The strongest earthquake to hit Ecuador in decades flattened buildings and buckled highways along its Pacific coast, sending the Andean nation into a state of emergency. As rescue workers rushed in, officials said Sunday at least 77 people were killed, over 588 injured and the damage stretched for hundreds of miles to the capital and other major cities.

PEDERNALES, Ecuador -- The strongest earthquake to hit Ecuador in decades flattened buildings and buckled highways along its Pacific coast, sending the Andean nation into a state of emergency. As rescue workers rushed in, officials said Sunday at least 77 people were killed, over 588 injured and the damage stretched for hundreds of miles to the capital and other major cities.

The magnitude-7.8 quake, the strongest to hit Ecuador since 1979, was centered on Ecuador's sparsely populated fishing ports and tourist beaches, 170 kilometers (105 miles) northwest of Quito, the capital.

Vice President Jorge Glas said there were deaths in the cities of Manta, Portoviejo and Guayaquil -- all several hundred kilometers (miles) from the center of the quake struck shortly after nightfall.

In Pedernales, a town of 40,000 near the quake's epicenter, dozens of scared residents slept in the streets while men equipped with little more than car headlights tried to rescue survivors who could be heard trapped under rubble.

"We're trying to do the most we can, but there's almost nothing we can do," said Gabriel Alcivar, mayor of Pedernales.

Alcivar pleaded for authorities to send earth-moving machines and emergency rescue workers as dozens of buildings in the town were flattened, trapping residents among the rubble. He said looting had broken out amid the chaos but authorities were too busy trying to save lives to re-establish order.

"This wasn't just a house that collapsed, it was an entire town," he said.

President Rafael Correa signed a decree declaring a national emergency and rushed home from a visit to Rome, urging Ecuadoreans to stay strong while authorities handle the disaster.

Glaz said 10,000 armed forces had been deployed to help. In addition, 4,600 national police were sent to the towns of Manabi, Esmeraldas and Guayas y Santa Elena.

Officials said shelters had been set up and emergency portable hospitals were being deployed.

On social media, photos circulated of homes reduced to rubble, a shopping center's roof torn apart, supermarket shelves shaking violently and a collapsed highway overpass that crushed a car. In Manta, the airport was closed after the control tower collapsed, injuring an air traffic control worker and a security guard.

Alberto Reynas, 58, was fishing off the coast of Pedernales when giant waves violently rocked his boat.

"It felt the same on sea as it did on land," he said.

But he was shaken again when he returned to land to find the facade of his two-story home had fallen off into the streets. He has been unable to communicate with members of his family and spent the night sleeping outdoors with neighbors, keeping a close watch against thieves.

"It's pure sadness. Everything is destroyed," he said.

In the capital Quito, terrified people fled into the streets as the quake shook their buildings. It knocked out electricity in several neighborhoods and six homes collapsed but after a few hours, power was being restored, Quito's Mayor Mauricio Rodas said.

"I'm in a state of panic," said Zoila Villena, one of many Quito residents who congregated in the streets. "My building moved a lot and things fell to the floor. Lots of neighbors were screaming and kids crying."

Among those killed was the driver of a car crushed by an overpass that buckled in Guayaquil, the country's most populous city. The city's international airport was also briefly closed. Hydroelectric dams and oil pipelines in the OPEC-member nation were shut down as a precautionary measure but so there were no reports of damage to them.

Towns near the epicenter were evacuated as a precautionary measure in case of hazardous tsunami waves but several hours later authorities said was safe for coastal residents to return to their homes.

Sports events and concerts were cancelled until further notice nationwide.

"It's very important that Ecuadoreans remain calm during this emergency," Glas said from Ecuador's national crisis room.

The U.S. Geological Survey originally put the quake at a magnitude of 7.4 then raised it to 7.8. It had a depth of 19 kilometers (12 miles). Dozens of aftershocks followed, one as strong as magnitude-5.5, and authorities urged residents to brace for even stronger ones in the coming hours and days.

David Rothery, a professor of geosciences at The Open University northeast of London said the quake was about six times as strong as the most powerful of two deadly earthquakes across the Pacific, in the southernmost of Japan's four main islands. A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck Thursday near Kumamoto, followed by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake just 28 hours later. The quakes have killed 41 people and injured about 1,500, flattened houses and triggered major landslides.

On Sunday, thousands of rescue workers searched a debris-strewn village in southern Japan for about a half-dozen missing people as U.S. military aircraft rushed to join the relief mission.

Eleven people remained missing Sunday in southern Japan from two powerful earthquakes that killed 41 people, as the U.S military announced it was preparing to join relief efforts and Toyota said it would suspend vehicle assembly in Japan.

MINAMIASO, Japan -- Eleven people remained missing Sunday in southern Japan from two powerful earthquakes that killed 41 people, as the U.S military announced it was preparing to join relief efforts and Toyota said it would suspend vehicle assembly in Japan.

