"If you want to maintain your real estate values, you have to invest in education," said Serenity Greenwood, a science teacher at Green Meadows Elementary School and Hampden resident.

HAMPDEN -- Four mothers from Hampden recently sat down with The Republican to explain why merging Hampden and Wilbraham's middle schools makes educational and financial sense for the two-town school district.

"If you want to maintain your real estate values, you have to invest in education," said Serenity Greenwood, a science teacher at Green Meadows Elementary School in Hampden. "Coming together, we have a real opportunity to do something amazing for our kids," she said.

Greenwood was joined by Carey Penna, Jen Poulin and Lee Ann Langone at Rice Fruit Farm in Wilbraham, where they laid out the case for "unification."

Three of the women were initially opposed to closing TWB, also known as Thornton W. Burgess Middle School, but now support sending TWB students to Wilbraham Middle School.

On Monday, Oct. 24, residents of Hampden and Wilbraham will vote on amending the regional school district agreement to allow TWB students to attend Wilbraham Middle School for a five-year period beginning in fall 2017 and ending in 2022.

Both towns must approve the amendment in order for the merger to take effect. Voting will take place at special town meetings at 7 p.m. Monday at Bethlehem Church at 123 Allen St. in Hampden and Minnechuag Regional High School at 621 Main St. in Wilbraham.

The five-year window is designed to give officials time to devise a long-range plan to address declining enrollment at both middle schools, which has led to staff and program cuts and reduced state aid. The consolidation plan could be extended if residents vote to amend the regional school district agreement again.

Poulin said her evolution from staunch supporter of TWB to staunch supporter of unification was a gradual process. "I was a 'No,'" she said, referring to her initial stance.

The downside of declining enrollment -- staff and program cuts and educators teaching outside their areas of expertise -- became "drastically more apparent" by the time Poulin's son was a sixth-grader at TWB, she said.

"There's no other option," Poulin said. "I've listened to them all."

Before Penna had a change of heart, she was also outraged over the possibility of sending TWB students to Wilbraham. "God no! You're not closing our school!" she said, recalling her initial reaction to the proposal.

Now, however, she's done a 180 on the issue.

"My biggest thing is to get through to the people who don't know what's going on," Penna said. "It's not the same school anymore. ... You can't just throw money at the problem and fix it."

The merger issue is a non-issue for Greenwood, a career educator whose No. 1 priority is delivering quality education to all students in the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. The district continues to suffer at the middle school level because of declining enrollment and test scores. The quality of education at TWB isn't where it once was or should be, according to Greenwood.

"TWB was great. TWB wants to be great. But TWB is no longer great," she said. "I don't think they (merger opponents) have a clear understanding of what the reality is in the classroom."

MCAS data show TWB students lagging well behind their counterparts at Wilbraham Middle School in overall performance, scoring in the 43rd percentile to Wilbraham's 76th percentile. Officials say district cuts are likely no matter how Monday's vote turns out.

"Teachers are losing their jobs no matter what," said Langone, who knows whereof she speaks. A victim of district staff cuts, she lost her teaching job and now works in Springfield.

The Springfield native said she moved to Hampden because of the regional school district's good reputation.

"All of us moved here because of the schools," she said. "We are considering moving if this doesn't go through. I mean, what would we stay here for?

Greenwood's hours at Green Meadows have been reduced. If her position is cut again, she may be forced to seek employment elsewhere, she said.

She's not alone.

Some middle school educators are teaching across grade levels and subjects in which they are not trained. If more parents were aware of what teachers are up against, Greenwood said, they may be more inclined to embrace unification, which is supported by over 80 percent of teachers.

"Be a part of it," Greenwood said. "Brainstorm with us. Talk to your teachers."

Academic programming can be enhanced if the two middle schools unite under one roof, according to district administrators, the School Committee, and members of the Middle School Task Force, all of whom support the merger.

Unification is also favored by the Wilbraham Finance Committee, the Hampden Advisory Committee, and Hampden Wilbraham Middle School Pride, a group of parents, educators and officials "who have carefully considered the challenges posed by declining enrollment and their effect on our middle school programs," the group's website states.

Consolidating the middle schools on a single campus in Wilbraham would save the district around $1.4 million over the first three years of the merger, according to district financial projections.

"I think change is hard, but we have an opportunity," Greenwood said.

Public safety officials are urging city residents to use "extreme caution" when traveling through Worcester or attempting to cleanup their homes after Friday night's flash flooding.

WORCESTER ‒ Public safety officials are urging city residents to use "extreme caution" when traveling through Worcester or attempting to cleanup their homes after Friday night's flash flooding.

