More than two dozen people were arrested after traveling through a Border Patrol checkpoint set up in New England this past weekend.

More than two dozen people were arrested after traveling through a Border Patrol checkpoint set up in New England this past weekend. 

Officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection set up a checkpoint on Interstate 93 in Woodstock for three days starting last Friday, June 15. 

Of the individuals arrested, the majority of arrests were for drugs, with the federal immigrations agents seizing marijuana, marijuana edibles following searches of the vehicles. 

Five people were detained by law enforcement on an immigration hold. 

The checkpoint was set up a 100 miles from the Canadian border. It was the site of multiple previous immigration checkpoints, including as recently as Memorial Day weekend. 

A checkpoint was setup in New Hampshire last year the same day as the NH Cannabis Freedom Festival. Stops resulted in the arrests of several dozen people - nearly all from New England.

A New Hampshire court ruled this year that the checkpoint was "unconstitutional under both state and federal law." Evidence against more than a dozen defendants arrested on possession charges was ruled inadmissible as it was obtained by Border Patrol agents without a warrant and without any reasonable suspicion that a crime had been committed, a state judge ruled.  

A state trooper was hospitalized Thursday morning after he was exposed to fentanyl during a traffic stop.

After stopping a car on South Street in Barnstable at about 12:30 a.m. the trooper conducted a pat down, said David Procopio, a spokesman for the State Police. 

He felt light-headed and noticed a "powder substance" on his clothing shortly after, Procopio said. 

Arthur Ashley, 37 of New Bedford, was driving the car and appeared to be experiencing an overdose. Both Ashley and the trooper were taken to Cape Cod Hospital. The trooper was released at 2:30 a.m., Procopio said. 

Ashley was also released and taken to the Yarmouth State Police barracks for booking. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday, for charges related to an outstanding warrant that prompted the traffic stop. 

It is not clear if Ashley will also face drug charges. 

According to the department, all DCR facilities that were open in 2017 will be open in 2018.

Dean Pond in Brimfield State Forest will be closed to swimming this year due to water quality issues.

Dean Pond was previously closed after the 2011 tornado due to poor water quality, then reopened in 2013. But according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, poor water quality forced the state to close the pond for swimming again after the 2016 season. It will remain closed this summer. 

Streeter Point Recreation Area in Sturbridge also will not be open for swimming this year. According to DCR, the area "became an undesignated swimming location many years ago under a previous administration."

Brimfield State Forest and Streeter Point Recreation Area still remain open for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and other recreational activities.

According to the department, all DCR facilities that were open in 2017 will be open in 2018.

State police have identified the man who was killed in a fuel tanker crash on Interstate 91 Wednesday afternoon as 47-year-old Jody Crosby of Seymour, Conn.

WHATELY -- State police have identified the man killed in a fuel tanker crash on Interstate 91 Wednesday afternoon as 47-year-old Jody Crosby of Seymour, Conn.

Crosby, the driver and sole occupant of the 2018 Freightliner, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to state police.

The tanker trailer he was hauling contained approximately 9.000 gallons of gasoline.

State police continue to investigate the crash which shut down both side of the interstate for over ten hours. It occurred on the northbound side shortly after noon.

Troopers detoured traffic onto Routes 5 and 10.

State police reopened the southbound side of the interstate at about 10:30 p.m. and the northbound side at about 3:20 a.m. Thursday.

According to the Northwest Incident Management team, a small amount of gasoline leaked from the ventilation system of the tank trailer, but there was no breaching of the tank itself.

Preliminary investigation by Trooper Amy Maclean indicates the driver, for reasons still under investigation, lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off to the right side and roll over.

The area where the crash occurred was down to one lane of travel for construction and had been for several miles.

The fuel had to be off-loaded prior to any removal operations.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by a number of state police units, including: the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, Airwing, Troop B CAT team, and troopers assigned to the Hampshire County District Attorney's office.

State police were assisted by the Whately Fire Department and EMS, the regional hazmat team, firefighters from Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the state Department of Environmental Protection, the state Department of Transportation and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

A 15-year-old Stoughton teen led police on a high-speed chase that exceeded 100 miles per hour early Wednesday morning before crashing into a utility pole in Foxborough, authorities said.

A 15-year-old Stoughton teen led police on a high-speed chase that exceeded 100 miles per hour early Wednesday morning before crashing into a utility pole in Foxborough, authorities said. 

The impact of the crash split the car into two pieces but the suspect survived, according to state police. He was taken into custody and brought to Boston Medical Center for treatment.

Police also recovered a handgun at the scene of the crash, state police said.

