Forty-one percent of likely Democratic voters in the primary and 46 percent of likely Republican voters are have not made up their minds, WBUR reported.

U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey holds a sizable lead in the contest for the Democratic primary in the special Senate election, and former U.S. attorney Michael J. Sullivan is well ahead in the contest for the Republican election, according to a new WBUR poll.

Markey, of Malden, received 35 percent support while his opponent, U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, was at 24 percent.

In the GOP race, Sullivan received 28 percent, while state Rep. Daniel B. Winslow of Norfolk netted 10 percent and Cohasset businessman Gabriel E. Gomez was rated at 8 percent.

When respondents were asked if they had a favorable or unfavorable view of a candidate, Lynch, of Boston, led with 37 percent favorable. Markey's favorable response was 32 percent; Sullivan, 17 percent; Gomez, 10 percent and Winslow, 5 percent.

In a head-to-head matchup, Markey had 44 percent while Sullivan had 27 percent. Markey or Lynch had big leads over a GOP opponent in the poll.

WBUR reported that both primaries are still up for grabs.

Forty-one percent of likely Democratic voters in the primary and 46 percent of likely Republican voters have not made up their minds, WBUR reported.

The primary elections are April 30 and the general election is June 25.

The poll, completed by the MassInc Polling Group from March 19-21, included a base sample of 560 general election voters and an over sample of 50 likely voters in the Republican primary. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

The poll was released before a series of debates among the candidates.

On Thursday, the Republican candidates will participate in a debate in Springfield being hosted by the Western Massachusetts Media Consortium. That event will take place at CityStage in downtown Springfield from 7 to 8 p.m., and will be streamed live on MassLive.com.

Another debate will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at WCVB-TV Channel 5 studios in Needham. It will be aired live on stations such as WCVB-TV, WGBH-TV Channel 7 and New England Cable News.

The Wednesday debate will include 30 minutes each for the Democratic and Republican candidates.

One tractor trailer unit has been removed from the roadway but the second required that the cargo be off-loaded before the wreckage could be towed away.

UPDATE, 11:00 a.m.: From the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, via Twitter: "Traffic Update: Warren- I-90EB, truck accident clean up continues. Right Lane, breakdown lane remain closed. Heavy traffic delays."

WARREN -- The traffic backup in the eastbound lane of the Massachusetts Turnpike following a tractor trailer crash was about five miles long at 10 a.m., a State Police spokesman said, and the cleanup from the accident continues.

Trooper Thomas Murphy said the tie-up was caused by a crash between two tractor trailer units. The crash forced the State Police to close the breakdown lane and the right-hand travel lane around the accident scene.

Murphy said one unit has been removed from the roadway but the second required that the cargo be off-loaded before the wreckage could be towed away.

Workers are also contending with a fuel spill from one of the tractor units, Murphy said.

Officials hope to have the debris removed and all lanes open by noon.

The Republican file photo  

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said it is supporting Markey over his competitors because of his position on a number of issues relating to the retail industry.

Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Edward Markey has landed another endorsement in the race to replace John Kerry in the U.S. Senate.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said it is supporting Markey over his competitors because of his position on a number of issues relating to the retail industry.

“Ed has stood with us on key issues important to an overwhelming majority of working people in Massachusetts, including worker protections, immigration, health care issues and creating jobs for the working class," said Stuart Appelbaum, RWDSU President, in a statement. "Ed Markey has been an advocate for improved health care and tax laws which close loopholes for the wealthy."

Markey, who has been battling with fellow congressman Stephen Lynch for the Democratic nod to compete in the general election for the Senate seat, released a statement talking up the latest union to offer him support.

"The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union is a powerful champion on behalf of its members and a true fighter for social and economic justice, and I am honored to receive their endorsement," Markey said in a statement. "I am proud of my record standing up for workers rights, affordable health care and increasing the minimum wage, and I want to bring this fight for our working men and women to the Senate."

The two Democratic candidates have been dueling for union support, with Markey landing recent endorsements from the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Workers International Union.

The largest labor union in Massachusetts, the AFL-CIO, decided by member vote recently to skip endorsing either candidate in the primary, although both candidates have already pulled their fair share of union support.

Markey has also landed an endorsement from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 93, which represents around 35,000 people in the Bay State.