Thousands of rescue workers fanned out in often mountainous terrain to search for the missing. Rescue helicopters could be seen going into and out of the area, much of which has been cut off by landslides and road and bridge damage.

With 180,000 people seeking shelter, some evacuees said that food distribution was a meager two rice balls for dinner.

U.S. Forces, Japan said it is getting ready to provide aerial support for Japan's relief efforts. The U.S. has major Air Force, Navy and Marine bases in Japan, and stations about 50,000 troops in the country.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, "We are extremely grateful, and we would like to coordinate quickly and have the emergency relief be transported in as soon as possible."

Shiori Yatabe, an official at the Kumamoto prefecture crisis management department, said 11 people were missing. She didn't have a breakdown, but Japanese media reported that eight were in Minamiaso village.

Minamiaso is in a mountainous area southwest of 1,592-meter-high (5,223-foot-high) Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan. Aerial footage from Japanese TV showed teams of rescuers going through small clusters of destroyed buildings.

Earthquakes on successive nights struck Kumamoto city and the surrounding region late last week. Nine people died in the first earthquake, and 32 in the second. Kumamoto, a city of 740,000, is on the southwestern island of Kyushu.

The hardest-hit town appears to be Mashiki, on the eastern border of Kumamoto city, where 20 people died.

Overnight rainfall did not appear to cause any more landslides, as had been feared, and the skies had cleared by Sunday morning.

About 80,000 homes in Kumamoto prefecture still didn't have electricity Sunday, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. Japanese media reported earlier that an estimated 400,000 households were without running water.

More than 1,000 buildings were damaged in the two earthquakes, including at least 90 that were destroyed.

Many residents were still recovering from the shock of the destruction, while struggling to bring their lives, and spirit, together.

"Without water and electricity, we can't do anything. Without the TV on, we can't even get information about disaster relief operations," said Megumi Kudo, 51, standing in a line for water outside a community center in Aso city. "We can't take a bath, not even a shower."

Kudo came with his wife and a 12-year-old daughter, carrying several empty gallon-size plastic containers to get water while his 80-year-old mother waited at home. "It's better to be prepared than sorry, as we learned the hard way," he said.

His house survived, despite major roof damage, but like many, the family is sleeping in their cars outside.

A few blocks away, 75-year-old Tokio Miyamoto said he's too afraid to sleep alone in his house, so he lugs his futon bedding every evening to an evacuation center. "It's a hassle, but it's too scary to be alone," he said.

Miyamoto said there was not sufficient food at the evacuation center, only a couple of rice balls each time.

Toyota Motor Corp. said it would shut down the assembly of vehicles in Japan over the course of this week because of parts shortages stemming from the earthquakes.

The shutdown will begin Monday at a factory in Kyushu and progress to other plants in Japan through Friday. Toyota said on its website Sunday that resumption of operations would depend on the availability of parts.

Other companies, including Sony, have announced stoppages of some of their factories in Kyushu.

Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 76 degrees on Monday in Springfield, according National Weather Service.

SPRINGFIELD - A warm, sunny stretch of weather over the long weekend is good news for most but may be a little warmer than ideal for those running the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Temperatures are expected to hit a high of 70 degrees on Sunday in Western Massachusetts and will hit the mid 70s on Monday, said Dan Brown, meteorologist for Western Mass News, media partner for the Republican and MassLive.

The weather will be nice but will not break any records for the year, he said.

"We had a couple of warm days in March that were record breaking. We had a high of 71 and one of 80," he said.

The National Weather Service is calling for a high temperature of 72 degrees on Sunday in Springfield. Temperatures will dip to a low of 41 degrees overnight and then the warm weather will return on Patriots' Day on Monday with a high of 76 degrees.

The dry stretch will end on Monday night with showers overnight. Rain is also in the forecast for Tuesday, Brown said.

Temperatures will be a little cooler in the Boston area, with a high of 65 predicted by the National Weather Service.

AccuWeather is predicting temperatures to be about 50 degrees at the 10 a.m. start of Wave One of the runners. The first competitors will take off at about 9:15 p.m. with wheelchair athletes and elite athletes will follow.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is reporting temperatures may quickly rise into the 70s just west of Boston, with low risk of upper 70s through at least Rt.128 by early afternoon.

It should be cooler within the last 5 miles of the route and the finish line area may only make it into the 60s. The temperatures are expected to drop to the middle to upper 50s at the finish line by late afternoon, according to Emergency Management officials.

The Boston Athletic Association tracks temperatures at the start of the race. Last year it was 46 degrees when the first wave of runners started. In 2014 it was 61 degrees and in 2013 it was 56 degrees. The 2012 marathon had one of the warmest starts in history with a 65 degree start and the 2011 marathon was one of the coolest, with a 46 degree start.

Joshua Devine disappeared off a dive boat at the start of a five-day trip in the waters off Thailand.

ENFIELD - A year after Joshua Devine mysteriously disappeared while on a dive trip in Thailand, his family has not forgotten the U.S. Army sergeant or given up hope that he is still alive.

