The rider was hospitalized after colliding with a large, four-legged animal, police said.

 

HOLYOKE — A motorcyclist was injured after striking a large, four-legged animal in the southbound lane of Interstate 91 around 9 p.m. Tuesday, according to Massachusetts State Police officials at the Northampton barracks.

"It was either a horse or a moose," Sgt. Michael Andrews said, citing a state police incident report.

Andrews said the man sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, which happened around the 17.2-mile marker of I-91 near Exit 6.

The motorcycle was lying on its side when troopers arrived at the scene, Andrews said. The rider was taken to an area hospital for treatment. An update on his condition was unavailable.

View Exit 16 of Interstate 91 in a larger map

A Hampden woman was arrested on drug charges in connection with a traffic stop in Holyoke.

Officers from the Springfield Police Department's narcotics unit process the scene at 92 Draper St. Tuesday morning.Conor Berry / The Republican 

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

1) Springfield police: Evidence of marijuana distribution operation found at scene of Draper Street house fire [Conor Berry] Photo at right.

2) Massachusetts man charged with damaging sculpture at Mohegan Sun [Associated Press]

3) Western Mass crime briefs: Hampden woman busted on drug charges in Holyoke; West Springfield woman charged with assault, and more [Conor Berry]

4) West Springfield police arrest 27-year-old Jenea Rios after she allegedly injured ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend with her vehicle [George Graham]

5) Worcester funeral director Peter Stefan, upset by secrecy of Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s burial, continues to go about his business [Kevin Koczwara]

A 19-year-old Holyoke resident who was shot multiple times, including once in the abdomen, was treated at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, according to Holyoke Police Lt. Larry Cournoyer.

 

HOLYOKE — A teenager was shot multiple times Tuesday night and taken to a hospital by a vehicle seen fleeing the area of Maple and Sargeant streets in the city's Churchill section, police said.

"He is alive," Holyoke Police Lt. Larry Cournoyer said of the 19-year-old male, who sustained gunshot wounds to the abdomen and other parts of his body.

Police received a report of shots fired at 10:37 p.m. in the vicinity of 446 Maple St., which is near the corner of Sargeant Street, but the victim was gone when officers arrived.

A black pickup truck was seen fleeing the shooting scene, and a short while later a truck matching that description dropped off a gunshot victim at Holyoke Medical Center. Cournoyer said the victim was transferred to Springfield's Baystate Medical Center, where he was treated for multiple bullet wounds and is expected to survive.

No arrests had been made as of early Wednesday. The incident is under investigation by Holyoke detectives.

View Larger Map

Riders can get fitted for bike safety helmets at the farmers' market.

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 

HOLYOKE -- Bicyclists can bring their bikes to the farmers' market on High Street in front of City Hall Thursday for a free tire check as part of Bike Safety Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Representatives of Holyoke Urban Bike Shop ("Pedaling for a healthier community!") will be there to answer questions, run bicyclists through a safety obstacle course and fit riders with helmets, said a press release from the office of Mayor Alex B. Morse.

"In addition to fruits, vegetables and plants from the market vendors, there will be an opportunity for visitors to get their bike ready for the upcoming spring and summer seasons," the press release said.

Police charged Mitchell Pelc and Paul Jeannenot with trafficking marijuana and other charges after discovering the growing operation.

Mitchell PelcSpringfield Police Department 

This is the latest version of stories reported at 4:15 a.m. , at 6:10 a.m. , and at 2:52 p.m. Tuesday

SPRINGFIELD — A fire early Tuesday in the basement of a Draper Street home, which led officials to find a sophisticated indoor marijuana growing operation, was caused by overheated electrical equipment used in the operation, officials said.

The fire, reported just before 3 a.m., caused up to $30,000 damage and displaced two families from the 2½-story home at 92-94 Draper St. It also brought firefighters into the basement where they saw the growing operation, and they immediately notified police, officials said.

When the smoke had cleared, two residents were under arrest and more than 50 pounds of marijuana, seeds and growing equipment was confiscated by police, said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet.

Delaney said police recovered 40 fully grown marijuana plants and several plastic tubs of harvested marijuana. Hydroponically grown marijuana sells on the street for about $5,000 per pound, he said.

Police also seized a dozen weapons including handguns and semiautomatic rifles.

