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Ski Season 2016-2017: What's new at New England resorts?

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Following a poor snow year, ski areas in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Main have made a number of improvements, especially to create more energy-efficient snowmaking systems. Watch video

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Chicopee Police grow goatees, raise money for Bookmobile

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Police could pay $40 for the chance to grow a goatee in December. Watch video

CHICOPEE - Chicopee Police officers paid for the privilege to grow goatees for the month of December but the real winners were the thousands of people who use the library's Bookmobile.

Anne Gancarz, one of the librarians who works in the Bookmobile, gasped in delight when Michael Wilk, the public information officer for Chicopee Police, unveiled the amount officers had raised and passed her a check for $1,010.

"It's amazing. You will see it in action this summer," she said.

Librarians plan to set aside the money to be used to run programs for children and adults in June, July and August while driving the Bookmobiles to parks, the Farmer's Market, the RiverMills Senior Center and many other places. They also hope to partner with Chicopee Fresh and the Chicopee schools to develop different activities, said Nancy Contois, the library director.

The December goatees is a take-off of No Shave November, which a number of area public safety officials participate in to raise money.

Police Sgt. Rick Henry brought the idea to Police Chief William Jebb, who said he was all for it. After it was approved by Mayor Richard J. Kos, officers paid $40 each to grow facial hair for the month, Wilk said.

About half of the department participated, including some of the women who still made donations even though they proved to be less than talented when trying to grow a goatee, Wilk said.

The department already helps raise money for Special Olympics and collects Toys for Tots, which helps the region. This time officers wanted to select beneficiaries from the goatee grow that would specifically benefit the city, he said.

In total the Department raised $2,020 and decided half the money would go to help the Bookmobile. Police have not revealed the other recipient yet.

"It is a wonderful thing. I wish they had this when I was growing up," Jebb said about the Bookmobile.

Along with benefiting the community, Jebb said it also helps improve the reputation of the department by putting the police officers in a positive light.

Police see the benefits of the Bookmobile all the time. It can be used as a reward because children love it and know if they misbehave in the parks or otherwise they might be banned from using it that week, Wilk said.

He said he just likes to see the children excited about reading and said many will even race to the books first, ignoring the tablets and computers the Bookmobile also carries.

Wilk said he has worked at the city's free movie night, which the library also participates in. "The kids were swarming to the Bookmobile."

The Bookmobile operates daily and serves an estimated 1,000 people a month. It heads to places like the RiverMills Senior Center, the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club and the McKinley House. In the summer the schedule changes some to include parks and outdoor events such as the city's block party, Gancarz said.

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President Obama expands environmental legacy with 2 Western monuments

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President Barack Obama expanded his environmental legacy in the final days of his presidency with national monument designations on lands in Utah and Nevada.

By BRADY McCOMBS ,  Associated 

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- President Barack Obama expanded his environmental legacy in the final days of his presidency with national monument designations on lands in Utah and Nevada that have become flashpoints over use of public land in the U.S. West.

The Bears Ears National Monument in Utah will cover 1.35 million acres in the Four Corners region, the White House announced Wednesday. In a victory for Native American tribes and conservationists, the designation protects land that is considered sacred and is home to an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites, including ancient cliff dwellings.

It's a blow for state Republican leaders and many rural residents who say it will add another layer of unnecessary federal control and close the area to new energy development, a common refrain in the battle over use of the American West's vast open spaces. Utah's attorney general vowed to sue.

In Nevada, a 300,000-acre Gold Butte National Monument outside Las Vegas would protect a scenic and ecologically fragile area near where rancher Cliven Bundy led an armed standoff with government agents in 2014. It includes rock art, artifacts, rare fossils and recently discovered dinosaur tracks.

The White House and conservationists said both sites were at risk of looting and vandalism.

"Today's actions will help protect this cultural legacy and will ensure that future generations are able to enjoy and appreciate these scenic and historic landscapes," Obama said in a statement.

Obama's creation and expansion of monuments over the course of his eight years in office covers more acreage than any other president.

