bankruptcy petition was eventually dismissed and the company still exists, at least on paper.

"We've been through this with abandoned buildings before," Zellmann said. "They shut the door, they leave and they don't care."

Zellmann is trying to prevent a repeat of the Strathmore Mill fire. That mill, next door to Southworth, burned for 36 hours over Memorial Day weekend 2007. No one was injured, but it took 35 fire departments from three states to put it out.

An unoccupied, big, old building without alarms, heat, electricity or sprinklers is extremely dangerous, he said, particularly with the added hazard of paper-making chemicals left inside.

"By the time we find out there is a fire, it's probably going to be blowing out the windows," he said. "And then we wouldn't know if there was anyone in there. It would be extremely dangerous for our firefighters."

Zellmann said he still hopes to work with Southworth executives. He'd like to avoid having to board up the mill and pay for it out of the fire department's budget.

"You can always get a lien on the property," he said. "But if there is no company anymore and if it never sells,how do you get the money?"

Southworth already owes Montague $298,000 in unpaid 2017 and 2018 taxes and penalties, according to documents on file at the Franklin County Registry of Deeds.

Southworth sold its Agawam property and closed the offices in Seattle.

Southworth bought the Turners Falls mill in 2006.

The building, long known as Esleeck Paper Co., was built as part of a planned industrial development taking advantage of the hydropower on this stretch of the Connecticut River. The mill started off making onionskin paper for typewriters.

Southworth had a buyer for the mill, but the deal fell through. Separately, the company also scheduled an auction but canceled it.

In court papers filed earlier this year, Southworth said expenses at the mill, including payroll of just a caretaker, utilities, insurance and other operating expenses, exceeded $100,000 a month.

Read obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Here are the obituaries published Monday in The Republican:

Obituaries from The Republican, Oct. 22, 2018

Holyoke police, along with state and federal law enforcement, finished a seven-week crackdown of illicit activities, including drugs, gangs and prostitution, in the city's Churchill and Chestnut Street neighborhoods.

HOLYOKE - For the past seven weeks, Holyoke police cracked down on illicit activities along the Chestnut Street and Churchill corridors, neighborhoods plagued by drugs, gangs and prostitution.

Ward 1 City Councilor Gladys Lebron-Martinez, along with neighborhood groups, asked police for increased patrols, including around a place where prostitutes openly solicit near the Holyoke Public Library and where their clients pick them up or make arrangements.

In September, Police Chief Manny Febo, along with Lebron-Martinez and Mayor Alex B. Morse, held public meetings in the neighborhood and contacted and coordinated with property owners fed up with crime.

In a statement, Lt. Jim Albert said, "Chief Febo extends his thanks to Councilor Gladys Lebron-Martinez for her community leadership in the matter, and for working closely with the police to identify the issues and effectively communicate the problems within her ward."

The stepped-up patrols began Sept. 5 and ended Sunday, logging 28 property checks, 22 street stops, 17 motor vehicle stops, 12 gun calls, including five considered "shots fired," and six disturbance calls.

Police made 142 arrests in all, of which 105 involved the department's Narcotics/Vice Unit. Officer also recovered 14 guns.

The operation seized 15,662 bags of heroin, 96 bags of cocaine and 26 bags of crack cocaine. Heroin continues as the city's go-to drug, cheap, reliable and potent, and sometimes laced with fentanyl, a deadly kick.

Febo cited the cooperation among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies for the operation's success.

The chief thanked the Holyoke Police Narcotics Unit, Hampden district attorney's office, the FBI's Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Task Force, Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Unit, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Hampden County Sheriff's Office.

Holyoke police provided the following information on charges filed: 12 firearms violations, 38 possession of Class A drug (heroin), 17 intent to distribute Class A (heroin), 22 possession of Class B (cocaine/crack cocaine), eight intent to distribute Class B, two trafficking narcotics, two possession of Class C (pharmaceuticals), 16 trespassing, 44 various warrants, seven sex for a fee/common night walking, five with breaking and entering and one open and gross conduct.

