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Gov. Deval Patrick, state Attorney General Martha Coakley considering lawsuit against CGI over Massachusetts Health Connector website problems

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As of Dec. 30, only 500 people were able to enroll in their permanent insurance plans through the Massachusetts Health Connector due to problems with the website. The governor and attorney general are considering legal action against their information technology contractor.

BOSTON - Gov. Deval Patrick and Attorney General Martha Coakley left the door open on Wednesday for potential litigation against the company that developed the Massachusetts Health Connector website.

"It's something I've asked the team to look at," Patrick said, when asked by a reporter about possible litigation. "I'm very concerned about the performance of CGI and whether we got what we paid for, and I think most of us feel we have not."

The Massachusetts Health Connector has blamed its information technology vendor, CGI, for problems with its new website, which it created in order to comply with the Affordable Care Act. The automated determination process, through which the connector determines what subsidy someone is eligible for and what insurance program they should be in, has not worked, forcing the connector to process applications by mail. There have been problems in account creation log-in, slow performance, time-outs and random and sporadic error messages, according to the Health Connector.

As of Dec. 30, only 500 people had been able to enroll in their permanent insurance plans through the Health Connector, the state's version of the health insurance exchange.

Linda Odorisio, a spokeswoman for CGI, said in an email that CGI is continuing to work with Massachusetts officials to deliver improvements and expand the functionality of the Massachusetts Health Connector.

"The health-care marketplace in Massachusetts is successfully processing applications from citizens to enroll in insurance," Odorisio said. "CGI has led or played a major role on the most successful state insurance marketplaces in the country, including Colorado, Kentucky and California. We are working closely with Massachusetts leaders to avoid any formal disputes by ensuring that contract requirements for all parties are met."

Coakley, who is a Democratic candidate for governor, was asked whether the state would consider suing CGI during an interview on Boston Herald Radio on Wednesday. She said, "We've brought suits against businesses, corporations and the federal government, and if there's an ability or a need to do that, we certainly will."

She said Massachusetts agencies are working to fix the website. "We're concerned that we get it right as quickly as possible," Coakley said. "I know that process is under way, and we can and will stay involved in that."

Patrick said the state has not paid the entire cost of its contract with CGI, since it is a pay-as-you-go contract. But, Patrick said, "I'm concerned about the value of what we got. And the number of workarounds, while they’ve been a source of my own pride in the creativity of the folks over there at the connector, this isn’t what we paid for."

Patrick said state lawyers are considering legal action. "It's good to know that the attorney general, if we have to go that route, would support that.".

The board of the Massachusetts Health Connector will meet Thursday. Jason Lefferts, a spokesman for the connector, said the accountability of CGI will be discussed as part of an update on the open enrollment period.

The Republican/MassLive.com previously reported that as of Dec. 30, only 497 people were enrolled in permanent subsidized health insurance plans. The state was providing temporary insurance for another 22,000 new enrollees while it worked to process their applications. The state had extended coverage for existing customers of its Commonwealth Care plans through March 31.

Lefferts said that as of Jan. 7, 4,676 people enrolled in both subsidized and unsubsidized plans through the Health Connector, up from 3,759 as of Dec. 30. He did not have a breakdown of how many of those were subsidized. Individuals whose plans are not subsidized have until Friday to pay their premiums, so that number is likely to tick up.

"We're doing everything we can right down to old-fashioned processing by hand to make sure that folks don’t have a gap in their insurance on account of a website that isn't working as well as it should," Patrick said. "And we're going to continue to do that. The most important thing is making sure that people are insured, and we are going to meet that obligation."


Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz: Twitter comments had nothing to do with dismissal from Rintala trial jury duty

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Two days after being sworn in as Northampton’s mayor, Narkewicz was sworn in Wednesday as 1 of 100 members of the jury pool for the Rintala trial. Narkewicz posted 3 statements on Twitter about his possible jury duty – one before entering the courthouse, the other just after taking the jurors' oath and the third after he was dismissed.

NORTHAMPTON — Mayor David J. Narkewicz wants to make something very clear: His dismissal as a potential juror in the Carla Rintala murder trial had nothing to do with two Twitter posts he made on Wednesday morning.

“If it was on (Judge Mary-Lou Rup’s) mind, it never came up,” he said.

Two days after being sworn in for his second term as Northampton’s mayor, Narkewicz was one of 100 Hampshire County residents in a pool of prospective jurors for the Rintala trial. Narkewicz posted three statements on Twitter about his possible jury duty – one before entering the courthouse, the other just after taking the jurors' oath and the third after he was dismissed.

The first mentioned he was reporting at the Hampshire County courthouse; the second said he was just sworn in for the Rintala trial, and “Judge Rup addressing the jury pool.”

The second posting came before Rup told jurors to avoid social media, Facebook and Twitter in particular.

The mayor was dismissed as a juror around noon, after an interview with Rup and lawyers in the case. He subsequently tweeted, "juror 18 excused - proud to participate in process - our jury system is a cherished right and important civic duty."

The popularity of social media has led to new rules in Massachusetts for jurors, who are barred from disclosing anything about their service.

In 2012, the state Appeals Court instructed judges to give jurors clear instructions not to discuss or reference their cases on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. The online postings, the court argued, could encourage other comments that could influence jury deliberations and lead to a mistrial.

Late this afternoon, Narkewicz emphasized that his Twitter remarks had nothing to do with the dismissal.

“I didn’t do any social media after that point,” the mayor said, referring to Rup’s no-social-media announcement.

Rintala is accused of killing her wife at their Granby home in 2011 in a high-profile case that ended in a hung jury last March.


Chicopee Mayor Kos announces appointment of assessor, three staff positions

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Brian Suchy has been named as assessor and Mary Moge will serve as chief of staff for the city.

CHICOPEE – In his first few days in office Mayor Richard J. Kos has named the three members of his office staff and has appointed an assessor to fill a vacant position.

All four are city residents with experience ranging from tax and financial knowledge as well as customer service skills to social media networking and business administration.

“They are all Chicopee residents who really care about the city and expressed a great desire to work together for a better Chicopee,” Kos said.

On Sunday, just hours before the inauguration, Kos announced he had selected long-term friend and associate Mary Moge as his chief of staff. Moge has worked in business for 25 years and also served on several boards when Kos was mayor a decade ago.

Moge, who holds an associate's degree in accounting, has spent much of her career at MassMutual Financial Group and last year she worked at H&R Block as a tax professional and office manager.

“Her expansive background includes making investment decisions as a money market trader, serving as an investment analyst and working as a senior accountant specializing in real estate derivatives and mutual and retirement funds,” said a written statement about the appointments.

Joel D. McAuliffe will serve as the mayor’s communications and special projects manager. He is a recent graduate of Springfield Technical Community College who is now attending Westfield State University part-time studying communications and public administration.

McAuliffe has also worked as a substitute teacher, a sports coach at several local high schools and has been a freelance sports reporter and worked in operations at WGGB-TV.

