Anyone with information about the attack on the woman was asked to call police at (413) 322-6911 Ext. 554.

Republican file photo

HOLYOKE – Police Tuesday released a description of a man they said attacked a woman after she had gone swimming in the Connecticut River near the Dinosaur Footprints off Route 5 Monday.

The suspect is white, stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall to 5 feet, 10 inches tall, has a medium build with sandy to dark-colored hair and was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans, Lt. Matthew F. Moriarty said.

A man across the river saw the attack, shouted at the suspect and called police, who got a description of the assailant from the bystander and the victim, Moriarty said.

“The victim is in stable condition and suffered minor injuries,” Moriarty said.

The incident occurred about 6 p.m.

The woman had finished swimming in the river near the dinosaur tracks exhibit when a man approached her, Moriarty said.

“The male suspect placed a hand over her mouth. At this point the female defended herself,” Moriarty said.

“The witness continued shouting as the female continued to fend off the suspect. The suspect stopped his attack and ran from the scene southbound along the river’s edge,” he said.

Moriarty asked anyone with information about the incident to call police at (413) 322-6911 Ext. 554.

As in 2010, McMahon will face a well-known figure in Democratic politics — U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy.

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Linda McMahon smiles at a grand opening for her Farmington, Conn., office Friday, July 27, 2012. The former wrestling CEO McMahon is being used as a foil by other candidates to raise cash. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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By SUSAN HAIGH, Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon was given a second chance Tuesday by Connecticut Republicans to try and win an open U.S. Senate seat, easily besting veteran former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays in a Republican primary.

As in 2010, McMahon will face a well-known figure in Democratic politics — U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy.

Murphy, 39, is a three-term 5th Congressional District representative and former state legislator. He defeated veteran Democratic politician and former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz in the Democratic primary.

The election marks the second time in two years that Connecticut has an open seat for the U.S. Senate. Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman is retiring at the end of the year. In 2010, former Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd decided not to run for re-election.

McMahon, 63, was a political unknown back two years ago and spent about $50 million of her own money, only to be defeated by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal by double digits. This time around, she focused on her grassroots operation, building a network with visits to people's living rooms and tours of small businesses.

She also scaled back her contributing or loaning her campaign — about $15.7 million so far — according to federal records. The figure dwarfs how much Shays, a latecomer to the primary race, was able to raise. It also dwarfs how much Murphy has raised so far.

"I'm going to be outspent five- or ten-to-one in this election," Murphy said Tuesday. "But Dick Blumenthal was right two years ago. Connecticut voters want an election, not an auction. And I just fundamentally don't believe that Linda McMahon can paper over her record as CEO of the WWE with a lot of money."

As she did in 2010, McMahon has received criticism for the violent nature of WWE's programming over the years, as well as the company's treatment of its wrestlers. McMahon has defended the company and contends that voters care more about issues such as the economy and creating more jobs.

In the final weeks of the primary campaign, she focused more on Murphy than Shays. In an usual move, she ran a TV ad criticizing Murphy for his congressional record and she has repeatedly said he has not produced a jobs plan. Murphy contends he already announced a jobs plan that continues to evolve as he speaks to more people across Connecticut.

Vice President Joe Biden stirred controversy in Virginia when he said “They’re going to put y’all back in chains” referring to the hundreds of black voters in the audience.

Associated Press photosPresident Barack Obama waves to supporters after speaking at a campaign stop at RiverLoop Amphitheatre at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, Tuesday, top, while Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign event at the American Energy Corporation in Beallsville, Ohio.

By DAVID ESPO

WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama in person and in TV advertising Tuesday of cutting Medicare “to pay for Obamacare,” launching a strong counterattack to Democratic charges that he and running mate Paul Ryan would radically remake the popular health care program that serves tens of millions of seniors.

The charge drew a blistering response from Obama’s campaign, which labeled the ad dishonest and hypocritical.

Obama “has taken $716 billion out of the Medicare trust fund. He’s raided that trust fund,” Romney said at a campaign stop in Beallsville, Ohio, as he neared the end of a multi-state bus trip punctuated by his weekend selection of a ticket mate.

“And you know what he did with it? He’s used it to pay for Obamacare, a risky, unproven, federal takeover of health care. And If I’m president of the United States, we’re putting the $716 billion back,” he said.

Aides said a commercial containing the same allegation would begin airing immediately in several battleground states, although they declined to provide details.

In a campaign without summer doldrums, the rival sets of ticket mates campaigned in a half-dozen of the most hotly contested states, in settings as diverse as a coal mine in Ohio (Romney); a wind farm in Iowa (Obama) and a casino in Nevada (Ryan.)

Vice President Joe Biden stirred controversy in Virginia when he said the Republicans would favor the big banks over the interests of consumers. He said Romney has said he is “going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. Unchain Wall Street.”

