Mega Millions, a lottery game played across 44 states, currently has a record-breaking jackpot total. The in-state, Massachusetts "Megabucks Doubler" stands at $3.4 million.

The country's Mega Millions jackpot has increased to an estimated $868 million this week, making it the biggest jackpot in the game's history.

No person has claimed the prize for 24 weeks, boosting the Mega Millions jackpot to record-breaking levels. The jackpot is also now the the third-largest prize in U.S. lottery history. 

The last Mega Millions prize was last won on July 24, by a group of 11 co-workers in California who scooped a $543 million jackpot. The lottery game is played across 44 states in the U.S.

"This is an exciting time for our customers and our retail partners and we encourage people to keep the experience of playing the lottery fun by playing responsibly," Michael Sweeney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery, said in a statement.

Whoever will win the record-breaking Mega Millions prize, at a cost of just $2 per ticket, could net nearly $868 million prize over time or take $494 million in cash.

The Powerball, which will be drawn again Wednesday night, sits at an estimated $345 million since it was last drawn on August 11. In Massachusetts, the in-state Megabucks Doubler game sits at $3.4 million and will be drawn Wednesday night as well.

The largest jackpot ever won by a single ticket in U.S. lottery history was sold in Chicopee, Massachusetts at $758.7 million.

Investigators determined that the origin of the recyclables processed at the time of the discovery were dropped off from companies that operate in Andover, Massachusetts, Stamford and Greenwich, Connecticut, Somers and the Oyster Bay area of Long Island, New York.

Police in Andover are on alert after a deceased newborn baby was discovered among materials at a recycling plant that services the town, officials said.

An employee of the City Carting recycling center in Stamford, Connecticut, called police Tuesday morning after the body of a baby was found among recyclables being processed.

Authorities responded to the center at 61 Taylor Reed Place and confirmed the discovery was a deceased child who appeared to be a full-term newborn baby boy, according to Stamford police. 

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded and the investigation is ongoing.

Investigators determined that the recyclables processed at the time of the discovery were dropped off from companies that operate in Andover, Massachusetts, Stamford and Greenwich, Connecticut, Somers, and the Oyster Bay area of Long Island, New York.

Andover Police Chief Patrick Keefe shared information from the Stamford Police Department Monday night and said that Andover police were on alert. 

The Stamford Police Department asks anyone with information to call Major Crimes at 203-977-4420. All calls will be kept confidential, police said. 

Police are seeking the public's help as they work to identify a male who allegedly used the stolen identity of an elderly resident to open a Home Depot account and charge over $4,000 worth of merchandise.

MONSON - Police are seeking the public's help as they work to identify a male who allegedly used the stolen identity of an elderly resident to open a Home Depot account and charge over $4,000 worth of merchandise.

The items, Nest thermostats and Ring doorbells, were purchased at stores in Wilbraham and Chicopee.

The suspect has a large tattoo on his right forearm. The vehicle he was driving appears to be an older Honda Civic, dark green or black in color. Police  posted surveillance images of the suspect on the department's Facebook page.

Those with information are asked to contact detective Adam Szymanski at 413-267-4128.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is expected to announce key findings from his probe in Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential contest shortly after the November midterm elections, news outlets reported Wednesday.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is expected to present key findings from his probe in Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential contest shortly after the November midterm elections, news outlets reported Wednesday.

U.S. officials told Bloomberg News that Mueller will soon make a determination on some of the most major parts of his investigation, including if there was collusion between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, and whether Trump obstructed justice. 

Bloomberg, however, noted that Mueller's findings will not necessarily be made public, as regulations surrounding his investigation state that he can only present his findings to his supervisor, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Officials offered no insight into the details of Mueller's expected conclusions. One, however, noted that Rosenstein has pressed Mueller to wrap up his work as soon as possible, Bloomberg reported.

Mueller's probe has already garnered indictments or guilty pleas from more than 30 individuals, including ex-Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos and more than a dozen Russian nationals, among others.

Trump has staunchly denied claims that his campaign colluded with Russia and cast Mueller's probe as "a witch hunt."

He recently told "60 Minutes" that he believes the investigation is "very unfair ... because there was no collusion of any kind," but would not pledge to keep Mueller's probe going.

