40 years to the day after US Air Force Sgt. Allen Avery's helicopter crashed, his remains will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

Associated PressThis circa 1960s U.S. Air Force photo provided by Debbie McBride shows her late father, Air Force Sgt. Allen Avery, from Arlington, Mass. Using improved DNA technology, the Department of Defense identified the remains of Sgt. Avery, whose helicopter was shot down during the Vietnam War in 1972. Avery's remains will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, April 6, 2012, the 40th anniversary of the crash. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force via Debbie McBride)

By STEVE LeBLANC

BOSTON — In 1972, a military helicopter carrying US Air Force Sgt. Allen Avery of Arlington, Mass., and five other airmen came under enemy fire in Vietnam during a combat search and rescue mission.

On Friday, 40 years to the day after Avery's helicopter crashed, his remains will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

For Avery's daughter Debbie McBride, who was just 7 when her father died, the ceremony will mark the end of four decades of waiting for a final resolution to her father's fate — a wait delayed in part until DNA testing technology could catch up to the task of identifying her father's remains.

"It's been 40 years of not knowing, with lots of ups and downs," McBride told The Associated Press on Thursday. "You take a deep breath and you go, 'Wow, he's finally back home.'"

Avery was 29 years old when his HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant helicopter came under ground assault over Quang Tri Province in South Vietnam. After the crash, Avery and his fellow crewmen were listed as missing in action.

In 1988, Vietnam turned over remains they attributed to an American serviceman, but the name they provided didn't match anyone lost or missing from the Vietnam War, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

From 1989 to 1992, a joint investigation by U.S. and Vietnamese officials found evidence the led to the site of an aircraft crash as well as two reported burial sites. Investigators recovered human remains and personal effects as well as aircraft debris.

Three of the airmen were able to be individually identified and were buried as a group at Arlington National Cemetery in 1997.

But DNA testing at the time wasn't precise enough to identify Avery's remains. That would take more than another decade after the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, using mitochondrial DNA testing, was able to identify the remains of additional members of the crew, including Avery

Although she participated in the group burial in 1997, Debbie McBride said there were still lingering questions for the families of those airmen whose remains couldn't positively be identified at the time.

The final identification has helped lift some of those questions.

"It's pretty emotional," she said.

Ahead of the Friday's burial, McBride and her husband flew to Honolulu to visit the site where the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command conducted the DNA testing and retrieve her father's remains.

McBride said that understanding the process helped convince her that the remains were in fact those of her father.

"I understand how the DNA works and I believe it," she said. "They've done everything they could to bring closure."

McBride, who lives in San Diego, accompanied the remains from Honolulu to Washington. She said a lot of her father's friends from that time are flying in for the ceremony.

Despite the decades of waiting and the painful memories, McBride said she was glad to be able to bring an end to the search for her father.

"I would always want to know," she said. "Even if they found more remains in the future, I would always want to know."

All repairs were completed in about two hours, officials said.

Photo by Manon MirabelliWorkers from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts repair a damaged pipe that caused a gas leak Thursday at the intersection of Routes 10, 202 and 57 in Southwick.

SOUTHWICK – Workers from Verizon drilling a hole for a utility pole Thursday morning struck a gas main line that caused a leak and prompted officials to ask area homeowners to remain indoors until the damage was repaired.

The gas line was struck at about 11:20 a.m. at the intersection of College Highway and Granville Road along the area of the Routes 10 and 202 construction by a Verizon worker using an auger to drill a hole for a utility pole.

All repairs were complete about two hours later.

“It was a relatively small leak that dissipated quickly because of the wind and blew into a wide open parking lot,” said Fire Lt. Timothy C. Bridges. “Columbia Gas came, shut the main line and rectified the situation. They were done by 1 p.m. and everything was back to normal.”

No evacuations were necessary, he said, and residents were not in any danger. Residents were notified of the gas leak and asked to remain in their homes until the line was repaired. No area businesses were impacted, Bridges said.

“The only one that would have been affected was the Southwick Inn, and it was closed at the time,” he said.

Bridges said the Verizon crew was not at fault and had taken all precautions by working within Dig Safe regulations when the gas line was struck.

All markings indicated the drilling site was a safe distance from any gas lines.

“Verizon was working within marked lines,” Bridges said. “They didn’t realize the house feed was on the wrong side.”

