Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's transportation chief and the head of the MBTA are agreeing to put off a decision on a potential $32,000 bonus.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's transportation chief and the head of the MBTA are agreeing to put off a decision on a potential $32,000 bonus.

Stephanie Pollack, the CEO of the state's Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the MBTA's general manager, Luis Manuel Ramirez, are delaying a decision on whether to award Ramirez a bonus for his first year in the job.

"I'm proud of the accomplishments we have made at the T in my first year here," Ramirez said in a statement to MassLive. "But I also realize that getting the T to the level our riders want and deserve will take much more than just one year."

The final decision on any annual bonus has been deferred until the end of the second year of his contract, he added. "I am confident that the transformation of the T is well underway and I want my focus to remain solely on seeing that progress continue."

Ramirez, per his contract, still gets a 1.5 percent increase in pay.

The former General Electric executive started the job, which comes with a $2 billion operating budget, in September 2017 at $320,000 a year. His contract runs through 2020.

"As we have discussed, the General Manager has deferred the award of his Year 1 bonus under the contract until on or before the end of Contract Year 2," Pollack said in an early November 2018 memo to members of the MBTA's fiscal management and control board. The memo was released to MassLive Thursday evening.

Baker, with legislative approval, created the five-member oversight board after a series of harsh winter storms battered and shut down the public transit system in 2015.

MBTA's new chief tried to take the train on his first day on the job and the fare machines weren't working

Under his contract, Ramirez is also eligible for a bonus of up to $48,000 in his second year and up to a $64,000 bonus in his third year.

Ramirez earns more than Gov. Baker, who had an annual salary of $151,800 in his first term, and Pollack, who earns $161,522 a year.

Pollack said in her memo that she and Ramirez agreed not to complete a formal written assessment of his first-year performance, due to "key performance indicators" that are still being implemented or addressed.

The key performance indicators include completing new organization charts; delivering on revenue and expense targets (including an $8 million increase in the corporate pass and hiring 50 additional bus drivers); creating a "culture of accountability/performance"; filling key vacancies like chief financial officer, Red and Orange Line transformation director; and developing and implementing a near-term "customer experience improvement plan," among other performance metrics.

The MBTA's new general manager, Luis Manuel Ramirez, will get a $320,000 base salary

Western Massachusetts is expected to see between 3 and 4 inches of snow before there is a change over to sleet and finally rain.

EASTHAMPTON - Police have closed Mountain Road as of 9:30 p.m., Thursday because heavy snow is making the hilly road dangerous.

The road, also known as Route 141, connects Holyoke with Easthampton. Police often close it during bad weather.

Police, in a post on the department's Facebook page, stated the road will be closed until further notice.

The Springfield area is expected to see between 4 and 6 inches of snow from the storm that started early evening. As many as 8 inches of snow is predicted for northern Franklin County, according to the National Weather Service.

The snow is expected to later change to sleet and freezing rain and then all rain on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Police departments Thursday night were reporting multiple spin-outs and fender-bender accidents and other problems due to the snow but no serious crashes were reported as of 9:30 p.m.

His widow, Beth Herbert ,referred all questions to her lawyer.

Connecticut state police are reportedly investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of guitarist Oli Herbert of the Springfield metal band All That Remains, who drowned in a pond behind his Stafford Springs home last month.

State police sources told The Hartford Courant they are treating Herbert's death as suspicious at this point. The Eastern District Major Crime Squad is investigating.

Calls by The Republican to Connecticut State Police in Tolland assigned to the case have gone unreturned.

While Connecticut's medical examiner's office ruled that Herbert drowned, it called the manner of death "undetermined." The manner of death is usually listed as homicide, suicide or accident.

In a since deleted Facebook posting on Saturday, Herbert's widow, Beth, wrote:

"Oli was apparently self-treating for manic-depression that has run in his family for several generations. Anti-depressants were found in his system, as well as a sleep aid. The psych meds found in his system were the same ones that a close relative has been prescribed for a long time, so he knew what to hunt down for the "treatment". Seeing how he was not going (and WOULDN'T GO) to a doctor to get diagnosed with the issue and was not being prescribed the medications and monitored on them, it explains his occasional erratic behavior here at home."

The guitarist's wife of 14 years urged anyone with information on who provided her late husband with psychiatric medication to contact the Connecticut State Police, Troop C. in Tolland, Conn.

Beth Herbert also stated a memorial service planned for Nov. 11 in Worcester was canceled because of concerns for her physical safety.

Reached by Rock Feed on Thursday, Beth Herbert referred all questions to her lawyer.

Some fans have espoused various theories surrounding the 44-year-old guitarist's death and a Facebook page, Justice for Oli Herbert, has 7,400 likes.

Herbert began playing guitar at 14. His first paid gig was a Battle of the Bands on his final day of his senior year at Longmeadow High School.

He made a name for himself in Western Massachusetts clubs with Netherworld, a thrash metal band he formed in 1991.

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

Labonte told a radio interviewer he was shocked by the death of his bandmate.

"He would go hang out with people and stuff, but he didn't really do a lot of drinking. ... He didn't do drugs, he didn't really drink a lot."

More than 223,000 people in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties are affected by food insecurity, according to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

The slogan for Monte's March is "Two days. Three counties. 43 miles," and this year there's an added goal of surpassing the $1 million mark.

