Cara Rintala is accused in the strangulation death of her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, in 2010 in Granby.

Update 4:10 p.m.: The jury has gone home without a verdict Thursday in the third full day of deliberations in the trial.

NORTHAMPTON -- Jurors in the third murder trial for Cara Rintala, accused of killing her wife in 2010 in Granby, are in their third full day of deliberations.

So far the jury has had no questions for the judge and has not sent any notes out of the jury room.

In Rintala's last two trials, jurors first declared they were deadlocked on the third full day of deliberations. Both trials, in 2013 and 2014, ended in mistrials.

Rintala, 49, is accused in connection with the strangulation death of Annmarie Cochrane Rintala on March 29, 2010, at the couple's Granby home.

It's hard to compare exactly the length of deliberations at each trial. In the first trial the jury got the case at 4 p.m. on a Thursday, almost the end of the court day.

In the second trial jurors also got the case at about 4 p.m., this time on a Tuesday, and so had almost no deliberation time that day.

In this trial jurors began deliberations first thing Tuesday morning.

In the first trial, jurors sent a note to Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup near the end of the third full day of deliberations asking her to redefine "reasonable doubt" and give them guidance on how to reach a consensus.

Rup gave them a standard instruction at the start of the fourth full day, which essentially asked them to try harder. The jury sent a note to the judge at about 2 p.m. that day saying they were deadlocked. The judge declared at mistrial at 3 p.m. that day.

In the second trial, jurors first reported to Rup they were deadlocked at 3:30 p.m. on the third full day of deliberations, a Friday.

The next trial day, Rup read a standard instruction, in essence asking jurors to try harder. At about noon, they sent word asking her to define "reasonable doubt" and "moral certitude" and she repeated the instruction on reasonable doubt.

The jury reported back the next morning they were deadlocked and didn't see any change in the future, so Rup declared a mistrial about 10:30 a.m.

There were no questions from jurors in the first two trials until they reported they were deadlocked.

Rintala has been free on $150,000 bail since March 2014.

The jury has over 200 exhibits in the room with them, which they can opt to review or not to review. Among those are 10 video and audio recordings they can choose to watch or listen to in the jury room.

Among those videos are interviews Massachusetts State Police Trooper Robin Whitney conducted with Rintala, one of which lasted 21/2 hours.

Jurors will decide whether to acquit Rintala or to convict her of first- or second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter. At previous trials, jurors were only instructed to consider the murder charge.

The defense contends Rintala was not at home at the time of Cochrane Rintala's death. The prosecution says Rintala killed her wife, then took the couple's 2-year-old daughter out on errands where she would be seen on video surveillance to create an alibi. After she got home, according to the prosecution, Rintala poured paint over the crime scene to contaminate it.

The prosecution is asking for a first-degree murder conviction under two of the three theories that can sustain that conviction. One is premeditation and the other is extreme atrocity and cruelty.

The jury, if it decides to convict on first-degree murder, must indicate on the verdict slip if it found one or both theories applicable. Jurors only need to find one theory applicable in order to convict.

The manslaughter instruction from the judge discussed killing in the "heat of passion."

The debt exclusion would likely increase tax bills in the $350 to $360 range for a home with the median value of $306,300.

AMHERST -- The Select Board has issued a statement explaining why it supports a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion override ballot question that would pay the town's share of building a new elementary school.    

Some in town oppose the building of the new twin-wing elementary school, which would be home to 750 students and replace the current Wildwood and Fort River elementary schools.

The override requires a majority vote in the Nov. 8 election and a two-thirds vote by Town Meeting, which starts the following week. Question 5 does not include a dollar amount because the state does not allow that in ballot questions.

The Select Board also wants people not to confuse this with Question 2, the statewide question addressing whether to lift the cap on charter schools.

The board explained that the town added Question 5 to the ballot to save the cost of a separate ballot, at about $12,000, or a separate election, at about $20,000.

In its statement, the Select Board said it supports building the new school in part because the Massachusetts School Building Authority will pay for more than half of the cost of construction. The state's share would be $33.7 million, reducing the town's share to about $32.6 million.

The town is looking at four capital projects: a Jones Library renovation and the building of a new fire station and public works facility, in addition to the school.

"Trying to pay for a bond for this entire (school) project without a debt exclusion override would virtually preclude any other capital spending for several years, large or small," the board said.

Also the board reported that the town's five-year capital plan includes two school expenses that would be avoided if the vote to build the new school is authorized. Those expenses include $1.25 million for a new roof at Fort River and $400,000 for a boiler at Wildwood.

The town received notice last week that the state approved its share of the project.

Acting Superintendent Michael Morris said after receiving the letter, "it was great to hear their praise and support of our project and to be assured that 51.3 percent of the funding for the project is secured," he wrote in an email.

The debt exclusion would likely increase tax bills in the $350 to $360 range for a home with the median value of $306,300, interim Finance Director Claire McGinnis wrote in an email.

The group Save Amherst's Small Schools continues to advocate against the project. Building Opportunity for Learning & Diversity is advocating for a yes vote on the question.

