While most of Massachusetts was sleeping, Dave McCausland and Sue Stenta were delivering newspapers in a car without a heater when winter storm Stella hit early Tuesday morning. Watch video

While most of Massachusetts was sleeping, Dave McCausland and Sue Stenta were delivering newspapers in a car without heat when Winter Storm Stella hit early Tuesday morning. 

McCausland is better known by his hashtag, #HomelessPaperboy, which he uses to raise awareness about homelessness. 

"Just because you're homeless doesn't mean you don't have a job," McCausland said. Although, he also said he often gets told delivering newspapers isn't a job. 

McCausland started the paper delivery job about seven months ago. In 2015, he said he lost his home in Vermont after being part of a "lease to own scam that left us penny-less." 

Now, McCausland and Stenta deliver the Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The New York Times and other papers from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. every day, while they save up money to get an apartment. 

Until then, the two are living out of their car and in motels. 

"We're saving as much as we can," McCausland said. But "we're going to have to buy a car heater soon." 

McCausland said they recently had to buy a new tire for their car and couldn't afford both that and a new heater. So instead, they fill up the car with "hundreds and hundreds of papers" to keep warm as they deliver them. 

McCausland filmed the start of Winter Storm Stella and posted the videos to his YouTube account to show people how bad the weather was getting. 

Since then, some parts of Massachusetts have seen more than 15 inches. 

Halfway through Winter Storm Stella and 15 inches of snow have fallen in these Massachusetts towns

McCausland said shelters aren't an option because they won't let him leave and come back for the odd hours he works. So the two are currently staying in a motel. 

When he first started the job, he said many of the customers were complaining that they weren't getting their papers. Now, McCausland doesn't let that happen.

He said he once dug out a newspaper for a customer after it was buried in snow. And to show appreciation, many of his customers give him tips or write him letters. 

This job has also given him new ideas and goals.

For example, he brings some of his customers papers to the door because they can't make it all the way down their driveways. But because of that, he noticed many of them also have a hard time with other things, like groceries. So, he wants to start a personal shopper grocery delivery service. 

"So, if you want a shiny apple, I'll get that for you," he said. "I will be shopping personally for you." 

For now, though, he's going to continue his paper route, saving to buy a home and advocating for the homeless.

"You shouldn't be hated for being homeless," McCausland said. "People wouldn't be asking for help if they didn't need it."

The 20 most Massachusetts tweets about Winter Storm Stella

Related photos:

 

Wind gusts topped 70 mph on the coast of Massachusetts Tuesday afternoon, as Winter Storm Stella continues to hammer the Northeastern United States. The National Weather Service reported gusts of 70 to 71 mph near Massapoisett on the south coast, Rockport on the North Shore and Wellfleet on Cape Cod.

Wind gusts topped 70 mph on the coast of Massachusetts Tuesday afternoon, as Winter Storm Stella continues to hammer the Northeastern United States.

The National Weather Service reported gusts of 70 to 71 mph near Massapoisett on the southern coast, Rockport on the North Shore and Wellfleet on Cape Cod.

Here is a snap shot of some of the wind gusts that has occurred across southern New England: pic.twitter.com/vIjcfeiPsc

-- NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) March 14, 2017

The storm has led to flooding in Coastal Communities. Tuesday afternoon the Sandwich Police Department released video of a beach boardwalk partially submerged, as high winds buffet the camera.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning across Southeast Massachusetts until 6 p.m., warning that the combination of heavy snow and powerful gusts could bring down power lines.

Tens of thousands of people remain without power in the state due to the storm.

The storm, which has been reached blizzard conditions in Worcester, has already dumped a foot of snow on some parts of Massachusetts. Boston will end up with eight to 12 inches of snow, Central Mass. and the southern Pioneer Valley with up to 18 inches and points further west with up to two feet, according to National Weather Service forecasts.

Conservative pundit Monica Crowley, who backed out of a White House national security job following allegations of plagiarism, is now lobbying on behalf of Ukrainian oligarch Victor Pinchuk, according to recently filed paperwork.