Janet Olbrych will serve as the mayor’s administrative assistant. She formerly worked for the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company and for Valassis Sales and Marketing. She has also spent time as an instructor for the Chicopee Adult Education Program.

Olbrych holds an associate's degree in business administration.

On Wednesday, Kos also announced he has named Brian Suchy, a long-time friend and supporter, to fill a vacancy on the Board of Assessors that was created when Stanley Iwanicki was elected as tax collector in the middle of his four-year assessor term.

Suchy has more than 20 years of sales and customer service experience, having worked at General Motors Acceptance Corporation, Pioneer Management Systems Incorporated, The Pomco Group and most recently as an insurance specialist at Woodbrook Insurance Agency.

He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in management and accounting from American International College.

Attorney General Martha Coakley: MassDOT employee arrested for possession of child pornography

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Attorney General Martha Coakley's office announced Thursday that a state employee has been arrested and arraigned in Quincy District Court for alleged possession of child pornography.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's office announced Thursday that a state employee has been arrested and arraigned in Quincy District Court for alleged possession of child pornography.

48-year-old Andrew Fanguiaire of Weymouth is the business manager at MassDOT's Merit Rating Board Division in Quincy. According to Coakley, Fanguiaire, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, possessed child pornography that he accessed from both his home and at his workplace.

Policemen allegedly received information from an information security officer at MassDOT that inappropriate material may have been accessed by a workplace computer, which was later found to belong to Fanguiaire. In a search of his office and Weymouth residence, state police found "several image and video files containing alleged child pornography," according to the press release from Coakley's office.

Judge Diane Moriarty set bail at $5,000 with the following conditions: Fanguiaire "be monitored by GPS, be prohibited from leaving the state, have no contact with any child under the age of 18, stay away from schools, parks, and any other places where children congregate, and be subject to random visits from probation."

A pre-trial conference is set for Feb. 3.

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse makes Rory Casey chief of staff, Tessa Murphy-Romboletti mayoral aide

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Rory Casey is Morse's first chief of staff since the early part of his first term as mayor.

HOLYOKE -- Mayor Alex B. Morse has reorganized his office staff as he begins his second term, including hiring Rory P. Casey, a former legislative aide, as chief of staff.

Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, Morse's executive assistant in his first term, will become mayoral aide.

Aide Nilka M. Ortiz is the acting executive assistant. Ortiz was the lone holdover from the staff of former Mayor Elaine A. Pluta when Morse's first term began in January 2012.

"I am grateful to have such passionate and committed people by my side that help make my job possible each and every day," Morse said.

Former mayoral aide Timothy J. Beaudry has moved to California, Morse said.

The yearly salaries of Casey, Murphy-Romboletti and Ortiz are $40,700 each, he said.

Casey is Morse's first chief of staff since the early part of his initial term when Dori Dean, who had been his campaign manager, did the job for about three months.

Casey brings experience and savvy about City Hall to the job. He worked as office manager for state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke, including drafting legislation, as an assistant to City Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra preparing tax title properties and on the Conservation Commission. He also co-founded CRUSH, Citizens for the Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke.

Morse said Casey understands that government can improve the quality of life for residents.

"I needed someone to help manage projects and hold people accountable, navigate the politics of the policies that I implement and to help gain approval of my legislative priorities," Morse said.

Morse said Murphy-Romboletti was the backbone of the mayor's office the past two years.

"She epitomizes everything good about public service, and I have no doubt that she will continue to be a key link between Holyoke residents and City Hall. Tessa will focus on communications and media, plan special events, and be the face of the mayor's office on a number of community wide coalitions and initiatives," Morse said.

Ortiz was legislative assistant to former state Rep. Evelyn G. Chesky, D-Holyoke. She attended the University of Puerto Rico and is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, with a bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish Literature.

Work has begun to make four-way Easthampton intersection safer

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Work to make the four way intersection safer should be finished in the spring of 2015.


EASTHAMPTPON – A project that was first talked about in 1997 has been given the order to proceed and A Pereira Construction from Ludlow will keep working through the winter when it can.

The state Department of Transportation awarded the bid for roadway reconstruction at Pomeroy Meadow and Loudville roads and Glendale and West streets to A Pereira for $2.5 million, said spokeswoman Sara Lavoie.

In an email, she wrote, “Pereira intends on working through the winter with drainage, wall construction, clearing and demolition.”

The company will improve alignments, roadway sight distance and grading with a minimal impact to driveways for existing homes in the area, according to the project description.

Two stop signs and a flashing yellow caution light alert motorists to the intersection’s dangers now.

The primary problem is a lack of good sight distances for drivers approaching the intersection. There have been a number of accidents there, city officials said, including a fatal there several years ago.

The project letter initiating the work was first filed on Oct. 2, 1997. The project review committee approved it Dec. 1, 2005. The project was not advertised, however, until June of 2013. Former Mayor Michael A. Tautznik said work on the Big Dig in Boston slowed the project here.

According to the state website monitoring the work, the project is six percent complete and the project is expected to be finished in the spring of 2015.

In May, the City Council approved five easements and compensation for five property owners, a necessary step before the project could go out to bid.

The Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization will fund most of project. The city will use Chapter 90 money for the land-takings that range from $500 to $138,500 to Ronald and Carol Laurin for a house that will be razed.



View Easthampton intersection improvements in a larger map

ESPN's Dan Le Batard, who gave his Hall of Fame vote to Deadspin, stripped of voting privileges forever as BBWAA holds onto its pride

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Changes are surely coming to the Hall of Fame voting procedure, but publicity stunts are no way to hurry up the process.

Social media is a lot like physics: For every action, there is a reaction.

Unlike physics, the reaction on social media isn't always equal. It's not always fair. The reaction is often heavier than the action. And that reaction can then produce another reaction, and then maybe another action.

It's a tiresome trend.

The Baseball Writers Association of America doesn't appear anxious to play that way, and for good reason. If the BBWAA tries to act based on every reaction, the entirety of the Hall of Fame voting system as we know it would already be gone.

The entire system isn't flawed. The entire system doesn't need to be changed. The BBWAA may eventually break down its voting system. The Hall of Fame will likely have some new rules in the upcoming years. But it needs to be done one step at a time.

The BBWAA took its first step on Thursday, stripping ESPN talk show host Dan Le Batard of his Hall of Fame voting privileges and banning him from baseball press boxes for one year. Le Batard's story has, by now, surely been told in every way imaginable, but to summarize: The sports blog Deadspin offered to purchase his ballot, he instead gave it to the website for free. Deadspin then allowed its readers to vote, and the top-10 vote-getters were chosen and the ballot submitted.

In basic democratic theory, the move was somewhat of a popular one. How could it not be? Give the people power -- always a popular move. Popularity, though, isn't always right.

