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Massachusetts working on guidelines to keep kids in school

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The state is taking public input over the next few weeks as it crafts guidelines aimed at keeping students in school by reducing suspensions and expulsions.

BOSTON (AP) — The state is taking public input over the next few weeks as it crafts guidelines aimed at keeping students in school by reducing suspensions and expulsions.

The guidelines are part of a law passed in 2012 that requires public and charter school principals to keep students out of school only as a last resort. The proposed guidelines would require school officials to notify parents of suspensions, allow students to appeal and let those suspended complete assignments.

pdstock-news-education--apple.JPGThe state is taking public input over the next few weeks as it crafts guidelines aimed at keeping students in school by reducing suspensions and expulsions.

The public can comment until March 7, and the new rules will take effect July 1.

Advocates say limiting suspensions is important because suspended and expelled students are more likely to be held back, drop out or land in the juvenile justice system.

"If kids are not in school, they can't learn," said Thomas Mela, senior projects manager at the Massachusetts Advocates for Children, a nonprofit group that pushed for the legislation. "That is our main concern."

A 2011 study of 1 million Texas middle school students by the Council of State Governors found that 97 percent of suspensions were for offenses such as classroom disruption or insubordination. Only 3 percent were for more serious offenses such as weapon or drug possession.

"It is counterintuitive to punish students by excluding them from school when the one place they are safe and supported is school," said Joan Meschino, executive director of the Massachusetts Appleseed Center, which studies juvenile justice and education issues. She said data shows that students who are male, black and Latino, or have special needs are more likely than others to be suspended.

Some opposed the new legislation, saying suspensions are necessary to keep order in the classroom, but it passed anyway. Mitchell D. Chester, commissioner of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said at a meeting last month that regulations must strike a balance between preserving students' rights and maintaining a safe and orderly environment for others to learn.

Ayomide Olumuyiwa, a high school junior in Boston who has been involved in designing the new regulations as a member of the Boston Student Advisory Council, said keeping students out of school for minor offenses is detrimental. Boston Public Schools got a head start on the law by implementing a new code of conduct this fall.

"What are students going to be doing for that one week?" Olumuyiwa said. "They will be watching TV, playing video games or going out on the streets and getting themselves into trouble."

Charter schools in particular have high rates of suspensions, said Hareen Chernow, a member of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Many have zero-tolerance policies in which students are suspended for specific infractions regardless of their individual circumstances.

President Barack Obama's administration last month issued sweeping but nonbinding recommendations that suggest, among other things, removing students from classrooms only as a last resort for the worst behavior and getting them back to class as soon as possible. Maryland and cities such as Los Angeles and Denver have recently passed disciplinary guidelines.

Advocates want to make sure suspended students still have an opportunity to learn. Among options already being tried are an online learning laboratory and tutoring programs.



South Hadley man gets 20-25-year state prison sentence in Chicopee child rape case

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A Hampden Superior Court jury found Ira Simmons guilty of the crimes in a trial last week before Judge Daniel A. Ford.

SPRINGFIELD — Ira Simmons, 38, of South Hadley, has been sentenced to 20 to 25 years in state prison after being found guilty of three counts of rape of a child aggravated by age difference.

Simmons also was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, and received nine- to 10-year sentences on each of those, concurrent with the 20 to 25 years.

All crimes happened in Chicopee.

A Hampden Superior Court jury found Simmons guilty of the crimes in a trial last week before Judge Daniel A. Ford.

Assistant District Attorney Clarissa Wright prosecuted the case.


Northampton police: Downtown BB gun shooting spree damages at least 16 windows to restaurants and businesses

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Nobody was injured in the Northampton BB gun shooting spree, which took place within about a 15-minute time frame on Sunday night.

NORTHAMPTON — Police continue to probe a downtown BB gun shooting spree that broke at least 16 windows at 10 restaurants and businesses Sunday night.

Although some of the restaurants and businesses were occupied, nobody was injured in the shootings that took place between 9:17 and 9:30 p.m. In some instances, the projectiles punched holes in the windows, and in others, windows shattered, Northampton Police Lt. Jody Kasper said.

Damage is estimated at more than $5,100, Kasper said.

Fired-upon Pleasant Street businesses included Hugo’s, Millennium Package Store, Northampton Wellness Center, Sylvester’s restaurant, Pleasant Street Car Wash and U.S. Rep. James McGovern’s office.

In the Main and Bridge streets area, restaurants and businesses included Local Burger, India Palace, The Collector Galleries and Florence Savings Bank – which saw four broken windows for a total damage estimatate of $1,500, Kasper said.

Some vehicle windows also were broken by BBs, Kasper said.

Police believe the shots were fired from a moving vehicle.


Forecast: Thursday snowstorm could drop 6-12 inches on Western Massachusetts

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An arctic night again with lows dropping into the single-digits. Sunshine will be with us for sure on Tuesday and Wednesday as an area of high pressure moves over the Northeast. This will provide little to no wind as well. Temperatures will remain in the mid-20s through Wednesday with overnight lows in the single #s. Our next nor'easter likely impacts...

An arctic night again with lows dropping into the single-digits. Sunshine will be with us for sure on Tuesday and Wednesday as an area of high pressure moves over the Northeast. This will provide little to no wind as well. Temperatures will remain in the mid-20s through Wednesday with overnight lows in the single #s.