The president, however, offered that he has "no intention" of shutting the investigation down. 

This story will be updated.

The 2nd floor of the 1869 building has long been off-limits to the public.

Plans to transform the upper floor of Easthampton's Old Town Hall into a fully-accessible performing arts center continue to advance, and proponents say they want to give the public an update.

A presentation is slated for Nov. 8 where CitySpace and Kuhn Riddle Architects will present project costs, design, and construction plans. Time will be set aside for questions and answers.

The 1869 Italianate building, built of Portland and Nova Scotia stone, served as Easthampton's town hall until 2006, when the municipality moved its offices to a modern facility.

Since then, the historic edifice has been leased by the non-profit CitySpace. The volunteer-led organization has already renovated the lobby and first floor, where various arts organizations rent space, including Easthampton City Arts, Flywheel, and the Elusie Gallery.

The second floor has long been closed to the public due to structural reasons, lack of handicap accessibility, and the lack of a sprinkler system. But architectural plans have been developed to revive the space, thanks to grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Easthampton Community Preservation Committee.

Plans by Kuhn Riddle Architects show a 3,500 square-foot flexible performance space with 350-400 seats. An elevator will be installed to make the entire building ADA compliant. State-of-the-art sound and theater lighting is planned. The building will be made compliant with fire codes.

Architect Aelan Tierney noted that Old Town Hall was completed four years after the end of the Civil War, a time when the country was trying to restore national unity.

"Our country is again divided on many issues, and we are searching for ways to find common ground and move forward," Tierney said. "The arts are one way to communicate our perspectives and open our eyes, ears and hearts to other viewpoints."

The majestic building housed the first public library for Easthampton, and for decades was the center of local government and the site of many public social gatherings.

Founding board member Ed Check said that words are not enough, and asked people to attend the Nov. 8 presentation.

"The best way to review these documents is to see them in person," said Check. "And tell your friends, as well."

If all goes well, construction on the $6 million project will begin in 2021. CitySpace is engaged in active private fundraising for the project.

If you go:

What: Old Town Hall 2nd Floor Project Plan Presentation
When: Nov. 8, 7 p.m.
Where: 50 Payson Ave. Municipal Building, Easthampton

Weston & Sampson, an engineering firm hired to look at alternative locations for the turbine, says there is a substantial benefit to the movement plan.

FALMOUTH, Mass. (AP) -- A new report says relocating one of a Massachusetts town's wind turbines to a new location could produce a net profit in the millions over the next 20 years.

Falmouth would have to pay about $3 million to dismantle and move the 400-foot turbine up about a half mile northeast of where it currently stands. The Cape Cod Times reports the turbine's operation would not only ultimately cover that cash outlay, but produce a net profit of $5.7 million over 20 years.

Weston & Sampson, an engineering firm hired to look at alternative locations for the turbine, says there is a substantial benefit to the movement plan.

Falmouth's two town-owned turbines were subjected to multiple lawsuits and were court ordered to not be operated where they currently stand.

"The science is clear," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said. He pointed to a map of Boston that showed potential serious flood risk in the year 2070.

In front of a crowd of Greater Boston business leaders, Mayor Marty Walsh laid out an ambitious vision of public projects to combat the future impacts of climate change in Boston.

"The science is clear," Walsh said at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event on Wednesday. He pointed to a map of Boston that showed potential serious flood risk in the year 2070. 

"We're not just planning for the next storm we will face, we're planning for the next storms the next generation will face. This is a moment they'll look back on and judge us by," Walsh said.

The enormous plan titled "Resilient Boston Harbor" includes a list of public projects that would protect and enhance vulnerable neighborhoods across the city, according to the mayor.

Walsh said the mix of projects would improve access, revitalize and protect waterfront neighborhoods in downtown and the North End, East Boston, Dorchester, South Boston and the Fort Point neighborhood.

Watch: Boston hosts International Mayors Climate Summit

Through the redesign of waterfront parks, the restoration of natural salt water marshes and beaches, and the elevation of infrastructure and seawalls, Walsh and his administration believe the city could protect its harbor and coastline from the effects of climate change in the next generation.

