Authorities say two teenagers laughed after hopping out of a vehicle to randomly pummel another teen riding a bicycle, stabbing him in the leg and robbing him of $5.

Here are the most-read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now. The most viewed photo gallery was the Associated Press' coverage of teh 2012 Metropolitan Museum of Art gala in New York, at right.

1) Springfield police probe incident that sent 26-year-old Ludlow resident Robert Walter to Baystate Medical Center with serious injuries [George Graham]

2) Springfield police seeking public's help in identifying suspect in Belmont Avenue knife attack on mother and daughter [Patrick Johnson]

3) Suspects 'laughed' after allegedly attacking, robbing and stabbing Berkshire County cyclist [Conor Berry]

4) Parties, arrests, assaults abound during end-of-school-year celebrations in Amherst [Conor Berry]

5) Gov. Deval Patrick clears schedule to tend to hospitalized daughter Sarah [State House News Service]

The Main Street call center in Springfield will permanently close in December, leaving dozens without jobs.

SPRINGFIELD – About 200 local TD Bank workers will have to find new jobs when the Springfield call center closes in December, part of a consolidation plan that calls for shifting duties performed here to a new Southern facility, according to bank officials.

Bank spokesman Jimmy Hernandez told 22News that bank officials have decided to consolidate their call centers to three locations, in South Carolina, Maine and New Jersey. That means the around-the-clock Springfield call center at 1441 Main St. will be shuttered by the end of this year, he told the TV station. The bank at that location will remain open.

Employees received the bad news during a Tuesday night meeting at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. The employees are eligible to apply for any of the 40 currently vacant positions at TD Bank branches throughout the region. Those unable to find new jobs by December will be offered severance packages. Details were not immediately available.

The call center consolidation plan comes just two weeks after TD Bank — the fourth-largest in Massachusetts in terms of total assets — announced plans to expand into Boston. In late April, CEO Ed Clark said he hopes to add at least 60 new branches throughout the state over the next few years, including 10 in the city of Boston. TD Bank currently has 159 branches in Massachusetts, including 18 in Hampden County.

"You give us 10 new sites, we'll put 10 new stores next to it," Clark told a group of Boston-area business executives in a meeting last month.

Hernandez told 22News that TD's regional bank branches, including the one located at 1441 Main St., will remain open. TD Bank will host employee job fairs at the Springfield call center over the next few months, he said.

Abc40 reports that TD Bank inherited a 467,000-square-foot office in Greenvile, S.C., and the duties performed by Springfield call center employees will be shifted to that facility. It was unclear if local employees were offered opportunities to relocate to the new Southern call center.

TD Bankgroup is a subsidiary of the Canada-based Toronto-Dominion Bank, which has built up more than 1,300 branches across the eastern U.S. since roughly 2005.

Check back with MassLive for more updates on this developing story.

Mayor Sarno previews this year's world's largest pancake breakfast in downtown Springfield this Saturday. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - In his latest "Ask the Mayor" video interview with The Republican city hall reporter Peter Goonan and staff photographer Michael S. Gordon, Mayor Domenic Sarno says that police indicate it's been "much quieter" in areas of the city since implementation of the 1 a.m. curfew on entertainment at bars and other establishments. See 4:40 mark.

Sarno adds that Boston is exploring a similar move. See 4:25 mark.

"Ironically, my friend and colleague in Boston, Mayor Tom Menino, is now pursuing the same tact. He is having public safety issues in Boston, and he has instructed his license commission to look at a 1 a.m. shutdown pertaining to entertainment establishments," Sarno says.

Sarno is also asked by Goonan why it's important for the city to pay a consultant to help it get back all the state and federal reimbursements it's due for last June's tornado and October snowstorm.

"It's important that I make sure that we maximize getting every dime of federal dollars and state dollars, the millions and millions that are due to the residents and business community of the city of Springfield," Sarno says.

"My team goes day to day with FEMA also, but we also have to run this city... so this is a specialist..." he adds.

Watch more Ask Mayor Sarno videos »

Mayor Morse said the new position would mobilize the artistic talents and cultural resources here.

Staff photo by Greg SaulmonHelena Fruscio, state creative economy industry director, addresses Holyoke City Council Ordinance Committee Tuesday.

HOLYOKE – The director of the state’s creative economy office said establishing an arts coordinator is the right step here because the Paper City is on people’s minds.

“People are talking about you guys across the state. The potential is just unbelievable,” said Helena Fruscio, creative economy industry director in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

Fruscio was among the speakers Tuesday as the City Council Ordinance Committee discussed Mayor Alex B. Morse’s proposal for a director of arts, culture and tourism.

Fruscio said a main reason Holyoke is getting noticed is the under-construction, $165 million high performance computing center downtown. Coordinating city arts and culture offerings would be another revitalization step, she said.

Morse said he believed such a position would help the city mobilize the talents and strengths of its creative sectors, and the audience at City Hall was lined with artists to back him up.

“This is something I’m incredibly passionate about for the future of the city of Holyoke,” Morse said.

But members of the council, whose approval is needed to establish a new position, said they had numerous questions.

Questions included whether the city can afford the job’s $40,000-a-year salary and whether the director would work out of the mayor’s office or the Office of Planning and Development.

Ordinance Committee Chairwoman Rebecca Lisi said another meeting will be needed to address questions.

The state appointed Fruscio in September. Her office helps cities and towns knit together various resources and the effect can boost the economy. Ideas include having artists open temporary “pop-up” businesses in store-front locations, she said.

Megan Barber, of Brown Avenue, a violinist and director of Art at Work Holyoke, said artists are problem-solvers and innovators. City government is well suited to install a “big-picture” step like an arts coordinator to organize such cultural pursuits, she said.

“I think it’s exactly what we need for the city at this time,” Barber said.

Lyn Horan, of Southampton Road, said she has been a self-employed artist and teacher for 30 years. Artists help communities because collectors visit to browse and then want to go somewhere to eat a meal or have coffee, she said.



Sylvia Robello, of St. Kolbe Drive, an artist and art teacher, said an arts director could unify the city with things like festivals.

“As you can see, art is important to me and we need to promote it wherever and however we can,” Robello said.

Councilor at Large James M. Leahy said he supported establishing an arts director post but asked if it could pay for itself such as by finding grants.

“I’m excited about this positon,” Leahy said.

Fruscio and others said they believe the post eventually would fund itself with grants and by drawing attention here as the arts community grows.

But, said council President Kevin A. Jourdain, “Seeing is believing for me.”

He needed numerous questions answered before he could vote, he said, such as the position’s responsibilities, whether the arts director would be a new department, would staff be needed and could it be a regional job shared with neighboring communities.

“That’s just for openers, a good amount of the information I would need to make an informed decision,” Jourdain said.

