Detectives from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were investigating what the department called "an officer involved shooting" inside the Northlake Mall in Charlotte.

By STEVE REED

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- One person was killed after an argument erupted at a crowded shopping mall in North Carolina on the afternoon before Christmas, police said Thursday.

Detectives from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were investigating what the department called "an officer involved shooting" inside the Northlake Mall in Charlotte.

Police said in a statement that off-duty officers who were working at the mall arrived at the scene after the fight broke out. One "armed" person was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.

No officers were injured.

The police statement said that the situation was not considered "an active shooter situation," an indication that no armed suspects were on the loose. An investigation was ongoing.

Jeff Keith, deputy director with Mecklenburg EMS, said the mall was closed but people were still hiding in stores and were trying to get out. Police said that family members should go to the AMC parking lot to look for relatives.

John Dawson, a salesman who lives in Charlotte, said he was at the mall buying a gift for his date when the shooting erupted. He said it began with an argument inside a store, which he said was packed with customers.

"There was a dude fighting with one or two dudes, and I kind of stopped and looked over there," Dawson said. One person pulled out a gun and started "shooting everywhere."

He said other shoppers began running when the shots were fired. He said a police officer was nearby and returned the fire.

Dawson said the suspect appeared to have been hit twice by the police officer. He said he backed up against a wall and watched as people fled the scene.

Don Willis, who works as a valet at the mall, said he heard gunshots, then saw a wave of people exiting the mall.

"It was wild. I heard the first shot and I thought, 'Wait. What was that?' And kind of like started turning around and walking and saw this huge line of people -- wave of people coming -- and I thought a bomb was about to go off, and I just took off," he said.

Lynn resident Brian Aquino, 34, may call the North Shore his home. But the Massachusetts man was part of a heroin trafficking ring that operated in Oxford County, Maine, according to authorities, who arrested him on a fugitive-from-justice charge.

LYNN — He was the linchpin from Lynn, an alleged heroin kingpin whose drugs fueled a Maine distribution operation.

North Shore resident Brian Aquino may make his home in Lynn, but the Massachusetts man was the main supplier for a heroin trafficking ring that operated in Oxford County, Maine, according to authorities, who arrested the 34-year-old on a fugitive-from-justice warrant earlier this week.

Aquino was among 15 people charged in connection with the alleged drug ring, which Maine law enforcement officials say was brought down by the largest investigation in the history of Oxford County, located northwest of Portland along the New Hampshire border. Among those charged in the case was a Maine-licensed clinical counselor, who also did some substance-abuse counseling, according to officials.

Troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section and members of the Lynn Police Department Gang Unit arrested Aquino after raiding his Lynn home on Tuesday morning. Police say a search of the residence resulted in the seizure of around $2,200 cash and the following quantities of drugs:

• 276 grams of heroin;
• 95 grams of Fentanyl;
• 4 grams of cocaine;
• and 80 OxyContin pills;

Aquino was already wanted by authorities in Maine, where he was under indictment in connection with the multi-agency drug investigation in Oxford County, but he picked up fresh charges after the drug raid at his Massachusetts home, police said. The new charges include possession of a class B drug; class A drug trafficking over 200 grams; and two counts of class A drug trafficking over 28 grams.

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted a two-year investigation into the illegal Oxford County drug operation. Maine State Police and various county law enforcement agencies assisted with the probe.

Nearly 18 pounds of heroin, worth about $3.2 million on the streets, was brought into the county for distribution from January 2013 to April 2015, according to police, who identified Auqino as the primary supplier.

Incoming interim director Cheryl Lussier Poppe was praised by a member of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home board of trustees.

HOLYOKE -- The two-hour-plus meeting at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home about the leadership turnover yielded a cargo of issues and comments.

Here are five takeaways from the Wednesday session of the facility's board of trustees that drew veterans, families, staff and state officials to the 110 Cherry St. Holyoke Soldiers' Home:

1. Procedure: Who had authority to make decisions on certain points was fluid depending on which official was speaking.

Steven E. Como, chairman of the board of trustees, began the meeting by reading a letter dated Monday from Gov. Charlie Baker to the trustees. Baker said he is appointing Cheryl Lussier Poppe, superintendent of the Chelsea Soldiers' Home, interim director of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home while a search committee is formed to find a permanent superintendent.