Devine's family and friends followed a Thailand tradition and created rafts and baskets of flowers and floated them on the Connecticut River on April 11, the one-year anniversary of his disappearance. Later in the week they returned to the Kings Island Boat Ramp on the Connecticut River in Enfield and held a lantern ceremony in his honor, said and Jennifer Bakowski, Devine's sister.

Devine, 36, a Holyoke native and graduate of Chicopee Comprehensive High School, served four years active duty in the U.S. Army and four more years in the Connecticut National Guard doing tours in Kosovo, Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving the military he worked in computer networking for military contractors most recently Kuwait.

An avid diver, Devine and his wife Thadsana, were just starting a five-day trip in a live-aboard boat in Thailand. Witnesses said Devine was drinking heavily with several other people he knew from previous dives. He grew angry and disruptive and those men escorted him to a storage room and tried to calm him down. He asked to be left alone and when the men checked back with him in 10 to 15 minutes, he was gone.

Despite numerous searches and work with the U.S. Embassy, Devine was never found and his disappearance remains a mystery. His family, including his mother and four siblings, repeatedly said many parts of the story don't fit and they continue to hold out hope they will find answers.

"There hasn't been anything new in terms of finding him. We still have people looking into it," said Bakowski, of Enfield.

Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal continues to work with the family and is asking for the investigation to be restarted, she said.

"We are still hopeful someone will find him and will be able to bring him home. His body was never found and people tell us that is strange for those waters," Bakowski said.

There are many fishing boats in the waters and some stay out for a year or longer, relying on supply vehicles to bring in food and equipment. Some are illegal and the family is hoping one of them may have picked up Devine.

There is also the possibility he may have a brain injury and is not sure exactly where he is which is why they haven't heard from him, she said.

Meanwhile his family is still working to make sure their adventurous relative, who was a dive instructor and traveled extensively to exotic locations, will not be forgotten.

At the suggestion of a friend, they will start making annual donations to a charity which supports a cause he would value such as trying to save or restore coral reefs on or to protect the nudibranch sea slugs, which Devine found fascinating in part because of their defense mechanisms, Bakowski said.

The driver was brought to Baystate Medical Center and released on Sunday.

LUDLOW - Police are investigating the cause of a one-car accident that sent the driver to the hospital late Saturday night.

The accident happened just before 11 p.m., Saturday at 213 Chapin St., Police Sgt. David Belanger said.

The man struck a tree on the side of the street, according to WWLP Channel 22 News.

The driver, whose name was not released, was taken to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance, treated and released on Sunday morning, Belanger said.

The three men, all from Ware, were arrested between 10:30 and 11 a.m. Saturday.

WARE - The Police Department's Warrant Apprehension Team apprehended three men in a sweep Saturday morning.

Brandon Ballou, 24, of Walnut Street, Ware; David Laforest, 43, of Otis Avenue, Ware and Michael Towlson, 31, of Ware, were arrested between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Police could not say the crimes the men were charged with on the warrants, Police Officer Tod Bertini said.

The Warrant Apprehension Team is directed by Chief Ken Kovitch. It is made up of Det. Chris Adams, Officer Paul Skutnik, Officer Christopher Talbot and Bertini.

"We look at outstanding warrants every day. We have zero tolerance," Bertini said.

Since its creation, the team has apprehended more than 30 people wanted on warrants. The warrants can be for minor crimes such as shoplifting or more serious drug crimes. A number are issued by the court charging offenders for failure to appear for scheduled hearings.

Jacquelyn Mahoney has been wanted since November when she allegedly fled the scene of a rollover accident.

PELHAM - A 24-year-old woman who has been wanted for trafficking methamphetamine and multiple other charges since November, has been arrested in Boston.

Jacquelyn Mahoney, 24, originally of Hanover, New Hampshire, was arrested around 3 p.m., Wednesday in an apartment complex in Boston. She was wanted on nine different warrants, including one from Western Massachusetts, Pelham Police said.

The Pelham warrant charges her with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, receiving stolen property above $250, receiving stolen property under $250, receiving stolen credit cards and leaving the scene of a property damage accident, police said.

Mahoney has been wanted since Nov. 20, 2015 after she allegedly fled the scene after she fled a rollover crash of a U-Haul pickup truck on Route 202 near the Shutesbury line.

After the crash, investigators searched the pickup truck and found methamphetamine, other narcotics and drug paraphernalia, police said.

She was last seen fleeing with an unidentified man into woods off Route 202, police said.

There was an electrical fire at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

WARE - Several people were injured after an electrical explosion Sunday afternoon.

Ware Fire officials confirmed there was a transformer fire at about 1:30 p.m. on East Main Street. They refused to release details about the fire.

The explosion happened at Pioneer Hydropower Inc.

According to Western Mass News, media partners for The Republican and Masslive, at least three people were injured and taken to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital.

The most seriously injured was reportedly flown to another hospital for treatment.

