The bill would give Massachusetts police chiefs the right to go to court to try to deny firearms identification cards needed to buy rifles or shotguns to individuals they feel are unsuitable.

BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick has a handful of bills on his desk awaiting his signature, including a proposed overhaul of the state's gun laws.

The bill would give Massachusetts police chiefs the right to go to court to try to deny firearms identification cards needed to buy rifles or shotguns to individuals they feel are unsuitable.

The bill makes other changes to state gun laws, including creating a Web-based portal within the state Executive Office of Public Safety to allow real-time background checks in private gun sales, stiffening penalties for some gun-based crimes and calling for the creation of a firearms trafficking unit within the state police.

The bill also mandates that Massachusetts join the National Instant Background Check System, which requires the state to transmit information about substance abuse or mental health commitments to a federal database used by police to review firearms applications.

The legislation also requires that schools have access to two-way communication devices with police and fire departments and mandates that school districts provide two hours of suicide awareness and prevention training to school personnel every three years.

The bill would also require police chiefs to give written reasons for any applications they choose to deny. Their decisions would have to be based on public safety and could be appealed.

Although the bill doesn't include Patrick's proposal to limit gun purchases to one per month per individual, he is expected to sign it

Patrick has until Thursday to take action on it.

Another bill awaiting Patrick's signature is a proposal that would limit the amount of time that could pass before people who have lost homes to foreclosure could seek to regain the title. Critics say the bill will disproportionately harm minority communities.

An additional bill on Patrick's desk is a $1.9 billion, four-year environmental bond bill.

Among the dozens of spending projects in the bill is $100 million for the dredging of Boston and New Bedford harbors and another $100 million for the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the design, construction and preservation of forests, parks, harbor islands and other recreational facilities.

Patrick has already signed a number of high-profile bills into law, including a new substance abuse law that requires insurers to reimburse patients for addiction treatment from licensed counselors and removes prior-authorization requirements for outpatient substance abuse treatment

The law requires chief medical examiners to report overdose deaths to the state Health Department and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, making it easier for public health agencies to identify ways to reduce the risk of additional overdoses.

In March, Patrick declared a public health emergency in Massachusetts in response to what he called the state's growing epidemic of heroin overdoses and opioid addiction.

This past week, Patrick signed into law a bill designed to help modernize the operations and financial management of local housing authorities while encouraging the authorities to find ways to improve the lives of tenants.

Another bill signed this week by Patrick authorizes the state to borrow money to bring high-speed Internet to schools and underserved parts of the state, including a $38 million pilot grant program for school connectivity and $50 million for the Massachusetts Broadband Institute.

Woods, 82, went to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City and has played alto saxophone with Count Basie, Quincy Jones and Billy Joel, to name a few.

SPRINGFIELD - The lilting sounds of big band music, jazz and merengue drifted over the downtown on Saturday, drawing about 1,000 people to Court Square during what emerged as a banner weekend for the city.

Spectacular blue skies. Legendary basketball stars. A top notch lineup for the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival, where tons of people set up chairs on the city's green to listen to the likes of Phil Woods with the Greg Caputo Big Band, Mikata, and the Charmaine Neville Band featuring Charles Neville of the famed musical family.

Nearly each act brought down the house and meanwhile, Charmaine Neville and 22-year-old saxophone phenom Grace Kelly offered music workshops at the nearby Community Music School on State Street.

"This makes me proud to live in Springfield. I wish they had things like this more often," said resident Mindy Garcia, who came down for the festival with her husband, Edward Garcia.

The festival, which was free, also featured a beer tent and local food vendors including Adolfo's, Nadim's, the Q Restaurant and Elegant Affairs.

"It's not Newport - yet!" Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joked to the crowd before presenting Woods, a Springfield native and graduate of the former Springfield Technical High School, with a key to the city.

"I don't give many of these out," Sarno said, estimating that he has bestowed less than a handful throughout his three terms as mayor.

Woods, 82, went to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City and has played alto saxophone with Count Basie, Quincy Jones and Billy Joel, to name a few.

