Police arrested Anthony M. Rhodes and Dana E. Jerin, charging each with trafficking and conspiracy.

SOUTHWICK - A six-month investigation into drug activity led to the arrest of two Southwick men on drug charges Thursday, Southwick police said.

Police arrested Anthony M. Rhodes, 35, of 32 Ed Holcolm Road, and Dana E. Jerin, 24, of 72 Granville Road.

Rhodes was charged with trafficking a class A substance, trafficking a class B substance, distribution of a class B substance, and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Jerin was charged with trafficking a class B substance, distribution of a class B substances, and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Each is being held on $5,000 bail, pending their arraignments in Westfield District Court.

Police seized 65 grams, or about 2.29 ounces, of cocaine, and more than 600 tablets of oxycodone. The total estimated value of the drugs in street sales was around $20,000, police said.

The investigation was led by Southwick police Sgt. Robert Landis over six months. Southwick police were assisted by detectives from the Westfield police.

Police obtained a district court search warrant, and a raid was executed by Southwick police with assistance from Westfield police and the Eastern Hampden Narcotics Task Force and the federal drug enforcement agency's Tactical Diversion Team.

Baker delivered his first State of the Commonwealth address on Thursday night, touting accomplishments at the MBTA and Health Connector, and pushing for legislative action on energy, charter school and opioid addiction bills.

BOSTON - In his first State of the Commonwealth address, Gov. Charlie Baker pledged to invest more money in career and technical schools and in improving the state's public transportation system. He announced a plan to limit the state's film tax credit and put the savings toward increasing affordable housing and lowering taxes for some businesses.

Baker plans to release his budget proposal for fiscal year 2017 next Wednesday. Baker pledged that the budget will put money into the state's rainy day fund and will not raise fees or taxes.

"In keeping with our previous efforts, it will increase local and education aid; continue our generous support for public transportation; and offer a number of important reforms in the way we operate," Baker said.

Baker spoke from the House chamber on Thursday evening, delivering the formal address at an event filled with pomp and circumstance a little more than a year into his first term as governor.

As is traditional, the State of the Commonwealth was attended by members of the Legislature, the constitutional officers, cabinet members, the judiciary, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, former governor Bill Weld and others. Baker spoke from a teleprompter, a rare occasion for a governor who often speaks off the cuff. He received frequent applause from the audience.

As a Republican in a Democratic-leaning state, Baker has enjoyed high popularity and good relationships with House and Senate leaders. Some of his big tests will come during his second year in office as Baker pushes for major initiatives relating to drug addiction, charter schools and opioid abuse. His budget proposal next week will be an indication of his priorities in the coming year.

Baker used his prime time speech to unveil some new initiatives.

Last year, Baker proposed eliminating the state's film tax credit in order to expand a tax credit for low-income families. The Legislature rejected the proposal, which many lawmakers said would kill local jobs, and found a different way to pay for the tax credit.

"We respect the Legislature's desire to retain the credit. Message delivered," Baker said. Instead, Baker said this year he will propose a "modest adjustment" to the film tax credit.

Baker's plan would return the film credit to the structure it had several years ago. He would reinstate a $7 million per project cap, which was eliminated in 2007. He would also eliminate "refundable" tax credits. That means if a filmmaker receives more in tax credits than he owes in taxes, he would no longer be able to get cash in exchange for the excess tax credit.

The changes are estimated to save the state $43 million annually, beginning in fiscal year 2018. Baker said he wants to use the money to create affordable housing and to lower taxes for Massachusetts businesses that sell products and services in other states.

Baker also announced that he plans to release an economic development bill that will invest $75 million in career and technical schools.

"Our proposal will make it possible for these schools to build more partnerships with local businesses and higher education institutions, and serve more students," Baker said.

Baker touted his management of the MBTA, which was crippled by storms last winter. Since then, Baker has worked with the Legislature to create a new board to oversee the public transportation agency. He said he will work to double investment in the MBTA's infrastructure to $1 billion a year, and noted the $90 million investment that has already been made to winterize the MBTA.

"To the taxpayers who may never ride the T but who write a $1 billion check to the system every year, I say you deserve to know that your support is delivering a reliable, affordable, transparent and efficient service," Baker said.

As expected, Baker celebrated the work he did to fix serious problems at the Health Connector and the Department of Children and Families and to reduce wait times at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Referring to an early retirement incentive that he implemented, Baker said state government has reduced its workforce by 2,000 people "making state government more efficient without skipping a beat."

Baker also pushed lawmakers to advance legislation he proposed on hydroelectric power, opioid addiction and charter schools.

On energy, Baker said the state stands to lose 10,000 megawatts of power over the next several years - enough energy to supply Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island combined. Baker wants to increase the use of hydropower from Canada, even as some local environmental activists are pushing for more reliance on wind and solar power.

"We have a growing solar industry which we should continue to support, but not at prices two to three times more than every other option," Baker said. 

With an estimated 4,000 people a day dying in Massachusetts from opioid addiction, and multiple proposals to address the problem lingering in a legislative committee, Baker urged lawmakers to send him a bill. Baker said doctors today "are far too casual about the addictive consequences of these medications" while parents, teachers and coaches "don't know enough about opioids to protect their kids."

"Breaking the back of this beast will take time, creativity and a willingness to be disruptive," Baker said.

The day after Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, said the Senate will try to craft a bill to reform the state's charter school law, Baker reiterated his support for lifting the charter school cap - a move strongly opposed by the state's teachers' unions. "We are willing to discuss. We are willing hear both sides," Baker said. "But a state that places such high value on education should not place arbitrary limits on high-quality schools. And it should not sit idly by while so many parents feel the pain of missed opportunity for their children."

In legislative sessions on Thursday, lawmakers gave Baker another accomplishment to highlight: sending to his desk a bill that will end the practice of sending women who are involuntarily committed for substance abuse to a Framingham prison. The bill would instead send women to treatment facilities.

"Today, with your help, we are all delivering on a promise that has eluded state leaders for more than 30 years," Baker said.

Special guests at the speech included the parents of Corporal John Dawson, an Army Medic killed in Afghanistan, and of Marine Gunnery Sergeant Tom Sullivan, a Springfield native killed in a terror attack on a base in Tennessee.

"Your presence reminds us what service, sacrifice and loss is really all about," Baker said, as attendees gave the slain soldiers' families a standing ovation.

The video shows one frontal system moving across the southern United States followed by a second storm system that is expected to bring the powerful Winter Storm Jonas to the Mid-Atlantic this weekend. Watch video

We've been hearing a lot this week about Winter Storm Jonas and the ... dusting of snow it might bring to Western Massachusetts.

But winter storms, even those named after the Jonas Brothers (wait ... did you say this storm was NOT named after the Jonas Brothers? It's from Ionas, the Latin spelling of the name Jonah? It's one of 26 potential named winter storms for 2015-16 – provided by the Bozeman, Montana, High School Latin class – that the Weather Channel is using? Ah, got it) can be very dangerous, and this one certainly will have an effect on Massachusetts.

Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands could see as much as four to six inches of snow. Dangerously high winds with gusts up to 55 mph could hit the Cape, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands. And flooding could cause damage along the South Shore as well as Cape Cod Bay in the towns of Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth and Dennis.

Even in Western Mass., where some areas might get no snow, winds are predicted to gust between 20 to 30 mph. It's best to be prepared.

And as fans of the New England Patriots know, studying film of the opponent is critical in preparation for all three phases of nor'easters: snowfall totals, wind speeds and coastal flooding. Thanks to the good folks at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, we have a satellite's-eye view film of the atmospheric disturbances churning over the U.S. that formed Winter Storm Jonas over the past couple of days.

The video at the top of this article is a 21-second animation showing infrared and visible imagery from NOAA's GOES-East satellite from Tuesday to Thursday. The video shows one frontal system moving across the southern United States followed by a second storm system that is expected to bring the powerful Winter Storm Jonas to the Mid-Atlantic.

The animation was created by NASA/NOAA's GOES Project at NASA's Goddard in Greenbelt, Maryland. NOAA manages GOES satellites, and the project creates imagery and animations using the GOES satellite data.

Weather resources:

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The latest on what to expect in Massachusetts on MassLive »

Updated forecasts from the National Weather Service »

 

The Dow Jones industrial average added nearly 116 points to close just under 15,883.

By MARLEY JAY

NEW YORK -- Stocks rose Thursday and recovered some of their steep losses from the day before. The price of oil also recovered from a big decline. That lifted energy companies, which have been struggling as energy prices tumble.

European markets also rose on hopes the European Central Bank will do more to aid the region's economy.

In the U.S., energy stocks climbed as oil prices bounced back from their worst day in four months, and strong earnings from Verizon lifted telecom stocks. Blue chip stocks did better than the rest of the market. The Dow Jones industrial average had its second-best day of 2016.

The Dow added 115.94 points, or 0.7 percent, to 15,882.68. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 9.66 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,868.99. The Nasdaq composite index added less than half a point and closed at 4,472.06.

Stocks were on pace for much larger gains earlier in the day. The Dow was up 272 points shortly after noon, which would have canceled out Wednesday's loss.

U.S. crude rose $1.18, or 4.2 percent, to close at $29.53 a barrel in New York. On Wednesday U.S. crude took its biggest one-day loss since September. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, rose $1.37, or 4.9 percent, to $29.25 a barrel in London.

Energy stocks have crumbled as the price of oil fell from $100 a barrel in mid-2014. The price of oil is the lowest it's been since 2003.

Natural gas company Southwestern Energy jumped after saying it will eliminate around 1,100 jobs, or 44 percent of its work force, in the next few months. Its shares added $1.42, or 19.2 percent, to $8.80. Coal and natural gas company Consol Energy surged 97 cents, or 19.1 percent, to $6.04. Pipeline company Kinder Morgan rose $1.87, or 15.6 percent, to $13.88.

Consol and Southwestern were the second- and third-worst performing S&P 500 stocks in 2015.

European Central Bank head Mario Draghi said the ECB will consider using more stimulus measures at its next meeting in March as it tries to bolster the European economy. The prospect of more stimulus sent the euro down to $1.0875 from $1.0894 late Wednesday.

The ECB has been buying government-backed bonds as part of its efforts to stimulate the region's economy. Yields on 10-year bonds issued by European countries dropped following Draghi's remarks. That suggests investors expect government bond prices to rise further.

European stock indexes also rose. Britain's FTSE 100 increased 1.8 percent, Germany's DAX climbed 1.9 percent and France's CAC gained 2 percent.

David Lefkowitz, senior equity strategist at UBS Wealth Management, said the ECB is responding to the current turmoil in the markets while the Fed wants to keep raising interest rates and Chinese economic policy seems to be in disarray.

Lefkowitz thinks the market could get another lift next week if the Fed acknowledges the turbulent state of the markets at its January meeting. The Fed raised interest rates for the first time in almost a decade in December, and Lefkowitz said investors are hoping for signs the Fed plans to go slowly.

"At least one of the major central banks is willing to be ... more pragmatic and recognize that when facts change, you may need to revisit your policies," he said.

Telecom stocks rose after Verizon, the largest U.S. cellphone carrier, said it turned a profit in the fourth quarter and held on to more customers. Its shares gained $1.45, or 3.3 percent, to $45.87. AT&T shares added 64 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $34.54.

Consumer stocks also gained ground. Wal-Mart rose $1.04, or 1.7 percent, to $61.88. It's the only Dow component that has risen this year, though it's up only 1 percent. Department store operator Nordstrom picked up $1.64, or 3.6 percent, to $47.74 and Home Depot gained $3.76, or 3.2 percent, to $120.22.

Union Pacific's fourth-quarter profit and revenue fell far short of Wall Street estimates. CEO Lance Fritz said the uncertainty in energy and commodity markets and the strong U.S. dollar will continue to affect the railroad's business this year. The stock lost $2.61, or 3.5 percent, to $71.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 2.4 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.8 percent and China's Shanghai Composite sank 3.2 percent.

The price of heating oil climbed 3.2 cents, or 3.7 percent, to 89.8 cents gallon as a winter storm bore down on the East Coast. Wholesale gasoline rose 1.4 cents to $1.031 a gallon. Natural gas picked up 2 cents to $2.138 per 1,000 cubic feet.

The price of gold fell $8 to $1,098.20 an ounce and silver declined 6.6 cents to $14.094 an ounce. Copper rose 3.7 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $1.997 a pound.

The dollar rose to 117.50 yen from 116.78 yen. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.03 percent from 1.98 percent.

Baker on Thursday proposed a "modest adjustment" to the state's film tax credit. Whether he can get the Legislature to go along with his proposal remains to be seen.

BOSTON - Last year, the Democratic-controlled Legislature rejected Gov. Charlie Baker's proposal to eliminate the state's tax credit for the film industry.

"We respect the Legislature's desire to retain the credit. Message delivered," Baker, a Republican, said in his State of the Commonwealth address Thursday night.

This year, Baker said he plans to propose instead a "modest adjustment" to the film tax credit. But whether Baker can get the Legislature to go along with even this adjustment remains to be seen. His proposal was greeted with some initial skepticism among legislative leaders.

According to an administration aide, Baker would reinstate a $7 million per project cap, which was eliminated in 2007. He would also eliminate "refundable" tax credits. That means if a filmmaker receives more in tax credits than he owes in taxes, he would no longer be able to get cash in exchange for the excess tax credit.

The changes are estimated to save the state $43 million annually, beginning in fiscal year 2018. Baker said he wants to use the money to create affordable housing and to lower taxes for Massachusetts businesses that sell products and services in other states.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, a top proponent of the film tax credit, defended the program after the governor announced he planned to tweak it.

"As I do with everything that the governor sends our way, I will of course take a look at it," DeLeo said. "But I just would like to say, when you're taking a look at the film tax credit, there's a little more to it than the film being done in Massachusetts."

Places like furniture rental stores and hotels benefit from the tax credit, creating a "ripple effect" that sometimes is not considered, DeLeo said.

House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, said he also wanted to hear more details about Baker's proposal.

