Two thieves made off with the ATM and several thousand dollars inside Jan. 24, 2018.

HADLEY - Police have traced the license plate of the vehicle used in the theft of an ATM from the Hampshire Mall to a closed used auto dealership in Everett, Washington.

"So we are assuming this plate was illegally attached to the vehicle," Officer Jesse Green said in an email.

Two thieves on Jan. 24 made off with the ATM and several thousand dollars inside. The machine was found a day later by a woman walking her dog on Mill Lane. The back of the machine was smashed.

Green said Hadley police are waiting on state police to provide information about  fingerprints on a clipboard left behind by the suspects.

Police said two men were seen entering the Hampshire Mall and then using a handcart to remove the bank machine around 3 p.m. Hampshire Mall security notified police right after it happened.

Green said the men placed the 500-pound machine into a black Audi A6 sedan. Mall security gave police the license plate number. The car has not been found.

The machine is owned by Paramount Management Group, which provides ATM service to malls and shopping centers.

After being fired from Newspapers of New England, Jeffrey Good sent this letter to staff of four newspapers in Western Massachusetts.

After being fired from Newspapers of New England, Jeffrey Good sent the below letter to staff of four newspapers in Western Massachusetts. 

Good joined Newspapers of New England - the parent company of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder, Amherst Bulletin and the Valley Advocate - in 2000. He was promoted to executive editor of the company's Pioneer Valley newspaper group in 2014. 

He was fired this week, a decision he calls "shocking," following discussions of pay disparity among staff. 

Read the full letter below. Read more about the issue here. 

Jeffrey Good's letter to Newspapers of New England staff by mnwillia on Scribd

The 24-year-old Amherst man charged in a shooting in Amherst last month is due back in Eastern Hampshire District Court for a probable cause hearing Thursday to determine whether the case should be bound over to Superior Court.

BELCHERTOWN - The 24-year-old Amherst man charged in a shooting in Amherst last month is due back in Eastern Hampshire District Court for a probable cause hearing Thursday to determine whether the case should be bound over to Superior Court.

Malek Bosmond is charged with assault and battery with a firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm within 50 feet of a building following a Dec. 20 shooting at Mill Valley Estates that sent one man to the hospital with a wound to his leg.

At a hearing last month, Bosmond's lawyer, Alfred Chamberland, questioned whether his client was even at Mill Valley at the time of the attack.

A pretrial hearing has been scheduled Thursday as well for Bosmond's co-defendant, Akieli Brown, also 24, of Amherst. He faces a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (metal pipe).

Both men have pleaded not guilty.

The victim, who was visiting his stepson at the apartment complex, told police he did not know either man. Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Matt Russo told the court last month that both men had visited the apartment before and hung out.

On Dec. 20, he said the two men had gone there to fight the victim's stepson, who was there visiting his girlfriend.

"Mr. Brown and Mr. Bosmond were looking for a fight," he said.

The Milwaukee-based parent company announced shutdowns Wednesday.

WESTFIELD -- The Bon-Ton department store in Westfield was spared in the latest round of shutdowns ordered by the chain as it reorganizes its business under an agreement hashed out with creditors earlier in January.

Bon-Ton on Wednesday released the latest list of 42 stores it will close in addition to the five stores it previously said it would shut down in 2018.

Of the 47 stores Bon-Ton plans to close, the closest one to Massachusetts is in Queensbury, New York, just outside Glens Falls. 

The Westfield location --  actually two separate stores a few doors from each other in the Westfield Shops on Route 20 -- opened in 1998. Bon-Ton has no other Massachusetts or Connecticut stores. The parent company also has stores with the Herberger's, Carson's, Bergner's, Younkers and Elder-Beerman names.

In October, Bloomberg News Service reported Bon-Ton's suppliers were cutting back on shipments to the company and asking to be paid sooner in order to protect themselves from potential losses if the chain is unable to pay.

According to published reports, comparable store sales were down 7 percent in the first three quarters of fiscal 2017.