Amherst School proposal by ledermand on Scribd

Members of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation board of directors on Thursday signed off on proposed toll rates for the cashless system set to go live on Oct. 28. Watch video

This story is part of ongoing MassLive coverage into the state's October 2016 launch of all-electronic tolling on the Mass. Pike and the elimination of toll plazas.

____________________________

BOSTON - Members of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation board of directors on Thursday signed off on proposed toll rates for the cashless system set to go live on Oct. 28.

The advent of all-electronic tolling means the toll plazas are coming down and metal gantries, with cameras and other technology mounted on the structures, will gather tolls and other information as drivers pass by underneath at highway speeds.

A trip from the New York border to Boston will cost $5.95 if the driver has an E-ZPass Massachusetts transponder, a decrease from the current toll of $6.60.

Transportation officials say the cashless system will bring about a decrease in congestion and an increase in air quality.

Overall, the cost of 53.5 percent of trips with Massachusetts E-ZPass transponders will decrease under the new system, while the cost of 10.2 percent of trips will stay the same.

For 15.5 percent of trips, the cost will increase by more than ten cents, and for 12.9 percent of trips, the increase comes to five cents. Nearly 8 percent of trips will see a 10-cent increase.

Drivers with an out-of-state E-ZPass or no E-ZPass at all will be forced to pay higher rates. Cameras on the gantries will snap photos of license plates and mail a bill to the owner of the car if there's no transponder.

Under the original proposal released in August, the cost of 46.9 percent of E-ZPass Massachusetts trips decreased, and 10.6 percent of drivers would have seen an increase of 50 cents or more.

The new proposal, approved on Thursday, calls for four percent of drivers to see a 50-cent increase.

Cost of traveling from New York border to Boston on Mass. Pike to fall even further

Transportation officials made the tweaks to the original proposal after seven public hearings and comments from elected officials, including state Sen. Karen Spilka, an Ashland Democrat who heads the powerful budget-writing Senate Ways and Means Committee.

The tweaks also mean less revenue for the system. Transportation officials say $20 million in savings, from when the Western Turnpike bonds are paid off in January 2017, will help, as will the anticipated $5 million in annual savings from the switch to all-electronic tolling.

Two members of the MassDOT board, Ruth Bonsignore and Betsy Taylor, expressed concern about the decrease in revenue, particularly due to the conditions of bridges across the state.

"These roads need significant investment," Taylor said.

Gov. Charlie Baker's transportation chief, Stephanie Pollack, said the department's calculations are conservative estimates, and that money will continue to accrue for fixes, just at a slower rate. The volume of people using the road has also increased, in part due to low gas prices, she added.

"I think the best we can do is literally monitor it by month," she said of tolling revenues.

Pollack, who chairs the MassDOT board, said the board can revisit toll rates at any point.

Mass. highway chief says it's not a money grab

More Springfield schools than ever have the top accountability rating from the state, and Schools Superintendent Daniel Warwick credits improved graduation rates, fewer students skipping school and successes in the PARCC assessment test as among the reasons.

SPRINGFIELD -- More Springfield schools than ever have the top accountability rating from the state, and Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick credits improved graduation rates, fewer students skipping school and successes in the PARCC assessment test as among the reasons.

Nine Springfield schools are now designated Level 1, and Warwick will highlight them and other schools whose status has improved when he presents his year-in-review at the School Committee meeting tonight at 6 at City Hall.

A major boost for the district is the number of schools moving up from Level 4 status, which is assigned to the most underperforming schools, to Level 3 or higher.

In 2015, there were five Level 1 schools, five Level 2 schools, 22 Level 3 schools and 10 Level 4 schools.

In 2016, there are nine Level 1 schools, seven Level 2 schools, 20 Level 3 schools and nine Level 4 schools.

Over four years, the number of Level 1 and 2 schools climbed from six to 16 while the number of Level 3 and 4 schools dropped from 36 to 29.

Warwick said the improvements have been the result of an effort between the administration, staff, parents and students.

"Level 1 is the top tier in the accountability system so we are really proud of the schools that have made these gains to Level 1," he said.

Liberty Elementary School and the Springfield Renaissance School both moved from Level 3 to Level 2 schools, while DeBerry Elementary School went from a Level 4 to a Level 3 school.

"DeBerry moving up from Level 4 to Level 3, that's a commissioner level decision, so that was significant, " Warwick said. "Absolutely outstanding work by the principal and her team of teachers at DeBerry. Three years ago, they took over a Level 4 school ... the school has made huge gains. I think in part it is due to a very focused effort on curriculum and instruction."

The four schools moving to Level 1 status include STEM Middle Academy and Sumner Avenue Elementary School, both coming from up from a Level 3 status, and Freedman and Harris elementary schools, moving up from Level 2. Other schools at Level 1 are Beal, Brunton, Mary Lynch and White Street elementary schools and Zanetti Montessori School.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said the district has made some "courageous and innovative moves" to achieve success.

