The early investigation shows the car was heading south at a high rate of speed when he struck the rear of a disabled truck, police said.

View full sizeThe Republican | Don TreegerThe scene of a fatal accident on I-91 in Holyoke. The red canvass is to conceal the deceased inside the car from passing cars.

This is an update of a story first posted at 4:48 p.m.

HOLYOKE - A 23-year-old Springfield man was killed Tuesday afternoon when his car slammed into the rear of a disabled tractor trailer on Interstate 91, state police said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. State police were withholding his name Tuesday night until they could notify his family.

The accident was reported just after just after 4:15 p.m.

Preliminary reports indicate the Springfield man was heading south in a 1995 Nissan Altima at a high-rate of speed, police said. No one else was in the car.

It struck the rear of a disabled 2011 Peterbilt tractor trailer near exit 17.

The driver of the tractor, Lemarcus Mimes, 26, of Shelby, Mississippi, was not injured in the crash.

As a result of the crash, the breakdown lane and far right travel lane were closed for close to two hours, police said.

The accident remains under investigation. The State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section are all aiding in the investigation.

A look at the positions of Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum on topics including abortion, the economy, education, gay marriage, immigration, taxes and war.

By CALVIN WOODWARD

WASHINGTON – Here's where the 2012 Republican presidential candidates stand on a selection of issues.

They are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

NEWT GINGRICH:

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, speaks at Business Speaks, a business and economic forum hosted by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, in Columbia, S.C., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Abortion: Platform calls for conservative judges and no subsidies for abortion but not for constitutional abortion ban.

Debt: As House speaker in mid-1990s, engineered passage of a seven-year balanced-budget plan. It was vetoed by President Bill Clinton but helped form a bipartisan balanced budget two years later. Supports constitutional balanced budget amendment. Said that without a balanced budget, the U.S. had no choice but to raise its debt limit in the deal that avoided a default.

Economy: Repeal the 2010 financial industry and consumer protection regulations that followed the Wall Street meltdown, and repeal the 2002 regulations enacted in response to the Enron and other corporate and accounting scandals. Restrict the Fed's power to set interest rates artificially low. Make work training a condition of unemployment insurance and have states run it.

Education: "Dramatically shrink the federal Department of Education, get rid of virtually all of its regulations." But supported Obama administration's $4 billion Race to the Top grant competition for states, which encourages compliance with national education standards, because it also promotes charter schools.

Energy: Let oil and natural gas industries drill offshore reserves now blocked from development, end restrictions on Western oil shale development. In Alaska alone, "We could liberate an area the size of Texas for minerals and other development."

Environment: Convert EPA into an "environmental solutions agency" devoted to scientific research and "more energy, more jobs and a better environment simultaneously." Supported tougher environmental regulation early in congressional career.

Gay Marriage: If the Defense of Marriage Act fails, "you have no choice except a constitutional amendment" to ban gay marriage. Under the act, the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage and no state is forced to recognize a same-sex marriage validated by another state.

Health Care: Repeal Obama's health care law if Republicans win congressional majorities. Prohibit insurers from cancelling or charging discriminatory rate increases to those who become sick while insured, an element of Obama's law. Offer the choice of a "generous" tax credit to help people buy health insurance or the ability to deduct part of the cost from taxes, another feature similar to the existing law. Limit medical lawsuits to restrain health care costs and let people in one state buy policies in another. "Block-grant Medicaid and send it back to the states." Previously supported proposals that people be required to carry health insurance.

Immigration: In contrast to most rivals, supports giving legal status to illegal immigrants who have sunk roots in the U.S. and lived otherwise lawfully. "If you've been here 25 years and you got three kids and two grandkids, you've been paying taxes and obeying the law, you belong to a local church, I don't think we're going to separate you from your family, uproot you forcefully and kick you out." Supports path to citizenship for illegal immigrants' children who perform U.S. military service. Make English the official language. Divert more Homeland Security assets to fighting illegal immigration at Mexican border.

Social Security: Give younger workers the option of diverting Social Security taxes to private retirement accounts.

Taxes: Cut corporate tax to 12.5 percent from maximum 35 percent, eliminate capital gains and estate taxes, let companies write off all new equipment in one year. For personal taxes, let people choose whether to file under the current system or pay a 15 percent tax, preserving the mortgage interest and charitable deductions. Supported extending payroll tax cut.

Terrorism: Supports extending and strengthening investigative powers of Patriot Act. Supports continued use of Guantanamo Bay detention for suspected terrorists. Supported creation of Homeland Security apparatus, because "we need some capacity to respond to massive events." In 2009, said of waterboarding: "It's not something we should do."

War: Initially criticized Obama for not intervening in Libya, then did an about-face after the president had sent in U.S. war planes to support the rebels fighting the government. "I would not have used American and European forces." No cuts in defense spending except waste. Supported Iraq war and opposed early timetables for withdrawal.

RON PAUL:

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, leaves the Faith and Freedom Coalition rally Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Abortion: Says federal government should have no authority either to legalize or ban abortion. Yet signed pledge to advance only anti-abortion appointees for relevant administration jobs, cut off federal dollars for clinics that perform or finance abortions, and support a ban on abortions after the fetus reaches a certain stage in development.

Debt: Would eviscerate federal government, slashing nearly half its spending, shut five Cabinet-level agencies, end spending on existing conflicts and on foreign aid.

Economy: Return to the gold standard, eliminate the Federal Reserve, let gold and silver be used as legal tender, eliminate most federal regulations.

Education: Abolish the Education Department and end the federal role in education.

Energy: Remove restrictions on drilling, coal and nuclear power, eliminate gasoline tax, provide tax credits for alternative fuel technology.

Environment: In 2008, said "human activity probably does play a role" in global warming and part of the solution should be to stop subsidizing the oil industry and let prices rise until the free market turns to alternate energy sources. Now calls the science on manmade global warming a "hoax." Says emission standards should be set by states or regions, not Washington.

Gay Marriage: Says decisions on legalizing or prohibiting should be left to states. Supports federal law allowing one state to refuse to recognize the same-sex marriages of another state.

Health Care: Opposes compulsory insurance and all government subsidies for health coverage. Favors letting people deduct full cost of their health coverage and care from taxes. Says doctors should then feel an obligation to treat the needy for free.

