Leger said the Arson and Bomb Squad is investigating precisely what may have ignited the tanks.

SPRINGFIELD - An apparent propane gas tank explosion launched a garage door into a neighbor's lawn on Eureka Street on Saturday morning.

No one was injured according to a spokesman for the Fire Department.

While the blast is still under investigation, two propane tanks that were stored in the garage seemed to be the source, said Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

The explosion occurred just before 10 a.m. Saturday morning at 18 Eureka St.

Leger said the Arson and Bomb Squad is investigating precisely what may have ignited the tanks.

Clark said the event raised about $15,000 for the Special Olympics. Watch video

WILBRAHAM - There were cannon-ballers, belly-floppers and more delicate deliveries at the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics at Spec Pond on Saturday, one of the most brutally cold days of the year.

Yet more than 100 came out for the second annual event to benefit the charity - some bundled up while others waited to take the plunge in the frigid temperatures, teeth chattering, in shorts and sleeveless shirts.

Others wore tutu's.

"Really, I'm just waiting to get it over with," said Kerrie Derosier, of a Palmer High School teaching team who was wearing a blue tutu, homage to the school colors.

The team has participated in the plunge for two years in a row. Last year, however, they made the leap on a comparatively balmy 28-degree day, which emboldened one of her teammates to arrive in a Speedo. Mercifully, he left it home this year, she remarked.

Fellow Palmer High School teacher Paul Halloway said the adrenaline was keeping him warm, and teammate Sean Burns said the freezing water would be a welcome respite from the air.

"The water is warm compared to the air; it's the weirdest thing," Burns said.

The event was sponsored by the Law Enforcement Torch Run in collaboration with the Hampden County Sheriff's Department and the Wilbraham Police and Fire Departments.

"I'm not used to it. I hate the cold, but I'll do it to support the Special Olympics," said organizer Wilbraham Police Sgt. Glen Clark before the moment of truth.

The event drew a large law enforcement presence and eight members of the home team - Wilbraham Police - were the finale plungers.

The mood at the event was chilly and festive but grew slightly anxious after the team leaped into the water, a hole carved into the ice with a 25-inch chainsaw by a member of Wilbraham's dive team.

The ice around the hole had grown particularly slick with water as the plunging progressed, and one member of the Wilbraham Police Department slipped as he jumped into the water. He emerged saying that he believed his leg was broken. He was taken away by an ambulance. A police sergeant said later in the day they were still awaiting word of his condition.

After plunging, Ludlow Police Officer Jake Stokowski had one word for the experience.

"Cold."

Clark said the event raised about $15,000 for the Special Olympics.

U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas is pressing new Pentagon chief Ash Carter to continue the fight against sexual assault in the military.

BOSTON (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas is pressing new Pentagon chief Ash Carter to continue the fight against sexual assault in the military.

Niki Tsongas

The Massachusetts Democrat, who represents the state's 3rd Congressional District, joined dozens of other members of Congress to call on Carter to fulfill what they said is the country's "moral duty to do everything we can to protect those who sacrifice so much to protect us every single day."

They said in a letter to Carter that despite efforts by the Pentagon to confront the problem, the rate of sexual assault in the military remains high.

They also said the retaliation against those who have been assaulted persists.

The letter was also signed by fellow Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Reps. Rep. James McGovern of the state's 2nd District and Katherine Clark of the 5th District.

A gunman fired on a cafe in Copenhagen as it hosted a free speech event Saturday, killing one man, Danish police said.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- At least one gunman opened fire Saturday on a Copenhagen cafe, killing one man in what authorities called a likely terror attack during a free speech event organized by an artist who had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad.

The shooting, which also wounded three police officers, came a month after extremists killed 12 people at a satirical newspaper in Paris that had also sparked Muslim outrage with its depictions of Muhammad.

Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who has been repeatedly threatened after depicting Muhammad as a dog in 2007, organized and attended Saturday's event but was not hit by gunfire, police said.

"I saw a masked man running past," said Helle Merete Brix, one of the event's organizers. "I clearly consider this as an attack on Lars Vilks."

She and Vilks were quickly ushered away by the security detail that accompanies the artist whenever he is in Denmark.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the shooting, which took place shortly before 4 p.m. (1500 GMT, 10 a.m. EST). Denmark's security service, PET, said the circumstances surrounding the shooting "indicate that we are talking about a terror attack."