"Dan Warwick and his administration, the school committee, teachers, staff and families put a plan in place four years ago and that plan is now paying dividends," Sarno said.

The mayor, who serves as chairman of the School Committee, said a strong school system makes for stronger and healthier neighborhoods, reduces poverty rates and public safety issues.

"We take everybody, we say no to no one, unlike surrounding suburban areas. We take on all the socioeconomic, mental health issues and disabilities. We take everything on because every child deserves a quality education," he said. "The improvements are very gratifying. Our graduation rate is moving toward the 70 percentile, our test scores are much higher. It's a testament to the whole team, but really to the teachers and our students and families who are buying in," he said.

Kevin Lalime, principal of STEM Middle Academy, is thrilled with the results. "It's great to feel validated in the work you're doing as a team including the students, teachers, administrators and parents. It's an all-inclusive effort to narrow the achievement gap," he said.

He credited the district and especially the teachers.

"This work is not the work of one, but the work of many, and I thank my teachers tremendously for doing the best they can to ensure that our students succeed," he said. "Also, the students should be proud of their work as well, that's an accomplishment in its own right."

Paul Foster, chief information officer for the district, said the use of data to inform instruction has helped teachers create lessons and activities that engage the students and achieve results.

"We have these data dashboards, and they provide data at the school level, at the class level, at the grade level and even subject level," he said. "So teachers will get together and they will look at the data as a group and plan reteaching...it's not teaching the same thing over again in the same way, but actually covering it in a new and different way to help students master it."

Kate Fenton, the chief instructional officer for the district said she is confidant that even more strides will be made by the district in the coming years.

"We have taken the last four years to really align our curriculum to the Common Core standards and the higher level that our students are going to need to be college- and career-ready," she said. "We are seeing some really great gains in third grade, the students that have had the most access to this aligned curriculum ... This gives us a lot of confidence that the curriculum we are offering our students every day is what they are going to need to be successful."

Warwick said highlights from the district's PARCC results for grades 3 through 8 include:

• Composite Performance Index in English Language Arts is 75.0, up 4.3 points since 2012.
• The index in math is 66.0, up 7.3 points since 2012.
• The percentage of students in the district who scored proficient in both England and math rose by 4 percent.
• The CPI for third graders rose 6.4 points in English and 4.2 points in math.

Highlights of the 2014-2015 school year, the most recent year with complete graduation, dropout and truancy statistics, in comparison to the 2013-2014 school year include:

• The 2014-15 dropout rate was down to 5.1 percent compared to 7.1 percent in 2013-14 and 10 percent in 2012.
• Truancy was down to 2.6 percent from 3.2 percent in 2013 and 4.4 in 2012.
• The graduation rate has gone up from 61.6 percent in 2013-14 to to 66.7 percent. In 2012 it was 56.6 percent.

While upbeat about the schools' success over the past four years, Sarno said the district has more to do.

"We are not  going to rest on our laurels, there is more work do be done, but the puzzle pieces are falling into place," the mayor said.

Massachusetts transportation officials are offering a "grace period" for drivers as the state converts to a cashless tolling system on the Mass. Pike.

This story is part of ongoing MassLive coverage into the state's October 2016 launch of all-electronic tolling on the Mass. Pike and the elimination of toll plazas.

____________________________

BOSTON - Massachusetts transportation officials are offering a "grace period" for drivers as the state converts to a cashless tolling system on the Mass. Pike.

The new system, in the works for years, is set to go live on Oct. 28. The toll plazas are slated to come down, replaced by metal gantries with technology that can read the transponders in your car or your license plate if you don't pay.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's board of directors approved three different toll rates: One for drivers with an E-ZPass Massachusetts transponder, another for drivers with an out-of-state E-ZPass transponder, and a third for people who don't have a transponder and will "pay-by-plate." You will be charged more if you don't have a transponder.

Here's how the "grace period" for the new system will work, according to Massachusetts highway chief Thomas Tinlin.

When a customer whose license plate was photographed receives a "pay-by-plate" bill in the mail, they can open an E-ZPass Massachusetts account.

If they open the account and pay their invoice in full, they will receive an automatic credit on their new E-ZPass Massachusetts account "equal to the difference between the Pay By Plate Rate and E-ZPassMA rate."

"For the first 6 months, this program will be offered on any Pay By Plate bill a customer receives, and then after 6 months, on the first Pay By Plate bill a new customer receives," a presentation to the MassDOT board says.

MassDOT board approves new toll rates as state readies switch to cashless Mass. Pike system

Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan, who serves on the MassDOT board, had initially raised the prospect of a "grace period" when MassDOT officials rolled out details of the all-electronic tolling proposal in August.

Sullivan said Thursday that the "grace period" is a good move and "creates a level of sensitivity to the motorists." He acknowledged that transportation officials have been promoting the switch to the new system.

"I do think it's a step in the right direction," Sullivan said.

Here's how to get an E-ZPass Massachusetts transponder

The Massachusetts Appeals Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by Harvard University students seeking to force the university to divest its pension fund from fossil fuel companies.

