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Holyoke Children's Museum gets $171,800 'clean energy grant' from state

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Springfield, Northampton, Greenfield, Montague and Pittsfield also got grants.

Holyoke Children's Museum 2010.jpgChildren play on an exhibit at the Holyoke Children's Museum in 2010.

HOLYOKE – The state has given the city a grant of $171,800 to make improvements to the heating and air conditioning systems at the Holyoke Children’s Museum, officials said.

The money was part of $2.8 million in grants to fund 55 “clean energy projects” in 19 communities statewide, a press release from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said Thursday.

Springfield, Northampton, Greenfield, Montague and Pittsfield also got grants.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said the grant reaffirms the city’s committment to steps that are “green,” or environmentally friendly.

“We have more work to do, but this grant will allow us to continue investing in environmental efficiencies and promoting green, sustainable development. I thank the state for recognizing our city’s progress on this important issue,” Morse said.

The museum at 444 Dwight St., overlooking Holyoke Heritage State Park, was built in 1980.

Museum Executive Director Susan Kelley said the grant will pay for energy system improvements.

“It couldn’t be better,” Kelly said.

She praised the efforts in getting upgrades of William D. Fuqua, general superintendent of the Department of Public Works, Morse and former Mayor Elaine A. Pluta.

The museum is on a roll, Kelley said, after being voted “best place to bring your kids” in the recent Reader Raves poll conducted by The Republican and Masslive.com

The grants are funded through proceeds that retail electricity suppliers pay under the Renewable and Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard programs, the state press release said.

“The cities and towns receiving these awards have already shown outstanding clean energy leadership ...,” said Mark Sylvia, commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources, in the press release.

Springfield received $161,582 consisting of more than $100,000 for energy management system, boilers and water tank improvements at libraries and $61,337 for an energy management system at Balliet Middle School.

Northampton got $98,000: $61,000 for insulation and air sealing at the Academy of Music and $37,000 for insulation and air sealing at Memorial Hall.

Greenfield got $40,000 for an energy efficiency program for low-to-moderate-income residents.

Montague got $72,062 for improvements to the water pollution control facility.

Pittsfield gor $92,787 for gas conversion at the Lichtenstein Art Center.


Coast Guard rescues 9 teens off Cape Cod

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The Coast Guard says a 45-foot response boat was sent to pick up the group on Thursday and return them safely to shore at Cape Cod Canal pier. No injuries were reported.

SANDWICH, Mass. (AP) — A Coast Guard crew has rescued nine young people on rafts and stand-up paddleboards after they drifted too far from a Cape Cod beach.

The Coast Guard says a 45-foot response boat was sent to pick up the group on Thursday and return them safely to shore at Cape Cod Canal pier. No injuries were reported.

Petty Officer Shane Carpenter said the teens should have been wearing life jackets — but were not.

Jeb Daly denies murder charge in death of girlfriend Jessica Dana; held without right to bail

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Prosecutors would not comment on Dana's cause of death.

dalycrop.jpgJessica Daly of Huntington, seen here in a 2006 photo. Her boyrfriend Jeb Daly Friday was charged with her murder.

NORTHAMPTON -- Jeb Daly, accused of killing his 30-year-old girlfriend Jessica Dana, denied the murder charge Friday in District Court.

Daly, 36, of Huntington, was ordered held without right to bail.

State police arrested Daly after a manhunt Sunday evening. Earlier that day, friends discovered Dana's body in the couple's backyard on Rocky Brook Drive in Huntington. Daly reported Dana missing Saturday afternoon, and fled on foot when her body was discovered.

Prosecutors initially charged Daly with improper disposal of a body and misleading. He was first arraigned on Monday and held on $100,000 bail at the Hampshire County House of Correction.

Bail has been revoked following his plea on the murder charge.

Massachusetts State Police investigate death of Jessica Dana of Huntington06.25.2012 | NORTHAMPTON -- Jeb 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.

Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Bucci said after the arraignment that the state medical examiner ruled the case a homicide and there were three pieces of evidence that led them to charge Daly with murder. Bucci did not comment on the cause of Dana's death, but he said that a plastic bag found on Dana’s body bore Daly’s fingerprint. In addition, her body was wrapped in bedding that matched the bedding from the couple's bedroom.

Daly was the last person to be with her Friday night and the only adult present Saturday morning, investigators said. That evidence coupled with the forensic evidence led to the murder charge, Bucci said.

Friends said the couplehad been together for about five years and had two children together. Dana was the mother to one additional child.

According to the complaint filed Friday, state police executed a search warrant Monday and found trash bags in the kitchen of the home that matched those used to wrap the upper and lower portions of Dana’s body. Police also found a matching trash bag in a shed on the property.

The body had wrapped in a checkered sheet, a camouflage sheet and other layers of bedding and linens, according to the statement

Bucci said he expects to present the evidence to a Hampshire County grand jury.

Bucci could not comment where Daly will be held pending trial. A pre-trial conference has been slated for July 27.

Of the eight homicides in Western Massachusetts since Jan. 1, Dana's is the fourth that is considered a domestic homicide.

That list includes Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose who was shot to death June 6 by a New York City man who then attempted to kill his estranged girlfriend.

The list includes Jessica Pripstein, 39, of Easthampton who was stabbed to death Feb. 20 by her estranged boyfriend, and Jessica Rojas, 25, who was stabbed to death at her Springfield apartment by her boyfriend.

In 2011, just one of 23 homicides in Western Massachusetts was considered a domestic.

In 2010, there were five out of 29 total homicides, and including two murder-suicides.

