The 15th Annual "Learn to Skate" program sponsored by the Springfield Police Department was more like bumper cars with little tykes cruising around the rink helped by officers and the learning to skate trainers.

SPRINGFIELD - If you were going too fast, you might have received a ticket on the ice by one of "Springfield's Finest" at Cyr Arena in Forest Park on Saturday.

The 15th Annual "Learn to Skate" program sponsored by the Springfield Police Department was more like bumper cars with little tikes cruising around the rink helped by officers and the learning-to-skate trainers.

The holiday edition of the popular program featured Santa on skates along with a few of his helpers.

They included off-duty officers from Springfield and surrounding departments.

Couch was sentenced last year to 10-years probation but no jail time following a 2013 drunken driving accident that killed four people and left two others seriously injured.

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The U.S. Marshals Service announced it is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Ethan Couch, an 18-year-old Texas man who violated his probation and is now on the run.

Ethan CouchU.S. Marshal Service

Couch was sentenced last year to 10-years probation but no jail time following a 2013 drunken driving accident that killed four people and left two others seriously injured. The lenience was roundly criticized at the time. The group Mothers Against Drunk Driving said the decision left them "shocked and appalled."

What brought Couch national attention then and now was the defense offered at trial by his attorney: that the then-16-year-old teen was not responsible for his actions because he had been coddled his entire life by his wealthy parents.

A psychologist who testified for the defense said Couch's inability to see a link between his actions and the consequences was the direct result of his rich parents spoiling him rotten.

He then introduced a name for this so-called affluence-based affliction that has since launched a thousand headlines: "affluenza."

According to the U.S. Marshals, Couch has been in violation of his parole since Dec. 11 when he failed to meet with his parole officer. His whereabouts are unknown. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and marshals are working with state, local, and federal agencies in his apprehension.

His mother, Tonya Couch, is also missing and may be with him, according to the New York Daily News.

The sheriff for Tarent County in Texas told CNN "They have the money. They have the ability to disappear, and I'm fearing that they have gone a long way and may even be out of the country."

The possibility of Couch violating his probation first arose in early December when video appeared on social media appeared to show him taking part in a drinking game.

Susan Nilsson may have gone missing as she walked by down by the water late Friday or early Saturday, police said.

GLOUCESTER - Local and state officials and the U.S. Coast Guard are searching Gloucester's Inner Harbor for a 56-year-old Rockport woman who may have gone missing while walking along the waterfront, officials said.

The Gloucester police, state police, state Environmental Police and the Coast Guard are all involved in the search for Susan Nilsson of Rockport, according to Gloucester Chief Leonard Campanello.

Nilsson may have gone walking along the near the Gloucester Railways property near Rock Neck late Friday or early Saturday.

Police and rescuers have been searching the water near the area. Some personal items of Nilsson's have been found on the dock and in the water. Police area also searching areas around her home, her job and other places she has been known to frequent.

Nilsson is described as white, roughly 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 130 pounds. She has green eyes, a medium build, and light brown hair.

If anyone has information on Nilsson's whereabouts, they are asked to call Gloucester Police at (978)283- 1212

Gunfire erupted Saturday inside a large Wisconsin shopping mall on one of the busiest shopping days before Christmas, leaving a man wounded in the leg, police said.

MADISON, Wis. -- Gunfire erupted Saturday inside a large Wisconsin shopping mall on one of the busiest shopping days before Christmas, leaving a man wounded in the leg, police said.

The East Towne Mall in Madison was shut down after the shooting broke out just before 3 p.m. on the Saturday before Christmas. According to a statement posted on its website, Madison police said they were still looking for a suspect.

"This is not an active shooter. This is not an act of terrorism," Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain told The Associated Press.

Witnesses told police that several young men were involved in a "disturbance" in the middle of the mall. One pulled out a handgun and fired at least one round. A 19-year-old man involved in the initial dispute was struck in the leg. He was taken to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

"My understanding is it was a chaotic scene," DeSpain said. He said the mall remained closed late Saturday afternoon.

Police said the mall had been secured by late afternoon.

Photos from the scene showed several police officers and a number of police vehicles outside the mall. A notice on the mall's website said the mall "is temporarily closed due to a safety concern."

East Towne Mall is an 840,000-square-foot shopping center with 110 specialty retailers, according to its website.

