Police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with a Saturday morning shooting that resulted in the lockdown of a local hospital.

PITTSFIELD ‒ Police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with a Saturday morning shooting that resulted in the lockdown of a local hospital.

Officers responded to reports of shots fired on Hull Avenue just before 11:45 a.m., according to Pittsfield Police Sgt. John Soules.

Witnesses reportedly told police that the suspect fled to the Medical Arts Complex at Berkshire Medical Center, causing the hospital to go into lockdown.

While officers searched the building, they received information that the individual was on Second Street, where police arrested Dylan Ducharme, of Pittsfield, without incident, Soules said.

No one was injured in the reported shooting. It was unclear whether the shots fired caused any damage or if a gun had been recovered, according to police.

State Police from the Cheshire Barracks and the Berkshire County Sheriff's Department provided assistance to local law enforcement.

Ducharme will be arraigned on Monday.

Bad luck followed one group of students heading to Natick High School prom on Friday the 13th.

NATICK, Mass. (AP) -- Bad luck followed a group of teenagers heading to the prom on Friday the 13th as the limousine they were riding in caught fire.

WFXT-TV reports the Natick High School students from Massachusetts smelled smoke in the white stretch limousine around 6 p.m. Friday.

Good luck returned when the 10 teens and the driver escaped the limo unharmed before it burst into flames.

It's unclear what caused the blaze. Natick police tweeted the limo "might be evil" because the fire later rekindled.

.@NatickFire on the rekindle. Car might be evil pic.twitter.com/j9F9mcI5aD

-- Natick Police (@NATICKPOLICE) May 14, 2016

One student suggested the bad fortune was a result of it being Friday the 13th. The students said it was scary but also "kind of cool."

The teens did make it to the prom; they caught a ride on a passing trolley also headed there.

Limo fire Natick Ma off duty fire fighter already on scene @fox25news @7News pic.twitter.com/wI5hdhuKxC

-- Kiat Cormier (@KFC400) May 13, 2016

MORE PROM 2016: See all the latest Massachusetts prom photos

Thousands filled downtown Springfield Saturday to dine on pancakes, enjoy local entertainment and soak up the sun as part of the city's annual "World's Largest Pancake Breakfast."

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Thousands filled downtown Springfield Saturday to dine on pancakes, enjoy local entertainment and soak up the sun as part of the city's annual "World's Largest Pancake Breakfast."

The event, sponsored by MGM Springfield and organized by the Spirit of Springfield, offered attendees the opportunity to dine along a breakfast table that stretched down the center of Main Street, as well as featured live music and other family-friendly activities.

Mayor Domenic Sarno, who joined MGM Springfield President and COO Mike Mathis and others for the breakfast's "Dunk Tank Challenge," reflected on the event and its turnout.

"Thousands and thousands of people in downtown Springfield of all creeds, colors and backgrounds, all across Western Mass. No issues at all, family fun, beautiful weather," he said in an interview. "I love these events."

Sarno thanked Spirit of Springfield and other benefactors behind the breakfast, which he contended "shows the mosaic of harmony of the city of Springfield -- the good of the city of Springfield."

Among those attending the event, was Ricky Golden, of Springfield, who said he came out to the breakfast to celebrate his 49th birthday with his 7-year-old niece.

Golden said he attends the breakfast every year and praised the community aspect of the event.

"It's good, very good. You get to see a lot of people, enjoy good times, (it's) a good day," he said, touting the sunny and warm weather at this year's event.

Jill Legates, 42, of Springfield, also said she has long-attended the pancake breakfast.

"I'm pretty sure I was at the first one, 30 years ago," she said. "We've been coming for a long time."

Legates, who brought her two kids to the breakfast, added that "it's good to come out, good to support the city, good to have a little fun and eat pancakes."

Tony Whalen, 55, of Holyoke, meanwhile, said this year marked his first time attending the annual breakfast event.

"I think it's fantastic, how can you beat this?" he said.

The annual pancake breakfast celebrates the city's May 14, 1636 founding, according to Spirit of Springfield.

The meal featured pancakes, bacon, coffee, juice and milk at the cost of $3 for adults and $1 for children.

On June 25, 1997, Blanco-Dominguez was allegedly one of four masked men who held two women and two children at knifepoint in a Connecticut home. They engaged police in a 30-minute standoff and three were eventually captured.

BOXBOROUGH - A fugitive from Lawrence has been arrested 19 years after eluding police who responded to an armed hostage situation in Connecticut.

Jose Manuel Blanco-Dominguez, 57, is charged as a fugitive from justice. He was arrested Saturday morning during a traffic stop on Massachusetts Avenue. Police say he gave an alias, but the officer wasn't fooled.