Danish police said the gunman used an automatic weapon to shoot through the windows of the Krudttoenden cafe, which TV footage showed were riddled with bullet holes. The gunman then fled in a carjacked Volkswagen Polo that was found later a few kilometers (miles) away, police said.

"I heard someone firing with an automatic weapons and someone shouting. Police returned the fire and I hid behind the bar. I felt surreal, like in a movie," Niels Ivar Larsen, one of the speakers at the event, told the TV2 channel.

Police initially said there were two gunmen but later said they believed there was only one shooter, and described him as 25-30 years old with an athletic build, and carrying a black automatic weapon. They released a blurred photograph of the suspect wearing dark clothes and a scarf covering part of his face.

The Copenhagen event, titled "Art, blasphemy and freedom of expression" featured a panel discussion about freedom of speech in the wake of the Jan. 7 massacre at the Charlie Hebdo paper in Paris.

Danish police said the victim Saturday was a 40-year-old man who was inside the cafe attending the event. He has not yet been identified.

Police spokesman Joergen Skov said it was possible the gunman had planned the "same scenario" as in the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

Visiting the scene of the shooting, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said "our highest priority is to get the perpetrator arrested."

Francois Zimeray, the French ambassador to Denmark who was at the event to speak about the Charlie Hebdo attack, tweeted that he was "still alive." Police said he was not wounded.

French President Francois Hollande called the Copenhagen shooting "deplorable" and said Thorning-Schmidt would have the "full solidarity of France in this trial." French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was travelling to Copenhagen as soon as possible, Hollande said in the statement.

Sweden's security service said they were sharing information about the case with their Danish counterparts but declined to give details.

Vilks, a 68-year-old Swedish artist, has faced several attempted attacks and death threats after he depicted the Prophet Muhammad as a dog in 2007.

A Pennsylvania woman last year got a 10-year prison term for a plot to kill Vilks. In 2010, two brothers tried to burn down his house in southern Sweden and were imprisoned for attempted arson.

Vilks told The Associated Press after the Paris terror attacks that, due to increased security concerns, even fewer organizations were inviting him to give lectures. He also said he thought Sweden's SAPO security service, which deploys bodyguards to protect him, would step up his security.

"This will create fear among people on a whole different level than we're used to," he said. "Charlie Hebdo was a small oasis. Not many dared do what they did."

The depiction of the prophet is deemed insulting to many followers of Islam. According to mainstream Islamic tradition, any physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad -- even a respectful one -- is considered blasphemous.

While many Muslims have expressed disgust at the deadly assault on Charlie Hebdo employees, many were also deeply offended by its cartoons lampooning Muhammad. The newspaper also lampoons other religions, as well as governments and politicians.

As the snow once again fell on Massachusetts on Saturday, parking bans took effect and car accidents were reported in what has become a weekly occurrence in a region dealing with a brutal winter.

As the snow once again fell on Massachusetts on Saturday, parking bans took effect and car accidents were reported in what has become a weekly occurrence in a region dealing with a brutal winter.

Just before 4 p.m., a car accident on Interstate 391 north closed the right lane of the highway near Exit 5 snarling traffic for at least a mile. A short time later, Interstate 91 north in Greenfield near Exit 26 was closed for a short time as the Mass. State Police dealt with a rollover crash that left at least one person injured.

Other accidents were reported around Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee although none seemed serious based on initial reports.

The speed limit on the Mass. Pike from Boston to the New York border was reduced to 40 miles per hour and restrictions were enacted banning tandem-trailers and propane tankers.

Parking bans also took effect in the aforementioned communities as well as in several other towns and cities as DPW workers and contracted plow drivers were aiming to keep the already narrow roads as wide as possible.

Western Massachusetts is supposed to get the lightest dose of snow this round, according to CBS 3 Springfield Nick Morganelli.

"Most of us will receive close to 5 inches in total with the highest snow totals east of the Connecticut River. Towns close to Worcester county likely receiving 6 inches or slightly more," Morganelli said in his forecast. "The Greater Boston area and eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island may be digging out again from a potential foot of snow. This would likely bring Boston into the top 3 for snowiest winters on record."