Last week, city inspectors found unlicensed workers doing plumbing at SilverBrick Square. They were using substandard pipe and had tried to hide that fact.

SPRINGFIELD -- The developer behind SilverBrick Square, where city inspectors shut down plumbing work last week, was told Monday at a City Council subcommittee meeting that it is his responsibility to rectify permitting and other regulatory issues.

The apartment project has a tax incentive of up to $150,000 over 10 years. It's an incentive many on the council were and are skeptical of -- and one Aaron Papowitz, founder and managing principal of New York City-based SilverBrick Group, stands to lose if state and local laws are not followed.

"Our constituents need to see that you are going to do things the right way," said At-Large Councilor Jesse Lederman.

City Solicitor Edward Pikula said tax incentives require that recipients follow state laws and building codes. If recipients don't live up to those rules, the city can notify the state and the state can decertify the project.

SilverBrick Group is redeveloping 122 Chestnut St., a former YMCA, into 99 apartments. Large parts of the facility are already occupied.

Last week, city inspectors found unlicensed workers doing plumbing at SilverBrick Square. They were using substandard pipe and had tried to hide that fact by sanding off colored markings indicating the grade of pipe.

Sanding the markings is something Springfield Code Enforcement Commissioner Steven Desilets called deliberate as opposed to a mistake.

Plumbing work also was not properly vented and vent pipes were not capped, allowing sewer gas to escape into the building.

Papowitz said his contract with the general contractor, A&G Contracting Inc. of Connecticut, requires that all work is done by licensed professionals and up to code. He also said he works with A&G often, including on the renovations work at the SilverBrick Lofts complex a few blocks away on Main Street.

To that point, Desilets told councilors that the city had issues at SilverBrick Lofts as well, finding unlicensed plumbers working without permits.

"You need to take a long look at the contractors you use," Desilets told Papowitz.

Ward 1 Councilor Adam Gomez, chairman of the Economic Development Subcommittee, said he's heard from residents about ongoing plumbing issues in SilverBrick Lofts.

Plumbing work hasn't been the only regulatory issue at SilverBrick Square, the Chestnut Street project, either.

The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents in August cited a different subcontractor on the site, JLRN Home Framing of New Haven, Connecticut, for not having a valid workers' compensation policy. The state fined JLRN $300. The contractor got the required coverage and a stop-work order was lifted three days later.

Papowitz, who had been invited by Gomez to speak with the subcommittee after news of the code enforcement went public, said he and his team are working to rectify the problems.

The former plumbing subcontractor, Mikhail K. Shtefan, of West Springfield, is gone from the job, and Papowitz has hired 413 Plumbing & Heating LLC of Pittsfield at the recommendation of the Plumbers and Pipefitters union.

Papowitz said his project team has prepared engineering drawings of the vent work.

Desilets said the new contractor must take out a new permit before work can begin. The new contractor will then be responsible for making sure all the work is up to code.

Papowitz answered questions from councilors, but declined to take questions from The Republican following the meeting. He instead sent an emailed statement.

"The general contractor confirmed that the vast majority of the of materials for the project have been installed to code," he wrote. "However, there were mistakes made by a sub contractor who has been removed from the project and replaced with local sub contractor who will correct the mistakes."

"We are 100% committed to quality housing that benefits the Springfield community. We thank the building department inspectors for bringing this to our attention and we thank the city council, local labor groups, and Mayor Sarno for their time and efforts on this matter."

Desilets said Monday that inspectors were originally called to 122 Chestnut on a tip that plumbing work was going on without a permit. They found the work, and had the contractor get a permit.

The follow-up inspection found the improper pipe and, the unlicensed workers and the poor venting.

Desilets said state licensing authorities are investigating and could sanction Shtefan, the former plumbing subcontractor. One of the four workers doing plumbing has a license from New Jersey, not Massachusetts.