Hundreds of black voters were in the audience that Biden told, “They’re going to put y’all back in chains.”

Romney’s campaign reacted strongly to that, saying the comments were “not acceptable in our political discourse and demonstrate yet again that the Obama campaign will say and do anything to win this election.” Biden later conceded using the wrong word but dismissed the Republican criticism and did not apologize.

At a speech closing his bus tour, Romney delivered a sweeping indictment of Obama’s campaign. “Mr. President, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago,” he said in Chillicothe, Ohio, insisting that Obama had abandoned his 2008 campaign’s messages of hope and change. The Obama campaign said Romney’s comments seemed “unhinged.”

The tempest over Biden’s remark was modest compared to the building struggle over Medicare.

Romney’s criticism on that subject appeared an attempt to gain some measure of control over an issue likely to play a significant role in the outcome of the election. Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa are among the top five states in the country in the percentage of people 65 and over, and all three are battleground states.

In a rebuttal issued shortly after the Romney TV ad was released, Obama spokeswoman Lis Smith said the president’s health care law did not “cut a single guaranteed Medicare benefit, and Mitt Romney embraced the very same savings when he promised he’d sign Paul Ryan’s budget. ...The truth is that the Romney-Ryan budget would end Medicare as we know it.”

In the days leading to Ryan’s selection, opinion polls generally showed a close race with Obama holding a modest advantage despite a sluggish economy and unemployment of 8.3 percent. Romney’s pick for a running mate drew enthusiastic support from conservatives pleased that he had tapped a lawmaker known as an intellectual leader of the effort to rein in big government benefit programs and reduce future deficits.

But Democrats, too, said they were happy with the selection. They have quickly set out to draw attention to Ryan’s plans, which contain deep cuts in projected spending in social programs as well as changes to Medicare for future retirees, and to try and saddle Romney with their political ownership.

Polling generally shows that the public places more trust in Democrats’ ability to handle Medicare than they do Republicans, and that people also generally oppose plans to replace the current program with one in which future seniors receive a fixed amount of money from the government to be used to purchase health coverage.

At the same time, polling shows the public strongly believes the financial security of Medicare as well as Social Security must be guaranteed for the long term, and government reports for years have warned of a looming shortfall if something isn’t done to change course.

Ryan and Romney have both cited a desire to right the program’s finances as a motive for their plans.

Moreover, Romney’s attack during the day suggests he hopes to overcome a generic Republican disadvantage on the issue by telling voters that Obama has cut spending for a program that is overwhelmingly popular, and put the money toward one that is controversial.

“So now the money you paid for your guaranteed health care is going for a massive new government program that’s not for you,” says the announcer in the ad, referring to the health care law that Obama signed into law in 2010. “The Romney-Ryan plan protects Medicare benefits for today’s seniors and strengthens the plan for the next generation,” the ad concludes.

Ryan, interviewed on Fox News Channel, said he and Romney believe Medicare can be a winning issue for Republicans in the fall. “Absolutely, because we’re the ones who are offering a plan to save Medicare, to protect Medicare, to strengthen Medicare,” he said.

Ryan didn’t say so, but the budgets he has written in the House both called for leaving in place the cuts to Medicare that he is now criticizing. Romney has consistently favored restoring the funds, and his running mate said, “I joined the Romney ticket.”

Romney decided to go on the attack on one issue as the president’s re-election campaign sharply criticized him on another.

“Romney’s plans would cut college aid for nearly 10 million students ... and eliminate the tax deduction for college tuition,” says a new television commercial that Obama’s re-election campaign said would run in several battleground states. The commercial cites estimates from the budgets that Ryan has prepared as chairman of the House Budget Committee, and Romney’s own proposals.

Obama and Romney clashed over yet a third issue during the day, laying out different views on energy policy.

The president taunted his challenger for opposing an extension of a tax break for wind production, quoting him as once having said, “You can’t drive a car with a windmill on it. ...”

“I don’t know if he’s actually tried that. I know he’s had other things on his car,” Obama joked, referring to the often-repeated tale of a Romney family road trip with their dog, Seamus, in a carrier strapped to the roof of the car.

Government estimates say that more than 6,000 jobs statewide and 20 percent of Iowa’s electricity needs come from wind power, and the state’s senior GOP leaders all support renewing an extension of a wind tax credit that Romney opposes.

The wind tax provision is one of dozens of credits that would be renewed in legislation making its way to the Senate floor, including several that deal with energy such as of biodiesel, geothermal, biomass and hydropower.

Romney’s campaign did not respond to repeated quests for his position on the other portions of the bill, which includes items such as a tax break for developers of NASCAR facilities and purchasers of electric motorcycles.

The former Massachusetts governor sounded eager to challenge Obama’s energy policy as he campaigned in coal country in southeastern Ohio. Accusing the president of waging a war on coal, he said Obama favors production of energy that comes only “from above the ground,” a reference to wind power and other alternative sources.

