The man who bought the assault rifles his friend used in the San Bernardino massacre faces a terrorism-related charge.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- The man who bought the assault rifles his friend used in the San Bernardino massacre was charged Thursday with a terrorism-related charge alleging he plotted earlier attacks at a college they attended and on a congested freeway.

The duo, who had become adherents to radicalized Islam ideology as neighbors in Riverside, plotted in 2011 and 2012 to maximize carnage by using pipe bombs and guns to kill innocent people at a campus cafeteria and those stuck in rush hour traffic, court documents said. The plots fizzled and they never acted.

Enrique Marquez, 24, was charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists for those earlier plots with Syed Rizwan Farook.

Those plans may never have come to light if not for the Dec. 2 terrorist attack where Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, used guns Marquez bought years ago to kill 14 people at a holiday meeting of Farook's health department co-workers.

Marquez was charged with illegally purchasing the rifles that the shooters used again hours later in a gunbattle with police. The couple were killed in the shootout.

In his initial court appearance, Marquez looked disheveled. His hair flopped over his forehead, there was stubble on his face, and the pockets of his black pants were turned out. He appeared calm and showed no emotion as he gave one-word answers to the judge.

No plea was entered and he was ordered held until a bail hearing Monday. His public defender declined comment.

Marquez was working at a Riverside bar at the time of the shooting and is not alleged to have had a role in the attack.

But prosecutors said he was linked to the killings by the guns and explosive materials he bought years earlier. The couple used that material in a remote-controlled pipe bomb that never detonated at the conference room where the shootings occurred.

"His prior purchase of the firearms and ongoing failure to warn authorities about Farook's intent to commit mass murder had fatal consequences," U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court charged Marquez with three counts that could bring a maximum of 35 years in federal prison.

A lengthy affidavit outlines evidence against Marquez, including statements he gave investigators over 11 days after he waived his rights to remain silent and be represented by a lawyer.

He called 911 hours after the attack to say his neighbor had used his gun in the shooting, using an expletive to describe Farook.

Marquez then showed up agitated at a hospital emergency room, saying he had downed nine beers and was "involved" in the shooting. He was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward.

Marquez lived next door to Farook, 28, who introduced him to Islam 10 years ago. Marquez told authorities he converted to Islam around age 16 and four years later was spending most of his time at Farook's home, reading, listening to and watching "radical Islamic content" that included al-Qaida instructions on how to make bomb.

Four years ago, Marquez said, he and Farook planned to toss pipe bombs into the cafeteria at the community college they attended and then shoot people as they fled.

He said they also planned to throw pipe bombs on a busy section of freeway that has no exits, bringing traffic to a halt and then picking off motorists. Marquez would shoot from a nearby hillside, targeting police, as Farook fired at drivers from the road.

As part of the plan, Marquez bought two assault rifles -- in November 2011 and February 2012. He said he agreed to buy them because "Farook looked Middle Eastern."

Authorities previously said Marquez had legally purchased the guns Farook and Malik used. But the charges allege that Marquez lied by signing paperwork that said the guns were for himself or a family member.

Attorney E. Martin Estrada, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said the admissibility of Marquez's statements to the FBI will likely be challenged by defense lawyers, but if the statements are allowed in court, they give prosecutors a very strong case because of corroborating evidence.

"This wasn't a conversation with an average Joe," Estrada said. "This was a conversation with a person that was capable and had the capacity and the intent to commit mass murder. That's pretty chilling."

The FBI has said Farook and Malik were radicalized before they met online in 2013, but the court documents detail how much earlier Farook had turned down that path to plot violence.

Marquez said he and Farook aborted their plans after authorities interrupted a terror plot in the area in November 2012 that involved four men who wanted to join either the Taliban or al-Qaida fighting U.S. forces overseas.

He said they didn't see much of each other after that unraveled, though he deepened his connection with the Farook family, which also led to an immigration fraud charge against him.

Both men were witnesses at the wedding of Farook's brother, Raheel, to a Russian woman in 2011, according to Riverside County marriage records.

Last year, Marquez married the sister of Raheel Farook's wife. Prosecutors said it was a sham marriage to help the Russian woman obtain U.S. residency. According to the affidavit accompanying the charges, Marquez was paid $200 per month for the union and said his own mother and brother didn't know about it.

About a month before the attack, Marquez made a reference to the marriage and living "multiple lives" in a chat with a fellow Facebook user that foreshadowed the trouble he was facing before any bullets started flying.

"Involved in terrorist plots, drugs, anti-social behavior, marriage, might go to prison for fraud, etc," according to the affidavit by FBI agent Joel Anderson.

Right after the shooting, Marquez called his mother to say he was safe but that he wouldn't be coming home, neighbor Lorena Aguirre said.

When she visited him in the hospital two days later, he again referred to Syed Rizwan Farook by an expletive and said he did not know "he was going to do that," Anderson said in the affidavit. Marquez also said he no longer wanted Farook as a friend.

The next day, federal agents raided his mother's house in Riverside, a city near San Bernardino that is about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.

Armida Chacon has said her son is a good person who loved to hang out with friends and go to parties.

"I don't know how this happened," she told The Los Angeles Times. "My world is upside-down."

Marquez's friends were shocked to learn he was linked to the attack and described him as a friendly, easygoing guy who was not religious and rarely discussed his family or marriage.

