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Hartford police ask public for information regarding shooting death of Enfield resident Angel Vasquez

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Police in Connecticut's capital city are asking the public for help identifying those responsible for Hartford's 22nd homicide of the year.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Police in Connecticut's capital city are asking the public for help identifying those responsible for Hartford's 22nd homicide of the year.

Hartford Police Patch.gif 

The victim, 23-year-old Angel Vasquez of Enfield, was reportedly found sitting in a car in a residential parking lot at 109 Adelaide St. on Friday with a gunshot wound to the head. Police said the initial call reporting shots fired came in around 9 p.m. and Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene less than 20 minutes after officers arrived.

Police told the New Haven-based ABC affiliate WTNH they have a lead on a suspect, but declined to release further information, citing the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information about the killing of Vasquez is asked to call Lt. Brian Foley of the Hartford Police Department at (860) 757-4463.

In an unrelated incident, Hartford had its 23rd homicide of the year as Katherine Santiago, 23, is suspected of strangling her boyfriend, 27-year-old Marcos DeJesus, following a domestic dispute. Santiago has been charged with murder and the incident, reported Saturday afternoon, marked the city's latest killing as 2013 comes to a close.





Obituaries today: Rose Santangelo worked for Hampden Color & Chemical, Raymond F. Fusaro Builders

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Obituaries from The Republican.

 
122313-rose-santagelo.jpgRose Santangelo 

Rose M. Santangelo, 86, of East Longmeadow, passed away on Saturday. She was born in Springfield, and was a graduate of High School of Commerce. In her early years, she was a resident of Springfield and was employed by Hampden Color & Chemical Co. Later she worked as a bookkeeper for Raymond F. Fusaro Builders for many years. She was a 47-year resident of East Longmeadow and a longtime communicant of St. Michael's Church.

Obituaries from The Republican:


Westfield State University presidential search to replace Evan Dobelle expected to start in January

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7 weeks after President Evan Dobelle's departure, the search for Westfield State University's next president will begin, and students, teachers, administrators, staff and alumni will be consulted at the start of the search process.

WESTFIELD — The search for Westfield State University’s next president will begin after the new year with the school’s trustees seeking opinions on what kind of leader the campus wants, trustee chairman John F. Flynn III said.

Seven weeks after President Evan Dobelle’s departure, Flynn said students, teachers, administrators, staff and alumni will be consulted at the start of the search process.

“We want to hear from the campus,” he said, explaining that meetings will be scheduled with various campus groups after classes resume in January.

Flynn gave a strong vote of confidence to interim President Elizabeth H. Preston, saying the school will benefit from her leadership skills and 24 years experience as a professor, dean and vice president.

Under school bylaws, Preston, the vice president for academic affairs, automatically took over as short-term replacement for Dobelle after his abrupt retirement Nov. 8.

The trustees later appointed her as interim president until a permanent replacement is found.

The university and three trustees are defendants in a lawsuit filed by Dobelle after the trustees placed him on paid leave in October.

Filed in U.S. District Court, the suit contends that trustees Elizabeth D. Scheibel, Kevin Queenin and Flynn conspired with state Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland and others to violate his contract and constitutional rights.

Freeland pressured Dobelle to defend using university funds to pay for airfare, hotels, restaurants and limousines while traveling in Asia, Europe and Central America, as well as frequent trips to Washington, D.C., Florida and California.

In the suit filed on Oct. 24, Dobelle said he was the victim of Flynn and Freeland, who pressured him to leave Westfield State for their own benefit.

Magistrate Judge Kenneth P. Neiman gave Dobelle until Dec. 23 to file additional allegations. In a motion submitted in December, Dobelle’s lawyer, Katherine Romel, said events occurring after the lawsuit was filed will bolster her client’s case.

Lawyers for the university, the trustees, Freeland and other defendants asked Neiman to throw out the lawsuit, claiming Dobelle voluntarily surrendered his job.

The school is already facing more than $500,000 in legal fees from the state inspector general’s investigation into Dobelle’s travel, and the costs are expected to rise sharply in coming weeks.

The trustee’s finance subcommittee will meet Jan. 13 to review the impact of the Dobelle controversy on the school’s current budget.

In his lawsuit and public statements, Dobelle has maintained that visits to Cuba, China, Thailand, Spain, Vietnam and other countries, along with 15 trips to San Francisco, benefited the university.


Wellesley dog rescued after falling through the ice on the Charles River

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A dog was rescued by Wellesley first responders after it fell through the ice on the Charles River at the Elm Bank Reservation on Sunday.

WELLESLEY — A dog was rescued by Wellesley first responders after it fell through the ice on the Charles River at the Elm Bank Reservation on Sunday.

A five-year-old Golden Retriever named Crosby was located near a difficult to reach section of the reservation in the Winding River Circle area of Wellesley after a 911 call came in from the owner. Police and fire officials used GPS data from the cell phone to zero in on the exact location of the dog.

Wellesley Firefighter Dave Papazian, equipped in a cold water survival suit, swam his way out to the stranded dog and helped bring him back to shore. He was assisted by a another firefighter, Paul Delaney.

Crosby appeared to be shaken up, according to a police report, but did not display any visible injuries associated with exposure.

Flights diverted, canceled at Worcester airport due to weather

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Low visibility and deteriorating conditions caused JetBlue officials to divert an incoming fight from Worcester to Boston Sunday night and cancel a flight to Orlando Monday morning.

WORCESTER - Low visibility and deteriorating conditions caused JetBlue officials to divert an incoming fight from Worcester to Boston Sunday night and cancel a flight to Orlando Monday morning.

According to Bryan Baldwin, manager of airport communications for JetBlue, the 86 passengers traveling to Worcester from Fort Lauderdale Sunday night were provided with ground transportation from Boston's Logan Airport back to Worcester.

Because a plane was not available in Worcester Monday morning, the 92 passengers scheduled to travel to Orlando from Worcester were notified on Sunday night that their fight would leave from Boston, instead.

This brings the total number of Worcester diversions to six and the total number of Worcester cancellations to 21 since we began service on Nov. 7, according to Baldwin.