“I’m for all of the above whether it comes from above the ground or below the ground,” he said.

Associated Press writers Kasie Hunt in Ohio, Ken Thomas in Iowa, Matthew Daly in Virginia, Steve Peoples in Nevada and Philip Elliott and Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report.

A car fully engulfed in flames on Interstate 91 in Northampton late Tuesday night has slowed down northbound traffic, according to state police

Republican file photo

NORTHAMPTON - A car fully engulfed in flames on Interstate 91 in Northampton late Tuesday night has slowed down northbound traffic, according to state police.

Northampton firefighters are on the scene extinguishing the fire, but northbound travel has been reduced to just one lane, police said.

All northbound lanes were closed for a time while state police and firefighters tried to control the scene. As of 10:45 p.m., just the left lane was open to traffic.

The fire was reported at mile marker 24, which is just north of Exit 18, which connects to Route 5 in Northampton.

Police said the car was not involved in an accident but had pulled over to the side of the road and somehow caught on fire.

At tonight's packed meeting, there was an overwhelming support for the needle exchange, with the possibility that it could help curb the spread of disease in the city. Mayor Alex Morse says it is not an issue that belongs before the city council.

Read more: Holyoke Board of Health votes again to permit needle exchange program

For more CBS 3 videos visit the CBS 3 website.

Las Vegas nights, bingo and other charitable games generate $75 million in sales each year in Massachusetts.

The Republican file photo | David MolnarAndrew French and his mother Dawn, of Belchertown, calls bingo at Family Bingo, part of the town's 250th Anniversary and its New Year's Eve festivities last year.

On Sundays, about 100 to 150 people travel to the Ludlow Elks to play Bingo or possibly buy scratch tickets, providing the organization with its largest source of funds for charitable causes.

Bingo, the most lucrative charitable game, is still popular – about 200 different games are held in the state, usually on a weekly basis, by churches, civic, fraternal and other non-profit groups, according to a new report by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

But Bingo has experienced falling sales in recent years, possibly because of Catholic parish closings, a workplace smoking ban that took effect in 2004 in Massachusetts, competition from Connecticut and New Jersey casinos, the Lottery’s Keno games and a lack of volunteers.

Now, Bingo could face a new threat when up to three resort casinos could open in different regions of the state, maybe by 2015.

“Time will tell,” said Dale Swanson of Palmer, club manager for the Ludlow Elks, who says charitable games constitute the biggest annual fund raiser for the organization.

H. Steven Norton, CEO of a Missouri-based company that provides management and other services for the gaming industry, said he believes casinos could hurt charitable games. Norton said many elderly prefer Bingo and that gaming regulators in Massachusetts should consider restricting Bingo from casinos.

But Beth Bresnahan, director of marketing and communications for the state Lottery, said people are very loyal to weekly Bingo games and to the organizations that receive money from the games.

People often go to the games for social reasons, she said.

Casinos will likely take some business away from bingo and other charitable games, she said. “The impact is unknown at this time,” she said.

The Lottery itself could also be hurt by casinos, with annual sales declining anywhere from three to 10 percent, Bresnahan said. Charitable games may not be affected by as much as the Lottery, she said.

Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat and the Senate point man on casinos, said he believes that charitable gaming can withstand competition from casinos. “If the lottery has not put them out of business, there is a slim chance casinos will,” he said.

David Barszcz, a retired banker and parishioner at the Belchertown United Church of Christ, said “a totally different clientele” is found at casinos. He said he is not worried about casinos.

“We're not looking for high rollers,” said Barszcz, the leader in starting weekly Bingo games at the church's parish house about five weeks ago. “We're looking for people to come out and have fun. We consider it a community event.”

There’s a lot of money at stake with charitable gaming.

The five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission released a report on July 31 that said charitable gaming provides a meaningful economic impact in Massachusetts. The gaming generates $75 million in sales each year in the state with $18 million retained by the organizations and available to charities after $57 million in operating and other expenses, taxes and prizes.

Of the $75 million in sales, Bingo generates $38.8 million; charitable game ticket sales, $15.8 million; raffles, $19.6 million; and Las Vegas nights, $1.3 million, according to a separate report from the Lottery.

After expenses and taxes, the profits go to charities such as scholarships, needy families, the elderly and youth sports, the Lottery said.

Charitable games are a significant industry in Western Massachusetts -- 24 nonprofit licensees in Hampden county alone grossed $5.5 million just from Bingo in 2011 and made a total of $823,027 in profits off Bingo and other charity games, according to the Lottery report.

In Berkshire county, seven organizations had $200,000 in total profits. The charitable games are less popular in Franklin and Hampshire counties, where three organizations in each county had aggregate profits of $12,000 and $25,000 respectively, the report said.

