A prominent Islamic State leader was reportedly killed in a US drone strike on July 26, according to the New York Times.

US officials confirmed Friday that prominent Islamic State leader Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed in a drone strike in Eastern Afghanistan on July 26, according to the New York Times.

Khan was reportedly the principal leader of the terrorist organization's branch in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to the news outlet.

A statement given by deputy spokesman of the Defense Department Gordon Trowbridge asserted that Khan was in charge of helping to "train, equip, disseminate and control" Islamic State militants.

Khan was also formerly a member of the Pakistani Taliban.

Trowbridge's statement expressed the belief that Khan's death would negatively affect the Islamic State's regional recruiting activities, as well as their other operations in that region, according to the Times.

Lifeguards saved a child from drowning at a Boston area pool on Saturday, according to The Boston Globe.

BOSTON — Lifeguards saved a 7-year-old child from drowning at a Boston area pool on Saturday, according to The Boston Globe.

The incident occurred at Olsen pool, located in Hyde Park, according to the paper.

State Police Trooper Nicole Morrell reported that lifeguards helped to revive the child at the scene of the incident, before they were transported to Boston Children's Hospital.

Troy Wall, spokesman for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, said in a prepared statement that the organization commended the work of the lifeguards at Olsen Pool.

"As part of a team, they worked together calmly and efficiently to manage a crisis situation that resulted in the saving of a young child," Wall said.

One person was stabbed in Springfield on Saturday evening, according to police.

SPRINGFIELD — One person was stabbed during an armed robbery in Springfield's Old Hill neighborhood on Saturday evening, according to Lt. Stephen Wyszynski.

Initial police reports indicated that the incident occurred in the vicinity of Mr. Sparkle Car Wash at 535 State St.

The victim was taken to Mercy Medical Center by private transport, but is currently being transferred to Baystate Medical Center, according to Wyszynski.

The condition of the victim is not currently known.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The 17th Annual West Side Taste of the Valley continued Saturday on the Park Street Town Common. The annual event continues Sunday with live music, food, carnival games, rides, and a petting zoo. Sunday's fun includes performances from the Two Free Spirits at 11 a.m., Bob Lives On at 1:30 p.m. and the Tom Doherty Band at...

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The 17th Annual West Side Taste of the Valley continued Saturday on the Park Street Town Common.

The annual event continues Sunday with live music, food, carnival games, rides, and a petting zoo.

Sunday's fun includes performances from the Two Free Spirits at 11 a.m., Bob Lives On at 1:30 p.m. and the Tom Doherty Band at 4 p.m. Sunday will also include the Taste of the Valley 5K Road Race at 10 a.m.

For those with big appetites, you can choose from 14 different restaurants that include: Angelo's, Ben & Jerry's, Bernat's Polish Meat Products, Bottega Cucina, Bruiser's Bar-B-Que, Burrito Revolution, Carol's Concessions, Crepes Tea House, Edible Arrangements, Get Your "Irish" On, The Granville Country Store, Mamma Mia's Pizzeria, Millie's Pierogi and Spud's Your Way.

The 17th annual event was sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank and presented by the West Springfield Rotary Club and the Town of West Springfield. For more information and a full schedule of events, log into www.westsidetaste.com.

A house was hit in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood on Saturday night.

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield police are searching for a suspect who fired shots into a house in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood on Saturday night, according to Lt. Stephen Wyszynski of the Springfield Police Department.

Police responded to a call from Davidston St. at approximately 10:00 p.m. from a resident who reported hearing five or six shots being fired nearby.

Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered one house on West Alvord St that had been hit by gunfire. Police recovered evidence, including a shell casing, from within the house, according to Wyszyniski.

Police say the suspect, who is described as being a white male in his late 20s or early 30s, was last seen jumping into a Grey Jeep Cherokee, and speeding away from the scene of the shooting.

No victims were reported related to the incident.

No further information was provided at this time.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his 64-year-old associate were shot in the back of the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens shortly before 2 p.m., police said.

