Brian Ashe has been re-elected to his seat as State Representative for the 2nd Hampden District. Watch video

LONGMEADOW -- Democrat Brian Ashe has won a sixth term as state representative in the 2nd Hampden District Tuesday, beating Republican challenger Allison Werder.  

The district covers Longmeadow, Hampden and Monson and Precincts 2, 3 and 4 in East Longmeadow.

Ashe was first elected to the seat in 2008. He defeated Republican challenger Marie Angelides in 2010 and 2012 and ran unopposed in 2014 and 2016.

During a victory speech at Fazio's Restaurant in East Longmeadow, Ashe thanked his friends, family and staff for helping him deliver the win. He also credited his late father, who he said inspired him to achieve his goals. "What he instilled in me I'll never forget," he said. 

Looking to the future, Ashe said he wants to focus on the priorities he's been fighting for all along, while also looking ahead to new challenges and opportunities. "Some things never change. Education, public safety, jobs--we'll continue to work on those," Ashe said.

The opioid crisis will be another area that requires a lot of effort and focus, he said. "I've been blessed to be able to work with Sheriff Cocchi and DA Gulluni on this," said Ashe. "There's still a lot of work to be done there but it's great having partners that are committed to solving the problem."  

Of Werder, Ashe said, "She definitely gave me a tough race." 

Werder said Tuesday that she was disappointed in the results of the race but that she felt that her team had run a strong campaign. "I thought we tried to connect with voters," she said. "I loved the idea of actually going out and knocking on doors and talking to people." 

Werder said that she may revisit another attempt at politics at some future date. "The idea of running again seems very far away," she said. 

Werder campaigned on a platform of change, promising to foster government transparency and fiscal restraint.

But a combination of political experience and longstanding ties to the region ultimately gave Ashe an advantage. A native of Springfield, Ashe worked in the Hampden County Sheriff's Department for 16 years and also served on the Longmeadow Select Board before running for his current seat.

His campaign received support from a number local and state officials, including Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, Hampden DA Anthony Gulluni, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts.

Governor Charlie Baker, meanwhile, endorsed Werder, even visiting her in Longmeadow the weekend before the election. 

The voters ultimately delivered for Ashe, however. The state representative, now looking forward to his next term, said that he looked forward to getting to work. 

The victory will give Goldberg another four years to push for her priorities, which include advocating for online Lottery sales, taking a socially activist approach to investing, increasing access to college savings plans and helping female business owners and professionals.

Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, a Democrat, won a second term in office on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Keiko Orrall.

The Associated Press declared Goldberg the winner with about 28 percent of the votes counted and the incumbent leading with 68 percent to Orrall's 29 percent. Green-Rainbow candidate Jamie Guerin, of Northampton, had 3 percent.

The victory will give Goldberg another four years to push for her priorities, which include advocating for online Lottery sales, taking a socially activist approach to investing, increasing access to college savings plans and helping female business owners and professionals. 

"We want to continue to manage all of the areas of the treasurer's office, constantly improving, constantly mission driven, knowing that we are customer service-oriented, that we serve the public," Goldberg said in an interview before Election Day.

Goldberg won the treasurer's office in 2014. She previously held executive positions at Stop & Shop, the grocery chain that her family founded.

In office, Goldberg has created new programs focused on empowering more people financially. She has run salary negotiation workshops for women and financial literacy programs for students. 

She has tried to expand access to college savings accounts, most recently announcing SeedMA Baby, which will provide each baby born or adopted in Massachusetts beginning in 2020 with $50 to put in a college savings account.

"I think that four years ago we made promises that we ran on, and over the course of these four years, I feel we have not only accomplished what we set out to do but we've done even more," Goldberg said.

Goldberg chairs the board of the state's pension fund, and she has taken a socially activist approach to investing. She successfully proposed rules that would tie the vote of the state pension board to gender diversity on company boards, wage equality and protections based on gender identity. She supports divesting the pension fund from gun sellers.

That is one area where Goldberg differed from Orrall, who said her approach to investing is about looking out for the bottom line.

Orrall, a Lakeville state representative who is also Massachusetts' Republican national committeewoman, said her views were shaped by growing up in a working-class immigrant family.

"I understand that the money doesn't grow on trees," Orrall said. "You have to work hard for your money. ... We need to have someone ultimately who's going to be looking out for the best use of taxpayer dollars."

Orrall argued during the campaign that she would be a better steward of taxpayer money than Goldberg.

She criticized Goldberg for a plan to break the Lottery's Braintree headquarters into three separate offices. The headquarters will move to Dorchester, but leases have not yet been signed for a warehouse and a South Shore office. Orrall said with two months before the Braintree lease expires in January, the public does not yet know where the Lottery will be moving and at what cost.

Orrall said Goldberg has not done enough to return unclaimed property to the public, a charge Goldberg disputes. 

The challenger criticized Goldberg's college savings program, saying it will be costly and not necessarily effective. She noted that a pilot program in Worcester to help low-income families save for college attracted few participants, and cost more to run than families actually saved.

In her next term, Goldberg said she will continue lobbying lawmakers to let her sell Lottery tickets online, which she says is necessary to maintain the Lottery's profitability. She also wants to ask lawmakers to find additional money for the state's School Building Authority, which is now funded through the state sales tax.

Goldberg said she will work to implement SeedMA Baby. She also wants to expand a program that created a state-administered retirement savings plan that small nonprofits can enroll in to provide affordable retirement plans to their employees.

To see live results of all races, click here. For complete 2018 Election coverage, head to our 2018 Elections Headquarters.

Andrea Harrington is on pace to win her race to become Berkshire County's next District Attorney.

Andrea Harrington is on pace to win her race to become Berkshire County's next District Attorney, overcoming a write-in challenge from current DA Paul J. Caccaviello.

The Berkshire Eagle reports that celebrations began at Harrington's results party shortly after 9 p.m. after early returns showed her easily carrying the race.

Harrington, who ran on as a progressive promising criminal justice reform, defeated both Caccaviello and veteran attorney Judith Knight in the September Democratic primary.

Caccaviello was the hand-picked successor of former District Attorney David Capeless and was appointed to serve as the district attorney by Gov. Charlie Baker after Capeless' retirement in March.

After Harrington won the Democratic nomination, Caccaviello launched a write-in campaign and secured endorsements from Knight and Berkshire County's chiefs of police, according to the Eagle.

