SPRINGFIELD — The victim of a Massachusetts river drowning has been identified.
The Hampden District Attorney’s Office says the body of 24-year-old Jaime Lopez of Springfield was recovered from the Chicopee River on Monday morning by searchers.
The Springfield Police Department responded to call from a woman reporting her missing husband Sunday.
The unidentified woman reported her husband was swimming when he got swept into the middle of the river by a fast current.
Their Underwater Search and Recovery Unit along with the Springfield Fire Department, Ludlow Fire Department and Massachusetts State Police conducted the search.
SPRINGFIELD — A casino has been approved to serve alcohol into the wee hours of the morning.
The Springfield City Council approved a proposal Monday to extend alcohol serving hours at MGM Springfield until 4 a.m. at the casino.
Drinks will be served in different cups between 2 to 4 a.m. and only accessible by customers engaged in gaming.
Alcohol sales are not be allowed between 4 to 8 a.m.
MGM Resorts International President Bill Hornbuckle said in an April interview with The Associated Press that Aug. 24 is the new planned opening date for its resort casino complex in downtown Springfield. The company had previously envisioned opening it sometime in September.
LINDSIDE, W.Va. — Three protesters from Massachusetts were arrested after binding themselves to equipment in West Virginia to halt the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
State police Sgt. C.K. McKenzie tells news outlets that they attached themselves to a tunnel and earth-moving machinery Monday.
Charges of trespassing, obstructing an officer and resisting arrest were filed against 18-year-old Sydney Patricia White, 21-year-old Evin Tyler Uger and 25-year-old Maxwell Harry Shaw. McKenzie described their resistance as “passive,” saying it took almost two hours to free them.
It’s unclear whether they have lawyers. Each was released on $1,500 bond.
Legal and regulatory challenges, tree-sits and other acts of resistance have failed to stop construction of the 300-mile natural gas pipeline.
MASHPEE — Police are investigating the theft of a statue set up in a yard as tribute to a Marine that was killed in Iraq.
Mashpee Police Chief Scott Carline says the life-size silhouette of a kneeling soldier went missing from the front yard of a Mashpee home Sunday morning.
The statue was made in honor of Daniel McGuire, who died in August 2008 at the age of 19. The McGuires have since replaced the statue with a sign that reads “Put It Back.”
The family says in a statement that the statue “means nothing to those that removed it, but it means a great deal to our family.”
SAUGUS — Seven athletes at a Saugus high school have been suspended from postseason for smoking a cigar after graduation.
The Daily Item reports six members of the Saugus High School boys’ lacrosse team and one member of the baseball team were suspended from the playoffs after smoking a cigar after Friday’s graduation ceremony.
School committee woman Elizabeth Marchese confirmed the suspensions Monday, saying the events Friday and subsequent disciplinary action “are saddening for all involved.”
Lacrosse coach Rob Scuzzarella and school superintendent David DeRuosi have not responded to requests for comment.
Saugus Public Schools prohibits the use of tobacco products within school buildings or at school-sponsored events.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association also bans tobacco use. The rule applies to athletes who have graduated but are still participating in tournament games.
PITTSFIELD — A man whose vehicle was searched for drugs during a traffic stop has filed a multimillion dollar federal lawsuit against state and local police, the city of Pittsfield and the state of Massachusetts.
The suit filed by Gabriel Cordero of Holyoke alleges the stop in Pittsfield in February 2015 went beyond what was allowed by law.
Cordero was pulled over after a state trooper noticed he had broken brake and tail lights and illegally tinted windows. Police later searched the vehicle and discovered about 2,000 bags of heroin.
The Supreme Judicial Court last year suppressed the evidence obtained in the search and the case was ultimately dismissed.
From Associated Press