Immigration: Do "whatever it takes" to secure the border, end the right to citizenship of U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, no social services for illegal immigrants, aggressive deportation of those who overstay a visa or otherwise break U.S. law.

Social Security: Says younger workers should be able to opt out of Social Security taxes and retirement benefits. "My plan explicitly protects the elderly and the sick in the transition."

Taxes: Eliminate the federal income tax and the IRS. Meantime would vote for a national sales tax, supports certain excise taxes and certain tariffs. Favors massive spending cuts to defund close to half the government and eliminate the need to replace the income tax at all. Supported payroll tax cut.

Terrorism: Opposes the surveillance and search powers of the Patriot Act. Says terrorists would not be motivated to attack America if the U.S. ended its military presence abroad. "The Patriot Act is unpatriotic because it undermines our liberty." Says: "Waterboarding is torture. And it's illegal under international law and under our law. It's also immoral. And it's also very impractical. There's no evidence that you really get reliable evidence."

War: Bring all or nearly all troops home, from Afghanistan and other foreign posts, "as quick as the ships could get there." Opposed U.S. intervention in Libya. "We've been fighting wars since World War II, technically in an unconstitutional fashion." Cut Pentagon budget.

RICK PERRY:

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, arrives at Business Speaks, a business and economic forum hosted by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, in Columbia, S.C., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Abortion: Now supports constitutional abortion ban after saying states should decide their own laws on such issues. Backed Texas law that attempts to discourage abortions by making doctors describe the size of the fetus' limbs and organs to the woman, and make available an image of the fetus and the sound of its heartbeat to her, before she can have the procedure.

Debt: Was non-committal on the deal that avoided default and raised debt ceiling. Proposes to cap federal spending at 18 percent of gross domestic product, down from about 25 percent today, but no specifics on major spending cuts other than from raising retirement age for Social Security and Medicare benefits for future retirees. Favors constitutional balanced-budget amendment. "No more bailouts." Freeze size and salaries of federal civilian workforce until budget is balanced. Press Congress to cut lawmakers' and president's pay by half.

Economy: Spur economy by repealing rafts of regulations, Obama's health care law and the (Dodd-Frank) law toughening financial-industry regulations after the meltdown in that sector. Create jobs in energy sector by removing obstacles to drilling and production. Cut corporate taxes.

Education: Turned down federal education aid to Texas worth up to $700 million because he saw it as imposing national standards on Texas schools. Says No Child Left Behind law gave Washington too much power to interfere with local government.

Energy: Proposes authorizing more development on federal lands and slashing regulations to spur drilling in restricted areas and opening off-limits waters and lands to production, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Southern Atlantic and Alaskan outer continental shelves. Opposes federal restrictions on natural gas production, including hydraulic or nitrogen fracturing and horizontal drilling.

Environment: Manmade global warming is a "scientific theory that has not been proven and from my perspective is more and more being put into question." Proposes repeal of EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases and elimination of all EPA programs to restrict carbon dioxide emissions. Opposes restrictions on coal industry under the Clean Air and Clean Water acts. Says environmental regulation and conservation are best achieved at state level and EPA should be converted to a "research and advisory" agency with no enforcement powers except when states ask for federal arbitration of regional disputes. As governor, cut money for clean air programs, cut the budget for Texas' environmental watchdog by a third and sued EPA to avoid enforcing clean air laws. Signed law that requires Texas to consider the effect of new regulations on the economy before passing them.

Gay Marriage: Now supports constitutional ban on gay marriage after saying states should choose their own courses.

Health Care: Repeal Obama health care law. Raise eligibility age for Medicare benefits, limit benefits for the wealthy and give people the choice of receiving federal aid to help purchase their own insurance instead of getting the direct benefits of the current system. Proposes turning Medicaid over to the states with no-strings federal support. Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured people in the nation. Signed a law that would allow Texas — subject to federal approval — to band together with other states and take over the role of providing health care coverage for the elderly, the poor and the disabled.

Immigration: Opposes U.S.-Mexico border fence, which he calls "idiocy," instead wants more border agents. Supports continued U.S. citizenship for U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants can get in-state tuition at Texas universities if they meet other residency requirements. Neither employers nor state agencies required to run job applicants through a federal database to determine their legal status. Illegal immigrants have access to services for drug treatment, mental health and children with special health care needs.

Social Security: Proposes raising retirement age for full benefits and restricting increases in benefits for the wealthy. Previously branded Social Security a "disease" inflicted by Franklin Roosevelt, now says system should be saved for future generations while younger workers are given the option of building private accounts instead of paying taxes into the entitlement.

Taxes: Let taxpayers choose between current system and 20 percent flat tax on income. Under the flat-tax option, mortgage interest and charitable contributions would continue to be deductible. For each individual or dependent, $12,500 in income would be exempt. Flat-tax plan would eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, inheritances, dividends and long-term capital gains. Also proposes to cut corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent.

Terrorism: Said it was "unprincipled" for Republicans to vote for creation of the Homeland Security Department. Supports continued use of Guantanamo Bay detention for suspected terrorists and extension of Patriot Act. Would seek to privatize Transportation Security Administration and decertify its unions. Said U.S. interrogators should "use any technique that they can" short of torture, which he did not define.

War: Alone among the candidates, has said he "would send troops back into Iraq" to prevent Iran from infiltrating and taking control of the country. Criticized Obama for announcing withdrawal of troops from Iraq by end of 2011 and for president's timetable for withdrawal in Afghanistan, but has not said how many troops should remain or for how long.

MITT ROMNEY:

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigns at the Florence Civic Center in Florence, S.C., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Abortion: Opposes abortion rights. Previously supported them. Says state law should guide abortion rights, and Roe v. Wade should be reversed by a future Supreme Court. But says Roe vs. Wade is law of the land until that happens and should not be challenged by federal legislation seeking to overturn abortion rights affirmed by that court decision. Would not sign pledge to advance only anti-abortion appointees for relevant administration jobs, cut off federal dollars for clinics that perform or finance abortions, and support a ban on abortions after the fetus reaches a certain stage in development. "So I would live within the law, within the Constitution as I understand it, without creating a constitutional crisis. But I do believe Roe v. Wade should be reversed to allow states to make that decision."