Harrington is a veteran attorney who has worked on criminal defense and labor cases. She worked on overturning death penalty sentences in Florida after graduating law school, according to her campaign website.

She was the sole candidate without experience on the prosecutor's side of the courtroom and centered her campaign on promises of criminal justice reform. She has endorsed treatment beds rather than jail cells for nonviolent drug users, proposed ending cash bail for low-level offenders and criticized the disproportionate prosecution of juvenile minorities.

Caccaviello touted his experience as Berkshire County's First Assistant District Attorney during the campaign, saying he had the know-how to both successfully prosecute cases and implement the criminal justice reforms recently passed by the Massachusetts legislature, Commonwealth Magazine reported.

No Republicans were on the general election ballot.

The Mega Millions jackpot is back on the climb after a single winning ticket claimed a $1.6 billion jackpot last month.

The Mega Millions jackpot is back on the climb after a single winning ticket claimed a $1.6 billion jackpot last month.

Mega Millions

Here are the winning numbers in Tuesday's drawing:

28-34-37-56-69; Mega Ball: 12; Megaplier: 2X

The estimated jackpot for the drawing is $70 million. The cash option is about $39 million. If no one wins, the Mega Millions jackpot will get bigger for the next drawing.

According to the game's official website, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.

Players pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers -- five different numbers from 1 to 70 and one number from 1 to 25 -- or select Easy Pick. A player wins the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.

Jackpot winners choose whether to receive 30 annual payments, each five percent higher than the last, or a lump-sum payment.

Mega Millions drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays and are offered in 44 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 each.

Mega Millions and Powerball winners should do these 5 things

Baker and Polito declared victory Tuesday night with a strong nod to bipartisanship and a pledge to continue working across party lines.

BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito declared victory Tuesday night with a strong nod to bipartisanship and a pledge to continue working across party lines.

"The people of Massachusetts elected us four years ago to bring fiscal discipline, a reform minded approach to governing, and a commitment to bipartisanship to state government," Baker said in his victory speech. "We have done just that every single day. And today, the voters have spoken. They like what we are doing and they appreciate the way we work."

Baker, a Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Jay Gonzalez and his running mate Quentin Palfrey in a landslide Tuesday night to win a second term as Massachusetts governor. With 52 percent of precincts reporting, Baker led 67 percent to 33 percent.

Gonzalez called Baker to concede around 9:15 p.m. and spoke to supporters at a Massachusetts Democratic Party event soon after that.

"It's not exactly the result we were hoping for, but we gave it one hell of a run, didn't we?" Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez congratulated Baker. "At a time of divisiveness and incivility in our national politics, Gov. Baker deserves credit and our thanks for the civil, respectful and collaborative approach he has taken to governing," Gonzalez said.

Baker was equally gracious to Gonzalez. "He made this campaign a discussion and a debate and a conversation about the issues, not about the personalities," Baker said. "No cheap shots, just working hard to make sure the people of Massachusetts had a chance to hear both sides and they make the call."

Baker has throughout his campaign stressed his commitment to working with Democrats and independents. On election night, Baker and Polito were introduced by a diverse group of supporters: Democratic Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, independent Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Theken, Republican Party Chairwoman Kirsten Hughes and Robert Lewis, founder of The Base, which helps urban student athletes succeed. 

"Tomorrow, we're not Republicans and Democrats anymore, I'm unaffiliated, we're human," Theken said.

Rivera even asked for a round of applause for Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who won reelection, drawing a tepid response from the Republican-leaning crowd.

No one who spoke from the podium mentioned the other Republican candidates to run for statewide office from Massachusetts, all of whom lost to Democratic incumbents. And none referred directly to the tight races nationally for control of the U.S. House and Senate. 

In his victory speech, Baker spoke about a birthday party he attended for downed Swampscott Marine helicopter pilot Jennifer Harris.

"No one ever asks if a fallen soldier is a Republican or a Democrat," Baker said. "They are American heroes, plain and simple. And it is incumbent on us to appreciate the sacrifices made by them and their families on our behalf."

Baker continued, "It is with humility and gratitude that we take on these awesome responsibilities. To honor the sacrifices of those who serve to keep us free -- and those who put their faith in us with their vote and their support."

Baker pledged to continue working across the aisle, to focus on "the work, not the noise," fix things that are broken, "treat your money like it was ours," and make sure government works for those who need it most.

Polito said the administration will continue working on issues including addressing climate change, improving education and "leading an efficient and effective state government that delivers high quality services while respecting taxpayers."

"If you like what you've been seeing for the past four years, you ain't seen nothing yet," Polito said.

"I am honored and humbled," Smola, a Republican from Warren, said in an interview following his re-election to serve the 1st Hampden District.

State Rep. Todd Smola, R-Warren, had not been challenged in a race since the first year he ran to be a legislator back in 2004 until this year, but the result was the same: he won handily. 

"I am honored and humbled," Smola said in an interview following his re-election to serve the 1st Hampden District. 

He was challenged by Sturbridge Democrat Tanya Neslusan and defeated her by about a 2-1 margin, according to unofficial results. 

In his hometown of Palmer, Smola beat Neslusan, 3,385 to 1,286 votes. He won Sturbridge by a 2,529 to 1,902 margin, and in Ware, Smola's margin of victory was 1,796 to 680. 

The district also includes Wales, Warren, Brimfield and Holland, where Smola won by a 708 to 406 margin, according to unofficial results from the town's clerk. 

Smola said he will continue to be a strong advocate for East-West passenger rail service that would include a station in Palmer. The matter is currently under review by the state department of transportation.

To see live results of all races, click here. For complete 2018 Election coverage, head to our 2018 Elections Headquarters.

The Democrats picked up more than the 23 seats they needed to take from the GOP, and reached a majority 218 seats in the House. Watch video

WASHINGTON -- Democrats seized the House majority from President Donald Trump's Republican Party on Tuesday in a suburban revolt that threatened what's left of the president's governing agenda. But the GOP gained ground in the Senate and preserved key governorships, beating back a "blue wave" that never fully materialized.

The mixed verdict in the first nationwide election of Trump's young presidency underscored the limits of his hardline immigration rhetoric in America's evolving political landscape, where college-educated voters in the nation's suburbs rejected his warnings of a migrant "invasion."

