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Holyoke police seek information on alleged gas station armed robbery suspect

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The Holyoke Police Criminal Investigations Bureau is seeking the public's help in identifying the suspect involved in the reported armed robbery of a gas station.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ The Holyoke Police Criminal Investigations Bureau is seeking the public's help in identifying the suspect involved in the reported armed robbery of a gas station.

According to Lt. Jim Albert, the alleged robbery took place at the CITGO gas station located at 679 Main St. around 7:50 p.m. Friday.

The suspect, who reportedly showed a handgun and demanded money, is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, police said. He was dressed in dark clothing and a dark hat.

The suspect reportedly fled northbound on Main Street on a bicycle. According to police, no one was injured during the robbery.

Holyoke police said anyone who should encounter the suspect should not approach him as he is considered armed and dangerous. The public should instead call 911 immediately or contact their local police department.

Holyoke Detectives can be reached at 413-322-6940.


Westfield's North Road closed following two-car crash

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At least two people have been transported to Baystate Medical Center following an afternoon crash that shut down North Road in Westfield Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ At least two people have been transported to Baystate Medical Center following an afternoon crash that shut down North Road in Westfield Saturday.

The two-vehicle crash occurred near 742 North Rd. around 4:30 p.m., Westfield Police Department Patrolman Steven Gonglik said. At least two people were extricated from their vehicles and transported to Baystate as a result of the incident.

Gongllik said the road will remain closed "for quite some time" pending the investigation into the crash.

The Westfield Police Department's Traffic Bureau and Massachusetts State Police's Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section are investigating the incident.

Funerals held for 3 San Bernardino shooting victims (photos)

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Shannon Johnson, a 45-year-old health inspector from Los Angeles, received a hero's funeral Saturday in his home state of Georgia 10 days after the massacre in San Bernardino, California. Funerals also were held in Southern California for two other victims — Tin Nguyen, 31, and Isaac Amanios, 60.

JESUP, Ga. -- Those close to Shannon Johnson knew him to be fearless -- whether he was moving across the country to pursue love, rescuing stray animals in the path of a wildfire, or trying to shield a co-worker from gunfire during the last moments of his life.

The 45-year-old health inspector from Los Angeles received a hero's funeral Saturday in his home state of Georgia 10 days after the massacre in San Bernardino, California. Funerals also were held in Southern California for two other victims -- Tin Nguyen, 31, and Isaac Amanios, 60.

One of Johnson's colleagues wounded in the attack, Denise Peraza, said later that he wrapped an arm tightly around her as bullets went flying and assured her: "I got you."

Those would be his last words.

Johnson was sitting next to Peraza at a holiday luncheon for San Bernardino County environmental health employees on Dec. 2 when Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 29, opened fire. The husband and wife were later killed in a shootout with authorities.

Peraza says she and Johnson sought cover beneath a table when he tried to shield her. Johnson was among 14 people killed in the attack. Peraza was shot in the back, but survived.

"I believe I am still here today because of this amazing man," Peraza said in a statement soon after the killings.

Inside Calvary Baptist Church in the rural city of Jesup, where Johnson was born about 2,300 miles from the auditorium in which he died, a congressman gave his family a folded U.S. flag while praising him as "an American hero."

"Shannon's fearless. He's always been that way," Rob Johnson, the slain man's older brother, told reporters before the service.

"I'm sure that when he saw the young lady, he thought of his sister or his girlfriend or his former wife," he said. "That's just the kind of guy he was. He's a man of action."

At Johnson's memorial service, about 200 people filed into the church where roses, lilies and carnations sent by mourners decorated the pulpit amid strands of white lights and potted poinsettias set out for the Christmas season.

The Rev. Ed Bacon, a family relative, noted Johnson's selfless final act echoed that of his father, who died while saving another man during an industrial accident at a Kentucky paper mill in 1978.

Johnson was just 8 years old, and his father's death affected him deeply. As a boy, Bacon said, Johnson would sometimes slip away from home and spend the night at his dad's grave.

"He learned from his father's death that no one has greater love than this -- to give your life for your friends," Bacon said.

Johnson grew up in the Macon area, where he played baseball and football in high school, Bacon said, and drove a Honda hatchback with a stereo so loud that people could hear him coming from blocks away.

