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Ford expands recall of F-150 pickup to nearly 1.2M

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An electrical short can cause the air bags to deploy unexpectedly, in some cases injuring drivers.

Ford F-150 pickup recallIn this file photo taken Aug. 1, 2006, a line-up of 2006 Ford F-150 pickup trucks are shown on a dealership lot in Sterling Heights, Mich. Under pressure from government safety regulators, Ford Motor Co. is expanding a recall of the popular F-150 pickup truck Thursday, April 14, 2011, to include nearly 1.2 million vehicles that may have defective air bags.

DETROIT — Under pressure from government safety regulators, Ford Motor Co. is expanding a recall of the popular F-150 pickup truck to include nearly 1.2 million vehicles that may have defective air bags.

The additional recall, announced Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, covers trucks from the 2004 through 2006 model years. An electrical short can cause the air bags to deploy unexpectedly, in some cases injuring drivers.

In February, Ford agreed to fix 150,000 of the trucks but resisted the government's wishes to recall all 1.2 million trucks that may have the problem.

Ford's F-Series pickup truck is the top-selling vehicle in America, and the F-150 makes up about 60 percent of F-Series sales. Through March, the company sold nearly 127,000 of the pickups. The F-Series also includes heavier duty trucks such as the F-250 and F-350.

The Dearborn, Mich., company said in a statement that it will notify all owners in May that they should take their trucks to a dealer who will replace an air bag wire in the steering wheel. The repair takes less than a half day, the company said. The wire can become chafed, causing a short circuit that can lead to the airbag inflating unexpectedly.

Ford said it knows of no crashes caused by the airbag problem. But NHTSA said in a January letter to Ford that the agency knew of 269 cases in which the air bags deployed inadvertently, resulting in 98 injuries, some serious. The agency noted that Ford made production changes to the trucks in 2006 and 2007 to fix the air bag wiring and other issues.

Ford told NHTSA in May that some drivers reported injuries that included burns from contact with the air bag, bruises, neck and back pain and minor cuts. Two customers reported broken or chipped teeth and two reported elbow or arm fractures.

NHTSA wanted Ford to recall all 1.2 million trucks, but Ford told the agency that the full recall was not justified and said owners got an adequate warning of the problem from the air bag warning light on the dashboard. But NHTSA disagreed and said it could hold a rare public hearing on the matter. "The potential for loss of vehicular control poses an unreasonable risk to safety," NHTSA told the company.

Earlier this week, Ford officially agreed to the full recall. In an April 11 letter to NHTSA, James Vondale, director of Ford's safety office, said the company agreed to the expansion after discussions with NHTSA.

"To reassure customers of Ford's commitment to safety, and to eliminate any possible customer confusion, Ford is voluntarily recalling this remaining population of vehicles," Vondale wrote.

Ford shares fell 30 cents, or 2 percent, to $14.68 in morning trading.


Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to appear on ABC-TV's 'This Week'

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Patrick has been taking to the road more frequently in part to promote his new memoir “A Reason to Believe.”

Deval Patrick book 41511.jpgDeval Patrick's book, "A Reason to Believe" was released on Monday.

BOSTON – Gov. Deval Patrick is heading out of town again this weekend, this time to appear on ABC’s "This Week with Christiane Amanpour".

Patrick will fly out of Massachusetts late Saturday to film the show on Sunday morning.

He will return to Massachusetts the same day.

Patrick has been taking to the road more frequently in part to promote his new memoir “A Reason to Believe.”

He recently appeared on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

The Massachusetts Democrat insists he’s still focused on his day job.

Before leaving Saturday, Patrick will participate in an annual park clean-up day on the Boston Esplanade and later stop by the Big Apple Circus.

On Monday, Patrick will place an olive wreath on the head of the female winner of the Boston Marathon.

That's pricey: 13 items that cost more, or will

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Price increases will continue in the months ahead as companies pass along the higher costs of raw materials, transportation and other expenses.

consumer prices, money, dollar bill, APIn this March 31, 2011 photo,a customer pays cash for gas at a Shell gas station in Menlo Park, Calif.

Four-dollar gasoline is just a part of it. As most any shopper knows, prices are climbing for everything from coffee and chocolate to tires and toilet paper.

The Consumer Price Index has climbed 2.7 percent in the past 12 months, according to government statistics released Friday. That's the largest rise since 2009.

Price increases will continue in the months ahead as companies pass along the higher costs of raw materials, transportation and other expenses.

"When prices at the pump rise and wages don't, already strained budgets show the pain," says Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago.

This creeping inflation doesn't yet alarm economists, who don't expect high inflation in the near future. That's because many businesses are still wary about boosting prices when workers are getting meager raises, if any, and unemployment remains near 9 percent.

But even modest increases can pack a wallop with consumers in a tenuous financial position, says Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics at Moody's Analytics. "The increases in prices are going to be felt more severely now than if we were in a stronger economic environment."

Here is a snapshot of some areas where prices are rising. More hints of what's in store will come as corporations report quarterly earnings over the next several weeks.

AIRFARES

Airlines have been raising ticket prices steadily to pass on the expense of higher fuel costs. Domestic round-trip fares were boosted a half dozen times this year by $4 to $10 each. Over the six months that ended in February, fares jumped 22 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' index.

CHOCOLATE

Hershey's raised its wholesale prices by nearly 10 percent in late March. Consumers may not feel the pinch until after the big Easter season, because many retailers will be able to make purchases at the old prices for about eight weeks.

COFFEE

Coffee prices jumped 27 percent between December and March as companies passed along their record cost of unroasted beans. Starbucks boosted the prices it charges retailers for packaged coffee by up to 12 percent — its first increase in three years. J.M. Smucker, which sells Folgers and Dunkin' Donuts brands, has raised prices several times during the past year. Sara Lee, Kraft Foods and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters also have hiked prices.

FAST FOOD

Paying more for burgers? You will soon if you aren't already. McDonald's, like many of its peers, is dealing with higher ingredient costs and expects to raise U.S. prices this year. Rival Wendy's/Arby's is expected to raise prices later this year because of what it says will be 15 percent higher beef costs.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Even adjusting for seasonal factors, the cost of fruits and vegetables has risen 23 percent in three months, including bananas up 10 percent and potatoes up 39 percent.