Debt: Defended 2008 bailout of financial institutions as a necessary step to avoid the system's collapse, criticized the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler and said any such aid should not single out specific companies. Cap federal spending at 20 percent of gross domestic product, down from today's recession-swollen 25 percent. Stayed silent on debt-ceiling deal during its negotiation, only announcing his opposition to the final agreement shortly before lawmakers cast their votes. Instead, endorsed GOP "cut, cap and balance" bill that had no chance of enactment. Favors constitutional balanced budget amendment. Proposes 10 percent cut in federal workforce, elimination of $1.6 billion in Amtrak subsidies and cuts of $600 million in support for the public arts and broadcasting.

Economy: Lower taxes, less regulation, balanced budget, more trade deals to spur growth. Replace jobless benefits with unemployment savings accounts. Proposes repeal of the (Dodd-Frank) law toughening financial-industry regulations after the meltdown in that sector. Proposes changing, but not repealing, the (Sarbanes-Oxley) law tightening accounting regulations in response to corporate scandals, to ease the accountability burden on smaller businesses. "We don't want to tell the world that Republicans are against all regulation. No, regulation is necessary to make a free market work. But it has to be updated and modern."

Education: Supported the federal accountability standards of No Child Left Behind law. In 2007, said he was wrong earlier in his career when he wanted the Education Department shut because he came to see the value of the federal government in "holding down the interests of the teachers' unions" and putting kids and parents first.

Energy: Accelerate drilling permits in areas where exploration has already been approved for developers with good safety records. Says cap and trade would "rocket energy prices." Supports drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic and Pacific outer continental shelves, Western lands, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore Alaska; and supports exploitation of shale oil deposits. Reduce obstacles to coal, natural gas and nuclear energy development. Says green power has yet to become viable.

Environment: Spending a fortune to cut the emissions linked to global warming "is not the right course for us." Has acknowledged the scientific consensus that humans contribute to global warming: "I believe the world is getting warmer, and I believe that humans have contributed to that." But now says: "My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet." Proposes to remove carbon dioxide from list of pollutants controlled by Clean Air Act, and amend clean water and air laws to ensure the cost of complying with regulations is balanced against environmental benefit.

Gay Marriage: Favors constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, says policy should be set federally, not by states. "Marriage is not an activity that goes on within the walls of a state."

Health Care: Promises to work for the repeal of the federal health care law modeled largely after his universal health care achievement in Massachusetts because he says states, not Washington, should drive policy on the uninsured. Proposes to guarantee that people who are "continuously covered" for a certain period be protected against losing insurance if they get sick, leave their job and need another policy. Would expand individual tax-advantaged medical savings accounts and let the savings be used for insurance premiums as well as personal medical costs. Would let insurance be sold across state lines to expand options, and restrict malpractice awards to restrain health care costs. Introduce "generous" but undetermined subsidies to help future retirees buy private insurance instead of going on traditional Medicare. No federal requirement for people to have health insurance. His Massachusetts plan requires people to have coverage, penalizes those who don't, and penalizes businesses of a certain size if they do not provide coverage to workers. His state has highest percentage of insured in nation. On Medicaid, proposes to convert program to a federal block grant administered by states.

Immigration: Favors U.S.-Mexico border fence, opposes education benefits to illegal immigrants. Would veto legislation that seeks to award legal status to some young illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the armed forces. Proposes more visas for holders of advanced degrees in math, science and engineering who have U.S. job offers, and would award permanent residency to foreign students who graduate from U.S. schools with a degree in those fields.

Social Security: Protect the status quo for people 55 and over but, for the next generations of retirees, raise the retirement age for full benefits one or two years and reduce inflation increases in benefits for wealthier recipients.

Taxes: No one with adjusted gross income under $200,000 should be taxed on interest, dividends or capital gains. Cut corporate tax rate to 25 percent from a high of 35 percent. Opposes proposals to replace current tax system with national sales tax because he says it raises taxes on middle class while lowering them for rich and poor. Make Bush-era tax cuts, including for the wealthy, permanent. Eliminate estate tax. Dodged on extending cut in payroll tax, saying he doesn't like "temporary little Band-Aids" but also he's not for raising taxes "anywhere."

Terrorism: No constitutional rights for foreign terrorism suspects. In 2007, refused to rule out use of waterboarding to interrogate terrorist suspects. In 2011, his campaign said he does not consider waterboarding to be torture.

War: Has not specified the troop numbers behind his pledge to ensure the "force level necessary to secure our gains and complete our mission successfully" in Afghanistan. "This is not time for America to cut and run." Said Obama was wrong to begin reducing troop levels as soon as he did. Would increase strength of armed forces, including number of troops and warships.

RICK SANTORUM:

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, addresses Business Speaks, a business and economic forum hosted by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, in Columbia, S.C., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Abortion: Favors constitutional abortion ban and opposes abortion even in cases of rape because "I would absolutely stand and say that one violence is enough." Previously supported right to abortion in cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.

Debt: Freeze social and military spending for five years to cut $5 trillion from federal budgets. Opposed the financial-industry bailout and stimulus programs of the Bush and Obama administrations. Supports constitutional balanced budget amendment holding federal spending at no more than 18 percent of GDP, down from the current recession-swollen 25 percent.

Economy: Spur jobs by eliminating corporate taxes for manufacturers, drill for more oil and gas, and slash regulations. Repeal every Obama-era regulation that costs business more than $100 million a year. "You may have to replace a few, but let's repeal them all because they are all antagonistic to businesses, particularly in the manufacturing sector."

Education: Voted for sweeping No Child Left Behind education overhaul, now says he regrets doing so. Wants "significantly" smaller Education Department but not its elimination. Criticized early childhood education programs as an attempt by government to "indoctrinate your children."

Energy: Favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and scaling back "oppressive regulation" hindering drilling elsewhere. Eliminate energy subsidies in four years.

Environment: The science establishing human activity as a likely contributor to global warming is "patently absurd" and "junk science."

Gay Marriage: Supports constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, not leaving decision to states. "We can't have 50 marriage laws." ''Abraham Lincoln said the states do not have the right to do wrong. I respect the 10th Amendment, but we are a nation that has values. We are a nation that was built on a moral enterprise, and states don't have the right to tramp over those because of the 10th Amendment."

