Morris said serving as the interim superintendent has been the highlight of his professional career.

AMHERST -- Michael Morris said serving as the town's interim schools superintendent has been the highlight of his professional career, but he will not apply for the permanent position.

Morris took on the position as acting, then interim, superintendent last fall after Maria Geryk left the position amid controversy last summer.

Morris sent messages Wednesday to the Amherst-Pelham Regional and Union 26 school committees and to faculty and staff.

In his letter to faculty and staff he wrote, "It is a great honor serving as interim superintendent this year. Having worked in this district in a variety of roles for the past 16 years, it has been humbling to be afforded the opportunity to support your work in this leadership capacity. In fact, serving as Interim Superintendent has been the highlight of my professional career, and I look forward to continuing in this role for the remainder of the current academic year."

But after much consideration, he wrote, he decided to "return to my previous role of assistant superintendent and I look forward to focusing on curricular and instructional matters in collaboration with faculty and staff."

"The decision not to apply for the permanent position of superintendent of schools was very difficult for me for many reasons; the primary one being the deep commitment I feel towards the incredible work done by the faculty and staff of Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools to educate, nurture and support all our students. I appreciate your work and support over the course of this year."

The district is in the process of hiring a new superintendent and hopes to have someone in place for the start of the next academic year.

"Mike has done an incredible job guiding the district through a very difficult period, particularly at a time when all three districts are facing some very challenging political and financial issues," Amherst School Committee Chairwoman Katherine Appy said in an email.

The district is made up of Pelham and Amherst elementary schools and the Amherst-Pelham regional district.

She sent him an email in which she told him how grateful she was "as a school committee member and a community member, for your leadership over these last difficult months. I've always known you to be a thoughtful person and I'm sure your reasons for not applying for the job of superintendent fall into that category."

A Halifax elementary school student is seeing green after she won a $1,000 savings bond for growing a 14-pound cabbage.

A Halifax elementary school student is seeing green after she won a $1,000 savings bond for growing a 14-pound cabbage. 

Evanthia Chapman, a student at the Halifax Elementary School in Halifax, won the savings bond from Bonnie Plants, the largest producer of vegetable and herb plants in North America. 

Chapman grew a 14-pound cabbage and was one of 9,350 students in Massachusetts that participated in the National Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program. 

More than 1.5 million third graders in 48 states participated in the program this year, according to Bonnie Plants.

Chapman won "best in state" for Massachusetts.

Bonnie Plants sends oversized cabbage plants to third grade classrooms whose teachers signed up for the program.

The program began in 1996 around the Bonnie Plants headquarters in Alabama.

The mission was to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people. The program grew and by 2002, there were 48 states involved in the program. 

An elderly woman was taken to Baystate Medical Center after being struck by a car in Hadley.

HADLEY - A 78-year-old Deerfield woman was hospitalized Tuesday night after being struck by a car in Hadley on Route 9, according to police. 

The woman was in the process of using a crosswalk in the vicinity of the Most Holy Redeemer Church when she was hit by a passing Honda Civic, said Officer John Robitaille of the Hadley Police Department. 

Police were called to the scene at approximately 6:53 p.m., Robitaille said. 

The victim suffered injuries to the head, leg and hand, and had to be taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment. "It appears she is going to be alright," said Robitaille. 

The operator of the Honda, a 30-year-old woman from Amherst, is not currently facing any charges, as she was not speeding at the time and poor visibility is believed to have contributed to the incident, Robitaille said. 

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Park Commission have approved plans for major improvements to the Stearns Square and Duryea Way.

SPRINGFIELD -- A proposed $1.2 million major improvement project for Stearns Square and Duryea Way in the downtown moved another step forward Wednesday with approval of the design plans by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the Park Commission.

The improvements include restoration of the downtown park and fountain at Stearns Square, new and widened sidewalks, retained trees and new landscaping, and enhancements for pedestrians and outdoor dining, according to city officials and the design firm.

"The renovation of Stearns Square and Duryea Way is an integral part of the renaissance of our downtown," Sarno said. "The proposed improvements along with significant investments at Union Station and MGM Springfield will market our downtown as a destination to residents and visitors from throughout the Pioneer Valley."

