A crash involving three vehicles has slowed southbound traffic on Interstate 91 in Hatfield, Massachusetts State Police have reported.

HATFIELD ‒ A crash involving three vehicles has slowed southbound traffic on Interstate 91 in Hatfield, Massachusetts State Police have reported.

Troopers responded to reports of the crash just before exit 21 on I-91 South at around 10 a.m. Saturday.

According to State Police, the crash appeared to have occurred when two vehicles collided and a third hit debris.

The incident, which reportedly resulted in only minor injuries, shut down the right lane of the highway for a short stretch, police said.

The scene is expected to be cleared within the hour.

"Biggest sale of the year," the logo on the alleged drug dealer's T-shirt promised. "Up to 60 percent off," read the message on the back.

These were the top stories out of Springfield District Court this week, plus one from last week. If you missed any, click on the links below to read them now.

Former reality TV performer charged with robbing 2 banks, convenience store in Springfield

Suspected Springfield drug dealer arrested wearing T-shirt promising 'biggest sale of the year -- 60 percent off'

Judge dismisses 1 of 3 counts against Springfield man who allegedly threatened to shoot, decapitate school bus monitor

No bail for Springfield teen charged in bus station stabbing

Disabled tenant denies beating West Springfield landlord with metal cane

Prosecutor: Man rips badge off Springfield police officer during struggle

If Republican Donald Trump wins, the unraveling of the Affordable Care Act begins.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Election Day 2016 will raise the curtain on the final act in the nation's long-running political drama over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

If Republican Donald Trump wins, the unraveling begins.

"We have an obligation to the people who voted for us to proceed with 'repeal and replace,'" said Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican.

If Democrat Hillary Clinton goes to the White House, it gets very difficult for Republicans to keep a straight face about repealing "Obamacare."

"There just won't be any credible way to keep talking about repealing the Affordable Care Act," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA and a supporter of the law.

After years of debating health care politics and policies, Americans remain divided over the 2010 law, which was passed without a single Republican vote when Democrats still controlled both houses of Congress. What happens next could affect health insurance for nearly everyone.

It's not just the millions who have gained coverage through expanded Medicaid in a majority of states and subsidized private health insurance in every part of the country.

It's also anyone with an existing medical condition who now can apply for health insurance without fear of being turned away. It's millennials weighing paying monthly premiums against paying a fine for remaining uninsured. It's women whose birth control is covered free by their employer, and parents who can keep late-blooming kids on their workplace plans until age 26.

Column: Obama isn't looking so bad to us after all

Brian Greenberg, of Stamford, Connecticut, is in his early 30s, and his insurer has already spent more than $845,000 on medical care for the Crohn's disease patient. A financial services professional, Greenberg worries about a return to lifetime dollar limits on coverage, a type of cutoff that was previously allowed.

Deborah Paddison stands outside her home in Phoenix on Friday, July 15, 2016, while she recovers from her latest orthopedic surgery. She fears she would become uninsurable if the Affordable Care Act was repealed. For most her life she has battled rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and tissues. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin 

Deborah Paddison, of Phoenix, fears she would become uninsurable. For most her life she has battled rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints and tissues. Paddison works as a freelance editor and writer and says her independence is due in part to subsidized coverage under the health care law.

The law's tangible benefits for Greenberg, Paddison and millions of other Americans present a major challenge for Republicans. They've honed their legislative strategy for repealing most, if not all, of Obama's law, but they still have to work out key parts of their plan for replacing it.

The framework that GOP congressional leaders have released isn't detailed enough to allow a full comparison with current law. The Center for American Progress, a think tank aligned with the Clinton campaign, estimates 24 million people will lose coverage by 2021 if the law is repealed and says the Republican replacement will not fill that hole.

But Barrasso, one of his party's leaders on health policy, said Republicans will provide a path to more affordable coverage with less government regulation.

"I have no desire to protect 'Obamacare,' but I want to protect the American people," he said.

City police are investigating an early Saturday shooting that has reportedly left one person dead and another with life-threatening injuries.

BOSTON ‒ City police are investigating an early Saturday shooting that has reportedly left one person dead and another with life-threatening injuries.

Officers responded to reports of a person shot near Dudley Terrace in Dorchester around 12:05 a.m. on Saturday, according to Boston Police.