Although some manhole covers that were lifted during the flooding have been replaced and identified, not all have been addressed, city officials warned early Saturday. Residents are being asked to report uncovered manholes by calling 508-929-1300.

Residents are also being asked to be cognizant of downed wires related to the flooding.

Massachusetts State Police reported that Route 20 East and West at Route 122 in Worcester remained closed due to flooding as of noon Saturday.

Worcester's Division of Public Health and Division of Inspectional Services, meanwhile, has advised city residents to take precautions when dealing with water resulting from the flash flood.

Such flooding, city officials said, may have caused raw sewage overflow. Residents are advised to treat all standing water as if it may be contaminated.

Public safety officials are asking residents to wear protective gloves, eyewear and boots during cleanup efforts, as well as to avoid direct contact with sewage material.

They further advised, among many things, that: excess water be removed from properties by pumps, wet vacs or mopping; all solid waste be collected and disposed; and affected areas be washed with a detergent solution, disinfected and allowed to dry.

Heavy rains, which fell Friday evening, led to flash flooding on Interstate 290 and submerged cars on Quinsigamond Avenue, Shrewsbury Street and West Side.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump continued to take aim at several women who have accused him of sexual assault and harassment in recent weeks, telling supporters Saturday that "these liars will be sued after the election."

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump continued to take aim at several women who have accused him of sexual assault and harassment in recent weeks, telling supporters Saturday that "these liars will be sued after the election."

The GOP nominee, during a rally in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, continued to deny his accusers' claims, contending that they are "total fabrication" and efforts to hurt his White House run.

"Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign," he reportedly said. "Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over."

At least 10 women have accused Trump of inappropriately touching them following the release of a 2005 recording in which the businessman discussed groping women.

Trump's threat to sue his accusers came just hours before attorney Gloria Allred was scheduled to hold a news conference for another women alleging improper sexual conduct involving the GOP nominee, Politico reported.

Allred joined Karena Virginia, who alleged that Trump groped her at a 1998 tennis tournament, for a news conference earlier this week.

Trump's campaign dismissed the event as a smear attack from Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

"Discredited political operative Gloria Allred, in another coordinated, publicity seeking attack with the Clinton campaign, will stop at nothing to smear Mr. Trump," she said in a statement. "Give me a break. Voters are tired of these circus-like antics and reject these fictional stories and the clear efforts to benefit Hillary Clinton."

Woman alleges Donald Trump groped her at 1998 U.S. Open

Allred, a Clinton supporter, served as a delegate from California at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this summer.

City police have arrested and charged a 24-year-old Abington man with driving under the influence after he reportedly rear-ended a police cruiser, seriously injuring the officer inside.

EAST BRIDGEWATER ‒ City police have arrested and charged a 24-year-old Abington man with driving under the influence after he reportedly rear-ended a police cruiser, seriously injuring the officer inside.

Ryan M. Macaluso was allegedly driving a 2013 Volkswagen Golf in the northbound lane of Route 18 around 1 a.m. when he struck the back of a police cruiser stopped at a red light, according to East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen.

The officer, who was on duty at the time, was transported to a local hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, police reported. Two passengers in Macaluso's vehicle were not injured.

Police who responded to the scene reported a strong odor of alcohol on Macaluso, who declined medical treatment for injuries he sustained in the crash.

Officers, following an investigation, arrested and charged him with: OUI liquor second offense; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; following too closely; and failing to stop or yield, according to police.

"This man's reckless operation caused serious injuries to a police officer," Allen said in a statement. "By driving under the influence of alcohol, he put his life, the lives of his passengers and the lives of others on the road in danger."

Macaluso was released on bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at Brockton District Court on Monday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement Wednesday that younger children need only two, not three, dosages six months apart of a vaccine that protects against cervical and other cancers caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV, was greeted as "good news" by pediatrician Jonathan Schwab.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement Wednesday that younger children need only two, not three, dosages six months apart of a vaccine that protects against cervical and other cancers caused by human papillomaviruses was greeted as "good news" by pediatrician Jonathan Schwab, medical director at Northampton Area Pediatrics.

"It is really good news in that it appears that at least the younger children who receive the HPV vaccine will get enough immunity from just two shots and that a third will not be necessary," Schwab noted.

He added that the recommendation from the CDC would be considered by his practice after the American Academy of Pediatrics reviews it and makes its formal recommendation.

"Before pediatricians implement any new vaccine schedule we often wait for the American Academy of Pediatrics' approval," said Schwab of the process.

"Our group then reviews the data and makes sure we feel comfortable with the change and that it makes the most sense for our patients. So there is some time before we would be following through with this recommendation, but having said that I suspect we will ultimately follow this two-dose schedule."