Yankee Candle cites fire hazard in recalling 17,000 synthetic candle rings made in China

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Yankee Candle officials are recalling approximately 17,000 of their pine berry candle rings after the synthetic material used to emulate foliage was determined to be flammable, posing a potential fire hazard in homes across North American.

Yankee candle RecallThe recalled decorative pine berry candle ring goes around the base of a candle and is made of synthetic green foliage with synthetic red berries and pinecones. 

SOUTH DEERFIELD, Mass. — Yankee Candle officials are recalling approximately 17,000 of their pine berry candle rings after the synthetic material used to emulate foliage was determined to be flammable, posing a potential fire hazard in homes across North America.

The candle rings, which look like a wreath placed over a candle to surround its base, were sold through brick-and-mortar and online Hallmark and Yankee Candle stores in the U.S. and Canada from September through October. The items, which were made in China, sold for between $8 and $10.

The ring measures about 9 to 10 inches in diameter and has an opening of about 4 to 4.5 inches in the center. Candle rings with UPC number "8 86860 02558 8" or "8 86860 06357 3" on a tag attached to the underside of the ring are included in the recall.

Although no injuries have been reported due to the combustion of the items, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is asking those with such experiences to contact them at SaferProducts.gov.

People who have one of the recalled candle rings can either return them to the nearest Yankee Candle store or contact the company directly at (877) 417-2230 from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.


Paul Picknelly may have hit the jackpot with MGM Springfield casino plan

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The MGM Springfield casino is planned to have up to 3,000 slot machines and a 294-room hotel.

After working behind the scenes to help bring MGM Resorts International to Springfield, businessman Paul C. Picknelly may have hit the jackpot.

Picknelly, the owner and operator of two major hotels and a giant commercial building in downtown Springfield, owns 1 percent of MGM-Springfield, the downtown casino planned by the Las Vegas-based company.

A resident of Hampden, he is the only other owner of the planned casino project besides MGM and stands to be a big local financial winner if the casino is built.

paulp.JPGPaul C. Picknelly smiles during a victory rally in Springfield on July 16 to celebrate voter approval of MGM Springfield. 

The estimated $800 million casino, planned for 10 to 15 acres in the South End of Springfield across from the MassMutual Center, is poised to receive a major boost on Monday.

The five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission is scheduled to release a decision on whether MGM is suitable to apply for a casino license in Springfield. If commission members follow the recommendation of their investigators, MGM would be cleared to seek the license with certain conditions.

Picknelly declined to provide an interview for this story and has not commented on the casino when reached by The Republican in the past.

Stephen P. Crosby, chairman of the gaming commission, said he did not recall any suitability issues raised about Paul Picknelly during the commission's Dec. 9 hearing on MGM.

"It would make sense that you would have partial local ownership," Crosby said. "I think it is probably good in principle. One of the whole ideas was economic development in Massachusetts and to create wealth in Massachusetts."

Picknelly was a partner in a company, Blue Tarp reDevelopment, that signed a letter of intent with MGM in March of last year, according to a redacted commission background report on MGM's bid. The casino plan was kept under wraps until a formal announcement in August of last year.

It's unclear how much money Paul Picknelly would make but he would receive a perpetual annual share of revenues from the casino as well as payments if the project hits several milestones, according to the background report.

Paul Picknelly's brother, Peter A. Picknelly, CEO and chairman of Peter Pan Bus Lines and a former rival of his brother for a casino in Springfield, said the MGM casino is "a huge opportunity" for Springfield.

"I'm happy for him," Peter Picknelly said of his brother. "I'm pleased for him."

Peter Picknelly was a partner with Penn National Gaming, which planned a casino in the North End of downtown Springfield, including on properties owned by The Republican.

He said he is now working on a transportation plan with MGM and some real estate opportunities with the casino company.

In a city competition, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno choose MGM over Penn National in April. Fifty-eight percent of city voters approved the MGM casino in a ballot question on July 16.

"They came up with a better plan, but there is certainly no hard feelings," said Peter Picknelly.

He said he and his brother had "a business disagreement" about the best location for a casino in Springfield, a project long supported by their late father, Peter L. Picknelly, who died in 2004.

He said he talks with his brother weekly and e-mails daily. Each brother has a minority interest in businesses led by the other, he said.

In the background report on MGM's ethics and finances, investigators said they found no "derogatory information" about Paul Picknelly that could affect his suitability for licensure with the commission.

The report said Picknelly's finances are complex. Investigators said they needed "numerous discussions" with Picknelly and his team to develop a complete picture about his deal with MGM.

In the fall of 2011, Paul Picknelly and partners sought to put together parcels of real estate for a casino in Springfield, according to the background report. Picknelly told investigators that he helped retain a gaming consultant which marketed Springfield to MGM after it initially chose a site in Brimfield.

In March of last year, MGM said it intended to purchase most of Blue Tarp.

The company agreed to pay Picknelly and three other members a perpetual annual payment from revenues from the Springfield casino, the report said. MGM would also provide payments for "milestones," including upon acquiring certain parcels, when the casino is licensed and when it opens to the public, the report said.

The other members of Blue Tarp -- lawyer Thomas D. Murphy Jr., Francis J. Cataldo Jr., a real estate investor, and Springfield businessman Heriberto Flores -- no longer have ownership interests in Blue Tarp.

Flores resigned with no apparent compensation from Blue Tarp and joined the Penn National bid, according to the report.

Murphy and Cataldo sold their interests to Picknelly several months after MGM bought Blue Tarp. Picknelly assumed the risks if MGM's bid fails and became the sole remaining member to partner with MGM, the report said.

Through his real estate companies, Cataldo also has negotiated options to sell at least a half dozen properties to MGM if the project moves forward, the report said.

Paul Picknelly, who was born and raised in Springfield with his brother and their sister, Mary Jean, attended Holyoke Community College, but he did not receive a degree.

At 18, he was working in the family business and rose to senior vice president and chief operating officer at Peter Pan Bus Lines in 1994, MGM said in a filing with the city.

He owns at least 5 percent of 15 businesses including Peter Pan Bus Lines, the commission's report said.

