Police are asking the public to come forward with any information about the drunken da Vinci.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - Some things are best left unsaid.

A vandal spray painted the words "I'm drunk" on an exterior wall of the Portsmouth Police Department sometime in the overnight hours on Saturday.

In a Facebook post, police said that when the graffiti was discovered, "the men and women in blue immediately went to work removing this artist's thoughtful and insightful creation."

Police are asking the public to come forward with any information about the drunken da Vinci, and they're checking their security systems for clues.

Final day of Northampton, Massachusetts' annual Sidewalk Sale on Sunday, July, 30, 2016.

NORTHAMPTON - Sunday is the final day of Northampton's annual Sidewalk Sale. The event runs until 7 p.m.

Attorney General Maura Healey's announcement was met by opposition from gun owners and support by gun control proponents.

BOSTON - This week Attorney General Maura Healey announced plans to crack down on the sale of so-called copycat guns of assault weapons banned in the state.

The state's ban on assault weapons has been in place since 2004 when Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney signed it into law. But Healey said some gun manufacturers are making duplicate guns that are similar to assault weapons but with small changes and marketing them as "state-compliant."

Her announcement was met with protests from gun owners and organizations such as the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts and the National Rifle Association. Some likened her to Hitler and others attacked her with sexist and anti-gay slurs.

On Friday, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, filed Legislation aimed at stripping Healey of her authority to regulate firearms. Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield, is a sponsor. Two other Western Massachusetts lawmakers, Rep. Susannah Whipps Lee, R-Athol, and Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington also issued statements criticizing Healey.

Several other lawmakers accused her of overstepping her bounds.

But Healy also received support from gun control supporters and those who want to see the existing law enforced.

Five former Massachusetts attorney generals have defended Attorney General Maura Healey's authority to reinterpret the state's assault weapons ban. A written statement was signed by every Massachusetts attorney general since 1975: Francis Bellotti, James Shannon, Scott Harshbarger, Tom Reilly and Martha Coakley, who are all Democrats.

Gov. Charlie Baker called for more clarification on the crackdown, saying the ambiguities could cause other guns to inadvertently be prohibited.

The news of the ban also caused a rush on the assault style weapons.

Here are some of the things people have been Tweeting about the controversy over the guns.

The bill updates obsolete laws and gives cities and towns more flexibility. But it doesn't liquor license reforms sought by Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

BOSTON - When Gov. Charlie Baker introduced a bill in December aimed at updating municipal-related laws, he referred to it as "200 pages of total weed whacking."

More than seven months later, on the last day of the 2015-2016 legislative session, lawmakers sent the now-125-page bill back to Baker's desk for his signature.

"There's 125 pages of really straightforward and helpful changes to update obsolete statutes and practices that have been imposed on cities and towns for years," said Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. "The legislation will help communities in a wide range of activities."

The House and Senate both passed the bill unanimously on Sunday, with a 158-0 vote in the House and a 39-0 vote in the Senate.

The Legislature stripped out one of Baker's most controversial provisions, which would have let city and town officials rather than the state Legislature decide how many liquor licenses to approve. Lawmakers also eliminated a provision to let municipal officials decide when to exempt positions from civil service requirements related to hiring and promotions.

The final bill, H.4565, contains around 250 sections, related to a host of interactions between state and local governments. Some of the bill's provisions update obsolete laws - for example, allowing transactions, such as police ticketing, to be done electronically and increasing outdated income thresholds or fines. Other provisions give cities and towns more flexibility or authority. The goal of the bill is to make it easier for local officials to run their cities and towns.

"It's something that had to be looked at as technology changes and the way we do business changed significantly," said House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, who led the committee that negotiated the final version of the bill. "We need to update our municipal regulations and laws and make sure we're using the most efficient methods possible."

For example, the bill reforms the process for procuring construction contracts to make it easier to select companies for small projects. It lets municipalities create new funds to set aside money to pay for future retiree health insurance benefits. The bill also makes it easier for cities and towns to pool resources and work together and it sets up a mechanism for the state to bulk buy school textbooks.