Conservative pundit Monica Crowley, who backed out of a White House national security job following allegations of plagiarism, is now lobbying on behalf of Ukrainian oligarch Victor Pinchuk, recently filed paperwork suggests.

Crowley disclosed her consultant work of providing part-time "outreach services" on behalf of Pinchuk, a major donor to President Donald Trump's charity, the Trump Foundation, in a registration statement filed late last week with the U.S. Department of Justice, LegiStorm reported Tuesday.

Such outreach services, the form noted, "will include inviting government officials and other policymakers to attend conferences and meetings, such as the annual Munich Security Conference, to engage in learning and dialog regarding issues of concern to Mr. Pinchuk."

The Ukrainian steel magnate's foundation gave a reported $150,000 to the Trump Foundation in 2015, according to the Washington Post's review of the charity's tax filing.

A spokesman for Pinchuk's foundation told the newspaper that money was donated as part of an agreement for Trump to speak via video to the Yalta European Strategy conference in September 2015.

Pinchuk had also pledged donations to the Clinton Foundation while Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state, the Post noted.

Crowley announced in mid-January that she would not assume a senior foreign policy communications role in Trump's administration, saying she instead "decided to remain in New York to pursue other opportunities," Politico reported at the time.

The Republican strategist, who had been tapped for the role of senior director of strategic communications at the National Security Council, made the announcement amidst pushback she faced over allegations that she plagiarized portions of her 2012 book, "What the (Bleep) Just Happened" and her 2000 Ph.D dissertation.

Crowley, during an early March appearance on Fox News, however, dismissed such allegations as a "despicable, straight-up political hit job."

"It's been debunked, my editor has completely supported me and backed me up," she said. "There is a very toxic -- and it's getting increasingly toxic -- and poisonous atmosphere of personal destruction in Washington and the media ... and this is exactly why smart and good people do not want to go into government service."

Monica Crowley, in her 1st tv hit since @KFILE @chrismassie @natemcdermott exposed her plagiarism says what happened to her was "despicable" pic.twitter.com/Ia1pW1z0mY

-- Yashar (@yashar) March 8, 2017

A bulldog/pitbull puppy rescued by a Boston animal control officer is recovering from what MSPCA shelter workers are calling the worst case of mange they have every encountered.

A bulldog/pitbull puppy rescued by a Boston animal control officer is recovering from what MSPCA shelter workers are calling the worst case of mange they have every encountered.

On Feb. 22, the animal control officer found the 4-month old dog shivering in the cold in Dorchester. The puppy, now named Sheba, was taken to Boston's MSPCA-Angell shelter, where she began receiving veterinary care.

Sheba's condition was grim, according to the MSPCA. Suffering from a severe case of demodectic mange, a skin condition caused by egg-laying mites, she was incapable of standing or walking. All her fur was missing and her skin was covered in weeping sores, the MSPCA said.

"In my nearly 11 years of practice I've never seen a case of mange this severe -- she literally had no fur and was covered in oozing, open wounds," Andrea Bessler,  a veterinary technician in a clinic next to the MSPCA adoption center, said in a statement.

Sheba was placed in the care of Dr. Klaus Loft, a veterinary dermatology specialist, who prescriped her an immune-boosting drug, in addition to antibiotics and pain medications.

Sheba is still recovering but has made major progress, the MSPCA said. She was found without tags or a microchip and may have been abandoned; the shelter expects to begin looking for an adoptive home in a few weeks.

"The worst of her disease is behind her but she will likely require treatment for the next several weeks," Bessler said.

Potential adopters can email the shelter at adoption@mspca.org.

The Springfield Department of Public Works was continuing with plowing, sanding and salting in the aftermath of Winter Storm Stella, and the citywide parking ban remains in effect until further notice.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Department of Public Works is continuing with snow plowing, sanding and salting operations on Wednesday in the aftermath of Winter Storm Stella.

Meanwhile, residents are reminded that a citywide parking ban remains in effect. Parking is not permitted on the odd side of the street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on the even side from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m.