Arrested were Mitchell Pelc, 31, of 92 Draper St., and Paul Jeannenot, 31, of 94 Draper St. Each was charged with trafficking in marijuana, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and improper storage of firearms.

Other arrests may be pending, Delaney said.

Jeannenot, the building’s owner, was apparently overcome by smoke and suffered minor burns. He was admitted to Baystate Medical Center for treatment. Delaney said he is being held under guard.

Delaney said Jeannenot went back into the house several times to retrieve items before he was overcome.

Hydroponics is a type of agriculture where the plants are cultivated in water, rather than soil. One of the advantages in marijuana production is the plant grows faster than it would in soil.

Springfield firefighters on the scene of a fire early Tuesday at 92-94 Draper St. The fire revealed a marijuana growing operation inside the house and resulted in two arrests.Springfield Fire Department | Dennis Leger 

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said arson investigators determined the fire was the result of overheated electrical equipment.

He said investigators determined a water heater for a tropical-fish aquarium was being used to warm water for the plants. The heater was left running inside a plastic barrel that did not have enough water in it, and this caused the heater to overheat and start the fire, Leger said.

Delaney said firefighters notified police at the scene that they found the growing operation in the cellar and containers of marijuana throughout the house.

The police Narcotics Bureau, under the command of Capt. William Collins, then applied for a District Court warrant to search the house, Delaney said.

Once the fire was out, narcotics detectives executed the warrant and spent several hours going through the house, Delaney said.

Leger said the fire caused heavy damage to the cellar as well as to the first and second floors.

Firefighters rescued a male poodle, named George, from the second floor.

Draper Street is located off Dickinson Street in the Forest Park neighborhood.

View Larger Map

The regional School Committee honored retiring member Marianne Desmond.

WILBRAHAM — Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea told the School Committee Tuesday night he will bring a new principal of Thornton W. Burgess Middle School in Hampden before the School Committee for the board’s approval at the June 11 meeting.

M. Martin O'Shea 

A screening committee is in the process of interviewing finalists now, O’Shea said.

Principals are appointed by the school superintendent.

The longtime principal of Thornton W. Burgess Middle School – Noel Pixley – is retiring at the end of the school year.

Also at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting O’Shea said he was pleased that voters at the Wilbraham annual Town Meeting approved the school budget approved by the School Committee and recommended by the town’s Finance Committee.

O’Shea said he is still waiting for approval of the state budget and for negotiations on a teachers contract to conclude before he can finalize staffing for next year.

The fiscal 2014 school budget of $42,484,202 for the towns of Hampden and Wilbraham includes the reduction of nine teaching positions next year, as well as 12 teacher aides and three instructional and administrative support personnel.

Enrollment in the school district is expected to decline by 68 students next year.

If there were more available revenues next year, O’Shea said he would be proposing the reduction of three teaching positions next year because of the declining enrollment.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the School Committee recognized the contributions of School Committee member Marianne Desmond who has served on the School Committee for nine and a half years.

Desmond is not seeking reelection in Saturday’s town election.

O’Shea said Desmond in her tenure on the School Committee helped the School Committee to address several challenges including providing more inclusive programming for special education students and the construction of the new Minnechaug Regional High School, which opened last fall.

School Committee Chairman D. John McCarthy said Desmond spent many hours serving on subcommittees, including the subcommittee which selected the furniture for the new high school.

“She has been a friend to a lot of us,” said School Committee member Peter Salerno.

The changes will take effect for the 2013-2014 school year at Lawrence and Peck schools.

 

HOLYOKE -- The School Committee opted to comply with a state order to close the Center for Excellence alternative school by making the building that houses the school a kindergarten-to-grade-3 facility.

The 8-1 vote Wednesday also converts Peck Full-Service Community School.into a grades 4-to-8 school.

The changes will be in effect for the 2013-2014 school year.

The vote came after more than two hours in the latest of several meetings since the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the order about the Center for Excellence (CFE) in November.

The state is requiring that the 130 students attending the CFE, which is in the former Lawrence School at Cabot and Maple streets, be dispersed because officials said it was improper to have a school of all special education students.

The best the School Committee could do was to try to disrupt the smallest number of students and parents, said Howard B. Greaney Jr., committee member at large.

"It's going to be an unpopular decision no matter what we do," Greaney said.

