The inmate lunged at Holmes while a corrections officer was escorting Holmes through a hallway on Oct. 8.

DENVER -- An inmate assaulted theater shooter James Holmes and a security officer at the Colorado State Penitentiary, officials confirmed Friday.

The inmate lunged at Holmes and took a few swings at him while the officer was escorting Holmes through a hallway on Oct. 8, Adrienne Jacobson, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Corrections, tells The Denver Post. Holmes was not injured.

Jacobson told The Associated Press that the 27-year-old inmate accused of attacking Holmes will be disciplined during a hearing inside the prison. The alleged attacker as Mark "Slim" Daniels, 27, who will be charged with assault on a correctional officer and an assault on Holmes, Jacobson said.

The Post said it learned of the attack Friday from a letter whose writer identified himself as Daniels.

Holmes is allowed to spend four hours in a day hall. No other inmates are in his cellblock.

A judge in August sentenced the 27-year-old to life in prison without parole for killing 12 people and wounding 70 others at a movie theater in suburban Denver in July 2012.

Mexican authorities said there were no immediate reports of fatalities or the kind of major, widespread damage feared earlier in the day when forecasters warned of a potentially "catastrophic" landfall.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico -- Hurricane Patricia pushed inland over a mountainous region of small hamlets in western Mexico early Saturday, weakening from its record-breaking strength and causing no early reports of fatalities or "catastrophic" damage that had been feared.

Still, Patricia remained powerful as it dumped torrential rains that authorities warned could cause deadly floods and mudslides.

Patricia, which peaked as the strongest hurricane on record in the Western Hemisphere, made landfall Friday on a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast as a Category 5 storm, avoiding direct hits on the resort city of Puerto Vallarta and major port city of Manzanillo.

There were early reports of some flooding and landslides, but no word of fatalities or major damage as the storm moved over inland mountains overnight. Television news reports from the coast showed toppled trees and lampposts, and inundated streets. Milenio TV carried footage of cars and buses being swept by floodwaters in the state of Jalisco.

"The first reports confirm that the damage has been less than those expected from a hurricane of this magnitude," President Enrique Pena Nieto said in a taped address late Friday. He added, however, that "we cannot yet let our guard down."

Patricia weakened to a Category 2 hurricane early Saturday with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and was expected to dissipate over Mexico's inland mountains, becoming a tropical storm later in the day. Its center was about 135 miles southwest of Zacatecas, Mexico.

Tourist Brandie Galle of Grants Pass, Oregon said she had been sheltered with other guests in a ballroom with boarded-up windows at the Hard Rock Hotel in Puerto Vallarta. When the city was not feeling any major effects from the storm two hours after landfall, workers let them out to eat at a hotel restaurant.

"They said it looked like the storm had hit below us," she said. "Everyone is starting to perk up a little bit but still kind of on edge waiting to see what's going to happen with the storm."

Galle said some guests desperate to leave had earlier paid $400 for taxis to drive them the 120 miles to the inland city of Guadalajara.

The airports in Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Tepic were closed Friday, but officials announced an air bridge Saturday to ferry stranded travelers out of areas hit by the storm.

Residents and tourists had hunkered down in shelters and homes along a coastal stretch dotted with sleepy fishing villages and gleaming resorts. In Puerto Vallarta, residents had reinforced homes with sandbags and shop windows with boards and tape, and hotels rolled up beachfront restaurants.

The Sokols, a family of five from suburban Detroit, were supposed to fly out of Puerto Vallarta on Friday but ended up for hours in a shelter at a university after their flight was canceled. By night they were back where they began: at their hotel, and no worse for wear.

"It's amazing it went from the worst in history to just some heavy rain," Susanna Sokol said, noting that at least the hurricane gave her daughter a birthday to remember.

"It was pretty stressful for a while," Tom Sokol said. "I felt guilty for taking my kids here."

Patricia formed suddenly Tuesday as a tropical storm and quickly strengthened to a hurricane. Within 30 hours it had zoomed to a Category 5 storm, catching many off guard with its rapid growth.

By Friday it was the most powerful recorded hurricane to hit the hemisphere, with a central pressure of 880 millibars and maximum sustained winds of 200 mph (325 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

Patricia's power while still out at sea was comparable to that of Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 dead or missing in the Philippines two years ago, according to the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization. More than 4 million people were displaced and over 1 million houses were destroyed or damaged in 44 provinces in the central Visayas region, a large cluster of islands.

Mexican officials declared a state of emergency in dozens of municipalities in Colima, Nayarit and Jalisco states, and schools were closed. Many residents bought supplies ahead of Patricia's arrival. Authorities opened hundreds of shelters and announced plans to shut off electricity as a safety precaution.

One of the worst Pacific hurricanes to ever hit Mexico slammed into the same region, in Colima state, in October 1959, killing at least 1,500 people, according to Mexico's National Center for Disaster Prevention.

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said tens of thousands of American citizens were believed to be vacationing or living in areas likely to be affected by the storm.

Patricia also threatens Texas with forecasters saying that even after the storm breaks, up its tropical moisture will likely feed heavy rains already soaking the state.