That committee will recommend superintendent candidates for Baker's approval. That was the process that former Gov. Deval L. Patrick used in 2011 to appoint current Superintendent Paul Barabani, Baker said.

Barabani announced Dec. 15 he would retire in January and expanded on the reasons on Wednesday when he said state officials have failed to approve funding, staff and other steps necessary to care for the facility's veterans.

"I've been given a mission but I haven't been given the resources to accomplish that mission," Barabani said.

Deputy Superintendent Paradis submitted a resignation letter the next day, effective Jan. 1, saying he would work there only with Barabani as superintendent.

Como also had resigned on Dec. 15, saying that after eight years it was simply time and he wanted to give Baker an opportunity to appoint his own chairman. But Como said Wednesday he will stay on until Baker appoints a replacement.

Trustees board member Daniel J. Smith objected after Como read Baker's letter. The trustees, and not Baker, should be deciding on an interim leader of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, he said.

"I respectfully disagree with the governor," Smith said.

Calls were voiced to have counsel weigh in, "Our counsel," said Smith, referring to board lawyer Donald R. Andrejczyk.

But Como said that since the group of state officials attending the meeting included Jesse M. Caplan, general counsel for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, he could go first.

State law is clear that the Holyoke Soldiers' Home and the board of trustees are supervised by the governor, Caplan said.

Also, Caplan said that Baker noted in his letter that Poppe will be not the interim superintendent but interim director of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.

"I certainly feel it's within his authority," Caplan said.

Andrejczyk stepped to the microphone and disagreed, citing Chapter 6, Section 71 of Massachusetts General Laws.

"The trustees appoint the superintendent," Andrejczyk said.

Trustee Brian Q. Corridan said the board should take a vote on whether Poppe will be interim head of the facility.

"I do think at least to protect the integrity of this board that the board should at least vote on that," Corridan said.

Como said that was prohibited during that particular meeting under the Open Meeting Law because the agenda posted 48 hours in advance of the session lacked notice to the public that such a vote would take place.

Yet another procedural issue arose later in the meeting. Amid calls for Barabani to stay on, Corridan asked Barabani if such a door was still open.

Barabani said he doubted state officials would meet his conditions. But he said such conditions would be that: the board of trustees unanimously vote to support him; that he be allowed to make decisions to run the facility; and that a concrete plan be established to increase staff, including filling positions such as a chief financial officer and a community outreach officer.

A top state official who attended the meeting confirmed that was unlikely to happen. The governor and the board of trustees have accepted Barabani's resignation and the state is moving forward with finding a successor, said Francisco A. Urena, secretary of the state Department of Veterans Services.

But, Barabani said, it was a retirement he has planned, not a resignation, and he had yet to submit his retirement papers for separation from the state.

2. Plug for Poppe:

Board member Margaret E. Oglesby added some levity, in praising Barabani, and perspective to the meeting.

"If I had my way, I would handcuff Paul to the building, but I think that would be kidnapping," Oglesby said.

Oglesby has served in the Massachusetts National Guard, including earning a Bronze Star in Afghanistan. Poppe served 30 years in the National Guard, according to Baker's letter.

"She was on the other end of the phone when I was in Afghanistan....She will do a good job," Oglesby said.

3. Life-saving care:

Residents and families described the loving care veterans receive from Holyoke Soldiers' Home staff.

After the meeting, Martha Murphy, 66, who said she has her own serious health issues, spoke to The Republican and MassLive.com about her husband Daniel Murphy, 67, an Air Force veteran living at the Soldiers' Home.

The exertion of trying to care for her husband while suffering her own declining health nearly killed her, she said, and the burden largely lifted thanks to the Soldiers' Home staff.

"They're here day and night. I have gotten calls from them at 11:30 p.m. just to make sure they are checking in. They were doing this to relieve me, which affects my well-being....I'm still alive because of the care he receives," Murphy said.

4. Labor issues?

Mark DelloRusso, president of Service Employees International Union Local 888, which represents most employees at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, said in an email Tuesday that problems have included labor contract violations, lack of respect for workers and intimidation can be added to the leadership issues at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.

"Given the litany of issues our members have brought to our attention, it seems a change in management is long overdue," DelloRusso said in the email.

