A total of 208 dolphins have now stranded on the Cape this year, well above the annual average of 38.

Associated PressA mother and calf common dolphin are transported to the beach by a team from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the New England Aquarium before being released back into Cape Cod Bay at Scusset Beach, in this Jan. 14, 2012 file photo from Sagamore Beach, Ma.

BOSTON (AP) — Another spate of dolphin strandings hits Cape Cod.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare said 10 common dolphins beached early this week, but its rescue team was able to release nine of them into Nantucket Sound. One had to be euthanized.

The rescue group was also able to stop six dolphins from stranding Monday by herding them back into Cape Cod Bay.

A total of 208 common dolphins have now stranded on the Cape this year, well above the annual average of 38.

The week's strandings started with four animals on Monday: one in Wellfleet, three in Brewster. On Tuesday, two more dolphins stranded in Wellfleet and three in Brewster.

The animal that had to be euthanized was found injured in Orleans on Tuesday.

Owners will get recall notices in the mail starting in late April.

Associated PressHeather Peters, right, gets ready to enter the Superior Court building, as her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid sits parked Friday, March 16, 2012, in San Diego. A judge tentatively approved a settlement to give owners of Honda Civic hybrids up to $200 cash over claims that the cars' fuel economy was inflated.

DETROIT — Honda says it is recalling more than 550,000 CR-V and Pilot SUVs because the low-beam headlights can fail.

The automaker says it will fix a problem with the headlight wiring. Affected vehicles include 2002-2004 CR-Vs and 2003 Pilots.

Honda says there isn't enough slack in the wiring leading to the headlight switch. Over time the wires can work their way loose and cut off the low-beam lights. No crashes or injuries have been reported due to the problem.

Owners will get recall notices in the mail starting in late April.

People can check to see if their SUVs are part of the recall by going to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (800) 999-1009 and picking option four.

Manley said such larcenies are on the rise.

EAST LONGMEADOW – A New Jersey man called police here Thursday morning to report that his credit card had been used at a Pride station here for two $100 transactions.

Sgt. Patrick Manley said police continue to probe the fraudulent use of the man’s credit cards. He said such incidents are on the rise.

“Almost every day we get calls from people who report they were defrauded in some way,” he said. “It seems these types of larcenies on-line through credit cards or electronic transactions have escalated quite a bit.”

Manley said the New Jersey man did not know how his card number had been obtained.

Manley said it’s more common for East Longmeadow residents to call police to report their credit card number have been used “in all kinds of places, California, Michigan - all over the place.”

It’s not yet known, Manley said, which Pride station in town conducted the transaction and what was purchased. He said, however, it was probably gift cards.

A world-record $540 million Mega Millions jackpot has lottery players lining up for tickets early Friday and many wondering if there's any way to guarantee becoming an overnight multimillionaire.

MARGERY A. BECK, Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A world-record $540 million Mega Millions jackpot has lottery players lining up for tickets early Friday and many wondering if there's any way to guarantee becoming an overnight multimillionaire.

The answer: Not unless you already are one and own a magic wand.

The jackpot is so large, someone with enough money could theoretically buy up every possible number combination, thereby guaranteeing a winning ticket — but only if you suspended the laws of physics.

A $540 million jackpot, if taken as a $390 million lump sum and after federal tax withholding, works out to about $293 million. With the jackpot odds at 1 in 176 million, it would cost $176 million to buy up every combination. Under that scenario, the strategy would win $117 million — less if your state also withholds taxes.

But there are too many limitations. First, if it takes five seconds to fill out each card, you'd need almost 28 years just to mark the bubbles on the game tickets. You'd also use up the national supply of special lottery paper and lottery-machine printing ink well before all your tickets could be printed out.

With a jackpot this large, experts say, there also is a greater chance of multiple winners. If you have to share the jackpot with even one other winner, you've lost $30 million.

Mike Catalano, chairman of the mathematics department at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., concedes the math is clear: The more tickets you buy, the better your chances of winning.

So, if you buy 10 tickets filled out 10 different ways, your odds of winning the jackpot 10 in 176 million.

"You are about 50 times as likely to get struck by lightning as to win the lottery, based on the 90 people a year getting struck by lightning," Catalano said. "Of course, if you buy 50 tickets, you've equalized your chances of winning the jackpot with getting struck by lightning."

Based on other U.S. averages, you're about 8,000 times more likely to be murdered than to win the lottery, and about 20,000 times more likely to die in a car crash than hit the lucky numbers, Catalano said.

"You might get some psychological enjoyment from playing the lottery, but from a financial standpoint ... you'd be much better off going to Las Vegas and playing blackjack or the slot machines," he said.

Long odds have been little deterrence to players converging on convenience stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C., where Mega Millions tickets are sold.

Many in Indiana were further encouraged by a free shot at instantaneous, enormous wealth, as Hoosier Lottery officials gave away one free Mega Millions ticket to each of the first 540 players at several outlets around the state Friday. About 150 already had been claimed by 6:30 a.m. at one store outside Indianapolis where person costumed as a bright yellow lottery ball had begun handing out the tickets only a half-hour earlier.

For David Kramer, a lawyer in Lincoln, Neb., buying his Mega Millions ticket Thursday wasn't about "the realistic opportunity to win."

"It's the fact that for three days, the daydreaming time about what I would do if I won is great entertainment and, frankly, a very nice release from a normal day," he said.

Chris Stites, of Fishers, Ind., stopped by a market in downtown Indianapolis on Thursday to spend $20 he and his co-workers pooled for Mega Millions tickets. He said he hopes buying in a group improves their odds.

"I've got as good a shot as anyone," Stites said. "It may be slim, but it's the same as it is for other people."

Even those seemingly well aware of the odds are at least taking a shot this week, including Dymond Fields, of St. Paul, Minn., a retail store cashier who bought just one ticket.

