Wilbraham-based Friendly Ice Cream Corp. has applied for a beer-and-wine license for its location at 529 Memorial Drive in Chicopee.

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 top photo gallery, and second most selected item overall, was the Fat Tuesday mardi gras celebrations photo gallery, at right.

1) Easthampton police charge 36-year-old city resident Ryan Welch with murder of Jessica Ann Pripstein [George Graham]

2) Jeffrey Asher police brutality trial: Live updates during day 1 of testimony [Buffy Spencer]

3) Friendly's wants to add beer, wine at Chicopee location in bid to change image of Wilbraham-based chain [Jim Kinney]

4) Springfield police investigate man found dead in Loring Street home [Conor Berry]

5) Fire causes $80K damage to home in Springfield's East Forest Park [Patrick Johnson]

6) Victor Cruz salsas his way back home: 'I'll never be bashful about being from UMass, baby' [Ron Chimelis]

Republican presidential candidates engaged in a bitter debate ahead of several nomination contests that may winnow the field in the GOP race for the White House.

AP Photo/Jae C. HongRepublican presidential candidates, from left, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich share the stage during a Republican presidential debate Wednesday night in Mesa, Ariz.

BETH FOUH and KASIE HUNT, Associated Press

MESA, Ariz. – A bitter and often personal debate behind them, Republicans Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are shoring up their campaigns in different ways ahead of a series of crucial presidential primaries.

Romney is paying the most attention to Michigan, his birthplace and the site of an unexpectedly tight race with Santorum, by attending a tea party rally Thursday night in an effort to get more conservative support. He has campaigned confidently in Arizona, so much so that he has not aired any television ads in the state.

Santorum, meanwhile, is focusing for the moment on raising money for his cash-strapped operation. He is hoping for an upset in Michigan, which would cap a rebound that began two weeks ago when he won caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado and a nonbinding primary in Missouri.

The 20th debate of the primary season offered the GOP hopefuls their final face-to-face outing on a national stage before contests over the next 12 days that may well winnow the field. Arizona and Michigan host primaries Tuesday, followed by caucuses in Washington four days later. Ten states will cast ballots on Super Tuesday, March 6.

Polls show Santorum leading the field nationally and in several states. Romney and rivals Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich used the nationally televised forum Wednesday night to challenge Santorum, who repeatedly found himself in the hot seat over his record on spending, home-state projects known as earmarks, and support for a federal education law.

Romney criticized Santorum for support of spending programs when he represented Pennsylvania in Congress, where he served both in the House and Senate. Romney said Santorum voted five times to raise the government's ability to borrow, supported retention of a law that favors construction unions, and supported increased spending for Planned Parenthood. He said federal spending had risen 78 percent overall while Santorum was in Congress.

Santorum retorted that government spending declined as a percentage of the economy when he was in the Senate, and he noted that when Romney was asked last year if he would support a pending debt-limit increase, "he said yes."

The former Massachusetts governor also went after Santorum on earmarks, the specialized spending bills directed to a particular state or program.

"You voted for the Bridge to Nowhere," Romney said to Santorum, referring to an infamous bridge proposal in Alaska that would have been built with millions in federal funds. "I would put a ban on earmarks."

Paul went further, calling Santorum a "fake" conservative. Gingrich dismissed the argument over earmarks as "silly" but said his years as House speaker made him best equipped to bring reform to such Washington practices.

Santorum, for his part, said he had differentiated between "good earmarks and bad earmarks" and supported only those that funded defense and other needed projects.

He also noted that Romney had sought earmarks to fund the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. And he blamed Romney anew for championing a health care law in Massachusetts that became the prototype for President Barack Obama's health care law, which is detested by conservatives.

"It would be a difficult task for someone who had the model for Obamacare — the biggest issue in this race — to be the nominee of our party," Santorum said.

In rebuttal, Romney said Santorum actually bore responsibility for passage of the health care law that Obama won from a Democratic-controlled Congress in 2010, even though he wasn't in office at the time. Romney said that in a primary battle in 2004, Santorum had supported then-Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who later switched parties and voted for the law Obama wanted.

Santorum also took his lumps from the audience, which booed when he said he had voted several years ago for the No Child Left Behind education legislation even though he had opposed it.

"Look, politics is a team sport, folks," he said of the measure backed by Republican President George W. Bush and other GOP lawmakers.

In the hours leading to Wednesday night's debate, Romney called for a 20 percent across-the-board cut in personal income taxes as part of a program he said would revitalize the economy and help create jobs. The top tax rate would drop from 35 percent to 28 percent, and some popular breaks would be scaled back for upper-income taxpayers. However, aides provided scant details.

"We've got to have more jobs, less debt and smaller government, they go together," Romney said in an appearance in nearby Chandler.

Santorum's rise in the race has left Paul and Gingrich on the outside looking for a way in.

Paul has yet to win any primaries or caucuses. He is airing an ad in Michigan, though, that challenges the Santorum's claim of taking a conservative line against federal spending.

Gingrich, the former Georgia congressman, is pinning his hopes for a comeback on that state on March 6.

His campaign announced plans Wednesday to buy 30-minute blocks of television time in upcoming primary and caucus states for an infomercial on reducing energy prices.

In all, 518 Republican National Convention delegates are at stake between Feb. 28 and March 6, three times the number awarded in the states that have voted since the beginning of the year. It takes 1,144 to win the nomination.