The ban will be enforced through ticketing and towing and will be in effect until further notice, officials said. Department of Public Works Director Christopher Cignoli asked that residents keep all vehicles off of the streets to allow room for snow plows.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Cignoli, in a joint statement, said they are grateful for the "continued and dedicated efforts of our DPW and also our residents and business community's patience and resiliency during this most difficult storm."

Due to Winter Storm Stella, Tuesday's trash and recycling pickup was cancelled. Tuesday routes will be picked up this Saturday and residents are asked to have trash and recycling at the curb no later than 6 a.m.

Residents with plowing or sanding concerns are asked to call 311. The call center can be reached from a local phone by calling 311, or those calling from a cellphone or from outside Springfield can call at 413-736-3111.

The call center will take calls until 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The class will be taught in two parts and include and online tutorial.

CHICOPEE - The Chicopee Sportsmen's Club will conduct a National Rifle Association pistol safety course, which will include live-fire training and will meet all qualifications for a Massachusetts pistol license and a license to carry.

The course will be divided into two parts. The first phase will be an online tutorial on the basics of pistol shooting. The cost is $60 and must be completed before attending the second part of the class.

The second phase will be held on April 8 at the club on Batchelor Street in Granby. It will include a classroom review, discussion of different state firearms laws and range time where students will fire revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. The cost is $75.

For more information and to download a registration form go to the club's webpage at www.chicopeesportsmensclub.com or call 413-205-7960.

Eliezer Irizarry had only a few words to say as he dug out his car in Holyoke the day after Winter Storm Stella. "I miss Puerto Rico!" Watch video

HOLYOKE- Eliezer Irizarry had only a few words to say as he dug out his car in Holyoke the day after Winter Storm Stella. "I miss Puerto Rico!"

Irizarry and his neighbors were out in force on Maple Street scooping out shovels full of heavy snow that buried their vehicles after plows cleared the foot of snow that covered the street. 

Gabriel Flores gladly handed over $10 to two men in a pick-up truck who stopped and offered their services for a fee. Minutes later she and her young son were on their way, courtesy of a strong strap and the horsepower of the pick-up truck.

"This definitely saved me 3-hours worth of work," she said as the two men shoveled around the front of her car.

Along Northampton Street, Holyoke DPW crews were busy removing snow to make room for the thousands of revelers expected to line the street this Saturday for the Holyoke St. Patrick's Road Race and again on Sunday for the 66th Holyoke Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

Using a giant military-grade snowblower that poured snow into trailing dump trucks and an army of bobcats scurrying along the sidewalk, crews were making great progress along the route.

Even the painted shamrocks were visible on the pavement.

If Irizarry hurries, he can catch the Luquillo Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Luquillo, Puerto Rico on Friday, March 17.  

The median sales prices of homes under agreement was up 6.8 percent statewide.

SPRINGFIELD -- Tiny homes are garnering only tiny interest from Massachusetts home buyers, according to survey results released Wednesday by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

The association asked its members about the trendy, compact and at times controversial tiny homes and microunit apartments as part of its February survey. Turns out 64 percent of real estate agents said the topic of tiny homes has never come up in conversations with clients. Twenty-six percent of responding agents said the topic has come up a few times, but not often, while 7 percent said "occasionally" and 2 percent said "frequently."

"While the idea of tiny houses and microunits are a new and exciting trend that could be part of a broader solution to our ongoing housing shortage, the reality is that it's not something clients are clamoring for yet," said Paul Yorkis, 2017 Massachusetts Association of Realtors president and president of Patriot Real Estate in Medway. "We applaud the developers considering building these new homes and apartments and the pioneering residents seeking out this unique lifestyle." 

According to The Tiny Life website, the average tiny home is between 100 and 400 square feet, compared with the average American home, which is 2,600 square feet.

Microunit apartments are between 260 and 360 square feet and are popular in densely packed cities with very high real estate prices where full-size apartments are at a premium.

In May 2016, the town of Hadley voted against amending the town's bylaws to allow tiny backyard cottages. Greenfield allows tiny houses under certain circumstances.