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Appeals Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by Harvard University students seeking to force the university to divest its pension fund from fossil fuel companies.

The panel of three appeals court justices agreed with a lower court and found that the students do not have standing to pursue the case.

"We conclude, as did the judge below, that the plaintiffs 'have brought their advocacy, fervent and articulate and admirable as it is, to a forum that cannot grant the relief they seek,'" the justices concluded, in a decision written by Appeals Court Associate Justice Elspeth Cypher.

In November 2014, a group of Harvard students from a group called the Harvard Climate Justice Coalition sued Harvard to force it to divest its endowment from fossil fuel companies after attempts at advocacy failed. The lawsuit argued that the Harvard Corporation and Harvard Management Company, which manage Harvard's endowment, were mismanaging charitable funds and investing in "abnormally dangerous activities" by investing in companies that contribute to climate change. They said investing in companies that contribute to climate change will adversely impact their education and in the future would adversely impact Harvard's physical campus.

A Suffolk County Superior Court judge dismissed the suit. The judge found that the students did not have standing to sue, since it is typically left to the attorney general to regulate the operation of public charities.

The Appeals Court agreed with the lower court judge in finding that the students do not have a direct enough interest in the management of the endowment to allow them to file suit. The court also found that the students cannot claim to represent the interests of future generations.

Construction of Springfield's first commercial greenhouse is ready to begin, after Mayor Domenic Sarno and city officials gathered to announce the future addition to the Indian Orchard neighborhood.

Construction of Springfield's first commercial greenhouse is ready to begin, after Mayor Domenic Sarno and city officials gathered to announce the future addition to the Indian Orchard neighborhood.

Wellspring Cooperative Corp., a community-based development organization, is in the process of purchasing a 1.5 acre property that was once a part of the Chapman Valve site. Site work and construction of the Wellspring Harvest greenhouse is set to start once the land is purchased from the Springfield Redevelopment Authority.

"This is a great combination of education and empowering green economic development," Sarno said in a press release.

The Wellspring Harvest greenhouse will be located at 121 Pinevale St. in the Indian Orchard Business Park.

The greenhouse will use hydroponic gardening, which uses mineral solutions in water and soil to grow crops. Once completed, the project will produce 250,000 plants annually, including lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, which Wellspring plans to distribute to local schools, hospitals and communities.

"This greenhouse advances Wellspring's mission to create a network of worker-owned companies to provide jobs and wealth creation opportunities for low-income and unemployed Springfield residents," said Fred Rose, co-director of Wellspring.

The project will be constructed in two phases and will create a total of nine jobs following its completion. Once opened, there will be a facility devoted to agricultural education and training for community members and students.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick added, "The educational component that Wellspring has so thoughtfully included in their development plans will provide our students with a rare opportunity that will greatly augment classroom lessons and is sure to pique interests in horticulture as a lifelong career or passion."

Completion of the Wellspring Harvest greenhouse will cost $900,000 and is projected to open in December.

The Square One annual tea party dubbed the "One-derland Tea Time filled the main banquet room at Chez-Josepf in Agawam on Thursday afternoon.

AGAWAM -- There were feathers on some of them. Some had wide brims some had small. A few featured the markings of area sports teams. All chapeaus were worn for a good cause.

The Square One annual tea party dubbed the "One-derland Tea Time" filled the main banquet room at Chez Josef in Agawam on Thursday afternoon.

Called "one of the most enjoyable and fun social events of the year," the event benefits Square One programs including providing breakfast, lunch and snacks for students five days a week, new art supplies, a warm and comfortable place to rest during nap time and continued interaction between teachers, staff and students.

Area vendors that participated in the event were Elms College, Mary Kay, Wicked Good Cupcakes, Jafra, CityStage, Rodan and Fields, Your Choice Brands, Springfield Thunderbirds, Square One, Elegant Creations Jewelry, Pioneer Landscaping, WhyJsJava and Wicked Good Treats.

Corporate sponsors included Health New England, Western Mass News, Smith and Wesson, Kyocera, Chez Josef, MassLive, WMAS 94.7 FM, USI, BusinessWest, The Republican, Northwest Mutual and Lamar.

A Tea Time hats "Top Hats" contest was held during the afternoon tea.

Authorities warned that the danger was far from over, with hundreds of miles of coastline in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina still under threat of torrential rain and deadly storm surge as the most powerful hurricane to menace the Atlantic Seaboard in over a decade pushed north.

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
and BRENDAN FARRINGTON

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Hurricane Matthew sideswiped Florida's Atlantic coast Friday, toppling trees onto homes and knocking out power to more than 800,000 people but sparing the most heavily populated stretch of shoreline the catastrophic blow many had feared.

Authorities warned that the danger was far from over, with hundreds of miles of coastline in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina still under threat of torrential rain and deadly storm surge as the most powerful hurricane to menace the Atlantic Seaboard in over a decade pushed north.

They warned, too, that the storm could easily take a turn inland.

