But transportation reimbursement rates will still fall short of covering regional school districts' costs.

The Massachusetts Senate has added another $2 million into its fiscal year 2017 budget proposal to reimburse regional school districts for transportation expenses, bringing the total funding up to $61 million.

But advocates for regional school districts caution that even with the extra money, the state is not living up to its obligation to fully fund transportation in those rural districts.

"It still begs the question, what about the balance, the other 20 to 30 percent that's not being reimbursed?" said Perry Davis, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools. "That money has to be made up by communities."

The state spent $59 million on regional school transportation in the 2016 fiscal year, and Gov. Charlie Baker proposed keeping the funding at $59 million again in 2017. The House proposed raising it to $60 million.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee originally proposed $59 million for regional school transportation, but an amendment introduced by state Sen. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer, which passed the Senate unanimously, brought that up to $61 million.

"I appreciate the support of my Senate colleagues to increase funding that assists all 58 regional school districts and 171 communities," Gobi said. "This eases the burden on local budgets, but there is more room for work."

The Senate and House budgets now go to a committee of House-Senate negotiators, who will develop a final version. Baker must sign the budget by the start of the next fiscal year on July 1.

Regional school districts often have high transportation expenses, since the schools must bus students from multiple communities over a large geographic region. Money that is not reimbursed by the state comes out of towns' budgets.

"Every dollar we can provide for transportation lets them put their dollars in the classroom and not on a bus," said State Sen. Ben Downing, D-Pittsfield, speaking in favor of the amendment on the Senate floor.

State law requires state government to reimburse regional school districts for their costs, in order to incentivize towns to band together and find the efficiencies that come from having regional schools. But that money is subject to annual appropriation by the Legislature. In practice, the size of the reimbursement has often dropped when the state hits tough financial times.

"That's been embedded in the law for the past 40 years, but every year the line item in the budget when it's matched up against expenses is falling significantly short of that total of 100 percent," Davis said.

Davis said keeping funding constant from one year to the next is not sufficient because the cost of transportation increases. This year, the state is paying around 70 percent of transportation costs. The $61 million proposed by the Senate would increase that to about 73 percent of costs next year.

The amount of money each district gets depends on their costs each year, which fluctuate based on enrollment. Many of the regional districts are in Western Massachusetts, because so many towns in Western Massachusetts are rural with small populations of school-age children.

The crash closed southbound lanes for about two hours.

CHICOPEE -- An 82-year-old woman is in stable condition at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield after a Friday afternoon crash that closed lanes on Memorial Drive for about two hours.

According to Chicopee police spokesman officer Michael Wilk, the woman was driving north on Memorial Drive around 4:25 p.m. when she veered onto the sidewalk, striking a crosswalk light and a crosswalk sign at Britton Street. Her vehicle then struck a vehicle turning onto Britton Steet and skidded across Memorial Drive -- hitting a guardrail, crossing the southbound lanes and striking a stopped vehicle.

Counting turning lanes, the driver crossed six lanes of traffic in the crash.

"It could have been much worse," said an officer at the scene.

Police closed the southbound lanes from New Ludlow Road to Britton Street as an accident reconstruction team investigated the crash. All lanes reopened by 6:35 p.m.

No other injuries were reported.

The Springfield Fire Department was forced to "tow" a man to shore on Friday, after he refused to exit the Connecticut River.

SPRINGFIELD — An alleged shoplifter who was fleeing West Springfield Police had to be pulled from the Connecticut River on Friday, after he fled into the water and refused to get out, according to Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Fire Department.

The Fire Department received a call at 7:22 p.m. to assist with apprehending a suspect who had fled authorities and was swimming in the Connecticut River, according to Leger.

The man had allegedly attempted to shoplift a set of stereo speakers from a Kohl's store in West Springfield and was subsequently chased by police, according to Capt. Robert Duffy of the West Springfield Police Department.

The man ran for some time before jumping into the river around Route 5, according to Duffy.

Springfield Fire Department then deployed a boat to pick up the man, but he allegedly refused to get into the boat and was extremely "combative," according to Leger.