As a young adult, his love of nature -- and loud music -- led Johnson to live in an isolated cabin in the Georgia woods. Then he fell in love and followed the woman to California, Johnson's brother recalled, with no job and nowhere to live.

Johnson settled in Los Angeles. When wildfires raged in Southern California years ago, his brother said, Johnson rounded up stray pets in his pickup and took them to a church for shelter. Then he helped first responders dig a trench to protect the church.

Though he lived far away, Johnson kept his family as close to him as possible.

The walls of his Koreatown apartment were lined with framed photos, Bacon said. He also had tattoos for his mother, father and two ex-wives, who shared space on Johnson's body along with inked portraits of the Virgin Mary and "Gone With the Wind" actress Vivien Leigh.

Johnson's brother said that as relatives gathered in Georgia to say goodbye, their grandmother, Willie Dell Johnson, helped put the tragedy of his death into perspective.

"It's just kind of what our family does," she said. "We save people."

Nguyen was remembered in a service conducted in Vietnamese at St. Barbara's Catholic Church in Santa Ana, not far from Orange County's Little Saigon area. Born in Vietnam, Nguyen was 8 when her family left that country for the United States.

Her fiance carried a large portrait of Nguyen into the church as members of the standing-room only crowd reached out to touch it. The couple had planned to marry in 2017. The day before Nguyen was killed, she celebrated her fiance's 32nd birthday.

Nguyen's mother and grandmother, both weeping, followed the casket down the aisle to the altar.

A cousin took a moment in English to thank first responders, local politicians and Nguyen's co-workers at the San Bernardino County health department, where Nguyen was hired as an inspector after attending California State University, Fullerton.

In the days after the shooting, businesses that she inspected posted online tributes, remembering Nguyen's big heart and laughter.

Meanwhile friends and family of Amanios filled St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in Colton, California. His wife waved her arms in front of a portrait of Amanios set up next to his casket as their three adult children looked on.

Amanios was a supervising environmental health specialist for San Bernardino County. He fought in Eritrea's war for independence and believed the U.S. was a refuge from violence and fear.

Amanios was cousins with NFL player Nat Berhe, who has played for the New York Giants.

Hillary Clinton praises Paris climate change agreement, Bernie Sanders says it doesn't go far enough

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The 2016 Democratic presidential candidates offered varying takes Saturday on the so-called "Paris agreement" to combat climate change, with some lauding its adoption and others arguing it doesn't go far enough.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ The 2016 Democratic presidential candidates offered varying takes Saturday on the so-called "Paris agreement" to combat climate change, with some lauding its adoption and others arguing it doesn't go far enough.

Nearly 200 countries adopted the global pact put together during the United Nations' climate change conference in Paris, which calls on the world to cut and ultimately eliminate greenhouse gas pollution.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential front-runner, praised the agreement, calling it "a historic step forward in meeting one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century - the global crisis of climate change."

"The Paris agreement is testament to America's ability to lead the world in building a clean energy future where no one is left out or left behind," she said in a statement. "And it was made possible in part by every person, business owner and community in the United States and around the world that stepped up to prove we don't have to choose between growing our economy and protecting our kids' health and future - we can do both."

Clinton added that action is critical in the next decade, saying if the U.S. doesn't push to drive what she called clean energy growth, it will not be able to avoid "catastrophic consequences."

"We cannot afford to be slowed by the climate skeptics or deterred by the defeatists who doubt America's ability to meet this challenge," the former first lady stressed.

If elected president, Clinton added, she will make combating climate change a top priority.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who's also seeking a 2016 Democratic White House bid, took to Twitter to laud the climate change agreement.

He added that "now the U.S. needs to do what it does best--lead with action. We need full transition to clean energy. #100by50 #COP21," in a separate tweet.

Fellow Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., however, offered a less rosy view on the agreement, contending it "goes nowhere near far enough" to commit nations to lower carbon emissions.

"The planet is in crisis. We need bold action in the very near future and this does not provide that," he said in a statement.

Sanders further stressed that Americans need to "fight for national and international legislation that transforms our energy system away from fossil fuel as quickly as possible."

Under the pact, countries, among other things, commit to limiting greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to levels that can be naturally absorbed. It, however, imposes no sanctions on those that don't.

Individual governments must now ratify the agreement.

Northampton Police Elf on the Shelf makes appearances all over the city

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From parking lots to security cameras, Elf on the Shelf is making his way through the city.

