Firefighters and police responded to the home on Lake George Road around 5 a.m. Sunday.

WALES — Firefighters remain at the scene of a Sunday morning fire that left one woman dead.

Police and firefighters were called to 21 Lake George Road Sunday morning around 5:16 a.m. for a large fire that destroyed a one-family home.

The state fire marshal's office has confirmed that an elderly woman died in the fire and that her identity is not being released at this time.

Wales firefighters were assisted by fire and police crews from Holland and Stafford, Ct. and Sturbridge State Police. Monson and Brimfield fire departments also sent crews to Wales, according to Western Mass News, television partner to The Republican.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

Jason Brian Dalton is believed to be the solo actor in these shootings and there is no further threat to public safety, police say.

KALAMAZOO, Michigan -- Michigan State Police have released the names of four victims shot and killed at a Kalamazoo-area restaurant as part of a shooting rampage across Kalamazoo County.

The shooting happened at 10:24 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, when, police say, Jason Brian Dalton, 45, of Cooper Township, approached a Chevrolet Cruze and an Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel, 5581 Cracker Barrel Blvd., in Texas Township.

Dalton allegedly shot all four occupants of the Chevrolet Cruze, and the driver of the Oldsmobile, who was the single occupant of the van. The victims in the Chevrolet Cruze are: Mary Jo Nye, 60, of Battle Creek, the driver; Dorothy Brown, 74, of Battle Creek, the rear driver-side passenger; and Barbara Hawthorne, 68, of Battle Creek, the rear, passenger-side passenger.

The driver of the minivan, Mary Lou Nye, 62, of Baroda, Mich., also was killed.

A 14-year-old front-seat passenger of the Chevrolet is in critical condition at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was pronounced dead until she squeezed her mother's hand, police have said.

The shooting at Cracker Barrel was the last of three separate shootings Saturday, and police say Dalton is the suspect. At approximately 5:42 p.m. on Saturday, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office was called to the Meadows Townhomes on G Avenue near Comstock for a woman who had been shot multiple times in the parking lot. The woman remained in serious condition at Borgess Medical Center Sunday morning. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation into that shooting.

The second shooting was reported at approximately 10:08 p.m. at the Seelye Ford Kia Dealership on Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo. During this incident, two people, a father and son, were shot and killed.  The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation into that shooting.

Following the shooting at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant, Dalton was stopped at 12:40 a.m. at Ransom and Porter Streets in Kalamazoo and was taken into custody without further incident.  Police were acting on a BOL (Be On the Lookout) for a dark-colored Chevy HHR that was spotted by witnesses at the Stadium Drive and Cracker Barrel shootings.

Dalton is believed to be the solo actor in these shootings and there is no further threat to public safety, police say.

Everything we know about the Kalamazoo mass murders

The event was set to continue Sunday with the Fred Harris Memorial Tournament.

BRATTLEBORO -- Ski jumpers from around the world took flight at Harris Hill Saturday, competing in the Pepsi Challenge / U.S. Cup.

Gasper Bartol of Slovenia, 24, took first place in the open division. His longest jump was 95 meters, and he finished with a total of 257 points.

Florian Gugg, 21, of Austria took second and David Krapez, 22, of Slovenia came in third.

Harris Hill is New England's only Olympic-size venue. Competitors hit speeds of 60 mph and some travel more than 300 feet through the air.

The event was set to continue Sunday with the Fred Harris Memorial Tournament.

Above, scenes from Saturday's action.

Authorities from the Revere Police Department continue to search for a man they say tried to stab a police officer with a syringe Thursday.

REVERE - Authorities from the Revere Police Department continue to search for a man they say tried to stab a police officer with a syringe Thursday.

The department issued an update in the case and said they are looking for a blue Mitsubishi Outlander Sport last seen in Woburn. Authorities believe Michael Gouthro, the suspect in the attempted attack against the officer, is driving the car.

Revere Police 

Police believe Jacqueline Murphy, 32, could also be in the vehicle. She was allegedly with Gouthro Thursday when an officer stopped a Honda Accord in Revere.

"The pair fled after being stopped by a Revere Police officer earlier today," Revere Police wrote Thursday. "Gouthro attempted to stab the officer with a syringe."

The officer chased the pair in his cruiser, but his pursuit ended when he crashed his cruiser in Chelsea. The officer was taken to an area hospital for treatment. He had a concussion and various bruises to his face and body.