"It still has time to do a direct hit," Gov. Rick Scott said in the morning. "This is not over. ... It could be the worst part of this is yet to come."

Meanwhile, the magnitude of the devastation inflicted by Matthew as it roared through the Caribbean became ever clearer, with officials in Haiti raising the death toll there to nearly 300, while also cautioning that there were scores of bodies that had yet to be recorded.

In Florida, Matthew was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane overnight, and its storm center, or eye, hung just offshore Friday morning as it moved up the coastline, sparing communities the full force of its 120 mph winds.

Still, it got close enough to knock down trees and power lines, damage buildings and flood streets. Melbourne was hit by wind gusts of up to 107 mph.

In historic St. Augustine, Florida, the downtown district was impassable by noon because of a combination of seawater and rainwater. A giant oak limb had fallen in an old cemetery, and the power started going out in some neighborhoods as transformers exploded.

On Georgia's Tybee Island, where most of the 3,000 residents were evacuated, Jeff Dickey had been holding out hope that the storm might shift and spare his home. As the rain picked up, he decided staying wasn't worth the risk.

"We kind of tried to wait to see if it will tilt more to the east," Dickey said. "But it's go time."

In areas the storm had already passed, residents and officials began to assess the damage.

Robert Tyler had feared the storm surge would flood his street two blocks from the Cape Canaveral beach. Tree branches fell, he could hear transformers exploding overnight, and the windows seemed as if they were about to blow in, despite the plywood over them.

But in the morning, there wasn't much water, his home didn't appear to have damage on first inspection, and his vehicles were unharmed.

"Overnight, it was scary as heck," Tyler said. "That description of a freight train is pretty accurate."

As the storm closed in over the past few days, an estimated 2 million people across the Southeast were warned to clear out.

In the end, Matthew largely skirted the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Palm Beach area of over 6 million people and hugged closer to the coast farther north, menacing such cities as Vero Beach, Daytona Beach, Cape Canaveral, St. Augustine and Jacksonville. Farther north, it threatened such historic cities as Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina.

At 2 p.m. EDT, Matthew was centered about 40 miles southeast of St. Augustine and 60 miles southeast of Jacksonville. Its winds had dropped to 115 mph, and it was moving northwest at 12 mph.

About 500,000 people were told to evacuate the Jacksonville area, and another half-million were under orders to clear out in Georgia.

Forecasters said 15 inches of rain and a storm surge of up to 9 feet were possible in places.

National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb reminded people in the danger zone that storm surge is the biggest threat to life during a hurricane, even when the eye remains offshore.

"If you're hoping it's is just going to pass far enough offshore that this isn't a problem anymore a that is a very, very big mistake that you could make that could cost you your life," he said.

Airlines canceled at least 4,500 flights Wednesday through Saturday, including many in and out of Orlando, where all three of the resort city's world-famous theme parks a Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld a closed because of the storm.

Airports in South Florida began returning to normal, however, with American Airlines seeing its first arrival at its Miami hub at 9:05 a.m.

Despite the warnings to leave, many hunkered down Thursday night and hoped for the best.

The door to Darrell Etheridge's garage was blown off, but the Vero Beach resident said the storm was no big deal. There was no flooding and he had power for most of the night, only losing cable TV.

While the wind's howling "sounded like a pack of wolves," he said, "I got off damn good."

Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said at least four callers reported trees falling onto their homes in the Daytona Beach area. No injuries were reported.

Some people who refused to evacuate were stranded and called for help but were told to stay put until conditions improved enough for paramedics and firefighters to get to them, said emergency operations spokesman David Waters in Brevard County, the home of Cape Canaveral.

"A family called in that the roof just flew off their home on Merritt Island," Waters said.

NASA reported mostly minor damage at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, including damage to some parked cars and an office building roof.

___

Associated Press reporters Holbrook Mohr in Orlando, Florida; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Florida; Kelli Kennedy and Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Jennifer Kay, Freida Frisaro and Curt Anderson in Miami; Marcia Dunn in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Janelle Cogan in Orlando, Florida; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; Martha Waggoner in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jeffrey Collins on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; Jack Jones and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; and Bruce Smith in Charleston, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

MassDOT warns of heavy traffic Friday and Monday nights.

SPRINGFIELD -- In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And on Columbus Day, New Englanders go exploring, too.

Or at least that is the warning from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which warns motorists of heavy traffic tonight and Monday on area highways, especially roads leading to traditional fall vacation destinations in Maine, Cape Cod and New Hampshire.

A live fall foliage map for the New England states is available here.

