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California wildfire engulfs Paramount Ranch, site of classic movies

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Paramount Pictures first bought 2,700 acres ito shoot movies back in 1927.

A fast-moving wildfire in Southern California has destroyed much of the historic "Western Town" at the Paramount Ranch, where TV shows like HBO's "Westworld" and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" were filmed.

Hollywood classics like "Beau Geste" and "Sullivan's Travels" and modern era cinematic fare like "Reds" and "American Sniper" shot scenes at the Paramount Ranch.

Paramount Pictures first bought 2,700 acres in Agoura Hills, California to have ample open space to shoot movies back in 1927.

The location is now managed by the National Park Service., which tweeted Friday, "We are sorry to share the news that the #WoolseyFire has burned Western Town at #ParamountRanch in Agoura. We do not have any details or photos, but it is our understanding that the structures have burned. This area is an active part of the incident and we cannot access it."

Paramount Ranch's "Western Town" included a jail, hotel and saloon. It was specifically was built for TV productions in the 1950s and was used for such Westerns as "The Cisco Kid" and "Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre."

Associated Press photograph showed the faux church and portions of the train station at "Western Town" seemingly intact.

The blaze started Thursday night and by Friday had pushed toward Malibu and the Pacific Ocean, prompting evacuations in Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills and other nearby areas.


The Satanic Temple in Massachusetts sues Netflix over images of statue

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The Satanic Temple in Salem is suing Netflix and Warner Bros. for millions of dollars claiming the company used a copied image of the temple's Baphomet statue in the recently released Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series.

The Satanic Temple in Salem is suing Netflix and Warner Bros. for millions of dollars claiming the company used a copied image of the temple's Baphomet statue in the recently released Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series.

The temple filed a federal lawsuit in New York last week and is seeking damages of at least $50 million for copyright infringement, trademark violation and injury to the temple's reputation.

Baphomet is a seven-and-a-half-foot tall bronze statue, that is a goat-headed figure with horns and a beard. It is now at the temple's Bridge Street headquarters in Salem.

A goat-headed Baphomet statue appears in the Sabrina the Teenage Witch reboot series, which was released on Oct. 26 by Netflix.

In a series of tweets, co-founder and spokesman for The Satanic Temple, Lucien Greaves, says it is clear the temple's statue was copied for the television series.

The temple says the statue's image is being used to represent an evil church that has blood rites and cannibalistic rituals. The temple said the meaning of the statue has been distorted in the television series.

"Importantly, these original expressions are misappropriated through the use of an obvious copy which is featured prominently throughout the Sabrina Series and the central focal point of the school in the Sabrina Series which represents evil antagonists," the temple wrote in the federal complaint.

The Satanic Temple said it does not "promote evil and instead holds to the basic principle that undue suffering is bad, and that which reduces suffering is good."

According to the civil lawsuit, the temple spent hours and roughly $100,000 to develop the statue named, Baphomet with Children.

"Defendants misappropriated the TST Baphomet Children in ways implying that the monument stands for evil," the lawsuit said. "Among other morally repugnant actions, the Sabrina Series' evil antagonists engage in cannibalism and forced-worship of a patriarchal deity."

The statue appears in at least four episodes, the lawsuit said.

Natick man charged with child porn possession after authorities overseas discover online post

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An online post overseas was flagged by investigators.

A Natick man is facing a child pornography possession charge in federal court after authorities said investigators in the United Kingdom traced an online post back to the United States.

Joshua Bemis, 28, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography in a Boston federal court. He was detained Friday pending a detention hearing, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Federal records say authorities in the United States received information from law enforcement in the United Kingdom about an individual whose IP address was traced to Bemis' Natick residence.

The person posted child pornography on a photo sharing website, records said.

"Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant where they seized a laptop computer and separate hard drive, both of which contained hundreds of videos of children, including some that depict the rape of children as young as 7-years-old," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

 

Seen@ Grand opening of Marcotte Ford dealership featuring LugNutz Cafe in Holyoke

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Flashing lights, flashy cars and the elegant eats of The Log Cabin's team all provided the perfect accompaniment for Marcotte Ford's grand opening gala on Thursday, as crowds rolled into the Holyoke dealership. Watch video

HOLYOKE- Flashing lights, flashy cars and the elegant eats of The Log Cabin's team all provided the perfect accompaniment for Marcotte Ford's grand opening gala on Thursday, as crowds rolled into the Holyoke dealership. 

Boasting a new concept of a dealership built around a restaurant, the LugNutz Cafe, the new $8.2 million facility aims to build upon the reputation the family has built in the community since 1962.

