Police are trying to determine what Valvo was doing just before her death.

Republican file photo

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Police here have identified the body of a woman found Wednesday under a pier in Waterfront Park as 29-year-old Katie Valvo of Otis.

The Norwich Bulletin is reporting the state medical examiner has tentatively determined the death was accidental but additional testing is required. Toxicology tests will take weeks.

The Sun of New London reported that Valvo's body was found at about 7:45 a.m. Wednesday when someone walked into the police station to report it.

Police are trying to determine what Valvo was doing just before her death. The case remains under investigation.


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During its meeting, the board also approved a waiver of site plan review for two new business that will open shortly in the Harkness Avenue plaza.

EAST LONGMEADOW- Planning Board members are working on a proposed body art establishment bylaw, which would allow tattoo shops in town.

Board Chairman George Kingston said the state requires cities and towns to allow body art establishments as long as they are operating legally.

Recently Melvin Lockett, owner of Fabulous Ink Tattoos in Springfield, met with the board to discuss the possibility of opening a shop on Prospect Street.

Planning Board Director Robyn Macdonald said she has received many calls from residents that are concerned about having a tattoo shop near their homes.

Board member Ralph Page said he would like to see the establishments placed under special permit in order to give residents an opportunity to express their concerns in a public hearing.

Macdonald said often times special permit hearings cause more problems because residents come and voice their opinions, but the special permits are still granted.

"In some cases if it is an allowed use we have to grant the permit even if people are unhappy with it," she said.

Kingston said the Board of Health will deal directly with the business as they will have to issue licenses and make sure they business is operating properly and in a sanitary manner, he said.

He suggested that the business be allowed only in the business zone and it must be 1000 feet from any school or church.

This would limit the possibility of opening a business in town to the end of North Main Street near the Springfield line or near Westwood Ave.

Member Sandro Meccia said he is concerned that the 1000 feet restriction would severely limit where a shop could be opened.

"We have to give them choices," he said.

The board plans continue the discussion during its July 17 meeting.

Once a bylaw is created it would have to go before Town Meeting for approval.

During its meeting the board also approved a waiver of site plan review for two new business that will open shortly in the Harkness Avenue plaza.

The board approved site plans for The Beer Shop, owned by Richard Caudill. The shop was described as a high-end beer and wine shop which will also sell specialty cheeses and beer and wine related products.

The board also approved a site plan review for Classic Couture Designer Boutique, owned by Crystal Dukes. The shop will sell designer women's clothing.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 67 points to close just below 12,641.

Photo by Richard Drew / Associated PressTrader Edward Radziewicz works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday. Bank stocks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America rebounded one day after they experienced ratings cuts.

By MATTHEW CRAFT

NEW YORK – The stock market bounced back Friday, a day after suffering its second-worst loss this year. Bank stocks had some of the biggest gains even though many of them had their credit ratings cut the day before.

JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and other big lenders posted solid gains. Banking analysts said the downgrades from Moody’s Investor Service late Thursday had been expected for months and removed uncertainty that had been weighing on banks.

“It’s been like a cloud over the sector,” said Brian Gendreau, market strategist with the broker Cetera Financial. “And look at who’s going up: bank stocks. There are obviously some people who thought it would be much worse.”

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 67.21 to close at 12,640.78. Bank of America gained 1.5 percent, or 12 cents, to $7.94, one of the best showings of the 30 stocks in the Dow.

In a note to clients, analysts at the investment bank Keefe Bruyette & Woods called Morgan Stanley “the clear winner.” Some analysts had expected Moody’s to lower Morgan Stanley’s rating by three notches, instead of the two-notch cut it received.

Bank stocks rose across the board. Morgan Stanley rose 18 cents to $14.14. JPMorgan Chase climbed 48 cents to $35.99.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 9.51 points to 1,335.02 and the Nasdaq composite index climbed 33.33 points to 2,892.42. The gains turned the Nasdaq positive for the week.

Information technology stocks had the strongest gains of the 10 industry groups tracked by the S&P 500 index, followed by health care stocks and banks. The gains were small but widespread. All 10 sectors rose. Of the 30 stocks in the Dow, just two fell.

The Dow and S&P 500 finished the week lower, their first week of losses since June 1. The biggest drop of the week came Thursday, when a trio of weak manufacturing reports stirred fears about the global economy. The Dow lost 251 points, its second-steepest fall this year. The worst was June 1, after a dismal U.S. jobs report rattled markets.

Even with two days of deep losses, the S&P 500 is still up 1.9 percent this month. To Gendreau, it looks like investors have been overreacting to recent economic reports. “The market is getting jerked around,” he said. “The economic data point to a softening economy, but we’ve had a softening economy for three years now.”

Among other stocks making big moves:

• Facebook surged 3.8 percent, rising $1.21 to $33.05. A Nomura analyst started covering the social-networking company with a price target of $40 and a “buy” recommendation. Brian Nowak said Facebook could make more money through charging companies for pages. He also thinks the stock looks cheap in comparison to what investors paid for Google at the same age.

• Truck leasing company Ryder System plunged 13 percent, the worst decline in the S&P 500 index. The Miami-based company cut its earnings forecast for the second quarter and full year, blaming weak demand for commercial truck rentals and unusually high costs for medical benefits. The stock lost $5.31 to $35.44.

• The cruise ship operator Carnival Corp. dropped 2.7 percent after reporting a 92 percent plunge in quarterly profits, largely a result of losses on derivative fuel contracts. The company’s brands include the Costa line of cruise ships, whose Concordia capsized off the Italian coast in January. Carnival’s stock lost 92 cents to $33.66.

Netflix petitioned to have the suit dismissed, but Judge Michael Ponsor rejected the petition, which allows the suit to proceed.

SPRINGFIELD - A local hearing impaired man’s lawsuit against on-line movie giant Netflix is successfully moving through a local federal court, after a judge this week refused to dismiss the case.

Lee Nettles, of Greenfield, last year filed a civil rights complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a member of the National Association of the Deaf and an officials of the Western Massachusetts Association of the Deaf.

The lawsuit argues Netflix has discriminated against the hearing impaired by not providing closed captioning for its full complement of “Watch Instantly” video streaming options on its Web site. The plaintiffs are seeking to require the company to provide closed captioning for all of its Watch Instantly content.

Netflix recently petitioned U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to dismiss the lawsuit on a number of grounds including that an on-line service does not fall under the purview of the ADA. In a 31-page ruling, Ponsor rejected this and other arguments.

“Defendant disputes that a web site in general, and Watch Instantly in particular, can be a place of public accommodation .¤.¤. According to plaintiffs, (Netflix) is a business that provides a subscription service of internet-based streaming video through the Watch Instantly web site and, as such, is analogous to brick-and-mortar store or other venue that provides similar services, such as a video rental store,” Ponsor’s ruling states, which also support the plaintiffs’ analogy.

The lawsuit was murky as it was filed in the midst of Congress’ clarification of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility, passed in 2010; however, the regulations did not go into effect until January of 2011. The act essentially serves to refit disabled rights to communications in a vastly changing technological world.

“Plaintiffs argue that only a small portion of the titles available on Watch Instantly. Plaintiffs further allege that other Netflix services are also not accessible to deaf and hard of hearing individuals,” the ruling reads.