The All-Star Game is a popularity contest and the flaws of that voting system have been exposed yearly. For the new purpose of the All-Star Game -- to give the fans a show that includes their favorite players as the stars -- it works. For those who want to see the best players earn a trip to the All-Star Game, it doesn't work.

But the MLB has given that power to the people. The Hall of Fame hasn't. The Hall of Fame has held a different standard, one that wants to see the game's best and most storied players enter its palace.

It was opened at a time when organized baseball was failing. Less than 1,500 people attended games and teams like the Boston Braves were in jeopardy of going bankrupt. The Hall of Fame was one way to get people excited about baseball again. It needed people's trust. It needed a constitution. It had those things for many years, and while it's becoming clear that changes are imminent, abandoning the foundation of its beliefs isn't the answer.

That's what Le Batard did, the BBWAA ruled. And he was punished justly for it.

The BBWAA Board of Directors has decided to remove Dan Le Batard’s membership for one year, for transferring his Hall of Fame ballot to an entity that has not earned voting status. The punishment is allowed under the organization’s constitution.

In addition, Le Batard will not be allowed to vote on Hall of Fame candidates from this point on.

The BBWAA regards Hall of Fame voting as the ultimate privilege, and any abuse of that privilege is unacceptable.

-BBWAA President La Velle E. Neal III
January 9, 2014

On Thursday's Dan Patrick Show, Le Batard was asked if he had any regrets about his decision.

"I’ve got a couple of regrets about what happened yesterday," Le Batard said. "One, I wouldn’t have done it that day because then I become the story instead of the Hall of Famers. That part was disappointing and I don’t have anyone to blame but myself on that one.

"And two, I probably would have done it on one of ESPN’s platforms instead of Deadspin. But you can’t learn those things until you’ve done them. But yeah, I would’ve liked two mulligans on that one."

Le Batard's only regrets were procedural. He made himself look bad by stealing attention from Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas and he embarrassed his company. But he had no regret for his actions.

Based on the responses on social media, he had many supporters.

His supporters, though, may have misinterpreted what they were supporting. Le Batard was giving up on the system, not changing it. He didn't do what he did because he thought the people deserved a voice. He did it because he wanted his voice to be louder. He wants Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame, and his one vote wasn't going to make it happen (Bonds received just 34.7 percent support; 75 percent is needed to get in). Like a vigilante, he threw out the rulebook and took matters into his own hands.

Here was his reasoning why:

"Here’s the thing that’s been frustrating for me, Dan," Le Batard said on the Dan Patrick Show, "is that for 10 years I’ve been pounding on the idea that I hate all the moralizing and sanctimony about steroids in sports, that many of us, if we had been given the healing elixir that wasn’t tested in the workplace that other people were using, our competition was using and getting better, using and it would allow us to add years to our lives, the thing that we love, add years to our career, be a fountain of youth, like so many of the people barring the door to the Hall of Fame would have done the thing. That is the reason they’re barring the door to the Hall of Fame. So I haven’t been able to accomplish anything in 10 years. So Barry Bonds is further from getting into the Hall of Fame than he's ever been. And I’m annoyed by it."

In a way, he's comparable to a crazed voter who is furious that his candidate can't win an election. The others won't vote for his guy, so he blames the system and breaks the rules.

In the history of this country, that method of change has rarely worked.

Change is likely coming for the Hall of Fame voting process. The only guarantee is that not everyone will be happy about whatever changes occur. As long as there is a voting process, there is sure to be disagreement.

For every action, a reaction.

Le Batard's action assured he'll never have a Hall of Fame vote again.

Judge rules Adam Lee Hall can be called a Hells Angels member at triple murder trial; defense wanted term "motorcycle club"

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Berkshire County District Attorney David Capeless said a number of people will describe Hall as a ranking Hells Angels member in Berkshire County.

SPRINGFIELD - A defense lawyer for Adam Lee Hall in his triple murder trial tried unsuccessfully Thursday to have Hall referred to as a ranking member of a “motorcycle club.”

Hampden Superior Court Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder said witnesses can say Hall is a member of the Hells Angels.

Berkshire County District Attorney David Capeless said a number of people will describe Hall as a ranking Hells Angels member in Berkshire County.

“That’s his persona. That’s who he is,” Capeless said.

“If there’s somebody going around and reminding people he’s a member of the Hells Angels, it’s the defendant,” Capeless said.

“I am never going to argue that this is a Hells Angels case,” Capeless said. But, he said, it is important for people to know the whole picture.

Hall was a ranking member of the local Hells Angels when he, David Chalue, 46, of North Adams, and Caius Veiovis, 32, of Pittsfield, kidnapped David Glasser, Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell from Glasser and Frampton’s Pittsfield home sometime in the early hours of Aug. 28, 2011, and then shot them and dismembered their bodies, according to prosecutors.

Hall is being tried first.

The trials were moved to Hampden Superior Court after defense lawyers said publicity in Berkshire County would make is impossible for a fair trial.

Defense lawyer Alan J. Black acknowledged there will be evidence of Hall being at the Hells Angels clubhouse in Pittsfield and photos will show Hells Angels clothing or colors.

Black said the constant repetition of Hells Angels will have a cumulative effect in making the jury think Hall is a bad guy and therefore guilty of all crimes.

Black said there is no allegation the triple murder was a Hells Angels action.

“It would be just like we are sitting here and mentioning he was a member of the Latin Kings for four to six weeks,” Black said, referring to past cases where gang affiliations were kept out of a trial.

Kinder said he realizes many of the witnesses know Hall because of his Hells Angels affiliation.

The judge also denied Black’s motion to exclude a book seized from Veiovis’ home that depicted human anatomy and surgery.

Black said there is no evidence Hall had anything to do with the book, and it would be prejudicial.

Black said the victims were “hacked,” it “wasn’t as if they were cut in any surgical ways.”

A jury of 10 women and seven men was chosen over several days, although one of the chosen jurors may be excused when the trial starts Monday morning.

The trial is expected to take four to six weeks. Kinder noted Thursday the case has been described as “sprawling” and he agrees with that determination.

The victims’ remains were discovered buried in a shallow pit on private property in Becket.

There is a fourth co-defendant in the case, but he is not charged with murder and has not been involved in the motions to suppress and other pre-trial matters with the other three.

David Casey, 64, of Canaan, N.Y., is charged with three counts of accessory after the fact of murder, three counts of accessory after the fact of kidnapping, and three counts of accessory after the fact of intimidation of a witness.

In addition to being tried for the August 2011 kidnappings and murders, Hall is simultaneously being tried on charges from two other cases that were joined in part because they provide a backdrop of Hall’s relationship to Glasser and go to motive for the murders.

One of those cases is from 2009 and one from 2010.

Black was successful in getting three charges from the earlier incidents taken away from this trial: possession of a stun gun, possession of a double-sided knife and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Kinder denied Black’s motion to exclude use of the word “victim” during the trial.

“I’m hard pressed to see how they were not victimized in this case,” Kinder said of the men who were killed.

