Sam See, 34, was found dead in a New Haven city jail on the morning of Nov. 24, several hours after he was charged in connection with a domestic incident involving his husband.

Sam See (Yale.edu) 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Protesters took to the streets Tuesday to demand an independent investigation into last month's death of a Yale University professor at a city jail.

Samuel See, 34, an assistant professor of English and American studies at the Ivy League school, was found dead Nov. 24 in a cell at the Union Avenue Detention Facility. See was incarcerated there following an arrest stemming from a domestic dispute with his husband, Saunder Ganglani, 32.

Some Yale students and fellow academics are now calling the incident a "political death," alleging that See, who is gay, may have been mistreated or abused while in custody at the city jail.

The protest in New Haven was intended to draw attention to See's death, which remains under investigation by New Haven police.

The state Judicial Branch, which oversee the detention facility, is conducting an internal review of the case, the New Haven Register reports. Judicial Branch spokeswoman Rhonda Stearley-Hebert has declined to comment until the state probe is completed.

The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled out trauma from a cut to See's head as a possible cause of death. See received the wound during a struggle with New Haven police, who arrested him after he allegedly threatened to kill officers. He also was charged with interfering with police and violating a protective order. Both See and Ganglani had protective orders against each other.

A full autopsy report won't be released until the results of toxicology tests are known, which may still be months away, according to U.S. News & World Report. There were no obvious signs of physical abuse or suicide, the New Haven Independent reports, citing an official with knowledge of the case.

Tuesday's protest was organized by Nathan Brown, an assistant professor of English at the University of California at Davis. Brown and See were friends and fellow Ph.D candidates at the University of California at Los Angeles.

"I want to stress I'm not saying ... we know how Sam died in jail, but I think it's reasonable to assume the manner in which he was arrested and his incarceration contributed to whatever circumstances led to his death," Brown told the New Haven Register.

Police detained See last month after responding to a domestic incident at his New Haven home, where Ganglani was charged with violating a protective order.

The death of anyone in custody tends to be political, especially if they're gay, according to Brown, who accused law enforcement and the legal system of "historical homophobia."

See's sister, Kelly Flanagan, attended the protest march, which culminated with a rally in front of the New Haven Police Department. "I called the police for help for my brother that day, and he's dead," the Yale Daily News quotes her as saying. "I do not want this to ever happen to another person again," Flanagan said.

Yale English Professor Jill Campbell was among the handful of Yale faculty members who participated in the demonstration, according to the student-run newspaper. Cambell said "the circumstances surrounding his death suggest that, in his struggles, he was treated with inhumanity."

Chants of "Justice for Sam See" and "Cops are a hate crime" were heard during the protest march, according to news reports.

Some members of Connecticut's press corps have criticized police for waiting until Nov. 27 to announce See's death. But New Haven Assistant Police Chief Archie Generoso said there was nothing "sinister" about the delay, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Generoso said the delay was an oversight due to a hoax gun call that put much of downtown New Haven in lockdown mode on Nov. 25. Generoso said a press release about See's death likely would have been issued earlier had it not been for the lockdown, which stemmed from a bogus report of an armed man who allegedly was headed for the Yale campus.

The New Haven Register, in a Dec. 3 editorial, acknowledged that city police had their hands full with the lockdown, but the disclosure of See's death still "came far too late." The editorial goes on to state that there was no good excuse for authorities' failure to acknowledge See's death the following day, Nov. 26, "when it was clear there was no threat to the community."

U.S. Rep.-elect Katherine Clark, a Massachusetts Democrat, hopes to play a role in Congress in shaping education and energy policy.

Katherine Clark, elected Tuesday night to represent Massachusetts’ 5th District, will join the minority Democratic Party in Congress at a time when Congress is gridlocked.

Democrats and Republicans show no inclination to cooperate. The Democratic Party is divided between centrists and progressives, with many progressives looking to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren as a leader.

Clark, like many in the Massachusetts congressional delegation, is a progressive Democrat who is unlikely to break with her party or Democratic President Barack Obama on major policies. However, like most members of Congress, observers say Clark could make a difference if she focuses on a few specific issues.

During her campaign, Clark talked mostly about women’s economic issues. She says the first bill she will sign onto is the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would make it easier for women for prove pay discrimination and enhance penalties for violating the equal wage law. In an interview, Clark indicated that she hopes to hone in on education and energy policy issues as well and would like to work across the aisle to make progress.

“I see myself in the Elizabeth Warren wing. I definitely identify as a progressive,” Clark said. “And I also think that much like Elizabeth Warren, I bring a common sense approach to it." She said her experience as a state senator and her role as a mom of three boys has shown her the value of compromise.”