The hope is that the two-dose advisory will help boost immunization rates.

The HPV vaccine is not required by law in Massachusetts. It was approved for females by U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006, and for boys in 2009. The human papillomavirus is the most common type of sexually transmitted infection. Some estimates are that 75 to 80 percent of sexually active adults will have a genital HPV infection by the age of 50.

According to the government, an estimated 24,600 newly diagnosed cancers each year "are attributable to the two high-risk HPV types targeted by all currently licensed HPV vaccines, and an additional 3,800 are attributable to the five additional high-risk HPV types included in the 9-valent HPV vaccine."

It is the 9-valent HPV vaccine that is recommended in the new advisory.

According to the CDC release, the two-dose recommendation was voted on by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday and approved immediately by Dr. Tom Frieden, CDC director. The statement said that the "CDC and ACIP reviewed data from clinical trials showing two doses of HPV vaccine in younger adolescents (aged 9-14 years) produced an immune response similar or higher than the response in young adults (aged 16-26 years) who received three doses."

The statement added that the "CDC will provide guidance to parents, healthcare professionals, and insurers on the change in recommendation," and that on Oct. 7, the FDA "approved adding a 2-dose schedule for 9-valent HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9) for adolescents ages 9 through 14 years."

"CDC encourages clinicians to begin implementing the 2-dose schedule in their practice to protect their preteen patients from HPV cancers," the statement said.

The FDA first approved the use of an HPV vaccine in females, ages 9 through 26, in 2006, "to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions and genital warts due to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18."

The vaccine is said to provide the best immunity before someone becomes sexually active, a fact that has made the vaccine controversial with some parents.

The new two-dose recommendation applies only to 9 through 14 year olds, meaning those 15 through 26 years of age will "continue to need three doses of HPV vaccine to protect against cancer-causing HPV infection," according to the CDC announcement.

The CDC recommends that one opportunity for it to be given is when the vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis is given to children entering middle school who have not previously been vaccinated against Tdap.

In 2015, among all adolescents, HPV vaccination coverage with the first dose was 56.1 percent; two doses, 45.4 percent; and with three doses, 34.9 percent. The government target is for 80 percent coverage by 2020.

As of 2014, three-dose coverage by females was 49.5 percent in Massachusetts; 27.3 percent for males.

The CDC makes recommendations on vaccination, with those recommendations up to state legislatures, public health departments and school districts to approve and enforce. Massachusetts law requires that children be immunized in accordance with its Department of Health recommended schedules.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Seth Moulton spoke at a rally for Lesser's reelection campaign on Saturday afternoon.

About 150 supporters of State Sen. Eric Lesser filled the lawn outside the American Legion Post 293 in East Longmeadow Saturday afternoon, as Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Seth Moulton spoke at a rally for Lesser's reelection campaign.

Lesser, a Longmeadow native, won election in 2014 after serving as a campaign and White House aide for President Barack Obama. He is running against Republican James 'Chip' Harrington, a Ludlow business owner, part time police officer and school board member.

At the rally, Lesser said that he is dedicated to expanding Western Massachusetts' access to economic development and infrastructure projects that often favor the Eastern part of the state, and touted his efforts to address the opioid crisis and improve rail service between Springfield and Boston.

"We live in a time where people are giving up in our political process, and they're giving up on the belief that politics is up to the task of solving the challenges in front of us," Lesser said, as a cold rain descended on the crowd. "Well, I have a few things to say about that. First, with Seth Moulton and Elizabeth Warren I think we're proving in Massachusetts that this is not the case here."

Warren, whose highly public condemnations of Wall Street malfeasance, economic inequality and Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump have made her a national voice for the Democratic Party's progressive wing, urged the crowd to mobilize in support of both Lesser and national Democratic causes.

Delivering remarks in which she compared the odds of Trump winning election to playing Russian Roulette, Warren said that Democrats were offering solutions to provide opportunities for workers, families and college students.

"I am proud to be a Democrat. In this election, we talk about issues on our side. We don't talk about who has the tiniest little hands or who can insult women in the ugliest possible way," Warren said.

She urged the crowd to work to elect Lesser, who she described as a political partner working to expand opportunity in Massachusetts.

"I stand with Eric Lesser because I believe this is how we build a future," Warren said. "It ain't easy to run for office, but Eric Lesser gets out there every single day and works for us."

Moulton praised Lesser's work on rail issues and described him as an advocate for veterans' issues.

"It matters that you have a senator who is out here fighting for big projects like [East West rail,]" Moulton said. "That gives access to jobs, access to housing and access to economic development."

The race between Harrington and Lesser is a rematch of sorts; Harrington, who joined the Republican party this year, ran unsuccessfully in the 2014 Democratic primary against Lesser.