Ayotte is seen as a rising star in Republican circles but her lack of experience makes her an unlikely vice presidential choice for Romney according to political experts.

AP Photo/Jim ColeRepublican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney embraces Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., R-N.H., Monday, April 30, 2012, in Portsmouth, N.H. after she introduced him to speak at the state fishing pier.

Is New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte experienced enough to be Republican presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s pick for vice president?

On NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Ayotte fueled speculation about her consideration as a vice presidential pick when she said, “I have—some would say—better experience than Barack Obama had when he was a senator and ran, having been the chief law enforcement officer of my state.”

But, despite rampant speculation, some of those who know Ayotte best – Republican politicians from New Hampshire - say they doubt Ayotte will be chosen, whether because of her inexperience or her home state.

“She hasn’t been there long enough to do it,” said Doug Scamman, a former New Hampshire House speaker who hosted Romney’s presidential campaign launch at his farm. “I don’t see it happening.”

Scamman added, “Mitt comes from Massachusetts, she comes from New Hampshire. I think that doesn’t do a candidate any justice to pick someone from their own neighborhood.”

Ayotte, who declined to comment for this story, told the Nashua Telegraph, “I just got elected to the Senate by the good people of New Hampshire and that has been and will continue to be my only focus.”

Ayotte, 43, served five years as New Hampshire’s attorney general before being elected to the Senate in 2010. Previously, she worked in the attorney general’s office and served as counsel to former New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson, a Republican. She was appointed attorney general by Benson and reappointed by Democratic Governor John Lynch.

When she ran for Senate, Ayotte had no political experience but a strong reputation as New Hampshire’s top law enforcement officer. She presided over the first death penalty conviction in New Hampshire in nearly 50 years, in which Michael Addison was sentenced to death for killing a police officer. She prosecuted another capital murder case in a murder-for-hire scheme that resulted in a life sentence.

Ayotte won a tough four-way Republican primary before coasting to victory with 60 percent of the vote over Democratic U.S. Representative Paul Hodes to win her Senate seat, in a year when Republicans swept almost every major race in New Hampshire.

Ayotte endorsed Romney early and campaigned with him before the New Hampshire primary. Ayotte campaigned with Romney in New Hampshire again last week and appeared on Meet the Press as a Romney surrogate on Sunday. Politicians and pundits from former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich to MSNBC political editor Chuck Todd have speculated about Ayotte as a potential vice presidential pick.

But while few in New Hampshire doubt Ayotte’s ability, even her supporters say they believe Romney will be wary about picking a running mate who has had limited national exposure. Romney, they say, does not want a repeat of 2008 when Republican presidential nominee John McCain picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a running mate and was dogged with questions about her inexperience and lack of knowledge.

“I think the Republican Party learned a lesson from the Sarah Palin nomination last time about nominating somebody who is perceived as not ready to be president of the United States, whatever other strengths they might bring,” said former New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen. “I do not expect the party is going to nominate somebody with that little experience again.”

Cullen compared the talk about Ayotte to speculation that Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore would choose then-New Hampshire governor and now-Senator Jeanne Shaheen as a running mate in 2000. Shaheen was seen as a potential boost to the ticket, as a female politician, but was not chosen.

Dean Spiliotes, a political science professor at Southern New Hampshire University, said Ayotte has never had the experience of being vetted by the national media. “She’d have the misfortune of following Palin as another young, up-and-coming female politician,” Spiliotes said. Spiliotes said he does not believe comparisons between the two women are accurate. But, he said, “From the Romney campaign’s perspective, the one thing they do not want is a debate over whether or not a young, fairly new politician is qualified to be president.”

In addition, though New Hampshire is a swing state, Spiliotes said there is little geographic advantage for Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, to choose another politician from the Northeast.

That said, some top New Hampshire Republicans welcome the speculation. Merrimack County Sheriff Scott Hilliard, who was a county co-chair for Romney’s presidential campaign and Ayotte’s Senate campaign, said he believes Ayotte would be an excellent choice.

“I think that Kelly is an up and coming star,” Hilliard said. Hilliard said Ayotte has “proven her conservative roots” but also shown that she can also work in a bipartisan way to get things done.

Rich Killion, Romney’s 2008 New Hampshire primary strategist, also called Ayotte a rising star in national politics. “As a senator, she in short order has really made a mark for herself, but also been really responsive and accessible to the community,” Killion said.

Killion said Ayotte has been an outspoken critic of government spending and overregulation, particularly in her opposition to President Obama’s health care overhaul. “As a spokesperson, she’d be a very articulate and very clear and a new voice on the national scene,” Killion said.

Killion said he anticipates that Romney and Beth Myers, Romney’s former gubernatorial chief of staff who is overseeing the vetting process, will determine internally a set of characteristics they are looking for in a vice president and conduct a thorough search and vetting process.

Other names that have been mentioned are Florida Senator Marco Rubio, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Ohio Senator Rob Portman, and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, among others.

Even if Ayotte gets passed over, that doesn’t mean the speculation will disappear. Spiliotes said if Romney wins the general election, “I think (Ayotte) would be high on the list for Attorney General.”

The awards recognize 29 outstanding public college and university graduates, one from each public university in Massachusetts.

Submitted photosTop row, left to right, Hannah Barrett, Alex Chaez and Sarah Ferguson; second row, left to right, Ryan Meersman, Evelyn Stankowski and Camille Theriaque.

A Fulbright scholar doing research on hearing loss and a student who is a personal care attendant for his ailing father are among the 29 college graduates who will be honored Thursday by the state Board of Education during a ceremony at the Statehouse.

Six of the 29 outstanding students to be honored today with “29 Who Shine” awards have ties to the Pioneer Valley, including Hannah D. Barrett, a Fulbright scholar from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Alex Samuel Chaez, a student at Springfield Technical Community College, who is caring for his ailing father.

The awards recognize 29 outstanding public college and university graduates, one from each community college, state university and University of Massachusetts campus in the state for their academic achievement and community service.

“These exceptional students have earned the respect and admiration of the whole commonwealth,” Gov. Deval L. Patrick said in a press release. “I look forward to seeing all the ways they will contribute to a better Massachusetts”

“The collective brainpower of students like the 29 Who Shine is the commonwealth’s greatest asset in the global competition for industry and jobs,” Richard M. Freeland, state commissioner of higher education, said in a prepared statement. “I am thrilled to see this level of achievement by our public college and university graduates.”

Each of the commonwealth’s 29 public college and university campuses chose their own honorees.

The following is about the honorees with Western Massachusetts links and information about their backgrounds:

• Hannah D. Barrett is a Commonwealth Honors College student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who has been awarded a Fulbright postgraduate scholarship to do research related to hearing loss at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. A psychology major, she has a strong interest in stigma and stereotyping.