"I still can't believe this is going on," said Viviana Ramirez, who met Marquez through an online forum when they studied at Riverside Community College. "I just want people to know he's not a bad person."

Marquez was a licensed security guard for several years, but his license expired at the end of 2014. He was providing security at the bar where he worked until Dec. 2.

He posted a cryptic note that day on Facebook, according to the affidavit: "It was a pleasure knowing everyone."

"This has been a big priority for my constituents in Central and Western Massachusetts who take the train every day into downtown Boston, and I am proud to join Republicans and Democrats to support this important measure," said McGovern, a Democrat from Worcester.

WORCESTER — Passage of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act, a multiyear tax package, includes a provision that could save individual Massachusetts commuters up to $1,400 a year, according to U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, who supported the measure.

The House of Representatives approved the PATH Act, a massive tax-extender package, in a 318-109 vote Thursday. In addition to benefits for commuters, the bill could make a number of tax breaks permanent, extend dozens of expired tax incentives, and place more regulations on the Internal Revenue Service.

The mass-transit benefit was a big priority for McGovern, who said he was proud to work with Republicans and Democrats to help win passage for the measure. "For millions of Americans across the country who use mass transit every day to commute to work, this is a big victory," he said.

A permanent increase of the commuter tax benefit exclusion for transit riders to $255 a month finally gives transit equal treatment with parking subsidies in the tax code, according to McGovern. "Making this transit tax benefit permanent will bring critical relief to commuters by saving them money, and it also offers employers another attractive benefit to offer their workers," he said.

By making mass transit more affordable, McGovern said, citizens are gaining commuting options, supporting sustainable transportation, mitigating traffic congestion, and reducing wear and tear on bridges and roads.

"This has been a big priority for my constituents in Central and Western Massachusetts who take the train every day into downtown Boston, and I am proud to join Republicans and Democrats to support this important measure," he said.

Commuters saw their annual commuting costs rise by almost $1,400 when the transit benefit benefit was cut last year.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to allow MGM Springfield to begin early demolition and construction as part of work on the proposed $950 million casino.

BOSTON - The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to allow MGM Springfield to begin early demolition and construction as part of work on the proposed $950 million casino.

In August, the Gaming Commission voted to allow MGM Springfield to open in September 2018, more than a year after MGM was first awarded the resort casino license.

MGM Springfield has since proposed reducing the size of the project, including a six-story hotel instead of a 25-story tower, while upping the cost by $150 million from $800 million. The project's overall square footage has been reduced by 122,534 square feet to a total of 759,157 square feet.

The five-member Gaming Commission plans a separate vote on the design changes at a later date. Thursday's vote is the trigger in the environmental regulatory process allowing MGM Springfield to start work on the casino site.

"We can always second-guess, we can always change our minds," Gaming Commission chairman Stephen Crosby said. "If an issue comes up in the design that we think is a material change that we have a problem with, we can raise that."

The project includes new construction and the redevelopment of existing buildings in Springfield. Plans call for "extensive landscaping" and "construction of a new storm water management system."

The list of buildings expected to be demolished includes the boarding house on Bliss St., and the Howard St. Primary School, which was damaged in the 2011 tornado.

Chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Stephen Crosby speaking with reporters after a hearing in 2014.Garrett Quinn, MassLive 

The casino's designated surrounding communities - cities and towns eligible for mitigation based on the gambling facility's impact - include the cities of Chicopee and Holyoke, and the towns of Agawam, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow, West Springfield and Wilbraham.

Before the vote, Gaming Commissioner Bruce Stebbins raised some concerns about traffic on Union Street as a result of the casino as well as the make-up of the retail sections of the casino site.

Thursday's vote helps "get the ball rolling" on the project, Crosby said to reporters before the vote. "We will then continue to look at all the other issues that come up and we can always reconsider."

Stebbins, a former Springfield city councilor, also expressed disappointment in the potential for job losses mentioned in a memo from outside consultants to the Gaming Commission, HLT Advisory, Inc.

The memo estimated a decrease in payroll of $6 million to $124 million, due to switching from a buffet to a food court and the elimination of hotel cafe space.

Gaming Commission memo: Majority of MGM Springfield design changes unlikely to affect casino appeal to customers

Lemanski was asked by the committee how he would "change minds" to ensure a tax increase was approved next year to borrow the millions of dollars that would be required to fund the West Street School project

GRANBY — The Granby School Committee named Agawam High School Principal Steven Lemanski the new superintendent on Thursday night on a 4-1 vote following two hours of deliberations.

School Committee member James Pietras supported Southbridge's Assistant Superintendent, Sheryl Stanton, saying she has experience in that role, while Lemanski does not.

But on a second ballot, the board made the vote unanimous.

The committee asked Lemanski about his impressions during his visit to the campus. He said he was impressed with the diligence and good work being done.

The superintendent-designee also said, in reference to teachers, that "morale was a big piece for them."

However, neither Lemanski nor members of the school board, who also said they perceive morale issues, elaborated on what the nature of those problems are, nor what may be responsible for that.

"Some action may need to be taken" to address the matter, Lemanski said during his interview. He said that came up with more than one group of teachers during his visit to the school campus.

Lemanski was asked by the committee how he would "change minds" to ensure a tax increase would be approveded next year to borrow the millions of dollars required to fund the West Street School project.