Health Care: Would seek to starve Obama's health care law of money needed to implement it, and to repeal it. Was a leading supporter of Bush administration's prescription drug program for the elderly, which he now calls a mistake.

Immigration: Supports border fence, opposes letting children of illegal immigrants qualify for cheaper in-state tuition and says federal government should not require states to offer any social services to illegal immigrants. Favors making English the official language.

Social Security: Proposes immediate steps to lower benefits for wealthier retirees, raise the age to qualify for full benefits and restrict inflation increases in benefits. "We need to change benefits for everybody now." ''We should absolutely do something about people who don't need Social Security." Supports option of private retirement accounts instead of Social Security taxes and benefits for younger workers.

Taxes: Triple the personal exemption for dependent children, reduce the number of tax brackets to two — 10 percent and 28 percent — exempt domestic manufacturers from the corporate tax and halve the top rate for other business. "If you manufacture in America, you aren't going to pay any taxes." Opposes any national sales tax.

Terrorism: Defends creation of Homeland Security Department as an attempt to fix a "complete mess" in the domestic security apparatus. Voted to reauthorize Patriot Act. Says airport screeners should employ profiling; "Muslims would be someone you'd look at, absolutely." Supports continued use of Guantanamo Bay detention for suspected terrorists but says Americans accused of being enemy combatants should have the right to go to court to challenge indefinite detention. Says waterboarding has proved effective.

War: Says he would order that Iran's nuclear facilities be bombed unless they were opened for international arms inspectors. Proposes freezing defense spending for five years. Said in September 2011 that 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops should remain in Iraq. Says U.S. troops should withdraw from Afghanistan "a little slower" than Obama is planning. In May, accused Obama of "dithering" in Libya and creating a "morass" because he let the international community take the lead. Opposes closure of U.S. bases abroad.

Associated Press writers Brian Bakst and Chris Tomlinson contributed to this report.

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidates, from left to right: Texas Gov. Rick Perry; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, pose for a photo at the start of the South Carolina Republican presidential candidate debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Several well-known online destinations will be offline on Wednesday to protest the pending anti-online piracy bill that critics say has the potential to limit the Internet.

photo by Cloud2013/ FlickrOpponents to the Stop Online Piracy Act are calling for an international day of protest on the Internet for Jan. 18.

Several additional internet websites will join Wikipedia in voluntarily "going dark" on Wednesday to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act, a piece of pending legislation that opponents say is threatening to an open Internet.

To protest the bill, known better by its initials, SOPA, opponents are calling for a unified, online protest for Jan. 18.

The Stop Online Piracy Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and a similar bill called the Protect Intellectual Property Act under consideration in the Senate are designed to crack down on sales of pirated U.S. products overseas.

Supporters include the film and music industry, which often sees its products sold illegally. They say the legislation is needed to protect intellectual property and jobs.

Critics say the legislation could hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights. Among their concerns are provisions that would weaken cyber-security for companies and hinder domain access rights.

According to a list assembled by Mashable.com, a website devoted to technology news, some prominent members of the web community are joining in the 24-hour protest on Wednesday.
They include:

• Imgur


• Tor Project


• Miro


• iSchool at Syracuse University


• Oreilly.com


• Reddit


• Mozilla


• WordPress.org


• icanhazCheezburger Network


• MoveOn.org


• Good Old Games


• TwitPic


• Minecraft


• Free Press


• Mojang


• XDA Developers


• Destructoid


• Good.is

The protest fail to get two of the biggest social media players, Facebook and Twitter, to join them in shutting down for the day.

Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo said Twitter is opposed to SOPA but the company will not be taking part in Wednesday's protest. As Costolo tweeter, "Closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish."

Google, another one of the Internet heavyweights, will also not shut down as part of the protest. The Washington Post is announcing Google plans to plans to display an anti-SOPA message on the home page of the search engine throughout the day.

Welch is among those who have said the city cannot afford to keep issuing checks to bailout the Geriatric Authority.

Donald R. Welch

HOLYOKE – The City Council Tuesday night appointed former councilor Donald R. Welch, one of the harshest critics of the management of the Holyoke Geriatric Authority, to the board that oversees the authority.

The council also referred to committee a proposal to add a nonvoting youth member to the City Council similar to student representatives to the School Committee.

The authority is a nursing home at 45 Lower Westfield Road. It has more than 120 employees, 80 beds, 80 daycare slots for senior citizens – and persistent financial woes.

The authority became a quasi-official city agency in 1971. The City Council appoints three board members, the mayor appoints three and those six elect a seventh.

Authority financial problems have prompted city bailouts – and anger among councilors and others – including $465,000 approved in December to cover employee-retirement costs unpaid by the authority going back to 2008.

In 1999, the city forgave $3.2 million in authority retirement costs, meaning the city budget funded those costs.

Authority officials have said the problem is federal reimbursements cover only 75 percent of costs. Employees of the authority consistently win high praise and patients and their family members have said the facility provides top-quality care.

Councilor Todd A. McGee and others have said that they agree on the high marks for authority workers and the facility’s care, but that the problem is management.

Welch, who lost a Nov. 8 reelection bid, has said management of the authority must turn around the facility. If unable to do so, he said, the facility might have to close because taxpayers cannot keep issuing six- and seven-figure bailout checks.

After the council vote at City Hall, Welch explained his interest in being on the board by saying, “To try to turn that place around and make it a viable entity for the city, and if we can’t, look at other alternatives.”

Welch replaces former board member Helen Arnold, whose term expired, officials said.

The 15-member council appointed Welch with 11 votes. Victor Panitch, of Madison Avenue, received three votes and Arnold one.

The next meeting of the authority board is Thursday at 6 p.m. at the facility.

Normally, such a council appointment would be discussed in committee. But councilors said it was important to fill the authority board seat in time for Thursday, when the board will take key votes that include electing the seventh member.

During the public comment period before the council meeting, seven young people urged approval of Ward 4 Councilor Jason P. Ferreira’s proposal for the youth seat.

“It allows them to have a voice,” said Juan Sanchez, of Clark Street.

