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Ware police investigating motorcycle crash that sent rider to Mary Lane Hospital

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The rider, who was not publicly identified, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the Greenwich Road crash, according to Ware Police Officer Shawn Crevier.

WARE — Police have not yet determined what caused a motorcyclist to crash on Greenwich Street late Sunday night.

"It's still under investigation," Ware Police Officer Shawn Crevier said of the 10 p.m. crash, adding that it's too early to speculate if the rider might be charged with an offense.

The male biker, who was not publicly identified, was taken to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. "I think he'll be all right," Crevier said.

The crash occurred on Greenwich Street near the intersection of North Street, about 2,000 feet north of Mount Carmel Cemetery. It's being probed by Ware Officer Christopher DeSantis.

MAP of crash scene area:


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Humid conditions boost tick population in western Massachusetts

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A recent study in Rhode Island found that the number of deer ticks is 80 percent higher this year than last year.

Lyme Disease MapThis map released by the Yale School of Public Health on Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 shows a map which indicates areas of the eastern United States where people have the highest risk of contracting Lyme disease based on data from 2004-2007. Researchers dragged sheets of fabric through the woods to snag ticks for the survey. The map shows a clear risk across much of the Northeast, from Maine to northern Virginia. Researchers at Yale University also identified a high-risk region across most of Wisconsin, northern Minnesota and a sliver of northern Illinois. Areas highlighted as "emerging risk" regions include the Illinois-Indiana border, the New York-Vermont border, southwestern Michigan and eastern North Dakota.

Studies are finding increasing numbers of ticks due to the humid conditions.

An early spring and humid conditions in May and June have meant the tick population has soared this season.

So health officials are redoubling their efforts to get people to take the tick threat seriously - while trying not to kill the pleasure of being amidst nature.

"Although ticks can pose quite a problem, that shouldn't stop people from enjoying outdoor activities. But to be safe, families should simply be more vigilant and take proper precautions to avoid a tick bite," said Dr. Paul Gerstein, an emergency department physician at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware.

A recent study in Rhode Island found that the number of deer ticks is 80 percent higher this year than last year and 42 percent above the previous five-year average.

An infected deer tick can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease to a human when it bites and feeds. Left untreated, the infection can cause a rash, headaches, arthritis and heart complications. However, if detected early, the illness can be easily treated and completely cured by a two-week oral antibiotic treatment.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 4,116 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Massachusetts in 2008 and 4,061 in 2009, but the number dropped off sharply in 2010, with 2,627 confirmed cases due to the hot and dry summer, which reduced the tick population.

Gerstein said there are ways to minimize the risk of getting Lyme disease.

"Wearing light-colored clothing will help you and others notice ticks on your clothing before they can attach themselves to your skin. Also by tucking your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks, ticks will be less able to crawl onto exposed skin," he said.

Applying repellents that contain 20 percent or more of the chemical ingredient DEET on the exposed skin can offer protection that lasts up to several hours, Gerstein said.

"Once indoors, you should scan your body for what appears to be a small black dot that feels like a scab (if attached)," said Dr. Gerstein.

"While checking for ticks, pay special attention to the areas that they prefer to hide, like the back of the neck, the hair line, the armpits, the upper back, behind the ears and behind the knees. Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine them," he said.

"If you do find a tick, don't panic," Gerstein said. "By removing a tick in the first 24 hours after attachment, you reduce your risk of infection to almost zero. Using tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible, and pull it directly straight out."

The symptoms include headaches, lethargy, fever, chills, muscle and joint aches, a stiff neck, and, most importantly, an expanding, circular or oval area of redness at least 1 to 2 inches in diameter around the bite. The rash appears in about 70 to 80 percent of infected persons in three to 30 days.

"Small areas of redness around a tick bite are common and not an indication of Lyme disease if they do not expand," he said.

Egypt officials reject demands by U.S. hostage-taker

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Egyptian security officials say they will not give in to demands of a Bedouin man who took two Americans and their local translator hostage in the Sinai Peninsula.

louis.jpgThis undated photo provided Sunday, July 15, 2012, by Rose Dorgilus, on behalf of the Louis family, shows the Rev. Michel Louis, pastor of the Free Pentecostal Church of God in Boston. Rev. Louis was abducted Saturday with two others in Egypt while touring with a church group.


By ASHRAF SWEILAM


EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — Egyptian security officials say they will not give in to demands of a Bedouin man who took two Americans and their local translator hostage in the Sinai Peninsula.

Rev. Michel Louis, an American woman and their Egyptian guide were taken off a bus on a road between Cairo and Mount Sinai on Friday while on a church trip.

Family fears for Massachusetts pastor abducted in Egypt

The hostage-taker, Jirmy Abu-Masuh, has said he will not free the two Boston natives until his uncle is released from jail.

Egyptian officials say they will not release the uncle until he completes a 15-day prison sentence for possession of drugs. Abu-Masuh says his uncle was jailed for refusing to pay the police a bribe.

The officials spoke Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations.

Elizabeth Warren to appear at Kennedy Library forum in Boston

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Democratic Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren is scheduled to appear at a forum at the John F. Kennedy library in Boston.

060212 Elizabeth WarrenIn this June 2, 2012 file photo, Massachusetts Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren speaks in Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

BOSTON (AP) — Democratic Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren is scheduled to appear at a forum at the John F. Kennedy library in Boston.

The Harvard Law School professor will discuss on Tuesday her experiences as an assistant to President Barack Obama and special advisor on the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The library says it's extended a similar invitation to Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown to appear in a separate forum with a similar format.

Brown last month declined an invitation to a debate sponsored by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate and the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

Brown had sought a promise from Kennedy's widow, Victoria Kennedy, that she would not make an endorsement in the Senate race, a request the debate sponsors called "inappropriate."

Mitt Romney proposed 'foolproof' death penalty in Mass.

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As Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney set himself a daunting challenge: craft a death penalty law that virtually guaranteed only the guilty could be executed, then push it through an overwhelmingly Democratic state Legislature that was leery of capital punishment.

