The Suffolk County District Attorney's office announced Friday a 20-year-old Mattapan man was arraigned and on a murder charge in connection with the stabbing death of a 19-year-old, whose name has not yet been released.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office announced Friday a 20-year-old Mattapan man was arraigned for murder in connection with the stabbing death of a 19-year-old man.

William Earl was held without bail by West Roxbury Municipal Court Judge Ernest Sarason, who did so at the request of Assistant District Attorney Tara Burdman.

According to the press release from Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley,

" … Boston Police responded to the scene at about 6 (p.m.) to find the victim deceased at the scene and Earl being detained by security guards. The defendant, who was suffering from minor injuries, was transported to Brigham and Women's Hospital for treatment. Based on witness interviews and his own statement to investigators, Earl was placed under arrest."

The victim's name has not yet been released.

The homicide was the first in Boston in 2014.

The NAACP called for the nationwide search after Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno announced plans to select 1 of the 3 deputy police chiefs for the job.

SPRINGFIELD — The Rev. Talbert W. Swan II, president of the Springfield Chapter of the NAACP, said Friday that his executive committee is urging a nationwide search for the next police commissioner.

Swan’s comments follow news that Mayor Domenic J. Sarno plans to select one of the three deputy police chiefs in Springfield to replace current Commissioner William Fitchet when Fitchet retires by June.

“While we respect the positions held by the three deputy chiefs, we also believe that the city should be seeking to hire the best qualified candidate for the job,” Swan said. “There should be a search committee, a nationwide search, and paring down qualified candidates for three finalists from which the mayor should choose the next commissioner.”

Sarno said Friday that he has full powers to select the police commissioner and believes the Police Department has the in-house talent needed for the job among the three deputy chiefs. City Solicitor Edward Pikula said the mayor can choose his own method to select the police commissioner.

The Springfield National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter’s executive committee met Friday, and voted to urge the nationwide search. Swan said he also spoke with Sarno on Friday about the police commissioner issue.

Swan said that if one or more of the current deputy chiefs are among the finalists, “then it will only confirm that they were among the best-qualified candidates.”

“This was the process used to select our current superintendent of schools, who was a local candidate chosen as one of the final candidates by a search committee that I served on,” Swan said.

Swan said he believes community input is critical regarding who should serve as the next commissioner.

“We do not want a commissioner that has a history of insensitivity to any segment of the community, particularly communities of color with which the department has had an historically tenuous relationship,” Swan said.

Police arrived to find Rintala wailing and cradling the paint-covered body of her wife in their basement.

NORTHAMPTON – The jury in the Cara Rintala murder trial heard a dramatic tape Friday of a district court judge tongue-lashing the defendant and her wife after the two women appeared before him with dueling restraining orders.

Eastern Hampshire District Court Judge John Payne could be heard yelling at the wives for trying to use the court to arbitrate their domestic difficulties.

“Deal with it!” he shouted at the women. “I’m not going to play games with this!”

Rintala, 47, is charged with murdering her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, by strangling her in their Granby home on March 29, 2010. Prosecutors maintain that Rintala killed Cochrane Rintala, 37, after months of marital strife that included the dueling restraining orders, mutual divorce filings and bitter arguments over money and custody of their adopted daughter. The case was originally tried last March but the jury was unable to agree on a verdict.

In the first trial, the jury did not hear the tape of the district court proceedings, which include Cara Rintala’s statement of helplessness to Payne.

“It’s all I can take,” she says of her marriage. “I’m afraid to be in my house. I’m constantly threatened verbally and bodily.”

Rintala could be heard telling Payne that she is afraid of her wife.

“I want peace in the house,” she said.

Earlier in the day, Granby police officers and a dispatcher testified about other reports of domestic strife in the Rintala household, including several 911 calls. One of those calls, on May 12, 2009, was abandoned before dispatcher Lynn Menard could answer. When Menard called back, the call was disconnected. She called back a second time and was told by a woman who identified herself as “Mrs. Rintala” that their daughter had been playing with the phone. During that brief conversation, Menard heard someone say “Just leave” in the background.