NORTHAMPTON — There's a mischievous Elf on the Shelf loose in Northampton. He's getting around with a little help from his friends at the Northampton Police Department.

So far this season the Elf has been spotted switching the mayor's parking sign for a police department parking sign, peeking into a security camera and hanging out at the Northampton Fire Department with a sign reading "Cops Rule."

Apparently the Elf has made appearances in previous years according to the Northampton Police Department Facebook page. It seems he is not alone in his escapades, just recently the Bourne Police Department issued a wanted persons ad for an Elf on the Shelf suspected of being involved in a 'string' of ginger bread house invasions.

With 13 days left until Christmas let's see where else these little elves show up. Check out the Northampton Police Department's Facebook page for updates.

Holyoke Salvation Army seeks volunteers for Toy for Joy distribution

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The Holyoke Salvation Army will hand out toys to more than 1,500 families this week.

HOLYOKE — More than 1,500 families have signed up for toys at the Salvation Army this year and they will flood the Appleton Street facility in the coming week to collect their toys before Christmas.

"We desperately need volunteers to help with the distribution of the toys," said Salvation Army Lt. Nancy Garces, who along with her husband, Lt. Miguel Garces, coordinates the Toy for Joy donations in Holyoke.

Toy for Joy is in its 93rd year of providing toys for children in need throughout Western Massachusetts through a collaboration between the Salvation Army, The Republican and MassLive.com.

"We will be assisting between 300 and 400 new families this year, and most have an estimate of three to four children. There are a lot of people in need," Miguel Garces said.

The couple works with Salvation Army staff and volunteers not only to unload the toys, but get them bagged and ready for families who will begin arriving on Monday morning.

Distribution will be held from Dec.14 to Dec. 18 for families who registered for toys last week.

"Everyone has already been given a date and time when they should arrive for their toys," Nancy Garces said.

Toys and board games fill a small room and a back stairwell at the Holyoke Salvation Army. The Garceses said there is a lot of satisfaction in knowing that the toys are going to children who really need it.

"Most of the families bring their children with them to get the toys, so oftentimes you get to see the smiles on their faces when they see that they will have gifts to open," Miguel Garces said.

To volunteer for Toy for Joy in Holyoke, please call Maria at (413) 532-6312.

Today's Toy for Joy Donations:

  • Merry Christmas from the Polish American Club of Agawam bingo players...$200
  • God bless and Merry Christmas...$25
  • In memory of my parents George M and Bridget P Fitzgerald...$50
  • For Ellen Kelliher King...$25
  • In loving memory of William E Meaney, love Lil, Carol and Kathy...$25
  • In loving memory of John P Toohey, love Pots...$100
  • This is for you Carrie with love from Mom and Dad...$15
  • With gratitude for five great grandchildren...$50
  • To honor Diane Mason-Arnold from Carol...$25
  • In memory of Barbara Haskins, love Greg, Carol, Allie and Amanda...$25
  • To honor Aunt Dot, love Greg, Carol, Allie and Amanda...$25
  • Remembering Toppy and Mae...$25
  • Tony and Debby...$250
  • In memory of Tanner Simpkiss from brother Hunter and family...$25
  • Our donation is in lieu of gifts to family and friends, Merry Christmas from Dave and
  • Anne...$500
  • For Mom and Dad from Carol and Betty...$20
  • In memory of my parents Helen and Louis, love Buzz ...$20
  • In memory of my brother Stephen, love Buzz...$10
  • In memory of Christine Lord who loved Christmas...$100
  • In memory of Amy Lord whom we all loved...$25
  • In memory of Wilson, Driscoll and Harnois families...$50
  • Helen...$25
  • In memory of Ma and Pops who loved children, MLD...$50
  • In memory of Bill and Estelle Barry...$50
  • In memory of Charlotte Lacoste and Vivian Godek from Paul and Debbie...$100
  • In loving memory of family and friends from Cheryl and Al...$10
  • In loving memory of Alma and John LaVigne and their grandsons Kristofer and
  • Andrew Petersen...$100
  • In memory of Pierre Finnegan, Melvin Kelsey and Ana Milton, love Fawn, Monk and Moses...$300
  • In honor of the children in Auntie Rita's family...$25
  • Merry Christmas from Liz and Steve...$200
  • In memory of Ed Dunn who loved kids from Betty and family...$50

    Received: $2,500
    Total To Date: $23,068.60
    Still Needed: $126,931.40
  • Shooting in New Britain leaves 1 dead

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    A man was shot and killed early Sunday morning.

    police lights.jpg 

    NEW BRITAIN, Ct. -- Police are investigating a shooting that left one man dead Sunday morning.

