Latest news with #Westfield
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘A Bed for Every Child' program helps provide beds for children in need across Mass.
WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A local Elks Lodge took part in an initiative ensuring every child in Massachusetts has a safe and comfortable place to sleep. A Bed for Every Child is an initiative with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, a commitment to ensure that every child in the state has somewhere safe to rest. Holyoke Farmers' Market kicks off 2025 season 'We all know how important a good night's sleep is, and these kids aren't getting it when they are sleeping on the floor or whatever or in the homeless shelter,' said Lewana Dyer, Treasurer of the Westfield-West Springfield Elks Lodge #1481. 'So we are trying to satisfy some of that need.' The Westfield-West Springfield Elks Lodge #1481 is bringing together not only its members but also members from other Elks Lodges across western Massachusetts, community members, and even a couple of Boy Scouts, building 20 beds for children in need. The Lodge has been planning and fundraising for this event since October. 'We had a comedy show, we had dinners, members donated, the community donated,' Dyer said. Each bed kit costs $350, but with the money raised, they were able to provide more than just a bed for 20 kids on the wait list. 'We have sheet sets, we have blankets, we have pillows, we have backpacks, we have toys,' Dyer said. 'We have stuffed animals to go along with the beds when they go.' Members and volunteers that weren't able to get down on their hands and knees to build the beds could participate in the Inspiration Station, where they could create unique medallions for each child's bed. 'While each one of these beds may be built uniformly, there is a special element that folks are signing the back of the decal,' said Tina Baptista, Program Director of A Bed for Every Child. 'It's custom and it really just helps make these beds extra special for the child who will soon receive it.' The Westfield-West Springfield Elks Lodge hopes to make this an annual event going forward. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Indiana coroner says police 'dropped the ball' in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
A coroner in Indiana investigating the Fox Hollow Farm serial killer said law enforcement "dropped the ball" when the case was first investigated in the 1990s. Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced in April that his office had identified human remains at Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, that belonged to Daniel Thomas Halloran. He was the tenth victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, whom law enforcement has tied to at least 25 victims. Jellison told Fox News Digital in an interview that he thinks law enforcement didn't handle the case as they should have when they were first investigating it. "I think originally in the investigation, law enforcement did a good job of excavating the remains, but I think as time went on in the investigation, our county really dropped the ball," Jellison said. Fox Hollow Farm Serial Killer's 10Th Victim Identified: Coroner Jellison said local law enforcement in the late 1990s made victims' families pay for DNA testing, and he believes they didn't pursue the possibility of additional victims or suspects aggressively. Read On The Fox News App "They made the decision not to fund DNA testing to identify potential victims in what might be one of the most prolific serial murders in our country. They put the burden of that DNA testing on the families, the cost of that on the family. And I think there was, from a criminal side, the potential for an additional suspect or suspects exists. And I don't know that law enforcement pursued that as aggressively as they could have," he said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Detectives believe Baumeister lured gay men into his home during the 1980s and 1990s, and allegedly killed them. He would then bury their bodies across his 18-acre property, which is known as Fox Hollow Farm, according to detectives. When his family was out of town, Baumeister, who owned the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain, would go to gay bars across the Indianapolis area and allegedly find men to bring home. Investigators first considered Baumeister a suspect in summer 1995, according to Fox 59. But detectives were unable to access his property until 1996, when around 10,000 bones and bone fragments were found. Fox Hollow Serial Killer's Secret Tapes Could Reveal Murder Horrors If Ever Found: Documentary Baumeister killed himself in 1996 at a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were found on his property by his 15-year-old son, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. In April 1998, Hamilton County Sheriff James Bradbury said the case was considered closed. Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter ''If somebody has any information, we don't care who it is, we'd be happy to look at it,'' Bradbury said. ''But Herb Baumeister is the only suspect we have in any of them.'' Families of people allegedly killed by Baumeister spent decades waiting for closure, which Jellison wants to change. He first began an investigation into identifying DNA from the 10,000 bone fragments in 2022. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Jellison said he "cannot imagine" that law enforcement would push the financial burden of a DNA test onto a victim's family in today's world. "These remains represent victims in a homicide, in a murder. So, to say to the families that if you want to know if your loved one was a victim of a murder, I mean, that's a tragedy in and of its own," Jellison said. "I think we're better today. We're more sensitive today to victims and family members of victims of crimes." The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office declined to comment. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Indiana coroner says police 'dropped the ball' in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
Fox News
2 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Indiana coroner says police 'dropped the ball' in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
A coroner in Indiana investigating the Fox Hollow Farm serial killer said law enforcement "dropped the ball" when the case was first investigated in the 1990s. Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced in April that his office had identified human remains at Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, that belonged to Daniel Thomas Halloran. He was the tenth victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, whom law enforcement has tied to at least 25 victims. Jellison told Fox News Digital in an interview that he thinks law enforcement didn't handle the case as they should have when they were first investigating it. "I think originally in the investigation, law enforcement did a good job of excavating the remains, but I think as time went on in the investigation, our county really dropped the ball," Jellison said. Jellison said local law enforcement in the late 1990s made victims' families pay for DNA testing, and he believes they didn't pursue the possibility of additional victims or suspects aggressively. "They made the decision not to fund DNA testing to identify potential victims in what might be one of the most prolific serial murders in our country. They put the burden of that DNA testing on the families, the cost of that on the family. And I think there was, from a criminal side, the potential for an additional suspect or suspects exists. And I don't know that law enforcement pursued that as aggressively as they could have," he said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Detectives believe Baumeister lured gay men into his home during the 1980s and 1990s, and allegedly killed them. He would then bury their bodies across his 18-acre property, which is known as Fox Hollow Farm, according to detectives. When his family was out of town, Baumeister, who owned the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain, would go to gay bars across the Indianapolis area and allegedly find men to bring home. Investigators first considered Baumeister a suspect in summer 1995, according to FOX 59. But detectives were unable to access his property until 1996, when around 10,000 bones and bone fragments were found. Baumeister killed himself in 1996 at a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were found on his property by his 15-year-old son, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. In April 1998, Hamilton County Sheriff James Bradbury said the case was considered closed. ''If somebody has any information, we don't care who it is, we'd be happy to look at it,'' Bradbury said. ''But Herb Baumeister is the only suspect we have in any of them.'' Families of people allegedly killed by Baumeister spent decades waiting for closure, which Jellison wants to change. He first began an investigation into identifying DNA from the 10,000 bone fragments in 2022. Jellison said he "cannot imagine" that law enforcement would push the financial burden of a DNA test onto a victim's family in today's world. "These remains represent victims in a homicide, in a murder. So, to say to the families that if you want to know if your loved one was a victim of a murder, I mean, that's a tragedy in and of its own," Jellison said. "I think we're better today. We're more sensitive today to victims and family members of victims of crimes." The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office declined to comment.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
How Bondi Junction killer fell 'through the cracks' of mental health system