His administration has rushed to safeguard vulnerable areas ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. It has blocked new mining claims outside Yellowstone National Park and new oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean. Obama's creation and expansion of monuments covers more acreage than any other president.

But Trump's upcoming presidency has tempered the excitement of tribal leaders and conservationists, with some worrying he could try to reverse or reduce some of Obama's expansive land protections.

Utah's Republican senators vowed to work toward just that.

"This arrogant act by a lame duck president will not stand," U.S. Sen. Mike Lee tweeted about Bears Ears, which is named for a set of rock formations.

Sen. Orrin Hatch said Obama showed "an astonishing and egregious abuse of executive power" and that "far-left special interest groups matter more to him than the people who have lived on and cared for Utah's lands for generations."

Christy Goldfuss, managing director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said the Antiquities Act that allows a president to create monuments does not give a president authority to undo a designation, a rule the courts have upheld. She acknowledged that Congress could take action, though.

Opponents agreed the area is a natural treasure worth preserving but worried the designation would restrict oil and gas development as well as residents' ability to camp, bike, hike and gather wood.

New mining or energy development will be banned, but existing operations won't be affected, federal officials said. Wood and plant gathering is still allowed as well as hunting, fishing and other recreation, they said.

Members of Utah's all-GOP congressional delegation had backed a plan to protect about 1.4 million acres at Bears Ears, while opening up other areas of the state for development.

The boundaries of the monument are roughly based on that plan -- significantly smaller than what a coalition of tribes had sought.

But Navajo Nation President ?Russell Begaye called it an exciting day for his tribe and people of all cultures.

"We have always looked to Bears Ears as a place of refuge," Begaye said. "The rocks, the winds, the land -- they are living, breathing things that deserve timely and lasting protection."

The Navajo Nation is one of five tribes that will get an elected official on a first-of-its-kind tribal commission for the Bears Ears monument. It will provide federal land managers with expertise about the area, officials said.

Tucked between existing national parks and the Navajo reservation, the monument features stunning vistas at every turn, with a mix of cliffs, plateaus, towering rock formations, rivers and canyons across wide expanses covered by sagebrush and juniper trees.

At the Gold Butte site, Native American rock art and artifacts are scattered amid rugged mountains, sandstone formations and Joshua tree forests. Pioneers used the area for cattle ranching and mining, while campers and ATV riders enjoy it today. It's named for an early 1900s mining town.

Retiring Democratic Sen. Harry Reid pushed for protection of the remote area northeast of Lake Mead, but GOP members of Nevada's congressional delegation have been vocal opponents.

The "designation is a wonderful capstone to a career of fighting to protect Nevada's pristine landscapes," Reid said in a statement.

Nevada Sen. Dean Heller and Gov. Brian Sandoval, both Republicans, said Congress should make land designations.

But the governor said he "recognized the inevitability" of the move and met with landowners and White House officials to ensure it aligned with state water law and the land would be open to recreation.

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Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Salt Lake City and Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas contributed to this story.

Connecticut State Police suspend search for 18-year-old dirt biker

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Personnel from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection continue with the search.

STERLING, Connecticut -- State police suspended their search Wednesday night for an 18-year man who hasn't been seen since he left his home on a dirt bike early Monday afternoon.

The Hartford Courant reported the last contact with Todd Allen was a text message shortly before 2 p.m. stating that he had crashed and injured his leg.

Officials have said the teen's cell phone has lost power or been shut-off and they couldn't pin down his location.

On Wednesday, state troopers brought in K-9 teams and a helicopter. The search was joined by emergency personnel from surrounding Connecticut and Rhode Island towns.

State police said they would not resume their search Thursday, but said that personnel from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection would continue with the search.

Allen is described as a white male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, 130 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a camouflage sweatshirt and a back pack.

Allen left on his Honda XR100 dirt bike in an unknown direction of travel.

Allen frequents the Rails to Trails bike path that goes from Sterling, CT into Coventry, Rhode Island as well as the area of Ross Pond.