As a result, firemen had to "tow" the man to shore where he was subsequently arrested by the Springfield Police Department before being transported back to West Springfield, according to Leger.

The suspect is currently in custody in West Springfield.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.

The Cleveland police officers who will be thrust in the most volatile situations during the Republican National Convention will not be wearing body cameras.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Many Cleveland police officers will not be wearing body cameras if protests turn violent during the Republican National Convention, officials said.

Police officials have told officers that a host of logistical issues, including an inability to attach the cameras to police riot gear, means officers will not be able to wear the devices.

The department says officers will use other methods to record police interactions with protesters and the public during the convention. But the head of a police union and the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio expressed concern that the officers who will be thrust in the most volatile situations will not be wearing a device that is a deterrent for both violence against police and officer misconduct.

"To have those body cameras and not allow us to wear them is absolutely irresponsible," Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Steve Loomis said Friday.

Christine Link, executive director at the ACLU of Ohio, called the news a "serious concern."

"There's no way that [police] have enough people doing video to cover what body cameras would cover," Link said.

The four-day convention, from July 18-21, is expected to draw 65,000 delegates, dignitaries, and reporters from around the world, as well as thousands of protesters.

Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams said in a September to officers the convention would bring "challenges of historic proportions" and stretch the department "to its current limits."

The city plans to bring in thousands of officers from police departments to help provide security. Whether those officers wear body cameras will be up to their department, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Cleveland's police force will wear "softer" uniforms at the beginning of the RNC, rather than adopting a military-style approach that might inflame tensions. Tampa police took a similar approach during the 2012 RNC.

The officers in softer uniforms will wear their body cameras, which cost the city $2.4 million in 2015, and be required to follow the department's recording policy, Ciaccia said in an emailed statement to cleveland.com.

Should protesters clash with police, officers will dress in riot gear and administer crowd control tactics.

Those officers, who will face the most volatile and potentially explosive situations during the convention, will not wear cameras, Ciaccia said.

Ciaccia stressed that police officers will use other methods of recording. During past protests, detectives on the ground have used hand-held cameras, and police have filmed confrontations from helicopters.

"We are confident with the operational plan we have in place that we will capture any interaction/encounter with a citizen during the RNC," Ciaccia said.

Loomis, who initially spoke out against body cameras, blasted the decision.

"Just when we get used to them and we want them to be around, [the department] tells us, when we probably need them the most, that we're not going to be wearing them," Loomis said.

Loomis pointed to recent clashes between protesters and police outside rallies held by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in New Mexico and Chicago. He said body cameras would deter "paid, professional protesters" from throwing rocks or bricks at police officers to spur a confrontation.

He also said footage would help clear officers from false allegations of misconduct by protesters.

"We want those cameras on so we're not falsely accused of acting anything but professional," Loomis said.

Link noted that the city entered into court-enforced police reform last year, after a 20-month Department of Justice investigation found the police department too often used excessive force.

By not having body cameras recording potential clashes between officers and protesters, the city risks further complicating an already stressed public perception of the department, Link said.

The hand-held cameras leave open the chance for officers to stop recording, turn away or miss key parts of an altercation, whether purposely or not, Link said.

The body cameras capture the entire interaction, and will help not only ward against police misconduct, but also help police supervisors analyze tactics and investigate complaints, Link said.

"If hand-held video cameras and helicopters could cover everything, why did we invest millions of dollars in body cameras in the first place?" Link asked.

The Lt. J. Frank Murphy Medal of Valor was accepted by East Forest Park native Tommy J. Sullivan's parents, Jerry and Betty Sullivan of Hampden.

SPRINGFIELD -- Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan, a Springfield native killed in the July 2015 attacks that claimed the lives of five U.S. servicemen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was honored Friday night at Springfield City Hall with the Lt. J. Frank Murphy Medal of Valor.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno nominated Sullivan for the award.

"I want to thank the Sullivan family for allowing us to continue to honor his legacy," Sarno said Friday night at City Hall.

The Springfield Veterans Activities Committee accepts nominations each year for the Lt. J. Frank Murphy Medal of Valor. The award, sponsored by the committee, is granted annually to a resident of Springfield who has risked his or her life in saving the lives of others.