NEW YORK -- The leader of a New York City mosque and an associate were fatally shot in a brazen daylight attack as they left afternoon prayers Saturday.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his 64-year-old associate, Thara Uddin, were shot in the back of the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens shortly before 2 p.m., police said.

Both men were pronounced dead later Saturday, an administrator at Jamaica Hospital said.

Police said no motive has been established and there is no reason to believe the men were shot because they were Muslim. No suspects are in custody.

"There's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," said Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner of the New York Police Department.

But a man who worships at the mosque is blaming the shooting on anti-Muslim rhetoric from some political figures.

Millat Uddin said the shooting "could be a net result of the politics that is going on."

Other members of the mosque also labeled it a hate crime, the New York Daily News reported.

"That's not what America is about," local resident Khairul Islam, 33, told the News. "We blame Donald Trump for this ... Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia."

Members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque said they want the shootings to be treated as a hate crime. More than 100 people attended a rally Saturday night and chanted "We want justice!"

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, held a news conference near the shooting scene, where Kobir Chowdhury, a leader at another local mosque, said, "Read my lips: This is a hate crime" directed at Islam. "We are peace-loving."

Naima Akonjee said her father didn't "have any problems with anyone."

Sarah Sayeed, a member of Mayor Bill de Blasio's staff, serves as a liaison to Muslim communities. She attended the rally and said, "I understand the fear because I feel it myself. I understand the anger. But it's very important to mount a thorough investigation."

Members of the community had felt animosity lately, with people cursing while passing the mosque, said worshipper Shahin Chowdhury. He said he had advised people to be careful walking around, especially when in traditional clothing.

He called the imam a "wonderful person" with a voice that made his Koran readings especially compelling.

Naima Akonjee, 28, one of the imam's seven children, said she rushed to her parents' home after the shooting. She said her father used to call her just to check up on whether she had eaten properly. She'd tell him, "Why are you caring about me?" "And he said, 'If I'm not caring about you, who will?'" she recalled.

Neighbors also described Uddin as a pious and thoughtful man who prayed five times a day and went to the mosque. While at home, they said he would water his garden and one next door.

"A very honest, wise man ... (And) a very helpful guy," said neighbor Mohammed Uddin, who is not a relation of Thara Uddin's.

The National Desk contributed to this report.

Police said the 23-year-old man was armed with a handgun, but Assistant Chief Bill Jessup told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it wasn't immediately clear whether the man had pointed a gun or fired at the officer.

MILWAUKEE -- A crowd of protesters skirmished with police Saturday night in a Milwaukee neighborhood where an officer shot and killed a man after a traffic stop and foot chase earlier in the day, setting fire to a police car and torching a gas station. One officer was hurt by a thrown brick.

Police said the 23-year-old man was armed with a handgun, but Assistant Chief Bill Jessup told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it wasn't immediately clear whether the man had pointed a gun or fired at the officer. They described the man as a suspect, but didn't say what led to the traffic stop.

The races of the man and the officer weren't immediately released.

Police with shields and helmets moved slowly into an intersection after 11 p.m., telling a crowd of about 50 people to disperse. Protesters threw rocks and other debris at police, who held up their shields. At least two bus shelters had been thrown into the street, with their glass shattered.

Protesters also began throwing objects at a business a half-block from the intersection. A nearby traffic light was bent over.

Police tweeted that shots had been fired and arrests were being made.

It was at least the second confrontation at the intersection, following an earlier standoff involving more than 100 people pushing against 20 to 30 officers. Officers got in their cars to leave at one point and some in the crowd started smashing a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire. The newspaper also reported that one of its reporters was shoved to the ground and punched.

A Milwaukee police spokesman didn't immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The shooting that sparked the tensions occurred about 3:30 p.m. after officers stopped a car with two people inside.

Police Capt. Mark Stanmeyer said in a news release that the two people in the car got out and ran and that the officers chased them. He said a man who was one of the people fleeing was armed with a handgun and was shot by an officer during the pursuit. He said the man died at the scene.

