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First ever Amherst block party draws hundreds upon hundreds downtown

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Food, music and a closed North Pleasant Street were the draws downtown.

Amherst block party 91312.jpgAdam and Lara Lussier, owners of the women's clothing store Zanna, dance on the ledge to the music at the Amherst Block Part on North Pleasant Street Thursday evening.

AMHERST - Tom Flynn and Patrick Lavelly were strolling down the middle of North Pleasant Street wearing stickers that read “Eight More Beds.”

The pair had been having people sign a petition supporting shelter officials who want to add eight new beds to the 16-bed shelter. But they were on a break now and just enjoying the first ever block party.

“Look at the smiles,” Flynn said looking around at the thousands who filled the street.

“There are a lot of families. It’s nice to see the little kids,” Lavelly said.

The party was the first major event put on by the newly formed Business Improvement District and seen as a way to welcome back students to link “students and the town’s people on a positive note downtown,” said Barry L. Roberts who helped the lead the move to create the district.


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Fear of mosquito-borne viruses did not keep people away. Hundreds upon hundreds of people strolled the street that for four hours was closed to traffic.

Amherst is considered at high risk for illnesses borne by mosquitos and nighttime events had been cancelled. But the town had two stations dispensing insect repellent and many brought their own.

Music bookended the street fair –disc jockeys in the Peter Pan Futurliner, a bus that opens up to a stage spun tunes at one end, and bands like Rusty Belle entertained on the WRSI stage at Kendrick Park.

The street far offered all kinds of cuisine, Indian, Mexican, pizza, sushi, frozen yogurt among the dozens of offerings.

Mary Olberding, the democratic candidate for Hampshire Register was there with Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan. Sullivan was there to promote “It’s Your Call: A Conference for Student Leaders on Changing the Culture of Underage and Destructive Drinking on Campuses” to be held at the University of Massachusetts Wednesday night.

The League of Women Voters of Amherst was there were registering people to vote. The Amherst College men’s and women’s basketball teams were helping little ones shoot hoops.

Filmmakers Sari Gagnon, and Producer Matt Heron-Duranti were filming street scenes for their documentary called “Homeless in a College Town.” “We’re setting the stage, showing the culture,” Heron-Duranti said. They expect to wrap filming when the homeless shelter here opens Nov. 1.

Lisa Cain and her children Alex, 6, and Ruby 8, were watching the stilt walker and juggler. Cain said she doesn’t usually attend the annual Taste of Amherst held in June on the Town Common but she said was drawn here for several reason.

“Shutting down the street, that’s new. It was the time of day.” Her kids eat at 6 p.m. so the timing was perfect. “The library was having a book sale.”

As part of the event the Jones Library was running a sale on used books. And Ruby was happy eating a California Roll.

Closing down North Pleasant Street “it changes the hole feel of the down. The whole street is a playground,” said David Mazor, who was the head of the improvement district marketing arm.

Mirelle O’Connor, a sophomore from UMass was there with three of her friends. They were going to volunteer and were looking for their station but taking the time to enjoy some frozen yogurt from Go Berry. “I really like it. We’re struck on campus all the time,” she said.

“It’s a way to explore and see all the businesses,” said fellow sophomore Richard Pho.


South Hadley succeeds in lowering trash output with 'Green Bag' program

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There's been a 17 percent reduction of trash and a 4 percent increase in recycling.

SOUTH HADLEY – Residents of this town have reduced their trash output by 713 tons in the first year of the “Green Bag” program that went into effect on July 1, 2011, according to Veronique Blanchard-Smith, solid waste coordinator at the South Hadley Department of Public Works. During the same period, recycling of containers and paper went up by 61 tons in the same fiscal year, she said.

That’s a 17 percent reduction of trash and a 4 percent increase in recycling.

“I think the town should be very proud of itself,” said Blanchard-Smith.

The Green Bag plan requires residents to pay for trash disposal “by the bag,” using municipal green bags they purchase in town. The idea is that a family will be more likely to reuse and recycle rather than paying for more bags.

At first the plan met with controversy, but Blanchard-Smith said even people who once opposed it have told her they have changed their view.

“One of the concerns some people had was that there would be an increase in illegal dumping,” said Jim Reidy, director of the Department of Public Works.

“That has not happened.”

Reidy said the town has saved itself at least $50,000 by avoiding the alternative, which was to keep throwing things away at the same rate, forcing the landfill to close and paying to have refuse trucked to a site that was still open.

Blanchard-Smith said the recycling center, or “Swap Shop,” at 10 Industrial Drive is thriving, thanks to her “very dedicated” volunteers.

The Swap Shop has three separate areas. The “book shed” takes used books, and donates the ones that don’t move to an organization at readingtree.org.

Another area is dedicated to such items as plates, glasses, tools, holiday decorations, tapes, CDs and knickknacks.

The most popular section contains used furniture, which is outgrowing the trailer it’s stored in. Blanchard-Smith plans to apply for a grant to buy a large year-round metal structure to protect the items against snow and wind.

She is also announcing a pilot program to recycle two materials that were previously not recyclable: “rigid” plastic and styrofoam.

The program requires that these materials be taken directly to the South Hadley recycling center. They may not be put in the curbside boxes used for other recyclables.

“Rigid” plastic is the kind found in such items as flowerpots, laundry baskets, toys and plastic chairs.

Clean styrofoam (except for “peanuts”) will be collected in a special container and transferred, by hand, into a truck destined for a Rhode Island company called “ReFoam It.”

The South Hadley Recycling Center is open to residents Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nonresidents and people who dump trash while it is closed will be fined.

Massachusetts officials report 4th case of EEE, 14th of West Nile virus

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The West Nile threat was raised to "high" in Agawam, Easthampton, Hadley, Northampton, Southampton, and Westfield.

