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Hazy sunshine, isolated thunderstorms, high 90

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Isolated showers today, stronger thunderstorms possible Sunday evening.

Saturday will be nearly the same as yesterday...near 90 degrees and humid under partly cloudy skies. An isolated shower/thunderstorm is possible later in the afternoon, but most of the day will be dry. This will cap off our mini-heat wave to start off August...today being the third day in a row of 90-degree heat.

Sunday is a bit of a different story. A more substantial cold front will be moving through the Great Lakes region and into New England. This will trigger a good chance of showers and thunderstorms...some of which may be severe in the evening and overnight. Some leftover showers stick around for Monday morning, and then we're looking pretty nice for much of the workweek.

Today: Partly cloudy, humid, isolated afternoon showers/thunderstorms, high 90.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, mild and muggy, areas of fog, low 68.

Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, heaviest in the evening, severe storms possible, high 86.

Monday: Rain ends early, mostly sunny afternoon, high 85.


Obituaries today: William G. Rogers Jr, 60, native of Holyoke, built his own home on Cape Cod

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Obituaries from The Republican.

william_rogers.jpgWilliam G. Rogers Jr.

William G. Rogers Jr, 60, of Mashpee, Mass., died unexpectedly on August 3, 2012. Rogers was born in Holyoke. He and his wife Debbie moved to the Cape 10 years ago. Building their own home in Mashpee has been a dream come true. Rogers was proud of his home, beautiful landscaping, including his waterfall and goldfish. He was passionate about his New England Patriots, supporting them through the lean years and the championship years. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed the challenge of perfecting his game. His most favorite activities were those times spent with the love of his life, his wife Debbie; whether it be playing 18 holes of golf or a peaceful paddle together.

Obituaries from The Republican:

New South Hadley Library makes progress over the summer

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The design of the meeting room calls for a recessed kitchenette for making coffee, a door wide enough for a piano to pass through and track lighting.

circulate.JPGArchitects for the new South Hadley Public Library produced this generic drawing of a circulation desk, and are taking suggestions from the library staff on details to make it as efficient as possible. Before ground is broken for the new library, architects are asking staff for feedback on such details as how a circulation desk can be designed for better work flow and efficiency.

SOUTH HADLEY – The new $10.1 million public library in South Hadley Falls is still in the works, and members of the Library Building Committee have been meeting throughout the summer to hammer out details.

On Monday, architects J. Stewart Roberts and Philip O’Brien of Johnson Roberts Associates met with the committee to update them on progress.

They presented a drawing of what the large meeting room could look like, based on what the committee approved in July.

The library will have two public meeting places: a conference room that seats 12-15 people, and a large meeting room for speakers and an audience, not as big as an auditorium but serving a similar purpose.

The most striking aspect of the large meeting room will be windows that reach almost from the floor to the ceiling, looking out on the Connecticut River and the falls.

For presentations in the meeting room, guest speakers will have their backs to the view and the audience will be facing it. For films or slide shows, the audience will be turned the other way, facing a pull-down screen from the ceiling.

The design of the meeting room also calls for a recessed kitchenette for making coffee, a door wide enough for a piano to pass through and track lighting.

The large windows can’t be opened, though the architects said some of the smaller windows in the building will open.

The drawing for now is illustrated with typical furnishings, colors and carpeting, but will get very specific as time goes on, said O’Brien. Vagueness can be costly and time-consuming, he said.

Library director Joseph Rodio said subcommittees will be assigned to make decisions on furnishings, technology, landscaping and other details.

Currently the architects are consulting library staff on what they want for the circulation desk, from height to work flow.

All of these details are included in the $10.1 million cost that was approved by Town Meeting.

Rodio noted that hazardous materials assessment is proceeding on the two buildings by the river that have to be knocked down to make room for the new library.

The buildings, once part of the Carew manufacturing complex, are likely to contain lead paint and asbestos insulation, which were common in buildings 40 or 50 years ago, said Rodio.

An engineer from the environmental engineering firm O’Reilly, Talbot and Okun has already made a preliminary visit. “We don’t see any major issues coming out,” said Rodio. “It’s just part of the process.”

The committee also discussed the possibility of having a 5K race as a fund-raiser.



National Night Out Against Crime parties scheduled for Springfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Palmer

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The national event is to allow residents to meet police officers and fight crime.

National Night Out 2010.jpgJean L. Fitzgerald, left, organizer of the National Night Out Against Crime event in Chicopee two years ago, walks with Chicopee Police Lt. John F. Pronovost. The 17th annual night out was held in that city in 2010.

Beth Hogan and her neighbors have 10 good reasons people from East Forest Park should attend the first National Night Party in their neighborhood.

There is free food, a chance to meet neighbors and set up playgroups or find pet sitters, opportunities to chat with police officers and, the number one, to have fun.

“It is a little more than National Night Out, it is a community picnic. I think we have a lot to celebrate here,” said Hogan who joined with some of neighbors to organize East Forest Park’s first Night Out.

National Night Out, which involves all 50 states, started 29 years ago and has spread. The idea is to have communities gather on Aug. 7 in a show of force against violence, drugs, gangs and crime. Police typically attend to meet residents and demonstrate some of their special units.

Springfield does the National Night Out big. With the addition of the East Forest Park party in Nathan Bill Park, there are eight different parties, mostly organized by neighborhood councils, said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet.

Police officers attend all eight. They meet neighbors, listen to concerns and answer questions, hand out toy badges to children and at some parties they do different demonstrations, he said.

“It is about the neighborhood coming together and taking a stand against crime. It is good to talk face-to-face with people instead of over the telephone,” he said.

Delaney said the events grow in popularity and size every year. For example the party at Allen Park Apartments includes pony rides, a dunk tank, clowns and free food.

“Everyone in the apartment complex goes and they get the message. It has proven to work in the past we have made good arrests,” Delaney said.

Hogan said she and her friends wanted to get the neighborhood together and revive the past community picnics held at Nathan Bill Park.

The neighborhood is still recuperating from last year’s tornado and this is a good time to celebrate, she said.

“It is a great place to live but we need to continue to create watch programs,” she said. “The key thing in Springfield is crime is a concern so we want to build relationships with law enforcement.”

Chicopee holds one large Night Out Against Crime one day before the national event. This year’s party will start at 5 p.m., Monday at Sarah Jane Sheman Park and end with a flashlight parade at 9 p.m.

The Willimansett neighborhood committee first organized the event 19 years ago. It has grown so much that a separate committee was formed to run it, said Jean Fitzgerald, the event founder and committee chairwoman.

This year the committee will hold a breakfast to honor the Chicopee and Massachusetts State Police who responded to the April 13 shooting on West Street, where Carlos Gonzales-Lauger sprayed downtown with nearly 100 bullets, injuring a State Police trooper and a bystander. He eventually committed suicide.

The picnic is expected to attract more than 3,000 people. City Councilors will grill hot dogs donated by two School Committee members, police and fire departments will give demonstrations, children can play on bounce houses, there will be a wing eating contest between high school students and the Credo skate shop will do a bike and skateboard demonstrations, Fitzgerald said.