The wives eventually appeared before Payne, each with a request for a restraining order against the other. The judge was unsympathetic. Payne vowed to contact the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families if the bickering continued.

“I’ll tell them I don’t think either of you is stable enough to deal with this child,” he shouted. “If one of you makes an allegation of abuse against the other, you’d better have documentation… I’ll be on the phone to DCF so fast, they’ll be here before you get out the door.”

The prosecution maintains that fear of losing custody of their daughter was one of the factors that led Rintala to strangle her wife at the bottom of the basement stairs in their home, a process that took three to four minutes. Roy Dupuis, who lives at 20 Barton St., next door to the home the women shared at the time, testified that Cara Rintala came to his door with her daughter and dog on the night of the alleged murder, said “Ann’s in the basement” and asked him to call 911.

Police arrived to find Rintala wailing and cradling the paint-covered body of her wife in their basement. Prosecutor Steven Gagne played the videotape of the house for the jury that including gruesome footage of Cochrane Rintala’s body. She could be seen lying on her back with her arms above her head and her eyes open. The video showed paint on her face and blood on her hands.

In the afternoon, the jury took a trip to the former Rintala home to view the crime scene. The trial, estimated to last three weeks, is scheduled to resume with more testimony on Monday.

The U.S. Attorney charged that urologist Stanley Swierzewski was billing Medicare at a doctor's rate for services performed by a physican assistant.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz speaks at a news conference in Boston last week following the arrest of mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger.File photo | Associated Press 

BOSTON — U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz announced Friday that Longmeadow urologist Stanley J. Swierzewski has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle allegations that he improperly billed Medicare for services, officials said.

The agreement settles allegations by the U.S. Attorney under the False Claims Act that Swierzewski, who operates the medical practice Hampden Urological Associates of Holyoke and Westfield, improperly billed Medicare under what are known as "incident to" billing provisions, officials said.

That type of billing allows a practice to charge a doctor's rate on services performed by a nurse or physician's assistant if a doctor is present and providing supervision. Without that supervision, Medicare will pay 85 percent of the full rate for services performed by a doctor.

The U.S. Attorney charged that Swierzewski and his practice routinely billed Medicare at the doctor's rate for services provided by physician's assistants working without supervision.

The investigation in the billing was conducted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Goodwin of the Springfield branch office.

Two women are facing charges after allegedly stabbing a man who asked them to stop rapping so loudly at the MBTA Massachusetts Avenue Station, T officials said.

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There were 143 graduates of the Secure Jobs Connect program, with an average wage of $10.20 per hour.

HOLYOKE - Milagros Figueroa became homeless in 2010 after living in a one-bedroom apartment with five children.

She felt life closing in with few or no options, and nowhere to live.

"I told myself it was temporary," she tearfully told a crowd of social service leaders, state and elected officials and organizers for "Secure Jobs Connect," a new initiative to combat homelessness by helping primarily single mothers secure full-time jobs and become self-sufficient.

Figueroa, of Springfield, who initially lived with her children in a shelter and later a hotel, earned her GED, got job training, child care and bus passes to get her to job interviews when the time came. She now works as a medical assistant at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and will be able to pay her own rent when her housing subsidy runs out this summer.

"It feels really good to know you can provide for your family, and not choosing to pay one bill over another," Figueroa said.

She is one of 143 graduates of the program, launched just last spring with a $300,000 grant from the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation. It is billed as a "network to end homelessness" and was applauded Friday at a reception for the graduates and businesses that have opened their doors with jobs.

Jody Harris, director of employee health services at Baystate and Figueroa's boss, received one of several business awards from the region's elected officials.

"Millie is a strong woman who defied the odds. She an amazing role model for both her kids and the community," Harris said. "I'm so moved by this program and what it offers: the assistance, the coaching, the teaching.

Future state Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, led a stream of statewide elected officials and mayors at the Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College who lauded the program and its mission.