Police say they were able to link Robert Debusk to an order of nacho cheese with jalapeno peppers found at the scene of an auto vandalism.

STURBRIDGE - Police arrested a 24-year-old Sturbridge man in connection with a reported vandalism to a vehicle after linking him to some nacho cheese and jalapeno peppers left behind at the crime scene, police said.

Robert M. Debusk, 24, of Main Street, Sturbridge was arrested Friday and charged with charged with Break and Enter into a Vehicle Night Time for Felony, Malicious Damage to a Motor Vehicle, and Injury Defacement or Destruction of Real Property.

Police were flagged down on Main Street by a man who reported his car had been vandalized early Friday. The car, a 2005 Ford Focus had smashed windows and four slashed tires. But it was the nacho cheese and jalapenos smeared onto the roof that gave police the hot lead that broke the case open, police said.

Officer Adam Szymanski went to a nearby convenience store at 501 Main St., knowing that it sells nachos with melted cheese. Surveillance video from the store showed Debusk purchasing an order of nachos with cheese and jalapenos at about 1 a.m., police said.

The man who owned the car said he and Debusk had been engaged in a text messaging spat earlier in the evening, and that Debusk had gone to his house and pounded on the door at about midnight, police said.

The nature of the disagreement was not disclosed.

Debusk was arrested at his residence. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Dudley District Court.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, urged support for Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential bid Saturday, saying he believes the former secretary of state will be best for the White House and other down-ticket races.

CONCORD, N.H. ‒ U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, promoted Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential campaign in New Hampshire Saturday, saying that in addition to being the best candidate for the White House, he believes the former secretary of state will drive Democratic wins in down ticket races.

The congressman praised the former first lady as he traveled to Concord to canvass with around 25 other central Massachusetts Clinton supporters ahead of the third Democratic presidential debate at Saint Anselm College.

McGovern, who knocked on more than 50 doors in campaigning for the former secretary of state, stressed that despite his support for Clinton, he respects all three Democratic White House hopefuls.

"I think we need to do whatever we can to elect a Democrat as president," he said during an interview. "I have great respect for Bernie Sanders - he's a good friend of mine. I also have great respect for Martin O'Malley, but I believe that Hillary's the strongest candidate we have and I not only want to win the presidency - I want to win back the House and the Senate. I think that she can help us do that."

According to the congressman, that desire to take back Congress and hold onto the White House is why he joined Clinton supporters in knocking on a total of more than 900 doors early Saturday.

"I'm here to do what you need to do win campaigns," he said. "It's not just about money and about TV commercials it's about knocking on doors - it's grassroots, it's getting people to knock on doors and have personal conversations with voters and that's what we did today."

While much of the focus on the 2016 election cycle has centered on the presidential race, McGovern stressed that it's also important for voters to pay attention to down ticket races and support congressional candidates that share their ideals.

"We need to change the Congress," he said. "We've got people in Congress who don't believe that climate change exists. So, let's change that reality and elect people who are more like minded and I think that Hillary can help make possible the election of more of those types of members of Congress than anybody, I think, running."

Aside from the makeup of Congress, McGovern added that the next president will likely have a major impact on appointments to the Supreme Court, making it important for the Democrats to hold onto the White House.

Arguing that Republican presidential candidates like businessman Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, won't be "pushovers," McGovern stressed that the next election will not be an easy win for anyone.

"This election is going to be tough no matter who the nominee is, but...I'm proud of not only Hillary, I'm proud of Bernie, I'm proud of Martin O'Malley - I think our candidates on our side are talking about substance and I contrast that with what Republicans are talking about - some of it's just nonsense," he said.

In addition to McGovern's group, around 10 Clinton supporters from western Massachusetts went door-to-door to promote the Democratic front-runner's campaign in Keene, N.H. early Saturday. The congressman said he will be back up in New Hampshire in the coming weeks to canvass for Clinton ahead of the state's Feb. 9 primary election.

He joins other members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation who have traveled to the Granite State to campaign for Clinton in recent weeks.

Heavy wind gusts throughout the day may have fanned the flames and caused it to go out of control.

This is an update of a story originally posted at 3:32 p.m.

HADLEY - A fire that broke out Saturday afternoon in a barn on River Road destroyed the structure despite efforts by firefighters from Hadley and three neighboring communities.