Authorities said Gouthro has four outstanding arrest warrants. Murphy has one outstanding arrest warrant.

Anyone with any information should contact the Revere Police at (781) 284-1212.

Several people were rescued after falling through the ice at Lake Mansfield.

Patrick Johnson | pjohnson@repub.com 

GREAT BARRINGTON — Several people were rescued after falling through the ice at Lake Mansfield Sunday.

Police said they were assisted by Great Barrington firefighters and additional crews from the Egremont Fire Department.

The incident happened around 12:07 p.m. police said.

Those rescued had no major injuries, police confirmed.

The accident is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section.

HUNTINGTON - Massachusetts State Police are continuing to investigate the cause of an accident that killed a 22-year-old motorcyclist from Montgomery.

Police have identified the man as Kenneth Dejordy. He died at the scene of the accident, which happened on Route 20, troopers said.

Dejordy was driving a motorcycle when he collided with a pickup truck at about 1:45 p.m., Saturday. The accident happened near number 59 Russell Road, which is also known as Route 20.

Police have not released the circumstances of the accident. It is under investigation by troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section, and those assigned to the State Police Detective Unit attached to the Hampshire County District Attorney's Office. Troopers were assisted at the scene by Huntington Police and Huntington firefighters.

This is a breaking story. Masslive will update when more information becomes available.

This story has been updated to include some details of the accident.

CHICOPEE - Police are on the scene of an accident on Chicopee Street, which has sent two people to the hospital.

The two-car accident happened at about 3:15 p.m., Sunday. It closed Chicopee Street and the entrance to Interstate-391 for about 45 minutes, police said.

"Chicopee Street is now open but proceed carefully as officers are still on scene," said Michael Wilk, public information officer for the Chicopee Police Department.

The accident happened in the area heading to Chicopee Center. Two cars collided and one ended up tipping over onto its side, he said.

The drivers of the two cars were both injured and taken to Baystate Medical Center, in Springfield, by ambulance. A child was a passenger in one of the cars but he was uninjured. He was examined by emergency medical personnel, Wilk said

Both drivers were alert and conscious after the accident, They mostly suffered neck and back injuries, Wilk said.

The name of the elderly woman killed in the blaze is not being released immediately.

This updates a story posted at 10:24 a.m.

WALES - The cause of a fire which killed an elderly woman is likely not suspicious, but remains under investigation.

"They are focusing on accidental causes," said Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the state Department of Fire Services.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated by the state fire marshal's office and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Hampden District Attorney's office.

The fire on 21 Lake George Road was reported around 5:16 a.m., Sunday. It destroyed the single-family home.

The name and exact age of the elderly woman who was killed in the fire is not being released immediately, she said.

No one else was injured in the fire, Mieth said.

Fire and police crews from Holland and Stafford, Ct. and Sturbridge State Police assisted Wales firefighters in extinguishing the blaze. Monson and Brimfield fire departments also sent crews to Wales, according to Western Mass News, television partner to The Republican.

A passerby found 20 to 25 packets of heroin stuffed in a plastic drink cup on Montgomery Street.

CHICOPEE - A passerby discovered a plastic drink cup stuffed with heroin when walking on a sidewalk on Montgomery Street Sunday afternoon.

There were about 20 to 25 packets of heroin, each tied together with a rubber band, stuffed in the cup. The clear plastic cup had a lid on it and a straw in it, said Michael Wilk, public information officer for the Chicopee Police Department.

Detectives are investigating to see if they can find out who may have left it there and why, he said.

In a Facebook post, Wilk inserted a little levity: "Lost and Found: If you happen to be the owner of this cup full of heroin bundles, you can contact our detectives to claim ownership."

But the cup could be dangerous and Wilk thanked the person who reported what they thought was an odd finding to the police. Residents are asked to call the police at 592-6341 any time they see anything suspicious, even if they are not sure there is a problem.

"A pet could have gotten into it," he said. "That is a lot of heroin."

The Kids Fair and Traveling Zoo was held Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Kids Fair and Traveling Zoo was held Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

The fair featured children's indoor carnival rides, face painting and a petting zoo with animals from the R.W. Commerford & Sons Zoo.

The event was held in the Mallory Complex.

McMahon, an immigrant from Ireland, will lead the John Boyle O'Reilly Club as part of the Springfield contingent in the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade.