“We always do it for crime prevention but this year the community wants an opportunity to thank the police officers. They go out there every day and put their lives on the line,” she said.

In Palmer, the Three Rivers Fire Department is organizing this year’s event. The Palmer police and ambulance, and the Palmer, Bondsville and Three Rivers fire departments, as well as the Palmer Community Emergency Response Team are all expected to offer interactive displays. Palmer Events Planning will grill hot dogs.

The event will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Divine Mercy Parish parking lot on Main Street.

National Night Out in East Longmeadow will include a food drive for the East Longmeadow Emergency Pantry, organizer Albert Grimaldi said.

Activities kick off at 5:30 p.m. at East Longmeadow High School, 180 Maple St. Grimaldi said there will not be any parking allowed at the high school this year.

“Because we have a ton of activities we will be moving all parking to St. Michael’s Church next door,” he said.

This year’s activities will include a custom car show, a scavenger hunt, face painting and a car extraction demonstration by the Fire Department. The Forest Park Zoo will bring a petting zoo and Baystate Medical Center blood mobile will be available for anyone interested in donating blood.

Grimaldi has a line up of activities on his website www.eastlongmeadowweather.org.

Cheryl Condon, Jennifer LeDoux, Kristin Tassey headed to Elms College Athletics Hall of Fame

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Condon, the school's softball coach, has 366 career wins since taking over the program in 1987.

SPT elms 4.jpgCheryl Condon has coach Elms College softball for a quarter-century.
CHICOPEE – The Elms College athletics department recently announced that Coach Cheryl Condon, Jennifer LeDoux, Class of 2007, and Kristin Tassey, Class of 2003, will be inducted as the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2012 on Sept. 28. Condon, head coach of the Blazers’ softball team, has run the program since 1987. One of the all-time winningest coaches at Elms (366 wins), Condon has guided the Blazers to 16 winning seasons since 1989.


In 2003, she directed the team to a program-best 28-7 mark and the first NCAA Division III Championship appearance for any sport at Elms.


LeDoux was a two-sport athlete at Elms from 2004-07, competing in three years of soccer and four years of softball.


On the soccer pitch, LeDoux is ranked fourth all-time in goals scored with 32 and is also fourth all-time in points with 77. On the softball diamond, LeDoux was a stellar contributor during all four seasons she played.


The program’s fourth all-time leader in stolen bases (37), LeDoux finished her softball career at Elms with a .328 batting average.


Tassey was also a two-sport athlete at Elms from 1999-2003, competing in four seasons of field hockey and four seasons of softball, and also served as an assistant softball coach after her playing career.

She was a First Team All-NAC honoree during her senior season in 2002 and totaled 11 goals and two assists (24 total points) during her four-year field hockey career.


As a member of the softball team, Tassey is ranked as the program’s all-time leader in walks with 51, and is listed third all-time in stolen bases with 44 and runs scored with 94. In 113 games play, Tassey connected for 92 hits, 94 runs scored, 26 RBI, 44 stolen bases, 51 walks and a .295 batting average.

Firefighters battle blaze at Rowe Elementary School

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The fire is believed to be the product of a lightning strike following a sudden and severe thunderstorm.

An update to this story was posted at 9:10 p.m.

ROWE - Massachusetts State Police are reporting that the Rowe Elementary School on Pond Road in the small Franklin County town is on fire.

Information is limited at this time but the fire is believed to be the product of a lightning strike started by a sudden and severe thunderstorm. The blaze erupted around 4:30 p.m. Saturday with firefighters from several companies responding to put out the fire.

Several alarms have been sounded. Firefighters in Greenfield and Charlemont have been called to assist. A nearby resident told WCVB-TV that the fire engulfed the school's roof.

School and town officials were not immediately available for comment.

According to the school's web site, about 60 students attend Rowe Elementary.

CBS3 Springfield meteorologist Mike Skurko said the storm was an burst that was not part of a predictable storm front.

"In the case of today, there was no front or larger storm system to sort of watch as it moves across the country. The only indication we had was that it was hot and humid," Skurko said, adding that the intense storm hovered over the Charlemont area for a prolonged period of time and fizzled out around 5:30.

Aside from the threat of lightning strikes, the rains poses a risk of flash flooding. Skurko said the National Weather Service estimated three to four inches of rain had fallen over Charlemont by 4:30 p.m.

Masslive will update as more information comes available.

Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.

Patriots offensive lineman Robert Gallery retires amid flurry of roster moves

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Gallery's body told him it was time to walk away.

robert-gallery.jpegNew England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley (22) runs with the ball following the blocking of offensive lineman Robert Gallery (72) during practice on the second day of training camp at the NFL football team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday, July 27, 2012.

FOXBOROUGH -- New England Patriots offensive lineman Robert Gallery announced his retirement Sunday amid a flurry of roster moves made by the team.

The Patriots also signed defensive back Derrick Martin and fullback Kareem Huggins. Fullback Tony Fiametta was placed on the exempt/left squad list, meaning that he left the team.

The Patriots signed Gallery, a veteran of eight seasons, as a free agent in March. The 32-year-old figured to serve as a backup on the offensive line, but his agent, Rick Smith, said that Gallery felt his body couldn't handle the abuse of another season.

Gallery, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 draft, played in 104 games with 103 starts between stops in Oakland (2004-10) and Seattle (2011).

Martin, 27, joins the Patriots after spending the last six seasons in Baltimore (2006-08), Green Bay (2009-10) and with the Giants in New York (2011). Martin played in 14 games last season and all four of the Giants' postseason games, including Super Bowl XLVI.

He has appeared in 61 games with four starts throughout his career, registering 42 tackles and three interceptions.

Huggins, 26, is a veteran of two NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-10). He has played in six NFL games and has carried the ball four times for 11 yards.

The Patriots signed Fiammetta, 25, as a free agent in March. He has run for 26 yards and recorded 73 receiving yards over his three seasons in the league.


Great New England Air Show lifts off from Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee

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The Westover heritage display was one part of this weekend’s Great New England Air Show, which will run through 4 p.m. Sunday.

Gallery preview

CHICOPEE – Five planes parked in a circle showed much of the history of what is now Westover Air Reserve Base.

The B-52 Stratofortresss, flown at the base from 1956 to 1972, was next to the KC-135 Stratotanker, flown from 1957 to 1975. Nearby was the C-123 Provider, which arrived at Westover in 1973 and remained until 1982, and the C-130 Hercules that flew out of Westover from 1974 until 1987. Today’s C-5B Galaxy completed the circle.

The Westover heritage display was one part of this weekend’s Great New England Air Show, which will run through 4 p.m. Sunday. More than 60 aircraft were on display and the event offered dozens of aerial acts, said Master Sgt. Andrew S. Biscoe, a public relations technician for the base.