Lynch, a former iron worker and union member himself, has received nods of support from unions including the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

A WBUR poll released on Tuesday showed Markey holding an 11-point lead over Lynch, although the high margin of undecided voters shows that the race is still up for grabs.

On the Republican side, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan was holding lead over his opponents, state Rep. Daniel Winslow and businessman Gabriel Gomez.

The primary election is scheduled for April 30 with the general election coming on June 25.

Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced that Massachusetts no has more jobs than it did pre-recession.

In this photo taken on on Thursday , Feb. 3, 2011, an unidentified job seeker looks for an auto mechanic job opportunity at the Verdugo Job Center in Glendale, Calif. Fewer laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits, marking third drop in four weeks. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Associated Press File Photo  

SPRINGFIELD -- The city's unemployment rate fell last month to 10.6 percent from 11.7 percent in January, matching the 10.6 percent unemployment rate recorded in December 2012.

Ludlow, meanwhile, had the highest unemployment rate in the region, at 11.7 percent.

Springfield's unemployment rate was 11.4 percent a year ago in February 2012, according to figures released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to those figures, the number of employed Springfield residents rose from 57,039 in January to 57,566 in February. The numbers are not adjusted for seasonal changes in the economy and unemployment rates typically spike in January as holiday-season jobs end before spring construction jobs begin.

But the number of people working in Springfield in February was still lower lower than it was a year ago. In February 2012 there were 58,281 people working. The lower unemployment rate is due to a smaller number of people in the labor pool.

Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced that Massachusetts has surpassed pre-recession statewide job levels. Revised numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show 3,318,500 jobs in Massachusetts, compared to 3,304,300 in April 2008.

The statewide average unemployment rate is 6.5 percent, down from 6.7 percent the month before. The national average is 7.7 percent for February, down from 7.9 percent in January.

A lawyer seeking an end to California's ban on same-sex marriage is comparing it to bans on interracial marriages, a prohibition the Supreme Court declared illegal decades ago.

MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer seeking an end to California's ban on same-sex marriage is comparing it to bans on interracial marriages, a prohibition the Supreme Court declared illegal decades ago.

In charged back-and-forth exchanges with justices, lawyer Theodore Olson said that the court should look to its 1967 Loving case, when the court invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.

Chief Justice John Roberts told Olson that it seemed supporters of gay marriage were trying to change the meaning of the word "marriage" by including same-sex couples.

Justice Anthony Kennedy suggested that throwing out California's ban could take the Supreme Court into "uncharted waters." But Olson responded that the court did just that when it threw out bans on interracial marriage.

Justices will make a decision later this year.

Police also recovered a video game allegedly stolen in a house break in the area.

HOLYOKE -- A homeless man was apprehended just minutes after he allegedly threatened a man with a knife and stole his iPhone on Davis Street.

Holyoke Police Lt. David D. Fournier said 20-year-old Carlos Santiago was arrested by a detective as he walked away from the scene of the holdup.

Fournier said police received a report from the victim at approximately 7:15 a.m. The victim said had just been robbed of his phone by a man with a knife as he walked along Davis Street, near Holyoke High School.

A description of the alleged robber was broadcast and Det. David Usher, who was in the area, recognized Santiago as he walked past Roberts Field next to the high school. Usher detained Santiago and questioned him. Later, Fournier said, the victim was brought to the scene and identified Santiago as the suspect.

Fournier said that as Santiago was being booked police found a video game in his backpack allegedly stolen during a house break in the area earlier in the day.

Santiago was charged with armed robbery and receiving stolen property valued less than $250. He is being held for arraignment in Holyoke District Court later today.

Police recovered the knife Santiago allegedly used in the robbery.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Andrew Bouthiller  

Andrew R. Bouthiller, 24, of Glastonbury, Conn., passed away on Friday. He was born in Orlando, Fla. He attended Tantasqua Regional High School in Sturbridge and also attended North Shore Community College. He enjoyed hockey, boating, snowboarding, fishing and all things to do with nature.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Anderson Jr., Frank W.
  



• 
  Barton, Richard L.
  



• 
  Bouthiller, Andrew R.
  



• 
  Carroll, Maurice Alexander
  



• 
  Chapman, Pearl F.
  



• 
  Cuevas, Merarie A.
  



• 
  D'Addario, Margarete
  



• 
  McFarlane, Anna Mae
  



• 
  Muzzy, Catherine C.
  