"I see people paying $30, $40, $50, and that's just painful," he said.

In line to buy tickets with Fields was 80-year-old Everett Eahmer, also of St. Paul, who said he's been playing the lottery "since the beginning."

"If I win, the first thing I'm going to do is buy a (Tim) Tebow football shirt, and I'm going to do the Tebow pose," said Eahmer, who bought five tickets. "I'm with him in honoring a higher power."

Lottery officials are happy to have Friday's record Mega Millions jackpot fueling ticket sales, but even they caution against spending large amounts of money per person in the hopes of striking it rich.

"When people ask me, I just tell them that the odds of a lottery game make it a game of fate," said Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Urbandale, Iowa-based Multi-State Lottery Association that oversees the Mega Millions, Powerball and other lotteries. "Just buy a ticket, sit back and see if fate points a finger at you for that day."
____

Associated Press writers Dinesh Ramde in Milwaukee, Carrie Schedler in Indianapolis, and Alexandra Tempus in St. Paul, Minn., contributed to this report.

Simison was a 25-year member of Suffield's fire department and an audiologist in West Hartford.

By Mike Savino | Journal Inquirer

SUFFIELD — A 25-year member of the Fire Department was on his way to work as an audiologist in West Hartford on Wednesday morning when a pickup truck veered into his lane, causing the accident that killed him, police said.

Friends and coworkers said the firefighter, Paul Simison, was always dedicated to helping others, both as a hearing specialist and volunteer firefighter. He was a 25-year veteran with Company 2 on Ratley Road.

“Due to his tenure with the department, his experience and knowledge will be a terrible loss to Company 2 and the department as a whole,” the Fire Department said in a statement. “He was a well-liked member and a valuable asset to out department. He will be missed.”

Former Chief Thomas Bellmore said Thursday that Simison was always committed to the department, including its activities in the community.

He said Simison would work with the charities and community groups that received donations from the Firemen’s Association, and would help organize events.

Bellmore said Simison came up with the idea of baking 100 blueberry pies for the department’s 100th anniversary

“He was a good, dedicated person for the department,” Fire Commission Chairman Phil Barrett said. He said that he didn’t know Simison very well but that other members of the commission said Simison was a dedicated member of the department.

Simison was an audiologist at Hearing Improvement Center LLC’s West Hartford office.

“He was very passionate about helping people hear,” said Cathy Vander Heuvel, who said she worked as Simison’s secretary for 27 years. She said Simison treated his patients and co-workers with respect — and that his co-workers are “beside” themselves.

“I lost not only a boss, but a friend,” Vander Heuvel said, adding that she was “heartbroken” by the news.

According to Hearing Improvement Center’s website, Simison was a certified teacher for deaf and hearing-impaired students before getting a second master’s degree in audiology in 1981.

He joined Hearing Aid Services in West Hartford in 1983, and the practice eventually merged with Hearing Learning Center LLC.

The Fire Department said no plans for a memorial service had been made as of Thursday afternoon.

Barrett said the family is first working on its own plans, including making arrangements for one of Simison’s daughters to come home from Spain. Once the family’s plans are complete, Barrett said, the Fire Department can try to finalize plans for a memorial service.

Simison was pronounced dead Wednesday morning at the scene of a head-on collision on Mountain Road, authorities said.

Police Chief Michael Manzi said the accident occurred around 8 a.m. Wednesday, while Simison was driving east in a sport utility vehicle.

He said the accident is still under investigation by the North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Team, but Simison was apparently headed to work at the time.

Manzi said Shawn Phelps, 29, of Southwick, Mass., was driving west in a large pickup truck when he veered into the eastbound lane, colliding with Simison.

Phelps suffered serious injuries and was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. No update on his condition was available Thursday.

Manzi said members of the accident reconstruction team will need to talk with witnesses and wait for medical reports as part of their investigation, which could take a month.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Ryan Burrell at 860-688-3870.

The bus ad featured Brown's nude centerfold photo with a strategically placed message- "Congress: Cover Me- Back Student Aid."

This cropped photo shows Sen. Scott Brown's 1982 appearance in Cosmo which was to be used by Campus Progress to draw attention to the need for student aid reform. (Original photo from Cosmopolitan Magazine)

After Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown defeated Martha Coakley in a 2010 special election in Massachusetts following the death of longtime Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, one liberal group planned on "welcoming" him to Washington with bus ads featuring his nude centerfold from Cosmopolitian Magazine.

This, according to BuzzFeed Politics, which reported that Campus Progress, a liberal group that "trains and supports the next generation of young progressive leaders," killed the concept before it became reality.

The ad featured Brown's nude centerfold photo with a strategically placed message- "Congress: Cover Me- Back Student Aid." It goes on to say "Sen. Scott Brown posed in Cosmo to help pay for school" promoting the message of student aid reform.

BuzzFeed Politics reports that the ad, which was slated to run on metro buses in the nation's capitol as Brown began working in the U.S. Senate, was killed as the group thought it was better to try to work with the self-proclaimed Massachusetts moderate rather than use his image in an attempt at swaying opinions about student aid.

David Halperin, former director of Campus Progress, told the website that the ad was meant to "draw attention to the need for stronger student financial aide policies," but declined to say why the group decided to shelf it.

In 1982, Brown, a 22-year-old law student at Boston College, spent time modeling clothes for numerous agencies to help pay for college and he was named "America's Sexiest Man" by Cosmo, leading to the nude centerfold in the magazine.

Brown is currently in a heated re-election campaign as Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren and Middleton immigration attorney Marisa DeFranco are both vying for the Democratic nod to take him on in November's general election.

Many recent polls have showed Brown holding a lead over Warren, his chief Democratic opponent, but a poll conducted by the Democratic polling company Public Policy Polling showed Warren with a 5 point lead.

