The driver struck a car between 6 and 9 p.m., Saturday on Cheshire Drive.

LONGMEADOW - Police are asking for help to identify a car which struck a vehicle and then took off Saturday night.

The hit and run accident happened sometime between 6 and 9 p.m. on Cheshire Drive, police said.

After looking at debris left at the scene, police have identified the car as a dark blue Honda Pilot manufactured between 2009 and 2015. The vehicle will have damage on the rear driver's side and a broken tail light.

Anyone who can identify the car or who has any information on the accident is asked to call the Longmeadow Police at 413-567-3311.

A North Carolina man was arrested Sunday after he walked into a popular pizza restaurant in Washington D.C. carrying an assault rifle and fired one or more shots, police said.

WASHINGTON - A North Carolina man was arrested Sunday after he walked into a popular pizza restaurant in northwest Washington carrying an assault rifle and fired one or more shots, D.C. police said.

The man told police he had come to the restaurant to "self-investigate" a false election-related conspiracy theory involving Hillary Clinton that spread online during her presidential campaign.

The incident caused panic, with several businesses going into lockdown as police swarmed the neighborhood after receiving the call shortly before 3 p.m.

Police said 28-year-old Edgar Maddison Welch, of Salisbury, North Carolina, walked in the front door of Comet Ping Pong and pointed a firearm in the direction of a restaurant employee. The employee was able to flee and notify police. Police said Welch proceeded to discharge the rifle inside the restaurant; they think that all other occupants had fled when Welch began shooting.

Welch has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. Police said there were no reported injuries.

Interim D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said police arrived on the scene minutes after the first call, set up a perimeter and safely arrested Welch about 45 minutes after he entered the restaurant.

Police recovered two firearms inside the restaurant; an additional weapon was recovered in Welch's car.

Vivek Jain, of Potomac, Maryland, was eating lunch inside Banana Leaf, a nearby Indian restaurant, when Comet patrons came rushing inside. He said Banana Leaf was locked down for about 90 minutes.

"A bunch of people ran in from Comet and said a man walked in with a gun," Jain said.

About 45 minutes later, he said, he saw a man walking backward out into the street with his hands in the air.

"He laid down on Connecticut Avenue and he was immediately picked up by the police and taken away," he said.

The popular family restaurant, near Connecticut and Nebraska avenues NW in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of D.C., was swept up in the onslaught of fake news and conspiracy theories that were prevalent during the presidential campaign.

The restaurant, its owner, staff and nearby businesses have been attacked on social media and received death threats.

Although police initially said it did not appear the incident was related to the threats, businesses and residents immediately surmised it might be connected to "pizzagate."

James Alefantis, the owner of Comet Ping Pong, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Sunday.

The restaurant's owner and employees were threatened on social media in the days before the election after fake news stories circulated claiming that then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her campaign chief were running a child sex ring from the restaurant's backrooms.

Even Michael Flynn, a retired general whom President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to advise him on national security, shared stories about another anti-Clinton conspiracy theory involving pedophilia. None of them were true. But the fake stories and threats persisted, some even aimed at children of Comet Ping Pong employees and patrons. The restaurant's owner was forced to contact the FBI, local police, Facebook and other social-media platforms in an effort to remove the articles.

Last month, citing its policy against posting the personal information of others, Reddit banned the "pizzagate" topic.

But it didn't stop the harassment, and nearby businesses have received threats as well, according to police. On Sunday, Washington Post reporters involved in this article were the target of online threats shortly after it posted.

Matt Carr, the owner of the Little Red Fox market and coffee shop, which is next door to Comet Ping Pong, said his business started getting threats last weekend. They got 30 to 40 calls before they stopped answering calls from blocked numbers, he said. "One person said he wanted to line us up in front of a firing squad," said Carr, who spent more than an hour in lockdown with his employees Sunday.

The threats were all tied to the Comet Ping Pong accusations online, he said. "There's some old painted-over symbol on the marquee that they claim is an international symbol of pedophilia and that there are underground tunnels. ... There's some video on YouTube that has almost 100,000 views and talks about me, the owner of the Little Red Fox, by name.

"This was our worst fear," he said, "that someone would read all this and come to the block with a gun. And today it happened."

Politics and Prose, the bookstore that has been a Washington institution and neighborhood fixture for more than 30 years, was in the middle of a book event when attendees and staff saw police converging on the block, said Bradley Graham, a store co-owner.

They, too, had received threats recently, Graham said, and were planning to meet with police Monday "because we had feared that what, up to now, had been simply despicable menacing verbal attacks online or on the phone might escalate."

Graham said he was told that the gunman walked into the kitchen at Comet Ping Pong on Sunday, "presumably looking for the alleged tunnels" where children were hidden and tortured. Graham believes that account of the gunman's actions came from an employee at the restaurant.

He said the businesses are hoping to get more police protection, "and we would also hope that law enforcement authorities will be prompted to take additional measures to shut down the sites where this hateful material is being spread, and also measures to try to trace the menacing phone calls.

" . . . We're all rather shaken," he said.

"Political figures have the means to deal with conspiratorial allegations and threats, but your neighborhood mom and pop shop does not," Carr said later in an email. "I make coffee and breakfast burritos for a living. This is out of our league."

