The infielder was in the Boston lineup Sunday after three days on the bench.

Associated PressBoston Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis remains the topic of rumors indicating a trade will be coming.

BOSTON - Kevin Youkilis was playing third base for the Red Sox Sunday, with Will Middlebrooks at DH, but rumors point to Youkilis changing his color of Sox soon.

Multiple reports say the Chicago White Sox are hot on his trail, and a deal could come soon.

Bobby Valentine said the decision to play Youkilis Sunday for the first time in four days had nothing to do with showcasing him. It was simply an effort to keep him fresh and bolster the Red Sox lineup, he said.

Several National League have also reportedly been interested, among them the Dodgers, Diamondback and Pirates. The Red Sox would likely prefer to trade Youkilis to the NL, where he would not face them until the World Series, but may have to go with the best available offer.

Youkilis has said that all he knows is what each day's lineup card tells him. Hitting sixth on Sunday, He is batting .225 with four home runs and 13 RBIs.

Springfield veterans honored those lost in the Korean War.

Republican staff photo by Dave MolnarU.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal (D-Springfield) and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno place a wreath at the Korean monument during the Korean War Veterans Western Massachusetts Chapter 2000 event at the 62th anniversary of the Korean War at the monument in Court Square.

SPRINGFIELD – Veterans, their families and public officials gathered at Court Square Sunday in honor of the 62nd anniversary of the Korean War.

“Most of us are quiet about our experience in Korea, but we helped make South Korea an economic leader and helped improve their quality of life,” said Joseph Kalesnik, the commander of the Western Massachusetts Chapter 2000 of the Korean War Veterans Association.

The Korean War was a conflict between the Republic of Korea, supported primarily by the United Nations and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, supported mostly by the People’s Republic of China. A truce was signed in 1953, although the war technically did not end.

Local dignitaries including Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and US Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfieldattended the small ceremony held at the Korean War monument across from City Hall.

“If it wasn’t for the heroism and diligence of these soldiers the world would conceivably be a much different place today,” Neal said. “It is often referred to as the forgotten war, but when you look at the quality of life in people in North Korea versus South Korea you can see that a lot was accomplished.”

Sarno said he is thankful to the men who fought and died to help bring democracy to another part of the world.

“Many of them were decorated soldiers, but they don’t pump up their chests and talk about it,” he said. “They just did their duty to their country and they will never be forgotten.” 

Police in Agawam are investigating a motorcycle accident in Feeding Hills.

File photo

AGAWAM- Police are investigating a motorcycle accident on Route 57 near the Feeding hills section of Agawam.

WWLP is reporting that police are asking residents to avoid the area near the Polish American Club at 139 Southwick St.

Police are not releasing any information regarding the accident or the victims involved at this time.

Dry early this evening, but showers and thunderstorms return overnight.

Clouds will be moving back into the region this evening ahead of an approaching cold front. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible after dusk, but the steady batches of rain are not expected until well after midnight and closer to Monday morning. Some of the mugginess will return tonight, with low temperatures staying up near 60 degrees.

Showers and thunderstorms will be likely throughout the day on Monday, being heaviest in the morning. About one inch of rain is expected for much of western Massachusetts by the end of the day. The biggest threat for severe thunderstorms is expected near the Connecticut shore and New York City area, but a brief strong thunderstorm is still a possibility in western Massachusetts. Mostly cloudy skies will keep the temperatures in the low-70s, but the humidity will be noticeable.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are still in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, with high in the mid-70s thanks to an area of low pressure stuck over the Northeast. By Thursday, mostly sunny skies will return, with temperatures getting back to the 80s for the weekend.

Tonight: Increasing clouds, showers and thunderstorms, mainly after midnight, low 61.

Monday: Periods of rain, heaviest early, a strong thunderstorm possible, high 72.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, scattered showers and thunderstorms, high 72.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, scattered showers and thunderstorms, high 74.

Radar | 5 Day Forecast

Cody Ross had two home runs and Aaron Cook got the win.

Associated PressBy his actions Sunday, Kevin Youkilis appears to have played his last game with the Red Sox.