The following is a copy of the court complaint against Jeb Daly of Huntington. Readers should be warned that the text contains strong language and graphic details.

Criminal Complaint Against Jeb Daly

South Hadley residents indicate support of plan to put cell phone tower on high school chimney

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Renting out space for cell towers can bring in $20-40,000 a year, according to School Committee member Edward Boiselle.

SOUTH HADLEY – A dozen residents showed up at a School Committee meeting Tuesday for a public hearing on installing a cellular communications tower on the chimney at South Hadley High School.

It turned out they were all in favor of the idea, though no action has been taken and won’t be until the chimney is repaired.

“Cell towers,” as they are known, support electronic equipment to move messages among mobile phones. A cell tower can support multiple antennas.

South Hadley already has several cell towers, in such places as water storage tanks, fire departments and the Mount Holyoke College campus.

Renting out space for cell towers can bring in $20-40,000 a year, according to School Committee member Edward Boiselle. It has not been decided whether proceeds from a high school cell tower would go to the schools or the town.

The residents who attended the meeting, mostly from Pershing Avenue, were enthusiastic about putting a cellular tower on the smokestack of the high school.

They reasoned that if a tower went up at the high school, it would cancel out a current proposal for a free-standing cell tower across the street at 300-302 Newton St. (Route 116), which they said is too close to their homes.

Candice Walczak, business administrator for the South Hadley Public Schools, had to caution them that there was no guarantee of that outcome if the cell tower was built at the high school.

The residents of Pershing Avenue said later that they were undeterred in their opposition to the proposal across the street.

They support the idea of cell towers attached to existing structures, where they blend into the scenery. In other South Hadley locations, said Mark Pappas, of Pershing Ave., “you have to look very hard to see them.”

A free-standing cell tower is another matter, said Raymond Dupre, also of Pershing Ave. He was worried that such a slender structure might keel over under the right conditions, and perhaps start a fire.

Pappas’s wife, Patricia, who runs a day care center, said she feared going out of business if the cell tower went up behind her house.

The neighbors said they plan to voice their objections at a public hearing of the Planning Board on July 12.

In any event, said Walczak, one good thing about the cellular companies’ interest in the high school location was that it speeded up the schools’ commitment to repairing the chimney at the high school.

The project had gone out for bids only two weeks earlier.

At the School Committee meeting, Walczak announced that seven companies had put in bids for the project. The School Committee voted unanimously to approve the low bid of $33,300.

Factcheck: Does Elizabeth Warren support single-payer health care?

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Scott Brown's campaign recently sent out a fundraising email with the subject head, 'Here comes single-payer Warren.'

health care.jpg Dr. Nadya Hasham, a professor at Touro College medical school, examines Glenn Johnson at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicineon Wednesday, June 27, 2012 in Harlem, N.Y.


After the Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s health care reform as constitutional, Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown’s campaign sent out a fundraising email with the subject head, “Here comes single-payer Warren.”

The email read: “Scott's opponent, Elizabeth Warren, not only supported Obamacare, but she thought we should have gone even further: ‘The most obvious solution would be universal single-payer health care,’ says Warren. Warren's single-payer, European-style, government-owned and operated health care scheme will make Obamacare look tame by comparison.”

However, Warren’s former Democratic opponent Marisa DeFranco criticized Warren for not supporting a single-payer system. DeFranco’s website stated, “I am the only candidate on the record in support of Single Payer.” “When we debated at Stonehill College, I made a clear statement I’m the only candidate in this race who supports single-payer,” DeFranco told MassLive.com. “No one disabused me of that notion.”

A single-payer system is one in which there is a single insurance pool, run by the government – similar to what exists in Canada or the United Kingdom. Obama’s health care reform, the Affordable Care Act, is not a single-payer system.

So what is Warren’s position?

Asked for Warren’s views on a single-payer system, campaign spokeswoman Alethea Harney said, “Elizabeth supports the (Affordable Care Act). The issue right now is whether we keep the many benefits of health care reform. Scott Brown and the Republicans will say anything because they don't want to talk about the fact that they want to repeal all of the benefits of health care reform, including kids staying on their parents' insurance until age 26, the end of lifetime limits, closing the donut hole, and preventive care services.”

Asked by MassLive.com earlier this year if she supports a single-payer health care system, Warren similarly said the focus needs to be on the current law. "I think the urgent question now is whether we’re going to be able to hold on to the health care reforms that just passed," Warren said in an emailed statement. "There are a lot of people who want to repeal them. I think we need to focus on protecting them and on finding new ways to lower costs, which are still too high."

Asked for its source on Warren’s support for a single-payer system, the Brown campaign pointed to “Get Sick, Go Broke,” a chapter written by Warren, a Harvard Law School professor, and Ohio University professor Deborah Thorne in the 2008 book “Health at Risk,” edited by Jacob Hacker. The chapter was based on an academic study in which Warren and Thorne analyzed questionnaires, court records and personal stories of families in bankruptcy. They found that more than half their sample filed for bankruptcy at least in part because of medical problems, and nearly three-quarters of those who fell ill had insurance.

Warren and Thorne wrote: “We approach the health care debates from a single perspective: maintaining the financial stability of families confronting illness or injury. The most obvious solution would be universal single-payer health care.”

They wrote that universal, single-payer care would allow people to get care without risking bankruptcy, and would “free families from dependence on an employer’s plan, and make certain that everyone is covered, whether or not they are employed.”

Warren and Thorne also noted the problems with single-payer care. “We recognize that there are cost-containment issues and the ever-present specter of rationing medical care,” they wrote.

They concluded, “From the perspective of family finances, this is the most obvious and workable solution.”