To help deal with the rush:

• HOV lane: The Boston Interstate 93 southbound high-occupancy vehicle lane opened Friday at 1 p.m. The HOV lane will not open on Monday.
• Free coffee will be served at more than a dozen service plazas along state highways on from 10 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday. The plazas are the 11 service plazas along the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) plus plazas along Route 3 in Plymouth, Route 128 in Beverly, Route 128/I-95 in Newton and Lexington, Route 6 in Barnstable, and the Route 24 northbound and southbound plazas.
• Be informed: Visit mass511.com, a website that provides real-time traffic and incident advisory information. Access MassDOT traffic cameras to view images covering portions of routes 3, 6 and 28, and parts of I-90, I-91, I-93 and I-95 here. On smartphones, download Waze, the real-time traffic navigation app or Ridewise for travel times for various roads including Route 3, Route 6, I-93 and portions of I-90. Masslive has a traffic text alert system available here.
• Vermont: The Vermont Department of Transportation has a road advisory map here.

Gas prices:

Public transportation:

Beginning this month, the substitute teacher rate increases from $60 to $70 per day. The substitute paraprofessional amount increases from $55 to $65 a day.

WARE -- The school committee voted 4-1 Wednesday to increase the daily pay rate for substitute teachers who are not certified and for substitute paraprofessional staff.

Beginning this month, the substitute teacher rate increases from $60 to $70 per day. The substitute paraprofessional amount increases from $55 to $65 a day. The rate for certified substitute teachers will remain at $75 per day.

The board and the administration said the higher amounts should make it easier for the school district to employ temporary replacements.

Ware public schools' business manager said the cost for this fiscal year is estimated at $7,000.

Applicants for the University of Massachusetts Amherst Police Department must be willing to work at any hour and in any weather.

AMHERST -- The job requires employees to work at any hour and in all weather conditions, but that doesn't matter to the nearly 400 who have applied to be on the University of Massachusetts police force.

As of Wednesday, 382 had applied for seven positions, and the closing deadline is Oct. 14.

In a press release, Patrick Archbald, deputy chief of police for administration, said the number of applicants confirms that UMass is a great place to work and Western Massachusetts is a great place to live. 

"We're striving for a very strong, diverse group of candidates that represents our community and we're very pleased with the response so far," he said. "It's encouraging when so many people entering the job market want to work for the university and UMPD."

Spokesman Edward Blaguszewski said in an email that the department offers its entry-level police exam approximately every two years or as needed. 

"It is not uncommon for the department to have an applicant pool in the 300 to 400 range for each of these exams.  

"Vacancies typically occur over the course of the year. The seven positions that we are currently seeking to fill is a  slightly higher number than usual, with retirements being a significant factor this year."

Candidates must have a Class A License to carry a firearm at the time of appointment and complete a 22-week Municipal Police Training Academy, among the requirements.

The base salary is $49,354 with a seven-step increase to $66,529.

Police also receive state benefits including health insurance and tuition reimbursement.

For a list of requirements and to apply, visit http://www.umass.edu/umpd/police-officer-entry-level.

A former committee member and principal of a West Springfield school are among the applicants.

AMHERST -- Despite the recent controversy and concerns about dysfunction on the regional school board, seven people have applied to fill a vacancy on the Amherst School Committee, including former member Irvin Rhodes and a West Springfield principal.

Kathleen Bailer is principal of the John Ashley and Cowing schools in West Springfield and former principal of Gill Elementary School.

Others applying include Eric Nakajima, who recently ran for state representative; Town Meeting member Vincent J. O'Connor; business owner Christopher Diamond; Jennifer Page, who works at the University of Massachusetts; and Eduardo Samaniego Amaya, a Hampshire College trustee.

The candidates' letters of interest are available on the town website.

The Select Board and School Committee will meet Thursday night at 5 to interview candidates and select a new member. The chosen applicant will serve until the next town election, March 28.

He or she can run to fill the last two years of the term of Laura Kent, who resigned last month.

All five school Amherst School Committee members serve on the nine-member Amherst Regional School Committee.

Residents have sent in letters of support for Rhodes, Nakajima and Page. Each candidate but O'Connor provided reasons they were qualified and wanted to serve. O'Connor merely asked that his name be added to the list.

Kent resigned because of concerns about her family's well-being and her own health. Her resignation came after months of turmoil on the committees surrounding the separation agreement with former Superintendent Maria Geryk.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has elevated two long-time staff members to leadership positions, in the wake of scandals that led to the resignation of three staffers and the firing of one.

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has elevated two long-time staff members to leadership positions in the wake of scandals that led to the resignations of three staffers and the firing of one.

DCR Commissioner Leo Roy promoted Nick Gove to serve as deputy commissioner for recreation and operations, a role in which he will oversee the daily operations of the agency. Roy promoted Priscilla Geigis to serve as deputy commissioner for conservation and resource stewardship, where she will be responsible for strategic planning and will oversee numerous areas of the department, such as water supply protection and forestry and fire control.

"Both Priscilla and Nick share the same passion for ensuring that the public continues to benefit from a first class state parks system, conservation of our natural resources, and efficient management of state-owned infrastructure, and I am pleased to have them start their new positions immediately," Roy said in a statement.

Geigis first came to DCR in 2004 as director of state parks and recreation, and she has since served as assistant and acting commissioner. She has served in other environmental-related positions in state government since 1992.

Gove has been with DCR since 2008, and previously worked for the city of Melrose.