The gaming commission, which is charged with licensing and overseeing casinos, recommended in the report that regulation of Bingo and other charitable games be streamlined and consolidated under a single authority – the state Lottery.

Currently, the Lottery alone regulates Bingo and charitable game tickets. The Lottery also regulates raffles and bazaars held by organizations with Bingo licenses.

The attorney general, which has regulatory authority over all public charities, regulates raffles and bazaars -- the legal name for “casino” or “Las Vegas” nights -- operated by groups without a Bingo license.

James F. McHugh

A bill would need to be approved on Beacon Hill to consolidate regulatory authority with the Lottery, said James F. McHugh, a member of the gaming commission and a former Massachusetts Appeals Court judge.

McHugh said it is very difficult to estimate the effects of future casinos on charitable gaming.

He said he was surprised to see the financial impact of charitable gaming.

“They put the money to good use,” McHugh said. “It also serves a social function. People go because they like the people they interact with.”

Brady wasn't pleased about not getting into the end zone in the preseason opener.

File photo by Paul Sancya / Associated PressTom Brady

FOXBOROUGH – The New England Patriots beat the New Orleans Saints in their preseason opener, but that doesn’t mean everyone was satisfied with the performance.

Specifically, Tom Brady.

The Patriots played two possessions, completed four of seven passes, and gained 36 yards. He was also sacked and lost a fumble.

A notorious perfectionist, Brady has had some trouble getting over the performance and hopes to turn things around Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“You know, we’re all trying to go out there and score, so when we don’t, it’s frustrating for all of us,” Brady said. “Hopefully we learn from this stuff and we move forward and we come out here for this week of practice and try to eliminate mistakes. We’re always going to make mistakes, but you have to be mentally tough enough to move on from those mistakes as well. That’s what we’re trying to do out here with these practices.”

Brady said that things are starting to get hard on players as the days drag along in training camp and that several things still need to be addressed before the team is deemed ready for the season.

He also believes that this is the time of year when teams come together, so it’s important for the Patriots to remain sharp and focused on their execution.

"That's part of the foundation,” Brady said. “ You've got to have a good spring so you can have a good training camp, and you've got to have a good start to your training camp so you can have a good start to regular season. So that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to put good practices together with good effort.”

Responding to reports that Israel may consider attacking Iran before the U.S. elections, Brown said, “If Israel feels that they need to protect themselves, that’s certainly within their sovereignty to do.”

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., addresses an audience during a meeting of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce, in Randolph, Mass., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. The Massachusetts Republican said he's trying to keep taxes low to help businesses grow, while portraying Warren as a "jobs destroyer" who favors a heavier tax burden. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said Wednesday that Israel “has the absolute right to defend itself,” amid reports that Israel may consider attacking Iran before the U.S. elections.

According to Bloomberg News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that Israel could consider bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities before November. The possibility of a strike against Iran has been debated by Israeli military and political leaders for months, but Bloomberg reported that there is now an attempt to prepare the Israeli public for potential retaliation by Iran or its allies. The Jerusalem Post reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday he does not believe Israel has decided whether to attack Iran.

Asked about the news reports at a campaign event in Roxbury, Brown responded, “If Israel feels that they need to protect themselves, then that’s certainly within their sovereignty to do.”

“I’m sure that Israel is thinking long and hard about the policies of Iran having a nuclear weapon and looking as to the rhetoric being put out by (Iran’s) leaders to wipe (Israel) off the face of the earth, and they take those threats very, very seriously,” Brown said.

Brown said the threat from Iran is real, and he has supported Senate efforts to put stronger sanctions on Iran and to give the administration tools to work with partners around the world to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

“We don’t need a nuanced approach like Professor Warren wants,” Brown said, referring to his Democratic opponent Elizabeth Warren.

Warren previously told MassLive.com that she supports economic sanctions against Iran and “vigorous diplomacy.” “I believe the United States must take the necessary steps to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon -- but also that careless talk of rushing to war is unhelpful," she said.

On Wednesday, asked to respond to the latest news reports, Warren said that she trusts the president's leadership on the issue.

"I stand with President Obama, who is working hard to put effective sanctions in place to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power," Warren said. "He is working with others in the region and I think the president is doing a very good job."

Staff writer Robert Rizzuto contributed to this report.

In towns surrounding Ludlow, the threat level was raised to moderate.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 1:06 this afternoon.

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LUDLOW - The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Wednesday announced that the threat of West Nile Virus in the town is high, following the reporting of a case of the virus in a horse.

In towns surrounding Ludlow, the threat level was raised to moderate.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Wednesday also announced the first human case of West Nile Virus in the state this year.

The patient is a resident of Middlesex County north of Boston in his 60s, who was diagnosed with West Nile Virus in late July and remains hospitalized, but is recovering.

Based on the finding, health officials raised the West Nile Virus threat level to moderate in Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Somerville and Watertown.