The U.S. National Weather Service said a flash flood watch would be in effect through Sunday morning for Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.

A coastal flood warning was in effect through Friday night in Corpus Christi. Galveston was under a coastal flood advisory until Saturday night.

Four people were arrested after police executed a search warrant on a North Adams apartment, following a months-long investigation. Investigators said they found heroin, cocaine and psilocybin.

Stephen P. CornellCourtesy BCDTF 

Amber R. FlynnCourtesy BCDTF 

North Adams, Adams and Dalton police officers, troopers from the Massachusetts State Police and deputies from the Berkshire County Sheriffs Office make up the task force. The arrests were announced in a written statement.

Dean M. WilliamsCourtesy BCDTF 

Authorities said Steven Cornell, 33, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute a Class B (cocaine) substance, possession of a Class A substance (heroin,), possession of a Class C substance (psilocybin), violation of a school zone and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Amber Flynn, 27, faces the same charges, while Dean M. Williams, 39, was charged with possession of a Class A substance (heroin). Alicia M. Giorgi, 29, was charged with knowingly being present where heroin is kept.

Alicia M. GiorgiCourtesy BCDTF 

Police said they also found drug paraphernalia and $752 in cash.

All four suspects listed 167 Houghton Street, Apt. 2 as their residence.

A man shot Wednesday died Friday, making him the 28th murder victim in the city so far this year.

Robert Rizzuto | rrizzuto@repub.com 

Ricardo Rivera was placed on life support Wednesday after he was transported to St. Francis Hospital. He had been shot in the head at about 10:16 p.m. Rivera was pronounced dead Friday afternoon.

The death brings the city's homicide count up to 28 so far this year. In 2014, 19 people were killed in Hartford.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Hartford Police Sgt. Reggie Early at 860-757-4248, or submit an anonymous tip on the department's website.

"They talked about a Mercedes and they're giving us a Cadillac," City Councilor Bud Williams said at a recent candidates forum, by way of criticizing MGM Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Eight of the 10 at-large candidates for Springfield City Council attended Thursday evening's election forum at Classical Condominiums, where they talked casinos, crime and the difficulty of drawing new blood to Springfield.

The candidates' forum was hosted by the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association and emceed by Carol Costa, the group's president, who introduced the participants and asked a series of prepared questions.

Before the competitors for five citywide council seats had a chance to speak their piece, the two candidates running for the Ward 1 seat – incumbent Zaida Luna and challenger Adam Gomez – staked out their positions before a crowd in the condo's ornate atrium.

MGM's leaner version of its original casino plan invoked some of the strongest feelings of the night, particularly from incumbents Bud Williams, Kateri Walsh and Justin Hurst, all of whom have voiced concerns about the project after the casino company scrapped plans for a high-rise hotel in Springfield.

Walsh said she was "disturbed" when the project's "wow factor" – a 25-story, glass-facade hotel – was cut from the plan. City leaders are also worried about the 14 percent reduction in the project's overall size. Walsh claimed MGM had blindsided and embarrassed "our mayor," referring to Mayor Domenic Sarno. "There are significant changes – less parking, less retail," she said.

City Councilor Kateri Walsh, shown here in a file photo from The Republican, criticized MGM's handling of the downsized casino project. Republican photo by Mark Murray 

Williams offered a blunter assessment of the changes. "Shame on MGM. Shame on MGM," he said. "They talked about a Mercedes and they're giving us a Cadillac," he said. "Or a Chevy."

It's time for city leaders to consider all options, according to Williams. "Maybe we should talk about an exit strategy," he said, adding that he doesn't trust MGM.

"Bottom line is we need to hold MGM accountable," Councilor Hurst said. "I agree with Bud that we need to have an exit strategy," he said.

Concerns raised by the five challengers – LaMar Cook, Jeffery Donnelly, Jesse Lederman, Kenneth Pooler and Alex Sherman – ranged from faulting MGM to criticizing city leaders for not doing their homework on the proejct.

Cook said Springfield voters are not getting the plan they voted for, while Lederman said MGM should be held accountable for scaling back the plan, especially the entertainment and retail components.

Pooler never believed MGM would build its project in Springfield, he said, knocking city leaders for "flip-flopping" on the issue. Sherman said local officials should have taken a more proactive approach with MGM from the get-go.

Donnelly voiced support for MGM's plan to replace the 25-story hotel tower with a six-story structure, saying the shorter building is more in scale with the city's history. "The way it was before, it was just a giant billboard for MGM," he said, referring to the high-rise component.

However, Donnelly doesn't support shrinking the project's square-footage by 14 percent, a move he said was "uncalled for."

Springfield City Councilor Bud Williams, shown here in a file photo from The Republican, said MGM should be ashamed of itself for ill communication.File photo by Manon Mirabelli 

When the discussion shifted to crime in the city, the candidates said they support the current community-policing tactics and various trust-building measures the department has implemented under the stewardship of Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri.

Williams said the community walks he's participated in with Barbieri and others have helped "tear down the barriers" between police officers and the people they police in Springfield's tougher neighborhoods, where trust has long been issue. "At the end of the day, we're one city, one people," Williams said.

Springfield police officers do a great job, but there needs to be a "balanced effort" between cops, citizens and city leaders, according to Cook.