"If you provide food, they will come," Lemanski said. "How do you change the minds of voters? Bring them into the school. Let them see (the efforts made to educate the community's children)."

He alluded to the recently built Plains Elementary School in neighboring South Hadley.

"I live in South Hadley," Lemanski said. "Now I drive by (Plains School) and see my tax dollars at work."

The school committee said their selection of Lemanski is contingent on the parties agreeing on a contract, and that they expect him to begin work on July 1.

A graduate of Chicopee High School, Lemanski earned a bachelor's degree at Springfield College and a master's degree in education at University of Massachusetts.

Since 2007, he has been Agawam High School principal.

While most of the state is expected to be in the clear, there's a chance of snow in the most western part of Massachusetts on Friday.

SPRINGFIELD -- While most of the state is expected to be in the clear, there's a chance of snow in the most western part of Massachusetts on Friday.

The National Weather Service reports a 20 percent chance of snow showers in Berkshire County overnight on Friday. In other parts of the state, including Springfield, Boston and Worcester, no snow is expected.

The low in Pittsfield will be around 26 degrees, 29 in Worcester, 30 in Springfield and 34 in Boston.

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The chance of snow will travel east on Saturday. The National Weather Service reports flurries may fall in Springfield in the morning from Springfield to Boston.

The high on Saturday will be 41 degrees in Boston, 38 in Springfield, 37 Worcester and 33 in Pittsfield.

The city, in addition to naming a park in East Forest Park in honor of Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, also announced the receipt of a $400,000 state grant for park renovations.

SPRINGFIELD — Family, friends and supporters gathered Friday at a park on South Branch Parkway, several saying that the naming of the park in memory of Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan is a fitting and lasting tribute to an American hero.

A large crowd that included family members, friends, neighbors and local officials gathered at the park in East Forest Park for the event that included the formal announcement of naming of the park and a new $400,000 state grant for park renovations.

Sullivan, who grew up in East Forest Park, was among five servicemen killed when a gunman opened fire on military facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on July 16, as he tried to rescue other fellow wounded Marines.

"From a tragedy also comes the remembrance of a great legacy of not only his brave service but his steadfastness when it came to his neighborhood, his city, his family," Sarno said.

It is "very appropriate" and the city is honored to name the park, in Sullivan's honor, Sarno said.

Sullivan's parents and grandmother were among many relatives and friends who gathered at the park, and his brother Joe thanked the city and state officials

"It's a huge honor for my family," Joe Sullivan said.

He thanked the crowd for coming, saying he saw many family members and childhood friends.

"There's more Sullivans here than you can shake a stick at," Sullivan said, to laughter. "This is the back yard we grew up in. We grew up on Gillette Circle. Me and Tommy spent a lot of time when this was woods before the tornado, a lot of time down here, horsing around."

Those who gathered for the event also included U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, state Sen. Eric Lesser and state Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo.

Naming the park in honor of Thomas Sullivan is a "terrific tribute" to man who served his country with remarkable valor, Neal said.

"I can't think of a more fitting tribute to the heroism of this life than to name parkland, open space and waterway after him," Neal said. "That's the way to memorialize this life so when this family, friends and others drive by every spring will be reminded of renewal and how our lives come back to those moments."

Frank Ryan and Beth Hogan of the East Forest Park Civic Association praised the decision to name the park in Sullivan's honor and were grateful for the grant that will enhance the park.

In addition to the state grant, the City Council will vote on allocating $250,000 for the renovations at its meeting Monday night.

Councilors Thomas Ashe and Kateri Walsh were among officials who attended Friday's event.

Members of the Guardian Soldiers Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club and Patriot Guard Riders held American Flags, as was done during Sullivan's wake and funeral.

Roland Grattan of the Patriot Guard Riders, said he and others attended "to continue to show our respect and honor for Tommy Sullivan, Gunny Sullivan, and his family and his community." Others holding the flags were Ron Sassarone and Todd Mongeon.

Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign filed a lawsuit against the Democratic Party on Friday after it was temporarily barred from accessing a trove of information about potential voters as punishment for improperly accessing data compiled by the campaign of rival Hillary Clinton.

WASHINGTON -- Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign filed a lawsuit against the Democratic Party on Friday after it was temporarily barred from accessing a trove of information about potential voters as punishment for improperly accessing data compiled by the campaign of rival Hillary Clinton.

The reaction of the Democratic National Committee to the data breach, the depth of which was debated by all involved, thrust into the open longstanding suspicions among Sanders and his supporters that the national party is unfairly working to support the candidacy of its front-runner.

"Clearly, in this case, they are trying to help the Clinton campaign," said Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver.

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz responded that "the Sanders campaign had inappropriately and systematically accessed Clinton campaign data," rejecting Weaver's effort to portray the breach as the fault of a software glitch and a small group of rogue staffers.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, sought the "immediate restoration" the campaign's access to the voter database. It argued that without the database, the campaign would lose approximately $600,000 in donations a day.

"The loss of DNC support could significantly disadvantage, if not cripple, a Democratic candidate's campaign for public office," the lawsuit said.

Gov. Baker said that a recent federal budget deal signals an end to the strict sequestration cuts that had imperiled Massachusetts military bases.

CHICOPEE -- Around-the-clock flight operations at Westover Metropolitan Airport and Westover Air Reserve Base would be a significant boon to a base that already generated $323.9 million in economic output and employed 3,990 people in 2013, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said during a visit to the base on Friday.