• Alex Samuel Chaez, a student at Springfield Technical Community College, will be the first person in his family to graduate from college. Chaez decided to attend college in the area to be able to help his parents, both financially and physically. He is a personal care assistant to his father, Samuel, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease. Chaez plans to continue his studies in information technology security with the goal of getting a doctorate.

• Sarah A. Ferguson, of Holyoke, is a biology major with a pre-med concentration at Framingham State University. She is minoring in biochemistry and is a member of the university’s honors program. Ferguson has excelled in the science lab, mastering complex techniques in areas including DNA extraction and purification as well as cloning and analytical biotechnology. Ferguson is listed in Who’s Who Among Colleges and Universities’ spring 2012 edition.

• Ryan R. Meersman is a campus leader and honors student at Westfield State University who has a grade point average of 3.9 in seven out of seven semesters. He is in his third term as the student representative to Westfield State University’s board of trustees. Meersman is also a member of the Student Government Association and a member of the Student Advisory Council to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

• Nineteen-year-old Evelyn P. Stankowski has a 3.96 grade point average at Greenfield Community College. She started her studies there at the age of 17 as a dual-enrolled student from the Franklin County Technical School. Stankowski has served as a peer tutor at Greenfield Community College. She has garnered multiple scholarships for excellence in business, free market economic theory and for representing women in academic. Stankowski will transfer to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to get a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting.

• Camille L. Theriaque, the first female African-American firefighter in the history of the Holyoke Fire Department, served it for 18 years, attaining the rank of lieutenant. She retired four years ago after developing chronic myelogenous leukemia, which caused blood clots to form in her legs and lungs. A student at Holyoke Community College, she has a 3.89 grade point average and plans to attend Mount Holyoke College in the fall.

Beane's vehicle went off the road and struck a tree and then a wall, officials said.

STURBRIDGE — Carl Beane, the Agawam native who served as the public address announcer at Fenway Park, died Wednesday in a car accident in Sturbridge.

Beane, 59, a Holland resident, was pronounced dead at Harrington Hospital in Southbridge a short time after the crash, according to a statement issued by Timothy Connelly of the Worcester County District Attorney's Office.

View full sizePhoto courtesy Worcester Telegram & GazetteAuburn and Sturbridge Police investigate the car crash along Holland Road in Sturbridge with a car which seems to be owned by Carl Beane "The Voice of Fenway Park." The car ran into a stonewall near Hemlock Ridge Golf Club. A tow truck driver determines how to extract the suv from the woods. (T&G staff photo | TOM RETTIG)

Beane was apparently driving on Holland Road when his vehicle went off the road and struck a tree and then a wall in the area of 233 Holland Road.

There was no one else in the vehicle.

Connelly said golfers from the nearby Hemlock Ridge Golf Course apparently heard the crash and called police at about 12:40 P.M.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has accepted the case. The crash remains under investigation by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, The Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council and Sturbridge Police.

More information will be posted as it develops.

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Brown campaign spokesman Colin Reed said the complaint lacks credence and is an attempt to distract the conversation away from the controversy surrounding Warren's ancestry.

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., puts on his jacket as he steps out of his pick-up truck while arriving for a campaign stop at Bunker Hill Community College in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, Wednesday May 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Updates a story posted Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.

BOSTON — Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown's campaign is denying wrongdoing following an ethics complaint filed by the Massachusetts Democratic Party on Wednesday.

The complaint, filed with the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics by state Democratic Party Chair John Walsh, alleges that Brown used a taxpayer-paid Senate staffer to create a video of him sinking a half-court basketball shot which was ultimately used by his re-election campaign, in violation of Senate ethics rules.

Brown's campaign spokesman Colin Reed said the complaint lacks credence and is an attempt to distract the conversation away from the controversy surrounding Brown's chief Democratic rival Elizabeth Warren and her ancestry.

“This complaint has about as much credibility as Elizabeth Warren's claim to be a Native American, and it is a laughable and desperate attempt to distract from Warren's refusal to come clean with voters," Reed said. "Her campaign is flailing and appearing more pitiful by the day.”

The complaint stems from an April 28 video of Brown sinking a half-court basketball shot at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center during an official Senate event. That video, shot by Marcie Kinzel, Brown's Senate communications director, was then uploaded to YouTube and the Brown campaign website and distributed to the press as part of his reelection bid.

The Boston Globe first reported that Kinzel had flown from Washington to Massachusetts on the taxpayer's dime as an official part of his Senate staff, but that she said the video was shot on her personal iPhone and forwarded to the campaign on her personal time during the day.

The newspaper also reported that the final video clip, which has since been viewed more than 55,000 times, was Brown's fifth attempt at sinking the shot.

In the complaint, Walsh wrote that he believes Senate ethics rules which forbid the use of taxpayer-funded resources for political campaigning were violated.

"In this case, Ms. Kinzel acknowledges that she recorded the campaign video while attending an official event with the Senator. She also traveled to and from the event using official funds," Walsh wrote. "Regardless of when she forwarded the video to the campaign, there is no question that she recorded the video of Senator Brown in her official capacity. Neither Senator Brown nor the campaign has ever claimed (nor could it be claimed) that the video was recorded for any governmental purpose."

Although Senate employees are free to engage in political activity, it must be on their own time – and not when they are staffing an official Senate-related event.

“By permitting his official staff to engage in campaign related activity while serving in their official capacity, Senator Brown has failed in his responsibility to ensure that the interests of his campaign do not conflict with or detract from official staff duties and acted in violation of federal law,” Walsh wrote.

Additionally, Politico reported that still pictures included in Brown's first TV ad called "Independent" were from official Senate events and also posted on his Senate website.

When asked about the ethics complaint at a campaign event in Medford on Wednesday afternoon, Warren responded, "If it’s a question about following the rules during a campaign, if there are questions about that, they should be answered."

The full text of the complaint is below.

May 9, 2012

Honorable Barbara Boxer, Chair
Honorable Johnny Isakson, Vice Chair
Senate Select Committee on Ethics
Hart Building, 2nd & C Sts., NE
Room 220
Washington, DC 20510

Re: Complaint Regarding Senator Scott Brown's Use of Official Resources for Campaign Purposes

Dear Chairwoman and Vice Chairman:

This letter constitutes a complaint against Senator Scott Brown pursuant to Rule 2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. As detailed below, Senator Brown has violated the requirement that official resources be used only for official purposes by permitting an official staff member to engage in campaign activity while attending an official event in the staff member's official capacity. See Senate Select Committee on Ethics, Senate Ethics Manual 153 (2003); see also 31 U.S.C. § 1301(a).

On April 28, 2012, Senator Brown's campaign circulated an online video of Senator Brown making a half-court shot at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center during an official event. The video, called "Scott Brown's Amazing Half-Court Short," may be viewed either on Senator Brown's campaign website, available at http://www.scottbrown.com/2012/04/scott-browns-amazing-half-court-shot/, or on the campaign's YouTube channel, available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVIAG7M8e5Q&feature=plcp.