    Police Chief James P. Wardwell told theHartford Courant that the shooting occurred around 4:50 a.m. at 450 South Main St. in the rear lot of a business.

    The unidentified 37-year-old man was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:45 a.m.

    The New Britain Police Department Criminal Investigation and Patrol divisions are continuing the investigation with help from the New Britain Judicial District State's Attorney Offic, Wardwell said.

    Two people arrested in stabbing of three people in Fall River Saturday

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    Two people were arrested Saturday after three people were stabbed at a Bedford Street restaurant after the two suspects allegedly were caught trying to give alcohol to another patrons who had been "shut off", according to Fall River Police.

    FALL RIVER - Two people were arrested Saturday after three people were stabbed at a Bedford Street restaurant after the two suspects allegedly were caught trying to give alcohol to another patron who had been "shut off", according to Fall River Police.

    Officers were called to JC's Cafe & Restaurant located at 1050 Bedford St. for a reported stabbing around 1:50 a.m. Saturday. They found three men suffering from stab wounds.

    A 45-year-old man had been stabbed in the arm and a 23-year-old man had a serious stab wound to the stomach area, police said. The 23-year-old was taken to a Rhode Island hospital where he was treated. He was in stable condition.

    CRYSTAL COLON BOOKING PHOTOCrystal Colon 

    The third man, the 57-year-old owner of the establishment, had also been stabbed. He was also taken to a Rhode Island hospital where he was listed in stable condition, police said.

    "During the investigation, witnesses at the scene stated a male and a female were escorted out of the establishment after they were observed attempting to provide drinks to a patron, which the bar had 'shut off'," police said in a news release. "Within seconds of being escorted out, the female was observed rushing back into the establishment, shoving several patrons upon entering."

    Police identified the woman as 27-year-old Crystal Colon of Fall River. The man with her, 24-year-old Edwin Pacheco of Fall River, allegedly followed Colon inside. He had a knife, police said.

    "As the patrons and owner attempted to push the two from the establishment a second time, the male slashed and stabbed the three victims," police said. "The male and female then ran from the building, entered a vehicle, and fled the area."

    The pair were arrested and charged with two counts each of armed assault to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing substantial injury. They were also charged with three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

    They will be arraigned Monday in a Fall River courthouse.

    EDWIN PACHECO BOOKING PHOTOEdwin Pacheco 




    Pa. man refuses to drop gun at Wal-Mart before cops fatally shoot him, police say

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    State police said there were more than 100 customers in the store at the time, but no customers or officers were injured.

    EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- A man with a weapon reportedly threatening customers at a northeastern Pennsylvania Wal-Mart was shot and killed by officers, state police said.

    Police in Monroe County said Sunday that Andrew Joseph Todd, 20, of Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, was shot when he refused officers' orders to drop his weapon inside the Wal-Mart in East Stroudsburg late Saturday.

    Police were dispatched to the store shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday after reports of an armed man threatening and pointing a weapon at customers. Officials say about 100 people were in the store at the time.

    State police said officers ordered Todd to drop his weapon, but he refused "and continued to point the weapon at the officers." Police then fired, striking Todd in the upper chest. He was transported to Pocono Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead by the Monroe County coroner.

    State police said there were more than 100 customers in the store at the time, but no customers or officers were injured.

    Police shoot, kill armed Slate Belt man at Wal-Mart, cops say


    The Pocono Record reported that Todd was carrying two guns and a machete. James Felz of East Stroudsburg told the paper that he and his family were in the layaway area of the store by the garden section when they heard people shouting and three shots fired. He said he turned and saw a man with a black handgun in his left hand and a machete in his right walking down the last aisle.

    "He was walking away from us down the aisle holding the gun to his head. He threw a backpack he was carrying to the side. Then he got to the end of the aisle, he turned right and pointed the gun, like around the corner. I heard a click, like a misfire or a BB gun go off," Felz said.