Wilkerson had pleaded guilty to eight counts of attempted extortion after she was captured on video stuffing bribe money into her bra.

File photo | Associated PressThis June 18, 2007 file still image made from video, which was included in an affidavit filed by the FBI in federal court and released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in October 2008, allegedly shows Massachusetts state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, D-Boston, stuffing bribe money under her sweater at the bar at No. 9 Park restaurant in Boston. Wilkerson was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008, by the FBI on public corruption charges. Wilkerson's attorneys filed papers Wednesday, June 2, 2010 asking for a hearing to allow her to plead guilty to those charges. (AP Photo/U.S. Attorney's Office, File)

BOSTON — A federal court has rejected an appeal by former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, convicted on federal charges of accepting bribes.

Lawyers for Wilkerson pointed to a series of statements made by a district court when it imposed a sentence on the Boston Democrat.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the lower court in a ruling Thursday saying the conclusions were justified.

Wilkerson, who grew up in Springfield and attended the High School of Commerce, had pleaded guilty to eight counts of attempted extortion after she was captured on video stuffing bribe money into her bra.

She was accused of taking $23,500 in bribes to help get a liquor license for a nightclub and an undercover agent posing as a businessman.

Wilkerson, who blamed her actions on untreated depression, was sentenced in to 3½ years in prison last year.

The policy that was approved will begin the condom access program Sept. 1 for students in the middle schools and high schools.

SPRINGFIELD – The School Committee, by a 4-3 vote, approved a policy Thursday that will provide students ages 12 and older with access to condoms as a way to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

The vote followed an hour-long discussion and multiple failed motions to amend the policy by some committee members who were seeking to limit condom access to just high school students for the first two years.

Under the approved policy, students in the middle schools and high schools, ages 12 and up, will have access to condoms beginning Sept. 1. The condoms will be available from school nurses and school-based health clinics. The nurses will provide them with counseling, including a discussion of abstinence and information on how to use and store the condoms.

“I’m so happy – I can’t wait to celebrate,” said Christie Torres, who has children ages 12 and 14, and is a health educator. “We don’t need any more teen parents, we just don’t. With this is going to come education, and that’s the biggest thing.”

Matthew H. Ferri, a parent of two children fifth graders, said the vote marks “a very sad day” for the Springfield public schools. There is an “opt out” provision for parents, in which they may sign a form that denies permission for their children to obtain free condoms, and Ferri said he will opt out his children.

“I am opposed to free condom distribution in our public schools, most especially in our middle schools,” Ferri said in prepared comments. “I believe that access to free condoms in our middle schools and at such a young age will only fuel sexual experimentation and encourage sexual activity. It is a permissive policy and moral restraint should be the guiding posture here.”

School Committee members said it was a very difficult vote, but those in favor said they believe it is in the best interest of the students’ safety and health, and enhances their opportunity to succeed by avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases from unprotected sex.

The policy was approved by Committee Chairman Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Vice Chairman Christopher Collins, and committee members Denise Hurst and Barbara Gresham. Committee members Antonette Pepe, Norman Roldan and Peter Murphy voted against the policy.

Pepe, Roldan and Murphy, prior to the final vote, supported amendments aimed at limiting the condoms to high school students. The condom policy received first-step approval last month, by a 5-1 vote, with just Murphy opposed, but the policy needed a second vote Thursday to become final.

A similar policy has been in effect in Holyoke for seven years.

School Committee members said they have recently received numerous telephone calls, e-mails and comments from people including many that were very upset by the young age of the students who would have access to condoms.

The specific implementation policy will be drafted in advance of Sept. 1.

Murphy said giving condoms to a 12-year-old is “much too young, and horrifying to me as a parent.”

“It sends a bad message,” Murphy said.

Sarno said that teenagers are having sex, and it is “not only a health crisis but an economic crisis.”

He and other members said it helps to keep children in school, and have a better chance to succeed.

Collins said that if even a handful of students avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases because of the policy, it is worth it.

Pepe said she supported the policy in March, but also believes she had a responsibility to listen to the parents, and found that many had concerns and questions. She made the motion to have it started in the high schools for two years, to keep and review data on the results, before bringing it into the middle schools.

The Springfield Adolescent Sexual Health Advisory council and the Youth Empowerment Adolescent Health Network urged passage of the policy.

