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Juror in Cara Rintala trial says there was not enough evidence to convict Rintala in the murder of her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala

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This time, only one of the four in the minority believed Rintala guilty, Greenia said.

NORTHAMPTON – Hard evidence like fingerprints or meaningful DNA might have helped sway the jurors who leaned towards innocence in the Cara Rintala murder trial, one of them said Tuesday. It might have helped as well if police followed all their leads.

“I don’t feel she was guilty,” said Irene M. Greenia, who was one of the four who held the line for Rintala’s innocence. “There was not enough evidence.”

Greenia said she was the juror seen crying as the panel left the courtroom Monday after listening to Judge Mary-Lou Rup instruct them on the concept of “reasonable doubt.” She said the judge’s explanation helped fortify her resolve that the commonwealth had not proved its case against Rintala. Two of the three alternates were also crying as they left the courtroom that afternoon. Greenia she spoke to them after the jury was released and said all three thought Rintala was innocent.

The trial was the second for Rintala, who is accused of strangling her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, in their Granby home in March 2010. The prosecution’s case was built largely on circumstantial evidence, notably the defendant’s whereabouts that day. Dr. Joan Richmond of the Massachusetts Medical Examiner’s Office testified that Cochrane Rintala had been dead for six to eight hours when police arrived at 7:15 p.m. to find the defendant cradling her rigid body in her lap. Rintala told police her wife was alive when she went out on errands at 3 p.m.

Greenia said the lack of forensic evidence left a big hole in the prosecution’s case.

“There was no smoking gun,” she said.

Rintala’s original trial in March also ended in a mistrial when the jury was unable to agree on a verdict. That jury was also split 8-4, with eight for conviction. According to a juror on that panel, all 12 believed Rintala strangled her wife, but the four hold-outs did not think there was enough evidence to prove the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

This time, only one of the four in the minority believed Rintala guilty, Greenia said. She described her jury experience as an “awful” ordeal that left her drained. During one of the deliberation sessions, several jurors were crying from the stress, she said.

Greenia said investigators failed to follow several leads in the case and let too much time pass before checking the alibis of other suspects. When it came time for jurors to connect the dots, there weren’t enough of them pointing to Rintala for Greenia.

“In my heart, I don’t think they proved she did it,” she said.


Boston City Council moves proposal for a tax on liquor sales forward

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A proposal by Boston City Council President Bill Linehan to levy a 6.25 percent tax on city alcohol sales advanced to a city council committee on Wednesday.

BOSTON -- A proposal by Boston City Council President Bill Linehan to levy a 6.25 percent tax on city alcohol sales advanced to the Government Operations Committee on Wednesday.

According to the proposal, the revenue generated by the tax on in-store liquor sales would go to fund Boston's substance abuse treatment programs. The tax would not apply to bars and restaurants.

If the proposal, a home rule petition, is adopted by the city council and signed by Mayor Martin J. Walsh, it would then go to the state legislature where it would be approved or rejected by that body.

Tito Jackson Michael FlahertyAt-Large City Councilor Michael Flaherty looks on as District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson speaks during a meeting on February 5, 2014. 
The city-imposed tax on liquor sales would be the first in the Commonwealth.

"We provide many of the (addiction) services not only for the Boston residents, but we provide for the other folks that come from the Greater Boston area looking for such services here," said Linehan after the council meeting. "So we need a dedicated stream (of funding) to help battle this scourge."

Linehan said the revenue from the proposed tax will stay dedicated and not end up going to other city functions because of the way the law is written.

Massachusetts Package Stores Association Executive Director Frank Anzalotti said a similar promise was at the core of the original 2009 statewide tax on liquor sales, but the promise wasn't kept.

"We knew back then what happens to bills like this. They siphon the money in that direction for maybe a year, and then they find out it ends up somewhere else in the general fund," said Anzalotti.

"This is going to hurt Boston retailers," said Anzalotti.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said he only read the initiative yesterday and that he still needs time to look into the proposal, though he expressed a concern similar to Anzalotti's.

"My concern would be with that tax I don't want it to go into the general fund, if it's specific for substance abuse programs that we got to find out what programs it will go to," said Walsh.

A similar initiative failed to gain traction in 2013.

A statewide 6.25 percent tax on liquor store sales was repealed at the ballot box in 2010 with 52 percent of the vote. The ballot question, then known as Question 1, was rejected in Boston by nearly 66 percent of city voters.

The local liquor tax proposal is the latest move by the council to modify the city's longstanding liquor laws. At the end of December, a home rule petition to radically change the city's liquor licensing process was approved by the City Council and signed by then-Mayor Thomas Menino. The petition is still in the early stages of the legislative process.