Picknelly owns and operates the 325-room Sheraton Hotel and the Hilton Garden Inn, both in Springfield, according to a report filed by MGM with the city.

He is also owner and operator of Monarch Place, a 25-story downtown office building that includes the Sheraton and is the largest commercial real estate project in the state outside Boston, according to the MGM filing.

Bruce Stebbins, a member of the gaming commission and former Springfield City Councilor and business development administrator for the city, said he knows Picknelly from when he was on the council and a city administrator.

In order to dispel a possible conflict, Stebbins said he disclosed his "interactions" with both Picknelly brothers to Gov. Deval Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley and Treasurer Steve Grossman, who jointly appointed Stebbins to the commission. Stebbins said he participated in the suitability decision on MGM.

When he was development administrator, Stebbins said, for example, that Paul Picknelly showed him some improvements he planned to the Sheraton. He was not seeking city funds, Stebbins said.

In a prepared statement, Paul Picknelly said in part that he spoke with a lot of casino operators, but MGM offered the best vision for revitalizing downtown Springfield.

"I felt like my job as a native son of Springfield was to find a partner who shared my vision and the vision of many of my friends and colleagues," he stated. "Once I met MGM's team, early last year, I was confident they could take it from there."

Carole Brennan, spokeswoman for MGM Springfield, also released a statement saying in part, "From day one of meeting Paul, MGM's leadership team was in sync with him on an MGM Springfield vision that both helped rebuild the tornado-devastated section of downtown Springfield and offered the best economic development plan for the entire city."

The casino is planned to have up to 3,000 slot machines and a 294-room hotel. The project is expected to create 2,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs.

Kevin E. Kennedy, chief development officer for Springfield, said it's great that the planned casino will have a small percent of local ownership.

"He's a very good businessman," Kennedy said of Paul Picknelly. "He's been very active in all things Springfield."

Prosecutors: Fight over shoes led to Lynn stabbing

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Prosecutors say a dispute over a pair of child's sneakers led to a fight that ended in a fatal stabbing in Lynn.


LYNN, Mass. (AP) - Prosecutors say a dispute over a pair of child's sneakers led to a fight that ended in a fatal stabbing in Lynn.

Isaac Hendricks was held without bail after a not guilty plea to a murder charge was entered on his behalf at his arraignment Monday.

Authorities say Hendricks killed Jonathan Laporte on Sunday morning after Hendricks' wife and Laporte's girlfriend got into a fight over the girl's Air Jordans.

Hendricks' wife, Shanequa, tells The Daily Item (http://bit.ly/1hBKP8b ) that Laporte's girlfriend, Kyesha Torres, gave their daughter the sneakers as a gift, then demanded them back. Torres told police she only allowed the Hendrickses to borrow the sneakers.

Isaac Hendricks' lawyer says his client was protecting his home and family and it was a clear case of self-defense.

Torres was also charged.

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Information from: The (Lynn, Mass.) Daily Item, http://itemlive.com


Legendary jazz teacher Frank Hatchett dies; once had Springfield studio

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According to a posting on the web site of the Broadway Dance Center, with which he was affiliated, Hatchett died Dec. 23 in hospice care.

Frank Hatchett, who once taught Springfield area children to dance at the Dunbar Community Center, before heading to New York City, to instruct performers and entertainers from around the world, at his dance studio there, has died at the age of 77.

hatchett2.jpg At the Dunbar Community Center's Frank Hatchett 2010 reunion Marcia Vilpic, of Springfield, had a reunion of her own with Hatchett. Vilpic took classes in the 1970's with Hatchett. 

According to a posting on the web site of the Broadway Dance Center, which he started in 1984, Hatchett died Dec. 23, in hospice care. He had undergone surgery in recent years for a brain tumor.

Hatchett's former students include Springfield native and Broadway dance star Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, who returned to Springfield in 2010, to attend a benefit retirement event for Hatchett. The benefit featured master classes by several dance greats, including Hatchett and Duncan-Gibbs, that August, at the Dunbar Community Center.

Duncan-Gibbs appeared in such productions such as "Chicago, Cats," "Jelly's Last Jam" and "Kiss Me Kate." Savion Glover, Hatchett's former student and the Tony Award-winning choreographer of "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk," also participated in the benefit.

The announcement paid tribute to the influence of the legendary Hatchett, who created what was referred to as the "VOP," or a "hot style of jazz dance that incorporated a "get-down, street-smart feeling," and reads in part:

"It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved founding father, Frank Hatchett, who died peacefully in hospice care early Monday morning.

Frank's visionary ideas about New York dance set the stage for Broadway Dance Center's continuing 30-year success story, leaving his legend intertwined throughout the NYC dance landscape.

His passion for teaching and love of dance touched the lives of countless artists both in NYC and world-wide."

Hatchett grew up in East Hartford, and studied dance in Philadelphia. He performed at Club Harlem, in Atlantic City, with such entertainers as Sammy Davis Jr., and in Las Vegas, with the likes of Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Pearl Bailey.

Hatchett developed a preference for teaching and the more financial security he saw in that choice, and people came to study with him from around the world.

Hatchett's grandmother, Mamie (Kirby) Brandon, had raised him, and it was in her Quincy Street home that Hatchett first gave area dance lessons, then in his own Frank Hatchett School of Performing Arts, which opened on Eastern Avenue in 1967, and then at Dunbar, where enrollment ranged as high as 700 students, in classes for tap, jazz and African tribal dance. Many of his area students, like Kim Norrington, founder of Kim's Danceland, and TV and film star Gretchen Palmer, went on to successful careers in the arts.

"Springfield was my on-the-job training," Hatchett said in an 1990 interview with former Republican reporter Tom Shea. "I saw all this talent, all this energy, and it was all mine to do with what I wanted.

In 1985, Hatchett stopped teaching in Springfield, and moved to New York City, where he had continued to study dance, and where many of his famous pupils were eager to continue to study with him at his Broadway Dance Center.

Hatchett also worked as a choreographer, and was dubbed "The Doctor of Jazz" by ABC's "Good Morning America

In 2008, Hatchett was diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumor. He had surgery, followed by a year's recuperation.