On June 25, 1997, Blanco-Dominguez was allegedly one of four masked men who held two women and two children at knifepoint in a Connecticut home. They engaged police in a 30-minute standoff and three were eventually captured. Police say Blanco-Dominguez jumped out a window and escaped into nearby woods.

Boxborough Police Chief Warren B. Ryder singled out Sgt. Brett Pelley for praise.

"A less experienced officer may have mistaken the suspect's alias as valid, but thanks to the smart detective work by a seasoned law enforcement veteran like Sgt. Pelley, we were able to take this dangerous individual into custody," said Ryder.

Blanco-Dominguez is being held without bail pending arraignment at Ayer District Court.

A Pan Am Railways train derailed shortly after 3 p.m.

CHARLEMONT - Multiple police and fire departments are responding to a train derailment on Route 8A.

A Pan Am Railways train derailed shortly after 3 p.m.

It's not clear yet if anyone is injured, but there are early reports of a fire in one of the train cars.

This is a developing story and the details may change. Stay with The Republican/MassLive for more information as it becomes available.

Police are seeking more information regarding the early morning death of a 16-year-old city boy who was struck by a vehicle on St. James Avenue Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Police are seeking more information regarding the early morning death of a 16-year-old city boy who was struck by a vehicle on St. James Avenue Saturday.

Springfield police responded to reports of a pedestrian accident at the corner of St. James Avenue and Montclair Street just after 2:30 a.m. Arriving officers found a badly injured male laying in the middle of the road, who bystanders were removing from beneath a 2011 Nissan, Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney said in a Facebook post.

Officers took over first aid, until EMTs arrived on scene and rushed the unidentified boy to Baystate Medical Center, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

An investigation into the incident found that a motor vehicle was traveling southbound on St. James Avenue near Montclair Street when it stopped in the middle of the road to avoid hitting the young male, who was reportedly laying in the street.

Another car traveling in the same direction proceeded around the vehicle, not seeing the boy in the road, striking and dragging him over 300 feet, Delaney reported.

The driver, a 41-year-old Chicopee woman, stopped her vehicle, and with help used a jack to raise her car. According to police, the woman was shaken over the incident, but cooperated with investigators.

She has not been charged with anything related to the incident at this time, Delaney said.

Investigators are searching for the driver of the first car, who left the scene following the incident, to get more information as to how the male victim ended up in the middle of the road.

Witnesses reportedly said three other males were around the immediate vicinity at the time of the incident but fled shortly thereafter, according to police. It's possible that the victim ended up in the road as a result of some type of activity with these males, who are described as ranging from 16 to 20 years old, Delaney said.

Officers are asking the driver to contact the Springfield Police Department and share any information they may have. The three males are also being asked to come forward.

Police reported finding a sneaker belonging to the victim and a blue Diamondback bicycle, which may have belonged to him, as well.

Springfield Police will not release the victim's name until Monday morning, Delaney said. The investigation in ongoing.

Eight people died when a charter bus carrying gamblers to a casino rolled over and crashed. Forty-four others were hurt and taken to local hospitals.

LAREDO, Texas (AP) -- Federal authorities on Sunday will begin to investigate what caused a charter bus headed to a casino to crash in far South Texas, killing eight people and injuring 44 others in a one-vehicle rollover, officials said.

Seven people died at the scene Saturday on U.S. Highway 83 about 46 miles north of Laredo and another died later at a Laredo hospital, Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Conrad Hein said.

"The driver of the bus lost control and rolled over," he said. "Everything's real preliminary right now."

Hein said the driver was among the survivors. His name and the names of passengers were not immediately available, Hein said.

The trooper said it was raining Saturday morning but it was uncertain if that was a factor in the crash that occurred just before 11:30 a.m. He said no other vehicles were in the area at the time.

"Our troopers are going to look into what happened but it's going to take us some time," he said of the investigation. "We just know the driver lost control."

The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday night it was sending a team to also investigate the wreck. They were expected to arrive Sunday.

Webb County Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ricardo Rangel told the Laredo Morning Times the bus belonged to OGA Charters was headed to a casino in Eagle Pass, about 125 miles northwest of Laredo. The bus company is based in San Juan, in Hidalgo County in Texas' Rio Grande Valley. A message left at the bus company Saturday was not immediately returned.

Hein said 23 people were taken to Doctors Hospital in Laredo, where the eighth victim died. Fifteen were taken to Laredo Medical Center. Seven were taken to a Dimmit County hospital in Carrizo Springs.

Priscilla Salinas, a spokeswoman for Laredo Medical Center, said bus passengers being treated there were in stable condition. She said she could share no additional information.

The highway at the accident scene was reopened by early evening. Laredo about 150 miles southwest of San Antonio.