The barn at 349 River Road, also known as Route 47, burned to the ground.
There were no injuries.

The fire was reported just before 2 p.m.

The Hadley Fire Department is expected to release a full statement on the fire Sunday, officials said.

Firefighters from Northampton, Sunderland and South Hadley Fire Districts 1 and 2 were dispatched to the scene.

Western Mass News,the television partner of The Republican, reports investigators with the state fire marshal were dispatched to the scene to aid in the investigation of how it started.

At the time of the fire, the region was under a heavy wind advisory, and the National Weather Service was reporting wind gusts in excess of 30 mph.

Western Mass News reports one neighbor, Dale Jones, saying the wind may have been a factor in how quickly the fire spread.

Dale Jones said he was doing work on his property when someone started screaming the barn was on fire.

"There were flames sky high and lots of smoke and the wind was really blowing strong so we were quite concerned," Jones said.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton quotes Hadley Fire Chief Michael Spanknebel saying the building was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, and the wind "made it a hazardous scene."

John Kolosewicz pulled a gun from his pocket and pressed it to the forehead of a man during an argument, police said.

DEERFIELD - An 87-year-old Hatfield man is facing armed assault charges after police say he held a gun to the forehead of another man early Saturday during a disagreement in the bar of the Hotel Warren.

John A. Kolosewicz of School Street, Hatfield, was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.

He told officers he drew the weapon because he was "defending the honor of a friend."

The weapon, a .22 caliber handgun was recovered at the scene. Officers found it in Kolosewicz's pocket, police said.

Kolosewicz had been issued a license to carry by Hatfield police, but once they were notified of the arrest, the license was revoked, Deerfield police said.

Police were called to the hotel bar just before 12:30 a.m. for report of a disturbance involving a man with a gun.

The victim, whose name was not released, told officers that he and Kolosewicz had been involved in what he described as "a brief disagreement" when Kolosewicz pulled out the gun and pressed the barrel against the victim's forehead.

The Hotel Warren, also known at the Hot L, is located Elm Street in downtown Deerfield, a short distance from Yankee Candle.

A memorial fund in the name of Noemi Collazo has been set up to help defray funeral costs for her family.

NORTHAMPTON - A 22-year-old Springfield woman who was a senior at Smith College was found dead on Friday.

No foul play is suspected, according to Mary Carey, communications director for Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. No details regarding the cause of death were disclosed.

Carey said the DA's office was not disclosing the name.

The name had been disclosed on various campus media and other publications as Noemi Collazo, a native of Springfield, who was due to graduate after next semester.

An e-mail that went out to the campus Friday afternoon alerted students to Collazo's death.

The college president Kathleen McCartney and Dean of the College and Vice President for Campus Life Donna Lisker have met with Collazo's family, according to the campus.

A fund drive on GoFundMe.com has been set up in her memory, seeking to raise $10,000 to help her family with funeral expenses. By Saturday night, it had raised $3,145.

The town is pulling together to aid Earl McGraw who is battling lung cancer.

MONTAGUE - Monday night's basketball game between Franklin County Technical and Turners Falls High School will be more than just a basketball game between rivals.

It will also have the dual purpose of raising money to aid Turners Falls Assistant Principal Earl McGraw who is undergoing treatment for stage 3 lung cancer.

Several people, groups and businesses throughout the town are banding together to hold fundraising events for McGraw, and the game is the latest one.

Montague Police Chief Charles "Chip" Dodge said McGraw is a very special man who has touched the lives of man. " I have never seen this kind of support for anyone. It is incredible," he said.

The game is planned for 7:30 p.m. at Turners Falls High School, 222 Turnpike Road, Montague.

Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for everyone else. Tickets are being sold in advance through the schools, and will be available at the door. But organizers say capacity will be capped at 700.

There is also a GoFundMe account set up in McGraw's name. The fund seeks to raise $7,500 to aid the family and defray the costs associated with treatment and other expenses.

" Earl has touched so many students lives throughout the years with his bigger than life positive attitude. Earl inspires, influences, and believes in every student hoping to set them on a path to success," the text accompanying the account reads.

The 13th annual State Sen. Donald J. Humason's ice skating party at Amelia Park in Westfield was held on Saturday, Dec. 19.