State police ask members of the public who are searching for Allen to first go to a checkpoint or contact the fire department for a search assignment.

Those who have seen Allen or have information on him are asked to contact Troop D at 860-779-4900.

Red Solo cup inventor Robert Leo Hulseman dies at age 81

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Raise your cup in memory of Robert Leo Hulseman, who died December 21. Watch video

Raise your cup in memory of Robert Leo Hulseman.

Hulseman, 81, died last week on Dec. 21, 2016. He was the inventor of the Red Solo cup and Traveller Lid.

According to his obituary, he began working at the Solo Cup Company at 18. He worked there for nearly 60 years, ultimately serving as President and CEO before his retirement.

The company made cone-shaped paper cups in the 1940s, and providing all types of disposable tableware through the 1950s and '60s, according to People. Hulseman invented the Red Solo cup in the 1970s.

Hulseman and his wife, Sheila, supported various organizations and causes committed to Catholic education, anti-poverty initiatives, and religious communities, according to the obituary.

"Bob to his friends and Papa to his grandchildren, he was known for his sense of humor, which manifested in many a bad joke, great wit, and his ability to spin a partner on the dance floor," the obituary said.

Behind the scenes: Look inside the sheriff's new Western Massachusetts Wellness and Recovery Center in Springfield

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It has been a long and uncertain road for the Hampden County Sheriff Department's treatment facility, but after several years of being in a temporary space, the Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center has found a new home and a new name on Mill Street.

SPRINGFIELD -- It has been a long and uncertain road for the Hampden County Sheriff Department's treatment facility, but after several years of being in a temporary space, the Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center has found a new home and a new name on Mill Street.

"It is now the Western Massachusetts Wellness and Recovery Center," said Steve O'Neil, public information officer for the Hampden County Sheriff's Department.

On Wednesday night, neighborhood residents were invited to take a tour of the facility, which opened about two weeks ago.

"We want the neighbors to feel really comfortable having us in the neighborhood as part of their community," said Della Blake, the director of the center.

After being pushed out of the city's South End to make room for the MGM Springfield casino in the spring of 2015, the program was temporarily located at the Holyoke Geriatric Authority. An initial plan to site a new facility in Springfield's Brightwood neighborhood was met with vehement opposition from neighbors and withdrawn.

The center is now located at the former Ring Nursing Home, at 155 Mill St., and can house up to 149 people.

Rats! Feds tell Boston to stop using dry ice to kill rodents

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the city has not registered dry ice as a pesticide and issued a cease and desist order through the state.

BOSTON (AP) -- The feds have given the cold shoulder to Boston's use of dry ice to control the city's rat population.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the city has not registered dry ice as a pesticide and issued a cease and desist order through the state.

The city started using dry ice -- frozen carbon dioxide -- earlier this year. The ice is packed into the exits of rat lairs, melts into carbon dioxide gas, and suffocates the rodents.

City Inspectional Services Commissioner William Christopher tells New England Cable News it's cheaper, safer, and more humane than poison.

The city is working to register dry ice as a pesticide with the state and federal governments.

Christopher hopes to have approval to start using it again by the spring, when rats become more active.

Massachusetts considers reviewing purchasing policies related to Congo 'conflict minerals'

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A bill sitting on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk would require the administration to review the state's procurement policies and issue a report on policies related to products that contain mineral resources from Congo and the surrounding countries.

A bill sitting on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk would require the administration to review the state's procurement policies and issue a report on policies related to products that contain mineral resources from Congo and the surrounding countries.

"This is a step the Commonwealth can take to be better stewards of our world," said State Sen. Thomas McGee, D-Lynn, who sponsored the bill, in a statement. "The actions of our state have a ripple effect even as far as the (Democratic Republic of) Congo, and this resolve is a tool we can use to continue Massachusetts' tradition of protecting human rights." 

The Legislature passed the bill, S.2463, Tuesday. Baker has 10 days to review it and decide whether to sign it into law.

