The district includes Athol, Belchertown, Erving, Gill, New Salem, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, Warwick and Wendell.

Genevieve C. Fraser

ORANGE - Genevieve C. Fraser, who ran an unsuccessful race as an independent for state representative from the 2nd Franklin District in 2010, will run again, this time as a Democrat.

Fraser said in an email that she had taken out nomination papers in Greenfield Wednesday.

The Orange resident has never held state office. She served as an aide to former state Sen. Robert D. Wetmore and has worked in the environmental field.

Democrat Denise Andrews, also of Orange, won the 2010 election, defeating Fraser and Republican Steven E. Adam for the seat vacated by Democrat Christopher Donelan, who stepped down to run for Franklin County sheriff.

Fraser is hoping to represent the new district, which was realigned following the 2010 Census. It is now made up of Athol, Belchertown, Erving, Gill, New Salem, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, Warwick and Wendell.

Some opponents said it was unfair to single out certain stores for the ban.

Helen R. Caulton-Harris

SPRINGFIELD – Local youths took a lead role Wednesday in urging the Public Health Council to approve a new regulation that would ban the sale of tobacco products in stores that have pharmacies.

Lay’Trice R. Jewell and Duong T. Huynh, both 17 and juniors at Central High School, spoke in favor of the proposed regulation during a hearing before the local health council. The council also received eight letters from students at Central, the High School of Commerce and Renaissance School, all urging passage of the new tobacco regulation.

The students are members of “The 84,” a statewide youth tobacco prevention movement. The 84 represents the 84 percent of youth in Massachusetts who choose not to smoke, according to the organization.

If passed, the Springfield regulation would affect stores ranging from the local CVS and Walgreens to other stores and supermarkets that house pharmacies, officials said. The regulation would define stores with pharmacies as “health care institutions.”

The sale of tobacco in stores with pharmacies “is incompatible with the mission of health care institutions because it is detrimental to the public health and undermines efforts to educate patients on the safe and effective use of medications,” the regulation states in part.

The Massachusetts Food Association, a trade association that represents the grocery and supermarket industry in Massachusetts, and local resident Susan J. Danton wrote letters opposing the regulation. Both stressed that tobacco is a legal product, and objected to singling out stores for the ban.

The health council will review the draft regulation and public input, and consider passage at a future meeting. The two students and David J. Wilson, tobacco control director for the Massachusetts Municipal Association, were the only ones who spoke during the hearing.

Jewell said tobacco “hits very close to home for me,” as her stepfather has tried to quit smoking in a household that also includes a 4-year-old sister and 9-year-old brother.

“Although I’m not smoking it directly, it still bothers not only myself but my younger siblings and my mother,” Jewell said. “I still have the second-hand smoke effects.”

Having cigarettes for sale in stores with pharmacies creates temptation, such as choosing between the patch to quit smoking and the nearby pack of cigarettes, Jewell said.

“It’s right in your face,” she said.

Huynh said she and other youth “support health, not death.”

The sale of tobacco in drug stores is “unethical and unconscionable,” given that they are dedicated to helping people with their health needs, but then selling a product that is harmful and contributes to death, Huynh said.

Health Director Helen R. Caulton-Harris said she was impressed by the students’ efforts and knowledge.

The Springfield regulation is patterned after a regulation in Boston. Boston is among 25 communities in Massachusetts that ban tobacco sales in pharmacies.

Brian Houghton, vice-president of the Massachusetts Food Association, said the proposal “unfairly targets a small percentage of outlets where legal tobacco products are sold.” Rather than protect health, it denies the sale of a legal product in some stores, “switching those sales to another establishment,” he said.

A captain in the West Springfield Police Department has been accused of misconduct regarding a woman in custody.

West Springfield Police vehicle turning out of the police station.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Hampden District Attorney’s office has completed its probe of an allegation of misconduct committed by a West Springfield police captain and turned over its results to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Springfield.

“I have completed the portion of the investigation the District Attorney’s Office will do,” Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said Wednesday.

The district attorney had state police attached to his office look into the matter.

Meanwhile, Christina A. Sterling, spokeswoman for the Boston office of the U.S. Justice Department, which oversees the U.S. Attorney’s office, said her department neither confirms nor denies the existence of an investigation.

According to Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger, someone wrote a letter either to the U.S. Attorney’s Office or the Hampden District Attorney’s Office alleging an incident involving Capt. Daniel O’Brien and a woman in police custody in the fall.

O’Brien was placed on administrative leave without pay during the last weeks of the administration of former Mayor Edward J. Gibson, who stepped down in January, according to Neffinger. The mayor said he does not know details of the complaint.

In mid-January Mastroianni said he hoped to wrap up the investigation in several weeks. The district attorney said the investigation involves an allegation of misconduct that raises the issues of civil rights violations and police brutality.

Police Chief Thomas Burke could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

One of five police captains, O’Brien has a salary of approximately $91,000. He has been on the force since 1988. The Police Department has been asked to not do its own internal investigation.

Olberding is vice-chairwoman of the Belchertown Finance Committee.

Mary Olberding

BELCHERTOWN - Hampshire County Register of Deeds candidate Mary Olberding, a Democrat, has won the endorsement of state Rep. John W. Scibak, D-South Hadley.

