When Elizabeth Krause called Maine police to report that her son, Orion, was missing and possibly suicidal, she said he was not on drugs or drinking.

When Elizabeth Krause called Maine police to report that her son, Orion, was missing and possibly suicidal, she said he was not on drugs or drinking.

But after Elizabeth Krause, her parents, and her parents' home healthcare aide were found brutally bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat -- allegedly at the hands of her son -- Orion reportedly told a hospital nurse that he was on heroin.

Elizabeth Krause called the Knox Regional Communications Center on Sept. 7, a day before the fatal attack, to ask for some help. Her son, 22-year-old Orion, had been missing for six hours and she feared he might be suicidal, according to a transcript of the call MassLive obtained through a public records request.

She told a dispatcher that she was trying to have faith, but she was concerned because "he has been troubled," the transcript reads.

The dispatcher asked her if Orion Krause had a history of that behavior. Her answer is redacted from the report.

Near the end of the phone call, the dispatcher asked Elizabeth Krause if Orion had any weapons on him.

She said, "Oh, absolutely not," and called her son a mild soul.

"There's no drugs involved," she said. "There's no drinking involved. Ah,.. he's just a very tender heart who's troubled and I'm reaching out to help him."

Elizabeth Krause, 60, was found dead on Sept. 8 at her parents' Groton home. Her deceased body was found inside near the bodies 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, face down in a flower bed outside the Common Street home.

Authorities have said Orion Krause used a baseball bat to kill the four. Police discovered the bodies after Krause appeared at a neighbor's home naked, covered in mud and blood, and confessing to the killings. He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder.

After the four were found dead, Krause was taken to Nashoba Valley Medical Center for treatment.

There, he told a nurse that he was taking heroin.

Last week, Krause's attorney, Edward Wayland, said that Krause was found competent to stand trial after a 40-day evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital. But Krause will remain held there because Wayland thinks it is the best place for his client in terms of care and medication.

During the 911 call, Elizabeth Krause said she was scared and thought her son could be heading to Massachusetts, Ohio or Chicago. She told the dispatcher that Orion left their Rockport, Maine, house wearing a dirty Viking Lumber T-shirt and gray corduroy pants.

She told the dispatcher that Orion was changing his mind a lot in the last two or three days.

"We told him that the world wants him alive, and he did promise me that he wouldn't do it, and so I am trying to have faith, but I, I am... you can't not worry," she said. 

Pittsfield City Council candidate Craig Gaetani is asking for $50 million in a defamation suit against the Berkshire Eagle.

Pittsfield City Council candidate Craig Gaetani is asking for $50 million in a defamation suit against the Berkshire Eagle, its ownership and one of its reporters, over a story in which members of the public alleged that Gaetani had alcohol in his breath after a candidate forum.

In the lawsuit, Gaetani accuses the Eagle of "character assassination," and says he is suing the newspaper, its co-owner Fredric Rutenberg and Eagle reporter Amanda Drane for $50 million.

"This article will probably cause me to lose the election," Gaetani said in the handwritten complaint. "The article lacks any facts and is a vicious attack against me."

The dispute stems from a story written about a recent candidate forum, in which Drane described an encounter between Gaetani and two members of the public after he participated in the event.

"Out in the parking lot, a man tried to convince Gaetani not to drive home, saying that he smelled alcohol on his breath. Gaetani said the man didn't know what he was talking about and drove away, prompting the man to report the incident to police," Drane wrote. "A desk officer confirmed receiving the call, but said they'd been unable to locate Gaetani and likely would not have another chance to follow up."

The next day, during public comments as a city council meeting, Gaetani used his time at the microphone to warn Drane that he planned to unleash "the many attorneys that [he employs] around the world" on her and the newspaper.

"You're in trouble," he said to Drane, according to the Eagle.

Gaetani is listed as filing his suit without an attorney, though he said in an interview he has lawyers reviewing the case.

"The lawsuit is frivolous and without merit," Berkshire Eagle executive editor Kevin Moran wrote in an email. "We stand by our reporting."

In an interview, First Amendment attorney Peter Caruso Sr., who is not representing anyone in the case, said that media organizations can put themselves at risk reporting unverified allegations.

But he was skeptical of Gaetani's chances in court, noting that he is a public figure due to his candidacy -- a status that raises the burden of a plaintiff in a defamation case.

"The plaintiff needs to prove that the reporter knew it was false, or had reason to believe it was false," Caruso said. "I believe that Craig has an uphill battle." 