For the first time in almost 14 years Joel Cauchi was not taking any anti-psychotic medication. He was living independently of his parents and was studying and had ambitions of becoming a Chinese language interpreter. It was June of 2019. Cauchi had stopped taking any psychotropic medication and his then psychiatrist said his personality was emerging. But, by April 13, 2024 the man who had discovered life, free from the side effects of that medication, was "floridly psychotic", Counsel Assisting the Coroner Peggy Dwyer SC told the inquest into the Bondi Junction stabbings. Arming himself with a knife, 40-year-old Cauchi entered the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre, in Sydney's east, and stabbed six people dead, injuring another 10 during his horrific rampage, before being shot dead by a police officer. For the past five weeks the New South Wales Coroner, Teresa O'Sullivan, has presided over an emotional inquest into the tragedy, seeking to uncover failings and shortcomings that led to the day that forever changed so many lives. She will consider how Cauchi fell "through the cracks" of the mental health system, as the inquest heard, effectively becoming "lost to the system". And whether medical professionals and police did enough to prevent it. The inquest heard at length from Cauchi's treating doctors, specialists and nurses. He was born on June 13, 1983 and his family first noticed behavioural changes when he was about 14. He was living in his home town of Toowoomba, an inland city west of Brisbane. At 17, he was admitted to the Toowoomba Hospital where he stayed for almost a month. He told doctors that he had hallucinations, reported seeing and feeling demons entering his body, feeling as though his movements were controlled and that people were inserting thoughts in his mind. The initial diagnosis was paranoid psychosis and schizophreniform disorder, a mental health condition similar to schizophrenia but lasting less than six months. Six months later, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. For almost 14 years, Cauchi was medicated on the drug Clozapine – an anti-psychotic medication only prescribed when two other forms of medication fail to manage symptoms of psychosis. Between 2012 and 2015, a decision was made, between Cauchi's then treating psychiatrist Andrea Boros-Lavack, himself and his family, to slowly reduce his Clozapine dose. In early 2016, Dr Boros-Lavack made a note: "Joel was becoming more animated, talkative, and getting in touch with his emotions in a good way. He was appreciating the opportunity to feel this way with reducing the dose of Clopine [a brand name for Clozapine]." "There were no negative effects so far. Spoke about the goal of becoming a Chinese language interpreter then marrying a nice girl, buying a house and working, and to work and live well." Cauchi himself, the doctor said, was very involved in the process of reducing the powerful drug and was "frightened of relapse". By mid-2018, he had ceased Clozapine but remained on a second drug, called Abilify, which then also ceased in June 2019. Cauchi moved out of home and was living independently, in a unit not far from his family home. He had progressed, according to Dr Boros-Lavack, from an inability to even make a cup of tea, to making two-minute soup. It was, in her words, a "milestone". Dr Boros-Lavack said she wanted to keep Cauchi in psychiatric care "for the rest of his life". By November 2019, Cauchi emailed Dr Boros-Lavack's clinic, seeking "ideas for a porn-free phone and other devices". He was expressing concerns about his excessive use of pornography and related insomnia. The same month, Cauchi's mother Michele called the clinic to say that her son was "very unwell" since coming off the medication and would like him reviewed. Michele Cauchi also emailed the clinic that month, telling them of a gradual decline in her son's condition since ceasing the medication. She said he was leaving notes on paper around the place and she believed he may be hearing voices. His obsessive-compulsive disorder, she said, was getting out of hand and that he was going through half a cake of soap in one shower. "He found out last week the place where he volunteers teaching English put someone new on and he'd been hoping to get a job there, so that was a real blow," Mrs Cauchi said. "I would hate to see him have to go back into hospital after 20 years of being stable on medication. But of course, being off it has made him realise how sedating it was … he quite possibly won't let on what is going on in his head, but I think you need to know how he is." Mrs Cauchi had read some of the notes left by her son. They referred to "under satanic control" and religious themes. A decision was made to recommence the drug Abilify, in a low dose. Dr Boros-Lavack was fearful it was early warning signs of a relapse of schizophrenia. Cauchi didn't take the medication. In an exchange with Dr Dwyer, Dr Boros-Lavack maintained she did not believe Cauchi was psychotic at that time of his mother's concerns. In fact, she said, he had been fearful of having contracted HIV after a sexual encounter and had gone to hospital to get antiviral drugs. "It wasn't the psychosis. It wasn't even early warning signs of relapse. It was based on his fear of STD. It was based on his sexual frustration, what he told us later on, about prostitutes and women and sex," Dr Boros-Lavack told the inquest. Her last face-to-face appointment