He pointed to a recent report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which found climate change effects could be felt as soon as 2040. 

"We don't have to look that far for early warning signs," Walsh said, pointing to the damaging nor'easter storms in Massachusetts last spring.

"A dumpster floating down the street of Fort Point Channel in January, Blue Line tracks underwater in March. Flood waters in Christopher Columbus Park reaching the Rose Kennedy Greenway for the first time. King tides that routinely flood the Harbor Walk," Walsh said. 

The mayor said funding would have to be a mix of public, private and philanthropic investment. Walsh pledged that 10 percent of all new capital spending in Boston would be dedicated to the new resiliency projects, and added that the city has applied to a $10 million Federal Emergency Management Agency to advance the work.

Walsh responded to questions of funding and federal help by warning that costs in relief down the road would largely outweigh costs to prevent climate change disasters. 

"No project we take on today will cost anywhere near as much as doing nothing, we've done the math," Walsh said. "In East Boston we could invest $160 million in resiliency, or we could do nothing and expect damages of $480 million."

Walsh criticized the federal response to climate change without specifically naming President Donald Trump, who Walsh has opposed before for a decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement in 2017. The mayor agreed at the time to uphold the tenets of the Paris agreement despite the country's withdrawal. 

"We have a person that's occupying the corner office that says climate change is fictitious and it's not real," Walsh said.

At climate summit, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh asks cities to join renewable energy plan

The mayor instead appealed to the business leaders sitting in front of him with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce to assist in the vision of resilient redesign. He framed the infrastructure plan as an "obligation to future generations," and a way to strengthen and protect business investments.

The announcement Wednesday is not Walsh's first pledge to combat climate change. In Boston, Walsh led an International Mayors Climate Summit last June in which he created a coalition of cities pledging to research and promote renewable energy solutions. 

All eleven warrant items passed in the 45-minute meeting and without any discussion from the 143 voters in attendance.

LONGMEADOW -- In six months, single-use plastic bags will no longer be allowed in Longmeadow stores, after a new ban passed into bylaw with a majority vote during Tuesday night's Special Town Meeting.

The meeting was one of the shortest on record, passing all eleven items on the warrant in just 45 minutes; there was no discussion on any of the items, including the plastic bag ban, and 143 voters attended the meeting in the Longmeadow High School auditorium. About 40 Longmeadow eighth graders also came to observe.

Select Board member William Low proposed an amendment to the plastic bag ban, asking that voters approve the ban to take effect within twelve months instead of six. Four of the five select board members and town manager Stephen Crane voted in favor of the amendment, with only vice chair Marie Angelides voting in opposition; but the amendment was narrowly defeated, 56 to 54, following a hand count. 

The owner of the Caren & Co. store at the Longmeadow Shops attended the previous night's Select Board meeting. She told board members she was in full support of the prohibition of plastic bags, but asked that the ban's effective date be extended to twelve months.

"I have a significant investment in my current bags," she said. "I feel that more than six months is needed to work through these issues, and to buy the new bags needed to comply. I'm looking to avoid any undue economic hardship."

The business owner did not provide comment at the Special Town Meeting.

The plastic bag ban ultimately passed into bylaw with an overwhelming majority affirmative vote and without comment or discussion from anyone in the audience. 

Moderator Rebecca Townsend recused herself from moderating the vote since she said a family member worked on research for the warrant article; the vote was moderated by Michael Kallock, who formerly served as Town Moderator and was nominated by board member Richard Foster, then elected Temporary Moderator by majority vote.

Other items on the warrant included standard bookkeeping and administrative items for the town budget, as well as an article allocating $37,000 to the police department to buy five new dash cams, and an article allocating $86,400 to buy a new Bobcat for the town's Department of Public Works.

The plastic bag ban will be enforced primarily by the director of the Longmeadow Department of Health or other administrator as assigned by the Town Manager. A warning will be issued to a store for a first violation. A subsequent offense will come with a $25 penalty, and $50 penalties for ensuing violations.

The ban allows exceptions for dry cleaning, newspapers, meat, produce and other product bags selected by the consumer to deliver items to the point of sale, according to the article.

