Fotios "Freddy" Geas, serving life for two local mob murders in 2003, is under investigation for the murder of Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger in a West Virginia prison. Watch video

Convicted double-murderer Fotios "Freddy" Geas, formerly of West Springfield, is under investigation for the slaying of legendary Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger at a West Virginia prison early Tuesday, according to anonymous sources cited by The Boston Globe.

Geas, 51, is serving a life sentence for the murders of former Springfield mob boss Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno and low-level associate Gary D. Westerman in 2003.

Geas has been housed for several years at Hazelton Penitentiary in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia.

Bulger, 89, also serving life sentences for 11 murders, was transferred there Monday. He'd been at the facility for just hours when he was ambushed by multiple inmates who beat him with a lock wrapped in a sock, according to news reports.

Speculation locally reached a fever pitch by late Tuesday among insiders aware of Geas' placement at the same facility. Federal officials did not respond for requests for comment from The Republican throughout the day Tuesday.

Neither the Bureau of Prisons nor the U.S. Attorney's Office in West Virginia has released official information beyond confirming Bulger's death and that an investigation is underway.

Northampton attorney David P. Hoose, who once represented Geas in the Bruno murder case in Massachusetts, said he had no official word on the Bulger investigation. He offered brief comments on his impressions of his former client during an interview Tuesday night.

"Freddy was a stand-up guy," Hoose said. "He wouldn't have ratted on anybody."

Geas, his brother, Ty Geas, and New York mob boss Artie Nigro were convicted in tandem at a trial in Manhattan in 2011. Their convictions hung heavily on the testimony of several gangsters turned government informant.

This is a breaking story that will be updated with additional reporting.

All the cars which were broken into were unlocked, police said.

EAST LONGMEADOW--Police are warning residents that multiple cars have been broken into recently and are asking for help to identify a suspect caught on video camera.

Car breaks have happened in neighborhoods near Maple Street and Westwood and Vineland avenues. Police in surrounding communities are also reporting an increase in car breaks, police said.

One suspect was caught on camera during a recent break but the quality of the images is poor. Anyone who can identify the suspect, has any information about the breaks or has further video surveillance of the crimes is asked to contact police at 413-525-5440.

"We recommend locking your vehicles as this is the best deterrent," police said in a Facebook post. "All of the vehicles entered were unlocked."

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard Law School professor, paused when asked to give a letter grade to Gov. Charlie Baker, a fellow elected official from Massachusetts who is voting against her.

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard Law School professor, paused when asked to give a letter grade to Gov. Charlie Baker, a fellow elected official from Massachusetts who is voting against her.

"C," she finally said during the third and last televised debate with her GOP opponent, Geoff Diehl.

"I'll give him a B," Warren's GOP opponent, Geoff Diehl said, adding that he believes Baker in his second term will move up to an "A."

Baker, a Swampscott Republican, and Warren, a Cambridge Democrat, are both on the same Nov. 6 ballot and face challengers.

Warren, who was first elected in 2012, is running for a second six-year term and eyeing a 2020 president campaign, while Baker is running for a second four-year term and has repeatedly said he isn't interested in heading down to Washington.

In the 2018 election cycle, Warren and Baker are far outraising their opponents and public polling has shown Diehl and Jay Gonzalez, the Democrat challenging Baker, trailing the incumbents.

'Landslide' scenario? In new poll, Gov. Charlie Baker and Sen. Elizabeth Warren maintain leads over challengers

Warren is backing Gonzalez, putting his name under hers on campaign signage. Baker is supporting Diehl, a Republican state representative from Whitman who served as Donald Trump's campaign co-chair in Massachusetts during the 2016 presidential election.

While Democrats supporting Gonzalez have sought to tie the popular governor to Diehl, Baker has pointed to support from Democrats inside and outside the state Legislature, among mayors, and longtime Democratic fundraisers like Jack Connors.

After a gaffe during a debate with Gonzalez, in which Baker wavered on whether he will vote for Diehl despite endorsing him, the governor reiterated he backs Diehl.

