At least one lane of I-495 has been reopened.

As of 5:50 p.m. Massachusetts State Police said all travel lanes have been reopened but traffic is "backed up for miles."

MANSFIELD - A serious two-car crash closed Interstate-495 northbound around 4:30 p.m. so two helicopters could land and transport accident victims to the hospital.

Massachusetts State Police said the accident happened near Exit 13 at about 3:30 p.m.

It was unclear how many people were injured, but Mansfield Fire Department officials reported on Twitter that two helicopters, along with multiple ambulances, were called to bring victims to the hospital.

The accident backed up traffic on the busy Labor Day weekend for at least two exits, according to CBS Boston.

The Fire Department is reporting at least one lane of the highway has now been reopened.

Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday that her family paid a State Department employee to maintain the private email server she used while secretary of state and compensated him "for a period of time" for his technical skills.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday that her family paid a State Department employee to maintain the private email server she used while secretary of state and compensated him "for a period of time" for his technical skills.

After picking up the endorsement of New Hampshire's senior senator, Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, Clinton was again pressed to answer questions about an issue from her time in the Obama Cabinet that has dogged her presidential candidacy.

"We obviously paid for those services and did so because during a period of time we continued to need his technical assistance," the Democratic front-runner told reporters after a campaign event.

Last week, that employee, Bryan Pagliano, told a House committee that he would invoke his constitutional right against self-incrimination if called to testify.

Last month, Clinton gave the FBI the server, kept in her New York home, that she used to send, receive and store emails while secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. Clinton has said she set up her own system, instead of using a State Department account, for the convenience of using a single hand-held email device.

Clinton told reporters Saturday that she did not think the revelation about Pagliano's payment would hurt her campaign and she encouraged "anyone who is asked to cooperate" with the committee to do so.

After a stop at a bookstore, Clinton spoke to more than 200 people at a union reception in Manchester to seek support from leading New Hampshire labor activists. She hinted at the themes of a speech she is scheduled to give Wednesday in Washington defending the Obama administration's nuclear agreement with Iran, which she called "the best alternative we have."

"Our strength should be measured in what we prevent, what good things we make happen and how we bring others to our side in dealing with some of these challenges we're confronting," Clinton said, referring to Iran's nuclear program and the rise of Islamic State militants.

In an interview with NBC News that aired Friday, Clinton said her use of the private email system wasn't the "best choice" and acknowledged she didn't "stop and think" about her email setup when she took over at the State Department.

She did not apologize for her decision when asked directly, "Are you sorry?" Instead, she again said she wishes she had "made a different choice" and that she takes responsibility for the decision to use a private email account and server based at her home in suburban New York.

She added it was a choice that should not raise questions about her judgment.

Republicans criticized Clinton's unwillingness to apologize for the decision and said it underscored polls that have shown large numbers of people questioning her trustworthiness.

Current and former Clinton aides have been testifying before the House committee investigating the deadly 2012 Benghazi attacks. The committee also has delved into Clinton's email practices at the State Department.

She is scheduled to testify next month.

Her comments that she didn't stop to think about setting up a private email server in her home belied the careful planning and technical sophistication required to set up, operate, maintain and protect a private server effectively -- especially one responsible for the confidential communications of the U.S. government's top diplomat as she traveled the globe.

Even homebrew servers typically require careful configuration, Internet registration, data backups, regular security audits and a secondary power supply in case of electrical problems.

Thousands of pages of her emails publicly released in recent months have shown that Clinton received messages that were later determined to contain classified information, including some that contained material regarding the production and dissemination of U.S. intelligence.

But Clinton reiterated that she did not "send or receive any material marked classified. We dealt with classified material on a totally different system. I dealt with it in person."

Water walking and lap swimming will be offered on Monday and Wednesday nights.

CHICOPEE - Swim classes for adults and children will start Sept. 14 and be held at the Comprehensive High School pool.

Children's Level one and Level two learn-to-swim classes will be offered on Monday and Wednesdays from Sept. 14 through Oct. 7. Level one classes will run from 5 to 5:45 p.m. and Level two classes will run from 6 to 6:45 p.m. The cost is $50 for residents and $60 for non-residents. Children must be at least 5-years-old to participate.

Registration must be done in person at the Parks and Recreation office at 687 Front St. before the start of the lessons.

