Co-sponsored by Noble Hospital and the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, the healthcare symposium held Monday evening at Westfield State University featured four speakers who addressed the topic of “Transforming the Healthcare System in Western Massachusetts.”

WESTFIELD – Massachusetts has served as the model for national health care reform since 2006, and with the Affordable Care Act on the brink of changing the industry state professionals gathered for an event designed to offer insight on the new laws.

Co-sponsored by Noble Hospital and the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, the health care symposium held Monday evening at Westfield State University featured four speakers who addressed the topic of “Transforming the Healthcare System in Western Massachusetts.”

Ronald Bryant, president and chief executive officer of Noble Hospital, Maura C. McCaffrey, chief operation officer and incoming chief executive officer of Health New England insurance, Lynn Nicholas, president of the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and Jean Yang, executive director of the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, spoke to an audience of about 100 people representing almost every segment of the population.

“We want to educate the community and let people know what’s going on across the state,” Bryant said. “People are unaware of what’s happening, and we want to provide more education as the plan is rolled out. We want to help more people get insured.”

Physicians, business owners, individuals, leaders of community organizations and insurance professionals attended the symposium to learn how big of an impact the new federal rules and regulations will have on patients, employees, employers and clients.

Mark Boardman, of Granville, an independent insurance broker, said he was drawn to the event in order to gain information on the Affordable Care Act that he can take back to his clients who are confused and seeking answers.

“I wanted to find out how the state Health Insurance Connector Authority can benefit small business owners through tax credits,” he said.

While a definite response was not immediately available, Yang took Boardman’s contact information and an agency official called him on Tuesday.

“I now have a direct contact for information that I can share with my clients,” he noted.

Kate Phelon, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, said the symposium was important in communicating to participants how state officials, policymakers and health care executives are actively working on creating a system that will improve the way their health care is managed.

Most notably, Phelon pointed to a model being refined that bundles all costs under an “event” such as a one-time surgery. Instead of providers and hospitals billing for each service, all the costs for a particular surgery, for example, would cost one fee.

“We’re doing away with the fee for service model and coming up with one that changes how people get paid,” she said. “Everyone is entitled to compensation while still providing the level of quality care.”

The speakers, who Phelon described as “high-level distinguished professionals in their field,” donated their time to share their knowledge.

“I think they brilliantly explained how the change will affect all of us,” she said.

For example, Nicholas broached the subject of the anxiety many people are experiencing over the prospect of losing benefits they have always been able to rely on when in truth, coverage will increase, she said.

“Nationally, the government decided that insurance plans have to meet minimum standards in service and benefits,” she said. “This is an opportunity to get better coverage instead of those bare-bones plans. In the long run, it will be a good move to upgrade.”

As the forerunner in health care reform, Massachusetts, she said, is ahead of the pack and leading the nation in making the changes.

“So much of what we read nationally that is not working is not happening here,” Nicholas said. “Massachusetts is a model for the rest of the country. The federal plan was modeled after Massachusetts.”

Admittedly, the roll-out of the national plan was not well executed, she added, but as the problems are solved, the rest of the country will come to experience the benefits of better care that state residents already receive.

“Massachusetts has always cared for its underprivileged,” Nicholas noted. “Medicaid will be more comprehensive and will be a greater value.”

Springfield police and fire officials responded to a multi-vehicle accident near 1350 Main St. in the downtown on Tuesday afternoon as a lunchtime crowd gathered to watch.

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield police and fire officials responded to a multi-vehicle accident near 1383 Main St. in the downtown on Tuesday as a lunchtime crowd gathered to watch.

One of the cars landed on its roof in the accident, which was reported shortly after 11:41 a.m. Witnesses said the driver of the flipped car crawled out of it on her own.

Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said all occupants were out of their vehicles by the time firefighters arrived and that no serious injuries were reported.

Firefighters provided aid to the victims and contained vehicle fluids spilled at the scene, Leger said. Emergency medical personnel transported the driver of the flipped car to a local hospital for treatment.

The accident occurred between Boland Way and Court Street, directly in front of One Financial Plaza.

According to Springfield police Sgt. John Delaney, the accident involved four cars, but just two of them were occupied.

The accident occurred as one car pulled out of a parking space into the northbound lane and was struck by a second car. The impact caused the second car to flip over onto its roof, and to spin around and strike two parked cars.

Neither driver was injured, Delaney said.

The driver of the first car told police he looked before pulling out but did not see anyone approaching, Delaney said.

