The moose, whose weight and gender were unavailable, was killed on impact, while the motorist was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Noble Hospital in Westfield, said Massachusetts State Trooper Jason Sternfield.

BLANDFORD – An eastbound driver on the Massachusetts Turnpike struck and killed a moose at about 3:30 a.m. Monday, police said.

The driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Noble Hospital in Westfield, but the moose was killed on impact, said Massachusetts State Police Trooper Jason Sternfield.

The collision took place in the eastbound lane near the 24½-mile marker, located west of the Blandford service plaza between exits 2 and 3.

The car was seriously damaged and had to be towed from the scene, Sternfield said. Massachusetts Department of Transportation crews cleaned up the remains of the moose.

The weight and gender of the moose were unavailable. Sternfield said he could not recall the last time one of the animals was struck and killed by a driver on the turnpike.

THE MAP BELOW shows the approximate location of the Blandford service plaza on the Massachusetts Turnpike, where a moose was struck and killed by a motorist west of the rest stop early Monday morning:

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The town-vs.-gown confrontation reflects a trend across the nation as cities desperate for revenue try to get more money out of tax-exempt institutions such as universities and hospitals.

AP Photo/Stephan SavoiaFILE - In this Feb. 10, 2012 file photo, Tara Kane Prendergast, a senior from Colorado and one of 16 Brown University students advocating that their school needs to sacrifice financially to support the city of Providence, speaks at an informational protest on the Brown campus in Providence, RI. On May 1, 2012 Brown agreed to contribute $31.5 million to Providence over the next 11 years. U.S. cities, like Providence, are asking tax-exempt universities and hospitals to contribute more money help finance the municipalities' operating expenses.

DAVID KLEPPER, Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Wary of tax increases, weary of layoffs and determined to avoid bankruptcy, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras had only to gaze up at his city's Ivy League campus to see a way out of the morass.

On College Hill sits Brown University, with a $2.5 billion endowment and property worth an estimated $1 billion. Brown would pay the city $38 million in property taxes each year — more than enough to solve the city's budget problems— if only it wasn't tax exempt.

And so city officials and state lawmakers applied some pressure, and last week Brown agreed to contribute $31.5 million to Providence over the next 11 years. The money comes on top of nearly $4 million the university already voluntarily gives the city every year.

The town-vs.-gown confrontation reflects a trend across the nation as cities desperate for revenue try to get more money out of tax-exempt institutions such as universities and hospitals.

These institutions argue they already contribute to a city's economy and quality of life through jobs, economic activity and community services. But as cities grapple with deficits and cash-flow crunches, they are succeeding in getting nonprofits to pay up.

"It's about all of us trying to help the city and the state grow," Taveras said. "If we want to see Rhode Island succeed, we will never get there without Brown."

David Thompson, vice president of public policy at the National Council of Nonprofits, wryly calls such agreements "mandatory volunteerism."

"It's 'We need money, you have money, and we're going to pressure you to do this unless you give us a voluntary payment,'" he said.

Baltimore officials, for example, threatened to tax hospital and university dorm beds before Johns Hopkins University and other tax-exempt institutions agreed to make contributions.

Boston, with one of the biggest concentrations of colleges, universities and research centers in the country, collects significant amounts of money from such institutions. Harvard, Boston University, Massachusetts General Hospital and several other institutions made $34 million in payments in lieu of taxes in 2010 in what the city says is the biggest such program in the nation.

In Lancaster, Pa., the city sends out letters every year asking nonprofit organizations to pay one-third of what would have been their tax bill. Lancaster General Hospital pays more than $1 million voluntarily, more than its taxes would have been, Mayor Rick Gray said.

"They said they feel they should be supportive of the community," he said. "We're certainly grateful."

Brown has enjoyed a tax exemption since colonial days but decided to kick in more money because it sees itself as a partner in Providence's economy and because it wants good relations with the city, said Brown University President Ruth Simmons.

"The idea that we have an endowment, a budget that will bear these kinds of costs is not correct," she said. Still, she said, it was obvious that this was "a time that requires we step up."

The use of payment-in-lieu-of-tax deals is on the rise. Such agreements have been carried out in at least 18 states since 2000, mostly in the Northeast, according to a study by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

City leaders say it is a matter of fairness to taxpayers. As universities and other tax-exempt organizations expand, they consume more city services while taking property off the tax rolls.

Syracuse, N.Y., Councilman Patrick Hogan said hospitals in his city have recently embarked on big expansions, as have Syracuse University and another college.

"They've gobbled up property that used to be taxable," he said. "That just moves the burden of paying for fire protection, police, garbage collection and everything else onto the remaining taxpayers. I'm just saying it's time for them to kick in a little more to support these services."

Hogan said the city may have to tax commuters if the nonprofits don't agree to pay more.

Cities have found other ways of generating money from tax-exempt organizations. Chicago, for instance, recently announced it would begin charging nonprofits a water fee.