D.C. Council member Mary Cheh was getting gas down the street from Comet Ping Pong and saw what she described as intense police activity around the restaurant. Cheh said she spoke with Mayor Muriel Bowser, who had been briefed by police. At the time she spoke to reporters, Cheh didn't know the gunman's actions were connected to the false rumors surrounding Comet Ping Pong, but she was concerned.

"It's very, very worrisome," Cheh said. "I'm just very worried that [the rumors] may have unleashed people who are unstable to pursue violent action, as has happened before."

She praised the speed of the police response, which she said may have prevented an attack. "It all looked so efficient and professional. I was very pleased it was locked down so quickly."

Gareth Wade, 47, and Doug Clarke, 50, were sitting down for pizza and beer at Comet when they spotted a commotion. All of a sudden, said Wade, "the server said someone just walked in with a shotgun.

"A man had just walked into the building, passed us into the back of the building, he seemed to have a shotgun or a rifle-type of [gun] and said we ought to vacate the building," Wade recalled the server saying.

They rushed out of the restaurant and had planned to head to Politics and Prose, where Clarke's wife and 5-year-old took shelter, but they got separated. Clarke and Wade were met by a heavy police presence when they attempted to join up.

"Police said you can't go to the bookstore," Wade said. They ended up behind a nearby police barricade. Clarke's wife and son were forced to remain inside the bookstore. Meanwhile, Clarke was trying to reunite his son with a present he had received for his fifth birthday, a stuffed lion that they were forced to leave inside the restaurant.

"He's kind of shaken up about the whole thing," Clarke said. "We've been talking a lot about it and trying to help him understand. That he was a man with a weapon, weapons are bad - he was not a nice person."

(c) 2016, The Washington Post. Susan Svrluga wrote this story

An East Haven pedestrian died Saturday night, the sixth pedestrian fatality in Connecticut since Thursday, police said. The unidentified victim was struck shortly after 8"30 p.m. on Foxon Road. Police said the vehicle fled the scene, but was found not long after in New Haven.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

East Haven police said the victim was struck by a vehicle on Foxon Road in East Haven at about 8:39 p.m.

Police said the vehicle involved fled the scene but was found, along with the alleged driver, later that evening in New Haven. Police have not made any arrests.

The incident remains under investigation by the South Central Connecticut Traffic Unit. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Office Gorman at 203-468-3820.

The East Haven accident is just the latest in a major spike in pedestrian fatalities, The State Police said.

On Thursday, a woman was killed when she stepped out of her car on I-95 in Old Lyme to check on her toddler in the back seat of the car. She was struck and killed by passing a tractor trailer rig.

A skateboarder was struck and killed just before 8 p.m. by a car in Franklin Square in New Britain Thursday night, then later that night a man was struck and killed by a westbound car as he tried to cross I-84 in Hartford.

Friday morning at about 1 a.m., a skateboarder was struck and killed on Route 5 in Enfield. Later in the day, a man was struck by a pickup truck in West Hartford as he delivered newspapers.

As the opioid epidemic continues, police officers are commonly finding drug users overdosing in cars, libraries, in the bathroom of fast-food restaurants and, even, churches. Watch video

As the opioid epidemic continues, police officers are commonly finding drug users overdosing in cars, libraries, in the bathroom of fast-food restaurants and, even, churches. 

In 2012, Christ Church Cambridge began having a problem with people dealing and overdosing in their bathrooms, according to The Boston Globe. It was one of few public restrooms in Harvard Square.

Although, there was a need for a public restroom, the church couldn't justify keeping it open. 

"We weren't medically equipped or educated to handle overdoses, and we were desperately afraid we were going to have something happen that was way out of our reach," The Rev. Joseph O. Robinson, rector of the church, Christ Church Cambridge, told the New York Times. 

Churches have had a long history with being meeting spaces for Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or other recovery group meetings.

Michael McSherry, minister of Edwards Church of Northampton, was recently contacted by the District Attorney's office to ask if they'd host recovery groups. They welcomed the group with open arms. The church also hosts a free dinner and he recognizes that sometimes people come that are high. 

"Fortunately, nobody has ever passed out, but it's feasible," McSherry said. He said the next step is getting all of his staff and the staff that runs the free dinners to a Narcan training. 

 

McSherry and Deb Moore, Minister of Faith Formation at Edwards Church, recently attended a Narcan training at First Churches of Northampton, Nov. 22. The two churches are part of a group that is working to educate and prepare congregations on the epidemic. 

One step in the program is Narcan training. 

Although, the training looks a little different than one given in homes or to families. For example, a church advisor doesn't know who will be around to administer the Narcan or even who will be the person overdosing. Group leaders have to prepare their congregation for anything.

But The Rev. Susan Grant Rosen, founder of the program said, it's an important step in identifying the church as a place people can go without being judged. 

"In order to become a safe place, the church has to be willing to identify themselves the suffering people have around this and to take that on," Grant Rosen said. "And that's something you do when you have a Narcan training in your church." 

Educating people in the pews: New program aims to reach congregations, get Narcan in churches

Looking to get a photo with Santa Claus before Christmas? Here are a few places to get a pic with Saint Nick.

