State Sen. Adam Hinds of Pittsfield, Rep. Bud Williams of Springfield and Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose of Amherst are members of the legislative class of 2017.

BOSTON -- In a day filled with family and friends, ceremony and tradition, the members of the 190th session of the Massachusetts Legislature were sworn in by Gov. Charlie Baker.

The ceremonies lasted for three hours. The House re-elected Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, to a fifth term as speaker, while the Senate re-elected Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, to a second term as president.

Three new lawmakers from Western Massachusetts took their seats -- state Sen. Adam Hinds of Pittsfield, Rep. Bud Williams of Springfield and Rep. Solomon Goldstein-Rose of Amherst, all Democrats.

"It's always an honor and a privilege to represent the citizens of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, especially Western Massachusetts and especially the citizens of Springfield," Williams said.

Adam Hinds 

Hinds, 40, a Buckland native, brings to the Senate experience with political negotiations on an international scale. From 2005 to 2014 Hinds was a political affairs officer for the United Nations, stationed in Iraq, Jerusalem and Syria. He provided election assistance in Iraq, was involved in Arab-Kurd negotiations, worked on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and assisted in dismantling Syria's chemical weapons program.

Returning to Western Massachusetts, Hinds founded Pittsfield Community Connection, a program that tried to prevent youth from joining gangs. He then became executive director of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, a social service organization focused on children and families.

Hinds said his priorities in the state Senate include "how to create an agenda for Western Massachusetts with a big focus on spurring the economy and jobs and supporting our small and middle size companies, standing up for working families and making sure that our workers have a fair shot."

This includes building up infrastructure, such as broadband internet and high-speed rail. It means improving education funding, including expanding the availability of pre-kindergarten education, lowering college costs and adequately funding regional school districts.

Hinds also hopes to follow the lead of his predecessor, former Democratic state Sen. Ben Downing, in becoming a statewide leader on energy and environmental issues.

In the House, Goldstein-Rose, 23, will become the youngest House member this session. He replaces retiring state Rep. Ellen Story, also an Amherst Democrat.

Solomon Goldstein-Rose 

Goldstein-Rose is a recent graduate of Brown University, where he majored in engineering and public policy. He attended Amherst public schools and served briefly on the local School Committee at age 18.

Goldstein-Rose named climate change and education as his two priority issues.

"I want to be promoting various market reforms and investments to create jobs in clean energy in Massachusetts," Goldstein-Rose said. He said his goal is to make Massachusetts the "Silicon Valley of the new energy economy."

On education, Goldstein-Rose supports changing funding formulas so charter schools take less money from public schools. He wants to promote diversity and inclusion in curriculum and hiring and ensure that schools welcome everyone, including transgender students, special education students and students of all races.

Williams, who replaces retiring state Rep. Benjamin Swan, is in his 60s. He was a Springfield District Court probation officer for 34 years and is now retired. He has been a Springfield city councilor since 1993, a job which he is still deciding whether to keep.

Bud Williams 

"I'm very interested in small businesses and education and health care," Williams said.

Williams said one of the biggest concerns he has heard about from constituents in Springfield is employment. He would like to establish more mentorships, training programs, workforce development opportunities and ways to help small businesses get started.

"We need more urban individuals involved in small businesses -- restaurants, body shops, catering businesses, janitorial services, just things that people can sustain and raise a family," Williams said.

On health care, Williams said he wants to ensure Massachusetts residents continue to have access to affordable health care, even if President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act.

"If it goes south instead of north, we're going to have to go back and revisit that and be able to make sure there's quality health care for all our citizens," Williams said.

Omarosa Manigault, who rose to fame after appearing on Donald Trump's reality TV show "The Apprentice," will join the president-elect's White House staff, transition team officials announced Wednesday.

Omarosa Manigault, who rose to fame after appearing on Donald Trump's reality TV show "The Apprentice," will join the president-elect's White House staff, transition team officials announced Wednesday.

Manigault's hiring as assistant to the president and director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison was made public as Trump announced the first wave of additional White House staff members.

The reality TV star, who served as a prominent surrogate for Trump throughout his 2016 presidential campaign and worked as his director of African-American outreach, is expected to focus on public engagement, officials said.

She was named to Trump's transition executive committee in mid-December.

Manigault became somewhat of a reality TV regular after appearing on the first season of Trump's "Apprentice," where she developed a combative reputation.

She was invited back for season seven of "Celebrity Apprentice" and has since made several appearances on various talk shows.

A man has been arrested in connection to an armed home invasion that happened in Ware early Wednesday morning.

WARE — A suspect has been arrested in connection with an armed home invasion that occurred in Ware early Wednesday morning, according to 22News.

Police were called to a residence on Malbeouf Road at approximately 10:45 p.m., where an elderly homeowner told them that a man armed with a knife had forced his way into her house.

The victim, a 78-year-old woman, told police that the man had stolen jewelry, cash, and a number of other things from her while threatening her with the weapon, before fleeing.

Approximately an hour after the incident took place, a suspect matching the victim's description was spotted by police in the vicinity of Warren Road, and was subsequently taken into custody.

The identity of the suspect has not yet been released to the public, but authorities have said that he now faces a number of charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon, threat to commit a crime murder, home invasion while armed, and armed assault in a dwelling.

Police are still in the process of investigating the incident.

Quigley was a well-known West Side coach and schoolteacher for years before retiring to Vermont. He died on Dec. 23 at his home in Vergennes.

Bill Quigley is shown here in a 2005 file photo from The Republican. 

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- To those who knew Bill Quigley, a man of many aliases -- "Coach," "Quig," "Quigs" or "Mr. Quig" -- he was an old-school gent with a great sense of humor who taught students to compete in the classroom and on the field.

Quigley, a former West Springfield schoolteacher and coach known for his wit and humor, died on Dec. 23 at his home in Vergennes, Vermont, the Addison County town with Otter Creek running through it. Quigley, 86, passed peacefully, according to his family.

