The location is near Glens Falls.

SPRINGFIELD -- CRRC, the Chinese rail car manufacturer building a plant on Page Boulevard in East Springfield, is reportedly planning a similar factory at a former General Electric site in Fort Edward, New York, on the Hudson River near Glens Falls.

The possibility was reported by the Post-Star of Glens Falls.

In Springfield, CRRC MA is ahead of schedule on its $95 million plant in East Springfield. Work on the 204,000-square-foot factory, which will employ 150 workers, is expected to be completed by the fall of 2017. The first rail cars are scheduled to be delivered in 2018.

CRRC said production jobs will pay $55,000 to $60,000 a year.

In 2014, CRRC received a $566 million Massachusetts contract to manufacture 284 subway cars for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Greater Boston's mass transit system. Of those cars, 152 will be for the Orange Line and 132 will be for the Red Line. First delivery of the Orange Line cars is expected in March 2018 and production is expected to last five years.

The plant will have a 2,240-foot subway tack to test the cars.

The proposed Fort Edward factory sounds remarkably similar, according to the Post-Star. The 125,000-square-foot building proposed there would have 150 to 200 workers and they would manufacture 1,025 subway cars for New York City over five years.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority opens bids on the subway cars Dec. 15.

In Springfield, CRRC officials have said this will be the company's North American headquarters and its beachhead for manufacturing rail cars for the U.S. and Canada.

In an email this week, CRRC MA spokeswoman Lydia Rivera said the company is working to bring more business to Springfield and keep the factory here busy after the five-year production run in its contract with Boston is completed.

"CRRC, with its local success here in Massachusetts, continues to identify opportunities in North America including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York and beyond, with attention to stimulating job growth in Springfield, as well as executing a steady investment and development plan in North America," Rivera wrote.

The Fort Edward site, 134 miles and an almost 2-hour drive from Springfield, is a former dewartering site General Electric constructed about a decade ago to process mud dredged from the Hudson River. GE had contaminated the river with PCBs dumped from its now-shuttered plants nearby and was ordered by the federal government to clean it.

Crews at the dewatering site took dredged sediment off barges, removed the water and then loaded the mud on rail cars for disposal elsewhere. That work is done, so the facility is idle now despite having a relatively new rail line going into it, as well as docks where barges traveling up and down the Hudson can dock.

Thousands took to the streets of Northampton Friday night to take part in the 2016 Northampton Holiday Stroll as city officials closed Main Street from 5 to 9 p.m. for the holiday celebration.

NORTHAMPTON - Thousands took to the streets of Northampton Friday night to take part in the 2016 Northampton Holiday Stroll as city officials closed Main Street from 5 to 9 p.m. for the holiday celebration.

Merchants along Main Street featured special activities like face painting, photos with Santa, and special sales. Visitors were treated to street performers, concerts, dancing in the street, a hula-hoop contest, and horse and wagon rides by Muddy Brook Farm of Amherst.

Other activities included roasting marshmallows and making s'mores, creating gingerbread houses with Sylvester's & Historic Northampton, kids crafts provided by the Northampton Recreation Department, giant puppets, hot chocolate, the Pie Bar, Sweet Spoken, and the Fitzwilly's Beer Garden.

Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz visited Broadside Books for a book reading with children along with special musical performances with the Nields' Elementary School Chorus, the Valley Rock Voices, and a community sing-along led by Jonathan Harvey of the Pioneer Valley Symphony Chorus and Hits 94.3 FM.

"I've been held for 88 days" with no proof other than the girls' account of being approached by a man with gray hair, Brian Howlett said.

SPRINGFIELD -- Three months ago, Brian Howlett was charged with accosting two Longmeadow girls riding their bikes to middle school.

Following a mental health evaluation, he was arraigned on five charges -- including enticing a child under 16 and lewd, wanton and lascivious behavior -- and held on $25,000 bail.

On Friday, a judge considered ordering a second exam after hearing Howlett proclaim his innocence and offer his own explanation for his arrest.

"I have gray hair," Howlett said.

"I have more gray hair than anyone in Longmeadow -- and that's why I'm here," he added.

Howlett, 45, of Springfield, was arrested on Sept. 13 after allegedly confronting two girls riding their bikes to the Williams Middle School in Longmeadow. The encounter took place around 8 a.m., with Howlett getting uncomfortably close to the girls while making obscene remarks, police said.

The girls rode away and called 911. Based on their description, officers approached Howlett, who was agitated, disheveled and yelling obscenities before eventually being arrested, police said.