Religious organizations and small charities are also tax-exempt, but there is little talk of targeting them for contributions. Going after churches is a political non-starter, and nonprofit community organizations don't have much money to offer.

Demanding payouts from higher education and health care providers presented pitfalls, too.

Providence couldn't afford to make adversaries of universities and health care providers — two growing sectors seen as the state's best hope for reversing years of rising unemployment and economic stagnation. Rhode Island's unemployment rate in March was 11.1 percent, or 3 percentage points higher than the nationwide level.

Brown had no legal obligation to contribute more but was facing significant political pressure in the Statehouse, where lawmakers were considering legislation that would authorize cities to require payments in lieu of taxes from tax-exempt institutions.

Simmons noted that Brown is one of the city's top employers. Students spend money in Providence businesses. Research discoveries spur economic development. The Ivy League school burnishes the city's national reputation. The mayor himself calls Brown "our major league franchise."

But "it is simply unfair to ask our residents and businesses to pay more and more in taxes each year, while preserving a 250-year-old special privilege for an organization with a $2.5 billion endowment," City Councilman John Igliozzi said in January, when he introduced a resolution calling on the state to remove Brown's blanket property tax exemption.

Taveras went with a softer approach, asking the city's largest tax-exempt institutions to help close a $22.5 million deficit that he warned put the city on the brink of bankruptcy.

Johnson & Wales University agreed to triple its annual voluntary payments to $958,000. A big health care provider decided to kick in $800,000 annually for three years.

Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox said Brown's help in staving off bankruptcy for Providence won't be forgotten.

"Brown does add value," he said with a smile on the day the deal was announced. "Today, it adds a little more value."

___

Associated Press Writer Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pa., contributed to this report.

The details were released in Woburn District Court as Christopher Piantedosi, 39, was arraigned on a murder charge in the death of Kristen Pulisciano, 38.

WOBURN, Mass. (AP) — The fatal stabbing of a Burlington woman was witnessed by a friend of the woman's teenage daughter who had been video chatting with the girl on an iPad, a prosecutor said Monday.

The details were released in Woburn District Court as Christopher Piantedosi, 39, was arraigned on a murder charge in the death of Kristen Pulisciano, 38.

Assistant District Attorney Nicole Allain said Piantedosi chased Pulisciano into their daughter's bedroom and stabbed her 34 times Thursday. The person the daughter had been video chatting with saw and heard parts of the attack, including Pulisciano pleading, "Chris, please stop, I love you," and Piantedosi saying, "You're going to die," Allain said.

Authorities say the couple had a longstanding relationship but were not living together at the time.

Their teenage daughter called 911.

Allain said Piantedosi had tried to commit suicide in the days before the attack.

Piantedosi was ordered held without bail. He is due back in court June 7 for a probable cause hearing.

Last year, Piantedosi was dubbed the "remorseful robber" after he returned cash and a GPS he had taken from a woman's cart at a grocery store in Plaistow, N.H.

Wilhite was convicted in the 2008 murder of Alberto L. Rodriguez.

Charles Wilhite

SPRINGFIELD -- No decision was issued Monday as to whether Charles L. Wilhite will get a new trial.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis is considering Wilhite’s request for a new trial, or to set aside the jury verdict. Wilhite was convicted of first degree murder in the fatal shooting of Alberto L. Rodriguez in 2008.

Velis in mid-April said he would have his decision by May 4 or May 7.

Judge C. Jeffery Kinder ruled that given the nature of the charge he did not believe it was appropriate to set bail.

File photo | The RepublicanRyan Welch was denied bail on Monday by Hampshire Superior Court judge C. Jeffery Kinder.

NORTHAMPTON -- A request for bail by the lawyer representing Ryan Welch, the man accused of killing Jessica Ann Pripstein of Easthampton during a Feb. 20 domestic argument was denied Monday afternoon in Hampshire Superior Court.

Judge C. Jeffery Kinder ruled that given the nature of the charge he did not believe it was appropriate to set bail. A request to set bail at $50,000 cash or a $500,000 personal surety was denied.

Welch will remain in custody at the Hampshire County House of Correction for the duration of his trial, Kinder said.

Welch's lawyer, Joseph Rudolf, in arguing for bail described Welch as someone who has battled much of his adult life with mental illness, in particular bouts of debilitating depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.

But, Rudolf said, Welch is not a flight risk. He said a recent psychological evaluation of Welch at Bridgewater State Hospital determined he should not be considered a danger to himself or others, and that prior to his arrest for killing Pripstein, he had never been known to be violent.

Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jeremy Bucci, the lead prosecutor, argued against granting the right to bail.

He cited Welch's decision within two minutes of allegedly killing Pripstein to barricade himself in her apartment and attempt suicide demonstrates he was willing "to take extraordinary measures to avoid prosecution already."