Harrington has criticized Lesser over his use of out-of-district funding in his campaign, painting the freshman Senator as a careerist most interested in advancing his political ambitions. Lesser has argued that Harrington's rejection of Trump's candidacy is not sufficient, saying that he shares office space and voter databases with Trump's Massachusetts campaign operation.

The First Hampden and Hampshire District includes Ludlow, Belchertown, Granby, Hampden, Wilbraham, East Longemadow, Longmeadow, and parts of Springfield, and Chicopee. 

Boston police are on the lookout for a white Ford pickup truck that is wanted in connection to a homicide that occurred in Roxbury on Oct. 6.

BOSTON — Boston police are searching for a white Ford F-250 truck that is believed to be driven by the perpetrator of a recent homicide that took place in Roxbury.

Police say the truck is wanted in connection with the slaying of 20-year-old Florida resident Jesse Dieusinor, who was shot to death in the vicinity of Zeigler and Dearborn streets in Roxbury on Oct. 6.

Police say the truck is a newer model with four doors.

Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating the truck. Anyone with information about in regards to its whereabouts should contact the Boston police homicide unit at 617-343-4470.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, blasted the Republican presidential nominee's Saturday threat to sue women who have accused him of sexual assault, contending that the reality TV star "is disconnected from reality."

EAST LONGMEADOW -- U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, blasted Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's Saturday threat to sue women who have accused him of sexual assault, contending that the reality TV star "is disconnected from reality."

Campaigning for state Sen. Eric Lesser in East Longmeadow Saturday, the Massachusetts Democrat, who has publicly sparred with Trump for months, continued her high-profile critique of the Republican White House hopeful.

Warren took direct aim at the GOP nominee's denial of claims that he sexually assaulted or harassed the nearly one dozen accusers who have come forward with allegations since the release of a 2005 recording in which he discussed groping women.

The Democrat condemned Trump's threat to sue those who have accused him of inappropriate sexual conduct.

"The notion that he thinks people are going to be persuaded -- after having seen the video clip of what Donald Trump said about women -- that somehow all of these different women who have come forward are not telling the truth, and we're going to be persuaded because Donald Trump threatens to bring a lawsuit? You know, Donald Trump was known for reality shows, but I gotta say, Donald Trump is disconnected from reality," she told reporters.

The GOP nominee, during a Saturday rally in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, denied his accusers' claims, contending that they are "total fabrication" and efforts to hurt his White House run.

"Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign," he reportedly said. "Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over."

Donald Trump on sexual assault accusers: 'these liars will be sued after the election'

Warren, an outspoken surrogate for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, further took issue with Trump's recent contention that he will only accept the outcome of the 2016 presidential election if he wins, saying she finds such comments "shocking."

"Donald Trump gets up every morning and proves in a new and exciting way that he is utterly disqualified to be president of the United States," she said. "The idea that he says he's not going to abide by the results of a democratic election is shocking -- not only to people like me, it's shocking to many of his own supporters."

The businessman told Ohio supporters Thursday he "will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election," but only if he wins.

Warren has taken jabs at the GOP nominee throughout the 2016 election, repeatedly calling him a "thin-skinned bully" and even accusing him of promoting violence against Clinton.

Worcester firefighters rescued a family from the top floor of a burning building on Saturday morning.

WORCESTER — Eleven people were rescued from a burning building in Worcester on Saturday morning, according to The Boston Globe.

Firefighters used ladders to evacuate a family of four adults and two children from the top floor of a three-story apartment on Pelham Street, after the family was spotted screaming for help out of one of the building's windows, according to reports.

The family was "trapped" on the third floor, and had been unable to exit the building through conventional means. After being safely evacuated, they were subsequently transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Additionally, five other residents of the building were safely evacuated.

Worcester's Deputy Fire Chief John Sullivan said the firefighters "did a fantastic job getting those people out under adverse conditions."

"It was one of the reasons why [crews] wanted to start the rescue immediately," said Deputy Fire Chief John Sullivan. "It was pretty dramatic, that's for sure."

Authorities are now investigating the cause of the fire.

AT&T is buying Time Warner, the owner of the Warner Bros. movie studio as well as HBO and CNN, for $85.4 billion in a deal that could shake up the media landscape.

NEW YORK -- AT&T is buying Time Warner, the owner of the Warner Bros. movie studio as well as HBO and CNN, for $85.4 billion in a deal that could shake up the media landscape.

The acquisition would combine a telecom giant that owns a leading cellphone business, DirecTV and internet service with the company behind some of the world's most popular entertainment, including "Game of Thrones," the "Harry Potter" franchise and professional basketball. It would be the latest tie-up between the owners of digital distribution networks -- think cable and phone companies -- and entertainment and news providers, all aimed at shoring up businesses upended by the internet.

