Geovanny Hernandez, 24, of Springfield, denied charges including armed assault with intent to murder, accused of driving into a police officer July 3 in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD -- Geovonny Hernandez, the man shot by Springfield police after allegedly driving into an officer this summer, denied charges Thursday in Hampden Superior Court.

Hernandez, 24, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty to six charges in all, including armed assault with intent to murder.

He had been held without right to bail since shortly after the incident July 3. A hearing has been set for Oct. 31 to determine if the prosecution can keep him in jail without right to bail longer on the grounds that he is too dangerous to release under any conditions.

Timonthy Farris was appointed to represent Hernandez in the case prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Christopher McDonald. Judge Daniel M. Wrenn allowed Farris' requests for funds for a private investigator, an accident reconstruction specialist and a firearm specialist to work for the defense.

The incident unfolded outside 68 Fort Pleasant St. after police said they saw Hernandez bring a gun there and transfer it to someone else. An officer said he watched the transaction via binoculars while doing surveillance on that address during a drug investigation.

Police said Hernandez drove his car into Officer Darrin Fitzpatrick after officers tried to stop him at the corner of Forest Street and Belmont Avenue a short time later. Fitzpatrick landed on the car's hood.

According to the arrest report: "Fearing that he was facing a lethal threat and that he may be killed by Mr. Hernandez, Officer Fitzpatrick raised his hand which held his department-issued handgun and fired his weapon at (Hernandez) in an effort to stop the threat of being fatally injured."

Hernandez accelerated away, and Fitzpatrick was thrown off the hood and into a cement barrier.

Police stopped Hernandez again about a half-mile away on Kensington Avenue, near the intersection of Oakland Street. Officers provided first aid until an ambulance arrived. Hernandez was bleeding heavily from the chest, police said.

Fitzpatrick was treated at the hospital and released later that night. Hernandez was released from the hospital July 9, according to police.

About a dozen people were arrested on drug charges from the investigation of 68 Fort Pleasant Ave. Some were alleged to be customers and some were charged as drug dealers.

Hernandez was initially arraigned in Springfield District Court in July on 22 charges. The district court case ended when he was indicted on six charges by a Hampden Superior Court grand jury.

In addition to the charge of armed assault with intent to murder, Hernandez is now charged with illegal possession of a firearm, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, assault and battery on a police officer, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The dangerous weapon is the vehicle Hernandez was driving.

Charges against Hernandez in Springfield District Court that did not carry over to Hampden Superior Court are five counts of distribution of heroin, two counts of distribution of cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and a count each of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to violate the drug laws, driving with a suspended license, larceny of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, failure to stop for police, improper storage of a large-capacity firearm or feeding device, and  possession of a large-capacity firearm or feeding device in commission of a felony.

The number confirms earlier state estimates, but is also significantly higher than the national average.

A new study estimates that 4.6 percent of Massachusetts residents had opioid use disorder in 2015.

The number confirms earlier state estimates, but is also significantly higher than the national average -- something the author says is due to a more comprehensive method for identifying people.

"You can't help people that you don't know exist," said Dr. Joshua Barocas, an infectious disease physician and researcher at Boston Medical Center and the study's lead author. "This is a way to put a number on the problem."

The study was published online Thursday by the American Journal of Public Health.

Nationally, the commonly used estimate for the number of people addicted to opioids is around 1 percent of the population. Although New England is thought to have higher addiction rates than other parts of the country, Barocas said there are few good statewide estimates.

However, a report by Massachusetts' Executive Office of Health and Human Services last year did give a similar estimate, that over 4 percent of state residents had opioid use disorder in 2015.

Barocas' study looked at data from 2011 to 2015, and found that opioid use disorder rose from 2.72 percent to 4.6 percent during that time.

The analysis was made possible by a new linked database, which Massachusetts created in 2015 in response to the opioid epidemic. That database, maintained by state public health officials, links data from 16 different sources of information about individuals. 

Most prior studies were based on only a single database, generally involving health care claims that cover hospital stays and outpatient care. This database is able to capture a wider range of people by also looking at ambulance trips, birth and death records and prescriptions. 

Researchers used mathematical models to estimate the population of people with opioid use disorder who did not have any contact with the health care system.

Barocas said there is no way to know for sure whether other states are undercounting people with substance use problems or whether the number is unusually high in Massachusetts. He said the numbers should be used to drive decisions about how much money is put into addressing addiction and where the money should go. 

The study broke down the data by age and county. It found that the biggest increase in prevalence of addiction was among young people ages 11 to 25. In that age group, the number of people with substance use disorder jumped from an estimated 5,100 in 2011 to 23,000 by 2015. 