BOSTON - Aaron Cook's five solid innings and two home runs by Cody Ross led the victory, but the headline of Sunday's Red Sox-Braves game involved one of the last two remaining players from the 2004 world champions.

Kevin Youkilis left the field for a pinch-runner in the seventh inning of Boston's 9-4 victory, and waved and saluted the Fenway Park fans in a moment that left the unmistakeable signal he was leaving.

Youkilis has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks. They heated up over the weekend, with Will Middlebrooks on a torrid pace and the Chicago White Sox seriously pursuing Youkilis, as were some National League teams.

There was no immediate, official word a trade had been completed.

Youkilis went 2-for-4 at third base Sunday. It was his first action since Wednesday, when he went 2-for-3.

Middlebrooks was the DH as David Ortiz got a day off. He hit a sacrifice fly for an RBI.

Cook earned his first Red Sox win. Called up from Pawtucket, where he had been rehabbing a lacerated knee, he allowed three runs (two earned) six hits.

He threw 77 pitches as a replacement for Clay Buchholz, who went on the disabled list for gastrointestinal issues. Cook made only one previous start for the Red Sox, a loss in May, and was injured in that game.

Youkilis' departure would leave only David Ortiz from the 2004 world champions. Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek did not return to the team this year and retired.

The Great Garden Stroll will be held from 10 am. to 3 p.m. on June 24.

Republican staff photo by Don TreegerThe gardens of Lynn Mercier will be one of ten homes featured on the Granby Garden Stroll on June 24. This is Lynn on her back deck.

GRANBY – It’s difficult to believe that, when she first came to her home on South Street, Lynn Snopek Mercier intended to plant a garden with all purple and white blooms.

The spacious lawns at the home are now dotted with “islands” bursting with every color and texture, from roses and hydrangeas to yellow campanellas and “painted” daisies with dark pink petals.

Then, there are the purples, including miniature irises that came from her grandfather’s house in Boston.

Even the foliage ranges in color from the chartreuse leaves of spirea to the bronze leaves of penstemon.

“I couldn’t contain myself,” said Mercier as she walked a visitor around the property. In addition to four colorful islands of flowers, she has an abundance of flowers and shrubbery framing three sides of her house.

Mercier’s garden is among 10 gorgeous stops on Granby’s Garden Stroll, coming up June 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tickets cost $12 in advance ($15 on the day of the event), and includes a booklet that gives the purchaser a self-guided tour of the gardens.

Proceeds from the tour, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Granby Library, go toward the building of the new library in town.

From Mercier’s gardens, tour-goers can stroll to be another featured garden on South Street, a modern farmhouse that, in addition to its large flower border and great views, will be offering refreshments and raffle tickets for prizes.

Also on the tour will be a backyard winery on Kendall Street, a quiet sanctuary on Jennifer Drive, an heirloom garden on Ferry Hill Road and a Taylor Street garden that attracts a lot of butterflies and hummingbirds.

Republican staff photo by Don TreegerThese are penstemon flowers growing in Lynn Mercier's garden.

On Barton Street, a garden the neighborhood children call “the fairyland” includes shade plants and paths winding around a vernal pond.

Three gardens on Pleasant Street will be featured on the stroll. One has gentle slopes that are landscaped with terraces and benches, and another has birdfeeders everywhere and flowers encircling the pool.

The third garden on Pleasant Street is a piece of Granby history. Breezy Acres has been a working family farm since 1735. It’s home not only to a private flower garden, but to Boer goats, organically grown vegetables and much else.

Tickets for the Granby Garden Stroll can be purchased at Breezy Acres, Class Grass, Granby Country Grain, Hadley Garden Center or, on the day of the stroll, any garden on the tour.

The building, which is now a tavern, will have to be demolished.

SEEKONK, Mass. (AP) — An out-of-control tractor-trailer carrying bananas crashed into a natural gas main and ignited an explosion on Sunday morning, setting fire to an 18th-century building that housed a tavern and destroying it.