Upon arrival they located one adult male and one adult female suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, police reported.

Officers pronounced the man dead on scene and transported the woman to a local hospital.

The Boston Police Department is investigating circumstances surrounding the incident.

Anyone with information related to the alleged shooting is asked to call the agency's Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470.

Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word "TIP" to 27463.

Flint, the cat reportedly stolen from Dakin Humane Society in Springfield this week has been located and recovered, Northampton Police reported Saturday.

NORTHAMPTON ‒ "Flint," the cat reportedly stolen from Dakin Humane Society in Springfield this week has been located and recovered, Northampton Police reported Saturday.

The Northampton Police Department announced the cat's recovery on social media around 11:30 a.m. It attributed the reported rescue to "numerous tips received from the community."

Following the recovery, "Flint" was returned to the Springfield Police Department. He will be brought back to Dakin, Northampton Police said.

Lt. Kenneth Murray, of the Springfield Police Department, said Friday that the two women who allegedly stole the feline had been identified, but not yet been apprehended.

Authorities were alerted to the kitten's whereabouts on Friday, but unable to track him down in time for him to be rescued.

Murray said the cat and his captors were temporarily located in Northampton on Friday, but by the time Northampton police arrived at the scene, they had moved elsewhere.

Dakin reported Thursday that two women entered the organization's Adoption Center at approximately noon and grabbed "Flint," before hiding him under a shirt and fleeing the scene.

The organization says that the theft was captured on footage from the building's security cameras.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Five football players were arrested after police said a trooper found marijuana and a loaded handgun in their car, while a sixth player was arrested in a separate incident and accused of punching an officer.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Notre Dame cornerback Devin Butler was jailed Saturday after a police officer said the player punched and slammed him to the ground outside a bar, and five teammates were arrested in a separate incident when a trooper found marijuana and a loaded handgun inside their car during a traffic stop.

Officers had to use a stun gun to subdue Butler in the altercation outside the Linebacker Lounge in South Bend, according to a probable cause affidavit.

South Bend police spokesman Lt. Joe Galea said that after officers broke up a fight inside the bar they saw two women fighting outside when Butler allegedly shoved one of the women. Butler was agitated and when officers told him to back away he allegedly pushed the officers and then attacked one of them.

The affidavit says Butler tackled an officer to the ground, punched him several times in the side and stomach and pulled off his duty belt.

"He shouted profanities at the officers and started swinging his fist," Galea said of Butler.

The St. Joseph County prosecutor's office said Butler faced possible charges of resisting law enforcement and battery to a police officer, both felonies. Butler was being held at the county jail on $10,000 surety bond.

But Prosecutor Kenneth P. Cotter said in a statement Saturday that he's seeking court approval for additional time to investigate the case so that his office can "determine whether formal charges are appropriate."

The officer Butler allegedly attacked was taken to a hospital for treatment for minor injuries, including a sore wrist, South Bend police spokesman Galea said.

According to the affidavit, Butler apologized while he was being taken to jail, "stating that he had been incredibly emotional and intoxicated."

The five other players were arrested Friday night after Indiana State Police said a trooper stopped a car in Fulton County about 35 miles south of South Bend for speeding. The trooper detected the odor of marijuana and with the help of a drug-sniffing dog, he found the marijuana and handgun, police said.

The university confirmed that those arrested were: cornerback Ashton White, starting safety Max Redfield, wide receiver Kevin Stepherson Jr., linebacker Te'von Coney and Dexter Williams, who's one of three running backs expected to play regularly for the Irish this season.

All five were released Saturday afternoon from the Fulton County Jail in Rochester, where they had been held on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. Redfield, Stepherson and Williams face an additional misdemeanor charge of possession of an unlicensed handgun.

It was not immediately clear if any of the six players had attorneys who could comment on their behalf.

Notre Dame also confirmed the arrest of Butler, who Irish coach Brian Kelly said in June would miss the beginning of the season with a broken left foot and could be out until October.

University spokesman Paul Browne said in a statement that "any student arrested on a felony charge also faces dismissal from the university."

"The university will determine if additional sanctions should apply to any or all of the students charged," his statement said.