BOSTON — State health officials are confirming a fourth case of Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts.

The Department of Health said Thursday the Plymouth County man in his 60s is hospitalized.

Officials also announced a 14th case of West Nile virus, in a Hampden County man in his 50s who has been discharged from a hospital.

Both illnesses area carried by mosquitoes.

A Worcester County man in his 70s died of EEE last month.

Because of the new cases, the DPH raised the mosquito threat level for EEE to "high" in Duxbury, Marshfield, Norwell and Plymouth, and urged cancellation of outdoor evening activities. The West Nile threat was raised to "high" in Agawam, Easthampton, Hadley, Northampton, Southampton, and Westfield.

Other communities around the state have already been designated at higher risk for the mosquito-borne diseases.

Massachusetts crime lab probe leads to personnel shakeup

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Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration released figures showing that the chemist at the center of the probe had done an “unusually high volume” of testing between 2004 and 2011, in some of those years performing nearly twice as many tests as the Boston lab’s second-most productive chemist.

By BOB SALSBERG

BOSTON – One manager has been fired and another has resigned as a result of the widening investigation into a Massachusetts laboratory that was closed amid allegations that tests on tens of thousands of drug samples were mishandled, state officials said Thursday.

Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration also released figures showing that the chemist at the center of the probe, Annie Dookhan, had done an “unusually high volume” of testing between 2004 and 2011, in some of those years performing nearly twice as many tests as the Boston lab’s second-most productive chemist.

Officials remained mum on other details of the case, citing an ongoing investigation by the Massachusetts Attorney General. They would not speculate on a motive for the chemist’s actions, which could place in jeopardy thousands of convictions and pending criminal cases against drug defendants.

“I don’t know the motive for why she did this, but I don’t think it was simple sloppiness,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services JudyAnn Bigby.

Col. Timothy Alben, head of the state police, added that he believed the actions to be “criminal in nature.”

Dr. Linda Han, director of the Bureau of Laboratory Sciences since 2010, resigned after being informed she faced termination, Bigby said. Julie Nassif, director of the analytical chemistry division, was fired and a third person, identified only as Dookhan’s immediate supervisor, remained on the job but faced disciplinary proceedings.

The management of the lab also failed, Bigby said. “There were several red flags that should have been noted ... but these flags were either missed or ignored,” she said.

Bigby said it was “unacceptable” that managers of the lab waited several months before informing the commissioner of the Department of Public Health of potential problems. The agency oversaw the Boston lab until July 1, when it was transferred to the state police under a budget directive. Patrick ordered the lab closed on Aug. 30.

Bigby said that while lab supervisors made poor decisions, she did not think their failures were intentional.

Han and Nassif could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Messages were left for them at their homes.

Dookhan was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 1 and resigned the following month. She has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

Dookhan performed more tests on drug samples than any other chemist in the lab in every year from 2004-2011, according to the figures released by the administration on Thursday.

In 2005, for example, she performed 11,232 tests, while the second most productive chemist at the lab performed 6,053 tests and the mean sampling rate for all chemists was 2,846 tests. Bigby could not explain the variance, but said chemists were not awarded salary bonuses or incentives based on the quantity of tests performed.

A chronology of events released by the administration Thursday said suspicions about the chemist first arose in June 2011 when an evidence officer at the lab noted that tests had been performed on 90 samples that had not been signed out of the evidence room, as required.

The chemist’s initials and those of an evidence officer were later seen in the log book, and the chemist admitted to adding her initials after the fact, though not those of anyone else.

The lab director claimed to remove Dookhan from full-time testing after the incident, but Bigby said Thursday that it appears she may have continued to perform periodic testing and continued to testify in court.

A tally of Dookhan’s cases turned over by state police to defense attorneys and prosecutors shows she was involved in testing more than 60,000 drug samples covering approximately 34,000 defendants during her tenure at the lab.

Patrick has met with district attorneys and defense lawyers in recent days to discuss the potential ramification of the tainted drug tests on criminal cases. The governor has suggested creation of a central office to sort through the information, with a priority on identifying any individuals who might be unjustly serving prison sentences.

“This is a terrible black mark for people who are in the criminal justice system,” said Secretary of Public Safety Mary Beth Heffernan.

Outgoing U.S. Rep. Barney Frank opposes gay Republican congressional hopeful Richard Tisei

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Frank, who is backing fellow Democrat and incumbent Rep. John Tierney in the state’s closely watched 6th Congressional District race, said electing Tisei would ensure Republicans retain control of the U.S. House.

Barney Frank full 2012.jpgRep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts holds up the gavel during his address to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 6.

By STEVE LeBLANC

BOSTON – Democratic U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is arguing that the election of Republican congressional hopeful Richard Tisei would set back efforts to expand gay rights – even though both Frank and Tisei are openly gay.

Frank, who is backing fellow Democrat and incumbent Rep. John Tierney in the state’s closely watched 6th Congressional District race, said electing Tisei would ensure Republicans retain control of the U.S. House.

That would effectively block any progress on gay rights legislation, Frank said Thursday in a conference call with reporters. Tisei is hoping to oust Tierney.

“The fact that Richard Tisei is openly gay is a good thing.” Frank said. “The problem is that it is of no use to us.”

Frank said if Tisei were elected, his first vote would be to keep Republican Rep. John Boehner as House Speaker. Boehner has opposed efforts to repeal the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act that denies tax, health and other benefits to married gay couples.

The fact that Tisei supports efforts to repeal the law is beside the point, Frank said.

Tisei.jpgRichard Tisei

“If he is helping them keep the majority that is irrelevant because the bill will not come up,” Frank said.

