A truck carrying flammable adhesive chemicals spilled the toxic substance at the turnpike's Lee Service Plaza, according to Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Edwin Lockhart.

LEE — Anyone traveling east on the Massachusetts Turnpike in the Berkshires Thursday morning will have to skip that cup of coffee at the Lee Service Plaza, which was closed just after midnight so crews could clean up a toxic chemical spill, according to state police in Westfield.

"It's ongoing," state police Sgt. Edwin Lockhart said at 5:20 a.m., adding that officials were still at the scene. The westbound Lee service area remains open.

The incident at the eastbound rest area, which is under investigation by Trooper Jason Sternfield, was reported just after midnight Thursday. That's when a delivery truck spilled a flammable adhesive substance, prompting a haz-mat response, according to Lockhart.

Troopers from the Westfield barracks, who patrol that length of the turnpike, were assisting at the scene, Lockhart said.

The fire at 173 Elm St., was reported shortly before 7 a.m.

View full sizeSubmitted photo by Meghan K. Hance.7-12-12 - Holyoke - Arson investigators with the Holyoke Fire Department are investigating a suspicious Dumpster fire that scorched the rear of a building at 173 Elm St. Thursday morning

HOLYOKE - Investigators are probing a suspicious Dumpster fire that scorched the rear of an Elm Street apartment complex Thursday morning.

“The arson investigator is over there right now questioning people,” said Lt. Thomas Paquin, spokesman for the Holyoke Fire Department, speaking shortly after 7:30 a.m.

The fire, near the rear of 173 Elm St., was reported shortly before 7 a.m., Paquin said. The Dumpster is located right next to the building.

“It’s a bad location,” he said, adding that firefighters knocked down the blaze before it had a chance to do any serious damage to the building.

Joseph Wnek, 27, is accused of stealing an Amtrak conductor's bag and jumping from a train at the Lyman Street station.

SPRINGFIELD — A Chicopee man was arrested early Thursday morning after allegedly snatching an Amtrak conductor's bag and jumping from a moving train in Springfield.

Joseph Wnek, 27, was uninjured from the jump, but he was charged with trespassing and larceny in excess of $250, according to Springfield police, who charged the man before before turning him over to Amtrak police.

Wnek gained access to the train at the Lyman Street station and entered the dining car, where he allegedly grabbed the conductor's bag and jumped from the train. The exact time of the incident was unavailable, but no passengers were on board at the time.

Officers swooped in to arrest Wnek, who is expected to be arraigned today in Springfield District Court.

Authorities say a state trooper shot and killed a driver he had pulled over in Worcester after the man drove his vehicle at him.

The Republican file photo

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Authorities say a state trooper shot and killed a driver he had pulled over in Worcester after the man drove his vehicle at him.

The trooper pulled over a car that been reported stolen just after midnight Thursday.

The man was inside his vehicle and the trooper was outside of his cruiser at the time of the shooting.

State police spokesman David Procopio says the driver drove toward the trooper and refused several orders to stop his vehicle, so the trooper, who "feared for his safety," fired one shot.

No names were released, but the victim was described as a 43-year-old Worcester man.

A woman also in the car fled the scene and is still on the loose.

Residents of a Wrentham public housing complex are outraged that the town's housing agency has banned the display of U.S. flags outside their homes.

WRENTHAM, Mass. (AP) — Residents of a Wrentham public housing complex are outraged that the town's housing agency has banned the display of U.S. flags outside their homes.

The Wrentham Housing Authority notified residents of the policy through a letter taped to their doors Wednesday.

The unsigned letter says the move was made after a tenant complained to the state Department of Housing and Community Development over the Fourth of July holiday.

Barbara Marshall kept a U.S. flag flying outside Wednesday even after the letter was delivered and tells The Sun Chronicle she has no intention of removing it.

The 82-year-old Marshall, whose brother took part in the D-Day invasion of France, says she was so upset after reading the letter she had to lie down.

No one at the housing authority would comment.

In each case, officers who feared for their safety opened fire on stolen vehicles that accelerated toward them.

SPRINGFIELD — A fatal police shooting in Hartford on Wednesday and another in Worcester early Thursday morning closely mirror a November 2011 shooting by Springfield police. The common denominators in each case: Officers who feared for their safety opened fire on stolen vehicles that accelerated toward them.

Two city officers ultimately were cleared of any wrongdoing in connection with last year's incident on Taylor Street in Springfield. But it remains unclear what action, if any, might be taken against officers involved in the latest shootings, both of which are under investigation.