Springfield mayor, City Council appoint Jose Claudio and Andrew Cade to License Commission

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Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council have approved two new members – Jose Claudio and Andrew Cade – to serve on the Springfield License Commission.

SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council have approved two new members — Jose Claudio and Andrew Cade, to serve o n the Springfield License Commission.

Claudio is replacing Orlando Ramos on the commission, and Cade replaces Raymond Berry. Their terms will expire in January of 2019.

The commission is unpaid and oversees the licensing of bars, restaurants and package stores and food serving licenses.

Andrew Cade is vice-president with the Urban League, and Claudio is chief operating officer of the New North Citizens Council.

Both appointments were confirmed by unanimous vote by the council, with Ramos taking part in the vote as the newly elected councilor in Ward 8.

Wellesley College man-in-undies sculpture causes stir

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A remarkably lifelike sculpture of a man sleepwalking in nothing but his underpants has made some Wellesley College students a bit uncomfortable, but the president of the prestigious women's school says that's all part of the intellectual process.

WELLESLEY, Mass. (AP) — A remarkably lifelike sculpture of a man sleepwalking in nothing but his underpants has made some Wellesley College students a bit uncomfortable, but the president of the prestigious women's school says that's all part of the intellectual process.

The sculpture entitled "Sleepwalker" of a man in an eyes-closed, zombie-like trance is part of an exhibit by sculptor Tony Matelli at the college's Davis Museum. It was placed at a busy area of campus on Monday, a few days before the official opening of the exhibit, and prompted an online student petition to have it removed.

The sculpture is a "source of apprehension, fear, and triggering thoughts regarding sexual assault" for many, according to the petition, which had nearly 300 signees on Wednesday.

The petition started by junior Zoe Magid called on President H. Kim Bottomly to have the artwork removed.

That appeared unlikely, according to a joint statement issued Wednesday by Bottomly and museum Director Lisa Fischman.

"The very best works of art have the power to stimulate deeply personal emotions and to provoke unexpected new ideas, and this sculpture is no exception," the statement said. The sculpture "has started an impassioned conversation about art, gender, sexuality and individual experience, both on campus and on social media."

The sculpture was placed outdoors specifically to get a reaction and to connect the indoor exhibition with the world beyond, Fischman said.

"I love the idea of art escaping the museum and muddling the line between what we expect to be inside (art) and what we expect to be outside (life)," she wrote.

Reaction from the campus community was mixed.

Freshman Bridget Schreiner told The Boston Globe she was "freaked out" the first time she saw the sculpture, thinking for a moment that a real, nearly naked man was lingering on campus.

"This could be a trigger for students who have experienced sexual assault," she said.

Others were more understanding.

"I find it disturbing, but in a good way," English professor Sarah Wall-Randell said. "I think it's meant to be off-putting. It's a schlumpy guy in underpants in an all-women environment."

The exhibit opens Thursday and closes July 20.

Here are all the photos of car crashes the Massachusetts State Police posted to Twitter today (so far)

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State police urged drivers to use caution on roads today. Some didn't.

Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen in Springfield remains open despite the snow

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The soup kitchen remains open whatever the weather brings.

SPRINGFIELDLoaves and Fishes Community Kitchen remains open despite the snow.

Darleen St. Jacques, director of the program which is run by Open Pantry Community Services, Inc. said the kitchen served lunch today at Christ Church Cathedral, 35 Chestnut St., and will serve dinner at 5 p.m.

The soup kitchen will remain open until 6 p.m. “People are allowed to stay for the whole day because of the weather,” St. Jacques said.

Loaves and Fishes serves lunch and dinner at Christ Church Cathedral on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Meals are also available at South Congregational Church, 45 Maple St., on Friday and Saturday and at Shiloh Seventh-day Adventist Church, 797 State St., on Sundays.

The program goes on whatever the weather brings, St. Jacques said. “We have never closed. “We had dinner on the day of the tornado at 5 o’clock.”

Explosions rock Iraqi capital, killing at least 34

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Multiple explosions rocked Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 34 people and sending plumes of smoke into the sky across the street from a major government building in a brazen reminder of the ability of insurgents to penetrate the heart of the capital.

SAMEER N. YACOUB
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — Multiple explosions rocked Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 34 people and sending plumes of smoke into the sky across the street from a major government building in a brazen reminder of the ability of insurgents to penetrate the heart of the capital.

The attacks come as al-Qaida-led militants are battling for control of mainly Sunni areas to the west in the first test of the Shiite-led government to maintain security in the country more than two years after the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

The deadliest of Wednesday's attacks took place across the street from the high-rise building housing the Foreign Ministry, shattering the windows of nearby apartment buildings. Two parked car bombs went off simultaneously in different parking lots, killing at least 12 people, including three policemen, and wounding 22, a police officer said.