Ware Fire Department and Police Department officials remain on the scene. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has also arrived.

Some employees of the plant, which is located on the banks of the Ware River were also at the scene. One had a bandage on his hand.

An investigator for the state Fire Marshal's office and the state Electrical Inspector's office is also on scene investigating the accident, Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the State Fire Marshal's office said.

Investigators could be seen examining electrical equipment outside the plant. Another photographed connectors on electrical poles nearby.

She said she had no information about what exactly happened except to say there was an "electrical event."

Officials for National Grid also responded to the incident but said the transformer was not one owned by the electric company.

Ben Orzech, who lives on a nearby street overlooking the plant said he saw a number of emergency vehicles arrive at the plant shortly after the accident.

"I heard sirens. It was a hectic scene and then I heard a helicopter," he said.

This is a breaking story. Masslive will update as soon as more information is available.

The fire department said no buildings are affected.

LUDLOW - Firefighters have contained a brush fire near the Ludlow Elks Lodge on Chapin Street, but crews are still working to extinguish it.

The fire is burning near the Chicopee River and the fire department said no buildings are affected.

The fire was first reported at about 3:45 p.m. The cause is under investigation.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.

Two of the most seriously injured employees were flown to hospitals in Boston and Worcester.

This report updates a story filed at 3:50 p.m..

WARE - Three employees of Pioneer Hydropower Inc. were injured Sunday afternoon when a malfunction in an electrical panel caused it to arc.

The malfunction also caused a power overload in an outside transformer, setting off a small brush fire at the 16 East Main St. plant, said Fire Chief Thomas Coulombe.

The three employees were alone in the plant when the panel arced at about 1:30 p.m. All three were taken to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital by Ware Fire Department ambulance, he said.

One man was very seriously injured and immediately transferred to a burn center in Boston by a helicopter, which was waiting at the hospital. A second employee was transferred to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester by ambulance, Coulombe said.

"He had second degree burns over 30 percent of his body," he said of the most seriously injured worker.

The third man was treated and released from Baystate Mary Lane, he said.

"We have to do more testing to find out what happened," he said.

The brush fire, which was first reported by the ambulance crews, was extinguished quickly and did little damage along the banks of the Ware River, where the plant is located, Coulombe said.

A variety of officials from Ware Fire Department, Ware Police Department, Pioneer HydroPower and National Grid were all on scene Sunday afternoon.

An investigator for the state Fire Marshal's office and the state Electrical Inspector's office was also on scene investigating the accident, Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshal's office said.

"The workers were doing work on high voltage wiring," she said.

Mieth and Coulombe said the incident is accidental.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection was also called to investigate because the transformer which overheated is an older one and contains oil and potentially hazardous PCBs, Coulombe said.

Ben Orzech, who lives on a nearby street overlooking the plant, said he saw a number of emergency vehicles arrive at the plant shortly after the accident.

"I heard sirens. It was a hectic scene and then I heard a helicopter," he said.

University spokesman John DellaContrada said the mistaken email was sent on Wednesday to students whose application had not yet been fully reviewed.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- More than 5,000 prospective students at the University at Buffalo were mistakenly notified by email that they had been accepted into the school in Upstate New York.

A bronze buffalo stands at the entrance to the Center for the Arts on the University of Buffalo's North Campus.University of Buffalo 

The university posted a statement on its website saying the "miscommunication occurred when an incorrect email list was generated from an applicant database."

The statement said it was important to note that the students who received the mistaken email are still being considered for acceptance by the university.

UB's total enrollment is about 30,000 students. The campus is part of the State University of New York system.

The fire department shut down part of Interstate 95 for about 30 minutes after the two-vehicle crash at around 1:45 p.m.

GEORGETOWN - Four children and three adults are receiving treatment for their injuries after a major car accident on Interstate 95.

The fire department shut down part of the highway for about 30 minutes after the two-vehicle crash at around 1:45 p.m.

In a news release, investigators said a Chevrolet SUV "apparently" crossed the median near exit 54 and hit a Nissan SUV, "causing significant damage to both vehicles."

The driver of the Nissan, believed to be in her 30s or 40s, suffered major head and back injuries. She was taken to Tufts Medical Center in Boston by helicopter. The other victims were taken to hospitals in Newburyport and Haverhill and are all expected to survive.

State police are investigating the cause of the crash.

The city is encouraging everyone coming to the Boston Marathon to avoid driving as much as possible, and to take public transportation instead.

BOSTON - The city is encouraging everyone coming to the Boston Marathon to avoid driving if possible, and to take public transportation instead.

Numerous street closures, detours and parking restrictions will be in place Monday in the Back Bay neighborhood and the surrounding area. The full list can be found below, but it is subject to change.

Bike-sharing information is available at TheHubway.com. Public transportation details can be found at MBTA.com.

The following information comes from the Boston Police Department. It has been lightly edited to remove dated references.