According to news reports, the video was filmed by an official Senate staffer at an event the Senator and Senate staffer were attending in their official capacities. See Glen Johnson, Brown's staff performs balancing act, Boston Globe, May 4, 2012 (attached as Exhibit A). Senate staffer Marcie Kinzel recorded the Senator "as she worked on federal time, staffing the senator at an event he was attending in his governmental capacity. And she was in Massachusetts after flying to and from Washington on a ticket paid for by the government." See id.

Section 1301(a) of title 31 of the United States Code provides that "appropriations shall be applied only to the objects for which the appropriations were made except as otherwise provided by law." Because "official resources may only be used for official purposes," the United States Congress interprets such provision to prohibit Senate employees from engaging in campaign-related activities while on Senate time. See Senate Ethics Manual at 153, 141; see also Common Cause v. Bolger, 574 F. Supp. 672 (D.D.C. 1982), aff'd, 461 U.S. 911 (1983) ("It is clear from the record that Congress has recognized the basic principle that government funds should not be spent to help incumbents gain reelection."). Accordingly, when official Senate staffers are performing official duties for which they receive compensation from the United States government, they may not engage simultaneously in services for the benefit of the Senator's political campaign. See id. at 141. Although Senate employees are free to engage in political activity, it must be on their own time – and not when they are staffing a Senator at an office event. See Senate Ethics Manual at 140.

In this case, Ms. Kinzel acknowledges that she recorded the campaign video while attending an official event with the Senator. She also traveled to and from the event using official funds. Regardless of when she forwarded the video to the campaign, there is no question that she recorded the video of Senator Brown in her official capacity.

The Senator's use of Ms. Kinzel's official staff time for campaign purposes is a clear violation of 31 U.S.C. §1301(a) and Ethics Committee guidance. It is Senator Brown's "responsibility to keep campaign related activities by staff to a 'de minimis' amount, and to observe the general principle that staff are compensated from public funds for their assistance in the Member's official legislative and representative duties, rather than for services to the Member's political campaign." See id. at 141. Although some de minimis overlap between official duties and campaign related activities may be permissible, examples of such de minimis activity are limited to situations where the overlap cannot be avoided, such as coordination between the official and campaign scheduler. See id.

Recording a video of the Senator for campaign purposes is neither de minimis, nor an example of unavoidable overlap between official duties and campaign related activities. Furthermore, the benefit the campaign received from Ms. Kinzel's actions is evident by the immediate posting of the video on the campaign's website and its subsequent frequent use of and reference to it. Neither Senator Brown nor the campaign has ever claimed (nor could it be claimed) that the video was recorded for any governmental purpose.

By permitting his official staff to engage in campaign related activity while serving in their official capacity, Senator Brown has failed in his responsibility to ensure that the interests of his campaign "do not conflict with or detract from official staff duties" and acted in violation of federal law. See id. at 153. We therefore respectfully request that the Committee immediately undertake an investigation of the use of Senator Brown's official Senate staff and Senate resources for campaign purposes and require Senator Brown to comply fully with all applicable laws regarding the use of official resources.

Very truly yours,

John E. Walsh, Chair
Massachusetts Democratic Party

A Hampden County Sheriff's Department deputy who was directing traffic at a road job on College Highway was injured just before noon Wednesday when he was stuck by a passing car.

03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – The Southwick Police Department's patch.

This is an update of a story originally posted at 1:48 p.m.

SOUTHWICK - A Hampden County Sheriff’s Department deputy who was directing traffic at a road job on College Highway was injured just before noon Wednesday when he was stuck by a passing car, police said.

The deputy, whose name was withheld Wednesday afternoon, was taken by the Southwick Fire Department ambulance to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment of undisclosed injuries. Southwick police described his injuries as not life-threatening.

Richard McCarthy, spokesman for Sheriff Michael J. Ashe, said the deputy was
treated at the hospital and released Wednesday afternoon. McCarthy said he did not know if the deputy would miss any time at work as a result of the accident.

According to Southwick police, the deputy was working a road detail on College Highway near Feeding Hills Road.

The Southwick Police accident reconstruction officer, Paul Miles, is handling the investigation into the accident, police said.

Details of how the accident occurred were not disclosed.

Police also said they were withholding the name of the driver of the car until the investigation is completed.


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After president Barack Obama spoke out in support of marriage equality on Wednesday, politicians and people from across Massachusetts offered support or criticism for his position.

President Barack Obama delivers his remarks at the Human Rights Campaign's 15th annual national dinner in Washington Saturday Oct. 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Following President Barack Obama's announcement Wednesday that he is supportive of same-sex marriage, politicians from around Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to legalize marriage equality, offered their reactions.

-Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Deval Partick said that Obama's support for same-sex marriage will uplift people around the country waiting for equal rights.

“President Obama has once again affirmed that we are a country that stands for the basic values of equality and opportunity," Patrick said in a statement. "Since 2004, same-sex couples in Massachusetts have had the security of knowing that their families have the same rights and protections as every other family, including health care benefits and hospital visitation rights. The President's words today give same-sex couples across the country still awaiting those rights a powerful reason to feel hopeful."

- John Walsh, chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, said that Obama's statement will bring the country closer to true equality.

"Like many of us, the President has gone through some soul-searching on this issue and there’s no doubt that hearing from gay and lesbian couples, brave LGBT members of our military, staff members and folks who sent compelling letters about their lives helped shape the President’s view on marriage equality," Walsh said. "From my own experience, I know that the best way to change people’s hearts and minds on issues of equality and fairness is to lift up the voices of those who face discrimination, harassment and hatred."

-U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, an openly gay Massachusetts Democrat, said Obama’s support for gay marriage was a “next logical step” after Obama’s refusal to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

“I believe it will be clear in the days ahead that this will cost him no votes, since those opposed to legal equality for LGBT people were already inclined to oppose him,” Frank said in a statement. “It will make it easier for us to mobilize the people in this country who oppose discrimination to help reelect him.”

-Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren, who has called for full legal equality for LGBT citizens and recently called on Obama to embrace same sex marriage, showed her support via Twitter.

"Proud to stand with our President in support of marriage equality," Warren Tweeted. "Thank you, @BarackObama."

-Marcie Kinzel, a spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Scott Brown's Senate office, said the Republican senator believes the issue of who can get married should be decided by each state.

“Here in Massachusetts, gay marriage has been settled law for nearly a decade, and Senator Brown continues to believe that states should be able to decide this issue," Kinzel said in a statement. "Regardless of how states choose to define marriage, Senator Brown believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect. Right now, Americans of all backgrounds desperately need jobs, and that is what Senator Brown is focused on."