Our next nor'easter likely impacts New England Thursday. While still three days away, this system is looking like a mainly snow event for western Massachusetts moving in for the Thursday morning commute. A lot of moisture will be coming our way, but the exact track is yet to be determined... which will influence exactly how much snow we'll see and whether any mix with sleet or rain will evolve. As for now, prepare for at least 6 inches of snow with potential for a foot.

Tonight: Starlit and frigid. Low 6.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, Light wind. High 25.

Wednesday: Mainly sunny and pleasant high 28.

Thursday: Morning snow moves in. 20s.

Trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev may not start until September 2015

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The trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should begin in September of 2015.

BOSTON — The latest court filings in the case of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev show that the case may not start until September 2015 at the earliest.

The joint filing, made by both the prosecution and defense attorneys in the case, set a timeline for the proceedings. Both parties agreed in the filing that the proceedings from November 2013 to February 2014 be excluded from the requirements of the Speedy Trial Act because "the ends of justice served by allowing the parties time to produce and review additional discovery and prepare pretrial motions outweigh the best interest of the defendant and public in a speedy trial."

Government attorneys said they expect the trial to last 12 weeks and, if Tsarnaev is found guilty, a sentencing hearing of six weeks in length.

Last week Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government will seek the death penalty in the Boston Marathon bombing case.

Attorneys for both sides are due in court Wednesday, February 12.

Edgar Zayas of Holyoke, facing multiple armed assault charges for bridge shooting, ordered held without right to bail

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Edgar Zayas of Holyoke was arrested and charged Saturday night with opening fire at people crossing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.

HOLYOKE — A 19-year-old man who was arrested and charged Saturday night with opening fire at people crossing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge was ordered held without the right to bail at his arraignment Monday in Holyoke District Court.

edgar zayas mugshot.jpgEdgar Zayas 

Edgar J. Zayas, of 43 North Summer St., Holyoke, is charged with four counts each of armed assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card and carrying a loaded firearm.

He denied the charges at his arraignment.

He was ordered held pending a dangerousness hearing on Feb. 12 in order to determine if his trial should proceed in district or superior court.

According to Holyoke police, Zayas fired several shots on the bridge, which connects Holyoke and South Hadley, just before 9 p.m.

Police responded and found Zayas on the bridge with a handgun, later found to be a .44 Magnum, in his hands. Officers drew their weapons and repeatedly ordered him to halt, but he continued to walk toward them with the weapon.

He was stopped when tackled from behind by officer Victor Heredia, according to Holyoke police.

A friend of Zayas told police that he was intent on killing himself.

Police said Zayas later told them that he had ingested PCP just prior to the incident and was depressed.

Holyoke police said they were looking to determine where Zayas obtained the weapon.


Related stories:

Holyoke Police Officer Victor Heredia praised for tackling gunman who opened fire on Veterans Bridge »

Holyoke police: Teenager who opened fire from Veterans Bridge ingested PCP and was aiming for 'suicide by cop' »


Massachusetts State Police find ammunition, brass knuckles in minivan during Worcester traffic stop; 6 arrested

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State police arrested six people early Saturday morning after finding 82 rounds of ammunition and brass knuckles during a traffic stop.

WORCESTER — State police arrested six people early Saturday morning after finding 82 rounds of ammunition and brass knuckles during a traffic stop.

Massachusetts State Trooper Brendan Cain pulled over a 2002 Ford Windstar after the minivan committed motor vehicle violations on Hammond and Southbridge Streets, according to a press release from the Massachusetts State Police. The car pulled over on Lafayette Street after initially refusing to stop.

"As he approached the suspect vehicle, the trooper observed passengers frantically moving about the interior," stated the release. "The trooper was quickly backed up by several Worcester police officers."

The stop was in a part of the city "that has been plagued by violent crime and gang activity" and the occupants were removed from the van for the officers' safety, stated the release.

Police found that the driver did not have a valid driver's license, according to police. Inside the vehicle, the officers found an ammunition box containing 82 rounds of .22 caliber bullets, brass knuckles and a bottle of wine.

Police arrested all six people in the minivan. The following people were arrested and charged:


  • Jorge Luis Deya, 20, of Worcester, the minivan’s operator, charged with possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop or yield to traffic signals, marked lanes violation, speeding, and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

  • Wesley Humphry, 18, of Worcester, charged with possession of ammunition without an FID Card and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

  • Shatique R. Johnson, 18, of Worcester, charged with possession of ammunition without an FID Card and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

  • Jadrian Seay, 18, of Worcester, charged with possession of ammunition without an FID Card and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

  • Thadeus Tower, 20, of Worcester, charged with possession of ammunition without an FID Card, being a minor in possession of alcohol, and carrying a dangerous weapon (brass knuckles).

  • Timothy Williams, 17, of Worcester, charged with possession of ammunition without an FID Card and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

Springfield firefighters battle fire at Phoenix Street house in Liberty Heights neighborhood

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Springfield firefighters are battling a blaze at a house on Phoenix Street in the Liberty Heights neighborhood.

An updated story has been posted »


SPRINGFIELD — Springfield firefighters were battling a blaze Monday afternoon at a house on Phoenix Street in the Liberty Heights neighborhood.

The house was fully engulfed in flames just before 5 p.m. The fire was reported at about 4:15 p.m.

Neighbors told a reporter for The Republican at the scene that the house is abandoned. Firefighters worked to save a business and other properties next to the burning house.


This is a developing story and will be updated as our reporting continues

The map below shows the approximate location of the Phoenix Street fire:


State income tax phone service experiences problems; but officials say it's fixed

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The website has a number of frequently-asked-questions lists and an email link to the department.