The company's stock traded over the counter Wednesday for 15 cents a share. The company pulled out of the Nasdaq in November after being threatened with getting delisted because its stock was trading at less than $1 a share.

"As part of the comprehensive turnaround plan we announced in November, we are taking the next steps in our efforts to move forward with a more productive store footprint," said Bill Tracy, president and chief executive officer for The Bon-Ton Stores in a press release. "Including other recently announced store closures, we expect to close a total of 47 stores in early 2018. We remain focused on executing our key initiatives to drive improved performance in an effort to strengthen our capital structure to support the business going forward."

Store closing sales are scheduled to begin Thursday and run for approximately 10 to 12 weeks.

The head of investigations for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said Wednesday they were unaware of a $7.5 million settlement reported by the Wall Street Journal as part of the newspaper's look into alleged sexual misconduct by casino mogul Steve Wynn. Watch video

The head of investigations for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said Wednesday they were unaware of a $7.5 million settlement reported by the Wall Street Journal as part of the newspaper's look into alleged sexual misconduct by casino mogul Steve Wynn.

Karen Wells, the head of the commission's investigations and enforcement bureau, said she spoke with the commission's investigators who in 2013 reviewed whether Wynn met the suitability requirements for the lone eastern Massachusetts casino license.

The lead investigator and the Massachusetts State Police detective confirmed that they allegations and settlement agreement were not disclosed before Friday's Wall Street Journal report, and Wynn's legal counsel corroborated that, Wells said.

The settlement was not disclosed on advice of Wynn Resorts' counsel, and was not part of court action or litigation, according to Wells.

"This was a private agreement and steps were taken to keep it from the public domain," Wells told commissioners at a meeting in Boston as part of an update on investigators' review of Wynn, launched after the Wall Street Journal report.

 "The circumstances around this $7.5 million settlement and the decision not to disclose it to investigators remain a critical element of this review," she added in her remarks.

Members of Gaming Commission said they were disturbed the allegations and asked investigators to move with speed and accuracy in their review.

Gaming Commissioner Cameron said the agency will be watching how the Wynn Resorts board of directors handles the situation while the commission works on its own investigation to verify the allegations.

Wynn won the Massachusetts casino license in 2014 and is building a $2.4 billion gambling facility, called Wynn Boston Harbor, on the Mystic River just outside of Boston.

Will Wynn Boston Harbor drop the Wynn name as casino mogul faces sexual misconduct allegations?

After Jeffrey Good, now former executive editor of Newspapers of New England's Pioneer Valley newspaper group, sent an all-staff letter about his firing, several former editors spoke out about their dealings with him.

After Jeffrey Good, now former executive editor of Newspapers of New England's Pioneer Valley newspaper group, sent an all-staff letter about his firing, several former editors spoke out about their dealings with him. 

In a letter sent to staff on Wednesday, Good said he was fired amid discussions of gender pay disparity in their newsrooms. "Publisher Mike Rifanburg informed me this week that I am being fired," the letter began. "The reason: I advocated for transparency and fair pay for our female colleagues at the Daily Hampshire Gazette and its sister publications." 

Read the letter

Soon after, two former high-ranking editors at the paper disputed Good's role in the discussions. 

"Jeff is not the hero he makes himself out to be," Laurie Loisel, a former managing editor of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, told Poynter. She said that Good demoted her and was "marginalizing women."

Loisel was with the Gazette for nearly three decades before leaving in 2015. "I was one of several he ran out of the paper," she said, adding that she left "under incredible duress." 

Kathleen Mellon, former arts editor for the Gazette, echoed Loisel's comments, telling Poynter that Good had a poor record with women on staff. 

Good joined Newspapers of New England - the parent company of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder, Amherst Bulletin and the Valley Advocate - in 2000. He was promoted to executive editor of the company's Pioneer Valley newspaper group in 2014. 

In an interview with MassLive on Wednesday, Good said pay disparity has been an ongoing issue in the newsrooms after pay raises were requested by several female reporters during their annual reviews during the fall of 2017. He named the three reporters who brought the issue to his attention in the all-staff letter. 

