Just before his mother was killed, Orion Krause said "I think I have to kill my mom," in a phone call to one of his former Oberlin College professors, according to a report.

Just before his mother was killed, Orion Krause said "I think I have to kill my mom," in a phone call to one of his former Oberlin College professors, according to a report.

The 22-year-old Rockport, Maine, man is now being charged with four counts of murder for the deaths of his mother, his maternal grandparents, and his grandparents' home healthcare aide in Groton last month.

Mary Gray of Oberlin, Ohio, called Rockport police on Sept. 8 to report that her husband, Oberlin College professor and jazz drummer Jamey Haddad had received a call from Krause, according to the Portland Press Herald.

During that phone call, Krause allegedly said he had 'done something bad' and stolen his mother's car and some money, according to documents obtained by the newspaper.

"I think I have to kill my mom," Krause said to Haddad during the call, according to the newspaper. When Haddad asked Krause to repeat himself, Krause said the sentence again.

That call followed one the day before by Krause's mother, who said she was concerned about her son's well-being.

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan has said that Krause used a baseball bat on Sept. 8 to beat and kill his mother, Elizabeth "Buffy" Krause, 60; his grandparents, Frank Darby Lackey III, 89, and Elizabeth Lackey, known as Esu, 85; and their home healthcare provider, Bertha Mae Parker, 68, of Groton.

Their bodies were found inside and outside the Lackey home on Common Street.

Krause has pleaded not guilty in Ayer District Court.

Krause left Maine the day before the killings. His mother called police. Krause later got in touch with his mother and asked her for a ride home from the Boston area. She drove to get him, officials said, and at some point they decided to stop at her parents' home in Groton.

In Elizabeth Krause's phone call to police, she said that her son "has been troubled," according to the Portland Press Herald. She believed he may have been heading out of state.

She was also concerned that her son may kill himself, according to The Boston Globe.

The Globe obtained a transcript of the call, in which Elizabeth Krause told a dispatcher that "We told him that the world wants him alive, and he did promise that he wouldn't do it, and so I am trying to have faith."

Elizabeth Krause also called 911 with concerns about her son on July 16, 2016, according to The Portland Press Herald.

During that call, she asked that the dispatcher not send a police officer, saying that her son needed "gentleness."

Last week, Krause was found competent to stand trial. He remains held at Bridgewater State Hospital.

"He was determined to be competent so the case is going forward but I asked that he be sent back to Bridgewater because it's the best place for him in terms of medications, treatment and care," Krause's attorney Edward Wayland said

The crash occurred shortly after 10 a.m. on the westbound side, near Barton Cove, when one vehicle rear-ended another, Police Chief Christopher Redmond said.

GILL -- A person was taken to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield following a two-vehicle crash on Route 2 Thursday morning.

The crash occurred shortly after 10 a.m. on the westbound side, near Barton Cove, when one vehicle rear-ended another, Police Chief Christopher Redmond said.

The victim, who was up and ambulatory when police arrived on scene, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The motorist who rear-ended the second vehicle was cited for failure to take care in stopping and driving an unregistered vehicle.

Redmond said traffic accidents in Gill are up 36 percent this year compared to last year at this time. Traffic congestion and driver inattention are factors in the increase, he said.

"There is just a lot of inattention when people are driving," he said.

Police posted an item regarding the crash on the department's Facebook page.

Erving police, in a Facebook post of their own, warned late Thursday morning that rain-slicked roads and fallen leaves have created hazardous driving conditions.

The mental health of Orion Krause -- the 22-year-old Maine man accused of killing his family -- is unclear, as he was deemed competent to stand trial, but is taking medication and being held at Bridgwater State Hospital.

The mental health of Orion Krause -- the 22-year-old Rockport, Maine man accused of killing his family -- is unclear, as he was deemed competent to stand trial, but is taking medication and being held at Bridgwater State Hospital.

Authorities have not released many details about Krause's mental health history and it has not been discussed at length in open court.

However, a new report reveals that Krause's mother, Elizabeth, believed that her son may have been considering suicide.

According to the transcript of a 911 call Elizabeth Krause made from the family home in Rockport, Maine, the day before the alleged killings, which was obtained by The Boston Globe, she said to police "We told him that the world wants him alive, and he did promise that he wouldn't do it, and so I am trying to have faith."

Elizabeth Krause, 60, was found dead in Groton at the home of her parents, Frank Darby Lackey III, 89, and Elizabeth Lackey, known as Esu, 85. Their home healthcare provider, Bertha Mae Parker, 68, of Groton, was also found deceased at the Common Street home on Sept. 8.

Authorities have said that Krause used a baseball bat to kill them. He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder in Ayer District Court.

A 40-day mental health evaluation determined that Krause was competent to stand trial. The evaluation is sealed and Krause will remain at Bridgewater State Hospital.