    Stroudsburg resident Chris Torino told The (Allentown) Morning Call that he was in the store's home and garden section when he saw the man dressed in black with a bandanna over his face holding a handgun to his own head before he went into a different aisle and Torino lost sight of him.

    "People started screaming and going frantic. They were saying, 'Look, look, look!'" Torino said.

    Police quickly converged on the store carrying assault rifles and told shoppers to evacuate, and Torino said people screamed and scrambled to the nearest exists, dropping shopping bags on their way out the door. He said he heard at least one shot fired as he left the store.

    Springfield police seek Eastfield Mall armed robbery suspect, ask public for help

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    The suspect stole about $500 in jewelry.

    SPRINGFIELD — Police are asking the public to help identify a man accused of stealing jewelry and pulling out a knife to get away at the Eastfield Mall on Saturday.

    The Springfield Police Department Facebook page posted a photograph of the suspect who they say stole $500 in jewelry from Macy's and fled by pulling a knife on the store security guard.

    The man is described as a white male of medium build with dark hair and a scruffy beard. He is approximately 30 years old, police said.

    Police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect to call the Major Crimes Unit at (413)787-6355 or text-a-tip his name to CRIME (27463).

    Power restored, road reopened in Springfield after pickup truck crashes into utility pole (photos, video)

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    The accident caused power outages and a road closure. Watch video

    SPRINGFIELD — A portion of Bradley Road has been reopened after a pickup truck crashed into a utility pole early Sunday morning, police said.

    Police confirmed Bradley Road, between South Branch Parkway and Redstone Drive, was closed earlier this morning in order to deal with the crash, which caused power outages on the street. The road reopened around 2 p.m. and power was restored around 12:45 p.m.

    The truck, a Ford F-150, landed in the Schneelock Brook dingle, about 25 to 30 feet down the embankment in heavy brush, which complicated its extrication from the area. The vehicle sustained heavy damage to the right front quarter, and its right front wheel detached from the force of the impact.

    An eyewitness said the driver was the lone occupant of the vehicle, and was helped out of the truck and up the embankment by passersby.

    Police did not provide any information on the accident, which was reported at approximately 2:15 a.m., and said it is under investigation.

    Western Mass News, The Republican and MassLive's television partner, said there were no injuries reported.

    Vermont Police investigating shooting of horse in animal cruelty case

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    The horse was shot during muzzleloading season

    HIGHGATE, VT - Vermont State Police are investigating a case of animal cruelty after a resident found his horse shot to death on Sunday.

    The brown horse was found dead in a field off Fortin Road. Owner Harold Derosia, 54, reported to police that the horse was one of several so-called free range horses that would go to the barn throughout the day to feed, police said.

    He last saw the horse on Tuesday and started looking for the animal when it did not return to the barn. The horse was found Sunday morning in a pasture that is not visible or accessible from the road, police said.

    Vermont Fish and Game wardens responded and determined the horse had been shot with a .50 caliber muzzleloading bullet. They determined the horse was shot during muzzleloading season and was likely shot from adjoining land, police said.

    Anyone with information about the shooting of the horse should contact Vermont State Police at (802)524-5993.

    Westfield dedicates new $7.5 milion Senior Center

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    Construction on the new center started in August, 2014,

    WESTFIELD - Sunday was an "historic" day for the older adults of Westfield as Council on Aging Director Tina Gorman and city officials dedicated the new Westfield Senior Center at Mary Noble Estate.

    Gorman said the center, which actually opened earlier this fall, "is the result of the drive, motivation and dedication of the entire community. This is a historic day in Westfield."

    Several hundred seniors, city officials and residents attended the dedication and open house for a center that had been in the planning for at least 30 years.

    But, former Mayor Daniel M. Knapik promised seniors six years ago, when he first took the oath as mayor, that is was time for a new senior center, to replace the one on Main Street.

    Mayor-elect Brian P. Sullivan said Sunday "this is not the time to look into the past because what we have today is just brilliant despite being a tough job to put in place."

    Knapik thanked the Friends of the Westfield Senior Center, Council on Aging, businesses, city officials, seniors and residents for contributing more than $400,000 toward furnishings for the new center.

    "It has been quite a journey but the city made this a reality and the location is most fitting because of the high density of seniors that live in this neighborhood," Knapik said.