Next week, the march is back for a ninth year raising money for and awareness of hunger in Western Massachusetts.

On Monday and Tuesday, Monte Belmonte of WRSI 93.9 FM The River will be pushing a shopping cart 43 miles from Springfield to Greenfield to raise funds for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

Every year Belmonte broadcasts live during his march, encouraging his listeners to donate.

The walk pauses Monday night with a dinner at the Sierra Grille in Northampton. It concludes Tuesday night with a benefit concert at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield.

The walks began in 2010 and have raised a total of $883,000 for the Food Bank, which provides meals to people experiencing hunger.

"The support we see from everyone, in every town, over the two days of Monte's March is absolutely amazing," said Andrew Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank, who will join Belmonte for all 43 miles of the march. "It is truly inspiring to see everyone come together to help their neighbors in need and strengthen our community."

More than 223,000 people in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties are affected by food insecurity, according to the Food Bank. Nearly 33 percent of those people are children under the age of 18, and approximately 15 percent are seniors over the age of 65. From Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2018, the Food Bank distributed 11.6 million pounds of food -- the equivalent of approximately 9,676,000 meals.

To participate in the walk or to donate, visit foodbankwma.org.

Across many parts of the state, the snow and mixed precipitation will continue into the afternoon. Watch video

The snowy, rainy, windy mix that made up the season's first widespread winter storm will persist into Friday across Massachusetts.

Mainly central and western parts of the state could see an additional inch of snow this morning, while all coastal areas -- including Boston and all of Cape Cod -- could see intense wind gusts. 

The season's first storm began Thursday evening and impacted areas across the state very differently. Multiple communities across the state saw above a half-foot of snow. The highest snow total so far Friday morning came from the town of Carlisle, which reported 9.3 inches of snow.

Cape Cod was mostly spared, though areas near Hyannis did see 1.3-2.3 inches of snow. Near the tip of the Cape peninsula in Wellfleet, wind gusts measured up to 64 mph sometime before 3 a.m., the National Weather Service reported. More than 9,000 customers on the east coast lost power overnight during the storm.

Winter storm effects will linger into Friday, though additional snow is expected only in areas away from the Massachusetts coast.

The National Weather Service predicts areas in the Merrimack Valley, Fitchburg, and all areas west could see another additional inch of snow. The Berkshires could see another 2-3 inches of snow, and in North Adams, another 3-4 inches.

The system will move west to east, hitting the Berkshires first around 6 a.m. and barreling toward western, central and northeast Massachusetts between 9 a.m. to noon. All areas expected to see another round of snow on Friday should also prepare for the chance of freezing rain at other times in the morning.

"Expect slippery roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving," the National Weather Service warned in a forecast statement. Drivers can also call a 511 traffic line for an update on the latest road conditions. 

Elsewhere, along Massachusetts' eastern coast, strong winds are the biggest concern. On Cape Cod, a high wind warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Friday, where sustained winds will hover around 35 mph and gusts could reach up to 60 mph.

In the Boston and North Shore areas, a wind advisory is in place until 10 a.m. Friday, where sustained winds will hover around 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.

The National Weather Service's official winter storm warning expires at 1 p.m. Friday afternoon. The weekend forecast welcomes sunshine and dry conditions, though Sunday into Monday could see patchy light rain or snow. 

TGP projects in Longmeadow and Agawam would support growth plans by Columbia Gas.

LONGMEADOW -- Tennessee Gas Pipeline plans to build a new meter station and "city gate" on Longmeadow Country Club property, public documents have confirmed.

The facility would let Columbia Gas of Massachusetts purchase more natural gas from Tennessee's interstate 200 Line and build its own natural gas pipeline from Longmeadow to Springfield.

Tennessee has long planned a meter station in Longmeadow, but the exact location has been kept under wraps.

Despite previous reports, no concrete proposal has been advanced. However, recent documents -- including an environmental form and a historic preservation ruling -- confirm that the company is eyeing the golf course.

The Massachusetts Historical Commission on Oct. 15 issued a finding of "no adverse effect" if the meter station is built at the golf course. The Longmeadow Country Club grounds were designed in the 1920s by the Scottish-born golf course architect Donald Ross.

An environmental notification form Tennessee sent to the state also lists the 400 Shaker Road address as the site of a planned gas meter and regulation station.

Country club officials this week declined to comment on an opponent's assertion that the club's governing board plans a Nov. 28 vote on whether to enter into an option agreement with Tennessee for two acres of land.

Earlier this week, country club general manager Rod Clement declined comment, and told a reporter to submit questions in writing for review by the governing board. The questions were emailed Wednesday and so far have not been answered.

Club president Patrick O'Shea also declined comment on the meter station, but said Tennessee Gas has had its pipeline buried beneath the country club's greens and fairways since the 1950s.

"They have always been a good neighbor, and there have had no problems," O'Shea said. He added that the club "has been a good neighbor to Longmeadow for nearly 100 years" and plans to continue in that vein.

Project opponent Michele Marantz, spokeswoman for the Longmeadow Pipeline Awareness Group, said a country club member gave her information about the upcoming vote. Marantz said her group wants the private club to postpone its decision "until all the facts are in."

Marantz claimed that natural gas meter stations bring public health risks, saying her information comes from a group called Mass Health Care Providers Against Fracked Gas.