The driver of the second car said she was driving north "and the next thing she knew the car was on its roof," Delaney said.

Neither driver was cited, he said.

Bystanders used their cell phone cameras to record the scene as police investigated and tow truck drivers removed the two disabled cars.

The map below shows the approximate location of the accident

Reporter Patrick Johnson contributed to this article.

Woonsocket police are trying to locate Daniel Britt, 6, who was last seen on Jan. 8 with his non-custodial mother, Andria Britt.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Police in Rhode Island have issued an Amber Alert for a missing Rhode Island boy who they think was taken by his non-custodial mother a few days ago.

View full sizeAndria Britt allegedly skipped a family court appearance and failed to return her son, Daniel, to his father on Jan. 8, 2014.  

Woonsocket police are trying to locate Daniel Britt, 6, who was last seen on Jan. 8 with his non-custodial mother, Andria Britt. Police said that new details revealed by the investigation led to the issuance of the Amber Alert on Wednesday- a week after the two were last seen.

Authorities say the mother may be driving the boy to Washington state in a red 2004 Ford Focus with Rhode Island license plate "942-649." According to a press release sent by the Massachusetts State Police on Wednesday, Andria Britt skipped an appearance in family court a week ago and never returned the boy to his father, who is the custodial parent.

Police said "there is reason to believe Andria may cause harm to the child."

Andria Britt is described as a white female standing 5-feet, 5-inches tall, weighing approximately 135 pounds with light brown hair and blue eyes. Daniel Britt is described as a white male standing approximately 4-feet, 3-inches tall, weighing 50 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone who may have spotted the Britts or has information regarding their whereabouts is asked to call the Rhode Island State Police at 401-444-1000.

Police are on the scene of a shots-fired call at Elm and Appleton streets in which two shots hit a school bus but no one was hurt.

Republican file photo 

HOLYOKE -- Police are on the scene of a shots-fired call at Elm and Appleton streets in which two shots hit a school bus but no one was hurt, Lt. Isaias Cruz said.

"All the kids are accounted for," Cruz said.

Police are investigating but it appeared that gunshots were exchanged between a few individuals, he said.

2013 was the first time the total amount spent in Hampden County on real property, a figure that includes housing, commercial property and vacant land, exceeded $1 billion since 2009.

Updates a story posted Wednesday at 11:31 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD — Buyers spent more than $1.13 billion on Hampden County real estate in 2013, an increase of 14 percent from the $997.4 million spent in 2012, according to figures released Wednesday by Donald E. Ashe, Hampden County register of deeds.

The year 2013 was the first time the total amount spent on real property, a figure that includes housing, commercial property and vacant land, exceeded $1 billion since 2009, a sign that the real estate market is coming back to per-recession levels, Ashe said during his regular twice-a-year news conference.

Also on Tuesday, the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley said the median price of a home sold in Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire counties rose to $188,000 for 2013. That is up 5.3 percent from the $178,500 median price in 2012 and up 1.6 percent from the $185,000 median price five years ago in 2009.

Numbers form the different sources measure slightly different things. The Realtor Association keeps track of transactions made through the multiple listings service while data from the Register of Deeds has all real estate transactions.

"We are inching back," Ashe said. "We are not going to set any records. But things are inching back. The economy is improving and I expect it to continue improving in 2014."

In Hampshire County, the total amount of money spent on real estate rose by 9.9 percent from $506.9 million in 2012 to $557.3 million in 2013.

In Franklin County , the total amount spent went up from $156.5 million to $177.08 million went up 13.2 percent.

Ashe said the number of documents recorded at the Hampden County Registry fell 3 percent, mostly because there were fewer documents filed often associated with bad debts. For example, the number of foreclosures fell 52 percent from 730 in 2012 to 351 in 2013.

"The economy is getting better," Ashe said. "But what it really is going to take to get things moving is jobs."

The Realtor Association said sales of single-family homes rose 2 percent across the whole of the Pioneer Valley in 2013, up from 4,556 in 2012 to 4,646 in 2013. The median price rose 5.3 percent from $178,500 to $188,000.

In Hampden County, the largest real estate market, sales rose 1.6 percent from 3,038 homes in 2012 to 3,088 in 2013. The median price rose 6.3 percent from $160,000 to $170,000.

In Hampshire County, sales rose 7 percent from 1,032 to 1,104. The median sales price rose 4.2 percent percent from $$239,900 to $$250,000.