Rifanburg, in a statement shared with MassLive, disagreed with Good's statements, calling them "negative characterizations." 

Rifanburg disputed Good's timeline, saying Newspapers of New England has been "actively engaged at the Gazette and Recorder in reviewing pay" since 2016, prior to Good's involvement. 

He stated, "We started this review, not Mr. Good."

The location, at the corner of Route 20 and Thorndike St., make it a desirable location, town officials said in interviews

PALMER -- The former Speedway gas and convenience store located at 1411 North Main St. in the center of town, which closed last year, is for sale.

The location, at the corner of Route 20 and Thorndike Street, make it a desirable location, town officials said in interviews.

The company has removed the gasoline tanks and is marketing it for commercial use, although the future buyer could also open a gasoline station at the site, Palmer Town Manager Charles Blanchard said.

The 0.59-acre property is commercially zoned, meaning a variety of businesses could locate there, he said.

"It is a nice site, right on the corner, with good visibility," Blanchard said. "We are very interested in helping them in any way to get a viable business there."

The manager said the town's planning department and economic development director has been working with Speedway, based in Enon, Ohio, to provide needed assistance.

Contacted on Wednesday, the firm's property manager said questions about the sale would be referred to the company's public relations department, which did not immediately provide a response.

Hess gasoline and convenience store operated at the 1411 North Main St. location before its parent company was acquired by Speedway.

A Dairy Mart store once operated at the site, and Citgo-branded gas was sold.

Palmer tax records show that the property has an assessed value of $603,000 as of Jan. 31.

Blanchard said the Town Council is very interested in seeing another business locate there.

In a formal address on the House floor, DeLeo focused on health care reform and civics education, but did not mention criminal justice reform.

Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, drew a direct comparison with President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress from the first moments of his formal speech on the House floor on Wednesday.

"I promise this will be a little shorter than the president's remarks last night," DeLeo quipped, referring to Trump's 80-minute State of the Union address.

The Democratic speaker, in an address laying out his priorities for the coming legislative session, stressed the differences between Massachusetts and Washington on topics including health care, bipartisanship and civics education.

As representatives, "We hear the concerns of our constituents directly and we stand up for those in need," DeLeo said. "That may not be flashy, and it's certainly not what we heard about last night in Washington, but it is at the core of what we do."

Most immediately, DeLeo said the House on Wednesday plans to take up a $15 million supplemental budget bill to help school districts that have accepted large numbers of students fleeing hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

Springfield has accepted more Puerto Rican students than any other Massachusetts city. "This extra money is certainly going to go a long way in making sure we're able to provide top quality education," said State Rep. Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield.

The supplemental budget being voted on by the House also will provide $250,000 for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination to hire two new staffers for training and one new investigator. DeLeo said MCAD is seeing an increase in requests for sexual harassment training and also expects to see an increase in sexual harassment complaints, following the renewed national attention on the issue.

The bill also includes more money for public defenders.

One major priority DeLeo stressed is the House's commitment to health care reform.

"I am proud that with all of the challenges coming from Washington, we've kept our eye on the ball: advancing Massachusetts' leadership while remaining true to our values," DeLeo said, focusing specifically on health care reform.

The Senate already passed a comprehensive bill addressing health care costs. The House is expected to take up its own version of the bill this session.

DeLeo said the House bill will address supporting community hospitals and community health centers; shielding patients from rising health care costs and giving them the necessary information to make health care decisions; giving more tools to businesses; and increasing transparency in pharmaceutical spending.

DeLeo reiterated his commitment to include no new broad-based taxes in the fiscal 2019 budget.

Other priorities DeLeo mentioned include providing more money for the life sciences sector; creating a workforce development system for early education; investing in children's mental health; providing more support services in schools; and expanding civics education in schools.

"One cannot look at the roiling national political climate of the last 24 months and not realize that too many are unaware of our basic political tenets and traditions," DeLeo said, in discussing the bill that would require civics education. "In the void, pernicious beliefs and basic untruths can take hold."