Dancers clad in beaded costumes, drummers and others took to the streets Saturday to celebrate their Caribbean heritages as part of the 16th annual Springfield Carnival Parade.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Dancers clad in beaded costumes, drummers and others took to the streets Saturday to celebrate their Caribbean heritages as part of the 16th annual Springfield Carnival Parade.

The annual event, which kicked off the city's 2016 Caribbean Festival, featured marchers who played music, danced and displayed an array of flags to on-lookers who gathered along State Street.

Vera O'Connor, a member of the Springfield Carnival Association which organizes the event every year, said it pays homage to Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival and others that occur throughout the Caribbean.

"It's to promote the cultures in the Caribbean," she said, noting that the diverse region spans many countries and features various languages.

Among the countries and cultures represented at Springfield's Carnival Parade, included Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, among others, O'Connor said.

In addition to drawing people from the Springfield-area, meanwhile, O'Connor said some parade-goers had come from as far as Boston, which will hold its own Caribbean Carnival next week.

"We try to support each other because it's like a cycle," she said. "It starts in Trinidad and then it goes around. And so the third Saturday of August is Springfield."

The parade kicked off from the Rebecca Johnson School just after noon and ended in Blunt Park -- the site of the festival.

Food, music and other entertainment will take place in Blunt Park until 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

A city man who was reportedly stabbed in the chest during a Saturday morning attack on Main Street appears to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to Springfield Police.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ A city man who was reportedly stabbed in the chest during a Saturday morning attack on Main Street appears to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to Springfield Police.

Officers responded to reports of an alleged stabbing and assault at 2460 Main St. -- a plaza near a McDonald's restaurant -- just before 9 a.m., Western Mass News reported.

Detectives with the Springfield Police Department are investigating the incident, which reportedly occurred when seven or eight men jumped out of a vehicle, assaulted two men and stabbed another, the news outlet said.

The suspects fled the scene in a brown pickup truck, police said.

The man, who was reportedly stabbed in the chest with a knife during the incident, was transported to Baystate Medical Center, according to Western Mass News. His injuries were described as being "non-life-threatening."

Neither he nor the other victims are cooperating with police, the news outlet reported.

Anyone with information on the alleged attack is asked to contact the Springfield Detective Bureau at 413-787-6355. Individuals may also send an anonymous tip by texting "Solve" and a message to 274637.

Two sewer upgrade projects will affect traffic at various locations throughout the city beginning Monday.

SPRINGFIELD — Water and sewer upgrade projects at two separate locations in Springfield will have effects on city traffic beginning Monday.

At Arcadia Boulevard – from Island Pond Road to 332 Arcadia Boulevard – and at Hancock Street – from State Street to Lebanon Street – private contractors will be performing the upgrades.

The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission announced that the operations will occur during regular construction hours, from Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Commission also announced that traffic delays should be expected and that drivers who usually travel on the affected streets should consider taking alternate routes.

On the affected areas of Island Pond Road, the road will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow during the duration of the construction.

Arcadia Boulevard at the intersection of Island Pond Road and Roosevelt Avenue will be closed to through traffic. This work is expected to continue for approximately two weeks.

During certain periods of the construction on Hancock Street, the area of Hancock Street affected will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow. This work is expected to continue through the fall of 2016.

For more information, residents are encouraged to reach out to the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission at 413-310-3501 with any questions they might have.

The blast during the wedding in the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria, was a terror attack, Gaziantep Province Gov. Ali Yerlikaya said.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- A bomb attack targeting an outdoor wedding party in southeastern Turkey killed at least 30 people and wounded 94 others, authorities said Sunday.

Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said the "barbaric" attack in the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria, on Saturday appeared to be a suicide bombing. Other officials said it could have been the carried out by either Kurdish militants or Islamic State group extremists.

Photos taken after the explosion showed several bodies covered with white sheets as a crowd gathered nearby.

The Gaziantep governor's office early Sunday raised the death toll from 22 to 30. It said the number of wounded remained at 94.

Turkey has been rocked by a wave of attacks in the past year that have either been claimed by Kurdish militants linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party -- known by its acronym PKK -- or were blamed on IS. In June, suspected IS militants attacked Istanbul's main airport with guns and bombs, killing 44 people.

The attack comes as the country is still reeling from last month's failed coup attempt, which the government has blamed on U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers.