Reading a copy of The Republican and MassLive.com news story, Barabani led with that during the meeting in his first of several turns with the microphone.

He read aloud DelloRusso's criticisms.

"Do you believe that?" Barabani said to the crowd, prompting a loud "No."

"I respect my staff and everybody knows that. There are no contract violations. What you have is a small" part of staff objecting to responsibilities, he said.

"As Bill Belichick says, just do your job," Barabani said.

5. The legislators were there:

Easy to pick out as the guys in suits kind of clustering together, and as members of an institution even more easy to scoff at -- politicians -- it perhaps merits saying that legislators who represent local districts on Beacon Hill showed up to support the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.

State Sen. Donald R. Humason, R-Westfield, state Rep. Aaron M. Vega, D-Holyoke, state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, and state Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, made remarks during the meeting.

"At the end of the day, politics aside, it's about the veterans," Velis said.

Take your own scientific explanation for this warm weather, but take it.

Temperatures in the mid-60s in Western Massachusetts on Christmas Eve is a rare occurrence, but for many a welcome delay of cold winter weather. Blame it what ever scientific phenomenon that fits, but for the many people outside with only light clothing on today, it seemed like a Christmas gift and a reminder of other seasons.

In Springfield's Forest Park, walkers, runners and skate boarders moved about with ease and members of the Springfield Stars soccer team laughed as much as they kicked while keeping in shape in December. And the Bright Nights in Forest Park lighting display, while still popular, will have little or no snow for the entire run of the show.

The forecast is for temperatures in the 50s and 60s through the upcoming weekend and above freezing into early January, with the exception of next Tuesday when a wintry mix is predicted.

Pope Francis noted the simplicity of Jesus' birth as he rebuked what he called societies' intoxication with consumerism, pleasure, abundance and wealth.

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- In his Christmas Eve homily Thursday, Pope Francis noted the simplicity of Jesus' birth as he rebuked what he called societies' intoxication with consumerism, pleasure, abundance and wealth.

Christians around the world joyfully prepared to recall the birth of Jesus. But in his only public Christmas Mass, in the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica, the pope counter-weighted his joy with a lament for people's excesses and what he described as a "culture of indifference, which not infrequently turns ruthless."

Francis said Jesus "calls us to act soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential."

Referring to Jesus' birth in a Bethlehem stable, the pope said the child was "born into the poverty of this world; there was no room in the inn for him and his family."

Francis also sounded a cry to right injustices. "In a world which all too often is merciless to the sinner and lenient to the sin, we need to cultivate a strong sense of justice," he said.

Since being elected pope in 2013, Francis has tried to shape the church into one marked more by loving mercy than rigid judgment. He insists that the needs of the poor and others, including refugees and migrants, be paramount.

Youngsters from countries that Francis has visited as pontiff, including Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the United States and most recently, three African nations, left floral bouquets around a baby Jesus statue near the central altar after Francis unveiled and gently kissed the statue.

A child from Mexico, which the pope visits in February, was also among the bouquet bearers.

On Friday, tens of thousands of people are expected to crowd into St. Peter's Square to hear the traditional Christmas day speech, which in the past has been used to denounce wars, other violence and injustice across the globe.

The former New England Patriots tight end has pleaded not guilty to gunning down Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado after a chance encounter at a Boston nightclub in 2012.

BOSTON -- A judge has agreed to a postponement in the next murder trial for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.

Hernandez is charged with killing two men in Boston in 2012. Jury selection for the trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 19, but Suffolk Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke on Wednesday granted a motion by defense attorneys and prosecutors for a postponement.

Both sides cited a pending appeal over evidence in the case.

No new trial date was set.

Hernandez grew up in Bristol, Connecticut.

He has pleaded not guilty to gunning down Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado after a chance encounter at a Boston nightclub.

He already is serving a life sentence after being convicted this year of the 2013 killing of a man who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee.

While the annual festivities in Bethlehem's Manger Square went on, other celebrations in the city were canceled or toned down.

By DANIELLA CHESLOW

BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- Christian faithful from around the world on Thursday descended on the biblical city of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations at the traditional birthplace of Jesus, trying to lift spirits on a holiday dampened by months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

The fighting cast a pall over the celebrations. Crowds were thin and hotel rooms were empty. While the annual festivities in Bethlehem's Manger Square went on, other celebrations in the city were canceled or toned down.