As the opioid epidemic spreads, the reality of someone possibly overdosing in public places is forcing organizations, including churches, to be prepared. Watch video

As the opioid epidemic spreads, the reality of someone possibly overdosing in public places is forcing organizations, including churches, to be prepared.

Eight people from two churches in Northampton gathered together around a long white table in the middle of First Churches of Northampton on Nov. 22, getting their first training on Narcan, the opioid overdose antidote.

Some of the people at the training had more personal experiences with opioid addiction than others, but in one way or another, they all agreed it's affecting them, the people in their church pews and their surrounding community.

The discussion is different from the typical training Jill Scanahan from Tapestry Health usually gives. Scanahan said it's typical for families of someone with opioid addiction to get training but not groups -- though there is a need.

"When in doubt, do the Narcan," Scanahan said, adding that the antidote won't hurt someone, it can only help.

The members around the table ask questions such as "Where do we keep it?" and "Who is in charge of it?" A church advisor doesn't know who will be around to administer the Narcan or even who will be the person overdosing. Group leaders have to prepare their congregation for anything.

This is just one step in a program First Churches in Northampton and Edwards Church of Northampton have agreed to be part of, making them safe places to talk about addiction and come to get help.

The Program

In 2015, The Rev. Susan Grant Rosen looked at the faith communities around her and realized the people in the pews were hurting just as badly as those on the streets, but nobody was talking about it.

Grant Rosen compared it to the Zika virus. If there were new cases in the state, she said the faith community would be praying for them. But prayers for illicit things like drug users aren't often offered.

"We're not doing this for the families that the opioid crisis is demolishing," Grant Rosen said. "We're silent."

Grant Rosen has her own story with opioid addiction. While she hasn't been able to help everyone in her life with their battles against opioid addiction, those continued personal battles give her a strong desire to help others, even strangers, win.

She then began brainstorming ways to help those in the faith community start talking.

First, she created an educational program for churches in between services, or "coffee hour." She then expanded it to a "clergy briefing" in May.

But, Grant Rosen said, training the clergy isn't enough.

"The way to energize faith communities is to get the worshipers involved," Grant Rosen said.

In October, Grant Rosen teamed up with The Rev. Sarah Buteux from First Churches in Northampton and Deb Moore from Edwards Church of Northampton for a program called "The Opioid Crisis: How Faith Communities Can Help". About 50 people from various faith communities attended, and many more expressed interest.

"We opened the door, and people wanted to rush through," Grant Rosen said, "because we were actually addressing something they were deeply concerned about."

The program had two main speakers, included a lot of audience discussion and had tables filled with workers from treatment, recovery and family support organizations people could go and ask additional questions.

Attendees offered new ideas to the group, too. Some wanted youth education, Narcan training, a healing service and much more.

But the attendees were most surprised about some of the statistics.

According to figures released by the state's Department of Public Health, 1,005 people have died from opioids from January to September 2016, excluding suicides. This already exceeds the first nine months of 2015. From the first two quarters of 2016, 31 percent of opioid-related incidents were males aged 25-34.

*2016 numbers include January-September

What is already being done?

Some people in the faith community, however, have been working to help with this crisis for years, including the two main presenters at the October meeting.

The Rev. Mike Clark from Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church started by simply serving cider and cookies to the recovery group in the church's basement, according to Christian Century. Eventually, the people in the pews and the group downstairs merged.

Now, the two groups spend time together talking honestly, showing those less-than-perfect sides of themselves, according to Christian Century -- something that might be unusual in many churches.

Other churches have done similar outreach programs to the people in Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

Anita Baglaneas Devlin, originally from Cape Cod, is doing something similar, according to the Cape Cod Times. She has spoken across the country about bringing younger crowds seeking help for their opioid addiction from religious organizations back to the church, the organization said.

Other pastors, such as presenter The Rev. Charles Taylor, have found themselves leading memorial services for people who died of opioid overdoses. These people often either didn't have a home church or had a family member belonging to the pastor's church.

Pastor's don't just want to be the "end of the road," Taylor said: It's time to do more for people and the families before they get there.

 

Reaching those already in the pews

Although outreach programs are important, Grant Rosen said, those already in the church are being left behind -- forcing their best face while at church. She wants to change this.

At one point, she mentions, people didn't feel like they could ask other congregations to pray for family members with cancer. Now, it's widely talked about. Grant Rosen hopes the same will happen for those struggling with addiction.

"This needs to become one of those things that we know how to talk about if we are to love, support, help, heal and comfort our fellow congregants in our faith community," she said.

Grant Rosen understands that many of those dealing with their own opioid problems have probably already left the church, though, because of the stigma surrounding addiction. Instead, they are likely reaching out to loved ones.

One important aspect of it all is learning how to talk about it on both sides, Grant Rosen said. She points out many people aren't sure how to bring up someone's suffering along with their own fears.

Education can help with that, she said.

Many of the members at the meeting in October wanted an educational option for their teenagers. Since the meeting, Buteux has been working on ways to make this happen.

"They came because they're terrified for their children," Buteux said. "We don't know what the answer is, but we're not going to figure it out unless we start talking about it."

Churches prepare for the worst as opioid deaths continue to rise

But education for all members and clergy is important.

"In a church with 200 members and one pastor, it's 200 to one. Why not reach out to educate more people?" Grant Rosen said.