Ferreira said the seat would be open to residents younger than 18 who would submit applications from which the council would choose a member. The sole authority of a youth member would be to speak during council meetings, he said.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said Monday he opposes the move because it would be impractical having a teen-ager discussing issues like setting the tax rate. He questioned whether adding such a seat would be legal in terms of complying with the city charter and ordinances.

But Ferreira’s measure received support from numerous councilors: Aaron M. Vega, Rebecca Lisi, Gladys Lebron-Martinez, Peter R. Tallman and Gordon P. Alexander.

Police said the man's injuries weren't life-threatening.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – A man was shot in the leg in the 1100-area of Dwight Street Tuesday night and police were investigating.

The man was taken to Baystate Medical Center, in Springfield, and his injuries weren’t life-threatening, Lt. Laurence P. Cournoyer said.

Details such as motive and whether police had suspects weren’t immediately available, Cournoyer said.

The cruise liner had more than 4,200 passengers and crew on board when it slammed into the reef off the Tuscan coast.

ROME – “You go on board! Is that clear? Do you hear me?” the Coast Guard officer shouted as the captain of the grounded Costa Concordia sat safe in a life raft and frantic passengers struggled to escape after the ship rammed into a reef off the Tuscan coast.

“It is an order. Don’t make any more excuses. You have declared ‘Abandon ship.’ Now I am in charge.”

The dramatic recording made public Tuesday shows Capt. Francesco Schettino resisted orders to return to his ship to direct the evacuation, saying it was too dark and the ship was tipping perilously.

The exchange came to light as the death toll nearly doubled to 11 after divers pulled the bodies of four men and a woman, all wearing life vests, from the wreckage. Some two dozen people remain missing.

The Costa Concordia had more than 4,200 passengers and crew on board when it slammed into the reef Friday off the tiny island of Giglio after Schettino made an unauthorized maneuver from the ship’s programmed course – apparently to show off the luxury liner to the island’s residents.

Schettino has insisted that he stayed aboard until the ship was evacuated. However, the recording of his conversation with Italian Coast Guard Capt. Gregorio De Falco makes clear he fled before all passengers were off – and then defied De Falco’s repeated orders to go back.

“Listen Schettino,” De Falco can be heard shouting in the audio tape. “There are people trapped on board. ... You go on board and then you will tell me how many people there are. Is that clear?”

But Schettino resisted, saying the ship was listing and he was with his second-in-command in the lifeboat.

“I am here with the rescue boats. I am here. I am not going anywhere. I am here,” he said. “I am here to coordinate the rescue.”

“What are you coordinating there? Go on board! Coordinate the rescue from aboard the ship. Are you refusing?” came the response.

Schettino said he was not refusing, but he still did not return to the ship, saying at one point: “Do you realize it is dark and here we can’t see anything?”

De Falco shouted back: “And so what? You want to go home, Schettino? It is dark and you want to go home? Get on that prow of the boat using the pilot ladder and tell me what can be done, how many people there are and what their needs are. Now!”

The exchange also indicates that Schettino did not know anyone had died, with De Falco telling him at one point: “There are already bodies now, Schettino.”

“How many bodies?” Schettino asks in a nervous tone.

“You are the one who has to tell me how many there are!” De Falco barks in response.

Schettino was finally heard on the tape agreeing to reboard. But the Coast Guard has said he never went back, and police arrested him on land several hours later.

The audio, first made available on the website of the Corriere della Sera newspaper and authenticated by the Coast Guard, was broadcast throughout the day on Italian television to a stunned nation.

Jailed since the accident, Schettino appeared Tuesday before a judge in Grosseto, where he was questioned for three hours. The judge ordered him held under house arrest, his lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, told reporters, and later Italian media said he had returned to his home near Naples.

Criminal charges including manslaughter and abandoning ship are expected to be filed by prosecutors in coming days. He faces 12 years in prison for the abandoning ship charge alone.

At the hearing, Leporatti said the captain gave his version of events, insisting that after the initial crash into the reefs he had maneuvered the ship close to shore in a way that “saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.”

The lawyer said urine and hair samples were taken from Schettino, apparently to determine if he might have consumed alcohol or used drugs before the accident.

Tanned and looking younger than his 52 years, Schettino has worked for 11 years for the ship’s Italian operator, Costa Crociere SpA, achieving the rank of captain in 2006. He hails from Meta di Sorrento in the Naples area, which produces many of Italy’s ferry and cruise boat captains. He attended the Nino Bixio merchant marine school near Sorrento.

The five bodies discovered Tuesday were adults in their 50s or 60s, each wearing the orange vests that passengers use, indicating they were not crew members, said a Coast Guard spokesman, Cmdr. Filippo Marini. Their nationalities were not immediately released.

They were discovered after Italian naval divers exploded holes in the hull of the grounded cruise ship, trying to speed up the search for the missing. Navy spokesman Alessandro Busonero told Sky TV 24 the holes would help divers enter the wreck more easily. “We are rushing against time,” he said.

Before the grim finding, authorities had said 25 passengers and four crew members were missing. They include Americans Jerry and Barbara Heil of White Bear Lake, Minn., as well as 14 Germans, six Italians, four French, a Hungarian, an Indian and a Peruvian.

Mediterranean waters in the area were relatively calm Tuesday with waves just a foot high, but they were expected to reach nearly 6 feet (1.8 meters) Wednesday, according to meteorological forecasts.

A Dutch shipwreck salvage firm said it would take its engineers and divers two to four weeks to extract the 500,000 gallons of fuel aboard the ship. The safe removal of the fuel has become a priority second only to finding the missing, as the wreckage site lies in a maritime sanctuary for dolphins, porpoises and whales.

Preliminary phases of the fuel extraction could begin as early as Wednesday if approved by Italian officials, the company said.

Smit, based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, said no fuel had leaked and the ship’s tanks appeared intact. While there is a risk the ship could shift in larger waves, it has so far been relatively stable perched on top of rocks near Giglio’s port.

Smit’s operations manager, Kees van Essen, said the company was confident the fuel could safely be extracted using pumps and valves to vacuum the oil out to waiting tanks.

“But there are always environmental risks in these types of operations,” he told reporters.

The company said any discussion about the fate of the ship – whether it is removed in one piece or broken up – would be decided by Costa Crociere and its insurance companies.

