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Aaron Hernandez: Live updates as Odin Lloyd homicide investigation continues

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Stay up-to-date with the latest developments surrounding New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernanez and the investigation into the murder of Odin Lloyd.

Stay up-to-date with the latest developments surrounding New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez and the investigation into the murder of Odin Lloyd as MassLive Patriots beat writer Nick Underhill follows the story as an eyewitness on the ground as it unfolds.

Read complete coverage on the Patriots fanpage and share your thoughts in the comments.

Mobile readers can click here to view the coverage on a mobile device.

Check out livestreaming video of media following Hernandez's movements here from FOX 25 News in Boston.


Obama commits to tough push on global warming

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Obama's senior energy and climate adviser, Heather Zichal, said the plan would boost energy efficiency of appliances and buildings, plus expand renewable energy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is planning a major push using executive powers to tackle the pollution blamed for global warming in an effort to make good on promises he made at the start of his second term. "We know we have to do more — and we will do more," Obama said Wednesday in Berlin.

Obama's senior energy and climate adviser, Heather Zichal, said the plan would boost energy efficiency of appliances and buildings, plus expand renewable energy. She also said the Environmental Protection Agency was preparing to use its authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate heat-trapping pollution from coal-fired power plants.

"The EPA has been working very hard on rules that focus specifically on greenhouse gases from the coal sector," Zichal said.

Zichal, speaking at a forum hosted by The New Republic in Washington, said that none of the proposals would require new funding or action from Congress. It has shown no appetite for legislation that would put a price on carbon dioxide after a White House-backed bill to set up a market-based system died in Obama's first term with Democrats in charge.

The plan, with details expected to be made public in coming weeks, comes as Obama has been under increasing pressure from environmental groups and lawmakers from states harmed by Superstorm Sandy to cut pollution from existing power plants, the largest source of climate-altering gases. Several major environmental groups and states have threatened to sue the administration to force cuts to power plant emissions. And just last week, former Vice President Al Gore, a prominent climate activist and fellow Democrat, pointedly called on Obama to go beyond "great words" to "great actions."

It was unclear whether the White House's plans would include controls on existing power plants. An administration official, who wasn't authorized to comment on the plan by name, said the White House was still weighing it. But since the administration has already proposed action on future power plants, the law would likely compel it to eventually tackle the remaining plants, or it would be forced to through litigation.

Obama's remarks in Berlin echoed comments he made in his State of the Union and inaugural speeches this year.

"This is the global threat of our time," Obama said Wednesday. "And for the sake of future generations, our generation must move toward a global compact to confront a changing climate before it is too late. That is our job. That is our task. We have to get to work."

Some environmentalists who cheered those remarks when they were made months ago, criticized them Wednesday.

"President Obama deserves praise for including climate change among the long-term threats facing us all," said Ned Helme, president of the Center for Clear Air Policy, an environmentally friendly think tank. "But he should do more than talk about the problem. The president needs to put the full force of his office behind new regulations that will truly curb greenhouse gas emissions. For too long now, he has produced little action. I'm encouraged that he will finally act and not just ask."

Meanwhile, the environmental community is growing impatient.

"I really can't understand why they haven't moved forward on this more quickly, and we hope that turns around," said Nathan Wilcox of Environment America.

An orchestrated and well-publicized campaign to persuade Obama to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would carry oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast, appears to be an uphill battle.

Opponents call the $7 billion project a "carbon bomb" that would carry "dirty oil" and exacerbate global warming. But the State Department in an environmental evaluation concluded that other means of transporting the oil would be worse from a climate perspective.

Fitchburg man dies after fall from porch

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Authorities say a 45-year-old man has died after falling from the third-floor porch of a Fitchburg home.

FITCHBURG, Mass. (AP) — Authorities say a 45-year-old man has died after falling from the third-floor porch of a Fitchburg home.

Emergency crews were called to the three-story home at about 7:35 a.m. Wednesday after a neighbor found Marc Michaud in the home's front yard and called 911.

Michaud was taken to Leominster Hospital, and from there was flown to UMass Medical Center in Worcester. He was pronounced dead in Worcester.