Clergy, however, can have more specific training, including how to help and refer someone to other programs. Once everyone has the information, then they can start spreading the training, like the Narcan training at First Churches in Northampton.

Eventually, Grant Rosen envisions providing healing services.

"Not that you are going to lay hands on someone and they are going to stop using drugs," Grant Rosen said. "It's that so many people have been hurt so badly, and so many people are suffering and struggling."

She remembers in the 1980s when churches did healing services for victims of and the families of those affected by AIDS. These services, she said, pulls from healing traditions in all religions, making it open to everyone.

But the bottom line, Grant Rosen said, is that in order for people to talk about the problem openly, people first have to recognize the problem and stop pretending it isn't happening at church.

"You have to be willing to have the problem connected to you as a congregation in order to be a safe place and a place people understand that they will not be rejected, shamed, judged, pushed away," Grant Rosen said.

And that isn't always an easy step.

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former Campaign 2016 rival Ben Carson to become secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former campaign 2016 rival Ben Carson to become secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Trump's decision, announced early Monday by his transition office, comes as the real estate mogul continues a series of interviews, meetings with aides and other deliberations aimed at forming his administration.

In a statement, Trump says he's "thrilled to nominate" Carson, saying he "has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities."

Carson has been coy about joining the new administration, saying shortly after Trump's election victory that he wasn't certain he'd fit into a Cabinet-style role. The discussion at that time centered on speculation that Carson might be selected to head the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services.

Trump's statement Monday says, "Ben shares my optimism about the future of our country and is part of ensuring that this is a presidency representing all Americans."

Massachusetts State Police have lowered speed limit on a portion of I-90 to 40 mph due to slick highway conditions.

Massachusetts State Police have lowered the speed limit on a portion of I-90 to 40 mph due to slick highway conditions.

The speed limit has been lowered on the section of the highway that spans from the New York border to Interchange 9 in Sturbridge.

#MAtraffic Due to #MAsnow: I-90 (#MassPike) Speed Limit lowered to 40 mph, from New York border to Interchange 9 in #Sturbridge.

-- Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) December 5, 2016

MassLive offers text alerts for traffic on major Massachusetts roadways, including I-91, the Mass. Pike and more. These alerts, sent as text messages straight to your phone, offer up-to-date status reports of Massachusetts roads so you can plan your commute.

Sign up for text alerts here.

#MAsnow [?] Multiple spin outs/crashes, plan extra time this morning. You are going to need it. #MAtraffic

-- Dustin Fitch (@DustinGFitch) December 5, 2016

Soon after snow began falling, emergency responders were called to the scenes of multiple crashes Monday morning.

Soon after snow began falling, emergency responders were called to the scenes of multiple crashes Monday morning.

Massachusetts State Police are responding to a crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 290.

A tractor-trailer jackknifed on the roadway beyond Sword Street in Auburn, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said.

The left lane is closed as officers work to clear the crash.

Habitat for Humanity helps improve communities by helping low-income families achieve home ownership. LaToya Monroe will live in the house in the East Forest Park neighborhood with her three sons, Zavion, Zyair and Zayden.

SPRINGFIELD — For Zyair Monroe, 6, the best part of moving to his new house will be playing in the yard and decorating his room with superhero characters, including his favorite, Black Widow.

"It's going to be great," said his older brother, Zavion, 10, who will have his own room in the brand new house.

The Monroes will be moving into their new home in a few weeks, just in time for Christmas, thanks to the efforts of Habitat for Humanity and local churches who joined together to construct the home on Allen Street in the East Forest Park neighborhood.

"We have had about 140 volunteers put in 896 hours of volunteer work into this home," said Liz Persch, program services coordinator for the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity.

A build can take up to two years, but this project was done in six months.

"We had very consistent volunteer groups every weekend, as well as great skilled workers who served as build leaders and business connections through our Circle of Faith group," said Kris McKelvie, construction manager for the project.

A Circle of Faith build is unique in that interfaith groups come together not only to work on the project but to fund it as well and create an opportunity for dialogue among different faith communities.

For this build there were 13 faith groups involved, including: Church of Epiphany-Christ the King; East Longmeadow United Methodist Church; Episcopal Church of the Atonement; First Church of Christ Longmeadow; Foster Memorial Church; Friends of St. Cecilia Parish; Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts; Sinai Temple; Sisters of Providence Health/ Mercy Hospital; St. Andrew's Episcopal Church; St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church; St. Mark's Episcopal Church; and St. Michael's Parish.

A dedication of the home was held on Sunday to welcome the family and included words of blessings from all of the different religious groups.

Springfield - New Habitat for Humanity home in Springfield.Elizabeth Roman | The Republican 

Dr. M. Saleem Bajwa, of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts, said a major aspect of the project is getting various faiths to work together.

"May God keep this house full of prayers, peace, love and compassion, and may we all continue to work together for the betterment of humanity," he said.

For LaToya Monroe, who will live in the house with her three sons, Zavion, Zyair and Zayden, 1, the home is like a lottery prize, she said.

"I am so excited to have our first really nice family dinner here," said the mother of three, who has lived in a third floor apartment building in Chicopee for the past 10 years. "No more climbing up three flights of stairs with these three, no more calling the maintenance man to clean up the hallway," she said.