Papowitz and SilverBrick also have a deal in place to redevelop the Cabotville property in Chicopee Center using another tax incentive program. Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos said Thursday that project now deserves more scrutiny.

SilverBrick Group bought 122 Chestnut St. in Springfield in February for $4.8 million. It plans a $6.2 million renovation.

Council President Orlando Ramos said he'd like Papowitz to abide by the city's tax increment financing (TIF) ordinance requiring local labor and minority hiring. This project doesn't fall under the ordinance because the TIF ordinance passed into law after SilverBrick Square was approved.

"This is the exact problem we were hoping to avoid by passing a TIF ordinance," Ramos said.

Amore and Galvin repeatedly talked over one another and accused each other of misrepresenting facts.

In a tense debate, Democratic Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin and his Republican challenger Anthony Amore squabbled over policy and records, repeatedly talking over one another and accusing each other of misrepresenting facts.

The two candidates met Monday for 30 minutes in their only debate, hosted by Jim Braude on WGBH News' radio show "Greater Boston."

On policy, the two disagree on same day voter registration, which Galvin supports and Amore opposes. They disagree on requiring voters to show identification, which Amore supports and Galvin opposes.

"You're for showing IDs, that's the Republican playbook," Galvin said. "Republicans are into having fewer people voting. I'm into having more people voting."

Galvin said state residents may be asked for identification if their identity is in doubt or if they are an inactive voter.

Amore responded that Democratic former president Jimmy Carter supported the use of voter identification, and voters at the Democratic State Convention had to show identification in order to vote.

"People need to feel confident in the election system," Amore said.

Amore said he did not believe same day voter registration could be securely implemented.

Amore criticized Galvin for not catching three people who New Hampshire authorities say voted in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the 2016 election. Galvin said those people were Massachusetts residents, so the improper vote was in New Hampshire.

Galvin accused Amore of taking an "anti-immigrant" position for tweeting in favor of President Donald Trump's travel ban, which would have temporarily prevented people from certain countries from entering the U.S.

Galvin pointed to a tweet in which Amore wrote, "Fortunately, there is no Muslim ban, as more than 1 billion Muslims aren't affected."

Amore responded, "To say I'm anti-immigrant is a lie."

Amore said he agrees with Galvin that the 2020 census should not ask a question about citizenship.

Amore accused Galvin of not having a strategic plan for his office to tell voters what he plans to do over the next few years. 

Galvin called a strategic plan "bureaucratic babble" and "nonsense."

Galvin criticized Amore for not showing up to Swampscott town meetings after he was elected a Town Meeting member. Wicked Local reported that Amore attended only one-and-a-half of 10 town meetings when he held that volunteer job over two three-year terms.

Amore said "family issues" prohibited his participation, and he has an "exemplary record" showing up for his paid job as security head at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. 

Galvin also criticized Amore for not voting in 14 elections, mostly local ones but also including state elections in 2010 and 2013.

Amore said Galvin does not attend meetings of the state historic commission, which he heads. Galvin said he properly runs the commission and has designees on it.

Amore implied that Galvin acted improperly by giving a historic tax credit to a donor, while Galvin said his office gives historic tax credits to anyone who is qualified.

Boston Police are warning fans about being taken at the old ball game by people selling counterfeit World Series tickets.

BOSTON - The World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox opens Tuesday night, and the Boston police have couple of words of warning for fans thinking of buying tickets from some guy off the street.

Caveat emptor.

That's Latin for let the buyer beware.

The Boston Police issued a counterfeit ticket advisory, lest anyone is considering  shelling out bushels of cash to a scalper for World Series tickets.  Some guy on the street could just be some guy out to take advantage of you, and there's no guarantee the tickets are even real.

"The Boston Police Department would like to take this opportunity to remind fans to be alert, aware and wary of purchasing counterfeit tickets for the 2018 Fall Classic between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers," reads a statement on the BPDNews, the Boston police's information webpage

"Simply put, fans who choose to purchase tickets from a secondary source are taking a chance."