042905 Mitt RomneyIn an April 29, 2005, file photo Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks to media gathered at the Statehouse in Boston and addresses issues, such as the resurrection of the death penalty in the state. Romney pushed to create what he called the "gold standard" for the death penalty, a bill that ultimately failed. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole, File)

By STEVE LeBLANC, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — As Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney set himself a daunting challenge: craft a death penalty law that virtually guaranteed only the guilty could be executed, then push it through an overwhelmingly Democratic state Legislature that was leery of capital punishment.

Making the task even more difficult, the push by Romney — who is now running for president — came in 2005 at a time of growing national skepticism about the death penalty. Just two years earlier, Illinois Gov. George Ryan had cleared his state's death row after the death sentences of several inmates had been overturned.

Romney decided to tackle that skepticism by coming up with what he said would be a "gold standard for the death penalty in the modern scientific age."

In trying to set a new and higher bar, Romney also was chasing two political goals.

The first was to fulfill a promise, made during his 2002 run for governor, to try to reinstate the death penalty in Massachusetts, then one of a dozen states that had banned the punishment. The second was to burnish his conservative resume as he looked ahead to 2008 and his first run for president.

"We believe that the capital punishment bill that we put forward is not only right for Massachusetts, but it's a model for the nation," Romney said at the time, in comments similar to what he said about his overhaul of the state health insurance system. That law became a blueprint for the sweeping federal health care overhaul enacted by President Barack Obama, which has become an issue in the White House race.

Romney's handling of the death penalty issue opened a window into the type of management style he could bring to the White House if elected. He hand-picked a commission and outlined his goals in broad terms. Then he turned the panel's recommendations into a bill that ultimately failed to get through the Legislature. But his decision to fight an uphill battle on an issue that had begun to lose its urgency also showed Romney wasn't afraid of a political fight.

His first step was to pull together a panel of legal scholars, prosecutors, crime lab officials, a medical geneticist and criminologist Henry Lee, who played a key role in the O.J. Simpson murder trial and other highly publicized cases.

One of those heading up the panel was Joseph Hoffmann, a law professor at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law. Hoffman said Romney gave the group a free hand, but suggested they focus on harnessing "the power of science" to improve on death penalty laws in other states.

"He said 'this is completely up to you.' We were given an amazing amount of discretion and leeway," Hoffman said. "He wanted us to be free to discuss this, talk about it and propose any ideas, any improvement, any processes that would make this the best death penalty anyone had ever proposed."

The bill Romney filed adopted many of the panel's recommendations.

It limited capital punishment to the "worst of the worst" crimes — including terrorism, the murder of police officers, murder involving torture and the killing of witnesses — and required a "no doubt" standard of guilt.

It outlined a series of safeguards, including a requirement that physical evidence, such as DNA, directly link the defendant to the crime scene. Lethal injection was the specified method of execution. The bill also mandated an additional review of evidence before an execution could be carried out. Every death penalty case would have separate juries for trial and sentencing.

Part of Massachusetts' reluctance to impose death sentences comes from its rocky history with the penalty.

One of the most controversial cases involved the executions of Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who were put to death in 1927 after being convicted of killing two people during a robbery. Many observers, then and now, say the trial focused unfairly on their anarchist political beliefs and immigrant status.

The state abolished capital punishment in 1984.

By the time Romney took office in 2003, Massachusetts hadn't put anyone to death since 1947, although it had come within a single vote of restoring the death penalty after the 1997 kidnapping and murder of a 10-year-old boy.

But by 2005, lawmakers had again begun to turn away from the death penalty. Some cited human error and prejudice among reasons to steer clear of reinstating it.

"Errors have been made and will continue to be made," Rep. John Keenan, a Democrat and descendant of one of the victims of the Salem witch trials, said during debate over the bill.

Even Romney conceded the possibility of human fallibility during a public hearing on the measure.

"A 100 percent guarantee? I don't think there's such a thing in life. Except perhaps death — for all of us," Romney said, although he described the proposal "as foolproof a death penalty as exists."

Others saw political motives in Romney's efforts.

"There was no way the Massachusetts Legislature was going to pass a death penalty bill," state Rep. David Linsky, a Democrat who opposed Romney's bill and had helped investigate or prosecute about 25 murder cases as an assistant district attorney, said in an interview. "It was all about setting up his future conservative credentials outside Massachusetts."

Others, including many Republican and moderate Democrats backed the measure, however. But the bill was defeated on a 99-to-53 vote in the House after more than four hours of impassioned debate.

Not all the criticism of Romney's proposal came from death penalty foes.

Some conservatives said his plan was so narrowly drawn and had so many layers of safeguards that it would be virtually impossible to carry out an execution under it.

Now running for president a second time, Romney hasn't spent time touting the death penalty proposal. He prefers to focus the debate on the issue his campaign believes offers him the best chance of winning in November: the economy.

Microsoft, NBC dissolve MSNBC.com joint venture

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Microsoft is pulling out of the joint venture that owned MSNBC.com, freeing the world's largest software maker to build its own online news service.

msnbc.jpgIn this Dec. 14, 1995, file photo, Robert Wright, president and chief executive officer of NBC, speaks in New York with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, displayed on screen, speaks from Hong Kong, during a news conference announcing that NBC and Microsoft would form a joint venture to start a cable news channel and related online service called MSNBC. Microsoft is pulling out of the joint venture that owned MSNBC.com so it can build its own online news service. The breakup, announced late Sunday, July 15, 2012, dissolves the final shred of a 16-year marriage between Microsoft Corp. and NBC News, which is now owned by Comcast Corp.

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writer


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft is pulling out of the joint venture that owned MSNBC.com, freeing the world's largest software maker to build its own online news service.

The breakup announced late Sunday dissolves the final shreds of a 16-year marriage between Microsoft Corp. and NBC News, which is now owned by Comcast Corp. The relationship began to unwind in 2005 when Microsoft sold its stake in MSNBC's cable TV channel to NBC.

NBC is buying Microsoft's 50 percent interest in the MSNBC website for an undisclosed amount. MSNBC.com will be rebranded as NBCNews.com, and readers who logged into MSNBC.com late Sunday were automatically redirected to NBCNews.com.

The website will move its headquarters from Microsoft's corporate campus in Redmond, Wash., to NBC News' longtime home in New York.