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

The following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, April 18, 2016:

• 5 AM: Streets in the vicinity of the Boston Common will close
• 6 AM: Boylston Street, Hereford Street to Arlington Street will close
• 8 AM: All streets east of Massachusetts Avenue (as well as Massachusetts Turnpike Exit 22) will close
• 8 AM: All streets west of Massachusetts Avenue in the Kenmore Square Audubon Circle area will close
• 8:30 AM: All streets in the Brighton area leading into the route will close

5 AM - BOSTON COMMON AREA

• Tremont Street, Court Street to Boylston Street
• Avery Street, Washington Street to Tremont Street
• West Street, Washington Street to Tremont Street
• Temple Place, Washington Street to Tremont Street
• Winter Street, Washington Street to Tremont Street
• Park Street, Beacon Street to Tremont Street
• Bromfield Street, Washington Street to Tremont Street
• Beacon Street, Somerset Street to Tremont Street
• Cambridge Street (inbound), New Sudbury Street to Tremont Street

6 AM - BACK BAY AREA

• Boylston Street, Hereford Street to Arlington Street (cross streets will remain open until 8 AM)

8 AM - BACK BAY AREA

• Berkeley Street, St. James Avenue to Newbury Street
• Clarendon Street, St. James Avenue to Newbury Street
• Dartmouth Street, St. James Avenue to Newbury Street
• Exeter Street, Newbury Street to Huntington Avenue
• Ring Road, Huntington Avenue to Boylston Street
• Fairfield Street, Newbury Street to Boylston Street
• Gloucester Street, Newbury Street to Boylston Street
• Providence Street, Arlington Street to Berkeley Street
• Trinity Place, St. James Avenue to Massachusetts Turnpike on-ramp
• Boylston Street, Massachusetts Avenue to Arlington Street
• Newbury Street, Arlington Street to Charlesgate East
• St. James Avenue, Arlington Street to Dartmouth Street
• Huntington Avenue (outbound), Dartmouth Street to Belvidere Street
• Stuart Street, Arlington Street to Dartmouth Street
• Blagden Street, Huntington Avenue to Exeter Street
• Berkeley Street, Columbus Avenue to Newbury Street
• Clarendon Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Columbus Avenue
• Dartmouth Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Columbus Avenue
• Exeter Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Huntington Avenue
• Fairfield Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Boylston Street
• Gloucester Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Boylston Street
• Hereford Street, Commonwealth Avenue to Boylston Street
• Dalton Street, Belvidere Street to Boylston Street
• Belvidere Street, Huntington Avenue to Dalton Street

8 AM - KENMORE SQUARE AREA

• Beacon Street, Park Drive to Commonwealth Avenue
• Brookline Avenue, Lansdowne Street to Commonwealth Avenue
• Newbury Street Extension, Brookline Avenue to Charlesgate West
• Commonwealth Avenue (inbound), from BU Bridge to Gloucester Street
• Commonwealth Avenue (outbound), Hereford Street to Deerfield Street
• Kenmore Street, Newbury Street Extension to Commonwealth Avenue (outbound)
• Raleigh Street, Beacon Street Extension to Commonwealth Avenue (outbound)

8:30 AM - BRIGHTON AREA

• Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street to Gloucester Street, and from the Newton City Line (Lake Street) to Chestnut Hill Avenue
• Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill Avenue to the Brookline town line (Cleveland Circle)
• Chestnut Hill Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue to Brookline town line (Ayr Road)

PARKING RESTRICTIONS

Parking will be restricted on several streets in the Back Bay on Monday, April 18, 2016. Parking will also be restricted on some streets several days in advance of the weekend to allow preparations to take place. Parking restrictions are as follows:

No Stopping April 6 to April 21

• Boylston Street (both sides)
• Exeter Street to Dartmouth Street
• Boylston Street
• From Dartmouth Street near the Copley Square Mall to Clarendon St
• Exeter Street (east side)
• Boylston Street to Blagden Street
• Blagden Street (south side)
• Huntington Avenue to Exeter Street

No Stopping April 11 to April 21

• Blagden Street (north side)
• Dartmouth Street to BPL Driveway

No Stopping April 13 to April 19

• Exeter Street (west side)
• Alley 441 to Boylston Street

No Stopping Friday, Saturday & Monday

• Boylston Street (both sides)
• Dalton Street to Arlington Street
• Exeter Street (both sides)
• Newbury Street to Huntington Avenue (except where otherwise posted)
• Dartmouth Street (both sides)
• Boylston Street to Newbury Street
• Trinity Place (both sides)
• St. James Avenue to Stuart Street

No Stopping Saturday to Monday

• Cambridge Street (both sides)
• Court Street to Sudbury Street excluding any active construction zones
• St. James Avenue (both sides)
• Dartmouth Street to Arlington Street

No Stopping Saturday & Monday

• Beacon Street (Boston Common side)
• Charles Street to Joy Street
• Boylston Street (both sides)
• Arlington Street to Charles Street
• Charles Street (both sides)
• Boylston Street to Beacon Street
• Columbus Avenue (south side)
• #162 Columbus Avenue to Arlington Street
• St. James Avenue (both sides)
• Berkeley Street to Dartmouth Street
• Stuart Street (both sides)
• Huntington Avenue to Arlington Street