A spokesman for the Worcester district attorney's office tells The Sentinel & Enterprise that Michaud lived in the third floor unit.

The death remains under investigation but it does not appear suspicious.

Youth leagues try to rein in 'bad news parents'

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The campaign is part of a growing movement in youth sports — aimed at reining in parents who, many say, are too involved, too competitive and in need of a little perspective.

Bad News Parents_Gene.jpgView full sizeA sign asking parents to behave and keep youth sports games in perspective is posted on a fence at a baseball field in Buffalo Grove, Ill. on Monday, June 10, 2013. Park district officials in the Chicago suburb posted the signs earlier in the month, sparking a lot of conversation among members of the community. The signs are part of a growing national trend aimed at reining in bad parent behavior on the sidelines. 

By MARTHA IRVINE

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. — No parent here has rushed onto a playing field to jump a referee who made an unpopular call. No adult has gotten angry and slugged or pushed a coach or a young player, as has happened elsewhere. Nor have there been any of those embarrassing sideline brawls you sometimes see posted on online video sites.

At least nobody's admitting to it.

Still, parent behavior in this quiet suburb north of Chicago has been questionable enough to cause the park district officials to post new signs at ball fields with what you might call ... a few gentle reminders.

"This is a game being played by children," the signs in the Buffalo Grove Park District begin, with the words "game" and "children" highlighted in bold letters. "If they win or lose every game of the season, it will not impact what college they attend or their future potential income.."

The campaign, which began this month, is relatively low-key. You might not even notice the small blue signs if you weren't standing right by them. But they speak to a growing movement in youth sports — aimed at reining in parents who, many say, are too involved, too competitive and in need of a little perspective.

"I just want to get back to what I was brought up with as a child — and that's, 'Let the kids play,'" says Dan Schimmel, the park district's executive director.

Bad News Parents_Gene3.jpgA young batter takes a swing as a father who's a coach supervises at a youth baseball game in Buffalo Grove, Ill. on Monday June 10, 2013. Earlier in the month, park district officials in the Chicago suburb posted signs asking parents to behave and keep the games in perspective.  
Elsewhere, some youth sports leagues are requiring parents to sign codes of conduct or recite pledges before games, promising in front of their children that they'll behave. If they slip up, they might be pulled aside for a conversation or kicked out of a game if a warning does no good.

Other leagues occasionally have "silent" games, where parents and sometimes even coaches can only offer encouragement or cheer and clap, but can't direct the young players or say or shout anything too negative.

Buffalo Grove officials say some have questioned whether this is just another attempt to coddle children. Some wonder: Shouldn't a young player learn to take criticism? And what's wrong with a little competition, anyway?

But this, say coaches, leagues and even some parents and kids, is about parent behavior that increasingly goes way over the line and interferes with a kid's ability to enjoy something that's supposed to be fun.

Bad News Parents_Gene2.jpgJill Kirby, a mom of five kids who all play sports, sits with her daughter Allie Kirby, 11, as they watch a youth baseball game on Monday, June 10, 2013, in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Earlier in the month, park district officials in the Chicago suburb posted signs asking parents to behave and keep the games in perspective. But Kirby wonders if they'll really do any good.  
"We've all seen that person on the sidelines and we're thinking, 'Are they really going there? Really?'" says Brian Sanders, president of i9 Sports Corp., a national franchiser of youth leagues and camps based in Florida that uses sportsmanship as one of its cornerstones.

In some cases, violent behavior has led to criminal charges — in Newark, N.J., for instance, where parents allegedly beat up a Little League baseball umpire because he wouldn't call a game because of darkness.

"The level of competition in youth sports has gotten exponentially greater, forcing this level of hyper-competition," Sanders says.

"I think that is driving a certain level of behavior on the sidelines that is amplified."

Haley Small, a 19-year-old college student who played soccer and then traveling softball through high school, puts it this way: "The more competitively I played, the more interesting the parents got."

"We'd joke about it, but it's serious. Some of my friends were walking on eggshells," says Small, now a student at Ithaca College in New York. "We hear a lot more than people think."

It gets so bad sometimes that some players wish their parents would just stay home, she says.