• 
  Owens, Jessie
  



• 
  Palmer, Robert B.
  



• 
  Pietrewicz, Alexandra E.
  



• 
  Slonka, Jozefa
  



• 
  Smith, Robert T.
  



• 
  Soukup Sr., Mark F.
  



• 
  Tracy, Kathleen T.
  



• 
  Trombley, Jean M.
  



• 
  Vazquez, Enrique
  



• 
  Wardenburg, Ronald G.
  



• 
  Westbrook, Charlie W.
  



• 
  Worby, Wallace H.
  

Police estimated the cleanup to take at least six hours.

Republican file photo

UPDATE, 9:01 a.m.: State police report that the accident has created a 5-mile backup on the highway.

WARREN -- Massachusetts State Police troopers are working at the scene of a tractor trailer crash near Warren that is blocking one eastbound lane of the Massachusetts Turnpike, a spokesman said.

"Motorists should expect significant delays and consider alternative routes, including Route 20," said Dave Procopio of the State Police Media Relations Unit.

The accident happened on a two-lane stretch of the highway.

Procopio estimated the cleanup to take at least six hours, or into the early afternoon Tuesday, while crews work to remove a portion of the vehicle that is leaking fuel.

Procopio said the unit is wedged against a rock ledge making is difficult for crews to remove the wreckage.

Summly uses complex algorithms to automatically condense online news content into attractive little blocks of text.

LONDON (AP) — At 17, he's a tech whiz, he's rich — and he can even offer some advice on how to raise your kids.

Teenage programmer Nick D'Aloisio's decision to sell his news application Summly to Yahoo for what's rumored to be a massive payout has turned him into a media sensation. The sale caps a short but successful career at Apple Inc.'s vast app store, where hundreds of thousands of pieces of software compete for the attention of smartphone and tablet users.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, D'Aloisio said his computer skills were self-taught, explaining that he started by mastering movie-making software before tackling programming languages.

He said his parents were "very enthusiastic and supportive." Asked what advice he'd give couples hoping to raise their own wunderkinds, he urged them to let their children explore their own paths — be it computer science or drama.

"If there's a natural curiosity, that'll lead to, eventually, some success," the teenager said.

Summly is one of several apps that D'Aloisio has designed. It uses complex algorithms to automatically condense online news content into attractive little blocks of text that are useful for the small screens of smartphones.

D'Aloisio said he was thrilled to be working for a "classic Internet company" — Yahoo! Inc. is older than he is — and he laughingly dismissed a reporter's suggestion that his friends might be jealous.

"All my friends have been very supportive," he said.

He noted that the publicity over Summly had been building for more than a year, meaning he and those close to him had had time to adjust to the outside attention.

As with its other recent acquisitions, Yahoo didn't disclose how much it is paying for Summly, although British newspapers suggested the deal's value at several million dollars. D'Aloisio had already received investment from several sources, including venture capitalist backer Li Ka-Shing.

Asked what he'll do with the payout, he responded with serious answers unbefitting of an adolescent. He said the money was being kept in a trust until he turns 18, and he didn't seem interested in talking about what he'd buy for himself for his next birthday.

"I'd like to keep it safe. Bank it .... If I was to do anything it'd be angel investing," said D'Aloisio, who is slim with dark brown hair and bears a passing resemblance to Josh Radnor, the actor who plays main character Ted in the TV sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."

The teen app expert said he was interested in automated technologies that could anticipate users' needs before they even reached for their smartphones — such as an app that downloads the day's news stories just before a user steps into a subway.

D'Aloisio said there were no copyright concerns about Summly, which works by running a statistical analysis of the text to guess which bits are the most relevant to cut the content down. Media companies such as New York-based News Corp. have collaborated on making their content more Summly-friendly, he said, arguing that shortening software would ultimately be a win-win for content providers.

"We're introducing their content to a new, younger demographic," he said. "You like the summary, you read the whole story; it increases publisher viewership."

The technology isn't foolproof: He said the app sometimes has trouble shortening long-form or highbrow pieces, but he noted that humans, too, have trouble summarizing sprawling stories.

The deal announced Monday is Yahoo's fifth small acquisition in the past five months. All have been part of CEO Marissa Mayer's effort to attract more engineers with expertise in building services for smartphones and tablet computers, an increasingly important area of technology that she believes the Internet company had been neglecting.