Baker discussed ongoing improvements to the base following a tour. The event was part of a daylong swing through Western Massachusetts for Baker and his executive cabinet.

At the same event, MassDevelopment, a statewide economic development agency, released new estimates for employment and economic impact generated by the state's military bases and by military contracting. The studies were prepared by the UMass Donohue Institute and are updates of ones done periodically in order to both gauge the impact of Pentagon spending in Massachusetts and gird the state's military establishments against looming federal budget cuts.

"It is very clear to me that there is tremendous opportunity and possibility to build upon and enhance what you have here," Baker said during a news conference at Westover Metropolitan Airport's Hangar 11. "It's clear that this is a crucial economic engine for all of Western Massachusetts."

His sentiments were echoed by Major Gen. L. Scott Rice, Massachusetts adjutant general and commander of the state's National Guard.

"This is a big runway and a big base," Rice said. "We have a great opportunity to utilize it more."

Currently, the airfield is only open 17 hours a day while the tower is staffed with air traffic controllers. But the state plans to install sophisticated remote control equipment that would allow pilots to turn on the runway lights through their radios as they approach.

Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport and Barnes Air National Guard Base have a similar setup, said State Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield. Humason's district includes parts of Chicopee.

Rice didn't give a dollar amount for the needed upgrades in Chicopee, but said the cost is modest compared to the millions regularly invested at Westover.

"Then we will be ready to apply for 24-hour-operation," he said. "It is Gov. Baker putting this in the budget that makes this possible."

But the final decision would be up to the Pentagon, Rice said.

According to the MassDevelopment report:

Westover:

• Employed: 2,870 active duty and reservists in 2013. With civilian workers, that total rose to 3,065 compared to 3,931 in 2011.
• Payroll: $139.6 million compared to $140.1 million in 2011.
• Total economic output including payroll, contracting and procurement: $323.9 million compared to $393 million in 2011.

Barnes:

• Employed: 1,073 military personnel compared to 1,317 in 2011.
• Payroll: $60.16 million compared to $59.6 million in 2011.
• Total economic output including payroll, contracting and procurement: $197.7 million compared to $126.3 million in 2011.

Statewide at all Massachusetts military bases:

• Total employment: 57,515 compared to 46,000 in 2011.
• Payroll: $1.1 billion, the same as in 2011.
• Total output including payroll, contracting and procurement: $13 billion compared to $14.8 billion in 2011.

Marty Jones, MassDevelopment, president and CEO, said the statistics include military operations and civilian activity integral to the airport but don't include economic activity from tenant companies that rent space at the airports.

Numbers are from 2013, before half of Westover's 16-plane fleet of C5-B Galaxy jets started transitioning to Lakland Air Force Base in Texas.

In total, military spending at bases, on research at colleges and universities and contracts with Massachusetts manufacturers totaled $12 billion in 2013, according to MassDevelopment data released Friday.

The threat of Pentagon budget cuts looms over all those statistics.

But Baker sounded optimistic, noting that a recent federal budget deal signals an end to the strict sequestration cuts that had imperiled Massachusetts bases.

"Gen. Rice and I have been to Washington, meeting with every branch of government at the highest levels," Baker said.

The key is to continue to make the case that the Massachusetts bases are important for national defense. Westover is the Air Force's closest air transport post to Europe and the Middle East. The Army's Natick Soldier Center does high-tech work for new equipment.

Authorities determined that substance was baking soda and did not pose a threat, according to Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Fire Department.

Updates story published at 2:47 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18.

Hazmat officials sampled the powder and determined that it was harmless, Leger said.

Emergency personnel were called to the sixth floor of the condo complex at 140 Chestnut St. around 1:20 p.m, after a resident found the powder inside a package she had received.

Her apartment and the immediate area were contained while authorities investigated. Officials did not order a general evacuation of the seven-story, 132-unit building, formerly the renowned Hotel Kimball.

Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential campaign praised the recent decision in Massachusetts to expand access to the state's prescription monitoring program to those who prescribe controlled substances.

SPRINGFIELD — Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential campaign praised the recent decision in Massachusetts to expand access to the state's prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to those who prescribe controlled substances.

Hillary for America Senior Policy Advisor Maya Harris said the former secretary of state sees the move as an important step in fighting opioid addiction.

"It is essential that residents training to become doctors, who are already prescribing powerful and highly addictive drugs to their patients, are able to do so safely and with all the relevant patient history," she said in a statement. "Hillary Clinton has made clear that fighting the deadly epidemic of drug addiction must be addressed head-on."

Harris said that Clinton has proposed a $10 billion plan to combat drug abuse that would provide incentives to states to require that licensed prescribers consult a prescription drug monitoring program before issuing a prescription.

"The recent move in Massachusetts to expand access to the state's PDMP will help doctors treat and protect their patients," she said. "As president, Hillary Clinton would continue to work to expand access to drug monitoring programs for all prescribers and fight every day to prevent and treat substance use disorders, and to support people in recovery."

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health instituted a process last week that allows hospitals to enroll residents in the Prescription Monitoring Program, the Boston Globe reported. Residents can access the database under the authority of a fully licensed training program representative.

The agency announced Friday that a new prescription monitoring program will be developed and implemented by Appriss, Inc. as part of the state's commitment to improving the system during the opioid crisis.