Welch, dressed in a dark suit, stood silently and with his hands cuffed during the entire proceedings. After conferring quietly with Rudolf, he was led out of the courtroom.

He is due back in court on Aug. 3 for a pre-trial hearing.

Welch is charged with killing Pripstein, his girlfriend, with a "sharp force injury to the neck" as they fought inside her Ward Avenue apartment.

Police received a call just after midnight from Pripstein, who told dispatchers that "my boyfriend is attempting to kill me," according to the state police statement. During the conversation, Pripstein could be heard yelling, “Oh my God” and “Oh my God, please” before the call was cut off, according to the statement.

Pripstein, 39, was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor, but fire officials determined she was dead, according to the statement.

Welch was found alive inside the apartment, but bleeding heavily from an extensive neck laceration from the suicide attempt.

Welch told police that he had returned to Pripstein’s apartment and found her on the bathroom floor and then decided to slit his own throat, according to the probable cause statement.

Pripstein was a licensed aesthetician and worked at Liora Gabrielle European Skin Care in Northampton. She also worked off and on as a waitress at Adamo's Pizza in Easthamtpon.

Welch, before he lost his job, worked as a delivery driver for Adamo's, and that was how he and Pripstein met, Rudolf said.

The man, identified as 24-year-old Jaylu Laboy of 31 Nye Street, jumped into the river after evading two city police officers who were reporting to the scene of a possible breaking and entering.

Springfield Police Department photoJaylu Laboy

Updates a story posted at 1:19 p.m. Sunday.

SPRINGFIELD -- Springfield police are continuing to investigate an early Sunday morning foot chase that ended with a city man jumping into the Connecticut River and possibly drowning.

The man, identified as 24-year-old Jaylu Laboy of 31 Nye Street, jumped into the river after evading two city police officers who were reporting to the scene of a possible breaking and entering on Lowell Street, said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

Initial reports indicated that Laboy jumped from the North End Bridge.

Officers Angel Marrero and Orlando Acevedo were dispatched to 39 Lowell Street just before 4 a.m.

"Upon their arrival they were confronted by a shirtless male in the middle of the street in a fighting stance," Delaney said in a statement. "He was facing a male and female in a confrontation."

The officers exited the cruiser to calm the situation, Delaney said, but Laboy ran into the residence and then ran out the back door.

Marrero caught up with Laboy in the parking lot near 101 Lowell Street and tackled him to the ground. As Marrero when trying to call for backup, Laboy put his hand into the officer's mouth "and attempted to rip his mouth sideways," according to Delaney.

Laboy broke free when Marrero was finally able to call for help.

Springfield Fire DepartmentSPRINGFIELD -- Springfield firefighters search for man who jumped off the North End Bridge Sunday morning.

The officers then chased Laboy to Riverside Road and along the Connecticut River.

“The officers kept [Laboy] in sight and observed him take some more clothes off and jump into the Connecticut River. The officers repeatedly called out to the suspect to return to shore. [...] The current was swift and the water extremely cold,” Delaney said.

The Springfield Fire Department was called to initiate a rescue; a four-hour search of the river did not turn up the Laboy.

Investigators fear he has drowned, Delaney said.

Witnesses stated that Laboy attempted to kick in the front and rear door. When he was not allowed entry, he broke into the home through a side window, Delaney said.

Laboy's girlfriend told the officers that Laboy had been with her during the day and had been drinking, according to Delaney. She stated that the incident took place after she left the area to pick up a child.

The investigation is continuing and charges are pending against Laboy.

The Agawam and West Springfield police departments were notified of the incident.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Springfield Police Department's Detective Bureau at 413-787-6355

The ceremony concluded with the ringing of the county's Paul Revere bell, one of two existing bells cast at the Paul Revere foundry.

NORTHAMPTON – A line-up of local politicians did everything but sing “Happy Birthday” Monday as Hampshire County celebrated the 350th anniversary of its founding.

Mayors, councilors, state legislators and Hampshire County Sheriff Robert J. Garvey all took turns praising the third-oldest county in Massachusetts on the steps of the 1886 county courthouse as a crowd applauded from below. In a brief history lesson, Hampshire Council of Governments chairman William R. Barnett explained that Hampshire County was created in 1662 and originally comprised all of what are now Hampden, Franklin and Berkshire counties and some of Worcester county.

In the beginning, Barnett said, the county consisted only of Northampton, Hadley and Springfield, which was then called Agawam. The county seat was first located in Springfield.

“They realized Northampton was the better choice,” Barnett said.

Some of the praise for Hampshire County came at the expense of the other counties, which broke away from 1761 to 1812. State Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, drew some tongue-in-cheek boos when he was announced as a Hampden County senator.

“You blazed this trail we’re still trying to followed,” Knapik said.

Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan said Hampshire County should be proud of having strong leaders and “the wisdom to get rid of the riff-raff,” counting off Worcester, Hampden and the other break-away counties.