In Franklin County, sales fell 6.6 percent percent from 486 to 454 homes and the median price rose 8.8 percent from $170,000 to $185,000.

"A lot of people are happy to see the numbers increasing," said Corinne Fitzgerald, broker and owner of Fitzgerald Real Estate in Greenfield and president elect of the Massachusetts Realtor Association. "Occasionally we are seeing multiple offers. For the most part the market is moving around just nicely."

Buyers are showing confidence that the real estate market is a smart place to put money, she said. That confidence is built on improving prices but it will also start to feed higher prices as 2014 unfolds, she said.

"To me, when I look at it, I certainly am encouraged," said Brian Sears, the past president of the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley and a broker owner of Sears Real Estate in Springfield. "We have now shown consistency and it is a market you can trust."

Party leaders pushed a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill for this year through the House on Wednesday, shunning the turmoil of recent budget clashes with a compromise financing everything from airports to war costs and brimming with victories and concessions for both parties.

By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Party leaders pushed a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill for this year through the House on Wednesday, shunning the turmoil of recent budget clashes with a compromise financing everything from airports to war costs and brimming with victories and concessions for both parties.

The huge bill furnishes the fine print — 1,582 pages of it — for the bipartisan pact approved in December that set overall spending levels for the next couple of years. With that decision behind them, the measure sailed through the House with no suspense and little dissent — fueled additionally by lawmakers' desire to avoid an election-year replay of last fall's widely unpopular 16-day federal shutdown.

Approving the legislation "is showing the American people we actually are capable of working in a bipartisan manner," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. He praised the bill for holding down spending and said passage would be "the responsible thing to do. It's the thoughtful thing to do."

The measure was approved by a one-sided 359-67 roll call, with virtually all opposition coming from Republicans.

By its sheer size and detail, the measure had plenty for liberals and conservatives to dislike. Some Democrats said they would support it but only reluctantly, complaining that despite some increases, spending for education, health and other programs would still be too low.

"With this bill, we are waste deep in manure instead of neck deep in manure. Hooray, I guess," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

Reflecting those mixed emotions, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., praised the measure because she said it would "get us out of this cycle of governing by crisis." But she added that its spending for social programs was "far too low for too many people to really achieve the American dream."

The Democratic-run Senate planned to bestow final congressional approval of the legislation by the end of the week.

To keep agencies functioning while Congress votes on the legislation, the Senate by a 86-14 vote gave final congressional approval to a measure financing the government through Saturday. An earlier short-term spending measure expires after midnight Wednesday evening.

The giant bill debated Wednesday heads off an additional $20 billion in automatic cuts to the Pentagon's budget — on top of $34 billion imposed last year — and cuts to many domestic programs as well. The reductions were being triggered by a 2011 law that forced the cuts after President Barack Obama and Congress failed to negotiate budget savings.

Conservative groups like Club for Growth and Heritage Action were urging lawmakers to oppose it, but the White House urged its passage.

"We met compelling human needs. We certainly preserved national security," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., chief author of the spending bill with her House counterpart, Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky.

The measure provided money for Obama's 2010 health care overhaul and his revamping of federal oversight of the nation's financial markets — though not as much as he requested. It continued age-old restrictions on federal financing of most abortions, but lacked new ones. Democrats also blocked GOP-sought curbs on the Environmental Protection Agency's power to regulate utilities' greenhouse gas emissions.

"It's funding Obamacare, and I pledged a long time ago I absolutely wouldn't vote for anything that has financing for Obamacare," said Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., who said he'd vote "no."

Overall, the measure provides about $20 billion more for defense and domestic programs this year than was spent in 2013, excluding the costs of war and natural disasters. Even so, it still leaves defense and domestic spending on a downward trend since 2010, a number that troubles many Democrats.

"For several years we've been cheating Americans of a number of things we should be doing for infrastructure, science research, education, to make our country stronger," said Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., who said he hadn't decided how he would vote.

The bill would provide nearly $92 billion for U.S. military operations abroad, mostly in Afghanistan, plus about $7 billion for disasters and other emergencies. That was just slightly less than last year's war spending but about $44 billion less than was provided in 2013 for disasters, after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the Northeast in October 2012.

One widely supported provision would roll back a reduction in annual cost-of-living increases for wounded military personnel who retire early or for their surviving spouses. That language was part of the savings included in the budget compromise by Ryan and Murray enacted last month, money that was used to help soften cuts in other programs.