BOSTON - The state Department of Revenue's customer service hotlines experienced intermittent problems Monday, but are now believed fixed.


Some callers to 1(800) 392-6089 and to (617) 887-6367 were told the lines were no longer in service, said Ann C. Dufresne, communications director for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. The numbers, often used to check the status of tax refunds, sometimes bog down with heavy call volumes on Mondays during filing season. Electronic tax filing began Jan. 22 and runs to April 15.

Dufresne encouraged Massachusetts residents to use the department's website at http://www.mass.gov/dor/

The website has a number of frequently-asked-questions and an email link to the department.

For federal taxes, the Internal Revenue Service has a number of mobile apps at www.IRS.gov

Outlook 2014: Pioneer Valley provides women business owners support and advocacy

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The Women Business Owners Alliance, which meets monthly in Holyoke, has 108 members in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

bizwomen.jpgColor consultant Amy Woolf, standing. Liz Provo, a marketing consultant, left, and Donna Hebert, a stager. The three, and the woman who took the photo, Lisa Joy Merrill, are members of the Women Business Owners Alliance and collaborated in a successful project.  


NORTHAMPTON - In the five years since Val Nelson became a career, business and life coach, she has counseled countless entrepreneurs. Her view is that men and women come to work from entirely different angles.

Men think about leadership and monetary gain and growth, Nelson said; women think about work-life balance, fitting their own values and personality into their business and aligning it with their hearts.

“Women are like ‘Growth?’ What is that?” Nelson said. “I just want to do this thing.”

Because Nelson’s heart-centered approach seems to resonate most with women business owners, she has gradually shifted to working primarily with women since she started her business in 2008 in Northampton.

Nelson (valnelson.com) is one of hundreds of women business owners in the Pioneer Valley, and she’s involved in the area networks focused around women helping women, such as the Women Business Owners Alliance (wboa.org), Women and Spirit in Business (innerfortune.com), the Professional Women’s Chamber of Western Massachusetts (professionalwomenschamber.com), and the Women’s Fund Leadership Institute, run by the Women’s Fund (womensfund.net/advocacy/initiatives).

val nelson.jpgVal Nelson 


These groups are active and viable; women just need to connect with other women business owners, Nelson said.

Solid foundation

Amy Woolf is a color consultant who moved her business from Florida to Northampton four years ago.

“I was a stay-at-home mom who was pursuing a trade,” she says.

Then she joined the Women Business Owners Alliance, which meets monthly in Holyoke and has 108 members in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

“I surrounded myself with other women business owners, and I started to really understand what it meant to see myself as a business owner,” she said. “I was good at color. I’ve been good at color for a long time. I’ve been good at being a business owner since joining (the alliance).”

Each of the morning monthly Women Business Owners Alliance meetings features a speaker, and, from each meeting, Woolf said, she takes home concrete, measurable action steps that help her develop as a business owner, such as knowledge on delving into social media.

“I come away from every meeting with an idea,” added Woolf, who serves as creative director for the alliance. “I don’t think I’d have a viable business without (the alliance). I think I’d still be somebody working from her kitchen table.”

Support systems

Nelson said when she begins to work with a woman, many don’t identify themselves as entrepreneurs. “They say they are a writer or an artist or a coach,” said Nelson.

After they work with her – one-on-one or through group sessions Nelson leads – they become empowered. “They can see that it’s thrilling to be a business owner – not a burden like they thought,” Nelson said.

Woolf said the Women Business Owners Alliance provides a network of colleagues for women who are growing a business, offering opportunities for collaboration.

For example, Woolf said, member Liz Provo, a marketing consultant, organized a project which involved four members working for a homebuilders association that was having trouble selling its homes.

Provo provided marketing direction; Woolf did color consulting in the homes; member Donna Hebert staged the homes; and then they gathered for a promotional photo session and member Lisa Joy Merrill took the photos. “It was a huge success story, and it was a ton of fun,” Woolf said.

Janet Warren, the owner of MarCom Capital, a marketing strategy firm in Hatfield, works with men and women, and in her volunteer work with the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, she collaborates with many women business owners.

janet warren.jpgJanet Warren 

She said she loves to support them with positive feedback and encouragement, and she is proud that this region can boast of networks such as Women and Spirit in Business and the Women’s Fund Leadership Institute.

“While women have ‘come a long way,’ there is still a gender gap in wages between men and women working equivalent jobs,” she said. “Women, I believe, still bear more of the caregiving responsibilities for children and elderly parents and grandparents than men so that impacts their ability to have successful careers. And most, I believe, single parent households are headed by women.”

9-year-old Mattapan boy killed in shooting identified as Jan Marcos Pena

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A 9-year-old Mattapan boy shot and killed by his 14-year-old brother on Friday has been identified as Jan Marcos Pena.

BOSTON — A 9-year-old Mattapan boy shot and killed by his 14-year-old brother on Friday has been identified as Jan Marcos Pena.

The shooting was initially described by the Suffolk District Attorney's office as an accident caused by the reckless handling of a gun.

Pena's unnamed brother was held on $50,000 cash bail today after being formally charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of an illegal firearm in a juvenile session at Dorchester District Court this morning.

Pena is the tenth homicide victim of the year in Boston.

Springfield sexual health advisory committee recommends stronger action, collaboration to combat teen pregnancy

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The recommendations for combating teen pregnancy occur with knowledge that it can potentially harm their education and future success, according to the Springfield Adolescent Sexual Health Advisory.