The bill does not actually require the state to stop purchasing minerals from Congo, but only to study the issue. The report would examine ways to ensure that the electronics and communications companies that the state purchases from do not directly or indirectly finance armed conflict or result in labor or human rights violations. The report would look at ways to ensure that products containing a range of minerals, including gold, come from identifiable sources and have had the proper tax payments made on them. It would look at the efficacy of imposing penalties against companies that do not comply with disclosure requirements related to these "conflict minerals."

The report would be due by Feb. 1, 2017.

Congo was plagued by wars between 1996 and 2003. Since a 2003 peace agreement was signed, the country has seen massive human rights abuses by militia and military forces. Millions of people have died in the conflicts, and there continues to be widespread sexual violence against women. A strong illicit trade in minerals like gold, often benefiting armed militias, has developed there. These minerals are used in products like cell phones and laptop computers.

The United Nations has declared that companies or individuals who buy minerals from Congo must ensure they are not helping illegal armed groups in order to avoid violating international sanctions. A U.S. law requires that any organization that must file with the Securities Exchange Commission take due diligence to ensure that any minerals purchased from Congo were properly sourced.

Bill cosponsor state Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, called the bill "a step forward for ethical consumption in the state." "No citizen wants to see their taxpayer dollars indirectly fuel conflict in other parts of the world, and the state can and should ensure that our procurement process is guided by those values," Ehrlich said in a statement.


Authorities find Barbies and bound mannequin arms but no human remains in dead man's Georgetown home

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For four days in December, federal and state authorities turned a dead man's Georgetown home upside down in search of human remains, finding numerous oddities but no evidence of murder, Newburyport News reports.

For four days in December, federal and state authorities turned a dead man's Georgetown home upside down in search of human remains, finding numerous oddities but no evidence of murder, Newburyport News reports.

The Chestnut Street home formerly belonged to a career laundry truck driver and youth sports coach named Peter G. Haskell, who died at the age of 85 on Nov. 16.

Some of the bizarre items found in Haskell's home included a dozen Barbie-type dolls, two mangled mannequin arms bound at the wrists with duct tape, a boy mannequin dressed in a Beverly soccer uniform, a framed photograph containing photocopies of hundreds of children's identification cards, a tooth in a container, women's underwear and hundreds of children's videos, according to The Boston Globe.

Police have been investigating Haskell since 1999, according to Newburyport News. 

Haskell was a suspect in the attempted abduction of two 13-year-olds who were walking home on Lake Shore Drive in that year.

Then, in 2007, a Florida man traveled to Georgetown to tell police he watched Haskell murder a young boy near Baldplate Pond by hitting him on the head with a rock in 1969 or 1970, according to a Salem Superior Court search warrant application obtained by Newburyport News.

The man said he waited so long to report the crime because the memory had only just resurfaced during therapy. 

The man, who also claimed Haskell sexually abused him, said one time he smelled the odor of burning flesh emanating from Haskell's basement -- one of the main focal points of the recent search. 

Newburyport News said police first searched Haskell's home in 2012.

Dozens of members of Massachusetts State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation participated in the search, which Essex County District Attorney's Office said only produced animal bones, in terms of remains. 

When police first interviewed Haskell in 2009, he denied the murder allegation, and investigators checked various agencies for missing children around the time when the alleged murder took place, but found no match. 

President-elect Donald Trump on alleged Russian hacking: 'We ought to get on with our lives'

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As outgoing President Barack Obama's administration prepared this week to announce retaliation against Russia for alleged cyberattacks, President-elect Donald Trump continued to offer a drastically different approach to dealing with the reports of election interference.

As outgoing President Barack Obama's administration prepared this week to announce retaliation against Russia for alleged cyberattacks, President-elect Donald Trump continued to offer a drastically different approach to dealing with the reports of election interference.

Trump, who had publicly questioned Russia's role in alleged hacks of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign emails, told reporters at an impromptu news conference Wednesday that he believes the country should move on.

"I think we ought to get on with our lives," he said when asked his thoughts on pursuing sanctions against Russia. "I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on."