"I want to see what his plan is, how much money he intends to pull out of the program and what that does to future motion pictures in Massachusetts," Mariano said. "We have an industry that's starting to percolate and it would be a shame if we eviscerate it right now."

State Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which is tasked with writing the state budget, said the committee would take a look at Baker's proposal. She sounded more open to it than the House leaders. "I do believe that there may be some changes that can be made and still bring in and show the film industry that we're serious about having a credit but to still be able to reapportion some of the funds," Spilka said.

"I'll always consider something new and different," Spilka said.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, often a strong ally of Baker, added that there is generally strong support in the Legislature for the film tax credit. "If there's any change, it would have to be perceived as something that doesn't eviscerate the program or make it weak in terms of what it actually does," Tarr said. Whether lawmakers will support Baker's proposal, Tarr said, "is a wait and see."

"The appetite for it in the House won't be strong, but we need to see exactly what he's talking about before we can make that determination," Tarr said.

State Rep. Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield, has been a supporter of the film tax credit as an economic stimulus that can bring jobs and revenue to Massachusetts.

Puppolo said he is willing to look at the details of Baker's proposal, but he said, "the devil is in the detail." "Certainly, last year, that...wasn't received too well with the House of Representatives," Puppolo said

State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, a Democrat, said as a former businesswoman, she has seen the value of the film tax credit in generating business in Massachusetts. "I think that we've gotten a much bigger profile in the country from a lot of films that have been made here that sometimes can't be quantified," Goldberg said.

 

___________________________________________________________________

Staff writer Gintautas Dumcius contributed to this report.

Police were notified that Calvin Miranda of Dedham died on Monday at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center where he had been admitted since the accident.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

NEWPORT, Vermont - A 29-year-old Massachusetts man who appeared to suffer minor injuries when he crashed his car on Jan. 14 near the Canadian border died in the hospital four days later as a result of what is being called "an acute cocaine overdose," according to Vermont State Police.

Police were notified that Calvin Miranda of Dedham died on Monday at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center where he had been admitted since the accident.

Police said medical personnel determined that Miranda had suffered an overdose prior to losing control of his vehicle and going off the road and into a tree.

The accident occurred on Route 100 in Newport just after 8:30 a.m. Conditions at the time of the crash were clear, but the road surface was described as snowy.

The car, a 2015 Nissan Altima, was totaled in the crash, but Miranda's injuries were described by police as minor. He was taken by ambulance to North Country Hospital but then transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock.

The Chicopee St. Patrick's Parade Committee feted its 2016 Woods Award recipient at a reception on Thursday,

CHICOPEE - The Chicopee St. Patrick's Parade Committee feted its 2016 Woods Award recipient at a reception on Thursday, Jan. 21, in Chicopee.

The evening, which kicked off the committee's season, honored Elin Gaynor, an active member of the committee since 2003, at Rumbleseat Bar and Grille. Also on hand was Thomas Knightly, who will receive the Atkinson Award. The two will be presented with their awards on Jan. 30 at the President's Dinner.

Gaynor was elected the Chicopee St. Patrick's Parade Committee's first woman president in 2008. She has held other leadership positions including secretary, Ball chairperson, Annual Mass chairperson and Scholarship chairperson.

The Woods Award is named after Jack Woods, one of the founding members of the committee, and recognizes an individual who has actively served 10 years or more on the committee.

The Parade Committee is recruiting new members and sponsors for the upcoming season. Information about the committee's events and fundraisers, including March Money Calendars, can be found at the group's website at www.chicopeespc.com. Applications for the 2016 Colleen Contest are posted on the website and will be accepted until February.

olice here are continuing to follow up on tips as they search for Brianna Cuoco, an 18-year-old Chicopee Comprehensive High School student who hasn't been seen since 1 a.m. Monday.

These were the most read stories on MassLive.com yesterday. If you missed any of them, click on the links below to read them now. One of the most viewed photo galleries were the pictures from Hampden Superior Court taken when Vito Resto of Springfield was sentenced after being convicted of strapping a man to a cross, above.

1) Lethargic toddler was given Narcan in same Worcester apartment where 2-year-old died last year [Lindsay Corcoran]

2) Mayor Sarno, Springfield School Department - at urging of Bishop Talbert Swan - dismiss substitute teacher for 2014 video controversy [Patrick Johnson]

3) Chicopee Police: Teen Brianna Cuoco's disappearance "out of character" [Rebecca Everett]

4) Historic Massachusetts mansion's $525,000 asking price includes ghosts in the attic [Shaina Mishkin]

5) Retired Springfield Police Det. Kevin Burnham, accused of stealing over $385K from evidence room, made several donations to WMass politicians [Stephanie Barry]

Team set standard with 3 straight state titles in early 10692

Editor's note: Another in a series of articles on the Western Mass. Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2016,

In the Chicopee school system, Norm Burgess is well known as the long-time principal of Bowie Memorial Elementary School.

In the annals of Chicopee sports, he's known as the starting shortstop on Chicopee High School teams that won state championships in 1961, '62 and '63.

Those teams will be enshrined as a unit when the Western Mass. Baseball Hall of Fame honors its Class of 2016 at a dinner Jan. 28 at LaQuinta hotel in downtown Springfield. The Class of 2016 also will include major leaguers Leo Durocher, Wayne Granger and Fran Healy; coaches Howie Burns and Dave Grills; scout Ray Fagnant; and "Voice of Fenway" broadcaster Carl Beane.

The guest speaker will be former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee.

Burgess will speak on behalf of his teammates as part of the induction ceremony. He and pitcher/outfielder Alec Vyce are the only players to be part of all three state title teams. Vyce will not be able to attend, as he is recovering from surgery.

Burgess was brought up from the jayvees as a freshman during the 1960 season, and held the shortstop job for the rest of his high school career.

Seven games into the 1961 season, Vyce was promoted from JV to fill an emergency need in right field caused by an injury in Chicopee's outfield corps. He hit so well, he stayed in the lineup for three years. In his senior season of 1963, he took over as the team's No. 1 pitcher and went 14-0. In the postseason, he worked three complete games, walking five and striking out 27.

Al Stanek, who was elected in the WM Baseball Hall of Fame's first class in 2014, anchored the 1961 and '62 teams as their pitching ace and cleanup hitter. An overpowering lefty, he went 15-2 as a junior, 11-0 as a senior. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants soon after his graduation.

"I got a lot of publicity at that time, but I always tell people that I had eight guys out there with me, and six more good ones on the bench. We had so much talent back then,'' said Stanek, now retired and living in Holyoke.

Yes, depth of talent was the key for those Chicopee teams, coached by Bill Moge. Dan Dulchinos, who later would become a 600-game winner as head coach at Chicopee Comp, served as Moge's assistant and coached JV teams that were loaded with future varsity talent.

"I had teams that were good enough to finish second in the Valley League," Dulchinos said.

Second to the Chicopee varsity, of course.

Most of Chicopee High's players came from successful sandlot programs run by Hank Gonet at the Chicopee Boy Club and Christy Mathieson at the Fairview Boys Club.

In the three state championship seasons, Chicopee teams went 17-4, 21-0 and 24-1 with a 32-game winning streak. That was the WMass record until Springfield Tech won 41 in a row in 1968-70.