Howlett appeared agitated Friday as he repeatedly interrupted defense lawyer Jon Helpa and spoke directly to Judge Matthew Shea.

"I've been held for 88 days," with no evidence beyond the girls' account of being approached by a man with gray hair, Howlett said.

Concerned about his client's behavior, Helpa requested a second, and more extensive, evaluation. He also asked to withdraw from the case.

Howlett sounded ready for a change too.

"He's not my lawyer -- and he's not my doctor," Howlett said, referring to the court psychiatrist standing nearby.

"I'm the defendant. I'm only person who matters here," he added.

At that point, Shea halted the hearing and court officers led Howlett back to the lockup.

Later, the judge appointed attorney Lawrence Allen to represent Howlett, who did not return to the courtroom.

Shea delayed a decision on ordering a second psychiatric evaluation until Allen had a chance to meet with his new client.

The debate will continue in the council's Finance Subcommittee.

CHICOPEE - A discussion about spending $70,000 to implement a new pavement management system which will evaluate the state of all city roads turned into a debate about the condition of city streets and if technology could help improve them.

The Department of Public Works asked the City Council and Mayor Richard J. Kos to approve the purchase of the new system, which would be funded initially with free cash, or money left over from last year's tax revenues. It would later be reimbursed through the state's Chapter 90 grant program which provides all communities with money to make road repairs and purchase equipment.

The department needs a more sophisticated method to decide which roads are in the poorest condition and should be put to the top of the priority list of streets to be resurfaced. Currently the city engineer mostly uses a visual examination of the streets to decide which are in the worst condition, Jeffery Neece, superintendent of public works, said.

Under the program, a van drive down every street and use a high-technology system to collect data about pavement thickness and other things. The program will run on the city's current GIS platform, he said.

"It analyzes all the data and it determines what needs to be resurfaced," he said.

City Councilor Gerard Roy questioned if it is worth spending $70,000 on the system, saying he believes city officials and councilors all know which streets are in the worst condition.

Councilor James K. Tillotson agreed, saying the city receives a limited amount of state highway money and he questioned if the $70,000 would be better spent actually resurfacing a street. The state grants Chapter 90 money annually based on a formula and Chicopee received about $1.2 million in fiscal year 2016, $1.8 million in 2015 and $1.2 million in fiscal year 2014.

"I disagree, I think we need to embrace technology. It will give us a more accurate description of our city streets," Councilor Timothy S. McLellan said.

Councilor Shane D. Brooks agreed saying the system will allow the city to see any deficiencies in any roads so the city may be able to make repairs before there are problems.

One of the issues the city faces is it is forced to be reactive and officials fix problems when they arise. This system would allow them to be proactive and fix deficiencies at a lower cost before they become problems, City Councilor William Courchesne said.

"I will support it. It gives us a snapshot of the health of all the roads in our city," Councilor Frederick T. Kramptis said. "We will have a better idea of how much needs to be done."

But Tillotson said the city has a long list of roadwork needs that would take at least a decade to complete with the current funding available.

Councilor Frank Laflamme said he has some unanswered questions about the system and wanted to know what data will be collected.

He said he wanted to know if the analysis could also examine infrastructure under the pavement. For example the city knows some of the water pipes are 90 years old but do not know what condition they are until they burst.

He asked his fellow councilors to send the issue to committee so the members can ask questions and debate it again. It eventually will be returned to the full City Council with a recommendation of approval or rejection.

The Council voted 12-0 to send it to its Finance Committee.

The Wilbraham Community Chorus held their annual Winter Concert at the First Church of Christ with nearly 100 singers in attendance on Saturday.

LONGMEADOW - The Wilbraham Community Chorus held their annual Winter Concert at the First Church of Christ with nearly 100 singers in attendance on Saturday.

The 70-minute performance featured classic songs like, Hallelujah, Amen; Lacrimosa; In Time of Silver Rain; Waters Ripple and Flow; Loch Lomond; The Glendy Burk; Ave Verum Corpus; He; Deck the Hall Duet Fantasy; My Favorite Things; Since I Fell for You; God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; The Lord Bless You and Keep You; and You'll Never Walk Alone/Climb Ev'ry Mountain.

Saturday's concert was under the direction of Ray Drury with piano accompaniment by Marcia Jackson and Todd Rovelli.

