Bomb Hoax Hits Area, No Threats Found
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TONIGHT Rain Showers. Low of 36. Search for The Westfield News The Westfield Search for The Westfield News News OTH NOW AND FOR ALWAYS “B , Westfield350.comTODAY IN WESTFIELD HISTheTORY: Westfield News I INTEND TO HOLD FAST 1755 — Town records IME IS THE ONLY Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TTO MY B ELIEF IN WEATHER show first slave child born in Westfield named Pholix. THE HIDDENCRITIC STRENGTH WITHOUT TONIGHT Slaves were kept in Westfield OF THE HUMANAMBITION SPIRIT.”.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK until after the Revolution. Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comWestfield350.orgLow of 55. The www.thewestfieldnews.comWestfieldNews — ANDREI SAKHAROV Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER VOL. 86 NO. 151 75 cents VOL.87 NO. 297 FRIDAY,TUESDAY, DECEMBER JUNE 14, 2018 27, 2017 CRITIC75 CentsWITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 BombTUESDAY, hoax JUNE hits 27, 2017 area, no threats found 75 cents By CARL E. HARTDEGEN written by a person who was not a native was one of the many employees who had and GREG FITZPATRICK English speaker and demanded a ransom to evacuate the building and glanced at the Correspondents of $20,000 US dollars to be paid online in email that was sent. WESTFIELD — Emergency respond- Bitcoin. “It didn’t look very credible to me,” ers across the country were busy Thursday Westfield Police Det. Lt. David said Moglin, noting that the email includ- dealing with bomb threats and ransom Ragazzini characterized the message as ed poor English. demands and the Westfield and Southwick “blatantly obvious nonsense.” Whalley Computer was evacuated but area was not spared. In Southwick, the message was received first responders determined there was no Stephen Makris, Director of Engineering for C&C Email messages with “Do not panic” in by a Whalley Computer employee who actual threat. Consulting Engineers LLC, discussed the disrepair the subject line were received at Stanley notified his supervisor who called In Westfield, staff at the park searched of the Cowles bridge during a public information Park in Westfield and Whalley Computers Southwick police.. the property without finding any suspi- session on Thursday. (Photo by Peter Currier) in Southwick but no threats were found. Southwick Chief of Police Kevin cious items. City firefighters were not In both cases an email message claimed Bishop said “An email was received indi- asked to respond to the park. that a bomb had been planted by a cating that a bomb had been placed in the The same threats were made across the “recruited person” who was monitoring business and that if a certain amount of country. USA Today reports that similar the situation and would detonate the bomb bitcoin was not paid, the bomb would go messages “were sent to tens of thousands Cowles Bridge if he saw “any unusual behavior, panic or off”. of targets nationwide to dozens of cities, policeman”. Doug Moglin, a Southwick Selectboard including Seattle, Orlando, Atlanta, San replacement The message appeared to have been member who works at Whalley Computer, Francisco, Oklahoma City, and Detroit.” plan unveiled By PETER CURRIER Animal Correspondent WESTFIELD- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation held a public information session to unveil the plan for the reconstruction of Cowles Bridge cruelty on Route 10/202 where Southwick Road passes over Little River Thursday evening at the intersection of Abner Gibbs students laughed and Mill and South Maple streets Dr. T (for Trashology) takes a bow after cheered as they learned about recy- charged The meeting featured MassDOT officials and engi- juggling plastic bags. (Photo by Amy Porter) cling from Dr. T. (Photo by Amy Porter) neers from the firm, C&C Consulting Engineers, LLC By CARL E. HARTDEGEN who explained the process for constructing a new Correspondent bridge and what the final product will look like. The WESTFIELD – A Springfield man plan that was unveiled was at the 25% design stage ABNER GIBBS who reportedly dragged his dog, albeit plan. This means the plans are developed to a point inadvertently, for more than a third of a where MassDOT and the engineering firm can make mile with his pickup truck while travel- public comments. ing at 40-45 miles an hour was released The total cost for the project is estimated to be 22 Students learn about trash on $2,500 personal surety after his million dollars at the expense of the Federal Highway arraignment in Westfield District Court Administration and MassDOT according to John Fallon on a charge of cruelty to an animal. of MassDOT. and recycling from Dr. T Southwick Police Officer David “80% will come