The incoming president further brushed off U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham's, R-S.C., assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin should face sanctions for the alleged hacking, saying he hadn't spoken to his former GOP primary opponent.

"I don't know what he's doing, I haven't spoken to Sen. Graham...I have not spoken with the senators and I certainly will be over a period of time," he told reporters.

Trump's comments came one day after the Washington Post reported that the Obama administration was close to announcing a series of measures to punish Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election.

President Barack Obama on Russian cyberattacks: 'We will' take action

Such measures are expected to include economic sanctions, diplomatic censure and covert action that could involve cyber-operations, U.S. officials told the newspaper.

The CIA, in a recent secret assessment, concluded that Russia intervened in the U.S. presidential election to help Trump win the White House, instead of just influencing confidence in America's electoral system -- findings reportedly supported by FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr.

According to reports, individuals with connections to the Russian government allegedly provided WikiLeaks with hacked emails from the DNC and Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta as part of an operation to boost Trump.

The president-elect, however, has publicly questioned such allegations, as well as the White House's response to the reported hackings.

"If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?" he tweeted in mid-December.

Russian officials, meanwhile, have cast U.S. intelligence officials' allegations as "absolute nonsense."

MGM Springfield casino project growing as 2016 ends (photos)

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MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis recently commented that the project, slated to open by September 2018, remains on schedule, aided by good weather. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- As 2016 comes to a close, we offer a year-end look at the MGM Springfield casino project rising in the city's South End.

The 14-acre casino footprint is a sea of concrete and steel that marks the $950 million project.

MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis recently commented that the project, slated to open by September 2018, remains on schedule, aided by good weather.

"We are really being blessed by a warm winter. This is our second mild winter, which is really helping with activity around the site. We feel really good about construction," Mathis said.

The full development project will be approximately 850,000 square feet of residential, dining, retail and entertainment (including hotel and gaming) facilities and will spread over three city blocks in downtown Springfield.

The MGM project has been promised to create a minimum of 2,000 construction jobs and, once open, at least 3,000 casino, hotel and other jobs, of which at least 2,200 will be employed on a full-time equivalent basis with benefits.

New York man denies forcing 2 Vermont women into sexual slavery at Berkshires motel

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Charles Robinson is charged with multiple counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude in Berkshire Superior Court.


PITTSFIELD - A New York state man, accused of enslaving two women for the purpose of prostituting them, pleaded innocent Wednesday at his arraignment in Berkshire Superior Court.

Charles Robinson, 43, of Peekskill, New York, is charged with three counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude, and single counts each of deriving support from prostitution and conspiracy to traffic a person for sexual servitude.

He denied the charges at his arraignment. Judge Daniel Ford ordered him held without the right to bail at the Berkshire House of Correction pending his trial.

According to the office of Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless, the charges involve two Vermont women, ages 19 and 23, and occurred between Oct. 20-28 in the town of Lee.

Robinson was arrested Oct. 28 in Lee.

According to previous reports, he is accused of picking up two women at separate times in Rutland, Vermont and bringing them to a hotel in Lee. There he is alleged to have supplied each with heroin and then offered each out to men for sex in exchange for money.

One of the women had sex with multiple male customers over a period of five to eight days.

The second woman refused to participate when customers arrived at the hotel room.

The woman was able to steal Robinson's car and drove back to Rutland where she reported to police what had happened to her. Robinson was arrested at the Lee Super 8 Hotel a short time later, according to the Berkshire Eagle

According to the DA, Robinson is also known by a number of aliases, including Charles Robertson, Byron Pitts and Chase Pitts.

The investigation was conducted by members of the Lee police department and state police detectives assigned to the district attorney.

Longmeadow Police Department seeking new dispatcher

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The Longmeadow Police Department is seeking a new dispatcher to work the overnight shift.

LONGMEADOW — The Longmeadow Police Department is currently seeking a full-time dispatcher.

The candidate would work a 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift on a rotating schedule of four days on and two days off, including weekends, holidays and overtime work, a statement from the Longmeadow Police Department statement says.