Beckwith said the bill addresses what city and town officials view as inefficiencies. For example, a town that gets an insurance settlement to pay for a damaged fire truck must wait until the next town meeting to appropriate the money to replace the fire truck. The bill would let the town use that insurance money to replace the truck without a vote.

Today, a town hall with a damaged bathroom might have to undergo a complex bidding process before hiring a plumber to fix it. Under the bill, the hiring process would be simplified.

"The bill removes a lot of the obsolete statutes and practices that are in place that micromanage communities, and it will allow communities to take care of routine manners and transactions more effectively in a more timely manner," Beckwith said. "There are a lot of provisions that will just make it easier for town managers, boards of selectman, city managers, mayors and department heads to just fulfill their functions without having unnecessary paperwork or asking permission from the state."

The bill also authorizes municipalities to create various funds and commissions, such as a commission to develop agricultural resources or a trust fund to cover unexpected special education costs. It sets time frames for municipalities to borrow money for certain purposes, such as allowing five-year bonds to cover energy audits or 20-year bonds to build public golf courses.

The bill lets cities and towns set their own speed limits at 20 or 25 miles per hour in certain areas, such as business districts.

The bill includes some zoning changes, such as setting up a framework for cities and towns to use tax incentives to develop workforce housing or affordable housing. A more comprehensive zoning reform bill never made it through the Legislature this session.

The bill clarifies the process for accurately accounting for state-owned land. It makes changes to taxes and assessments, such as exempting former prisoners of war from having to pay the vehicle excise tax.

State Rep. David Vieira, R-East Falmouth, a member of the conference committee that negotiated the bill, said, "This bill allows more flexibility to local officials to manage their affairs at the local level."

State Sen. Patrick O'Connor, a Republican who is also a city councilor in Weymouth, added, "We're cutting a lot of the fat that restricts municipalities from growing."

Town Meeting voters in May approved a plan to save the historic building from demolition.

HATFIELD -- The town of Hatfield is looking for a developer for its former Center School, and requiring that any plan create residential condominiums for those ages 55 and older.

The preservation and redevelopment concept was approved by Town Meeting voters in May, saving the historic building from the wrecking ball.

Built around 1914, the brick building at 58 Main Street has a slate roof, hardwood floors, 13,000 square feet of finished space on two floors, plus a walk-out basement and attic, according to a request for proposals, or RFP. It's been vacant for about a decade.

Proposals must be compatible with the historic setting, and the building's street-facing facades must not be substantially altered. The developer may not demolish the building. Town Meeting in May approved funds to abate asbestos and other hazards to the extent necessary to develop the condos.

Voters previously approved $400,000 for demolition. However, last year the Historical Commission placed a one-year moratorium on the tear-down, giving preservationists time to rally support for a new plan.

The old school is within walking distance of a library, a store, two churches, a restaurant, an elderly and disabled housing complex, and is across the street from Town Hall.

The building comes with a little less than three-quarters of an acre. Around six acres with playing fields will remain in town hands and stay open to the public. The property has an assessed value of $1,091,500.

Hatfield's Board of Selectmen will evaluate the proposals and make the final selection, said E. Lary Grossman, chairman of the Hatfield Redevelopment Authority. Those with questions should call John McKinnon at (508) 221-5712. 

A mandatory site visit will be held Aug. 10 at 10 a.m., and proposals will be accepted until Aug. 29 at 2 p.m. The finalist is expected to be chosen Oct. 7. The developer will have 24 months to begin construction after the real estate closing.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

Several Western Massachusetts lawmakers said the short time frame was not a major problem, since they were already familiar with earlier versions of the bills.

BOSTON - With five hours to go before the midnight end of the 2015-2016 legislative session, lawmakers had not yet seen a single one of four major bills that they hoped to vote on Sunday evening.

"It's certainly a concern, and it's less than ideal, but there's a little bit of a feel of the last night before a big term paper's due or the night before finals feel to it," said State Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow. "It's just inevitable that a lot of the big complicated work doesn't end until there's a deadline."