This morning's incident was reported just after midnight in Worcester, where a state trooper fatally shot and killed a 43-year-old city man who was behind the wheel of a stolen car. The trooper initiated a traffic stop that ended with him firing his service weapon once as the driver drove toward the trooper and failed to heed several orders to stop, according to David Procopio, a Massachusetts State Police spokesman in Framingham.

"He feared for his safety," Procopio said of the trooper, who has not been publicly identfied.

A woman passenger in the stolen vehicle fled the scene and was still at large this morning, police said.

In Hartford, a city officer shot and killed a driver and wounded a passenger at a Wadsworth Street apartment complex early Wednesday morning. Three officers approached the car, which had been reported stolen earlier this week, and ordered the vehicle's three occupants to show their hands. The men inside the car refused, and the driver accelerated toward the officers, according to Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance.

Another officer tried to block the car with his patrol car, but the driver rammed the cruiser and continued toward the three officers, authorities said. "A Hartford Police Department officer drew his service weapon and fired at the vehicle as it attempted to run the officers down," Vance said. A third man, who was in the backseat of the stolen car, was questioned by police.

The wounded man was taken to Hartford Hospital for emergency treatment, the Hartford Courant reports.

The Worcester and Hartford incidents are virtual carbon copies of the fatal Taylor Street shooting in Springfield. In that case, two Springfield officers were cleared of any wrongdoing in May for their involvement in the November 2011 incident involving a stolen car that drove toward the officers.

Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said police fired in self defense at the car, which was driven by 18-year-old Tahiem Goffe. Police said one of the officers was struck by the vehicle. Goffe was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Stephen Embry says he was sexually assaulted approximately 100 times mostly on campus from 1969 to 1972 when he was about 12. He is now 55.

BOSTON (AP) — A man who says he was sexually molested by a swim coach at Harvard University decades ago has sued the Ivy League school.

Stephen Embry says he was sexually assaulted approximately 100 times mostly on campus from 1969 to 1972 when he was about 12. He is now 55.

He says he started recalling the abuse about four years ago.

Embry and his lawyer, Carmen Durso, say in the suit filed Wednesday that Harvard misled him about the statute of limitations on abuse claims, and failed to disclose a previous claim brought in 1996 against the university and the swimming coach, who has since died.

Harvard in a statement to The Boston Globe that while "despicable," there is no basis to suggest that the university had any knowledge of abuse.

Police have logged 37 vehicle break-ins since June 12.

Republican file photo

WESTFIELD – Police, probing a rash of vehicle break-ins over the last month or so, urge residents to lock their vehicles - especially at night.

Lt. David Ragazzini, head of the detective bureau, said 37 such break-ins, mostly into unlocked vehicles, have been reported since June 12.

“We get a fair amount, but that is a pretty high number,” said Ragazzini. “For the most part they are unlocked vehicles with valuables left inside over night."

Such things as wallets, laptop computers and GPS systems have been taken. “It’s quick and easy and nobody locks their car,” Ragazzini said, adding that most of the break-ins involve vehicles parked in driveways or in front of residential properties.

The vehicle break-ins have been scattered throughout the city with clusters reported in the downtown area and in neighborhoods off Western Avenue and East Mountain Road.

Police from a number of other Western Massachusetts communities, including Southwick and South Hadley, have reported a spike in vehicle break-ins.

The report says the men "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade."

The Associated PressIn this June 18, 2012 file photo, former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. Former FBI director Louis Freeh, who led a Penn State-funded investigation into the university's handling of molestation allegations against Sandusky, is scheduled to release his highly anticipated report Thursday, July 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

By GENARO C. ARMAS and MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State's investigation into the Jerry Sandusky scandal concludes that the administrators who fielded a 2001 complaint about him created a dangerous situation for future victims by not reporting the matter.

The Freeh Group's report issued Thursday said that in order to avoid bad publicity, president Graham Spanier, football coach Joe Paterno, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz "repeatedly concealed critical facts."

The report says the men "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade."

The report says all four knew about a 1998 investigation into Sandusky that didn't result in criminal charges at the time, but none alerted the trustees and none took further action against Sandusky.

Sandusky is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of 45 criminal counts. The scandal led to the ouster of Paterno and the school's president.

The two female Saudi competitors are judo athlete Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani and 800-meter runner Sarah Attar.