Warren and Thorne offered other solutions as well.

They wrote that if universal, single-payer health insurance is “politically unacceptable,” another option would be to guarantee all Americans access to “affordable and adequate” health insurance, which cannot be terminated if a family member is ill and which should not be tied to employment. They wrote that other reforms that would relieve financial burdens on families would include making prescription drugs and rehabilitation therapy available at lower costs, providing additional access to in-home care and providing paid leave for care providers.

Springfield police arrest Jesus Torrez, homeless man, in connection with Spirit Shoppe robbery

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Police arrested Torrez following the 11 a.m. armed robbery, but are still looking for two other suspects.

This is an update of a story that was originally posted at 12:54 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD - Jesus Torrez, a 22-year-old man with no known address, was arrested Friday and charged in connection with an armed robbery at the Spirit Shoppe, 1132 St. James Ave. in East Springfield.

Police are still looking for two other men in connection with the 11 a.m. robbery, said officer Charles Youmans, aide to Commissioner William Fitchet.

Torrez was charged with armed robbery, armed robbery while masked, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.

Detectives on Friday recovered at least one shell casing from the scene and were reviewing surveillance video, police said. No description of the other two suspects was released to the press.

Police said approximately $2,000 was taken during the robbery.

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


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On eve of holiday recess, Congress passes student loans, highway jobs bill

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The burst of legislating came just four months before the November elections, giving lawmakers achievements to show off to voters who have increasingly held Congress in low esteem while the economy continues to flounder.

John BoehnerHouse Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, joined by other House GOP leaders, meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 27, 2012, following a political strategy session. Boehner defended the contempt of Congress vote against Attorney General Eric Holder, commented on the looming Supreme Court decision on the health care, and updated progress on student loans and the transportation bill. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

By ALAN FRAM & JOAN LOWY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Finding rare political accommodation on the cusp of a holiday recess, Congress passed legislation Friday designed to salvage 2.8 million jobs and shield students from a sharp increase in loan interest rates.

The legislation, which also revamps highway and transit programs and shores up the federal flood insurance program, now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama's signatures.

Lawmakers trying to leave town for a weeklong Fourth of July recess had been facing twin deadlines: Federal highway and transit aid programs and the government's authority to levy federal fuel taxes were expiring Saturday. And interest rates on new student loans were set to double on Sunday.

The burst of legislating came just four months before the November elections, giving lawmakers achievements to show off to voters who have increasingly held Congress in low esteem while the economy continues to flounder.

"By passing this bipartisan agreement to keep the student loan rates low without raising taxes, we have given college students and parents a little more breathing room. However, it is crucial that we do more to rein in the rising cost of going to college. Schools need to provide greater transparency so parents and students have a clearer picture of what they are paying for with their hard-earned money," said Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., who has been debating the student loan interest rate issue with his reelection bid rival, Democrat Elizabeth Warren.

Warren lauded Congress for preserving the lowered student loan interest rate, but charged that Republicans were "hostage the well-being of young people all across this country in order to keep their extremist pledges not to close tax loopholes."

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who led Senate negotiations on the transportation portion of the package, said the bi-partisan bill will boost the economy.

"We have a bill that will boost this economy. We have a bill that is supported by conservatives and liberals, progressives and moderates," Boxer said. "I think it's a great day."

Boxer estimated the bill would save about 1.8 million jobs by keeping aid for highway and transit construction flowing to states and create another 1 million jobs by using federal loan guarantees to leverage private sector investment in infrastructure projects.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said: "Probably millions would have been put out of work if we hadn't acted."

Not all lawmakers were happy.

"At least it's not as bad as our Republican colleagues wanted," complained Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who has championed bike and pedestrian programs that the measure would squeeze. "But make no mistake, it is not a bill to be proud of."

In the bargaining that led up to an agreement on the package earlier this week, House Republicans gave up their demands that the bill require approval of the contentious Keystone XL oil pipeline and block federal regulation of toxic waste generated by coal-fired power plants. Democrats gave ground on environmental protections and biking, pedestrian and safety programs.

The bill consolidates various transportation programs and reduces the number of programs by two-thirds. States would have more flexibility on how they spend transportation aid. It also revamps rules on environmental studies of the potential impact of highway projects, with an aim toward cutting in half the time it takes to complete construction projects. And the measure contains an array of safety initiatives, including requirements that would make it more likely passengers would survive a tour bus crash.

"It doesn't have everything," Mica said. But "we were able to do more with less and move transportation for the nation forward."

The bill would spend about $100 billion on federal highway programs over two years, but puts off the politically tricky decision on how to pay for them after that.

The federal 18.4 cent-a-gallon gasoline tax and 24.4 cent-a-gallon diesel tax are no longer enough to pay for current spending on highway and transit programs. And two commissions and an array of private sector experts have said the U.S. should be spending about twice as much or more on its transportation infrastructure as it does now.

But Congress and the White House have refused to discuss raising fuel taxes or an alternative long-term source of money. The federal trust funds that pay for highway and transit programs are forecast to be nearly broke by the time the bill expires.

"When the bill expires we face a high cliff from which the program could fall," said Erich Zimmerman, a policy analyst with Taxpayers for Common Sense.

The fuel taxes are not indexed for inflation and haven't been increased since 1993, so their buying power has steadily eroded. Also, cars and trucks today are more fuel-efficient and the number of miles driven has flattened, resulting in less gas tax revenue. Since 2008, Congress has three times dipped into the national general treasury to borrow a total of $34.5 billion to keep transportation programs going.