Billy Davis, who pitched No. 2 behind Stanek, could have been No. 1 at any other Western Mass. high school. In the 1962 regional semifinal round, Davis shut out Cathedral with 18 strikeouts. Stanek followed with a 21-strikeout shutout of St. John's/Shrewsbury in the final.

In the state final against Brockton, wildness forced coach Moge to relieve Stanek for the only time in his high school career. Davis worked the last four innings to preserve a 7-6 victory.

He went on to American International College, where he became an NCAA Division II All-American.

Behind right-hander Barry Simard (9-0), Chicopee won a fourth straight Western Mass. championship in 1964, but lost 10-7 to Waltham in the state final.

Over that four-year span, Chicopee teams went 80-11, including 40-6 in the Valley League, which was considered to be the toughest in Western Mass. baseball.

The state championship teams were one of the highlights of Moge's 40-year coaching career - seven at Westfield High School and 33 at Chicopee. For all that time, he coached football, basketball and baseball.

"Bill was a great guy to play for,'' Stanek said. "He was tough, but he was funny, too, and we had a good time playing for him. He had a way of keeping you loose.''

Moge once was asked for the secret of his coaching success in all three sports.

"Great players make great coaches,'' he said.

He might have been talking about 1961-64, the golden era of Chicopee baseball.

Garry Brown can be reached at geebrown1918@gmail.com

Seven new breeds of dog will be competing at the Westminster Kennel Club show in New York next month.

Each week, MassLive showcases pets available for adoption at shelters at rescue organizations in Western Massachusetts.

With the participation of the shelters listed below, many animals should be able to find a permanent home.

We also provide some pet related news items that we hope you will enjoy.

7 new breeds coming to dog show

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- A bumper crop of seven new dog breeds will get a shot at being best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club competition next month, while a new obedience contest makes more room for mixed-breed dogs at the nation's premier canine competition.

Drawing over 3,000 dogs from all 50 U.S. states, the 139-year-old event still features primped pooches parading before a Madison Square Garden crowd. But it also is evolving to reflect both a growing roster of recognized breeds and rising interest in dog sports beyond the traditional breed judging.

A Bergamasco, like this one, is introduced at a news conference, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016 in New York as one of seven breeds which will compete for the first time at next month's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.Mark Lennihan / Associated Press 

"To be in the first (Westminster) show that they're able to compete in -- it's quite an honor," Eileen Weatherbee said as her dog Oblio, set to be one of the first Boerboels to compete, sprawled by her side after a news conference Thursday. Breeds join the pack as fanciers seek and then earn recognition from the American Kennel Club; criteria include having several hundred dogs of the breed nationwide.

Bred to guard farms in South Africa, the Boerboel is powerful and imposing. But 150-pound Oblio also happens to be "a happy-go-lucky, loving-life dog" with a jokester streak and a hankering for banana pudding, said Weatherbee, of Chesapeake, Virginia.

Three Italian breeds also are making their debut. The Bergamasco is an outgoing Alpine sheepdog with a distinctive coat of long, matted "flocks." The lagotto Romagnolo is a truffle hunter and affectionate family dog; and the Cirneco dell'Etna, a sleek, keen rabbit-hunting hound believed to have been brought from Egypt to Sicily over 2,500 years ago.

The berger Picard hails from France, but Americans might recognize the shaggy, highly active breed from the 2005 movie "Because of Winn-Dixie."

The miniature American shepherd, developed in California in the 1960s, resembles an Australian shepherd and is known for versatility. The eager-to-please Spanish water dog also has played multiple roles, herding livestock and helping fishermen.

Dog breeding has drawn fire from animal-rights advocates who say it prioritizes looks over love of animals and fuels puppy mills; the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has protested the Westminster show. Purebred advocates counter that responsible breeding helps track dog health traits and helps owners predict their pets' characteristics and make a lasting match.

Meanwhile, Westminster has given entree to mixed breeds by adding an agility competition in 2014 and the obedience event this year; both are open to non-purebreds. (The traditional judging hasn't featured mixes since the 1800s.)

The obedience competition didn't draw any mixes, but 26 are entered in the agility contest, up from 17 last year. Among them is Dobby, a corgi-terrier-Australian Kelpie mix that comforts patients at the New Jersey dental office where his owner, Stefanie Freundlich, works.

"He's just an all-around great dog," she said. "It doesn't matter what breed he is."

After the Feb. 13 agility competition, the rest of the show unfolds Feb. 15-16, with high-level judging televised on CBNC Feb. 15 and on USA Feb. 16.

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WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SHELTERS:

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
Address: 163 Montague Road, Leverett
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 548-9898
Website: www.dpvhs.org

Address: 171 Union St., Springfield
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 781-4000
Website: www.dpvhs.org

The following is a video of Trudy, a dog available for adoption at the T.J. O'Connor Animal Adoption and Control Center in Springfield.

Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center
Address: 627 Cottage St., Springfield
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Thursday, noon-7 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 781-1484
Website: tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com

Westfield Homeless Cat Project
Address: 1124 East Mountain Road, Westfield
Hours: Adoption clinics, Thursday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Website: http://www.whcp.petfinder.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westfieldhomelesscatprojectadoptions

Westfield Regional Animal Shelter
Address: 178 Apremont Way, Westfield
Hours: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 564-3129
Website: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ma70.html

Franklin County Sheriff's Office Regional Dog Shelter and Adoption Center
Address: 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 676-9182
Website: http://fcrdogkennel.org/contact.html

Polverari/Southwick Animal Control Facility
Address: 11 Depot St., Southwick
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 569-5348, ext. 649
Website: http://southwickpolice.com/chief-david-a-ricardis-welcome/animal-control/

Berkshire Humane Society
Address: 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 447-7878
Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/

Purradise Feline Adoption
Address: 301 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington
Hours: Monday and Tuesday: Closed; Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Friday,10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
Telephone: (413) 717-4244
Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/contact-us/

Anthony Soto ran for Holyoke mayor but was eliminated in a three-candidate field in September.

HOLYOKE -- The City Council honored former councilor Anthony Soto with applause and a plaque.

"Anthony did a fantastic job of representing the people of Ward 2," council President Kevin A. Jourdain said Tuesday at City Hall.

During the meeting in City Council Chambers, Jourdain invited Soto, who represented Ward 2 for two terms, to the podium with his wife Lisa Wong, who is the former mayor of Fitchburg. Councilors stood and clapped for their former colleague.

Jourdain handed Soto a plaque from the City Council and Soto made brief remarks.

Soto said he and Jourdain didn't always agree, "but that's what politics is all about."

He thanked Ward 2 voters for electing him twice.

"The city is in good hands," Soto said of the current council.

"God bless you all, God bless the city of Holyoke. Thank you very much," Soto said.

Soto didn't run for reelection in the fall. He instead ran for mayor and was eliminated by finishing third in a three-candidate field in the preliminary election Sept. 22.

Soto endorsed Fran O'Connell in the mayor's race, which resulted in Mayor Alex B. Morse defeating O'Connell to win a third term on Election Day Nov. 3.

