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Smith & Wesson shareholders 'overwhelmingly approve' brand name change as company expands to outdoor camping gear

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After the clock strikes midnight and 2017 has begun, Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation will transform into American Outdoor Brands Corporation.

After the clock strikes midnight and 2017 has begun, Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation will transform into American Outdoor Brands Corporation. 

Stockholders "overwhelmingly approved" a change to the holding company's name Tuesday, Smith & Wesson said in a statement. 

The new name represents a shift in the brand, which has roots dating back to the 1850s. The company intends to expand into outdoor camping gear and some worried potential customers would shy away from a tent or sleeping bag featuring the iconic gun name. 

While the holding company's name will change, the firearms division based in Springfield will remain Smith & Wesson Corp. 

The gunmaker has 1,758 full-time employees, most of whom are employed at the Smith & Wesson factory and headquarters on roosevelt Avenue. 

"We are excited about the results of today's stockholder vote," James Debney, president and chief executive officer of Smith & Wesson, said in a statement. "We believe that American Outdoor Brands Corporation is a name that truly represents our broad and growing array of brands and businesses in the shooting, hunting, and rugged outdoor enthusiast markets.  Looking ahead, and operating as American Outdoor Brands Corporation, we intend to continue building upon our portfolio, focusing on brands and products that best meet the needs and lifestyle of our target consumers."

The company's revenue was $723 million this year, CNBC reports, and 2017 revenue is expected to jump to $920 million. 


National Guard halts public events in all lead-contaminated armories

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The Guard's sweeping action comes just a week after an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive found lead dust had contaminated armories nationwide. Watch video

The National Guard is halting all community events in toxic armories across the country, taking significant steps to prevent lead exposure just a week after an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive revealed that lead from indoor firing ranges contaminated hundreds of the buildings.

The Guard issued an order setting imminent deadlines, pledging federal money for cleanups and launching a coordinated effort to gather details about contaminated buildings nationwide. Earlier cleanup efforts were sidetracked partly because the Guard required states to bear most of the cost.

The Dec. 6 order, which the Oregon Guard received late Friday, immediately closed nine Oregon armories to community events, a spokesman said.

The national price tag of the new initiative isn't clear, but cleaning toxic armories could cost federal taxpayers tens of millions. Oregon National Guard officials estimate that removing lead from the state's armories and repurposing the firing ranges will cost $21.6 million. Oregon spent $2 million on one armory cleaning alone. Ohio spent $3 million decontaminating armories last year.

The sweeping order comes nearly 20 years after the National Guard was warned that its indoor firing ranges were unnecessarily exposing soldiers and their families to dangerous lead dust.

It is "imperative" for states to start cleaning their armories, Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Kadavy, director of the Army National Guard, wrote in his Dec. 6 order.

Though most of the Guard's indoor ranges have closed, Kadavy's order called for an immediate prohibition on their continued use. Indoor firing ranges, he wrote, create significant risks to human health and the environment and no longer meet the U.S. Army's training requirements. 

His order says that by Jan. 31, 2017, state Guard units must tell the National Guard's central office whether they have finished lead testing in all their armories with old firing ranges. They must also report what was found and whether lead was cleaned up following nationwide testing ordered in September 2015 in response to The Oregonian/OregonLive's queries.

States must tell the National Guard whether they think ongoing monitoring is needed and whether a plan is in place to continue checking for lead hazards. Guard guidelines call for annual testing in buildings with old firing ranges to ensure that lead that is sealed in place does not begin re-emerging.

The Oregonian/OregonLive investigation found many states have not followed those recommendations in the past, allowing lead to persist for years in armories thought to be clean.

By Feb. 28, 2017, state Guard leaders must tell the National Guard whether they've closed all their indoor gun ranges and give a timeline for any remaining cleanings.

While the order sets deadlines and provides a way for federal Guard officials to have more oversight of toxic armories, it sets no firm date for all armories to be cleaned.

The order leaves open the possibility that lead will continue to persist in armories for months or years to come. The Guard told states they should clean the buildings as funding permits with money they receive through their budgets.

But the order also says that "the cost of clean-up is considered to be 100 percent Federal share."

National Guard officials did not respond to calls and emails for comment.

Maj. Stephen Bomar, an Oregon Guard spokesman, said the national order affects armories in Bend, Pendleton, Roseburg, Ashland, McMinnville, Ontario, Springfield, Salem and Baker City. All housed active firing ranges until 2014. Many closed for cleanings but since reopened.