The program provides assistance in drafting resumes, job training, drivers training, job searching, transportation and child care - all with the goal of obtaining steady full-time employment for its participants.

"We watch as parents walk through our doors thinking there is no way out of their situation," said Lisa Lapierre, director of Secure Jobs Connect, who added that they have served chronically homeless, and newly homeless parents.

Also addressing the crowd was HCC student Cindy Ferguson, a single mother of six who became homeless in 2010 while she was a student there. Secure Jobs Connect paid her bill so she could resume her classes. She also obtained a full-time job at a Savers thrift store and will graduate in 2014.

"I'm now able to maintain my own rent. I'm proud of my accomplishments and no longer worry about being homeless or hungry," Ferguson said.

State Undersecretary of Housing and Community Development, Aaron Gornstein, attended the reception and announced that the state will soon be making $1 million in grant money available through a competitive bid process for innovative ways to combat homelessness.

The department already contributed about $100,000 to Secure Connect Jobs, said the initiative is a trailblazing effort to fight homelessness.

"I've been so impressed with the cost-effective strategy at changing lives," Gornstein said. "This is a key program to combat homelessness."

The state has struggled for more than two years to reduce the number of homeless families it is forced to shelter in hotels across the state. While their numbers surged over the summer, Gornstein said that figure has dipped slightly in recent months.

He estimated there are currently about 2,000 homeless families in motel shelters statewide, with 2,000 more homeless families in other types of shelter.

A 7-year-old Spencer boy has been charged with assault, after police said he stabbed another boy with a pencil during recess

Spencer police said the boy jabbed a classmate, also 7, with the pencil while the victim was laying down in the playground at Wire Village School in Spencer.

The pencil pierced the victim's clothes, "penetrating the victim's rectum," Police Chief David Darren said in a news release. The victim required hospitalization and surgery.

The boy has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, to wit a sharp object, Darren said. He has been charged as a "delinquent child," which is a child between the age of 7 and 18 years who is accused of breaking the law.

The unidentified boy is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 21. Police did not release the name of either boy.

The incident allegedly happened on Oct. 4. The boy was charged on Dec. 30.

Police have been investigating the incident since the case was referred to them by the Worcester County District Attorney's Office and the Department of Children and Families on Oct. 8, Darren said.

Darren said police spent months gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses, some with the help of people from DCF and the district attorney's office who specialize in interviewing children.

On Oct. 25, the principal and superintendent sent a letter home to parents, explaining there was an incident and telling them “though at this time we have no conclusive evidence to make a judgment, we continue to pursue an active investigation...and the safety of all our students is of utmost importance," according to WHDH in Boston.

Some parents told the Boston news station they were outraged they found out about the incident on Facebook well before hearing from the school.

Berwick has a six-stop swing planned for Saturday spanning several counties including Worcester, Franklin, Berkshire and Hampden.

SPRINGFIELD — Central and Western Massachusetts residents looking to learn more about one of the Democrats running for governor in Massachusetts will have a couple opportunities this Saturday as Don Berwick makes a swing through the region.

Berwick, a former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Barack Obama, has a six-stop swing planned for Saturday spanning several counties including Worcester, Franklin, Berkshire and Hampden.

Berwick's public schedule, as released by his campaign, includes the following visits:

• 10 a.m.- Roundtable Discussion with Rep. Denise Andrews Athol Hospital- 2033 Main Street, Athol

• 11 a.m.- Orange Meet and Greet Bohemian Kitchen- 24 N Main St, Orange

• 1 p.m.- Williamstown/North Adams Democratic Town Committee Williamstown Town Hall- 31 North St, Williamstown

• 4:30 p.m.- Springfield Meet and Greet McCaffreys Pub-1171 Main St, Springfield

• 6 p.m.- Chicopee Meet and Greet Munich House- 3 Center St, Chicopee

• 7:30 p.m.-Palmer Anti-Casino Event 4080 Main St.,Thorndike

Three Boston men and one Malden man were arraigned on charges in Boston Municipal Court on Friday for allegedly beating and robbing a homeless man near the TD Garden.