Blue-collar voters and rural America embraced his aggression.

Still, a new Democratic House majority would end the Republican Party's dominance in Washington for the final two years of Trump's first term with major questions looming about health care, immigration and government spending. The president's party will maintain control of the executive and judicial branches of U.S. government, in addition to the Senate, but Democrats suddenly have a foothold that gives them subpoena power to probe deep into Trump's personal and professional missteps -- and his long-withheld tax returns.

"Tomorrow will be a new day in America," declared House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who would be in line to become the next House speaker.

There were signs of extraordinary turnout in several states, including Georgia, where voters waited hours in the rain to vote in some cases, and in Nevada, where the last voters cast their ballots nearly three hours after polls were scheduled to close.

It could have been a much bigger night for Democrats, who suffered stinging losses with 2020 implications in Ohio and in Florida, where Trump-backed Republican Ron DeSantis ended Democrat Andrew Gillum's bid to become the state's first African-American governor.

"I want to encourage you to stick to the fight," Gillum, thought to be a rising star with national ambitions, told dejected supporters.

Yet Democrats celebrated a handful of victories in their "blue wall" Midwestern states, electing or re-electing governors in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and in Wisconsin, where Scott Walker was defeated by state education chief Tony Evers.

The road to a House majority ran through two dozen suburban districts Hillary Clinton won in 2016. Democrats flipped seats in suburban districts outside of Washington, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago and Denver.

The results were more mixed deeper into Trump country. 

In Kansas, Democrat Sharice Davids beat a GOP incumbent to become the first gay Native American woman elected to the House. But in Kentucky, one of the top Democratic recruits, retired Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, lost her bid to oust to three-term Rep. Andy Barr.

Trump sought to take credit for retaining the GOP's Senate majority, even as the party's foothold in the more competitive House battlefield appeared to be slipping.

"Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!" Trump tweeted.

History was working against the president in the Senate: 2002 was the only midterm election in the past three decades when the party holding the White House gained Senate seats.

Democrats' dreams of the Senate majority, which was always unlikely, were shattered after losses in many of the top Senate battlegrounds: Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, North Dakota and Texas.

Trump encouraged voters to view the 2018 midterms as a referendum on his leadership, pointing proudly to the surging economy at recent rallies.

Nearly 40 percent of voters cast their ballots to express opposition to the president, according to AP VoteCast, the national survey of the electorate, while one-in-four said they voted to express support for Trump.

Overall, 6 in 10 voters said the country was headed in the wrong direction, but roughly that same number described the national economy as excellent or good. Twenty-five percent described health care and immigration as the most important issues in the election.

Nearly two-thirds said Trump was a reason for their vote.

The president bet big on a xenophobic closing message, warning of an immigrant "invasion" that promised to spread violent crime and drugs across the nation. Several television networks, including the president's favorite Fox News Channel, yanked a Trump campaign advertisement off the air on the eve of the election, determining that its portrayal of a murderous immigrant went too far.

One of Trump's most vocal defenders on immigration, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, lost his bid for governor.

Kobach had built a national profile as an advocate of tough immigration policies and strict voter photo ID laws. He served as vice chairman of Trump's now-defunct commission on voter fraud.

The president found partial success despite his current job approval, set at 40 percent by Gallup, the lowest at this point of any first-term president in the modern era. Both Barack Obama's and Bill Clinton's numbers were 5 points higher, and both suffered major midterm losses of 63 and 54 House seats respectively.

Democrats, whose very relevance in the Trump era depended on winning at least one chamber of Congress, were laser-focused on health care as they poured hundreds of millions of dollars onto surging anti-Trump energy to break up the GOP's monopoly in Washington and state governments.

While Democratic losses were expected, particularly in the Senate, some hurt worse than others.

In Texas, Sen Ted Cruz staved off a tough challenge from Democrat Beto O'Rourke, whose record-smashing fundraising and celebrity have set off buzz he could be a credible 2020 White House contender.

Democrats' fate in high-profile governorships in Georgia and Wisconsin were at risk as well.

In Indiana, Trump-backed businessman Mike Braun defeated Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly. In Missouri, Josh Hawley knocked off Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. And in Tennessee, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn defeated former Gov. Phil Bredesen, a top Democratic recruit.

Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin in West Virginia and Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin won re-election. And in New Jersey, Democrats re-elected embattled Sen. Bob Menendez, who, less than a year ago, stood trial for federal corruption charges. The Justice Department dropped the charges after his trial ended in a hung jury.

Meanwhile, several 2020 presidential prospects easily won re-election, including Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Tuesday's elections also tested the strength of a Trump-era political realignment defined by evolving divisions among voters by race, gender, and especially education.

Trump's Republican coalition is increasingly older, whiter, more male and less likely to have a college degree. Democrats relied more upon women, people of color, young people and college graduates.

Women voted considerably more in favor of their congressional Democratic candidate -- with fewer than 4 in 10 voting for the Republican, according to VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 115,000 voters and about 20,000 nonvoters -- conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.

In suburban areas where key House races were decided, voters skewed significantly toward Democrats by a nearly 10-point margin.

The races ushered in a series of firsts. Women had won 76 seats and were assured of nine more, a record.

The House was getting its first two Muslim women, Massachusetts elected its first black congresswoman, and Tennessee got its first female senator.

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, was in a fierce battle to become America's first black female governor, though Democrats in Florida and Maryland lost their bids to become their states' first black governors.

With Democrats winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm election, Western Massachusetts could soon yield major influence in federal policymaking.

With Democrats winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm elections, Western Massachusetts could soon yield major influence in federal policymaking.

The four major television networks -- ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC -- as well as CNN all projected the Democrats would win a House majority. 

Having won re-election in their respective 2018 races, the state's two westernmost congressmen -- U.S. Reps. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, and Jim McGovern, D-Worcester -- stepped closer to likely chairmanships for two of the most powerful committees on Capitol Hill. 

Although the new committee chairpersons will not officially be named for some time, Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, is widely considered to be the next leader of the tax-writing panel when the 116th Congress convenes in January. 

McGovern, ranking member of the House Rules Committee, is poised to lead that panel -- which decides when and what bills make it to the chamber floor -- in the new Democrat-controlled Congress.

Springfield-based political strategist Tony Cignoli said Western Massachusetts would benefit in various ways with Neal, McGovern or both congressmen chairing such committees.