According to the warrant article, "Longmeadow has adopted this bylaw ... to combat the devastating long-term environmental effects and a need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Within six months of this bylaw taking effect, no store shall provide a single-use carryout bag to a customer at the point of sale."

Argraves's wife said he had threatened her before with firearms and "now she was scared to be in her own home," the arrest report said.

WESTFIELD - A man with a 17-page arrest record in Maine has been jailed after allegedly breaking into his estranged wife's home in Agawam, stealing books and a credit card and lighting 20 candles in the basement.

Damian Argraves, 27, pleaded not guilty in Westfield District Court on Oct. 9  to breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony, larceny under $1,200, malicious destruction of property, and three counts of witness intimidation.

At a prosecutor's request, Judge William O'Grady ordered him held without right to bail for a dangerousness hearing and revoked his bail in an open case in Springfield, effectively jailing him for 90 days.

On Oct. 7, Argraves allegedly broke into the basement of his estranged wife's South Street home while she and other family members slept upstairs; after hearing a dog barking, his wife looked outside and saw Argraves in the driveway and later found tires on her Jeep and another vehicle slashed, according to the police report.

When she checked the basement, she found 20 candles burning on a table and a sculpture she had made missing; the sculpture was later found outside, on the hood of her jeep, the report said.

Argraves called his wife and her mother and warned them not to notify the police, the report said.

When police confronted Argraves, they found his wife's debit and social security cards in his wallet and four of her books in his backpack, the report said.

In a statement to police, Argraves wife said he had threatened her before with firearms and "now she was scared to be in her own home," the report said.

At the dangerousness hearing, Assistant District Attorney Magali Montes said the defendant was a Maine native who has a 17-page criminal record in that state for charges ranging from vandalism to carrying a concealed weapon and drug trafficking.

He also has firearms charges pending in Springfield District Court, Montes said. 

O'Grady rejected the prosecutor's request to hold Argraves for 120 days under the state's dangerousness statute, but granted her request to jail him for 90 days for violating bail in his Springfield case.

If he is released, Argraves must stay away from his estranged wife, submit to random drug testing, possess no firearms, observe a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, and wear a GPS monitoring bracelet, among other conditions, the judge ruled.

The band confirmed Herbert's death on its Facebook page.

All That Remains lead guitarist Oli Herbert, a founding member of the Springfield metalcore band, has died. He was 44.

The band confirmed Herbert's death on its Facebook page. The cause of death was not revealed.

"We were devastated to learn that Oli Herbert, our friend, guitar player, and founding member of All That Remains, has passed away," the band said in a statement.  "Oli was an incredibly talented guitarist and song writer who defined Rock and Metal from the Northeast. His impact on the genres and our lives will continue indefinitely. No further details are available at this time. The band and family request that you please respect their privacy and remember Oli by celebrating the great music he made."

All That Remains has released five studio albums, a live CD/DVD, and have sold more than 1 million records worldwide.  The band is scheduled to release a new album, Victim of the New Disease on Nov. 9.

Herbert began playing guitar at 14. His first paid gig was a Battle of the Bands on his final day of his senior year at Longmeadow High School. His band won third place, earning $25.

Herbert made a name for himself in Western Massachusetts clubs with Netherworld, a thrash metal band he formed in 1991, consisting of Lyndros Borceusk of Ware, Jay Barnes of Chicopee, and Steve Ghazil and John Magard, both of Ludlow.

"I started off with piano when I was 9 years old. I can find my way around it okay. I played trombone in high school and a couple different ones in college because I had to in music school. I'm not really proficient in anything besides guitar, bass, banjo and mandolin. Guitar is my main thing," Herbert told Arkansas' The Free Weekly. "One of my favorite non metal things to do is to work on jazz. I work on improv and chord progressions, and furthering my understanding of harmony. I'm just trying to bring a wider vocabulary to my metal playing."

Herbert co-founded All That Remains with frontman Phil Labonte in 1998.

The band played Springfield clubs, like Fat Cat and Mars Nightclub, before being signed to Prosthetic Records, a division of Metal Blade, back in 2002.

Herbert married his wife, Beth, in 2004.