BOSTON — Three Boston men and one Malden man were arraigned on charges in Boston Municipal Court on Friday for allegedly beating and robbing a homeless man near the TD Garden.

Laurence Drumgold, 51, of Malden, William Bianchino, 48, of Dorchester, Adam Sorgman, 41, of Boston, and Gregory Brimage, 51, of Boston were all charged with unarmed robbery Friday. All except for Brimage were held on bail of $5,000 or less.

The four men were arrested near the scene of the crime on Thursday when two officers working a paid detail noticed the men in the area. According to the police, one of the officers noticed while talking with the suspects that one of the men was attempting to give the wallet away to unknown woman in the area. When the officer tried to stop them from passing off the wallet the ID of the robbery victim fell out of the wallet.

All four are due back in court on February 5, 2014.

Winseck, who started as assistant town clerk in 1989, says the position has been a satisfying one.

By REBECCA RIDEOUT

GREENFIELD – Maureen Winseck, who has served as Greenfield’s town clerk since 1990, will retire from the position on Jan. 24.

Winseck, who started as assistant town clerk in 1989, says the position has been a satisfying one. “I feel my interaction with members of the community has been rewarding,” Winseck said in a recent interview. “I’ve always been into government, and developed my interest at a young age.”

She credits her parents as role models.

“We have been very happy to have her, and will be sad to see her go,” said Town Council President Mark Wisnewski. “She’s worked a long time for the council, and has always been efficient, proactive and very helpful.”

After Winseck steps down, assistant clerk Deborah Tuttle will be appointed as temporary clerk while council members form a search committee to interview candidates for the permanent position. Tuttle has been assistant town clerk for 23 years.

Wisnewski expects the search process to take up to three months; town residents shouldn’t see any change in services offered by the clerk’s office during that time.

After stepping down, Winseck doesn’t intend to take it easy. “I think I’d be a little bored,” she saids.

She will return to the real estate business that she enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s, working alongside her sister Nancy Hawkins and her husband Ed Winseck, along with owner Corrine Fitgerald at Fitzgerald Real Estate on Federal Street. She looks forward to the change of pace, saying: “It will keep me busy.”

The Massachusetts State Police and the Middlesex District Attorney's office are asking for the public's help in finding Jeremy Rodriguez, 19, who is wanted for murder. Rodriguez last lived in Framingham and has ties to Worcester and Dorchester.

The Massachusetts State Police and the Middlesex District Attorney's office are asking for the public's help in finding a 19-year-old with ties to Worcester and Dorchester who is wanted for murder.

An arrest warrant was issued for Jeremy Rodriguez in December because of his possible connection to the shooting death of Juan Lopez, 21, on Nov. 20, 2013, in Framingham.

Rodriguez's last known address was in Framingham, but he has also lived in the Worcester area and is known to frequent the Dorchester area of Boston, according to a state police news release.

According to state police and the district attorney's office, shortly before 11 p.m. on Nov. 20:

"Framingham Police responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot at 15 Second St. in Framingham. Upon arrival police discovered a male victim in the driver’s seat of a motor vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound.

The victim, Juan Lopez, 21, of Framingham, was transported to MetroWest Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be a single gunshot wound to the chest.

It is alleged that when Lopez arrived at the location on Second Street he retrieved marijuana from the trunk of his car and then got into the driver’s seat of his vehicle. It is alleged that Rodriguez walked up to the vehicle and fired a single gunshot through the driver’s side window, striking Lopez. The three men then fled the scene."

Police arrested the two other men involved in the incident in December.

Jose Cruz, 16, of Framingham, and Bryan Pertarb, 20, of Hudson, were arraigned Dec. 19 in Framingham District Court on charges of murder, attempted armed robbery, armed assault with intent to rob, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Cruz and Pertarb are being held without bail and are scheduled to appear next in court on Jan. 21 for a pre-trial hearing.

Anyone who knows of Rodriguez’s whereabouts or has seen this suspect is asked to call Framingham Police Tip Line at (508) 872-1212 ext. 3888 or Massachusetts State Police at (781) 897-6600.