Kinder also denied a defense motion to exclude evidence of knives, blades and hatchets to which Hall had access.

“There is no evidence any of the weapons they found had anything to do with the murders,” he said. Black said evidence will show the three victims were shot one time with a weapon, and their bodies were cut up.

“They are grisly weapons and they are prejudicial,” Black said of the knives, blades and hatchets.

Capeless said the state doesn’t have to prove the instrument was used, just that Hall had access.

The prosecution asked Kinder to have the jurors taken by bus to Berkshire County locations relevant to the case.

The judge said he would not allow that.
.


Springfield agency: Fuel assistance heading toward dangerous lows after federal cuts and cold temperatures

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The New England Farm Workers Council fuel assistance budget was cut by nearly $2 million this year – to $2.5 million – prompting a steady stream of desperate calls to the office.

SPRINGFIELD — The city's primary source for emergency fuel assistance on Thursday decried a supply that has dipped dangerously low as the region emerges from nearly an full week of subzero temperatures.

Officials at the New England Farm Workers Council, which processed 10,000 applications for fuel assistance this season alone, said at least 1,000 households are already out of fuel. Heriberto Flores, president of the social services agency, said a burgeoning crisis began when Congress cut federal fuel assistance funding from $4.2 billion to $2.5 billion this year, thus forcing states to cut benefits to local agencies.

However, agencies like his are expected to serve the same amount of low-income residents, so the maximum annual benefit per household dropped from around $1,250 three years ago to about $950 this year. Benefits average around $660 annually, with the average cost of 100 gallons of oil at $380 and kerosene at $440.

The New England Farm Workers Council fuel assistance budget was cut by nearly $2 million this year – to $2.5 million – prompting a steady stream of desperate calls to the office.

"They have no one else to call," Flores said. "I'm telling them to call their congressman or senator, or their churches."

He said that the agency has no reserves to dip into once funding and fuel runs out, as the program is carefully audited and agencies are accountable for any overruns.

Miladys Canela was one of several people waiting to apply for benefits at the agency's Main Street office on Thursday. A retiree who has held jobs in social work, maintenance and property management, Canela said she decided to apply when her gas bill came in last month.

"It was high, so I started getting worried. The winters are long," she said.

Like many on a fixed income, Canela must make choices about spending on fuel or food.

Flores said the agency was forced to sit on an avalanche of applications during the government shutdown while the state suggested they mete out benefits to just 100 people.

"I told them I couldn't do that. We'd have a riot outside," he said, lauding the efforts of local Congressman Richard E. Neal and other legislators for calling for increased funding for the next fiscal year.

Kathy Cooley, director of the fuel assistance program at the council, said the recent frigid wave that passed over the region brought fuel reserves into the spotlight, but it is a persistent, harsh reality for low-income residents.

"I think every year is desperate for people. This assistance is something people are relying on," Cooley said.


PM News Links: School lunch worker charged with raping friend's son, state worker accused of viewing child porn at work, and more

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A series of unexplained killings in southern Russia involving booby-trapped bombs has further heightened security fears ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics in Sochi.

  • Weymouth cafetria worker charged with raping long-time friend's son, 15 [Boston Globe] Video below.

  • Massachusetts Department of Transportation worker accused of downloading child pornography at office [Patriot Ledger]

  • 6 men found dead in booby trapped cars in Russia prompts new Olympics worries [New York Daily News]

  • Suspect in New Hampshire sexual assault case jumps to death from Interstate 91 bridge in Vermont [Rutland Herald]

  • Silver alert issued for 73-year-old Quincy man who suffers from Alzheimer's disease [WFXT-TV, Fox25, Dedham]

  • Enfield man accused of systematically killing seven cats of family with whom he lived [Hartford Courant]

  • Vermont man denies killing estranged wife in New Hampshire [WMUR-TV, ABC9, New Hampshire]

  • Gardner native Mark Gearan, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, nominated to head New York Gaming Commission [Telegram & Gazette]

  • Cape Cod town tries to plug breach in road to beach caused by recent high tides [Cape Cod Times]



  • Do you have news or a news tip to submit to MassLive.com for consideration? Send an email to online@repub.com.



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    Doctors tell Congress cutting food stamp programs could lead to increased public health care costs

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    Doctors are warning that if Congress cuts food stamps, the federal government could be socked with bigger health bills. Maybe not immediately, they say, but over time if the poor wind up in doctors' offices or hospitals as a result.

    By LAURAN NEERGAARD & MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Doctors are warning that if Congress cuts food stamps, the federal government could be socked with bigger health bills. Maybe not immediately, they say, but over time if the poor wind up in doctors' offices or hospitals as a result.

    Among the health risks of hunger are spiked rates of diabetes and developmental problems for young children down the road.

    The doctors' lobbying effort comes as Congress is working on a compromise farm bill that's certain to include food stamp cuts. Republicans want heftier reductions than do Democrats in yet another partisan battle over the government's role in helping poor Americans.

    Food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, feed 1 in 7 Americans and cost almost $80 billion a year, twice what it cost five years ago. Conservatives say the program spiraled out of control as the economy struggled and the costs are not sustainable. They say the neediest people will not go hungry.

    The health and financial risks of hunger have not played a major role in the debate. But the medical community says cutting food aid could backfire through higher Medicaid and Medicare costs.

    "If you're interested in saving health care costs, the dumbest thing you can do is cut nutrition," said Dr. Deborah Frank of Boston Medical Center, who founded the Children's HealthWatch pediatric research institute.

    "People don't make the hunger-health connection."

    A study published this week helps illustrate that link. Food banks report longer lines at the end of the month as families exhaust their grocery budgets, and California researchers found that more poor people with a dangerous diabetes complication are hospitalized then, too.

    The researchers analyzed eight years of California hospital records to find cases of hypoglycemia, when blood sugar plummets, and link them to patients' ZIP codes.

    Among patients from low-income neighborhoods, hospitalizations were 27 percent higher in the last week of the month compared with the first, when most states send out government checks and food stamps, said lead researcher Dr. Hilary Seligman of the University of California, San Francisco. But hospitalizations didn't increase among diabetics from higher-income areas, she reported Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs.

    Seligman couldn't prove that running low on food was to blame. But she called it the most logical culprit and said the cost of treating hypoglycemia even without a hospitalization could provide months of food stamp benefits.

    "The cost trade-offs are sort of ridiculous," Seligman said.

    Food StampsThis photo taken Jan. 8, 2014 shows the contents of a specially prepared box of food at a food bank distribution in Petaluma, Calif., part of a research project with Feeding America to try to improve the health of diabetics in food-insecure families. Doctors are warning that the federal government could be socked with a bigger health bill if Congress cuts food stamps _ maybe not immediately, they say, but if the poor wind up in doctors' offices or hospitals as a result. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) 

    She is working on a project with Feeding America, a network of food banks, to try to improve health by providing extra, diabetes-appropriate foods, including fresh produce and whole-grain cereals and pastas, for diabetics at a few food banks in California, Texas and Ohio.