It also found a higher prevalence of addiction in rural areas. The highest rates of addiction were in Berkshire, Bristol, Hampden and Barnstable counties, with more than 5 percent of each county's population estimated to have substance use disorder.

Barocas speculated that there is a lot of heroin and fentanyl out there, and rural counties tend to have fewer treatment providers. 

Massachusetts politicians have been focusing on opioid addiction in recent years, amid a growing epidemic of overdose deaths. Lawmakers have passed three major addiction-related bills since 2014.

Addiction has also come up in the governor's race, where Gov. Charlie Baker released an ad Thursday featuring the father of a young man who died of an opioid overdose. 

Jose Rodriguez, 32, is charged with felony crimes of breaking and entering of a building and a motor vehicle in the nighttime.

SPRINGFIELD - Police arrested a man accused of breaking into a home and a vehicle about three hours after the crimes occurred.

Jose Rodriguez, 32, of Oakland Street, is being charged with breaking and entering into a building in the nighttime, breaking and entering into a motor vehicle in the nighttime, possession of burglary tools and possession of a double-edged knife, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman.

The break-ins occurred shortly after midnight on Rittenhouse Street and police investigating the crime received a description of a suspect in the crimes, he said.

At about 2:40 p.m. officers spotted Rodriguez, who matched the description, at the intersection of Island Pond and Surrey roads. They stopped him and found him carrying a double-edge knife, ski mask, flashlight, screwdriver and other items connected to the crime, Walsh said.

Upon further investigation Rodriguez was arrested at about 3:20 a.m., he said.

It's the third Walmart location in Massachusetts that sells alcohol, joining 36 Paramount Drive in Raynham and 352 Palmer Road in Ware.

WESTFIELD -- Walmart has sold beer, wine and liquor at its Supercenter at 141 Springfield Road (Route 20) for about a month now, a fact store officials plan to highlight at an official announcement Friday.

The mega-retailer plans to show off a number of renovations at the store, including a new electronics department with interactive displays and updated pharmacy space that gives customers the ability to scan their own prescriptions for refilling.

It's the third Walmart location in Massachusetts that sells alcohol, joining 36 Paramount Drive in Raynham and 352 Palmer Road in Ware.

Westfield Walmart is open 24 hours, but alcohol sales are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, according to the store's website.

Walmart bought the liquor license from the independently owned Pop the Cork in March 2017 for $140,000. Pop the Cork, now closed, had been located in a small rented space near the East Silver Street Big Y, 2.5 miles away from Walmart, for more than 30 years.

Walmart used a different corporate name, Westborough Beverage Corp., for the purchase.

At the time it closed, Pop the Cork's owner, Craig Worrall, said it was increasingly difficult for an independent store to compete with chain liquor stores and with beer increasingly sold at convenience stores.

In 2017, Walmart instituted a drive-up pickup service for grocery customers in Westfield. Walmart now also offers grocery delivery from its stores in Westfield, Springfield, Ware and Chicopee.

Walmart had fiscal year 2018 revenue of $500.3 billion. It employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide.

If Trump changes the definition of gender to effectively exclude transgender people, Attorney General Maura Healey said state law will govern protections in Massachusetts.

If President Donald Trump changes the definition of gender to effectively exclude transgender people, Attorney General Maura Healey said state law will govern protections in Massachusetts.

The New York Times reported that in an internal memo, Trump administration officials floated the idea of updating the federal definition of gender to define it as a biological, immutable condition defined by genitalia at birth. This could eliminate rights for transgender people in areas like federal anti-discrimination laws. 

"State law will control here as a matter of constitutional analysis," Healey said, speaking to editors and reporters at The Republican / MassLive.com on Thursday.

Healey said the federal efforts make it even more important that voters uphold Massachusetts' transgender anti-discrimination law, which is up for repeal in November. That law prohibits discrimination against transgender people in public places and lets transgender people use the bathroom that conforms with their gender identity.

Healey, who is gay, said the public accommodations law is about civil rights and human rights. 

Even before the 2016 public accommodations law was passed, Massachusetts had a law prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in employment, housing and schools. Healey said that law has worked well for several years.

"When you spend time with a transgender person or parent or family members, you see how particularly vulnerable transgender people are and why they disproportionately suffer high rates of suicide, homelessness, low socioeconomic levels," Healey said. "What this law has done is provide them equal treatment under the law."

Healey said she has been "offended" by the ads by opponents of the law, which she called "outrageous," "inaccurate," and a mischaracterization of the law.

