The market surged following more evidence that the Fed will keep interest rates low, housing will keep recovering and shoppers aren't pulling back on spending, even with a payroll tax hike.

By STEVE ROTHWELL
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK — The Dow Jones industrial average came within 100 points of its all-time high Wednesday after rising sharply for a second straight day.

The market surged following more evidence that the Fed will keep interest rates low, housing will keep recovering and shoppers aren't pulling back on spending, even with a payroll tax hike.

The gains were broad: Twenty-nine of 30 stocks in the Dow Jones industrial average rose. All 10 industries in the Standard and Poor's 500 index climbed.

The Dow rose 175.24 points, or 1.2 percent, to 14,075.37. The index is now less than 100 points away from its record close of 14,164 reached in October 2007.

The Dow has surged 290 points in the past two days, erasing its drop of 216 points Monday when inconclusive results from an election in Italy renewed worries that Europe's fiscal crisis could flare up again.

"The market psychology has clearly shifted. It's no longer sell the rally, it's buy the dips," said Dan Veru, chief investment officer of Palisade Capital Management. "The economic data continues to be strong."

Stocks have surged since the start of the year. The Dow is up 7.4 percent.

Earnings for S&P 500 companies will climb 7.8 percent in the fourth quarter, the third straight quarter of growth, according to data from S&P Capital IQ.

The Standard and Poor's 500 index gained 19.05 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,515.99. The Nasdaq composite rose 32.61 points, or 1.3 percent, to 3,162.26. The index is 6.5 percent higher for the year, and is about 3.1 percent short of its record close of 1,565.

Investors were also encouraged Wednesday that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke stood behind the central bank's low-interest-rate policies as he faced lawmakers for a second day. His comments dissipated worries about the bank's resolve to keep up the program. Those worries sprung up last week when minutes from the bank's last policy meeting revealed disagreement among Fed officials.

Also, the number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes rose in January from December to the highest level in almost three years. The report continued a string of positive housing news. Sales of new homes jumped 16 percent last month to the highest level since July 2008, the government reported Tuesday.

Home builder stocks rose for the second day in a row. PulteGroup climbed 25 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $19.30, after rising 5.7 percent the day before. The government reported Tuesday that sales of new homes jumped 16 percent last month.

"Some encouraging news for the bulls has been the housing data that has come out over the past couple of days," said Todd Salamone, director of research at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

The analyst said he remained "extremely bullish," on stocks in the medium and long-term, but cautioned that a pullback may lie ahead in coming days after the year's strong gains.

Discount retailers rose Wednesday. Dollar Tree jumped $4.31, or 11 percent, to $45.39 after reporting a 22 percent profit increase. Dollar General also rose $1.61, or 3.6 percent, to $46.56. Family Dollar Stores rose $1.39, or 2.5 percent, to $57.68.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose two basis points to 1.90 percent.

Among other stocks making big moves;

— Priceline.com rose $17.42 to $695.91 after reporting that its net income jumped in the fourth quarter as bookings grew.

— First Solar plunged $4.32, or 13.8 percent, to $27.04 after the company posted disappointing sales for the fourth quarter and gave a weak early outlook for the year.

— Target fell 93 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $63.12 after the No. 2 discount chain's quarterly income fell 2 percent as it dealt with intense competition during the holiday shopping season.

— DreamWorks Animation fell 30 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $16.31 after posting a loss of $82.7 million. The company booked a write-off on its November release "Rise of the Guardians" and on an upcoming movie that needs to be reworked.

A Superior Court judge receives $129,694 a year.

Edward McDonough fields a call during the Dial-A-Lawyer program last year at the Western New England School of Law in Springfield. In the future, he will give out advice as a judge. Dave Roback / The Republican file  

The Governor's Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to confirm Springfield lawyer Edward J. McDonough as $129,694-a-year judge in the Superior Court.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick nominated McDonough to be a judge on Jan. 16.

A partner in the Springfield firm of Egan, Flanagan & Cohen, McDonough is a resident of Longmeadow.

He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1977 and a law degree from the Western New England School of Law in Springfield in 1981.

He will replace retired Judge Peter A. Velis.

Stop & Shop has advertised for temporary replacement workers at $15 an hour for full timers and $12 an hour for part-time workers.

Republican File Photo  

SPRINGFIELD – Federal Affordable Care Act is complicating contract negotiations between Stop & Shop supermarkets and members of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

“Health care has always been an issue,” said Daniel P. Clifford, president of UFCW Local 1459 in Springfield. “Well, we are trying to get our arms around the health -care reform law.”

Starting next year, insurance companies will no longer be able to place annual caps on the amount of benefits individual insured customers can claim for health care or prescription medications. Without those caps, some plans offered by the union with contributions from Stop & Shop have become unaffordable, Clifford said.

The union is also working hard to make sure that part-time Stop & Shop employees can still have access to health care coverage without having to buy it through the state’s insurance exchange.

“Well, we are trying to get our arms around the health -care reform law,” Clifford said.

Both the union and Stop & Shop say they’ll be back at the bargaining table later this week working on a new deal for Stop & Shop’s 40,000 union-member employees in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Stop & Shop has 250 stores in the three states.

There are five other UFCW locals involved in negotiations: Boston, Providence , Westport Hartford.

Stop & Shop has advertised for temporary replacement workers at $15 an hour for full timers and $12 an hour for part-time workers. Local hiring is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the La Quinta Inn and Suites, 711 Dwight St., in Springfield.

But spokeswoman Suzi Robinson said Stop & Shop is hiring those workers as a precaution.

“It shouldn’t be taken as a reflection on the state of negotiations,” Robinson said.

She declined to give further details on those negotiations, however.

Clifford said Stop & Shop has advertised in the past and not used the replacements The contract was to have expired a week ago. Both sides agreed to an extension through Sunday and that extensions may also be renewed.

The last contract for Stop & Shop workers was three years ago. That 2010 deal resulted in full-time employees will receiving a $750 bonus and scheduled hourly and weekly wage increases between now and the end of the contract totaling about $46 a week.

Part-time employees will receive a bonus of up to $400, and received total pay raises of 60 cents per hour. All employees got gains in health care back in 2010. Out-of-pocket costs will be lower, and dental coverage increased by $500 per person.

The UFCW’s Clifford said Stop & Shop negotiators are saying that the chain has lost market share in recent years to discount retailers like Walmart.

