A lot of hype surrounded Tuesday's ratings battle between former "Today" host Katie Couric, who is filling in for "Good Morning America"'s Robin Roberts this week, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who guest hosted Tuesday's "Today" show.

The Associated PressIn this photo combo former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, left, and Katie Couric, right, are shown. Palin was the much-hyped guest co-host on NBC's "Today," going head-to-head against former "Today" anchor Katie Couric, on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. (AP Photo)

As criticism still lingers about U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., voting against a Senate measure to end subsidies for the oil industry, the chief Democratic rival in his re-election bid, Elizabeth Warren, has picked up the endorsement of two environmental groups.

View full sizeHarvard Law professor and consumer advocate, Democrat Elizabeth Warren, center, talks with supporters at the J & M Diner in Framingham, Mass., Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011, during her first day of campaigning for a shot at challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Scott Brown in 2012 for his U. S. Senate seat. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

As criticism still lingers about U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., voting against a Senate measure to end subsidies for the oil industry, the chief Democratic rival in his re-election bid, Elizabeth Warren, has picked up the endorsement of two environmental groups.

The Sierra Club and Clean Water Action have both given their support to Warren, who the groups say will be a leader in promoting clean energy investments and environmental protection and "side with middle class families over the big oil and dirty energy companies."

“Elizabeth Warren has fought her whole career against the billion dollar companies that have been raking in record profits while American families pay the price in terms of our health, our economy, and our environment,” said Phillip Sego, Political Chair of the Massachusetts Sierra Club in a statement. “Elizabeth Warren understands that fighting for middle-class families means standing up to big banks and big polluters alike. That’s why the Sierra Club proudly supports her campaign for the United States Senate, where we are confident she will continue to lead the efforts to grow a clean energy economy and invest in our future.”

The Clean Water Action group which works to promote clean and affordable water, said they believe Warren will best promote environmental protection in the U.S. Senate.

“Elizabeth Warren shares our commitment to promoting clean, safe, and affordable water, preventing pollution, and protecting our air quality,” said Cindy Luppi of Clean Water Action. “We are pleased to endorse Elizabeth Warren, and look forward to her leadership on these critical issues that affect the health and well-being of Massachusetts families.”

Warren, who has racked up endorsements from some Democratic politicians, labor unions and the National Organization for Women, said she was honored by the support.

"I'm honored to receive the endorsements of The Sierra Club and Clean Water Action. I share their commitment to clean energy, protecting the health and well-being of our families, and improving the quality of life in our communities,” Warren said. “I will stand up to big oil and other energy companies. Instead of subsidizing the richest, most profitable companies on the planet, we need to invest in 21st century energy and efforts that protect our environment, create jobs, and lower production costs for businesses here in Massachusetts and across the country.”

Obituaries from The Republican.

James McMaster

James "Kevin" McMaster, 64, of Springfield, died Sunday. Born and raised in Springfield, he graduated from Springfield Trade High School and was on the school's swim team. In his youth, Kevin was a member and enjoyed going to the Springfield Boys Club. He was employed for the past six years as a customer service representative at Penske Truck Rental in Chicopee. He previously worked as office supervisor for 25 years with Solar Trucking, served as shop steward at AMI Truck Leasing, and was a limousine driver for the Limo Connection. Kevin served in U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was a member and Past Commander of American Legion Gunther-Rowley Post 293 of East Longmeadow. Kevin was a little league coach and also coached the Interstate 91 Hockey league.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Allard, Norman W.
  



• 
  Beaugard, Constance J.
  



• 
  Correa-Espinosa, Nereida
  



• 
  Davol, Marguerite Anne Welcher (Peg)
  



• 
  Douglas, Sandra J. (Wienka)
  



• 
  Eaton, Judith A. (Ladd)
  



• 
  Foley, Paul R.
  



• 
  Galanis, Anita (Bretta)
  



• 
  Gallagher, Patricia Ann
  



• 
  Gibadlo, Adam
  



• 
  Goodreau, Veronica S. (Machnik)
  



• 
  Granger, Yvette C. (Michaud)
  



• 
  Harvey, Elaine O.
  



• 
  Long, Theresa A. (Sheridan)
  



• 
  MacKay, Jacqueline J. Rivera (Lemaire)
  



• 
  Majka, Charles J.
  



• 
  Marcotte, George A.
  



• 
  Matuszek, Pauline M.
  



• 
  McMaster, James K. "Kevin"
  



• 
  Merrell, John "Mort"
  



• 
  Moonan, Evelyn H. (Heine)
  



• 
  Santana, Nancy Margarita
  



• 
  Shea, Edna L. (Murphy)
  



• 
  Webber, Katherine H. (Wyman)
  



• 
  Wilson, Judith S. (Skipton)
  

Democratic Massachusetts legislators will join members of the Service Employees International Union tonight in Chicopee for a voter registration and mobilization drive at the Knights of Columbus hall on Memorial Drive.

The SEIU 1199 East represents 350,000 members in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida and Washington D.C.

CHICOPEE - Democratic Massachusetts legislators will join members of the Service Employees International Union tonight in Chicopee for a voter registration and mobilization drive at the Knights of Columbus hall on Memorial Drive.

SEIU leaders along with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, State Sen. James Welch, and State Reps. Sean Curran, Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Michael Finn, Benjamin Swan and Michael Kane will lead the drive along with city councilors from Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee tonight at 6 p.m.

The event will also serve as a rally against what SEIU members see as a "Republican Party attack on Medicare and Medicaid" funding which the group says is directly responsible for between "7-10 percent of all employment in Springfield."

“With so many residents working in the home care and health care fields, Springfield is not a city that can afford these Republican attacks on Medicaid and Medicare funding. Medicaid and Medicare are the economic lifeblood of Springfield,” said Veronica Turner, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU.

The SEIU said in a statement that tonight's event is the first of many planned during the 2012 election season.

“Through this drive, our goal is to register thousands of new voters and sign up thousands of new members for SEIU Community Action so that more residents can be part of our campaign to improve our city,” said Yolanda Cancel, a member of SEIU Community Action who resides in Springfield.