The crash is one of the deadliest bus accidents in Texas in the last several years. In January 2015, two state corrections officers and eight inmates were killed after their Texas Department of Criminal Justice bus struck a piece of displaced highway guardrail west of Odessa. The bus fell about 20 feet before striking a Union Pacific freight train that happened to be passing beneath the highway. Last Thursday, the NTSB concluded that the wreck was caused by the bus hitting the guardrail piece.

Seventeen passengers died in 2008 near Sherman when their bus plunged over a highway bridge on their way to a religious retreat in Missouri. The NTSB blamed that crash on a retreaded tire on the right front axle that was punctured by an unknown object.

Although the retread itself wasn't the cause, the panel noted that the tire was affixed to the front axle illegally, the bus company didn't have the authority to leave Texas after failing an inspection three months earlier, and the company that inspected the bus wasn't equipped to judge whether it was roadworthy. The owner of the Houston bus company was charged with making false statements but avoided prison in 2014 after a federal judge sentenced him to three years of probation in a plea agreement.

Friends and family cheered Bay Path University graduates at the MassMutual Center in Springfield this afternoon. It was a packed house gathered to celebrate the largest of the institutions 119 commencements where there were 948 announced graduates.

Friends and family cheered Bay Path University graduates at the MassMutual Center in Springfield Saturday afternoon. It was a packed house gathered to celebrate the largest of the institution's 119 commencements, with 948 announced graduates.

2016 graduate Elizabeth Haylette was presented the Eagle Award for her significant positive impact on the Bay Path community and Luz Rivera was bestowed with the Pathfinder Award for exhibiting leadership, compassion, perseverance, and integrity as a role model for all adult women who dream of graduating from college.

Enfield author Jim Trelease was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree for his extraordinary achievements as an author.

Kirk Arnold, CEO of Data Intensity, also received the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree for her extraordinary achievements in leadership.

An inaugural inductee into Bay Path's 21st Century Women Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2004, she also served as the commencement speaker. Ms. Arnold inspired attendees with her story of learning how to succeed and how to surround yourself with the right people to help you succeed.

Following the presentation and remarks, Bay Path's graduating class of 2016 triumphantly crossed the stage to receive their diplomas.

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse said he wants all parts of the city to have renovated and safe parks like Pina Park in the Flats Neighborhood, where $150,000 in federal funds was used to install new playground equipment to be unveiled June 2, 2016.

HOLYOKE -- Dancing and a mural will be presented, but the star on June 2 will be $150,000 in new playground equipment in a ceremony at Pina Park in the Flats Neighborhood.

"I've spent a lot of time in this neighborhood and around the Flats over the years, having conversations with people and their families. After hearing strong interest in improving this park, I made the decision to invest 'CDBG' funds to improve the area," Mayor Alex B. Morse said Friday.

Morse referred to the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds the city used to pay for the colorful new slides, step and climbing areas and swing-sets at the park at Center and East Dwight streets.

"I have made investing in parks and quality of life improvements a core pillar of my administrations agenda, and I'm happy we can add Pina Park to that list. All families and all neighborhoods deserve access to quality parks and safe public spaces," Morse said.

The ceremony to mark the removal of the old structures and installation of the new equipment will be at 3:30 p.m. on June 2. The event will be held the next day at the same time if postponed because of bad weather, said Terry Shepard, director of the city Parks and Recreation Department.

El Grupo Folklorico el Coqui, led by Norma Rodriguez, will perform cultural dances, she said.

Students in the Service Learning Club at Dean Technical High School created a mural that the Connections after school program will unveil and which will be installed at the park, she said.

The Holyoke Boys and Girls Club will offer "a sumptuous and refreshing treat" for children, she said.

Readers reacted strongly to the Friendly's news.

SPRINGFIELD -- Could you go for a Fribble right about now?

How about a Big Beef or a Fishamijig?

Friendly's, and its decision to sell off its ice cream factory and retail business devoured attention this week. With company co-founder S. Prestley Blake and his life-size replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello making a cameo.

Here are five business stories you might have missed:

1) Friendly's sells retail ice cream and manufacturing; new owner promises to keep Wilbraham factory

Friendly's Ice Cream announced Monday night that it has sold its retail ice cream and manufacturing business to Dallas-based Dean Foods Co. for $155 million in cash.

Your comments: Friendly's sells ice cream manufacturing and distribution to Dean Foods

Friendly's sale: What is Dean Foods and what does it want with the Western Mass ice cream brand?

Sale of Friendly's Ice Cream plant to Dean Foods puts focus on restaurants

The company's 101-year-old co-founder had this to say:

Friendly's co-founder S. Prestley Blake buys into Dean Foods now that it owns part of his 'baby'

2) Photos: Friendly's co-founder S. Prestley Blake's Monticello replica to go to auction

Historians estimate that Thomas Jefferson spent about $100,461 to build Monticello over 28 years. That number doesn't count goods and services bartered and traded or grown and gathered on site, and does not count the cost of feeding and clothing Jefferson's slave labor, according to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.