Monroe and her children committed to the project by doing 300 hours of volunteer work in the community. Monroe worked with her church, Holy Redeemer Cathedral in Springfield, to coach a basketball team and cheerleading team as well as helping to build the house. Her sons contributed by getting A's and B's in school, each worth a few hours.

"This is just a true blessing for our family, and we are so thankful," she said.

Michigan's presidential recount is underway in two counties so far as Attorney General Bill Schuette and the Michigan Republican Party set the stage for more legal battles over the effort.

MASON, MI -- Michigan's presidential recount is underway in two counties so far as Attorney General Bill Schuette and the Michigan Republican Party set the stage for more legal battles over the effort.

The recount requested by began in Ingham County and Oakland County Monday after U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith ordered the recount begin immediately.

State law called for the recount to begin two days after the Board of State Canvassers deadlocked over President-elect Donald Trump's appeal, effectively allowing the recount to proceed.

But in federal court, Stein argued delaying the recount any further would interfere with getting it done before Dec. 13, the federal "safe harbor" deadline to get finalized results in six days before the Electoral College meets.

Michigan presidential election recount underway in Oakland County

In Ingham, 20 two-member teams worked to recount the ballots Monday, with challengers and observers from campaigns and elections staff circling the room as well.

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum said she set an "optimistic goal" of six days to complete the recount and hopes it comes close to that. So far, the effort is going well, Byrum said.

"People are calm and methodical and being respectful and doing a great job," Byrum said.

Byrum, like many other county clerks throughout the state, estimates the cost of the recount will be well above the $125-per-precinct Stein is required to pay. Officials with the Stein campaign have said they were looking into ways to contribute to individual county costs beyond

Here's the full schedule for Michigan's presidential ballot recount

Secretary of State officials are hoping to begin posting updated recount results each night, which would be found at the office's elections website.

If Republicans have their way in court, the recount effort could still be stopped. The Michigan Republican Party in conjunction with President-elect Donald Trump and Attorney General Bill Schuette both filed suit in state courts to get the recount stopped, which will be given a hearing in the state Court of Appeals 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The Michigan Republican Party also appealed Goldsmith's decision at the federal level Monday, arguing a recount is a decision that should be made at the state level.

The recount will proceed barring a court order, state officials have said.

Trump won in Michigan's presidential election over Democrat Hillary Clinton by a margin of 10,704 votes. Stein came in fourth place in Michigan, earning 1.07 percent of the total vote.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School.

SOUTHWICK - Voters here will meet in a Special Town Meeting Tuesday night to consider a handful of issues including the design and installation of sewers in the Congamond Road area.

The meeing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School auditorium.

Seven articles will be placed before voters ranging from an appropriation of $950,000 to finance design and installation of sewers along Congamond Road to a decision regarding whether Town Hall is open of Saturdays.

Funding for Congamond Road sewers is being requested to allow the town to proceed with the project during a state Department of Transportation project to reconstruct Congamond Road. The road reconstruction project, estimated at about $5 million, is expected to begin sometime next year.

One article on the Special Town Meeting Warrant will be amended by the Fire Department on the floor. The amendment will reduce an original request to appropriate $15,000 for an independent assessment of Fire Department vehicles and equipment to $5,000. Since the printing of the warrant, Fire Chief Russell Anderson has been notified the town has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Southwick's insurance carrier to finance most of the study.

Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association awarded the grant, Anderson announced last week.

The Select Board is asking voters for authority to lease the Old Town Library at 475 College Highway to private or public individuals. The library has been unused since the new Southwick Public Library opened in 2000 at Feeding Hills Road.

A successful lease will result in the former library being restored or renovated to meet current building code standards.

Voters will be asked to adopt provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41, Section 110A that will allow Town Hall and other public offices to remain closed on Saturdays. Failure to adopt those provisions would require Town Hall to remain open on Saturdays and incur overtime expenses for selected employees, officials said.

Springfield city councilors approved keeping the tax rate at $19.66 per $1,000 valuation for homeowners for the current fiscal year, but the average single-family residence bill will rise due to rising property values.

SPRINGFIELD — The City Council on Monday night voted to keep the tax rate the same for homeowners this fiscal year, but the owner of an average single-family home will get a $142 annual tax bill increase due to rising property values.

The vote was 9-3 in favor of a $19.66 per $1,000 valuation tax rate for homeowners, the same as fiscal 2016, and a $39.07 per $1,000 valuation rate for business property owners, an increase from $38.60. Councilors Timothy Rooke, Bud Williams and Marcus Williams were opposed to the new tax rates, and Councilor Thomas Ashe was absent.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno had proposed a five-cent increase in the residential tax rate to $19.71, which if approved would have led to a $148.65 hike in the annual tax bill for the average single family home. His proposed business tax rate was $38.94 per $1,000 valuation.

The increase in residential bills is due in part to a significant increase in residential property values. The average single family home rose in value from $134,800 last year to $142,000 this year.

The Springfield Regional Chamber had urged the council to approve the mayor's recommendation, saying it would help preserve the gap between what businesses and homeowners pay in real estate taxes rather than worsen the gap for business taxpayers.

According to city calculations, the mayor's recommendations would have kept the tax burden ratio the same as last year.