Pointing to Neal's track record of bringing funds back to the 1st Congressional District, Cignoli argued that the Democrat could focus on larger, legacy-type projects if named Ways and Means chairman. 

"Given his seniority and the time that he's had in Congress and that this is perhaps closer to the end of his career than to the beginning, a lot of things that he will do will very much be in regards to what will be his legacy," Cignoli said. "So there could be some very large projects, long-lasting, long-impacting projects throughout Western Massachusetts -- an area that always lags economically behind Boston. This is our time."

Cignoli said Neal's ability to work with Republicans gives such projects a better chance of becoming reality under his potential leadership. 

"Neal is a student of history and a professor of history: He knows that for legacy, impactful change in his district and even nationally, he's going to have to be that person that reaches across the aisle. He's got a reputation and a track record -- for the last 15, 16 years -- as being one of the few Democrats that Republicans like and respect," he said. "It's no secret that when it comes to tax code and tax policy, that the policy wonk that is Richard Neal is regarded well by Republicans."

McGovern's potential Rules Committee chairmanship, meanwhile, could give Western Massachusetts power in determining what bills make it to the U.S. House floor. Cignoli said that in a Democratic House, McGovern would also help oversee congressional districts.

"The gerrymandering that both parties are guilty of over the decades -- he's going to have an opportunity to have a say over some of that and how the rules of the House are actually conducted," he said.

Cignoli offered that McGovern would become "kind of like the sheriff of the House of Representatives" if named Rules Committee chairman -- something which, he noted, could further solidify his legacy in politics.

"It's an amazingly powerful committee and the impact McGovern can have can be legacy-like, as well," he said. "He may be able to have a say that's helpful to us,  not just in Massachusetts but throughout the nation in correcting some of the voting irregularities ... that we've been hearing so much about."

The prospect of Western Massachusetts lawmakers holding such powerful positions on Capitol Hill has loomed large in the 2018 cycle -- particularly in the 1st Congressional District primary race between Neal and Democratic challenger Tahirah Amatul-Wadud. 

The longtime congressman, who became the House Ways and Means Committee's ranking member in December 2016, argued that his position allowed him to better advocate for the needs of Western Massachusetts on Capitol Hill than his primary opponent.

Neal's message appeared to resonate with 1st Congressional District residents, who decided to send him on to an unopposed November general election with 71 percent of the vote to Amatul-Wadud's 29 percent. 

Following his primary win, the congressman turned his full attention to helping other Democrats win House races across the country in hopes of flipping the chamber to the Democratic Party's control. 

2018 election: Massachusetts lawmakers stump for Democrats across US

Neal, who campaigned for candidates in California, Florida, Arizona and New Hampshire, stressed that his focus was on winning 24 seats.  

"I just want the House," he said in an interview. 

McGovern, who was named the Rules Committee's ranking member in April, also lent support to Democratic candidates across the country in the lead-up to Election Day, despite focusing on his re-election fight against Republican Tracy Lovvorn.

His campaign reported more than $200,000 in contributions to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018, according to Federal Election Commission data.

Women made waves on Election Day.

Women made waves on Election Day. 

More than 100 women across the nation are projected to win seats in the House of Representatives, shattering the previous record of 84 - about 19 percent - of the 435 House seats. 

In Massachusetts, five women candidates were running for national office in midterm races. Of those, four women won and one lost. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren fended off Republican and independent challengers to win a second term, receiving 60 percent of the vote. 

Elizabeth Warren defeats US Senate challengers Geoff Diehl, Shiva Ayyadurai in re-election fight

Democratic candidate Lori Trahan also beat out Republican and independent candidates to represent the state's 3rd Congressional District, following her victory by a thin margin of 145 votes in the 10-way Democratic primary. 

Ayanna Pressley unseated Rep. Mike Capuano, a progressive Congressional favorite first elected in 1998 in Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District, in the primaries. At her victory party, a crowd of supporters chanted "Change can't wait. Change can't wait."

She did not face a Republican candidate on Election Day and swept the vote. Pressley is the first woman of color in the state's delegation. 

Ayanna Pressley unseats Rep. Mike Capuano

Rep. Katherine Clark held onto her seat in Massachusetts' 5th Congressional District, receiving 73 percent of the vote. 

Republican Tracy Lovvorn was not successful in her challenge of longtime Rep. Jim McGovern, who represents Massachusetts' 2nd Congressional District.

Nationwide, women candidates campaigned on issues including health care, gun violence and immigration, flipping some districts from red to blue. 

Pennsylvania, where no women held congressional office, will now have four female congresswomen after winning three Republican-held seats and one seat that was open. 

In Arizona, where no woman was previously elected to the Senate, there three female candidates running for the same seat: Republican Martha McSally, Democrat Krysten Sinema and Green Party candidate Angela Green. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, the vote split 49.3 percent for McSally, 48.5 percent for Sinema and 2.2 percent for Green. 

When U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren took the stage to claim victory in her re-election bid Tuesday, the Democrat celebrated not just her own campaign's success, but the historic gains women candidates made across the state and country in the 2018 midterm contest. Watch video

BOSTON -- When U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren took the stage to claim victory in her re-election bid Tuesday, the Democrat celebrated not just her own campaign's success, but the historic gains women candidates made across the state and country in the 2018 midterm contest. 

Surrounded by more than a dozen Massachusetts women who won their respective races for local, state and federal offices, Warren reflected on her victory over Republican challenger Geoff Diehl and the 2018 election's historic significance.

2018 Massachusetts election: Elizabeth Warren defeats US Senate challengers Geoff Diehl, Shiva Ayyadurai in re-election fight, shifts focus to possible 2020 bid

Arguing that the resistance to President Donald Trump "began with women," who "watched in horror" as the Republican won the 2016 election, the Democrat stressed that the movement continues to be led by women. 

"They didn't like it. But they didn't whimper.  They didn't whine.  They fought back. ... By the dozens, by the hundreds, women who had never run for anything before stepped up to put their names on the ballot," she told supporters who gathered for an Election Night event at the Fairmont Copley in Boston. "A record-breaking number of women -- especially women of color, including our own (U.S. Rep.-elect) Ayanna Pressley -- jumped into the fight."

'Now's the time to step up': Massachusetts sees increase in women running for Congress

Warren, who noted the different challenges female candidates can face, added that regardless of the 2018 election's outcomes for women running across the country, "real change" has already occurred. 