Shortly afterward, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a nearby falafel restaurant frequented by officials or visitors waiting for security escorts to take them inside the Green Zone, a walled-off area that houses the prime minister's office and the U.S. and other foreign embassies.

Five people were killed and 12 wounded in that attack, the officer said.

All the roads leading to the blast sites place were sealed off by police as workers cleared debris and washed away bloodstains from the sidewalks.

Another parked car bomb exploded in Khilani Square, a busy commercial area in central Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 11, another police officer said. Security forces sealed off the area as firefighters struggled to put out the blaze ignited by the bombing. Smoke billowed from several stores and stalls as vendors hurriedly stuffed their goods into big bags and carried them away on their backs.

Shortly before sunset, a triple car bombing struck an outdoor market in the mainly Shiite suburb of Jisr Diyala in southeastern Baghdad, killing nine people and wounding 24. Minutes later, a rocket landed near the western gate of the green zone, killing one passer-by and wounding seven others, police said.

Nobody claimed responsibility for the attacks, but car bombings and suicide attacks targeting government buildings, security forces and Shiites are typically carried out by al-Qaida's affiliate in Iraq. In August 2009, the group claimed responsibility for massive suicide attacks on the Foreign Ministry as well as the Finance Ministry that killed more than 100 people.

The network now known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has been emboldened by the successes of its fellow militants in the civil war next door in Syria and by widespread Sunni anger at the government in Baghdad.

A bomb went off later inside a cafe in the mainly Sunni neighborhood of Dora, killing two people and wounding six, officials said. It was unclear who was responsible for that attack. Sunni insurgents frequently target rivals within the community who have allied with the government. Shiite extremists also sometimes plant bombs in Sunni areas, raising fears of a new wave of retaliatory violence that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in the years following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.

Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan Ibrahim said the recent attacks in Baghdad represent "a futile reaction by the terrorist groups toward the defeats they are suffering at the hands of the security forces in the western Anbar province."

Since late December, al-Qaida-led militants have taken over parts of the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi and the center of nearby Fallujah, prompting a standoff with government soldiers.

More than 200 militants have been killed in airstrikes and clashes with soldiers since the government and allied tribes launched an offensive to wrest control of the cities in Anbar province on Jan. 26, according to the Iraqi Defense Ministry.

The government has not provided casualty figures for security forces, but the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has claimed responsibility for the execution-style killings of four Iraqi commandos near Fallujah last month.

Human Rights Watch condemned the killings, which were recorded on a video that shows the men being forced to kneel, then shot in the back of the head. Security forces found the bodies of the four soldiers in the village of Bubali, a day after it was retaken by Iraqi troops. The New York-based advocacy group called the killings along with car bombs and suicide attacks part of a "campaign of widespread and systematic murder that amounts to crimes against humanity."

It also criticized government forces for using what it called excessive force in responding to the violence, warning "the government's flawed logic of committing abuses in the name of security only continues the cycle of violence, whose chief victims are civilians."

In Washington, Brett McGurk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq and Iran, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the Iraqi government's efforts to support tribal leaders fighting ISIL in Ramadi were succeeding. "In recent weeks, we have seen a new level of commitment from the government of Iraq to mobilize the local population against ISIL," McGurk said.

He said the situation in Fallujah was far more serious with hundreds of ISIL fighters joining former insurgent groups to control the inner city and nearby towns. He said Iraqi soldiers trying to set up a cordon from the outskirts of the city in coordination with local tribes face well-trained snipers.

"At this moment, Fallujah is the scene of a tense standoff," he said, adding that ISIL is trying to move into Baghdad and remains a threat to the U.S. as well.

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Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin and Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.

Arrest made in 1974 murder of Eileen Ferro, from Shrewsbury; Georgia man Lonzo Guthrie charged

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A Georgia man has been arrested in the 1974 stabbing death of Shrewsbury woman Eileen Ferro.

 
Editor's note: This article was updated at 4:12 p.m. with information from the Worcester District Attorney's office.

A Georgia man has been arrested in the 1974 stabbing death of Shrewsbury woman Eileen Ferro.

Fox 25 in Boston first reported the arrest of Lonzo Guthrie, 69, of Austell, GA.

Guthrie was arrested Tuesday night after his DNA was matched to evidence from the 40-year-old crime scene, Worcester County District Attorney spokesman Tim Connolly said.

Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to the district attorney's office traveled to Georgia to speak to Guthrie, and he was arrested by Georgia authorities, Connolly said.