"Competency is a minute by minute thing, he could be competent and then incompetent again and one of the reasons to send him back there is to make sure that doesn't happen," Krause's attorney, Edward Wayland, said after a court hearing last week.

Wayland has declined to discuss if Krause had a history of mental illness. He did say that Krause was taking medications at Bridgewater and believed those medications were for his mental health.

But some documents make it appear that Krause's parents had concerns about his mental wellbeing.

In 2016, Elizabeth Krause called 911 with concerns about her son, according to The Portland Press Herald.

During that call, she asked that the dispatcher not send a police officer, saying that her son needed "gentleness," the newspaper reported.

Last month, Krause's father, Alexander, submitted a letter to the court saying that he thought his son was suffering mentally.

"In my non-expert opinion he is struggling with a severe mental illness and publicizing the details of this case will only serve to aggravate that illness," he wrote in the letter, which was asking the court to keep police reports associated with the killings sealed. "It is my hope that, whatever the outcome of the criminal case, the boy I knew before this tragedy -- one known and loved by many -- will be restored to me."

A letter was also submitted by Dr. Christian Maetzener, a board-certified adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist in New York, and a friend of Alexander Krause.

"I am making this affidavit at (Alexander Krause's) request and based upon my professional training and experience," Maetzener wrote. "In my professional opinion further public disclosure of details involving the tragedy the Krause family has suffered will have severe adverse effects on their psychological health and magnify their trauma. It is also my professional opinion additional media exposure will have a devastating impact on the Defendant himself if, as may be the case, he is struggling to regain self-control in the face of an emerging mental illness."

Friends of Krause have said they were shocked by the murder allegation and that they knew Krause as a "gentle" person.

A lack of electricity, bug repellent and clean water is plaguing the island more than a month after Hurricane Maria.

Rush hour in Puerto Rico is a dangerous affair.

Around 6 p.m., cars flood the roads -- but without electricity, the traffic lights are still off.

Police officers direct traffic at some intersections. At others, whoever gets there first drives through.

"It becomes pitch dark, and it's a free-for-all in the intersections," said State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, in a phone interview from Puerto Rico. "It's a scary situation for folks."

The dangerous driving is just one symptom of the upheaval Gonzalez has seen on his week-long trip to Puerto Rico as the island recovers from Hurricane Maria, which brought devastation on Sept. 20.

More than a month after the hurricane hit, 74 percent of the island remains without power.

Other services are slowly being restored. Officials say water has been restored in 78 percent of the island, although it is still not safe to drink. Sixty-six percent of the island has some form of telecommunications service, although in only some of those places does that include cell service.

Flights, ports and post offices are fully restored, and most gas stations and supermarkets are reopening.

Around 3,600 people remain in shelters.

Gonzalez, who is staying at a friend's house, has visited Caguas and Toa Baja, municipalities not far from the capital of San Juan. He is working with a nonprofit group that is doing a census to determine needs, then delivering privately donated food, water and medical supplies.

"The important part is for people to realize that U.S. citizens are in need, and it just so happens they're in Puerto Rico," Gonzalez said.

With no electricity, food preparation is a challenge. Puerto Ricans typically cook every day. But now, only those with gas stoves and propane tanks are able to cook.

Often, Gonzalez said, multiple families will bring their food to one home where someone has a working stove. "You have one person cooking and four families eating," Gonzalez said.

With no refrigeration, families must buy meats and other perishable items daily.

Gonzalez said his father has a generator-powered refrigerator. Gonzalez's sisters stand on line for ice, which is still hard to get, and his father goes to the supermarket or drugstore each morning.

Public schools just started operating on Tuesday, although students must bring their own lunches and water. The schools have no electricity.

Families stay connected to the news through battery-operated transistor radios.

Gonzalez said some people are living in homes without roofs and covering their houses with blue tarps from FEMA.

Bug repellent is nearly impossible to find, and standing water attracts mosquitoes. "You can't find it anywhere," Gonzalez said. "Even municipalities are asking for it."

The proliferation of mosquitoes and contaminated water could also portend a future public health issue.

Hospitals are currently at capacity, and hospital officials are telling people not to come in unless they have a serious emergency.

Gonzalez said mental health problems could also become a problem down the line as people begin to process the trauma they have been through.

"Some folks are surviving, and you can see in their eyes they're still in shock as to what happened and what they lived through during the hurricane and water surge," Gonzalez said. "Now they have to try to survive. They haven't had time to think of themselves yet."

Gonzalez said federal aid and relief is starting to flow into the island, although he wishes it could have happened four weeks ago.

"There's just too much bureaucracy that's slowing down the delivery of food and supplies, not only directly to the people but to the municipalities that need to do a lot of the organizing locally to remove the trash, clean the streets, repair the bridges, get the electricity going, connect water," Gonzalez said.