"I had time to stop and reflect. Before that it was always go-go-go," Hatchett told Republican reporter Jeanette DeForge, during his 2010 visit to Springfield, and the .
Quincy Street home where his grandmother lived.

"I've decided I'm not going back to the rat race. I'm not enjoying it and I'm financially secure."

According to the publicity for his book, "Frank Hatchett's Jazz Dance," co-authored with Nancy Myers Gitlin, one of his former dancers, Hatchett, who himself studied with such legendary dancers as Alvin Ailey, "perfected his unique style while teaching stars such as Madonna, Brooke Shields, Naomi Campbell, Vanessa Williams, Olivia Newton-John, MTV's Downtown Julie Brown, Justine Bateman, and Savion Glover."

Leominster man charged with using stroller in assault

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A Leominster has been charged with ramming a baby stroller with a child in it into a police officer who caught him shoplifting.

LEOMINSTER, Mass. (AP) - A Leominster has been charged with ramming a baby stroller with a child in it into a police officer who caught him shoplifting.

Police say an officer witnessed 29-year-old William Martin stuffing items from Victoria's Secret in The Mall at Whitney Field into the sleeve of a jacket in the stroller.

The Sentinel & Enterprise (http://bit.ly/1d62kfz ) reports that when the officer confronted Martin, he allegedly slammed the stroller with a 16-month-old child in it into the officer's legs, elbowed him in the face and tried to run off, leaving the child behind.

Police say items allegedly stolen from four stores were in the stroller.

Martin was released on $500 bail after pleading not guilty Monday to charges including shoplifting and assault and battery on a police officer.

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Information from: Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Mass.), http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com

Springfield DPW announces trash collection changes for holiday weeks

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Municipal rubbish collection this week for Springfield residents who normally have Wednesday pick-up will be on Saturday, Dec. 28 because of the Christmas holiday.

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Department of Public Works has issued the trash and recyclables collection schedule for Christmas and New Year's weeks for residents with Wednesday collection.

Municipal rubbish collection this week for residents who normally have Wednesday pick-up will be on Saturday, Dec. 28 because of the Christmas holiday. Those who have recycling collection scheduled this week also should put out their recyclables on Saturday.

Next week, because of the New Year's holiday, trash will be picked up on Saturday, Jan. 4 for residents who normally have municipal rubbish collection on Wednesdays. Residents who have recycling collection that would have fallen on Jan. 1 also should place recyclables out on Jan. 4.

The city's 3-1-1 Call Center will be staffed this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to take inquiries regarding collection.

The DPW says trash and recyclables should be placed out for collection no later than 6:30 a.m. on the day of collection. For more information about municipal trash and recycling collection, residents can call 3-1-1 from a landline in the city, or (413) 736-3111.


Powerful bombing at Egypt police station kills 13

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A powerful blast tore through a police headquarters in an Egyptian Nile Delta city early Tuesday, killing 13 people, wounding more than 100 and leaving victims buried under rubble in the deadliest bombing yet in a months-long wave of violence blamed on Islamic militants.

MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press
MOHAMMED WAGDY, Associated Press


MANSOURA, Egypt (AP) — A powerful blast tore through a police headquarters in an Egyptian Nile Delta city early Tuesday, killing 13 people, wounding more than 100 and leaving victims buried under rubble in the deadliest bombing yet in a months-long wave of violence blamed on Islamic militants.

Officials sought to pin the ultimate blame for the bombing on the government's top political nemesis, the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been leading a campaign of protests since the July ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The Brotherhood in turn accused the government of trying to scapegoat it to justify intensifying a crackdown.

At the funeral for the 12 policeman and one civilian killed, hundreds massed in a main square of the city of Mansoura where the bombing took place, chanting, "The people want to execute the Brotherhood." They raised posters reading "no to terrorist groups" and pictures of military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who removed Morsi and is the country's most powerful figure.

Egypt has seen an escalating campaign of spectacular bombings and gun attacks, mainly against security forces, since the military ousted Morsi and launched a fierce crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood. Most attacks have been centered in the Sinai Peninsula, where multiple militant groups operate, but the insurgency has been spreading to the heavily populated Delta and the capital, Cairo.

The military-backed interim government has sought to portray the Brotherhood as largely responsible for violence — though authorities have presented no evidence. A government panel was meeting Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss declaring the group officially as a "terrorist organization."

Such a move would further tarnish the group before Egyptians vote in a Jan. 14-15 referendum on a revised constitution, a key step in the military-backed transition plan. Morsi's supporters oppose the new document, which amends the constitution passed under his rule. But the interim government is pushing for its overwhelming passage to show the legitimacy of the military's ouster of Morsi and the new political system.

Last week, prosecutors referred Morsi and other top Brotherhood leaders to trial on charges of organizing a large terrorist conspiracy, working with Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and other militant groups and orchestrating the Sinai insurgency to avenge his ouster. Morsi supporters and rights groups have called the accusations implausible.

Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi stopped short of directly blaming the Brotherhood for the attack, which he called the "worst kind of terrorism" against the state. But he grouped it in with the pro-Morsi protests as part of a string of "violations of the people's security."

He called the attack a "maximum offense" to Egypt and will be dealt with decisively and according to the law, without elaborating. El-Beblawi said his government has been working to implement a court order in late September banning the Brotherhood.

One of his spokesmen, Sherif Shawki, went further, accusing the Brotherhood, which he said showed its "ugly face as a terrorist organization, shedding blood and messing with Egypt's security," according to the state news agency MENA

The attack on the security headquarters in Mansoura — a provincial capital 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Cairo that is considered a stronghold for the Brotherhood — was the first major bombing in the Nile Delta. The same building had been targeted in July, when an explosive planted outside killed a policeman and wounded another.

Tuesday's 1:10 a.m. blast brought down an entire section and side wall of the five-floor building. Dozens of parked cars were incinerated, and several nearby buildings were damaged, including a bank and theater. Associated Press video from the scene showed bulldozers clearing the rubble.