View this post on Instagram

We were devastated to learn that Oli Herbert, our friend, guitar player, and founding member of All That Remains, has passed away. Oli was an incredibly talented guitarist and song writer who defined Rock and Metal from the Northeast. His impact on the genres and our lives will continue indefinitely. No further details are available at this time. The band and family request that you please respect their privacy and remember Oli by celebrating the great music he made.

A post shared by All That Remains (@allthatremains) on Oct 17, 2018 at 6:03am PDT

Pleasant Valley Estates and its management company, Bernashe Realty has agreed to pay $15,000 in damages to the Mass Fair Housing Center.

HOLYOKE -- The owners of a Granby apartment complex and its management company have agreed to pay $15,000 to the Mass Fair Housing Center after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found the company discriminated against people who use assistance animals.

The case against Pleasant Valley Estates and Bernashe Realty, which named Diane Bernashe-Lecca and James Lecca, was in response to a complaint filed by the Holyoke-based fair housing center earlier this year. That agency launched an investigation after seeing an ad posted by Bernashe Realty that included terms such as "no dogs" and "no service animals."  

"After MFHC's fair housing tests indicated that Bernashe had a policy and practice of refusing to allow assistance animals for people with disabilities, it filed a housing discrimination complaint with HUD," a statement said at the time. "HUD then conducted its own investigation of Bernashe Realty's practices, which revealed a pattern of ignoring or denying requests for assistance animals."

In an email, the fair housing center's legal director, Ashley Grant, said the company agreed to pay the damages and to "adopt a new reasonable accommodation policy developed by HUD" and distribute it to all the tenants of the residential properties they own or manage. 

The company also is required to provide copies of the policy to tenants whenever they buy new properties "to inform all residents with disabilities of their right to a reasonable accommodation under the law," Grant wrote.  

Bernashe-Lecca and Lecca must also attend a fair housing training.

"This Consent Order makes it clear to landlords that they cannot ignore the needs of individuals with disabilities and they must make accommodations to their policies to ensure that all residents have equal access to their housing, regardless of their disabilities," Grant wrote.   

The Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from denying or limiting housing to people with disabilities, or refusing to make reasonable accommodations in policies or practices. This includes waiving no pet policies for assistance or service animals, according to an earlier HUD press release.  

The group was drinking beer when "after a short while, the male told the complainant to have sex with his women and pay him $100 for each one or he was going to stab him," police said.

A 53-year-old man was drinking beer with a man and two women inside his Fall River apartment when police say the man threatened to stab the victim if he did not pay for sex with the two women.

The victim met up with the man and two women around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and went to his Alden Street residence to drink, according to Fall River police. 

The group was drinking beer when "after a short while, the male told the complainant to have sex with his women and pay him $100 for each one or he was going to stab him," police said in a statement Wednesday.

The suspected pulled out a folding knife and extended the blade, police said.

That's when the victim ran into the bathroom to try and get away. 

Police said the two women locked the victim in the bathroom for 30 minutes.

"The complainant stated he yelled for help until a neighbor arrived," the statement read. "As the neighbor arrived, the male and two females fled the apartment carrying the complainants' laptop, cell phone, and prescription medication."

Police started to canvass the area.

The victim then told police that the people who robbed him were at 286 Flint St., the statement said.

Officers went to the address and discovered a man and woman matching the descriptions provided by the victim, police said. 

Police found the laptop, cell phone and a medication bottle with the victim's name on it inside the address.

Jonathan Belton, a 44-year-old homeless man, and Kathleen Snitzer, 32 of Fall River, are being charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. 

Anyone with information on the second woman is asked to call Officer Nicholas Hoar at 508-676-8511 or call the anonymous tip line at 508-672-8477.

Beginning on Nov. 7, both products will be available for a limited time at participating stores.

Just in time for the holiday season, Aldi's will be bringing their advent calendars to the U.S. But these calendars don't have traditional chocolates, instead they're loaded with imported wine and cheeses.

Beginning on Nov. 7, both products will be available for a limited time at participating stores.

Their cheese calendar will feature "24 imported mini cheeses, including cheddar, Gouda, Edam, etc."

The other calendar, a wine calendar, won't be available in Massachusetts stores because of liquor laws, but will "offer 24 mini bottles of red, white, rose, and bubbles options, including red blend, Shiraz, Malbec, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc from a variety of regions." 