As stores like Walgreens, Home Depot and Walmart begin to open, Gonzalez said it is getting more useful for family members and donors to give money to people in Puerto Rico so they can buy the supplies they need.

Another huge problem is the price of flights. Gonzalez said a one-way flight today from San Juan to the mainland U.S. can cost over $900, compared to the $200 or $300 it used to cost. Although many people are fleeing the island, others cannot afford to.

"I think it's inappropriate for airlines to be price gouging at this time because of the humanitarian crisis," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said it is tough to see people living in these difficult conditions. But, he said, "You get motivated by their willingness to make it. They're survivors. It speaks volumes for their resiliency."

Nine of the state's 11 top prosecutors wrote a letter opposing the state Senate's comprehensive criminal justice reform bill.

More than a dozen criminal justice advocacy groups are pushing back against the state's district attorneys in a debate over criminal justice reform.

Nine of the state's 11 top prosecutors wrote a letter Monday opposing the state Senate's comprehensive criminal justice reform bill.

The advocates responded, "These nine district attorneys' action fits a familiar pattern of Massachusetts prosecutors prioritizing their own power over public safety and fairness."

The Senate is beginning debate Thursday on a comprehensive criminal justice bill that addresses topics ranging from eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for drug traffickers to redefining child rape. The district attorneys wrote in a blistering letter that the bill "undermines the cause and pursuit of fair and equal justice for all" and "largely ignores the interests of victims of crime."

In response, a group of advocates for the bill criticized the DAs. The organizations releasing the statement include multiple chapters of the NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, associations of private and public defense attorneys, the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and others.

The groups argue that "tough on crime" policies have driven up incarceration rates in minority communities. They cite scandals involving tainted evidence at two state crime labs as evidence that the criminal justice system is not working. They say black and Latino individuals, as well as people with drug addiction, are particularly likely to be harmed by the system.

"The Senate bill is a big step in the right direction. It would make the laws in the Commonwealth fairer by taking substantial steps to end mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offenses, enable the diversion of people away from prison and jail who do not belong there, protect young people, improve conditions for incarcerated people, and reduce collateral consequences of contact with the criminal legal system," the advocates write. "Repealing mandatory minimums would restore accountability to Massachusetts' criminal justice system by eliminating a system that works differently for different people."

Amazon will stop providing the University of Massachusetts campus with textbooks at the end of December 2018, exercising an opt-out clause in its contract with the university.

AMHERST -- Amazon will stop providing the University of Massachusetts campus with textbooks at the end of December 2018, exercising an opt-out clause in its contract with the university.

In 2015, Amazon and UMass signed a five-year contract that replaced the Follett Corp. textbook operation, although that company continued to run the store in the Campus Center. The arrangement was expected to save students about 30 percent. Amazon was one of six companies that bid to provide the service.

Amazon decided to end the arrangement, said UMass spokesman Daniel J. Fitzgibbons in an email. He did not know why. No one could be reached at Amazon.

The university is working on a request for proposals from potential new supplies. According to a staff memo, UMass hopes to have a contract in place by the summer of 2018 to allow for a smooth transition.

"Input from various groups, including student government and Faculty Senate, will be solicited. A key factor will be the convenience of faculty and students in using whatever supplier is chosen," Fitzgibbons said in an email.

"The RFP will be open, though the sheer volume of books and educational materials used at the university may not be a good fit for smaller businesses," Fitzgibbons said. "Some faculty already use local bookstores to supply their texts and that is likely to continue. Working with Amazon has been instructive and the knowledge gained from the past three years will help shape our plans going forward."

Amazon also staffs a customer pick-up and drop-off location in the Lincoln Campus Center. "The pickup center is an unresolved issue at this point," Fitzgibbons said.

The crash occurred near 1320 Roosevelt Ave, at about 12:30 p.m., Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A two-vehicle crash prompted police to close a section of Roosevelt Avenue early Thursday afternoon.

The crash occurred near 1320 Roosevelt Ave. at about 12:30 p.m., Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.

Leger said firefighters were summoned to the scene but were not required to extricate anybody.

Western Mass News reported Roosevelt Avenue, between Roosevelt Terrace and Gaucher Street was closed following the crash. Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and MassLive.com.

Additional information on the crash, including potential injuries, was not immediately available.

The decision was based on the retrospective work done by Twitter and the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion.

Twitter has banned the Russian media companies Russia Today and Sputnik from advertising on the social media site after determining both had attempted to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election on behalf of the Russian government.