During construction, the Marcottes sold cars and light trucks from across the street at the former Gary Rome Hyundai dealership that the family bought after Rome moved to a new facility on Whiting Farms Road.

The new building goes with the $3.5-million commercial truck repair facility built in 2015. Marcotte already has a QuickLube service facility on site in a separate building with eight service bays.

With a patio-like outdoor showroom and an indoor showroom with "halo" lighting, the dealership reflects the latest in Ford-approved dealership styling.

The dealership has 142 employees, having hired eight new workers for the expansion. That includes three new workers for LugNutz Cafe.

Florida sets Thursday deadline for recounts in US Senate, governor races

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The Florida secretary of state ordered recounts in the U.S. Senate and governor races on Saturday, an unprecedented review of two major races in the state that took five weeks to decide the 2000 presidential election.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- The Florida secretary of state ordered recounts in the U.S. Senate and governor races on Saturday, an unprecedented review of two major races in the state that took five weeks to decide the 2000 presidential election.

Secretary Ken Detzner issued the order after the unofficial results in both races fell within the margin that by law triggers a recount. His office was unaware of any other time either a governor race or U.S. Senate race required a recount, let alone both in the same election.

The unofficial results show that Republican former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis led Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum by 0.41 percentage points.


In the Senate race, Republican Gov. Rick Scott's lead over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson is 0.14 percentage points.

Detzner ordered machine recounts in both races. Once completed, if the difference in the races are at 0.25 percentage points or below, a hand recount will be ordered, said Department of State spokeswoman Sarah Revell.

Saturday's developments return Florida to the center of a major political drama 18 years after an infamous presidential recount left control of the White House undecided for more than a month.

The latest recount underscores the deep divides plaguing one of the most critical states in American politics. Beyond determining the governorship, it will decide whether Nelson returns to Washington for a fourth term or whether Republicans will pad their majority in the Senate.

Florida's 67 counties will decide when to begin the recounts. They could start the moment Detzner issued his order, or elections officials can wait until Sunday or Monday. But they must finish the machine recounts by 3 p.m. Thursday.

Gillum conceded to DeSantis on Tuesday night, but when the results began to narrow, he said that every vote should count and he's not expected to block a recount. DeSantis has said little about the recount and is instead proceeding as if he won the election, appointing a transition team and preparing to take office in January.

The battle for Nelson's Senate seat has been much more heated, with both sides filing lawsuits. Scott has said Nelson is trying to steal the election, while Nelson is accusing Scott of trying to stop elections officials from counting every ballot.


President Donald Trump has also weighed in on Florida's close elections.

Trump took Scott's side on Friday, telling reporters that the federal government could get involved and adding: "all of the sudden they are finding votes out of nowhere."

"What's going on in Florida is a disgrace," he said.

The scene was reminiscent of the 2000 presidential recount, when it took more than five weeks for Florida to declare George W. Bush the victor over Vice President Al Gore by 537 votes, and thus giving Bush the presidency.

Florida was mocked for the way it handled the infamous 2000 recount, especially since there was no uniform process then on how to proceed. That has changed, with the Legislature passing a clear procedure on how a recount should be conducted.

Florida is also conducting a recount in a third statewide race. Democrat Nikki Fried had a 0.07 percentage point lead lead over Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell in the race for agriculture commissioner, one of Florida's three Cabinet seats.

By TERRY SPENCER and BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press. AP writer Kelli Kennedy in Fort Lauderdale and Tamara Lush in Tampa contributed to this report.

Apartment fire in Springfield displaces 4

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A fire at an apartment in the city has displaced four people.

SPRINGFIELD - An apartment fire in Springfield's Brightwood neighborhood Friday night displaced four people and killed several pet turtles, officials said.

Firefighters rushed to the scene of the blaze at 30 Clayton Street just after midnight, said Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Fire Department.  

The fire appears to have started in the first floor kitchen and spread to the rest of the apartment, causing around $50,000 in damages. 

The four occupants of the apartment escaped unharmed from the fire and are being assisted by Red Cross, said Leger. 

The fire is under investigation by the Springfield Arson & Bomb Squad.

No further information has been released at this time.  

Springfield firefighters assist with 2 car crash

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Springfield firefighters assisted at the scene of a two car crash in the city's downtown area Saturday morning.

SPRINGFIELD - City firefighters helped extricate two people from a two car crash in the city's downtown metro center early Saturday morning.

The crash occurred near the corner of Lyman and Chestnut Street, where a Chevy Equinox and an Infinity m35 collided.

Officials were called to the scene around 1:11 a.m., said Dennis Leger, spokesman for the Springfield Fire Department. 