Fire officials in Seekonk, about 6 miles east of Providence, R.I., said the 18-wheeler fell on its side and slid into the Old Grist Mill Tavern, whose website says the building was constructed in 1745 for grinding grain raised by area farmers.

The truck "slid along the ground and took out the gas main and the electrical lines," tavern owner Greg Esmay told The Providence Journal newspaper. "There was a pretty good explosion, and it started a fire."

No one was in the building at the time. Esmay, of Warwick, R.I., said the building was destroyed and would have to be demolished.

The truck driver was taken to a hospital in Providence. It was unclear how serious his injuries were or whether he would face charges.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Esmay said there was a chimney fire at the building in 1957, and the restaurant and bar area were rebuilt afterward. He said he wasn't sure whether he will rebuild and he was concerned about his 50 employees.

Area resident David Elderkin, who lives two houses down from the restaurant, told Attleboro's The Sun Chronicle newspaper that he heard loud noises after the crash. When he went to see what happened, he said, he saw flames that were taller than the utility poles on the street.

"It sounded like a jet engine," he said. "This is a sad day. This is a very popular restaurant."

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

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.

The state Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resource Committee recommended a bill that would ban the distribution of single-use plastic shopping bags, now one of the most common products distributed worldwide but often ending up as litter decorating roadside trees.

Paper or plastic?

Massachusetts is poised to take the decision out of consumers’ hands.

On June 14, the state Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resource Committee recommended a bill that would ban the distribution of single-use plastic shopping bags, now one of the most common products distributed worldwide but often ending up as litter decorating roadside trees.

If the measure passes the full Legislature – and a final vote could come in the next two weeks – the state would join cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle in banning the bags.

“This is a major step in the right direction for Massachusetts,” said James McCaffrey, director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club, which, along with other environmental groups, has been fighting for the ban for years.

“It’s crucial that we protect the world we live in, and banning plastic bags is a significant step in that direction,” he said.

The bill would ban single-use plastic bags from stores greater than 4,000 square feet and require paper bags to be made of recycled material.

Although inexpensive to make, plastic bags pose a huge expense ecologically, say environmentalists. According to the Sierra Club, the bags take 200 to 400 years to degrade, and when they do, they break up into smaller bits that never entirely disappear. They are often deadly to wildlife, which can mistake them for food or become entangled in them. Whales, seals, turtles, fish and birds are the most susceptible to ingesting them.

The bags have also become a ubiquitous form of litter, often escaping on the wind and becoming airborne, ending up in trees or utility wires where they can’t easily be removed.

Some retailers, like Big Y Foods, for instance, have been at work to help reduce the use of plastic bags in their stories.

Big Y spokeswoman Claire M. D’Amour-Daley said the chain was able to cut the use of plastic bags by a third in just one year by encouraging, not requiring, customers to use reusable bags. The bags are displayed for sale prominently in the stores.

“W even have big signs in the parking lot, ‘Remember to use your bags,’” D’Amour-Daley said.

For that reason, she doesn’t think a state law mandating reusable bags is necessary.

“I think that it is probably more than what is needed,” D’Amour-Daley said. “The fact of the matter is that people re-use those plastic bags all the time.”

She said other products come in plastic packaging. Think of those large dry-cleaning bags, for instance, D’Amour-Daley said. “I think to single out one item like that is a little ridiculous,” she said.

Nantucket became one of the first locations to ban the bags, doing so nearly 20 years ago.

Los Angeles became the latest large city to vote to phase them out. The city will eventually put in place a 10-cent charge for paper bags, as well.

San Francisco was the first major city to ban the bags in April 2007. Maui, Hawaii, banned them in 2008, Seattle’s ban goes into effect later this year and Austin’s ban takes effect next year.

Bans have also been put in place in Paris, Israel, Canada, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa.

State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, one of the sponsors of the measure seeking to ban the bags in Massachusetts, said more than 380 billion plastic bags are used every year by Americans, but only about 5 percent are recycled. Many of the rest end up in the trash.

“It’s time to ban this dangerous product and encourage the use of more sustainable alternatives,” he said.