Adult lap swim and water walking programs are scheduled from 7 to 7:45 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays through Dec. 16. The cost is $5 for each session and participants can pay at the pool.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Kris Smethurst 

Kris Thomas Smethurst, 54, of Feeding Hills passed away on Wednesday. Born in Springfield, he was an avid golfer and a member of St. Anne's Country Club. He was also a member and a former president of the West Springfield Fish & Game Club. He could be found many Saturday afternoons rooting on his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide football team.

Full obituary and funeral arrangements for Kris Thomas Smethurst »

The names of the victim and the driver have not been released.

CHELMSFORD - A 72-year-old man was struck by a car and killed while crossing the street in his wheelchair Saturday.

The victim's name has not been released until his family can be notified. He lived in Boston and was visiting family in Chelmsford.

The man was crossing the street at Old Westford Road and the Drum Hill Traffic Square at about 3:15 p.m. when he was struck by a Ford pickup truck driven by a 45-year-old New Hampshire man, Chelmsford Police Chief James M. Spinney said.

The victim received first aid from police and emergency medical personnel. Rescue personnel initially requested a medical helicopter, but the victim was too unstable to fly. He was transported to Lowell General Hospital by ambulance and died at about 5 p.m., he said.

The Massachusetts State Police Reconstruction Team and the Chelmsford Police Department Accident Unit are investigating the accident. The Middlesex District Attorney's Office is overseeing the investigation, Spinney said.

The examination is in its preliminary stages, but it is believed the victim was using the crosswalk when he was struck. It is not known if he victim had the "safe to cross" light, he said.

Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be a factor in the accident. The driver's name was not immediately released and no charges have been filed at this time.

Two of the victims were flown to the hospital by helicopter.

This updates a story posted at 5:49 p.m.

MANSFIELD - A two-car accident sent three adults and five children to the hospital with serious injuries, Saturday afternoon.

The accident, that happened just before 3 p.m., closed Interstate-495 northbound for at least 45 minutes so two medical helicopters could land and transport two of the victims to Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts State Police officials said.

The crash started when a 53-year-old driver in a 2012 Lexus lost control of her car and veered into the break down lane. When she attempted to enter the right travel lane, she struck the rear of a 2014 Nissan Armada sport utility vehicle with two adults and five children inside. The accident happened south of Exit 13, police said.

"The two vehicles rolled over several times before coming to a rest in the woods," police said.

The driver of the Lexus and a 44-year-old woman from Dudley, were flown to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries. A 42-year-old man, also from Dudley, and all five children were seriously injured and brought to Rhode Island Hospital by ambulance, police said.

The driver of the Lexus was alone in the car. She lives in Plainfield, police said.

None of the victims' names were released immediately.

Traffic was backed up for miles because of the accident. The highway was fully opened at about 5:10 p.m., police said.

The cause of the crash is being investigated by the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and the Crime Scene Services Section. State Police were assisted at the scene by the Mansfield Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, the Foxboro Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The eastbound lanes of the highway were closed for about 20 minutes while firefighters extinguished the blaze.

WESTFIELD - A car caught fire on the Massachusetts Turnpike Saturday night, causing traffic backups on the busy holiday weekend.

The driver, who was heading eastbound near Exit 3 at about 6:50 p.m., initially noticed the car was malfunctioning. When the motorist attempted to pull over he struck a second car causing minor damage, Massachusetts State Police said.

The car then burst into flames. The Westfield Fire Department responded and extinguished the blaze.

"It was totaled. It was fully involved when we arrived," Westfield Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Kane said.

The fire started in the engine area. It was not caused by the accident, police and fire officials said.

The car caught fire in the right lane. Police closed the eastbound lanes of the highway for 15 to 20 minutes while the Fire Department extinguished the blaze, Kane said.

No one was hurt in the incident, he said.

A New York City millionaire who died this summer has bequeathed a $100,000 trust fund to care for her 32 pet cockatiels.

NEW YORK -- A New York City millionaire who died this summer has bequeathed a $100,000 trust fund to care for her 32 pet cockatiels.

The New York Post reported Saturday that Leslie Ann Mandel's will asks that the small parrots continue living in an aviary at her $4 million East Hampton home.

The will names each bird, from Margie and Nicki to Zara and Zack 12.

With Mandel's stepson as trustee, the fund also will care for a cat named Kiki and a rescue dog named Frosty.