Saturday’s show attracted 110,000 people. Overcast skies delayed aerial shows for about an hour, but weather cleared so stunt pilots could take off and parachute teams could jump, Biscoe said.

With high humidity and temperatures in the 90s, visitors were encouraged to keep hydrated. The American Red Cross set up a tent to help people who were feeling ill, but no serious problems were reported.

“We are proud to do this. People of Western Massachusetts know us well because of our appearance in the sky and we want them to come in and see what we do,” Biscoe said.

All 4,300 military Reservists were at the base for the show. Many led tours of the planes and answered questions.

The Westover heritage display proved popular with visitors. Many wanted to tour a C-5B jet that they see flying overhead while veterans reminisced about flying in some of the older planes.

The B-52, widely used in World War II, and the KC-135 were generally used together since the main role of the KC-135 was to refuel aircraft while it was flying, Biscoe said.

“We used to live in Indian Orchard and I remember all of those planes flying over the house, the B-52, the KC-135,” said Walter Loughary, of Westfield. “The worst thing was the KC-135 crash, it lit up the whole area.”

That June 27, 1958, accident off Fuller Road killed all 15 on board including the base commander. It happened during an attempt to show off the capabilities of the aircraft by setting a record on a trans-Atlantic flight.

Russ McKenna, of South Hadley, said he remembers the B-52s flying overhead when he was a child. Looking at the C-123 Provider, he said it brings back memories of serving in the Marine Corps in Vietnam.

“The C-123 Provider was the big troops carrier when I was in Vietnam in ‘65 and ‘66,” he said. “It was big in Vietnam, they brought in a lot of troops and it was a mail carrier and it brought in supplies.”

The C-130 came to Westover when it transitioned from a full-time Strategic Air Command to a reserve base.

“It was huge and it put Westover on the map,” Biscoe said. The C-130 and the KC-135 continue to be used today by the 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. While Westover does not fly the planes, squadrons from other bases work with them so they can treat and evacuate patients, said Lt. Col. Thomas Chafe, of Manchester-by-the Sea, a member of the squadron.

“The C-130 can get us into small places. It will land on an unimproved runway. It can land on a dirt runway,” he said.

The C-5 is mainly used to move large equipment and supplies, the C-130 is better to move patients and is often used by the squadron when members have been deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq, he said.

During the show, members of the 439th airlift wing demonstrated how the C-5 is used. Inside they parked several jeeps to show its capacity to carry large cargo.

When the 16 C-5’s came to Westover in 1987, it transformed the base’s mission.

“It carries big cargo and that was the start of a new era for Westover. It was a huge, huge change,” Biscoe said.

To help with traffic gates to the base will open at 8:30 a.m. at 803 James St., 2255 Westover Road, and 120 New Ludlow Road in Granby.




Vandals in Ludlow damage park, steal American flag

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Police will be cracking down on regulations that require the parks to be closed at dusk.

LUDLOW – Vandals ripped down and stole the American flag and did more than $625 in damage in Whitney Park and the adjacent Thompson State Pool Friday night or Saturday morning.

The vandals damaged a metal door to bathrooms costing $250, destroyed two security cameras costing $125, stole baseball bases worth about $150, and took at least one lifeguard umbrella worth $100, Police Sgt. Daniel Valadas said.

The vandalism happened some time after 7:30 p.m. Friday in the park off Howard Street. Police are asking for information from anyone who may have seen anything.

This is one of several problems that have happened at town parks recently. Parks are closed from dusk and down and police will be cracking down on that rule, Valadas said. 
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Ludlow police arrest two teenagers accused of beating and robbing a 13-year-old

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A third teenager fled, leaving behind a backpack containing marijuana.

LUDLOW – Police arrested a 15- and a 16-year-old and are searching for a third teenager accused of beating a 13-year-old and stealing his wallet and cell phone Friday night.

The 13-year-old victim and his parents reported he had been kicked, beaten and robbed at about 9:30 p.m. on East Street, near where a large group of teenagers were partying in woods off the Ludlow Mills, Sgt. Daniel Valadas said.

At about 10 p.m., police saw three teenage boys who fit the description given by the victim on the Putts Bridge. One ran over the bridge into Springfield, leaving behind a backpack with marijuana packaged in several plastic bags. Police from Wilbraham, Springfield and Massachusetts State police assisted Ludlow in searching for the teenager but never found him.

The names of the two teenagers who were arrested were not released because of their ages. Both were charged with unarmed robbery and one was also charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a shod foot, Valadas said.

President Barack Obama to attend campaign fundraisers in Connecticut

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President Barack Obama will attend two fundraisers Monday in Connecticut, where he holds a comfortable lead over Republican Mitt Romney in public opinion polls, though not as wide as his margin of victory in 2008 against John McCain.

Barack ObamaIn this July 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks at a fundraising event at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore. Stubbornly close and deeply divisive, the presidential race throttles into its last 100 days as an enormous clash over economic vision, likely to come down to fall debates, final unemployment numbers and fierce efforts to mobilize voters. It may seem like an election for the whole nation but only about eight states will decide who wins the White House. Polling shows the contest between Obama and Republican Mitt Romney remains remarkably static across the country and in the key states, even as both men and their allies pour money into largely negative television advertising to sway opinions. The two candidates will intensify their time before voters in the weeks ahead, knowing much of the public will not truly start paying attention until after Labor Day. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)


By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, Associated Press


NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — President Barack Obama will attend two fundraisers Monday in Connecticut, where he holds a comfortable lead over Republican Mitt Romney in public opinion polls, though not as wide as his margin of victory in 2008 against John McCain.

The events include a $500 per person reception at the Stamford Marriott and a $35,800 per person dinner at the Westport home of movie producer Harvey Weinstein. The fundraisers could add about $2 million to Obama's campaign account.

Romney has raised about $4.8 million from Connecticut's residents in this election cycle, compared to $2.9 million for Obama, according to Federal Election Commission records. Elected officials have long come to Connecticut's Gold Coast to raise campaign cash.

Obama led Romney 50 to 38 percent in a Quinnipiac poll in June. The 12-percentage-point lead compared to a 16-point lead in March and a 13-point lead last September, according to Quinnipiac polls.

Obama defeated McCain by about 22 percentage points in 2008 in Connecticut. While his margin in the polls is less than the last election, he has little to worry about in Connecticut, said Doug Schwartz, director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

"President Obama is in a strong position to win Connecticut again," Schwartz said Thursday. "It looks like a safe state for the president."

Obama will focus on swing states and doesn't have to campaign in Connecticut or spend money on advertising, Schwartz said. The last Republican presidential candidate to win Connecticut was George H.W. Bush, who has roots in the state, in 1988, he said.

State Republican Party Chairman Jerry Labriola said Romney could close the gap with Obama and make the race competitive. He cited high unemployment, the fact that Romney was governor of neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut's history of electing what he called Yankee Republicans.

Connecticut's unemployment rate jumped to 8.1 percent in June, from 7.8 percent in May.