No details have been given on how the crash occurred or the severity of the injuries for those involved. 

Two people were extricated from the Chevy by city firefighters. The occupants of the Infinity got out of their car before officials arrived. 

No further information has been given.

Northampton activists rally to support Mueller probe into Russia-Trump connections

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Protesters gathered in downtown Northampton Saturday to protest recent developments in the Trump White House. Watch video

NORTHAMPTON - "He's an authoritarian, he's the President, and he has semi-dictatorial powers," said Bill Newman, standing before a crowd of dozens in Pulaski Park Saturday morning. 

Newman, who is director of the state's Western office of the American Civil Liberties Union, was speaking on a familiar topic for the crowd of some 100 people who gathered at the downtown park.

The object of Newman's ire, Donald Trump, has been the subject of much anger and activism in Northampton. So it was again Saturday, with the city's version of the "Nobody is Above the Law" rally. Despite cold weather, residents flocked to the park to hear speakers like Newman rail against the President.

The rally was one of many that have taken place across Massachusetts and the country in recent days--a response by a coalition of liberal organizations to Trump's recent decision to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The President has replaced Sessions with a skeptic of the Robert Mueller probe, Matthew Whitaker. Critics view this move as a means for Trump to tamper with the neutrality of the investigation, which is--among other things--probing potential collusion between Russia and the President's 2016 campaign.

Northampton's rally--which was very similar to a rally held in Springfield days before--painted a dire picture of American politics, with the President smeared as a quasi-fascist by most who spoke.  

"This is not an authoritarian government, not yet! You can do something," Newman shouted to the crowd, asking rally attendees to get involved in activism in order to "resist" Trump. 

As such, the rally acted as a call for local residents to get involved in activism associated with certain local groups, such as the Women's March, Moveon.org, and Indivisible. 

Jennifer Taub, a law professor at Vermont Law School, was also among Saturday's speakers and encouraged attendees to stay angry and engaged about the Mueller probe.

"People keep asking me how I'm doing and I say, 'I feel like I've been hit by a truck, but I'm still standing,'" she said. "We've gotta keep standing," she offered, to a cheering crowd. 

"I am so happy to be in America where we can stand up in small towns and on national television and speak truth to power," she said, arguing that angry citizens should take advantage of the open political system to fight for change. 

Taub also said that liberals should be happy about the "blue wave" that occurred Tuesday, when Democrats took back the House, becoming a majority in the House of Representatives. However, she said, further action is needed.  

Also speaking Saturday was Lindsay Sabadosa, the progressive political newcomer recently elected state representative of the 1st Hampshire District. 

Sabadosa encouraged the audience to stay involved politically as a means of affecting the change they want in the country. 

"We have work to do," she said. "I know that you are tired but I also know that you are going to stand up for this issue. As John said, this is the bedrock of our country, this is about who we are as a people," she said, in regards to the issue of the Mueller probe. 

The new representative characterized the Democrat's ability to "flip the House," as a "step in right direction," but said that there was ultimately more work to be done. 

"What do we do? We organize," she said, encouraging political activism. 


Seen@ Indian Orchard Mills 2018 Fall Open Studios Art Show & Sale

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Visitors had an opportunity to meet artists, learn about the artistic process and purchase many one-of-a-kind offerings

SPRINGFIELD - Indian Orchard Mills, a community of artists and artisans in a sprawling mill by the Chicopee River, drew crowds to its 2018 Fall Open Studios Art Show & Sale on Saturday.

Spread out over five floors of two buildings, the show, now in its 25th year, saw more than 50 artists open their studios to the public. Between 600 to 1,000 visitors were expected at the two-day event.

"I think it's a great opportunity" for both artists and visitors, said artist Tara Hengeveld, who shares studio space with two other artists. Hengeveld, who works with watercolor paint, said she has been working at the mills for three or four years.

"I think a lot of people get to see good art, and appreciate that good art is being done right here in the Pioneer Valley, in the Springfield area, not only in Northampton," she added.

Among the works on display are painting, printmaking, glassblowing, photography, wood work, stone, sculpture, jewelry and textiles.

Visitors to the event received a map of the complex, with volunteers on hand to show people around.

Entertainment and light refreshments were available in the complex's Dane Gallery, which also featured some of the artists' work. Also, a large crowd turned out for a craft beer tasting and sampling at Rustic Brewing Co. on the lower level of the mills.

On Sunday, the musical group "Cozy Corner Jazz Ensamble" will entertain visitors.

Indian Orchard Mills, at 34 Front St., is home to 130 tenants, including manufacturing businesses. It is billed as Springfield's largest colony of artists.