One ad features a man peeping through a bathroom stall at a girl changing in a locker room, while another features a mother talking about a boy changing in a locker room with her daughter.

"For far too long, if you want to talk about bathrooms, it was transgender people who were getting assaulted and beat up in bathrooms," Healey said. 

Healey said anyone who goes into a bathroom to commit a crime will be criminally prosecuted. 

A Chicopee veteran has plans to lead the third annual 90 mile walk to Boston to show support for veterans and their struggles.

CHICOPEE - For the third year in a row a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant will lead a 90 mile march from Western Massachusetts to Boston to show support for veterans and their struggles. 

"The march is to raise awareness of veterans suffering from PTSD, and those left homeless. All are welcome to walk with or just show your support along the way," James Chartier said in an email.  

Chartier said that the march raised more than $4,500 last year. 

"Let's make this a stellar year," Chartier said. 

Marchers walk around 22.5 miles a day over four days. 

The march will begin Nov 2nd at 7 a.m. It will start at AmVets Post 12 at 754 Montgomery Street in Chicopee and will end at the State House around 2 p.m. on Monday Nov. 5.

To learn more about the march people can visit the associated Facebook page, and can donate to the cause at the march's website. 

Denise Caez was last seen when she was dropped off at MGM in Springfield.

WESTFIELD - Police are asking for help to locate a missing 65-year-old woman who has memory issues.

Denise Caez was dropped off at MGM in Springfield Wednesday night but did not returne home as expected, police said.

Caez is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and has short, spiky, burgundy hair. She was last seen wearing black Nike sneakers with a distinctive pink overlay, police said.

She may be with her boyfriend Michael Eisenlohr and could be in Springfield or Chicopee, police said.

There is no evidence to suggest she is a victim of criminal activity. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact police at 413-562-5411.

Big Y hosted a check presentation Tuesday, Oct. 23 at the Chicopee Big Y World Class Market.

SPRINGFIELD -- Big Y World Class Markets has collected $35,000 for the Massachusetts and Connecticut American Red Cross chapters in support of ongoing storm relief efforts in the United States.

The supermarkets collected money from customers and employees from Sept. 19-29, according to a news release.

Big Y hosted a check presentation Tuesday at its Chicopee store. Mike Matyszewski, store director, presented the contribution to Erin Ryder, regional manager of donor relations for the Red Cross in Massachusetts.

The Red Cross responds to an emergency every eight minutes, according to a news release. That would include major storms such as Hurricanes Florence and Michael and the Merrimack Valley gas leak explosions and fires in September.

Big Y, its customers and employees have raised more than $1.5 million for the American Red Cross over 10 years, the company said.

Read obituaries from The Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Here are the obituaries published Thursday in The Republican:

Obituaries from The Republican, Oct. 25, 2018

The pipeline firm must now submit a detailed 'Notice of Intent.'

AGAWAM -- Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. has properly delineated wetlands and buffer zones along its proposed 2.1-mile pipeline corridor, according to a third-party consultant's report.

Wetland scientist John Prenosil of Belchertown conducted an "unbiased peer review" of wetland boundaries recently defined by Tennessee, and found "two minor issues" which have since been resolved, Prenosil wrote in an Oct. 24 letter to the Conservation Commission. 

Tennessee must now submit a detailed Notice of Intent to the commission, which ruled 5-0 Thursday night that the Wetlands Protection Act applies to the planned pipeline construction. Technically, the ConCom reviewed a "request for determination of applicability" submitted by Tennessee, and returned a "positive determination."

Deborah McCartney, permitting specialist with Tennessee, addressed the Agawam commission on Thursday. Also present for Tennessee were Ruth Silman of the Nixon Peabody law firm, and a representative from SWCA Environmental Consultants.

Tennessee plans to beef up its compressor station on Suffield Street and construct a new pipeline loop, mostly parallel to an existing pipeline, so it can provide Columbia Gas of Massachusetts with more natural gas capacity.

The plans would widen existing rights-of-way and alter wetland resource areas, according to an environmental notification form filed with the state.

The company will adhere to a "project-specific environmental construction management plan" to minimize erosion, damage at stream crossings, and other impacts, the form states.

Columbia Gas, as part of its "Greater Springfield Reliability Project," plans a six-mile, 12-inch pipeline between Agawam and Holyoke. The utility-owned pipeline would connect to the interstate pipeline owned by Tennessee.

A related project planned by Tennessee would put a new "meter station" in Longmeadow so Columbia can build its own pipeline on the east side of the Connecticut River to Springfield.

Conservation Commission chair Henry Kozloski said three members of the commission have already conducted a site visit.

