Holyoke spent nearly $1.2 million on snow removal and employee overtime last winter.

HOLYOKE -- The Department of Public Works is prepared to face winter with 2,000 tons of road salt, 500 tons of sand, $520,000 for snow removal and overtime, 13 city plows and arrangements to hire 25 private plowers if necessary, an official said Wednesday.

But maybe it won't be that bad.

It was that bad last year. Snow storms forced the city to spend $938,800 on snow and ice removal along with $236,400 in employee overtime, said William D. Fuqua, general superintendent of the Department of Public Works (DPW).

" Last winter we used 4,800 tons of salt and 1,600 tons of sand," Fuqua said in an email.

The DPW chief was asked to discuss winter preparations and whether more than the budgeted amount of money will be needed for such expenses.

"Maybe yes, maybe no. These budget figures are based on the average of the last five years of actual expenditures. It's impossible to predict how much and what type of winter weather we'll get in any given year," Fuqua said.

The city's ability to make financial transfers currently is a delicate topic. Mayor Alex B. Morse and the City Council are debating how to close a $2.9 million budget deficit.

The squeeze this year is tighter than in recent years because the amount of the financial cushion in the form of the free cash account from which such transfers can be made, $2.2 million, is about half the total of free cash in previous years.

Free cash is an account consisting of money left unspent in the previous fiscal year and certified as available for city use in the current fiscal year by the state Department of Revenue.

Morse told the City Council in a letter Tuesday that given the volatility of the weather, it was "nearly impossible" to predict whether more or less money will be needed this winter compared to last winter to deal with snow removal. He has advised Fuqua to watch such spending and if funds drop below a certain level, the mayor will ask the City Council for approval to do deficit spending, which state law allows, he said.

"This was recommended last year, but the council did not act, forcing us to go to (the) stabilization (account). This will allow us to pay for snow expenses over time without affecting our budget," Morse said.

The DPW's attention to the streets and fast action during and after snow storms has drawn praise from city officials and others in recent years.

"Our preparation this year is no different than any previous year," Fuqua said. "We are approaching this winter as we do every winter, being aggressive in preparing for and responding to each storm. If we're not aggressive, any storm can get ahead of us and quickly create unsafe conditions throughout the city making it harder and more expensive to clear up."

Hours after the first shots were fired, officers blocked a dark SUV that appeared to be riddled with bullet holes on a residential street in San Bernardino.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 4:59 this afternoon.

By AMANDA LEE MYERS
and JUSTIN PRITCHARD

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- As many as three gunmen believed to be wearing military-style gear opened fire Wednesday at a Southern California social services center, killing at least 14 people and wounding more than a dozen others in what authorities described as a targeted mission.

Hours later, officers blocked a dark SUV that appeared to be riddled with bullet holes on a residential street in San Bernardino. Shots were fired, and a suspect was down, police said.

It was unclear if the suspect was one of the gunmen, but police earlier said the attackers may have fled in a dark SUV.

Police shed no light on a motive for the nation's latest mass shooting, which came five days after a gunman opened fire at Planned Parenthood in Colorado, killing three.

"They came prepared to do what they did, as if they were on a mission," Burguan said, noting the attackers carried long guns -- which can mean rifles or shotguns.

Witnesses said several people locked themselves in their offices, desperately waiting to be rescued by police, after gunfire erupted at the Inland Regional Center, which serves people with developmental disabilities.

The attack took place in a conference area where the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health was renting space to hold a banquet, said Marybeth Feild, president and CEO of the center. She said the building houses at least 25 employees as well as a library and conference center.

FBI agents and other law enforcement authorities converged on the center and searched room to room for the attacker or attackers, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said. But he said they might have escaped in an SUV.

No weapons were recovered at the center, though authorities were investigating unidentified items in the building and brought in bomb squads, Burguan said.

Ten of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition, and three were in serious condition, San Bernardino Fire Chief Tom Hannemann said. Police cautioned that the number of people killed and wounded were preliminary estimates that could change.

San Bernardino police spokesman Sgt. Vicki Cervantes told The Associated Press there were reports from witnesses of one to three gunmen.

As the manhunt went on, stores, office buildings and at least one school were locked down in the city of 214,000 people about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, and roads were blocked off.

Triage units were set up outside the center, and people were seen being wheeled away on stretchers. Others walked quickly from a building with their hands up. They were searched by police before being reunited with loved ones.

President Barack Obama was briefed on the attack by his homeland security adviser.

He said it was too early to know the shooters' motives, but urged the country to take steps to reduce the frequency of mass shootings. He told CBS that stricter gun laws, including stronger background checks, would make the country safer.

"The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world, and there's some steps we could take, not to eliminate every one of these mass shootings, but to improve the odds that they don't happen as frequently," Obama said.

Terry Petit said his daughter works at the center, where social workers find jobs, housing, transportation and provide programming for people who have disabilities ranging from autism to cerebral palsy to epilepsy. He got a text from her saying she was hiding in the building after hearing gunshots. Petit choked back tears as he read the texts for reporters outside the center. He said she wrote: "People shot. In the office waiting for cops. Pray for us. I am locked in an office."

Sherry Esquerra was searching for her daughter and son-in-law, both of whom work at the center. She said her daughter helps "very disabled" children and "gets all the services she possibly could for these kids."

"I just don't understand why somebody would come in and start shooting," Esquerra said.

She last saw her daughter at Thanksgiving and planned to see her Friday. When she calls her phone now, "Nothing. I just get her message. Straight to voicemail."

Marcos Aguilera's wife was in the building when the gunfire erupted. He said a shooter entered the building next to his wife's office and opened fire.

"They locked themselves in her office. They seen bodies on the floor," Aguilera told KABC-TV, adding that his wife was able to get out of the building unharmed.