SPRINGFIELD - More than 200 visitors packed the John Boyle O'Reilly Club Sunday to celebrate the 2016 Irish Person of the Year award with this year's recipient Patrick J. McMahon.

The four-hour celebration kicked off with club president John O'Shea who served as master of ceremony.

Springfield Colleen Abigail Laughlin and her Court members Grace Sullivan, Alexis Oliver and Stephanie Garner, were on hand to sing the national anthem and receive special award pins from the club. Missing from the award ceremony was Court member Sarah Wilczynski.

McMahon will lead the John Boyle O'Reilly Club as part of the Springfield contingent in the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade, March 20, 2016.

McMahon came to this country in 1960 from his native Miltown Malbay, County Clare Ireland and settled in Springfield with relatives. Shortly afterward he met his future wife, Eileen Leahy, the daughter of Irish immigrants, John Leahy from County Clare and Katherine Dowd-Leahy from County Kerry. The couple are the parents of two boys, Stephen and John McMahon. They moved to West Springfield in 1965 and live in the same home they bought 50 years ago.

Visitors enjoyed a traditional corned beef and cabbage lunch and were entertained by the band Bill Eagen and The Rising.

Bridgewater University Police assisted at the party.

BRIDGEWATER - A total of 41 people, many of them college students, were arrested early Sunday morning after police responded to a loud, out-of-control party.

Those arrested were mainly charged with being a minor in possession of alcohol, disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct, Police Chief Christopher Delmonte said.

The two residents of the home, Juan Perez, 21, of Everett, and Andrew Jucket, 21, of Bridgewater, were charged with furnishing alcohol to people under 21, keeping a disorderly house, disturbing the peace and obstruction of justice. All 41 will be arraigned this week in Brockton District Court, he said.

Bridgewater Police responded to a complaint of a loud party at about 1 a.m., at 141 Maple St. When they arrived, they saw a number of college-aged people outside the house and could hear yelling and glass breaking inside the house, Delmonte said.

"Officers were initially unable to gain access into the residence but were able to observe a large number of people inside of the home yelling and breaking objects," he said in a written statement.

When they finally were able to enter the house, police said they found a large amount of alcohol in the building and identified a number of people there as being under 21. While in the home they also saw several municipal and roadway signs on display, he said.

"While officers were at the scene several of the occupants began to flee through several windows on the first floor," Delmonte said.

Police were assisted by the Bridgewater State University Police. the Bridgewater Inspectional Services and the Bridgewater Fire Department also responded to inspect several safety hazards located within the home, he said.

"This is not the typical result of a police response to a loud party. The number of people arrested and the charges levied against each of them should underscore the burden a few can place on neighborhoods and the amount of municipal resources required to restore order. We have developed a comprehensive plan for dealing with these types of situations, which requires tenants and landlords to be held accountable," Delmonte said. "Our residents should not have to put up with this. It is a quality-of-life issue."

Similar problems have happened in the area around the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, forcing police in Amherst, Hadley and other towns to crack down on loud parties.

Bernie Sanders is holding a public rally at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst on Monday.

SPRINGFIELD - With a little more than a week to go before the March 1 state presidential primary, candidates are making a big push to campaign in the state.

On Saturday local backers of Democrat Hillary Clinton gathered in Springfield to officially open her organizing office.

On Monday U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, is holding a free public rally at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the duo behind Vermont-based Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream will also be in Massachusetts next week to scoop ice cream and campaign for Sanders.

Also on Saturday, Republican presidential Candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich brought his message to Worcester's Canal District for a town hall meeting. He spoke at the Hibernian Cultural Center.

Here are some of the things people have been Tweeting about the candidates' visits and the upcoming primary.

The police officer performed CPR on one of his hockey teammates who went into cardiac arrest, according to Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan.

BOSTON — You can call him Hogan the Hero.

His real name, though, is Michael Hogan, an Arlington police officer who's about to get his 15 minutes of fame at this evenin'gs Bruins game at the TD Garden, where Hogan will be honored for his life-saving efforts.

Hogan, among several public safety officials to be acknowledged by the Bruins during the hockey team's inaugural First Responder Night, helped save a 76-year-old man's life after he went into cardiac arrest on Oct. 14, 2015.