Tisei said the fact that he’s Republican is a good reason to back him, noting that most political observers assume the GOP will retain control of the House. Tisei said he’d be in a better position to advocate for the state with House leaders since Tierney would be in the minority party.

Tisei also said his election would be another step forward for the country.

“As a gay person we will never have true equality until we have people on both sides of the aisle who are willing to stand up for the concept that everybody should be treated fairly under the law.” Tisei said.

Tisei, a former state senator and one-time GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, describes himself as a libertarian who supports gay rights and access to abortion, but who is also a fiscal conservative.

“I am sort of a trailblazer in a way. I am at the beginning of a movement,” he said. “There are a lot of people who are excited that the first openly gay Republican could be elected to Congress.”

There have been other Republican members of Congress who came out as gay after their election.

Frank said he doubted Tisei could change minds in the party, noting that he was unable to persuade former GOP candidate for governor Charles Baker to support a transgender rights bill in Massachusetts even though he was Baker’s running mate.

“He couldn’t even get Charlie Baker to stop ridiculing it,” Frank said, adding that Tierney has a strong record on gay rights.

But Tisei said his election alone as a Republican would send a strong message.

“I will be in the GOP caucus,” Tisei said. “I will be able to work with Congress.”

The National Republican Party believes that the 6th Congressional District is their best chance of picking up a seat in Massachusetts this year.

New Minnechaug Regional High School faces traffic congestion in Wilbraham

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Building Committee members said the traffic problem will continue until work is completed on the site.

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WILBRAHAM - Heavy traffic congestion which followed the opening of the new Minnechaug Regional High School has lessened in the past week, Raymond Kinghorn, construction project manager for the Building Committee, said.

Building Committee members said the traffic problem will continue until work is completed on the site.

The new high school is open, but demolition of the old high school continues, so there is still only one entrance and exit from the site.

Once the project is completed there will two separate entrances and exits, off Tinkham Road and Main Street.

Now the only entrance is from Tinkham Road.

When school first opened, traffic in the morning was backed up to the new high school from Tinkham Road and Stony Hill Road and south on Main Street to the old Rice farmstand.

Kinghorn said that in a high school with 1,200 students, 1,100 of them either drove or were dropped off at school in a car.

One solution would be for more parents to carpool and for more students to take the bus, he said.

Building Committee members say buses pull up to the high school with only three students in them.

There is less of a problem after school because many students stay after school for sports and extra-curricular activities, Building Committee members said.

There also is a shortage of parking on the site while the old high school is demolished and another parking lot is constructed, Kinghorn said.

The demolition of the old high school is expected to take another two months, Building Committee Co-chair John Lovejoy said.

“People need to be patient while the job is done,” Kinghorn said.

The entire project, including the construction of athletic fields and parking lots should be completed in eight months, Kinghorn said.

Once both entrances and exits are open the traffic problem should be resolved, Kinghorn said.

Hundreds watch as Muhammad Ali receives Liberty Medal in Philadelphia

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The 70-year-old retired champ, hobbled by a 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease, did not speak.

ali.jpegRetired boxing champion Muhammad Ali, center, receives the Liberty Medal from his daughter Laila Ali with his wife Lonnie Ali at his left during a ceremony at the National Constitution Center, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012, in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Boxing great Muhammad Ali was honored Thursday with the Liberty Medal for his longtime role outside the ring as a fighter for humanitarian causes, civil rights and religious freedom.

Hundreds of people gathered on the lawn of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to watch the three-time heavyweight title holder receive an honor that his wife, Lonnie Ali, called "overwhelming."

"It is especially humbling for Muhammad, who has said on many occasions, `All I did was to stand up for what I believe,'" Lonnie Ali said.

The 70-year-old retired champ, hobbled by a 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease, did not speak. But he stood with assistance to receive the medal from his daughter Laila Ali.

He looked down at his medal for several moments and then waved to the crowd. The award comes with a $100,000 cash prize.

Ali was born Cassius Clay but changed his name after converting to Islam in the 1960s. He refused to serve in the Vietnam War because of his religious beliefs and was stripped of his heavyweight crown in 1967. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling later cleared him of a draft evasion conviction, and he regained the boxing title in 1974 and again 1978.

One of his most famous fights took place in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he battled George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974.

At the ceremony Thursday, retired NBA star Dikembe Mutombo recalled the impression Ali's visit made on him as an 8-year-old growing up in that country.

"He changed my life," said Mutombo, who also is a trustee of the Constitution Center. "I can never forget how inspired I was to see a black athlete receive such respect and admiration. He changed how the people of Zaire saw themselves, and in turn how the world saw them."

Since hanging up his gloves in 1981, Ali has traveled extensively on international charitable missions and devoted his time to social causes.

Ali received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2005. He also has established the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center in Phoenix and a namesake educational and cultural institute in his hometown, Louisville, Ky.

The National Constitution Center, which opened in 2003, is dedicated to increasing public understanding of the Constitution and the ideas and values it represents. It awards the Liberty Medal annually to a person who displays courage and conviction while striving to secure freedom for people around the world.

Previous Liberty Medal recipients include rock singer and human rights activist Bono, former South African President Nelson Mandela and former President Jimmy Carter. Six winners later received Nobel Peace Prizes.

Also presenting the honor to Ali on Thursday were U.S. Olympic athletes Claressa Shields and Susan Francia. Last month, the 17-year-old Shields became the first U.S. girl or woman to win a gold medal in boxing. Francia is a two-time rowing gold medalist from Abington, just north of Philadelphia.

Former Navy SEAL and Massachusetts native Glen Doherty among those killed in consulate attack in Libya

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Family and friends said Thursday that Doherty, a 42-year-old native of Winchester, just north of Boston, was among three Americans who died Tuesday with U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. He had been working as a private security contractor.