The commission, which oversees all parkland including Stearns Square and Duryea Way, approved the plans by a 5-0 vote. Landscape Architect Anja Ryan Duffy of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., presented the master plan for approval.

Funding will need approval from the City Council.

The city is planning to begin the complete renovation in the fall including the new fountain restoration, landscaping, additional trees, pavers, park furniture and new lighting, officials said.

The renovations are seen as a key component of establishing the Stearns Square dining district, and will serve as a link between the refurbished Union Station, set to open in June, and the downtown district.

Parks Director Patrick Sullivan said the various projects and improvements in the downtown area "will market our downtown as a destination to residents and visitors from throughout the Pioneer Valley."

Last year, city officials including Sarno rejected the idea of moving the iconic statue "The Puritan" to Strearns Square from the Quadrangle, as part of the improvement project. Sarno said the statue will stay at its current location.

The approved plans for Stearns Square include widening sections of the sidewalk along the north side of Worthington Street to allow street-side dining, Duffy said.

The four original turtles that were part of the fountain are now in storage for future placement in a park museum, Sullivan said. The refurbished fountain will have replica turtles to safeguard the originals from theft or damage, he said.

Stearns Square is bordered by Worthington and Bridge streets on the north and south, and by two short one-way streets on the east and west.

The city is considering the seasonal closure of the short one-way streets to enhance the pedestrian environment.

"Stearns Square and Duryea Way offer the perfect drop back for the restaurants downtown" Park Commission Chairman Brian Santaniello said. "These passive parks offer the opportunity for a tranquil ambience setting."

Santaniello praised Sarno for "continuing to see the value of our open space and how it plays an integral role in the economic development of our city."

Duffy said the project improves and revitalizes an existing historical park and enhances the link to Duryea Way and Union Station.

Smith & Wesson plans to break ground for a new 500,000 square-foot facility in the next several months.

SPRINGFIELD -- The parent company of gunmaker Smith & Wesson has plans for a half-million-square-foot, $55-million distribution center in Missouri.

"When complete, it is expected that the center would serve as the central distribution facility for most of American Outdoor Brands' products,"  American Outdoor Brands, the newly named parent company of Smith & Wesson, announced in a news release.

Work is expected to begin in the next several months and take 18 months to complete.

American Outdoor Brands formally applied for economic development bonds from the state of Missouri, according to the Missourian newspaper, which also reported the price tag. The new distribution center will be in Boone County, just outside Columbia.

As Smith & Wesson, the company bought Columbia-based Battenfield Technologies in 2014. American Outdoor Brands said the new distribution and office center will consolidate the Battenfield operation and its 100 employees who now work nearby.

The facility will mean 328 new jobs, including 154 new jobs in the first three years, American Outdoor Brands said in a news release.

James Debney, President and CEO of American Outdoor Brands, said in a news release:

"We continue to focus on our vision of being a leading provider of high quality products for the shooting, hunting, and rugged outdoor enthusiast. By executing our strategy and delivering growth organically and through targeted acquisitions, we have successfully grown to multiple operating divisions that serve a large addressable market and represent more than 18 respected consumer brands. Establishing a national distribution center will allow us, over time, to harvest synergies across our business. Our meetings with representatives of Missouri and Gov. (Eric) Greitens demonstrated that they are business-friendly and understand what we need as a company to be successful."

Smith & Wesson has 1,758 full-time employees, according to its annual report. Some 1,462 are engaged in manufacturing and most of those workers are at the company's factory on Roosevelt Avenue in Springfield. The company has been hiring recently.

The news release doesn't say how, or even if, the Missouri expansion will change operations in Springfield. A company spokeswoman didn't respond to questions Wednesday.

Smith & Weson also has a plastics factory in Deep River, Connecticut, which it bought in 2014.

Smith & Wesson reported that sales for its most recent quarter beat those from the same time period a year before.

Quarterly net sales were $233.5 million compared with $210.8 million for the same period last year, an increase of 10.8 percent. But American Outdoor Brands said sales were soft at the tail end of that quarter, in November and December, and it cut expected its expected earnings forecast. 

Analysts say gun sales will suffer with a Republican in the White House. Gun enthusiasts acquire more firearms when Democrats are in power because they fear increased regulation.

In a video accompanying his news release, Gov. Eric Greitens talks about Missouri being a "great Second Amendment" state.

The event held in Court Square was an opportunity for women to come together in celebration and solidarity.

SPRINGFIELD -- A group of women and even a few men gathered in Springfield's Court Square Wednesday in solidarity with women all around the world on International Women's Day.

Holding signs and wearing red ribbons, women gathered downtown to celebrate and encourage each other. The event was organized by a new group called Springfield Women Organize.

"We are here to fight for women's rights, to take what we need and keep what we've got," said Terrette Lowe, president of Arise for Social Justice.

"Today we wanted to be here to be in solidarity with all of the women in the world," said Yolanda Cancel, who led the event. It was one of several to be held this month, culminating on March 25 with hundreds of women marching from the city's North End, South End and upper State Street to downtown Springfield.

"We will be on the sidewalk so that everyone can see us and hear us," Cancel said. "We will have poets, dancers, singers, speakers all talking about issues affecting women across the world today."

Candice Connors, who became a mother at 15, attended the event with her son, who is now a young man.

"Behind every major movement there was a strong female woman at the forefront," she said. "Women as a whole, we need to lift each other up, we need to be there for each other."

Brenda Lopez, a longtime advocate for women and children through her work with the Springfield Police Department, said while women's rights have come a long way there is still more to be done.

"As women we are still not paid equally, we still don't have the conditions that we need. We are homeless, we are hungry, we go without so that our children can have. This is the history of women," she said.

She also told women in the crowd to support and encourage each other.

"Never forget there is a woman who's shoulders you stand on, whether that be a mother, grandmother, teacher, whoever that woman was that tried to pull you up and encourage you in life, as women we still need to do that," she said.

Lopez said women should know their value.

"Always respect, protect and love women because we are the womb of man. ... We are here to walk beside, not behind," she said.

MGM Resorts international would have an expanded East Coast presence with resorts in Maryland, Atlantic City, Pennsylvania and Springfield.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- MGM Resorts International, corporate parent of the $950 million MGM Springfield casino now under construction, has reached a deal to buy the Pennsylvania's Sands Bethlehem for approximately $1.3 billion, according to the Allentown Morning Call.

Sources told the Morning Call that both MGM and Sands have worked out a deal and are now in a period of "due diligence" before making a formal announcement. The sale, which would need approval from authorities in Pennsylvania, could take months to complete.

It would give Las Vegas-based MGM an even bigger East Coast presence. The company reentered the Atlantic City market by buying a half interest in the Borgata, the largest casino in Atlantic City, in August 2016. MGM in January bought out its partner, Boyd Gaming, and took full ownership of the Borgata.

MGM opened its $1.4 billion National Harbor casino resort in Maryland in December.

The 14-acre MGM Springfield project in the city's South End is set to open in the fall of 2018. 

MGM executives have said they plan to market the East Coast resorts together with Las Vegas properties. MGM already has a large database of gamblers developed through its "M life Rewards" program.

Las Vegas customers in the database who live in the east will get marketing materials for these resorts, for example. And an MGM Springfield customer would be encouraged to take a Vegas vacation at MGM's properties there.

Opened in 2009 on part of the former Bethlehem Steel site, the Bethlehem Sands has 2,500 employees and attracts 9 million visitors a year. Sands has talked about a $90 million expansion.

Like the Sands, the MGM Springfield project involves a redevelopment of an urban setting.

This isn't the first time Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson has shopped the Bethlehem Sands to potential buyers. He worked on a rumored deal with Tropicana and Carl Icahn back in 2014.

The Bethlehem Sands is about a four hour drive from Springfield. The Borgata is about five hours away.

Obituaries from The Republican.

The Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday will take up the question of whether a business can fire an employee for using medical marijuana outside of work.

The Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday will take up the question of whether a business can fire an employee for using medical marijuana outside of work.

The case, Cristina Barbuto vs. Advantage Sales and Marketing, pits businesses that want to set their own rules about drug use against workers who want to be able to treat their medical conditions with marijuana.

"It's an issue of people with disabilities who are trying to get medical treatment that the voters of Massachusetts and several other states decided was appropriate for them to be able to use, and whether employees should have to choose between their livelihoods and medical treatment that gets them relief for chronic pain or other medical issues," said attorney David Russcol, who represents a coalition of organizations that filed a brief supporting Barbuto, including the ACLU, the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, and lawyers' groups focused on employee labor law, gay rights and the rights of individuals with mental health problems.

Barbuto, 35, of Brewster, filed the case in Suffolk Superior Court in 2015.

Barbuto says she worked for only one day for Advantage Sales and Marketing, promoting products in a supermarket, before the company fired her. The reason: Barbuto failed a required drug test by testing positive for marijuana. She had previously told the company she used medical marijuana, with a doctor's recommendation, to treat symptoms of Crohn's disease.

A human resources manager told Barbuto that the company follows federal law, not state law, and marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

Barbuto sued -- arguing, among other things, that the company discriminated against her because of her disability.

A Suffolk Superior Court judge dismissed the discrimination and other charges, leaving only a charge of invasion of privacy, which the judge put on hold pending the appeal. Barbuto is asking the Supreme Judicial Court to overturn the Superior Court ruling and find that the law protects her from being fired for legally using medical marijuana.

Barbuto's attorneys argue that while Massachusetts law lets employers prohibit the use of marijuana on-site, it does not allow an employer to punish a worker for using medical marijuana when she is not at work, as long as the marijuana use does not affect her job performance. They argue in a court brief that Massachusetts' disability protection law, which requires an employer to make reasonable accommodations for a disability, gives Barbuto a right to work even after failing a drug test.

But attorneys for Advantage Sales and Marketing argue that Massachusetts' medical marijuana law only provides protection from criminal prosecution and civil penalties. It is silent on protections at work.

"In a first-of-its-kind test case, Barbuto is asking this Court to extend the scope of the Act from a narrow decriminalization statue to an expansive statute providing job protection from adverse employment actions - despite no language in the Act supporting such a result," wrote attorneys for Advantage Sales and Marketing.

The company says there is nothing to restrict a company from firing an at-will employee for using medical marijuana, even if she is not on the job at the time. Eleven other states have anti-employment discrimination protections written into their medical marijuana laws, but Massachusetts does not.

The legal groups representing employees argue in their brief that requiring a company to accommodate off-site medical marijuana use is no different than requiring a company to provide reasonable accommodations for any other disability.

But the National Federation of Independent Business, in a brief supporting the company, counters that nothing in the Massachusetts law requires companies to go against federal law and accept marijuana use.

The case is being heard months after Massachusetts voters voted to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. But the case is based specifically on the medical marijuana law and will not necessarily affect policy related to recreational marijuana use.

"I don't think it's the contention of anyone involved in the case that people who are using recreational marijuana should be entitled to the same accommodation," Russcol said.

Over 200 students at Chestnut Accelerated Middle School Talented & Gifted have been receiving a customized learning experience this school year within Teaching to One: Math learning model.

SPRINGFIELD -- More than 200 students at Chestnut Accelerated Middle School Talented & Gifted have been receiving customized math instruction this school year.

At the start of the year, Springfield Public Schools and the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership joined with New Classrooms, a nonprofit that works to personalize education for students by altering the classroom, learning and teaching culture.

Springfield 'empowerment zone' school model considered for statewide expansion

Through a program called Teach to One, 226 students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade participate in a 90-minute, two-session math block during their school day that begins with checking their daily schedules to find out what classroom they will report to. Based on their performance on their exit ticket from the day before, and their personal learning needs, students' schedules may include a mix of teacher-led, collaborative and independent lessons.

Chalais Carter, one of four TAG educators using the new curriculum, said Teach to One is a "holistic learning model," as it offers a more efficient and accurate method of tracking students' progress.

"I'm really pushed as a teacher in the way that I think about assessment and the way that I bring my instruction game to students," she said. "This component of the program allows me to ask as a teacher how many times had a student been exposed to a particular skill and how I should think about that as I go to plan my lesson so I can do what I need to do so I can fill I the gaps that they may have."

Math teacher Chalais Carter conducts one of her teacher-led small groups in the Teach to One: Math program.(JORDAN GRICE / THE REPUBLICAN) 

According to Chris Gabrieli, founder and CEO of Empower Schools, the goal of the Empowerment Zone Partnership is to give principals and teacher leadership the autonomy to make decisions to help improve their schools. He felt Teach to One would do that for Chestnut TAG.

"I think that anytime students are taking their own paths, each day, of what they're doing in the classroom, that empowers them in ways that often schools don't feel that they do," he said. "This notion that schools can really find their way forward to approaches that can be powerful for students, successful for teachers, and ultimately really serve our community well is really what the Empowerment Zone is meant to help enable."

Teach to One offers educators a collection of learning resources tailored to meet the various needs of each student and addresses any gaps in understanding. Students work through their math skills within one of nine instructional approaches based on the data gathered from the day before.

Chestnut TAG Principal Collen O'Connor said that while the middle school is a destination for high-achieving students, the school faces challenges effectively reaching students of different abilities.

"No matter how well we monitor and no matter how well we improve our instructional pedagogy, we still find that we weren't reaching the kids as well as we wanted to," she said.

The problem was especially evident within TAG's math classes, where ideally one math teacher would lead a class of 20 students or fewer. O'Connor pointed out that while students were performing well on tests their growth was not where it needed to be.

Since implementing the new style of math classes, Springfield Superintendent Daniel Warrick said the results, according to student assessments, have been encouraging.

"When you're one teacher in a class there's only so much you can do, unless you have the kind of technology that's involved with the Teach to One programs," he said. "Having gone into these classrooms and seeing the kids getting immediate feedback, everything individualized to meet their needs, it's just a perfect solution."

Along with winning over teachers and administrators, the new learning model has also garnered sizable student approval as well.

"Students can move at their own pace, and they don't have to be held back because others aren't understanding," said seventh-grader Ashley Judkins. "Everyone can go through their skills and if they're not passing them they can be held back so they have a better understanding."

The Holyoke Historical Commission's public hearing could resume on Monday, March 13, 2017 upstairs at City Hall on a proposal to demolish the closed Mater Dolorosa Church.

HOLYOKE -- The public hearing on a proposal to demolish the closed Mater Dolorosa Church tentatively will resume at 6:30 p.m. on Monday in the City Hall auditorium, an official said Wednesday.

The Historical Commission halted the session at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday and is seeking an agreeable resumption date with representatives of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Historical Commission Co-chairwoman Olivia L. Mausel said.

The hearing lasted for four hours with over 20 speakers in addition to remarks from Diocese consultants and Historical Commission members.

Held at the Senior Center at 291 Pine St., it soon became necessary  to move the hearing to a larger room in the facility to accommodate the overflow crowd. Many people spilled into an outer room and complained of being unable to hear or see the proceedings.

Parishioners and others waited hours to speak about the proposal to demolish the 116-year-old church at Maple and Lyman streets.

Diocese warns of danger but hearing on proposed demolition in Holyoke dominated by church defenders

Remarks focused on parishioners' devotion to the closed church, distrust of the Diocese, disputes about the extent of the structure's deterioration, safety concerns and repair costs, and the practical need to accept that parish populations change and buildings age.

Diocese consultants said that deterioration makes demolition of Mater Dolorosa Church necessary because the steeple could collapse and pieces from it have broken off and fallen to the ground. The Diocese requested a permit to begin emergency demolition on Jan. 27.

Emergency demolition of Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke recommended: engineer

But Building Commissioner Damian J. Cote on Feb. 1 declined the emergency demolition order and referred the proposal to the Historical Commission.

The commission is holding the public hearing to take testimony as it determines whether the historical significance of the church property outweighs the Diocese assertions that demolition is necessary.

Options for the commission include approving demolition of the church, and of a separate building, the Immaculate Conception Social Hall at 94 Ely St., or imposing a delay in demolition of up to six months.

In June 2011, the Diocese cited declining parishioner numbers and concerns about the steeple's stability in shutting down Mater Dolorosa Church. The Diocese combined Mater Dolorosa with the former Holy Cross Church to form Our Lady of the Cross Parish at 23 Sycamore St.

Dig out your snow boots and be prepared to shovel out your car once more. Snow expected again on Friday.

Dig out your snow boots once more. Snow expected again on Friday. 

The National Weather reports snow is likely overnight into Friday morning, reporting a 60 percent chance of snow across Massachusetts. "Snow fall rates near 1-2 inches an hr are possible," meteorologists with the National Weather Service wrote. "Anticipate a rough Friday morning commute."

When will it start to snow in Massachusetts?

Southeastern Massachusetts will get hit the hardest, with the National Weather Service currently predicting Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the lower Cape Cod seeing six to eight inches of snow Friday. 

Communities in Norfolk and Plymouth County are expected to get between four to six inches of snow, according to estimations released by the National Weather Service Thursday morning. 

Boston, Springfield and Worcester are likely to get between two and three inches of snow Friday. 

Communities near the northern state line are expected to see little to no snow, as is Berkshire County. 

[Friday] Here is a timeline for snow from one of our forecast models. Expect snow to begin after midnight & exit SNE by Fri afternoon. pic.twitter.com/dbGW99AfhC

-- NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) March 9, 2017

Strong winds to blow into Thursday afternoon

Stoneham police have arrested a man they believe stole from a church collection box at the St. Patrick's Parish several times.

Stoneham police have arrested a man they believe stole from a church collection box at the St. Patrick's Parish several times.

After releasing photos snapped by a janitor working in the parish last February, Stoneham and Lynn police received numerous tips from the public, pointing them in the direction of John McHale, 51, of Cambridge.

Police said McHale used a large screwdriver to pry open the locked money box at the St. Patrick's Parish and took cash from the candle lighting prayer stand.

A janitor happened to witness the crime and chased him out of the church. He also managed to take some pictures of the suspect as he fled. 

"The witness in this case acted smartly, and his actions are commendable," Stoneham Police Chief James McIntyre said. "We never advise citizens to attempt to apprehend a potentially dangerous suspect."

The details of the incident match a similar theft that occurred in October, leading police to believe that McHale committed both crimes.

McHale was arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with breaking into a church, possession of a burglarious instrument, malicious damage of property and larceny from a building.

In addition, McHale was held on a warrant out of Cambridge District Court for breaking and entering at nighttime and larceny over $250. 

He is currently being held on $100,000 cash bail and will appear in Woburn District Court Thursday. 

"I want to extend a huge thank you to the Cambridge and Lynn Police Departments for the information they provided Stoneham Police during our investigation and their assistance during today's arrest," Chief McIntyre said. "Through this collaboration we were able to quickly identify, locate and arrest this suspect."

Stoneham police have arrested a man they believe stole from a church collection box at the St. Patrick's Parish several times.

Stoneham police have arrested a man they believe stole from a church collection box at the St. Patrick's Parish several times.

After releasing photos snapped by a janitor working in the parish last February, Stoneham and Lynn police received numerous tips from the public, pointing them in the direction of John McHale, 51, of Cambridge.

Police said McHale used a large screwdriver to pry open the locked money box at the St. Patrick's Parish and took cash from the candle lighting prayer stand.

A janitor happened to witness the crime and chased him out of the church. He also managed to take some pictures of the suspect as he fled. 

"The witness in this case acted smartly, and his actions are commendable," Stoneham Police Chief James McIntyre said. "We never advise citizens to attempt to apprehend a potentially dangerous suspect."

The details of the incident match a similar theft that occurred in October, leading police to believe that McHale committed both crimes.

McHale was arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with breaking into a church, possession of a burglarious instrument, malicious damage of property and larceny from a building.

In addition, McHale was held on a warrant out of Cambridge District Court for breaking and entering at nighttime and larceny over $250. 

