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Midwest can't get any relief from oppressive heat

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The National Weather Service reported late Thursday that the record-breaking heat that has baked the nation's midsection for several days was slowly moving into the mid-Atlantic states and Northeast. That forecast followed excessive-heat warnings Thursday for all of Illinois and Indiana, as well as parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan.

APTOPIX Heat Wave Hot NightsA dock extends into a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., Thursday, July 5, 2012. The reservoir is down 3.5 feet from normal levels. Oppressive heat is slamming the middle of the country with record temperatures that aren't going away after the sun goes down. Temperatures exceeded 100 degrees in Central Indiana. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

DETROIT — When the air conditioner stopped recently in Ashley Jackson's Southfield, Mich., home, so too did normal conversations and nightly rest.

"Inside the house it was 91 degrees. ... I wasn't talking to anybody. Nobody was talking to anybody," said Jackson, 23, who works as a short-order cook in Detroit. "We mostly slept, but it was hard to sleep because of the heat. I probably got about four hours of sleep each night."

St. Louis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago and several other Midwest cities already have set record highs this week or are on the verge of doing so. And with even low temperatures setting heat records, residents are left searching for any relief, day or night.

The National Weather Service reported late Thursday that the record-breaking heat that has baked the nation's midsection for several days was slowly moving into the mid-Atlantic states and Northeast. That forecast followed excessive-heat warnings Thursday for all of Illinois and Indiana, as well as parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan.

St. Louis hit a record high of 105 on Wednesday and a record low of 83. In Wisconsin, the coolest Milwaukee and Madison got was 81 in the early morning, beating previous low records by 2 and 4 degrees respectively. Temperatures didn't fall below 79 in Chicago, 78 in Grand Rapids, Mich., and 75 in Indianapolis.

"When a day starts out that warm, it doesn't take as much time to reach high temperatures in the low 100s," said Marcia Cronce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "You know it'll be a warm day when you start out at 80 degrees."

In Chicago on Thursday, the Shedd Aquarium lost power as temperatures soared to 103 degrees, a record for July 5. Officials said emergency generators immediately kicked in and the outage never threatened any of animals, but several hundred visitors were sent back out into the heat.

The heat returned Thursday and not even the setting of the sun brought respite as temperatures hovered around 90 degrees downtown at 10 p.m. Some visitors to the city made their way to Millennium Park to splash in the park's kid-friendly Crown Fountain.

"It's hotter here than it is in Arizona," said Mary Dominis, of Tempe, who brought her daughter along to play in the water. "I came here to visit my family and to get away from the heat of Arizona."

Ruben Davila, 32, of Northern California, was also in Chicago visiting family, and at the park seeking some cool relief.

"The heat has made it difficult to walk around and view the sites," said Davila, who was accompanied by his wife and three children.

The heat has been much worse than a mere inconvenience for some. St. Louis officials have reported three heat-related deaths in recent days, and officials in the Chicago area said two people there may have died due to heat Wednesday.

It was hot enough to buckle a roadway Wednesday afternoon in Chicago, where Columbus Drive cracked and bulged into a geologic-looking 5-inch-high driving menace. The city has closed the road for repairs.

School officials in Chicago have canceled summer school classes in 21 buildings without air conditioning due to the excessive heat that's plaguing Illinois.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard on Thursday canceled classes at three elementary schools, which have air conditioning that isn't functioning properly. Those cancellations are in addition to those at 18 other schools, some of which don't have air conditioning at all. The National Weather Service's excessive heat warning for the city was extended through Friday evening.

Many cities have tried to help by opening cooling centers and extending the hours for their public pools. Compounding the high heat in Michigan was damage wrought by storms. About 157,000 homes and businesses across the state were without power early Friday.

Lack of electricity also is likely to compound the misery for many in the storm-ravaged East as the dangerous temperatures move in. Outages reported as late Thursday included nearly 230,000 in West Virginia and more than 83,000 in Virginia.

Maryland, which still had more than 45,000 without power, also reported Thursday that eight people had died of heat-related causes in recent days.

The heat has also taken a toll on agriculture.

Dean Hines, the owner of Hines Ranch Inc. in the western Wisconsin town of Ellsworth, said he found one of his 80 dairy cows dead Thursday, an apparent victim of the heat. He said he was worried about the rest of his herd, in terms of death toll, reproductive consequences and milk production.

"We're using fans and misters to keep them cool," he said. "It's been terrible. When it doesn't cool down at night, the poor animals don't have a chance to cool down."

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Associated Press writers Herb McCann in Chicago and Norman Gomlak in Atlanta contributed to this report.


Swampscott flag stolen; family, veterans outraged

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The flag stolen late Wednesday or early Thursday was mounted on a 60-foot pole on the World War I honor roll.

SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. — A Swampscott family is heartbroken and local veterans are outraged after a 20-foot-by-30-foot U.S. flag was stolen from a veterans' monument in town.

The flag stolen late Wednesday or early Thursday was mounted on a 60-foot pole on the World War I honor roll.

Town veterans agent and Police Lt. James Schultz tells The Daily Item of Lynn that it was no small feat to take down the 50-pound flag. Officials say someone would have had to climb up the monument and then up the pole — about 25 feet — to cut down the flag.

The flag was paid for by the family of Army Spc. Jared Raymond who was killed in Iraq in 2006.

Fire Chief Kevin Breen on Thursday called the flag's theft "an unconscionable crime."

UK police: 7 men arrested over terrorist offenses

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Scotland Yard said Friday that the arrests followed a routine vehicle stop on the M1 motorway in South Yorkshire, England on June 30.

LONDON — British police say seven men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorist offenses after a routine vehicle search turned up firearms and weapons.

Scotland Yard said Friday that the arrests followed a routine vehicle stop on the M1 motorway in South Yorkshire, England on June 30.

It said "firearms, offensive weapons and other material" were later found hidden in the car, which prompted police to trace and arrest the driver, passenger and other suspects.

Police said three of the men were arrested Tuesday, three on Wednesday and one on Thursday. Six of them are in their twenties and from the West Midlands area of England, while one is from West Yorkshire.

The men have been arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Chicopee police to announce new interim chief to replace longtime department leader John Ferraro

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It was not immediately known if the new chief might be an officer promoted from within the department or an outside hire.

CHICOPEE — City officials are expected to publicly name a new police chief on Friday to temporarily fill the position vacated last week by John R. Ferraro Jr., the longtime chief who retired.

Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette told CBS 3, media partner of The Republican and MassLive, that an announcement would be made this morning.

Ferraro, the youngest and longest-serving police chief in Chicopee police history, retired last Friday, June 29. Ferraro, 59, served as chief for 20 of his 35 years on the job.

"As much of an honor that it was to lead the men and women of the Chicopee Police Department, it was more of an honor that they wanted to follow me," he said.

Bissonnette last week said he would meet with the Human Resources Department to discuss the likelihood of hiring or appointing an interim chief until a permanent replacement is found for Ferraro, who joined the department in 1978 and became chief in 1992.

During Ferraro's tenure, the department launched SWAT, motorcycle and underwater responses teams, introduced computers to police cruisers, and made sure each city officer had a handheld police radio, among other things.

Ferraro said he also was pleased to oversee the reintroduction of so-called community policing during his watch. "I always thought it was very important to bring back the walking beats," he said.

Bissonnette has praised Ferraro for modernizing the department.

World's children on view in Amy Dane exhibit at Longmeadow library

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Veteran traveler's exhibit, tied in with summer reading program, highlights young people in 40 photographs in traditional dress and native settings.

amy s. daneAmy S. Dane, of Longmeadow, with children in New Guinea. Her exhibit, "Cheering for Children: Photos of Kids Worldwide," is on exhibit in the Betty Ann Low meeting room of the Richard Salter Storrs Library in Longmeadow through Aug. 15.

Veteran traveler Amy S. Dane’s exhibit’s, “Cheering for Children: Photos of Kids Worldwide,” in the Betty Ann Low meeting room of Richard Salter Storrs Library in Longmeadow, offers an introduction to young people in their natural environments around the globe.

On view through Aug. 15, it coincides with the library’s summer reading program “Dream Big – Read!”

The exhibit, for which there is a public reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on July 17, is designed to promote multicultural understanding, and features 40 photographs of children from 20 different countries and from all backgrounds,

Dane doesn’t call herself a photographer, insisting she is just a “traveler who loves to take pictures.” But her photos are so compelling, they have, over the last year, captured the interest of many local hospitals, libraries and galleries where she has exhibited her work.

In February, she won “Best in Show” at a juried photography exhibit at the Agawam Public Library.

“The show is designed to teach,” Dane said. “It’s a multicultural opportunity, showing that we are all the same, and yet we’re not.”

girlsThis photo of girls from Darjeeling, India is included in Dane's exhibit.

According to librarian, Heather Marchetta, the photographs support this year’s summer reading theme by encouraging participants to discover where the photos are from, what those children’s lives might be like, and what their dreams might be.

The colorful photographs capture both joy and sorrow and all the things that children are and do. There are pictures of children in traditional dress performing dances and rituals; there are children going about their everyday activities at play, at work, and at school; there are children caring for each other; there are children in rags, and others well-dressed.

“My favorite subject has always been people,” Dane said. “I’ve learned how to ingratiate myself with potential subjects [through] eye contact, a smirk, a gesture or a game of charades.” Establishing trust, she explained, is key to getting a photograph.