"We've come so far together. We've fought together, cried together, resisted together and we sure as hell persisted together. But tonight, we send a message to the world: We're just getting started," she said. 

Pressley, who officially became the first African-American woman elected to represent Massachusetts in Congress on Tuesday, added that the 2018 election is historic not just for women, but for female candidates of color.

"When a woman of color talks about running for higher office, or public office at all, folks don't just talk about a glass ceiling. Yes, we face the same trials our sisters and women of all colors face when answering the call to serve. But the conversations that occur when a woman of color seeks public office take on a texture all their own,"  she told Democrats who gathered for Warren's Election Night event. "'Is your appeal broad enough?' 'Are you playing identity politics?' 'Can you really inspire millennials and the faith-based community?' 'Can a congresswoman wear her hair in braids?'"

Pressley argued that "when it comes to women of color candidates, folks don't just talk about a glass ceiling, what they describe is a concrete one."

"But you know what breaks through concrete? Seismic shifts," she said.

Pressley, who defeated longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, of Somerville, in Massachusetts' September primary, added that she was "honored and humbled to share both the ballot and the stage with the many visionary, bold women who raised their hand to run for public office."

2018 election results: Massachusetts US Senate and Congressional races

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, a Melrose Democrat who joined Pressley in introducing Warren at the Election Night reception, noted that the 2018 election marked the first time Massachusetts voted to send four women to Capitol Hill.

The state had previously sent a total of just six women to Capitol Hill, including Warren and Clark.

"Tonight an historic night for the commonwealth. In fact, tonight we're making "herstory.' For the first time in Massachusetts' history we are sending three women to Congress," she said, welcoming Pressley and Democrat Lori Trahan -- who claimed victory in the state's 3rd Congressional District -- to the U.S. House of Representatives and state's delegation.

Lori Trahan to succeed Niki Tsongas in Washington, D.C. after emerging winner in Third Congressional District race

Clark, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's vice chairwoman of recruitment, added that "when women have a seat at the table, the conversation is changed."

The Democrat defeated Republican challenger John Hugo, of Woburn, to retain her seat in Congress. 

The number of Massachusetts women who ran for Congress in 2018 marked a vast increase over previous election cycles, when about the same amount sought U.S. House and Senate seats from 2008 to 2016 combined.

Just over 40 different women, meanwhile, ran for congressional seats in Massachusetts from 1988 through 2016, with only three -- Warren, Clark and U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Lowell -- claiming victory. 

Caesars Entertainment operates more than 50 resorts and casinos across the United States and Canada.

SPRINGFIELD --MGM Resorts International, parent company of MGM Springfield, is reportedly in talks to merge with casino rival Caesars Entertainment, according to the New York Post.

But the merger would face scrutiny from federal regulators  -- the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission -- as well as from state gaming regulators across the country, according to the Press of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In Massachusetts, Caesars once tried to grab a piece of the state's casino pie. It partnered with Suffolk Downs to compete for the eastern Massachusetts license that went to Wynn Resorts, which is now developing the Encore Boston Harbor resort casino. But the Massachusetts Gaming Commission deemed Caesars ineligible to do business in the Commonwealth.

MGM was the second-largest casino operator in the United States, based on revenue, in 2017, while Caesars was the fourth-largest.

The possible merger was first reported in The New York Post on Monday.

The Post said MGM has hired investment bank Morgan Stanley and law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges to look into a possible deal.

Activist hedge funds, which own about a quarter of Caesars, are pushing for the deal, according to The Post.

LasVegasnow.com, the website of the city's CBS affiliate, said the merger would give the combined company an overwhelming presence in Las Vegas.

"I think these companies are always exploring their options through things like this,"  David Schwartz, the director of the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV, told the station. "They're always looking at mergers and consolidations, so it's not really surprising MGM would be considering this right now."

Business in Vegas was slow this summer, as both companies admitted in their recent earnings reports to investors.

Caesars operates more than 50 resorts and casinos across the United States and Canada, according to its website. That includes the Caesars, Bally's, and Harrah's resorts in Atlantic City that compete square on with MGM's Borgata Hotel & Casino. 

Caesars also owns properties on the Gulf Coast, including one in New Orleans. MGM has Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi. Unlike MGM, which recently opened the $960 million MGM Springfield resort casino, Caesars has no New England or New York locations.

At midday Wednesday, MGM's stock -- MGM on the New York Stock Exchange -- traded at $27.790 a share, up  41 cents or 1.5 percent. Caesars, CZR on the NASDAQ -- traded at $9.51 a share up 1 cent or 1 percent on the day.

Caesars told investors this week that it recently received a letter from Golden Nugget, proposing that Caesars acquire substantially all of Golden Nugget's restaurant, hospitality, entertainment and gaming businesses in exchange for a significant minority of Caesars' common shares.

But Caesar's said that plan would not be consistent with the its  plans to create and enhance shareholder value over the long term.

Other AARP "quick action" projects in Massachusetts this year were for the Old Colony YMCA in East Bridgewater and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- With funding from an AARP grant meant to improve public spaces for those of all ages, city and Pioneer Valley Transit Authority officials cut the ribbon Wednesday on a dozen new bus stop benches scattered around Springfield.

"So come over and have a seat," Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said by way of an invitation following a photo opportunity in Court Square.

In July, AARP gave the PVTA $10,000 to install a dozen benches at bus stops so seniors and those those with disabilities using public transportation have a place to sit while they wait.

The benches are at the following locations: Court Square; State and Spring streets; Sumner Avenue at Sumner Terrace; Dickinson and Washington streets; Springfield Technology Park; Wilbraham Road and Rochelle Street; West Street and Riverside Road; Registry of Motor Vehicles; Page Boulevard at Haumont Terrace; and Industry Avenue at Cottage Street.

"We worked with community groups to determine where they were needed and what design would fit best with the location," said Sandra E. Sheehan, PVTA's administrator.

Every winter, riders complain about snow at PVTA stops. Sheehan said it's the transit agency's responsibility to clear snow from bus shelters, and she has a contractor in place to do that work for the winter. But it's a property owner's responsibility to clear snow from bus stops that do not have shelters as those stops are simply part of the sidewalk.

In Court Square, Sheehan said the PVTA worked with the Parks Department and Department of Public Works to install benches at the shelter there that fit with the park's elaborate Victorian look.