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker delivered yet another weather-related address to the commonwealth, this time from the Mass. Department of Transportation Highways Operations Center in Boston.

Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito appearing at MEMA headquarters in Framingham in late January 2015 when they declared a state of emergency after near record snow and ahead of a series of snowstorms which would dump ridiculous amounts of snow on the eastern part of the state. (AP/Daily News Staff Photo -Allan Jung)Allan Jung

Baker said that as the greater Boston area prepares to deal with another significant dumping of snow, mutual aid is in place from Maine, Vermont, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The state also has around 600 National Guard soldiers activated, operating heavy equipment, shoveling snow, manning high-water rescue/evacuation operations along the shore, and assisting the struggling MBTA in clearing snow.

The Springfield-based Peter Pan bus lines also remained in Boston, commuting MBTA passengers from closed stops to open ones in an attempt to keep the largest city in New England from once again shutting down entirely on what is the biggest day of business in the restaurant industry.

Baker, keeping an eye on the economic impact of repeated storms in the Bay State, has called for residents to frequent their favorite shops and restaurants once the storm passes on Sunday.

"I am pleased to declare 'Valentine's Week' for the Commonwealth to sweeten up the local economy and encourage more business at our local shops in the spirit of this holiday," Baker said. "The unprecedented snowfall impacting the Commonwealth has taken a toll on everyone, especially the retailers, restaurants, and small businesses that depend on an uptick in reservations and activity around Valentine's Day. Next week, we urge everyone to do their part to shop locally and make up for the past few weeks of limited travel and business as a result of all the recent snow."

Baker was scheduled to address the commonwealth again at 8 a.m. Sunday from the MEMA bunker in Framingham.

In addition to the expected snow accumulations, frigid air descending on the commonwealth is expected to cause other problems including frozen pipes and dead car batteries. A wind chill warning was issued for the entire state which remains in place until Sunday afternoon for central and Western Mass. minus Berkshire County, which, like the rest of the state, is under the warning until Monday.

A serious car accident on Interstate 91 in Connecticut closed the highway for around six hours and sent five people to the hospital.

A serious car accident on Interstate 91 in Connecticut closed the highway for about six hours and sent five people to the hospital on Saturday.

Connecticut State Police say it was around 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning when a Scion driven by a Meriden resident was disabled in the left-center lane of I-91 north just before Exit 14 when it was hit by a Nissan driven by a Middletown woman.

A 30-year-old male passenger in the Scion was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital with serious injuries and all four passengers in the Nissan were hospitalized, two of whom had serious injuries head and spinal trauma, according to police.

Troopers say the highway was shut down for six hours so investigators could piece together the chain of events which preceded the crash. Weather was not a factor at the time, according to police, who said the pavement was dry with no precipitation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call state police investigators at 203-393-4200.

The autopsy shows heart disease was a contributing cause of death

NEW YORK -- Autopsy results show New York Times media columnist David Carr died of complications from metastatic lung cancer.

The autopsy shows heart disease was a contributing cause of death, according to Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner's office.

Carr collapsed at the newspaper's headquarters and died on Thursday. He was 58.

He wrote the Media Equation column for The New York Times and penned a memoir about his fight with drug addiction. He was lauded as "the finest media reporter of his generation" by the Times' Executive Editor Dean Baquet.

Carr's 2008 memoir "The Night of the Gun" traces his rise from cocaine addict to single dad raising twin girls to sobered-up media columnist for the Times.

After searching for the gunman for hours, police reported another shooting near a synagogue in downtown Copenhagen after midnight Sunday.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- A gunman opened fire on a Copenhagen cultural center, killing one man and wounding three police officers in what authorities called a terror attack against a free speech event featuring an artist who had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad.

After searching for the gunman for hours, police reported another shooting near a synagogue in downtown Copenhagen after midnight Sunday. One person was shot in the head and two police officers were shot in the arms and legs, police said, adding it wasn't clear whether the two incidents were linked. The gunman fled on foot, and police warned people to be vigilant and follow the instructions of officers flooding the city center.

The earlier shooting came a month after extremists killed 12 people at a satirical newspaper in Paris that had sparked Muslim outrage with its depictions of Muhammad.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the first shooting, which took place shortly before 4 p.m. on Saturday. Danish police said the gunman used an automatic weapon to shoot through the windows of the Krudttoenden cultural center, which TV footage showed were riddled with bullet holes. The gunman then fled in a carjacked Volkswagen Polo that was found later a few kilometers (miles) away, police said.