Toxic Armories
Every time a soldier pulled the trigger inside a National Guard gun range, a bullet cast off bits of lead. The Guard's neglect allowed the toxic dust to spread outside the range, endangering families who attended weddings, school sleepovers and Cub Scout meetings in America's armories.

READ THE SERIES

Three other Oregon armories -- in Coos Bay, Forest Grove and Northeast Portland -- remain off-limits to the public because they are still having work done inside.

The Oregon Guard immediately halted community rentals upon receiving Friday's order, Bomar said. Fewer than 10 events have been affected so far, he said.

The Oregon Guard has not moved to stop the use of other armories across the state where lead remains after firing ranges were supposedly cleaned years ago. Bomar said the agency was seeking clarification about whether the Guard's order applied to those buildings, too.

Bomar said the order does not apply to the former Ontario armory, which the state still owns and rents to a child gymnastics company, because it is not "federally supported." The Guard no longer uses the building for military activities.

Traces of lead, below the Oregon Guard's cleanup threshold, remain on the armory's floors. Its indoor firing range is still contaminated.

Anna Avera, who owns the gymnastics school, said Tuesday that the Guard recently began cleaning up the firing range.

-- Rob Davis | rdavis@oregonian.com | @robwdavis

Massachusetts to offer rebates up to $2,500 on electric vehicles

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Interested in buying or leasing an electric vehicle? Massachusetts seeks to sweeten the deal with a rebate worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Interested in buying or leasing an electric vehicle? Massachusetts seeks to sweeten the deal with a rebate worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

State officials announced this month $12 million in funding for the Massachusetts electric vehicle rebate program. Consumers who buy or lease new electric vehicles can qualify for rebates ranging from $750 to $2,500. The qualifying vehicles include 25 models, from battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric to fuel cell electric vehicles.

"The adoption of electric vehicles is an important component of the Commonwealth's plan for reducing emissions and meeting our Global Warming Solutions Acts goals," said Gov. Charlie Baker. "With the continued growth and consumer choice for electric vehicles, our administration is committed to working with all stakeholders to promote the host of positive benefits electric vehicles offer."

The electric vehicle rebate program has issued more than $6 million in rebates for just over 2,900 vehicles. State officials estimate greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 8,123 short tons annually.

"The [Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles] program is a great incentive that anyone interested in purchasing an electric vehicle should consider," State Sen. Don Humason said in a statement. "This significant investment into the successful program will contribute to the Baker Administration's ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote clean energy in the Commonwealth."

In addition to personal use vehicle rebates, state officials have awarded funding to municipalities for the purchase of electric vehicles. Acton-Boxborough Regional School District, Amherst Public Schools, Cambridge Public Schools and Concord Public Schools received grants in May to purchase electric school buses and chargers.

Three rural communities get $1.9 million in state broadband money

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Warwick will upgrade a wireless network, while Otis and Alford will build fiber-to-the-home.

BOSTON -- Three rural western Massachusetts communities without high-speed Internet could be on their way to joining the 21st century.

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute last week approved $1.9 million in grants to support rural broadband deployment in Warwick, Alford, and Otis.

Warwick will overhaul an older municipal wireless network to achieve broadband speeds across multiple spectrums, including Verizon 4G LTE, according to the state's Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. Alford and Otis will implement municipal fiber-to-the-home networks.

State officials recently approved funding for projects in seven communities: municipal fiber-to-the-home networks in Alford, Otis, and Mount Washington; public-private partnerships with Charter cable in Hinsdale, Lanesborough, and West Stockbridge; and the Warwick wireless upgrade.

The state grants are partial, with the bulk of the cost to be picked up by local taxpayers. Under the institute's rules, each town must own its own infrastructure.  

There are more than 40 Massachusetts towns without broadband service, and nine towns only partially served by Comcast cable. 

The broadband institute, initially tasked with investing $40 million for the unserved towns, earlier this year advanced $4 million for the partially-served towns. That money will incentivize Comcast to expand their network. The cable company promised to reach 96 percent of all homes in Buckland, Conway, Chester, Hardwick, Huntington, Montague, Northfield, Pelham and Shelburne. 