The man's name wasn't immediately released. Stanmeyer said he had an arrest record, and that the handgun he carried had been stolen in a March burglary in suburban Waukesha.

The 24-year-old officer who shot the man has been placed on administrative duty. The officer's name wasn't immediately released. He has been with the Milwaukee department six years, three as an officer.

People should hang up immediately if the caller claims to be from the U.S. Treasury or the IRS.

Residents from across Western Massachusetts are reporting receiving scam phone calls from people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service or the U.S. Treasury and trying to convince them to send money or to share personal information.

Police Departments from Chicopee, Longmeadow, Ware, Ludlow, Greenfield and Wilbraham are all reporting multiple residents have alerted them that they have received the calls.

Chicopee Police said there has been a man claiming to be Dennis Gray who says there is pending criminal action against the resident from the U.S. Treasury Department. He then gives the number 646-66-3067. Other residents have reported getting the call from people using a different name, said Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police Department public information officer.

Several other departments are reporting the same type of calls.

In Longmeadow, residents say they have been getting phone calls from 760-462-1869. The caller is claiming to be from the IRS and says there will be big trouble if the resident does not call back, police said.

Ware Police are also reporting an increase of scam phone calls from people claiming to be from the IRS or Department of the Treasury and are asking for personal information and money.

"The real IRS (and) Department of the Treasury will never call you requesting information. The Ware Police Department will not arrest you as the scammers say they will. If you get a call from the IRS claiming you owe money, tell them you know it's a scam and hang up," police said.

Wilbraham Police officers, who said they have also received a number of reports of phone scams, warned people the con artists are convincing call so people should hang up immediately and never return a message. They also alter the caller ID to make it look official.

The department shared information from the IRS explaining the calls have been happening across the country.

The IRS said there are signs to identifying a scam: The IRS will always contact residents by mail, will never demand a payment without giving taxpayers the opportunity to appeal, will not ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone and will not threaten to get local police to make an arrest.

Those who think they owe taxes should call the IRS at 800-829-1040. The IRS workers can help with a payment issue.

Those who have no reason to think they owe taxes should report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov.

People should hang up immediately if the caller claims to be from the U.S. Treasury or the IRS.

Residents from across Western Massachusetts are reporting receiving scam phone calls from people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service or the U.S. Treasury and trying to convince them to send money or to share personal information.

Police Departments from Chicopee, Longmeadow, Ware, Ludlow, Greenfield and Wilbraham are all reporting multiple residents have alerted them that they have received the calls.

Chicopee Police said there has been a man claiming to be Dennis Gray who tells people the U.S. Treasury Department is taking criminal action against them. He then tells them to call the number 646-66-3067. Other residents have reported getting the call from people using a different name, said Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police Department public information officer.

Several other departments are reporting the same type of calls.

In Longmeadow, residents say they have been getting phone calls from 760-462-1869. The caller is claiming to be from the IRS and says there will be big trouble if the resident does not call back, police said.

Ware Police are also reporting an increase of scam phone calls from people claiming to be from the IRS or Department of the Treasury and are asking for personal information and money.

"The real IRS (and) Department of the Treasury will never call you requesting information. The Ware Police Department will not arrest you as the scammers say they will. If you get a call from the IRS claiming you owe money, tell them you know it's a scam and hang up," police said.

Wilbraham Police officers, who said they have also received a number of reports of phone scams, warned people the con artists are convincing call so people should hang up immediately and never return a message. They also alter the caller ID to make it look official.

The department shared information from the IRS explaining the calls have been happening across the country.

The IRS said there are signs to identifying a scam: The IRS will always contact residents by mail, will never demand a payment without giving taxpayers the opportunity to appeal, will not ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone and will not threaten to get local police to make an arrest.

Those who think they owe taxes should call the IRS at 800-829-1040. The IRS workers can help with a payment issue.

Those who have no reason to think they owe taxes should report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov.

Worcester's newly formed neighborhood response team hit the 600 to 700 block of Main Street hard last Thursday, as a number of participants allegedly involved in regular drug dealing in the neighborhood were arrested and their vehicles towed.