Francine Rusiecki, director of nurses in Ludlow, said an automated telephone call was made to residences in Ludlow explaining the elevated risk.

Associated Press fileThis undated photo provided by the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District shows a Culex pipiens, left, the primary mosquito that can transmit West Nile virus to humans, birds and other animals. It is produced from stagnant water. The bite of this mosquito is very gentle and usually unnoticed by people. At right is an Aedes vexans, primarily a nuisance mosquito produced from freshwater. It is a very aggressive biting mosquito but not an important transmitter of disease.

“We wanted to make the community aware of the risk,” Rusiecki said. Most people infected with West Nile Virus will have no symptoms. The risk is greatest to the elderly, to infants and those with a compromised immune system.

When present, West Nile Virus symptoms tend to include fever and flu-like illness. In rare cases, severe illness can occur.

“It’s a virus. You can only treat the symptoms,” Rusiecki said.

To reduce their risk, residents should take simple, common-sense steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites and the illnesses they can cause, state DPH Epidemiologist Dr. Al DeMaria said. “Use insect repellent, cover up exposed skin and avoid outdoor activities at dusk and nighttime when mosquitoes are at their most active.”

Residents should also drain standing water on their property where possible, such as pool covers, buckets and wading pools and repair screens.

There were six cases of West Nile Virus in Massachusetts and one in a horse last year.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's entrance created a media frenzy, with reporters from across the state as well as national outlets jumping for a chance to hear from the woman aiming to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in November. Watch video

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SPRINGFIELD - Politicians and political hopefuls from Across Massachusetts mingled with voters, colleagues and even rivals at Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe's 35 annual clambake in Springfield on Wednesday.

After early morning showers made for a soggy pre-party golf game at the Oakridge Country Club & Franconia Golf Course, the day made way for sunny skies and muggy air for most of the afternoon at what is considered the premier political event of Western Massachusetts.

The clambake, which was moved from Six Flags New England in Agawam to the Springfield Elks Lodge on Tiffany Street, has grown over the years, although Ashe says he never thought it would become the big-ticket gathering it is today.

"I like to believe that this this is about more than politics and we all come together because we all know the value of serving the community," Ashe said. "After 35 years, I just feel blessed."

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's entrance created a media frenzy, with reporters from across the state as well as national outlets jumping for a chance to hear from the woman aiming to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in November.

In an endorsement of Brown by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce earlier in the day, Rob Engstrom, the group's political director, said “No other candidate in 2012 represents a greater threat to free enterprise than Professor Warren."

When asked for her reaction, Warren laughed and shrugged off the characterization while reiterating her campaign's promise to be a champion for the middle class. "Once again, Scott Brown stands with the big Washington lobbyists. I want to close the loopholes, and say no more subsidies to big oil, and those guys just hate that," Warren said. "I'm out here working for middle class families and small businesses. Nothing is going to change over here."

As Warren and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, made their way toward the food pavilion, Ashe introduced Neal, who brought the Harvard Law professor into the spotlight.

"You're the folks that brought Mike Ashe to the dance years ago. And today, I'm going to ask you to bring someone else to the dance," Neal said. "She'll never vote to cut Medicare and never vote to privatize Social Security, I can guarantee you that. So it's an honor for me to welcome the next senator from Massachusetts, our friend, Elizabeth Warren."

Brown, who was endorsed at an event in Roxbury Wednesday morning, was unable to attend the Springfield clambake as he had to make it to New York City for a fundraiser hosted by the Big Apple's Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Other notable politicos in the crowd included Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette and several Beacon Hill legislators, including State Sen. Jim Welch, D-West Springfield, State Sen. Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham and State Sen. Michael Knapik, R-Westfield.

The crowd also had some faces rumored to be considering a run for governor in 2014, as Gov. Deval Patrick said he will not be seeking another term. Among those were State Treasurer Steve Grossman, Secretary of State William Galvin and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray.

Although no one spoke publicly of a potential run for the state's highest office, all offered kind words for the sheriff and the annual gathering.

Grossman called Ashe the "gold standard" against which other sheriffs are compared to, citing his innovative programs for reducing prisoner recidivism rates and helping re-acclimate those being released into society.

Murray, a Worcester native, said that lawmakers in Boston can sometimes neglect the central and western parts of the state, but Ashe has been a "great advocate" for the region.

"He is well respected across the board and knows how to get their attention," Murray said of Ashe, going on to discuss his admiration for the sheriff's programs at the house of corrections.

"Sheriff Ashe is not just considered a leader in the state," Murray said, "but he serves as a nationwide example for the programs he has started."

According to Richard McCarthy, Ashe's longtime press secretary, the crowd was one of the biggest the clambake has ever drawn.

"Not to knock Six Flags, but a lot of people have spoken highly of having it here and the people seem very happy," McCarthy said. "I think we have over 1,500 people or so and the sheriff is happy, so the clambake is definitely a success."