"I think it's interesting that my opponent continues to want to talk about the Senate race instead of what's going on here in Massachusetts," Baker told reporters the day after his debate with Gonzalez. "And I think that's in large part because things in Massachusetts are actually going quite well for the vast majority of people."

2018 Massachusetts election: Here's what your ballot looks like

Audio from dispatchers shows James "Whitey" Bulger was in cardiac arrest when first responders were called. Watch video

The dispatch call to a West Virginia federal prison where James "Whitey" Bulger was killed Tuesday morning first says the 89-year-old gangster was in cardiac arrest. 

The audio from Broadcastify shows first responders in Preston County were sent to the US Penitentiary Hazelton facility in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. 

Bulger, who was serving a life for 11 murders, had been transferred to the federal facility on Oct. 29, the day before his killing. 

Convicted double-murder Fotios "Freddy" Geas, formerly of West Springfield, is under investigation for the slaying of Bulger, according to anonymous sources cited by The Boston Globe.

Geas, 51, is serving a life sentence for the murders of former Springfield mob boss Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno and low-level associate Gary D. Westerman in 2003. Geas has been housed at the West Virginia federal prison for years. 

Bulger was ambushed by inmates who beat him with a lock, according to the Globe. 

The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Attorney's Office overseeing that area of West Virginia both confirmed Bulger died, but did not disclose the circumstances.

Bulger was found unresponsive at 8:02 a.m.

The Mega Millions jackpot is back on the climb after a single winning ticket claimed a $1.6 billion jackpot last week.

The Mega Millions jackpot is back on the climb after a single winning ticket claimed a $1.6 billion jackpot last week.

Mega Millions

Here are the winning numbers in Tuesday's drawing:

20-31-39-46-49; Mega Ball: 23; Megaplier: 2X

The estimated jackpot for the drawing is $45 million. The cash option is about $25 million. If no one wins, the Mega Millions jackpot will get bigger for the next drawing.

According to the game's official website, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.

Players pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers -- five different numbers from 1 to 70 and one number from 1 to 25 -- or select Easy Pick. A player wins the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.

Jackpot winners choose whether to receive 30 annual payments, each five percent higher than the last, or a lump-sum payment.

Mega Millions drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays and are offered in 44 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 each.

Mega Millions and Powerball winners should do these 5 things

A Springfield attorney said Geas has "great disdain for informants."

This is an update to a story published at 9:22 p.m. Tuesday.

SPRINGFIELD -- Convicted mob hitman Freddy Geas stole, brawled and killed his way to the top of the organized crime hierarchy in Western Massachusetts in the early 2000s.

Now reportedly a suspect in the death of legendary Boston gangster James J. "Whitey" Bulger Jr. at a high-security West Virginia federal prison Tuesday, his profile as a savage local killer has been raised considerably.

Geas, 51, formerly of West Springfield, has been serving out a life sentence at the Hazelton federal penitentiary in West Virginia since at least 2015. He was among those convicted of the 2003 murders of Springfield mob boss Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno and low-level associate Gary Westerman in 2003 -- plus the near-fatal shooting of a New York union boss the same year.

He and his younger brother, Ty Geas, and Genovese crime boss Arthur "Artie" Nigro, were convicted at trial in 2011 for murder and other crimes. Their undoing was a trusted friend turned government informant. The brothers refused to cooperate and stoically took their life bids while co-conspirators in the murders received lighter sentences.

"Freddy is a dying breed," said Springfield attorney Daniel D. Kelly, who represented both Geases in multiple criminal cases and maintains a friendship with Freddy Geas to this day.

"He has great disdain for informants," Kelly added. "I'm not saying Freddy did this just because the media says so, I'm just telling you what I know about him." 

Bulger, on the other hand, was a notorious and duplicitous mob informant for the FBI. He went on the lam from 1995 until 2011, when he was captured by federal agents in California with his longtime girlfriend.

He was convicted of a litany of crimes -- including 11 murders committed while he was on the FBI's payroll -- and was serving a life sentence. Bulger's transfer to the West Virginia prison made national headlines on Monday, and his slaying inside of a day at the facility lit up news outlets around the globe.