The case is under investigation by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Framingham Police. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant District Attorney Christopher Tarrant. The Victim Witness Advocate is Lesia Schymonowytsch.

Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said there have been 98 fires and 34 deaths statewide since 1997 blamed on smoking near home oxygen systems.

Stephen Coan 

ORANGE – A fire Sunday at an apartment building that left 1 person injured and displaced 11 was the result of someone smoking in the presence of a home oxygen system, according to state Fire Marshall Stephen D. Coan.

The fire at 200 East River St., Orange, was one of two in Massachusetts on the same day attributed to the same cause, he said.

Six people were displaced and one person seriously injured in a house fire at 15 Main St. in the Berkshire County town of Hinsdale.

Coan said that since 1997, there have been 98 significant fires involving home oxygen, resulting in 34 deaths and injuries to 74 civilians and seven firefighters. Most recently, a 72-year-old Westfield woman was killed in February in a fire at an elderly apartment building that officials said was caused by smoking near a medical oxygen system.

Of the two more recent fires, Coan said “It was unusual to have to such fires on the same day.”

In the Orange fire, firefighters from nine communities just before 9 a.m.
One person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

The fire started in a first floor apartment and moved to a second floor apartment. Both apartments were heavily damaged and the entire building filled with smoke.

The Hinsdale fire, reported at about 4 p.m., started in a second floor bedroom. Two residents of the apartment, a man and woman, were hospitalized for treatment of burns at the UMass Memorial Center in Worcester. The woman was later transferred to the a burn center in Boston., according to the Berkshire Eagle.

Coan and the state Department of Fire Services for several months has been working to increase public awareness of the danger of smoking or having any fire, such as a candle, in the immediate area where medical oxygen is present.

“Oxygen soaks into bedding, clothes, hair, furniture and the air, creating an oxygen-enriched environment,” he said. “This makes things catch fire more easily, fire spread faster and burn hotter,” he said.

People bringing medical oxygen into their homes need to understand there is a significant fire risk, he said.

“There is no safe way to smoke inside a house where medical oxygen is in use but there are other fire risks as well. People should not use electric razors, hair dryers, or curling irons while using oxygen or get within ten feet of an open flame such as a candle, a gas stove, or woodstove.”

The Department of Fire Services has a public awareness campaign Breathe Easy: Home Oxygen Fire Safety that provides information about about the fire dangers of bringing medical oxygen into the home.

The judge in Rep. Carlos Henriquez’s assault and battery trial issued sanctions against the prosecution for failing to provide evidence sought by the defense, which came to light during the trial on Thursday.

By ANDY METZGER

MEDFORD — The judge in Rep. Carlos Henriquez's assault and battery trial issued sanctions against the prosecution for failing to provide evidence sought by the defense, which came to light during the trial on Thursday.

Carlos Henriquezmalegislature.gov 

"I think everyone involved in this case wants to ensure that Mr. Henriquez does have a fair and impartial trial," said Judge Michele Hogan, who decided late Friday afternoon that "the prejudice is not irreparable."

Laying out the sanctions, Hogan said the prosecution would need to make available its witnesses to return to the stand, and said both sides had agreed to stipulate certain statements.

Henriquez's attorney Stephanie Soriano-Mills had sought a not guilty finding or a dismissal of the charges against the Dorchester Democrat after Arlington Inspector Edward DeFrancisco produced during his testimony Thursday a supplemental police report that had not been provided to the defense.

"I'll definitely be able to get into the Commonwealth and its agents' non-compliance," Soriano-Mills told the News Service. She said she had asked for and the court had ordered the prosecution to turn over the documents. She said, "I was told they didn't exist."

Although Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Clarence Brown said at trial he did not have a copy of DeFranciso's supplemental report, Soriano-Mills said the prosecution did have in its files notes from a July 20, 2012 interview with the victim, Katherine Gonzalves, that were referred to in the supplemental report.

"The judge found that there was a clear violation," Soriano-Mills told the News Service.