The details of bin Laden's life as a fugitive in Pakistan are contained in the interrogation report of bin Laden's 30-year-old Yemeni widow.

Associated PressThis Nov 18, 2011 file photo shows the guesthouse inside Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A widow of Osama bin Laden has told investigators that the al-Qaida leader lived in five safe houses while on the run in Pakistan and fathered four children, two of them born in government hospitals.

ISLAMABAD — Osama bin Laden lived in five safe houses while on the run in Pakistan and fathered four children — two of them born in government hospitals, his youngest widow has told investigators.

The details of bin Laden's life as a fugitive in Pakistan are contained in the interrogation report of Amal Ahmed Abdel-Fatah al-Sada, bin Laden's 30-year-old Yemeni widow. They appear to raise fresh questions over how bin Laden was able to remain undetected for so long in Pakistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, despite being the subject of a massive international manhunt.

Details from the report were first published by the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

The Associated Press obtained a copy on Friday.

Al-Sada is currently in Pakistani custody, along with bin Laden's two other wives and several children. They were arrested after the U.S raid that killed bin Laden in May in his final hideout in the Pakistani army town of Abbottabad. The U.S. Navy SEALs shot her in the leg during the operation.

Mohammed Amir Khalil, a lawyer for the three widows, said the women would be formally charged for illegally staying in Pakistan on April 2. That charge carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

Since the raid that killed bin Laden, it has been known that he lived mostly in Pakistan since 2002.

Al-Sada's account says she flew to Pakistan in 2000 and traveled to Afghanistan where she married bin Laden before the Sept. 11 attacks.

After that, the family "scattered" and she traveled to Karachi in Pakistan. She later met up with bin Laden in Peshawar and then moved to the Swat Valley, where they lived in two houses. They moved one more time before settling in Abbottabad in 2005.

According to the report, al-Sada said that two of her children were born in government hospitals, but that she stayed only "two or three hours" in the clinics on both occasions. The charge sheet against the three women says that they gave officials fake identities.

During the manhunt for bin Laden, most U.S. and Pakistani officials said that bin Laden was likely living somewhere along the remote Afghanistan-Pakistan border, possibly in a cave.

The fact he was living in populated parts of Pakistan raised suspicions elements in the Pakistani security forces may have been hiding him. U.S. officials have said they have found no evidence this was the case.

Carter said in a statement that he had no recollection of the woman who made the accusation and "categorically denied" the charge.

View full sizeIn this Aug. 1, 2010 file photo, Maj. Gen. Joseph C. Carter, center, Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard, attends a sendoff for the the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment in Worcester, Mass., with U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., left, and Gov. Deval L. Patrick, right. Patrick placed Carter on leave Thursday, March 29, 2012, pending an investigation into an alleged rape of a subordinate in 1984. (AP Photo/Worcester Telegram & Gazette, John Ferrarone, File)

BOSTON (AP) — The commander of the Massachusetts National Guard has been placed on leave by Gov. Deval Patrick pending an investigation into the alleged rape of a subordinate nearly 30 years ago.

The Army opened an investigation into Adjutant Gen. Joseph Carter recently because he is under consideration for a promotion from one-star to two-star general.

Patrick suspended Carter on Thursday.

The investigation was reported by WBZ-TV and The Boston Globe.

The alleged rape occurred in Florida in 1984 when carter was a lieutenant. An Army investigator at the time recommended the alleged victim, a private, go to police.

The victim said she was afraid to press charges.

Carter said in a statement that he had no recollection of the woman who made the accusation and "categorically denied" the charge.

Four are vying for two seats on the School Committee.

Republican file photo Eleanor V. Hutchinson of Amherst cast her ballot at the precinct 5 polling place in the Bangs Community Center in a 2009 town election. Voters go to the polls Tuesday.

AMHERST – Amherst voters will be electing 240 new town meeting members in all 10 precincts and have to decide races for School Committee and Jones Library Board of Trustees in Tuesday’s election.

For School Committee, two seats are available with just one incumbent, Irvin E. Rhodes, running for reelection. Three newcomers are running as well: Michael Aronson, Lawrence O’Brien and Amilcar Shabazz.

Those elected serve on both the Amherst School Committee and the Amherst Regional School Committee.

Aronson, who is a member of the Amherst-Pelham Special Education Parent Advisory Council, said, “I believe we need more effective oversight of the school district,” especially when it comes to the budget. “I would try to push to seek input from the community at large.”

He said that “Amherst has a very high cost and average results,” referring to per student costs and test results. The per student cost is $16,413 and $17,144 for Amherst and the district respectively, compared to Northampton's $12,068, according to state numbers. He said he’d like to know what Northampton would do with the extra $4,000 to $5,000 in spending.

“Everybody is talking cuts to services. I believe that we should manage our resources more effectively,” and he called for intelligent management not service cuts.

He also is concerned about hiring and feels there needs to be more scrutiny and assurances that those hired have appropriate qualifications. He said the School Committee needs to look at hiring when reviewing School Superintendent Maria Geryk’s performance.

As both a teacher and parent of children in Amherst, O’Brien said “some previous school committee members’ approach was dismaying for me.” He said in the past year the civility and tone have improved, and “consequently the effectiveness has take a turn for the better.”

He said he wants to “bring my experience (to that) and make sure it stays.”

As a high school teacher he sees what happens when students move through a system without the ability to read and do math.

“Consequently I’m hoping to be a strong supporter of getting as many resources in the budget as possible (in the elementary schools) to help children who are struggling in a variety of ways.”

He said just as it's easier to learn to speak a foreign language or learn to play an instrument while young, it’s also easier for children to learn to read and write at that age.

“Amherst has a very rich curriculum,” he said, adding that he also wants to help save the arts and sports among its offerings.