The institute's decision to subsidize Comcast was criticized by officials in Hardwick and Montague, who had hoped to build fiber optic networks with 100 percent coverage instead. The state's telecommunications and cable commissioner, Karen Charles Peterson, ruled in June that a Comcast cable expansion would "provide the best value" for the money.

The state's entire rural broadband initiative was relaunched in May under a revised structure and new leadership. Peter Larkin took the helm three months after former director Eric Nakajima stepped down. Larkin encouraged each individual town to negotiate directly with the state, and to propose its own favored solution. 

Back in February, the Baker administration put the brakes on the state's then-stalled rural broadband initiative to conduct a financial review. The move came weeks after the broadband institute suspended funding for Wired West after raising questions about the cooperative's business model. Wired West had hoped to build, own, and run a regional fiber network in dozens of towns. 

Wired West, despite its history of disagreement with broadband officials, still hopes to operate a regional, multi-town fiber-to-the-home network in rural central and western Massachusetts, according to its website. 

Here's what Massachusetts cops are being told about handling legal pot

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As of Dec. 15, 2016, marijuana is broadly legal in Massachusetts. That includes possession and cultivation of certain amounts. What can you do and what can't you do?

1st night of Hanukkah celebration planned in Holyoke

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The Holyoke celebration of the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah will include presentation to the city of a menorah by the Epstein Family of Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2016 at City Hall.

HOLYOKE -- The city will celebrate the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah with the lighting of a menorah, the holiday candelabra, at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 24 in front of City Hall.

The event will include a Hanukkah story, singing and gifts of dreidels, a traditional four-sided spinning top used in a game at Hanukkah, said a press release from the office of Mayor Alex B. Morse.

Hanukkah is the Jewish eight-day festival celebrated with a nightly lighting of the menorah, special prayers and fried foods. It commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in the second century BCE (Before Common Era) or BC (Before Christ).

The ceremony will be held with the Congregation Sons of Zion in Holyoke, tthe Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts and Congregation Rodphey Sholom, the press release said.

Hanukkah traditions challenge modern sensibilities

Robert Marmor, director of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, is scheduled to attend. He will represent the family that has donated the menorah to the city. A plaque on the menorah will be inscribed: "Donated by the Epstein Family Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts December 2016."

Western Mass. homicides: A recap of violent deaths in the region in 2016

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Twenty-one people were killed in Western Massachusetts during 2016. This is a review of each homicide that occured in Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire and Franklin county last year.

Impatient New Hampshire man facing charges for moving ambulance he was stuck behind

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An impatient man stuck behind an ambulance entered the unlocked vehicle and moved it himself, prompting his arrest, Manchester, N.H., fire officials told WCVB Boston.

 

An impatient man stuck behind an ambulance exited his car, entered the unlocked emergency vehicle and moved it himself, prompting his arrest, Manchester, N.H., fire officials told WCVB Boston.

On Tuesday at around 6 p.m., first responders were inside a home on Lake Avenue in Manchester providing medical aid to a patient when they suddenly heard the "beeping" sound of the ambulance backing up, The Boston Globe reports.

Firefighters exited the home, surrounded the vehicle and waited for the suspect, Matthew Duval, 40, to exit.

Police arrived and arrested Duval on charges of disorderly conduct for leaving his personal vehicle running and unattended.

"He decided to hop into the ambulance and move it himself, which didn't turn out very well for him, because he was arrested, " Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan told WCVB Boston. "Can you imagine if we were coming down with someone that was receiving CPR and the ambulance was gone?"

Duval moved the vehicle a total of 20 feet, according to The Globe. 

He is due to appear in court Jan. 18.


Suspect in Springfield church thefts was on bail in armed carjacking case, prosecutor says

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Christian Gardillis and a co-defendant allegedly stole three microphones, a flashlight, batteries and a bag of paper clips, the arrest report said.

SPRINGFIELD -- A teenager who allegedly broke into a Forest Park church and stole microphones, batteries and paper clips is being held without bail in an unrelated carjacking case.

Christian Gardillis, 19, of Springfield, pleaded not guilty Monday in Springfield District Court to breaking and entering following his arrest early Saturday behind Trinity United Methodist Church on Sumner Avenue.

gardillis mug.jpgChristian Gardillis, 19, of Springfield 

Gardillis and a co-defendant were spotted running from the rear of the church when police, responding to a security alarm, arrived just after midnight, according the arrest report.