FURNITURE

Furniture manufacturers such as Ethan Allen and La-Z-Boy are increasing prices by up to 7 percent due to higher costs of cotton, yarn, leather and steel.

GASOLINE

$5 gas, anyone? Not yet, but it may be coming. Gasoline prices leaped 6 percent last month and have risen 28 percent in the past year. Consumers paid an average price of $3.81 a gallon nationwide on Friday, according to the travel group AAA.

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

Diapers, soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, trash bags and many other everyday items all have been targeted for price hikes as companies from Kimberly-Clark to Procter & Gamble to Colgate-Palmolive respond to rising ingredient costs.

INSURANCE

State Farm and Allstate, the nation's two biggest home and auto insurers, are pursuing further price hikes. State Farm just pushed through an average rate hike of 18.8 percent for Florida homeowners and is seeking double-digit rate hikes in select other states. Allstate has been raising its auto insurance rates in numerous states. It's also aiming to impose more homeowners' increases after already raising rates an average of 7 percent in 10 states in the fourth quarter of 2010 — citing a need to make up for the surge in weather-related losses.

JUICE

Tropicana, owned by PepsiCo, said last month it's raising prices on some of its juices by 4 percent to 8 percent to cope with higher costs due to cold weather damage of Florida citrus crops. That means shoppers are paying more for Tropicana and Dole fruit juices.

Coca-Cola already had increased prices this year for its Minute Maid and Simply brands in the U.S. by 4 percent to 8 percent to cope with higher costs for commodities, fuel, packaging and fruit.

PACKAGED FOODS

Rising prices for corn, wheat and many other ingredients, along with fuel, have led to higher prices for packaged goods. Among those announcing price hikes: B&G Foods, maker of fruit spread, canned goods and sauces; ConAgra Foods, whose brands include Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice and Peter Pan; General Mills, maker of Nature Valley snack bars and Cheerios cereal; H.J. Heinz, world's largest ketchup maker; Kellogg, which makes Frosted Flakes, Pop Tarts and other foods; spice maker McCormick & Co.; and Sara Lee, the maker of frozen desserts, Hillshire Farms lunchmeat and Senseo coffee.

Safeway, Supervalu and other supermarkets are passing the higher costs along to customers.

SOFT DRINKS

Big beverage makers are hiking prices because of higher costs for packaging, ingredients and transportation. The price of carbonated drinks was up 14 percent from December to March.

TIRES

U.S. tire prices climbed 6 percent in the six months ended in March. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. boosted prices by 8 percent to 9 percent last month — its second increase this year. At the time of the announcement the company said natural rubber prices had increased more than 75 percent in a matter of months.

Palmer Schools Superintendent Gerald Fournier retiring; middle school assistant principal Jacqueline Haley named principal of elementary school

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Fournier said he was too busy to comment, and said the focus of any reporting on the district should be on Haley's appointment.

2006 gerald fournier.jpgPalmer Superintendent of Schools Gerald Fournier has announced he is leaving the district after five years.

PALMER – Superintendent Gerald A. Fournier is retiring at the end of the school year, after five years in the district.

Fournier on Friday refused to confirm his retirement, saying if he were leaving the School Committee would announce it via a press release. It did.

“The committee wishes to acknowledge Dr. Fournier’s successful leadership throughout his tenure; the seriousness with which he performed his role, and his ability to keep the committee well informed. The committee wishes him a long and healthy retirement,” the release stated.

After the release was issued Friday afternoon, Fournier said he was too busy to comment, and said the focus of any reporting on the district should be on the appointment of Converse Middle School assistant principal Jacqueline A. Haley as principal of Old Mill Pond Elementary School.

“I’m yesterday’s news. She’s today’s news,” Fournier said.

In late 2009, Fournier’s contract was extended by the School Committee until June 30, 2014, but no raises were included because of the district’s grim financial situation. Fournier, of Vernon, Conn., makes approximately $123,000. He started working in the district in January 2006.

The release also included a list of accomplishments, including securing approximately $2.5 million in a green building repairs grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority which has enabled the district to replace roofs, boilers and hot water heaters at the schools.

He also is credited for creating a monthly student of the month recognition program and academic “wall of fame,” as well as planning a “gateway to college” program through Holyoke Community College to provide students at risk of dropping out, and those who have already dropped out, an opportunity for college through dual enrollment.

“Superintendent Fournier has been a solid and outstanding educational leader and always a professional for our school district. At times, unappreciated and sometimes misunderstood, he will be missed,” School Committee James L. St. Amand said.

Haley will start her new position on July 1. Haley, who has been sidelined by a broken ankle, hopes to be back to work next month. Haley said she is excited about the new position, and working with the “great staff” at Old Mill Pond, which is where she started her career in education as a second grade teacher.

haley.JPGFILE – Jacqueline A. Haley, who was named principal of Old Mill Pond Elementary School, poses with students.

“I love the enthusiasm of elementary students,” Haley said.

Haley also taught second grade at Old Mill Pond. She spent four years teaching sixth grade at Converse before she was appointed assistant principal in 2007. While she said she has “wonderful memories” of the middle school and will miss the students, she said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to become principal.

“Ms. Haley brings creativity, imagination, energy, enthusiasm, eagerness, confidence, and a thorough knowledge of pedagogy. Her background and many diverse experiences are well suited for her role as principal of the Old Mill Pond School,” Fournier said in a statement.

Stocks close higher following positive manufacturing, inflation reports

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The Dow Jones industrial average rose nearly 57 points to close just under 12,342.

Earns Charles Schwab 41511.jpgPassers-by walk past the entrance of a Charles Schwab investment brokerage services location, in Boston's financial district Tuesday. Discount broker The Charles Schwab Corp. reported Friday that its first-quarter profit surged as the economy and stock markets improved.

NEW YORK – Stocks made modest gains Friday as encouraging signs on the economy overshadowed disappointing earnings from Google and Bank of America.

Stock indexes closed lower for the week. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 117 points Tuesday when Japan raised the severity of its nuclear crisis and Alcoa Inc. reported disappointing sales.

The Federal Reserve reported that U.S. factories increased production for the ninth straight month. Separately, the Labor Department said consumer prices rose just 0.1 percent last month excluding food and gas prices. That’s lower than the 0.2 percent increase economists were expecting.

Consumers’ confidence in the economy is also growing more than analysts predicted, according to a survey by Thomas Reuters and the University of Michigan.