Glen DohertyThis undated photo provided by Mark and Kate Quigley shows Glen Doherty, who family members say died in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya. Four Americans were killed at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012 along with U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. Kate Quigley identifies Doherty as her brother, saying in a media interview he was a former U.S. Navy Seal. (AP Photo/Quigley Family Photo)

WOBURN, Mass. — Ex-Navy SEAL Glen Doherty, who died in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya this week, wouldn't want anyone's sympathy, a friend and former colleague said Thursday.

"Don't feel sorry for him. He wouldn't have it," said Brandon Webb, who co-authored a book with Doherty. "He died serving with men he respected, protecting the freedoms we enjoy as Americans and doing something he loved."

Family and friends said Thursday that Doherty, a 42-year-old native of Winchester, just north of Boston, was among three Americans who died Tuesday with U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. He had been working as a private security contractor.

Doherty's sister Kate Quigley said from their mother's Woburn home that he "lived his life to the fullest" and the family would grieve for him as a loved one and as an "American hero."

Doherty wrote with Webb a 2010 book called "The 21st Century Sniper: A Complete Practical Guide." An updated version of the book, about how to become a good marksman, is expected out in January.

On Thursday, Webb called his late friend "a true quiet professional" who knew how to have fun and loved anything involving recreation.

Through Webb, Doherty's older brother Greg Doherty, of Kensington, Calif., shared an essay about his life. In it, the elder Doherty wrote that his brother grew up in Winchester before attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona.

He flew planes, rode a motorcycle, skied and worked as a whitewater rafting guide on the Colorado River before becoming a Navy SEAL in 1995.

Greg Doherty said his brother's decision to join the military came from "a desire to push himself and to use his talents to make genuine change in the world."

Glen Doherty worked as a paramedic and sniper in the Middle East, responding to the USS Cole attack among his missions. He also served two tours in Iraq, where, his brother said, he believed in risking his life to try to bring democracy.

He left the Navy in 2005 to do private security work that took him to places including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, according to his brother.

While stateside in between contracts, Doherty spent time in the mountains of Utah, with family in Massachusetts and in San Diego, where he'd worked as a fitness trainer.

"His way of making everyone around him feel special and loved came from the fact that he genuinely looked up to all his friends, always seeing their greatness in a way they sometimes wished they could see themselves," his brother wrote.

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said in a statement that Doherty died fighting to protect Americans at the consulate and "served our country heroically."

Gov. Deval Patrick said the country and Doherty's native state had "suffered a great loss in the cause of peace."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Glen Doherty's family and friends and all those who lost their lives in the horrific attack in Libya this week," he said.

U.S. officials, working with the Libyan government, are investigating whether the assault on the consulate by well-armed Libyan extremists was a planned terrorist strike.

Friends and public officials, including Woburn's police chief and state Rep. James Dwyer stopped by the home of Doherty's mother on Thursday to offer condolences.


AM News Links: Boston hospital to perform first double arm transplant, Georgia sued after denying the Ku Klux Klan's participation in Adopt-A-Highway program, and more

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The lawsuit, filed this week in Fulton County Superior Court, argues that the state has “set up criteria for qualification for the Adopt-A-Highway program that are unconstitutionally vague and…have established no process for appeal of denial to an application," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

David Albert MitchellIn this undated photo provided by NBC 4 New York, David Albert Mitchell, is shown. New York City Police arrested Mitchell Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 on charges that he brutally raped a 73-year-old woman in New York'€™s Central Park on Wednesday, Sept. 12. The woman was found by a bird watcher who found badly beaten near the section of the park known as "Strawberry Fields,"€ which was dedicated to the memory of slain Beatle John Lennon. (AP Photo/NBC 4 New York)


NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

William and Kate 'saddened' over nude photo claim

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A royal aide told The Associated Press in Kuala Lumpur on Friday that William and Kate "are saddened to learn about the alleged photos."

William, KateBritain's Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge, pay their respect to the war dead of both World War I and World War II at the Kranji Commonwealth War Memorial Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — An aide to Britain's Prince William says the palace will investigate a French magazine's claim of having topless photographs of his wife, Kate.

The couple's tour of the Far East and South Pacific to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee was marred by Closer magazine's announcement Thursday that it will publish topless photos of Kate. The magazine claims the pictures were taken on a guesthouse terrace in France where William and Kate were on vacation this month.

A royal aide told The Associated Press in Kuala Lumpur on Friday that William and Kate "are saddened to learn about the alleged photos."

He added that "once we investigate the authenticity of the photos, we will make our decision about what to do." He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

Letters to the Editor: Romney shows he's unfit to lead, Charlie Ryan a smart thinker and more

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Letter writer: As a registered nurse, and Bible-believing Christian, I stare in disbelief at the ignorance of ‘Vote no on Question 3,” the group opposed to the use of God-given herb for medical purposes.

Romney shows he’s unfit to govern U.S.

Romney speaks 91212.jpgRepublican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney makes comments on the killing of U.S. embassy officials in Benghazi, Libya, while speaking in Jacksonville, Fla., Wednesday.

In response to the attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other foreign service officers, President Obama said: “I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi. [The four Americans] exemplified America’s commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe.”

Bear that in mind when considering Mitt Romney’s first statement: “It’s disgraceful that the Obama Administration’s first response was not to condemn the attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”

Of course, Romney spokespeople later tried to clarify his remarks as referring to a statement by the U.S. embassy in Cairo, not cleared through the State Department or the White House, condemning “...the efforts by misguided individuals (the producers of a video that ridiculed Muhammad) to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims, as we condemn efforts to offend believers in all religions.” This has become typical of Romney... issue a blatant lie, and then try to weasel out of it while repeating it. If this is how he campaigns, this is how he will govern.