The Dane Gallery is open every Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m. or by appointment.

 The art show and sale continues on Sunday, from 12 to 4 p.m. Suggested donation is $2 per person with children free. For more information, visit www.indianorchardmills.com/ or call (413) 543-3321.

Seen@ 2018 Equine Affaire at the Eastern States Exposition

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The four-day affair, or rather the affaire, on the grounds of the Big E, is billed as North America's premiere equine exposition and equestrian gathering.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - When it comes to all things equestrian, the Equine Affaire doesn't horse around.

The four-day affair, or rather the affaire, on the grounds of the Big E, is billed as North America's premiere equine exposition and equestrian gathering. For the four days, the Big E stands for Big Equine. It ends on Sunday, so saddle up and get to the Eastern States Exposition grounds if you don't want to miss it. 

It includes hundreds of training clinics, seminars and demonstrations presented by trainers, coaches and equine experts, including Clinton Anderson, Mark Bolender, Tom Chown, Jeff Cook, Jan Ebeling, Janice Dulak, Liv Gude, Paul Humphrey and many more.  

It includes educational displays and activities for new riders and horse owners of all ages.

It includes a Breed Pavilion giving visitors an opportunity to meet dozens of horse breeds from around the world. 

Robert Labrie began raising Friesian horses in Townshend, Vt., after selling his Labrie Asphalt and Construction Company in Southampton 18 years ago. "I started with three horses," he said Saturday. "This summer I had 116." 

The Friesian horse is a breed that originated in Friesian in the Netherlands. "I got into the breed 18 years ago. There were about 800 in the U.S. (then). Now there's about 13,000."

Labrie said he has two of the top Friesian horses (Othello and Mathijs) in the country. He describes the breed as athletic, versatile and graceful with "beautiful movement." And perhaps the highest compliment: "The more you love them, the more they love you back," he said.

The Equine Affaire draws tens of thousands, including Sondre Hauk and Nicolai Vedvik, both of Norway. On Saturday, the two put on cowboy hats from one of the hundreds of vendors. They turned and faced each other, "Draw," Hauk said. Norway has Westerns, too.

Powerball numbers: Did you win Saturday's $90.4 million lottery jackpot?

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Here are the winning numbers in Saturday's Powerball lottery drawing. Watch video

The jackpot climbed close to $100 million for the latest Powerball lottery drawing.

powerballlogo.jpg

Here are Saturday's winning numbers:

05-29-34-53-57, Powerball: 24, PowerPlay: 2X

The estimated jackpot is $90.4 million. The lump sum payment before taxes would be about $50 million. If there is no jackpot winner, the amount grows larger for the next drawing.

The last time someone won the Powerball jackpot was Oct. 27 when tickets sold in New York and Iowa split a $687.7 million payout.

Powerball is held in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

A $2 ticket gives you a one in 292.2 million chance at joining the hall of Powerball champions.

The drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Wednesdays and Saturdays. Deadline to purchase tickets is 9:45 p.m.

Southern California wildfire batters Malibu and the surrounding community; at least 2 dead

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Southern Californians like Arik Fultz battered by the wildfires got to take a breath Saturday and take store of what the wildfires did to them. A lull in fierce winds that drove a pair of destructive fires allowed firefighters to make their first real progress in stopping the blazes.

MALIBU, Calif. -- Just a day ago, Arik Fultz was feeding the horses on his 40-acre ranch near Malibu.

Now, after wildfires roared through parts of Southern California, there's nothing left of his ranch but charred remains. His family and his 52 horses survived. But two houses, two barns, three trailers and decades of accumulated possessions are gone.

"It just doesn't feel real that it's all gone," he said.

Southern Californians like Fultz battered by the wildfires got to take a breath Saturday and take store of what the wildfires did to them. A lull in fierce winds that drove a pair of destructive fires allowed firefighters to make their first real progress in stopping the blazes.

But a sustained stretch of vicious winds, and the strong possibility of a new round of troubles, were set to start Sunday.

Two people were found dead amid the larger of the two fires, Los Angeles County sheriff's Chief John Benedict said Saturday.

The severely burned bodies were discovered in a long residential driveway on a stretch of Mulholland Highway in Malibu, where most of the surrounding structures had burned.

Benedict did not have any details about the identities of the dead. He said detectives were investigating.

The deaths came as authorities in Northern California announced the death toll from a massive wildfire there has reached 23 people, bringing the statewide total to 25.

Southern California's fire had destroyed at least 150 homes, from Malibu mansions to modest dwellings in inland canyon communities.