Ferro was 21 years old when she was killed, on Feb. 22, 1974. Her husband, Anthony Ferro, found her dead body in the utility room of the couple's home on Ladyslipper Drive, according to a 2008 Telegram & Gazette story on the then-cold case.

Ferro was a dental hygienist who grew up in Worcester, according to the Telegram story. Officials believed she was slashed repeatedly with a sharp heavy object, possibly a hatchet.

In 2008, Connolly told the Telegram, detectives were actively working the case. Ferro's sister, Nancy M. Donnelly of North Brookfield, told the paper she hoped new forensic technology could help solve the case.

Guthrie appeared in court Wednesday and refused to waive right to fight extradition to Massachusetts, Connolly said. He is being held without bail.

If Guthrie refuses to waive extradition, Massachusetts authorities will have to obtain a warrant from Gov. Deval Patrick, asking Georgia to turn him over, Connolly said.


Jailed state Rep. Carlos Henriquez releases public statement defending himself

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Jailed state Rep. Carlos Henriquez is defending himself a day after the Massachusetts House Ethics Committee recommended he be expelled following his conviction for assaulting a former girlfriend.

BOSTON (AP) — Jailed state Rep. Carlos Henriquez is defending himself a day after the Massachusetts House Ethics Committee recommended he be expelled following his conviction for assaulting a former girlfriend.

In a three-page statement posted on his Twitter account, Henriquez proclaimed his innocence and said he's never engaged in domestic violence.

Henriquez also said the use of an all-white jury in his case "can raise doubts about fairness" and that he has remained focused on the needs of his district.

The full House will vote Thursday on whether to accept the committee's report. If they do, Henriquez will be expelled immediately.

Henriquez disputed the committee's recommendation, arguing that it was misapplying a House rule originally designed to target members for financial improprieties.

Henriquez said his independent judgment has never been impaired and that he's never broken a House rule.

Public Statement- By Carlos Henriquez

Longmeadow to offer optional full-day kindergarten at reduced fee

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The Longmeadow School Department will still offer a half-day kindergarten as mandated by law.

LONGMEADOW — After months of research, meetings and public forums, the Longmeadow Public Schools will implement an optional full-day kindergarten program at a reduced price.

"We had a relatively in-depth and engaging process with families throughout the community, listened to their comments, conducted a survey and have come up with a solution we believe works for everybody, " said School Committee Chairman Michael Clark.

Clark credited members of the Kindergarten Committee, including Kim King and Janet Robinson, for their hard work and dedication to the process.

"They looked at the benefits of full-day kindergarten, the cost involved and how to make it affordable for parents," he said.

Clark said the full-day kindergarten program, which will no longer be based on a lottery system, will allow teachers to better implement the Common Core Standards required by the state. A half-day program will also be offered as mandated by law.

All three elementary schools will have the full-day program, with each school housing at least two full-day kindergarten classrooms. Wolf Swamp and Center School will offer half-day. Center will have a morning section from 8:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and Wolf Swamp will have an afternoon section from noon-2:45 pm. Placement in a half-day program if a child is in the Blueberry Hill district will be determined by the district.

The School Committee has established a fee of $3,000 for the year for full-day. Payments will be split up into five equal installments. The first installment will be the deposit of $600 which is due upon registration. The other four $600 installments will be due: Aug. 1, Oct. 1, Dec. 1 and Feb. 1.

"This is an $1,100 savings for parents. Unfortunately we still do have to charge something for tuition, but we think the rate we are offering is reasonable," he said.

Clark said the free half-day option is available for parents who may not be ready to have their kids in school all day just yet.

"Some may not want their children away from the house five days a week for eight hours a day, some have other activities they want their children to participate in. This way we can accommodate all of the families in town," he said.

Registration packets are due Feb. 28. Registration packets and deposits for the full-day program must be received no later than March 1 to guarantee attendance at the child’s home school. Registrations and deposits received after March 1 will be accepted into the full-day kindergarten program but, students may be placed in a school which is not their home school.

For questions about kindergarten registration contact the District Office at (413) 565-4200 or check our website at www.longmeadow.k12.ma.us.

"It's not going to be perfect. It 's our first year and there will be somethings we have to work out, but we are doing everything we can to get students prepared for first grade," Clark said.


Springfield plans renovations for new Mary Troy Park in Hungry Hill, aided by state, federal grants

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The city expects to seek bids for the Mary Troy Park project in the spring, and hopes that renovations will begin in August.

SPRINGFIELD – The city is preparing plans for an estimated $640,000 project to convert a lot on Liberty Street in the Hungry Hill area to become the new Mary Troy Park.

The city has obtained state and federal grant funds totaling $500,000 for the project and will apply for a grant for the balance of funds in the fiscal year that will begin July 1, local officials said Wednesday.