- Massachusetts Senate President Pro Tempore Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, called the step “courageous” for Obama, given that the country is strongly divided on gay marriage. Rosenberg said he thinks the reaction in Massachusetts will be “somewhere between being very pleased and saying ho hum.”

"We've lived with it for a number of years right now and it’s just become part of the fabric of our life, our society here in Massachusetts so it’s kind of taken for granted now,” Rosenberg said.

- State Sen. Gale Candaras, D-Wilbraham, said that Obama did the right thing by speaking out in support of equal rights.

"I think he said exactly what the leader of the free world should say. He sent a message to the rest of the world, especially countries where human rights and dignity aren't respected, and said that we respect the rights of all citizens. Especially when it comes to matters of personal liberty such as who you choose to marry. As long as consenting adults are making decisions together, it isn't the government's business."

-Richard Tisei, a Republican congressional candidate in the 6th district and former Massachusetts state Senate minority leader, who is gay, said he believes Obama’s evolution “is a good thing.

“I think he’s gone through the same process a lot of people here in Massachusetts have gone through over the past five or six years, that is they gradually and individually come to the conclusion that everybody should be treated equally and fairly under the law,” Tisei said.

-Amaad Riveria, Springfield's first openly gay city councilman and the president of Springfield Pride, said he is pleased with the timing of the president's announcement.

"In the wake of North Carolina's ban of gay marriage and civil unions, it made me ecstatic that the president stood up for equality," Riveria said. "Although there is still much work to do, this is really a watershed moment for LGBT equality across the country."

-Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, called Obama “the ultimate flip flop flipper” because of his changing position on gay marriage.

“Mr. President, would you please make up your mind?” Mineau said, calling Obama's new stance “political theater.” If Mr. Obama had a great burden in his heart, why didn’t he come out for gay marriage before North Carolina’s record vote yesterday?”

-State Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, said that he hopes Obama's announcement inspires others to personally explore the issue.

"We have been used to this in Massachusetts since 2006 and probably take it for granted at this point," Kulik said. "But much of the rest of the country has not embraced it. I'm pleased the president arrived at this decision and hope more people go through the journey of understanding and come to the same conclusion."

-State Rep. Sean Curran, D-Springfield, said he wasn't surprised by Obama's announcement on Wednesday, considering Vice President Joe Biden also spoke in support of same sex marriage days prior.

"It is different from his previous position and a politically courageous move," Curran said. "In the 2004 race, it seems that the issue was a major one contributing to George Bush being reelected. So this was a bold move on his part."

-David Jarnes, a retired case worker with the State Department of Mental Health, said that Obama's statement was a long time coming.

"I was surprised and thought like many people that he would wait until after the election," Jarnes said. "I've been a supporter of his but I've been critical that he has been too wishy washy, not taking strong positions on important issues so as not to offend his base. But for this, I give him credit."

A Honda Civic hybrid owner has been awarded $9,867, claiming the company misrepresented the car's gas mileage.

Associated PressIn this Feb. 10, 2010 file photo, Honda Motor Co.'s vehicle is on display in front of the automaker's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.

LOS ANGELES — A judge overturned a nearly $10,000 small claims judgment against American Honda Motor Co. that was won by a car owner who said the automaker misrepresented that her hybrid Civic could get 50 miles per gallon, according to a ruling released Wednesday.

Superior Court Judge Dudley W. Gray II ruled Tuesday on Honda's appeal of a court commissioner's award of $9,867 to Heather Peters.

Peters had opted out of a class-action settlement giving some 200,000 owners between $100 and $200 each, plus a rebate if they buy a new Honda. She elected instead to sue the automaker on her own.

Peters, a lawyer, also urged Honda owners to take the small-claims route as she did, and her initial success led some 1,700 other hybrid owners to follow suit.

The ruling by Gray will not have a direct effect on any of those other cases. However, a legal observer said it could pose a challenge to those pursuing small claims actions.

"I think it will make it harder for them to fight their case on an individual basis," said Aaron Jacoby, a class action lawyer in Los Angeles who is not involved with the Honda case.

The ruling is "not binding on another court, but it certainly is persuasive," he added.

Peters said she was disappointed but glad she brought awareness about Honda.

"They used to go the extra mile in customer service, now they go the extra mile fighting customers in court," she said in a statement on her website, dontsettlewithhonda.org.

Honda said in a statement that it was pleased with the ruling.

"We are never satisfied when a customer is anything less than satisfied with one of our products, and the company does not relish the necessity to defend the truth in opposition to any of our customers," the statement said.

Gray's ruling found, among other issues, that while Peters had standing to bring the case in state court, federal regulations govern fuel economy ratings posted on vehicles and related advertising claims. The ruling also said most owners of that type of car achieve fuel economy close to federal Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

In addition, the judge said EPA miles per gallon ratings are for comparison among vehicles and don't account for various factors such as the condition of the car or the length of the trip, that can affect mileage.

"Despite these many variables, most of the owners of the subject vehicle achieve fuel economy very close to the EPA estimate," Gray wrote.

Peters argued that Honda knew it had problems with the hybrid cars but continued to advertise them as an alternative to high gas prices and a way to help the environment.

But Gray said the automaker's advertising slogans "are not specific promises of anything."

Peters also said her battery failed early on and was never again fully charged after she received a software update, leaving the car to run almost entirely on gasoline.

"The court finds it was designed to prolong the life of the battery, not to increase mileage or performance of the vehicle," Gray responded about the software update.

Peters took her case to small claims court in January, saying her 2006 Civic was expected to get 50 mpg but barely got 30 mpg. She said she wouldn't have bought the car if its mileage was advertised, and her purpose for taking Honda head-on was to hold the automaker accountable for false advertising.

Her suit marked a unique end run around the class-action process that she said offered too little to Honda owners and too much to lawyers. Others counter that consumers are fairly warned when they buy a car that their mileage might vary.

"Most everyone, including customers, generally acknowledge that although the fuel-economy numbers shown on a new-vehicle window sticker should be theoretically achievable, it's unrealistic to think of those figures as always attainable," Edmunds.com senior analyst Bill Visnic said.

A judge has valued the class-action settlement at $170 million. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have placed the value between $87.5 million and $461.3 million, depending largely on how many people accept rebates of up to $1,500.

Honda said it has prevailed in 16 out 17 similar small claims cases since January involving Civic Hybrid owners across the nation. The company didn't immediately elaborate.

Jacoby said while others have followed Peters' lead, they may not have her tenacity and courtroom savvy.

"She made it seem anyone could do this," he said. "She's very bright and very hardworking. Not everyone is like that in terms of bringing their own case."

Members of the Patrick-Murrray Administration traveled to Los Angeles last year to make a sales pitch to bring more film and television to Massachusetts.

A movie called 'Labor Day' starring Kate Winslet, left, and Josh Brolin, is scheduled to be filmed partially in Massachusetts.