Bad News Parents_Gene4.jpgCoaches and parents watch a youth baseball game near a sign on a fence about parent behavior in Buffalo Grove, Ill.  
Laura Marinelli, who coaches Small's younger sister on a traveling softball team for 12- to 14-year-old girls in Essex County, N.J., also has noticed more over-the-top parent behavior in recent years.

Marinelli recalls one dad who was angry about a play on the field and tried to tackle her assistant coach during a game. The coach was able to duck the parent and ended up throwing him to the ground.

At a national tournament last year, she says a father of a player was so unhappy with a decision she'd made that he ran at her in the dugout, screaming and pointing in her face, causing some of her players to cry. Ultimately, she asked his daughter to leave the team because she felt the dad had repeatedly violated the team's code of conduct.

"The girl is a phenomenal softball player. She's a sweetheart — and a great kid," Marinelli says. "But I can't have a parent like that on the sidelines."

Kicking kids off teams is one of the more serious punishments that leagues and coaches use to try to keep parents under control. Some leagues and tournament officials also are giving umpires more power to warn offending parents and coaches and then ask them to leave the premises if they ignore the warning.

It can be an effective deterrent, though in many other instances, umpires or referees at youth games are often teenagers who may not have the experience or confidence to stand up to parents.

And often, there's no security at games. So parents are left to police themselves.

For that reason, some teams assign parents to be "culture keepers," asking those people to help keep the yelling and negativity from fellow parents to a minimum. Sometimes, they even hand out lollipops to help keep themselves quiet.

"But sometimes the culture keeper isn't always the best person — because that person is yelling just as much as the other parents," Jill Kirby says, laughing. She's a mom in Long Grove, Ill., whose five children participate in sports, from soccer to swimming and T-ball, sometimes in neighboring Buffalo Grove.

She says the signs asking adults to behave are a nice idea — perhaps even a way to get people talking about the issue. But ultimately, she doesn't think the tactic will work.

"I think the worst offenders don't think they are the worst offenders," Kirby says, conceding that maybe even she was one of those parents, "once upon a time."

"And then I got a little perspective," she says.

Greg Dale, a sports psychologist at Duke University, agrees that it's difficult for parents to see themselves as "that parent," at least without a little help.

He recalls a mom in California telling him about a dad she called "leather lungs" because he yelled so often at the officials, coaches and kids.

Hesitant to approach him, the woman secretly filmed him at several games and anonymously sent him the video. "And the guy changed the way he was acting from then on," Dale says.

More often, though, he says he sees parents who "say the right things" about sportsmanship — maybe even reciting a pledge before a game, as is the case at his own children's Little League games.

"Those things help. But ultimately, I think they're Band-Aids," says Dale, author of the book "The Fulfilling Ride: A Parent's Guide to Helping Athletes Have a Successful Sport Experience."

More important, he says is whether parents are actually BEING good sports, even at professional sporting events.

"As parents, we have to model the lessons we want our kids want to learn," he says.

There are other good reasons not to interfere, says Malcolm Brown, a high school and club soccer coach in Westchester County, N.Y.

One of his teams has instituted very occasional "silent Sunday" games. But he'd like to have them more often because he says they make his players better — and more able to make decisions on their own.

"Too often during games, they're looking to the side for direction," he says of this generation of young athlete. "They become robots. They can never become good in soccer because soccer demands the imagination and creativity of the player."

Wendy Grolnick, a psychology professor at Clark University in Massachusetts, sees why silent games could be useful. But she also says coaches and leagues shouldn't punish all parents because some are overzealous.

"We don't want to just shut people up and make them feel like they can't say anything," says Grolnick, who wrote the book "Pressured Parents, Stressed-Out Kids: Dealing with Competition While Raising a Successful Child."

She recalls her own experience at meetings for parents when her daughters have played field hockey and tennis in college.

A lot of those meetings focused on "what not to do," she says. "It could feel a little insulting.. We need to feel like partners in the process."

But there's a happy medium, even for the most well-intentioned parents — and even when they're not yelling or fighting — says Mike Cherenson, a youth sports coach who founded a lacrosse league in his town, Pequannock, N.J.

He tells the story of a first-grade soccer game, when a young goalie was having trouble stopping the ball. Her mom ran onto the field to block it for her.