from the FHA and 20% will come Massai reports in a court document that from MassDOT,” said Fallon. By AMY PORTER with volunteers from the audience to get on April 27, 2018, he responded to a Fallon added that the 100% design stage should be Correspondent across the message that garbage is a report of a German shepherd dog being finished by late 2019 and construction should begin in WESTFIELD – Abner Gibbs students resource too valuable to just throw away. dragged by a pickup to find a group of the Spring of 2020. were treated to a seriously funny show Board of Health Director Joseph 10-12 persons surrounding a pickup Stephen Makris, Director of Engineering for C&C, about garbage and recycling on Thursday, Rouse, who attended along with health truck in a parking lot adjacent to detailed the reasons for the replacement of the bridge thanks to the Westfield Board of Health. inspectors Steve Cipriani and Tom Hibert Feeding Hills Road. A man was holding on US highway 202 and State Route 10. Dr. T, a comedic expert with a Ph.D. in and dept. secretary Cheryl McMordie, a dog on the truck’s tailgate which was Garbology presented the award-winning said they were able to bring the show to bleeding from all four paws and its See Cowles Bridge, Page 8 “Garbage is my Bag” to the delight of the the school at no cost due to their partici- mouth. students during an assembly. Performed pation in the Mass Recycling Facility in Massai took a written statement from by Jack Golden of Leyden, MA, Dr. T an off-duty Springfield police officer juggled, did prat falls and had some fun See Trash and Recycling, Page 8 who had stopped the pickup truck after he saw it dragging the dog. That officer wrote that while travel- Brief snow storm ing eastbound on Feeding Hills Road he observed cars swerving back and forth behind a westbound pickup truck and see’s spike in then saw “a black and brown German Boy Scouts plan Shepard dog tied to a the driver’s side of the truck bed. The dog was being car accidents unique holiday dragged and attempting to keep up with By PETER CURRIER the vehicle and could not as it body was Correspondent fundraiser banging onto the side of the truck.” WESTFIELD- More than 20 motor vehicle acci- The officer stated that he immediate- By LORI SZEPELAK ly turned around and caught up with the dents occurred across Westfield Thursday during a Correspondent brief snow storm that hit the region. truck which pulled into a parking lot WESTFIELD — While city resi- when the operator saw the officer. In a period lasting from 1 p.m. until approximately dents are still buying and decorating 5 p.m., 23 motor vehicle accidents were reported in It was only then, apparently, that the non-artificial trees for the holiday operator (identified as Eduard Shvetsov, the City of Westfield. During that time, six accidents season, a unique fundraiser by Boy occurred on East Mountain Road and two accidents 51, of 152 Sumner Ave., Springfield) Scout Troop 821 will collect those Following the holidays, Boy Scout Troop realized that he had been dragging his happened on North Road within a period of five min- trees curbside on Jan. 5 – for a dona- utes. 821 members will conduct a unique fund- dog, Shirikhan, with his truck. tion. raiser – removing Christmas trees for a The officer stated that the man then There was just one reported injury in which the “This is our first year collecting vehicle’s occupant was transported to Baystate Noble donation. (Submitted photo) trees,” said Cathy Thibodeau, an See Animal Cruelty, Page 8 Hospital due to the vehicle colliding with a viaduct on assistant scoutmaster and a member lection. Persons seeking to have their tree Union Street. The occupant originally declined medi- of the troop’s fundraising subcommit- discarded are asked to leave the undecorated cal attention before deciding to accept transport. tee. “Collecting trees is a very popular tree curbside on Jan. 5 by 8 a.m. A snow date Most of the accidents yielded only minor property idea among many scout groups.” for the collection has been set for Jan. 6. Stanton Hall celebrates damage to the vehicles themselves or the area they Westfield residents are asked to A minimum “suggested” donation is $10 struck. However, several vehicles that were involved visit www.westfieldtakemytree.com with a visit from Santa had to be towed from the scene. and sign up for the Christmas tree col- See Boy Scouts Troop 821, Page 8 and Gingerbread house decorating By AMY PORTER WSU’s Stuff a Correspondent City Water Meter Replacement Continues HUNTINGTON –Santa is going to WESTFIELD – The City of meter replacement to be com- take a break from his busy schedule for Cruiser drive still Westfield has contracted with East pleted. This may include meters a visit to Stanton Hall, 24 Russell Rd.