To build in Agawam, Tennessee will need a "certificate of public convenience and necessity" from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. That voluminous application was submitted on Oct. 19. Tennessee is hoping for a FERC certificate by November 2019.

The only local permit the company needs is an order of conditions from the Conservation Commission.

The 19-year-old is expected to survive.

SPRINGFIELD - A teenager was seriously injured after he slammed into a car while riding an unregistered motocross bike Thursday.

The 19-year-old was riding the bike illegally at about 7 p.m. near Putnam Circle and Fernwold St. when he ran a stop sign and slammed into the car, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman.

He was brought to the hospital by ambulance and is expected to survive, Walsh said.

The car was damaged in the crash, he said.

Police announced in February they would be cracking down on dirt bike riders illegally driving on city streets causing havoc and terrorizing drivers in motor vehicles. Some of the problem was reported around Putnam Circle and nearby Carew Street.

Walsh did not say if the teenager would be charged in the crash.

The 19-year-old was driving an unregistered motocross bike illegally on city streets.

SPRINGFIELD - A teenager who was seriously injured after slamming into a car while driving a motocross bike has died.

The 19-year-old male was riding the bike illegally on the streets at about 7 p.m. Thursday near Putnam Circle and Fernwold St. when he ran a stop sign and slammed into the car. The bike was also unregistered, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman.

He was brought to the hospital by ambulance. Later he died of his injuries, Walsh said.

The car was also damaged in the crash, he said.

The crash is under investigation. Walsh referred other questions to Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni's office.

The man is accused of robbing the Shell Station on 197 Grove St. at 10:35 p.m.

CHICOPEE - Police are currently searching for an armed man who robbed a Chicopee Falls gas station Thursday night.

The man is believed to be armed with a long gun and is wearing a hooded sweatshirt, red hat and jeans. Police are asking anyone who sees him to immediately call the department at 413-594-1700, said Michael Wilk, police public information officer.

The suspect robbed the Shell Station at 197 Grove St. at about 10:35 p.m. He threatened the clerk with a firearm before fleeing. It is not known which direction he went after exiting the store, he said.

Police did not say if anything was taken.

This is a breaking story. Masslive will update as more information becomes available.

A local eye surgeon, a university attorney and a "lifelong Republican" voter said their signatures were among those forged on Hampden Register of Deeds candidate Cheryl Coakley-Rivera's nomination papers, prompting Republican opponent Marie Angelides to file a complaint with the secretary of state.

Curious blocks of apparently identical handwriting, botched street addresses and fumbled party affiliations.

These are among the factors that prompted Cheryl Coakley-Rivera's Republican opponent for Hampden County register of deeds to file a complaint with the state less than two weeks ahead of the election.

A spokeswoman for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin's office confirmed they received a complaint from Longmeadow attorney Marie Angelides earlier this week, but noted the deadline to challenge signatures has long passed.

"That window closed months and months ago. We are now counting ballots. If the candidate is alleging violations of elections law, we are not an enforcement agency and will refer the matter to the correct one, such as the district attorney's office or attorney general," Galvin spokeswoman Debra O'Malley said.

Candidates in races like the register of deeds are required to submit at least 1,000 signatures for certification in order to appear on the ballot. The deadline was May 29.

Nominations may be challenged within three days of that deadline, according to Galvin's office. In this case, the window for challenges closed after June 1.

Early voting began this week. Election Day is Nov. 6.

During an interview Wednesday, Angelides said she understands she conceded her right to challenge the validity of signatures, but believes the identical blocks of voter names on Coakley-Rivera's nomination papers are troubling nonetheless.

"I know that legally I cannot challenge the signatures at this time but I think it's a matter of ethics and transparency. I think it's important for voters to know that this occurred," Angelides said.

State law requires that a voter must sign his or her own signature to be certified as a supporter in the commonwealth's eyes, unless a voter is disabled and requires a proxy. Street addresses and party affiliations must match.

For example, registered Republicans cannot submit signatures for a Democratic candidate and vice versa. If there is a name on a submission that does not exactly match an address, it should not be certified.

In addition to Angelides, individual voters cried foul during interviews with The Republican.

Dr. Andrew Lam, a retinal surgeon from Longmeadow, said he was unsettled to see that his name appeared on Coakley-Rivera's nomination papers.

"First of all, it's a printed name, not even a signature. I absolutely didn't sign that. In fact, my address was written incorrectly," Lam said.

"On the sheet that I saw it looked like someone just looked at a voter address list and wrote out a series of names in the same handwriting, which is illegal, I'm sure. You can't just forge a bunch of signatures to get on a ballot and run for office," he added.