Clark, 50, of Melrose, spent most of her career as a lawyer, working as a prosecutor, private practice attorney, general counsel for the Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services and chief of the policy division for the Massachusetts Attorney General. She rose quickly in politics, getting elected to the State House in 2008 and the State Senate in 2010. When Congressman Ed Markey was elected to the U.S. Senate, opening up the House seat representing the suburbs north and west of Boston, Clark defeated four other elected officials to win the special election primary, then cruised to victory in the general election.

On many of the issues currently facing Congress, Clark lines up with Democrats. “She’ll be a fairly typical Democrat,” said Peter Ubertaccio, associate professor of political science at Stonehill College. “She’s shown very little in her career where she’s going deviate from the party line.”

Clark supports the immigration reform bill that was passed in the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate, with some Republican support, which would give illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

Clark said she supports Obama’s foreign policy of “leading with diplomacy.” She advocates the use of diplomacy, strategic foreign aid and humanitarian aid, backing it up with military force only if U.S. national security is threatened. Clark sees an “opportunity” in Obama’s interim agreement with Iran, in which Iran will stop progress on aspects of its nuclear program in exchange for reduced sanctions. But she said the U.S. must proceed with “optimism but caution” and examine Iran’s actions “with a magnifying glass” to ensure Iran upholds its responsibilities.

Clark supports the Affordable Care Act, but said Congress should continue to improve the bill, as Massachusetts has done with its health care reform, looking at whether it is successful in containing premiums, encouraging preventative care and achieving mental health parity. Like many Massachusetts politicians, she opposes the medical device tax included in the bill.

One break with Obama is Clark’s opposition to using a formula called “chained CPI” to calculate – and lower – Social Security benefits. Many progressive Democrats oppose the use of chained CPI, which Obama says he would support as part of a compromise to reduce the deficit. Clark would support increasing the Social Security wage cap so people earning more money pay more.

Rob Cunningham, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said Clark is likely to be “hyper-partisan” as a congresswoman. Cunningham pointed to the low scores given to Clark’s legislative record by the fiscally conservative groups Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance and Citizens for Limited Taxation in Government. “There’s no secret about Katherine Clark’s approach to government – bigger, more costly, more intrusive and a typical left-wing progressive Democrat,” Cunningham said.

Clark and her supporters say she takes a pragmatic approach. State Sen. Gale Candaras, a Wilbraham Democrat, is vice chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, which Clark chaired. Candaras described Clark as a smart, effective legislator who understands different subjects.

“Ideologically, she is probably a moderate,” Candaras said. “You could have progressive perspectives, but the ways to implement things are sensible.” Candaras said on issues like helping homeless families, Clark looks past idealism to develop practical solutions. “That’s where I think someone like Katherine Clark would shine, in real world, sensible, workable solutions to some of these intransigent social problems we face,” Candaras said.

The impact of any congressman often hinges on committee assignments. Clark said she would most want to serve on committees on Education and the Workforce and Energy and Commerce, though she is also interested in Judiciary.

On education, Clark would push for continued federal funding to states for public education. She wants federal funding to implement universal preschool. She wants to make higher education more affordable, through federal grants and loans. She supports lowering interest rates on government-backed student loans. “I firmly believe, as Elizabeth Warren has been fighting for, we should loan money to students at the same rates or less that we loan to banks,” Clark said. (Warren remained neutral in the special election primary, but campaigned with Clark last week.)

On energy, Clark wants to focus on increasing energy efficiency in buildings and transportation. She said Massachusetts already does cutting edge research and development of alternative energy, and she wants to make sure Congress funds that work. She said federal subsidies will remain important for things like developing wind turbines and solar technology. “This is an issue that cuts across partisan lines and can be one where this Congress can come together and make significant progress,” Clark said.

While Republicans generally reject a carbon tax, Clark said she believes there can be a carbon pricing system – for example through rebate incentives or fees – that gets legislative support. “It would send a signal to the market that we’re serious about this and could spur innovation and investment dollars that are critical to developing alternative energy sources,” Clark said.

Asked how she could work with Republicans, Clark said she would like to work on an anti-human trafficking bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, and a bipartisan energy efficiency bill co-sponsored by Rep. David McKinley, a West Virginia Republican. (The energy bill is the House companion to the Senate’s Shaheen-Portman bill, which would require government to be more energy efficient, update building codes to make new construction more efficient and spur investment in and use of new energy-efficient technology.)