The Associated PressIn this May 21, 2012 photo, members of a Saudi female soccer team including captain Rawh Abdullah, left, Rana Al Khateeb, center, and American Mawada Chaballout, right, practice at a secret location in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While Olympic leaders and human rights advocates are encouraged by signs that Saudi Arabia may bow to pressure and send female athletes to the Summer Games, women athletes in the ultraconservative kingdom are worried about a backlash at home.(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

By STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — Saudi Arabia will send two female athletes to the London Olympics, ending the ultraconservative Muslim country's record of fielding only all-male teams at the games.

The decision, announced Thursday by the IOC, means every country competing in London will include women athletes for the first time in Olympic history.

The two female Saudi competitors are judo athlete Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani and 800-meter runner Sarah Attar.

The athletes, who were invited by the International Olympic Committee, were entered by the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee by the July 9 deadline.

"This is very positive news and we will be delighted to welcome these two athletes in London in a few weeks time," IOC President Jacques Rogge said in a statement.

Qatar and Brunei, two other countries that have never sent any female athletes to the Olympics, are also including women on their teams for the London Games.

"With Saudi Arabian female athletes now joining their fellow female competitors from Qatar and Brunei, it means that by London 2012 every national Olympic committee will have sent women to the Olympic Games," Rogge said.

About 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in London, representing more than 200 national Olympic committees.

Saudi Arabia has been under pressure from the IOC and human-rights groups to include women athletes. The IOC has been in negotiations with the Saudis for months on securing the participation of women.

"The IOC has been working very closely with the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee and I am pleased to see that our continued dialogue has come to fruition," Rogge said. "The IOC has been striving to ensure a greater gender balance at the Olympic Games, and today's news can be seen as an encouraging evolution."

The Gulf kingdom will also include female officials in their Olympic delegation for the first time.

Rights groups hailed the decision as a step forward for Saudi women in their quest for basic rights in a country that severely restricts them in public life.

"It's an important precedent that will create space for women to get rights and it will be hard for Saudi hard-liners to roll back," said Minky Worden of the New York-based Human Rights Watch.

Qatar announced on Wednesday that one of its female athletes, shooter Bahiya al-Hamad, will be the country's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony in London on July 27.

Saudi Arabia had been giving mixed messages about sending women to the games.

The Saudi Embassy in London said two weeks ago that women who qualify will be allowed to compete. But a report in a Saudi-owned newspaper earlier this week said that no female athletes have qualified for the Olympics and no women will be included on the team competing in equestrian, track and field and weightlifting.

Rogge told the AP last week that he was "cautiously optimistic" the Saudis would include women but he couldn't "guarantee it 100 percent."
___

Associated Press writer Barbara Surk contributed to this report.

Since July, Warren has raised $24.3 million, while Brown has raised $12.7 million. Republicans attribute Warren's enormous fundraising figures to out-of-state liberal interests. Democrats say Warren has the right message and a chance of winning.

The Associated PressThis composite image of Associated Press photos shows U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and chief Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren handing in signatures to get their names on the fall ballot.

Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren demonstrated her fundraising prowess again this quarter, raising $8.67 million between April and June.

Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who Warren is challenging, raised $5 million during the same time period. In comparison, the average winning Senate candidate in 2010 raised just over $9 million over the entire election campaign, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.

With the Massachusetts Senate race on track to be the most expensive Senate race in state history – and one of the most expensive in the country – Warren in particular has shown her ability to raise enormous sums.

So far, Warren has raised more money than Brown in all four fundraising quarters since July 2011. Between January and March, she more than doubled Brown’s fundraising total, $6.83 million compared to $3.22 million. Since last July, Warren has raised $24.33 million, compared to $12.74 million for Brown. (Brown started with $6 million left over from his 2010 special election, and by July 2011 had $9.6 million in the bank.)

“The Warren campaign has been able to really pinpoint people and groups who are sympathetic and in line with Warren’s position on a variety of issues, and they’ve been able to get these people to contribute in a big way,” said political consultant Tony Cignoli, who works with candidates of both parties and is not involved in the Senate race. Cignoli said the Warren campaign is doing an “exceptional job” identifying a wide fundraising base – small and large donors, Democratic activists in Massachusetts and well-organized national groups like EMILY’s List.

Cignoli said equally important is the perception that Warren can win. “The Democratic fundraising base in America and Massachusetts thinks Warren is a potential victor, so they’re not wasting money,” Cignoli said.

Details of the candidates’ most recent fundraising will not be available until reports are due to the Federal Election Commission July 15.

In the past, Warren has raised significant sums from Hollywood – an industry that has also contributed reliably to President Obama. Her most recent fundraising figures include proceeds from a May fundraiser Warren held in California hosted by actors Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and The Office's John Krasinski. The minimum donation for that event was $1,000.