"Bill Quigley was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word," West Springfield Town Councilor Brian Clune said, recalling the impact the celebrated coach had on students.

"He knew how to motivate young adults and had one of the best senses of humor I have ever seen," Clune said. "To have been taught or coached by 'Quigs' was an honor. He will forever be remembered in West Side and well beyond."

People reacted online to Quigley's death.

"Coach Quig had a huge impact on my life and so many others. He will definitely be missed!" commented Bill Stanton, who now lives in New York.

Michele Begley-Cassesse, a member of West Springfield High School's class of 1986, wrote: "Dear Quigley Family, I had the honor of having your dad as a teacher and he was one of my favorites. So sorry for your loss. His memory lives on in WS."

Quigley was born in North Haven, Connecticut, to William and Lillian Quigley. He spent his youth "cultivating an insatiable and indiscriminate love for athletics," according to his obituary in The Republican.

He served in the Air Force, fought in the Korean War, then spent over 40 years teaching history at West Springfield High School. A baseball field at the middle school was named "Quigley Field" in recognition of his passion for coaching. He was also a member of the 1985 class of the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

"After the last bell of each school day, you could find him coaching football, baseball, or basketball, his infectious laughter giving away his location among the sprawling fields," his obit states.

During the summer months, Quigley would head north to Lake Dunmore in Vermont, where he spent over 30 years working at the boys camp Keewaydin, leading canoeing and camping trips throughout remote parts of New England.

At Keewaydin, his family said, his school classroom was replaced by starry skies, balsam pine and "poignant life lessons" mixed with camp songs and laughter.

"Quig personified abstract concepts that we do not have easy ways to explain," his obit reads. "His ability was in holding up a mirror to those around him, allowing them to see all of the potential within themselves, perhaps seeing something that they could not."

The Quigley family hopes people will honor him by continuing his legacy.

"Find the best in people. Elevate those around you," the obit states. "Quig was a light in so many of our lives, and we are better for having met him. Let's carry that light forward. And laugh. Laugh a lot. And tell a funny joke."

A celebration of his life will be held at Keewaydin, "on the blue shores of Lake Dunmore," on Aug. 27 at 11 a.m.

Quigley is survived by his wife of 57 years, Caroline; his children, Elizabeth and Michael; his grandchildren, Caroline, Molly and Christopher; and his sisters, Eva and Kathleen. He was predeceased by two other sisters, Lillian and Eleanor; three brothers, Hugh, John and Frank; and a granddaughter, Katherine.

Click HERE to sign an online guestbook in honor of Bill Quigley.

Attorneys for Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni hope the December reversal in Massachusetts can similarly reverse their convictions.

The two associates of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie convicted in the Bridgegate scandal are hoping to reverse the charges by citing a recent Massachusetts ruling.

The Associated Press reports that attorneys representing Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni filed letters lobbying for a new trial with a federal judge on Tuesday, Jan. 3. In doing so, they invoked a recent ruling that found government overreach in a Massachusetts corruption case.

Kelly and Baroni were convicted in November 2016 of conspiracy and wire fraud after an infamous 2013 incident in which a traffic jam was coordinated as retaliation against the mayor of Fort Lee, NJ. That mayor had refused to endorse Christie's re-election bid.

In the Massachusetts case U.S. v. Tavares, overturned last month, three former Massachusetts Probation Department officials were convicted following accusations that they ran a rigged hiring scheme.

Appeals Court overturns guilty verdict in Probation Department corruption trial

Appeals Court Judge Juan Torruella ruled that while the three former employees' behavior "may well be judged distasteful, and even contrary to Massachusetts' personnel laws," the government "overstepped its bounds in using federal criminal statutes to police the hiring practices of these Massachusetts state officials."

Kelly's attorney Michael Critchley argued that the similarities between the two cases warrant a new trial.

"Like the statutes utilized in the alleged politically based hiring scheme in Tavares, the statutes utilized in this case have never been applied to facts even remotely similar to the facts alleged here," he wrote.

Kelly and Baroni have argued that their actions were not criminal in nature and that the government manipulated the law to convict them, according to NJ.com. The pair face up to 20 years in prison.

The government has until Monday, Jan. 16 to respond to their motions. A sentencing date of Feb. 21 had been set after the guilty verdicts in November.

Jimmy Roman and Brandon Thompson-Clay are charged with armed assault with intent to murder and other charges in the May 29, 2015, shooting that left Xsadrian Gonzalez paralyzed.

SPRINGFIELD — Defense lawyers for two men accused in a shooting that paralyzed a member of a rival gang argued Wednesday the identification of their clients was done through an overly suggestive process.

But Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett told Hampden Superior Court Judge John S. Ferrara the process leading to the identification of the two defendants was done in accordance with the "best practices" outlined by the state's highest court.

The hearing session Wednesday was a continuation of an Oct. 27 hearing before Ferrara in the case against Jimmy E. Roman, 22, and Brandon Thompson-Clay, 20, of Springfield.

They are charged with armed assault with intent to murder and other charges in the May 29, 2015, shooting of Xsadrian Gonzalez in broad daylight outside the Dunkin' Donuts on Main Street in the South End.

Ferrara heard testimony from several police witnesses Wednesday, then heard arguments from both sides.

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He set a Feb. 3 status date, by which time he hopes to have his decision on the motion to suppress identification.

The defense lawyers argued that some people in the community, including Gonzalez's mother, found Facebook photos of Roman and Thompson-Clay and gave them to police as photos of the shooters.

The actions of those people caused police to put photos of the two defendants in a photo array from which Gonzalez picked Roman and Thompson-Clay, defense lawyers Leonardo A. Angiulo for Roman and Matthew J. Fleischner for Thompson-Clay said.

Angiulo said that would be "street justice," instead of due process for the defendants.

Bennett said Gonzalez knew Thompson-Clay from previous altercations with
him and also knew Roman. He said it isn't like Gonzalez was identifying people he did not know in the photo arrays.

He said Gonzalez's mother did look up the names of Jimmy Brooks and Brandon Savage, names by which the two defendants were known, on Facebook. He said by that time, Gonzalez had twice named the defendants.