U.S. Bureau of Prison officials have yet to release much information about Bulger's death beyond confirming he was discovered in his cell just after 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.

No one has been charged in the killing.

Geas' name first appeared in a story published Tuesday by the Boston Globe.

While speculation in Greater Springfield became rampant by Tuesday afternoon over Geas' possible involvement -- given the common prison setting -- federal officials did not respond to requests for comment.

A 911 dispatch call for an unnamed inmate at the facility revealed an ambulance was summoned for a detainee in cardiac arrest.

No other details emerged during the call, but multiple news outlets have quoted anonymous prison officials saying Bulger, 89, was hastily dragged by up to three inmates in his wheelchair and beaten to death.

Geas has a criminal record dating to his youth, The Republican previously reported during extensive coverage of the Bruno murder.

Freddy and Ty Geas were convicted of conspiring to kill Bruno "cowboy style" outside an Italian social club on Nov. 23, 2003. Freddy Geas hired the gunman who did it, according to court testimony.

Freddy Geas also shot Westerman twice in the head after luring him to a home in Agawam under the guise of a lucrative home invasion, then helped drag him to a freshly dug grave on the property, witnesses said.

The brothers had been riding the coattails of up-and-comer Anthony Arillotta, formally inducted into the Mafia in the spring of 2003 after the trio pumped several bullets into a man on a public street in the Bronx at Nigro's behest.

Arillotta ultimately betrayed them by turning government informant in 2010, after his arrest in the Bruno murder. Arillotta told federal prosecutors he felt badly about selling out his close friends, but entered witness protection and served 99 months in prison in exchange for his testimony against the Geases and others.

Kelly said Arillotta's remorse held no solace for Freddy Geas. The prospect of joining his onetime friend and others as a government witness held no appeal.

"Freddy is a man's man," Kelly said. "After Anthony Arillotta flipped, there was a back channel for Freddy to try to persuade him to cooperate too. He didn't even blink an eye. He didn't flinch. He just said no."

The offer was off the table immediately, even though he knew his cohort aligning with the government meant a certain life sentence, Kelly said.

Kelly also said he maintains a friendship with Geas through frequent emails, having communicated with him just days before Bulger's death.

The subject matter?

"The Patriots. We talk about sports and weather, like everyone else," Kelly said.

He added that of the hundreds of criminal clients he has represented over a 20-year career, Geas is likable and personable in private settings.

A law enforcement source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that if Geas -- who has exhausted all appeals and post-trial options -- had a hand in killing Bulger, it could guarantee him status in the violent prison culture.

"He's a rich man now. He'll run any prison he's in," the source said.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Reese's released a "Halloween Candy Converter Machine" in Tarrytown New York Sunday that allows users to swap unwanted snacks for a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, CNN reports

Finally, you have something to do with those packs of raisins your neighbor gives trick-or-treaters.

Reese's released a "Halloween Candy Converter Machine" in Tarrytown, New York Sunday that allows users to swap unwanted snacks for a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, CNN reports.

"As the #1 Halloween candy (with over half of candy buyers purchasing Reese's), Reese's has come up with a solution -- give us your unwanted candy, and we'll give you what you actually want -- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups,"  Anna Lingeris, a spokeswoman for Hersey told CNN.

At 4 p.m. on Wednesday the candy converter - which resembles a giant orange vending machine - will be set up outside Washington Square Park on 5th Avenue in New York City. The machine will stay until 9 p.m. and is ready to hand out 10,000 peanut butter cups.

In 2019, more cities could enjoy the candy converter, Lingeris told CNN.

"Stay tuned for Halloween 2019," she said.

A few of the finishers in the Toasted Owl Gives A Hoot 5K Fun Run looked dog-tired by the time they crossed the finish line, but the four-legged participants looked just fine.

NORTHAMPTON - A few of the finishers in the Toasted Owl Gives A Hoot 5K Fun Run looked dog-tired by the time they crossed the finish line, but the four-legged participants looked just fine. 