Although the Yahoo acquisition won't close until later this spring, D'Aloisio said the Summly App will no longer be available. Its technology will return in other Yahoo products.

D'Aloisio will work for Yahoo in its London office — in part so that he can complete his high school exams. Two other Summly workers will join Yahoo at its Sunnyvale, California, headquarters. He said he eventually wants to attend university, perhaps to study philosophy.

"I haven't decided yet," he said.

Mitchell Chester, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, said in a letter to Ware’s school superintendent and the selectmen that not following the law puts in jeopardy state aid and could precipitate enforcement action by the state attorney general.

 

WARE – The state education commissioner recently warned Ware officials that they have been appropriating less than the required amount of money, and that loss of state aid and possible legal action could result.

The 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act put the state in charge of determining how much money school districts must spend.

Mitchell D. Chester, commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, said in a letter to Ware’s school superintendent and the selectmen that not following the law puts state aid in jeopardy and could precipitate enforcement action by the state attorney general.

“Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the loss of Chapter 70 (education) aid, delays in the approval of your municipal tax rate – and/or enforcement action by the Attorney General,” Chester wrote.

Although the law allows a school district to spend up to 5 percent less than the state requirement, the underage is carried over to the next year.

State and local officials agree that Ware has not been meeting the minimum, but in fiscal 2012 the town also missed the five percent underage target.

The Chester letter reminded Ware of that, saying the town “was $964,961 below the required amount.” The shortage resulted in adding “the entire amount ... to the district’s FY13 requirement.” In fiscal 2011 Ware appropriated $593,000 less than its required minimum contribution for education set by the state.

The commissioner also told Ware officials that budget data shows current spending with a “shortfall of $618,139” that “would be added to the FY14 requirement,” adding: “if there is a way for you to supplement the current year’s school budget, I urge ... to work towards doing so.”

In an interview, school board chairman Chris Desjardins said he hopes the town can pay all the money due to the schools within four years, but said that may not be possible.

“We are hoping they will find ways to chip away at the $600,000 that is owed,” Desjardins said. “There are hopes and then there is reality. I would hope we get it back within three or four years; reality tells me that is not possible.”

Most of the $323,000 increase is geared to curriculum improvement in science and English language arts instruction, superintendent Nicholas Young told the committee.

SOUTH HADLEY – The South Hadley School Committee has unanimously adopted a preliminary budget.

The proposed $19,959,936 budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 represents a 1.6 percent hike in spending, should Town Meeting members approve.

Nicholas Young  

Most of the $323,000 increase is geared to curriculum improvement in science and English language arts instruction, Superintendent Nicholas Young told the committee Tuesday night.

“This budget calls for money for curriculum work,” he said. “It is hard to argue against strong science programs.”

Science supplies and new textbooks are “one of the most expensive areas.”

Young was blunt about the need to improve performance among some students. He also said the idea of “social promotion” – passing a student when grades may not justify it – is something he wants to eliminate.

“We have a slice of students that are not successful” Young said. In the high school alone, he said 50 out of the 617 attending are floundering in mathematics.

“We have students in over their heads, academically,” he said. “This is a very serious problem.” The superintendent won approval for a new tutoring plan during school hours. Kindergarten through grade 12 student totals are 1,961.

Board members lauded the school chief for keeping the increase low, saying it is what municipal officials were hoping for. The committee also said more resources should be directed for re-mediation efforts.

“You’ve done yeoman’s work in holding the budget down for the town,” committee member Edward J. Boisselle said.

The new budget relies on state aid that is about the same as current levels, at $7.7 million.

A discussion on the School Choice program was postponed until the April meeting.

Data provided by the administration shows that in fiscal 2012, the most recent year for complete information, South Hadley public schools accepted 140 additional students, and collected $867,917.

But the district also saw 107 student opt out of attending South Hadley, resulting in total payouts of $593,457 to school systems outside of town.

The committee also recognized teachers Danielle Kotfila, Kathleen Mruk and Pamela Soderbaum who earned the Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards this year.

On Saturday, Grow Food Northampton will hand out 125 community garden plots on a first-come/first-served basis at the Florence Community Center, starting at 9 a.m.

Grow Food Northampton is handing out 125 new community garden plots Saturday. Dave Molnar / The Republican [file]  

NORTHAMPTON — Grow Food Northampton is expanding its agricultural scope by the Mill River, leasing 1.5 acres of land to a “micro farm” that will grow gourmet greens and medicinal herbs.