The Wilbraham Choral Society was created in 1983 and has shared two community singing groups that include The Wilbraham Men's Glee Club in the spring and The Wilbraham Community Chorus in the winter.

This program has applied for additional support from the Wilbraham and Longmeadow Cultural Councils, two local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

For additional information about the Wilbraham Choral Society, visit the official website here.

The icing on the cake for visitors was an opportunity to taste her coconut cake, made from Emily Dickinson's own recipe.

For fans of Emily Dickinson, the Amherst poet is no verse for wear.

The Emily Dickinson Museum celebrated her 186th birthday Saturday with an open house at her homestead in the center of Amherst.

Dickinson was born in Amherst into a prominent family with strong ties to its community. After studying at the Amherst Academy for seven years and briefly attending the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, she spent most of her life in seclusion. She never married and most of her friendships depended for the most part on written correspondence, although she was known to lower baskets of her black cake (think fruitcake with burnt molasses) from her window to neighborhood children.

But for fans of her work (she wrote nearly 1,800 poems), her poetry is very much alive. Although only a dozen or so of her poems were published in her lifetime, she is widely considered today as one of the most significant of all American poets.

On Saturday, visitors to the museum were among the first to see the restored conservatory, hear her poems, decorate miniature pots with words and images and enjoy the artwork of plants grown in the conservatory by local artist Victoria Dickson.

They were also given an opportunity to plant seeds from Dickinson's own garden."Keep that one in a pot; don't plant it outside," volunteer Catherine Linberg told a visitor.

In addition, the museum offered given free guided tours of The Evergreens, home of Emily Dickinson's brother and his family.

And the icing on the cake for visitors was an opportunity to taste her coconut cake, made from her own recipe - which was described by one person as "rich."

The museum is located at 280 Main St., Amherst. Visit www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org for more information.

An update on the forecasts for snowfall in Western Massachusetts on Sunday night and Monday morning.

SPRINGFIELD — The latest projections for snowfall in Western Massachusetts see some warmer trends potentially lightening the winter flurry on Monday morning. However, weather experts still project a rather snowy start to the week.

On Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) projected an 100 percent chance of precipitation in Springfield on Sunday evening. On Saturday, that projection dropped to 80 percent, but still suggests there will be likely be snow after 11 p.m. on Sunday until roughly 9 a.m. on Monday morning.

"The storm is actually trending a bit warmer now," said Don Maher, meteorologist for Western Mass News, who gave a brief interview with The Republican. "The projections of 3-5 inches for Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties, and of 5-8 inches for Berkshire county are still solid for right now," said Maher, while adding that during the morning on Monday "the snow is going to change over to rain."

"We're going to get some light snow on Sunday evening, and then we'll get some moderate to heavy snow in the late evening and early morning Monday. Then, during roughly the time when most people are making their early morning commute on Monday, the snow will likely change over to rain," Maher said.

Maher said he believes this will still likely affect traffic patterns, and will result, in some cases, in delays and closures.

The reasons behind the potential warm up have to do with conflicting air currents, Maher said.

"There's two areas of low pressure developing; the first one is over the Great Lakes, which is what is going to give us the snow tomorrow evening," Maher said. "However, there's also projections for a secondary area of low pressure developing offshore to the northeast, which gives more of a chance for warmer air to work in," he said.

Maher projects that by early Monday afternoon the precipitation will likely wind down.

Chicopee police are hoping to identify a suspect in a recent burglary incident.

CHICOPEE — Chicopee police are hoping to identify a suspect in a recent breaking and entering and burglary incident.

On Friday night, at approximately 7 p.m., a house on East Main Street was broken into and several items were stolen, said Officer Mike Wilk of the Chicopee Police Department, in a statement.

The suspect pictured above is a person of interest in the current investigation into the incident, Wilk said.

Anyone who may be able to identify the suspect or who has any information related to the incident has been encouraged to contact the Chicopee Detective Bureau at 413-594-1730.

A State Police Sergeant memorialized his K-9 in a statement over social media on Saturday.

Sgt. Erik F. Ramsland of the Massachusetts State Police memorialized his companion and fallen partner K-9 "Dozer" in a statement made over social media on Saturday.

"Dozer," a German Shepherd who worked for nine years locating "illegal narcotics, wanted persons, lost adults, and missing children" for the State Police, succumbed to cancer earlier this week, Ramsland said.

"Dozer had a long and productive career spanning over nine years, answering well over a thousand calls for service for the citizens of the Commonwealth," said Ramsland, in his statement.