Gonzalves told police that she had jumped out of the lawmaker's car in Boston in the early hours of July 8, 2012, after he had back-handed her, grabbed her by the throat and punched her in the chest in a parked rental car up the street from her mother's home in Arlington Heights.

Brown told jurors in his opening statement that Henriquez had texted Gonzalves seeking to find out where her mother's house is located, writing, "Address if you want to (expletive)."

The defense has attempted to cast Henriquez's accuser as an unreliable witness, highlighting inconsistencies in statements made to law enforcement.

The trial will resume Monday with more testimony from DeFrancisco and then Gonzalves will take the stand, Soriano-Mills said.

Soriano-Mills said she might recall to the stand Arlington Inspector Gina Bassett. Asked who was at fault for the prosecution's failure to deliver the requested documents to the defense, Soriano-Mills said the prosecution should have met with its investigators before the trial to ensure that all the documents matched up. She said prosecutors had begun the trial "without knowing what their own evidence even is."

The jury was sent out of the courtroom after DeFrancisco's supplemental report came to light during cross-examination Thursday, as the court began the business of determining what had happened. Much of the proceedings Friday were held behind closed doors out of public view.

Middlesex prosecutor Sarah Ellis argued Friday afternoon that dismissal is "a remedy of last resort" and "infringes too severely on the public's interest."

"We did not know the detective created an additional supplemental report," Ellis told Hogan.

Soriano-Mills argued the prosecution had committed "egregious conduct," broken a procedural rule and caused "irreparable harm."

The trial, which is being held at Cambridge District Court in Medford, began on Wednesday.

City Councilor Bud L. Williams said he is "flabbergasted" that Sarno is not conducting a nationwide search for the next police commissioner.

SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Friday that he will select one of the city’s three deputy chiefs to serve as the next police commissioner when current Commissioner William J. Fitchet retires this year.

Fitchet confirmed Friday that he will retire by the end of his contract, June 30, due to reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65.

Sarno said there will be no nationwide search, and no search committee to replace Fitchet. As mayor, Sarno said he has full authority to appoint the police commissioner.

“I am going to stay local,” Sarno said. “I believe we have the talent from within.”

Sarno’s plans to forego any wider search for the next police commissioner drew immediate objections from At-Large City Councilor Bud L. Williams.

“I’m just flabbergasted,” Williams said. “I would hope the mayor would open the process up. To limit it to just in-house, to me, does not take advantage of the opportunity to see what’s out there.”

Sarno said he will interview the three deputy chiefs: Robert T. McFarlin, William C. Cochrane and John R. Barbieri, and has worked closely with all of them “whether it was dealing with the street crime issue, natural or man-made disasters, budgetary matters or new initiatives.”

Fitchet said his focus remains “on the day-to-day operations of the Springfield Police Department and the safety of the citizens of Springfield.” Sarno said he is proud of the job done by Fitchet and "very proud to partner with him on continuing the fight on crime.'

At-Large Councilor Timothy J. Rooke said he agrees with Sarno’s plans to appoint from within the Police Department, and believes that the talent for the job exists in-house.

In addition, Rooke said he believes it is “critical to the rank and file that there is no lapse of leadership.”

In August 2012, Sarno announced that he was extending Fitchet’s five-year contract by another 14 months, for a new expiration date of June 30, 2014.

Sarno said he has a track record of choosing “home-grown talent” for many of the top positions in his administration.

Springfield Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick, hired by the School Committee and Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, appointed by Sarno, are examples of in-house candidates rising to the top positions, Sarno said. He also listed many other in-house or local appointments in Law, Finance, Economic Development, Veterans, Elections, and Engineering.

“These are all quality, home-grown, local talent that my record shows,” he said.

Fitchet was appointed in 2008 to replace former Police Commissioner Edward A. Flynn. Flynn, a department outsider, left early in his five-year contract to become police chief in Milwaukee. Flynn was the state secretary of public safety when he chosen over Fitchet by the Finance Control Board.