The deal would make Time Warner the target of the two largest media-company acquisitions on record, according to Dealogic. The highest was AOL's disastrous $94 billion acquisition of Time Warner at the end of the dot-com boom.

Regulators would have to sign off on the deal, no certain thing. The prospect of another media giant on the horizon has already drawn fire on the campaign trail. Speaking in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump vowed to kill it if elected because it concentrates too much "power in the hands of too few."

Shares of AT&T, as is typical of acquirers in large deals, fell on reports of a deal in the works on Friday, ending the day down 3 percent.

MEDIA MERGER MANIA

Companies that provide phone and internet connections are investing in media to find new revenue sources and ensure they don't get relegated to being just "dumb pipes." Verizon bought AOL last year and has now proposed a deal for Yahoo to build a digital-ad business. Comcast bought NBCUniversal in 2011.

AT&T has been active, too.

After its attempt to buy wireless competitor T-Mobile was scrapped in 2011 following opposition from regulators, the company doubled down on television by purchasing satellite-TV company DirecTV for $48.5 billion. AT&T is expected to offer a streaming TV package, DirecTV Now, by the end of the year, aimed at people who have dropped their cable subscriptions or never had one.

The pressure on AT&T has been intense.

The venerable phone company has to contend with slowing growth in wireless services, given that most Americans already have smartphones. And it faces new competitors for that business from cable companies. Comcast plans to launch a cellphone service for its customers next year.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, who will run the combined company, said the deal will allow AT&T to offer unique services, particularly on mobile, though without offering details. Jeff Bewkes, the Time Warner CEO who will stay with the company for an undefined transition period, added that more money will make it easier to produce additional programming and films.

Both men stressed that it will be easier to "innovate" when the companies are joined and don't have to negotiate usage rights at arm's length. The combined company is also likely to lean more heavily on advertisements targeted at individuals based on their interests and personal details.

Buying Time Warner may be "a good defensive move" against Comcast as the cable giant continues stretching into new businesses, New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin said in a Friday note. Comcast also bought movie studio DreamWorks Animation in August.

POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES

Even if the AT&T deal overcame opposition in Washington, it's possible that regulators might saddle the combined company with so many conditions that the deal no longer makes sense.

"It's not hard to imagine what you can do on paper. They would keep HBO exclusive for only DirecTV subscribers, or only make TNT or TBS available over AT&T Wireless," said analyst Craig Moffett of research firm MoffettNathanson, referring to Time Warner networks. "But as a practical matter, those kinds of strategies are expressly prohibited by the FCC and antitrust law."

Then there is the $85 billion that AT&T is handing over to Time Warner, almost 40 percent more than investors thought the company was worth a week ago.

"Count me as a skeptic that there is real value to be created," Moffett said.

Amy Yong, an analyst at Macquarie Capital, recalled many celebrated media deals of the past have turned into duds, mentioning the Time Warner-AOL deal in particular. "If you look at history, it's still an unproven" that big deals make sense, she said. AT&T, she noted, was paying "a huge price."

Still, Yong said that AT&T and other phone companies feel they have to act because the threats to their business seem to be coming from every direction. "At the end of the day, these companies are trying to compete with Google and Facebook and Amazon, not just traditional competitors," she said. "You see Google pivoting into wireless."

John Bergmayer of the public-interest group Public Knowledge, which often criticizes media consolidation, warned of harm to consumers from the AT&T deal. He said, for example, AT&T might let wireless customers watch TV and movies from Time Warner without counting it against their data caps, which would make video from other providers less attractive.

MARKET SPILLOVER

The prospect of more media acquisitions sent several stocks soaring Friday. Netflix and Discovery Communications each jumped more than 3 percent.

Time Warner rose nearly 8 percent on Friday, and is now up 38 percent since the start of the year.

The company has moved aggressively to counter the threat that sliding cable subscriptions poses to its business. Among other things, it launched a streaming version of HBO for cord-cutters and, alongside an investment in internet TV provider Hulu, added its networks to Hulu's live-TV service that's expected next year.

In Time Warner's last blockbuster deal, when AOL bought it 15 years ago, the $94 billion offered came entirely in the form of AOL stock, which then proceeded to crater. This time, Time Warner is playing it safer. It's getting half of the deal in AT&T stock, and half in cash.

Both Boston police officers who were shot by a gunman in East Boston earlier this month have now been released from the hospital, according to Boston Police.

BOSTON -- Both Boston police officers who were shot by a gunman in East Boston earlier this month have now been released from the hospital, according to Boston Police.