New voter registrations vary by community.

SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State William F. Galvin issued a reminder Wednesday that Friday is the final day to register to vote for the Sept. 6 primary.

Voters throughout the state will go to the polls then to trim the field of candidates for Congressional, state and county elected offices.

The unusual Thursday election was scheduled to prevent conflict with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year that begins Sept. 16, and the fact that many polling places involve schools and religious facilities, Galvin said. State primary elections are normally scheduled on the third Tuesday of September.

Also, state election officials wanted to avoid conflict with the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. that begins on Sept. 4.

Galvin reported that voter registration is “relatively slow throughout the state.”

That is apparently true in local communities such as Northampton and Westfield.

Northampton City Clerk Wendy A. Mazza said people have been coming in to register but not in unusually great numbers.

“They did this for the 2008 election as well,” she said, adding that some people have come to her office “simply to make sure they are registered to vote,” said Mazza.

Westfield City Clerk Karen M. Fanion said “We have had a few last minute registrations but nothing significant.” Fanion said that as of June 1 Westfield has 23,506 voters eligible to cast ballots Sept. 6. “We will up date that after Friday,” she said.

Chicopee reported a total of 342 new voters registering within the past six weeks and 19 alone signed up at a special table set up at the city’s Aug. 6 National Night Our event, said Janina Surdyka, registrar of voters.

Surdyka reminded residents that registration deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday.

Springfield Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said her office has received 1,006 registrations either through mail or people coming to City Hall during the last month.

“Usually the registration for primaries is slow but this has been surprisingly busy,” she said. “They are intending on voting.”

Holyoke City Clerk Susan M. Egan said voter interest in the Paper City is high.

“It’s very good,” Egan said. From March to Aug. 1, 455 new voters registered. Since Aug. 1, another 100 have registered, she said.

Staff writers Fred Contrada, Jeanette DeForge and Mike Plaisance contributed to this report.

When voters changed the town's in 2007, the new post of town manager was created -- with the lions share of financial power.

Ware selectmen Gregory Harder, left, and John Desmond, seek a review of the town's government.

WARE – Two selectmen and a resident have criticized the rules laid out in the town charter that determines how municipal government is run, saying there is less accountability over how money is allocated.

When voters changed the town’s charter by a 761-360 vote in 2007, the new post of town manager was created -- with the lions share of financial power.

“The board of selectmen has no control over the budget anymore,” selectmen chairman Greg Harder said at the Aug. 7 meeting. “I would say the charter has to have a review.”

Harder’s statement was in response to resident Bill Jackson, who said he believes that since the adoption of the new form of government, things are getting worse. He also noted that Ware is on its third town manager in five years.

“I tend to agree with you,” Harder said. “The charter went too far.”

Selectman John Desmond said at the meeting he also would like a fresh look at the charter. During his reelection campaign a year ago, Desmond said review of the form of government were among his top priorities. The board did not take a vote on the matter during the meeting.

The 2007 charter was written by a nine-member panel; the document contains procedures to amend it.

In other business, selectmen voted unanimously to direct Town Manager Stuart Beckley to try to sell the former school and courthouse on South St. next to Bay State/Mary Lane Hospital. The vote, which asks Beckley to prepare a request for proposals [RFP], also includes a clause that would keep town office at the current 126 Main St. location.

Town officials estimate the total cost to rehabilitate the former school and the town hall at $8 million each.

Beckley said bids from the RFP on the former senior center building on Church St. are due Sept. 10.

The town manager told selectmen he plans to discuss with department heads what should be down with the East Main St. fire station, built in 1939, once the department moves to their new quarters at the former Goldstein and Gurwitz farm machinery and equipment business on West St.

The current fire station “has a lot of storage space,” Beckley said.

While stumping for a New Hampshire Republican, Giuliani called Joe Biden "dumb" and took a shot at Elizabeth Warren.

(AP File Photo)Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, took shots at Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Vice President Joe Biden, while campaigning in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012.

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While stumping for Kevin Smith, a Republican running for governor in New Hampshire, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani took a few shots at Democrats outside that race, including Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Vice President Joe Biden.

According to a Granite State Patch.com news site, Giuliani slammed Warren, a Harvard Law professor running to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senate race, at an ice cream shop in Kingston, N.H.

The news website reports Giuliani said "We're going to have to elect Scott Brown to save us from 'You didn't build it' Warren," in response to a question from someone in the crowd asking who the former mayor would be campaigning for this election season.

Giuliani was referencing a statement Warren made in 2011 about business and government needing each other to be successful.

“There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own," Warren said a year ago. "You built a factory out there, good for you…but you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate.”

The statement has since been repeated by Democratic President Barack Obama and used in attacks respectively by Brown and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in an attempt to paint the Democrats as unfriendly to business.