– DAVID VARNER, Granby


Former Mayor Ryan smart, free thinker

I must respond to a letter that appeared in Tuesday’s issue of The Republican from a gentleman I recognize as a former television news reporter in the area. The gentleman chastises his old friend Charlie Ryan for crossing party lines to endorse Republican Sen. Scott Brown.

While reading this letter, it occurred to me that this gentleman sounds like a Kool-Aid drinker for his political party. Mayor Ryan’s action demonstrates to me that he is a free thinker.

Some of this former reporter’s views are strong which causes me to wonder how objective this reporter was during his career!

– PAUL S. HODGKINS, Chicopee


Opinion polls threat to U.S. democracy

As we approach the elections of 2012 we will see a constant stream of polls. We should be asking if they are they being used to measure public opinion, or to influence it?

Following are some of the reasons why:

In many cases the organizations that conduct and report polls have a definite bias toward a desired outcome. This should be an immediate warning sign to everyone.

Such things as how questions are asked; how the question is worded and in what context; the series of questions asked along with the reported result on a given topic; the timing of the question vs. other happenings in the U.S. or the world; who is asking the questions can make a difference.

If the question is asked by a person, voice inflections can also make a difference. Sampling human opinion is tremendously complex. David W. Moore a former senior editor of the Gallup Poll, said that most of today’s polls claiming to measure the public’s preferences on policy matters or presidential candidates produce distorted and even false readings of public opinion that damage the democratic process.”

Media organizations tend to report polls as truth. Many people are influenced by polls. Yet for all of the reasons above, people should be very skeptical of polls and their true validity in measuring public opinion.

– AL DILASCIA, Chicopee


Medical marijuana should be legal

As a registered nurse, and Bible-believing Christian, I stare in disbelief at the ignorance of ‘Vote no on Question 3,” the group opposed to the use of God-given herb for medical purposes.

In The Republican, Heidi Heilman, a member of the group, is quoted as stating, “Marijuana is not medical.” As a medical professional, I do not know where to begin with that ignorant statement. It has however fired me up to make sure Question 3, gets on the ballot, and passes.

– RANDY SMITH. Chicopee

Yesterday's top stories: Holyoke police arrest 7 on drug charges after shooting, Kenyon Martin and Terrence Williams interest Boston Celtics and more

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The Boston Red Sox may be a struggling, underperforming, overpaid, fractured group of players and coaches, but that does not excuse Alfredo Aceves' behavior.

Holyoke police investigate the scene of a shooting in front of 316 Elm St. Wednesday evening.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now.

1) Holyoke police arrest 7 people on drug trafficking charges after post-shooting search of Sargeant Street apartment Photo at right. [Conor Berry]

2) NBA free agency rumors 2012: Kenyon Martin, Terrence Williams interest Boston Celtics [Jay King]

3) Alfredo Aceves shows up Bobby Valentine: Boston Red Sox must make a decision [Ben Shapiro]

4) Westfield detectives follow suspects to Holyoke, arrest city man and Southampton woman on heroin charges [George Graham]

5) Massachusetts State Police: Wrong-way driver on Mass. Pike charged with OUI after exiting highway in Palmer [Conor Berry]

Big E launches 17-day annual fair with an alphabet-list of food, rides, entertainment, shopping

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The new president said key to the Big E's endurance is spicing yearly favorites with new offerings.

091312 big e preparation.JPGMichael Bradshaw changes the light bulbs and color covers on the Mini Jets ride at the Big E, which opens Friday in West Springfield.

Think of it as 17 days of doing and eating stuff your parents and doctors would rather you didn’t, and with a Ferris wheel in the background.

The annual fair of the Eastern States Exposition — the Big E — begins today and runs through Sept. 30 at the fairgrounds on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield.

Midway rides let you play around with gravity and the Big E Cream Puff is a small planet of depravity.

Big E officials said 1,201,428 people attended last year’s fair.

“It’s a place where you can find anything, whether it’s a commercial product or a food product. The shopping is unending. There’s so much here, there’s something that appeals to everyone,” said Eugene J. Cassidy, Big E president and chief executive officer.

Cassidy marks his first Big E as CEO but he has been a Big E employee since 1993, when he became director of finance. He took over in June from G. Wayne McCary, who retired after having led the Big E since 1991.

The key to the Big E lasting nearly a century is adding new attractions while keeping favorites fair-goers have come to expect, Cassidy said.

A new feature in the Young Building will be the Christmas-themed “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” with dozens of trees , a gazebo, bridge and ice skating pond, he said.

For the first time, the Big E will have a “Salute to Holyoke” day on Tuesday. A contingent from the Paper City will march in the 5 p.m. parade in an event planned by Mayor Alex B. Morse, the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and City Councilor David K. Bartley.

“We have a lot to be proud of here in Holyoke and I know we all look forward to sharing our pride next Tuesday,” Morse said.

Fair entertainment this year will include country music stars Alan Jackson (Sept. 30) and Billy Currington (Sept. 28) among paid performances.

Free shows include those by the Stars of the Peking Acrobats, the Big E Super Circus and Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers.

The Big E began in 1917 to hype the region’s farming industry. Agricultural activities remain a staple of the fair, from cattle shows and farm animal exhibits to 4H booths and a cheese competition. Much of it is in the Mallary Complex and the Coliseum.

As the description on Wikipedia notes, the Big E is the de facto state fair for all of the New England states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Each of the six is represented at the fair with a building devoted to the state’s culture and products on the Avenue of States.

Like the old line about the changing New England weather, if you want a parade at the Big E, wait a moment, one will come by. The Mardi Gras Parade marches twice a day Monday through Friday and once each on Saturday and Sunday.

That’s in addition to the Big E Daily Parade that features the Hallamore Clydesdales, other animals and marching bands.

