Judge Tina S. Page went over her proposed jury instructions with the prosecution and defense Friday.

Tamik KirklandThe Republican/Michael Gordon 

SPRINGFIELD - The murder trial of Tamik Kirkland will resume Monday in Hampden Superior Court.

There was no testimony Friday as jurors were not requested to come to court that day.

Judge Tina S. Page went over her proposed jury instructions with the prosecution and defense Friday.

The prosecution rested Thursday. There is a possibility there could be additional defense witnesses Monday, and there could be a rebuttal witness from the prosecution, lawyers reported to Page.

Kirkland, 26, is charged with the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Sheldon Innocent, a barbershop customer at Bill Brown's House of Beauty on State Street.

He is also charged in the shooting and serious wounding of Darryl King, a barber there.

He faces a host of charges stemming from a shoot-out with police in the driveway of 46 Burr St. shortly after the barber shop shootings on April 30, 2011.

Responding to the furor over the disclosure of the National Security Agency's PRISM program, Paul says the bill introduced Friday is intended to stop the NSA from spying on U.S. citizens.

By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senator Rand Paul has introduced legislation that would require a warrant before any government agency could search the phone records of Americans.

Responding to the furor over the disclosure of the National Security Agency's PRISM program, Paul says the bill introduced Friday is intended to stop the NSA from spying on U.S. citizens.

The bill says the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution cannot be misconstrued to allow an unreasonable search and seizure by any agency without a warrant based on probable cause.

The Kentucky Republican and tea party favorite has been highly critical of President Barack Obama over protecting civil liberties. On Friday, Obama dismissed privacy concerns as "hype," and defended the government's sweeping surveillance programs.

Paul calls the latest revelation of a secret program to collect phone records of millions of Verizon customers "an astounding assault on the Constitution."

Police are not sure if the goslings were hit on purpose.

PALMER - Someone drove over a gaggle of goslings on Shearer Street, and police are investigating whether it was an accident.

Meanwhile, People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals is treating the incident as a crime, and is offering a $2,500 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

The incident was reported at 6:45 a.m. by a passerby on May 31, according to police, who are not sure if the hit and run was accidental, or if someone did it on purpose. Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said they do not have a description of the car that allegedly hit the goslings. The incident happened near the old Rondeau ice house.

Animal Control Officer Wendy Lesage said seven goslings were killed, and one survived, but only for a few hours. She said someone could have been driving too fast and not paying attention.

"But because they did not call to report it, the possibility is there that they did it on purpose," LeSage said.

She said many geese are hit and killed in that exact spot all year long. She said she just picked up another goose that was hit this week.

"With school almost out, it could very easily be a kid on a bike next time," LeSage said.

Martin Mersereau, PETA's director, said in a statement: "Plowing a car through a group of birds is egregiously cruel and against the law. The only way to stop people who demonstrate such blatant disregard for life is to bring them to justice before they maim and kill more animals."

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Palmer Animal Control at (413) 283-7770 or Palmer police at (413) 283-8792.

Information about the incident is on the Palmer Municipal Dog Pound Facebook page.

At a campaign stop inside Medina's Supermarket in the city's North End, Becerra, the first Latino to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee, told locals that Markey is the only candidate in the special election that will pursue their interests in the U.S. Senate.

Although Democratic congressman and U.S. Senate hopeful Edward Markey only held public events in Boston on Friday, his campaign made a pitch to the Latino voters of central and Western Massachusetts through a surrogate.

U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., was in Springfield to boost Markey as Latnios decide whether to vote for the Democrat or the self proclaimed "new Republican," the son of Colombian immigrants, Gabriel Gomez. The candidates have been battling for the coveted bloc of voters as Gomez frequently delivers stump speeches in Spanish and Markey has a formal Latino outreach movement.

At a campaign stop inside Medina's Supermarket in the city's North End, Becerra, the first Latino to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee, told locals that Markey is the only candidate in the special election that will pursue their interests in the U.S. Senate.

"You've got a superstar in Elizabeth Warren and now you're going to send an experienced legislator who has faught so hard for the issues that all of us to believe in. You've got a golden team, but it takes work," Becerra said to the crowd of nearly two dozen Markey supporters huddled in the produce section of the store as the rain fell outside.

Taking a page out of Gomez's special election playbook, Becerra related to the group by telling his own personal story about being the child of immigrants and overcoming adversity.

Becerra said that although his father didn't make it past the sixth grade, he and his three siblings all earned college degrees because of the opportunities the country afforded them as the "aspiring class."

Becerra said that political party aside, he believes Markey is the right choice for the Senate because he's someone who "walks the walk" when it comes to crafting legislation to help provide those same opportunities to the next generation.

"To me Ed Markey is one of those guys who lives what he says and sometimes there aren't too many politicians that walk the walk, and he does," Bacerra said.

Becerra's pitch to the Latinos of Springfield followed a similar stop at the Hacienda Don Juan in the city of Worcester, where he worked in the legal aid department 25 years ago after he graduated from law school. And Markey's push into heavily Spanish-speaking territory in Western Massachusetts follows Warren's similar push in the 2012 race where she unseated Republican Scott Brown. In that election, Brown made inroads with the African American community but no specific overtures to the Latinos.

Markey held an early-morning stop at a health center in Boston and was scheduled to hold another at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center Friday evening. Over the weekend, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democratic congresswoman from Florida, will be he headlining get-out-the-vote events in Longmeadow, Boston and Waltham.

Gomez held an afternoon event at Oasys Water in Boston and planned to spend time in the evening greeting fans outside TD Garden ahead of the Boston Briuns playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

A survey of 357 likely voters conducted by YouGov America for the University of Massachusetts-Amherst between May 30- June 4 placed Markey ahead by 11 points, 51 percent to 40 percent.