"Everyone had a good laugh — no harm, no foul," Cherenson says. "But I think it does depict a larger problem.

"There seems to be an inability to separate yourself from your child."

Worcester man acquitted of 2006 shooting

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A Worcester man has been acquitted of killing another man in a drive-by shooting in the city nearly seven years ago.

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A Worcester man has been acquitted of killing another man in a drive-by shooting in the city nearly seven years ago.

Shane Spencer was found not guilty by a jury in Worcester Superior Court on Wednesday of killing 25-year-old Luis Arocho-Ortiz in July 2006.

The 27-year-old Spencer was, however, convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that Arocho-Ortiz's family reacted in disbelief when the verdict was read, while Spencer's mother wept in relief.

Prosecutors relied on witness testimony that Spencer was the shooter. But his defense said witnesses lied to protect themselves and evidence pointed to another man as the shooter.

Spencer will be sentenced Monday. He has already spent seven years behind bars awaiting trial.

Callahan Tunnel to Boston's Logan airport to close for 3 months for $35 million rehab project

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The closure starting in January 2014 will allow for what officials say is a complete rehabilitation of the 52-year-old tunnel.

BOSTON (AP) — The state Department of Transportation plans a three-month closure of the Callahan Tunnel, which carries traffic from downtown Boston to Logan International Airport.

The closure starting in January 2014 will allow for what officials say is a complete rehabilitation of the 52-year-old tunnel. The project's cost is estimated at just under $35 million.

State highway administrator Frank DePaola says every aspect of the tunnel is in fair or poor condition.

The tunnel's original wall panels were removed in January due to corrosion. The replacement began after one of the panels fell to the roadway during rush hour. No one was injured.

Officials say they will reach out to motorists prior to and during the closing of the tunnel with information about detours, alternate routes and public transportation options.

Bruins vs. Blackhawks: 5 things learned in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final

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Chicago hosts Game 5 on Saturday with the series tied at two apiece.

By DOUG ALDEN
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Five things learned in the Chicago Blackhawks' 6-5 overtime win over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night:

BLACKHAWKS BOUNCE BACK: The Blackhawks had plenty to celebrate after splitting two games in Boston. Chicago hosts Game 5 on Saturday with the series tied at two apiece instead of in a 3-1 hole. The Blackhawks also atoned for their listless performance in a 2-0 loss in Game 3 on Monday. Chicago had six shots on goalie Tuukka Rask before the Bruins had any. The Blackhawks also came out hitting and never let up, showing some grit that was lacking in the previous game. While the Bruins rallied to tie it three different times, the Blackhawks never trailed. "They keep coming. They're a hard-working team. They have skill on all their lines," Chicago coach Joel Quennville said. "They have a mobile and active D. They have big shots. Defensively you're always going to get challenged and tested. But I thought we did a better job of our offense putting some pressure on their D."


OT AGAIN: Maybe the 48-game lockout-shortened schedule was a good thing, because the postseason is getting stretched to the max. Wednesday's game was the 27th overtime game of this year's playoffs, one short of the record set in 1993. That was also the last time three games in the finals went beyond regulation, with Montreal taking all three while beating Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings. "It's exciting. Everybody worked so hard tonight. Everybody's worked so hard through the playoffs," said Brent Seabrook, who scored on a slap shot 9:51 into OT. "We're all contributing. It doesn't matter if I score or anybody else scores, it's nice to get the win and move on to the next day." The Blackhawks are 5-2 in OT during the playoffs and the Bruins are 5-3, losing for the first time in an OT game in Boston in these playoffs.