Mayor David J. Narkewicz, state Rep. Peter V. Kocot, D-Northampton, and Garvey all read proclamations naming Monday “Hampshire County Day.”

Kerry Buckley, the Executive Director of Historic Northampton, told the crowd that the county is one of the earliest systems of government, dating back to the pre-Norman shires of England. Buckley cited some of the dark moments in Hampshire County’s history, such as witchcraft persecutions and the hanging of Irish immigrants James Halligan and Domenic Daley. He noted, however, that the county was also in the forefront of such causes as the Revolutionary War and abolition.

The ceremony concluded with the ringing of the county’s Paul Revere bell, one of two existing bells cast at the Paul Revere foundry. Plans have not yet been formalized for other 350th events this year. Historic documents and art works will be auctioned at Arts Night Out events in Northampton in the coming months, with proceeds going towards the renovation of the courthouse, which is expected to cost about $4 million.

Self-driving vehicle technology works like auto-pilot to guide a car with little or no intervention from a human operator.

AP Photo/Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles In this undated handout from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, a screen capture of what a driverless car sees is shown. Nevada drivers could soon be sharing the road with self-driven cars as officials with the state's Department of Motor Vehicles say they have issued Google the nation’s first license to test self-driving cars on public streets.

CARSON CITY, Nev.— Nevada drivers could soon be sharing the road with vehicles that don't need them.

Department of Motor Vehicles officials say they've issued Google the nation's first license to test self-driving cars on public streets.

Nevada officials said Monday that demonstrations on the Las Vegas Strip and in Carson City helped show that the tech company was ready to move the autonomous autos into the next stage of development.

Self-driving vehicle technology works like auto-pilot to guide a car — in this case a modified Prius — with little or no intervention from a human operator.

Nevada's regulations require two people in the test cars at all times.

A DMV official says the cars will display red plates and an infinity symbol to represent their status as vehicles of the future.

Obama releases a new TV ad entitled "Go" as polls show the presidential race tightening.

AP PhotosAs the presidential race tightens, President Obama will spend $25 million this month on advertising.

President Obama’s reelection campaign announced Monday that it will spend $25 million in advertising this month, which will include airing a new television ad in nine key states.

The minute-long ad, entitled “Go,” portrays Obama as a president who inherited a desolate economy – with rising unemployment and foreclosures – and has started to turn it around.

“Some said our best days were behind us,” the narrator states, over a shot of a Tea Party rally. “But not him.”

“He believed in us. Fought for us,” the narrator says, over pictures of American workers. The ad goes on to detail Obama’s major accomplishments: bailing out the U.S. auto industry, killing Osama bin Laden, bringing troops home from Iraq and creating jobs.

The ad also reflects the fine line the Democratic president must walk between touting his accomplishments and acknowledging that many Americans are still struggling financially. “We’re not there yet… it’s still too hard for too many,” the ad states. “But we’re coming back.”

The ad will air in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, Iowa, North Carolina, Florida and Colorado. Obama senior adviser David Axelrod told reporters today that the campaign will spend $25 million on ads this month.

Amanda Henneberg, campaign spokeswoman for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, said, “Americans will hear a lot from President Obama in the coming months, but what they won’t hear from him is the fact that his policies have wreaked havoc on the middle class. After a doubling of gas prices, declining incomes, millions of foreclosures and record levels of unemployment, Americans know they’re not better off than they were four years ago.”

The new advertising comes as polls find the presidential race tightening. A national poll by Politico and George Washington University found Romney and Obama in a dead heat, with Romney edging Obama 48 percent to 47 percent, within the poll’s margin of error.

Romney opened up a 10-point lead among independent voters – a vital constituency in the 2012 election. The poll found that voters thought Obama would do a better job on foreign policy and standing up for the middle class, but were split on which candidate would do a better job dealing with jobs and the economy. The poll of 1,000 likely voters was conducted April 29-May 3 and has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

A poll by USA Today also found Obama and Romney essentially tied – with Obama at 47 percent and Romney at 45 percent – in a dozen key swing states.

For the first time since the fall, Democrats said they were more enthusiastic about voting than Republicans. The poll found that voters overwhelmingly see Obama as more likeable than Romney, but see Romney as equally capable of managing the government and slightly better able to handle the economy. The poll of 951 voters was conducted April 26-May 2 and has a margin of error of 4 percent.

U.S. officials say the plot involved an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Christmas 2009.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The Associated Press has learned the CIA thwarted a plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

U.S. officials say the plot involved an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Christmas 2009. This new bomb was also built to be used in a passenger's underwear but contained a more refined detonation system.

The would-be suicide bomber was told to buy a ticket on the airliner of his choosing and decide the timing of the attack. It's not immediately clear what happened to the would-be bomber.

The U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive case.