SPRINGFIELD — A sexual health advisory committee on Monday urged city and school officials to continue and expand efforts to help Springfield youth avoid teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections that can pose a threat to their success.

Members of the Springfield Adolescent Sexual Health Advisory (SASHA), met Monday with officials including Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno at the school administration building to share their latest recommendations.

“Our primary message is that we need to continue to work collaboratively to reduce teen pregnancy in the city of Springfield,” said Helen Caulton-Harris, the city’s health director and advisory group co-chairwoman. “Our recommendations are really aimed at having our youth prepared for the future. Unintended pregnancy could potentially circumvent their success.”

Springfield and Holyoke continue to be among communities with the highest teen pregnancy rates in the state, according to 2010 statistics, the most recent year for statewide statistics.

Warwick and Sarno, chairman of the School Committee, said they remain committed to provide students with the information and assistance needed to make the best decisions.

“The schools need to do our part to make sure we are doing the right thing for kids,” Warwick said.

The advisory group's recommendations include urging the school system and its partners to evaluate its sexual health program that was approved in 2009 and amended in 2012. The evaluation should include comparing other policies elsewhere, and annually monitor statistics.

The amendments in 2012 included providing students in the middle schools and high schools with access to free condoms and related information.

The group also recommended collaborative efforts to:

  • Empower parents, including working with advisory partners to provide workshops to parents to help them to discuss sexual/behavior issues with their children
  • Mobilize the medical community to increase access and improve reproductive health services for youth, including creation of a resource guide and encouraging mobile medical services and the use of social media to increase awareness of services.
  • Engage the business and philanthropic community to support initiatives to reduce the teen birth rate, such as increased work opportunities and positive public service announcements.

It is known that teen pregnancy can interfere with educational attainment and success, said Dr. Sarah Perez McAdoo, co-chairwoman of the advisory group. In addition, a child has a 27 percent chance of growing up in poverty if the mother gives birth as a teen, which increases 42 percent if the mother does not have a high school diploma or GED, she said.

Springfield had the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the state in 2010, translating into 54.3 births per 1,000 teenagers aged 15 to 19. That showed an improvement from 2009, when there were 64.1 births per 1,000 in 2009.

However, the rate remains at three times the state average of 17.1 births per 1,000 girls and there continues to be more that needs to be done, officials said.

Holyoke had the highest rate in the state in 2010, at 83.6 births per 1,000 girls. Lawrence was second.

In Springfield and Holyoke, the rates are much higher for non-white students.

The rates for sexually transmitted disease for Springfield teens also remained at more than three times the state averages for gonorrhea and chlamydia, according to the state statistics for 2010.

The school system is committed to addressing the issue and making make improvements and adjustments to its approach, Warwick said.

Sarno said there has been progress, as shown in the 2010 state statistics on teen pregnancy, but “obviously more needs to be done.”

Parents have the right to deny permission for their children to receive the free condoms.

In the 2012-13 school year, the first year of the condoms being available, a total of 175 condoms were distributed, and about 1,400 parents “opted out” from their children getting condoms, according to School Communications Officer Azell Cavaan. Condoms were distributed one at a time.

This school year, 43 condoms have been distributed thus far, and 288 parents “opted out” their children, Cavaan said.

SHSHA Report Presentation uploaded by Patrick Johnson

Frustration with Massachusetts DCF evident among lawmakers at Ways and Means hearing

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Facing questions about the safety of children, a spike in requests for custody and a federal judge’s admonishment, Department of Children and Families Commissioner Olga Roche defended the agency’s work.

By ANDY METZGER

WATERTOWN — Facing questions about the safety of children, a spike in requests for custody and a federal judge’s admonishment, Department of Children and Families Commissioner Olga Roche defended the agency’s work on Monday.

Olga Roche 2013.jpgOlga Roche, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, is seen during a visit to Springfield in November. 

DCF, which hopes to improve its oversight of children with new hires and new technology called for in Gov. Deval Patrick’s budget, has been under scrutiny since the news broke in December that 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, of Fitchburg, had not been seen in months and was now feared dead.

“There is always a great opportunity for us to improve the system,” Roche told reporters after her testimony at a budget hearing. “We can do our work better when we have a workable workload for our social workers, enhanced technology and more staff and oversight.”

Roche’s responses to lawmakers’ questions in nearly two hours of testimony before the House and Senate Ways and Means committees were frustrating to Rep. Matt Beaton, a Shrewsbury Republican.

“Where does the buck stop, because I have yet to hear the governor or the commissioner point to anything but funding and technology as the answers?” Rep. Matt Beaton asked the commissioner. He said, “I really would just like someone to finally address this structural issue that exists within the department and speak to it frankly without dodging anything or pointing to money and technology.”

Roche said “accountability” stops with her, and later did not directly answer a reporter’s question about why Beaton would have been frustrated.

Roche said some of the reportedly 557 foster families with criminal records that were cleared to receive children involved individuals who last committed a crime as long as 30 years ago, and sometimes they are flagged for a crime committed by a biological child. Roche also said the agency prefers to place children in foster families that are part of the child’s larger family.

“I’m just wondering what they are and how significant they are, but we’re not talking about a fight when they’re 18-years-old and now they’re 45,” said Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, a Fitchburg Democrat and vice-chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means, who received a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Fitchburg State. “We’re putting vulnerable kids in their care. We wouldn’t want to do it to elders, we wouldn’t want to do it to those with disabilities and I don’t want to do it to kids.”