A trooper was patrolling Interstate 495 north in Raynham around 2:45 a.m. when a 2007 Honda Accord almost hit his cruiser.

The trooper tried to stop the vehicle, which took off down the highway and exited onto Route 140 in Mansfield. State police said they ended the pursuit after the car entered an industrial park and continued on to Green Street.

But soon after, the suspect crashed the sedan into a utility pole on Cedar Street in Foxborough. According to the Foxborough Fire Department, the crash happened around 3 a.m.

Authorities are not releasing the boy's name due to his age. He is expected to face criminal charges when he is released from the hospital.

One of the organizer's of last August's white-supremacist rally won initial approval from the National Park Service to hold a rally near the White House on Aug. 12.

One of the organizer's of last August's white-supremacist rally won initial approval from the National Park Service to hold a rally near the White House on Aug. 12.

Jason Kessler, who organized "Unite the Right" in Charlottesville requested a National Mall Special Event permit to hold another event on the anniversary of last year's deadly rally, the  reports.

The Park Service approved Kessler's request but has not yet issued a permit. A spokesman told the Post that the agency is still gathering information about the event to be used for the permit.

Kessler also applied for a permit in Charlottesville, but the city denied him. He is suing the city, saying his First Amendment rights are being violated. In an email to the newspaper, Kessler said he expects to win the case, which has not yet been decided, and hold rallies in Charlottesville and Washington on Aug. 12.

He estimated 400 people would attend on his application to the Park Service, the newspaper reports.

Last year, hundreds of white-nationalists marched in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a Confederate statue. The group clashed with counter-protesters in a violent, and ultimately deadly, fight in the streets. James Alex Fields, Jr. drove his car into anti-fascist marchers, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of other protesters.

Kessler told the Washington Post that he picked the nation's capital because he wants to highlight "civil rights abuse by the Charlottesville government" for President Donald Trump and others.

Kessler told the newspaper: "White people are being denied the ability to organize in political organizations the way other groups do, free of harassment, to face the issues important to us."

Even as she was battling cancer, Sgt. Wesinger-Lewis would still spend her time with the horses and troopers at the Massachusetts State Police Mounted Unit, which she led for the last five years.

Maureen Wesinger-Lewis was a great leader, considered a special person by her colleagues, and most importantly, she was a lifelong "horse person."

So even as she was battling cancer, Sgt. Wesinger-Lewis would still spend her time with the horses and troopers at the Massachusetts State Police Mounted Unit, which she led for the last five years. 

"As tough as any Trooper who ever wore the badge, Sergeant Wesinger-Lewis set a heroic example -- throughout her long illness, as she fought fiercely against her disease, she did not let cancer keep her away from the job, and the horses and the Troopers, she loved," State Police wrote in a tribute on Facebook. "During the last few years, she would report to the Mounted Unit headquarters as often as her health allowed, always positive, always upbeat, always ready to work and to lead."

Wesinger-Lewis died Monday night after her long battle with cancer. She was a 31-year veteran of the State Police and leaves her husband, retired State Police Lt. Bill Lewis.

As the leader of the Mounted Unit, Wesinger-Lewis is credited with expanding the unit to 11 full-time troopers who patrolled state parks, beaches and reservations year-round.

"While other departments disbanded mounted units because of budget reasons, the State Police unit thrived under Sergeant Wesinger-Lewis -- the best champion it could have," State Police said.

She was also instrumental in establishing the curriculum and training for the new Worcester Police Mounted Unit.

Wesinger-Lewis' love of horses started long before she became head of the Mounted Unit. She served in the unit earlier in her career before becoming its leader in 2013.

And not only did Wesinger-Lewis love the horses, State Police recalled, but she also cared about the troopers in her unit, remembering milestones like birthdays and anniversaries.

"An accomplished dressage rider, she was a Licensed Horse Trainer as well as a Concord Girl Scouts Troop Leader," her family wrote in her obituary. "She coached for Concord Youth Softball, and loved golfing. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was a place close to her heart, since she enjoyed summer trips there since she was young." 

In addition to leading the Mounted Unit, Wesinger-Lewis was an explosive detection K-9 handler for 17 years at Logan Airport and a part of the Narcotics Inspection Unit.

Wesinger-Lewis was a member of the Massachusetts State Police 68th Recruit Training Troop. She had a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Worcester State University and a master's degree from Anna Maria College. 

"She is dearly, deeply missed," State Police said.

One of the suspects fought with police who were trying to handcuff him and then urinated in the cruiser.

CHICOPEE - Two Springfield residents accused of robbing a man at gunpoint at a popular Burnett Road restaurant were arrested after police allegedly found the gun and stolen scratch tickets in a baby's stroller.