Some Western lawmakers were angry that the bill would block federal payments to communities near government lands to compensate for the taxes the government is exempt from paying them. Top lawmakers promised the payment would be restored in a separate measure.

The Internal Revenue Service, a pariah agency for Republicans after revelations that it targeted tea party groups for tough examinations, would get $500 million less than last year. It also was receiving none of the $440 million extra Obama wanted so the agency could help enforce Obama's health care law, another favorite GOP target.

Democrats won extra money for Head Start's preschool programs, enough to serve another 90,000 young children. The Federal Aviation Administration would get less than Congress enacted last year, but enough money was included to avoid 2013's furloughs and hiring freezes for air traffic controllers.

The FBI won extra money, including almost twice as much to help it conduct background checks on firearms purchasers. The National Institutes of Health would get $29.9 billion, about $1 billion above last year's budget.

Just one hour and 53 minutes after assigning him to the Maine Red Claws for a practice Wednesday afternoon, the Boston Celtics recalled Rajon Rondo from the D-League.

Just one hour and 53 minutes after assigning him to the Maine Red Claws for a practice Wednesday afternoon, the Boston Celtics recalled Rajon Rondo from the D-League.

Rondo joined the Red Claws for practice Wednesday at the Celtics practice facility in Waltham.

The four-time All-Star still appears likely to make his 2013-14 debut on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers, as he suggested in a cryptic tweet Monday night. After Tuesday's practice, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens basically ruled out Rondo coming back Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.

“Obviously he’s a pretty bright guy who shares his thoughts in unique ways," Stevens said of the tweet, which shared nothing but the amount of seconds between Rondo's surgery date and Friday night's game. "But we haven’t talked about specifics since then. I kind of gathered that he was coming back fairly shortly. I’m guessing based on everything I can tell, it’s not (against the Raptors). Obviously we’re planning for the very short term without him, but hopefully we have him back very soon.”

And because Rondo's D-League stint was so short...

I would like to welcome back @rajonrondo from the d league. We missed you lol.

— Kris Humphries (@KrisHumphries) January 15, 2014

The city is preparing to convert former branch libraries on Boston Road and Liberty Street to community uses.

SPRINGFIELD – The City Council this week approved spending $750,000 to renovate and equip the former Pine Point library on Boston Road, planned for community uses including an expanded adult literacy program and a “library express.”

The reuse plans follow the city’s decision last year to close the Pine Point and the Liberty Street branches, ending their use as full-service libraries in order to consolidate the system and to expand hours at the remaining branches.

“I think it’s great they are going to provide some library services,” said At-Large City Councilor Kateri B. Walsh, chairwoman of the council’s Maintenance and Development Committee. “It’s what people are looking for and it gives them access to books and a place to go. I think it accomplishes a lot of needs, and it is so modern.”

The city plans to open the express library by early February, and to have the expanded adult literacy program ready for Sept. 1, following renovations through the summer, said Molly Fogarty, director of the Springfield public library system.

The branch closed Nov. 15, but continued to operate an adult literacy program there.

The express library will have a smaller collection of books and materials on site, approximately 5,000 items, but the users can also order specific items, in person or on-line, available from statewide sources, and then pick them up, often sent within a day, Fogarty said.

The adult literacy program includes access to computers and has programs such as aiding with computer literacy, writing workshops, and job search skills.

The council, by unanimous vote, authorized Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to borrow funds for the conversion project. However, Ward 5 Councilor Clodovaldo Concepcion said he still objects to the loss of the full-service branch.

The city, meanwhile, continues to make plans to convert the former Liberty Street branch to a neighborhood senior center, as announced last year. The Springfield Disability Commission is providing $80,000 for the conversion work, with the funds collected via parking fines for handicapped space violations.

With the closure of the two branch libraries and a budget increase for the library system, the city was able to expand the hours at each of the other seven branches from 18 hours per week to 30 hours per week.

Sarno has stated the overall goal was to strengthen the system while ensuring the closed branches had community uses.

The plans involve various departments including the Library Commission, School Department, Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management, Health and Human Services, and Elder Affairs.

O'Shea said he will talk to elected officials in Wilbraham and Hampden before finalizing a project to submit to the state.

Superintendent M. Martin O'Shea presented plans for repairs to schools in the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District.The Republican file photo 

WILBRAHAM - The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee on Tuesday gave its support to School Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea to seek state funding for a school building accelerated repairs project to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

To compete for state funding for a building renovation project, a single priority project must be submitted by Feb. 14, O’Shea said.