Gonzalez, now 19, was brought in his wheelchair into a courtroom to testify at the Oct. 27 hearing session, where he testified Roman shot him, first in the stomach while he was standing up and then again when he had fallen to the ground.

He said he now can use his arms, although it took him five months after the shooting to be able to use them. He is paralyzed below the waist.

Gang rivalries — and a past murder — were behind the shooting, Gonzalez testified in October.

Gonzalez said he knew the two defendants, but they were not his friends. He said he was "Knox Street" and they were "Sycamore, " engaged in a bitter and violent gang battle.

He testified Roman and Thompson-Clay walked up to him in the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot. Roman pulled a gun, and Gonzalez backed up. But he didn't have time to run, he said.

Gonzalez said when his cousin knelt beside him, he told her who shot him. The cousin testified to that at the October hearing.

He said when he became conscious enough after surgery to talk to police, he was anxious to do so as soon as possible.

He said he believes he was targeted in part because of the June 2014 fatal shooting of Caleb Worrell. At the time of Gonzalez' shooting, his relative, Austin Garcia, was one of the men who faced a murder charge for Worrell's death, the result of a confrontation between the Knox Street and Sycamore gangs.

In August 2015, Nathan Cruz, then 20, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Worrell. Cruz was sentenced to 22 to 25 years in state prison. Co-defendants Garcia, 19 at the time, and Isaiah Ayala, then 18, pleaded guilty as youthful offenders to armed assault with intent to kill. Both were sentenced to four to five years in state prison followed by three years probation.

An East Falmouth man has been arrested in connection to a robbery that occurred in Greenfield on New Year's Day.

GREENFIELD — A man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly assaulting a clerk at a market in Greenfield and stealing cash from the store's register on New Year's Day, according to police.

At approximately 7:45 p.m., on Jan. 1, police were called to JC's Market on Conway Street, where witnesses said a man had entered the store, lunged over the counter and proceeded to attack the store clerk, while also stealing handfuls of twenty dollar bills from the cash drawer.

After an investigation that lasted several days, police arrested 29-year-old Randy Gratton, of East Falmouth, on Tuesday.

Gratton allegedly confessed to committing the robbery while being interviewed by police.

He now faces the charges of unarmed robbery and assault and battery.

Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant said he will "continue to do the job" in the aftermath of a decision announced by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno not to renew Conant's contract in January 2018. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, citing New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, was not going to answer any more questions Wednesday on his decision not to renew the contract of Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant next January.

"At the appropriate time a transition process will be announced - until then, as New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick has stated - 'we're on to Cincinnati!,'" Sarno said in response to several questions from The Republican.

Belichick, who at post-game press conferences often stresses that his focus swiftly switches to the next game, said, "We're on to Cincinnati" or "We're getting ready for Cincinnati" repeatedly in response to reporters' questions following a bad loss to Kansas City in Week 4 of the 2014 season. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that year.

Conant said Wednesday he will "continue to do the job," but has no further comment at this time in the aftermath of the surprise announcement by Sarno on New Year's Day that his contract is not being renewed.

"I will continue to do the job until such time as I don't have it anymore," Conant said after being reached by The Republican. "I haven't talked to the mayor. I don't really have a comment."

Conant said he will reserve comment until he receives more information.

"I prefer to wait for all the facts," Conant said. "There are still a lot of unanswered questions."

Conant's contract expires on Jan. 23, 2018, and Sarno said he will seek out qualified candidates for the job to replace Conant. In addition, the search for a replacement "does not preclude me from also reviewing outside candidates," Sarno said.

The decision not to renew Conant's contract was announced just two days after Sarno issued a sharp rebuke to Conant for not taking disciplinary action against Deputy Fire Chief Glenn Guyer for failing to move to Springfield within one year of his promotion.

Guyer's lawyer has stated that his client is not obligated to move to Springfield, under the residency ordinance, while Sarno and other city officials have stated he was required to move in the one-year period.

Sarno said Friday he intended to pursue all legal options up to and including disciplinary action against Conant, if warranted. That was followed by the announcement that Conant's contract would not be renewed.

Conant was sworn in as fire commissioner on Jan. 24, 2013, and was initially hired in 1987.

Kevin Major died at 19 of a cardiac problem while swimming. The bill in his honor would require all schools to keep an AED on site.

BOSTON -- A bill inspired by a Westfield man requiring every school in Massachusetts to have an automated external defibrillator is on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk.

"I am thrilled for every student in the commonwealth that is currently in schools and every student that is going to go through a school in the commonwealth," said Susan Canning, director of the nonprofit KEVS Foundation.

The foundation is is named in honor of Canning's son, Kevin Major. Major was 19 when he died in 2011 while swimming in Congamond Lakes. He had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart that can cause sudden death in young athletes.

A group of families, led by the foundation, has been advocating for the bill, S.2449, requiring every school to have an AED, a device that can shock a person's heart back to its proper rhythm after someone goes into cardiac arrest.

The bill finally passed late Tuesday night, on the last day of informal legislative sessions before the end of the 2016 legislative session. Any bill not passed by Tuesday will have to be filed anew in 2017 and will have to go through the legislative process from the beginning.

Baker has 10 days to review the bill and decide whether or not to sign it into law. Baker spokesman Billy Pitman said the governor "is carefully reviewing the legislation."

The bill applies to all schools in Massachusetts. It requires an AED in the school building, at school-sponsored functions and on the field any time a school-sponsored athletic event is being held. The state will establish guidelines for training employees on how to use AEDs.

According to Canning, fewer than 20 percent of schools today do not have AEDs. Private grants are available to purchase them, and sometimes a hospital or business is willing to donate one. A unit typically costs between $900 and $2,000.

"We're now going have a generation of young adults growing up to have the idea that having an AED is like having a rack of water bottles," Canning said. "It is going to be second nature, and that is a gift."