The online divorce stemmed from the two partners' desire to gain greater control over their digital destinies as the Internet becomes an increasingly important part of their businesses.

The inherent constraints of being locked into a joint venture sometimes handcuffed Microsoft and NBC.

Microsoft, in particular, had grown frustrated by contract terms requiring it to exclusively feature MSNBC.com content on its own websites. That exasperation was exacerbated by the MSNBC cable channel's strategy to counter Fox News Channel's appeal to conservative viewers by tailoring its programming for an audience with a liberal viewpoint.

The strategy fed a perception that material from MSNBC's website was politically slanted, too.

"Being limited to MSNBC.com content was problematic to us because we couldn't have the multiple news sources and the multiple perspectives that our users were telling us that they wanted," said Bob Visse, general manager of MSN.com.

Now that it has shed those shackles, Microsoft is preparing to launch its own news service this fall. Although he declined to provide many details about the operation, Visse said the news staff will be about the same size as the roughly 100 people who created original content for the MSNBC.com.

By hiring its own news staff to feed material to its websites, Microsoft is embracing the same strategy as the owners of two other major Internet companies, Yahoo Inc. and AOL Inc.

Microsoft has leaned on its lucrative franchise selling personal computer software to pay for massive Internet investments that have rarely paid off, much to the frustration of its shareholders. The software maker initially invested $220 million in the MSNBC joint venture. It's unclear if Microsoft ended up making any money on the alliance. As a whole, the company's online operations, which include the Bing search engine and MSN portal, have lost more than $10 billion in the past seven years.

Even as it sets out to compete against NBC News, Microsoft will continue to highlight the top stories from its former partner for the next two years under terms of the split.

NBC News, in turn, believes it will be able to attract more traffic to its stable of websites by forging other partnerships that were off limits when it was tied to Microsoft.

"There is no question that we are going to have more flexibility to make our own decisions," said Vivian Schiller, NBC News' chief digital officer. "This is really an amicable breakup. We think competition will make us better."

MSNBC.com and its affiliated sites ranked as the Internet's fourth most popular site for general news in the U.S., with nearly 50 million visitors in June, up 5 percent from last year, according to the research firm comScore Inc.

Yahoo's recently formed alliance with ABC News topped the charts with 81 million visitors, followed by AOL/Huffington Post, and CNN.

As part of its online restructuring, NBC News plans to create a new online destination for the MSNBC cable channel's personalities next year.

Although it will be based in New York, NBCNews.com will retain a significant staff in the Seattle area, according to Schiller. About 170 of MSNBC.com's 300 employees worked in the Seattle area.

Microsoft is letting NBCNews.com remain in its Redmond office while it looks for a new location in the area.

Gloucester veteran spends wedding night in jail

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A former National Guard medic who served in Iraq spent his wedding night in jail after allegedly assaulting three older veterans in a Veterans of Foreign Wars bar because he thought they didn't appreciate his service


NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (AP) — A former National Guard medic who served in Iraq spent his wedding night in jail after allegedly assaulting three older veterans in a Veterans of Foreign Wars bar because he thought they didn't appreciate his service.

Police say Philip Brooks of Gloucester is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Lawrence District Court on assault and battery charges.

Police say the 32-year-old Brooks was at his wedding reception in the North Andover VFW banquet hall when he came downstairs to get his coat Saturday night.

The bar's manager tells The Eagle-Tribune (http://bit.ly/O0lerz ) that Brooks "snapped" when he walked into the bar and yelled that older veterans don't appreciate the service of Iraq War vets.

He was whisked away by his new wife, but arrested at a nearby hotel later.

___

Information from: Eagle Tribune (North Andover, Mass.), http://www.eagletribune.com

Weekend top stories: Springfield police run over suspect in car break-ins, thousands lose power in greater Springfield, and more

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Catch up on the most-read stories on MassLive.com from Saturday and Sunday.

Gallery preview

Catch up on the most-read stories on MassLive.com from Saturday and Sunday:

1) Springfield police run over man who turned gun on officers [Stephanie Barry]

2) More than 2,600 customers without power in Springfield [Lori Stabile]

• Related: 1,500 without power in West Springfield

3) AJ Allmendinger's drug suspension is the hot topic among NASCAR drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway [Jason Remillard]

4) Chicopee could withdraw police and fire departments from state Civil Service system [Jennette DeForge]

5) Motorcyclist kills coyote in collision on I-91 North [Stephanie Barry]


Christopher Nolan delayed 'Dark Knight Rises' for Marion Cotillard

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It's possible French actress Marion Cotillard could have been replaced as a love interest for Christian Bale's Batman in the movie, "The Dark Knight Rises"

Marion Cotillard crop for river
Marion CotillardThis cover image provided by Vogue shows the August 2012 issue of "Vogue," featuring French actress Marion Cotillard that will be available on newsstands on July 24. It’s possible that Cotillard could have been replaced as a love interest for Christian Bale’s Batman in the movie, “The Dark Knight Rises” because she was due with her first child around the beginning of filming for the third installment in the franchise. Director Christopher Nolan tells the August issue of Vogue magazine he wanted to “figure it out.” (AP Photo/Vogue)

NEW YORK (AP) — It's possible French actress Marion Cotillard could have been replaced as a love interest for Christian Bale's Batman in the movie, "The Dark Knight Rises"

That's because she was due with her first child, a son named Marcel, around the beginning of filming for the third installment in the franchise.

Director Christopher Nolan tells the August issue of Vogue magazine he wanted to "figure it out."

Most of her scenes were pushed back a month and Nolan made room on set for Cotillard's family.

Still, he marveled at the Academy Award winner's ability to do her job so soon after giving birth, calling it "amazing to see" and describing her as "Superwoman."

Nolan and Cotillard also worked together on the 2010 film "Inception."

The August issue of Vogue magazine hits stores July 24.

Northampton's Kennedy Road Bridge could be closed for 1 year to accommodate bridge reconstruction project

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The deck of the bridge spanning Roberts Meadow Brook in the northwestern corner of the city is in poor condition, according to officials.