"There's lights, there's carols, but there's an underlying sense of tension," said Paul Haines of Cornwall, England, who arrived in Bethlehem following a four-month trek from Rome.

Bethlehem has been a focal point for clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters during a three-month wave of violence that has gripped the region.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, center, arrives at the Church of the Nativity, built atop the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, on Christmas Eve, in the West Bank City of Bethlehem, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015.Majdi Mohammed / Associated Press 

Lisette Rossman, a 22-year-old student from Albuquerque, New Mexico, said the violence made her think twice about visiting a friend studying in Jerusalem. She said she was glad she made the trip because "it was one of my dreams to come here."

Since mid-September, Palestinian attacks, mostly stabbings and shootings, have killed 20 Israelis, while Israeli fire has killed 124 Palestinians, among them 85 said by Israel to be attackers. The rest were killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Israel accuses Palestinian leaders of inciting the violence. The Palestinians say it is the result of nearly 50 years of military occupation.

In Manger Square, local activists placed an olive tree they said was uprooted by the Israeli army in a nearby village, and surrounded it with barbed wire and decorated it with spent tear gas canisters fired by Israeli troops and photographs of Palestinians killed or arrested in recent violence.

"We're in Bethlehem celebrating Christmas, celebrating the birthday of our lord Jesus Christ. This is the birthplace of the king of peace, so what we want is peace," said Rula Maayah, the Palestinian tourism minister.

In the evening, several thousand people crowded into Manger Square, admiring the town's glittering Christmas tree and listening to holiday music played by marching bands and scout troops. Palestinian vendors hawked coffee, tea and Santa hats. Young children sold sticks of gum.

But at 9 p.m., traditionally a bustling time of the evening, there were few tourists to drink local wine sold on the square or to eat freshly fried falafel.

As the festivities got underway, Miral Siriani, a 35-year-old publicist from Jerusalem, said she was relieved to get a break from three months of tension that has included numerous attacks in her city.

"I feel safe in Bethlehem," she said.

In recent years, Bethlehem had enjoyed a relative calm and thousands of revelers and pilgrims poured into Manger Square each Christmas. But vendors and hotel owners complained of sagging business this Christmas season.

Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian official, said hotel bookings were down 25 percent from last year, which itself was weak following a war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip several months earlier.

Some Palestinians hoped holiday cheer would replace the gloom. Said Nustas, dressed in a Santa Claus suit, rang a Christmas bell on a narrow asphalt street as he prepared to deliver gifts from a toy store to children nearby.

"The situation is what it is, a war and intifada," Nustas said. "But God willing, we'll overcome it and celebrate."

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal led a procession from his Jerusalem headquarters into Bethlehem, passing through a military checkpoint and past Israel's concrete separation barrier, which surrounds much of the town.

Israel built the barrier a decade ago to stop a wave of suicide bombings. Palestinians say the structure has stifled Bethlehem's economy.

In Bethlehem, Twal wished "peace and love" for all.

Twal led worshippers in a Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, built atop the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born.

In his homily, Twal expressed sympathy for the plight of Palestinians, Syrian refugees and "victims of all forms of terrorism everywhere," according to a transcript issued by his office. He wished "all inhabitants of the Holy Land" a happy and healthy new year.

"We pray to change the face of the world, that our world be a safe dwelling place and refuge, where justice prevails over rivalry and conflict, mercy over vengeance, charity over hatred," he said.

Ryan Duntin, 33, of Randolph, was convicted on two counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude and double counts of deriving support from prostitution.

DEDHAM — A man from suburban Boston is guilty of forcing a woman into sexual servitude for profit, according to state Attorney General Maura Healey.

Ryan Duntin, 33, of Randolph, was convicted this week on two counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude and double counts of deriving support from prostitution.

"This defendant targeted and recruited a woman into prostitution and forced her to provide sexual services for his own profit," Healey said.

Duntin was convicted of the crimes on Wednesday, following a five-day trial in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham. Duntin, who also uses the aliases "Tyrell" and "Real," is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 29.

According to authorities, he recruited a woman into prostitution and forced her to provide sexual services for a fee in hotels in several Massachusetts communities, including Tewksbury and Braintree. Healey launched an investigation into the allegations in July 2013.