    Seniors Margaret Wemette, Charlie Wood and Marlene Hills agreed.

    "I never thought we would live long enough to witness this day," Hills, 84, said.

    The three explained they are frequent visitors to the Senior Center, especially on Tuesdays for lunch.

    City Councilor James R. Adams, one of two council liaisons to the Council on Aging, said "this center is now a job complete," noting that he will leave the City Council at the end of this month.

    Adams did not seek re-election this year but told the several seniors in attendance Sunday that construction of a new senior center was the main reason he ran for the City Council 12 years ago.

    Adams also took the opportunity to commend Tina Gorman for her 10-year tenure as COA director.

    "Tina and her staff care about every person who walks through these doors," Adams said.

    Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, also council liaison to the senior center, said he "sees this center becoming more a community center than a senior center" and he also credited Gorman and staff for their dedication to Westfield seniors.

    The new center was built by Westfield's own Forish Construction. The ground-brreaking for the new center was held in August, 2014.

    Photos: Seen@ celebration for The Republican's latest book documenting French Canadian experience in Western Mass.

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    The French Heritage Center at Assumption Church hall held a celebration Sunday recognizing The Republican's latest book, "Building A Better Life – the French Canadian Experience in Western Massachusetts."

    CHICOPEE — More than 100 people made their way to The French Heritage Center at Assumption Church hall on Sunday for a reception recognizing The Republican's latest book, "Building A Better Life - the French Canadian Experience in Western Massachusetts."

    The book, from The Republican Heritage series, chronicles the history of French
    Canadians in Western Mass. The demand for the book at the event was strong enough to force organizers to take a drive to retrieve a few extra cases.

    The hard-covered, 160 page publication containing approximately 200 pictures, is the first historical account of its kind and a testament to the accomplishments and contributions of the multi-talented, hardworking French people in and around the Pioneer Valley.

    Through this commemorative book, the public can discover how Franco-Americans became a major force in all walks of life in their adopted country.

    The publication, principally written by Wayne E. Phaneuf and Joseph Carvalho III, with select stories from other writers, incorporates a diverse spectrum of topics, including early history, churches, military service, political and business leaders, sports, and culture.

    french 2.jpgBuilding A Better Life, The French Canadian Experience in Western Massachusetts

    The Republican Heritage Series books are available at The Odyssey in South Hadley, Springfield Museums gift shop at The Quadrangle in Springfield, Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Barnes & Noble in Holyoke, Enfield and South Hadley, and at The Republican, 1860 Main St. in Springfield. They can also be purchased online here.

    Can you identify this man? Chicopee Police are looking for a man who may know about mail theft

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    In August a suspect was arrested in a number of thefts of packages.

    CHICOPEE - City police detectives are trying to identify a man who may be able to assist in a case of stolen packages dating to August.

    The man who was caught on camera is not a suspect, but a person of interest that police would like to interview, said Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police public information officer.

    In August, a number of packages were stolen from a local home. United States Postal Service inspectors investigated the case, identified and charged a suspect in the theft, Wilk said.

    People who can identify the person in the photograph above are asked to contact police via Facebook, or by calling the detective bureau at (413)594-1730. People can also contact Postal Inspector Gene Griffin at (413)785-6596.


    Dreaming of a green Christmas? Snow unlikely for the holiday

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    Western Massachusetts should see a brief drop in temperatures next weekend and then will return to above-average warm weather.

    Snow lovers hoping for a White Christmas and children hoping to try out new snowboards and sleds brought by Santa may be out of luck for most of the month.

    "The ski season has been delayed but the golf season continues through December," Jacob Wycoff, meteorologist for WesternMass News, media partner of the Republican and Masslive.

    The unusually warm temperatures in New England are expected to continue all week. Long-term forecasts show a quick shot of cold air hitting the region next weekend but then warm temperatures, which have been near 60 degrees this weekend, will return for the following week.

    That means hopes of a white Christmas and families' plans for a traditional ski week following the holiday may be dashed for now, Wycoff said.

    "The chances are diminishing. The long-range models are not hinting at a white Christmas at all. It will be a mild Christmas," he said.

    Typically the average high temperature is 40 degrees in December. Instead people are seeing temperatures soaring into the high 50s and even 60 degrees this month.