Officer Matthew Morris, a 12-year-veteran of the department, was discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital and is now undergoing continued treatment at Spaulding Rehab.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans issued a statement Saturday on Twitter as the news was announced.

"Great to see Matt getting better," Evans said. "Thanks to everybody for all the support. Please keep the prayers coming."

Earlier in the week, Officer Richard Cintolo, a 27-year veteran of the department was also released from the hospital after he was shot in gunfight.

The two officers were "critically wounded" during the incident, but officers were able to grab the two men and give them life-saving first aid. The man who shot the officers was killed by police.

Award winning country artist Sam Hunt performed to a sold out crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, October 22nd.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Award winning country artist Sam Hunt performed to a capacity crowd at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night.

It was his second visit to New England this year, following his back-to-back shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., in August.

Hunt's performance is part of a special lineup of events and concerts taking place throughout the month of October in celebration of casino's 20th anniversary.

Hunt is well known for breaking the boundaries of the country genre with the inclusion of R&B and Pop elements in his compositions.

Breaking onto the music scene with his debut album Montevallo in 2014, he quickly took the industry by storm, winning the 2015 CMT Music Award for "Breakthrough Video of the Year" with his performance in "Leave the Night On". This year, Hunt was nominated "Best New Artist" and "Best Country Album" at the Grammy awards, though he lost both categories to Meghan Trainor and Chris Stapleton respectively.

The energy was high in the arena, a glance around showed a completely full house and lines were still forming outside well into the start of the show.

Hunt delivered an action packed performance with his backing band, featuring hits off his debut album like "Break Up in a Small Town" and "Take Your Time", as well as a few cuts off his latest release Between the Pines, his Acoustic Mixtape released last year.

He was supported by Filmore, a hot new pop-country artist who released his debut EP Proof in May to critical acclaim, and has been compared among the works of other pop-country artists like Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Hunt himself.

Hunt has had a busy year, keeping a loose national touring schedule since March. Saturdays performance at Mohegan Sun comes just a day after his return from a two-day stint at Carnival Live in Cozumel, Mexico. 

View photos from the show above, and for more information on some of the other exciting events coming to Mohegan Sun this month, Sam Hunt or Filmore visit their official websites.

Two vehicles collided at 3:33 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

SOUTHWICK - One male was killed in a car crash Saturday afternoon.

Police said two cars collided at 3:33 p.m. near 72 Feeding Hills Road, which is also known as Route 57.

The name of the victim has not been released. Officers could not say how many other people were involved in the crash or if anyone else was injured.

Police are releasing little information about the accident. The cause of the crash is being investigated by Massachusetts State Police and Southwick Police.

Masslive will update as more information becomes available.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says nuclear power is needed for now to meet climate change goals.

A group of natural gas and coal power generators have sued the state of New York in federal court over its plan to provide billions in subsidies to four upstate nuclear power plants.

Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan would prop up the struggling nuclear plants to help meet the state's new Clean Energy Standard, a which calls for steep carbon reduction goals to forestall climate change.

The complaint by the fossil fuel generators was filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court. It claims the New York Public Service Commission plan to award "zero emission credits" to the nuclear plants will artificially depress wholesale electricity prices while putting other power generators at a disadvantage. Ratepayers would underwrite the $7.6 billion cost over 12 years.

The lawsuit also says the subsidies would interfere with the federal government's authority in regulating electricity rates. Plaintiffs include Eastern Generation LLC and NRG Energy Inc.

The nuclear plants are also jockeying to limit the supply of credits within the eight-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, reports the Albany Times-Union. The changes would exert upward price pressure on clean energy credits and further increase costs for the gas and coal plants. RGGI is a cap-and-trade system where polluters must buy credits from green energy sources.

A coalition of environmentalists are fighting the nuclear subsidies, saying the technology is neither clean nor renewable, and that it's not carbon-free due to the cost of mining, milling, transport and spent fuel storage. Mark Z. Jacobson, director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University, called it a "nuclear bailout" in an op-ed piece for the Albany newspaper.

But according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, in order to move toward a low-carbon economy, nuclear energy must continue to be a part of the energy mix.

As New York supports its nuclear plants, New England is seeing them close. Entergy's Vermont Yankee closed in 2014, and its Pilgrim station is due to go offline in May of 2019. NextEra's Seabrook Station in New Hampshire and Millstone in Connecticut are still operational.

Cameras are located in the parking lot and monitor vehicles entering and leaving.

BELCHERTOWN - The Police Department is announcing that the front parking lot has been designated as a safe area to meet to physically sell or buy items negotiated over social media and the Internet.

Cameras are located in the parking area and are used to monitor people and vehicles entering and exiting the lot, police said.