Adjusted for inflation from 1800 dollars, that works out to about $1.3 million.

3) Less bang for your buck: Firearm suppressor demand drives DaVinci Arms of Ludlow into silencer market

DaVinci Arms, at Ludlow Mills, has participated in Valley Venture Mentors startup advising programs and is now competing for investment capital in the Valley Venture Mentors Accelerator program.

and

Silencers are golden: Florence's Yankee Hill Machine grows with demand for its firearms suppressors, accessories

Yankee Hill is also active in efforts to get suppressors made legal in the state.

4) Business leaders: Springfield poised for renaissance, but only if region seizes opportunities

A panel of business leaders spoke for an hour Wednesday to more than 400 people at a Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce breakfast.

5) Why have MBTA Green Line cars been spotted on the Mass. Pike?

They are on their way either out to Hornell, New York, for repairs so that they may once again ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston.

While the Republican Party has named Donald Trump its presumptive nominee, Democratic White House hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders continued their primary fight this week.

While the Republican Party has named Donald Trump its presumptive nominee, Democratic White House hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders continued their primary fight this week.

Despite trailing the Democratic front-runner in pledged and unpledged delegates, Sanders, who has vowed to stay in the race until the convention, claimed victory in another primary, keeping his presidential dreams alive.

Clinton, who continued to pick up delegates despite the loss, meanwhile, continued to focus her attacks on Trump.

The Democrat, however, was not the only one turning her attention to the billionaire businessman this week.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who recently left the GOP contest, took subtle jabs at the party's presumptive nominee, saying the president should be a figure that children can look up to. He further floated the idea of re-entering the race if a path to victory presents itself.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee, and others meanwhile, were reportedly working behind the scenes to run a third-party candidate to take out Trump in the general election.

Other party leaders, including U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, meanwhile, worked on efforts to rally behind the presumptive nominee.

Here's what happened in presidential politics this week:

Cruz hinted that he may relaunch his Republican White House bid.

Despite dropping out of the Republican presidential race last week the Texas senator said Tuesday that he would re-enter the contest if a path to victory presents itself.

Cruz, during a "Glenn Beck Program" interview, said while he doesn't expect to win primaries moving forward, he would re-launch his bid if his campaign had a chance at winning the Republican Party's nomination.

"I am not holding my breath, my assumption is that that will not happen. But listen, let's be very clear: if there is a path to victory, we'd launch the campaign intending to win," he said when asked if he would jump back into the race pending a victory in Nebraska's primary. "The reason we suspended the race last week is with Indiana's loss I didn't see a viable path to victory. If that changes, we will certainly respond accordingly."

Trump won primaries in Nebraska, West Virginia; Sanders was victorious in West Virginia's primary.

The billionaire businessman picked up wins in Nebraska and West Virginia's Republican primaries Tuesday, putting him nearly 70 delegates closer to clinching the GOP nomination.

With Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich out of the race, Trump won West Virginia with 77 percent of the vote and Nebraska with 61 percent.

On the Democratic side of the race, meanwhile, Sanders kept his White House dreams alive, winning West Virginia with 51 percent of the vote to Clinton's 36 percent.

Despite the Vermont senator's large margin victory, he picked up just 18 delegates, while Clinton added 11.

Elizabeth Warren blasted Trump's "goofy" nickname for her, and again ripped him in a series of tweets.

The outspoken Democrat questioned whether "Goofy Warren" was the best moniker he could think of during a Wednesday interview with Mic's Zeeshan Aleem.

"Really? That's the best you could come up with? Come on, I thought Donald Trump said he was a guy who was good with words," she said.

Trump, in response to Warren's comments, took to Twitter where he doubled down on his nickname for the Massachusetts Democrat and blasted her record in the U.S. Senate.

Isn't it funny when a failed Senator like goofy Elizabeth Warren can spend a whole day tweeting about Trump & gets nothing done in Senate?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2016

Trump's tweet sparked yet another social media feud between the two.

.@realDonaldTrump: Your policies are dangerous. Your words are reckless. Your record is embarrassing. And your free ride is over.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) May 11, 2016

If it were up to goofy Elizabeth Warren, we'd have no jobs in America--she doesn't have a clue.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2016

Vice President Joe Biden discussed why he did not pursue a 2016 White House bid, but said he would've been "the best president."

The vice president, who abandoned his White House plans following the 2015 death of eldest son Beau, stood by his decision to keep out of the contest, but offered that he likely would've been the best for the position, during an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America."