Mandel ran a fundraising firm and amassed a $5.3 million fortune. She died in June at age 69.

Other wills also have provided for pets. Hotel magnate Leona Helmsley left $12 million to her dog, Trouble. A judge trimmed the bequest to $2 million.

The victim was brought to Baystate Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his upper leg.

HOLYOKE - A man was shot in the leg Saturday night in a downtown barbershop.

The shooting happened at about 6 p.m. inside the Undefeated Cuts barbershop at 134 High Street.

"When officers arrived they found one victim with a gunshot to his upper leg. There was extensive bleeding," Holyoke Police Lt. Michael McCoy said.

The man was brought to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield by ambulance. McCoy could not say how serious his wounds are.

Police detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting. There were several other people in the barbershop at the time and they are interviewing the witnesses, he said.

The Massachusetts State Police is assisting the Holyoke Holyoke Police Criminal Investigations Bureau with the investigation of the shooting, McCoy said.

An Australian shepherd named Jade was found in the Canyon area Friday, 42 days after she went missing.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Yellowstone National Park is known for its wildlife, including bears and wolves. But for six weeks, one animal that roamed the park didn't belong.

An Australian shepherd named Jade was found in the Canyon area Friday, 42 days after she went missing.

"She's skin and bones, but otherwise she seems perfectly fine," owner David Sowers of Denver said.

Sowers said Jade ran off July 23 after an auto wreck on July 23 while he and his girlfriend, Laura Gillice, were driving through the park with the dog.

"When they tried to get her out of the car she bolted and she ran into the woods," Sowers said. "She disappeared for, like, 15 days, and I thought she was gone."

Over the last several weeks, signs were posted and an Internet campaign started asking park visitors to keep an eye out for the dog. Traps with dog food were even set.

Reports of Jade being seen roaming the park started coming in. Sowers and his girlfriend, who were both injured in the wreck, had returned to Yellowstone several times to look for the dog before finding her Friday.

"I haven't been following doctors' orders very well," said Sowers, who suffered injuries to his ribs, arm and leg in the accident. "They told me not to be doing this, but I wanted to find my dog."

On Friday morning, Gillice was with their other dog when she saw something black and white across a meadow.

In less than a minute "she started running toward me," Gillice said.

Sowers said other than a small cut on her lip and losing weight, Jade is OK.

"It's a miracle," Gillice said.

The fire happened on Aug. 20 at 258 Breckenridge Street.

PALMER - Police have charged a 29-year-old Warren man with lighting a vacant home on fire, causing extensive damage to the building.

Dean Snyder was arrested Saturday morning and charged with arson of a dwelling, Palmer Police Lt. Christopher Burns said.

He was also arrested on multiple unrelated warrants charging him with several crimes including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and drunken driving. The warrants were issued by Police in Ware, Belchertown and Northampton, Burns said.

Snyder is being accused on setting a vacant home on 258 Breckenridge St. on fire. The fire was reported at about 8:30 p.m., Aug. 20 and took firefighters several hours to extinguish, he said.

"There was extensive damage to the house," Burns said.

Snyder is being held without bail at the Hampshire County House of Corrections over the weekend and is scheduled to be arraigned in Palmer District Court on Tuesday, Burns said.

Warren Police first arrested Snyder on the other warrants. He was then transferred to Palmer where police charged him with arson, Burns said.

The arrest was made following a joint investigation with the Palmer Police and the Massachusetts Fire Marshal's Department, he said.

The fire started at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday on Oregon Street. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD - Firefighters are battling a stubborn and smoky fire in the East Forest section of the city that has destroyed a single-family home.

The fire was first reported at about 11:32 p.m. Saturday at 39 Oregon St. At 1:15 a.m. Sunday firefighters had mostly extinguished the blaze.

The family of two adults and two children were home when the fire started. They heard smoke alarms, left the house and called 911, said Dennis G. Leger, assistant to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant.

No one has been injured in the fire. The family is being assisted by the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, he said.

The fire started on the upper floor of the two-story cape. After about 15 minutes, the fire commander ordered firefighters out of the house for safety reasons and attacked the blaze from the outside, Leger said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known and is under investigation, he said.
After a short period of time, firefighters ordered neighbors on either side of the house to evacuate and turned off power to most of the homes on Oregon Street.