Lars Vilks, a Swedish artist who has faced numerous death threats for caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad, was one of the main speakers at Saturday's panel discussion, titled "Art, blasphemy and freedom of expression." He was whisked away by his bodyguards unharmed as the shooting began.

Vilks, 68, later told The Associated Press he believed he was the intended target of the shooting.

"What other motive could there be? It's possible it was inspired by Charlie Hebdo," he said, referring to the Jan. 7 attack by Islamic extremists on the French newspaper in Paris. He spoke from an undisclosed location for his own security.

As states all the way from Indiana to Maine deal with Winter Storm Neptune's bitter bite, folks in Western Massachusetts need to pay attention to a few crucial details to make sure they are safe and aware of just what is happening out there.

As states all the way from Indiana to Maine deal with Winter Storm Neptune's bitter bite, folks in Western Massachusetts need to pay attention to a few crucial details to make sure they are safe and aware of just what is happening out there.

As people left work on Friday, they mobbed the supermarkets and package stores in anticipation of hunkering down, if need be.

And as the snow fell on Saturday, police reported several car accidents early on, but as the evening progressed, things quieted down presumably as folks slowed down on the roads.

But as Neptune's wrath is expected to last until Sunday, the following is a snapshot of live warnings and watches, anticipated snowfall totals and details about when you can expect the snow to stop falling, so your latest shoveling attempt isn't in vain.

Graphic courtesy of U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Winter Storm Warning: In effect for Franklin County, Hampshire County and Hampden county until 4 p.m. Sunday

Wind Chill Warning: In effect for Berkshire, Franklin, Hapmshire and Hampden counties until Monday morning. Wind chills of 15 to 35 below zero are expected Sunday with wind chills of 25 to 55 below are expected into Monday morning. In short- burr!

Ray Rodriguez of Holyoke clears snow from his car more snow fell on the Pioneer Valley Saturday evening. (GREG SAULMON / THE REPUBLICAN)

All four Western Mass. counties are expected to see between 4-8 inches of snowfall by Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

CBS 3 Springfield Meteorologist Mike Skurko says that in the greater Springfield area, the totals will likely be between 3 to 5 inches.

As you get further east and closer to Worcester County, Skurko says the likelihood of more than 6-inch accumulations increases dramatically, as the eastern part of the state is expected to see the heaviest snowfall amounts from Winter Storm Neptune.

The short answer is probably never, based on a non-scientific analysis of the past, well, how many weeks has it snowed for now?

In all seriousness, most weather models show the snow tapering off by late Sunday morning to give way to dangerously frigid cold and wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour (see Wind Chill Warning above)

• Limit your exposure to the outdoors and wear layers, covering as much skin as possible
• Make sure your pets are not outside for more than a couple minutes when they have to take care of business
• Warm up your vehicle for at least 5 minutes to minimize the stress the cold places on the engine
• Ensure any pipes on exterior walls remain heated because it is cheaper to spend extra money on heating than on an emergency call to a plumber
• Check on your neighbors. We're all in this together so make sure the folks in your neighborhood, especially the elderly, have everything they need

As Winter Storm Neptune brought dangerous cold and snow to the Pioneer Valley on Saturday, it did little to dissuade those venturing to area restaurants to celebrate Valentine's Day. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD — As Winter Storm Neptune brought dangerous cold and snow to the Pioneer Valley on Saturday, it did little to dissuade those venturing to area restaurants to celebrate Valentine's Day.

This, according to a report from Brian Schnee of CBS 3 Springfield, media partner to The Republican and MassLive (see video above).

Considered one of the biggest business days of the year, Valentine's Day typically packs sit-down restaurants formal and casual alike. On these nights, it isn't unusual to turn tables three or even four times as two-tops come and go, celebrating the night of love.

The latest winter storm did likely impact business in eastern Mass., which has been devastated by severe storms on at least a weekly basis, prompting Gov. Charlie Baker to declare the coming days Valentine's Week, in an attempt to help struggling businesses and employees.