"I believe ultimately by this fall that Connecticut has the potential to be a battleground state, a state where Gov. Romney can play some offense and force the president to play some defense in what was thought to be friendly territory," Labriola said.

Jonathan Harris, executive director of the Connecticut Democratic Party, defended Obama, saying there have been 28 months of job growth. He acknowledged it would be tough to have the same margin of victory as in 2008.

"I still do believe that the president will win Connecticut handily," Harris said.

Tea party activists are planning a protest at the Stamford fundraiser.

Olympics 2012 Day 8: Michael Phelps' story ends in gold and Britain's banner day (links)

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Here are some highlights from Day 8 in London.

Gallery previewHere are some highlights from Day 8 in London:

SWIMMING

Reclaiming the lead with his trademark butterfly stroke, Phelps won the 18th gold of an unparalleled career when he helped the U.S. win the 4x100-meter medley relay Saturday night.

The U.S. women also won the medley relay on swimming's final night at the games, setting a world record in the final. Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands took the women's 50-meter freestyle to complete a sweep of the sprints, and China's Sun Yang lowered his own world record while winning the men's 1,500 freestyle.

TRACK

How to describe the action in track and field? The Blade Runner and Britannia.

Pistorius, a double-amputee who runs on carbon-fiber blades, finished second in his 400-meter heat to earn a berth in the semifinals Sunday night. He posted a season-best time of 45.44 seconds.

The victors: Jessica Ennis in heptathlon; Greg Rutherford in men's long jump; and Mo Farah in the men's 10,000 meters. Three gold medals in about one hour for the host country — and the capper to a big British surge. [VIEW PHOTOS]

BASKETBALL

Two days after being accused of "humiliating" Nigeria in a record-shattering 83-point win, the United States needed a strong finish from LeBron James to eke out a 99-94 victory over Lithuania. The Americans trailed 84-82 with 5:50 to play, but James scored nine of his 20 points in the final four minutes to help the U.S. remain unbeaten. [VIEW PHOTOS]

TENNIS

Serena Williams became only the second woman to achieve a Golden Slam, routing Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 in the most lopsided women's final in Olympic history.

Star-Ledger columnist Steve Politi writes that regardless of all her titles, money and fame, Williams wanted to win in London more than anyone. [VIEW PHOTOS]

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Two-time gold medalists Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor beat the Netherlands in straight sets to advance to the tournament quarterfinals.

SHOOTING

American Jamie Lynn Gray won the gold medal in women's 50-meter three-position rifle shooting, setting two Olympic records along the way.

Gray clinched gold on her final shot with a 10.8 — just 0.1 off a perfect score.

WATER POLO

Vanja Udovicic scored three goals and Serbia beat the United States 11-6 in the men's tournament, handing the Americans their first loss of the Games.

FIELD HOCKEY

New Zealand beat the United States 3-2 in the women's tournament, preventing the Americans from advancing to the medal round.


Rowe Elementary School leveled by fire suspected ignited by lightning strike

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Terry Dun, public information officer for the northwestern Massachusetts Incident Management Team, said the tiny school that serves approximately 80 students in this rural town was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene short after 4 p.m.

rowe.JPGROWE - A lightning strike Saturday afternoon caused a fire that destroyed the Rowe Elementary School. The Greenfield ladder truck works on some hot spots as the fire is brought under control and the sun starts to set behind the clouds and smoke.
This updates a story posted at 5:57 p.m.


ROWE – The Rowe Elementary School on Pond Road was leveled by a fast-moving fire on Saturday emergency officials believe was ignited by a lightning strike during a sudden storm in the area in the late afternoon.

Terry Dun, public information officer for the northwestern Massachusetts Incident Management Team, said the tiny school that serves approximately 80 students in this rural Franklin County town was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after 4 p.m.

“It quickly went from a first alarm to a third alarm to a fifth alarm ... That’s major,” Dun said, adding that firefighters were prevented from entering the school by the wall of flames and were forced to fight the blaze from outside.

No one was inside the school at the time of the fire; two firefighter suffered minor injuries – one from exhaustion and one from a fall. Both were treated and released at a local hospital.

The school is across from a town park but at least a half-mile away from any homes or other buildings.

Dun said school principal Bill Knittle was on the scene, but there was no discussion yet about where students will attend school this fall.

“This is a devastating blow to a small community. Most of the students’ parents went there too. Everyone’s still trying to process it. People are still kind of in shock,” Dun said.

Knittle could not immediately be reached for comment.

Dun said firefighters from 25 to 30 communities from as far away as Greenfield and spots in southern Vermont responded to the fire – with about 125 firefighters battling the blaze at its peak.

The building is a one-story combination brick and wooden structure, and the school’s Web site says about a third of the school’s students come from neighboring towns.

Dun said the building’s double roof had collapsed early on. He said a lightning analysis would be conducted but it was considered the genesis of the fire for all practical purposes.

The storm burst over the small town and neighboring Charlemont, with soaking rains, hail, thunder and lightning for more than two hours, weather officials said.

CBS3 Springfield meteorologist Mike Skurko said the storm posed not only the risk of lightning strikes but flash flooding, although a trooper at the Massachusetts State Police Shelburne barracks said none had been reported by late evening.

“In the case of today, there was no front or larger storm system to sort of watch as it moves across the country. The only indication we had was that it was hot and humid,” Skurko said, adding that the intense storm hovered over the Charlemont area for a prolonged period of time and fizzled out around 5:30 p.m.

Skurko said the National Weather Service estimated three to four inches of rain had fallen over Charlemont by 4:30 p.m.

Kayakers on the Deerfield River reported having to hustle off the river in a hurry as the skies opened up and the river swelled.

Sonja Brown, of Greenfield, who attempted to go tubing with a friend and their children on the Deerfield Saturday afternoon, said the weather got tricky just as they were trying to put their tubes off Zoar Road in Rowe.

“It started raining really hard and we tried to wait it out, hoping for it to pass. But then there was thunder and lightning and hail,” Brown said, adding that the river was running fast but did not appear to be overflowing. “We’ll try again tomorrow; when we got back to Greenfield around 4 o’clock, the sun was shining.”

Skurko said another storm front will loom and likely hit the area Sunday evening.

“Tomorrow night we’re going to get one of those good (storm) lines that we can watch moving through Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. The only question is whether it will stay together once it gets here,” he said.

That storm could linger into Monday morning’s commute but will lose its steam by later that day. The muggy weather that has dogged the region is expected to lift by Tuesday.

Congress takes 5-week vacation with much work left undone

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The Republican-controlled House and Democratic-led Senate have set record lows for production and record highs for dysfunction.

John BoehnerIn this July 2012 file photo, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lawmakers headed home for a five-week break with a laundry list of uncompleted work and little to show for the past year and a half except an eye-popping amount of dissatisfaction _ nearly 80 percent of Americans are unhappy with them. The Republican-controlled House and Democratic-led Senate have set record lows for production and record highs for dysfunction. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)


By ANDREW TAYLOR & DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress' performance matches its approval rating — abysmal.