People are encouraged to purchase tickets through reputable ticket vendors, such as StubHub or Ace Ticket.

With tickets for game 1 costing around $500 for the deepest part of the center field bleachers, to and $25,000 for behind the dugouts, and fans willing to pay it, it would be perfectly understandable for the less-than-honest types to want a piece of that action.

"The old-buyer-beware axiom most certainly applies, those purchasing from secondary sources do so at the buyer's risk," the statement notes.

"Officers want to proactively curb such activity and encourage buyers to only purchase from official vendors. Purchasing via other means creates the potential for possessing either an invalid or counterfeit ticket."

A fire at the former Diamond Match property in East Forest Park was deemed suspicious by city investigators.

SPRINGFIELD -- The City Council delayed a hearing on Monday night regarding a wood recycling company at the former Diamond Match property in East Forest Park after a weekend fire at the site and a no-show by the owner at the meeting.

The council voted 7-5 to postpone the hearing after no representatives of the company, Armster Reclaimed Lumber, appeared to present its request for a special permit.

Armster operates at the former Diamond Match property at 125 Paridon St., and adjacent parcels, but was informed it needed a special permit to operate a wood recycling center there.

Residents who came Monday to speak in opposition to the permit were not heard because of the postponement but said they will be back. The council plans to resume the hearing at its next hearings night, Nov. 26.

Jimmy Opitz, a resident of Gilman Street who abuts the property, tried to speak in opposition to the permit, but was told he needs to wait for the rescheduled hearing.

"This property has been an eyesore for 10 years," Opitz said in an interview.

The property was sold three years ago, and rather than become better under the new owners, it has just become a "bigger and bigger mess," he said.

The business owner, listed as Klaas Armster, told The Republican on Friday that he believed the hearing would be postponed. Some of the officials said Monday he may have assumed he did not need to appear, but that the hearing was still scheduled and he was expected to appear and detail his plans for the property.

On early Saturday morning, there was a fire at the property that damaged a pile of heavy timbers. The fire remains under investigation, but was listed as suspicious, a Fire Department spokesman said.

A Fire Department inspection occurred on Oct. 12, and the company was notified thereafter that it needed to clear all lumber that is staged outside the fenced area in the front parking lot, and to provide access throughout the property to allow all fire vehicles access in and around the property, the report said.

Armster on Friday said it might take two to three weeks to fully comply with the inspection report.

The Planning Department, in a report to the City Council after the inspection, but prior to the fire, said it recommended the council not act on the permit request until the cleanup occurred.

Some councilors argued for people to be allowed to speak at Monday's hearing, while others argued that it should wait for the November meeting rather than risk any legal issues.

Another neighborhood resident, Mary Russell of Eloise Street, said she came to the hearing to oppose the permit.

"This is a residential area," Russell said. "We have children living there, we don't need that kind of recycling center. Our property values will go down. None of the councilmen live in that area. We live there."

Those voting to continue the hearing to a new date were Marcus Williams, E. Henry Twiggs, Kenneth Shea, Adam Gomez, Kateri Walsh, Timothy Allen and Orlando Ramos.

Those voting to against the continuance were Michael Fenton, Jesse Lederman, Melvin Edwards, Tracye Whitfield and Timothy Ryan. Some of those objecting to the continuance said they first wanted to give residents an opportunity to speak.

Councilor Justin Hurst was absent.

A section of Elm Street is blocked off to traffic.

 GREENFIELD - A pedestrian was struck by a motor vehicle and killed Monday night on Elm Street, according to reports.

The Greenfield Recorder cites police sources saying the pedestrian, an unidentified man, was hit at about 7:15 p.m. in the area of Elm and Oak Courts. He was killed at the scene.

The paper reports that a section of Elm Street remains blocked off by several emergency vehicles while police investigate the site.

This is a developing story and more information will be added as it is known.

He had been in remission since late 2008. Watch video

Roman Reigns announced Monday that he is relinquishing the WWE Universal Championship and taking a leave of absence from the ring as he once again fights leukemia.