The park was named in honor of the late Mary Troy, who was a lifelong resident of Hungry Hill, a longtime advocate for neighborhood and senior issues and had served as director of the Hungry Hill Senior Center.

The renovations include a water spray structure, playground equipment and new drainage and landscaping, said Patrick J. Sullivan, the city’s director of parks, buildings and recreation management. The site is the former A&P Supermarket, but has been vacant and unused for many years, Sullivan said.

“I think it is going to be a welcome relief for the residents,” Sullivan said. “We are honored to have this park named after Mary Troy, who was a longtime neighborhood advocate and cared very much for the neighborhood.”

The project is under design, and the city plans to advertise for bids in the spring, Sullivan said. A groundbreaking is anticipated in August.

The city sought and obtained a $400,000 state grant for the project under the Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grant program, said Timothy J. Plante, the city’s chief administrative and financial officer. The grant was approved by the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

In addition, the city has $100,000 under the federal Community Development Block Grant program. The additional funds needed will also be applied for under the federal block grant program, Plante said.

Sullivan praised Mayor Domenic J. Sarno for approving the use of the land for the new park and for supporting the funding plans. The City Council also gave its approval.

Sarno and City Council President Michael Fenton said they are excited that the park in named in Troy’s honor.

“She epitomized the pride not only of Hungry Hill but of Springfield,” Sarno said.

Fenton, who is the Ward 2 councilor that includes the new park, said Troy was a “great hero of our neighborhood.”

Depending on the bids received, the improvements to the property might be done in phases, officials said. The plan for improvements includes adding parking spaces.

A new neighborhood senior center is planned adjacent to the park, and the projects complement each other, Sullivan said.

Renovations are under way for the new senior center at the former Liberty Street library, and it is hoped the center will be ready to open by mid-April, Sullivan said. 

Missing New Hampshire resident Robert Walker found in Vermont, reunited with family

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Troopers released few details beyond saying he was found and reunited with his loved ones Wednesday afternoon.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — A New Hampshire man missing since Tuesday evening was found in Vermont on Wednesday.

Vermont State Police reported that Robert Walker, a 74-year-old who was recently diagnosed with stroke-induced dementia, was found in Middlebury more than 12 hours after he was last seen at a hotel in Fair Haven, Vt.

Around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, Walker's son David, also a New Hampshire resident, told troopers that his father was supposed to make his way to a relative's house in Addison, Vt. When he never arrived, they reported him missing.

Troopers released few details beyond saying he was found and reunited with his loved ones Wednesday afternoon.


Boston, Cambridge lift parking bans at 5 p.m., icy conditions expected this evening

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As the latest snowstorm to hit the Greater Boston area begins to wind down local officials are lifting parking bans in local communities.

BOSTON -- As the latest snowstorm to hit the Greater Boston area begins to wind down, local officials are lifting parking bans in local communities.

Parking bans in Boston and Cambridge are scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m.

In Somerville, the ban is set to run to 6:30 p.m.

Brookline is holding their ban in place until 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning.

Everett's parking ban ended at 4 p.m.

The slushy mix of snow, sleet and rain on streets and sidewalks is expected to ice over this evening with temperatures projected to plunge into the teens. Residents in most Greater Boston communities with property adjacent to a sidewalk are required to salt and sand their sidewalks so they are safe for passage.

Schools are expected to be open tomorrow in the Greater Boston area.

Amherst school officials, police to hold workshop on Internet safety, continue probing events that led to school closing

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Amherst officials will hold a workshop on social media and Internet safety on Monday, an event that had been in the works before a recent posting on Facebook led to officials closing Amherst Regional High School last week.

AMHERST — School officials will hold a workshop on social media and Internet safety Monday night, an event that had been in the works before a recent posting on Facebook led officials to close Amherst Regional High School on Jan. 27.

At the time of the Facebook posting, the workshop's date hadn’t been set. Organizers needed to confirm the police schedule, said Kimberly Stender from the Community, Partnerships & Volunteers Office of the Superintendent, in an email. But it does prove timely, she said.

Sponsored by the Amherst police and school departments, the workshop will provide guidance on establishing boundaries in social media; myths and facts about online offenders; high-risk online behavior; monitoring and responding to red flags; and looking at risks and the scope of the problem.

The workshop is from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Amherst Regional High School Library.

School officials, meanwhile, continue to address issues about the Facebook posting and precipitating events. Principal Mark Jackson has been providing regular postings on the school website.

The high school and South East Street campus were closed on Jan. 27 following a posting on the Amherst Regional High School Confessions Facebook page by a student who said he was bringing weapons to school almost every day for protection against bullying. The post was later removed.