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors also released Wednesday new data on the statewide housing market.

Pending sales: The number of single-family -- and presumably full-size -- homes under agreement rose 3 percent, from 3,852 in February 2016 to 3,967 last month. The median price was up 6.8 percent, from $309,000 in February 2016 to $330,000 last month. Pending sales have been up for 47 of the past 48 months.

Market Confidence: The Realtor Association's Market Confidence Index is up 10 percent from this time last year, it's 11th straight month with an increase. Real estate agents' confidence in price was up 2 percent.

Ticket sales for the 9th annual Amherst Survival Center Empty Bowls fundraiser have been a little slower than usual, but that means tickets are still available for the Monday night meal.

AMHERST -- Ticket sales for the 9th annual Amherst Survival Center Empty Bowls fundraiser have been a little slower than usual, but that means tickets are still available for the Monday night meal.

The meal at The Pub restaurant, 15 East Pleasant St., is aimed at raising $15,000 to $20,000 for the survival center's food, nutrition and other programs, said Executive Director Mindy Domb.

The meal provides soup from area restaurants, salad and bread in a hand-made bowl. People can eat in or take the meal to go from 4 to 8 p.m.

The meal is a "good opportunity for people to come together not only to support the center's programs, it's a way to come together as a community (to) look at how we're taking care of each other," Domb said.

About three dozen potters and students from Amherst Regional High School, Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, the University of Massachusetts and Williston Northampton School in Easthampton have donated ceramic bowls.

This year the kitchen crew from the survival center will be preparing chili, Domb said. A dozen other restaurants will be providing soups, including Johnny's Tavern, Black Sheep and Osteria Vespa.

The center had 49,000 different visitors last year and provided meals to more than 230 people daily. It also provided services to more than 60,000 people over that time. Domb said she expects the numbers to increase as the need grows over the next several months.

The center provides a food pantry for people from the town and a dozen other communities. People from other communities also take part in meals and other services.  

Tickets for the fundraiser are $40 for the meal and a bowl or $30 for the meal without a bowl.

Tickets are available in advance at The Pub and A.J. Hastings Inc., the Amherst Survival Center website, and at the door.

Workers with the Easthampton Department of Public Works went beyond the call of duty to help a man who suffered a medical emergency while removing snow during yesterday's storm, Easthampton Police said. Watch video

Workers with the Easthampton Department of Public Works went beyond the call of duty to help a man who suffered a medical emergency while removing snow during yesterday's storm, Easthampton Police said.

On Tuesday afternoon, while Winter Storm Stella was dumping multiple inches of snow per hour on Western Massachusetts, police responded to reports of a man experiencing a medical emergency while working to clear snow from a residence.

Police and paramedics responded -- and got some unexpected help from the DPW road crews working to keep the streets clear.

"The DPW overheard on their scanners that were going out for an emergency, so they took it upon themselves to saturate the area with their plow trucks," Officer Chad Alexander said in an interview.

As paramedics responded to aid their unresponsive patient, the DPW mobilized its snow plows to clear a miles-long path from the side street to Route 10, allowing ambulances to quickly transport the patient to the hospital.

"The heroes in this incident were not the first responders, but in fact the Easthampton DPW!" Police Chief Robert Alberti wrote on Facebook. "While first responders were administering life support measures to the patient, the DPW on their own accord, came to the scene multiple trucks deep to help out."

Alexander said that police are better able to respond to calls during snowstorms due to their modern cruisers, which can better handle inclement weather.

"Obviously it's more challenging than a nice warm snowy day, but having the newer SUV-type vehicles, it's 1,000 times better than the old Crown Vics were," Alexander said.

But even with the SUV's, traveling during the worst storm this winter was slow going -- and the DPW's actions saved valuable time, he said.

"It definitely shaved at least a few minutes off our ambulance being able to get in and out," Alexander said.

The plan designed to identify potential hazards and identify ways they can be reduced.