The award is named in honor of Lt. John Francis Murphy, a Springfield native who led a raid in 1945 in the Philippines to capture a Japanese prison camp and rescue 511 survivors of the Bataan Death March. Murphy, who was a member of the Army 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion, was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame for his courage and distinguished leadership.

Sarno said Friday that Murphy, like Sullivan, "did not look for accolades, but just did the job." The mayor said that Sullivan was already a hero "before he made the ultimate sacrifice."

Gunnery Sgt. Sullivan awarded posthumous Purple Heart

Sullivan survived two tours of duty in Iraq, earning Purple Hearts. He died in a domestic terrorist attack on July 16, 2015 at the hands of a gunman who shot up a Navy reserve center, killing four Marines and wounding three others.

Sarno said Sullivan "did not think of himself, but of others who were in harm's way."

In April, Sullivan was awarded his third Purple Heart, posthumously, at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Looking to force a contested convention, Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders called on party leaders Saturday to remove "aggressive attack surrogates" former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy from key DNC panels.

Looking to force a contested convention, Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders' campaign called on party leaders Saturday to remove "aggressive attack surrogates" former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy from key DNC panels.

Contending that Frank and Malloy's criticisms of the Vermont senator have "exposed a deeper professional, political and personal hostility," Sanders campaign counsel Brad Deutsch penned a letter to the Democratic Party's Rules and Bylaws Committee asking to remove them as the convention's respective Standing Rules Committee co-chair and Standing Platform Committee co-chair.

Pointing to the former Massachusetts lawmaker and Connecticut governor's surrogate roles with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's campaign, Deutsch contended that they cannot be relied upon to fairly and capably perform their convention duties.

"The appointment of two individuals so outspokenly critical of Sen. Sanders, and so closely affiliated with Secretary Clinton's campaign, raises concerns that two of the three Convention Standing Committees are being constituted in an overtly partisan way designed to exclude meaningful input from supporters of Sen. Sanders' candidacy," he wrote.

Deutsch argued that Frank has a long-standing animosity toward the Vermont senator, pointing to a 1991 New York Times article in which the former Massachusetts congressman was quoted as saying that he thought Sanders had "unduly denigrated the institution (of Congress) and a lot of the members."

The former congressman, meanwhile, blasted Sanders in a late-March Slate article, as well as in an early February Politico op-ed, the campaign contended.

"The co-chairs of the Standing Rules Committee hold broad power to submit resolutions and measures for vote on the floor of the convention. It is imperative that this power be wielded by someone who respects and is inclusive of opposing viewpoints," Deutsch wrote. "Mr. Frank's barbed remarks toward Sen. Sanders and his supporters demonstrate Mr. frank is not such a person."

Malloy, meanwhile, has said he "'will continue to work hard to make sure [Hillary Clinton] is elected president of the United States this November,'" Deutsch said, arguing that the campaign believes it would influence his work as the Standing Platform Committee's co-chair.

Beyond this, he wrote, Malloy has been an "incendiary critic" of Sanders, drawing comparisons between the Vermont senator and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and blaming him for national gun laws during a late-February stop in Springfield.

Malloy told Clinton supporters who crowded the Student Prince that the so-called "Charleston loophole," a three-day waiting period for background checks, should be known as the "Charleston-Sanders loophole." He, however, noted that he does like the Vermont senator's proposals.

"I like hearing Bernie," the Connecticut governor said. "If I had a magic wand I'd do all the things he says, but he doesn't have a magic wand and nor do we."

Despite this, Deutsch argued that the campaign has legitimate concerns that Malloy's "open animosity" toward Sanders could make him antagonistic to the views of the senator's supporters.

"The foreseeable exclusion of such a large constituency from this process would be damaging not only to the campaign and its supporters, but to the DNC's own efforts to unify the party," he wrote.

Sanders' campaign called on the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee co-chairs to disqualify Frank and Malloy or provide a hearing followed by an advisory opinion regarding their fitness to serve in their appointed roles.

If the committee does not address the issue, Deutsch said, the campaign will seek resolution by presenting its objections at the Standing Platform and Rules Committees' initial meetings.