Since then, the student and his family have filed a complaint of bullying with the school district. The school is looking into the complaint as well as racism.

Jackson wrote that the student, “who is white, was involved in a conflict with a group of ARHS students who are black. The conflict centered on the white student’s use of the N word. The school district will investigate this as a civil rights violation.”

In a posting on Monday, Jackson wrote:

"... the school district has initiated formal investigations of the allegations of bullying and racism. With these investigations, we are balancing the priorities of thoroughness and fairness with the need to return answers to the school and community sooner rather than later. Our interest is to strike this balance well. These investigations will also aid our on-going work to both improve the school’s racial climate and reduce the incidence of bullying."

He said there have been meetings with students to discuss their feelings following the events and that school officials are reviewing what they said to ensure they are meeting students' needs.

"... (T)hese events have raised questions about how to best prepare ourselves to prevent incidents involving weapons. As we move forward, I plan to engage the community and its thinking on this issue," Jackson wrote.

Guns that police found at the boy's home, which were under lock and key, have been removed.

The school was searched on Jan. 27, and no guns were found.

On Friday, Jackson wrote that the student “will remain out of school until all investigations are completed.”


Former Boston Red Sox pitcher and current ESPN analyst Curt Schilling diagnosed with cancer

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Known for overcoming an ankle injury in the famous "Bloody Sock" game in the 2004 ALCS, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has been dealt with a far more serious challenge, announcing Wednesday that he was diagnosed with cancer.

Known for overcoming an ankle injury in the famous "Bloody Sock" game in the 2004 ALCS, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has been dealt with a far more serious challenge.

Schilling, who is currently working at ESPN as a baseball analyst, announced Wednesday that he was diagnosed with cancer.

The 47-year-old former All-Star did not specify what types of cancer he is facing. The news comes as the latest in a recent string of setbacks for Schilling, whose investment in his failed video game company 38 Studios, has led to financial hardship. Schilling admitted in an interview on WEEI that the company cost him all of his earnings as a player. In October of last year, the former pitcher was forced to auction off items from his Medfield home.

Here is a statement from Schilling via ESPN:

“I’ve always believed life is about embracing the gifts and rising up to meet the challenges. We’ve been presented with another challenge, as I’ve recently been diagnosed with cancer. Shonda and I want to send a sincere thank you and our appreciation to those who have called and sent prayers, and we ask that if you are so inclined, to keep the Schilling family in your prayers.

“My father left me with a saying that I’ve carried my entire life and tried to pass on to our kids: ‘Tough times don’t last, tough people do.’ Over the years in Boston, the kids at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown us what that means. With my incredibly talented medical team I’m ready to try and win another big game. I’ve been so very blessed and I feel grateful for what God has allowed my family to have and experience, and I’ll embrace this fight just like the rest of them, with resolute faith and head on.”

ESPN released a statement as well:

"Our thoughts are with Curt and his family during this challenging time," the network said in a statement. "His ESPN teammates wish him continued strength in his cancer fight and we look forward to welcoming him back to our baseball coverage whenever he's ready."

A seven-time All-Star, Schilling spent the last four seasons of his 20-year career in Boston, finishing with 216 wins and a 3.46 ERA. In his second year of eligibility of Hall of Fame balloting, Schilling received 29.2 percent of the vote, well short of the 75 percent required for entry, but enough to stay on the ballot.


Motion for new trial by Alex Rankins, convicted in Robert D'Amour murder case, brings response from Richard Birchall, former lawyer for Suzanne D'Amour

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Birchall acknowledges that D’Amour paid Rankins’ legal costs, a fact that has been on the record since his trial.

NORTHAMPTON – A motion for a new trial filed by a New Hampshire attorney on behalf of convicted murderer Alex Rankins has stirred up a hornets’ nest, and leading the way with stinger at the ready is Suzanne D’Amour’s former lawyer Richard Birchall.

D’Amour was charged with hiring Rankins to shoot her husband, South Hadley dentist Robert D’Amour, in an attempt to collect his $3.3 million life insurance settlement. After Robert D’Amour was shot dead in his home in 1993, the two were tried separately. Suzanne D’Amour was acquitted, Rankins convicted. He is now serving a life sentence in prison.

Since then, the story has only gotten stranger. Although she survived the murder charge, D’Amour spent five years in prison for perjury. When she got out, she claimed that Birchall, who was brought on to handle her finances, had hidden the insurance money in off-shore bank accounts out of her reach. Birchall countered that the insurance money went to pay for D’Amour’s legal expenses and the raising of her sons, a task Birchall took upon himself while D’Amour was behind bars.