According to the union, 5,000 SEIU members in Springfield are personal care attendants (PCAs) who provide home care services to seniors and people with disabilities. Since funding for PCA services is directly tied to Medicare and Medicaid funding, the union is against any potential cuts to the programs.

“That’s why we’re getting active,” said Lydia Lebron, a Personal Care Attendant and SEIU member. “The decisions made by Congress on Medicare and Medicaid will determine whether workers in Springfield have jobs – and whether seniors and people with disabilities in Springfield can get the care they need.”

The rally will take place Tuesday, April 3 at 6 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 1599 Memorial Drive in Chicopee.

UMass was selected from hundreds of nationwide applicants to be one of 11 marching bands in the 2013 parade.

Republican file photo The UMass marching band plays holiday favorites at the Annual Merry Maple Festival in downtown Amherst last December.

AMHERST — Macy’s Parade officials were on the University of Massachusetts campus Tuesday morning to let the marching band know they were chosen to be part of the 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Wesley Whatley, Creative Director of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and head of the Parade’s Band selection committee, made the surprise announcement. This is the first time Minuteman Marching Band will march in the parade held annually in New York City on Thanksgiving morning.

UMass spokesman Edward F Blaguszewski said 2013 was targeted because that is the university’s sesquicentennial year, or 150th anniversary, and “we thought it would be a wonderful way to fit into that celebration.”

The band was selected from hundreds of nationwide applicants to be one of 11 marching bands in the 2013 parade, according to a parade press release.

The band, known as the "Power and Class of New England," has performed at three presidential inaugurals and in 1998 received the Louis C. Sudler Trophy, awarded in recognition of "the highest of musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas,” according to a UMass release.

In a statement band director Timothy Todd Anderson said, "the selection is a fitting tribute to the many great people who have made the Minuteman Band what it is today.”

He credited the late George N. Parks, who died Sept. 16, 2010 after suffering a heart attack following a performance with the band at an Ohio high school. He and the band were on their way to play at the UMass-Michigan game in Ann Arbor.

Anderson also mentioned associate director Thom Hannum, who has been with the band for more than 30 years.

“For everyone who has ever been a part of the Minuteman Band, this invitation is because of you!" Anderson said in his statement.

For the second year in a row, a team from Performing Arts beat out over 100 other high schools in the state in courtroom contests that called for the sharpest speaking, reading, listening, timing, and reasoning skills.

The Republican | Don Treeger03.21.2012 | SOUTH HADLEY - The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts High School's mock trial team, photographed shortly after they secured a spot in the state finals for the third straight year. Members of the team include those pictured here: (back row from left), Rosemary Tropeano, Hannah McNeight, Hannah Mathews, Tristan McLaurin, Noah Loving, and Theo Merrill. In the middle row from left are, Alana Young, Marisca Pichette, and Sam Farnsworth. Seated in front is teacher Gary Huggett.

SOUTH HADLEY – The school day was over when the bus pulled in, but people were waiting, clustered around a piano that had been rolled onto the loading dock, all singing “Eye of the Tiger.”

It was March 23. The Mock Trial Team from Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public High School had returned from winning the state-wide Mock Trial Championship.

It was the second year in a row that a team from Performing Arts won, beating out over 100 other high schools in the state, in courtroom contests that called for the sharpest speaking, reading, listening, timing, and reasoning skills.

Now they are setting their sights on the National Mock Trials in Albuquerque, N.M., in May. “Eye of the Tiger,” the 1982 hit by the band Survivor, is their theme song.

The Reverend Todd Farnsworth, father of team member Sam Farnsworth, of Belchertown, calls PVPA “the little high school that could.” In Mock Trial and everything else, said Todd, the students fight big odds and put their hearts into succeeding.

“They work as a team and bring out the best in each other,” he said.

“They cheer each other on,” said Katie Loving, mother of team member Noah Loving, of Belchertown.

Parents are helping to raise funds to get all 14 members of the Mock Trial team to Albuquerque, a formidable task.

They welcome all donations, but are focusing on a fund-raising approach that helped the team get to Phoenix last year: a raffle featuring three big prizes, with 100 raffle tickets for each, at $100 a ticket. This year the prizes are:

• Four box seats at a Red Sox game against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 16. This drawing is on April 11, the others later.


• Two matinee tickets to the award-winning Broadway smash hit “ Book of Mormon” on April 29.


• Three grandstand seats for the Red Sox game against New York Yankees on July 7, plus $100 gift card for dinner.

Children under 18 are not allowed to sell raffle tickets, but they are busy spreading the word about donations. In fact, Sam stood up in his father’s church to make a pitch.

They are also busy preparing for a whole new fictional case for the Nationals, different from the case they argued for three months in Massachusetts. “We only have a month to prepare,” said Noah Loving.

Noah was on the team last year, too. It was the first time he had flown. Even with all the stress, he said, “it was an exhilarating experience.”

For more information, to donate or to buy tickets, go to www.pvpa.org or contact Mary Cantler at (413) 552-1596 or mcantler@pvpa.org.

A defense lawyer said the drugs were for Pendrick's own use.

The Republican / File photo

SPRINGFIELD – James Pendrick of Ludlow will serve a year in state prison on drug charges, but an incident in which he chest-bumped the case's lead investigator at the officer's home in an attempt at intimidation earned him an additional four- to five-year state prison sentence.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis also said Pendrick, 51, of 108 Holy Cross Circle, will be on probation for a year after his prison sentences.

In a jury waived trial in January, Velis found Pendrick guilty of trafficking in the class of drug that includes heroin, morphine and opium; possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; and a count of possession with intent to distribute drugs in the same class as cocaine.

Sentencing in the case had been delayed, with sentence imposition held Tuesday.

Defense lawyer J. Timothy Mannion had argued at trial the state did not prove Pendrick was a drug dealer, saying his client had legitimate prescriptions for drugs for personal use because of his pain and disability.

“He’s drug-dependent and he’s got a myriad of physical problems,“ Mannion said of Pendrick.