Rhodes, who is currently chairman of the Amherst School Committee, said he wants one more term to be able to finish the work he has begun.

For him, the issues include “working on closing the achievement gap.” He said he wants to see that the “students who are struggling are getting the kind of support they need.” And that means in school as well as in after school programs.

The other thing he wants to continue working on is “the disproportionate number of minorities who are disciplined. I want to deal with that one.”

He said the budget “is always going to be an issue… How do you use resources more effectively.”

Shabazz decided to run after getting encouragement after he applied to be appointed to the School Committee in February to fill a vacancy created when Steven Rivkin left in December. The School Committee and Select Board ended up electing a student to serve until the election.

With new leadership at the area colleges and the University of Massachusetts with the recent naming of Kumble R. Subbaswamy as chancellor, he sees the opportunity “to explore really creative dynamic partnerships with these institutions."

“I’m really well positioned, being at UMass and a having strong, collaborative relationships with the Five College Consortium to help explore those partnerships,” he said.

Like O’Brien, he too wants to ensure the congeniality of the committee continues.

He agrees that budgets are an issue, noting, “We’re heavily taxed already here in Amherst.” With state and federal funds dwindling, Shabazz asked: “What funds are available they often come with strings attached? How do we get most out of our dollars?”

He said there is a sense parents of high achieving students and of children with special needs clamor for attention and programing. He said it shouldn’t be an either / or situation. He said he wants to work for social justice and equality for all families.

Jones Library Board of Trustee incumbents Carol Gray and Austin Sarat and newcomer Tamson Ely are vying for two three-year terms on the Jones Library Board of Trustees. Sarat was elected to the board by the Select Board and trustees last April to fill the term until this year's election. He replaced Kathleen Wang who resigned.

Trustee Sarah McKee is not seeking re-election this year. 
Two newcomers, Carl Erickson and Joyce Thatcher, are seeing the lone one-year position.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The two suspects did not suffer serious injuries.

Republican file photo

SPRINGFIELD – Two suspects, who escaped injury when they crashed and rolled their stolen car after a state trooper spotted them on Liberty Street early Thursday afternoon, were arrested a short time later after a large number of city and state police converged on the area.

One of the suspects, 21-year-old Nathan Perez of Holyoke was arrested after state police spotted him standing outside Salerno’s Pizza Shop on Liberty Street.

City police arrested the second suspect, Manuel Torres, 20, of Springfield, after they spotted him running into a nearby laundromat.

The incident began shortly before 1 p.m. when Trooper Matthew Gladu, who is assigned to the Springfield barracks, spotted the stolen vehicle on Liberty Street.

Gladu activated his blues and attempted to stop the vehicle. Perez, the driver, lost control as he fled and crashed into a parked car a short distance away on Phoenix Street.

Gladu saw the two men flee the car as he got out of his cruiser. City and state police, including state police air wing and K-9 units, then converged on the area.

Torres was charged with receiving stolen property over $250, refusing to identify himself, disturbing the peace and possession of burglarious tools.

Perez was charged with receiving stolen property over $250, refusing to identifying himself, speeding, marked lanes violation, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, possession of burglarious tools, disturbing the peace and driving with a suspended motor vehicle license.

In an online video released by the Massachusetts Republican Party Thursday morning, Elizabeth Warren is depicted as "wrong on energy" for her opposition of the Keystone XL Pipeline project.

File photos | The Republican (Brown) and The Associated Press (Warren)Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren are sparring over energy policy as Brown supports the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline and Warren opposes it. (AP File Photos)

One day after U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., joined Senate Republicans in a vote against ending taxpayer subsidies for the oil industry, the Massachusetts Republican Party has come to his defense, taking aim at the chief Democratic rival in his re-election bid, Elizabeth Warren.

In an online video released by the Massachusetts Republican Party Thursday, Warren is depicted as "wrong on energy" for her opposition of the Keystone XL Pipeline project which would carry tar sands oil from western Canada across six states to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Brown is supportive of the pipeline, saying it would create thousands of jobs during the construction phase and when complete, help to lower fuel prices across the country.

Warren has said she is against the project, citing environmental and safety concerns.

In a press release accompanying the announcement of the video, Bay State Republicans reiterate claims that Warren is an "energy elitist," the same title she was given by Brown's campaign manager after the junior senator's vote to kill a bill which would have ended $24 billion in taxpayer subsidies to oil companies over the next ten years.

"Professor Warren is an energy elitist who believes in a none-of-the-above approach to energy policy. She opposes construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which will create thousands of jobs, drive down gas prices, and free America from dependence on Middle East oil,” said Alleigh Marre, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Republican Party. “Scott Brown supports an all-of-the-above energy policy because he believes increasing the supply of all sources of energy is good for our economy and for cash-strapped consumers.”

Following Brown's vote on Thursday, energy policy instantly became a spotlighted campaign issue.

Warren's campaign seized the opportunity to hit the junior senator for "siding with big oil."

"Scott Brown again is siding with big oil, helping the richest, most profitable companies in the world get billions of dollars more in tax breaks and loopholes while consumers are getting hammered," said Alethea Harney, Warren's press secretary. "Elizabeth will stand up to big oil just as she's stood up to Wall Street and the big banks to protect middle class families. She would have voted against these giveaways."

View full sizeProtesters hold gas cans and chant in front of Sen. Scott Brown's campaign headquarters in Boston, Thursday, March 29, 2012. Democratic Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren is faulting Brown for opposing a measure that would have ended billions in tax subsidies to oil companies. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Thursday afternoon, the liberal activism group Mass Uniting organized a protest outside Brown's Boston office where people yelled slogans such as “Scott Brown, he’s the worst – he put big oil’s interests first."

The anti-Brown Rethink political action committee also sent out a statement critical of Brown's vote, characterizing him as a friend to big oil.