Miami-based Carnival Corp., which owns the Italian operator, estimated that preliminary losses from having the Concordia out of commission through 2012 would be between $85 million and $95 million, along with other costs. The company’s share price slumped more than 16 percent Monday.

Carnival said its deductible on damage to the ship was approximately $30 million. In addition, the company faces a deductible of $10 million for third-party personal injury liability claims.

Carnival said other costs related to the grounding can’t yet be determined.

The selectmen will discuss the three proposals from potential casino consultants at its next meeting.

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BRIMFIELD - With one of the three members absent, the Board of Selectmen postponed reviewing the three submissions from casino consultants until its next meeting, which is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Selectmen Chairwoman Diane M. Panaccione declined to name the companies at the Tuesday night meeting, but said they were provided by the town's law firm, Kopleman and Paige.

She described them as being local, from the Boston area, and said they will help the town detail financial, social and environmental impacts if MGM Resorts International were to open a casino in the northwest corner of town.

MGM Resorts - the name behind Las Vegas casinos such as the Bellagio and MGM Grand - has signed a contract with Rolling Hills Estates Realty Trust to purchase the wooded, 150-acre property where it wants to build "Rolling Hills Resort," the working title of the project.

David J. Callahan, a principal with Rolling Hills Estates Realty Trust and chief executive officer of Palmer Paving, wrote to the selectboard earlier this month to ask that it include his gaming partner in discussions with the consultant.

"The state's casino legislation permits the gaming applicant to provide reasonable costs related to legal, financial and other professional services required by the town for the negotiation and execution of a host community agreement. We believe that having the developer at your table to consider your options will be critical to helping ensure that the board, casino committee, department heads and town residents all have the resources they need to make an informed decision going forward," Callahan wrote.

To that end, Dennis M. Murphy, a Callahan representative, attended the Tuesday meeting, and said he wasn't suggesting that his group has any role in the selection of a consultant, but said it might be a worthwhile discussion to have their representatives talk about their experiences in other communities.

Selectman Thomas C. Marino said casino projects are not "new," and noted that there is a lot of data available already. The town also has a Casino Study Committee, and Panaccione and selectmen's assistant Carol M. DelNegro have served on the Western Massachusetts Casino Task Force for three years.

Selectman Stephen Fleshman was absent.

After the meeting, Panaccione said that most of the residents reaching out to her are anti-casino. She said they are saying they like the rural town as it is, and that the land should remain as open space. She said they also question the monetary promises, and the $6 million extra in property taxes that Callahan said the project would generate.

At last week's press conference, Callahan and MGM representatives said the project would have minimal impacts on the town, as main access would only be from the Massachusetts Turnpike, and said it would create 3,000 permanent jobs.
MGM Resorts is the latest company vying for the lone casino license in Western Massachusetts.

There are also proposals for Palmer, Holyoke and Springfield.

An apparent smoke bomb was thrown over the fence of the White House as hundreds of Occupy protesters massed outside the gates.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An apparent smoke bomb was thrown over the fence of the White House as hundreds of Occupy protesters massed outside the gates.

The crowds were dispersed Tuesday night, and U.S. Secret Service spokesman George
Ogilvie says there were no arrests in the incident.

However, people inside the White House were being prevented from exiting on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the building as the situation was being resolved.

Ogilvie says there were 1,000 to 1,500 protesters at one point. He said something appearing to be a smoke bomb was thrown over the fence and that the device was being removed.

Sgt. Patrick Manley said the suspect threw a large rock though the store's glass door shortly after 1 a.m.

EAST LONGMEADOW - Police continue to probe a “smash and dash” burglary at Dick’s convenience store on Shaker Road early Wednesday morning that yielded lottery tickets and cigarettes for the suspect.

Sgt. Patrick Manley said the suspect threw a large rock though the store’s glass door shortly after 1 a.m. and was gone about 2½ minutes later.

The suspect also moved the store's safe, apparently in an unsuccessful effort to remove it from the store.

Christie says he wants to remain as New Jersey governor, but he wouldn't rule out joining a Romney ticket.

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife Ann, are joined by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during a campaign appearance at a Hy-Vee grocery store, Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in West Des Moines, Iowa.

WASHINGTON — Gov. Chris Christie is urging political ally Mitt Romney to immediately release his tax returns rather than waiting until April.

The New Jersey governor tells NBC's "Today" show Romney should "put them out sooner than later because it's always better to have full disclosure."

Romney's taxes have emerged as an issue days before the South Carolina primary. He agreed in Monday night's debate to consider making his tax returns public, and then committed to releasing them on Tuesday. But the multi-millionaire candidate now is on the defensive after acknowledging that his effective tax rate is 15 percent, saying most of his income came from investments and speeches rather than earned income. Christie says he wants to remain as governor, but he wouldn't rule out joining a Romney ticket.

The independent panel writes that "wind turbine syndrome" — dizziness, nausea, depression and mental health problems — has not been demonstrated scientifically.

Associated PressIn this April. 28, 2009, file photo, of the wind farm 'Horns Rev' in the North Sea, near the Danish coast.

BOSTON — State officials have released a report that says there is no scientific evidence to suggest that spinning wind turbines cause health problems.

The independent panel of doctors and scientists put together by the state Department of Environmental Protection said in its 164-page report released Tuesday said so-called "wind turbine syndrome" — dizziness, nausea, depression and mental health problems — has not been demonstrated scientifically.

There is also no evidence to suggest an association between noise from turbines and pain and stiffness, diabetes, high blood pressure, tinnitus, hearing impairment, cardiovascular disease and headaches or migraines.

The report said there is limited evidence that turbines can be annoying and disrupt sleep.

The panel did not do original research, just reviewed existing studies.

Wind turbine opponents dismissed the report.

Townspeople are invited to attend the event, for which tickets are $50 a person.

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanSupporters of West Springfield's new mayor, Gregory Neffinger, seen here, are planning an inaugural celebration for Jan. 29.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Committee to Elect Gregory C. Neffinger will host an inaugural party in honor of the new mayor Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Carriage House at Storrowton.

“The mayor looks to have an exciting evening of community involvement,” Roberta Page, coordinator of the celebration, said Tuesday. “People are just invited to come out and enjoy the evening.”