The fun run was a benefit for the Dakin Humane Society, and it was open to two-legged and four-legged runners and walkers - short-haired and long-haired. Nearly 500 participated - and that's just counting humans. And, of course, most of those came in Halloween costumes. Allie Thorpe, associate director of marketing at Dakin, said a total of 450 registered in advance, double the number from last year. More registered Sunday morning.

Although the early morning skies threatened to rain cats and dogs, the fun run was held under gray skies. It was a good day for a run.

Oscar DeFrancis of Northampton, a student at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton won the 5K race with a time of 16:59. "It was a pretty flat course, which is nice," he said moments after crossing the finish line.

DeFrancis, 17, had not competed in the race before. This was the sixth year the colorful, Halloween-themed run has been staged. "It's a nice community event," DeFrancis said. "It's nice to see people with their dogs." 

The top runners after DeFrancis in the 5K race included Manny Wineman at 17:05, Nat Markey at 17:42, Matt Cain at 18:27, Eric Morse at 18:42. Eric Clocca at 19:01, Colby Currie at 20:25, William Messer at 21:11, Jodi Gdula at 21:11 and John Thorpe at 21:16.

Top finishers in the 2K walk included Diane Murley at 17:59, Lori Gentile at 18:04, Edwatd Mone at 19:33, Jeanne Horrigan at 19:34, Catherine Hunt at 19:47, Alexa Hunt at 19:47, Theresa Perkins at 19:53, Garnett Welke at 20:00, Susannah Cooper at 20:03 and Susan Loehn at 20:08.

The main sponsor was the Toasted Owl Tavern. Other sponsors included Rovithis Realty, Paw Street Bakery, Popco Service Inc., UMass Five College federal credit union, Coldwell Banker. Bank ESB, The Good Dog Spot Inc., Scanlon & Associates and Pacific Printing.

Two Springfield police officers were arrested and charged in federal court Wednesday in connection with allegations of police brutality. Watch video

Two Springfield police officers were arrested and charged in federal court Wednesday in connection with allegations of police brutality. 

Gregg A. Bigda, of Wilbraham, was charged in an indictment unsealed Wednesday with one count of deprivation of rights - excessive force, two counts of deprivation of rights - abusive interrogation, and one count of obstructing justice by writing a false report. 

Steven M. Vigneault, of East Longmeadow, was charged with one count of deprivation of rights - excessive force. 

The charges stem from an incident in February of 2016 in which Bidga allegedly kicked and spat on teenagers in custody.

The teens were accused of stealing an undercover police vehicle parked outside a Springfield pizza shop earlier that evening while Vigneault, a former narcotics detective, was inside picking up an order, according to police reports.

A police chase ensued, ending in Palmer after police deployed "stop sticks" to disable the vehicle. The teens took off on foot and were found on the porch of a home by a K-9.

While they were handcuffed and lying on the ground, Bigda is accused of kicking two of the teens in the face.

Bigda was later captured on surveillance video at the Palmer Police Station, which shows him threatening the teens. 

"I'm not hampered by the f---ing truth 'cause I don't give a f---! People like you belong in jail. I'll charge you with whatever -- I'll stick a f---ing kilo of coke in your pocket and put you away for 15 years," Bigda shouted, as heard on the video. 

The video was made public by The Republican in 2016, sparking a civil rights investigation. 

One of the teens arrested filed suit in August, alleging he suffered two black eyes and repeated attacks by a police dog while in custody, in addition to assaults by police while in handcuffs. 

After the teen repeatedly yelled, "They're going to kill me!" Bigda allegedly spit on him and said, "Welcome to white town, , motherf-----s," according to the lawsuit. 

Bigda is accused of being inebriated that night, according to the lawsuit filed by one of the teens. "Officer Vigneault knew that Officer Bigda had been drinking rum, and he hoped that eating pizza would help him sober up," the lawsuit alleges.

"Even in the face of adversity, law enforcement officers are expected to conduct themselves professionally, respectfully, and with integrity," said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, in announcing the indictments. "They are ambassadors for the rule of law, and when they themselves break those laws, they violate not just the rights of their victims, but compromise the public's trust in law enforcement."