Hollywood star light is about to shine down once again on Massachusetts, perhaps even on a Franklin County town near you.

The office of Gov. Deval Patrick announced this week that the commonwealth will be the setting for the movie “Labor Day,” starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. Directed by Jason Reitman, who has films such as “Young Adult” and “Up in the Air” to his credit, “Labor Day” is based on a novel of the same name by Joyce Maynard.

Michael Agulnek, a spokesman for Paramount Pictures, said Wednesday that he is not at liberty to say that the movie is about or where, exactly, the scenes will be shot. However, at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting in Shelburne, an official with Greenfield Saving bank said construction on a bank branch in that town would be delayed because the movie company was looking at that site for filming. A casting call for girls and boys ages 10-17, including for the role of a mentally handicapped boy, went out earlier this month.

According to an on-line synopsis, Maynard’s novel is about a 13-year-old boy named Henry who lives a stagnant life with his mother, Adele, in the fictional New Hampshire town of Holton Mills. Adele, a former dancer, has long been divorced and is keeping a terrible secret.

When a mysterious bleeding man named Frank comes to Henry seeking help, the boy’s life changes. One reviewer called the novel “a tale of love, sex, adolescence and devastating treachery.”

Members of the Patrick-Murrray Administration traveled to Los Angeles last year to make a sales pitch to bring more film and television to Massachusetts. Lisa Strout, the director of the Massachusetts Film Office, said she is excited that the commonwealth has been chosen for another movie project.

“The combination of our strong incentive program, our experienced crew and talent, and our rich and textured landscape help draw meaningful projects such as this to Massachusetts,” she said.

P3 Update Magazine has ranked Massachusetts among the top ten film locations worldwide. In 2011, feature films shot in this state generated $222 million for the local economy, according to the Massachusetts Film Office.

In 2008, scenes for the Mel Gibson movie “Edge of Darkness” were shot in Northampton. Few of them made the final cut, however, and the movie tanked at the box office. The Alex Baldwin move “Malice” (1993) and “In Dreams,” starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Annette Bening (1999) met a similar fate. On the plus side, Michael Caine was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1999 film “Cider House Rules,” some of which was shot at the former Northampton State Hospital.

The 2010 movie “The Woman,” which was filmed in Greenfield and was heavy on cannibalism, came out last October but has not made the rounds of local theaters.

A man who tried to run from police following a traffic stop on King Street was apprehended quickly enough, but police are now stuck with what to do about the man's two angry dogs that he left behind in the car.

The Republican | Greg Saulmon05.09.2012 | NORTHAMPTON -- One of the dogs left behind when a motorist fled police Wednesday afternoon reacts as Det. Corey Robinson approaches the vehicle.

NORTHAMPTON - A man who tried to run from police following a traffic stop on King Street was apprehended quickly enough, but police are now stuck with what to do about the man's two angry dogs that he left behind in the car.

Police have the car secure and are waiting for an animal control officer to come and figure out what to do with the two large dogs, police said.

Det. Corey Robinson said the man was stopped at about 4:30 p.m. by police for a traffic stop on King Street near the Sunoco station and the Hotel Northampton.

The man got out of the car and ran away with officers in pursuit. He was apprehended in the parking lot of the Hampshire County Probate and Family Court, 33 King St.

Robinson said the man's name will not be available until police are finished booking him. He did not know what the charges will be or why the man was originally stopped.

He left two aggressive dogs in his SUV, and police are waiting for animal control to get them out.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.

The lawsuit was filed more than two years ago.

File photo / The RepublicanThe Stop & Shop supermarket company will be back in court next month in its quest to open a market on land that used to be the the site of the former Tasty Top restaurant, seen here in 2006.

EASTHAMPTON – The Stop & Shop project will be back in court next month with one party seeking a summary judgment to allow the project to move forward and the other seeking that the permit allowing it be annulled.

Boston-based lawyer Kenneth O'Flattery, who is representing Stop & Shop, filed the motion for summary judgment.

Northampton lawyer Mark A. Tanner representing Cernak Buick wants the permit annulled because he charges that Stop & Shop had unlawful contact with each Planning Board member and Mayor Michael A. Tautznik during the permitting process.

The suit filed in February 2010 alleges the Planning Board should not have considered a second revised application from Stop & Shop, that the property owner Dennis Courtney, trustee of the Margaret H. Courtney Family Trust, did not sign the application and that a proposed traffic signal at Mountainview Street would cause access problems for Cernak Buick.

Cernak Buick is one of several businesses located across Route 10 from the Stop & Shop site.

The Planning Board approved plans for Stop & Shop to build a 45,000-square-foot grocery store and a 4,900-square-foot adjacent store at 95-103 Northampton St. in January 2010.

The board had rejected the project in a vote in September of 2009.

Tanner was given more time to depose city officials in December and filled his motion asking for the annulment earlier this month.

Tanner said that Stop & Shop said the meetings with Planning Board members were to discuss procedure but he said they could have talked to the board chairman or City Planner, who was Stuart Beckley at that time, not each individual member in closed door meetings. In his filing, he wrote that “Due process and fundamental fairness require that quasi judicial boards base their decision on information received through the public hearing process where all interested parties have the opportunity to the know the evidence and respond.”

O’Flattery said he does not discuss litigation but said that Stop & Shop would like to see the case settled so it can proceed with the project.

The hearing is set for June 14 in Hampshire Superior Court in Northampton.

The affordable housing is for low and moderate income families including elderly and veterans.

State officials on Wednesday announced $105 million in state and federal subsidies and tax credits for the construction and renovation of affordable housing projects statewide including nine projects in the region.

Statewide, the funds will target 36 housing developments in 28 communities. Of the 2,196 units, 2,062 will provide affordable housing to low and moderate income working families and individuals including 279 for extremely low income.

In Western Massachusetts, the projects will range from rehabilitating several tornado-damaged buildings in the Six Corners neighborhood that were made uninhabitable by the disaster, to a project in Agawam that will increase affordable housing for formerly homeless veterans.

Aaron Gorstein

In addition, there are affordable housing projects for the elderly.

“Meaningful investments in affordable housing are critical to the Commonwealth’s economic recovery,” said Aaron Gornstein, undersecretary of the state Department of Housing and Community Development. “The Patrick-Murray administration’s continued commitment to providing quality housing opportunities for low-to-moderate income households is creating jobs and supporting hard-working families as they put down roots here in Massachusetts.”

Gov. Deval L. Patrick, in a prepared statement, said that creation of affordable housing “helps to generate jobs, grow local businesses and strengthen our communities.”

State officials estimate the projects will lead to the creation of 3,000 construction jobs across Massachusetts.