Donnelly believes police officers are "doing the best job they can," but they shouldn't be walking around the city as "code enforcement officers," he said.

Springfield needs to hire more officers and get more cops walking beats and interacting with people, according to Lederman.

Pooler is a strong advocate of fighting blight – "Vacant lots lead to crime," he said – and adding police substations to troubled sections of the city. "We need to rekindle the relationship between the Police Department and our youths," he said.

Walsh and Hurst both praised Barbieri for doing a good job. "I think we're in very good hands with Commissioner Barbieri," Walsh said, citing his embrace of technology to fight crime. Hurst said Barbieri has "done a very good job" of building relationships between officers and the community, crediting C3 and other community-policing initiatives.

Justin Hurst, a Springfield City Councilor running for re-election, attended Thursday evening's candidates forum at Classical Condominiums, where he said the city should consider an exit strategy from MGM. Facebook 

On the issue of where city employees should live, most of the candidates generally supported the idea of a residency requirement.

"If you work for the city, you should live here – plain and simple," Donnelly said, singling out city cops and firefighters in particular.

It's a "no-brainer" that teachers and public safety workers should live in the city, enhancing the tax base, said Cook.

Lederman said he supports residency requirements for anyone who collects a paycheck from the city and creating incentives for other municipal employees who are not required to live within the city limits to consider that option.

Hurst agreed that Springfield needs to become a more attractive place to live, so young professionals and others "want to come here."

Williams said the city has been too lax on the residency issue. "We have not been tough enough on residency. We need to get tougher," he said.

Incumbent city councilors Tim Rooke and Tom Ashe did not attend the candidates' forum.

Realtors have noticed falling inventory of homes for sale.

SPRINGFIELD -- Sales of single-family homes and condominiums are up across the three counties of the Pioneer Valley, with the median prices paid for those homes up as well.

According to figures released Friday by the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley, closed sales of single-family homes rose 19 percent  from 452 a year ago in September 2014 to 538 homes sold last month. The median price paid for those homes rose 4.1 percent from $191,750 to $199,700.

For condominiums, sales are up 4.8 percent across the three counties from 83 in September 2014 to 87. The median price is up 8.9 percent from $135,000 to $147,000.

Realtors compare numbers from the same time period a year ago to correct for seasonal changes in the housing market. These numbers represent arms-length transactions done through Realtors and the multiple listing service.

Buyers are still out looking for homes, said Dawn Henry, president of the Realtor Association and a Realtor at the Coldwell Banker in Longmeadow.

"It's still very busy," she said. "We really haven't seen too much of a slowdown."

"Things are moving. I still feel price is the driving factor rather than location. We are still seeing a very strong (autumn) at this point," she said.

County-by-county numbers for single-family homes:

• Hampden County: Sales are up 12.2 percent from 304 in September 2014 to 341 last month. The median sales price is up 7.1 percent from $170,000 to $182,000.
• Hampshire County: Sales are up 45.2 percent from 93 in September 2014 to 135 in September 2015. The median price is up 1.9 percent from $260,000 to $265,000.
• Franklin County: Sales are up 15.4 percent from 52 to 60. The median sales price is down 8.8 percent from $196,250 to $179,000.

• Inventory: The number of homes for sale across the three counties is down 17.6 percent from 3,443 at the end of September 2014 to 2,838 at the end of last month.
• Days on the market: Homes for sale at the end of September had been on the market for an average of 100 days, down from 104 days in September 2014.
• Pending sales: Listings under agreement are up 25.4 percent from 437 in September 2014 to 548 last month.
• Mortgage rates: A 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 3.86 percent in the week ending Sept. 25 compared with 4.2 percent a year earlier.

National picture:

The National Association of Realtors said sales of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops increased 4.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.55 million in September. That is up  from a slightly downwardly revised 5.30 million in August. Those sales are 8.8 percent above a year ago when it was 5.1 million.

• The median national September price for an existing home, all housing types, was $221,900, which is 6.1 percent above the September 2014 median price of $209,100.
• September's price increase marks the 43^rd consecutive month of year-over-year gains.

In a release from the National Association of Realtors, Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said:

"September home sales bounced back solidly after slowing in August and are now at their second highest pace since February 2007 (5.79 million). While current price growth around 6 percent is still roughly double the pace of wages, affordability has slightly improved since the spring and is helping to keep demand at a strong and sustained pace."

The public is invited to attend the forum which is Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Ludlow Town Hall.

LUDLOW - The Agricultural Commission will sponsor an informational forum Wednesday at 7 p.m. in hearing rooms 1 and 2 at Town Hall.

The forum will feature guest speakers who will speak on topics that will help landowners find ways to keep their land in their families for generations to come.

Guest speakers include Noelle Fogg from New England Sustainable Farming, Pete Westover and Barbara Hopson from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Ross Hubacz from Hull Forest Products and Joseph Alves, Ludlow town assessor.

Topics to be covered will range from "land matching' will matches landowners with prospective farmers who will lease the land, forest management, Chapter 61 tax abatement programs, grants for solar and wildlife and APR programs.