The central findings of the UMass survey are mostly in line with a New England College poll released on Tuesday. That poll concluded that Markey had a 12-point lead over Gomez, 52 percent to 40 percent.

A Democratic Public Policy Polling survey conducted for the League of Conservation Voters, which is supporting Markey, placed the congressman up by 8 points, 47-39 over Gomez.

The two candidates sparred Wednesday evening in a fiery debate that covered several topics including gun control, women's issues and international relations. They will meet again this coming Tuesday in Springfield for their second debate and a final time on June 18 when they square off at WGBH's studios in Brighton.

U.S. employers added 175,000 jobs in May, slightly more than the 170,000 forecast by economists, according to data provider FactSet. More people also began looking for work, another encouraging sign.

Trader Vincent Quinones, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading. Steady growth in hiring in May 2013 is sent the stock market sharply higher, Friday, June 7, 2013. AP Photo/Richard Drew 

NEW YORK — Steady growth in hiring last month sent the stock market sharply higher Friday.

U.S. employers added 175,000 jobs in May, slightly more than the 170,000 forecast by economists, according to data provider FactSet. More people also began looking for work, another encouraging sign.

The report gave a boost to stock market bulls, who expect the Fed to keep up its stimulus program as the U.S. economy continues to recover moderately. That combination pushed the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index to record highs last month.

Federal Reserve policy makers are now all but certain to refrain from easing back on their stimulus program at the next two-day policy meeting, which starts June 18, said Phil Orlando, chief equity strategist at Federated Investors.

"This was, in our view, very much a 'Goldilocks' number," said Orlando. "There is zero chance that the Federal Reserve is going to start tapering monetary policy."

The central bank is buying $85 billion of bond every month to keep interest rates low and encourage borrowing and spending. Low interest rates also keep bond prices high and push up demand for riskier assets like stocks.

Stocks rose strongly in the morning, then eased slightly in the early afternoon. The gains accelerated in the final hour of trading.

The Dow Jones Industrial average had its best day in five months. It rose 207 points, or 1.4 percent, to close at 15,248.12. That gain was surpassed this year only by its 2.4 percent rise Jan. 2.

Boeing led the index higher with a gain of $2.73, or 2.7 percent, to $102.49. Industrial conglomerate 3M gained $2.44, or 2.2 percent, to $111.11. Twenty-six of the 30 stocks in the Dow rose.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 20.82 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,643.38. The Nasdaq composite rose 45.16 points, or 1.3 percent, to 3,469.22.

Nine of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 index rose, led by consumer discretionary stocks, which stand to benefit more than other sectors if the economy picks up. Industrial companies and banks also posted strong gains.

The only S&P 500 industry group that fell was telecommunications, a so-called defensive sector that investors favor when they are seeking safety and high dividends.

Stocks slumped on Tuesday and Wednesday after disappointing reports on private-sector hiring and manufacturing. The S&P 500 index lost 1.9 percent over those two days. Friday's gain erased the S&P's loss for the week. The S&P gained 0.8 percent since last Friday.

Financial markets have turned volatile over the past two weeks as traders parse comments from Fed officials for hints about when the central bank will cut back on its support. When it happens, the wind-down will help nudge interest rates higher.

For investors who expect the Fed to stay the course, "these types of slow economic growth reports speak to that," said Kevin Mahn, chief investment officer at Hennion & Walsh Asset Management. "It keeps interest rates at record lows and it keeps the equity markets humming."

The S&P 500 index is down 1.6 percent since reaching a record high on May 21. The next day, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the Fed could ease up on its economic stimulus program in one of its next few meetings.

In government bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.18 percent from 2.08 percent late Thursday as investors moved out of safer assets.

The Labor Department's monthly survey of employment is one of the most important gauges of the U.S. economy and receives close scrutiny from investors. It can frequently cause big moves in financial markets, especially if the report shows that employment is stronger or weaker than economists were expecting.

On May 3, the government reported not only a strong pickup in hiring in April but it also revised sharply upward its estimates for job growth in February and March. That sent the Dow Jones industrial average past 15,000 for the first time, while the S&P 500 index broke through 1,600.

In the weeks following that report, bond yields rose from 1.63 percent as high as 2.20 percent May 31. That meant investors thought the economy was strengthening, dampening the appeal of low-risk assets like bonds. It also meant investors believed the Fed would act sooner than previously thought to curtail its bond-buying program.

Investors are still keeping an eye on interest rates because of the impact that they have on the economy. For example, higher borrowing costs will push up mortgage rates and curb demand for housing. The recovery in the housing market has also boosted stock prices this year.

"Interest rates have really gone up in quite dramatically from a month ago," said Paul Hogan, the manager of the FAM Equity-Income Fund. "If they continue to rise, the market will be a little more bit choppy."

The improving economy has also helped support the dollar this year. The U.S. currency rose against the euro and the yen Friday.

The price of gold fell $32.80, or 2.3 percent, to $1,383 an ounce. Gold has fallen sharply this year as a rising stock market and a strengthening dollar have diminished its appeal as an alternative investment.

In other commodities trading, the price of oil rose $1.27, or 1.3 percent, to $96.03 a barrel.

Among other stocks making big moves:

• Gap rose $1.11, or 2.7 percent, to $42.09. The San Francisco-based clothing store chain reported late Thursday that its sales jumped 7 percent in May, more than expected, helped by strong results at its namesake Gap and Old Navy stores.
• TiVo plunged $2.61, or 19 percent, to $11.10 after the company settled patent disputes with several technology companies including Cisco and Motorola Mobility but received far less than what most investors inspected. TiVo has posted annual losses in nearly all of the past 10 years.
• Thor Industries rose $4.92, or 11.9 percent, to $46.16 after the company reported a 6 percent increase in income. The results beat market expectations on stronger sales of RVs and a lower tax rate.