Marantz further claimed to know the exact route of Columbia's planned pipeline, which would originate at the meter station and head roughly north. However, Columbia has released no route details about its so-called Greater Springfield Reliability Project.

"We will reserve judgment until we see the actual plans," Longmeadow Town Manager Stephen Crane said when reached by telephone on Wednesday.

Crane said any preliminary real estate negotiation between two private entities would not be a matter of public record.

"We will be monitoring the situation," Crane said.

More details will emerge when Tennessee submits a full environmental impact report, or EIR, to the state for its so-called 261 Upgrade Projects.

The administration of Gov. Charlie Baker ruled in August that Tennessee must prepare an environmental impact report, or EIR, for its compressor station and pipeline plans in Agawam, and that the Longmeadow meter station must also be included in that review.

Tennessee had argued that the Longmeadow station did not meet a threshold for state environmental review.

In his ruling, state energy and environment secretary Matthew Beaton noted that the Agawam and Longmeadow plans are related, and would both support plans by Columbia Gas to expand capacity in the Pioneer Valley.

Columbia wants to send a new pipeline to Springfield from Longmeadow, a new line from Agawam to Holyoke, an upgraded line between West Springfield and Springfield, and boost capacity to Easthampton and Northampton.

Columbia's Greater Springfield Reliability Project is dependent upon Tennessee Gas Pipeline gaining all state and federal permits for its Longmeadow and Agawam projects.

Meter stations measure the volume of natural gas passing through a pipeline delivery point. They can also reduce pressure as the gas leaves a high-pressure interstate line and enters a distribution system.

The facilities do not always operate without incident. Last year a Spectra Energy meter valve in Weymouth got stuck open during very cold weather, spewing natural gas into the air for 30 minutes. The incident caused US Rep. Stephen Lynch to issue strong words on Twitter.

Back in 2015, Tennessee tentatively proposed a meter station in Longmeadow as part of its now-defunct Northeast Energy Direct project, a major interstate pipeline plan that never came to fruition.

The company's 200 Line carries natural gas from Appalachia to the Northeast, and traverses the southern tier of Massachusetts.

The chairlifts and snowmaking have been repaired and upgraded and a new groomer will improve the condition of the slopes.

BLANDFORD - State Rep. William Pignatelli has learned something about this small town from his daily drives to Boston that could help business.

"Blandford is a snow globe," said Pignatelli, who is better known as Smitty. "It always snows in Blandford,"

The new owners of the town's namesake ski area are hoping Pignatelli is right as they prepare to open after a one-year hiatus that was needed mainly to make repairs and improvements.

Recently officials celebrated the re-opening of Ski Blandford with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Although it was pouring rain during the event, at least 100 people attended to celebrate the local favorite would be operation again rather than joining the list of more than 170 list of now closed small ski hills in Massachusetts known as the lost ski area.

"I'm glad it is still open. It wouldn't be the same if it wasn't," said Ryan Sweeney. "I like that it is small and everyone knows you."

Sweeney has been skiing at Blandford since he was a fourth-grader. Now a sophomore at St. Mary's High School, he is on the ski team and hopes to train at the reopened area. Last year the school had to travel to Great Barrington to Ski Butternut.

"It's great. We have two young kids who are learning to ski and snowboard," Greg Condon, of Westfield, said of the re-opening.

He and his wife Pam were passholders in the past and they are looking forward to seeing the upgrades the new owners are planning. They said the biggest benefit is the area is a quick drive from Westfield.

Blandford was the oldest club-own ski area in the country but had been struggling financially for years when members made the hard decision to sell the area. Ski Butternut owner Jeffrey Murdock formed Blandford Properties LLC and purchased the area in September 2017 with plans to open it for the season.

But the financial problems led to deferred maintenance and new owners quickly learned the equipment needed more attention than realized. At first the opening was delayed until January then owners announced in February the ski area would remain closed for the rest of the year. Those who purchased seasons passes before the sale were given the OK to spend their winter at Ski Butternut or Otis Ridge, which are also owned by Murdock.

The problem was the chairlifts were in poor condition and could not be opened safely until improvements were made, said Ron Crozier, who was hired as the new Blandford general manager.

Crozier, who most recently ran Liberty Mountain in Pennsylvania, had worked at Ski Butternut from 1999 to 2004 and his family remained at their home in Otis so the job offer was a good fit.

"It was a very difficult decision not to open but there are a lot of children who come here," Crozier said. "I'm not going to put my kids on the lift and I wouldn't put the public on it."

The two main chairs and the beginner lifts are ready for the start of the season. It will take longer to open the North Chair but all trails lead to the two other chairs, he said.

Maintenance crews have also been working on the snowmaking system, replacing some older pipes and cleaning and testing the heads of snowmaking guns to ensure they are working properly. Clogs and other problems can mean snow is not pumped out efficiently or has the ideal mix of water and air, he said.

Between 50 and 60 percent of the area has snowmaking. While officials are concentrating first on upgrading and maintaining the existing system, they did add snowmaking to the green circle trail Boulevard for the first time.

"We hope we can provide a better product with new grooming equipment and snowmaking," he said.

"We won't go automatic, but we will go energy efficient," he said of the snowmaking upgrades.

Over the summer the lodges were also painted and other improvements were made including improving the outside deck. The food service will continue to be run by the owners of Moolicous farm but there will be one sizable change in the beverage service.