Anyone invested in protecting their land investment and lovers of the environment are invited to attend.

Donations of these items will be accepted, beginning Nov. 2.

WILBRAHAM - St. Cecilia's Women's Club will hold its annual Rummage Sale in the St. Cecilia Parish Center Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Nov. 7 from 8:30 a.m. until noon.

Items for sale include gently used men's, women's and children's clothing, toys, puzzles, games, books, DVDs, household items, linens of all kinds, jewelry, scarves, purses and more.

There also will be baked goods available for purchase.

Donations of these items are gratefully accepted and may be dropped off at the Parish Center Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sports equipment, furniture, electrical items and shoes cannot be accepted.

For additional information, contact Ann Mango at 413-596-3628.

After the third sale, the club's bouncer provided his cell phone number to an undercover officer and "advised him to call anytime he needed anything else," the report said.

These were the most read stories out of Springfield District Court this week, plus one from last week. If you missed any, click on the links below to read them now.

2 employees of Odyssey nightclub in Springfield charged with dealing cocaine from club

Suspect in Springfield drug bust concealed crack cocaine in awkward place, state police say

Springfield man deserved scratching and biting, defense lawyer tells judge

Family (mis)Fortune: Father, mother, brother, sister deny Springfield drug, gun charges

Open beer bottle turns Springfield traffic stop into drug bust

Drunken driver found passed out on I-91 in Springfield thought she was in Connecticut, police say

Springfield man's 17-page criminal record costs him $50,000 in bail on new charges

Accused court-skipper limps back to court; judge jails him anyhow

Sunshine will fade to some cloudiness this afternoon with temperatures reaching into the 50s. Clouds will thicken up later today into tonight but we are not expecting any rainfall today. The rain will hold off until well after midnight. So if you're heading out this evening you can leave the umbrellas at home. It won't be as chilly this evening...

Sunshine will fade to some cloudiness this afternoon with temperatures reaching into the 50s. Clouds will thicken up later today into tonight but we are not expecting any rainfall today. The rain will hold off until well after midnight. So if you're heading out this evening you can leave the umbrellas at home. It won't be as chilly this evening either with overnight lows staying in the 40s.

As a front approaches the area very early tomorrow morning some showers will develop. We're not expecting much rain but Sunday will likely start damp. The best chance for rain is between 5am - 9am. Any showers will wind down in the morning followed by some afternoon sunshine. It will be breezy and a little milder too with highs into the lower 60s.

Rain should wind down in time for The Rays of Hope Walk, which steps off at 0:30am however there still may be a few leftover showers for the run which starts at 8:30am.

The Pats-Jets game is looking fine. There may be a shower early in the game but the weather should not be a much of a factor. Temperatures will be in the lower 60s for most of the game.

A cool, dry air mass will take hold for Monday and Tuesday followed by a good soaking on Wednesday. (Most of us, especially south of the Pike into Connecticut need the rain.)

Record-breaking Hurricane Patricia appeared to leave remarkably little damage as it moved rapidly inland over mountainous western Mexico early Saturday and weakened to tropical depression status.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico -- Record-breaking Hurricane Patricia appeared to leave remarkably little damage as it moved rapidly inland over mountainous western Mexico early Saturday and weakened to tropical depression status, though authorities warned it could still cause deadly floods and mudslides.

Patricia, which peaked as the strongest hurricane on record in the Western Hemisphere, made landfall Friday on a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast as a Category 5 storm, avoiding direct hits on the resort city of Puerto Vallarta and major port city of Manzanillo.

There were reports of some flooding and landslides, but no word of fatalities or major damage as the storm pushed across inland mountains while bypassing the metropolis of Guadalajara overnight.

Residents of the coast where Patricia came ashore last night described an enraged sea that crashed into hotels, scooping beach away from their foundations, and howling winds that toppled trees and telephone posts.

"The waves were coming into the hotel," said Domingo Hernandez, a watchman at the Hotel Barra de Navidad in the resort village of the same name in Jalisco state.

"All the streets here in town are full of downed trees all over the place," said Hernandez, who described Patricia as the strongest storm he's seen in a quarter century of living on the coast. "You have to make your way around all the downed telephone poles, the power lines, the trees."

Puerto Vallarta heaved a collective sigh of relief Saturday morning to find itself largely unscathed.

People snapped selfies next to a sculpture overlooking the sea and business owners swept sidewalks as they would on any morning. There were puddles downtown, but nothing more than a passing thunderstorm might leave.

Maximiliano Macedo of Puerto Vallarta strolled arm in arm with his wife down the waterfront to see things by the light of day.

"Fortunately, nothing happened here," Macedo said. "Like everybody else, our family we got prepared," Macedo said; the family stockpiled supplies, taped the windows and readied the radio. But he said when Patricia made landfall south after 6 p.m., they began to relax.

President Enrique Pena Nieto issued a taped address late Friday, noting that while initial reports indicate damage has been less than those expected, "We cannot yet let our guard down."

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Patricia had weakened to a tropical depression by midday Saturday with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph). Remnants of the storm were expected to feed existing rainstorms hitting southern Texas.