    Part of the reason is trade winds in the equatorial Pacific are bringing warmer air, known as El Nino, to the east coast. At the same time there is a North Atlantic Oscillation which brings in warmer and drier temperatures. The North Atlantic Oscillation typically lasts weeks, not months, so cold weather should return this winter, Wycoff said.

    So far temperatures recorded in Westfield show this is the fourth warmest and the fifth driest November Western Massachusetts has had since records have been kept and there has been little change in the weather in December, he said.

    But Wycoff said he does not expect the warm temperatures to continue throughout the winter.

    "I think we will see more hints of winter as we head into the New Year," he said. "It is only a matter of time before winter comes and slaps us in the face."

    Ski areas continue to try to make snow every opportunity they can, but for those in the Berkshires and even in New Hampshire and Vermont, it is a struggle to maintain any snowpack created with the higher temperatures during the day, he said.

    Several areas, including Jiminy Peak in the Berkshires and Bromley in Vermont, which opened when temperatures turned cold around Thanksgiving, have suspended operations until at least next weekend when the cold may return. Others, such as Berkshire East, have delayed openings until they can make snow more efficiently.

    Unusually warm winter, some love it, some hate it: What people are Tweeting

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    A white Christmas isn't likely if weather trends continue through next week.

    Warm temperatures are expected to continue through Christmas and later, following the fourth warmest November in Western Massachusetts since records were kept.

    Unless the long-term forecast changes dramatically over the next week, a white Christmas doesn't look likely and those who booked Christmas ski and snowboarding vacations may be spending more time hiking and splashing in heated pools.

    "The ski season has been delayed but the golf season continues through December," Jacob Wycoff, meteorologist for WesternMass News, media partner of the Republican and Masslive.

    The unusually warm temperatures in New England are expected to continue all week. Long-term forecasts show a quick shot of cold air hitting the region next weekend but then warm temperatures, which have been near 60 degrees this weekend, will return for the following week.

    While some people love the unusually warm temperatures and are happy they don't have to shovel, others miss the cold weather and snow. Here are some of the things people are Tweeting about the warm New England weather.

    Ware Police need help to ID man who took a large amount of electronics

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    The man was spotted driving a burgundy Cadillac with Connecticut license plates.

    WARE - Police are trying to identify a man who is wanted in connection of a theft of a large amount of electronics.

    The theft happened on Saturday from the Walmart on 352 Palmer Road. The man was seen driving away in a burgundy Cadillac with Connecticut license plates, police said.

    Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ware Police Department at (413)967-3571. People can also email information on the anonymous tip line at Waretipline@townofware.com.

    Man shot by L.A. County Sheriff's deputies kept holding gun as he lay dying

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    A close-up from security footage showed 28-year-old Nicholas Robertson stretched out on the ground with a gun in his hand. He died at the scene Saturday morning in the south Los Angeles suburb of Lynwood.

    LOS ANGELES -- A black man who was fatally shot by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies kept holding a gun as he lay dying on the ground, authorities said Sunday in response to questions about why they continued to fire on the man after he fell to the pavement.

    A close-up from security footage showed 28-year-old Nicholas Robertson stretched out on the ground with a gun in his hand. He died at the scene Saturday morning in the south Los Angeles suburb of Lynwood.

    Two deputies fired 33 bullets at the man after he refused to drop the gun and walked across a busy street to a filling station where a family member was pumping gas, homicide Capt. Steven Katz said.

    "When he collapsed, his arms were underneath him, and the gun was still in his hand. There was never a time when the weapon was not in his possession," Katz said.

    Asked if the officers were white, Katz said no but would not elaborate.

    Police confronted Robertson as they investigated 911 calls from witnesses who saw a man firing a gun into the air. Witnesses said he was walking down a residential street and then through a busy commercial area holding the weapon and acting strangely.

    Witnesses told authorities that Robertson reportedly fired six to seven rounds and briefly went into a car wash and a pizza parlor before deputies arrived.

    Deputies spotted the man in front of the gas station, where two women and three children were inside a car, and ordered him to drop the gun, but he refused and at one point pointed the gun in the deputies' direction, Katz said.

    The gun was not registered to Robertson and has not been reported stolen. Detectives are trying to track it, Katz said.

    Robertson may have been in a dispute at home with his spouse before he went out on the street, but authorities have yet to verify that report, Katz said.