The social services center has two large buildings that require a badge to get in, said Sheela Stark, an Inland Regional Center board member. However, the conference room where many public events take place -- including the banquet on Wednesday -- is usually left open when visitors are expected.

Contributing to this report were Brian Melley, John Antczak, Christopher Weber, John Rogers, Christine Armario, Gillian Flaccus and Sue Manning in Los Angeles; Amy Taxin in San Bernardino; Alina Hartounian in Phoenix; Michael Sisak in Philadelphia; and Hannah Cushman in Chicago.

Breaking: 20 victims in reported mass shooting in Calf.

SAN BERNARDINO, California -- Police here are responding to a reported active shooter in an office building, and there are 12 fatalities, according to KABC.The San Bernardino Fire Department provided told Reuters there were 20 victims, and said it was staging at the scene to treat those who were shot.

A SWAT team has been deployed to the building. KABC reported that law enforcement officials said the building is the Inland Regional Center, a non-profit organization for people with developmental disabilities.

SBFD units responding to reports of 20 victim shooting incident in 1300 block of S. Waterman. SBPD is working to clear the scene.

-- San Bernardino Fire (@SBCityFire) December 2, 2015

 

San Bernardino police confirm the shooting involves multiple victims; suspects may have fled the area in black SUV pic.twitter.com/pCFzlG78n6

-- Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) December 2, 2015

California: Active shooter in San Bernardino - east of Los Angeles. 20 victims. 7News https://t.co/AMrgocHnOt

-- Perth Now (@TopPerthNow) December 2, 2015

This story will be updated.

Baker said he hopes to sign into law a reform of the state's public records law next year, but he declined to comment on whether he supports the specific reforms that passed the Massachusetts House.

BOSTON - Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that he hopes to sign into law a reform of the state's public records law next year, but declined to comment on whether he supports the specific reforms that passed the Massachusetts House.

"As a general rule, we're supportive of public records reform," Baker said. "I'd like to have the opportunity to sign legislation on this sometime next year."

Baker was asked about public records policy at a Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association luncheon and by reporters after the event. Massachusetts has a weak public records law, and after a Boston Globe series called attention to the problem, lawmakers have proposed legislation to strengthen it.

A bill sponsored by state Rep. Peter Kocot, D-Northampton, and passed by the House at the end of the legislative session last month, has been described as "mixed" by public records advocates.

The bill includes some steps that open government advocates wanted, such as allowing courts to award attorneys' fees in cases when an agency does not comply with the public records law. But it also includes provisions that worry some open government groups, including giving agencies 60 days to fully comply with a request and municipalities 75 days to comply, with the possibility of extensions beyond that.

The bill is now being considered by the Senate, which is likely to propose its own version.

Asked whether he likes the House bill, Baker said, "I tend not to comment on the details of specific legislation when it's in process, because I do want the Legislature to make their own call on how they want this stuff to happen."

Baker said he likes the standards he voluntarily set for his own administration, which give his executive branch agencies 56 days to fulfill a request, but he noted that state agencies often have better tools than small cities and towns.

"You want to make sure whatever you put in place on this, you believe people can actually comply with and abide by. In some respects, that's been the tension," Baker said.

Governors have considered their own offices exempt from the public records law since a 1997 court decision related to the Judicial Nominating Council.

Baker said he is following that precedent.

"We basically follow the law," Baker said. "If the law changes on this stuff, we'll change with the law."

Baker stressed the administrative reforms he put in place for executive branch agencies, which include setting the time limit and establishing standard fees. He said the administration is also installing a new software system to make it easier for state officials to search for and compile large amounts of information.

During a question and answer session with the newspaper officials, Baker got into a back and forth with Bill Ketter, vice president of Community Newspaper Holdings, the parent company of the North Andover-based Eagle-Tribune, over public records after Ketter asked Baker about secretive practices by the state police.

When Ketter asked whether the state police should be allowed to withhold information related to a pending matter in which a state police officer was arrested for drunken driving, Baker's spokesman said the matter was under review. Baker then turned the tables on Ketter.

"Do you think anybody in public life who's ever been arrested for anything but maybe not convicted, that information should be publicly available?" Baker asked.

In response to a chorus of "yeses" from the newspaper publishers, Baker appeared taken aback.

"Interesting, OK," Baker said.

The CPA is a voluntary state program that 158 cities and towns have adopted. Communities can apply up to 3 percent of their tax levy to fund initiatives

SOUTH HADLEY - The recent special Town Meeting approved a request to adopt the Community Preservation Act , and said yes to expanding the municipal light board from its current three members, to five.

The CPA proposal, however, requires approval at April's annual town election, to take effect, and will be on the ballot.

If voters enact it, then a panel would be appointed to act on requests to fund items such as historic preservation, affordable housing and recreation-related projects.

Ballot approval would then allow the town to create a CPA bank.

The warrant from Town Meeting requested that be funded via a "surcharge on real property at 1.5 percent of the annual real estate tax levy" by fiscal 2018

The CPA is a voluntary state program that 158 cities and towns have adopted. Communities can apply up to 3 percent of their tax levy to fund initiatives.

The state contributes a percentage, which has varied over the years, for each local dollar invested in CPA-eligible projects. The state match has been as high as one-to-one, and as low as 25 percent.

The expansion of the South Hadley Electric Light Department Board of Commissioners, to five members, was proposed by the panel's chair, Anne Awad.

Following the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Thursday hearings on proposed MGM Springfield design changes, Chairman Stephen Crosby stressed the importance of gauging public support for the updated casino project before MGC weighs in on the proposals. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Following the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Thursday hearings on proposed MGM Springfield design changes, Chairman Stephen Crosby stressed the importance of gauging public support for the updated casino project before the commission weighs in on the proposals.