"We did go after our liquor license," he said. "The town was really supportive and we just got approval from the ABCC (state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission)," he said.

As a club-owned ski area people frequently brought their own alcohol to the lodge for apres ski and on nights when live bands played. One of the reasons new owners wanted a liquor license was to be able to control how it is served, he said.

Blandford is ready and should be open my mid-December as long as the weather continues to stay cold, Crozier said.

"We need to get open and show people we are serious about what we are doing," he said.

One of the biggest concerns was loyal Blandford skiers and riders would not return, especially because they had to find new places to ski and ride last year, but so far that is proving wrong. Sales of season passes, which are $199 for people aged 14 and older and $169 for those who are 7 and above and for college students, are consistent with previous years, Crozier said.

When the area opens, employees plan to offer all the things skiers and riders like about Blandford including its corporate ski racing night, night skiing, its racing program, school programs and a full complement of lessons for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and school programs.

They will offer a new Christmas camp for those interested in learning about racing, try to expand local school programs and may add a homeschooling program that has been successful at its sister mountain Otis Ridge, said Dillon Mahon, marketing manager for the three areas.

Blandford will also unveil a new Terrain-Based learning program will help people learn how to ski or snowboard by controlling their speed with terrain features, such as small hills that allow skiers and riders to go up hill when they feel they are going too fast, he said.

Blandford's hours of operation are expected to remain similar to those in the past. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

"This mountain has great potential. Its proximity to larger population areas is something we don't have at Butternut," said Dick McCann, the general manager at Butternut.

Blandford opened in 1936 with a single rope tow, making it one of the oldest ski areas in the country. McCann said no one wanted to see that long history end.

While the area, which has about a 400-foot vertical drop, is small it also has some steeper trails, which people appreciate, he said.

They also appreciate the close proximity of the area, which is about a half-hour from Springfield and 20 minutes from downtown Westfield, McCann said.

When the Springfield Ski Club put out the news their area was for sale, Blandford Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Cara Letendre said she was concerned it would close. But after Murdock purchased it, she was less concerned even when Blandford stayed closed last season.

"I think it is in good hands and people are really happy it is re-opening," she said.

The area is important to the town of about 1,200 people. There is little industry so the town relies on people to visit for the outdoor recreation Blandford provides. Those tourists then spend money at the gas stations and small stores in the town, Selectman Eric McVey said.

But Pignatelli said the ski area is not just important to Blandford and added he hoped people who come to Springfield to visit the MGM Casino may travel a little west to ski or snowboard.

"It is definitely a regional asset. It adds to the economy of the region as a whole," he said.

It is the first public glimpse of Springfield-built rail cars that will start shipping out to Boston in the week or so before Christmas. And the sight of those cars will also be a public declaration of the progress within CRRC's $95-milllion Springfield factory. With enough interior space to hold three-and-a half football fields, the new CRRC plant is the largest industrial development in Springfield in generations. Watch video

SPRINGFIELD -- Keep craning your neck as you zip along Interstate 291 past the mammoth CRRC MA Corp. plant. You'll probably see that subway car you've been waiting for.

CRRC started running new subway cars -- Orange Line cars it's building for the MBTA -- on its 2,200-foot test track during the week of Nov. 13.

Each new car costs $2.43 million.

It is the first public glimpse of Springfield-built rail cars that will start shipping out to Boston in the week or so before Christmas. And the sight of those cars will also be a public declaration of the progress within CRRC's $95 million Springfield factory. With enough interior space to hold three and a half football fields, the CRRC plant is the largest industrial development in Springfield in generations.

But it's a development threatened by a growing trade war with China and isolationist sentiments in Congress.

Production began on the first Orange Line Cars in April. When the factory is fully ramped up in 2021, it'll be making four distinct cars for three cities: The Red and Orange lines in Boston, SEPTA in Philadelphia and the transit system in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles has ordered 64 new subway cars at a cost of $178.4 million, with an option for 218 more beginning in 2021.

CRRC will build 45 double-decker train cars for SEPTA, Greater Philadelphia's transit system, for $137.5 million. SEPTA has an option to purchase 10 additional cars after that.

"And they are all very different cars," Director of Manufacturing LeRoy Paige said, saying each car is designed to fit the transit system. "That is the way the industry is. It's not like with Boeing where you select an aircraft and you get to pick the color and the fabric for the seats."

CRRC is also pursuing a contract to make transit cars for Atlanta at the Springfield plant, said Lydia Rivera, head of public relations for CRRC MA Corp.

Inside the factory last week, workers swarmed a half dozen new Orange Line cars in various stages of completion.

David LaRoche of South Hadley was working to put in the door mechanism on one of the cars. He's worked for CRRC MA for about five months, having managed bakeries before that.

"There is a lot of pride," LaRoche said. "It's great to see your hard work paying off."

CRRC MA employs approximately 213 people. The manufacturing facility in Springfield employs 126, including 71 union production employees, Rivera said.

Paige said the plant hires for a new project about six months before production begins. Workers hired for the Red Line will start work on the Orange Line cars, workers hired for SEPTA will start off working on the two MBTA projects.

All told, CRRC expects to have about 200 production workers in Springfield. CRRC said production jobs will pay $55,000 to $60,000 a year.

Paige said the plant is hiring now and will continue to add more staff as production on the other projects ramps up.

The stainless-steel car shells come from China -- a monthlong trip by ship -- to Springfield through the port of Albany, New York, and reach Springfield by truck, Paige said.