WORCESTER -- Worcester's newly formed neighborhood response team hit the 600 to 700 block of Main Street hard last Thursday, as a number of participants allegedly involved in regular drug dealing in the neighborhood were arrested and their vehicles towed.

The team received dozens of complaints from citizens, local businesses, community leaders and other community associations about frequent open-air drug dealing occurring on the block.

Uniformed and plainclothes officers were deployed after receiving intelligence that a Chrysler 300 was dealing narcotics on a regular basis. They also heard that the operator had recruited neighborhood locals to deal for him.

Officers identified Luis Olmo-Saaverda, 28, or 9 Mott Street, as the owner of the vehicle.

The team set up a perimeter on Sycamore Street where the Chrysler was expected to arrive. Olmo-Saaverda was allegedly behind the wheel.

He exited the vehicle and allegedly handed small bags of illegal narcotics to three people, who then stuffed the small bags into in their mouths.

A Toyota pulled up to 4-6 Sycamore street, and a passenger exited the vehicle to approach the group. Officers saw money changing hands after one of the members of the group remove a plastic bag from their mouth and hand it to the passenger. The Toyota drove off.

A police cruiser stopped the Toyota in front of 810 Main Street. Officers interviewed the passenger, who they identified as Cesar Benitez, 29, of 17 Joyce Street in Webster, and discovered small amounts of crack cocaine on him.

Police arrested Benitez and are charging him with possession of a class B substance.

The Chrysler then drove off from the area, but other neighborhood response team officers were able to stop the vehicle on Queen and Davis streets.

Officers arrested Olmo-Saaverda and are charging him with possession and distribution of a class B substance and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws. They also towed his Chysler.

A passenger in the Chrysler, Rafael Miranda-Melendez, 40, no address, was also arrested and was given the same charges in addition to a charge for intent to distribute.

The individuals who took part in the drug deal are being identified by police, and officers took out a summons on one male who they released from the scene.

The Taste of the Valley 5K run in West Springfield, Massachusetts was held Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Taste of the Valley 5K Run was held on Sunday in West Springfield. The 3.1 mile race was part of the 17th annual West Side Taste of the Valley weekend held on the town common.

201 runners ran the race despite oppressively hot temperatures. Bob Lynch of Westfield won the race and Patrice Gamberoni of Dalton, MA was the first woman to cross the finish line.

Check out photos from the race above and for more information about Taste of the Valley 5K Run visit their official website.

The parking lot behind City Hall will be closed until Aug. 19 for restoration and repair work.

SPRINGFIELD - The Department of Public Works is announcing road closures and delays due to construction happening this week.

Union Street, from Main Street to East Columbus Avenue, is expected to be closed until Sept. 2 due to roadwork.

There will be utility and sidewalk work on Bricket Street, from Harvey to Curtis streets.
Possible paving is on the schedule, if that happens road closures are possible.

Paving is tentatively scheduled on Benton Street, from State Street to Wilbraham Road. There are possible road closures during paving.

Milling and utility work is scheduled for Main Street near the intersection of Bridge Street.

Utility and sidewalk work is scheduled on Vermont Street, from White to Pomona streets.

The parking lot behind City Hall will be closed until Aug. 19 for restoration and repair work.

From the air, homes in southwest Louisiana looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields.

LIVINGSTON, La. (AP) -- In high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters, emergency crews worked Sunday to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents from deadly flooding as the governor warned that it was "not over."

From the air homes in southwest Louisiana looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Farmland was covered, streets descended into impassable pools of water, shopping centers were inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water.

From the ground it was just as catastrophic. Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream. Abandoned cars were pushed to the side of the road, lawn furniture and children's toys floating through the waters.

And in many places, the water was still rising.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people have been rescued so far. Edwards says the storm has "subsided in its intensity" but he called on people to refrain from going out to "sightsee" even as the weather gets better.

"This is a serious event. It is ongoing. It is not over," said the governor, emphasizing that in some areas water is still rising.

He said the fatalities have not risen from the three dead reported on Saturday. One person is unaccounted for in St. Helena Parish.

