Police responded to the Levesque residence on Sammett Street just before 1 a.m. on March 12, 1988. Officers found Levesque suffering from several stab wounds.

Sheila Levesque was found suffering from fatal stab wounds by her 9-year-old daughter who awoke after hearing her mother's cries for help.

The 9-year-old was one of five children at home asleep the night Levesque was attacked. A sixth child was not home.

Now 29 years later, Malden police and the Middlesex County district attorney's office are still searching for answers in Levesque's killing.

Sheila Levesque was fatally stabbed on March 12, 1988. Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and Malden police are still searching for answers in the killing.Courtesy photo 

"It has been 29 years since Sheila Levesque was murdered. At the time of her tragic death she left behind six young children," Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis said in a statement. "The Malden Police Department never forgets its duty and obligation to those whose lives have been taken away and to the loved ones of those victims. We remain hopeful that some member of the public will provide us with information that will result in solving this murder."

Police responded to the Levesque residence on Sammett Street just before 1 a.m. on March 12, 1988. Officers found Levesque suffering from several stab wounds. She was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and pronounced dead around 3:30 p.m.

"We know from our investigation that there were multiple people in the vicinity of the victim's home when the stabbing occurred," Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said. "If any member of the public may have seen or heard something, no matter how small or insignificant it may have appeared at the time, we urge them to come forward. The most seemingly insignificant details can often be what makes a difference in solving a crime."

Read more about unsolved cases in Massachusetts

No one has been charged in the killing. But officials hope that the public can come forward with information.

State Police and Malden Police Department continue to follow up leads in the case, which remains an open and active investigation, Ryan's office said in a statement.

Anyone with information about Levesque's killing can call State Police at 781-897-6600 or Malden Police at 781-397-7171.

Police say Lower Westfield Road has since reopened.

HOLYOKE - The pedestrian seriously injured in a 5 a.m. accident on Lower Westfield Road near the Interstate 91 northbound entrance is listed in stable condition at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, according to Holyoke police. 

The accident closed a section of Lower Westfield Road under I-91 for several hours while police investigated the accident scene. It has since been reopened, said Holyoke Police Lt. Larry Cournoyer.

The injured man is a Holyoke resident. His name was not being disclosed to the press.

Preliminary information indicates that the male pedestrian was walking along the south side of Lower Westfield Road and was crossing the traffic lane from the I-91 exit from the northbound lane when he was struck.

He was taken by ambulance to Baystate with serious injuries. 

The driver of the car that hit him stayed at the scene. 

The possibility of predicted rainfall shifting into sleet Tuesday evening could affect snow totals.

The National Weather Service is reporting a possible changeover of rain into sleet Tuesday during what is predicted to be the largest snowstorm so far this year in Massachusetts.

The forecast has created uncertainty in the snow totals in the eastern region of the state. Between 8 to 12 inches were predicted to fall in the southeast region, and 12 to 18 inches in the northeast region, according to NWS maps.

However, the possibility of predicted rainfall shifting into sleet Tuesday evening could affect snow totals.

"We are fairly confident that a changeover to rain will occur across the Cape/islands and into southeast coastal Mass. late morning into early afternoon," the National Weather Service reports.

Further complicating weather conditions Tuesday is the possibility of coastal flooding predicted to occur Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday evening.

Flood warning issued for Cape Cod, coastal communities in Massachusetts

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Thousands of employees were stranded at mills and factories, unable to get home to their families.

Think forecasts of 18 inches of snow are frightening?

Back on March 11-14, 1888, four feet fell on level ground but wind-whipped drifts of 15 to 20 feet were common.

In Springfield, Worcester, and Boston, food supplies soon ran low. So did heat as most homes were warmed by wood or coal-fired stoves. Coal moved by rail, and trains were not moving. (The storm prompted Boston to invest in an underground subway system.)

The Blizzard of '88, actually three storms which struck one after another, paralyzed the Northeast and more than 400 people died.

The sole fatality in Springfield was David Roberts, a peddler of pine knots, who ventured out to see to those seeking fuel for fireplaces and stoves.  

There were close calls, Edwin F. Leonard noticed a hat in a snowbank, when he stooped down to pick it up, he discovered a little girl buried in the snow. 