"I planned on running. It's an awful thing to say, I think I would've been the best president, but it was the right thing, not just for my family; for me," he said. "No one should ever seek the presidency unless they're able to devote their whole heart and soul and passion into just doing that. And, Beau was my soul: I just wasn't ready to be able to do that."

Although he touted the idea of his would-be presidency, the vice president predicted that Clinton will be named the Democratic nominee and win the White House in November.

DNC leaders told reporters that the drawn-out primary fight between Clinton and Sanders is "energizing" the Democratic Party.

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, during a Wednesday afternoon conference call with reporters, said while the Democratic rivals have begun to use more pointed language against each other, exit polls suggest that the primary battle is energizing voters.

The DNC chair added that although a Democratic nominee has yet to be selected, she's confident the party will not fall into what she characterized as the "chaos" seen on the Republican side of the race.

"The last few primaries that we've had, the exit polls have shown that our voters really overwhelmingly believe that this primary has actually energized them and made them motivated for either one of our candidates," she told reporters.

Speaker Ryan and Trump met to hash out their differences.

Following a Thursday meeting at the Republican National Committee's headquarters in Washington, D.C., Ryan and Trump issued a joint statement stressing the importance of party unity heading into the November general election.

Although the two Republicans, who took jabs at each other late last week, acknowledged their "few differences," they made clear that there are "many important areas of common ground."

"We will be having additional discussions, but remain confident there's a great opportunity to unify our party and win this fall, and we are totally committed to working together to achieve that goal," Trump and Ryan said in the statement.

Although "encouraged" by the discussion, Ryan refrained from endorsing the presumptive GOP nominee.

Clinton took aim at Trump's refusal to release tax returns.

The former first lady's campaign released an online video Saturday blasting the presumptive GOP nominee's failure to release his tax returns until he reportedly finishes being audited.

Entitled, "What's Donald Trump Hiding?," the minute-long ad features a series of clips in which interviewers ask if he plans to release the documents, and accuses him of coming up with "excuses."

The video came just days after Clinton, during a New Jersey rally, mocked Trump for suggesting he would not release his tax returns before the November election.

"Because when you're running for president and you become the nominee, that's kind of expected," she said, according to the New York Times. "So you've got to ask yourself, why doesn't he want to release them?"

Romney, others reportedly sought to derail Trump's White House bid.

Republicans, including the former Massachusetts governor, are undertaking efforts to draft an independent candidate who could keep the billionaire businessman from winning the presidency, the Washington Post reported Saturday.

Romney and others are commissioning private polling, lining up funding sources and courting potential contenders, including freshman Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and Kasich, among others, according to the news outlet.

The Springfield school transportation budget proposal is $29.3 million in fiscal 2017, an increase of 8 percent. City Council President Michael Fenton called the amount an "annual budget buster."

SPRINGFIELD -- City Council President Michael Fenton said the nearly $30 million annual cost of school bus transportation is an annual "budget buster," and he wants to reopen discussion with state officials about providing some financial help.

The proposed $394.4 million school budget for next fiscal year includes $29.3 million earmarked for school transportation. That reflects an increase of 8 percent over the current budget to transport students to and from school by bus or van.

"In my estimation, it's just spiraling out of control," Fenton said during a budget hearing last week at City Hall. "It's an annual budget buster."

Local officials have called for state funding relief in the past, arguing that some of the busing costs are the results of state mandates.

The city is bound by state laws to transport students with special needs out of the Springfield district if program needs are not available in the city. Springfield also faces costs related to transporting homeless children to and from city schools and shelters outside the city, according to comments last year from the city's chief administrative and financial officer, Timothy J. Plante.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick said in an interview that the busing cost is very expensive, and a key factor is the need to comply with unfunded state mandates for very expensive special education transportation, as well as homeless transportation.

"I share the frustration of the City Council," Warwick said.

Warwick and School Budget Director Patrick Roach said that new charter schools and the expansion of charter schools is a key factor in the increased cost for school transportation.

There is a need to add bus routes to transport students to new and expanded charter schools in addition to tradition schools in the city, they said. In addition, the charter schools are spread in neighborhoods across the city and their schedules differ from the other schools, adding to the expense, officials said.

Fenton asked Councilor Bud L. Williams to schedule meetings of his State and Federal Relations Committee to address the concerns about the potential for state aid for bus transportation.

The school budget was approved by the School Committee recently, but the City Council has authority over the school transportation budget, funded by the municipal side of the budget.

Fenton, in raising concerns about the cost of school transportation -- $29.3 million -- said that in comparison the total Police Department budget this year is just over $40 million.

The $29.3 million budget for school transportation for the fiscal year beginning July 1 includes $10.5 million for regular transportation, $14.2 million for special education transportation, $832,384 for special education summer transportation, and $765,419 for homeless transportation, according to a breakdown provided by Roach.