Roche who has faced hours of public questioning and met with House lawmakers behind closed doors, advocated for a spending increase and discussed areas of concern at a budget hearing held at Perkins School for the Blind.

Asked about a reported 86 percent jump in removal requests this January and whether it was a pendulum shift, Roche said there have been more referrals to the agency since the disappearance of Oliver and DCF attempts to provide a balance helping families and children. After answering a few questions at a press availability, Roche said nothing as she walked away when asked if there had been any directives from her office regarding taking children into custody.

“I worry that the pendulum of decision-making might be swinging too far in the other direction,” said Rep. Lori Ehrlich, a Marblehead Democrat.

Roche noted that the courts have oversight when DCF seeks custody of a child.

Rep. Geoffrey Diehl, a Whitman Republican, spoke about criticisms made by Judge William Young about the agency, that it had not even followed its own internal policies, and asked Roche what those specific policies were.

“Again, we’re going to be looking forward,” Roche said in the beginning of her reply.

“She pointed repeatedly to the fact that they will be working on issues with outside groups, but it seems to be there was little internal review done in the past, other than to in some cases I suppose fire people, in cases that were public,” Diehl said afterwards. He said, “If you’re being told by a federal judge that you’re not even meeting your own internal policies, let alone state and federal standards, then I think you have to take a real strong look at what’s going on. Now I understand she’s only been on the job for eight months, but she also had worked as a regional manager for the department for a long time.”

Gov. Deval Patrick recommended a DCF budget of $819 million, which Roche said is a $32.7 million, or 4.2 percent, increase over projected spending in fiscal year 2014. The funding would allow the agency, which experienced cuts during and after the Great Recession, to bring aboard 177 full-time-equivalent hires, including 143 social workers and supervisors, 25 managers and five attorneys.

Patrick’s budget will provide $9.2 million, which Roche said would bring caseloads down toward 15 cases per social worker. It will also provide $3.8 million to raise departmental foster care rates up by about 6 percent, and it provides $3 million to expand the Family Resource Center model, serving children up to the age of 18.

The administration also plans to make it easier for social workers to file up-to-date reports by providing mobile technology for writing reports rather than the current paper system. Roche said the union contract requires social workers’ reports of contacts be filed within 30 days, and Roche said the department is asking for social workers to do them more frequently.

“We’re asking them to enter those contacts as they happen,” Roche said.

After serving as acting commissioner for months, Roche became commissioner in October, just before the agency’s failure to protect Oliver came to light, after the 5-year-old’s older sister told authorities about the abuse back home and her brother’s disappearance.

“Children are losing parents, parents that are being devastated by the effects of drugs, alcohol and substance abuse and domestic violence,” said Roche, who said heroin use is a major problem. She also spoke about the importance of keeping a family intact when it is safe enough to do so, saying, “Family is forever.”


Westfield State University will be visited by Massachusetts Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland during Thursday's trustee meeting

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The commissioner visited Berkshire Community College two weeks ago, and is scheduled to appear at Salem State University and Cape Cod Community College this week in addition to Westfield State, Abel said.

WESTFIELD – State Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland will attend Westfield State University’s trustee meeting Thursday as part of a broader effort to improve communication with campus leaders statewide.

Coming three months after the resignation of Westfield State President Evan S. Dobelle, the commissioner’s visit will coincide with a vote by trustees to transfer more than $1 million from reserve funds to cover legal expenses related to Dobelle’s departure.

In October, Freeland recommended the freezing of $2.2 million in funding for Westfield State to force the trustees to confront Dobelle over his spending on dozens of domestic and international trips, including 15 visits to San Francisco. The funding was later reinstated.

Dobelle resigned Nov. 8, three weeks after the trustees ended a 10-hour, closed-door session by voting to place Dobelle on paid leave and hire Fish & Richardson, a Boston law firm, to investigate his travel and spending.

Dobelle responded by suing the school, three trustees, Freeland and others in U.S. District Court, claiming the defendants conspired to force him from his $240,000-a-year post.

In December, Dobelle filed a second lawsuit in Hampden Superior Court to force Westfield State to pay his legal fees from two state investigations into his travel, plus expenses for both lawsuits.

Katy Abel, associate commissioner for the state Department of High Education, said Freeland’s appearance Thursday will be the latest in a series of campus visits designed to improve communication and collaboration between state officials and campus leaders.

The commissioner visited Berkshire Community College two weeks ago, and is scheduled to appear at Salem State University and Cape Cod Community College this week in addition to Westfield State, Abel said.

At Thursday’s meeting, the trustees will vote on a proposed transfer of $1.2 from reserve accounts to pay current and anticipated expenses for Fish & Richardson, which conducted a review of Dobelle’s spending and also coordinated the school’s response to record requests from the state inspector general’s office.

Investigators from the inspector general’s and the state attorney general’s office opened investigations into spending by Dobelle and other school officials last summer.

Neither agency has issued a final report, and no charges have been filed against Dobelle or anyone else.

Dobelle said the university benefited from his travel and any personal expenses charged to the school were later reimbursed.

Officials release names of 1,097 Massachusetts schools that will test the new PARCC exam

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The 1st Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam is a trial run and neither students nor teachers will see the results.