Canning said the bill will benefit not only students but community members who use school buildings for town functions. "It's just a win for everybody in the commonwealth," Canning said. "It is the right thing to do."

The law would go into effect in July 2018.

Amherst authorities are investigating a recent rash of break-ins that occurred over the weekend.

AMHERST — Authorities in Amherst are investigating three recent break-ins that occurred on Saturday afternoon, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Detective Sgt. Brian Daly of the Amherst Police Department said that the break-ins occurred on Hobart Lane and Amity Street.

Two different residents on Hobart Lane contacted police on Saturday, after they came home to find that an intruder had entered their residence through a window and left the home in a state of disarray.

However, the residents told police they could not be sure if the intruder had taken anything.

A resident on Amity Street also contacted police that same afternoon, reporting a similar story.

Police are investigating whether an armed robbery incident that occurred on Eveningstar Drive late Saturday evening may also be connected to the string of incidents.

Police say that a man reported being robbed at knife-point while attending a house party.

No suspects have yet been apprehended for any of the crimes.

The alarm system wasn't working in an apartment building at 106 North East St. in Holyoke, Massachusetts where a New Year's Day fire caused by an electrical problem killed three people, officials on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017.

HOLYOKE -- The alarm system in the apartment building at 106 North East St. wasn't working and the five-story structure didn't have a sprinkler, officials said Wednesday in announcing the cause of the New Year's Day blaze that killed three people was an electrical problem.

"First and foremost, I want to extend our deepest condolences on the loss of the three people who were killed in this fire," State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said in a press conference at Fire Department headquarters, 600 High St.

"An electrical fault in a third floor apartment ignited this tragic fire. They were able to trace the origin of this fire back to a room on that third floor. Sadly, electrical is one of the leading causes of fatal fires in the commonwealth," he said.

Exactly what malfunctioned remained unclear after the press conference, though officials said that investigators traced the fire's origin to a wall outlet in the living room of a third floor apartment. "The specific detail to that extent, we don't have at this point in time," Ostroskey said.

A press release from the state Department of Fire Services also said, "The fire alarm in the building appears not to have been operating properly."

Lack of 911 calls about the fire also were blamed by officials at the press conference for letting danger spread and led officials to urge that people call 911 when there's a fire and not return to a burning building after having escaped. The fire displaced 25 families.

"It's very important that we receive those calls," Holyoke Fire Chief John A. Pond said.

As a result, the fire at 106 North East St. was burning for "several minutes" before the Fire Department received the first call, said Pond, who said he was unable to be exact about how long the fire had been burning before authorities were alerted.

Holyoke apartment block on fire, reports of people trapped inside

The dispatch log provided by firefighter union president Chad Cunningham showed the Fire Department received the first call about the fire at 8:53 a.m. and the first unit arrived at 8:56 a.m. and 39 seconds.

Asked about that later, Pond said in a text message, "The official times will come from the investigation. All times should be approximate from our dispatch."

Under state law, the 112-year-old, 95-room building wasn't required to have a sprinkler, though a sprinkler would be required if such a structure were built today and if such a building were renovated or its use changed, officials said.

Some of those displaced were families from an adjacent building that had to be evacuated, in a blaze that has led to criticism of the Fire Department's ability to respond and calls to ensure city public safety departments are strongly funded.

Pond, who praised the department's response to the fire, said having a sprinkler system in the building would have saved lives.

"If there were sprinklers in that building, lives would have been saved. Point blank. No ifs, ands or buts," Pond said.

Building owner Irshad Sideeka of Brookline didn't return a call seeking comment.

According to city and state records, the property at 106 North East St. is owned by Sideeka's company, Naviah Investments. Sideeka purchased the building on April 7, 2011.

Mayor Alex B. Morse said Sideeka has been cooperative in helping relocate families whose homes the fire destroyed.

City records show that Sideeka's purchase of 106 North East St. came on the same day Sideeka bought another large apartment building: a block at 690-702 Dwight St. heavily damaged in a fire on June 16, 2014. Sideeka sold the Dwight Street building in January 2015, records show.

In addition to the North East Street building, city records show Naviah Investments as the owner of seven other Holyoke buildings. One is 5 Adams St., a block that plagued police and the community with drug-related and other problems for years until the landlord worked with police and police details smothered the criminal behavior, including with 110 arrests over a few days in March 2014.

Maria Cartagena, 48, and Jorge Munoz, 55, both of Holyoke, and Trevor R. Wadleigh, 34, of Easthampton, were killed as a result of the fire at 106 North East St., the office of Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni has said.

Gulluni said on Monday that the probe of the fire is not a criminal investigation.

Officials wouldn't say at the press conference where on the premises of 106 North East St. and in what conditions the bodies of Cartagena, Munoz and Wadleigh were found. Also, Ostroskey said, "We don't have the details about the cause of death."

Morse said the city continues to help the displaced families, 24 of which he said now have new long-term housing, such as with providing beds and other furniture.

The mayor's office also is helping relatives of Cartagena, Munoz and Wadleigh with funeral arrangements, Morse said. That includes working with Munoz' family and the Consulate General of Colombia in Boston to return Munoz' remains to Medellin, Colombia, Morse aide Andres Villada said.

Also from the press conference:

• Eight people from 107 North East St. were taken to the hospital and at least one woman remains in the hospital, Pond said.

• Firefighters with ladder trucks rescued five people from the burning building and residents and police helped with additional rescues, he said.

• The Fire Department's response was strong and swift, said Pond: "Outstanding job. Many lives were saved." Cunningham, president of Holyoke Fire Fighters Association, Local 1693,International Association of Fire Fighters, said at Tuesday's City Council meeting that the temporary removal of service of Engine 2 at Fire Department headquarters handcuffed the first firefighters on the scene at the 106 North East St. fire. Such so-called brownouts have been done for several years to avoid overtime spending on shifts when personnel is thin because firefighters are on vacation, ill or otherwise unavailable. The first contingent of firefighters on the scene of the fire numbered only six instead of the nine that should have been there had Engine 2 been in service, Cunningham said. He raised the possibility that a woman who fell from an upper story to her death might have been saved had the full complement of firefighters and engines been available. But Pond said, "There's no factual information to those claims....There was no delay in the Fire Department response to that scene."