Springfield police are looking for the public's assistance in identifying a man seen in surveillance footage attacking a woman and her child on Friday night outside the Ben Tahn Market, 455 Belmont Ave. Watch video

Springfield police photoA screen capture from surveillance footage shows an unidentified man approaching a woman and her child, seconds before attacking them outside a Belmont Avenue store. Police are seeking public assistance in identifying the man.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police are looking for the public's assistance in identifying a man seen in surveillance footage attacking a woman and her child on Friday night outside the Ben Tahn Market, 455 Belmont Ave.

The attacker was described as wearing a dark-colored jacket over a white T-shirt. He was also wearing white sneakers, a dark baseball cap and jeans with white embroidering on the rear pockets, said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet.

The woman told police she was getting her daughter out of her car in front of the market at about 8:30 p.m. when a man approached them. While parking the car, she had seen the same man walk past them slowly and look at them, Delaney said.

The man demanded she hand over her purse, but the woman turned and ran, leaving her 4-year-old daughter with their attacker.

Delaney said the woman told police she was afraid for their safety but reasoned if she fled down Belmont Avenue with her purse, the attacker would follow her and leave her daughter alone.

The video shows the attacker briefly grabbing the little girl by the arm

Delaney said the mother circled back toward the store and the robber caught up to her at the front door as she tried to get help.

During a brief struggle during with the woman was pinned against the doorway by the door, the robber apparently stabbed her in the neck, Delaney said. The woman suffered a small puncture wound, which Delaney described as the result of being nicked with a knife.

The robber was eventually chased off by two teens who witnessed the attack.

Springfield police are investigating the attack.

People with information are asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to “CRIMES,” or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE."

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An East Haven, Conn. man accused of kidnapping a woman last weekend has racked up 55 convictions, including 15 felonies, according to court officials.

AP PhotoTwo vehicles involved in a crash sit still in Bolton, Vt., Monday, May 7, 2012. Both southbound lanes of Interstate 89 were closed after an accident involving a car and a pick up truck killed three people. (AP Photo/Burlington Free Press, Emily McManamy)

• Jose Canseco joins Worcester Tornadoes [Boston Herald]


• New Haven kidnapping suspect has 55 convictions, officials say [Hartford Courant]


• Foxborough voters cast ballots in selectmen's race that could affect $1b gambling resort plan [Boston Globe]


• Gas is 20 cents cheaper than last year [CBS 3 Springfield]


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Investors worried that the shifting political landscape in Europe could undermine the region's long battle to keep its shared currency intact and restore the faith of global investors.

By PALLAVI GOGOI | AP Business Writer

Associated PressA woman passes in front of chart with the stock prices at the Greek Stock Exchange in Athens, Monday, May 7, 2012. Financial markets will likely stumble this week after elections in Greece and France cast a pall of uncertainty over Europe's efforts to solve its debt crisis. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

NEW YORK — Stock markets recovered around the world following an early stumble caused by election results in France and Greece that appeared to jeopardize Europe's plans for fighting its debt crisis.

Greek voters over the weekend punished mainstream politicians who had backed cost-cutting plans demanded by the country's international lenders, leaving the country without clear leadership. In France President Nicolas Sarkozy was thrown out in favor of Socialist Francois Hollande, who pledged "to finish with austerity."

Investors on Monday worried that the shifting political landscape in Europe could undermine the region's long battle to keep its shared currency intact and restore the faith of global investors. European markets slumped early on, but closed higher after worries about the political changes dissipated and investors focused on Hollande's pledges to encourage economic growth.

Investors were also relieved after Spain announced a plan to present measures this week to support the country's ailing banks. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he would not rule out lending or injecting public money into the country's financial system.

Stocks rose sharply in Spain, ending up 2.7 percent. France's main index gained 1.7 percent. The euro also recovered ground it lost against the dollar.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average fell as much as 68 points in early trading, but recouped its losses and even gained 10 points by the afternoon. The Dow finished the day down 29.74 points, or 0.2 percent, at 13,008.53.

The Standard & Poor's 500 also started the day lower but ended up 0.48 points at 1,369.58. The Nasdaq composite index rose 1.4 points to 2,957.76.

The election results in Europe showed that voters were rejecting the extreme belt-tightening required by international bailouts and favored by Germany's leadership.

Investors are waiting hear the newly-elected leaders articulate their visions for how to deal with the euro zone's debt crisis, which is why there is a muted reaction from stock markets, according Kim Caughey-Forrest, equity research analyst at investment firm Fox Pitt Capital Group.

"There is no reason to cry until you get hurt," said Caughey-Forrest.

The verdict from European voters will likely force leaders there to go back to the table and come up with more acceptable solutions to the debt crisis that has plagued many nations. The deep cuts in government spending have already worsened the situation in many countries, leading them into deeper economic distress and increasing already high unemployment.

Many believe the austerity programs are necessary to keep bond investors from panicking about the possibility that more European nations will default or require bailouts.