And Caruso said the statement made by the man in the Eagle's article may not fit the definition of defamation, which requires that a statement result in the plaintiff being ridiculed, hated or scorned. The Eagle only reported the claim that Gaetani was driving with alcohol on his breath -- which, Caruso said, is something Americans do frequently without breaking any laws.

"It didn't say he was intoxicated. It didn't say he committed a crime," Caruso said.

Gaetani's account of his conversation is consistent with Drane's reporting, though he includes additional details in his lawsuit: that he told the men his address, told them to call the police and went straight home after the forum. Police told Drane they could not immediately locate Gaetani after the bystanders called about his alleged drinking and driving.

Gaetani, who frequently touts his credentials as a military veteran and an engineer who designed wastewater treatment plants for Pittsfield, has a recent history of criminal convictions involving threats and erratic behavior.

In May, Gaetani was convicted of threatening to shoot a city employee during a phone call during his unsuccessful run for mayor in 2015, the Eagle reported. Gaetani had called the fire department to ask about removing junk vehicles from his property; unsatisfied with the employee's response, he allegedly threatened to fire her once he was elected mayor, burn her house down and come to her office with a gun.

Gaetani received a six month suspended sentence in the case.

In June, he was sentenced to another two and a half year suspended sentence after he was convicted of breaking into a car he had sold to another person and stealing the title. In both cases, Gaetani dismissed the prosecutions as politically motivated and said he would continue to seek office.

"The assistant district attorney should have known that there was no proof that I had committed these crimes, but he proceeded and got lucky," Gaetani wrote in an August letter to the Eagle. "I will also file prosecutorial misconduct charges as a result."

In an interview, Gaetani said he is seeking to have those convictions overturned.

Gaetani -- who says he does not drink due to how it interacts with his medications -- said he was "forced" to file the suit to protect his honor and reputation.

And while he says the suit is not an effort to retaliate against the Eagle for previous coverage, he made clear he has existing grievances against both Rutenberg and the Eagle itself.

Rutenberg, a former judge who retired in 2015 and last year led a group of local investors who purchased the Eagle, had ruled against him in some civil cases, Gaetani said.

"The tables have turned, my friend. Now I'm the plaintiff," Gaetani said.

And he blamed the Eagle for repeatedly reporting on his criminal charges during his 2015 run for mayor.

"They made me look like a piece of dirt," Gaetani said.

Witnesses told police the suspect was driving at approximately 100 mph and passing other vehicles (and nearly hit one head-on) before the crash occurred.

DEERFIELD - A man, test driving a car on Greenfield Road Thursday afternoon, reportedly got it up to 100 mph before he crashed and was charged with drunken driving (third offense), police said.

Police Chief John Paciorek, out on patrol, noticed the crash, which occurred near 642 Greenfield Road,  shortly before 1:50 p.m., according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

Witnesses directed the police chief to the suspect, who was about 100 yards away from the wrecked car.

The suspect denied being injured. Police determined, however, that he was the driver of the car and was out on a test drive when he lost control and crashed.

Witnesses told police the suspect was driving at approximately 100 mph and passing other vehicles (and nearly hitting one head-on) before the crash occurred.

The suspect failed a field sobriety test and was placed under arrest for drunk driving (3^rd offense)and a number of other charges including misleading a police investigation and operation of a motor vehicle with a revoked license.

The Facebook post does not identify the suspect.

Officer Adam Sokoloski, reached at the police  station, however, identified the suspect as Daniel Rodriguez, 38, of Greenfield.

Sokoloski said the motorist that was nearly hit head-on, pulled off the road after that and pointed him out to the police chief.

Rodriguez had taken the car out for a test drive from Greenfield Auto Salvage, Sokoloski said.

People are needed to cultivate marijuana, to harvest and package buds, to help process "cannabis-infused products," to work in the retail shop and help with security.

EASTHAMPTON -- A soon-to-open medical marijuana dispensary and cultivation facility plans to hire dozens of workers and hopes to be doing business by the end of the year.

Hampden Care Facility will host a job fair Nov. 4, and will eventually hire dozens of workers, said Ian Kelly, operations manager, and Dan Cunningham, cultivation director for the facility, located within the Keystone Mill at 122 Pleasant St. 

Most jobs will initially pay $12 to $15 an hour. People are needed to cultivate marijuana, to harvest and package buds, to help process "cannabis-infused products," to work in the retail shop and help with security.