Jim Roosevelt and Lorraine Miller, the Rules and Bylaws Committee co-chairs, in response to the Sanders campaign's request, noted that the DNC Executive Committee elected Malloy and Frank in late-January pursuant to the call for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

The campaign's challenge, they wrote, "does not allege that there was any violation of the provisions of the call in the conduct of their elections or otherwise assert that there was any other cognizable violation of the call, the delegate selection rules for the 2016 Democratic National Convention or any other rule or regulation of the Democratic National Committee in their selection."

Roosevelt and Miller concluded that the challenge "fails to meet the criteria for the foregoing reasons" and therefore they are compelled to dismiss it.

The U.S. government has released their projections for the 2016 hurricane season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released predictions for the 2016 hurricane season, projecting a slight uptick in storms in comparison to the last several years.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and is expected to be "near-normal," according to the report.

This means, however, that the U.S. may see more "hurricane activity than we've seen in the last three years," as the past number of seasons have been "below-normal," according to Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

Projections suggest there's also a 30% probability that the season will be "above-normal," slightly higher than the 25% probability that it will be "below-normal."

The "near-normal" season includes "a 70 percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 4 to 8 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 1 to 4 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher)."

The Administration also offers that there is "a 70 percent chance that La Nina -- which favors more hurricane activity -- will be present during the peak months of hurricane season," from August through October.

However, the Administration also cautions that predictions can often be complicated by shifting weather patterns, and that predictions for this season have been "particularly difficult."

Obituaries from The Republican.

David Pogodinski 

David Theodore "Pogo" Pogodinski, of Belchertown, died at his vacation home in Akumal, Mexico, on April 6. A 28-year veteran of the Massachusetts State Police, he retired as a sergeant in 2000, finishing his career in the Crime Scene Services division. He attended the Mater Dolorosa School in Holyoke and graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School, class of 1967. He was a longtime member of the BPOE Lodge #1849 in Chicopee and the former State Troopers Association.

Full obituary and funeral arrangements for David Pogodinski »

The same areas face the possibility of more rain over the long Memorial Day weekend.

BRENHAM, Texas (AP) -- At least two people are dead and five people are missing after this week's torrential rains in Texas and Kansas, officials said Saturday. The same areas face the possibility of more rain over the long Memorial Day weekend.

"It's not going to take very much rain to get us in those flood stages again," said John Brieden, a judge in Washington County, Texas, where more than 16.5 inches of rain fell in places Thursday.

The forecasts through the holiday weekend called for scattered or isolated thunderstorms in Central and southeast Texas. But officials say they will be monitoring local rivers and waterways, which could rise out of their banks in the coming days due to the heavy rains.

Other parts of the U.S. got drenched Friday as well, especially in central Kansas, where the Wichita Fire Department says it is thoroughly searching for an 11-year-old boy went missing after he was swept away by a swollen creek Friday night. The department said on its Facebook page that two cadaver police dogs are taking part in the search.

In the southeast Texas county of Washington, located between Austin and Houston, two people have died and two are missing due to swollen rivers that have overrun communities, washing away mobile homes and causing water to flow into other structures. More than 50 water rescues had taken place since the rains began Thursday morning.

Brieden said Saturday that one person was found dead in a mobile home that was swamped by floodwaters and a second person was found in a vehicle that had gone off a road and into a submerged ditch.

Brieden also said two motorists are missing in separate parts of the rural county: One vehicle was located without its driver, and the other vehicle can't be found. Brieden says the fear is that it may be submerged and won't be located until floodwaters recede.

The Washington County seat, Brenham, received 16.62 inches of rain Thursday, breaking the city's daily rainfall record, said National Weather Service meteorologist Wendy Long.

Near Austin in Travis County, which saw up to 9 inches of rain this week, officials are searching for two missing people whose vehicle was swept off a flooded roadway, according to emergency services spokeswoman Lisa Block.

The National Weather Service said an EF1 tornado hit Thursday in Bryan, about 100 miles northwest of Houston. Bryan officials said 153 homes were damaged, including 53 with major damage.