Police had watched Pendrick’s house on different nights over several weeks in 2010, and had seen a succession of cars pull up to the residence. Drivers spent a short time inside the house and then left, Assistant District Attorney Neil Desroches said.

Police, with a search warrant, raided the house April 9, 2010. Among the items found, Desroches said, were two pill bottles filled April 8 containing together 330 pills. On the day of the raid, only 120 pills were left, he said. One of those bottles contained oxycodone, he said.

Ludlow Police Sgt. Thomas F. Foye had testified Pendrick was sitting on an electrical box on his property when he arrived home one evening. He heard Pendrick say, “Well, looks like the lead detective is home early.“

Foye said Pendrick threatened to "get him", even if he was sent to jail.

“When I told him I would arrest him, he said that won’t happen. He walked toward me and bumped me in the chest,“ Foye said.

Foye said there was a scuffle and he called the Ludlow Police Department and another officer arrived to aid in Pendrick’s arrest.

For that incident, Velis found Pendrick guilty of trespass, intimidation of a witness, and resisting arrest.

Longmeadow and state police identified Douglas Morse as the driver of the getaway car in the March 24 robbery.

Douglas Morse

This is an update of a story first posted at 2:53 p.m.

LONGMEADOW — A 19-year-old Westfield woman has been charged in connection with the March 24 robbery of the Berkshire Bank branch on Longmeadow Street, and police have obtained an arrest warrant for the Holyoke mayor’s older brother, Douglas Morse, who police said drove the get-away vehicle.

Desiree Ferreira of Elm Street, Westfield, showed up at the Longmeadow police station Monday night after learning she was wanted by police for questioning, said Capt. John Stankeiwicz.

She was charged with unarmed robbery and receiving stolen property.

Ferreira denied the charges Tuesday in Springfield District Court. She was ordered held in lieu of $100,000 cash bail. A bindover hearing to determine whether the case will be tried in District Court or Hampden Superior Court, has been set for May 3.

Stankiewicz also said police have obtained an arrest warrant for Douglas Morse, 32, of Westfield. Morse was identified by Longmeadow police and investigators with the Massachusetts State Police as the driver of the getaway vehicle used in the robbery.

He is the brother of Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse.

Douglas Morse remains at large, and neither the vehicle used in the robbery nor any of the money have been recovered, Stankiewicz said.

Desiree Ferreira

Stankiewicz declined to comment on Douglas Morse, referring all questions to the office of the Holyoke mayor.

In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon by his office, Morse acknowledged his brother's longtime trouble with addictions.

"As I have previously stated, my brother Doug has struggled with addiction his entire adult life," Morse said in his statement. "I know that good people can do bad things when overtaken by substance abuse. I will continue to be there for my brother, but I also recognize that his actions are out of my control."

He then closed by thanking the many people who have offered support to himself and his family since his brother's troubles became known. "I thank you in advance for continuing to respect our privacy during this difficult time."

This is the second time in less than a month, Morse, a first-time mayor only months into his term, has issued a similar statement about his brother.

The first time was after Douglas Morse's arrest on drug charges March 5 in Northampton. He was charged after police stopped him for driving through a stop sign and nearly hitting a police cruiser.

He was charged with possession of heroin, for having four empty wax bags containing heroin residue, possession of suboxone, a narcotic medication available only by prescription, of which he had one and a half pills, three doses of muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine, which is available only by prescription, and driving with a suspended license.

He denied the charges at his arraignment in Northampton District Court and was released on his own recognizance and ordered to appear in court April 25.

The robbery occurred about 11:30 a.m. at 138 Longmeadow St. Police charge that Ferreira handed the teller a note demanding money. She did not show a weapon but implied she had one.

She made off with an undetermined amount of money, and was seen getting into a gray, four-door sedan that headed south on Longmeadow Street.

Longmeadow police are continuing to search for a suspect in a second, apparently unrelated March 29 robbery at the Hampden Bank branch on Longmeadow Street.

The suspect, who entered the bank about 3:30 p.m., is described as a black male, approximately 6 feet tall, medium- to heavy-build, wearing a blue/gray coat, jeans and a Red Sox baseball cap.

The teller was handed a note demanding money. No weapon was shown or injuries reported. The suspect made off with an undetermined amount of was last seen walking east on Bliss Road.

Anyone with information is asked to call Longmeadow Police at (413) 567-3311. Anonymous tips can be made via the text-a-tip line. They should be addressed to “Crimes“ or 274637, and begin with the word “Solve.“

Hampden Saving bank is offering a reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of the assailant.

Left: Longmeadow Police Dept.; Right: The Republican file photoLeft to right, Desiree Ferriera and Douglas Morse

Luis Guaman is accused of bludgeoning to death his housemate, 25-year-old Maria Avelina Palaguachi-Cela of Brockton and her 2-year-old son Brian in February 2011, then dumping their bodies in a trash container.

View full sizeLuis Guaman, 33, formerly of Brockton, is wanted in connection with the murder of a Brockton woman and her 2-year-old son whose bodies were found in a garbage can on Feb. 13, 2011. Authorities say Guaman fled to Ecuador just a few hours after the alleged murder. (Photo courtesy of Plymouth County District Attorney's office)

BOSTON (AP) — Sen. Scott Brown is joining Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz in calling on Ecuador to return a man to the U.S. to face double murder charges.

Luis Guaman is accused of bludgeoning to death his housemate, 25-year-old Maria Avelina Palaguachi-Cela of Brockton and her 2-year-old son Brian in February 2011, then dumping their bodies in a trash container.

Brown sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking for help. Brown said the U.S. should reconsider foreign aid to Ecuador in light of the situation.

Brown said he's already worked all other diplomatic channels available to him.

Authorities say Guaman fled to his native Ecuador where he only faces charges of using a false passport.

The United States has an extradition treaty with Ecuador, but its constitution prohibits the country from sending citizens abroad for prosecution.

Brown's extradition plea to Ecuador comes as immigration reform moved into the spotlight in the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts.