Crosby, who joined other commissioners in attending the day-long public events at Springfield's MassMutual Center, said the commission hoped to hear more details from MGM on the proposed changes, which include replacing a 25-story hotel tower with a six-story hotel and an overall reduction in the project's square footage, among other things.

Commissioners, he added, also hoped to gather frank feedback from the public on the contentious design changes to the $950 million casino project, which must receive approval from the Springfield City Council, Mayor Domenic Sarno and MGC.

"It was a very, very comprehensive presentation from MGM. They were methodical and thorough - candid, I think," the MGC chairman said in an interview. "Then we got a fair amount of flavor from the community of all types to add on top of that presentation.

"This is exactly what we're here for is to get this kind of candid feedback and now we'll go back and think about it and try to make some decisions in the next couple of weeks."

According to Crosby, the commission hopes to cement the Section 61, formal government approval of the casino project this month - possibly at its next meeting. Commissioners, however, will likely hold off on deciding whether to approve the design changes until at least early January, the chairman said.

While the design changes received mixed support during the public hearing, with some Springfield officials saying they would not support it as currently proposed, Crosby said he doesn't believe they affect what he called the heart of the casino project.

"It was a very fascinating mixed-use development project with not only a hotel and restaurants and a casino, which is what they usually have, but also lots of retail, a movie theater, market-rate housing, outdoor public spaces, a skating rink, bowling alley -really a phenomeonal mixed-use development for an urban area," he said. "If they were taking away those elements that, I would feel, would really do damage to the whole basic mixed-use concept. But if they're tweaking each of those elements and all of the elements are still there, then on the face of it that makes me feel better."

The proposed MGM Springfield design changes include what they described as an increased retail and child care space, a nearly 40,000 square foot reduction in the casino's loading dock, a smaller employee dining room and removal of five bowling lanes, project executives told the commission Thursday.

The current design would also reduce so-called back of house square footage by 7 percent and hotel square footage by 2.15 percent, according to MGM. 

The details came to light as investigators tried to determine whether the rampage that left 14 people dead was terrorism, a workplace grudge or some combination.

This is an updated version of a story posted at 3:08 this afternoon.

By AMANDA LEE MYERS
and JUSTIN PRITCHARD

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook had been in contact with known extremists on social media, a U.S. intelligence official said Thursday, and police said he and his wife had enough bullets and bombs to slaughter hundreds when they launched their attack on a holiday party.

The details came to light as investigators tried to determine whether the rampage that left 14 people dead was terrorism, a workplace grudge or some combination.

Wearing black tactical gear and wielding assault rifles, Farook, a 28-year-old county restaurant inspector, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 27, sprayed as many as 75 rounds into a room at a social service center for the disabled, where Farook's co-workers had gathered for a holiday banquet Wednesday. Farook had attended the event but slipped out at some point, then returned in battle dress.

Four hours later and two miles away, the couple died in a furious gunbattle, in which they fired 76 rounds, while 23 law officers unleashed about 380, police said.

On Thursday, Police Chief Jarrod Burguan offered a grim morning-after inventory that suggested Wednesday's bloodbath could have been far worse.

The couple left behind three rigged-together pipe bombs with a remote-control detonating device that apparently malfunctioned, and they had more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition left when police shot and killed them in their rented SUV after an hours-long manhunt, Burguan said.

Also, at a family home in the nearby town of Redlands, authorities found 12 pipe bombs, tools for making more, and over 3,000 additional rounds of ammunition, the chief said.

"We don't know if this was workplace rage or something larger or both," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in Washington, echoing President Barack Obama. "At this point in time we don't know the motivation."

Investigators are trying to determine whether became radicalized and if so, how, and whether he was in contact with any foreign terrorist organization, said the U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

But the official said Farook had been in touch on social media with extremists who were on the FBI's radar screen.

Wednesday's attack was the nation's deadliest mass shooting since the Newtown, Connecticut, school tragedy three years ago that left 26 children and adults dead.

Twenty-one people were injured before the day was out in this Southern California city of 214,000, including two police officers, authorities said. Two of the wounded remained in critical condition.

Authorities said the attack was carefully planned.

"There was obviously a mission here. We know that. We do not know why. We don't know if this was the intended target or if there was something that triggered him to do this immediately," David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles office, said as the bureau took over the investigation.

Farook has no known criminal record, Burguan said. He was born in Chicago to a Pakistani family, was raised in Southern California and worked at San Bernardino County's Department of Public Health for five years, according to authorities and acquaintances. The Saudi Embassy said he traveled to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2014 for nine days.

As for Malik, she came to the U.S. in July 2014 on a Pakistani passport and a fiancee visa, authorities said. To get the visa, immigrants submit to an interview and biometric and background checks -- screening intended to identify anyone who might pose a threat.

Adam Lankford, a criminal justice professor at the University of Alabama, said his review of mass public shootings in the U.S. indicates this is the first one in recent history to involve a male-female team.

Federal authorities said that Farook legally bought two handguns used in the massacre and that their two assault rifles were legally bought by someone else. They did not say how the rifles got into the attackers' hands.

Before they went on the rampage, couple dropped off their 6-month-old daughter with relatives Wednesday morning, saying they had a doctor's appointment, according to Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Co-worker Patrick Baccari said he was sitting at the same banquet table as Farook before Farook suddenly disappeared, leaving his coat on his chair. Baccari said that when the shooting started, he took refuge in a bathroom and suffered minor wounds from shrapnel slicing through the wall.

The shooting lasted about five minutes, he said, and when he looked in the mirror he realized he was bleeding.

"If I hadn't been in the bathroom, I'd probably be laying dead on the floor," he said.

As for any workplace conflicts, Baccari said that up until then Farook showed no signs of unusual behavior and was a reserved young man.