The 33-year-old WWE superstar had been in remission since late 2008. 

"I've been living with leukemia for 11 years, and unfortunately it's back," Reigns said during the broadcast of "Monday Night RAW" on USA Network. "I'm going to have to relinquish the Universal Championship." 

He added, "I'm not going to lie. I will take every prayer you can send my way, but I am not looking for sympathy."

His remarks drew stunned silence at first from the crowd, followed by chants of "Thank you, Roman" as he placed the championship belt on the ring floor.

News of his health problems, drew statements of support on social media from his peers.

John Cena tweeted, "'Courage - strength in the face of pain or grief.' You have given us your everything including a courageously vulnerable moment. We, your WWE family, give you all of our love and support. #ThankYouRoman #NeverGiveUp"

"An amazing human being, an incredible performer & a man I'm proud to be friends with. My thoughts & prayers are with you & your family. Get well soon, champ!," Matt Hardy tweeted.

Mike Kannelis added on Twitter, "Roman is one of the nicest people I've ever had the privilege to share a locker room with. We all knew he was the locker room leader and we all aspired to be like him. Come back stronger than ever my friend."

Born Leati Joseph Anoa`i in Pensacola, Florida, Reigns is a cousin of four former wrestlers Yokozuna, Rikishi, Umaga and The Tonga Kid and a cousin once removed of the tag team The Usos and wrestler-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. 

Prior coming to the WWE, the  Georgia Institute of Technology graduate played for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League.

He and his wife of nearly four years, Galina Joelle Becker, are parents of a daughter and twin boys.

"I've been living with leukemia for 11 years, and unfortunately it's back...I'm going to have to relinquish the Universal Championship." - @WWERomanReigns #RAW pic.twitter.com/WnT4qyBUSx

-- WWE (@WWE) October 23, 2018

The FBI and local police responded to an address near the home of philanthropist George Soros after an object that appeared to be an explosive was found in a mailbox.

BEDFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- The FBI and local police responded to an address near the home of philanthropist George Soros after an object that appeared to be an explosive was found in a mailbox, according to authorities.

The Bedford Police Department said it responded to the address in the hamlet of Katonah at 3:45 p.m. Monday after an employee of the residence opened the package.

The person placed the package in a wooded area and called police, who alerted the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives.

We are conducting an investigation at and around a residence in Bedford, NY. There is no threat to public safety, and we have no further comment at this time.

-- FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) October 23, 2018

The FBI's New York field office said on Twitter that it was "conducting an investigation at and around a residence in Bedford, NY.  There is no threat to public safety, and we have no further comment at this time."

A message emailed to Soros' foundation wasn't immediately returned.

Soros, a billionaire who made his fortune in hedge funds, has donated heavily to liberal causes and is vilified on the right.

He is also the subject of many unfounded conspiracy theories. Recently, conservative critics have, without evidence, accused him of secretly financing a caravan of Central American migrants to make their way north toward Mexico and the U.S.

Others have falsely accused him of being a Nazi collaborator during World War II, when he was a child in Hungary.

Activists frequently post the addresses of homes he owns in Westchester County, north of New York City, on social media sometimes accompanied by ill wishes.

FBI officials didn't respond to requests for more information late Monday.

President Donald Trump rallied support for his onetime foe Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Monday, burying a bitter, "nasty" feud with a man that he long referred to as "Lyin' Ted" during the 2016 presidential primary campaign. Watch video

HOUSTON -- President Donald Trump rallied support for his onetime foe Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Monday, burying a bitter, "nasty" feud with a man that he long referred to as "Lyin' Ted" during the 2016 presidential primary campaign.

In a wide-ranging speech with the midterms only 15 days away, Trump also took aim at "globalists," proclaimed himself a "nationalist," claimed without evidence that illegal immigrants are voting in large numbers and vastly inflated the crowd watching his remarks outside.