A pioneer in the local food movement, Grow Food Northampton owns120 acres of rich farmland in Florence that were formerly part of the Bean and Allard Farms. Last year, it doled out 110 plots of land to individuals for use as community gardens.

It also leases land to Crimson and Clover Farm and Slow Tractor Farm to grow vegetables and grains. Those farms sell shares in their produce and also distribute it locally through farmers markets.

Last week, Grow Food Northampton announced it is leasing 1.5 acres to farmers Susan Pincus and Kevin Korb to create the first of two planned “micro farms” on the property. According to Lilly Lombard, the director of Grow Food Northampton, Pincus and Kolb were selected from a pool of applicants.

“They have identified solid markets,” Lombard said, noting that the farmers plan to sell their herbs to Haymarket Café, Evolution Café and the Cup’n Top restaurant, among others. The gourmet greens will include spinach, arugula and baby kale. They also plan to grow herbs for both medicinal and culinary use, perhaps even selling shares in the fresh herbs.

On Saturday, Lombard said, Grow Food Northampton will hand out another 125 community garden plots on a first-come/first-served basis at the Florence Community Center, starting at 9 a.m. The fee is $30 per plot per growing season, with discounts for low-income households and seniors.

In addition, Lombard said, Grow Food Northampton has invited Mockingbird Farm to graze cattle on its land in exchange for the manure, which will be used as fertilizer.

Investors are watching to see if Cyprus can shore up its banking system, and they are also keeping an eye on Italy, where political parties are struggling to form a new government in the eurozone's third-largest economy.

By MATTHEW CRAFT
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK — Investors just can't get past Europe.

Renewed worries about the region's long-running debt crisis weighed on the Dow Jones industrial average on Wednesday, and held the Standard & Poor's 500 index back from reaching an all-time high.

Investors are watching to see if Cyprus can shore up its banking system. They are also keeping an eye on Italy, where political parties are struggling to form a new government in the eurozone's third-largest economy.

The Dow fell 33.49 points to close at 14,526.16, a loss of 0.2 percent. It dropped as many as 120 points in morning trading then spent the rest of the day climbing back.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 0.92 to 1,562.85, less than three points short of its all-time high set in October 2007.

Bad news out of Europe and good news from the U.S. have tossed the stock market around over the past week.

"There are still plenty of worries about (Europe's) banking system," said J.J. Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist at TD Ameritrade. "But the U.S. really is on a nice little roll."

As stocks slumped early Wednesday, Kinahan said he thought the S&P 500 would recover its losses and could make another run at its record high on Thursday.

Cyprus is working out how to reopen its banks on Thursday after a nearly two-week shutdown. An international bailout calls for money from large depositors to help pay for the rescue of its banking system.

In Italy, a center-left party failed in its attempt to form a new government. The political stalemate has raised fears that the country will be unable to manage its deep debts, undermining confidence in the euro.

Those worries hit Europe's bond markets especially hard. Borrowing rates for Italy and Spain shot higher, a sign of weaker confidence in their financial health. Rates for Germany and France, two of Europe's more stable countries, sank as traders shifted money into their bonds.

In other trading, the Nasdaq composite inched up 4.04 points, or 0.1 percent, to 3,256.52.

Four of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 index edged higher. Utilities and health care, which investors tend to buy when they want to play it safe, made the biggest gains.

Kim Forrest, a senior equity analyst at Fort Pitt Capital, said it appears that many investors are treating certain stocks as if they were bonds.

"There's a recognition that bonds are overpriced, so people are moving into healthcare and utilities that pay a nice dividend," she said. "Those are pretty boring investments, and by that I mean their prices don't move a lot."

News about Italy also helped drive traders into the safety of U.S. government bonds, pushing benchmark yields to their lowest level this month. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dropped to 1.84 percent, a steep fall from 1.91 percent late Tuesday.

The S&P 500 closed within three points of its record high of 1,565.15, helped by rising U.S. home prices and orders for manufactured goods. The stock index hit that peak on Oct. 9, 2007, before the Great Recession and a financial crisis roiled financial markets.

Among other stocks making big moves:

— Cliffs Natural Resources, an iron ore mining company, plunged 14 percent, the biggest loss in the S&P 500. Analysts warned that falling iron ore prices would likely sink the company's stock. Cliffs fell $2.97 to $18.46.