The new system will include faster access to reports and inter-operability with other states' online PDMP systems, among other features, the department said.

Bank stocks, which investors had bid up in hopes they would become more profitable as loan rates climbed, fell the most.

By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK -- Stocks plunged across all sectors in the heaviest trading of the year Friday as enthusiasm over a long-awaited increase in U.S. interest rates faded.

Several other negative factors combined to give the market its second big loss in a row, bringing the indexes lower for the week.

Bank stocks, which investors had bid up in hopes they would become more profitable as loan rates climbed, fell the most. Technology shares suffered more declines as a bad December got worse for Apple. The world's most valuable publicly traded company sank again, bringing its monthly loss to 10 percent.

Overseas, Japan's market sank after that country's central bank made changes to a stimulus program that fell short of what investors were hoping for. Another drop in energy prices sent oil stocks lower again, and worries about weak global growth weighed on shipping and other transportation companies.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 367.29 points, or 2.1 percent, to 17,128.55. The S&P 500 index fell 36.34 points, or 1.8 percent, to 2,005.55. The Nasdaq composite sank 79.47 points, or 1.6 percent, to 4,923.08. All 10 Standard & Poor's 500 sectors fell.

U.S. stock trading was even more volatile than usual Friday because of the simultaneous expiration of several kinds of futures and other contracts that investors use to place bets on indexes and individual stocks. As a result Friday was the busiest trading day of the year for stocks.

The market ended a tumultuous week slightly lower. Stocks had rallied over the first three days and jumped Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in almost a decade. The move was a vote of confidence in the U.S. economy. But over the next two days stocks were hit by some of the worries that have dogged them all year, like weakness in the Chinese economy, slowing global growth, and skidding prices for energy and metals.

While the Bank of Japan plans to spend a bit more on exchange-traded funds for companies that increase hiring and investment, investors were hoping for more, according to Ryan Larson, head of U.S. equity trading for RBC Global Asset Management.

"They were looking for more, and when the market's disappointed, this is what you get," he said.

The global market went into a similar slide two weeks ago, when the European Central Bank ramped up its stimulus efforts but didn't do nearly as much as expected. Stocks rallied after ECB President Mario Draghi said the bank is ready to expand its stimulus program further if needed.

Those slumps show that investors will continue keeping an eye on the words and deeds of central banks in struggling Europe and Japan as well as the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

The Federal Reserve had kept interest rates near zero for seven years. Fed Chair Janet Yellen emphasized that despite the boost, interest rates will remain low for some time. That pleased investors overall, but it eventually put pressure on bank stocks. Banks will benefit from higher interest rates and have and have rallied over the last few months, but the initial benefits won't be great.

Goldman Sachs dropped $7.12, or 3.9 percent, to $175.49 and ETrade Financial lost $1.13, or 3.8 percent, to $28.82. Citigroup gave up $1.63, or 3.1 percent, to $51.21.

Tech stocks also slumped. Apple fell $2.95, or 2.7 percent, to $106.03. The stock has fallen 10 percent in December and has risen only three days this month. Microsoft fell $1.57, or 2.8 percent, to $54.13.

Transportation stocks also fell. Shares of J.B. Hunt Transportation surrendered $1.96, or 2.7 percent, to $70.62 and Ryder System lost $2.59, or 4.6 percent, to $54.08.

Used car dealership chain CarMax disclosed disappointing quarterly results, as its profit and sales both fell short of analyst projections. Its stock lost $3.66, or 6.4 percent, to $53.49.

The news wasn't all bad. Darden Restaurants, the owner of Olive Garden and other chains, climbed after the company raised its outlook for the year. Olive Garden sales rose and the company's profit was better than analysts were expecting. The stock added $4.11, or 7 percent, to $62.50.

U.S. crude fell 22 cents to $34.73 a barrel in New York. Oil is trading at its lowest level in almost seven years and has slumped over the last two days. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, slipped 18 cents to $36.88 a barrel in London. Natural gas, which has sunk to 16-year lows as demand fell, picked up 1.2 cents to $1.767 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Offshore oil drilling companies skidded. Transocean gave up 74 cents, or 5.7 percent, to $12.26 while Ensco lost $1.08, or 7 percent, to $14.31 and Diamond Offshore Drilling dipped 70 cents, or 3.3 percent, to$20.47.

Wholesale gasoline rose 1.3 cents to $1.275 a gallon and heating oil inched up to $1.107 a gallon.

Metals prices also rose Friday. The price of gold edged up $15.40, or 1.5 percent, to $1,065 per ounce and silver added 39.3 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $14.096 an ounce. Copper rose 6.9 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $2.113 a pound.

U.S. government bond prices rose. The yield on 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.21 percent from 2.23 percent. The euro rose to $1.0863 from $1.0805. The dollar dipped to 121.25 yen from 122.85 yen. The dollar had climbed Thursday and is expected to gain strength as the Fed raises interest rates while central banks in Europe and Japan reduce interest rates.

The new publicly-traded company is called Avangrid, with $30 billion in assets in 25 states.

UIL Holdings, the parent company of Berkshire Gas, Southern Connecticut Gas, and Connecticut Natural Gas, has been acquired by the Spanish energy giant Iberdrola. The new vertically integrated company, Avangrid, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange as AGR and led by UIL chief executive James P. Torgerson. 