O’Shea said he believes the regional school district’s priority project will be to replace the roof of Wilbraham Middle School.

A second priority project is replacing the windows of the Soule Road School with energy efficient windows, he said.

O’Shea said he believes 50 percent reimbursement will be available from the state if a project qualifies.

“This will be competitive,” O’Shea said. He said there is no cost for “submitting a statement of interest” to the state.

“It would be good to get in the queue,” the superintendent said.

O’Shea said he will talk to elected officials in Wilbraham and Hampden before finalizing the top priority project.

“We’re still prioritizing,” he said.

Also at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting, School Committee member Marc Ducey said that a proposed fiscal 2015 school budget must be approved by March 11 to be considered by the Hampden Town Meeting.

School Committee Chairman Peter Salerno said a subcommittee will be convened to consider long-term plans for Memorial School. The School Committee must give the Wilbraham selectmen a report on its long-term plans for the building, Salerno said.

O’Shea also told the School Committee that a faulty censor caused a fire alarm to go off this month at the new high school on one of the coldest days of the year. Students who had to stand outside were quickly allowed to return to the gymnasium and cafeteria because of the quick response by the Fire Department, O’Shea said.

A babysitting class will teach children 11-years-old and above safety and care of children.

Trip to Philadelphia

CHICOPEE – The Senior Travel Club is organizing a trip to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on April 1 and 2 to see the special exhibit “A Day in Pompeii.”

The trip will be $317 a person, which covers everything. Call the Senior Center travel desk at 534-3698 weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. for more information.

The trip will included several meals and a guided tour of the city’s historical district.

Swim lessons

CHICOPEE - The Parks Department will hold Learn to Swim Levels 1 and 2 classes at Comprehensive High School. Participants must be 5 years or older and have passed the previous levels.

The classes for Level 1 lessons will be held from 6 to 6:45 p.m. and Level 2 classes will run from 7 to 7:45 p.m. All lessons will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from Jan. 22 to Feb. 24.

The cost is $50 for residents and $60 for non-residents. Class space is limited and registration must be done in person at the Parks Department on 687 Front St.

Babysitting class

CHICOPEE - The Parks Department is offering a babysitting class for children ages 11-years-old and above. The class will be held Feb. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.at the Parks and Recreation office on 678 Front St.

The cost is $65 for residents and $70 for non-residents. Class space is limited and registration must be done in person is mandatory at the Parks Department on 687 Front St.

Students will learn CPR, basic first aid, fire safety as well as bathing, feeding and changing diapers and common do’s and don’ts.

CPR and first aid class offered

CHICOPEE - The Parks Department is offering a certification class in first aid/cardiopulmonary resuscitation, blood borne pathogens and the use of an automated external defibrillator Feb 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the offices on 687 Front St.

The cost for the full class is $80 for residents and $85 for non-residents. Students can also take parts of the course at lower rates. Contact the department for more information at 594-3481. Registration must be done ahead of time at the department offices.

St. Stanislaus open house

CHICOPEE - St. Stanislaus School will hold an open house and book fair Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school on 534 Front St.

All residents are welcome. Parents interested in registering their children in kindergarten through eighth grade for the next school can also receive information. Registrations are being accepted now. For more information contact Kathleen Dziok at 592-5135.

The suspect, Steven Michon, 18, of Springfield, was charged with larceny of a purse, said Capt. Thomas Wilkinson.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - A suspect in a purse snatching Tuesday at Stop & Shop turned himself into police Wednesday afternoon, saying he had grown tired of seeing his photo splashed all over the local media.

The suspect, Steven Michon, 18, of Springfield, was charged with larceny of a purse, said Capt. Thomas Wilkinson. He is due to be arraigned on the charge Thursday in Springfield District Court.

When he turned himself in at the police station just before 5:30 p.m., Michon said he was giving himself up because several people had recognized him from the photo.

Police distributed surveillance footage from Stop & Shop and asked for tips from the public in identifying the subject in the photo.

According to police, Michon at about 8:30 p.m. grabbed a woman's purse from a shopping carriage and then ran out of the store.

In the first trial, Gagne argued that Rintala went on her March 29 errands after killing Cochrane Rintala to create an alibi.

NORTHAMPTON - A succession of police investigators testified Wednesday at the Cara Rintala murder trial about evidence they found at the scene of Annamarie Cochrane Rintala’s killing.