___

Fouhy reported from Washington. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bfouhy

Follow Kasie Hunt on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kasie

Here are the average energy prices in the Pioneer Valley for the week ending today.

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The event at the Dunbar Community Center, located at 33 Oak St. in the city's Old Hill neighborhood, is part of the Patrick-Murray administration's Black History Month events and discussions.

Associated PressGov. Deval L. Patrick tried to banish Bunker Hill Day and Evacuation Day from the roll of public holidays but was thwarted.

SPRINGFIELD – In honor of Black History Month, Gov. Deval L. Patrick is scheduled to attend an event at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Dunbar Y Family and Community Center at 33 Oak St. in Springfield's Old Hill neighborhood.

The governor will be on hand to celebrate the new center and its collaboration with the YMCA of Greater Springfield, as part of the Patrick-Murray administration's Black History Month events and discussions.

The Dunbar Y Family and Community Center's mission is to "promote youth development, healthy living and social responsibility throughout our region," according to the center's website.

The center offers everything from martial arts, fitness sessions and dance classes, to after-school care, summer camp, senior health initiatives and mentoring opportunities for children and adults.

Besides the governor, this morning's event is expected to attract local dignitaries.

“We have a great staff lined up,” owner Joseph Frigo told the Selectboard. “They are excited and energetic. We’re here to work as a team.”

File photo by Don Treeger / The RepublicanJoseph Frigo shows of a platter of meats and peppers at his store in Springfield last year.

SOUTH HADLEY – Two proposals related to the municipal golf course, The Ledges, last week met with unanimous approval by the three members of the board who were present.

Frigo’s Gourmet Foods, the well known Italian market and catering business in Springfield, will be the new food and beverage provider at The Ledges.

Also, South Hadley resident Bruce Forcier was appointed to fill an empty spot on the Golf Commission that will expire in June 2012.

The Golf Commission advises the town on The Ledges, which, unlike the private golf course The Orchards, is owned by South Hadley.

Forcier, a self-confessed “golf nut,” has been a pass-holder at the Ledges since it opened in 2001.

“This year I think is a pivotal year for the golf course,” Forcier told the Selectboard, “and it’s important to have full representation.”

The Ledges has been a source of controversy in town because it has been losing money. The Selectboard and the commission have mulled over numerous options, including shutting down the course altogether.

The issue is complicated by the fact that grant money from the state came with stipulations that can’t be reversed. Closing would lose even more money and also would endanger the possibility of future grants from the state.

Last year the town hired the National Golf Foundation, a consulting agency, to make suggestions for improving the course. Among the complaints in the foundation’s report were that some of the service staff was rude or inept.

Sounds like that won’t be a problem with Frigo’s. “We have a great staff lined up,” owner Joseph Frigo told the Selectboard. “They are excited and energetic. We’re here to work as a team.”

Frigo came armed with recommendations from some of the biggest businesses in the area, and noted that his company has worked with other outfits similar to The Ledges, such as Elmcrest Country Club in East Longmeadow and Wilbraham Country Club.

Frigo’s goes back three generations and 62 years in Springfield. A remnant of the golden age of the Italian community in the South End, before Interstate 91 came along, it continues to draw gourmands and serious cooks from all over the state and even the country to its shop on William Street. It also has a gourmet deli in East Longmeadow.

Frigo’s will be paying $25,000 per eight-month season to rent the facilities at The Ledges. The golf season runs from April to November.

A man with multiple stab wounds told authorities the incident happened "somewhere on High Street," according to preliminary police reports.

File photo

HOLYOKE – Police here responded to a stabbing report received at about 6:08 a.m. Thursday.

The victim, a male who was not identified by police, claimed he was stabbed multiple times "somewhere on High Street," according to emergency dispatch reports.

Holyoke Police Sgt. Joseph Garcia, reached moments after the radio report was issued, said officers were en route to the scene.

The wounded man was located near the Racing Mart gas station and convenience store on Beech Street, though the incident apparently happened on High Street, according to preliminary police reports.

The extent of the man's injuries were not immediately known. An ambulance was dispatched to the scene.

Additional details will be posted on MassLive as they become available.

Despite the defeat of a resolution by the City Council, Russo said he will still be able to buy the property, a former brownfields site.

File photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanThis 2006 photograph shows the cleanup site at the former Agawam Sportsman's Club.

AGAWAM – Undaunted by a small area of contamination, local contractor Thomas Russo Jr. said he will buy the former the Agawam Sportsman’s Club property next week and plans to build 30 condominiums.

“I’m looking forward to getting the project going,” Russo said of the five-acre property, which shares part of a small contaminated area with School Street Park.

The contractor said he can – and will – move forward with the project.

Mayor Richard A. Cohen and City Councilor Robert A. Magovern have said a deed restriction on School Street Park was needed in order to develop the long-vacant Sportsman’s Club property. They said the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency sought deed restrictions prohibiting the growing of crops on a small section of the park contiguous to the club as well as on part of the club property.

A resolution to that effect offered by Magovern failed on a 4-5 vote Tuesday.

Voting in favor of the resolution were city councilors George Bitzas, Ceciia P. Calabrese, Gina M. Letellier, and Magovern. Voting against it were city councilors Christopher C. Johnson, Joseph Mineo, Dennis J. Perry, Donald M. Rheault and Robert E. Rossi. City Councilor James P. Cichetti abstained from voting.Russo said Wednesday he learned from his consultant on the project that the restriction was not a requirement.