Sarno said that following the interviews of the deputy chiefs and “due diligence,” he will make selection of a new commissioner to have a “smooth transition to move the city and Police Department forward.”

“The buck stops with me,” Sarno said.

McFarlin was appointed to the Police Department in July of 1977, and has served as deputy chief since April of 2009. Cochrane joined the Police Department in June of 1982, and was appointed deputy chief in November of 2006. Barbieri was appointed to the department in April of 1988, and became deputy chief in May of 2009.

Williams said there should be a search committee, and should be community-wide input into the selection of a new police commissioner.

The search should be for the “best and the brightest,” and if that is a local candidate, so be it, Williams said.

Williams is the lead sponsor of a proposal to resurrect a five-member Police Commission in Springfield, consisting of residents who would oversee the department and disciplinary matters. The December proposal drew immediate opposition from Sarno, and questions of legality from City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula. 

Agawam police Lt. Edward McGovern said that around 7:15 p.m., police were notified that the water had become so deep on the street that it left one vehicle stuck, as the rain continued to fall.

AGAWAM — Police in Agawam closed Arnold Street Saturday evening after a portion of the road was submerged in at least two feet of water.

 

Agawam police Lt. Edward McGovern said that around 7:15 p.m., police were notified that the water had become so deep on the street that it left one vehicle stuck, as the rain continued to fall.

"There is a crew on the scene right now trying to get that car out of there," McGovern said. "There is a section of road about three houses long that is under water. the houses aren't flooded but the road isn't passable."

McGovern said that the town's DPW crew was on the scene and despite having no prior issues with flooding on the street, haven't found any problems with the drainage system other than it not being able to keep up with the flow of water due to constant rain and melting snow.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for all of Western Massachusetts on Saturday that is in effect until Sunday afternoon.

According to Nick Morganelli, a meteorologist with CBS 3 Springfield, the rain was forecast to become steadier into the overnight hours while temperatures drop to the high 30s. The rain is expected to give way to a blend of sun and clouds with moderate temperatures in the 40s on Sunday.

The 14th Annual Hot Stove Cool Music Charity Concert

BOSTON -- More than 14 years ago, Peter Gammons decided to get some musicians together to raise money for charity at an event he called Hot Stove Cool Music. Fast forward to today and the event is still an annual happening in Boston that brings together the arts, sports and philanthropic communities for a night of music.

Gammons, an avid guitar player himself, would later team up with former Boston Red Sox and current Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein and Brookline social worker Paul Epstein's A Foundation To Be Named Later to grow the event even more.

During a brief interview with MassLive at the Paradise Rock Club in Allston, Gammons recalled his time in the Boston music world when he played guitar in several bands. "The Boston Tea Party, which was owned by Don Law, was always my favorite place. To me, that was like the greatest of all the rock clubs," said Gammons.

Gammons, a Massachusetts native, liked The Channel and even played at the legendary Rathskeller, commonly known as The Rat, in Kenmore Square when he was younger.

The Hot Stove Cold Music concert series has raised over $7 million for the Jimmy Fund and Boston-area charities that serve disadvantage youth since its inception in 2000.

Elderly man killed after being stuck by vehicle.

 

According to media reports, the unidentified victim was struck between 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. as he crossed in front of the TD Sports Bar.

Reports vary on the man's age, with WGGB listing the man's age as 84 years old, and WWLP reporting his age as 77 years old.

The victim was transported to the Baystate Medical center where he was pronounced dead.

Grattan Street was reportedly closed to traffic for nearly four hours as police investigated the incident. The driver of the vehicle remained on the scene and was interviewed by police.

Chicopee police are not releasing any details, referring all questions to the Traffic Bureau during daytime hours.

Springfield man was rescued from Washusett Mountain after he fell on ice.

PRINCETON— Princeton firefighters and ski patrol members from Mount Wachusett Ski Area worked together to remove a seriously injured Springfield man from the Pine Hill Trail in Mount Wachusett State Park Saturday morning.