"The Longmeadow Police Department is actively seeking a qualified individual who possess strong interpersonal skills, advanced computer skills, and a commitment towards community service for the full-time position of Dispatcher," the statement says.

Paid training will be available to qualified applicants, and salary is about $17.05 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience, according to police.

"Duties to include, manning the E 911 emergency console, handling both emergency and routine calls for service, servicing public with walk-in questions, and dispatching district personnel," the statement says. "Successful candidate must have strong organizational skills in a multi-task environment and ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality."

Those interested in the position should submit a cover letter and resume to Human Resources, 735 Longmeadow Street, Suite 102, Longmeadow, MA 01106 or via email to egelinas@longmeadow.org by January 11 at noon, according to the town.

More information about the job is available at www.longmeadow.org/jobs.

Police death toll rises in 2016 as gunfire fatalities spike, report says

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The number of law enforcement fatalities in 2016 rose to 135 in 2016, a 10 percent increase from 2015, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a nonprofit that issued a preliminary report on Thursday detailing the fatalities.

The number of law enforcement fatalities in 2016 rose to 135 in 2016, a 10 percent increase from 2015, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a nonprofit that issued a preliminary report on Thursday detailing the fatalities.

In 2015, 123 law enforcement officers died while on duty. Overall, the number of deaths is below high points in the last 42 years: In 2011, 177 officers were died, while in 1974, the total reached 280.

But the number of officers shot and killed by gunfire in 2016 jumped 56 percent to 64 officers, becoming a leading cause of death for officers this year. That's up from up from 41 officers killed by gunfire in 2015.

Out of the 64 killed by gunfire this year, 21 died due to "ambush-style" attacks like the ones in Dallas and Baton Rouge, according to the nonprofit. Over the course of 10 days in July, five officers were killed in Dallas and three were killed in Baton Rouge.

Thomas Clardy funeral: Laughter, tears as family and friends remember fallen Mass. State Trooper

"Public safety is a partnership and, too often, the service and sacrifice of our law enforcement professionals is taken for granted," Craig Floyd, the nonprofit's president and CEO, said in a statement.

"We must never forget that 900,000 law enforcement officers nationwide risk their lives every day for our safety and protection. And, this year, 135 of those men and women did not make it home to their families at the end of their shift," he added. "As we begin the new year, let us all resolve to respect, honor, and remember those who have served us so well and sacrificed so much in the name of public safety."

Judge to consider dropping manslaughter charge against man accused of crashing into trooper's cruiser

Other takeaways from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund report include:

  • Between 2006 and 2015, the average annual number of fatalities is 151. "The deadliest year on record for law enforcement was 1930 when 307 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty," the nonprofit said in a release. "The last time officer fatalities dipped below 100 for a single year was 1944."
  • "The deadliest month in 2016 was November with 20 fatalities,"the report said. "April had the fewest fatalities with two deaths."

  • Eleven officers died in 2016 from job-related illnesses, including heart attacks, while on duty in 2016.

  • Six out of the 135 fallen officers were female.

  • The average age of a fallen law enforcement officer was 40. The nonprofit said the average length of service was 13 years.

  • The average number of kids the fallen officers had was 2.

  • The number of officers who died due to traffic-related incidents rose to 53 from 48, a 10 percent interest.

  • The breakdown by states: Texas had the highest number (17). California had 10, Louisiana had nine, Georgia had eight and Michigan had six.

Police officers killed in the line of duty

The best/worst of the Westwood bridge crash videos

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Low clearance, narrow throughway and inattentive drivers are the ingredients for multiple motor vehicle disasters.


Massachusetts Turnpike speed limit reduced to 50 mph from Lee to Blandford

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The announcement comes as a small winter storm travels through Northwestern Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has announced a 50 mph speed limit reduction on Interstate 90 from Lee to the Blandford Service area.

The announcement comes as a small winter storm travels through the state. A winter storm warning remains in effect for Western and North Central Massachusetts.

The National Weather Service forecasted snow accumulation of 5 to 10 inches for much of the area west of the Connecticut River Valley. Portions of the valley could see 1 to 3 inches, the National Weather Service said.