"Twitter has made the policy decision to off-board advertising from all accounts owned by Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, effective immediately. This decision was based on the retrospective work we've been doing around the 2016 U.S. election and the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that both RT and Sputnik attempted to interfere with the election on behalf of the Russian government," Twitter said in a statement on Thursday. "We did not come to this decision lightly, and are taking this step now as part of our ongoing commitment to help protect the integrity of the user experience on Twitter."

Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, and vice chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, recently endorsed the conclusions of American intelligence agencies that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a campaign of hacking and propaganda to disrupt the 2016 presidential election .

The head of Russia Today's social media has hinted Twitter encouraged the Russian media outlet to run advertising around the election.

The social media giant also said it would take the $1.9 million it projected to have earned from RT global advertising since they became an advertiser in 2011 -- including the $274,100 in 2016 U.S.-based advertising -- and "donate those funds to support external research into the use of Twitter in civic engagement and elections, including use of malicious automation and misinformation, with an initial focus on elections and automation."

Twitter has found about 200 accounts with suspicious Russian ties.

Facebook has uncovered roughly 470 profiles tied to Russian-backed sources. Those profiles purchased about 3,000 ads, now in lawmakers' possession, which sought to stoke political unrest in the United States.  Facebook estimated that 10 million users saw the ads before and after Election Day.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign.

Robert Charman began distributing emergency aid bags to Springfield police for distribution to homeless and those in need.

SPRINGFIELD - Robert Charland said when he sees someone with a problem, he tries to find a solution.

Charland, the Springfield mechanic who has become known as "the bike man" for his repairing old bikes and then donating them to children from low-income families, has found a new project to work on as well.

Charland has joined with Springfield police and the Massachusetts State Police to supply cruisers with necessity bags, containing a few items that might provide some aid and comfort for people who have precious little of either.

"I'm a mechanic during the day, and I had a customer's truck open to get to a fuel pump. And he all all his camping gear and safety supplies in there," he said.

The idea came to him then to have police cars fitted with their own supplies to aid people they encounter who many be either homeless or living in poverty.  "I just thought of it. I just said 'why not?'"

The bags contain emergency supplies for someone who is either homeless or precariously close to it.  

"It's got all the basic stuff people might need," he said.

These include emergency blankets, hats and gloves, socks, hand and foot warmers, tooth brushs and toothpaste, and other toiletries. The bags are color coded, pink and blue, for women and men.

Charman, who was recently diagnosed with neurodegenerative brain disease, has in the last few years, repaired old, broken bicycles that he has given out to children in need. That work continues. 

Bins full of the assistance bags were delivered to Springfield police headquarters and placed inside the police station garage. Officers were instructed to take two bags, one pink and one blue, and keep them in the back of their cruiser. When they encounter someone who could benefit from them, the officers are to hand them out.

Police Commissioner John Barbieri was on hand in the garage while Charland oversaw their distribution.

"This is very well timed for this time of year, and greatly appreciated," Barbieri told him. "The bikes are a great idea and this is fantastic."

Charland said when he got the idea, he reached out to the state police and Springfield police and found each was quite interested in participating. In all they've requested around 120 bags.

He said that on Thursday morning, he heard from Connecticut State Police who want to get involved, and he plans to reach out next to Holyoke and Chicopee police shortly. When if full swing, it could mean as regularly supplying as many as 400 bags for cruisers across Western Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut.

"Whatever it takes," he said.

The idea is two fold, he said. On one hand, the bags aid people who are in need of aid. And by having the police distribute them to the people in need that they encounter, it will help relations between officers and the community.

"That's the most important thing. It's huge," he said.

"If anything bad happens in another state with another officer, it gives every department a black eye," he said. "So why not do something simple like this to help our community.

If police encounter someone in need and are able to provide them with help, he said, "it can make the relationship between the officer and the community that much better," he said.

Items in the bags are being donated but when they first started, he and associates put up their own money to get things rolling. He estimates donating around $1,000 to get it off the ground.

Deputy Police Chief Cheryl Clapprood the department is pleased to work with Charland on the project, and said it will do a lot of good.

"We're proud and honored to have another instrument to improve community relations," she said.

The assistance bags, she said, are "something else that give us something nice to do for the community, instead of always being seen as the bad guys."

The police typically do not receive credit for the good that they do, she said. "So, we got to let people know we do things like this."

For years, police cruisers have carried stuffed animals that officers routinely hand out to comfort children who have suffered a trauma, like family violence or a house fire. This, she said, is an extension of that.

"This will give officers another tool in showing the community that we can be trusted, and that communication is a two-way street," she said.

"This will make a huge difference."

Police reports detail the phone calls, crime scene and statements made after authorities say 22-year-old Orion Krause killed his mother, grandparents and a caretaker inside a Groton home on Sept. 8, 2017.

The Springfield charter school ranked high on both math and English language arts scores.

SPRINGFIELD -- While schools across the city struggled with the new version of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), a Springfield charter school is celebrating its students' success on the test.