Patricia was centered about 95 miles (155 kilometers) northeast of Zacatecas and it was moving to the northeast at 24 mph (39 kph)

Tourist Brandie Galle of Grants Pass, Oregon, said she had been sheltered with other guests in a ballroom with boarded-up windows at the Hard Rock Hotel in Puerto Vallarta. When the city was not feeling any major effects from the storm two hours after landfall, workers let them out to eat at a hotel restaurant.

Galle said some guests desperate to leave had earlier paid $400 for taxis to drive them the 120 miles (200 kilometers) to the inland city of Guadalajara.

The airports in Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Tepic were closed Friday, but officials announced an air bridge Saturday to ferry stranded travelers out of areas hit by the storm. Officials said the bus station was reopening.

Residents and tourists had hunkered down in shelters and homes along a coastal stretch dotted with sleepy fishing villages and a few posh resorts that offer rooms for more than $1,000 a night.

The Sokols, a family of five from suburban Detroit, were supposed to fly out of Puerto Vallarta on Friday but ended up for hours in a shelter at a university after their flight was canceled. By night they were back where they began: at their hotel, and no worse for wear.

"It's amazing it went from the worst in history to just some heavy rain," Susanna Sokol said, noting that at least the hurricane gave her daughter a birthday to remember.

"It was pretty stressful for a while," Tom Sokol said. "I felt guilty for taking my kids here."

Patricia formed suddenly Tuesday as a tropical storm and quickly strengthened to a hurricane. Within 30 hours it had zoomed to a Category 5 storm, catching many off guard with its rapid growth.

By Friday it was the most powerful recorded hurricane to hit the hemisphere, with a central pressure of 880 millibars and maximum sustained winds of 200 mph (325 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.

One of the worst Pacific hurricanes to ever hit Mexico slammed into the same region, in Colima state, in October 1959, killing at least 1,500 people, according to Mexico's National Center for Disaster Prevention.

Patricia also threatens Texas, where flooding already has caused a train derailment. Forecasters said that even after Patricia breaks, up its tropical moisture will likely feed heavy rains already soaking the state.

___

Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman wrote this report. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

Incumbent Chicopee Mayor Richard J. Kos and challenger Michael D. Bissonnette, a former mayor, sparred about crime at a live televised debate Friday afternoon on Western Mass News.

SPRINGFIELD — Incumbent Chicopee Mayor Richard J. Kos and challenger Michael D. Bissonnette, a former mayor, sparred about crime at a live televised debate Friday afternoon on Western Mass News.

"Law enforcement in this city is critical," Bissonnette said during the half-hour debate co-sponsored by The Republican, MassLive.com and Western Mass News. "Shootings and gang activity are up and robberies of convenience stores."

Bissonnette, who served as mayor for eight years through 2013, said that vacancies in the Police Department need to be filled and there should be more use of auxiliary police.

Kos said that public safety has been a priority of his administration.

"Crime is down in this city," Kos said. He said his administration is addressing crime through foot patrols and is expanding other efforts to fight crime.

Bissonnette said more officers need to be taken "off the desk" and be returned onto the street "to do real policing."

Jeanette DeForge, Chicopee reporter for The Republican, asked about the recent uptick of gang activity in the city.

Kos said the city is using video cameras downtown and plans to identify other hot spots in the city for video cameras.

Bissonnette said gang members in Chicopee are 12 and 13 years old. "This activity needs to be nipped in the bud," Bissonnette said. He argued that the Kos administration has not sought enough law enforcement grants to combat gang activity.

Kos said more video cameras are needed. He said two incidents in the city were solved because of private cameras.

Kos, 62, is running for his second term as mayor in his current adiministration. He also served in the position from 1997 to 2004. Bissonnette, 61, has been working as a municipal consultant and a lawyer since he left office in January 2014.

Stillwater police Capt. Kyle Gibbs said the Hyundai Elantra struck an unoccupied motorcycle of an officer who was working security at the parade, then went into the crowd.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- A woman suspected of driving under the influence plowed into a crowd Saturday during the Oklahoma State University homecoming parade, killing four people -- including a toddler -- and injuring dozens more after a collision that sent some spectators flying through the air.

Stillwater police Capt. Kyle Gibbs said the woman's Hyundai Elantra struck an unoccupied motorcycle of an officer who was working security at the parade, then went into the crowd. She was taken into custody, and Gibbs said investigators were awaiting the results of blood tests to determine if she was impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Oklahoma University Medical Center and The Children's Hospital announced in a statement Saturday night that a 2-year-old was the latest to die from injuries from the morning crash. Five children and three adults remained hospitalized with conditions ranging from good to critical, officials said.

Gibbs had said earlier that three people were killed 34 people were taken to the hospital, including eight in critical condition.

Police said Adacia Chambers, 25, of Stillwater, was arrested on the DUI charge.

"We treat these like we would any homicide investigation," Gibbs said. "It'll probably take several days to get additional information as to the cause of the accident."

Chambers' father, Floyd Chambers of Oologah, told The Oklahoman newspaper he couldn't believe his daughter was involved and insisted she was not an alcoholic. He described his daughter as "timid" and said she had attended homecoming festivities Friday night with family members but that her boyfriend had told him she was home by 10 p.m.