WESTFIELD - The 13th annual State Sen. Donald J. Humason's ice skating party was held at Amelia Park in Westfield on Saturday, Dec. 19.

Cookies were served after skating at the free event. Attendees were asked to bring one non-perishable food item for the Westfield Food Pantry.

The three Democratic presidential candidates met at New Hampshire's Saint Anselm College Saturday evening as they squared-off for the party's third debate of the 2016 election cycle. 201

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- The three Democratic presidential candidates met at New Hampshire's Saint Anselm College Saturday evening as they squared off for the party's third debate of the 2016 election cycle.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley went head-to-head over an array of issues, including foreign relations, immigration and national security, during the prime time event sponsored by ABC News in Partnership with the New Hampshire Union Leader.

The fiery debate, in which Clinton and Sanders took aim at each other's campaigns, came just hours after the candidates traded barbs following a reported data breach involving staffers from the Vermont senator's campaign which inappropriately accessed information compiled by the former first lady's presidential campaign.

The New Hampshire-based debate gave Democratic candidates an opportunity to drum up support for their campaigns ahead of the state's first-in-the-nation primary in early February. Recent polls have placed Sanders ahead of Clinton in the Granite State.

Here are five takeaways from the prime time event:

Sanders apologized to Clinton over the data breach incident, but questioned whether the former secretary of state's campaign may have accessed similar information.

The Vermont senator apologized to Clinton, as well as to his supporters, for his staffers' inappropriate access of data compiled by her campaign, saying that's not the type of campaign he runs.

Sanders noted that the individual involved in the incident has been fired and that anyone else found to be involved will also be terminated from the campaign. He, however, again blamed the data breach on a DNC vendor that "screwed up" and took issue with the Clinton campaign for highlighting the incident in press releases.

The Vermont senator added that he looks forward to working with Clinton for an independent investigation about all of the DNC data breaches that have occurred.

"I am not convinced that information from our campaign may not have ended up in her campaign. Don't know that," he said. "But we need an independent investigation, and I hope Secretary Clinton will agree with me for the need of that."

Clinton thanked Sanders for the apology, saying her campaign was distressed to hear about the data breach as it had worked hard to compile its information on voters. Now, that the issue has largely been resolved, she said she hopes the Democratic candidates can move on.

"I don't think the American people are all that interested in this," Clinton said.

The candidates differed slightly in how they would address gun-related regulations.

Clinton took issue with claims that arming Americans will make the country safer from terrorists, saying the U.S. is already losing too many people to gun-related violence.

"Arming more people is not the appropriate response to terrorism," she said.

The former secretary of state further praised Sanders for shifting his position slightly on firearms-related issues, but urged the senator to support congressional Democrats' gun control legislation.

While Sanders' defended Americans' right to purchase guns, he agreed that the federal government should move on policies where there is a broad consensus of support, like stronger instant background checks.

O'Malley, meanwhile, painted himself as the toughest candidate on so-called gun control and blasted his opponents' records on the issue.

The former Maryland governor called for "comprehensive gun safety legislation," but said he would not confiscate Americans' assault weapons.

The candidates blasted Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's comments regarding Muslims.

Despite taking aim at each other, all three candidates offered harsh criticism of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump in the wake of his recent call to temporary halt Muslims from entering the U.S.

Clinton contended that due to his remarks, Trump is now a major recruiting tool for ISIS. She accused the businessman of sending the message to Muslims around the world that there's a "western plot against Islam that fans the flames of radicalization."

Sanders, meanwhile, called on Americans to stand together to address real issues and to not allow people like Trump to distract and divide them by race or other measures.

O'Malley further stressed that "we must never surrender them to terrorists, must never surrender our Americans values to racist, must never surrender to the fascist pleas of billionaires with big mouths."

O'Malley criticized Clinton for bringing up the 9/11 terror attacks in the last debate when she was asked about Wall Street regulations.

The former Maryland governor took aim at Clinton on the issue of financial regulations, accusing her of "trying to hide her relationship with Wall Street big banks by invoking the attacks of 9/11" in the last debate.

The former first lady, however, stressed that most of her campaign contributions are from small donors. Firing back, she added that O'Malley had no problem going to Wall Street for campaign contributions when he headed the Democratic Governors Association.