with Cauchi was January 8, 2020. Dr Dwyer put to her that she must have suspected at that time that there might be symptoms of psychosis, given what had been reported by his mum and conflict at home. Dr Boros-Lavack's answer was unequivocal: "I was absolutely sure that he wasn't psychotic and that early warning signs of relapse was a false alarm. It was not psychotically driven." A month later, Cauchi's mother again rang the clinic, expressing concern that his self-care was poor, his place was a mess, he was isolated and irritable and swearing. A panel of five psychiatrists, called by the court to provide opinions on Cauchi's mental health treatment, agreed it was "reasonable" for Dr Boros-Lavack to reduce Cauchi's dose of Clozapine in order to find an "optimal dose" that would minimise unpleasant side effects of the drug. But one of the psychiatrists, Edward Heffernan, said he counted nine occasions that were of concern – relating to insomnia, his mother suspecting symptoms, a change in behaviour and satanic control. "To me, this flags we are probably having a psychotic episode here," Professor Heffernan said. Merete Nordentoft, a leading Danish psychiatrist, said the concerns were not taken seriously enough and described this period as a "missed opportunity" to put Cauchi back on anti-psychotic medication. In her opening address, Dr Dwyer said the inquest would review Cauchi's mental health treatment, where he was effectively without treatment and without adequate supervision for nearly five years before the Bondi killings. "We know from the evidence in the brief that Mr Cauchi had several interactions with Queensland police officers, including most notably in January 2023 where Queensland Police were called to Mr Cauchi's family home [in Toowoomba] following an incident where his father had confiscated a number of knives that were a similar style to that used by Mr Cauchi on April 13, 2024," Dr Dwyer said. "Mr Cauchi's father was worried about him having those knives, and the court will explore whether that was an opportunity missed for intervention by police, which may have resulted in Mr Cauchi being re-engaged with the mental health system at that time." By April 2024, Cauchi had been unmedicated for almost five years and was homeless in Sydney, where he had moved. "He had no consistent or formal engagement with the mental health system, or the health system more generally, and he was effectively lost to follow-up, the consequences of which were the catastrophic events of 13 April," Dr Dwyer said. "How that happened, and what could have been done differently, are key issues in this inquest." The inquest has now adjourned until October, when submissions will be heard ahead of coronial recommendations.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
WTA Aviation Class of 2025 called ‘future of aviation'
WESTFIELD — After welcoming everyone to the Aviation Maintenance Technology program graduation for the Class of 2025, department head Galen Wilson acknowledged fellow Aviation instructors Scott Hepburn, Christopher Chaves and Timothy Pfau and Aviation Advisory Board chair Kenneth Dromgold. 'Another great year, another great class. These students will have an impact on the aviation industry.' Wilson said the students had completed 1250 hours of training, tests, evaluations, projects, presentations and readings to make it through the only FAA-certified program in New England. 'It takes a special student to complete it. They have endured a lot. Bottom line, we did it!' Mayor Michael McCabe came to the podium, saying it was intimidating to speak with an F15 right in front of him. Hangar 2 at Westfield Barnes Airport had been mostly cleared of aircraft for the ceremony that were now parked on the landing strip along with a visiting F15 from the Air National Guard 104th. McCabe remarked on the 50% female composition of the Aviation Class of 2025 as he welcomed family and friends, representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration, Gulfstream, and Westfield State University who he said were checking out the program. He then presented certificates from the City of Westfield to each member of the Class of 2025. 'This is one of my favorite days of the year. Being able to celebrate our kids as they move into the future is a blast,' McCabe said. Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski told the graduates, 'Aviation needs people like you,' He said the field requires precision, accountability and an unwavering commitment to safety, skills which he called impressive and essential. 'Thank you for choosing this path. Your future is not only bright, it's airborne.' 'I feel so indebted to and proud of this program,' said keynote speaker Senator John Velis, who is co-chair of the state Aviation Caucus. He said it coincides with his time in office, and he remembers walking from the hangar to Westfield Technical Academy with a plane at 3 a.m. in 2016 for the grand opening of the program. Velis said in the beginning, people were amazed that the program was happening in Massachusetts. 