Netflix was established in 1997, starting its subscription-based digital distribution service. A decade later, it was offering 100,000 titles on DVD, according to industry reports and had surpassed 10 million subscribers.

On February 25, 2007, Netflix announced the billionth DVD delivery and four years later announced 23.6 million subscribers in the United States and over 26 million worldwide. Meanwhile, legions of freestanding rental stores like Block Buster and other chains have closed.

The city regularly budgets $400,000 for snow and ice removal opertations.

WESTFIELD – The October snowstorm and two later storms depleted the city’s snow and ice removal accounts, leaving the city with nearly $840,000 in deficit.

As a result, Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has asked the City Council to consider using surplus funds from a variety of city departments to offset that cost.

“Normally we budget $400,000 annually for snow and ice removal but that was more than gone before winter actually started,” Department of Public Works Director James M. Mulvenna said Friday.

“After the October storm and two in January the department piled up nearly $1.4 million in expenses,” Mulvenna said.

Most of the expenses came from brush and debris removal which the city oversaw on its own cleanup using municipal crews and private contractors from throughout the area. The city did not opt to join a Federal Emergency Management Agency program for that effort but is entitled to federal reimbursement for a portion of the cost.

Mulvenna said he is awaiting that reimbursement, “several hundred thousand dollars,” which will be deposited in the snow and ice account when received.

The city’s snow and ice account runs a deficit routinely and is the only municipal account allowed to do so by state law.

“Each year the mayor uses surplus funds from other departments or an appropriation from free cash to supplement the account,” Mulvenna said.

“It was an rather mild winter except for that early storm in October,” the director said.

The council is expected to act on the mayor’s request when it meets Wednesday to vote on the city’s proposed $126.1 million budget for fiscal 2013 which starts July 1.

Congressman Richard Neal announced earlier this week that the final $17 million in federal funding for rehabilitation of the old station had been secured.

SPRINGFIELD – The day is fast approaching, local boosters insist, when people will be waiting in Union Station and not waiting for Union Station.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Christopher J. Moskal, executive director of the Springfield Redevelopment Authority hosted a tour Friday afternoon of the station’s cavernous great hall waiting room. Neal, who has spearheaded projects to rehabilitate Union Station for 30 years starting as mayor, pointed out that one of the station’s two lunch counters still has its stools.

“And these great wooden benches,” Neal said, fallen plaster crunching underfoot. “I am so glad that these are going to be restored. There is a lot of nostalgia here. But it is a great project for our future, too.” Union Station was built in 1926 and closed in 1973. It has been owned by the city since 1988.

Another lunch counter is largely gone, but parts of several newsstands are still intact. At one time, Union Station also had a barbershop and an appliance store selling radios, televisions and washing machines.

Tuesday, Neal announced that the final $17 million in federal funding for the rehabilitation of Union Station has come through. That brings the total amount of money secured to $45 million, or enough to start renovation work by demolishing an unusable baggage warehouse on the Main Street side of the building this fall.

Construction will begin in March of 2013 and will wrap up sometime in late 2014. Plans call for the construction of a 200-space parking garage with 23 lower-level bus berths in place of the baggage building.

The Springfield Redevelopment Authority will also restore the interior and exterior of the station, and open up the tunnel leading under the tracks, Moskal said. There will be a new elevator leading from the tunnel to trackside.

Ticking for Amtrak, planned commuter rail and Peter Pan Bus Lines will be in the great hall along with limited retail. The Redevelopment Authority will also acquire a garage located across Frank B. Murray Street, demolish it, put in a surface parking lot and four additional bus berths.

A second phase of work at Union Station would involve rehabilitating the upper-floor office space and first-floor retail space on the Dwight Street side of the building.

Timothy W. Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, said moving forward with demolition this fall is meant to send a message to a skeptical public wearied by repeated delays to the project. “
. “That demolition will show that this project has some air under its wings and some momentum behind it, Bernnan said

There is a separate $78 million federal project to improve commuter passenger rail access from New Haven north through Springfield to Vermont. Rail planners are also studying increased east-west rail service to Boston through Worcester.

“This is going to be a hub for Southern New England,” Brennan said. “It is the same focus we have had all along: to connect is to compete effectively.”

Brennan cited recent studies that show that Baby Boomers and young professionals in their 20s are gravitating toward areas served by mass transit and away from areas where they need to depend on a car.

In some minds, Union Station’s future is tied to a proposal for a casino nearby at the current Peter Pan Bus Lines station. But Neal said Union Station is a viable transit hub even with out a casino.

“You can’t move the tracks,” Neal said.
Moskal said not to worry about the fallen plaster and hole-filled walls. Many of those holes were opened to remove asbestos.

The building needs a new roof and windows must be replaced, but otherwise it has “good bones”.

Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, said the couple got married in Washington on Friday.

FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2006, file photo Mary Cheney, right, the openly gay daughter of then Vice President Dick Cheney, stands with Heather Poe, left, during a memorial observance on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. Cheney married her longtime partner, Poe, Friday, June 22, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mary Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has married her longtime partner, Heather Poe.

In a statement, Cheney and his wife, Lynne, said the couple got married in Washington on Friday. The Cheneys said the two had been in a committed relationship for many years and they were delighted that they could take advantage of the "opportunity to have the relationship recognized."

The District of Columbia and six states — Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont — have legalized gay marriage.

Mary Cheney and Poe have two children.

In the 2004 election, Republicans backing the ticket of President George W. Bush and Cheney pushed for state ballot initiatives rejecting gay marriage. More recently, President Barack Obama expressed his support for same-sex marriage.

Defense lawyer Mary Anne Stamm questioned why the prosecution witness didn't tell police everything that happened.

File photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanDaniel J Rosa is seen in Springfield District Court during his arraignment in January 2011 in the shooting death of David Acevedo III.

SPRINGFIELD – Eric Carraballo on Friday described what he saw when he went to check on his fallen friend after hearing multiple gunshots and fearing for his own life.

Carraballo said when he got to where 24-year-old David Acevedo of Springfield was on the ground, there was blood coming out of his back and chest.

“I was trying to talk to him. He didn’t respond....I tried waking him up,” Carraballo said.

Carraballo, a main prosecution witness, was on the stand for the second day Friday in the Hampden Superior Court murder trial of 21-year-old Daniel Rosa, accused of fatally shooting Acevedo Jan. 26, 2011, on Riverton Road.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni brought Carraballo through a minute by minute depiction of what happened about noon that day, at times having Carraballo act out what he said Rosa did.

Mastroianni acted out what Carraballo said Acevedo did, to establish distances and movements between the two.

Carraballo testified he and Acevedo were outside his house, after Rosa and Acevedo – who were friends – had fought over money inside the house.

He said he heard “popping noises” start, and looked up the hill and saw two men walking down, masked and shooting up to 12 shots in his direction.

Carraballo said Rosa, the third man, was closer to his driveway, and Acevedo talked with Rosa then began running away.

He said he saw Rosa put his arm out straight, saw a gun barrel hidden under a blue cloth, and heard a boom.

Carraballo said he then saw Acevedo laying on the ground.

Two other men were also charged with Acevedo’s death. One, Jerel L. Brunson, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in January and was sentenced to a 13- to 16-year state prison sentence.