“Mary Olberding’s experience in managing large databases and technological conversations will be invaluable in ensuring the continued efficiency of this office,” Scibak said. “With a strong background in human resources, I know that Mary understands the importance of customer service and the attention to detail necessary in this position.”

Olberding is vice-chairwoman of the Belchertown Finance Committee. The primary election is scheduled for Sept. 6.

The City Council decided to put a cap on the number of used car dealer licenses in 1999.

CHICOPEE – The City Council may lift the cap on the number of licenses available for used car dealers, saying some people have been waiting too long to acquire them.

The recession has forced a number of new car dealerships to close in the city, but at the same time, people are continuing to apply for Class 2 licenses to sell used cars, City Councilor Dino A. Brunetti said.

“We have a limit of 50 Class 2 licenses, and I have heard it puts a premium on the licenses,” Brunetti said.

City Councilor John L. View agreed, saying people are now negotiating to purchase used car licenses for a price. The same thing happens with liquor licenses, which are limited by the state.

“I don’t think there should be a value on licenses in the city,” Vieau said.

In 1999 the City Council first voted to limit the number of used car licenses to 50. At the time, there were more than that, so the plan was to slowly reduce the existing number when businesses closed and turned in licenses. After the 50 was reached, the city would start issuing them again, Councilor James K. Tillotson said.

Then in 2009 the council amended the ordinance to allow transfers. But the intent was to allow existing business owners to transfer licenses to a partner or a family member, not having them sell a license to a new owner, he said.

“It is not working as we hoped,” he said. “As long as you allow transfers, we will never get to 50.”

Because more controls have been written into the ordinance allowing the City Council to determine if the location and plans are appropriate for the city, Tillotson said he does not see problems with lifting the cap.

Now there are 51 used car licenses in the city. Between six and 12 people inquire about applying for a used car licenses every year, City Clerk Keith W. Rattell said.

Employees tell people about the cap, but also explain they are welcome to apply for a license. When people learn about the limit, few decide to fill out the paperwork, he said.

“I served on the board when we passed this ordinance. It was an attempt to quell a flood of applicants that were seeking this type of license. They started popping up on every street corner,” said Rattell who was a city councilor before he was elected as city clerk.

The City Council voted 13-0 to study the issue in subcommittee.

VA representatives will provide information about Veterans Health Administration benefits and additional veterans-specific information about VA services.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will host an information fair Thursday in partnership with Greenfield Community College’s VetNet, GCC’s organization for student Veterans.

The 1 to 4 p.m. fair is open to all veterans, retired military members, and family members.

VA representatives will provide information about Veterans Health Administration benefits and additional veterans-specific information about VA services.

The event at GCC’s Dining Commons is the first of several this year the VA intends to host at area schools.

Veterans who are not currently enrolled for VA benefits are encouraged to bring their DD Form 214, “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.” Financial information such as bank statements and insurance coverage is also important. For more information, call John Paradis at (413) 582-3050.

Photographs of the June 1 tornado captured by The Republican’s team of photographers were recognized with a first-place award by the association.

Photo by Michael Beswick / The RepublicanRepublican photographer Michael Beswick received the top award in the category of Pictorial Photo from the New England Newspaper & Press Association for this picture of a Harris hawk in flight in South Hadley.

BOSTON – The Republican’s coverage of the June 1 tornado played a major role in the news organization’s receipt of major awards recently from the New England Newspaper & Press Association.

Photographs of the tornado captured by The Republican’s team of veteran photographers were recognized with a first-place award by the association in ceremonies on Saturday.

The Republican earned a second-place award for its front pages of June 2 and 3, which were devoted to the coverage of the tornado. The special section, “A Community Rebuilds,” published on June 19 and documenting the early days of the tornado-recovery efforts, received a third-place special award.

“A Community Rebuilds” was also part of an entry for which The Republican placed third for general excellence among the region’s daily newspapers. The General Excellence Awards “recognize newspapers that demonstrate all-around outstanding attributes and high professional standards.”

In all, The Republican and its staff members were the recipients of 23 first-, second- and third-place awards presented to photographers, writers and editors during ceremonies held Saturday at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

“It was an honor to receive awards in 23 categories that represent all aspects of the newspaper, and to garner five, first-place awards,” said executive editor Wayne E. Phaneuf. “The credit goes to a dedicated and talented staff of photographers, reporters, editors, graphic artist and designers and support personnel who work every day to tell the story of their community in print and online.”

The Republican competed in the classification for daily newspapers with circulation of 30,000 and above. The association said it received more than 3,000 entries in the competition.

Other competitors in the category included the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester, the Cape Cod Times, the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, The Sun, of Lowell, the Union Leader of Manchester, N.H., the Republican-American of Waterbury, Conn., and the Eagle-Tribune, of North Andover. The contest covered works published between Aug. 1, 2010 and July 31, 2011.

Of The Republican’s photographic work in documenting the tornado’s rampage across the region, the judges wrote: “Tornado coverage done right! Coming from Missouri, in tornado alley, I have seen this devastation many times. The Republican staff did a great job, and the newspaper displayed it well.”

The Sunday Republican’s Outlook 2011 special section was also among the top winners in the association’s annual New England Better Newspaper Competition, earning two first-place awards for best business page or section and best overall special section.

