Daily Hampshire Gazette - Established 1786
Cloudy
72°
Cloudy
Hi 76° | Lo 63°

Police / Fire / Courts

Seven displaced by Phillips Street kitchen fire

Thursday, May 23, 2013

GREENFIELD — Several residents were forced from a three-family home Wednesday evening, after a fire broke out in a first-floor apartment. The fire was called in at 38 Phillips St., at about 5:45 p.m. Smoke poured from windows on every floor of the threestory building, and alarms blared as firefighters made their way inside to fight the flames. The fire was declared under control in short order, but firefighters stayed … 0

Whately home uninhabitable after lightning strike

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

WHATELY — A lightning bolt struck a Whately home early Wednesday, scorching the roof and displacing its three residents. According to Whately Fire Chief John Hannum, at about 3:22 a.m. Wednesday, lightning sparked the wooden roof of the log cabin home at 17 Laurel Mountain Road. The two parents and young child were … 0

Teen recovering in Springfield hospital after being struck by lightning in Granby Tuesday

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

GRANBY — A 16-year-old student struck by lightning and knocked unconscious while outside the MacDuffie School Tuesday afternoon is recovering at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield. Head of school Steve Griffin said Wednesday he spoke to the young woman’s parents and informed her fellow students that she is on the mend. “She is alert and asking about her homework, which is wonderful,” … 0

John Sacco of Belchertown pleads guilty in national investment fraud scam

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

BELCHERTOWN — A 64-year-old Belchertown man pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to seven criminal charges including conspiracy, mail fraud and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The guilty plea by John Sacco of 32 Railroad St. comes 12 years after the former loan officer … 0

Westhampton case of flatware theft goes to trial

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

NORTHAMPTON — Prosecutors say a “very distinctive cheese scoop” and other evidence link a Chicopee man to a 2011 theft of more than $200,000 worth of antiques and other valuables from a Westhampton home, though the suspect’s attorney questioned whether the state has enough evidence to connect his … 0

Homeless man accused of stealing $250 worth of shrimp from supermarket

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

NORTHAMPTON — A 25-year-old man was being held without bail in the Hampshire Jail Wednesday night after attempting to steal $250 worth of shrimp from a local supermarket. Evan Briand, who police said lives on the streets of Northampton, was arrested around 3:30 p.m. at Stop & Shop … 0

Area police news

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Man allegedly steals $250 worth of shrimp NORTHAMPTON — A 25-year-old man was being held without bail in the Hampshire Jail Wednesday night after attempting to steal $250 worth of shrimp from a local supermarket. Evan Briand, who police said lives on the streets of Northampton, was arrested … 0

Massachusetts House OKs bill to try 17-year-olds as juveniles

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

BOSTON — Seventeen-year-olds would no longer automatically enter the adult court system in Massachusetts under a bill that won unanimous approval Wednesday in the House of Representatives. The change, if adopted by the Senate and signed by Gov. Deval Patrick, would mean that 17-year-olds would be tried in … 0

Attorney for James 'Whitey' Bulger argues informant should be exposed

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

BOSTON — An attorney for James “Whitey” Bulger argued Wednesday that the government should expose the identity of a confidential informant he believes could undermine two star witnesses against the reputed gangster. During a pretrial hearing Wednesday, attorney Hank Brennan said providing the informant’s name is critical to … 0

Connecticut train service gets back on track

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Train service from New York to Boston was back on schedule Wednesday on one of the nation’s oldest and most heavily traveled railways, five days after a derailment in Connecticut injured scores of commuters … 0

Newport, RI, man arrested for stealing copper downspouts

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — A Newport man has been arrested for allegedly stealing copper downspouts from 16 homes around the city. Newport police say 25-year-old Anthony Hendricksen is scheduled to be arraigned at Newport District Court on Wednesday on 16 counts of larceny and one count of vandalism. … 0

More than 50 hurt in school bus crash

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

NORTH WEBSTER, Ind. — A school bus slammed into the back of another one Wednesday afternoon, setting off a chain-reaction crash involving four buses in northern Indiana, leaving about 50 middle and high students with non-serious injuries and … 0

Rev. William Hamilton first Easthampton police chaplain

Monday, May 20, 2013

EASTHAMPTON — The newest person to wear an Easthampton Police Department badge is not a young recruit. He is a 60-year-old Catholic priest who said he will devote himself to supporting the city’s officers as they deal with … 0