The witnesses, several of whom are with the Massachusetts State Police, were among a gang of investigators that gathered at 18 Barton St. in Granby on and around March 29, 2010, the day police arrived to find defendant Cara Rintala wailing in the basement with the stiffened corpse of her wife in her lap. Rintala, 47, is the first woman in state history to be charged with murdering her lawfully wedded wife. She was originally tried for first degree murder in March but that trial ended in a hung jury.

On Wednesday, Trooper Todd Girouard, part of the state police crime scene investigation team, told the jury he found crescent-shaped marks on the door to the house that were apparently made by a shovel resting nearby. The prosecution maintains that Rintala hacked at the doorway to suggest that the killer tried to break into the house.

Girouard also used a spray called Leococrystal Violet to look for blood. The substance turns bright blue when it comes in contact with blood stains that are not visible to the naked eye. Girouard said he detected blood on the floor, on the bottom step of the basement stairs and on a basement shelf in this manner. The prosecution theorizes that Rintala wiped up much of the blood after killing her wife.

State police Sgt. Christopher Ray testified that he drove to the Holyoke Mall, a nearby McDonald’s restaurant and a Stop & Shop Supermarket in Holyoke the next day, retracing the route that the defendant took on her afternoon errands with the couple’s 2-year-old daughter. Ray said surveillance video showed Rintala at all three locations. He testified that he retrieved three rags from a trash receptacle at McDonalds that Rintala had approached on the videotape.

Under cross-examination by defense lawyer David Hoose, Girouard conceded that Leucocrystal Violet sometimes results in false positives. He also acknowledged that substance such as cleaning detergents and certain metals produce the same vivid blue as blood when sprayed.

Earlier in the day, prosecutor Steven Gagne showed a videotape of Rintala’s interview with state police detective. Lt. Robin Whitney in the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office on March 30, 2010. Whitney had also questioned Rintala for three hours early that morning. A weary Rintala told Whitney that she felt she was being treated as a suspect.

“It seems as though I am channeled down the path of being accused,” she said.

In the first trial, Gagne argued that Rintala went on her March 29 errands after killing Cochrane Rintala to create an alibi. She called and texted her wife several times, but did not get a response. A state medical examiner has estimated that Cochrane Rintala was strangled six to eight hours before police arrived at the house at about 7:15 p.m. The defendant told Whitney she left the house between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. on her errands.

Some of the officers apparently texted to each other the answers to a monthly test on their knowledge of how to operate the missiles.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force says 34 nuclear missile launch officers have been implicated in a cheating scandal and have been stripped of their certification in what is believed to be the largest such breach of integrity in the nuclear force.

Some of the officers apparently texted to each other the answers to a monthly test on their knowledge of how to operate the missiles. Others may have known about it but did not report it.

The cheating was discovered during a drug investigation that involves 11 Air Force officers across six bases in the U.S. and England.

Of the three missile launch officers involved in the drug scandal, two are at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and one is at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. The two at Malmstrom are among those implicated in the cheating scandal.

It's the latest controversy involving the service members who maintain and operate the nation's 450 nuclear missiles.

HOLYOKE – Two gun shots hit a Holyoke Community Charter School bus carrying 10 children at Elm and Appleton streets Wednesday afternoon but no one was hurt, police said.

“No one was hurt. We are shocked at this happening. It’s completely unacceptable,” Police Chief James M. Neiswanger said at the scene.

“My officers are going to do everything we can to chase down these thugs,” he said.

Police believe that there was only one shooter and that the bus was hit by mistake, Lt. James Albert said.

The call came in just after 4 p.m. A police officer rode on the school bus until all the children were dropped off, he said.

The University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center has announced its second round of layoffs adding 99 more positions to the list of 204 that have already been eliminated.

WORCESTER — The University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center has announced its second round of layoffs, adding 99 more positions to the list of 204 that have already been eliminated.

In a news release Wednesday evening, UMass Memorial spokesman Robert Brogna said that "UMass Memorial Medical Center is making tough decisions about programs and services we offer, which have an impact on the size of our workforce."

In October, UMass Memorial officials announced that UMass Memorial Health Care had incurred an operating loss of roughly $55 million in fiscal year 2013, "with much of that loss taking place at the Medical Center and our Worcester-based operations."

For this reason, hospital officials are "developing a plan to improve [the] current financial situation."

Part of that plan includes the elimination of several positions.

In December, the medical center laid off 40 "non-medical" staff employees in administrative departments. Also in December, UMass transferred ownership of its Wing Memorial Hospital in Springfield to Baystate Health.