RASK ROUGHED — Boston goalie Tuukka Rask's remarkable postseason run stalled on Wednesday night and his shutout streak of more than 129 minutes was long forgotten by the time it was over. Rask had allowed seven goals over the previous seven games before the Blackhawks cracked him in the largest offensive outburst of the series. Chicago had just five goals in the series entering Game 4, and the teams had combined for just 12 before striking for 11 on Wednesday. The final one came on Seabrook's slap shot as captain Jonathan Toews provided a bulky screen in front of Rask as the puck got past him and tucked inside the far post. "We were just around the net. We were getting inside and found the rebounds," said Toews, who had gone 10 games without a goal before he scored early in the second to put Chicago up 2-1. "Ugly goals, we don't care. We'll find a way. It's something we need to keep doing." Boston coach Claude Julien did not blame Rask for the loss in his postgame comments, but didn't exactly rush to his goalie's defense, either. "I don't evaluate the players publicly here," Julien said. "I look at our whole team and tell you our whole team was average. You can take what you want from that. I think we can be a lot better. We have an opportunity to be better next game. Hopefully, if anything, that makes us even hungrier."


NO GLOVE — The Bruins made it a long night for Chicago goalie Corey Crawford as well, finding a vulnerable spot on his glove side and targeting it all game. All five of Boston's goals were to Crawford's glove side and the Bruins tested him there one final time in OT on a snap shot by Rich Peverley. Crawford juggled the puck slightly, but held on to it and forced a faceoff. Seabrook scored 19 seconds later and Crawford had another win in the finals despite allowing five goals. "Corey has been great for us all year, all playoffs. He just moves forward," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Commend him. We got the win. You know, he'll be fine."


SPECIAL TEAMS: The Bruins scored a pair of power-play goals, the Blackhawks scored once while a man up and another down a man as special teams finally were a factor. The Blackhawks were scoreless in 11 power plays through the first three games and mired in a 0-for-29 drought before Patrick Sharp scored to put Chicago up 5-4 with 9:41 left in regulation. The goal came just after a 5-on-3 advantage for Chicago expired, but before Boston's Jaromir Jagr could get from the penalty box into the play. The Bruins had killed 27 straight penalties entering the game.

Westfield resident Eric Williams, seriously injured by hit-and-run driver in West Springfield, discharged from Baystate Medical Center

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Police seek the public's help as they probe the hit-and-run.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — A 41-year-old Westfield man, seriously injured last week when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Route 5, has been discharged from Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Eric Williams was initially listed in critical condition following the accident that occurred just before 9 p.m. on June 13 near the entrance to Rave Cinemas on the southern edge of the property. The driver of the vehicle that hit Williams did not stop.

Williams’ condition was upgraded to good prior to his discharge, a Baystate spokesman said.

Police, meanwhile, continue to investigate the hit-and-run.

A witness told police that a dark compact car was in the area at the time Williams was hit. Police have said, however, it’s not known if that vehicle was involved. Those with information are urged to call (413) 263-3210.



Holyoke police: At least 2 firearms used in Walnut Street shooting that sent man to Baystate Medical Center

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The victim's injuries are not considered life-threatening.

HOLYOKE — Police continue to probe a late Wednesday night shooting on Walnut Street that sent a 25-year-old Holyoke man to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for emergency surgery.

Lt. James Albert said the victim was shot once in his lower torso and his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Police were summoned to Pine and Hampshire streets shortly before 8:15 p.m. for a report of a male with a handgun. Shortly afterward, police received reports of shots fired in the area.

Police found the victim in front of 289 Walnut St. Although numerous witnesses and residents of the area were present at the scene, none were able to provide any details to investigators, Albert said.

Based on evidence found at the scene, at least two firearms were used in the attack, Albert said.

The incident is being investigated by the Holyoke Police Investigations Bureau along with the Massachusetts State Police crime scene and ballistics units.


Chicopee police charge 28-year-old Justin Tucker with breaking into motor vehicle

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Police arrested the suspect shortly after midnight.

CHICOPEE — A report of a vehicle breaking and entering in progress on East Street on Monday night led to the arrest of a 28-year-old Exchange Street man.

Justin W. Tucker, of 157 Exchange St., was charged with breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony, according to police documents.

The break-in was reported shortly after midnight at 227 East St. Additional information was not immediately available.


Monson selectmen send request for 'good neighbor bylaw' to committee for review

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The South Hadley proposal calls for $100 fines to owners who habitually fail to take care of their property.

MONSON — The Board of Selectmen recently opted to send a resident's request to look into a "Good Neighbor Bylaw" to the Bylaw Committee for further study.