Printed on each signature sheet is a warning that reads: "Criminal penalty for unlawfully signing, altering, defacing, mutilating, destroying or suppressing this petition: fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to a year."

Coakley-Rivera, a former state representative in Springfield, easily knocked out write-in candidate Donald Ashe Jr. in the September Democratic primary, 27,151-954.

Ashe is the eldest son of Donald Ashe Sr., who was register of deeds for 34 years and died of cancer amid a run for his seventh term.

For her part, Coakley-Rivera denounced the controversy over her signature sheets.

"This is nothing more than a political stunt less than two weeks before the election in a desperate attempt to smear my reputation," Coakley-Rivera said in response to a request for comment for this story.

"I was fortunate enough to have had hundreds of people gathering signatures. Thousands of signatures were turned in on my behalf. The Secretary of State certified well over the required number of signatures. The residents of Hampden County deserve better," she said.

A spokeswoman for Galvin's office said Coakley-Rivera had 1,519 signatures certified by local clerks' offices and the state.

The Republican reviewed a sampling of the nomination sheets from various cities and towns. While many appear legitimate, there were glaring examples of signature sheets with apparently identical penmanship nearly all the way down in multiple communities.

"Whoever did this is awfully stupid," Longmeadow resident Maureen Beattie told The Republican. "They wrote down my address wrong and I never signed anything like that."

Beattie said she wracked her memory to recall whether someone knocked on her door or caught her outside the grocery store during a signature push, but concluded she would not have signed.

"I'm a lifelong Republican. I definitely would have asked whether the candidate was a Democrat and I never would have signed it," Beattie said.

In addition to Lam and Beattie -- Cheryl Smith, general counsel for Western New England University, said both she and her husband were surprised to see their names included on a Longmeadow certification sheet for Coakley-Rivera dated April 12.

"Those are not our signatures and that's not our address. We never signed that," Smith said during an interview this week. "And I've known both candidates for probably a quarter-century and hold them both in high regard, so this sort of took me by surprise."

Neither Lam's nor Beattie's nor the Smiths' names were certified -- but they were submitted for consideration, the records show.

On a signature sheet filed in West Springfield on April 20, there is a cluster of seven Daggett family members submitted in two different handwriting styles. Based on a public records comparison, at least two of the voters' first names were misspelled on the signature sheet (Carolyn and Deanna Daggett spelled Caroline and Denna, respectively).

Political operative Frank Keough of Springfield, whom Coakley-Rivera has said is central to her campaign, is married to Sharon Keough, nee Daggett. Her brother is Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Timothy Daggett.

All seven Daggett signatures were certified.

Frank Keough has remained a potent figure in local politics despite spending three years in federal prison for fleecing a taxpayer-funded homeless shelter he once ran in Springfield.

Earlier in Coakley-Rivera's campaign, state Trial Court officials launched an inquiry into whether Coakley-Rivera was improperly politicking in the Hampden Superior Court Clerk's office, where she is an assistant. An auditor came up empty, but courthouse employees privately groused about Keough's frequent presence in the office -- where he is not employed -- during an election cycle.

When asked about the standards to certify signatures on nomination papers, Springfield Elections Commissioner Gladys Oyola said she and her staff are tasked solely with cross-checking voters' names and addresses and ensuring they are registered to vote and belong to the appropriate political party.

"Secretary Galvin's office tells us specifically that we are not handwriting experts or suddenly become all 'Columbo' when we're certifying signatures," Oyola said.

Angelides said the questionable signatures are particularly troubling to her in this race.

"It's occurred in a race for register of deeds -- a seat where valid signatures are crucial to the job," she said. "Since this issue appears to have cropped up across municipal lines, the question is whether it's campaign-driven. I consider it a form of voter fraud."

Angelides, an immigration attorney and member of the Longmeadow Select Board, has run for regional office twice before, in 2010 and 2012, and was defeated both times by state Rep. Brian Ashe.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said the company should do more to help residents affected by the Merrimack Valley explosions return to their homes. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Attorney General Maura Healey said she has been "frustrated" by the response of Columbia Gas to the Merrimack Valley gas explosions.

The Sept. 13 explosions and fires, caused by an overpressurized gas line, killed one person, damaged around 40 homes and caused thousands of people to evacuate. The company is continuing to replace gas lines, but thousands of people remain without heat and hot water.

Columbia Gas has placed nearly 2,000 families in alternative housing, including hotels, trailers and apartments.

Speaking to editors and reporters at The Republican/MassLive.com on Thursday, Healey said Columbia Gas appears to have "inadequate urgency and inadequate resources to do what needs to be done to get homes 'house ready.'"