"This is just not who she is. They're going to paint her into a horrible person but this is not (her)," Floyd Chambers told the paper.

A woman who answered a call to a phone number listed for Floyd Chambers told The Associated Press no one was available to talk.

Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis said there had been discussion about canceling the homecoming game Saturday afternoon against Kansas, but it was played as scheduled. The victims were remembered with a moment of silence before kickoff, and most of the OSU players knelt on the sideline in prayer.

Even as the game began, some of the bodies remained at the scene of the crash less than three blocks away from the stadium. National Guard troops kept watch as officials with the Red Cross and state medical examiner's office continued their work.

Hundreds of fans wearing the school's bright orange and black colors were forced to walk by the intersection as they headed to the game. Some lingered to look at the aftermath: water bottles, blankets, lawn chairs and other items strewn all over the intersection. A gray car with a smashed side and shattered windshield remained at the scene, as did a crumpled motorcycle.

"I just saw smoke and saw the panic in people's faces as they ran away from the scene," said Geoff Haxton, of Tulsa, who attended the parade with his children.

Another spectator, Konda Walker, from Anchorage, Alaska, told the Stillwater News Press that some people initially thought the crash was part of the show.

"People were flying 30 feet into the air like rag dolls," Walker told the News Press.

Phone calls to Oklahoma State officials were not immediately returned.

The university posted on Twitter: "Oklahoma State University is saddened by the tragic parade incident earlier this morning. Our thoughts & prayers are with those affected."

It's not the first tragedy to strike events connected to Oklahoma State sports programs. Ten people, including two OSU men's basketball players, were killed in a 2001 plane crash while returning from a game in Colorado. And Oklahoma State women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna were among four killed in a plane crash in Arkansas in 2011 while on a recruiting trip.

"The families, I know, and these victims will never be able to understand this, nor will we," Hargis said. "But the Cowboy family pulls together, unfortunately we've had to do it before and we're going to do it again."

Chicopee firefighters spent nearly two hours Saturday evening battling a blaze that charred a Myrtle Street residence.

CHICOPEE ‒ Chicopee firefighters spent nearly two hours Saturday evening battling a blaze that charred a Myrtle Street residence.

City firefighters responded to reports of a fire at 34 Myrtle St. around 7:15 p.m. The cause of the blaze, which fire crews were close to extinguishing as of 9 p.m., had yet to be determined, the Chicopee Fire Department said. Investigators remained on scene.

City resident Michelle Labonte told reporters that her son Christopher, who owns the home, was away in Boston when the fire began. Others living at the house were also not present at the time of the incident, she said.

Labonte, who said she grew up at the residence, added that she was not aware of what may have started the blaze.

Detectives allege Charles Cole strangled his mother on Aug. 16 at the Pleasant Valley Motel, where they were living along with his wife, Ronalda Cole, and kept the body there for seven weeks.

PLEASANT VALLEY, N.Y. -- A man strangled his mother in the motel where they lived, kept her body there for nearly two months and then dumped it in South Carolina with the help of his wife, police said Saturday.

Charles R. Cole, 48, was arrested Friday in the death of 76-year-old Betty Cole.

Police launched an investigation Oct. 6 after family members called investigators to say they couldn't reach her. Detectives allege Charles Cole strangled his mother on Aug. 16 at the Pleasant Valley Motel, where they were living along with his wife, Ronalda Cole, and kept the body there for seven weeks.

They said he then stuffed the body into a plastic bin, put the bin in his car, drove from Pleasant Valley, in Dutchess County about 80 miles north of New York City, to Lodge, South Carolina, and left the body in a secluded area.

"I find it hard to imagine circumstances that could lead to a son strangling his mother, but to also live with her body in a motel room for seven weeks and to then travel several states away to dump her body like trash makes this a particularly disturbing and unusual case," state police Capt. John Ryan said.

Cole was arraigned on a murder charge and was jailed without bail. His wife was charged with felony tampering with evidence and was jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail. She is accused of helping to transport and dispose of Betty Cole's body.

They suspects couldn't be reached by telephone for comment, and information on their attorneys was unavailable.

Police said Betty Cole's body was found Oct. 17. They did not say why the body was left in South Carolina.

A man who answered the phone at the Pleasant Valley Motel on Saturday denied there was a body there for seven weeks, saying guests would have complained about the smell. He said police made the story up.

Ryan told Hudson Valley News Network said he didn't know how the couple kept the body of the mother for seven weeks without sparking any complaints of odor from others staying at the motel.

The motel, where rooms start at $65 per night, is located on a rural thoroughfare 7 miles from the center of Poughkeepsie. Its website says its country surroundings "provide a beautiful change of pace should business or pleasure bring you to Dutchess County."

Police say up to four people have reported incidents along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in Cheshire in which a man has tried to grab woman as they ran along the public path.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

The alleged victim said she saw the suspect riding a bicycle just before the incident.

The Berkshire Eagle reported that the incident may be one of at least four along the trail reported in the last six months, police said.