Warren has also gotten significant support from liberal advocacy groups like the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and MoveOn.org. A financial report reflecting Warren’s fundraising through March, found the online Democratic clearinghouse ActBlue collected $1.32 million for Warren this election cycle. The website allows donors to give to numerous progressive causes through one site.

Republicans have tried to dismiss Warren’s fundraising as reliant on out of state interests. “Professor Warren’s campaign is largely dependent on out-of-state, extreme special interests and fellow Occupy protestors who share her radical tax, borrow and spend agenda,” said Brown spokeswoman Alleigh Marre.

Warren’s campaign responded by noting that 40,500 Massachusetts residents have contributed to Warren. “Elizabeth Warren has fought hard to create a level playing field for middle class families. It is those men and women who are fueling this campaign,” said Warren campaign manager Mindy Myers.

Several factors are driving interest in the Massachusetts race. The seat is a prize for both sides, with a Republican incumbent running in an overwhelmingly Democratic state, for a seat held for years by Democratic icon Sen. Edward Kennedy. The balance of power in the Senate could hinge on any single race. And both Brown and Warren are national figures – Brown, for winning the Senate seat in an upset special election victory in 2010, and Warren for her work helping to establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and leading a congressional panel overseeing the use of federal bailout money.

The candidates also signed a pledge effectively banning third party advertising, so money that might otherwise be spent by outside organizations may be getting funneled directly to the campaigns.

Warren has been a successful fundraiser since launching her campaign. Former Democratic candidate Alan Khazei dropped out of the race citing difficulties fundraising after Warren decided to run.

Tim Vercellotti, associate professor of political science at Western New England University, said liberal Democrats nationally, particularly those who are disappointed with President Obama, are searching for a voice. “Nationally, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is looking for heroes,” Vercellotti said. “Maybe a lot of enthusiasm that would have been directed to Obama’s campaign in ‘08 is now seeking new people, and Warren fits the bill.”

Todd Domke, a Massachusetts Republican political strategist who is not working on the Senate race, said while it is “astounding” how much Warren has raised, “It’s equally surprising that the Warren campaign is really doing so little with the money in terms of having an impact.”

A June poll done by Western New England University for The Republican and MassLive.com found Brown and Warren essentially tied. Several other polls have also had Brown and Warren within two points of each other.

Domke pointed to the polling as proof that Warren has been unable to translate her money into an effective message. “She doesn’t seem to be able to grow beyond her liberal Democratic base,” Domke said.

Like the Brown campaign, Domke attributed Warren’s high fundraising to out of state interests. And Domke said in the long run, both candidates will have enough money to saturate the electorate with advertising, robocalls and direct mail. The national focus on the race will also result in large amounts of news coverage – so TV ads could have less impact. “Money can’t buy you love, and I don’t think money can buy the undecided voters in this state because both candidates will have (enough),” Domke said. “It’s overkill at some point.”

Jim Spencer, a Democratic political consultant in Boston and president of The Campaign Network, who is not working on the Senate race, pointed out that Brown got numerous out of state contributions when he won the seat. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 60 percent of Brown’s 2010 money came from out of state. Spencer said the most significant thing about Warren’s recent fundraising is that 81 percent of her donations were under $50 – which means Warren has a pool of donors to go back to.

Spencer said there are multiple reasons Democrats are committed to the Massachusetts race – the symbolism of winning back Kennedy’s former seat, the possibility that the balance of the Senate is up for grabs, and the chances of a Democrat winning. “We should be able to take a seat in Massachusetts,” Spencer said.

Additionally, Spencer said in a year with anti-incumbent sentiment, Warren is a Washington outsider with a reputation for fighting Wall Street. “You can be Occupy Wall Street or a Tea Party person and you hate Wall Street in almost exactly the same way,” Spencer said. “She’s got the right message. She’s a fresh face.”

While Spencer acknowledged that the race remains close, he said Warren’s fundraising is significant. “(Brown) started with a huge financial advantage,” Spencer said. “She’s closed the gap.”

"I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

AP Photo/Ralph LaurenU.S. Olympic athletes, from left, swimmer Ryan Lochte, decathlete Bryan Clay, rower Giuseppe Lanzone and soccer player Heather Mitts modeling the the official Team USA Opening Ceremony Parade Uniform, made by Ralph Lauren.

WASHINGTON — Uniforms for U.S. Olympic athletes are American red, white and blue — but made in China. That has members of Congress fuming.

Republicans and Democrats railed Thursday about the U.S. Olympic Committee's decision to dress the U.S. team in Chinese manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the American textile industry struggles economically with many U.S. workers desperate for jobs.