Crews are working to clear up snow accumulation on the Massachusetts Turnpike and other major highways, especially as the weather transitions from snow into rain later in the day.

Hadley outreach officer sends winter reminder for people to be prepared

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The town's new community outreach officer, Daniel Fernandes, has issued a winter reminder as a significant winter storm arrives Thursday.

HADLEY — Daniel Fernandes, the town's new community outreach officer, has issued a winter reminder as a significant winter storm arrived Thursday.

In a Facebook post, he reminded residents that there is a parking ban in effect and that any vehicle impeding snow removal will be towed at the owner's expense.

Also, he said, with heavy snow forecast, road conditions are expected to be poor. He said the snow could also bring down limbs and cause power outages and suggested people check emergency supplies before the snow begins.

Police say drunken man drove plow-mounted truck into four cars

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Police are saying that a Holliston man took a drunken ride in a plow-mounted truck and slammed into four vehicles on his way home.

Police are saying that a Holliston man took a drunken ride in a plow-mounted truck and slammed into four vehicles on his way home. 

Christopher Pope, 35, was charged with operating under the influence of liquor, driving an uninsured and unregistered vehicle and a litany of other traffic violations.

Authorities responded to the Pope Industrial Park around 6:29 a.m. Tuesday after hearing reports of a truck smashing into other vehicles with a plow. Most of the cars were empty save for one vehicle that had two occupants.

Holliston police called an ambulance for one of the occupants who was injured.

Witnesses saw Pope returning to his home, causing him to quickly run inside. Holliston police arrested Pope in his home shortly after. 

Pope was arraigned in court later that morning.

 

Springfield commission grants new liquor license to Aquarius nightclub after renewal 1 day late

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The Springfield License Commission granted the liquor license to the Aquarius nightclub on State Street after the renewal application was one day late.

pete.photo.JPGPeter L. Sygnator, Springfield License Commission 

SPRINGFIELD -- The License Commission granted a new liquor license to the Aquarius nightclub on State Street on Thursday, needing a hearing and new vote after the club missed the deadline for renewal by one day.

In other action, the commission approved a new beer and wine license for the Soc Trang Vietnamese Restaurant at 113 Vermont St., in Forest Park.

Attorney Elizabeth Rodriguez-Ross, representing the Aquarius, said that the business manager, Esteban "Freddy" Vanegas, thought someone else was filing the application on his behalf and on time, but then realized it was late.

The Aquarius is family owned and has been in business nearly 24 years, Rodriguez-Ross said. There were numerous club employees in attendance at the meeting in a show of support, she said.

The club had the support of the Pine Point Community Council, and has been a good neighbor, Rodriguez-Ross said. It is located at 1217 State St.

Commission Chairman Peter Sygnator said the renewal notice clearly states that the renewal is due annually on the last business day of November, which was Nov. 30.

There is also a need for approval from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission and it was unverified if that approval would occur before the start of the new year, Jan. 1.

A beer and wine license was approved for Soc Trang Restaurant, but with the condition that anyone serving the beverages must first pass the Massachusetts "TIPS" Alcohol Training & Certification. The TIPS certification is required by the License Commission for all bars and liquor serving establishments.

There was no opposition to the new beer and wine license.

40 mph speed limit placed on Mass. Pike from NY border to Springfield due to snow

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The reduction starts on Interchange 1 in West Stockbridge and extends to Interchange 6 in Springfield.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has reduced the speed limit on the Massachusetts Turnpike from the New York border to Springfield to 40 mph.

The reduction starts on Interchange 1 in West Stockbridge and extends to Interchange 6 in Springfield.

Over 750 crews are working on clearing the snow brought about by a small storm system.

The National Weather Service forecasted snow accumulation of 5 to 10 inches for much of the area west of the Connecticut River Valley. Portions of the valley could see 1 to 3 inches, the National Weather Service said.

Earlier in the day, MassDOT placed a 50 mph restriction on Interstate 90 from Lee to Blandford.

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