The victims of the alleged assaults report a common description of the assailant. He is described as being in his late teens or early 20s, standing about 5-foot, 4-inches tall, with an average build and short brown hair. The suspect is described to have tattoos on his shoulders, possibly having a lisp or speech impediment, and a "sickly,yellowish complexion." He is may be riding a bicycle on the rail trial when the attacks take place.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Massachusetts State Police Cheshire barracks at 413-743-4700.

Mortgage holder JP Morgan Chase bank says it is prepping the building for sale.

HOLYOKE - Holyoke opened the next phase of its Canal Walk Thursday along Race Street in the city's downtown.

Also this week, Longmeadow saw progress concerning a high-profile project there, the historic Brewer-Young mansion after sheriff's deputies cleared it of occupants at the request of JPMorgan Chase, the mortgage-holding bank which had already foreclosed and taken legal possession of the property a year ago.

1) Sheriff's deputies evict occupants from historic, but dilapidated Brewer-Young mansion in Longmeadow

And

Dilapidated Brewer-Young mansion in Longmeadow to be renovated following occupants' eviction, mortgage holder JPMorgan Chase bank says

Built in 1884, the 10,907-square-foot colonial revival mansion is considered a Longmeadow landmark.

2) Holyoke opens Canal Walk Phase II, including bridge over Second Level Canal

The federally funded project connects Race Street with the north side of the canal over a former railroad bridge converted to pedestrian use. Next steps include renovating sidewalks to the south and connecting Race Street with the Willimansett Bridge.

3)Aer Lingus announces nonstop flights from Hartford's Bradley Airport to Dublin

The new daily flights to Ireland begin a year from now in September 2016.

4) Games & Lanes toxic site in Agawam under purchase agreement; mayor envisions 'mini-Northampton' for area

The property, once used by a uniform rental company, is contaminated with dry cleaning chemicals. The perspective new owner is Site Redevelopment Technologies, a Foxborough company that cleans and redevelops contaminated brownfields. The company has signed a purchase and sale agreement to buy the 2.3-acre site.

5) Unemployment falls in Springfield and across Pioneer Valley; region gains 6,000 jobs

The city of Springfield's unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent from 9 percent a month earlier in August. The rate was 10.7 percent a year ago in September 2014. Local numbers are not adjusted for seasonal changes in the economy, so economists look at year-over-year numbers to gauge the health of the local labor market.

Massachusetts state officials on Friday released a plan for boosting locally grown food – the first such plan since 1974.

Massachusetts state officials on Friday released a plan for boosting locally grown food - the first such plan since 1974.

"We have brought together an incredibly diverse and broad range of people involved in the food system, everyone from anti-hunger advocates to farmers to truckers to policy advocates, to try to figure out how we can build on the strength of the state's food system and collaborate in ways we haven't collaborated before," said Winton Pitcoff, the project manager overseeing the plan and a Plainfield resident.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton said the Massachusetts Food System Plan "will help the state create policies to increase local food production in Massachusetts, create a vibrant and resilient food economy, protect our environment, and make healthy food accessible for all citizens."

The 357-page draft plan takes a comprehensive look at topics from farming to fishing. It is likely to have particular resonance in Western Massachusetts, which is home to much of the state's agricultural land.

According to the report, there were 12,000 farms and food businesses in Massachusetts in 2012. The food system today employs 426,000 people, accounting for 4.5 percent of the state's economic activity. At the same time, farms are struggling, food-related jobs have low wages, hunger is growing, and many urban residents lack easy access to healthy food.

The report looked at ways to increase access to Massachusetts-grown food, create more economic opportunities for food workers, protect land and water and reduce hunger. It made suggestions for changing regulations to help the food industry, providing technical assistance to farms and doing more education around locally grown food.

For example, the report suggests conducting marketing campaigns around locally grown food and providing technical assistance to farmers to help them remain competitive. It recommends improving infrastructure for processing food by developing shared-use kitchens and providing flexible financing for small food businesses. It recommends ensuring that regulations do not hinder the growth of the agriculture industry in areas ranging from slaughter to building codes. Other proposals relate to lowering taxes on farmers, preserving farmland and making public land available for farming. The report also proposes supporting urban agriculture and mobile farmers markers, while increasing the availability of healthy food at food pantries and hospitals.

Pitcoff said residents of urban parts of Western Massachusetts like Springfield and Holyoke struggle with a lack of access to grocery stores. In rural areas, farmers face a decline in technical assistance. The UMass Extension - part of the UMass Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, which helps farmers with everything from equipment maintenance to crop selection - has one-third of the staff it had in the 1980s.

"Farmers desperately need technical assistance to remain viable and competitive," Pitcoff said.

State Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, a member of the Massachusetts Food Policy Council, said he does not know why a plan was not done earlier, "but the time is really right for it to happen now." Kulik cited a growing interest in community supported agriculture and local food. But he noted that farmers are facing difficulties in accessing and preserving farmland, finding labor, and getting money to invest in equipment. Kulik said these are all areas where state government has helped manufacturers in other fields, and where government could help farmers.

Kulik said he hopes the report becomes a blueprint for action in areas like farmland preservation, access to healthy food, more job training in agriculture and food production, and hunger.

"The timing is great to help us make investments in food infrastructure and manufacturing... in the way we're doing in other sectors of the economy such as biotech, manufacturing and hi-tech," Kulik said.