The judges in the Special Section category recognized Outlook 2011 as a “massive undertaking” and “all-encompassing;” they wrote, “The section benefits from outstanding content strategy, structure and flow from topic to topic. A compelling design melds photos into balanced layout with innovative revenue-generating topical gang pages fitting right in among the content.”

Graphic artist and illustrator Bob Rich was recognized with first- and third-place awards in the illustration category. Rich’s top award was for an illustration, “Guitar Screaming,” which was published on Jan. 6, 2011, to accompany a piece on the Live Wire Awards in the Weekend section.

Also receiving first-place recognition was photographer Michael Beswick. He received the top award in the category of Pictorial Photo for his February 2011 picture of a Harris hawk in flight in South Hadley, and also received a third-place award in the same category for his photo of an American bison romping in a snowy field in Hadley last January.

In assessing the Outlook 2011 section as top in the category of Business Page or Section, the judges wrote, “Impressive volume of content, all local, with solid staff pieces that give readers an overview of what’s going on.” They added, “Anyone who reads this will have a good feel for the pulse of the Western Massachusetts economy.”

Photo by Michael S. Gordon / The RepublicanThe Republican photo staff, from left, David Molnar (inset), Chief Photographer Mark M. Murray, John Suchocki, Michael Beswick, Donald Treeger, Michael S. Gordon and Dave Roback recently won awards from the New England Newspaper & Press Association. They are standing in front of the South End Community Center damaged by the June 1 tornado.

The Republican’s Business Monday publication was recognized with the third-place award in the same category; the judges called it “a solid and meaty Monday tabloid.”

Among the other award winners were entertainment writer Kevin O’Hare, who received a third-place award for his Dec. 5, 2010 column, “Reviewer recalls 25 years of concert memories.” “This feature rose to the top among some stiff competition on the strength of the writer being able to convey snapshots of his own experiences,” wrote the judges about O’Hare’s entry in the category of Arts & Entertainment Reporting.

Court reporter Buffy Spencer and co-workers Stephanie Barry and Jack Flynn were recognized with a third-place award in the category of Crime and Courts Reporting for their work on coverage of the trial of former Pelham police chief Edward Fleury in the case involving the accidental shooting death of an 8-year-old boy with a machine gun during a 2008 gun show in Westfield.

Design and production editor Patricia Thompson earned a third-place award for her Aug. 12, 2010 design of a Lifestyle-Food page.

Assistant online editor Greg Saulmon received a second-place award in the category of Social Issues Feature Story for a Jan. 16, 2011 story about the life of a Springfield homicide victim, Reality Shabazz Walker.

Executive editor Phaneuf received a third-place award in the category of History Reporting for his monthly series marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

Staff writer Patrick Johnson was awarded third-place recognition for Local Personality Profile for his Oct. 17, 2010 story, “Shooting victim grateful for life,” about Patrick J. Shanahan, of Holyoke, and his life in the wake of a July 2010 shooting on Cape Cod.

Staff writers Lori Stabile and Fred Contrada received second- and third-place awards respectively in the category of Reporting on Religious Issues. Stabile was honored for her Oct. 3, 2010 piece about a Palmer businessman who posted controversial outdoor signs about Islam, while Contrada was recognized for his July 13, 2011 reporting of the funeral of a Roman Catholic priest who committed suicide.

Sports writer Ron Chimelis was recognized with a second-place award for his sports-related columns.

In other photo categories, photographer Michael Gordon received a third-place in general news, David Molnar received a third-place prize for sports photo and Donald Treeger received a third-place award for spot news.

Last fall, the Sunday Republican was named the recipient of a Newspaper of the Year Award by the association, tied with the Sunday Telegram, of Worcester, for first place in the category for Sunday newspapers with circulation over 70,000.

WWLP-TV, 22News, anchor Barry Kriger visited the NBC affiliate's studio after it was reported last month that he was injured in a car accident while on vacation.

Here are the most-read stories that appeared on MassLIve.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

The NFL free agent wide receivers photo gallery, at right, was the most selected item on the website.

1) Ghost Hunters mid-season finale 'City Hell' - What's the big secret? [Laura Merwin]

2) Connecticut man arrested in Enfield hit-and-run crash that killed 2 people [Conor Berry]

3) WWLP-TV 22News anchor Barry Kriger visits studio after car accident injury [Mandy Hofmockel]

4) Chicopee casino developer announcement expected soon [Jeanette DeForge]

5) Holyoke Geriatric Authority board finally meets, argues, holds closed-door meeting for more than an hour [Mike Plaisance]

The following database search continued to draw a lot of interest for the second day in a row:

Massachusetts public safety and security payroll database: How much do state police and corrections officers make? [Mandy Hofmockel]

West Springfield Mayor Gregory Neffinger said he has already received four applications for the job of principal assessor.

West Springfield Mayor Gregory Neffinger, left, is seen in this composite photo with principal assessor Christopher Keefe, who he fired last week.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger has found someone to fill in temporarily as the city’s principal assessor until a permanent official can be put in place.