"I couldn't be more proud," he told the crowd. "My parents always told me to be the best at whatever I did, so I'm trying to do that."

Ambassador Evan Plotkin, a downtown real estate developer and one of the primary organizers of the event, said jazz music unites crowds like few other art forms.

"I love music, I love jazz, and I love things that bring people together. There's nothing like jazz to bring people together," Plotkin said. "It's like a perfect storm."

This year's jazz festival revived a jazz festival founded by former city worker John G. Osborn, who also was honored at the festival. This was the first in four years, Plotkin said.

The full moon of Sunday, Aug. 10 will coincide with the moon's closest approach to the Earth during the month, or perigee – a supermoon.

Look up in the sky. Is it a beach ball? Is it a balloon? No, it's Supermoon 2014! And it's coming to a sky near you!

The full moon of Sunday, Aug. 10 will coincide with the moon's closest approach to the Earth during the month, or perigee. When a full moon and perigee occur at the same time, folks (especially us media types) call it a supermoon, or maybe super moon, and sometimes super full moon.

What do scientists call it?

Even astronomers use the term "supermoon." When they're among themselves, they might say "perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system," the technical term for the phenomenon, according to timeanddate.com, which has a good overview of supermoons here ». Here's how timeanddate.com's Supermoon article defines syzygy:

In astronomy, the term “syzygy” refers to the straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies, which also occurs during a full moon.

According to EarthSky.com, astronomers simply called the event a "perigee full moon" or "perigee new moon" before "supermoon" showed up (a new moon is the opposite of a full moon – you can't see the moon at all during a new moon).

When does Supermoon 2014 actually happen?

The August 2014 full moon happens at the same time all over the world. What time that is depends on your time zone. In Springfield, Massachusetts, for example, it's exactly full at 2:10 p.m. on Aug. 10. In Springfield, Oregon, the time difference makes it 11:10 a.m., also on the 10th.

In Springfield, South Australia, a ritzy suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide, the Supermoon is full on Aug. 11 at 3:40 a.m.

You won't be able to see the exact full moon on Sunday in Massachusetts because it won't rise until early evening. Moonrise – Supermoonrise – here in Springfield is at 7:41 p.m. on Sunday, according to timeanddate.com. The moon travels across the sky for a little more than 11 hours, setting at 6:58 a.m. on Monday morning, the 11th. In our other Springfields:

• The moon rises at 8:12 p.m. Sunday and sets at 7:25 Monday in Springfield, Oregon
• It rises at 6:26 p.m. and sets at 7:36 a.m. in Springfield, South Australia

You can follow links on timeanddate.com to find out when the moon rises and sets in your city or town, or someplace close to it.

Where can you see the August 2014 Supermoon?

You can see the Supermoon from wherever you are if the sky is clear. The moon always rises in the east. It'll look its most super when it rises or sets. According to a NASA.gov article titled "Three Supermoons in a Row (more on that later in this article):

The illusion occurs when the Moon is near the horizon. For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, low-hanging Moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects. When the Moon illusion amplifies a perigee Moon, the swollen orb rising in the east at sunset can seem super indeed.

So, will that sky be clear for those of us in Massachusetts? Clear skies are in the forecast, according to meteorologist Mike Skurko of CBS 3 Springfield, the media partner of The Republican / MassLive. Other Springfield forecasts from timeanddate.com:

• Springfield, Oregon: The forecast looks good for clear skies
• Springfield, South Australia (where it's winter): The forecast calls for clear skies and lows in the low- to mid-40s Fahrenheit.

Live coverage

The Slooh Community Observatory will have live "Mega-Moon" coverage beginning Sunday at 7:30 p.m. EDT here »

When's the next Supermoon?

If you can't make the August 2014 Supermoon, you won't have to wait long for another, according to NASA. The next full moon, on Sept. 9, will also be a supermoon. In fact, NASA says, the August supermoon is the middle of three supermoons in a row, but will be the most super because perigee occurs in the same hour as the full moon (the supermoons of July and September took or will take place on the same day as perigee).