Workers here install all the wiring, electronics, control equipment, heating, air conditioning, seats, carpet and interiors. They also put on the undercarriage assemblies -- wheels, shock absorbers, electric motors and the device that picks up electric current from the third rail.

Sixty percent of the parts used in a CRRC rail car are U.S.-made, Paige said. Parts of the undercarriage assembly are made in Kansas, for example.

Workers in Springfield are also in charge of installing lights, the markings outside the cars, interior video monitors for passenger information and advertising, and the interior and exterior "next stop" signs.

Completing each car takes 23 working days.

The first set of cars -- they are produced and driven as a pair -- was near completion last week, with workers like LaRoche installing the last of the interior equipment. Seats were in place and flooring was down, with temporary covers so workers wouldn't mess up the finish.

Paige said MBTA riders will notice improvements when they get on a new CRRC car and compare it to the existing, more than 40-year-old cars now servicing those lines.

The message boards and video-screens are new. The doors are wider and more accessible for those with living with disabilities. There is a wheelchair area that can convert to regular seating because it's got jump seats that fold up and away.

A shelf moves out from under the train door and to the platform, an aide to boarding. The air conditioning and heating units are new designs.

"Everything is state of the art," Paige said.

Once the car goes to the test track, CRRC runs a series of low-speed tests mostly involving stopping, starting again and doing so smoothly to maximize passenger comfort.

Once that is completed, CRRC will ship the cars to the MBTA via truck. It's up to MBTA when those cars get put into service carrying passengers.

The CRRC cars will be able to run safely closer together than their 1970s predecessors. That means more trains on the same amount of track.

The Orange Line will get a 40 percent boost in service, meaning trains will come every 4 or 4.5 minutes. Red Line service will get a 50 percent boost, meaning trains will come and go every 3 minutes.

The work at CRRC is going on against a backdrop of Trump administration tariffs that could amount to 25 percent of the cost of the rail car components CRRC imports from China and assembles in Springfield. Republican members of the House and Senate have also introduced bills that would ban the use of federal money on Chinese rail and transit cars.

CRRC's contract calls for customers to pay the added cost, but the company fears the impact not only on the deals it has in place but also on future projects.

Rivera said CRRC has filed for exemptions from the tariffs with support of local lawmakers and elected officials including U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield.

Neal, set to be chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee with the new Democratic majority, has said he'll fight the ban bills in Washington.

Ricardo Francis, 39, of Hyde Park was arrested at gunpoint in the upstairs bedroom of the Sharon home after police say he broke in and assaulted a woman while her three school-age children were home.

Authorities say a knife-wielding man broke into a home and assaulted a woman after crashing his car during Thursday night's snowstorm. 

Ricardo Francis, 39, of Hyde Park was arrested at gunpoint in the upstairs bedroom of the Sharon home after police say he broke in and assaulted a woman while her three school-age children were home.

Sharon Police received multiple 911 calls from the home on Billings Street around 11:25 p.m. The callers, some of them children, were reporting a break-in, assaults and a man with a knife inside the house.

The responding officer found Francis, who police described as "enraged," in an upstairs bedroom of the home. 

Authorities said the woman was assaulted and sustained non-life threatening injuries. The three children were unharmed.

"At this time there does not appear to be any nexus between the suspect and the victims other than the fact that the suspect's car ran off the roadway, in the snow and struck a vehicle located at the end of the driveway," Sharon police said. 

Francis is being charged with armed home invasion and multiple felony charges. 

He is expected to be arraigned in Stoughton District Court Friday morning.

"I don't think this city has had a better night," UMass President Marty Meehan told the Lowell Sun.

UMass Lowell raised $3 million in student scholarship money during an onstage interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Winfrey was interviewed on stage at Tsongas Center by UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney as part of the Chancellor's Speaker Series.  

When Moloney announced the event raised more than $1.5 million for student scholarships, Winfrey said she would personally match that amount. The crowd went wild, the Lowell Sun reports.

Previous guests Stephen King and Meryl Streep helped raise $100,000 and $230,000 in student scholarship money respectively, according to the Lowell Sun.

Winfrey told the crowd of more than 5,000 that a thank you letter from Andre Dubus III, an author and English professor at UMass Lowell, moved her to come to the city. Dubus' book "House of Sand and Fog" was an Oprah's Book Club selection in 2000, the newspaper reports.

"When I heard that you all were going to use it as a tool of service, me being here as a tool of service, to raise money for scholarships, I thought that's worth firing up the jet for," Winfrey said, according to the Lowell Sun. "Let's fire up the jet and get to Lowell."

Six students were honored on stage with the Oprah Winfrey Scholarship and Winfrey received an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree.

"I don't think this city has had a better night," UMass President Marty Meehan told the Lowell Sun.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reports that 4,592 customers were without power as of 7:45 a.m. Friday.

More than 4,000 customers are without power following the first snowstorm of the season.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reports that 4,592 customers were without power as of 7:45 a.m. Friday. There is a concentration of outages in Eastern Massachusetts, according to an outage map.

At 12:45 a.m. Friday, MEMA reported there were more than 9,000 customers without power.

The season's first storm began Thursday evening and will linger into Friday. Some communities saw more than a half-foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service. NWS predicts areas in the Merrimack Valley and communities in Central Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley could see another additional inch of snow.