Ramsland further described Dozer as being a "social dog" who was "kind to children and adults alike," but could also be harsh when apprehending criminals and doing his job.

After his K-9 career had come to an end, Dozer "spent his retirement" becoming a house dog, Ramsland said. "He moved from the kennel, to the garage, to the house. His days were spent bringing all the sticks and logs from the woods to the yard," Ramsland said.

In the end, though Dozer succumbed to illness, he passed away surrounded by his family, Ramsland said, describing the dog finally as "a motivated and hard-working dog, who wanted nothing more than to work."

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Dog lovers, owners and breeders alike are gathering this weekend in the Better Living Center at the Eastern States Exposition for the Eastern Dog Club Dog Show.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - Dog lovers, owners and breeders alike are gathering this weekend in the Better Living Center at the Eastern States Exposition for the Eastern Dog Club Dog Show.

This show is one of the top events in the nation that the American Kennel Club puts on, and it brings in dogs from all over the world that represent over 160 different breeds.

Each day features competitions including, "Best in Show" for breed as well as obedience and rally challenges.

The event is sponsored by the Champlain Valley Kennel Club and the Eastern Dog Club, established in Boston in 1911.

The show kicked off on Thursday, Dec. 8 and runs all weekend, ending on Sunday, Dec. 10. Admission to the event is free, and the show starts daily at 8 a.m. and finishes at 6 p.m.

View photos from the event above, and for more information about the show, visit their official website.

In Massachusetts, repeat OUI offender penalties, including jail and prison sentences, max out at the fifth offense.

NORTHAMPTON -- What happens when a person refuses to stop drinking and driving despite numerous arrests and convictions, time behind bars and in-treatment programs, and even the lifetime loss of their license?

If the ever-looming threat of thousands of dollars in fines and more time in jail or prison fails to be a deterrent, the answer, under Massachusetts state law, is essentially more of the same.

That's because in Massachusetts, repeat OUI offender penalties, including jail and prison sentences, max out at the fifth offense -- the point at which a lifetime license revocation kicks in under state law. 

The maximum criminal penalty for conviction of a fifth offense is a potential sentence of at least 21/2 years in jail or between 21/2 and 5 years in state prison.

Those who continue to get arrested for drunken driving after that continue to rack up the fifth-offense charge -- and face the same potential sentence of no more than five years behind bars.

Bradley H. Jones Jr. File photo 

State Rep. Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-North Reading, has been striving to stiffen repeat OUI offender penalties for years. His efforts have yet to gain much traction within the Statehouse, but he said he plans to re-file a bill in January that would increase penalties.

Steven E. Gagne, first assistant district attorney for the Northwestern district attorney's office, called the potential for an OUI offender to keep driving drunk a kind of "Russian roulette" with public safely.

"It's frustrating," Gagne said. "The registry can say you are suspended for life, but that doesn't stop you from getting behind the wheel or even drinking and driving."

Such a case came to the fore in June when Deerfield police arrested 48-year-old Holyoke resident Crispin Mathieu for his eighth drunken driving offense. Given state law, however, Mathieu was charged with a fifth offense.

Police said they arrested Mathieu after he crashed his vehicle on North Main Street and fled the scene.

Mathieu -- who has a lengthy criminal history, including a manslaughter conviction for the stabbing death of a Northampton man in 1991 -- has permanently lost his license six times over. He has OUI convictions dating to 1988, according to court records and reports in archives of The Republican.

And, he was sentenced to 14 to 21 years in prison on the manslaughter conviction, with his first license revocation following in 2004, according to records from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles record reviewed by The Republican.

"Despite his initial lifetime loss of license, he continued to reoffend and accumulated those six lifetime losses on his record," Judith Riley, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman, wrote in an email to The Republican.

A Massachusetts State Police trooper shows a preliminary breath tester displaying the results of a test on a driver during a sobriety checkpoint in April 2015. Scott J. Croteau / MassLive 

Two of Mathieu's lifetime losses were triggered by chemical test refusals: one on Aug. 24, 2011, and the other in connection with his June 25 arrest in Deerfield, according to registry records. The Breathalyzer device is the most commonly known chemical test.

Under a state act known as Melanie's law, which was implemented in 2006 to enhance penalties for chemical test refusals, those who decline a test and already have three drunken driving convictions face lifetime revocation.

Gagne agreed to speak with The Republican on the topic of repeat OUI offenders in general terms. He declined, however, to specifically discuss the ongoing Mathieu case, which his office is prosecuting.