Progressive groups did not line up behind Clark during the primary. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which endorsed Democratic State Rep. Carl Sciortino, attacked Clark for her work on a bill updating state wiretapping statutes, which critics say gave the police overly broad powers. The group attacked Clark for the Boston Globe’s endorsement of her, which said Clark would support a “grand bargain” to trim the federal deficit. Progressives worried she would support cutting Social Security benefits, though Clark said she would not support benefit cuts.

Neil Sroka, a spokesman for the progressive group Democracy for America, which did not endorse in the primary, said progressives noted that Clark hit back on Social Security, making it clear she would not cut benefits. Progressives will be watching whether Clark will lead on these issues. “The proof’s going to be in the pudding on how she votes on key issues like Social Security benefits,” Sroka said.

The fund still needs to raise $126,907 to meet its Christmas Eve goal.

To get a printable version of this coupon that you can mail in with your donation, click on "View full size," above. 

SPRINGFIELD - The Toy for Joy fund is continuing its progress toward meeting its $150,000 fund-raising goal by Christmas Eve.

International Valve and Instrument Corp. of 992 Bay Street gave $200.

Its owner, Marianne Brodeur, has been giving to Toy for Joyfor many years, ever since her mother showed her a story about Toy for Joy in the newspaper. She first donated $10 from her Christmas babysitting money when she was about 12 years old.

This year the company gave $200 to Toy for Joy. The company also gives a turkey and canned goods to the Open Pantry on Thanksgiving.

On Wednesday the Toy for Joy fund raised $2,447. Still needed to reach the $150,000 fund-raising goal is $126,907.

The Toy for Joy fund, which is in its 91st year, is sponsored by The Republican and The Salvation Army, with the help of campaign partner Hasbro of East Longmeadow, which donates a portion of the toys for the campaign.

Approximately 3,200 families and 14,400 children have registered to receive toys this year, more than last year, Danielle LaTaille, director of social services for the Greater Springfield Salvation Army Citadel on Pearl St., said.

Every child who is registered receives a toy, a game and a book sorted to be age and gender appropriate.

Toys are being delivered this week to the Citadel on Pearl Street. There they will be unpacked, arranged by volunteers so that they fill the gymnasium floor and repackaged in bags for individual children.

Families who are registered will pick up the toys at the Salvation Army the week before Christmas.

Toy registration
Here are the times for families to register at Salvation Army sites for the 91st annual Toy for Joy campaign. Registration has closed in Springfield, Greenfield, Westfield and the Hilltowns.
Holyoke
Holyoke Citadel: 271 Appleton St., Holyoke; Dec. 9-20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; for info, call (413) 532-6312; serves Holyoke, South Hadley, Granby
Required documentation
Participants must bring the following documents: Photo ID for head of household; proof of address (within the last 30 days); MassHealth cards or other identifying information for any child age 16 or younger; and birth certificates (or passports) for any child age 16 and younger.

For more information, call 733-1518. To make a contribution to the Toy for Joy fund, write: Toy for Joy, P.O. Box 3007, Springfield 01102. Contributions may also be dropped off with the coupon to The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Dec. 24.

Here’s a list of the latest contributors:

• In memory of my husband Frank , $10


• We love and miss you Pa, Ma, Gwen, Bob, Doug and Cay , $20


• In loving memory of Gail Frances, love Jack and sons , $25


• Merry Christmas from Evelyn , $15


• In loving memory of my husband Mitchell , $10


• In memory of Armand, Alice, Darlene Corbeil and Albert Santaniello from Peggy and Roland Corbeil , $50


• In loving memory of my husband Hal McLean and my brother Billy Schramm, love Nancy , $22


• In memory of Skip Foresti, miss you, Lorraine, Becky and Lisa , $25


• In memory of my mom Priscilla , $25


• In loving memory of my parents Peg and Frank Walker , $100


• For our departed family members from Linda and Bill , $100


• In loving memory of my husband Bill and son David , $40


• In memory of Dorothy Julia LaBerge , $20


• All people, all faiths, happy healthy 2014 from George and Joan, Wales , $25


• Thankful for our beautiful granddaughters, Ellie, Danni, Leah, Charity and Julianna , $75


• In loving memory of Aurora Lilly Gabrenas, love Nana and Grandpa , $25


• Thanks to our guardian angel, Dr. Mark Norris from Tina and Bob , $50


• Anonymous , $36


• Our thoughts are with Gilbert Brownie and Nat xoxoxo , $25


• In memory of the best parents ever, with love from Reggie , $50


• Patricia , $50


• In loving memory of my husband Herb Curry and daughters Maureen, Susan and Tracy , $15


• In loving memory of both our daughters Kris and Kim, love Mom and Dad , $20


• Fond farewell to our beloved dogs Duke and Mandy , $10


• In loving memory of Rita and George McDiarmid who made every Christmas special from Joanne and Lucas , $25


• In loving memory of Michael Lefebvre and all the wonderful holidays we shared, Candi , $25


• Merry Christmas from Owen, Nate and Adian , $35


• Peace and love, Ali, Stelli, Ian and Annika , $50


• In memory of Ronnie Labrecque from Center Redevelopment Corporation , $100


• In lieu of exchanging gifts from Aqua Babes and Dude from Randall’s Boys and Girls Club , $115

There is no cost to any veteran.