Following the incident, Bigda attempted to obstruct an internal investigation into the assaults, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, filing reports to Springfield Police Department Internal Investigations Unit denying kicking, spitting or saying inappropriate comments during the arrests. 

Bigda was suspended for 60 days but has since passed the sergeant's exam. Vigneault resigned in 2016.

Bigda has a history of civilian complaints. He has been accused of assaulting a pregnant woman, saying "I hate Puerto Ricans" and pepper-spraying puppies to death.

The case involves Bigda's interrogations of teenagers who allegedly stole an unmarked police vehicle that Vigneault left running outside a pizza shop. Watch video

Springfield police officer Gregg A. Bigda's interrogation of teenage suspects at the Palmer police station in 2016 was "so abusive that it shocks the conscience," according to a federal indictment. 

A federal grand jury handed up the indictment charging Bigda and former officer Steven M. Vigneault, who resigned in 2016, with depriving the suspects their rights under the color of law. The teens allegedly stole an unmarked police vehicle that Vigneault left running outside a Worthington Street pizza shop.

Bigda is also accused of falsifying reports in connection with the case.  

Below, read the grand jury's indictment. 

Indictment against Springfield police officers Gregg Bigda and Steven Vigneault

The free training will be held at Elms College on Nov. 1.

CHICOPEE -- With cases of mass shootings, crime and accidents being reported in the news regularly, many people are realizing they would not know what to do if they or the people around them were seriously injured.

The American College of Surgeons and the Hartford Consensus have created the Stop the Bleed Initiative to teach every day citizens how to respond in case of a life-threatening trauma to themselves or others.

"As an emergency and trauma nurse I was exposed to many critical traumas including hemorrhage emergencies. Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death from trauma," said Lou H. Rios, a registered nurse at Baystate Medical Center and president of the Pioneer Valley Emergency Nurses Association. "After receiving the Stop the Bleed training and becoming a trainer I knew I had to help bring this initiative to the community"

On Nov. 1 a training session will be provided at Elms College in the Lyons Center in Room 107 from 7 -8:30 p.m. The training is free and open to the public.

Rios said she worked with retired trauma surgeon Dr. Ronald Gross who introduced the initiative to Baystate and has served as a trainer for people in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

"This initiative teaches individuals of medical and non-medical backgrounds the basics of hemorrhage control and how to intervene in this potential life-threatening emergency. Licensed individuals can register as trainers afterwards to help bring this free education to community members," she said.

Rios is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses and brought the initiative to the Western Massachusetts chapter of the association. She worked with fellow registered nurse Yolanda Marrow to train nursing staff and students at Elms College so they would be prepared to offer the training.

"Many members of the chapter have now received the training, become trainers or are scheduled to receive the training," she said. "We are very grateful to Wilberto Rodriguez, CEO of Compassionate HealthCare Systems, who donated two Stop the Bleed training kits to help the chapter achieve its goal in educating and training the community."

More information about the initiative can be found on www.bleedingcontrol.org.

"My hope and goal is to offer and facilitate Stop the Bleed training to as many people as possible, because together we can make our communities safer and healthier," Rios said.

Springfield Police Officer Gregg Bigda and former detective Steven Vigneault were arrested at their homes by federal agents early this morning. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Officer Gregg A. Bigda has been suspended without pay in the wake of a federal indictment charging him with excessive force, abusive interrogations and falsifying reports. 

Former officer Steven M. Vigneault has also been charged in the case, which involves the arrest and interrogations of three juvenile suspects who allegedly stole an undercover police vehicle in February 2016. 

Both men will be arraigned in federal court Wednesday. 

"The investigation, which began nearly three years ago, has been highly publicized. Today, the Department of Justice indicted Steven Vigneault and Gregg Bigda," Police Commissioner John R. Barbieri said in a statement Wednesday. "Mr. Vigneault previously resigned; Officer Bigda will be suspended without pay due to the indictment." 

Bigda's annual salary is $68,120, according to city records. He earned just over $90,000 last year while working in the records bureau, where he was reassigned in 2016 after a 60-day suspension for his role in the interrogations.

He had earned just over $67,000 in 2018, as of Oct. 19.

Springfield City Council President Orlando Ramos called for Biga's termination from the force.