Magovern said Wednesday that a consultant for Russo had sought the deed restrictions only as “a precaution.”

The state and federal governments have spent about $817,000 cleaning up a brownfields site that straddles both properties because it had high levels of lead and arsenic left behind from having been used as a shooting range.

Some members of City Council had earlier expressed concern that if the land is developed, the city might have liability as there are still some traces of contamination.

Rossi at one point, along with other councilors, favored adding the club property to the park. He said he voted against the resolution because he doesn’t believe the site is safe for housing.

“The risks are too great,” Rossi said. “Too many things can happen when lead and arsenic get into the system, particularly with young people.”

Magovern pointed out that 2,367 tons of soil have been removed from the site.

“The property is clean. I don’t know why they turned it down,” Magovern said.

In addition, he produced a document from DEP Brownfields Coordinator Ben Fish stating that the levels of residual chemicals are within the agency’s standards for residential areas.

Cohen said he just wants to see the former brownfields site back on the tax rolls.

The state police have also launched an internal affairs investigation of Trooper Pillsbury.

The Republican/Lori StabileState Trooper Donald Scott Pillsbury is surrounded by media after he leaves Palmer District Court, where he denied a domestic assault and battery charge involving his wife.

This is an update to a story that was posted Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

PALMER - One day after his arraignment in Palmer District Court on allegations that he abused his wife, trooper Donald Pillsbury of Brimfield has been given an indefinite suspension without pay, according to a Massachusetts State Police spokesman.

Pillsbury, 42, a member of the state police K-9 section, was charged Thursday morning with domestic assault and battery. According to police reports, his wife, Tracy Pillsbury, 40, called 911 at 1:30 a.m. to report her husband had struck her during a heated argument.

He denied the charges at his arraignment, and was released pending his next appearance in court on March 20 and ordered to refrain from alcohol and avoid his wife. An emergency restraining order was also granted.

State police spokesman David Procopio the state police internal affairs unit will monitor the court case but has also opened its own investigation into Pillsbury.

Immediately following his arrest, state police seized all of Pillsbury's department issued weapons, including his .40-caliber Sig Sauer P226 duty weapon, along with 24 other weapons (rifles, shotguns and handguns) and his pepper spray, the report stated. Pillsbury's state police cruiser was towed from the driveway and his badge and license to carry were taken, along with his state police identification.

His police dog, which was in a kennel at his home, is being secured by the K-9 section.

Following protests outside his Boston office, Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown came under fire from Democratic female politicians in the Bay State on Friday.

In this April 26, 2010 photo, Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., speaks to reporters during a crucial test vote for the financial reform bill on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Following protests Thursday outside his Boston office, Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown drew new fire from Democratic female politicians in Massachusetts on Friday.

The anger stems from Brown's support of a Republican bill to amend the president's health care mandate to allow any business or insurer to deny coverage of any prescription or procedure which conflicts with an owner's faith, ideology or moral beliefs.

The controversy surrounding the issue grew when President Barack Obama revised a health care mandate stating that insurers would have to cover preventative female care and contraception, following a backlash after an initial mandate stated that institutions, including religious ones, would have to cover such treatments.

Brown has said the bill is meant to ensure religious liberty by not requiring people to violate their faith. The opposition, including Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren, has argued that it is a broad policy which opens the door for numerous abuses, all of which will negatively impact people, especially women, seeking certain types of care in the U.S.

During a conference call Friday, several Democratic female politicians outlined their objections to the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011," introduced by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., which Brown is backing.

State Rep. Ruth Balser, D-Newton, said that her background as a clinical psychologist makes her nervous about the implications of the Blunt bill.

"There are many people and religious groups that question the idea of psychiatry altogether," Balser said. "I can imagine an employer saying so and blocking treatment for someone who is mentally ill."

Balser, who serves on the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, also noted the possibility of an employer having a moral objection to someone going to rehab for drug addiction. She called the bill "dangerous."

Brown hasn't directly admitted the possibilities of abuse exist in the legislation as it is worded, but he rather has charged that the clause wouldn't be abused.

"That's a red herring. Bottom line is If anything like that happened in Massachusetts people would obviously be sued," Brown said previously, standing by his statement that the Blunt bill would bring the health care system back to the "way it was before ObamaCare."

State Rep. Cory Atkins, D-Concord, said that women are being unfairly targeted by Republicans and the religious right and that no outside organization, such as the Catholic Church, should have a say in determining health care laws.

"In all these discussions, there has been no mention of Viagra," Atkins said. "Maybe God doesn't want men to have sex after a certain age. I don't know how the Catholic Church has anointed itself as the superior voice in this discussion."

Brown has described his stance as identical as that of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, whom Brown succeeded in a 2010 special election following the longtime Democratic senator's death.

"Like Ted Kennedy before me, I support a conscience exemption in health care for Catholics and other people of faith," Brown said previously.

Kennedy's conscience exemption position, as detailed in 1995 legislation he drafted, would have prevented health care professionals, such as doctors, from being forced to perform procedures which conflict with their religious beliefs.

The Blunt proposal allows employers to deny coverage entirely, making it irrelevant which institution a person chooses to seek care at, because their employer-contributed health insurance wouldn't cover it.

Jesse Mermell, a Brookline selectwoman who has previously worked with Planned Parenthood, said she fears where the bill might lead in the context of teen pregnancy.