Veritas Preparatory Charter School ranked second in the state for student growth percentiles (SGP) in math and fifth in English language arts. SGP is a measure used by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to compare how students are scoring on the test in relation to their peers. 

"It comes down to good old-fashioned hard work and teamwork," said Rachel Romano, founder and executive director of the South End charter school, which serves grades five to eight. "We give our students a lot of individualized supports, both socially and emotionally, and academically to ensure that all of our students are making progress towards meeting the state's academic standards."

Charter school performance on the 2017 MCAS varied widely, as did performance in traditional public schools. Veritas, particularly in eighth grade, had much higher percentages of students scoring "meeting expectations" or above than the state did as a whole, state officials said.

According to state data, 73 percent of Veritas eighth-graders met or exceeded expectations on the English test and 71 percent met or exceeded expectations on the math test. The statewide percentages on those tests were 49 and 48, respectively.

A total of 27 percent of Veritas eighth-graders exceeded expectations in math, compared with 9 percent of eighth-graders across the state and 1 percent of eighth-graders in Springfield.

Veritas' eighth-grade math SGP of 94 is the highest of all the schools in the state.

"Our students have two periods of math," Romano said. "One is devoted to problem solving which is an inquiry-based class where they can grapple with problems, try different strategies and discuss them as a class. The other is dedicated to procedure."

Romano said the dual math class approach, along with additional tutoring for students who may be struggling, has been essential to the school's success in math.

The school's SGP in English language arts was also high, with students in grades six through eight scoring 72.5-82.5.

"We read high quality and challenging text with our students to make sure they are reading at or above grade level text and have a lot of exposure to rigorous text," Romano said. "We also make sure they are reading independently, books at their own reading level throughout the year."

On the science test, which was only administered to fifth-graders at Veritas, 56 percent scored "proficient" or higher, compared with 46 percent statewide.

Unlike individual MCAS scores, Romano said, the SGP scores shed light on how much a student is actually learning.

"To me the SGP is the most important number to look at because it shows how a student or a group of students has grown and learned in comparison to their academic peer group across the state," she said. "It shows how aggressively a school is closing achievement gaps for their students."

Veritas Prep serves 324 students. As a charter school, it is tuition-free and open to the public, but students must go through an open lottery system to be selected.

Romano said she hopes the school's success is proof of what Springfield schools are capable of.

"It's so great for Springfield because the schools have historically performed so poorly and have so many challenges," she said. "We can be a proof point for other schools in Springfield to show what's possible when you have a team with a common mission."

Calvi is scheduled to be start as the Springfield Fire Commissioner on Jan. 24.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno on Thursday announced the selection of B.J. Calvi, a deputy chief with the Agawam Fire Department, as the new head of the Springfield Fire Department.

Calvi is scheduled to be start as the Springfield Fire Commissioner on Jan. 24.

Sarno said Calvi was selected from among 33 total candidates and six semifinalists. Sarno said that following a rigorous interview process, Calvi "rose to the top of the heap." 

His appointment is for a 5-year term. 

He is to succeed Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

Sarno announced last year he would not seek to renew Conant's contract. The mayor never explained why he made that decision but it followed a public disagreement between him and Conant over the residency requirements for some of his deputy chiefs.

The residency status for Calvi is moot. Although he is employed with the Agawam Fire Department, he and his wife have resided in Springfield for the last seven years.

This is a developing story and more information will be added as it is known.

A University of Massachusetts student has been diagnosed with a meningococcal illness and is being treated in an area hospital.

AMHERST -- A University of Massachusetts student has been diagnosed with a meningococcal illness and is being treated in an area hospital.

"The University Health Center is coordinating with local and state health officials and reaching out to people who may have been in close contact with the student and have the most significant risk of infection," according to the notice sent to the campus community from health center Director George Corey.

He wrote that there are safe and effective antibiotics that can reduce the possibility of infection.

The illness is caused by the bacteria named Neisseria meningitides and can sometimes cause meningitis, an infection of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord, or sepsis, an infection of the blood, which can be fatal if not treated, according to Corey.

While the bacteria can be contagious, it is typically transmitted through close personal contact such as coughing, sharing drinks and kissing.

"None of the bacteria are as contagious as the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with this illness has been," Corey wrote.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate meningococcal disease kills 10 to 15 of every 100 infected people. Of those who survive, 10 to 20 of every 100 will have complications including brain damage, amputations and nervous system problems.

Members of the campus community who have concerns should contact health services or their own provider. The University Health Services triage nurse can be reached at 413-577-5229.

The massive bill touches on a host of topics including eliminating mandatory minimum sentences, rewriting child rape laws and reforming the use of solitary confinement.