Notably, DeLeo did not mention criminal justice reform. Two major criminal justice bills are pending in a committee of House-Senate negotiators, and many lawmakers consider that a top priority this session.

In addition to 6,239 bags of heroin, investigators confiscated more than $10,900 in cash and 80 rounds of ammunition from the apartment that Katherine Carmona-Ortiz shared with her grandmother, a prosecutor said.

SPRINGFIELD - A Springfield woman charged with running a heroin trafficking operation from an apartment across the street from police headquarters is free on $5,000 cash bail.

Katherine Carmona-Ortiz, 24, pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court Friday to six charges, including distributing heroin and trafficking 100 to 200 grams of heroin.

Carmona-Ortiz was arrested at 103 Pearl St. after allegedly selling 10 bags of "Hard Ball" heroin to an undercover Springfield police officer. A search of the defendant's second-floor apartment turned up another 6,239 bags, or approximately 125 grams of heroin, according to the arrest report.

Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski asked for $25,000 bail, citing the quantity of drugs seized and the potential prison sentence the defendant faces if convicted.

In addition to the heroin, investigators found more than $10,900 in cash and 80 rounds of ammunition in the apartment that Carmona-Ortiz shares with her 70-year-old grandmother, the prosecutor said. The apartment is in a four-story brick building across from police headquarters at 130 Pearl St.

Defense lawyer Daniel Bergin requested $5,000 bail, the same amount Carmona-Ortiz posted at police headquarters after her arrest.

Judge John Payne set bail at $5,000, and continued the case for a pretrial hearing Feb. 26.

A second suspect, Matthew Headley, 22, of Springfield, was also arrested on heroin distribution and related charges after allegedly arranging the meeting between Carmona-Ortiz and the undercover officer.

Headley pleaded not guilty to the charges. No information on his bail was available. Investigators believe Headley was buying heroin from Carmona-Ortiz and re-selling it, police spokesman Ryan Walsh said.

Town Clerk Paula Roberts has announced that nomination papers are available for elected municipal offices for the annual election April 9, 2018.

HARDWICK -- Town Clerk Paula Roberts has announced that nomination papers are available for elected municipal offices for the annual election April 9.

Feb. 20 is the deadline to submit signatures.

Elections for the following offices will be on the ballot:

• Board of Selectmen
• Board of Health
• Tax Collector
• Board of Assessors
• Quabbin Regional School Committee
• Paige Agricultural Fund Trustee
• Paige Memorial Library
• Planning Board
• Wheelwright-Gilbertville Sewer Commission

The clerk's office is located in the municipal building, 307 Main St.

The last day to register to vote for the upcoming election is March 20.

The town clerk's office hours are Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6:30 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

State Rep. Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield, is again pushing his campaign to name the Boston Cream Pie cupcake, made by Koffee Kup Bakery in Springfield, the official cupcake of Massachusetts.

The official cupcake campaign is back.

State Rep. Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield, is again pushing his campaign to name the Boston Cream Pie cupcake the official cupcake of Massachusetts.

Puppolo said there has recently been a "strong interest in cupcakes" nationally. The Boston Cream Pie is already the official dessert of the commonwealth, and the official donut is the Boston Cream Pie donut.

"You look at the trend, cupcakes have gone haywire all across the country," Puppolo said. "It's a natural progression that makes sense."

His bill, H.1701, had a hearing before the Joint committee on State Administration Regulatory Oversight on Tuesday.

The Boston Cream Pie cupcakes sold by Koffee Kup Bakery in Springfield have gained public notice as Gov. Charlie Baker's favored product to bet with other governors on sports games.

In advance of Sunday's Super Bowl LII between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, Baker again bet on the Patriots with the Boston Cream Pie cupcakes and several other Massachusetts-produced products in a friendly wager against Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.

Assistant Hampden District Attorney Henry L.. Rigali was the landlord for one of two Springfield properties that allegedly housed prostitution and sex trafficking hubs.