This summer, the city replaced benches in the park 13 years after they'd been removed.

Elsewhere in the city, PVTA bought the other benches with a more contemporary look from MassCor, the Massachusetts Department of Correction prison industry program. The benches were built by men incarcerated at MCI Norfolk, said Steve Cristol, a marketing and sales employee of the program who attended the event.

"This gives inmates the skills they need to be employable," Cristol said. "Being employable upon release is so important for these people."

MassCOR has begun marketing its services and products to municipalities, camps, nursing homes, businesses and other potential customers. MassCor inmates make flags for Springfield's Veterans Day observances and built the trash bins on Main Street.

Nationally, AARP -- once known as the American Association of Retired Persons -- awarded $1.3 million to fund 129 "quick action" projects through the AARP Community Challenge grant program. AARP received nearly 1,600 applications from nonprofits and government entities for the program, now in its second year, according to a press release.

Other AARP quick action projects in Massachusetts this year were in East Bridgewater and Lowell.

AARP granted $5,120 for the Old Colony YMCA to fund improvements to a hiking trail in East Bridgewater. The five-mile Hiking Viking trail begins at the town hall, links to the Council on Aging and ends at the Old Colony YMCA East Bridgewater branch. The plans call for new signs and ADA-compliant benches.

AARP also granted $12,098 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell for its Critical Home Repairs program. AARP said the money will purchase new tools and additional equipment for volunteers and staff to use when they repair homes for elders that will allow them to age safely in place.

"We are the first people to talk to survivors after they call our hotline," said social worker India Kyles, adding that the agency has received 6,364 calls for help so far this year.

SPRINGFIELD -- A fundraising breakfast on Tuesday to support the YWCA's work serving victims of domestic violence had the aura of an Election Day campaign rally -- and that's what Elizabeth Dineen, the agency's executive director, was hoping for as she spoke to a crowd that helped raise $60,000.

Speaking at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Dineen -- a former prosecutor in the district attorney's office -- said when the YWCA decided to revive a long-standing tradition of sponsoring breakfasts to raise awareness about the important work it does, someone asked how many people might attend.

"I said maybe 100," Dineen said. "We have 368 people here today and 400 people bought tickets."

Besides Dineen, who assumed leadership of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts in 2016, several of the agency's staff members spoke to the audience about the frightening situation survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault face when they seek help.

The YWCA operates a 24-hour hotline at 413-733-7100.

"We are the first people to talk to survivors after they call our hotline," said social worker India Kyles, adding that the agency has received 6,364 calls for help so far this year, including from 2,176 people seeking shelter.

Kyles said the agency dispatches medical personnel to aid victims of rape, and accompanies them to the hospital for treatment and where forensic evidence can be gathered by law enforcement should the victim seek to file criminal charges.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, who co-chaired the event, and District Attorney Anthony Gulluni all praised the work of the YWCA.

Cocchi said a $22,000 check from an anonymous donor will enable the YWCA to fight human trafficking with the addition of two rooms at its Springfield shelter to help victims escape a life of prostitution.

With help from the sheriff's office,  the YW raised a total of $60,000.

"When I called Liz Dineen to tell her about the donation," she cried, Cocchi said. "And then I did."

Neal said the YWCA is a beacon of hope during a time of national outrage over the tone of political discourse.

The congressman commended the Clough Street neighborhood where the YWCA is located for welcoming the shelter. "It was brand advocacy at its best," he said.

Doris Gonzalez, property manager for the YWCA of Western Massachusetts headquarters and shelter, said the shelter has studio apartments and two- and three-bedroom apartments.

"For so many of our survivors, coming here is the first time in their life that they feel safe," she said, adding that the goal is to help them achieve independence, finding homes and jobs.

The agency is often the only resort for survivors, Dineen said.

"When a woman with a child comes to our shelter, she often comes with nothing except the clothes on her back, maybe a blanket and a comforting toy for the child," Dineen said.

"As we head into the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, I hope you consider the work we are doing -- transforming lives every day at the YWCA," Dineen said.

Dineen and several of the speakers reminded the audience of the YWCA's mission:  "Dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all."

And on an ending note, Dineen urged everyone at the event to go out and vote.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said Wednesday that he plans to request the release of President Donald Trump's tax returns, if named the next House Ways and Means Committee chairman.

SPRINGFIELD -- U.S. Rep. Richard Neal,  D-Springfield, said Wednesday that he plans to request the release of President Donald Trump's tax returns, if named the next House Ways and Means Committee chairman. 

Neal, who currently serves as the panel's ranking member, told reporters at a Springfield news conference that he would use the powerful position in the new Democrat-led U.S. House to seek the president's tax information. 

"Yes, I think we will," he said when asked whether Ways and Means will pursue the president's tax returns.

The congressman, however, said he hopes Trump will release the documents before any such request is made. 

"I think it's is a reminder that it has to be done so that legally it meets the law. I think that  there are some precedents for this," he said. "But, I hope that the president would do this on his own, largely because every president since Gerald R. Ford has voluntarily done this."

Neal noted that while it's illegal for any one member of Congress to release a person's tax returns, the House Ways and Means Committee chairman "has the ability to ask for the president's tax returns."

Although the Ways and Means leader can make such a request, the congressman offered that it would likely face legal challenges.

"I would assume there would be a court case that goes on for a period of time," he said.

Leadership and chairmanship positions for the 116th are not expected to be formally decided for several weeks. Neal told reporters that he's confident he'll take over as the next Ways and Means Committee leader.

Neal, McGovern poised for powerful roles in Democrat-led US House of Representatives

The congressman, who became the panel's top Democrat in December 2016, said he plans to focus on health care -- particularly protections for pre-existing conditions -- an infrastructure package, trade policies and retirement savings, if named the next Ways and Means chairman. 

Neal, an outspoken critic of the Trump administration's tax system overhaul, said he would also convene hearings on tax policies, as well as be "unyielding in (his) defense of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid."

Despite Democrats' winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's election, the congressman said he's going to be realistic about what the party can accomplish on Capitol Hill, where Republicans will be in charge of the U.S. Senate and White House, by pursuing areas of bipartisan agreement. 

"There are some opportunities here on infrastructure, on prescription drug benefits and to reset the trade agenda. There are some opportunities here for cooperation," he said. 