The American Chemistry Council has been advocating for greater recycling of plastic bags rather than an outright ban.

“Plastic bags and wraps are a valuable resource that should be recycled after use,” said Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council.

The council recently released a study that found that 91 percent of Americans are located close to drop-off locations where they can conveniently recycle plastic bags.

“Education is the next critical step,” Russell said. “Awareness and convenience are key to changing behavior, and we frequently see that when awareness meets convenience, consumers are very willing to recycle their plastics.”

Business writer Jim Kinney contributed to this story.

There is no information about the person found.

Republican file photo

HUNTINGTON – Police searching a wooded area have found a body, news stations are reporting.

WWLP-22 News and abc 40 are reporting police were conducting a search in wooded areas near the Rocky Brook Drive home of Jessica Dana. Dana has been missing since Friday, the reports said.

There is no information that the person found is Dana.

At least eight Massachusetts State Police were parked on Rocky Brook Drive. Part of the front yard and a home on Rocky Brook Drive was roped off with police crime tape. Police from the K-9 units, and the criminal investigations unit were seen working around the home.

Police photographers were also seen entering the home.

Police were also parked in a number of locations around Huntington. At least two cruisers were patrolling Route 66 and another was stationed at the intersection of routes 66 and 112.

State police declined to comment, referring all calls to the Northwestern District Attorney’s office.

Mary Carey, Communications Director for the office, would not release any information immediately.

Masslive will update when more information becomes available.

Some rumbles of thunder move through overnight, with heavy rain for the Monday morning commute.

Mostly cloudy skies have taken over this evening, and now a line of showers and thunderstorms is heading into New England. The likelihood of rain will increase as we head further through the overnight hours, with the heaviest storms coming through by dawn. Some of the mugginess will return tonight, with low temperatures staying up near 60 degrees.

Showers and thunderstorms will be likely throughout the day on Monday, staying heaviest in the morning. About one inch of rain is expected for much of western Massachusetts by the end of the day. The biggest threat for severe thunderstorms is expected near the Connecticut shore and New York City area, but a brief strong thunderstorm is still a possibility in western Massachusetts. Mostly cloudy skies will keep the temperatures in the low-70s, but the humidity will be noticeable.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are still in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, with high in the mid-70s thanks to an area of low pressure stuck over the Northeast. By Thursday, mostly sunny skies will return with temperatures getting back to the 80s for the weekend.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, heaviest by dawn, low 61.

Monday: Periods of rain, heaviest early, a strong thunderstorm possible, high 72.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, scattered showers and thunderstorms, high 72.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, scattered showers and thunderstorms, high 74.

The office of Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan confirmed that police had been searching for a missing woman.

Republican staff photo by Greg SaulmonPolice investigating a suspicious death walk down Rocky Brook Road.

HUNTINGTON — Police are calling the death of a woman found Sunday afternoon suspicious.

Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan’s office confirmed it is working with Massachusetts State Police to investigate the death in the small town, said Mary Carey, spokeswoman for the office.

“The identity of the deceased has not been confirmed,” she said in a written statement.

Police did not give the location where the victim was found, just saying it was in Huntington.

Carey confirmed that earlier Sunday state police, Huntington police and other law enforcement officials were involved in a search for Jessica Dana, who lives on Rocky Brook Drive. Dana had been missing since Friday.

The searchand subsequent investigation of the suspicious death brought dozens of officers to the town.

At least eight state police cruiser were parked on Rocky Brook Drive Sunday night. Part of the front yard and a home on Rocky Brook Drive was roped off with police crime tape. K-9 and criminal investigation units and police photographers were seen working around the home.

Police were also parked in a number of locations around Huntington. At least two cruisers were patrolling Route 66 and another was stationed at the intersection of routes 66 and 112.

Upon completion of the course last week, graduates received a total of $20,000 in seed-money grants from Verizon. It worked out to $2,500 to $5,000 per individual.