Other attractions: Catherine Hickland, “Comedy Hypnotist”; Randy Burns, the Mechanical Man (“find out if he is a real human”); the Sea Lion Splash; and an annual sculpture at the Mallary Complex made of butter by artist Jim Victor. This year’s butter sculpture is a barefoot boy riding an ox through a field. (Why not?)

Food? There’s baked potatoes, pizza, sausage grinders, lobster rolls, apple pie and cheddar cheese, ice cream, donuts, barbecue, fried dough, gyros, muffins, cookies – vegetables! – coffee, hot and iced, pierogies, corn dogs, ostrich jerky and the Big E Craz-E Burger, available at The Big EZ Café on New England Avenue and composed of a bacon cheeseburger between two halves of a grilled glazed donut.

The Big E runs generally 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Events and browsing occur along broad walkways and inside 39 buildings set on the fairgrounds’ 175 acres.

About 1,000 people work for the Big E and the fair has another 1,000 volunteers.

That’s in addition to 2,250 vendors and concession employees working the grounds.

All of which plays out with music chiming out of the Big E’s custom-made New England Band Organ.

4 vehicle crash involving tractor trailer in Warren shuts down westbound lanes of Massachusetts Turnpike

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All westbound lanes are closed at the 72.5 mile marker in Warren.

WARREN - Westbound traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike is at a halt as state police are clearing the scene of a 4-vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer.

All westbound lanes are closed at the 72.5 mile marker in Warren. The accident was reported shortly after 10 p.m.

Police, firefighters and emergency service vehicles are responding to the scene.

Information about the accident is limited.

Police did not disclose if the number of extent of any injuries.

It is not clear when the road will be reopened.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.


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COLUMN: In blowout loss, still a glimmer of hope for UMass football

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Despite the lopsided scoreline, Harry Plumer found respite in one UMass drive Saturday.

UMass Football vs Michigan 9/15/12 UMass safety Christian Birt, crosses the goal line after running back a interception in the second quarter as UMass Athletic Director John McCutcheon signals touchdown.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was a game that didn’t have a ton of positives.

It’s hard to lose 63-13 and have much good to say.

It’s hard to let Denard Robinson make your defense look silly and come out thinking everything is sunshine and rainbows.

It is most certainly not sunshine and rainbows.

There were concerns all over the field, not the least of which was the lack of discipline and gap integrity on defense — two things UMass knew it needed to have to keep Robinson’s numbers from being gaudy.

It’s hard to have anything good to say at all.

But let me try.

In the midst of a four-hour beatdown, I saw a glimmer.

It didn’t shine particularly long. In fact, it lasted about three minutes of game time. That’s one-twentieth of the game, or five percent for those of you who don’t list math as a strong point on your resume.

The score was so lopsided, perhaps you’ve forgotten about it completely by the time you’re reading this.

In the small picture of this single game, this five percent obviously didn’t matter. The final score ultimately reflected what we saw with our eyeballs: The University of Michigan’s football team is far superior to the University of Massachusetts’.

But I didn’t need to get on a plane and fly to Ann Arbor to know that, and ultimately the W or the L seems like a foolish way to judge what happened Saturday.

In the big picture of the program’s transition to the FBS, the one drive, which didn’t even end in a touchdown, for one temporal moment showed UMass fans what the Charley Molnar vision might look like once it’s given time to develop.

If you watched the game, you know which one. It came at the end of the first quarter.

It started with a simple, four-yard pass for a third-down conversion. Redshirt freshman quarterback Mike Wegzyn found Alan Williams, and UMass moved the chains for the first time all day.

Then, on third-and-11, Wegzyn showed a flash of surprising speed on a quarterback draw to convert. On the very next play, Cox picked up 14 yards and all of the sudden the Minutemen had a drive going.

I turned to the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s Matt Vautour, who has been watching UMass since the mid 90’s.

“Are you seeing this?” I asked him. “This looks like, um, a real offense.”

He agreed, and that was before true freshman Tajae Sharpe made the offensive play of the day for UMass.

UMass Football vs Michigan 9/15/12 Charley Molnar doesn't look very happy as he looks up at the score board in the Big House.

On first down, Wegzyn lofted pass down the right sideline, and Sharpe laid out to catch it, managing to get not just one foot in bounds, but both — perhaps just for good measure.

Four first downs on one drive for the first time all season, and in Michigan Stadium no less?

There was Wegzyn, rushing to the line of scrimmage, getting signals from the sideline, checking the defense at the line of scrimmage.

For the most fleeting of moments, there was rhythm. When Wegzyn said after last week’s loss to Indiana that the offense was close to “clicking” it seemed laughable. For three minutes on Saturday, you could see what he was talking about.

It was an odd feeling watching it, truly. For so long, this fast-paced, no-huddle attack that Charley Molnar was supposed to be bringing to UMass was merely an abstract idea. It was a diagram in a binder, not something any fan had actually seen during a game. It was a sales pitch to recruits, a faraway fantasy, and certainly not something any of us expected to see against Big Blue.

But there it was. In the most brief of moments, I was able to stop and say “Oh. This is what it’s supposed to look like.”

No boneheaded penalties. No running backwards or sideways. No negative yards on screen passes.

All of the things that fans and coaches had seen repeatedly torpedo UMass drives went away for a few minutes.

The first quarter came to a close just as the UMass was gaining momentum. Williams caught another pass on the first play of the second quarter, threw Michigan cornerback Courtney Avery off of him like a ragdoll, and fought forward to the Michigan two-yard line.

And then, just like that UMass went back to being UMass — a negative run, a holding penalty and two incomplete passes kept what should have been the best drive of the season for the Minutemen from being just that.