He is currently being held on $100,000 cash bail and will appear in Woburn District Court Thursday. 

"I want to extend a huge thank you to the Cambridge and Lynn Police Departments for the information they provided Stoneham Police during our investigation and their assistance during today's arrest," Chief McIntyre said. "Through this collaboration we were able to quickly identify, locate and arrest this suspect."

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for all of southern New England - including Massachusetts - cautioning of 20 to 30 mile per hour winds with gusts up to 50 miles per hour. The strongest gusts are expected in higher elevations.

It's going to be seasonably warm and windy Thursday.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for all of southern New England - including Massachusetts - cautioning of 20 to 30 mile per hour winds with gusts up to 50 miles per hour. The strongest gusts are expected in higher elevations.

The wind advisory will be in effect from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Temperatures will reach the mid-to-high 40s across Massachusetts Thursday and drop into the 20s overnight when snow is expected.

Up to 8 inches of snow expected in Massachusetts Friday

A 50-year-old Haverhill man has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the alleged rape of a disabled woman.

A 50-year-old Haverhill man has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the alleged rape of a disabled woman. 

Joseph Gagnon faced rape, abuse, and assault and battery charges in Haverhill District Court on Wednesday, The Boston Globe reports. 

A judge set Gagnon's bail at $5,000 and ordered him to wear a GPS monitor and not contact the victim, who according to Essex District Attorney spokeswoman Carrie Kimball Monahan was in the adult foster care system living legally under his wife's care.

Six new fire fighter recruits have been appointed to the Chicopee Fire Department.

CHICOPEE - Chicopee appointed six new fire fighter recruits to the city's fire department on Wednesday--all of whom are residents of Chicopee.  

After completing a 10-week training program the recruits will be officially sworn in as fire fighters, said Benjamin Strepka, Special Projects Manager for Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos. 

"It's important to maintain our level of public safety, both in police and fire," said Mayor Kos. "I welcome our new recruits and thank the City Council for their support in funding our budget going forward." 

The new recruits are:

Preston Bailey

Christopher Drobnak

Zachary Gates

Gregory Pray

Eric Rogers

Valeri Stein

The city's Fire Chief Deam Desmarais thanked the Mayor and other officials on Wednesday. "Again the Fire Department would like to thank the Mayor and the City Council for continuing to support the Fire Department by maintaining our staffing levels at the highest levels possible," Desmarais said. "We look forward to being able to assign these candidates to fire and ambulance apparatus after completion of training at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy."

The Holyoke City Council Public Safety Committee will discuss the new ambulance service in the city and conditions at the closed Mater Dolorosa Church at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, 2017 at City Hall.

HOLYOKE -- The new ambulance service and conditions at the closed Mater Dolorosa Church are among issues the City Council Public Safety Committee is scheduled to discuss today at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Ward 7 Councilor Todd A. McGee asked that the police and fire chiefs and a representative of Holyoke Medical Center be invited to discuss Action Ambulance Service Inc. of Wilmington, which Mayor Alex B. Morse announced in January had replaced AMR as the city's main ambulance service.

Fees for an ambulance trip are paid by the patient or his or her insurance company to the ambulance company. The only revenue the city will receive is from leases for the fire station spaces that Action Ambulance will use in parking its vehicles. Lease amounts are being worked out, Fire Chief John A. Pond has said.

Holyoke Medical Center will continue to provide medical direction over emergency medical services, ensuring emergency medical technicians and paramedics are trained up to date on procedures, Morse said.

Action Ambulance will station ambulances at Fire Department headquarters at 600 High St., at Station 3 at 1579 Northampton St. and at Station 5 at 33 Whiting Farms Road, Pond said.

The committee also is scheduled to discuss these orders about Mater Dolorosa Church filed by Councilor at Large Michael J. Sullivan:

• the Board of Health take immediate enforcement action against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to clean and prevent further accumulation of avian fecal matter in the Mater Dolorosa Church. This material is a serious respiratory threat and breeding ground for maggots and other fungus.

• That the Board of Health or Building Inspector take immediate enforcement action against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to take the necessary measures to prevent the growth of white mold in the Mater Dolorosa Church. This fungus is not only a serious respiratory threat but it also accelerates the deterioration of valuable historic artifacts.