"The unprecedented snowfall impacting the Commonwealth has taken a toll on everyone, especially the retailers, restaurants, and small businesses that depend on an uptick in reservations and activity around Valentine's Day," Baker said. "Next week, we urge everyone to do their part to shop locally and make up for the past few weeks of limited travel and business as a result of all the recent snow."

 

An economic analysis by Federal Aviation Administration, which was inadvertently posted online, describes draft rules.

WASHINGTON -- The government is readying rules largely favorable to companies that want to use small drones for commercial purposes, according to a federal analysis, potentially leading to the widespread flights by unmanned aircraft performing aerial photography, crop monitoring, inspections of cell towers and bridges and other work.

An economic analysis by Federal Aviation Administration, which was inadvertently posted online, describes draft rules submitted by the agency in October to the White House budget office to review. In response to inquiries, the FAA said in a statement late Saturday that it will officially release the rules on Sunday.

The regulations would apply to drones weighing less than 55 pounds. They would improve safety by using small, lightweight unmanned aircraft instead of heavier, manned aircraft that "pose a higher level of risk," the analysis said. It notes that between 2004 and 2012, there were 95 fatalities involving climbers working on cell and other towers.

If the rules would prevent only one fatality by using a small drone instead of a tower climber, the $9.2 million saved -- the amount the government says is the economic value of a single life -- would exceed the entire cost of the regulations to society, according to the document.

The analysis does not offer a total estimate on the annual economic benefit of regulations, but says it would exceed $100 million a year. For example, about 45,000 annual bridge inspections could be conducted with small drones. Most bridge inspections currently employ hydraulic mobile cranes called "snoopers." The average cost of an inspection using a snooper is $3,250. Cable bridge inspections are even more expensive because they often require a 200-foot aerial lift.

The analysis doesn't address jobs that might be displaced by drones, like some types of pilots.

The FAA currently bans all commercial drone flights except for those by a small number of companies that have been granted waivers. Congress has been leaning on the FAA to move faster on regulations that would allow a wide variety of companies to employ drones for everything from monitoring pipelines to delivering pizzas. Under a law passed in 2012, the FAA was to issue final regulations by September 2015, but that appears unlikely.

Even if the White House approves the FAA's proposal, the agency is still required to offer it for public comment. Tens of thousands of comments are anticipated, and it could take two to three years for the agency to address them before issuing final regulations.

The document indicates the agency has dropped its insistence that drone operators have the same licenses and medical certificates required for pilots of manned aircraft. Industry officials complained that obtaining a private pilot license or medical certificate would be unnecessarily burdensome.

Commercial operators would have to take an aerospace knowledge test administered by the FAA before they could receive a certificate granting permission to operate a drone. The agency estimates the cost to operators of obtaining certificate at about $300.

A private pilot license can cost thousands of dollars because it requires many hours of experience flying a plane.

Operators would have to keep drone flights under 500 feet in altitude, which is below where most manned aircraft fly. That's 100 feet higher than the agency typically has approved in waivers to commercial operators.

But the draft rules would still prohibit drones from flying farther away than they can be seen by their operator, and nighttime flights would remain banned. The line-of-sight requirement would preclude delivery drone of the type envisioned by Amazon. Google is also experimenting with such drones.

Industry officials have chafed at both restrictions, saying they significantly reduce the usefulness of unmanned aircraft. The FAA's concern is that with no pilot on board, the operator on the ground is best able to prevent a collision with another aircraft by keep the drone in sight at all times.

Drone operators would also have to be checked out by the Transportation Safety Administration to determine whether they pose a security threat before they could receive an FAA operator certificate. There is no fee for the security check, but one might be applied in the future, the analysis said.

Last month, a small drone flew over the White House fence and crashed on the lawn. Although the operator later came forward saying the incident was an accident, the episode has raised concern that small drones might pose a security threat.

Agriculture is expected to become one of the first industries to embrace drones. Helicopter drones that are widely used for spraying crops in Japan would not fall under the FAA rules because they weigh significantly more than 55 pounds. But the rules would apply to small drones that monitor crops to better target watering or for mapping fields.

The FAA analysis was first reported by Forbes on Saturday.

A report found that the teacher, Rita Baci, 65, of Ponte Vedra, also used her foot to push a kindergarten student out of her class

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A northeast Florida kindergarten teacher has been suspended without pay for 15 days after school officials say she video recorded a child beating other children and did not intervene.