The image of this child from Donghat, Yangshou, China is included in Dane's display


But “sometimes, I just plain ‘steal shots’,” she said, “lowering my camera and pretending to take a picture of something else. No matter where I travel. . . it’s the people who never cease to fascinate me.” Dane has traveled at least once a year since she was 13.

“I’m addicted to travel,” she said and, so far, has been to nearly 90 countries. Sometimes her husband, Steven Dane, accompanies her, but most of the time she travels on her own with adventure travel tours.

sing.jpgThis photo shows a group of children from a "Sing Sing" in New Guinea.


She uses a simple point and shoot camera and insists she knows very little about photography. But her photos belie that assertion. With an undergraduate degree from Smith College in Northampton, and a master’s degree from Williams College in Williamstown, both in art history, Dane admits her background informs her work.

“As a student of art history, I am fascinated by objects, architecture and interesting sights, but it’s people that I’m particularly drawn to photograph,” she said.

She encourages others to learn what they’re after, to find the photographer in themselves, and the subjects that interest them. Dane grew up in Longmeadow. She is owner of Great Dane Travel and is a docent for the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts at the Quadrangle. She is past education coordinator for the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in South Hadley.

In addition to exhibiting her photographs, Dane gives travel and art appreciation lectures for adults. She may be reached at amysteven@yahoo.com.

The Richard Salter Storrs Library is located at 693 Longmeadow St. (Route 5), Longmeadow. The library’s website is http://longmeadowlibrary.wordpress.com/.

Entangled humpback whale freed off Chatham coast

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The marine mammal was freed using hook-shaped knives at the end of long poles and swam away with bruises.

CHATHAM, Mass. — Marine biologists say a young humpback whale has been freed after becoming entangled in fishing gear five miles east of Chatham.

The Provincetown-based Marine Animal Entanglement Response Team responded at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday after the whale was reported by recreational boaters.

The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies tells the Cape Cod Times the whale was "heavily entangled and anchored in place" with line through its mouth and wrapped several times around its body and tail.

The marine mammal was freed using hook-shaped knives at the end of long poles and swam away with bruises.

Amherst police: Distracted driving causes Route 116 crash that damages utility pole, causes 2nd crash

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Nicole Leigh Graham, 20, of Ashfield, told police she was distracted by her iPod moments before the crash, which knocked down power lines, triggered another vehicle crash and closed a stretch of roadway for several hours.

AMHERST — A distracted driver from Franklin County was hospitalized after crashing her car into a utility pole on Route 116 near the Sunderland border early Thursday, according to police.

Nicole Leigh Graham, 20, of Ashfield, told police she was distracted by her iPod moments before the 4 a.m. crash, which knocked down power lines, triggered another vehicle to crash, and closed a stretch of Route 116 for several hours, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reports.

An Amherst Police Department spokesman, reached early this morning, confirmed the incident, but he said further details would have to come from the department's detective bureau. Detectives could not immediately be reached for comment, and it was unclear if Graham might be charged in connection with the incident.

Police said Graham was northbound in a 1993 Buick sedan about a mile south of the Sunderland town line when she hit the pole, splitting it in two and sending wires to the ground. A second motorist drove over the wires and also struck part of the pole, but was uninjured, police said.

Graham managed to free herself and avoid the live electrical wires, but she reportedly sustained bruises, cuts from windshield glass, and other injuries. An Amherst Fire Department ambulance took her to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where she was treated and later released.

Traffic in both directions was rerouted while public safety and utility officials addressed the situation.

Mass. man pays off mortgage with 800 pounds of pennies

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A Massachusetts man who pledged to make the last mortgage payment on his home with pennies has fulfilled that promise.

MILFORD, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man who pledged to make the last mortgage payment on his home with pennies has fulfilled that promise.

After warning his bank, Thomas Daigle dropped off about 62,000 pennies weighing 800 pounds in two boxes for the final payment on the Milford home he and his wife, Sandra, bought in 1977.

He tells The Milford Daily News he just wanted to make his last payment on April 24 "memorable."

He started saving his pennies when he moved in.

The optician says his wife laughed whenever he would pick up a penny he found on the ground and say it was going to the mortgage.

Daigle says he's just glad to have the coins out of his house.


Man who broke into Diddy's NY mansion is sentenced

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A New York man who broke into Sean "Diddy" Combs East Hampton mansion said at his sentencing he drank the rap mogul's liquor, smoked his cigars and slept in his bed.

sean diddy combsIn this Feb. 26, 2012 photo, Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives before the 84th Academy Awards in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — A New York man who broke into Sean "Diddy" Combs East Hampton mansion said at his sentencing he drank the rap mogul's liquor, smoked his cigars and slept in his bed.

According to the New York Post, Quamine Taylor was sentenced Thursday in Suffolk County court to time served after being unable to post $2,000 bail following his April arrest.