The other, Marcus Dixon, still faces a murder charge and may testify for the prosecution, Mastroianni has said.

The three men were charged as having participated in a joint venture, although Mastroianni said the prosecution alleges Rosa fired the fatal shot.

Defense lawyer Mary Anne Stamm asked Carraballo why he never told police some of the things which he just testified to under Mastroianni’s questioning.

For instance, in testimony Friday, Carraballo said he pretended he was shot and grabbed his side and fell to the ground, acting out the motion in court.

Stamm asked why he never said that before being on the stand.

Carraballo said he takes medication, and said “when you’re in shock you don’t know what to say.”

Stamm in her opening statement said Rosa did not shoot Acevedo and was not part of any plan to kill Acevedo, saying the two other men were shooting at Rosa also.

The trial resumes Monday in front of Judge Peter A. Velis.

Thomas Guerino, the town administrator in Bourne and Mark Stankiewicz, former town manager in Plymouth were selected as the two finalists.

LONGMEADOW – Thomas Guerino and Mark Stankiewicz have been selected as the two finalists in the town manager search.

The Select Board met Friday to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each candidates as well as a third candidate Peter Graczykowski.

Each member was asked to rank the candidates in order of preference.

After some discussion board member Mark Gold selected Stankiewicz and Guerino, Mark Barowsky selected Guerino and Graczykowski, Richard Foster selected Guerino and Stankiewicz, and Marie Angelides selected Graczykowski and Guerino.

Initially Select Board Chairman Paul Santaniello chose not to comment on any of the candidates except to say that he had expressed his concerns during an earlier meeting. During a June 18 meeting Santaniello said he would like to see an interim town manager selected and a more extensive search done with new candidates. Due to a tie between Stankiewicz and Graczykowski Santaniello had to vote and opted for Guerino and Stankiewicz.

Barowsky said Stankiewicz, who is the former town manager of Plymouth, is a strong candidate who answered questions honestly and without a lot of politicizing. Foster said he was concerned that Stankiewicz seemed to get a lot of press time and it wasn’t always positive for the town.

Angelides noted that he seemed excited about rolling up his sleeves and working with the Department of Public Works, which she found unique. She said he has strong credentials, but has a rigid management style which made her cautious.

Gold felt Stankiewicz gave very professional answers and had a lot of experience with collective bargaining.

“He has a breadth of professional experience and is the only candidate with a masters degree in public administration,” he said.

Guerino, the town administrator in Bourne, was the first choice for Barowsky and Foster.

Foster said Guerino has a long work history, was well spoken and he felt at ease with him.

Barowsky said Guerino seemed comfortable in his own skin, has a strong financial background and a lot of experience.

Graczykowski, who was not selected, is the only one with roots in the community, having worked for the town of Chicopee and as a project manager for Springfield.

Angelides said he is someone who thinks outside the box, pulls people together and has a cooperative management style. She said she was disappointed that he is not a finalist.

The board will visit both candidates communities in the coming weeks to meet with their Select Board members as well as several town department heads. 

The project to make him a starter is over, and he's OK with that.

Associated PressBoston Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard will try to make it back to the majors as a reliever.

BOSTON - There were times it looked as if it would work.

On other occasions, the conversion of Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard to a starter's role appeared to make little sense, except in the minds of a pitcher who wanted it and an organization committed to it.

The project ended Friday, when Bard said he was headed back to the bullpen and was comfortable doing it.

"After going and doing it a couple of times it felt like I belonged," Bard told media that included ESPN in Pawtucket, R.I., where he has been pitching for Boston's Triple A team.

"It felt like that was what I was meant to do is pitch late in games. My skill set and my experience is built for that type of role.

"Everyone I've talked to, including how I feel myself, knows I can be a good starter, but I already know I'm a great reliever.''

A former eighth-inning setup man who had been seen as a future closer, Bard was often overpowering. He pitched poorly in September of 2011, though, and the Red Sox acquired closers Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon in trades.

Before Bobby Valentine was hired as manager, the organization chose to train Bard as a starter.

He was 5-6 with a 5.24 ERA with the Red Sox, making 10 starts. One of his victories came in his only relief appearance.

His last start was a disaster. Wildness drove Bard from the game in the second inning of a 5-1 loss to Toronto on June.

Two days later, he was optioned to Pawtucket. Now the question is whether Bard will be of any help to the Red Sox in relief.

His first save situation with Pawtucket came Wednesday. Bard pitched out of an inherited eighth-inning jam but blew a two-run lead in the ninth.

Both runs scored on wild pitches. The Pawsox lost to Syracuse in 11 innings.

The parent Red Sox have a glut of pitchers who are handling Bard's old job. Vicente Padilla has been a stellar setup man, Alfredo Aceves is the closer, Melancon has done well lately and Scott Atchison has shown he can pitch in pressure situations.

That list does not include Bailey, who is expected back at some point.

The bewildering aspect of Bard's inconsistency as a starter was his struggle with mechanics. Valentine had expected stamina to be a possible obstacle, but it was not.

It has been suggested that the real problem was in the mind, but the Red Sox were optimistic the Triple A experience would get him back on track.

Bard was initially assigned to pitch in short, planned stints for Pawtucket, but with the understanding he was still working back toward the goal of starting. It was an odd technique that implied the Red Sox really didn't know what to do with Bard, who turns 27 Monday and will no doubt see him name surface in trade rumors.

Bard has a 7.36 ERA in 7 1/3 innings in Triple A. His five appearances include one start, and he has struck out 10.

The right-hander spoke with Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, who kept the door open for a return to the rotation next year. To Bard, however, the bullpen is his future as well as current role.

"Maybe that's what I was meant to do, and I'll try to embrace it from here on out," he said.

The “work infraction” was confirmed by a city officials who declined to release the employee’s name and would not give any details of the discipline on the basis of being personnel matters.

SPRINGFIELD – The city confirmed Friday that a Department of Public Works employee has been disciplined for delivering a load of loam to a home in Ludlow while using a city dump truck and while on his work shift.

The “work infraction” was confirmed Friday by city Human Resources Director William E. Mahoney, who declined to release the employee’s name and would not give any details of the discipline on the basis of being personnel matters.

The loam was not owned by the city, but rather was purchased privately by the employee, Mahoney said. The employee was on a maintenance assignment, and was gone for about one hour to 90 minutes during the Ludlow delivery, he said.

Mahoney said just one employee was involved, and was apparently delivering the loam to a friend’s house.

“The city does not condone this action and has responded accordingly,” Mahoney said.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said the incident is “unacceptable,” and the employee will face “the full brunt of disciplinary action.”

The incident occurred Monday, and the city was alerted by a resident the next day, Mahoney said. The Department of Public Works investigated and determined it was true, he said.

City Councilor John A. Lysak said he was angered to learn of the incident, particularly with ongoing city budget cuts that have included layoffs and plans to close three branch libraries.

“The fact this person was brazen enough during his working shift infuriates me,” Lysak said. “The city is struggling. There have been budget cuts for years with the Department of Public Works.”

“These guys tell us there is not enough manpower, and they’re working real hard,” Lysak said. “But you have this guy, using our time, our equipment for personal use? I don’t think so.”