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, the final days of the session, lobbyists, journalists and lawmakers filled the Statehouse halls. The Legislature took up veto overrides and passed a bill modernizing municipal laws. But for most of two days, there were only rumors leaking out from behind closed doors, where groups of six senators and representatives negotiated the final versions of major bills related to energy, economic development, non-compete agreements and ride-sharing regulations.

It is not unusual for major bills to come down to the wire. But significant differences between the centrist-leaning House and the more liberal-leaning Senate, combined with lawmakers leaving town for the Democratic and Republican national conventions during the last two weeks of the session, meant an even tighter time crunch than usual this year.

Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, said just before 8 p.m. that a last-minute rush is "always part of the excitement of the final couple of days that we have a lot of things in process."

"People are getting along very well, people are continuing to talk, decisions are being made, differences are being worked out," Rosenberg said.

The time crunch meant legislators who had to vote on the bills would have only hours to review the often technical pieces of legislation. However, several Western Massachusetts lawmakers said the short time frame was not a major problem, since they were already familiar with earlier versions of the bills that passed the House and the Senate. That familiarity would allow them to focus only on the differences between the two versions when the bills emerged from conference committees.

"We owe it to the taxpayers who pay our salary, we need to be familiar with the House and Senate bills and if there are differences, we need to be tracking those closely," said State Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield. "Would I rather have more time? 100 percent absolutely....But we owe it to taxpayers to be intimately familiar with all these bills."

Velis noted that lawmakers did recently slip a provision about a pilot program related to a mileage tax into a non-controversial road and bridge funding bill at the last minute. But Velis said he does not see that as a common move by conference committee members, and if a controversial provision does get slipped into a bill, he would push for more time to debate the bill. (House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, has said he will not try to extend the session past the July 31 deadline.)

State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, pointed out that the bills were already publicly debated in the House and Senate. Once a report emerges from a conference committee, lawmakers can only take a yes or no vote. They cannot amend it further.

"I wish we had more time to look at these things but knowing the magnitude and what these bills are, I'm not overly concerned," Pignatell said. "We've already debated in the House, we know what's in the bill, we know what the Senate's done."

"When it comes back to us, it's yes or no, there's nothing we can change," Pignatelli said. "We put our faith in the conferees to do what they think is best."

Lesser, who handed out Hershey's kisses and Starburst candy on the floor to lawmakers as the evening dragged on, agreed with his colleagues that lawmakers were already familiar with the details of the House and Senate versions of the bills. "It's important for people to appreciate if you've prepared correctly, you're not just walking into the day blind," Lesser said.

State Rep. Todd Smola, R-Warren, the ranking Republican on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, said the committee is careful to review the language of every bill to know what is actually in there before it gets voted on. "One thing we won't do is vote on a piece of legislation just for the sake of legislating without knowing what's in it," Smola said.

"It is what it is on the last day," Smola said. "It's not the greatest situation, but we simply have to deal with what we've got in front of us."

State Sen. Jim Welch, D-West Springfield, said each bill has taken "many hours of work and many months of crafting" to get to the final version. In the Senate, he said, there is generally a caucus before votes, where lawmakers are briefed on the contents of a bill. "We have a very open and continuous dialogue of what changes are made, so everybody is comfortable, and we have the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns as the process unfolds," Welch said.

State Rep. Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield, said while the timing is tight, lawmakers are up against a deadline, and the most important thing is to get the bills passed. "I'd certainly want to see what's going to be in the final report, but I'm willing to plug through and read as much as we can to get the bill done, as opposed to not getting the bill done," Puppolo said.

Andrew Jackson Kirksey, one of two Navy sailors killed in the sinking of PT Boat 109 during World War II, will be honored with a memorial ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m., at the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, 1390 Main St., Agawam. Frank Andruss, of Feeding Hills, is the person who lobbied the cemetery to erect a memorial stone for Kirksey, who died after the PT Boat skippered by John F. Kennedy was split in half by a Japanese destroyer in the South Pacific.

AGAWAM — Frank J. Andruss Sr. has been a PT Boat enthusiast since the 1960s. Some might even call him an expert on PT Boats, short for "patrol torpedo," the fast, wooden vessels used by the U.S. Navy in World War II.