View full size A teacher at John E. Ford Montessori school in Jacksonville, Fla., has been suspended after school officials say she videotaped a child beating other children and did not intervene.WAWS, Jacksonville, Fla.

The Duval County schools investigative report found that the teacher, Rita Baci, 65, of Ponte Vedra, also used her foot to push a kindergarten student out of her class and left him unattended at John E. Ford Montessori school.

A school district investigation found that Baci on three occasions used her cellphone video camera to record a boy beating on other students, The Florida Times-Union reports. Videos show the boy hitting another "about his face and body several times," as well as kicking a second student and punching a third, the report said.

The Times-Union reported that personnel records show that Baci, who has worked in Duval schools since 1990, previously taught in New York state for seven years before that. She is certified in several fields, including educating emotionally disabled students.

Judge George O'Toole denied a motion by the Boston Globe to provide more information to the public about jury selection.

BOSTON -- As of Friday, 54 potential jurors have been deemed qualified to serve in the case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man accused of setting a bomb at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, according to court documents.

The court must have a pool of at least 68 potential jurors before entering the final phase of jury selection, in which lawyers from the prosecution and the defense can strike up to 23 jurors per side. Eventually, there will be 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to serve.

U.S. District Court Judge George O'Toole and the lawyers must find jurors who are able to be impartial, who are potentially willing to impose the death penalty and who will not face serious hardship from a three- or four-month trial. So far, 193 potential jurors have been interviewed. The judge and lawyers have been conferring at the end of each day of individual jury questioning in private. The Boston Globe, joined by WBUR and Cable News Network, asked the judge in court motions to inform the public about which jurors have been excused.

O'Toole on Friday denied the motion. However, O'Toole wrote that he will provide a public, written order indicating which jurors were selected and which were excused once approximately 70 jurors have been deemed qualified. The jurors are identified by number, not name, throughout the proceedings, and the press is barred from identifying any jurors.

O'Toole also denied a motion by the Globe and other news organizations asking to open the courtroom more fully to journalists and the public during jury selection. Currently, two reporters and up to 10 members of the public are allowed into the courtroom, while others are able to watch a live stream from overflow courtrooms.

"In my judgment the arrangement allowing some limited media and public presence in the courtroom while providing real-time simultaneous audio and video streaming is narrowly tailored to promote juror candor, insulate prospective jurors from extraneous influences, and achieve efficient courtroom management," O'Toole wrote.

Jury selection has been proceeding more slowly than planned, partly due to six snow days over the last three weeks.

Court spokeswoman Ginny Hurley said she anticipates jury selection will be completed "in the near future," but she could not provide a precise date.

The U.S. Appeals Court plans to hold a hearing on Thursday on a motion by defense lawyers to move Tsarnaev's trial out of Boston. O'Toole, in the District Court, has denied three motions by defense lawyers to change the venue, finding that an unbiased jury can be selected through the questioning process.

The winter of 2014-2015 is now the third snowiest winter on record in Boston.

BOSTON -- We're nowhere near the end of Winter Storm Neptune but it just helped set a record.

The winter of 2014-2015 is now the third snowiest winter on record in Boston.

The 10.2 inches of snow in Boston from Neptune helped push Boston to 89.7 total inches for the winter. There is a chance if this storm keeps churning at its current clip that the this winter could move up to second place, currently occupied by the winter of 1993-1994 with 96.3 inches.

The all time leader for snowiest winter in Boston history is 1995-1996 when 107.6 inches of snow fell on the city.

Boston saw just 5.5 inches of snowfall before Jan. 23 but since then has seen 84.2.

Transit Police report that a man in his 30s was killed while "trespassing" on the northbound tracks at Park Street Station.

BOSTON -- A man was struck and killed by a Red Line train on Saturday.

Transit Police report that a man in his 30s was killed while "trespassing" on the northbound tracks at Park Street Station.

Boston Fire and EMS responded to the incident where the man was pronounced dead.

Police do not believe foul play was involved and are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the accident.

The majority of South Boston's streets are being converted to a one-way pattern in order to accommodate the massive snow mounds in the neighborhood. The change is expected to last until April 1, 2015.