Abdulkadir Mohamed, 18, of 330 Sumner Ave., was charged with armed robbery and Jordan Collins, 23, of 23 Parkwood St., was charged with disorderly conduct, two counts of resisting arrest and an open container violation Wednesday night, said Michael Wilk, police public information officer.

A victim initially reported that he was sitting in his car at the Country Trading Post on Burnett Road at 8:55 p.m., when a man tapped on his window with a handgun, threatened him and robbed him of scratch tickets, Wilk said.

The man, who was with three other people including a woman pushing a baby carriage, then fled toward Chicopee State Park. Police responded and started to search the area while Officer Frank McQuaid talked to the victim, he said.

Officer Ryan Moran eventually found two suspects walking on Burnett Road near Blanan Drive. Assisted by Massachusetts State Police troopers, he approached the two, one of whom was allegedly drinking from an open beer, he said.

"They both began yelling at officers, trying to speak over them, wondering why they were stopped. Officers tried to explain to them that they were investigating an armed robbery, but they continued to yell at officers, claiming this was a racist event," Wilk said.

While the arguments continued, the woman picked up her child from the stroller. One of the State Police troopers allegedly spotted a gun and the stolen lottery tickets in the spot where the child had been sitting and alerted the rest of the officers, he said.

One of the men then started battling with police when they tried to handcuff him and yelled "record this." Once in custody, the man urinated in the state police cruiser, Wilk said.

Shortly afterward Chicopee Officer Chris Galindo apprehended Mohamed from a different area and placed him under arrest, he said.

Police later viewed a video recording of the armed robbery and matched a pair of yellow socks found in the baby carriage with ones worn by the suspect, Wilk said.

The firearm was examined and found to be a BB gun, he said.

The woman will also be summoned to court on charges, which were not immediately released. Police notified the state Department of Children and Families about the child, Wilk said.

MGM Springfield announced Thursday that it has chosen Regal Cinemas to operate the move theater inside the company's $960 million casino project.

SPRINGFIELD -- MGM Springfield announced Thursday that it has chosen Regal Cinemas to operate the movie theater complex that is part of the company's $960 million resort casino project.

MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis announced the selection of Regal during the regular meeting of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in Boston.

Gaming Commission Chairman Steven Crosby congratulated MGM upon announcing the selection. 

Mathis said MGM Springfield is excited to partner with Regal for its seven-screen theater, as part of its entertainment offerings in Springfield. Regal currently operates nine other theaters across Massachusetts, according top the company's website. 

There will be about 650 theater seats, designed for plush, full-recline seating, and a concession area that will offer premium food and alcohol service, Mathis said.

According to the website of Metropolitan Acoustics, which performed acoustical analyses of the structure, "The Regal MGM Springfield is a new combination casino/cinema complex located in a thriving urban district. Seven movie theaters will occupy the second floor of the building, while retail and a bowling alley will be located below."

The alcohol service is subject to state Gaming Commission approval, being considered at Thursday's commission meeting.

Regal Cinemas is the latest name to be added to MGM's list of partners, which now includes retailers Hannoush Jewelers, Kringle Candle and Indian Motorcycle.

The casino's grand opening is set for Aug. 24.

The 5-4 ruling Thursday is a win for states, who said they were losing out on billions of dollars annually under two decades-old Supreme Court decisions that impacted online sales tax collection.

The Supreme Court says states can force online shoppers to pay sales tax.

The 5-4 ruling Thursday is a win for states, who said they were losing out on billions of dollars annually under two decades-old Supreme Court decisions that impacted online sales tax collection.

The high court ruled Thursday to overturn those decisions. They had resulted in some companies not collecting sales tax on every online purchase. The cases the court overturned said that if a business was shipping a product to a state where it didn't have a physical presence such as a warehouse or office, the business didn't have to collect the state's sales tax. Customers were generally supposed to pay the tax to the state themselves if they don't get charged it, but the vast majority didn't.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the previous decisions were flawed.

"Each year the physical presence rule becomes further removed from economic reality and results in significant revenue losses to the States. These critiques underscore that the physical presence rule, both as first formulated and as applied today, is an incorrect interpretation of the Commerce Clause," he wrote.

In addition to being a win for states, the ruling is also a win for large retailers, who argued the physical presence rule was unfair. Retailers including Apple, Macy's, Target and Walmart, which have brick-and-mortar stores nationwide, generally collect sales tax from their customers who buy online. That's because they typically have a physical store in whatever state the purchase is being shipped to. Amazon.com, with its network of warehouses, also collects sales tax in every state that charges it, though third party sellers who use the site to sell goods don't have to.