Bond prices rose as the Labor Department report eased concerns about inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.41 percent from 3.51 percent late Thursday. Bond yields fall when their prices rise

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 56.68 points, or 0.5 percent, to 12,341.83. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 5.16 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,319.68.

The Nasdaq composite gained 4.43, or 0.2 percent, to 2,764.65.

“With the data that we saw this morning, there are a lot of reasons to be cautiously optimistic that we’ll see a strengthening economy for a while and a steady lift in the (stock market),” said Doug Godine, a managing director at Signal Hill, an investment bank.

Google Inc. weighed on technology stocks after the company said it missed earnings estimates, due in part to a hiring spree that will last throughout the year. The company fell 8.3 percent.

Bank of America Corp. also missed analyst estimates. The country’s largest bank fell 2.4 percent as problems in the bank’s mortgage business continued to weigh on its results.

Broker Charles Schwab Corp. gained 2 percent after the company said its first quarter earnings beat analyst expectations.

The S&P index lost 0.6 percent for the week, its second straight week of losses. The Dow average was down 0.3 percent, its first down week since March 18.

More than two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was 4 billion shares.

Judge orders alleged purse-snatcher Reynaldo Rodriguez held without right to bail

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Prosecutor said Rodriguez, who was tackled and restrained by bystanders, has had 12 incarcerations.

SCT_REYNALDO_RODRIGUEZ34_8611101.JPGReynaldo Rodriguez

SPRINGFIELD – A 65-year-old state Department of Developmental Services employee testified Friday she struggled to get her purse away from a man who grabbed it, and then chased the man “until I got to the point I couldn’t run anymore.”

The woman testified Friday at a hearing on the state’s request to hold Reynaldo Rodriguez, the man accused of stealing the purse, without right to bail for 90 days on the grounds he is too dangerous to be released under any conditions.

“I didn’t want him to take my pocketbook,” the woman said, pointing out Rodriguez in the courtroom.

District Court Judge William P. Hadley ordered Rodriguez, who was tackled and restrained by bystanders, including a postal worker, about 11 a.m. on April 8, held without right to bail.

Assistant District Attorney John Bryson called the woman and one bystander to testify at the hearing. Defense lawyer Johnathan R. Elliott presented no witnesses but argued the judge should set a bail of $10,000 for Rodriguez, 34, of 112 Stockman St.

Bryson said Rodriguez has 19 separate entries on his criminal record and has had 12 separate incarcerations, including one at state prison. He got out of jail in February on the latest offense.

Rodriguez faces charges of assault to rob while armed, assault on a person age 65 or older, and assault and battery on a public employee.

The woman said she went to her car, parked in front of the medical building located at 125 Liberty St., and put her pocketbook in the back seat.

“Someone was behind me, he shoved me and grabbed my purse out the car,” the woman said. “I was holding onto it. I started to scream.”

She said the man pushed her and she grabbed his legs, but the man shoved her and took the pocketbook. She said the man dropped her purse as he was running across the street.

Philip Levesque, who was in his vehicle waiting for his mother to come out of the medical center, testified he could hear someone yelling for help. Then he saw a man run by with a pocketbook, being chased by a woman.

He drove his car out of the lot and saw other people getting out of their cars to help.

Police said at the time of the arrest the Postal Service worker, 57-year-old Jeffrey Atkins, of Agawam, parked his mail truck at 191 Chestnut St., chased Rodriguez down and confronted him.

When Rodriguez pushed him, Atkins tackled and the two fought on the ground, police said. Bystanders came to Atkins’ aid.

Rodriguez, who was found to have a box cutter, was detained by the group until police officers arrived.

The woman said she never saw a weapon and the man did not say a word to her.

Palmer Police school resource officer James Lynch to retire, will be replaced by Richard Wahlers

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Lynch, who will reach the department's mandatory retirement age of 65, wishes he could keep working.

IMG_1118.jpgPhoto by Lori Stabile. Palmer Officer James J. Lynch is retiring at the end of April.

PALMER – Police Officer James J. Lynch is retiring on April 29, but wishes he could keep working.

The department, which follows civil service requirements, has a mandatory retirement age of 65. Lynch, the school resource officer, turns 65 on April 28.

“It’s tough for me to leave. Even at this age I still love coming to work,” said Lynch, who said he loves being the school resource officer, a position he has had for more than a decade.

Through that job, he splits his time between Palmer High School and Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School.

“It’s one reason I never went for a promotion,” Lynch said.

Lynch worked as an industrial engineer at the former Wright’s factory in Warren, but he always dreamed of being a police officer.

It was 1972 when he started working toward that goal. Lynch started off as an auxiliary officer, and spent three years in that role, working alongside the full-time police officers. Auxiliary officers are unpaid and do not have arrest powers. Then he worked as a part-time officer for 11 years, becoming full-time in 1986.

School officials, and his colleagues, agreed Lynch will be hard to replace.

“In my view you couldn’t find a better school resource officer anywhere. I say that because he was not here to look for trouble, he was here to help kids and to be vigilant and to make sure the student body was not only safe but knew that they had a friend in uniform. Students respected him and liked him, and the faculty respected him and liked him. He will be a very tough act to follow,” Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School Superintendent Gerald L. Paist said.

The department received a three-year grant in 2000 to fund a school resource officer. When it expired, officials at Palmer High and Pathfinder felt so strongly about the position that they agreed to split the cost with the police to keep it going, Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said.

“He’s a shining example of what a good, kind, compassionate police officer should be and how you conduct yourself on duty and off duty. He’s had a remarkable career,” Frydryk said.

Officer Richard Wahlers will replace Lynch. The former Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) officer, Wahlers has been shadowing Lynch to learn the job. Lynch also was the town’s first DARE officer in 1992.

Lynch said he liked being the school resource officer “because it’s nice to be able to interact with the good kids.”

Over the years, students have approached him with all kinds of problems, from personal issues at home to questions about speeding tickets. A child once told him that he was being molested by a man who lived in the mobile home park. That tip led to the man’s arrest, Lynch said. Police discovered that the man abused several children.

Lynch said he became a police officer to help people, and has enjoyed his run.

Said Frydryk: “He left an indelible mark on the lives of a lot of young students.”

Landmark pavilion at Westfield's Stanley Park to be demolished

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Park officials plan to build a new pavilion in time for the 2012 season.