SPRINGFIELD -- A seasoned prosecutor with the Hampden district attorney's office says he was unaware a spa leasing space in a building he owns was an alleged hub of prostitution, money laundering and sex trafficking -- and that he will work to evict the tenant. 

Assistant Hampden District Attorney Henry L. Rigali on Tuesday said he has owned 78 Maple St. as a real estate investment for 25 years, after The Republican reviewed public records associated with the property.

The converted home was one of two sites raided by state police on Jan. 23 and identified by investigators as sex shops that exploited Asian women.

Rigali said he was unaware of any alleged illicit business practices at his property. There is no indication he had any role in the alleged schemes, based on discussions in open court since the defendants' arrests.

"I have zero tolerance for the activities that are alleged here. I am more than happy to cooperate with the state police and attorney general's office," Rigali said Tuesday evening.

"Eviction proceedings will begin immediately or as soon as the law allows," Rigali said of his tenant of about two years, The Day Spa, raided along with another business on Belmont Avenue.

Liu Yang, 61, of Springfield, and Steven C. Forsley, 65, of Bernardston, each pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court on Jan. 24 to five charges including trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution and money laundering.

Assistant Attorney General Amy Karangekis told a judge the "spas" raked in about $100,000 from an all-male clientele over the six months they were under investigation. In addition to massages, they sold sex acts, Karangekis said.

The investigation into the spas began a year after Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni and then-U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz in 2016 announced a state, local and federal task force to crack down on human trafficking.

Rigali has been among Gulluni's top prosecutors since 2015. Rigali was a defense lawyer in private practice before that, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Springfield office prior to that, and an assistant prosecutor under late Hampden District Attorney Matthew "Matty" Ryan for a decade before that.

James Leydon, spokesman for Gulluni's office, said no internal investigation has been launched into Rigali's ownership of the building but declined further comment, citing the pending criminal investigation.

A spokeswoman for state Attorney General Maura Healey's office, which conducted the investigation, declined any comment.

Yang is the owner of both spas, and routinely transported Asian women from Flushing, New York, to Springfield to work in her businesses, Karangekis said.

Rigali does not own the second property, the Health and Relaxation Spa at 803 Belmont Ave. Property records list Rita L. Banks of Ashley Street in Springfield as the owner of that site. Women often slept at that spa and rarely were seen unaccompanied by Yang, according to investigators.

"I'm glad the police caught them. This is totally, totally inappropriate," Rigali said.

Rigali's Maple Street building has other tenants including one man who bills himself as a "world traveler," according to a placard on the exterior.

Asked when he knew anything was amiss at the business, Rigali declined comment.

"I have to respect another agency's investigatory process," he said.

Yang and Forsley have been released on bail and are due back in court for pretrial hearings on Feb. 23.

Garcia Cappas was arrested at the Baystate Medical Center where he was being treated for a gunshot injury.

SPRINGFIELD - A 21-year-old man who was shot during an armed confrontation outside an Edgewood Street home Wednesday afternoon was arrested and charged with assault, according to police.

Police charge that the man, Garcia Cappas of Holyoke, pointed a gun at the Edgewood Street resident during the confrontation, and the resident drew his own gun and fired, according to Ryan Walsh, police spokesman.

Cappas's injuries are not considered life-threatening.

He was arrested at the Baystate Medical Center Emergency Department. He apparently drove himself to Mercy Medical Center and was then transferred to Baystate.

Walsh said police were called to Edgewood Street, off Bay Street in the Bay neighborhood, shortly before 1 p.m for a report of gunfire.

A resident at 85 Edgewood told police that he had shot at two men who were outside his home because one of them pointed a gun at him. The resident's name has not been released to the press.

Police recovered three weapons during their investigation.

Cappas is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a large capacity firearm in the commission of a felony.

The incident remains under investigation by Springfield police and the Hampden District Attorney. The resident has not been charged, Walsh said. 