• Key, said Ostroskey said, is that people noticing a fire evacuate a building, call 911 and don't go back inside the building. "Fire moves very quickly. It takes hold very quickly," he said, though he said regarding 106 North East St., "I don't know that anybody reentered the building. I'm simply saying as a matter of course upon an alarm, people should exit a building and then call 911."

Greg Saulmon, The Republican assistant managing editor of content and special projects, contributed to this story.

U.S. consumers bought a record number of new cars and trucks in 2016. A repeat performance in 2017 could be a tall order.

DETROIT -- U.S. consumers bought a record number of new cars and trucks in 2016. A repeat performance in 2017 could be a tall order.

Low gas prices, rising employment and low interest rates kept buyers coming to car dealerships last year. There was also the lure of new technology -- such as backup cameras, automatic emergency braking and Apple CarPlay -- and new vehicles like the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, the Honda Civic and the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt.

U.S. vehicle sales totaled 17.55 million, beating the previous year's record of 17.47 million, according to Autodata Corp. It was the seventh consecutive year of year-over-year sales gains, an unprecedented string, said Tom Libby, an analyst with the consulting firm IHS Markit.

That string could be in jeopardy, however. The National Automobile Dealers Association expects U.S. sales to drop to 17.1 million vehicles in 2017 as interest rates and vehicle prices rise. Large numbers of cars coming off leases will hit the used-car market next year, putting pressure on new car sales. And more buyers are opting for longer loans, so they won't be returning to dealerships anytime soon.

Political issues could also impact sales. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 35-percent tariff on vehicles made in Mexico and exported to the U.S., which would impact every major automaker. But he also has promised more spending on infrastructure, which could boost pickup truck sales.

"It is the year of unknowns," said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst with the car buying site Autotrader.com.

For now, though, the market has plateaued at a high level. Nissan Motor Co.'s U.S. sales rose 5 percent in 2016 to more than 1.5 million, a company record. The Subaru brand also set an annual record, with sales up 6 percent to 615,132. Honda Motor Co.'s sales jumped 3 percent to more than 1.6 million. Hyundai Motor Co.'s sales rose 2 percent to 775,005. Ford Motor Co.'s sales were up less than 1 percent to more than 2.6 million. Fiat Chrysler's sales were flat at 2.2 million.

General Motors Co. said its year-over-year sales were down 1.3 percent to just over 3 million cars and trucks. That was partly because the company cut back on low-profit sales to rental-car firms. Toyota Motor Corp.'s full-year sales fell 2 percent to 2.4 million. Volkswagen brands sales dropped 8 percent to 322,948, hurt by the company's diesel mileage cheating scandal.

WINNERS AND LOSERS: Ford's F-Series pickup remained the best-selling vehicle in America in 2016, with 820,799 trucks sold. That's the equivalent of 93 trucks sold every hour. The Toyota Camry was the best-selling car, despite a 9.5-percent dip in sales to 388,618. Jaguar saw the biggest sales increase of any brand, with sales more than doubling over 2015 thanks to its new XE sedan. Fiat Chrysler's Italian brands, Fiat and Alfa Romeo, declined more than 20 percent each as customers scratched small cars off their shopping lists in favor of SUVs.

LUXURY CROWN: Mercedes-Benz held onto its title as the top-selling luxury brand. Mercedes sales were up less than 1 percent to 374,541, edging BMW and Lexus.

SUV TAKEOVER: Toyota's U.S. sales chief, Bill Fay, said consumers' shift from cars to SUVs is one of the most dramatic the industry has ever seen. Three years ago, trucks and SUVs represented 50 percent of the U.S. market. They closed 2016 at 63 percent of total sales, and analysts don't see that changing anytime soon. Boomers and Millennials both like the space SUVs offer and their higher ride, and improvements in fuel economy make them competitive with cars. The Honda CR-V was the best-selling SUV in the U.S. last year, with sales up 3 percent to 357,335.

PILING ON THE DEALS: Incentive spending reached a record of $4,000 per vehicle in November before falling a bit in December. Buyers were walking away with thousands of dollars in bonus cash or financing deals. Autotrader said Ford was offering as much as $13,000 off its C-Max plug-in hybrid in certain markets in December. But the deals can hurt the industry in the long term, since they damage vehicles' resale values and automakers' profits. Automakers, wary of relying too heavily on incentives to move vehicles, started cutting production in the fall. Even with incentives, the average sale price of a vehicle rose to $32,000, a record for December, LMC said.

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER: Holiday promotions and elevated incentives boosted sales 3 percent to 1.7 million, Autodata said. But even if sales had been flat compared to last December, 2016 would have broken a record. Volkswagen's sales jumped 20 percent over last December, while Subaru sales rose 12 percent. GM and Nissan both gained 10 percent. Honda's sales rose 6 percent and Toyota's rose 2 percent. The Nissan Rogue SUV was one of the month's stars, with sales up 53 percent as an updated version hit the market.

The decision to hear the case puts development of the new 600-student elementary school back in limbo.

WESTFIELD -- The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court  has decided that it will hear an appeal brought by opponents of the city's long-held but unrealized plans to build a new elementary school on Cross Street.

Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said Wednesday that the SJC decision leaves the city with no clear idea when it will be able to put the stalled school project back out to bid or when it could begin construction on the planned 600-student school.

Last summer, the city had been told that the decision to hear the case would come in 60 days, but the city didn't hear for more than 120 days.

"There is no time line, and that is the hardest part," Sullivan said. "It absolutely holds everything up. We can't move forward with it while it is in litigation."

In the meantime, many of the youngsters who could already be going to the new Cross Street school are going to a school Westfield rents from the town of Russell. That rental and associated bus costs run about $1 million a year.