"There will be range of entry-level jobs," said Kelly.

Cunningham, Kelly and Springfield-based attorney Stephen M. Reilly, head of compliance for the group, met with reporters Thursday along with Easthampton Mayor Karen Cadieux.

For the cultivation positions, which pay $15 an hour, they are looking for people with a background in farming or horticulture and a "genuine interest in cannabis" and its medicinal properties.

"You don't have to be a person who partakes," Kelly said. "And you don't need experience growing cannabis. But we are looking for people who have a passion for the plant."

Plants are already growing under lights at the 38,000 square-foot facility after the state authorized the grow operation and the city's building department issued a partial occupancy permit.

Hampden Care Facility gained a special permit from the Easthampton Planning Board in March 2016 and will operate under the city's medical marijuana zoning ordinance.

Cadieux said that Hampden Care first approached her in 2015 and were participants in one of her very first "business roundtables." At the discussions, people who want to open businesses meet with the mayor and city departments to coordinate the development process.

Having all the stakeholders in one room helped Hampden Care understand exactly which permits, licenses, and inspections would be needed, and helped bring efficiency to the process, said Reilly.

"It's not like this everywhere," he said. "Usually you're on your own."

Hampden Care Facility also plans a "rebranding" and will soon emerge with a new, catchy name, the men said. They said the dispensary will offer a "premium experience" with exposed brick and attention to detail. They are working with the locally owned Oxbow Design to create the retail space.

"We wanted to be in a municipality that wanted us," said Reilly. "That building has a lot of character. We're close to I-91. And Easthampton is an up-and-coming place."

Reilly declined to say how much money Hampden Care is investing in the facility, saying it's "a moving target." He also declined to say how much marijuana they would grow every year.

But he said three years of MassWorks grants, procured by the city's planning department, made the local investment possible. The grants directed millions of state dollars to well-lit parking, buried utilities, and attractive landscape design behind three mixed-use mill buildings on Pleasant Street.

"It's very exciting for our community," said Cadieux, who added that the local jobs will be welcome.

In Massachusetts, medical marijuana dispensaries must grow their own cannabis. Hampden Care marijuana grown in Easthampton will also be sold at the company's planned medical dispensary in Springfield, Reilly said.

Asked whether Hampden Care will expand to offer recreational cannabis, Reilly said that depends upon how local and state regulations play out. The Easthampton Planning Board is in the process of crafting new zoning rules, and the state's Cannabis Control Commission is expected to issue its own requirements.

Retail marijuana shops are set to open in Massachusetts by July under a reworked legal marijuana bill passed by the state Legislature. Voters in the state approved medical marijuana in 2012, and recreational marijuana in 2016.

Reilly said Hampden Care will negotiate a host community agreement with Easthampton for any recreational facility, and Cadieux said she supports the full 3 percent local option tax allowed by law when such shops become a reality.

But for now, Hampden Care Facility will operate purely as a medical marijuana facility.

As for the upcoming job fair, Kelly and Cunningham said it will be held at the Zing! Table Tennis Center at the Keystone Mill, and that they plan to offer coffee and doughnuts. They said anyone who has already applied online should stop by, as well.

If you go:

What: Hampden Care Facility Job Fair
When: Sat. Nov. 4, 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Keystone Mill, 122 Pleasant St., at Zing! Table Tennis Center

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern would like to see Western Massachusetts become a tourist destination for beer lovers like Napa Valley in California is for those who love wine. Watch video

HADLEY -- U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern would like to see Western Massachusetts become a tourist destination for beer lovers like Napa Valley in California is for those who love wine.

The Worcester Democrat was at Valley Malt Friday morning, the first of a six-stop craft brewery tour along with officials from area chambers of commerce and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as state Rep. John W. Scibak, a South Hadley Democrat who also represents Hadley.

"Those of us in politics, we need to figure out how to be the wind at their backs," McGovern said of craft beer producers.

For about a half-hour, Christian and Andrea Stanley talked about their malting operation and provided samples. Malt -- starchy grain that is germinated and dried -- is used in craft beers. Valley Malt supplies it to local brewers.

"What can we do to be more wind for you?" McGovern asked the owners.

Andrea Stanley told him that the USDA had been helpful providing loans and grants. She also noted that the congressman supports a bipartisan bill that would benefit craft breweries.

The bill would reduce the federal excise tax to $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels for domestic brewers producing fewer than 2 million barrels annually. It would also reduce the amount domestic brewers pay on 60,001 to 2 million barrels to $16 per barrel, or reduce the federal excise tax to $16 per barrel on the first 6 million barrels for all other brewers and all beer importers.  