One of the suspects fled police and was later found hiding under a blanket on Rittenhouse Terrace, police said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A 21-year-old city man, seen selling heroin in the Forest Park neighborhood to a 19-year-old Granville woman and a 19-year-old East Longmeadow man, was arrested after a foot chase and search Thursday morning.

The suspect, Calvin Santiago, was found hiding under a blanket on Rittenhouse Terrace, Ryan Walsh, a spokesman for the Springfield Police Department.

Santiago was charged with distribution of heroin and resisting arrest.

Police charged Zachary Presta from East Longmeadow with possession of heroin.

A criminal complaint against the 19-year-old woman from Granville is pending.

Police spotted Santiago selling heroin to the 19-year-olds in a vehicle on West Alvord Terrace. They seized 21 bags of heroin.

The Senate is expected to hold hours of debate before voting on the bill.

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Senate will consider 161 amendments on Thursday to its comprehensive criminal justice reform bill.

The Senate is expected to hold hours of debate before voting on the bill, S.2185.

The bill contains myriad controversial provisions, related to everything from changing statutory rape laws to eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for crimes related to drug dealing to raising the age at which someone can be charged in adult court.

Advocates for the bill say a comprehensive overhaul is long overdue to address problems of over-incarceration and recidivism.

"The reality is that in fact the criminal justice system can be a very blunt instrument and can do harm, and does do harm in some communities and for some people," said Sen. Will Brownsberger, D-Belmont, Senate chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Brownsberger said the goal of the bill is to avoid a system that leaves children without parents and promotes intergenerational involvement with the criminal justice system.

"We have to lift people up, not lock people up, and cut the chains that hold people down when they're trying to get back on their feet," Brownsberger said.

But there is disagreement on what the impact will be of many of the provisions.

"We need to think carefully about what we're doing not only with regard to people who have been incarcerated, but there is a reason for incarceration," said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester. "Society deems some folks are dangerous and present a risk of hurting other people."

Tarr reminded lawmakers to think about crime victims. "When the criminal justice system fails, those people pay a very high price for that failure," Tarr said.

Tarr said the bill does not do enough to address the huge number of people who are imprisoned who have mental health issues or struggle with substance abuse.

Nine of the state's 11 prosecutors oppose many provisions of the Senate bill, while numerous liberal-leaning and minority advocacy groups support the bill overall.

The proposed amendments touch on a huge range of criminal justice issues, including wrongful conviction compensation, penalties for drunken drivers, check fraud, wiretapping, intimidating correction officers, and the state DNA database.

After the Senate passes the bill, it will go to the House for consideration.

The plan has been a work in progress since 2014 by the South Hadley Redevelopment Authority, which has contracted with McCabe Enterprises of Boston.

SOUTH HADLEY -- The draft of a plan that aims to encourage business development, improve the look of the South Hadley Falls village and increase public access to the Connecticut River is under review by the state.

The plan has been a work in progress since 2014 by the South Hadley Redevelopment Authority, which has contracted with McCabe Enterprises of Boston.

The submission to the state Department of Housing and Community Development includes a vision statement on what the Redevelopment Authority hopes to create:
"A canal village that capitalizes on its historic and ecological assets, increases commercial and residential density in the neighborhood, provides stronger visual and physical accessibility to the river, and has a strong neighborhood and business association coordinating community activities and economic development."

If approved by the state, the plan would go before Town Meeting. Town officials are waiting to hear back from the state on the status of the plan before going ahead with scheduling a special Town Meeting.

The plan would also require affirmative votes by the Planning Board and Selectboard to take effect.

An important feature of the plan is the Main Street/Bridge Street intersection, which the Redevelopment Authority says is a natural hub around which economic development could blossom.

"Bridge and Main St. is the gateway to South Hadley Falls and the intersection/streetscape should be redesigned to reflect this status, to assure safe passage for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles, and to encourage private investment in the Falls," the draft plan says.

The costs to implement the plan are not known. Last month, Redevelopment Authority Chairman Francis DeToma told the Selectboard that he would work on getting that information.

When a community has an approved plan, government assistance grants, though not guaranteed, are easier to access, the Redevelopment Authority says.

A redevelopment plan maps out how to change a specific district in a community, with the the local redevelopment authority as the agent. The South Hadley Redevelopment Authority, with an approved plan, would then have authority to acquire and dispose of land, actions impermissible without one.

A Northampton spa was shut down Thursday after a police investigation.

NORTHAMPTON - A spa in Northampton has been shut down and its operators are facing over $10,000 in fines after a police investigation revealed improper labor practices, police said Thursday.  

The Asian Foot Spa, located at 41 Locust Street, Suite #201, has been condemned by the city's Board of Health following an inspection by Northampton officials that revealed evidence of people living on business premises, said Capt. John Cartledge of the Northampton Police Department.