However, not every agrees that next month's full moon will be a supermoon. Timeanddate.com says the next one will take place on Sept. 27, 2015. The website uses this criterion for supermoon qualification:

If a full moon is closer than 360,000 kilometers (ca. 223,694 miles) at perigee, it is considered a supermoon

Want to know more about the moon and its phases?

Here are some resources for more information about the moon and its monthly orbit around our planet:

"Understanding moon phases" from EarthSky.org »

"Earth's Moon" from NASA.gov »

One victim was shot around 5:30 p.m. on Union Street.

Update: Springfield resident Lamar Kelley identified as murder victim in Union Street shooting

SPRINGFIELD — Police are investigating a shooting that occurred on Union Street around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Ambulances, police cars and crime scene tape surrounded the area between William DeBerry School and a multiple family house at 658 Union St.

Police have confirmed that one victim was shot and taken to Baystate Medical Center for treatment. No information is available on the victim or the suspect.

Witnesses said they heard several loud pops and police cars began to arrive.

Masslive.com and The Republican will have more on this story as it develops.

Amherst firefighters are responding to a fire at the apartment complex on East Hadley Road.

AMHERST — The Amherst Police Department has confirmed a large fire at the Southpoint Townhouses & Apartments on East Hadley Road.

Firefighters responded to the scene shortly after 5 p.m. on Saturday. No information is currently available on the severity of the fire.

MassLive.com and The Republican will provide more information as it becomes available.

Central Command said the strikes near Sinjar were spread out, with three before noon Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday and one about 3 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- American jet fighters and drones have conducted four more airstrikes on Islamic militants in Iraq, taking out armored carriers and a truck that were firing on civilians, military officials said Saturday.

U.S. Central Command said the Islamic State militants were firing on Yazidi civilians near Sinjar. The refugees have been taking shelter in the Sinjar mountains.

Central Command said the strikes near Sinjar were spread out, with three before noon Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday and one about 3 p.m.

The military said indications suggest that the strikes were successful in destroying the armored vehicles.

This is the third round of airstrikes against Islamic State forces by the U.S. military since they were authorized by President Barack Obama.

The “Ice Bucket Challenge” seeks to raise awareness and funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

WESTFIELD – State and local officials accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge for Lou Gehrig’s disease Saturday and stood on the steps of City Hall as they doused themselves with frozen cubes and cold water.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, joined by state Sen. Donald F. Humason Jr., R-Westfield, and state Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, accepted the challenge from Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, who had ice water dumped on his head after being nominated by City Clerk Brenna McGee and City Councilor James Leahy.

The “Ice Bucket Challenge” seeks to raise awareness and funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

“I accepted the challenge from Mayor Morse yesterday at noon,” Knapik said.

The original fundraising effort to build awareness as well as funds was pioneered by former Boston College baseball standout Pete Frates who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. He and another ALS patient challenged their social media followers to take the dunk within 24 hours or donate $100 to the cause.

So far, all those challenged have not only stood by as ice and water has doused them, but they have also donated the $100 to the Pete Frates #3 Fund.

In accepting, the mayor said he wanted to make the event one that would be uniquely Westfield and did so by donning a Westfield Babe Ruth uniform belonging to team coach Frank Mochak in support of the team as it heads to Florida for the World Series.

“I said, ‘If I do this, I will donate $100 to ALS and another $100 to our Babe Ruth team,” said the mayor.

Knapik, in turn, challenged West Springfield Mayor Ed Sullivan, Agawam Mayor Richard A. Cohen and Karl J. Stinehart, chief administrative officer for the Town of Southwick.

“You have been given notice,” Knapik said.

Reached later, Stinehart said he accepts the challenge and will continue the venture by extending the same invitation to “three other people that I love.”

“I have known people with loved ones who have ALS, and it’s definitely a worthwhile cause that should be supported,” he said. “I will do that with a check and by having the ice dumped on me. I am honored to be among the three musketeers with mayors Cohen and Sullivan.”

Stinehart said he will leave the technical aspect of the challenge up to his wife, Elizabeth, to document with video and post to Facebook. He will reward her by giving her the job of soaking him.

“I have no doubt my wife would love to dump ice over my head.”