The graduating class of 2013 will be remembered as the first to experience the full two years of the new international baccalaureate program.

 

GREENFIELD – Stoneleigh-Burnham School held a historic graduation ceremony, for the first time issuing an “international baccalaureate” diploma to 23 of the 26 young women who graduated this year.

To qualify for the international baccalaureate, students pursue a rigorous, globally-oriented program in their junior and senior years that involves specially designated courses (including “theory of knowledge”), research, exams, presentations and essays.

Sally L. Mixsell, head of Stoneleigh-Burnham, said this graduating class will be remembered as the first to experience the full two years of the new program.

“They have risen to every challenge in order to produce an impressive body of work,” said Mixsell. “They have also led the school in a wonderfully smooth year, modeling for our younger students how to appreciate difference, think independently and work together as a strong team.”

All 26 graduates are bound for four-year colleges.

The commencement address was delivered by Rachel Simmons, co-founder of the Girls Leadership Institute and author of “Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls,” (which was turned into a Lifetime movie), “Odd Girl Speaks Out: Girls Write About Bullying, Cliques, Popularity and Jealousy,” and “The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence.”

Student speakers included senior class president Rose Kelleher, of Greenfield, and Nafisatou Mounkaila, of the Bronx, N.Y.

Founded in 1869, Stoneleigh-Burnham serves girls in grades seven through 12. Graduates in the class of 2013 come from as far away as Belgium, Nigeria, Taiwan, Rwanda and South Korea.

“We will miss them,” said Mixsell of the graduating class.

As reports emerge of secret surveillance programs involving government access to phone and internet records, Markey, a long-time privacy advocate in Congress, commented, "As we look for the guilty needle, we can't invade the privacy of those in the innocent haystack."

Democratic U.S. Rep. Edward Markey said he has “serious concerns” about reports that the U.S. government has been collecting massive amounts of data from phone and internet companies.

News reports this week revealed the existence of two secret surveillance programs by the U.S. National Security Agency. The Guardian, a British newspaper, reported on one court order, in which the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court allowed the NSA to access all of Verizon’s phone records, domestic and international, on a daily basis for a three-month period, including information on the phone numbers of both parties, call time and duration, and unique identifiers. The second program, uncovered by The Washington Post, allowed the NSA and FBI to tap into the servers of nine U.S. Internet companies, extracting information including audio and video, e-mails, documents and connection logs.

Markey, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in the June 25 special election, has been a leader in Congress on privacy issues. Markey said in a statement released Friday, "As we look for the guilty needle, we can't invade the privacy of those in the innocent haystack. I have serious concerns about this program, and will continue my work to protect the privacy of individuals from excessive requests for wireless records and information."

Markey co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus. He has been involved with investigating the large numbers of law enforcement requests for wireless records, including sweeping requests in which carriers provide phone numbers of all cell users that connect with a tower during a period of time. Markey has contended that the privacy concerns of innocent people should not be overlooked in these requests.

Markey’s office has pointed to Markey’s votes on a variety of surveillance-related bills in which Markey voiced privacy concerns. Markey voted against a 2007 reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that allow the government to wiretap communications to or from a foreign country without a court warrant. He opposed a 2008 bill that would have shielded telecommunications companies from lawsuits related to government’s warrantless wiretaps on phone lines.

Markey voted for the Patriot Act in 2001, a bill giving government broader authority to investigate foreign and domestic terrorism, but against reauthorizations of the Patriot Act in 2010 and 2011, and against making it permanent. His spokesman said Markey opposed giving the government overly broad power to investigate private records without consistent oversight and public debate.

Markey’s opponent, Republican private equity investor Gabriel Gomez, said Thursday that he did not yet know enough about the programs to comment. A day later, his campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the issue.

June 7, 2013 - Springfield - Staff photo by Michael S. Gordon - Congressman Xavier Becerra, D-California, campaigned for his colleague, Congressman Edward Markey, D-Mass. in Springfield Friday at Medina's Supermarket on Main St. in the city's North End. 

U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat from California's 34th Congressional District, rallied the Latino vote for Markey in Springfield and Worcester on Friday. In an interview following the Western Massachusetts stop, he said that although he was already aware of most of the NSA's surveillance programs, he was taken aback by the scope of the two currently under public scrutiny.

"I was not aware of the extent of this and it is concerning. We have two cherished principles of our democracy that are rubbing against each other," Becerra said. "To me, what makes us such as great country, is that we cherish freedom so much. But you can't have freedom without security. So you have to find the balance."

Becerra said that while he is confident the Obama administration is acting appropriately despite the broad nature of the surveillance programs, he worries about potentials for abuse.

"I have voted against some of the overreaching by Congress when it comes to legislating what we can do to investigate potential terrorism because if you go to broadly you sweep in folks who are innocent," Becerra said. "And at some point you may have someone in the White House or someone in government who doesn't take their role of authority with as much deliberation, that's when you get these sweeps that are unjustified."

Three shooting victims were admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, hospital spokesman Mark Wheeler said. Two were in critical condition and one was in serious condition

Los Angeles Police officers are shown detaining a man near a shooting at Santa Monica College Friday June 7, 2013 in Santa Monica, Calif. A gunman opened fire near Santa Monica College, police said, and several people are reported wounded. Witnesses say a man on a street corner fired shots at vehicles, including a bus. Santa Monica police Sgt. Rudy Flores says the shooter is believed to be among the wounded. AP Photo/Tami Abdollah 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Two people were found dead Friday in a burned home near the campus of Santa Monica College, where someone sprayed a street corner with gunfire, wounding at least three people, authorities said.