"At one point the flames were getting quite intense and it was smoky and they has us get out until it is contained," said Liz Gromack, who lives next door to the house.

Around 11:30 p.m., Gromack said she was getting ready to go to bed when she smelled smoke. At first she thought it was from a neighbor's outdoor fire pit, she said.

But when she looked out she saw smoke curling around the gutters on the roof. When firefighters arrived they cut through the roof and flames burst through the roof, she said.

The owners are relatively new to the neighborhood, having moved in around November, she said.

"Thank God they were home and the alarms went off," she said.

Charlotte police officers are being called back in from days off and vacations after five people have been killed and five others hurt in shootings during a violent Labor Day holiday weekend in North Carolina's largest city.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Charlotte police officers are being called back in from days off and vacations after five people have been killed and five others hurt in shootings during a violent Labor Day holiday weekend in North Carolina's largest city.

The dead include a 7-year-old boy killed during a birthday party around 9 p.m. Saturday in a front yard in southwest Charlotte. Another child and two other adults were wounded, but their injuries were not life threatening, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Deputy Chief Jeff Estes said.

"It's a sad state of affairs in the city and our country when a 7-year-old boy can't be free to celebrate a birthday party without being murdered," Estes said at a news conference Sunday.

Police haven't identified suspects or a motive in Kevin Antonio Calderon Rodas' death. The other three fatal shootings this weekend also remain unsolved, Estes said.

The sudden spate of violence led officials to call in officers from days off and vacation to help patrol and investigate, Estes said. He said the extraf officers would be used to search for illegal guns, among other steps.

"We think it is an absolute tragedy that in Charlotte-Mecklenburg we are seeing this type of violence," Estes said. "We will not rest or not stop until we do everything we can to put a stop to it."

While officers investigated the boy's killing, authorities said they heard shots nearby about three hours later and found a woman dead and a man wounded from what appeared to be a drive-by shooting.

Also over the holiday weekend, a man was found dead from gunshot wounds in east Charlotte on Sunday morning, and police found a man shot to death Saturday morning in northwest Charlotte after a second man was dropped off at the hospital where he died from gunshot wounds.

"It is too early to say if any will be connected or not," Estes said. "I can tell you what connects them is it is a senseless, tragic loss of life."

He asked European bishops to support his request and said two parishes in the Vatican will take in families.

In his first public response to the crisis situation for tens of thousands of refugees from war-torn Syria, Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, seeking asylum in Europe, Pope Francis has asked Catholic parishes and religious communities across Europe to offer shelter to a family.

"May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe, take in one family," Pope Francis is quoted as saying in a Vatican Radio report on his remarks Sunday to crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square.

He asked European bishops to support his request and said two parishes in the Vatican, Parish of Santa Anna and St. Peter's Basilica, will take in families.

According to the report, the pope said that as the flight from death of the refugees "on a journey of hope" unfolds, "the Gospel calls us to be close to the smallest and to those who have been abandoned."

According to the New York Times, some 12 million Syrians have been displaced since 2011, and some three million Iraqis since December 2013.

Austria expects some 80,000 refugees to apply for asylum this year; Germany, 800,000.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has asked the European Union to give 160,000 refugees asylum under an agreed quota system.

The festival includes musical acts, food and craft vendors and a parade on Saturday morning.

SPRINGFIELD — The 27th annual Stone Soul Festival comes to a close tonight with a gospel concert, a barbecue dinner and a fish-fry.

"It's been a beautiful weekend," said Ed Cooley, a member of United Temple Church of God, 191 Walnut St, in Springfield. His brother the Rev. C.S. Cooley is the pastor there.

Cooley and other church members came out to Blunt Park where the three-day festival is being held, to sell some food and raise money to pave the parking lot of the church.

The festival includes musical acts, food and craft vendors and a parade on Saturday morning.

Tonya and Luvron Brice are the owners of Good n' Tasty, a food truck parked on the soccer field at Blunt Park. This is their first time participating in the festival.

"It's been good, there was a steady crowd yesterday and the music has been great," Tonya Brice said.

Joyce Davis, president of Stone Soul Inc., which organizes the festival, said the music draws a lot of people to the event.

"We have had good weather, a good turnout and excellent entertainment," Davis said. "We like all families to come out and have a relaxing fun-filled day."

Davis said while the entertainment, vendors and rides are a big part of the festival, there are also informational booths that she hopes residents take advantage of.