In Wisconsin, another EF1 tornado damaged about 25 homes and knocked out power to the village of Brandon on Friday, but no one was injured.

Two men face assault charges after police allege they beat a man after crashing into him with their car on Friday.

FRAMINGHAM — Two Framingham men are charged with assault after a car crash allegedly turned into an altercation on Friday, according to The MetroWest Daily News.

Saleek Marshall, 22, and Glenn Marshall, 49, were both arrested on Friday at their residence at 90 Hartford St., nearby the site of a violent crash.

According to witness reports, the vehicle the men were driving hit a pedestrian, after which the two men exited the car and proceeded to pistol whip the victim.

The crash also involved another vehicle, as well as another pedestrian, who was struck by one of the vehicles. The two victims had to be taken to "Beth Israel Hospital for life threatening injuries," according to FOX25.

Police arrested the two men who are alleged to be responsible on Friday, after surrounding their house while armed with guns and police dogs, according to reports.

Both men are charged with simple assault and battery with their hands, as well as two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

City police are asking the public to help identify a man who reportedly brandished a firearm and attempted to rob a cab driver on Bradford Street Friday morning.

PITTSFIELD ‒ City police are asking the public to help identify a man who reportedly brandished a firearm and attempted to rob a cab driver on Bradford Street Friday morning.

According to Pittsfield Police, the man, who is described as being in his 20s or 30s, was sitting in the back seat of a Rainbow Taxi cab on Bradford Street when he reportedly donned a mask, brandished what appeared to be a firearm and demanded the driver to give him money.

The female driver, police said, told the man he would "have to shoot" her. The man claimed to have been joking and exited the vehicle, according to Pittsfield Police.

The incident occurred around 11:10 a.m. Friday as the man was reportedly waiting for another woman to enter the cab.

The attempted robbery was reported to Pittsfield Police early Saturday.

The man has been seen near the New Amsterdam Apartments and is considered armed and dangerous, police said.

Anyone with information on his identity is asked to notify the department via an anonymous TIP411, by texting "PITTIP" and their message to 847411 or by sending a message to the agency's Facebook page.

People may also contact the department's non-emergency line at 413-448-9700 or Officer Brett Henault, who is the investigating the incident, at 448-9700 extension 431.

A fire in a residential building on Friday displaced seven people.

AMHERST — A fire in a residential building in Amherst displaced seven people on Friday, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. No one was hurt.

The building, managed by Eagle Crest Property Management in Amherst, suffered significant damage, according to Assistant Fire Chief Donald McKay. "If somebody hadn't seen the smoke when they did, this whole end of the building would've been done," he told the newspaper.

The fire appears to have originated in the second story kitchen and is thought to have been accidental, according to McKay.

Large parts of the kitchen and staircase leading to the second floor were charred and badly damaged.

The initial 911 call came in at 7:43 p.m. on Friday when a person passing by on the street noticed smoke coming from a third-floor window. The Amherst Fire Department arrived quickly after the call, McKay said.

Police blocked a number of streets, including Amity Street, Lincoln Avenue, Sunset Avenue and Elm Street while firefighters did what they could to abate the flames.

With temperatures climbing into the 90s, nearly 100 Wilbraham & Monson Academy students graduated as part of the school's 212th commencement on Saturday.

With temperatures climbing into the 90s, nearly 100 Wilbraham & Monson Academy students graduated as part of the school's 212th commencement on Saturday.

The keynote speaker and academy alum Alexander Debelov, the CEO of Virool, challenged the 2016 graduating class to stay hungry for knowledge and to dream big.

Debelov, a 2006 graduate of the school, has been recognized as one of Forbes' 2016 "Top 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs."

Graduating senior Joy Weng, the class speaker, meanwhile, shared her journey from China to an American high school and the adjustments she had to make.

Keeping with tradition, members of the graduating class added bricks to the so-called Alumni Wall -- a series of walls in various parts of the campus, which allows graduates to leave a piece of themselves for posterity.

Ninety-seven students graduated as part of the 2016 class. All of them will be attending college.