"This is a fantastic event that showcases the hard work of so many first responders, especially Officer Hogan, who saved a man's life through his quick thinking and training," Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan said. "I commend Officer Hogan and all the first responders who are being honored tonight."

To show their appreciation, the legendary Boston sports team will recognize the group of men and women at 7 this evening, when the Bruins are scheduled to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Garden. Honorees and their families will be recognized throughout the game with a photo montage on the high-definition video scoreboard, Zamboni rides, and an opportunity to high-five Bruins players before they take the ice.

Back in October, an off-duty Hogan was playing in a men's hockey league game at the Ed Burns Arena Ice Skating Rink in Arlington when a 76-year-old teammate collapsed on the ice. Hogan recognized the man was in cardiac arrest and not breathing. As the only person at the rink who knew how to administer CPR, he immediately began performing the life-sustaining measures, according to Chief Ryan.

As Hogan continued his resuscitation efforts, others called 911 and grabbed an automated external defibrillator for Hogan to use the man. The Arlington Fire Department arrived on scene and transported the patient to the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington for further treatment.

The track maintenance employee who racked up 2,600 overtime hours in less than a year "regularly approved his own overtime reporting form" and retired Jan. 31, according to ongoing MBTA audits.

by ANDY METZGER

The track maintenance employee who racked up 2,600 overtime hours in less than a year "regularly approved his own overtime reporting form" and retired Jan. 31, according to ongoing MBTA audits.

The audits undertaken by KPMG and an internal auditor found no evidence of fraud, though Jim Logan, the T's internal auditor, said he had found "a little bit of abuse of overtime here and there - not anything illegal."

The top five overtime earners at the roughly 6,500-employee transportation authority were all employed in engineering and maintenance - power and maintenance of way, according to the soon-to-be-completed KPMG audit.

"The process does not allow people to approve their own overtime, but one of the things the audit is looking at is the extent to which the process is being followed," Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack told reporters after the audit updates were presented at the MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board. She said the audits indicated "some people were using forms that had a pre-printed supervisor's name on it, which makes it difficult to ascertain whether there was an actual approval by that supervisor of that particular piece of work."

John Englander, the general counsel for the MBTA who presented KPMG's findings, said overtime policies "vary from division to division," and the auditors found "substandard documentation" and instances where employees were "approving their own overtime documents."

Englander said the highest earners were senior employees, and the highest overtime earner of all, who worked on track maintenance, retired Jan. 31 "entirely of his own volition."

Established last year to right metro Boston's transit system following widespread failures during brutal snow and cold, the control board has dug into overtime, which is tied into employee absenteeism and is down 28 percent as of Jan. 1 compared to the same period last year, according to one of the ongoing audits.

The internal audit stated that as of Jan. 1 engineering and maintenance management made "a number of interim changes and corrective actions to improve controls, to more effectively monitor usage, and to reduce overtime."

In December MBTA Chief Administrator Brian Shortsleeve reported that an employee had earned $315,000 so far in 2015, in part through his 2,600 hours of overtime. Englander confirmed that was the same employee who retired at the end of January.

Craig Hughes, the secretary-treasurer of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 264, and Jim O'Brien, president of the Boston Carmen's Union, both said their employees are unable to sign off on their own overtime.

Hughes said there are biometric hand-scanners "for everything" to determine whether someone showed up at work. Throughout the rest of the system, the hand scanners are unavailable in some places, Englander said.

"From a machinist's perspective, you don't write yourself in or authorize yourself for anything," Hughes told the News Service.

"My employees don't hire themselves for overtime," O'Brien told reporters. He said, "Different supervisors do different things."

MBTA officials have previously pointed to overtime as an impediment to encouraging employees to join the ranks of management - where the prospect of longer hours at a higher pay rate is unavailable.

The T is also staffing up on the operations side, hiring more than 90 bus drivers recently, and O'Brien said he would prefer more workers to more overtime opportunities for his members.

"There are a lot of vacancies at the MBTA, and either you fill the vacancies and that takes care of the overtime or you don't fill the vacancies and you pay overtime. It's one or the other," O'Brien said. He said, "I'd rather have more employees, absolutely."

Holyoke schools receiver Stephen Zrike told city councilors and School Committee members the drive to hire top teachers includes a partnership with the city of Springfield in a recruitment called "Teach in Western Mass." Watch video

HOLYOKE -- As administration is trimmed and other changes are made, recruiting quality teachers will be a priority, schools receiver Stephen K. Zrike told elected officials last week.