No growth was reported Saturday on the larger of the two fires, which had torched 109 square miles (282 square kilometers). Firefighters now have the blaze 5 percent contained. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said.

Progress also came against the smaller fire, prompting Ventura County officials to allow people in a handful of communities to return to their homes.

Hundreds of thousands across the region remain under evacuation orders, and could stay that way for days as winds pick up again.

Fire burned in famously ritzy coastal spots like Malibu, where Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian West, Guillermo del Toro and Martin Sheen were among those forced out of their homes amid a citywide evacuation order.

"It was way too big a firestorm," said Lani Netter, whose Malibu home was spared while her neighbor's burned. "We had tremendous, demonic winds is the only way I can put it."

The flames also stretched into the suburb of Thousand Oaks, a city of 130,000 people that just a few days ago saw 12 people killed in a mass shooting at a country music bar.

Wildfire raged on both sides of the city still in mourning, where about three-quarters of the population are under evacuation orders that officials urged them to heed.

"We've had a lot of tragedy in our community," said Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, whose district includes Thousand Oaks. "We don't want any more. We do not want any more lives lost."

At the Fultz ranch near Malibu, all of the 52 horses survived after a wild scramble to save them.

Fultz's mother, 61-year-old Tricia Fultz, said everyone expected the fire to stay well south of their property, but shifting winds forced them to take the horses out to open pastures as quickly as they could.

Three were still in their pens when the adjacent barn caught fire, and Tricia Fultz just had to open the pens, burning her hands and hoping for the best.

She, her husband and six others rode out the fire in a tunnel a short distance up the road as the fire burned the hillsides above and all around them.

"It's so surreal because it's so dark, and when we're in the tunnel you can't see anything," Tricia Fultz said. "There was so much burning and so much black."

The fire hopscotched around the Oak Park neighborhood of 70-year-old Bill Bengston, leaving most houses untouched.

The home for 22 years of Bengston and his wife, Ramona, was the only house on his block that burned. And it burned everything.

"It's all gone," he said softly as he sifted through the remains. "It's all gone."

The hardest to lose were the photos and the mementos handed down through the family -- a cigar box that belonged to his great-grandfather; the handcuffs his father carried in World War II.

"We're somewhat devastated," Bengston said. "Still a little bit numb."

--By Jonathan J. Cooper and Andrew Dalton

Wedding day part 2: Massachusetts couple who lost special day to unlicensed minister has second ceremony

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A Massachusetts couple reclaimed their wedding day after they discovered their first minister wasn't licensed in Massachusetts and was facing larceny charges.

With two words, a Massachusetts couple reclaimed their wedding day.

"I do," Ashley and David Mellen said during an intimate second wedding at the Ocean House Restaurant in Dennis Port Saturday.

In mid-September, the Agawam couple were at the Red Jacket Inn in South Yarmouth. She was in her dress. He was in his tuxedo.

The magical day transformed into a nightmare situation for the couple whose love blossomed after meeting on an online dating website.

They learned their minister, a man who was named officiant of the year in a Rhode Island magazine, was never licensed to marry people in Massachusetts.

That man, James Stern, is also accused of stealing the credit card information from some of Ashley's bridesmaids.

The couple's wedding license expired and was never filed by Stern.

Already facing theft charges in Rhode Island, Stern now faces charges in Cape Cod in connection with his alleged actions at the Mellen wedding.

"It is a little weight off my shoulders now," Ashley said after the couple's second ceremony. "It feels nice to feel like it is official. I can now officially call him my husband."

David, with a smile on his face, said the couple made sure the second minister was licensed in Massachusetts. 

The minister, Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Zielinski of Creative Weddings in Ludlow, loudly stated she was licensed in Massachusetts during the ceremony. She conducted the ceremony for free.

"We put the past behind us and are going to start fresh," Ashley said. "Having some of our close friends and family here, it is a nice way to start off the official marriage."

Getting married near the water was something the couple wanted to do, and they were certain to make that happen again.

"This is where our hearts are, the Cape. Getting married near the water is something that we had wanted to do," she said. 

The couple, and their friends and family, joked about the situation. 

"Round two," David said before the ceremony. 

After the couple's first ceremony, they learned Stern never submitted the marriage license. They learned he wasn't licensed to marry anyone in Massachusetts. 

Ashley then learned Stern was facing credit card theft charges in Rhode Island after his involvement in another wedding. He is also accused of stealing gift cards and identifications from YMCAs in Rhode Island. 

Authorities say Stern stole the credit card information for two of Ashley's bridesmaids. He allegedly got into the bridal suite during the first ceremony and stole the information. 