State Sen. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer, Senate chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, said food insecurity is still a major issue in much of the state, in both rural and urban areas. She hopes to see state officials thinking more about how to get fresh food from local farmers to poor people. Gobi said as a former history teacher, she saw the importance of proper nutrition for children. "They're not going to learn about War of 1812 if they're on an empty stomach," Gobi said.

Matt Barron, a political consultant active in rural policy who helped craft the state's first food plan in the 1970s said that plan led to groundbreaking laws in Massachusetts related to agricultural land preservation. Barron said he is hopeful the new report will help address ongoing problems like a lack of food processing facilities, such as slaughterhouses.

"With such an urban dominated legislature, having something like this come out is a good reminder that there are over 7,000 farms in this small state, and they are a vibrant part of the economy," Barron said.

Ma Food Plan Summary

Ernest Brunault Sr. was on the Board of Aldermen from 1938 to 1949.

HOLYOKE -- The Brunault family recently donated campaign memorabilia from its over-100-year presence here to the museum of Holyoke that is the collection of items at The Wherehouse? banquet and event space,109 Lyman St.

James F. Brunault, who is running for City Council at large in the Nov. 3 election, and his father Harold Brunault, formerly a solicitor in the city Law Department and member at various times of "virtually every board in the city," provided The Wherehouse? with a James Brunault bumper sticker and a campaign card from Harold Brunault's run for the Board of Aldermen (as the City Council was then known) in 1969.

As a child, James Brunault said, he also recalls seeing items such as a campaign sticker in the glass cases of The Wherehouse? related to his grandfather, the late Ernest Brunault Sr. Ernest Brunault Sr. was on the Board of Aldermen from 1938 to 1949 and was president from 1946 to 1949, James Brunault said.

Wherehouse? owner James A. Curran is trying to hunt down those Ernest Brunault items, James Brunault said.

"I am proud that we have been here over a 100 years and I hope I get the chance to serve on the council as a means of giving back to Holyoke and helping others," he said.

"Mr. Curran was very kind to indulge my wish," he said.

Brunault, 49, of 49 St. James Ave., is senior vocational counselor for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission here.

Brunault is one of 15 candidates -- incumbents and challengers -- running for the eight at large seats on the 15-member City Council. The other seven seats are held by ward representatives.

His grandfather was involved in founding what led to the Holyoke Geriatric Authority, a nursing home that closed last year because of financial problems, said James Brunault, a member of the authority's board of directors.

Two of the points Ernest Brunault made to him, he said, were to take care of the elderly and have regard for those who look "down on their luck."

"He would say, 'See that person, you are no better than he is, and he is no better than you. Help people because we are all in this together,'" Brunault said he recalled his grandfather telling him.

The Wherehouse? includes industrial and municipal items, firefighting apparatus, appliances, airplane fuselages, a caboose, political memorabilia, church accoutrements, school signs, business and memorial plaques, maps and historical photographs.

McLellan listed the negotiated improvements that will happened at the Pride truck stop on Burnett Road as one of his recent, major accomplishments.

CHICOPEE - Timothy S. McLellan is announcing that he is seeking his fifth term as the Ward 6 representative to the City Council.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to have represented Ward 6 for the past 8 years. I believe I have done my best to eliminate safety hazards and address quality of life issues not only in Ward 6, but throughout the entire city," he said.

McLellan, a consult clerk at the Veterans Administration in Leeds and a disabled veteran, is being challenged by David Amo for the council seat.

Over the past few years, McLellan said he has had a number of accomplishments that have helped the ward.

He said his years of work to correct the perennial traffic congestion caused by the Pride refueling station is finally coming to fruition.

"The Pride station is being redesigned to improve the stacking of trucks trying to get into Pride to refuel. They will be able to stack up to eight additional trucks on the property as they wait to refuel. Included in the design changes will be an exiting pattern that will allow 11 or more trucks that have been refueled and waiting to leave due so safely without causing additional disruption to an already busy intersection," he said

Chicopee City Councilor Timothy S. McLellanGregory St.Laurent/ submitted photo 

"The part of the re-design that is most gratifying and that I have been working on the longest is the securing the parking lot with 24-hour security. This should eliminate a large portion of the illegal activities that occur there daily by removing the unwanted element and activity from the area," he said.

McLellan said he will continue to work with the city in the upcoming years to see improvements to the lower Burnett Road corridor and to help move forward a plan to turn the Plantation Inn into a Mercedes-Benz car dealership.

The plan will clean up what has been an eyesore for the last few years and get a new business on the tax rolls.

He also discussed concerns about the number of homeless families which were housed at the Econolodge on Burnett Road.

"I am proud of my record for advocating for a more permanent solution to the homelessness problem that exists. Placing families in hotels is not and will never be a viable solution," he said.

In the upcoming term he said he will work with the owners of the hotel to see the building, or what replaces it, will have a positive impact on the area.

McLellan said he will continue to support the proposal to construct a solar farm on the vacant former military housing off James Street.

"There could not be a better project for the neighborhood. This will keep the integrity of the area and increase the viability of Westover if there are more closings coming," he said.