The mayor’s wife, Tricia, had the honor of soaking her husband while Humason and Velis emptied bucket of ice over their own heads.

“She’s been waiting 12 years to do this,” Knapik quipped of his wife.

Velis, who wore a Kevin J. Major Foundation T-shirt in support of this weekend’s hockey tournament in memory of the talented player who passed away two years ago in a drowning accident caused by a heart defect, challenged his campaign manager, Westfield Police Commissioner Felix Otero, to take a soaking also.

“It was a hot day, and I never back down to a challenge,” Velis said. “I, in turn, nominate my good friend, Felix Otero, for the Ice Bucket Challenge. You have 24 hours.”

The bucket of ice and water Humason emptied over his own head on a hot, August day was refreshing for the senator who, for the past 10 years, has taken the January Penguin Plunge into the icy waters of Congamond Lake and Hampton Ponds to raise funds for the Amelia Park Children’s Museum.

“A day like today was perfect for this,” he said. “This is fantastic.”

President Barack Obama on Saturday fled Washington for his familiar spot on Martha's Vineyard for a two-week summer vacation, which comes as the U.S. is engaged in airstrikes against Islamic militant targets in Iraq.

CHILMARK, Mass. -- President Barack Obama on Saturday fled Washington for his familiar spot on Martha's Vineyard for a two-week summer vacation, which comes as the U.S. is engaged in airstrikes against Islamic militant targets in Iraq.

Obama, along with wife Michelle, daughter Malia and dogs Bo and Sunny, arrived at a Coast Guard station on Cape Cod before heading to the island off the Massachusetts coast. The presidential motorcade wove its way around Martha's Vineyard before pulling down a secluded drive that led to the Obamas' rented vacation house.

The Obamas' youngest daughter, Sasha, was not on Air Force One, but the White House said she would be joining the family for part of the vacation.

The president spent just 30 minutes at the house before taking off for the golf course. Joining Obama for a round at the Farm Neck Golf Club were former NFL player Ahmad Rashad, NBA player Ray Allen, and Cyrus Walker, the cousin of White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.

Obama has spent at least part of his summer in Martha's Vineyard each year he has been president except 2012, when he was running for re-election. In an unusual twist, he's breaking up his vacation with a two-day return to Washington midway through the trip.

Obama's advisers have been cagey about why the president is returning to Washington, saying only that he plans to hold in-person meetings at the White House

The president typically keeps a low-profile on his annual summer vacations, making the occasional visit into town and playing several rounds of golf. But he will headline a Democratic fundraiser on the island Monday night.

Before departing Washington Saturday, Obama said told reporters that he was ready "to not have a suit on for a while."

The fire started in the bathroom of 119 Ashley St.

SPRINGFIELD — A bathroom fire, which caused between $10,000 and $15,000 in damage, was caused by an electric curling iron, said Dennis Leger, executive aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

Firefighters responded to 119 Ashley St. Apt. 10 at 6:59 p.m. on Saturday, Leger said.

The fire, which destroyed the bathroom, started after the electric curling iron burned through the counter, he said.

There were no injuries, but the two occupants of the apartment will be displaced, Leger said.

This is the second fire on Saturday caused by electrical appliances. Around 8:18 a.m. firefighters responded to a fire at 653 State St. The fire started when an electric iron was heated and left on a bed.

"A couple hundred" people came out of apartment buildings after an officer with the Ferguson Police Department shot and killed the male, police said.

FERGUSON, Mo. -- A large crowd of angry residents confronted police officers Saturday afternoon, yelling such things as "kill the police" after an officer fatally shot a male in a St. Louis-area neighborhood.

Officer Brian Schellman, spokesman for the St. Louis County Police Department, said "a couple hundred" people came out of apartment buildings after an officer with the Ferguson Police Department shot and killed the male. Schellman did not identify the person who was shot or say what prompted the shooting.

John Gaskin, a member of the St. Louis County NAACP, called on the FBI's assistance was needed "to protect the integrity of the investigation."

"With the recent events of a young man killed by the police in New York City and with Trayvon Martin and with all the other African-American young men that have been killed by police officers ... this is a dire concern to the NAACP, especially our local organization," Gaskin said.