An unidentified senior security official told MENA that a pick-up truck laden with a large amount of explosives is suspected to be behind the attack. He said investigators are still looking to see whether it was detonated by timer or remote control.

But another official said the bomb may have been planted outside the building, saying no traces of a bomb vehicle or the explosive device itself had been found yet. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

The dead included 12 policemen, including two officers, and 1 civilian, according to a police statement. Health Ministry spokesman Mohammed Fatahallah said 101 people were wounded. Among the injured were the city's security chief — who lost an eye — and his assistant, the state news agency MENA reported. Most of the victims were policemen, many of whom were buried beneath the debris.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.

A day earlier, an al-Qaida-inspired group that has carried out multiple suicide bombings and other attacks in Sinai — Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, or the Champions of Jerusalem — threatened more attacks on the military and police, saying it considers Egyptian troops to be infidels because they answer to the secular-leaning military-backed government.

The group has gained particular notoriety by striking outside the peninsula in recent months. It claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to assassinate the interior minister with a suicide bombing against his convoy in Cairo in September. The minister escaped unharmed.

Several political parties called for the government to declare the Brotherhood a terrorist group. The Popular Current, one secular grouping, called the Brotherhood "the biggest sponsor and the political incubator for the terrorist attacks that take place in Egypt" and urged the government to go after Brotherhood leadership abroad.

Social Solidarity Minister Ahmed el-Borai, who is among those in charge of the review of the Brotherhood status, said declaring it a terrorist organization was inevitable.

A terrorism designation would further escalate the crackdown against the Brotherhood, which was once the country's strongest political organization, winning elections the past three years and dominating the government during Morsi's one year presidency.

In a statement Tuesday, the Brotherhood condemned the bombing as a "direct attack on the unity of the Egyptian people." It accused the government of "exploiting" the violence to target the group and "create further violence, chaos and instability."

Mohammed el-Damati, a Brotherhood lawyer, said there is no legal basis for declaring the group a terrorist organization and warned that doing so "will lead ultimately to the country sliding toward civil strife ... All these measures will incur revenge that will be no longer limited to Islamist or militant groups."

He said authorities want to pin the terrorism label on the Brotherhood to pressure foreign governments and international organizations to follow suit and to pressure Egyptians to vote in favor of the constitution.

The Brotherhood and its Islamist allies have been holding near daily protests demanding Morsi's reinstatement, which often descend into clashes with security and anti-Brotherhood civilians. The protests have been met by a crushing crackdown that has killed hundreds of protesters and jailed thousands. At the same time, the army and security forces have been waging an offensive in Sinai against militant groups. Officials say more than 180 suspected militants and more than 170 policemen have been killed in violence the past months.

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Michael reported from Cairo, and Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef and Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report.

President Barack Obama's health care law not 1st new program with launch woes

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Although multiple problems have snarled the rollout of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, it's hardly the first time a new, sprawling government program has been beset by early technical glitches, political hostility and gloom-and-doom denouncements.

By TOM RAUM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Although multiple problems have snarled the rollout of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, it's hardly the first time a new, sprawling government program has been beset by early technical glitches, political hostility and gloom-and-doom denouncements.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt faced heavy skepticism with his launch of Social Security in 1935-37. Turbulence also rocked subsequent key presidential initiatives, including Lyndon Johnson's rollout of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, Richard Nixon's Supplemental Security Income program in 1974 and George W. Bush's Medicare prescription drugs program in 2006.

Yet these programs today are enormously popular with recipients.

Obama and allies hope history will repeat itself on the health insurance overhaul. "Every day I check to make sure that it's working better," Obama said playfully the other day.

With more and more Americans successfully signing up for the program, some Republicans have dialed back their harshest criticism. Still, the overall negative political fallout could damage Democratic chances in the 2014 midterm elections and possibly beyond.

Any new major federal program is a likely target for early criticism. But the heaviest assaults seem to fall on social benefit programs like Social Security and its health care cousins Medicare and Medicaid. These "entitlement" programs are easy lightning rods because they affect so many Americans, directly or indirectly.

After FDR kicked off Social Security in 1937, Washington's pre-computer age bureaucrats faced enormous hurdles enrolling people for the old-age benefits. Many had the same or similar names. Not all employers kept detailed records on employees and how much they were paid, further complicating the process.

Alf Landon, the 1936 Republican presidential nominee, called Social Security "a fraud on the workingman." Former Republican President Herbert Hoover suggested it would imprison elderly Americans in the moral equivalent of "a national zoo." The program drew participants slowly. Not until the 1970s did all working age Americans have basic coverage.

Medicare and Medicaid, too, encountered early difficulties. For example, Johnson had to overcome resistance in some southern states to including African-Americans in the coverage.

Nixon's steps to overhaul U.S. welfare programs with the Supplemental Security Income program drew heated, early public opposition. Many states were reluctant participants. And by 1976 only about half of potential recipients were signed up. Today, the program covers more than 8 million Americans.

The heat Obama is experiencing today closely mirrors predecessor Bush's experience with the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.

Bush's 2006 rollout expanded Medicare by offering seniors prescription drug coverage. It was pummeled at first — mostly by congressional Democrats but also by some Republicans. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio — now House speaker, then House Republican leader — summed it up in one word: "horrendous." Republicans lost control of the chamber that year.

Just as now, the website for the plan malfunctioned at the outset. Massive computer glitches sent pharmacies faulty drug information and denied many beneficiaries their prescribed medications. Seniors were confused by the options available. Bush mounted cross-country bus tours and campaign-like appearances to promote it — just as Obama is doing on health care.

Once the prescription benefit law took effect, attention suddenly shifted from a general philosophical debate over government's role in subsiding health care to a discussion of costs and benefits of the new program, said Mark McClellan, who ran the Medicare program in the Bush administration and oversaw the prescription-drug rollout.

Despite the rocky start, most problems were ironed out during the first year, McClellan said in an interview. Obama's program, with far greater scope and more moving parts, "is going to take at least a few years, not just one. There are still bumps in the road," he said.

Any advice for the Obama team? "I think the most important thing is to make this as practical and easy for people, put in direct terms that matter to them," McClellan said, adding that despite its shortcomings, Obama's plan offers "more opportunity for people to get into coverage that actually works for them."