Gardillis was hiding behind a tree near the Forest Park tennis courts when he was taken into custody. The second suspect, Carlos Principe, 20, of Springfield, was captured nearby, police said.

In addition to the allegedly stolen items, police found found gloves, a ski mask and a kitchen knife nearby.

Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski said Gardillis was wanted on a warrant for failing to show up for an armed carjacking case in Holyoke District Court. At her request, Judge William Boyle revoked Gardillis' bail in the carjacking case and jailed him for 90 days. He also set $5,000 cash bail on the new charge.

Principe, arraigned on Tuesday, was released on personal recognizance.

Both suspects are due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 9.

Now that marijuana is legal in Massachusetts, can you smoke it in your car?

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Any police officer who sees a driver or passenger smoking marijuana in a motor vehicle can stop the vehicle and potentially issue a citation. Watch video

Any police officer who sees a driver or passenger smoking marijuana in a motor vehicle can stop the vehicle and potentially issue a citation.

Marijuana for adults over the age of 21 becomes broadly legal in Massachusetts on Dec. 15. But under the new law, the use of marijuana in public remains illegal.

"Where the legalization comes into effect is using marijuana in private places or possessing marijuana in private places," Adam Fine, an attorney who helped craft the new law, told MassLive.com.

You can possess marijuana -- up to an ounce outside your primary residence -- in a motor vehicle, but it has to be in a sealed container, or secured in a vehicle's trunk or locked glove compartment.

"You want to be careful there, that it's locked. If it's an open container of any kind, and that means if the marijuana package is open and it looks like it's used in any way, then it needs to be in your trunk or in your locked glove compartment," Fine said.

"That's a safer place to store the marijuana anyway," he continued. "So you will be able to transport marijuana. But in terms of use, you're still not going to be able to use marijuana in public."

Basically, it's similar to the prohibition on having an "open container," whether or not the car is moving.

Violations carry a civil penalty of up to $500.

Marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

Can my employer fire me for smoking marijuana and other common questions

At the state level, Massachusetts may have legalized marijuana but operating a vehicle under the influence (OUI) of marijuana is still prohibited.

"Though the new law makes consumption of marijuana broadly legal for individuals over 21, evidence of recent marijuana consumption will remain admissible in OUI prosecutions, much as evidence that a defendant was seen drinking alcohol in a bar shortly before his motor vehicle stop is admissible in an OUI-Liquor prosecution," a memo released by Gov. Charlie Baker's public safety chief, Dan Bennett, said Wednesday.

Police can take as evidence like a partially burned "roach" in a car's ashtray "just as they may appropriately seize an empty beer can from the floorboards of an OUI-Liquor suspect's vehicle as evidence of recent alcohol consumption," the memo added.

Related: Watch marijuana attorney Adam Fine answer questions from MassLive and readers about pot legalization.


Coding explored by 36 Holyoke Girls Inc. members at high performance computing center (photos)

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Thirty-six high school members of the Girls Inc. of Holyoke Eureka! Program participated in a workshop about computer coding and cyber security at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center presented by Holyoke Codes on Dec. 10, 2016.

HOLYOKE -- High school girls capped a computer science education week with some coding intel, learning about the importance of password security and how humans tell computers what to do.

"They did some hands-on exercises in password cracking via dictionaries or brute force. They also learned about 'phishing' and other social engineering schemes that fool people into divulging private data," said a press release from the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center.

Phishing is the scam where someone pretending to be trustworthy in electronic communication tries to obtain information like passwords and credit card details.

The computing center is an academic research facility located on Bigelow Street downtown. That's where the 36 high-schoolers from the Girls Inc. of Holyoke Eureka! Program participated in a workshop about codes and cryptography presented by Holyoke Codes on Dec. 10.

Eureka! Scholars spend time on the University of Massachusetts campus in Amherst experiencing laboratory activities in science, technology, engineering and math, the press release said.

With the realization that being able to use technology is vital, Holyoke Codes provides opportunities for students to be involved in coding, robotics and technology. Coding is the strings of letters, numbers and other keyboard symbols that create software, apps and websites.

Holyoke Codes' programs are provided by Nerd Summit, Girls Inc., the Commonwealth Alliance for Information Technology Education and the computing center.

NERD Summit local technology conference returns to UMass

The $165 million computing center opened in November 2012. It is operated by Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, UMass, Boston University, Northeastern University, EMC Corp. of Hopkinton, an information storage, backup and recovery firm, and Cisco Systems Inc., a California-based internet network equipment maker, also are partners in the computing center.