"Are you uneasy meeting a stranger in private or at your home? Safely sell and buy your e-commerce items at our parking lot exchange," police said on a Facebook post.

There is a spot marked with a sign so people know the best place to conduct the transaction. People are encouraged to use area as a safe location to meet a stranger, police said.

Officers are not physically assigned to the parking lot but they do come-and-go at all times of the day and night.

As Katrina Stoliker placed a cross on the side of Stafford Road Sunday morning to remember the unsolved death of her brother Cory Cane, she looked around and found herself surrounded by those who know her pain. Watch video

WALES -- As Katrina Stoliker placed a cross on the side of Stafford Road Sunday morning to remember the unsolved death of her brother Cory Cane, she looked around and found herself surrounded by those who know her pain.

It wasn't always that way for the 36-year-old Boylston woman. Since Cane's death almost five years ago now, Stoliker felt like she was the only person fighting to find out what happened. She felt like she was the only person who could keep the case going.

"It has consumed a huge portion of my life," she said. "I did benefits, laid down crosses and contacted the media to bring awareness to his case. For a long time I was a one-man team."

Cane, 23, of Worcester was found on Route 19 in Wales on Jan. 3, 2012. Authorities believe he was struck by a motor vehicle in the early morning hours. Stoliker said there is no evidence of a vehicle at the scene.

Stoliker hadn't returned to the scene of her brother's death until Sunday.

"This is my first time out here," she said. "I haven't been out there since then."

Not knowing what happened is frustrating, gut-wrenching and sometimes all-consuming for the families of loved ones who were killed or died under unknown circumstances.

There were days Stoliker wanted to give up fighting for her brother. She found support through the Molly Bish Foundation and Anna Maria College's Molly Bish Center. Stoliker joined a group created by Molly Bish's sister, Heather Bish, called the Families of the Missing & Murdered in New England.

Gerri Houde, a Bellingham woman whose sister was murdered in Bellingham in 1978, is one of those people supporting Stoliker. Her husband, Jeff, made the cross that was placed in Wales on Sunday.

"We are all getting together and making people understand that we are not going to give up," Stoliker said. "She's (Gerri Houde) been fighting for over 38 years."

Houde said it is important for families not to give up. The support of others in the quest for justice helps families finds strength.

"That support keeps you going," she said. "You get a sense of defeat when you feel no one is listening to you."

Cane grew up in the Main South section of Worcester with three siblings. Stoliker became Cane's legal guardian when he was 14 and she was 22.

"It was like losing a child," she said. "I don't want to give up on his case."

At the time of his death, Cane was living in Worcester, Southbridge and his then girlfriend's home in Wales.

He was walking along the side of the road on Rte. 19, also known as Stafford Road, sometime between 1 a.m., when he left a home in town on foot, and 5 a.m. when authorities found his body.

Cane's death was caused by blunt-impact to the brain, head, neck and torso, according to records. Stoliker said her brother did not have injuries below his rib cage and he had abrasions on his right hand.

"They still don't have an answer to this day on what side of the road was he walking on," Stoliker said. "I have a lot of unanswered questions. Why do they think it was a car or a box-type truck? They really don't know."

Sarah Stein, a private investigator who has worked with Molly Bish's family, said the theory is Cane was hit with some type of mirror on a box truck.

"In most hit and run cases you see injuries below the waist," she said. "His injuries were from the mid-torso to the top of his head. He also had what appeared to be defensive wounds on his hands."

Cane had alcohol and cocaine in his system when he died. Stoliker believes that fact helped make it easier for investigators to give up on the case.

"He was a 23-year-old kid and it was New Year's weekend," she said. "Automatically people stereotyped him. It didn't matter if he partied on New Year's, it didn't make it Ok for him to be killed."

In June, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office put out a news release asking for information on the death of Cane. Wales Police, State Police and investigators searched the area, collected evidence and looked for eye witnesses after Cane's body was found, but there were few leads.

"Unfortunately, with limited evidence and no known eye witnesses, investigators were left with few leads and little to follow up on," the statement read.

Stoliker said the release was put out after she met with the investigators. She had learned the trooper assigned to her brother's case had retired in 2014. She met with investigators on May 26, which was Cane's birthday. A new trooper was assigned to Cane's case in January, she said.

Stoliker still believes the investigators failed her brother. She wondered why phone records weren't checked especially after Cane's cell phone was found smashed near him.

Her brother's name is still not on the district attorney's list of unsolved homicides, which appear on the website.

As she stood near the cross on Rte. 19 in Wales, Stoliker said she hopes the memorial reminds people of what happened to her brother. She hopes someone comes forward with information and justice is found.