Mahoney said the employee in the Ludlow delivery incident has a good work record.

Backers of a ballot question allowing terminally ill patients to request and self-administer life-ending medications are now bracing themselves for a fight with the Catholic Church and several other organizations.

File photo / The RepublicanIf voters pass the ballot question, Massachusetts would become the fourth state to legalize doctor-assisted suicide, along with Oregon, Washington and Montana.

By Colleen Quinn, STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON-- Backers of a ballot question allowing terminally ill patients to request and self-administer life-ending medications say they have gathered enough valid signatures to put a binding question before voters in November, and are now bracing themselves for a fight with the Catholic Church and several other organizations.

The Boston Archdiocese, the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Massachusetts Family Institute, Massachusetts Citizens for Life, and some advocates for the elderly and disabled, have all indicated plans to mount a vigorous campaign to defeat the proposal, contending it is fraught with the potential for error and could be used to compel older, ill adults to end their lives.
With a second and final signature deadline nearing, the Death with Dignity campaign collected more than 21,000 signatures – almost double the amount they need to place the question on the Nov. 6 ballot. Supporters say polls show overwhelming support among Massachusetts voters to allow terminally-ill adults to legally request medication from their doctors to end their lives.

If voters pass the ballot question, Massachusetts would become the fourth state to legalize doctor-assisted suicide, along with Oregon, Washington and Montana.
The proposal lays out parameters for terminal patients to receive life-ending medication. To qualify, a patient must be a Massachusetts resident who is diagnosed by two physicians with an incurable disease that will cause death within six months. Doctors must determine the person is mentally capable of making and communicating health care decisions, and are required to inform patients about other end-of-life care options, including palliative and hospice care.

In a Western New England University/MassLive.com poll, 60 percent of voters supported physician-assisted suicide, 29 percent opposed it. The poll was conducted in late May with 504 registered voters participating.

According to the institute, 52 percent of all Catholic voters said they support the idea, 36 percent oppose it and 12 percent said they did not know or declined to answer. Among Catholic voters who attend church at least once a week, 52 percent opposed the death-with-dignity proposal and 37 percent supported it.

Despite the favorable polls, backers of the physician-assisted suicide ballot question say it is going to be a fight to get it passed in Massachusetts. The proposal is based on a similar law in Oregon that has been in effect for 15 years.

“I think it is going to be tough because the Catholic Church is so strong in Massachusetts and for them this is just a religious matter,” said Dr. Marcia Angell, one of the original sponsors of the initiative petition. “I am not sure Catholics who are not in the hierarchy will go along with the church’s position.”

Several months ago, the Boston Archdiocese launched a campaign to fight the doctor-assisted suicide question, putting posters and pamphlets in churches, creating pew cards and a website, suicideisalwaysatragedy.org. The Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the church, is actively advocating against the ballot measure.

“The Catholic Church, like many in the medical and psychiatric community, is fundamentally against facilitating suicides of any kind. We have particular concerns with the flaws in this petition, which, for instance, does not require patients to seek psychological evaluation before ending their lives,” James Driscoll, executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, said in a statement to the News Service. “In recent years, hospice and palliative care professionals have made enormous strides in alleviating pain and suffering. We believe the Commonwealth would be better served by investing in these chronically underfunded programs.”

Last fall, when Attorney General Martha Coakley certified the petition, Cardinal Sean O’Malley gave a homily on the subject, saying “suicide is a tragedy, one that a compassionate society should work to prevent” by focusing more on care for the terminally ill. He went on to say allowing doctors to prescribe life-ending medication is a “corruption of the medical profession.”

The Massachusetts Medical Society, which represents 23,000 doctors and medical students statewide, has a policy against physician-assisted suicide, according to Dr. Richard Aghababian, president of the society.

“There is a longstanding tradition in medicine to keep people alive, not to end their lives. That is not our role,” he said.

Aghababian said many doctors might have a problem with the six month demarcation for a person to receive life-ending drugs. It is not easy to predict when someone will die, he said.

“If someone is able to be with their family, we don’t feel is our duty to take that six months away from them. I know it is a personal issue. We are here to preserve life to the extent of our ability. We are not here to take it,” Aghababian said.

Angell, trained in internal medicine and pathology and the former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, disagreed, saying it is a doctor’s responsibility to relieve suffering.

“This isn’t about doctors. This is about patients. It is the patient’s needs we should be focused on and not doctors’ abstract notions about their roles,” she said.

Angell, whose father took his own life when he was dying from prostate cancer, said many people frame the issue as one of life versus death. “But it really isn’t an issue of life versus death. They are dying. It becomes an issue of are they going to die sooner?” she said.

Doctor-assisted deaths make up a small percentage of deaths in Oregon, 0.2 percent annually, accounting for one in 500 deaths. In almost 15 years, there have been approximately 600 such deaths, Angell said. Only about two-thirds of the people who request and receive life-ending medication actually use it to end their lives, she said.

“They want it for insurance, for peace of mind,” Angell said.

Lawmakers have shown little interest in taking up the proposal to find a legislative solution and avoid a ballot question. A bill, sponsored by Rep. Louis Kafka (D-Stoughton), sits in the Judiciary Committee. Kafka said he did not push the bill this session because he thought it has a better chance of passing at the ballot than in the Legislature.

“I think the public, at least people I have talked to, many of them don’t have huge objections and probably will vote for the ballot question, whereas many of my colleagues who are not as educated as I have made myself on the issue, aren’t there yet,” Kafka said.

Kafka agreed that it will be tough fight, with a lot of money being spent on both sides to sway voters.

“Regardless of people’s religious beliefs if they are someone, or have a family member who suffers from a disease, and they feel strongly about dying with dignity, those people will tend to support the ballot question,” he said. “Hopefully people will understand what the real issues are. And that it is up to a single individual to make a decision. No one is forced to make that decision.”

In an interview with The Republican and MassLive.com, Durbin defended President Obama's handling of the economy, and said the federal stimulus act "should have been larger."

Photo by Alex Brandon / Associated PressDemocratic Whip Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., left, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speak during a media availability after their meeting to discuss bounty programs, on Capitol Hill Wednesday in Washington. Durbin visited Boston on Friday.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, the author of legislation that would have provided a path to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, on Friday called President Obama’s decision to halt deportations of these immigrants “one of President Obama’s best decisions.”

“It was a historic humanitarian moment,” Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, said in an interview with The Republican and MassLive.com. “These young people now will have the peace of mind that they can stay here legally to pursue their education and their lives.”

Republicans – particularly presidential nominee Mitt Romney – have criticized Obama for using his executive power to implement policy, after Congress in 2010 failed to pass Durbin’s DREAM Act. Last week, Obama announced that he would give a renewable two-year relief from deportation to children of illegal immigrants who completed high school or the military and met certain other requirements.

Durbin said he and other senators wrote to the president in 2010 and last year urging Obama to issue an executive order. “He used authority which every president has well recognized when he said we will not prosecute this group of individuals,” Durbin said. “Every executive has that power to pick and choose the power of prosecution.”

In a wide-ranging interview at the Massachusetts Democratic Party office, Durbin outlined the Democratic vision for the economy, and expressed hope that Congress will reach a compromise on two key pieces of legislation – an extension of student loan interest rates and a transportation budget bill. Durbin came to Massachusetts to hold a fundraising lunch, and to attend a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee event at Fenway Park and a birthday celebration for Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren.