Two weeks ago, Farook and one of the co-workers he killed, 52-year-old Nicholas Thalasinos, had a heated conversation about Islam, according to Kuuleme Stephens, a friend of the victim's.

Stephens said she happened to call Thalasinos while he was at work and having a discussion with Farook. She said Thalasino told her that Farook "doesn't agree that Islam is not a peaceful religion."

Among the wounded was Julie Paez, who was at the holiday party. Paez, who tests water for the health department, was shot at least twice, and her pelvis was shattered by a bullet, according to her son, Nick Paez.

She managed to send her family a message through a group chat app to say she had been shot, and she included a selfie of just her face.

"It was a picture of her with a half-smile," her son said. "She just wanted to send us something so we would know what was happening."

AP writers Brian Melley, John Antczak, Christopher Weber, John Rogers, Christine Armario and Sue Manning in Los Angeles; Amy Taxin and Kimberly Pierceall in Redlands; Ken Dilanian, Eric Tucker, Tami Abdollah and Matthew Lee in Washington; Gillian Flaccus in Anaheim; Alina Hartounian in Phoenix; Michael Sisak in Philadelphia; and Hannah Cushman in Chicago contributed to this report.

A 23-year-old man, who was not publicly identified by police, allegedly replaced a sign reading "All" over the word "Black" in the banner at Arlington's First Parish Unitarian Church. The resulting "All Lives Matter" banner was discovered Nov. 27 by a parishioner, who took it down.

ARLINGTON — Rather than arrest a man for allegedly defacing a Black Lives Matter banner displayed at a local church, authorities have come up with a "restorative justice solution," according to Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan.

The 23-year-old man, who was not publicly identified by police, allegedly replaced a sign reading "All" over the word "Black" on a banner displayed outside Arlington's First Parish Unitarian Church. The resulting "All Lives Matter" banner was discovered Nov. 27 by a parishioner, who took it down and called police.

A witness told police that a man in pickup truck pulled up to the church, then exited the vehicle and approached the banner. The witness jotted down the truck's license plate number and gave it to police. That led authorities to the suspect, who lives in Arlington.

The man admitted to placing a homemade "All" sign over the banner, Ryan said. But instead of charging him with "destruction of a place of worship" – a crime punishable by fines, jail or prison, depending on the severity of the vandalism – the Police Department decided to consult with church leaders and Communities for Restorative Justice, according to Ryan.

As a result, the officials decided to seek a "community-based restorative justice solution," requiring the suspect to make restitution and perform community service to avoid criminal charges, Ryan said.

"This is the perfect case for a restorative justice solution," the police chief said. "The suspect in this case will be required to give back to the community that was wronged by his actions. Ultimately, the goal of restorative justice is to repair the breach between the offender and the community."

Church leaders agree with Ryan.

"These kinds of misguided acts call for conversation and learning, not punishment," said Lori Kenschaft, the church's clerk. "We look forward to talking with this individual, understanding why he did what he did, and being part of the restorative process."

Communities for Restorative Justice is a nonprofit partnership of community members and police departments offering restorative justice instead of criminal punishment. The group's goal is to provide crime victims an opportunity to be heard and understood, while giving offenders a chance to own up to their mistakes without facing criminal charges.

The Holyoke hospital's new facility will help heal some ulcers, burns, improperly functioning veins and other wounds.

HOLYOKE -- Diabetic ulcers plagued a man who Thursday became the first patient to be discharged, healed, from Holyoke Medical Center's new Wound Care Center, an official said.

"That's really what it's all about," Program Director Amy Pierno said, at the grand opening of the $500,000 facility.

The center opened Sept. 24 at 18 Hospital Drive on the hospital campus and officials held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, with those like Pierno, a physical therapist, making remarks.

"Wound care has been a passion of mine for as along as I've been a therapist," Pierno said.

The center provides advanced treatments for people suffering from wounds that resist healing. That includes diabetic ulcers, which is an open sore or wound, and other kinds of ulcers like neuropathic ulcers, traumatic wounds, surgical wounds, burns and venous insufficiency, which is when veins fail to circulate blood adequately.

"I think we're super-excited to have this new service for the community," said Spiros Hatiras, hospital president and chief executive officer.

The community will benefit from knowing a facility exists here that provides a place to heal wounds with which patients otherwise might have had to suffer, he said.

The new facility features two hyperbaric oxygen chambers to help sufferers of pain related to chronic wound and soft tissue damage. Each chamber weighs nearly 2,000 pounds and is 9 feet long. The chambers are pressure-safe, clear acrylic glass tubes with supporting metal ends.

The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps to heal chronic conditions, including diabetic foot ulcers and circulation ulcers, chronic bone infections, trauma and damage from radiation treatment.

According to the Mayo Clinic, body tissues need an adequate oxygen supply to function. Injured tissue requires even more oxygen to survive. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the amount of oxygen blood can carry. Such an increase temporarily restores normal levels off blood gasses and tissue function to promote healing and fight infection.

New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings spends seven to 20 hours a week in his own $18,000 hyperbaric chamber that rejuvenates "his gridiron-battered body," according to the New York Post on Tuesday.

Besides hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the Wound Care Center has a variety of treatments, officials said:

• bio-engineered tissue substitutes;
• negative pressure wound therapy, in which "A vacuum source creates continuous or intermittent negative pressure inside the wound to remove fluid, exudates (an exuded substance), and infectious materials to prepare the wound for healing and closure," according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration;
• growth factor therapies, which "increases the number of wound-healing cells, therefore resulting in faster wound healing," according to woundcarecenters.org;
• advanced dressings and wraps;
• debridement, the medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve healing.

"It can be very helpful for someone who hasn't been seeing progress," she said.