The 59-year-old Feeding Hills man's fascination with the boats was born after watching "PT 109," the 1963 biopic about John F. Kennedy's World War II heroism as commander of a torpedo boat rammed by a Japanese destroyer off the Solomon Islands in 1943.

"PT boats have been my passion since 1967," said Andruss, the year he first watched the film starring Cliff Robertson as a young JFK, the man who would go on to become the 35th president of the United States.

That cinematic experience sparked a lifelong interest that ultimately prompted Andruss to create the The Mosquito Fleet Exhibit in 1997, which had its first show at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield in 1998.

The exhibit, one of the most comprehensive private collections of PT Boat artifacts in the nation, is "dedicated to all who served on, built and repaired U.S. Navy PT Boats," Andruss said.

His latest initiative has been lobbying the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Agawam to place a memorial stone for Andrew Jackson Kirksey, one of two sailors killed when PT 109 was cut in half by an enemy destroyer early on the morning of Aug. 2, 1943.

The cemetery held a memorial ceremony in 2013 for Springfield native Harold Marney, the other sailor killed in the incident. But Andruss felt that Kirksey, who was raised in Georgia, should also be formally acknowledged at the veterans' cemetery.

To that end, the cemetery recently erected a memorial gravestone for Kirksey, who will be honored with a ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m. The event will be held in the cemetery's chapel at 1390 Main St.

Andruss was mesmerized not only by Kennedy's heroism — Kennedy rescued one injured sailor by towing him with a belt clamped between his teeth — but also by the PT Boat itself, an 80-foot vessel capable of reaching a maximum speed of around 47 mph.

"It's an absolutely incredible wooden craft that was built for speed and maneuverability in shallow waters," Andruss said. "They were made to torpedo enemy ships."

As time went by, Andruss became more involved in researching the history of the vessels and collecting memorabilia. His goal is to keep "PT Boats in the public eye," he said, and Tuesday's ceremony is part of that mission.

Kirksey, 25, and Marney, 19, disappeared into the darkness after the collision with the destroyer in the South Pacific. However, Kennedy and the other 10 crewmen under his command survived the incident — and largely due to Kennedy's heroics, according to historians.

The survivors made their way to various islands and were eventually rescued from Olasana Island on Aug. 8, 1943.

Baker is expected to veto the provision.

BOSTON - The Legislature on Sunday sent a bill financing road and bridge improvements to Gov. Charlie Baker - and included a directive to the administration to apply for federal funding to test a new tax on drivers based on miles traveled.

Baker has already said he is likely to veto the vehicle miles traveled pilot program.

"There's disappointment, because all it is is a request for a grant so that we can pilot as was done in Oregon, to see how it would work in Massachusetts and whether we thought it would be a good policy here," said Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst. "So we're leaving federal money on the table."

The bill, H.4424, passed the House unanimously, 158-0, and the Senate on a 38-1 vote. The only dissenter was State Sen. Brian Joyce, D-Milton, who has expressed concern that the bill would move a rail program outside of the state's debt cap - essentially letting the state increase the amount of money it can borrow.

The bill provides $50 million for a financing program for small bridges and a $750 million bond authorization for highway project funding, although most of the highway money would be reimbursed by the federal government.

During the last week, senators also tacked onto the bill a provision directing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to apply to the U.S. Department of Transportation for grant funding to create a vehicle miles traveled pilot program. The program would include 500 volunteers. The point would be to figure out whether a vehicle miles traveled tax would work, what its impact would be, and how to best collect the information. If it goes well, lawmakers could consider replacing the state gas tax with a mileage tax.

Oregon and California are testing similar programs.

Baker, a Republican, said he opposes the pilot program. If Baker vetoes the section of the bill that includes the pilot, lawmakers will not be able to override his veto, because the formal legislative session ends Sunday night.

Rosenberg said Sunday that he is disappointed that the provision is unlikely to be signed into law. "The gas tax is going to be a declining revenue source over time as vehicles become more and more efficient, and yet we will still have roads and bridges to maintain," Rosenberg said. "So eventually we're going to have to transition to a different form of revenue over time, and so we need to start wrestling with that."