Gagne said the penalties for drivers who continue to drive after their license has been suspended for life are not very great -- a maximum of 21/2 years in jail.

"There really isn't that huge of an incentive to stop driving," Gagne said.

The stakes for drunk drivers change immensely, however, when somebody is seriously hurt or killed.

Conviction of felony OUI with serious personal injury brings a state prison sentence of up to 10 years. Conviction of felony motor vehicle homicide -- which requires prosecutors to prove the defendant was operating under the influence of drugs, alcohol or other intoxicating substances at the time of a fatal crash -- carries a maximum 15 year sentence.

At the time of his June arrest in Deerfield, Mathieu had two outstanding warrants: one for a charge of leaving the scene of a May 7 crash with injury in Holyoke and one for operating after suspension.

His prior OUI arrests include a 2005 incident in which he led police on a high-speed chase that began in Easthampton and ended in Northampton.

A photograph released by the Deerfield Police Department shows the car Crispin Matthew was driving when he was arrested in that town on June 25, 2016. Deerfield Police Department 

That followed a September 2004 guilty plea to a fifth drunken driving offense, when Hampshire Superior Court Judge Bertha D. Josephson sentenced him to three to five years in state prison. The judge, though, recommended he serve his sentence at the Hampshire County House of Correction, and that part of it be served at the former Western Massachusetts Correctional Alcohol Center on Howard Street in Springfield.

At a June 27, 2016 dangerousness hearing in Greenfield District Court, Judge Laurie McCleod ordered that Mathieu be held without right to bail for 120 days for the charges stemming from the Deerfield arrest.

Mathieu has since been indicted and arraigned in Franklin Superior Court in Greenfield. The 120-day period he was ordered held without bail expired in mid-October. He is currently being held in the Franklin County House of Correction, also in Greenfield, in lieu of $50,000 cash bail.

Mathieu appeared in Greenfield Superior Court on Dec. 7 for a pre-trial hearing. His lawyer, Timothy Flynn of Greenfield, told Judge John Agostini that he intends to discuss the possibility of a change of plea with Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Bucci. Agostini scheduled a lobby conference to take up that matter on Dec. 15.

A final pretrial conference was set for Feb. 17 and the case has been placed on the court's trial list for March.

Flynn declined to speak about the case with The Republican.

Deerfield police, after arresting Mathieu, said he had seven prior OUI convictions. A registry official who examined Mathieu's driving record at the request of The Republican determined, however, that he had an eighth on his record as well -- from Colorado.

The remaining seven include six in Massachusetts and one in New Hampshire. They include convictions in district courts in Northampton, Greenfield, Holyoke and Ware.

Repeat drunken driving offenders accruing convictions for the sixth or seventh time are relatively rare, Gagne said, explaining that repeat offenders typically clean up their acts by their fourth or fifth conviction.

"It's a wake-up call. It's an embarrassment," Gagne said. "They get the help they need and they get their life back on track."

Even if such cases are relatively rare, Gagne said he supports the idea of tougher sentences for those who don't change their ways after multiple drunken driving convictions.

Steven E. Gagne, first assistant district attorney for the Northwestern district attorney's office, in Hampshire Superior Court in October 2016.File photo / Dave Roback / The Republican 

Currently, he said, it's unusual for a judge to impose the maximum five-year prison penalty for a fifth drunken driving conviction or beyond.

"I think the courts should have greater flexibility to impose longer sentences," he said. "Unfortunately, you don't see these sentences until somebody gets hurt or killed and it's a little late at that point. It's almost like you are playing Russian roulette with public safety."

Jones, the state representative from North Reading and House Minority Leader, agrees with that sentiment and has been pushing for stiffer sentences for repeat OUI offenders since the 2007-08 legislative session, according to his communications director, Michael Smith. 

Jones was prompted to address the issue of repeat OUI offenders after a Marshfield man somehow managed to keep his license until his 15th arrest for drunken driving in 2006.

His most recent version of the law, House Bill 1414, was filed in January 2015, went into study and will most likely expire at the end of the year when the current two-year legislative session ends.

Smith said the bill calls for allowing judges to levy a maximum of 7 years in prison after a third drunken driving conviction and 10 years following four or more convictions.

The bill also mandates community service and an alcohol dependence assessment prior to parole or probation.

Jones said he will likely re-file the bill in January for consideration during the 2017-2018 session.

But why hasn't the bill gained any traction? Jones said he wasn't sure.