Taylor also was ordered to stay away from Combs' homes.

The Queens resident was arrested at the sprawling home on April 1 after spending nearly 24 hours there. He was charged on trespassing and petit larceny charges.

He had said he had hoped to stay at the house for several days.

Taylor previously had been arrested at the home in June 2001.

Concert planned to raise money for Charlene Mitchell, Springfield mother injured in attack that killed police officer Kevin Ambrose

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The concert is planned for 5-8 p.m. Saturday at The Hill, 111 Chestnut St., Springfield.

undated charlene mitchell and daughters.jpgThis is a family photo of Charlene Mitchell with her 2 daughters, Savanna Bryan, 1, and Brenda White, 13. Mitchell is still recovering from injuries suffered in the June 4 shooting that claimed the life of Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose.

SPRINGFIELD - A local group is putting on a benefit concert on Saturday to raise money for Charlene Mitchell, the Springfield woman critically injured by her estranged boyfriend on June 4 in the same shooting that took the life of Springfield police officer Kevin Ambrose.

The concert is planned for 5 - 8 p.m. at the Hill, 111 Chestnut St., said organizer Terrance Mack .
Admission is $3. In addition to the concert, there will also be a bake sale.

All of the proceeds will go to Mitchell and her family, Mack said.

"We'd like to be able to help out by raising money for her family ," Mack sa8id.

The concert is being sponsored by the Springfield Mending Wings Project.

The show will feature performers from Springfield and Connecticut performing uplifting
gospel songs, rap music and dancing.

The event will also celebrate the memory of Ambrose, who died trying to save Mitchell, Mack said.

Mitchell, the mother of two children, ages 1 and 13, remains at Baystate Medical Center as she recovers from the June 4 attack.

She was shot multiple times by Shawn Bryan, a New York City correctional officer and the father of her youngest daughter, after Bryan shot and killed Ambrose outside Mitchell’s apartment at 90 Lawton St. apartment.


Rep. Richard Neal lands another endorsement in Massachusetts 1st Congressional District race

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The National Committee to Preserve and Protect Social Security and Medicare says Neal received the nod for his work on legislation related to topics included in the group's name.

Richard Neal flag backdropIn this March 2011 Republican file photo, U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, speaks to seniors at the Hobby Club in Springfield about social security and medicare.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, has landed another endorsement in his bid to represent the newly drawn 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts.

Neal, who represents the current 2nd Congressional District, is facing competition from former state Sen. Andrea Nuciforo Jr., the Berkshire Middle District Register of Deeds, and Bill Shein, a Berkshire County writer and political activist. The new 1st district encompasses all of Berkshire County, most of Hampden County and parts of Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester counties.

In the letter endorsing Neal, Max Richtman, president of the non-partisan advocacy group National Committee to Preserve and Protect Social Security and Medicare, says the congressman is receiving the nod for his work on legislation related to topics included in the group's name.

"You understand that the purpose of the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is to protect the earned Social Security benefits of millions of hard working Americans from the erosion of inflation, that COLAs should not be arbitrarily cut in order to reduce the deficit, and that renewed calls to privatize Social Security would undermine our most successful social insurance program, Richtman wrote. "You recognize fully that Medicare is crucial to the health of older Americans, many of whom cannot afford higher out-of-pocket costs that some in Congress are calling for as a way of reducing federal spending while doing nothing to restrain general health care inflation."

In a statement, Neal cited the fact that the Social Security program allowed him to attend school and ascend to the level he has following the untimely deaths of his mother and father at different times when he was younger.

"The fact remains, Social Security and Medicare are two of America’s crowning achievements; Social Security is the greatest antipoverty program in the history of the world, while Medicare adds years to life and life to years," Neal said. "Upon entering Congress, I pledged to be the strongest advocate for preserving and protecting Social Security and Medicare and I still believe they are sound principles for our seniors. When Republicans senselessly tried to privatize Social Security, I traveled the country defending Social Security. This endorsement from the National Committee to Preserve and Protect Social Security and Medicare reaffirms my core values."

On Monday, Neal will be joined by Neal Dan Adcock, policy director for the NCPSSM, at two town hall meetings during which they will discuss Social Security and Medicare. The first will take place at Jewish Geriatric Services, 770 Converse St., Longmeadow, at 11 a.m. The second event will be held at Kimball Farms, 235 Walker St., in Lenox.

7 Pioneer Valley projects get funding as part of $105 billion federal transportation bill's approval

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One of the projects is the planned reconstruction of Route 187, also known as Feeding Hills Road, in Westfield at an estimated cost of $5.5 million.

SPRINGFIELD – The $105 billion Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012 signed into law Friday by President Barack Obama will fund seven local projects to begin over the next two years, according to Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray’s office.