Massachusetts State Police arrested a man for openly urinating in the middle of Armory Street on Sunday, and discovered evidence he was dealing heroin and engaged in welfare fraud.

ROXBURY - Massachusetts State Police arrested a man for openly urinating in the middle of Armory Street on Sunday, and discovered evidence he was dealing heroin and engaged in welfare fraud.

In a Facebook post, state police did not identify the man, but gave his age as 26. Boston.com reports his name is Anthony V. Levine.

The Facebook post says two troopers spotted the man urinating in the road while standing next to his car, which was blocking the travel lane. A search of his car allegedly yielded drugs and cash.

The man was charged with open and gross lewdness, health/welfare fraud and numerous drug possession and distribution charges.

He was held on $35,000 bail pending arraignment in Roxbury District Court on Monday.

Facing a midnight deadline, House and Senate lawmakers restored funding to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, reversing Gov. Charlie Baker's state budget veto.

BOSTON - Facing a midnight deadline, House and Senate lawmakers restored funding to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, reversing Gov. Charlie Baker's state budget veto.

The fiscal year 2017 budget lawmakers sent to the governor's desk in July included $14 million for arts, humanities and sciences programs through the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

But Baker vetoed $7.7 million, bringing the total figure down to $6.5 million, a 55 percent cut the agency called "devastating."

"This funding allows the Massachusetts Cultural Council to continue their crucial programming, including the Community Music School of Springfield, support for Springfield's new cultural district, and arts and music programming for thousands of school-aged kids," state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, said in a statement after lawmakers overrode Baker's veto. "Cultural development is economic development. I'm grateful to the 21 senators and 106 representatives that signed our letter of support for this override."

Baker issued that veto and others as his administration grappled with declining tax revenues and a yawning budget gap. His administration has also moved to institute a hiring freeze.

"We wouldn't have done what we did if we thought the budget was balanced," Baker said earlier this month.

"Just about this time last year, the Legislature and the administration thought we knew what tax revenues were going to be for the fiscal year that just ended, and we missed by almost $500 million," he added.

But lawmakers appear undeterred by Baker's concerns. They spent this weekend and the previous Saturday overriding his budget vetoes and restoring funding to accounts attached to the $39 billion state budget. Veto overrides require support from two-thirds of each chamber.

"Funding decisions must be prudent, and the Commonwealth should be investing in proven programs that make a demonstrable impact," said Matt Wilson, executive director of MASSCreative, a group made up of arts and culture organizations.

"The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a model for how public funds can be invested for an outsize impact," he continued in a statement. "By funding approximately 6000 projects through the local cultural council network, the MCC financially supports arts and cultural groups in every municipality. It also makes direct grants to approximately 400 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that, in turn, use these public funds to leverage private dollars."

Separately, lawmakers also overrode a $3 million cut to tourism accounts.

They face a midnight deadline thanks to their own rules, which call for formal sessions to end on July 31. Lawmakers are jamming through bills big and small before adjourning formal sessions for the rest of the year. Informal sessions, which will continue to occur, see few lawmakers attend, and the agendas largely include noncontroversial matters.

@masscultural override successful with a 156-2 vote in the House. TY @MASSCreative

-- Smitty Pignatelli (@repsmitty) July 31, 2016

Lawmakers who support the Massachusetts Cultural Council wrote a letter earlier this month to House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, and Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, pressing for a veto override.

"From Boston to the Berkshires, from Cape Ann to Cape Cod, our state boasts an array of exceptional cultural organizations, beautiful and distinctive communities, and thousands of talented artists and educators," they wrote in their plea.

"The MCC nurtures the creative life of Massachusetts. It is imperative that we continue to provide the Massachusetts Cultural Council with the necessary resources to continue the great work it does in the Commonwealth," they added.

Gov. Charlie Baker slashes Massachusetts Cultural Council budget, lawmakers urge override

Republican reporter Shira Schoenberg contributed to this report.

State Sen. Ken Donnelly, D-Arlington, is set to undergo surgery after he was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Sunday night. A Sunday night post on his Facebook page said he had experienced "difficulties," but did not elaborate.