Wilbraham Academy and Monson Academy merged in 1971 to form Wilbraham & Monson Academy, an independent coeducational college preparatory middle and upper school for boarding and day students.

Holyoke Community College celebrated its 69th commencement ceremony at the MassMutual Center with the graduation of 1,002 students Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD - Holyoke Community College celebrated its 69th commencement ceremony at the MassMutual Center with the graduation of 1,002 students Saturday.

The graduates came from 74 Massachusetts cities and towns, along with some from Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, California, Texas, Ohio, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Australia, Butan, El Salvador, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

Student Orator - Martha King-Devine of Greenfield.

Class of 2016 Singer - Brittany Bousquet of Chicopee.

Class Gift Presenter - Lucien Dalton of Amherst.

Distinguished Service Awards - Michael Ashe Laura Rauscher, Ira Rubenzahl and Gayle (Rudd) Smith.

The Elaine Marieb Faculty Chair for Teaching Excellence Award - Ileana Vasu of Hatfield.

Class Valedictorians (GPA 4.0 ) - Adriana E. Piantedosi of Northampton, Julia Eve Comly-Green of Northampton, Maija Lee Orlovsky Nagels of Sunderland, April M. Beston of Three Rivers, Brittany Elizabeth Bird of Belchertown, Vitalie Bostan of Westfield, Sara Reidy Hampton of Agawam and Deborah McIntosh of South Hadley.

Grand Marshal - Ileana Vasu, professor of mathematics and chair of engineering.

Marshal of the Academic Procession - Jossie Valentin, senior academic counselor and president of the college senate.

The most common credentials awarded were: liberal arts and sciences, business administration, criminal justice, nursing, psychology, biology and human services.

Police estimated the dog was alone in the sweltering heat for 15 minutes.

A Pittsfield police officer rescued a dog from a car in the Walmart parking lot Saturday afternoon, as the temperature reached 89 degrees. May 28, 2016.Courtesy: Pittsfield Police Dept. 

But it's still happening.

A Pittsfield police officer rescued a dog from a car in the Walmart parking lot Saturday afternoon, as the temperature flirted with 90 degrees. In a Facebook post, the department thanked "good Samaritans" who notified them.

Police also shared a photo of a thermometer that read 89 degrees at 12:50 p.m.

An officer put the dog in his air conditioned cruiser. The dog was then taken to a shelter, and the owner will have to pay a $40 fine before the dog is released.

Police estimated the dog was alone in the sweltering heat for 15 minutes.

The Humane Society of the United States is one of numerous organizations that frequently remind the public of the immediate risk of severe harm and death to animals in extreme heat. The group states that when it's 80 degrees outside, the temperature in your car will reach 99 degrees within 10 minutes.

"Rolling down the windows has been shown to have little effect on the temperature inside a car," the humane society says.

A cursory Google search reveals several recent cases of dogs dying in hot cars around the country, including one case on Thursday in Brockton. The death of Cocoa the bulldog led to animal cruelty charges against the owner, Stephan Boxer. When Cocoa died, it was 87 degrees outside.

Other cases were reported in Arizona and Tennessee.

If you see an animal in a parked car on a hot day, the humane society recommends writing down the vehicle's make, model and license plate number; asking nearby businesses to help find the owner; and if necessary, calling the police or animal control on a non-emergency line.

Dejean-Jones signed a three-year contract with Pelicans in February.

NEW ORLEANS --  New Orleans Pelicans' Bryce Dejean-Jones, a promising rookie guard, has died at 23, a representative with the Dallas County (Texas) medical examiner office confirmed on Saturday afternoon.

Dejean-Jones died from a gunshot wound in his abdomen early Saturday just before 3:30 a.m. after breaking into an apartment, according to reports. The medical examiner office would not confirm his cause of death, but Yahoo sports initially reported that Dejean-Jones was shot in the abdomen Friday night and bled to death.

According to the Dallas Police Department, Dejean-Jones was killed after kicking open the front door of an apartment and the man sleeping inside woke up and shot him.

The Pelicans issued a statement that it is with deep sadness the organization acknowledges the sudden passing of Dejean-Jones: ''We are devastated at the loss of this young man's life who had such a promising future ahead of him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bryce's family during this difficult time.''