Healey said Columbia Gas needs to not only be replacing gas lines on the street, it needs to put more staff to work going door to door, ordering and installing new boilers and appliances and making sure people can return to their homes.

Healey's office set up a hotline for affected residents of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover. "My team is frustrated at the disorganization and lack of information by Columbia Gas," Healey said. "We've been in the position of having to directly intervene on behalf of people looking for help, to help them get access to food, housing, to navigate insurance issues or claims." 

"It seems to me the burden shouldn't be as much on government, it should be on this company," Healey said.

Columbia Gas officials recently said they are likely to miss a Nov. 19 deadline for fully restoring power.

"That doesn't mean they shouldn't be made to bring every resource available now to the matter and do everything they can," Healey said. "You've got people who are living in cold homes right now without hot water for cooking and cleaning and without heat."

Healey said it is also unsatisfactory to place families in hotels that are 50 miles away, where they cannot get their kids to school or day care.

"More needs to be done. There needs to be a heightened level of urgency around this," Healey said.

Healey has announced an investigation into Columbia Gas and its parent company but said she could not talk about specifics because the investigation is ongoing. "We'll be prepared to take whatever action is appropriate or necessary under the law to hold accountable those that need to be held accountable," she said.

Springfield officials are hoping that a detailed investigation of the Campanile tower at Court Square will lead to some immediate repairs and long-term restoration, contingent on funding. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- The historic Campanile tower has stood tall for over a century in Court Square, but admirers are hoping that a new structural and mechanical analysis will help pave the way for some immediate repairs and its eventual long-term restoration.

Peter Garvey, the city's director of capital asset construction, said Thursday that the $450,000 investigation, led by architectural firm Bruner/Cott, of Boston, is examining the exterior and interior of the tower and the features that include the bell and clock.

The work this week included a subcontractor, Vertical Access, of Ithaca, New York, using employees to rappel on the outside of the Campanile from rigging and ropes, and the use of a drone for additional inspection work.

"We look forward to getting the results and moving forward with this project," Garvey said. "Hopefully we will be able to move forward after securing the funding."

Garvey said that the city has found original structural drawings of the Campanile that are helping the analysis.

A report that will include findings, recommendations and strategies for the Campanile is due by March.

The city would initially target critical safety work that is needed, Garvey said.

Thereafter, the full restoration of the Campanile has an estimated price tag of $25 million. The 275-foot-high, 105-year-old tower has been outfitted with black safety netting on all four corners of the building for many years to help reduce damage from crumbling limestone.

The city is exploring various sources of funds for needed renovations including grants, Garvey said.

The city's Department of Capital Asset Construction has applied for an initial $250,000 grant under the Community Preservation Act, which is funded by a new property surtax in Springfield. Under the program, the tax revenue can be used for historic preservation projects and other community enhancements, if approved by an oversight committee and the City Council.

Garvey said the interior of the Campanile is pretty sound, but the exterior has been deteriorating for decades because of weather and wear and tear.

The Campanile is part of the historic Municipal Group buildings at Court Square. It is located between the Symphony Hall and City Hall buildings. The buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Suicide awareness advocate finishes his five and a half month hike from the Mexican border to Canada.

EAST LONGMEADOW -- Michael Francoeur undertook a grueling 2,650-mile trek north along the Pacific Coast from the U.S. border with Mexico to Canada, traversing raging streams and snowy mountain tops in his bid to boost public awareness for better mental health.

His Walk for Wellness campaign involved traveling five and a half months along the Pacific Crest Trail to raise awareness of properly monitored mental health, suicide prevention specifically. 

Partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Francoeur, a culinary worker, has been raising funds that will, as stated on the campaigns website, go towards research and educational programs on mood disorders and suicide prevention, and programs and resources for those affected by suicide.

"Suicide awareness is important to me because at different times in my life I have felt suicidal and know how awful it is to be in that mental state. I also know a lot of people that at one time or another have felt the same way same way or have been affected by suicide," Francoeur said. "If people don't discuss this problem then we are all suffering silently on our own island, unable to help each other."

During his travels, Francoeur came across magnificent sites. One moment that really stuck out to him was when he made it to Mammoth Lakes, Calif., which signified the end of the High Sierra.

"I felt so strong and confident in that moment because I had spent the last three weeks between 10,000 and 14,505 feet, traversed daily snow-covered mountain passes, forded raging streams and rivers and summited Mt. Whitney (the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S.). Before this trip I had very little experience backpacking so I finally felt competent in that moment," Francoeur said.