NORTHAMPTON — The Kennedy Road Bridge in the city's northwestern corner will be closed to accommodate a year-long construction project that's slated to begin today, Monday, July 16.

The bridge, which spans Roberts Meadow Brook and links Chesterfield and Audubon roads, needs to be repaired to correct a "serious structural deficiency" and a deteriorating deck, David Veleta, a senior engineer with the Northampton Department of Public Works, told the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Nearly $1.2 million has been set aside for the project, which could close a section of Kennedy Road for up to a year as Southbridge-based Tully Construction Co. installs a new, wider span. Kennedy Road will be shut between Chesterfield and Audubon roads, but residents and others who have business along the affected stretch of roadway will still have access.

The project is being managed and executed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, according to the DPW's blogspot, which will provide periodic project updates at www.ntondpw.blogspot.com. The existing bridge — a 16-foot-wide single-span bridge — will be replaced with a 24-foot-wide concrete beam bridge, according to project officials, who estimate the bridge to reopen in June 2013.

The original span was built in 1925 and rebuilt in 1955. A 2010 inspection of the bridge determined that it had deteriorated to the point that continuing to allow large vehicles to cross could be unsafe, according to the Gazette. The bridge received a "serious" 3-out-of-9 ranking for structural integrity, and a "poor" 4-out-of-9 ranking for deck deterioration, according to the Northampton newspaper.

The project is supported by a mix of state and federal funding.

Celebrate Ludlow slated for July 28

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Everyone who comes is asked to bring a nonperishable food item for the Survival Center of Indian Orchard.

celebrate-ludlow.jpgAt last year's Celebrate Ludlow event, Kara Smith and Daniel Loranger of Ludlow man the booth for VFW Post 3236.

LUDLOW -- Celebrate Ludlow is like a family reunion, organizer Denise Zrakas said.

“Everybody knows everybody. Celebrate Ludlow is a meeting place. It’s very fun.”

Celebrate Ludlow will be held Saturday, July 28 from 3:30 p.m. until midnight at the Ludlow Fish and Game Club on Sportsmans Road.

There is no admission fee. There is handicapped parking at the site and shuttle buses run by Peter Pan bus lines leaving from Ludlow Town Hall and Ludlow High School.

This year Zrakas said everybody is asked to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the Survival Center of Indian Orchard.

For the first time there will be a Zumba dance performance by Allegra’s, a new business coming to Center Street.

Teen bands will be showcased, including Earth Bound and In Numbers.

Other bands which will perform are the Ludlow affiliated bands the Lisa Martin band and Jacob’s Ladder.

There will be fireworks around 9 p.m.

There are various sites around town from which residents watch the fireworks including Randall’s on Center Street, the schools on Chapin Street and other sites on East Street, Zrakas said.

After the fireworks there will be another band: Lobsterz from Marz.

This year there is a kiddie land area for the first time including carnival games for children, sack races, pony races and balloon making and face painting by the Shriners.

Forest Park Zoo will bring its Zoo on the Go and there will be a Roaming Railroad train.

There also will be inflatable bounce houses for children.

For older children there will be a rock wall to climb and a backyard obstacle course.

Non-profit groups in Ludlow sell food for the event. Food this year includes sausage and meatball grinders and Portuguese bifanas.

There are also mozzarella sticks, nachos and cheese, strawberry shortcake and candy and novelties.

There also will be informational booths by Ludlow CARES, a community group which fights alcohol and drug abuse, the Ludlow Lions Club and an Alzheimer’s Awareness Group.

The first Celebrate Ludlow was held in 1999 to celebrate the town’s 225th anniversary. It has continued to grow and become an event that everybody in town looks forward to, Zrakas said.



Mass. woman faces charges for allegedly stalking family of Chicago Cubs President Theo Epstein

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The woman previously had attempted to deliver food from Burger King to Epstein when he was with the Boston Red Sox.

kathleenkearney.jpgKathleen Kearney is being held on federal charges for allegedly stalking the family of former Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein.

CHICAGO — A Massachusetts woman faces felony stalking charges after prosecutors say she flew to Chicago, rented a red Mustang and tried to deliver a birthday gift to the young son of Chicago Cubs President Theo Epstein at his home near Wrigley Field.

In a Cook County courtroom Tuesday, prosecutors said Kathleen Kearney, 44, of Canton, Mass., had tried to contact Epstein several times when he was the general manager of the Boston Red Sox.

She allegedly flew to Chicago Monday and used a rental car's navigation system to get to Epstein's home address, which she had found on the Internet. At the home, she told Epstein's wife she had a backpack and birthday banner for their son, prosecutors said.

Kearney appeared in a Cook County courtroom Tuesday where she was charged with two felony counts of stalking. Bond was set at $75,000.

On Monday morning at Epstein's home, Kearney introduced herself to the Cubs president's wife, saying, "'I'm Kathy, you must be Marie,'" according to Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto. Epstein's wife, Marie, chatted with her thinking she must be a neighbor, Scaduto said.

But Maria Epstein soon "realized something was amiss" and called her husband after Kearney left. He contacted Cubs security, which informed the Chicago police. Kearney later was arrested nearby.

"This defendant is a clear danger to Mr. Epstein and his family," Scaduto said in court.

But Kearney's court-appointed attorney called the stalking charges "completely overblown."

"She rang the doorbell, Mrs. Epstein opened the door and they had a friendly conversation," Assistant Public Defender Anand Sundaram said. "There was no confrontation."

In a handwritten statement that Kearney gave to police, she said she traveled to Chicago to find Epstein and also brought the backpack and banner with her to the home as a gift for his son, prosecutors said. She said she had been to Fenway Park several times when Epstein was with the Red Sox. She once tried to bring him food from Burger King at the stadium's executive offices.

Hampshire College professor asks Massachusetts gaming officials to halt process for licensing casinos

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Despite Robert Goodman's concerns, a member of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said the panel will not halt the process for licensing casinos.

020398 robert goodman hampshire.JPGRobert Goodman

BOSTON — An expert on expanded gambling on Tuesday urged Massachusetts gaming regulators to suspend their efforts at licensing casinos, saying further study is needed.