Soto is employed as a field representative for the state secretary of state in Springfield.

The new Ward 2 councilor is Nelson R. Roman.

The other incumbent councilor who didn't run for reelection, former Ward 7 representative Gordon P. Alexander, received a plaque at the City Council Christmas party, which Soto didn't attend, Jourdain said.

Lisa Vedovelli – former Springfield resident, Cathedral High School class of 1994 and New England Patriots fan – has up until this point been selfishly rooting for the Denver Broncos in the NFL playoffs.

DENVER -- Lisa Vedovelli - former Springfield resident, Cathedral High School class of 1994 and New England Patriots fan - has up until this point been selfishly rooting for the Denver Broncos in the NFL playoffs.

You see, Vedovelli and business partner Justin Anthony own The Fieldhouse, a bar within 300 feet of the Broncos' home stadium, Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The calculus is pretty simple: More Denver Broncos wins means more Denver Broncos home games. More Denver Broncos home games means more business for the 7-month-old bar.

But now, with the Broncos AFC championship showdown with her beloved New England Patriots looming, her true colors are showing, and she's all Patriots. Because even if the Broncos win, and they won't, but even if they did win, Super Bowl 50 will be at a neutral site at Levi's Stadium in California. There are no more home games to be had.

"We certainly get a larger crowd after a Bronco win," Vedovelli said. "I'd love to see my hometown team win, especially within sight of my establishment."

Folks will stick around after the game for a few beers anyway, if only to let the traffic dissipate before heading home. The game is at 1 p.m. Mountain Time, 3 p.m. on the East Coast (CBS television). That means she'll get a nice early crowd as well.

On Sunday, those Broncos fans will be drinking with at least one Patriots fan in the house, Vedovelli said. And it won't be the first time.

"We'd all go together to watch New England sports before I owned a bar," she said.

She's lived in the Denver area since February 2001. She's been in the bar and restaurant business since 2009. She and Anthony are celebrating their fifth year having owned Matchbox, a bar in Denver near the Colorado Rockies baseball team's Coors Field.

For the Fieldhouse, Vedovelli and Anthony worked with the city of Denver to rehab a distressed property. How distressed? Denver magazine 52080.com headlines a feature on the the Fieldhouse "Flip this Meth Lab."

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse had numerous campaign contributions from tow company officials and employees.

HOLYOKE -- Reardon's Garage owner George Murphy said Thursday a city decision left him with questions and the likelihood he would need to lay off a worker.

Murphy questioned whether the city's decision against renewing its towing contract with him was related to plans to redevelop adjacent Lynch School or campaign contributions that other tow firms' officials or employees of related companies made to Mayor Alex B. Morse.

Morse said that there was "no truth whatsoever" to those points. It was in the city's best interest to have contractors able to do light and heavy tows without having to hire subcontractors for that duty, and Reardon's lacks the capacity for heavy tows, Morse said.

Towing contracts expired at the end of 2015 and the city renewed contracts with Hampshire Towing and Red's Towing, he said.

Murphy, owner of Reardon's at 1537 Northampton St., said losing the contract with the city probably will force him to lay off an employee. He employs five people including himself, he said.

The city Law Department told him Dec. 15 the contract wouldn't be renewed and failed to say why. A phone conversation with a reporter was the first he heard that inability to do heavy tows was what prompted the city decision, he said.

"Is that right? That wasn't explained to me," Murphy said.

He has arrangements with other tow companies nearby that give his business access to heavy tows, he said.

In a press release sent on behalf of Murphy, Abby L. Satcher, a paralegal with the Ross & Ross law firm in Springfield, said the city gave no reason for not renewing the tow contract with Reardon's Garage. The company was unaware of any problems with performance of its duties under the contract, the press release said.

"The contracts to perform police-ordered tows are now held solely by two companies based outside the city. These companies or their principals, unlike Reardon's, were major contributors to Morse's recent reelection campaign," the press release said.

The press release noted the proximity of Reardon's Garage to the former Lynch School. City officials have said that plans are continuing for Frontier Development, of Miami, Florida, to buy Lynch School for $750,000 and redevelop the property into a two- to three-tenant retail site by 2017.

But city councilors and others have criticized the delays in getting the Lynch site redeveloped. The School Committee surrendered Lynch to the city in August 2010 to sell to a private entity and make the site a property-tax-generating location.

Lynch, a middle school at 1916 Northampton St., had ceased being a school in 2008 when the School Committee reorganized the system.

"Progress on this controversial project, which Morse strongly supports, is currently stalled and acquisition of Reardon's property might be key to the viability of the project," the press release said.

"Reardon's has been operating at its location for 85 years and providing towing services to the city for nearly as long," the press release said.

Here is Morse's statement:

"All towing contracts expired at the end of 2015. We made a decision that it would be in the city's best interest to have contractors who are able to do both light and heavy tows, without the need to subcontract. Reardon's doesn't have the capability to do heavy tows. Therefore it was decided that we would only re-execute contracts with Hampshire Towing and Red's Towing. Both companies have property in Holyoke, employ Holyoke residents and have been working with the city for years."

He said, again, that the Lynch School redevelopment and campaign contributions had nothing to do with tow-contract decisions.

Among campaign contributors to Morse were:

A driver from Reardon's Garage in Holyoke loads an abandoned motorcycle onto a truck at the scene of a crash at the on-ramp from Hampden Street to Interstate 91 south in June 28, 2013 photo.FILE PHOTO 

Executing contracts such as with tow companies is the authority of the mayor under state law.

The contracts are for tows done such as when vehicles are parked in violation of a parking ban and police order them removed so plows can clear roads, as well as for tows of broken-down vehicles, abandoned vehicles and those related to criminal investigations, Morse said.

To retrieve a towed vehicle, the owner must go to the Police Station front window at 138 Appleton St., complete a release form and pay a $20 administrative fee. Then the owner goes to the tow yard, where it costs about $125 to reclaim a vehicle, officials said.

In 2015, the city had 1,243 tows and collected $15,140 in fees, Morse said.

In 2014, the city had 1,398 tows and collected $13,020 in fees, he said.

In 2013, the city had 1,647 tows and collected $8,860 in fees, though that year the tow-fee was increased to $20 from $10, he said.

North Korea announced Friday the arrest of a U.S. university student for what it called a "hostile act" orchestrated by the American government to undermine the authoritarian nation.

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea announced Friday the arrest of a U.S. university student for what it called a "hostile act" orchestrated by the American government to undermine the authoritarian nation.

In language that mirrors past North Korean claims of outside conspiracies, Pyongyang's state media said the University of Virginia student entered the country under the guise of a tourist and plotted to destroy North Korean unity with "the tacit connivance of the U.S. government and under its manipulation."

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a short report that the student, whom it identified as Warmbier Otto Frederick, was "arrested while perpetrating a hostile act," but didn't say when he was detained or explain the nature of the act. North Korea has sometimes listed English-language surnames first, in the Korean style. The University of Virginia's online student directory lists someone named Otto Frederick Warmbier as an undergraduate commerce student.