"One of the major components is our health tent sponsored by Baystate Medical," she said. "We have some screenings, lots of information and many of the social service agencies that people may not be aware of. We hope when people are walking around they will get the information which is much needed."

The festival, which has no entry fee and features free concerts, ends at 6 p.m. tonight.

A San Antonio School district is investigating after a football player ran into the back of a referee watching a play and another player then dove into the official after he fell. Both players were ejected.

MARBLE FALLS, Texas (AP) -- A San Antonio School district is investigating after a football player ran into the back of a referee watching a play and another player then dove into the official after he fell. Both players were ejected from the game.

Pascual Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Northside Independent School District, told The Associated Press that video of the incident was "extremely disturbing." Gonzalez said the district is investigating and will hold a due process hearing with interviews with game officials, coaches and students.

"It is not the good sportsmanlike behavior that we teach students," he said.

The team from John Jay High School in San Antonio was playing Marble Falls High School in Marble Falls, located about 90 miles north of San Antonio.

Before the referee was hit, two Jay players had been ejected on separate plays.

The incident occurred with approximately a minute left in Friday's game, according to Marble Falls coach Matt Green.

Here's the video:

Marble Falls was trying to run out the clock and called for a handoff toward the left side of the line of scrimmage, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

The penalties stemming from the incident gave Marble Falls a first down. John Jay lost 15-9.

Marble Falls coach Matt Green said John Jay coach Gary Gutierrez apologized after the game.

"I've coached 14 years and I've never seen anything like it," Green said.

Video showed the referee watching the play, and his head snapping back when he is leveled from behind. The other player then dove on top of him.

The referee was "very upset" and "wanting to press charges," Austin Football Officials Association secretary Wayne Elliott told the AP.

Elliott said he was seeking guidance from the state officials association, adding, "the first thing we want is that those two kids never play football again."

He declined to release the referee's name.

Candidates vying to get on the ballot for mayor covered a lot of ground Thursday night, talking about crime, education and the changing demographics of Springfield, among other topics.

SPRINGFIELD — Candidates vying to get on the ballot for mayor covered a lot of ground Thursday night, talking about crime, education and the changing demographics of Springfield, among other topics.

Conspicuously absent from the John F. Kennedy Middle School forum was Mayor Domenic Sarno, who hasn't attended any debates in the lead-up to Tuesday's preliminary election – a fact his potential opponents have attempted to exploit for political gain.

But whether or not the absence of the popular, three-term Democrat – Sarno won by wide margins in his last two races – will hurt him with voters remains to be seen. He won by 71 percent in 2011, 69 percent in 2009 and 53 percent in 2007, when he defeated five-term Mayor Charlie Ryan.

On Thursday, though, it was a chance for the would-be politicians to introduce themselves to the small audience that showed up for the debate at the Indian Orchard school.

Sarno's challengers – Sal Circosta, Ivelisse Gonzalez, Michael Jones, Johnny Ray McKnight, Beverly Savage and Miguel Soto – answered questions from moderator Kait Walsh, a reporter and anchor with WWLP-22News. The top two vote-getters in the Sept. 8 preliminary election will compete in the Nov. 3 general election, and Sarno is widely expected to be one of the two.

Jones, a first-time candidate and lifelong Springfield resident who lives in Upper Hill, positioned himself as the person who best knows the struggle of everyday people in this city, where almost 10 percent of residents are unemployed and about 29 percent live below the poverty line. "I've lived the life of the people in the streets, the shelters ... I know your struggle," he said.

Savage, a Connecticut native and mother of eight who's lived in Springfield for about 20 years, said she'd bring "fresh, new, innovative ideas" to the city if elected mayor.

Soto, a Navy veteran and East Forest Park resident, said many voters are concerned about crime in the city, an issue he'd address by working with neighborhood residents to combat the problem. "Crime is something everyone is passionate about," he said.

McKnight, a Springfield native raised in Amherst and North Carolina who returned here in 2011, said he's traveled to every neighborhood in the city to meet residents and doesn't believe his outsider status is an Achilles' heel. "It's about going into the communities and knocking on doors ... It's not about being from Springfield," he said.

Circosta, a Forest Park resident and business manager, said Springfield is a city of neighborhoods, which should be branded and marketed to attract investment and opportunities. "We are one city, but we are multiple neighborhoods," he said.