— Science Applications International Corp. surged 5 percent after the security and communications technology provider reported a fourth-quarter profit that was better than analysts were expecting. SAIC also announced a special dividend of $1 per share, and its stock gained 50 cents to $13.32.

The event, which will include speeches and a free buffet, is being held at Amvets Post 74 at 2150 Main St., Three Rivers.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Wikimedia Commons  

PALMER — For the first time, the town will hold an event exclusively to honor Vietnam veterans, a group that hasn't received the same post-war reception as veterans of other U.S. conflicts.

"Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Romuald Renaud Amvets Post 74 at 2150 Main St. in Three Rivers. The event will include a free buffet for veterans, their families and the public, according to Billy Byrnes, who served as an Army medic in Vietnam. Byrnes, a highly decorated veteran from Bondsville, is among those slated to speak at the event.

"In Palmer, it's the first time ever," Byrnes said of the celebration. "It's very important for me."

Palmer Town Councilor Paul E. Burns co-sponsored a resolution with Byrnes and Paul Graveline, the town's former veterans' agent, to make every March 30 in Palmer a "day of commemoration, reflection and respect to those Palmer-area veterans, as well as all veterans across this great country, who sacrificed so much during the war in Vietnam."

The Town Council voted to officially designate March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veteran’s Day in the town of Palmer. The last U.S. ground troops left Vietnam on March 29, 1973, with many U.S. veterans' groups commemorating the occasion on either the 29th or 30th of March.

Burns said Vietnam veterans should be acknowledged for their valiant "service and sacrifice," adding that many don't get the respect they deserve. "I think it's an important acknowledgement of the service of an often forgotten group of vets who deserve to have their service acknowledged," he said.

Jenna Wolfe is the weekend anchor of the "Today" show; Stephanie Gosk is an NBC news correspondent.

Stephanie Gosk, left, and Jenna Wolfe NBC photos  

LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Today" weekend anchor Jenna Wolfe says she and NBC news correspondent Stephanie Gosk are expecting a baby girl in August.

A smiling, joking Wolfe made her announcement on NBC's morning show Wednesday, saying, "I'm quite pregnant, actually." The baby is due in mid-August, the 39-year-old Wolfe said.

"You kept a secret pretty good," ''Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie told Wolfe.

In a blog posted on the "Today" website, Wolfe said she and Gosk, 40, were two years into their relationship when they realized they wanted to "share our adventures with a wide-eyed little person."

In a People magazine story out Friday, Wolfe discussed why the couple decided to share news of their pregnancy and relationship. As Wolfe put it: "I don't want to bring my daughter into a world where I'm not comfortable telling everyone who I am and who her mother is."

Other TV journalists who have come out as gay include Anderson Cooper of CNN, Sam Champion of ABC and CNN's Don Lemon.

Western Massachusetts Electric Co. provided the rebates of $130,000 while saying the Putnam project will also save the city $190,000 annually in utility costs.

Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy. The Republican / Mark M. Murray  

SPRINGFIELD – The new Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy will yield energy savings estimated at $130,000 annually due to state-of-the-art technology, and has also earned the city rebates totaling approximately $190,000 from Western Massachusetts Electric Co., officials said Wednesday

During a press conference at the new Putnam building, representatives of the city, school and WMECo praised the school’s design regarding energy efficiency including advanced lighting, and premium-efficiency heating, ventilating and cooling systems within the school.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said the focus on energy savings is a priority when designing projects ranging from a new fire station and renovations to municipal buildings to the construction of new schools such as Putnam. The city benefits by the effort to “go green” as well as in saving taxpayer money, Sarno said.

Peter Clarke  

Peter Clarke, WMECo’s president and chief operating officer, and Putnam Principal Gilbert E. Traverso praised the effort.

The $115 million Putnam project includes controlled lighting, controlled heat sensors, occupancy sensors, and systems that collect and reuse rainwater, said Clarke and two vocational students attending the press conference. Temperatures in the building, for example, are automatically lowered when the building is closed, lights shut off automatically, and the building relies of significant natural lighting, officials said.

The measures will save 1.1 million kilowatt hours per year, for the annual savings of about $130,000, Clarke said.

The effort is also important in the vocational high school setting because “the students can see first hand what the future of energy is going to be.