Those looking for the wine calendar will have to travel outside of the state to pick it up, but those who manage to grab both will have a great daily pairing.

Aldi's has a handful of stores in the state, including ones in Springfield, Worcester, Chicopee, Pittsfield and Raynham, among others.

Local election offices will be open until 8 p.m., and registration can also be done online.

Wednesday, Oct. 17 is the deadline for Massachusetts residents to register to vote in the November general election.

Voters can register online. All local election offices will be open until 8 p.m. for voters to register in person. If someone wants to register by mail, the form must be postmarked today.

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said 4.4 million eligible voters are already registered. Just this month, 73,000 people used the state's online voter registration system, including almost 4,000 Wednesday morning.

"There's a real awareness of the importance of the upcoming election," Galvin said. 

Galvin said voter registration, and the interest in absentee voting so far, indicates "strong and healthy turnout" on Nov. 6.

Anyone who is unsure whether they are registered can check their status on Galvin's website. 

A voter who submitted their registration form to a private group should confirm their voter registration. Galvin said there is a "real problem" with some outside groups failing to turn voter registration forms in to the correct city and town election offices.

With the November election less than three weeks away, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren released two digital campaign ads Wednesday highlighting the Democrat's work on Capitol Hill.

With the November election less than three weeks away, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren released two digital campaign ads Wednesday highlighting the Democrat's work on Capitol Hill.

The 30-second-long ads, entitled "Sirens" and "This is Us," respectively tout the senator's efforts to make hearing aids available over-the-counter, and to help domestic terrorism survivors access treatment at military health facilities. 

They both seek to cast Warren, an oft-rumored 2020 president contender and outspoken critic of the Trump administration, as a senator who can reach across the aisle to get things done. 

The ads further argue that the Democrat is "for the people" and "dedicated" to serving her constituents -- something her Republican challenger, Geoff Diehl, has questioned throughout the 2018 campaign. 

In "This is Us," Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, who both lost legs in the Boston Marathon bombing, discuss how Warren helped pass legislation to so they could get specialized care at military medical centers.

"Elizabeth Warren really helped us ... She was certainly dedicated to figuring it out with us," Kensky said in the ad. 

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren offers bill to provide military health treatment access to terrorism victims

Downes added that the senator "got Democrats and Republicans together to make it law. To help make that kind of care available to other survivors of terrorism."

Provisions of the "Kensky-Downes Act" were included in the National Defense Authorization Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in December 2017, according to Warren's office.

In "Sirens," meanwhile, retired Boston Firefighter Mike Walsh offered how Warren helped him and others facing hearing loss access lower cost hearing aids. 

"Sen. Warren got Republicans and Democrats to pass a law to buy hearing aids over the counter, for a lot less money," he said in the ad. "I may not be able to hear very well but for people like me Elizabeth Warren got the message loud and clear. She's for the people."

Elizabeth Warren touts Senate's passage of over-the-counter hearing aid sales measure

The measure was included in the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017, which Trump signed into law last summer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, however, noted in July that while Congress set forth a process for establishing a category of over-the-counter hearing aids "currently hearing aids continue to be restricted devices, for which sales must follow applicable federal and state requirements."

Warren's campaign declined comment on whether the ads, which were released on the senator's YouTube page, will appear on television. 

The ads come just days after Warren released the results of a DNA test supporting her claims of Native American ancestry and a video, in which she and her family members reflect on that heritage, as well as questions Trump and others have raised about it -- a move which stoked further speculation of a 2020 White House run.

Elizabeth Warren releases DNA test results with 'strong evidence' of Native American ancestry

Despite the new ads, a recent University of Massachusetts Lowell-Boston Globe survey suggested that Warren may easily win re-election, finding that she held a double-digit lead over Diehl and independent candidate Shiva Ayyaduari.

Elizabeth Warren reports $15 million campaign war chest ahead of November election

Warren also holds a large fundraising advantage over her GOP and independent challengers, with a campaign cash balance of $15 million as of the end of September, according to new Federal Election Commission data.

Warren, Diehl and Ayyaduari will face off in the Nov. 6 general election.