"We know that half of Springfield ninth graders report having sex," said Dr. Sarah Perez McAdoo, executive director of the network, in prepared comments. "For youth who are sexually active, we want to help them safeguard their futures and reduce their risk of adverse outcomes."

A Coast Guard cutter fired on the abandoned 164-foot Ryou-Un Maru in the waters of the Gulf of Alaska and more than 150 miles from land.

By MARK THIESSEN and RACHEL D'ORO

Associated PressIn a photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard the unmanned Japanese fishing vessel Ryou-un Maru dirfts northwest in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 164 miles southwest of Baranof Island Wednesday April 4, 2012. The vessel has been adrift since it was launched by the tsunami caused by the magnitude-9.0 earthquake that struck Japan last year. The Coast Guard is monitoring the vessel, which is currently considered a hazard to navigation. (AP Photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis, U.S. Coast Guard)

OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA — The U.S. Coast Guard unleashed cannon fire Thursday at a Japanese vessel set adrift by last year's tsunami, stopping the ship's long, lonely voyage across the Pacific Ocean.

A Coast Guard cutter fired on the abandoned 164-foot Ryou-Un Maru in the waters of the Gulf of Alaska and more than 150 miles from land, spokesman Paul Webb said.

Soon after the 25 mm cannon fire started, the ship burst into flames, began to take on water and list, Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow said. A huge spiral of smoke could be seen over the gulf.

About two hours later, the vessel hadn't sunk and the cutter resumed shelling, Lt. Veronica Colbath said. This time, the Coast Guard used 50 mm shells.

The vessel poses a significant hazard and the Coast Guard has been warning mariners to stay away, Wadlow said. Aviation authorities are also advising pilots to steer clear of the area.

Officials decided to sink the ship rather than risk the chance of it running aground or endangering other vessels. The ship has no lights or communications system and has a tank that could carry more than 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

They don't know how much fuel, if any, is aboard. "It's less risky than it would be running into shore or running into (maritime) traffic," Webb said.

The ship had been destined for scrapping when the Japan earthquake struck, so there is no cargo on board, according to Webb. He said he doesn't know who owns the Ryou-Un Maru, which has been traveling about 1 mile per hour in the past days.

Earlier, Webb said the cutter was going to fire the cannons from several hundred feet away. The goal is to punch holes in the Ryou-Un Maru and sink it. A Coast Guard C-130 plane crew was monitoring the operation.

A Canadian fishing vessel, the 62-foot Bernice C, claimed salvage rights over the ghost ship. The Coast Guard stopped their plans to fire so the Canadian crew could have a chance to take the stricken ship.

A Canadian official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that the Bernice C was unable to tow the abandoned ship.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency studied the problem and decided it is safer to sink the ship and let the fuel evaporate in the open water.

The vessel has been adrift from Hokkaido, Japan, since it was launched by the tsunami caused by the magnitude-9.0 earthquake that struck Japan in March 2011. About 5 million tons of debris were swept into the ocean by the tsunami.

The Japan earthquake triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl accident in 1986, but Alaska state health and environmental officials have said there's little need to be worried that debris landing on Alaska shores will be contaminated by radiation.

They have been working with federal counterparts to gauge the danger of debris including material affected by a damaged nuclear power plant, to see if Alaska residents, seafood or wild game could be affected.

In January, a half dozen large buoys suspected to be from Japanese oyster farms appeared at the top of Alaska's panhandle and may be among the first debris from the tsunami.

D'Oro reported from Anchorage, Alaska. Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

Police Lt. Patrick Major was placed in protective custody, suspended for a week and is now on administrative duty after firing a shot in the ceiling of his garage early March 18.

Republican file photo

Republican photo by John SuchockiMayor Michael D. Bissonnette

CHICOPEE - A police lieutenant was suspended for one week and now is on administrative duty after firing a gun at his garage ceiling, according the mayor who ordered an investigation into whether criminal charges should be filed.

Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said Thursday night he has ordered the city solicitor to conduct an investigation into the case involving police Lt. Patrick Major, and that the probe will be separate from the ongoing Police Department’s internal review.

“I’ve authorized the city solicitor to look at possible criminal charges,” Bissonnette said.