Richard Prochnow 

WILBRAHAM - Veterans Agent Richard Prochnow has joined the effort to bring Wilbraham World War II veterans to join the ranks of thousands from other states to take an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. to see the World War II Memorial.

Prochnow was one of several hundred veterans’ supporters invited to watch a big screen showing of the documentary “Honor Flight” at the Leslie Phillips Theater in the Holyoke Community College Fine and Performing Arts Building on Nov. 7.

The documentary depicts the story of the Honor Flight Program’s story of success in the state of Minnesota and what the experience was like for some of Minnesota’s World War II veterans.

Many of them were able to speak of their war experiences for the first time after they saw the Memorial and understood the gratitude of the entire nation for their sacrifices and accomplishments.

Honor Flight New England joined with the national organization Honor Flight Network in the spring of 2009 and is a non-profit organization created solely to honor U.S. veterans for their sacrifices.

Through generous donations they transport veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials.

There is no cost to any veteran.

Top priority is given to senior veterans - World War II survivors, along with other veterans who may be terminally ill.

Anyone who knows of a World War II or Korean veteran who has not been able to visit Washington, D.C., is invited to complete an application to allow them to see their memorial.

Applications for veterans, volunteers and guardians are available online at www.honorflightnewengland.org or in hard copy from the Veteran’s Office at the Senior Center by calling 413-596-8379.

Donations for the project may be made online via paypal or credit card, or call the Veteran’s Office at 413-596-8379 for a donation form.

The roadway will be closed for some time Wednesday morning while WMECO workers replace a snapped utility pole.

 

SPRINGFIELD – A woman was taken to Baystate Medical Center with serious injuries Wednesday morning after she lost control of her Volkswagen Jetta and crashed into a utility pole on South Branch Parkway.

The crash was reported shortly before 7 a.m. near 95 South Branch Parkway, said Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, adding that the impact snapped the pole and took down wires.

“It made for a tricky extrication of the driver,” Leger said. “We had to dance around the wires.”

That section of roadway will be closed for some time as workers from Western Massachusetts Electric Co. replace the pole, Leger said.

Police now say it appears that a woman killed in a hit-and-run in Revere was struck by an MBTA bus.

REVERE, Mass. (AP) - Police now say it appears that a woman killed in a hit-and-run in Revere was struck by an MBTA bus.

A spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney's office says the 52-year-old woman was struck around 7 p.m. Tuesday on Broadway and dragged about six blocks.

The vehicle then left the scene.

The victim's name was not made public.

The 56-year-old male bus driver did not appear impaired but has been subjected to drug and alcohol testing per MBTA policy. The investigation remains active and he has not been charged.

Police are investigating after hundreds of people who attended two conventions in Boston this fall reported that their credit card information was stolen and used to make fraudulent purchases.

BOSTON (AP) --” Police are investigating after hundreds of people who attended two conventions in Boston this fall reported that their credit card information was stolen and used to make fraudulent purchases.

About 100 of the 13,000 people who attended the American Public Health Association convention in November have reported being victims. About 200 of the 8,000 people who attended the American Society of Human Genetics conference in October have reported unauthorized credit card purchases.

Both conferences were held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, which is surrounded by restaurants and bars.

A spokesman tells The Boston Globe that several convention center employees have also been victimized, and the data breach did not occur there.

Several restaurants and bars in the Seaport District also denied being the source of the breach.

___

Information from: The Boston Globe

In only his first year, the pope was selected by the magazine's editors as the person who had the greatest impact on the world, for good or bad, during 2013.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pope Francis has been selected by Time magazine as the Person of the Year.

In only his first year, the pope was selected by the magazine's editors as the person who had the greatest impact on the world, for good or bad, during 2013.

Time Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs said Pope Francis had changed the tone, the perception and focus of one of the world's largest institutions in an extraordinary way.

Leaker Edward Snowden finished second as Time announced its choice on the "Today" show Wednesday.