A flurry of lawsuits filed by D’Amour ensued, including one against her own son, one against her brothers and one against Birchall’s then 80-year-old mother. In 2008, an Orleans District Court judge ordered Birchall to pay D’Amour her money. He stuck to his story, saying he had no money to pay. He was sent off to jail, from which he gave a jailhouse interview reiterating his stance.

The saga fell silent for a few years, but that changed when New Hampshire attorney Sandra Bloomenthal filed a motion last month seeking to have Rankins’ conviction overturned. In her motion, Bloomenthal contends that D’Amour’s trial was, in effect, a second, in absentia trial for Rankins that violated his protection against double jeopardy. She also maintains that D’Amour’s acquittal on the murder charge exonerates Rankins.

Furthermore, Bloomenthal points out that Rankins’ defense was paid for by D’Amour and that, therefore, his lawyers did not act in his best interests. Birchall, she noted in her brief, was disbarred for over his dealings with D'Amour.

This week, Birchall fired off a response. In a statement emailed to The Republican, he wrote that he has reviewed Bloomenthal’s motion and feels compelled to set the record straight.

Birchall acknowledges that D’Amour paid Rankins’ legal costs, a fact that has been on the record since his trial.

In addition, Birchall said he has never been charged, arrested or convicted of stealing money from D’Amour or anyone else. Claiming he has been full exonerated, Birchall maintains that all of D’Amour’s funds have been fully accounted for.

Concerning Bloomenthal’s argument that Rankins was tried in absentia, Birchall writes, “Charitably, this is worse than nonsense.”

Snow falling heavily in parts of Massachusetts; police responding to numerous spinouts on state roadways

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The northwestern corner of Berkshire County could receive up to 14 inches of snow, while Martha's Vineyard may only get an inch or two, according to weather forecasters.

winter storm shot.jpgGet ready for a whole lotta snow blowing as today's storm reminds Massachusetts that winter is only half over. Here, a New Bedford man tries to clear a path after last month's storm pummeled southeastern Massachusetts. This time, however, northern sections of Masschusetts, from coastal Essex County to interior Berkshire County, are expected to bear the brunt of the storm, receiving up to a foot of snow in places. North Adams, located in the northwestern corner of the Berkshires, could get 14 inches.  

Police are responding to numerous traffic accidents on state roadways due to Wednesday morning's snowstorm, which began dumping heavy, wet snow across parts of the state around 3:30 a.m. today.

"Spinouts all over the place," said Massachusetts State Police Trooper Robert Church, who's stationed at the Springfield barracks. Church said the mishaps are occurring on interstates 91, 291 and 391, though none had produced any serious injuries as of 6:30 a.m.

Many municipalities closed their school systems ahead of the storm, which may leave more than a foot of snow in parts of Berkshire County, with smaller accumulations predicted for other parts of the state.

Greater Springfield may get up to seven inches, according to Nick Morganelli, meteorologist with CBS 3 Springfield, media partner of MassLive/The Republican.

Some communities in the mid-Pioneer Valley, including Northampton and Amherst, may get as much as 10 inches, while higher accumulations are predicted for Franklin County and communities off the Mohawk Trail.

The northwestern corner of the Berkshires may end up leading the state for snow totals, with an estimated 14 inches predicted for the hill city of North Adams.

The storm was expected to roll into Boston just in time for this morning's commute. The city is bracing for six to 10 inches, with the possibility of sleet entering the mix by mid-morning.

Southeastern Massachusetts, including sections of Bristol and Plymouth counties, may receive anywhere from four to seven inches, while predictions for parts of the Cape and islands range from one to four inches.

Utility companies say they're ready for any power outages caused by heavy snow, which may down power lines and tree limbs.

The Western Massachusetts Electric Co. is "prepared to safely and quickly respond to any damage it may cause," company spokeswoman Priscilla Ress said. WMECo has activated its emergency response plan and has crews ready to respond to any outages, Ress said.


Material from MassLive/The Republican, the Associated Press, Boston.com, CBS 3 Springfield, and the National Weather Service was used in this report.

Why the Boston Red Sox should rename Yawkey Way

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The ballclub promotes diversity, but the street honors a man who blocked it.

Last week, Van Sickle Middle School in Springfield played host to an annual salute to Jackie Robinson.

Marking Robinson's Jan. 31 birthday is one of several outreach programs sponsored by the Red Sox, whose management has made their franchise a leader in race relations.

One stone remains unturned. The Red Sox should petition the city of Boston (and if necessary, the Boston Redevelopment Authority) to change the name of the street where they get their mail.