How social media helped defeat the Turkish coup

Earlier this week, a string of bombings blamed on the PKK that targeted police and soldiers killed at least a dozen people. A fragile, 2 1/2 year-long peace process between the PKK and the government collapsed last year, leading to a resumption of the three-decade-long conflict.

Simsek, interviewed on NTV television, said, "This was a barbaric attack. It appears to be a suicide attack. All terror groups, the PKK, Daesh, the (Gulen movement) are targeting Turkey. But God willing, we will overcome." Daesh is an Arabic name for the IS group.

Simsek later traveled to Gaziantep along with the country's health minister to visit the wounded and inspect the site of the attack.

"This is a massacre of unprecedented cruelty and barbarism," he told reporters in Gaziantep. "We ... are united against all terror organizations. They will not yield."

He told reporters it was too soon to say which organization was behind the attack.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim condemned the bombing that turned "a wedding party into a place of mourning" and vowed to prevail over the "devilish" attacks.

"No matter what this treacherous terror organization is called, we as the people, the state, and the government will pursue our determined struggle against it," he said.

A brief statement from the Gaziantep governor's office said the bomb attack on the wedding in the Sahinbey district occurred at 10:50 p.m.

Mehmet Tascioglu, a local journalist, told NTV television, that the huge explosion could be heard in many parts of the city.

Police sealed off the site of the explosion and forensic teams moved in. Hundreds of residents gathered near the site chanting "Allah is great" as well as slogans denouncing attacks.

The elderly man who went missing early Saturday has been located by police.

CHICOPEE — Lester Norman, the 93-year-old Chicopee resident who went missing early Friday evening has been located, according to Officer Michael Wilk, spokesman for the Chicopee Police Department.

Norman had last been seen on Sunrise Lane at approximately 7:15 p.m. the night before, and several people had expressed concern for his well being.

"Mr Norman has been located and is safe," Wilk said, while also thanking community members for their concern.

Celebrate Palmer kicked off around noon on Saturday, with several craft booths, music and food vendors and a beer garden for thirsty locals.

PALMER- Celebrate Palmer kicked off around noon on Saturday, with several craft booths, music and food vendors and a beer garden for thirsty locals.

Returning this year was the petting zoo and a narrated ride on an old-fashioned trolley along the trolley line that once connected Main Street and Forest Lake.

While this was the 11th annual Celebrate Palmer festival, it comes while the town is celebrating its tercentennial. Palmer was originally a part of Brimfield.

Palmer's first settler was John King, who was born in England and built his home in 1716 on the banks of the Quaboag River.

The villages of Bondsville, Thorndike, Depot Village and Three Rivers are located in Palmer.

A man who had been attempting to commit suicide was saved by a State Trooper and his K-9 on Saturday, according to police.

SOUTH CARVER — A Massachusetts State Trooper and his K-9 helped to save a man who had been attempting to commit suicide on Saturday afternoon.

State Police say the man – whose identity has not been released – had called 911 in a state of distress and told the operator he was going to kill himself.

Police subsequently ascertained that the man was in Myles Standish State Forest, and Troopers from the Bourne State Police barracks, as well as the Air Wing, Plymouth Police, and a number of other agencies were deployed to look for him.

A State Trooper and his K-9 proceeded to track into the forest from the man's last known location, and within a short period of time they had found him hanging from a tree, police said.

The man was quickly cut down and EMS personnel transported him to a nearby hospital.

Police say the man is expected to survive, and called it a reminder that "a quick response can mean the difference between life and death."

No further information has been released at this time.

The Rev. John K. Sheaffer, a Berkshire County pastor and former long-time chaplain to the Springfield Police Department, has been named to succeed the late Rev. Vernon Decoteau as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Belchertown.

SPRINGFIELD - The Rev. John K. Sheaffer, a Berkshire County pastor and former long-time chaplain to the Springfield Police Department, has been named to succeed the late Rev. Vernon Decoteau as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Belchertown.

Decoteau, known both for his singing voice as well as his pastoral skills, died June 1 at the age of 68. He had recently undergone heart bypass surgery.

"Sheaffer will be a good successor to Father Vern," said the Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, of Sheaffer who has been pastor of St. Mary Mother of the Church Parish in Lee, and its mission churches, St. Mary of the Lakes, in Otis, and St. Joseph, in Stockbridge, since 2011.