The committee vote means that CFE students in grades 4 to 8 will move to Peck School, at 1916 Northampton St.

Peck, currently a school of kindergarten to grade 8, will lose its kindergarten to grade 3 classes. They will join CFE students in those grades at Lawrence School.

The decision was the committee's third stab at dealing with the state order. The committee approved two plans and rescinded them after complaints about how the plans would affect some schools.

Parents' objections about their neighborhood schools losing kindergartens prompted the School Committee to scuttle a previous plan. That one would have resolved the closure order by moving CFE students to other buildings and freeing up space by establishing a kindergarten center at Lawrence School with kindergartens from Morgan, Kelly and Peck schools.

But with the school year and the fiscal year coming to a close in June, time was tight. The budget for the next year must be settled and building-space and teacher-assignment preparations must be made, officials said.

Ward 6 committee member William R. Collamore wanted to table consideration of the five student-distribution options facing the committee to allow for more study.

But Vice Chairman Devin M. Sheehan said, "That can't happen. We are just too far into the process to make any changes."

""If we fail to do something, we really don't deserve our offices," committee member at large Michael J. Moriarty said.

Mayor Alex B. Morse, chairman of the School Committee, was among those lamenting that Peck was affected disproportionately by the CFE change. Other options would have involved more schools in the changes.

Now, he said, the decision dismantles the sense of community forged in the past five years at Peck by Principal Paul Hyry-Dermith and his staff.

"I commend you and your staff," Morse said to Hyry-Dermith.

"We're just going to have to figure out how to make it work," Hyry-Dermith said.

Morse, who cqst the lone no vote, said making Lawrence a kindergarten center made the most sense.

Some of the housing managed and owned by the West Springfield Housing Authority dates as far back as 1950.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Housing Authority recently approved doing $1,134,522 of state-funded improvements which will include structural renovations, repairs and updates at its five public housing developments as well as its special needs units.

 

Funding will come from a contract for financial assistance approved by the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

Willie J. Thomas, Housing Authority executive director, said that the work is long overdue because the agency’s low- and moderate-income housing stock has aged and dates back to 1950.

“These much-needed capital improvements will ensure the future of safe, clean and affordable housing for the seniors, veterans, low-income families and disabled people served by the West Springfield Housing Authority,” Thomas stated.

The work will be done at the authority’s five state-subsidized conventional family and elderly public housing developments as well as its Chapter 689 special needs units for persons with mental and physical challenges.

At the Arnold P. Estelle project on Birch Park Circle, improvements will include replacement of exterior railings, walkway repaving and repointing of the chimney .

At the Paul Flak project on Lee Lang Terrace, improvements are to nclude bathroom shut-off valve replacement and replacement of the community building.

At the Grove Village project, exterior doors will be replaced, and other work will include floor joist reinforcing, shut-off valve replacement and replacement of the community hall chimney.

At the Oxford Place project, automatic door openers will be installed, and other improvements will include replacement of concrete walkways, gutter re-design and replacement, and window and window trim replacement.

At the Wilfred J. Bourque project on Main Street, improvements will include roof replacement, exterior building repairs and carpet replacement.

The improvements for the Chapter 689 units for special needs tenants will include replacement of heating and air conditioning units and updates needed to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

“These capital improvements will enable us to protect the investment in affordable housing made by the taxpayers over the years, and will greatly enhance the quality of life for our residents and the town of West Springfield, ” said Thomas.

The authority owns and manages a total of 250 units for the elderly and disabled, 88 family units and 10 special needs units.

Wednesday's Powerball jackpot of $360 million, with an estimated cash option of $229.2 million, is considered the third-largest in history

UPDATE, 2 a.m.: The Powerball website indicates no one hit Wednesday's winning numbers. The jackpot for the next drawing, scheduled Saturday, May 18, is estimated at $475 million

Did you win the third-largest Powerball jackpot in history? If you had these numbers for the Wednesday, May 15, 2013 drawing, you now have some serious financial planning to do:

Wednesday's Powerball jackpot of $360 million, with an estimated cash option of $229.2 million, is also considered the seventh-largest in lottery history. The top two all-time jackpots — $656 million from a Mega Millions jackpot and $587.5 million from a Powerball jackpot — were achieved in 2012.