And Trump again touted a "10 percent tax cut for middle income families" that he insisted were coming "next week" - although lawmakers will not be in Washington to pass them and most of Capitol Hill have been flummoxed at his vow of a new round of tax cuts.

Taking the podium at the Toyota Center, Trump embraced Cruz, whom he called "a man who has become a really good friend of mine," and jokingly made reference to their bitter war of words two years ago.

"We had our little difficulties. But actually if you remember in the beginning it was a love fest," said Trump of Cruz, who famously refused to endorse him at the Republican National Convention in 2016. "Then it got nasty. And then it ended, and I'll tell you what: Nobody has helped me more."

Cruz, speaking before Trump, hailed the president as "a man who has presided over record jobs, record unemployment" and said he looks forward to hitting the campaign trail for his reelection campaign.

"In 2020, Donald Trump will be overwhelmingly reelected as president of the United States," Cruz said, prompting a chorus of cheers from the crowd.

https://t.co/flKQuv9MnX

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2018

In remarks before he left Washington for Texas, Trump said he had come up with a new nickname for Cruz: "He's not Lyin' Ted anymore. He's Beautiful Ted. I call him Texas Ted."

Trump and Cruz memorably exchanged some sharp - and personal - barbs during their 2016 White House battle. Trump's favorite nickname for Cruz was "Lyin' Ted," a moniker that Cruz's Democratic opponent, Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas, recently borrowed to mock Cruz during a Senate debate.

Trump had also ridiculed Cruz's wife, Heidi, during the 2016 campaign and promoted a conspiracy theory that Cruz's father was connected to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Cruz, for his part, has called Trump a "sniveling coward" and a "pathological liar." After declining to endorse Trump during the Republican National Convention, he changed course in September 2016 and begrudgingly offered his support.

On Monday night, it was all water under the bridge as Trump and Cruz appeared together onstage.

After Cruz introduced him, Trump took his time making his way down the aisle, stopping every few steps to wave and shake hands with supporters, who greeted him with deafening cheers while Cruz looked on and applauded.

When Trump finally reached the stage, he and Cruz shook hands, gave each other a hearty pat on the back and exchanged a few friendly words, then shared another embrace before Trump took the podium.

In 76-minute remarks that hit all his trademark campaign themes - among them immigration, trade and jabs at the media - Trump took aim at "globalists" and declared that his "America First" policy means "we're putting ourselves first for a change."

"A globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly not caring about our country so much," Trump said. "We can't have that."

To cheer from the crowd, Trump added: "You know what I am? I'm a nationalist."

Trump raised the specter of voter fraud, claiming without evidence that illegal immigrants are voting in large numbers in the November election.

"The illegals ... they vote anyway, and they're not supposed to," Trump said. "We've got so many people voting illegally in this country, it's a disgrace."

The president also claimed that "50,000 people" were watching his remarks outside the arena on screens put out by the campaign - a figure far higher than statistics from Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, who tweeted that about 18,000 to 19,000 people were inside the at-capacity Toyota Center, and about 3,000 were watching outside.

Inside the arena, the crowd was raucous and loud, waving campaign signs and cheering loudly for Trump and the Republican speakers who preceded him. The box seats in the arena weren't filled, although there was a crowd on the floor surrounding the stage where the president spoke.

Targeting his frequent adversaries, Trump mocked Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. - "I can no longer call her Pocahontas because she has no Indian blood" - and name-checked House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to warn against a Democratic-controlled Congress.

"To protect your state and your country, you need to elect a Republican House and a Republican Senate," Trump said. "And you need to vote for Ted Cruz."

In his remarks earlier Monday at the White House, Trump acknowledged that he and Cruz had a "very, very nasty and tough campaign," but he said they have "worked together very closely" since then.

"I like him a lot. I actually like him a lot, and he's a very smart guy. He loves the people of Texas," Trump said.

The president also said he believes O'Rourke is "highly overrated."

The Democrat drew a crowd of 55,000 people at a rally in Austin with country music star Willie Nelson last month and pulled in a staggering $38.1 million during the third fundraising quarter, more than three times Cruz's total of $12 million during the same period.