Gaskin said officials in the organization spoke with St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, who told them the male was a teenager and had been shot twice.

Schellman declined to give any information about the male who was shot, including his age or race, because police were still trying to notify relatives.

After the shooting, some people yelled threats toward the police, and officers said they thought they heard gunshots, Schellman said. There were no reports of additional injuries, he said.

After the crowd gathered, police at the scene called for about 60 other police units to respond to the area in Ferguson, a city of about 21,000 residents located a few miles north of downtown St. Louis. According to the U.S. Census Bureau from 2012, about two-thirds of the residents are black.

Schellman said the crowd was under control by about 5 p.m. and several of the additional officers had left the area.

Gaskin said the angry crowd was reacting to a "trauma."

"Anytime you have this type of event that's taken place, emotions are going to run high," he said. "But for 600 people to gather around an area to see where a man is lying in the street, that means something happened that should have not happened."

The shooting occurred around 5 :06 p.m. in the area of Union and Monroe streets.

SPRINGFIELD — Police have identified Lamar P. Kelly, 26, of Springfield, as the city's latest murder victim.

Springfield Police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said officers responded to the area of Monroe and Union streets around 5:06 p.m. Saturday following a Shotspotter activation.

Delaney said Kelly was found in a walkway near William DeBerry Elementary School. Kelly was suffering from a single gunshot wound.

"Officers performed first aid and assisted EMTs getting him to a local hospital. The victim was pronounced dead shortly after arrival," Delaney said in a prepared statement.

The Springfield Police Department’s Homicide Unit was called in under the direction of Lt. Maurice Kearney. Springfield Police Evidence Technicians are on the scene and are being assisted by the State Police Ballistics Team.

Detectives and uniformed police officers combed the area, speaking to witnesses in an attempt to gather information. Police are looking for a small grey Honda that was observed speeding away close to where the shooting took place. No descriptions of suspects are available at this time, he said.

Detectives processing the scene and working on this investigation discovered a large bag of white powder weighing 53 grams on the victim. The bag is consistent with cocaine and is being tagged as evidence and will be sent for analysis. Investigators determined that this was not a random shooting and is possibly drug/gang related, Delaney said.

Police Commissioner John Barbieri has ordered extra patrols in the Union Street vicinity throughout the weekend. Barbieri and his command staff already placed more officers in the area of Mason Square and this type of patrol will continue, Delaney added.

Anyone with any information in regards to this homicide are advised to call the Springfield Police Department's Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355 or “Text-a-Tip.”

Plans to open the state's first slot parlor are moving forward at a harness racing track near the Rhode Island state line despite a vote in three months on whether to repeal Massachusetts' 2011 casino law, which made the project possible.

By PHILIP MARCELO, Associated Press

PLAINVILLE, Mass. (AP) — Plans to open the state's first slot parlor are moving forward at a harness racing track near the Rhode Island state line despite a vote in three months on whether to repeal Massachusetts' 2011 casino law, which made the project possible.

Penn National Gaming won the state's first gambling license for a proposed slot parlor at the Plainridge Racecourse in February and officially broke ground on the $225 million project in March. A construction crew of about 200 is working on the 100-acre property.

The parlor is being built beside the racetrack's current clubhouse and simulcast betting facility. It will feature about 1,250 slot machines as well as video poker and video blackjack terminals.

Jay Snowden, Penn National's chief operating officer, said the company is moving forward with its plans despite the November vote.

"It's a risk, but it's a calculated risk," he said on a recent site visit with company officials, local politicians and labor union leaders. "We're confident we'll prevail in November."

In the coming weeks, the Wyomissing, Pennsylvania-based company will begin taking applications for about 500 permanent jobs at the casino. By November, it expects to have spent more than $100 million on the project and to have the exterior construction finished. The facility, which will be called Plainridge Park Casino, is set to open next June.

Darek Barcikowski, campaign manager for the anti-casino "Repeal the Casino Deal" group, said Penn National is overconfident. He noted that other gambling operators — notably MGM Resorts International, which was granted a casino license for its $800 million Springfield development — have chosen to wait out the November vote before breaking ground.