Mike Steele, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said there was an overnight spike in flood rescues in the eastern part of Baton Rouge. Two nursing homes were being evacuated.

Police were rescuing people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.

One of those motorists was Alex Cobb of Baton Rouge, who has been stuck since around 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

Reached by telephone Sunday, she said she was on her way to a bridal shower she was supposed to host Saturday when flooding closed off the highway.

She said she had food intended for the bridal shower and a produce truck about a 1/4 mile up the road shared its stock with drivers -- giving out fruits and vegetables to people.

Cobb said some of the people stranded were actually fleeing flooding in their homes when they got caught on the freeway. Nearby her were a pregnant woman and an 80-year-old woman.

"People are surprisingly upbeat. I don't know how long that is going to last because it's getting kind of hot," she said. "We just want water."

Steele said the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 homes in Livingston Parish, and hundreds more in other areas, including St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

Gov. Edwards declared a state of emergency Saturday, calling the floods "unprecedented" and "historic." He and his family were even forced to leave the Governor's Mansion when chest-high water filled the basement and electricity was shut off.

In one dramatic rescue Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB. The woman, who's not initially visible on camera, yells from inside the car: "Oh my god, I'm drowning."

One of the rescuers, David Phung, jumps into the brown water and pulls the woman to safety. She pleads with Phung to get her dog, but he can't find it. After several seconds, Phung takes a deep breath, goes underwater and resurfaces -- with the small dog. Both the woman and dog appeared OK.

As of Sunday morning, some 5,050 people were staying in parish and Red Cross shelters, said Department of Children & Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters. The governor said even more people were staying in private shelters like churches.

Walters said the Red Cross is also looking for volunteers.

A hospital in Baton Rouge -- Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge's O'Neal campus -- evacuated about 20 critically ill patients Sunday, they said in a statement. An additional 20 will be transferred shortly as a precautionary measure. The hospital's emergency room is closed because flooding makes it impossible for people to reach it.

Around Baton Rouge, worried family members tried to locate relatives. Wayne Muse, 68, ran into a police roadblock on Sunday morning in east Baton Rouge, where rapidly rising water is flooding neighborhoods near the juncture of the swollen Amite and Comite rivers.

Muse said he has been trying in vain to reach or contact his 86-year-old mother since Saturday night, when she told him by phone that she had two inches of water inside her apartment at a Denham Springs retirement home.

"She said they were going to evacuate them but no one could get to them," Muse said. "I couldn't believe that."

Jeffrey Yglesias, 60, hitched his 22-foot boat up to his truck and approached a police officer at the road block, asking where he could launch to help rescue stranded residents.

"I've got stage 4 cancer, and I shouldn't be alive right now, but I feel like I've got to go help," he said. "I'm a miracle. I figured I'd better help while I'm still a miracle."

Yglesias' home was about two miles from the floodwaters, but the lifelong Baton Rouge resident was seeing flooding in places that had never flooded before.

Beginning Friday, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of Louisiana and several more inches of rain fell on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas got even more rain. In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge had as much as 11 inches while one weather observer reported more than 17 inches in Livingston.

Forecasters expected a turn to the north Sunday by the system, warning portions of central and northern Louisiana could see heavy rain into next week.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency for several counties in his state as it also battled the heavy rainfall.

People have come out of the flooding with harrowing stories of snake-infested muddy waters or fighting their way to freedom through the roof.

As floodwaters swallowed Lyn Gibson's two-story home in Louisiana's Tangipahoa Parish, she hacked away on a hole near the roof, desperately trying to get to safety. She used a saw, a screwdriver and her feet, knocking her way through wood, vinyl and sheet rock and was eventually rescued by National Guard soldiers on a boat.

"I just kept picking and hitting and prying until I could get a hole big enough," the slightly built, 115-pound woman said.

Gillian Anderson acknowledged that talks appear to be underway for additional “X-Files” episodes after a recent revival of the popular sci-fi television series. Anderson said she enjoyed picking up the character of FBI agent Dana Scully again and her repartee with Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny.