A train loaded with passengers made its way through the drifts, as far as the North Wilbraham-Indian Orchard line, where it chugged to a halt. For two days the passengers were stranded.

Thousands of employees were stranded at mills and factories, unable to get home to their families.

The Springfield Armory closed down for lack of coal. Springfield Street Railway trollies were abandoned in snowdrifts in the middle of the street.

OneMedical, a healthcare start-up that aims to fix the problems plaguing doctor's offices across the country, will open a second office in Boston on Monday.

What if you could complete the dreaded doctor's office visits during your lunch break? What if you scratched the visit entirely, and used a mobile application to communicate with doctors instead? What if you could just call up your doctor in the middle of the night when you want your strange medical question answered?

Transforming such possibilities into reality is the mission of one ambitious healthcare start-up that opened its second Boston office on Monday. Nine-year-old national chain OneMedical operates doctor's offices like a gym membership: pay an annual fee and receive personalized, expedient, comfortable healthcare. With bold promises like same-day, on-time appointments and 24/7 "virtual care," OneMedical is one of several emerging companies to pioneer the healthcare of the future.

The company's new office opens Monday in Copley Square, on the sixth floor of a modern building on Dartmouth Street. Like its first Boston office at Government Center, OneMedical strategically plants its more than 250 providers and 50-plus offices across the country - each equipped with typical doctors' check-up rooms, labs, and modish waiting areas - in central city locations. The target patient-audience are those working nearby in the city, the same people who can typically afford an annual $199 payment for personalized medical service.

But the fee does deliver on the company's promise to customize members' experiences, offering service rarely found at a conventional practice. Since OneMedical's inception in 2007, parent company 1Life Healthcare developed its own in-house software to refine data-sharing across its own network and to the patients themselves.

A handy smartphone app offers members the ability to schedule same-day appointments, seek 24/7 care over phone, access most of their medical records and renew prescriptions. Some patients can even be treated without ever stepping foot in a doctor's office: users can show conditions like rashes, allergies and infections to doctors through photos in the app's "Treat Me Now" feature, which doctors can often diagnose online.

"The balance of the virtual care means less burn out for us," says Julie Sugarbaker, a nurse practitioner and six-year employee of OneMedical. Before switching to the company, Sugarbaker worked for a private practice and in community healthcare. As only one of two providers at the new Dartmouth Street office, Sugarbaker says it is the digital system at OneMedical that allows them to function with so few health professionals.

"I don't even know what percentage of e-mails or phone calls I don't deal with during the day, because they're handled by the virtual team," Sugarbaker says. She laughs, saying patients often thank her for "fitting them into her schedule."

"They don't know the back end that goes into reserving a percentage of same-day appointments and our process," she says.

Doctor Tom X. Lee, who conducted his own medical residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, founded OneMedical in San Francisco nine years ago with a medical degree and masters from Stanford business in hand. Lee was studying at the Washington School of Medicine when he began to recognize problems facing small medical practices today: long wait times, provider burnout, impersonal relationships with patients, expensive insurance rates.

"We think overall, we want to change healthcare, and that isn't just within our foundation, that's within the industry," says Katie Dally, communications manager for the company. With its niche somewhere in-between a large hospital system and a smaller private practice, Dally says Boston is a great location for OneMedical: "We have the utmost respect for the medical environment in Boston."

Dally added that while the company can treat certain urgent medical needs, its providers forge relationships with specialists in their area to refer patients when necessary. She also says most insurance providers are accepted by OneMedical, including Medicaid in most states. The initial $199 membership fee only covers access to the digital tools: co-payments are left up to insurers, as in the case of many other doctors' offices.

Are start-ups like OneMedical the shining example of the doctor's office of the future? That remains to be seen. But with growth across eight market "hubs" in the United States - including the Massachusetts capital considered a beacon of healthcare - it looks like the company has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

The sixth-grade students will make up the school's first graduating class in 2028. "

SPRINGFIELD -- Libertas Academy, the city's newest public charter school, will hold a lottery Tuesday evening at the Naismith Memorial Basketball of Fame to select 90 students from the 180 applicants for its inaugural sixth-grade class.

The lottery to select the 90 students who will make up the college preparatory school's first graduating class in 2028 will begin at 6 p.m. 

Students who are not  selected will be added to a waitlist.

Libertas, which has yet to announce a location, received approval to open in the school year beginning  August  2017 after receiving approval of its charter during a Feb. 23 vote by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The school plans to reach full enrollment of 630 students by 2023, adding a new class each year.

University of Massachusetts graduate Modesto Montero, the academy's lead founder, believes all children can succeed despite sometimes challenging home lives.

"At Libertas Academy, we believe that every student can and will succeed when given a  rigorous, college preparatory education regardless of their socio-economic background, race, zip code, or home life," Montero said.

 "The path to college and a successful profession begins the moment students enter our school," he said.

Libertas Academy offers a high-expectation, high-achieving school that replicates the successful models of other high-performing charter schools in Massachusetts and across the country, Montero said.

In addition to rigorous academics, the academy aims to imbue students with the skills, knowledge and character required for college and professional success and a life of positive community engagement.  

The academy has begun to partner with families and community leaders in the North End and across the city to put students on a path to college, according to Anthony Surrette, a member of the Libertas board of trustees.

Libertas has yet to name a location for the school, but a Springfield site is under consideration.

"We are excited to provide a high-quality  school choice to families and students," Surrette said in a press release.

Montero, a Dominican Republic native who moved to the eastern part of Massachusetts for middle and high school, has had the national support cf  Building Excellent Schools, a school creation program whose mission is to "to train high-capacity individuals to design, found, lead, and sustain urban charter schools of uncompromising excellence."

For more information, visit the school's website or Facebook page.

The suspect is also wanted in Florida on an armed robbery charge.

SPRINGFIELD -- Police have identified a man suspected of four separate armed robberies of city businesses over the weekend and are now looking to locate him, police said.

The man, identified as Anthony J. Magri, 42, is a former Florida resident who had been staying at a hotel on Boston Road, said police spokesman Sgt. John Delaney.

Springfield detectives have located his hotel room and seized his car, but Magri remains at large, Delaney said.

Magri is suspected in robberies at the 707 State St. Walgreens, the Aldi supermarket at 1284 Boston Road, a Dunkin Donuts at 1218 State St., and a Circle K convenience store at 1112 Bay St.

In each of the robberies, a knife or a gun was used, Delaney said.

Mangri is also wanted in Florida on an armed robbery charge.

Police on Monday released a photo of Magri in the hope the public will help locate him.

People who know where he can be found are asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to "CRIMES," or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE." 

The fire was reported shortly after 11 a.m.

CHICOPEE -- Firefighters responded to a blaze at a Simonich Circle home Monday morning. 

A photo posted to Facebook by the Chicopee Police Department showed heavy damage to the home's garage and a car in the driveway.

The fire was reported shortly after 11 a.m.

This is a developing story that will be updated after further reporting.

Happening now: Chicopee battles fire at 37 Simonich st. #westernma pic.twitter.com/18T2nHKnlK

-- Don Treeger (@newspix100) March 13, 2017

These maps from the National Weather Service show the predicted severity and scope of Tuesday's storm.

The second fire in five hours to hit an Indian Orchard home on likely finished the structure, according to Springfield Fire Department.

SPRINGFIELD -- The second fire in five hours to hit an Indian Orchard home likely finished the structure, according to Springfield Fire Department. 

Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Fire Department, said firefighters remained at the scene at the scene of 1186 Worcester St. at 11:15 a.m.

"The first fire did about $10,000 in damage and was put out fairly quickly," Leger said. "Now, this thing is well over $100,000 in damage. It's right through the roof."

He added, "It's probably going to be a knock-down."

Firefighters responded to the first incident at the home around 2:30 a.m. They knocked down the flames and cleared the home of two families in 1186 Worcester St. and two more in the adjoining duplex, 1184 Worcester St. 

The blowout of an electrical wire in a second-floor ceiling caused the first fire, Leger said. 

Five hours later, around 7:30 a.m., Springfield Fire Department was on its way back to Worcester Street to deal with a far more serious blaze in the same building. 

"The investigation hasn't really even started," Leger said. "They have to get it completely knocked down before they can go in, at which point they'll be able to figure out where it started."

He added, "At this time, there's no reason to believe the fires are related."

The Red Cross is assisting all four families in finding alternative shelter. 

Related Photos:

 

Owner Mukunda Feldman plans to add 680 square feet by expanding into a storefront next door.

AMHERST -- The Select Board Monday night is being asked to sign off on an expansion plan from Amherst Coffee. 

Owner Mukunda Feldman plans to add 680 square feet to the existing shop at 28 Amity St., expanding into the space next door previously occupied by the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber recently moved to a shared storefront with the Amherst Business Improvement District on South Pleasant Street.

The plan for the cafe is to also add outdoor seating along the east side of the building, which faces a public parking lot.

The cafe currently offers four tables on the west side of the building. 

The public hearing is scheduled for 8 p.m. in Town Hall. 

The shop opened 2006 in the former Amherst Cinema building.

The Zoning Board of Appeals approved the expansion plan last week.

Feldman, listed in state records as the operator of A Fine Cafe Company Inc., also owns Northampton's Tart Bakery and Northampton Coffee, as well as Greenfield Coffee.  

Green said due to his young family and growing business, he will not run for U.S. Senate.

Rick Green, chairman of the board of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, has decided not to run for U.S. Senate.

Green, a fiscally conservative Republican, had been considering a run against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, in 2018.

Green said in a Facebook post Monday morning that although he and his wife were "humbled by the encouragement and support" they have received, he had decided not to run. "With a young family and a growing business, we've decided that my focus should remain on the good work we're doing at MassFiscal," Green wrote.

In addition to his work with MassFiscal, Green is the president of 1A Auto. He was recently one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking to allow Massachusetts businesses to make the same political donations as labor unions.

Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling was at one point considering a run against Warren, but he then backed a Cambridge man, Shiva Ayyadurai, who claims to have invented email.

State Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, is also reportedly considering a run against Warren.

Warren, in her first term in the Senate, has become a liberal icon in the U.S. Senate and a leader of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. She has been vocal in challenging President Donald Trump, and some have speculated that she could run for U.S. president in the future.

According to police, officers intervened before the altercation escalated.

AMHERST -- Two men were arrested on disorderly conduct charges and a third arrested on an outstanding warrant for an alleged firearm violation after police responded to a disturbance Saturday morning in front of Antonio's Pizza.

Police responded to a shouting and shoving match between two men at about 1:31 a.m. Saturday. While there, officers noticed the third man leaving Antonio's who they knew to be wanted on active warrant.

According to the report, police saw Jayson R. Stinson, 33, of Belchertown, pushing another man and charged him with disorderly conduct.

Cuong T. Ly, 29, of Northampton, was also charged with disorderly conduct as well as a count cocaine possession.

Police said the two were allegedly shouting and pushing each other and intervened before the altercation escalated.

Police arrested Lennox C. Williams, 25, of Boston, on a warrant for possession of a firearm without a license and receiving stolen property.

Kenny met with Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. Watch video

Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited Boston on Monday, part of his annual St. Patrick's Day week trip to the United States.

Taoiseach is the Irish title for prime minister.

Despite the frigid temperatures, Kenny and Irish Ambassador to the United States Anne Anderson were welcomed to the Massachusetts Statehouse by Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito in a formal red carpet ceremony on the Statehouse steps.

Earlier in the day, Kenny met with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. Boston is one of the cities with the largest Irish populations in the U.S., and the Irish have had a strong influence on Boston and Massachusetts culture and politics.

Kenny, the leader of the Fine Gael party who recently narrowly survived a no-confidence vote in his government, is visiting Philadelphia, Rhode Island, New York and Washington. He will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House later this week. Kenny has said he plans to press Trump to allow Irish immigrants who are in the country without documents to remain.

The area is expected to get about a foot of snow.

SPRINGFIELD  -- There will be no garbage and no recycling collection Tuesday, March 14, due to the expected snowstorm Westfield and Springfield officials said.

in Westfield, pickups that normally happen on Tuesday will be Wednesday, Wednesday pickups on Thursday etc with further delays all week until Friday's pickups are accomplished Saturday, the city said.