"He has love and dedication for ministry to his people. He has a lot of talents, too, that will help the community in Belchertown. Plus, he will be very sensitive to the fact that the community is still in mourning and will help them continue through that morning for Father Vern."

Mitchell call Decoteau "one of the most talented men I ever met," and a "really dedicated priest."

Rev. Vernon DecoteauRepublican file 

Decoteau's concerts featuring priests of the diocese were popular fund-raisers, and his abilities as singer and pianist in community settings had captured the attention of former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush.

He had performed at the Bush summer home in Maine, and the former president wrote a note of condolence to the Belchertown parish upon Decoteau's death, calling him "a star," both for his ability to perform Broadway songs as well as "take care of the good people of St. Francis."

Sheaffer, who served as pastor at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Springfield, from 2004 until 2011, was ordained in 1993 by the late Bishop John Marshall. A Springfield native, he graduated from Cathedral High School and studied at both John's Seminary College in Boston, and Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He was ordained a transitional deacon by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in 1992.

Sheaffer will assume his new duties Sept. 1. His successor in Lee is the Rev. Brian F. McGrath who has been pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, in Agawam, since February 2015.

The Rev. Michael M. Pierz, the temporary administrator of St. Francis of Assisi, who was mentored by Decoteau there, has been named temporary administrator of St. John the Evangelist. Both McGrath and Pierz, who was ordained in 2013, are scheduled to begin their new posts Sept. 1.

A number of other recent diocesan appointments were announced as well. Rozanski said summer's "down time" makes it "the height of priest assignments" as "you can give priests the opportunity to transition from one thing to another."

These include:

On July 1, the Rev. Richard Bondi became temporary administrator of St. Mary Parish in Ware. The Rev. Jeffrey Ballou, pastor of St. Mary's, is on an overseas military assignment as an Air Force chaplain.

On Aug. 14, the Rev. Sean O'Mannion became pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Turners Falls. He was the pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe and Immaculate Conception parishes in Holyoke.

On Aug. 1, the Rev. Yerick Mendez, who was ordained in 2012, became the administrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Immaculate Conception parishes. He was serving there as a parochial vicar. The Rev. John Lessard remains in residence.

On Aug. 1, the Rev. Richard Turner, who had been at St. Anne Parish, Chicopee, became pastor of St. Thomas Parish in Palmer, where the long-time pastor Rev. Eugene Plasse retired.

On Aug. 15, the Rev. David Aufiero became administrator of St. Mark Parish in Pittsfield. Ordained in 2013, he previously served as parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Northampton.

On Aug. 16, the Rev. Christopher Fedoryshyn, who was ordained in 2014, became parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Northampton. His previously assigned to St. Mary Parish in Westfield.

On Aug. 8, the Rev. Peter Naranjo, ordained in 2012, became temporary administrator at St. Mary Parish in Orange. He was parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in Pittsfield.

The Rev. Jose A. Bermudez, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Orange, began a leave of absence Aug. 1 that continues through Jan. 1, 2017.

On Aug. 10, the Rev. Jacques Coly, formerly parochial vicar of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield, became assistant director at the Newman Catholic Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

The Rev. James Nolte, ordained in 2012, is now pastor of St. Patrick Parish in South Hadley. He was previously administrator there.

A woman was killed Sunday morning after a party bus struck two people in East Boston near the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, according to news reports.

BOSTON -- A woman was killed Sunday morning after a party bus struck two people in East Boston near the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, according to Fox25 News.

The fatal accident remains under investigation by authorities.

The television station reports the woman and another person were struck on McClellan Highway around 2 a.m.

WCVB News said the driver of the bus is cooperating with investigators. The woman was pronounced dead on the scene. The second victim was taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries, according to the television station.

Neither driver nor passenger had a Massachusetts license to carry a gun.

WESTMINISTER - Two New Hampshire men face charges of carrying a gun without a permit after being stopped by State Police on Route 2.

Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Coflesky initially pulled over a driver after witnessing motor vehicle violations committed on Route 2 eastbound Thursday night, police said.

After a search of the car, a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, police discovered a 9 mm Hi-Point firearm loaded with seven rounds of ammunition and an additional box of 20 rounds of ammunition for the gun, police said.