Olchowski, who served on several town boards and had a thriving general practice before falling under investigation, apologized to the court, the government and his family and friends.

Gregory Olchowski is seen in this photo used on his firm's website.  

SPRINGFIELD - A prominent Franklin County attorney was sentenced Wednesday to six months in federal prison for tax evasion, with the defendant arguing he had been trying to dig out financially amid a divorce and with three children in expensive colleges and private schools.

Gregory Olchowski, 57, of Colrain, an alumnus of Deerfield Academy, Dartmouth College and Boston College School of Law, dodged an 18-month sentence and $250,000 fine. He pleaded guilty last year to four counts of tax evasion. The charges were linked to his accepting nearly $200,000 in payments which he concealed over three years from the IRS while a vice president at Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow, the former president of the institute, who was not named in court filings, made payments to Olchowski's credit card company, oil vendors and for his child's private school tuition.

Olchowski was paid an annual salary of $110,000 on the books since he began working there in 2003, in addition to the covert payments.

People's United Bank sued the former president, George Rosa III, in federal bankruptcy court, claiming he hid assets from the bank and diverted money for his personal use to creditors including Mercedes Benz. Court filings show People's Bank received a default judgment in 2011. An attorney for Rosa refused comment.

Premier Education Group, a Connecticut-based trade school conglomerate, bought the school from the bank in 2009.

William Anjos, president of Premier Education, said the company bought the school from the bank free and clear and did not inherit any debt Rosa. Anjos said Olchowski never worked for Premier.

"I don't know the nature of the charges and am not that interested, to be perfectly frank," Anjos said.

The school has about 70 students, he said.

Defense lawyer Daniel M. Kelly told U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor that he should be persuaded to spare his client prison time by "the humanity" of the circumstances.

"He didn't go on any trips; he didn't buy any extravagant cars or homes. He was just making it," Kelly said. "But boy, has he paid for it."

Breslow said Olchowski initially hid documents and lied to federal agents. The charges state he and the former president discussed joining forces to hide information from investigators.

"So you have a choice of deep-sixing this too? Will you do that?" Olchowski asked, according to court filings.

Olchowski, who served on several town boards and had a thriving general practice before falling under investigation, apologized to the court, the government and his family and friends.

"I've always carried myself as a person of integrity and strong character .. This was the result of poor judgment on my part during a period of deep financial stress," he told Ponsor. "But I know that all who have come to know me will forgive me."

The judge sentenced Olchowski to far lower than advisory sentencing guidelines called for because of the defendant's military service in the U.S. Navy, his sincere remorse and the fact that he has repaid in full more than $60,000 in unreported taxes.

Ponsor said that although he recognized Olchowski's positive qualities, he felt sparing the defendant any prison time would be inadequate.

"I almost always feel that anyone who evades taxes should see the inside of a prison - especially professionals," Ponsor said.

Coan called for a statewide program to stress fire safety for seniors.

State Fire Marshal Steven D. Coan speaks at a press conference Wednesday at Westfield Fire Headquarters, as Westfield Fire Chief Mary Regan, right, looks on. The Republican | Patrick Johnson  

WESTFIELD – A fire on Monday in General Shepard Apartments that claimed the life of a 72-year-old resident was blamed on cigarette smoking near a home oxygen system, and the state fire marshal said the death illustrates a need for improved statewide fire-safety programs for seniors.

“Every fire is a tragedy but it is also an opportunity to educate,” said Fire Marshal Steven D. Coan.

The fire claimed the life of Margaret Lunden, a resident of the first-floor apartment where the fire broke out. Firefighters contained the fire damage to the one apartment, but more than 100 residents of the downtown apartment complex for the elderly had to be evacuated. Damage from the fire totaled $50,000.

Westfield Fire Chief Mary Regan said the call came in at 1:38 p.m., and at the time, two engine companies were assisting on ambulance calls and unavailable to respond.

The first company on scene had seven firefighters and one deputy chief, Mark Devine.
She said Devine immediately recognized the danger and called for a second and third alarm, which brought more firefighters to the scene.

The first firefighters on scene “did a fantastic job in confining the fire to the apartment of origin, finding the resident, and getting her out to the hospital,” she said. “Despite their heroic efforts, she succumbed to her injuries.”

She thanked the Holyoke, Agawam, Southwick and Agawam firefighters who assisted in evacuating the more than 100 senior residents.

An investigation by state police troopers assigned to the fire marshal, the Westfield fire and police departments and the Hampden district attorney’s office determined the fire was caused by cigarette smoking in the vicinity of a home oxygen system, Coan said.

The death is the 34th in Massachusetts since 1997 directly related to a home oxygen system, and many of those were started by cigarettes, Coan said.

Westfield firefighters on the scene of an apartment fire Monday at General Shepard Apartments, an housing complex for the elderly in downtown Westfield.
The Republican | Dave Roback




 

“Let me be clear: there is no way that home oxygen can be used when smoking is allowed. There cannot be smoking in the same house where oxygen is being used,” he said.

Other potential ignition sources include candles, the pilot flame from a gas stove and in some cases electrical appliances, and should be kept at least 6 feet way from an oxygen source, he said.

The number of cases of oxygen-related fires seems to be increasing, Coan said, because hospital stays are getting shorter and medical oxygen is becoming more portable.

Such fires each year cause injuries and deaths, damage properties and displace families and neighbors, he said.

Smoking while using oxygen, he said, is not “a personal decision but a public safety threat.”

Coan’s office has launched a program devoted to home oxygen use and fire safety called “Breathe Easy.” Various materials are posted on line at the state Department of Fire Safety website, www.mass.gov/dfs. Among the materials is a public service announcement that will be appearing on Massachusetts television stations.

Coan threw his support behind a bill filed by Gov. Deval Patrick to create a statewide fire safety program for seniors. The bill, which needs approval from the state Legislature, would create program where the fire marshal could distribute grant money to communities to educate seniors on fire safety.

A similar program called Student Awareness Fire Education was started 18 years ago to have firefighters teach fire safety in schools. Coan said the program was a terrific success and a generation of Massachusetts school children has grown up with the basics for fire safety.

“It is important that we recognized the other vulnerable population is the seniors,” he said.

Regan said Lunden’s death is the second fire fatality in the city since November and the second involving an elderly person.