BOSTON - State Sen. Ken Donnelly, D-Arlington, is set to undergo surgery after he was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Sunday night.

A Sunday night post on his Facebook page said he had experienced "difficulties," but did not elaborate.

"After further testing, doctors determined surgery is likely required," the post said. "It is expected that he will be undergoing surgery in the next 48 hours."

The post added: "His family asks that you send all your good wishes and prayers. We will update you when we have more information."

A former Lexington firefighter, Donnelly serves as the Senate majority whip. He has been in the state Senate since 2009.

His Senate district includes Arlington, Billerica, Burlington, and parts of Lexington and Woburn.

Donnelly was hospitalized as House and Senate lawmakers faced a deadline of midnight to finish formal sessions.

Legislators were busy Saturday and Sunday shuttling bills to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk and overriding many of his state budget vetoes.

Informal sessions will continue for the rest of the year, but their agendas are largely limited to non-controversial matters and local bills.

Collins is accused of robbing County Liquors, 272 County Road, at about 7:30 p.m. Friday, by threatening the clerk with a hypodermic needle.

HOLYOKE - The suspect in a robbery in Southampton was arrested here Sunday after a traffic stop.

Lt. David Fournier said Michael P. Collins, 34, was driving a stolen car.

Collins is accused of robbing County Liquors, 272 County Road, at about 7:30 p.m. Friday, by threatening the clerk with a hypodermic needle. No one was injured.

Holyoke police will charge Collins with offenses related to the stolen car and traffic stop, while Southampton police will charge him with the robbery.

Many one-, two- and three-bedroom units have already been rented, with limited four-bedroom units available.

AMHERST -- A handful of students started moving into the new Olympia Place apartments complex Monday, with more apartments set to open later this month.

Building Commissioner Robert Morra in an email wrote that his department has allowed partial occupancy of the building, and tenants began moving in this morning. He doesn't know yet how many units are open.

The complex is at 57 Olympia Drive near the University of Massachusetts and on the PVTA bus line.

"(I won't) have an accurate count of open units until later today or first thing tomorrow as we are still conducting inspections," Morra said.

Kyle Wilson and David Williams of Archipelago Investments developed the 75-unit building capable of providing housing to 236.

The pair developed Boltwood Place and Kendrick Place, which opened last year downtown.

The two will also build a 135-apartment complex with 143 tenants at the former Carriage Shops, now called One East Pleasant Street. The project also includes retail.

According to the Olympia Place website, one-, two- and three-bedroom units have already been rented, with limited four-bedroom units available.

"The Goonies" and "The Lion King" will be shown at 10 am. Saturday, Aug. 13, at South Hadley's Tower Theaters, 19 College St., South Hadley.

SOUTH HADLEY — Two classic kids' movies, "The Goonies" and "The Lion King," will be shown on Saturday, Aug. 13, at South Hadley's Tower Theaters to raise money for Conor McCormick, the West Springfield teenager who was seriously injured in a swimming accident last month.

"I wanted to do something to help," said Bill Bullock, owner of Bulldog Enterprises, who rented both 90-seat theaters and hopes to fill both of them for the special fundraiser.

"It really hits home, especially when you have kids," said the Chicopee resident, who has six kids of his own, ages seven to 21.

"The Goonies," Rated PG, will be shown in theater one, while "The Lion King," Rated G, will be shown in theater two. Both shows begin at 10 a.m., with doors opening at 9:30 a.m.

Tickets are $10 a person and must be purchased in advance by calling 413-459-4663 during regular weekday business hours, or by messaging Bulldog on Facebook.

"100 percent of the money is going to the McCormick family," Bullock said. "We're hoping to sellout both theaters."

On July 17, Conor McCormick sustained a severe spinal injury after hitting his head while swimming at a friend's pool. He is currently being treated at a Boston hospital and faces a long road to recovery, according to his family.

A GoFundMe page is raising money for Conor and his family, and a Facebook page is providing regular updates on his recovery.

The Tower Theaters are located in the Village Commons, 19 College St., South Hadley.