"What I heard about him, I figured he must be something a little special. He's not," Trump said, adding that O'Rourke "got beaten badly" in his debates against Cruz.

Trump visited Cruz's home city to boost momentum for his onetime foe on the first day of early voting in Texas.

The Monday evening rally was moved to the Toyota Center in downtown Houston after organizers said ticket requests swamped the seating capacity at NRG Arena, the initial venue. A Trump campaign spokesman said the smaller NRG Arena, which accommodates fewer than 10,000 people, was the only facility they could secure in time.

"Due to unprecedented demand for tickets, we continued to push for and negotiate terms for the larger capacity provided to us at the Toyota Center," the spokesman said. But a Toyota Center official told the Dallas Morning News that Trump aides reached out just a few hours before the president's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, tweeted that the rally location had been moved to the Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets, which seats more than 18,000 people.

Both venues are a far cry from Trump's promise earlier this year to campaign for Cruz in "the biggest stadium in Texas we can find."

(c) 2018, The Washington Post. Seung Min Kim, Felicia Sonmez

It's just one of the new dishes on the menu at Steven's new restaurant at an old location, 1105 Main Street in West Springfield was the Hofbrauhaus from 1935 until owner Joe Stevens closed it, and sold off most of the Bavarian knickknacks, back in April. Watch video

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The lasagna at the new 1105 Main restaurant in West Springfield has got game.

Literally.

The staff at 1105 Main makes it with wild boar and bison meat as well as fresh lasagna noodles, said chef and owner Joe Stevens.

It's just one of the new dishes on the menu at Stevens' new restaurant at an old location, 1105 Main St. in West Springfield, where the Hofbrauhaus served up meals from 1935 until Stevens closed it, and sold off most of the Bavarian knickknacks, back in April.

"We are going to be called an American eatery," said Stevens, who has owned the place since 1995.

1105 Main is the location's address although most visitors spy it off Memorial Avenue. Stevens is offering soft-opening dinners for a few weeks to try out the new menu with plans to add more dishes gradually. He'll have a grand opening Nov. 8.

The new 1105 Main will be open Thursday through Sunday.

Renovations include new doors. The old Rathskeller room is now a bar room with seating, and there will be a small dining room off it. He's torn up the carpet in another dining room, revealing the old hardwood floors. A third dining space is not used anymore, but Stevens said it might be come a brewery or a distally in the future.

His wife, Liz Stevens, added that 1105 Main will offer American food with a heavy Italian influence. German favorites might show up from time to time as temporary "chalkboard" specials, she said.

And with a smoked flavor, too. Stevens, who'd been experimenting with smokers for years, has now set up a professional-grade one on the restaurant's patio capable of doing 120 pounds of meat at a time. So that means he's serving smoked wings as bar food.

"And we are just making it fun, light and easy," he said.

The plan is to charge $25 or less for an entree. The restaurant has lots of TVs and an open, bright feel.

That's in contrast to the Hofbrauhaus which had a formal, Continental ambiance. While well remembered and beloved, Stevens said, the Hofbrahaus' style is no longer in fashion.

"The white tablecloth days are over," Stevens said. "People don't want that anymore. I want this to be a place where people want to go to relax, have a good meal and a beer."

Make that a cold beer. Stevens bought a new beer tap system from Latvia. Shaped like a giant industrial pipe, Stevens said it weighs 900 pounds and took three weeks to install. The taps deliver the beer at exactly 29 to 30 degrees. 

"The new tap system is unreal," Stevens said. "This is the coldest beer I've ever had in my life."

He's planning to stock a lot of Massachusetts microbrewed beer in addition to the German favorites of the Hofbrauhaus days.

Liz Stevens said sons, Eric Waldman and Alex Waldman, have moved to the area to help run the new restaurant. Both have extensive restaurant experience in New York.

Staff from the Hofbrauhaus are also returning, Liz Stevens said.