“While the oil and gas industry continues to profit from high gas prices that are burdening the people of Massachusetts, Senator Brown has again decided to give big oil companies a break,” said Liz Morningstar, executive director of the Rethink PAC. “Brown went to Washington promising to be a voice for the people of Massachusetts. Easing taxes on big oil is not what we had in mind.”

The Rethink PAC, which runs the Rethink Brown website, also released its own web video jabbing Brown over his vote Thursday.

Brown defended his Senate vote Thursday by voicing his dissatisfaction with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., for not allowing Republicans to introduce amendments to the bill.

"I had hoped the Majority Leader would allow the Senate to consider amendments that would help solve our energy challenges, including moving forward with construction of the much needed Keystone pipeline," Brown said. "Instead, what happened this week was just more politics as usual."

Lottery ticket lines swelled Friday as players drawn by a record $640 million Mega Millions jackpot cast aside concerns about odds to take a chance at becoming an overnight millionaire.

By MARGERY A. BECK, Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Lottery ticket lines swelled Friday as players drawn by a record $640 million Mega Millions jackpot cast aside concerns about odds to take a chance at becoming an overnight millionaire.

From Arizona, where a café worker reported selling $2,600 worth of tickets to one buyer, to Wisconsin, where a retired soldier doubled his regular weekly ticket spending to $55, people have been willing to test their luck for a shot at instantaneous wealth.

"I feel like a fool throwing that kind of money away," said Jesse Carter, whose two tickets purchased Friday at a Milwaukee grocery store brought his spending to $55 for the drawing. "But it's a chance you take in life, with anything you do."

With a jackpot so large, someone theoretically could buy up every possible number combination, thereby guaranteeing a winning ticket — but doing so would mean putting up millions of dollars on the front end.

Then there's logistics. First, if it takes five seconds to fill out each card, you'd need almost 28 years just to mark the bubbles on the game tickets. You'd also use up the national supply of special lottery paper and lottery-machine printing ink well before all your tickets could be printed out.

A jackpot this large also means a greater chance of multiple winners. And if you have to share the jackpot with even one other winner, you'll be down tens of millions of dollars.

Such uncertainty has been little deterrence to players converging on convenience stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C., where Mega Millions tickets are sold.

Many in Indiana were further encouraged by the promise of freebies: Hoosier Lottery officials were giving away one free Mega Millions ticket to each of the first 540 players at several outlets around the state Friday.

In Indianapolis, college student Chris Stewart said he showed up at the lottery's headquarters at 6:30 a.m., two hours before doors opened, to be first in a line of about 60 people who wanted to claim a free ticket.

"I've never seen a jackpot like this before," said Stewart, who bought five additional tickets for the drawing. "If I won — I mean wow! I just don't know what I'd do. I'd really have to think what I could do with it."

Mike Catalano, chairman of the mathematics department at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., concedes the math is clear: The more tickets you buy, the better chances you have of winning. Better long-shot chances.

"You are about 50 times as likely to get struck by lightning as to win the lottery, based on the 90 people a year getting struck by lightning," Catalano said. "Of course, if you buy 50 tickets, you've equalized your chances of winning the jackpot with getting struck by lightning."

Based on other U.S. averages, you're about 8,000 times more likely to be murdered than to win the lottery, and about 20,000 times more likely to die in a car crash than hit the lucky numbers, Catalano said.

"You might get some psychological enjoyment from playing the lottery, but from a financial standpoint ... you'd be much better off going to Las Vegas and playing blackjack or the slot machines," he said.

For David Kramer, a lawyer in Lincoln, Neb., buying his Mega Millions ticket Thursday wasn't about "the realistic opportunity to win."

"It's the fact that for three days, the daydreaming time about what I would do if I won is great entertainment and, frankly, a very nice release from a normal day," he said.

Everett Eahmer, 80, of St. Paul, Minn., said he's been playing the lottery "since the beginning."

"If I win, the first thing I'm going to do is buy a (Tim) Tebow football shirt, and I'm going to do the Tebow pose," said Eahmer, who bought five tickets Thursday. "I'm with him in honoring a higher power."

Lottery officials are happy to have Friday's record Mega Millions jackpot fueling ticket sales, but even they caution against spending large amounts per person.

"When people ask me, I just tell them that the odds of a lottery game make it a game of fate," said Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Urbandale, Iowa-based Multi-State Lottery Association that oversees the Mega Millions, Powerball and other lotteries. "Just buy a ticket, sit back and see if fate points a finger at you for that day."
____

Associated Press writers Carrie Antlfinger and Dinesh Ramde in Milwaukee, Rich Callahan and Carrie Schedler in Indianapolis, Mark Carlson in Phoenix, and Alexandra Tempus in St. Paul, Minn., contributed to this report.

A "Today" show preview showed Prince's father, Jeremy Prince, talking about the trauma of learning Phoebe had hanged herself, and Sharon Velazquez, 1 of 6 former South Hadley High School students who were indicted in connection with their treatment of Phoebe.

Phoebe Prince's suicide sparked an international campaign against school bullying.

A short segment about Phoebe Prince on MSNBC’s "Today Show" Friday morning gave viewers a taste of a more extensive piece that is scheduled to run on "Dateline" on NBC on Sunday night.

The "Today" segment shows Prince’s father, Jeremy Prince, talking about the trauma of learning that his daughter had hanged herself in her South Hadley home just a few days before a South Hadley High School dance she was looking forward to attending. Prince, 15, a freshman at the school, had recently arrived from her native Ireland hoped to wear a new dress to the dance.

“It was a Cinderella dream,” said Jeremy Prince.

Instead, Prince wore the dress in her coffin after hanging herself with a scarf on Jan. 14, 2010. Her younger sister, who found her, tried in vain to undo the knot around her neck, their father said.