A preview of the topics of discussion at Thursday's City Council meeting.

NORTHAMPTON - The Northampton City Council will be discussing several pieces of legislation Thursday night, including a resolution that asks the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider changes it recently made to its immigration enforcement policies.

The resolution, which was introduced by Ward 6 Councilor Marianne LaBarge, Ward 3 Councilor James Nash and Councilor at-Large Bill Dwight, asks that the DHS continue to provide temporary protected status (TPS) to individuals who cannot return to their homelands due to safety concerns. 

TPS was created in 1990 and is a program that provides temporary refuge to foreign nationals whose home countries have been greatly affected by natural disasters or war.

However, over the past year, the Trump administration has announced numerous cutbacks to the program. Earlier this month the White House announced changes to U.S. TPS policy that will end protections for some 200,000 Salvadorans, many of which have lived in America for many years.

In January, the Trump administration also ended TPS for Haitians who had come to the U.S. in 2010--leading some 60,000 to be deported.

Changes have also affected people from Sudan and Nicaragua. 

The Northampton resolution criticizes the White House for its escalation of immigration enforcement "through executive orders, funding requests, and policy guidance," and expresses concern how ending TPS might affect social benefit programs in the U.S., including an alleged "$6.9 billion reduction to Social Security and Medicare contributions over a decade." 

It also states its support for "the overwhelmingly positive contributions of TPS holders and their families to the economy, social fabric, diversity and well-being" to the city's community. "Northampton is a Sanctuary City and we maintain a long and proud history as a community that supports, values, and respects immigrants, regardless of their status of documentation," the resolution states. 

Copies of the resolution are to be sent to President Trump, as well as to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Neilsen. 

The Council will also be holding a 2nd reading for a resolution that supports the goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy for the community. 

The resolution asks that the community work towards divesting entirely from fossil fuels while investing in renewable energy. 

It's a goal that's been championed by a number of other Massachusetts communities. Six other municipalities have already signed resolutions supporting the goal--one of which is Amherst, which recently voted in favor of a resolution that supports the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy resources by the year 2050. 

The resolution was initially sponsored by Councilor At-Large Bill Dwight and Ward 7 Councilor Alisa Klein.

It passed unanimously during its first reading on Jan. 18. 

Jeffrey Lovell, 44, of Chicopee, was found not guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Dylan Francisco of Springfield on July 16, 2016. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said Wednesday a judge's verdict finding Jeffrey Lovell not guilty of manslaughter "regrettably" gives 15-year-old Dylan Francisco's family neither answers nor justice.

Hampden Superior Court Judge Constance M. Sweeney on Tuesday found Lovell not guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Francisco, who Lovell believed was a burglar.

Lovell, 44, of Chicopee, shot Francisco as the teen banged on the door of his home -- breaking a pane of glass in the top of the door -- on July 16, 2016.

"My thoughts and sympathy remain with Dylan's family, who will forever struggle with the senseless loss of a child," Gulluni said. "I would like to thank the Chicopee Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to my office and Assistant District Attorney Karen Bell for their professionalism and excellent work with this case."

Francisco, of Springfield, had gone with two other teens to Lovell's home, thinking it was the nearby home of a friend.

Lovell said he thought Francisco was trying to break into his house when he shot the teenager through a door with a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. He said he kept the gun, loaded with one round chambered, in a safe by his bed.

Sweeney did not discuss her verdict from the stand, but some lawyers were willing to comment on the law which governs situations such as the one in Chicopee in July 2016.

Jared Olanoff, a lawyer practicing in Hampden County, said it is clear from this verdict that the judge found that Lovell's use of self-defense or defense of his family was reasonable.

"This tells us four things: (1) that Mr. Lovell actually believed he was in immediate danger of death or serious bodily harm, (2) that a reasonable person in his position would have believed he was in immediate danger, (3) that Mr. Lovell did not have a duty to retreat, and (4) that he was justified in using deadly force," Olanoff said.

