http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/ Deerfield, MA News http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/content/ff869d3f8d4f9e5013a5f1255294e7f3.html Just Plain Neighbors: Flowerheavy planter barrel takes top Garden Club prize http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/content/c81d420fa4836f39bc80d8aa1d1aa377.html A state agency does not want the injured girl to testifyFile photo by John Suchocki The RepublicanAllison Avrett of Westfield and her daughter Hannah 4 are shown in this 2005 photo with a picture of Avrett's biological daughter Haleigh Poutre 11 Avrett gave Haleigh up for adoption four years ago By BUFFY SPENCER bspencerrepubcom SPRINGFIELD Haleigh Poutre the little girl whose case sparked an overhaul of the state's system of oversight in incidents of child abuse and neglect will not be required to testify at the upcoming the trial of the man accused of abusing her three years ago Superior Court Judge Judd J Carhart ruled this week that the now 14yearold Haleigh still undergoing treatment for a severe brain injury will neither be ordered to testify at the trial of her stepfather Jason A Strickland nor at a pretrial competency hearing The judge ruled in favor of two lawyers appointed to safeguard the girl's interests and the state Department of Children and Families who argued that forcing Poutre to testify would harm her The competency hearing was scheduled after the prosecutor said she expected to have Haleigh testify at the trial of Strickland 32 formerly of Westfield who stands accused of assault and battery In his ruling Carhart did leave the matter open for requests for him to reconsider He made the ruling following a Thursday hearing in Hampshire Superior Court Northampton where he is sitting this month Two weeks ago Carhart refused a defense request to move the trial out of Hampden County; the trial is set for Oct 16 in the Springfield court The charges against Strickland and his wife the late Holly A Strickland Haleigh's adoptive mother came after the girl was brought to Noble Hospital in Westfield on Sept 11 2005 with a severe head injury Within days of her arrest Holly Strickland was dead in what West Springfield police determined was a murdersuicide at the hands of her grandmother The plan to have the child appear at trial came as Assistant District Attorney Laurel H Brandt told the court in June that she expected Haleigh to be called as a witness for the prosecution Defense attorney Alan J Black then requested a competency hearing to determine her ability to testify Joseph A Franco the lawyer appointed by Carhart to protect Haleigh's interests in the Strickland case said in a recent court filing that a review of Haleigh's medical records would cast doubt on her competency to testify Franco wrote in his motion that based on the present physical and psychological condition of Haleigh she would suffer great emotional harm if she were required to appear before this court and answer questions on both direct and cross examination He wrote that a psychological examination of Haleigh was performed in March and April by a doctor at Franciscan Children's Hospital in Boston were she is now being treated Based on the results of the evaluation it has been recommended that Haleigh not be subjected to additional interviews including testimony before the court Franco wrote Citing a number of examples of case law Franco said it is apparent that testimony by Haleigh would be detrimental to her psychological wellbeing Haleigh is a 14yearold child who is psychologically younger than her years Franco wrote In its request that Haleigh not be examined for competency at the scheduled hearing the state Department of Children and Families which has legal custody of Haleigh spells out similar reasons Scott R Chapman assistant regional counsel for the department wrote that compelling Haleigh to testify would be harmful to her best interests Jason Strickland who has pleaded innocent to all charges was charged as a joint venturer with his wife Under the prosecution's joint venture theory Jason Strickland would be held responsible for his own acts against Haleigh and also acts by his late wife Haleigh's injuries were so severe that the state Department of Children and Families formerly the Department of Social Services at one point sought to have a feeding tube that was keeping her alive removed saying the girl had no brain function In February it was reported she had recovered enough to possibly testify in the criminal case Without Haleigh's testimony it is unclear what witnesses the prosecution will use to present its case against Strickland At an Oct 26 2005 Westfield District Court hearing which sent the case to the Superior Court there was testimony from Haleigh's babysitter Alicia Weiss and from Rebecca Blanchard pediatric intensive care nurse at Baystate Medical Center The Poutre case in which Haleigh was initially left unresponsive and braindamaged served as an impetus for a major overhaul in the state's child care and protection services http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/content/14d3a6854c7f9b7061b0983afc70a18a.html Once a hurricane Hanna is expected to be a tropical storm when it reaches New EnglandAssociated Press photoA surfer takes advantage of Tropical Storm Hanna's waves this morning in Myrtle Beach SC Residents of Western Massachusetts can expect lots of rain this weeked as the storm moves up the coast By STAN FREEMAN sfreemanrepubcom The string of nearly ideal days weatherwise is about to come to an end thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Hanna as it nears New England Several inches of rain could fall through this weekend with the heaviest downpours likely coming tonight forecasters are saying It's been dry the last three weeks so we can certainly use the rainfall Eric P Fisher a meteorologist for abc40 said today But how useful 3 inches of rain in a short time will be compared to 3 inches spread out over a whole day is questionable he said Friday Hanna which has been downgraded to a tropical storm had