Lawmakers headed home for a five-week break with a lengthy list of uncompleted work and little to show for the past year and a half except an eye-popping amount of dissatisfaction: Nearly 80 percent of Americans are unhappy with them. The Republican-controlled House and Democratic-led Senate have set record lows for production and record highs for dysfunction.

Partisanship and election-year politics have left a drought-stricken nation wondering if new help will ever come and the U.S. Postal Service uncertain about its solvency. Some $110 billion in automatic, across-the-board cuts are due to hit military and domestic programs on Jan. 2, yet no bipartisan solution is in sight or even under discussion by those who really matter.

At the same time, President George W. Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans expire, threatening to send a sluggish economy right back into recession.

The standoff is what happens when a bitterly divided government mixes with election-year politics to throw sand in the gears of official Washington. The tea party-dominated House and a Senate controlled by Democrats struggling to keep their narrow majority in November view each other with a palpable disdain.

House Speaker John Boehner, who came to Washington in 1991, bluntly described the divide that has made consensus a rare commodity.

"The American people are probably more polarized now than any time since I've been here," the Ohio Republican told reporters. "And as a result we see that polarization reflected here in the halls of Congress. And even though both sides have some sharply different views and ideologies, our job is still to find the common ground."

Chris Van HollenIn this Dec. 22, 2011 file photo, Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Lawmakers headed home for a five-week break with a laundry list of uncompleted work and little to show for the past year and a half except an eye-popping amount of dissatisfaction _ nearly 80 percent of Americans are unhappy with them. The Republican-controlled House and Democratic-led Senate have set record lows for production and record highs for dysfunction. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

But common ground is scarce. This is a Congress that can't do the big stuff while even the small stuff, such as a one-year extension of student loan subsidies that passed in June, makes them sweat.

Congress stumbled out of Washington for a five-week vacation one day early on Thursday on a typical note: a GOP filibuster in the Senate of a bipartisan cybersecurity bill and the House's abandonment of a one-year extension, as Republican leaders had planned, of food and farm policy.

Senate Republicans were unhappy about being denied a chance to amend the cybersecurity bill. House Republicans were unable to find party unity on food stamps and farm subsidies

The House settled for a paltry restoration of expired disaster programs for livestock producers and tree farmers. The Senate wouldn't do even that, demanding instead a full five-year farm bill with 80 percent of it, or about $400 billion, devoted to food stamps.

More broadly, just 151 laws have been enacted in 19 months; more than two dozen of them were to rename post offices and courthouses, or add individuals to the Smithsonian board. By comparison, the previous Congress enacted 383 laws with President Barack Obama in the White House and Democrats controlling Capitol Hill.

Even in 2007-08, when Republican Bush was president and Democrats ran Congress, 460 laws were enacted.

"They think compromise is a dirty word when compromise is necessary to get things done in the era of divided government," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

A poll last month by CBS News and The New York Times found Congress with a 12 percent approval rating and 79 percent disapproval score.

Lawmakers will return in September for what promises to be an abbreviated pre-election session with two main items of business.

Most important is a six-month spending bill to keep the government running through March and prevent any possibility of a politically explosive government shutdown before the election. Not one of the 13 must-pass spending bills has been completed and the new budget year begins Oct. 1.

The warring sides also need to find some solution on farm subsidies and food stamps before the programs expire Sept. 30. The Senate gave bipartisan approval to its farm bill in June but the House has been unable to pass it or a version of its own.

"The House is pretty well divided. You've got the left concerned about reductions in the food stamp program, you've got the right who don't think the cuts go far enough in the food stamp program," Boehner said. "And frankly, I haven't seen 218 votes in the middle to pass a farm bill."

A leading option would be to punt the issue into the future, as Congress has done with so much else.

Even what passes for accomplishment often simply extends current policy. There were the recent extensions of transportation funding and student loan subsidies, along with earlier action to extend Obama's payroll tax cuts and his demand for additional jobless benefits for the longtime unemployed.

"That's just sort of continuing the status quo," Van Hollen said. "But in terms of tackling big issues, this Congress has been out of commission."

Defense hawks hope political pressure in August will force Congress to address the automatic cuts. The reductions were the default that Obama and congressional Republicans agreed to last year as part of a deficit-cutting plan that also raised the nation's borrowing limit.

Republicans accuse Obama of jeopardizing national security. Democrats counter that sparing the military will require Republicans to concede on raising taxes on high-wage earners.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., eagerly talked about trying to work out a compromise in August, but other Republicans and Democrats have shown little interest, content to use the issue as a political club.

"I don't know how we get out of debt if we don't have bipartisanship," Graham said.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney suggested that Congress put off the issue, delaying the cuts for at least one year. Whether Congress can resolve the issue in the postelection session or wait until next year depends on the outcome of the presidential and congressional races.

The possibility of Romney being sworn in Jan. 21 and Republicans taking control of the Senate and House makes a delay more likely.

The real concern ahead is the debt limit.

The Treasury Department has said the government's borrowing limit will be reached near the end of 2012, but it has the ability to shift money to buy a few months reprieve to give the next Congress time to act. That puts the likely deadline for the borrowing authority on a collision course with the expiration of the temporary spending bill to keep the government operating through March.

Catch a falling team: Red Sox blow it in the ninth

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Clay Buchholz pitched beautifully, but wound up with a no-decision.

Carl CrawfordBoston Red Sox's Carl Crawford had an RBI double in the first inning of Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park.

BOSTON - Those alarm bells are ringing. That bottom is falling out.

The Red Sox have lost four in a row, they face a possible sweep by the lowly Minnesota Twins, and anyone who thinks this season is spinning in a positive direction is residing in Dream Land.

Joe Mauer's two-out, two-strike home run plated three runs in the ninth inning Saturday night, when the Twins scored four times for a shocking 6-4 win over the reeling Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Mauer had run the count to 3-2 on Alfredo Aceves, who had masterfully escaped an eighth-inning jam he did not create. But the ninth was a different story, with Minnesota wiping out a 4-2 deficit.

"Aceves did a great job in the eighth. There was some leakage in the ninth,'' Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said.

Leakage? Figuratively speaking, this team is showing cracks in every bit of infrastructure that is supposed to make it hum.

Mauer's home run overshadowed Pedro Ciriaco's first career home run, a pinch-hit drive in the eighth that broke a 2-2 tie.

Cody Ross' subsequent RBI single seemed to lift the Red Sox out of danger. This team can't seem to escape trouble, though.

Aceves thought he had Mauer struck out on a 2-2 pitch on the outside corner, but plate umpire David Rackley gave the Twins' star one more chance.That was all that was needed by Mauer, who was hitting .389 with runners in scoring position and two out.

Until Aceves became the goat, he was in line to be a hero. He had inherited a 2-1 lead with the bases loaded and no out in the ninth, and did a splended job to hold the Twins to only the tying run.

Ciriaco's drive came moments later and gave Boston a 3-2 lead. The Red Sox tacked on an insurance run when Carl Crawford was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Cody Ross' single.