North Korea says it has arrested this American student from Univ. of Virginia https://t.co/DCFn6338hd pic.twitter.com/x4UiRrJlSd

-- Anup Kaphle (@AnupKaphle) January 22, 2016

A China-based tour company specializing in travel to North Korea, Young Pioneer Tours, confirmed that one of its customers, identified only as "Otto," had been detained in Pyongyang, the North's capital, but provided no other details. Social media accounts for Warmbier show interests in finance, travel and rap music; he was on the University of Virginia's dean's list and attended high school in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area.

North Korea's announcement comes amid a diplomatic push by Washington, Seoul and their allies to slap Pyongyang with tough sanctions for its recent nuclear test. In the past, North Korea has occasionally announced the arrests of foreign detainees in times of tension with the outside world in an apparent attempt to wrest concessions or diplomatic maneuvering room.

North Korea also regularly accuses Washington and Seoul of sending "spies" to overthrow its government to enable the U.S.-backed South Korean government to control the entire Korean Peninsula. Some foreigners previously arrested have read statements of guilt that they later said were coerced.

A few thousand Westerners are thought to visit North Korea each year, and Pyongyang is pushing for more tourists as a way to help its dismal economy. The U.S. State Department has warned against travel to the North, however, and visitors, especially those from America, who break the country's sometimes murky rules risk detention, arrest and possible jail sentences, although most have eventually been released.

Earlier this month, CNN reported that North Korea had detained another U.S. citizen on suspicion of spying. It said a man identified as Kim Dong Chul was being held by the North and said authorities had accused him of spying and stealing state secrets. North Korea has yet to comment on the report.

The U.S. State Department has said it could not confirm the CNN report. It declined to discuss the issue further or confirm whether the U.S. was consulting with Sweden, which handles U.S. consular issues in North Korea because Washington and Pyongyang do not have diplomatic relations.

North Korea has previously released or deported U.S. detainees after high-profile Americans visited the country. In late 2014, for instance, North Korea released two Americans after a secret mission to the North by James Clapper, the top U.S. intelligence official. Critics say such trips have provided diplomatic credibility to the North.

The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. About 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea.

North Korea is holding at least three South Koreans and one Canadian.

Last month, North Korea's Supreme Court sentenced a Canadian pastor to life in prison with hard labor for what it called crimes against the state. The offenses he was charged with included harming the dignity of the North's leadership and trying to use religion to destroy the North Korean system, according to the North's state media.

Police found 300 heroin packets in the car, and another 250 at a home on Orchard Street.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police and members of the Western Massachusetts Gang Task intercepted a drug delivery in the parking lot of a Liberty Street shopping center Wednesday, arresting three men and confiscating 550 packets of heroin, police said.

Sgt. John Delaney, Springfield police spokesman, said Springfield police detective Thomas Scanlon, a member of the Western Mass Gang Task Force, learned that two known suspected drug traffickers were making deliveries in different parking lots throughout the city. The investigation led police to believe one of the deliveries was scheduled for the parking lot of the Springfield Plaza on Liberty Street, Delaney said.

Narcotics detectives, under the command of Lt. Steven Kent, staked out the parking lot and moved in to make arrests with they saw a transaction taking place, Delaney said. The arrests occurred at about 3:30 p.m.

Arrested were Michael Colon, 18, of 36 Orchard St., Victor Bonano, 32, of 56 Newland St., and Joan Rivera, 33, of 7 Adams St. Delaney said Rivera, who goes by the nickname Bebo, is male.

Each was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute and violation of a drug-free school zone. The arrest was within 1,000 feet of the Academy Hill School.

Police found 300 packets of heroin inside the car. Detectives then obtained a search warrant for Colon's residence on Orchard Street in the city's Brightwood neighborhood in the North End. There they found another 250 packets of heroin.

Each of the packets were stamped with a brand reading "Versace, Delaney said.
The three were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Springfield District Court.

Map showing location of arrest and of subsequent search warrant raid.

Winter Storm Jonas is expected to unleash blizzard conditions and a dump of two feet of snow through the mid-Atlantic United States this weekend, and NASA has produced a video using satellite data that shows its path so far and its projected motion through the weekend. Watch video

Winter Storm Jonas is expected to unleash blizzard conditions and a dump of two feet of snow through the mid-Atlantic United States this weekend, and NASA has produced an excellent video using satellite data that shows its path so far and its projected motion through the weekend.

In the 32-second video above, the NASA GEOS-5 atmospheric data assimilation system follows the storm as it develops, beginning Tuesday as it begins its trek across the U.S. and continuing with modeled images that reveal what to expect when it churns up the East Coast and out to sea.

According to NASA, here's how the video of the Winter Storm Jonas track was created:

The near-real-time operational GEOS-5 system ingests more than 5 million observations every six hours producing comprehensive analyses and forecasts of the atmosphere each day at 25-km global resolution. This experimental product uses the global mesoscale capabilities of GEOS-5 to downscale the operational product to 6-km global resolution. Subsequent forecasts are launched with this product providing a detailed view of the developing storm and its predicted evolution across the region.

The simulated field visualized here is outgoing longwave radiation (OLR). Clouds block longwave radiation that is emitted from the Earth's surface producing cold OLR values in regions of thick/deep cloudiness. Thus, OLR provides a satellite-eye view of clouds from storm systems around the globe, including the developing blizzard across the eastern United States.

The actual effects of Winter Storm Jonas remain to be seen. For example, it's already snowing in Washington, D.C., which is under a blizzard warning until Sunday morning.

In Massachusetts, the impact all depends on the track of the storm. Jacob Wycoff, a meteorologist for Western Mass News, the media partner of The Republican and MassLive, on Friday said, "The snow gradient is so tight that if the storm shifts 20-40 miles in either direction, that makes a big difference in the forecast. A shift south means no snow at all for Western Mass., whereas a shift north means 3-6 inches."

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning is in effect for Martha's Vineyard in Massachustts and Block Island in Rhode Island beginning Saturday afternoon. A winter storm warning will be in effect from 4 a.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday along the the south coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Cape Cod and Nantucket. And separate high wind warnings will go into effect for Cape Cod and for Natucket for 24 hours beginning Saturday at 10 a.m.

According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, here are the latest snowfall predictions:

Snow will begin Saturday afternoon and will overspread the region through Sunday morning. Heavy wet snow up to 8-10 inches along the south coast, Cape and Islands. Heavy wet snow may combine with strong winds to result in scattered power outages. Snowfall of 2-4 inches south of the Mass Pike and 1-2 inches north of the Mass Pike. Snowfall for the Berkshires is expected to be a dusting to an inch.

The Academy's proposed changes to increase diversity in the Oscars is prompting positive reaction in Hollywood.

The Academy is proposing changes to increase diversity in the Oscars, and that is prompting positive reaction in Hollywood. But even some praising the decision argue that the awards are only part of the industry's larger diversity problem.

Saying that "We need to step this up," the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced Friday that the academy aims to double the number of female and minority members by 2020. It will also immediately diversify its leadership by adding three new seats to its board of governors.

The academy now aims for women to comprise 48 percent of its membership and "diverse groups" at least 14 percent as an initial step.