An ordinary citizen firing a gun in his garage would likely be charged with discharging a weapon within 500 feet of a dwelling, the mayor said.

Both investigations are necessary “to get to the bottom of this so we can have all the facts,” he said. Both are expected to be completed by next week.

Bissonnette said all he knows based on discussions with Police Chief John Ferrarro is that police responded to Major’s home between 2 and 3 a.m. on March 18 for a report of a gunshot. Police determined that Major, alone in his garage, had fired a weapon at the ceiling.

Police did not arrest Major, but they placed him in protective custody.

In the days that followed, Major was suspended for one week, and his gun and badge were taken away temporarily.

Major has been assigned to administrative duty within the police station pending the outcome of the internal affairs investigation.

Ferrarro could not be reached for comment. But in a statement he issued to CBS3, Ferrarro said the Police Department is investigating and has put administrative sanctions in place.

Bissonnette said the gun involved in the shooting was not Major’s service weapon and he was not on duty.

Before the shot, Major and his wife had gotten into an argument, Bissonnette said. The dispute was verbal only, and it is not clear how much time passed between the argument and Major firing a shot in the garage, he said.

Bissonnette said once the investigations are completed, the city will have to determine if any disciplinary action is necessary.

Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless said there may be other victims.

GREAT BARRINGTON – A Stockbridge town employee has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting three pre-teen girls at a now-closed school where he was an adjustment counselor.

Thirty-six-year-old Scott Muir was arraigned Thursday in Southern Berkshire District Court on charges dating between 2003 and 2005, when he worked at the now-closed Stockbridge Plain School. He’s charged with rape and indecent assault and battery of two girls and indecent assault and battery of a third. He was released on $10,000 cash bail with GPS monitoring.

Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless says there may be other victims. Peter Dillon, Berkshire Hills Regional school superintendent, told the Berkshire Eagle the district is cooperating with the investigation.

Town Administrator Jorja Ann Marsden declined to comment on Muir’s status in his jobs, which include emergency management director and office facilities manager.

Employers pulled back sharply on hiring last month, a reminder that the U.S. economy may not be growing fast enough to sustain robust job growth. The unemployment rate dipped, but mostly because more Americans stopped looking for work.

Associated PressIn this March 7, 2012, file photo shows job seekers standing line during the Career Expo job fair, in Portland, Ore.

By PAUL WISEMAN, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers pulled back sharply on hiring last month, a reminder that the U.S. economy may not be growing fast enough to sustain robust job growth. The unemployment rate dipped, but mostly because more Americans stopped looking for work.

The Labor Department says the economy added 120,000 jobs in March, down from more than 200,000 in each of the previous three months.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.2 percent, the lowest since January 2009. The rate dropped because fewer people searched for jobs. The official unemployment tally only includes those seeking work.

The economy has added 858,000 jobs since December — the best four months of hiring in two years.

The mixed report was a disappointment after three months of solid job growth. The slowdown in job creation could threaten a recent rise in consumer confidence and dent investors' enthusiasm for stocks. It also could prove a setback for President Barack Obama's re-election hopes.

Stock markets are closed and bond markets will close early for Good Friday, so most investors won't get to render a verdict on the report until Monday.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has cautioned that the current hiring pace is unlikely to continue without more consumer spending.

Retailers shed nearly 34,000 jobs in March, and temporary help firms dropped almost 8,000 — a potentially bad sign for the job market because companies often hire temp workers before adding full timers.

Manufacturers continued to add jobs, hiring 37,000 workers in March.

A broader measure of weakness in the labor market — which adds to the officially unemployed those who have given up looking for work and those forced to settle for part-time jobs — improved last month to 14.5 percent from 14.9 percent in February.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the economy added 4,000 more jobs in January and February than it previously reported.

This year's election is expected to hinge on the state of the economy; Obama's re-election hopes may depend on continued improvement in the unemployment rate and job creation.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the likely Republican challenger, this week blamed the president's policies for slow growth and high unemployment.

The Obama campaign has said that Romney would reinstate policies that led to the recession — lower taxes for the wealthy and less regulation for business.

For many, what matters most is the unemployment rate. It was 7.8 percent when Obama entered office in January 2009 and peaked at 10 percent nine months later. Since August, it has dropped from 9.1 percent to March's 8.2 percent.