However, a growing number of politicians, like France's Hollande, say the cuts have been too much, too fast. They say the region's economy can't return to growth unless governments stop tightening the fiscal noose and start spending again to create demand. Some economists also now believe that the cuts have to be accompanied by some government economic stimulus to promote growth.

"We are going to hear a more balanced prescription coming out of the European leadership," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at insurer Prudential Financial. "The elections were a strong message for pro-austerity leaders from the people."

Initially, traders also bought up ultra-safe Treasurys overnight when stock markets in Europe were falling. That pushed the yield on the 10-year note as low as 1.83 percent early Monday morning, a level it hadn't reached since early February. However, the yield rebounded to 1.88 percent in late trading, the same level it was at late Friday.

Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei index plunged 2.8 percent to its lowest finish in three months. In addition to Europe's elections, it was also the first time for investors in Asia to react to a weak jobs report Friday in the U.S. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index slid 2.6 percent.

Among U.S. stocks that made big moves:

• Disney rose 2 percent after its movie "The Avengers" pulled in $80.5 million in its domestic debut Friday, the second-best haul ever on opening day. The movie was made by Disney's Marvel Studios unit and is based on Marvel Comics heroes.

• Cognizant Technology Solutions plunged 19 percent after the information technology services provider lowered its forecast for the full year on low demand, echoing the bleak outlook from other rivals due to uncertainty in the global economy.

• Meat products maker Tyson Foods rose over 3 percent after reporting an increase in its second-quarter profit on higher beef and chicken prices.

• Frontier Communications fell 7 percent after the regional telecommunications provider said it was losing residential and business customers. The company had bought rural landlines from Verizon Communications two years ago, which led to several quarters of growth last year.

Under the contract, ConEdison Solutions will pay the difference between the projected savings and actually energy costs, if any.

Northampton City Hall has new energy-efficient windows.

NORTHAMPTON — After being boarded up for several weeks, the windows at City Hall are letting the sunshine in, and with that sun will come energy savings.

The replacement of City Hall’s 42 drafty windows with energy-efficient models marks the end of a $6.5 million project that aims to make back that investment and more in the coming years. The City Council borrowed the money in 2010 to make capital improvements in dozens of municipal building that will save the city money on water, electricity and heat.

Central Services Director David Pomerantz said planning for the project goes back as far as 2008, when Northampton put out a request for proposals to help it save on its energy costs. In 2010, the city signed a contract with ConEdison Solutions, which had audited 35 municipal buildings and come up with a list of 225 conservation measures. The city settled on 160 of those. They involve upgrades or replacements of heating systems, new insulation, and energy efficient windows and doors.

Under the contract, ConEdison Solutions will pay the difference between the projected savings and actually energy costs, if any. City officials are confident that the savings will more than pay for the cost of the upgrades, however. In fact, Pomerantz estimates that the city will pay off the bond after six or seven years and be able to roll future savings back into the budget.

According to Pomerantz, the City Hall windows cost about $163,000. They are being installed by New England Glass and Mirror, which started that project in the middle of April and expects to complete it by the end of May. It is the last piece of the construction phase of the larger energy-saving project.

Welch will remain in custody at the Hampshire County House of Correction for the duration of his trial.

File photo | The RepublicanRyan Welch

This is an update to a story that was originally posted at 3:28 p.m. Monday

NORTHAMPTON — A request for bail by the lawyer representing Ryan Welch, the man accused of killing Jessica Ann Pripstein of Easthampton during a Feb. 20 domestic argument was denied Monday afternoon in Hampshire Superior Court.

Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder ruled that given the nature of the charge he did not believe it was appropriate to set bail. A request to set bail at $50,000 cash or a $500,000 personal surety was denied.

Welch will remain in custody at the Hampshire County House of Correction for the duration of his trial, Kinder said.

Welch’s lawyer, Joseph Rudof, in arguing for bail described Welch as someone who has battled much of his adult life with mental illness, in particular bouts of debilitating depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, and that he was in a “downward spiral” in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 20 incident.

But, Rudof said, Welch is not a flight risk. He said a recent psychological evaluation of Welch at Bridgewater State Hospital determined he should not be considered a danger to himself or others, and that prior to his arrest for killing Pripstein, he had never been known to be violent.

Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jeremy Bucci, the lead prosecutor, argued against granting the right to bail, citing the violent nature of the crime, that his family lives out of state, and if convicted he is facing life in prison without parole. He said Welch is an extreme flight risk.

He also noted that Welch’s decision within two minutes of allegedly killing Pripstein to barricade himself in her apartment and attempt suicide demonstrates he was willing “to take extraordinary measures to avoid prosecution already.”

Welch, dressed in a dark suit, stood silently and with his hands cuffed during the entire proceedings. After conferring quietly with Rudof, he was led out of the courtroom.

He is due back in court on Aug. 3 for a pre-trial hearing.

Welch is charged with killing Pripstein, his girlfriend, with what had been described as “a sharp force injury to the neck” as they fought inside her Ward Avenue apartment.