Police and witnesses said the gunfire began adjacent to the campus and about 3 miles from where President Barack Obama was attending a fundraising luncheon, just before noon.

Police said a shooter was in custody and the campus was being searched for a possible second shooter.

Jeff Furrows of the Santa Monica Fire Department said there was extensive fire damage inside the nearby home. A woman also was found with a gunshot wound in a car outside the burned home, he said.

Three shooting victims were admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, hospital spokesman Mark Wheeler said. Two were in critical condition and one was in serious condition, said.

Jimes Gillespie, 20, told The Associated Press he was in the college's library studying when he heard the gunfire, and he and dozens of other students began fleeing the three-story building.

"As I was running down the stairs I saw one of the gunmen," said Gillespie, who described the shooter as a white man in his 20s, wearing cornrows in his hair and black overalls. He said the man was carrying a shotgun.

Gillespie believes there were two shooters because he heard two kinds of gunfire — a shotgun and a handgun — but only saw one person.

"The shotgun blast was first. It was either him or the partner who shot eight to 10 handgun shots," Gillespie said. "Then after I saw the gunman I heard more shots and I ran out of the library through the emergency exit."

As Gillespie ran away across campus, he said he saw a car in front of the English building that was riddled with bullet holes, had shattered windows and a baby's car seat in the back.

Santa Monica police Sgt. Rudy Flores said numerous witnesses called to report that the shooting began with a man on a street corner near the college firing shots at vehicles, including a bus.

California Highway Patrol Officer Vince Ramirez said his agency began receiving 911 calls just minutes before noon.

"We understand one shooter was taken into custody shortly after we arrived," he said.

Ramirez said officers were searching the 38-acre campus after witnesses said there may have been a second shooter. He emphasized that those reports were unconfirmed.

Santa Monica College is a two-year college with about 34,000 students in an area of homes and strip malls. It's a little more than a mile from the coastal city's beaches and pier, and about 3 miles from where Obama was attending the fundraiser.

Secret Service spokesman Max Milien said the agency was aware of the shooting but it had no impact on the president's event.

A flood watch goes into effect at noon today and runs through Saturday morning.

A National Weather Service radar image shows a large band of precipitation moving into the region.National Weather Service

UPDATE: Several weather-related cancellations have been announced. West Side's Taste of the Valley is canceled for Friday night; it will resume Saturday. The Western Mass. High School Baseball Championships have been moved to Sunday.

SPRINGFIELD -- The National Weather Service warns that remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea will bring as much as 2 to 4 inches of rain to Western Massachusetts, with isolated amounts of 5 inches possible.

A flood watch goes into effect at noon today and will run through Saturday morning.

The heaviest rain is expected across Connecticut and in interior Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service.

Although 5 inches is significant, it’s only half of what Western Massachusetts experienced on August 28, 2011, when Tropical Storm Irene dumped an average of 10 inches of rain, forcing rivers over their banks and residents to evacuate their homes in search of emergency shelters.

CBS3 meteorologist Mike Skurko said motorists should expect poor road conditions, and minor flooding in urban and low-lying areas is possible.

Scattered rain showers as a result of the system will stick around on Sunday and more bad weather coming in from the west will bring additional scattered showers on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Highs will reach the lower 60s tomorrow, followed by the lower 70s for most of next week, Skurko said.

WESTFIELD – St. Mary High School graduated 32 seniors Friday during the school’s 110th commencement. Bishop Timothy McDonnell presided over the service at St. Mary’s Church and handed out diplomas. St. Mary’s pastor, Rev. Brian McGrath and Deacon Roger Carrier, a teacher at St. Mary’s, also participated. Valedictorian Corey Clemente spoke for the class, all 32 of whom will...

Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell accepts a Eucharistic gift from St. Mary High School graduate Lyndon C. Ondrick during the school's graduation Mass in St. Mary Church held Friday evening. Manon Mirabelli photo 

WESTFIELD – St. Mary High School graduated 32 seniors Friday during the school’s 110th commencement.

Bishop Timothy McDonnell presided over the service at St. Mary’s Church and handed out diplomas.

St. Mary’s pastor, Rev. Brian McGrath and Deacon Roger Carrier, a teacher at St. Mary’s, also participated.

Valedictorian Corey Clemente spoke for the class, all 32 of whom will be attending college.

The salutatorian was Zachary Slepchuk.

"We embodied the spirit of Minnechaug," said class speaker Amanda Robinson.

SPRINGFIELD - The 304 members of the class of 2013 who graduated from Minnechaug Regional High School Friday night are members of the first class to graduate from the new high school which opened its doors last September.

“We embodied the spirit of Minnechaug,” said class speaker Amanda Robinson.

She praised her classmates for being filled with “personality, determination and Minnechaug spirit.”

The pouring rain did not stop the ceremony which was held at Springfield’s Symphony Hall.

Class valedictorian was Stephanie Bandoski. Erin Broderick was the salutatorian. Ninety percent of the class plans to continue their education at two- and four-year colleges.

Colleges the students will attend next year include Mount Holyoke College, Duke University, Boston College, Boston University, Bates College, Hamilton College, Colby College, University of Rochester, Renssaelear Polytechnic Institute and Bentley University.

Catherine Mahoney, who graduated from Minnechaug in 1979, a teacher in the school district and the mother of a 2013 graduate, was honored for her election to the Alumni Hall of Fame.

“To my fellow parents,” Mahoney said, “I have the utmost respect for you who do the most difficult job on earth.”

High School Principal Stephen Hale recognized Raymond W. Drury, who is retiring this year after 35 years as choral director at the high school.

Class President Austin Sowa counseled his fellow classmates not to be so consumed with “winning the game” that they “forget to enjoy the experience.”