"It's hard to pinpoint a specific reason why the bill hasn't passed yet," Jones said. "But I remain committed to doing everything I can to see to it that tougher penalties are enacted so we can keep repeat drunk drivers off the roads and protect the public before a tragedy occurs."

Gagne, who had not been aware of the legislation until recently, said he "would definitely be in support."

State Rep. John VelisFile photo / Don Treeger / The Republican 

State Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, a member of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, said he believes enhanced sentences for repeat OUI offenders is "something worth exploring."

Velis said he supports the idea of increased post-incarceration monitoring, which would include additional probationary terms and additional random alcohol screening.

"The stakes are way too high for us not to look at ways we can combat this," Velis said. "If a (repeat OUI offender) is so inclined to drink behind the wheel, how can we stop them? It's really about how can we get this person right again so they don't start drinking again."

State Rep. Todd Smola, R- Palmer, signed on to the legislation and said he will likely support it again.

"I think we need to get the message out that if you are repeat drunk driver and you continue to go down this path we are going to get tough on you," Smola said.

Smola said he understands that such repeat offenders need help. But, he said, "My sympathy wanes when you hear about these cases and there are lot of them out there."

Springfield defense attorney Thomas J. Rooke agreed that those who rack up multiple OUI convictions need help.

"It's an obvious sign that the person needs some intense treatment," Rooke said, adding that such treatment should be coupled with stringent conditions of probation that include Breathalyzer equipment tied into the person's home telephone that allows for multiple tests every day.

Thomas J. RookeFile photo / The Republican 

Rooke said he believes prison time is warranted when a person with four OUI's gets convicted of a fifth. He said, however, he sees no need go beyond the current maximum of five years in prison.

"If it's the fifth OUI and there are no accidents involved and no personal injuries, the judge's discretion to impose up to five years is adequate punishment," Rooke said.

Rooke stressed that a judge's discretion can be important. He cited a hypothetical case in which a person, convicted of four OUIs over 20 years ago, is convicted of a fifth later in life.

"There's discretion in the statute for the judge to discount convictions that occurred more than ten years ago," he said.

Gagne said he believes enhancing the commonwealth's ability to to prove drunken driving cases in general would go a long way toward preventing first- and second-time offenders from reoffending.

One way to do that would be to get roadside or portable breath test results admissible in court, Gagne said. "If offered now they essentially get a preview of what their Breathalyzer result might be back at the station," he said.

In Rhode Island and some other states, it's a criminal offense to refuse a Breathalyzer test.

In Massachusetts, those who refuse a Breathalzyer test for the first time face an administrative loss of their license for 180 days through the state Registry of Motor Vehicles, but no criminal charges.

Repeat offender laws for drunken drivers vary considerably from state-to-state.

Texas, for example, caps out at the third offense, which, as with Massachusetts, becomes a felony charge. In Texas, however, the charge carries a maximum of ten years in prison, according to my texasdefenselawyer.com.

The stakes in the Lone Star State, however, rise quite rapidly after that, due to its "Three Strikes" law. Three felony convictions for OUI in Texas -- effectively the fourth, fifth and sixth convictions -- can mean up to life in prison.

Conviction of a fourth drunken driving offense in Rhode Island, meanwhile, is a felony punishable by a maximum sentence of three years, according to insidegov.com.

Smola, the state representative from Palmer, said he often meets with the victims of repeat OUI offenders -- or with their loved ones.

"There are countless examples of deaths and injuries from them. They go on forever," he said.

Southwick firefighters are at the scene of an early morning fire that destroyed a Coes Hill Road home. Fire officials said the first reports came in about 3:30 a.m.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

Firefighters were called to the Coes Hill Road home shortly after 3 a.m. to find the structure heavily involved.

WWLP-TV reports that firefighters remain at the scene and Coes Hill Road remains closed at this hour.

There has been no word if all occupants were able to escape the fire, and what may have caused the blaze in the two-story home.

This is a breaking story. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Springfield detectives gathered evidence at the scene of two shots fired locations overnight. While shell casings were found, no damage was reported and no victims were found.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

LaBelle said the first ShotSpotter activation came at 12:44 a.m. on Hancock Street, Witnesses there said they saw a gold colored Honda fleeing the area just after the shots were fired.

At approximately 4:35 a.m., a ShotSpotter activation indicated shots fired on Forest Park Avenue. Labelle said officers found shell casings near 36-38 Forest Park Ave., but no ballistic damage to homes or property.