The jackpot could grow even larger depending on late ticket sales. The Powerball website indicated "results pending" for Wednesday's jackpot.

Lottery officials expect jackpot totals of this size to continue to climb in shorter amounts of time, thanks in part to a game redesign in January 2012 that increased the odds of winning some kind of prize, but also lowered the possible number combinations to win the Powerball.

There's also "cross-selling" of Powerball and Mega Millions tickets — states such as Massachusetts being able to sell both Powerball tickets and Mega Millions tickets — that began in January 2010. As a result, large jackpots will continue to surpass all-time jackpot records set years ago, said Mary Neubauer, spokeswoman for the Iowa Lottery. Iowa is one of the founding Powerball states.

"It usually took a handful of months, if not several months, for a jackpot to reach this large amount," she said. "Now it's achieving that within a handful of weeks. I think the redesign is achieving exactly what we had wanted it to achieve, which is the bigger, faster-growing jackpot."

The redesign means players don't necessarily have to strike big to get lucky. A $1 increase and new $1 million and $2 million prizes means the odds of winning something have increased. Just last Saturday, there was no Powerball jackpot winner, but more than a dozen tickets won $1 million prizes in 10 states.

In fact, more than half of the all-time jackpot records have been reached in the last three years.

The last major jackpot win came when a New Jersey man won a $338.3 million jackpot on March 23. It is now considered the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this article

Tornadoes tore through a small Texas town, killing 6 people.

A trucking company trailer landed on a car that was parked in front of a Lindsey Lane home in Cleburne, Texas, after a powerful storm went through Wednesday night, May 15, 2013. Neighbors say the trailer was parked on the street and was rolled over onto the car. AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox 

JOHN L. MONE & TERRY WALLACE

GRANBURY, Texas — At least six people were killed Wednesday as a spring tornado outbreak devastated parts of North Texas, destroying or damaging dozens of homes and injuring dozens of people.

The worst-hit city Wednesday was Granbury, where authorities say a deadly tornado tore through two neighborhoods about 8 p.m. Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds delivered the death toll at a midnight news conference.

"Some were found in houses. Some were found around houses," Deeds said. He also said the total could climb as crews pick through the rubble of shattered homes.

About 50 people were taken to a Granbury hospital, where 14 were admitted for treatment of injuries and two were transferred to a hospital in Fort Worth, about 35 miles to the northeast, Deeds said.

As many as 100 people were injured, said Matt Zavadsky, spokesman for MedStar Mobile Healthcare. His company sent three ambulances and a medical bus from its Fort Worth base to Granbury.

Deeds said officials were trying to account for 14 people, but it was not clear if they were missing or were away from the area for other reasons.

Hardest hit were two neighborhoods, Rancho Brazos Estates and DeCordova Ranch, in the southern end of the town of about 8,000 residents about 65 miles southwest of Dallas.

Ambulances from as far away as Fort Worth were being called to Granbury, said Tye Bell, Richland Hills police spokesman who was heading to Granbury on Wednesday night.

Rancho Brazos Estates resident Elizabeth Tovar said she rode out the tornado with her husband and sister as she clutched her 9-month-old daughter.

"We heard the winds whipping and glass smashing everywhere," said Tovar, 25. "I felt like a long time and when things died down I looked up and saw that the roof was gone."

Another resident of that neighborhood, Allacia Jenny, said she witnessed devastation in her neighborhood.

"The house across from mine looked like it was destroyed," said Jenny, 22.

Toppled large trees litter her yard, and "I saw power lines all over the place," she said.

At Stumpy's Lakeside Grill in Lake Granbury, the storm took diners and workers by surprise. Some people rushed inside from the patio and ducked under tables as the wind gusts and hail started, but nobody was injured, said Eric Martinez, a cook. Then they looked across the lake and saw several homeowners' boat docks "just get torn apart," he said.

"The boat docks just flew off, and they're actually gone," Martinez said, adding that the boards and other debris landed in some yards.

The same storm spawned another tornado that storm spotters told the National Weather Service was a mile wide. That twister tore through the southwestern quadrant of Cleburne, a courthouse city of about 30,000 about 25 miles southeast of Granbury.

There were no reports of deaths in that storm, Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain said, "but we do have the potential for some injuries." He had no estimates.

Cain had no estimate on the number of homes damaged, but he said he expected the number to soar into the dozens based on his inspection of damage ranging from roof damage to total destruction.