Rather than get a six-out win, Aceves allowed four runs on four hits with a wild pitch in the ninth. He fell to 2-7.

His team fell to 53-55 with a four-game losing streak. The Twins will go for a sweep of the four-game series Sunday.

Clay Buchholz allowed only one run (unearned) in seven innings. He got a no-decision on a night he deserved a win.

"I feel for Clay, but I feel for all of our guys right now,'' Valentine said.

It was all working out until the eighth, when Buchholz handed the ball to Andrew Miller with a parade of Twins left-handers coming up.

Lefties were hitting only .125 against Miller. Two walks and an infield hit later, Aceves was summoned to deal with the emergency.

Justin Morneau's sacrifice fly tied it, but Aceves retired the next two batters. Ciriaco then took the stage, but Mauer had the last statement.

After the game, Valentine was asked why he went with Miller and not Craig Breslow, the newly-acquired lefty reliever and Boston's only trade deadline addition.

"Breslow is a contact guy,'' the manager began. But he wasn't done.

"If I had known Miller was going to put the first three guys on base, I know what I would have done. I'd have brought in Breslow,'' Valentine added.

Red Sox ownership was at Fenway Saturday. This loss and its nature has fired up rumors about whether Valentine might not be around much longer.

All of that is speculation. What is fact is that Boston is 53-55 at the two-thirds mark of the season, and on a four-game tailspin that followed an encouraging three-game winning streak against the New York Yankees and Detroit.

Aceves blew the lead, but the offense didn't do much, either. The Red Sox had six hits.

After the Twins rallied in the ninth, the Red Sox went down in order and their own fans booed them off the field.

The Twins are going nowhere but showed the spunk and the life. The Red Sox did not, at least once the final results were tallied - but maybe they're going nowhere as well.


Partly cloudy, areas of fog overnight, low 68

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Partly cloudy overnight, severe thunderstorms possible Sunday evening.

The threat of rain is over as we go through the remainder of the evening. The lone batch of thunderstorms for western Massachusetts today produced more than 3 inches of rain in the Charlemont area. All of the isolated thunderstorms across New England will die out, and skies will stay partly cloudy overnight with lows near the mid-60s.

Sunday will start off very similar to today...areas of fog in the morning, with partly sunny skies and temperatures quickly warming up. However, after noontime there will be showers and thunderstorms moving towards the region. The first batch of thunderstorms are expected to develop in the Springfield area shortly after 2 p.m., with the chance of rain continuing throughout the evening and overnight.

Some of these storms may be severe as a sharp cold front will be cutting into the hot and humid airmass we've had in place for the last few days. This front will not be clearing western Massachusetts until Monday morning, so the target area for severe weather outbreaks on Sunday night will be focused further off to our west in the Mid-Atlantic. Some leftover rain sticks around for Monday morning, and then we're looking pretty nice through the first half of the workweek.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, mild and muggy, areas of fog, low 68.

Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, heaviest in the evening, severe storms possible, high 86.

Monday: Rain ends early, mostly sunny afternoon, high 85.

Tuesday: Sunny and seasonal, high 84.

Republican National Convention organizers preparing for Florida heat, hurricanes

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Political conventions have been held before in cities where hurricanes and the heat are summertime threats, though none has been in Florida for 40 years.

RNC-Move InBrandon Noble, 32, of St. Petersburg, converts a suite at the Tampa Bay Times Forum for use in the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. as workers begin converting the facility for use in the 2012 Republican National Convention. (AP Photo/The Tampa Bay Times, Edmund D. Fountain)


By TAMARA LUSH, Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Republican National Convention and the peak of hurricane season collide in Tampa this month. And though planners are banking on years of data that a major storm won't hit, they also have laid out worse-case scenarios that include canceling if it's clear the 70,000 expected delegates, officials, journalists and protesters would be in harm's way.

Tampa is one of the places in the region most vulnerable to storm surge. In a major hurricane, floodwaters could reach some 3 miles inland — Tampa is on a bay, not directly on the Gulf of Mexico — and storm surge could reach as much as 17 feet. The Tampa Bay Times Forum, the convention's home, is in an area that would be required to evacuate if winds exceeded 96 mph.

But that doesn't seem likely, say experts, whose studies determined storms usually don't hit Florida's Gulf coast at the end of August.

More of a worry is that people will suffer problems during the hot and steamy Tampa summer.

"It is brutally hot down here," said Steve Huard, spokesman for Hillsborough County Health Department. "We're trying to do everything we can to keep people from passing out."

In May, Florida officials held a four-day mock hurricane drill. Officials laid out a worst-case scenario for the emergency planners: what if (fake) Hurricane Gispert — a (fake) Category 3 storm — struck Tampa on the second day of the RNC?

Under that scenario, state leaders canceled the convention. RNC organizers have been asked repeatedly to talk about what will happen if a hurricane threatens the convention. While they acknowledge the possibility, like many security issues, they are close-mouthed about any evacuation plans.

RNC-Move InFrom left, Matt Becker, Chief Operating Officer of the Tampa Bay Host Committee; Alec Poitevint, Chairman of the Committee on Arrangements; Mike Miller, Republican National Convention Chief Operating Officer; and Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, hold a news conference at the Tampa Bay Times Forum to announce that work has begun to convert the facility for the upcoming Republican National Convention, Monday, July 16, 2012 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/The Tampa Bay Times, Edmund D. Fountain)

Political conventions have been held before in cities where hurricanes and the heat are summertime threats, though none has been in Florida for 40 years. The RNC was in Houston in 1992, New Orleans in 1988 and in Miami Beach in 1968 and 1972 — all cities that have been hit by storms, and during a time when hurricane forecasts weren't as accurate as they are today.

Forecasters say that fortunately, most Gulf storms emerge earlier or later in the hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

In late August, "the majority of the activity shifts to the Atlantic. But it's not impossible, of course," said Anthony Reynes, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in Ruskin, Fla.

The last major storm to hit Florida's west coast was Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 packing 150 mph winds. The Aug. 13, 2004, storm was small yet powerful — and was initially forecast to strike the Tampa Bay area before it turned and slammed Port Charlotte, about 100 miles south.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn points out that a major hurricane hasn't hit the area in more than 90 years and that even if one were to threaten the region, everyone would have several days' notice. Not only would convention-goers be in danger, so would some of Tampa's 4 million residents.

"Hurricanes don't occur overnight," he said.

Travel-Trip-Tampa ConventionFILE - This Dec. 31, 2011 file photo shows the St. Pete Times Forum unveiling its new name, The Tampa Bay Times Forum, before the start of an NHL hockey game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes in Tampa, Fla. Tampa will host the Republican National Convention on Aug. 27-30, 2012. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay, file)

Heat is another story, however. Officials worry that the tens of thousands convention visitors won't understand that danger and some could wind up in the hospital or worse.

The convention in downtown Tampa from Aug. 27-30 will be squarely during the swampy summertime when tourists usually avoid the Sunshine State.