The announcement came amid widespread dismay over a second straight year of all-white acting nominees, a development that has turned this year's awards into a referendum on diversity in the movie industry.

Despite the organization's internal efforts toward inclusion, Boone Isaacs said, a second year of all-white acting Oscar nominees made her think, "We need to step this up."

"We all are aware that our membership is pretty closed, if you will," she said in an interview Friday with The Associated Press. "However, life has changed. Things have changed."

The Academy's 51-member board of governors unanimously approved a series of reforms late Thursday to "begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition," Boone Isaacs said, following a weeklong storm of criticism and calls for an Oscar boycott because of the lack of diversity among nominees.

Some of Hollywood's most prominent African-Americans, including Will Smith and Spike Lee, have said they won't attend this year's Oscar ceremony, which is to be hosted by Chris Rock.

"I applaud their attempts to do something about it, which is great," said actor Don Cheadle in an interview. "But, again, this is dealing with the symptom, not starting at the root cause of how we even get to results like this, which has to do with inclusion and access and the ability for people of color, women and minorities to get at entry-level positions where you can become someone who can green-light a movie."

Boone Isaacs acknowledged that the academy can only honor films that ultimately get made, but she thinks the changes announced Friday will "move the needle" in all aspects of filmmaking.

"I think it's going to affect every single level, whether it's in front of the camera or behind the camera or in the studio suite," she said. "Inclusion is the right thing to do, it's the best thing to do, and for an industry that's already extremely healthy, it will make it even healthier."

Audiences are hungry to see their stories on screen, she said, so diverse stories also make good business sense.

Oscar boycott: Film academy announces reforms to diversify

Other approved academy changes include limiting members' voting status to a period of 10 years, to be extended only if the individual remains active in film during that decade. Lifetime voting rights will be granted only to Academy Award nominees and winners, and to members after three 10-year voting terms. Previously, all active members received lifetime voting rights.

The organization also plans to diversify its leadership beyond the board of governors by adding new members to key decision-making committees, and further diversify its membership with a global campaign to identify and recruit diverse talent.

Reaction came swiftly online. Ava DuVernay, director of last year's best picture-nominee "Selma," tweeted that the changes were "one good step in a long, complicated journey for people of color and women artists." She added: "Shame is a helluva motivator."

"Marginalized artists have advocated for Academy change for DECADES," DuVernay wrote. "Actual campaigns. Calls voiced FROM THE STAGE. Deaf ears. Closed minds."

Whether it's shame, true feelings, or being dragged kicking + screaming, just get it done. Because the alternative isn't pretty.

-- Ava DuVernay (@AVAETC) January 22, 2016

And director Rick Famuyiwa, whose films include "The Wood," ''Brown Sugar" and last year's "Dope" commented: "The devil is in the details."

Gil Robertson, president of the African-American Film Critics Association, in an interview said, "The Academy is certainly getting to work. They are sincere in their efforts. I think this is going to have a really good outcome for the Academy AND the industry. Because the Academy is just a small part of the system. Those who have been frustrated with the procedures need to be patient ... rather than tweet, maybe they can reach out to the Academy and find out how they can assist in the process. Once the dust settles, calmer heads will prevail."

A 2012 Los Angeles Times study found that the academy was 94 percent white and 77 percent male.

UCLA's latest annual Hollywood Diversity Report concluded that women and minorities are substantially underrepresented in front of and behind the camera, even while audiences show a strong desire for films with diverse casts. Hispanics and African Americans go to the movies more often than whites do.

UCLA surveyed film and TV executives and found that 96 percent are white.

Last year's Oscar broadcast, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, was also boycotted by some viewers because of the all-white slate of acting nominees. Ratings dipped to a six-year low for ABC.

Crystal Medina and William Darcy were arrested after a police chase from Hadley into Northampton.

Republican file photo 

HADLEY - A man and woman from Springfield are in custody after an attempted theft of merchandise from the Route 9 Walmart led to a chase into Northampton where each was arrested after a brief foot chase, police said.

Arrested were Crystal Medina, 28 and William Darcy, 37, both from Springfield.

Hadley police were notified by store security at Walmart that they had just interrupted a shoplifting. A loss prevention office stopped a woman who left the store with a carriage full of merchandise that she had not paid of, said Sgt. Mitchell Kuc.

When confronted in the parking lot by security, the woman ditched the carriage and ran to a waiting car that drove off. The security office jotted down the license plate and relayed it to police, Kuc said.

Moments later, a Hadley police officer spotted the car on Route 9 near the Coolidge Bridge and attempted to pull it over, he said. The car stopped momentarily but then sped off over the bridge into Northampton.

The Hadley officer followed the car into Northampton and radioed for assistance from Northampton police. At some point in the pursuit, the car stopped and both occupants got out to run only to be apprehended a short distance later by Hadley and Northampton police, Kuc said.

Medina was charged with larceny of more than $250. Darcy is charged with being an accessory in a crime after the fact, driving with a revoked license, driving to endanger, failure to stop for police,speeding and resisting arrest.

Each was being held at the Hampshire County House of Correction and are scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.

The first flakes were lovely, but forecasters warned that much, much more was on its way.

By JESSICA GRESKO
and SETH BORENSTEIN

WASHINGTON -- A storm that arrived postcard-pretty in the nation's capital Friday was morphing into a painful, even paralyzing blizzard with gale-force winds pushing heavy snow and coastal flooding. One in seven Americans could get at least half a foot of snow by Sunday, and Washington could see snowdrifts more than 4 feet high.

The first flakes were lovely, but forecasters warned that much, much more was on its way.

Not that anyone will see the worst of it: Much heavier snow and wind gusting to 50 mph should create blinding whiteout conditions once the storm joins up with a low pressure system off the coast, said Bruce Sullivan, a forecaster at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Two feet or more of snowfall is forecast for Washington and Baltimore, and nearly as much for Philadelphia. New York City's expected total was upped Friday to a foot or more. But Sullivan said "the winds are going to be the real problem; that's when we'll see possible power outages."

The result could create snowdrifts 4 to 5 feet high, so even measuring it for records could be difficult, he said.

By evening, wet, heavy snow was falling in the capital, making downed power lines more likely, and yet many people remained on the roads, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said. "Find a safe place and stay there," she beseeched.

Anyone trying to travel in this mess risks getting stuck for hours, marooned in odd places, or killed, authorities warned. At least seven people died in storm-related crashes before the worst of the storm, including Stacy Sherrill, whose car plummeted off an icy road in Tennessee. Her husband survived after climbing for hours up a 300-foot embankment.

"They're slipping and sliding all over the place," said Kentucky State Police Trooper Lloyd Cochran -- as soon as one wreck was cleared, other cars slammed into each other, causing gridlock for hours on interstate highways.

Conditions quickly became treacherous all along the path of the storm. Arkansas and Tennessee got 8 inches; Kentucky got more than a foot, and states across the Deep South grappled with icy, snow-covered roads and power outages. Two tornadoes arrived along with the snow in Mississippi.

The storm could easily cause more than $1 billion in damage, weather service director Louis Uccellini said.