On Wednesday, Brogna said that the 99 positions affected are from several hospital departments, including "vice presidents, directors, managers and staff, including a small number of clinical staff."

"Nearly one-third of the positions impacted this week were positions that have been vacant since we implemented a hiring freeze several months ago. The remaining positions were either eliminated or involved reductions in hours," Brogna said.

Brogna could not say how many positions in total could be affected or eliminated over the coming months because they are "part of an ongoing restructuring aimed at significantly improving alignment and accountability for clinical services at UMass Memorial Medical Center.

"We are committed to providing the highest quality patient-centered care to our patients, and to finding ways to reduce costs while preserving as many jobs as possible," Brogna said.

UMass Memorial Health Care employs roughly 12,350 people, according to their website, with three campuses in Worcester, as well as locations in Marlborough, Palmer, Spencer, Clinton, Leominster and Fitchburg.

Hector Alicea, 42, is accused of stealing bundles of pajamas from a State Street store over 2 successive days.

SPRINGFIELD — A 42-year-old city man who was apprehended while fleeing a State Street store with a bundle of shoplifted pajamas went back to the same store the next day and shoplifted more pajamas, police said.

Hector AliceaSpringfield police photo 

Hector Alicea of 82 Lebanon St. was arrested Monday on an arrest warrant and charged with larceny. Springfield police found him hiding in a closet in his home, said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet.

Alicea was first apprehended on Jan. 6 when Detective Michael Carney was stopped at a red light on State Street and saw him running across the street carrying a bundle and looking behind him as he ran. Suspicious, Carney stopped him at State and Terrance streets and found him in possession of six pairs of micro-fleece pajama pants that had just been stolen from the Walgreens, 707 State St. The store manager confirmed that the items had just been stolen.

At the time, Alicea complained of severe stomach pain that needed medical attention. He was brought to the hospital for treatment, and instead of arresting him, Carney filed a criminal complaint against him in District Court, Delaney said.

The following morning, Carney received a phone call from the Walgreens manager, who said Alicea came into the store again and shoplifted 11 pairs of the same pajamas, Delaney said.

“It appears that Mr. Alicea was feeling much better and did not learn his lesson,” Delaney said.

Carney sought a district court arrest warrant, which was served Wednesday morning.

At his arraignment in Springfield District Court, Alicea denied the charges. He was ordered held in lieu of $1,000 cash bail, and is due back in court on Feb. 11.

“This could make it more difficult for a current smoker who is trying to quit, and easier for a young smoker to become addicted,” Land said.

AP Photo 

SPRINGFIELD - The nicotine yield in cigarettes has increased sharply in 15 years, making smoking even more addictive and dangerous than previously understood, state researchers have found.

Due to new manufacturing methods, the average cigarette delivers up to 15 percent more nicotine today than in 1997, even though the amount of nicotine itself has leveled off, according to study by the Department of Public Health and the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

“Cigarettes are getting more efficient at delivering nicotine to smokers,” said Thomas Land, a state public health official and principal investigator for the study.

“This could make it more difficult for a current smoker who is trying to quit, and easier for a young smoker to become addicted,” he added.

Researchers found a steady increase in so-called nicotine yield - the amount of nicotine delivered in smoke - between 1997 to 2012 without a corresponding increase in nicotine in cigarettes, according to the report, which was based on information provided by four major manufacturers.

The increase in nicotine yield reflects changes in cigarette design, not year-to-year fluctuations in tobacco crops as manufacturers have suggested, Land said.

Phillip Morris USA, one of the manufacturers cited in the study, is reviewing the report and would not comment, a spokesman said.

“It’s important to note that the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), under its regulatory authority, has received a significant amount of information about cigarette design and manufacturing from Philip Morris USA,” said Brian C. May.

“In addition, the (agency) is currently funding several scientific studies related to nicotine and we will share our perspective, as appropriate, as part of the regulatory process,” he added.

Three other manufacturers – RJ Reynolds, Brown and Williamson (now owned by RJR), and Lorillard - were included in the study.

The new findings come eight years after the Harvard School of Public Health reported that manufacturers increased nicotine levels in their products by 10 percent between 1997 and 2005.

Massachusetts requires tobacco companies to submit information about nicotine testing annually to the state Department of Public Health.

Henriquez, a Dorchester Democrat, was sentenced to jail on Wednesday for assaulting a former girlfriend.