Robert Goodman, a professor at Hampshire College in Amherst and author of "The Luck Business," a book about gambling policy in America, urged members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to halt the process for licensing casinos until completion of an objective analysis on the economic impacts of the planned resorts.

At Tuesday's meeting of the commission, Goodman raised concerns about the social and economic effects of casinos, including addictive gambling and the potential for damaging existing businesses such as restaurants, as well as the state Lottery. Goodman was invited to speak at the meeting because of his expertise on casinos.

"You tell me if you have seen any serious economic impact analysis," Goodman told reporters after he spoke to commissioners. "There hasn't been any."

Goodman said casinos will offer discounted food and alcohol and take business from local restaurants. "That is one of the biggest impacts that hasn't been looked at," Goodman said.

Goodman said casino revenues in Massachusetts could be less than projected and will decline in the future because of looming competition. He said New Hampshire will likely approve casinos and existing casinos in Connecticut and Rhode Island will offer incentives and looser slot machines to keep customers.

If Massachusetts casinos run into financial trouble, they will seek tax breaks from state government in order to retain jobs, Goodman said.

After the meeting, James F. McHugh, a member of the commission and a retired state Appeals Court judge, said commissioners are not going to stop the process for approving casinos.

McHugh referred to a commission forum in June in Worcester when analysts reaffirmed estimates for revenues and jobs from casinos, which were spelled out in initial studies before expanded gambling was approved by state legislators.

The state's casino law authorizes up to three casino resorts, including one for Western Massachusetts, and a single slot facility.

McHugh said the commission is also considering hiring a full-time staff member devoted to overseeing plans for dealing with problem gamblers.

The commission, which is in charge of licensing casinos, released a schedule that said bids for casino resorts could be awarded any time between October of next year and November 2014. It would likely be an additional two years before a casino would open.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke: Recession likely if Congress doesn't act to avert budget crisis

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The Fed is prepared to take further action to try to help the economy if unemployment stays high, Bernanke said.

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER | AP Economics Writer

071712 ben bernanke.jpgFederal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke pauses before giving a semiannual report to the Senate Banking Committee, Tuesday, July 17, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bernanke's testimony comes as job growth has slumped, manufacturing has weakened and consumers have grown more cautious about spending (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sketched a bleak picture of the U.S. economy Tuesday — and warned it will darken further if Congress doesn't reach agreement soon to avert a budget crisis.

Without an agreement, tax increases and deep spending cuts would take effect at year's end. Bernanke noted what the Congressional Budget Office has warned: A recession would occur, and 1.25 million fewer jobs would be created in 2013.

The Fed is prepared to take further action to try to help the economy if unemployment stays high, he said. Bernanke didn't signal what steps the Fed might take or whether any action was imminent. And he noted there's only so much the Fed can do.

But the Fed chairman made clear his most urgent concern is what would happen to the economy if Congress can't resolve its budget impasse before the year ends.

Cuts in taxes on income, dividends and capital gains would expire. So would this year's Social Security tax cut and businesses tax reductions. Defense and domestic programs would be slashed. And emergency benefits for the long-term unemployed would run out.

All that "would greatly delay the recovery that we're hoping to facilitate," Bernanke said near the end of two hours of testimony to the Senate Banking Committee.

Bernanke was giving his twice-a-year report to Congress on the state of the economy. He will testify Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee.

The economy is growing modestly but has weakened, Bernanke said. Manufacturing has slowed. Consumers are spending less. And job growth has slumped to an average of 75,000 a month in the April-June quarter from 226,000 a month from January through March. The unemployment rate is stuck at 8.2 percent.

Bernanke noted that the economy, after growing at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the second half of 2011, slowed to roughly 2 percent from January through March. And it likely weakened further in the April-June period.

Congress needs to resolve its impasse well before the year ends, Bernanke said.

"Doing so would help reduce uncertainty and boost household and business confidence," he said.

The cuts that would kick in next year could cost as many as 2 million jobs, a trade group that represents manufacturers said in a report released Tuesday. The report came from the Aerospace Industries Association.

A separate report Tuesday pointed to the budget crises many states are suffering, caused in part by shrinking revenue from the federal government. States are finding it harder to pay for basic services such as law enforcement, local schools and transportation, the report said. It was issued by the State Budget Crisis Task Force, a non-profit co-chaired by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and former New York Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch.

Republicans in Congress are demanding deeper spending cuts while extending income tax cuts for everyone. Democrats want to extend the tax cuts for middle- and lower-class Americans. But they want them to expire for people in the highest-income brackets.

Bernanke stopped short of telling Congress what steps to take. He challenged them to think broadly.

"Congress is in charge here, not the Federal Reserve," he said.

The economy's challenges go beyond the budget impasse, Bernanke said. Lawmakers must also produce a long-term plan to shrink federal budget deficits. Otherwise, he said the United States could eventually suffer a financial crisis marked by rising interest rates. Consumers and businesses would have to pay more for mortgages and many other kinds of loans.

"It would be very costly to our economy," Bernanke said.

Stocks rose sharply despite Bernanke's grim assessment. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed more than 90 points, and broader indexes also gained.

The Fed chairman also said Europe's debt crisis poses a serious threat to the U.S. economy. He said the Fed has been working with U.S. banks to ensure they've taken steps to prepare for a crisis.

"Although I have every hope and expectation that the European leaders will find solutions, there is a risk of a more serious financial blowup," Bernanke said.

Investors had hoped Bernanke would signal another round of bond purchases, to drive down long-term interest rates and encourage more borrowing and spending. But they seemed to shrug off the downbeat outlook and focused on stronger earnings reported by Mattel, Coca-Cola and other big companies.

At least one senator implored Bernanke to take action now.

"Given the political realities of this year's election, I believe the Fed is the only game in town," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said. "I would urge you, now more than ever, to take whatever actions are warranted."

"So get to work, Mr. Chairman," Schumer added.

Even if the Fed announces another round of bond purchases, some economists question how much it might help. They note that mortgage rates and other key borrowing rates are already at record lows.

The economy was already sputtering when the Fed's policymaking committee last met June 19-20. At that meeting, the Fed decided to extend a program that shifts its bond portfolio to try to lower long-term interest rates. The Fed also reiterated its plan to keep its key short-term interest rate near zero until at least late 2014.