It wasn’t lost on Molnar, who said on third-and-goal an unidentified receiver’s mental error cost the Minutemen and chance at pay dirt. Gallery preview“If he runs the right route I’d like to think he’d have been wide open and we would have threw it to him for a touchdown, but he didn’t run the right route,” Molnar said. “And it’s not like it was something brand new, it was something we do quite often in practice, and just didn’t do it in the game.”

And so UMass was back to earth. Back to realizing where it was — in a stadium with 110,000-plus fans (Molnar said his team looked “a little bit like tourists” before the game). Back to realizing what it was up against — the No. 17 team in the country. Back to getting pummeled — and being happy enough to collect its $650,000 check and move on to MAC play.

A 50-point loss is never a good thing. But hey, even UMass had the best team in the country, it isn’t bowl eligible this season anyway — so maybe we should throw the record out altogether.

If you’re focusing on the development of a team and of a program that is building toward something, then forget the score — you should have known it was going to be this bad.

It was bad, and I’m not trying to pretend it wasn’t. The one drive was a mere blip on the radar.

But it’s a blip that will give me something to think about as I hum “Hail To The Victors” (we lost count at 16 plays of the Michigan fight song Saturday) in my sleep tonight.

With conference play beginning next week, and the talent level “tilting more evenly” toward the Minutemen according to Molnar, maybe it’ll give UMass something to think about too.


Terrorist attempt thwarted by FBI in Chicago, prosecutors say

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Adel Daoud, a U.S. citizen from the Chicago suburb of Hillside, was arrested Friday night in an undercover operation in which agents pretending to be terrorists provided him with a phony car bomb.


CHICAGO - Undercover FBI agents arrested an 18-year-old American man who tried to detonate what he believed was a car bomb outside a downtown Chicago bar, federal prosecutors said Saturday.

Adel Daoud, a U.S. citizen from the Chicago suburb of Hillside, was arrested Friday night in an undercover operation in which agents pretending to be terrorists provided him with a phony car bomb.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, which announced the arrest Saturday, said the device was harmless and the public was never at risk.

Daoud is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to damage and destroy a building with an explosive.

Someone who answered a call to Daoud’s home in Hillside on Saturday who said her name was Hiba and that she was Daoud’s sister declined to discuss Daoud, the family or the arrest.

“We don’t even know anything. We don’t know that much. We know as little as you do,” she said. “They’re just accusations.”

“We’d like to be left alone,” she said.

The FBI began monitoring Daoud after he posted material online about violent jihad and the killing of Americans, federal prosecutors said.

In May, two undercover FBI agents contacted Daoud in response to the postings and exchanged several electronic messages with him in which he expressed an interest in engaging in violent jihad in the United States or abroad, according to an affidavit by an FBI special agent.

Prosecutors say that after being introduced to an undercover FBI agent who claimed to be a terrorist living in New York, Daoud set about identifying 29 potential targets, including military recruiting centers, bars, malls and tourist attractions in Chicago.

Shortly after 7 p.m. Friday, Daoud met in the suburb of Villa Park with the undercover agent who claimed to be from New York, and the two drove to downtown Chicago, where the restaurants and bars were packed with workers ringing in the weekend on a pleasantly warm evening. According to the affidavit, they entered a parking lot where a Jeep Cherokee containing the phony bomb was parked.

Daoud drove the vehicle and parked in front of a bar that was among the pre-selected targets, then walked a block away and attempted to detonate the device by pressing a triggering mechanism in the presence of the agent, according to the affidavit. He was then arrested.

The court documents do not identify the bar.

Prosecutors said Daoud was offered several chances to change his mind and walk away from the plot.

The affidavit said the Daoud was active in jihadist Internet forums and was accessing articles written by Anwar al-Awlaki, the U.S.-born radical cleric who became a key figure in the Yemen-based al-Qaida offshoot known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

Al-Awlaki was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen last year.

In his communications with one of the FBI agents about possible targets, Daoud allegedly said he wanted to carry out an attack that would kill a large number of people.

“I wanted something that’s ... massive; I want something that’s gonna make it in the news,” he wrote, according to the affidavit. “I want to get to like, for me I want to get the most evil place, but I want to get a more populated place.”



Greenfield wrestler Elena Pirozhkova qualifies for USA Wrestling World Team

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The 22-year-old Olympian will compete in her fifth consecutive FILA Women’s World Championships, which will be held next month in Alberta, Canada.

9-15-12-elena-pirozhkova.JPGElena Pirozhkova of Greenfield, member of 2012 U.S. Olympics wrestling team.

By PAUL D. BOWKER

Greenfield’s Elena Pirozhkova qualified for her fifth consecutive USA Wrestling World Team Saturday, sweeping Erin Clodgo in their best-of-three championship series in Colorado Springs, Colo. Pirozhkova will represent the United States at 63 kilograms/138.75 pounds at the FILA Women’s World Championships in two weeks in Alberta, Canada. 
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Pirozhkova was a first-time Olympian this year at the London 2012 Olympic Games. 
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“I’m not happy with the way I wrestled,” said Pirozhkova, who defeated Clodgo, 2-0, 2-0 in the first match and 3-1, 1-2, 1-0 in the second match. “In the first match, I did what I had to do to win. In the second match, I want to go out stronger. I was a little sloppy, not finishing all my shots. … But it is all right. Every time you make a world team is special.”

New England Revolution eliminated from playoff contention with 2-1 loss to D.C. United

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This season marked the debut of Revolution head coach and Longmeadow-native Jay Heaps.

9-15-12-jay-heaps.JPGLongmeadow's Jay Heaps, New England Revolution coach

WASHINGTON — Substitute Lewis Neal scored his first MLS goal in the 63rd minute, and D.C. United persevered in its first game without captain Dwayne De Rosario to beat the New England Revolution 2-1 Saturday night.