Officials for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have released the list of 1,097 schools across the state that will be involved in testing the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam this spring. [see the complete list at the end of this article]

A wide variety of schools have been asked to have a few classes from specific levels between grades 3 and 11 take one of four PARCC exams this spring. The purpose is to try out the different questions to see if children understand them and to discover if they are too difficult or too easy and fit with the new national Common Core educational standards all state pubic schools are adopting.

Neither students nor educators will receive the results since the assessment is just a trial. The answers, combined with results from a second trial run scheduled for next year, will be used to determine if the state adopts the PARCC, state education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester said.

The first exams, called performance-based, are designed to be given three-quarters of the way through the school year. Those English and math tests will be given between March 24 to April 11.

The end of the year assessments also will be given in English and math. Students will take those between May 5 and June 6, said Jonathan Considine, spokesman for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The new PARCC exam is designed mainly to be taken online, but about 20 percent of the schools will be testing a paper version of the assessment. Some principals have aired concerns that the schools do not have enough technology to test all children online in the future.

The list includes more than 120 schools in Western Massachusetts. Springfield, the region’s largest school district, will have students in 19 of its 44 schools taking the test. There are seven schools taking the exam in Westfield and Chicopee and six schools taking the test in Agawam and Northampton.

Regional schools districts are not being left out with students in five schools in the Quabbin District, four in the Hampden-Wilbraham district and two in the Southwick-Tolland-Granville district assigned to take a portion of the test.

A number of charter public schools also are taking the test, including Sabis International Charter School in Springfield, Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley and Pioneer Valley Charter School of Performing Arts in South Hadley.

Massachusetts Schools which will be field testing the new PARCC assessment exam this spring


Fire destroys vacant home in Springfield's Hungry Hill

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The owner of the car lot next door to the fire in Springfield's Liberty Heights neighborhood said she was with a customer when they both smelled smoke.

Updates a story posted Monday at 5:17 p.m.


SPRINGFIELD — A vacant house on Phoenix Street caught fire Monday afternoon, filling the Hungry Hill area with smoke and disrupting evening traffic on Liberty Street, one of the city’s major arteries.

The fire, reported at about 4:30 p.m., quickly spread through the empty three-family home at 16-18 Phoenix St. Within 30 minutes, flames moved from the second floor into the attic and then into the roof.

Firefighters concentrated on containing the flames from the exterior of the building in order to keep the fire from spreading to any of the nearby buildings in the tightly packed neighborhood in Liberty Heights.

The roof of the building and parts of the exterior walls collapsed before the fire was under control.

No injuries were reported, said Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

The building was boarded up and neighbors said it had been vacant for two or three years.

Leger said there was no working electricity or gas in the building. Although no cause has yet been determined, the fire for now is considered suspicious. The city Arson and Bomb Squad is working to determine how it started, he said.

“Let's let them do their job,” he said.

Leger said if anyone witnessed people at the site prior to the fire or anything suspicious, they are asked to call the Arson and Bomb Squad at (413) 787-6370.

Traffic along Liberty Street was being diverted between the Armory Street rotary and Carew Street. At 7 p.m., the city Department of Public Works was dispatched to send a sander to treat the frozen roadway.

Leger said firefighters would remain on scene for hours chasing hot spots. Demolition equipment would also be brought in to knock down the remaining parts of the wreckage, he said.

The fire department’s rehabilitation bus was dispatched to the scene to aid firefighters seeking relief from the cold.

Leger said when firefighters first arrived on scene, the building was fully involved in fire. The initial focus was to concentrate hoses on the buildings on either side of the burning building to keep the fire from spreading, he said.

The buildings are so close together, an estimated 10 to 15 feet on either side, that there was a concern the fire could spread, Leger said.

A six-family residence at 22 Phoenix Terrace sustained some damage to the vinyl siding but no structural damage.

depergola.jpgTina Depergola, owner of International Auto Sales and Service, stands across the street as firefighters battle a house fire behind her business. She said she was showing a car to a customer when they both smelled smoke. 

A car dealership on the other side, International Auto Sales and Service, 715 Liberty St., did not appear to have been damaged, Leger said.

Waiting across the street and trying to stay warm was the business’ owner, Tina Depergola. Because of the proximity, firefighters had her leave her business and go across the street to safety.

She said she was showing a car in the lot to a customer when they each smelled smoke. She said they walked around the side of the building to investigate the smell and saw the fire.

When she saw the smoke, she immediately called 911, she said.

She said she was worried the fire would spread.

She said she was told her roof was damaged but had not seen it for herself. She was hoping the damage was not that bad.

“It looked like they had it out and then all over the place it started up again,” she said.

Depergola, who has operated the business for seven years, said the house next door had been boarded up for years. She said she never gave it much attention, but a neighbor told her recently that people had been seen going in and out of it.

The property is owned by Abdul R. Barrie of Allston, according to city records.

The house, constructed in 1901, has a total valuation of $136,000. The city has placed a lien on the parcel because of an outstanding tax bill over the last two years totaling more than $4,000.


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Adam Lee Hall sentenced to three life sentences in Berkshire County triple murder; judge says case shows 'worst depravity' he has seen

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The life sentences for the first degree murder convictions of Adam Lee Hall carry no possibility of parole. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD — As he sentenced Adam Lee Hall to three consecutive life sentences on Monday for a 2011 triple murder in Berkshire County, Superior Court Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder said the case showed depravity and disregard for human dignity "beyond my experience."

"Over the course of years David Glasser was stalked, intimidated, beaten, framed, abducted, murdered and mutilated," Kinder said at Hall's sentencing. "His friends Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell were shot, stabbed, dismembered [...] simply because they had the misfortune of being there when Mr. Glasser got abducted."