James Clark, the Huntington man who allegedly threatened to shoot police officers before being taken into custody peacefully earlier last month, will face a new set of charges.

James Clark, the Huntington man who allegedly threatened to shoot police officers before being taken into custody peacefully earlier last month, will face a new set of charges.

A summons is being filed in Northampton District Court on multiple counts of firearms and drug violations, according to court filings. The summons has not yet been issued and an arraignment is expected later this week, a person familiar with the investigation said.

Clark, 23, has already pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of a class B drug with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm while committing a felony, carrying a firearm without a license and threatening to commit a crime, in connection with the standoff on July 17.

A family member of Clark's called Massachusetts State Police that day and told troopers that Clark -- who police say has a known history of violent crime-- was threatening to shoot anyone who came near him, "especially members of law enforcement," reports said.

Police said Clark was hiding behind a shed on his family's property, holding a shotgun. When troopers arrived, Clark was allegedly walking from the shed to the house, then back to the shed again.

Troopers were eventually able to coax Clark out of his home and arrest him without any major confrontation, court documents said. In reports, police noted that Clark has been accused of several violent crimes in the past, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assaulting police.

While Clark was being taken to jail, troopers at his family's property found a backpack behind the shed where Clark had been hiding, reports said. The bag allegedly contained a scale, a mason jar filled with several twisted bags of cocaine, a prescription bottle of Suboxone, a solution known to "cut" narcotics and empty baggies, according to police.

Clark allegedly made several threats to police while they conducted cell checks in the jail, and said he would kill one of the officers when he got out, reports said.

Clark has pleaded not guilty to all charges in two other cases that involved traffic violations and receiving stolen property. Witnesses in those cases alleged that Clark is a heroin and cocaine dealer in the area, according to police reports.

Laura Newberry contributed reporting.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's evaluation framework uses four grades. In ascending order of performance, they are: Unsatisfactory; Needs Improvement; Proficient; and Exemplary

BELCHERTOWN -- The Schoool Committee said superintendent Karol Coffin earned a "proficient" rating when the board's evaluation was publicly disclosed at last week's meeting.

Karol Coffin 

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's evaluation framework uses four grades. In ascending order of performance, they are: Unsatisfactory; Needs Improvement; Proficient; and Exemplary.

"You work very hard to foster excellence in the schools," chairwoman Dawn French told the superintendent. "Overall, you have a proficient review."

The committee evaluated Coffin using four criteria: instructional leadership; management and operations; family and community engagement; and professional culture.

The committee was split on Coffin's performance specific to community engagement, with two board members saying she needed to improve, and two saying she was proficient.

"This was the one where I gave mostly needs improvement," Vice Chairman Thomas Laughner said.

"I gave Carol exemplary remarks and rated proficient overall," committeeman Michael Knapp said.

"The reality is, there is a lot of room for growth," Coffin said during discussion on the community engagement criteria. "I have a lot to learn."

In the other three areas, the committee was unanimous in saying Coffin was proficient.

The school committee named Coffin superintendent in September 2014, and she began work in the Belchertown district the following January.

State police said the "lengthy" pursuit began when someone in Randolph reported a man striking his own vehicle with a hatchet.

NEW BEDFORD - A man who doused himself in butane and led multiple police agencies on a chase through several communities has been arrested.

Massachusetts State Police said Randall W. Harrison, 50, was taken to a hospital for evaluation. So far, they have not revealed what charges he will face.

State police said the "lengthy" pursuit began when someone in Randolph reported a man striking his own vehicle with a hatchet. Troopers said Harrison jumped into the vehicle, a 2004 Chevrolet Blazer, and sped away when they approached.

During the chase, Harrison allegedly waved the hatchet and a knife out the window, and doused himself in butane. He eventually stopped in downtown New Bedford, where he was arrested.

Randolph is about 45 miles north of New Bedford.

During the pursuit the suspect was waving the hatchet and a knife out the window. The suspect eventually came to a stop in downtown New Bedford where he was apprehended.

State police said more details of the incident will be released soon. They singled out Massachusetts Environmental Police for praise, saying they "were instrumental in the arrest."