The Berkshires could see another 2-3 inches of snow, and in North Adams, another 3-4 inches.

Commuters traveling east past Charlton are urged to avoid the Massachusetts Turnpike Friday morning.

Commuters traveling east past Charlton are urged to avoid the Massachusetts Turnpike Friday morning. 

Massachusetts State Police told MassLive four tractor-trailers crashed in the eastbound lanes early Friday morning, blocking the roadway. 

A multi-mile backup formed and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation says all traffic is being diverted off Exit 8 in Palmer. 

State Police said there were no injuries in the crash and cleanup was still underway as of 9 a.m. It's unclear when the lanes will reopen.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced late Thursday that the speed limit has been reduced for travel along the Mass. Pike to 40 miles per hour between the New York border and Interchange 11 in Millbury. 

UPDATE: Lane reopened on Massachusetts Turnpike following tractor-trailer crash

ranklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 27, is charged with single counts of second-degree murder, attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.

BOSTON - A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a Mexican national for the Sept. 23 murder of a crew member aboard a fishing vessel 55 miles off the coast of Massachusetts.

Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 27, is charged with single counts of second-degree murder, attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to the office of U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew E. Lelling.

Vazquez, who entered the United States illegally, was working as one of seven crew members on the Captain Billy Haver, a scallop vessel based in Newport News, Virginia. He is accused to killing one crewman, identified as Javier Rangel Sosa, 54, with a hammer and assaulting another with a knife.

The attack caused the captain of the boat to broadcast a call for help over the distress channel. "Mayday mayday mayday! Can anyone hear me?" the captain can be heard in a recording of the distress call. "We have a man gone crazy here on the boat, man."

A passing German cruise ship responded to give assistance. Vazquez was taken into custody by the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston. He remains in custody.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Vazquez entered the United States illegally 17 years ago. On March 9, he was arrested in Newport News, Virginia for abduction by force, intimidation, and deception.

Those charges stem from a compliant from his wife that he attacked her.

He was released on bail. 

If convicted he faces a charge of up to life in prison on the murder charge. If he is released from prison, he is subject to deportation hearings.

The speed limit has returned to normal on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The speed limit has returned to normal on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced Thursday evening that the speed limit on the pike was lowered to 40 miles per hour from the New York border to Interchange 11 in Millbury. Additionally, propane trucks and tandems were restricted. 

From October 2017 to October 2018, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates Massachusetts has added 64,400 jobs.

Massachusetts added 4,4000 jobs in October, according to statistics released Friday by the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The state's total unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point, to 3.5 percent in October.

During October, the private sector gained 4,700 jobs as gains occurred in Education and Health Services; Professional, Scientific, and Business Services; Information; Construction; Other Services; Manufacturing; and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities. Financial Activities and Leisure and Hospitality lost jobs over the month, according to the BLS.

Over the year from October 2017 to October 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates Massachusetts has added 64,400 jobs.

The October unemployment rate was two-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

October local jobless numbers won't be available until later in November, but in September the city of Springfield had an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent.

The statewide unemployment rate is higher, at 7.1 percent, when those who are working part-time but would rather work full-time and those who have given up on their job searches are taken into account.

"The Massachusetts unemployment rate continues to remain low at 3.5 percent and has now held below 4 percent for 30 consecutive months," Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said in a prepared statement. "With the Commonwealth's consistently low rate of unemployment, the economy continues to add jobs at a healthy clip and our labor force continues to grow to meet employment needs, with an additional 169,600 employed residents and 5,200 fewer unemployed over the last year." 

The labor force increased by 10,800, from 3,822,100 in September, as 12,600 more residents were employed and 1,700 fewer residents were unemployed over the month.

Over the year, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5 percent.

The state's labor force participation rate -- the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks -- is up two-tenths of a percentage point over the month at 68.0 percent.

Job gains by industry

• Education and Health Services added 2,200 (+0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Education and Health Services gained 14,900 (+1.9%) jobs.
• Professional, Scientific and Business Services added 1,600 (+0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific and Business Services gained 29,200 (+5.1%) jobs.
• Information added 600 (+0.7%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Information added 1,800 (+2.0%) jobs.
• Construction added 500 (+0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Construction has added 8,300 (+5.4%) jobs.
• Other Services added 400 (+0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Other Services are up 2,100 (+1.5%) jobs.
• Manufacturing added 100 (0.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing gained 3,500 (+1.4%) jobs.
• Trade, Transportation and Utilities added 100 (0.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Trade, Transportation and Utilities gained 2,400 (+0.4%) jobs.
• Leisure and Hospitality lost 400 (-0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality added 1,500 (+0.4%) jobs.
• Financial Activities lost 400 (-0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Financial Activities added 400 (+0.2%) jobs.
• Government lost 300 (-0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Government added 300 (+0.1%) jobs.

With recent reports raising concerns about mistreatment and unsafe conditions at several for-profit immigration detention centers, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, pressed private contractors Friday for details on whether they are meeting federal detention standards.

With recent reports raising concerns about mistreatment and unsafe conditions at several for-profit immigration detention centers, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, pressed private contractors Friday for details on whether they are meeting federal detention standards. 

The Democrats, along with other Senate colleagues, sent letters to GEO Group and CoreCivic requesting information on the immigration detention facilities they operate in the United States, including copies of their federal contracts, inspection records and waivers for cited deficiencies.