The unidentified man seen around the world on television next to leaders like U.S. President Barack Obama "was moving his hands around but there was no meaning in what he used his hands for," Bruno Druchen, the federation's national director, told The Associated Press.

ALAN CLENDENNING, Associated Press
RAY FAURE, Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A man who provided sign language interpretation on stage for Nelson Mandela's memorial service, attended by scores of heads of state, was a "fake," the national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa said on Tuesday.

The unidentified man seen around the world on television next to leaders like U.S. President Barack Obama "was moving his hands around but there was no meaning in what he used his hands for," Bruno Druchen, the federation's national director, told The Associated Press.

South Africa's government told AP it is preparing a statement. Jackson Mthembu, spokesman for the governing African National Congress party, declined to comment. "Government will be able to assist you," Mthembu said.

Druchen and two other sign language experts said the man was not signing in South African or American sign languages. South African sign language covers all of the country's 11 official languages, according to the federation.

Nicole Du Toit, an official sign language interpreter who also watched the broadcast, said in a telephone interview that the man on stage purporting to sign was an embarrassment.

"It was horrible, an absolute circus, really, really bad," she said. "Only he can understand those gestures."

South African parliament member Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, a member of the ruling party who is deaf and who is married to Druchen, also said the man communicated nothing with his hand and arm movements. AP interviewed both Druchen, who also is deaf, and Newhoudt-Druchen by telephone using an interpreter.

___

Associated Press writer Nastasya Tay contributed to this report.

The Worcester City Council on Tuesday approved a contract for incoming city manager Ed Augustus that will pay him at the same rate as the longtime outgoing manager.

The Worcester City Council approved a contract for incoming City Manager Ed Augustus that will pay him at the same rate as the longtime outgoing manager.

The council voted 9-1 on Tuesday to approve the deal, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Councilor Konstantina Lukes -- who also voted against Augustus' appointment and against the contract in committee last week -- was the lone vote against.

Augustus will receive $144,107 for nine months of work, the Telegram & Gazette reported. O'Brien's 2013 salary is $189,425.73, according to the city.

A former state senator who is now director of government and community relations at Holy Cross, Augustus will fill the position in January for up to nine months while the city looks for a permanent manager.

Originally envisioned as Worcester's next permanent city manager, Augustus took his name out of the running for the long-term position after criticism of his nomination. Some in the city, including Lukes, saw his appointment as a triumph of political influence over good government, with several internal candidates being passed over.

O'Brien is leaving the city after nearly 10 years as its top administrator. He has taken a job with Boston-based property developer WinnCompanies.

Alemany, 29, is accused of stabbing to death Lord, 24, in a park in Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood.

The accused killer of Amy B. Lord, who was stabbed to death in Boston in July, is expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court on a 20-count indictment in connection with the homicide of the Wilbraham native and three non-fatal attacks on other women.

Edwin J. Alemany, 29, was indicted last month and is scheduled to appear today at the Boston courthouse on charges that he murdered Lord, 24, in a Boston park on July 23.

Alemany allegedly forced Lord to withdraw money from several city ATMs before killing her at Stony Brook Reservation in Hyde Park, according to police and prosecutors. Alemany, who denied charges at his original district court arraignment, is accused of three similar attacks on women.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, in remarks to Lord's parents last month, said his office would "do everything in our power" to hold Alemany accountable for Lord's death.

Conley said the attacks were "blitz-like physical assaults" in which the victims "were immediately overwhelmed with violence." The victims were women between the ages of 20 and 24, all of whom were attacked while walking alone late at night or early in the morning, according to Conley.

Alemany is accused of kidnapping Lord, beating her, then forcing her to drive to various ATMs to withdraw money. He then took Lord to the park and killed her before setting fire to her Jeep to destroy possible forensic evidence, Conley said.

"There is an unmistakable clarity of mind in his actions, especially on the morning of July 23," Conley said. "We believe a jury will see those actions for what they are: efforts to commit a terrible crime and escape detection in its aftermath."

Alemany has a history of mental health issues. As of last month, however, his attorney still hadn't decided whether he might mount an insanity defense on behalf of his client.

"If I were going to pick a poster child for clarity of mind, this guy would be at the very end of that line" defense attorney Jeffrey Denner said.

When Joseph Martin was killed by an off-duty Brazilian police officer in Rio, his aunt took it upon herself to draw attention to the high number of people killed every year by police in the country.

Joseph Martin was killed in Brazil in 2007 by an off-duty policeman, prompting his aunt to begin a campaign to draw attention to the issue.Courtesy Photo 

When Joseph "Joe" Martin was killed by an off-duty Brazilian police officer in Rio de Janeiro, his aunt took it upon herself to draw attention to the high number of people killed every year by police in the country.