Casino supporters, however, see the construction activity at Plainridge as a critical piece in the run-up to November, providing voters a tangible example of the casino law's economic potential.

"As we head toward November, people will be able to see a symbolic representation of exactly what this particular industry can bring to Massachusetts," said Senate Minority Whip Richard Ross, a Wrentham Republican. "People should get excited. The economic development here is real."

Labor unions representing some construction workers on the site promise to hammer home that economic development message to voters in the weeks and months ahead.

"When you bring organized labor into a political fight, it's about troops on the ground," said David Fenton, business manager for the Local 223 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Penn National, meanwhile, has joined with MGM and Mohegan Sun, which is seeking a casino license to open a $1.3 billion resort outside Boston, to finance a recently formed political organization to defeat the ballot question.

It's called the Committee to Preserve Jobs Associated with Casino Gaming Law.

Plainville Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes applauds the company for moving forward with the project despite the uncertainty.

The town, which has just over 8,000 residents, stands to earn at least $1.5 million in annual property taxes from the slot parlor project, as well as roughly $2 million to $3 million a year in gambling profits through an agreement with Penn National that local voters overwhelmingly approved. That revenue, Fernandes said, will help pay for capital projects, such as a new town hall and public safety complex without burdening taxpayers.

"There's an awful lot at stake. I'm about as nervous as a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs on this thing," he said. "We're looking at getting a huge chunk of change for very little impact on (public) services."

A 64-year-old man was killed in a three-alarm fire which destroyed a apartment building in Revere on Saturday evening.

REVERE, Mass. (AP) -- An unidentified person has been killed in an apartment fire in Revere.

CBS affiliate WBZ-TV reports that the victim, whose name was not immediately released, was found in a closet of the four-story apartment building after fire broke out there around 9 p.m. Saturday.

Another resident and two Revere firefighters were injured. The fire started on the third floor of the eight-unit building at 190 Campbell St. and spread rapidly through the building, eventually displacing around 36 people.

The Red Cross was assisting the three dozen people were driven out by the fire and the cause of the fire is being investigated by the Massachusetts Fire Marshall's Office.

The Suffolk District Attorney's Office says there is no indication the fire which claimed the life of a 64-year-old man was suspicious or intentionally set.

Police say a 15-year-old boy is dead and two men are in critical but stable condition after assailants opened fire into their car while it was stopped at a road intersection in New Haven.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Police say a 15-year-old boy is dead and two men are in critical but stable condition after assailants opened fire into their car while it was stopped at a road intersection in New Haven.

Police said another teenager was uninjured in the Friday night attack at the intersection of Davenport Avenue with Vernon Street which happened around 9 p.m.

Police believe that the victims' car was specifically targeted by at least two people who approached it and fired several rounds into the vehicle.

Authorities say Jacob Craggett died in hospital. The wounded include 22-year-old Timothy Jones, who was the driver, and 23-year-old Joshua Craggett.

The uninjured teen was identified as Jerray Jackson. All victims live in New Haven.

Mayor Toni Harp lamented the killing and police asked anyone with information to contact investigators at 203-946-6316.

The retaking of the two towns in Nineveh province is significant because it is the first victory by the Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, that until now have been in retreat.

BAGHDAD (AP) — A senior Kurdish military official says his forces have retaken two towns from the Sunni militants that have seized large parts of northern Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Shirko Fatih said Sunday the Kurdish fighters were able to push the militants of the Islamic State group out of the villages of Makhmour and al-Gweir.

The retaking of the two towns in Nineveh province is significant because it is the first victory by the Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, that until now have been in retreat.

Radical Sunni fighters seized Mosul in June and then went on to take even more towns, sending tens of thousands of minorities fleeing into the Kurdish-controlled region.

Officials say a car carrying three teenagers drove through a porch before pulling away and crashing into another home in Lynn.

LYNN, Mass. (AP) -- Officials say an Acura coupe carrying three teenagers drove through a porch before pulling away and crashing into another home in Lynn.