On Nov. 19, Raymond Megaro died as a result of a fire in his Noble Avenue home. An investigation found it was caused by a malfunction with a blower on the furnace.

Regan said that for months prior to the most recent fire, members of her department have been working with the city Council of Aging to develop a fire-safety program for seniors. The campaign was scheduled to be launched next week, she said.

A shortcoming was that traffic congestion pockets occurred at times during the evacuation, an HCC official said.

Student and faculty members leave campus buildings in cars and on foot after the school was put into lockdown Tuesday. Submitted photo / Amy Johnquest  

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College officials on Wednesday met to evaluate the college's response after a threat led them to close and evacuate the campus on Tuesday.

One thing that went right, said Erica Broman, vice president for institutional development, was the evacuation of the 3,000 students and staff from the college occurred without major problems.

A shortcoming was that traffic congestion pockets occurred at times during the evacuation, she said.

"I think we could have done a better job of trying to get folks off campus," Broman said.

HCC officials will work with the Massachusetts State Police on ways to ease such clogging during an evacuation. One way might be to use the method employed when July 4th fireworks displays are held at the college, with all roads converted to two exit lanes, Broman said.

Also, additional campus security staff might be stationed to direct traffic. Five campus security staffers were on duty during the evacuation but it was unclear how many were directing traffic, she said.

Another step that could help with traffic flow is at least a year away, the long-discussed construction of a fourth road into the campus off of Route 202, she said.

Now, two entrances to the campus are on Homestead Avenue and a third is at George Frost Drive feeding onto Jarvis Avenue, she said.

Cameron Faniel, 23, of 383 Beacon Circle in Springfield, faces a single charge of bomb / hijack threat with serious public alarm. Faniel was arrested by state police Tuesday night in Springfield, according to Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni.

An official at HCC on Wednesday confirmed that Faniel was a student there, but Broman declined to provide additional information, such as how long he had attended school there or his field of study. She said the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act prohibits disclosure of such information about college students.

While the Emergency Preparedness page on HCC's website contains no information, HCC's Annual Security Report for 2011 [pdf] outlines recommended steps for evacuating the campus in an emergency:

"Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

It is the policy of HCC to notify, without delay, the campus community of any confirmed significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health and safety of students or employees. The content of the notification will be determined and the notification system will be initiated unless, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, the release of such notification at that time would compromise efforts to assist victims or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency. The notification system’s purpose is to provide brief and immediate instructions to the campus community and identify other resources where additional information can be obtained. During an emergency, detailed information about an incident would be provided in other forms of communication, such as: email, website, voice mail, and emergency bulletins issued through the media. All students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to sign up for the college’s emergency notification service, at www.hcc.edu (click on Emergency Notification)."

The Department of Public Health held three listening sessions to allow residents to express their concerns regarding medical marijuana regulations.

Rachel Neulander, of Amherst, speaks during the public forum on medical marijuana at Holyoke Community College Wednesday. Dave Roback / The Republican  

HOLYOKE- Lorraine Kerz’ son Silas Bennett was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer just four days before his 29th birthday in 2008.

Medical marijuana relieved the symptoms of his chemotherapy and improved his quality of life in the months before his death, she said.

Kerz, of Greenfield, was one of around 200 people who attended a listening session on the development of medical marijuana regulations held Wednesday at Holyoke Community College.

A panel of six public health officials led by interim Public Health Commissioner Lauren Smith listened as residents, advocates and many people applying for a dispensary license voiced their opinions about future regulation of medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana in Massachusetts became legal on Jan. 1 under a ballot question approved by 63 percent of voters. The the state public health department now has until May 1 to issue regulations to guide the use and availability of medical marijuana for people with certain medical conditions.

Under the law the regulations would include rules for the use of medical marijuana including registration cards for patients, the definition of a 60-day supply allowed under the law and establishing procedures for the operation of up to 35 nonprofit dispensaries for the drug.

Kerz said the marijuana helped alleviate her son’s nausea as well as calm his anxiety.

“He was able to go out more often and enjoy the company of family and friends…it was something he could take without any negative side effects,” she said.

Daniel Lan, a resident of Western Massachusetts for nearly 40 years, said medicinal marijuana has helped him deal with the many symptoms associated with cerebral palsy which he was diagnosed with at birth.

Matthew Allen, executive director of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, read Lan’s comments for him at the listening session.

“Marijuana alleviates the tension and rigidity in my muscles which in turn bolsters my self assuredness when I attempt to do physical tasks I could not have done before,” he said.

Lan, like many of those who spoke, is concerned about hardship cultivation, which would regulate whether people can grow marijuana in their homes if they can not afford to purchase it in a dispensary.

“My concern is that the department considers people like me on a fixed or limited income when considering regulation,” he said.

Marisa Hebble, a representative of the Northampton Prevention Coalition, said while the group is not against medicinal marijuana it urges the panel to seriously consider regulating the use of medical marijuana by teens.

Hebble said the adolescent brain is susceptible and marijuana use directly affects the brain particularly the parts responsible for memory, learning, attention and reaction time.

“Almost 60 percent of new marijuana uses are under the age of 18 , 1 in 6 become addicted,” she said.

She said a study conducted in Colorado, where medicinal marijuana is also legalized, shows that 74 percent of users under 18 reported using someone else’s medical marijuana an average of 50 times.

“We urge you to develop regulation with youth in mind at every step. It’s important that the harms caused by marijuana use be considered as well as the benefits,” she said.

Wednesday’s listening session was the last of three held throughout the state.

Staff writer Dan Ring contributed to this report.

Beginning Friday, all cases involving firearms that are to be prosecuted in Springfield District Court will be handled in this newly created session.

Hampden District Attorney Mark Mastroianni has announced the creation of a Firearms Session in Springfield District Court. The Republican [file]  

Updates a story posted Friday at 3:16 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD — Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni Wednesday announced the creation of a Firearms Session in Springfield District Court.

The session will be held several times a month, Mastroianni said, since the court does not have enough resources to run the separate session more often.

Beginning Friday, all cases involving firearms that are to be prosecuted in Springfield District Court will be handled in this session.

A designated judge will hear gun-related cases on scheduled days.

He said there are “gun courts” in district courts in Middlesex and Suffolk counties (see Suffolk County report at end of this article) — as there are in other places around the country — but those run every day.