Gov. Charlie Baker's energy and environmental affairs agency, which includes DCR, has been hurt by several scandals. Most recently, a staffer said she was retaliated against at work because her Democratic fiance planned to run against Republican state Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield.

In the wake of those allegations, Michael Valanzola, the agency's chief operating officer, resigned, and DCR personnel officer Jared Valanzola, who is related to Michael Valanzola, was fired. An EEA program manager was ordered to attend training.

Previously, DCR deputy commissioner Matthew Sisk resigned after a State Police investigation into whether he improperly used lights and sirens on his vehicle to avoid traffic.

The Boston Herald reported that Michael Crowley, who worked as the director of DCR's fleet operations, has also resigned.

Roy and Sisk were both previously suspended from their jobs for using state resources to hold a private July 4 party.

MassLive.com reporter Gintautas Dumcius contributed reporting.

According to the state police, 22 troopers were promoted to the rank of sergeant, 13 to lieutenant, four to detective lieutenant, five to captain, three to detective captain and two to major.

(Massachusetts State Police photo) 

According to the state police, 22 troopers were promoted to the rank of sergeant, 13 to lieutenant, four to detective lieutenant, five to captain, three to detective captain and two to major.

The names of those promoted are as follows:

Sergeant

• Michael S. Ofcarcik
• Kevin E. Murray
• Matthew J. Quinn
• William J. Cullen
• Lisa A. Mogan-O'Keefe
• Robert W. Duprey III
• Scott A. Brightman
• Sean P. Maher
• Lawrence A. Corder Jr.
• Angelo Valentini
• Jason H. Sternfield
• George A. Beaupre Jr.
• Phyllis M. Kossak
• Jane E. Kennedy
• Patrick R. Foley
• Douglas R. Flavin
• Walter F. Foley
• Robert W. Malloy Jr.
• Robert W. Dateo
• Stephen R. Gondella
• Brian T. McAnally
• Gary L. Berlo

Lieutenant

• Brian J. Canavan
• John B. Nunes
• Stephen J. Koch
• Richard M. Ridlon
• Jeffrey M. Cahill
• David M. Noonan
• Sean M. Hodgdon
• Daniel C. McGinn
• Joseph T. Baker
• Robert G. Schumaker
• Adam J. Crook
• Michael L. Baxter
• Donald S. Pillsbury

Detective lieutenant

• Thomas G. Quin
• Leonard G. Coppenrath
• Matthew G. Murphy
• Alan D. Hunte

Captain

• Charles W. Atchison III
• William M. Pinkes
• Michael J. Lyver
• James R. Penniman
• Thomas J. Murphy

Detective captain

• Philip R. Dowd
• James F. Coughlin
• Richard S. Warmington

Major

• Robert J. Favuzza
• Robert M. Irwin

For the first time, all Massachusetts residents will have the option of voting early in this year's election.

For the first time, all Massachusetts residents will have the option of voting early in this year's presidential election.

Early voting for the Nov. 8 election will be held between Oct. 24 and Nov. 4.

Every city and town will have locations and times for early voting. To find out where you can vote early in your city or town, search this list posted on Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin's website:

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/EarlyVotingWeb/EarlyVotingSearch.aspx.

The information will be updated daily as local election officials solidify their plans.

Voters can also request a ballot by mail, using a form on Galvin's website. Ballots will be mailed out beginning Oct. 24.

Early ballots will be counted on Election Day.

Early voting was passed by the Legislature in 2014 and signed into law by former Gov. Deval Patrick. State law requires every city and town to offer early voting in at least one location, open during business hours for two weeks before the election.

Cara Rintala, 49, was accused of strangling her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, 37, in the couple's Granby home on March 29, 2010.

NORTHAMPTON -- A Hampshire County jury on Friday found Cara Rintala guilty of first-degree murder in the 2010 killing of her wife.

Rintala broke down crying after the verdict was read. "Cara I want to hold you," her mother called out, asking: "Can I come and hold you?"

Court officers did not allow the request.

The conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The formal sentencing will be held Oct. 12 at 2 p.m.

The jury began deliberating at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday in the trial before Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup. Over 11 days, jurors heard from more than 30 witnesses.

This was Rintala's third trial in connection with the death of her wife, Annamarie Cochrane Rintala, in the couple's Granby home.

Jurors failed to reach a verdict in trials held in 2013 and 2014.

Rintala, 49, was indicted in October 2011, accused of strangling Cochrane Rintala, 37, on March 29, 2010.

She has been free on $150,000 bail since March 2014.

Including jury instructions and deliberations, jurors deliberated four days in the first trial and five days in the second trial. In each case the juries reported they were deadlocked and did not believe they could reach a verdict.

A major difference in this trial was that Rup instructed jurors to consider a charge of manslaughter in addition to first- and second-degree murder. Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne asked for the voluntary manslaughter instruction, despite prosecutors having opposed the manslaughter charge as an option in the last two trials.

Rintala's defense attorneys, David Hoose and Luke Ryan, opposed including manslaughter as a choice.