    Last year, research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts estimated that a cut of $2 billion a year in food stamps could trigger in an increase of $15 billion in medical costs for diabetes over the next decade.

    Other research shows children from food-insecure families are 30 percent more likely to have been hospitalized for a range of illnesses. But after a temporary boost in benefits from the 2009 economic stimulus, children whose families used food stamps were significantly more likely to be well than kids in low-income families that didn't participate, Children's HealthWatch found. About half of food stamp recipients are children, and 10 percent are elderly.

    How much would be cut from the food-stamp program ranges from $400 million a year in a Senate-passed farm bill to $4 billion a year in the House version. Congressional negotiators now are eyeing about $800 million a year in cuts.

    That would be on top of cuts in November, when that 2009 temporary benefit expired. According to the Agriculture Department, a family of four receiving food stamps is now getting $36 less a month. The average household benefit is around $270.

    Since then, food banks are reporting more demand because people's food stamps aren't stretching as far, said Maura Daly of Feeding America.

    Conservatives pushing the cuts say they want to target benefits to the neediest people, arguing that those who are truly hungry should have no problem getting assistance if they apply.

    The final bill will most likely crack down on states that give recipients $1 in heating assistance in order to trigger higher food stamp benefits, a change that wouldn't take people completely off the rolls.

    The bill will also likely add some money for food banks and test new work requirements for recipients in a few states, a priority for many Republicans.

    "While this program is an important part of our safety net, our overriding goal should be to help our citizens with the education and skills they need to get back on their feet so that they can provide for themselves and their families," said Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., when the farm bill was on the House floor last summer.

    Democrats and anti-hunger groups opposing the reductions have said that cutting food stamps could worsen health and raise health costs for the poorest.

    "Food is medicine," says Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, who has led the Democrats' defense of the food stamp program. "Critics focus almost exclusively on how much we spend, and I wish they understood that if we did this better, we could save a lot more money in health care costs."

    Dr. Thomas McInerny, past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said too often, poor families buy cheap, high-calorie junk food because it's filling, but it lacks nutrients needed for proper child development. The two main consequences are later-in-life diabetes, and iron deficiency that, especially in the first three years of life, can damage a developing brain so that children have trouble learning in school, he said.

    "The children may not look malnourished the way children in Third World countries look," he said, "but they are malnourished."


    Scientists: Americans are becoming weather wimps

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    As the world warms, the United States is getting fewer bitter cold spells like the one that gripped much of the nation this week. So when a deep freeze strikes, scientists say, it seems more unprecedented than it really is.

    By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer

    WASHINGTON (AP) — We've become weather wimps.

    As the world warms, the United States is getting fewer bitter cold spells like the one that gripped much of the nation this week. So when a deep freeze strikes, scientists say, it seems more unprecedented than it really is. An Associated Press analysis of the daily national winter temperature shows that cold extremes have happened about once every four years since 1900.

    Until recently.

    When computer models estimated that the national average daily temperature for the lower 48 states dropped to 17.9 degrees on Monday, it was the first deep freeze of that magnitude in 17 years, according to Greg Carbin, warning meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    That stretch — from Jan. 13, 1997 to Monday — is by far the longest the U.S. has gone without the national average plunging below 18 degrees, according to a database of daytime winter temperatures starting in January 1900.

    In the past 115 years, there have been 58 days when the national average temperature dropped below 18. Carbin said those occurrences often happen in periods that last several days so it makes more sense to talk about cold outbreaks instead of cold days. There have been 27 distinct cold snaps.

    Between 1970 and 1989, a dozen such events occurred, but there were only two in the 1990s and then none until Monday.

    "These types of events have actually become more infrequent than they were in the past," said Carbin, who works at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. "This is why there was such a big buzz because people have such short memories."

    Said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private firm Weather Underground: "It's become a lot harder to get these extreme (cold) outbreaks in a planet that's warming."

    And Monday's breathtaking chill? It was merely the 55th coldest day — averaged for the continental United States — since 1900.

    The coldest day for the Lower 48 since 1900 — as calculated by the computer models — was 12 degrees on Christmas Eve 1983, nearly 6 degrees chillier than Monday.

    The average daytime winter temperature is about 33 degrees, according to Carbin's database.

    There have been far more unusually warm winter days in the U.S. than unusually cold ones.

    Since Jan. 1, 2000, only two days have ranked in the top 100 coldest: Monday and Tuesday. But there have been 13 in the top 100 warmest winter days, including the warmest since 1900: Dec. 3, 2012. And that pattern is exactly what climate scientists have been saying for years, that the world will get more warm extremes and fewer cold extremes.

    Nine of 11 outside climate scientists and meteorologists who reviewed the data for the AP said it showed that as the world warms from heat-trapping gas spewed by the burning of fossil fuels, winters are becoming milder. The world is getting more warm extremes and fewer cold extremes, they said.

    "We expect to see a lengthening of time between cold air outbreaks due to a warming climate, but 17 years between outbreaks is probably partially due to an unusual amount of natural variability," or luck, Masters said in an email. "I expect we'll go far fewer than 17 years before seeing the next cold air outbreak of this intensity.

    And the scientists dismiss global warming skeptics who claim one or two cold days somehow disproves climate change.

    "When your hands are freezing off trying to scrape the ice off your car, it can be all too tempting to say, 'Where's global warming now? I could use a little of that!' But you know what? It's not as cold as it used to be anymore," Texas Tech University climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe said in an email.

    The recent cold spell, which was triggered by a frigid air mass known as the polar vortex that wandered way south of normal, could also be related to a relatively new theory that may prove a weather wild card, said Rutgers University climate scientist Jennifer Francis. Her theory, which has divided mainstream climate scientists, says that melting Arctic sea ice is changing polar weather, moving the jet stream and causing "more weirdness."

    Ryan Maue, a meteorologist with the private firm Weather Bell Analytics who is skeptical about blaming global warming for weather extremes, dismisses Francis' theory and said he has concerns about the accuracy of Carbin's database. Maue has his own daily U.S. average temperature showing that Monday was colder than Carbin's calculations.

    Still, he acknowledged that cold nationwide temperatures "occurred with more regularity in the past."

    Many climate scientists say Americans are weather weenies who forgot what a truly cold winter is like.

    "I think that people's memory about climate is really terrible," Texas A&M University climate scientist Andrew Dessler wrote in an email. "So I think this cold event feels more extreme than it actually is because we're just not used to really cold winters anymore."

    Springfield drafts proposed regulations for medical marijuana facilities aimed at protecting patients, public health and safety

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    The Planning Board will consider the regulations for medical marijuana facilities at a public hearing scheduled Jan. 22.

    SPRINGFIELD – A proposed local zoning ordinance that would regulate any medical marijuana center in Springfield calls for the center to be located within an industrial zone, requires a detailed security plan and would mandate at least a 500-foot buffer from homes and schools.