Chester J. Nicora Jr., who retired as Agawam’s assessor, will work about an hour a day concentrating on abatements and abatement hearings, according to Neffinger. Nicora’s rate of pay is still under negotiation, according to the mayor.

In addition, Neffinger said he has gotten four applications for the job of principal assessor. Neffinger needs to find a replacement for former Principal Assessor Christopher Keefe, whom he fired last week.

He dismissed Keefe, one day after a contentious Board of Assessors meeting during which Keefe refused to hold tax abatement hearings for four local social clubs on the grounds that they must pay their taxes before they can have abatement hearings.

Neffinger said Thursday that the firing was not connected to the meeting, but came about because Keefe had not been forthcoming with information he had sought.

The city has advertised the job as carrying a salary of $53,480 to $75,010. Keefe had been paid about $71,000 annually.

The city has advertised the job with the Massachusetts Municipal Association as seeking applicants who have a bachelor’s degree with five to seven years’ work experience in assessing and/or property appraisal and demonstrated skill in data processing, data base management required to continue the use of the Patriot Assess Pro system, GIS mapping and computer applications. A Massachusetts accredited assessor certification is required, or the ability to obtain it within two years of appointment.

The principal assessor works under the direction of the Board of Assessors and the chief financial officer. The person holding that office is responsible for administrative, technical and supervisory work related to the valuation and re-evaluation of all residential, industrial and commercial real estate and personal property within state Department of Revenue regulations and for providing related information to the mayor, Town Council and department heads.

Neffinger said he is unsure how long it will take to get a permanent replacement for Keefe, but that he hopes to make the workings of the office more “transparent” as he goes through the process.

The man was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield with non-life-threatening injuries.

File photo

AMHERST - A man who fell off a steep section of Bear Mountain late Wednesday night was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield with non-life-threatening injuries.

Abc40 / Fox 6 reported that firefighters rescued the man who slipped and fell some 25 feet around 11:30 p.m. A woman hiking with the man called 911 and it took rescue crews several hours to get the man out after he fell, the station reported.

Additional information was not immediately available.

“Our bylaws are very clear in the way our town should grant a special permit. They do consider quality of life and preservation of the town.”

File photo by Carol MalleyGranby selectmen and lawyer David Martel listen to a roomful of residents opposed to a gravel pit operation on Trompke Avenue during a hearing two years ago.

GRANBY – “It’s been a learning process for all of us.”

So said Susan Bruffee, of Granby, reflecting on how residents had succeeded in a year-and-a-half struggle to keep a proposed gravel pit out of a residential area in Granby.

Bruffee said the victory was a result of a grass-roots effort that brought the community together. What they learned, she said, was that “our bylaws are very clear in the way our town should grant a special permit. They do consider quality of life and preservation of the town.”

The special permit was requested by Stony Hill Sand and Gravel in 2010, for purposes of developing a gravel pit at the end of Trompke Avenue in Granby.

Despite reassurances from the company, many residents spoke strongly against the proposal in public hearings held by the Selectboard, and 236 of them signed a petition against the plan.

After months of deliberation, the Selectboard decided Stony Hill had the right to go forward, and it granted the special permit.

That didn’t stop opponents of the plan, mostly residents of Batchelor Street and Trompke Avenue, who filed suit. They said the disruption of the quality of life in their neighborhood would conflict with the town’s bylaws.

A judge agreed. On January 31, Judge Dina E. Fein of Massachusetts Housing Court overturned the Selectboard’s ruling, denying Stony Hill access to the Trompke Avenue site.

Citing noise, traffic, pedestrian safety and other adverse effects, Fein wrote in her decision that the plaintiffs would “suffer specific harm as a result of the proposed earth removal operation.”

Resident Pamela Maheu was especially glad that the judge “toured the locus” – that is, went to Trompke Avenue to see first-hand how the neighborhood would be affected by gravel trucks and other equipment.

“She absolutely has to be fair and impartial,” said Bruffee, “but we’re delighted with her decision.”

The Selectboard will discuss any further action at their meeting on Feb. 21, said Town Administrator Christopher Martin. The board is meeting on a Tuesday instead of its usual Monday because of President’s Day.

Arzola enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after graduating from Westfield High School in 2008.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 1:34 this afternoon.

WESTFIELD – Westfield High School graduate Christopher Arzola was remembered Thursday as a great person and friend to everyone.

“He was really a nice guy. He was friends with a lot of people and he would talk to anyone,” said fellow classmate Bianca A. Mirabelli, a member of the class of 2008.

Arzola, 21, was one of three U.S. Marines killed in an automobile accident Tuesday morning near Camp Pendleton, Calif. where he was stationed. He was a corporal, responsible for installation, operation and maintenance of computer-based information systems.

He had enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2008 and assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.

The one-car accident occurred in Dana Point, killing Arzola and fellow Marines Cp. Jason Chleborad, 22, of Rapid City, S.D. and Sgt. Jeremiah Callahan, 23, of Chadron, Neb.. The driver, who was not identified by police, was listed in critical condition at an area hospital, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department reported Thursday.

Westfield High School principal Raymond K. Broderick called Arzola’s death “a shame. He whole career was ahead of him.”

The principal characterized Arzola as a “nice young man and good student.”

The cause of the accident remains under investigation but the sheriff’s department said alcohol and unsafe speed were the main contributors to the 2 a.m. crash involving a tree.