In 2010, Giuliani took shots at Attorney General Martha Coakley as she ran against Brown for the Senate seat vacated by the death of Senator Edward Kennedy.

At an earlier campaign stop for Smith in Salem, N.H. Giuliani took aim at Biden, according to the Salem Patch.com website.

When his phone went off during the keynote speech for Smith, Giuliani joked that it must be Biden calling because he "because he does not know how to dial the right number."

In an appearance on CNBC later in the day, Patch.com reports that Giuliani took his attack a step further.

"I gave the only response I ever give, which is an absolutely honest one," Giuliani said. "Here's why Joe Biden did it. Because Joe Biden is dumb."

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the school.

Mark M. Murray / The Republican12/09/10 Springfield- Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray- Entrance to the MacDuffie School on Maple Street in Springfield. The school was sold thursday and will be moving to Granby Mass.

SPRINGFIELD - David Horgan, media director at Commonwealth Academy on the site of the former MacDuffie School, said the school had its filming equipment stolen overnight on Tuesday.

“We’re totaling up the value of what was stolen,” Horgan said. Among the equipment that was stolen was a large computer, video cameras, microphones and guitars.

He said the students who were attending a summer film camp at the school were due to start making movies next week.

The theft has been reported to the Police Department, Horgan said.

He said that if anyone notices someone trying to sell a large computer and video equipment, they should contact Commonwealth Academy.

Student athletes will begin arriving at the school on Monday.

The Republican file | Michael GordonThis is the entrance to the new Minnechaug Regional High School as seen this spring.

WILBRAHAM - The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee held its first meeting in the new high school Tuesday night.

“We’ve transitioned,” School Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea said.

He said the new building is complete, and certificates of occupancy have been received. Architect David Owen continues to review “a punch list,” O’Shea said.

“We will open on time,” O’Shea said.

Student athletes will begin arriving at school on Monday.

Aug. 29 is the first day of school in the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District and the first day students will attend classes in the new high school.

There will be a tour of the new high school for the public on Aug. 29 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

O’Shea said there will be maps and brochures about the building available and members of the public will be able to see the school “at their leisure.”

A second tour for the general public will be Sept. 8 from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

A ribbon cutting to mark the opening of the new high school is scheduled for Sept. 22 at 10 a.m.

“Student orientations will be held next week,” O’Shea said, adding, “There will be lots of chances to see the new building.”

“We can’t wait to show the building off,” he added.

Site work is on going, O’Shea added.

Of the old building, the library has been demolished and the gymnasium in the old building known as the green gym will be demolished on Thursday, the superintendent said.

The cost of the new high school is $67.45 million, with a state reimbursement paying for $34.8 million of the project.

The school district offices have been relocated to the new high school.

With storage space being limited in the new building, part of the move involved digitalizing personnel records, O’Shea said.

The promoter is moving Saturday's show indoors because of the threat of inclement weather.

Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis

Saturday's Girl Talk show has been moved indoors from Mountain Park in Holyoke to the Calvin Theatre in Northampton due to the threat of inclement weather.

There will be an open dance floor and all tickets are general admission. All Mountain Park tickets will be honored.

Tickets, priced at $25, still available at iheg.com or by calling (413) 586-8686. Doors at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Click here to read The Republican interview with Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis.

Mayor Alex Morse will present the scholarships for essays the students wrote about the high performance computing center.

HOLYOKE – Two graduates of Holyoke High School each will get a $1,500 scholarship presented Thursday by Mayor Alex B. Morse and Comcast.

Cody Hodgins and Hugh Lavelle, who graduated in June, were chosen based on their response to this year’s question: “What do you think the Massachusetts Green High-Performance Computing Center means for the city of Holyoke, and how do you think this can contribute to Holyoke’s economic revitalization?”

Five colleges, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, are working with two private firms and the state to build the $165 million computing center for academic research on Bigelow Street. The facility is scheduled to open late this year.

The Annual Comcast Scholarship Awards will be awarded at 11:30 a.m. in the mayor’s office at City Hall.

For information call (413) 322-5510.

Mostly cloudy skies stick around until morning, with sunshine returning tomorrow afternoon.

A severe thunderstorm rolled through the Springfield-Holyoke area earlier this evening, but the threat of thunderstorms will be dying down as we head into the overnight hours. These storms were very slow-moving, so areas of flooding is possible on some roadways if you are heading out this evening.

Otherwise, mostly cloudy skies will remain with us heading into Thursday morning. However gray of a start it is tomorrow, it's not going to last long. Tonight's system pushes off to the east and an area of high pressure moves in behind it...changing western Massachusetts over to mostly sunny skies by the afternoon. High temperatures will be on the warm side, but not too bad, reaching the mid-80s.