Another tornado hit the small town of Millsap, about 40 miles west of Fort Worth. Parker County Judge Mark Kelley said roof damage was reported to several houses and a barn was destroyed, but no injuries were reported.

Hail as large as grapefruit also pelted the area around Mineral Wells on Wednesday evening. A police dispatcher reported only minor damage.

___

Wallace reported from Dallas. Associated Press writers Angela K. Brown and Jamie Stengle in Dallas also contributed.

The geyser of water extended high into the air and was visible from the upper floors of high-rise buildings in downtown Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — A water main break at the intersection of Union and Maple streets that sent a geyser of water shooting high into the air Wednesday afternoon ruptured while a Columbia Gas crew was working on an underground line.above the roadway.

"Workers were trying to remove concrete from on top of the water main when the pipe ruptured. (There was) no disruption of service of gas or water to any residents in the area, though," Andrea Luppi, a Columbia spokeswoman, told abc40.

The resulting fountain of water, which appeared to be taller than some surrounding buildings, was visible from the upper floors of high-rise buildings in downtown Springfield.

The rupture happened just after noon, sending a towering plume of water into the air that was reminiscent of Old Faithful, the famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

Above at right, a video of the incident posted to Facebook by Jane McNeill.

Massachusetts House Gop members are calling for investigations into the IRS harassment of conservative groups applying for tax free status.

The John Weld Peck Federal Building, shown Tuesday, May 14, 2013, in Cincinnati, houses the main offices for the Internal Revenue Service in the city. The IRS apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see whether they were violating their tax-exempt status. In some cases, the IRS acknowledged, agents inappropriately asked for lists of donors. The agency blamed low-level employees in a Cincinnati office, saying no high-level officials were aware.(AP Photo/Al Behrman)AP Photo 

Republican Leader Brad Jones is planning to offer a resolution in the Massachusetts House condemning the investigation of nonprofit groups with political affiliations.

Jones said the behavior of the IRS has drawn the ire of the groups that were targeted and taxpayers nationwide. He said those investigations amount to "a massive betrayal of public trust."

Jones said he'll offer the resolution during the next full formal House session.

The resolution will ask the state's congressional delegation to support the formation of a select committee made up of elected officials from both parties to investigate the alleged wrongdoings.

Jones said he wants to know if the investigations were the result of a few individuals or reflected a wider systematic failure.

Trade issues are being discussed between Massachusetts state officials and Irish authorities during a trade summit this week.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, right, and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick visit the makeshift memorial to the Boston Marathon bombing victims in Copley Square in Boston, Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Cameron is in Boston to offer his condolences and discuss lessons that can be learned from the deadly bombings. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP Photo 

On Wednesday, Patrick and Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray met with the Prime Minister of Ireland Enda Kenny.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the ongoing commitment to expanding opportunities for economic development and job creation between Massachusetts and Ireland.

Patrick also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade for Ireland Eamon Gilmore on Wednesday and attended a Digital Health and Life Sciences Trade Summit, sponsored by the Massachusetts' Life Sciences Center.

In 2012, Ireland was the state's 14th largest export partner, with over $509 million in goods and services sent to the country. Massachusetts is also Ireland's sixth largest import partner.

Patrick is set to return to the state on Friday.

Duffin, who denied all charges in a Berkhsire County courthouse, is being held without right to bail.

 

LENOX — Police say they've nabbed the prime suspect in a series of jewelry thefts in Lenox and other Berkshire County communities.

Lauren M. Duffin, 26, of Pittsfield, is currently jailed without right to bail after denying burglary, larceny and drug-possession charges at her court arraignment Wednesday, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

Lenox Police Chief Stephen O'Brien told the Pittsfield newspaper that Duffin is suspected of several jewel thefts from homes in the upscale community. Authorities say she's also suspected of similar crimes committed in Pittsfield and Dalton.

Lenox officers conducted an investigation that ultimately led them to Duffin, who was arrested Tuesday as she exited a bus dropping off passengers in front of Lenox Town Hall.

The Brimfield Antiques Shows along Rt. 20 run through Sunday, from dawn to dusk. The other 2013 editions of the shows will be held July 9-14 and Sept. 3-8.