There are 9,741 students in regular transportation (public schools, parochial and charter), and 2,436 in special education transportation, and 136 in special education wheelchair (in-city), and 128 in special education out-of-district, 1,734 in public transportation, 222 homeless (in-district and out-of-district), and four students (wheelchair out-of-district), according to statistics provided by Roach.

Under federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, children can attend their school of origin outside of Springfield if they become homeless. The city does receive some reimbursement for transportation of homeless students, Warwick said.

Having someone damage your car in a parking lot is a frustrating thing to happen to anyone. One man parked in a North Reading lot Saturday afternoon not only felt the impact as someone clipped by BMW, but he saw the driver who did it take off. Watch video

NORTH READING -- Having someone damage your car in a parking lot is a frustrating thing to happen to anyone. One man parked in a North Reading lot Saturday afternoon not only felt the impact as someone clipped his BMW, but he saw the driver who did it take off.

North Reading Police released a YouTube video of the hit and run. The video shows the BMW driver get out and raise his arms in the air as the driver who struck him takes off.

The incident took place at the 90 Main Street plaza around 3:45 p.m. Police are hoping to locate the green, older model Ford Explorer involved in the hit and run.

The driver of the Explorer doesn't stop and drove away heading north on Main Street.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (978)-664-3131 or by email at socialmedia@nrpd.org.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Bonnie Roberts 

Bonnie L. (Hitchcock) Roberts, 66, of Springfield, passed away on Thursday. She was born in Pittsfield. She retired as director of Human Resources of the May Institute. She and her husband were former foster parents to over 100 children, mostly dedicating their family and home to keeping sibling groups together. She enjoyed music, traveling, crafts (especially knitting) and surrounding herself with loving friends and family. She was also very active with the American Legion Auxiliary.

Full obituary and funeral arrangements for Bonnie Roberts »

The church closed in 2008.

This story has been updated to say demolition could begin as soon as Monday.

NORTH ADAMS - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield will demolish a church which has been vacant for eight years after bricks and masonry fell from the steeple to the sidewalk below.

On Thursday, hours after building debris was found on the sidewalk in front of next to St. Francis of AssisChurch, on Union and Eagle streets, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield hired Bernie Hunt of Barry Engineers to examine the condition of the church.

"His inspection found serious structural issues with the steeple. Additionally buttresses show signs of failing which would compromise the lateral support for the walls of the church," Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the diocese, said.

The next day the city's building inspector issued an order declaring the church unsafe and the walkways surrounding the church were closed.

Yesterday the structural engineers returned. Because of concerns of high winds on Saturday night and Sunday, they asked North Adams Police to close off part of Eagle Street to ensure no one is hurt if more debris falls, Dupont said.

Diocesan officials are now working with the city to bring in specialized equipment and tear down the church steeple as soon as possible. The rest of the building will also be razed after the steeple is removed, he said.

Demolition could begin as soon as Monday, Dupont said.

"The diocesan structural engineer has determined given the scope of the serious conditions, the only recourse is demolition," Dupont said.

St. Francis was one of four parishes which were closed in 2008 as part of church consolidation in the city. The four then joined together to created St. Elizabeth of Hungry Parish, which worships in the former St. Anthony Church. That building was selected because of its central location, good condition and availability of parking, he said.

Built in 1863, St. Francis is the oldest church in North Adams. There have been multiple efforts to sell or reuse the building over the past eight years. The most recent plan to sell the church to a private developer who wanted to tear down the building and turn it into a CVS pharmacy fell through about two years ago.

At the time a citizens group also formed to try to save the church.

Diocesan officials have known for some time the church steeple was in poor condition, Dupont said.

"We have been keeping a close eye on it. We have been concerned," he said

Obama made history speaking at Rutgers' 250th anniversary commencement before more than 50,000 people. Watch video

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- President Barack Obama used his speech at Rutgers University's commencement Sunday to praise the 250-year-old school, while slamming the "anti-intellectualism" in American politics.

"If you were listening to today's political debate, you might wonder where this strain of anti-intellectualism came from," Obama said. "In politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue."

Without directly referencing presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Obama dismissed the candidate's calls to build a wall across the Mexican border and ban Muslims from entering the country.

In a thinly-veiled rebuke of Trump, Obama said isolationist policies run counter to the nation's history as a melting pot.

"That's how we became America. Why would we want to stop it now?" Obama said. "Can't do it."    

Obama is the first sitting president to speak at a Rutgers, the nation's eighth oldest university. His appearance was a coup for Rutgers, which worked for years with New Jersey lawmakers to try to secure the president to speak in honor of the school's 250^th anniversary.

"Today, he chose you," Greg Brown, head of the Rutgers Board of Governors, told the cheering graduates. "He chose Rutgers."