Gallery preview

WESTFIELD – After 60 years as a picturesque landmark for numerous weddings, social and civic functions, the Frank Stanley Beveridge Pavilion at Stanley Park has fallen victim to deterioration.

Stanley Park president Jeffrey W. Glaze announce the closing of the landmark this week as well as plans to rebuild the structure.

“This structure has hosted thousands of weddings, banquets, performances and meetings has succumbed to a serious insect infestation and severe winter damage,” Glaze said in a prepared statement.

He said because of safety reasons, neighbors and visitors will be prohibited from entering the area adjacent to the pavilion.

Park Director Robert C. McKean said “safety comes first. That is our main concern.”

McKean explained the decision to close the pavilion was based on a recent inspection of the facility that included a review by a structural engineer.

“This post and beam structure has served the community for the past 60 years. It must now be demolished but we are launching plans for a new structure to be built at the park hopefully in time for the 2012 season.

McKean said efforts are underway to reschedule events already planned for this year and to assist people in finding alternative locations for weddings and other functions.

“We will rebuild and may incorporate the new structure into a resource type building,” McKean said. The new structure will be a three- or four-season type building, he said.

The pavilion will be razed as soon as all necessary permits and precautions are completed, officials said.

Most of the kitchen equipment and other materials at the pavilion will be saved for use in the new building, said McKean.

Stanley Park, along with most of the structures there, including the pavilion, were created and built by the late Frank Stanley Beveridge.

Glaze said “the legacy of Stanley Park will continue to flourish. This is an opportunity to rebuild an appropriate pavilion facility that will take Stanley Park into the next century.”


Northampton Board of Public Works hikes water and sewer rates, dumps trash stickers for bag system

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DPW Director Edward Huntley estimates that the rate hikes will cost an individual an extra $13.94 per year for water and $15.64 in sewer fees.

HFCT_WATER_2_5024983.JPGMountain Street water treatment plant.

NORTHAMPTON – Looking to finance a proposed Department of Public Works facility, the Board of Public Works raised the water and sewer rates at its Wednesday meeting.

By agreement of the board, the cost of water will increase by 9.03 percent from $4.95 per hundred cubic feet to $4.54. The sewer rate will jump 9.5 percent from $4.84 to $5.30 per hundred cubic feet. Department of Public Works Director Edward S. Huntley estimates that the rate hikes will cost an individual an extra $13.94 per year for water and $15.64 in sewer fees. For a household of four, the added burden would be $49.20 a year for water, $55.20 for sewer.

Some of that rate hike would fund a proposed $16.6 million construction project to create a new building at the Locust Street facility for mechanics and other department employees and a storage barn for city equipment.

With the police station project about to get underway, the Department of Public Works is next in line for capital improvement. The 19th century barns now used to house snow plows and other heavy equipment lack adequate climate control, ventilation and bathroom facilities. Space restrictions in the Peter McNulty Administrative Building have forced some city engineers to work out of an antiquated Water Department building on Prospect Street.

In addition to the Locust Street project, the rate hikes will help pay off the cost of the $28 million water treatment plant at the Mountain Street Reservoir in Williamsburg, which has been on line since 2008.

Department officials have long warned that rates for water and sewer would be increasing over the next several years as the city is forced to deal with its deteriorating system of pipes, sewers and stormwater tunnels. Huntley said pumps and other machinery also have to be replaced as they wear down or become obsolete.

Also at the Wednesday meeting, the board voted to do away with the sticker system at the two transfer stations in favor of a bag system in which residents will dispose of household waste using bags they can purchase at various locations in Northampton. The new method was recommended by the Solid Waste Task Force as part of its assessment of the city’s future waste disposal needs. Huntley said the bags will come in several sizes, costing $.50, $1 or $2 depending on the size. The board of public works is still trying to determine a specific color for the bags that will distinguish them from bags used by other communities.

Ward 6 Councilor Marianne L. Labarge, who sits on the Solid Waste Task Force, said the rate hikes will be a bitter pill to swallow for some of her constituents.

“Their paychecks are not going up,” she said. “They can’t afford their taxes constantly going up. Something has to be done here.”

LaBarge suggested that the Board of Public Works hold informational hearings to explain the changes and gather input from residents.

“They have to start listening to the taxpayers,” she said.

As Michael Jacques surrenders, rebuilding continues at Macedonia Church he was convicted of burning

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Jacques will be held in a federal detention center until his sentencing in the arson of the black church hours after Barack Obama was elected president.

041511 macedonia church of god in christ andrew robinson.JPGAndrew C. Robinson, administrative assistant to Bishop Bryant Robinson Jr., and minister of music of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ on Tinkham Road, looks over the progress of construction in the sanctuary Friday afternoon. The reconstruction of the church is nearly complete after the original building was destroyed by an arson fire in the hours after Barack Obama was elected president in November 2008.

SPRINGFIELD – As Michael F. Jacques surrendered to federal marshals Friday, workers were rebuilding the pulpit of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ he was convicted of burning down 30 months ago.

Jacques, 26, arrived at U.S. District Court just before noon, the deadline set by Judge Michael A. Ponsor after a jury convicted him on civil rights and arson charges late Thursday afternoon.

Before turning himself in Friday, Jacques expressed sympathy for parishioners of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, the black congregation whose $2.5 million church was incinerated several hours after Barack Obama’s election on Nov. 4, 2008.

“I’m sorry that that did happen,” Jacques told reporters outside the courthouse.

“I obviously didn’t do it. My heart does go out to those people. But I am innocent, and I will appeal, and justice will prevail.”

More coverage:

Along with two other white men, Jacques confessed a role in the gasoline-fed blaze that razed the Tinkham Road church several months before its scheduled completion. Jacques later recanted, claiming investigators pressured him during a 6½-hour interrogation.

The others – Benjamin F. Haskell and Thomas A. Gleason, both 24 of Springfield – pleaded guilty in June. Haskell was given a 9-year sentence; Gleason will be sentenced in October.

Capping a 3½-week trial, jurors found Jacques guilty of conspiracy to violate civil rights, destruction of religious property and using fire to commit a felony.

At the request of defense lawyer Lori H. Levinson, the judge allowed Jacques to remain free Thursday night to visit his father, who is critically ill and hospitalized.