"I'm not going to mince words here; Greg Bigda has to be fired immediately!" Ramos said in a statement sent to news outlets Wednesday morning. 

Bigda and Vigneault were arrested at their homes early this morning, according to prosecutors. The arrests are the latest chapter in a troubling era for the police department.

In Vigneault's case, he went from being a government witness to a target in short order after two teen boys came forward to allege both Vigneault and Bigda kicked and beat them while they were handcuffed after a car chase that ended in Palmer.

Vigneault resigned over the incident. He has denied kicking the boys in multiple interviews with The Republican.

Statement from Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri on Wednesday's indictments, pic.twitter.com/JXPqS2Ow9K

-- Ryan Walsh (@PIO_SPD) October 31, 2018

Bigda who also is charged in connection with jailhouse interrogations of the boys that "were so abusive (they) shock the conscience," according to the charges.

The Republican / MassLive first posted redacted versions of the videos in late 2016.

Bigda is additionally charged with filing two false police reports linked to an internal investigation into the whole fiasco.

The five-count indictment revives some of Bigda's language from the video footage, highlighting that Bigda threatened to "crush (one alleged victim's) skull and f---ing get away with it," and "charge (the boy) with killing Kennedy and f---ing make it stick."

The indictment was issued by a grand jury Oct. 25 and was unsealed this morning, according to court records.

This is a developing story that will be updated throughout the day.

Police Superintendent Kelly Richardson said it would be about $155,000 to start the program and $10,000 every year to keep it going.

The City of Lowell won't be moving forward with mounted patrols after estimated costs were far higher than feasible for budget, according to the Lowell Sun.

They report that city councilors requested a report on the cost of two mounted patrols.

Police Superintendent Kelly Richardson said it would be about $155,000 to start the program and $10,000 every year to keep it going.

According to the Sun, the idea for the patrols came following a series of videos involving a fight in September in which 10 kids were arrested.

Police are planning to keep working with students and look into ways to increase presence on budget.

With more than a dozen police and safety personnel on hand, the downtown area of the city was transformed into an entertainment center for several thousand visitors who dressed in costume for the Chicopee Halloween Spooktacular Tuesday evening.

CHICOPEE - With more than a dozen police and safety personnel on hand, the downtown area of the city was transformed into an entertainment center for several thousand visitors who dressed in costume for the Chicopee Halloween Spooktacular Tuesday evening.

Several streets were closed to thru traffic as trick-or-treaters lined the sidewalks as early as 3:30 p.m for the 4 p.m. start time start.

Visitors were treated to a traveling train ride around the block, a DJ, a Bookmobile, face-painting stations, age appropriate costume judging, ice-cream, hot-dogs, and much more.

Chicopee Police Information Officer Mike Wilk said officials expected between 2,500 and 3,000 visitors to participate.

The celebration was held on Exchange Street and Center Street and around the former library as well as City Hall.

Tables were available for businesses to decorate and market their company and products. Merchants and businesses were asked to bring their own candy and treats for at least 2,000 costumed trick-or-treaters.

Among the visitors was Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos who said "the turnout was fantastic and the weather was perfect." The event was organized by the Mayor's Office, the City of Chicopee, and the Chamber of Commerce.

The 41-year-old rapper has been criticized by some for his support of the president and

Kanye West is taking a step back from politics following the backlash over his Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump.

The 41-year-old rapper has been criticized by some for his support of the president and his supposed involvement in Blexit, a "black exit" movement that encourgaes African-Americans who support the Democratic Party to become Republican.

West tweeted on Tuesday evening, "I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it."

Later, he added, "My eyes are now wide open and now realize I've been used to spread messages I don't believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative."

During an Oct. 11 meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, West, wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat, delivered a rambling 10-minute speech before invited mebers of the media. It touched on abolishing the 13th Amendment, gun violence, and his battle with bipolar disorder.

Trump called West's speech "pretty impressive."

"He's a smart cookie," Trump said. "He gets it."

My eyes are now wide open and now realize I've been used to spread messages I don't believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!

-- ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018

Red Sox fans from across New England and Western Massachusetts descended on Boston Wednesday to cheer on the 2018 World Series champions as they took to the streets for the victory parade.

BOSTON -- Red Sox fans from across New England and Western Massachusetts descended on Boston Wednesday to cheer on the 2018 World Series champions as they took to the streets for the victory parade. 

For Alexis Lebrasseur, a 20-year-old Springfield resident, and her father, Glen Lebrasseur, the chance to see the team up close was something she and her father could not miss. 

"They won and they made history. It will probably be the only parade for awhile, so we had to make it out here for it," Alexis Lebrasseur said. 

Alexis Lebrasseur said she woke up at 4 a.m. to make the early morning trip from Springfield in hopes of seeing Andrew Beninitendi and the World Series trophy at her first Red Sox parade.

Glen Lebrassuer, 52, said while the 2018 celebration is not his first in Boston, he wanted to share the experience with his daughter.

"I was at one of the first Patriots parades after the won the Super Bowl. She had to be at this in case the Patriots don't win, we still get a parade. We're New Englanders, so we're here to see the Sox," he said. "I had to bring my daughter -- she would've gotten rid of her dad if I didn't bring her."

Glen Lebrassuer added that he looked forward to seeing "the duck boats, the players and to have a good day."

Tim Nale, 45, of Munson, and his wife, Jennifer Nale, 45, also got up early Wednesday to see the Red Sox World Series parade in person. 

"We took the T in from Riverside -- got up at the crack of dawn, 5 a.m. and got up here to get our spot at the parade," he said while waiting for the rolling celebration to hit Boylston Street.

Tim Nale, however, said it was all worth it "to see history."

"You don't get to see a team win the World Series everyday," he said, noting it's his first Red Sox parade. "Growing up, we never got to see this, so it's a great time to be a Boston fan."

Jennifer Nale added that she hoped to "see Mookie (Betts) smile" at the parade.

This will be updated.

In his third arraignment in five moths, Paul S. Kuliko pleaded not guilty to one count of witness intimidation.

WESTFIELD -- A Westfield man awaiting trial on charges of sexually assaulting two children has been jailed for a bail violation.

Paul S. Kuliko, 48, had his bail revoked for 90 days under a ruling Oct. 11 by Judge William O'Grady in Westfield District Court.

The ruling comes four months after Kuliko pleaded not guilty to multiple charges indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 involving two female victims in Agawam.

He was released after posting $125 bail in each case and ordered to stay away from the alleged victims, avoid alcohol and drugs and not possess firearms or other dangerous weapons, among other conditions.

Earlier this month, a probation officer accused Kuliko of violating the terms of his release, leading to a hearing before O'Grady on Oct. 11. Following testimony from the probation officer and a lawyer representing Kuliko, the judge found a violation has occurred and jailed Kuliko for 90 days at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow.

No description of the violation is included in available court files.

Kuliko, meanwhile, was arraigned in another case last week.

In his third arraignment in five months, Kuliko pleaded not guilty to one count of witness intimidation, according to court records, which provide no details of the alleged offense.

O'Grady set bail at $100 -- a nominal figure since Kuliko is already being held for 90 days -- and imposed the same conditions as in the earlier cases.

The charges in all three cases were brought by Agawam police.

Kuliko is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Dec. 6.

The poll found that voters overwhelmingly support Warren's U.S. Senate campaign, but they do not want her to run for president in 2020.

Massachusetts voters want Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren to remain in the Senate, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Western New England University Polling Institute.

The poll found that likely voters overwhelmingly support Warren's U.S. Senate campaign - she would beat Republican challenger Geoff Diehl, 57 percent to 27 percent. Independent Shiva Ayyadurai would get 7 percent of the vote, and 8 percent are undecided.

Much of Warren's margin of victory is due to the voter makeup of the state, which leans heavily Democratic. Warren would get support from 84 percent of the state's Democrats, while Diehl would get support from 78 percent of Republicans. Independents also favor Warren, 47 percent to 29 percent.