All the ingredients have come together for a massive snowfall: The winds initially picked up warm water from the Gulf of Mexico, and now the storm is taking much more moisture from the warmer-than-usual Gulf Stream as it rotates slowly over mid-Atlantic states, with the District of Columbia in its bulls-eye.

At least meteorologists appear to have gotten this storm right. Predictions converged and millions of people got clear warnings, well in advance. Blizzard warnings stretched to just north of New York City. Boston and other New England cities should get a less windy winter storm, and much less snow.

In all, 82 million Americans will get at least an inch of snow, 47 million more than 6 inches, and 22 million Americans more than a foot, Ryan Maue at WeatherBell Analytics said Friday.

Fortunately, temperatures will be just above freezing after the storm passes in most places, and there's no second storm lurking behind this one, making for a slow and steady melt and less likelihood of more ice and floods, Peterson said.

As food and supplies vanished from store shelves Friday, states of emergency were declared, lawmakers went home, and schools, government offices and transit systems closed early around the region. Thousands of flights were canceled, sporting events were called off, bands postponed concerts and NASCAR delayed its Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Broadway's shows were still going on in New York, but as snow fell in Atlanta, people there were urged to stay home all weekend, rather than risk a repeat of the city's 2014 "icepocalypse," when a relatively mild winter storm caused days of commuter chaos.

Travel was already impossible across a wide swath of the Ohio River valley. Nashville, Tennessee, was gridlocked by accidents. Several drivers died on icy roads in North Carolina. In Washington, Baltimore, and Delaware, archdioceses pre-emptively excused Catholics from showing up for Sunday Mass.

Coastal flooding and the loss of beaches from high surf were major worries from Delaware north to Long Island. New Jersey's Republican Gov. Chris Christie canceled presidential campaign events in New Hampshire, which should be spared from the storm. "I'm sorry, N.H. but I gotta go home -- we got snow coming," Christie wrote on Twitter.

In Washington, the federal government closed its offices at noon, and all mass transit was shutting down through Sunday. President Barack Obama, hunkering down at the White House, was one of many who stayed home. Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina addressed anti-abortion activists at the annual March for Life as the storm closed in.

"I would come here if it were thunderstorming," said Kristlyn Whitlock, 20, who came from Steubenville, Ohio, wearing four layers of pants and five layers of tops to stay warm.

In downtown Baltimore, social worker Sean Augustus stocked up on flashlights and water, but said his city comes together when disasters strike.

"This is when you'll see Baltimore city in a different light," Augustus said. "You'll see neighbors coming together to help each other. That's the side of Baltimore people rarely see."

A similar spirit was evident in Annapolis, where 350 Navy midshipmen signed up to shovel people out.

More than 6,000 flights were canceled Friday and Saturday -- about 13 percent of the airlines' schedules, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware. They hope to be fully back in business by Sunday afternoon.

One of the unlucky travelers stranded by the storm was Jennifer Bremer of Raleigh, North Carolina. Bremer flew into Chicago on Thursday morning, carrying only a briefcase, for what she thought would be less than a day of meetings. Her flight home was canceled Thursday night, and then again Friday.

"I have my computer, my phone and a really good book, but no clothing," Bremer said as she eyed flight boards at O'Hare International Airport. "I have a travel agent right now trying to get creative. I'm waiting on a phone call from her. ... I'm trying to get somewhere near the East Coast where I can drive in tonight or early tomorrow morning."

Thousands of track workers, power company employees, road crew members, firefighters, police, National Guardsmen and others mobilized to help out over the long weekend.

"For our region, this is good timing," said Jeffrey Knueppel, general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, which is suspending almost all service around Philadelphia Saturday. "Saturday is the day to stay home and Sunday will give us a chance to really clean things up."

AP writers Juliet Linderman in Baltimore; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, Scott Mayerowitz in New York contributed to this report.

The Saskatoon StarPhoenix quoted the mayor as saying that an individual "opened fire in the building" after walking in.

A gunman opened fire at a Canadian high school and a second location in an aboriginal community in northern Saskatchewan on Friday, leaving four dead and at least two injured, officials said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said from Davos, Switzerland that a suspect was in custody. Trudeau initially said five died, but police later corrected that to four.

"This is every parent's worst nightmare," he said. "The community is reeling."

Kevin Janvier told The Associated Press that his 23-year-old daughter, Marie, a teacher, was shot dead by the gunman. He said police told him that the gunman first shot two of his siblings before killing his daughter.

"He shot two of his brothers at his home and made his way to the school," he said. "I'm just so sad."

Marie was Janvier's only child. He said he didn't know if the shooter knew his daughter.

The Saskatoon StarPhoenix quoted the mayor as saying that an individual "opened fire in the building" after walking in.

A 10th grade student, Noel Desjarlais, told the CBC that he heard several shots at the school, Reuters reported.

"I ran outside the school," Desjarlais said. "There was lots of screaming, there was about six, seven shots before I got outside. I believe there was more shots by the time I did get out."

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Supt. Maureen Levy said the gunman was arrested outside the school but declined to release details about him.

Levy said she wasn't sure how many suffered injuries. The prime minister earlier described two injuries as critical.

"At the present time there are four individuals deceased," Levy said.

Levy declined to release more details, saying the investigation is in its early stages. She declined to give the sex or ages of the deceased.

A student who was just returning from lunch when shots were fired said his friends ran past him urging him to get out.

"'Run, bro, run!" Noel Desjarlais-Thomas, 16, recalled his friends saying to him as they fled La Loche's junior and senior high school.

"There's a shotgun! There's a shotgun! They were just yelling to me. And then I was hearing those shots, too, so of course I started running."

Shootings at schools or on university campuses are rare in Canada. However, the country's bloodiest shooting occurred Dec. 6, 1989 at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, when Marc Lepine entered a college classroom at the engineering school, separated the men from the women, told the men to leave and opened fire, killing 14 women before killing himself.

The grade 7 through 12 La Loche Community School is in the remote Dene aboriginal community of La Loche, Saskatchewan. The school's Facebook page said it would remain on lockdown until the Royal Canadian Police resolve the matter. It asked the public to stay away.

It was unclear how many died at the school.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall earlier confirmed the shooting.

"Words cannot express my shock and sorrow at the horrific events today in La Loche. My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, their families and friends and all the people of the community," he said in a statement.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman offered his condolences in a statement and noted the problem of school shootings in America.

"We have experienced similar tragedies far too often in the United States and understand all too well the heartache and sadness that result from such a horrific event," Heyman said.

The area's representative in parliament, who attended the same school, was setting up a constituency office in the community when the shooting occurred.

"We're fairly shaken up. It's a sad day," said Georgina Jolibois, who was mayor of La Loche until she was elected to Parliament last fall. "My own nieces and nephews were inside the school."

Jolibois said she went to the school and spoke with some of her family members, who were unharmed.

Bobby Cameron, Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, said it was the worst tragedy to ever hit the community. The Dene are an aboriginal group who inhabit the northern parts of Canada.

"It's not something you ever imagine happening here. The whole community, province and country has been affected and we will all go into mourning," said Cameron, who attended graduations at the school for the past few years.  "Right now we're just in a state of shock and disbelief."