Authorities say Duntin acted as the woman's pimp, posting online ads offering her sexual services and driving her to various hotels and motels. Duntin monitored the money she earned and collected the proceeds, frequently using threats and violence to coerce her, according to prosecutors.

The multiagency investigation included both state and federal authorities and was prosecuted by Healey's office.

A man was seen fleeing after a single gunshot was heard outside MCI-Shirley, a medium-security prison about 50 miles northwest of Boston.

SHIRLEY — Authorities are looking for a man who fired a gun outside the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Shirley on Thursday afternoon.

Corrections officers at MCI-Shirley, a medium-security prison about 42 miles northwest of Boston, reported hearing a single gunshot outside the prison at about 3:25 p.m. The shot was heard in the area of Harvard Avenue, according to Massachusetts State Police officials, who continue to investigate.

A white man, apparently armed with a gun, was seen fleeing the area on foot, prompting authorities to tighten security around the prison. All inmates were accounted for and no one was injured, police said.

Aerial and K-9 units were unable to find the man. "MSP patrols in the area will remain on alert for the potential suspect," police said Thursday evening.

Authorities said they have not ruled out the possibility that the man was a hunter.

The hut on Mt. Mansfield was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s.

STOWE, Vt. -- A historic stone hut near the top of Vermont's tallest peak has been reduced to a shell by a Christmas Eve fire.

The hut on Mount Mansfield, popular with overnight guests, was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and run by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.

Stowe firefighters received the call around 7:30 a.m., and by the time they reached the hut, it was fully involved. Firefighters carried equipment up the mountain by chairlift and hooked into the Stowe Mountain Resort snow making system, reports WCAX-TV.

The hut, which has a wood stove but no electricity, was reportedly rented at the time, but officials said there was no one there when the fire started. No injuries were reported.

A state fire investigator has been brought in to determine the cause of the blaze.

People around the world celebrate Christmas on Friday. Though it is a Christian holiday, it has been adopted by people of many different faiths and cultures as a day to celebrate peace on Earth and good will toward all.

People around the world celebrate Christmas on Friday. Though it is a Christian holiday, it has been adopted by people of many different faiths and cultures as a day to celebrate peace on Earth and good will toward all.

The Balise Auto Group announced that after a yearlong battle with stomach cancer, Mike Balise, owner and vice president of West Springfield-based Balise Motor Sales, with dealerships in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, died at the age of 50.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Mike Balise, owner and vice president of Balise Auto Group and an avuncular host of countless radio and TV ads, died Wednesday night at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston after a year-long battle with stomach cancer.

He was 50 years old.

He spoke publicly about his diagnosis a year ago in the fall of 2014. In August and September of that year, he'd started feeling stomach pain. He thought it was an ulcer.

It was cancer. And follow-up tests showed it had already spread to his lymph nodes.

Doctors in November 2014 gave him a year to 18 months. He started chemotherapy and worked hard, he said, to keep upbeat while doing the "hard stuff" of facing a grim prognosis.

"It doesn't mean you won't cry every day. It means you will have a different perspective," Balise said at the time. "I have to be clinical about it. I have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst."

Last year, Balise said he was anguished by the thought of leaving his his wife with three children, including a now 13-year-old and a child who lives with a disability.

Balise's brother, Balise Auto Group CEO Jeb Balise, announced Mike's passing in a letter to company employees.

"It is with a heavy heart that I write to share the news that my brother Mike passed away peacefully this evening.

"When Mike was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the fall of 2014, he vowed that in whatever time he had left, he'd live every moment to the fullest. And that is exactly what he did. In fact, Mike recently shared that this past year was actually the best of his life. With a positive attitude and a wicked sense of humor he embraced every moment - be it spending time with his family, working in the business he loved or raising awareness about this disease so that one day, others might not have to suffer. He touched lives and kept us all smiling right up to the end."

"Mike loved this company and was proud to represent Balise in the community, not just because he loved cars, but also because he was so proud of the generosity and commitment to excellence that define Balise associates. I hope that you will understand that out of respect for Mary Ellen and his children, Mike requested that services remain private. Those who are so inclined may make a donation in Mike's honor to the Community Resources for People with Autism, an organization that was near and dear to his heart.