His destination beyond Springfield was unclear; Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Smyth said he could be sent to the Wyatt Detention Center in a facility in Central Falls, R.I., until his sentencing on Sept. 15.

041411 michael jacques leaves court.jpgIn this cell photo photo, Michael Jacques leaves federal court on Thursday in Springfield, where a jury convicted him on all charges he faced in the burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ in Springfield shortly after President Barack Obama was elected in November 2008. (AP Photo/Dave Collins)

By that time, the new Macedonia Church of God in Christ will have been open for three months, if construction continues on schedule.

“We’re 90 percent finished, maybe 95 percent,” said James A. Tarrant, the church’s principal contractor, as he pounded nails into the pulpit area of the 18,000-square foot building.

When the fire erupted in 2008, the church was about 75 percent done; crucially, the dry walls, which would have protected the skeleton, had not been installed, leaving it vulnerable to gasoline fire, Tarrant said.

During the trial, Tarrant, owner of Chicopee-based Construction Management of New England Inc., testified that neither electricity nor natural gas had been hooked up at the site, and could not have caused the fire.

When he first learned about the fire in 2008, Tarrant said he thought “it was some kind of bad joke,” he said Friday. “Then I came here and saw it.”

The smell of smoke lingered long after the fire, and didn’t disappear until the original cement floors were torn up and removed, Tarrant said.



The rebuilt church’s exterior is completed, and most of the interior work – from installation of heating, air conditioning and sprinkler systems – is also done, Tarrant said.

By the time the church opens, Tarrant will have spent four years at the Tinkham Road site, he said.

“This is the longest project I’ve ever worked on,” he said.

The pastor, Bishop Bryant Robinson, said the conviction marks the end of another chapter in the arson saga for his congregation.

“I’m pleased on one level that a jury of (Jacques’) peers determined he was material to this heinous crime,” Robinson said.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Colorado mom who played Facebook game while 13-month-old son drowned sentenced to 10 years in prison

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Shannon Johnson pleaded guilty in March to negligently causing the death of her child.

041511 shannon johnson colorado baby death.jpgThis undated photo provided by The Weld County (Colo.) Sheriff via The Greeley Tribune shows Shannon Johnson. Johnson who was playing a game on Facebook while her 13-month-old baby drowned in a full bathtub was sentenced Friday, April 15, 2011 to 10 years in prison. (AP Photo/The Weld County (Colo.) Sheriff via The Greeley Tribune)

GREELEY, Colo. — A northern Colorado woman who was playing a game on Facebook while her 13-month-old baby drowned in a full bathtub was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison.

Shannon Johnson, 34, of Fort Lupton, cried as District Judge Thomas Quammen told her he didn't think she was a bad person or that she killed her son on purpose, the Greeley Tribune reported. But, he added, that doesn't mean her action wasn't criminal.

"You left this little boy in a bathtub so you could entertain yourself on the computer by playing games," Quammen said. "And you left that 13-month-old human being, little Joseph, incredibly for those reasons."

Johnson pleaded guilty in March to negligently causing the death of her child. The charge carried a sentencing range of four to 12 years, but it also left open the possibility she could receive community corrections or probation. Authorities rejected both of those options, saying they didn't want to play down the seriousness of her crime.

According to court documents, Johnson put her son in the tub for his bath a little after 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 20. She then left him unsupervised in a bathtub full of water as she went to another room to share videos, check status updates and play Café World on Facebook. Johnson told deputies that Joseph had grown independent and wanted to be left alone in the tub.

When she returned to the bathroom, said she found Joseph sideways and face-down in the tub.

Johnson called 911 to say Joseph wasn't breathing. Paramedics were able to revive the toddler but he was pronounced dead at a Denver hospital.

She was also sentenced to five years of mandatory parole following her incarceration.

GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty tells Boston Tea Party tax day rally: Throw out federal tax code

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Pawlenty said Congress should refuse to raise the country's debt limit and instead pass a balanced budget amendment.

041511 tim pawlenty boston common.jpgFormer Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty speaks at the Greater Boston Tea Party's third annual "Tax Day" rally on Boston Common in Boston, Friday, April 15, 2011. Pawlenty, a Republican, announced last week that he was forming an exploratory committee for a 2012 White House bid. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

By STEVE LeBLANC

BOSTON — Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty told a tax day rally on Boston Common on Friday that the nation should toss out the federal tax code and start over to reflect the needs of a much smaller central government.

Pawlenty, who is weighing a run for the Republican nomination for president, also criticized the federal health care law signed by President Barack Obama, but declined to fault former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is also running for the GOP nomination.

A Massachusetts law signed by Romney in 2006 provided a blueprint for the national law. Romney said he also opposes the federal law. Pawlenty called Romney "a friend" and said "at the end of this we're all going to have to be a team and be united."

"I don't get in the business of criticizing Gov. Romney over this issue," said Pawlenty, who called the federal law unconstitutional and "a bad piece of legislation, one of the worst in the modern history of the country."

Romney has said it should be left to individual states and not the federal government to decide whether to expand access to health care.

About 500 people attended the rally, which was sponsored the Greater Boston Tea Party.

Pawlenty said that not only should the federal tax code be thrown out, but Congress should refuse to raise the country's debt limit and instead pass a balanced budget amendment.

"I think the message for us should just be this: the government's too damn big," Pawlenty said.

Greater Boston Tea Party President Christen Varley praised Pawlenty for putting his state "on a course towards economic success."

"We felt that by bringing a Republican presidential contender to Massachusetts, we could offer voters an opportunity to hear a different point of view on the role of government than we usually hear in this state," Varley said.

R.T. Rybak, the Democratic mayor of Minneapolis, said Pawlenty left the state in tough financial shape. Under Pawlenty, the state stopped creating jobs faster than the rest of the country, Rybak said.

He also said that despite his anti-tax rhetoric, Pawlenty agreed to a 75-cent-per-pack "health impact fee" on cigarettes to end a partial government shut-down one year.

"His fiscal record was a disaster for Minnesota. It would be a disaster for the country," Rybak said.

Two top Massachusetts Republicans didn't attend the event, including Romney, who this week announced he was forming an exploratory committee to weigh a run for the GOP nomination.

Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown also didn't attend. Brown received support from tea party activists during last year's special election for the seat left vacant by the death of longtime Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Brown has since fallen out of favor with many tea party activists who fault him for taking more moderate stances on key issues, including his support last year for the Senate financial overhaul bill.