Mark M. Murray/ The Republican06/18/12 Holyoke- R The Center for Women Enterprise at held a graduation for domestic violence victims who have received business training thru the program. On hand following the ceremony are from left to right, Stephanie Lee, from the Verizon Foundation, Brenda Bak, one of the graduates, Carrie Johnson,Class class instructor, and Michael Murphy Manager of Verizon Public Relations . The ceremony took place at Holyoke Community College. .

HOLYOKE – For years, Brenda Bak, of Chicopee, had talked about taking her poetry and her photography and combining them into a business making and selling decorative objects for the home.

But other than a vague wish to take her work to craft fares, Bak didn’t know where to even begin despite her background in business.

That’s changed now that she has completed a 14-week entrepreneurship program for victims of domestic abuse. It’s paid for with a $75,000 grant from Verizon Wireless’ Hopeline Program to the Boston-based Center for Women and Enterprise which ran the classes. Students were recruited through local domestic violence agency Womenshelter/Companeras.

Upon completion of the course last week, graduates received a total of $20,000 in seed-money grants from Verizon. It worked out to $2,500 to $5,000 per individual.

Twenty women from Womanshelter/Companeras in Holyoke attended a one-day session. Only nine continued with the weekly three-hour classes. The classes were held at Holyoke Community College.

Bak, the only graduate of the program who agreed to be interviewed, said her experience with domestic abuse is years in her past. But she has kept active with domestic violence advocacy groups.

That’s how she learned she could get help starting her business.

“This very afternoon, I’m going to fix my website and then start planning where I’m going to go with my art,” Bak said. “I didn’t know how to market myself. I didn’t know who my core customer is going to be. I didn’t know what my niche is.”

Karen B. Cavanaugh, executive director of Womanshelter/Companeras, said victims of domestic abuse typically lose their homes, savings and jobs extricating themselves from their batterers.

“I don’t think that people understand the economic impact that being in a domestic violence relationship has on the financial well-being of individuals,” Cavanaugh said. “One of the reasons that people don’t leave is economic. So many times we find that people go back because leaving means they are ruined economically.”

Carrie H. Johnson, facilitator for the course, said that even if the graduates never actually start their own business, they have learned more about business in general and hopefully have regained some of their lost confidence.

Other business ideas include restaurants and small retail stores. Johnson is the one-time owner of two small businesses, including cleaning service she started with no money and grew to 165 employees.

Verizon hopes to repeat the program and expand it in the future, said Michael Murphy, public relations manager for Verizon Wireless in New England. The company has sponsored similar program in Vermont and near Albany, N.Y.

Verizon’s involvement in domestic violence issues started by providing voicemail and free phones to victims so they could access services and call for help in privacy. 

Steady rain this morning, scattered showers remain through Wednesday.

Showers and thunderstorms will start off our Monday, some of which will be heavy at times this morning. A cold front working it's way through the region may also trigger some thunderstorms with this system. The biggest threat for severe thunderstorms is expected near the Connecticut shore and New York City area, but a brief strong thunderstorm is still a possibility in western Massachusetts.

By the afternoon, the activity will become a little more scattered, but overall it is still a pretty dreary day. About one inch of rain is expected for much of western Massachusetts by the end of the day. Mostly cloudy skies will keep the temperatures in the low-70s, but the humidity will be noticeable.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are still in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, with high in the mid-70s thanks to an area of low pressure stuck over the Northeast. By Thursday, mostly sunny skies will return, with temperatures getting back to the 80s for the weekend.

Monday: Periods of rain, heaviest early, a strong thunderstorm possible, high 72.

Monday night: A few showers/thunderstorms early, low 56.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, scattered showers and thunderstorms, high 72.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, scattered showers and thunderstorms, high 74.

Law enforcement officials are hoping to receive confirmation of the deceased woman's identity and her cause and time of death later today.

The Republican | Dave RobackJeb Daly of Huntington appears in Hampshire District Court in Northampton Monday to answer charges filed in connection with the suspicious death of his girlfriend, Jessica Dana. At left is his lawyer Alan Rubin.

Updates stories posted at 11:55 and 6:45 a.m. Monday.