"I am so upset. I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference on taxes.

"If they have to wear nothing but a singlet that says USA on it, painted by hand, then that's what they should wear," he said, referring to an athletic jersey.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters at her weekly news conference that she's proud of the nation's Olympic athletes, but "they should be wearing uniforms that are made in America."

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said simply of the USOC, "You'd think they'd know better."

In a statement, the U.S. Olympic Committee defended the choice of designer Ralph Lauren for the clothing at the London Games, which begin later this month.

"Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors," USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement. "We're proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America's finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London."

Ralph Lauren also is dressing the Olympic and Paralympic teams for the closing ceremony and providing casual clothes to be worn around the Olympic Village. Nike has made many of the competition uniforms for the U.S. and outfits for the medal stand.

On Twitter, Sandusky called the outrage over the made-in-China uniforms nonsense. The designer, Sandusky wrote, "financially supports our team. An American company that supports American athletes."

Ralph Lauren's company declined to comment on the criticism.

In fact, this is not the first time that Ralph Lauren has designed the Olympic uniforms. Yet that did little to quell the anger on Capitol Hill.

"It is not just a label, it's an economic solution," said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y. "Today there are 600,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in this country and the Olympic committee is outsourcing the manufacturing of uniforms to China? That is not just outrageous, it's just plain dumb. It is self-defeating."

Israel urged the USOC to reverse the decision and ensure U.S. athletes wear uniforms that are made in America.

Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., sent letters to Lawrence Probst III, chairman of the USOC, complaining about the made-in-China uniforms. Brown suggested that the USOC find a manufacturer with a facility in the United States, suggesting the Hugo Boss plant in Cleveland.

"There is no compelling reason why all of the uniforms cannot be made here on U.S. soil at the same price, at better quality," Gillibrand and Israel wrote.

In a tweet, U.S. track and field Olympian Nick Symmonds, who will compete in the 800-meter run at the London Games, wrote: "Our Ralph Lauren outfits for the Olympic opening ceremonies were made in China. So, um, thanks China."

This is hardly the first time patriotism has been discussed when it comes to Olympic clothing. The must-have souvenir of the 2002 Salt Lake Games was a fleece beret, something that athletes wore in the opening ceremony and prompted countless people to spend hours on lines waiting to purchase during those Olympics.

Those berets were made by Roots, a Canadian company that was the official U.S. team outfitter for that opening ceremony. ABC World News reported Wednesday night that the uniforms were made in China.

The accident was reported at about 4:20 p.m.

View full sizeThe Republican | Dave RobackPolice investigate the scene of a Thursday afternoon motorcycle fatal on Sumner Ave near Bairdcrest Street.

The name of the deceased was not being released to the press until his family could be notified.

Sgt. Christopher D. Hitas said the motorcycle was heading west on Sumner and in the process of changing lanes when a van pullled out of Bairdcrest and into his path.

The accident was reported at about 4:20 p.m., he said.

Police Thursday night had Allen Street and Bradley Road blocked off to stop westbound traffic from feeding into Sumner, he said.

Police are on scene and investigating what led to the accident, he said.

Other information will be posted as it becomes available.

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The 5-year sentence imposed by Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder came with a concurrent 4½- to 5-year term for violating parole from a previous conviction in Hampshire County.

Brian Turner (Creative Commons)

SPRINGFIELD — Floyd Cumby, 51, of Springfield was sentenced Thursday to five years in state prison for breaking into two restaurants and a credit union in East Longmeadow during last October’s blizzard.

Taking advantage of the power outage at the peak of the Oct. 29 snowstorm, Cumby broke into three businesses – Fazio’s Pizza at 162 Shaker Road, Frigo’s Foods at 159 Shaker Road and the Greater Springfield Credit Union at 157 Shaker Road, according to police and court documents.

Thanks to a battery-operated alarm at the credit union, police responded – chasing Cumby through the snow as he left a trail of money, police said.

He was charged with three counts of breaking and entering, two counts of larceny from a building, attempted larceny from a building and possession of burglarious tools.

Cumby pleaded not guilty in Palmer District Court, and again when he was arraigned in Hampden Superior Court.

Averting a trial Thursday, Cumby pleaded guilty in Hampden Superior Court to three counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime.

The five-year sentence imposed by Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder also included a concurrent 4½ to five-year term for violating parole from a previous conviction in Hampshire County.

In 2005, Cumby was given two years of probation for receiving stolen property over $250 – a St. Anselm’s College class ring stolen in a 2002 break-in at a South Hadley company that makes grave monuments.