CHICOPEE - The city will hold a meeting to discuss the city's Hazard Mitigation Plan and is asking residents, business owners and representatives from surrounding communities to attend to give their input about lessening the impact of natural hazards.

An update of the plan is currently being produced by city officials with the assistance from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

The planning is designed to help city officials assess the risks faced from natural hazards, identify action steps that can be taken to prevent injury to people and damage to property and prioritize funding for mitigation efforts.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., March 27 at the Chicopee Public Library on Front Street. There will be time for public input and questions during the forum.

For more information, please contact PVPC's Ashley Eaton at aeaton@pvpc.org or 413-781-6045.

For eight months of the year, the majority of the United States switches to Daylight Saving Time, adding an hour to clocks in an effort to maximize sunlight and conserve energy as the sun rises and sets one hour later. Retailers were asked in a survey whether that should be made permanent. Watch video

For eight months during the year, the majority of the United States switches to Daylight Saving Time, adding an hour to clocks in an effort to maximize sunlight and conserve energy as the sun rises and sets one hour later.

But a special Massachusetts commission is exploring whether the state should ditch that and permanently shift to Daylight Saving Time throughout the year. That prompted the Retailers Association of Massachusetts to take the temperature of its members, who are largely small business owners.

"The survey clearly shows the vast majority of our members, 58 percent, believe we need to go one direction or the other," said Jon Hurst, the president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, which has 4,000 members. Thirty-four percent said Daylight Saving Time should be year-round.

Retailers are looking for a "consistent time zone," he said, either Daylight Saving Time year-round or Eastern Standard Time year-round.

"That's for economic reasons. If we can extend those daylight hours longer into the evening, that's when people go shopping, that's when they are incented to go out to dinner," Hurst said.

Nineteen percent of survey respondents said Massachusetts should not make any changes and stay with the current system.

Daylight Saving Time 2017: What to know

Hurst said if Massachusetts undertakes a change, the Bay State shouldn't do it alone.

Some survey respondents said they foresee problems if Massachusetts changed its time zone but Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine did not.

"We are such a compact region," Hurst said. "You have consumers that cross state lines, you have employees that cross state lines."

In the US, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not make the switch to Daylight Saving Time.

Hurst offered up the survey results on Wednesday at the second meeting of the time zone commission, which is chaired by state Sen. Eileen Donoghue, D-Lowell.

A provision in a $1 billion economic development bill, signed into law in August, created the time zone commission.

Gov. Charlie Baker has voiced some skepticism about the state making a change.

"I especially worry that if we head too far down this road we could end up creating a lot of problems for ourselves with respect to all sorts of issues around work schedules, commuting schedules and a whole bunch of other things," he said in August, according to the State House News Service.

Should Massachusetts switch time zones?

A consultant has estimated building a new school would cost $43 million, while major renovations would be about half that amount

SOUTH HADLEY -- School Committee members last week said they hope to receive a decision soon from the Selectboard involving a request to pursue a state grant to overhaul Mosier Elementary School or build a replacement.

A consultant has estimated building a new school would cost $43 million, while major renovations would be about half that amount.

The two boards convened a joint meeting last month, when the School Committee requested that the Selectboard agree to a "letter of intent" that would be forwarded to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The authority's main function is determining which school districts are most in need of building renovation and replacement, and disburses money for that purpose.

South Hadley School Superintendent Nicholas Young told the Selectboard at February's joint meeting that a School Building Authority grant could fund up to 57 percent of the cost of a Mosier project.

At the March 7 school board meeting, Young said: "What we are requesting may be the most cost-effective" solution for the town.

"It is worth a very serious look," he said.

Should the Selectboard agree to forward a letter of intent to the School Building Authority, that would be the town's first step in the multiyear process to secure state funding.

The School Building Authority process also requires a feasibility study that guides whether a decision would be made to either build a new school or renovate the existing structure. However, a feasibility study would not begin unless the state gives a green light.

"We know there are issues at the Mosier School," which was built in 1969, School Committee Chairman John Kelly said during last week's meeting. "At some point we are going to have to address" those problems.