BOSTON - Gillian Anderson acknowledged that talks appear to be underway for additional "X-Files" episodes after a recent revival of the popular sci-fi television series.

Anderson said she enjoyed picking up the character of FBI agent Dana Scully again and her repartee with Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny.

"Us working together has been more fun now than it ever has been," she said.

Anderson made the comments during an appearance at Boston Comic Con, a three-day convention inside the Seaport World Trade Center. About 550 people, some of them dressed as Dana Scully, attended the question-and-answer panel with Anderson.

"What kept the series interesting, it was important that we keep the same dynamic, which is the believer and the skeptic," Anderson said, reflecting on the nine years the show ran on television.

Gillian Anderson, right, appeared Boston Comic Con 2016. Stefan Blitz, editor in chief of Forces of Geek, moderated the question-and-answer event.Gintautas Dumcius/MassLive.com 

When she would attempt to veer away from that dynamic, "just out of sheer boredom," she would get a phone call from series creator Chris Carter, according to Anderson.

One audience member asked how her roles shaped her. "I think Scully made me stronger as a young woman," Anderson, who was 25 when she took the role, said. "I grew up on television, really. And I think that she made me a better person."

Playing Stella Gibson, a detective superintendent on BCC's crime drama "The Fall," has contributed to "my own sense of femininity and an embracing of my sexuality, whatever that is," she said.

Asked by another audience member about what it's like being a parent, Anderson said, "Motherhood is hard. I don't know if you know this yet but it's really hard."

"My children are the most important thing to me ever. I mean, hands down , they are the most important thing," Anderson, who has three children, added. "And when you have a child you don't realize how much love you have in you until you have a child."

She continued: "That love can, most of the time, salve all of the stress and the headaches and the lack of sleep and the intensity of what parenthood is about."

Anderson said she was fortunate to be able to afford a nanny. "And I'm still f--king exhausted," she said.

Anderson also touched on her other work, including her part in the upcoming Starz series based on Neil Gaiman's "American Gods."

Anderson plays the goddess Media, who appears as different cultural icons as Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe. "And the other ones are secret," she added.

At the end of her talk, Anderson auctioned off to the audience her t-shirt. As the bidding climbed to $700, Anderson said, "I sign it. You come back. I give you a hug. We have a chat."

The winning bid came to $1,250. The money is going to one of Anderson's favorite charities, Childreach International, which aims to end global sex trafficking.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Aug. 25 to celebrate the bridge reconstruction.

MONTAGUE - The Gill-Montague Bridge will be closed Sunday evening into Monday morning to traffic while final construction work is done on the $48 million project.

The bridge is scheduled to be closed from 8 p.m. on Sunday and reopened at 5 a.m. on Monday.

The project, funded with state Department of Transportation money, restored the Gill-Montague Bridge that spans the Connecticut River and connects Gill with the Turners Falls section of Montague.

The project widened travel lanes, improved bicycle accessibility, rehabilitated steel trusses and reconstructed approach roadways.

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the project will be held at 9:30 a.m., Aug. 25 at the Great Falls Discovery Center, Avenue A, in Montague. The public is invited to the event.

The dead man was identified by his mother as Sylville Smith, 23. The name and race of the officer who shot him were not immediately released.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby Sunday in case of another outbreak of violence in Milwaukee, after a deadly police shooting touched off a night of arson and rock-throwing in a mostly black neighborhood.

At least four businesses were burned and an officer was hurt by a thrown brick in the unrest that erupted on the city's north side Saturday night a few hours after the killing of a black man who authorities say was armed and fleeing a traffic stop.

A Milwaukee alderman called the melee a warning from black residents that they are "tired of living under this oppression."

A Guard spokesman, Lt. Col. Gary Thompson, said 125 soldiers were being notified to gather at their local armories and await further instructions.

The dead man was identified by his mother as Sylville Smith, 23. The name and race of the officer who shot him were not immediately released.

"My son is gone due to the police killing my son," Marilyn Haynes told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I am lost."