“I’m telling the story of what happened to my nephew, but also how what happened to my nephew happens about 2,000 times a year in Brazil," said Liz Martin, Joseph's aunt who has established the Don’t Kill For Me, Safe Games For All campaign. “I’m hoping to put a face on this story."

The face of the campaign is that of her nephew Joe, who attended Doherty Memorial High School and St. John's High School in Worcester. He was living in Brazil teaching English while working at a youth hostel in 2007 when he was shot during a dispute with an off-duty police officer.

His family spent a great deal of time in the country, said Martin, in addition to the time they had spent visiting Joe while he lived there. The country "has a place" in the family's hearts, but on that day things shifted, she said.

“An untimely death is devastating. And a violent untimely death is devastating. I think it has taken its toll as death can," said Martin.

In the aftermath of Joe's death, Martin, who is the daughter of former Worcester police Sgt. Laurence "Pete" Martin, began to see the scope of the issue with Brazilian police who come from a military background, rather than a peace-keeping perspective of American police. As the family mourned, she learned that police killings were the cause of one in ten homicides in the country in 2011.

"The scary thing is that so few people have heard about this before," said Martin. "In some ways, in all honesty, this is Brazil’s dirty secret.”

The numbers are not the disputed point, she said, but that officials make no move to remedy the situation, often citing the killing as part of fighting crime in the country.

“They’re saying we have to do this because this is fighting crime. They are holding this up as a methodology for fighting crime," said Martin who explained that there are some senior leadership and departments working on the issue.

Drawing attention to the issue is especially important with the upcoming FIFA World Cup that Brazil will host in 2014, she said. The goal of her work is not to shame the country, but to bring attention to the issue and along with that the chance for change through international pressure, said Martin. The entire campaign grew out of her nephew's, and the family's, love for the country.

“It was wanting to help a country that my nephew so dearly love," said Martin. “This campaign is not about shaming Brazil or hurting Brazil, nothing like that."

An online petition can be found at Martin's website. The petition will be presented to officials to serve as pressure on the issue, she said.

The two new hotels would rise on D Street behind near the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in South Boston.

Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Mayor-elect Marty Walsh are among the dignitaries expected to mark the launch of two hotel construction projects at a groundbreaking ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in South Boston.

The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, CV Properties and Starwood Hotels are hosting the ceremony for Aloft and Element hotels, which are expected to be built at 371-401 D St. The roughly 5.5-acre site is near Claflin Street and just southeast of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Construction of the mid-range hotels in the vibrant and expanding South Boston waterfront district is slated to coincide with expansion plans by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which owns and oversees the operations of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the MassMutual Center in Springfield, among other high-profile properties.

Each hotel is expected to have 250 rooms and will share ground-floor amenities. The project also calls for more than 26,000 square feet of retail space and a 1,350-vehicle parking garage.

Boston.com reported that the project is estimated to generate about 370 construction jobs and 175 permanent jobs, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

The man accused of faking sign interpretation while standing alongside world leaders like U.S. President Barack Obama at Nelson Mandela's memorial service said Thursday he hallucinated that angels were entering the stadium, suffers from schizophrenia and has been violent in the past.

ALAN CLENDENNING, The Associated Press
JUERGEN BAETZ, The Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The man accused of faking sign interpretation while standing alongside world leaders like U.S. President Barack Obama at Nelson Mandela's memorial service said Thursday he hallucinated that angels were entering the stadium, suffers from schizophrenia and has been violent in the past.

Thamsanqa Jantjie said in a 45-minute interview with The Associated Press that his hallucinations began while he was interpreting and that he tried not to panic because there were "armed policemen around me." He added that he was once hospitalized in a mental health facility for more than one year.

A South African deputy Cabinet minister, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, later held a news conference to announce that "a mistake happened" in the hiring of Jantjie.

Government officials have tried to track down the company that provided Thamsanqa Jantjie but the owners "have vanished into thin air," said Deputy Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu.

She apologized to deaf people offended around the world for Jantjie's incomprehensible signing, and said an investigation is under way to determine how Jantjie was hired and what vetting process, if any, he underwent for his security clearance.

The deputy minister said the translation company offered sub-standard services, the rate they paid the translator was far below the normal levels and that in order to maintain the interpreter's concentration level, interpreters must be switched every 20 minutes. Jantjie was on the stage for the entire service that lasted more than three hours.

She declined to say who in South Africa's government was responsible for contracting the company that provided the translator, or how those rules could be flouted.