sustained winds of about 65 miles an hour as it neared the South Carolina coast While still a hurricane Hanna was responsible for the deaths of at least 137 people in Haiti and 2 in Puerto Rico Its path according to the National Hurricane Center should be along the East Coast heading north sometimes moving inland and sometimes staying out to sea Hanna should be centered in North Carolina at 8 am Saturday and around Cape Cod at 8 am Sunday The storm is not expected to attain hurricane strength again The last time Greater Springfield received more than a quarter inch of rain was Aug 11 However the total rainfall for this weekend will depend on the track of Hanna as it approaches the region which is still uncertain Fisher said If it goes 50 miles further west you could get 5 inches but if it goes out to sea you might get only a half an inch to an inch But it looks like we'll have a burst of rain early Saturday then a lull then another burst Saturday night and early Sunday he said The National Weather Service is forecasting 16 inches to 33 inches for Greater Springfield through Sunday AccuWeather is predicting 29 inches over the same period to the area Saturday according to the weather service the high temperature should be around 77 degrees with showers and possibly thunderstorms through the day Saturday night expect a low about 65 degrees and heavy rainfall Sunday the showers should end before 11 am followed by mostly cloudy skies and a high temperature near 80 Monday should be mostly clear with a high near 80 http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/content/637e6e5ee25c503fec6b59eb89972fb6.html By FRED CONTRADA fcontradarepubcom NORTHAMPTON A Northampton woman who police said kept a list of people she wanted to kill pleaded innocent to a dozen charges today in Hampshire Superior Court Debra L Baggett 53 of 491 Bridge Road is charged with two counts of threatening to commit a crime possessing a firearm without identification and receiving stolen property and one count each of intimidating a witness making a bomb or hijacking treat carrying a firearm without a license carrying a firearm with ammunition improper storage of a firearm and possession of marijuana Police arrested Baggett at her home on June 7 after reported receiving information that she had made threatening remarks about social workers and a judge involved in a custody case concerning her son Judge Judd J Carhart ordered Baggett held without right to bail pending a bail hearing at 2 pm on Monday In 2006 Baggett pleaded no contest to a charge that she ducttaped her 5yearold son to a chair while she was a still student at Smith College http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/content/d3009a33d3cdf46b7b49359d2649baf3.html Although the show will take place rain or shine rain could delay or ground the Thunderbirds and other aerial actsPhoto by Mark M Murray The RepublicanFour US Air Force Thunderbirds pass overhead while practicing in Chicopee this morning for this weekend's Great New England Air Show IF YOU GOEvent: Great New England Air Show When: Saturday and Sunday 9 am4 pm Where: Westover Air Reserve Base Chicopee Gates wil be open on James Street and Westover Road in Chicopee and on Perimeter Road in Granby Cost: Free For more info: Call 5572033 or log on to wwwgreatnewenglandairshowcomOther info: Coolers pets and backpacks and most bags are banned Diaper bags strollers lawn chairs and camera bags are allowed but subject to search Vehicles will be parked on base and also are subject to search Shuttle services will be provided from the parking lots Photos: Check out photos from Friday's preview show By JEANETTE DeFORGEand HOLLY ANGELO Staff writers CHICOPEE When he was a boy in the 1980s Craig L Grogan remembers being in awe of pilots he would see at the Great New England Air Show at Westover Air Reserve Base I was like every other kid who comes here I wanted to be a pilot said Grogan of Wendell On Thursday Grogan returned to the air show as part of the Air Force's Thunderbirds the signature act that features precision pilots flying F16 Fighting Falcons but not as a pilot Instead Master Sgt Grogan is the line chief essentially the man in charge of ensuring the team's eight jets are mechanically sound clean and ready to fly complicated and precise movements such as the opposing solo where two pilots fly 600 miles an hour at each other narrowly missing a collision On Friday that exact maneuver by the Thunderbirds drew oohs and aahs from a crowd of onlookers who got a preview of what everyone else is scheduled to see on Saturday and Sunday It's been four years since Westover has hosted an air show I would not have missed this for the world said Laura F Mowry of Deerfield a clerk in the civilian personnel department as part of the Student Temporary Employment Program on base I think it's fantastic for the public to come and see what we see every day she said I'm so lucky Thunderbird pilots and other aircraft pilots will keep in close contact with weather personnel on the base on Saturday because rain is in the forecast Tech Sgt Troy A Thibeault said on Friday While the air show will take place rain or shine rain could delay or ground the Thunderbirds and other aerial acts There was no rain in sight on Friday morning just the sight and sound of jets zipping through the air Several members of the Galaxy Community Council a volunteer group that supports the air show and promotes community and base ties were on hand Friday to watch the pilots practice their show moves The council sponsored a breakfast earlier in the day before the aerial entertainment began I always go to them said Frank M Kolek a council member from Chicopee as he watched an FA18 Super Hornet twist its way through the sky I'm looking forward to seeing the jets flying and the maneuvers and looking at the old planes It's good to see where your tax dollars go to and what the military does Spectators not only got a sneak peak at the Thunderbirds but also saw the Army's Golden Knights parachute team perform Other spectators toured a huge C5B Galaxy cargo plane