“They went ahead with the dance two days later,” a weeping Jeremy Prince told interviewer Kate Snow.

The "Today" piece also featured Sharon Velazquez, one of six former South Hadley High School students who were indicted by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office in connection with their treatment of Prince. According to then-District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel, the bullying that Prince suffered at school led directly to her suicide. Four of the teenagers admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding and one pleaded guilty to criminal harassment. Charges were dropped against the sixth teenager. None of them was sentenced to jail time.

Velazquez broke down on camera as she spoke of her sorrow and regret over calling Prince a “slut” and other names at school. Her lawyer, Colin Keefe, sat by her side during the interview. Keefe said he expects a longer portion of the interview to appear on the "Dateline" show scheduled to air at 7 p.m. He also anticipates that the show will present aspects of the story that have not been previously available to the public.

“I think there’s going to be a very different spin,” he said.

The "Today" segment offered a small hint that the "Dateline" show will include mention of a reported party at Prince’s house in November 2009, two months before her suicide. During the segment, Snow says "... others began to question the charges (against Velazquez and the other teens) when disturbing details from Pheobe's past surfaced." According to people close to the case, Prince invited schoolmates, including members of the high school football team, to the house while her mother was away, and partied long and loud enough that a neighbor called the police.

South Hadley police have told The Republican that there is no record of police arriving at the Prince residence that night.

Eileen Moore, Prince’s aunt, said she talked about the party to "Dateline" but does not know if that part of the interview will be aired.

“Phoebe was assaulted (at the party) and the police came and left her,” Moore said. “It was the start of the adults failing Phoebe Prince.”

Darby O’Brien, an advertising agency owner who befriended the Prince family, was also interviewed by "Dateline" but does not know if he will appear in the show. O’Brien said he has also heard about the party from second-hand sources.

“Nobody seems to really know what happened,” he said.

Scheibel could not be reached for comment on her knowledge of such a party. Mary Carey, the publicist for current Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan, said she was present for "Dateline"’s interview with First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne last fall and that the party was not discussed. Carey did not know if the current administration has any information about such a party.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Joseph Hogan

Joseph K. Hogan, 98, of Agawam passed away on March 20. Born in Springfield, he was educated in local schools and graduated from Springfield Technical High School. He lived in Springfield most of his life and resided in Agawam for the past 30 years. He entered the Army in 1942, serving with the 304th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment, and took part in The Battle of the Bulge with General Patton in Luxembourg and Germany. Hogan was awarded several medals, including the Bronze Star. He was discharged on Nov. 9, 1945. Upon his return from service, he began a 34-year career as a police officer in Springfield. During his career, Hogan manned the Safety Car and was a member of the Motorcycle Division, and during his last 10 years he served as the police liaison to the Springfield District Court. Hogan retired in 1979 with the rank of sergeant and was a longstanding member of the Mass. Retired Police Association and a Life Member of Springfield Lodge of Elks #61.

Obituaries from The Republican:

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  Beaulieu, Leo E.
  



• 
  Brown, Patricia J. "Pat"
  



• 
  DeJordy, Betty J. (Fay)
  



• 
  Dempsey, Joanne Marie
  



• 
  Ducharme, Margaret (McCain)
  



• 
  Gamache, Charles W.
  



• 
  Hogan, Joseph K.
  



• 
  Katavola, Daniel S.
  



• 
  Kupiec, Adela M. (Wojcik)
  



• 
  Martinez, Alfred R.
  



• 
  Page, Charles "Henry"
  



• 
  Paradis, Vincent E. "Vinnie"
  



• 
  Renkoqicz, Casimera M. "Casey" (Witalisz)
  



• 
  Rizzo, Jean Baldwin
  



• 
  Roberts, Lauranna (Landa)
  



• 
  Sikorski, Marcel
  



• 
  Swanson, Svea G.
  

Two girls were initially too scared to tell of rapes, Assistant District Attorney Anne Yereniuk said.

SPRINGFIELD – Edgar Medina admitted in Hampden Superior Court Friday he had raped two 13-year-old girls in 2010.

Medina, 21, was sentenced to eight to 10 years in state prison followed by five years probation by Judge Daniel Ford.

Assistant District Attorney Anne Yereniuk said in each of the rapes, which were on different days, Medina knew the young girls.

In one case he went into the room in which the girl was resting and forcibly raped her, Yereniuk said.

In another case he lured the girl to an outside location by saying he needed to show her something, then forcibly raped her.

Both girls – who knew each other - were too frightened to tell anyone right away, but ended up confiding in each other and found they had been victims of the same crime by Medina, Yereniuk said.

Medina, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a child with force, four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old and two counts of rape of a child.

All counts involved the same two victims and were for different acts by Medina.

Ford warned Medina, before accepting the plea, that he will be subject to sex offender registration. When he is on probation he can’t have unsupervised contact with children under 18 years old, he must stay away from the victims and he is subject to GPS monitoring.

"Most people buy $5 or $10 worth. We've had people buying 300, 400, 500 tickets," said Country Trading Post cashier Basia Lewko.

The Republican | Dave RobackBradley and Lisa Willard of Ludlow purchased their lottery tickets for Friday night's Mega Millions drawing at the Trading Post in Chicopee on Friday afternoon.

CHICOPEE – At Country Trading Post in Chicopee, where an electric sign announced extended hours for the purchase of Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot tickets, the Friday lunchtime crowd was reportedly enormous and a postprandial mob continued to file past the cash registers without a break.

At $1 a ticket, few people quit at just one, said cashier Basia Lewko. “Most people buy $5 or $10 worth. We’ve had people buying 300, 400, 500 tickets.”

The size of the jackpot Friday afternoon was $640 million.

Trading Post owner Carl D. Roy said some people represent office pools, but one of his customers bought 500 tickets for himself.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this much activity,” said Roy. “I think this is just craziness.”