Six days after Dejean-Jones signed his new contract with the Pelicans, he was forced to undergo season-ending surgery to repair his fractured right wrist. Dejean-Jones initially suffered the injury after going for a block and fell on his wrist during a Feb. 19 game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Dejean-Jones initially caught the Pelicans' attention in summer league when he averaged 12.8 points on 61 percent shooting and made 50 percent of his shots from 3-point range.

Dejean-Jones was undrafted out of Iowa State but earned an invitation to training camp and was one of the final cuts before the regular-season began. Dejean-Jones played in the NBA Development League with the Idaho Stampede before joining the Pelicans in January on his first 10-day contract.

The name of the victim is not being released yet, but the fire department said he was a man in his 20s.

ORLEANS - A man trying out for a lifeguard position drowned Saturday morning at Pilgrim Lake.

The Cape Cod Times reports the man slipped under the water at around 8:49 a.m., and he was found by a rescue diver 30 minutes later in 10 to 15 feet of water. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

The name of the victim is not being released yet, but the fire department said he was a man in his 20s.

The drowning is under investigation by state and local police, as well as the Cape and Islands District Attorney's office.

Heavy rain and dangerous surf kept people off the Georgia, South Carolina and southern North Carolina beaches on Saturday.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Tropical Storm Bonnie formed Saturday afternoon off the coast of South Carolina as heavy rains from the system ruined the start of the long holiday weekend.

Top sustained winds reached 40 mph Saturday afternoon, making it the season's second-named tropical storm, four days before the official start of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The center of Bonnie was about 125 miles from Charleston as of 5 p.m. EDT, the Miami-based center said in advising. Bonnie was moving toward the coast at 10 mph and tropical storm warnings were issued for the entire South Carolina coast.

The worst of the rain and wind was ahead of the storm, which was expected to near the coast south of Charleston Sunday, then turn to the northeast and slowly dissipate as it moves along the coast of the Carolinas over the rest of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, forecasters said.

Heavy rain and dangerous surf kept people off the Georgia, South Carolina and southern North Carolina beaches on Saturday. No evacuations have been ordered, with forecasters saying the biggest danger will likely be from locally heavy rain.

Officials in Charleston were monitoring the winds. The area has 15 bridges over water than are at least 65-feet tall that are closed when winds get 40 mph or above.

Tropical Storm Bonnie: Latest 5-day tracking map

Near Myrtle Beach, authorities said they were worried mostly about heavy rain causing dangerous driving conditions as thousands of bikers and their motorcycles make their annual trip to the area.

The first Atlantic storm of 2016 was Hurricane Alex, which made an unseasonable debut in January over the far eastern Atlantic. The storm was the first hurricane to form in the Atlantic in January since 1938 and made landfall in the Azores on Jan. 15.

Saturday's temperature at Westover Air Reserve Base peaked at 94 degrees, five degrees above the record of 89 set in 1991.

CHICOPEE - Some records are better left unbroken.

Saturday's temperature at Westover Air Reserve Base peaked at 94 degrees, five degrees above the record of 89 set in 1991.

That's according to Dan Maher, meteorologist for Western Mass News, media partner of The Republican/MassLive.

Expect a nighttime low of 65. There's an air quality alert in effect until 11 p.m. for all of Hampden County and parts of Hampshire County.

Showers and scattered thunderstorms are possible on Sunday. The forecast calls for a high near 90.

Scituate resident Randy Collins was sentenced Thursday to two years behind bars followed by 10 years of probation.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A Rhode Island man has been sentenced to prison for traveling from his workplace in Massachusetts to have sex with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Rhode Island State Police/Facebook 

Collins pleaded guilty March 10, 2015, to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

The 44-year-old Collins answered an advertisement on Craigslist posted by an undercover Rhode Island State Police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl seeking an iPhone, authorities said. Prosecutors said Collins offered to provide the iPhone in exchange for sex.

Collins left his workplace in Franklin, Massachusetts, on September 2, 2015, to meet the girl in Rhode Island. State police arrested Collins when he arrived in Cranston.