"Today, that was our entire conversation as we were preparing the budget for next year, is, when we talk about investing funds back into the schools, we know we have to compensate our teachers better than they are right now," Zrike said in a video (see above).

Zrike, the state-appointed official in charge of the city's public schools, discussed a range of issues for 90 minutes with members of a joint City Council-School Committee board Thursday at City Hall.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain asked Zrike about directing resources to the classrooms.

"Are we finding the teachers we need to find?" Jourdain said.

Zrike said part of his motivation in reducing the administrative staff here is to increase funding for teachers. The city must pay teachers better than it has been to compete with salaries provided by neighboring communities, he said.

The teacher recruitment includes a partnership with the city of Springfield to find good teachers in a program called "Teach in Western Mass," he said.

Strengthening the teaching ranks is a step that should be ongoing instead of waiting until the end of the school year or summer to hire teachers, he said.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education made the extraordinary receivership declaration April 28. That came with students' academic abilities barely improving despite years of warnings.

Zrike took control of the system -- 5,381 students and a staff of more than 1,500, including 500 teachers, and 11 schools -- on July 6. His yearly salary is $185,000.

The receiver has complete authority over school personnel and other decisions, supplanting the superintendent and School Committee.

Zrike talked about the importance of improving contacts with families, City Council support, Dean Technical High School, School Department headquarters, investigations at Peck School, homeless students and charter schools.

According to details from charts provided by Zrike:

In 2010, the state said, 32 percent of Holyoke students were proficient, or competent, in English Language Arts (ELA) compared to the statewide average of 68 percent. By 2015, the statewide average was 69 percent but Holyoke's was just 34 percent.

In math in 2010, only 25 percent of Holyoke students were proficient compared to 59 percent statewide. Five years late, the statewide average was at 60 percent in math and Holyoke's at 27 percent.

In science in 2010, the statewide proficiency rate was 61 percent compared to 21 percent in Holyoke. In 2015, the statewide average in science proficiency had dropped to 55 percent and Holyoke's had crept to 23 percent.

On June 1, Mitchell D. Chester, commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), announced he had appointed Zrike, formerly superintendent of schools in Wakefield, the Holyoke schools receiver.

Sanders indicated that he is settling in for a protracted Democratic nominating race against Clinton.

BOSTON -- Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is settling in for a protracted nominating race against former first lady and secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

"What this is about is a slog, state by state by state," Sanders said Monday at a press conference at a South Boston ironworkers hall.

Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who calls himself a "Democratic socialist" and started the race trailing far behind Clinton in the polls, is now locked in a tight battle with Clinton. Clinton barely won the Iowa caucuses, with that contest a virtual tie. Sanders defeated Clinton by a landslide in the New Hampshire primary, before Clinton won Nevada. Sanders and Clinton both hope to do well in Massachusetts, a heavily Democratic state that votes March 1.

While Clinton has locked up support from most of Massachusetts' congressional delegation and from powerful politicians, including Attorney General Maura Healey, Sanders could get support from many of the liberal Democrats who rallied behind U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a progressive leader and Massachusetts Democrat who has not endorsed in the presidential race. Nationally, Sanders has benefited from support from younger voters, while Clinton's supporters have been older and wealthier.

"I think Sen. Sanders' record on $15 an hour minimum wage, health care as a right, free trade policies, and free public college tuition are really resonating with people that feel very economically insecure, and that includes a large segment of the middle class population here in Massachusetts," said State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, a liberal state senator who supports Sanders.

Sanders used the press conference, hours before he traveled to Amherst for a rally, to announce new endorsements and to attack Clinton.

Sanders received the support of Iron Workers Local 7, a union with 3,000 workers in New England. He also received the endorsement of People's Politics, which bills itself as a new national grassroots organization of working class individuals "fighting for racial and economic justice." People's Politics sent activists from around the country to Massachusetts to campaign for Sanders.

Sanders, who talks about creating a "political revolution," used the press conference to attack Clinton for accepting support from super political action committees - organizations that can raise and spend unlimited sums of money but cannot coordinate with a candidate. He also attacked her for supporting free trade policies, which Sanders opposes.