The resident, who read in The Republican about how the town of South Hadley is reviewing such a bylaw, told the selectmen that this reflects what she has been thinking for years, as she is concerned about run-down and unkempt properties.

"I feel something along the lines of what is being proposed in South Hadley would be equally beneficial for Monson," resident Patricia Schonback wrote in her June 4 letter.

The South Hadley proposal calls for $100 fines to owners who habitually fail to take care of their property. It is being reviewed by South Hadley's bylaw review committee, and states that homeowners are responsible for keeping their property free from garbage and standing water, and free from overgrowth over 12 inches, as well as dead or dying trees.


Ware school lunch price scheduled to go up by 5 cents

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Data the administration provided the Ware school board shows even with the increase Ware school meals cost less than surrounding districts.

WARE – The Ware School Committee has approved a five-cent per meal increase in the lunches for all grade levels.

Data the administration provided the school board shows even with the increase Ware school meals cost less than surrounding districts.

The new price takes effect when school resumes following summer vacation.

Elementary students will pay $2 for the 2013-2014 school year; middle and high school pupils will pay $2.25.

According to the Ware school administration, the current school lunch prices at surrounding high schools are as follows: Belchertown, $2.75; Easthampton, $3; Granby, $2.75; Monson, $2.75; and Palmer, $2.50.

The price of breakfast remains unchanged in Ware, at $1.35; milk stays at 50 cents.

In another nutrition matter, Ware Public Schools will offer free breakfast and free lunch this summer to all children ages 1 through 18.

The program begins July 1 and runs through Aug. 9 Monday through Friday, except on the July 4 holiday.

Breakfast is served 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The school system also provided the free meals last summer. The entire cost is reimbursed by the federal government, according to the superintendent, who said no student will be turned away and no ID is required.

The meals are prepared on the school campus and are served at the Koziol Elementary School located at 4 Gould Road. Contact the school at 967-5248 or 967-5977 for information.

In another matter, Ware Public Schools allows businesses to advertise using white vinyl banners shown along the fences at Veteran’s Stadium. The ball field is located on the campus.

All money from the advertising is solely used to support the school’s athletic program, according to Superintendent Mary-Elizabeth Beach. Information is at 967-4271.

Western Massachusetts Electric Co. requested rate increase largely opposed by Attorney General Martha Coakley

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The electric company is seeking to recover $20 million in storm costs including money for employee bonuses and promotional videos and T-shirts, the attorney general said.

BOSTON - Attorney General Martha M. Coakley is asking state utility regulators to reject most of a new request by the Western Massachusetts Electric Co. to charge ratepayers for storm recovery costs including the costs of employee bonuses and promotional T-shirts.

The electric company is seeking $20 million cost increase to pay for costs connected with recent storms, including tropical storm Irene in August 2011 and the freak October snowstorm of that year.

A spokeswoman for the electric company was not immediately available for comment.

In its request, the attorney general said, the utility included funding for promotional T-shirts and videos as well as bonuses for employees who handled storm response issues. The attorney general argued that both issues are discretionary budget items and should not be included in any potential rate increase.

In its brief, the attorney general recommended that the state Department of Public Utilities reduce the utility's request from $20 million to approximately $4.2 million.

"The majority of costs that WMECO is seeking to recover are unjustified, and should not be passed on to ratepayers,” Coakley said. “It was particularly concerning to discover that they were trying to recover costs for promotional materials touting the storm response of a company that has already been fined $2 million for prior poor performance."

WMECO, part of Hartford-based Northeast Utilities, serves 59 communities in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties including Agawam, Ludlow, Springfield and West Springfield.

In December, the department of public utilities issued more than $2 million in fines against Western Massachusetts Electric for its response to the October 2011 snowstorm that caused massive power outages for thousands of Massachusetts residents. The electric company appealed the fine to the state Supreme Judicial Court.

In its request to recover costs, the attorney general said, the company also included operational costs related to regular storms, often stringing together multiple small events to surpass the $300,000 threshold required to file for an increase. In its brief, the attorney general said that the bulk of the $20 million is a result of smaller, individual weather events that the electric company grouped together in order to characterize them as large, extraordinary storms.