Brown has pushed his home state to sign on to the Secure Communities program which alerts federal authorities when an illegal immigrant is accused of a crime, while his chief Democratic rival, Elizabeth Warren, is not supportive of the program.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Green said the victim’s testimony – that she jumped half-naked out of the window on the cold January night out of fear of further assault by Thomas – was true.

Ricky J. Thomas

SPRINGFIELD – A 45-year-old Holyoke man was found guilty of aggravated rape Monday, in a case where the victim jumped out a second floor window, breaking her vertebrae and wrist, to get away.

Ricky J. Thomas of 595 Northampton Street is scheduled to be sentenced May 2 by Hampden Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page, who delivered the verdict in a jury-waived trial.

Thomas, who was represented by Ben O’Connor, was acquitted of kidnapping and assault to rape in the January 2010 incident.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Green said the woman’s testimony – that she jumped half-naked out of the window on the cold January night out of fear of further assault by Thomas – was true.

O’Connor argued the woman, who acknowledged being a long-time crack user, jumped out the window because she was high on crack.

The victim testified she went to Thomas’ apartment willingly after he picked her up in Springfield. She once they got there he stripped naked, began tightening his hands around her neck and forced her to perform a sex act.

When she asked him to get a glass of water, she jumped through the screen, she said.

Thomas did not testify at his trial but Page was shown a videotaped interview of Thomas by Holyoke Detective James G. McGillicuddy.

In that interview, Thomas first said he did not have a woman in his apartment that night.

Then, under further questioning, he said he was lying. He said the woman, whose name he did not know, came to his apartment, smoked crack and jumped out the window.

Thomas said he looked out the window where she landed and told her she had to get out of there.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down as much as 133 points after the Fed released minutes of the March meeting of its Open Market Committee.

By DANIEL WAGNER | AP Business Writer

File photo | Associated PressChrysler said earlier that sales of its vehicles spiked by one-third last month, making March its best month in four years

U.S. stocks and Treasury prices dropped Tuesday after Federal Reserve policymakers said they were worried about a slowdown in hiring and appeared to resist buying more bonds to help the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down as much as 133 points after the Fed released minutes of the March meeting of its Open Market Committee, which sets interest rates and monetary policy. It had been down 45 points before the minutes were released.

The Dow bounced back by the close to a decline of 64.94 points, or 0.5 percent, at 13,199.55. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 5.66 points to 1,413.38.

The Nasdaq composite index dropped 6.13 to 3,113.57. It was the fifth loss for the Nasdaq in six trading sessions, but the index remains up almost 20 percent for the year, compared with 12 percent for the S&P.

Utility stocks barely rose. The other nine industry groups that make up the S&P 500 fell, led by energy stocks, which declined about 1 percent as a group.

The Fed minutes showed that policymakers fear hiring could slow if economic growth doesn't improve. The country added an average of 245,000 jobs per month from December through February, the strongest three months since the Great Recession.

Only two of 10 voting committee members on the Fed committee said they would support another round of bond purchases, and only if the economy weakened significantly.

The minutes did not address the logistics of more bond-buying, troubling traders of stocks and bonds who anticipate more action from the Fed, said John Canally, an economist for LPL Financial.

The release of the minutes reduced demand for government bonds, driving prices down and yields up. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.31 percent from 2.16 percent earlier Tuesday. That was its highest since March 20.

The Fed has embarked on two previous rounds of bond-buying, most recently in August 2010, to drive down long-term interest rates. Low bond yields generally encourage profit-hungry investors to buy stocks.

When it appears that bond-buying is unlikely, demand for Treasurys tends to fall. That's because the Fed is the biggest player in the market for U.S. government debt. Traders try to front-run the Fed by buying bonds because they believe demand will be strong later.

Among the ripples in the financial markets after the Fed's announcement:

• The sell-off in Treasurys was broad. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond fell $2.53 per $100 invested, pushing its yield up to 3.44 percent from 3.32 percent before the Fed minutes.

• Gold fell $38 an ounce to $1,642 after trading almost unchanged earlier. The Fed minutes suggested inflation is under control, and traders sometimes buy gold as a hedge when they worry about inflation, driving the price up.

• The dollar rose against the euro, also after being virtually unchanged for most of the day. The euro was down 1.1 cents against the dollar to $1.322 in afternoon trading. Speculation that the Fed won't act typically helps the dollar. When the Fed buys bonds and other debt securities to keep rates low, that limits the returns available to investors who hold the dollar.

Many traders were in wait-and-see mode all morning before the Fed minutes were released. Stocks drifted lower despite solid reports on auto sales and factory activity.

Orders to factories bounced back by a solid 1.3 percent in February as businesses made more long-term investments, the Commerce Department said after the market opened.

The news bolstered earlier signals that U.S. consumers are feeling confident enough in the economy to buy higher-cost items like cars after years of putting off major purchases.

Chrysler said earlier that sales of its vehicles spiked by one-third last month, making March its best month in four years. Sales were helped by the introduction of small cars from the company's Fiat brand. Ford's sales rose 5 percent, General Motors' by 12 percent.

The afternoon selling doused any enthusiasm the market carried into the week after it closed its best first quarter in more than a decade. The Dow and S&P both finished at multi-year highs Monday.

Trading volumes have been light for about two weeks in part because there has been relatively little news to move markets. Many companies are quiet ahead of earnings season, which begins in earnest next week.

The government will release its March jobs report on Friday. Economists expect that hiring slowed modestly last month. The report's impact on the market might be muted because markets will be closed for the beginning of Easter weekend.

In corporate news:

• Molson Coors Brewing Co. fell 5.4 percent after the company made a major investment overseas, putting up more than $3.5 billion to snap up StarBev and its nine breweries in central and eastern Europe.

• Investment bank Morgan Stanley fell 2.2 percent after the Federal Reserve said a mortgage division had abused consumers in the foreclosure process. Morgan Stanley has since sold the division, Saxon Mortgage Services Inc., to Ocwen Financial Corp.