Young said that if the Selectboard does not endorse the idea by an April deadline, the School Department can revisit the issue next year.

School officials said district enrollment increased by nearly 50 students in the past year.

The school budget cuts $95,038 from the salary line item to fund paraprofessional staff, an 8 percent decrease to $1.12 million for the coming fiscal year.

SOUTH HADLEY -- The School Department has proposed a $20,919,067 budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.

The amount represents a 0.66 percent, or $136,738, increase from current spending. The South Hadley School Committee approved the proposal at last week's meeting.

The School Committee-approved budget cuts $95,038 from the salary line item to fund paraprofessional staff, an 8 percent decrease from current spending, to $1.12 million for the coming fiscal year.

The school budget is subject to approval at the May annual Town Meeting.

Belchertown selectman Ron Aponte told Lesser at the board's Monday meeting that members of the community, including himself, are not convinced the working group is really interested in their concerns

BELCHERTOWN -- Unlike last month when no public comments were allowed at a meeting of the Rattlesnake Review Working Group, audience members will be allowed to speak when the panel meets again next week, according to state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow.

The meeting will be March 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ware Knights of Columbus hall, 126 West Main St. (Route 9).

Lesser is on the 14-person working group made up of state wildlife officials, area selectmen, legislators and fishing associations. It is charged with reviewing a proposal to settle endangered rattlesnakes on Mount Zion, an island in the Quabbin Reservoir.

"They are planning to take questions in Ware," Lesser told Belchertown selectmen Monday. "The intended purpose of (the working group) was to solicit feedback from the community."

Belchertown Selectman William Barnett, who is also on the working group, said that without public comment "there is no reason for having the bloody hearing."

At the Feb. 28 working group meeting, Barnett objected to the ban on public comment from the audience, characterizing it as un-American. "The American way is to let them speak," he said.

Belchertown Selectman Ron Aponte told Lesser that members of the community, including himself, are not convinced the working group is really interested in their concerns.

"The fact that there was no public input was not well received. It seems very fishy," he said.

"If it continues along that same vein, it will all be window dressing," Aponte added.

"I am 100 percent of the same wavelength," Lesser said.

The senator, who last year proposed a moratorium on the snake relocation proposal, said Monday, "I remain suspicious of it."

According to the working group's chairman, Joseph Larson, the panel is expected to make a recommendation by May to the seven-person Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife board, which he also chairs.

He said the MassWildlife board has the authority to make the final determination on whether the rattlesnake colony will be allowed at Mount Zion. Larson said the MassWildlife board would not be bound by the working group's recommendation.

"I will not support it and will actively work to defeat it if we don't feel the questions are sufficiently answered," Lesser told Belchertown selectmen.

A jury deliberated 8 hours before finding Michael Cowan guilty.

Patrick Johnson | pjohnson@repub.com

PITTSFIELD - A 52-year-old Arkansas man was sentenced to between 6 and 9 years in state prison after he was found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting girl in Lee over a 3-year-period beginning when she was 6 years old, according to the office of Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless.

A jury deliberated about 8 hours before returning a guilty verdict a Michael Cowan, a former Lee resident who now resides in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was found guilty on seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14.

Judge John Agostini ordered Cowan to serve 6 to 9 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction in Walpole.

According to the Berkshire Eagle, the prosecution said charged that Cowan sexually assaulted the girl, now 15, in his home between 2008 and 2011.

Cowan's defense argued that the girl made up the assaults in 2013 because she had been assigned by a teacher to describe a traumatic memory and she did not want to get in trouble by not doing her homework.

The investigation was conducted by the Lee Police Department.

Police in New Bedford converged on a house Wednesday in order to search for a suspect they believe was involved in the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man, but the man was not inside, according to media reports.

Police in New Bedford converged on a house Wednesday in order to search for a suspect they believe was involved in the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man, but the man was not inside, according to the New Bedford Standard Times.  

The victim was found at Matthew and Bank streets Wednesday morning and died later at a local hospital, according to the newspaper. 