Durbin said Obama has outlined three key elements for improving the economy: investment in education, infrastructure, and innovation. With a number of spending cuts and tax increases set to go into effect at the end of the year without congressional action, Durbin said Congress will also have to address the debt. He said revenues, spending and entitlement programs all must be on the table, and Congress will need to raise taxes – something Republicans strongly oppose. “You can’t get from here to fiscal sanity without some new revenues,” Durbin said.

While Durbin said a precipitous fall in the European economy due to the ongoing debt crisis would hurt the U.S., he gave little indication the U.S. would get involved. “We’ve left it to Europe to solve the problems,” Durbin said. “We have our own problems to deal with, creating jobs in America.”

Republicans have criticized Obama’s federal stimulus act for wasting money and not accomplishing enough to help the economy, but Durbin said the stimulus should have been larger. “If the president had his way and if I could have helped him, we would have put more into the stimulus to help in the early stages in this recession,” Durbin said. “But we ran into resistance. The only way we could win three Republican votes in the Senate was to cut the stimulus, which we ended up doing.”

Asked about the continuing high unemployment rate under Obama, Durbin said the economy was in freefall when Obama took office and has “turned a corner.” He contrasted Obama with Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. “(Romney) didn’t show any special talent or skill on job creation as governor, and he basically offers no new plan for this economy,” Durbin said. “What he offers is to return to George W. Bush’s economic policy which sadly brought us to this recession.” (Romney did put out a 150-page jobs plan early in his campaign.)

The Obama campaign has been criticizing Romney for his record running the private equity firm Bain Capital. Most recently, the campaign pointed to a Washington Post story reporting that Bain Capital, while Romney was running it, invested in several companies that specialized in outsourcing, helping companies move U.S. jobs to overseas call centers or factories. (The Romney campaign has said the story ignored the difference between “offshoring” and “outsourcing.”)

While Republicans – and some Democrats – have criticized the Obama campaign for attacking free enterprise, Durbin defended the attacks. “They’re two different worlds,” Durbin said, comparing the presidency and private equity. “When you point to one world saying I was successful in business, therefore I’d be a great president, I think it’s appropriate to say the things that made you successful and profitable may not be good things for this country, such as outsourcing jobs.”

On other legislation, Durbin said Congress is “very close to an agreement” on freezing student loan interest rates, but did not specify how the freeze would be paid for.

Durbin said he is also hoping for a breakthrough next week on negotiations between the House and Senate on a transportation reauthorization bill.

Durbin deflected blame from Obama for Congress’s failure to pass a budget resolution since the 2010 budget, relying instead on temporary appropriation bills. “As far as the president’s role in this, this is really Congress’s responsibility,” Durbin said.

Durbin declined to speculate on how Congress would act if the Supreme Court overturned the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature health care reform legislation. But he said, given the divisions between the Republican-controlled House and Democratic Senate, “I don’t look for many changes, if any, for the rest of the year.”

This is an edited transcript of an interview with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin by The Republican and MassLive.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, conducted by the Republican and MassLive.com on Friday, June 22, 2012. The transcript has been edited slightly for length and clarity.

Q: Since President Obama’s first full month in office, the economy has gained around 780,000 private sector jobs, and unemployment has remained above 8 percent. What is to stop voters from believing Romney when he claims he can do better?

Dick Durbin

Durbin: His record. As governor, for instance, the often-quoted Massachusetts ranking 47th out of 50 states in job creation. It’s an indication that he didn’t show any special talent or skill on job creation as governor, and he basically offers no new plan for this economy. What he offers is to return to George W. Bush’s economic policy which, sadly, brought us to this recession.

Q: What about Obama’s record?

Durbin: I remember the day that he put his hand on Abraham Lincoln’s bible to be sworn in. It was the month we lost 750,000 jobs. The economy was in freefall when he came in, and we’ve stabilized. We’re growing slowly. We’re all anxious for it to grow more quickly, but we’ve turned a corner. We’re moving in a positive way. And to return to Bush economic policies or Romney’s Massachusetts plan would not help.

Q: What will it take to spark the economy? Do you support more stimulus?

Durbin: If the president had his way and if I could have helped him, we would have put more into the stimulus to help in the early stages in this recession. But we ran into resistance. The only way we could win three Republican votes in the Senate was to cut the stimulus, which we ended up doing. I would say there are elements the president’s pointed to that are key. First, the right investments in our future, in education, innovation, and infrastructure….The other thing that clearly will be part of it as we come to the end of the year is an honest plan to deal with our debt and what we’re facing, and I believe the president is going do that….I’ve talked to him privately about this. He is anxious to tackle that. We face, as we say, the cliff at the end of the year that will force our hand.

Q: Will there have to be some raised revenues, raised taxes?

Durbin: Yes. I was on the Bowles-Simpson Commission, voted for it. The only way to honestly deal with the deficit is to put everything on the table. That’s revenues, spending, entitlements, put them all on the table and deal with them in a fair way. We’ve had no luck with Romney who took the Grover Norquist no tax pledge. You can’t get from here to fiscal sanity without some new revenues. Unfortunately, Romney has said he wouldn’t consider that.

Q: Do you see the European debt crisis as a significant threat to the U.S. economy, and should the U.S. get involved?

Durbin: We’ve left it to Europe to solve the problems, and Germany’s been the lead there. We have our own problems to deal with, creating jobs in America, but there’s no doubt a precipitous fall in the European community would hurt us, and I hope it doesn’t happen. We can’t control it. But it clearly is an important factor. They’re major trading partners and major allies.

Q: You wrote the DREAM act. President Obama essentially went around Congress to implement the policy that Congress couldn’t. Was this the right thing to do, and doesn’t this set a dangerous precedent?

Durbin: It was absolutely the right thing to do. Two years ago, I sent the president a letter, it was April of 2010. It was cosigned by me and (Indiana Republican) Sen. (Dick) Lugar asking for the executive order that was issued last Friday. A year ago with 21 senators joining us we renewed the request. So we have felt for the longest time that since this House and this Congress will not take up any immigration issues, and the DREAM Act faces a filibuster in the Senate from the Republicans, that this was literally the only way to protect these young people. I think it was one of President Obama’s best decisions. It was a historic humanitarian moment. These young people now will have the peace of mind that they can stay here legally to pursue their education and their lives. So I totally support it. Did he go around Congress? He used authority which every president has well recognized when he said we will not prosecute this group of individuals. Every executive has that power to pick and choose the power of prosecution. In this case, he said as long as they came as children, complete at least high school, have no serious criminal record they can have renewed protection every two years. I think that’s sensible.

Q: What about Mitt Romney’s claim that it’s better to have a long-term fix implemented by Congress than a short term fix?

Durbin: What is Mitt Romney’s long-term fix on immigration? During the campaign for president, he said he would veto the DREAM Act. He never said one thing that you could point to aside from stricter efforts at the border. He never said one thing relative to immigration. So this notion that he even has a long-term plan, I’m still waiting to see it. I don’t think he does.