• Home products retailer Conn's Inc. surged 15.5 percent after it beat analysts' profit forecasts in the fourth quarter and boosted its earnings guidance for the upcoming year.

• Express Scripts Inc. gained another 3.9 percent a day after completing its $29.1 billion acquisition of Medco Health Solutions, forming the largest pharmacy benefits manager in the country. The stock is up 6.4 percent this week.

Students will move into the new high school after the April vacation in 2013.

View full sizeThe Republican | Don TreegerEasthampton officials gathered on Tuesday for the ceremonial topping off of the new high school under construction. Here, Easthampton Mayor Michael A. Tautznik seems to be balancing the ceremonial beam on his thumb as he speaks.

EASTHAMPTON — About 50 school and city officials, teachers, parents and others gathered near the site of the new high school for the ceremonial topping off ceremony Tuesday afternoon – marking the laying of the last piece of steel.

Officials spoke for about 10 minutes before the white piece of steel signed by students and officials was laid in place in what will be a classroom at the new school. The $39.2 million school will replace the 50-year-old high school. The ceremony was held outside the old school looking out on the new structure.

“To stand here you almost have to pinch yourself that this is really happening and how exciting this is,” said School Superintendent Nancy Follansbee.

“I think its is fabulously exciting,” said special education teacher Karen Allen, who was watching with some students she works with in the after-school Just Us Making Progress program.

View full sizeThe Republican | Don TreegerThe final beam, signed by students and officials a few weeks ago, is lowered into place.

“This is one step closer to the opening of the building,” said Mayor Michael A. Tautznik.

“The greatest day is when students of the community walk into a state-of-the-art building,” said School Committee chairman Peter T. Gunn.

Michael Buehrle, school building committee chairman, said the project is right on target both in its timetable and budget.

Officials will be able to begin moving some equipment into the building in January, with students moving into the school after April 2013 vacation, Buehrle said.

“We are so happy to be partnering with you,” said Jack McCarthy, Executive Director of Massachusetts School Building Authority. The authority is paying 64 percent of the project.

In 2010, voters approved a debt exclusion override to repay the bond for the town’s share by a margin of 3,023 to 1,167.

A portion of the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside was evacuated for a time Tuesday afternoon as a result of a suspicious package found near the Post Office.

HOLYOKE - A portion of the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside was evacuated for a time Tuesday afternoon as a result of a suspicious package found near the Post Office, fire department spokesman Thomas Paquin said.

Police and fire departments were called to the mall at about 4 p.m. for a report of a discovery of a suspicious package.

Several stores in the vicinity of the post office were emptied out while officials tried to determine the threat level. The remainder of the mall was allowed to remain open.

The package turned out to be an empty strong box that was apparently left behind by someone who had just dropped off some letters at the post office, Paquin said.

It was x-rayed at the scene and determined to be empty and harmless, and the closed stores allowed to reopen.

30 tree-service companies descended upon Southwick's New Cemetery, parked in a semi-circle overlooking Granfield's grave site and raised their buckets in salute.

Manon Mirabelli photo4.3.12 Southwick Photo by Manon L. Mirabelli Loggers and tree service workers at the burial of their fallen brother, Tyler J. Granfield, 28, killed on a job site March 29 when he was pinned beneath a falling tree, gather at Southwick's New Cemetery on Tuesday with their buckets raised at half-mast. Only Granfield's truck, behind the American flag, had its bucket raised to its full height.

SOUTHWICK — Tyler J. Granfield, logger and son of a logger, was laid to rest Tuesday surrounded by loved ones and honored by those who share the rewards and dangers of his trade.

Owners and workers from 30 tree-service companies from throughout the Pioneer Valley came to Southwick’s New Cemetery, parked their trucks in a semi-circle overlooking Granfield’s grave and raised their buckets in salute.

At front center was Granfield’s truck, with its bucket raised high. In front of that truck was a true logger’s memorial: his boots, helmet, chain saw and an American flag.

Granfield, 28, was killed March 29 on a job site on Donamor Lane in East Longmeadow where he and workers for his company, Tyler Tree Service, were removing storm-damaged trees on private property. A tree that was being taken down fell, killing him.

“This is something we all love to do,” said Kerry Granfield, Tyler’s father, of himself, his son and their fellow loggers. “It’s an addiction but a good one. It scares ... us, and we get up and do it again the next day.”

Donald L. Derosia, of Chicopee, owner of Derosia and Sons Tree Service, along with Natalie Toporowski, wife of Ken Toporowski, owner of Tops Tree Service in Westfield, organized the loggers’ tribute to Tyler Granfield out of respect for him and his father, Kerry.

“I go back a long way with Kerry – he taught me how to climb trees, and he’s the kind of person that if you need anything he’s there, no matter what,” Derosia said. “Tyler was a wonderful, thoughtful kid in every way.”

Natalie Toporowski added that “Tyler had an infectious smile” and family members could only smile themselves as they recalled the man who, as a young boy, loved to climb trees.

She also noted that with the day dedicated to celebrating Tyler’s life, there was “a lot of money not being made today” by the loggers, but paying respect to the Granfield family in a shroud of camaraderie by members of “a brotherhood” was more important.

“The trees will be there tomorrow,” Derosia said.

It seemed fitting, he added, that just behind the burial plot is Great Brook Lumber, where the scent of freshly cut wood from stacks of trees and lumber and piles of chips permeated the fresh spring air.

One mourner, Brian R. Giusti, of Chester, said he knew Granfield since he was a little boy and described him as “a genuine person.”

“He gave 120 percent all the time,” he said.

The graveside service concluded with shouts and applause in honor of Granfield, and as mourners moved away from the casket, Zach Dougherty, one of Tyler Granfield’s best friends from Southwick, fired-up Granfield’s chain saw to the cheers of the crowd.

Tara L. Gorens, Granfield’s girlfriend of nine years, holding his beloved 3-year-old Golden Retriever, who was on the job site with Granfield at the time of the accident, said she was left “speechless” by the tribute.

“This is a testament to everything Tyler did – with a smile on his face,” she said.