During the mid-November Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines, Iowa, Clinton responded to Sanders' criticisms regarding her campaign contributions, by noting that as a senator from New York she worked to help rebuild the financial district in the wake of the 2001 attacks.

Clinton said she, not her husband, would still choose flowers and china for state dinners, if elected president.

When asked what role her husband, former President Bill Clinton, would play as the first spouse if she was elected president, Clinton offered that she would likely remain in charge of some duties that have historically been delegated to first ladies, like choosing flowers or china for state dinners.

The former first lady, however, said she would turn to her husband for advice in the same way other presidents have - particularly when it comes to things like special missions and how to move the economy forward.

Clinton added that each first lady has helped to shape the role and make it their own.

The three 2016 Democratic presidential candidates came out swinging during the party's third debate of the 2016 election cycle Saturday, taking jabs at each other and Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- The three 2016 Democratic presidential candidates came out swinging during the party's third debate of the 2016 election cycle Saturday, taking jabs at each other and Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

Unlike previous debates where former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley largely refrained from taking direct aim at each other's campaigns, the candidates drew distinct differences between themselves on issues like foreign policy and gun control during the prime time event broadcast from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.

The debate came shortly after Sanders' campaign filed a lawsuit against the Democratic Party for being temporarily banned from accessing information about potential voters after staffers' improperly accessed data Clinton's campaign compiled.

The reported data breach sparked harsh words among the candidates, as well as criticism of the Democratic National Committee, which restored Sanders' access to the campaign's data early Saturday. Tensions remained high on the issue during the debate, with the Vermont senator apologizing to the former first lady, but blaming the data breach on a DNC vendor that "screwed up."

Sanders also took issue with the Clinton campaign for highlighting the incident in press releases. He said he looks forward to working with the former first lady for an independent investigation about all of the DNC data breaches that have occurred, but added he's "not convinced that data from (his) campaign hasn't ended up in her campaign."

With a large focus on the so-called Islamic State and tensions in the Middle East, Sanders, who trails Clinton in national polls, criticized how the former secretary of state would address these issues.

Stressing that he and Clinton disagreed on the Iraq war, Sanders expressed concerns that the former first lady "is too much into regime change and a little bit too aggressive without knowing what the unintended consequences might be."

"The U.S. cannot be the policemen of the world,"he said.

Instead of focusing on getting rid of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, he added, destroying ISIS should be the country's main foreign policy strategy.

Clinton countered that Sanders voted for regime change with respect to Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. She added that the country needs to continue doing what's necessary when someone "with American blood on their hands" is overturned.

O'Malley, meanwhile, took issue with both Clinton and Sanders' records on so-called gun-control measures, painting himself as the toughest candidate on the issue.

Sanders blasted O'Malley's contention and said while the Democrats can make all the speeches they want on firearms-related issues, they're not going to succeed unless they focus on areas where there is a consensus.

"Do not tell me that I have not shown courage in standing up to the gun people or voting for instant background checks," Sanders he said, pointing to an election he lost after coming out against sales of assault weapons.

Clinton, meanwhile, said while she agrees with O'Malley's call for "commonsense gun safety measures," she wishes he wouldn't misrepresent her record.

The former Maryland governor further blasted Clinton on the issue of financial regulations, accusing her of "trying to hide her relationship with Wall Street big banks by invoking the attacks of 9/11" in the last debate.

The former first lady fired back, saying most of her campaign contributions are from small donors. She added that O'Malley had no problem going to Wall Street for campaign contributions when he headed the Democratic Governors Association.

Despite taking aim at each other, all three candidates offered harsh criticism of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump in the wake of his recent call to temporarily halt Muslims from entering the U.S.

Clinton contended that due to his remarks, Trump is now a major recruiting tool for ISIS. She accused the businessman of sending the message to Muslims around the world that there's a "western plot against Islam that fans the flames of radicalization."

Sanders, meanwhile, called on Americans to stand together to address real issues and to not allow people like Trump to distract and divide them by race or other measures.

O'Malley further stressed that "we must...never surrender our Americans values to racist, must never surrender to the fascist pleas of billionaires with big mouths."

The New Hampshire debate gave Democratic candidates an opportunity to drum up support for their campaigns ahead of the state's first-in-the-nation primary in early February.

Congressman Richard Neal, D-Springfield, lauded candidates' performance in the third Democratic presidential debate Saturday, saying they offered "thoughtful" discussion on important issues.