WCVB-TV reports that the Lynn fire chief says the three youngsters were in the car that plowed through a porch early Sunday morning before driving away and striking another home.

No one needed to be hospitalized.

The foundation of one of the homes was damaged. It was not known if anyone was home at the time or if the teenagers had been cited.

They were not identified.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Christopher Muise 

Christopher R. Muise, 32, passed away on Aug. 2. He obtained his GED after attending Palmer High School. He worked for a number of years as an audio-visual technician for MassMutual Financial Services Group, and most recently helped out giving care to his ill grandmother.

Authorities say the 18-year-old black man who was shot and killed by police in suburban St. Louis was unarmed.

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) -- An unarmed 18-year-old black man was shot and killed by police in suburban St. Louis after an altercation that involved two people and an officer, authorities said Sunday while hundreds of protesters demanded answers outside.

Police have not disclosed the name of the man who was killed, but family members say it was 18-year-old Michael Brown.

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said at a news conference that an officer encountered two people on the street near an apartment complex Saturday afternoon in Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb a few miles north of downtown St. Louis.

Belmar said one of the men pushed the officer back into his squad car and the struggle began. Belmar said at least one shot was fired from the officer's gun inside the police car.

The struggle spilled out into the street, where one of the two people was shot multiple times. Belmar said the exact number of shots wasn't known, but "It was more than just a couple." He also said all shell casings found at the scene matched the officer's gun.

Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said the man who was shot was unarmed.

Jackson said police are in contact with the second person who was involved in the altercation, but that the person has not been arrested or charged and is expected to be interviewed later Sunday. Authorities aren't sure if the second person was unarmed, Jackson said.

During the news conference, which was held in a separate building, some protesters walked into the Ferguson Police Department chanting "don't shoot me" and holding their hands in the air. Officers stood at the top of a staircase and stopped the crowd without using force.

Others outside shouted "We want answers" and "no justice, no peace," and some carried signs saying "stop police terrorism" and "disarm the police."

The St. Louis County Police are in charge of the investigation. On Saturday, John Gaskin, a member of the St. Louis County NAACP, said the FBI should get involved "to protect the integrity of the investigation." And State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch she would ask the U.S. Justice Department on Monday for a formal investigation.

Gaskin alluded to the 2012 racially charged shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a Florida neighborhood watch organizer who was subsequently acquitted of murder charges, as well as the New York man who died from a police chokehold after he was confronted for selling individual cigarettes.

"With the recent events of a young man killed by the police in New York City and with Trayvon Martin and with all the other African-American young men that have been killed by police officers ... this is a dire concern to the NAACP, especially our local organization," Gaskin said.

The officer has been with the Ferguson Police Department for six years and that he wasn't aware of other issues involving the man, Belmar said. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is a common procedure after officer-involved shootings.

After the news conference, several protesters yelled at the officers who surrounded the crowd.

"I don't want you killing my child just because he walked out the door," Shontell Walters, of Ferguson, said.

Brown's grandmother, Desiree Harris, said Saturday she saw him in her neighborhood, and minutes later, she heard a commotion and went outside. She found Brown's body less than two blocks away.

"My grandson never even got into a fight," she said of Brown, who she added had recently graduated high school. "He was just looking forward to getting on with his life. He was on his way."

Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, had harsh words Saturday for authorities.

"You're not God, you don't get to decide when you get to take somebody from here," she told KSDK.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a former Brookfield clerk accused of breaking into town hall and stealing money.

BROOKFIELD, Mass. (AP) — An arrest warrant has been issued for a former Brookfield clerk accused of breaking into town hall and stealing money.

 

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that Beth Conant is accused of taking money from a safe after quitting her job and stealing money from deposits while employed for the town.

Police say they unsuccessfully tried to locate her and issued a summons for her to appear in court. When she failed to do so, an arrest warrant was issued.

The 50-year-old Conant faces charges of breaking and entering and trying to break into a locked safe in the tax collector's office to steal money. Police say those incidents took place on July 29.

Conant told town officials when she quit she was an alcoholic seeking rehabilitation.

It was not known Sunday if she has a lawyer.