Minutes of the June meeting show that Fed officials were open to taking further action — but were divided over whether the economy needs help now.

Former Fed official Roberto Perli, managing director at the research firm International Strategy & Investment, doubts the Fed will take action at its next meeting July 31-Aug. 1, preferring to wait for more evidence of where the economy is headed.

But if growth and job creation continue to weaken, he says, Fed policymakers might unveil another round of bond purchases at its Sept. 12-13 meeting.

Westfield to seek bids for environmental cleanup of property targeted for downtown revitalization

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Demolition and cleanup of the site at Elm and Arnold streets is expected in early fall.

071207 arnold elm streets westfield.JPGThe corner of Arnold and Elm streets in Westfield.

WESTFIELD — The city will accept competitive bids Aug. 3 for the environmental cleanup of property at the corner of Elm and Arnold streets, targeted for future downtown redevelopment.

The environmental cleanup will involve property to the rear of corner Block Building, already owned by the city, and an attached single-story building housing four vacant storefronts.

The city already owned the Block Building and City Advancement Officer Jeffrey R. Daley said negotiations with Hampden Bank, allowing city acquisition of the adjoining building, are continuing. Daley said he expected those negotiations to successfully come to an end by the end of the month.

“We need to have ownership of that building before proceeding with demolition and cleanup,” Daley said.

Property taxes on the building are up to date, Daley said.

City Purchasing Agent Tammy B. Tefft said prospective bidders will have an opportunity to inspect the site during a pre-bid conference scheduled for July 23 at 10 a.m.. Bids for the contract must be submitted to her office by 11 a.m. Aug. 3.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has said he expects demolition of the two buildings to begin in early fall with the environmental cleanup to follow.

Earlier this month Westfield received a $480,200 grant from MassDevelopment to help finance the Elm-Arnold streets demolition and cleanup.

The property abuts the former site of J.J. Newberry’s Department Store that was destroyed by fire 30 years ago.

Public and commercial development of the property, which extends from Arnold Street to Church Street Commons, could include a public transit terminal, community police station and space for Westfield State University.

Knapik said preferred development of the property will be determined following a recently started $400,000 study coordinated by the city and Pioneer Valley Transit Authority.

That section of Elm Street was considered for a hotel and intermodal transit center more than 10 years ago. But, in 2007, local developer John E. Reed, owner of Mestek Inc. withdrew his plan to invest $12 million in the hotel project.


Chicopee to buy iPads for elementary and middle schools

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Elementary schools typically receive hand-me-down computers or have to buy technology with supply money.

CHICOPEE — Each of the elementary schools and middle schools will be given money to buy iPads to be used in the classroom next year.

The nine elementary schools have been each given $15,000, which should purchase about 25 iPads to be shared by teachers. The two middle schools have $25,000 each in their budgets which should be enough to purchase 30 to 35 iPads, Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr.

Rege said he hopes to continue to budget the money to the schools annually so they can buy new technology and replace older computers.

In the past, principals used their supply accounts if they wanted to purchase computers or other technology. They received older computers from high schools when they were being replaced, Rege said.

“The elementaries usually get the short shrift. It is about equality and fairness at all grades, kindergarten through 12,” he said.

Rege said he became aware of the situation when they started a $100,000-a-year campaign to replace computers at Chicopee High School. When the school opened in 2004 all the computers were new, but also became antiquated at the same time. This is the last year Chicopee High will need new computers; money will start being spent at Comprehensive High School, which was built about six years ago.

Most elementary children spend some time daily working in small groups or independently. The iPads will be perfect for that, Rege said.

David Potter, principal of Patrick E. Bowe School, said he can think of many uses for the iPads. The school has some experience with similar devices. Two years ago one of his teachers collected donations from area businesses and was able to buy about 20 electronic book readers that are shared among the three fifth-grade classes. Last year 20 more were purchased, also with donations, for fourth-graders.

The electronic readers are used when children are assigned to independent reading. It allows teachers to assign a variety of books depending on reading levels, Potter said.

The electronic readers help keep students interested and the iPads do far more, he said.

“They can be used as e-readers and for independent work centers in any subject area. They can be used for research and art work and they have a lot of potential applications for students with particular learning challenges,” Potter said.

Teachers at Herbert V. Bowie School several years ago purchased laptop computers that are available to classes. They have been popular, Principal Norman A. Burgess said.

“We have a lot of laptops and we are getting new (interactive) white boards, and the iPad will work with those,” he said.

Once the school receives the iPads, the school will use staff meetings to train teachers, he said.

Molly Bish connection?: Worcester DA's office to review items discovered in convicted Florida killer's trailer

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When Bonnie Kiernan went to retrieve belongings from the trailer where her murdered sister lived, she found items that she could not explain – barrettes, hair ties and scrunchies for little girls, not a grown woman.

When Bonnie M. Kiernan went down to Summerfield, Fla., to retrieve belongings from the trailer where her murdered sister lived, she found items that she could not explain – barrettes, hair ties and scrunchies for little girls, not a grown woman.

2009 rodney stanger mug.JPGRodney Stanger

A spokesman for the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office said it will continue to investigate if Rodney Stanger, the man serving a 25-year sentence for the 2008 stabbing death of Kiernan’s sister, Chrystal Morrison, is connected to the murder of Molly Anne Bish, who disappeared from her lifeguard post at age 16 in 2000.

“We investigate and follow up every lead that we get,” Paul R. Jarvey, spokesman for Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., said. “(Kiernan) had gone down and gained access to his residence where her sister was murdered and made some discoveries.”

Kiernan, of Douglas, traveled with her friend, Scott M. Reynolds, and initially didn’t want to enter the overgrown trailer where her sister lived with Stanger, her longtime boyfriend. Before moving to Florida with Morrison, Stanger lived in Warren and Southbridge.

Reynolds, who entered first, said the trailer appeared to be untouched, like no one had been in there since the murder. There were black bloodstains in the bedroom, rotted food in the refrigerator.

They went to the trailer four times during the 10 days they were in Florida, from June 26 to July 6. This was the first time Kiernan said she was healthy enough to make the trip. Her sister was 51 when she murdered four years ago.