"Big change is unnerving, it's troubling. And it gets almost as big as it can be when you get into health, which virtually affects everybody," said presidential scholar and historian Stephen Hess, who's worked for four presidents and has seen many shaky program premiers up close.

Despite rough beginnings for such programs, he said, they mostly "got improved over time, either legislatively or in terms of regulation or simply knowing how to organize a program." Obama should realize that "this too shall pass. Wait it out and correct things as you can," said Hess.

Of course, success stories from Social Security to Medicare prescription drugs represent the survivors — not the failures.

One that completely blew up is the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act, which had broad bipartisan support when it was enacted in 1988 and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

Intended to provide new medical benefits for the elderly, including expanded payments for nursing home care, the program also imposed staggering new costs on those it sought to help — an extra monthly Medicare premium and a surtax for people over 65 with incomes above $35,000. The law was repealed a year after its passage, after angry seniors launched nationwide protests.

Several other ambitious health care overhaul proposals never became law. President Bill Clinton's big 1993 effort — the work of a study group headed by his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and dubbed "Hillarycare" by foes — failed to win congressional support. Same with Bush's 2004 re-election proposal to allow younger workers to invest part of their Social Security tax payments in stocks or other investments.

Many big social programs have rocky rollouts because the government is basically not good at setting up such complicated enterprises, suggests Paul C. Light, professor of public service at New York University.

Washington "designs these complex programs and doesn't ask about delivery, how they will be carried out," Light said. "Obama is keeping his fingers crossed that he can get through the next two years and bequeath implementation to somebody else."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest acknowledges a need "to iron out the kinks" but insists that the new program's "trajectory is moving in the right direction."

As of Dec. 21, more than 1 million people had signed up for private health plans in the exchanges created by the law — a long way from the 7 million the administration projects by April 1.


Mother of missing Fitchburg boy, Jeremiah Oliver, granted $100,000 bail; Alberto Sierra held without bail

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The mother of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver from Fitchburg was granted $100,000 cash bail on Tuesday, while her boyfriend ordered to be held without bail.

FITCHBURG - The mother of missing 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, of Fitchburg, was granted $100,000 cash bail on Tuesday, while her boyfriend ordered to be held without bail.

Elsa Oliver, 28, was granted bail in Fitchburg District Court, though her attorney said it is unlikely she will be released. She still faces a contempt charge in juvenile court on a related case.

Alberto Sierra, was held without bail. Judge Margaret Guzman said prosecutors had more than met their burden to show Sierra was too dangerous to release.

Outside the courthouse, Jeremiah Oliver's family said they were angry Oliver was granted bail.

Jeremiah has been missing since September, according to law enforcement.

Last week, the Department of Children and Family Services announced it fired a social worker and supervisor for their handling of Oliver's case. The social worker failed to perform a required monthly check at the Oliver home, Director Olga Roche said in a statement.

This is a developing news story. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Springfield unemployment rate falls slightly in November as labor force grows

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Springfield's labor force grew in November 2013 from 64,225 in October to 64,404. The Worcester region gained 2,900 jobs on the year, a gain of 1.2 percent. The Pittsfield Region, which is Berkshire County, saw no job gain or loss over the past 12 months.

SPRINGFIELD — Unemployment in Springfield fell by three-tenths of a percentage point to 10.5 percent in November from 10.8 in October.

There were 57,275 Springfield residents with jobs in October and 57,622 in November, according to statistics released Tuesday by the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Local unemployment numbers are not adjusted for seasonal changes in employment, and November labor numbers are typically buoyed by seasonal hiring at retailers and delivery services, for example.

The city's labor force grew from 64,225 in October to 64,404 in November. But the number of people who were either working or looking for work was higher a year ago at 65,227. The number of people working in November 2012 was higher as well at 58,498.

The city's unemployment rate was 10.3 percent in November 2012.

Springfield had the 10th-highest rate in Massachusetts following a number of Cape Cod and islands communities where fewer people work in the off-season. Holyoke was 11th-highest with an even 10 percent unemployment rate, down from 10.7 percent in October, but up from 9.8 percent a year ago.

As a region, Greater Springfield lost 400 jobs from October to November, a drop of 0.1 percent. In the past year, Greater Springfield is up 900 jobs, a gain of 0.3 percent but trailing the statewide average job gain of 1.7 percent since November 2012.

The Worcester region gained 2,900 jobs on the year, a gain of 1.2 percent. The Pittsfield Region, which is Berkshire County, saw no job gain or loss over the past 12 months.

As a region, Greater Springfield had an unemployment rate of 7.7 percent, down from 8 percent in October, but higher than the 7.3 percent unemployment rate recorded in November 2012.

The statewide average, when not adjusted for seasonal changes, is 6.6 percent. Adjusted seasonally, the more widely reported number, the rate was 7.1, exceeding the national average of 7 percent. It was the first time since 2007 that the state’s unemployment rate exceeded the national unemployment rate.

Statewide, the private sector added 4,900 jobs in November as professional, scientific, and business services, manufacturing, financial activities, education and health services, information, construction and other services all added jobs. Since December 2012, Massachusetts has gained 46,600 jobs. Over the past 12 months, Massachusetts added 55,300 jobs in total, 53,800 of which were in the private sector.

Other measures of unemployment tell a slightly different story. Statewide unemployment rises to 13.6 percent when those who have stopped looking for work or are working part-time when they would rather be working full-time are included.



PNC Financial Services paying $35M to resolve government claims of discrimination in residential loans

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Under the terms of the proposed settlement, PNC will pay $35 million dollars into a fund for the benefit of victims of National City Bank's mortgage discrimination.

WASHINGTON (AP) — PNC Financial Services Group is paying $35 million to resolve government claims of discrimination in residential loans against a Cleveland-based bank that PNC bought in 2009.

The agreement announced Monday by the Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau addresses claims that more than 75,000 African-American and Latino customers of National City Bank paid more for their residential loans between 2002 and 2008. There is no allegation of discrimination by Pittsburgh-based PNC, which bought National City Bank.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, PNC will pay $35 million dollars into a fund for the benefit of victims of National City Bank's mortgage discrimination.