Congressional bargainers reached an agreement earlier this week on the $6 billion college loan portion of the bill that would avert a doubling of interest rates beginning Sunday on federal loans to 7.4 million students. The current 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans would balloon back to 6.8 percent on Sunday under a cost-saving maneuver contained in a 2007 law.

About $20 billion of the measure's cost is paid for by making changes in companies' pension calculations that will reduce their tax deductions, and increasing the payments businesses must make to insure their pension programs.

The bill also extends the federal flood insurance program to protect 5.6 million households and businesses. It addresses a shortfall arising from claims after 2005's Hurricane Katrina by reducing insurance subsidies for vacation homes and allowing for increases in premiums.

The measure also requires that 80 percent of fines for violations of the Clean Water Act as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will go to a trust fund for Gulf Coast states damaged by the spill.

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Follow Joan Lowy at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Peter Madoff pleads guilty in NYC, blames brother

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The younger brother and business partner of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty Friday to charges he doctored documents for years, but he insisted he knew nothing about his brother's historic Ponzi scheme and was "in total shock" when he found out about it.

petermadoff.jpgPeter Madoff leaves Federal Court on Friday, June 29, 2012 in New York after pleading guilty to criminal charges. Peter Madoff, the younger brother and business partner of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty Friday to charges he doctored documents, but insisted he knew nothing about his brother's historic Ponzi scheme. Madoff, 66, entered the plea in a deal that permits him to remain free on $5 million bail pending his Oct. 4 sentencing.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER,Associated Press
TOM HAYS,Associated Press


NEW YORK (AP) — The younger brother and business partner of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty Friday to charges he doctored documents for years, but he insisted he knew nothing about his brother's historic Ponzi scheme and was "in total shock" when he found out about it.

An emotional Peter Madoff, 66, entered the plea in a deal that permits him to remain free on $5 million bail pending his Oct. 4 sentencing. He agreed not to contest a 10-year prison sentence and, several hours later, emerged from the courthouse into a rush of cameras and a car that awaited him.

"My family was torn apart as a result of my brother's atrocious conduct," he said. "I was reviled by strangers as well as friends who assumed that I knew about the Ponzi scheme."

The plea to charges of conspiracy and falsifying records came in the same Manhattan courthouse where Bernard Madoff was led away in handcuffs in 2009 to serve a 150-year sentence. Federal prosecutors said the investigation was ongoing.

Peter Madoff told the judge he was "deeply ashamed and terribly sorry" but that he didn't know about the scam until his brother revealed it in December 2008.

"I was in total shock," he said, adding he had persuaded his wife, daughter, granddaughter and sister to invest millions of dollars that they lost in the fraud. "My world was destroyed. I lost everything I worked for."

Prosecutors portrayed the younger Madoff as a criminally incompetent chief compliance officer who filed fabricated compliance reports for more than a decade and purposefully deceived the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"He even signed many weeks of compliance reports in one sitting, intentionally changing pens and ink colors to disguise the fact that he had done them at once," Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa A. Baroni told U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.

Madoff became choked up near the end of his statement after he described how he and his brother decided which favored friends, clients and family members should receive the $300 million that remained in the investment company's accounts.

Only weeks before, the clients had been told their roughly $20 billion investment had grown to more than $65 billion.

He said he was "shocked and devastated" by his brother's admission that it was all a fraud, "but nevertheless I did as my brother had said, as I had consistently done for decades. I knew that the conduct was wrong and I am deeply ashamed." The checks never went out.

The plea was consistent with Bernard Madoff's own claims that his brother and two sons were in the dark about his misdeeds.

The FBI nevertheless had been suspicious from the start about the role of Peter Madoff, who had worked side by side with his scheming brother for more than 40 years.

FBI Assistant Director Janice K. Fedarcyk said Peter Madoff played an "essential enabling role" in the scam by certifying fabricated investment results.

"The Madoff investment empire, built on a foundation of deceit, was a house of cards that grew to skyscraper proportions," she said. "As Peter Madoff has admitted today, he was one of the chief architects."

Peter Madoff was released on $5 million bail, secured by $1 million in cash or property, pending sentencing. Prosecutors said Peter Madoff agreed to surrender all his assets.

"Peter Madoff enabled the largest fraud in human history. He will now be jailed well into old age, and he will forfeit virtually every penny he has," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. "We are not yet finished calling to account everyone responsible for the epic fraud of Bernard Madoff and the epic pain of his many victims."

Peter Madoff said he joined his brother's firm after graduating from Fordham Law School in 1970. He was credited with creating a computer trading system for the firm in the late 1970s and early 1980s that was considered groundbreaking at the time.

"I loved my job," he said, adding that his respect and admiration for his brother only grew in subsequent decades as Bernard Madoff became important on Wall Street, eventually becoming chairman of Nasdaq. Still, he added, Bernard Madoff "made clear to me I would never be a partner in his business," even as he showered him with tens of millions of dollars.

A complaint filed in bankruptcy court alleged that the Madoff investment business had transferred more than $77 million to Peter Madoff.

Peter Madoff admitted Friday that he tried to hide millions of dollars from the Internal Revenue Service.

Baroni said he had engaged in "an enormous tax fraud conspiracy," enabling tens of millions of dollars to be transferred among members of the Madoff family to dodge millions of dollars in taxes, and he arranged for his wife to take a no-show job at the investment firm.

As part of a forfeiture agreement, Madoff's wife, Marion, and daughter Shana must forfeit nearly all of their assets. The government said those assets and assets that will be forfeited by other family members include several homes, a Ferrari and more than $10 million in cash and securities. It said his wife will be left with $771,733.