Neal, however, said he believes Congress "has a Constitutional responsibility to oversee the executive (branch)."

"I think that interacting, finding principle where you agree on common ground makes a good deal of sense," he said. "But, I've also been through three of these tsunamis -- Bill Clinton in 1994, George Bush in 2006 and Barack Obama in 2010 -- where the voter makes a change in the House of Representatives. I think we have to, in some measure, reflect the emotions that were offered last night, but also a rejection of many of the policies that have been embraced over the last eight years."

The congressman's remarks came as Trump, at his own post-election news conference, reportedly warned Democrats against using their new subpoena power to  investigate him and his administration's actions. 

"If the Democrats think they are going to waste taxpayer money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of classified information, and much else, at the Senate level," he further tweeted Wednesday. "Two can play that game!"

If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game!

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018

UMass Amherst Stockbridge School of Agriculture has launched a new vineyard.

AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts Amherst has launched a new vineyard that will allow students to gain first hand experience in growing and maintaining wine and table grapes, according to a statement from the school. 

It will be a part of the UMass Stockbridge School program, which is devoted to agricultural education. 

Created for the purpose of giving students hands-on viticulture experience, the vineyard will be located at the UMass Agricultural Learning Center on the former Wysocki Farmin Amherst.

Funding for the project was supplied by an initial $3,000 grant from the campus's Sustainability Innovation Engagement Fund, which commits resources to projects that promise to increase the school's sustainability.

The vineyard is partially a project of viticulture expert Elsa Petit, who will be teaching some of her courses like "Sustainable Grape Production" and "Grape Biology" using the vineyard. 

Petit, who holds a Ph.D. in plant pathology, said that the vineyard will allow students to gain a unique experience and that she hopes grape sales from the vineyard will sustain its continued existence. 

"This project is different from the vineyard that UMass Amherst has at its Cold Spring Orchard, which is geared more toward research. For this new vineyard, students and their hands-on experience will be at the center of the project," Petit said. 

The vineyard's grape plants were donated to the school by a number of vineyards throughout the Northeast and Midwest. They are hybrids of native wild and European grapes. 

Petit's courses will also have a sustainability slant to them, thanks to a Sustainable Curriculum Initiative award she received from UMass Libraries. 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is resigning his post with the Trump administration, various news outlets reported Wednesday.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is resigning his post with the Trump administration, various news outlets reported Wednesday.

The Associated Press reported that Sessions had submitted his resignation letter to President Donald Trump.

Sources told ABC News that his departure was requested by Trump and effective immediately.

Trump announced on Twitter that Session's chief of staff, Matthew G. Whitaker, will become the new acting attorney general.

"We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well. ... .We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date," he said.

....We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date.

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018

News of Sessions' resignation came one day after voters cast ballots in the 2018 midterm election. 

Trump has repeatedly criticized Sessions' performance as attorney general, particularly his decision to recuse himself from the Department of Justice's investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 campaign. 

President Trump speaking with advisers about firing AG Jeff Sessions, AP sources say

The president reportedly spoke with advisers about firing Sessions in July 2017.

More recently, he had criticized his attorney general for "performing badly" on various issues, offering that Sessions was "essentially AWOL."

"I don't have an attorney general. It's very sad," Trump told Hill.TV in September. "I'm so sad over Jeff Sessions because he came to me. He was the first senator that endorsed me. And he wanted to be attorney general, and I didn't see it."

Trump at the time declined to say whether he would fire Sessions. 

"We'll see what happens," he said.

'I'm very disappointed;' President Donald Trump criticizes Attorney General Jeff Sessions saying he is 'performing badly'

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Police responded to the address after receiving two 911 calls reporting a woman was in the road suffering from multiple stab wounds, Early said.

The three children of Jennifer Narvaez-Colon tried to help their mother Tuesday night as she laid on a Fitchburg road, suffering from stab wounds that would prove fatal, according to Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.

Narvaez-Colon, 34, suffered the injuries after an incident at 35 Wanoosnoc Road around 10:15 p.m.

Police responded to the address after receiving two 911 calls reporting a woman was in the road suffering from multiple stab wounds, Early said during a Wednesday press conference at the Fitchburg police station.

When officers got to the scene, Narvaez-Colon's children, ages 13, 12 and 8, were rendering aid to their mother, Early said.

"The children were out in the road with their mother, rendering aid to their mother," Early said.

Another woman, Wanda Liz Gonzalez, 33, was found inside a bedroom of the 35 Wanoosnoc Road home, Early said, also suffering from stab wounds to her head and neck.

Narvaez-Colon was taken to the hospital in Leominster, then transferred to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she was pronounced dead around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the exact cause and manner of the woman's death.

Early declined to elaborate on the relationship between the two women. 

Gonzalez was also taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she remains with injuries not considered life-threatening.

From her hospital bed on Wednesday afternoon, Gonzalez was arraigned on charges of domestic assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a knife.

A not-guilty plea was entered on Gonzalez's behalf, and Judge Christopher LoConto continued her case to Friday for a dangerousness hearing in Fitchburg District Court.

Gonzalez could face further charges depending on the result of Narvaez-Colon's autopsy, the district attorney said.

Because both women were stabbed, it remains under investigation as to whether one of them was acting out of self-defense, Early said. The autopsy will help provide more information.

Early declined to answer questions about a knife that was collected at the scene.

On Wednesday afternoon, one police officer was standing guard by the front door of 35 Wanoosnoc Road. Another officer was in the backyard. 

The three children were taken into custody of the state Department of Children and Families and will be reunited with their family later Wednesday, Early said.

Narvaez-Colon, Gonzalez and the three children all lived together at 35 Wanoosnoc Road.

Early said the investigation is active and ongoing and that a search warrant is currently being executed at the home.

Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest Martineau said the incident appears to be isolated.

"There appears to be no danger to anybody who lives in that area," he said. "I'd like to commend the men and women of this police department who first responded for their quick actions, their quick response, but also their compassionate response. These crimes are never easy to handle."

Martineau said police are reviewing call logs to see if officers had ever responded to the address in the past.

Baker's second term priorities include continuing to address opioid addiction, investing in fixing public transportation, planning to mitigate the hazards of climate change and adding housing.

BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday that he thinks the biggest message of his landslide victory was about tone and governing style.