Neither the driver nor passenger had a license to carry a firearm in Massachusetts. Both were arrested Thursday night and arraigned in Gardner District Court on Friday, police said.

Curtis Bartlett, 28, of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, was charged with carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without license, improper storage of a firearm, defective equipment and speeding, police said.

Benjamin Streicher, 27, also of Jaffrey, was charged with carry a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a license, improper storage of a firearm and failure to wear a safety belt.

A Connecticut state worker fired after he was caught smoking marijuana on the job was punished too harshly and should get his job back, the state Supreme Court ruled.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A Connecticut state worker fired after he was caught smoking marijuana on the job was punished too harshly and should get his job back, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

Gregory Linhoff was fired from his maintenance job at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington in 2012 after a police officer caught him smoking pot in a state-owned vehicle. He had no previous disciplinary problems since being hired in 1998 and had received favorable job evaluations, according to his union. He was arrested, but the charges were later dismissed.

State officials said firing the New Hartford resident was the only appropriate penalty for his conduct and not doing so would send a bad message to other employees. An arbitrator disagreed and overturned the firing, saying Linhoff instead should be suspended without pay for six months and be subject to random drug testing for a year after he returned to work.

The state appealed and a Superior Court judge overturned the arbitrator's decision on the grounds that it violated Connecticut's public policy against marijuana use. Linhoff's union, the Connecticut Employees Union Independent SEIU, appealed the judge's ruling to the Supreme Court.

All seven justices agreed that the lower court judge was wrong to overturn the arbitrator's ruling, saying that while state policy on drug use in the work place allows for firing workers it does not require it. Justices also said that judicial second-guessing of arbitration awards is uncommon and should be reserved only for extraordinary circumstances.

"The misconduct at issue was completely unacceptable, and we do not condone it," Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers wrote in the decision.

"By the arbitrator's estimation, (Linhoff's) personal qualities and overall record indicate that he is a good candidate for a second chance," Rogers wrote. "Moreover, the discipline the arbitrator imposed was appropriately severe, and sends a message to others who might consider committing similar misconduct that painful consequences will result."

Linhoff couldn't be reached for comment Friday. A phone number for him could not be found.

His lawyer, Barbara Collins, said the Supreme Court ruling is important because it acknowledges the value of upholding decisions made in arbitration, which was designed as a way to settle disputes out of court.

"Perhaps as important the court acknowledged whether directly or indirectly that there is a public policy of rehabilitation and second chances which should be recognized in the work place," she said.

A spokeswoman for the state Attorney General's Office said officials are reviewing the ruling and they declined further comment.

At the time Linhoff was fired, he was seeking treatment for depression, stress and anxiety because his wife had filed for divorce and he had a cancer scare; he believed smoking pot helped to alleviate his worries, Collins said.

Police tracked down the man after he allegedly fled the scene of a property damage accident.

SOUTHWICK - A former town resident faces his fourth drunken driving offense after police tracked him down following an Aug. 12 accident.

Leif Wakefield, 47, who now lives in Vermont, was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, fourth offense, Southwick Police said.

Initially police were called to Tractor Supply Co., 673 College Highway, to investigate the complaint of a property damage car accident. One of the drivers had fled by the time officers arrived, police said.

Shortly afterward officers tracked down the driver, who allegedly fled the scene, at a home on Tannery Road. They then arrested Wakefield, police said.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Alice Selverian 

Alice Selverian (Demirjian), 43, of New Haven, Connecticut, died on Wednesday. After growing up in Longmeadow, she got a BFA at the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Science at Philadelphia School of Textiles. Upon graduation, she moved to California to work at Reebok for several years. She taught fashion marketing at colleges in Massachusetts and New York and moved on to Parsons New School of Design in New York City as a professor of fashion marketing and coordinator of the Fashion Marketing Program for seven years.

Full obituary and funeral arrangements for Alice Selverian »

Police are recommending people lock their cars.

SHUTESBURY - Police are alerting residents that a number of cars have been broken into in the past week.

Larcenies have happened from motor vehicles in the areas of Montague, West Pelham and Leverett roads. All the items have been taken from unlocked cars, police said.

Police are recommending people lock their car doors and avoid leaving items of any value in the motor vehicles.

Anyone with information or who wants to report a theft should call the Police Department at 413-259-1279.