The seven projects in the region will receive a total of $13.7 million in state subsidies from the state Department of Housing and Community Development, and $3.7 million in state and federal low-income housing tax credits. The local projects are as follows:

• Agawam: Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Village, involves $2,715,000 in subsidies, and $544,657 in tax credits to renovate the former Western Massachusetts Regional Police Academy into 54 units of housing for formerly homeless veterans.

• Amherst: Olympia Oaks, HAP Inc., involves $2,715,000 in subsidies and $1.1 million in tax credits to create 42 units of affordable family housing including eight for extremely low income households.

• Easthampton: Cottage Square. Arch Street Development will use $2.5 million in subsidies and $981,271 in tax credits to create 50 units of affordable family units, including five for extremely low income.

• Ludlow: Stevens Memorial Senior Housing. HAP Inc. will use $2.7 million in subsidies to create 28 units of affordable elderly housing including seven for extremely low income.

• Orange: Dial Self Orange Teen Housing. Franklin County Dial Self, Inc. will use $1.3 million in subsidies to preserve nine units of affordable housing for Youth Aging Out of the Foster Care program.

• Springfield: Six Corners-Center City Housing. Better Homes Inc. will use $1 million in subsidies and $1.1 million in tax credits to preserve 43 units of affordable housing and five units for extremely low income residents.

• Westhampton: Woods Senior Housing Phase II: Hilltown Community Development Corp. will use $800,000 in subsidies to create eight units of affordable housing for seniors, including two units reserved for extremely low income households.

The Dow Jones industrial average is down 444 points during its 6-day losing streak.

By DANIEL WAGNER | AP Business Writer

File photo | Associated PressThe Macy's department store in North Attleboro. Macy's Inc. said Wednesday, May 9, 2012, that its net income rose to $181 million, or 43 cents per share, for the three-month period ended April 28. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Fear of European debt is once again playing havoc with Wall Street.

Stocks pitched down Wednesday in the United States as borrowing rates climbed for Spain and Italy, a sign that investors are losing confidence in those countries' finances.

Spain's 10-year borrowing rate leapt to 6.06 percent from 5.70 percent early Tuesday. Many fear that Spain, strangled by high unemployment and a real estate collapse, could be the next nation to require financial rescue.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down as much as 184 points before recovering about half of the loss. Still, the average has fallen for six consecutive days, its longest losing streak since last summer.

The Dow soared 2,624 points, or 25 percent, from Oct. 3 through May 1 as European leaders appeared to get a handle on the debt crisis. Last fall, nations that use the euro agreed to enforce budget discipline across the region.

Since May 1, when the Dow closed at a four-year high, worries about Europe have resurfaced. In elections on Sunday, Greek and French voters ousted leaders who had imposed tough spending cuts to soothe investors.

In the six losing days that ended Wednesday, the Dow gave back 444 points — one-sixth of the points it gained during its eight-month rally. The Dow closed down 97.03 points, or 0.8 percent, at 12,835.06.

Greece, without a government since Sunday's elections, appears increasingly likely to exit the euro currency union or be forced out. The resulting uncertainty could cause turmoil throughout global markets.

The spring decline has become a motif on Wall Street. In 2010 and 2011, the Dow climbed in the first three months of the year, then flat-lined or lost ground as events overseas overshadowed modest economic growth in the U.S.

The market today is tame compared with last summer, when the Dow routinely swung by hundreds of points a day.

But the atmosphere is starting to resemble last year's as traders sell anything deemed risky based on the latest headlines from Europe, said Peter Tchir, who trades a range of investments for his hedge fund TF Market Advisors.

"The concern in Spain is at such a high level that people trade the indexes or big futures contracts and are less discriminating about what risk they're taking on," he said.

On Wednesday, prices fell for commodities such as energy, copper and silver that are needed to sustain broad economic growth but are less valuable when the economy is weaker and demand wanes.

Benchmark crude oil, which sold for about $110 per barrel earlier this year, fell below $100 last week and kept sliding. It closed below $97 Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, continuing its longest decline since last July.

Commodity prices also were under pressure because the dollar rose against the euro, sending the euro down as low as $1.2910, its lowest point since Jan. 23. Commodities are traded in dollars, so a strong dollar makes them appear more expensive to investors who hold foreign currencies.

European stocks are having one of their worst weeks in months. London's FTSE 100 index is down 2.2 percent this week, its worst performance since December. Stocks in Athens are down 10.8 percent, the most since August.

Cash flowed into ultra-safe investments such as U.S. Treasurys, pushing the yield on the 10-year note as low as 1.80 percent, near a seven-month low. The yield finished the day at 1.84 percent as stocks moved off their earlier lows.

One reason that demand for Treasurys is increasing: As Europe deteriorates and hiring in the U.S. slows, traders believe that the Federal Reserve is more likely to engage in another round of bond-buying to juice the economy.

Bond-buying by the Fed lowers bond yields, pushing more cash into stocks and commodities. When traders expect the Fed to act, they buy bonds to take advantage of the extra demand that the Fed's buying will create.

Economic indicators and corporate earnings in the U.S. continue to signal recovery, albeit a choppy one. The government said after trading began that U.S. wholesale stockpiles grew in March at their slowest pace in four months, a sign demand is too weak for companies to ramp up production.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index and Nasdaq composite average both closed well above their lows for the day. The S&P fell 9.14 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,354.58. The Nasdaq dropped 11.56, or 0.4 percent, to 2,934.71.

Tchir expects the market to grow more volatile as traders track deadlines for indebted European nations to repay bond investors or raise cash. For investors who benefited from the recent rally, he said, "I think it's time to take money off the table." There's too much of a disconnect between the Dow's recent four-year high and European markets that are scraping three-year lows, he said.

European stocks rose into the close, recovering some earlier losses. Indexes in France and London closed down less than 1 percent after steep losses earlier.

In corporate news:

• Chiquita Brands plunged 28.9 percent after the banana purveyor reported first-quarter earnings that were far below the expectations of Wall Street analysts.

• Macy's lost 3.8 percent after the department store chain made an earnings forecast that fell below Wall Street projections.

• Walt Disney Co. rose 1.6 percent, the most of the 30 stocks in the Dow, after the whimsy-production conglomerate said its fiscal second-quarter earnings outpaced expectations.

Democrat Elizabeth Warren says she is "proud to stand" with President Obama on marriage equality.

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., at Bunker Hill Community College in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, Wednesday May 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

After President Barack Obama came out in support of gay marriage, Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, a Republican, said Wednesday that states should be allowed to decide whether to allow gay marriage.

“Here in Massachusetts, gay marriage has been settled law for nearly a decade, and Senator Brown continues to believe that states should be able to decide this issue,” said spokeswoman Marcie Kinzel. “Regardless of how states choose to define marriage, Senator Brown believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect. Right now, Americans of all backgrounds desperately need jobs, and that is what Senator Brown is focused on."