"Massachusetts has a lower teen pregnancy rate than much of the country, but I worry about how the bill would change that when the moral convictions of a parent's employer prevent girls from getting birth control," Mermell said.

On the topic, Brown and Warren released dueling radio ads and head-to-head opinion pieces in the Boston Globe this week. As much as the issue is one of legislation, it has become an important campaign issue, citing the fundamental differences between the two U.S. Senate candidates.

And despite the ire Brown is drawing with some women relative to the debate, others are sticking with the Republican senator, agreeing with his statement that the legislation isn't so much about health care as it is religious liberty.

“It’s wrong for government to compel people to violate their religious beliefs," said former Republican State Rep. Karyn Polito in a statement. "I agree with Scott Brown that it’s possible to provide women with the health services they want while also protecting religious rights."

Brown is also finding support from some Catholics in Massachusetts, a group which has been split on the issue.

“I commend Senator Scott Brown for taking a stand to protect religious freedom. As an unenrolled voter and someone who has supported people of both political parties, I am of the opinion that protecting our first freedom is neither a Republican issue nor a Democrat issue," said Gerry D'Avolio, former executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference. It is an issue that is dear to every citizen of our Commonwealth and our country."

On Saturday, Brown has campaign stops in Dracut and Billerica, visiting a restaurant and community basketball game, respectively. Sources tell MassLive.com that during at least one of those stops, dozens of women unhappy with the senator's decision to back the Blunt bill will be protesting.

The Brown-backed bill, introduced by Blunt in August 2011, has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions where it must pass before receiving a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Ruth van Erp

Ruth van Erp, 46, of Holyoke passed away on Wednesday. She was born in Mountain View, Calif., and was educated in Mountain View schools, and later attended UC-Berkeley, where she attained her BA in fine arts. Her great-grandfather was prominent Arts & Crafts movement metalsmith Dirk van Erp. Ruth moved to New York City, where she received her MA in fine arts from New York University in 1990. She later worked for the Parsons School of Design and the New School in New York. Van Erp settled in Western Massachusetts and worked in advancement at Smith College from 1997 to 2007. As an artist and teacher, Ruth was a member of the Snow Farm community.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• Arzola, Christopher A.
  




• 
  Bisson, Rita R. Bernard (Archambault)
  



• 
  Bonavita, Vivian A.




• 
  Brakey, Elizabeth M. (Moffat)
  



• 
  Brogan, Ruth R. "Honey" (Laznovsky)
  




• Burns, Walter
  




• 
  Couture, Ada
  



• 
  Ferioli, Eva L. (Traggio)




• 
  Forgotch, Thomas M. "Muldoon"
  



• 
  Golden, Hilda H.
  




• Haddad, Helen Thomas
  




• 
  Hopkins, Frances E. "Nell" (McAnally)
  



• 
  LaChapelle, Gloria L.




• 
  Loureiro, Reinaldo V. "Ray"
  



• 
  Lubiak, Stella A. (Kulpa)
  




• Mesick, Judith A. "Judy"
  




• 
  Nestor, Edward Hubert
  



• 
  O'Connor, Veronica Rose




• 
  Provost, Ida (Martins)
  



• 
  Ramah, Joyce D. (LeClair)
  




• Rapisarda, Nancy E. (Matthews)
  




• 
  Richard, Helen C. (Karpenski)
  



• 
  Robert, Willie L. (Tarver)




• 
  Robitaille, Margaret M.
  



• 
  Suzor Sr., Theodore A. "Ted"
  




• van Erp, Ruth
  




• 
  Waltermire, Rita A. (Pelchat)
  



• 
  Wasiuk, Theresa E.




• 
  Welson, Sylvia (Gaylor)
  

GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is the only candidate whose economic proposals would decrease the national debt by 2021.

Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, gestures during a Republican presidential debate Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The economic proposals put forth by Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum would cause the national debt to swell.

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul was the only candidate whose proposals would lower the national debt, according to a report released Friday.

The U.S. Budget Watch, a project of the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, analyzed the impact the proposals made by the four candidates would have on the national debt through 2021.

The report breaks down how each part of the candidates' proposals would affect the national debt.

An analysis of President Barack Obama's proposals for the next term was not included in the report released Friday and the committee plans to release results of the same analysis of Obama's proposals at a later date.

The committee analyzed three scenarios for each candidate's proposals -- an optimistic low-debt scenario, an intermediate-debt scenario and a pessimistic deep-debt scenario.

Paul's proposals to reduce spending, cut taxes and change the size of the government would decrease the deficit by $2.2 trillion over the next 10 years. The committee estimates that Paul's proposals would cause the national debt to decrease to 76 percent of the GDP by 2021. In the low-debt scenario, which considers if Paul could follow through on canceling all of the federal debt held by the Federal Reserve System, Paul's proposals would cut the deficit by $4.3 trillion. A total of $1.9 trillion would be cut in the deep-debt scenario, according to the report.

Gingrich has proposed to cut both spending and taxes, which would increase deficits by $2.8 trillion on the optimistic side and $9.7 trillion on the pessimistic side. The middle scenario would increase deficits by $7 trillion and would cause the debt to balloon to 114 percent of the GDP by 2021, according to the report.

Proposals made by Santorum to decrease spending and taxes would cause the national debt to swell by $4.5 trillion by 2021 and would cause the national debt to be 104 percent of the GDP in 2021, according to the report. Optimistically, his proposals would reduce the deficit by $2.6 trillion, and pessimistically, would add $5.3 trillion to the debt.