According to Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Michael A. Cahillane, the ring was found in Cumby’s car when police responded to a break-in at a jewelry store in Wethersfield, Conn., and found him leaving the building.

Cumby served a 26-month sentence for the Connecticut break-in, his lawyer told the court during the 2005 Hampshire County sentencing.

Conant, who lives in the area, was first on scene. He rushed there after hearing the call on his scanner.

SPRINGFIELD - A 58-year-old Sixteen Acres man was rushed to Baystate Medical Center Thursday evening after his son found him unconscious in their backyard swimming pool, a fire official said.

The man was found at about 5:15 p.m. in an above-ground swimming pool on Paulke Terrace, a small residential street off Ellendale Circle and Parker Street.

The man's name was not being released. Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the man's condition is not known but it is believed to be serious.

Conant was first on the scene. He aided the man's son in removing the man from the pool and began performing CPR until the ambulance arrived, Leger said.

Leger said Conant lives near Paulke Terrace and was on his way home at the end of the day. He rushed to the scene when he heard the call come over the scanner in his vehicle, Leger said.

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Tyler said he's leaving the hit show after two seasons to rededicate himself to Aerosmith, the band he fronts.

FILE - This March 28, 2012 file photo shows Steven Tyler speaking at the Aerosmith news conference announcing the 2012 Global Warming Tour in Los Angeles. Tyler announced Thursday, July 12, 2012 that he will not be returning as a judge on the singing competition series "American Idol." Tyler served as a judge with singer/actress Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson on the 10th and 11th season of the series. (AP Photo/Katy Winn, file)

NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Steven Tyler says he's exiting "American Idol" to put rock 'n' roll first.

Tyler said he's leaving the hit show after two seasons to rededicate himself to Aerosmith, the band he fronts. The rock star said he loved every minute on the hit Fox singing contest but added, "it's time to bring rock back."

"After some long ... hard ... thoughts ... I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit," Tyler said in a statement, making a joking reference to the 1987 Michael Douglas-Glenn Close thriller "Fatal Attraction."

"I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back — but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band."

The band is currently on a nationwide tour with Tyler and has an album due out in the fall.

Tyler's "Idol" departure leaves original judge Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez, but the singer-actress' future with the show is cloudy.

In a phone interview with The Associated Press as the news about Tyler broke, Lopez said she was saddened to hear that he was leaving.

"I can't even imagine anyone else there right now because I've just spent two years sitting next to him," she said. "I love Steven, and we became close during that time. We were a great support for each other, on an adventure that neither one of us knew what it was going to be. So it's hard to hear that he won't be doing it."

Lopez also said Tyler's departure will play a role in her decision to stay or go. She has already expressed that there is a good likelihood that she will not be back.

"All hope is never lost, not all hope, but at the same time, there are too many things that I need to think about," she said. "I know they want me back, I know that I want to go back, but it's not as simple as that. When I started 'Idol' ... I signed on for one year. I didn't even think about doing it for two years, let alone three years. To make the decision to go back a second year was a big deal for me."

___

AP Television Writer Lynn Elber contributed to this report from Los Angeles.

Billionaire investment guru Warren Buffett set a gloomy tone before the market opened, telling CNBC that weak demand is hurting his retail, jewelry, carpet and other businesses.

By DANIEL WAGNER | AP Business Writer

Associated PressDouglas Johnson, a trader for Getco Securities from Levittown, Pa., works during trading at the New York Stock Exchange.

U.S. stocks slid for a sixth day Thursday as concern spread that weaker global economic growth and the European debt crisis will hurt U.S. corporate earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index had their longest losing streaks since mid-May.

Billionaire investment guru Warren Buffett set a gloomy tone before the market opened, telling CNBC that weak demand is hurting his retail, jewelry, carpet and other businesses. He said business in Europe has dropped off quickly in the past two months.

Other companies appear to be struggling as well. Aluminum maker Alcoa, which kicked off the second-quarter earnings season on Monday, reported very weak revenue because of the faltering global economy. Fastenal, a U.S. industrial distributor, reported revenue Thursday that was weaker than analysts were expecting.

Hotel operator Marriott and Progressive, an insurance company, both plunged after reporting weak financial results.

Traders also sweated about Europe's debt crisis and new Chinese economic data due out Friday.

The Dow fell as much as 112 points in early trading. It recovered to turn briefly positive in the afternoon before closing with a loss of 31.26 points, or 0.3 percent, at 12,573.27. Dow component 3M fell $1.44, or 2 percent, to $86.41. Demand for the manufacturing conglomerate's products would weaken if the global economy faltered.