But sellers that only have a physical presence in a single state or a few states could avoid charging customers sales tax when they're shipping to addresses outside those states. Online sellers that don't charge sales tax on goods shipped to every state range from jewelry website Blue Nile to pet products site Chewy.com to clothing retailer L.L. Bean. Sellers who use eBay and Etsy, which provide platforms for smaller sellers, also aren't required to collect sales tax nationwide.

The case the court ruled in has to do with a law passed by South Dakota in 2016. South Dakota's governor has said his state loses out on an estimated $50 million a year in sales tax that doesn't get collected by out-of-state sellers. Lawmakers in the state, which has no income tax, passed a law designed to directly challenge the Supreme Court's 1992 decision. The law required out-of-state sellers who do more than $100,000 of business in the state or more than 200 transactions annually with state residents to collect sales tax and turn it over to the state.

South Dakota wanted out-of-state retailers to begin collecting the tax and sued several of them: Overstock.com, electronics retailer Newegg and home goods company Wayfair. The state conceded in court, however, that it could only win by persuading the Supreme Court to do away with its physical presence rule.

The Trump administration had urged the justices to side with South Dakota.

The case is South Dakota v. Wayfair, 17-494.

Prosecutors say each could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted

SPRINGFIELD - Three Holyoke men with suspected ties to the La Familia street gang were arrested Wednesday and charged the distribution of crack cocaine and heroin.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts, Pedro Colon Amadeo, 35, and Jean Carlos Rivera, 29, were each charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. The third man, Anthony Rivera, 35, was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

The three were arrested after a federal grand jury indicted them on the charges, which stem from activity in Holyoke over a three month period from November through January.

That activity was uncovered as part of a seven-month investigation by federal officials into cocaine and heroin trafficking in Holyoke by La Familia gang members, officials said.

If convicted each could face sentences of at least 20 years in federal prison and fines of $1 million or more.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, condemned the Trump administration Thursday for refusing to utilize a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program to help the Puerto Rican families who remain in mainland hotels nine months after Hurricane Maria made landfall.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, condemned the Trump administration Thursday for refusing to utilize a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program to help Puerto Rican families who remain in mainland hotels nine months after Hurricane Maria made landfall. 

The senators renewed their call for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to utilize HUD's Disaster Housing Assistance Program to provide long-term shelter supports to evacuees, contending that officials' arguments against taking such an action are "misleading," "unpersuasive" and inaccurate. 

The Massachusetts Democrats further criticized the administration for suggesting that DHAP, which provides subsidies to help families pay rent, put down security deposits or pay utilities, is ineffective or costly.

Noting that hundreds of hurricane survivors could become homeless if the administration fails to act by June 30 -- the expiration for FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program -- Warren and Markey stressed that the "federal government has a responsibility to make sure that these evacuees have access to the most effective housing options available."

The senators asked FEMA Administrator Brock Long to immediately enter into an agreement with HUD to establish the Disaster Housing Assistance Program for those displaced by Hurricane Maria, contending that previous assurances the agency was doing all it could to provide stable housing to evacuees were "empty and misleading."

They took specific issue with claims Brock allegedly made in recent phone calls with Warren suggesting that: DHAP is unnecessary because eligible evacuees receive equivalent services through FEMA's Individuals and Households Program; more than half of the evacuees still living in Massachusetts are ineligible for any disaster relief due to criteria set by Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello; and that DHAP is ineffective.

"None of these contentions are accurate," the Democrats wrote in a letter to Long.

Warren and Markey argued that FEMA's rental assistance program fails to provide the same level of support as DHAP, offering that a George W. Bush-era report examining response to Hurricane Katrina found that HUD should lead efforts to plan for disaster evacuees' short and long-term housing needs. 

They added that the IHP rental assistance program doesn't include support from housing personnel familiar with the area. FEMA's Direct Lease program, meanwhile, is not a viable alternative for hurricane survivors looking to remain in Massachusetts, as it only provides housing in Puerto Rico, the senators argued.

The Democrats also raised concerns that FEMA could be improperly denying assistance to eligible evacuees due to "serious confusion" about eligibility criteria for the agency's programs, including potentially DHAP. 

"We are concerned that FEMA is systematically denying claims of people who are eligible for assistance without accounting for the unique challenges associated with the land registration system on the island," they wrote. "In order to receive assistance, evacuees must prove that they own homes that are not habitable in the disaster zone. While this is difficult in the aftermath of any disaster, proving ownership in Puerto Rico, where the government estimates that half of the homes are informal, presents particular challenges."

That, the senators argued, is likely a major contributor to the unusually high, nearly 60 percent denial rate for IHP benefit applications -- about double that for Hurricane Harvey in Texas. 