The Wound Care Center is a building with 4,000 square feet, five examination rooms and office space. It will be staffed by a physician, two nurses, a hyperbaric chamber safety director, an office coordinator and Pierno, she said.

Holyoke Medical Center is a 198-bed facility with over 1,200 employees, including more than 300 physicians and consulting staff, a hospital press release said.

Following a day featuring strong gusts of wind, calmer breezes are in store.

SPRINGFIELD -- Following a day featuring strong gusts of wind, calmer breezes are in store.

"The windy conditions will be dying down as the sun falls today," said Western Mass News Meteorologist Jacob Wycoff.

Wind gusts reached 35 miles per hour in Hampden County and the Berkshires, he added.

The low Thursday evening will be around 30 degrees in Western and Central Massachusetts, 36 in Boston.

Friday is expected to bring sunny skies and highs in the 40s. The high from the Berkshires to Boston will be in the mid-40s, the National Weather Service reports.

"Friday is the start of a fantastic streak of weather," Wycoff said.

 

A polarized Senate voted Thursday against expanding background checks for more gun purchases, rejecting the proposal a day after the latest U.S. mass shooting left 14 people dead in California.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A polarized Senate voted Thursday against expanding background checks for more gun purchases, rejecting the proposal a day after the latest U.S. mass shooting left 14 people dead in California.

Thursday's mostly party-line 50-48 vote, which followed the Senate's defeat of other firearms curbs, underscored that political gridlock over the issue remains formidable in Washington, even amid a rash of highly publicized U.S. shootings and last month's terror attack in Paris.

The background check measure, co-authored by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., was the same proposal the Senate rejected in early 2013, just months after 20 children and six educators were shot to death at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

In that roll call two years ago in a Democratic-controlled Senate, the effort fell five votes short of the 60 needed to overcome opponents' tactics aimed at derailing it. The plan was strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association, which on Thursday emailed its members urging them to contact senators and "tell them to vote against any gun control amendments."

Manchin said his amendment "makes all the sense in the world."

Thursday's first replay of the issue since that 2013 vote showed an erosion of support by seven votes since then and came in what is now a Republican-run Senate. The issue has never received a vote in the GOP-run House.

With next year's presidential and congressional elections moving into sight, Democrats have hoped that support for the curbs would grow, fed by a spate of high-profile mass slayings since 2013.

Also feeding public anxiety has been last month's attacks in Paris, which left 130 people dead and has raised concerns about a growing threat posed by terrorist organizations like the Islamic State group.

The Manchin-Toomey proposal would require background checks for all gun purchases online and at gun shows. Currently, the checks are only required for transactions from licensed gun dealers.

Thursday's vote was symbolic because the proposal was offered as an amendment to a bill obliterating President Barack Obama's health care law, which he will veto. Nonetheless, its political significance was unmistakable.

Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mark Kirk of Illinois, John McCain of Arizona and Toomey were the only Republicans to support the proposal. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota was the only Democrat who opposed it. Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Mark Warner, D-Va., did not vote.

The vote came a day after a shooting in San Bernardino, California, killed 14 people and wounded 21 others.

Earlier Thursday, the Senate in mostly party-line votes rejected rival proposals that could make it harder for people the government suspects of being terrorists from purchasing firearms.

By 54-45, senators voted down a proposal by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that would let the government bar sales to people it suspects of being terrorists. Though she initially introduced the proposal early this year, it received attention after last month's attacks in Paris.

Minutes earlier, the Senate killed a rival plan by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that would let the government delay firearms sales to suspected terrorists for up to 72 hours. Under that proposal, the transaction could be halted permanently during that waiting period if federal officials could persuade a judge to do so.

Senators voted 55-44 for Cornyn's proposal, but it needed 60 votes to pass.

The lawyer for a Dorchester woman accused of possessing one of the 16 stolen guns from the U.S. Army Reserve armory in Worcester said the government might be a little overly forceful with the charges against his client in an effort to find more of the missing weapons.

WORCESTER -- The lawyer for a Dorchester woman accused of possessing one of the 16 stolen guns from the U.S. Army Reserve armory in Worcester said the government might be overly forceful with the charges against his client in an effort to find more of the missing weapons.

The statement by Ashley Bigsbee's defense attorney, Blake Rubin, came after a detention hearing in federal court where a judge said he is "leaning on" dismissing the unlawful possession of a machine gun charge in the case.

"I think I've got a good client here," Rubin said after the roughly two-hour hearing in U.S. District Court. "I think the government is being a little heavy-handed with her."

Rubin believed his client was being "squeezed" as authorities still search for some of the missing guns.

Bigsbee was charged in federal court with the firearms offense and making false statements to federal agents in connection to the theft of six M-4 rifles and 10 M11 pistols from the North Lake Avenue facility last month.

James Morales, a 34-year-old former Army reservist, is accused of breaking into the North Lake Avenue facility and stealing the weapons on Nov. 14. Authorities said Morales met with Bigsbee, 26, at her Dorchester apartment the day after the theft.

Authorities searched her cell phone and found photographs of her holding what appears to be one of the M-4 rifles. Rubin said he has argued that the government cannot prove his client knew the weapon was a machine gun. He also said the government has to prove she possessed the weapon.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David Hennessy said during the hearing that he was pursuaded by Rubin's argument and the weapons charge might be dismissed.

Morales and another man allegedly drove to Bigsbee's Dorchester apartment on Nov. 15, and her roommate helped arrange the sale of five of the guns, court records said.

Federal prosecutor Corey Flashner identified Tyrone James as the man who helped broker the sale, although it does not appear he has been charged in the case.

Authorities allege Morales gave James one M-4 rifle and one of the handguns for helping sell the weapons. Bigsbee allegedly received $300.

The judge is also deciding if Bigsbee will be released on conditions. The case will return to court on Dec. 8.