The center features an acre-sized room of thousands of computers that researchers use to sift through data to study cures for diseases, weather patterns, blights in crops and topics like why China censors Twitter.

Girls Inc. is a nonprofit organization that works to inspire girls of ages 5 to 18 to be strong, smart and bold by providing them the opportunity to develop and achieve their full potential, said its website, girlsincholyoke.org

Springfield Central High School cheerleader makes top 10 finalists for Wendy's scholarship

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Kiara Mickens won a $5,000 Wendy's scholarship. Her goal is to study dance at New York University.

SPRINGFIELD — When she is not studying, cheerleading or volunteering, 17-year-old Kiara Mickens finds time to run a small business selling cheer bows and other clothes.

The Springfield Central High School senior and varsity cheerleader was recently named a top 10 finalist in the Wendy's High School Heisman national scholarship competition. Mickens, of Springfield, did not win, but still managed to earn a $5,000 scholarship and a trip to New York City with the nine other finalists.

"It was a great experience to meet the other finalists and go to New York," said Mickens in a quick interview scheduled after school and before cheerleading practice.

Mickens is a a busy, dedicated student and a serious athlete. She was recently named an All-American Varsity Cheerleader by the United Cheer Association and has been invited to compete internationally in the London Varsity Spirit Cheer Tour at the end of the year.

"We are just so proud of her," said her mother, Laverne Mickens, who was featured along with her husband, Dr. Corey Mickens, in their daughter's finalist video filmed by Wendy's.

In the video her father describes Mickens as strong and fun-loving, but determined. "She's feisty, knows exactly what she wants and she works hard to get it," he said.

"Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win keeps the hunger alive that we need to push through it all and keep going," Kiara Mickens said in the video.

Her fellow cheerleaders and coach Jenny MacKay are also featured in the video.

"Scholars and champions is the motto at Springfield Central High," MacKay said. "You're not here just for school, you're here to be involved, you're here to make your community a better place, and Kiara is just that person."

Mickens may not have won the top prize, but is still glad she applied for the scholarship.

"I'm really grateful for the experience and for the scholarship I did get," Mickens said. "I really had no idea I would get this far."

Mickens has applied to New York University, where she would like to major in dance.

Throwback Thursday: Vintage photos from The Republican in December 1986

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Sit back and enjoy this vintage photo gallery from the pages of The Morning Union and Springfield Daily News from December 1986.

SPRINGFIELD- Children sitting on Santa's lap are now in their mid to late 30's. Jolly old Saint Nick is bit older too.

A once famous Springfield hotel was burning on Christmas, bidding a final adieu.

There have been a lot of changes in thirty years. No need to feel blue.

Thumb through the files, maybe you will recognize one or two.

Sit back and enjoy this vintage photo gallery from the pages of The Morning Union and Springfield Daily News from December 1986.

Holyoke police arrest city man, seize approximately 1,000 bags of heroin, fully-loaded handgun

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The suspect, 38-year-old city resident Cecilio Gonzalez faces multiple narcotics and firearm charges, Holyoke Police Lt. James Albert said.

HOLYOKE -- Police seized approximately 1,000 bags of heroin, cash and a fully-loaded handgun Wednesday morning after investigating suspicious activity on Adams Street.

The suspect, 38-year-old city resident Cecilio Gonzalez faces multiple narcotics and firearm charges, Holyoke Police Lt. James Albert said.

The incident began shortly after 10:30 a.m. when police responded to the area of 5 Adams St. for a report of suspicious activity involving a motor vehicle.

Gonzalez fled when officers Sean Noonan, Mark Gabala and Dorota Beben attempted to speak with him. He was apprehended a short distance away

The handgun, a 9 mm Ruger, had a an obliterated serial number. Gonzalez is slated to be arraigned today in District Court.

$500 bail set for teens charged with crashing stolen car during police chase in Springfield

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While making a phone call at the police station, Brian Devalle was overheard telling someone, "I stole a car," the arrest report said.

SPRINGFIELD -- The two Connecticut teens who allegedly stole a car and crashed it during a police chase were held Tuesday on $500 bail each.

Brian Devalle, 18, of West Hartford, and Isaiah Thompson, 18, Stanford, pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court to resisting arrest, receiving a stolen vehicle, and trespassing on railroad tracks.