School Committee Chairman Peter Salerno told the graduating class, “Your education does not end tonight. This is the end of the beginning of your education.”

The state fire marshal's office is investigating; a cause has not been determined.

This is the home of Palmer Fire Lt. Todd Warren, where there was a fire on Thursday night. Warren was one of the first responders.The Republican I Lori Stabile 

This is an update of a story posted Thursday night.

PALMER - Palmer Fire Lt. Todd Warren was at work Thursday night when he heard the call come in for a fire at his house at 22 Fieldstone Drive.

Warren was among the first crew that appeared on the scene for the 7:37 p.m. fire call at his home. Just 15 minutes before, Warren was on the tanker that responded to a report of a shed fire on St. John Street, according to Palmer Fire Chief Alan J. Roy.

"He was heading back to the station when the call came in for his address," Roy said on Friday. "I'm sure it was a shock."

Warren, a part-time lieutenant, could not be reached for comment.

The fire, which took firefighters approximately 30 minutes to put out, rendered the two-story, colonial-style house uninhabitable. The family now is staying with relatives, Roy said. There was heavy fire and smoke damage on the second floor, he said. Roy, who was the first on the scene, said flames could be seen around a bedroom window.

Roy said that the state fire marshal's office is investigating. The cause of the fire has not been determined. The fire started in Warren's teenage son's bedroom. Only the son was home; his mother and sister had left to go shopping, Roy said.

Roy said the son was on the first floor when he heard the smoke detector going off, and went to investigate, discovering that the curtains in his room were on fire. Warren's son and the family pets escaped unharmed, he said.

In all, 20 firefighters responded from Palmer, Three Rivers, Bondsville and Ware fire department. Monson fire covered the station. No one was injured.

Firefighters remained on scene until 11:30 p.m.

"It was a very smokey fire," Roy said.

He did not have a damage estimate available. Roy said fighting a fire at a home of one of their own was no different than responding to any other call.

"We really treat every house or every person that we serve the same way. We would do the same with any other house," Roy said.

He did say that they probably cleaned up a little more than usual. The fire gave Roy pause.

"It makes you think you're not exempt from mishaps like everyone else. It made me think twice," Roy said.

On Friday, one of the windows at the home was boarded up, and siding around it was burned black. A large pile of burned debris could be seen in front of the home, along with scattered toys.

The earlier fire at 108 St. John St. at the Fountain Street involved a pool pump malfunction. Roy said the homeowner put it out.

There were 72 graduates, with 83 percent going on to further their education, according to the guidance office.

The Monson High School graduating senior Class of 2013. Wyatt Aloisio photo 

MONSON - There were references to the cartoon character Dora the Explorer and the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at Monson High School's graduation ceremony for the Class of 2013 Friday night.

Held inside at the school due to the rain, salutatorian Joanne Paquin discussed the symbolism of the cartoon, "Dora the Explorer" and its resourceful star, and taking small steps to overcome obstacles.

"If we take that next small step, regardless of our fear, we can change the world . . . We can't do something about everything, but we can do something about something. We can make a positive impact on that sliver of the world that we touched and if enough of us do that, we can change everything for the better. Class of 2013, everyone's counting on us. No pressure," Paquin said.

Shannon Haley, who received third honors, quoted von Goethe: "Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes."

"We have found that change can be chosen, like our plans for the fall, or it can be thrust upon us like the June 1, (2011,) tornado. We may not have liked it, but we have adapted and gained some experience in change," Haley said.

Valedictorian Devon Fontaine also discussed the tornado, which tore a path through the town. Fontaine said all of the graduates were either affected or knew someone affected by the tornado.

"But we're just like the town of Monson in that respect, no matter what tragedy comes our way, we stand up to it and adapt, and in the end we've all, and will continue to, come out stronger than before," Fontaine said.

High School Principal Andrew Linkenhoker addressed the crowd, saying he will always cherish the Class of 2013.

Prior the graduation, Linkenhoker said the class is a strong one that has worked hard.

"I am proud to call myself their principal and am confident they will excel at whatever they do," Linkenhoker said.

There were 72 graduates, with 83 percent going on to further their education, according to the guidance office.

Blanchard said the settlement agreement was negotiated between town lawyer Charles F. Ksiniewicz and Freeman's lawyer on the condition there would be no future litigation.

Ian Freeman, of Keene, N.H., is seen at an auction in Palmer Town Hall in the summer of 2011.Lori Stabile / The Republican file 

PALMER - Ian Freeman, the New Hampshire man arrested in October for disorderly conduct for attempting to videotape a public auction, was paid $5,000 by the town of Palmer as part of a settlement, the town manager confirmed Thursday.

Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said the town opted to pay the $5,000, which represents its insurance deductible, to end the case, and avoid the potential of future civil rights suits filed on behalf of Freeman, 32.

Last month, the remaining charge against Freeman - a municipal ordinance violation for being disorderly before the October auction - was dismissed in Palmer District Court. Back in December, a criminal disorderly conduct charge against Freeman in connection with the case was not prosecuted.

Freeman's case was taken on by the American Civil Liberties Union. Freeman is a journalist and blogger who runs "Free Talk Live," a radio show in Keene, N.H.

"The $5,000 settlement, in conjunction with dismissal of all charges, we believe vindicates the First Amendment rights that were at stake in this case," said William C. Newman, director of the Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"Freedom of speech and of the press are fundamental rights. The resolution here underscores the importance of those rights, and helps protect them for all of us," Newman added.

Blanchard said the settlement agreement was negotiated between town lawyer Charles F. Ksiniewicz and Freeman's lawyer on the condition there would be no future litigation. Blanchard said Ksieniewicz felt it was in the best interest of the town to settle, and avoid the potential of a long legal battle.