They asked FEMA to conduct another review of the evacuees who have been deemed ineligible for continued assistance.

Warren and Markey further said they find it "especially troubling that FEMA has launched a public relations campaign attacking" DHAP through Twitter and agency documents. 

The senators also sent a letter to HUD Deputy Secretary Pam Patenaude seeking information on the agency's  housing assistance or homelessness prevention programs available to hurricane survivors, who face the prospect of losing their temporary shelter later this month. 

They requested that HUD indicate what programs have waiting lists, as well as to provide information on their eligibility criteria and application processes, among other things, by June 26.

With 145 displaced families still in Massachusetts, the senators' offices said they remain focused on various ways to address housing issues and to support hurricane survivors. 

Massachusetts lawmakers renew call for Trump administration to provide disaster housing aid to Puerto Rico hurricane evacuees

Warren and Markey recently joined the rest of Massachusetts' congressional delegation in signing a letter that again urged FEMA to reconsider its decision to not utilize the Disaster Housing Assistance Program. 

FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Michael Byrne announced in mid-May that the agency would not implement DHAP for the island's recovery efforts, noting that its Individuals and Households Program, which offers financial housing assistance and direct housing assistance, had obligated more than $1.2 billion in assistance, including $593 million in housing assistance for survivors.

Puerto Rico, he added, would receive $19.9 billion in HUD's Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery to help cover home construction and repairs.

Evacuees who relocated in the continental U.S., meanwhile, could utilize FEMA's Immediate Disaster Case Management program in developing their permanent housing and recovery plans, Byrne said at the time.

The delegation's letter came just weeks after the senators offered legislation to require FEMA to activate DHAP within 60 days of any future presidential disaster declarations, and to establish measures to help evacuees who lack formal legal documentation for their homes or who need to gain title to their land.

US Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey offer bill to help hurricane evacuees, other disaster survivors find stable housing

Warren, Markey and other Massachusetts lawmakers, meanwhile, met with about 100 Massachusetts hurricane evacuees who traveled to Capitol Hill earlier this month to push Congress for long-term housing supports.

Hurricane evacuees living in hotels through FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program have until June 30 to find new lodgings. They may also access federal support to return to Puerto Rico, officials announced in May. 

Some hurricane survivors, who relocated to Western Massachusetts after the storm, however, have raised concerns that they will likely become homeless if the federal government fails to step in, as efforts to connect them with long-term, stable housing have largely stalled due to waiting lists and landlords refusing to accept rent vouchers from charitable groups, among other things.

Western Massachusetts hurricane evacuees press lawmakers for action, long-term housing help

A child who was found in the Westfield River Wednesday and later pronounced dead at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield has been identified as 6-year-old Jace Paduano.

RUSSELL - A child who was found in the Westfield River Wednesday and later pronounced dead at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield has been identified as 6-year-old Jace Paduano.

The Hampden District Attorney's office released the name of the Russell boy late Thursday morning.

State police, responding to a report of the missing boy, found him in the Westfield River. Troopers pulled the boy from the water and initiated CPR. He was then taken to Baystate Noble.

The Democrats are vying for former Sen. Stan Rosenberg's empty seat on Beacon Hill.

NORTHAMPTON -- Six Democrats in the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester Senate race agreed that climate change is a serious problem and promised to fight for clean energy if sent to Beacon Hill.

Wednesday's political forum, hosted by Climate Action Now and the Northampton Democratic City Committee, featured discussions on carbon pricing, clean transportation, fossil fuel infrastructure, climate justice, and more.

The Democratic primary is Sept. 4, and with no declared Republican, the winner will  claim the seat held by the former Sen. Stan Rosenberg, who resigned May 3. Rosenberg's husband, Bryon Hefner, faces criminal sexual assault charges. Rosenberg and Hefner also face civil litigation linked to allegations that Rosenberg knew about Hefner's behavior on Beacon Hill. Before stepping down in December, Rosenberg was Massachusetts Senate President.

The candidates are Amherst lawyer David J. Murphy, Northampton City Council President Ryan O'Donnell, Central Hampshire Veterans' Services Director Steven Connor, UMass Amherst graduate assistant David Morin, progressive activist Jo Comerford, and educational administrator Chelsea Kline. Kline, who filed papers before May 1, is the only candidate whose name will appear on the ballot.

Morin was the only candidate to say climate change would not be his top priority. He said he would prioritize economic issues and criminal justice reform instead. He said he would support a "permanent ban on fracking" in Massachusetts, a state that hosts no oil or gas wells.