Another idea McGovern proposed is having the state put together craft brewery tourist packages.

The congressman said Friday's tour was a way to meet with brewers to find out "how to help craft brewers be more successful. How can we help them expand?" He said many brewers have opened in places hit hard by the economic recession.

McGovern on Friday also planned to visit Berkshire Brewing Co. in South Deerfield, Honest Weight Brewery in Orange, Stone Cow Brewery in Barre, and Wormtown Brewery and Kretschmann Brewery in Worcester.

And for those wondering, the congressman and his entourage were riding a bus, not driving.

The town reportedly paid $20,000 for a cost and benefit analysis to determine if building what came to be Ledges Golf Club would be a good idea.

SOUTH HADLEY -- In 1997, the town paid $20,000 for a cost and benefit analysis to determine if building what came to be the Ledges Golf Club would be a good idea.

But now -- as officials discuss the future of the course, which is facing mounting financial losses and has run a deficit since opening -- those documents are nowhere to be found, according to Town Administrator Michael Sullivan.

Sullivan, hired as town administrator in 20013, said South Hadley officials have searched high and low for that feasibility study, which was produced by Golf Realty Advisors, Inc., of Norwell.

In an interview, Sullivan said the firm has gone out of business.

During a Selectboard meeting Tuesday attended by 125 residents, members unanimously voted to keep the course open at least one more year.

A financial report on the Ledges that Sullivan provided to the board says the course has operated at a deficit each year since it opened in 2001 -- and that annual losses average nearly $600,000, and total about $8.5 million.

Following its public release, The Republican requested documents from the town, including cost and revenue projections, related to justifications made to build a golf course.

During a public forum twenty years ago organized by selectmen, Golf Realty Advisors president Rowland Bates said that for the golf course to go forward, "people in the audience who are not golfers need to be convinced that this is a sound fiscal proposal," The Republican reported on Oct. 3, 1997.

Normand Cloutier, who was the town's administrator from 1981 to 2000, and who remains a staunch advocate for keeping the course in operation, was asked if he might have a copy of the report.

He said the material should be "at town hall," adding, "I am sure there must have been a written report, too."

The former administrator said he recalls Golf Realty Advisor doing a slide presentation.

"They did a PowerPoint presentation. They did a fantastic job at town meeting," Cloutier said in a telephone interview on Thursday.

The newspaper reported that after the Oct. 21, 1997 special town meeting had concluded, state Rep. John Scibak, who at the time was the board's chairman, told Bates: "You've dazzled the town with your presentation."

That town meeting, by a 94 to 46 vote, approved a $5.6 million bond to fund costs associated with a projected $4.55 million municipal golf course off of Alvord Street.

During the meeting, Bates, now an executive vice president at Newton-based Southworth Development, said, "If you can't make a profit from this, as far as we're concerned, walk away from it."

The bill would reduce the number of people who are incarcerated, but it also eliminates some fines and fees and implements new programs.

Neal said he is happy that Berkshire lawmakers are trying to get a proposal for expanding high-speed rail from Boston to Springfield to also look at including the Berkshire region.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said Friday he is happy Berkshire lawmakers are trying to get a proposal for expanding high-speed rail from Boston to Springfield to also look at including the Berkshire region.

"I was glad that the Berkshire contingent said they think the study ought to include rail to Pittsfield as well. That was very encouraging," Neal told reporters after speaking at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event.

Neal has been a supporter of an effort to bring high-speed passenger rail from Boston to Springfield. He submitted testimony in favor of the project to the Legislature's Transportation Committee, which held a hearing this week on a bill that would require a feasibility study of establishing high-speed Boston to Springfield rail.

In his testimony, Neal wrote that a study "is of the utmost importance to show the economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts that high-speed rail access between Springfield and Boston would have across the Commonwealth."

"Being able to better understand and evaluate this potential to maximize the vitality and prosperity of the entire region is an opportunity that should not be overlooked," Neal wrote. "The enhanced mobility and connectivity to the eastern part of the Commonwealth is at stake with this project, and thus too is our collective prosperity."

Neal said Friday that he would like to see the issue discussed as "improved rail" rather than "high-speed" rail, with a focus on fixing the condition of rail lines to allow for higher-speed trains.

"I think east-west rail would be very helpful to the Western Massachusetts economy," Neal said.