Murray will become chairman of the National Lieutenant Governors Association later this month and attended the bill signing in Washington, according to a news release. The projects are:

Timothy Brennan 2010.jpgTimothy W. Brennan

• Reconstruction of Route 187, also known as Feeding Hills Road, in Westfield at an estimated cost of $5.5 million.

• Reconstruction of Amherst Road in Pelham at a cost of $3.4 million.

• Replacement of the Route 122 bridge over the Westfield River in Huntington at a cost of $4.8 million.

• Rehabilitation of the I-291 bridge over Page Boulevard in Springfield at a cost of $3.1 million.

• Construction of the bikeway loop in Agawam connecting the Connecticut Riverwalk with Main Street at a cost of $2.5 million.

• Preservation of the Depot Street Bridge over the Deerfield River in Monroe and Rowe at a cost of $3 million.

• Resurfacing Route 10 from Interstate 91 to Route 142 in Bernardstown at a cost of $2 million.

Cost estimates for all Massachusetts Department of Transportation projects can be found on the agency’s Website: http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/

Timothy W. Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, said Friday that the Massachusetts legislature has not passed a transportation bond required to pay the local match of 20 percent and get all the projects moving. The local match was severed from a transportation bond for local road projects, called Chapter 90, that passed in Boston last week.

“So that is a huge priority for us,” Brennan said. “We are all pushing very hard.”

Cyndi Roy, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, said she expects the bond to pass sometime this month.

Brennan said some projects on this list have been on drawing boards for more than a decade.

“We have lots of bridges that need work. We have intersections that are deficient and we have pavement that is crumbling.”

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission estimates at the entire Pioneer Valley has a backlog of needed but undone transportation projects of more than $1 billion, Brennan said.

Patriots announce several changes to scouting staff

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The team also added a nutritionist.

The Patriots have announced several changes to their scouting staff on Friday, including the addition of a team nutritionist. The changes are as follows:

-- The Patriots hired Ted Harper, who previously worked with the U.S. Military Special Operations Command, to serve as the team’s nutritionist. It marks the first time the team has had a nutritionist on staff.

-- Chris Simms, son of former Giants quarterback Phil Simms, Mick Lombardi, son of NFL Network analyst Michael, and Matt Groh, son of former Belichick assistant Al, have been named scouting assistants.

-- Steve Cargile and Ronnie McGill, both of whom were scouting assistants last year, have been promoted to pro scouts.

-- Brian Smith, who served as the assistant director of college scouting the last two seasons, is now the college scouting coordinator.

-- Monti Ossenfort, who spent the last three seasons as a national scout, was promoted to Smith’s old role.

-- Bob Quinn was promoted from position of director of pro personnel to director of pro scouting. He will likely take on many of responsibilities that Jason Licht held as director of pro personnel before bolting for a position with the Arizona Cardinals during the offseason.

Shaina Fontaine of Southbridge arrested in Monson after child found to have bad sunburn

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Fontaine got the attention of police when she rammed the child's stroller into an officer.

MONSON – A 24-year-old Southbridge woman was arrested at Summerfest on Wednesday for permitting an injury to a child after police noticed that her shirtless 2-year-old was slumped over in her stroller with a bad sunburn.

Police Chief Stephen Kozloski Jr. said Shaina L. Fontaine was found to be “extremely intoxicated” with the girl, who was lethargic. He said Fontaine “rammed” the stroller into an officer at Summerfest, who was concerned about the child’s well-being. The girl also had curdled milk in her bottle, Kozloski said. This happened around 3:45 p.m., Kozloski said.

Fontaine denied charges of assault and battery on a child with injury and permitting an injury to a child at her arraignment Thursday in Palmer District Court before Judge Patricia T. Poehler. She was released and given a pretrial date of Aug. 3, and ordered to abide by any state Department of Children and Families orders.

Kozloski said the girl was evaluated by emergency medical technicians at the scene, who were concerned about her sunburn and that she was dehydrated. She was taken to Wing Memorial Hospital in Palmer for an evaluation. Her condition is not known.

Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia figures to be on the DL for awhile

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Pedro Ciriaco was called up to take Pedroia's roster spot.

Dustin PedroiaBoston Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia went on the disabled list Friday for a thumb injury.

BOSTON - Dustin Pedroia went on the disabled list Friday for a sprained right thumb, promising to be back but acknowledging it won't necessarily be soon.

"This is not a season-ending thing. I'm coming back,'' the Red Sox second baseman said before Friday's game against the New York Yankees.

Pedroia injured his thumb Tuesday at Oakland. He did not play Wednesday.

He is eligible to come back in 15 days, but a few weeks on the sidelines is more likely.

Pedroia missed six days with a injury to same thumb in early June. That injury affected a different part of the thumb and is not considered related.