Common was spotted crossing the line and entering the Ritz-Carlton in Boston Tuesday. Watch video

First, it was the New York Yankees. Now, it's the rapper and actor Common. Striking Marriott workers in Boston are calling out big names who cross picket lines.

Common was spotted crossing the line and entering the Ritz-Carlton in Boston Tuesday. In a tweet from the Local 26 union, they say "Hey @common, this is unacceptable. You don't cross union picket lines when you preach solidarity."

Hey @common, this is unacceptable. You don't cross union picket lines when you preach solidarity. Please leave the Ritz-Carlton in Boston. Workers are striking for their futures! #1job #MarriottStrike https://t.co/8tW7y6LHST pic.twitter.com/AIylSKdbSQ

-- UNITE HERE Local 26 (@UNITEHERE26) October 16, 2018

Workers at seven hotels in Boston operated by Marriott International went on strike earlier this month to demand a fairer contract, job security and stronger benefits, union representatives said.

The Yankees were the first high-profile names to cross the picket lines. As they arrived for the first games of the 2018 ALDS in Boston they crossed the lines, to the chagrin of striking workers.

"We think it's outrageous," Local 26 President Brian Lang told MassLive. "In our view, what the Yankees did was an insult to all working people in Boston."

Marriott spokespeople, meanwhile, have said their last contract included the largest pay increases to date.

They said in a statement to MassLive: "We are disappointed that Unite Here has chosen to resort to a strike at this time. Marriott's current economic proposal matches the economic terms in the parties' last contract, which included the largest increases in the parties' bargaining history.  We have not proposed any changes to our associates' health, welfare or retirement benefits."

City inspectors found workers using substandard materials on bathroom and kitchen plumbing and sanding the colors off those materials to hide that fact.

SPRINGFIELD - City building inspectors stopped work at the SilverBrick Square project, 122 Chestnut St., and have cited both the building owner and the contractor after finding unlicensed workers installing plumbing at the $6.2 million, 99-apartment renovation project.

Inspectors found workers using substandard materials on bathroom and kitchen plumbing and sanding the colors off pipe to hide that fact, said Steve Desilets, Springfield building commissioner. The colors on pipes show what grade they are.

Desilets said code violations at the site have been an ongoing problem. The Republican is seeking more detail on the history of code enforcement at the site.

Inspectors visiting the job site Tuesday also found other problems, such as pipes running through concrete walls without protective sleeves and improper venting of plumbing work.

On Wednesday, the city issued citations to both SilverBrick Group, of New York City, which bought the property in January for $4.8 million, and to plumber Mikhail K. Shtefan, of West Springfield, Disilets said. Fines could go as high as $1,000 per violation of the code.

The city also sent notice to the state, which might now conduct hearings to revoke Shtefan's license.

State records show that he has no pending discipline.

Shtefan doesn't have a listed phone number for his plumbing business.

SilverBrick did not immediately respond to calls from The Republican on Wednesday morning.

In May, the City Council approved up to $150,000 over 10 years in tax incentives for the project. The incentives are tax savings on the value SilverBrick plans to add to the property, not the assessed value when it bought the building.

The May vote reversed the council's rejection of the tax incentive plan in March, when it questioned the use of tax incentives for a housing development and expressed concerns about the displacement of existing low-income residents who could not afford the higher rent.

Since work began this summer, local construction unions have protested the use of unlicensed construction workers at the site.

Michael Langone, business manager and financial secretary of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 104 and president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council, said the workers are from out of state.

The unions, he said, want to make sure jobs on projects that get tax breaks go to local residents who are licensed to do the work. That doesn't necessarily mean union shops, he said, noting there are open shops with nonunion plumbers who do quality work.

"We are supposed to have a responsible employer ordinance in this city, but no one is enforcing it," he said.

Langone said that he was working Wednesday with SilverBrick to get union contractors on the site to see what was done, learn what must be done and what might have to be redone so work can resume.

SilverBrick already owns 280 apartments downtown at SilverBrick Lofts - the former Morgan Square Apartments. SilverBrick bought Morgan Square for $9 million in 2014, and the company has done approximately $6 million in renovations.

SilverBrick also has plans to renovate the largely vacant Cabotville Mill in Chicopee Center into a mixed use complex including apartments.