Flashner argued that Bigsbee has a history of not appearing in other courts on pending charges and that she works as a prostitute. Rubin contends his client has never worked as a prostitute.

The prosecutor claimed Morales would drive Bigsbee to meet her clients. Bigsbee, who remains in custody, shook her head "no" when the prosecutor said she worked as a prostitute.

"She doesn't work," Flashner said. "She has no other job other than being a prostitute."

Flashner argued that Bigsbee is a risk of flight and a danger to the community. An FBI agent testified that they found a magazine clip inside Bigsbee's apartment.

After his arrest in New York, Morales allegedly told FBI agents that he spoke with Bigsbee in order to arrange the sale of the weapons.

During the hearing, authorities said one of the M-4 rifles was located inside a bag that was on the side of the road in Dorchester on Kingdale Street. Bigsbee helped FBI agents locate the bag and weapon.

All six of the M-4 rifles and some of the handguns have been recovered. The FBI is offering a reward to help find the missing handguns.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 252, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index fell nearly 30 and the Nasdaq composite fell nearly 86 points.

By KEN SWEET

NEW YORK -- Global markets sank Thursday after the European Central Bank announced stimulus plans that came up short of what investors had forecast. The bond market was especially roiled by the ECB's move. Bond prices in the U.S. and Europe fell sharply, and yields jumped.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 252.01 points, or 1.4 percent, to 17,477.67. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 29.89 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,049.62 and the Nasdaq composite fell 85.70 points, or 1.7 percent, to 5,037.53. The selling pushed the S&P 500 back into the red for 2015.

The ECB's stimulus plans, long awaited, came in with a thud on Thursday. The ECB announced a slight cut in one of its key interest rates in an attempt to stimulate lending and help a modest economic recovery. Investors had expected to see the ECB step up its monthly purchases of bonds as well.

"Financial markets were expecting the ECB to do 'whatever it takes' to stimulate inflation, and instead the ECB did 'maybe what it'll take' to stimulate inflation," said Guy LeBas, head of fixed income at Janney Montgomery Scott.

Europe's economy has lagged behind the U.S. since the financial crisis, and policymakers have struggled to keep the 19 countries that use the euro from falling into deflation or an economic contraction. But the President of the ECB, Mario Draghi, has been far more aggressive than his predecessors in trying new ways to boost the economy, including its current program of negative interest rates and bond buying. Expectations were high for this week's meeting.

"In the last couple of years, Mario Draghi and the ECB would typically over-deliver on what they indicated they would do to help stimulate the economy. So a lot of investors overbought bonds on expectations that Draghi would over-deliver. This time, he didn't, and he disappointed the market quite a bit," said Bob Michele, head of global fixed income at JPMorgan Asset Management.

The ECB's announcement caused the euro to jump 3 percent against the dollar, a large move for currencies, to $1.0975. Investors had been betting against the euro ahead of the announcement, expecting that more central bank stimulus would put pressure on the currency. Investors had to unwind those positions, causing Thursday's oversized moved in the currency market.

"People aren't sure where to put their money so everyone just went to cash," said J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade.

European stocks also had one of their worst days in months. Germany's DAX plunged 3.6 percent, its biggest drop since September. France's CAC-40 index lost 3.6 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE lost 2.3 percent.

With the ECB not expanding stimulus as much as expected, European bond prices fell sharply, sending yields higher. If the ECB had announced more stimulus, it would have had the effect of putting downward pressure on interest rates. The yield on the 10-year German government bond soared 0.20 percentage points to 0.67 percent, a massive move in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year French government bond rose 0.20 percentage points to 0.99 percent, also a substantial move.

The sell-off in the dollar also impacted U.S. Treasuries. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped to 2.32 percent, up sharply from 2.18 percent the day before.

Investors now turn to back to the U.S. While the ECB is easing policy, the Federal Reserve looks set to raise interest rates later this month for the first time in nine years. In comments Wednesday, Fed Chair Janet Yellen gave an upbeat assessment of the economy's progress since the Fed's last meeting in October, describing it as in line with its expectations for the labor market and inflation. She also was careful to point out the need to review upcoming data, including the U.S. jobs report Friday.

Economists forecast that U.S. employers created 200,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate remained steady at 5 percent.

In other markets, benchmark U.S. crude jumped $1.14, or 2.9 percent, to close at $41.08 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to set prices for international oils, climbed $1.35, or 3.2 percent, to $43.84 a barrel in London.

Heating oil rose 5.4 cents to $1.359 a gallon, wholesale gasoline rose 0.3 cent to $1.296 a gallon and natural gas rose 1.6 cents to $2.181 per thousand cubic feet.

In metals, gold rose $7.40, or 0.7 percent, to $1,061.20 an ounce, silver rose seven cents to $14.08 an ounce and copper rose three cents to $2.06 a pound.

President Barack Obama jumpstarted the holiday season Thursday, lighting the National Christmas Tree but also appealing to Americans to "come together as brothers and sisters" one day after 14 people were shot to death in Southern California.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama jumpstarted the holiday season Thursday, lighting the National Christmas Tree but also appealing to Americans to "come together as brothers and sisters" one day after 14 people were shot to death in Southern California.

"This is of course the most wonderful time of the year, but we would be remiss not to take a moment to remember our fellow Americans whose hearts are heavy tonight, who grieve for loved ones, especially in San Bernardino, California," Obama said.

"Their loss is our loss, too. We're all one American family," he added.

Moments earlier, the president, his wife, Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha, and his mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, together flipped a switch and illuminated the Christmas tree near the White House.

The festive ceremony was held under somber circumstances following Wednesday's events in California. As a backdrop to the ceremony, the U.S. flag flew at half-staff atop the White House, on Obama's orders, in remembrance of the victims.