Romney's proposals would add to the deficit, but not as greatly as Gingrich and Santorum. Romney's proposal to cut spending and taxes would add $250 billion to the national debt over the next decade in the intermediate-debt scenario and the debt would be 86 percent of the GDP in 2021. The low-debt scenario would reduce it by $2.2 trillion and the deep-debt scenario would add $2.2 trillion to the debt, according to the report.

The national debt now is $15.4 trillion and is 101 percent of the GDP.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget is comprised of former staff of the Congressional Budget Committees, the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget and the Federal Reserve Board.

Restore Our Future super PAC bought the rights to the footage in the ad, according to its treasurer, Charles Spies.

The pro-Mitt Romney super PAC Restore Our Future began airing an ad Thursday that is nearly identical to an ad aired by Romney's presidential campaign in 2007.

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, talks to patrons at The Mitt Restaurant during a campaign stop in Mount Clemens, Mich., Friday, Feb. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

"Super PACs are prohibited from making coordinated communications," Campaign Legal Center attorney Paul Ryan said. "Super PACs are also prohibited from making payments to candidates. There's an FEC regulation that treats the dissemination, distribution or republication of campaign materials as a contribution from the super PAC to the candidate regardless of whether or not it's coordinated with the candidate. It appears that Restore Our Future, by republishing a Romney campaign ad, has clearly violated the law."

The ad features Romney's former business partner Robert Gay speaking about when Romney shut down Bain Capital to search for Gay's 14-year-old daughter Melissa. The daughter went missing after taking ecstasy at a rave in New York City. A boy who took her in following the party called police after seeing her on the news. Montville Police Lt. David Peterson said the shut down of the company to search for the girl created the attention to the case, which led to her being reported to police. PolitiFact rated the ad "true" in 2007.

The only difference between the ads is Restore Our Future's ad ends with the line "Brought to you by Restore Our Future" instead of the end line on Romney's ad of "I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message."

Ryan said there could also be issues involving copyright law if Romney's campaign ad was copyrighted.

The group "purchased the rights to the footage from it's [sic] owner Cold Harbor films, which did not entail interacting with the Romney campaign," Charles Spies, Restore Our Future's treasurer, told The Huffington Post.

If an investigation into the ad were to occur, it would be completed by the Federal Election Commission.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said he won't be a late entry into the Republican presidential race, but won't rule out becoming vice president.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush gestures as he speaks at the Hispanic Leadership Network's conference, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 in Miami. Bush says the presidential candidates must earn his endorsement and wants the candidates to work hard to get to know Florida before he lends his support. But allowed that after Tuesday's primary he might reconsider. Bush also refused to rule out the possibility of the vice presidential spot on the 2012 GOP ticket, but he likened the chances to those of joining "Dancing with the Stars." (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the Republican presidential candidates are "appealing to people's fears" with rhetoric that will ultimately push independent voters into the Democratic camp.

"I used to be a conservative and I watch these debates and I'm wondering, I don't think I've changed, but it's a little troubling sometimes when people are appealing to people's fears and emotion rather than trying to get them to look over the horizon for a broader perspective and that's kind of where we are," Bush said on Fox News Thursday. "I think it changes when we get to the general election. I hope."

Bush said in Texas Thursday that the candidates need to be careful of the rhetoric they use.

"I think it's important for the candidates to recognize though they have to appeal to primary voters, and not turn off independent voters that will be part of a winning coalition," he said.

Bush's name has been thrown around in the past few weeks as someone Republicans hope will be a late entry into the presidential race. However, Bush said recently he has no plans to become the third President Bush, but hasn't ruled out being named as a possible vice presidential nominee. Bush is the son of former President George H.W. Bush and the brother of former President George W. Bush.

City Councilor Daniel Bresnahan said the move undermines Morse’s pledge to run a government free of the backroom politics he campaigned against.

Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, left, is seen in this composite photo with Damian J. Cote, the person he just named as building commissioner, and Cote's wife, Rebecca Lisi.

HOLYOKE – Mayor Alex B. Morse has appointed Damian J. Cote, the husband of city councilor and campaign supporter Rebecca Lisi, the new building commissioner.

Critics such as Councilor at Large Daniel B. Bresnahan said the move undermines Morse’s pledge to run a transparent government free of the backroom politics he campaigned against.

Morse, Cote and Lisi said such criticism was unfounded.

Cote said the job isn’t a political reward from Morse because the job’s $60,000-a-year salary will be a pay cut from his current positions running Holyoke Carpentry Construction and Renovation, a company he founded in 2003, and teaching at two design colleges.

“It’s definitely a job that holds a fair amount of prestige and power and the ability to make sure things are working right in the city,“ Cote said.

Morse said a start date for the new commissioner has yet to be set.

Acting Personnel Director Adam Pudelko said building commissioner is a mayoral appointment that doesn’t require that a search be done, the position be posted or candidates be interviewed, although the position has been posted on the city website for months.

Cote was the most qualified candidate, said Morse, who said it would be difficult for him to appoint someone here to a city job whom he isn’t friends with.

“I’m friends with a lot of people. We did interviews and he was the most qualified,“ Morse said.

“It’s been as transparent as possible. I did conduct interviews with a few candidates. I’m excited for Damian to begin. I think he’s going to bring an exciting skill set to the office. Dan Bresnahan is entitled to his opinion,“ Morse said.