Murphy said he would treat climate change like a "public health and child health issue," and that he would work to build the state's clean tech economy. He said an ambitious energy bill passed by the Massachusetts Senate "does not go far enough" to meet the state's emission reduction goals. He said he would "partner with the business sector and educational institutions to invest in clean energy."

Comerford said climate change is "central to issues like economic justice and health care" and said the state needs "big, bold, unyielding legislation." She said she would support incentives such as boosting the state's renewable standard, lifting the cap on solar net metering, and instituting carbon pricing, while also "holding energy companies accountable." She applauded the Senate energy bill and called herself a "fierce climate activist."

O'Donnell said Massachusetts "is in a climate emergency," that it's time to "revolutionize New England's energy system," and alleged that Gov. Charlie Baker is not exhibiting leadership.

To back his criticism of Baker, O'Donnell said National Grid on Friday "sent out a statement" warning that Massachusetts is "not going to make half" of its required emissions reduction goals by 2050. In fact, the electric utility on June 15 unveiled an aggressive plan for slashing emissions across New York and New England. The white paper calls for the strategic use of natural gas, a fuel that O'Donnell opposes.

Kline said climate change is a social justice issue that disproportionately affects the poor. She said she would "lift the net metering cap, incentivize solar, support organic farming, and create green jobs." Kline noted that Massachusetts "is on the brink" of deploying large amounts of offshore wind, and said the wind power research center at UMass Amherst could play a leading role in research and development.

Connor said he opposes any new fossil fuel infrastructure, that the state should transform its fleet to electric cars, and that misuse of water resources is an important related issue. He said "it's a crime" that the U.S. lags behind Europe in renewable energy, and said that in Greece, nearly every house has solar panels.

The candidates expressed disappointment that the state's Supreme Judicial Court struck down a November ballot question for a "millionaire's tax" that could have funded billions in public transportation upgrades.

Comerford, who as director of the National Priorities Project analyzed federal budgets, said she would look at corporate taxation and shifting the state's spending priorities. O'Donnell agreed that "the Legislature can not depend upon a ballot question," and called for "closing corporate loopholes." Murphy and Connor said they would support a constitutional amendment to allow for a progressive state income tax. Kline said she would look at other revenues, such as proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade auction.

The candidates discussed the ins and outs of a proposed carbon tax, and whether any such revenue should be split up and returned to the people in equal measure, or retained by the state for a "green infrastructure bank." Comerford and O'Donnell said they would favor a "mixed system" that not only funds green projects, but returns more money to the poor and to rural communities where people drive more.

A question about the relationship between the military and the environment drew impassioned responses. Connor told of veterans affected by Agent Orange and "burn pits" in war zones. Comerford said war intersects with the refugee crisis, which  intersects with climate change. O'Donnell said a "ludicrous" portion of the federal budget goes to the military. Kline said she will work to fight the "massive war machine." Murphy also said that U.S. military spending fuels the refugee crisis.

Each of the candidates said they oppose new fossil fuel infrastructure, and believe the state's Department of Public Utilities should allow more public involvement in its decision-making.

First Lady Melania Trump visited the United States' southern border with Mexico Thursday, as the White House continued to face pushback over its "zero tolerance" approach to families who enter the country illegally.

First Lady Melania Trump visited the United States' southern border with Mexico Thursday, as the White House continued to face pushback over its "zero tolerance" approach to families who enter the country illegally. 

A spokesman for the first lady confirmed that Trump had arrived in Texas to tour a non-profit social services center for children who entered the U.S. illegally and a customs and border patrol processing center. 

Officials said Trump seeks to thank law enforcement and social services providers for their work, lend support and hear more on how the White House can help existing efforts to reunite children separated from their parents at the border under the administration's "zero tolerance" policy. 

President Donald Trump signs executive order ending immigrant family separations

The first lady's visit came just one day after President Donald Trump backed away from his controversial immigration policy by signing an executive order to halt family separations -- an issue she reportedly urged her husband to address. 

The president's action directed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to "the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations, maintain custody of alien families during the pendency of any criminal improper entry or immigration proceedings involving their members."

It does not require families to be held together in instances where there's a concern that keeping the child with a parent would pose a risk to the child's welfare. 

The order also: required the defense secretary to take all legal measures to provide any existing facility for the housing and care of these families to construct such facilities, if needed; directed the attorney general to request changes to the Flores settlement -- a 1997 consent decree that bars the federal government from keeping children in immigration detention for more than 20 days -- so families could be detained together "throughout the pendency" of their criminal proceedings; and asked the AG to prioritize adjudication of cases involving detained families.

The president told reporters that the executive order will "keep the families together" while ensuring that the United States' strong borders. He, however, stressed that his administration will still take a "zero tolerance" approach to immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally. 