Roy said the store had sold about 15,000 Mega Millions tickets in the past week.

“When it goes up high, that’s when I buy a ticket,” said customer Robert Garelli, of Springfield. When asked why, he replied, “I want to know what it is to be a millionaire!”

View full sizeThe Republican | Dave RobackBuffy LaRiviere of Chicopee sold 150 Mega Millions tickets to one customer at the Trading Post.

“We play very rarely,” said Lisa Willard of Ludlow, who had bought 11 lottery tickets, “but when the jackpot’s this big, you might as well take a chance.”

“You just never know,” said her husband, Bradley. Asked how he would spend the money if he won, he said he would spend the first year imagining what to do with it – “and that’s as far as it gets.”

Melanie Boulais, of South Hadley, was refraining from risky behavior. She was about to buy a single ticket, though she had also bought one the day before. “I figure I work too hard for my money,” she said.

“My husband and I were just talking last night about how we would spend the money if we won,” said Boulais. “My daughter is 13, and she said I should give some of it to charity.

“I would pay people’s mortgages,” said Boulais. “I would hide for a while, I would buy a new car because I need one, I would help people who need help.”

Craig Pfister, also of South Hadley, had just gotten off work and was still wearing his employer’s truck driver logo when he stopped at the Trading Post.

“I’ve bought five tickets each at six or seven different places,” said Pfister, who was following instructions from his wife, Sharon. He was planning to stop at “one more place down the road” before he got home.

The Republican | Dave RobackRobert Garelli of Springfield purchased his Mega Millions tickets at the Trading Post.

If he won, said Pfister, all the money would go to his family. He would pay off his debts and would pay for the education of his older son, Brian, 19, who is in college.

Sandra Giverson, of Ludlow, said she would share the loot with “my brothers and sisters.”

“Everyone has a dream,” said Roy. “They’re all in good spirits.”

Had he bought a ticket himself? Of course. He and his wife spent about $20 on tickets, he said.

Among Maroney's honors was "Newspaperman of the Year," bestowed by The Springfield Lodge of Elks in 1971.

SPRINGFIELD — Even in her second nursing home, as Alzheimer’s disease was soon to close in and long after the swan song was over, Jane Maroney still had an eye for news.

Jane Maroney

She has been called tenacious, cantankerous, crusty and one of the most careful journalists in the local area by those who knew her, worked with her and were covered by her.

Maroney, the first female city editor and the first female associate editor at The Republican newspapers, died in her sleep on March 25 after a long illness. She was 87.

A Westfield native, Maroney was named city editor of the Springfield Union in May 1969. She received a long list of awards during her tenure that spanned from 1954 to 1992 at the newspapers as she covered police, politics and later became one of the most astute copy editors in the organization, according to her colleagues. Among her honors was “Newspaperman of the Year,” bestowed by The Springfield Lodge of Elks in 1971.

“If you were on the wrong side of her editing, she could be vicious, but if you were on the right side of her editing, she was omniscient,” said former Springfield Daily News reporter and author Jim Trelease.

Trelease recalled that Maroney edited his first pass at his New York Times best-seller, “The Read-Aloud Handbook.” Maroney warned him that she meant to be a professional, not a friend.

“There were 26 corrections on the first page. She was kind enough to not write them in blood. I never felt so humbled,” said Trelease, who added that the two met when the Springfield newspapers were split between the Springfield Union and Daily News morning and evening editions.

True to her Irish heritage, Maroney could hold a heck of a grudge, Trelease said. But the two became friends nonetheless and remained friends until her death.

Both he and Maroney’s sister-in-law, Pauline Maroney, of Westfield, noted that Jane Maroney did not get her driver’s license until much later in life.

“She didn’t bother to get it until she realized it would get her to the story faster,” said Pauline Maroney, who was married to Jane Maroney’s younger brother, Thomas “Mickey” Maroney.

Pauline Maroney, a school teacher, and Jane Maroney remained close.

“She was very determined. She got an idea and off she went; she would follow whatever lead she had,” Pauline Maroney said.

Jane Maroney was the middle of five children. She never married or had children.

“Her career was her life,” Pauline Maroney said.

Former Mayor Charles V. Ryan, who was mayor in the 1960s and then again for two years beginning in the early part of this century, remembers Jane Maroney from his first go-round.

“There are some reporters who don’t understand. She really understood what was at issue and she asked the tough questions,” said Ryan. “She was very bright, tenacious and fair – what all the best reporters are.”

Thomas French, the assistant director of the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, said the Monarch Place pair switched their nest site to the arches beneath the Memorial Bridge from 1997 through 1999 and from 2008 through 2011.

Photo by Nick SymiakaisTwo falcon eggs can be seen in the nesting box on the 21st floor window ledge of the Monarch Place office tower on Main Street in Springfield Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – A vacancy sign has been hanging on a 21st floor high-rise residence here since 2007, but this week, a couple finally moved in.

Peregrine falcons have returned to nest on the Monarch Place office tower on Main Street after an absence of five years. Two eggs appeared in the nesting box on the upper floor window ledge since Sunday, according to William A. Terry of the Falcon Management Corp., which manages the building.

“It certainly was a surprise,” he said. “Even though they haven’t been nesting here, they’ve been around the building through the years. So we keep a vigil this time of year.”

Thomas W. French, the assistant director of the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, said the Monarch Place pair switched their nest site to the arches beneath the Memorial Bridge from 1997 through 1999 and from 2008 through 2011.

“Last year, while they were nesting, the tornado crossed the Connecticut River and hit the Memorial Bridge right where the nest was located. We assumed that the tornado blew the chicks off of the bridge and wondered if at least one of the adults might have been killed as well. I will be very interested to see if one of this year’s adults is a new bird,” he said.