In its request, the electric company also cited its work to regularly prune trees and shrubs to prevent branches from falling on power lines and other utility equipment during major storms. According to the electric company, it is unable to pass on any of the costs to Verizon, even though the telecommunications company also benefited from the utility’s vegetation management.

The attorney general said Verizon was contractually obligated to pay half the costs to the electric company for vegetation management and that the electric company failed to pursue those costs from the company.

Robert Duvall a spectator at Whitey Bulger trial in Boston

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Academy Award winner Robert Duvall is one of the spectators at the racketeering trial of reputed gangster James "Whitey" Bulger.

duvall.jpg Actor Robert Duvall waits in between takes on the set of The Judge, a Warner Brothers movie, in Shelburne Falls June 6. 


BOSTON (AP) — Academy Award winner Robert Duvall is one of the spectators at the racketeering trial of reputed gangster James "Whitey" Bulger.

Duvall sat in the back of the courtroom Friday at Bulger's trial in Boston.

The 82-year-old Duvall has had a long television and film career, including starring roles in "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II." In those mob epics, he played Tom Hagen, a lawyer and adviser to the Corleone family.

He won a best actor Oscar in 1984 for his role in "Tender Mercies."

He has been shooting a movie, "The Judge," in Shelburne, Mass., this month. Duvall plays the title character in the film, which also stars Robert Downey Jr., Billy Bob Thornton and Vincent D'Onofrio.

AM News Links: Little boy hears for the first time; Boston's First Night shutting down; and more

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Tanglewood in Lenox is celebrating its 75th anniversary season this year.


Obituaries today: Roger Lichwala was popular polka drummer, led New Brass Orchestra

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Obituaries from The Republican.

 
062113-Lichwala-Roger.jpgRoger Lichwala 

Roger T. Lichwala, 67, passed away on Wednesday. Born in Springfield, he was a lifelong area resident. He worked at Taylor Rental, Willow Laboratories and Bank of New England, and was most recently the administrative assistant at Immaculate Conception Church in Indian Orchard. He was a legendary drummer in the polka industry and was known for his dynamic and powerful drumming style. In his early years, he performed with Bob Sawicki's New Englanders, Happy Louis, Julcia and Jimmy Sturr. In 1969, he formed the Golden Brass Orchestra. The band was renamed the New Brass Orchestra, one of the top traveling polka groups in the industry. In 1971, the band won 3 International Polka Association awards.

Obituaries from The Republican:


Easthampton police: Bicyclist suffers severed finger, severe shoulder injury after crashing into pole on Manhan Rail Trail

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Police said the bicyclist collided with a pole which, one of many in place at intersections to prevent vehicles from driving onto the trail.

0713111 manhan rail trail.JPG6-20-13 - Easthampton - Police said a bicyclist suffered a severed finger and a severe shoulder injury early Thursday afternoon after he crashed into a pole, similar to this one, on the Manhan Rail Trail. The poles are placed at key intersections to prevent vehicles from driving onto the rail trail. 

EASTHAMPTON— A bicyclist reportedly suffered a severed finger and a severe shoulder injury early Thursday afternoon after he hit a pole on the Manhan Rail Trail.

Police Sgt. William Kelly said the accident was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. where the rail trail crosses the area of Lovefield and O’Neill streets.

Kelly said the pole, and others like it in other roadway-trail intersections, are in place to prevent vehicles from driving onto the trail. They can be removed by police and firefighters if an emergency warrants getting a vehicle onto it.

It’s not the first time that a bicyclist has been injured by such poles on the rail trail, Kelly said. “You have got to pay attention,” he said.

Additional information, including the bicyclist’s name, was not available.


The Republican/MassLive.com, CBS 3 Springfield and WNEU Polling Institute to release new U.S. Senate poll

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The results will be released on Saturday and Sunday — days before voters head to the polls to choose Gabriel Gomez or Ed Markey as the next U.S. Senator from Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD — Days before voters choose the next U.S. senator from Massachusetts, The Republican and MassLive.com will release a new poll in advance of Tuesday’s special election.

The poll is being conducted by the Western New England University Polling Institute in conjunction with The Republican, MassLive.com and CBS 3 Springfield.