Devalle, the alleged driver in the chase, was also charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended license.

The pair were spotted around 4:30 a.m. in a blue Hyundai matching the description of one involved in a break-in several hours earlier, Springfield police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney said.

As officers approached, the car took off, driving down Walnut Street at speeds up to 75 mph with police in pursuit. After the car crashed into a guardrail on Armory Street, the suspects bailed out and began running down Taylor Street and onto the railroad tracks, police said.

Following their capture on the tracks, the teens were held for their appearance in court later Tuesday morning.

A records check showed the car had been reported stolen a few hours earlier in Easthampton, police said.

A large number of coins were found in the passenger's side door and scattered on the floor of the vehicle, though it was unclear how the money got there, according to the arrest report.

While making a phone call at the police station, Devalle was overheard telling someone, "I stole a car," the report said.

At a prosecutor's request, Judge William Boyle set bail at $500 for each defendant and continued their cases for pretrial hearings on Jan. 17.


Caught on camera: Do you recognize this crime suspect?

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Anyone who recognizes the man shown in these surveillance photos is asked to call West Springfield police detectives at 413-263-3210.

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Do you recognize the crime suspect captured in these surveillance images?

The West Springfield Police Department posted the low-resolution photos on the department's Facebook page Thursday morning.

Authorities are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect -- a dark-skinned man wearing a bray hoodie and black ski cap -- to call West Side detectives at 413-263-3210. The case reference number is 16-19470.

The man is suspected of stealing from Rotary Liquors, 52 Park St., on Wednesday, according to police, who did not disclose what was taken.

The liquor store is just over the North End bridge from the Brightwood section of Springfield.


Ware police investigate pedestrian accident that reportedly sent juvenile to UMass Medical Center in Worcester

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Male juvenile injured in Ware pedestrian accident

WARE - A male juvenile, hit by a vehicle while attempting to cross Gould Road Wednesday afternoon, reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Western Mass News reported the victim, accompanied by a parent, was taken to Baystate Mary Lane Hospital and then by medical helicopter to UMass Medical Center in Worcester.

Officer John Cacela had no information Thursday on the nature of the youth's injuries. The accident occurred in the area of Gould Road and West Street at about 3:30 p.m.

Cacela said the driver remained on scene after the accident. The incident remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.

Western Mass News is television partner to The Republican and MassLive.com.


Dangerous wind chills, snow in Midwest; cold grips Northeast

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Dangerously cold temperatures gripped the Upper Midwest in advance of a storm that's expected to bring several inches of snow in coming days, while schools and officials in the Northeast braced for their own blast of wintry weather.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Dangerously cold temperatures gripped the Upper Midwest in advance of a storm that's expected to bring several inches of snow in coming days, while schools and officials in the Northeast braced for their own blast of wintry weather.

A wind chill advisory enveloped North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Wednesday and stretched into parts of Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Those advisories remained in effect through Thursday morning and beyond.

The cold claimed at least one life: A 34-year-old woman died of hypothermia in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was found Monday, when temperatures dropped to 3 below zero and wind chills were minus 19.

In western Wisconsin, Thursday morning's wind chills were expected to range from 15 to 30 degrees below zero. Several inches of snow were expected to begin tracking into the region on Friday and into Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Several warming shelters had opened up to help get people out of the cold.

Low temperatures in Fargo, North Dakota, were expected to be around minus 12 Thursday, while Duluth, Minnesota was expected to see an overnight low of minus 5.

With the arctic air tracking northeast, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he would activate the state's severe cold-weather protocol on Thursday, calling for state police and other agencies to work with shelters and community groups to protect vulnerable residents. Malloy also encouraged communities to open warming centers.

Vermont public safety officials warned residents to limit their time outdoors Thursday and Friday due to dangerous wind chills forecast at 35 below. In upstate New York, some schools and government offices were closing early ahead of expected lake-effect snow expected to dump 1 to 2 feet.

Much of the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will stay cold for the next couple of days as the arctic air remains stuck over the northern Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.

The system also is expected to bring widespread snow from the Great Lakes to the Northeast on Thursday. Much of the central U.S. will be dry but cold.

Below-normal temperatures are expected this weekend and into Monday across the entire northern half of the country, from the Pacific Northwest to Maine and as far south as Oklahoma, Arkansas and Virginia, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

Up to half a foot of snow could fall from the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Northeast on Friday and Saturday, and areas east of the Appalachian Mountains could see freezing rain and sleet on Saturday.