Though Madoff had been the firm's chief compliance officer for nearly four decades, the government marked his start in the conspiracy as 1996. It said he created false and misleading compliance documents and false reports for the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The lies worsened in severity after August 2006, when the business was registered with the SEC as an investment adviser, requiring annual filings to guide the SEC's examination programs. Prosecutors said Madoff made "numerous false statements" to create the false appearance that the business represented a small number of highly sophisticated clients.

Baroni said the Madoffs once claimed the investment firm had 23 client accounts when it actually had more than 4,000.

The government said the business reported to the SEC in 2008 that it had $17.1 billion under management when it was reporting to investors that it had more than $65 billion.

Peter Madoff said that he withdrew $200,000 from the investment business's accounts even after learning about the fraud so that he could make annual donations to charities.

His plea differed from his brother's appearance three years ago, when numerous investors spoke of their pain after losing their life savings.

On two occasions Friday, Swain asked if any investors wished to speak. None stepped forward.

Since the fraud was revealed, a court-appointed trustee has reached agreements to recover approximately $9.1 billion and has distributed more than $1.1 billion to Madoff's victims.


Connecticut calls off Silver Alert, two missing children found safe in Enfield

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Authorities have called off a Silver Alert after two children taken by their grandmother were found safe Friday afternoon.

This is an update of a story first posted at 2:30 p.m.

ENFIELD - Authorities have called off a Silver Alert after two children taken by their grandmother were found safe Friday afternoon.

WTNH News 8 in Hartford is reporting that 50-year-old Theresa Bosley and her grandson, 4-year-old Christopher Bosley, were found in Rhode Island while 12-year-old Kilee was found in Enfield.

Theresa Bosley was ordered on Thursday to turn over custody of the two children to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. Instead she and the children disappeared and were noticed missing on Friday.

No charges have been filed, the case remains under investigation.

17-year-olds in Lowell, Mass. may soon be able to vote in city elections

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The voting age would remain 18 for all other regional, state and federal elections.

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts House has advanced a bill that would allow 17-year-olds in Lowell to vote in city elections.

The "Vote 17" proposal also got a boost when Secretary of State William Galvin dropped his concerns about the constitutionality of the bill. That happened after sponsors made a slight change in the wording of the measure.

The Sun of Lowell reports that the home-rule petition, if passed, would make Lowell the only city in the U.S. where 17-year-olds can vote in municipal elections. The voting age would remain 18 for all other regional, state and federal elections.

The House gave initial approval to the measure on Thursday.

The bill is sponsored by the United Teen Equality Center. Supporters say it would be a positive way for young people to get involved in civic affairs.

South Hadley selectman Bruce MacCullagh resigns citing work commitments; special election set

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MacCullagh moved to South Hadley when his wife, Marianne, became a pastor of a local church.

Bruce MacCullagh mug 2010.jpgBruce S. MacCullagh

SOUTH HADLEY – Bruce MacCullagh, who has served on the South Hadley Selectboard since January 2010, has resigned because of work commitments.

“I won’t be at upcoming meetings, especially this winter,” he said, “and it doesn’t make sense to hold the title if I’m not there to do the work.

“It’s nice to know I have made a difference,” said MacCullagh, adding that he is proudest of his work with young people in town. “The Youth Commission is off and doing great things,” he said.

MacCullagh, 50, was also the force behind the revitalized Memorial Day program this year.

A computer programmer and father of four, MacCullagh said he had never even been to a Town Meeting when he joined the selectboard.

Born in Minnesota, he has lived in South Hadley since 2002.

His parents both came from New England. His father, now a retired pastor, served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and the family lived in numerous places all through Bruce’s childhood, including Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Virginia and the Philippines.

MacCullagh moved to South Hadley when his wife, Marianne, became a pastor of a local church.

Their daughter, Amy, will begin medical school in the fall. Son Joseph teaches English at Frontier Regional High School in Deerfield. Son Aiden attends Holyoke Community College, and son Elijah expects to graduate in May from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington.

Anyone interested in running for MacCullagh’s seat on the selectboard can take out nomination papers at the office of the Town Clerk in South Hadley Town Hall. There are seven months left in MacCullagh’s term.

Nomination papers must be returned by July 19. The election is scheduled for Sept. 6.

MacCullagh said it’s important for people to run. “Our current system,” he said, “is very dependent on a large group of volunteers who are active and involved.”

World markets surge after European leaders come up with bank rescue plan

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The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 277 points, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index had its best day of the year.

Euroopean leaders 62912.jpgLeaders of four European nations speak in Brussels Friday at a European Union conference. They are, from top left, David Cameron, prime minister of Britain; Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany; Francois Hollande, president of France and Mariano Rayoy, prime minister of Spain.

By DANIEL WAGNER

Financial markets around the world stormed higher Friday after European leaders came up with a breakthrough plan to rescue banks, relieve debt-burdened governments and restore investor confidence.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 277 points, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index had its best day of the year. Stocks advanced even further in Europe, in strong and weak countries alike.

The price of oil posted its biggest one-day increase in more than three years, and other commodities shot higher – signs of hope that a deal in Europe will remove a big barrier to a healthier world economy.

In Brussels, leaders of the 17 countries that use the euro appeared finally to have found a broad strategy to fight a debt crisis that has hounded European governments and world investors for three years.

The leaders agreed to pump money directly into stricken banks, let some countries tap into rescue money without submitting to stringent budget requirements and, later, tie European governments closer in economic union.

David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Funds, said it was becoming clear that European leaders will compromise to solve the crisis. One of the biggest stock gains Friday came in Germany, which took a hard line in earlier negotiations.