Bresnahan said Morse’s appointment of the husband of Lisi, chairwoman of the council Ordinance Committee, strains credibility.

“It doesn’t pass the smell test. Now the chair of the Ordinance Committee is going to be beholden to the mayor who appointed her husband. I don’t think the mayor knows the meaning of transparency,“ Bresnahan said.

“The mayor’s just appointing someone who supported him. It’s a political appointment,“ he said.

Cote said he has run Holyoke Carpentry since 2003 and also teaches at Rhode Island School of Design, from which he has a master’s degree, and Montserrat College of Art, in Beverly.

“I don’t even know what exactly the pay back would be from,“ Cote said.

He is certified to be a building inspector as a result of passing examinations given by the International Code Council, an organization that develops codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the organization’s standards, according to its website iccsafe.org

Cote, a native of Western Massachusetts, was refinishing floors at the age of 15 at Holyoke Catholic High School. He was in the Marine Corps infantry and was a Guard at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to holyokecarpentry.com

Lisi disputed Bresnahan’s charges that the mayor’s appointment of her husband is a political favor that will weaken her ability as Ordinance Committee chairwoman.

“No, that’s not true. At the end of the day, Damian is qualified for the position. Alex spoke to Damian independent of me,“ Lisi said.

Lisi said she is one of the most experienced and tenured councilors, and as the only returning member of the Ordinance Committee from last year, she was the obvious choice to be chairwoman.

Also, she said, Bresnahan should know committee decisions are made collectively and not only by the chairwoman.

“If Dan Bresnahan would come to some of my committee meetings, he would know that,“ Lisi said.

According to the job posting on the city website, the building commissioner reviews applications and plans for construction, alteration and demolition to ensure compliance with state and city codes. That includes regulations related to building, zoning, signs and architectural access.

The commissioner also inspects work sites to ensure jobs are being done by state codes, issues certificates of occupancy and investigates code complaints.

The commissioner must be able to work effectively under time constraints and meet deadlines, use a personal computer, use Microsoft windows environment and other required programs.

The city has had an acting building commissioner since previous commissioner Paul Healy resigned in April.

Ames was named to fill the position vacated by David Sullivan, who was elected Northwestern District Attorney in 2010.

NORTHAMPTON – Mark S. Ames, the interim Register of Probate for Hampshire County, has announced that he is withdrawing from the race for the seat to devote more time to his family.

Ames, 41, was named to fill the position vacated by David E. Sullivan, who was elected Northwestern District Attorney in November 2010. He is a long-time employee at Hampshire Probate Court. Judge Gail S. Perlman appointed Ames to fill Sullivan’s position on a temporary basis in January 2011.

Ames announced last month that he would run for the post in this November’s election, but released a statement Friday saying he had changed his mind.

“I want to spend all the time I can with my kids, especially at this time in their lives,” he said.

Ames and his wife, Catherine, have a 4-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter. He anticipated that running a campaign would consume at least 40 hours per week in addition to his job.

According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office, the only other candidate to take out papers for the Register of Probate job is Easthampton lawyer Michael J. Carey. The deadline for filing for the election is May 1.

The board agreed to hire the Edward J. Collins Center for Public Policy and to appoint an 8-member search committee.

LONGMEADOW – The Select Board recently agreed to hire the Edward J. Collins Center for Public Policy and to appoint an eight-member search committee to look for a new town manger.

Select Board members Mark Gold, Marie Angelides and Robert Aseltine voted in favor of an eight-member committee made up of a department head representative, a union representative, a school committee member, a finance committee member, a select board member and three nominations made by the board. Paul Santaniello voted against the three nominations.

Santaniello said he is uncomfortable placing a surrogate of the select board on the committee. He said each member would appoint someone who will vote the way the board member wants.

“I would rather go through the application process and let any town resident apply,” he said.

Aseltine said the nominated members would not be “surrogates or clones,” but independent individuals with their own ideas.

The search comes after Town Manager Robin L. Crosbie announced in October that she will not to seek reemployment with the town after her contract expires in June. Crosbie was hired in 2004.

The town manager position was created under Longmeadow’s Town Charter, which was approved by voters in May 2004. The post involves significant budgetary and supervisory responsibilities and replaced the town administrator position.

Angelides, who researched the town manager search process, recommended that the board hire a recruiting firm to handle the initial search. She suggested the Collins Center, based in Boston, as well as Municipal Resources located in New Hampshire and MMA Consulting based in Brookline.

She said after sitting in on a meeting in South Hadley, which is looking for a town administrator, she feels it is important to use a firm that has expertise.

The Finance Committee approved between $3,000 and $15,000 in costs for the search. Collins is asking for $14,000.

Angelides said the firm will be able to do the background research that involves meeting with local department heads, town officials, union representatives and even members of the committee.

“They know how to elicit information whether it’s a forum for input from residents,” she said.

She also suggested using the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission on an advisory capacity.

Angelides was chosen as the Select Board representative to serve on the search committee. The other three board members have until March 5 to appoint a community member to the board. Once the search is narrowed to four people they will be brought before the select board.

The board hopes to hire a town manager by May 31.

At his police brutality trial, Asher testified, "I figure if I hit this guy with everything I had ... it would cause him to fall to the ground." Watch video

The Republican | John SuchockiFormer Springfield police officer Jeffrey Asher looks to the judge during questioning in his police brutality trial in Chicopee District Court on Friday.