Other modern and antique planes will be on display during the show But it's the Thunderbirds that draw a crowd The demonstration team performs maneuvers F16 fighter pilots are taught for combat Six jets fly and two serve as backup The team includes 12 officers which include the pilots and 130 mechanics and other support staff said Capt Elizabeth A Kreft of Kentucky Thunderbirds public affairs officer The jets are identical to those that drop bombs and protect ground troops in combat Kreft said on Thursday Maj Christopher E Austin a pilot who has flown F16s in Iraq Afghanistan and Serbia said most of maneuvers people will see in the air show such as flying in diamond formations three feet apart at 500 miles an hour are rarely used in combat But many practical uses can't be shown near an audience We can't blow stuff up in an air show we can't dog fight but we can show the precision he said A 16year veteran Grogan joined the Thunderbirds two years ago and became line chief in November Although Grogan travels in a C130 Globemaster cargo plane instead of a F16 he has no complaints This is the best group of guys I've ever worked with in my 16 years in the Air Force he said A group of four airmen are assigned as crew to each jet and they examine the plane after every flight Grogan conducts a final inspection of each and rarely finds anything overlooked Tech Sgt Patrick D Mahoney of Gloucester said he has the best job He is a mechanic and crew chief of Jet 8 one of the backup planes Because the arrives early to set up for the team he travels in a F16 He arrived in Chicopee Wednesday and checked the spot the team will set up scoped the area to warn incoming pilots of any air obstructions and ensure the crew had proper accommodations and equipment Being in Westover is a treat Mahoney said he plans to drive to his hometown to visit his grandmother and will see other friends and family at the show It is great to be around Red Sox fans he said Jeanette Deforge can be reached at jdeforgerepubcom and Holly Angelo can be reached at hangelorepubcom http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/content/b896c640457b901c0c1001c2fd1846df.html By ANGELA CARBONE acarbonerepubcom AGAWAM A reported stabbing of an Agawam man along the bike path on River Road Aug 28 was a hoax police said today Police Chief Robert D Campbell said the victim Michael A Ralph 34 of 6 Randall St admitted to police yesterday that he had inflicted the wounds on himself Campbell credited the work of Police Detectives Ronald J Brown and Daniel Bonafilia with pursuing the investigation on the case They were tenacious Campbell said Police recovered the knife used in the stabbing and charged Ralph with false reporting of a crime Ralph had claimed someone attempted to steal his bike and stabbed him in the stomach His 7yearold daughter was with him at the time of the alleged incident Campbell said the police had expended considerable resources in attempting to locate Ralph's reported assailant The state police had also sent crime technicians to take samples in the investigation Campbell added that the resolution should help ease the alarm that the initial report had engendered http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/content/642f39cacac3195c55aa14a0cf7854aa.html By FRED CONTRADA fcontradarepubcom NORTHAMPTON Reversing an earlier decision the City Council voted today to allow KenotoGo at local convenience stores The game allows players to choose numbers on a card While Keno vendors have screens in their establishments that show the constantly updated results KenotoGo players must check for results on the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission's Web site A spokesman for the commission appeared before the council in August to answer questions about the game Northampton had been one of only five communities in the state that barred the game http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/massachusetts/deerfield/content/1a19da1ed1a461512788852f74187400.html File photo by Dave Molnar The RepublicanBrian P McNally will become Palmer's newest police officer once he completes the police academy He is shown here last year in the department's dispatch center By LORI STABILE lstabilerepubcom PALMER Police Chief Robert P Frydryk soon will have a new fulltime officer on his force: dispatcher Brian P McNally Frydryk whose recommendation for the appointment was approved by Town Manager Matthew S Streeter said McNally must graduate from the police academy before he can officially hit the streets of Palmer as a fulltime officer The next academy is scheduled for November It will last 21 weeks said Frydryk who expects McNally to be able to start working as an officer sometime in April He's been here for several years He's been involved in the community and is certainly capable Frydryk said Friday about McNally Starting pay for an officer is 42000 Frydryk said Counting McNally and the chief the Police Department now will have 20 officers McNally will replace Robert A Young Jr who was terminated McNally 33 said he's excited about the opportunity Becoming a police officer has been a longtime goal he said ever since he was a teenager and used to help out with barbecues put on by the police in his hometown of East Bridgewater He received an associate's degree in criminal justice from Massasoit Community College McNally was hired by the Palmer Police Department in 2000 as a dispatcher The next year he also was appointed as a parttime police officer Funding for parttime officers was cut three years ago but was restored this fiscal year Frydryk said the only other parttimer left was not interested in the fulltime position and needs additional training before resuming patrols Frydryk said he is in the midst of negotiating with the police union about the use of parttime officers McNally is president of the Palmer Grange which does an annual Christmas for Kids program to provide needy children with toys In other police news Frydryk said a new dispatcher will start on Monday Jeremy Haley who replaces Carol A Gagner who was terminated