The reason this is called a Firearms Session is because it is not a full-time court.

Mastroianni said with the judge shortage in Springifeld District Court, as well as the difficulty of having enough court officers, clerks and probaton officers, there is no way there could be a full-time gun court.

The session is being created in an effort to streamline, consolidate and coordinate cases involving firearms and better track them through the criminal justice system, Mastroianni said.

He said he can keep track of cases and avoid having unreasonable continuances.

“Ultimately, the session is aimed at reducing the amount of gun crime by establishing a system that will efficiently hold accountable those responsible for such crimes,” he said.

There will be no change in the amount of – or type of – gun cases his office decides to move from District Court to Superior Court by indictment, Mastroianni said, but all procedures after arraignment in those case while they are in District Court will be in the Firearms Session.

All gun cases will be transferred after arraignment into the session for processing of pre-trial matters, evidentiary motions and eventually.

The Firearms Session will handle all other charges in each case involving a gun. That means that if in addition to gun charges, there are drug charges, the whole case goes to the Firearms Session.

“Gun-related crime and illegal possession of firearms are significant public safety issues that must be effectively dealt with,” Mastroianni said.

Springfield police took a total of 231 guns off the street in 2012, he said.

Mastroianni said the ability to start this session was the result of the collaborative efforts of Springfield District Court First Justice William Boyle, Springfield District Court Clerk John Gay and the District Attorney’s Office.

The need for such a program in Springfield has been the subject of evaluation since the issue was raised by Springfield City Councilors Michael A. Fenton and Timothy C. Allen last March, Mastroianni said. The lack of court resources and staffing deficiencies have been a continuing consideration, he said.

Springfield police, working with Mastroianni’s office, will hold a countywide firearm buyback program on March 2.

The program, funded by private companies, will be held at police department headquarters, 130 Pearl St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sgt. John M. Delaney said.

The program will be the Greater Springfield area’s first gun buyback since 2009, when a “gifts for guns“ exchange netted 98 firearms, including a German World War I pistol and a Japanese World War II rifle.

Suffolk County Four-Year Gun Court Report by masslive

Part of the revenues for a casino will be set aside for mitigation measures.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The ombudsman for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission told local people Wednesday the state encourages communities surrounding a municipality with the potential to host a casino to speak with casino applicants.

“We encourage all surrounding communities to be in touch with applicants,” John Ziemba told the city’s Casino Commission and the Town Council’s Casino Mitigation Committee.

West Springfield could be considered a surrounding community by virtue of a casino being located in Springfield and a host community if a casino is located in the city.

The two boards held a joint meeting in the municipal building that was attended by about 80 people. Officials decided to do that rather than have Ziemba and proponents of a local casino have to speak twice.

Hard Rock International and the Bronson Companies would like to develop a $500 million to $800 million resort-style casino at the Eastern States Exposition fairgrounds.

Plans call for a 400- to 500-room hotel as well as a parking deck, a performance center and other amenities. Eastern States Exposition Chief Executive Officer Eugene J. Cassidy has said his organization is investigating having a casino on its property because of fears that a casino in Springfield would take entertainment, trade fair and other business away from it. That would threaten the existence of the exposition, he said.

There are two proposals for casinos in neighboring Springfield. MGM has proposed one for the South End and Penn National hopes to build one in the North End on property that includes The Republican building.

Proponents of a West Springfield casino have said they will coordinate their activities with the exposition.

Locally, people have expressed concerns that a casino on the fairgrounds, which are off Memorial Avenue, would worsen existing traffic problems, particularly during the Big E annual agricultural fair.

Ziemba told officials that a shared border is one of the factors that may be used by the state commission to determine if a community has surrounding community status for the purpose of it getting mitigation for any negative effects

In addition, he said some adjoining communities may not be considered surrounding depending on where a casino is located. Ziemba said some communities might be considered surrounding even though they not share a border but are significantly impacted.

Six percent of a casino’s revenues will be set aside for mitigation measures, according to Ziemba.

"We will be able to expand the seasonal campgrounds, particularly at the iconic parks across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan told lawmakers.

Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan told legislators on Wednesday that facilities at Ashland State Park, Peddocks Island and pools in Southbridge could reopen with the $8 million increase Gov. Deval Patrick has allocated for the Department of Conservation and Recreation in his fiscal year 2014 budget. The Republican [file]  

By ANDY METZGER

BROCKTON — Facilities at Ashland State Park, Peddocks Island and pools in Southbridge could reopen with the $8 million increase Gov. Deval Patrick has allocated for the Department of Conservation and Recreation in his fiscal year 2014 budget, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan told lawmakers on Wednesday.

“We will be able to expand the seasonal campgrounds, particularly at the iconic parks across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Sullivan said. “We will have a focus of providing opportunities for our urban youth, following in one of the governor’s major initiatives, which is reducing youth violence.”

The $8 million more for DCR would include $2 million in retained revenue, and as is true of Patrick’s entire budget proposal, it is wrapped up in the governor’s sweeping and controversial plan to revamp the state tax code, raising $1.9 billion in new revenue.

“This is really the first time, looking forward that our budgets are in better shape than they were the year before, and that is because there have been strategic decisions made by the governor to invest in each and every one of our departments of our secretariat,” said Sullivan, the former commissioner of DCR. Speaking to House and Senate Ways and Means committee members meeting at Massasoit Conference Center, Sullivan said the secretariat makes up a little more than half a percent of the state budget.

The proposed $5.6 million in additional money for the Department of Environmental Protection would replace one-time money and allow the agency to continue its operations. The DEP’s funding hinges on passage of an expanded bottle bill, another controversial idea upon which there is not consensus.

A perennially filed bill that has gained in public support and prominence though its critics say it would burden small businesses, the expanded bottle bill would include water, juice and sports drinks containers in the state’s bottle deposit program.

“We’re all in,” Sullivan said, of the administration’s commitment to the legislation, which cleared the Senate last session but did not emerge from a vote in the House.

Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Medford) said the bottle bill is “now one of the top things I get contacted about in support from my constituents.”

Opponents of the bottle bill proposed phasing out the 5-cent deposit on beer and carbonated beverages, replacing it with a 1-cent fee paid by distributors and bottlers on all bottles and cans containing carbonated, non-carbonated, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and excluding dairy, infant formula and medical food. The money raised would go toward local recycling efforts.