Brown has also split with conservatives in his party on a range of issues, from rejecting calls to strip federal funding for Planned Parenthood to supporting the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly.

Political observers say Brown's more moderate stance is a political necessity if he wants to be reelected in Massachusetts, one of the nation's more liberal states.

Brown also skipped the tea-party rally last year. Former GOP Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin got top billing during that rally, attended by roughly 5,000 people.

Although Friday's rally was more sparsely attended, there were sharp differences between both sides.

Tea party supporters waved signs that said "It is Not a Tax Problem. It is a Spending Problem" and "Welcome to Obama's Food Stamp Nation," while critics chanted "Health care yes, tea party no" and held signs that said "Hands Off Our Unions, Healthcare."

The rally harkens back to the historical tea party protests in 1773, when American colonists upset about British taxation without government representation threw British tea into the harbor in protest — just a mile from the site of Friday's rally.

The modern tea party movement helped elect dozens of new members to the Congress last year, united in large part by a fiscal conservatism.

Although the rally is taking place on April 15, federal taxes are not due until April 18, because the District of Columbia will observe Emancipation Day on Friday.

In Massachusetts, state returns aren't due until the following day, April 19, because of the Monday Patriot's Day holiday.

Warren police charge Lucus Biggs, 22, of Ware with dealing drugs outside Quaboag High School

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Biggs was carrying $5,000, several knives and a pellet gun when he was arrested, police said.


WARREN
- Police on Friday afternoon arrested 22-year-old Lucas Biggs of Ware on drug charges outside Quaboag Regional Middle High School, officials said.

Officers arrested him after observing him attempting to make a drug deal with an unnamed person, officials said.

Biggs was charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine, each with intent to distribute, possession of mace without a firearms identification card, violation of a drug-free school zone and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Biggs was found to be carrying marijuana, cocaine and $5,000 in cash. He was also carrying several knives, mace and a pellet gun, officials said. Police also seized his 1996 Nissan Maxima.

The arrest was the result of a lengthy investigation headed by Warren detective Mark Chas, officials said.

President Obama predicts Congress will raise debt limit

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In an Associated Press interview, Obama said he had the economic record to win re-election after he had "been able to yank this economy" out of recession.

041511 barack obama interview sequence.jpgPresident Barack Obama, during his interview with The Associated Press, Friday, April 15, 2011, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

By BEN FELLER
AP White House Correspondent

CHICAGO — President Barack Obama confidently predicted Friday that a divided Congress would raise the nation's borrowing limit to cover the staggering federal debt rather than risk triggering a worldwide recession, but he conceded for the first time he would have to offer more spending cuts to Republicans to get a deal.

Pushed to the brink, Obama said, the two parties would find "a smart compromise."

In an interview with The Associated Press, Obama also took pains to promote his long-term plan to cuts trillions of dollars from federal deficits as a fairer, more compassionate alternative to a Republican plan that surged to party-line passage Friday afternoon in the House.

And Obama said in his most forceful terms yet that he had the economic record to win re-election after he had "been able to yank this economy" out of recession.

One week after the near government shutdown — Obama signed the bill finalizing that legislation after returning to the White House — the rejuvenated president answered questions in his hometown following an evening of fundraising for his re-election bid and a rare night in his own bed.

On America's wars, he said that a significant number of troops would begin coming home from Afghanistan in July despite expectations that the withdrawal could be modest. He said the U.S. would not expand its military role to end a bloody stalemate in Libya but insisted that Moammar Gadhafi would, in time, be forced from power.

While the House approved the multitrillion-dollar deficit-cuts measure, it was Obama's comments on the debt limit — an issue the White House has labored to keep separate from yearly red ink totals — that altered the debate of the day.

The government is nearing its borrowing limit of $14.3 trillion and risks going into a crippling default. Seizing on public frustration about spending, House Republicans say they won't lift the debt cap without more cuts.

Obama told the AP without doubt: "We will raise the debt limit. We always have. We will do it again."

He warned that anything less would undermine the solvency of the government, roil financial markets and potentially "plunge the world economy back into a recession." Yet when pressed on how the stalemate with House Speaker John Boehner would end, Obama said: "I think he's absolutely right that it's not going to happen without some spending cuts."

The president spoke in the context of his goal that Democratic and Republican lawmakers can agree on a framework for long-term deficit reduction within the next couple of months. That falls within about the same time frame that Congress will need to vote to lift the debt ceiling. The administration says the latest Congress could act on that is by early July.

When asked if he thought the perilous stakes alone would cause Republicans to give in, Obama said: "Well, no, I don't expect the Republicans to give in and I get 100 percent of my way, and I don't expect that we're going to give 100 percent of what the Republicans want. I think what we want to do is make sure that we have a smart compromise that is serious."

A Boehner spokesman, Brendan Buck, welcomed Obama's willingness to connect the debt limit to broader reductions in spending, saying that is what the American people want. "It's encouraging he may now be getting that message," Buck said.

Later, Obama spokesman Jay Carney sought to pull back a bit on the president's remarks. Carney said Obama was acknowledging that more deficit cuts are needed but insists the debt ceiling vote cannot be contingent on upcoming negotiations.

In the 25-minute interview, Obama underlined his vision and re-election campaign message about the country's path. He said he shares the Republicans' desire for fiscal restraint but stands alone in protecting the social compacts and priorities of a nation. Elaborating on his description of a Republican "pessimistic vision," he said: "It's one that says that America can no longer do some of the big things that made us great, that made us the envy of the world."

On Afghanistan, where the United States has 100,000 troops, Obama offered a somewhat aggressive assessment of the scope of the troop withdrawal that is to begin as he promised in July. The goal is to transfer responsibility to Afghan forces.

Without estimating a number of U.S. troops who will return, Obama said, "I'm confident that the withdrawal will be significant. People will say this is a real process of transition; this is not just a token gesture."

The president's stance on Libya comes as Gadhafi's troops have relentlessly attacked rebel positions as part of a deadlocked internal war sparked two months ago. The international community intervened with airstrikes a month ago, but the U.S. recently stepped back into a support role and questions abound about the mission's success.

"I'm actually very impressed with the performance of NATO so far," Obama said in rejecting any increased U.S. role.