But at the same time, voters do not want Warren to run for president in 2020, with 56 percent of registered voters saying it would be a bad idea for Warren to seek the White House, compared to 27 percent who think it would be a good idea. Even among Democrats and independents, more than half of each group say it would be a bad idea for Warren to run for president. 

In follow-up interviews with pollsters, the most frequent reasons voters cited for not wanting Warren to run for president are that she is too liberal, they don't think she could win, and they do not like Warren or her positions on issues. The top reasons voters want her to run are she has good ideas and is sincere, and she could compete with Trump.

Lack of support for a Warren run does not mean Massachusetts residents like the current inhabitant of the White House. President Donald Trump's approval rating is just 25 percent among Massachusetts voters, according to the poll. Warren's approval rating is 55 percent.

The poll also finds Republican Gov. Charlie Baker maintaining a large lead over his Democratic challenger, Jay Gonzalez, 65 percent to 27 percent among likely voters, with 7 percent undecided.

The poll found high levels of interest in the midterm elections, and found that enthusiasm and political activism are higher among Democrats than Republicans.

The election is Tuesday.

The poll of 485 registered voters and 402 likely voters was conducted Oct. 10-27 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points for registered voters and 5 percentage points for likely voters.

Louis J. Carmel, 50, is facing one count of burning a building.

WESTFIELD -- A grand jury has indicted a Westfield man for allegedly setting a fire that caused $75,000 in damage to a convenience just down the street from a Westfield fire station.

Louis J. Carmel, 50, is facing one count of burning a building under an indictment issued by a Hampden County grand jury, according to court records.

Carmel was due in Westfield District Court Tuesday for a pretrial hearing related to a July 5 fire at the Country Mart convenience store on Little River Road. The session was canceled, however, after a prosecutor said Carmel had been indicted by a grand jury, a move that transfers the case to Hampden Superior Court.

Carmel initially denied the charge during his arraignment on July 13 and was ordered held for a dangerousness hearing. Prosecutors later dropped their request to hold Carmel without right to bail, clearing the way for Judge William O'Grady to release him with several pretrial conditions. 

Under the judge's order, Carmel must wear a GPS tracking bracelet and submit to round-the-clock monitoring, court records show.

Investigators said Carmel was upset by a conversation he had while visiting the store, which is located at 397 Little River Road, just down the street from the Fire Department substation at 366 Little River Road.

Early on July 5, Carmel, carrying a bucket filled with gasoline, walked behind the store and dumped it on a wooden pallet, according to the arrest report.

He allegedly lit the gasoline, then ran back to his pickup, dropping the bucket and losing both of his sneakers along the way. The fire spread up the walls of the store and reached the roof, causing about $75,000 in damage, the report said.

Carmel later admitted to setting the fire in response to a verbal exchange at the store, according to the report, which provided no details of the conversation or when it took place. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James Forsyth, with attorney Susan Hamilton representing Carmel.

Although Baker has often criticized the Republican Trump, Gonzalez has spent much of his campaign trying to tie the governor to the unpopular president.

A week before election day, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Gonzalez released his campaign's second TV ad, tying Republican Gov. Charlie Baker to President Donald Trump.

Although Baker has often criticized Trump, also a Republican, Gonzalez has spent much of his campaign trying to tie the governor to the president.

The ad opens with a shot of the U.S. Capitol, with Gonzalez saying he is "angry and appalled at what's happening in Washington." 

Gonzalez says in the ad that the state needs leaders who will fight back. "Charlie Baker wants to replace Elizabeth Warren with the guy who ran Donald Trump's campaign in Massachusetts," Gonzalez says.

Baker has endorsed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Geoff Diehl, saying he will support the Republican ticket. But Baker has not actively campaigned for Diehl and in one debate, hesitated to say that he would vote for Diehl, although he later clarified that he will.

Baker has repeatedly tried to distance himself from Trump and said he did not vote for him for president. 

Separately, Baker's campaign this week released a new web video, a three-minute discussion of the reforms that Baker instituted at Bridgewater State Hospital, the state's hospital for people with mental illness who have been criminally charged or civilly committed. The video features Baker and a family of someone with mental illness talking about Baker's work bringing more humane care to the facility.