Many universities try to invite the president to their commencement ceremonies. But, Rutgers was persistent, Obama said.

"I came here because you asked," Obama said. "You are the first to launch a three-year campaign ... I even got three notes from the grandmother of your student body president. And I have to say, that really sealed the deal."

Obama also praised the mix of races and cultures at Rutgers, which has one of the most racially diverse student bodies in the nation.

"America converges here," Obama said. 

The president spoke before more than 50,000 people in High Point Solutions Stadium on Rutgers' Busch Campus in Piscataway. Dressed in scarlet red Rutgers robes, Obama grinned as he was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree.

He delighted the graduates by referencing the fat sandwiches sold at Rutgers' grease trucks, the crowded campus buses and the debate over whether to call New Jersey's favorite breakfast sandwiches Taylor Ham or pork roll.

But, Obama's presence also complicated the commencement ceremony. Unlike previous years, Rutgers students were limited to one ticket for themselves and three guest tickets. Nearly 130 members of media covered the ceremony.

Extensive security meant many of the 10,500 graduates seated on the field and 40,000 guests in the stands began lining up five hours or more before the ceremony to get through metal detectors and gates manned by Secret Service guards armed with automatic weapons.

How Rutgers landed a presidential speech

Others guests and graduates missed the start of the ceremony because they were delayed in extensive traffic jams or overcrowded shuttle buses trying to get to the stadium. Some graduates got out of their cars on Route 18 and walked to the campus in their caps and gowns to make it the ceremony on time.

For many, the inconvenience was worth it to be part of a historic occasion.

"It's amazing that, of all people, the President of the United States is speaking on this monumental day," said Salah Shaikh, a graduate from Hillsborough. "It's huge for the university and it really changes our reputation." 

Graduates from Rutgers' New Bruswick campus spent hours sitting on the field under cloudy skies and in blustery winds awaiting the president. Rutgers-Newark and Rutgers-Camden graduates, who have ceremonies on their campuses later in the week, were given tickets to sit in the stands.

The ceremony ended just before heavy rain fell on the stadium.

"I'm just excited to be here," said Michael Ganoot, 30, a Rutgers Law School graduate who campus officials said is the only graduate this year from Obama's native Hawaii. "I'm just thrilled to see him speak."

Thomas Frusciano, Rutgers' university archivist, said the commencement was both the largest ceremony in the school's history and a historic acknowledgement of Rutgers' role in the nation's history.

"It's a recognition of the 250 years that Rutgers has been in existence," Frusciano said. "It's an acknowledgement by the chief executive."

Frusciano spent the ceremony collecting programs, newspapers and other mementos to document the event for the Rutgers' library archives.

"These become important historical documents," Frusciano said.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Adam Clark contributed to this report.

A total of 915 people were awarded undergraduate degrees in the Springfield College commencement that featured Timothy Shriver as keynote speaker.

graSPRINGFIELD - After professors called the last name of graduates from Springfield College's School of Health Sciences and Recreational Studies, Iris Diaz mounted the stage to accept her daughter's diploma, who died four days earlier in a motorcycle crash.

She held the diploma her daughter Julisa Diaz had earned high in the air. As she shook College President Mary-Beth A. Cooper's hand, all graduates and faculty gave her a standing ovation.

The poignant moment came during Sunday's graduation at the MassMutual Center. Diaz, 22, had finished all her work and earned a degree in rehabilitation and disability studies with a minor in psychology. She was hoping to work at Baystate Medical Center where she had spent time as an intern and planned to move to Long Beach, California, in September.

Diaz and Kyle Chapdelaine, 23, both of Chicopee, were killed in a motorcycle crash in Springfield on Thursday. Steven Thompson, 24, of Springfield, was arrested after the crash and has pleaded not guilty to two counts of motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of liquor.

A total of 915 graduates were awarded bachelor's degrees in the 130th Springfield College Commencement. The college also awarded honorary degrees to long-time Springfield College Trustee Douglass L. Coupe, a retired vice president of State Street Global Investor Services, and Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics.
The Humanics Achievement Award as given to to Clark D. Baker, retired president and chief executive officer for the YMCA of Greater Huston.

The college held its graduate commencement on Saturday and awarded 646 master's degrees, eight certificates of advanced graduate study, seven doctor of philosophy degrees, 38 doctoral of physical therapy degrees, and five doctor of psychology degrees.

During the undergraduate ceremony, Cooper and Shriver, who served as the keynote speaker, talked about the value of community service and encouraged students to work to make their communities better.

Over the past year Springfield College students committed a minimum of 120 hours of community service to the greater Springfield area, Cooper said.

"As a society we really need you and with graduates like you I know we are in good hands," she said.