The building is much more comfortable than the old Putnam school with less cold spots, said Michael Lopez, 17, a junior at Putnam. He was joined by William Huynh, 16, a sophomore, who explained some of the technology used in the new building.

“People are starting to realize that energy efficiency doesn’t mean being uncomfortable,” Clarke said.

Sarno and Clarke praised the city-WMECo partnership in pursuing energy efficiencies, and pledged it will continue on future projects such as the Forest Park and Brookings school construction projects. The project is a showcase of energy savings without sacrificing comfort, Sarno said.

Traverso said Putnam has a great school and great students, and the energy efficient project is “nothing less than what the city of Springfield and the kids in Springfield deserve.”

The savings of 1.1 million kilowatt hours is almost the same as taking nearly 150 cars off the road, WMECo stated.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel J. Warwick said building a “green school” was a priority from the start of construction. In addition to cost savings, the school has a positive impact on the environment, Warwick said.

The school is sending a letter to all past soccer players from girls' teams dating back at least 12 years, according to a diocesan official.

SPRINGFIELD - A former Holyoke Catholic High School girls' soccer coach agreed to be held behind bars pending potential charges being leveled against him for allegedly soliciting underage girls to pose nude via a webcam.

Michael W. Dupont  

Michael W. Dupont, 37, of Chicopee, was arrested on march 21 by U.S. Homeland Security Agents amid an investigation into his alleged interaction with a 14-year Vermont girl he met in "Teenchat" on the Internet. According to a criminal complaint in support of an arrest warrant, a federal agent said Dupont told investigators he was "a lonely guy" and admitted receiving sexually explicit photos from at least five young girls over the Internet.

Dupont has not yet been formally charged and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth P. Neiman on Wednesday. He declined through his lawyer to make an argument for bail. He was arrested on suspicion of sexual exploitation of a child.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow said Dupont may be charged either in U.S. District Court in Springfield, or in federal court in Vermont. He also indicated to Neiman that prosecutors may seek an extension of the standard 30 days they have to bring charges.

"At this point, we don't exactly know," how the case will proceed, Breslow said.

Dupont was subdued in court, dressed in the same sweatpants and soccer sweatshirt he wore on the day of his arrest. A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has said Dupont's contract had expired along with the season in November, so he was not actively coaching at the time of his arrest.

In a prepared statement, the diocese's spokesman said church officials will meet with parents of the school's soccer players. He said the bishop has pledged full cooperation with investigating authorities. The complaint did not reference students, however.

The school is sending a letter to all past soccer players from girls' teams dating back at least 12 years, according to a diocesan official.

Law enforcement officials in Vermont were alerted when the mother of girl (named only Minor A in the complaint) discovered inappropriate emails on her 14-year-old daughter's computer in late December.

The public is invited to a Ludlow Cares Coalition forum on Monday night at 6:30 at Ludlow High School.

James Harrington, Patricia Gregoire and Michael Kelliher, from left, have been elected chairman, vice chair and secretary of the Ludlow School Committee, respectively.  

LUDLOW - Following Monday’s town election, James Harrington was elected chairman of the School Committee and Patricia Gregoire was elected vice chairman. Michael Kelliher was elected secretary.

All three officers were elected on a 5 to 0 vote of the School Committee.

Both Kelliher and member Charles Mullin were re-elected to the School Committee on Monday in a no contest election.

Also at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting, business manager Edward Dunne said he should have a proposed fiscal 2014 budget for the School Committee to consider at the April 8 School Committee meeting.

The proposed budget will later be presented before a School Committee budget hearing and on May 13 will be presented to precinct members at the annual Town Meeting for their approval.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Gregoire invited members of the community to attend a Ludlow Cares Coalition forum on Monday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ludlow High School auditorium.

Greogire said the forum will include a presentation by family psychologist Robert Robinson on the problems faced by adolescents due to social media and social networking, bullying and peer pressure.

“I hope the parents come out,” Gregoire said. “There will be babysitting available in the high school cafeteria during the presentation.”

“We’re expecting a few hundred people,” Gregoire said.

Organizer Laura Rooney said the focus of the forum is prevention.

The name of this year’s forum is “Guiding Our Children Through a Rapidly Changing World.”

Rooney said the intent of the forum is to help adolescents deal with issues of self esteem and peer relationships.