The public is invited, though space is limited, to a tour of Holyoke's new $3.2 million plant that uses ultraviolet light to disinfect water on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016 at 600 Westfield Road.

HOLYOKE -- Residents are invited to join the City Council in a tour of a new $3.2 million facility that uses ultraviolet light to disinfect water Saturday at noon at 600 Westfield Road.

Space is limited so residents were asked to secure a place by call ing 413-532-6778.

"The tour will provide an overview of Holyoke's water treatment facility which includes 'UV' treatment for secondary infection along with a visit to the Tighe-Carmody Reservoir (in Southampton), Holyoke's largest and primary drinking water source," said a copy of an invitation provided by City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain.

The tour will take about three hours, the invitation said.

The city was required to build the facility to comply with rules of the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), officials have said.

The use of ultraviolet light, a form of radiation not visible to the human eye, as a disinfectant leaves the water's taste and odor unaffected. Calgon Carbon Corp., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia made the ultraviolet disinfection devices, officials said.

Joseph Evangelista allegedly stole newly manufactured razor blades from the Gillette manufacturing facility in South Boston and delivered them to his co-conspirators, who sold them on eBay.

BOSTON - Three men accused of selling more than $200,000 worth of stolen razor blades have been indicted on conspiracy charges.

The accused are Robert A. Liberatore, 51, of Wakefield; Mark S. Girardin, 43, of Randolph; and Joseph Evangelista, 62, of Lowell. They were arrested Monday and released after an initial appearance in federal court.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's office said Evangelista worked at the Gillette manufacturing facility in South Boston. He allegedly stole newly manufactured razor blades and delivered them to his co-conspirators, who sold them on eBay under the business name Cambridge Dedicated Services.

Prosecutors say the scheme involved $208,944 worth of stolen blades.

All three are charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, and Liberatore and Girardin are also charged with one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

Baker on Monday was non-committal on the major bills that reached his desk late Sunday night, largely declining to comment until he had time to review them.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday was non-committal on the major bills that reached his desk late Sunday night, largely declining to comment until he had time to review them.

"While we're pleased that five out of the six big priorities we talked about made it through the process. I don't think we're going to speak to any of the details until we have a chance to read them," Baker said.

During the last day of the legislative session Sunday, the House and Senate passed major bills relating to energy, economic development, municipal modernization and ride-sharing services. Lawmakers previously passed a pay equity bill, which Baker signed into law Monday. They failed to come to an agreement on limiting businesses' use of noncompete agreements.

Speaking to reporters, Baker praised lawmakers for coming to so many agreements, even while acknowledging some senators' frustration that the final version of the energy bill was not broader.

"There was a lot of open water between where the House was and the Senate was on a number of these issues," Baker said. "Frankly, I think the fact they were able to come to terms on five of the big six bills, given how far apart they started in many of those conference committees, was a tribute to them. And I'd be shocked if there wasn't disappointment in the end given how much work they had to do to find middle ground."

Baker has been a strong proponent of increasing the state's procurement of Canadian hydropower, which is a part of the energy bill. But he declined to give his opinion on the version of the bill that landed on his desk.

"We really need to take a look at it and spend some time on it before we comment on the details," Baker said.

Similarly, on the bill regulating ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, Baker said it is important to establish a regulatory framework for these companies, and it is critically important to have a "substantial and ongoing background check process" to check drivers. But he declined to comment on whether he liked the final bill.

Baker has 10 days to sign or veto the bills or let them become law without his signature.

Baker also declined to criticize the legislative process, which resulted in final versions of four major bills being filed after 9 p.m. Sunday, with a midnight deadline to vote. The end-of-session squeeze, Baker said, has "happened as far back as I can remember."

On the failure to reach a compromise on noncompetes, Baker said the state has been wrestling with the issue for four years and "it would be great if we could create some permanence around the framework on this." He said whatever the state ultimately passes should make sure not to hurt existing industries, such as biotech.

"Whatever we do here needs to build on the tremendous success we've had developing an innovation economy to make it stronger," Baker said.