No incumbent since World War II has faced voters with unemployment higher than 7.8 percent.

Other data suggest the economic recovery is gaining strength. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to a four-year low, the government said Thursday. Consumers are more confident and spending more.

The service sector expanded at a healthy clip in March and increased hiring, according to a private survey released Wednesday by the Institute for Supply Management. Factories are busier. Companies are investing more, ordering more machinery and other equipment.

Economists have worried all along that job growth couldn't sustain the strong December-to-February pace.

They also worry that a 66-cent run-up in gasoline prices (to a national average $3.94 a gallon) so far this year will discourage consumer spending — though American households are more resilient financially after cutting their debts.

Most economists expect annual growth this year of just 2.5 percent. Normally, it takes annual growth of 4 percent to lower the unemployment rate 1 percentage point over a year.

The job market is improving largely because the pace of layoffs has fallen sharply. The staffing firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported Thursday that planned layoffs fell 27 percent from February to March. Hiring, meanwhile, is still running nearly 20 percent below pre-recession levels.

Police arrested Juan Rios, 46, and Nicolas Flores, 42.

From left Juan Rios and Nicolas Flores. in photos provided by the Springfield Police Department.

SPRINGFIELD – Detectives are working to evict two men charged Wednesday with selling cocaine out of a Woodmont Street apartment.

Sgt. John M. Delaney said detectives watched the two men over the last week as they sold drugs from an apartment at 61 Woodmont St.

At about 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, detectives interrupted a deal in progress and arrested the two suspects, Delaney, aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet, said.

Juan Rios, 46, of 49 Worthy St. and Nicolas Flores, 42, of 61 Woodmont St., were charged with three counts of distribution of cocaine and possession of cocaine.

Woodmont Street, located in the city’s Liberty Heights neighborhood, is known for being quiet, Delaney said.

The new lease will save the state trail court system an estimated $700,000 over the next five years.

The Republican | Mark M. Murray04.06.2012 | WESTFIELD - Westfield District Court will remain open after an agreement for a new five-year lease was reached.

WESTFIELD – State and court officials announced Friday a new five-year lease that will keep Westfield District Court open.

State Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, Westfield Chief Justice Philip A. Contant and Paul C. Picknelly, owner of the court building, made the announcement inside the main courtroom.

They would not discuss specific terms of the new lease, other than to say it presents significant concessions.

Reportedly, the new lease will save the state trail court system an estimated $700,000 over the next five years.

Westfield was one of a dozen trial courts targeted for closing, but the Legislature put a hold on any action until the end of this fiscal year.

The nation's unemployment rate will factor prominently in the November presidential election.

Associated PressPresident Barack Obama waves as he arrives to speak at the White House Forum on Women and the Economy, Friday, April 6, 2012, in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is warning that the U.S. job market will still face "ups and downs" despite news Friday that the economy added 120,000 jobs last month.

The March employment numbers were down from the more than 200,000 jobs the economy added in each of the previous three months. The unemployment rate dipped to 8.2 percent, but mostly because more Americans stopped looking for work.

The nation's unemployment rate will factor prominently in the November presidential election. Obama says no issue is more important than restoring economic security for all American families.

Obama is speaking at a White House forum focused on the role of women in the economy

The owner of one of the two tattoo parlors in the town said he has no intention of inking "kids."

WEBSTER — A Massachusetts town has made it legal for children as young as 14 to get tattoos.

The Webster Board of Health this week voted to allow children ages 14 to 17 to get tattoos from licensed artists if they have written consent from a parent or guardian who also accompanies them to the tattoo parlor.

Board member Nancie Zecco tells The Telegram & Gazette the goal is to prevent teens from going to unlicensed artists, which can spread HIV, hepatitis and infections.

The owner of one of the two tattoo parlors in the town of about 17,000 says even though it's legal, he has no intention of inking "kids." He says a tattoo is a lifelong decision a child isn't prepared to make and compared it to handing a 16-year-old a cigarette.

Associated PressA woman gets a design tattooed on her arm during the Skindustry Tattoo Expo at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Upper Macungie Township, Pa., Sunday, April 1, 2012.

Investigators believe the car is unoccupied.

Springfield Fire Department | Dennis Leger04.06.2012 | SPRINGFIELD - Firefighters work at the scene of a report of a car in the water at Riverfront Park.