Students from Westfield are in their second year of going to the Russell school. The move was forced because the Cross Street school was not built and Westfield State University was not going to let the city keep using the Juniper Park School on its campus. Westfield State is currently converting the old Juniper Park building to its own uses.

Gateway School District officials had closed the Russell school because of falling enrollment in the Hilltowns.

Westfield is also keeping the aging Abner Gibbs Elementary School building on Silver Street operating longer than it had planned. Abner Gibbs opened in 1914.

Westfield Mayor Brian P. Sullivan

"That building has lived its useful life," Sullivan said. 

In August, a three-judge panel in a lower court affirmed a ruling from a still lower court that held land at the site  that the city planned to use for construction was not parkland subject to Article 97 of the state constitution.

Releasing the land from Article 97 would require a two-thirds vote of the state Legislature.

Westfield improved the Cross Street playground in 1979 using federal money, and at that time the city agreed to place federal protections on the land.

But Westfield said it followed National Park Service rules and has designated replacement parkland to satisfy those protections.

Opponents said that the rules still apply.

Some owners of neighboring property have long opposed the Cross Street school project, saying it is too big a school for the 1.3-acre lot. The opponents say the school will also generate too much traffic and congestion in a residential neighborhood.

The site is between Main Street and East Silver Street.

Westfield's efforts to build the new Cross Street school have been ongoing for more than five years. The city demolished the former and long-vacant Ashley Street School in November 2012, leaving only a vacant lot where construction on the new school was to begin.

The new Cross Street school had a cost $35 million, of which $12 million would come from the city and the remainder from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. It was not immediately known if project costs have increased because of the delay. 

Police apprehended Kyle Decell, 18, less than an hour after authorities were alerted to a home invasion that occurred Wednesday morning on Malbeouf Road.

WARE -- Less than an hour after authorities were alerted to a home invasion on Malbeouf Road Wednesday morning, police arrested and charged Kyle Decell.

Decell, 18, of 70 Ware Road in neighboring Warren, faces six charges, including assaulting a person over 60 while in possession of a knife, Ware police said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning at Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown. He is being held at the Hampshire Jail and House of Correction on $10,000 bail, police said.

In addition to the assault with a dangerous weapon charge, Decell was charged with home invasion, armed assault in a dwelling, armed and masked robbery, intimidation of a witness and armed assault with intent to rob a person over 60.

According to police, an elderly person was home at the time the robbery was called in to police at 10:54 a.m., but was not injured.

Decell was apprehended at 11:46 a.m. on West Ware Road near the Palmer town line, police said. They believe all stolen property was recovered. Police said cash and jewelry were among the items Decell allegedly stole while the victim was being held at knifepoint.

They have not released the victim's identity, nor the exact Malbeoef Road address where the crime took place, but did confirm it was the section of the street south of the Ware River.

Ware Police Detective Christopher Adams is leading the investigation. State, Warren and Palmer police and K-9 units assisted.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Holyoke Fire Chief John Pond, a 23-year veteran and chief since October 2011, said on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 that the firefighters' union president's criticism of him in relation to firefighters' capabilities to respond to a deadly blaze at 106 North East St. was unfortunate and unfounded.

HOLYOKE -- Fire Chief John A. Pond said Wednesday that he has no intention of resigning as chief and that the firefighters' union president's criticism of him in relation to firefighters' capabilities to respond to the deadly blaze at 106 North East St. was unfortunate and unfounded.

"The Fire Department responded effectively and efficiently to the scene," Pond said.

Pond, a 23-year veteran, has been chief since October 2011. He said he won't resign despite union President Chad Cunningham suggesting he should be removed. Pond's yearly is $120,000.

The New Year's Day fire in the five-story apartment building at North East and East Dwight streets has left two men and a woman dead and destroyed the homes of 25 families, officials said.

Cunningham, president of Holyoke Fire Fighters Association, Local 1693, International Association of Fire Fighters, said Tuesday during a City Council meeting that Pond should no longer head the department and that it was "disgusting" that Pond said enough firefighters were available to fight the fire.

Deadly fire leads Holyoke union president Chad Cunningham to seek removal of Fire Chief John Pond

Cunningham is among those who disagree with a money-saving policy known as brownouts, in which trucks on certain shifts are removed from service when available staffing is thin such as if firefighters are on vacation or otherwise unavailable. Engine 2 located at Fire Department headquarters at 600 High St. was browned out Sunday morning.

Cunningham said the lack of personnel with the absence of Engine 2 hindered the firefighters who were first on the scene at the fire in providing help to tenants in the burning building. Six firefighters were first on scene, but nine would have responded first if Engine 2 was in service, he said.

Pond said at a press conference Monday that the brownout of Engine 2 didn't affect the department's fire response, which he called "outstanding."

That lead to Cunningham telling the City Council at City Hall, "I find that Chief Pond not standing behind his Fire Department and saying we had plenty of people on scene, I find it disgusting, to be honest with you, and I'm not sure that chief should be the chief of this department if he's not going to back his members."

"I think that a chief that doesn't support his firefighters is not somebody that's fit to be chief," he said later.

Pond was asked about Cunningham's comments at a press conference Wednesday where State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey announced that investigators had determined the cause of the fire was an electrical problem in a wall outlet in the living room of a third floor apartment.

Faulty alarm system, lack of sprinkler added to deadly Holyoke fire caused by electrical problem: officials

The Fire Department's response was strong and swift, said Pond: "Outstanding job. Many lives were saved."

Pond disputed Cunningham's comment that a woman who fell from an upper story to her death might have been saved had the full complement of firefighters and engines been available.

"There's no factual information to those claims, so rather than sling mud or become political, I'd like to just say that Engine 1, Engine 3 and Truck 1 all responded when the alarm was sent to us. That's an appropriate response to that," Pond said.

The brownouts have been done for several years to avoid overtime spending that builds up by summoning off-duty firefighters to work shifts when personnel is thin because firefighters are on vacation, ill or otherwise unavailable. Such overtime can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

 

Macy's has released a list of its stores that are scheduled to close over the course of the next year.