"It's an interdepartmental responsibility," she said. "We are trying to establish what happened."

Jantjie, who stood gesticulating three-feet (1 meter) from Obama and others who spoke at Tuesday's ceremony that was broadcast around the world, insisted in the AP interview that he was doing proper sign-language interpretation of the speeches of world leaders.

But he also apologized for his performance that has been dismissed by many sign-language experts as gibberish.

"I would like to tell everybody that if I've offended anyone, please, forgive me," Jantjie said. "But what I was doing, I was doing what I believe is my calling, I was doing what I believe makes a difference."

The statements by Jantjie raise serious security issues for Obama, other heads of state and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who made speeches at FNB Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg's black township. The ceremony honored Mandela, the anti-apartheid icon and former president who died on Dec. 5. Many of them, including Obama, stood one yard (meter) away from Jantjie.

"What happened that day, I see angels come to the stadium ... I start realizing that the problem is here. And the problem, I don't know the attack of this problem, how will it comes. Sometimes I react violent on that place. Sometimes I will see things that chase me," Jantjie said.

"I was in a very difficult position," he added. "And remember those people, the president and everyone, they were armed, there was armed police around me. If I start panicking I'll start being a problem. I have to deal with this in a manner so that I mustn't embarrass my country."

Asked how often he had become violent, he said "a lot" while declining to provide details.

Jantjie said he was due on the day of the ceremony to get a regular six-month mental health checkup to determine whether the medication he takes was working, whether it needed to be changed or whether he needed to be kept at a mental health facility for treatment.

He said he did not tell the company that contracted him for the event for about $85 that he was due for the checkup, but said the owner of SA Interpreters in Johannesburg was aware of his condition.

AP journalists who visited the address of the company that Jantjie provided found a different company there, whose managers said they knew nothing about SA Interpreters. A woman answered the phone at a number that Jantjie provided and said it was not for the company, and another phone number went to a voicemail that did not identify the person or company with the number.

Jantjie said he received one year of sign language interpretation at a school in Cape Town. He said he has previously interpreted at many events without anyone complaining.

The AP showed Jantjie video footage of him interpreting on stage at the Mandela memorial service.

"I don't remember any of this at all," he said.

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Associated Press writer Ray Faure in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

Amherst housing student will be updated after comments at meeting Thursday night.

AMHERST – A housing study commissioned by the town reaffirms what is already known here: the residential market supply does not meet demand.

But as planning director Jonathan Tucker wrote in an email, "The report contains some very interesting new perspectives and recommendations.”

The New Hampshire based RKG Associates Inc. will present a draft of its residential market demand analysis report to the Planning Board and the Housing and Sheltering Committee at a meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.

After taking comments from the two groups and residents, the consultants will submit the final report to the town, Tucker wrote.

“That report will thereafter be used with the housing production dlan and whatever action steps come out of the Town-Gown Committee study to guide Amherst’s actions and policy efforts with regard to housing,” according to Tucker.

The University of Massachusetts and the town are in the process of hiring a consultant to address issues which affect both, including looking at housing.

The report concludes the town does not have enough student‐focused housing to meet the current need, prompting a spillover effect. Between enrollments at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Hampshire colleges, there are 30,900 students in town.

“These institutions generate significant demand for off‐campus housing due to a large gap between total student enrollment and the total number of rooms in college dormitories. This is especially true for UMass Amherst, which provides on‐campus housing for just 61 percent of its undergraduates.”

UMass has 13,000 beds of student housing. The undergraduate enrollment is about 22,000 students.

“The increase in demand without a corresponding increase in supply has created an unhealthy rental market with a vacancy rate of less than 2 percent and annual rent increases despite the economic downturn,” according to the report.

It means residents other than students have a more difficult time finding affordable housing because students can pay more. The situation is expected to continue as enrollments are expected to increase as well, according to the report.

“The imbalance of appropriate housing for student renters and the demand for that housing will adversely impact the town’s other two markets: non‐student renters enters and non‐student homeowners.”

The 130-page report offers a range of recommendations, including zoning changes from allowing multi-family homes by right instead of special permit; enabling infill development at existing apartment complexes; and to “transition away from the traditional minimum lot area approach to a units-per-acre system of density control.”

The report also suggests the town work with UMass to address student housing needs. “Substantial work needs to be done to reverse the prevailing position on UMass’ role in housing more/all of its student needs AND to change the application of the Pacheco Law,” according to the report.

UMass in the fall opened the Commonwealth College classroom and 1,500-bed dormitory bulding but has no plans at this point to build new housing. The Pacheco Law in part prevents public private partnerships that for example would allow for UMass to provide land to a private developer on which to build.