A State Police SWAT Team and a New Bedford Police Special Reaction surrounded a home in the area and entered around 3 p.m., the New Bedford Standard Times reported. 

The suspect was not found inside.

Standoff is over. Suspect in #NewBedford shooting was not in the house. Still @ large. Police did not give suspect's name. @southcoasttoday

-- Jennette Barnes (@jbarnesnews) March 15, 2017

New Bedford Police Lt. Amos Melo told reporters that police were called for a report of a shooting in the area and found the victim. 

NBC10 reports that investigators found a weapon inside the Matthews Street home, but can't say at this time if the weapon was used in the fatal shooting. 

BREAKING: #NewBedford police say suspect was NOT inside the home. They say they found weapon, but cant confirm its murder weapon. @NBC10

-- Adam Bagni (@AdamBagni) March 15, 2017

Law enforcement set up a perimeter around the home before entering, according to the television station. 

The annual report from Auditor Suzanne Bump offers a snapshot of a year's worth of 11 audits of MassHealth.

Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne Bump's office identified $17.6 million in questionable or potentially fraudulent MassHealth payments between March 2016 and March 2017, according to an annual report released Wednesday.

"The MassHealth program is large, complex, and expensive," Bump said in a statement. "It is also too susceptible to improper payments to providers.... There are far too many provider bills that get paid despite the fact they are duplicative of other payments, lack supporting documentation, or violate regulations governing what is and what is not reimbursable."

Many of the findings laid out in the annual report have been made public in previous audits. The annual report offers a snapshot of a year's worth of 11 audits of MassHealth.

Some of the issues Bump's office identified include payments to providers who were prohibited from participating in MassHealth due to federal laws; duplicate payments to individuals who were getting paid by two different state programs; and payments to specific dental providers who provided services in a way that was not consistent with MassHealth regulations.

Bump's office is also in the process of completing an additional 13 audits related to MassHealth. It is examining whether patients covered by both Medicare and Medicaid were improperly paid for entirely by Medicaid, costing the state federal reimbursement money. It is auditing payments to specific hospice providers, optometrists and doctors where initial data analysis found potential problems, such as billing MassHealth for an unusually large number of patients on one day.

Auditors are also reviewing payments for urine drug screenings. A 2012 audit identified urine drug screenings as an area where MassHealth improperly paid out millions of dollars, but Bump's office found MassHealth still has not made improvements recommended by that audit, which could avoid some of these payments.

The amount of improper payments is still small compared to the size of the MassHealth, which covered $14.8 billion worth of health care benefits for 1.9 people in fiscal 2016, with a mix of state and federal money.

MassHealth can use the audits to recover money that was paid improperly. Bump's report writes that MassHealth is acting on most of the recommendations made in the audits.

MassHealth anticipates saving an estimated $8.6 million annually after terminating a contract with a medical transportation provider, Rite Way, whose owners have been indicated for Medicaid fraud.

Baker said cuts to the National Institutes of Health would be bad for Massachusetts and for the country.

BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that he is alarmed by cuts to the National Institutes of Health that President Donald Trump proposed in his budget.

"It's not just bad for Massachusetts, it's bad for the country," Baker said.

Trump on Thursday outlined his fiscal 2018 budget proposal, although he has not yet produced a full line-item budget. The proposal, which is a starting point for discussions by Congress, envisions increased spending on the military but large cuts in others areas, including the arts, the environment and other domestic programs.

According to the Associated Press, the National Institutes of Heath would lose $5.8 billion from its $32 billion budget.

Baker, in an appearance on WGBH's Boston Public Radio, said support for NIH has always been bipartisan. The basic research done there, he said, "translates into some of the most important advances in medicine and science and biology and chemistry."

"It is a fundamental element of what makes this country special," Baker said.

Baker added that research done at NIH has led to new medical devices and new drugs, both of which are major industries in Massachusetts. The proposed cut, he said, "is alarming to me."

Baker also expressed concern about cuts to community development block grants, which are federal grants given to cities and towns for projects that help low- and moderate-income individuals, such as affordable housing or public infrastructure.