Yarmouth police obtained arrest warrants for Stern on charges of larceny of $1,200 by false pretense and impersonating a public official. 

"During the ceremony, her bridal party had been provided with a locked room to store their belongings. Later that same evening, several bridesmaids reported the misuse of their credit cards," Yarmouth police said.

Stern remains in custody in Rhode Island. He has 51 entries on his criminal record in Massachusetts for similar crimes such as identity fraud, fraudulent use of a credit card, and related larceny charges dating back to June 1994. He is also wanted for burglary in New Jersey. 

Ashley and David are ready to move on from the situation, but are keeping watch on the status of Stern's criminal cases. 

"Dave, I never expected to be renewing our vows so soon, but they remain true to this day and will for many years to come," Ashley told her husband. 

"I promise you that I will always be there for you in every way possible," David said as the sun began to set Saturday. "I promise to be there for you even on your toughest nights and to provide comfort whenever you need me."

The minister, as soon as the ceremony was over, assured the couple the marriage license would be submitted on time. 

Irish Country Christmas show coming to Pope Francis theater, benefiting 1916 Garden of Remembrance

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Tickets are available for an "Irish Country Christmas" concert and show scheduled Dec. 16, at Pope Francis Preparatory School Theater, featuring singer/songwriter Deirdre Reilly.

SPRINGFIELD -- Tickets are available for an "Irish Country Christmas" concert and show scheduled Dec. 16, at the Pope Francis Preparatory School Theater, starring singer/songwriter Deirdre Reilly.

The musical event will benefit the 1916 Garden of Remembrance at Forest Park.

The show is described as a "unique blend off toe-tapping songs and Celtic tunes of Ireland, traditional country favorites, world-class Irish dancers, and a delightful selection of some of the great, classic songs of the holiday season."

The event begins 3 p.m., at Pope Francis, located at 99 Wendover Road. There is general admission seating.

Tickets are $25 per person. To purchase tickets, call 413-787-7770. Checks should be made payable to "SCCCA -- An Irish Country Christmas."

The Garden of Remembrance commemorates the 1916 Irish Easter Rising, the first major uprising to end British rule.

Person arrested after rear-ending a Massachusetts State Police SUV in Andover

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The person was arrested on a suspicious of operating under the influence. The trooper was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, WCVB reports.

 

This story has been updated 

Massachusetts State Police arrested a person who rear-ended a trooper's SUV during a traffic stop in Andover early Sunday, WCVB reports.

Early Sunday morning the trooper pulled over a white Toyota SUV on Interstate 93 at the ramp for Interstate 495. The SUV then slammed into the back of the state police vehicle, the television station reports.

The person was arrested on the suspicion of operating under the influence. The trooper was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, WCVB reports.


Man injured in Springfield shooting in Old Hill neighborhood

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The shooting happened in the area of Eastern Avenue and Greene Street.

SPRINGFIELD - One person was injured in a shooting early Sunday morning in the Old Hill section of the city.

The shooting happened at about 4:25 a.m. near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Green Street, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman.

Police found the victim near 200 Eastern Ave. Walsh did not say how they were alerted to the shooting.

The victim is expected to recover from the gunshot wound, Walsh said.

The crime is under investigation by police detectives, Walsh said.

This is a breaking story. MassLive will update if more information becomes available.

Macron warns against nationalism as Trump, other leaders commemorate end of WWI

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As Trump, Putin and dozens of other heads of state listened in silence, French President Macron used the occasion to sound a powerful and sobering warning about the fragility of peace and the dangers of nationalism.

PARIS (AP) -- World leaders with the power to make war but a duty to preserve peace solemnly marked the end of World War I's slaughter 100 years ago at commemorations Sunday that drove home the message "never again" but also exposed the globe's new political fault lines.

As Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin and dozens of other heads of state and government listened in silence, French President Emmanuel Macron used the occasion, as its host, to sound a powerful and sobering warning about the fragility of peace and the dangers of nationalism and of nations that put themselves first, above the collective good.

"The old demons are rising again, ready to complete their task of chaos and of death," Macron said.

"Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism," he said. "In saying 'Our interests first, whatever happens to the others,' you erase the most precious thing a nation can have, that which makes it live, that which causes it to be great and that which is most important: Its moral values."

Trump, ostensibly the main target of Macron's message, sat stony-faced. The American president has proudly declared himself a nationalist.

As well as spelling out the horrific costs of conflict to those with arsenals capable of waging a World War III, the ceremony also served up a joyful reminder of the intense sweetness of peace, when high school students read from letters that soldiers and civilians wrote 100 years ago when guns finally fell silent on the Western Front.