NORTHAMPTON -- Friends of Jeb Daly Sr. and Jessica Dana told investigators the Huntington couple argued Friday evening before Dana disappeared, Northwestern first assistant district attorney Steven E. Gagne said before a district court judge during Daly's arraignment Monday.

A body believed to be Dana's was found Sunday in the couple's backyard on Rocky Brook Drive and Daly, 36, was arrested by state police around 9 p.m. that evening after fleeing the scene of the investigation. In district court on Monday he denied charges of improper disposal of a body and misleading authorities in a case that law officials are calling "an unfolding situation."

"It appears to be a homicide investigation," Gagne told Judge W. Michael Goggins in arguing for the $100,000 bail.

Goggins ordered Daly held on $100,000 bail at the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction. A pre-trial conference has been slated for July 27.

Law enforcement officials are hoping the state medical examiner will be able to confirm Dana’s identity -- as well as determine the cause and time of her death -- later today.

In arguing for the high bail amount, Gagne also pointed to Daly's long criminal history, listing a number of prior convictions and defaults dating to 1993. Daly has previously faced charges in both New Jersey and Massachusetts, and he served state prison time in New Jersey.

Records from the New Jersey Department of Corrections show that Daly has served two previous prison sentences in that state stemming from an Ocean County case in which he was charged with armed burglary, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. Michael A. Paulhus, executive assistant prosecutor in the Office of the Ocean County Prosecutor, said that Daly entered a guilty plea in the burglary case on April 28, 1998.

"He got a pretty stiff sentence," Paulhus said of the 6-year term initially leveled by the judge.

He has also been charged in New Jersey with being a fugitive from justice, Gagne told the judge Monday.

According to friends, Gagne said Monday, the couple has been together for about five years. Friends who had been socializing with the couple Friday at their home at 8 Rocky Brook Drive told investigators that Daly and Dana had argued, and that Daly was the last person to be seen with Dana.

On Saturday morning Daly told Dana’s family members that she'd gone missing -- and, after her family implored him to report her disappearance, Daly called police at 5 p.m. Saturday.

When police searched the property Sunday, Gagne said, Daly was "distracted and nervous, fidgety" as he watched police searching the couple's backyard, which abuts a branch of the Westfield River.

The Republican | Dave Roback06.25.2012 | HUNTINGTON -- The home of Jessica Dana and Jeb Daly at 8 Rocky Brook Drive.

Near an embankment in the yard, friends discovered a tarp wrapped around a box that once contained an inflatable pool. One friend noticed a human hand sticking out of the box, Gagne said, Daly fled.

Daly was eventually taken into custody when police used a car owned by one of Daly's relatives to trick the suspect into believing he was being offered a ride.

"Mr. Daly allegedly concealed the body and effectively betrayed (Dana's disappearance) as a missing person," Gagne said as he explained the charges against Daly.

Defense lawyer Alan Rubin argued for $5,000 bail, acknowledging that his client had been in trouble in the 1990s and early 2000s. But Rubin said Daly had been in western Massachusetts since 2003, and that he had "settled down" and is working as a web designer for a New York company.

Dana has three children and at least one child is Daly's, Gagne said.

Assistant online editor Greg Saulmon contributed to this report.

The change will impact students entering Massachusetts state universities in 2017.

Beginning in 2017, students entering Massachusetts state universities will need to have completed three years of lab-based sciences, an increase from the two years of lab-based sciences which is presently required. (Republican file photo by Don Treeger)

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education has voted to set a standard for admission to its four-year universities, which will require students have already completed three years of a lab-based science, including the natural/physical sciences and technology/engineering courses offered within the Science Department.

Presently, the standard of admission to the nine state universities and the University of Massachusetts is three years of science with two being lab-based sciences. The new standards will take effect in 2017.

“We know that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are critical to future economic growth here in the Commonwealth,” said Education Secretary Paul Reville. "This new requirement will help us further prepare our students for future careers in STEM-related industries and find success in the Commonwealth’s growing innovation economy."

Charles E. Desmond, chairman of the Board of Higher Education, said the changes will better prepare students for the challenges of working in a global economy.