Not all containers eligible under the deposit law are returned, and DEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell said the administration expects $24 million in new revenue from the expanded bottle bill’s passage.

The $4 million would allow DEP to increase funding to municipalities for local recycling efforts, Kimmell said. Without the added revenue, Kimmell said, “The bare bones operation that we have will get even more bare bones.”

Kimmell said it appears DEP will lose $1.5 million to $2 million in federal funding. Kimmell said the department relies in part on federal grants and settlements from environmental enforcement cases, and he said the $5.6 million “was not to expand our budget, but to stay even.”

Since 2007, Massachusetts has seen a 27 percent growth in farming, and Sullivan is seeking a “modest investment of $200,000” to support the sector through the Department of Agriculture.

The arrests occurred during a 11-hour period between noon and 11 p.m. Friday

HOLYOKE — Police arrested 13 people on a variety of narcotics charges over the weekend in different parts of the city as part of a concerted enforcement by narcotics officers, said Lt. Matthew Moriarty of the Holyoke Police Criminal Investigation Bureau.

The arrests were in response to numerous complaints from residents and business owners regarding drug activity in their neighborhoods, Moriarty said.

All of the arrests occurred between noon and 11 p.m. Friday.

In the most significant of the arrests, police confiscated 474 grams, or 16 ounces, of cocaine during the arrest of two Chicopee teens on Primrose Lane.

Arrested were Oscar Reyes, 19, of 30 Cochrane Lane, and Jamie Rooney, 17, of 19 Reed Ave., both in Chicopee. Each was charged with trafficking cocaine and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

The cocaine was packaged for sale in 1,518 baggies, said Moriarty. It had an estimated street value of about $30,000, he said.

Also arrested were:

• Felix B. Feliciano, 52, of 105 High St., Apt. 4, Holyoke, possession of heroin and trespassing at Appleton and Elm streets;


• Carmen N. Rivera-Rivera, 30, of 21 Robinson Drive, Apt. 21, Chicopee, trespassing and possession of cocaine at South Bridge and Cabot streets;


• Miguel A. Hernandez, 38, of 144 Nonotuck St., Holyoke, distribution of heroin, conspiracy to violate drug laws, trespassing, resisting arrest, assault and battery on a police officer, possession of heroin and possession of heroin at Sargeant and Beech streets;


• Christopher Gore, 26, of 70 Fairview St., Lee, conspiracy to violate drug laws, possession of heroin at Sergeant and Beech.


• Dmitriy Payatachenko, 20, of 48 Taylor Ave. Westfield, possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and trespassing, at South Canal and Hamilton streets;


• Yevgeniy Solokhin, 18, of 71 Prospect St., Westfield, possession of cocaine at Cabot and Main;


• Marina Dipon, 23, of 96 Kings Highway, West Springfield, possession of cocaine at Cabot and Main;


• Richard Halpy, 43, of 26 Stanley St., Springfield, trespassing and possession of heroin;


• Gilberto DeJesus Torres, 36, of 82 ½ Clemente St., Apt. 1B, Holyoke, possession of cocaine, South East and Cabot St.;


• Seth J. Howard, 32, 145 Water St., Northampton, possession of heroin, possession of cocaine, and trespassing, Sergeant and High streets;


• and Ruben Matta, 36, 19 Warner St., Apt. 2., possession of heroin, trespassing, and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, Main and Cabot streets.

Court arraignment details were not immediately available.

View Holyoke arrests, Feb. 22, 2013 in a larger map

A study by the Women's Media Center found that women are underrepresented in print, radio, television and online media.

Who talked about those issues in the media? Primarily, men.

That’s according to a new study released by the Women’s Media Center titled “The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2013 [pdf].” The study is a comprehensive look at women in the media – in newspapers, television, radio and social media. The bottom line, according to the study, is that women are underrepresented, both as employees in media organizations and in their representation in news coverage.

“There is a crisis of representation for women in media,” said Julie Burton, president of the Women's Media Center, in an email to The Republican and MassLive.com. “We know women are more than half of the population, but we don’t see or hear them in equal numbers to men. This holds for bylines by gender and for sources quoted in stories, for women in front of the camera and behind the camera.”

One stark example of this is in coverage of the 2012 presidential race. According to the 4th Estate Project, which does statistical analysis of the media, men wrote 71 percent of the front page bylines at the country’s top 50 print outlets relating to the presidential race, while women wrote just 27 percent (the gender of the 1.5 percent was unknown).

In a selection of the country’s top newspapers, 69 percent of quotes about the race came from men, compared to 18 percent from women. On the major network and cable television shows, 77 percent of guests and experts were men and 18 percent were women.

Even on issues relating primarily to women – birth control, abortion, women’s rights and Planned Parenthood – the study found that less than a third of those quoted were women. More than 60 percent of the quotes on each of these issues came from men.

Other findings in the study concluded that Sunday TV talk shows continue to be dominated by men; talk radio hosts continue to overwhelmingly be men; and online news sites have generally fallen into the same trend as traditional media, with more male than female bylines.

“This Status of Women in Media Report is a wakeup call to the media industry – and to consumers — that we are not seeing, hearing, or reading the whole story and it is time for a change,” Burton said.

Here are the average energy prices in the Pioneer Valley for the week.

Does Massachusetts have an “Assault Weapons Ban”? Should the Federal Government ban weapons based on cosmetics and not mechanics? Do you think gun owners should have to purchase insurance for each gun? If universal background checks are implemented nation wide, should your license to carry be legal in every state? Recent tragedies in our nation have brought to the...

Recent tragedies in our nation have brought to the forefront the subjects of gun violence and gun control. Many media outlets use the terms “assault weapons” and “military style weapons” loosely, without precise definitions. Separating facts from popular beliefs seems to be growing more difficult these days with emotions running high on the subject of the so called “assault weapon.”

With so many news reports about the re-instatement of the “Assault Weapons Ban,” one would think that there are thousands -- perhaps millions -- of assault weapons being sold nation wide. The fact is that several states still have their own ban on assault weapons that continued after the Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004. However, the hazy descriptions or definitions of an “assault weapon” – sometimes based more on the weapon’s cosmetics rather than its functionality -- are what may or may not make any particular weapon fall under a ban.