“We are working closing with the town on a range of fronts. We really think it’s important to collaborate,” said UMass spokesman Edward F. Blaguszewski. “We are open to exploring ways to encourage development of housing in public private partnerships,” if there was a change in the law.

At the same time, UMass understands and expects students to move off campus. UMass provides the third largest on-campus housing in the country and “it’s really unheard of (for a university) to house all its students. It’s not feasible to house all its students,” he said.

The Georgia-based Landmark Properties, meanwhile, has begun the permitting process to build a 175-unit student housing project on 123 lots called “The Retreat” on a 146-acre parcel in North Amherst. The complex would provide 641 beds.

The Planning Board this fall approved Archipelago Investments plan to build a 75-unit complex for 236 students on Olympia Drive.

Sean Houlihan and Natalie Ferland were fired by Lawrence Catholic Academy last month after revealing their relationship and pregnancy.

LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — An unmarried couple fired from their jobs as teachers at a Massachusetts Roman Catholic school after revealing that they were expecting a baby have retained an attorney and are pursuing legal action.

Sean Houlihan and Natalie Ferland were fired by Lawrence Catholic Academy last month after revealing their relationship and pregnancy.

School Principal Jorge Hernandez said they were fired for violating their contracts. While not commenting on the case specifically, the Boston Archdiocese said in a statement that teachers sign an agreement saying they will "adhere to the teachings and principles of the Catholic Church."

Attorney Anthony DiFruscia tells The Eagle-Tribune (http://bit.ly/1jRZD4m ) that the teachers don't want their jobs back, they just want the terminations on their records changed to resignations so they can find other jobs in education.

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Information from: Eagle Tribune (North Andover, Mass.), http://www.eagletribune.com

Detective Steven Blair says the thefts were not limited to people who attended conferences at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, and extends through other areas of the city.

BOSTON (AP) — Boston police say the credit card data theft that affected about 300 people who attended conventions in the city in the fall is more widespread than at first thought.

Detective Steven Blair says the thefts were not limited to people who attended conferences at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, and extends through other areas of the city.

He tells The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/1dsMREE ) that based on interviews with credit card companies, the tally of victims could be "hundreds" more than those who have already reported unauthorized or fraudulent charges on their credit cards.

Blair says the scope of the crime suggests the thieves hacked into the computer system of a business or businesses.

The convention center and several nearby hotels and restaurants have denied being the source of the breach.

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

The chief of the MBTA has called for a system-wide audit of all power-providing third rails on the Red, Orange, and Blue Lines after two cracked in two days, stranding thousands of subway commuters.

BOSTON (AP) -€” The chief of the MBTA has called for a system-wide audit of all power-providing third rails on the Red, Orange, and Blue Lines after two cracked in two days, stranding thousands of subway commuters.

The cracks disabled the Braintree and Ashmont lines at the JFK/UMass station, with the first appearing during the Tuesday night commute and the second Wednesday morning. The third rail provides electricity, so trains could not run until the rails were repaired.

Officials tells The Boston Globe sub-freezing temperatures likely led to the cracks, described as 1- to 2-inch gaps where the rails are welded together. They were first detected by power department dispatchers. They are not considered dangerous.

General Manager Beverly Scott as asked T officials to deliver a plan to conduct the audit by Thursday.

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Information from: The Boston Globe

Auburn police said this week they aren't sure who is soliciting donations for the Auburn Police Association, but it's not them.

Police said the scam has targeted residents of the Middlesex County town of Ashby, some 40 miles north of Auburn.

The calls encourage people to "give like they did last year."

The Auburn Police Association said they are not currently asking for donations and haven't hired anyone to fundraise for them.

Someone in Sterling will share an estimated $122 million Powerball jackpot with another lottery ticket holder in Nebraska.

Someone in the Worcester County town of Sterling will share an estimated $122 million Powerball jackpot with another lottery ticket holder in Nebraska.

The Multi-State Lottery Association says a ticket sold in Nebraska and a ticket sold in Sterling matched numbers drawn Wednesday night. The numbers are 1, 10, 13, 18, 19 and Powerball 26.

Nebraska Lottery spokesman Neil Watson said Thursday that he couldn't yet announce where the Nebraska ticket was purchased. He also said there was no word yet on who bought the Nebraska ticket.

Massachusetts State Lottery spokeswoman Beth Bresnahan says the winning Massachusetts ticket was sold at the Appletown Market in Sterling. She says the winner hasn't stepped forward yet.

The Multi-State Lottery Association is a nonprofit association owned and operated by its 33 member lotteries.