"Students entering our state universities and UMass need to be prepared for a rigorous academic experience, especially in science and math," Desmond said. "The nature of knowledge is changing and this expanded emphasis on engineering and technology will help prepare students for both post-secondary pursuits and the jobs of the future."

Jacob Oliveira, a member of the Ludlow School Committee, said the change will apply to students entering college in 2017 and be implemented over time, allowing high schools across the state to make more science courses available.

Richard M. Freeland, Commissioner of Higher Education, said that “completing a rigorous high school curriculum is the best predictor for college success.”

The Board of Higher Education vote follows a March 2011 vote to require four years of high school math as the standard of admission to the state’s four-year universities and the University of Massachusetts, beginning in the fall of 2016.

Goals of the governor’s STEM advisory council include increasing the percentage of students who demonstrate readiness for college level study in STEM fields and increasing the number of students who graduate from a post-secondary institution with a degree in a STEM field.

A Supreme Court ruling is opening new questions about the fate of Massachusetts residents sentenced to life without parole for killings they committed as juveniles.

AP Photo/Evan VucciThe Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, June 25, 2012. The Supreme Court ruled Monday that it is unconstitutional for state laws to require juveniles convicted of murder to be sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

By STEVE LeBLANC
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — A Supreme Court ruling is opening new questions about the fate of Massachusetts residents sentenced to life without parole for killings they committed as juveniles.

On Monday, the court ruled it is unconstitutional for states to require juveniles convicted of murder to be automatically sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

Several high-profile murder cases in Massachusetts have involved minors, including Joshua Fernandes convicted last week of first-degree murder for the May 2010 killing of a 14-year-old neighbor.

John Odgren was also sentenced to first-degree murder without parole for stabbing another student to death at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in 2007.

Fernandes and Odgren were both 16 at the time of the killings.

The Supreme Court decision left open the possibility judges could sentence juveniles to life without parole in individual cases.

Obituaries from The Republican

Stanley Vaill, 91, of Brimfield, dies at his home with family present on June 24, 2012.

BRIMFIELD - Stanley H. Vaill, 91, passed away on June 24, 2012 while surrounded by family in his Brimfield home. Born on Aug. 5, 1920 in Monson, Vaill later relocated to Brimfield where he ran the family business, Vaill's Dairy, for 45 years. His family sys that during that period of his life, Vaill fulfilled his love of farming and gardening.

Vaill also worked for Friendly's Ice Cream at one point and was a member of the Massachusetts State Grange for 71 years.

Vaill served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, later becoming a member of the American Legion Post 241 in Monson.

Calling hours will be Tuesday, June 26 from 4 - 7 p.m. at the Beers & Story Funeral Home in Palmer. Funeral services are Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the funeral home followed by burial in Brimfield Cemetery.

Obituaries from The Republican:

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  Spotlight William R. Santinello William R. Santinello 1944 - 2012 CHICOPEE - William "Billy" Santinello passed away Saturday June 16, 2012. He is... Full Story   Guest Book Mary J. Smith Mary J. Smith 1937 - 2012 WILBRAHAM - Mary Jane (Allis) Smith, 74, of Wilbraham and formerly of East Springfield... Full Story   Guest Book Robert H. Cunningham Robert H. Cunningham 1962 - 2012 WILBRAHAM - Robert H. "Bob" Cunningham, 49, of Wilbraham died Saturday, June 23,... Full Story   Guest Book Alice M. Baldwin Alice M. Baldwin WEST SPRINGFIELD - Alice M. Baldwin, 72, passed on June 23rd, 2012. Calling hours are Wednesday... Full Story   Guest Book Sare Heatley Sare Heatley 1934 - 2012 SPRINGFIELD - Sare Heatley, 77, died on June 21, 2012 at Mercy Medical Center. Born in... Full Story   Guest Book Arthur R. Messer Arthur R. Messer 1922 - 2012 WILBRAHAM - Arthur R. Messer, age 89 passed away on June 22, 2012 at home surrounded... Full Story   Guest Book Laurie Ann Armida Laurie Ann Armida 1962-2012 SPRINGFIELD - Laurie Ann Armida passed away on June 15, 2012 at Baystate Medical... Full Story   Guest Book Joseph S. Jamilowski Jr. Joseph S. Jamilowski, Jr. 1946 - 2012 WARE - Joseph S. Jamilowski, Jr., age 66, passed away on Thursday, June 21,... Full Story   Guest Book James Whitehead Jr. James H. Whitehead, Jr. 1939-2012 SPRINGFIELD - James H. Whitehead, Jr. 73, of Springfield died Saturday, June... Full Story   Guest Book Agapita Roman Agapita I. Roman 1937 - 2012 SPRINGFIELD - Agapita Isabelle Roman, 74, of Springfield, passed away peacefully on... Full Story   Guest Book Muriel Hoag Muriel Hoag 1910 - 2012 LONGMEADOW - Muriel (Lowell) Hoag, 101 of Longmeadow died Thursday in the Jewish Nursing... Full Story   Guest Book