"It's very possible that Mr. Lovell was mistaken in his belief that he was in immediate danger when he actually wasn't. But he was still entitled to use self-defense if his mistake was reasonable under the circumstances," Olanoff said.

Joseph Franco, a longtime defense lawyer in Hampden County, said it appears the verdict found Lovell had a reasonable belief he was defending himself and his family.

"Given all the circumstances of this case, it's tragic but there wasn't a crime, there was no illegal conduct," Franco said. He said Lovell was well defended by defense lawyer Frank Flannery.

The Springfield-based bus company is offering $5 promotional fares from Springfield, Hartford, Philadelphia and Providence to Boston.

SPRINGFIELD -- Peter Pan wants to take you from Springfield to Boston on the cheap.

The Springfield-based bus company is offering $5 promotional fares from Springfield, Hartford, Philadelphia and Providence to Boston. It's also offering $5 fares from Baltimore and Silver Spring, Maryland, Washington, Philadelphia and Providence, Rhode Island, to New York City.

The promotions run now through Feb. 15.

By "Boston," Peter Pan means South Station. Peter Pan's Springfield hub is in the Union Station.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Mass Pike toll alone for a passenger car from from Springfield via Interstate 291 to the South Boston exit is $4.40 for EZPass holders. Pay-by-plate travelers pay $8.80 for the same Pike trip. 

In a news release, Peter Picknelly, chairman & CEO of Peter Pan, said the promotions is the latest result of Peter Pan and Greyhound ending their partnership and becoming competitors again. The two bus lines stopped coordinating on ticket sales and routes in September after 19 years in concert.

"What people want in a bus company is really very simple. They want a clean bus, a professional driver and on-time friendly service," Picknelly said. "We really know your market well and I'm proud to tell you that I think we do it better than the other guys."

There are some restrictions, said Danielle Veronesi, Peter Pan marketing director. There are a limited number of $5 seats available each day, so customers should order early to make sure they can save.

The $5 fares are one way, but they are offered in both directions, so a traveler could get round trip for $10. 

On Peter Pan's website, regular tickets from Springfield to Boston appear to sell for $22 to $29 depending on how far in the future the trip is.

The $5 fares --  either to Boston or New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal -- are available only online at peterpanbus.com, Veronesi said.

One reason Peter Pan broke away from Greyhound was so it could start paperless boarding at all stops, so online customers no longer have to print tickets.

Robert Loranger, 68, was sentenced to four to six years in state prison after pleading guilty to motor vehicle homicide in the death of Harry Fernandez. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Robert Loranger, 68, said he remembers going to Taco Bell on Sept. 9, 2016.

But he doesn't remember fatally striking pedestrian Harry Fernandez a short time before his visit to the fast food drive-thru.

Loranger pleaded guilty Wednesday in Hampden Superior Court to motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

As Fernandez's family members sat in the courtroom, Loranger pleaded guilty under a provision of the law that allows a defendant to admit the prosecution has evidence to prove him guilty even though he doesn't remember what happened.

Asked by Judge Daniel A. Ford if it was alcohol that caused him not to remember, Loranger said it was.

Ford sentenced Loranger, of Springfield, to four to six years in state prison.

The judge said even though Loranger's personal story may be sad, the facts of the case are outrageous. Loranger killed someone and "then he goes to get a taco," Ford said.

Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth asked Ford to sentence Loranger to eight to 10 years. Defense lawyer Scott Skolnick asked for a sentence of 2.5 years to the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow with one year to be served and the rest suspended with five years probation.

Loranger also pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death, driving under the influence of liquor (second offense), leaving the scene of a property damage accident and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

Fernandez, 51, of Springfield, was struck and killed crossing Page Boulevard near Stewart Glen Drive at about 10:40 a.m.

Loranger had a blood alcohol content of 0.098, Forsyth said, above the legal limit of 0.08. Loranger also had benzodiazepines and cocaine in his system, Forsyth said.

Among the things he remembers is drinking a fifth of vodka in a hotel room, stopping at about 1 a.m., Loranger said. He was staying in a hotel because his Springfield house was being renovated.