Francoeur went on to explain that another memorable moment was when he reached the half way point, explaining that while he felt accomplished, be also felt "crushed", seeing that hiking 1,325 miles with the equivalent elevation gain is the same as climbing Mt. Everest eight times.   

Although this was a one-man journey, Francoeur did not travel through the trail without support.  His brother, Alex Francoeur played a huge role in making sure his travel was safe and secure. While Michael walked the trail, Alex technologically monitored his journey. 

Alex Francoeur monitored the weather, elevation, and mileage daily through a computer program. Much to his convenience, Alex Francoeur works for open search and analytics company Elastic and serves as one of the product managers responsible for their UI, Kabana, which helps monitor, manage, create, and simulate watches on Elastic.

Michael Francoeur used a GPS tracker called "SPOT", and with his brother using the API available from this tracker, the GPS coordinates were constantly tracked, along with information on weather, elevation and Google Maps satellite imagery into Elasticsearch and even wrote two blog posts on it. 

Alex Francoeur and his wife also sent resupply packages full of food to help him travel. The two talked over the phone when he had to vent and provide advice to him.

"I think it came down to family. If your sibling was hiking across the country, wouldn't you want to keep an eye on them?" Alex Francoeur said. "I've always been very protective on him and do my best to give advice when I can, but hiking 2,650 miles over six months is scary. You'd be surprised at how much convincing it took Mike to take the GPS tracker with him. Once he did, I was in a pretty unique position."

With hard work, dedication, and the will to raise awareness for an important cause took Michael Francoeur to various locations, but also allowed him to experience the good in people and family.

"This was an aspect of the trail that I was not expecting while preparing but ended up becoming one of the best parts of the trail. There is a term used in the hiking community called trail angels. Trail angels help out hikers in need out of the kindness of their hearts," Michael Francoeur said. "This can range from giving us a ride into town, leaving a cooler full of beer and soda in the middle of the desert, setting up a barbecue in the middle of the woods or letting us into their homes to take a shower and escape the elements for a night. At first, I was hesitant to accept this kindness. I think because of my time in big cities I was expecting there to be a catch. I soon opened up to these strangers offering help and realized that there is so much good in the world that goes unnoticed."

With support, and the determination to work towards a good cause, Michael Francoeur has shown to those suffering from mental illness that life is worth living and taking time out of your regular schedule to figure yourself out is a necessity. 

"I learned how strong I am on a physical and mental level and that whatever you think your limit is you can go further," he said. "I also learned that less can be more. Living out of my backpack made me appreciate the little things and realize how little we really need to be happy. I learned that there are a lot of amazing people out there willing to help out complete strangers in time of need. This was incredibly refreshing with everything going on in the world at the moment." 

To donate and learn more about his campaign, visit https://afsp.donordrive.com/

Mindy Domb who won the democratic primary for the 3rd Hampshire District in September said she's not worried that she will lose the race to incumbent Solomon Goldstein-Rose, who declared he was not seeking re-election in August.

AMHERST - Mindy Domb, who won the Democratic primary for the 3rd Hampshire District in September, said she's not worried about losing the general election Nov. 6 to incumbent state Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose.

Goldstein-Rose, an independent, declared in August that he would not seek re-election. But because he missed a June filing deadline his name will still appear on the ballot. There is no Republican candidate for the seat.

Although she is presumptively the next state representative for Amherst, Pelham and part of Granby, Domb said she is "concerned about the potential confusion that can lead voters not to vote."

Voters might think, "This is not the race I thought it was. I thought she was unopposed," Domb said. She said the confusion could lead to "inadvertent voter suppression."

Confused voters might be less likely to cast ballots in the future, she said.

"We should be really encouraging voter participation," she said. "The ballot should be the most straight forward piece of paper there is. People shouldn't have to think twice."

While she doesn't have competition, Domb said she's not taking anything for granted. And while not campaigning as much as she did before the primary, she is holding coffee hours to meet voters.

The Amherst Survival Center, where Domb is the executive director, his looking for a new director to replace her when she leaves at the end of the year.

In an email, Goldstein-Rose said "there is no process to withdraw a name from the ballot once it is on. I am not running for re-election and consider the general election a formality, as it was for me two years ago."

"Anyone paying enough attention to this election to have an informed preference of candidates would know that," he said.

He said he is not doing anything to educate voters that he's not running again. 

As Goldstein-Rose's legislative term winds down, he said he's still working on an Amherst home rule petition, "some constituent service, and advising climate action groups on strategy" for state advocacy.

He wrote that he's not sure what's next for him, but "it will be something focused on federal or global level work related to climate change, perhaps tied into a Presidential campaign."