Blanchard said he does not regret having signs posted at the Town Building that warned visitors not to videotape, as the auction did go off without any problems. The signs have since been removed. They were placed throughout the building on the day of the auction of town-owned properties on the advice of another lawyer, Peter Brown, as there were concerns that supporters of Joseph "Jay" Noone, including Freeman, would disrupt the auction. Noone's Main Street property in Bondsville was part of the auction.

"They were not just coming in for the fun of it," Blanchard said about Noone's supporters.

The signs were prompted by events the summer before when Noone's supporters brought their video cameras into the Town Building to videotape another auction and interview officials. Blanchard said they were disruptive. On the same day as the summer 2011 auction, officials were attempting to evict Noone for non-payment of taxes.

In October, Freeman challenged the no-videotaping edict and ended up getting arrested.

Freeman cited the Glik decision to demonstrate his right to videotape. Simon Glik was arrested after videotaping Boston police officers with his cell phone as they arrested a man in Boston. A judge ruled Glik was exercising his First Amendment rights in filming police in a public space;

Blanchard said the officer who arrested Freeman "did the right thing under the conditions he had," but the decision was made not to take the case further.

The alleged victim says she is too frightened to testify against the suspect when the case comes to court.

File Photo 

But, the victim is telling police she is so scared of the man she will not testify against him in court. She said she has already withdrawn one restraining order she obtained in Vermont after Cote threatened her and her 4-month-old son. She said she fears for what he or his associates might do to her.

According to the Greenfield Recorder, Greenfield Police officer Megan Gilbert told the court that the alleged victim told police that she was Cote's girlfriend, and she and her son were staying with a friend in a Quincy Street apartment. Cote was also staying with the two women. Over the course of four days, during which Cote refused to let her leave the apartment, the victim told police that Cote beat her several times, beat her friend at least once, coerced her into having sex, then refused to stop when she asked him to. She alleged that When she tried to leave the bedroom he forced her to stay. Later, when she was able to leave the bedroom, she said he threatened to kill her and told her he would give her son to his brother to raise after she was dead.

On Saturday morning, June 1, the victim told police she and Cote began to argue. At one point Cote allegedly grabbed her and began to choke her with his hands. Later, he again tried to strangle her using his elbow to block her airway, she said, strangling her for about 5 minutes. Late that day he head butted the woman and threw her around the apartment, the statement read.

The episode ended at approximately 3:30 a.m. Sunday June 2, when Gilbert and her partner, Aaron McCloud, responded to a call at the residence. When they arrived on scene, the victim and the apartment renter refused to let them in, telling police they were alone in the apartment. But, as they questioned the women at the door the officers learned that the infant was also inside the residence and police entered to check on the child's welfare. They found Cote hiding in a shower. That was when the allegations about the past four days came out, Gilbert said.

Cote was arraigned on charges of rape, kidnapping, attempted murder, threatening to commit murder, five counts of domestic assault and battery and two counts of malicious destruction of property in District Court Monday, and ordered held pending a dangerousness hearing Friday. He will next appear in court July 11 for a pretrial hearing.

The first two victims were the suspect's father and brother.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — A man with a semi-automatic rifle killed four people and injured five others Friday as he carried out a deadly rampage across several blocks of a normally idyllic beachfront city. Police shot him dead in the Santa Monica College Library.

The violence began when the gunman, acting alone despite early reports of a possible second shooter, opened fire on a house where two bodies were found, police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said.

Two officials said the killings began as a domestic violence incident and the victims in the home were the gunman's father and brother. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

Only about 20 minutes passed between the first reports of trouble and the gunman's death, but it led to hours of fear and confusion in the balmy coastal city.

"It's a horrific event everyone wishes didn't happen," Santa Monica police spokesman Sgt. Richard Lewis said.

As the house burst into flames, the man, dressed all in black and wearing what appeared to be a ballistic jacket, carjacked a woman at gunpoint and directed her to drive to the college campus, having her stop so he could shoot along the way, police said.

He wounded one woman in a car, left three more women with minor injuries after firing on a city bus, and also fired on police cars, bystanders and pedestrians, police said.

In a faculty parking lot on the edge of campus, he fired on two people in a red Ford Explorer that crashed through a block wall. The driver was killed and a passenger critically wounded, police said.

From there, the gunman entered the campus, fatally wounding a woman as he made his way toward the college's library, where students were studying for final exams.

"We saw a woman get shot in the head," said administrative assistant Trena Johnson, who looked out the window of the dean's office, where she works, when she heard gunfire. "I haven't been able to stop shaking."

The gunman fired on people in the library, Seabrooks said, but apparently didn't hit anybody there as dozens ran for the exits.

"I was totally scared to death and I can't believe it happened so fast," said Vincent Zhang, a 20-year-old economics major.

Officers entered the library and shot and killed the gunman moments later, Seabrooks said.

Just 3 miles away, President Barack Obama was attending a fundraising luncheon. Secret Service spokesman Max Milien said the agency was aware of the shooting, which began just before noon, but it had no effect on the president's event.

After the gunman was killed, police combed the campus for a possible second shooter. They detained a man, but he was questioned and released and was not a suspect, Lewis said.

The body of the suspected gunman remained on the campus sidewalk hours later as coroner's investigators examined the scene. The gunman was found with a canvas bag that included a rifle, a handgun and magazines of ammunition, Lewis said.

ATF agents also responded to the home where fire erupted earlier, to investigate a small cache of ammunition found in a room, Lewis said.

The identities of the dead would be released by coroner's investigators after relatives were notified, officials said.

Three of the gunman's victims, the two in the house and the SUV's driver, died immediately.

The woman near the library died at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center about three hours later. Lewis said the woman appeared to be in her 50s and had with her a bag of recyclables she may have been collecting.