While U.S. bishops in disagreement with some legislation back by the Obama administration, immigration reform is something they have advocated for years.

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, will be installed as the ninth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, on Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. at St. Michael's Cathedral, with a public reception at 5 p.m., at the Better Living Center on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

During a recent wide-ranging interview, Springfield's Bishop Mitchell Rozanski, loyal to Orioles, Church doctrine and being a listener, the 56-year-old Baltimore native talked briefly about the need for immigration reform, as well as the need to look behind the issues that drive poor Central American families to pay for their children to be smuggled illegally into their United States, or who risk sending the children alone on a long, dangerous journey.

The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, long at odds with the Obama administration over aspects of the Affordable Care Act, the legalization of same sex unions, as well as the right to abortion under Roe v. Wade, have long been supporters of immigration reform.

Back in 2011, Rozanski spoke out in support of Maryland's DREAM Act. The act had passed the state legislature and was considered one of the most strict in terms of which students, without legal documentation, were allowed to pay in-county tuition at community colleges, and in-state tuition at Maryland colleges and universities, but there was a successful campaign to make the act a referendum issue.

“We hope and pray that the people of Maryland will consider the merits of this law, with honest minds and open hearts, and will choose to support it as well," said Rozanski, during a 2011 press conference, as reported in the Baltimore diocese's online newspaper.

Rozanski added the archdiocese was “well aware that the issue has inspired strong feelings, in part driven by legitimate concerns about illegal immigration and our state’s economic challenges.”

“We do not condone breaking the law. We do believe, however, that the solutions to the problems that exist in our current immigration system do not lie in denying opportunities to young people," he is reported as saying at the press conference, attended by representatives from Judaism, as well as other Christian bishops.

Voters passed the act 58 to 42 a year later. To be eligible, a student must have graduated from a Maryland high school after attending for at least three years, and provide proof that the student's family has filed income taxes, for at least the past three years. Such aid is generally important to undocumented students, since they are are not eligible for federal student aid.

Some 17 states, including Massachusetts, have similar acts. It is estimated that less than two percent of graduating high school seniors are undocumented students. The act and related legislation, at the federal level, attempt to address the plight of tens of thousands of young adults, many of whom have lived most of their lives in this country, who find themselves in limbo, without the means or paperwork to advance to productive lives.

Immigration reform is something the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops has pushed long before Francis, installed as pope last March, made the suffering of the world's displaced people a focus of his papacy. As Rozanski stated in his interview, "Catholics have contributed so much to the life of this country -- the hospitals that we have, the institutions of higher learning that we have, the Catholic charities that we have, the nursing homes, our work with immigrants, to name just a few."

Much of this humanitarian work of the Catholic Church has been done by the women religious of the Church, who staffed not only diocesan schools, but founded hospitals and orphanages here and elsewhere. Their reach beyond diocesan institutions expanded after Vatican II, although their future relationship which the Church is under review by the Vatican, and is the main question before the Leadership Conference of Women Religious that gathers for annual assembly in Nashville, Tenn., from Aug. 12 through 16 in Nashville, Tenn.

Though by no means the only faith-based organization helping those in need, the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services is the world's largest refugee resettlement, and is one of two agencies authorized by the U.S. Department of State to resettle unaccompanied refugee children.

In his Aug. 8 address at the 132nd Supreme Convention, in Orlando, Fla., of the Knights of Columbus, Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley told those present that he celebrated the Eucharist, along with other bishops, through the wall on the U.S.-Mexican border, on April 1, in part to remember the 6,000 immigrants who have died, since 1998, in the U.S. desert.

O'Malley, a Franciscan, is one of Francis' closest advisers among the U.S. bishops, and he was a supporter of Gov. Deval Patrick's willingness to let Central American children be temporarily sheltered on military bases in the state, if the need had arisen.

"We cannot be indifferent to the wounds of Christ manifested in so many ways in suffering humanity," O'Malley is quoted in media reports of the Knights convention, in reference to immigration.

Interviewed in conjunction with a 2013 conference on immigration, in Baltimore, Springfield's newest bishop said, "The Church sees herself as the one who first welcomes the immigrants."