    Video, apparently from a cellphone, appeared on several media sites. It appears to show deputies firing some two dozen bullets, including several rounds after Robertson falls and is crawling on the ground.

    "They shot him in his shoulder, and he was crawling," Pamela Brown, Robertson's mother-in-law, told Los Angeles television station KCAL. "He left three kids behind, two daughters and a son. What, they could have Tasered him or anything."

    Robertson's wife declined to speak with the Associated Press, providing only a photo of their children. Earlier, she told the Los Angeles Times that her husband was a stay-at-home father who didn't engage in crime.

    "Anytime you see him, you see him with the kids," Nekesha Robertson said. "He'd take them to and from school. Help them with homework. He's a daddy -- that's his job. He didn't do nothing else."

    Other relatives said the shooting was unjustified and that Robertson may not have heard the deputies' call to drop the gun.

    "This man never turned at you and looked at you or pointed the gun at you. Nothing," said Nekesha Robertson's cousin, Monica Reddix, said. "What they did yesterday was ... point-blank murder."

    She said her mother-in-law had called her shortly before the shooting to say her husband was under the influence of alcohol. She said she was on her way to get him and had stopped at the same gas station to buy milk before the shooting happened

    Robertson's death comes at a time of increasing criticism of police use of force after several killings of black men by officers have been caught on video in California and throughout the nation.

    On Dec. 2, five San Francisco officers shot and killed Mario Woods, 26, in the city's gritty Bayview neighborhood after they say he refused commands to drop an 8-inch knife he was carrying. Police were responding to a stabbing report when they encountered Woods. The shooting was caught by several bystanders and their videos circulated online widely.

    Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell promised the investigation into Robertson's death would be handled "with the utmost professionalism and integrity" and urged anyone with information to come forward.

    "In this modern age of cellphone video and instant analysis on the Internet, I would ask that we keep in mind that a thorough and comprehensive investigation is detailed and time intensive," he said in a statement. "It will involve, not just one source of information, but numerous sources, potentially including multiple videos, physical evidence and eyewitness accounts."

    Stop Handgun Violence group unveils new billboard over Mass. Pike

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    Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and state and local prosecutors on Monday stood on a bridge over I-90 and joined the head of the group Stop Handgun Violence to unveil a new sign promoting Massachusetts gun laws.

    BOSTON - Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and state and local prosecutors on Monday stood on a bridge over I-90 and joined the head of the group Stop Handgun Violence to unveil a new sign promoting Massachusetts gun laws.

    The billboard was unfurled behind them, on the side of the parking garage at 50 Dalton Street, saying, "We're not antigun. We're for life. Massachusetts Gun Laws Save Lives."

    The billboard's unveiling was timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The sign is two stories tall and 90 feet long.

    "I was in Baltimore earlier in the week, there've [been] over 300 gun deaths in Baltimore compared to 30 in Massachusetts over the same period," said John Rosenthal, the founder of Stop Handgun Violence who said he is a gun owner. Rosenthal is leasing the space.

    Massachusetts has the "toughest gun laws" in the U.S., he said.

    "Gun laws work," Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said. "We've proven it here in Massachusetts."

    Rosenthal was also joined at the press conference by Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, Attorney General Maura Healey, and Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan.

    The billboard on Dalton Street is a temporary one until the construction of Fenway Center, which he is developing and where another sign will be permanently installed, is finished, according to Rosenthal.

    As Rosenthal and the other spoke, crews worked to unveil the new sign on the garage.

    Rosenthal previously had a billboard up on a parking garage in between Fenway Park and the Massachusetts Turnpike, but he sold the building to the Fenway Sports Group.

    The billboard has been criticized as something that accomplishes little.

    "It's a waste of time and money on a billboard that hasn't solved any problems," Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners' Action League, told the Boston Globe in 2014.

    DeLeo said he was spurred to pass the 2014 gun law in response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, where 20 children and six adults were killed.

    A MassLive.com review of gun license issuance statistics showed a 66 percent increase since 2010, followed by a decline since 2013, when there were 2,908 issuances of a firearms ID card and 38,362 issuances for a license to carry.

    So far in 2015,there have been 1,976 issuances of firearms ID cards and 22,746 issuances of a license to carry. The 2014 gun law eliminated the need for a license to carry pepper spray.

    Amid national debate on guns, new issuance of firearm IDs and carry licenses declined in Massachusetts

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