“The whole language is positive here,” he said. “Every time they’ve stared over the cliff into the abyss of a euro breakup, they’ve realized it’s much wiser to get closer together.”

There was a sign immediately that Europe’s latest plan was working: The cost for the troubled government of Spain to borrow money on the bond market fell dramatically, by more than half a percentage point, to 6.34 percent.

Previous market rallies tied to progress in Europe have proved temporary. But for the day, at least, global stock markets were jubilant:

• In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 277.83 points, its second-best showing this year. The S&P 500 index soared 33 points, or 2.5 percent. The rally left the S&P a gain of 8.3 percent at the halfway mark for the year.

• The benchmark stock index in Germany rose 4.3 percent, by far its best performance this year. Germany has the biggest economy in Europe, and it depends heavily on exports, so it needs other countries to stay healthy.

• Stocks hit their highest level in two months in Italy and Spain, two of the countries with the shakiest finances. Stocks also neared a two-month high in Greece, another flashpoint of the debt crisis.

Traders sold U.S. Treasurys, sending the yield on the 10-year Treasury note up to 1.65 percent from 1.57 percent late Thursday, as demand decreased for ultra-safe investments and investors raised money to buy stocks.

Energy prices rose sharply because a cure for Europe’s debt problem would remove a big drag on global economic growth. The price of oil jumped $7.27 per barrel to $84.96. It was a gain of 9.4 percent, the biggest for oil since March 2009.

Seven of the 17 euro countries are in recession, and unemployment in euro countries is 11 percent. But if Europe gets its economy going, it will buy more goods and services from countries in Asia and the U.S.

Gold gained $54, the biggest jump since June 1, to $1,604 an ounce. Copper and silver both rose about 5 percent. Copper is a key material for economic expansion because of its use in electrical wiring, pipes and machinery.

The euro gained 2.3 cents against the dollar, to $1.2651.

On Thursday, economic reports from the United States were discouraging, and the Dow fell as much as 177 points. But stocks staged a big comeback late in the day and closed down modestly, partly because rumors swirled that European leaders were more conciliatory.

News of the deal in Europe broke overnight, and on Friday, stocks soared from the open. The Dow swung 430 points between its Thursday low and the high it reached late Friday.

Some market analysts remained cautious. Uri Landesman, president of Platinum Partners LLC, a New York hedge fund, said he expects more sharp leaps and dives this summer as traders speculate about Europe’s future.

“This Europe thing is going to trade up and down based on the news of the day,” Landesman said.

Kelly took a brighter view. Besides the Europe deal, he referred to a Greek election this month won by parties that support a European bailout, and the Supreme Court’s decision Thursday to uphold most of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

“Uncertainty is diminishing,” he said. “These are all big question marks that have been out there, and as those question marks decrease, stock prices and interest rates increase.”

As the first half of the year ends, there are still reasons to worry about the world economy: China’s expansion is slowing, and U.S. employers have created far fewer jobs in March, April and May than the three months before. A report next Friday is expected to show another month of anemic U.S. job growth.

Because of the economic fears and a deep slump in May as Spain’s banks teetered near collapse, the S&P 500 lost 3.3 percent for the quarter. But the S&P started the summer strong. It rose 4 percent in June, its best month since February and its strongest June since 1999.

For the year, the Dow is up 662.53 points, or 5.4 percent. The Nasdaq composite index is up 12.7 percent.

For the day, the Dow closed up 277.83 points, or 2.2 percent, at 12,880.09. The S&P 500 rose 33.12, or 2.5 percent, to 1,362.16. The Nasdaq rose 85.56, or 3 percent, to 2,935.05.

Industrial and information technology stocks rose the most of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500. Those companies would benefit from faster growth and stronger demand from Europe, a key trading partner.

In corporate news, Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, plunged $1.92, or 20.3 percent, to $7.54 after the company posted quarterly results that suggest it is crumbling faster than thought. RIM is cutting 5,000 jobs and unexpectedly delaying the launch of new phones deemed critical to its survival.

The biggest gainer in the S&P was the alcoholic beverage giant Constellation Brands. The stock jumped 24.4 percent, or $5.30, to $27.06. Constellation is buying the 50 percent of Crown Imports LLC that it doesn’t already own from Anheuser-Busch for $1.85 billion, giving it more U.S. control over Corona beers and other breweries.

Nike plunged $9.11, or 9.4 percent, to $87.78, the biggest drop in the S&P 500. The world’s largest athletic shoe and clothing company said profit dropped 8 percent last quarter on high product costs, a restructuring charge and an unexpected customs assessment.

Gov. Deval Patrick signs bill to overhaul teacher evaluations

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The new law says that local contracts must reflect that “indicators of performance, best interests of the students and needs of the district” are the primary factors in layoff decisions involving teachers with tenure.

BOSTON - Gov. Deval L. Patrick Friday signed a bill that assures a teacher's job performance comes before seniority in possible layoffs or staffing decisions.

As a result, a group called Stand for Children will drop plans for a question on the Nov. 6 ballot that sought to assure staffing based on work performance.

In many school districts, a teacher's seniority, or years of service, has been the top factor in determining which teachers get laid off. In many urban and low income school districts, seniority is the only factor considered when certain staffing decisions are made around teacher placement or assignment, said Sam Castañeda Holdren, a spokesman for Stand for Children, a child advocacy group.

sam.jpgSam Castañeda Holdren

Stand for Children Massachusetts, based in Boston with an office in Springfield, spent $325,000 to collect signatures of voters to place the question on the ballot. With today's bill signing, the organization said it will not submit a final round of signatures to qualify for the ballot, leaving three possible questions for the ballot.