BOSTON -- City officials announced on Saturday that they are converting some two-way streets in South Boston into one-way streets due to high snow mounds clogging up the neighborhood's thoroughfares.

The majority of South Boston streets have converted to New York style one-way grid pattern where even numbered streets will be west-bound and odd numbered streets will be east-bound. Main roads like Broadway will remain two-way streets. There will be no changes to current one-way streets.

The changes are expected to remain in place until April 1, 2015.

"Do Not Enter" signs will be installed throughout the neighborhood to help residents and visitors adjust to the new street pattern.

"Boston's Public Works Department has been working around the clock to remove snow from the neighborhoods, however this emergency reconfiguration will help assure the safety of residents and drivers, and improve access to roadways for public safety officials," said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh in a statement.

South Boston City Councilors Bill Linehan and Michael Flaherty praised the city for the move.

"I applaud Mayor Walsh for working with South Boston's elected officials to facilitate a plan to get our neighbors around in the safest manner possible," said Linehan, the council president, in a statement.

"I have heard several concerns from constituents about traffic and congestion in the neighborhood, which affects response time of police, fire, and emergency vehicles," said Flaherty in a statement.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, a lifelong South Boston resident, also praised the decision.

"Public safety is my first priority and this plan will assist my department in delivering effective services," said Evans.

Snowfall totals for Winter Storm Neptune as reported by the National Weather Service and weather spotters.

Mercy is not in Mother Nature's nature. 

Winter Storm Neptune, the fourth high snowfall storm in a row in the past four weeks, pounded the Bay State this weekend dumping more than a foot of snow on some areas. High winds will continue to blow snow around long after the snowfall stops. 

The following is a list of some of the snowfall totals from throughout the state as reported by the National Weather Service and weather spotters. These amounts will change as the storm continues. More information at our winter storm live blog.

• Milton, 21.2 inches at 10:08 a.m. Sunday
• Salisbury, 20.5 inches at 8:43 a.m. Sunday
• Ipswich, 20 inches at 6:43 a.m. Sunday
• New Bedford, 19 inches at 8:28 a.m. Sunday
• Hingham, 16 inches at 8:34 a.m. Sunday
• Framingham, 15.5 inches at 7:08 a.m.
• Acton, 15 inches at 8 a.m. Sunday
• Natick, 14.7 inches at 8:02 a.m. Sunday
• Lowell, 14 inches at 10:10 a.m. Sunday
• Somerville, 14.5 inches at 9 a.m. Sunday
• Wilmington, 14 inches, final
• North Falmouth, 14 inches at 8:10 a.m. Sunday
• Taunton, 13.6 inches at 8:19 a.m. Sunday
• Lunenburg, 13.5 inches at 8:05 a.m. Sunday
• Hanover, 13 inches at 9:11 a.m. Sunday
• Milford, 11.5 inches at 8:56 a.m. Sunday
• Leominster, 11 inches at 8:50 a.m. Sunday
• Northborough, 10.8 inches at 7:27 a.m. Sunday
• Haverhill, 10.5 inches at 10 a.m. Sunday
• Worcester, 10.1 inches final
• Boylston, 9.8 inches at 8:53 a.m. Sunday
• Cumberland, 9 inches, final
• New Salem, 8.5 inches at 9:51 a.m. Sunday
• Ware, 7 inches at 8:40 a.m. Sunday
• Northampton, 4.5 inches at 9:38 a.m. Sunday
• Westfield, 4.5 inches at 8:41 a.m. Sunday
• Shelburne, 4.5 inches at 5:25 a.m. Sunday
• Wilbraham, 3.5 inches at 8:38 a.m. Sunday
• Nantucket, 2 inches at 6 a.m. Sunday

Parking bans continue as consecutive storms hit Western Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is currently in the midst of its latest storm in a series of snowstorms the past few weeks and some communities have left parking bans in effect until further notice.

For those who have to park on the street beware of the parking bans in your particular city or town since each has its own rules. Below are some of the towns that have maintained steady parking bans for the past several weeks.

If your city or town is not on the list check the government website for your community since most have been updating parking ban information daily.

* Springfield: No parking on the odd side of the street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No parking on the even side of the street from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

*Holyoke: No parking on the odd side of any city street, no parking in cul-de-sacs, and park in your driveway if you have one.