The Worcester Telelgram and Gazette reports that the unidentified man was hiking with two friends on the slopes of the mountain at approximately 10:15 a.m., when he slipped on ice and fell into a treacherous area. According to reports, the upper slopes of the mountain were covered in five to 10 inches of ice.

More than 20 rescuers, including firefighters, technical rescue specialists and ski patrol members, coordinated their efforts to bring the injured man down the mountain to a waiting ambulance. The victim was transported to the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Longmeadow is one of 13 communities in Massachusetts recently named Green Communities.

LONGMEADOW — After being designated a Green Community last month, Longmeadow is now eligible for a $155,000 grant from the state Department of Energy Resources.

"This was a tremendous victory for the town not only in terms of earning the designation, but what that means moving forward in regards to our energy consumption and cost," said Town Manger Stephen Crane.

On Monday, Crane presented the Select Board with an update on a grant application that must be submitted by Jan. 29.

"The grant is a one time thing, but we are hoping it will lead to additional opportunities for funding down the line," he said.

In order to become a Green Community, towns must do several things including adopting zoning changes that would allow the construction of alternative energy sources in the community, developing a plan to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent and purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles when possible, among other things.

Crane said there is an Energy Reduction Plan in place with several projects that could qualify for the grant.

"We are looking to leverage the $155,000 to either the greatest impact of energy savings or possible overall cost savings to the town," he said.

Select Board member Mark Gold questioned the list, saying there was at least one project that was not on the list that should have been. Gold was referring to a project discussed several years ago to make the football field lights more energy efficient with a computer program.

"This has a big impact because it throws off our peak energy usage for the entire town," he said. "If an item like this is not on the list, then I question the validity of the list."

Crane said the project list is thorough and a lot of work has been put into it.

A study was done in 2010 which the building and maintenance department has been using to update the town's energy systems, he said.

The board will get any project suggestions to Crane as soon as possible and will continue to discuss the application again during its next meeting on Jan. 21.

The city is hoping that future improvements to the church property will preserve its history while expanding its public and private use.

SPRINGFIELD — The city, having purchased the historic Old First Church at Court Square nearly six years ago, is making short-term and long-term plans for repairs and improvements.

The improvements to the church and to the attached brick parish house are needed to continue preservation efforts and to bring more activity to the property, said Patrick J. Sullivan, the city’s director of parks, buildings and recreation management.

“We are very proud to be bringing this next phase forward,” Sullivan said Friday. “Hopefully within two years, we will announce it is open for a lot of different venues for the general public and business groups.”

In December 2007, the city announced that it would purchase the church and parish house for $900,000, just three days before the church conducted its final service.

Then-Mayor Charles V. Ryan and representatives of the former Springfield Finance Control Board said at the time that the purchase was critical to protect and preserve the historic church, built in 1819, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The city has since rented the site for approximately 20 events a year, with rental income averaging about $20,240 annually, Sullivan said.

That revenue, along with about $25,000 annually received from a church trust fund, help pay for maintenance, he said.

The city is currently seeking bids, due by Jan. 22, for repairs to some ceilings in a second-floor entrance and to replace railings along the steeple. The repairs, estimated to cost $110,000, are needed in the aftermath of damage caused by the tornado of 2011, Sullivan said.

Those repair costs will be covered by federal disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he said.

The city has also initiated a schematic design process for long-term improvements with the goal of bringing the historic property into compliance with modern building codes and making it handicapped accessible, Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he is working with Kevin Kennedy, the city’s chief development officer, on the potential long-term uses of the property.

“The building has great potential to be rented for functions, performing arts activities, business meetings and small off-site classrooms for training and conferences,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he is “not at all disappointed” about the sporadic use of the property since purchased, saying Mayor Domenic J. Sarno is committed to its preservation and improvement. Overall, the building is in good condition, he said.

Old First Church was founded in 1637, conducting its final service in December 2007. It was affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The membership had voted to cease all services and activities, and to immediately close the church, saying it was faced with insurmountable costs and a dwindling membership.

City officials spoke of potential uses, including municipal uses after finalizing the purchase in early 2008.