Thunderstorms knock out power in area communities

NORTHAMPTON - Wednesday night's thunderstorms ushered in Thursday's pleasant weather, but the storms also knocked power out for about 1,000 Western Massachusetts Electric Company customers along the way.

Springfield man pleads not guilty to attacking hawk

SPRINGFIELD (AP) - A Springfield man police say attacked a hawk he saw feeding on a pigeon has pleaded not guilty to an animal cruelty charge.

Police say two detectives were driving to the police station at about 7 a.m. Tuesday when they spotted the raptor on the ground eating the pigeon and stopped to take a picture.

New York man sentenced to prison for defrauding state, grandfather in Greenfield

SPRINGFIELD - A New York man has landed in federal prison for his fraudulent abuse of the court-appointed guardianship of his grandfather in Greenfield.

U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor on Thursday sentenced Michael Ostrowski, 42, of East Patchogue, N.Y., to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Dr. Ira Helfand will speak at peace summit in Chicago

Dr. Ira Helfand, a physician at Family Care Medical Center in Springfield and the former head of the Cooley Dickinson Hospital's emergency department, will attend the 12th World Summit of Nobel Laureates, which kicks off in Chicago on Monday.

Springfield tornado victims get some help

SPRINGFIELD - Plans are under way for the construction of four homes for families who lost theirs in the June 2011 tornado.

Representatives of Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno met on Quincy Street on April 13, at the future site of a home, to announce Habitat's tornado recovery efforts.

Trooper wounded in Chicopee shootout released from hospital

SPRINGFIELD (AP) - State Police say a Massachusetts trooper who was wounded in a shooting in Chicopee has been released from a hospital and is recuperating at home.

The Boston Globe and WCVB-TV report that State Police spokesman David Procopio says Trooper John Vasquez underwent surgery at Baystate Medical Center. He was released Sunday.

Hundreds turn out at Springfield march in response to Trayvon Martin's killing

SPRINGFIELD - Despite chilly, damp weather, hundreds of people gathered at Springfield City Hall on Saturday before taking to the streets for the "1,000 Hoodies: A Walk for Trayvon Martin." Among them was Lois Ahrens of Northampton said that it was important to her to support the community response to the Martin shooting. "I came here because I wanted to be in a big community of people who are as outraged as I am about what happened to Trayvon Martin and what happens to so many young black men who are racially profiled," she said.

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