Overwhelmed by the turnout for their son and the touching show of support by tree service brethren from Westfield, Chicopee, Belchertown, East Longmeadow and other Pioneer Valley towns, Kerry and Christine Granfield walked among the crowd of loggers, most of whom were appropriately dressed in their scarred, rugged boots, weathered jeans and work-stained sweatshirts, and thanked them for the gesture.

“I can’t say enough – this is unbelievable,” Kerry Granfield said while surveying the scene of trucks. “This is a tough business, but Tyler loved it.”

John Monteiro was indicted on murder, armed home invasion and weapons charges in killings of 26-year-old Jorge DePina and his sister, 29-year-old Maria DePina.

BROCKTON — A Rhode Island man has been charged with murder in the 2010 deaths of a brother and sister in Brockton.

Twenty-seven-year-old John V. Monteiro already is held without bail on a separate murder charge in a 2007 killing.

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz said Tuesday that Monteiro was indicted Monday on murder, armed home invasion and weapons charges in killings of 26-year-old Jorge DePina and his sister, 29-year-old Maria DePina. He's expected to be arraigned later this month in Brockton.

Investigators believe Monteiro forced his way into the Depinas' apartment, shot them in the head, and later sold the gun. An 11-year-old child was found unharmed in the apartment.

Monteiro is already held without bail in the 2007 killing of Gregory Goncalves in Brockton.

It's not immediately known who is representing Monteiro in the new case.

The victory enabled Romney to pad his already considerable delegate lead over Republican rival Rick Santorum, who is under growing pressure to abandon his own candidacy in the name of party unity.

By DAVID ESPO and KASIE HUNT

Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney greets people during a campaign stop at a Cousins Subs fast food restaurant, in Waukesha, Wis., Tuesday, April 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

MILWAUKEE — Mitt Romney tightened his grip on the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night, winning the Maryland primary in a rout and bidding for victories in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., with time left over to swap charges with President Barack Obama.

The victory in Maryland enabled Romney to pad his already considerable delegate lead over Republican rival Rick Santorum, who is under growing pressure to abandon his own candidacy in the name of party unity.

There were 95 Republican National Convention delegates at stake for the day, including 42 in Wisconsin, the only one of the three contests that a fading Rick Santorum seriously contested.

Romney began the day with 572 delegates, precisely half the 1,144 needed to clinch the nomination and on a pace to do so before the end of the primary season in June. Santorum had 273 delegates, Newt Gingrich had 135 and Ron Paul had 50.

Interviews with voters leaving Republican polling places in Maryland and Wisconsin showed an electorate more concerned with a candidate's ability to ability to defeat Obama than with the strength of his conservatism, his moral character or his stand on the issues. Similar soundings in earlier states have consistently worked to Romney's advantage.

Voters in both states were less apt to be born again or evangelical Christians than in most previous contests — 34 percent in Wisconsin and 32 percent in Maryland. Based on earlier contests, that, too, suggested an advantage for Romney.

Increasingly, Romney and many senior figures in his party have begun behaving as if the primaries are an afterthought, hoping to pivot to the fall campaign and criticism of Obama.

"He gets full credit or blame for what's happened in this economy and what's happened to gasoline prices under his watch and what's happened to our schools and what's happened to our military forces," Romney said of the president while campaigning in Waukesa, Wis.

Obama said things could be worse — and predicted they would be if Romney and Republicans got their way.

In a speech to the annual meeting of The Associated Press, he said a House-passed budget written by Republicans was "antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity and upward mobility for everybody who's willing to work for it ... It is a prescription for decline."

When he wasn't focusing his rhetoric on Obama, Romney prodded Santorum to quit the race, suggesting a refusal to do so could cost the party the election in November.

"The right thing for us, I think, is to get a nominee as soon as we can and be able to focus on Barack Obama," Romney said in an interview with Fox News. "You have to remember that it was Ross Perot that allowed Bill Clinton to win" in 1992, he added, a reference to the Texan who ran as an independent that year.

There was no immediate response from Santorum.

The former Pennsylvania senator made little or no effort in Maryland, was not on the ballot in Washington, D.C., and concentrated much of his time in Wisconsin in rural areas.

He all but conceded defeat in advance in Wisconsin, retreating to Mars, Pa., for an election night appearance in his home state.

Wisconsin was the fourth industrial state to vote in a little more than a month after Michigan, Ohio and Illinois, a string that Romney has exploited to gain momentum as well as a growing delegate lead in the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

The former Massachusetts governor won a close Michigan primary on Feb. 28, then an even closer one in Ohio a week later, followed by a convincing victory in Illinois on March 20. At each turn, he was backed by his own robust, well-financed organization as well as a deep-pocketed super PAC that assured him of an overwhelming advantage in television advertising.

In Wisconsin, Romney and the super PAC, Restore Our Future, spent roughly $3 million on television ads compared to about $850,000 for Santorum and the Red, White and Blue Fund, a super Pac that supports the former Pennsylvania senator. Much of the Romney-aligned super Pac advertising consisted of attacks on Santorum.

As was the case in Michigan and Ohio, private polling showed Romney trailing in Wisconsin a few weeks before the vote. But he overtook his rival in public surveys as the televised attacks took their toll.

The surveys of voters in Maryland's and Wisconsin's GOP presidential primaries were conducted for AP and the television networks by Edison Research. They included preliminary results among 735 voters interviewed Tuesday as they left polling places at 25 randomly selected sites in Maryland, and among 1,063 Wisconsin voters as they left 35 polling places across that state. Results from Maryland had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points; it was 4 points for the Wisconsin survey.

There was no survey in Washington.

Already, the early outlines of a general election ad war are visible. Obama's re-election campaign is airing commercials in a half-dozen battleground states that accuse Romney of siding with Big Oil "for their tax breaks, attacking higher mileage standards and renewables."

The ads are a rapid response to $3 million in commercials aired by an outside group, American Energy Reliance, blaming the president for rising gasoline prices.