No Stopping Monday

• Arlington Street (both sides)
• Beacon Street to Stuart Street
• Arlington Street (west side)
• Columbus Avenue to Isabella Street
• Beacon Street (both sides)
• Chestnut Hill Avenue to Brookline Line
• Beacon Street
• Brookline Line to Kenmore Square (inbound side)
• Bay State Road to Kenmore Square (both sides)
• Belvidere Street (both sides)
• Huntington Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue
• Berkeley Street (both sides)
• Columbus Avenue to Commonwealth Avenue
• Blagden Street (both sides)
• Huntington Avenue to Exeter Street
• Cambridge Street (west side)
• Court Street to Beacon Street / Tremont Street
• Chestnut Hill Avenue (both sides)
• Commonwealth Avenue to Beacon Street
• Clarendon Street (both sides)
• Commonwealth Avenue to Columbus Avenue
• Columbus Avenue (both sides)
• Arlington Street to Dartmouth (unless otherwise posted)
• Commonwealth Avenue (south side)
• Beacon Street (Kenmore Square) to 80' east of Hereford
• Commonwealth Avenue
• Lake Street to Chestnut Hill Avenue (inbound)
• Commonwealth Avenue
• Charlesgate West to Deerfield Street (outbound)
• Dalton Street (both sides)
• Boylston Street to Clearway Street
• Dartmouth Street (both sides)
• Newbury Street to Commonwealth Avenue
• Saint James Avenue to Columbus Avenue
• Deerfield Street (both sides)
• Commonwealth Avenue to Bay State Road
• Exeter Street (both sides)
• Commonwealth Avenue to Newbury Street
• Fairfield Street (both sides)
• Boylston Street to Commonwealth Avenue
• Gloucester Street (both sides)
• Commonwealth Avenue to Boylston Street
• Hereford Street (both sides)
• Commonwealth Avenue to Boylston Street
• Huntington Avenue (northwest side)
• Blagden Street to Massachusetts Avenue
• Kenmore Street (both sides)
• Newbury Street to Beacon Street
• Newbury Street (both sides)
• Arlington Street to Brookline Avenue over post any other temporary signs
• New Chardon Street (north side)
• Merrimac Street to Cambridge Street
• Providence Street (both sides)
• Arlington Street to Berkeley Street
• Raleigh Street (both sides)
• Bay State Road to Beacon Street
• Stanhope Street (both sides)
• Berkeley Street to Clarendon Street
• Scotia Street (both sides)
• Dalton Street to St. Cecilia Street
• St. Cecilia Street (both sides)
• Belvidere Street to Boylston Street
• Tremont Street (both sides)
• Cambridge Street to Stuart Street

No Stopping Monday Buses Only 10AM to 5PM

• Beacon Street (South side, Public Garden side), Charles Street to Arlington Street

The driver appears to have run a stop sign on Fiberloid Street at around 8:30 p.m., slamming into the side of a vehicle traveling down Berkshire Avenue.

SPRINGFIELD - Police have sought a criminal complaint against a driver accused of causing a crash Sunday night, then running away into a nearby cemetery.

The driver appears to have run a stop sign on Fiberloid Street at around 8:30 p.m., slamming into the side of a vehicle traveling down Berkshire Avenue. He then ran away from the scene into St. Aloysius Cemetery, where he was found soon after by police, said Sgt. Steven Wyszynski.

Wyszynski said the driver, whose name has not been released yet, will be summonsed to court. He complained of injuries and was taken to the hospital.

The other driver declined medical treatment at the scene, said Wyszynski.

Officer James McCullough was shot once in the left leg Sunday night.

PHILADELPHIA -- A Philadelphia police officer was wounded by gunfire Sunday trying to stop two men from stealing a car, then applied a tourniquet to his own leg to stop profuse bleeding, officials said.

Philadelphia police investigate the shooting of an officer Sunday night, April 17, 2016, while trying to apprehend a suspect in a car break-in, authorities said.CBS Philly 

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney visited him in the hospital.

"He looks good. And he's very strong," Kenney said.

The 24-year-old officer and his partner were flagged down Sunday night by a woman who told them that two men were breaking into her car. As they approached the woman's vehicle, two men got out and started to run away, police said.

"Officer McCullough tackled one of the males. Almost instantly he was shot in his left leg," said Commissioner Richard Ross.

Police said McCullough then fired three times at the suspect, who continued running, before tending to his own wounded thigh.

"It is important to point out that he applied a tourniquet himself because he was bleeding profusely," Ross said.

McCullough's partner drove him to the hospital, where he's listed in stable condition.

The suspects were taken into custody a short time later. Their names were not immediately released.

McCullough has been on the police force for two years. He's engaged to be married and has a 2-year-old daughter.