Jasmine Fernandez, daughter of the victim, wrote an impact statement which she asked Forsyth to read aloud in court.

"Unfortunately this individual was able to walk away breathing. I can't say the same for my father," she wrote.

"I want him to feel loneliness because that's probably exactly how my father felt, alone and afraid as the car drove off, leaving his lifeless human body lying on the side of the road."

Loranger, who said he retired at age 65 from working 26 years as director of facilities at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, spent 116 days in jail awaiting trial until he was able to raise $100,000 to post as bail, Skolnick said.

In asking for a jail, rather than state prison, sentence, Skolnick said Loranger is in poor health due to his age and being a long-term alcoholic.

"Alcohol has ruined his life," Skolnick said, saying Loranger's alcohol use has also ruined the lives of his family, friends and strangers.

 

Kenneth Finch Jr., 31, a.k.a. "Junior," appeared in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, nearly two years after his arrest on an illegal gun possession charge.

SPRINGFIELD -- A federal judge sentenced a city man to five years behind bars for selling a loaded pistol to an undercover trooper in a Friendly's parking lot in 2015.

Kenneth Finch Jr., 31, a.k.a. "Junior," appeared in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, nearly two years after his arrest on an illegal gun possession charge. He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Wagner told District Judge Mark Mastroianni that Finch was previously convicted of the same crime in North Carolina and served a short jail term.

Wagner asked for Finch to be sentenced to 71 months in prison, arguing he is a chronic, unapologetic street criminal.

"This is someone who has been out on the streets, selling drugs for years," Wagner told Mastroianni, adding that Finch is a "master manipulator."

Defense attorney Thomas J. O'Connor said Finch has invested in prison programming and has worked toward rehabilitation since his arrest. 

This story will be updated after further reporting.

After three female members of the Daily Hampshire Gazette newsroom were named in an all-staff email sent by a former executive editor, one is disputing his presented account of events.

After three female members of the Daily Hampshire Gazette newsroom were named in an all-staff email sent by a former executive editor, one is disputing his presented account of events.

"The narrative in Jeff's email does not accurately describe what I experienced over the last several months after voicing my concerns about pay disparity," said Sarah Crosby, a photojournalist with the Gazette. "The several closed-door meetings Jeff and I had continued a culture that was secretive, stressful and difficult to move the issue forward in."

Crosby and two other women - reporters Lisa Spear and Emily Cutts - were referenced by name in an all-staff email sent Wednesday. The women were named without their consent or knowledge prior to the message being sent.

In the letter, Jeffrey Good wrote "Publisher Mike Rifanburg informed me this week that I am being fired. The reason: I advocated for transparency and fair pay for our female colleagues at the Daily Hampshire Gazette and its sister publications." 

Good joined Newspapers of New England - the parent company of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder, Amherst Bulletin and the Valley Advocate - in 2000. He was promoted to executive editor of the company's Pioneer Valley newspaper group in 2014. 

In an interview with MassLive on Wednesday, Good said pay disparity has been an ongoing issue in the newsrooms after pay raises were requested by several female reporters during their annual reviews during the fall of 2017. He named the three reporters who brought the issue to his attention in the all-staff letter. 

In conversations, Good said Rifanburg referred to the female staff members as "girls" and "selfish young ladies." 

Good said he has apologized to the three women. "Their role in leading this protest was well-known in the newsroom and my intention was to celebrate their good work. But [Crosby] is right; I should have asked."

Crosby said while unhappy about the distribution of the message, she is happy "pay parity is now being discussed across the newsroom" and "hopeful that the discussion will continue and lead to action."

Rifanburg has disputed Good's timeline, saying Newspapers of New England has been "actively engaged at the Gazette and Recorder in reviewing pay" since 2016, prior to Good's involvement. 

He stated, "We started this review, not Mr. Good."

Related: Former Daily Hampshire Gazette editors dispute executive editor's claims: 'Jeff is not the hero he makes himself out to be'

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