Online court records showed a range of criminal charges against Smith, many of them misdemeanors, but also a 2015 felony charge of witness intimidation that was eventually dropped by prosecutors.

Authorities respond near a burning gas station as dozens of people protest following the fatal shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Gretchen Ehlke)

Darlene Rose, 31, said that she understands the anger that fueled the violence, but that it doesn't help.

"I feel like if you're going to make a difference, it's got to be an organized difference," Rose said. "The people that came and looted, you're not going to see them here today."

Three protesters were arrested in the violence.

The anger at Milwaukee police is not new and comes as tension between black communities and law enforcement has ramped up across the nation, resulting in protests and the recent ambush killings of eight officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas.

Milwaukee Alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents the neighborhood that erupted, said the city's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression."

"Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?" he asked.

Nearly 40 percent of Milwaukee's 600,000 residents are black, and they are heavily concentrated on the north side.

Milwaukee was beset by protests and calls for police reform after an officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in 2014.

In December, the U.S. Justice Department announced it would work with Milwaukee police on changes.

Critics said the police department should have been subjected to a full Justice Department investigation like the one done in Ferguson, Missouri, after the killing of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014 touched off violence there.

The weekend shooting in Milwaukee is under investigation. The mayor said the officer was wearing a body camera.

Mayor Tom Barrett said police stopped the motorist for what the mayor described only as "suspicious activity." Police said the man was carrying a gun that had been stolen in a burglary in March.

"There were 23 rounds in that gun that that officer was staring at," the mayor said. "I want to make sure we don't lose any police officers in this community, either."

The 24-year-old officer was put on desk duty. He has been with the Milwaukee department six years, three as an officer, authorities said.

At one point Saturday evening, as many as 100 protesters massed at 44th Street and Auer Avenue, surging against a line of 20 to 30 officers.

The Journal Sentinel reported that some in the crowd started smashing a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire. The newspaper said one of its reporters was shoved to the ground and punched.

In addition to the gas station, a bank, an auto parts store and a beauty supply shop were burned. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunfire.

Members of Enfield Emergency Medical Services responded Friday after the rodent got its head stuck in what appeared to be a plastic or paper cup.

ENFIELD, Conn. -- Emergency responders in Connecticut have come to the rescue of a squirrel that was caught in a nutty situation.

Members of Enfield Emergency Medical Services assist a squirrel Friday, Aug. 12, after its head got stuck in what appeared to be a plastic or paper cup. William LaRue, National Desk 

Video posted on the Enfield EMS Facebook page shows the critter wildly jumping and flipping into the air in an effort to dislodge the cup.

Responders' first attempt to remove the cup was unsuccessful. The wily rodent hopped out of one officer's hands and through the legs of another.

The second attempt proved more successful. An officer covered the animal with a blanket and held its body steady while another officer removed the cup before the critter scampered away into some nearby bushes.

Witnesses told police he was not wearing a life jacket.

PLYMOUTH - A 69-year-old man from Taunton has drowned at Curlew Pond in Myles Standish State Forest.

Police and medical personnel responded to the pond at around 11:15 a.m. on Sunday. Investigators said the man had been removed from the water and CPR was being administered.

The man, whose name has not been released, died later at Beth Israel Hospital.

WCVB reports the man was canoeing on the pond. Witnesses told police he was not wearing a life jacket.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the drowning.

Arrested were Jeannie J. Ortiz, of Stoughton and Domingo Ortiz, of Lynn.

STURBRIDGE - State police have charged two people with cocaine trafficking after a traffic stop on I-84.

Troopers pulled over a car in the eastbound lanes at around noon on Sunday for an unspecified violation, and allegedly found 85 grams of cocaine.

Arrested were Jeannie J. Ortiz, 41, of Stoughton, and Domingo Ortiz, 51, of Lynn.

Both are charged with trafficking in cocaine and conspiracy to violate drug laws. Ortiz was also issued a traffic ticket.

They are each held on $25,000 bail pending arraignment Monday in Dudley District Court.