The party will begin with socializing at 5:30 p.m. followed by food stations, music provided by a disc jockey and festivities from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Attendees will receive a special commemorative gift in remembrance of the evening. People are asked to wear whatever is most “party-comfortable.”

Townspeople are invited to attend the event, for which tickets are $50 a person.

Reservations are required by Jan. 26 and may be made by making out and mailing a personal check or money order for tickets payable to the Committee to Elect Gregory C. Neffinger, Post Office Box 172, West Springfield, MA 01090.

The Carriage House at Storrowton is at 1305 Memorial Ave.

Paul and his supporters would like to set a firm value for the U.S. dollar, much like when it was pegged to a specific amount of gold.

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, leaves the Faith and Freedom Coalition rally Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

AUSTIN, Texas — Facing double-digit inflation in 1981, Congress created a commission to consider a role for gold in U.S. monetary policy. The 17-member panel rejected the idea of returning America to the gold standard — except for two dissenting members.

One was a little-known congressman from Texas named Ron Paul.

Today, Paul's surprisingly strong race for the Republican presidential nomination is drawing new attention to a notion that long has been a cherished cause for a small group of conservatives but is considered a relic of history by mainstream economists and politicians.

Paul and his supporters would like to set a firm value for the U.S. dollar, much like when it was pegged to a specific amount of gold. They say prices would be stable and inflation controlled because the government couldn't print more money than it had gold to back it up. This approach, Paul maintains, would address many of the economy's problems.

Other Republican candidates haven't joined him, though, and most experts dismiss the scheme as completely unfeasible in the modern global economy. For one thing, it would require most other countries to change their monetary systems. It would also preclude the ways that nations now manage the ups and downs of their economic cycles.

"Is it feasible to go back to something called 'the gold standard'? The answer is no," said Edwin Truman, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, who has written about gold and monetary policy. "The United States does not have the capacity to run such a system in the world today."

Still, talk about a gold standard, which the United States used in its early years but largely abandoned in 1933, shows how economic anxiety has fed a growing appeal for unusual remedies.

"People sense that there's something deeply wrong with the economy, so I think economic radicalism is much more popular than it has been in the past," said Jeffrey Bell, a GOP political consultant who helped Ronald Reagan record a campaign ad endorsing the gold standard in 1980. It never aired.

The Federal Reserve, America's central bank, sets interest rates to keep the economy, inflation and employment on a healthy track. Truman said the Fed has been reformed frequently and a key way to overhaul it today would be to restrict the assets it buys and sells.

"The Federal Reserve is not any different in its fundamental operations than any other central bank in the world," he said. "And, at the core, you'd still want what the Fed has, which is humans, policymakers, deciding how to set interest rates." An inability to loosen credit has been blamed by some economists for prolonging the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Paul calls for auditing — and then ending — the Federal Reserve. He argues that with gold backing the value of the dollar, the Fed would be obsolete and thus unable to play a role in creating credit bubbles that cause misery when they burst. He says the Fed made money too easily available in recent years.

"The gold coin standard, although imperfectly adhered to, permitted startling economic growth combined with falling prices in the 19th century," Paul wrote in his 1981 book "Gold, Peace and Prosperity: The Birth of a New Currency." ''In the 67 years since the abolition of the gold standard, the Consumer Price Index has gone up 625 percent. In the previous 67 years, under an imperfect gold coin standard, the CPI increased 10 percent."

The United States still allowed foreign nations to convert dollars into gold at a fixed rate of $35 an ounce through August 1971, when Richard Nixon closed the Treasury's "gold window." Paul says that's what inspired him to run for Congress.

Truman said going back is impossible: "It would drain all of our gold and we would go into huge deflation."

Mark Thoma, an economics professor at the University of Oregon who also has written on the gold standard, said there's not enough gold in the world to cover the value of global transactions and thus alleviate the need for paper money — meaning governments would still want to float their currencies' value against gold.

David Schraeder, spokesman for the World Gold Council, an industry group that tracks gold bullion holdings, said the idea of setting a market value for gold can't be done unilaterally by the United States.

"You cannot have a gold standard with only one country participating," he said.

GOP candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry both have called for firing Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and reining in monetary policy, but neither has endorsed a new gold standard. They and other Republicans have avoided ridiculing the idea, however, and alienating its ardent believers.

"It's like poking a stick at a beehive," said Jonah Goldberg of the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "You're not going to get rid of them. You're just going to get them angry at you."

The victim, who crashed into a disabled tractor trailer. was pronounced dead at the scene.

View full sizeThe Republican | Don TreegerThe scene of a fatal accident on I-91 in Holyoke. The red canvass is to conceal the deceased inside the car from passing cars.

HOLYOKE – State police have identified the man who lost his life on Interstate 91 Tuesday afternoon when his car crashed into the rear of disabled tractor trailer truck as 23-year-old Abidan Gonzalez of Springfield.

The accident occurred about 4:18 p.m. when Gonzalez, driving his 1995 Nissan Altima southbound in the breakdown lane, struck the rear of the tractor trailer.

Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the 2001 Peterbuilt tractor-trailer, Lemarcus Mimes, 26, of Shelby, Mississippi, was not injured in the crash.

Investigators continue to probe the crash and have yet to determine why Gonzalez was driving in the breakdown lane.

Due to the crash investigation, the breakdown lane and far right travel lane were closed for approximately two hours.

Investigators include members of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Holyoke Fire Department and the Department of Transportation’s Highway Division.

A small goods manufacturer in Iran has begun production of miniature drone replicas 1/80th the size of the American one that went down on Iranian soil.

View full sizeAssociated PressThis photo released on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, claims to show the chief of the aerospace division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, left, listening to an unidentified colonel as he points to US RQ-170 Sentinel drone which Tehran says its forces downed earlier this week. An anti-US banner is placed under the drone. The banner at left shows Gen. Hasan Tehrani Moghaddam, a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander who was killed in an explosion at an ammunition depot last month. (AP Photo/Sepahnews)

• Iranian corporation manufacturing toy drone replicas; offers pink one to Obama [Washington Post]
• James Taylor's Tanglewood pre-sale starts today [Berkshire Eagle]
• Shutesbury library renovation approved by one vote margin, recount likely [Daily Hampshire Gazette]
• 1 million Wisconsinites petition for gubernatorial recall election [The Nation]
• What South Carolina voters are hearing on the airwaves about the presidential candidates [The Atlantic]




• 2012 Consumer Electronic Show wrap-up and reflection[Wired.com]

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The U.S. Department of Transportation says the New England schools will get a share of $77 million it is allocating to 22 facilities known as University Transportation Centers, in which various schools team up for research.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The federal government is handing out funding to five New England universities collaborating in transportation research, including three schools in Massachusetts.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says the New England schools will get a share of $77 million it is allocating to 22 facilities known as University Transportation Centers, in which various schools team up for research.