The discrimination settlement follows a larger $98 million agreement last week between the government and Detroit-based Ally Financial Inc., concerning car loans.


Elsa Oliver granted bail, angering family of missing boy Jeremiah Oliver

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Elsa Oliver was granted bail during a dangerousness hearing Tuesday morning in Fitchburg District Court. Her boyfriend, Alberto Sierra, was held without bail.

A judge's decision to grant $100,000 bail to the mother of Jeremiah Oliver angered members of the missing Fitchburg boy's family.

Elsa Oliver, 28, was granted bail during a dangerousness hearing Tuesday morning in Fitchburg District Court. Her boyfriend, Alberto L. Sierra, 22, was held without bail.

The couple are facing charges in connection with the five-year-old boy's disappearance. The boy has been missing since September, and officials have said they are considering the case a possible homicide.

Outside the court house, Jeremiah's family, many wearing self-made shirts bearing his picture, said they couldn't believe she was given bail.

"They didn't talk nothing about the baby. He's five years old," said Sandro Oliver, 20, Jeremiah's cousin. "They didn't do s***. She gets an ankle bracelet? Make her suffer."

Jeremiah Oliver mug 121913.jpgJeremiah Oliver, 5 
Jeremiah Oliver was last seen on Sept. 14, according to authorities. His disappearance apparently went unnoticed by his school and a social worker assigned to the family until his sister told school officials earlier this month.

The social worker and a supervisor have since been fired by the Department of Children and Family Services.

Despite receiving bail, Elsa Oliver appears unlikely to be released soon. Judge Margaret Guzman said if Oliver is able to make the $100,000 cash bail, she still must deal with mental health issues and deal with a contempt charge in a related case in juvenile court.

Elsa Oliver's attorney, James G. Reardon, Jr., told reporters outside the courthouse he has been unable to communicate with his client.

"I've been with her for many hours and I really can't have any useful conversations with her," Reardon said, "and she doesn't seem to really grasp what's going on."

Elsa Oliver will be in court again Jan. 10 for a mental competency hearing.

Guzman was unconvinced by prosecutors' arguments to revoke Oliver's bail, but Sierra was another case. The judge said she was concerned about the safety of the public and the risk of flight if Sierra were released.

Guzman also impounded documents related to Tuesday's hearing, saying there were "third party protection issues" involved. Among the evidence was a DVD, she said.

Neither Oliver nor Sierra actually appeared inside the courtroom. The judge allowed them to waive their right to appear, and they each stood in a hallway just outside the court while their separate proceedings took place.

After the hearings, family and friends vented their frustration.

"She's a mom, how could she let this happen to her own kid?" said Jeremiah's cousin, Edward Valcourt. "If she really got abused like she said she was, why she never left the relationship? Why she ain't try to run from him?"

Court documents allege Sierra abused Elsa Oliver and her three children, beating them and threatening his girlfriend with a knife.

Sandro Oliver said the family believes the couple know exactly where the boy is. The family organized a community search for the boy last weekend, and plan to hold another search on Saturday.

About 20 members of Jeremiah's family attended the Christmas Eve hearings. Valcourt said the upcoming holiday would be tough on the family.

"It's not going to be the same without the kid," Valcourt said. "Nothing's going to ever be the same until we find him, or at least we have closure in our hearts."

United Way names former state Rep. James Leary chair-elect

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Former state Rep. James Leary has been named chair-elect of the United Way of Central Massachusetts.

James LearyFile photo of former state Rep. James Leary. 
WORCESTER - United Way of Central Massachusetts has named former state Rep. James Leary chair-elect of the organization.

"(Jim's) fingerprints are entwined with this United Way, with connecting people to resources and we are proud to have him as our chair-elect,” said Tim Garvin, president and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts.

Leary will take on a two-year term as chair of the board of directors in July. He will lead the 25-member board that oversees the direction and finances of the centrally located non-profit that handles six million in charitable donations every year, said Garvin.

The former state representative currently serves as the vice chancellor for community and government relations at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Among his responsibilities in that role are promoting volunteerism and service at the university, according to Leary's biography on the school's website.

Leary is a Worcester native who served three terms in the state House of Representatives, worked as chief of staff and council to Lt. Governor Tim Murray and as a senior advisor to the governor's office. In all these roles, Leary has been extremely helpful to the United Way and the mission of helping people in the community with basic needs, said Garvin, who has known Leary for eight years.

"He has an incredible intellect and combines that with an amazing passion and compassion for the people who live and work here in central Massachusetts,” said Garvin.

The United Way of Central Massachusetts was founded in 1920.

Battle over proposed military pension cuts to continue in 2014

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The Pentagon's top civilian says it's time to tame burgeoning military personnel costs, but he's facing a test of wills with the nation's powerful veterans groups, which want no cut in their benefits.

By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon's top civilian says it's time to tame burgeoning military personnel costs, but he's facing a test of wills with the nation's powerful veterans groups, which want no cut in their benefits.

Veterans groups are fighting curbs in annual pension increases for military retirees under age 62 that are part of the new budget deal passed by Congress last week and awaiting President Barack Obama's signature. After a barrage of protests from the military community, lawmakers said they'll review the cut next year and possibly reverse it. But Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday that reform of military compensation can't be avoided.

"We all know that we need to slow cost growth in military compensation," Hagel told a Pentagon press conference. "We know that many proposals will be controversial and unpopular. ... Tough decisions will have to be made."

Retirees want the belt-tightening done elsewhere.

Here's a look at what members of the U.S. armed forces get now and the debate:

WHAT TROOPS EARN

Due to pay and benefit boosts in recent war years, officials and military analysts say compensation is competitive with the civilian sector — and well above it when comparing people with similar education and experience.

For example, an Army private with fewer than two years of service and no dependents earns on average about $40,400 annually, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Christensen, a Defense Department spokesman. About two-thirds of that is base pay and the rest a housing allowance and a food allowance, with no taxes paid on the two allowances. An Army captain with six years of service and no dependents averages $93,800 annually.