*Ludlow: No on-street parking from now until Monday at 7 a.m.

*East Longmeadow: No on-street parking.

*Longmeadow: No on-street parking.

*Chicopee: There is no parking on any Designated Streets, and parking is only allowed on the the odd side of secondary streets.

*West Springfield: No on-street parking until further notice.

Does your community have a parking ban in effect? Send me the details at eroman@repub.com so I can add it to the list.

Live updates and information on Winter Storm Neptune as it hits Massachusetts.

The proposed rules are "a good first step" bringing the U.S. closer to realizing the benefits of drone technology, said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a trade group.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government proposed long-awaited rules Sunday to usher in an era of commercial drones zipping through U.S. skies, but packages from these unmanned aircraft won't be landing on your doorstep any time soon.

The Federal Aviation Administration proposed requirements that commercial operators must meet, such as passing a knowledge test administered by the agency as well as a federal security check, in order to fly small drones, defined as weighing less than 55 pounds. It is likely to be two or three years before the rules are made final, but federal officials said that once they are in place the economic and safety benefits of unmanned aircraft are expected to be enormous.

Among the chores that officials envision drones performing: Aerial photography and mapping, crop monitoring, and inspections of cell towers, bridges and other tall structures. But the proposal includes safety restrictions such as keeping drones within sight of operators at all times and no nighttime flights. That could mean no package or pizza deliveries by drone. Drones would also have to stay at least 5 miles away from an airport.

They could travel as fast as 100 mph, but flights would be limited to 500 feet in altitude or below. Flights over crowds would also be prohibited.

"We have tried to be flexible in writing these rules," said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. "We want to maintain today's outstanding level of aviation safety without placing an undue regulatory burden on an emerging industry."

The agency is researching technology that he hopes will eventually enable small drones to fly safely beyond the sight of operators, Huerta said. He emphasized that introduction of commercial drones into the national airspace will be a staged process. The government is also looking ahead to how larger drones might be allowed to fly in airspace shared by manned aircraft, for example, he said.

One of the key safety concerns is that without a human on board the ability to "see and avoid" other aircraft is limited. Another concern is that the link between the operator and a remote control aircraft can be broken, causing the drone to fly away until it loses power or collides with something.

Cases of flyaway drones getting stuck in trees or hitting buildings are rampant. Last month, a drone that its operator lost control of flew over the White House fence and crashed on the lawn before Secret Service agents could block it.

Even with the proposed safety restrictions, drones can transform as urban infrastructure management, farming, public safety, coastal security, military training, search and rescue, disaster response and more, the White House said in a presidential memorandum on privacy released in conjunction with the rules.

The memorandum lays out measures federal agencies must follow to guard against abuse of data collected in their drone flights. Among other steps, the order requires agencies to review privacy and civil rights protections before deploying drone technology and to adhere to a range of controls. Personally identifiable information collected in drone flights is to be kept no longer than 180 days, although there are exceptions.

It's questionable whether such steps will satisfy civil liberties advocates, who've objected strongly to the government's vigorous use of digital surveillance in the name of national security.

The proposal also raises the possibility that final rules may have a separate category for very small drones -- those weighing 4.4 pounds or less -- with fewer restrictions.

"I am very pleased to see a much more reasonable approach to future regulation than many feared," said Brendan Schulman, a New York attorney who unsuccessfully challenged FAA's restrictions on drone flights.

The agency currently bans commercial drone flights except for a few dozen companies that have been granted waivers. That ban will stay in place until the proposed regulations become final, but FAA officials plan to continue granting waivers on a case-by-case basis. About 300 waiver requests are pending and new requests are being filed almost daily.

The proposed rules are "a good first step" bringing the U.S. closer to realizing the benefits of drone technology, said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a trade group.

An FAA analysis points to an estimate by the trade association that drones will create 70,000 jobs with an economic impact of more than $13.6 billion in the first three years after their integration into U.S. skies.

In a big concession to industry, the FAA said it won't require an "airworthiness certificate" for small drones. The design and manufacture of each model of manned airplanes and helicopters go through a rigorous approval process by the FAA before they are granted airworthiness certificates. That can take years.

The FAA decided that drone technology was changing so rapidly that by the time a model received an airworthiness certificate the remote-controlled aircraft might already be out of date, Huerta said.