'Now, when we have this conversation, they say 'we know all about it.' We are proud — you should be proud, and I hope you are.' Velis' speech then paused for an emergency response to a medical emergency in the hangar that had a successful outcome. When he resumed, his message to the graduates shifted. 'Far more important than what we're doing today is your well-being,' Velis told the graduates. He said one of the things he knows as chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, is that the numbers are scary on the impact of mental health on young adults, which he said isn't talked about enough. 'If you find yourself at any point in the future or a friend finds themselves struggling, remember these three most important words — 'I need help.' Please get it. You're going to find in the not-too-distant future circumstances where you're going to fail at something — not a single person who hasn't. What separates those who push forward and who don't is your response,' he said. 'You make us so proud. Thank you for going down this path. Remember, you've got a lot of people in this room who want to help out,' Velis said. Wilson then introduced the Class of 2025 Distinguished Graduate Mason Jacquier of Southwick. In describing Jacquier he said he was a soccer captain, class treasurer, on the Student Council, in the National Technical Honor Society, 4H Club, Key Club, captain of the Aviation Explorers Post, flying, and 'oh yeah, not bad at motocross either,' in which he said Jacquier has won numerous awards. Jacquier will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida to study aerospace engineering. 'It's an honor to speak at our graduation. When we started as freshmen, we were intimidated … We were met with unwavering support, constant encouragement and guidance,' Jacquier said. He said over the four years they developed confidence, patience and pride, and were pushed out of their comfort zone and are on their way to becoming pilots, air traffic controllers and in the Air National Guard. After he spoke, pilot Ray Robidoux of the Westfield Aviation Museum located in Hangar 3 joined Jacquier at the podium to present him with a $2,000 scholarship. 'We present this scholarship as our way of saying thank you. The graduates today are the future of aviation,' Robidoux said. Scott Hepburn, instructor of the Class of 2025, thanked the other instructors for bringing the class over the finish line. He said it was a pleasure to have them for 3.5 years, 1911 hours total. He then awarded certificates to the FAA Program graduates and the non-FAA Aviation Program graduate, telling stories about each one before presenting them. The FAA Program graduates of the Class of 2025 include Savannah Chapman of Granville, who will be entering the Air National Guard 104th; Rielynn Cigal of Westfield, who will be going to Springfield Technical Community College for medical studies, and Hailey Dubiel of Westfield, who will go to CT AeroTech. Hepburn said Dubiel entered WTA 'bound and determined to get into aviation,' adding that she was one of the smartest students to ever come through, having only one test score less than 100 at a 97. Also graduating were Emma Fernandes of Westfield, who will go to Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Jason Harris of Westfield, headed to CT Aero Tech, Mason Jacquier of Southwick, going to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Jason Jones of Westfield, who will be going to STCC. Thomas Knapik of Westfield will be the first graduate of the program to become an Air Traffic Controller through the FAA. In a presentation before the School Committee in November, Knapik said he first thought about becoming a pilot, but discovered through the program 'the infinite possibilities in aviation.' Hepburn said about Olivia Pease of Westhampton that she came in wanting to be a private pilot by graduation, and became one. She will be entering STCC in the fall, and has a goal of becoming a commercial pilot. Joshua Masse of Westfield will be going to work at Bombardier in Windsor Locks and Mark Poznyur and Maya Reyes will join Gulfstream at Westfield Barnes. Non-FAA Aviation Program graduate Andrew Reed of Southwick will be going to Atlantic Aviation as a line technician. Hepburn said you could ask him whatever you wanted to know about airplanes. 'He knew so much about our planes, and is an incredible photographer,' he said about Reed, whose extended family in Southwick and South Carolina came to the graduation to support him. 'It's time to push this program bigger,' Hepburn said. He said they can only accept 14 students per year out of the 80 to 100 that want aviation. 'I'd like to double this program in the next couple of years — some way, somehow.' Wilson also awarded numbers 21 and 22 of the 25 coins made to distinguish the first 25 students from the program to complete their FAA certification. Wilson, a 30-year veteran of the US Air Force called it a USAF tradition. 'It means that you are a member of an elite group of people.' Coin number 21 was presented to Brandon Laviolette and number 22 to Zachary Fedora. Read the original article on MassLive.