Chamber President Nancy Creed said that businesses make up just over 28.2 percent of all property values in Springfield but pay 43.52 percent of all the property taxes.

Creed asked the council to "at least" freeze the gap, rather than make it higher for businesses.

"This will continue the city's forward momentum in encouraging business and job growth and economic development as well as continuing to promote homeownership — all which are vital to the continued economic progress in Springfield," she said.

A five-member Tax Ratio Committee, chaired by Ward 7 Councilor Timothy Allen, recommended the $19.66 residential rate by a 3-2 vote.

Councilors voting for the new rate were Allen, Justin Hurst, Kenneth Shea, Henry Twiggs, Orlando Ramos, Adam Gomez, Melvin Edwards, Kateri Walsh and President Michael Fenton.

Easthampton Savings Bank received a favorable recommendation from a City Council committee at City Hall on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016 to include a a drive-through-service window for a branch planned at Sargeant and Beech streets that would cost about $1 million and have five to six employees, officials said.

HOLYOKE -- Easthampton Savings Bank Monday received a favorable recommendation from a City Council committee at City Hall to include a drive-through-service window for a branch planned at Sargeant and Beech streets.

"You certainly have my support," said Joseph M. McGiverin, member of the Development and Government Relations Committee.

The 5-0 recommendation in favor of granting a special permit for the drive-through-service window will be considered at the next full meeting of the City Council Tuesday.

The plan is to build the $1 million Easthampton Savings Bank branch on a currently city-owned lot behind the CVS pharmacy at 170 Sargeant St. next year. It would be the bank's first branch in Holyoke, officials said.

The 2,800-square-foot bank would have five to six employees. The drive-though-window would have two lanes: one for an ATM, another with a window for live customer service, said Mark P. Reed of Heritage Surveys Inc. of Southampton and Gregg H. Rosen of NESGroup of Mansfield, representing Easthampton Savings Bank.

The only entrance to the bank would be from Sargeant Street. Topography played a role as a 12 foot to 15 foot difference in grade exists between the proposed bank site and the CVS just down the hill, Reed said.

During the public hearing, Peter Dellert of Sargeant Street said he was speaking neither in favor nor against the plan and would speak in more detail when the plan reached the Planning Board. In relation to the drive-through ATM, most people in the neighborhood don't have vehicles, he said.

"But welcome to the neighborhood," Dellert said.

Committee member Nelson R. Roman disputed Dellert and said many, if not most, people in the neighborhood do have vehicles.

Committee Chairman David K. Bartley praised the rendering of the bank presented at the meeting.

"That looks really nice," Bartley said.

The five-member committee also has councilors Peter R. Tallman and Michael J. Sullivan.

If the school closes, pre-kindergarten through second grade students from Granville will go to the Woodland School, while third grade through sixth grade students will go to Powder Mill School. Both schools are in Southwick.

SOUTHWICK — More than 30 parents and students picketed outside the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School Committee meeting on Monday night, demanding the district scrap a proposal to close Granville's elementary school.

Granville Village School could be on the chopping block because of falling enrollment and budget concerns. The building is estimated to need nearly $1 million worth of capital improvements plus at least $80,000 worth of technology upgrades, and the operating budget is more than $1 million per year.

The New England School Development Council, or NESDEC, is conducting a feasibility study to find out the best course of action.

"The decision is not made," said schools superintendent Jen Willard on Monday, and the district is "absolutely" listening to parents' concerns. She said a vote by the full school committee is planned for next month.

The pre-kindergarten through sixth grade school had 82 students as of Oct. 1, according to a draft of NESDEC's report [pdf]. It needs a new roof, estimated to cost $300,000, and $150,000 worth of new energy-efficient windows. Among other expenditures, a new oil storage tank would cost $200,000, while necessary repaving of parking lots and driveways is pegged at $150,000.

The district's other schools are able to absorb the students, said Willard.

If the school closes, pre-kindergarten through second grade students will go to the Woodland School, while third grade through sixth grade students will go to Powder Mill School. Both schools are in Southwick.

NESDEC's report said class sizes would necessarily increase, but "in no instances would the transfer of students from Granville to the Southwick campus cause class sizes to equal or exceed District maximums."

Since 2006, district-wide enrollment has fallen 19 percent, according to the report, and is expected to drop another 15 percent within a decade.

Monday night, protesting parents said the district can and should save the school.

Less than a year ago, Alexander Brinault bought the house next to Granville Village School. He said he wants his daughter, now 20 months old, to go there when the time comes.

"We wanted to give her a chance," said Brinault, complimenting the school's reputation for academic achievement. "I don't know much about the politics, but I want my daughter to stay close to home and not have to travel on the bus for an hour one way."

Jess Ripley's two daughters are third-generation students at the school.

"They have small class sizes, they are able to get the attention they need from those teachers who have been there for years," said Ripley. "The teachers are amazing. They're teachers that my husband had as a kid. We have a principal who is just amazing and will do what she can for anybody."

Ripley expects her daughters to receive less individual instruction, possibly hurting her education. Right now, she said, her sixth grader has 18 kids in her class, while her third grader is one of 12.