In his campaign for the Republican nomination, Romney has collected endorsements from former President George H.W. Bush, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a tea party favorite, and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, author of a conservative budget that Republicans pushed through the House last week and is certain to play a prominent role in the fall campaign for the White House.

At the same time, Romney continues to struggle for support from some of the party's most reliable conservative voters. In the past five weeks, while winning across the Midwest, he has lost to Santorum in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, all part of the traditional Southern political base.

Pennsylvania is one of five Northeastern states with primaries on April 24, the next date on the Republican calendar after a three-week intermission.

Santorum has conceded he's not going to amass the delegates needed to win the nomination by the time convention opens, but his strategy — and hope — is to prevent Romney from doing so. Campaigning in Appleton, Wis., on Monday, he said a struggle at the convention over the nomination would be a "fascinating display of open democracy" and would encourage more Republican voters to participate in the election.

Romney wants no part of an open convention, and increasingly, senior party leaders agree and are willing to say so.

With all the endorsements Romney has received in recent days, a non-endorsement from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell got attention, too.

"It seems to me we're in the final phases of wrapping up this nomination," he said over the weekend, adding that most members of the party in the Senate "are either supporting him or they have the view that I do, that it's time to turn our attention to the fall campaign and begin to make the case against the president of the United States."

David Espo reported from Washington.

The body was found in a storage container near the Providence apartment of 2 people who have pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with Joseph Webster's disappearance.

File photo

WORCESTER — Massachusetts authorities say a body believed to be a missing 19-year-old Worcester man has been found in Rhode Island.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said the body was found Tuesday in a storage container near the Providence apartment of two people who have pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with Joseph Webster's disappearance.

He was last seen in mid-March at a Northborough, Mass., motel, where prosecutors say he was attacked and his car stolen.

Nineteen-year-old James Howze is held on $1 million bail on charges of assault and battery with a knife and car theft. Twenty-two-year-old Lara Cori is held without bail on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery, armed assault with intent to murder and car theft.

An autopsy will be conducted in Rhode Island.

Ameristar's casino in Springfield would have about 4,000 slot machines, a hotel with 600 to 650 rooms, restaurant and retail outlets and parking.

A top leader of Ameristar Casinos said he reaffirmed the company's intent and desire to build a casino in Springfield during a meeting with the city's top economic development official on Tuesday.

The meeting between two Ameristar officials and Kevin E. Kennedy, the chief development officer for Springfield,came one week after MGM Resorts Interntational dropped out of a casino project planned for Brimfield. MGM said it will seek an alternative site in Western Massachusetts.

Troy A. Stremming, a senior vice president for Ameristar, said MGM's announcement underscored the significance of his company's decision to purchase land in Springfield for a casino.

"It just gives me that much more confidence that we made the right decision to put Ameristar's flag in the ground in Springfield at the location we did," Stremming said in a phone interview after the meeting. "We're very confident we have the premier location for a casino in Western Massachusetts."

Ameristar, based in Las Vegas, paid $16 million in January for a 41-acre site in Springfield on Page Boulevard and I-291.

Ameristar's casino would have about 4,000 slot machines, a hotel with 600 to 650 rooms, restaurant and retail outlets and parking. Stremming said the casino would create 2,000 construction jobs and 2,800 permanent jobs.

Massachusetts is drawing interest from some large casino companies after Gov. Deval L. Patrick signed a bill in November allowing for up to three destination resorts, including one in Western Massachusetts. An additional license for a slot-machine facility is also planned for anywhere in the state.

Wynn Resorts has proposed a casino in Foxborough, while Caesars Entertainment Corp. is proposing to develop at the Suffolk Downs horse track in East Boston. The Mohegan Sun of Connecticut is planning a resort in Palmer, just off Exit 8 of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Kevin Kennedy

In a phone interview, Kennedy said he had general discussions with Stremming and Matthew Block, a vice president for Ameristar, for about 45 minutes.

Kennedy said the meeting was basically for Ameristar to stay in touch and keep the discussions active.

Kennedy said he would encourage any company that wants to make a casino proposal in Springfield. Right now, Ameristar has the only proposal for Springfield.

Kennedy said he spoke only in general terms about a possible referendum on Ameristar's plan. Under the law, voters in any potential host community would need to approve a casino for an operator to seek a license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

"We don't know," Kennedy said, when asked if a vote could be held this year. "You can't really have any substantive discussions until you know what the rules and regulations are."

The gaming commission needs to write regulations to guide the casino licensing process.

Kennedy said he also discussed Ameristar's transportation plan.

Stremming said the company has hired VHB Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc., which has an office in Springfield, to design and engineer ways to direct vehicles to the planned casino. Traffic near the potential casino is a major concern.

Stremming said a traffic solution is a top priority, but is also complicated. He said he plans to eventually present multiple alternatives for the city to examine. He said the company also wants to work with business and neighborhood leaders.

"We're hopeful there would be a meeting of the minds, that we would all agree to one alternative," he said.

In the next couple of weeks, Stremming said, the company plans to announce the hiring of a director of government and community relations for Springfield. Stremming said the director would be based in an office at the site on Page Boulevard. The company has selected five finalists for the job after receiving almost 100 applications, he said.

Stremming said Springfield "is clearly the location" for a Western Massachusetts casino. Stremming said the city has the workforce, the population, ease of access and public transit needed for a casino.

Supporters hoped to seek state approval and have the issue decided with a binding voter referendum Nov. 6.

Rebecca Lisi

This updates a story originally posted at 8:45 p.m.

HOLYOKE – The City Council Tuesday referred to committee a plan to begin a process supporters still hope will lead to increasing the term of the mayor to four years from the current two.

The decision by a majority of the council against beginning the term-increase process now jeopardizes a plan to have voters decide the issue with a binding referendum on Election Day Nov. 6.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain and councilors Joseph M. McGiverin, Linda L. Vacon, James M. Leahy and Peter R. Tallman said it was unnecessary to move so quickly.

In fact, they said, public hearings should be held to discuss the possible increase in the mayor’s term and it could go on the 2013 election ballot.