During his Chamber of Commerce speech, Neal said the Western Massachusetts economy tends to "generally lag Boston by about one year."

But he said there are signs of optimism, such as the renovation of Springfield's Union Station, the business investment surrounding MGM's new casino in Springfield, and the resumption of north-south rail between Connecticut and Springfield.

Neal said he now wants to see the Connecticut rail line extended north of Springfield.

Nazim Hack, 34, of 10 View St., Holyoke, was charged with trafficking heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

MONSON -- Police, learning that a heroin delivery was set to be made in the parking lot of the Magic Lantern strip club Thursday night, stopped a vehicle there, seized 200 bags of the drug and arrested a Holyoke man.

Police also seized a gram of what is believed to be crack cocaine and $730 in cash, according to a release issued by Monson Police Chief Stephen Kozloski.

A K-9 team from Ware, summoned to the scene, discovered the drugs hidden inside a compartment in the vehicle.

Nazim Hack, 34, of 10 View St., Holyoke, was charged with trafficking heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

The suspect was arrested by Monson police and members of the Eastern Hampden County Drug Task Force

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, continued to criticize President Donald Trump Friday for declaring the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency without also attaching new federal resources to help states and local communities respond to the crisis.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, continued to criticize President Donald Trump Friday for declaring the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency without also attaching new federal resources to help states and local communities respond to the crisis.

The Massachusetts Democrat, who has focused much of his work on efforts to combat the growing rates of opioid abuse, slammed the Trump administration's response to the epidemic, which kills an estimated 91 Americans each day, as "empty words, broken promises and no real action."

Contending that the country needs "continued and reliable long-term investments in prevention, treatment and monitoring to address this scourge," Markey called on the president to support Democrat-backed legislation that would set aside $45 billion for efforts to combat opioid addiction. 

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

The senator also urged the White House to focus on opioid prescribers and promote mandatory education about the risks posed by prescription painkillers, as well as to enforce mental health parity laws and to prioritize better data collection related to opioid addiction.

Markey further criticized Trump's focus on building a wall along the United States' southern border with Mexico, arguing that it won't cut down on the number of illegal drugs flowing into the country and the amount it will cost to construct would be better spent on proven addiction treatment and prevention efforts.

"Instead of a real commitment in the form of emergency funding for our states and communities, President Trump offered half measures and few specifics," he told reporters during a morning event at the Charlestown Recovery House. "And a vision without funding is an hallucination. There was nothing in yesterday's announcement for programs like this one looking for real resources."

Contending that the families impacted by the opioid crisis "deserve so much more than" the Trump administration's response, Markey stressed that he will continue to fight for the resources Massachusetts needs to combat what he cast as a "national emergency."

John Rosenthal, a Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative co-founder, joined Markey for the news conference. 

Although PAARI members attended the White House event, Rosenthal joined Markey in raising concerns about the lack of funding attached to the president's declaration. 

"The president's declaration is a recognition of the epidemic, but without major funding and specific action, nothing will help stop the mounting overdose deaths every day in every community across America," he said in a Thursday statement. 

President Donald Trump orders federal response to opioid crisis, Massachusetts Democrats say effort falls short

Trump signed a memorandum Thursday 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 the president cast as a "critical step" in the fight to crack down on rising rates of drug addiction. 

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.

Although the declaration will not include new funding, officials told reporters the president can ask Congress to appropriate more money for the opioid crisis in an upcoming spending bill, according to reports.

Members of the South Hadley Electric Light Department who were the defendants in the case referred questions to the law firm that represented them, Bacon & Wilson PC, of Springfield.

SOUTH HADLEY -- The municipal electrical utility and former Manager Wayne Doerpholz, who filed a lawsuit claiming he was owed $621,000 in wages and benefits, agreed to settle the case last week without going to trial. The terms have not been disclosed.

Members of the South Hadley Electric Light Department Board of Commissioners contacted by The Republican referred questions to the law firm that represented them, Bacon & Wilson PC, of Springfield. Messages left with the firm were not returned.

Attempts to reach Doerpholz and the law firm representing him, Regnante, Sterio & Osborne LLP, were also unsuccessful.

The sum Doerpholz claimed he was owed prompted an investigation by state Inspector General Glenn Cunha's office.

Doerpholz's lawsuit, filed May 26, 2016, in Hampshire Superior Court, alleged that the SHELD board failed to properly notify him that it was not renewing his contract, which at the time paid him $143,000 annually -- and as a result he was eligible to remain employed an additional year. His employment at SHELD ended May 31, 2016.