Obama closed the ceremony by taking over the microphone to help Santa Claus belt out "Jingle Bells."

Actress Reese Witherspoon served as host. Musicians Crosby, Stills and Nash, Aloe Blacc, Kelsea Ballerini and Fall Out Boy also performed.

David A. Wojcik, Ware's town counsel, during cross examination, questioned whether the guarantees, specific to the facility, would extend to trash trucks hauling garbage through town, especially on hot summer days

WARE - A chemical engineer hired by the owner of Tri-County Recycling told the Board of Health earlier this week that his client's request to accept several tons of household trash each day would comply with environmental regulations and should be approved.

The TCR transfer station currently accepts building and construction waste, but is not permitted to take garbage.

The owner, George McLaughlin, is seeking the board's permission to also accept the municipal solid waste, saying the operation is losing money and that the household trash market would allow him to turn a profit.

Michael Lannan, of Waltham-based Tech Environmental, Inc., is a chemical engineer who specializes in air quality; he was hired by McLaughlin for Tuesday's site assignment hearing .

Lannan said the proposed operation would not pose a danger to the public, nor cause nuisance odors, because garbage transported to the site, located at routes 9 and 32 near Janine's ice cream bar, would be dumped from trucks inside a closed building. And then shoveled into air-tight railroad cars, also inside, for transport offsite.

"We demonstrated it was not going to be an odor nuisance," he said. "My conclusion was that air, odor, noise, and dust . . . will not be a nuisance (nor) a danger to the environment."

The facility is located at 198 East St.

David A. Wojcik, Ware's town counsel, questioned whether the Lannan guarantees, specific to the facility, would extend to trash trucks hauling garbage through town, especially on hot summer days.

The men sparred over how the dump floor would be cleaned and how often.

Wojcik and Lannan bickered over when the consultant was first hired by McLaughlin, how much he is being paid, how many trash hauling trucks would traverse the center of town, and how many tons per day of garbage would be deposited at the facility on a daily basis.

Asked by the lawyer to provide his compensation amount, Lannan responded: "I don't know why that matters to you."

"Will you answer the question?" Wojcik said.

"No, I don't need to answer it," Lannan said.

The hearings officer advised the consultant to reveal the amount, which he did, saying there was a $30,000 retainer, but that he was unsure of the total amount billed to date.

Lannan was hired about a month ago by McLaughlin, but the exact date was not disclosed.

Wojcik and the odor expert agreed it was "sometime after Oct. 23."

Another hearing was scheduled to be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. this evening.

"As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes," the New York tabloid declared on the front page of its Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015 edition, eliciting strong reactions from pundits and the public.

The Daily News, America's quintessential city tabloid, took aim at some of the GOP's better known conservatives in a Page One polemic that used simple graphics and bold type to declare: "God Isn't Fixing This."

The headline was a direct assault on what the newspaper referred to as "platitudes" offered by leading Republican politicians in the wake of Wednesday's San Bernardino shooting, which killed 14 people and wounded 21.

The New York tabloid singled out Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Paul Ryan and others who offered "prayers" for the victims and their families, noting that no amount of prayer is going to end America's "gun scourge."

Public reaction to the paper's front page fell along traditional lines, with gun-control advocates calling for restricting access to firearms to reduce the probability of these recurring massacres, which some believe are now part of our cultural norm. On the other side of the debate, Second Amendment supporters assumed their standard default position – guns don't kill people, people kill people – skewering such phrases as "gun violence," which, in the minds of many conservatives, is loaded language.

For the Daily News' editorial board, however, the issue is simple. And the subhead on Wednesday's front page suggested as much: "As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes." Appearing above that viewpoint were tweets from Cruz, Graham, Ryan and Rand Paul, all of whom offered prayers for the victims of the California shooting.

Awr Hawkins, writing for Breitbart.com, said the Daily News failed to mention that "California is one of the most gun-controlled states in the Union," with expanded background checks and a requirement that all "assault weapons" be registered with the state. "But they sure mocked those who see the futility of expanding background checks that failed miserably in San Bernardino ... and proved impotent in Colorado as well," Hawkins wrote.

Washington Post staffer Chris Cillizza, author of "The Fix" political blog, called the Daily News' front page "very provocative."

"The question now is whether any politician – from President Obama down – will again attempt to move some sort of gun-control legislation through Congress. And, if so, whether it meets with any more success than the last attempt in the wake of Newtown," Cillizza said, referring to the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, where 20 students – none older than seven – and six adults were killed by a lone gunman.

"The effort to cast 'thoughts and prayers' as trite reactions to horrendous events certainly represents a ratcheting up of the rhetoric," Cillizza said.

Readers swarmed the Daily News' Facebook page to offer a range of opinions.

Keith Frederick wrote:

"Gotta love the NYDN. Say nothing at all about the killers, the people pulling the trigger – dump your hatred on the politicians you can't stand.

Just like the slaughter that happens in our inner cities – it's 'the guns' and 'the NRA,' never the people pulling the trigger ... UNLESS it is a white guy, presumably 'a right-wing extremist Christian' – then, suddenly, 'hate and bigotry' are the issue.

It's so cliche, knee-jerk and predictable that it's laughable. Keep making yourselves a laughing stock for those of us who can think, Daily News!"

Justin Kade wrote:

"Brave headline! And so very true! Thanks, Daily News, for being bold and saying what truly needs to be said, no matter how harsh it may come out."

David Watkins wrote:

"This is a great front page and it's sad so many comments are from people missing the point. It's not knocking 'God', it's knocking politicians who are using the term 'pray' but doing nothing else to end these things from happening."

Gene Krawec offered this blunt remark:

"The Daily News is a Liberal Rag ... just Garbage."