Separating facts from popular beliefs about “assault weapons” just takes a little research and understanding of the mechanics of a firearm.

Fact: The M4A1 carbine is a U.S. military service rifle – this is an assault rifle. But, the AR-15, sold commercially, is not an assault rifle. The AR-15 is cosmetically designed to look like the M4A1 carbine assault rifle, but it does not feature a fully automatic firing mode as assault rifles do. It is a single-shot semi-automatic rifle, just like any hunting rifle and most semi-automatic handguns.

Popular belief: Some believe that because the AR-15 looks like a military rifle, it must be an “assault weapon.” For example, adding a pistol grip to the front of the AR-15 does not change its firing capabilities. Should we ban a weapon based on its looks and not the mechanics?

The cosmetics (to make something look like something it is not) of any weapon should not be the basis for banning any particular weapon. The purpose of cosmetic changes in weapons is to improve their sales by making them look more appealing to the consumer. As times change, so do people’s tastes. Weapons today do not look like our grandfathers' hunting rifles, with elaborate wood finishing and a carving of a deer or a duck on the stock. Most weapons today are made with different materials like steel, aluminum and polymers. These materials are easier to manipulate to create cosmetic changes, but they in no way alter the mechanics of these weapons. They remain semi-automatic, no matter what they look like.

Fact: Some individuals in the U.S. own assault rifles, but these are heavily regulated and a special license is necessary to own them. Your average citizen, most likely, will not be able to buy these assault rifles even with a clean background check and a license to buy a weapon. The state of Massachusetts is one of several states with some of the toughest gun laws in the nation.

Popular belief: There are so many guns in the U.S. that anybody can buy an assault weapon out of state and just bring it into Massachusetts with out anybody knowing. This isn’t true -- in the state of Massachusetts you can only own what it is legal to buy. If it’s not on the “Approved Weapons Rosters,” you cannot own it legally in the state.

Some people may have assault weapons in their possession, but these were not acquired legally from any gun store. These weapons are not that easy to find even on the streets. Assault rifles will be more expensive than buying a handgun. Even criminals know that an assault rifle they can’t easily sell for quick cash is not a practical item to have in their inventory.

In order to tackle the issue of gun control fairly, we need to present the facts clearly in a way that non-gun owners or enthusiasts can understand. If any particular weapon is to be banned, there needs to be a clear and specific mechanical reason why. It should not just be based on cosmetics. At the same time we need to de-escalate the exaggerated belief that assault weapons are easy and readily available to the public. This causes unrealistic fear and panic that in turn makes politicians pass laws based on popular beliefs and not the facts.

Some politicians may argue that all these newly proposed policies or restrictions will not take away our right to keep and bear arms, and to a certain extent they are correct. Instead, what these new policies will do is make it difficult for law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms to the point where people will give up or stop trying to exercise their right.

The 2nd amendment has nothing to do with hunting practice or sports or any other “optional” purpose. The fact is that the 2nd amendment is a right, not a privilege, and it should be treated as such. Most people fear what they do not understand and quickly jump to conclusions without doing a little research of their own. There is room for improvement in the vast and overwhelming amount of gun laws in our nation, but new policies should not infringe on this right. The 2nd amendment is a fundamental part of the freedoms we have as Americans citizens. It gives citizens the legal capabilities to protect themselves, their families and their homes. It is so fundamental and clearly written that, perhaps, it’s why our forefathers wrote it right below the first amendment.

Below is a video from News 8 wtnh.com that clearly shows the differences between an assault weapon and the AR-15.

Special Report: Firearm Facts -- the AR-15

Prosecutors have shown jurors videos demonstrating that an insurance agent was familiar with paid sex acts involving his mistress, but a defense lawyer said it doesn't prove that the man promoted prostitution.

By DAVID SHARP, Associated Press

ALFRED, Maine (AP) — Prosecutors have shown jurors videos demonstrating that an insurance agent was familiar with paid sex acts involving his mistress, but a defense lawyer said it doesn't prove that the man promoted prostitution.

The jury in the trial of Mark Strong Sr. watched a 45-minute video Thursday showing a sexual encounter between Zumba fitness instructor Alexis Wright and a man who left $250 cash on her massage table.

Testimony indicated Strong watched the sexual encounters in Kennebunk through a live video call to his office 100 miles away in Thomaston.

Defense lawyer Daniel Lilley contends Strong committed no crime because he neither recruited clients nor profited from the operation.

"Observing a person in a criminal act is not a criminal act itself," Lilley told reporters Thursday outside the courthouse.

After a week of testimony, the lead investigator, Kennebunk police officer Audra Presby, testified briefly late Thursday afternoon, and she was due to return to the witness stand on Friday.

Strong, 57, of Thomaston, faces 13 counts that relate to promoting prostitution. A judge previously dismissed 46 counts of invasion of privacy over prostitution clients who were said to have been videotaped without their knowledge.

Prosecutors have more than 150 videos but showed jurors only a single 45-minute recording Thursday that depicted Wright chatting with an older man who arrived and immediately began undressing. After their sexual encounter, she used disposable wipes to clean up, escorted the man to the door and then spoke to another man, believed to be Strong, at the other end of a Skype chat.

Jurors showed little reaction as they watched the sexually explicit video on a large screen. One looked away during parts of it, one fiddled with an eyeglass case, another twiddled his thumbs and several stole glances at a clock.

Also Thursday, computer expert Frederick Williams told jurors how he recovered a ledger from Wright's computer that described entries for sexual encounters from Oct. 5, 2010 through Feb. 13, 2012, the day before police raided her office and studio in Kennebunk and her home in Wells.

One ledger entry showed a payment of $500 for a sexual encounter, Williams said.

Williams, a Saco police detective, was able to match videotaped sexual encounters recovered from Wright's computers and hard drives with Skype video snapshots of the same encounters on Strong's computer in his Thomaston office.

Other videos shown to jurors indicated Wright and Strong chatted via Skype before and after her sexual encounters, discussing scheduling and birth control, among other topics. Wright provided clients' license plate numbers to Strong, who also was a private investigator.

Before each of the encounters, Wright took a moment to ensure the video camera was hidden. "OK, here we go. I'm locking my screen," she told Strong on one video call.

The prostitution scandal attracted attention last fall after it was reported that Wright's ledgers indicated she made $150,000 over 18 months.