The S&P 500 fell 6.69 points, or 0.5 percent, at 1,334.76. The Nasdaq composite index fell 21.79, or 0.8 percent, to 2,866.19.

Supermarket operator Supervalu plunged by nearly half after the company reported a sharp drop in net income late Tuesday and suspended its dividend. Supervalu, which owns Albertsons, Jewel-Osco and Save-A-Lot, lost $2.60 to close at $2.69.

Supervalu's losses dragged on rival grocery chain Safeway, which fell $2.25, or 13 percent, to $15.73. Safeway's was the biggest percentage decline in the S&P 500 index.

The weak corporate results will likely prompt analysts to lower their quarterly earnings forecasts for the entire S&P 500, said John Fox, co-manager of the FAM Value Fund, which specializes in small and medium-sized companies.

"There will be more disappointments than surprises," Fox said. "It's a global world, and many of the small companies we invest in do business all over the world," he said, adding that his firm already is using estimates that are below Wall Street's consensus.

Fox said Buffett sounded far more negative than he has over the past year. At Berkshire's last annual meeting, which Fox attended, Buffett declared that all but a handful of the conglomerate's companies were doing better.

"The tone of his comments has definitely changed, which I think is a fair reflection of the environment," Fox said.

In Europe, Spain's borrowing costs crept higher, a sign that investors fear the country might default. Spain's neighbors are rescuing the country's banks, but the government itself was not bailed out and bond investors are not satisfied. Spain's main stock index closed down 2.6 percent.

Greece continues to struggle. Its government said unemployment there continues to rise and hit 22.5 percent in April.

The euro fell to a two-year low as fed-up investors questioned the region's ability to solve its debt crisis conclusively. It fell as low as $1.2165 and is down about five cents already this month.

A stronger dollar is another threat to U.S. corporate earnings, Fox said, because it makes U.S. goods more expensive to overseas buyers. Later, when companies convert those sales back into dollars, the unfavorable exchange rate shrinks the value of revenue earned overseas.

Traders also are concerned that China's economy is growing more slowly and might deprive the world of a crucial economic engine. New numbers due out on Friday are expected to show that growth in the second quarter fell to 7.3 percent from the previous quarter's 8.1 percent, which is already a three-year low. Revenue from the construction, shipbuilding and export manufacturing industries might have been cut in half since last year.

Among the companies making big moves:

• Marriott International dropped 6 percent. The hotel operator reported revenue late Wednesday that fell short of analysts' expectations. The company also cut its prediction for fees it would make from in-room services like wireless Internet. The stock fell $2.45 to $35.58.

• Progressive, an auto insurance company, fell 5 percent after reporting a 52 percent drop in second-quarter income, partly due to an investment loss. The results were far weaker than analysts had expected. Progressive fell $1.02 to $19.53.

Liquori was arrested on drug charges by Westfield police on May 5, and pleaded not guilty in Westfield District Court.

The Republican / File photo

SPRINGFIELD — An Agawam man pleaded not guilty Thursday to a nine-count indictment alleging illegal possession and distribution of oxycodone and other narcotics.

Fiore T. Liquori, 51, of 18 James St., pleaded not guilty in Hampden Superior Court to three counts of distributing the painkillers oxycodone and oxymorphone; six counts of possession or possession with intent to distribute painkillers, muscle relaxants and sleeping pills; and one count of possessing a firearm without a firearm identification card.

Judge Peter A. Velis set bail at $20,000 cash.

Liquori was arrested on drug charges by Westfield police on May 5, and pleaded not guilty in Westfield District Court.

A Hampden Superior Court grand jury handed down the indictments against Liquori on June 28.

Velis continued the case to Aug. 27 for a pre-trial conference.

Assistant District Attorney Maida Wassermann is prosecuting the case; Greenfield lawyer Jennifer E. Cox represented Liquori on Thursday.

Two private clubs in West Springfield were granted a tax abatement this week based on the charitable work they do in the community.

Republican file photoHans A. Doup, the new principal assessor in West Springfield, said his office is awaiting documentation of charitable work performed by the Tatham Memorial Club and the Verdi Club before taking action on their requests for property tax abatement. .

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Board of Assessors has granted property tax abatement totaling more than $27,000 to the Elks Club and the Dante Club based on their charitable work, according to the city’s new Principal Assessor Hans A. Doup.

Doup said the board issued the abatement without input from Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger, who ran for office last fall promising to restore their property tax-free statuses to those two clubs as well as the Tatham Memorial Club and the Verdi Club.