But Ordinance Committee Chairwoman Rebecca Lisi argued for approval of the item Tuesday that would have set the process in motion.

The item went before the full council with a 4-0 recommendation from the Ordinance Committee.

Voters in Springfield increased the mayor’s term to four years from two, Lisi said. The Springfield change in 2009 became effective with the 2011 election.

“It’s moving in the same direction of increasing the professionalization of the mayorality,” Lisi said.

Since Mayor Alex B. Morse supports the plan, council approval would have sent a request to the state Legislature for a special act. Such an act is necessary because increasing the mayor’s term requires a change to the city charter.

If the state approved the act, a binding voter referendum would be scheduled. It was unclear with the committee referral whether there would be enough time to get legislative approval and schedule a binding referendum for Nov. 6.

Lisi, Morse and others argue a four-year term for mayor would professionalize the office by giving the chief executive additional time to accomplish an agenda without soon having to focus on seeking reelection.

A council vote to begin the process still would have allowed for public hearings, Lisi said. If approved by voters in November, the mayor’s term increase would have taken effect with the 2013 election.

But Vacon said officials need to remember that voters here defeated a question on the Nov. 8 ballot that would have established a new city charter. That proposal included among its numerous changes an increase of the mayor’s term to four years.

“I see no hurry in this,” Tallman said. “I think it’s good to have some discussion on it.”

Before the meeting, Jourdain said supporters of changing the charter to increase the mayor’s term should do so by gathering signatures of like-minded registered voters.

“I think we need a lot more public discussion about this,” Jourdain said.

The council by voice vote sent the matter to the newly-established Charter Review and Rules Committee.

Jourdain said he will be the initial chairman of the new committee, which also will have councilors Todd A. McGee, Brenna E. Murphy, Daniel B. Bresnahan and Alexander.

McGee, Murphy and Bresnahan were absent from Tuesday’s meeting of the 15-member council.

In a stinging speech, Obama had unsparing words for Republicans on Capitol Hill as well as the man he is most likely to face off against in November, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

By BEN FELLER | AP White House Correspondent

Associated PressPresident Barack Obama gestures as he speaks at The Associated Press luncheon during the ASNE Convention, Tuesday, April 3, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON — In combative campaign form, President Barack Obama accused Republican leaders on Tuesday of becoming so radical and dangerously rigid that even the late Ronald Reagan, one of their most cherished heroes, could not win a GOP primary if he were running today.

Obama, in a stinging speech to an audience of news executives, had unsparing words for Republicans on Capitol Hill as well as the man he is most likely to face off against in November, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The president depicted the election as a choice between a Democratic candidate who wants to use government to help people succeed and Republicans who would abandon a basic compact with society and let most people struggle at the expense of the rich.

He framed his address around a new House Republican budget plan, saying it represents a bleak, backward "radical vision."

"It is thinly veiled social Darwinism," Obama said to the annual meeting of The Associated Press. "It is antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity and upward mobility for everybody who's willing to work for it ... It is a prescription for decline."

Republicans shot back that the president had offered a deeply partisan speech devoid of accountability.

Campaigning outside Milwaukee just before Obama spoke, Romney said that the president "of course will look for someone else to blame." The Republican Party chairman, Reince Priebus, said Obama had abandoned his hope-and-change campaign slogan of four years ago. Said Priebus: "All along, he's been a cold, calculating, big-spending politician."

Obama's speech removed any doubt that the general election was under way for the president, despite his professed reluctance to weigh in before Republicans settle on a nominee.

He took a couple of digs at Romney, playing up the Republican presidential front-runner's support for a budget-slashing plan the House has approved.

That plan is doomed to die in the Senate, but Obama held it up as a sign of the disaster that would come if Republicans got their way: poor children not getting food, grandparents unable to afford nursing homes, more airline flights getting canceled and weather forecasts becoming less reliable.

For Obama, it was the latest in a string of efforts to get his message out just as voters were going to the polls to help pick his opponent, this time in primaries Tuesday in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Romney is on a pace to clinch the nomination by the end of the primary season in June.

By invoking Reagan, a beloved Republican, Obama sought to take GOP charges of Obama extremism and turn them back on the party. He cited a presidential debate in the current campaign in which the entire field of Republican candidates rejected the idea of $10 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes if that were offered in a debt-reduction deal.

"Ronald Reagan, who, as I recall, is not accused of being a tax-and-spend socialist, understood repeatedly that when the deficit started to get out of control — that for him to make a deal — he would have to propose both spending cuts and tax increases," Obama said. "He could not get through a Republican primary today."

Obama, in fact, managed to mention and associate his thinking with six Republican presidents, from Abraham Lincoln to George W. Bush.

By contrast, he portrayed today's opposition leadership as abandoning centrist positions and compromise.

"We have to think about our fellow citizens, with whom we share a community," Obama said. "This sense of responsibility to each other and our country, this isn't a partisan feeling. This isn't a Democratic or a Republican idea; it's patriotism."

The House budget proposal is led by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., a Romney supporter. It aims to slash the deficit and the size of government while offering sharply lower tax rates in return for eliminating many popular tax breaks. Obama offered a blow-by-blow critique of it, warning his audience at the start to "bear with me."

When he was finished, House Speaker John Boehner said, "The president has resorted to distortions and partisan potshots."

The president also sought to influence media coverage in speaking to publishers and editors from around the country. He said the fact that the two parties are fighting does not mean they are equally to blame, and that Republicans have shown they will not budge.

"This bears on your reporting," Obama told the journalists.

Asked about the fate of his health care reform law, his signature legislative achievement, Obama said his administration was "not spending a whole lot of time planning for contingencies" in the event that the law is struck down. He said he expected the Supreme Court to uphold the law as constitutional because justices "take their responsibilities very seriously."

Making the case for a second term, Obama said the central question of the election will be how to restore security for Americans who work hard and show responsibility.

"That's why I ran in 2008," he said. "It's what my presidency has been about. It's why I'm running again."

Associated Press writer Kasie Hunt in Milwaukee contributed to this story.