French expects two more eggs to be laid on Monarch Place over the next four or five days. It will be about a month before the eggs hatch.

Photo by Keith Srakocic / Associated PressA female peregrine falcon stares at Pennsylvania Game Commission officer Beth Fife as Fife goes out on the ledge of the 40th floor of the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning where the falcon's nest with five chicks is last year in Pittsburgh.

In past nesting years, the activities in the nest were broadcast on a local cable access channel, using a stationary camera positioned just inside the window where the nest is. Terry said he has contacted local cable providers but has not heard whether the broadcast might be revived.

Use of the pesticide DDT after World War II nearly wiped out falcons and other birds of prey in much of the United States. The chemical, which was finally banned in 1972, caused the birds to lay eggs with deficient shells.

It’s believed that 1955 was the last year any falcons nested in the state prior to the ban. And it took 32 years, until 1987, before an active falcon nest was again seen in the state – in Boston.

The first new falcon nest in Western Massachusetts appeared in 1989 on Monarch Place. A permanent nesting box was attached to the 21st floor ledge to safeguard the eggs and the young, and over the years, more than 30 young were produced at the nest by different sets of parents.

There may now be 28 or more falcon nesting sites in the state, French said, including sites on the Massachusetts turnpike bridge crossing the Connecticut River in West Springfield, on Mount Tom in Easthampton, on Mount Sugarloaf in Deerfield, on Holyoke City Hall, on the W.E.B. Du Bois Library at University of Massachusetts at Amherst and on a cliff face near French King Gorge in Gill.

State wildlife officials, who will likely come to Springfield to put identification bands on the chicks in May, should be able to determine the heritage of the parents by examining their leg bands, if they have any.

For the quarter, the Dow posted an 8 percent gain and the S&P a 12 percent gain; the gain was 19 percent for the Nasdaq, its best since 1991.

By JOSHUA FREED | AP Business Writer

Associated PressIn this photo provided by the New York Stock Exchange Euronext, speakers from TedxWallStreet line the podium for the closing bell, Friday, March 30, 2012 in New York. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 66.22 points to close at 13,212.04 on Friday to close its best first quarter since 1998. (AP Photo/New York Stock Exchange, Ben Hider)

Rising consumer spending boosted stocks on Friday, and Wall Street closed its best first quarter since 1998.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 66.22 points to close at 13,212.04. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.19 points to close at 1,408.47. The Nasdaq composite barely moved, falling 3.79 points to close at 3,091.57.

For the quarter, the Dow posted an 8 percent gain and the S&P a 12 percent gain, the best for those indexes in 14 years. The gain was 19 percent for the Nasdaq, its best since 1991.

The Commerce Department said consumer spending rose in February at the fastest rate in seven months. Strong hiring over the past three months has added up to the best jobs growth in two years, putting more people back to work.

Americans spent more even though their income has stagnated for two months after taxes and inflation. Some of the increased spending has gone to gasoline, which is the most expensive on record for this time of year. Oil prices rose again on Friday, up 23 cents in New York to $103.02 per barrel.

Nine out of 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 rose. The biggest-gaining category was energy stocks, although refiners fell because of the higher oil prices. Health care stocks rose, too, with two of the biggest gainers being health insurers UnitedHealth Group Inc. and WellPoint Inc. Technology stocks fell slightly.

Some of the buying could be driven by end-of-the-quarter efforts by fund managers to get into stocks now that they have become popular again, said Jim Russell, a regional investment director for US Bank Wealth Management. And individual investors who have been relying on bonds appear to be getting back into the market, too, he said.

"We are very heartened to see the retail investor stop playing one key on the piano — that is, all bonds, all the time," he said.

Apple fell 1.7 percent after a company that makes its iPhones and iPads said it would effectively raise per-hour wages at its factories in China, suggesting that manufacturing prices could rise.

Shares of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. rose 6.6 percent a day after the Canadian company said it would return to focusing on corporate customers and shake up its management to try to get profits growing again.

Corn prices surged 6.6 percent on news that suppliers are tighter than previously thought. Higher corn plus higher oil prices points toward higher food prices. Grocer stocks fell: Supervalu Inc. was down 3.7 percent, and Safeway Inc. fell 1.3 percent.

Best Buy closed down 4.4 percent as investors continued to digest its plan to cut stores and staff as it shifts toward smaller stores in an effort to compete with online retailers. Best Buy stock lost almost 7 percent on Thursday.

Sports apparel maker Finish Line Inc. fell 16 percent after it predicted a lower-than-expected first-quarter profit.

European markets bounced back after a rocky week that included a national strike in Spain. On Friday, the country unveiled a draft 2012 budget that seeks to cut the deficit by $36 billion through spending cuts and a tax hike on large companies. But Spain also plans to cut government ministry spending by an average of nearly 17 percent.

Germany's DAX closed up 1 percent at 6,947, while the CAC-40 in France rose 1.3 percent to 3,424. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.5 percent to 5,768. The euro rose half a penny against the dollar, to $1.3334.

Asian markets took a hit after some poor factory production numbers from Japan.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 2.22 percent from 2.16 percent late Thursday. Treasury yields have risen two months in a row as investors feel more comfortable moving out of bonds and into riskier assets like stocks.

Kane said there was heavy smoke coming from the building when firefighters arrived.

An updated version of this story is now available at MassLive.

WESTFIELD – Westfield firefighters were battling a stubborn blaze that heavily damaged a two-family home at 13 Chestnut St. Friday night.

“My guys took a beating in there,” said Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Kane.

Kane said there was heavy smoke coming from the building when firefighters arrived. He said the blaze is defying attempts to extinguish it with water and foam.

Holyoke and West Springfield fire departments provided mutual aid.

Both units were occupied, and no injuries have been reported.

State fire investigator Michael Mazza was headed for the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

More details coming on MassLive and in The Republican.