Forecasters say the weather will almost certainly follow a late summer pattern of hot, humid mornings followed by rainy afternoons. Generally, breezes develop over the Gulf and then move inland; the leading edge of the sea breeze boundary is where most of the thunderstorm activity develops.

The average temperature is in the mid-90s, said Reynes, while the humidity can reach 75 to 80 percent. Heavy rains usually emerge between 1 and 6 p.m. nearly every day — and unlike thunderstorms elsewhere, they don't usually leave cooler weather behind.

"That makes for a very uncomfortable, muggy day," he added. "You can have a heat index possibly to 100."

Floridians know how hot that can feel and respect it by staying inside if possible. But out-of-state visitors may be clueless.

"The folks that are coming here may not realize just how hot it can be," Buckhorn said.

The Health Department plans to include flyers warning about the heat in each delegate's welcome package. Other brochures and cards will be handed out to others on the streets, urging people to drink lots of water, wear sunscreen with a high SPF and to seek shade if possible.

Officials are a bit more worried about the journalists and protesters who will be outdoors; most of the delegates will be inside the event hall or shuttled to and from parties, meetings and hotels in air-conditioned vans.

Huard said the city will offer at least two "cooling stations" for people outside of the air-conditioned convention sites. The stations will have misters, fans, water and shade. Area hospitals have agreed to take patients so as not to overwhelm any one facility.

Added Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor: "I believe that after all is said and done that the heat will probably be the biggest issue that we deal with."

Paramount Theater block in Springfield proposed for $36 million makeover

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The New England Farm Workers Council, which bought the Paramount building, known as the Massasoit Block in March 2011 for $1.7 million, plans to restore the theater, including the return of 2,300 seats and an expanded stage, said Heriberto Flores, executive director of the Farm Workers Council.

072412_massosoit_block_rendering.JPGAn artist rendering shows the Massasoit Block on Main Street, Springfield, including the Paramount Theater.

SPRINGFIELD – The owner of the Paramount Theater block on Main Street has proposed an estimated $36 million historic renovation project aimed at luring big stage shows, and promoting downtown revitalization and jobs.

The New England Farm Workers Council, which bought the Paramount building, known as the Massasoit Block in March 2011 for $1.7 million, plans to restore the theater, including the return of 2,300 seats and an expanded stage, said Heriberto Flores, executive director of the Farm Workers Council.

The block is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Besides the theater portion, built in 1929, the majority of the building comprises the 1843 Massasoit House, Springfield’s premiere hotel in the 19th century and a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Heriberto Flores.JPGHeriberto Flores

The council will primarily rely on private financing for the project, and will apply for state and federal historic tax credits, new market tax credits, and federal loan funds, Flores said.

“I feel very positive about this project, and Springfield,” Flores said. “We want to bring the entire building up to 2012 standards, but still need to maintain the historic perspective and the facade.”

The private, nonprofit Farm Workers Council has purchased properties in that downtown block, as well as properties in the North End and in Holyoke, to serve its own needs and as part of its commitment to serve the community, and promote jobs and economic development, Flores said.

The goal is to begin the renovation project in the spring, Flores said. The Paramount, prior to being purchased by the Farm Workers Council, was operated as a nightclub known as the Hippodrome.

Two vacant restaurants on the first floor of the block will be leased including Sitar, set to return in September, Flores said. The upper floors will be part of the major renovation project, and are expected to include space leased to entertainment-related businesses, he said.

The Springfield Historical Commission voted unanimously last month to “enthusiastically support” the rehabilitation project and the pending application for historic tax credits, said Ralph Slate, commission chairman. The state application is due by Aug. 31.

“The project for the Paramount sounds very exciting,” Slate said. “The vision is to bring back the Paramount Theater, expanding the stage for better acts. It’s historic preservation.”

Oftentimes, a developer will buy an older building with the intent of tearing it down for parking or a new building, Slate said. With the Farm Workers Council, the aim is historic preservation of the Paramount and other buildings on that corridor, he said.

The Farm Workers Council has hired Gregory Farmer of Agricola Corp., of Chicopee, as a consultant with an expertise in historic preservation projects, Flores said.

The renovations at the Paramount include a new roof, new windows that preserve the historic design, new heating and air conditioning, improvements on handicapped accessibility, some new elevators and rest rooms, removal of some walls to expand the stage and add dressing rooms, a “top class” marquee, and facade improvements.

Under the tax credit programs, the tax credits can be sold to companies to provide funding for the rehabilitation project, which in turn gives those companies a reduction in their own tax liabilities over multiple years, officials said.

Flores said he has “no apologies for the work we do” regarding those who question or criticize the Farm Workers Council for its purchase of properties in Springfield and Holyoke. Those investments create jobs and economic development in poorer communities, he said.

“The Farm Workers Council is investing in this because it’s part of the future,” Flores said. “We have a very progressive board. It’s easy to stay in the corner and not do anything. That is not the right thing. Every project we have done has been productive to our community and the community at large.”

The Farm Works Council has purchased distressed properties for its own programs and to bring back positive uses for the properties, largely financed with loans, Flores said. The council continues its mission of serving the low income, including social services and job training programs, day care assistance, fuel assistance, housing programs, and youth programs, he said.

The Farm Workers Council also pays taxes on various properties, Flores said. The council’s annual tax bill on the Paramount building at 1676 Main St., is $30,412, and its annual bill on the Fort and Student Prince Restaurant property at 1610-1626 Main St., is $16,244.

The Fort property was purchased by the Farm Workers Council in October 2010 for $2 million.

Flores recently said investors affiliated with the Farm Workers Council have a purchase and sale agreement for the Stonewall Tavern business, adjacent to the Paramount, and will also respond to the city’s request for proposals to purchase and redevelop the vacant Asylum property, in the same block.

In recent years, it has purchased its current headquarters at 11-13 Hampden St., and purchased 32-34 Hampden St., rented to social service organizations and private tenants.

The council will work cooperatively with other entertainment venues in the city including CityStage and the MassMutual Center, and believes that bringing more people downtown will help, not hurt, those other venues, Flores said.

Brona Simon, executive director of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, stated in a letter last month that the proposed project “will have ‘no adverse effect’ on the properties,” which allows the application to advance to the review process, a spokesman said.

Some of the recent projects awarded state tax credits include plans to renovate a large vacant office building at 13-31 Elm St., and the adjacent Byers Block at 3-7 Elm St., both at Court Square.

In addition, tax credits were awarded to the Kenwyn Park Apartments at Kenwood Park and the Caring Health Center project on Main Street in the South End.



Gabrielle Giffords shooter Jared Lee Loughner likely to get life in prison, source says

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A court-appointed psychiatrist will testify Tuesday that Loughner is competent to enter a plea in the shooting rampage that killed six people and injured 13, including Giffords.

8-5-12-jared-loughner.JPGThis Jan. 8, 2011 file photo released by the Pima County Sheriff's Office shows Jared Loughner, charged with shooting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Loughner was ordered removed from a mental competency hearing to determine whether he is mentally competent to stand trial and assist in his defense, after an outburst in court Wednesday, May 25, 2011 in Tucson, Az.