"The biggest part of the mandate is people want us to focus on the work," Baker said. "They want us to collaborate, they want us to be tough on the issues and soft on the people. That was a statement about tone and a statement about a focus on building strong communities and doing the kinds of things we've been doing."

Baker, a Republican, defeated Democrat Jay Gonzalez, 66 percent to 34 percent, on Tuesday to win a second term as governor. His victory came despite the wins of Democrats in all other statewide offices, every Massachusetts congressional seat and the U.S. Senate seat, and a three-seat Democratic pickup in the state Legislature.

Baker focused his campaign on the bipartisan nature of his administration and distanced himself from Republican President Donald Trump and the national party.

Returning to Beacon Hill Wednesday morning, Baker held a meeting for his entire staff, followed by a cabinet meeting, then a press conference. He plans to attend a briefing on recovery efforts in the Merrimack Valley in Lawrence on Wednesday afternoon.

Baker said some of his priorities include continuing to address opioid addiction, investing in fixing public transportation, planning to mitigate the hazards of climate change and adding housing.

Baker introduced a bill last year that would provide financial incentives for communities that build more housing and make it easier for municipalities to rezone neighborhoods to build housing. The Legislature never acted on the bill, and Baker said he wants to "see if we can't nudge that along."

Baker declined to answer a question about whether he anticipates turnover among his cabinet officials heading into his second term. "We think we have a great team, and if they all choose to stay, that's great," Baker said. "If some of them decide to move on I'm sure we'll be able to come up with worthy successors."

The Northeast Energy Center, which would be able to store nearly 1 million gallons, would help National Grid implement its long-term energy strategy.

Energy facility developers with ties to National Grid plan a $100 million plant in Central Massachusetts that would create, store and ship liquefied natural gas, a fuel known as LNG.

The Northeast Energy Center, a project of Liberty Energy Trust and NorthStar Industries, is proposed for 12 acres of a 220-acre site near Route 20 and the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The state's Energy Facilities Siting Board plans a public hearing at the Charlton Municipal Offices on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.

At the proposed facility, natural gas sourced from the Tennessee Gas Pipeline would be cooled to a liquid state, potentially at the rate of 250,000 gallons per day. The plant would be able to store nearly 1 million gallons of LNG in 10 tanks. The gas could then be transported by truck.

National Grid, which holds Bay State Gas Company and Boston Gas Company, earlier solicited developers to help National Grid implement its LNG strategy, and the proposal by Northeast Energy Center was chosen, according to a petition filed with the state.

Among other things, National Grid wishes to purchase LNG from the Charlton plant and truck it to National Grid's LNG storage facilities in Rhode Island, according to the company's latest long-range plan.

Other utilities, manufacturers, and generators could also potentially make use of the LNG.

The two companies claim LNG storage would benefit heating customers and electricity generators alike. During last winter's cold snap, when natural gas pipeline capacity was at a premium, the region's gas-burning power plants relied upon expensive LNG imports from overseas, and even turned to dirtier-burning fuel oil. LNG can be vaporized and injected into the pipeline system as needed.

LNG already supplies 20 to 40 percent of the region's natural gas during very cold days, and on average provides about 8 percent of New England's total gas supply, according to the Northeast Gas Association, a trade group.

The Charlton storage proposal, first announced in May, comes as the industry acknowledges the difficulties of siting natural gas pipelines in New England and the Northeast.

In 2016, Kinder Morgan suspended its Northeast Energy Direct project, and New York denied a federal water permit for the Constitution Pipeline.  Also that year, Massachusetts' highest court shot down a proposal to have electricity customers pay for pipelines.

National Grid also plans a $180 million LNG plant in Providence, Rhode Island. That project received federal approval last month.

The prosecutor said "rival gang affiliation" provides a motive in the case of Sherad Therrien, who's accused of shooting John Alexander to death five years ago.

SPRINGFIELD -- Jury selection is set to begin Nov. 14 in Hampden Superior Court for the murder trial of Sherad Therrien, accused of shooting John Alexander to death five years ago.

Judge Mark D. Mason on Monday heard arguments from prosecution and defense about what they think should be allowed for the trial.

Mason ruled Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Bell can present testimony that Therrien and Alexander were in rival gangs.

She said "rival gang affiliation" provides a motive in this case. 

Without the testimony about gangs, the Sept. 28, 2013, shooting appears to be "an unexplained act of violence," Bell said, adding there were other people with Alexander when he was shot.

Defense lawyer Joan M. Williams argued having jurors hear about gang affiliation will be extremely prejudicial to Therrien and would be "highly, highly inflammatory."

Mason said evidence of gang affiliation is relevant and any concerns about juror prejudice can be addressed through questioning of prospective jurors and by giving seated jurors an instruction not to hold gang affiliation against anyone in the trial.

Williams has said the defense will contend at trial Therrien was not the shooter.

"This case rises and falls on identification," Williams said Monday.

Plans call for testimony to start Nov. 26, after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Therrien, 28, of Springfield, was indicted in September 2016 on the murder charge.

Alexander, 22, was shot in the head as he sat in his car in front of 28 Westminster St. around 3 a.m.

Therrien is serving a six-year federal prison sentence following an April 2015 conviction on drug and gun charges. Prosecutors said that on four occasions between September 2013 and March 2014, Therrien sold a loaded gun, powder cocaine and crack cocaine to an FBI informant.

Therrien was serving his federal sentence in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. He is now in the Hampshire County Correctional Center awaiting trial in the murder case.

Bell said her case will say the murder happened with deliberate premeditation and therefore is first degree murder under that legal theory.

Another hard fought issue at Monday's pretrial hearings was Williams' request to have jurors view the shooting scene when it is dark to get an idea of visibility for witnesses who saw the shooting. She said she would prefer jurors not get taken to the scene at all but if they are it should be in the dark.

"Lighting is crucial," she said, contending that if jurors are taken to the scene in the daylight, they will not be able to get out of their minds what visibility is like in the daylight.

"If we turn the lights out here I would not be able to see you with the same clarity," Williams told Mason.

She said jurors would not have to be brought to the scene at 3 a.m. but could be brought as soon as it gets dark.

Mason allowed the prosecution's request for a view of the scene and said it will be done during the court business day. A plaque about Alexander on a tree planted in his memory must be covered, he said.

Bell said there is no way to recreate what lighting was there in September 2013.