Brown’s opponent, Democrat Elizabeth Warren sent out a Tweet that said, “Proud to stand with our President in support of marriage equality. Thank you.”

Brown’s openness to gay marriage reflects the fine line that Republicans in Massachusetts must walk. While Republicans nationally tend to oppose same sex marriage, Massachusetts has had same sex marriage since 2004, the result of a ruling by the state Supreme Judicial Court. Polls show that a majority of Massachusetts residents support gay marriage. Brown previously broke with the Republican Party when he supported repealing the ban on openly gay members of the military.

The Massachusetts Republican Party did not immediately issue a response to Obama’s statement.

Richard Tisei, a Republican congressional candidate and former Massachusetts State Senate minority leader, who is gay, said, “I think (Obama) has gone through the same process a lot of people here in Massachusetts have gone through over the past five or six years, that is they gradually and individually come to the conclusion that everybody should be treated equally and fairly under the law.”

TD Bank plans to keep its regional offices in Western Massachusetts and has a number of retail branch bank offices in the area.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 6:45 this morning.

SPRINGFIELD – TD Bank is closing its customer service call center at 1441 Main Street and eliminated 200 call center jobs.

But those workers may have a lifeline in the form of Thing5, a fast-growing company that is still looking for 350 employees to staff a call center it just completed in the neighboring One Financial Place Building at 1350 Main Street. The center is scheduled to close in December.

“So technically we could absorb them all. I don’t know if what we have is right for all those people. But by numbers we could absorb them all, “ said David Thor, managing director of Thing5 which is doing its hiring through United Personnel in Springfield. “Lately, we’ve been struggling to get enough candidates.”

In January, Thing 5 announced that it was expanding downtown from small offices in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and in Longmeadow. Back then, Thor talked about 500 jobs, a number he’s since bumped up to 600 because of the work he has available.

Thing5 works as a hotel information contact centers and travel consultant service handling reservations and event planning. People are paid $10 to $10.50 an hour but can progress through the ranks to making $14 an hour. The company also pays more for people in supervisory roles and for people who work overnight or weekend shifts.

TD Bank spokesman Jimmy Hernandez wouldn’t say how much TD’s Springfield call-center employees are used to making. But he specifically noted Thing 5 as a company TD will work with to place its former workers.

TD will also keep its regional offices here and has a number of retail branch bank offices in the region. All told that means about 170 jobs and about 40 current openings for bank tellers.

Call center workers will be encouraged to apply for teller jobs, he said.

TD Bank, part of Toronto-Dominion Bank, will consolidate its call center operations in Mount Laurel, N. J., Auburn, Maine, and a call center in Greenville, S.C., TD Bank acquired when it purchased The South Financial Group in 2010.

Hernandez stressed that the decision to close the Springfield call center doesn’t reflect poorly on the job performance of the workers. TD Bank is putting a priority on finding those workers new jobs, Hernandez said.

Kevin E. Lynn, manager of business services at FutureWorks Career Center in Springfield said call center employees could easily transition to a customer service position. But Thing5 is certainly hiring more call-center employees than any other local company right now.

Overall, he said the job picture is slowly improving. But jobs are still by no means plentiful.

New standards issued by the state Departments of Public Health and Education proposed banning so-called competitive foods including charity bake sales and candy drives.

Republican file photoThis 2005 photo shows 5th graders in Westfield promoting a school bake sale.

Legislators are trying to keep Whoopie pies, cupcakes and brownies from the culinary public enemy No. 1 list in schools across Massachusetts.

New standards issued by the state Departments of Public Health and Education proposed banning so-called competitive foods including charity bake sales and candy drives to support sports teams and sweet-filled holiday parties in public schools by Aug. 1.

However, legislators are attempting to come to their rescue – adding a budget rider restoring the occasional indulgences.

The amendment made the House budget Wednesday afternoon, and the Senate is expected to follow suit Thursday, according to state Sen. Michael Knapik, R-Westfield, a former school teacher. He said even the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health Care is on board with bake sales.

“The Legislature wants to do the right thing. We think bureaucracy got ahead of itself this time,” Knapik said.

The state tightened up their school meals nutritional standards to combat childhood obesity.

The senator also noted that chocolate milk is “under siege” under the new standards, with regulators wanting to squeeze a good bit of sugar out of low-fat chocolate milk currently offered in school cafeterias.

“The dairy farmers say they’re not equipped to make the type of milk (the state is asking for) and it could turn into a total ban on chocolate milk,” Knapik said, adding that legislators also are considering intervening on behalf of chocolate milk.

Longtime PTA member Susan Prairie, of Wilbraham, a mother of three, said she believes the wellness movement for children is a good one but agrees with Knapik that it’s being taken too far.

“I don’t agree with the ban at all. Schools shouldn’t totally control something like this. Good nutritional habits start at home,” Prairie said. “Plus, it’s the Big Brother thing – too much control. You can’t ban everything.”

Prairie said that the PTAs in her town typically market baked goods to adults on election days or parents at open houses.

"I've never seen someone say: 'Here's five dollars, go buy a bunch of brownies to support the PTA,' " she said.

File photo | The Republican

Massachusetts will reimburse the city for 75 percent of the cost of veterans benefits.

SPRINGFIELD — The City Council has approved a budget transfer of $400,000 for veterans benefits this week, which marked the second major infusion of funds in a three-month span to assist a growing caseload of veterans in need.

With the latest infusion of funds, the total annual budget for veterans benefits now totals $2.9 million, expected to last to the end of the fiscal year, June 30.

The funding of the program is required by state law, and 75 percent of the cost will be reimbursed by the state, Springfield Veterans Services Director Thomas M. Belton Sr. said.

Thomas Belton

“It’s critical to be able to meet the needs of returning veterans, the aging population and veterans in general,” Belton said.

Previously, the city approved a $500,000 infusion of funds in February, to prevent a deficit.

The Veterans Office had a caseload of 309 veterans in need in April, Belton said.

The monthly caseload has climbed over the years, having risen from 65 cases in 1995, to 137 veterans in July of 2008, to 197 cases in 2009, to 277 cases in 2011.

The “ordinary benefits” for veterans as established under the state law, Chapter 115, is a need-based program of financial and medical assistance for indigent veterans their dependents, he said.

The benefits for qualifying veterans includes assistance for food, shelter, clothing, housing supplies and medical, he said.

The $400,000 was transferred from a surplus in the city’s health and life insurance account.

Belton said the number of returning veterans from war and discharged veterans is increasing, but staffing in his office has remained the same with one director and three employees.

Both Belton and his predecessor, Daniel M. Walsh III, have needed to come back to the council for supplemental funds in recent years, as deficits loomed.

In other action, the council approved an additional $27,000 for the city’s reforestation program in the aftermath of last June’s tornado. The funds came from available funds within the Park Department budget.