Another arctic air mass on the heels of this cold front is expected to bring temperatures to the northern Plains over the weekend and into early next week that will be as much as 24 degrees below normal, according to Climate Prediction Center forecaster Stephen Baxter.

Is there still a risk of arrest on the street if you're buying marijuana in Massachusetts?

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Marijuana is now broadly legal in Massachusetts, but it's still illegal under federal law. So what does that mean for Bay State residents interested in acquiring the substance? Watch video

Marijuana is now broadly legal in Massachusetts for people over the age of 21, but it's still illegal under federal law.

So what does that mean for Bay State residents interested in acquiring the substance?

A person can "gift" up to an ounce to another person, under the new law that went into effect Dec. 15.

But smoking in public is subject to a fine and selling marijuana is still illegal under state law. You must have a license from the Cannabis Control Commission, and the commission isn't expected to be up and running until next year. Retail shops, if the law's timeline is unchanged by state policymakers, aren't set to open until 2018.

Is there a risk of getting arrested on the street - essentially still the black market -- if you're buying marijuana?

"There's always a risk," said Adam Fine, an attorney who helped write the new law, which voters approved in November.

Here's what you can and can't do, according to memo to police

Under decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana, which voters passed in 2008, the seller could get arrested while the buyer would be detained, and law enforcement action would depend on how much marijuana the buyer has.

The new law now in force allows people to carry up to an ounce of marijuana outside their residence and have up to ten ounces inside their primary residence.

"There's always a risk when you go into the criminal, you know, the illicit marketplace that you're going to be subject to law enforcement investigations," Fine said. "And I say there's always a risk because there's going to be kind of an education gap in law enforcement."

Experts, activists weigh in on how to obtain weed before pot shops open in 2018

Fine noted that people were still getting arrested after decriminalization passed in 2008 and voters approved marijuana for medical use in 2012, though the cases were later dismissed.

The day before marijuana became legal in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker's public safety chief, Dan Bennett, sent a letter to police outlining guidance on what is and isn't now legal.

But there are still plenty of gray areas. Watch the video above as Fine talks with MassLive.com about legalized marijuana, whether you can lawfully purchase seeds and other aspects of the new law.

Can I smoke marijuana in my car now that marijuana is legal in Mass.?

New Amherst restaurant Top Kebab offers taste, culture of Persia

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The restaurant has kebabs of chicken, beef and combinations that are served with roasted peppers and tomatoes chelo -- a Persian rice.

AMHERST -- Arman Mohsenikabir, a University of Massachusetts graduate student from Iran, is happy to find the taste of home at the town's new Persian restaurant Top Kabab, which opened earlier this fall on Boltwood Walk.

And while the joojeh kabab and the dizi might bring home flavors to those from Iran, the restaurant owner hopes it will appeal to people of all backgrounds, said Ramin Soltani.

A friend of owner Mohammad Babaee, Soltani helps out at the restaurant, and acted as translator during a recent interview.

"It's a college town, students want to try different things," Soltani said of the appeal.

Soltani, Babaee and Farhad Farahbakhsh were friends in Iran, Soltani said. Farahbakhsh is a chef who's helping out as the restaurant gets started.

Babaee owned restaurants in Iran, Soltani said. Babaee's wife, Marayam Kashefi, came to UMass several years ago to study biochemistry, so he decided to open the restaurant. "They like the (Amherst) environment," and people in the community have been very welcoming, Soltani said.

He said the food is different in part because of how it is cooked and the special marinades with Persian spices. They also have a special grill they purchased from Iran on which the food is cooked, Soltani said.

The restaurant has kebabs of chicken, beef and combinations that are served with roasted peppers and tomatoes chelo -- a Persian rice. They have side dishes as well.

Beside the food, Soltani said they hope the restaurant provides a taste of the culture, which is thousands of years old. They play Persian music and offer a video of Iranian highlights, plus the windows are decorated to create the right cultural feel.

He said while there has been suspicion between the United States and Iran, he said that's the governments. When people come to the restaurant "they want know about the culture," Soltani said.

Mohsenikabir, who is studying physics, said he has eaten at the restaurant several times since it opened in October

"It's really good," he said. He's been talking to his American friends and hopes to bring them to the restaurant soon.

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