CHICOPEE – Former Springfield patrolman Jeffrey M. Asher told a District Court jury Friday every blow he delivered with his flashlight to Melvin Jones III was necessary to keep himself and other officers safe.

Asher said when Officer Michael Sedergren said Jones had his gun, he anticipated gunshots and he “reacted before that happened.”

Testimony at Asher’s police brutality trial has shown Jones never took Sedergren’s gun. Sedergren, Asher and Officer Theodore Truiolo have all testified they never saw Jones go for Sedergren’s holstered gun.

Sedergren said he believed Jones was going for his holster when he and Truiolo had Jones face down on the hood of a police Ford Taurus.

Closing arguments are slated for Monday morning, after which Judge Maureen E. Walsh will instruct the jury and the jury will begin deliberating.

Asher is charged with assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the Nov. 27, 2009 traffic stop of Jones on Rifle Street in Springfield.

He was fired by Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet one day after being approved by the state for disability retirement. The jury was not told about the firing, and Asher said he is retired.

An amateur video of the arrest made public by The Republican and MassLive.com appears to show Jones, who is black, being held down by two officers while struck repeatedly by Asher with a large flashlight.

The jury also doesn’t know Fitchet had suspended Lt. John Bobianski and Sedergren without pay 45 days and officer Truiolo for 15 days after an investigation of the Jones incident.

Sedergren and Truiolo testified Thursday for the defense, saying Asher used the appropriate amount of force. Sedergren said he asked Asher to hit Jones.

Jurors have seen the video, which was enhanced by a contractor hired by the prosecutor for more visibility and better audio quality. They will have the video in the jury room to watch during deliberations.

On the stand Friday, Asher said he thought Jones had Sedergren’s gun in his hand because of what Sedergren said. He said because of that he had to hit Jones hard in the head area three times.

“I’m trying to stop him from killing the people who are there,” he said.

After landing three hits, Asher said he then missed Jones eight or 10 times and hit the car hood because Sedergren and Truiolo, who were holding Jones, were in the way of his flashlight strikes.

So he went around and gave Jones three “hard shots” to his upper leg, the only part of Jones’ body not covered by the other officers.

“I figure if I hit this guy with everything I had ... it would cause him to fall to the ground,” Asher said.

Asher said he heard Sedergren say, “Hit him again,” so he then hit Jones as hard as he could behind the left knee. Jones went to the ground with Sedergren and Truiolo on top of him, Asher said.

Asher said he has seen the amateur video shot by a Rifle Street resident many times. He said it accurately depicts what happened.

Defense lawyer Joseph Monahan III asked Asher what his feelings were when Sedergren said Jones has his gun.

Asher said, “It’s never changed to this day. Afraid, scared, fight for my life, fight for the life of my fellow officers. Fight to get home to my kids.”

Under cross examination by prosecutor Elizabeth Dunphy Farris, Asher said he didn’t have a police baton.

Dunphy Farris cited a law saying officers must carry the same equipment on extra duty shifts, which includes a baton.

At one point during cross-examination the judge warned Asher he had to answer the prosecutor’s questions with a yes or no rather than make statements of his own which weren’t in answer to questions.

She said, “You didn’t have a problem answering questions by your attorney.”

Asher said he saw Jones was struggling with Sedergren and Truiolo on the hood of the Taurus. He never saw Jones’ hands or a gun, he said.

Dunphy Farris asked Asher what he meant when he said Jones was struggling. Asher said he couldn’t tell if Jones' head and arms were moving, but it looked like Jones was pushing off the car with his upper body.

“His legs weren’t moving at that stage were they,” Dunphy Farris asked. Asher said he didn’t know.

He said he never asked the two officers after his initial three strikes to Jones’ head if Jones really had Sedergren’s gun.

Asher said he struck Jones as hard as he could with the flashlight while Jones was on the ground. Asher said Jones' hands were behind his back while he was on the ground so he didn’t know if Jones had Sedergren’s gun.

He acknowledged three other officers, including Sedergren, were right there while Jones’ was on the ground and he hit him hard with the flashlight.

For the second day this week, the Dow Jones industrial average nudged above 13,000 then pulled back.

By MATTHEW CRAFT | AP Business Writer

Associated PressTrader Jonathan Corpina works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday, Feb. 24, 2012. The Dow Jones industrial average is pushing closer to 13,000 at the opening of trading, and other stock indexes are opening higher ahead of reports on new home sales and consumer sentiment. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK — A two-point gain was enough to push the Standard & Poor's 500 index to its highest level since June 2008, three months before the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the darkest days of the financial crisis.

The S&P 500 index closed at 1,365.74, beating its 2011 closing high by two points.

For the second day this week, the Dow Jones industrial average nudged above 13,000 then pulled back. It rose 29 points in the morning but wavered in the afternoon. The Dow dropped 1.74 points to close at 12,982.95. American Express was the leading stock among the 30 that make up the average, gaining 1.2 percent.

It was a similar story on Tuesday, when the Dow flitted above 13,000 three times but ended the day lower. The average hasn't closed above 13,000 since May 19, 2008.

What will it take for the Dow to close above 13,000 and stay there? Mark Lamkin, CEO of Lamkin Wealth Management in Louisville, Ky., said it would require a surprising news event, like a huge merger or an economic report that blows past expectations.