Documents released in court Monday revealed for the first time to the public that Pripstein died of a single knife wound across her throat that severed both juglar veins, her trachea, esophagus and left carotid artery.

Submitted photoJessica Pripstein

Pripstein, 39, was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor, but fire officials determined she was dead, according to the statement.

Welch was found alive inside a bedroom, but bleeding heavily from an extensive neck laceration from the suicide attempt.

Welch told police that he had returned to Pripstein’s apartment and found her on the bathroom floor and then decided to slit his own throat, according to the probable cause statement.

Pripstein was a licensed aesthetician and worked at Liora Gabrielle European Skin Care in Northampton. She also worked off and on as a waitress at Adamo’s Pizza in Easthampton.

Welch, before he lost his job, had worked as a delivery driver for Adamo’s, and that was how he and Pripstein met, Rudof said.
Ryan Welch Statement of Case 57

The successful candidate must receive at least 7 council votes to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Peter Miller.

WESTFIELD – The City Council plans to fill its vacant Ward 3 seat during its regular meeting May 17.

Christopher Keefe

Council President Christopher Keefe has scheduled a special council session May 14 to consider nominations for the post that became vacant April 30 with the resignation of Peter J. Miller.

“The (city) Charter allows us 15 days from receipt of a resignation to select a successor,” Keefe said. “This is an appropriate way to fill that vacancy,” he said.

Ward 3 residents interested in filling the vacancy should contact City Council members requesting nomination, Keefe said.

Nominations will be made during the special May 14 meeting that begins at 6 p.m. The council will then vote on those nominations at the May 17 regular council meeting.

Keefe said the successful candidate must receive at least seven council votes.

Peter Miller

Miller was first elected to the council in 2003, and he was unopposed in his last three bids for re-election. He is employed as chief of staff to state Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, a position he has held for the past 13 years. He cited family, job and school responsibilities in his letter of resignation, officially received by the full City Council Thursday night.

Miller has enrolled at Westfield State University in pursuit of a masters degree in public administration. He holds a bachelor degree in the field from Holy Cross, graduating in 1998.

“It just became a little too much,” Miller said of his resignation. “It is best to do it quick and the timing is right. This will give the City Council time to find a replacement in time for the Fiscal 2013 municipal budget debates.”

The fee is assessed to help finance city efforts to monitor and control storm water issues.

WESTFIELD — The City Council has launched a review of storm water management and fees adopted in response to a federal mandate two years ago.

The review is headed by the council’s Legislative and Ordinance Committee and will determine if changes in both regulations and fee structure are warranted.

James E. Brown Jr.

Ward 2 Councilor James E. Brown Jr., who opposed adoption of the regulations, said he continues to question the feasibility of the measure.

Also, Councilor John J. Beltrandi III questions several aspects of the fee structure and regulation, specifically new state regulations that require new residential subdivisions to establish storm water controls as well as management and treatment of storm water required at industrial sites.

“How can we, as a city, also charge these people an annual assessment on storm water discharge when they are maintaining onsite controls,” Beltrandi questioned.

Brown said he plans to schedule a May 7 meeting on the issue and will ask city officials including engineering and public works to assist in the review.

“There are many questions and Legislative and Ordinance will take a hard look at the storm water fee assessed to residents and businesses. I voted against the fee originally and I am still not convinced that it is right,” Brown said.

The fee structure was adopted in May 2010 in an effort to help finance a new storm water management division within the Department of Public Works. The new municipal agency is the result of federal mandates requiring the city to monitor storm water that enters area rivers and maintain the city’s collection system.

Homeowners are assessed $20 annually and businesses between $100 and $640 annual, depending on the size of building and paved parking lots.

Polymer Corp.'s chief operating officer said a "sizable portion" of his workforce comes from Palmer.

PALMER — The Town Council gave the OK for the town manager to authorize a tax increment financing agreement for 10 years with Polymer Corp., a manufacturer that plans to move into the Palmer Industrial Park on Third Street in Bondsville.

The tax break was approved at last week's council meeting, and is subject to approval by the state Economic Assistance Coordinating Council.

Polymer, which now operates on Palmer Road in Monson, performs injection molding and manufactures synthetic gunstocks and recoil pads as well as other components and accessories for firearms applications.

James F. Ryan, Polymer's chief operating officer, said he is excited to move the Monson location to Palmer. He said the business had been looking for some time for a suitable facility.

He said a "sizable portion" of his workforce comes from Palmer. There are 78 employees, but Ryan said the company hopes to grow to 100 workers with the move. He also spoke about working with Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School students.

Polymer plans to make $1 million in improvements to the 85,000-square-foot building. The building's current assessed valuation is $1.5 million, which results in $26,369.70 in annual property taxes for the town.