The lawsuit also alleged the ex-manager was wrongly denied accrued sick and vacation benefits he had accumulated. Doerpholz claimed he had accrued 3,248 hours of vacation time and 3,593 hours of sick leave over a 35-year career, amounting to a payout of about $470,000, records from the IG investigation show.

Cunha, in a letter dated May 31, 2016, said the investigation determined Doerpholz "exceeded his authority and violated his duties to the board and the ratepayers" in allowing some employees -- including himself -- to bank excess sick and vacation time in violation of the utility's stated policies, and that he was owed a vacation payout of just over $15,000 and nothing for banked sick time.

The named defendants who serve on the SHELD board are Ann Awad, John Hine, Vernon Blodgett, Kurt Schenker and Gregory Dubreuil.

According to the court, the parties agreed to the settlement Oct. 19.

In a separate matter, Doerpholz, former SHELD engineer Andy Orr and the SHELD board were named as defendants in a civil rights and whistleblower lawsuit filed in federal court in Springfield by agency employee Robert Blasko.

Seeking $750,000 in damages, Blasko alleged Orr was abusive to him during working hours, that Doerpholz tolerated that behavior and that the board of commissioners failed to address the problems.

A confidential settlement was also reached in that case earlier this year. The amount paid to Blasko was no disclosed.

The Republican has filed public records requests with the town seeking the amount paid in both settlements, as well as related documents.

UMass is limiting the number of out-of-town guests in the dorms this Halloween weekend.

AMHERST -- With the Halloween weekend here, the University of Massachusetts is altering its guest policy and UMass police will be at "optimum" levels, said spokeswoman Mary Dettloff.

While students will still be allowed to have four guests in their residence halls, only two may be non-UMass students. The policy goes into effect Friday at 4 p.m. and ends at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Hours for student security and police cadets have also been extended, Dettloff said.

The Amherst Police Department will have extra officers on duty, as it does every weekend in September and October, Police Chief Scott P. Livingstone said in an email. He also said there will be four state police officers complementing the shift, which he said is standard for Halloween weekend.

Sgt. Mitchell Kuc said the Hadley Police Department has seen a number of Halloween parties in town in the past and will have an increased presence in those busy neighborhoods.

The Amherst Fire Department will be at its weekend staffing levels and will have a triage unit at Hampshire College for that campus's festivities Friday night, said Chief Tim Nelson.

The campus is hosting its annual celebration beginning with trick or treating in the afternoon, a cappella groups on the library lawn, music at night under the solar canopy, movies, a costume contest and a midnight breakfast.

Elvin Andino, who is homeless, was charged with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny and felony breaking into a depository, Ryan Walsh, a spokesman for the police department, said.

SPRINGFIELD - Police arrested a 36-year-old man on three felony charges early Friday after they found him behind the cash register of a closed convenience store in Indian Orchard.

Officers Sean Clark and Berardino LoChiatto, responding to an alarm at the 363 Main St. store shortly before 2 p.m., found the suspect and arrested him.

Elvin Andino, who is homeless, was charged with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny and felony breaking into a depository, said Ryan Walsh, a spokesman for the police department.

Worcester police arrested a Beechwood Hotel guest Thursday night after he allegedly ran nearly naked throughout the building and threatened to blow up the hotel.

Worcester police arrested a Beechwood Hotel guest Thursday night after he allegedly ran nearly naked throughout the building and threatened to blow up the hotel.

Police responded to the hotel on 363 Plantation St. around 9:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a guest causing a disturbance. Police learned that 31-year-old Vinay Manjunath, of Rutland, threatened hotel employees.

Witnesses told police that Manjunath was smoking marijuana in his room, roaming the hallways nearly naked and banging on random guest's doors.

Hotel employees attempted to de-escalate the situation and told Manjunath that he was no longer welcome at the hotel. However, this caused him to become irate. 

Manjunath trashed his room and threatened to "shoot up or blow up the hotel," police said.

When officers arrived, a Worcester K-9 unit was brought in to conduct a bomb sweep of the hotel rooms Manjunath had been in. No explosives were found.

Police could not locate Manjunath in the hotel, however, he was still calling the hotel's front desk from an outside number.

He was later discovered across the street from the hotel and placed under arrest. Manjunath is charged with making threats that caused an evacuation or disruption, threatening to commit a crime and disorderly conduct.