Anyone who may have been in the area of Route 19 in Wales that morning, or has any other information is asked to contact the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney's Office (413) 505-5993. People who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to "CRIMES," or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE."

Authorities in New Hampshire said a police helicopter found a body in the Merrimack River in Tyngsborough, according to reports.

NASHUA, New Hampshire -- Authorities in New Hampshire said a police helicopter found a body in the Merrimack River in Tyngsborough, according to WCVB News.

As of Sunday afternoon, police were unable to say if the body is missing Nashua teen Jacob Goulet. Police in Tyngsborough said fire and police officials recovered the body of a young male from the Merrimack River on Sunday. 

Police received a call from the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing around 11:40 a.m. and were told a body was spotted in the river. The helicopter was involved in the search for Goulet, police said. 

Authorities retrieved the body around 12:20 p.m.

As of 1 p.m., no identification had been made and officials in New Hampshire continued to search Nashua's sewer and drainage system along with the Nashua and Merrimack Rivers, according to the Boston Herald. 

Police feared Goulet, a 16-year-old Nashua North High School student, was swept into a storm drain on Main Street in Nashua, New Hampshire Friday night during the heavy rainfall.

Authorities said Goulet was reported missing Saturday morning, but they received a report Friday around 9:50 p.m. that a person may have fallen into a storm drain.

Goulet was heading home Friday night in the area of the storm drain and some of his personal items were found near the drain, police said.

Various roadway projects in Springfield that are scheduled the week of Oct. 24 are expected to cause some traffic delays and detours.

SPRINGFIELD -- The fall roadway construction season continues in full swing the week of Oct. 24, with motorists advised to expect some traffic delays and detours as a result of water and sewer projects and other road work.

Projects include the following

Springfield Water and Sewer Commission

Water/Sewer Pipe Improvements

Water/Sewer Pipe Improvements

Pendleton Avenue from Hancock Street to Eastern Avenue will be closed to through traffic. Westbound traffic will be detoured onto Tyler Street. Eastbound traffic will be detoured onto King Street. Hancock Street at the intersection of Pendleton Avenue will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic flow.

Long Term Projects

Main Interceptor Rehabilitation Project:

Department of Public Works

Boston Road -- From State Street to Bay Street. Expect delays and possible lane reductions. Paving tentative Oct. 22 to Oct. 26, weather permitting.

Glencoe Street -- From Carew Street to Mellon Street. Utility work... Paving tentative

Pembroke Circle - From Vadnais Street to Vadnais Street. Utility work... Paving tentative

Road Closures

Union Street reopened Oct. 21, from Main Street to East Columbus Avenue.

Owners of Jiminy Peak ski area, in Hancock, reported six inches of snow fell on the top of the mountain.

Dropping temperatures brought the first snow flurries to Western Massachusetts Saturday night.

Some residents in the Berkshires woke up to the first light snow of the season, according to Western Mass News, media partners to the Republican and Masslive.

The National Weather Service reported wet snow fell in the evening and Saturday night in the higher elevations in the Berkshires and northern Franklin County. Any accumulations were expected only on grassy surfaces.

The snow comes after a week where temperatures reached the low 80s in Western Massachusetts.

Skiers around the area rejoiced while snow haters grumbled.

Owners of Jiminy Peak ski area, in Hancock, announced that six inches of snow fell on top of the mountain on the resort Facebook Page.

One person commented: "This is awesome." But another voiced a different opinion: "I think I'm going to be sick."

Just over the Massachusetts border in Dover, Vermont, Mount Snow also reported snow from the base to the top of the mountain.

At Killington Mountain, in Vermont, officials reported five inches of snow. The precipitation was good news to the area, which is already making snow to prepare to host the Women's 2016 Audi FIS World Cup on Nov. 27 and 28.

Temperatures are expected to continue to remain fall-like this week in Springfield with highs predicted for the 50s and overnight lows in the 30s, according to the National Weather Service.

Mercado has seven restraining orders on his record, a prosecutor told Judge Matthew Shea. "Did you say seven?" the judge asked. "Yes, your honor," she replied.

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

'You were nearly 3 times over the legal limit at 4 in the afternoon,' judge tells Longmeadow man facing 5th OUI charge

Man with 7 restraining orders denies new abuse charges

'You must fight like a guy,' suspect told mother before stabbing her husband and daughter, police say

New charges haunt Springfield man convicted in 'hearse rage' case

'Don't touch me bitches,' Springfield man allegedly tells police, paramedics during rescue attempt

Woman's ex-boyfriend robbed at gunpoint by her new boyfriend, prosecutor says

Springfield man with 3 OUI convictions pleads not guilty to 4th