Avangrid, an affiliate of the worldwide Iberdrola Group, now holds $30 billion in assets and operations across 25 states, including utilities, wind energy, and natural gas storage. Iberdrola USA includes eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.1 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and New York. 

The $3 billion merger was finalized this week after Connecticut regulators approved the deal, along with a list of conditions hammered out in November. Massachusetts utility regulators have also signed off on the merger. As part of the bargain, Berkshire Gas is prohibited from raising rates before June 2018.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and the Department of Energy Resources announced in October that they had negotiated $4 million in bill credits for Berkshire Gas customers as a condition of the merger. 

UIL holdings has owned Berkshire Gas, Southern Connecticut Gas, and Connecticut Natural Gas since 2010, when it bought them from Iberdrola for $1.25 billion, according to the New Haven Register. Iberdrola initially acquired the three gas utilities in 2007 when it bought the Maine-based Energy East Corp. for $4.5 billion in cash. UIL was also the owner of United Illuminating Co. in Connecticut, an electrical utility. Iberdrola entered the United States in 2006 as a wind developer, according to Reuters. 

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority initially rejected the acquisition in June, saying Iberdrola's record of mergers and divestitures in the region "does not offer a consistent picture of sustained commitment to strong, resilient and dedicated local distribution of gas and electricity."

On Dec. 9, the Connecticut regulatory authority approved an amended agreement with conditions including bill credits for ratepayers, hiring benchmarks, charitable giving, and a $30 million cleanup of the former English Station power plant in New Haven. 

In July, UIL holdings announced it would invest $80 million in the proposed Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline known as Northeast Energy Direct. Berkshire Gas maintains a moratorium upon new and expanded service in Amherst, Deerfield, Greenfield, Hadley, Hatfield, Montague, Sunderland and Whately, stating that the moratorium will stay in place until the pipeline is built. 

___________________________________________________________________

Mary Serrezew can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com.

Weed, pot or bud. No matter what people call marijuana, a measure to regulate and tax the drug like alcohol just got closer to getting on the statewide ballot in Massachusetts.

BOSTON — Weed, pot or bud. No matter what people call marijuana, a measure to regulate and tax the drug like alcohol just got closer to getting on the statewide ballot in Massachusetts.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office has certified thousands of signatures submitted by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, moving the proposed measure a step closer to appearing on the 2016 ballot.

In all, 70,739 signatures were submitted to Galvin, whose office confirmed the petition Friday. The measure now goes to the state Legislature for approval.

Friday's certification proves that Bay State residents want to vote on the issue of marijuana regulation and end the practice of punishing adults for using a substance less harmful than alcohol, according to Will Luzier, manager of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts – the driving force to end the prohibition of pot in Massachusetts.

"We are excited to have reached this milestone and look forward to the legislative debate over the benefits of ending prohibition and regulating and taxing marijuana," Luzier said.

If state lawmakers reject the petition or fail to act on it by May 3, backers of the marijuana measure must collect an additional 10,792 signatures by early July to get the initiative on the November 2016 ballot, according to Galvin's office.

According to the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts, the proposed initiative would:

• allow adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow a limited number of marijuana plants in their homes, similar to home-brewing;


• create a tightly regulated system of licensed marijuana retail outlets, cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, and testing facilities, which would be overseen by a commission similar to the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission;


• Provide local governments with the authority to regulate and limit the number of marijuana establishments in their city or town;


• and create a 3.75 percent state excise tax on retail marijuana sales (in addition to the standard state sales tax) and allow local governments to establish an additional local sales tax of up to 2 percent.

What the initiative does not do is allow marijuana to be used in public. In other words, smoking pot on the street, in parks, or in any other public place remains illegal. The initiative also doesn't alter any existing OUI laws, meaning that driving while impaired by marijuana remains a crime.

Other things the ballot measure would not affect are:

• unlicensed activities – It does not allow unlicensed individuals to sell any amount of marijuana or produce marijuana extracts using butane or other potentially hazardous products.


• employment policies – It does not affect employers' current marijuana policies or their ability to establish workplace restrictions on marijuana consumption by employees.


• and medical marijuana rights – it does not enact a tax on the sale of medical marijuana or affect the rights granted to patients under the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law.

Click HERE to read the full text of the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, promulgated by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts.

Sanders' team, meanwhile, accused the Democratic Party of holding his White House bid hostage by temporarily barring it from accessing its own voter data.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Democratic race for president unexpectedly exploded with rancor Friday as Hillary Clinton's campaign accused rival Bernie Sanders of stealing millions of dollars worth of information about potential voters.

Sanders' team, meanwhile, accused the Democratic Party of holding his White House bid hostage by temporarily barring it from accessing its own voter data. His campaign filed a lawsuit to get it back and aggressively tried to turn the allegations into a political advantage.

"This information is really key to our campaign and our strategy," said Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook. "We are particularly disturbed right now that they are using the fact that they stole data as a reason to raise money for their campaign."

The reaction to the data breach, the depth of which was debated by all involved, tore open an ugly fault line between two camps that had so far engaged in a relatively civil White House campaign.

On the eve of the party's next presidential debate, it also thrust into the open longstanding suspicions among Sanders and his supporters that the national party is unfairly working to support Clinton's candidacy.

"Clearly, in this case, they are trying to help the Clinton campaign," Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said of the Democratic National Committee.