Friday goes in reverse...clouds will increase throughout the afternoon ahead of another round of rain Friday night into Saturday morning. While we start off the weekend dodging scattered thunderstorms, we finish out on a pleasant note with partly cloudy skies for Sunday. A pleasant cool down comes to western Massachusetts early next week...high temperatures will only be in the upper-70s under partly cloudy skies.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, a stray shower, muggy, low 64.

Thursday: Partly cloudy, high 82.

Friday: Increasing clouds, evening showers and thunderstorms, high 86.

Saturday: Showers, mainly in the morning, decreasing afternoon clouds, cooler, high 78.

Preliminary estimates said it will cost $30 million to convert the former Chicopee High School into a middle school.

File photo | The RepublicanThe old Chicopee High School is shown on the last day of classes before closing in 2004.

CHICOPEE – Architects hired to design the renovations of the former Chicopee High School are estimating the project will start and finish a year later than originally anticipated.

It is estimating the cost of the project will be about $30 million, but true price of the renovations will not be known until architect plans are finished and the project goes out to bid, said Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette.

The School Department and the city are planning to renovate the four-story building and convert it into a middle school to replace the Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle School.

Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc., the architects for the Chicopee High project, completed the feasibility study of the school last month, which included a schedule and cost estimate, and submitted it to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is overseeing the project and providing 80 percent of its funding.

“We thought it would be a little quicker, but because we have to get approvals from the state before each step before we go forward, it has been delayed,” said William M. Zaskey, a city councilor and chairman of the Chicopee Building Renovation Committee.

The committee had a goal of having the building ready for students in September 2014. Now the completion date has been pushed back to August of 2015, the study said.

Zaskey said the committee expected there would be delays because the project is unique and the state process has changed since the city opened two new high schools.

Bissonnette said the project is especially complicated because the school, which is about 100 years old, has been renovated three times.

“I want to do this right instead of doing it fast, so it will serve our students for at least 50 years,” he said.

The exact cost will not be available for some time, but if the $30 million estimate is accurate, it will mean the city will spend $6 million on the renovation, and the state will pay the remaining $24 million.

The next step is for the architects to create a schematic design of the renovation project and submit it to the building committee for review.

“There will be a list of everything that should be done and a priority list of things that can be done,” Zaskey said.

The building committee members and School Building Authority will review the list and determine what work must be done, what should be done and what is unnecessary.

Improvements to meet building codes, for example, must be done; the state authority also has certain standards that have to be met.

Zaskey said the committee is working with Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. to discuss if walls have to be moved to meet the needs of a middle school.

A stone to honor the volunteers already is in place at Dave Grieve Park.

MONSON – A special ceremony to honor the 2012 citizens of the year – all the volunteers who helped after last year's tornado – will be held Tuesday night by Monson Rotary at Dave Grieve Park at the gazebo downtown.

The stone to honor the volunteers already is in place and will be dedicated that night. It reads: “Forever Grateful to all the Volunteers who Participated in Monson’s Recovery from the Tornado of June 1, 2011.”

Dorothy P. Jenkins, a Rotary Club member, said that when it came time to choose its citizen of the year, the club could not select just one person because so many had donated their time to help Monson. Two letters suggesting that all the volunteers be honored, from Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers and resident Geraldine DePace, were particularly moving, she said.

“How could you just choose one from all the people who helped Monson?,” Jenkins said. “It was the right decision to make.”

Pastor Robert Marrone, of the First Church of Monson, will do the invocation at the ceremony. Jenkins said the highway staff helped move the stone, found on Jeanne and Kenneth Bailey’s Ely Road property after the tornado, to the park. Made of Monson granite, Jenkins said “this strong base stands as a permanent reminder to all who pass through Main Street in the town of Monson . . . Monson strong.”

“Monson strong” became a catchphrase in the days after the tornado to describe the resilience of the community.

Free food will be served all night starting at 6 p.m. until none is left. JB Catering, which is operated by Rotarian Jeanne Bailey, will prepare the food, while other Rotarians serve it. Hamburgers, hot dogs and sweet potato fries will be served, along with water and soda. Monson Village Pizza will donate free pizza. The club also will collect donations for Open Pantry.

The event, which is partially funded by a Cultural Council grant, will be held rain or shine, but if it rains, the 7 p.m. concert by the Dan Kane Singers will be moved inside Memorial Hall across the street, Jenkins said.

Jeanne Bailey said that after the tornado downed so many trees on their property they found granite buried in the woods, under brush.

“I knew it didn’t get blown in,” she said. “It was the perfect shape – a square piece of granite.”

She thought it was the right shape for a memorial stone, and that’s how it came to be used as a marker for the volunteers. Bailey said she was told by her late neighbor that there used to be a trail going past her property to Mt. Ella leading to a zoo that featured lions and alligators. That was back in the 1800s. The granite was brought up the trail from the Flynt Quarry for the zoo, she said.

Local landmarks such as Memorial Hall and Monson Free Library are made of granite from the quarry.