"I know that this is difficult news for all of us who knew and loved Mike, but truly, the best way to honor him is to spend time with the people in your lives who matter most - to remember those in need in our community - and to cheer the Patriots on to Super Bowl 50. Thank you for your support."

Balise donated $20,000 to the Community Resources for People with Autism charity this fall to enable the organization to hire an advocate for parents of children with autism to help them navigate the school system. Donations to Community Resources for People with Autism can be sent to 16 Pleasant Street, #366, Easthampton, MA 01027.

Just a few weeks ago Balise donated $2,000 to buy 250 new winter coats for students at Springfield's Homer Street School, where 44 of the 450 students are homeless. It was the second straight year he'd done so after visiting Homer Street School as part of Link to Libraries, a volunteer program.

During one of his early visits to the school, Balise saw a pile of coats in the office and asked what they were for. A staffer explained that teachers, recognizing the predicament of hundreds of students at the school, purchased new coats for the kids every winter. That prompted Balise to step in and help.

Balise Auto Group employs more than 1,000 associates at facilities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Balise operates eight dealerships in Western Massachusetts, with 746 employees.

Haverhill police are expected to seek charges in an alleged hoax report of a baby thrown in the Merrimack River that sparked a brief but intense search effort last night.

Charges have been filed in this case. Read the updated story.

Haverhill police are expected to seek charges for an alleged hoax report of a baby thrown in the Merrimack River that sparked a brief but intense search effort last night.

According to the Boston Globe, state police and local firefighters began a search after receiving a report that someone had thrown a baby into the river near Comeau Bridge in Haverhill. State police deployed a dive team and an air wing and about 20 Haverhill firefighters responded, the Globe reported.

The search ended by 10:15 p.m., and state police now believe that the report was false.

A state police spokesman told 7 News by 11:35 p.m. that the mother and daughter who reported seeing the incident admitted to making it up.

Per @MassStatePolice: Haverhill Police will seek charges of misleading police after hoax report of the baby in the river. #7News

-- susantran (@susantran) December 25, 2015

The Globe reports that Haverhill police are expected to seek charges against the women who made the report.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is offering a Christmas night pick-me-up to drivers traveling after the holiday.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is offering a Christmas night pick-me-up to drivers traveling after the holiday.

From 10 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. tomorrow morning, free coffee will be served at all MassDOT service plazas, according to a MassDOT press release. A list of service plazas is available here.

In addition to offering free coffee, the department is also issuing safety tips to travelers, urging drivers to drive with headlights on, follow speed limits, never drink and drive and ensure their passengers are wearing seat belts.

Mrs. Claus and Yankee Candle staff also helped. Watch video

SOUTH DEERFIELD -- Tammy Phillips loves Yankee Candle.

Visiting the flagship shop has long been on the Worcester, England, resident's bucket list.

So when she and boyfriend Craig Cliff were planning to visit New York, they decided to rent a car and come for the day.

What Phillips didn't know was for about a month before, Cliff was busy. He was making phone calls and emailing staff setting up his plan. Friends and family at home knew, but they kept the secret.

The secret was this: He was going to propose.

The plan was to give a ring to Santa Claus so when they went to see him, Cliff could surprise Phillips.  

They arrived at the candle company in the morning and began shopping, and then Cliff said he had to use the bathroom.

By Yankee Candle staff knew who he was, and someone met him in the bathroom so he could pass the ring on to Santa.

Staff had to stop children from getting in line so the couple could go see Santa alone.

Phillips said the Cliff told her Santa was giving out coupons for candles. "I wouldn't want to see Santa Claus (otherwise.)"

Santa told Phillips that when she was 5 years old, he didn't leave her a present and that he wanted to give it to her now. And since an elf wasn't available, he asked Cliff to give an assist.

Taking the box, Cliff got down on one knee and asked Phillips to marry him. She said yes.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think she'd say yes," he said.

"I had the biggest shock of my life," she said.  

The couple had dated for about four and a half years in the 1990s, but then drifted apart. They had married other people, but ended up back in Worcester about two and a half years ago and started seeing each other again.

He is a train dispatcher, and she works security at a court.

Cliff, 45, said he had been thinking about where to propose and had considered Rockefeller Center and other New York tourist spots. They even went on a carriage ride in Central Park.

But those places didn't seem right.