Mayor Tom Barrett said a still image pulled from the footage clearly showed the gun in 23-year-old Sylville K. Smith's hand as he fled a traffic stop Saturday.

MILWAUKEE -- The black man whose killing by police touched off rioting in Milwaukee was shot by a black officer after turning toward him with a gun in his hand, the police chief said Sunday, as Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby against any further violence on the city's mostly black north side.

Police Chief Edward Flynn cautioned that the shooting was still under investigation and authorities were awaiting autopsy results, but that based on the silent video from the unidentified officer's body camera, he "certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds."

At the same news conference, Mayor Tom Barrett said a still image pulled from the footage clearly showed the gun in 23-year-old Sylville K. Smith's hand as he fled a traffic stop Saturday.

"I want our community to know that," Barrett said. But he also called for understanding for Smith's family.

"A young man lost his life yesterday afternoon," the mayor said. "And no matter what the circumstances are, his family has to be hurting."

Flynn declined to identify the officer who shot Smith but said he is black. The police chief said he wasn't sure what prompted the stop but described Smith's car as "behaving suspiciously."

"It was in his hand. He was raising up with it," the chief said. He said it was unclear how many rounds the officer fired.

Earlier Sunday, Gov. Scott Walker activated Wisconsin's National Guard, and 125 Guard members were reporting to local armories to prepare for further instructions. Flynn said they would not be deployed unless the chief decided to do so.

"I'm hopeful that will not be necessary," the mayor said. "But if it is necessary, we will do so." Flynn said 150 department officers specially trained in managing big protests had also been mobilized.

Gov. Walker activates National Guard; Milwaukee shooting victim identified

Six businesses were burned in the unrest that spilled past midnight Sunday. Seventeen people were arrested, Flynn said, and four officers were hurt, none seriously.

Milwaukee Alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents the neighborhood that erupted, said the city's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression."

"Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?" he asked.

Flynn said Smith had a lengthy criminal record with Milwaukee police. Online court records showed a range of charges against Smith, many of them misdemeanors.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Smith was also charged in a shooting and was later charged with pressuring the victim to withdraw testimony that identified Smith as the gunman. The charges were dropped because the victim recanted the identification and failed to appear in court, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern told the newspaper.

"My son is gone due to the police killing my son," Smith's mother, Marilyn Haynes, told the Journal Sentinel. "I am lost."

On Sunday morning, about three dozen volunteers swept up glass and filled trash bags with rocks, bricks and bottles at the intersection where a gas station burned to the ground. One volunteer picked up a bullet casing and handed it to police.

Darlene Rose, 31, said that she understands the anger that fueled the violence, but that it doesn't help.

"I feel like if you're going to make a difference, it's got to be an organized difference," Rose said. "The people that came and looted, you're not going to see them here today."

Early Sunday evening, about 100 people gathered next to the blackened ruins of an auto parts store, saying they hoped there would be no repeat of the violence. Most were from Greater New Birth Church, and wore red T-shirts that read "Grace Stop the Violence" as they sang songs and prayed. As their group broke up later, they gave officers hugs and handshakes.

The anger at Milwaukee police is not new and comes as tension between black communities and law enforcement has ramped up across the nation, resulting in protests and the recent ambush killings of eight officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas.

Nearly 40 percent of Milwaukee's 600,000 residents are black, and they are heavily concentrated on the north side.

Milwaukee was beset by protests and calls for police reform after an officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in 2014.

In December, the U.S. Justice Department announced it would work with Milwaukee police on changes.

Critics said the police department should have been subjected to a full Justice Department investigation like the one done in Ferguson, Missouri, after the killing of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014 touched off violence there.

The officer involved in the most recent Milwaukee shooting was 24 years old and has been an officer for three years, according to the department.

At one point Saturday evening, as many as 100 protesters massed at 44th Street and Auer Avenue, surging against a line of 20 to 30 officers. The Journal Sentinel reported that some in the crowd smashed a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire.

In addition to the gas station and auto parts store, a bank and a beauty supply shop were burned. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunfire.