Some areas of Massachusetts will see snow as heavy snow squalls are expected to hit different parts of the state Sunday afternoon.

Some areas of Massachusetts will see snow as heavy snow squalls are expected to hit different parts of the state Sunday afternoon.

Hayden Frank, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said the snow squalls will occur from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, but it is difficult to predict what areas will see the added snow.

One or two inches of snow could fall quickly during the squalls.

"It is hit or miss," Frank said.

The snow squalls, which typically last 15-to-30 minutes, can cause brief whiteout conditions.

"It can catch motorists off-guard because the roads become snow covered and visibility can become poor," Frank said.

Some areas of the state received more than a foot of snow during a snowstorm Saturday. Plymouth, Bristol, Dukes and Norfolk counties, all saw more than a foot of snow. The snowfall totals decreased as you head westward.

East Bridgewater had 20.5 inches of snow as of late Saturday night, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

The convenience store and gas station will be built at 221 Northampton St.

EASTHAMPTON -- Cumberland Farms has won major approval to build a gas station-convenience store at 221 Northampton St. 

The Planning Board Tuesday night unanimously granted First Hartford Realty Corporation a special permit to develop the project along Rt. 10, capping a series of public hearings that began in November.

Plans show a 4,786-square-foot building on a nearly two-acre lot. Included are six self-serve gas pumps with an overhead canopy, 35 parking spots, a bike rack, a patio area, lighting and landscaping.

Initial plans showed oversized signage that would need a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals. However, a lawyer for First Hartford said Tuesday that those plans had been abandoned. 

"I don't anticipate a request for a variance," attorney Thomas Murphy told the Planning Board, in response to a question from retired City Councilor Daniel Hagan, present at the meeting. 

The Cumberland Farms project will still need an order of conditions from the Conservation Commission, which meets Monday. A portion of the development footprint is within a 100-foot wetland buffer zone.

As for stormwater, the company plans a proprietary system with deep catch basins that can hold up to 250 gallons of waste petroleum and 89 cubic feet of sediment. The filtration system promises to deliver "improved water quality prior to discharge." The stormwater plan may need a federal permit, because the project is disturbing more than an acre.

The project, located within the Manhan River watershed, will create an additional .78 acres of impervious surface. While part of the site is within a Zone II aquifer recharge area, it is not located within the city's floodplain or aquifer protection overlay zoning districts.

The development will need an OK from MassHighway for two curb cuts. A flammables storage license must be issued by the Fire Department with ratification by the City Council.

Cumberland Farms, which got its got its start in 1939, now has more than 600 stores in eight states, runs a dairy plant near Albany, and owns the Gulf Oil petroleum brand.

The 6.4-acre property once contained a house, which has been demolished. The lot is within the city's Highway Business zone, which allows convenience stores with a special permit from the Planning Board. The property is owned by Easthampton businessman David Boyle.

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

A police officer responding to a shoplifting call at a Plainville, Massachusetts Target store was struck by a car driven by the suspect in the theft, according to police.

A police officer responding to a shoplifting call at a Plainville, Massachusetts Target store was struck by a car driven by the suspect in the theft, according to police.

Police were called to the Target store on Taunton Street around 10 a.m. Sunday for a report of shoplifting in progress. Officer Todd Holbrook headed to the store and approached the suspect as he entered a car in the parking lot, police said.

"The suspect then put the car in drive and struck Officer Holbrook as he fled from the Plaza," Plainville Police said in a statement.

The officer was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with non-life threatening injuries to the lower part of his body.

Police are now searching for the car and the suspect. The car is a small silver Ford Focus with license plate number 6SM550. The license plate had been revoked prior to the incident.

The suspect is a white male in his late 20s to early 30s and 6 feet tall. He wore a black jacket with "MAC tools" on the upper left chest area and on the back. The lettering was red. Police said the suspect also wore a red hooded sweatshirt under the jacket, dark colored pants and a red hat with a white stripe. The man had dark hair and facial hair.

Organizers say pants-less subway rides are scheduled to take place this year in dozens of cities around the world.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Subway riders in New York City and other places around the world should be ready for an eyeful when their fellow transit users strip down to their underwear.

The annual No Pants Subway Ride is taking place Sunday.

The event is organized by the Improv Everywhere comedy collective. It started in 2002 in New York with seven participants.

Organizers say pants-less subway rides are scheduled to take place this year in dozens of cities around the world. Philadelphia's version is sponsored by a laundry delivery service.

Participants are told to get on trains and act as they normally would and are given an assigned point to take off their pants. They're asked to keep a straight face and respond matter-of-factly to anyone who asks them if they're cold.

The act is not random, Connecticut State Police said.

OLD LYME, Conn. - At least one person was killed and another seriously injured in a stabbing at the Big Y plaza Sunday afternoon.

Connecticut State Police and local police remain at the scene of the crime, that happened at about 2:12 p.m. on Halls Road, The Hartford Courant is reporting.

One person was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital with serious injuries. Police also called for a helicopter to transport one of the victims but it is not clear if either of the victims was flown to the hospital, NBC Connecticut is reporting.

State police said a suspect was identified at the scene and may have also been injured, The Hartford Courant said.

The names of the victims and the suspect have not been released yet.

State Police said the people involved in the attack knew each other and the stabbing was not a random act, NBC Connecticut said.

The supermarket has been closed for the rest of the day.

The Big Y is a family-owned business that started in Springfield. Today Big Y has 79 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts with more than 11,000 employees. The chain was founded in 1936 by brothers Paul and Gerald D'Amour.

This is a breaking story. Masslive will update as more information becomes available.

The Merrimack Valley Kennel Club Dog Show was held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The Merrimack Valley Kennel Club hosted a multi-breed American Kennel Club Dog Show in the Young Building at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.

The 2-day event concluded on Sunday, Jan. 8.

Check out the photographs from the show above or for more information visit the Merrimack Valley Kennel Club's website for more information.

The Three Kings took pictures with children and handed out presents at Blessed Sacrament in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Since Tiffany Santiago, 16, was a little girl her parents have told her the story of the Three Kings and celebrated on Jan. 6.

This year Santiago played Mary in a re-enactment of the story of the Three Kings held Sunday at Blessed Sacrament in Springfield's North End neighborhood.

"I just think it's important for kids to know the tradition," said Santiago, of Springfield.

Three Kings Day, or the Day of the Epiphany, is celebrated on Jan. 6. The holiday is widely observed across the world, including in Puerto Rico and Latin America. The celebration is based on the Bible story that tells of the magi, or three kings, who saw a star on the night Christ was born and followed it for 12 days to Bethlehem.

Zulmalee Rivera-Delgado and her mother, Grisel Delgado, founder of Grisel's Private Dance School of the Arts, have been hosting a community event to celebrate Three Kings Day for more than 25 years.

"It's something we will keep doing as long as the community wants it," Delgado said.

Girls who participate in Miss Juventud Hacia Adelante, Miss Carnival and Miss Latina Western Mass. attend the event every year and bring toys and snacks for children.

"It's a real collaboration and when we need them to show up they are always here," Delgado said.

This year the Three Kings were played by Santiago's father Juan Santiago, Luis Diaz and Juan Morales, all members of Blessed Sacrament. The story was told by Brenda Cedo, Santiago's mother.

"We like to volunteer as a family and this is a great event," she said.

About 100 children and their families attended the event. They each received several gifts, snacks and lunch.

The city and community volunteers are working to raise $100,000 to help the fire victims.

HOLYOKE - The New Year started with a tragedy when North East Street residents were woken up to a devastating fire that killed three people, injured a number of others and displaced at least 49 residents.

The fire was reported at about 8:50 a.m. on New Year's Day. When firefighters arrived flames were shooting from the upper floors of the building and a number of people were trapped.

Three people were killed in the fire. Maria Cartagena died after jumping from a window on the fourth or fifth floor. Jorge Munoz, 55, and Trevor R. Wadleigh, 34, of Easthampton were later found dead in the building. Wadleigh was staying with friends who credited him with waking them up and saving their lives before he died.

Holyoke Fire inspectors with the State Fire Marshal's Office announced on Wednesday they had traced the fire's origin to an electrical wall outlet in the living room of a third-floor apartment. It has not been determined how the outlet malfunctioned.

Many residents escaped wearing nothing but their pajamas and nearly all lost everything they owned.

Some were trapped on upper floors and some jumped or dropped children from windows to residents who were holding blankets like nets to catch them.

Others were rescued by the Fire Department.

For the past week the city with the help of community volunteers and the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross has been working to raise money to help the victims. By late Thursday new apartments had been found for all but one of the displaced families.

The city is hoping to raise at least $100,000 to help the fire victims. Donations can be made in person or by mail with a check made out to Mayor's Fire Relief Fund, 536 Dwight St., Holyoke, MA 01040. There is also an associated Gofundme account set up by the city which has raised $62,095 in the past week.

Here are some of the things people have been Tweeting about the fire.

<div class="storify"><iframe src="//storify.com/JeanetteDeForge/holyoke-fire-leaves-3-dead-displaces-49-what-peopl/embed?border=false" width="100%" height="750" frameborder="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/JeanetteDeForge/holyoke-fire-leaves-3-dead-displaces-49-what-peopl.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/JeanetteDeForge/holyoke-fire-leaves-3-dead-displaces-49-what-peopl" target="_blank">View the story "Holyoke fire leaves 3 dead, displaces 49: What people were Tweeting" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>

The driver is believed to have struck a street sign some time Saturday.

LONGMEADOW - The Police Department is asking for help to identify the operator of a car that was involved in a hit and run accident sometime Saturday.

The driver veered off the road and struck a street sign at the intersection of Converse and Dickinson streets, police said.

Police said they believe the car was a white Nissan Altima made between 2013 and 2016, based on the parts left at the accident scene.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Longmeadow Police Department at 413-567-3311.

William O'Connor faces a charge of possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

HOLYOKE - Police arrested a Huntington man following a car chase that ended with the driver crashing into two vehicles in Chicopee.

William O'Connor, 38, was arrested at about 3:20 p.m., Sunday and charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and several motor vehicle charges related to the chase, Police Sgt. Phillip McKay said.

Earlier in the day a Ford Expedition had been reported stolen from Holyoke. Sunday afternoon patrol officers spotted the car being driven on South Bridge Street, he said.

Police attempted to pull over the driver, who allegedly refused to stop. He continued to drive about 45 miles an hour during the chase and crossed into Chicopee. The chase ended on Grattan Street when he crashed into two other vehicles, McKay said.

There were no serious injuries in the accident. After the crash, O'Connor then jumped out of the car and tried to run away but was quickly apprehended, he said.

He is being held in the Holyoke Police Department and will be arraigned in Holyoke District Court on Monday.

One person was killed and another criticfally injured in what appeared to be a knife fight in an Old Lyme supermarket, authorities said. One of the injured was airlifted to Yale-New Haven Hospital from the Big Y parking lot.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

According to Connecticut State Police a fight between two people who apparently knew each other broke out in the Big Y supermarket in Old Lyme just after 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon. When it was over, one person was dead and a suspect injured.

Witnesses told WFSB-TV that a store employee appeared to be struggling with a woman when a second man intervened. One of the men apparently started stabbing the other, and shoppers began throwing food at the pair to try to stop the fighting. A witness said both men were seen lying on the floor bleeding profusely.

Police said one of the two injured parties was airlifted by Lifestar helicopter from the store parking lot. He was flown to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

A witness said he started to perform CPR on the second victim. Police said that person later died.

None of the people involved have been identified pending notification of family.

The store was closed to facilitate the police investigation.

A 23-year-old South Windsor man is recovering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen after police said he as shot by his father as the older man showed his son his 9mm handgun.

Dave Canton | dcanton@repub.com 

The Hartford Courant reported that South Windsor police were called to a Gail Lane home just before 10 a.m. Saturday with the report of an accidental shooting.

Police said they found the wounded son, who was transported to Hartford Hospital. Officers then interviewed family members at the scene. Witnesses told police the father was handling the firearm when it went off, striking the son in the lower abdomen.

Police said that following a preliminary investigation they are attributing the incident to an accident discharge of a firearm.

Authorities told the Associated Press that the suspects are well known for robbery and other crimes.

French police have arrested 16 people they believe may be connected to the October theft of millions of dollars of jewelry from Kim Kardashian West, the Associated Press reported.

Paris authorities said the arrests took place at 6 a.m. in multiple regions of the country. Police tracked down the suspects using DNA evidence found at the scene of the crime.

Kardashian West was staying in Paris on Oct. 3 when she says robbers forced their way in into her residence, tied her up, locked her in a bathroom and held her at gunpoint. They stole a jewelry box containing more than $6 million of valuables, and a ring worth $4 million.

A spokesperson for Kardashian West said she was unharmed during the robbery, however, the starlet avoided social media for almost three months after the incident.

In a teaser for the newest season of the family's reality show, Kardashian West told her sisters her thoughts at the time: "They're going to shoot me in the back. There's no way out."

Authorities told the Associated Press that the suspects are well known for robbery and other crimes.

A 24-year-old Northampton man allegedly held a screwdriver to someone's neck after the two quarreled inside Ye Ol' Watering Hole early Thursday morning.

A 24-year-old Northampton man allegedly held a screwdriver to a bar patron's neck early Thursday morning after the two quarreled at Ye Ol' Watering Hole.

According to a report by Northampton Police Officer Bradley Buzzee, Simon E. Ross of Ahwaga Avenue "began to argue aggressively" with 21-year-old Jacob Levitt at the bar before walking out.

Ross didn't leave, according to the report. Instead, he allegedly waited outside in his car for Levitt to exit the bar.

Upon seeing Levitt emerge, Ross "got out of his car and approached" "pulled a large flathead screwdriver" and "pressed Levitt against (a) wall and held the screwdriver up to (his) neck" while making verbal threats, Buzzee's report says.

Levitt told police he held up his hands and remarked he "didn't want any issues," whereupon Ross to allegedly spit in his face, got back into his car and sped away.

Northampton Police officers visited Ross' Ahwaga Avenue home twice in the early hours of Thursday morning after Levitt reported the alleged assault.

The officer's found Ross' car there but the house was dark and nobody answered the door on both occasions, according to Buzzee's report.

On Friday, Ross was charged with assault and battery and assault with a dangerous weapon in Northampton District Court. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 16.

Obituaries from The Republican.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren admonished Donald Trump's recent education secretary pick, saying she has a paper-thing record in higher education and would gut public school funding.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren admonished Donald Trump's recent education secretary pick, saying she has a paper-thing record in higher education and would gut public school funding.

Warren made her feelings clear in a letter to Betsy DeVos on Monday, the Associated Press reported. Warren claims that DeVos is a charter school advocate who would jeopardize public education funding.

"Your history of support for policies that would drain valuable taxpayer resources from our public schools and funnel those funds to unaccountable private and for-profit education operators may well disqualify you from such a central role in public education," Warren wrote.

DeVos served for many years as the chair of the Michigan Republican Party, where she championed Detroit's first charter school program.

Warren said that the next education secretary should prioritize student loan debt and higher education issues as a top priority. DeVos, Warren says, has no stated position on higher education issues.

"In fact the very policies you have spent decades advocating for in elementary and secondary education -- more free taxpayer money for private and for-profit education operators with virtually no strings attached -- are the exact policies that have caused so many problems and harmed so many students in higher education," Warren wrote.

President-elect Trump praised DeVos as "a brilliant and passionate education advocate," the Associated Press reported.

After Trump announced his pick, DeVos tweeted:

I am honored to work with the President-elect on his vision to make American education great again. The status quo in ed is not acceptable.

-- Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) November 23, 2016

The City Council voted 11-0 to install the alarm buttons in the Veterans' Services and Community Development offices.

CHICOPEE - The City Council agreed to spend about $2,000 to install so-called panic buttons in city offices located outside of City Hall.

The buttons have already been installed in City Hall. In the case of emergency, employees can now summon help by hitting one of the buttons, Mayor Richard J. Kos said.

The Veterans Services and Community Development offices however are located in another building on 36 Center St. and were not included when the system was initially installed. City Messenger Jean J. Croteau Jr., who oversees maintenance of City Hall, requested the other offices be included for safety purposes.