"Tammy really likes Yankee Candle," he said.

After the proposal, the day was a blur, Phillips, 46, said.

Cliff Craig proposes to Tammy Phillips at Yankee Candle in South Deerfield last month. She said yes.Submitted Yankee Candle 

They had dinner at Chandlers, Yankee Candle's on-site restaurant, and the restaurant gave them complementary champagne.

They were also given the key the village, something Yankee Candle bestows upon on a family each day.

There have been a handful of proposals here, but never someone from abroad, said Wade Bassett, director of sales and operations for Yankee Candle.

"This is something we pride our ourselves in. We think this is a special place to visit," he said. "It was a really cool experience. There wasn't a dry eye in the room." 

"They were absolutely fantastic," Phillips said.

They'd love to have their wedding here, but know family wouldn't be able to come. They haven't yet set a date, but they did buy candles.

They brought an extra suitcase with them, Cliff said. And all three suitcases were packed with $630 worth of the tapers.

Phillips said those will hopefully last them for a year.

After they left the shop, they drove to Worcester - Massachusetts - to see what their city's namesake looked like, and then went back to New York and flew home. 

Haverhill police have charged two woman with misleading an investigation after their alleged hoax report of a baby being thrown into the Merrimack River sparked an intense search on Christmas Eve.

Haverhill police have charged two women with misleading an investigation after their alleged hoax report of a baby being thrown into the Merrimack River sparked an intense search on Christmas Eve.

Holly Fowler, 42, and her daughter Kristine Fowler, 23, of Haverhill, are facing charges of misleading a police investigation and filing a false police report, Haverhill Police Capt. Robert Pistone said in a press release. They are expected to be arraigned in Haverhill District Court on Monday.

According to the Boston Globe, state police and local firefighters began a search after receiving a report that someone had thrown a baby into the river near Comeau Bridge in Haverhill. State police deployed a dive team and an air wing and about 20 Haverhill firefighters responded, the Globe reported.

"It's one of those reports you have to treat as serious unless you confirm it one way or the other,'' Pistone said in the press release.

In an email to reporters, Pistone said that both women live near the bridge where they reported the allegedly false incident. They allegedly told police they saw and heard a distraught man throw a baby off the bridge while talking on a phone and then flee the scene with an empty baby carriage.

"As to why they did it , that's not perfectly clear yet," Pistone wrote.

Holly Fowler, who Pistone said reported the incident by telephone, is being held on cash bail. Her daughter Kristine was released pending arraignment.

The search ended by 10:15 p.m. A state police spokesman told 7 News by 11:35 p.m. that the mother and daughter who reported seeing the incident admitted to making it up.

According to Pistone, the charges were filed after Haverhill police and state police detectives interviewed both women.

Diners feast on turkey, ham, squash, and pies, lots of pies.

AMHERST - There were so many volunteers in the kitchen at Not Bread Alone on Christmas morning that it was hard to move without bumping into someone.

People really want to help, said Robert Stover, who has been seeing an increasing number of volunteers these days for all the meals the soup kitchen serves.

On Christmas, morning as in the past, many from the Jewish Community of Amherst were busy, making pie crusts and pies, chopping vegetables, roasting chickens, making the turkey and squash.

 But others joined them as well, Stover, the kitchen manager said.

Stover said, he's supposed to keep track of the volunteers, but there were so many he wasn't sure how many were there.

Helena Donovan and her son Ari Wigdor have made this a Christmas tradition for about a decade now.

She comes with the Jewish Community of Amherst but they started coming after Wigdor first helped with his Boy Scout troop.

Donovan made the piecrust for a pumpkin pike and Wigdor, a University of Massachusetts student, had made yam pudding.

He feels like that's there's community here that he's part of.

"We always see people around town, people who come here for Christmas dinner." 

They both like that it's a group effort to prepare the meal as well.  

Tulip Chowdhury, originally from Bangladesh has been helping for a couple of years, and was preparing an Indian vegan vegetable dish.

"She adds a unique flavor to our meals," Stover, the kitchen manager, said. She loves coming.

"It's so many people, it's a lot of fun," said volunteer Alison Ozer.

"You can learn different dishes. Cooking alone is not that much fun."

Stover said he was expecting about 50 to 60 diners but that number had grown to nearly 100 by the time volunteers began serving the vegan corn chowder and salad. 