Q: One of Obama’s signature accomplishments, the Affordable Care Act, is before the Supreme Court. What happens in Congress if the Supreme Court overturns it?

Durbin: We’re holding our breath….And I just don’t know. I don’t know if they’ll uphold it, strike it or strike parts….The direction of the Affordable Care Act is inevitable. We have to move to the day where we are reducing the rate of growth in medical cost and still rewarding quality care. Your state’s living proof of it. The cost of medical insurance has been going down in Massachusetts under your plan, Romneycare. So if it continues, it’s an indication that personal responsibly or an individual mandate is a key element in putting together an integrated medical system that can save money.

Q: If the Affordable Care Act is overturned, how will Congress pursue it?

Durbin: It will be interesting. There’s clear division between the Republican House and the Democratic Senate about whatever might happen. I don’t look for many changes, if any, for the rest of the year. I ‘m going to keep my reservation on that, because I don’t know what the court is going to do.

Q: How important was Scott Brown’s role in both weakening the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill and in getting it passed?

Durbin: His vote was important in passing it, but he apparently has some serious misgivings. …Since the bill passed, it’s been pretty clear that Sen. Brown wants to weaken parts of it, the Volcker rule and other elements. I think that this financial reform bill was a necessary response to the recession. We made it clear that there will be no more too big to fail moments in Washington, and we need to make sure that we have the right oversight and regulations when it comes to our financial institutions. What (J.P. Morgan) Chase went through just recently, losing $2 billion, was an indication of what could happen to any bank, if the bank didn’t have the resources of Chase, they could find themselves in trouble again.

Q: Scott Brown has crossed party lines on some major votes, Dodd-Frank, the Violence Against Women Act. Do you consider Brown a bipartisan senator, and conversely, how can Warren convince voters she would be bipartisan?

Durbin: I feel better speaking about Elizabeth Warren because I’ve known her longer and encouraged her to run. She has been a friend and we’ve worked together on some important issues. She was the one who came to our Senate Democratic retreat and suggested the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That was her idea. I want up to her afterwards and said I want to introduce the bill, and I did. I worked with her putting the bill together. She is the clearest voice for middle income families and the economic problems they face. I just think she would be a powerful force in the Senate to give working families in this country a fighting chance. They’re falling further and further behind. They need a strong champion like her.

Q: You sponsored the Democratic bill freezing student loan rates. Is Congress going to be able to compromise?

Durbin: I think we’re going to get that done. I think we’re going to get it done this coming week, we’re very close to an agreement.

Q: Any sense what that’s going to look like?

Durbin: It has to be paid for. There’s no question about the impact on the students, a good one, on keeping the interest rates low. But the pay-fors, I think we’ve come up with a reasonable list. Republicans are looking at it. I’m hopeful.

Q: Under President Obama, Congress hasn’t been able to pass a budget bill for the past three years. Does that say anything about Obama’s leadership?

Durbin: In fairness, the Budget Enforcement Act, a law passed by Congress on a bipartisan basis, signed by the president, currently governs our budget process. I’m an appropriations chairman, I know under the appropriations act how much I can spend. It’s the same as a budget resolution, except it’s stronger and it is the law instead of a resolution. It was signed the president so I have no choice but to follow the law and we do. For two years now, we’ve had this law governing our budgets. As far as the president’s role in this, this is really Congress’s responsibility. The president submits a budget. Congress has to decide what they’re going to spend by budget resolution. We’ve done it by statute because of the confrontations we ran into last year between the House and Senate.

Q: What’s going to happen with the with the transportation reauthorization act?

Durbin: We passed a bipartisan Senate bill 74-22 and the House has failed to pass any new transportation bill. They’ve extended the current law which will cost us a lot of jobs. We’re hoping this coming week there will be a breakthrough. We’ve been negotiating for the last week….If we don’t, I’ve called on the speaker to call the Senate bill for a vote in the House. He’s refused to do that. I think he owes it to the people in this country to at least vote on Senate bill.

Q: Is it legitimate for the Obama campaign to be going after Mitt Romney’s record on Bain Capital, on outsourcing, or isn’t that just free enterprise?

Durbin: Here’s why it’s important. Mitt Romney made a lot of money and was successful as a businessman. The practices he followed such as outsourcing jobs are not good for this country. As he talks with some pride about his background in business, I think we need to make it clear some of the very practices that make you successful in business do not serve our country well. Creating jobs right here in America has to be a president’s highest priority. At Bain Capital, creating jobs in America clearly wasn’t their highest priority. Returning profits for investors was their highest priority.

Q: Isn’t that as it should be?

Durbin: No question about it. Clearly, they’re two different worlds, and when you point to one world saying I was successful in business, therefore I’d be a great president, I think it’s appropriate to say, the things that made you successful and profitable may not be good things for this country, such as outsourcing jobs. Most Americans would agree the president’s first priority should be creating jobs in this country, trying to discourage them from being sent overseas.

The jury in Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse trial has reached a verdict, and the panel was expected to announce it Friday evening.

Associated PressJerry Sandusky arrives at the courthouse Thursday for the closing arguments of his sexual abuse trial.

Note: Ex-Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky convicted of 45 counts in sex abuse trial. Jurors announced the verdict Friday after weighing 48 charges accusing him of abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period.
Details to follow

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — The jury in Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse trial has reached a verdict, and the panel was expected to announce it Friday evening.

The 68-year-old former Penn State assistant football coach is fighting 48 counts that accuse him of abusing 10 boys over 15 years. He could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of all counts.

The jury was expected to announce the verdict sometime after 9:45 p.m.

The courtroom will be closed by the time the jury and attorneys assemble for the verdict, and no one will be allowed to leave until court is adjourned, the judge said in a court order. The verdict will be read count by count. Media are barred from transmitting any results of the verdict until adjournment, with the judge promising sanctions for any reporter or media organization violating his order.

Earlier in the evening, Sandusky's lawyer said he would be shocked and "die of a heart attack" if the former Penn State assistant football coach were acquitted on all counts in his child sex abuse trial.

The candid remarks by Joe Amendola lasted about 15 minutes inside the courtroom and opened a wide window into Sandusky's state of mind as he and his wife, Dottie, waited for a verdict.

Jurors began deliberating the case Thursday and talked all day Friday.

Amendola said the Sanduskys were spending a lot of time praying. He described the atmosphere at their home as like a funeral.

The couple was "crushed" Thursday when lawyers for one of their sons, Matt Sandusky, said the 33-year-old had been prepared to testify on behalf of prosecutors, Amendola said. Matt Sandusky said his father abused him, his attorneys said.

Amendola said he wasn't surprised by another man, Travis Weaver, who claimed during an NBC interview Thursday that he was abused by Sandusky more than 100 times in the early 1990s, or by any others who might come forward.

"Money does a lot of bad things to people," he said.

As for Sandusky and his family, Amendola said he has given them an objective appraisal of what they could expect.

"I've used the best example I could use: climbing Mount Everest from the bottom of the mountain," he said. "It's a daunting, daunting case."

He also said that Sandusky had his wife talk to a criminal defense lawyer a couple months ago "just to be careful."

Amendola's interview ended when he was summoned into the chambers of Judge John Cleland, who presided over the two-week trial. Cleland has issued a gag order barring lawyers from discussing the case.