MANCHESTER, N.H.‒ Congressman Richard Neal, D-Springfield, lauded candidates' performance in the third Democratic presidential debate Saturday, saying they offered "thoughtful" discussion on important issues.

While the Springfield Democrat, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton's White House bid, did not attend the prime time event broadcast from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., he offered a positive take on the debate.

"The voters of New Hampshire, and the American people, heard a thoughtful and respectful discussion tonight of some of the most important issues facing our country," he said in a statement.

The congressman added that he believes Clinton "demonstrated an impressive command of the critical challenges that confront the United States in the 21st Century."

"Her strong performance reminds us that she is prepared and ready to be our next president," he added.

Neal was not the only member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation to offer praise for Clinton Saturday.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, who traveled to the debate after canvassing for the Democratic presidential front-runner in Concord, N.H., said he believes the former secretary of state is the strongest candidate and Democrats' best shot to inspire wins in down-ticket races.

The Keene-based non-profit maintains an office in Hadley.

HADLEY - The non-profit Land For Good has been awarded $641,000 to help beginning farmers who are trying to find land in New England, or who want to improve their tenure situation. The project will also help established farmers who want to transfer their properties to a new generation of farmers.

The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, which awarded more than $18 million to organizations nationwide to provide training and education for beginning farmers and ranchers.

Land For Good, based in Keene with a Massachusetts office in Hadley, helps New England farmers access land, and works on improving related programs and policies in each New England state.

In Massachusetts, over one-third of all farms are owned and managed by farmers at or beyond retirement age, according to the American Farmland Trust and Land For Good. What these farmers do with their land and other farm assets will shape Massachusetts' agricultural landscape for generations to come.

Accessing farmland is a challenge for beginning farmers, many of whom come from non-farming backgrounds and lack access to capital. Also, aging farmers, many of whom lack identified successors, face the challenge of passing on their farms to the next generation.

"Our long term goals are to give beginning farmers more knowledge and skills to access land and improve land tenure," said Jim Hafner, the group's executive director. "Beginning farmers will connect with established farmers, as well as landowners, so farms will be more effectively transferred."

Land For Good is one of the few groups nationally focused on farmland access, transfer and tenure. In addition to innovation and policy work, the non-profit provides education, resources and direct services to farm seekers, established farmers, landowners, and community stakeholders.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

A woman died Sunday morning after the vehicle she was traveling in stalled on a North Texas interstate after crashing into a barrier and was hit by a Greyhound bus.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- A woman died Sunday morning after the vehicle she was traveling in stalled on a North Texas interstate after crashing into a barrier and was hit by a Greyhound bus. More than a dozen people on the bus and the other occupant of the vehicle were injured, authorities said.

The accident happened about 5:30 a.m. on Interstate 30, Arlington Police spokesman Lt. Christopher Cook said.

Greyhound spokeswoman Lanesha Gipson says there were 40 passengers and a driver aboard the bus, which was headed from Dallas to Amarillo. Sixteen people sustained injuries that weren't life-threatening, Cook said.

It wasn't clear if the deceased woman was the driver or passenger of the sport utility vehicle. Cook said a man in the vehicle was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Cook said that just minutes before the bus hit the vehicle, authorities had gotten a call that a vehicle being driven erratically had hit a concrete barrier and become disabled. He said authorities are trying to determine what caused the erratic driving.

The interstate was expected to be closed for several hours while police investigate.

Gipson said another bus picked up the remaining passengers to take them on to Amarillo.

The Rohan Award is annually presented to a St. Patrick's Parade Committee member who has made significant contributions to the committee and parade. The 2016 recipient is Marc Joyce.

HOLYOKE - The Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade Committee announced Sunday that long-time committee member Marc Joyce is its 2016 Rohan Award recipient.

"I'm stunned; I'm shocked," Joyce said, during a committee meeting at the Holyoke Elk's #902 on Whitney Avenue. "It's a privilege."

The award is named in honor of the committee's first Grand Marshal, Thomas F. Rohan. The recipient must be a long-standing member who has made significant contributions to the overall success of the parade and committee.

The award was presented to Joyce by committee president Mike Ahearn and by the 2015 award recipient, John Henry.

Ahearn said Joyce is "well deserving -- he's a class act."