Those questions include medical marijuana, giving independent auto shops more access to repair data from manufacturers and allowing terminally-ill people to take life-ending medications with a physician's oversight and certain safeguards. A compromise still might be reached for the "right to repair" question.

Holdren said the new law will improve public schools.

Paul F. Toner, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, has said that one third of the union's contracts strictly require seniority as the lead factor in determining layoffs.

The law would make seniority a secondary factor in laying off teachers by the 2016-17 school year.

The state House of Representatives and the state Senate approved the bill, after a compromise between the Massachusetts Teachers Association and Stand for Children. Legislators sent the bill to Patrick on Wednesday.

According to the teacher's association, the new law says that local contracts must reflect that “indicators of performance, best interests of the students and needs of the district” are the primary factors in layoff decisions involving teachers with tenure.

Teachers without tenure must be laid off before those with tenure, as under current law. Seniority can be a tie-breaker between two equally qualified teachers.

The association said the new law will require “good faith consultation” between superintendents and principals when a teacher is being involuntarily reassigned from one school to another. As in layoffs, performance must be a primary consideration. The superintendent will have final say over teacher assignment.

Springfield police arrest pair on drug, weapons charges following raid on Sycamore Street residence

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Police found no drugs on the property but did find a loaded gun and materials used for packaging drugs for sale.

chris bateman gerald washington.jpgChris Bateman, left, and Gerald Washington

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield narcotics detectives and members of the Hampden County Narcotics Task Force arrested two men and seized an illegal firearm during a raid Thursday night at a Sycamore Street residence in the city’s Bay neighborhood.

Arrested were Gerald Washington, 19, and Chris Batemen, 45, both of 75 Sycamore St.

Each was charged with multiple counts of distribution of crack cocaine, conspiracy to violate drug laws and violation of a drug-free school zone, as well as possession of a firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card.

After an investigation, police obtained a district court warrant for the Sycamore Street residence and served it just after 9 p.m. Thursday. Both Washington and Bateman were home at the time and taken into custody without incident.

Police found no drugs on the property but the search did uncover a loaded .38 caliber revolver, and paraphernalia used in drug packaging.

Washington and Batemen were scheduled to appear in Springfield District Court on Friday but information on the arraignment was not available.


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Jeremy Libby of Palmer held on 2 counts of child rape

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The mother of the alleged 6-year-old victim called Palmer police to report the assault.

PALMER – A 28-year-old Three Rivers man was held in lieu of $100,000 bail in Palmer District Court on Friday on two counts of rape of a child with force.

Jeremy M. Libby denied the charges before Judge Patricia T. Poehler; he is scheduled to return to court on July 25 for a hearing before the case is transferred to Superior Court.

He shook his head as the charges were read.

The mother of the alleged 6-year-old victim called police on Wednesday to report the assault and Libby was arrested Thursday, police said.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew W. Green said that Libby has been in the girl’s life since she was just a few months old, and has had frequent access to her. Libby was involved in a relationship with her mother, he said.

The girl told investigators about a pattern of abuse that started when she was approximately 3 years old, Green said. Green argued that Libby be held on $500,000 bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations.

Libby’s lawyer for bail only, Alfred Monahan, said that his client reported that the girl grabbed his hand and slid it down to her private area, and that he was shocked that she did that. Monahan said Libby maintains nothing happened and that he considers the child his own.

Monahan said that $500,000 bail is “way, way too high.”

Poehler said that if Green is released, he must stay 100 yards away from the alleged victim. Poehler also granted a restraining order on the request of the mother until July 25. Libby must stay away from the girl, the mother and their 3-year-old child.


Daniel Rosa murder trial jury to resume deliberations in Springfield slaying of David Acevedo

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The prosecutor said Daniel Rosa's version of events isn't supported by evidence.

Daniel Rosa 2011.jpgDaniel J Rosa is seen in Springfield District Court during his arraignment in January 2011 in the shooting death of David Acevedo III.

SPRINGFIELD – A Hampden Superior Court jury is scheduled to continue deliberating Monday in the murder trial of Daniel Rosa for the fatal shooting of David Acevedo.

The jury deliberated for half a day Friday but went home at the end of the day without reaching a verdict.

Rosa, 21, of Springfield, is charged with shooting Acevedo outside a home of Riverton Road on Jan. 26, 2011.

Rosa and two other city men were charged as having participated in a joint venture to murder Acevedo , although the prosecution alleges Rosa fired the fatal shot.

Jerel Brunson, who did not testify at Rosa’s trial, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in January and was sentenced to a 13- to 16-year state prison sentence.

Marcus Dixon still faces a murder charge. Hampden Distrist Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni had put Dixon on his witness list, but did not call him to testify at trial.

In closing arguments Friday, defense lawyer Mary Anne Stamm said Rosa had no idea when he went to the Riverton Road address to see Acevedo with his two friends – Brunson and Dixon – they would fire shots in the direction of himself, Acevedo and Eric Carraballo.

She said Rosa is innocent of shooting or participating in a plan to shoot Acevedo.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni told jurors that Rosa’s version of events – that he was an innocent man whose friends crazily shot at Acevedo while Acevedo stood near him– did not make sense and was not supported by evidence.

Mastroianni said Dr. Andrew Sexton, medical examiner, said the bullet entered Acevedo’s back in a straight manner, which is how Carraballo, a prosecution witness, described what he saw.

Rosa said his friends Dixon and Brunson were shooting from a hill down toward Acevedo.