Gonzalez, a Puerto Rico native who moved to Springfield in 1986, said she wants more transparency and accountability in city government and hopes to help restore pride to Springfield's neighborhoods, some of which are beset by crime.

On that note, Soto said he believes his ability to speak two languages fluently – English and Spanish – gives him an advantage with Springfield's large Hispanic community. "It's good that I'm bilingual," he said, remarking on the changing demographics of Indian Orchard, the neighborhood where the debate was held. "Indian Orchard is no longer a Polish neighborhood or an Irish neighborhood," he said.

On the topic of education, most of the candidates criticized standardized testing in general, MCAS in particular. Circosta said such tests need to be evaluated, while Soto said more needs to be done to keep kids in school. "There's a 50 percent dropout rate – that's crazy," Soto said.

Jones said parents must be involved in the education of their children, many of whom are languishing because of the rigidity of standardized testing. "They're way too tested and they're stressed out," he said.

Gonzalez said testing alone isn't a true measure of a student's intelligence or ability to learn. "Right now, I know we are failing in some or our schools," she said. "(Students) should not be measured by a test. ... When they take a test, they are nervous – it's going to come out ugly. All we do is teach for a test, and that has to stop."

Soto said there needs to be more "cultural sensitivity" in Springfield schools and teachers who understand cultural nuances. "We need to have more teachers that are culturally aware of what they're teaching," he said, advocating for a return to teaching "the old-fashioned way."

When it comes to education, there needs to be more emphasis on students' perspectives, so adults and teachers can hear things from the "horse's mouth," Savage said. "We must get them outside the box to provoke them to dream and create."

McKnight said the waiting list for pre-K must be eliminated and more "parent facilitators" are needed.

Struggling schools are a sign of bad leadership, according to Circosta. "A leader has to have accountability," he said. "The buck stops with the mayor. ... If there's a failing school system, that means there's a failing administration."

The candidates' forum was sponsored by the Indian Orchard Citizens Council.

The three received citations to appear in Windsor County Superior Court.

SPRINGFIELD, VT - Three New Hampshire residents face multiple drug charges after being accused of being possession of a variety of different drugs including synthetic marijuana and bath salts.

Willie Taylor, 41, of Claremont, Nicole Hooper-Reed, 30, and Angel Hammerle, 29, both of Charlestown, all received citations to appear in Windsor County Superior Court, Vermont State Police officials said.

They were charged with possession of regulated drugs, synthetic marijuana, bath salts and civil possession of marijuana, police said.

The charges came after police raided Room 102 of the Holiday Inn in Springfield, Vermont on Thursday. In the search Taylor was allegedly found with several varieties of bath salts, synthetic marijuana, prescription Diazapam, powder Fentanyl and marijuana. In the same search Hooper- Reed is accused of possessing several large bags of bath salts, synthetic marijuana and prescription Subutex. Hammerle was charged with being possession of bath salts and Suboxone, police said.

Bath salts are an amphetamine-like stimulant. They can be taken orally, inhaled or injected.

It seems like longer than 2 1/2 years since Bradley was prematurely hailed a superstar.

Some guys play 15 years and don't leave as many impressions as Jackie Bradley, Jr., has done in three.

Glorify him, promote him, demote him, give up on him, bring him back, trade him, don't trade him, appreciate him - Boston Red Sox fans have experienced all of those emotions in just 30 short months with Bradley.

"I only think about what I can control,'' the Red Sox outfielder said Sunday, after his two-run triple in the second inning had contributed to a 6-2 win and a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park.

"I never doubted myself. I knew I had the talent and the work ethic, and when you have those two things, then things will go your way.''

Things are dramatically going Bradley's way now. Always known for spectacular defense, he has hit .418 since August 9, with 19 of his last 26 hits going for extra bases.

Over his last 24 games, he leads all of Major League Baseball in average, slugging (a gaudy .899) and on-base plus slugging (OPS) since Aug. 9. You almost want to nominate Bradley for Comeback Player of the Year, until you realize he's coming back only from inflated expectations that engulfed him in 2013 - and that he's only a baseball-young 25 today.

In 2013, Bradley hit .419 in spring training. Had there been a Grapefruit League MVP, it would have been Bradley, who was so good he forced the Red Sox to do what they did not want to do - place him on the 25-man Opening Day roster, thus starting his "arbitration clock" a year early to passionate debate.