Joyce, of Holyoke, said that past recipients of the award are an "exemplary group, and I am really honored to join them."

Joyce has been a member of the parade committee since 1977.

""It's an organization that has been close to my heart for many, many years and I'm just thrilled," Joyce said.

Joyce is senior regional director of the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents.

Tthe 65th St. Patrick's Parade will be held on Sunday, March 20.

The event by Hilltown Families features pancakes, magic, puppets, and a DJ.

EASTHAMPTON -- A breakfast bash featuring pancakes, dancing, and diversion for the kids could be just what the doctor ordered on the first morning of 2016, when Hilltown Families hosts its annual New Years Day Morning Music Party at Flywheel Arts Collective in Easthampton.

Kids will be treated to puppets and a magic show, and DJ Youthelectronix will host what's become known as "the best ever dance party before noon."

"Getting families with children of all ages out and engaged in their community has its challenges in the winter," said Hilltown Families Executive Director Sienna Wildfield. "Through collaboration, we are able to bring our community of families a Morning Music Party Series with pancakes and dancing."

The free, "pay-as-you-can" event is open to kids of all ages, and is a fundraiser for Hilltown Families and Flywheel.

Hilltown Families is a non-profit, online grassroots communication network for families living throughout the four counties of western Massachusetts.

If you go:

What: New Years Day Morning Music Party
When: January 1, 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Flywheel Arts Collective, 43 Main St., Easthampton (Old Town Hall)
Admission is on a pay-as-you-can basis, to support the work of Hilltown Families and Flywheel.

Entergy faces a 2020 deadline to move the fuel from wet pools inside the reactor building.

Entergy plans to start moving Vermont Yankee's spent nuclear fuel into dry cask storage in 2017, two years earlier than originally anticipated, reports the online Vermont Digger.

The Louisiana-based Entergy announced the decision Wednesday, but the idea was first introduced in an October filing with the Vermont Public Service Board, as part of the company's bid for approval to build a second concrete pad for spent fuel storage at the Vernon, Vermont site, located on the banks of the Connecticut River.

The 620-megawatt Vernon plant, which began operations in 1972, stopped producing power Dec. 29, but most of its spent fuel remains in wet storage in a pool inside the plant's reactor building.

While dry storage is considered safer than wet storage, concerns have been raised about the transfer process, in which fuel is pulled from the pool, placed in casks, loaded onto a large, tracked vehicle nicknamed "Cletus" and moved slowly to the spent fuel pad, Vermont Digger reports.

Entergy remains under a 2020 deadline to move the fuel into dry cask storage. Under the federally-sanctioned SAFSTOR process, full decommissioning could take up to 60 years. Under SAFSTOR, Vermont Yankee would be "mothballed" until its decommissioning fund reaches the level necessary to clean up the entire site.

State and regional officials, as well as critics of the plant, have raised concerns about the overall decommissioning project's financing, as well as the presence of non-radiological and radiological waste at the site.

The dry cask storage plan will be funded with a $145 million line of credit, which Entergy plans to repay by suing the U.S. Department of Energy for breach of its contract to remove spent nuclear fuel from the Vermont Yankee site.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the use of the plant's decommissioning trust fund to pay for long-term fuel storage, although the state has challenged that decision in federal appeals court.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

A machete wielding man who might have been trying to commit suicide by cop was subdued after an officer used a Taser to stop him.

PEPPERELL - A machete wielding man who might have been trying to commit suicide by cop was subdued after an officer used a Taser to stop him.

Pepperell Police Chief David Scott said police were called to a Hollis Street home Saturday before midnight and found an "agitated and disturbed man" there.

Pepperell Police Department  

"The man refused to comply with commands to drop the machete, and Detective Maskalenko made the decision to deploy and fired his Taser, which successfully incapacitated the male," police said. "The suspect fell to the ground, and the officers took him into custody, securing the machete."

Police did not release the man's name. He was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.

"Without a Taser, Detective Maskalenko would have been forced to draw his firearm in the face of a suspect, armed with a knife, approaching him at a rapid pace," Scott said in a statement. "The outcome could have been very different."

Greathead credited the dispatcher for keeping the man's wife on the phone and guiding her to a safe place.

Police believe - based on what the man said to police - that the man wanted to be shot and killed by the officer. Using the Taser, saved the man's life, Scott said.