Two Macy's stores in Massachusetts are among the 68 slated to close nationally over the course of 2017.

The struggling retail company released a statement Wednesday, announcing its plan to take various steps to "intensify cost efficiency."

One of the most integral parts of this savings plan is its closure of 68 retail units, which will help Macy's to save roughly $550 million--a portion of which the company plans to use to expand its digital presence as well as store-related growth strategies.

Of the many stores closing across the country, several of them are located in Massachusetts.

The Macy's located in the Westgate mall in Brockton, open since 2003, will close, and the unit's 79 associates will lose their positions.

The other closing Macy's is located in the Silver City Galleria in Taunton. Originally opened in 1992, the store's closure will see 82 associates lose their positions.

In the statement put out Wednesday, the company asserted it sees property sales, cost-cutting and corporate restructuring as the keys to future success.

Terry J. Lundgren, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy's, Inc., said in a recent statement that the company's current priority was improving its financial situation. "Whether it is improving corporate agility, enhancing our customer engagement strategies, or continuing to capitalize on the potential value of our real estate assets, we remain focused on the actions that will ultimately improve our financial results and provide the greatest return for our shareholders," Lundgren said.

Bruce McMahon, who joined the force in 1979, served as chief for 11 years.

EASTHAMPTON -- To satisfy contractual obligations, retired police chief Bruce McMahon will be paid $49,229.24 for unused sick and vacation time.

The nine-member City Council unanimously approved the transfer from the general reserve fund to the police salary account Wednesday night.

Daniel Rist, chairman of the finance subcommittee, said that McMahon is entitled to the payment under the terms of his contract, and that the council has no choice but to approve the item.

"He's entitled to this funding by virtue of his contract, and that's the bottom line," said Rist. "Obviously, we have to do these things when our major department heads retire."

McMahon retired in October after 37 years on the force. He joined the force in 1979, worked his way up the ranks, and was chief for 11 years.

Mayor Karen Cadieux said the payment would cover sick time buy-back and unused and accrued vacation time.

Macy's has released a list of its stores that are scheduled to close over the course of the next year.

Retail giant Macy's announced Wednesday the locations of the 68 stores it plans to close over the course of 2017. After suffering financial difficulties, the company announced in August that it would be closing roughly 100 stores as it seeks to reorganize and consolidate itself. The complete list of store closures slated for 2017 is listed below.

Already Completed 2016 Closings

Laurel Plaza, North Hollywood, CA (475,000 square feet; opened in 1995; 105 associates)

Ala Moana Jewel Gallery, Honolulu, HI (2,000 square feet; opened in 1986; 9 associates)

Valley Fair, West Valley City, UT (106,000 square feet; opened in 1970; 53 associates);

Already Announced Year-End 2016 Closings

Final clearance sales at the following Macy's stores closing in early 2017 will begin on Monday, January 9, and run for approximately eight to 12 weeks (with the exception of Lancaster Mall*, where final clearance sales are already in progress):

Greenwood, Bowling Green, KY (124,000 square feet; opened in 1980; 63 associates)

Carolina Place, Pineville, NC (151,000 square feet; opened in 1993; 69 associates)

Douglaston, Douglaston, NY (158,000 square feet; opened in 1981; 144 associates)

Downtown Portland, Portland, OR (246,000 square feet; opened in 2007; 85 associates)

*Lancaster Mall, Salem, OR (67,000 square feet; opened in 1980; 53 associates)

Oakwood Mall, Eau Claire, WI (104,000 square feet; opened in 1991; 55 associates)

Year-End Closings

Mission Valley Apparel, San Diego, CA (385,000 square feet; opened in 1961; 140 associates)

Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara, CA (141,000 square feet; opened in 1990; 77 associates)

Lakeland Square, Lakeland, FL (101,000 square feet; opened in 1995; 68 associates)

Oviedo Marketplace, Oviedo, FL (195,000 square feet; opened in 2000; 83 associates)

Sarasota Square, Sarasota, FL (143,000 square feet; opened in 1977; 86 associates)

University Square, Tampa, FL (140,000 square feet; opened in 1974; 73 associates)

CityPlace, West Palm Beach, FL (108,000 square feet; opened in 2000; 72 associates)

Georgia Square, Athens, GA (121,000 square feet; opened in 1981; 69 associates)

Nampa Gateway Center, Nampa, ID (104,000, square feet; opened in 2009; 57 associates)

Alton Square, Alton, IL (180,000 square feet; opened in 1978; 54 associates)

Stratford Square, Bloomingdale, IL (149,000 square feet; opened in 1981; 87 associates)

Eastland, Bloomington, IL (154,000 square feet; opened in 1999; 55 associates)

Jefferson, Louisville, KY (157,000 square feet; opened in 1979; 52 associates)

Esplanade, Kenner, LA (188,000 square feet; opened in 2008; 101 associates)

Bangor, Bangor, ME (143,000 square feet; opened in 1998; 65 associates)

Westgate, Brockton, MA (144,000 square feet; opened in 2003; 79 associates)

Silver City Galleria, Taunton, MA (152,000 square feet; opened in 1992; 82 associates)

Lakeview Square Mall, Battle Creek, MI (102,000 square feet: opened 1983; 51 associates)

Eastland Center, Harper Woods, MI (433,000 square feet; opened in 1957; 121 associates)

Lansing, Lansing, MI (103,000 square feet; opened in 1979; 57 associates)

Westland, Westland, MI (334,000 square feet; opened in 1965; 106 associates)

Minneapolis Downtown, Minneapolis, MN (1,276,000 square feet; opened in 1902; 280 associates)

Northgate, Durham, NC (187,000 square feet; opened in 1994; 72 associates)

Columbia, Grand Forks, ND (99,000 square feet; opened in 1978; 53 associates)

Moorestown, Moorestown, NJ (200,000 square feet; opened in 1999; 107 associates)

Voorhees Town Center, Voorhees, NJ (224,000 square feet; opened in 1970; 77 associates)