PHOENIX — A possible plea deal in the deadly Tucson shootings that wounded then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords would send Jared Lee Loughner to prison for the rest of his life, a person familiar with the case said Saturday.

A court-appointed psychiatrist will testify Tuesday that Loughner is competent to enter a plea in the shooting rampage that killed six people and injured 13, including Giffords, said the person, who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A status conference in the federal case had already been scheduled for Tuesday in Tucson.

The person, speaking about upcoming events in the case, said the plan is for Loughner to enter a guilty plea in the murders and attempted murders. The plan is contingent on the judge in the case allowing Loughner to enter the plea.

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier Saturday that Loughner was set to change his plea.

Bill Solomon, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, said he could not comment on Loughner's case and the possibility of a guilty plea.

The Pima County attorney's office, which has said it could also pursue state prosecution of Loughner, declined to comment, said spokeswoman Isabel Burruel Smutzer.

Loughner had pleaded not guilty to 49 federal charges stemming from the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting outside a Tucson supermarket where Giffords was holding a meet-and-greet with constituents.

Authorities said he shot Giffords, opened fire on the crowd and was subdued by bystanders. Giffords was shot in the head and subsequently left Congress to devote her time to rehabilitation.

Giffords and her husband were traveling in Europe, and spokeswoman Hayley Zachary said Saturday she had no information on developments in Loughner's case.

U.S. Rep. Ron Barber, a Democrat who was elected in June to replace Giffords in Congress after she resigned, also was wounded in the shooting. A spokesman for Barber did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

U.S. District Judge Larry Burns ruled previously that Loughner isn't psychologically fit to stand trial, but that he could eventually be made ready for trial after treatment.

An Arizona college that Loughner attended released numerous emails about him that painted a picture of a struggling student with emotional problems who disturbed others with his strange behavior.

Experts have concluded that Loughner suffers from schizophrenia, and prison officials in Missouri, where Loughner has been held, have forcibly medicated him with psychotropic drugs.

Even though psychologists have said Loughner's condition is improving, his lawyers have vigorously fought the government's efforts to medicate him.

At one point, a federal appeals court halted the forced medication, but resumed it once mental health experts at the prison concluded that Loughner's condition was deteriorating further.

Loughner has demonstrated bizarre behavior since his arrest.

He was removed from a May 25, 2011, court hearing when he lowered his head to within inches of the courtroom table, then lifted his head and began a loud and angry rant.

His psychologist has said that since Loughner has been forcibly medicated, his condition has improved. He sat still and expressionless for seven hours at a hearing in September 2011.

Kevin O'Hare, music critic for The Republican, dead at 55

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As The Republican's senior music writer, his work spanned four decades.

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Kevin O’Hare, The Republican’s senior music writer whose work spanned four decades, died Saturday after a lengthy illness. He was 55.

O’Hare’s album reviews and in-depth interviews with some of the biggest names in entertainment appeared in dozens of newspapers throughout the country. He was honored during his lifetime by the New England Newspaper & Press Association and the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors for his music criticism.

“The Republican staff and readers were blessed by Kevin’s talent and knowledge of music,” said executive editor Wayne Phaneuf. “His Sunday columns were carried on a national wire and used all over the globe. We have lost a friend and colleague who can never be replaced. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

O’Hare began his career as a sportswriter at the newspaper in 1982 and later worked as a news reporter, covering his hometown of Holyoke. An avid Red Sox fan, he coached youth baseball in Holyoke and Southampton for many years. He accomplished all of this while holding the demanding job of director of public relations at Holyoke Medical Center.

A walking, talking encyclopedia of popular music, O’Hare was equally comfortable discussing the music of Frank Sinatra as he was Nicki Minaj.

A supporter of music education, O’Hare wrote in 2006, “The arts matter. They flow throughout our lives, whether we’re participating in them, or enjoying them. They help soothe our souls and in a very real sense, they help define who we are.”

His interview subjects covered the spectrum of popular music – Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy Osbourne, Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Rosanne Cash, Carlos Santana, Janet Jackson, Peter Gabriel, John Legend, Joan Baez, Gene Simmons, Brian Wilson, Aaron Lewis, Ringo Starr, Cat Stevens, Ron Wood, Steely Dan, The Who’s Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, and Yoko Ono.

O’Hare’s demeanor and extensive knowledge of his subjects put them at ease and provided for illuminating articles. Former Beatle Paul McCartney remarked after an interview with O’Hare that although they had only spoken once before, he felt as if he had been talking with someone he had known his whole life.

His interviews would often extend past an artist’s current work and delve into their influences. A scheduled 20-minute interview with Billy Joel lasted an hour as the two men critiqued the music of Traffic.

With his weekly Playback column, O’Hare offered opinions on 7,000 albums. Beginning with a Huey Lewis and the News concert at the Springfield Civic Center in 1985, he reviewed close to 2,000 performances for the newspaper.

Looking back on those concerts, O’Hare wrote in 2010, “Now 25 years and nearly 2,000 concerts after it all began for me, I’m just as stunned, amazed and bewildered, that the job that I loved so much back then I still love every bit as much today. I’m a lucky guy.”

Although he battled serious illness in his final years, O’Hare remained committed to his craft, sometimes penning copy from a hospital bed.

O’Hare’s love of music went beyond the printed page.

His late father, Roy F. O’Hare, a Holyoke deputy fire chief, had spent weekend nights as a local lounge singer, crooning Sinatra songs in smoke-filled cocktail bars like Gleason’s Townhouse in Holyoke.

Upon Sinatra’s death in 1998, O’Hare wrote, “My father died when I was 18, but in later years, every time I heard Sinatra singing, I could feel my father’s presence. As long as Sinatra had a song in his heart, my father was with me and the world felt right.”

Following in his father’s musical footsteps, O’Hare was a member of several area bands, most notably The Cardiac Kids, an early 1980s pop-rock band he founded with Rich Adelson, George Lenker, Dave MacDonald and Steve Moser. They scored a regional hit with “Little Lies,” but were reportedly passed over for a national deal by Geffen Records in favor of Quarterflash.

When not critiquing music, he could be found shopping at record shows with friends, building his extensive collection of vintage vinyl.

“Kevin and I became friends working in rival record stores in the early 1980s,” said Republican arts and entertainment editor Ray Kelly. “Our friendship was rooted in an obsessive love of The Beatles and heavyweight boxing – back when it mattered. When I became his editor in 1998, we quickly settled into well-defined new roles: He was the immensely talented, focused writer and it was my job to present his work in the best light possible.”

Kelly added, “The loss of Kevin is immeasurable, both personally and professionally.”

O’Hare is survived by his wife, Sue; their three sons, Sean, Nicholas and Ryan; and his mother, Claire (Quinn) O’Hare. He was predeceased by his father, and brother, Roy F. O’Hare Jr. Funeral arrangements are pending.


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