Democrats, including several members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation, however, have argued that the president's action does nothing to reunite the 2,000 children already separated from their parents at the southern border and could result in families being detained indefinitely. 

Ahead of the order's signing, the first lady's office told CNN that Melania Trump "hates to see children separated from their families and hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in April that the administration would take a "zero tolerance" approach to illegal immigration, directing all U.S. attorneys who serve in districts along the United States' southern border with Mexico to criminally prosecute all cases of attempted illegal entry or illegal entry that are referred by DHS.

The policy reportedly led DHS to separate thousands of children from their parents, as children are not allowed in adult criminal detention facilities. 

DHS rejected claims that it has a blanket policy to separate families at the border, stating Monday that it separates adults and minors under certain circumstances, including: when it's unable to determine the familial relationship, when it determines a child may be at risk with the parent or legal guardian or when a parent or legal guardian is referred for criminal prosecution.

The agency further noted that it only refers to the Department of Justice "those adults who violate the law by crossing the border illegally and are amenable for prosecution."

A local business and political strategist were in the spotlight on Thursday morning as the East of the River Chamber of Commerce gathered at GreatHorse Country Club for its annual meeting and awards ceremony.

HAMPDEN- A local business and political strategist were in the spotlight on Thursday morning as the East of the River Chamber of Commerce gathered at GreatHorse Country Club for its annual meeting and awards ceremony. 

This year's Business of the year, Rediker Software of Hampden, was commended along with and Citizen of the Year, Anthony L. Cignoli, president of A. L. Cignoli Co.

"Being named Citizen of the Year stunned me," Cignoli said. "I am used to introducing those folks, not being introduced as one."

Hannah Butler, senior human resources manager for Stanley Black & Decker's East Longmeadow plant, was the keynote speaker. 

For more information on the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce, which serves the communities of East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Ludlow and Wilbraham, go to www.erc5.comor call 413-224-2444.

The Town of West Springfield continues to receive grants from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to mitigate traffic and other issues related to MGM Springfield, which is slated to open Aug. 24.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The Town of West Springfield continues to receive grants from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to mitigate traffic and other issues related to MGM Springfield, which is slated to open Aug. 24.

"Surrounding communities can apply for mitigation money for things that are related to the casino and potential impacts from the casino," Mayor William C. Reichelt said this week. "So for us, we already know traffic is an issue, so that's what we've applied for for the past four years."

To date, West Side has received grants totaling $734,500 from the Gaming Commission, including two grants this year alone: a $200,000 transportation planning grant for the downtown area and a $40,000 non-transportation planning grant to study the feasibility of a new police station and the redesign of the Park Street and Park Avenue corridor.

Reichelt praised Town Engineer Jim Czach and Town Planner Allyson Manuel "for getting all the work done for these two grants," which are aimed at improving traffic flow and safety along busy routes in downtown West Springfield.

"I believe we're one of the only communities that's actually gotten money every year in a row," Reichelt said.

Last year, the town received a $150,000 transportation planning grant for the Park Street area, while a 2016 transportation grant for $247,500 was used to "cover overages in the design" of Memorial Avenue, Reichelt said.

In 2015, the town received its first grant from the Gaming Commission -- a $98,500 "mitigation reserve grant" to plan for potential impacts from the nearly billion-dollar casino that will soon open across the Connecticut River in Springfield.

"That was kind of our reserve we used for administration of grants and to help apply for new grants and deal with MGM as stuff was moving forward," the mayor said of the 2015 grant.

Collectively, the state funding is being used to redesign and improve traffic flow and safety in key congested areas of downtown West Springfield.

Projects include redoing the intersection of Elm and Westfield streets near the CVS pharmacy and improvements along the Elm Street corridor to the intersection with Park Street.

"(That) is kind of our downtown area," said Czach, who wrote the 2016 and 2017 grant applications. "One of the things in the downtown area we are going to be focusing on is obviously pedestrian safety and getting across the street as safe as possible."

Other work includes a redesign of the intersection of Park Street, Park Avenue, Elm Street and Union Street, the busy corridor leading to the North End Bridge and Springfield. 

The $40,000 grant will be used to study whether to improve the existing police station at 26 Central St. or build a new one. If the town chooses the latter option, the money could be used to determine where the station would be built and what it would like, according to the mayor. 

"I know we always talk about studies," Reichelt said. "But we've talked with MGM and the Gaming Commission, and there's going to be a ton of construction money available after the casino opens." 

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has approved alcohol service until 4 a.m., at MGM Springfield's casino, but strictly to active gamblers in the casino floor area, under the approved plan. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission granted a liquor license to the MGM Springfield casino on Thursday, including allowing service of alcohol to "active" gamblers until 4 a.m.