"We were proud to participate in this important joint initiative," said West Springfield police chief Ron Campurciani.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- A nationwide law enforcement effort targeting child prostitution led to the arrest of three adults in the city Saturday and the recovery of one juvenile.

The sweep, dubbed Operation Cross Country, was a collaboration between the FBI, Massachusetts State Police, and local police departments. The arrests unfolded over a three-day period, and are a part of the ongoing Innocence Lost National Initiative, which targets child exploitation through prostitution.

A total of 104 pimps were arrested during the operation and 79 children were recovered, according to a statement released by the Massachusetts State Police Monday. Massachusetts operations included "enforcement actions" in Saugus, Malden, and West Springfield and led to 14 total arrests, including 13 on prostitution charges and one on drug charges.

The West Springfield arrests, initiated by an undercover FBI operation, were made by the city's police department in conjunction with the Hampden County Sexual Predator Task Force (led by the Hampden County District Attorney), Massachusetts State Police, and the FBI.

“We were proud to participate in this important joint initiative, along with the Hampden Sex Predator Task Force and the FBI ILTF, to address the serious issue of child prostitution in western Massachusetts,” said West Springfield police chief Ron Campurciani.

The names of those arrested in West Springfield were not included in the state police statement. However, West Springfield police records show the arrests of three Rhode Island residents on Saturday, June 23, the date state police say the arrests occurred. All three are charged with sexual conduct for a fee, police records show.

Arrested were:

• Jennifer Scholle, 35, of 129 Chestnut Hill Ave. Apt. 2, Cranston, Rhode Island.


• Nereida Reyes, 24, of 73 Herschel St. Apt. 2, Providence, Rhode Island.


• Savannah Callandret, 20, of 7 Ledge St. Apt. 2R, Providence, Rhode Island.

All three arrests were made on Riverdale Street between 10:30 and 11 p.m. Saturday. While it could not be immediately confirmed whether the arrests were made in connection with the national sweep, police records show no other arrests on that date.

This is a developing story. Details will be added as our reporting continues.

Republican file photo03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – A West Springfield Police Department cruiser.

A judge has delayed the trial for former Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger by about four months, until March of next year.

AP Photo/U.S. Marshals Service, FileThis June 23, 2011 file booking photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service shows James "Whitey" Bulger, who was captured in June 2011 in Santa Monica, Calif., with his longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig.

BOSTON (AP) — A judge has delayed the trial for former Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger by about four months, until March of next year.

Bulger lawyer J.W. Carney Jr. said he needed more time to prepare and had argued the trial should be delayed from this November to November 2013. A federal magistrate judge on Monday set the new date for Monday, March 4, 2013.

Carney says he needs time to review evidence turned over by prosecutors, including 300,000 pages of documents. He's says the evidence was unorganized, like a "shuffled deck of cards," when he received it.

But prosecutors say Carney hasn't accepted help and prefers to "wallow in confusion." They say Bulger's to blame for Carney's problems by remaining a fugitive for 16 years.

The 82-year-old Bulger, who's accused of participating in 19 murders, was caught last June in California.