Springfield porch fire causes $5K damage to Forest Park home

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Residents of the second floor did not know their porch was on fire until firefighters started placing ladders against the side of the house.

SPRINGFIELD - A fire caused $5,000 to a second-floor porch at 32 West Alvord but firefighters were able to extinguish it before it spread to the building's interior, Deputy Chief Glenn Guyer said.

No one was injured. Residents of the second-floor were home at the time but were unaware of the fire until fire trucks arrived and firefighters began placing ladders up against the side of the house, he said.

The fire was reported at about 5:15 p.m. and firefighters arrived on scene within 2 minutes, he said.

Guyer said firefighters at the White Street station were alerted to the fire by a man who saw it as he drove by. The man drove to the station, one block away, and knocked on the station door, Guyer said.

Arson investigators determined the fire started through improper disposal of smoking materials.


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Luis Astacio of Springfield gets 8-10 years for 2 armed robberies of ATM users

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Luis Astacio will be on probation for three years after prison.

luisastacio28crop.jpgLuis Astacio

SPRINGFIELD – A 29-year-old Springfield man has been sentenced to eight to 10 years in state prison after a Hampden Superior Court jury found him guilty of two armed robberies of people using an East Columbus Avenue automatic teller machine booth.

Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder sentenced Luis Astacio Wednesday on two counts of armed robbery and one of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the case prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

Astacio will be on probation for three years after he gets out of prison.

The two robberies happened three days apart in the early morning hours in March 2011.

One robbery occurred March 24, 2011. A man withdrew $280 cash from the ATM at 583 East Columbus Ave., when Astacio entered the booth. When the man left and reached his truck, Astacio approached from behind and pointed a gun at the man, demanding money. The man dropped the money he had withdrawn and drove away.

On March 27, 2011, a woman was in the ATM. Astacio came in and put a gun against her hip.

She withdrew $200 and gave it to him.

Transgender Equal Rights Act to take effect in Massachusetts

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Advocates of the law in the Massachusetts legislature made concessions about provisions relating to discrimination in public places after opponents raised concerns about privacy, particularly relating to restrooms.

transgender sign.JPGAdvocates of the Transgender Equal Rights Act in the Massachusetts legislature made concessions about provisions relating to discrimination in public places after opponents raised concerns about privacy, particularly relating to restrooms.

Beginning on Sunday, transgender citizens in Massachusetts will be legally protected from certain forms of discrimination, as they are in 15 other states and in Washington D.C.

The Transgender Equal Rights Act, as signed by Gov. Deval Patrick in late 2011, makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity in relation to employment, housing, public education and obtaining credit. Additionally, it extends hate crimes protections to transgender citizens, making attacks that occur based on discriminatory factors more serious offenses.

“This law is an important step toward eradicating discrimination in our Commonwealth and extending equal protections to all citizens,” said Attorney General Martha Coakley in a prepared statement. “Transgender individuals are frequently targets of bias-motivated crimes and this law will help to ensure that people cannot be discriminated against based on their gender identity or expression.”

Advocates of the law in the Massachusetts legislature made concessions about provisions relating to discrimination in public places after opponents raised concerns about privacy, particularly relating to restrooms.

The public places provisions would have made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity in places such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and buses.

The Massachusetts Family Institute led that charge with a website and public opinion campaign labeling the law the "Bathroom Bill," while promoting slogans such as "The Bathroom Bill will put my daughter and her friends in danger."

Many of the legislators opposed to the law said the potential for increased lawsuits and scenarios where transgender people would "scare away business" were their primary reasons for objecting.

Kara Suffredini, executive director of the pro-LGBT advocacy group MassEquality, said that although the bill isn't perfect, she feels it is a step in the right direction.

“This law includes essential protections for transgender youth, adults, and families and is a life-changing piece of legislation,” Suffredini said in a prepared statement. "And while we pause today to celebrate, tomorrow we continue our advocacy and education about the need for the vital public accommodations protections that are missing. We are looking forward to working with the Governor and lawmakers in fully implementing this historic law and getting public accommodations provisions passed that will also protect transgender people from discrimination in public places like restaurants, grocery stores, trains and buses, and other places where daily life is routinely conducted."

Suffredini's forward-looking statement and messages posted on the Massachusetts Family Institute's website indicate that as LGBT interests are lobbied on Beacon Hill, the fight over public protections for transgender citizens will continue.

FBI agent discharges weapon during chase and arrest along Route 5 in West Springfield, officials say

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No one was injured, and law enforcement is not identifying the person under arrest or saying what the charges are.

An update to this story was posted at 10:46 p.m. Friday.


WEST SPRINGFIELD - One man is under arrest following a Friday afternoon car chase on Route 5 in West Springfield during which an FBI agent discharged his firearm, officials said.

No one was injured, and law enforcement is not identifying the person under arrest or saying what the charges are.

According to a brief statement by special agent Greg Comcowich of the FBI office in Boston, the unnamed agent discharged his weapon while "assisting in a local police matter." The FBI automatically reviews all instances where an agent discharges a weapon, he said.

Comcowich did not elaborate on what that local police matter was, nor would anyone else. 

"At the present time, the identity of the agent will not be released or verified in response to inquiries by the media, nor will any other details related to the shooting be released." he said.

West Springfield police referred inquiries to the Massachusetts State Police, who referred calls to Holyoke.

Holyoke police said their officers assisted in the arrest but the operation was being conducted by an unnamed Hampden County law enforcement task force. Holyoke and the FBI each said the suspect was arrested by West Springfield.

More information will be posted as it develops.

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