BRIMFIELD – The parking lots were full and Brimfield’s main street crowded as buyers of eclectic items roamed for bargains on the first day of the 54th annual Brimfield Antiques Shows.

Many who buy are themselves merchants who sell their Brimfield-bought items back home.

Sally Davolio, of Leciester, has been attending the thrice-per-year event for 15 years just to collect stuff she likes.

“I collect bears,” she said. Not the furry ones that are alive, but anything with a bear theme.

In her cart was a three-set record collection of 45s she purchased for $7, called "The Bear That Wasn’t."

Although Davolio has no idea what the music will sound like, that is not important.

“I am having fun,” she said. “We just have a great day walking around.”

Set to music composed by Walter Schumann, "The Bear That Wasn’t" is narrated by Keenan Wynn.

There was a silhouette-shaped bear carved of tin among her day’s purchases, costing $15.

And a large wooden polar bear painted white she paid $25 for.

West Springfield businessman Mike Zombik of Pioneer Valley Wholesale Corp. sold the wooden polar bear.

This is his fourth year selling merchandise at Brimfield Antique Show.

He said people go away happy because “we sell stuff at a fair price.” His wide assortment of items are selected using a very low-technology system.

“If I like something, someone else is going to like it,” Zombik said.

He used to sell at the Holyoke flea market until they closed two years ago.

Darlene Burns of Chicopee, who used to own the Holyoke market until she and her husband sold it, now own land along the Brimfield meadow and rent space to 40 vendors. The year-round Holyoke show was inside and accomodated 200 vendors, she said.

“It is a lot of money to run a business,” she said.

Stephen Healey, 50, of New Bedford attended his first Brimfield Antique Show in search of old books on Tuesday and liked what he saw.

“It’s amazing, it’s more than you can take in at once,” he said, noting “how really kind everyone is. The kind of feel a small town can be proud of.”

Rod and Tracey Berkowitz have been traveling up from their Lambertville, N.J., home to the Brimfield show annually since their marriage 11years ago.

They purchase items to sell at their own business, Zinc Home & Garden.

Their Facebook page says they focus on “an eclectic mix of industrial and primitive pieces” as home furnishings.

Tracey described their offerings more creatively.

“It’s like New York City loft meets Martha Stewart,” she said.

Asked if the Brimfield vendors have what they are looking for, Berkowitz said: “We blew our budget quick so it’s good.”

The Brimfield antique show along Route 20 runs all this week through Sunday, from dawn to dusk. In addition to the May event, Brimfield will host antique shows on July 9-14 and Sept. 3-8.

A teenager shot multiple times was driven to a hospital by a vehicle seen fleeing the area of Maple and Sargeant streets in the city's Churchill section, police said.

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

1) Late-night trespassing at Quabbin by foreign students triggers precautionary state-wide terrorism alert; police say no crime or criminal intent detected [Patrick Johnson]

2) Man killed by police in shootout in Springfield's Upper Hill neighborhood as officers respond to domestic incident [The Republican Newsroom]

3) Holyoke teenager shot multiple times in Churchill section of city [Conor Berry]

4) New lawyer for Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow says she'll still cooperate on Boston Marathon bombing probe [Associated Press]

5) Massachusetts State Police: Motorcyclist hospitalized after striking a 'horse or moose' in southbound lane of Interstate 91 [Conor Berry]

A Hartford police officer fatally shot a stabbing suspect on the same day that Springfield police fatally shot a shooting suspect.

A Hartford police officer fatally shot a stabbing suspect Wednesday, the same day that Springfield police fatally shot a shooting suspect in the city's Upper Hill neighborhood. (Wikimedia Commons)

HARTFORD — Just hours after Springfield police officers were involved in the fatal shooting of a city resident, police in Hartford were facing a similar situation.

Police in Connecticut's capital city responded to a 10 p.m. Wednesday assault report on Heath Street, where they encountered a stabbing suspect who was then fatally shot in a confrontation with officers, the Hartford Courant reports.

The victim of the stabbing and an injured officer were taken to St. Francis Hospital for treatment. The stabbing suspect who was shot by police also was taken to St. Francis, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have yet to release identities of those involved in the incident, which is under investigation by Connecticut State Police.

In Springfield, police officers faced a similar situation early Wednesday morning when they responded to a domestic dispute in the city's Upper Hill neighborhood involving 27-year-old Ethel L. McCreary and 44-year-old Louis M. Squires, her former boyfriend.