Two other women were also admitted to the hospital, said Dr. Marshall Morgan, the chief of emergency medicine. One, the passenger from the SUV, was listed in critical condition after undergoing surgery. The other, who'd been shot by the gunman just after the carjacking, was in critical condition.

The three women from the bus were treated at the hospital and released. One had shrapnel-type injuries and the two others had injuries not related to gunfire.

Nine crime scenes were under investigation by officers from 11 different law enforcement agencies, said Lewis, the police spokesman.

Police were at another place of interest late Friday believed to be linked to the gunman and would likely execute a search warrant, Lewis said.

Police had said earlier that seven people were killed, including the gunman, but they revised the death toll to five at a news conference late Friday. Lewis said there were conflicting descriptions of some victims and they were counted twice.

Jerry Cunningham Rathner, who lives near the house that caught fire, said she heard gunshots and came out onto her porch to see a man shooting at the residence. Soon, the building erupted in flames and was billowing smoke.

She watched the gunman carjack one woman and fire on the other driving by.

"He fired three to four shots into the car — boom, boom, boom, right at her," said Cunningham Rathner, who went to help the woman and saw she was wounded in the shoulder.

From there, the chaos shifted to Santa Monica College, located among homes and strip malls more than a mile inland from the city's famous Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade and its expansive, sandy beaches.

The two-year college, spread out across 38 acres, has about 34,000 students.

In the parking lot, college employee Joe Orcutt said he saw the gunman standing calmly with his weapon, looking as though he were trying to determine which people to shoot at.

"I turn around and that's when he's just standing there, like he's modeling for some ammo magazine," Orcutt said. "He was very calm just standing there, panning around, seeing who he could shoot, one bullet at a time, like target practice."

___

The state has made adjustments in Easthampton ato the detour around the closed Manhan River Bridge.

EASTHAMPTON – Residents and motorists passing through the city are hoping for an easier commute next week with fresh adjustments to the detour around the closed Manhan River Bridge.

The bridge on Northampton Street closed Monday for repairs and is expected to be closed for six months.

“I would say that it has been a very trying week for many as everyone adjusts to the new traffic patterns,” said Patrick Brough, president of the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce. The chamber has been sending out text messages, compiling a newsletter and working with the state on making improvements to the detours in place.

“When you have 22,000 vehicles now going a different route than what they are used to, it is bound to be tough for everyone,” Brough said in an email.

“I feel that within the next week or two people will adjust and plan to add some extra time to their normal travel time in the detour area.” He has suggested that people add at least 10 minutes to their travel time.

“The MassDOT officials have been, as they have been all along, very receptive to input from the Chamber over the last week. We have shared concerns about the signal times and additional signage and they have made adjustments we requested,” he said.

Transportation spokeswoman Sara Lavoie said in an email that additional signs “were added on Glendale and West Streets, which are not part of the official detour but are being used by some local motorists as an alternate way around the closure.”

Traffic signal timing was adjusted at Pleasant and Ferry streets, West and Northampton streets and O’Neill and Northampton streets.

“Businesses are already seeing the impact and like everyone else we hope the project is completed sooner than the six months it is projected to be,” Brough said.

All businesses remain open during the bridge work.

Lavoie said that contractor is working six days per week and 10 hours per day. Crews “will work extended hours as needed and as appropriate for current operations to keep on schedule for the closure.

“We have known all along that the closure will be an inconvenience,” she wrote.

Officials determined that a six-day workweek was “in the public’s best interest. The idea is to use the extended hours and weekend day when operations call for it, so they may miss a Saturday here and there. We are using accelerated construction techniques as well," she said.

“It is not typical to work extended hours, but MassDOT is aware that in projects like this one, it is imperative to reopen the road as soon as possible for the benefit of the public and business owners. The Davitt Bridge in Chicopee used extended hours,” she said.

That project is about 13 months ahead of schedule. Northern Construction Service, LLC, of Weymouth is the contractor on both projects.

Selectman Richard Norton’s motion not to televise town meetings got no second from any of the other four selectmen.

Ware Town HallRepublican file photo 

WARE – Selectman Richard Norton’s found no support Tuesday for his idea to ban community television’s delayed broadcast of town meetings so that more people would attend.

Norton’s motion “not to televise annual town meetings or special town meetings in the future” got no second from any of the other four selectmen.

But it did create an argument between him and resident William Jackson.

“I think that’s totally wrong” to ban the televising of the meetings,” Jackson told Norton.

“People don’t care anymore. They want to watch it on TV. Why should we show it? Is it entertainment, Mr. Jackson?” Norton said.

“Do you want the town hall running everything?” Jackson responded.

Raising his voice, Norton said: “I am sick and tired of the apathy in this town.”

Norton had also discussed his idea to ban the television coverage during a meeting last month. He pointed to the numerous delays and postponements of town meetings because a the quorum of 100 voters was not met.

When Norton had said banning the broadcasts would force more voters to attend in person, the community television director told him that town meetings are never broadcast live, but instead are shown in the following days. The director also told Norton the state’s open meeting law gives people the right to tape and broadcast public government meetings.

After Norton made his motion to eliminate the broadcasts at the June 4 selectmen’s meeting there was silence.

“There is no second so it doesn’t go anywhere,” board chairman Greg Harder then said.

Selectmen said they would look at whether having town meetings at a time other than a weekday evening would boost attendance.

Tickets are $20 adult and $10 child children 5 and under a free. A Patron ticket is $30 and an Angel ticket is $50. Tickets are available from the church, the Boy’s & Girls Club or online at www.atonementwestfield.net.

Getting ready for the Episcopal Church of the Atonement 150th Strawberry Festival to benefit the Westfield Food Pantry: committee members charged with the festival are, front row from leftr, Ruth Aborjaily in charge of the raffle, Sue Cole, co-chair, Helen MahlerChef; back row from left Cathy Killela, maker of the quilts and afgan to be raffled, Gary Cole, co chair, and Nancy Webb Stroud, Rector.John Suchocki / The Republican 

WESTFIELD - The Church of the Atonement’s annual Strawberry Festival dinner started out 150 years ago as church social out on the lawn.

Today, it is among the top 20 summer events in New England according to Yankee Magazine’s annual travel guide.

This year’s dinner, set for June 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Boy’s & Girls Club of Greater Westfield, 28 West Silver St., is a benefit for the Westfield Food Pantry, says Sue Cole, this year's chairwoman and a member of the Church of the Atonement.

Cole predicts the dinner will raise at least $3,000 for the pantry. Nearly 1,000 people a month benefit from the food assistance provided at the pantry.

“It’s a huge community effort,” Cole said. “It’s a coming together. It’s a fellowship that is incredible every year. There are folks who have been doing this since they were little kids, and they are still doing it today.”

The Episcopal church picks a different social-service agency to benefit from the Strawberry Festival each year, and, often, people associated with those groups come back year after year to volunteer even though they are raising money for somebody else.

“Forum House was the beneficiary a few years ago, and they send a big group every year,” Cole said.

Which is good, she adds, because it takes a lot of hands to pick all the strawberries, a task usually reserved for the Tuesday before the Thursday-night diner. Cole estimates the volunteers will pick about 30 flats of fresh berries at Brown’s Provin Mountain Farm in Agawam for this year's dinner.

All those berries will be served over home-made biscuits with real whipped cream, Cole said. The dinner will include roasted turkey with herb glaze, baked ham, potato salad and corn pudding from a special church recipe. The church will also have tossed salad, rolls, butter, tea, coffee and lemonade.

The Church of the Atonement, which has about 350 members, moved the dinner to the Boy’s & Girls Club last year after the pavilion at Stanley Park, where the event was held for decades, was closed and later torn down.

Cole says the club has been a great alternative site, but the loss of a high-profile venue has cut attendance and proceeds. They used to regularly draw 1,000 or more and raise an average of $6,000.

“It’s an old tradition that maybe the younger people have not yet picked up on,” Cole said. “Not being in Stanley Park makes it harder to attract those new people.”

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. Kids age 5 and younger can attend for free. A patron's ticket is $30, and an Angel ticket is $50. Tickets are available from the church on Court Street, the Boy’s & Girls Club or online at www.atonementwestfield.net.

There will also be raffles at the event for a quilt, an afghan and a home-made cabinet furniture.

Longmeadow has one contested race during the annual election.

Mark P. Gold
Age: 62
Address: 129 Avondale Road
Occupation: Director, Private Non-Profit Foundation
Education: B.S. Cornell University; M.S. Washington University (St. Louis); M.B.A Western New England University
Elected offices held: Two terms on the Longmeadow Select Board (2009 to present)

LONGMEADOW -- Two incumbents and one newcomer will run for two seats on the Select Board during Tuesday’s annual election.

Mark Barowsky and Mark Gold both currently on the board will be joined by lawyer Alex Grant in a bid for two three-year seats on the board.

Gold, who has been on the board for four years, said he has shown decisive leadership. If elected he hopes to focus on developing strong town budgets and reducing town expenses for equal services by identifying new sources of revenue.

Mark Barowsky
Age: N/A
Address: 20 Woodlawn Pl
Occupation: President of American Systems & Equipment Corp
Education: BA in economics, Northeastern University
Elected offices held: Select Board

"My achievements during my tenure on the board range from reducing town expenses through targeted initiatives to identifying new sources of revenue such as the local supplemental meals tax. I have been instrumental in building the past four town budgets, all achieved without a reduction in town services or a Proposition 2-1/2 override beyond those for the bonds for the new high school," he said.

Barowsky, who was elected during a special election in May of 2012 for a one-year seat, said he relies on his prior experience on the Capital Planning Committee and Finance Committee to be an effective leader on the board.

Alex Grant
Age: 44
Address: 54 Westmoreland Avenue, Longmeadow, MA
Occupation: Federal prosecutor
Education: B.A., Stanford University; J.D., Cornell Law School
Elected offices held: None (I have written a column for the Longmeadow News since 2007)

“The town budget and process of preparing the budget is complex. It takes years of experience before one can be conversant with its various accounts and line items. It takes even more experience to understand how those accounts and line items can be manipulated and how they can affect long term liability of the town,” he said. “With my knowledge, I have been able to help the Select Board chart a course of general fiscal responsibility for the benefit of the entire town, including the School Department.”

If re-elected Barowsky plans to work with the Planning Board with the goal of adjusting the town's zoning regulations for the purpose of revenue growth, he said.

Grant, a federal prosecutor, has never run for office, but has followed the Select Board closely for many years.

“I am running because the Select Board is out of step with town residents. The Select Board's budget was overwhelmingly defeated at Town Meeting, and that vote amounted to a vote of no confidence in their policies,” he said referring to the recent annual Town Meeting where voters opted for an amended budget that included an additional $353,000 for the School Department. “The Select Board needs to reach out and listen to voters, and it needs to reach out to women to serve on appointed boards because those boards are currently 80 percent men. The Finance Committee has not included a woman since 2009.”

If elected, Grant hopes to reach out to people who have not been part of town government and open up the conversation about the direction Longmeadow needs to go, he said.

Also running are Kimberly King and Janet Robinson for two seats on the School Committee. Donal Holland is running unopposed for a five-year seat on the Planning Board and Ronald Mansaeu is running for a five-year seat on the Housing Authority.

Polls will be ope at the Longmeadow Community House from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.