Greta Kristine Madigan said:

"God can't fix this???? God is not allowed in our government, our schools, etc. This is what happens when God is not allowed! I pray for the victims, their families, and the first responders. I pray for all at the Daily News that one day you come to see the love of Christ."

What do you, readers of MassLive, think about the Daily News' front page? Did it go too far? Did it go far enough? Was it off base or on point?

Add your voice to the discussion in the comments section below.

In response to the crash and another helicopter last week in Texas, the Army grounded all aircraft in active-duty units for the next five days to review safety and training procedures.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- Two U.S.Army pilots were killed when their helicopter crashed near Fort Campbell in rural Tennessee, the military said Thursday.

In response to the crash and another helicopter crash that killed four soldiers early last week at Fort Hood, Texas, the Army on Thursday grounded all aircraft in active-duty units for the next five days to review safety and training procedures.

The two crew members in Tennessee were flying a two-seat AH-64D Apache during a routine training mission when the helicopter went down around 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release from the Army's 101st Airborne Division. The copter crashed in a rural field near the Cumberland River, said Fort Campbell spokesman Maj. Allen Hill. He said the helicopter was on fire when found.

The scene was secured by military police from Fort Campbell and Montgomery County law enforcement.

The cause of the crash has not been determined, an Army news release said. The crash was being investigated by the Army Combat Readiness Center. The names of the pilots were not immediately released.

Hill said it could take six months to determine the cause of the crash. He said the Army Combat Readiness Center is reviewing information to determine whether there were any communications from the pilots before the crash.

Weather conditions in the area were good at the time -- a clear night with good visibility and light wind, meteorologist Brittney Whitehead with the National Weather Service in Nashville said.

Fort Campbell is on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, about 60 miles northwest of Nashville.

The annual Springfield Museums holiday gala drew a well-dressed crowd to the Quadrangle Thursday evening, for an event with a theme paying homage to Downton Abby.

SPRINGFIELD — The annual Springfield Museums holiday gala drew a well-dressed crowd to the Quadrangle Thursday evening, for an event with a theme paying homage to Downton Abby.

"Victorian Opulence" was the backdrop, as crowds enjoyed cocktails among the classic cars and historical exhibits at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.

The guests at the fundraiser, which helps support the educational programs the museums say reach more than 400,000 visitors annually, then moved on to the George Walter Vincent Smith and Michele and Donald D'Amour Art Museums.

Dinner was served by the staff of the Springfield Marriott in the elegant surroundings of the museums' galleries. This year's gold sponsors were MGM Springfield and St. Germain Investment Management.

See who was Seen@ this year's gala in the photo gallery above, and check out photos from the fun in 2014 here. For more information on the Springfield Museums, visit the official website here.

City police officers were called to the PeoplesBank location Thursday afternoon for the report of an armed robbery.

HOLYOKE -- City police officers were called to a city PeoplesBank location Thursday afternoon for the report of an armed robbery.

Witnesses told police a suspect, believed to be male, pointed a handgun at bank employees while demanding money at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Thursday. Surveillance photos show the suspect wearing a black fitted cap, sunglasses, a scarf covering his mouth, a long winter coat and gloves.

After stealing what police describe as a "large sum of money," the suspect fled the Hampden Street bank on foot.

The branch location was robbed five months ago by a man who reportedly did not brandish a weapon nor cover his face while demanding money. 

The Holyoke Police Criminal Investigations Bureau anyone with information about the suspect to contact detectives at (413) 322-6940.

The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. Police ask citizens not to approach someone believed to be the suspect but instead to dial 9-1-1. 

The agreement allows local law enforcement to tap into the National Guard's expertise at data collection and analysis to crack down on drug distribution operations in the county.

SPRINGFIELD — The Hampden County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday it is entering into a partnership with the Massachusetts National Guard in the fight against drug trafficking in the greater Springfield area.

The partnership will not mean guardsmen in military vehicles will be patrolling the streets or armed checkpoints at major roadways. Instead, said District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni, the National Guard will use its experience with data collection and analysis to aid the Hampden County Narcotics Task Force.

In an announcement before members of the press at the Hampden County Hall of Justice, Gulluni said he is very proud of the new program, which he said is the only one of its kind in Massachusetts and one of a handful nationwide.

"This allows us to put to use the resources of the National Guard and the Department of Defense in my office in our efforts to interrupt drug traffic and drug distribution," he said.

Such partnerships, he said, are essential in order to "stem the supply of narcotics into our communities, onto our streets and into the hands of addicts."

Flanked by several Massachusetts State Police and National Guard officials, Gulluni and Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice of the Massachusetts National signed a memo of understanding authorizing the two agencies to work together.

Rice said aiding a local law enforcement agency in fighting drug trafficking "is not the traditional role of the National Guard." When the guard is called out to aid a local community, it is usually in response to some wide-scale emergency or natural disaster, and the deployment is temporary, he said.

Under this partnership, one guardsman will be attached permanently and on a full-time basis to work with the drug task force, the state police assigned to Gulluni's office and the Hampden County High Impact Strike Force, he said. The strike force, formed earlier this year, teams local, state and federal law enforcement to focus on the worst of the county's bad actors.

"This is a national precedent-setting event," Rice said.

He used the expression "married up" to describe the guard's new relationship with the DA's office.

The guardsman will specialize in crime analysis, the developing of information systems, data analysis and geo-mapping.

Rice said the guard is skilled in the areas of information gathering and analysis. It typically works with Department of Defense organizations and federal agencies, but rarely at the local or municipal level.

"We think we're going to be very effective as we get down to the grassroots problems that go into drug trafficking and the distribution of drugs," Rice said.

"One of our strengths, our core competencies in the U.S. military overseas, is our intelligence network (and) our analytical abilities," he said. By working with Hampden County law enforcement to combat drugs, he said, "we bring all of that to a very fine point."