The business has been issued a stop work order by the state's Division of Professional Licensure and the building in which the business was run has also been condemned until further notice, Cartledge said.

Investigation into the business's operation began several weeks ago when police became aware that the spa was servicing "a large volume of male customers," Cartledge said, though he did not clarify further whether services provided were of a sexual nature. 

The city's Board of Health, police and fire personnel conducted the investigation Thursday, along with members of the Northwestern District Attorney's Anti-Crime Task Force, and officials from the state's Division of Professional Licensure, Cartledge said.

The business is also facing fines of over $10,000 due to its alleged use of unlicensed employees and failing provide workers compensation insurance, he said.

"The Northampton Police Department remains committed to identifying and preventing human trafficking in any form," said Cartledge in a statement. "We will continue our strategy of aggressively targeting these businesses, holding owners and customers accountable, and providing resources to women who are being trafficked," he said. 

Employees of the business are being assisted by the Northampton Police Department's Civilian Advocate from the Amherst Center for Women and Communities, Cartledge said. The Advocate is an in-house "victim advocate," charged with providing assistance to all victims of elder, domestic, dating or sexual abuse.  

President Donald Trump on Thursday declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency and directed federal agencies to use all resources available to help combat the growing number of opioid-related deaths in the country.

President Donald Trump on Thursday declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency and directed federal agencies to use all resources available to help combat the growing number of opioid-related deaths across the country. 

The president signed a memorandum directing acting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Eric Hargan to officially declare opioid abuse a public health emergency -- a move which he said marks a "critical step" in the fight to crack down on rising rates of drug addiction. 

Several members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation and others, however, voiced concerns that the declaration, which included no new federal funding, would have little effect on the opioid crisis.

Trump, who discussed the opioid addiction epidemic during an afternoon White House event, noted that 175 Americans died each day from drug overdoses in 2016.

Stressing that the federal government cannot allow that to continue, the Republican called on federal agencies to use every appropriate authority to prevent and fight opioid abuse.

Specifically, the public health emergency declaration will allow for expanded access to telemedicine services, including remote prescribing of medicine used for substance abuse and mental health treatment; and the shifting of resources within HIV/AIDS programs to help individuals eligible for them receive substance abuse treatment, officials noted. 

It will also speed up HHS' ability to make temporary appointments of specialists needed to respond to the opioid epidemic and allow the Department of Labor to issue dislocated worker grants to Americans who have been displaced from the workforce due to the opioid crisis, according to the White House.

Trump further pledged to take steps beyond the public health emergency declaration and to implement additional recommendations from his President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, which he said is expected to release its final report next week. 

Those actions, he offered, will include addressing a "restrictive 1970s rule" that prevents states from providing care at certain treatment facilities, promoting safe opioid prescribing practices, enhanced inspection of U.S. postal service packages coming into the country, a new drug prevention campaign and strictly enforcing the country's immigration laws.

Despite these efforts, Trump acknowledged that the country will still likely face a long fight in its efforts to end the opioid addiction crisis.

"Our current addiction crisis, especially the epidemic of opioid deaths, will get worse before it gets better, but get better it will," he said. "It will take many years, and even decades to address this scourge in our society, but we must start in earnest now to combat (this) national health emergency."

Massachusetts Reponse

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, however, argued that the president's declaration and pledge to take other action to combat opioid abuse "is nothing more than a dog-and-pony show in an attempt to demonstrate the Trump administration is not ignoring this crisis."

"Instead of a commitment to emergency funding for our states and communities, President Trump offered empty words and half measures," he said in a statement. "We need continued and reliable long-term investments in prevention, treatment and monitoring to address this scourge ... we need recovery services, not President Trump's lip service."

Markey urged Republicans in Congress to support Senate Democrats' proposal to invest $45 billion in efforts to fight the opioid epidemic. 

US Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey seek $45 billion to combat opioid epidemic

Congressman Joe Kennedy III, D-Brookline, agreed, contending that "to adequately address this crisis, we need to invest in proven treatment options, expand access to Medicaid (and) sharpen mental health parity laws."

Further, he argued, "President Trump and the GOP Congress must abandon their attempts to systematically dismantle our health care system."

Contending that "of course the opioid epidemic is a public health emergency," U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, said it's time for Trump "to actually act."

"We cannot declare a public health emergency without actually allocating resources to help combat it," he said in a statement. 

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, said while Trump took a step in the right direction by declaring the opioid crisis a national public health emergency, "the administration must do more to back up its commitments with action."

"States and communities need a significant increase in federal funding for existing opioid addiction programs - and today's announcement from the president does not deliver those funds," she said in a statement. "If the president is serious about working with Congress to secure increased funding, he needs to get to work immediately and appoint a Health and Human Services Secretary who can follow through on these promises."