SPRINGFIELD - Fire and police units, including rescue boats and members of the police dive team, were dispatched to Riverfront Park Friday for a report of a car in the water.

Investigators at the scene said they believe the car was unoccupied. The car was submerged about 20 feet from shore and was dimly visible from the surface.

The park is located along the Connecticut River south of the Memorial Bridge.

This is a developing story. Details will be added as they become available.

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has come up with a new contest offer to help lure donors to his campaign — a day with Scott Brown.

Associated PressMassachusetts Sen. Scott Brown answers a question during an Associated Press interview at his office in Boston. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has come up with a new contest offer to help lure donors to his campaign — a day with Scott Brown.

Brown's campaign is offering one person a chance to spend a day on the campaign trail with the Massachusetts Republican.

The campaign says the winner will "ride with Scott in his truck, grab lunch at Kelly's Roast Beef, go on the campaign trail, squeeze in a round of bowling and finish out the day with a beer at J.J. Foley's."

Although no contribution is required to win what the campaign calls "a once in a lifetime opportunity," the campaign is encouraging donations to Brown's campaign starting at $10.

Brown and his chief Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren are locked in what could be the costliest Senate race in state history.

Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has raised $3.4 million during the first three months of the year, adding to his already hefty war chest.

Photo by Mark M.Murray01/25/2012 Springfield- Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray- Senator Scott Brown, talks with reporters during a stop at Milano Importers at 988 Main Street where Brown made a stop Wednesday afternoon. The business was recently reopened after being forced closed because of damage from the June 1st tornado.

BOSTON (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has raised $3.4 million during the first three months of the year, adding to his already hefty war chest.

The campaign says it now has about $15 million in Brown's re-election account. The campaign said about 71 percent of the donations between January 1 and the end of March came from inside Massachusetts.

Brown's chief Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren hasn't yet released her campaign total from the first three months of the year, but Warren's campaign has said that it's received $2.5 million from in-state donors during that time.

Warren has been criticized by Brown for accepting a larger percent of her donations from supporters outside of Massachusetts.

The Senate campaign is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in state history.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Ronald Mihalak

Ronald "Ronnie" Michael Mihalak Sr., 70, of Easthampton, a longtime resident of Holyoke, died on Wednesday. He was born in Holyoke, educated in Holyoke schools and attended the former Holyoke Trade School before enlisting in the U.S. Army. After returning from military service he worked for the City of Holyoke with the Department of Public Works for 25 years, retiring as department foreman. He served the City of Holyoke as fire commissioner and School Committee member and ran for mayor. In his youth, he was a member of the Holyoke Eagles Boxing Team and was a Golden Glove boxer.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Brown III, Harry C.
  



• 
  Cayode, Reymundo M. "Rey"
  



• 
  Ciriello, Susan S. "Susie" (Percoski)
  



• 
  Duquette, Donald G. "Duke"
  



• 
  Florek, Josephine L. (Sosnowski)
  



• 
  Freeman Jr., William Henry "Hindu"
  



• 
  Gamache, Martin J. "Marty"
  



• 
  Hamre, Daniel E. "Dan"
  



• 
  Harrison, Lillian F. (Reopelle)
  



• 
  Johnson, Charles and Mae E.
  



• 
  Johnson, Walter O.
  



• 
  Kirby, Valeria Marie
  



• 
  LeMay, Zoey Jane
  



• 
  Lucia, Vivian J. (Burgess)
  



• 
  Mihalak, Ronald Michael "Ronnie"
  



• 
  Moore, Gary Nicholas
  



• 
  Noonan, Joan
  



• 
  Reiss, Walter
  



• 
  Reno, Lucretia A. "Treccie"
  



• 
  Sargenski, John
  



• 
  Scheumann, William F. "Bill"
  



• 
  Schoolcraft, John A.
  



• 
  Skibiski, Mary Anna Neveroski
  



• 
  Tenczar, Joan L. (Sullivan)
  



• 
  Torres, Petronila Lopez "Tonita"
  



• 
  Varilly, Betty Mae (Chandler)
  



• 
  Zielinski Jr., Stanley M.
  

There were no immediate reports of injuries on the ground.