Kinder also imposed two more consecutive sentences after the life sentences: 12 to 15 years for armed robbery followed by eight to 10 years for kidnapping.

A life sentence for a first-degree murder conviction is mandatory, and carries no possibility of parole.

A jury in Hampden Superior Court on Friday convicted Hall of the three murders and 12 other crimes after three weeks of testimony and about 17 hours of deliberation.

The murders were committed in August 2011, weeks before Glasser was scheduled to testify against Hall.
 

Glasser and his roommate, Edward Frampton, and their friend, Robert Chadwell, all of Pittsfield, disappeared on Aug. 28, 2011.

Prosecutors said Hall was a ranking member of the local Hells Angels chapter when he, David Chalue, 46, of North Adams, and Caius Veiovis, 32, of Pittsfield, kidnapped the three victims from Frampton's Pittsfield home and fatally shot them. The victims' dismembered bodies were found in Becket nearly two weeks later.

The defendants are being tried separately, with Chalue's trial slated for April 15 and Veiovis' trial sometime in June.

In sentencing Hall, Kinder said, "The defendant targeted David Glasser in part because of who he was. He (Glasser) suffered from a mental disability which made him particularly vulnerable."

"In addition to preying upon the disabled, [Hall] surrounded himself with young women whom he could control and direct into criminal activity for his own benefit," Kinder said.

Hall did not show any visible emotion during the sentencing.

Erin Forbush, an outreach worker at SeviceNet, gave a victim statement on behalf of Frampton. She got to know both Frampton and his roommate Glasser through her work, helping Frampton live independently in the community.

"I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to get to know Edward Frampton and David Glasser, victims of an atrocious and senseless crime," she said.

Forbush testified at Hall's trial, saying she discovered Frampton and Glasser were missing. She said Frampton had been put in Belchertown State Hospital at age 5 because he was hard to control, and he spent many years there.

"Ed (Frampton) enjoyed talking with others, had a fun, yet quirky sense of humor which brought joy to most people he encountered. Ed was someone who liked to take care of others," she said.

She continued: "Ed's death leaves a very personal loss for all who loved him and to those that were touched by Ed's love and humor. But on a much larger advocacy / educational scale, Ed's death also leaves a gap in the understanding of the early disability world."

She said Frampton spoke at some trainings of social workers on life at the Belchertown State School and the issues he faced in his life.

Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless said Hall's crimes against the three defenseless men were loathsome, depraved and barbaric.

Hall deserves "no more mercy or consideration" than he gave to his victims, Capeless said.

State Trooper William Scott spoke for himself and others from law enforcement on behalf of Glasser.

Scott said, "Many people would say his life was simple, but it was his life to live the way he needed."

He said Glasser would help people who needed a ride. When his truck was taken (by Hall) unlawfully, Scott said, he asked police for help. He was grateful when he got his truck back, Scott said.

Defense lawyer Alan J. Black told Kinder there was no need to have any consecutive sentences since the mandatory sentence on first degree murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Black said Hall has always been polite to him and his staff. He said Hall would have testified if the three separate incidents had been tried separately. The incidents – the 2009 beating of Glasser with a baseball bat, the 2010 attempt to frame Glasser, and the 2011 murders – were tried together in a single trial.

Black didn't specify to which incident Hall would have testified about if there had been separate trials.

Two days last week Hall's mother and sister drove from Ontario to support him, Black said, saying Hall has family who love him.

Black said Hall has a 1997 conviction for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, but other than that he has only motor vehicle offenses.

Ashleye Hall – no relation to Adam Lee Hall – Chadwell's 26-year-old daughter, spoke after the sentencing.

"My kids loved him. I have three kids, 9, 8 and 6. He used to babysit for me," she said.

She said her kids, as upset as they were, were there for her when it happened.

Her father was supposed to come to her house the night he disappeared, she said. Instead, several days later she got a call from police asking what she knew about her father's whereabouts.

During the time he was missing, she said, "It was bad. I was a mess at work." Her colleagues at the nursing home where she works were also "there for me."

When her father and the other men's remains were found, she said, "It couldn't register at all, because who would do something like that?"

What has helped her through the years is therapy – "just talking to about it" – and family.

She said she felt hatred toward Hall, adding, "[I]t makes me sick, the smirking."

Kinder said Hall's actions showed "he repeatedly sought to obstruct justice" by trying to eliminate Glasser as a witness.

"This criminal conduct therefore struck at the very heart of our system of justice. These I consider to be aggravating factors. I see no mitigating factors," Kinder said.

Carol Chadwell Smith, Robert Chadwell's sister, gave a victim impact statement to Kinder on Friday.

After the sentencing Monday, she said after she heard the verdict she expected to be uplifted. Now, she said, she finds she is just exhausted.

She said some people think Hall deserves a harsher punishment than life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Smith said of Hall, "It's crazy to say but I don't wish this man any harm. What he did to my brother and friends – he's a monster. But still in a sense I can't bring myself to wish harm upon him. Some people might say I'm crazy for thinking like that, but that's who I am."

Smith said she can tell Hall is not sorry for what he did by the look on his face, which she said showed no remorse.

"He sat there smirking, acting like he was in a photo shoot when the cameras are clicking at him. Really, who does that? Someone without a heart and a soul, right?" she said.

Chalue's trial is scheduled in Hampden Superior Court. The case was moved to Hampden County because defense lawyers said pretrial publicity in Berkshire County would deny their clients a fair trial.