He avoided the DL after the first injury, but endured a 9-for-62 slump when he returned.

"I know I couldn't produce the way I'd like, but I still thought I could contribute,'' he said.

The thumb is now in a cast. Manager Bobby Valentine is not predicting a return date.

"We're not going to start counting the days. I don't plan on him coming back until someone says hey, he's ready,'' Valentine said.

Valentine thought Pedroia was finally regaining his form last week in Seattle, when he hit a game-tying home run and tagged other balls solidly.

"It's hard for me to tell what is normal, but I thought at Seattle he was there,'' Valentine said.

"He's been a click away from being an MVP type hitter. Hopefully this small step back will lead to a step forward later.''.

The latest injury came when Pedroia dove for a ground ball in Oakland. The player wondered if his misfortune was a sign from above.

"It's frustrating. I don't know who I (upset),'' he said.

"I think I was just starting to drive the ball again.''

The Red Sox recalled Pedro Ciriaco from Pawtucket. Ciriaco can play shortstop, second base, third base or the outfield.

A former bench player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ciriaco was a spring training sensation for the Red Sox. There was no room for him on the roster at the time, but there is now.

He was not in Friday's lineup, but Valentine said he will play in at least one game of Saturday's day-night doubleheader.

Nick Punto started at second base Friday. Mauro Gomez was at third.

Gomez had played only first base since 2009. His previous experience at third base had been marked by errors.

Valentine still went with Gomez over Brent Lillibridge and Ciriaco. He said Gomez could provide a little more offense and had been working "religiously'' at third base in Pawtucket.

He was called up Tuesday when Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the disabled list.

"Gomez has probably had more reps at third than Punto or Lillibridge,'' Valentine said.

Ciriaco is just happy to be back in the majors.

"I'll play wherever I can help the team,'' he said. "I found out Thursday I was coming here, and I was surprised and obviously excited.''

To make room for Ciriaco on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox moved pitcher Rich Hill from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list for elbow problems.


War Memorial Pool in Amherst set to open

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The opening had been delayed 2 weeks.

070312 war memorial pool amherst.JPGThe renovated War Memorial Pool in Amherst will open on Sunday.

AMHERST — The War Memorial pool will open Sunday as renovations and chemical balancing is complete.

Acting Town Manager W. David Ziomek in a press release Friday praised staff for their efforts to coordinate the pool renovation.

“I am thrilled to open the War Memorial Pool to children and families in Amherst and the surrounding towns,” he said in a statement.

A grand opening celebration will be planned for later in the summer. The pool opening had been delayed two weeks.

Pool hours for Sunday are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is free that day. Admission usually is $6 for residents, $7 for those who live within the regional school district and $8 for non-residents. Season memberships are available.

The wading pool will open soon.

Charge against Michael Lizak continued without finding following fatal crash on Route 19 in Warren

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David Reardon died as a result of the fiery crash on Brimfield Road.

WARREN - A 32-year-old resident had a charge of negligent operation of a motor vehicle continued without a finding for two years in Western Worcester District Court last week in connection with a fatal crash in December.

Michael Lizak, of 178 Brook Road, initially also had been charged with racing, witness intimidation and leaving the scene of an accident where fatal injuries occurred. Those charged were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Police had wanted to talk to Lizak because he had been at a bar in West Brookfield before the Dec. 28 accident on Route 19 that killed David J. Reardon, 35.

Reardon, of Brimfield Road in Warren, was a chef at the Clam Box in Brookfield and a father of two sons. Reardon crashed his car into a utility pole and died as he was trying to get out of his driver's side window. Wires had fallen down on the car, causing it to catch fire.

Timothy J. Connolly, spokesman for Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., said that Lizak was found responsible for speeding and had to pay a $50 fine. A witness had said that prior to the crash, he saw two vehicles speeding by his home, Connolly said.

Connolly said that prosecutor Gregory Benoit asked for a guilty finding on the negligent operation charge, along with two years probation and a 60 day loss of license. Defense lawyer Peter Ettenberg asked that the charge be continued without a finding, with conditions.

Judge Paul L. McGill agreed to continue the case without a finding, and said Lizak also must remain alcohol free, undergo a substance abuse evaluation, perform 48 hours of community service and complete a "Brains at Risk" safe driving course.

Continued without a finding means that if Lizak is not charged with another crime in two years, the charge will be dismissed.

Wall Street: U.S. stocks plunge after weak June jobs report

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Of the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones industrial average, only five rose, including McDonald's and AT&T.

By PALLAVI GOGOI | AP Business Writer

070312_wall_street.JPGTraders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks dropped sharply on Wall Street, Friday, July 6, 2012, after the U.S. government reported that only 80,000 jobs were created in June, the third straight month of weak hiring. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

NEW YORK — Investors abandoned stocks Friday after the U.S. government reported that only 80,000 jobs were created in June, the third straight month of weak hiring.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 124.20 points to close at 12,772.47. The loss wiped out the Dow's gain for the week.