At issue is an extensive trove of voter information maintained by the DNC. The campaigns are able to add their own information to the database, information which they use to target voters and anticipate what issues might motivate them to cast ballots.

In Clinton's case, Mook said, the information stored in the database included "fundamental parts of our strategy."

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said that on Wednesday the Sanders campaign "inappropriately and systematically" accessed Clinton's data. She rejected Weaver's effort to blame the breach on a software glitch and the actions of a small group of rogue staffers, one of whom was fired.

In response, the DNC temporarily turned off Sanders' access to the database and asked for an accounting of how the information was used and disposed of. Only then will the party make a decision on restoring Sanders' access, she said.

That decision infuriated Weaver, who said the party had cut Sanders' team off from the "lifeblood of any campaign." He added, "It is our information, not the DNC's."

Hours later, the Sanders camp filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington seeking an immediate restoration of access to the database. Without it, the lawsuit said, the campaign would lose approximately $600,000 in donations a day.

"It's outrageous to suggest that our campaign 'stole' any data," said Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs. "What is true is the data we collected and need to run a winning campaign is now being stolen from us by a DNC dominated by Clinton people."

The back-and-forth underscored Sanders' attempt to cast himself as an anti-establishment upstart willing to take on Clinton, the unquestioned front-runner for her party's nomination.

Even before the lawsuit was filed, Sanders' campaign sent a fundraising email to supporters that said his "quick rise in the national polls (has) caused the Democratic National Committee to place its thumb on the scales in support of Hillary Clinton's campaign."

Notably, the email made no mention of the campaign's decision to fire a staffer involved in the breach and Weaver's admission that the staffer's actions were "unacceptable."

Mook responded, "It's not something to be fundraising off of."

Firewalls are put in place to prevent campaigns from looking at data maintained by their rivals. But the vendor that runs the system, NGP VAN, said it ran a software patch Wednesday that allowed all users to access data belonging to other campaigns.

Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said the Sanders campaign staff conducted 25 searches from four different accounts, saving the data into the Sanders campaign account.

NGP VAN said the Sanders staff involved were able to "search by and view (but not export or save or act on) some attributes that came from another campaign." The company said the Sanders campaign saved a "one page-style report containing summary data."

Weaver argued the firewall used by the vendor had previously failed, and he railed against the party for not taking the steps required to keep the information secure. He said in an interview with CNN late Friday that "we don't have any Clinton data."

Josh Uretsky, the data director fired by Sanders' campaign, said his team was merely investigating the security problem and trying to figure out how exposed the software patch left their own data.

"I believe that I took appropriate steps to audit and assess the security breach and that nothing I did was done in a way that it would give the Sanders campaign a competitive advantage," Uretsky said in an email to The Associated Press.

Summaries of data logs provided to the AP show the Sanders team spent nearly an hour in the database reviewing information on Clinton's high-priority voters and other data from nearly a dozen states, including first-to-vote Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Some of these voter lists were saved into a folder named "Targets," according to the logs. Uretsky's deputy appeared to focus on pulling data on South Carolina and Iowa voters based on turnout and support -- or lack of support -- for Clinton.

The Sanders campaign employees who accessed the Clinton voter information without authorization appear to have run afoul of the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, said Jason Weinstein, a former supervisor of the Justice Department's computer crimes section.

Those employees "have reason to be concerned about legal exposure," he said, for what appears to fit the definition of illegal hacking.

Republican leaders and the White House have said they feel good about the outcome and have described the deal as the best they could do under divided government.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama signed a $1.1 trillion measure Friday that will boost spending for defense and non-defense programs over the coming year.

Republican leaders and the White House have said they feel good about the outcome and have described the deal as the best they could do under divided government.

The president fended off any array of riders that included efforts to halt federal money for Planned Parenthood and place greater restrictions on Syrian refugees. Republicans secured an end to the ban on most crude oil exports.

Congress also extended $680 billion in tax cuts for businesses and individuals, with the White House in particular touting the tax breaks for the wind and solar industry.

The signing of the budget bill caps months of negotiations and averts a government shutdown.

Prudential Committee chairman Ray Domey said partial payments will be issued on Tuesday.

PALMER - Tuesday was supposed to be payday for 19 call firefighters employed by the Three Rivers Fire District.

Firefighters are supposed to be compensated twice yearly, with a payment of $1,000. But but since no checks had been distributed as of today, Friday, Lt. Dan Daigle asked state and federal authorities to intervene.

In a letter sent to the district's governing committee Friday, Daigle told the prudential committee he had contacted the state attorney general and the U.S. Department of Labor.

"This is an unlawful practice," he wrote in a letter to the committee.

"I have contacted the United States Department of Labor, wage and hour division as well as the Attorney General's office, fair labor division."

The checks are due in June and December, Daigle told a reporter.

Following the resignation last week of William Jalbert, the prudential committee is down to two members, chairman Ray Domey and Donald Reim.

Contacted Friday evening, Domey said that in addition to the $2,000 per year stipend for each firefighter, they earn $20 per hour for "extra duty," and that questions have been raised by the board's legal counsel pertaining to some of the extra duty pay.

He said the paychecks had been processed, but not signed by the treasurer, and that accounts for the delay.

According to Domey, new checks will be processed on Monday, and ready for distribution on Tuesday, but only for the base amount. He said the extra duty payments would be scrutinized. Domey did not say when that process would be completed, and those payments made.