Strong contends he had an affair with 30-year-old Wright and helped finance her Pura Vida dance studio in Kennebunk but didn't promote prostitution. Prosecutors contended the videos proved he was familiar with the details of Wright's business. She will be tried separately later.

The proposed meeting agenda also includes a request for a recommendation regarding a special permit for reuse of the property at 232-234 Orange St.

SPRINGFIELD — Penn National Gaming will make a presentation on its proposal for a downtown casino at the Forest Park Civic Association monthly meeting on Sunday.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Bing Arts Center, 716 Sumner Ave.

The proposed meeting agenda also includes a request for a recommendation regarding a special permit for reuse of the property at 232-234 Orange St. The recommendation for this permit will eventually come from the Forest Park Civic Association after the potential uses and modifications are discussed.

“When a property has been closed for a period of time a special permit is required by the city to reopen the building. We are hoping petitioners show up to the meeting and state their plans for the property,” said Jane Hetzel, a member of the association.

This meeting is open to everyone, and attendees are encouraged to raise any other neighborhood issues or concerns.

The map below shows the approximate location of the 232-234 Orange St. property that is scheduled to be discussed:

Lauren Silberman has scant chance at making the NFL.

By DAN GELSTON, AP Sports Writer

Lauren Silberman has scant chance at making the NFL.

Silberman never kicked anything more than a soccer ball in an organized game and she just started practicing long-range field goals.

Even so, the first female kicker scheduled to try out at an NFL regional scouting combine would like to see where her new hobby will take her. In an era where Danica Patrick can contend against men in motor sports, Silberman is about to take a big kick forward for female athletes, even if the odds are clearly stacked against her. The 28-year-old Silberman will kick Sunday at the New York Jets' training facility in Florham Park, N.J.

"I am working hard to prepare but I am also realistic about my chances," she wrote in an email. "I hope my willingness to put myself out there inspires others to seize opportunities and challenges. The support from around the world has been so heartening."

Her goal for the weekend is a true long shot: perfect 60-yard field goals.

Odds are, though, that scouts will want to see her connect on extra points and chip-shot field goals with some consistency before moving on to the heavy kicking.

Silberman will compete against more accomplished or polished college kickers, all hoping to prove they have the leg strength and accuracy worthy of earning an invite to an NFL training camp. St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein participated in a regional combine last year before he was drafted and morphed into "Legatron."

Cincinnati Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons said teams look for several things specifically when judging kickers in these situations. The most important is leg strength, followed by accuracy on field goals over 40 yards, and how they did on clutch kicks in college.

"When rating field goals, the deepest we test at the combine is a 50-yard field goal. There's not many attempts over 55 yards. We don't practice kicks much deeper than that — rarely do we do them," Simmons said. "You can tell after watching a 50-yard field goal how far the ball goes over the crossbar if they can hit from 55. They've got to be able to hit from 55. On kickoffs, they've got to be able to get the ball out of the back of the end zone."

Silberman won't be kicking against the best of the sure-footed prospects, but there will be talent on hand regardless. The regional combines debuted in 2011, and feature players who weren't among the 333 invited to the main combine in Indianapolis. So no first-round picks are likely to show; only potential, hidden, undrafted gems or late-round risks. The league is holding these sessions in 10 cities this offseason, with the most impressive players advancing to a super-regional in April in Dallas. It's sort of the sports version of a TV reality show, where each hit and tackle can wow a scout and move a player on to the next round. Only instead of a recording contract, it's an NFL one.

"It's all up to those guys. If you're talented enough, you're going to get recognized. And if you put up good numbers, the numbers don't lie," said Doug Whaley, assistant general manager/director of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills. "That's one of the things about the combine part of this business. It's the least subjective part of the business. And it's really objective, because you're looking at numbers."

Silberman hasn't treated the tryout like a publicity stunt. But Silberman, whose NFL.com bio listed her as a former club soccer player at Wisconsin, seems to understand what she's up against. More likely, she wanted to use the weekend as an opportunity to promote greater diversity in football.

Silberman also can use this opportunity as a steppingstone to other ventures. Public speaking, perhaps, or even some sports marketing.

"The real upside is if she reaches the next level," said Steve Rosner, a partner with 16W Marketing in New Jersey. "Kickers, in general, aren't brands. Very rare. Even someone like Adam Vinatieri, who (has won) Super Bowls, would have to do a little more than kick to capitalize and endorse at the national level. The one thing she has that they don't have is that she's a woman. The uniqueness of her and the possible success she has will differentiate what she has at that position."

While a female has never played in the NFL, if the gender breakthrough did happen, it most likely would be at kicker.

Females have kicked or tried out for a roster spot in the college ranks for years. Just last season, former LSU women's soccer goalkeeper Mo Isom tried out as a Tigers placekicker. In 2003, Katie Hnida became the first woman to kick for an NCAA Division I-A football team, scoring in one game for the University of New Mexico.

Hnida, who later kicked for the Fort Wayne Firehawks of the Continental Indoor Football League, was surprised a player with no true kicking background would be scouted at a combine.

"I thought it would be an athlete who has come through the ranks of playing football for a long time," she said. "It is so different kicking in a live situation, too, dealing with the timing of the snap, having guys rushing at you. That's where you separate the good from the great."

Sean Landeta, a Super Bowl champion and considered one of the NFL's great punters, gave Silberman credit for competing, one way or the other.

"I think it's courageous on her part in trying this, and certainly groundbreaking if she could prove her skills are good enough to play in the NFL," he said. "What a team's policy would be as far entertaining the thought in signing a female, that's still debatable. No one knows that answer. ... I give her points for giving it a shot. She's obviously following her dream."

Forget game-on-the-line playoff pressure, Silberman will instead kick in front of low-level scouts. They, like the players themselves, are trying to move up the ranks.

"In terms of regional combines, we usually send one younger pro and college scout," Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. "And then, (at the) super-regional, we send a bunch of higher level scouts."

Agent Rob Roche represents four kickers, including Baltimore's Justin Tucker. He said from an agent's perspective, finding the right situation for a young kicker is most important, because there's only 32 jobs available. Teams, after all, tend to stick with a kicker when they feel they can trust him, rather than bringing in someone younger with limited NFL experience. Roche said kickers who lack experience at the major-college level face daunting odds.