Henry L. Dorkin, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said his organization appreciates the administration's effort "to bring to bear the strength of the federal government," but believes the opioid crisis requires "the allocation of adequate federal resources to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people impacted by opioid use disorder."

Republican Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a member of the president's opioid commission, meanwihle, lauded Trump's focus on the issue, calling his decision to declare the issue a public health emergency a "strong step in the right direction," spokeswoman Lizzy Guyton said. 

"As a member of the president's bipartisan opioid commission, the governor looks forward to the final report and urges the White House and Congress to fully fund and implement the recommended prevention, treatment and recovery proposals," she added.

Arlington, Massachusetts Police Chief Frederick Ryan, who attended the White House event with other leaders from the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative, also praised the president's move. 

"It is fitting that we stood to witness a major announcement from the president, as it was municipal law enforcement that declared two and a half years ago that the opioid epidemic was a public health crisis and disease that required a comprehensive national response, as well as treatment not jail," he said in a statement. "I am extraordinarily pleased that this epidemic will receive the national attention it so badly needs on all fronts from the federal government."    

Dr. Frank Stirlacci, who had practiced in Agawam and Springfield, has denied 68 counts of uttering false prescriptions and submitting false health care claims.

SPRINGFIELD -- Defense lawyer Daniel M. Kelly told a judge Thursday that Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni's office is sincerely trying to address the opioid crisis.

But Dr. Frank Stirlacci did not do anything illegal and prescription-related charges against him should be dropped for insufficient probable cause, Kelly said.

Stirlacci, 55, of Ludlow, allegedly had his assistant issue opioid prescriptions while he was in jail in Kentucky on a child support matter, then billed insurers for office visits that never happened.

On Feb. 9, 2016, Stirlacci surrendered his medical license by signing a voluntary agreement not to practice. He had offices in both Agawam and Springfield.

Roy Anderson, lawyer for Jessica Miller, 36, of Springfield, told a judge Miller was office manager and receptionist for Stirlacci and was acting on his orders. He said Stirlacci should not be prosecuted, but even if the judge doesn't dismiss charges against Stirlacci charges against Miller should be dismissed.

Stirlacci and Miller each face a total of 68 counts for uttering false prescriptions and submitting false health care claims. They have pleaded not guilty.

The investigation centered around the time period of April to May 2015 while Stirlacci was jailed in Kentucky on failure to pay child support, Gulluni said when Stirlacci was indicted earlier this year.

The DA alleged that narcotics were routinely prescribed from Stirlacci's office through Miller on pre-signed prescription pads to patients who were not seen by Stirlacci.

While the indictments center on a four-day period when 26 prescriptions and 2,030 pills were issued, the investigation found that, while Stirlacci was imprisoned, a total 116 opiate prescriptions were issued, accounting for 15,059 pills, Gulluni has said.

Stirlacci and Miller were indicted after a lengthy investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to Gulluni's office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts and the FBI.

"Illicit issuing of opioid medications is a driving force behind the addiction epidemic," Gulluni said at the time. "In battling the scourge of addiction, we will continue to aggressively go after those who wish to profit from it."

Judge Mark D. Mason heard arguments Thursday from Anderson, Kelly and Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bourbeau on the defense lawyers' motions to dismiss the charges. Mason took the motions under advisement.

Boudreau said thousands of pages of transcripts of telephone calls made by Stirlacci to Miller while the former was in jail are available for the judge to review.

"Where is the illegality? Where is the criminal intent? ... It simply does not exist," Kelly said. He said Stirlacci was "running his office in absentia."

Kelly said he does not suggest there is an "ill will" on the part of the prosecution. He said Gulluni's administration has repeatedly stated there is a serious opioid crisis.

There is no evidence Stirlacci prescribed opioids to anyone who tested positive for heroin, Kelly said.

"These were just regular patients who needed their prescriptions," he said. Stirlacci was using a backup plan set up in case he couldn't be in the office, Kelly said.

Mason asked Kelly if he knew of any case law nationally to support his contention Stirlacci was acting in keeping with his duty. The judge said he knew of no case law in this state.

"I haven't found it," Kelly said.

Anderson said Miller wrote the prescriptions on pads signed by Stirlacci in accordance with what Stirlacci told her to do in each case.

Bourbeau said the period Stirlacci was unavailable to patients was from April 17 to May 11, 2015. He said recorded conversations between Stirlacci and Miller center around submitting bills for insurance and getting money back to the practice.

"What's lacking is detailed conversations about patients," Bourbeau said.

He said Miller was acting as the willing hand of Stirlacci to do an illegal act. The billing to insurance companies purported to be for office visits with Stirlacci even though he was out of state, Bourbeau said.

The trial date for both defendants is Dec. 7.