"The primary reason that I moved to Granville was so that my daughter could attend that school," said Steve Cook, father of a kindergartner. "My wife gets updates during the day on how my daughter is doing. ... When you have 22 kids in the class, you don't have time for that. You don't have time for each student."

NESDEC said the closure would give students more opportunities for small group learning, social interactions with others in their grade levels, and classes like band and chorus. Students would also benefit from having all grade-level teachers under one roof, where they can more easily collaborate, the report states.

Granville parents dismissed the NESDEC study as vague, poorly sourced and merely conforming to the district's desires.

Lecompte was arrested at a Miami bus station in April 2015 after jumping bail on these charges.

GREENFIELD - A 26-year-old city man pleaded guilty Monday in Franklin Superior Court to numerous sex crimes involving children.

Derek LecompteCourtesy: Greenfield PD 

The Northwestern District Attorney's Office said Derek Lecompte admitted to aggravated rape and abuse of a child, posing a child in the nude, unnatural acts with a child, conspiracy to tamper with evidence and other charges related to incidents that took place in 2013 and 2014.

Judge John Agostini accepted a plea deal that will send Lecompte to state prison for 15 to 20 years, followed by 10 years of probation. He must register as a sex offender.

Lecompte was arrested at a Miami bus station in April 2015 after jumping bail on these charges. He cut off a GPS monitor and fled Massachusetts, only to be captured by state and federal authorities days later.

It is unclear where litigation stands with regard to multiple police misconduct lawsuits after the Springfield City Council emerged from executive session with no public comment for the second time in under a month.

SPRINGFIELD - The City Council retreated into executive session for a second time to discuss ongoing litigation of several police misconduct matters and emerged from the closed-door meeting for a second time without public comment on Monday night.

The reboot follows a nearly identical chain of events at the council's last meeting on Nov. 14. An agenda item was posted regarding litigation of three pending lawsuits in federal court: those of Charles Wilhite versus police and the city; Mark Schand versus police and the city; and Justin Douglas versus police and the city.

The first two cases pertain to wrongful imprisonment and what the plaintiffs argue were tainted investigations and trials, while Douglas' focuses on an alleged police beating when he was arrested in 2013.

Additionally, the agenda item cited "ongoing and potential civil and criminal litigation concerning the arrest and interrogation of juvenile suspects in Palmer." The item also noted that "no discussion of any individual employee will be addressed."

Presumably, that "individual employee" is Detective Gregg Bigda, He was suspended for 60 days after videos emerged of Bigda and fellow Detective Luke Cournoyer questioning three teens who allegedly took off in an unmarked police vehicle left idling outside a pizza shop on Feb. 26. Cournoyer received lighter discipline but was not suspended, according to police.

During two hours of video at the Palmer Police Department, where a car chase through Wilbraham and that town came to rest, a collective 30-plus minutes of footage revealed that Bigda threatened to kill two boys, plant drugs on one and made sneering racial remarks. Cournoyer stood mostly idly by, the video shows.

Twelve of 13 councilors emerged from an hour-long executive session along with City Solicitor Edward Pikula; all were barred from making public comment. Councilor Tom Ashe was absent from the meeting.

The closed-door session followed a 10-2 vote to revive a five-member civilian police commission that was abolished by the state-run Finance Control Board in 2005.

Only councilors Tim Rooke and Kenneth Shea voted against bringing back the commission, asking whether any councilors had spent time with police officers to get a sense of their daily work.

"Have any of you taken a tour with police on the day shift or four-to-midnight shift?" Rooke asked.

The vast majority of the councilors cited the Bigda case as an example of how the current system "isn't working" and that sovereign disciplinary powers should be taken out of Commissioner John Barbieri's hands.

"I'm tired of taking votes and spending money to settle these police misconduct cases ... only to find that the officers involved were never even reprimanded ... I'm tired of that," Councilor Orlando Ramos said.

This is a developing story that will be updated as reporting continues.

Ask a Massachusetts marijuana activist for arboreal advice on what to do if you're growing it and you'll get this key piece of guidance: Do not electrocute yourself.

Ask a Massachusetts marijuana activist for arboreal advice on what to do if you're growing it and you'll get this key piece of guidance: Do not electrocute yourself.

He didn't lead with that, but it remains solid advice, whether tied to growing marijuana or anything else.

"My suggestion to people who want marijuana here in Massachusetts is it would be very smart of them to grow it themselves," Bill Downing, the longtime activist, said at the outset of the interview.

This means, however, you are comingling three things that don't comingle very well, he added: Water, human beings and electricity for the indoor garden.

"I would suggest they be very, very careful," Downing said.

According to Downing and other marijuana activists, people can attempt to grow a small amount using relatively ordinary lighting, but if you want to grow more than a plant or two, and you want to grow it quickly, with a certain level of potency, you're going to need more lighting. Some of those old New England homes might not be good for those types of lights.

"That's not rocket science," added Michael Cutler, an attorney based in Northampton who helped co-write the new law legalizing marijuana.

But how to get the seeds? More on that in a minute.

Under the new law, an individual over the age of 21 will be able to have up to six plants inside a residence - a household can have up to 12 - on or after Dec. 15, depending on whether Beacon Hill lawmakers move to block or slow the timeline.