With reigning league MVP De Rosario likely to miss the rest of the season with a sprained left knee, United got its goals from a usual source as well as a new one. Chris Pontius netted in the 32nd then set up Neal's left-footed strike in the second half.

Kelyn Rowe scored in the 29th for the Revolution, who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. A diving save by United goalkeeper Bill Hamid kept Rowe from tying the game in the final minutes.

The win moved United back into playoff position in the Eastern Conference, overtaking Columbus for fifth place.

The Revolution are being coached this season for the first time by Longmeadow-native Jay Heaps. At 35, the Longmeadow High School and Duke University graduate is the second-youngest coach in Major League Soccer, a year older than D.C. United’s Ben Olsen.

Angelina Jolie pushes plight of refugees in Iraq in rare visit to country

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Jolie is in Iraq meeting with leaders about the plight of an estimated 50,000 refugees who fled to escape violence in Syria.

9-15-12-jolie-iraq.JPGUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) special envoy Angelina Jolie, left, shakes hands with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Sept. 15. Jolie said Friday that with winter approaching, she is concerned about the plight of hundreds of thousands of Syrians forced to flee their homes.

BAGHDAD — Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is in Iraq meeting with leaders about the plight of an estimated 50,000 refugees who fled to escape violence in Syria.

A government statement said Jolie on Saturday urged Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari to ensure the refugees have enough supplies.

Zebari said an estimated 21,000 Syrian refugees are living in Iraq's western Anbar and Dohuk provinces. Another 31,000 Iraqis who years ago fled to Syria to escape sectarian fighting in their homeland have returned, he said.

Jolie is a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.'s refugee agency. She is expected to visit the Kurdish self-rule capital of Irbil in northern Iraq on Sunday.

It was a rare visit to Iraq by an American movie star. She posed for pictures with Zebari but was not available for interviews.

British soldiers killed in Afghan insider attack

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Britain's defense minister said the two soldiers, from 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, were killed at a checkpoint shooting in Nahri Sarraj district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

KABUL, Afghanistan — A gunman in an Afghan police uniform killed two British soldiers in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, a day after insurgents dressed in U.S. Army uniforms attacked a military base, killing two American Marines, wounding nine other people and destroying six Harrier fighter jets, military officials said.

Britain's defense minister said the two soldiers, from 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, were killed at a checkpoint shooting in Nahri Sarraj district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, where the Taliban have their strongest roots. NATO said earlier that the gunman was wearing a uniform used by the Afghan Local Police, a village-level fighting force overseen by the central government.

They were the latest deaths in a surge of insider attacks that are fracturing trust between Afghan forces and their international partners.

So far this year, 47 international service members have died at the hands of Afghan soldiers or policemen or insurgents wearing their uniforms. At least 12 such attacks came in August alone, leaving 15 dead and raising concerns that the country will not be able to take charge of its own security as planned by 2014.

The insider attack came a day after insurgents conducted a brazen attack on Camp Bastion, a sprawling British base, also in Helmand province. Nine personnel with the U.S.-led coalition — eight military and one contractor — were wounded in the attack, but none of their injuries are life-threatening.

Coalition military authorities said in a statement issued early Sunday that the assault was carried out by about 15 insurgents who appeared to be "well equipped, trained and rehearsed." Fourteen of the 15 were killed. The other insurgent was wounded and detained.

They said the attackers were armed with automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and suicide vests. Besides destroying the six jets, they demolished three refueling stations on the base and damaged six aircraft hangars.

The attack began shortly after 10 p.m. Friday when the insurgents, organized into three teams, penetrated the perimeter fence of the camp and attacked planes and helicopters parked at the base, aircraft hangars and other buildings, the coalition said. Six AV-8B Harrier jets were destroyed and two others were significantly damaged.

Jamie Graybeal, a coalition spokesman, confirmed that two U.S. Marines died in the attack. He said two insurgents wearing suicide vests took part in the assault, although he did not say whether they blew themselves up.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack, saying it wanted to avenge Muslims insulted by the amateurish film that mocked the Prophet Muhammad — the main motivator in a string of protests across the region this past week — and also because Britain's Prince Harry is serving on the base.

A spokesman for Britain's Ministry of Defense said Harry, third in line to the British throne, was unharmed in the attack, which according to Britain's Press Association took place two kilometers (one mile) from the section of the complex where he was staying. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy.

The prince is serving a four-month combat deployment as a gunner on an Apache helicopter. Harry, who turned 28 on Saturday, is set to start flying Apache missions this week, and Britain's defense ministry did not plan to cut short the deployment after the attack. This is his second tour in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's southern region has been a hotbed of the insurgency and attacks against foreign forces that occur daily, although the Taliban have largely been routed in the country's capital and its larger towns. Helmand remains an active battlefield between insurgents and NATO forces and for years has been the site of some of the war's bloodiest engagements.

In addition to the near-daily bombings and attacks, Afghans have staged two anti-American protests against the anti-Islamic film.

On Saturday, a few hundred university students protested in the eastern city of Khost, shouting "Death to America" and burning an effigy of President Barack Obama. A larger demonstration was held Friday in Nangarhar province, also in the east.

The Afghan government blocked video-sharing web site YouTube to prevent Afghans from viewing a clip of the anti-Muslim film, said Khair Mohammad Faizi, a spokesman for the Communication Ministry. He said it would remain blocked until the video is taken down. Other Google services, including Gmail, were also blocked in Afghanistan during parts of Friday and Saturday.

In other violence on Saturday, a police vehicle hit a roadside bomb during a routine patrol in Kandahar, the largest city in southern Afghanistan, killing a police inspector and wounding two other policemen, Kandahar provincial spokesman Jawed Faisal said.

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