The reluctance of U.S. employers to add jobs shows that the economy is still struggling three years after the recession officially ended. An average of just 75,000 jobs were created every month in the April-June quarter, far below the 226,000 created every month in the first three months of the year.

"It shows the U.S. economy is losing momentum," said Sharon Stark, chief market strategist at the brokerage firm Sterne Agee. "It's a sign of everyone waiting to see what's next."

Of the 30 stocks in the Dow average, only five rose, including McDonald's and AT&T. The world's largest producer of aluminum, Alcoa, and Caterpillar, the construction equipment maker, were among the hardest-hit Dow stocks with declines of about 3 percent each. Materials and industrial companies are the most likely to suffer if the economy weakens.

The anemic jobs report led investors to shift money into low-risk assets. The price of the 10-year Treasury note rose, sending its yield down to 1.55 percent from 1.60 percent late Thursday. The dollar rose against the euro.

The sluggish growth in American jobs comes at a time when the global economy is also losing pace. Central banks in Europe and China took action Thursday to prop up their sliding economies.

The new signs of economic sluggishness around the world sent commodities prices lower. Crude oil dropped $2.77, or 3 percent, to $84.45 a barrel. The U.S. is the world's biggest oil consumer, and the prospect of lower demand pushed down prices.

Energy stocks followed the price of oil lower. Peabody Energy fell $1.27, or close to 5 percent, to $24.86, while Alpha Natural Resources declined 60 cents, or 6.5 percent, to $8.67.

In other trading on Wall Street, the Standard & Poor's 500 slid 12.90 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,354.68 and the Nasdaq composite fell 38.79 points, or 1.3 percent, to 2,937.33.

One of the reasons stocks fell is that though the jobs report was weak, the country isn't heading into a recession. That suggests the Federal Reserve is less likely to take more action to stimulate the economy, according to Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Advantage Funds.

A new round of bond-buying by the Fed is "quite unlikely," Jacobsen said. The Federal Reserve has made two rounds of bond purchases since the financial crisis to keep interest rates low and encourage banks to lend money.

European markets also lost ground on Friday. A week after investors welcomed an agreement among European leaders to help Spain and Italy, the borrowing rates of both countries rose again. That means bond investors are less willing to loan those countries money at favorable rates.

The yield on the 10-year Spanish government bond rose 0.22 percentage point to 6.96 percent earlier in the day. That's a very high level and could eventually force Spain to seek more financial support from its neighbors in Europe.

European stock indexes slid. Germany's DAX and France's CAC-40 each lost 1.9 percent. Spain's benchmark index slumped 3 percent.

Other Wall Street stocks making big moves included:

• Navistar International. The truck maker's stock fell $4.37, or over 15 percent, to $24.42 on investor worries that the heavy engine and truck maker will have to incur additional costs to get a crucial new engine approved by federal regulators.

• Sequenom Inc. The stock fell 8 cents, or 2 percent, to $3.99 after a California court refused to block a competitor from selling a similar product to Sequenom's Down syndrome test for pregnant women.

• Informatica Corp. The business software maker fell $12, or 28 percent, to $31.36 after warning that its second-quarter results didn't live up to the projections of its management or analysts.

Belchertown seeks $340,000 grant to buy 88 acres next to Quabbin Reservoir

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The conservation commission says the purchase would preserve the former farmland and woods as open space to protect forest and watershed resources.

BELCHERTOWN – The town is seeking a $340,000 state grant to assist with the purchase of 88 acres adjacent to the Quabbin Reservoir. The land is owned by the Jackson family.

The conservation commission says the purchase would preserve the former farmland and woods as open space to protect forest and watershed resources – and not just for Belchertown.

The 88 acres that would be barred from development also includes a major conservation dimension for the city as it is Springfield’s back-up water supply. Streams on the Jackson property flow directly into Knights Pond, — 73 acres owned by the Springfield Water District.

Town meeting allocated $160,000 from Belchertown’s community preservation act funds for the $500,000 purchase and Kestrel Land Trust has privately raised $20,000. Purchase of the land is contingent on obtaining the state grant.

The property, at the junction of Gold Street and Gulf Road would be named Meads Corner Conservation Area

The 88 acres abuts the 1,200 acre Cadwell Memorial Forest owned by the University of Massachusetts and is adjacent to the Reed Farm Conservation Area with 93 acres.

The direct access to Quabbin Reservoir is highlighted in the grant application the town submitted to the state executive office of energy and environmental affairs.

“This property purchase will result in a direct link to the Quabbin Reservoir, consisting of 38.6 square miles of continuous open space.”