The verdict will impact not only Sandusky and the eight young men who accused him of molestation, but a range of civil and criminal probes of the scandal that shamed the university and brought down coach Joe Paterno.

The jury's apparent focus on the charges involving an unknown boy called Victim 2 in court papers renewed attention on the separate criminal case against two former school officials.

Tim Curley, who temporarily stepped down as athletic director, and now-retired vice president Gary Schultz are charged with lying to a grand jury about what they knew of the 2001 assault that then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary said he witnessed.

Jurors took copious notes and appeared to pay close attention Friday as McQueary's two-hour testimony was read back to them. McQueary, who said he walked in on the assault, testified that he did not see penetration, but he did see a boy pressed up against a wall in the football team shower with Sandusky behind him.

Jurors also reheard the testimony of a McQueary family friend, Dr. Jonathan Dranov, who said that McQueary told him a different version of the story that didn't include sexual contact.

McQueary, however, also testified that he hadn't told Dranov everything that he saw.

The jury also sought details from the judge on charges connected to a boy known in court records as Victim 8. Cleland told the jurors in a brief courtroom meeting that they must be satisfied that there is other evidence that abuse occurred, not just statements from a janitor who relayed a co-worker's account.

On Friday, a judge in Harrisburg scheduled a July 11 status conference with lawyers for Curley and Schultz, who are also charged with failing to properly report suspected child abuse to authorities. They are fighting the charges and await trial.

Philadelphia attorney Fortunato Perri Jr., who has been following the Sandusky trial, said an acquittal of Sandusky on the counts involving Victim 2 could provide a road map for the defense of Curley and Schultz.

"You've now had a jury kind of preview your case with respect to the credibility of McQueary," Perri said. "Who knows if the next jury would believe him or not believe him? But you've got to feel pretty good if you're representing those two guys, and a jury has taken a good long look at McQueary's testimony and decided something didn't smell right about it."

Bruce Antkowiak, a former federal prosecutor and defense attorney who now teaches law at St. Vincent College near Latrobe, said the Sandusky jury's verdict on the charges involving Victim 2 is legally irrelevant to Curley and Schultz.

That's because, Antkowiak said, they are charged with violating a legal duty to properly report the allegation that Sandusky abused the boy — regardless of whether it was later proven.

"The underlying truth of what was going on in that shower doesn't affect their underlying obligation to report the initial allegation," Antkowiak said.

Defense lawyers for Curley and Schultz did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Sandusky has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. The defense portrayed him as the hapless victim of a conspiracy to convict him of heinous crimes. They explain the 48 charges against him as the result of an investigatory team out for blood and accusers who willingly played along in hopes of securing a big payday.

Even if he's acquitted, Sandusky could face additional criminal charges involving accusers who came forward after his November arrest.

The attorney general's office has said repeatedly that it has an "active and ongoing" investigation of Sandusky, while federal prosecutors in Harrisburg issued a wide-ranging subpoena in February for university computer records and other information.

Civil lawsuits also are likely against Sandusky, his Second Mile charity and Penn State.

___

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been convicted of 45 counts at his child sex abuse trial.

View full sizeAP Photo/Centre Daily Times, Nabil K. MarkJerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse Friday, June 22, 2012, after being found guilty in his sexual abuse trial, in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years Friday, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno.

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Jerry Sandusky was convicted Friday of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno.

Sandusky, a 68-year-old retired defensive coach who was once Paterno's heir apparent, was found guilty of 45 of 48 counts. He faces life in prison at sentencing, which is weeks away.

Sandusky showed little emotion as the verdict was read. The judge ordered him to be taken to the county jail to await sentencing in about three months.

In court, Sandusky half-waved toward family as the sheriff led him away. Outside, he calmly walked to a sheriff's car with his hands cuffed in front of him.

As he was placed in the car, someone yelled at him to "rot in hell." Others hurled insults and he shook his head no in response.

Almost immediately after the judge adjourned, loud cheers could be heard from at least a couple hundred people gathered outside the courthouse as word quickly spread that Sandusky had been convicted. The group included victim advocates and local residents with their kids. Many held up their smartphones to take pictures as people filtered out of the building.

Eight young men testified in a central Pennsylvania courtroom about a range of abuse, from kissing and massages to groping, oral sex and anal rape. For two other alleged victims, prosecutors relied on testimony from a university janitor and then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary, whose account of a sexual encounter between Sandusky and a boy of about 10 ultimately led to the Paterno's dismissal and the university president's ouster.

Eight young men testified in a central Pennsylvania courtroom about a range of abuse, from kissing and massages to groping, oral sex and anal rape. For two other alleged victims, prosecutors relied on testimony from a university janitor and then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary, whose account of a sexual encounter between Sandusky and a boy of about 10 ultimately led to the Paterno's dismissal and the university president's ouster.

AP Photo/Gene J. PuskarFormer Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, rear, leaves the Centre County Courthouse with a Centre County Sheriff's deputy after being found guilty of multiple charges of child sexual abuse in Bellefonte, Pa., Friday.

Sandusky did not take the stand in his own defense.

He had repeatedly denied the allegations, and his defense suggested that his accusers had a financial motive to make up stories, years after the fact. His attorney also painted Sandusky as the victim of overzealous police investigators who coached the alleged victims into giving accusatory statements.

But jurors believed the testimony that, in the words of lead prosecutor Joseph McGettigan III, Sandusky was a "predatory pedophile."

One accuser testified that Sandusky molested him in the locker-room showers and in hotels while trying to ensure his silence with gifts and trips to bowl games. He also said Sandusky had sent him "creepy love letters."

Another spoke of forced oral sex and instances of rape in the basement of Sandusky's home, including abuse that left him bleeding. He said he once tried to scream for help, knowing that Sandusky's wife was upstairs, but figured the basement must be soundproof.

Another, a foster child, said Sandusky warned that he would never see his family again if he ever told anyone what happened.

And just hours after the case went to jurors, lawyers for one of Sandusky's six adopted children, Matt, said he had told authorities that his father abused him.

Matt Sandusky had been prepared to testify on behalf of prosecutors, the statement said. The lawyers said they arranged for Matt Sandusky to meet with law enforcement officials but did not explain why he didn't testify.

"This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy," the statement said. It didn't go into details about his allegations.

Defense witnesses, including Jerry Sandusky's wife, Dottie, described his philanthropic work with children over the years, and many spoke in positive terms about his reputation in the community. Prosecutors had portrayed those efforts as an effective means by which Sandusky could camouflage his molestation as he targeted boys who were the same age as participants in The Second Mile, a charity he founded in the 1970s for at-risk youth.

Sandusky's arrest in November led the Penn State trustees to fire Paterno as head coach, saying he exhibited a lack of leadership after fielding a report from McQueary. The scandal also led to the ouster of university president Graham Spanier, and criminal charges against two university administrators for failing to properly report suspected child abuse and perjury.

The two administrators, athletic director Tim Curley and now-retired vice president Gary Schultz, are fighting the allegations and await trial.

Penn State University in a statement released Friday evening that it plans to invite victims of Sandusky's abuse to participate in a private program to address their concerns and compensate them for claims related to the school.

The school says it has a "steadfast commitment to pursuing the truth regarding" Sandusky's actions and to making its campus safe for children.