• That Mark E. Dupont and Russell A. Sprague of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, and their agent Barry Engineers, be invited to answer questions of public safety surrounding the Mater Dolorosa Church and Rectory.

Spokesman Mark E. Dupont said Diocese representatives will not attend the meeting. Dupont suggested that the orders be tabled pending the outcome of an emergency demolition order the Diocese has requested to take down the 116-year-old Mater Dolorosa Church at Maple and Lyman streets because of safety concerns.

The Historical Commission is holding a public hearing on the Diocese request to demolish the church. That came after Holyoke Building Commissioner Damian J. Cote declined the emergency demolition request and referred the matter to the commission to review.

Diocese violating building codes by failing to maintain Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke, emergency demolition denied: inspector

A 24-year-old area man wracked up his second arrest of the week Wednesday morning during a "belligerent" Cumberland Farms scene, Northampton police say.

A 24-year-old area man wracked up his second arrest of the week Wednesday morning during a "belligerent" Cumberland Farms scene, Northampton police say.

Alex Lord -- who claimed to be homeless but was listed in court as having separate addresses in Southampton and Williamsburg -- allegedly violated a no-trespass order while visiting the Main Street store around 7 a.m. and "harassing customers."

"Lord immediately became hostile and belligerent" when law enforcement arrived, shouting "a variety of expletives and waving his arms," according to a report by Northampton Police Officer Michael Wayne.

Added Wayne, "At this time, Lord took out a cell phone and stated he was recording me."

Wayne called backup to the scene, a "struggle" ensued and he was arrested for trespassing, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. 

It was the second time Northampton police pulled in Lord this week.

On Monday night, a Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus driver and Smith College student both reported witnessing an intoxicated Lord steal a bike from the campus center on Elm Street.

Officers responded to the college after the student reported seeing the theft and found Lord walking the missing bike, which he admitted to taking. 

Lord allegedly Northampton Police Officer Stephen Mastronardi he took the bike to "ride around for a while."

He was charged with larceny over $250.

Lord's next court date is April 28. 

Leonard Pease was facing assault charges after allegedly joining a woman, uninvited and unclothed, in her shower.

SPRINGFIELD -- Leonard Pease's new job washing dishes at Hooters nearly ended Tuesday, one day after it began.

Pease, 25, of Springfield, was arrested by state police on a warrant for missing a pretrial hearing in November in an assault case involving his ex-girlfriend.

Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafrasnki asked for $1,000 cash bail, noting that Pease disappeared four months go and only reappeared Tuesday following his arrest.

The assault charge dates to June, when Pease was living as a roommate at his ex-girlfriend's home on Island Pond Road. When she went downstairs around 4 a.m. to take a shower, he joined her, uninvited and unclothed, Szafranski said.

At her request, Pease got out of the shower, but the pair argued later and he pulled out a pocket knife and threatened her, the prosecutor said. When police arrived, Pease acknowledged arguing with his roommate and waving a knife at her, Szafrasnski said.

Defense lawyer Tasha Marshall opposed the bail request, saying Pease had just started a job washing dishes at Hooters and could not afford $1,000.

"He has no money (for bail)" and he will lose his new job too, Marshall said.

Pease has no criminal record as an adult or juvenile, and has never been arrested before, according to Marshall, who said he has had no further problem with his ex-girlfriend and was at her home when state police arrested him Tuesday.

He missed his November court date because he was sick, and he never got around to coming back. His previous lawyer also failed to keep in touch and offered no guidance about dealing with a court default, Marshall said.

Judge Michele Rooke said the responsibility rested with the defendant, not his former lawyer.

"You're 25. You do understand that your lawyer isn't going to take you by the hand and bring you here?" the judge asked Pease.

"That's your responsibility," she said.

Referring to the November pretrial hearing, Rooke added: "Everyone was here and you weren't."

She released him on personal recognizance, with orders not to abuse the victim and to report once a week to his probation officer. Pease is due back in Springfield District Court for a pretrial hearing on May 3.