The application says the purchase would be an important conservation action – by “protecting agricultural and forest management of groundwater and surface water supply for public consumption, wildlife habitat and recreation.”

The conservation commission is concerned about the consequences should the land not become protected, noting the original farmhouse and 12 acres were already sold to a developer.

Seventeen magazine: We celebrate all shapes, sizes

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Top editor Ann Shoket has promised to leave body shapes alone, reserving Photoshop for the stray hair, clothing wrinkle, errant bra strap or zit.

Seventeen Magazine ProtestIn this May 2, 2012 photo, Julia Bluhm of Waterville, Maine, holds up a copy of "Seventeen" magazine as she leads a protest outside Hearst Corp. headquarters in New York. Bluhm delivered a petition of about 25,000 names and met with officials from the magazine urging them to publish one spread a month of model photos that have not been altered. She says images of young girls in the magazine present an impossible ideal for today's teens. Seventeen's Editor-in-Chief Ann Shoket responded to the campaign in the August issue with a letter acknowledging readers' concerns and vowing never to alter girls' bodies or faces, giving Bluhm more than she'd asked for. (AP Photo/Leanne Italie)

LEANNE ITALIE
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Score one for girl power.

A 14-year-old Maine ballet dancer who led a crusade against altered photos in Seventeen magazine now has a promise from top editor Ann Shoket to leave body shapes alone, reserving Photoshop for the stray hair, clothing wrinkle, errant bra strap or zit.

And when Shoket or her staff do manipulate images, she vowed in the August issue, they'll post before and after shots on the magazine's Tumblr page for full transparency.

Shoket's promises are included in a "body peace treaty" that also commits the magazine to always feature healthy girls and models regardless of clothing size.

The young activist, Julia Bluhm, said Friday from her summer camp she's "really excited."

"I didn't think it would get this big," she said. "It's a really great surprise for me."

Julia and her mom, Mary Beiter, sat down with Shoket in New York in early May to discuss the thousands of signatures on the Waterville girl's online petition at Change.org. Julia declared victory after Shoket's announcement, ending with more than 84,000 signatures.

Now, two of her fellow bloggers from SPARK Summit, a group of girls and young women trying to end the sexualization of girls in the media, are targeting Teen Vogue to make the same commitment. They've collected more than 15,000 signatures since Tuesday.

Shoket did not identify Julia by name in her full-page declaration, which also denied the magazine ever changed the shapes of bodies and faces. She had no further comment Friday.

The editor did cite the support of the National Eating Disorders Association. The group's president, Lynn Grefe, lauded the effort as a first step but said far more must be done to promote positive body image and a more attainable standard of health and beauty in magazines and other media.

"I'm not saying it's a total victory," Grefe said. "Seventeen, Teen Vogue, Vogue, Cosmo, every magazine still has ads for diet products and other things that we find problematic, but in terms of the Photoshopping stuff, I believe that Ann is sincere and wants to really educate the consumer and work with the girls and show them what has been Photoshopped and how to recognize that."

Julia's mother also was pleased but agreed: "Certainly there's probably more that they could do, but these things probably come in stages, and something is something. Something is good. It opens the door. That's always the biggest hurdle."

Julia had asked Seventeen to run at least one unaltered photo spread a month, saying Seventeen and other magazines put pressure on girls to emulate perfect-looking models without realizing images have been doctored. Manipulated images, Grefe said, contribute to eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem among girls as young as 8.

Grefe noted that 40 percent of newly identified cases of anorexia are in girls and young women 15 to 19 years old. She cited research showing more than half of teen girls and nearly one-third of teen boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors, such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting and taking laxatives.

Girls who diet frequently are 12 times as likely to binge as girls who don't diet, Grefe said, noting that most fashion models are thinner than 98 percent of American women.

Izzy Labbe, a 13-year-old from Waterville who collaborated with Julia on the Seventeen petition, was thrilled at Shoket's response but agreed she could have gone further.

"The measures they're taking are fabulous, don't get me wrong, but I feel like they never admitted to doing anything wrong," Izzy said.

Audrey Brashich, a former teen model and editor of the now-defunct teen magazine YM, said the Seventeen pledge has far more potential for immediate, tangible changes in the minds of girls than a vow from Vogue editors around the world to ban models under 16 or those of any age with visible signs of eating disorders.

Vogue didn't address the widespread industry practice of digitally altering photos when it made the promise in May.

Brashich, who in 2006 published a book called "All Made Up: A Girl's Guide to Seeing Through Celebrity Hype and Celebrating Real Beauty," said she hopes Seventeen lives up to its promise.

"And if the magazine doesn't do all that," she said, "I hope Julia Bluhm and her 84,000 supporters are right there to point out its failures."

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Associated Press writer David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

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Seventeen magazine Tumblr: http://www.seventeen.tumblr.com

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