Dennis Tower drove to the meal at the First Congregational Church from Westfield.

He knew of the meal when he stayed in what was once the warming place here - a precursor to what is now the homeless shelter Craig's Place.

 "I like it here," he said. "It's not rushed. It's laid back."

 And he said "you can't get food like this at another (kitchen.)"

He likes Amherst too, he said, because "people actually care about people."  

Joe "Zip" Duda came from Belchertown because a couple of his friends invited him.

They said they're saving him a seat to he was there, wearing a jacket and tie and hat that he's known for around town.

He's a justice of the peace and has performed many weddings. The food at the meal is excellent, he said.

Stover said Not Bread Alone offers a "multiplicity of valuable experiences." People of all backgrounds share the meal and the preparation.

Just as the Jones is the town's free public library "This is Amherst's free public meal."   

Friday's balmy weather didn't take away from the Christmas spirit that the Holyoke Police Nacrotics Unit was in, as they took part in their 29th annual Christmas morning toy giveaway. Watch video

HOLYOKE — Friday's balmy weather didn't take away from the Christmas spirit that the Holyoke Police Nacrotics Unit was in, as they took part in their 29th annual Christmas morning toy giveaway.

Armed with thousands of toys for kids of all ages, they set out from their headquarters in a caravan of police cruisers with flashing lights and two trucks packed with toys.

Volunteers including children of officers in the Narcotics Unit helped hand out the toys to the children who had spilled out into the streets of Holyoke after they heard the police sirens coming down their street letting them know that Santa had arrived.

Retired Holyoke Police Det. Dennis Egan was again on hand to fill the role of jolly St. Nick, as he started the program off at the first stop with the customary placing of a toy by the fence at the corner of Hampshire and Walnut Streets in remembrance of Officer John DiNapoli, who was killed in the line of duty at that spot. Following a prayer by Egan, the giveaway started.

One by one, the youngsters, some still in their pajamas, approached Santa to receive their present and then made the trip home to spend time enjoying it.

Det. Tony Brach said that this was the biggest year for donated toys, as they have collecting them for over a month. The unit looks forward to this event every year as it is a chance for them to give back to the community and try to make it a great Christmas for less fortunate kids.

Brach wanted to take time out to thank Paul Wanat at United Tractor Trailer school for use of one of the trucks, Rocky Snow at Toys for Tots, Holyoke Gas and Electric, Holyoke Hospital, Hasbro, Snap Fitness, Holyoke YMCA, St. Peter Lutheran Church, Holyoke High, Mater Delarosa School Student Council and everyone else who donated.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Maureen Ryan 

Maureen S. Ryan, of Springfield, died on Sunday. She was born in Springfield. She graduated from Technical High School in Springfield and later received a bachelor's degree from American International College and a master's degree from Springfield College. Her career included teaching at Ursuline Academy and in the Springfield Public Schools. She retired as a teacher of mathematics from Forest Park Middle School. She was an accomplished quilter and bridge player, and she enjoyed traveling with her husband. She was a charter member of St. Paul the Apostle Church.

Full obituary and funeral arrangements for Maureen Ryan »

A dedicated group of volunteers make and serve hundreds of holiday meals for the Open Pantry Community Services, Inc.

SPRINGFIELD — Guests did not have to bundle against the cold or snow to take part in the annual Open Pantry Community Services, Inc. Christmas dinner this year at the High School of Commerce in Springfield.

The atmosphere was warm inside and out. A dedicated group of volunteers, some who work at the Easter and Thanksgiving meals as well, arrive early to prepare dinners both for delivery and those served in the school cafeteria. According to Robert C. Maurice, Open Pantry holiday meals coordinator for the last 35 years, about 450 meals were ready at 10 o'clock to be driven by volunteer drivers throughout the area. Some 350 festive holiday dinners were served inside.

Maurice, a Springfield native and 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, explains his devotion to this work as wanting to give back to the city he loves. Most of the volunteers, especially the regulars, expressed the same sentiment, most out of general willingness to help and some who were once in the situation of need many of the guests now find themselves.

Younger helpers are usually there to pay it forward, as members of a family effort or to fill school-required volunteerism. Either way, they seem to leave with both a good feeling and a better understanding of why their neighbors need and appreciate these meals.