Active duty military members also get all of their health care for free. Their spouses and children get free care at military treatment facilities. If dependents use a private doctor, dentist or pharmacy, they get the care through the department's TRICARE system, paying no premiums and no co-pays, said Austin Camacho, a system spokesman.

The force also gets what the Pentagon calls "quality of life" benefits, like help paying for continuing education, separate schools in some places for their children, commissaries where they buy food at an estimated 30 percent below retail prices and exchanges where they buy other deeply discounted goods like clothing and household items. Greatly discounted day care is available through the department's child development system, which officials say has grown to serve the largest number of kids daily among the nation's employers — now that more than half of the 1.4 million-member force is married and they have 1.2 million children.

While serving, some are and some aren't able to build much of a retirement nest egg on their own. There's a savings plan, though there are no employer matching funds, and moving every two or three years due to reassignment can affect the service members' ability to build equity in their homes and the spouse's ability to build a career that brings in a good second income.

WHEN THEY RETIRE

The military retirement system is unfair and costly. Only 17 percent of service members — those who serve 20 years — get pensions, the Pentagon says. Most people don't stay that long, meaning 83 percent who serve less than two decades get no retirement pay.

But someone who enters the military at age 18 and stays 20 years starts drawing pension checks worth half their base salary immediately at age 38 — rather than having to wait until their 60s — and gets the payments for life. It's a practice without parallel in the private sector, though some government agencies such as city police departments do it.

Critics say 40 years of pension for 20 years of work is overly generous, but retirees say they deserve it for doing risky jobs that are tough on them and their families and that the overwhelming majority of Americans don't volunteer for.

A Navy Chief Petty Officer who earned $80,000 a year, is married and served for 20 years can immediately get a pension of about $2,200 monthly that would grow with cost-of-living increases. He or she can get free health care at military facilities on a space-available basis and can continue using commissaries — the latter two benefits being a reason some retirees like to live near military installations, officials say. Those who enroll in TRICARE insurance for private sector care can pick between two plans, paying only $274 annually for an individual or $548 for the family for the standard plan, far below civilian insurance costs.

There are nearly 2 million retirees currently getting military pensions at an annual cost to the Defense Department of $4.5 billion. Of those, 840,000 are under 62 — and more than 80 percent of those were enlisted, as opposed to higher-paid officers.

The retirement system hasn't been changed materially in more than 100 years and was designed when people didn't live as long, second careers were rare and military pay was low. Many people now have second careers after retiring, collecting the pension as well as income from their new jobs — and in their 60s are also getting Social Security payments, to which they contributed while in the military.

BREAKING FAITH?

The change provoking outrage among military and veteran groups this week would reduce retirement benefits for working-age retirees. Starting Dec. 1, 2015, cost-of-living adjustments for pensions of people under 62 would be modified to equal inflation minus 1 percent; then at 62, retirees would receive a "catch-up" increase that would restore their pensions to reflect levels as if the cost-of-living adjustment had been the full consumer price index in all previous years.

But they wouldn't get back what was lost, meaning a reduction of nearly $72,000 in benefits over a lifetime for a sergeant first class who retires at age 42, by one group's estimate. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said a veteran of identical rank who retired at 38 would still wind up with $1.62 million in retirement pay over a lifetime.

But officials have said repeatedly in recent years that changes in the system would not affect current military members or retirees. Rather, they would be applied to future recruits.

"Keep your promise" was the theme of a lobbying effort by the Military Officers Association of America.

American Legion National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger said the group was "horrified" that the Senate could pass a bill "so unfair to those Americans who have served honorably in uniform."

The Veterans of Foreign Wars predicted the change would prompt an exodus of those at midcareer once the U.S. economy rebounds, and that it will hurt efforts to recruit new people into the all-volunteer force.

CHANGE IS COMING, BUT WHAT CHANGE?

By passing the pension cut now, lawmakers jumped the gun on a review panel broadly studying modernization.

The nine-member Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission was mandated in the last budget year to study the full breadth of issues including regular military pay, health care, the promotion system, retirement pay and family support programs. "Everything is on the table," Christensen said.

In an era of tight budgets, personnel costs now make up nearly half of the Pentagon's funding, and officials fear continued growth will force disproportionate cuts in other areas, such as training and equipment. Health costs alone have skyrocketed nearly 200 percent since the year 2000 and will balloon further in coming years without changes, officials say.

"Modernization is a certainty," said James Hosek, a senior economist at the RAND Corporation and expert on defense manpower.

Retirees argue that cutting troop benefits is the last thing that should be done — and some suggest efforts to curb personnel costs should first target what they see as bloated civilian staffs as well as redundant uniformed bureaucracy in which each service branch has its own medical command, cyberassets, intelligence assets and uniforms — just to mention a few complaints.

Ideas already floated for compensation changes include earlier vesting in pensions; giving troops a lump sum on departure rather than long-term pensions; slightly increasing health care premiums; and replacing pensions with a 401(k)-type saving plan, which would be offered, not forced on current members and retirees. Some analysts say modernization will inevitably mean less generous benefits for military members, but others hope that may not be the case if creative efficiencies can be found.

The challenge for the commission is to reform programs so they're more affordable and sustainable and yet offer benefits attractive enough to keep drawing people to volunteer for the nation's armed forces.

The panel is scheduled to make recommendations to Congress and the president in May.


Obituaries today: Patricia Hachadourian was commercial artist for Springfield Newspapers, Steiger's

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Obituaries from The Republican.

 
122413-patricia-hachadourian.jpgPatricia Hachadourian 

Patricia "Patty" (Hanson) Hachadourian, 77, of Springfield, passed away on Sunday. Born in Newton, she and her family moved to Springfield when she was a baby. She was a graduate of the former Springfield Technical High School and received a certificate in commercial art from Springfield Trade School. After trade school, she was employed as a commercial artist for the Springfield Newspapers, specifically for the Rotogravure section. She later established her own freelance business and worked for a number of the region's advertising agencies, and, in the 1980s, the ad department at Steiger's.

Obituaries from The Republican:


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