He will be arraigned in Worcester District Court, police said. 

The awards go to the region's top 30 companies in terms of sales and of sales growth.

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Regional Chamber honored local companies Friday for revenue and revenue growth.

Dean Rohan, a co-founder of Tree House Brewing, gave the keynote speech at the "Super 60" lunch at Chez Josef in Agawam.

Super 60 celebrates the success of the fastest-growing privately owned businesses in the region that continue to make significant contributions to the strength of the regional economy. 

This is Super 60's 28th year.

To be considered, companies must be based in Hampden or Hampshire counties or be a member of the Springfield Regional Chamber, have revenues of at least $1 million in the last fiscal year, be an independent and privately owned company and be in business at least three full years.

Companies are selected based on their percentage of revenue growth over a full three-year period or total revenues for the latest fiscal year, the Chamber said in a press release. 

"The success of this year's winners is a clear indication that our regional economy is strong and reflects the diverse nature of our industries," said Springfield Regional Chamber President Nancy F. Creed. "In just two short years of operation, Tree House Brewing, Inc., has moved straight to the top of the Revenue Growth category in its first year as a Super 60 winner," she said.  "And LavishlyHip, an online retailer that garnered the top honors last year, has returned in the top three this year."

A fourth of the of the Total Revenue winners exceeded $30 million in revenues.

In the Revenue Growth category, Creed said that all winners had growth in excess of 27 percent, and one quarter of the top 30 companies had growth in excess of 100 percent.

Four companies in the Total Revenue category also qualified for the Revenue Growth category, while 15 companies in the Revenue Growth category also qualified for the Total Revenue category.

This year's top honoree in Total Revenue is Southwick-based Whalley Computer, which moves up from number three in 2016. This year's number one in Revenue Growth is Tree House Brewing Inc., which entered for the first time.

The 2017 Super 60 winners are:

TOTAL REVENUE

REVENUE GROWTH

A Yarmouth man is in custody after allegedly setting illegal snare traps to choke and kill deer.

A Yarmouth man is in custody after allegedly setting illegal snare traps to choke and kill deer.

On Tuesday, the Yarmouth Division of Natural Resources received reports of deer choke snare traps -- designed to bait, capture and strangle deer -- being used on town property, Yarmouth Police said in a Facebook post.

"A snare is an inhuman killing device which consists of noose set to snare an animal around the neck," police wrote. "Snares depend entirely on the animal's strength to tighten the noose and strangle it."

Snare traps, along with other traps designed to bind fur bearing mammals, were banned by the state's Wildlife Protection Act, which became law after voters approved it via a ballot question in 1996.

Division of Natural Resources Field Supervisor Bill Bonnett inspected the area and found four snares, police said. Authorities then set up trail cameras in an effort to identify the culprit.

On Thursday, a Natural Resources Officer reviewed the photos and identified Yarmouth resident Nathan Adams, 32, who lives near the woods where the traps were set.

That afternoon, officials from the Division of Natural Resources and a Yarmouth police officer interviewed Adams and placed him under arrested.

Adams is charged with using an illegal snare trap, which carries a sentence of up to a $1,000 fine and six months imprisonment for each trap used.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, will meet with and field questions from Berkshire County constituents Sunday, as he holds a town hall-style meeting in Pittsfield.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, will discuss his work in Washington and field questions from Berkshire County constituents this weekend, as he holds a town hall-style meeting in Pittsfield Sunday.

The senator, who has recently held similar events across the state, is expected to highlight his efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, as well as touch on other hot-button issues, like health care, tax overhauls and climate change at the evening town hall, his office announced Friday.

He will also discuss other issues important to Berkshire County residents during the question-and-answer portion of the event, which run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Barrington Stage Company.

Doors for the town hall, which is free and open to the public, will open at 5 p.m. 

Markey recently met with Western Massachusetts residents during an early August town hall at Forest Park Middle School in Springfield. 

US Sen. Ed Markey tells Springfield residents to 'stand up' and make voices heard against President Donald Trump's policies

The senator spoke out against the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, exit the Paris climate accord and crack down on immigration during the event.

Markey, meanwhile, told Berkshire County residents to remain true to their revolutionary roots and fight for the values they believe in during a January speech in Pittsfield.

FDR's grandson, Ed Markey call for action against efforts to undermine '4 freedoms' at Pittsfield rally

The senator is the latest member of Massachusetts' congressional delegation to hold a town hall-style meeting in Pittsfield. 