Yawkey Way stands as a big, ugly blotch on the multi-colored complexion of the modern Red Sox. It is named for Tom Yawkey, who was idolized as a patriarch in his day, but treated more harshly by history.

In 1980, Yawkey was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He would have no chance today.

There is no great movement to do this. There are those who feel the street honors not only Tom but Jean Yawkey, who carried on after his 1976 death and has been unstained by her husband's legacy.

Some people feel the Yawkey legacy, which featured three pennants and no World Series titles in 44 years but an admirable commitment to the Jimmy Fund, should not be boiled down to race.

You will even find a handful who say an indictment of the club's racial history should not be a personal indictment of its owner. Robinson didn't buy it.

According to noted author Glenn Stout, Robinson told a Chicago newspaper in 1959 that the color ban was Yawkey's fault. That year, the Red Sox called up Pumpsie Green in a classic case of tokenism, but as late as 1967, Robinson said he was rooting against the Impossible Dream team because of Yawkey's attitudes on race.

There is an inconsistency with the Red Sox bringing the Robinson legacy to students, then going back to offices on a street that honors a man who singularly added to the pain and challenge of Jackie's odyssey.

Robinson tried out for the Red Sox in 1945. The event was a dog-and-pony show designed to placate local politicians and media, and went nowhere.

This team's "curse'' was its owner's stewardship of a whites-only roster. The team's backward racial attitude haunted the Red Sox for years after Yawkey's death - arguably, in fact, until the current owners took over in 2003.

That is Tom Yawkey's legacy. Yawkey Way stands as a reminder of Yawkey's way, a salute to a man who stood on the morally wrong side of 20th century history until being force-fed into the civil rights movement.

Along the way, he cost the Red Sox Robinson, Willie Mays, and a morally defensible stand.

Current Red Sox management's unquestioned dedication to progressive thinking does not require a street-name change for credibility. But if Yawkey Way were proposed today, it would never fly.

Robinson's life was about doing the right thing. As the Red Sox take the high moral road, they would do well to lobby for a name change of the road that passes in front of their park.

Vermont State Police: Investigators looking into reports of fentanyl packaged and sold as heroin

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Heroin laced with the powerful painkiller is suspected in at least 50 recent fatal overdoes in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Maryland.

WATERBURY, Vt. -- State police say they are looking into reports of fentanyl being packaged and sold as heroin.

Vermont State Police remain tight-lipped about their investigation, other than to say that injection of the drug can be lethal and that investigators continue to develop their information. Stephanie Dasaro, public information officer for the Vermont State Police, said additional details will be released as soon as they are available.

Heroin laced with the powerful painkiller is suspected in at least 50 recent fatal overdoes in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Maryland, ABC News has reported.

In his state of the state address last month, Gov. Peter Shumlin warned that Vermont was in the midst of a "full-blown heroin crisis".

Sgt. John M. Delaney, spokesman for the Springfield (Mass.) Police Department, said there is no indication that fentanyl is being sold in the city. Both Springfield and Holyoke have struggled with the issue of Vermont drug users heading to those cities to purchase heroin and other drugs.

The news comes as investigators continue to probe the suspected heroin overdose of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, found dead Sunday morning in his Manhattan apartment with a hypodermic needle in his arm. While officials did not find fentanyl in drug residue found at Hoffman's apartment, the autopsy was deemed inconclusive pending toxicology tests, according to ABC News.


Police continue to search for missing Fitchburg 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver

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Police continue to search for 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver who has been missing since September and is presumed dead.

Jeremiah Oliver mug 121913.jpg 
WORCESTER — Police continue to search for 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver who has been missing since September and is presumed dead.

"We are treating it as a potential homicide right now. We are hopeful," said Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Thursday morning. "Of course we hope that he is still alive, but we are going with the facts and we are treating it as a potential homicide."

Jeremiah Oliver has been missing since September although it was three months before the search began for the 5-year-old. He was last seen on Sept. 14, according to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office. The investigation is still ongoing, said Early, who explained Massachusetts State Police are working with Fitchburg Police to find him.

"It's hard when you start an investigation several months after the fact with regards to a missing child," he said. "They have been involved in several searches, interviewing witnesses and doing everything they can as part of that investigation."

Oliver's mother Elsa Oliver and her boyfriend Alberto Sierra both face charges related to the boy's disappearance. Oliver's father, Jose Oliver, is seeking custody of the boy while simultaneously facing unrelated facing drug charges.
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Three DCF employees were fired and an independent investigation was ordered by Governor Deval Patrick's office in the aftermath of Oliver's disappearance.

DCF has stepped up its efforts to remove children from homes since Oliver's disappearance came into the public eye. The agency has filed over 42 petitions to remove children from homes in the Worcester area.

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