Funeral arrangements at Frition Adams Funeral Home on Broad Street were incomplete Thursday afternoon.

School Committee Vice-Chairman Christopher Collins said input at four recent hearings has been very helpful in setting priorities for the superintendent search.

SPRINGFIELD – The School Committee has scheduled two additional public hearings next week to seek input from residents and business people regarding the selection of a new superintendent of schools.

The next hearing is scheduled Wednesday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Putnam Pride Restaurant at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy at 1300 State St. The hearing is designed to get input from the business community but anyone is welcome, School Committee Vice Chairman Christopher Collins said.

In addition, a hearing is scheduled Thursday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Frederick Harris Elementary School, 58 Hartford Terrace. The hearing is designed to get input from residents of Wards 6 and 7, that includes Forest Park, East Forest Park and part of Sixteen Acres, but again anyone is welcome, Collins said.

Attendance thus far has been less than hoped at four recent community meetings, but Collins said the input has been very valuable and he believes attendance and interest is building.

Christopher Collins

The people have commented on what qualities they want for the next superintendent and some issues they want addressed, Collins said. They have also offered suggestions that are being used to solicit additional public input, he said.

Collins urged people to get involved.

“It is important to say what kind of widget that you would like to see designed, rather than complain about the widgets that are on the market,” he said.

Superintendent Alan J. Ingram is leaving the job in June at the end of a four-year contract. The School Committee is hoping to have its selection of a new superintendent by June, and is being assisted by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.

The School Committee will schedule additional hearings in the future to achieve citywide input from parents, students, school faculty and staff and other community stakeholders.

The committee will also use on-line surveys and telephone surveys to solicit feedback.

In addition, the committee is accepting applications from those interested in serving on a 13-member superintendent search committee. Application forms will be available on the Springfield Public Schools web site in the coming weeks and a survey has been posted.

The search committee will be comprised of parent, community, business, teacher, administrative and student representatives.

The initial bill was sent in early December, but City Councilors said they were concerned about the accuracy of some of the totals calculated.

File photo / The RepublicanA worker trims branches in Szot Park in Chicopee after the October snowstorm

CHICOPEE – After scrutinizing dozen of bills, the City Council has approved spending $4.5 million on clean up for the October snowstorm.

The council earlier approved a $1 million payment but most of that went to overtime and other expenses for the Department of Public Works. Most of the $4.5 million bill was to pay for the private company, AshBritt of Florida, which was hired to pick up debris from private and public property.

The initial bill was sent in early December, but City Councilors said they were concerned about the accuracy of some of the totals calculated. The company charged for the amount of cubic yards of debris collected.

Councilors met with representatives from AshBritt and O’Brien’s Response Management, which was hired to monitor the work and measure the amount of debris collected, to review all the bills and were able to reduce the costs by a small amount.

“Nine loads I challenged. They agreed they were not correct and they will be changing the bill,” said Councilor James K. Tillotson, who lead the charge to better examine the charges.

The total credit was $23,565, Councilor Jean J. Croteau said.

Councilors agreed they probably could have done the work at a lower cost but officials in Chicopee, as well as those in many other communities, chose to hire AshBritt, which was the only company on the state bid list that was qualified to collect debris. If the city decided to go out to bid to hire a different contractor it would have taken weeks.

“There were a lot of communities who saved money by doing it differently,” Tillotson said. “We were concerned about possible snow and this city was in bad shape.”

City officials agreed it was important to pick up as much debris as possible before it started snowing. They could not have predicted the mostly storm-free winter this year, he said.

Councilor Frederick T. Krampits said he believes the city did the right thing by hiring the private company, since they did do a good job and were able to clean up debris fairly quickly.

“We could have saved money if we dragged it out for a year,” he said.

The money, which will mostly deplete the city’s free cash account, will be set aside to pay bills as they are submitted and after they are audited, Tillotson said.

The proposed law could create additional revenues of about $4 million for Springfield during the first year it is enforced.

The Republican | Joe DeburroThe Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston.

Sean F. Curran

BOSTON - The state House of Representatives Thursday approved a bill to allow the city of Springfield to seize motor vehicles and trailers whose owners have failed to pay excise taxes after several written warnings.

Rep. Sean F. Curran, a Springfield Democrat who sponsored the bill, said the proposed law would be great for collecting revenues and improving public safety.

"This is a very big deal for Springfield," Curran said. "I'm thrilled."

The bill now moves to the Senate.

The Springfield City Council and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno last year approved the bill as a home-rule petition to the state Legislature and Gov. Deval L. Patrick.

The annual excise tax , assessed to motor vehicle owners registered in a community, is $25 per $1,000 of vehicle value. Springfield collected $7.7 million in such excise taxes during fiscal 2011, the most recent year available on community-by-community collections from the state Department of Revenue.

Springfield City Councilor Timothy J. Rooke, who has been advocating for the bill for three years, said the proposed law in its first year in effect would create additonal revenues of about $4 million for Springfield, counting collection of back taxes and people who might pay after realizing the new consequences.

Rooke said the bill would prompt scofflaws to pay their annual motor-vehicle excise.