    The Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing on Jan. 22, at 6 p.m., in Room 220, at City Hall, to consider the six-page zoning ordinance proposal, and to gather public input. The board will send its recommendation to the City Council, that will conduct its own public hearing and vote on the proposal and any amendments.

    City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula praised the proposed regulations.

    “The zoning proposal provides the careful balance of promoting compassionate, appropriate access for patients with needs for people of the city and throughout the region, while mitigating security and community impacts that the mayor requested when we started this process,” Pikula said.

    The proposal was largely modeled after zoning guidelines drafted by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, in response to questions and concerns raised by area communities, officials said.

    Under Springfield’s proposal, any state-licensed facility for the processing and/or sale of medical marijuana, would be required to obtain a special permit from the City Council and follow local requirements.

    Baystate Compassing Centers Inc., is the lone applicant for a medical marijuana facility within Springfield. Its application does not identify a specific site. Kevin Collins of Springfield, the company president and chief executive officer, said he had no immediate comment on the proposed local zoning regulations.

    The state Department of Public Health is scheduled to award bids for nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries around Jan. 31, but also allows local regulations.

    Medical marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts as of Jan. 1, but many communities including Springfield have a moratorium in effect pending the passage of local regulations.

    The local regulations are intended to protect public health and safety and the general well-being of the public as well as the patients seeking treatment, according to the Springfield zoning proposal.

    “As we put these regulations in place, the developer will be able to finalize plans in preparation for a public presentation and success at the state level in obtaining one of the licenses earmarked for Hampden County,” Pikula said.

    Some of the highlights of the ordinance includes that a marijuana facility cannot be within 500 feet of a local school, college, child care facility or other places “in which children commonly congregate,” or within 500 feet of a residence.

    In addition, special permits are initially for three years and can be revoked in cases of infractions of state regulations or local regulations, under the proposal.

    The application for a special permit must detail proposed security measures including lighting, fencing, gates and alarms, in part, for the protection of employees and to protect the site from theft or criminal activity, the proposal states.

    In addition, local departments, including police, fire, health and building, must be given multiple avenues for reaching management people.

    Springfield’s current proposal, under a separate "Use Table," stipulates the medical marijuana facility would have to be within a district zoned for industry.

    Changes in the various regulations could be recommended by the Planning Board.

    Under the guidelines, the applicant must also enter into a “host community agreement” with the city, as was done with MGM Resorts International in detailing its proposed casino project in Springfield, and the revenues that MGM will provide to the city.

    Philip Dromey, the city’s senior planner, said the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission did a “great job” in providing model regulations and addressing local concerns.

    Larry Smith, senior land use planner for the regional commission, said many area communities are in the process of drafting local regulations, including Holyoke, Hadley, Easthampton, Southampton, Amherst and Ludlow, and many are using the commission’s recommendations as a guide.

    The commission recommended facilities that process the marijuana be classified as an industrial use, but suggested that if there is a separate dispensary facility to sell marijuana, that could be suitable in a business zone, Smith said.

    Looming surrounding community designation deadline for MGM Springfield casino leaves Longmeadow, Northampton status unclear

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    West Springfield's designation as a surrounding community brings the city closer to negotiating a mitigation agreement, as MGM has already done with Ludlow, Agawam, Wilbraham, East Longmeadow and Chicopee. Watch video

    WEST SPRINGFIELD — Time is running out for communities to petition for designation as a surrounding community to the Springfield MGM casino project, and thus far, Northampton and Longmeadow officially remain out in the cold.

    But on Thursday, a meeting between MGM officials and new West Springfield Mayor Edward Sullivan was fruitful, according to Sullivan, who explained that the company designated the city a surrounding community, making it eligible to receive funds to offset potential impacts of the nearby casino.

    "It was a very productive meeting and they realize that West Springfield has some specific concerns about how a casino may impact us," Sullivan said. "They agreed to make us a surrounding community, and (we'd like to) negotiate the terms of a mitigation agreement in the next 30 days."

    Sullivan said that although he has no specific dollar figure in mind, he is considering the impact of a Springfield casino on traffic and some of West Springfield's neighborhoods, for instance. He also said that he was impressed with MGM's local team and thought that they already had a solid grasp on what key issues will likely be discussed going forward.

    Carole Brennan, spokeswoman for MGM Springfield, said the meeting was positive and that the company is confident a mitigation agreement will be forthcoming.

    "After a productive meeting with Mayor Sullivan today, MGM has designated West Springfield a surrounding community," Brennan said. "The next step is for the MGM Springfield team and the mayor's team to continue to work collaboratively to reach a fair and thoughtful agreement. Based on today's discussions, we are confident that both sides are committed to coming to terms in the near future."

    Despite being a stone's throw from the estimated $800 million project in Springfield's South End, West Side had yet to be designated a surrounding community because as other communities were filing the application, its ex-mayor was busy dealing with the town's own casino proposal. Voters in West Springfield overwhelmingly voted against a Hard Rock casino at the Eastern States Exposition and have since cast a vote opposing the Springfield casino as well.

    Gallery preview 

    MGM has already successfully negotiated surrounding community mitigation agreements with Ludlow, Agawam, Wilbraham, East Longmeadow and Chicopee. Several nearby communities such as South Hadley, Belchertown, Granby and Holyoke have declined to attempt to get in on the action.

    The agreements with Agawam and Chicopee call for each municipality to receive $125,000 up front with annual payments of $150,000. Ludlow, East Longmeadow and Wilbraham are set to receive $50,000 up front with annual payments of $100,000.

    MGM officials recently rejected a plea from Northampton, about 19 miles north of Springfield, to be a surrounding community. But that city is, according to the commission on Thursday afternoon, the only municipality to apply to the commission for such a status.

    Longmeadow, a wealthy Springfield suburb to the south of the city, has pledged to apply and still has until Monday to do so.

    Longmeadow officials' request to receive $1 million up front from MGM to be followed by annual payments of $500,000, with a 2.5 percent annual increase, was wholly rejected by the entertainment company.

     

    MGM Vice President Michael Mathis, in a letter to the Longmeadow Select Board, pointed out that their request was significantly higher than what all other communities had asked for, and he declined to sign a deal.

    Still, Longmeadow residents have kept steady pressure on local officials with hopes that a late-breaking development will derail the MGM Springfield casino.

    And although the state's gaming law gives neighboring communities the power to negotiate payments from a casino company to offset potential negative impacts, they have no power to veto a project outside their municipality. Instead, the commission has instructed all sides to negotiate with good faith and best intentions, because once a community and the gaming commission approve a project, it is just a matter of time before it is built.

    "The statute gives authority to a host community to make a determination as to whether or not to engage a gaming applicant. If a host community opts not to negotiate, the proposal cannot move forward," said Elaine Driscoll, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. "The process for surrounding communities is different than the process for host communities. The law calls for an arbitration process to assist with negotiations if a surrounding community and gaming applicant are unable to come to an agreement."