“The mayor stayed absolutely apart from what we did,” Doup said.

The clubs were sent property tax bills last year for the first time, in accordance with what former Principal Assessor Christopher Keefe said was a directive from the state Department of Revenue. Neffinger fired Keefe in February following a disagreement over the issue.

The city billed the Dante Club $17,955.43 for fiscal 2012, which ended June 30. The Board of Assessors granted an abatement of $8,977.72, bringing the organization’s tax bill down to $8,977.71.

The city billed the West Springfield-Agawam Massachusetts Elks Club Home Inc. Lodge 2174 $25,293.71 and granted an abatement of $18,665.73, bringing its tax bill down to $6,627.98.

Neffinger said part of the problem in the taxing issue was that clubs had not documented their charitable work very well.

Doup said his office is awaiting documentation of the charitable work performed by the Tatham Memorial Club and the Verdi Club before taking action on their requests for property tax abatement.

Doup said the city was unable to give the social clubs tax-free status because the state Department of Revenue requires that taxing take place once bills have been issued.

Meanwhile, an official with the Dante Club was very happy with the situation.

“We were always willing to pay something. We understand the city has expenses,” Michael P. Rodgers, a member of the club’s board of directors, said.

The club has a banquet hall as well as a bar for its members, but has a charitable side, according to Rodgers.

It does not charge many organizations like youth groups and athletic teams for the use of its hall and makes significant donations to local charities, he said.

“We compiled a very impressive list of what we have given and they agreed with us,” Rodgers said of the Board of Assessors.

Management at the Elks Club was not available for comment on that organization’s property tax abatement.

On a recent summer afternoon, the parking lot at Atkins Farms was less than half full while an excavator whined in the background.

Photo by Diane Lederman/The RepublicanA sign points to the entrance of Atkins Farms in Amherst. Business at the market has been hit hard during the latest phase of construction.

AMHERST – On a recent summer afternoon, the parking lot at Atkins Farms was less than half full while an excavator whined in the background.

Cement barriers blocked some entrances to the market’s parking lot and a protective fence wound its way around part of the store.

All of these factors are hurting the 50-year-old market and Hampshire County landmark.

Since the latest round of construction began on the Atkins corner project, business is down 30 percent, on top of a five percent drop from last summer, according to Pauline A. Lannon, president of Atkins Farms.

Work on the state and federally-funded project began in March of 2011 with a slated completion date of June 2013.

The redesign is intended to improve safety and traffic flow with roundabouts at Route 116 and West Bay Road and at Route 116 and Bay Road. When finished, the road will be slightly wider and include a multi-use bicycle lane, according to officials.

Since Memorial Day, the westerly end of Bay Road and about 400 feet of the adjoining sections of Route 116 in both directors have been closed, impeding access to the market.

But the market is still accessible from Bay Road in Hadley and from Route 116 heading north from Holyoke, but Lannon said she doesn’t think customers are aware of that.

“There’s not a lot we can do,” Lannon said.

She believes that some customers may be have been scared off by the detours, although they add only a short amount of travel time.

Atkins Farms has offered coupons for free donuts and ice cream in an attempt to keep customers walking through the door but Lannon said the promotions haven't been enough to equalize business.

Additionally, she is concerned that once the roads are re-opened, customers won't be returning as they will already be accustomed to patronizing another store.

Lannon said that she has talked to officials to see if there are any programs available to assist the business with the decline in revenue due to the construction, but was told that there is nothing that government can do to help in relation to the project.

The project is being paid for in part by $2.4 million in federal stimulus money.

She said the current phase of work was expected to take about six weeks and they are about four weeks in. Lannon is hoping crews will finish on time.

Department of Public Works Superintendent Guilford B. Mooring, said he’s expecting crews will finish this phase in about two to three weeks, although he mentioned delays in relation to the removal of telephone poles.

“The majority of the work will be done when school comes back,” Mooring said. The detours will be removed sooner than that.

The Ludlow-based Baltazar Contractors were awarded the contract for the $6 million project.

“The contractor has been doing a good job,” Mooring said. “There are normal little issues (that come up especially) for a project that started in the 80s.”

“Everybody supported it, they still support it. It’s going to improve traffic flow.” But he said, “It’s always hard through the construction.”

Residents and town and Hampshire College officials had been working on creating a village center here since 1998, which included the road improvements. The project required hundreds and hundreds of hours of meetings, design, and town meeting votes as well as land takings from Hampshire College and Atkins among others. But talks to improve the area began decades ago.