Rooke said about $8 million in back excise taxes are currently owed to the city, plus another $7 million in uncollected parking tickets, going back 20 years.

"It's a great boost for the city," said Rooke, who came to the Statehouse on Wednesday to lobby for the bill.

Under the legislation, city officials would notify a private contractor who could tow or "boot" a vehicle or trailer whose owner has neglected to pay a certain amount of excise taxes. The vehicle would be held until all excise taxes are paid, including fees, penalties, interest, towing and storage fees. The city would set a minimum dollar amount of delinquent taxes for prompting the action.

According to Rooke, employees of the Springfield Parking Authority could use existing license-plate readers that can take images of plates and instantly compare them to records at the state Registry of Motor Vehicles or to the city's database. The authority currently uses the technology to detect unpaid parking tickets, he said.

Harold "Hal" King, executive director of the Springfield Parking Authority, said the bill would be very worthwhile. "It will bring in revenue for the city," he said. "That's all we are looking at."

Aside from property taxes , the excise tax is the largest source of municipal revenue for many communities. Communities can use the money for anything they want including public safety and other services. Springfield collected $8.6 million in a recent year.
Under existing state law, an excise tax must be paid within 30 days.

According to current law, tax collectors will issue an owner several warnings of a failure to pay an excise tax and then can notify the state Registry of Motor Vehicles if the bill remains outstanding. The Registry will then electronically mark the driver's record and refuse to renew a registration or license until the excise tax is paid, along with fees, interest and penalties, according to a booklet from the secretary of state's office.

Sen. James T. Welch, a West Springfield Democrat, said he will attempt to move the bill in the Senate. Welch said it was a big hurdle to win approval in the House.

Curran said the bill would also help remove unregistered and uninsured cars from the roads, improving safety. If someone has failed to pay an excise tax after repeated warnings, their vehicle also could be uninsured and unregistered.

Defense lawyer Alan Black said there is no evidence that Sanchez killed Cruz and set the house on fire.

SPRINGFIELD – Alfred Santiago told a Hampden Superior Court jury Thursday he dropped his mom, Ana I. Cruz, off at her house at about 11 p.m. July 11, 2009.

Santiago, then 19 years old, was borrowing his mom’s car and was to pick her up at about 5 a.m. the next morning to take her to her job as a phlebotomist for Baystate Health Systems.

But by then Cruz, 38, was dead of multiple stab wounds and smoke inhalation at her 681 Bay St. house.

Opening statements and evidence started Thursday in the trial of Benjamin Sanchez, 41, Cruz’s estranged husband. He is charged with murder, arson and violating a restraining order.

Santiago said he heard Sanchez threaten Cruz many times, including threats to kill her.

Defense lawyer Alan J. Black told jurors in his opening statement Sanchez had nothing to do with what happened to Cruz.

He said Sanchez was a 2-4-bag a night heroin addict. “You will hear all sorts of bad things about Mr. Sanchez,” Black said.

But, he said, there will not be any evidence Sanchez killed Cruz and set the house on fire.

Assistant District Attorney James C. Orenstein told jurors Cruz got a restraining order against Sanchez in March 2009.

Although it has not been allowed into evidence at this trial, court records from 2009 show Cruz got the restraining order after telling a judge Sanchez had come to her house March 13 and threatened her, saying, “Wherever you are, I’m gonna kill you, I’m gonna stab you 20 million times.”

Springfield Police Officer Anthony Tyler testified he was on duty when the call came in at 12:36 a.m. July 12, 2009. He and his partner tried to get into the house, but two doors were locked. He said he forced another door open but there was too much smoke to go in.

Tyler testified he rode in the ambulance with Cruz and she never gained consciousness. He said she had a black and swollen eye and blood vessels broken in her cheeks. Jurors were shown a picture of Cruz’ neck, with a lateral bruise showing, and Tyler said that was discovered when they got to the hospital.

City Fire Lt. Daniel J. Keenan testified when he got to the home at 12:46 a.m. as part of the rescue squad they forced a door open, had to don breathing apparatus, and found Cruz unconscious in the living room just outside of the door to her bedroom.

State Trooper David B. Percy, a fire and explosive investigator, was at the home by 2:25 a.m. while hot spots in the house were still being put out by firefighters.

He testified an investigation showed there was no accidental cause and the fire was deliberately set in Cruz' bedroom.

Percy said no accelerant was found, but accelerant can burn away in a fire. He said sometimes when a fire is deliberately set investigators find accelerants, but not often.

Jurors were shown photographs of the charred bedroom, including mattress material mostly burned away and the effect on burning of the metal box springs.

Orenstein said Cruz had three children before she married Sanchez, and had one son with Sanchez. The son, who was 15 years old at the time of Cruz’s death, lived with Cruz but was staying with Sanchez at 55 Better Way for the weekend when Cruz was killed.

Cruz had the ligature wound to the neck and numerous stab wounds to her upper chest and back, some superficial but one that hit the aorta, Orenstein said.

Vanessa Garcia, Cruz’ daughter, testified Cruz told Sanchez July 9, 2009, she would not reconsider divorcing him.

Garcia, who was 22 year old when her mother was killed, said she had been trying to reach her mother but got no response. She said she got a call in the early morning hours of July 12, then went and saw her mother’s house had been burned and found out her mother was dead.