The Oct. 17 meeting at Ware Senior Center on Robbins Road will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

WARE -- The proposed Ware River Valley section of the Mass Central Rail Trail is the topic of a public forum Wednesday night.

The meeting at the Ware Senior Center on Robbins Road will be from 6-7:30 p.m.

The proposed trail runs from the Hardwick/Ware covered bridge through Grenville Park, on the former Boston & Maine Railroad along the Ware River.

Among the organizations advocating for the trail is East Quabbin Land Trust. The group's executive director, Cynthia Henshaw, is expected to speak and provide an update on progress.

Ware Town Manager Stuart Beckley is also expected to speak, as is Craig Della Penna, a coordinator for the Mass Central Rail Trail Coalition.

The Ware River Valley section of the trail also includes land extending eastward from the Ware Walmart, where a two-mile section from the store to Robbins Road has been completed.

The goal is to someday have a completed rail trail extending 104 miles that connects 24 communities from Northampton to Boston.

In Western Massachusetts, the 11-mile Norwottuck Rail Trail already connects Northampton, Hadley, Amherst and Belchertown.

The Northwestern DA's office has dropped prosecution of a Springfield man accused of child rape.

NORTHAMPTON - The Northwestern District Attorney's Office has dropped prosecution of a Springfield man accused of child rape after his case ended in mistrial for the third time since charges were initially brought in 2015. 

Kevin DiRocco, 44, had faced charges of child rape and indecent assault and battery for incidents involving two young girls that allegedly took place in Easthampton between Jan. 1, 1998, and Dec. 31, 2009.

The alleged assaults began when the two victims were 3 and 4 years old and are alleged to have ended when the girls had reached the ages of 13 and 14 years old. 

The case ended in mistrial initially in 2017, then ended the same way in April after a problem with the jury. The case ended in mistrial for a third time in June.  

Prosecutor in the case Assistant District Attorney Caleb Weiner made a filing of nolle prosequi in July, a sign that criminal charges would no longer be pursued. 

According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, despite the fact that prosecution is being dropped the DA's office continues to stick by the alleged victims in the case. 

"Toward that end, it is the Commonwealth's position that further prosecution of this case is not in their interest, and that it would result in undue and unnecessary hardship for them," the court records state.

DiRocco was initially charged in 2015 with a number of sex crimes, including aggravated rape and abuse of a child, two counts of child rape and seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, court documents show.

DiRocco, a former Easthampton resident, was represented in the case by Rachel Lynn Weber.  

"The juries worked very hard," Weber told the Gazette.

The law still allows for criminal charges to be refiled against DiRocco in the future. 

The Select Board said the action was to be in compliance with the coming increase in the state minimum wage law, that will increase to $12 per hour in the new year

AMHERST -- The Select Board unanimously voted Monday to increase to $12 per hour the pay rate of any municipal, part-time employee who otherwise would have been making less. The change takes effect in January.

The board said the action was to match the coming increase in the state minimum wage to $12 per hour in the new year.

The action will cost Amherst an additional $26,000 next year.

Prior to the vote, Amherst Personnel Board Chairman D. Anthony Butterfield and Human Resources Director Deborah Radway discussed the issue with the Select Board.

In a memorandum to the Select Board, Butterfield said "$12 is the new state minimum wage effective 1/1/19. The minimum wage will continue to increase .75 cents per year until it attains $15.00/hour in 2023. It is the Personnel Board's intent to provide the new Council with a salary schedule that complies with the new law, but does not reach further in to the future."

During Monday's meeting, board members said their vote to increase the wage of part timers to $12 per hour only applies to 2019, and that future action to increase that rate to $15 per hour in five years would be the job of the Town Council.

The five-person Select Board will be replaced by a 13-member Town Council following the election on Nov. 6.

During the discussion, the officials acknowledged that municipal employees are not governed by the state's minimum wage law, and that there is no legal requirement to ensure town workers are paid that amount.

They also said that ensuring municipal employees are paid no lower than the state minimum has been the practice in Amherst and that it would continue to be.

The current federal minimum wage is $7.75 per hour. According to the state, public employees in Massachusetts are covered by the federal minimum wage laws.