In all, 121 different universities are participating in the various consortia.

New England beneficiaries include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, both in Cambridge; the University of Connecticut in Storrs; University of Massachusetts-Amherst; and the University of Maine in Orono.

The centers and universities work with each other and federal agencies on research to promote transportation safety and efficiency. Each consortium is getting $3.5 million, which they must match with money from non-federal sources.

Police arrested the suspects Tuesday night on Waldo Street.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – A street stop on Waldo Street Tuesday night yielded the arrests of two city men and two New Hampshire men on drug charges.

Miguel A. Alcazar Jr., 22, of 1475 Dwight St. Apt. 1L, was charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug law, police documents state.

Carlos Cruz, of 70 Waldo St., was charged with distribution of heroin and distribution of cocaine, documents state.

William Davis, 48, of 147 Pine St., Swanzy, N.H. and William Lloyd, 08 Harmony Lane, Apt. 5, Keene. N.H. were both charged with possession of heroin and possession of cocaine, documents state.

Police arrested the suspects shortly after 9"30 p.m. Additional information was not immediately available.

The arrests of out-of-town suspects on drug charges is not unusual here. On Jan. 3, police arrested suspects from West Springfield, East Longmeadow and Vermont on heroin charges following a pair of motor vehicle stops near one of the city’s Interstate 91 interchanges.

City councilors delayed accepting the grant Jan. 9, pending details of how it would be spent.

The RepublicanPolice Commissioner William Fitchet

SPRINGFIELD – Some community activists said this week they believe that grassroots groups should have received greater consideration for funding under a new $800,000 state grant designed to reduce gangs, drugs and violence among young men.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick awarded grants to 11 communities in October, including Springfield and Holyoke, under the “Safe and Successful Youth Initiative” program. Holyoke received $441,403, but the Springfield City Council delayed a vote on accepting the city’s $800,000 grant on Jan. 9, with members saying they wanted more details.

On Tuesday, representatives of Alive with Awareness, Knowledge, and Empowerment (AWAKE) told councilors during a council Public Safety Committee meeting that their grassroots anti-violence group deserved funding under the grant. AWAKE officials and supporters said the group has a proven record of working on the streets to combat violence and gangs by working with high-risk youth, victims and victims’ families.

DeJuan T. Brown, executive director of AWAKE, said that in regard to gang and youth violence, “Everyone knows AWAKE is at the forefront.” With or without funding, the group does its work as members are vested in the community, Brown said.

The RepublicanDeJuan Brown

State police reported those involved in the Wednesday mid-morning crash suffered minor injuries.

Republican file photo

UPDATE: State police report the scene was cleared at about noon and that traffic is now flowing smoothly.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – A crash between a tractor trailer truck and another vehicle in the northbound lanes of Interstate 91 blocked all three travel lanes Wednesday morning.

State police said reported some those involved in the crash suffered non-life-threatening injuries. It was reported about 10:25 a.m. just north of Interchange 13 which serves Riverdale Street.

State police, reporting at about 11:10 a.m., said traffic was being routed onto the breakdown lane. Additional information was not immediately available.

Following in the footsteps made popular by Republican Texas Rep. Ron Paul's supporters, Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Warren and her campaign have coordinated a money bomb fundraising event to take place on Jan. 19, the same day Republican Sen. Scott Brown is holding an event in Worcester to kick-off his bid to keep his Senate seat.

01.03.12. BOSTON - Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren spoke to a packed Florian Hall in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood on Tuesday Jan. 3, 2012, as she ramped up her election season appearances. (Staff photo by Robert Rizzuto)

Following in the footsteps made popular by Republican Texas Rep. Ron Paul's supporters, Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Warren and her campaign have coordinated a money bomb fundraising event to take place on Jan. 19, the same day Republican Sen. Scott Brown is holding an event in Worcester to kick-off his bid to keep his Senate seat.

The date is symbolic to Brown as two years prior, it was on that night Democrat Martha Coakley conceded defeat, paving the way for a Republican to hold the seat previously held by Democrat Edward Kennedy for 46 years.

The money bomb, which has already totaled donations of more than $300,000, will process entirely on Jan. 19, according to Warren's camp. The intention is to collect a large sum of money via small donations and have them hit the bank account all at once on Thursday.

"Elizabeth's campaign has lots of grassroots momentum-- but Scott Brown still has a 2-to-1, cash-on-hand advantage with millions of dollars more from Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS, the chamber of commerce and other Wall Street interests waiting in the wings," Warren's campaign said in a plea for donations.

Warren reportedly has a total of more than $6 million cash-on-hand to spend in the election with $5.7 million of that generated during the fourth quarter of 2011. Warren's campaign claimed that during that period, 23,000 individual contributors across the commonwealth donated an average of $64 each, totaling more than $1 million combined.

Brown's cash-on-hand total is reportedly $12.8 million with $3.2 million raised in the last quarter of the year. In 2012, he utilized the "money-bomb" fundraiser to generate a quick $1.3 million.

In the Democratic Party, Warren currently has two rivals in Middleton Immigration Lawyer Marisa DeFranco and Dover Lawyer James King. But Warren, a consumer advocate who has stolen the spotlight and magnetized Democratic donations to her favor, by far has the most money to spend on what is being billed as one of the costliest elections in the state's history.

Brown and Warren's camps are currently working to craft an "enforceable agreement" to block outside groups, such as Super PACs like American Crossroads and the League of Conversation voters, from running negative ads in the race. With millions already spent by such groups attacking Brown and Warren, it is unclear what, if anything, the candidates can do to stop the ads since federal election law prohibits candidates from coordinating with outside groups about advertising.