As the Dow moved to within sight of 13,000, applause broke out at the closing bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

By CHRISTINA REXRODE | AP Business Writer

Associated PressTraders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (AP Photo/Jin Lee, File)

NEW YORK — Investors sent U.S. stocks barreling to their highest levels of the year Thursday, buoyed by slivers of encouraging news about jobs and housing. At least for a day, they overlooked the lack of clarity about Greece's marathon negotiation for a bailout.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 123.13 points to close at 12,904.08, its third triple-digit gain this year. It was the highest close for the Dow since May 19, 2008, four months before the worst of the financial crisis.

As the Dow moved to within sight of 13,000, applause broke out at the closing bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 14.81 points to 1,358.04, its highest close in nine and a half months. The Nasdaq composite, which has had an even stronger year than the Dow and S&P and is trading at its highest since 2000, rose 44.02 points to 2,959.85.

The rally was broad, with all but one of the 30 stocks in the Dow, Kraft Foods, closing higher. All 10 industry groups in the S&P were comfortably higher, led by materials stocks, including strong showings from DuPont and Dow Chemical.

General Motors was among the best-performing stocks of the day. Two years after it was almost wiped out, the company turned a record $7.6 billion profit last year, bigger even than when Americans couldn't stop buying trucks and SUVs.

Microsoft rose 4 percent, as did Bank of America, which tends to swing wildly with the market.

The Labor Department said weekly applications for unemployment benefits dropped for the fourth time in five weeks to the lowest point since March 2008. That was when the jobless rate was just 5.1 percent, far below the current rate of 8.3 percent.

Construction of single-family homes cooled slightly in January, but a rise in permits suggested builders were growing more confident that more buyers are ready to come off the sidelines.

There are doubts about how long the momentum can be sustained, and even questions about what's sustaining it.

The market has seemed determined to move higher this year, despite mostly incremental and vague news about the Greek debt crisis and sometimes-conflicting reports on the U.S. economy.

"I think we're floating on air. There's not much going on," said Ben Schwartz, chief market strategist at Lightspeed Financial.

He warned that there could be volatility ahead for the market. The Dow has yet to suffer a 100-point loss this year, a sharp contrast to the triple-digit swings that were common last summer.

John Burke, president of Burke Financial Strategies in New Jersey, said he thinks the Federal Reserve has been artificially propping up the market with cheap money generated by low interest rates.

Burke warned that the low rates could allow the U.S. to put off reducing its budget deficit.

"They're pushing the problem off," Burke said. "We're fine today, we'll avoid recession, but what's that going to do to us when the term is up?"

Gas prices could be a threat for the U.S. economy, particularly as Iran threatens to cut exports. The average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.52, the highest on record this time of year, and could climb to $4.25 a gallon by late April.

But others thought the positive jobs and housing reports will continue to be what sways the market.

"The more important story is what clearly is a continuing U.S. recovery," said Tim Speiss, chairman of personal wealth advisers at EisnerAmper. "I could go find some negative news report, but it would go against what investors are doing."

The hopeful signs about the economy increased investors' appetite for higher-risk investments like stocks, and they moved money out of bonds to make room in their portfolios.

The yield on the government's benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves in the opposite direction from its price, was at 1.92 percent before the report on jobless claims. It jumped to 1.96 percent in minutes.

A separate report found that wholesale prices, excluding the volatile food and energy categories, increased 0.4 percent in January, the most in six months. Inflation generally hurts Treasurys by reducing the buying power of the fixed returns they pay.

Also just before the jobs news came out, the euro was sitting at a three-week low against the dollar. But it rallied almost a full penny, to $1.3143 from $1.3063 late Wednesday.

The euro is perceived to be a riskier investment than the dollar, and traders tend to buy riskier currencies and sell safer ones when they perceive the economic situation to be getting better.

As it has for many days, the Greek crisis plodded along without any certainty. The difference this time was that investors didn't seem to care. European finance ministers will discuss the Greek bailout at a meeting Monday.

Greece is negotiating for breaks on loans due next month in addition to the bailout, which would be aimed at preventing a bankruptcy that could send a shock through the world financial system.

But some investors are growing complacent: They either have faith that the European Union will find a way to keep Greece from defaulting, or they think Greece will default but it won't matter to the rest of Europe.

Among other stocks making big moves:

• J.M. Smucker plummeted 8 percent after the company missed analysts' estimates for net income and revenue. The company said its sales volume fell 10 percent because it raised prices for Jif peanut butter, Folgers coffee and Crisco.

• Molson Coors rose 3 percent after the beer maker beat analysts' expectations, helped by higher sales of Modelo beer in Japan and Coors Light in Latin America and China.

• Tech stocks rose 1.57 percent, behind only materials companies as the biggest gainers for the day. Some analysts think that tech will prove a wise investment because companies, sitting on cash that they are nervous about investing otherwise, will plow it into new technology. Groupon rose 4 percent.

A second charter school proposed in Springfield was not recommended but can apply again in the future.

Mitchell D. Chester

SPRINGFIELD – The state’s commissioner of education is recommending approval of four new charter schools in Massachusetts including one in Springfield and one in Holyoke.