After Robinson speaks he will take questions from the audience. School officials and police officials also will be on hand to take questions from the audience.

The forum is aimed at parents of elementary and middle school children. Parents of older children are welcome as well as are other members of the community.

There is no requirement that the state conduct any Sex Offender Registry Information checks of or matches of child care facility operators, workers, or people living in an at-home day care.

Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne Bump speaks during a breakfast for the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield on March 6. Mark M. Murray / The Republican  

BOSTON — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump on Wednesday called on the Department of Early Education and Care to perform periodic address matches of registered sex offenders and child care providers. The recommendation comes as the result of an audit that found 119 instances where the address listed for Level 2 or Level 3 sex offenders in the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry matched that of an EEC licensed child care provider.

While the audit was still in progress, Bump brought the address matches to the attention of EEC, and the agency immediately began an investigation of all 119 instances.

In four cases, EEC revoked the providers’ licenses because its operators had knowledge of the registered sex offender status but did not report this information to EEC

There is no current requirement that EEC conduct any Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) checks of or matches of child care facility operators, workers, or people living in an at-home day care.

“No parent who drops their child off at day care should have to worry about the safety of their son or daughter,” Bump said. “The presence of registered sex offenders in such proximity to groups of children is information parents, providers, and the EEC must have and act upon.”

In addition to the currently required Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks on staff and household members, Bump also called for making SORI checks required. Seventeen other states require SORI checks.

The audit also found that EEC is not ensuring that child care providers are performing the required CORI checks on their staff. In a test of EEC records, CORI checks had either expired or not been conducted for 10 percent of sampled staff. Bump noted that current EEC policy requires background checks only of staff likely to have unsupervised contact with children. She recommended that background checks are required for all staff.

Auditors also noted that when EEC inspections uncover violations, child care centers are not held to documenting and implementing corrective action plans. In some cases, violations had not been followed up by EEC staff for over two years. Furthermore, in the one-year period of review, EEC did not perform a single unannounced inspection of a residence-based family child care provider. Unannounced inspections are an important oversight function used to ensure provider compliance and are required by state law to be performed annually.

EEC has already taken actions in response to the audit. Rather than the current process of using a random sample, EEC will review the records of all provider personnel during renewal. Having more child care workers subject to background checks is under review. EEC has also changed its policy and will conduct unannounced visits as required.

Department of Early Education and Care Audit by MassLive2

The mayor says material on leashes for cats in his proposed animal control ordinance was just for informational purposes only.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger Wednesday issued a press release stating that he does not “in any form” advocate instituting a leash law for cats.

The mayor also said he does not support requiring owners of felines to clean up after them.

Neffinger’s press release came in reaction to news reports outlining the 12-page proposed animal control ordinance he sent to the city council. It includes provisions for requiring that cats be leashed and that their owners clean up after them as well as proposed limits on the number of cats and dogs residents may keep in their homes.

However, the mayor said the wording about the leashing of cats in the proposed ordinance should have been highlighted with a footnote explaining that some communities have adopted similar leash requirements, but they are not part of state animal control laws.

“Instead the wording was erroneously put in there as is without any indication that the cat regulations were for informational purposes only,” the mayor's announcement stated.

It further stated that Neffinger has asked the Health Department director, Jeanne Galloway, to correct the proposed ordinance “so that it would be clear which part is required by Massachusetts law and what is intended from ordinances of nearby communities. These corrections will be forwarded to the council.”

“Although the mayor does not advocate leash laws for cats, he felt this issue should be discussed with the city council, so that they could weigh in on how this problem will be handled in the new ordinance,” the press release concludes.

The statement reads that the city’s feral cat population poses a problem and that the city receives more complaints about cats than about dogs.

It further states that feline AIDS and feline leukemia are rampant, that the life of an outdoor cat is one-third that of an indoor cat and that animal control issues have been discussed at length with city department heads.

The proposal was the subject of a public hearing by the city council last week and has been referred to its ordinance and policy subcommittee. The committee started work on the proposed ordinance Monday and will take it up again at its 6 p.m. Monday session in the council office in the municipal building.

Westfield and Agawam have ordinances requiring cats to be leashed in public spaces and that their owners clean up after them. However, Agawam Animal Control Officer Allison Strong said she has never written a ticket for an unleashed cat and that the ordinance is difficult to enforce, so much so that she sought its repeal.