Goldstein-Rose was elected as a Democrat in 2016, but switched to unenrolled this February. In April he said he planned to run for re-election, but in August said he was supporting Domb and would not seek a second term.

Domb won the Democratic primary in September, defeating Eric Nakajima 3,759-2,254.

Killington and Mount Snow in Vermont, Sunday River in Maine and Wildcat in New Hampshire will all be open on Saturday.

Ski areas in New England are starting the season this month and breaking some records by allowing skiers and snowboarders to hit the slopes in October.

Killington, in Vermont, and Sunday River, in Maine, both of whom have been known to try to open by Halloween outdid themselves this year by getting chairlifts running in mid-October. Staff at Vermont's Mount Snow and Wildcat, in New Hampshire, are now planning to break mountain records and open on Saturday for the first time.

After the summer brought record heat, the fall brought unusually cold temperatures and let employees turn on state-of-the-art snowmaking systems that allow snow to be made more efficiently and at warmer temperatures than they ever have before.

"We spent $30 million upgrading our snowmaking system so we said let's see what we can do with it," said Jamie Storrs, communications director at Mount Snow, of the two-year project that was completed last fall.

Mount Snow plans to open at 8 a.m. on Saturday with three trails, one on the North Face, one on the front side and one that connects the two. The snow may only cover the top two-thirds of the mountain, so skiers and snowboarders may ride down a chairlift to the base at the end of the day if enough snow cannot be made to cover a trail at the bottom of the mountain, he said.

"It is October and we are in southern Vermont. The fact we are going to get on skis is exciting," Storrs said. "Some might call us crazy, but we are itching to get on skis."

Forecasts are calling for rain or snow for Saturday. While Storrs said he is hoping for snow, the mountain will open even if it does rain.

Its sister resort Wildcat Mountain, which is also owned by Peak Resorts, will open for the first time on Saturday, which is one of its earliest start dates. The ski area, located in northern New Hampshire next to Mount Washington, got a little help since 10 inches of snow fell this week.

The chairlift will start running at 9 a.m. and the Lynx trail will be open from top to bottom, officials said on the mountain website.

Because of the limited terrain, lift ticket prices at both mountains will be charging discounted prices for tickets. The prices are even lower if purchased online. The areas are expected to only be open on weekends for now.

Killington and Sunday River are traditionally the first mountains to open for the year in New England and they kept that going with Oct. 19 openings.

This is the second time Sunday River has been able to open on Oct. 19. The earliest it ever opened was Oct. 14, said Karolyn Castaldo, communications director.

"We will be open on weekends only until early November, depending on weather and conditions," she said.

But the mountain got an early snowstorm on Wednesday that dumped a foot of snow on the trails so that will help the snowmakers add to the base. Currently there are two trails being serviced by one triple chair, she said.

Killington is open daily for skiers and riders and is also using the cold temperatures to prepare the Superstar trail for the third visit of the women's World Cup ski races which will be held on Nov. 23 to 25.

"Mother Nature played her role, giving us cool temps, but this summer's snowmaking enhancements as a part of our $25 million dollar capital investment really gave us a leg up," Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort, said in writing.

The area now has three trails open skiers and riders have to walk over an access walkway to reach the open terrain from the main gondola. Because the bottom of the trails are still bare they have to take a lift down at the end of the day.

In a letter mailed from the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, Steven Morales lamented that he and his lawyer "were not seeing eye to eye" and requested a court-appointed lawyer.

CHICOPEE - A Springfield man facing a new illegal gun possession charge is also looking for a new lawyer.

Steven Morales, 30, was charged with carrying a firearm without a license (second offense) and possession of a class B substance (second offense) following a traffic stop last month in Chicopee.

A state trooper found a .40-caliber pistol, an open bottle of Hennessy cognac and four bags of PCP during a search of Morales' vehicle, according to the arrest report.

Morales, who works as a tow truck driver, pleaded not guilty to the charges in Chicopee District Court. Judge Robert Santaniello, noting the defendant's past firearm conviction, set bail at $2,500, and continued the case for a pretrial hearing Wednesday.

During Wednesday's session, Morales' defense lawyer, Dale Bass, requested permission to withdraw from the case.

The veteran trial attorney cited a "breakdown of the attorney-client relationship" in a motion to withdraw that was approved by Judge Bethzaida Sanabria-Vega.

In a letter mailed from the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, Morales lamented that he and his lawyer "were not seeing eye to eye" and requested a court-appointed lawyer.  

The judge continued the case until Nov. 23 to give the Hampden County Bar Advocates time to assign another lawyer to the case.