The results of the head-to-head matchup between U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Malden, and Republican private equity investor Gabriel Gomez, of Cohasset, will be published on MassLive.com and broadcast on CBS 3 Springfield on Saturday at 11 p.m., and published in The Sunday Republican. Those poll results will also look at the favorability of both candidates and the most important issues to voters. The full results and methodology will be available on MassLive.com.

On Monday, The Republican will publish the results of a poll question that looks at voters' perceptions of the traits of each candidate. Who do voters think is trustworthy and who can better work across the aisle? Whose ideas do voters like on gun control and tax code reform?

The full results and methodology will be available on MassLive.com on Sunday night at 11 p.m., when CBS 3 will report on them as well.

The poll, conducted Sunday through Thursday, will be a final snapshot of the Massachusetts electorate leading up to Tuesday’s special election. So far, every independent poll has given Markey a significant lead over Gomez in a race that is predicted to be a low turnout contest.

Markey has led throughout the race, and in recent polls, the margins of Markey’s lead have ranged from seven to 20 points, depending on the poll. Markey has an innate advantage due to the state’s uneven voter registration, where Democrats outnumber Republicans three to one. Neither candidate has generated the intense enthusiasm of 2012 Senate candidates Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown.

Markey, a congressman since 1976, has rallied support from top Democrats in Massachusetts and nationally. President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton campaigned with him, and Vice President Joe Biden will rally with Markey on Saturday. Gomez, who has no political experience, has relied heavily on his biography as a former Navy SEAL, the son of Colombian immigrants and a private equity investor. Issues including abortion, gun control, national security and the economy have taken center stage in the campaign.


Worcester Police: Five arrested on drug charges Thursday

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Five people were arrested Thursday after an alleged drug deal witnessed by the Worcester Police Vice Squad, police report.

WORCESTER - Five people were arrested Thursday after an alleged drug deal witnessed by the Worcester Police Vice Squad, police report.

According to police, the Worcester Police Vice Squad was working a surveillance near Hamilton Street when two vehicles pulled over on Stratfield Street and then drove off to the corner of Bowker Street and Pilgrim Avenue. At the corner, police witnessed what they believed was a street level drug transaction between the people in the vehicles. Officers stopped both vehicles.

According to police, when officers approached one of the vehicles they saw one of the occupants, identified as Brittany Oliver, 26, of 12 Plantation Street, Apt. 3, Worcester, swallow narcotics. Officers removed the people in the car and found two half-grams of heroin.

Santos Jimenez, 34, of 14 Douglas Street, Apt. 1, Worcester, was charged with Distribution of Class A Substance and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws.

Randy Richards, 32, of 285 Plantation Street, Apt. 8, Worcester, was charged with possession of Class A Substance.

Lindsey Tibbetts, 27, of 1 Caroline Street, Auburn, and Justin Vasalosky, 25, of 71 Steele Street, Holden, were charged with knowing where heroin is kept/present.

Oliver was charged with possession of Class A Substance and knowing where heroin is kept/present.

Absentee ballot requests low in Worcester and across the state

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Request for absentee ballots across the state are down for the upcoming U.S. Senate special election next week. In Worcester, the number of requests for absentee ballots in the state's second-largest city is less than 1,000.

WORCESTER - Request for absentee ballots across the state are down for the upcoming U.S. Senate special election next week. In Worcester, the number of requests for absentee ballots in the state's second-largest city is less than 1,000.

As of June 20, David Rushford, Worcester's city clerk, reports 800 absentee ballots have been requested and 500 have been returned as voted.

Secretary William Galvin is concerned about the potential for a low voter turnout for next Tuesday's U.S. Senate special election after reviewing the number of absentee ballots requested as of June 19. The total as of Wednesday across the state was 49,748, which is down compared to the 63,610 requested for 2010's special election.

“With many people focused on the Bruins playing in the Stanley Cup Final, the Bulger trial, and the end of the school year, the Special Election has a lot of competition for attention,” Secretary Galvin said in a press release Wednesday.

The final day to request an absentee ballot is Monday, June 24 at noon.

Voters can call the state's Elections Division at 1-800-462-VOTE for assistance.

Election day is Tuesday, June 25, and polls will be open throughout the state from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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