The Behrens brothers partner with local suppliers, a potter and an apiary that sells them beeswax to condition their wooden cutting boards.

SPRINGFIELD -- Two Northampton brothers are building a business in cutting boards, and Norwegian Air Shuttle is thinking of saying "hallo" to Bradley International Airport.

Here are five business stories you might have missed:

1) Behrens Boards blends art, utility and environmentalism for Northampton brothers

They use New England hardwood and all their cutting boards are reversible: one side for chopping and another that can be kept smooth for serving and presentation.

2) Norwegian Air Shuttle eyes Bradley flights to Europe

Bradley International Airport hopes to grow to 10 million passengers a year. It had about 6 million travelers in 2016.

3) Could Donald Trump's trade policies make trouble for Chinese rail car builder in Springfield?

Could a bellicose Donald Trump spark a trade war with China? What would that mean for the biggest industrial development in Springfield in generations?

4) To boldly go: Hazen Paper Co. wins award for 'Star Trek' packaging

No redshirts here. A family-owned company in Holyoke has won an industry award for making a holographic package for a "Star Trek" DVD set.

5) Yankee Pedlar closing date set; Holyoke landmark has been on the market since August

Long known as a venue for meetings, proms and weddings, restaurant's last night will be Dec. 17. The property is for sale and the two-acre site adjacent to Holyoke Medical Center will probably be redeveloped as medical offices.

No bank employee was injured by the robber, who remains at large, police said.

 

SOUTH HADLEY -- A knife-wielding man robbed Berkshire Bank on Lamb Street here of an undetermined amount of cash late Thursday afternoon before fleeing on foot, according to police who said he may have hooked up with another person in the Gaylord Street area driving a get-away car.

No bank employee was injured by the robber, who remains at large, police said.

The robber was described by police as 6-feet tall with a medium build, and was wearing tan pants, and a black or dark-colored hooded sweat shirt.

South Hadley police responded to the call at 5:17 p.m. on Dec. 8.

It is the second time this year the South Hadley branch of Berkshire Bank, at 74 Lamb St., was robbed.

Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous South Hadley Police tip hotline at 413-538-8231, ext.6.

ArteSana is a venture at 207 Elm St. in Holyoke, Massachusetts that consists of immigrant women using traditional hand-operated looms to weave discarded T-shirts into covers for accent pillows and the plan is to transition from an informal group to a business and make other products like rugs, placemats and purses, with a Kickstarter fundraising drive in place until Dec. 15, 2016.

HOLYOKE -- The members of ArteSana hope to weave their way from an informal group into a business.

A nonprofit "social enterprise," ArteSana is debuting its first product collection of handwoven accent pillow covers and participating in a Kickstarter fundraising campaign.

"It is our hope that from this point on we can position ourselves for continuous production and sales, selling mainly through our online store (artesana.co) but also partnering with select local retailers, and have our woven products become the basis of a sustainable business," said Katherine Moonan, founder and executive director.

The venture at 207 Elm St. consists of immigrant women using traditional hand-operated looms to weave discarded T-shirts into covers for accent pillows and the plan is to make other products like rugs, placemats and purses, she said.

ArteSana (Spanish for female artisan) also offers the women free English classes and workshops to encourage their creativity, she said.

"This perfectly reflects our core belief in the importance of art and creativity in social transformation. In choosing a Spanish word for our name we seek to honor the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Latin America and the Caribbean, and celebrate the profound contributions of Latina community members to the cultural vitality of our own region," Moonan said.

Selling the products, and the money from the Kickstarter fundraising drive, generates income for the weavers, the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes and the creativity workshops, she said.

Moonan said a "social enterprise" combines profit-generating with a charitable mission.

"One large national example of a non-profit social enterprise is Goodwill Industries. They accept donations and turn those into social programs and most importantly wages for their workers who are mainly from vulnerable populations," Moonan said.

The Kickstarter fundraising campaign was at $5,165 Friday night, which was ahead of the goal of $5,000 with a deadline of Dec. 15. Pledgers can donate money without expectation of a "reward," or pledge and receive a reward, essentially buying one of the handwoven pillow covers, she said.

"Though technically they are 'pledging' and receiving a 'reward' it amounts to us finding customers who want to buy our product. We aim to be self sustaining so that's a principal goal," Moonan said.

Exceeding the $5,000 goal is helpful because that is the "bare minimum" to cover first-round production costs, she said.

Moonan, of Holyoke, founded the project while teaching English to adults in Holyoke over three years ago.