They found the girls hair accessories, a film that showed a blond girl stripping then getting her neck snapped and Stanger’s wallet, which Kiernan said had photographs of him that bore an uncanny likeness to the sketch of a man that was circulated after the disappearance of Bish 12 years ago from Comins Pond in Warren. Bish’s remains were found on a wooded hillside in Palmer in 2003.

They turned over the items to the state police, Kiernan said.

Kiernan said the couple didn’t have children, so she doesn’t know why the girls items were in a plastic bag in the bathroom. Her sister would not have worn a child’s hair accessories, unless Stanger made her, she said.

Kiernan said before Morrison was killed they shared a cryptic phone conversation in which Morrison asked Kiernan the name of her bird – “Molly” – then whispered “murders.” She said she thinks her sister also was referring to the murder of 10-year-old Holly Piirianen from Grafton in 1993. Holly disappeared while visiting her grandmother in Sturbridge.

The wallet that Reynolds found contained $581, as well as a firearms identification card that Stanger renewed in Massachusetts, two months before Bish went missing. Kiernan said she was told that all the items will be sent to a laboratory for DNA testing. She said that she and Reynolds also had to submit their DNA because they handled all the items.

“I think the Massachusetts State Police and the Florida State Police should go over that property with a fine tooth comb,” Reynolds said. “It’s a very creepy place, secluded.”

Reynolds said he hopes that the items they found finally provide a break in the Bish case.

“I hope that we stumbled upon something really good and I hope justice will prevail,” Reynolds said.

Heather Bish, Molly Anne’s older sister, said she hopes that investigators will be able to gain access into Stanger’s safety deposit box, as Kiernan and Reynolds found the keys. The family has known about Stanger and his ties to the area.

“We pray to Molly for signs, for clues to tell us who did this, but we aren’t psychics. We aren’t criminal investigators. We don’t know” who could be responsible, Heather Bish said.

New needle exchange program in Holyoke invalid, City Council President Kevin Jourdain says

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Jourdain said Mayor Alex Morse was “sneaky” for getting a needle exchange program approved without a public hearing.

needle.JPGNew needles like those shown in this 2004 photo are available under needle exchange program here.

HOLYOKE – City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said Tuesday the needle exchange program the Board of Health established last week is invalid because it lacks council approval.

Jourdain, who has opposed needle exchange since it became in issue in the mid-1990’s, cited a July 1996 legal opinion from the city Law Department. Former City Solicitor Daniel M. Glanville said in that opinion local approval of a needle exchange program means approval from the mayor and City Council, not the Board of Health.

Jourdain also said that Mayor Alex B. Morse was “sneaky” for getting a needle exchange program approved without a public hearing and that the program will help drug addicts.

“The mayor is way out of line in supporting this. I think this was very sneaky. We had no public dialogue. This mayor was not elected to make the city a haven for drug addicts and I hope you quote me as saying that in the newspaper,” Jourdain said.

Voters rejected needle exchange in a nonbinding referendum in 2001.

Morse said that under state law, local approval on needle exchange means the Board of Health and mayor, not the City Council. That’s how Northampton established its program in 1995, he said.

“City Council approval is not required to approve needle exchange,” Morse said.

Despite Jourdain’s threat to seek a court injunction, Morse said, needle exchange has shown it saves lives and will stay in effect.

“It’s a big step forward and the response has been that it’s been incredibly well received. He has the right to do whatever he wants, but at the end of the day, needle exchange was approved and it’s here to stay,” Morse said.

The Board of Health voted 3-0 on July 9 to begin the program. The board consists of Chairwoman Katherine M. Liptak and Vice Chairwoman Patricia A. Mertes, both of whom are registered nurses, and physician Robert S. Mausel.

Morse gave his approval after the board vote and Tapestry Health has begun offering needle exchange at its office at 15-A Main St.

In a needle exchange program, people submit used intravenous-drug needles and get clean needles in return.

One way that AIDS and hepatitis C, diseases for which there are no cures, can be spread is through the sharing of needles. The goal of needle exchange is stop needle sharing among drug users to reduce diseases.

Supporters have long said that the truth is drug users will use drugs and at least the availability of clean needles can stop the sharing of infected needles and stem the spread of diseases.

102611 kevin jourdain mug.jpgKevin Jourdain

But Jourdain, a lawyer, questioned the need for a needle exchange program given passage of a state law in 2006 that lets drug users buy hypodermic needles from pharmacies without prescriptions.

In the 2001 vote, voters here said no to needle exchange, 65 percent to 35 percent. The nonbinding vote was 4,538 against to 2,490 in favor.

“City Council approval is required” to establish a needle exchange program, Jourdain said. “There’s no question. We have vetted the whole thing.”

Jourdain said he disagrees with the findings in an April 5 memo by a paralegal in the current city Law Department that said unless the needle exchange program requires a special permit or a fiscal appropriation, or if the program violates a provision of the city charter, the City Council has no jurisdiction.

Jourdain sent an email to City Solicitor Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ross Saturday in which he cited case law that showed local approval to mean City Council and mayor.

In a prepared statement, Commissioner John Auerbach of the Department of Public Health last week said the state looked forward to working with the city on its new needle exchange program, a step “proven to be an effective intervention to reduce the spread of HIV.”

According to the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, 301 people in Holyoke were reported to be living with HIV infection or AIDS as of Dec. 31, 2010. State data show 39 percent of those living with HIV or AIDS here as of Dec. 31, 2010 had been infected through injection drug use.

Services at Tapestry’s Holyoke needle exchange program include sterile syringes, safe disposal of syringes, HIV counseling and testing, hepatitis C screening and screening for sexually transmitted infections, addiction counseling, overdose prevention training, harm reduction education, and referrals to treatment programs.

The nonprofit AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts said that since needle exchange programs were established in Massachusetts, the programs have helped. New cases of HIV attributable to injection drug use dropped statewide from 41 percent in 1995 to under 10 percent in 2009, said Rebecca Haag, president and chief executive officer of the AIDS Action Committee.

Holyoke VNA gives health care to ailing elderly in their own homes

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“Without these people, her life would not be of the quality it is today.”