"This is what they do. It's a dangerous job. But they do it with pride and professionalism, and we're very proud of them," Ross said.

On Monday, Buell finished his first Boston Marathon – his second marathon ever – with a time of two hours and 45 minutes.

Growing up in Western Massachusetts, Jon Buell of Southampton would watch the Boston Marathon on television on Patriots' Day. When he was in high school and starting to run competitively, he thought the marathon distance was just too far.

"I thought people were crazy" to run it, Buell said.

On Monday, Buell finished his first Boston Marathon - his second marathon ever - with a time of two hours and 45 minutes.

"Growing up in Western Massachusetts, coming to the city, I'd watch it, and it's something that being a runner, especially in Massachusetts, it's almost something you have to do once in your life," Buell said.

"If you concentrate and work hard, really anyone can do it," Buell said. "It may take time but it's hard work and determination."

Buell, 32, works as a production manager for a woodworking company in Northampton. He has been running competitively for 16 years. He does it for the competition and for the healthy lifestyle of running, he said.

He qualified for the Boston Marathon when he ran the Chicago Marathon in 2014 with a time of two hours and 56 minutes. He has been training seriously for the last 16 weeks.

"The training, it's hard, especially in New England with the winters that we get. But this year was good to train," Buell said.

After competing the marathon, Buell was celebrating with his wife and other family members. He said he felt a little sore, a little dehydrated, and had some blisters.

Would he do it again?

"Maybe if you ask me that tomorrow I'd say yes," Buell said. "But right now, I have to think about that."

The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission and the Department of Public Works has listed projects for the week of April 18, in a weekly traffic advisory.

File photo 

SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission and Department of Public Works have released a list of projects for the week of April 18 that includes continued work on a main sewer interceptor project in the South End area.

The Water and Sewer Commission lists the following projects:

Long-Term Projects

Main Interceptor Rehabilitation Project

Short Term Projects

Water Pipe Replacement Project - Worthington Street from Spring Street to Sackett Place. Worthington Street will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow.

Sewer Rehabilitation Project, Main Street and Union Street - Lane shifts on Main Street from Union Street to State Street. Union Street from East Columbus Avenue to Main Street will be closed to through traffic intermittently throughout the project depending upon the work that is underway. When road closure is required, eastbound traffic will be detoured to East Columbus Avenue and State Street, and westbound traffic will be detoured to Main Street and Fremont Street.

The Department of Public Works lists the following projects:

Utility work

Leatherleaf Circle - From Leatherleaf Drive to easterly 515 feet.
Ludlow St. - From Worcester Street to Oak Street.
Talcott St. - From Plainfield Street to Fisk Avevue.

Sidewalk Work

Old Hill, Metro Center Forest Park and East Forest Park

"I'm looking at it. I have an interest," Theroux, a Democrat and well-known Agawam public official, said Monday.

AGAWAM — City Councilor Richard M. Theroux has filed intentions with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance to run for the 3rd Hampden district seat held by state Rep. Nicholas A. Boldyga, R-Southwick.

"I'm looking at it. I have an interest," Theroux, a Democrat and well-known Agawam public official, told The Republican on Monday.

The seven-term city councilor was also Agawam's longtime clerk. Theroux served six consecutive terms on the council – three of those terms as president and one as vice president – before becoming clerk in 1983. He left that position in January to begin his seventh term on the Agawam City Council.

Now, the 63-year-old is eyeing Beacon Hill. And he's glad to have the support of some of Hampden County's top Democrats, he said, including U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. and District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni.

Theroux wants to "do the job, not just have the job," he said, vowing to be an active representative for 3rd district residents in Agawam, Southwick and Granville.

The veteran Agawam official first entered public life at the age of 18, when he ran for a seat as a Town Meeting member. He was elected to the City Council the following year.

Theroux earned a bachelor's degree from Western New England University. He taught history in the Springfield school system and was an adjunct professor at Springfield Community College before entering local government.

While serving as Agawam clerk, Theroux also served as president of the Western Massachusetts City and Town Clerks Association of Massachusetts. He is a former chairman and member of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority and Paratransit Authority, and a former board chairman for the Agawam Senior Center. He currently serves as a member on the Agawam High School track and field and building renovation committee.

For the past 16 years, Theroux has served as a member and chairman of the Hampden County Retirement Board, investing a portfolio of over $300 million.

On the Facebook page announcing his candidacy for state representative, Theroux states that he has "a deep connection to the area and its people," having lived in Agawam all of his life.

Theroux and his wife, Carol, have been married for 39 years and have two children, Katharine and Michael. He is also a volunteer at a Springfield homeless shelter, where he and his wife have mentored local teenagers for years. The Theroux family often refers to the teens as part of their "extended family," the candidate said.

On his campaign website, Theroux also claims to have the support of current Agawam Mayor Richard A. Cohen and former city mayors Susan Dawson and Christopher C. Johnson; a majority of the City Council; four of the six School Committee members, including Cohen, who chairs the panel; and several former state representatives.