Air National Guard 104th Fighter Wing in Westfield to conduct night training flights

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The 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield announced it will be conducting evening flights over the next few days beginning Tuesday night.

082210 barnes 104th fighter wing f-15 takeoff.JPGAn F-15 fighter jet from the 104th Air Wing at Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield takes off. 

WESTFIELD - The 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield announced it will be conducting evening flights over the next few days beginning Tuesday night.

The flights are expected to begin at around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and conclude at around 7:30 p.m.

Flights on Thursday will begin a little earlier at 4:45 p.m. with landings planned for 6:45 p.m. Those flights are dependent upon weather conditions, in particular the expected snowfall.

"We do not want to alarm the residents around the local area that may be startled by the increase in aircraft activity during the evening hours," said Senior Master Sgt. Robert J. Sabonis, the base public affairs manager.

"The evening missions are a critical part of our required reoccurring training. The night training is required to ensure our pilots are ready to respond to any airborne threat in the Northeastern United States, at any time, in any condition," he said.

The base is charged with maintaining a continuous alert posture and could respond at any moment to protect much of Northeast.

Sabonis said the base tries to give advance notification of training missions whenever possible so as not to alarm area residents.

Baystate Franklin nurses will vote on contract after more than two years of negotiations

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The contract was settled last week after more than two years of negotiations ended in a stalemate broken only be the intercession of local lawmakers State Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst and State Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington.

GREENFIELD - Nurses at Baystate Franklin Medical Center will vote on their new contract Feb. 13 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the hospital.

Results should be available after the vote, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The contract is widely expected to pass.

The contract was settled last week after more than two years of negotiations ended in a stalemate broken only be the intercession of local lawmakers state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst and state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington.

The settlement, which included a compromise on overtime rules, averted a one-day strike that had been scheduled for Monday. Nurses did go ahead with a food drive for the Franklin County Community Action’s Center for Self Reliance Food Pantry.

The drive netted 15 large shopping carts full on nonperishable for the pantry.

Gov. Deval Patrick's visit to Springfield brings anti-racism and anti-violence messages to students, community activists

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Gov. Deval L. Patrick visited Springfield to help celebrate Black History Month and to lobby for funds for an youth violence prevention program.

SPRINGFIELD – The theme was “inspiration” on Tuesday as Gov. Deval L. Patrick spoke with young students in Springfield about racism, and with anti-crime advocates about changing the lives of troubled youth during separate stops.

During a morning visit, Patrick read to third-graders at the William N. DeBerry Elementary School, choosing the book, “A Home Run for Bunny,” about a local American Legion team in Springfield that stood up to racism. The reading coincided with Black History Month.

Patrick visited some of the classes at DeBerry, located in the Old Hill neighborhood, trading questions and answers with the children and posing for pictures.

“He was very nice, kind and respectful,” said Daiovion Reid-Barry, 10, among the third-graders who sat for Patrick's reading gathered on seats and on the floor. “He gave us a lot of details about history. The story inspired me because I am also an athlete on my team. It helped encourage me to never give up and be determined.”

Patrick also stopped Tuesday at the Salvation Army for a meeting with agencies and several youth participants involved in the state-funded “Safe and Successful Youth Initiative,” that serves to intervene with and aid at-risk youth, ages 14 to 24. Patrick urged the advocates and city officials to lobby the state Legislature to fully fund the program that had reduced funds this year and is proposed in the governor’s budget for next year.

Some participants in attendance told Patrick and gathered advocates that the program has helped change their lives from crime and gangs to employment and educational opportunities and a positive outlook on life. The program costs $9.5 million annually and, with agencies such as the Salvation Army, ROCA, and the Sheriff’s Department, helps troubled youth in 11 urban communities in the state including Springfield and Holyoke.

The book Patrick shared with the students at DeBerry tells the story of players on a local baseball team who stood up for a black teammate. The true story recalls when the American Legion Post 21 baseball team voted unanimously in 1934 not to play in the Eastern Championship game in Gastonia, N.C., rather than agree to an ultimatum to bench their black teammate, Ernest “Bunny” Taliaferro, of Springfield.

Patrick said the book is an “incredible, powerful story,” and he encouraged students to remember “the kind of courage and leadership“ shown by the team and Taliaferro.

The children’s book was written by Richard Andersen, a Springfield College professor. Andersen was present for the reading, along with Anthony King, one of the team’s players.

King, 96, of West Springfield, said Patrick did a “wonderful job” of sharing the story of Post 21 with the students. King said he recalls how the reaction to Bunny in the 1930s South was “scary” and upsetting to the team.

Anderson said it was very emotional to see Patrick, while jovial with the students, became moved himself while reading one section. Patrick at the time was reading about how King jumped to the defense of his black teammate, and said he would not play if Bunny was not playing with the team agreeing.

“It was a true honor,” Monica Larssen, a third-grade teacher, said of Patrick’s visit. “We were so very excited, we couldn’t wait to meet him. The kids were planning their questions.”

Andersen’s book “delivers the message don’t give up, believe in yourself,” Larssen said.

Patrick asked the students if they knew what the governor did, and who was his boss.

Students, with their hands raised, had many answers ranging from that the governor “sits in his office and writes laws,” to at least one student who believed the governor “was in charge of the mayor” — a comment that drew immediate laughs from many in the room including Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

“I work for you,” Patrick said to the students. “You’re my boss, your moms and your dads.”

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