Associated PressThe burning fuselage of an F/A-18 Hornet lies smoldering after crashing into a residential building in Virginia Beach, Va., Friday, April 6, 2012. The Navy did not immediately return telephone messages left by The Associated Press, but media reports indicate the two aviators were able to eject from the jet before it crashed. They were being treated for injuries that were not considered life threatening. (AP Photo)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Navy jet crashed and set fire to an apartment complex in Virginia Beach on Friday and the two-member crew ejected safely, officials said.

Officials said at least two apartment buildings were on fire but there were no immediate reports of injuries on the ground. TV footage showed black smoke billowing from near some buildings and local TV stations said the jet hit an apartment building.

Overhead helicopter video from WAVY-TV showed fire crews in the apartment complex with large ladders spraying water on multiple smoking buildings, one of which has part of its roof torn off.

Robert Matthias, assistant to Virginia Beach's city manager, told The Associated Press crews are at the scene of an apartment complex where the jet crashed in what he described as a courtyard.

"So far, they haven't found any casualties," Matthias said.

Bruce Nedelka, Virginia Beach EMS division chief, said there were no reports of fatalities, although several people were being treated for smoke inhalation.

He said at least two buildings in the complex of two-story apartment buildings were on fire.

The Navy said in a news release that the jet was an F/A-18D assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 based at Naval Air Station Oceana.

The Navy says the jet crashed shortly after takeoff at a site near the base at about 12:05 p.m. Both aviators ejected safely but were taken to a local hospital for observation.

The squadron trains Navy and Marine Corps replacement pilots and weapon systems officers to support fleet commitments.

Gov. Bob McDonnell said the state is providing immediate resources and assistances on the ground and working with Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms.

The Hampton Roads area of Virginia has a large concentration of military bases, including Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the world. Naval Air Station Oceana is located in Virginia Beach.

The fires, investigated by multiple agencies, were set over a period of several years.

GREAT BARRINGTON - Investigators arrested a 54-year-old Chicopee man Thursday night and charged him with setting nearly 20 fires in several southern Berkshire County communities over the past several years.

Stuart Zimbrowski, of 449 Oldfield Road, Chicopee, was charged with setting 15 brush fires, four building fires, two counts of breaking and entering in the daytime, two counts of larceny from a building and seven counts of larceny under $250, according a release issued by State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan.

Zimbrowski denied the charges in Pittsfield District Court and was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on April 12 in Southern Berkshire District Court in Great Barrington.

Zimbrowski, who was ordered held in lieu of $200,000 cash bail prior to his arraignment, may face additional charges in New York state.

Among the fires Zimbrowski is charged with setting is a vacant apartment building on Main Street in Great Barrington, a barn on state Department of Conservation and Recreation property in Sandisfield, and the same building in New Marlborough twice.

Information on what ties Zimbrowksi may have to the southern Berkshires was not immediately available.

The long-term investigation included multiple agencies including state police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the New York State Police, the fire and police departments of Dalton, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, New Marlborough, Sandisfield, Sheffield and Stockbridge.

The investigation also included state police from the Lee Barracks, the Air Wing, and Crime Scene Services. The case will be prosecuted by Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless’ Office.

“This was a tremendous effort that has removed a serial arsonist from the community before he progressed from brush fires and vacant buildings to occupied ones,” Coan said. “Arson is not a victimless crime even when no one is hurt in a fire; the fear and anxiety communities feel in addition to the loss of property, significantly impacts the quality of life.”

“We should all be heartened by this extraordinary investigative effort,” Capeless said. “Our communities can feel relieved at the arrest, but also renewed confidence in our fire marshal’s office and the many other local agencies to keep our communities safe.”

Workers ended up having to demolish more of the former International House of Pancakes at Union and Park streets than planned after one wall collapsed and another started to come down.

Republican file photoThe site of the former International House of Pancakes building at Park and Union streets in West Springfield, which is to be rebuilt to house a Doctors Express office.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Now that they have gotten a special permit from the Planning Board, developers of a Doctors Express proposed for the former International House of Pancakes site at Union and Park streets hope to open a medical office there sometime in late spring or early summer.

“We believe it will enhance the general quality of the neighborhood,” Mark J. Beglane, attorney for property owner Century Park LLC, told the Planning Board on Thursday.

The city got the developers to halt work on the project earlier this year pending Planning Board approval after workers took down most of the building.