The chairman said that, on the advice of counsel, $850 in wages sought by firefighters who covered the "Pumpkin Palooza" event at Pulaski Park in October may not be a proper use of "taxpayer money."

Domey said he questioned other wage requests, alluding to $350 for firefighters attending a funeral in Chicopee, and for parades.

He also blamed Fire Chief Scott Turner for not submitting paperwork on time.

Turner said payroll information was provided on Dec. 11.

He said past practice has been to compensate firefighters for events such as Pumpkin Palooza, parades, graveside ceremonies, and funeral attendance.

The chief said the Chicopee funeral was a close relative of one of the firefighters, and that he is open to altering the department's practice on payments.

According to Daigle, the withholding of the checks is retaliation against the firefighters, who showed up at the Dec. 9 prukdential committee meeting and told the board they support the chief and oppose efforts by the committee to discipline him.

Domey, in response, said that the district leadership has a duty to scrutinize expenditures they deem questionable.

Daigle and Turner said they have received no communications from Domey to explain why the checks have not been issued.

Springfield entered the contest with an 11-13-1-1 record while the Comets started the night with a 13-10-2-1 slate. The Falcons return to the MassMutual Center on Saturday versus the Providence Bruins.

SPRINGFIELD - The Springfield Falcons hosted the Utica Comets in American Hockey league action at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on Friday evening.

Springfield entered the contest with an 11-13-1-1 record while the Comets started the night with a 13-10-2-1 slate. The Falcons return to the MassMutual Center on Saturday versus the Providence Bruins.

Obama stopped in California to meet with families of the 14 people who were killed in the San Bernardino shootings en route to Hawaii for his annual holiday getaway.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) -- President Barack Obama opened his Christmas vacation on a somber note: meeting with families of the 14 people who were killed in the San Bernardino shootings.

Obama stopped in California en route to Hawaii on Friday for his annual holiday getaway.

His wife, first lady Michelle Obama, joined him for the meetings at Indian Springs High School, just a short drive from the airport where Air Force One landed after the cross-country flight from Washington.

"Obviously, those families are going through a difficult time, not just because they've lost loved ones, but obviously at the holiday season I think that loss is even more acute," said White House press secretary Josh Earnest. "The president felt before he could begin his holiday that it was important for him to spend some time with these Americans who are mourning."

Authorities identified the shooters as American-born Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, of Pakistan. Both were killed in a shootout with police.

The FBI is investigating the case as an act of terrorism. The couple pledged allegiance to a leader of the Islamic State group on Facebook, moments before the shooting, authorities said. But they have found no evidence that the Farook and Malik were carrying out instructions from an overseas terrorist group or that they were part of a U.S.-based conspiracy.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Nov. 13 attack in Paris that killed 130 people.

Both attacks, coming days apart and just before the start of the holiday season, heightened public fears about future attacks on U.S. soil.

Obama has tried to allay those concerns with a rare Oval Office address, days after the San Bernardino attack, on the administration's strategy to counter the threat from IS, as well as through public appearances this week with members of his national security team following separate briefings he received on the Islamic State and potential threats to the homeland.

Most of the 14 people killed at the holiday banquet Dec. 2 worked with Farook in the San Bernardino County public health department. Nine men and five women, ranging in age from 26 to 60, were killed.

Buyer of guns faces terrorism charge

Obama flew to California after holding an end-of-year news conference at the White House. After meeting with the families, he planned to continue to Hawaii to begin two weeks of vacation with his wife and daughters in the island state where he was born.

He is scheduled to return to the White House in early January to begin his final year in office.

A couple was arrested together on a pair warrants at their Torrey Street home in a raid early Friday morning, but for separate alleged crimes.

EASTHAMPTON -- A couple was arrested together on warrants at their Torrey Street home in a raid early Friday morning, but for separate alleged crimes.

Raymond Tirado (Easthampton Police)

Easthampton Police Capt. Robert Alberti said troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Sector assisted the city's officers in arresting Raymond Tirado, 34, and his wife, Ashley Heronemus, 26, both of 5 Torrey St.

Tirado was arrested on a Northampton District Court warrant for two counts of failing to register as a sex offender.

Heronemus was arrested on an Eastern Hampshire District Court warrant for larceny by check over $250. 

Alberti said police knew Tirado had failed to register in Springfield, where he had previously lived, and received a tip that he was living in the home on the Easthampton-Southampton line.

Ashley Heronemus (Easthampton Police)
 

He said some people may think failing to register as a sex offender is not a big deal, but it is a serious offense with serious penalties. "If you fail to register, we will come and get you," Alberti said.

A conviction on a first offense can mean six months in jail to five years in prison, and a second or subsequent conviction comes with a minimum sentence of five years in prison, according to state law.

Alberti said the department often works with Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Sector when they are searching for wanted men or women. 

Hadley firefighters were called to the property at around 2 p.m.

An update to this story was posted at 8:09 p.m. Saturday.

HADLEY - A barn on River Road in Hadley was destroyed by fire Saturday afternoon.

Hadley firefighters were called to the property at around 2 p.m. Firefighters from South Hadley and Northampton were also dispatched to the scene under mutual aid.

Hadley fire officials remained on scene, and information on the fire was not available.

River Road is also known as Route 47.

This is a developing story and more information will be posted as it is known.