Brought alive again by people too young to have known global war themselves, the ghostly voices seemed collectively to say: Please, do not make our mistakes.

"I only hope the soldiers who died for this cause are looking down upon the world today," American soldier Capt. Charles S. Normington wrote on Nov. 11, 1918, in one of the letters. "The whole world owes this moment of real joy to the heroes who are not here to help enjoy it."

The Paris weather -- gray and damp -- seemed aptly fitting when remembering a war fought in mud and relentless horror.

The commemorations started late, overshooting the centenary of the exact moment when, 100 years earlier at 11 a.m., an eerie silence replaced the thunder of war on the front lines. Macron recalled that 1 billion shells fell on France alone from 1914-1918 .

As bells marking the armistice hour rang across Paris and in many nations ravaged by the four years of carnage, Macron and other leaders were still on their way to the centennial site at the Arc de Triomphe.

Under a sea of black umbrellas, a line of leaders led by Macron and his wife, Brigitte, marched in a stony silence on the cobbles of the Champs-Elysees, after dismounting from their buses.

Trump arrived separately, in a motorcade that drove past three topless protesters with anti-war slogans on their chests who somehow got through the rows of security and were quickly bundled away by police. The Femen group claimed responsibility. French authorities said the three women faced charges of sexual exhibitionism. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders cited security protocols for the presidential motorcade's solo trip down the grand flag-lined avenue, which was closed to traffic.

Last to arrive was the Russian president, Putin, who shook Trump's hand and flashed him a thumbs-up. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was positioned in pride of place between Trump and Macron, an eloquent symbol of victors and vanquished now standing together, shoulder to shoulder. Overhead, fighter jets ripped through the sky, trailing red, white and blue smoke in homage to the French flag.

The geographical spread of the more than 60 heads of state and government who attended, silent and reflective, showed how the "war to end all wars" left few corners of the earth untouched but which, little more than two decades later, was followed so quickly and catastrophically by the even deadlier World War II.

On the other side of the globe, Australia and New Zealand held ceremonies to recall how the war killed and wounded soldiers and civilians in unprecedented numbers and in gruesome new, mechanized ways.

Those countries lost tens of thousands of soldiers far away in Europe and, most memorably in the 1915 battle of Gallipoli, in Turkey. In central London, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, clad in black, watched from a balcony as her son Prince Charles laid a wreath on her behalf at the foot of the Cenotaph memorial that honors the fallen. Britain had 880,000 military dead in the war.

In Paris, the jewel that Germany sought to capture in 1914 but which the Allies fought successfully to defend, the armistice commemorations were being followed by the afternoon opening of a peace forum pushed by Macron.

Trump will be the most notable absentee at the forum, where Macron's defense of multilateralism will take center stage. Trump lives by an "America First" credo, and plans to visit the American cemetery at Suresnes on the outskirts of Paris before heading home.

On Saturday, he was criticized for canceling a visit to the Belleau Wood battleground northeast of Paris because of rain.

Remembered for brutal trench warfare and the first use of chemical weapons, the conflict pitted the armies of France, the British empire, Russia and the U.S. against a German-led coalition that included the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires. Almost 10 million soldiers died, sometimes tens of thousands on a single day.

The U.S. came late to the war, in April 1917, but over 11/2 years it became a key player and tipped the scales for the allies. At the war's end, the U.S. had 2 million troops in Europe and another 2 million ready to cross the Atlantic if needed, a force that turned the United States into a major military power.

Even though Germany was at the heart of provoking two world wars over the past century, the nation has become a beacon of European and international cooperation since.

With so many leaders in Paris, the commemoration also provoked a flurry of diplomacy on the sidelines, with conflict in Yemen and Syria among the hot-button issues.

On Sunday, Merkel met with the head of the United Nations, an organization born from the ashes of World War II, and the president of Serbia. It was a Serb teenager, Gavrilo Princip, who assassinated the Austro-Hungarian crown prince in Sarajevo in 1914 to set off events which led to the outbreak of war.

By JOHN LEICESTER, RAF CASERT and LORI HINNANT, Associated Press. AP writers Angela Charlton, Sylvie Corbet, Elaine Ganley and Thomas Adamson contributed to this report.

Edison Martinez, of Lowell, faces third OUI charge after crashing into Massachusetts State Police vehicle

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A state police trooper had just arrested a woman for drunken driving, when another man rear-ended him, Sgt. Paul Sullivan said.

A 54-year-old Lowell man faces drunken driving charges after he allegedly rear-ended a state trooper who was parked on the side of the highway in Andover with another woman he had just arrested in the backseat.

State police said Edison Martinez, who was driving a white Toyota SUV while under the influence, slammed into the back of a state police vehicle at about 3:10 a.m. on Interstate 93 at the ramp for Interstate 495. This is his third operating under the influence offense, Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Paul Sullivan said.

The trooper had just stopped and arrested 33-year-old Medina Pires for driving under the influence, Sullivan said, and the Methuen woman was sitting in the back of the state police SUV at the time of the crash. 

They were waiting for a tow truck. 

Both the trooper, who is not being identified, and Pires were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and released to the Andover barracks.

Martinez faces several charges including operating under the influence as a third offense, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended license, Sullivan said.

California wildfires: Death toll hits 25; Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian West, others flee from home

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Authorities called in a mobile DNA lab and anthropologists to help identify the dead as the search went on for victims of the most destructive wildfire in California history.

PARADISE, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities called in a mobile DNA lab and anthropologists to help identify the dead as the search went on for victims of the most destructive wildfire in California history. The overall death toll from the outbreak of fires at both ends of the state stood at 25 Sunday and appeared likely to rise.

The worst of the blazes was in Northern California, where flames reduced the town of Paradise, population 27,000, to a smoking ruin days ago and continued to rage in surrounding communities. The number of people killed in that fire alone, at least 23, made it the third-deadliest on record in the state.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the county was bringing in more rescue workers and consulted anthropologists from California State University at Chico because in some cases "the only remains we are able to find are bones or bone fragments."

"This weighs heavy on all of us," Honea said.

Authorities were also bringing in a DNA lab and encouraged people with missing relatives to submit samples to aid in identifying the dead.

The sheriff's department compiled a list of 110 people unaccounted for, but officials held out hope that many were safe but had no cellphones or some other way to contact loved ones.

Firefighters gained modest ground overnight against the blaze, which grew slightly to 170 square miles (440 square kilometers) from the day before and was 25 percent contained, up from 20 percent, said David Clark, a spokesman for the state fire agency, Cal Fire.

Clark said Sunday that high winds and dry conditions were expected over the next 24 hours: "We're at a pivotal point now."

The blaze destroyed more than 6,700 buildings, nearly all of them homes.

Two people were also found dead in a wildfire in Southern California, where flames tore through Malibu mansions and homes in working-class Los Angeles suburbs. The severely burned bodies were discovered in a long residential driveway in Malibu, home to a multitude of Hollywood celebrities.

Among those forced out of their homes were Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian West, Guillermo del Toro and Martin Sheen.

Flames also raged on both sides of Thousand Oaks, the Southern California city still in mourning over the massacre of 12 people in a shooting rampage at a country music bar Wednesday night.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Lucas Spelman said the larger of the region's two fires, the one in Malibu, grew to 130 square miles (337 square kilometers) and was 10 percent contained, but firefighters braced for another round of Santa Ana winds, the dry gusts that blow out of the interior toward the coast.

The count of lost structures in both Southern California fires climbed to at least 179, authorities said.

All told, a quarter-million people were under evacuation orders across the state, officials said.

Drought, warmer weather attributed to climate change and home construction deeper into forests have led to more destructive wildfire seasons in California that have been starting earlier and lasting longer.

California emerged from a five-year drought last year but has had a very dry 2018. Much of the northern two-thirds of the state is abnormally dry.

In Paradise, a town founded in the 1800s, residents who stayed behind to try to save their properties or who managed to return despite an evacuation order found incinerated cars and homes.

Wearing masks because the air was still heavy with smoke, people sidestepped metal that had melted off of cars or Jet-Skis as they surveyed their ravaged neighborhoods. Some cried when they saw nothing was left.

Jan McGregor, 81, got back to his small two-bedroom home in Paradise with the help of his firefighter grandson. He found his home leveled -- a large metal safe and pipes from his septic system the only recognizable traces. The safe was punctured with bullet holes from guns inside that went off in the scorching heat.

He lived in Paradise for nearly 80 years, moving there in 1939, when the town had just 3,000 people and was nicknamed Poverty Ridge.

"We knew Paradise was a prime target for forest fire over the years," he said. "We've had 'em come right up to the city limits -- oh, yeah -- but nothing like this."

McGregor said he probably would not rebuild: "I have nothing here to go back to."

By GILLIAN FLACCUS, DON THOMPSON and PAUL ELIAS,  Associated Press.  Daisy Nguyen, Olga R. Rodriguez, Sudhin Thanawala and Darlene Superville contributed to this report. 

Veterans Day 2018: Facts to know about the holiday on the 100th anniversary of the World War I armistice

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In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, fighting ceased in World War I.

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