"To come out and start kicking and you've never kicked in college," he said, "you don't know how a player is going to react under pressure when the game's on the line and you're kicking in Denver in the snow and it's overtime."

Silberman plans to prove she's up for the task.

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AP sports writers John Wawrow, Rob Maaddi, Joe Kay and freelancer Joseph Santoliquito contributed to this report.

The dark twists at the cannibalism trial of a New York police officer will continue if prosecutors succeed in showing jurors pictures of dead and dismembered people as they wrap up their case.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and TOM HAYS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The dark twists at the cannibalism trial of a New York police officer will continue if prosecutors succeed in showing jurors pictures of dead and dismembered people as they wrap up their case.

Defense lawyers are opposing the presentation Friday of as many as 34 ghastly exhibits of images the government says it took from Officer Gilberto Valle's computer.

U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe said he'll decide when the time comes whether jurors will see pictures of dead and mutilated women that defense lawyers say may have been saved on the 28-year-old officer's computer automatically without him ever seeing them when he went on certain web sites.

The government says the exhibits include a picture of a dead body whose feet were not attached that Valle's wife testified she saw when she went to one of his favorite Internet sites as she discovered why he stayed up late at night on the Internet.

The photographs were discussed out of the presence of jurors. They did hear an FBI agent testify that Valle's New York Police Department supervisor was among women the officer considered a potential target for a kidnap and torture.

Developments Thursday were not limited to the courtroom. It was reported that a man considered to be one of Valle's co-conspirators, identified in the U.S. case by the online name Moody Blues, had been detained but released in a separate case in Great Britain.

In Manhattan federal court, FBI agent Corey Walsh told jurors that a search of Valle's computer turned up a file with multiple photos of a woman the agent identified as an NYPD officer who supervised Valle. The government had previously introduced a transcript of a February 2012 email exchange in which Valle offered a co-conspirator a menu of women he could abduct for rape and torture.

"The second girl listed is a cop — Evelyn, 33 years old," Valle wrote.

"No I want a reg girl," the man responded.

The revelation came as the defense sought to discredit allegations that Valle conspired with Internet friends to kidnap, kill and eat women, pressing Walsh on why some communications were deemed proof of a crime while others were deemed fantasies.

Defense attorney Robert Baum directed Walsh to obvious falsehoods in communications that the government has used as evidence Valle was a threat. In one, Moody Blues insisted he and Valle would need a secluded place to cook a woman alive.

"I have a place on the mountains," Valle wrote. "Nobody's around for three quarters of a mile."

Asked if that was true, Walsh testified that authorities "are not aware of a place he had in the mountains."

Valle has been held without bail since October, when he was arrested on charges of conspiring to kidnap women in a cannibalism plot born on the Internet. Throughout the trial, which began Monday, Valle's lawyers have attacked government evidence as nothing more than the reflection of a man engaging in extreme sexual fantasies with like-minded people around the world. The government has conceded that Valle never met the purported Internet co-conspirators and no women were harmed.

Even the judge Thursday as he issued a legal ruling said "there is almost no evidence of action by Valle beyond computer-based activity."

Jurors have heard testimony from Valle's estranged wife and from former classmates and other women who testified they knew Valle on a casual basis and never considered him dangerous. Their testimony was followed by evidence that all of them were the subjects of emails and chats describing how they could be snatched away and eaten.

One of the women, special education teacher Alisa Friscia, appeared angry and agitated as she testified Thursday that she had worked with Valle's wife but wasn't close to her.

As for Valle, she snapped: "No, he's never been a friend!"

She was followed to the stand by police Officer Robin Martinez, a police academy instructor, who said there were severe penalties for unauthorized searches of the national police database that Valle was accused of abusing to collect information about targeted women.

"You are going to face serious trouble, including being prosecuted, being arrested, being fired," she said.

Prosecutors allege Valle's cyber co-conspirator Moody Blues told the officer he had killed and eaten at least two women. The New York Post reported Thursday that two men had been arrested in a child porn case in Britain and that one was Moody Blues.

When asked Thursday whether there had been any arrests related to the Valle prosecution in New York, local police in the southern England county of Kent said they had briefly detained two men from the area around Canterbury, the famous cathedral city about 60 miles (96 kilometers) southeast of London.

Kent police identified the men only as a 57-year-old and a 30-year-old, saying that they had been arrested a week ago on suspicion of conspiracy, child grooming and possession of child abuse images.

No charges had been filed, and police said the men have since been released on bail.

The statement said Kent police had "been in contact with U.S. law enforcement agencies in relation to this investigation" but did not go into any further detail.

An FBI spokesman in New York declined to comment.

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Associated Press writer Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

The Massachusetts secretary of state says he is "calling out" the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for what he calls "deceptive" and "disturbing" remarks about minority voting rates in the state.

In this Oct. 8, 2010 file photo, Chief Justice John Roberts is seen during the group portrait at the Supreme Court Building in Washington. AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File  

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts secretary of state says he is "calling out" the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for what he calls "deceptive" and "disturbing" remarks about minority voting rates in the state.

Chief Justice John Roberts made the statements as the high court heard arguments over the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Roberts asked Solicitor General Donald Verilli if he knew which state has the worst ratio of white voter turnout to African-American voter turnout. Roberts said it was Massachusetts. Roberts later said Massachusetts also had the greatest disparity in registration.

Secretary of State William Galvin, who oversees elections, on Thursday told The Boston Globe (http://bo.st/WlhTdX ) that Roberts was wrong and called his comments a "cheap shot."

A Supreme Court spokeswoman refused to offer supporting evidence of Roberts' comments.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe

An Acton woman originally charged with murder in the fatal beating of her 1-year-old son has pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter.

WOBURN, Mass. (AP) — An Acton woman originally charged with murder in the fatal beating of her 1-year-old son has pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter.

Christina Hancock was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison after entering her plea to involuntary manslaughter Thursday in Middlesex Superior Court, a day before her murder trial was scheduled to start.

Authorities say the 26-year-old Hancock beat her son, Kaydn, to death in May 2010.

An autopsy showed the boy had internal bleeding and multiple traumatic injuries, including contusions to his stomach, liver and colon. The medical examiner ruled the boy's death homicide from blunt force trauma.

Hancock said the baby suffered the injuries in a fall from his crib.

Hancock's lawyer says his client has been the victim of abuse herself.