Update, 5 p.m.: Gov Deval Patrick, a Democrat, on Wednesday joined the chorus of politicians calling for Henriquez's resignation. “In light of today's jury verdict, Representative Henriquez should immediately resign from the House,” Patrick said in a statement.

Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, called on State Rep. Carlos Henriquez, a Dorchester Democrat, to resign after Henriquez was convicted Wednesday of assault and battery against a former girlfriend.

"Based upon the conviction today on an offense which I consider to be extremely serious, and I know members of the House consider to be extremely serious, I am asking that Rep. Carlos Henriquez immediately resign from his position as representative of the House," DeLeo told reporters outside his State House office.

Henriquez was convicted of two counts of assault and battery and sentenced to six months in jail. He was acquitted of additional counts of assault and battery, witness intimidation and larceny, based on the same incident. Prosecutors charged that Henriquez held the woman down, punched her and choked her after she told him she would not go home with him, the State House News Service reported.

After Henriquez's conviction, a number of lawmakers called on him to resign. Assistant House Minority Whip Elizabeth Poirier, a North Attleboro Republican, said in a statement: "Now that Representative Henriquez has had his day in court, it is time for him to leave this institution which should in no way condone violence against women. As elected officials, we must hold ourselves to the highest level of moral and ethical conduct. Mr. Henriquez has breached the trust of his colleagues and constituents, and his reprehensible actions will not be tolerated.”

Carlos Henriquezmalegislature.gov 

DeLeo said he will refer the matter to the House Committee on Ethics. If Henriquez does not resign, the committee will hold hearings. It can recommend that he be expelled from the House. The recommendation would have to be voted on by the full House.

The commission will involve public safety officials and the judiciary in looking at the state's process of civil commitment.

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday voted to appoint a new committee to address drug addiction in Massachusetts.

State Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, a Leominster Democrat, will chair the committee.

Flanagan said the committee will involve public safety officials and the judiciary in looking at the state's process of civil commitment, referred to as Section 35, in which a court orders a person to be committed to treatment for 90 days. It will look at issues such as after-care, probation and the availability of treatment. "We need to look at it from top to bottom," Flanagan said.

Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray takes questions from reporters before going back into a session in the Senate Chamber at the Statehouse, in Boston, late Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)Associated Press File Photo 

Senate President Therese Murray said overdose deaths in Massachusetts have increased by 47 percent since 1999. "Sadly, Section 35 often serves as a revolving door for drug addicts with many falling back to their old ways because meaningful treatment has not been available," Murray said. "We need to take a look at what treatment options are available in all regions of the state, if there is a need for change, and how we fill that need."

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, said there have been problems with a fragmented system of treatment and a disconnect between treatment facilities and the criminal justice system. "It makes perfect sense to look at how to reform the system," Tarr said. "We need to think about how courts can have effective access to treatment for people they think deserve it."

The Senate added an amendment that would allow for same-day voter registration.

BOSTON - The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday approved a bill allowing early voting and online voter registration, by a vote of 37-1.

"Massachusetts will now be a leader in engaging voters rather than lagging behind the rest of the country," said Pam Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, which had pushed for the voting reforms.

The bill allows for 10 days of early voting in state and federal elections and primaries, in addition for voting on the weekend before an election.

State Sen. Robert Hedlund, a Weymouth Republican, was the lone dissenter.

The Senate added an amendment that would allow for same-day voter registration, by a vote of 20-8. Cynthia Creem, a Newton Democrat, said during the debate that allowing same day registration would increase voter turnout. "That has to be a good thing in a democracy," she said.

The Senate rejected an amendment that would have required photo identification at the polls.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, who supported the photo identification amendment, said before the Senate session, "One of the things we're going to be very mindful of in this debate is making sure there are safeguards, so that we don't increase access and ease of voting at the expense of the integrity of the electoral system." He said during the debate that the provision was important to prevent voter fraud.

The Senate also approved amendments requiring post-election audits of voting machines and instituting a database that automatically updates a voter's address when they move.

Sen. Barry Finegold, an Andover Democrat and Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws, said, “The time has come to make these election modernizations. Early voting, preregistration, and online voter registration will make our elections more accessible by expanding access and participation in our elections."

Currently, 32 states and Washington, D.C., allow for early voting.

The bill will now go on to a conference committee so it can be reconciled with a similar bill approved by the state House of Representatives. The House bill had online voter registration and early voting 10 business days before an election. It did not include same-day voter registration, early voting on the weekend before an election, or a provision allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote.

If a compromise is reached and the bill is signed into law, it would go into effect for the 2016 elections.