The president, himself, described the conflict as a stalemate on the ground but said Gadhafi is being "squeezed."

"He's running out of money. He is running out of supplies," Obama said. "The noose is tightening, and he is becoming more and more isolated. And my expectation is, is that if we continue to apply that pressure and continue to protect civilians, which NATO is doing very capably, then I think over the long term, Gadhafi will go and we will be successful."

On terrorism, the president declined to guarantee that the Guantanamo Bay prison camp for terrorist suspects would close during his presidency. He had once promised to shut the military-run facility in Cuba within a year of taking over the job.

He conceded he does not have the support of Congress on that issue and has not been able to overcome fears of bringing some detainees into the United States for trial. "It's my job to give people some assurance that we can handle this effectively, and obviously I haven't been able to make the case right now," he said. "That doesn't mean I stop making the case."

To win a second term, Obama must convince a nation still saddled with high joblessness and a fragile economic recovery that he has overseen a period of progress — and that more is on the way. Obama said he's got a record he can sell: Wall Street regulation, a health care insurance overhaul and efforts to make college more affordable.

"I think I'm going to be able to make an effective case," he said. The president said that it has been under his watch that the country went from a staggering recession into steady progress and that "I have been able to yank this economy out of that hole and get it back on a track to growth."

The 2012 presidential race is the first in which the tea party coalition, which denounces the growth of government and assails much of the Obama presidency, will play a major role. The president took an upbeat role of such a movement: "Any time the American people are actively engaged in the political process, it's good."

Springfield Putnam Vocational High School students demonstrate based on concerns over allied health program

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A School Department spokeswoman said the Allied Health program has undergone many changes and improvements this year.

putnam_high_school.JPGA student demonstration outside Putnam Vocational Technical HIgh School on Friday was apparently triggered by untrue rumors that its Allied Health program was in immediate jeopardy.

SPRINGFIELD – A student demonstration outside Putnam Vocational Technical High School on Friday was apparently triggered by untrue rumors that its Allied Health program was in immediate jeopardy, according to a School Department spokeswoman.

Twenty-three seniors in the Allied Health program took part in the demonstration, said Azell M. Cavaan, communications director for the public schools. Administrators went outside and spoke to the students, and students subsequently appeared to disband on their own, she said.

“There has been a lot of upheaval in the Allied Health program,” Cavaan said.

The program came under the scrutiny of the state Board of Health a year ago because of curriculum problems and needed improvements, she said.

The school, for example, faced the problem last year of a dwindling number of health facilities willing to accept the students for clinical hours, Cavaan said.

However, rumors that the program had lost its accreditation, or that seniors would not be able to take a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) examination, needed for graduation, were untrue, Cavaan said. The CNA examination will be given in May, she said.

A rumor that program instructors were uncertified also was untrue, Cavaan said.

Gilbert E. Traverso, who took over as school principal this year, has spent the year improving the curriculum and working with area health agencies to provide students with work-clinical experience, Cavaan said.

“We have every reason to believe the steps taken over the course of this year to improve the Allied Health program have been beneficial to the students,” Cavaan said.

A student representative was not available Friday to discuss the demonstration, and Traverso could not be reached for comment.


Tax-return procrastinators still have a few more days to file their returns

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Federal returns are due Monday. State returns however are not due until Tuesday

sct rally 2.jpgView full sizePeople stand outside the Springfield Post Office on Liberty Street for the annual Tea Party rally. The number of demonstrators was significantly below the turnout from last year.

SPRINGFIELD - People who have yet to file their income taxes returns have a little time left - but not much - to get their 2010 returns in.

In most years, the deadline for filing a tax return in April 15, but this year federal returns are not due until Monday.

The extra time is the result of most federal offices in Washington, D.C., being closed Friday in observance of a local holiday, Emancipation Day.

The day, celebrated each April 16, marks the anniversary of the date in 1862 that Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed some 3,000 slaves in Washington D.C.

In Massachusetts, people get until Tuesday to file their state returns because offices will be closed on Monday for Patriot’s Day, the annual holiday observing the start of the American Revolution in Lexington and Concord. IRS spokeswoman Peggy Riley emphasized federal returns are still due Monday in Massachusetts, regardless of Patriot’s Day.


“Federal returns are due Monday. State returns can be filed on Tuesday,” she said.

When federal returns used to be processed in Andover, Massachusetts residents would in some years get an extra day to file if tax day coincided with Patriot’s Day. Not any more, she said.

Riley said that as of the first week of April, there have been 2.13 million tax returns filed in Massachusetts out of an estimated total of 3.1 million, or about 70 percent.

In other words, three of every 10 people have yet to file a return going into the final weekend. The number is a little higher than it was at this time last year, she said.

“A lot of people wait until the last minute - especially people who owe money,” Riley said.

Of the 2.13 million people in Massachusetts to file, 1.77 million, or 76 percent, have filed electronically over the Internet instead of through the mail.

That figure helps explains why tax day is no longer such a big deal for the U.S. Postal System.

“It’s not really the event that it was,” said Maureen P. Marion, Northeast communications manager for the U.S. Postal Service.

“Long story short, our role in how people do their filing has obviously changed,” she said.

Most forms are sent in over the Internet. Most return checks are directly deposited into bank accounts. “It’s a significant change for the post office,” she said.

It wasn’t too long ago that some post offices, like the main branch in downtown Springfield, would stay open until midnight on tax day, offering last minute help and creating an overall party atmosphere to lighten the mood for late filers.

Now most branches close at their regular time, she said.

The only action outside the Springfield main post office on Liberty Street were members of local tea party groups who were staging their annual rally for reducing the size of the government.

The group has held a rally at the post office on tax day since 2008. Unlike last year when the rally attracted an estimated 300 people at its peak, the crowd Friday totaled about 50 people.

William Gunn, of Ware, said the low turnout was equal parts poor planning by rally organizers and overall disillusionment by members.

“I think there’s been some burn out,” Gunn said.

He said there are many people who feel duped to have spent the last two years working to elect candidates who made promises about shrinking government before Election Day that they have failed to keep afterward.

“They know what to say to get us to vote for them,” he said.

Parents of Frederick Kareta sue the Springfield lawyer charged with running him over

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Craig Barton's Lexus swung back onto the street after hitting Kareta, struck a street sign and crashed head-on into another car, police said.