     

    The gaming commission is expected to hold a public hearing on the issue of surrounding communities on Jan. 23 with a decision as to their status coming by Feb. 6.

    If Longmeadow and Northampton are designated surrounding communities, they will have 30 days to negotiate a formal arrangement with MGM. Should either town fail to reach an agreement with the company, the issue will go to arbitration with the commission holding the final say.

    Mathis said that MGM is pleased with the process thus far and hopeful that negotiations with the remaining communities will follow suit.

    "MGM Springfield's goal in talking with neighboring communities has been to get the best result for the region so Western Massachusetts can regain its urban core. We have had fair and transparent discussions with these communities to ensure they are protected against any potential adverse impacts," Mathis said. "We are pleased with the outcomes to date, and are confident that our approach will be well received during the next stage of the surrounding communities process."

    At the gaming commission's meeting Thursday, it was decided via coin toss that when the resort casino companies still in the running for regional licenses present their applications publicly on Jan. 22, MGM will go first, followed by Mohegan Sun and its Suffolk Downs proposal and then Wynn Resorts' Everett proposal.

    The commission also noted that with only one surrounding community agreement still outstanding in regards to the competition to build a slots parlor, the sole slots license may be issued as early as Feb. 28.


    Northampton files 'surrounding community' petition with state; seeks compensation from impact of proposed MGM casino in Springfield

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    The petition to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission argues that the proposed MGM Springfield casino, even though it would be roughly 20 miles away, would still have a negative impact on Northampton.

    David Narkewicz 2013.jpgMayor David Narkewicz is seen in downtown Northampton earlier this year. Northampton is seeking 'surrounding community' status to offset what it claims will be a negative impact from the MGM casino in Springfield. 

    NORTHAMPTON — The city of Northampton on Thursday filed a petition with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission seeking to be declared a surrounding community to the proposed MGM Resorts casino in the South End of Springfield, Mayor David Narkewicz announced.

    The petition argues that the casino, even though it would be roughly 20 miles away, would still have a negative impact on Northampton, particularly in its downtown restaurants and shops that rely heavily on people coming in from out of town.

    The petition coincides with the release by Narkewicz of an economic impact report on the city that was compiled by the outside firm Camoin Associates of Saratoga, N.Y.

    The report, titled “Economics & Fiscal Impact Analysis of the Proposed MGM Casino on the City of Northampton, Ma.,” [read report at end of this article] argues that Northampton stands to come out short with a casino so close by.

    According to the report, Northampton would lose between 4 and 8 percent of economic activity. That translates to between $4.4 million and $8.8 million per year in lost sales.
    It would also mean the loss of 90 to 180 jobs in Northampton and a loss of between $1.6 million and $3.2 million in salaries.

    In addition, the city budget could see a loss of between $137,000 and $274,000 each year in revenue.

    Several communities closer to Springfield, such as Chicopee, Ludlow and East Longmeadow, have negotiated with MGM for payments ranging from $100,000 to $150,000 per year for the first 15 years to offset any impact of the casino.

    The Massachusetts Gaming Commission does not appear to define the limits for what makes a surrounding community, other than to say it is a community “in proximity to a host community,” or one that “is likely to experience impacts” from a casino.

    Narkewicz said the city is filing the petition after negotiations with MGM ended unsuccessfully, for which he blamed the casino developers for refusing to “engage in any meaningful discussion” about the potential impact of the casino on Northampton.

    The petition acknowledges that Northampton, among other communities seeking “surrounding community” status, does not expect to see a burden on infrastructure, such as increased traffic.

    Instead, the city anticipates “grave and substantial impact on finances and local businesses due to the erosion of its status as the sole destination market in the Pioneer Valley,” the petition states.

    The casino may in the end be a positive for Springfield but in the end, “Springfield’s gain would be Northampton’s loss,” the petition stated.

    Northampton petition to Massachusetts Gambling Commission uploaded by Patrick Johnson

    Economic and Fiscal Impact of Proposed MGM Casino on Northampton


    Western Massachusetts community hospitals receive $2 million in grants

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    The grants from the state's Health Policy Commission are part of an effort to make the state's community hospitals more effective and cost-efficient.

    BOSTON - Western Massachusetts community hospitals received nearly $2 million in grants from the state's Health Policy Commission, part of an effort to make the state's community hospitals more effective and cost-efficient.

    The money is part of the Community Hospital Acceleration, Revitalization, and Transformation (CHART) program, which will provide $120 million over four years to community hospitals.

    Iyah Romm, director of system performance and strategic investment for the Health Policy Commission, said the program is meant to help each hospital provide more efficient and effective accountable care.

    "It's really intended to meet these hospitals where they are," Romm said. "They're at different phases of need, from financial need, geographic need, their populations are different….The grant program is structured to…help them be higher quality, lower cost organizations."

    The first phase of funding, announced Wednesday, distributed $10 million, of which 20 percent went to hospitals in Western Massachusetts and 31 percent went to hospitals in central Massachusetts. Romm said the program was meant to provide money for community hospitals that typically are not eligible for larger federal grants.

    By law, the hospitals must have lower prices than the statewide average, must be non-profits, and must not be teaching hospitals. Of 31 state hospitals that met those criteria, 28 applied for grants. The awards ranged from $65,000 to $500,000. The money comes from fees paid by insurance companies and certain health care providers with high assets and low percentage of public payers.

    The Western Massachusetts grants included:

    • Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield received $476,500 to expand telemedicine capabilities.

    • Holyoke Medical Center received $500,000 to implement electronic medical records in the emergency room department.

    • North Adams Regional Hospital received $395,311 to co-locate behavioral health services at primary care practices in Northern Berkshire County.

    • Noble Hospital in Westfield received $344,665 to develop a scheduling hub to coordinate appointments across hospital units and for planning related to the state's health information exchange.

    • Mercy Medical Center in Springfield received $233,134 to develop organizational capabilities to accelerate quality and safety improvements.

    Chuck Gijanto, president of Baystate Regional Markets, who oversees Baystate Franklin Medical Center as well as Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, which received $499,600 for telemedicine equipment, said the hospitals already use telemedicine to assist stroke victims in the emergency room when a neurologist is not on call.

    The grants will allow the hospitals to buy portable equipment that can give patients in different units access to a variety of specialists. For example, the hospitals are considering doing remote consults with specialists in cardiology, psychiatry and infectious diseases.

    That means rather than transporting a sick patient to Baystate Medical Center, the patient can remain in a less expensive community hospital and consult with a specialist from there. Gijanto said that can save money and also free up beds in busier city hospitals. "That’s a whole new world for us," he said.

    In addition, Gijanto said Baystate is looking at using grant money to tie private doctors in some of its smaller practices, such as in Ware and Greenfield, into Baystate Health's computer system, so that Baystate's hospitals and doctors can all share patient information.