The school is in the midst of an investigation by ex-FBI director Louis Freeh who was hired by Penn State's board of trustees to conduct an internal investigation in which 400 people have been interviewed.

His report could be released in August.

Sandusky had initially faced 52 counts of sex abuse. The judge dropped four counts during the trial, saying two were unproven, one was brought under a statute that didn't apply and another was duplicative.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, who was the state attorney general when that office began its investigation of Jerry Sandusky, is commending the victims who testified against the former Penn State assistant football coach.

Corbett issued a statement Friday night shortly after a Centre County jury convicted Sandusky.

Corbett says the victims in the case had the courage to come forward and testify in court, confront Sandusky, and prove that he's guilty. Corbett called Sandusky's crimes "reprehensible."

He also thanked the jury and the agents and prosecutors of the Attorney General's Office and the Pennsylvania State Police. He says they pursued every lead to bring Sandusky to justice.

Joseph Della Giustina, 89, of Agawam, was awarded the Legion of Honor in a ceremony in Springfield before about 70 friends and family.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - A World War II veteran from Massachusetts was honored on Friday by the French government for his service in the liberation of France.

Joseph Della Giustina, 89, of Agawam, was awarded the Legion of Honor in a ceremony in Springfield before about 70 friends and family.

The French Consul General in Boston, Christophe Guilhou, told Della Giustina: "We are grateful for your heroic actions as it has meant a great deal to France's history and consciousness."

Della Giustina was an Army minesweeper, a private-first class, in an engineer unit when he landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, the day after his 21st birthday. Among the third wave of troops to be landed on Omaha, his unit found it nearly impossible to cross the beach to the relative safety of nearby cliffs because it was choked with the bodies of fallen comrades and raked with heavy German fire. His group later helped liberate St. Lo and Cherbourg before moving on to Belgium and Germany.

Della Giustina said Friday the award was overwhelming. "It's just wonderful, but it's hard for me to even believe it."

His son had petitioned the French government to honor him.

Della Guistina's friends also remembered his contributions after the war, when he married his high school sweetheart, raised three children, and taught countless others as a teacher and guidance counselor at Springfield's High School of Commerce. He later became general manager of the Springfield Teachers Credit Union.

One of his students was Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, who pronounced Friday "Joseph Della Giustina Day" in the city and thanked him for his "personal and precious contribution."

Tom Crouse, Sr., a friend who attended the ceremony, said Della Giustina "just does whatever it takes to make people's lives more livable."

Below is video of Friday's event shot by abc40/FOX 6.

Competing for fame, $1,000 and a year's worth of dog cookies at the annual event in Northern California, Mugly won the honor Friday night by beating out 28 other ugly dogs from around the world.

Jon Adler holds his Chinese crested dog, Icky, during the World's Ugliest Dog contest during the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California, on Friday, June 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Beth Schlanker, The Press Democrat)

PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) — A short snout, beady eyes and white whiskers has earned an 8-year-old Chinese Crested from the United Kingdom the title of World's Ugliest Dog.

Competing for fame, $1,000 and a year's worth of dog cookies at the annual event in Northern California, Mugly won the honor Friday night by beating out 28 other ugly dogs from around the world.

Mugly will also be invited for a photo shoot and will receive a VIP stay at the local Sheraton.

It's not the first time Mugly has been recognized for his unattractiveness. Bev Nicholson, the dog's owner, says he was named Britain's ugliest dog in 2005.

The annual contest at the Marin-Sonoma Fairgrounds gets worldwide attention, with reporters and camera crews from around the world traveling to Petaluma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco.

In a video taken by an embedded reporter for the news website GlobalPost, a fighter with the Free Syrian Army shows off his musical chops - complete with a pistol in hand - with a rendition of the hit 1999 song "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely," by the Backstreet Boys.

There's nothing funny about the ongoing violence in Syria, but it appears at least one rebel fighter hasn't lost his sense of humor - or a love for 90s American boy bands.

In a video taken by an embedded reporter for the news website GlobalPost, a fighter with the Free Syrian Army demonstrates his love of music - complete with a pistol in hand - with a rendition of the hit 1999 song "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely," by the Backstreet Boys.

Two fellow rebel fighters look on, laughing.

Below is the original music video.

Senate aides from both parties said Friday the two sides were moving toward a deal on how to pay the measure's $6 billion price tag, the chief source of partisan conflict.

WASHINGTON — Congressional bargainers appeared to be closing in on a compromise that would head off a July 1 doubling of interest rates on federal loans to 7.4 million college students and end an election-year battle between President Barack Obama and Congress.

Senate aides from both parties said Friday the two sides were moving toward a deal on how to pay the measure's $6 billion price tag, the chief source of partisan conflict.

The goal is to push legislation through Congress next week so the current 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans can be preserved for another year. A 2007 law gradually reduced interest rates on the loans but required them to balloon back to 6.8 percent this July 1 in a cost-saving maneuver.

On another front, the two sides were also close to an agreement to overhaul federal transportation programs, according to House and Senate aides from both parties. Negotiations were expected to continue through the weekend, with votes expected next week on either a major transportation bill or an extension of current programs, said the aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the talks.

For weeks, Obama has ridiculed Republicans for not moving quickly to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling, a stance that Democrats have hoped will boost his support among young voters who broadly backed him in the 2008 election. With college costs and student debt growing steadily, the issue ties directly into concerns about the economy and jobs that polls show dominate voters' worries.

Though some rank-and-file GOP lawmakers have opposed letting the government set the rates, Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney and GOP congressional leaders have backed the one-year extension. The remaining dispute has been over how to pay for it.

Republicans have accused Obama of creating a phony issue and drawing out the battle in an attempt to reap political points. In late May, they proposed several options to pay for the measure, all of which were culled from budget savings Obama himself had proposed in the past, but they said the White House was ignoring them.

"Even though the White House refuses to respond to our bipartisan approach, Senate Democrats are finally working with us, and a solution is within reach — despite the president's failure to act," said Don Stewart, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The talks have involved aides to McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Democrats said the White House has been kept abreast of the talks, while Republicans said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has been kept informed but hasn't participated in the negotiations.

According to Democratic aides, negotiators are approaching a deal to cover the bill's costs by charging companies more to insure pensions and changing rules so companies take fewer tax deductions for their pension contributions. Reid proposed both of those ideas this month.

They said additional money would come from a list of options McConnell has offered, probably one to limit federal subsidies of undergraduates' loans to six years. The government does not begin charging interest on Stafford loans until after students graduate, which can take longer than six years.

"While we're not there, we're well down the road. I think we can get something done," Reid told reporters Thursday. He said McConnell and Boehner "are compromising just as we are and hope we can get something done."

If allowed to double, the higher 6.8 percent rate would apply only to new subsidized Stafford loans for undergraduates approved starting on July 1 and would not affect existing loans.

According to the Education Department, 7.4 million students are expected to get new Stafford loans in the year beginning July 1, with each borrowing an average $4,226. A doubling of interest rates would add about $1,000 to the costs of the average loan, which students typically pay off over 10 or more years.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said last month that student loan debt grew this year to $904 billion, even as other types of consumer debt were falling.

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Associated Press writer Joan Lowy contributed to this report.