ArteSana includes, according to an email from Tessa Murphy-Romboletti, director of the commercial-catalyst program known as SPARK:

The pillow covers are 18 inches by 18 inches of woven squares on the front and a single refashioned T-shirt as the backing, priced at $45 to $65. They are available for purchase on the Kickstarter page until Dec. 15, after which they can be ordered at the ArteSana online store, Moonan said.

SPARK, or Stimulating, Potential, Accessing, Resource & Knowledge, is a federal and state granted-funded program through the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce that helps entrepreneurs become business owners. Moonan has completed the program.

"Katy is a graduate of the SPARK Launch program and has been doing great work in the community," Murphy-Romboletti said.

Among organizations providing financial and other help to ArteSana are The Beveridge Family Foundation, OneHolyoke Development Corporation, Reader to Reader Inc, the Holyoke Creative Arts Center and the Holyoke Local Cultural Council, Murphy-Romboletti said.

Take a photo tour of U.S. Reps. Richard Neal, D-Springfield; Jim McGovern, D-Worcester; Katherine Clark, D-Melrose; Michael Capuano, D-Somerville; and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey's Washington D.C. offices.

Authorities are still working to determine the cause of a massive 10-alarm blaze that ripped through a Cambridge neighborhood just over a week ago.

Authorities are still working to determine the cause of a massive 10-alarm blaze that ripped through a Cambridge neighborhood just over a week ago.

The Dec. 3 fire displaced over 160 people and spread across 18 buildings in the Berkshire and York streets area.

A spokesman for the state fire marshal's office told WCVB News that an investigative team is still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

Jennifer Mieth said the team is eliminating several potential heat sources and continues to conduct interviews. The television station reports the fire's cause is believed to be accidental.

The city of Cambridge was able find homes for 14 families displaced by the Wellington-Harrington neighborhood fire. Another five families will be able to move in new units this week.

The city manager's office and the mayor's office in Cambridge along with the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and the Cambridge Housing Authority worked together to find the families housing.

"The entire citywide response to this fire has been incredible," said Mayor E. Denise Simmons. "From the opening moments when the first fire fighters arrived on the scene, to the next 48 hours as money started flooding in to assist these victims, to this past week as City Hall was converted into a bustling hive of activity, with scores of victims getting connected with the services they need. This tragic event has shown the very best of Cambridge. The fact that so many of these families are now on the precipice of signing leases or getting the keys to their new homes speaks to the level of coordination and collaboration among the city staff and state agencies. It has truly been a fantastic effort on all fronts."

As of Friday, the city had dispersed over $184,000 in donations from the Mayor's Fire Relief Fund. Over $600,000 has been donated to the fund.

A shelter in East Brookfield is trying to raise funds to help a cat named Lion walk again after veterinarians found his entire skeletal system to be abnormal. Watch video

A shelter in East Brookfield is trying to raise funds to help a cat named Lion walk again after veterinarians found his entire skeletal system to be abnormal.

Lion came to the Second Chance Animal Shelter from a large-scale hoarding situation. He was adopted as a kitten and appeared to be fine.

The family then noticed Lion wasn't walking right and as he grew older, he was unable to jump or walk right.

"As a little more time passed he progressed to not being able to use his back legs," the shelter wrote on a GoFundMe.com page. "They brought him to our wellness center where it was realized that he has bilateral luxating patellas, bilateral luxated hips with severe osteoarthritis, his shoulder joints are abnormal, pretty much his entire skeleton system is abnormal, and he is a dwarf."

Lion also has severe muscle atrophy and may need physical rehabilitation.

The veterinarians at Second Chance said Lion will be able to have a normal life after he has multiple surgeries on his hips and knee.

"It will be a long road that entails multiple surgeries but being that this little guy is only a few months old they expect that he will be able to live a normal life after these surgeries," the GoFundMe.com page states.

The shelter is trying to raise funds to help Lion have his first surgery.

Over 1350 crews are working to clear state roads.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is alerting drivers that the speed limit on Interstate 90 from the New York border to Boston has been reduced to 40 mph.

In addition, propane trucks and tandems are restricted from Interchange 1 to Interchange 6, or from the New York border to Springfield.

Over 1,3573 crews are working to clear state roads, according to MassDOT. Many roads are wet and snow covered.

Both MassDOT and Massachusetts State Police are urging drivers to plan their commutes ahead of time, and give themselves plenty of time to get to work.