"It is the times we live in. Hopefully we will never need them," City Councilor William Courchesne said. The Council passed the proposal in an 11-0 vote.

Councilor Frank N. Laflamme asked if the alarms are directly connected to the Police Department.

Mayor Richard J. Kos said if a button is activated the calls are picked up by an answering service which immediately contacts the Police Department.

"It was the most economical way and it did not make much time difference," he said.

The man authorities say gunned down five people and injured others at an airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is expected to appear in Federal Court Monday. a

The man authorities say gunned down five people and injured others at an airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is expected to appear in Federal Court Monday.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago faces charges of murder, firearms and airport violence. He also faces the death penalty, if convicted.

Authorities say that Santiago arrived at the airport around 1 p.m. Friday, pulled a 9-millimeter handgun from his suitcase, and began shooting at travelers. According to The New York Times, after running out of ammunition, Santiago lay on the ground, waiting to be arrested. 

Alleged airport shooter planned the Ft. Lauderdale attack, FBI says

Details have begun to emerge on the suspected gunman since the attack Friday.

Santiago was confirmed to be an Iraq War veteran. He was discharged from service last year due to unsatisfactory performance and taking absences without leave, NPR reported. 

When Santiago returned home to Alaska, relatives said they noticed a marked decline in his mental health. Santiago ran into issues with the authorities for domestic violence and strangulation. 

His family told The New York Times that Santiago developed delusions that the C.I.A. was controlling his brain. He reportedly walked into the F.B.I. office in Anchorage to report that he was under mind control and believed he was being influenced by ISIS.

So far, authorities have not discovered any ties between Santiago and any terrorist groups.

Authorities arrest suspect Esteban Santiago

Monday's court proceedings will most likely involve appearing before a judge to have his allegations explained to him and have to appoint a lawyer to represent him, the Sentinel reported. Due to Santiago's apparent mental health issues, his defense may ask for a mental competency evaluation. 

Airport security video shows Santiago pulling out his gun and shooting at people, and allegedly confessed to the shooting, authorities told the Sentinel. 

He will not be able to enter a plea until formal charges are filed, which could take some time. If he is convicted, Santiago could end up serving life in prison or receive the death penalty. 

King was donated to Wilbraham by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, the police agency of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

WILBRAHAM -- A new four-legged crimefighter has joined the ranks of the Wilbraham Police Department.

King, the department's newest member in training, will replace Charon, a dog who's retiring after eight years of K-9 service to the Town of Wilbraham. "Although his nose is still strong, his age is starting to catch up to him and he's slowing down physically," police said on Facebook.

King was donated to Wilbraham by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, the police agency of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He was originally acquired from Shallow Creek Kennels, a privately owned 40-acre importing and training facility for police service dogs in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.

King has already received some training and will continue working with Wilbraham K-9 Officer Joseph Brewer. Upon completion of training and certification, King will officially take over for Charon.

"Although he has big paws to fill, there is no doubt that (King) will continue the successes of his predecessors," say police, who plan to post public updates on the transition on the department's Facebook page.

The Ordinance Subcommittee will consider the matter on Jan. 11

EASTHAMPTON -- The question of whether Easthampton should declare itself a safe place for undocumented immigrants has been controversial. Competing petitions are being circulated, and strong opinions have been expressed at public meetings and on social media.

In order to share information and collect public input, the City Council's Ordinance Subcommittee plans a special meeting devoted entirely to the "sanctuary city" idea.

The meeting is set for Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. at the 50 Payson Ave. municipal office building.

If the City Council does consider an ordinance, the initial language would be drafted by the Ordinance Subcommittee. The matter appeared on the committee's plate in December when councilors Jennifer Hayes and Tamara Smith formally asked that the issue be examined.

The subcommittee is chaired by councilor Salem Derby. Other members are councilors Smith and James "J.P." Kwiecinski. 

Another possible way for the city to address the issue would be for Mayor Karen Cadieux to issue an executive order. Cadieux has said that such an order would codify or reflect current practice within the Easthampton Police Department.

The public is invited to attend Wednesday's meeting, which will be held in the large upstairs meeting room in order to accommodate a crowd.