    Clark Fenn, senior vice president at Holyoke Medical Center, said the CHART grant there will be used to bring electronic medical records to the hospital's emergency room. Currently, most of the hospital's inpatient units, labs and X-rays use electronic health records. But emergency room doctors still write notes on paper, which must be transmitted by fax.

    Fenn said switching to electronic records would make a big difference in the ability to quickly transmit notes from an emergency room doctor to a nursing unit or the patient's primary care physician. But, he said, "It’s a very heavy, expensive endeavor. It's been in our budget to do for quite some time without the resources to do that." With the grant, Fenn said, "We will move full speed ahead to make that happen."

    The Health Policy Commission will monitor and evaluate the grant projects. A second round of grants will be distributed in the spring.

    Silver alert issued for missing Quincy resident Ying Xiang Zhang

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    A silver alert was issued Thursday for Ying Xiang Zhang, a 73-year-old resident of the city's Germantown neighborhood who hasn't been seen since around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday

    QUINCY, Mass. — Authorities in eastern Massachusetts are asking the public for help locating a missing Quincy man.

    A silver alert was issued Thursday for Ying Xiang Zhang, a 73-year-old resident of the city's Germantown neighborhood who hasn't been seen since around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the senior housing complex on Bicknell Street.

    Police say Zhang speaks no English, doesn't own a cell phone and is likely without identification. He also suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, thus prompting the activation of the commonwealth's silver alert system for missing people with cognitive issues.

    Zhang is described as a standing 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighing approxametly 185 pounds. He was last seen wearing sweatpants, sneakers, a dark-blue jacket and a black backpack.

    He is also known to frequently use the Germantown bus stop in Quincy Center and visit Chinatown in Boston.

    Anyone with information about Zhang's whereabouts is asked to call the Quincy Police Department at (617) 479-1212.


    Cara Rintala murder retrial in death of her wife begins as prosecution, defense make opening statements

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    Defense lawyer David Hoose urged the Cara Rintala murder retrial jury to look carefully at the evidence, saying the prosecution is selectively emphasizing parts of her police interview.

    NORTHAMPTON — For the second time, lawyers in the Cara Rintala murder trial presented their opening statements to a jury on Thursday. For the second time, the prosecutor assured the jury he had a sound case based on circumstantial evidence, a claim the defense again disputed.

    Rintala, 47, is facing a first degree murder charge in the death of her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala. The case was originally tried last March but ended in a mistrial when the jury was unable to agree on a verdict.

    According to prosecutors, Rintala killed her wife, who was then 37, in their Granby home on March 29, 2010. Police summoned by a 911 call arrived to find the defendant wailing and cradling the paint-covered body of her wife in their basement. A medical examiner said Cochrane Rintala was strangled to death.

    This time around, the defense has asked for records from a second cell phone it claims the victim used. In the original trial, Rintala's team maintained that investigators failed to look closely at other suspects. In his opening remarks Thursday, defense lawyer David P. Hoose said his client was wrongfully accused and called the trial, “a case of unconscious bias.”

    Specifically, Hoose said the prosecution failed to investigate Mark Oleksak, a co-worker of Cochrane Rintala who reportedly slept in her sleeping bag after her death, a gesture Hoose called “a little creepy.” Oleksak and Cochrane Rintala had a flirtation in which the victim promised him a big Easter kiss, Hoose said.

    Northwestern First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne insisted, however, that his case is strong, telling the jury that the two women fought over money and the care of their 2-year-old daughter. The evidence will show, Gagne said, that only Rintala could have killed Cochrane Rintala, judging from the estimated time of death.

    “The person who ended her life is sitting right there,” Gagne said, pointing at the defendant.

    Although he conceded that there is no “smoking gun” in the case, Gagne said a videotape of a police interview with Rintala betrays her guilt. He will also present evidence of 911 calls from the couple’s home and mutual divorce filings. After a judge told the women to “grow up” and indicated they could lose custody of their daughter if they continued to bring complaints against each other, Rintala had no choice but to kill Cochrane Rintala, Gagne said.

    Hoose urged the jury to look carefully at the evidence, saying the prosecution is selectively emphasizing parts of her police interview. He said Cochrane Rintala was an emotional woman who could “go from zero to 60 in about 10 seconds” and “spent money like a drunken sailor.”

    On Friday, the jury will hear testimony from Granby Police Chief Alan Wishart in the morning. In the afternoon, they will view the crime scene at the Rintalas’ former home in Granby.


    3 Vermont residents arrested on heroin charges in Holyoke after stop for broken headlight, taillight

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    A Massachusetts State Police trooper arrested 3 suspects from Vermont on heroin charges on Hampden Street in Holyoke.

    HOLYOKE — A broken headlight and taillight led to the arrest of a man and two women from Vermont on heroin charges on Hampden Street Wednesday night.

    Massachusetts State Police Trooper Charles Murphy stopped the Geo Prizm shortly after 10 p.m. and, with the aid of Holyoke Police Officer Matthew Welsh and his K-9 Ryker, seized 202 bags of what is believed to be heroin.

    The driver, Deven Moffit, 23, of Bennington, Vt., was charged with being present where heroin is kept, conspiracy to violate drug law and possession of heroin with intent to distribute, state police said.

    He was also issued a motor vehicle citation for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, equipment violations and a crosswalk violation.

    Cheri Lizotte, 20, and Kristen Gables, 21, also from Vermont, were charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, knowingly being present where heroin is kept and conspiracy to violate drug law, state police said.

    The hometowns of Lizotte and Gables were not available.

    State police said the heroin was labeled with the “brand” Magic City.


    Boston Mayor Marty Walsh fills many positions in city hall with Menino-era staffers

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    Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh has held on to several staffers from the Menino administration.

    BOSTON — It's been a busy week for Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

    On Monday he was sworn into office and appointed two new school committee members. On Tuesday he made several key staff appointments, appointing Joyce Linehan as chief of policy and Joe Rull as chief of operations.

    On Wednesday Walsh picked Brian Golden, a former state representative to act as the interim director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Golden had previously worked for the BRA as its executive director.

    On Thursday he made William Evans' position as interim police commissioner permanent, a position he had been at since former Commissioner Ed Davis left in the fall.

    During it all, Walsh managed to reappoint several staffers from the administration of former Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

    The Boston Globe obtained information from the city clerk's office that show who Walsh is keeping on his team from the Menino administration.

    Notables among the list of Menino appointees staying on with Walsh include Inspectional Services Commissioner Bryan Glascock, City Registrar Patricia McMahon, Chief of Labor Relations Paul Curran and Budget Management Director Karen Connor. A complete list can be found here.

    Earlier in the week Walsh appointed former At-Large City Councilor and one-time mayoral candidate Felix Arroyo as director of the Department of Health and Human Services. Arroyo endorsed Walsh in the general election for mayor.

    Emilee Ellison is the only key member from Menino's press team who has stayed on with the Walsh administration.

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