Preakness, Wayne, NJ (81,000 square feet; opened in 1963; 72 associates)

Cottonwood, Albuquerque, NM (173,000 square feet; opened in 1996; 56 associates)

Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV (178,000 square feet; opened in 1966; 84 associates)

Great Northern, Clay, NY (88,000 square feet; opened in 1989; 55 associates)

Oakdale Mall, Johnson City, NY (140,000 square feet; opened in 2000; 58 associates)

The Marketplace, Rochester, NY (149,000 square feet; opened in 1982; 77 associates)

Eastland, Columbus, OH (121,000 square feet; opened in 2006; 73 associates)

Sandusky, Sandusky, OH (133,000 square feet; opened in 1979; 61 associates)

Fort Steuben, Steubenville, OH (132,000 square feet; opened in 1974; 59 associates)

Promenade, Tulsa, OK (180,000 square feet; opened in 1996; 58 associates)

Neshaminy, Bensalem, PA (211,000 square feet; opened in 1968; 89 associates)

Shenango Valley, Hermitage, PA (106,000 square feet; opened in 1976; 69 associates)

Beaver Valley, Monaca, PA (203,000 square feet; opened in 1987; 78 associates)

Lycoming, Muncy, PA (120,000 square feet; opened in 1995; 61 associates)

Plymouth Meeting, Plymouth Meeting, PA (214,000 square feet; opened in 1966; 74 associates)

Washington Crown Center, Washington, PA (148,000 square feet; opened in 1999; 67 associates)

Parkdale, Beaumont, TX (171,000 square feet; opened in 2002; 67 associates)

Southwest Center, Dallas, TX (148,000 square feet; opened in 1975; 68 associates)

Sunland Park, El Paso, TX (105,000 square feet; opened in 2004; 71 associates)

Greenspoint, Houston, TX (314,000 square feet; opened in 1976; 70 associates)

West Oaks Mall, Houston, TX (244,000 square feet; opened in 1982; 135 associates)

Pasadena Town Square, Pasadena, TX (209,000 square feet; opened in 1962; 78 associates)

Collin Creek, Plano, TX (199,000 square feet; opened in 1980; 103 associates)

Broadway Square, Tyler, TX (100,000 square feet; opened in 1981; 65 associates)

Layton Hills, Layton, UT (162,000 square feet; opened in 1980; 72 associates)

Cottonwood, Salt Lake City, UT (200,000 square feet; opened in 1962; 88 associates)

Landmark, Alexandria, VA (201,000 square feet; opened in 1965; 119 associates)

River Ridge, Lynchburg, VA (144,000 square feet; opened in 1980; 60 associates)

Everett, Everett, WA (133,000 square feet; opened in 1977; 109 associates)

Three Rivers, Kelso, WA (51,000 square feet; opened in 1987; 57 associates)

Valley View, La Crosse, WI (101,000 square feet; opened in 1980; 57 associates)
Other 2017 Closings

Simi Valley Town Center (men's/home/kids), Simi Valley, CA (190,000 square feet; opened in 2006; 105 associates)

Mall at Tuttle Crossing (furniture/home/kids/men's), Dublin, OH (227,000 square feet; opened in 2003; 52 associates)

Stores Sold (or to be Sold) and Leased Back

These stores have been or will be sold, and Macy's will continue to operate them on leases from the owners:

Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco, CA (280,000 square feet; opened in 1952; 204 associates)

Union Square Men's, San Francisco, CA (248,000 square feet; opened in 1974; 256 associates; as previously announced)

Tyson's Galleria, McLean, VA (265,000 square feet; opened in 1988; 122 associates; as previously announced)

More than 140 residents signed a petition received by the City Council Wednesday.

EASTHAMPTON -- Not every Easthampton resident is thrilled with the idea of declaring the community a "sanctuary city."

A protest petition signed by more than 140 people was recently delivered to City Hall, and the document was received by the City Council Wednesday night.

"We wish to make it known that we, residents of Easthampton, are opposed to making Easthampton a Sanctuary City," the petition reads.

City officials are currently considering whether to officially declare that Easthampton is a safe place for non-criminal undocumented immigrants.

Precinct 2 Councilor Jennifer Hayes and At-large Councilor Tamara Smith on Dec. 7 introduced a measure asking the Ordinance Committee to draft legislation. Councilors had received an email signed by 50 people in support of the idea. Hayes at the time said she was concerned about the prospect of mass deportations under a Trump presidency.

Residents packed the room during that City Council meeting and expressed their thoughts, pro and con, during public speak time.

Should Easthampton declare itself a Sanctuary City?

The Ordinance Subcommittee plans a special meeting on Jan. 11 to discuss the proposal. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. and the public is invited, said City Council President Joseph McCoy.

Also Wednesday night, a Strong Street resident submitted a letter that strongly opposes any effort to protect immigrants from deportation.

Edward Konicki said he served four years in the military starting in 1970, and resents anyone who would "break the laws and/or allow others without consequences." He said that due to a stroke, it is hard for him to talk.

McCoy read Konicki's letter aloud on his behalf. The letter asked councilors to "take the pledge to obey and enforce federal immigration law in Massachusetts."

Councilors discussed how to make sure that all input on the issue is properly recorded and considered.

"I want to make sure people are getting acknowledged and getting heard, no matter which side they are on," said Hayes.

Rist said it might be helpful if all public input on the matter were uploaded to a section on the city website. He noted that any email a councilor receives regarding city business is a public record. He said all emails on the matter should be printed out and given to the City Clerk.

It's not clear what a Sanctuary City ordinance would look like in Easthampton. If a proposal were to advance, it would be drafted by the Ordinance Subcommittee. The legislation would then be advanced to the full council for a vote.

The other option would be for the mayor to issue an executive order or proclamation, Mayor Karen Cadieux said last month. Cadieux said such a proclamation would codify and reflect current practice in the Easthampton Police Department.

Police Chief Robert Alberti said last month that local police "don't go around knocking on doors looking for immigrants," and that "immigration law is responsibility of federal government, not local law enforcement."