The tiwn cities of Springfield, pictured here, and Hartford both experienced fatal shootings by police on Wednesday. (Conor Berry I The Republican)

Squires opened fire on McCreary with a shotgun after McCreary vandalized his car, police said. Officers responding to the call also came under fire from Squires, who was shot and killed by police, according to investigators.

The series of events played out just before 6 a.m. Wednesday on Albemarle and Braddock streets in the vicinity of Westford Circle, and the spasm of violence left some neighborhood residents stunned.

Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet placed the five officers involved in the fatal gunfight on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated internally and by Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni, who reviews all police-related shootings.

Construction of the Big Y project is projected to begin in 2014 and take seven months.

Some Holyokers are eager to get a Big Y supermarket in the Paper City.Dave Roback, The Republican 

HOLYOKE -- City officials are meeting with owners of property at Lower Westfield Road and Homestead Avenue to get easements to expand the intersection for the planned construction of a $16 million plaza with a Big Y supermarket.

The plan is still for construction of the project to begin in 2014 and take about seven months, officials said this week.

"There's not really much that's changed," said Francesca Maltese, development manager for O’Connell Development Group here, which owns the site.

Marcos A. Marrero, director of the city Office of Planning and Economic Development, said his office is meeting with property owners about gaining access to their land to widen the intersection.

Another key step in the project is the state Department of Transportation is scheduled to solicit bids in the summer from construction companies seeking to do the widening and other improvements at the intersection, he said.

Those steps must take place before construction can begin on the plaza, which will be on the site formerly occupied by the Atlas Copco compressor factory. The factory closed in 2005, at 161 Lower Westfield Road.

The mini-plaza would have 110,000 square feet of retail in two buildings. A Big Y would be in one building and the other building could have a bank, restaurant and other stores, O'Connell officials have said.

"The project is still going forward as planned," Marrero said.

Some residents have said they are eager for the Big Y to open for an alternative to the two Stop & Shop supermarkets here. The project will provide 250 jobs and $400,000 a year in property tax revenue in addition to reviving a mostly dormant site.

The Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School is leasing space in the Atlas Copco building temporarily.

Investigators have yet to make an arrest in connection with a shooting that injured a 19-year-old man, Holyoke Police Lt. Larry Cournoyer said.

 

HOLYOKE — Police have yet to make an arrest in connection with Tuesday evening's shooting of a teenager in the city's Churchill neighborhood.

A 19-year-old male was taken to Holyoke Medical Center after being hit multiple times, including a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to Holyoke police, who continue to investigate.

"Nothing yet," Lt. Larry Cournoyer said Thursday, referring to an arrest in the case.

Investigators haven't indicated if they have a suspect in mind, nor have they released any information about the victim, who was shot just after 10:30 p.m. in the vicinity of 446 Maple St.

The teen was taken to the city hospital by a black pickup truck spotted fleeing the shooting scene near the corner of Maple and Sargeant streets. The victim was later transferred to Springfield's Baystate Medical Center, police said.

Holyoke police have asked anyone with information about the incident to call them at (413) 536-6431.

View Larger Map

A Chicopee father now puts his hopes on legislation after a $15 million law suit failed to bring safety changes for pizza delivery drivers.

SPRINGFIELD -- A $15 million civil law suit against Domino's Pizza was rejected by a jury, saying the pizza giant was not liable for the stabbing death of one of its drivers, Corey Lind of Chicopee.

Lind's parents filed the suit claiming that Domino's did not do enough to ensure the safety of their son December 8, 2007 when he went out to deliver a pizza to a ficticious address from a Boston Road Domino's. Police said Lind was kidnapped by the Alex Morales, who called for the delivery, driven to Monson then stabbed to death as he lay in the trunk of his own car.

Morales was later convicted of first degree murder and is serving a life sentence in state prison.

Now, Lind's father Michael said he has written legislation called Corey's Law, which would make safety provisions, such mandating pizza shops maintain constant phone contact with delivery drivers.

Lind said drivers, like his late son, face dangers that most people don't recognize.

"They are out there under the cover of darkness, they are out there delivering to dark streets, dark neighborhoods and it's a hard set up," Lind told WSHM-TV.