The tax increment financing exemption takes effect July 1, 2012 (the start of fiscal year 2013) and ends June 30, 2023. The renovations are the target of the exemption. The first two years, there will be a 100 percent tax break on the renovation. That goes down to 60 percent in the third year, 40 percent in the fourth year, 20 percent in the fifth year, and 10 percent in the last five years.

According to information provided by Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard, the town stands to gain $127,501 in extra tax revenue over the 10-year period even with the tax break. The Bondsville Fire and Water District also needs to approve the agreement at its upcoming annual meeting.

Blanchard said he thinks it's terrific the company is relocating to Palmer.

"They have a broad range of products. They have good paying jobs," Blanchard said.

"Thanks for investing in our community," District 4 Town Councilor Donald Blais said.

The agreement is between the town, Polymer, and Manchem LLC, which is leasing the property to Polymer.

Kenneth P. Vicunas, who is affiliated with Manchem, said Polymer will be moving a lot of equipment and employees to Palmer, and described it as a "win-win" for all involved. He said the move should take place over the summer, with the company settled in its new location by September.

The building Polymer is moving into was built in 1991 and is used for warehousing. As Polymer will be using only 58,000-square-feet of the building, the other tenants should still have enough space for their operations, he said.

Cynthia Brace's husband claims her death was unnecessary, the result of poor care by jail staffers who placed her in an isolation unit and forced her to withdraw from alcohol and drugs.

SPRINGFIELD — Former prisoners, medical personnel and top administrators at the Hampden County Correctional Center are expected to testify this week during a trial in a lawsuit filed by the husband of a Holyoke woman who died while withdrawing from alcohol and drugs in 2005.

Holyoke Police Dept.Cynthia Brace

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, asserts that negligence by jail staffers caused the death of Cynthia Brace, 41, on Aug. 20, 2005, one day after she was sent to the Ludlow facility after her arrest on drug charges.

Brace’s husband, Cecil, claims his wife’s death was unnecessary, the result of poor care by jail staffers who placed her in an isolation unit and forced her to withdraw from alcohol and drugs.

Defense lawyers maintain that Brace died of natural causes and deny that jail employees contributed to it.

Judge Michael A. Ponsor is presiding over the trial; following opening arguments, jurors were taken by bus to view the Ludlow jail Monday afternoon.

Testimony resumes Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Brace was arrested on Aug. 18, 2005, by Holyoke police and held overnight for arraignment the next day in Holyoke District Court. She arrived at the jail around 5:30 p.m. that afternoon, and was pronounced dead at 12:32 p.m. the next day.

Brace, her husband and two sons had been living with an elderly man in his Memorial Avenue home, but left after the man filed a trespass complaint. Police seized syringes, tourniquets and crack pipes, along with stolen evidence, after searching the home.

They said the Brace family had effectively taken over the elderly man’s home, borrowing large amounts of money and convincing him to move into the basement.

The allegations attracted media coverage, as did Cynthia Brace’s arrest on Aug. 18. Two days later, Brace was pronounced dead after being taken to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance.

Ponsor told jurors the trial is expected to last less than two weeks.

The organization is calling upon elders in the gay community to tell their stories of the days when tolerance was not to be found.

The Republican file photo | Michael BeswickBet Power keeps the Sexual Minorities Archives in his Northampton home.

NORTHAMPTON — In an area where gay marriage is legal and Pride Day has become a celebration of gay lifestyles, an organization is calling upon the elders in the gay community to tell their stories of the days when such tolerance was not to be found.

The Sexual Minorities Archives is conducting oral history interviews with gay people ages 55 and older in an effort to preserve their stories for posterity. The initiative coincides with another project called “Trans Stories: Breaking the Silence,” that will document the experiences of people in the transgender community.

Bet Power, the director and curator of the Sexual Minorities Archives, said “LGBT Elders Speak Out” is still looking for older gays who are willing to talk about their trials and tribulations. Participants may specify what degree of privacy or accessibility they wish. The interviews will be conducted either at Power’s home or the homes of the subjects by student interns from Hampshire College.

“People over 55 have stories that go back to organizing groups in the '60’s and '70’s,” Power said. Some of those organizations don’t even exist anymore.”

Power, 62, can easily recall the days when same-sex couples could not legally marry. He has been involved with the archives since 1974, when he was coming out as a lesbian in Chicago. Power now identifies as a man. Although the archives are currently stored in his Northampton home, Power has established the non-profit Sexual Minorities Educational Foundation, which is trying to raise $500,000 to buy a building in Northampton that can be a permanent home for the archives.

Among the subjects already scheduled to be interviewed are John A. Sielski and L. James Dozmati, the long-time owners of the Green Street Café, which closed in January. The couple met in New York City and opened the café 20 years ago.

“That’s an important piece of Northampton history to get their stories in videotape,” Power said.

As a bonus, participants will receive transcripts of their interviews along with copies of the videotapes. For more information, call Power at (413) 584-7616 or email sexualminorities.archives@yahoo.com.