083010_craig_barton.jpgCraig A. Barton enters Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

NORTHAMPTON – The parents of Frederick S. Kareta III, a South Hadley man who was struck and killed by a car in his aunt’s driveway, are suing Springfield lawyer Craig A. Barton, the man charged with driving that car under the influence of alcohol and the golf course bar they said served him.

The suit filed Friday in Hampshire Superior Court by Frederick S. Kareta Jr. and Kathryn M. Kareta accuses Barton, Orchards Golf Course in South Hadley, and the Texas company that owns it with negligence and seeks damages for pain and suffering.

Frederick S. Kareta III, the plaintiffs’ son, was in his aunt’s driveway on Brainerd Street getting mail from her mailbox when a Lexus driven by Barton swerved onto the property on Aug. 28, striking and killing Kareta, according to police. Police estimate the car was traveling 75 to 80 miles an hour when it hit Kareta.

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The Lexus swung back onto the street after hitting Kareta, struck a street sign and crashed head-on into another car, police said. Police reports state that officers who responded to the scene detected a strong odor of alcohol on Barton’s breath.

Barton has pleaded innocent to manslaughter by motor vehicle, manslaughter, reckless motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol, operating under the influence of alcohol, second offense, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding and failure to stay within marked lanes. His case is pending in Hampshire Superior Court.

The civil suit alleges that Barton was drinking at the Orchards Golf Course in South Hadley prior to the incident and that the bar there continued to serve him even though he was intoxicated.

In addition to the golf course, the suit names Orchards LLC, a Texas company that owns the South Hadley facility. A lawyer for that company did not return a telephone call Friday. Barton could not be reached.

Barton is due in court on May 25 court for a pretrial hearing. Under the terms of his release, he must remain drug and alcohol free, abide by a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and not operate a motor vehicle.

WasteZero says proposed trash bag purchase program for Springfield has proven track record

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Public Works Director Allan Chwalek said he and Springfield's trash consultants favor Mayor Domenic Sarno's proposal for various size trash bins.

SPRINGFIELD – Representatives of a South Carolina company told city councilors Friday that its proposed system – in which homeowners would buy city-issued trash bags rather than pay a trash fee – is a proven way for the city to save money and increase recycling.

WasteZero, pitching the bag-purchase system known as “pay-as-you-throw,” said it has overcome skepticism in many communities once the homeowners are educated about the system.

WasteZero provides the bag program to more than 300 communities nationwide, 80 of which are in Massachusetts, including Longmeadow and East Longmeadow. The company’s bag program is slated to begin in July in South Hadley.

012411 chwalek springfield trash fee graduated_barrels.jpgSpringfield Department of Public Works Director Allan R. Chwalek shows the difference between the three sizes of trash barrels – a 65-gallon at left, a 95-gallon, which he is opening, and a smaller 35-gallon in front – the city hopes to offer residents.

Public Works Director Allan R. Chwalek, however, said he and the city’s trash consultants favor a different program proposed by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, in which residents would pay a fee based on the size of their barrels.

Three different-sized barrels would be offered, costing less for smaller barrels, and also promoting recycling, he said.

Currently, the city charges a flat fee of $75 a year per bin, offering just one size, a 95-gallon barrel.

Under WasteZero’s proposal, homeowners in Springfield would buy city-issued plastic bags and place them inside the existing bins for continued automated pickup. The bags would be sold at stores throughout Springfield, offered in different sizes at prices not yet determined.

Chwalek said that comparing Springfield with other communities that use WasteZero, such as Worcester, is not an “apples to apples” comparison. Springfield has an automated collection system which involves trucks equipped with mechanical arms to pick up trash bins.

Only one of WasteZero’s customers, Middletown, R.I., places bags inside bins for automated pickup, he said.

In addition, Chwalek said the WasteZero program has challenges including how the city would monitor the bags being put inside bins, such as catching those who might try to “cheat.”

There is also the issue of determining if the owners or the tenants would be responsible for buying the bags, and how that would be enforced, he said.

WasteZero President Mark Dancy, meeting at City Hall, repeated a guarantee that his company’s proposal would carry a guaranteed savings of nearly $500,000 a year in Springfield compared with the mayor’s proposed “graduated bin system.”

The savings would result from reduced trash disposal and increased recycling, and the savings were confirmed by the city’s Finance Department, he said.

The bag program would especially benefit senior citizens and similar small households who would need just one bag or less a week, Dancy said. The bags might cost between 84 cents a bag to $1.75 a bag under different proposals and different sizes being offered.

The trash fee currently generates approximately $3 million annually, partially covering the cost of trash disposal. The trash fee is scheduled to expire June 30, unless extended by the council.

Councilor Timothy J. Rooke, who supports the WasteZero proposal, said Friday he will ask the council to solicit proposals for a bag purchase system. Companies including WasteZero could submit competitive bids for the citywide program, he said.

Arlene Miller, a representative of the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the state fully supports a pay-as-you-throw program. Both the city’s graduated bin system and WasteZero’s program are samples of pay-as-you-throw programs, she said.

Budget Director's Analysis of Springfield Waste Disposal Options

Truck rollover on I-291 closes road from exit 5 to Page Blvd.

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The Massachusetts State Police closed the westbound lane of Interstate 291 from exit 5 to Page Blvd. Saturday morning due to a rollover accident involving one tractor-trailer.

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Springfield Fire Lt. Jeffrey Cawley speads absorbent on a twenty gallon hydrolic fluid leak at the scene of the tractor-trailer rollover accident on the entrance ramp to I-291-W off 2300 Page Blvd. in Springfield Saturday morning.

The Massachusetts State Police closed the westbound lane of Interstate 291 from exit 5 to Page Blvd. Saturday morning due to a rollover accident involving one tractor-trailer.

Just before 8 a.m. there was an accident involving only one tractor-trailer and the driver wasn't injured, according to troopers at the Springfield barracks.

Troopers said reopening the road would take some time as the incident was investigated and the road was cleared of debris.

Motorists are asked to avoid that portion of I-291 until it is cleared later this morning.

AM News Links: Cosby and Trump clash over politics, Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations' highlights Boston and more

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UConn beefs up security in advance of 'Spring Weekend,' Brits on high security alert for upcoming royal wedding and more of this morning's news.

A vehicle rests on a tree after an overnight tornado in Tushka, Okla., on Friday.

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