The senators, in a second letter, called on Nakamoto Group, a private company responsible for auditing immigration detention facilities, to address questions raised about the effectiveness of its inspections and whether the company is complying with its government contract. 

Noting that nearly two-thirds of the 40,000 immigrants currently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were held in private facilities as of September, Warren and Markey raised concerns about CoreCivic and GEO Group's "aggressive  lobbying efforts" to secure federal contracts and promote policies that increase its profits. 

They pointed to money the companies spent lobbying Congress, political candidates and President Donald Trump in recent years -- donations which they argued "paid off" as the Trump administration's immigration agenda has "filled private facilities with migrant adults and children."

CoreCivic, for example, has received taxpayer-funded contracts worth $225 million to manage ICE immigration detention facilities since 2017, while GEO Group and its subsidiaries have received over $4 billion from federal contracts in the last decade, including $560 million in just the last two fiscal years, the senators contended. 

Although CoreCivic and GEO Group have won such contracts, Warren and Markey said it is unclear whether they are serving as responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and abiding by ICE immigrant detention standards. 

The senators pointed to Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General reviews that they said found "immigrant detention facilities had spoiled and moldy food, that detainees did not have access to hot water, some showers lacked cold water, detainees had limited access to prompt and adequate medical care and that detainees were not promptly given (or not given at all) basic hygiene products such as toilet paper and toothpaste."

The senators said the inspector general also noted "deeply troubling" findings at facilities run by both GEO Group and CoreCivic, including violations that undermined the protection of detainees' rights, humane treatment and safe and healthy environment, among other things. 

It further found that ICE "inappropriately" granted waivers to exempt facilities from correcting violations, they offered.

"These reports and the results of the OIG investigations indicate that the perverse profit incentive at the core of the private prison business model has resulted in GEO Group and CoreCivic boosting profits by cutting costs on expenditures including food, health care, and sufficient pay and training for guards and prison staff," the senators argued.

Warren and Markey added that while detention centers are overseen by federal inspectors and a private auditor, "internal reviews from ICE employees suggest the Nakamoto inspections are 'useless' and 'very, very, very difficult to fail.'"

The inspector general found that when government inspectors examined the same facilities as Nakamoto, the government often identified more than twice as many  violations, the senators contended.

"Ineffective and infrequent oversight raises questions about the severity of detention center conditions in your facilities and whether violations are underreported," they wrote, asking the companies to provide information on their detention center operations by Nov. 30. 

Specifically, they requested information about each of the immigration detention facilities operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic, including their inspection records, audit results and details about deficiencies cited in reviews. 

The senators further asked Nakamoto Group to respond with information about the company's compliance with its government contract and the effectiveness of its inspections.

Several others joined Warren and Markey in signing the letters.

They included: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon; Kamala Harris, D-California; Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York; Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut; Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont; Cory Booker, D-New Jersey; Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii; Tom Udall, D-New Mexico; and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon. 

CoreCivic, in a June statement, stressed that it "cares deeply about every person in (its) care."

"All of our immigration facilities are monitored very closely by the government, and each and every one is required to undergo regular review and audit processes that include ensuring an appropriate standard of living for all detainees," it said. "More than 500 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are currently assigned to CoreCivic's eight detention facilities. CoreCivic has partnered with the federal government to operate detention facilities for more than 30 years, and we've worked with both Democrat and Republican administrations to meet their detention needs."

Johnny Choate, GEO Group facility administrator for the Aurora ICE Processing Center, meanwhile, said in an August The Hill op-ed that "charges of little accountability or oversight at (the company's) operations are flatly wrong."

"Our services comply with performance-based standards set by the federal government and adhere to guidelines set by leading third-party accreditation agencies. ... Additionally, our facilities are subject to unannounced audits by both federal agencies and independent, third-party organizations; there is dedicated ICE staff on-site at all times, and public records requests can be made directly to the government agency for whom we contract," he wrote. 

Choate further stressed that he and his colleagues "work every day to treat those going through immigration proceedings with dignity and respect, and we will continue to provide, high-quality services that meet or exceed the strict standards set by the government."

J.P.Morgan Chase foreclosed on the mall in 2016.

ENFIELD -- Reeling from the loss of anchor stores and mostly empty except for Target, Enfield Square Mall will be sold at auction Dec. 10, according to a posting on the real estate website Loop.net.

Banker J.P. Morgan Chase has owned the mall since foreclosing on former owner Centro Enfield defaulted on a $240 million loan.

Bidding will be online here.

Last year the town, along with Springfield-area business boosters, pitched the site as a possible location for the new Amazon headquarters projects. But the proposal was never a finalist. Earlier this week, Amazon announced plans to build in Virginia and in Queens, New York.

Centro bought the property in 2006 for $82 million, according to Enfield records.

Today, its appraised at $27.5 million. The starting bid at the auction is $3.8 million.

The 677,000-square-foot mall was built in 1971. In those days it had G. Fox, JC Penney and Steiger's of Springfield as anchors.

Today, Target is all that is left.

The Target location at Enfield Square is owned by the mall, not the store, and Target has eight more years left on its lease, according to information provided to bidders by online auction site Ten-X. Additionally, Target recently invested in renovating the store inside and out. 