This is similar to what happens when there is a Monday holiday.

In Springfield, Tuesday routes will be picked up this Saturday, March 18. The city asks customers to please have trash and recycling at the curb no later than 6 a.m.

 Springfield DPW Director Chris Cignoli recommends that residents who have personal or medical appointments tomorrow which require travel to make alternate arrangements given the amount and intensity of the snow.

For the second time in a week, the Hampden Police Department is warning citizens about vehicles being illegally entered during the overnight hours, including a car that was stolen after keys were left in the ignition.

HAMPDEN -- For the second time in a week, the Hampden Police Department is warning citizens about vehicles being illegally entered during the overnight hours, including a car that was stolen Sunday night.

"Please lock your cars! And DO NOT leave your keys in them!" police said Monday on Facebook.

Authorities issued a warning last week about an uptick in break-ins. A few more have occurred since then, including a car that was stolen after keys were left in the ignition, police said. Authorities did not identify the address where the crime occurred.

"If you hear or see anything unusual, do not hesitate to call the Police Department no matter what time it is," the Facebook post states.

Hampden police may be reached at 413-566-8011.

Another perennial problem this time of year: idling cars that are stolen from people's driveways. That was the case last week in Longmeadow, where a car was snatched while it was warming up outside a home on Bliss Road.

A School Committee meeting for Tuesday night has also been postponed.

AMHERST -- With Winter Storm Stella expected to drop more than a foot of snow Tuesday, Interim School Superintendent Michael Morris is canceling school.

In addition, the School Committee meeting for Tuesday night has been postponed.

The Jones Library Buildings and Facilities and Transportation Advisory committees have canceled meetings for Tuesday.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman in an email Monday said the town was reviewing all options about whether to announce a Town Hall closing and were monitoring weather forecasts.

He also said the public works crews were ready "to meet the demands of the winter storm."

The street is closed from North Main Street to Elm Street.

EAST LONGMEADOW -- Firefighters are at the scene of a blaze at 77 Mapleshade Avenue. 

The two-story home sustained major damage to the second floor in the rear.

The street is closed from North Main Street to Elm Street, according to police. 

This is a developing story that will be updated after further reporting.

A School Committee subcommittee is accepting public input on naming a school hallway after District Court Judge William Boyle.

Judge William J. BoyleFile Photo / The Republican 

SPRINGFIELD -- A School Committee subcommittee has scheduled a meeting on Wednesday, March 15, to hear public input on a proposal to name the main hallway at Roger L. Putnam Technical Vocational Academy in honor of District Court Judge William J. Boyle.

The School Committee's Building and Maintenance Committee will conduct the meeting at 6 p.m., in the library at Central High school, at 1840 Roosevelt Ave., to consider naming the hallway Judge William J.Boyle Way.

The subcommittee would file its report to the full School Committee.

Treasurer Deborah Goldberg announced Monday that the new $700,000 program will offer matching funds for college savings accounts, as well as a financial education curriculum.

BOSTON -- Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg on Monday announced a pilot program to create college savings accounts for low-income middle school students in five cities.

The cities are Springfield, Worcester, Pittsfield, Lowell and Haverhill.

"Access to an affordable higher education provides a pathway to economic stability for many children and families," Goldberg said in a statement.

The two-year pilot program will offer matching funds, as well as a financial education curriculum.

Although the exact details are still being worked out, the basic idea is that when a low-income family of a seventh grader opens a college savings account through the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, the treasurer's office will be notified. After the family makes an initial deposit of $50, matching money will be available when a family contributes additional money, up to a certain threshold -- likely $500.

The Legislature appropriated $350,000 for the program in this year's budget, and the nonprofit Inversant, which helps low-income individuals afford college, is putting up another $350,000.

The money will be available beginning in the 2017-18 school year.

Inversant is also offering the use of its existing curriculum, which teaches families about standardized testing, higher education options and costs, and the college application process.

Goldberg rolled out the program Monday in Lowell at an event attended by U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, a 3rd District Democrat, Lowell city officials, officials from Inversant and the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority and the deputy director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.