A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole. There is no mandatory minimum sentence for manslaughter.

Gagne, who prosecuted the case along with Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Suhl, has said he took a different approach than in the previous trials. He told the judge at one point, "We decided to try our case differently this time. After two hung juries who can blame us?"

The defense accused Gagne of turning the trial into a "card game" and trying to keep evidence from the jury.

Jurors had over 200 exhibits to pore over as they deliberated, including 10 video or audio recordings.

Among those videos were interviews state police Lt. Robin Whitney conducted with Rintala, one of which lasted 2½ hours.

The defense argued Rintala was not home when Cochrane Rintala was killed.

Rintala's attorneys have argued there were two other people -- Mark Oleksak and Carla Daniele -- investigators should have considered as suspects. Oleksak was a close friend of Cochrane Rintala and Daniele was her former girlfriend.

Prosecutors say Rintala killed her wife then took the couple's 2-year-old daughter out on errands where she would be seen on video surveillance to create an alibi. After she got home, according to the prosecution, Rintala poured paint over the crime scene to contaminate it.

Family members and friends of Rintala sat on one side of the courtroom during the trial.

On the other side of the courtroom were family members and friends of Cochrane Rintala, with victim witness advocate Jackie Gaw.

This is a developing story that will be updated after further reporting.

The smell of marijuana during a traffic stop led law enforcement to discovering hundreds of plants in a Western Massachusetts home this week.

The smell of marijuana during a traffic stop led law enforcement to discovering hundreds of plants in a Western Massachusetts home this week.

Chester police officers pulled over a Fitchburg resident for a motor vehicle violation on Tuesday, Oct. 4. During the traffic stop, officers smelled marijuana and saw marijuana plants growing in the backyard of a Taft Road home nearby.

The Chester Police Department notified members of the Hampden County Narcotics Task Force. Both law enforcement organizations executed a search of the home after obtaining a search warrant.

Inside the home, "a sophisticated marijuana grow operation was discovered," Jim Leydon, public and media information director for the Hampden County District Attorney's Office, said in a statement.

Police found 467 marijuana plants in various stages of maturity growing inside and outside of the home, dried marijuana and packing materials.

The district attorney's office said the condition of the home was "unlivable" and its sole purpose was being used as a grow house.

In addition to facing a charge of driving without a license, 31-year-old Christopher Halla now faces additional charges connected to growing and trafficking marijuana.

"We are focused on investigating, arresting, and aggressively prosecuting drug dealers and traffickers," Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni said. "It is they who profit from the scourge of addiction, which destroys lives, families, and communities. The involved agencies collaborated to remove a significant amount of illicit drugs off the streets. I thank the Hampden County Narcotics Task Force for its vigilance and a thorough and successful investigation."

WESTFIELD - A Presidential Debate Watch Party originally scheduled for Sunday night at Westfield State University has been canceled. Campus officials announced today the party, scheduled for 8 p.m. in the Loughman Living room in Scanlon Hall will not be held. Officials gave the long holiday weekend as reason for the cancellation. WSU departments of Communication and Political Science will...

WESTFIELD - A Presidential Debate Watch Party originally scheduled for Sunday night at Westfield State University has been canceled.

Campus officials announced today the party, scheduled for 8 p.m. in the Loughman Living room in Scanlon Hall will not be held.

Officials gave the long holiday weekend as reason for the cancellation.

WSU departments of Communication and Political Science will host a Watch Party during the third and final Presidential Debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump scheduled Oct. 19 also at 8 p.m.. That event will be held in the Loughman Living Room at Scanlon Hall.

The closures are a part of the $183.3 million reconstruction of Interstate 91 through downtown Springfield. The viaduct was built in the 1960s and is a major north-south artery for western New England.

SPRINGFIELD -- MassDOT announced Friday that there will be overnight street and ramp shutdowns in downtown Springfield for the Interstate 91 viaduct project next week.

The closures are:

• Exit 1A from I-291 West to I-91 South: Exit 1A will close each night from Oct. 11 to 14 to replace bearings on the I-91 viaduct. This work will take place from 9 p.m. each night to 5 a.m. the following morning.
• East Columbus Avenue: East Columbus will be closed north of Emery Street from 9 p.m. Oct. 11 to 5 a.m. Oct. 12. This closure is required for demolition cleanup activities.

Detour Routes:

• To reach I-91 South from I-291 West/Route 20 West: Take Exit 2B on I-291 West and follow signs for Dwight Street. Turn left on Dwight Street, then turn right on State Street. Turn left on West Columbus Avenue/Hall of Fame Avenue, and bear left after crossing Union Street, to merge onto I-91 South.
• To continue north on East Columbus Avenue: Turn right onto Emery Street and turn left onto Main Street. To access I-91 North, turn left onto Plainfield Street and take the ramp on the right for I-91 North.

The closures are a part of the $183.3 million reconstruction of Interstate 91 through downtown Springfield. The viaduct was built int he 1960s and is a major north-south artery for western New England.