If you rent an apartment, you may not be able to use marijuana at home

Retail stores won't exist locally anytime soon - the law calls for them to open in 2018, but expect lawmakers to change that as well and push back the date - so the sale of marijuana remains a crime.

But home cultivation and giving away what you harvest, up to an ounce, to an adult over the age of 21, won't be a crime anymore at the state level. A person can have up to 10 ounces inside their residence.

Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, and smoking marijuana is banned in the same places cigarette smoking is prohibited. If you're renting, the landlord can impose a ban on growing and smoking.

Activists said there are a couple of ways to obtain marijuana or the seeds to grow the plant: Physically get it from another state, obtain it through an online website, or get it from a friend.

That friend can also give up to an ounce in seeds, they said.

But if you don't have a friend with either marijuana or seeds, getting the seeds through the mail is an option, activists said, despite the act being illegal at the federal level, like buying it out-of-state and bringing it across state lines into Massachusetts.

Seed suppliers in Canada, like BC Bud Depot, or others in England, Holland and elsewhere would be "very happy to ship those seeds to you," Downing said. (On BC Bud Depot's website, it says they produce "the world's best marijuana seeds with fast and discreet worldwide delivery at reasonable prices.")

Downing, who has had some experience with this, says roughly one out of 20 times, the seeds are confiscated by the Postal Service. According to Downing, here's what happens next: You receive a re-sealed but empty package, you call the seed supplier, and then they send you another set of seeds.

Activists are counting on math being on their side in situations like that, coupled with legalization at the state level and a thinly stretched out federal government apparatus like the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"If it's only up to postal agents or the like, the DEA is not going to get involved for a handful of seeds," Cutler said.

Downing's other piece of advice? Be discreet. Not because marijuana is still illegal federally speaking and police could take an interest in the harvest, but because somebody else outside of law enforcement could be interested in taking it from you.

"The chances of the police finding your garden and doing anything about it are relatively teeny tiny, but the chances of some other person being envious about your crop are somewhat better," he said.

Massachusetts legalized marijuana. What happens next?

The Holyoke City Council will set the new tax rate on Dec. 20, 2016 after a public hearing is scheduled about the latest property values on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

HOLYOKE -- The Board of Assessors will hold its annual public hearing on tax classification on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall and the City Council will use information from that session to set the new property tax rate on Dec. 20.

Home and business owners would receive their next quarterly tax bills reflecting the new tax rate in early January.

A key part of the process will take place tonight. The City Council at 7 at City Hall will be asked to approve a transfer, from the newly certified free cash account, of $1,016,194 to eliminate a deficit in the municipal budget.

The budget must be balanced in order for the new tax rate to be set later this month.

The annual meetings come as assessors said the values of the 10,079 parcels of residential and commercial property here have increased in value an average of 2 percent. The new values were based on inspections and sales of property during the 2015 calendar year.

"A property that has seen an appreciation in value will likely see a small tax increase reflecting that appreciation. Tax rates are likely to stay relatively stable compared to the current year," Mayor Alex B. Morse said.

Assessed values present a good-news/bad-news prospect for property owners. The higher assessed value can factor into negotiations when the owner decides to sell the property. But the more assessed value there is in a property, the more there is for the city to tax.

The current tax rate is $19.12 per $1,000 valuation for residential property and $39.86 per $1,000 valuation for business property.

In tax classification, the assessors will discuss the changes in values of the different kinds of properties between this year and last. They include single-family homes, apartment buildings, businesses and industrial property.

In the public hearing part of the session, residents, business owners and others can give their views about the latest property values, the rate of taxation and other matters, including urging that the City Council vote a certain way on the new tax rate.

City councilors in setting the tax rate decide how much of the tax burden falls on home owners and how much on business.

The state Department of Revenue Monday told the the city it had certified that $2,351,802 in free was available for use in the current fiscal year, which began July 1. Free cash is money left unspent in accounts from the previous fiscal year.

The city began the fiscal year July 1 with a budget of $125,784,723.

The general fund part of the budget -- which pays for police and fire services, public works such as snow plowing and offices like the mayor and city clerk -- was balanced as the fiscal year began.

But the budget of the sewer fund, which covers the wastewater treatment plant, of about $8.6 million, had a deficit of about $800,000 as the fiscal year began.

Morse for years has urged the City Council to increase the sewer rate in increments to add revenue to offset sewer costs. Councilors have said that before agreeing to a sewer rate increase, they want the city to try bringing in more revenue by collecting overdue sewer payments and cutting sewer fund costs.

Of the current budget deficit, three-quarters of it lies with the sewer fund, at $774,000. The general fund part of the deficit is $242,000, Morse said in an email.

"Although we had more than balanced the general fund budget, the state's final budget (announced in July) reduced its contribution to charter schools by $475,000, which moved us from a general fund surplus to a general fund deficit," Morse said.

Police said the victim was hit by a 2016 Ford F350 truck traveling north on George Washington Boulevard.

Police are piecing together the details of a fatal crash that killed a pedestrian standing outside of a courthouse Monday morning.

According to a press release from the Hingham Police Department, the victim, a 56-year-old woman from Bridgewater, was struck while standing outside Hingham District Court around 11:14 a.m.

She died after being taken to a hospital.

The driver remained at the scene with authorities. Authorities are investigating the collision and have not filed any citations or charges yet.