Shriver talked to students about the lessons he has learned from the many Special Olympians who he has worked with over the years. There are now nearly five million athletes who participate in games all over the world.

He used the example of the 100 meter dash and talked about the pride a third-place athlete and her parents gain in her win - even if it isn't a first place medal.

"These athletes are the true champions you should model yourself on," he said. "Winning is not who you beat but how you run and who you bring with you."

Student speaker Jacqueline Ortiz Miller also encouraged students to continue the lessons they have heard the past four years about the importance of combining spirit, mind and body.

She challenged the graduates to work for social justice and to continue to help the community.

The driver was allegedly traveling 20 miles an hour over the speed limit in a BMW.

LONGMEADOW - A driver pulled over for speeding on Interstate-91 has been charged with trafficking in cocaine.

The suspect, whose name was not released, is from Keene, New Hampshire. The person was arrested on Saturday and charged with trafficking in cocaine, Massachusetts State Police officials said.

The arrest came after State Police Lt. Brendhan Shugrue pulled over a gray BMW station wagon heading north on Route 91 at a speed of 75 miles per hour. The speed limit in that area is 55 miles per hour, police said.

After the stop, police said they found 32 grams of cocaine and $1,000 in cash in the car.
The operator was booked at the State Police Barracks in Springfield and was held on $1,000 bail, police said.

Smith College graduated 757 degrees Sunday morning and awarded six honorary degrees. Watch video

NORTHAMPTON — Smith College celebrated the accomplishments of women around the world Sunday during its 138th Commencement ceremony.

"Right now a door is an opening. It's a door of your own life, a door to the world and a door to this moment, this beginning, this commencement," said Jennifer L. Walters, the associate dean of Smith College and Dean of Religious Life. "Awaken to the presence of light everywhere. Awaken to your own breath, to the beauty around you, the beauty above and below you, the beauty of the faces of friends and strangers, and the beauty within you. Graduates when you walk across that stage, you will walk in that beauty."

Bree Ann Currier, the senior class president, told fellow graduates to hold on to their proudest moments at Smith.

"I know that we have all accomplished something we are proud of during our time at Smith, be it a senior project of some sort, a final project for a class you love or doing something amazing for an organization you were a part of," she said. "I encourage you to take a moment and congratulate yourself for all of your hard work and your proudest Smith moments."

Beyond its 757 degrees, the college gave honorary degrees to an astronaut, an Olympic gold medalist, a civil rights leader, a journalist and abolitionist, and an artist and activist.

Smith College President Kathleen McCartney awarded honorary degrees to artist and activist Allison Bechdel who created the comic strip "Dykes to Watch Out For," from which emerged the now renowned "Bechdel Test," used to assess gender bias in written works from novels to film; Roslyn Brock, the chairman of the board directors for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Ruchira Gupta, a journalist and producer of the Emmy-winning documentary "The Selling of Innocents"; Abby Wambach, an Olympic gold medalists in soccer and Stephanie Wilson, an astronaut and engineer and a veteran of three space flights.

Sheriff of Hampshire County Robert J. Garvey, who called the commencement ceremony to order, was also honored by students for his many years of service to the college. This was his last year opening the commencement ceremony.

"Over the past two decades you have been an icon at our commencement ceremonies. On this, your last Smith Commencement before retiring, we mark the end of an era," McCartney said. "Over the course of a 30-year tenure, you have been recognized as one of the most progressive sheriffs in the nation, emphasizing treatment, dignity and education as essential to rehabilitation. You developed partnerships that led to college classes being taught inside jails, with people who are incarcerated and local undergraduates treated as true equals in learning."

Keynote speaker Megan Smith was also awarded an honorary doctorate degree in science. Smith is the first woman to serve as the U.S. chief technology officer. She advises the Obama administration on technology policies and innovations.

Smith celebrated the college for highlighting the field of engineering for women.

"What I love about Smith College is that you have added engineering. ...It's not fair that women's colleges have not included those subjects, and I applaud your faculty for adding that," she said. "We would never graduate from high school and say reading and writing just weren't my thing, but people all day say math and science weren't their thing, and that's not good. We need to figure out how to have that confidence about everything."

She culminated by telling the graduates they are trailblazers and leaders, and encouraged them to team up with others who have great ideas and together change the world.

Two guns were found by Cambridge Police Sunday morning after officers responded to reports of gunfire on Bishop Allen Drive.

CAMBRIDGE -- Two guns were found by Cambridge Police Sunday morning after officers responded to reports of gunfire on Bishop Allen Drive.

Police were called to the street around 2:14 a.m. They discovered that bullets struck two cars, according to a news release. There were no reports of injuries.

Officers checked the area and found two guns and 13 shell casings.

"Responding officers spoke with a number of witnesses and all indications are that this incident was not random," police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Cambridge Police at 617-349-3300.