A month later, Bradley was 3-for-31 and the debate was not about arbitration down the road, but whether this wondrous talent would become one of the most legendary busts in recent Red Sox history.

If others were doubting his ability to adjust to big league pitching - and if they were honest, almost everyone would say yes to that - Bradley never did. As the Red Sox show a strong finishing kick, the lure of Bradley is all about what he means to the 2016 team, but that's not his motivation, he said.

"Next year is too far away. I am definitely trying to finish strong this year and leave some good impressions, but this year is what I am thinking about,'' he said.

Bradley's 2013 spring training is a textbook example of the perils of getting carried away with prospects. This is an age where minor leaguers, who were once obscure to most fans until arriving in the big leagues, are greeted with fanfare, video, a raft of statistical data and 24/7 coverage before stepping into the batter's box in a real game.

Part of the Bradley-based euphoria came from the observation that here was a guy, not only talented but mature and well-grounded enough to handle the pressure and attention that has swallowed up many Red Sox rookies and veterans alike.

The analysis of Bradley's maturity was on target, yet it helped create the illusion that in a sport where even gifted players usually need 500 minor league games to learn their craft, he could skip a few grades and move to the head of the class with barely more than one year of pro experience.

When manager John Farrell cautioned media (and by extension, fans) to understand that big leaguers are not created overnight, the Red Sox world ignored him. Looking for likeable, appealing fresh faces who were not part of the 2012 last-place debacle, people went nuts over Bradley and Xander Bogaerts, who left the Fort Myers hoopla to play for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.

That left Bradley, whose first minor league game had come on Aug. 23, 2011. Having never played higher than Double A, and having played only 138 minor league games in all, Bradley made the majors - only to look as helpless at the plate as he was Mays-like (and no, that's not hyperbole) in the field.

When he was not in Pawtucket, Bradley hit .189 in 107 plate appearance for the 2013 Red Sox. In 2014, he had 423 plate appearances and hit .198, causing many Red Sox followers to think it was time to trade him while the team could get anything of value in return - assuming it still could.

Bradley showed he could hit Triple A pitching - he's a career .281 hitter for Pawtucket in 165 games. That only added to suspicions about his true upside.

In his alternating stints between Triple A and the majors, though, Bradley has put his intellect to use. He has made adjustments at the plate. He has remained confident.

And now, at the ripe old age of 25, he is showing the star quality that was pinned on him more than two years ago.

Disenchanted by four months of pretty crummy baseball, Red Sox fans are gaining hope for a much better 2016, whether Bradley says that's too far in advance or not. The vision of a Bradley-Mookie Betts-Rusney Castillo outfield fuels that optimism, especially now that Hanley Ramirez' toxic outfield play is being replaced by a whirl at first base.

As recently as a few weeks ago, trading Bradley would have been understood and probably supported by most Red Sox fans. It would be an enormously unpopular move now that Bradley is playing at the level projected prematurely for him in 2013.

"I'm just trying to take each day as it comes, but I feel very good these days,'' Bradley said.

He does not turn 26 until next April 19. That was the calendar date in 2013 on which the Red Sox sized up Bradley's .097 average and sent to Pawtucket, beginning an odyssey that seems to have lasted several years, not just three.

Because he made the 2013 Opening Day roster, Bradley will become a free agent in 2020, not 2021. His agent is Scott Boras. Maybe those "arbitration clock" worries will prove to have merit after all.

Atlanta's annual Dragon Con science fiction and fantasy convention filled the city's downtown streets with people dressed as zombies, steampunk time travelers, purple-haired anime heroes and aliens by the dozens.

ATLANTA (AP) -- Atlanta's annual Dragon Con science fiction and fantasy convention filled the city's downtown streets with people dressed as zombies, steampunk time travelers, purple-haired anime heroes and aliens by the dozens.

The convention draws fans from around the country to take part in sci-fi and fantasy costume contests, a massive parade through downtown Atlanta and educational seminars about science and costumes making.

One of the more popular events at the convention this year was a private party held at the Georgia Aquarium, home to the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. Costumed revelers danced and drank under the glow of passing Beluga whales and sharks on display, and dance-heavy music thumped in the background.

Tens of thousands attend the annual event, which began Thursday and continued through the weekend.