"There's a lot of things in this (budget) that concern me," Baker said. "That's why it's going to be important for us to reach out and coordinate our activities on the advocacy side with our delegation and other governors."

Baker, a Republican, did not vote for Trump.

Baker was also asked about the latest version of Trump's travel ban on immigrants from six predominantly Muslim countries, which was stayed by a federal judge before it went into effect. Baker said Massachusetts benefits by being a "global community" with people traveling for school or work.

"I think the travel ban is not a good thing for Massachusetts," Baker said.

The Wilbraham Police Department has posted a batch of new arrests on the department's Facebook page, including an incident involving a maid from Springfield who allegedly stole money from her employer's home in Wilbraham,

WILBRAHAM -- A Springfield woman working as a maid at a Wilbraham home has been charged with larceny after stealing over $250 from the residence, according to Wilbraham police, who posted new online arrest information on the department's Facebook page Wednesday night.

Theresa Ann Rodriguez, 36, who lives on Carew Street in the Hungry Hill section of the city, was caught on camera stealing large amounts of money from a change jar inside the Wilbraham home on Evergreen Circle, according to police, who charged Rodriguez with larceny over $250 on March 6. The alleged crime occurred before that date, police said.

A speeding Mercedes was stopped on Springfield Street around 1:47 a.m. on March 4, police said. The driver, 35-year-old Troy Maylott, "did not perform field sobriety tests to the officer's satisfaction," said police, who charged the Connecticut resident with negligent operation and OUI-liqour, second offense.

At 3:45 a.m. on March 4, police arrested 37-year-old Candace Girard on a probation warrant at her home on Scenic Drive in Wilbraham. Girard was transferred to the women's jail in Chicopee, police said.

Shortly after 9 p.m. on March 5, police pulled over a Jeep Wrangler for allegedly failing to stay within its marked lane on Stony Hill Road. An odor of alcohol was coming from the driver, 30-year-old Lee Roque of Ludlow, who failed field sobriety tests, police said. Roque was charged with negligent operation and OUI-liquor.

Arman Setian, 22, of Bennet Road, Wilbraham, was charged with negligent operation and OUI-liquor following a car crash on Crane Hill Road on the night of March 5. A caller reported that the driver, later identified as Setian, had struck a tree "and appeared to be intoxicated," police said. Setian, who was injured and taken to an area hospital for treatment, will be summoned to court to answer the charges, police said.

Police responded to a report of a man slumped over the steering wheel of a car parked behind a local convenience store shortly after noon on March 7. An officer had a hard time trying to wake up 27-year-old Ryan David Doyle of Palmer, who had bundles of heroin tucked into his waistband, police said. Doyle was charged with heroin possession and illegal possession of prescription drugs, police said.

Officers stopped a Chevy Cavalier on Boston Road shortly before 5 p.m. on March 8. A registry check indicated the wrong license plates were attached to the car, whose driver was wanted on an extraditable warrant, police said. Thirty-four-year-old Michael Goins of Wilbraham was taken into custody on the warrant and also charged with attaching plates and driving with a suspended license, police said.

A record check on a Buick revealed that the registered owner was wanted on a warrant. As a result, 32-year-old Charlotte Bearse of Springfield was taken into custody around 5:30 p.m. on March 9.

Officers responded to a crash on Linwood Drive, a residential street off Brainard Road, shortly before 8:30 a.m. on March 10. The driver, 22-year-old Rachel Dane of Wilbraham, was impaired from alcohol and drugs, according to police, who charged her with OUI and operating to endanger. The crash happened near Dane's home at 37 Linwood Drive.

Around 4:30 p.m. March 10, police stopped a Nissan with an expired inspection sticker on Boston Road. An occupant of the vehicle, 24-year-old Eddie Melendez of Springfield, was wanted on a warrant. Melendez was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Police stopped a Honda Civic for an inspection violation just after 9 a.m. on March 12. The driver, 35-year-old Edgard Bell of Springfield, had an arrest warrant and was taken into custody, police said.