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, recently met with Pittsfield-area constituents during their own respective events at Berkshire Community College. 

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. got regulatory approval in September to buy 1,932 stores, three distribution centers and related inventory from Rite Aid Corporation for $4.4 billion in cash.

Walgreens plans to close 600 stores starting in 2018 after it completes its $4.4 billion purchase of about half of the Rite Aid chain.

Michael Polzin, a Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., spokesman, said Friday that the company doesn't yet have a list of stores that will be shut down. But most, he said, will be Rite Aid locations and most will be within a mile of a Walgreens. 

"We will look to retain as many employees as possible," he said.

Walgreens is based in Deerfield, Illinois, and Rite Aid is based in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania.

In September, Walgreens announced that it had regulatory approval to buy 1,932 Rite Aid stores, three distribution centers, including one in Connecticut, and related inventory from Rite Aid Corporation. 

Polzin said the deal will become official in the spring of 2018. The store closings will follow that and will take about 18 months to compete.

Walgreens has 8,175 stores and will have about 9,400 stores after the process is complete.

Rite Aid will be left with about 2,600 stores.

Walgreens said in a news release that it plans to spend approximately $500 million of capital on store conversions and related activities.

In financial results announced this week covering the most recent fiscal year, Walgreens said earnings per share decrease 1 percent from the prior year, to $3.78.

Sales increased 0.7 percent to $118.2 billion.

Two hours after a Boston Globe columnist published a story detailing incidents of sexual harassment on Beacon Hill, House Speaker Robert DeLeo ordered a review of the Massachusetts House's sexual harassment policies.

BOSTON -- Two hours after a Boston Globe columnist published a story detailing incidents of sexual harassment on Beacon Hill, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, ordered a review of the Massachusetts House's sexual harassment policies.

"I am infuriated and deeply disturbed to hear that a dozen women who are professionally associated with the State House have described being sexually harassed while here," DeLeo said in a statement.

He said the House "has a zero tolerance policy for harassment of any form and has, and will continue to, thoroughly investigate any reported incident of harassment and take decisive and appropriate action to discipline offenders and protect victims."

Since accusations of sexual assault and harassment surfaced against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein a few weeks ago, accusations against other prominent figures have begun to surface. Women have begun posting on social media stories of being harassed or assaulted, with the hashtag #metoo.

On Friday afternoon, Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham published a story based on interviews with a dozen women who worked in and around Beacon Hill over the last two decades as staffers, lobbyists and legislators. The women, Abraham wrote, "described a climate of harassment and sexual misconduct, perpetrated by some of the men who hold a disproportionate share of power in the Commonwealth."

Women told Abraham stories about being propositioned to have sex or being touched in sexual ways by powerful men who could advance or impede their careers. Women talked about being harassed and being subjected to crude comments. One woman saw lawmakers looking at pornography on a cell phone during formal House sessions.

None of the women or the perpetrators were named, and women told Abraham they stayed silent because they feared for their careers.

"While I understand and support their desire to remain anonymous, the fact that victims fear the consequences to their careers of reporting the harassment is as upsetting as the harassment itself," DeLeo wrote.

DeLeo ordered the House counsel to undertake a comprehensive review of House policies on sexual harassment and retaliation and recommend any necessary changes to ensure that incidents of sexual harassment are investigated.

House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, issued a statement supporting the review. "Everyone deserves a safe work environment free of sexual harassment, and no one should ever fear they will be subject to retaliation for reporting unacceptable behavior by a colleague, co-worker or supervisor," Jones said.

A statement from the district attorney's office did not include information about how -- or whether -- the two knew each other.

HOLYOKE -- The district attorney on Friday identified a man and woman who died this week in what officials described as a murder-suicide.

Carmen L. Echevarria, 68, was shot and killed in the Veterans Park Apartments building 598 Dwight St. shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the office of Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni.

A fellow resident of the building, Aurelio Rodriguez, 78, apparently turned the gun on himself after killing Echevarria, according to Gulluni's office.

"Hampden District Anthony Gulluni expresses his sympathy to Ms. Echevarria's family during this difficult time," the statement read. 

Echevarria lived in unit 304 at the building. Rodriguez lived in unit 510. 

In response to a question from The Republican, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office said Rodriguez and Echevarria "had been involved in a relationship in the past." 

The shooting remains under investigation by Holyoke and state police.

Veterans Park Apartments is a complex that offers affordable housing for seniors. The building is about a block from City Hall, across the street from Veterans Park.