Christina Reynolds, a spokeswoman for Clinton's campaign, said, "How revolutionary: After a loss in Nevada and facing an uphill climb in South Carolina, Bernie Sanders is breaking his campaign pledge once again to trot out old, tired attacks on Hillary Clinton."

Sanders said Clinton has adopted several of his policy positions. But, he said, "The people of Massachusetts and the U.S. need to know the difference between hastily adopted campaign rhetoric and the real record and the long held ideas of the candidates."

Sanders focused on a theme of his campaign, which is the "corruption" of the campaign finance system. He attacked Clinton for getting support from super PACs, including one that raised $15 million from Wall Street donors.

"Secretary Clinton has a number of super PACs, which today are raising very, very large sums of money from Wall Street and other powerful special interests," Sanders said. "If these contributions from Wall Street and other powerful special interests have no influence over the candidate, why are these special interests making huge campaign contributions?"

In contrast, Sanders said he has raised money from four million individual donors, with an average contribution of $27.

The New York Times reported that Sanders has benefited from outside spending from a super PAC run by a national nurse's union. There are other small super PACs that have formed to help Sanders, according to campaign finance records, although the money they raised so far pales in comparison to the more than $50 million that the largest pro-Clinton super PAC raised.

Sanders also criticized Clinton for supporting NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and for initially supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, though she later came out against it.

Both are free trade agreements that Sanders opposes. He argues that free trade deals allow U.S. companies to outsource work to lower paid workers overseas. "I have the radical idea that maybe instead of having unfettered free trade, we should have fair trade protecting workers in this country and poor people abroad," Sanders said.

Earlier in the day, in a conference call and at a Springfield event, the Clinton campaign attacked Sanders for his record on gun control. Prominent Clinton supporters including Healey, Hampden County Sheriff Mike Ashe and others argued that Clinton has a far stronger record supporting new gun control laws than Sanders does.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich's Republican presidential campaign picked up additional support in Massachusetts Monday, as the state's former Gov. William Weld endorsed the GOP White House hopeful.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Ohio Gov. John Kasich's Republican presidential campaign picked up additional support in Massachusetts Monday, as the state's former Gov. William Weld endorsed the GOP White House hopeful.

Weld, who served as Massachusetts governor from 1991 to 1997, called the Ohio governor "a born executive." He added that gubernatorial experience prepares a person to run for president.

"John Kasich hasn't just talked about balancing budgets and growing jobs, he's actually done it," he said in a statement provided by Kasich's campaign. "His tremendous record and results-oriented conservative leadership in Ohio is exactly what we need in the White House."

The Ohio governor praised the endorsement, noting that he has known Weld for several years and respects his "long commitment to serving our country."

"It's an honor to have his support as we continue to grow our team and move deeper into the primary calendar," he said in a statement.

Weld is the most recent Massachusetts Republican to come out in support of Kasich's White House run.

State Rep. Kate Campanale, R-Leicester, recently added her name to the list of Bay State lawmakers backing his run, joining state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, and Reps. Paul Frost, R-Auburn, and Kimberly Ferguson, R-Holden, among others.

With Massachusetts voters set to weigh-in on the presidential contest in just over a week, Kasich spent much of Saturday campaigning in the state.

A Rhode Island driver, who police in Swansea say smashed his vehicle into several cars and houses before intentionally driving it into Lee's River, faces a string of charges, including operating under the influence.

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A digest of news stories from around New England.

Both home invasions occurred within a roughly 40-minute span in Methuen.

METHUEN — Police are looking for a trio of men who committed back-to-back home invasions in Methuen on Sunday evening, Chief Joseph Solomon said.

The first incident happened around 8:20 p.m. on Howe Street, where three Hispanic men wearing black masks broke into a home and demanded money and jewelry from the female resident. At least two of the men were armed with guns and spoke English and Spanish, according to the victim.

The suspects proceeded to destroy property and eventually fled with assorted jewelry and items from the home, Soloman said.

About 40 minutes later, Methuen officers responded to another report of a home invasion, this time at a Camden Street residence. The female victim told police that three armed, masked men broke into her home and stole money before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.

Police are investigating whether a gold minivan seen outside the home may have been involved in the incident.

"We believe these two incidents are related due to the similar descriptions and actions of the suspects," Solomon said. "We are asking for the public's help identifying these men. If anyone has any information, or saw anything suspicious over the weekend, we ask that they immediately contact police."

The Methuen Police Department at 978-983-8698.