Ten-X pitches the Target store as a major moneymaker for the property, indicating that it would likely stay open no matter the redevelopment plans the new owner would bring forth.

The auction site says the property is 57.5 percent occupied, a figure that would include the Target, movie theater and Panera restaurant.

Macy's, which closed its Enfield location in 2016, still owns the store there, according to Enfield town records.

The Mall property includes 66 acres of land.

And the auction house tells potential bidders that their plans to rebuild on the site will be enhanced because they will buy it much cheaper than previous owners bought it.

Owners of Springfield's Eastfield Mall have disclosed plans to demolish much of that property and create Eastfeild Commons.

Eastfield Commons would be a mixed-use residential, office, retail and service  complex modeled on West Hartford's Blue Black Square.

The eastbound lanes of the Massachusetts Turnpike have partially reopened following a serious crash early Friday morning.

The eastbound lanes of the Massachusetts Turnpike have partially reopened following a serious crash early Friday morning. 

All lanes were closed after four tractor-trailers crashed on the roadway in Brimfield. 

The left lane was reopened late Friday morning. 

State Police said there were no injuries in the crash and cleanup was still underway as of 11:30 a.m. It's unclear when all lanes will reopen. 

Traffic was diverted off Exit 8 in Palmer for much of the morning. 

The City of Holyoke begins the process of setting the latest property tax rate with a classification hearing Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m., in the City Council Chamber. Assessor Anthony Dulude will lead the public hearing.

HOLYOKE -- City Assessor Anthony Dulude will conduct the 2019 Tax Classification hearing Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers.

The hearing is the first step in arriving at a tax rate for residential and commercial property owners. A vote on the new tax rate is not on the Nov. 20 agenda.

The fiscal 2018 property tax rate stands at $19.14 per $1,000 in valuation for residential property and $39.70 for commercial property. The goal remains to keep the commercial rate under $40.

The council did not set last year's rates until late March, leaving taxpayers to pay third- and fourth-quarter tax bills together. Taxpayers also dole out a 1.5 percent Community Preservation Act (CPA) surcharge.

CPA funds historical restoration and community projects, which the state matches.

The current residential and commercial assessments were set in January 2017. The state Department of Revenue certified the city's valuations in late-October.

The assessor's office provides valuations on over 10,000 parcels and property. The city's total property value was over $2.1 billion. Around $497.4 million is tax exempt.

Dulude saw an uptick in home values in Holyoke and Western Massachusetts. He said only a few homes sold in Holyoke fell under the assessed value. "The sales have been significant," he said.

With an increase in values comes an increase in tax bills.

City Council President Todd McGee said before the council can vote on a new tax rate, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue must certify the city's free cash reserves for the coming fiscal year.

Dulude can proceed with the hearing without the free cash certification, McGee said.

The abuse of fentanyl is a growing, and dangerous, problem, according to the latest statistics from the Department of Public Health.

Opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts are gradually declining, but the abuse of fentanyl is a growing and dangerous, problem, according to the latest statistics from the Department of Public Health.

"We've made a lot of progress, but we still have a long way to go," Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday, a day before the statistics were released, speaking about opioid addiction at a conference of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans.

The latest DPH statistics found a slight drop in opioid-related overdose deaths over last year. In the first nine months of 2018, there were 1,518 confirmed and estimated overdose deaths, compared to 1,538 in the first nine months of 2017. There were an estimated 474 deaths between July and September 2018, only the second quarter since 2015 that the number of overdose deaths in the state dropped below 500.

The number of deaths also dropped by 4 percent between 2016 and 2017, indicating that the state may be moving in a positive direction after five years of massive increases.

But at the same time, new drugs are causing more damage. Fentanyl, a strong synthetic opioid similar to heroin, can be prescribed for severe pain, but can also be manufactured illicitly. The use of primarily illicit fentanyl has skyrocketed in the last couple of years, and fentanyl is now found in 90 percent of overdose deaths for which a toxicology screen is available. By comparison, heroin, cocaine and benzodiazepines were each present in around 40 percent of deaths. 

Baker called fentanyl "terrifying and deadly," and said it is the most dangerous street drug now in Massachusetts.

The Legislature this past session passed bills to help prosecutors better crack down on fentanyl trafficking. Baker has asked lawmakers for another $5 million to help municipal police coordinate to catch fentanyl dealers.

Massachusetts lawmakers and Baker have also taken steps to reduce the prescription of opioids -- limiting the size of first-time prescriptions, bringing together medical schools to teach doctors about the dangers of addiction, allowing patients to partially fill prescriptions and requiring doctors to check a prescription monitoring service before issuing a new prescription.

The number of opioid prescriptions in Massachusetts has declined over time, and the presence of prescription drugs in overdose deaths has also declined, to 17 percent last quarter.

A disproportionate number of those who are dying of overdoses are men ages 25 to 44. 

There are also racial disparities. Overdose deaths rose by 44 percent among blacks between 2016 and 2017. The latest data show that 4 percent of all deaths so far in 2018 were Hispanics, but Hispanics represent 11 percent of opioid overdose deaths.

Baker said, in his speech Thursday, that he believes one of the accomplishments of his administration is in reducing the stigma around addiction and encouraging organizations to experiment with ways of treating addiction.

"One of the things we've tried to do as an administration is make it possible for people to talk more openly and forcefully about this stuff," Baker said, although he noted that many individuals and family members still do not feel comfortable seeking help.