Dorothy Buckley 71712.jpgAt her home, Dorothy Buckley is surrounded by, from left, physical therapist Marcia Merithew, Brooke Santinello, RN, and Michael Salemi, occupational therapist, all of Holyoke VNA and Hospice.

HOLYOKE – Dorothy Buckley wears a regal white coif as she sits in her home. She has gone to the same hairdresser every week for 30 years, and she is not going to stop just because she’s in her 80s and suffering from mild dementia.

Others in her situation could wind up lying in bed all day. Instead, the Holyoke Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, a home health care agency, has provided an alternative.

“Without these people, her life would not be of the quality it is today,” said Dorothy’s son, Glen Buckley, who is devoted to his mother.

The Holyoke VNA, affiliated with Holyoke Medical Center, serves about 300 clients in Hampshire and Hampden Counties. It has a staff of case managers, nurses, physical and occupational therapists and social workers, any of whom it sends into clients’ homes as needed.

Glen first became aware of the Holyoke VNA after his father, Raymond, had a serious heart attack in 1977.

So impressed was he with the agency that, years later, when his mother broke a bone and then developed bed sores in the nursing home where she was treated, Glen turned again to the VNA.

They healed the wound, but meanwhile something else was happening to Dorothy. “At first we thought it was fatigue,” said Glen, one of three Buckley children, speaking of the months leading to Raymond’s death in 2000. “Then we thought it was grief.”

Finally Dorothy volunteered to give up her drivers’ license. Her mind was starting to go. Her family called the Holyoke VNA again.

Monica Gagnon, R.N., one of the VNA’s liaisons at Holyoke Medical Center, says a team was dispatched to the house to help Dorothy re-learn the skills of daily living.

Each member developed an individual plan for her health. When it was achieved, the patient was “discharged,” as she would have been in a hospital. In fact, Dorothy had not seen her team in a while.

Occupational therapist Michael Salemi bounded to her side to show pictures of his son on his cell phone. “He’s getting so big!” said Dorothy, to which Salemi replied, “Your glasses are working perfectly!”

Dorothy met her visitors in a wheelchair, but she can also walk around, said physical therapist Marcia Merithew. She has learned how to dress herself and even how to cook again, though Glen does much of that.

Glen, married and living in Chicopee, has practically moved back into the house, which his late father built in 1956. The family arranges to have someone with Dorothy 24 hours a day.

The Holyoke VNA care is covered by Medicare, and the family pays for someone to help with bathing three times a week.

Visiting Nurse Associations can be found in cities and larger towns all over Western Massachusetts, some with hospices, most affiliated with hospitals. There are also private home health care agencies.

To Gagnon, the Holyoke VNA is special because of its deep roots in the community. It was founded in 1905.

To see how local home health care agencies (including VNA’s) measure up in the state and the nation, go to: medicare.gov/HomeHealthCompare.

Congressmen question FAA over Massachusetts' Cape Wind project

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In an internal FAA document obtained by an opponent of Cape Wind, one FAA manager wrote, "It would be very difficult politically to refuse approval of this project."

020210 ken salazar david hayes cape wind.JPG02.02.2010 | Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, left, and Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes, take in the view aboard the U.S. Coast Guard's Ida Lewis buoy tender while on an information gathering tour of Nantucket Sound regarding the viability of the Cape Wind power project. Behind them is a 190-foot meteorological tower, part of the potential Cape Wind site.

By JAY LINDSAY

BOSTON — Two powerful congressmen asked the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday to answer whether it ruled that a Massachusetts offshore wind project wasn't a danger to airplanes because of political pressure.

In a letter to the FAA's Acting Administrator, U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and John Mica, R-Fla., referred to internal FAA documents, obtained by an opponent of the Cape Wind project, in which FAA employees repeatedly refer to the high-profile politics of the first-in-the-nation project.

One manager wrote in May 2010, "It would be very difficult politically to refuse approval of this project."

Issa and Mica wrote in their letter to Michael Huerta that it would be "most troubling" if politics trumped safety concerns when the FAA ruled on Cape Wind.

The congressmen asked the FAA to provide various documents by July 31, including any communication about Cape Wind over the last 3½ years between the agency, Cape Wind, federal officials and the White House.

It also flatly asked the agency to answer if it was influenced by political considerations, including the U.S. Interior Secretary's 2010 approval of the project and the Obama Administration's desire to promote green energy projects.

"A politically based determination of the Cape Wind project by FAA is an unacceptable use of federal authority," the congressmen wrote. Issa, a California Republican, chairs the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Mica, a Florida Republican, is chair of Transportation and Infrastructure.

In a statement, the FAA said it "makes obstruction evaluations based on safety considerations and the available solutions to mitigate potential risks."

Cape Wind spokesman Mark Rodgers noted the project has won approvals after review by both Republican and Democrat administrations, and that the FAA has also cleared the project on three separate occasions in the last decade.

The most recent FAA clearance came in May 2010, but that was overturned by an appeals court which said the FAA didn't adequately consider the 130-turbine project's effects on pilots that fly by sight only.

Rodgers said he was hopeful the FAA would again approve the project and added that false charges that politics were boosting Cape Wind are an old tactic of its chief opponent, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, which obtained the FAA documents through a public records request.

"The only politics being applied to this important clean energy project has been and continues to be on the part of project opponents," he said.

Audra Parker, head the alliance, said proof that the opposite is true keeps mounting. "The fact these particular chairmen are asking questions is more evidence of the pattern of political favoritism for Cape Wind," she said.

Cape Wind, proposed in 2001, hopes to begin construction in 2013 and produce electricity by 2015.

Air traffic concerns about the project center on radar reflections off its spinning 440-foot turbines. The "clutter" makes it difficult for air traffic controllers to spot planes that aren't equipped with transponders, which signal their location.

The internal FAA documents also revealed doubts from one worker whether air traffic controllers could truly keep some planes from hitting a turbine, and debate about which solution would best filter out the radar clutter.

None of the documents indicate workers were explicitly instructed to arrive at certain conclusions. One FAA manager emphasized that because their work would be so heavily scrutinized, their response to the radar concerns must be "iron-clad."

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