"It needs some type of surprise, a bombshell," Lamkin said. "We've had a pretty good run over the past four months. Now it's going to take something great to keep it above 13,000."

The two economic reports out Friday didn't make the cut.

A consumer sentiment index taken by the University of Michigan and Reuters edged up in February to its highest level in a year. And the Commerce Department reported that sales of new homes dipped slightly in January, but the figure still topped economists' estimates. It also said sales in the final three months of 2011 were higher than previously reported.

"The numbers are just OK," Lamkin said. "They weren't bad, but they weren't great, either."

In other trading, the Nasdaq composite index rose 6.77 points to 2,963.75.

Oil prices hit a nine-month high of $109.77 a barrel. The price of oil has jumped 10 percent this month amid rising concerns about a conflict with Iran.

The euro added a penny against the dollar, hitting $1.346, its highest since Dec. 5. Greece made a formal offer to creditors to swap their Greek government bonds for new ones, another step toward knocking $142 billion off its debts. The swap is part of a deal to prevent Greece from defaulting on a debt payment due next month.

Stock indexes have been climbing since November as European officials redoubled their efforts to contain the region's debt crisis and the European Central Bank extended cheap loans to troubled banks. The S&P 500 index has gained 8.6 percent to start 2012, better than its long-term annual average gain.

In contrast to the volatile trading of late last year, the market's gains have been small but steady. To Lamkin, the lack of large swings looks ominous. The world is still full of dangers, he said. Lamkin tells his clients that the top risks are another flare-up in the European debt crisis and a war between Israel and Iran.

"When the next big thing happens, and it will, you're going to see a pullback," he said. "I think we're due."

Among stocks making big moves:

• Sprint Nextel Corp. lost 2 percent. The country's largest cable company, Comcast, filed a suit against Sprint Nextel, alleging that it was violating Comcast's patents.

• Gap fell 4 percent. The clothing retailer reported a 40 percent plunge in quarterly profit after the market closed Thursday. Gap said higher costs and deep discounts weighed on its revenue.

• Deckers Outdoor Corp. sank 14 percent after the maker of Ugg boots and Teva footwear said higher costs will lead to lower profits for the quarter and full year.

• Kenneth Cole Production Inc. soared 18 percent to $15.49 on news that Kenneth Cole is offering to buy the rest of the company. Cole currently holds about 47 percent of the company and has offered would give stockholders $15 per share, a 15 percent premium to the company's Thursday closing price.

The arrests were a case of deja vu for Springfield narcotics officers; 7 months earlier they arrested the same couple in a raid on the same house.

Springfield police photoLuis Santiago, and Maribel Franco

SPRINGFIELD - Two Forest Park residents who were out on bail while awaiting trial for their arrest in July on charges that they were dealing drugs from their Grand Street home were arrested Thursday morning and charged with dealing drugs from their Grand Street home again.

Luis R. Santiago, 40, and Maribel Franco, 33, each of 65 Grand St., were charged with possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute, violation of a drug-free school zone, two counts of possession of a high-capacity firearm, and single counts of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony and improper storage of a firearm.

This is the second time in 7 months police raided the same house and arrested the same couple.

On July 28, police raided 65 Grand St. and charged Santiago and Franco with trafficking heroin, trafficking cocaine and violation of a drug-free school zone.

Police obtained a district court search warrant on Thursday for the Grand Street residence after an investigation determined the couple had resumed dealing drugs while they awaited trail in the earlier charges.

Police seized 76 bags of heroin, 6 bags of cocaine, $3915 in cash, some ammunition and two AK-47 semi-automatic rifles.

The arrests were made under the direction of Lt. Charles Cook and Sgt. Robert Tardiff and included members of the newly formed Business and Domicile Geographic Enforcement, or BADGE unit.

The unit was formed earlier this month specifically to patrol the Forest Park neighborhood.

The couple was scheduled to be arraigned in Springfield District Court Friday but arraignment information was not available.

Charged with trafficking were Jorge Rivera and Johnny Rivera,, both of Springfield and Marilyn Nunez of Holyoke.

Springfield police photo From left, Jorge Rivera, Johnny Rivera, and Marilyn Nunez

SPRINGFIELD - Two Springfield men and a Holyoke woman were charged Thursday with trafficking cocaine after they accepted receipt of a package that U.S. postal inspectors had found to contain 273 grams of pure cocaine, police said.

Arrested were Jorge Rivera, 36 and Johnny Rivera, 24, both of 47 Worcester Ave., and Marilyn Nunez, 47, of 121 Roberto Clemente Ave., Holyoke. Each was charged with trafficking cocaine in excess of 250 grams, violation of a drug-free school zone, and conspiracy to violate drug law

The cocaine, 9.6 ounces in all, was packed inside jars of peanut butter, apparently in an attempt to thwart detection from drug-sniffing dogs, but the move did not work, said police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet.

Postal officials contacted police when one of their dogs zeroed in on the package. Police obtained a district court search warrant, opened the package and found the cocaine, Delaney said.

Before police could arrange the post office to deliver the package as planned, the two Riveras and Nunuz went to the Liberty Street post office to pick it up. They were arrested once they accepted the package, Delaney said.

There have been other cases over the years where people have tried to put one over the drug-sniffing dogs. In August, 2010, a Holyoke man was arrested with when the dogs found $100,000 in cocaine hidden in a tube of bologna that had beem mailed from Puerto Rico.

They were scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Springfield District Court, but court information was not available.