The Baystate Academy Charter School in Springfield and the Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School in Holyoke are among the four schools recommended by Mitchell Chester, state commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The state education board will consider formally approving the schools at its next regular meeting Feb. 28. Other schools are recommended for Boston and Lowell.

A second charter school proposed in Springfield, the Springfield Preparatory Charter School, was not recommended by Chester, but will be invited to apply in future cycles, a state spokesman said.

The two charter schools, if approved, will be Commonwealth charter schools that are fully autonomous and operate independently of the local school system.

Baystate Academy school will serve students from sixth to 12th grade, with an emphasis on health sciences, said Frank P. Robinson, director of community health planning at Baystate Health.

Once approved, the school is slated to open in September of 2013 and will be located at Springfield Technical Community College, Robinson said. It will operate in partnership with STCC and Baystate Health, he said.

“The entire charter school founding team is ecstatic,” Robinson said.

School Committee Vice-Chairman Christopher Collins, however, said the additional charter school would be a drain of funds from the school system. In addition, he said the charter school appears to be an internship program or training program, which he believes is an “inappropriate use of taxpayer funds.”

Robinson said the school is a free-standing public school with a college preparatory program, and is not a Baystate Health entity.

Superintendent of Schools Alan J. Ingram said Springfield will have four charter schools in the fall of 2012 with the addition of the already approved Veritas Preparatory Charter School. The approval of additional charter schools “would place a hardship on the district by marginalizing the quality of education in other schools (i.e. fixed costs for facilities, staffing, finance, etc.),” he said in a December letter to the state.

The Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School is planned in downtown Holyoke but will serve six primary communities of Holyoke, Chicopee, Westfield, West Springfield, South Hadley and Northampton, said Robert K. Brick, a founding board member.

“We are really excited and we are humbled by the opportunity to serve the kids of our communities that really need this high school option,” Brick said.

The school is slated to open in September of 2012, and would eventually serve grades 9 to 12, and have a maximum of 500 students. The first year would be for Grade 9 students, and then expand to other grades.

A downtown lease would be finalized once the charter school is formally approved, Brick said.

Holyoke Superintendent of Schools David L. Dupont said he never has a problem with parents right to select what type of education they want for their children. However, as the school system tries to improve the schools and seek additional funds, the charter school would take away students, he said.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum earned $3.5 million during the four years since he lost his Senate seat in 2006.

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum stops to sign a photograph for Anthony Katara, 24, of Detroit after speaking at a Economic Club of Detroit luncheon in Detroit, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum's wealth has increased in the four years since he represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.

Santorum's tax returns show he earned $3.5 million in income during that time period. The returns show he paid a 28 percent tax rate in 2008 and a 25 percent rate in 2010.

He released his 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 tax returns Wednesday.

His adjusted gross income was $659,000 in 2007; $952,000 in 2008; $1.1 million in 2009; and $923,000 in 2010.

Santorum said about his tax returns, via Politico:

"I don't have wealth. I don't have investments. I don't have capital gains. Most of the assets that I ended up building was paying down a mortgage on my house that went down in value. So that's where most of my money went. But as far as the tax rates were concerned, (Romney) had dividend income, he had capital gains income and was taxed at 15 percent," he said. "I had ...income, which was taxed at a higher rate."

In contrast, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney had $21.7 million in adjusted gross income in 2010 and candidate Newt Gingrich had $3.1 million in adjusted gross income in 2010.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidates James King and Marisa DeFranco spent nearly as much as they brought in during 2011.

View full sizeDemocratic U.S. Senate candidates James King and Marisa DeFranco. (AP File Photos)

As former candidate Herb Robinson said as he dropped out of the race, consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren swept into the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts and "sucked the oxygen out of the room as far as fundraising goes."

But Marisa DeFranco and James King, her two Democratic challengers, remain in the race with a hope of gaining the party's nomination to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in November's general election.

In 2011, DeFranco, a Middleton immigration lawyer, racked up a total of $32,539 in campaign contributions, according to Federal Election Commission records. King, a corporate lawyer in Boston, brought in more than double that amount, a total of $66,565.

The contributions to both candidates were from individuals as neither received money from political action committees.

And as 2011 came to a close, both candidates had depleted much of their haul, ending up with only a could thousand dollars a piece to take on Warren, a fundraising juggernaut.

DeFranco spent $25,507, leaving her with $7,030 as of Jan. 1. King spent $88,404, leaving him with just $1,660.

Read other Follow the Money reports about the 2012 election

Warren raised a total of $8.9 million and spent about $2.7 million, leaving her with just over $6 million. Although her cash-on-hand fell short of Brown's $12.8 million, both candidates trumped DeFranco and King in terms of the numbers.

The money spent by DeFranco and King involved costs associated with starting a campaign.

FEC records show DeFranco spent her money on items such as registering and designing her website, a political consultant, buttons and bumper stickers.

King also spent money on the aforementioned items but with a heavier emphasis on consultants. FEC records show he spent more than $35,000 on finance and communications consultants and research services.

With the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts being billed as one of the most expensive campaigns in history, time will tell if DeFranco and King can keep up with Warren in terms of name recognition and getting their message out, a task made considerably more difficult without a political machine paid for with campaign contributions.