Theroux said he has not heard about any other potential candidates for the 3rd Hampden seat. Boldyga, who last year earned almost $70,000 as a state lawmaker, has represented the district since 2011. A primary is scheduled for September, followed by an election in November.

Lee Hutchins Sr. of Daytona Street in Springfield has said police pepper-sprayed and hit him with a baton while he was trying to break up a fight between officers and his sons that arose from a domestic dispute in 2013. Hutchins has filed a lawsuit in federal court.

SPRINGFIELD -- The city and three police officers are being sued in federal court for $500,000 after the plaintiff claimed police pepper-sprayed his eyes and beat him with batons while he was trying to defuse a domestic melee.

Lee Hutchins Sr. of Daytona Street alleges three officers, Daniel McKay, Felix Romero and Thomas Hervieux, ganged up on him Jan. 20, 2013.

That night, Hutchins' two adult sons, Lee Jr. and Keith Hutchins, were living at his home, according to the complaint. Just after midnight, the mother of Lee Hutchins Jr.'s 2-year-old arrived at the house, demanding to take the child back, the court record states.

It is unclear at this time what, if any, custody agreement was in place.

"Police went to the home, rang the doorbell, and woke up all occupants at the request of the child's mother," according to the complaint. Hutchins Sr. told the patrolmen at his door that he would rouse the child from sleep and bring him down, court records state.

"Defendants McKay and Montero did not wait for the child to be brought downstairs," the complaint says.

McKay and Romero "unlawfully, without consent and absent any emergency" ascended the stairs of the home to retrieve the 2-year-old, according to the complaint. Lee Hutchins Jr. and the child were sleeping.

Hutchins Jr. and the woman then became embroiled in a dispute over the child, and Romero "used force" to attempt to take him away, court documents state. Keith Hutchins began trying to defend his brother and police stepped in, according to accounts.

"During the ensuing altercation, (Hutchins Sr.) attempted to assist the police in taking his two sons in custody in the hopes this would de-escalate the situation."

McKay pepper-sprayed Hutchins Sr. in the face, according to the complaint.

Lawyers for the city and police department have denied the allegations in court. Police Sgt. John M. Delaney, a spokesman for the police department, said McKay is a "dedicated K-9 officer."

The pepper spray attack on Hutchins Sr. was "unjustified" and caused him pain and temporary blindness, said his lawyer, Luke Ryan.

The complaint added that Hervieux unnecessarily thumped Hutchins with a police baton.

"Despite the fact that plaintiff was suffering the effects of the pepper spray and posed no threat to any of the officers, defendant Hervieux struck plaintiff twice with his baton, knocking plaintiff to the ground," it states.

Hutchins Sr. was hauled off to police headquarters for booking along with his two sons.

The lawsuit alleges excessive force, false arrest and other constitutional violations.

The lawsuit also states McKay falsified a police report; Hutchins Sr., 49, was charged with assault and battery of a police officer and resisting arrest. He was acquitted by a jury in 2014. His sons pleaded guilty to assault and battery and resisting arrest. They were sentenced to probation, Ryan said.

Ryan said Hutchins is standing up not only for himself but also for others. The lawsuit also names the city of Springfield and criticizes a pattern the plaintiff believes indicates the city does not properly train its police officers.

"My client brought this complaint not only for him because he was harmed, but to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else," Ryan said.

Also included in the complaint is a reference to a YouTube.com video clip showing McKay trying to quell an unruly downtown bar crowd. It appears to depict him smacking a woman in the face after another had shot her in the eyes with pepper spray. Another officer threatens to confiscate a cellphone from someone else taking a video of the 2011 incident.

Hutchins Sr.'s complaint states an anonymous allegation of excessive force was lodged with the department around Oct. 13, 2011, but no disciplinary action ensued.

Delaney confirmed that the complaint did not prompt disciplinary action against any of the officers.

Hervieux was among a group of officers sued for excessive force once before in U.S. District Court in 2004. That lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge.

Published reports show McKay was attacked and choked while responding to a domestic incident in 2010. His attacker was Jose Delrio, whose ex-wife, Marilyn Rivera, and two daughters were brutally murdered three years earlier by Rivera's new husband.

When McKay stepped up onto Delrio's porch, Delrio rushed McKay and choked him nearly to the point of blacking out, investigators said at the time. McKay and another officer were able to fend him off; Delrio was later sentenced to two years in jail.

The council will instead meet in regular session April 28.

WESTFIELD - Vacation plans by several of its members has prompted the City Council to postpone its April 21 regular meeting to April 28.

This week marks the annual spring break for public schools and several City Councilors apparently scheduled vacations as well, city officials said.

Council President Brent B. Bean II said "a handful of councilors indicated they planned to be away on vacation this week. There was really nothing pressing on the agenda so we opted to postpone the regular meeting to April 28."

The City Council meets in regular session every first and third Thursday of the month except during July and August.