Last fall, Longmeadow residents Richard F.P. Crews and James Brennan got a special permit from the Board of Appeals to make minor alterations to the structure. When officials saw that most of the building had been demolished, they told developers that they would need to get a special permit from the Planning Board because the project involved substantial restoration.

Beglane told planning officials that the intent was to modify the A-frame style roof line of the former restaurant building. However, after work began one wall collapsed and another one almost fell down, according to the attorney.

“All of a sudden it went from a minor restoration to a rebuild. It is no longer a minor renovation,” Beglane said.

No one spoke against the project Thursday, and Planning Board members approved the special permit with little discussion.

Neighborhood activist Diane Crowell, of 26 Russell St., said she approves of the project.

“I think it is a good use for the corner and a good use for the town,” she said, “I think the use is really appropriate.”

Planning Administrator Richard A. Werbiskis said the proposed project would generate less traffic than the restaurant did. At his request, the Planning Board required landscaping along the north side of the property, which abuts a sidewalk.

When Crews and Brennan obtained a special permit for the project in October from the Board of Appeals they planned to open an office by April 1. Plans they filed with the city call for adding 406 square feet to what was the existing building at 18 Union St. so that the resulting structure would consist of 2,866 square feet.

Doctors Express is a franchising operation based in Towson, Md., that helps doctors and/or investors set up an office that offers immediate care by a physician. Crews and Brennan opened a Doctors Express on Cooley Street in Springfield about a year and a half ago.

Salzer said he defers to the research as well, but has to juggle other considerations, like the School Department budget.

NORTHAMPTON — School officials are continuing to crunch numbers and study timetables to make it possible for high school students to push back the start of their school day, following an initial public discussion on the subject Thursday.

The drum beat for a later start at the high school began several years ago as parents cited studies that show the traditional early start is not conducive to teenage sleep patterns. Currently, school begins at 7:30 a.m. at Northampton High School, a time, some parents insist, when their teenagers are not fully awake.

Because the high school, middle school and elementary schools all start at different times and use a single bus system, changing the hours at the high school could affect the start times at the other schools as well. Officials also have to take into consideration the schedules of parents who have to arrange for pre-school or after-school care, the schedules for after-school sports and other activities and the schedules of high school students who work after school.

School Superintendent Brian Salzer presented two options his department has been weighing to 47 people who turned out for the forum at the high school library. One would create a separate bus system for the high school that would allow classes to begin at 8 a.m. The 7:55 a.m. start at the John F. Kennedy Middle School and the 8:50 a.m. start at the city’s four elementary schools would remain the same.

The major drawback to that plan, Salzer said, is money. The cost of purchasing five additional buses and hiring five additional drivers would exceed the proposed transportation costs for fiscal 2013 by $187,731, according to Salzer’s calculations. Salzer said Friday the only way he envisions coming up with the extra money is to cut faculty.

Salzer’s other proposal would change the schedules at all three school levels, but the transportation costs would remain within budget. Under that plan, the middle school day would begin at 7:45 a.m., elementary schools would start at 9:20 a.m. and the high school would begin at 8:30 a.m.

However, Salzer warned that these changes could affect high school students who take classes at Smith College and necessitate the hiring of additional faculty at the high school to accommodate those who would otherwise be at Smith. Parents of many elementary school students would have to arrange for before- and after-school care for their children because of the new schedule as well, he said.

Several people questioned Salzer about an alternative plan proposed by School Committee member Howard Moore that would allow the high school day to begin at 8:30 a.m. Salzer said his administration has yet to do a cost analysis of Moore’s proposal.

Smith College professor Andrew S. Zimbalist, who has two eighth grade children going into Northampton High School next year, said he was disappointed Salzer didn’t look into Moore’s plan.

“For one reason or another, I think it’s a delay strategy,” Zimbalist said.

Zimbalist disputed the notion that changing the high school schedule would have a negative impact on students who take classes at Smith. As a father, he concurs with the research about teenagers, sleep and school schedules.

“It’s a compelling change that has to be made,” he said.

Salzer said he defers to the research as well, but has to juggle other considerations, like the School Department budget. The easiest option, he said, would be to keep the schedules as they are.

“We have a very efficient and effective system,” he said. “Late time is far down on our list.”

Salzer hopes to hold additional forums every six weeks until September, when the School Committee will vote on a final plan.