The vote was 4-1 in favor, with commission member Eileen O'Brien casting the sole no vote.

O'Brien said she objected to the service of alcohol past 2 a.m., citing concerns about public safety.

Other commission members said they supported the extended hours, based on safeguards included in MGM's plan, and the enforced commitment that it will only be for active gamblers receiving complimentary drinks.

MGM officials said anyone coming to the casino to "party" past 2 a.m., will find out quickly that it will not work. MGM bar service will end no later than other bars in the region, except for the complimentary drinks for gamblers.

As proposed by commission member Bruce Stebbins, the liquor license, including the allowance of alcohol being served past 2 a.m., will be reviewed three months after the opening of MGM Springfield, and amended if needed.

The casino is scheduled to open Aug. 24.

The commission also approved a condition that the executive director of the Gaming Commission can intervene if there are any problems with a separate outdoor service of alcohol during regular service hours.

MGM officials said they had meetings with city officials, some area communities, and some downtown area bars and restaurants to discuss the service of alchol past 2 a.m. restricted to the gaming floor area.

Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and is a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School.

A major new health care company formed by business titans will be based in Boston, with Dr. Atul Gawande as its head.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, JP Morgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon and Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO Warren Buffett announced Wednesday that they had selected Brigham and Women's surgeon Gawande to lead their venture.

"It's just another statement made by another organization that if you want to play big in the 21^st century, especially when it comes to technology, innovation and health care, this is the place to be," Gov. Charlie Baker said.

Buffett, Bezos and Dimon announced in January that they were starting an independent company to look at ways to improve employee satisfaction with health care while reducing costs at their companies. They said then that their focus would be on "technology solutions that will provide U.S. employees and their families with simplified, high-quality and transparent healthcare at a reasonable cost."

Those three companies have a combined 840,000 employees, according to CNN. The high costs of health care has become a burden on businesses throughout the U.S.

On Wednesday, the three announced that Gawande will lead the company in Boston.

Gawande practices general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital and is a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School. He is founding executive director of the health systems innovation center, Ariadne Labs, and is known globally as an expert on health care policy.

Gawande said in a statement that he believes the health care system is "broken," and a better one is possible. "I have devoted my public health career to building scalable solutions for better healthcare delivery that are saving lives, reducing suffering, and eliminating wasteful spending both in the US and across the world," Gawande said. "Now I have the backing of these remarkable organizations to pursue this mission with even greater impact for more than a million people, and in doing so incubate better models of care for all."

Bezos said in a statement, "We said at the outset that the degree of difficulty is high and success is going to require an expert's knowledge, a beginner's mind, and a long-term orientation. Atul embodies all three, and we're starting strong as we move forward in this challenging and worthwhile endeavor."

Massachusetts is already a national center in health care, due to its numerous hospitals, research institutions and medical-related industries. 

"Since these folks are talking about developing a health care company, I can't think of a better place to locate it," Baker said. "Here you have for all intents and purposes probably the best eco-cluster and intellectual capital when it comes to health care you're going to find anywhere in the country."

Massachusetts officials don't believe there are children separated from their families at the US-Mexico border within the Bay State. Watch video

Massachusetts officials don't believe there are children separated from their families at the US-Mexico border currently within the Bay State.

"I can say, standing here today, that we are not aware of any families that are separated on the southern border that are in Massachusetts," Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters on Thursday.

That information would likely come through the state's family resource centers, Baker said.

Baker's counterpart in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said put the number in his state at more than 70, the Wall Street Journal reported.

President Donald Trump's administration instituted a policy of separating children from parents after they are detained due to an illegal border crossing.

Trump administration officials this week gave a variety of reasons for the policy, including the false claim that the policy didn't exist.

The president on Wednesday issued an executive order allowing the children to stay with parents. 

The policy has resulted in 2,300 children getting separated from their parents, according to the Associated Press.

"I've continued to encourage folks to come together and deal with this issue around immigration and especially to deal with the separation of kids and families," Baker said Thursday.

President Donald Trump signs executive order ending immigrant family separations

"And I really think it's important that not only does the federal government come up with a policy for dealing with this on a prospective basis, but they really need to come up with a plan quickly for dealing with all of the kids and the families that have been separated over the course of the past several months," he added.

Baker earlier this week reversed course on sending a Massachusetts National Guard helicopter to the US-Mexico border, pointing to the Trump family-separation policy. A Baker spokeswoman called the policy "inhumane."

Gov. Charlie Baker reverses course on sending National Guard to Mexican border, citing Trump policy of splitting up migrant families